Sybir

Well, I had a request for just a guided meditation CD, so, I spent the evening craft and recording and mixing. Sheesh. My eyes are crossing. But, now I have TWO CDs done - shew. The Children's Relaxation one, which seems to be working wonderfully for all the parents who've either bought one or who I've given one to use as a test for me. So now, to figure out how to link them up on my site for sale!!! Other than where I have the Children's one posted on CD Baby. I suppose, instead, if someone wants the adult version, they're just going to have to email me for it in MP3 format. It's about 32 minutes. And, what to title it....hmmmmm...the things I have to think of!

So, what creative endeavors are you guys up to this week? I know, I know, it's not writing, but, it IS creative. And, it's allowing me to map out the seminar I want to give at next year's RWA conference...plus what CD I want to build to take with me for authors.

My goals before the end of the year?

• Finish edits on Phyxed
• Write Iced
• Edits on Feral
• Start agent queries
• Update the site - I love this site, but, I think it's due for some tweaking again....

So, spill it...I know you're reading, I see the stats. :D Anyone else find it hard some days to remember to sneak in the creative callings?

~S

Posted by Stacia at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

It is amazing what you can get done, when you have a short to do list. Don't get me wrong. I do have the LONG list of things to do, but somehow, that gets overwhelming. So, tonight, before I went off to teach a Mind-Body Fusion class...and I made a list of 4 things to get done before I crashed. Obviously, it's the next day, according to the clock, but I knocked out THREE of them!

So hah.

Make a list and get it done. You can write ANYWHERE. Just like, you can exercise anywhere, just get a good pair of running shoes!

Namaste

Posted by Stacia at 12:28 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

1. Can the news sites report any more crap than they already do??? Gods...can we PLEASE stop having to read about Paris Hilton? And yes, really glad Ms. Lohan has a girlfriend instead of a BOYfriend. Gods....people...get...over it. Really, it's ok, breathe.
   
2. Umm, my hips hurt. LOL. Yoga, training, more yoga, more training, TKD practice in class, at home and then in class again. I'm in damn good shape...and yet...OW. (And yes, back again on Sat after a photo shoot. LOL...just remind me to wash the makeup off my face...otherwise, I'm gonna get harassed!)
3. Writing - I have some edits to do, some writing to do, and some articles to pounce on. Where do my hours go?
4. Sleep...ummmm...yeah...over-rated. Damn it.

This week, Great Grama (she's 85) just went thru hip replacement surgery today. She's doing well! And apparently giving the drs as much grief as I do when I've been there :D We (pup and I) left her silly voicemail to cheer her up. I'd like to make time to go up and visit her, but that might be Sat afternoon...or Sun depending on schedules.

Who made life so....full?

I think, I really am ready for a vacation. My brain is overfull. My sleep is off. I am organized, but damn, I have a lot of things still on the never-ending list. :)

Oh well. I'll get over it :)
namaste

Posted by Stacia at 12:33 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

So, I've always been entranced by the idea of my own writing room/meditation space/office. And today, I can officially say, I've got ALL three! In one room of course.

Some of the reasoning behind it? I needed a home office for my MBS Works clients. The separate office outside the house just wasn't working. Commercial space gets loud, and it doesn't really promote thoughts of relaxation and stress management the way my office needed to. Who can relax when people are shouting outside the window or loud vehicles drive by and shake the building? Well, not my clients. I, however, can relax in the middle of a concert, lol.

The fringe benefit...I can use the space to meditate, do yoga AND retreat to jump start my writing for ANY of my projects. The blues in the room are just conducive to me writing the next in the Goddess Chronicles series. Actually, it'll be great for the next two! Water and Air. :)

See the pic?
I know, it's little. I'll post a video when I get it all done and make sure the camera turns slowly :D

Tonight? TKD, then edits and writing - WHOOO!!!! So, what would your 'writing room' look like???

And for your Health & Fitness amusement, you can keep track of my rampant silliness here:
http://sybir.livejournal.com/

Namaste!

Posted by Stacia at 4:13 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

So, it's that time of year again...RWA is having their annual conference, and I don't get to go this year :( San Fran is just a little too far with the current airline rates (boooo, gas prices). But, I am over on Romance Divas and doing the NGTC route. They're a blast!

(and thanks to them tonight, I did 800+ words on my new WIP without meaning to!!!) Teresa and Jodie ROCK.

As for writing, contest entry submitted, and yes, that's 25 pages and the synopsis. Although, I'm sure the synopsis isn't what they're used to seeing...oh well, I can't write a dry boring one...for one, my head hurts too much after the paint fumes of the last 2 days (when one is allergic to paint, one should really refrain from painting a whole room, but if you want it done now, you do it.) and for the other, who wants to READ a boring synopsis? Cause lord knows, I don't. BE creative! It's going to be what makes me want to read your work anyway. And this from a technical editor. LOL. (Talk about dry and boring writing ;)).

Next up, Speaker's application for the 2009 RWA Conference which will be in DC! Wooot! So, the app is filled out, need to write an outline and my bio....hmm...that'll take me what....1o minutes?

*grins*

Off to sleep, 6am comes early and I have to run 2 miles...that's IF little man stays asleep. He's shouting over his monitor now, which means nightmares and mommy sleep time is going to be impacted.

I hope you're making all your writing goals this week. Get crackin'!
Namaste.

Posted by Stacia at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

The Romance Divas annual Not Going to Conference Conference will make you feel a bit less deprived! Amazing workshops, a star-studded guest list and awesome giveaways, all on the Diva forum! Don't miss it!


Here's a bit of a schedule update for the Q&As and Workshops...

