I confess.

I’m a book murderer.

I should be ashamed, but I swear, officer librarian, I have no control.

When I’m finished reading for the night, i dog ear the corner of the page I’m on. Yes, yes, I’ve tried bookmarks, but I lose them, the cats use them for playtoys and it’s just not the same….

I crack the spine with a nice ear-pleasing crrrrreeeeeeeeeak when the book is brand new and won’t lie easily in my hand.

I eat while reading.

I’m every librarian’s worst nightmare.

And yet, the books most used, most tattered, most abused are my favorite. I own 5 copies of Kathleen Woodiwiss’ Shanna. I own two copies of Nora Robert’s Chesapeake Bay series. 4 copies of Jude Deveraux’s a Knight in Shining Armor.

All tattered, all earmarked.

But that’s what *I* do to *my* books. I cried when I loaned out Nora Roberts and she came back with tea stains and teeth marks. And when someone once gave me back a Kristan Higgins book they’d spilled a bloody mary on? Shit hit the fan.

After I became a writer (so to speak) I got worse. I marked pages that might have a good sex scene that I wanted to deconstruct. I marked a good laugh scene, a good fight scene. One Harlequin novel had over 50 bent pages of things I wanted to re-read, to see how it was done.

And yes, I bend over the pages in library books. But as atonement for my sins, I donate a ton of books to the library every year, and always pay my copious fines on time.

So I do have a little bit of a conscience when it comes to murder.

A very little. =)

How about you? Are you a book murderer?

=)

carrie

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

Yup, I’m up to my neck in it.

Finished three, count ‘em three! chapter ones this weekend. Mostly revising, some inventing, some chopping.

The trick is to keep your mind coordinated as to which one you’re working with.

We don’t want the middle grade genius boy getting the hots for the Jane Hathaway look-alike, nor do we want our fabulously chic screenwriter suddenly dressing in polyester! The men….well, one is impeccably dressed, one is wearing the worlds ugliest Hawaiian shirt, and one is 90 years old, so keeping them straight isn’t as hard. =)

Luckily, just as eating sorbet between main courses clears the palette, so does eating a Hershey’s in between each chapter clear the brain.

But mostly, it’s all about progress.

I received an email from an editor in the past week, she’d like to see the first three chapters of one of my works, AND A SYNOPSIS as well as a little tightening up in another piece as well as the ever elusive emotional conflict being upped.

I’ve gotten really good comments on my MG as well, both from a published author and an agent, so will be revising those chapters to try to bring a finish to that book.

And I still have a request for a full that I meant to have done in March. Oops. Well, it’s mostly forward progress.

Sound like I’m bragging? Well, maybe just a little.

=)

carrie

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

Naughty. Busy. It’s all the same right?

Sorta.

So I did warn you, I was going to be entering contests. And enter I have. I entered my MG in one, my Man Hunter in two and a separate one I made up today in about six hours in another.

I’ve entered two pitch contests. TWO. One of which was an audio pitch. And them puppies ain’t easy, I’m tellin’ya. =)

Am I done?

I think so. =) The written contests will be months to hear from. The pitches I heard from within the week and got good reports (although no wins) all the way around. I entered contests where the judges were either editors or agents I wanted to get my work in front of, and I’m feeling pretty good about that. I’m going to hold onto that feeling, because I KNOW what happens when you get the judging sheets back. Intense agony and soul searching. Pain and agony. Screaming and margaritas.

Contests aren’t for wimps.

So that’s where I’ve been, MIA. I promise I’ll be better now that I’ve gotten all that out of my system.

Except there’s just that one more…..hmmm……

=)

carrie

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

I recently entered a contest at Yosemite Romance Writers Group, one I’ve been a part of for a couple years, even though I live nowhere near Yosemite. =) They offered a contest called The Smooch, and I recently placed third. Woot! If you click on my Current WIP’s tab and zoom down to Stolen Kisses, you can read the entry.

It’s short, 1500 words.

Enjoy!

=)

carrie

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance

I’m going back in to deep waters.

Shark infested.

Boiling, turbulent, roiling waters of….well, you get the idea.

I’m entering contests.

I’ve decided that between now and the infamous 49th birthday, I’m going to enter at least 4 contests.

I’m crazy, I know.

But I do weird things for my birthdays. Hair cuts, colors, new wardrobe choices. Small psychopathic episodes. But you probably don’t want to hear about those. =)

Last year on my birthday, I decided I wanted to be a writer. I took my first class in May, entered 2 contests (you can probably still read my rantings on contests schmontests) and took more classes. And yet more classes.

In September of last year I entered yet another contest, that turned out fairly darn well. 2nd place of 824 contestants. Ya know, just in case you forgot.

I’ve entered a few small ones here in January, but I’m pulling out the big guns and leaping into the fray.

Why do I always have to do something dramatic/life changing on my birthday?

Dunno.

Watch out, next year for the big 5-0 it might be skydiving.

Wanna come with?

=)

carrie

Carrie Spencer Author - Smart Ass Romance