My web site is coming soon! The design is underway, and looks fabulous. My blog will be integrated somehow. Now I’ve got to get moving on writing all the content…

Yesterday I was a juror for part of a PSA filmed by one of Chicago’s public TV stations. All we had to do was sit in a jury box.

Finished novel #7 and am contining with #8. Last year I worked on both at the same time, so I already have over 100 pages.

Coming Monday morning…an update on the American Title II contest.

Creating a good web site involves a lot more work than one might think. From colors to mood to content, bunches of decisions need to be made in advance. After frustrating, time consuming attempts to create a free site on my own, the results were nothing like I wanted. I couldn’t even figure out how to change some of the template copy. Finally, I gave up. I want to spend my time writing the content for the pages, not doing the technical work. So the designer hunt began. I visited dozens of author web sites and viewed the designers’ portfolios. I studied how the sites were arranged. I chose xuni.com… we got along great via e-mail and she agreed to do my site. Construction is under way! Looking forward to creating a visually interesting, content-rich site.

My Highlander: The Source Set Diary is finally online, on the Highlander Worldwide site! Visit

http://www.highlanderworldwide.com/thesource/ruthreport.shtml

to read about details about my adventures in Vilnius…complete with fabulous pictures from the set!

Other reports are available too.

Three more days to vote for Round 3: Best Story Summary at www.romantictimes.com

• Started work on my voice over demo CD: one two hour session to lay down a variety of commercial snippets. Ended up with more than two minutes, from upbeat retail to dialogue to comforting housewife. Now have to get some industry feedback, then add music, sound effects and condense to one minute. My voice over II teacher Jeff and his partner, both working voice over actors, helped me with every take and were quite complimentary. You can hear Jeff’s demos at: http://www.loopytalk.com/ or lots of demos at their agency, www.voicesunlimited.com
• RWA National accepted the workshop I proposed with RWA Hall of Fame author Jennifer Greene about persistence at any stage of your career. Now we need to come up with some great stuff to complete our outline.
• Five more days left to vote in Round 3 of American Title II, Best Story Summary at www.romantictimes.com… thanks to everyone who has voted or plans to vote!
• Almost finished with novel #7!! Less than 30 pages to go…

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to vote for FOLLOW YOUR HEART, my historical romance novel that is one of six finalists remaining in Dorchester Publishing/Romantic Times BOOKclub’s American Title II contest. The winner receives a publishing contract.

Voting for Best Story Summary continues through February 5 at www.romantictimes.com. Or you can send an email to [email protected] with FOLLOW YOUR HEART in the subject line. If you could forward the info to a few friends, I’d truly appreciate it… every vote counts!

Coming soon: my website! I have selected a designer who will begin working on it next month.

Fabulous news! My historical romance novel, FOLLOW YOUR HEART, has made it to Round 3 of Dorchester Publishing/Romantic Times BOOKclub’s American Title II contest. Six finalists remain. The two receiving the fewest votes for Best Story Summary will be eliminated. The winner receives a publishing contract.

I’m thrilled… FYH received great comments from all 3 judges.

Vote now through Feb. 5 at www.romantictimes.com. Click on the American Title II box in the upper right corner.

Please tell your friends! Thank you in advance for your support.

In other news, participated in a wonderful weekend workshop with a casting director and agent. The twelve of us prepared both commercial and TV or film auditions and were critiqued on camera. An interesting mix of people, from a Shaw Festival actress to models plus the intense focus of our teachers made for a busy two days.

Another Vilnius picture…Trakai, an medieval, reconstructed castle.

There are those who assume because I no longer have a “day job” that I am living a life of leisure.
Yes, one goal of quitting was to make more time for friends. However, I’m operating on a fairly strict schedule:

Up before 7
Read paper
Check E-mail
Workout for 20-mins to 1/2 hour (this morning: hip hop dancing)

These are some of the projects I’m working on:
Finish ms #7: goal of 25 new pages per week
Submit to acting and writing agents: research agents and customize query letter/submission based on each agency’s requirements
Write website content and choose colors/layout/links
Taking an advanced commercial workshop: review and prepare 18 pages of scripts they faxed
Prepare for tomorrow’s audition for an agent
Finish voice over class
Prepare online workshop that starts 1/22 for Hearts Through History Romance Writers

Coming in Feb: rehearsals to sing Beethoven’s 9th at Navy Pier in Sept
Literacy for adults training/tutoring

I am putting in more hours than before. But enjoying the work far more.

