Want to find out what elephants and ice cream sundaes have in common?http://cindyholby.blogspot.com/   You will find out!

Go here to see me and Luke Walsh acting out on stage and see Chris Winters win Mr. Romance.

I was trying to explain to a friend the other day about deadline hell.  What happens to writers when we have to slide into that dreaded place that consumes every bit of our time, imagination and energy.  I realized that until you really live it, that most people do not really understand what it is.  So hopefully this will explain it a bit and give you some hints on what you can do to help your favorite writer get through it.

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Deadline hell is what occurs when you don't hit your carefully planned out page count for each day that you have until your book is due.  Best laid plans and all that, but quite frankly, life happens and it does get in our way.  For me lately it's been my dad's cancer, which is now in remission, thank you.  So said book that was due March 1 is now due June 1 and has to be turned in or else it will not make it to production on time for its February release.  This also means that since I missed the first deadline I will not have a Cindy Holby release this year (only Colby Hodge's Twist) andI SUCK AS A WRITER ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />AND MY CAREER IS OVER.

Since I now have two extra months to write I can do it.  Woohoo!  WRONG.  During April Dad is in hospital twice with complications, I am preparing for RT, I go to RT for eight days and it takes me a week to recover, catch up from RT. Two of those days were spent sleeping as I got no sleep at RT.  So now its May 1, book is due June 1 and I'm about 4,000 words away from halfway.  Which means I have to write around 250 pages in a month.  Which is around ten pages a day if I write everyday which I won't be able to do because life gets in the way.  Can I do it?  I better because if I don't I SUCK AS A WRITER AND MY CAREER IS OVER.

So what happens then.  I sit in front of my computer.  I tell myself I will not play Freecell  ever again for as long as I live.  I play Freecell.  I look at manuscript.  I decide entire book is the great dedication to sucktitude.  I put on writing inspired songs to get into the story.  Since I am writing an angsty story I get depressed.  I listen to them over and over again.  I get all weepy.  My bwff (best writing friend forever) tells me to quit listening to angsty songs and I reply with giant wail.  "But I caaaaannnn't. It's the soundtrack to Atonement and I Lurve James MacAvoy and he diieeesss."  Btw dialog like this goes back and forth all day with my bwff posse. If you want to know who they are check out the dedications in my books. Finally I decide I am in right frame of mind to write.

But first I check my email.  Why?  Because writers are isolated.  Email is our connection to our friends.  What are our friends doing?  Are they in writing hell too?   Ohh, here's a link to something.  Maybe I should check that out.  Finally I realize that I've wasted half a day on internet.  Turn off internet and write.  Go back to manuscript.  Maybe it doesn't suck.  Hmmm, writing historical and I need to know what certain building on certain street looked like in eighteenth century.  Sign back onto internet.  Get distracted again by email, IM or something Brittany/Paris/TomKat has done.  Oh, another email, someone I know has hit list/won award/got new multi comma contract and while I am happy for them it didn't happen to me because I SUCK AS A WRITER AND MY CAREER IS OVER.

Why do writers obsess over things like that?  Because we write in a vapor.  Some writers have critique partners.  I don't.  If the story takes a direction I'm not sure of I'll send it out to a few of my friends for some feedback but for the most part it's just us and the story.

So now its time to really get serious.  What happens next in the story?  Write write write.  Hmmm, write some more.  Shove kitten off desk.  Try to ignore sad doggy eyes.  Grab apple, yogurt, banana, hand full of chips for lunch.  Grab some caffeine.  Grab some more.  Stay up late writing.  Eyes cross, wrists aches, back and shoulders ache, butt hurts because this continues day after day after day.  Husband pokes head in and asks about dinner.  You look at him like he's an idiot and wave him off.  Husband carries in dinner, does laundry, vacuums, rubs back and tries to stay out of your way.  (I am fortunate that my kids are grown and pretty much self sufficient and I also have an awesome husband)  Week goes by, then another, then another and you realize story has come together and perhaps you aren't the giant burrito of sucktitude (bwff term) that you once thought you were.  But you are also very lonely, and you kind of look like crap since you have basically lived in front of your computer for a month.  Since I am now working on my thirteenth book I've kind of been through this before so I know what to expect.  You think that one day I would figure it out and stay out of deadline hell but I don't because I SUCK AS A WRITER AND MY CAREER IS OVER.

