Sorry to be late with today’s blog post. I got home from work late last night to discover our Internet service was down, and I was all ready to blog about my AWESOME experience as an instructor at the Pen to Press Retreat. It just came back up, and I haven’t had time to download my pictures yet, but I intend to do so, probably later today.

Last time I was in New Orleans, where the retreat was held, I was there as a tourist, so this trip was somewhat different. And SO much more rewarding. I had the wonderful experience of working as a team with New York Times Bestselling author Cherry Adair (who, by the way, has the COOLEST Web site in the Universe, so you must go check it out.) We had a group of writers that we worked with during the week, including time spent one on one, and at the end they all had the opportunity to pitch to New York agents and editors. They were all excited, jazzed, and every one of them got requests for material.

What an inspiring week it was. I feel like a fawning groupie, or a religious nut, but truly, it was such a wonderful experience. Working with these aspiring, unpublished (and some published) writers re-energized me and got me excited about MY work, once again.

I’ve been struggling a bit with my current WIP, and I finally figured out WHY! I have always written my St. Martin’s novels in first person, and this one required third. But I know I am strong in first, and I think my insecurity using third has led me to stall. Now I know WHY, I believe I can fix the problem and move forward.

So, here I am listening to the “thank yous” from all these wonderful writers, and thinking, “Wow. Look what you just did for me!”

If you get the chance to attend a PPWR, I can’t recommend it highly enough. It was the neatest set up I have EVER seen at a writing conference, and the rapport between the unpublished and published was stronger than anywhere else. At most conferences, you see a definite split between the two factions, published and unpublished, and here, it really wasn’t present.

Okay, I shall put away my fawning and get to work downloading New Orleans photos, but I just wanted to get this blog up before it was too late. And go see Cherry’s Web site. Did I mention how cool it is?

I am writing this late Saturday night, because I will be on a plane headed for New Orleans, Tuesday morning when I am supposed to be posting this. I am very excited about being a part of the Pen to Press Retreat, with my good friend and fellow MSWer, Deb, aka Deborah LeBlanc.

Although I have been to Louisiana in the past few years, it’s been about 18 years since I have been to New Orleans, which is when the pictures below were taken. I thought it would be fun to post them, and then to post updated pictures of New Orleans now.

I know that the city has changed in many ways, especially after the horrible devastation of Hurricane Katrina. But New Orleans is more than just a “place.” It is a spirit, a way of life, an attitude.

So enjoy the pictures, and I promise to update from the Pen to Press Retreat, both on my personal blog at www.nataliercollins.com/weblog, and on the Jenny T. Partridge blog, at http://jennytpartridge.wordpress.com/

You can read more here about the authors, agents and publishing big wigs who will be in attendance.

And now, to the pictures from the past…..

I don’t have a ton of time for reading right now, but I do have a HUGE TBR pile that just keeps getting bigger. Since I will soon be furloughed from my job, I should have some time to read, as well as LOTS of time to write. But reading… I’m excited to dig into some of the books I have waiting.

I recently STARTED Nameless, by Debra Webb, and well, that was a mistake, because once I started I could NOT stop. Couldn’t put it down. Read it in ONE day. I met Deb at Thrillerfest a few years ago, and she is a LOVELY and warm person, who is also very funny and she has this GREAT Southern accent that I wish I had. It’s sort of catching, because whenever I am around her I start talking the same way! At any rate, Debra is a MASTER writer and this book is JUST awesome. Fast-paced, filled with suspense and intrigue, and a bad-boy heroine you just have to love.

I have two JD Robb books here, Innocent in Death and Born in Death. I took Allison’s advice and decided to try them out.

I also have Tess Gerritsen’s The Bone Garden. I can’t wait to dig into Tess’s latest book. I also have a copy of Harlan Coben’s The Woods, Deborah LeBlanc’s Morbid Curiosity, Cornelia Read’s A Field of Darkness, Allison Brennan’s Killing Fear, Leann Sweeney’s Pushing up Bluebonnets, Karin Tabke’s Skin and Jennifer Apodaca’s Extremely Hot.

My biggest problem right now is I want to start them all NOW. How do I pick, especially since I don’t have much time to read?

So, I’m taking it to the readers. You see what I have here to choose from. Now, I need YOU to help me decide which book to read. What’s YOUR recommendation? What book of the above mentioned books should I read next? And if you have a suggestion that is NOT on my list, feel free to add it. But make sure you tell me just exactly WHY I should read YOUR recommendation next.

The person who does the best job of convincing me wins a signed copy of POINTE AND SHOOT and a $25 Amazon Gift card. I’ll announce the winner next Tuesday. So, help me out!

Boy, how’s that for blatant self promotion? But it’s just a lovely coincidence that

Pointe and Shoot’s release date coincided with my blogging day. I bet you are all very thrilled. I know I am!

In this third installment of Jenny T. Partridge’s crazy, chaotic, and amusing life, you FINALLY get to figure out just who has been dogging her for months, driving, of all things, a silver Hummer.

One of the craziest dance moms I have ever met just HAPPENS to drive a Hummer. It’s not silver, and I’m not telling what color it really is, so don’t ask, but she was kind of the inspiration for Jenny’s harasser to be driving the rather ostentatious vehicle. If you have a Hummer, please don’t take this personally, but come ON, you gotta know, the Hummer stands out.

