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What's New with Sharon?

We are counting down our month of celebrating motherhood and exploring the new beginnings in our lives. Next up are the fabulous launch parties for Lydia Dare (Again girls? You must be exhausted!), Shana Galen, and Ashlyn Chase. After that we will spend the entire glorious month of June delving into SUMMERTIME!! I know I am ready for summer and all the fun to be had.

But for now I am forced to write about new beginnings. LOL! Ok, only joking as it is a wonderful topic and the blogs have been enlightening, encouraging, and entertaining. Yet I have to say that I have been scratching my head over what to talk about. Writing wise I am finishing up my fifth novel – tentative title The Trouble with Mr. Darcy due for release in April 2011 in case you were curious about that, hehehe…. Actually, it is done, although I haven’t typed The End as yet because I have to go over the whole thing at least one more time before I will feel it is truly DONE, ya know? My next project is already half way written, so I won’t technically be starting something new once I turn my full attention to that. So no help was to be found there.

Then I looked around at my life.

Yeah, crickets chirping! Nothing much is new with yours truly. My life really is that boring. Ha! “But there must be something, Sharon,” you ask. Fine! Since you are forcing me to talk about it, I did start a serious diet and exercise regime. Happy now? Not me. I HATE dieting. And as much as I hate dieting, I HATE exercising about ten times more. Yuck. Double yuck. Yet after 4 different doctors placed the blame for my various health issues primarily on my being “heavy” – that polite euphemism for “fat” – and not my bum knee or hypothyroidism, I figured I better listen to them! Dadgummit. By the way, I think I prefer the term “Rubenesque” and will start using that. What do you think? It is classic art, after all....
So because I love food WAY too much – hence being Rubenesque – and have nearly zero willpower, I paid the bucks to be on a program. Jenny Craig, to be precise, so Valerie Bertinelli, Jason Alexander, and I are now pals. So far so good, but then it has only been a week so don’t pat me too firmly on the back as yet. Next was the exercising thing. Triple yuck. I dug out the Total Gym my hubby and I bought ages ago at some other time when we were determined to get-in-shape (clearly that did not work), but since Christie Brinkley and Chuck Norris still look pretty good even though they have to be nearing 70 by now, I figured it would suffice. At least until I am skinny enough to not be embarrassed to wear spandex at the gym! On top of that we have been taking long walks around the neighborhood. That has been great fun and will work until it hits the triple digits at which point this girl will not be out of the AC for that long. Wish me luck as I will definitely need it.

What else is new? Oh yeah, we have a new pet. Well, we have had him since late March, but that is fairly new. He is a crested gecko name Leonidas who has a fabulous home inside an old 30 gal. aquarium we converted. I am a reptile lover, so he has been a fascinating addition to the pet family, even if he doesn’t do a whole lot. Until you put crickets in. Then he is quite lively! Since I hate any type of bug with a vengeance bordering on insanity, I will confess to obtaining perverted pleasure at their demise. Leonidas is very sweet and fun to hold, although we have to be careful because he is so fast with those sucker feet of his.
Speaking of pets - Thanks to a lady I work with who is a self-proclaimed “cat person” with 5 of the critters in her house, we discovered a new cat litter system that is simply amazing! I will spare the gory details, but suffice to say our obnoxious cat - just the one, mind you – has given us fits over his persnickety preferences when it comes to his cat box. We have tried them all and never found one that he, 1) likes and will use appropriately, 2) is easy to clean, or 3) does not scatter litter all over the house, literally. I give you the Breeze System by Tidy Cat! Seriously, this is the most awesome cat care system I have ever seen or used. Better yet, Belgarath made the transition easily and loves it! Since the cat box is in my office, I am especially overjoyed. If you have a cat, check it out: Breeze System website

My son has started working out at the gym like a maniac. He goes just about every day with a discipline and devotion I wish he would apply to cleaning his room or doing schoolwork, but I am happy to see the attribute somewhere. The weird part is watching my 17-year-old baby morph into a man befitting the cover of a romance novel! He is about 6’4” with muscles and 6-pack abs and even chest hair! Eek! A little freaky, but we are very proud of him. Plus, his attention to health has spilled into his eating habits, which is helpful for me. When I am brave enough to join the gym he has promised to be my personal trainer, although he did say he would work me until I cried, so I am not sure about that!

Oh Yeah, I received the ARC for In the Arms of Mr. Darcy (release date October), which was a fabulous new thing for me since I have never gotten an ARC before. Isn't it gorgeous? Even without the pretty silvery foiling.

Then I was sent the ARC image for A Darcy Christmas due in November. Love it!! I am crossing my fingers for an ARC of this one too.
Well, I guess there are a few new beginnings in my life! What about you? As we wind up our month, share what new stuff is happening in your life.

Comments

  1. Love reading your posts as always Sharon! I wish you an enormous amount of encouragement in the dieting department. Goodness knows I hear ya!
    I can't shift weight as easy as I put it on, but recently I have starting exercising on a cross trainer for 30 mins a day and I love it! I watch an episode of Seeker on my Iphone whilst I am exercising and the time just flys!
    Leonidis is an amazing creature, glad he's going great in his new home!
    Wow your little baby a man! Good for him doing a regular workout! I am sure he looks gorgeous!
    I've preordered "A Darcy Christmas" but my preorder for "In the Arms of Mr Darcy" at Borders was cancelled a few days ago for some reason, much to my chagrin, now I shall have to order from Amazon again.
    WIshing you the best always.
    TSBO devotee
    Vee

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  2. Lots of new things for you, Sharon! Good luck!

