B!!!!

Leighton

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Bird's eye view

We flew to Seattle last night. Beautiful sunset in the clouds, over the Columbia river and low over Puget Sound for landing.

An amazing (and all too rare) sunny warm day greets us this morning.

Rojo La Película

Rojo La Película

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Flor

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Floribella Chile - Soundtrack

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Floribella Chile - Soundtrack Remixes

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Wedding Belle Blues

Today I am feeling very "unprotected" in my own home. If anything happens to either Lyle or me we have no recourse, no connection, no bond, no safety net according to the law of the land. Don't give me any bullshit about legal papers or contracts between individuals. Time and time the system has shown that there are people who will ignore those and you are left to fend for yourself.

Since I can't put all I have in my head down on paper, I will share these photos with you.

Lyle's parents wedding.

Jim's parents wedding.

My sisters wedding.

My brother's wedding.

Our wedding.

I started saying this last November, I define my life. I am married. I have a husband. You can legislate against me and deny me my rights, but I define my life and will continue to do so.

C

Allowed Girls OOCTourAudi0

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Amanda

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Cata

Catalina Palacios - Eclipse (2006)

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Paris Hilton song -Turn It Up

Turn It Up (Paris Hilton song) is a song from Paris Hilton's album Paris, written by Jeff Bowden, Paris Hilton, Penelope Magnet and Scott Storch.

Turn It Up song was originally issued to be the 1st single from the album, but was instead replaced with "Stars Are Blind". Turn It Up was then slated to be released as the 2nd single off the album, but decisions for the release were aborted once again and it was instead issued as a promotional single.

However, despite the fact the song is only in promo single format, it was successful as a top ten single on the Hot Dance Singles Sales and the Hot Dance Club Play charts, reaching numbers three and one respectively.

KV

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Pass:
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Well, Google me!

A long time ago, like in January, we were trying to get home from Las Vegas. Without warning the freeway from Las Vegas to Los Angeles was shut at the Nevada/California border. I'm going to skip over all that ensued and just go to the part where we take a remote side highway through Searchlight and towards Needles, after which we will rejoin the highway we should've been on all along.

So there we are basically NO WHERE and we see a really odd car ahead in the distance. What the hell is that? As we get closer and closer it really doesn't get much more obvious. Then when we are finally nearly on top of it I see the bumper sticker that says, Google.

OH MY GOD! IT'S THE GOOGLE MAP CAR!!!!

I beg Lyle to slow down so I can get my camera out and snap this photo:That's the camera stuff all up top taking photos all around, all the time.

We drive by and wave and smile. The driver gives a wave and feeble smile. I'm guessing he gets waved at a lot. Hopefully all the waves are as nice as ours.

CLICK HERE to see me taking the photo!

Periodically I check in on the road in the middle of NO WHERE and see if they have the photos up. Today I hit pay dirt.


You probably can't tell, but that car is COMPLETELY full in the back.

NYC, Here I Come!!!!

I'm gearing up for two writers conferences next week. The first is the BEA - Book Expo America. The part I will be attending is the writers conference portion held on May 27th. There will be workshops all day and then what they call a Pitch Slam in the afternoon. The Pitch Slam is home to the largest gathering of agents in any one place for this type of event - 66 agents to be exact. How it works is you choose which agents you want to pitch to, get in his or her line, wait your turn, and pitch directly to them one-on-one. No pressure. I'm told there were writers in tears last year. Hopefully, yours truly will not fall into that category.

The rest of the conference goes from May 28th - 31st and is for booksellers, agents, editors, publishers, educators, librarians, and published authors from varying genres. Some of the more well-known authors include Nicolas Sparks, David Balducci, Meg Cabot, Jeanette Walls, Craig Ferguson, and Tracy Kidder. The part I'd most like to see, however, is the Keynote Speakers on May 28th. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Clarence Clemons, the Big Man from Springsteen's E-Street Band will "discuss their memoirs and provide behind-the-scenes and ultimate insider accounts of their lives on and off the big stage." That appeals greatly to my rock princess sensibilities.

However, I'll miss out on that tasty tidbit because I'll be in the second writers conference of the week - the Backspace Writers Conference. This conference is held from May 28-30. The first day of Backspace is the Agent-Author Day where more than 20 high-profile agents rotate between three conference rooms listening to the 100 attendees query letters and first two pages of their manuscripts (this is for writers with completed ms's only). They'll listen to the pages and stop you when they've "heard enough" or "lose interest" and give the ever-popular "constructive criticism." Again, no pressure. On Days 2 & 3, there will be workshops on topics ranging from "The Agent-Author Relationship" to "Writing the Fight Scene" to "Query Letters that Work."

