Amie Stuart ~ On the Back Porch

I’ll be on Candace Havens’ Write Workshop loop this week talking query letters and blurbs! Please note, there are TWO loops. The Workshop loop is just the lesson and the Chat loop will be more interactive. Tuesday we’re talking the basics and Wednesday - Friday we’re talking blurbs so get our your wip, dust off that query letter and find your favorite books.

I’ll also have a fun blurb game over at NAS tomorrow in honor of our class.

We’re talking booktrailers (yes again) over at Southern Fried Chicas today. Sheila English popped in last time but her comment got lost. I found it and it was so fascinating, I had to give it it’s own blog post (how’s that for bad grammar?). I know it’s her job to sell book videos–it’s her business after all–but she came at it from an angle I never thought of.

In other news, I have none. LOL I hope everyone had a good time at the NINC conference. I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’m going to be at the DARA Conference this weekend (and signing books on Friday night). Come say hi (I’m the crazy brunette with spiky hair and purple highlights).

Oooooo Found this via Anne

Around 90.1% of the pages on your website contain cussing.This is 901% MORE than other websites who took this test.

So last night I’m laying in bed watching the last of the North Carolina vs Louieville game and Kevin starts yelling, “Mom Mom there’s something in the house. It’s a mouse or something!”

I pause the TV (gotta love the DVR Gods) and go running out, praying it’s not a rat. It’s not. It’s worse. It’s a baby possum!
There we are at 10 at night running around the living room like something out of Three Stooges, trying to catch this f)*&^*& we finally get it trapped in a milk crate and it crawls out the side!!!! So i grab it (i had a dishtowl), nearly drop it and, panting but triumphant, I yell at my son, “Get the camera!”

Yes I have pics. No i have no idea how the damned thing got in my house. Yes I let the damned thing go! And Yes most importantly of all, North Carolina won! LOL

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio are in final negotiations to write a live-action big-screen adaptation of “The Lone Ranger” for Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

So what do you think?

In other news, I found out that the vaccume’s lifetime HEPA Filter works a lot better when you clean it out and Confetti Easter eggs are EVOL!!!!!!

And last but NOT lease…it’s March Madness baby!!!!!!!! It’s supposed to rain most of the weekend so guess what I’ll be doing? Nope that’s wrong. I”m watching basketball!

ETA: I just found this:

SYDNEY (AFP) - Twenty-six major cities around the world are expected to turn off the lights on major landmarks, plunging millions of people into darkness to raise awareness about global warming, organisers said.

‘Earth Hour’ founder Andy Ridley said 371 cities, towns or local governments from Australia to Canada and even Fiji had signed up for the 60-minute shutdown at 0900 GMT on March 29.

“There are definitely 26 (cities) that we think, if it all goes to plan, we are going to see a major event of lights going off,” he told AFP.

Cities officially signed on include Chicago and San Francisco, Dublin, Manila, Bangkok, Copenhagen and Toronto, all of which will switch off lights on major landmarks and encourage businesses and homeowners to follow suit.

Click the link up there for the rest.

Business then pleasure!!!!!!! The fabulous Rocki St. Claire is guest blogging today at SFC about her new release and what she does to celebrate finishing a book!

Last night on American Idle the contestants had to sing a song from the year they were born. All I can say is it made me feel REALLY OLD! Because I knew almost all of them. I mean hell David Archuletta was born three years before my oldest child.

Before I get to my recap I thought it might be fun to look at the songs that were popular when I was born–keeping in mind that I”m too old to be on AI anyway.

1. Aquarius, Fifth Dimension
2. Sugar, Sugar, Archies
3. I Can’t Get Next To You, Temptations
4. Honky Tonk Women, Rolling Stones
5. Build Me Up Buttercup, Foundations

WTF? Let’s try THIS LIST:
1969
1. Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
2. Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival
3. I Want You Back - Jackson 5
4. Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones
5. Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
6. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills & Nash
7. Dazed And Confused - Led Zeppelin
8. Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones
9. Come Together - Beatles
10. I Can’t Get Next To You - Temptations

MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!! Okay I’m going to put my recap below the cut for anyone who hasn’t seen it. All I can say is I almost didn’t watch but I’m SO glad I did.
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What would you do if you had a, er, penis? Drop by NAS and uh weigh in.

Hey I just realized today is Rita/GH day! Are you waiting? Biting your nails? If you get the call, gimme a hollar!

Yesterday while home with sick child, I watched Mr. Brooks. All I can say is WOW! It was a TRUE psychological thriller….something we don’t see a lot of these days. I’m not sure who I liked best, Kevin Costner or William Hurt (as the psychotic devil on his shoulders). What I really liked though was…..Gonna put it below the cut because it’s a HUGE spoiler.

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I’m over at SFC blogging about passion. Stop by and weigh in.

On that note…um I forgot. I’ve been up since about three with a sick kid, so after taking off almost all of last week, I’m home again I was so ready to get back into the work groove too.

I took yesterday off. Got no writing done but did watch my Longhorns make it to the Sweet Sixteen. And made homemade stroganoff.

Here’s the recipe for anyone who’s interested.

1 pound stew meat
8 oz beef broth
1/4 onion chopped fine
1 garlic clove (I used the already chopped garlic in a jar because I’m lazy)
1 pound egg noodles (or was it two? I used the whole package)
1 pint lowfat sour cream
1 cup lowfat milk

Chop your meat up in small pieces, brown it with the onions and garlic, then add the broth. Let it simmer about 30 minutes until tender. While it’s simmering cook your noodles and set them aside.

After 30 minutes add 1/2 the tub of sour cream and the milk. Let simmer another 15 minutes. Add mixture to noodles and mix well then add last of sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm bread.

This makes a LOT so adjust according to your needs.