Monday Motivation

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There's no place like home...

I had an awesome time at the RWA national conference this year, but boy am I glad to be home!  In keeping with tradition, I woke up with a sore throat this morning--I'm really hoping it doesn't turn into a cold or something, although it's not uncommon for me to get sick when I go out of town.  Oh well.

I took lots of notes and will spend the next few weeks getting them organized and written up so I can share the wealth with all of you.

In other news, I was able to pick up a last minute pitch session at the conference.  I'm quite excited to report that the editor requested my full manuscript and a synopsis, so cross your fingers for me!  Hopefully she'll like Edge of Trust as much as I do! :)

Hope you all had a good week.  I'm off to bed, provided I can get the boys to share...

Oh, you're back? 

Follow Friday

It's my first time participating in the Follow Me Friday meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The idea is to increase your blog visibility, and enlarge your circle of blogging friends--things I am always happy to do!

This week's question asks: What was your favorite book you were required to read when you were in school?

I have to pick just one?  Probably Hamlet.  Or John Brown's Body by Stephen Vincent Benet, which is an epic free-verse poem about the Civil War.  It's a bit hard to find, but well worth the read.

What about you?

Having at great time!

Just a quick update to let you know that I'm still alive and having a great time at RWA in Anaheim.  I've taken so many notes, and I'm excited to share what I've learned with you guys once I get back (and sleep)!

You like me--you really like me!

The wonderful Candilynn Fite has generously given me several blog awards, and I wanted to share the love!

First up is the Booker Award.  This award is for blogs that talk about books, reading, or writing at least 50% of the time.  The recipient must share their five favorite books, and pass the award along to five other awesome blogs!

In no particular order, my favorite books are:

- The Outlander Saga (yes, all of them) by Diana Gabaldon

- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
- Peter Pan by JM Barrie
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard


Next up is the Be Inspired award.  This award comes with 10 questions, so without further ado...

1. What is the name of your book?  Edge of Trust
2. Where did the idea for your book come from?  I was waiting for the bus after work, thinking about writing a book.  They always say to write what you know, so I decided I wanted to write about a female scientist.  It all just kind of fell into place after that.
3. In what genre would you classify your book?  Romantic suspense
4. If you had to pick actors to play your characters in a movie rendition, who would you choose?  I've already cast Kelly and James--see here for their pictures :)
5. Give us a one-sentence synopsis of your book.  Doctor Kelly Jarvis is a microbiologist who has just been told that her boss is a terrorist; she must work with her former lover, FBI agent James Reynolds, to thwart a terrorist attack, but issues from their past conspire to keep them apart.
6. Is your book already published/represented?  No--I've sent out a query, but haven't heard anything back yet.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!
7. How long did it take you to write your book?  Probably about 9 months of stop-and-go writing.
8. What other books within your genre would you compare it to?  Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours?  Readers of romantic suspense--think Cindy Gerard, Maya Banks, etc.--will probably enjoy this story.
9. Which authors inspired you to write this book?  That's a tough one--there are a lot of authors I admire, but to list them here would take way too much space.
10. Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.  Let's see...  Edge of Trust has a little bit of everything--a damaged, alpha hero; a smart, independent heroine; explosions; kidnappings; an awesome setting; suspense and danger.  And cats. ;)

Moving right along, we have the Fabulous Blog Ribbon.  There are 3 sets of 5 questions for this one: 5 of your most fabulous moments, 5 things you love, and 5 things you hate.  Then, pass it along to 5 other bloggers!

Here we go:

5 most fabulous moments:
-The day I defended my Ph.D thesis
-The month I spent in London
-Meeting one my all-time favorite authors
-Buying my new car with my own money
-Finishing my first manuscript

5 things I love:
-My friends and family
-My kitties
-Books
-Tea
-Superhero movies

5 things I hate:
-Mosquitoes
-Mean people
-Headaches
-Scooping the litter box
-Sleep deprivation

And last but not least, the Liebster Blog Award.  This award is for small blogs with fewer than 200 followers.  I think I'm supposed to answer some questions, but Candilynn didn't have any for me, so I'm just going to post the award.  Thanks again!

Finally, here are the blogs I'm tagging for all these awards.

In the Shade of the Cherry Tree...
Writer In Waiting
Romance In Flight
Good Golly, Miz Molly!
Feel of Something New

Edge of Danger updates

I'm almost done writing Edge of Danger <squee!>, and I thought I'd share my vision of Thomas and Claire with you all.  Without further ado...

Special Agent Thomas Kincannon looks like Brooks Laich of the Washington Caps

And my image of Doctor Claire Fleming is  Rachel McAdams

I think they make a nice couple, don't you?  I can't wait for you to read their story!

Giveaway winner!

It's my pleasure to announce the winner of the Summer Reads Giveaway Hop! Congratulations go to

Annisa Belikov Casillas

Please email me your mailing address at laralacombewriter (at) gmail (dot) com, and I'll get your book in the mail soon!

Thanks to all who participated!  Be sure to come back next month for another giveaway!

Summer Reads Giveaway Hop!

It's time for my first giveaway!  This month, I'm excited to participate in the Summer Reads Giveaway Hop, sponsored by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Rex Robot Reviews.

Up for grabs is a copy of Writer With A Day Job by Aine Greaney.  Here is the back cover blurb:

Don't let the daily grind drain your creative energy!

You can work full time and still have a productive writing life. Many writers waste time waiting for the day they can finally quit their day jobs and live the so-called writing dream. Don't wait. You can do both—and your writing will be the better for it.

Balancing a full-time job and a productive writing life is no easy feat! This book offers writers advice, skill-building techniques, prompts, and exercises in every chapter, and strategies on how to get and keep writing while also working the 9 to 5 grind.

Readers will discover tips and exercises for:

• Setting and protecting personal writing goals

• Creating a schedule that complements their stamina

• Getting creative before and after work - and on their lunch hour

• Finding inspiration in the most unlikely of spots and at the most impromptu of times

• Writing proficiently in multiple forms (long and short) so that they don't get bogged down writing one long project

• Becoming an active participant in writing communities so they have a solid support system at the ready

• Figuring out how (if at all) to share their writing life with co-workers, friends, and family members

You'll also get quick, practical tutorials to help you master scenes, point of view, characters, settings, dialogue, and more.

Writer With a Day Job gives you the strategies and motivation you need to work 40 hours a week (or more!) and achieve writing success.

Sounds good, right?

This giveaway is open to international readers.  You have until July 11 to enter, and on July 12, I'll post the name of the winner.  Use the Rafflecopter form below, and contact me if there are any questions/issues.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Insecure Writer's Support Group - July edition

This is my first month participating in the Insecure Writer's Support Group, and I'm pretty excited.  Thanks to Deniz Bevan for the link!

Today I'm going to talk about writer's guilt.  Maybe I'm the only one who does this (thank you, Catholic school), but when I don't get to write every day I feel guilty, like I'm letting down my WIP.  For the past several days, I haven't been able to write as much as I would like.  I'm getting antsy, but it's looking like I won't be able to sit down and really focus until this weekend.

I know it's important to rest and recharge every so often, but sometimes it's hard to do that without feeling like I'm slacking.  I really want to be able to write for a living, and I know I have to pay my dues first.  At the same time, I know that breaks are not bad things, because otherwise, my brain turns to mush and I can't write anything at all.  I just need to get to a place where I don't beat myself up over resting.

Does anyone else feel this way?  Did you ever feel this way?  Any hints or tips on how you are getting through it/have dealt with it before?  Please share in the comments!