So, back to the psycho dance mom who drives the Hummer. I have, on occasion, talked to people who will say, “Oh, I met Molly, and she seems like the NICEST person.” (Molly, FYI, is the name I have chosen to give to the Hummer-driving psycho dance mom I am referring to at this time.) And my response to whatever person might make that comment is, “Oh, so you met that personality?” Because on any given day, any sort of response at all is possible, at least from Molly, and you never know WHICH one you are going to get.

Some days you get Missing Molly, because she appears to have NO idea who you even are. Other days, it is Manic Molly, because suddenly you are her best friend, and she needs to tell you all about her visit to the doctor’s office to have a mole removed, even though two days before that she acted like you were a complete stranger when you said hello.

This year, Molly took her three darling daughters away to a different studio, which was mighty nice, although I still ran into her a few times at competitions. Nice Molly was inhabiting the body all of those days. However, my own daughter has been lured to the same new studio so we will be, uh, forced to endure MORE of Molly’s personalities in the upcoming months. The truth is, there are psycho dance moms at EVERY studio, and probably psycho whatever moms on every soccer team, and on every football team (and of course psycho sport dads, as well).

And, of course, this gives me fodder, so I just thought I would reassure those of you who were worried that moving studios will NOT mean I am running out of material. In fact, it will probably amp it up just a little, because there are at least TWO moms that have already expressed their displeasure that my Dancing Daughter is joining the new studio.

One of them is the loudest, pushiest, most obnoxious mother on the planet, and she has her own office down at the school board, because she is there so much complaining about the rules that are keeping her children from their rightful place on every school team. Daughter can’t do an aerial, which is required for high school drill team? School Board! Other daughter can’t do back handspring? School Board!

My daughter is the same age as one of her daughters, but is more advanced in her tumbling and dance skills, so look out. I imagine there will be fireworks.

But back to Molly. It takes a certain kind of person to drive a Hummer. It makes a statement, and Molly is all about statements. One of these days she’s gonna run someone over, during a Maniacal Molly phase, and we will all be knowing just what her main statement is. And that is where I got the idea for the Hummer that in the Jenny T. Partridge Series. I mean, it takes a certain kind of person to “stalk” someone in a Hummer, right? People notice a Hummer. And either you can pull off driving a Hummer, or you look like a complete idiot. And for that reason alone, I thought it was a nice touch.

I don’t think Molly pulls it off, except on the days when she is Maniacal Molly. On those days, it fits. And on those days, stay out of her way.

I’m telling you, straight from the world of the WACKY and WEIRD, the news stories recently have been El Bizarro. And everyone KNOWS that a LOT of writers get their inspiration from real life, so this past few weeks have been a bonus for those of us inspired by news stories.

For example, there is the story of the Austrian woman who was held prisoner in a cellar BY HER FATHER for more than 24 years. And worse, she gave birth to at least SEVEN children by him.

Police said the 42-year-old woman, identified only as Elisabeth F, told them her father, Josef, had lured her into the basement of the block where the family lived in Amstetten, north-west Austria, on August 24 1984, and allegedly drugged and handcuffed her before locking her up in the dungeon. A police spokesman said she was “psychologically extremely disturbed”, but her version of events was “completely believable”.

UhhhhhOkkkaaayyyy. Can you say YUCK?

Then there is the continuing story coming out of the FLDS Compound in Texas, where authorities from CPS now claim that at least 31 of the 53 girls removed from the compound, in the age range of 15 to 17, have either had children are or currently pregnant.

FLDS spokesman Rod Parker said he does not believe the CPS count is accurate. He said that from talking to ranch residents, he believes at least 17 of the girls may actually be adults but have been labeled by CPS as minors.

Agency officials have called into question claims of adulthood among the girls since the raid and have in some cases disputed documentation provided, saying the girls look younger than 18. Because many FLDS members share similar names and have complicated family relationships, identifying all of the children taken into custody has been a challenge.

Teen Disney star, 15-year-old Miley Cyrus, who has recently been under fire for provocative pics of her that made their way onto the Internet is now getting SLAMMED for a controversial Vanity Fair shoot in which she was topless, albeit covered with a sheet. Now, she is claiming foul and saying that Vanity Fair took advantage of her. Except her parents were BOTH at the shoot, and neither parent nor Miley herself was apparently bothered by the pictures until a public uproar started.

In Florida, if some lawmakers have their way, it is going to be illegal to have BULL TESTICLES on your vehicle. No, I am not making this up.

Metal replicas of bull testicles have become trendy bumper ornaments in some parts of the Sunshine State, but state Sen. Carey Baker is campaigning to ban the orbs.

In Detroit, they discovered an 80-year-old woman living with her mummified sister.

Investigators believe the surviving sister had been living with the body for up to three years. They say the body was partially covered with newspapers and that a cat and dog apparently ate part of it.

A Florida woman heard a noise in her kitchen, and when she went to investigate, she discovered an eight-foot alligator.

Alligators are ubiquitous in Florida, and Frosti sees them all the time in the ponds behind her housing development and on the lawns. But they seem to know their place; although one will occasionally wander into an open garage, house invasions are virtually unheard of.

And in one that really gives me the creeps–and probably a few nightmares–in Oregon, a policeman saved a pet shop owner from being eaten by a Burmese python!

I may never recover from reading that story, especially after reading that the pet store owner asked police NOT to kill the snake. And they didn’t. You just KNOW what that snake is planning for his next meal….. Stephen King story anyone?

So, which of these weird stories inspires you? If you were going to use a news article to inspire a book, what would you choose? And if none of these does it for you, have you ever had one that did? And if so, what was it?