Karen Whiddon

I’m tired and sore this morning (no surprise, huh?) and I have a guest blog up at 10am at paranormalromanceblog.com.   

Here’s the direct link to the post: http://paranormalromanceblog.com/2009/07/02/karen-whiddon-writing-is-hard-work

I’m also being interviewed today – again at 10am – at www.goodbadandunread.com. Yes, I’ve been busy blogging – as you know I was a guest blogger yesterday at my agent’s site – and busy getting ready for the holiday weekend, during which we’ll be camping. And it’s supposed to be over 100 degrees all weekend. Yikes!

This got me thinking. One of the questions I was asked for the interview was which do you like better, summer or winter. Actually, I like fall, or at least a crisp, New England/upstate New York fall, but that wasn’t an option. I chose winter because the summers here are…. well, pretty awful.

Where I grew up (the Catskills), we had summer. It got in the 80’s and maybe flirted with 90 once or twice, and that was plenty hot for me. It rained periodically, keeping things green, and as kids we used to play in the warm summer rain. When I moved to Boulder, CO as a teenager, the summers were way hotter and the sun burned quicker (it’s a mile closer there!), but when night came, the temps would drop dramatically and you could sleep with your windows open and a fan.
Not so in Texas. When summer arrives, it blasts onto the scene, arriving in a fury. A coolish day is high eighties or ninety. We often go for long stretches of over a hundred, and the rest of the time the temperature hovers in the high nineties. When you walk outside, it’s like stepping into a furnace. Even the swimming pool water heats up – ours was 92 the other day and felt like a sauna (which was wonderful, btw!)

Winters here are ho-hum. Occasionally we get snow or ice, but it’s not like when I was a kid. My dad was transferred a lot working for IBM and each new place I remember asking if they got snow there – because even as a kid, I knew I couldn’t live in a place without snow. Yet now, here I am. I’ve lived here since 1978 and STILL haven’t adapted to the summers. Honestly, who can? (Ok, my husband claims to love them, but he’s a native Texan.) And I still miss the snow. A lot. I’ve gone up to Colorado twice in February. Once I got snow, the other time not.

Ok, enough weather talk. I’ve got to go write. Yes, I’m sore from the workout and hoping on weigh day Monday I will be able to undo the damage I did last weekend. I plan to exercise while camping (cross your fingers for me!)

Hey, instead of here, I’m blogging today over at my agent’s site. Check it out at http://varkat.livejournal.com/102606.html

I know you’re all wondering. Yes, that family cookout with the ribs and pasta salad and baked beans and corn on the cob and homemade ice cream, messed me up. Or, the fact that I ate it (and had a couple of beers), messed me up. I gained back the two pounds in water weight or something, because when Michelle weighed me last night, I weighed the same as the previous Monday. I did here on the home scale too.

Now today, the two pounds is gone. Go figure. Such is my life.

However blase I sound about it now, I wasn’t last night. As a matter of fact, I got home from my workout and threw a big ole hissy fit. My poor husband had to listen to me rant and rave. It wasn’t pretty, folks.

Worst of all, my trainer was so disappointed in me. I hate to disappoint people, but what I hate worse is working so hard and then blowing it with one meal.

Even worse, the fourth of July holiday is around the corner. We’d planned to have t-bones on the grill. Not sure I’m gonna do that. Also, in mid-July I’m going to the RWA National Conference. It’s a working vacation and my friends and I always put in some serious bar time. I’m seriously debating bringing workout clothes and hitting the hotel gym a couple of times while there (notice I don’t say daily ;0)

Anyway, I had an awesome workout last night – arms and back and legs and core – and am plenty sore this morning. I’m back on track and hopefull husband will stop avoidng me. Sigh.

Back to the book writing.

I had a nice weekend, even if it seemed too short. Got a massage yesterday and then later the family came over for a cookout and swim get-together. It was nice. I love my backyard this time of the year.

One corner, with the birdbath

And here’s another

I can’t resist. How about a couple more

It’s the end of the week and I finished my last workout of the week last night. It was good and I’m ready for the weekend. My trainer Michelle now has decided that Monday will be my weigh day, so she didn’t weight me last night. Bummer, since I busted my butt to lose the two pounds and now I have to make sure they STAY off.

Tonight we’re going out to eat (no camping – too hot) barbeque and I looked up the calorie counts online. Pulled chicken for me. Or the beef brisket platter. Those are the two lowest calorie plates, which is odd because I would have thought the brisket would be high calorie. Ah, the fun of losing weight .

Got writing to do. This weekend is when I’m going to try to type into the computer everything I’ve hand written. So far, I’m loving this story. It’s early though

A reminder – my July Nocturne WILD WOLF should be on the store shelves now. Pic below.

It’s the end of the week and I finished my last workout of the week last night. It was good and I’m ready for the weekend. My trainer Michelle now has decided that Monday will be my weigh day, so she didn’t weight me last night. Bummer, since I busted my butt to lose the two pounds and now I have to make sure they STAY off.

Tonight we’re going out to eat (no camping – too hot) barbeque and I looked up the calorie counts online. Pulled chicken for me. Or the beef brisket platter. Those are the two lowest calorie plates, which is odd because I would have thought the brisket would be high calorie. Ah, the fun of losing weight .