Do you remember the word problem of the frog in the well? He’s trying to climb out, but every time he jumps X feet higher, he slips Y feet back…so if the well is a certain height how long will it take him to get out? This week I feel a bit like that frog.

1) Of the 3 auditions I had recently, two I got myself, one from an agent: didn’t get any of the jobs. On the other hand, another talent agent I’d submitted to wants me to come in for an audition. On the other hand, the two new agents I aquired recently haven’t called yet with any auditions.

2) Entered my work in progress in it’s first writing contest. One judge gave it a near perfect score, the other a good score but not high enough to final.

Of course I don’t expect everything I send out to acheive the desired result. Setbacks don’t mean give up, they mean work harder. I am thinking serene thoughts, as inspired by this photo I took of the pool at an AZ Marriott resort.

I have been getting many questions about how I fill my days. The real question is: how did I fit in a corporate job?

In addition to a project list divided into sections such as writing, acting, personal, and home projects, I have a weekly writing goal of 25 new pages. This does not count editing, researching, submitting, or entering contests. I also want to increase every month the number of submissions I have at a time, whether to contests, agents, editors, upcoming conference appointments,etc.

Here are some of the projects I’ve been working on:

1) website. After researching web designers and wasting time thinking I could create the kind I wanted by myself, I finally chose one and am working on content so when she’s ready to work on design I’ll be ready.
2) I just joined the board of the Chicklit Romance Writers of the World. We had a 2 hour online meeting this week and I have to figure out exactly what my position is and do something.
3) acting auditions: see post below.
4) getting more acting agents and a writing agent
5) finishing my manuscript in progress, which fortunately a couple of industry people are already waiting to see
6) the American Title II contest
7) preparing an online workshop I agreed to do later this month for Hearts Through History Romance Writers
8) judging 7 55 page entries for a contest

Each night I set goals for the next day based on what’s already on my schedule. I am a morning person, and the kind of person who can only play when all work is done. This is starting to be a problem, because I have so many projects and enjoy doing them that my work is never done. I’d hoped to take weekends completely off and just play, but today I wrote 7 new pages.
Nonetheless, thanks to my mom I now have TiVo, so I can catch up on my favorite shows at night.

While I miss daily contact with the people I worked with, and clients who after so many years became my friends, I don’t miss the work I did.

Fortunately I have a good friend who is also a writer and has other pursuits. We check in with each other once a week to make sure we’re staying on track. I schedule at least one social event a week, but usually end up with more. I’m still involved with several Chicago Bar Association groups and have monthly meetings for those plus my local Romance Writer meetings. I’m taking a weekend acting workshop. I’ve also started exercising six mornings a week.

This is just a taste of how I can be Gainfully Unemployed!

Every so often, I’ve been checking The Source official website for the promised posting of my journal detailing my Vilnius set visit. It’s not there yet.

I just found out that Adrian Paul wants my journal posted on HIS website instead! How cool is that. His site is www.adrianpaul.net ; I’ve been informed my journal should be there soon. As soon as it’s up, I’ll post the link here.

On the acting front, lots going on! Got a callback for a part in short student thesis film…and have a print ad audition next week. Plus am going to try out for one of my favorite musicals, Urinetown. Had to pick out new songs, they want 16 bars each of contrasting comedic songs. There are two parts I think I could play, but the auditions are Equity too. So many people sing better than I do, but they said comedic acting is also important, so who knows. And in September, the Chicago Bar Assn Symphony is doing Beethoven’s 9th at Navy Pier for their 20th anniversary; I’m going to sing in that. Reharsals start in February.