May 25, 2008 | Uncategorized

I’ve been gone, away from my blog, but not writing. So much is going on and I wanted to think how I could make my blog different. I’ve done interviews and really enjoyed that, but in 2008 I decided to make some changes. As Tupac said, we need to make changes in the way we think, the way we eat, change the way we live. Well changes happen whether we want them or not. Even when we want changes, the way they occur may not be how we want it.

So I’m going to change my blog to document my writing journey. Not on a daily basis, but weekly updates. The good, the bad, and the crazy. I promise it won’t be boring. Wait until you see what my writing life is like!
But first let’s do catch-up.

January 2008 to May 2008
Writing:
1. Dyanne Davis, a valued friend and excellent writer, took the first three chapters of my paranormal and pointed out major plot problems. That occured in January and it took me until late April to figure out how to change my story. Not touching my voice or the major plot but other stuff. She now has it in her hands, or computer. This is a lesson for all unpublished writers, patience. Dyanne said the story couldn’t, shouldn’t be forced, yeah, yeah, easy for a multi-published author to say. But, she’s right.
2. I attended two really great conferences and they were local. My RWA chapter, Chicago North and Romance Slam Jam. These conferences fell on back to back weekends. Wow! Talk about a wealth of information, authors, and new friends right in my backyard. Not to mention, I got to stay at hotels for two weekends. The best thing about these conferences, they were two sides of the same coin – romance writing. My Chicago North Chaper is predominantly white, and Romance Slam Jam, black. So I got – everything! I became acquainted with quality, friendly authors, willing to share their experience.
I don’t think my guys, husband and son, missed me, they didn’t call. Although my son was playing tennis and I hated to miss those matches. I came away from both conferences for requests, have I sent them? We’ll talk about that later. But they’re on their way out, as I type. No really they are.
3. I’ve put together a daily schedule: writing comes first. Taking a shower, brushing teeth, and dressing come first, but you know what I mean. Writing comes before folding clothes, cleaning the bathrooms and before cooking. I journal in the morning, light a Yankee Candle, and turn on my computer. My girl pal, Cheryl and I were at a local cool mall and found a Yankee Candle store. I bought a wishing well candle stand and as soon as I figure out how to upload a picture of it, I will. My ritual includes on weekdays, watching Perry Mason reruns, then I write for two hours, break, read for an hour, nap time 2:00pm, run errands and then back to it from 9pm to 12 or longer. Friday night, is Doctor Who and Battlestar Gallactica. Saturday, Torchwood, Sunday, The Tudors. Thank goodness all the other shows I love are in reruns. Not the tennis season though. It’s French Open time right now! No, I can’t tape and then go back and watch. I’d rather stay up late and keep my writing commitment.
4. I write in quiet, if you can call movies I’ve seen twenty or more times, quiet. The Chronicles of Riddick, 300, Tombstone, V for Vendetta, Smokin Aces, you get the idea. Noise, but I don’t pay attention because I could recite the dialogue from start to finish.
5. I have a local critique group, Beth, Sloane and the others I haven’t seen in almost a year. I miss them and will try to catch up with them this summer. I joined a new online critique group and I’ll talk more about them in my weekly update.

Life:
1. My son is graduating from high school, June 1st. And then it’s off to college. I had a couple of days to experience him not being home. IT SUCKED!! When he’s here, he’s quiet, busy online XBox, but I know he’s here. Of course, when he leaves this means more commitment from me to writing. After I cry for a couple of weeks.
2. Tupac said we need to change the way we eat. So before my waist and southern region grows bigger, I’m changing my food habits. I’ll update you on that too, because writers sit, writers eat and we don’t eat well. When I get into the zone and write, I don’t want to get up from the computer, I don’t want to cook, I want something simple, like nachos and salsa, chips, peanuts, etc. Who wants the celery and peanut butter, or apple, an orange, fruit?? I do, but I’m too laz-hungry to cut it. No more!! And no more fried foods. I’ll let you know what food plan works best for me.
3. I love tennis, but due to a ‘change in direction’ my tennis team decided to take, (i.e. dump the captain, moi, before the end of the season), I’ll be playing at another club I belong to. And I’ll be ‘tell me when, where, and with whom am I playing’ player. This change is really good, because instead of sweating over lineups, attitudes, and what to eat after a match (there’s a definite theme going here with food), I can just practice, play AND concentrate on writing.
4. I’m trying not to surf the Internet – aren’t we all. I’ll sneak in little cool stuff I find to buy, to make my life simple so I don’t have to worry about anything except writing. Like what, Yasmine? You ask. Okay, I’ll tell you about a couple of purchases. In the interest of going lean and mean, I bought a small Hobo International handbag, called Raquel. At zappos, they have free shipping and no sales tax for some areas. It has eliminated the need for a wallet, because it has credit card slips inside and because it’s dual sided, I keep personal stuff, like lipstick, face powder on one side, and on the other business stuff, my business cards, pen, paper, house keys. There’s a zipper middle section where I keep my cash – no wallet. No money.
And my iPhone. Oh yeah, the iPhone was a great investment. Internet, phone, and my music all on one device. See, simplicity. And when people ask to see a picture of my children, I pull up a slide presentation.
Oh yeah and another little investment, I think that’s what I’ll call these things, was a matte silver empty lipstick palette. How many lipsticks do you carry? How many are in the bottom of your purse? For many women, one may give you the color you want, others like me it takes two. Again simplicity, I can slice off, with dental floss, six of my favorite lipsticks, pat them down in the container and carry it around. $15.00. That I found at Alconeco The less stuff I haul around, the less I need a big handbag.
So my Internet finds, writing and personal, I’ll share with you. Especially if it has my favorite four letter word – SALE
5. I’m trying to find a job. Really, Greg I am. I just accepted the position of freshman sophmore girls coach for our local high school. It’s for four months and I will be working with the coach for the varsity girls team! Again it fits my writing time, since I won’t be at the school until afternoons. Boy have I got some drills for those girls! And during June, I have to take and pass the online classes so I can be certified a coach.

