Being Open to Life's Balloons

To my honest surprise, I realized just this morning that I am rather enamored of challenges.

I thrive on them, eat them up like candy… (the fact that I almost always choke on the darn things and make a terrible mess of everyone’s life selfishly doing it, will not be discussed in today’s blog.)

Now, I realize that many, many people in this world can say they are challenge-sniffers. So it hardly makes me remarkable in any way. But that’s not the point I’m trying to make here.

*”There’s a point?” a mittened man in the fourth row shouts*

Yes, there is a point.

I think.

I hope.

Well, let’s see…

No matter your age, no matter your psychological make-up or how close you are to your friendly, neighborhood psychiatrist, there are always surprises to be had within yourself.

Sometimes they take digging, carefully vetted introspection or exploratory teams consisting of ice cream and good wine to find.

Sometimes they pop up out of nowhere while you’re tootling through the Alabama countryside on a dog-sitting mission. (Yep, that would be me this morning.)

The point I’m trying to make is this… Every soul is full of surprises. Close your eyes, count to ten and see what leaps out from behind your couch with balloons and streamers in hand. It could be just the surprise your heart needs.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

P.S…. Apologies to the mittened man. On further review, despite my best efforts, there really was no viable point to this blog. I’ll do better next time, I promise.

The Chaser King

To the total awe of myself and my four-legged muse, a fourth day of writing success was had yesterday on the daunting Six Brothers project.

Neither of us dare pinch the other in case this literary flow is just a figment of our very rambunctious imaginations. (The things my dog comes up with are wild, man! Really. Think a cocktail of Ludlum and Dickens with a chaser of King… Yeah, it’s a little freaky around here, sometimes.)

As I announced a few days ago, the youngest of my Six Brothers will indeed live. However, the wiggle room I’m needing to write this story truly Chloe-like (if you’ve read one of my novels, you know what I’m talking about… Think this blog, only with coherence, plot and sex) will be taken from Leo and his love interest’s subplot.

I’m hating having to cut back on the “screen time” for these two, but they both will still play crucial roles in the story. Their development as completely whole and separate entities will just be limited.

Hopefully by the time the Six Brothers is published and riding high on international Best Selling Lists (No chuckling. It could happen. Hope, like Leo, lives.) only you and I will know of this youngest brother’s struggle to exist.

Before the accolades begin to rain down upon my head, however, I have to write the darn thing. So, off to work, I go!

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

A Breather

Riding the high of three straight days of excellent progress on the Six Brothers project, I’ve decided to take a step away from that craziness and update you on the rest of my writerly goings-on.

Apparently Ravenous Romance has had a bit of trouble with their servers the last few weeks which has delayed the release of my 17^th novel Quiver (you remember, old Book Three of “The Lion and the Steed” Series?). I’ve been told to expect a cover soon, so hopefully it will see print by the beginning of the year.

The five novels which I have been given the rights back to after years of being in print, I have delivered to my literary agent in hopes of finding them new homes. Fingers remain crossed that these men will return to the stores soon.

Wish me luck on a fourth day of literary luck with my colonial lovers. Crashing and burning, I’d really like to avoid.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Gunsmiths & Grapes

With two full days of actual “Man, this is really kind of good!” writing on the Six Brothers under my belt, I am frankly concerned that asking for a third is indeed asking too much.

Pushing that concern away for the moment, I have an announcement to make…

*the canine muse at my hip, rolls her eyes; the “Not this again” clear upon her furry countenance*

*steadfastly ignores the dog in favor of the blatant grandiosity of a drumroll…*

Leo will live!

Yep, the youngest of the Brothers Six will in fact survive to provide both guns and brawn to Fannett Township throughout the Revolutionary War!

I have it on good word that the lad is glad and appreciative of the opportunity. His significant other has also sent regards via a lovely fruit basket.

So, while I munch on a lovely apple and nibble on some lovely grapes, I wish you all a lovely Thursday.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe and her miffed muse

Clandestine

Admittedly, I was a little sneaky.

No, I didn’t resort to the donning of masks and dark, fanciful cloaks. There was no ringing the front doorbell and then scurrying in through the rear the moment their backs were turned. I didn’t even have to resort to prank phone calls in false voices.

My treachery was tiny and a little bit silly.

Approaching the Six Brothers project, I realized that I didn’t want to just walk into it like every other day. I knew I’d let myself get stuck on that monstrous outline. I’d trip over all those chapters and all those scenes and sprain something before I even wrote a single word.

So, I didn’t open my Scrivener (where all my novel pursuits lay). I instead went straight to the good old Word program, opened myself up a blank document and wrote whatever the heck I wanted.

The sneakiness actually worked.

Over 500 words of really good writing was done lickety-split. Before I knew it, two of my major characters had their personalities bloom right before my wide, unbelieving eyes. It was wonderful!

The point is this: Don’t be afraid to sneak up on your writing project and say “Boo!” Sometimes it’s just what the both of you need.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Penning the Good Morrow

Had to reintroduce myself to the lads and lasses of Fannett Township, Pennsylvania yesterday. Not surprisingly, my Six Brothers and their honeys didn’t remember their long (1 week, people!) absent author.

After a handful of “Good Days” followed by some “Good Morrows,” I departed feeling a little better about our relations.

We’ve still got some rough spots to work through, particularly the whole “I might rub out Leo” issue, but I think some inroads have been made. I’ve promised not to make any hasty decisions as to brother-whacking and they promised a little more access to their psyches (critical for a writer to really “feel” the character, I believe.)

So, today we will see if the tenuous ceasefire will hold… If I will be welcomed back into the Fannett fold… If Leo will allow me anywhere near his strapping, young, gun-smithing self.

Wish me well on my journey back to late Colonial Pennsylvania… and prepare a ransom if Leo and the boys jump me at The Harrow & Flail Tavern.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe

Prepare the Poor Fish

Assuming for a moment that the literary world is an actual terra firma place with rivers and valleys and whatnot, I would like to take this opportunity to issue a warning to the authorian lands.

Chloe is back!

Please prepare your carefully manicured flowerbeds to be tromped on by big, ungainly feet.

Please post advisories on the shores of your Mainstream. Clumsy, gangly, but terribly well-meaning Ms. Stowe will be splashing yet again in your calm waters. Fish may be injured.

Please alert your purveyors of weather that a tiny, ragged cloud of panic and self-doubt may indeed litter your cornflower blue skies this afternoon. No need to run and hide; cowering in a spot of brilliant sunshine will do.

All silliness aside, I do plan to start back on the Six Brothers today.

As it stands at this moment, Leo still lives. Most likely the fate of the youngest sibling will not be determined for several days yet.

Perhaps my little forced sabbatical for Thanksgiving madness will have provided the much needed kick-in-the-butt to get things truly rolling? If so, Leo will survive. I like my gunsmith and his significant other. It would be a terrible shame to lose them to Author Ineptness.

So, please, wish me and the literary world well as we again collide. (And keep an especially good thought for the poor fish.)

Until tomorrow…

Chloe