Got writing to do. This weekend is when I’m going to try to type into the computer everything I’ve hand written. So far, I’m loving this story. It’s early though

A reminder – my July Nocturne WILD WOLF should be on the store shelves now. Pic below.

Not much to report. I did 45 minutes of cardio last night, fifteen elliptical, twenty treadmill, then ten more elliptical. Then got home and swam. This morning, I’d lost another pound (yes, I weigh every day). So yay, me. I can actually see hints of my old body trying to return.

I’m still writing by hand, loving it. My favorite place to sit is in the sitting room of the master bedroom. Years ago, I got wicker furniture for it (I’d always wanted wicker furniture). There are two double floor to ceiling windows that look out over the back yard. (It’s too hot and humid to sit out there). I write there, sipping on my coffee. Now I am kind of dreading when I have to type up all this stuff I’ve written (on page 14 handwritten now), but so be it.

I’ve also got two blogs to do yet. I just did one on June 24th at the Nocturne Authors Blog on eharlequin.com. I have one on July 1st and on July 2nd, one on my agent’s web site and one on a paranormal book site.

The day job is looming closer (sigh) and I need to start shutting all this down and getting ready. I don’t wanna! Wah. But, like someone else said, I’m working for the weekend. I booked a massage for Sunday. Hmmmmm. (Hum of pleasure).

Til next time!

Wednesday=Hump Day = Halfway to the weekend! I had a good workout last night (if you can consider any of them good- haha!) and my trainers said I have a good attitude and that she’s proud of me. I’ve got to tell you folks, I can really tell a difference in my shape. Or former lack of – LOL! I’m hurting some this morning, mostly my arms and legs, oh and back, but I’m beginning to get used to that. It’s normal, these days.

Tonight is just cardio, 45 minutes. Then come home and swim.

I was making my breakfast this morning when a perfect opening scene for Lea’s Story occurred to me. I had to rush to write it down. So yes, another start. But I can still use what I’ve written so far, just push it further along into the story.

Got to get ready to head to the day job. TTYL!

I’ll start off by saying – I’ve now lost 7 lbs! Wahoo! Let me give you a scenario. Father’s Day, at Chili’s with husband and daughter. They both order hamburgers. Chili’s has WONDERFUL hamburgers. And fries. Me, though I desperately want a hamburger too, have looked up the calorie and fat counts on line. I stick to the Guiltless Grill menu. Between that and trying to be more diligent on my calorie counting, I’m sticking to it. End result, I’ve lost another pound!

And good thing too. My trainer talked to me about my weight loss last night. While 7 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, I’m on the low end of the weight loss spectrum (as I mentioned in my previous post). High end would be double that, with a loss of 14 pounds. Since I’m doing all I can workout-wise, she wants me to be more diligent about what I eat. She even set a new goal – which I like, since I’m goal oriented and need to be held accountable. I am to lose two pounds a week. I’m up for that!

On the writing front, the new book is chugging along. I’m still writing by hand in a notebook and for some reason, it’s helping my creativity. So far. I haven’t typed it in the computer yet. I plan to do that once a week.

Here in Texas it’s hot, hot, hot. 99 yesterday, 99 today (possibly 100!). So a/c is a good thing.

TTYL!

From the title, it sounds like I’m energetic and upbeat, right? Hahaha. I’m so not. What I am is sore and tired and very ready for a weekend.

I asked my trainer – who IS upbeat and positive – when, if ever, my body would stop hurting. She said not to expect this any time soon, as we keep pushing my body more and more every week (true, that.) So I’m taking my husband’s Osteo-Biflex and popping Advil.

Another question I asked my trainer is about the weight. The last time I lost a significant amount of weight (25 lbs in 1996), at this stage in the game, six weeks into it, I’d lost 10 lbs. And then, I only did cardio (no personal trainer) and counted calories. This time, I’ve only lost 5-6 pounds. What gives? Her answer was that in addition to losing fat, I’m building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so I might gain a little here and there.

I’m not sure I like her answer. However, I AM able to fit in clothes that I couldn’t wear just one month ago, so that inch and a half I’ve lost in the waist is a good thing.

I’m not going to get discouraged. Even though I will tell you up front – I sort of HATE going to the gym and working out (ok, ok, no “sorta” – I DO hate it. It’s not fun, or pretty and I’m not a big fan of being hot and sweaty and exhausted). Whining aside, I will be much healthier, I’m not taking blood pressure meds or chloresteral meds, and eventually I WILL look better too. So I’m sticking with it (Confession – I actually have no choice. I prepaid, knowing how I am, for three months of Personal Training sessions. All in all, I will have completed four months, May, June, July, and August when I finish). Hopefully, I will have reached my goal. Wish me luck.

On the writing front, I bought software - one that Anne Stuart recommended in the last RWR called Power Writer. I like it because you can enter characters and notes and have it all in the file when you’re working on the work in process. It also has plot points and stuff – still learning it and entering stuff in it for Lea’s Story, which I’ve started several times per usual. Still not finding a happy beginning – or one I like.
Plugging away though.