Musings on what a loser I am, but also kind of a winner

So I haven’t blogged since June?! Let’s just gloss over the fact that I’m a total blogging loser compared to some of my amazing writerly friends, because I have some exciting news! Before I get into that, a little on what’s been going on in the lives of the Baker clan, for those who are interested. If you’re not, scroll down to the really weird picture and read from there.

So now I’ve been working for BKA Content for over a year, and still loving it! It’s wonderful to work for a company that makes me feel so valued, even if my bosses are a little nuts. I also hold them responsible for several new gray hairs over the past year. 😉

The kids are thriving here in Idaho and getting good grades. They’re in counseling and continue to heal. We just enjoyed our second happy, peaceful Christmas here with my family.

She walked around the mall like this on the premiere night of The Hobbit.

Christmas is also fun for cats who like to lick the Christmas tree! He started opening one of the boys’ presents right after I took this picture.

And now, an announcement

Normally it doesn’t take me so long to finish writing a book, but I had a few setbacks in the personal life department. I’m back on track and ready to kick butt! I promised my 15-year-old that I’d finish Cobalt by Christmas (because she was going to hurt me if I didn’t), and I did manage to finish it very late on Christmas day. She’s re-reading it now, and finding some minor typos for me. My goal is to have it polished and ready to submit to small publishers in March (I’ll hold off submitting to agents until I get some feedback from publishers).

You’d hurry up to finish your manuscript too if you had this freak following you around threatening bodily harm. Every author needs a motivator like Emily!

So, to celebrate, I’ll share a snip from the second-to-last chapter, along with one of Lia’s special embellishments at the end. I came out of the bathroom last week to see her skipping away from my laptop. “I like your story!” she said. I was confused for a moment, because she hasn’t read Cobalt yet. Then I realized what she must have done. Her best embellishments are the ones that catch me by surprise – although the ones I twist her arm to do for me are pretty good, too.

“Which key is it, which one?” Alexei was frantically jamming one key after another into the keyhole.

“I don’t know!” Kate cried. “Gerta never let me have the keys. Hurry!”

“I’m trying, I’m trying!” There was a loud click, and the door swung forward. Five exhausted, terrified people and one ruffled, hissing squirrel tumbled into the dark kitchen. Everyone scrambled forward and moved out of Anthia’s way so she could slam the door shut. The faint sounds of enraged howling, like a strong wind through the tops of the trees, came through the keyhole. Alexei quickly locked the door, and Kate grabbed a rag from the kitchen table to stuff into the keyhole. For good measure, she pushed a small rug up against the bottom of the door. 

Trembling and out of breath, everyone found chairs to collapse into. Kate yanked the kitchen curtains closed against the shafts of moonlight shining through the barred window, then felt along the wall until she found the switch that lit the kitchen globe.

“Well, everyone,” she said, leaning weak-kneed against the wall, “welcome to my home.”

They looked around. What they saw terrified them. Hanging on one wall was a portrait of a large woman, about the size of a whale, leaning naked against the hull of an airship. Captioned underneath were the words “Sexiest Lady Alive, Gerta.” Resting on a counter they found a jar of eyeballs and a basket full smaller eyeballs, sitting next to a beaker of even smaller eyeballs, which stood atop a tupperware container of the smallest eyeballs you could ever imagine. In the sink they found a half-eaten PB&J and that wasn’t even the worst of it. There was twice as much jelly in that sandwich as there should have been. It would totally overpower the peanut butter! Probably why it was only half-eaten. Whoever made that sandwich must’ve been a huge jerk.

And now, the funnies

 How could I leave my first blog post in over six months without something funny, and some musics?

…yep.

I’ve had this song stuck in my head the last couple of days. Not this awesome cover, but the original.

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/qYr9kIyambE&source=uds