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 Kate, as you already know, is our unpublished diarist—but we’re all sure that won’t be true for long.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