How do you celebrate a special achievement?
Do you treat yourself to flowers?
Or do you like to frolic online and shop, which is what I’ve been doing quite a lot of recently, with the excuse of buying Christmas presents.
My first stop was at Alibris where I spent a lot of time and more money than I should have, grabbing cheap second-hand copies of various books I’ve been meaning to read for some time.
I’ve also been at Ebay quite a lot, too, where you can look at all sorts of stuff you can’t possibly afford to buy–antiques and so on–but one of my major sources for presents. And I just, uh, happened to win the bid on these little darlings today. No, they’re not diamonds. They’re not old. But I think they’re cool.
And the reason for this hedonism? I finished my first book writing as Jane Lockwood, an erotic historical now called Forbidden Shores (NAL Heat, September 2007). When I say finished, I mean some victims are doing a cold read for me, I’ll make major, panicky changes, and get it to the editor in a couple of weeks, doubtless with major trauma via Fedex and holiday shipping schedules, and…
Well, you get the idea. So I’m splurging a bit, using the excuse that I save on shipping.
Now tell us what you do as a special treat when you have something to celebrate!
Visit my tarted-up website, www. janetmullany.com and, when you have recovered your senses from the beauty of it all, sign up for my newsletter!
Every time I meet my monthly page count goals, I buy myself a research book, preferably something out-of-print and intriguing that feels like a bit of a splurge.
If I ever sell a book, my husband has promised to take me here. And if I ever get a really big contract, I’ve promised to take HIM here.
Mmm. I’ll come too, Susan!
Janet
I can’t drink champagne, so I have Martinelli’s. Very festive.
Cara
Congratulations, Janet! And uh-oh on the alibris site adddress. My TBR shelf is so full, with books double-stacked. And now, here’s a place for second-hand books that has a great search engine.
Cara, how about some Lindisfarne Mead? Deeelicious!!
Susan, are you a fellow Seattleite by any chance? How about a custom dinner at the Herbfarm (www.theherbfarm.com)?
As you guessed, Janet, books are my gift to myself for every occasion, and sometimes, just browsing a bookstore for the sensory experience: touching, smelling, seeing, and being surrounded by books.
Susan, are you a fellow Seattleite by any chance? How about a custom dinner at the Herbfarm (www.theherbfarm.com)?
Yep, I’m in Seattle. I think my husband and I decided the Herbfarm is if I ever make the NYT bestseller list (might as well dream big!), but maybe we’ll make it our 10th anniversary or one of our 40th birthdays instead, since all we have to do to achieve that is stay alive a few more years and keep putting up with each other!
Across all these different message boards, it is indeed great to meet a fellow Seattle aspiring writer.
Are you planning on going to the conference in July?
Congrats on completing the ms, Janet!
I have used earrings as a reward too. Those you have pictured are lovely!
My writing buddies and I do Mimosas and chocolate to celebrate this sort of thing. Last time I made this Flourless Chocolate Cake. It was delicious and even unmolded and everything!
Those restaurants look wonderful but to celebrate a really big contract I would love to go here. I do realize it would have to be a very big contract.
Janet, I am so impressed that you finished it a couple of weeks before the due date. I always email the ms at the last hour!
Keira and Suisan, are you writing Romance? Or not. Do you belong to your local RWA chapter- I think it would be Greater Seattle Romance Writers http://gsrwa.org/
One of my dear friends, Judith Laik, is a member, as well as a bunch of other great people like Jane Porter, who also writes for Mills & Boon and Warner, and another great friend, Delle Jacobs, at least I think that is her chapter. Everything I learned about writing I learned from RWA and its chapters.
So how do I treat myself for finishing a book–other than sleeping, that is? Well, I went to the Jane Austen program I blogged about and I also have a Gerard Butler DVD of The Miracle Match (not widely released so you’ve probably never heard of it, except maybe Lois!)
I just buy the books I want. It’s a vice. They are not a reward but a vice. I use http://www.abebooks.com though, which I like better than alibris.
cheers,
Diane
Books are not a reward for me, they’re an addiction. If I lived anywhere near Powell’s I think odds are high I’d end up as some kind of squatter among the stacks (I’m bad enough at Moe’s in Berkeley). I think I’ve blown most of my advance at Abe Books, LOL!
I’ve never been big on rewards. The accomplishment itself is the reward (can you hear my father speaking here?). I did, however, buy a period piece of jewelry when I sold my first book, a lovely paste breeches buckle c. 1790 that was converted into a brooch sometime during the Regency. And I think this might become a tradition. One small period piece for each book. I’ll never rival Candice Hern as a collector, but I can give it the old college try. *GRIN*
Keira and Suisan, are you writing Romance? Or not. Do you belong to your local RWA chapter- I think it would be Greater Seattle Romance Writers http://gsrwa.org/
To answer the second question first, yes, I’m a member of GSRWA (and I know Jane, Judith, and Delle). It’s a great, encouraging group, and I highly recommend it.
As for whether or not I’m writing romance…well, the two manuscripts I’ve completed and the one I’m working on now are all Regency-set historical romances (though my favorite is really more of a Peninsular War historical–it’s mostly set in Spain and is quite a bit on the gritty side).
But I think after I finish my current project I’m going to try my hand at historical adventure fiction. I feel like my writing as it stands is too historical fictiony for the romance market, but too romance-focused to sell as historical fiction–in fact, one of my rejection letters for the Peninsular War story gave that as the reason for saying no.
Anyway, once I understood the issue, I looked at the changes I’d need to make to either bring my stories and voice more within the romance mainstream or to take them over to historical fiction. I’m far more comfortable with the latter option, so I’m going to try that route. At least for now.
Congratulations, Janet! I’m sure you must be very happy to be done!
A collaborator of mine and I who have published a number of papers together used to say “Champagne!” whenever a paper got accepted. Until after a few years, he asked me “Do you ever actually drink the champagne?” And I had to admit that I usually never got around to it.
Oh, well, it’s the thought that counts. 🙂
Todd-who’s-got-quite-a-few-bottles-saved-up-by-now
Todd, drink up. Or atleast let Cara do so. Champagne doesn’t keep. Why waste it on bacteria who will just turn it into vinegar?
Keira,
Cara can’t drink champagne, either! So I guessh I’ll be forshed to dring it all myshelf….sigh!
Todd-who-is-staggering-while-he-types-this