So every week, I’ll keep you posted and we’ll see what happens by end of 2008. I may be published, I may be close, I may not, but I’ll still be writing.

If you stop by, please add what gets you through the writing life. And they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. What’s playing on my computer? Jill Scott.

December 4, 2007 | Writing

PHOENIX RISING

They say, ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same’, well we’re about to say goodbye to 2007 and welcome 2008. Change is good, reluctant or planned, maybe both. So being the Phoenix that I am, I’m lighting a creative fire under my website and evolving a new idea.

Beginning January 2008 my Blog page will be replaced with ‘Phoenix Rising’ a bimonthly highlight in writing and life page. My writing, other authors, and information I come across that might be useful to you will be available. Also this page will be interactive – I hope. If there is a subject, opinion, rant, or disagreement with what I’ve said, you email me at YasminePhoenix@aol.com and I’ll respond. No cooking assistance will be provided; you can email SloaneTaylor for assistance.

Of course you can count on the following topics to be addressed, Battlestar Galactica, tennis, and handbags. I know you’re asking what these three things possibly have to do with writing or life. Glad you asked. Battlestar Galactica is one of the most well written and acted television programs to come along in a long time. The opportunity for writers to view the goals, motivation, and conflict of each character is awesome. Plus the hot pilots, Apollo and Helo don’t hurt.

Tennis is my way of relaxing, reducing stress and it provides much needed interaction after I’ve spent a few days bent over my keyboard attempting to find another word for felt. My tennis team is an awesome group of women.

Handbags, please. A writer carries in their handbag paper and pen to jot down ideas, dialogue or snippets of information for their work in progress, a mirror, and protein bars. It is very important we have the correct bag, not too large, definitely not too small, but always fashionable. And women know one handbag can not possibly meet all of the above criteria, so we have to have several to meet the needs of a particular day. If my hubby asks, this is my story and I’m sticking to it. Feel free to use my reasoning if necessary.

So I hope the rest of 2007 is spent writing, enjoying your family and friends, and remember to celebrate every positive thing you did to improve your writing career and life. No matter if you think its minuscule, it’s still a step in the right direction. Even if you gained ten pounds, relax it could have been fifteen! (Not saying I did)

