The war of the bottle

Yesterday, I stripped the label off a plastic bottle and rolled it on the floor. Tess & Hardy chased it here, there and everywhere -- crying slightly if it became stuck. First Hardy carried it into their sleeping area with Tess following and then Tess emerged with Hardy in hot pursuit. Tess has the hang of fetch far more than Hardy. I did try two bottles but they both wanted the same bottle -- whichever that bottle was.

They were not fond of air being blown over the top of the bottle. But as demonstrated later that night, fireworks are ho hum. It was not the Castle letting off the fireworks, but someone else and my goodnessthey were loud. Luckily, a plastic bottle held more appeal.

In an effort to better train and understand my puppies, I have been reading more books. There is no right way to train a dog, simply ways that jive better with your personal philosophy. Personally, I have no time for choke chains. I like to think of puppies as individuals and perfer a positive approach. So getting a bit bored with the four simple rules of Jan Fanell (is gesture eating really necessary? Every single time? And ignoring the puppies when someone comes home is not an option, sorry), and finding some of Cesar Milan odd, plus wanting more from Barbara Sykes (and not wanting to crate), I took a look at Gwen Bailey and The Perfect Puppy. I have been surprised to discover that there are huge arguements in the dog training world about the methods to use.

The thing I like about Bailey is her philosophy that dogs are different than wolves. They are not feral and have evolved. Dogs are dogs. And a well trained puppy will become a well adjusted adult. She also has an emphasis on training and socialisation. So she gives ideas and games that you can play with your puppy. You do not have to ignore your puppy when you come home. Like everyone else except may Jan Fannell, she counsels against getting two puppies as they are hard work. She also does not feel that everything is lost if a puppy is not trained by a certain time (Ian Dunbar is very rigid on this). It can just take longer after 14 weeks. And she is all about postive reinforcement rather than punishment.

Ultimately I think people use the method that suits them best. Littles bits from each.
Tess & Hardy are basically housebroken now. There may be a few accidents, but they both know enough to break off from games and go to the back door to be let out. There have been no puddles at night for awhile either. It really is all about getting the owners trained.

With my work in progress, I really think that doing the longer synopsis has helped and I have figured out some of the holes and where I want to go with it.

Oh and Julie Cohen's latest The Girl from Mars arrived yesterday. My daughter inhaled it and adored it. She is now threatening to go around the shops chanting Braiins. So if you want a feel good read, and an antidote to post exam stress, The Girl From Mars is a good place to start.

An updated cluster map

My cluster map has been archived. Once a year it is archived and then I start collecting dots again, but they do keep a running total from the beginning. The old map is still there for the moment. It has nearly 67,000 dots on it which is amazing. I wonder how many I will get this year... Hopefully my visitors have enjoyed my blog or found what they were looking for.

I find the whole exercise interesting. Once the cluster maps alerted me to the fact that I had a Spanish release, so I do think they are worthwhile. Because of the way Harlequin works, it is rare for authors to know in advance that there are books are coming out in a particular language/market that is not their home market. It is just the way the system is set up. Sometimes, I do not know for months afterward and then my copies arrive. It is one of the reasons that on the first of every month, I do check various Harlequin websites -- to see what is happening.

Generally I suspect though my editors would prefer it if I just concentrated on writing the next novel. I am doing this. It will be good, but at the start sometimes, it takes awhile. Julie Cohen has been having this problem as well and is detailing it on her blog and how the use of images and metaphor help to define the character.
The one point I would make is that you do not have to get the metaphor right the first time. Many things in writing are backwards logic -- you get insight and layer it in. Editing however, is frontwards logic as it needs to make sense to the reader.

Easter Monday musings

I survived Easter, and the house is now awash with chocolate. Unfortunately much of it is Green and Black's or Thornton's. I shall simply have to exercise more.

On Saturday, I went over to Anna Lucia's. She lives in the sort of wonderfully quirky house that I love. Bits are from different times and the spare bedroom has distinct ghost like feel apparently until they redecorated. Whatever ghosts that are in her house, they appear benign. Julie Cohen was there with the fecklet. She looks wonderfully happy and relaxed. All in all a good time was had. Where Anna lives is wonderfully old fashioned and rural, but my middle said as we came back along Hadrian's Wall that she thought where we lived was not bad either. The Spring sunlight highlighted the wall perfectly -- it was the sort of day that photographers love.

I have started to do my calculations for my next wip. It is getting to the point that I have to begin writing. My critique partners are going to start cracking whips...but I have been writing in my moleskine. I love and adore my moleskine notes books. They are fun to write in but I will have to put words on the computer -- starting tomorrow. It is part of being disciplined.

When I saw Julie and Anna, it was interesting to see the different ways in which writers work. I had a sneak peak of Julie's latest -- all rubber banded and clipped. On the other hand, I use a large binder to keep my manuscript in when I doing revising. I find it easier -- particularly when I come to the random page tightening stage. BTW Julie's cover for it is even better in the flesh as it were. I am sure it will be brilliant. She used David Tennant as a model for her hero. As my middle says -- David Tennant is totally hot in Dr Who. My middle kidnaps Julie's books and reads them. Her favourite thus far is Spirit Willing ,Flesh Weak. Julie very diplomatically said it was up to me if my daughter read those books. All I know is that they are in many ways tamer than the stuff I read at her age. I can well remember reading the John Jakes Bicentenial series (The Bastard, anyone?)when I was 12. So how can I complain?

Kate Hardy said lovely things about Sold and Seduced on her blog. Her comments mean a lot to me as I like her writing, and I respect her judgement. Sold and Seduced has also been reviewed on the PHS review site and I was very pleased with the review there.

I suppose this is the time to remind one and all that I am running a contest. Basically email me with the answer to the question:
Which song is playing on my myspace page?

I am drawing the winners on 14 April. 3 lucky people will receive a signed copy of Sold and Seduced as well as the book that gave me the seed -- The Antonakos Marriage.

Christmas Good Wishes

First of all, my friend Julie Cohen has finally had her baby. 13 days overdue but she and her dh now have him as an extra special Christmas present. It does go to show that there are happy endings as this baby is a much wanted child.

The presents are all wrapped and placed in a holding area. My dh does not like having presents out until late Christmas Eve. I do. We compromisae. He puts my presents and presents we get from other people under the tree. The rest don't come out...until after the children go to bed.
The stockings are hanging ready. The younger two will be reading at the Village Crib service. The youngest is excited about this.The middle is doing it under sufferance. The eldest has bailed but he read at the Village carol service last week. Even though the Aga is not working (long story) and won't be working until after New Year's, we now have a table top hob with half sized oven and will have a hot Christmas lunch. Luckily I had plannedon ham, rather than a full sized turkey!

As luck would have it, my muse is speaking, and I have the next Viking basically plotted. But I am obeying my dh (and my editor) and not writing over Christmas.

I want to wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas and a joyous 2007. Dare to dream your dreams, work hard at achieving then and they may come true.