Month: October 2008

A Cop’s Life A to Z

That’s Z as in Zed! Zed, I tell ya!

Okay, it’s Z as in Zee. Seeing as the instructor is American, I’ll give her the Zee.

During September, as part of my research for the WIP, I had the pleasure of taking Kathy Bennett’s on-line class, A Cop’s Life A to Z, put on by the RWA Kiss of Death chapter.

What an excellent class! As well as being a writer, Kathy is a cop with the LAPD. As it so happens, the hero of my WIP is an ex-cop with the LAPD, so I had to take this class and I recommend it most heartily. I have enough emails printed out to fill a binder (which I will do, you know, when the moon turns green), and I gained great insight into several aspects of a cop’s life.

If you’re a member of Kiss of Death and you considered taking Kathy’s class and didn’t, next time she offers it, sign up. I can’t see how you could be disappointed.

P.S. Kathy has a blog on her new website, too.

RITA Here I Come

Well, it’s official, I entered the 2009 RITA contest with my December 2008 novella. Okay, okay, for the particular among you, Penny entered. Cindy (that’s me) doesn’t have a 2008-published book or novella to enter. Cindy is working hard to change that, but in the meantime Penny has to take up the slack.

Wish me luck. Not that I expect Penny to final. I do believe a Secrets novella has finaled in the RITA previously—like once—however, generally erotic romances have a tougher time finaling than do non-erotic romances. But! The point is, I had a novella to enter, and so I did. Yeah, me. Because, you see, the thing is, you have no chance in Hades of finaling if you don’t enter.

I’m not planning to attend the National conference in D.C. next summer. Financially, it’s just not in the cards. But I will say that I might have to attend if the novella finals. Two years ago, I said that finaling in the Golden Heart would be the only way I’d attend RWA Dallas in 2007, and then, wouldn’t you know it, I finaled. For the first time ever. You could have knocked me over with an empty cereal bowl! (Thank you to the pal who so graciously offered to share her hotel room with me at the last minute).

You know, after so many years entering the Golden Heart it still surprises me that the RITA costs less to enter. I wonder why? Anybody know? It’s ten bucks cheaper. Yes, published authors have to supply 5 copies of the book for the preliminary round and then another 5 copies for the final round, if one is so lucky as to make it there, so I guess the postage costs are higher. I know they’re scary from Canada—sending ONE Secrets volume to a friend in San Francisco this summer cost $11.00, and the book was $12.00 to buy. So the shipping for one volume was pretty much the same as buying the friggin’ book. That Canada Post, I tell ya. Grrrrr. But, other than postage costs and book-buying costs (Penny’s publisher doesn’t offer its authors crates of free author copies, so I bear the cost for books as well as postage for contests), I couldn’t tell you why the RITA is cheaper. Can you? (Not that I’m complaining, just interested…)

Happy October!

Wow, I can’t believe only three months remain in 2008. I’ve been busier than a bunny in a frat house since attending RWA National in San Francisco at the end of July/beginning of August. In the last month, I’ve gone out of town twice, have been busy researching and writing (although not as much writing as I’d like, due to the two trips), and doing intense post-kid-moved-to-university fall cleaning (as of this past weekend I’m nearly finished the basement and this coming weekend I’ll tackle his room). Canadian Thanksgiving is around the corner, which means more cooking and cleaning and visiting (Eldest Son is coming home—yeah!).

As I write this, the air is crisp but the sky is a clear, brilliant blue and the sun is wonderfully bright. Now, I’m a September-lover, but if this weather keeps up, I’ll be more than happy to relish October. Or maybe that’s my cold talking. My sore throat is clearing up, but my ears are clogging, so I can’t hear anyone whine—if that doesn’t make a person happy, what will?

How about you? Do you have favorite months of the year? Which are they and why? I’m partial to May and September. I love July and August because they’re summer, but I find it depressing when they don’t act like summer. And October…with the leaves changing and the snow staying where it belongs (up in the sky), it feels like my last chance to savor the outdoors…before November swoops its gray skies and clouds and potential snowstorms and icy winds and slick roads upon me.