Deadline Diaries

Five Romance writers tell all.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Color me excited....


Posted by Christine

Color me ecstatic. Color me thrilled. Color me pink, as that is our official Deadline Diaries background color. I love it.

I love it here, in our brand new home on Blogger. Picture me sighing.

I’m really feeling pretty good about life right now. I just sent a book in. I always feel good when one of my babies hits the mail chute on the way to Manhattan.

It’s only all rest of the time that I’m miserable. Hah. Not really….

Since this is my first post, I suppose I should introduce myself. I’m Christine Rimmer. I write contemporary series romances for Silhouette Books and also mainstream romances for HQN Books. I’ve written 60 books. I would be crowing.

But then again, two of my fellow-Deadline Diarists can so put me in my place. Maureen’s written, what? Ninety or so books, I believe it is. And Susan’s written ninety, as well. Maybe more. Not that I’m counting or anything.

I can say that I’ve written more books than Kate. Haven’t I, Kate? Say it’s so. Kate, self-proclaimed Contest Sl—er Fr—er Diva (and yes, I’m still a little irked about not having a tiara of my own. But I’ll get over it)

Where was I?
Oh. Kate, as you already know, is our unpublished diarist—but we’re all sure that won’t be true for long. She’s just way talented. Plus funny. Some people are simply too richly blessed. But I’m a forgiving soul and I like her anyway.

At my house—let’s call it Chez Christine. Not that anyone else around here does, but you know, just here on the DD, so I can feel special—Um. At Chez Christine, not only did I just turn a book in and start rolling on another, we’re finally wrapping up an extended phase of HOME IMPROVEMENT HELL.

What? Am I shouting?

You would be, too. Take my word. And try doing DEADLINE HELL—wait. Let me whisper that. Deadline Hell. in the midst of Home Improvement Hell. You’ll know what hell is, let me tell ya.

Try getting into those juicy, romantic bits with workmen swearing in the other room and ongoing pounding, squeaking, grinding sounds. Sometimes, in the middle of a particularly sexy paragraph, all the smoke alarms would go off due to the dust in the air as the guys putting in the wood floor in the family room ground down the concrete to smooth it.

Lovely. Romantic. Smokin’ hot in ways you have never imagined.

And my poor cats—yes. Everyone else on the DD will be speaking of their various gorgeous dogs and adorable puppies. All I have are two aging, patient cats. Tom and Ed. I often dedicate my books to them. They deserve it. They’ve been sitting right here beside me through all the deadlines for the past nine years. They love everything I write and their support keeps me going when things look bleakest.

Or dustiest.

Poor Tom and Ed. They spend days in the laundry room during Home Improvement Hell, in order that they not be crushed by a random box of flooring—or let out by an unwary workman. Sometimes I would turn on the dryer in there without anything drying in it, just so they could lie on it while it ran, and be soothed.

But it’s all over now. I’m starting another book. The home improvement is done for the moment and the deadline on this new book is weeks and weeks away.

If I only had a tiara, my life would perfect…

--Christine

9 Comments:

At 11:00 AM, Blogger Maureen Child said...

Chris!!

You so deserve a tiara for living through home improvement hell while also facing deadlines!! Wait, wait, I'll find one. I know I can.......

You and Kate are such great posters, I feel much pressure to be lively and entertaining on Monday!

 
At 11:37 AM, Blogger Kate Carlisle said...

Hi Chris!! So glad you're here!! We are pretty in pink, aren't we?

And hey wow, you really have been through hell, haven't you? And you never complained, not once. Maureen's right, you deserve that tiara. Okay, where to find a tiara...hmm...I'll ponder that as I curl up on top of my dryer...

Kate (who’s hoping we’ll see pictures of Tom and Ed one of these days!)

 
At 7:57 AM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Maureen, do not sweat it. You *are* lively and entertaining.

Problem solved.

I'l loving all this sympathy I'm getting. I'm also loving my improved family room. So in the end, it was like childbirth. Nature makes you forget how awful it was--so you'll do it again.

Susan. Oh, yeah. Evil Intelligence Dust. That's exactly what it is...

And I so don't have anything relating to the picture thing down. Kate rides the cusp of cyber-technology!

 
At 8:00 AM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Okay, now I've got typo on my previous comment. Waaa. Can't see how to edit comments. Life is hard and there's also mispelling.

 
At 3:36 PM, Blogger Kate Carlisle said...

It's a sad day when I'm considered the tech guru of the group. You don't really expect me to explain it, do you?

Uh, okay, I think you go to the dashboard and click 'edit profile' and there's a place to put a URL of your photo...don't ask me what URL means...I pulled my photo off my website. I really have no idea how I did it.

I think we should all have photos. And tiaras. And cats.

Kate

 
At 5:42 PM, Blogger Cindy Taylor said...

Hi, Chris! Thanks for the invite over in the SSE thread.

I totally agree with your comment about home improvement being like childbirth. We went through HIH (home improvement hell) last winter, and now I can hardly remember how horrendous it was. The only problem is we’ve just begun. This winter will bring a new wave of HIH.

Waving to Susan, although still ducking my head over the RWA Nationals speaker intro goof (even though it wasn’t my goof). I was to introduce Susan before her workshop on deadlines, but there was no bio included in my packet. Funny thing, the other workshop I moderated was Susan Litman and Stacy Boyd’s, and Susan’s bio was absent, as well. She’s, like, only the editor I’m working with, ya know. It was my first and last time to volunteer.

Anyway, I’m excited to read your daily rants, advice, etc. I’ll try to spread the news.

 
At 7:08 AM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Kate, tried that. Keeps telling me I need a valid .com or .net url. I'll fool with it later. Argh, gritch, etc.


Cindy! So good to "see" you here and thanks much for dropping in--and for spreading the word. And re more HIH, you have my deepest sympathies. I so hear you the next wave. I have one coming, too, but not for a while. And until then, I think I'll just pretend it's never gonna happen...

 
At 7:14 AM, Blogger Christine Rimmer said...

Cady! Your post showed up just as I posted to Kate and Cindy!

Thanks for comin'! Book I just finished was Bet On It, my second book for HQN. I'm on to Brand's story now and having a ball with it so far.

And re the bruises. Been there. Doing that. You should see the one on my foot where I dropped a silverware case (you know, heavy, real wood, that you put the good silver in?) on it as I was putting the case away. Re the bathroom coming up, you have my very deepest sympathies.

 
At 3:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Imagine my surprise when I opend my inbox and found three invites to this blog!! Thanks Christine, Susan and Maureen!!!

Christine & Cady ~ I can impathize with this bruising thing. My head ran right into my entertainment center, and I was walking a a swift pace. Can't imagine how that piece of furniture, just jumped into my path. Wow, was I stunned beyond belief!

Looking foward to Brand, myself!

Can't wait to check out what you all have to say. Thanks for the invite!!

Kate

 

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