I should be quarantined

Not that I have frequent visitors at The Dojo. But yeah, I feel like I tried swallowing an iron pine comb. Looks like I will have to keep my big mouth shut as my throat heals.

I have a broad assortment of meds, I was raised by a pharmacist you know.

This does make it hard to work on the book. Coherency can be a struggle when medicated. Nonetheless, I shall forge ahead.

Speaking of books, I gave a look at a few bestselling chic lit books on the market, knowing I am NOT the intended audience but wanting to see the style of writing that grabs editors' attention.

That was very silly of me.

I am writing for a totally different market and must not let myself be distracted by trends involving a different demographic of reader. So it really doesn't matter that angsty-vampire romances are hot. That's not my audience.

However, Heritage Fields must have broad appeal or no one will want to publish it. So there is something to be learned about attracting readers.

I will get as many pages done as possible tonight before I pass out.

Last day in New Orleans

I've seen much more of the city this time around than my first experience many years ago. The narrow nearness of the French Quarter caught my attention upon my arrival. This part of town has its own close intimacy. The blocks are small, easy to traverse. Go tromping along a midtown Manhattan block and you'll see the difference.

The tour through the city took us to parts left unrepaired from Hurricane Katrina, areas that are far from the tourist candy land of the French Quarter. Grass has grown over the vacant lots where houses once stood. I took some photos, shot some video. Yes, it's been some four years since Katrina struck and the effects are still quite present and in many cases permanent.

I was surprised by St. Charles Ave. Mardi Gras beads draped on tree branches as well as on the trolley car cables that bisect traffic on the street. At one end of St. Charles you have Tulane University and LSU followed by million dollar pillared manses built in the Romanesque and Victorian styles. As you approach the business district though, large apartment buildings emerge on plots where more mansions once stood.

There is much more to say, but I think I can sum up my visit this way: New Orleans is a collision of culture, history and people perched on the cusp of the gulf. Old southern tradition, youthful libertines, the salt of the earth working to build a better tomorrow for themselves and the visitors drawn from around the world. New Orleans is many things, but I'm just a visitor passing through. I'm tempted to make a romantic analogy about the city holding hidden charm like the simple wonder of music in Preservation Hall with its stripped down walls and ceiling fans. But that would imply I know what the heck I am talking about.

Getting ready to fly

In about 12 hours I will be in New Orleans. It's supposed to be pretty warm though there's going to be scattered storms when I arrive and again Friday afternoon. That's when I will be on a bus tour of the city. Awesome timing, JP.

It will be hot and humid the first two days and I packed appropriately. Then the temps are supposed to drop like 20 degrees for Saturday. At least I won't be sweating bullets on Halloween.

I decided to skip the evening riverboat. It was becoming a very tour-heavy schedule and the weather might not cooperate Friday night.

I will see parts of the city still suffering from Hurricane Katrina. Some of the proceeds from the tour go to relief efforts. I had misgivings about taking such a tour, concerned it would be inappropriate and voyeuristic. But would it be better to simply stay in the French Quarter the entire time and act like the rest of the city is not hurting?

I expect plenty of revelry over the weekend, I'm staying one block from Bourbon Street. It's a good thing I was eating salad these past few days because I'm sure I will do some damage at the local restaurants. Maybe I'll return with some new recipe ideas.

This trip is a writing retreat for me, I won't be tromping around The Quarter the entire time. Might do a little bit of blogging, but you may have to wait to hear about this trip after I return.

That's it for now, got some last minute things to attend to.

Writers conference in March!

Going to register for the Liberty States Fiction Writers conference

http://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com/lsf-writers-conference/

I will have Heritage Fields done and polished by then. First draft is drawing closer to completion with November as my deadline (REALLY). I'm writing short to make the story move. It's the best way to kill my bad habit of padding the page. So at most the first draft will be 80,000 words.

I write more dialogue these days with just a bit of tagging to keep the blocking straight. It's like writing a screenplay or rather thinking about one.

Anyway, finishing Heritage Fields in November will give me plenty of time to revise and rewrite, put together my pitch for the editors and agents at the conference.

With this one done, I may go back to start the rewrites of Riding Ten Thunders. I think I set that one aside long enough and can approach it with brand new eyes.

Having an objective, something definitive to work toward, keeps things going. And next week's trip to New Orleans should give me some new energy. Maybe I will catch a ghost on camera or record an EVP. I'm guessing there will plenty of vampires for me to trip over while in town.

It's been a long time since my first visit to New Orleans (only been once before) and that city has been through a lot since those days. I'll try to blog while I'm down there.

Maybe I shouldn't be a vampire this Halloween, I am sure it is overplayed down there. Maybe I could go as Baron Samedi... hmmm. Time to crack open my books on Vodou!

Pepper is doing just fine

She seems to be back to her old tricks which means reminding Paulie that she's the boss.

A month ago she seemed to be at the end of the road. But after her surgery, she is back to business.

No special tricks, no hilarious moments. Just a couple of dogs being out f or the day.

And of course Paulie deserves some screen time too...