Writer's Quotes

I just had to share some writer's quote I came across:

Please do not annoy the writer.  She may put you in a book and kill you.
Writer's Block: When your imaginary friends stop talking to you.
My muse is a very bad girl.
I'm plotting against you.

And yes, before you say it, I have been MIA for a wee little bit.  I finally completed the house remodel (collective cheer!), but now I am officially and 100% back to writing.

We Won!

The photo of Duffy and I, taken by Steve Jessmore of the Sun News won Photo of the Year!  I will post the newspaper article when it comes out on Sunday.  Thank you all for voting and a special thank you to Steve Jessmore for an amazing shot!  You rock!

Lite Fare - Rustic Avocado Stuffed Pita

Recipes are a new feature to the website. While I can't guarantee their frequency, I hope you enjoy them.  Bon Appétit.

Those who know me are used to the fact that I don’t eat red meat. Occasionally I’ll eat white meat chicken, but I’m more of a fish and vegetable person. I prefer vegetarian meals above all else. Below is one of my favorite lunches.


Rustic Avocado Stuffed Pita

Ingredients
1 Tbsp Miracle Whip
1 Tbsp Sweet Hot Dijon Mustard
2 Whole Wheat Pitas
1 Medium Avocado, cubed
1/2 cup chopped onion
Salt & Pepper to taste

Toss onion and avocado with mustard and miracle whip. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Spoon into pitas.

Serve immediately. Yields two servings.

Calories: 264, Fat: 10, Carbs: 32

Don’t let the fat count scare you. 85% of the fat in this meal is from the avocado. Avocados contain monosaturated fat, which lowers LDL cholesterol. Of course, all fat should be consumed in moderation.

NOTE: Avocados and onions are HIGHLY TOXIC to animals. Please do not feed any leftovers to your pets.

2009 Photo of the Year!

I awoke this morning to a photo of Duffy and I on the front page of the Sun News.  One of the photos taken of us for the article featuring yours truly, is up for 2009 Photo of the Year.

Please visit the link below and vote for us.



Thank you Steve Jessmore, of the Sun News, for taking this incredible shot!

The photo caption read:
Steve Jessmore - I like this photo of Little River author Amanda Renée spending time with her dog, Duffy, for writing inspiration at McLean Park in North Myrtle Beach because it is fun. A wide-angle lens emphasized and exaggerated the closeness of Duffy as he curiously was drawn to me and all the other passers-by as far as the leash would let him fly. Since 2003 [Amanda] Renée has been participating in National Novel Writing Month, where authors write a 50,000-word novel in just 30 days.

The Day After...

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  It's the day after and I'm worn out...and stuffed.

2010 is around the corner.  Time to think about those resolutions.  Just a suggestion, resolve to do something for others this year.

There will be a Blue Moon on New Year's Eve.  The next New Year's Eve Blue Moon won't occur until 2028.  So look up, raise a glass and Happy New Year!

Where did the time go?

Wow! I can't believe I haven't blogged since October.  NaNoWriMo encompassed most of my November.  I completed the 1st draft of It All Started With A Photo Shoot (working title) during that time.  Now, I just have the dreaded editing process to go through. 

Thanks to my work with NaNo, I was featured in the Sun News on November 1st.  I'll post the article and the photos before the end of the month (hopefully).

December has been my wind down from writing, wind up for Christmas month.  I'm still wrapping presents.  I can't, for the life of me, figure out why it takes me a year and a day to wrap a present.  I fly through everything else in life.  But not presents.  It's as if my brain stops functioning.   It's doesn't help when you have a puppy jealous of your attention to the gifts and not him.

Which reminds me, I need to give him a trim and a bath today.  I have my work cut out for me.  Schnoodle bath and wrapping presents.   Oh Joy!

Until next time...

In The Bedroom

I'm finding I do my best work in the bedroom.  Now before your mind wanders into the gutter, I'm talking about my writing. 

I usually surf the web, tweet and dawdle on the internet in the living room.  I have a separate desktop in my home office for graphics and web design.  I usually read in the bedroom.  Apparently, reading and writing go hand and hand for me.  In the bedroom, I shut off the wireless internet on the laptop.  Yes, I know I can turn it back on, but it sucks the life out of my battery.  So does having more than one window open. 

I can get about three solid hours out of my battery, if I only have my manuscript open in Microsoft Word.  Three hours of non-stop writing, then I'm ready for a break while I charge my laptop.

