Officially moving

No, we don't have to sell the house. I'm moving the blog over to Wordpress. At some point I'll figure out how to move it to an actual website, but for now I'm happy playing with new toys. I'll save the domain change for when I can concentrate on things for more than a minute. The new address is http://wendyblanton.wordpress.com/ in case you want to update your bookmarks. See you over there!

(eureka?)

I don't want to make too much of this, but I think I have figured out how to fix an old story. First it was disorganized, and then it was stalled. It dawned on me recently that I'm trying to fit the story into too long of a time line. I was having trouble coming up with enough story that wasn't day-to-day boring or soap opera dramatic to fill the amount of time I thought I needed. If I start further in and use my back story in dreams and flashbacks I think it will work better. It only took a white board with three colors of pens, two notebooks, and a sheet of scrap paper to figure in out. I think it's time to start a notebook before my fiddly bits get lost in the shuffle. I'm glad I have extra shelf space in my office. Working on multiple projects at once (which it looks like I'll be doing soon) will fill it up rather nicely.

The best part is that while there is significant re-writing to do, many parts of the story will only need light editing to make it fit with the shorter amount of time. It's entirely possible that I could have the first draft done before June 1.

The Year of Expansion

Last year was the Year of Letting Go. Alex was heading off to college, and I didn't want to be "that mom." I didn't want to cry all the way home from dropping him off or, worse yet, all the way to the college. I didn't want to be a helicopter mom, hovering around him, afraid to leave. I spent the best part of a year learning to let go, and it paid off.

This year is apparently the Year of Expansion. Yes, I have gained a pound or two trying to kick caffeine, but that's not the part I'm talking about. What I'm expanding, or trying to, is my comfort zone. I talked with a publicist at the conference I went to about getting over feeling like self-promotion is the opposite of humility, and she told me I have to stop hiding my light under a bushel. It can't be the opposite of humility if you can back it up with scripture, right? ;-)

In the spirit of expansion, if you haven't already done so, go to Facebook and join my fan page!

Can't resist!

Thanks to I Can Has Cheezeburger.

Catching up

It was a busy weekend. My mom and aunt came down for the TSO concert at the Fox Theater on Sunday, which rocked, by the way. They got here Friday afternoon. Saturday we went to Grant's Farm to see the Budweiser Clydesdales. The horses were cool but the rest of the park was largely a disappointment. President Grant's house is there, and they don't do tours, which was the part I was looking forward to the most. We packed a lot of visiting into three days, and they headed home today.

I thought I had a lot more to say. Maybe I do, but my brain won't give up the goods right now. Looks like another early night for me. I'll be back if I think of what it was.

Eric's office

I thought I posted 'before' pictures here, but I've gone all the way back to January and I don't see them. In fact, I don't see that I've said anything about Eric's office. Odd.

OK, so we converted the downstairs office to Designated Eric Space. We painted and got him some grown-up furniture.

Here's what we started with:



And here's the almost after.




I have a shot of the final, but it's a little fuzzy, so I'll try to get a better one. If I didn't already have an office of my own, I think I'd be a little jealous!

Marketing: Step 1

I rallied enough brain cells last night to start my Facebook fan site. Please click here and join my group so that when I get ready to pitch a book this fall I can say I have a following. Thanks!

Oh, I guess I should probably 'out' myself here and let anyone here who doesn't already know (maybe there are one or two of you) that Wendy Blanton and Elizabeth Joy are the same person. Turns out the pen name created a marketing nightmare, so the Dragons Roost books will be the only books published under that name.