Was it the new Vacuum???

Must be! Clearing the dust from my new digs seems to have led to clearing the cobwebs for writing as well! Believe it or not, I managed to revise the last Chapters and epilogue for our Madelaine...which means draft #3 is FINISHED!!

Its been sent off to Pamela and once the last few chapters are printed, she will hand them over to Peter for his critique...and then we can start on the 4th (& final???) draft...which means the hard part will only just be starting!

As for the vacuum? It seems to work really well, although I'm still skirting around a few remaining boxes. What I wouldn't give for an extra closet to just stack them in until I get the energy required to sort through them.

However, Ms Blance will be glad to know I have purchased a good quality - queen size - air mattress which will be put to use when we can arrange for a weekend of writing in "Manhattan".... My goal is to clear enough floor space now to actually use it, LOL!

Its been a very mild day, lots of rain - even thunder! - and quite foggy. If I had my way that would be the end of winter and we could just coast into spring. But I fear I don't have that much pull, so guess the weather will be what it will.

Hard to believe 2009 is just days away!

Cheers!

Liz

My Two Cents

"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavour" - Truman Capote


A lazy Sunday morning here in this half of the JT household...I spent yesterday babysitting my grandsons, Michael and Noah. Always fun to be around little ones and see how their minds work; Michael was quite chatty and the time went fairy quickly. But now today needs to be catch up time. I may not even shed the pj's for most of the day, although my intention in that department always seem to be overruled by the need to feel dressed and ready to face the day.

I managed to finish editing up to Chapter 8 on Friday evening and as Pam has noted, she has enlisted the editing skills of her husband with Chapters 1 - 7.

It's a grey day so far, not much in the way of cheery sunlight, which would be most welcome. And as Pam mentioned, last week at work was beyond tiring, and no relief in sight! That in itself should be - NEEDS to be! - our motivation to get our Madelaine, and eventually Paul and Dorothy, out of our hands and onto bookshelves!

I'm glad her eye treatment went so well last week, although my queasy self couldn't look her in the face until her one pupil returned to normal size. Thoughts of anyone working on my eyes is probably one of my greatest dreaded fears - so you know contact lenses would never be an option in my case! I guess its the fact that one usually is left in a conscious state while being treated that gives me the greatest worry. Topic change - quickly!

At any rate, Pam now has improved vision and a working laptop, so all should be back to normal in the writing world of Jamie Tremain! Time to do my part and so after posting this, I'll open up Draft #3 of Madelaine - Shadows and Light and commence tweaking Chapter Nine.

Hope the sun is shining in your corner of the world.

Cheers!
Liz

Madelaine - DRAFT #2 - Finished!

I managed to get through the rest of Chapter 18, all of 19 and the epilogue today!!! A hard day's work spread over a few hours. Unfortunately Pam is having computer woes and can't access her Word program to open up the revisions! So I guess she will have to take my word for it, that its done. Which of course means, Draft #3 is up next!

A very warm and humid day here today...my maple tree out front is quickly shedding multi coloured leaves! I fear the tree has seen better days and may have numbered days if the city sees its bare branches and sparse foliage.

And now I think I will treat myself to settling in my pj's and grabbing my latest book - "No Place Safe" by Richard North Patterson, and if I fall asleep after a couple of pages, then that's perfectly fine.

Halfway through the weekend - if only the work days would go this quickly - grrrrrr!!

Cheers!
Liz

"BLOG!" she said....

.....so Blog I will (am?). Pam's commanded suggestion to me as the work day was wrapping up.

Almost the end of another work week and both Pam and I are becoming increasingly frustrated with lack of both time and motivation to focus on Madelaine. Demands at work and home seem to take their toll and leave us exhausted by day's end.

Tomorrow sees us bid adieu to a good friend where we work, someone I've worked with for almost 10 years! She is staying with the bank but taking a position closer to home, which will allow her to walk to work if she desires - goodbye 54 km trek on the highway twice a day! I'll miss you Linda!

I'm hoping for a quiet weekend with some writing time, I just have to wrap up the end of Chapter 18, 19 and the epilogue to say that the second draft is done! Pam has been making some changes on the third draft, but I don't dare start in on it until I feel I can have closure on the second one. So my goal is to get to that point before Monday! Until then, Pam may take a stab at drafting some query letters to prospective agents.

Almost the end of August and there is a hint of autumn in the air, leaves are already taking on their seasonal change of wardrobe. I really love the fall! But don't like what it portends- brrrrrr!!

Hope your weekend will be a good one - Cheers!

Liz