So what can you, as a fan/friend of a deadline crazed writer do?  I have my own little support group.  I just got a text hug from one.  Another is giving me rah rahs every night and I have realized how much I really appreciate it.  I look forward to it.  It keeps me inspired because I know these people believe in me and maybe I don't SUCK AS A WRITER.  So if you have a writer friend who is in deadline hell then drop them an email (believe me they will be checking) or a comment on their myspace page and say Yay, we believe in you and can't wait for the next book.  They will appreciate it more than you know.  And it's also great to know that you don't really suck that you are just doing the best that you can.

Oh yeah, we procrastinate too.  Why else would I be spending my time writing this instead of working on my story? 

RT recap

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Wow, so much happened it eight days that it is hard to even remember what the beginning was like.  So I'll just have to do it a day at a time.

I arrived in Pittsburgh on Sunday after driving six hours with the back of my car filled to the ceiling with promo stuff for the Intergalactic Bar and Grille Party.  I met Linnea Sinclair and Stacey Klemstein at the airport and we left for the hotel after having a great laugh when we saw an exit for Moon Beaver PA.  From that point on Isobo Kelly's baby was referred to as Moon Beaver.  I shortened it to Moon Beam.  I like that better. The four of us had a fabulous dinner at a restaurant called the Palomino and had a great time catching up on things.

Monday I was privileged to have the chance to speak at Bobbi Smith's advanced writers course.  I talked about creating internal conflict and research in two different workshops.  I loved seeing the excitement of these writers and especially loved catching up with them during the rest of the week.  Good luck to all of you that were in those workshops.

Monday night my friend Chris Winters who was participating in the Mr. Romance pageant arrived and we talked for a long time.  I really enjoyed having the hotel to a small group because I knew in twenty four hours all hell was going to break loose.   I warned my favorite Bellhop Val what he was in for.  I'm not sure he really believed me.

Tuesday taught another class and then got to go out on three photo shoots with Annette Batista of Between Your Sheets.  I had walked around downtown ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Pittsburgh a bit that morning and have to say it is the most beautiful city.  My room had a view of the two rivers, the Steelers stadium (I love NFL Football) and the ridge opposite with the most beautiful old church and houses.  Wish I would have taken pics but kept forgetting too everyday.

Went on totally enjoyable photo shoot with Chris Winters.  I told everyone I was his personal assistant since I was keeping track of all his stuff.  It was a blast and I learned a lot.  Photography has always been a hobby of mine and it was amazing to watch Annette to her magic.  Plus Chris just lights up a camera.

Came back and had lunch with the amazing women of Between Your Sheets.  Then got invited to do more shoots.  Went out with John Fish of the amazing humongous muscles.  We even got him to unbutton his shirt out on the street.  Have to say women were tripping.  Then went out for photos with the adorable Christopher Howell who is beyond sweet.  I hope next year he shares some of his dance moves with us.  He teased us a bit at the pageant.  I want more more more!

The amazing and totally priceless J.C. Wilder arrived and a group of us went to Max and Irma's for dinner.  Have to say we closed the place down.  J.C. decided it was her project to make me yeep.  And she succeeded.  I also spewed.  Needless to say there was much laughter.  The hotel was filling up fast and Val the bellhop gave me a ride on his amazing cart.  He also made an amazing amount of money in tips.  I saw Mark Johnson arrive and he gave me the sweetest hug.  He truly is a great guy.  So sweet.  Also saw the totally vivacious Jade Lee whom I adore.  A bunch of us went up to Linnea's room to pack goodie bags for the Intergalactic Bar and Grille party.  Came down to my room and ran into fellow Shadow Booty Clan member Liz Maverick where we proceeded to have the best reunion ever not caught on video tape.  At some point we will reenact it for the public.  Caught up with the last third of our terrible trio, Marianne.  The two of them make up the Rebels of Romance.  I just kind of hang around and terrorize them.

