One-Word Survey

I'm piggy-backing off my girls, Patricia and Denise and giving one-word answers to this fun questionnaire. Feel free to answer too! REMEMBER, ANSWERS MUST BE ONE WORD ONLY!

1. Where is your cell phone? Pocket
2. Your significant other? Cute
3. Your hair? Relaxed
4. Your mother? Retired
5. Your father? Walker
6. Your favorite thing? Books
7. Your dream last night? Scary
8. Your favorite drink? Tea
9. Your dream/goal? Published
10. The room you’re in? Office
11. Your ex? Gone
12. Your fear? Failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Virginia
14. Where were you last night? Home
15. What you’re not? Dumb
16. Muffins? Blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? Peace
18. Where you grew up? Richmond
19. The last thing you did? Walk
20. What are you wearing? Shorts
21. Your TV? On
22. Your pets? None
23. Your computer? Old
24. Your life? Interesting
25. Your mood? Calm
26. Missing someone? Aunt
27. Your car? Fly
28. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
29. Favorite store? Book
30. Your summer? Typical
31. Like(love) someone? Daughter
32. Your favorite color? Orange
33. Last time you laughed? Morning
34. Last time you cried? Yesterday
35. Who will re-post this? Unknown

Not too bad!
AJ

LaConnie's Sophomore Release

Congrats to my friend LaConnie Taylor-Jones on the April release of her second romance, When a Man Loves a Woman!

It's another homerun!

BOOK

DESCRIPTION
Nursing administrator Victoria Bennett has soured on love. She has sworn off men; they bring too much drama and too much pain into her life. That is, until she meets pediatrician A. J. Baptiste, a single parent who is determined to woo her. A. J. will stop at nothing to have her, and Victoria finds her resolve put to the test...but is this a fight she really wants to win?

Check LaConnie out at http://laconnietaylorjones.com.

Blogging in Black: A question of passion

Hi all,

Just a quick note to tell you to check out a Blogging in Black post by my friend, LaConnie Taylor-Jones, a contemporary romance writer on the rise. On February 6, 2008, she pinned an inspiring guest blog on passion and creative writing. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think you will too.

Also, pick up her debut novel, When I'm With You from Genesis Press, Inc. Marcel and Caitlyn's love story is a poignant love story about overcoming domestic abuse. Check out her website to read an excerpt. http://www.laconnietaylorjones.com/

Definitely a keeper!


AJ

Check it out....

I have nothing to write here but check out my blog entry at Mavens of the Pen, http://themavensofthepen.blogspot.com. It's a fun one.

Angela

Self-Affirmation for the Writer in You

I found these wonderful affirmations by Shad Helmstetter, author of "The Self-Talk Solution," on the web today. Get your printers ready!

Self-Affirmations
* Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.

* I like and respect myself. I know I am a worthy, capable and valuable person.

* I guide my own destiny, and I’m accountable for the results of my decisions and actions. I reinforce my successes and correct for errors.

* I easily anticipate and experience events in my imagination before they actually happen.

* I am my own expert, and I am not affected by the negative attitudes and opinions of others.

* I easily balance the needs of my family with my own need to write.

* Creativity flows through me easily and effortlessly.

* I am a talented writer.

* I have a positive expectancy of big success, and I take temporary setbacks easily.

* I am a creative person and develop my plots with confidence and imagination.

* Images and words come easily when I sit down to write.

* I have unlimited potential; I have unlimited creativity.

* I happily accept the joys and responsibilities of being published and welcome success.

* I write daily with excitement, enthusiasm, and confidence.

* I am well-organized and have a vivid picture of my goals.

* I don’t wait for inspiration. Work inspires inspiration. If I succeed, I keep working. If I fail, I keep working. Whether I feel interested or bored, energized or tired, encouraged or discouraged, I keep working.

* I have the craftsmanship and creativity to successfully finish this book.

More self-affirmations from Shad Helmstetter:
(THE SELF-TALK SOLUTION)
* I have talents and skills and abilities. I even have talents and skills that I don’t know about yet. And I am discovering new talents inside myself all the time.