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  3. Oh wow, I love your new covers, Sharon!!! They're gorgeous!!! But then what can we expect from the Sourcebooks art department??? I LOVE your "Rubenesque” picture!!! Can you imagine a bunch of nude great looking bods lying around? It wouldn't be artwork, but Playboy. :)

    Although, I did just upload a thank you for a Highland birthday party my co-workers gave me, and kept thinking I wished I was a whole lot thinner!!! :) Oh well...

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  4. Sharon, I should specify that this is the Jodie 1/2 of Lydia. (I certainly don't want anything I'm about to confess to spill over on Tammy. She has it hard enough just dealing with me - and, YES, we are tired. lol)

    The best diet I ever went on was getting a divorce. I lost 270 pounds this last year, 30 of them belonging to me. But in all honesty, I tried the Atkins diet a decade ago. And while it worked, I was such a horrible person to be around. I would have killed for a piece of bread. I decided that if I ever got down to a size 0 (which my sister is - and I can't even hate her because she's so sweet) no one would want to be around me because I was so snarky.

    So now I walk. I walk a couple miles 4 days a week or so, depending on the week and I feel so much better. It started out as a way to deal with my frustrations and it turned into something that was actually good for me.

    I can't stand insects either, but I think I'm equally frightened by reptiles - so you're braver than I am.

    Your ARCs look awesome! Congrats!!

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  5. Hey Vee! Thanks for stopping by. Isn't our blog just fabulous?

    I'm not generally a big fan of standing in one place walking kind of machines, but it would be a lot nicer to watch a fav TV show in my AC'd house rather than walking in the intense heat we get here. I might have to look into it.

    Weird about the pre-order stuff. B&N has had the next ones up for ages but not Amazon. Makes no sense.

    It makes me sad to see Kyle growing up so fast, but then we are so proud too!

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  6. Thanks for the luck, Shana. I am sure I will need it!

    Yes Terry, a group of hunky guys would be far more exciting to gaze at than Rubenesque women!

    I don't think the SB design folks have ever done a bad cover. At least nothing too hideous, that is. I am very happy with these two!

    I refuse to look at images of me in my truly skinny days! LOL! too depressing. I know those days are never to be seen again.

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  7. Congrats on loosing so much weight, Jodie! Wow! That is truly fantastic! Of course, I am sorry about the divorce and don't think I will go that route, even to get skinny! Ha! But the walking is a great idea. Thanks for the tip. Now I am not sure I will even recognize you at Nationals!

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  8. Sharon, I love your post, as usual.

    Today is my youngest daughter's 13th birthday which means, for the weekend at least, I have three teenagers (who have taken over my office) which leaves me on the laptop in bed with my handy dandy lap-desk. Unfortunately, they have the neighbor kids over. The 6-year old is on the Wii and the boy has never done anything quietly, sigh.

    Love the Gecko, though DH put a moratorium on all carbon based life forms so there will be no new pets in our house, unless it's a pet rock.

    Good luck with the diet. A friend of mine just started one through the local wellness center, she lost 20 pounds in the first 5 weeks, now that is my kind of diet. Unfortunately, it's about $175 a week, which is all the food you can eat, not bad for a single girl, which she is but for me, it would be a nightmare. I don't think I could make spaghetti and clam sauce without eating it. I'm thinking about maybe a fat farm in the future with unlimited writing time and a god-like Norwegian named Sven who will give me a daily massage and bring me beautiful and health-conscious meals.

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  9. Losing weight? LOL! Not a chance of that here. Love the covers and congrats on the new books!

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  10. Good to know that I'm not the only one neglecting her Total Gym! *wink* I'm desperately trying to lose weight b/c frankly I'd like to for once in my life since I was like 14 have a flat tummy...we'll see how it goes... I'm actually on track with eating healthy...it's the whole being allergic to working out that is a HUGE problem for me. lol

    *hugs*
    Anna

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  11. Happy birthday to Robin's daughter! Turning 13 is a biggie. Good luck on the teenage brigade. Been there and done that - still am, in fact! It can be insane.

    My DH isn't too fond of fuzzy critters that live outside of an enclosed environment. He tolerates the obnoxious cat, who for some bizarre reason likes the DH best. The dogs must be outside. So I know what you mean. Personally I now see his point, especially as we have our long vacation coming up and I am wondering who we are going to find who will feed crickets to a gecko!

    20 pounds in 5 weeks is awesome! But I can't imagine what paces they put her thru. I would love to lose that fast but not if it caused too much physical pain!

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  12. Yeah, Cheryl, that was pretty much my philosophy. I figured that surely someday a pill would be discovered to melt fat away overnight, so was waiting for that. Then the realities of pain and feeling bad caught up to me. Really sucks.

    Must be the week for great new covers! :)

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  13. Hi Anna! I have to say when I dug thru the closet and dusted off the Total Gym, I honestly thought it would no longer function or have disintegrated into dust itself after so long. Not so! It is as perfect as day one! And not as easy to use as one might imagine by looking at it. As far as a flat tummy for me: Never happen! I didn't have one ever when I was 118#.

    Good luck with your healthy regime.

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  14. I agree with you completely. Excercise - not for me. Now mix up Mr. Darcy and Christmas - that is most definately for me. Two of my most favorite things all rolled into one? I can't wait!!

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  15. I love love love that you put a kitty litter box in your post! Giggles all around!

    and, yay, on the ARC! How wonderful is that!!! Congrats, Sharon, and best of luck on losing weight. I'm in the gym these days, too, and, yeah, not fun. I thank God and the gym owners for the tv monitors on the treadmills. George Stephanopolous and Robin Roberts keep me company on my workout.

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  16. Love your covers, Sharon! Good luck with your new beginning, I know just how ya feel.

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  17. Sounds like you are certainly keeping busy, Sharon! Good luck with it all!

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