It's the most wonderful time of the year!!"

"It's the most wonderful time of the year... There are reasons for shopping and belts will be popping, as Christmas draws near.... It's the most wonderful time......... of the year!!"  They'll be parties for hosting and vodka for toasting and frolicking out in the snow. They'll be bad host stories and college day glories from people you don't even know...  Even know (that's the echo for the non-musical!!) ‎It's the most wonderful time... of the year. It is turkey or ham? Someone pass grandma's jam, yes I'll have a cold beer........it's the most wonderful time...of the year..."

Man I love Christmas & cold weather (brrrrrr). Texas is not disappointing this year with the chilly weather already outside - nothing like sweating on Christmas each year!! I always tell everyone that I'd rather be cold than hot - you can layer up your clothes when it's cold, but when it’s hot, there are only so many clothes you can take off before people start starring... and shrinking... and throwing money at you to put the clothes back on.. Too much? Naaaaaa

This time of the year make me so giddy - at times I annoy myself... I think it's because I love to overeat and spend money. The holiday season is a free-for-all on credit card and checkbook abuse, not to mention a time to 'move it on up' in your pants size (Why break the norm and be classified as different? Not me... ). Sign me up, please.

I have a hard time answering people when asked what I would like for Christmas, because I have everything I need - funny how that want/need word changes at you get older.

I hope that you're getting into the spirit of the season and acting as CHILDISH as humanly possible. Re-write Christmas songs, have tacky sweater Christmas parties (you should see Rachel's cat Christmas sweater for ours - it’s fantastically HORRIBLE), eat lots of food and forget your diet, dance in the store and bake crappy snowman cookies - no Martha Stewart am I!

Whatever you do - have fun. Enjoy and live it up. What do you have to lose by acting up and having a really good time this year? Unbridled joy that makes people want to puke?

Nothing - that's what you have to lose.... So do it - have a blast and make some lasting holiday memories.

Word of warning - they will throw you into a padded cell if you severely overdo it...
I'll leave it up to you - to define severely... HA!
 

My first novel (The Soul Keeper)

So over thanksgiving I finished my first young-adult novel, entitled "The Soul Keeper." I wanted to create something that was supernatural and yet had a real life feel to it. I started by doing a little research in Greek myth to see if there might be any interesting stories that I could jump off of and low and behold - THERE are LOTS!!! I took one of the stories and used it to put together a prophecy for the main characters in my novel. The supernatural/Greek gods part of the book is very small, but the implications are lasting.

The book turned out to be exactly what I wanted it to and several times it seemed to take on a life of it's own.. scary.. I would work on a part - go to something else - come back and re-read something I had done weeks earlier and be caught off guard by a new character or event I had haphazardly placed within the pages. So now - it is done.

I am working on the joy of editing and having people review the manuscript - of course I am still working my way through it too.. It ended up being 445 pages or so - 31 chapters, give or take a few. I realized that if I wanted to possible get it published, that I had a lot of learning/researching to do on the publishing industry. So that was the next feat, one I am still working on, but I have some insight now as to the next steps - and I am STOKED..

I signed up for a writers conference in Dallas in February and joined an online critique circle where others can give me feed back on the book chapter by chapter. I have received two critique's thus far (it posted on the site this morning) and here were the responses:

Girl, if your whole novel is this good, pick the best agent you can find. She (most good agents are women) will gobble it up in a New York minute and you will be stuck with her for your entire writing career. (Hence the reason to pick the best agent you can find. Start at the top and then work down from there. Too many writers start at the bottom and work up.) Is this your 4th or 5th published novel? How many weeks were you on the New York Times best seller list?

WOW! This is excellent.  I'm not sure what others will say, but I can say I read through this without much distraction as far as critting. There isn't much editing as far as I can see. I can honestly say this is pretty darn good and your descriptive/words etc. are superb! Simply marvelous! Pat yourself on the back (I mean that!) because you have done well. I give you five out of five! Can't wait for the next chapter!!

HOLY COW!! That is absolutely awesome! I love it!!! I can't wait to start reading. If this were a query, I'd be requesting the entire book right away. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! ok. Im done. Ill be calm now!
Can't wait to read!
Good stuff so far. Helps me think I am not completely lost of the idea of trying to publish it..

So the following is the current synopsis for the back of the book - though I am still working on it.. Work In Progress - WARNING!!!

Synopsis

One heart with two parts,

split between twins.

Two bodies that hold,

one despondent young man.

They say a soul is the immaterial essence, the animating principal, or the actuating cause of an individual life.

But what if you had to share your soul with the person you hated the most?

As the battle ensues,

against himself he will stand.

Her pendulum swings,

with balance in hand.

A four-hundred year old prophecy spun by the goddess of balance to regain order.

Twins, Marcus and Nicolas, heirs to the throne of the gods and sons to the last remaining titan, learn their purpose for existence is to fulfill a prophecy born long ago of hatred and greed.

As the time draws near,

a soul mate will speak,

And invoke its commencement,

when strong will fall weak,

The soul mate principal states that for every one soul there is another that will recognize its match, hence creating the perfect union.

But what if fate was so careless as to curse you with two soul mates?

Whom would you choose?

For this generation,

will affect us all.

For the same man will rise,

but he also will fall.

What if your choice had eternal ramification?