Yasmine

September 18, 2007 | Writing

I don’t meet with my critique partners during the summer. It appears I have less time than in the fall. I miss the ladies and tonight was my first meeting back! Great stuff going on.
Now that September has arrived, I thought I’d share what I learned this summer. No particular order.
1. Model in a Bottle really works.
2. Juking is not a sport.
3. Really nice restaurants leave a bit of the straw paper on the top of the straw when serving your cold drink.
4. Airline travel – SUCKS!
5. If you can’t afford to buy a t-shirt with a saying printed on it, please don’t wear one with a saying written with a magic marker.
6. While driving from Georgia to South Carolina I thought about the Civil War and how long it took for information to travel about the battles. Cell phones and faxes would have been great.
7. If we don’t use our talents, take advantage of them, then they’re wasted.
8. Double toilet rolls means means more tissue on a roll, NOT thicker ply tissue.
9. Losing weight can be as much fun as eating.
10. When your Internet connection goes down, you are all alone in the world.
11. You can’t spend money twice, but you sure can try.
12. There is no such thing as the perfect handbag.
13. JMan is maturing and hiding it well.
14. Eating is fun.
15. I can find a Starbucks anywhere!
16. I’m a vegetarian, but when I play tennis I crave Big Macs and hot dogs.
17. Hot flashes: Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four has got nothing on me. “Flame on!”
18. If you put away clean clothes, they will be worn and dirty again. So don’t put them away.
19. Law and Order Mondays are fantastic.
20. I love westerns and they’re making a comeback.
21. I can watch tennis matches on the Internet.
22. Why don’t some celebrities in real life, look like their publicity shots?
23. Shopping in Home Depot can be almost as much fun as shopping at Macys. I SAID ALMOST!!
24. Skye, my beagle, loves me.
25. Note to OJ Simpson – Johnny Cochran is dead.
26. Virginia Tech – mans’ brutality can only be exceeded by his imagination of how to inflict brutality.
27. Molly Herwood always has my back. That’s because she’s always pushing me forward.
28. JGirl is enjoying her single adult life and I have a place to visit.
29. During my trip to South Carolina and visiting my father’s family, I tried to imagine what it was like for him to grow up as the son of a sharecropper.
30. I miss my parents very, very much.
31. I’m still married. What is wrong with this guy?
32. You can go home again, however – a. it might be torn down and turned into a Starbucks, b. the neighborhood has changed; c. no one remembers you; d. you don’t remember anyone; but e. your memories will last you a lifetime and make you smile.
33. Reality shows are surreal.
34. Men gossip, they call it sports talk radio.
35. A lot of women look like me, not Halle Berry or some model.
36. About #31, I could never be married to anyone else but him.

There are probably other things I learned this summer, but this is the top of the list.

July 24, 2007 | Family & Life

I will be the first to admit I’m an overprotective mother. Now I’m not so bad I won’t let him cross the street by himself, he’ll be seventeen in August. He’s about to take the test for his driver’s license and I’m not too nervous. Right.

J Man is the opposite of J Girl. She was the ying, he the yang. She was the social butterfly, he’s the video game tennis player. We were never sure when J Girl went out on weekends what story or adventure she’d have before returning home. J Man, well he is at home, unless he has a tennis tournament or begging to go to Best Buy. J Man is a young man of few words. I’ve been told this numerous times by many. I agree because unless they’re hiding in a closet when he and I are at home, they don’t know the truth. That boy can TALK!! Again, the opposite of J Girl. Of course since she couldn’t keep her stories straight, it was in her best interest not to talk. The truth always had a way of sneaking out.

Now I’ve always suspected J Man was growing up, maturing, but he’s sneaky. He allows me to mother him to a point, but as I discovered last weekend the boy is savier than I give him credit. Sorry honey. J Girl was always strutting her independence (of course it was all in her mind). J Man is sutle. He’s independent and initutive, when it serves his purpose.

J Man is a high school senior this fall and we’re doing the college tour this summer. We spent last Saturday visiting a college in Indiana and afterwards we went to dinner downtown. Now in Indy, most of the places are closed until four in the afternoon. We wanted to be home by five. Hubby chose Weber Grill (I don’t want to cook anymore after eating there, but that’s another story), mainly a steak place, but the fish was excellent. We drove past and hubby asked J Man to get out and make sure it was open. So he did, and it was. Hubby was parking in the garage across the street and I was going to get out and go with my son. Hubby said no, I stayed in the car until it was parked. Now here is where the overprotective part comes in. When we reached the street, no J Man. Some one had stolen my baby!! Hubby asked me to go inside and look for him. I did, he wasn’t and I freaked. “I told you I should have gotten out of the car!!” I shouted at hubby, who is very use to my hysterics. I walked down the street freaking out, while hubby stood quietly and patiently at the sidewalk. When I returned he asked me to go back and see if he was there. “At the bar?” I retorted. But I went in, and this time went upstairs, and asked the hostess if they’d seen a young, tall black teenager. She said calmly, “Table for three? I seated him.” Then I felt his familiar big hand on my shoulder. J Man had gotten a booth, the bread and butter had already been served, and he was drinking a Coke. Needless to say, my two men had a major laugh at my expense for thirty minutes. I ordered a cosmopolitan. Okay, so I was afraid someone had kidnapped my six foot three inch, almost seventeen year old son.

Now, the most interesting part of this story, if you can stop laughing at me for a moment, is that an upscale restaurant would actually seat a young black male with adults nowhere in sight. Kudos to Weber Grill for respecting my son and kudos to J Man for taking charge of the situation. Of course it didn’t hurt he was extremely hungry.