I was also lucky enough to sign up for a one-on-one with Deborah Serra, a successful screenwriter who has written eleven TV movies, seven feature films, two one-hours, two pilots, and over twenty half-hours. Her work has been produced by CBS, NBC, Lifetime, Showtime and others. I've e-mailed her a chapter from my book, and when we meet she will critique the dialogue aspects of it with me. I'll also be attending a "Polish Your Pitch" workshop, which is in addition to the regular conference. I'm feeling verklempt by the amount of information and networking opportunities with both writers and agents I'll experience next week!

And, as I stated in my previous post, I've been recruited by the lovely Agent Kae Tienstra to be the "eyes and ears" at both conferences and report back to her on what I've learned. I'll be guest blogging over her way sometime the week of June 1st. Please feel free to hop on over and see what she and her husband Jon have going on. (I'd highly recommend querying them. They're a class act.)

I'll post before I leave on Tuesday for NYC, I'll try and post while I'm there, and I'll certainly give a run-down after I return (providing I haven't thrown myself off the George Washington Bridge in utter frustration and writerly defeat!).

Kittens and Puppies and Hares, Oh My!

What do you do when life doesn't go your way? Do you get angry? Throw yourself a pity party? Revert into yourself and tell the world to back off? I've got a new way to deal with those nasty negative thoughts that creep into my brain and threaten to take me to a deep, dark place. I think of kittens and puppies and little, baby bunnies. I imagine right about now you're thinking I'm crazier than you thought I was before you read this post, and you're probably right. But you know what? It works. And, since I'm an eternal optimist, I believe whatever works to keep my thoughts positive and in line with who I say I am and the person I want to be, then that's what I'm going to do. So, I'm thinking about kittens and puppies and bunnies. And, I must admit, I'm feeling pretty damn happy right now.;-)

How do you act when life serves you lemons, and what do you do to get yourself out of the funk?

IN OTHER NEWS...
I'm greatly looking forward to the BEA and Backspace Writers Conferences next week in NYC and to (finally!) meeting my friend, J (woo-hoo!). A wonderful agent by the name of Kae Tienstra has asked me to be her eyes and ears while in NYC and guest blog upon my return. Please check out her website and let her know of any writers conference experiences you've had as well.

And the Winners Are...

First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for participating in my little soiree here at Write on Target in honor of my 100th post (especially those of you who linked me and got extra Brownie Points!). I'd also welcome the new folks who came on board in the last few days. I'm blown away by your kind words and continued support.

I won't delay the anticipation any further. If you are a winner, please e-mail me at dlschubert@verizon.net and give me your home address so I can mail you your goodies.

1)Winner of commenters on the 99 & Counting post is....................dbcooper! $10 Gift Card
2)Winner of commenters on the 100!!! post is....................Shasta! $20 Gift Card
3)Winner in the New Followers category is....................BigMark 243! $10 Gift Card

4) AND THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER IS (drum roll please!).........WrittenWyrdd! $20 Gift Card PLUS your choice of either The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman or Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda AND you get to name either a homicide detective or a nun in my current WIP. (Please e-mail me to let me know which book you'd like and to discuss the character name.)

I'm sorry to all the wonderful folks who didn't win. It makes me genuinely sad. You have my word that if I'd won the lottery in the last several days, you each would have gotten Borders gift cards, but alas, I'm broke as ever. However, the good news is, you can hop on over to QueryTracker.net and help them celebrate their two-year anniversary. You'll have the opportunities to win some seriously great stuff!

Again, my sincere thanks for making this party a huge success. My love and gratitude to all. I'll be back to regular programming in a few days...

Debbie

Chistmas is coming... Look what just arrived!

Paris Hilton - Single "Stars Are Blind"

Paris Hilton's single "Stars Are Blind" is a song recorded by Paris Hilton for her debut album Paris.

"Stars Are Blind" was released as the 1st single in mid-2006 (see 2006 in music) and has a reggae sound (produced by Fernando Garibay). "Stars Are Blind" song reached the top 5 in Canada, Ireland and the UK.

