2006 in review :)

Soooooooooo, I'm off to MI late Christmas day and my boys are off to see their father in Jersey.

I'll be with R and The Midge until the 29th-I figured I'd better hit the blog before I go.

It's been a caaa-razy year. I'm amazed at what's come and gone. I thought I'd count my blessings so if I look back next year and some of those blessings break up with me, drive me insane, or just plain put me in my grave, I'll have nice memories in reflection. LOLLOL

In no particular order :)

Blessing #1--My ma. She's awesome. She does everything I can't because I'm chained to this computer. She takes my son to work, she picks them up, drives them to doctors appointments, does my banking. She wants to feed me. She bakes things for me. She nags me about when the next Angela Knight book is coming out... LOL. You rock the casbah, mom :)

Blessing #2--R. I'm still just as in love, if not more so than I was to begin with. he makes me giggle, he still makes me sigh, he tells me every day how pretty I am and that he loves me. We still haven't had a fight. He bought a double wide so he could be close to me (the sacrifices, eh?), he kept me from tipping over the edge this summer when I had a family crisis. He lets me cry when my pre-menopausal hormones begin to screech and he doesn't make fun of me. He's a title genius. He's an awesome road trip partner. Most of all, he's the other half of me, all without wanting to consume me--own me. He supports me no matter what and I'm still crazy in love.

Blessing #3--my sons.

moving right along...

I'm kidding. LOLLOL. They're good boys with pretty good hearts. They're teenagers who may suck the last breath out of me sometime soon, but still good boys.

Blessing #4--My agent, Diedre Knight. Dudes, this chick is superior. She lets me whine. She lets me ask the dumbest questions evah and even if she secretly laughs behind my back, she never makes fun of me to my face.LOLLOL. Seriously, she's so supportive and encouraging. She makes me feel like my whacky ideas are actually worth putting on paper and then she sends me an e-mail that says I rock. She happened by accident for me, but I'm glad she happened. I love my agent and she's helped me to understand not only the business, but what it's like to feel connected to the person who holds your manuscript in her hands.

Blessing #5--My publisher-Changeling Press and it's owner, Margaret Riley. She let me--ME write twelve books for them last year. Nuff said. Snort.

Blessing #6--The Babes. Jaynie, Maura, Erin, Lisa, LeeAnne, Long lost Shannon, Brenda, Crystal, Bill (yeah, he's a guy. LOL), B/C,Da Fuzz and a bunch of other folk who play with us each and every day :)I just gotta say, keep playing with the pharmacueticals--we like ya like that. LOLLOL

Blessing #6--Some of my best friends online and in RL--Sheri, Michelle, Isabella, Kate, Angela (name dropper. LOL), Jaynie, Erin, Maura, AQ, Laura (from Jersey), Joy, Renee, Nancy, Kira, Paula. You chicks have really gone to bat for me this year in one way or the other and that's never taken lightly where I come from.

Blessing #7--Leeeeeenda who comes every Friday and rocks my floors and bathrooms at Graceland. If I knew how to tell you in Spanish, I'd tell ya you know a mop like the mob knows cement, baby :)

Blessing # 8--Divorce. LOLLOLLOLLOL. I'd say I'm kidding, but I'm not and we're both happier for it :) At least I know I am.

Blessing #9--crit partners who chew me a new one. You make my heart sing and my freakin' head hurt. But I lubs ya nontheless. LOL

Blessing #10--My hairdressers, Elaine and Felicia. A moment of silence is due them for taming this mop :)

Blessing #11--My manicurist, Annie. I can't speak Vietnamese, but I'm warining you, darling, I'm going to learn and one day, when you're all whispering about the PITA white chick--I'm going to catch you by replying back. LOLLOL. I'm kidding.

And lastly, anyone who's ever read a book of mine and bought another one. You'll never know how important it is to me that you like a good roll around on the floor as much as I do thrown in with your romance.

May your holiday, and every day, be filled with the brightest of blessings this season!

Dakota :)