I'll Toot My Horn, Mostly Glad To Be Back, And A CONTEST! CONTEST CLOSED

Hello!

You know what? I've missed you all something fierce.

I'll be the first to admit it...the break? She was nice. The first few...months weeks, I was loving the freedom. No pressure to get posts done, no guilt if I didn't see everyone's blogs that day. Was so lovely just to write and not worry about writing a post or answering emails. (and there was possibly some slacking off like little Jasper over there. A little bit. MAN I miss those pants...)

But as the break wore on, I started wondering about certain people here and there. And then the curiosity and missing you feelings got too much and I started blog stalking in my writing breaks.

And then I got news of this person getting a book deal, or that person with awesome news that just trickled down to me through FB and stalking after the big news was old news. Which made me realize how much I was missing.

You guys. . . I. Missed. You. Guys. There I said it. Can we cue the cheesy romantic music? Someone hand me a mic and I'll sing my love for you. No? Probably best...

The good news is . . . I finished my new book! Even had time to run through the first round of edits and broke it up into chapters! (I don't write rough drafts in chapters. I just write one big ass document and break it up later.)

The crit girls start on the first section this week and hopefully within 2 months I'll have some of the best crit notes around to make it bright and shiny! And by the early summer at the latest is my query goal. Fingers crossed.

So, even though I missed you guys something fierce, stalked quite a few of you, and couldn't wait to get back to it by the end, I did accomplish great and wonderful things. Ta-da! And it even has a freaking title. I won't assume anyone remembers, but I'm a total ditz when it comes to titles. But this one just popped in my head one day. As did. . .the 2nd and 3rd book titles. . . but more on those later. Much later. If ever.

But this was so epic for me, I had to text Abby right then and there. After I pulled over safely so as not to endanger myself or other drivers, dogs, pedestrians, etc. of course. . .

Speaking of Abby. . . She's back today as well! Hurray! Since we BOTH accomplished loads on the break(and both missed our one year anniversary blogging to accomplish them), we decided since we finished roughly around the same time, we'd make our bloggy comeback at the same time too.

ALSO, we are having a contest to thank you guys for hanging around with us and coming back!

It's easy-peasy. All you have to do is leave her and/or me a comment in our first posts back as well as telling us what book you're dying to read that you haven't gotten around to. And if you're picked at random, you win that book! Simple, right?! You have 2 chances to win--either with her or me, so that's a bonus!

(Go here for the lovely Abby Minard!)

US only (sorry!)

We will announce each of our winners two weeks from today (Monday 16th) so keep an eye out for your name!


In other quick catch up news: I have lost a shit ton of weight on purpose and still working on it, I have not decided on the next book to write, I still have 5 cats and a Netflix love bordering on unnatural, and I already have a to-be-read pile(s) next to my bed bigger than this time last year. 3x bigger. 2012? Startin' off good!

What's new with you guys? And I'm so freaking serious, I want updates on everything I might have missed between July and now!

See you all around the blogosphere!