Life in Revision & Introducing Catadora Tonks

Well I've been absent and missing in action in my cyber world for about 3 weeks. I occasionally have posted on the blog, but there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. Why? Two reasons. One is that I have new fur baby. I didn't think we'd adopt another kitten after I had to say goodbye to my beloved Dowager Feline Clancy, but on September 24th my daughter told me that a kitten born 7 weeks earlier was headed for the pound. She was one of 7 born to a stray cat. The people who'd taken in the stray and kittens couldn't keep them all and had found homes for 4 kittens. I had ONE day to make up my mind. I couldn't even go see her because I had a scheduled event I couldn't miss.

I sent Darling Teen in my place. The kitten was at a school friend's sister's apartment. She called me to tell me about the tiny fur baby and I said, "Bring her home to me." They drove home with this kitten in her friend's lap, a big cup of dry cat food and that was about it. I had 5 women at my house for a Ladies Night and I left them as soon as I heard the garage door opening. There she was, the tiniest little bit of cream puff fluff and scared as could be after a traumatic car ride. I took her into my arms and it was instant. The connection, the love, and the trust she had for me was immediate. So for her first night with us she stayed in my arms, was loved on, had a bed and litter box set up in our master bedroom suite and was welcomed home.

I called the vet immediately and scheduled an appointment for the following Monday. We spent a great deal of time keeping her separated from the Darling Teen's cat Mischief. Mischief is 10 and not the best tempered cat plus we didn't want either cat to get an illness before my kitty went to the vet. Still no name at this point. We spent a full two days batting around ideas. All were shot down. Finally we zeroed in on a Harry Potter themed name. But the kitten was female. Not a lot of cat sounding names in the female characters. We hemmed and hawed. We played around with Le Fleur's name. That didn't work. Finally we had an idea. Nymphadora Tonks, Lupin's wife and just a great character stood out. We ended up transforming the name to reflect our little feline. Catadora Tonks, Tonks for short, had a name.

In the weeks following our adoption of our itty bit of fluff, I've attended the Moonlight & Magnolias conference, revised three chapters for an agent request, wrote a brand new first chapter for the Mills & Boon New Voices contest only to miss the deadline due to my inability to subtract (grrr), and revised four manuscripts beginnings for the Linda Howard Award of Excellence contest. As soon as I finished the contest entries, I began preparing my Golden Heart entries. I will enter 4 manuscripts this year--including the new one which is not finished yet. First up, I worked on the synopsis for the TYCOON because that story is completely different due to the revise and resubmit for Mills & Boon. Ugh. Dreaded synopsis revealed a bit of a plot/story issue. Fortunately, I don't have to "fix" that yet. I revised the first 50 pages of TYCOON, tweaking it and strengthening it for the contest. I have two more to work on before I head out to D.C. on Saturday.

Basically I am in revision and contest hell, but it's all worth it because it is making me push the envelope. And when I am not busy writing and trying to keep up with the household stuff and my family, I am playing with my brand new sweetheart. Catadora Tonks is a delight and a joy. Always sweet, good natured and a cuddle bug. She loves to play so when I take a break from my writing, I get on the floor and get her chasing after feathers on sticks and balls with bells in them.

Life is busy, I am tired. Catadora Tonks wants to play.

I am happy. Busy, but happy. There are a lot of good things in store for me and my family. I want to enjoy my daughter this year--her last year of school before she graduates. I want to enjoy my new kitten. I want to enjoy my new friends. And I want to enjoy working hard to build my writing career. I want to expand time, find a million and one ways to do it all, but that's just not possible. This time of year is always crammed full of stuff to do--as a family and as a writer. Sometimes things have to go by the wayside.

What do you put on the wayside when life gets hectic? Can you really do it all? If you can, tell me how.