Stranger than fiction?!

Love, laughter, tears, depression, sadness, vomiting on laptops, hating your parents, nasty letters and emails. Sounds like a great book, right? Wrong! That's my life! It's real, it happened and OMG! stop the bus I wanna get off!!!!!
So the love and laughter were for me and Hubby while we were away. We had a great time, lazing by the pool, going to the spa, and just doing what we wanted. I should have known I'd pay for it.
We arrived home to a missing child. Yep, no one knew where she was. Great! Then Hubby found a letter in his draw from said child about how she hates her life here, hates her school, she's depressed and it's really great that you got what you want in life daddy but I hate mine. P.S. I love you. Umm......
By late Sunday evening we still were no closer to getting anywhere with said child when another one starts screaming from the bed room that the cat just vomited all over her laptop! What? What was he doing on your laptop? Needless to say this was not a good thing.
Then Monday I get and email from said child, 'I never want to talk to you again. Eva!'. What the...? What did I do? I replied of course but she wasn't talking to me. Duh! Finally got that it was all my fault and that I don't care about her because if I did I'd send her back to Australia to live. I just want her here to make her life hell. Well, yeah, because that certainly makes my life a bed of roses. Just watch the thorns.
Vomited on laptop still not working and we're madly trying to get it to function enough to back up the files. Yes, nothing backed up and all her school work and photographs are on there. One more Duh! moment.
Tuesday, girls taking a mental health day (sounds good doesn't it?) and we're off to get the laptop looked at. Thankfully we managed to get the stupid thing to work enough to back up the files and photos, but the keyboard wouldn't work at all. Well, jeez, I wonder why? It's not like it got drowned in cat spew! What was I thinking?
Mental health day went well. Lots of talking between the girls (I'm included here) and nasty email writing child is a little more stable. At least I hope she is, she knows where the knives are kept. Laptop got fixed, yay! New keyboard required and I have to say those little things are amazing, they just pop right out and a new one pops right in. Oh, there's a couple of screws. But anyway, it was still under warranty! No cost! Thank you very much. Good thing too because girly is off to Australia for 4 weeks on Friday and she can't go without it!!! Oh, the horror!
Wednesday, all at school, mum finally able to breathe. Now to catch up on all the things that got put on hold.

Taking a break.

I won't bore anyone with the dramas of my life, but really, did someone drop me into a daytime soap opera and not tell? I've been working on Rhian's re-writes and the latest wip so I haven't been completely unproductive, I just haven't been all that productive. I have managed to get to nearly 9,000 words for the 50ksIn30days which I'm happy with considering the number of actual days I've written.
I'm pulling out an old wip that I plan to write under Rachel Charlton but it's a single title so don't expect to see it any time soon. But I'm doing something with it that I never thought I'd do. Plotting! Yep, I have to. The wip in actually a two story one and I need to get the bits and pieces straight before I start with the writing again. You know, time lines, characters that appear in both books. Lots of work I think. Just need to bite the bullet and do it.
On a brighter note, Saturday is my 20th wedding anniversary. I know, I don't look old enough to have been married that long. LOL We're leaving the kids behind, in the capable hands of the oldest, for 4 days of relaxing by the pool. We're not going far, just across the water to Batam, an island of Indonesia. I'm planning on writing and reading. If you're lucky I might post some pix when I get back.
Have a great weekend.

Rachel C

Seven days of mind numbing activity.

It's been a week since I posted anything here, and it was a productive one for the most part. I'm writing up a storm on Rhian's latest wip, Lux. I've done over 6,000 words on that one in the last seven days. The editor got back to me about On A Wing And A Prayer, she's asked for some changes and I'll be getting to those soon. I promise. I got that email last Saturday but by then I was into my third day of a pulled back and headache. I quick trip out with Hubby and an even quicker slip on a wet floor and I really pulled my back. Sunday? Migraine city! Damn I love that place! NOT!!!! Sunday of course was the 1st of June and the start of the 50ksIn30days challenge, so with the help of some pills I battled through to do 2,000 words. Not bad considering. By Monday I was in so much pain I could quite happily have committed murder. Luckily kids were in school hubby was at work and at home son went off for a job interview. Ahhhh... peace. More drugs, sleep, some more pills (and by now I think I rattled when I moved, not that I was moving) and I managed to write another 2,000 words. Woohooo...... go me!!
Ah...... No. Not go me. I read them today, those 2,000 words from yesterday, and let's just say that they were.... well.... interesting?! I'm not sure how to describe them other than I had no idea I was writing a fantasy. No, really, if what I'd written was even remotely salvageable I'd do it but nope, sorry, in the trash. But at least I tried, right. Right?
Oh, well back to it.