Hilton shot "Stars Are Blind" video for the single on Paradise Cove Beach in Malibu, California on May 24, 2006 directed by Chris Applebaum. The video for the song features many images of Paris Hilton's walking and rolling around on the beach with a lover. It premiered on June 6, 2006 on MTV. The video is stated to be the International Version Video.

2nd version of "Stars Are Blind" video was shot for the European and Latin American countries, featuring Hilton's lover (played by Lucas Babin) from the beach as her photographer at a photoshoot. In this version, scenes from the beach are still present, but exist as Hilton's fantasies during the photoshoot. At the end of the video, Paris Hilton wins the affection of her photographer, but ends up just taking his keys and stealing his car. The second version premiered on Z100's website on July 5, 2006. "Stars Are Blind" video is often called "Version 2" or "Black & White Version".

100!!!!!

WELCOME TO MY PARTY!!!

I hope you like cupcakes. Here we are. You. Me. Together again. Isn't this nice? Kind of cozy. It's hard to believe this is my 100th post. What a freakin' milestone this is! Of course, birthdays, anniversaries and 100th blog posts are nothing more than our perception of what we say is important in this bizarre experience we call "life." It's all made up, folks, every last bit of it. But, you know what? That's the beauty. We have the power to create our own lives; we really are the Michelangelos of our individual worlds. I truly believe that "Little by little, all our sweet dreams come true..."

So, what has been created here? Why is this blog important to me and, hopefully, to you? For me it's because this is a place where thoughts on the road to publishing, spirituality, music, politics, humor and pictures of gorgeous animals (and I'm not just talking about my family) have a place to roam free. It's a diary of sorts.

Remember the crazy, old guy who told me I'd voted for Satan? (11/7/08)
Remember when Dusty went missing? (1/12, 13, 15/09)
Remember my crazy neighbor who went all Mike Tyson on us? (10/14/08)
Remember the not-too-bright ex-beauty queen who was running for the second most powerful job on the planet? (10/2/08)
Remember when I got my first "nibble?" (11/25/08)
Remember when my mom went through surgery and your love and support made all the difference in the world? (10/2/08)

(I've added the dates here in case anyone feels nostalgic and wants to re-experience these episodes. You can find them in the bottom, right-hand corner of the blog.)

Here are a few of my favorite pics from various entries:










This is the stuff of my blog journal. Looking back over the past 7 & 1/2 months, a lot has changed. My first entry (9/30/08) was right after I'd attended my first writer's conference in NYC. I'd finally jumped in and gotten my feet wet and what an eye-opener that was! The gals in my group like Wendy and Sarah were so talented and supportive. I was blown away to be in their presence. And my dear blogger friend, Amy, made me feel so at home in this new blogosphere world.

I'll be attending two more conferences this month, and I can't wait. First of all, I'll be meeting my new best friend for the first time (a writer I "met" through my blog - she doesn't have a blog, otherwise I'd link her - hugs to you, J...) and secondly, I know there will be new agents and writers I'll meet and all of our lives will be impacted - it's a beautiful thing.

Since my first entry, I've set aside the book I was pitching back then, written another, and am 2/3 of the way through yet another. I've never been happier. Thanks to each and every one of you for making this journey fun, enlightening, challenging and humorous. I love all of your comments - I am honored and amazed by you.

Before I get to the SGP, a reminder that all the NEW folks (between the last post and this coming Sunday night) are in the running for a $10 gift card, and a commenter from the last post has already been selected to win a $10 gift card. (All winners will be announced Monday morning and all gift cards are from Borders Books). A commenter from this post will win a $20 gift card and if you link to this post and let me know, you'll have another shot at both the $20 gift card and the SGP.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to unveil the Secret Grand Prize....

By Sunday at 9PM EST, all who have commented on this post or the last (if you post on both, you get two shots at it) will be eligible for:

A $20 Gift Card from Borders PLUS
Your choice of one of the following two books (in perfect condition):

• The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
• Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda

AND.....

• You get to name a character in my current WIP, "Murder on Twilight Circle"!!!

If you win, you'll have the option of choosing a male (homicide detective) or female (nun) character to name. (And, for the record, if you choose the nun I'd prefer you stay away from names like Lolita, Candy, Tootsie, etc.!!!)

I wish the best of luck to each and every one of you, and from my heart to yours, Namaste. (I bow to you.)

Computer go boom?

Last night I attempted a system update to the computer. It did not
take. Nor did it want to work on the old system after.

