New addition to the family . . .

Wow, what a weekend, and it's just now over! Not only did I finish my Novel in 90 Days class, it was my little sister's birthday *hooray Sher Bear!* and *drum roll* we had a new family member! Okay, so I know we have other calves, but this little *snort--she weighs almost 70 pounds* came to us the hard way. R was out hunting outside of Fredericksburg, and was washing up after working on one of the fencelines when the neighbor rancher knocked on the cabin door to inform him that one of our cows was having trouble. R went out to check on her, and sure enough, she was having a terrible time--like the calf was too big for her. She'd heave and push and she looked so exhausted--no telling how long she'd been at it, and each time she'd push, R could see the hooves and long, oddly pale legs of a calf.

Odd, because we have black Angus. Black Angus are not born blond. Not knowing how long Marian Anderson (named for a kick-butt, trail blazing opera singer) had been in labor, R stood ready to assist, trying to let nature take it's sometimes brutal course.

But after pulling, pushing, petting, coaxing and reassuring Marian for two hours, the cow simply sat down with the calf partially emerged. She was just plain tired. So, being the good guy R is, he rolled up his sleeves, put on his leather gloves and set out to help her, all the while knowing that both cow and calf were in mortal danger. At one point, he could see the calf's nose, but the contraction would stop and the nose would slide back in. Finally, R reached in around those long forelegs and worked with the head until the head popped out . . . almost white. But Marian couldn't push any more, and calf's tongue began to swell, her eyes never moved, and he worried that she was dead and that Mama cow was next.

So, he pulled harder on the long forelegs, and a half an hour later, he had half her body out, and miracle of miracles, the calf blinked at him, and beneath his hands, her little heart began to beat. Worried he was pulling too hard on her forelegs, he finally reached in, trying to get ahold of the calf's hind end to push her out. But that sent Mama into more contractions, and, the calf was too long to reach her behind.

He'd been coaxing and coaching for more than four hours at that point and the calf was having real trouble, so more drastic measures were needed. That's right. A little tough love. And like at least one personal trainer I've had, R gave Mama a shove, trying to get her to her feet, all the while gripping Baby Cow around the rib cage, holding tight against the 2,000-pound pull of Mama as she struggled to her feet. And just like that, five hours into the adventure, we had a brand new, caramel colored calf.

We went to go get R's dad to come admire *and wonder* over this pale new stranger among our herd. She's just beautiful, with curly blond hair and a regal pointed nose. I cuddled her and scratched beneath her chin, and just like Tahoe *HRH The First Dog* she leaned into the scritching and moaned.

She's as big as her cousin, a two-month old black Angus. She's still wobbly and very skinny, but she's alive and that's enough. And btw, her name is Butterscotch because of her beautiful creamy color. And, because of that beautiful creamy color, we are fairly certain we've had a visitor in the pea patch as my grandpa use to say when it was obvious we'd had a mutt in with the hunting dogs.

We think she's half Charolais, a huge, huge cream colored kind of bovine that came to the states from France. This particular Charolais, however, came from the neighboring ranch. We have four more cow about to drop calves, so it should be interesting to see what color they turn out to be :)

And so, we're going out to check on her this weekend. Hopefully, the rest of the heifers were loyal to their Angus bull. But if not, I'd settle for more butterscotch. After all, I'm told they're cheaper by the dozen . . .

My Five Faves

Okay, so writer pals Michelle and Heather posted their Fives, and wow, did I learn a lot! And, I got inspired to do my own Fives, so . . . here they are!

Five Jobs I’ve Had

1. Mystery Writer *hooray*
   
2. Magazine Editor
3. Tiger Handler *not kidding*
   
4. Strawberry Picker
   
5. Catfish Feeder
   

Five Places I Have Lived

1. Lake Travis, Texas
   
2. Augusta, Georgia
   
3. Land of Lakes, Florida
   
4. Tulsa, Oklahoma
   
5. St. Joseph, Missouri
   

Five TV Shows I Like

1. West Wing
   
2. Law & Order SVU
   
3. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
   
4. The Colbert Report
   
5. Book TV
   

Five Places I Have Been On Vacation

1. Lake Tahoe, CA
   
2. Kisseme, FL
   
3. Port Aransas, TX
   
4. Atlanta, GA
   
5. Washington DC
   

Five Of My Favorite Foods

1. Watermelon
   
2. Tomatoes
   
3. New Orleans French Bread with good butter
   
4. Catfish
   
5. Chili

Five Places I Would Rather Be Right Now

1. On the NY Times Bestseller List
   
2. In my home office, on the phone with my agent discussing the bidding war for movie rights to my latest novel *okay, I stole this from Michelle, but still, it's a pretty great place to be*
3. At the park with my dog reading my third book under a big live oak
   
4. Sutherland Falls, New Zealand
   
5. Assateague Island, Maryland
   

So, there they are. My Five Faves. What are your Five Faves? Post 'em and let me know!

