Oh, Patrick Swayze. :(

I am so sad that Patrick Swayze died. Kaz has done a lovelier tribute than I could manage so I'm going to point you there.

In other news...

...I am doing a small rewrite of BLOOD AND SACRIFICE, mostly of the opening chapters. There's tightening to be done and some pacing to fix. I've clearly not found the beginning of this story yet. {big, heavy sigh} I'm close, I think. I need opening lines, perhaps new opening paragraphs (as in, plural). Then I can work with what I have. This blank space ---> <--- is where I would love to be swearing and complaining about rewriting. But I shall not.

...I have also joined again this year. I haven't completely laid out my goals yet, but they'll be a combination of the rewrite and new words on THE LANGUAGE OF SILENCE. If you're looking for a motivator or are intrigued by the idea of NaNoWriMo but are intimidated by the pace, check JoNo out! I loved doing it last year and it was the perfect pace/time for me with the day job, etc. (I can't write fast enough to make the real NaNo goals while I'm working full time.)

...I've been in a funk lately, mostly due to some real life stuff going on and partially due to the impending rewrite on a book I thought was "done." This is not a cry for pity or LJ hugs or sympathy, etc. etc. :) But I like to let my public (*snort*) know why I've been posting so sporadically lately. Maudlin doesn't make for good blogging, therefore I keep it to myself. ;)

...I went on a music-buying binge tonight. I bought the latest from Howie Day and Butterfly Boucher, both of whom I'm a big fan of, and also Shinedown (I think Second Chance is such a sad song!) and Parachute (sort of on a whim after I heard a single and fell in love with the singer's voice). Oh, and this, which I found thanks to Pandora:



That's Sara Bareilles singing Gravity.


Now...I've got a date with a manuscript and a machete...