This week I thought I'd post a book review I wrote for one of my favorite HQ American writers, Megan Kelly. Her new book is on store shelves until they replace them with the October books, so if you haven't bought it yet, get down to the bookstore or hit Amazon. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.

My writing has been suffering lately. I've been putting off revising my current wip, a historical romance. My revision seem uninteresting and I don't know that they improve the story, and so I have been avoiding revisions. I organized and cleaned and ran errands. When I finally exhausted myself I went back into my office to reflect on why my wip revisions weren't working. Looking at my wip I decided I was too close to it. Revisions for this piece have been going on for over a year now. I needed a break, so this week I put some distance me and my wip.

Late last week I picked up another piece I had written for NaNoWriMo two years ago, and reread it. On Sunday, I started to revise it. So far I've revised a 1.5 chapters, and I can't wait to get started again today. I feel revived and interested. In a few weeks or months I'll go back to my historical with fresh eyes. I'm hoping the break will give me better perspective on what isn't working.

Have you ever taken a break from a piece that isn't progressing the way you would like it to? Did you take a break? Did it help you see your work with new insight?

Most writer’s have at least two jobs: writing, and their day job. A lot of writers also have other jobs like mommy jobs, daddy jobs, pet-care-taking jobs, house-cleaning jobs, you get the idea.

I am one of the latter, and in my world: writer + day job + mommy + wife = chaos!

When you are in a relationship and have children, your lives are hectic no matter what. That’s just the way it is – its how the package comes. When you add the hours and hours needed for writing, which, to a small or large degree, can take away from all of that, you create the potential for disaster.

Exactly what kind of disaster? Well, lots of different things can happen, but I want to point out one of THE most dreaded disasters…problems with the spouse.

They are your soul mate, your teammate, your other half, your significant other. Keeping them happy should be priority number one…and vice versa. Most spouses can handle being number two or three for a little while, but after too long they’ll start making some noise. Ignore those squeaks and you can end up with a really cranky other half – which isn’t fun for anyone.

The solution? Date Night!

Really, Date Night is good for any relationship where the day to day is full of craziness. However, I am a firm believer that Date Night is critical for those of us with 2+ jobs.

Lately, my hubby has been squeaking. I've been trying to find time, but I have been so exhausted and frustrated with the intricacies of my personal to-do’s that I haven’t been giving him the attention he needs.

But tonight…tonight is Date Night! WOOHOO!! Finally, we will have time to ourselves and be able to talk like adults and act like adults, and not watch our language, and be silly together. I’m really looking forward to spending quality time with my man and having a good time.

What about you? Do you have Date Nights? What do you do to show your spouse or significant other that you haven’t forgotten about them, and that without them you couldn’t be you?

~*~ Kate ~*~

I read a blog today from a full time writer where he shared his to do list.

Not one word about number of words or pages or hours on his current work in progress. He did have a lot of marketing, blogging, and projects for his agent and editor. Including submitting a five year plan for his career.

My last few weeks have been filled with this type of non-writing activity. Not just at the day job, but in my writer world. I’m the 2011 Gateway to the Best Contest Coordinator and just writing the name tells you it’s going to suck your time. Time I don’t have to spare. But now the entries are in and out to the judges. I’ve agreed to judge way too many entries over the next two months. And I have to get the closing instructions out to my helpers.

And apparently, this is network week for my writing career. I’m visiting the B’con bar, meeting a writer/friend for dinner and book talk, having dinner with my chapter, pitching an agent, and attending our monthly chapter meeting. Whew, I’m tired just writing all that and I haven’t even started.

The good news is I’m getting my real to do list done. I finished and sent a first chapter and synopsis for a contest on Tuesday. I finished a short story that I’ll send off tomorrow after I write a cover letter. And I’ve written almost 3000 words this week.

I like my writer friends. I love talking about books. And I enjoy my chapter meetings. But why does it all have to fall in the same two days?

Like most writers, I’m an introvert. I get my energy recharged by solitary, comfortable activities. Like reading. Or watching the final episode of Design Star. (Talk about a high concept idea – Meg really had her pilot focused.)

So if you see me in a corner in the fetal position this weekend, don’t mind me. I’m just recharging.

What activities/hobbies do you have that re-charge your energy?

Lynn

Everyday, when we chat with each other, they only thing we talk about is writing. We ask questions, share information, tell how many words we've written that day, etc. We spend our time critiquing our work and others. Once in a while, you create friends with some people and you may talk about more than just writing.