By Wednesday I was surviving on no sleep.  I was practically staggering.  That afternoon we had the Intergalactic Bar and Grille which was an absolute blast.  We gave out lots of prizes.  By the time it was over I was so desperate for sleep and so tired that I fell flat on my face in a packed elevator.  (Luke Walsh has his own version of what happened. Don't listen to him.  It's all lies.)  Luckily for me there was a hero on board and I was rescued by a very gallant Mr. Romance contestant who saw me safely back to my room. 

Wednesday night was the EC Hollywood Glam party.  Since I didn't pack a ballgown I wore my jeans and sneakers and had a blast dancing and making new friends.  Finally got some sleep that night.  Thursday morning I participated in a writing sci-fi panel and then my RT responsibilities were done.  From then on I could just hang out and catch up and talk to people.  Thursday night was the fairy ball which I love dressing up for and Lifetime TV interviewed me in my fairy costume.  After that we went to Christine Feehan's speakeasy.  I adore Christine, she is truly amazing.  Her entire family is wonderful. 

Friday I went to club RT and talked to lots of fans of my Colby Hodge books.  Caught up with my old friend Bill Freda and John DeSalvo who graced the cover of Stargazer.  Then went to a workshop with my new friend Natalie Stenzel.  Friday night was more dancing and talking with my wonderful editor Chris Keeslar and the rest of the Dorchester gang, Diane Stacey, Erin Galloway and Renee Yewdaev.  Saturday was the wonderful book fair where I signed in between Cheryl Holt and Sandra Hill.  Wow was I in good company.  I also got to meet my idol Roberta Gellis.  She wrote the first romance novel I ever read, Alinor.

Then the Mr. Romance pageant where Jade Lee and I made a spectacle or ourselves on stage and my friend Chris Winters, who played the part of Zander from Star Shadows in the pageant won.  Then there was an awesome bookseller mixer put on by the amazing Dorchester Staff and I met Christina Tanuadji and Veronika Kahrmadji from Australia and Sara Loftus from Huntington WV, which is where a lot of my Wind books take place.  Then there was nothing left but the totally awesome Dorchester party where the Impalers, who were sponsored by my good friend Kathy Love and Erin McCarthy totally rocked the house. 

I made so many new friends this week.  Jennifer St. Giles and the gang at Between The Sheets.  There there was Rose, Anthony and Lisa from Crossing Realms.  The incredibly sweet and gallant cover guys, Brian, Steve, my boy Luke Walsh, Ryan, Jimi, and of course Fred and Christopher along with my dear friend Mr. Romance Chris Winters.  It was great getting to know J.C. Wilder, and Isobo Kelly better and chowing down in J.C.'s room when the restaurants couldn't serve us and laughing at stories. I adore my new friends, Leanna, Morgan and Stacey, the most amazing bookseller from Grand Central in NYC and I am coming up to NYC for a visit soon. Also have to mention Sue from Troy and yes Sue I am coming for a visit and bringing Luke with me.  So many people it's impossible to remember them all. 

All in all it was the most awesome, busy and mind blowing week of my life.  I can't wait until next year.

This is a great honor so if you like my books, and I have a feeling you wouldn’t be reading my blog if you didn’t, you can help me out.  On Monday April 7 All About Romance will be polling for

.."Favorite’>www.likesbooks.com/favesbyauthorballot.html">Favorite Books by Favorite Authors feature for twelve authors, including me.  I’m in some pretty fantastic company as you can tell by the list.

The Favorite Books by Favorite Authors section serves as a valuable resource for AAR visitors, helping to introduce them to new-to-them authors. They are particularly interested in introducing some of my books to a new set of readers.

The balloting for this round will end on Sunday evening, April 20, at midnight, so please go and vote for your favorite Cindy Holby/Colby Hodge title. 

To vote, the you can go to www.likesbooks.comwww.likesbooks.com/">www.likesbooks.com>.  On the first page there will be a link to the voting.