* I invest my time and energies where I choose. My time and energy are gifts which I guard and give by my choice - - but never by the demands, dictates, or the expectations of others.

* I am a winner. I am absolutely determined to achieve my aims. I am steadfast and persistent in the pursuit of my goals, and I will not give up.

* Each day my confidence in my self-expression grows stronger and even more positive. I express myself easily, without fear or uncertainty.

* Each day I consciously remove from my mind the imaginary bindings of self-doubt and the unnecessary limitations of uncertainty and fear.

* I am never afraid to try.

* I was not created to fail; I was created to succeed. Success is a part of who I am and a part of everything about me.

Pretty good, huh?

Recommended Reading

For a short contemporary romance with well-developed characters, a wonderful plot with smoothly-integrated flashbacks, sizzling love scenes and a heart-wrenching ending, I recommend Adrianne Byrd's "Blue Skies" (June 2007).

I read the story in one sitting! It was great! Sydney "Serious" Garret and James "Jett" Colton are two Air Force fighter pilots who fall in love while butting heads, being scarred by their respective backgrounds and dealing with meddlesome, jealous colleagues. Here is the backcover blurb:

Air Force fighter pilot Sydney Garret was born to fly. No other thrill came close enough to shake her -- until she met Captain James Colton and found a reckless passion that led to fifty-five hours together as husband and wife.

When they went their separate ways, Sydney's heart understood what her pride refused to admit -- that someday, somehow, fate would reunite them. But no one imagined that it would be a matter of life and death.

When Sydney's plane is shot down over enemy territory on a routine reconnaissance flight, James and his crew were deployed on a dangerous search-and-rescue operation where every second counted. But James was not only going after the military's pilots -- he was racing to save the woman he loved.

Halfway through the story, I was rooting for Sydney and Jett to get back to together and that he'd rescue her in time.

And the ending will surprise you.

I can't wait for Adrianne's next book, "Feel the Fire" (November 2007).

Happy Mothers Day

I just want to take this moment to wish Happy Mothers Day to:

My writing buddies:

Denise, Zaynah, Chelle, Bella, Evelyn, LaConnie, LaGuana, Dee, Tracey, Tash, Erin, Jennifer, Judi, Maggie, Donna, Lynne, and JL.

My friends:

Rhonda, Maria, Crystal, Damita, Renee, Gloria, Maxine, Jane, Freda, and Carolyn.

And my family:

My mother, Davonya, Chontell, Aunt Rosa, Aunt Alice, Kimberly and Yasmin Jefferson, Shaniqua, and Annie Jones.

AND of course, to myself. Under difficult circumstances and health trials I am doing an amazing job of raising my daughter. Recent months, she and I have butted heads over everything under the sun but we're still a team. No matter what!

For anyone I've forgotten, blame my head, not my heart.

Angela

Inspired by "Rocky Balboa"

I just finished watching the DVD of Sylvester Stallone's "Rocky Balboa", his sixth and last installment on the travails of the fictional, Philadelphia-bred underdog boxer, Rocky. The movie was enjoyable, poignant and quite a departure from the previous chapters. That is, there was no Adrian, no villain, and (spoiler alert) no victory for Rocky.

But what really inspired me was the director's commentary by Sylvester Stallone!

You have to rent it and listen. The man, not known for his acting abilities despite his success as an action star, is a terrific writer. He has tremendous insight on his characters, their motivations, their feelings and their goals. Listening to him map out the scenes, the lighting, the set-ups was very thought-provoking. His comments had me thinking about my characters, the dialogue and upcoming scenes. I was just so surprised by how much wisdom Sly had to impart to viewers on the end of the series.

But the ultimate motivation for me was his last words as a montage of everyday folks running up those museum steps and throwing up their arms in the classic Rocky pose.

Sly said, "Just keep punching, just keep punching, you never know, you never know, you just may hit your dream right on the jaw."

Damn! Enough said!

Thank you, Sly! We're going to miss you, Rocko!

What Happened to April Fool's Day?

I just realized that it's April 3rd and I'd totally forgotten about April Fool's Day.

