inkjunkie/dumpyrain

Here We Go Again

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:45:00 GMT

I wrote my humorous mystery, The Dumps as a stand alone.
I was minding my own business trying to accomplish some housework when Gilda, my pesky Muse tapped me on the shoulder and told me about a "small idea" she had for a sequel.
Not interested, of course, I ignored her.
Gilda is not one to be ignored. When something is on her mind she spares no effort to get her point across.
So, she stopped tapping my shoulder and slapped me in the face.
At the top of her lungs she started shouting her idea, jumping up and down and threatening to destroy my entire life if I didn't pay heed.
I ignored her the rest of the day.
At 2:00 a.m. she pounced on my bed and held a bucket of water over my head. I decided the old girl meant business. So, I dutifully got up, grabbed my pad and pen, and outlined what I am temporarily calling..."Yesterday's Dumps."
At the moment Gilda is sipping a cup of tea. But she's watching me.

Aw Shucks

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:21:45 GMT

My buddy janniel is posting an interview with each of the members in our critique group. She posted mine today. Check it out on her lj page.
Oh, and don't applaud, just throw money.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Work I Go

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 19:00:39 GMT

I'm very happy to be back at work on my current middle grade mystery. I've made a lot of changes to my plot, hopefully adding more suspense and interest.
I should of had this book finished a year ago. I've let so many things interrupt me. Anyway, after my time off, I feel refreshed and ready to get on with it.

Lock, Stock, and Barrel

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 23:21:24 GMT

I WON MY COURT CASE!!!!!!!!!!! Finally, it's all over and I won!!!!!!!!!!!!

Missing ya

Sat, 04 Nov 2006 01:51:29 GMT

Hi Everyone,

Have all of you been as swamped with things to do as I have? It never seems to end. And I mean non-writing things. I dread winter, but at least things seem to slow down a bit so I have more time to spend in front of the keyboard.
Nothing exciting has been happening, other than life itself.
Hope all of you are happy, safe, and healthy.

Daiquiri

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 13:51:07 GMT

I found my other little dog, Daiquiri,dead this morning. She was throwing up a little yesterday. I tried to give him some Pepto Bismol but she wouldn't open her mouth. She was 15. Maybe she missed her sister Tapestry too much. Daiquiri was a cream colored, Teacup Pom. She followed me like my shadow. It will take some adjusting around here. Now my family is down to 2 cats.

Is it just me?

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 17:43:30 GMT

Is it my imagination or have writers been especially quiet lately? All the boards I visit are calm as frozen water. My critique group that has always been excessively chatty and busy is all but dead. I find it very discouraging and depressing. I know publishing houses don't do much in August, but I have never seen anything like this in several years.
Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I forgot my deodorant.

It's a Date!

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 14:59:44 GMT

I finally got a Probate court date! My lawyer told me it would take two weeks to get one, so I waited almost four before I called her to check. She forgot about me again! The secretary said she would call the courthouse and call me right back. In ten minutes she had a date! So why would it take my attorney two weeks?
Anyway, it's September 26, at 1:30. And then, win or lose, at least it will be over and I can start to move on.

W.I.P.

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 18:09:15 GMT

Well, I finally buckled down and got my rear in gear. I wrote a new first chapter for Some Rain Must Fall. It's totally different from the way it used to be, in fact it is 20 years prior to my protagonist's birth.
Stephen Barbara said it needs more tension, so I'm hoping I've accomplished that.
Anyone interested in trading a chapter? I really need other eyes.
Just give me a shout.

Update

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 14:07:52 GMT

I finally talked to my actual lawyer, not the secretary. I explained to her that my life is on hold and I need to get this over with. So she spent ten minutes being specific. She asked me to settle out of court in order to save court costs. I said "no way."
At least if I go to court I stand a little chance of winning.
She said to prepare to lose because the judge will rule in favor of the law and the law says Jack's kids are entitled to two thirds of every thing he owned.
So I am preparing myself mentally and emotionally to leave my home and security. But I'm going down fighting. I refuse to just sit back and let them walk all over me. But if that's what the judge rules then so be it.
I just hope my lawyer doesn't forget about me again. She said I should have a court date within two weeks, but fifteen months ago she said the whole thing would be over in two months, so I'm still waiting.

Revelation

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 21:49:00 GMT

I got a rejection from Stephen Barbara and was totally floored when I realized I was glad! My book is no where near ready and I was unbelievably stressed trying to revise in a rush. Now I can relax and do it right. But really, it doesn't even seem important to me any more. I've been placing too much importance on my writing and letting all the important things go by.
Writing isn't the only thing in life, but I have allowed it to seem that way. I think I'll take some time off and learn how to smell the roses again.