Bottom line to this blog entry...if you're having trouble writing, move.  Change rooms.  Go outside, take a ride, just move.  Even if it means grabbing a pen and a notebook.  The change of location can spark new ideas.  If you think I'm alone in this thought, check out this weeks NaNoWriMo video.  I watched it after I wrote the draft of this blog. 

Speaking of ideas, I need to get back to writing...in the bedroom. 

NaNo, Writing & Captain Morgan

Ok...It's 3 AM and I've been writing since 10 AM yesterday!  I should be sleeping, but the Schnoodle is running around like a wild animal and the Captain and Diet Pepsi's have made me more awake than I was four hours ago.  The dog ate my pizza and I have the munchies with nothing to munch on. 

Now, some would say working on two manuscripts, at the same time, is insane.  I say, BRING IT ON!  I'm thriving on it.  I have the attention span of a gnat.  My mind is constantly on the next thing.  Two manuscripts allows me to bounce around and still be productive without confinement. 

Why two?  As you know, I'm working on Temporary Tattoos, but November 1st marks the beginning of NaNoWriMo.  NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month.  Participants start writing on November 1st with the goal to write 50,000 words by November 30th.  The premise is, with a deadline, you tend to write more.  Of course you're only writing a rough draft.  But it's amazing what you can accomplish within that month.  I do it every year.  This year, my NaNo novel is It All Started With A Photo Shoot (IASWAPS for short). 

As of today,  30,352 authors have registered for this years NaNo.  The count will grow to well over 100,000 by November 1st.  And then the fun begins.  Authors come from all ages and various countries.   Right now, I'm plotting and outlining IASWAPS while writing Temporary Tattoos.  Sometimes it's hard to keep both novels straight.  But it's all good.

Check out NaNoWriMo.org for more information.  I hope to see you there.  Now, I need to get back to writing.  Ciao!

This Space Reserved

This space was originally reserved for the local pet shop where I have Duffy groomed.  But since the store owner was such a royal bitch to me yesterday, I no longer wish to grace them with my presence, let alone give them a mention here.  Believe me when I say, I can now understand the things people say about her.

That being said, I want to say Thank You to Starbucks of North Myrtle Beach for a delightfully entertaining morning.  A totally amazingly cute male barista was conducting the VIA Taste Challenge.  For those of you who don't know, VIA is Starbucks new instant coffee.  Mr. Cutie Barista managed to get every customer in the store involved.  He even told us he adds VIA to his Captain Crunch in the morning, for an extra kick.    While VIA was nothing to write home about, the experience was.  My two minute coffee run became a much longer than anticipated, yet very welcome sojourn.  I had an absolute blast.  Thanks for the laughs Mr. Cutie Barista.  And thank you Starbucks for the free coffee.

Special Shout Out

A special shout out to Keith Parker, my friend across the pond.  I fear he's feeling a little left out lately.  I greatly appreciate your friendship and support over the years.  Thank you for being you.

Surveys & Temporary Tattoos

Happy Monday!  I hope you enjoyed the weekend. 

Just a quick reminder. Check the bottom right column of this blog for the polling center. New polls will be added often. Topics will vary. I'd love to hear from you.

TEMPORARY TATTOOS...Can I just tell you, the more I write, the more I love this story.  I have never been so submersed in a manuscript.  It's fun, it's quirky and it moves right along.  I love getting my characters in trouble.  They get to say and do all the things I never could. 

I wrote through most of last night.  Two hours of sleep, some extremely strong Vanilla Carmel coffee and I was ready to go.  It's like reading a page turner. You have to keep going to see how it ends.  I keep writing to see how it all ends up.  LOL.  I can see these characters traveling through more than one book.  Bonus!  Ok, back to writing.  Ciao!

Scnoodle Gets a Bath

During - He was not happy!













Shake, Shake, Shake - Now the love seat is all wet!  LOL

All Dry - Just a bundle of puppy fluff

Website Revamp

I finally revamped the website.  I hope you enjoy the changes.  I personally love the new blog format.  Pics were updated, styles were changed and it has a cleaner look.  I'm sure I'll be tweaking things here and there.  It's late, I'm pooped, now it's time to relax and have a drink.

Dog Flu

Like their human counterparts, dogs can contract their own version of the flu.  They have no natural immunity to Canine Influenza and it is rapidly transmitted between dogs.  It has been verified in 30 states to date.  An annual vaccine is available.  Contact your veterinarian today for more information.  Duffy received his today.

New Pics of My Schnoodle

Duffy took a trip to the groomers on Saturday. 

He looks a little crazed in this photo.  LOL!