Finished a story this week...

Finished a story this week...


And I'm sending it two really great publishers who I love but have no chance at all of getting in. LOL Since when has impossible odds ever stopped me though? I lose nothing by trying. I did the best I could, took a deep breath, and hit send.

The story is about a thirtysome investment banker who's divorced, has a cat, and some junk in her trunk. She goes with her coworkers to a male strip club and has a very up close and personal encounter with a hot Latin dancer dressed as a matador. She doesn't know why he's so interested in her but that doesn't stop her from going home with him and having a night of the best sex she'd ever had.

Just one problem. How is someone like her going to hang onto someone like him?

Well, wish me luck. LOL

Buenos noches,

Lauren

The Top 24 of American Idol

Now the top 24 of this season's American Idol is set and I am so happy. A lot of the singers I was pulling for made it.

Michael - LOVE HIM! I love his voice, his humility. Right now, he's my guy.

David Cook - I like your hair! LOL I like his singing too. Glad he made it.

Robbie - Like him. I don't know how far he'll go but I think he'll do well.

Syesha - Love her. Poor thing lost her voice but it didn't stop her and that effort paid off. I hope she goes far. =)

Joann - Love her! She's beautiful, has a big voice. She's got it!

Carly - Oh, Paula was so mean to her! Did it really take five minutes to agonizingly tell her she made it? Love Carly!

Very anxious for and dreading the weeks to come. We'll see some wonderful performances and we'll say goodby each week to some really talented people.

Still, it's worth it. LOL

Lauren

So did anyone else feel...

a little anti-climactic after watching this week's American Idol? San Diego was all warm and fuzzy but not much above boring. I liked Perrie, the single father, and I liked the 16 year-old who had the vocal cord trouble a couple of years ago. When they were just talking to him, I found myself thinking, please let them be nice to him when they sent him packing. He could really sing. It was such a surprise! A good one. I love John Mayer. =)

South Carolina was a little more interesting. I loved the brother and sister and was very happy that they allowed the sister to go through too. I don't think she will make it as far as her brother but they were both good. I didn't like the girl who does the abstinence speeches. I know, I know. She does good works. But you could tell from her reactions that she doesn't handle criticism very well at all.

I wish we'd seen more of the good singers than the folks they choose to focus on. One exception, I'm glad that they talked to the young woman in the AF. Whether she got a yes or no on her AI audition, I loved them showing a very strong, intelligent young woman serving our country. Good choice there.

Hope next week is better.

Lauren

Two of my favorite actors are nominated for Best Actor!

Yes, I know. There may not even BE any Oscars this year due to writer's strike but I'm still very happy to learn that both Johnny Depp AND Viggo Mortensen received best actor nominations in this year's awards. I also like Daniel Day-Lewis so if he wins, I won't be unhappy.

Johnny Depp brings something different to every character. You have to love them all. Daniel Day-Lewis, well, he's always scary good.

But Viggo Mortensen, in Eastern Promises, was scary and SEXY. =) I loved the way he played a dangerous underling in the Russian mob. I'm not Russian but the accent sounded good to me. There was so much depth to his character. He was a chilling assassin, he was kind to Anna and Kirrill. He was so many things. He deserved the nomination. It's not likely he'll win but I'm glad he's there anyway. It's a long overdue honor.

More later!

Lauren

American Idol does Texas

Tonight was another very exciting night in American Idol's season seven. There were no ugly acting people tonight, after all the grumblings last night that's a good thing.

The good. There was a beautiful woman of color who said she was a model and sang even better. I liked her hair and was so glad that she made it to Hollywood. There was an 18 year old who did vocal impressions - wow, she really could - and she'll almost have to make it to the final 24. Katie I think was her name. There was a young man with great hair who sang a country song who Simon said no to but Paula and Randy put through. Very cute and I like how he had the judges yelling at him on the way out to fool his family. Very charming. When they were good, they were very very good.

