Since Dave’s yearly December letter is the size of a post-it note, and leaves you wondering if we ever left our computers, I’m going to leap into the breach.  We did leave our computers.  More than once. 

Because cruising is what we do best, we did two this year, one to the eastern Caribbean and one to the west.  We’ve done these before, it’s the pampering rather than the islands that beckons.

In March granddaughter Paloma’s dance team won the state finals at the Hard Rock in Orlando. (As a former cheerleader, I feel compelled to cheer her on at as many events as her family will allow me to tag along to!) And in May, oldest granddaughter Cailyn graduated from high school.  Dave and I drove to Pensacola to cheer her on and make her pose for as many pictures as she could stand. 

Also in the spring we converted Dave’s memoir, Reuben On Wry, to the kindle format so there are now reader choices.

My daughter and I made two trips to Carabelle on the Gulf where friends have a beach house they generously share.  Carabelle is right down the road from Apalachicola - one of my favorite Florida places.  It has great history, oysters and is very artsy.

In August, Dave did a brief stand-up routine at the Red Fox Lounge in Orlando for a friend.  In so doing after many decades he proved that he still has what it takes to create laughter.  Long before he was Rueben Kincaid he was doing standup.  The family and even a few fans made the round trip from Jacksonville for the occasion.  The next day we embarked on our second cruise.  During this August sailing Dave came into a new camera and has been taking pictures of everything - dead or alive - ever since.  An old hobby of his very much revived!

In October I made an unexpected trip to South Florida with my daughter for a relative emergency and was lucky enough to enjoy another fun lunch with my critique group.  We’re all published authors - although we didn’t start that way - and have been together for more than a dozen years.  Which brings me to my writing…or lack of it.  I’ve been dabbling but it has lately occurred to me that I cannot work without a deadline.  From my early days as a broadcast writer I always have had deadlines.  So I will submit in January, just to see if I can capture a deadline situation - which means I would also have a contract.  I’ve always written.  I can’t imagine not writing.  But…real retirement looks better and better.

In November we traveled to New York to watch Paloma dance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.  We were super proud that she was one of twenty girls (out of 700 or so) selected to do the opening dance behind Matt and Meredith.  Once home, the family gathered…including son Ted…for a late Thanksgiving Day dinner.  We have so much to be thankful for.

Between trips we went to the doctors.  Dave is certain he has a different doctor for every body part.  And he might be right.  The waiting room waiting steals an amazing amount of time.  But they’re keeping us upright.  Can’t complain about that!

We lost some friends this year, as all folks of our generation are sadly experiencing.  A few health issues have cropped up.  And sometimes memory fails — as Robert Frost once said, “I’m not confused. I’m just well mixed.” 

But each day is one we can chose to be happy, or at least content.   2009  proved to be just fine.  We’re looking forward to 2010 and whatever it brings…heart ache, happiness, change and surprises.  Life.

The Maddens wish you a happy, safe and especially a healthy New Year!

I have not kept up with this blog as well as I’d hoped.  It has a lot to do with the business of being a writer.  After toiling away on revisions, writing new proposals, submitting the new proposals, creating promotion and publicity for one or more contracted novels, participating in book signings, judging contest entries, attending conferences, running contests on your website, writing newsletters, implementing writing workshops, dealing with technical problems (there are days when I hate my computer) and volunteering within your local RWA chapters…well, there is little time left to actually write.  If you happen to be shopping for a new agent which everyone does at one time, or many more times, the agent hunt adds more stress and time to the mix.  Ergo - the work in progress often suffers.   Which is why I thought it was exceptional advice when I heard one agent advise a group of aspiring authors, “Just say no!”  (To anything except your wip.)

Of course, if you reach the New York Times Best Seller list several times you may be able to hire an assistant to take care of the business.  If you’re not on the list, but very lucky you might be able to enlist a volunteer to help you.   Since I am not terribly lucky and I doubt the best-seller lists are waiting for my next novel, it’s up to me to accomplish all of the above.  Somehow.

So, if I don’t get to this blog as often as I would like, the fault lies with overload.

But here I am – looking forward to the National Romance Writers Conference to be held in San Francisco beginning July 30^th.  There’s always something new to learn, but at this point the highlight for me it’s the joy of reconnecting with old friends.  The business at “National” includes attending workshops and cocktail parties, networking with agents and editors, sight-seeing and occasionally…okay, shopping.

In May, we attended Book Expo America in Los Angeles.  Dave was very successful. (Success to me was noting that his line kept pace with longtime friend, Heather Graham.) Once again “Reuben” proved to be a hit with fans and booksellers alike.  But unfortunately the whirlwind trip left little time to visit with old friends.  

Dave will be in Colorado Springs in August for a recording session but will also be signing.   He’ll also be at the Florida Heritage Book Festival in St. Augustine, Florida in September signing REUBEN ON WRY.   My first and last memoir!

With any luck, I’ll be posting again in early August following the Romance Writers of America National Conference.  Then again, I may be attending to the business of writing.

Welcome to my blog.  Hopefully, I’ll be updating with news, tips and items of interest to writers on a weekly basis.

I’ve finished the first western historical that I’ve written in several years.  Having Promise is the title and I’ll post an excerpt here in the near future.  Right now, Dave and I are getting ready for BookExpoAmerica to be held in Los Angeles at the end of this month at the mamoth L.A. Convention Center.  Dave will be signing on Saturday, May 31st.  He’s also signing at the Magic Castle on Friday.  

When I finished REUBEN ON WRY, I thought my days as a ghost writer were over.   The book is selling well on Amazon and I’d decided to return to romance writing.   But no, my life with Reuben Kincaid and the host of characters Dave played - and knows! - is not over yet.  I’m knee deep in writing - sales promotion, which I did years ago as a broadcast copywriter.   It must be true, what goes around comes around.   My life is a circle!

Unfortunately we won’t be able to see all of our friends.  But I definitely want to treat my California critique partner to lunch.  Charlene Sands has finaled in not one but two categories for the Booksellers Best Award - to be announced at the National RWA Conference in July. 

If you plan to attend BEA, please stop by and see us.   I’ll be running around the halls all day and Dave will be signing from 11:30 to 12:30.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!