Keri Mikulski's Prologue

This week's writer in the employment spotlight is Keri Mikulski, author of the softball-themed Ashley Clarke Screwball series. She's got some doozies in her history, so let's check them out.

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Thanks for having me, Tera! 

I was always so embarrassed to tell people how many jobs I’ve held – teacher, nurse, personal trainer, Acme bagger, lifeguard, secretary etc.. But, since I’ve met so many fabulous authors with a bazillion former careers like myself, I’m not so embarrassed anymore. And now instead of pursuing a new career, I let my main characters have all the fun. 

What was your favorite job ever?

Definitely… writing.  I love diving into a character’s world/head and playing pretend everyday. Writing has a ton of perks, like staying in your pj’s all day, working with and meeting fabulous and creative people, and honestly, it’s the only time I can completely zone out and escape.

Your least favorite job?

I worked as a receptionist at an insurance office during my college years. I loved the people I worked with, but every time I answered the phone someone was screaming at me about their high insurance rates. Urgh.

Your hardest job?

Definitely, a registered nurse on a pediatric cancer floor at a children’s hospital. I used to get super close to the patients and it was gut wrenching to watch amazing kids suffer through the treatments and the disease. But, at the same time, miraculous to witness their strength and determination.

What is the biggest job perk you've had?

It’s a tie. I write a column for a local magazine and I receive free books.  And when I worked as a lifeguard, I swam at a gorgeous vacant pool all summer and I was the tannest I’ve ever been.

What did you like least about working in an office job?

The Groundhog Day feel of it. Waking up everyday and knowing each day is going to be exactly the same. Especially when I worked at an office.

What did you like most about working in an office job?

I loved hanging and chatting with my friends and fellow coworkers. Oh, and the paycheck. 

What you would do if you weren't a writer?

Right now, I teach at a college part time, so I would probably pursue a full time professor position. Or I would go back to teaching middle or high school and coach softball.

What you would do if you were independently wealthy and didn't actually HAVE to work?

Write! And volunteer to coach softball and teach teen writing workshops in my spare time. But, I probably wouldn’t have much spare time because I’d be traveling the world and hanging out with hottie, Derek Jeter, since I’d own the Yankees. 

Thanks again, Tera! 

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Thanks for sharing, Keri. Wow, I can't imagine the emotional ringer of being a nurse for kids with cancer. That's tough stuff. Yay you!

And I agree, any job with free books is total winner.

Tune in next week for Amanda Ashby's Prologue.

Hugs,
TLC

A Wild Week

Things have been a bit crazy here in the world of TLC (hence the lack of posting and the lack of emailing and the lack of general sanity). Contributing factors are:

1. Attending the absolutely phenomenally inspirational booksigning/talk by Laurie Halse Anderson (author of Speak, Chains, Wintergirls, and more). She is, as Cathy of Blue Willow Bookshop said, a rockstar.
2. A friend got some very, very good news (but I have to wait for her to tell the world, so I have to keep it mum for the moment).
3. OH. MY. GODS. got nominated for two Romance Writers of America's RITA awards (Best First Book and Best Young Adult). I could explain why this is so awesome, but my dear friend Steph did such a great job over on the Buzz Blog that you should just read her tell it. The best thing about the nomination? (Besides serious motivation to look my best before the awards ceremony in July, of course.) I'm nominated along with Tina Ferraro and Rosemary Clement-Moore, two ladies whom I love dearly and for whom I will be thrilled no matter which one of us winds up winning.
   

Don't you think that's enough to send a girl off-kilter for a few? And, on top of that, I'm working on the FINS revision. And since this is my horoscope for today:

It's an incredibly productive day, so you may want to tackle big projects that seem kind of overwhelming from your perspective. It's not one of those things that lasts forever, so make the most of it!

I guess I should get back to work on that! More soon, godlets.

Hugs,
TLC

Shelley Adina's Prologue

This week's Prologue features darling author Shelley Adina. (Shelley and I were on an author panel together at the Romantic Times convention last year and she was a total blast.) Shelley is the author of the All About Us books, a fun, faith-based series with adorable titles like Fruit of My Lipstick and the Chic Shall Inherit the Earth (coming January 2010).

Here's your sneak peek at Shelley's pre-writing life...

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What was your favorite job ever?

I worked for the narcotics division of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I drew up search warrants, typed reports, made undercover phone calls when a female voice was needed, and even went on surveillance pretending to be a narc's date! I was single then, and with 33 Mounties in my division alone, I was in heaven :)

Your least favorite job?

Filing. Ugh. It was a temp job that lasted about a week and I had paper cuts in all my fingers for days afterward.

Your hardest job?

Being the executive assistant to a very overcommitted VP. Working until midnight was not uncommon. I had no life, but it taught me a lot.

What is the biggest job perk you've had?

When I worked for Compaq, who sponsored the local arena, we used to get hockey tickets for seats in the skybox or right on the glass if the sales guys weren't using them. I'm a big hockey fan. Go Sharks!

What did you like least about working in an office job?

The aforementioned VP started his day at 7:00 a.m., and in order for me to be there I had to get up at a horrifically early hour in the morning, spend half an hour on the freeway, stagger into the building, and only then get a cup of coffee!

What did you like most about working in an office job?

Well, since I'm still working, I'd have to say the variety. I've been a marketing communications editor for several years now, and I like what I do. Every day is different, and I work for a company where the people are fun and the work is interesting.

