Wow! What a great trip! Five of us that are writing the NASCAR romances traveled to Charlotte, along with our editor, for a tour of Roush Racing and the Charlotte track. It was incredibly interesting and pretty amazing what goes on behind the scenes to make those week-end races possible. We toured the Roush garages where cars were in the process of being built from the ground up, saw where the pit crew practices daily, and toured one of the half-million dollar haulers. We didn’t see him, but we did see Greg Biffle’s private helicopter parked where he’d flown in for the day.

After lunch it was on to the Charlotte track. I’ve spent plenty of times in the pits at dirt tracks and dragstrips. Uh…it should be the same, but it was a whole different ballgame. Okay, it wasn’t standing in front of the Palace of the Doges in Venice, but it was pretty darn exciting to go through the tunnel to the in-field. The Busch cars were running so it was cool to see the track activity and cruise along pit road, the media center, and to have our picture taken in Victory Lane.8)

Here’s our motley crew in Victory Lane with the track behind us. Front: Marsha Zinberg and Wendy Etherington. Back: Gina Wilkins, Carrie Weaver, yep that’s me, Ken Casper

Okay, this is sorta freaky. This morning I’m heading to Charlotte for a tour tomorrow of NASCAR headquarters, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and Roush Racing. I’m really looking forward to it. NASCAR is like a whole other world and it’s really quite interesting.

This is my horoscope today:

You may spend time today researching a subject of interest to you and sorting through piles of information as you attempt to get closer to the truth. However, someone may throw you a curveball by bringing you facts that are not what you expect. Get excited by what you don’t know and incorporate the new data into your growing perspective.

Freaky, huh?

It’s a rainy Sunday morning…just the kind of day when you want to stay beneath the covers and sleep in or lounge around and read a good book. Unfortunately there’s no sleeping in or lounging for the chronically behind.;(

Not sure exactly when or how it happened…well, that’s not strictly true…I ran into a little mental roadblock…but now I’m behind…again.:s

So, here’s to moving this story forward today.(c)

It’s my July time travel. I LOVE this cover. Whaddaya think?

And in case you needed a jump start…. :x

I need a cure. There are lots of lovely articles on how to relax before you go to bed so that you go to sleep. They even make lovely drugs to help you get to sleep. That’s all fine except getting to sleep isn’t a problem. I’m pretty much dead to the world once my head hits the pillow. It’s staying asleep that’s my problem.

2:30 a-freaking-m and I’m awake. :[ I stay in bed thinking I’ll drift off again. Unfortunately, the only drifting I’m doing is further away from la-la land. I try deep breathing. I try meditating in bed. I try praying–not for sleep to come, just praying in general cause lots of times that does put me to sleep, sad as it is. Finally when 4:45 rolls around I figure what’s the point in going back to sleep this late in the game.

Needless to say, I’m not feeling fresh as a daisy and this is compromising my normally sunny disposition. In other words I’m grumpy and bitchy from lack’o sleep and desperate. At this rate I’m ready to keep a rubber mallet next to my bed to knock myself out. Any alternate suggestions out there?

Yes, it is that time of the year. What time you may ask? That time when the air is cool in the mornings but the afternoons are sunny and warm? That time when the honeysuckle, wysteria, and banana shrubs are blooming and you simply want to stand and inhale their sweet scent?

Uh…no. How about it’s time to show me the money. :$ It’s royalty time! There are lots of things that drive me to write and much as I love to tell a good story, I also have bills to pay. I’m fond of getting a paycheck as much as the next person, except mine doesn’t show up once a week or even once a month. (e)

I get an advance for each book that’s broken into increments of signing the contract, presenting a proposal, and then delivering the finished manuscript. Twice a year I get royalties based on how well those books have sold. It’s now spring royalty time. The sort of freaky part is I never know how much my check is going to be from one royalty period to the next so I never exactly budget that money cause…well, I don’t know how much it’s going to be. Instead I have a wish list of stuff I want to take care of with the stuff at the top of the list being the most important. Top of the list so far is a couple of doctor bills and The Girl’s braces. Down near the bottom of that list is having my bathroom floor tiled.

Maybe next time I won’t make a list because the money is never quite as good as I hope it’ll be and the stuff on the bottom always gets shuffled off. ;( Oh, well, such is the fate of the starving artist….

I think I’m going to have to break down and call in the Geek Squad. HTG, there really is a geek squad. They’re these computer fix-it guys who drive around in little yellow punchbuggies (aka VW Bugs) with GEEK SQUAD plastered on the side. No miracle has spontaneously struck my computer thereby resolving my Internet connection woes. Likewise, no miracle has spontaneously occurred in my brain thereby rendereing me capable of resolving aforementioned problem. :s Therefore, I think it is time for me to make the call….(t)