Whew! Novel in 90 Days winds down

So, today was the last day of Novel in 90 Days--the class I'm teaching via Writers' League of Texas.

We talked about revisions, marketing for pre-published authors (yes, it helps to do this) and Agent Quest, which I'll chat more about here in the coming months.

The real hit of the was the super sensational talk that ARWA pals Michelle McGinnis and Heather Foeh about Web Presence for Writers talk.

The dynamic cyber duo discussed three tiers of web presence based on the stages of an author's career: pre-published (brand new authors), PRO (author's who've finished at least one manuscript and are actively seeking publication) and PAN, the few, the proud, the pubbed.

If you haven't heard this talk and you see they're going to give it, I have one word: GO. There's tons of cyber info for those of us who have no inner geek, and lots of good advice on how much time, money and resources you should be spending based on where you are in your career.

Here's a hint: Lot's of stuff you can do for free or for very little money and still strike a professional web presence. They talked about the difference between blogs and sites, how web "spiders" work and how they affect your Google ranking. Very cool and important stuff if you want to build a fan base.

We talked about sites they love (Eloisa James, Julia Quinn) and blogs they love (Love is an exploding cigar) and ARWA's very own Lexi Connor.

A lot of what the Dynamic Duo discussed was building a connection with readers, something that reiterated what a lot of editors said during the PAN discussions at RWA.

I think connecting with readers is important for lots of reasons, but mainly because the world is so spread out these days that we're all looking for connection. Book signings aren't what they used to be (or so I've heard) because people are busy, and getting the kiddos to soccer practice trumps running to Barnes & Noble to meet an author buy a book at a certain time.

And so, I'm making a commitment to spend more time connecting and less time watching Law & Order SVU (my apologies to Christopher Meloni--who I am fairly sure hung the moon).

So, I'm going to blog my writing process, along with a lot of the lessons from Novel in 90 Days. My thanks to Michelle and Heather for the kick in the pants :)

See You Soon,
Kit

Back from the Brink

Okay, so it's not so much the brink as the wilds of Llano County--no internet, no television, no phone *not even cell*. So, I got a lot done. This week we're going to talk about Mono-myth story structure and other things that go bump in the night, but for now, let's chat about the ranch :)

So, it was a week of writing and animals and fish and all kinds of critters and lots of hard work but big, big fun. My muscles are so sore I feel as though I've been stricken with Polio, but in a good way.
So, we went to fill the deer feeders, feed the cattle and check out the new calf, which is too cute for words. I asked Opa if I can keep "my" cow, Dulce, who is so sweet. She loves it when I pet her and brush her, and she pulls the burrs out of my tennis shoes.
She licks my hands and arms, which is kind of gross, but sweet, except when she tries to lick my face. When I got back in the truck to leave, she licked the window, which I now have to clean off, because despite the kind gesture, it's still cow slobber. I'm trying not to name the calf, because I intend to reimburse Opa for Dulce, and cattle can get expensive if you're only planning to keep them and play with them. R fed the cattle and did most of the heavy lifting, but I did carry a bunch of stuff and played with the cows, so I consider that a weekend well spent.

We went out to check the river, and were dismayed to see the sludge has not gotten any better. I'm going to call LCRA tomorrow to find out what's up and if there's anything we can do about it. I would ask if it's hurting the fish and wildlife, but I've had enough biology to know it is. Asking and being told "no" will just piss me off. The neighbor is "clearing" three lots, and there's no barrier between the lake and his "land clearing" (read: Ripping out every stitch of grass and leaving a bunch of mud) so next rain will wash all that muck right into the water. I'm told he's a developer and is going to build three two-story houses. Here's what he's been up to . . .I'm sure it's going to be beautiful, but could he at least put a barrier between all that dirt and the lake?

But, on a happier note, on the way home (through Fredericksburg) we saw a beautiful axis deer, and he stood there, staring at us like he was thinking, "Now, do I come over and stare at you when you're trying to eat dinner?" He was beautiful, and his horns were about 3-ft. tall. So, we let him go eat in peace, and we went to go get our own dinner. After all that hard work, I wanted a hamburger. I know, I know, I have a pet cow and yet, I wanted a hamburger. I'm a terrible hypocrite, but I just won't tell Dulce, although I have to tell you, she did try to steal some beef jerky from me. So, back to the hamburger--where did we go? A Mexican place. And had the worst (okay One of the worst) hamburgers ever to sizzle a grill this side of the Rio Grande. Ack. The lesson here? One would assume it would be not to eat meat. But in this version of the truth, the lesson is that if you want a good burger in Fritz Town, go to Porky's....