Rachel C

Getting back into the swing.

We've had visitors for over a week and most of that time was spent playing tour guide. What a blast! I'm exhausted. I think we covered half of Singapore in about four days. We of course, went to China Town and Bugis Street for shopping. We had breakfast at the zoo. We ate out every night, went to Ski 360 cable ski park, visited the Merlion statue, Raffles Hotel. Actually, I think we did all that in three days. Now they're gone, off on their trip to Europe. The house is so quiet I can hear the dust mites breathing! LOL
I'm back to writing every day and the 50ksIn30days starts on Sunday so I need to get back into the swing of things before then. I'm planning to work on four novellas I've got in various stages of production. But as they'll be published under Rhian Cahill I probably shouldn't talk too much about them here. This split personality thing is confusing and tiring.

May the Word Gods smile upon you.

Rachel C

No turning back.

Rhian has now got a home on the world wide web!

www.rhiancahill.com

It's up and running and I'm pretty pleased with it. I built it. From scratch, well not quite, I used the templates but I did the rest. Head over and check it out, there's photos that I've taken over the last year living in the tropics and visiting exotic locations. Let me know what you think.

Rachel C

Rhian Cahill gets her own place.

Rhian Cahill now has a blog. I've got a bio and an excerpt page up and I've put the prologue of the ms that's on the editors desk for you all to have a look at. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the site and the excerpt.
www.rhiancahill.wordpress.com

Rachel C

We break your regular programming for some important information!

I've been quiet. Very quiet. I've had some exciting stuff going on that kept me busy and away from here.
I've had a full manuscript request!!!!
Yep, there's now a full sitting on an editors desk, well not yet, I'm about to send it. The request came through this morning and I'm just going over it one more time. I know, I know call me obsessive. I don't care!!!! I've had a full requested!!!!!
If you want the full story pop over to my wordpress pages to read it.
www.rachelcharlton.wordpress.com
I'll keep you posted on what's going on, but things are moving so fast I think my ass just overtook my belly!

Where are those topless table dancing tarts when you need them??

Rachel C

Book Cover Gods pay a visit to Devon.

The Gods that handle book covers are surely smiling on Devon. This is the book cover for Addicted. There's just one word; HOT! It fits the story perfectly and we're sooooo excited to have such good luck with it. (Yes I used the royal 'we', but hey, she's my CP and I've been with this book from the ground up) Still don't have a release date but she is on the coming soon page at The Wild Rose Press website. (link in sidebar) Can't wait for it to come out, especially now we have a cover.

I should be so lucky when my turn comes.

Rachel C

Had to come back and tell you Devon just got the book trailer that the talented Allie Boniface made for her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBnGrAK5T-s
It's really cool and fits so well with the story.

Blogging from Manila!

Here I am working hard. I did really well yesterday, got about 2,000 words done on one wip and read two books. The plane ride was just over three hours, a bit bumpy but I'm getting better at the air travel. Last two trips I haven't taken anything for the sickness and haven't been sick. Well I've felt sick but I haven't actually been sick. I have managed to get myself a very sore throat. It was a little bit before we left but I didn't think too much of it until I got up this morning and couldn't swallow my own spit. Umm... guess I'll be off to the doc's when we get back. I finally got Internet access, and no, I have nothing to do with the bodies behind the reception desk. I'm getting back to work now, gotta keep going while the flow is there.

The muse is gorging on all around her even if I'm not.

Rachel C

Going out of town.

I'm going out of town tomorrow. I'm tagging along on one of Hubby's business trips again. Last month Bangkok this month; Clark! Or Manila depending on who you're talking to. We're flying into Clark as that's where the UPS office is, it's all on the old US base. I'm looking forward to getting some great pix and exploring the area. I'm also looking forward to writing. Yep, that's what I'm doing. No Internet, no phone, no kids, no anything! Just writing. Oh and reading, I can't go anywhere with a book! So the iPAQ is coming and as usual has about ten books on it. I'll have to decide which one to read first. I'm also taking Mari's latest wip to go over so that when I'm back late Saturday night (my time) I can send it off to her. I'll probably start my query letter and synopsis for On A Wing And A Prayer. Probably. I'm dreading it but it must be done.
Off to pack my bag.

A passport full of stamps is a wonderful thing!

Rachel C