My Lawyer is a Rear End--The Part Most Needed

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 15:17:23 GMT

Let's see, fourteen months ago, right after my husband died I immediately sought legal counsel about his estate. I got a lawyer's number from the phone book, made an appointment, sat in his office waiting over an hour. Meanwhile, he got in a loud argument with his wife/secretary, kept me sitting in his inner office over another hour while he dickered on the phone about another client, evidently a drug pusher who had been arrested. I finally left and called another lawyer.

This time, I got a woman. I felt a woman would be understanding and sympathetic. Wrong. I sat in her office listening to her blab about stuff not even related to me--, keep in mind this was immediately after Jack died, and I was in no mood to even be there, let alone listen to her big mouth--then I paid her in full after being reassured that my probate would take no longer than two months. All she had to do was notify Jack's adult kids, have them sign a waiver, and that would be that.

I patiently waited three months, after hearing nothing I called her. Ugg. She had forgotten all about me, and hadn't even started the ball rolling. Okay, I guess it could happen to anyone. I patiently waited three more months, after hearing nothing called again.

"Uh, gee, Linda, we sent a letter out and haven't heard a word, uh, what was their addresses again?"

Two months later, I called again. The secretary told me all three kids had signed and everything should be finalized by the weekend. What a relief. I heard nothing so called again in two weeks.

"Oh, gosh, I don't know, Linda, let's see here, did I say that? Oh, no they haven't signed yet, what was their addresses again?"

     To make a long story short, I have never talked to the lawyer since that first appointment. It's always been the secretary. She has never once returned my calls. When I call she is never in the office, or they just plain outright don't answer the phone. [Caller i.d.?]

     Legally, Jack's kids are entitled to 2/3ds of his half of everything I own and they are going after it. That means that since I can't afford to give them the money I will be forced to sell the house, which isn't paid for yet. By the time I give them their money, and pay off the mortgage it will leave me with nothing. My only hope is for a merciful judge. And my only hope to make him merciful is to have a lawyer who has my best interest at heart. [I don't think so.]

     Jack and I were married 24 years. In all that time his kids never visited him once. Jack and I worked at our job all those years together. I have worked just as hard as he did for the house. Interestingly, his kids haven't called me once since their dad died.

     I'm going to write another young adult. In it, I'm doing a scene where my lawyer is downtown New York on a windy day and gets every stitch of her clothing blown off. But for now, I'm going to eat a whole bag of peanut butter cookies.

Curious

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 21:20:48 GMT

So, what writer's craft books do you like best?

At the moment, I'm revising SOME RAIN MUST FALL with the help of WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK, by Donald Maass. It is really helping me to bring my characters to life. I have never been happy with RAIN, but now I'm actually starting to fall in love with it.

Rob is designing my website around this book now, instead of DUMPS. It is going to be sooooo cool. I'm letting DUMPS sit a while, just like I did RAIN. Maybe some day I will be able to spruce it up, but not right now.

Also, I'm having computer problems. I can't send or receive e-mail. Hopefully, it will be fixed tomorrow. If not, cover your ears.

Anyway, clue me in to your favorite revision books. I really want to know.

Nothing better to do

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:02:25 GMT

<table width=350 align=center border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2><tr><td bgcolor="#EEE9E9" align=center><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style='color:black; font-size: 14pt;'><b>Linda Lou Provence's Aliases</b></font></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFAFA"><center><img src="http://images.blogthings.com/meganamegenerator/meganame.jpg" height="100" width="100"></center><font color="#000000">
Your movie star name: Chips Joseph

Your fashion designer name is Linda Paris

Your socialite name is Half Pint Chester

Your fly girl / guy name is L Pro

Your detective name is Cat Central

Your barfly name is Cake Wine

Your soap opera name is Lou Livingston

Your rock star name is Fudge Jet

Your Star Wars name is Lintap Protom

Your punk rock band name is The Okay Cage</font></td></tr></table><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/meganamegenerator/">The Amazing Meganame Generator</a></div>

Chow Baby

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 00:14:24 GMT

In the next few days if you see your name disappear from my friends list, it's because I'm cleaning house. I'm only keeping friends who friend me back. This is basically because I have a new goal of trying to keep up with my friend's postings.   Also, I only want mutual friends reading mine.

friend--a favored companion
             to act as the friend of
             befriend
courtesy of Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary

Friendship to me is a two way street, so if your name disappears from my list, all you have to do is friend me and your name will miraculously reappear.
To all my friends whom I deeply cybercherish, I bid good night.