What you would do if you weren't a writer?

I can't imagine my life without writing. Yow. Better give me a day or two to think about that one!

What you would do if you were independently wealthy and didn't actually HAVE to work?

Ooh. I'd travel, and I'd have a MacBook Air that I'd take everywhere to write stories on. Oh, wait. Aside from the Air and the money, that's what my life is like now! LOL

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Wow. Undercover narcotics surveillance with a real life Mountie. Sounds like a fun time to me! Where do I sign up?

Thanks for sharing, Shelley.

Tune in next week for Keri Mikulski's Prologue.

Hugs,
TLC

Spring Break at the Ranch

Since my attempt to sleep through the weekend (am waiting on Monday news and time always goes faster when asleep) has been thwarted by the roofers on my building, I thought I might as well post a blog instead.

If you follow my Twitters/status updates, then you know I headed west with my friend to her family's pecan ranch for spring break. (Not that I was on spring break from anything in particular, but her daughter was.) Their ranch is just outside the small town of Boerne, Texas, which is just outside the not-so-small town of San Antonio. Here's the panorama view from the back deck:


They even had peacocks (take that, TeamCastle) that showed up on the deck in the morning.

There were also a lot of sheep (which occasionally, and through not fault or effort of their own, found themselves inside the house--that's what you get with a six-year-old in the mix).


And the sunsets were gorgeous.


We took a couple of field trips. First, we drove into historic main street Boerne (to get the cake for my friend's dad's 70th birthday). Here's a pic of your truly in front of the mermaid window display at Hip Dingo.


Boerne has some great shops and a bunch of antique stores. We even took a quick break at the local coffee house, where I had a delish hazelnut latte and homemade cookies and cream ice cream. Yum.

We also ventured out to a river for some outdoorsy exploration.


I gathered some seashells--although, I suppose they're technically river shells.


And took the obligatory self-portrait. (I've been practicing the art of self-portrait-try since I got my first camera in elementary school.)


So there you have it. My spring break at the pecan ranch. Did you do something more exciting for your spring break? Do share.

Hugs,
TLC

Rosemary Clement-Moore's Prologue

This week we have the fabulously Texan Rosemary Clement-Moore sharing her work history for out enjoyment. Rosemary is the author of the devilishly fun Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series, which includes Prom Dates From Hell, Hell Week, and Highway to Hell.

Let's see what kind of hot times she had before turning her hand to writing.

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What was your favorite job ever?

Hmmm… I had a lot of jobs I really enjoyed. But my favorite was working as youth director for a small theatre. I had to do a lot of everything: teacher, director, playwright, set builder/painter, sound person, ad hoc plumber… A true Renaissance Woman, that’s me. I didn’t love it right before a show opened, but in a way, it was life on a deadline, just like now.

Your least favorite job?

Working at Chuck E. Cheese. AS Chuck E. Cheese. The costume character. It was horribly hot and the kids were out of control. Also, the animatronic lion (“The King”) who sang Elvis songs was broken, and only played “Viva Las Vegas” over, and over, and over…. I still can’t hear that song without getting slightly nauseated.

Your hardest job?

The theatre job. There were ickier, hotter, more mindnumbingly boring jobs, but that was the most challenging by far.

What is the biggest job perk you've had?

Hmmm… All the pizza I could eat?

What did you like least about working in an office job?

Keeping someone else’s hours. Especially mornings. I don’t do mornings.

What did you like most about working in an office job?

The satisfaction of a job accomplished. Even when I was working as a temp, doing data entry, or filing, or typing memos, there’s a lot of satisfaction in finishing something, and seeing it done well. (If I do say so myself.)

What you would do if you weren't a writer?

I would either teach history or be an archivist. I’d like to be an archeologist, but you have to go too many places where there are bugs and snakes and no running water.

What you would do if you were independently wealthy and didn't actually HAVE to work?

I would write! Seriously! But there would be no stress about reviews, no worrying about sales, because I'm rich, so who cares! Oh, and I'd travel the world. *sigh* That would be the life.

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Wow. Chuck E. Cheese. I mean-- I-- Wow. And I'm so with you on the mornings. I tend to avoid them as much as possible (which might explain why I'm still up at 2:30am). Thanks for sharing, Rosemary!

Tune in next week for Shelley Adina's Prologue.

Hugs,
TLC

Did I Tweet That? Today's Twitters

• 00:22 new on the blog: Did I Tweet That? Today's Twitters tinyurl.com/alwroo
• 00:49 didn't post status all day. Writer's meeting, lunch with writer friends, friend's book signing, then working, working, working. Whew!
• 11:20 woke up to serious thunderstorm (love) and crazy burst of half-inch hail (scary).
• 15:54 ewww! Girl clipping nails in Starbucks. Get some class!
• 19:22 new on the blog: Twitter Mosaic tinyurl.com/cl4je4
• 21:30 listening to Wilbur (the Roomba) vacuum the apartment, working, and watching a DVRed episode of Leverage. When will it be on DVD?!?

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Twitter Mosaic

Copying Linda Gerber who was copying Justina Chen Headley who was copying readergirlz, I popped over to Twitter Mosaic and made this luverly image of my darling followers. (At least the ones with profile images.) Tada!

Want to be on here next time? Follow me on Twitter.

Get your twitter mosaic here.

Hugs,
TLC