And it was so easy to forget! I didn't get a mass email with a crazy joke, didn't hear mention of it in the media, didn't even get a prank played on me. What's going on?

Are we getting too jaded to appreciate the lighthearted fun of the day? Was it because it was Sunday? Has the war gotten the country so down that we think we can't laugh at ourselves? That can't be the case with all of the Sanjaya mania, Heather Mills leg watch and outrageous celebrity nonsense that's flooding the airwaves. I didn't even prank my own child. Every year I pull a stunt on her, she gets pissed and I laugh harder. This past Sunday we fussed with each other like two female territorial cats. (Beware of impending teenager!!)

Needless to say, I need a huge belly laugh and just didn't get one! Oh well! Maybe next year!

Universal Laws

Below is courtesy of Deirdre Savoy's post on her Yahoo group ladiesinred:

UNIVERSAL LAWS
Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee

Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Probability: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of the Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you never get abusy signal.

Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

Variation Law: If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now. (works every time)

Bath Theorem: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machinewon't work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Theatre Rule: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a lockerroom, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Dirty Rugs/Carpets: The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are.

Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's really ugly.

Oliver's Law: A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Wilson's Law: As soon as you find a product that you really like,they will stop making it.

Law of Chinese Restuarants: If you are the ONLY customer sitting in a Chinese restuarant when the next person comes in the hostess will seat him/her right next to you.

Rivalry Among Women

Last night I watched as Jennifer Hudson accepted the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls and was reminded of all the rumors surrounding a rivalry between her and Beyonce, especially when I saw them perform together on stage.

Why is it that folks pit successful women against each other or we see our contemporaries as competition?

There is enough room for all women within every industry. We don't have to fight our way to the top. From their singing performance it was clear that Beyonce and Jennifer have different styles and strengths. Rumors have swirled that Beyonce is jealous of all of the attention and accolades Jennifer is receiving. I've even wondered why Jennifer's acting performance was categorized as a supporting role when she was clearly a leader actress in the film. Did Beyonce's star power make her an automatic marquee headliner? Is she a better actress? Prettier? Slimmer? Smarter?

If it's true, folks in Beyonce's camp shouldn't begrudge Jennifer's success any more than we are aspiring writers should envy the success of our author sisters. As women can't waste time comparing writing ability, speed and creativity, industry connections, and contracts. Instead we should cheer each other on and work hard for the same success.

Rather than lamenting about the limited space at the top, we'd be better served by extolling the richness of success.

Counting My Blessings

Goodness, this week has been one for counting blessings.

My car broke down and I had to plunk down my Christmas savings in order to get another one. For days, I was depressed because of the loss, lamenting about my new financial plight, how hard it is to live on disability as a single mother. But then I remembered the blessings within the situation: I am in a better situation financially than many other people in similar positions, that I was able to get financing for another car on my own and without a co-signer. Yeah, the next few months will be tight but I will be fine.

Then, five days later someone rear-ended my new car! Unbelievable! I could have spit nails.

Again I had to remember the blessings: Neither my daughter nor I were hurt, the accident wasn't my fault and the other driver's insurance will pay for the repairs, and compared to the other car, my damage was minor.

The next day my apartment was flooded when a pipe burst. Carpet was damaged and the smell was atrocious. The blessings here? Well, let's see....

Since I live in an apartment I was able to call the maintenance crew, who called in plumbers. Even though I had to put up a big "stink" about how unsanitary the conditions were becoming while the problem was being investigated, the property manager finally saw the merits of putting us into a hotel for a few nights. When we returned the carpets had been replaced and the pipes repaired. Sure, my daughter and I have been displaced and inconvenienced, but we still have a home, heat on this cold night and food in the frig. I remember the Katrina victims who suffered so much worse and are still not home this holiday season.

On a daily basis, I remember to count my blessings.

First Post

Hi!

Welcome to my first blog. I am a Richmond, Virginia native and avid fan of all genres of romance novels. I am such a fan that I decided two years ago to try my hand at putting on paper stories that have been floating around in my head for years.

So far I have one WIP and with my perfectionist ways, it's been slow going. I am determined to finish despite internal and external obstacles. Wish me luck and stay tuned.