I went here this week! Uh, in my imagination. 🙂

Well, that is the cool part of being a writer. Seriously, this my picture was my inspiration for a little scene I wrote this week while revising SURRENDER OF A SIREN. If only I’d planned this better, I could have taken a sweet trip and written it off as research.

I apologize for being a colossally negligent blogger. Really, these days I’m hardly making comments anywhere (but I do visit blogs, even when I don’t comment! Truly!), and barely managing to drag myself over here once a week…you are all too sweet to keep dropping by to read whatever it is I have to say. It’s only going to get worse soon, because conference will be upon us, and the day after conference ends, the entire Dare family will be leaving for a transglobal vacation of epic proportions that may just offer vistas not unlike the one pictured above, although in the opposite hemisphere. The darelings, on a 14-hour plane trip…
**makes note to stock up on Benadryl and Xanax**

And this of course means I *must* make my August 1st deadline for book three, because it is not getting finished on my trip!

So where are you going on summer vacation?

In other news, please join me in wishing Happy Birthday to my dear friend and most excellent critique parter, Amy! Amy (sometimes known as India), you are a wonderful person, an incredibly talented writer, and a true friend, and I love you! Here’s wishing you a day of pleasant surprises and a year of much-deserved success.

And congratulations to Lenore, who took first place in the Spring into Romance contest this week!


9 comments to “Change of Scenery”

  1. Alice Audrey
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    1
    · June 17th, 2008 at 8:41 am · Link

    Congrats, Amy!

    I don’t know exactly where you’re going, Tessa, but I’m already jealous. Take lots of pitures so I can travel vicariously.



  2. terrio
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    2
    · June 17th, 2008 at 9:38 am · Link

    Happy Birthday, Amy! And Congrats, Lenore! And hooray for the Dare Family vacation!

    Other than conference, I have no vacation plans this summer. Though I’m uber-excited about San Fran. I can’t believe it’s only a matter of weeks away. Okay, six weeks, but still.

    I have decided to take Kiddo and I on a killer vacation next year to celebrate me making it through college. A Mediterranean cruise. Greek Isles, here we come! LOL!

    I’m just a smidge excited. And hopefully, I’ll have Tessa’s books to take along for reading.



  3. CM
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    3
    · June 17th, 2008 at 10:32 am · Link

    Happy Birthday to Amy, too!

    I wish I had summer vacation plans. As it is, my plans are:

    Move. Again.

    It’s only twice more this year I have to do it!



  4. Elyssa Papa
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    4
    · June 17th, 2008 at 4:49 pm · Link

    Happy Birthday, Amy!

    Vacation plans include going away to Cape May but nothing else on the horizon.

    The picture looks lovely and something right out of SOAS. *g*



  5. Lenora Bell
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    5
    · June 17th, 2008 at 6:17 pm · Link

    Did you tell us where that photo was taken? It’s beautiful!

    I’m not going anywhere for summer vacation–I have an internship writing and researching for a radio show. If I could go anywhere I would hop over to London to do some research for my book. Next year!

    Thanks for the shout out. Very sweet of you.

    –Lenore



  6. Maggie Robinson
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    · June 18th, 2008 at 5:03 am · Link

    Yay Lenora! Yay Amy! Yay Tessa! We are going to Las Vegas for five days, very spur of the moment and only because my husband is not quite retiring after all. This will be the last vacation we take for a long while; he’ll be working in the real world so no more school vacas.

    Have a wonderful time on your travels. We took our kids everywhere when they were little and they all love to experience new things now.



  7. Santa
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    7
    · June 18th, 2008 at 6:39 am · Link

    Happy B-day, Amy!
    Congrats to Lenore!

    So – let me get this straight – you’re going to SF, returning home and taking off again. Of course, you’ll have Book 3 done, as well as, revisions for Book 2 and be already packed for your trans-Global trip with two little Darelings.

    I don’t know about anyone else but I’m already exhausted and I’m not even going on the trip.

    We’re going to lovely, picturesque Lake George which is near the ‘camp’ the Vanderbilts used to ‘rough it’.



  8. Elyssa Papa
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    8
    · June 18th, 2008 at 12:28 pm · Link

    Santa, you’re going to Lake George?!? That’s seriously 45 minutes away from where I live!



  9. India Carolina
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    · June 19th, 2008 at 7:20 pm · Link

    Oh! So that’s how Darcy knew it was my birthday! Thanks so much for the bday wishes, everyone! Can’t wait to see you at nationals.

    In case anyone doesn’t already know what wonderful generous people you and CM are, I’ll reveal what you two gave me for my Bday.

    Ready folks? These two fabulous friends went on the Brenda Novak auction and purchased a month of mentoring from Carla Neggers (MIRA suspense author extrodinaire). I’m THRILLED! Ha, ha.

    Lenore, I’m so excited for you. Your success is well deserved and I know this is just the beginning for you.

    Tessa and CM, keep inspiring us, and I love you too!

    Amy