Dancin' Matt & the World Goes 'Round

Okay, so Dancing Matt was in Austin, and what a hoot! I love Dancing Matt, and discovered him while watching Ellen when I was supposed to be writing an article for a regional magazine. So why do I love Dancing Matt? Okay, first because he's hilarious and adorable and travels the world filming himself doing this ridiculous little dance and then posts it on YouTube so the rest of us who are home chained to our regular every day lives can blow some time watching him live his life. Here in Austin, a bunch of us joined Dancin' Matt at the Stevie Ray statue on LadyBird Lake for a boot-stomping (okay, sandal-stompin'--it is Austin after all) good time.
We love Dancing Matt so much we put his Internet jig on the cover of the Statesman Metro section. Take that Governor Perry. So, why does Austin love Matt, a former slacker from Connecticut? Despite the fact he's a yankee, we in Austin have a soft spot for slackers of all kinds *i.e., our own slacker in residence, Matthew McConaughey* Like our own naked-bongo-dancing Matt M, Yankee Dancing Matt ditched his day job and made a movie about a guy who didn't have a day job. Unlike our Matt M, Dancing Matt usually keeps his shirt on.


I love Dancing Matt's videos, but even more I love his outtakes, which show Matt dancing all over the world with all kinds of people. I say we should make Matt our Mobile Ambassador to the World. The world could do worse.
Kit *who's off to dance with her dog*

A Southerner on the Jena Six

Growing up as an Airforce brat, I didn't think about race. The military has its own caste system that, in my lifetime, had nothing to do with race. Or so I thought.

I was shocked when the first news trickled out about the lynching "prank" in Jena Louisianna, where racial tensions exploded when a handful of white boys hung nooses from the branches of a "white only" tree on school property after black kids sat under it.

I shouldn't have been shocked. Louisianna is our neigbor to the east, and we in Texas have had more than our shameful share of "lynchings," and in typical Texas fashion, we did it bigger, badder, and more real. Jasper, Texas ring a bell?

After writing Dead Copy, my second book, my editor called to ask questions about Cauley (the main character who happens to look like Kate Hudson) and Mia (her best friend, who looks like a young Jennifer Lopez) and their racial tension. I said, "What racial tension?"

But what an eye-opening question. After speaking with a couple of my hispanic friends, I discovered a horrible secret. The tension's there, even when I--or we--don't see it. It silently seethes in the subtext of everyday life, in every job opportunity, every college application, every time a cop pulls over a driver.

Working with Search and Rescue has opened my eyes to all kinds of inequity--racial, economic and social, and it makes me physically ill. "Amber Alerts" are plastered on highway signs, flashed over the television and make the nightly news. But what about the "Aretha Alerts?"

I hate growing up. It means having to look at things like they are, not like you think they are. Or the way they should be. I don't know what the answer is. I wish I did. I think the best thing we can do is listen. Talk and listen. And take Anne Lamott's advice--that none of the other commandments matter as long as you follow the subtext...Thou Shalt Not Be An Asshole.

Signings, retreats and other bumps in the night

It's been an incredible week, with lots and lots of stuff to do. USA Today Bestselling Author *and Super Pal* Julie Ortolon had a fantastic signing at A Thirsty Mind, where Pam & Anita hosted a killer champagne party, and Barbara Calderaro sang her big ol' heart out! Big, big fun.

Saturday and Sunday was the 2nd Annual Austin Romance Writer's Retreat at McKinney Roughs--and can I just say, "Wow!" This is THE most talented group of women on the planet, I'm sure. We critiqued, brainstormed, wrote and okay, had way too much fun with Skylar's Knock-You-Naked Lemon Drops.

Lexi Connor regaled us with a lilting rendition of Amazing Grace *probably also thanks to the Lemon Drops :)* but it was beautiful, and I got to know my writing pals on a whole new level.

Emily McKay and I went for a little brainstorming hike *okay, it was a walk, but it was hot, okay?* and sometimes I forget just how off-the-charts creative she is. She was The Key in our critiquing sessions, and I got a good, solid reminder in the most important plotting question--"What is at Stake?"

Skye, Robin and Jan Yonkin offered tarot readings, and toward the end of the day Sunday, I gunnied up the nerve to ask Jan to do my cards. I was afraid to sit for the reading because the last two years have been so emotionally sucky I wasn't sure I could stand anymore gloom and doom. But Jan is one of the most intuitive empaths I know--she's one of those people who emits calm spiritual strength, and it rubs off everyone around her. I needn't have been afraid. It turns out I am my own worst enemy, my guy loves me, and it's all blue skies ahead as soon as I get out of my own way. And, it seems there's a baby in my future... I'll keep you posted...

Until then, keep writing.
Kit