Wednesday, July 30

Paula Guran, Editor, Juno Books
Q&A on Creating Kick a** Heroines

Laurie Rauch, Editor, Samhain Publishing
Workshop on What Happens After the Contract (aka Editors are People Too!)*


Thursday July 31

Joyce Hart, Hartline Literary
Q&A on Inspirational Romance Stories and the Inspy Market

Sandra Schwab, Historical Romance Author
Workshop on Historical Accuracy and Anachronisms

Friday, August 1

Yolanda Sfetsos, Author of Guarded by Stone
Q&A on Paranormal and Urban Fantasy World Building

Katie MacIver, KatieDidDesign
Workshop on Website Design and Color Selection

Saturday, August 2

Joey W. Hill, Erotica Author
Workshop on Plotting Erotica and Erotic Romance

Rhonda Stapleton, Editor and Author
Workshop on Style and Voice




How about if I list some door prizes?

• What Gwen said" mug donated by Gwen Hayes
• 3-chapter critique of a YA by Simon Pulse author Rhonda Stapleton
• 3-chapter critique of a YA, chick lit, or rom com by Golden Heart Finalist Amanda Brice
• An ebook of your choice from Nell Dixon's backlist
• An ebook of either Second Sight (paranormal romance) or Dragons' Choice (fantasy romance - dragon-shifters) from Debbie Mumford
• Ten dollar Amazon gift certificate from Jodi Henley
• Lush stuff from Seeley deBorn
• e-book copy of Chasing Shadows from Erin Richards
• Paperback copy of Iron Horse Rider OR Smiling Eyes from Adelle Laudan
• Book thongs from Angeleque Ford
• 3 chapter critique from Sela Carsen
• winner's choice of ebook copy of "Not Quite Dead" or "Heart of the Sea" by Sela Carsen
• e-book copy of HEATWAVE by Eden Bradley
• e-book copy of BREAKING SKYE by Eden Bradley
• a box of goodies, trade and paperbacks, bath products candles, etc... All for a fun and relaxing home spa day treat. courtesy of The Midnight Moon Cafe
• 1 download each of Natasha Moore's Samhain books, The Ride of Her LIfe and The Passion-Minded Professor
• a copy of "Painted Soul" by Mary Quast
• e-book copy of HER CINDERELLA COMPLEX by Jenna Bayley-Burke - Samhain
• e-book copy of PAR FOR THE COURSE by Jenna Bayley-Burke - Samhain
• e-book copy of FOUND by Jenna Bayley-Burke - Wild Rose Press
• e-book copy of NIGHT OF INSPIRATION by Jenna Allen - Phaze
• e-book copy of ON AGAIN by Jenna Allen - Phaze
• $10 gc to Amazon from Kendal Corbitt
• ebook Vampire Oracle: Harmony by MG Braden
• Ebook ARC, Art of Sensuality by Jax Cassidy

Plus a lovely bar of wonderful Chagrin Valley hand made soap, Caramel Pralines jar candle, handmade jewelry, Tarot readings, a Lush box for European Divas/Dudes, a $10 fictionwise gc and much more!

Posted by Stacia at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Do any of you (other than me) make notes for yourself and jot down ideas in little notebooks that end up strewn all over the house? Can we tell where all of mine are?

Tonight, I found one of my writing journals. There's a gorgeous tiger on the front cover, and yes, you'll see the theme here. (Sybir, what IS the tattoo on the back of your neck? You have to really know me to know the why behind it ;)

Ok, back to the tiger writing journal, I'd taken it with me to the RWA Conference JT and I attended a couple of years ago in Atlanta. And no, we will NOT talk about the bottle of Jack, suffice to say, not the smartest evening of my life. *wink*

Anyway, I found my notebook, not that it was lost, it had been sitting on the side of my desk. I'd just...not opened it in a while. I take some the best notes. Even better when I can go back years later and still think that. Or, when they spark me into forward movement again.

Some of the highlights:

• A list of 'livelihood streams' - some of which I'm doing, some of which I need to be doing!
• What if statements about 2 of my WIP
• To do list for those same WIP
• Comments about speakers thoughts on agents vs publishers and agent hunting tips (sounds like writers are out to get them, doesn't it?)
• What to do with your blog, as a writer!
• 7 To Do's from Nora Roberts...who, by the way, is one of the nicest authors I've ever met (and who thought I had insanely long legs...it was really the shoes, I promise!)
• My WIP Pitches and the quick notes for my Chronicles stories!
• Notes of the craft of writing and how men and women speak different, so it's all about the dialogs.
• Where I fell in love with Cat Marsters/Kate Johnson and Gena Showalter novels. I think it might be dangerous for these ladies and I to get together...between the drinks and the highjinks!
  
• Hehee...I love this one: 50 Ways to (Nearly) Kill Your Lover...talk about informative. Cat still growls at me when I mention this one ;)
  

And then, I have pages and pages of marketing ideas for all the lines of businesses and all the people I help. But, one of the to do's I'd written down was "enter more writing contests" - so, tonight, I'm working on the first 25 pages of Phyxed to get to the 2008 Where the Magic Begins contest and enter my work for the Light Paranormal division.

It really is...time to focus.
Just Breathe
~S

Posted by Stacia at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

If you want to write about strong women, you really have to be one yourself. Or, you have to have a vivid imagination and really be able to put yourself into the heroine's shoes.

The more I learn about sparring in TKD class, the more I realize, hell, I should sleep more. LOL. No, really, I should do more sparring classes. It really is the only way to get better and faster at it. And I'll tell you what...it is definitely making my fight scenes far more vivid!

Now, to just deal with the aches and pains that come after. Heeheee. Perhaps it's time for some Motrin and sleep!

Namaste

Posted by Stacia at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post