Well, I think of you all here as family. I have been blogging with you for a year now. Though I may not always comment on your posts, I do read them.

But, since I think of you all as family, I want to share some news with you!

My niece had her baby this morning making me a Great Aunt for the 8th time. (No, I am not old, I am only 38. I was a late baby so my siblings are a lot older than I am.)

Sophia McKinzee was born at 3:59 am and weighed 6lbs and 4oz. She was 20 in. long and all are healthy!

So, though we write about life, create worlds in our minds and on paper, life happens around us! Thanks for letting me share a little piece of my life with you!!!

As I read my emails this morning, and read my usual blogs I realized it was Monday. Wait wasn't it just last Monday? Didn't I just write a blog? This week has flown by. Most of the schools have started, and we are on our last hurrah of the Summer of 2011. We still have over 2 weeks of "summer" left, but already the sights, sounds and activities of fall are beginning.

I live in town, but instead of kids walking to and from school I hear the school bus drive past my house twice a day. The sun rises later and sets earlier. The angle and brightness of the sun is different too. In the morning, a refreshing hint of cool air can be felt. Yep, it's fall. My favorite time of the year. The only negative to fall, for me, is that it is always followed by winter, my least favorite time of the year.

What is your favorite time of the year?

On my blog, I posted about some well-known and some not-so-well-known Celtic tales. The Celts were masterful storytellers, and their tales continue to inspire us today.

A particular tale caught my fancy recently. It is called, “The Shadowy One” and features Scathach, a female warrior who runs a training academy on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

In this tale, Scathach trains a man named Setanta, who eventually becomes the renowned Celtic champion, Cu Chullain. There are many tales of his to be told, but for right now let’s stick with Scathach.

Her academy is called Dun Scaith, and you are considered worthy of training if you are able to meet the impossible task of reaching its gates.

So in this story, The Shadowy One, Scathach meets and trains Setanta, or Cu Chullain, and a series of events leads to a great battle between Scathach and Aoife, Scathach’s twin sister, and their warriors.

After a day long battle with each side besting the other in turn, Aoife challenges Scathach directly. Setanta intervenes, claiming his right as Scathach’s champion.

Setanta meets Aoife on the battlefield and they fight fiercely. The battle lasts for some time as they were almost equally matched. Then Aoife proves her skill by disarming Setanta. As she prepars for the killing blow, Setanta tricks her with distraction. He flings her to the ground and is proclaimed the victor.

Aoife, impressed by Setanta's skill and wit, invites him to join her at her fortress, to which he agrees.

Scathach watches him leave with sadness in her heart, for she can see his destiny clearly: Setanta becomes Aoife’s lover and she bears his son Connla, whom Setanta is forced to kill. His guilt and heartbreak drive Setanta to become the great defender of Ulaidh, his home, and Cu Chullain, the magnificent warrior, is fully realized.

In every Cu Chullain tale, however, the name of his tutor, Scathach, is also spoken.

While, to me, The Shadowy One is more an introductory tale for Setanta, I can’t help the fascination Scathach brings. Strong female characters are popular, and Scathach was one of the strongest. This story sparks my imagination and I’ve spent days dreaming of different love stories and battle scenes featuring the brave and fearless warrior-ess.

And how about that Goddess of War, Morrigan…

So talk to me. What legends or myths inspire your writing? What stories have you told or are telling that are based on other stories?

~ Kate

I have a small white board on my wall next to the desk. Divided in half, it lets me run a perpetual calendar for my ‘writing’ activities and meetings. The other half is for notes.

It’s the note section that runs my life.

At the top of the board I have two words – Get Published.

In the middle, is the how that’s going to happen.

Right now, listed on the board are three WIP’s and the amount of words needed to finish as well as uncompleted requests from editors and agents. I list the days I need to blog as well.

The good thing is I’m down to one request to complete.

The bad thing? I’m down to one request.

Which means I need to send more queries. Another thing to add to the to-do-list.

On the bottom of the board, I keep a running total of money owed to me from sold items. I find money to be a huge motivator to write more. Sell more. Earn more money.

My submissions list is kept on a small clip board near my computer. Small because I don’t control anything on that list. The packet or query or story is written and gone. Now it’s fate is in someone else’s hands.

The big things on my white board? How much I write and what I need to do? That’s in my control. And that’s where I devote my attention. To the things I can control.

So, New Kid’s readers it’s your turn. How do you keep track of your projects? Where’s your dream board?

Lynn