The bad. That part was strange tonight. There was the school counselor with the guyliner who the judges made much ado about how scary he was. He didn't bother me. His voice wasn't the best but I didn't find him so disturbing. There was a girl in mime paint and I thought we'd see her audition but we didn't. Then there was the one who just wouldn't leave. Douglas I think. I'm not sure if he was in our reality. I wish him well anyway.

Then there were the ones that make you go hmmm. There was the lovely, bubbly woman - who made it - who had survived a terrible car accident. I was surprised about her. Not that I think she is bad singer but Paula and Randy seemed very taken aback by Simon's enthusiasm towards her. The young man who was saving himself for the woman he'd marry, I think it was a sweet notion. I would have said yes to him because I thought he was as good as Chris from last year - the one with no hair or personality not the one with great hair who should have held on longer. (Yes, I went there. LOL) The one with the finger nail peels. OY! Did anyone else notice he messed up the lyrics to Hall and Oates song? Did anyone else wonder why he got to go? Then there was the kid who wants to be politician. I liked his smile. I don't know how far he will go in Hollywood but he's very sweet. I'd vote for him as governor if I lived in his state - how's that?

Okay, I'm past it now. LOL

Last but not least, the bird man. They didn't say what the decision was, I'm assuming no, but why not let him come to Hollywood. I felt inspired. "You are my brothers..." It was a wonderful note to end on. =)

Buenos noches,

Lauren

American Idol is back!

So American Idol is back and despire everyone saying the ratings were bad last year and the show was boring. It's been hard waiting for season seven but it's here with all the auditions, good and bad.

The good? I love Angela and not just because of the personal story with her daughter. She was beautiful, could sing, and could present herself. She's my favorite so far. I like the girl who does the cage fighting too but I can't remember her name. I liked her version of Amazing Grace though I've not listened to much of the country songs. There was a young man who sang in Spanish who I loved also. And Chris who sang Follow Me, very sexy. Muy bien!

The bad? Damn! What was with the stalker? I don't see how Paula stayed in her chair. The guy in Princess Leia's bikini and the waxing? Oh, no. Oh... Sorry, I needed to flush my brain. There. All better now.

The girl with the bad attitude from Allentown. Why do they give those people so much attention? Young people watch this show. Does AI really want them to think that is how to act in the face of rejection? No. Not good. She was nasty. It's acting not "actressing" actually.

I go now to enjoy the rest of the show. I wrote 1,435 words last night. I'm on a good roll for 2008 so far. So far I've written 10,154 words this year! Yeah you says you clever writers who write that in two days yes? LOL

Buenos noches!

Lauren

Fired for writing a romance novel on the job

http://www.kcci.com/news/14918070/detail.html

Here's a story that I'm not surprised to see. Why? Si, I've done it. Working on that novel on the job. I work as an administrative assistant too so I can see the writer's side of the story. Sometimes when I'm not taking messages for my boss, fetching his breakfast, coffee, and dry cleaning, and working on the endless streams of paperwork, there is down time.

I could do the Martha Stewart thing and think up ways to keep my office sparkling clean, germ free, and with a hint of vanilla scent. But why? I work in a building that was built badly in the 60's and half the people who've worked there for any length of time have "sick building syndrome." Like me, they find ways to sneak in little personal things on company time. Yes, it's wrong and the excuse everyone does it isn't a good one. Still.

Many talk on their cell phone. Many text message. Others collect thousands of fonts and crash out their work computers or do cross stitch under the desk. Me? Si, I sneak in the occasional writing scene. I don't type it on my computer (I'd get caught). I write in a small notebook that has a label "todo" lists. That's too boring so people aren't even curious. Then at night I transfer it on to my computer at home. I'm a very fast typist so it takes no time.

SHOULD I do that? Should that woman have written her novel at work. Probably not. But that's what we do. We love to write, we love to dream. We love romance.

Feliz Navidad!

Lauren