Progress: Priceless

I know. I know. I haven’t written. I am a terrible, bad, bad blogger! But expect a pretty cool post soon.

Cause I’m headed off this morning for the RWA Utah Chapter’s writer’s retreat. Two days of serenity and tranquility, surrounded by people who don’t think I’m crazy for spending so much time living with the voices in my head.

I’ve started (another) major rewrite on Devil You Don’t. It’s the story of my heart. The first manuscript I ever completed. And suddenly I know how to make it sellable. So that’s where I am, and what I’ll be working on this weekend at the Hidden Springs Ranch.

I figure if I can get as much done as I do in the couple of hours between when my family settles down at night and when I passout at my computer…I should be able to move mountains in two uninterrupted days right?

Okay…pics will follow. And a progress note. I promise.

Books in the Back Country

There is an interesting thing about living 200 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart, Barnes and Nobel, or Borders. (Or even decent library)  Buying a book becomes an event.

I can pick up a paperback at my local grocery store. You can bet that I study the selection every week when I buy my milk and eggs. I pick up the trashy romances, the fantasy novels with interesting covers, the fast-paced adventure reads.

But I don’t have the opportunity to spend an hour completely surrounded by the smell of newsprint. The hush of people lost in different worlds even while they’re all in the same room. When I’m picking over my choices, I’m jostled by young mothers chasing their toddlers and interrupted by people reaching past me for the TV Guide.

I can spend hours pournig over Amazon. I add and remove, weigh the benefits and liabilities of new vs. used, lament shipping costs and do my best to get over $25. And if I do, well then, it’s my duty to take advantage of that free shipping isn’t it?

Books are not something taken for granted when you live surrounded by 200 miles of wide-open, empty God’s Country. They’re precious. They’re what you run to check your P.O. Box for every day. They’re read leisurely to make them last. Out here, beyond the beyond, books have not yet lost their luster.

Good Bye Sweet Bread

The last month or so I’ve been to the doctor three times trying to figure out why I’m always so tired, why my hair is falling out, why my skin is so dry…just why I’m in general feeling like ca-ca.

The only thing she found was borderline anemia and a very very low leval of vitamin D.

Being a constant researcher, I Googled. Normally I try to stay away from Googling medical stuff, because I’ve been known to convince myself that I’m on my death bed. But I Googled the low Vitamin D thing, because I was surprised about it since I live in the desert.

Well, Celiac Disease kept coming up. And I kept not paying attention, because one of the list of symptoms is ‘weight loss.’ And yeah…that’s not my problem. And for a minute there, the unfairness of having this Disease that makes me feel like crap but skips the side effect of making me skinny was just too much to contemplate.

But then I did read. And I have ALL the symptoms. I’ve had most of them since I was very young. The only one I don’t have is skinniness. And it turns out that it keeps your body from properly digesting nutrients, so it thinks it’s starving and in some people can cause your metabolism to turn off.

So–in the interest of science–a very very good friend (VERY good) is going to do a Gluten-Free diet with me for thirty days. That’s long enough to see if I feel better. We’re starting a blog about it, so keep an eye here and I’ll post the link in the next day or two.

So how about you? What’s your best  medical Google story?

Weather Fairies at Work

(The picture is of Cave Lake, near where I live, during the annual Fire and Ice festival)

The locals say the mountain makes her own weather.

This weekend is the perfect example of that phenomenon. On Friday the weather was nearly seventy degrees, warm, springy. Beautiful. Saturday was the same until dinner time, when the wind kicked up. It rained all night.

I’m not complaining about rain. I never do. Rain is magic in the desert, even the high desert. But the temperature dropped about 40 degrees in an hour.

And this morning…snow. Lots and lots of snow. Big fat sticky flakes. The kind of snow that makes me want to snuggle in at home and just stay warm. And write. Inspiring snow!

The mountain makes her own weather, indeed.

Is it snowing where you are? Sunny? Rainy? What sort of surprises did the weather fairies have for you today? And how does it make you feel?

Ena’s Fire Released!

I’m so excited to announce that my novella, Ena’s Fire was released as part of the Hearts Afire series at Liquid Silver Books on March 4, 2009.

I’ve added an excerpt page, so take a look and then head on over and have a read!

Keeper Release Day, plus a new home

My first novella, Keeper, released today. I’m so excited! Go on over and check it out.

I’ve set up a dedicated website, www.shauntagrimes.com. I’ll be writing over there, so make sure to change your bookmarks.

I’ve posted an excerpt of Keeper there…so come on and check it out

Home Sweet Home

I have a new home for this blog.

Please go check out www.shauntagrimes.com and update your bookmarks! Thanks so much!

Not Normally Political Here…But Come On

So…although I have strong political views, I try to keep them off this blog. I’m not really even sure why, it’s just not the venue I guess. But this is ridiculous. Cindy McCain discussing how Sarah Palin is experienced enough to be second in command of our country to a man in his 70s who has had cancer. Because the woman was in the PTA and lives near Russia (thus giving her national security experience.) Scary shit.

How Beautiful Is This?

I woke up this morning to find the cover for Keeper in my email. It’s so pretty! WOO!!!

On my plate

So, this summer was a wild ride. I sold two novellas. Two. I am an author, yo.

There is something really exhilarating about writing something that you have a pretty good idea will be published, rather than writing on the hope.  I’m glad i get to experience that.

So here’s what I have on my plate right now:

1. I need to finish my full-length work-in-progress. I’m 40,000 words in, maybe 50,000 to go.

2. I have a longer book planned for Pink Petal Books. A stand-alone sequel to Keeper, which will be out in October. It’s in the planning stages, but full fleshed out.

3. I also have a sequel to Ena’s Fire planned. It’s not as far along in the planning stage as Keeper’s sequel.

So, lucky for me, teacher’s don’t normally get sick until mid-September. And the poker business is still hopping until it gets cold in October, so I don’t need to work as a substitute too much until then. Right now I can be a writer.  Oodalalee!

What about you? What does your plate look like today?