There are a couple more tricks to try before hope is lost.

Luckily I still have this iPhone.

But this should explain why it's quiet on the blog.

Update: The computer will return! In fact, I'm using it to write this. However... there is quite a bit to do to make it work properly... which is why I am not writing much more. It does work. I will work properly after more attention. Whew!

HD

Denise Rosenthal - Eres La Luz HD Vob Download: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

99 & Counting... Party on, Excellent!

Believe it or not, this is my 99th post which means the next one will be my 100th! (I aced second grade math.)

In order to properly honor this auspicious occasion, I'll be giving stuff away. Not just any old stuff, but cool stuff. Stuff like Borders Gift Cards and books and a SECRET GRAND PRIZE (SGP) THAT IS SO COOL YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO STAND IT!!!!

"How do I win all this cool stuff?" you ask. Well, that's easy! Everyone who comments on THIS post will be eligible for a $10 Borders Gift Card and everyone who comments on my Centennial Post (which will magically appear on Friday) will be eligible for a $20 Borders Gift Card.

All commentators from this post AND/OR the next will be eligible to win the SGP!
(To be revealed on Friday and, yup, one person could feasibly win both gift cards AND the SGP!)

I'm hoping these enticing incentives will coax some of you lurky-loos out of Lurksville, Lurkytown, or Lurkland, or wherever the hell it is you live in order to say "Hello!" or "Wassup?" or "Your Mother Wears Army Boots!" or whatever the hell it is you lurky-types like to say.

Also, all NEW FOLLOWERS who come on board the Write on Target Party Train between now and this coming Sunday will be eligible for an additional $10 Borders Gift Card (and if you comment, the SGP!).

So, I hope you'll join the party and help me celebrate nearly eight months of fun and frolic. (I don't know about you, but I just LOVE to frolic!)

ALL WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY 9PM-ISH EST ON SUNDAY, 5/17.

Party on Wayne, party on Garth!!!

Right Path

At the ripe old age of 34 I wrote a song called, "Sweet Life." It was an ode to my kids and my parents, and it was a look at time passing by:

"Sometimes I feel I'm getting old, that life was all 'back then,' Still I know I'm younger now then I ever will be again..."

This was a reminder to myself that as old as I sometimes feel, I am, in fact, younger then I ever will be in the future. This is a powerful and positive way to view aging. Unfortunatley, as the days on the calendar fall away, we grown-ups generally tend to feel less powerful and less positive about our time remaining. We lean more towards the philosphy in the lyrics of another well-known songwriter (though, admittedly not as famous as me), Roger Waters:

"And the sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older, Shorter of breath and one day closer to death..." (Pink Floyd, "Dark Side of the Moon" as if you didn't know!)

The ever-hammering tick, tick, tick, of time sometimes manifests inner doubts and questions. Do I have enough time? Will I accomplish my goals? Will I have enough money to retire? Will my dreams finally come true? Will I be able to afford to send my kids to college? Will I ever get my baby-blue, 2-door, convertible Mercedes? And, if you're a writer like me, "Will I find the perfect agent and get my book published before I'm 100?"

Time passing is both fascinating and mysterious. How we relate to time and to our lives in general changes as we age. When I was a kid, I thought forever was a long, beautiful, never-ending, lazy road. There was no anxiety over not having enough time; no limit to the dreams I could and would imagine. As an adult, I realize forever was my innocent child's interpretation of life, and that I'd better be in action if I want to see my dreams blossom fully and vibrantly.

What is it you still want to accomplish in life? Having a happy, healthy family? Being kind to all living things? Snuggling with your pets? (One of my favorite and most oft-reached goals!) Marrying (or staying married to) your best friend? Becoming a great cook? Learning a different language? Traveling to exotic places? Creating something timeless that is yours and yours alone? All of the above?

Chuck and I wrote a song called, "Beautiful Illusion." It's about being one with yourself; being truly at peace.

"The beautiful illusion is near, I hear the voices whisper in my ear, "You're on the right path, it's clear..."

Look at your life and tell yourself honestly - are you on the right path? Is it clear? Is it somewhat hazy? What action can you take to further your dreams or goals?

Take that action. Now.

Lolly

1. Jazzimodo - Caramelo (3:07)
2. Jazzimodo - Well You Needn't (3:18)
3. Jazzimodo - Lion De Ta Vie (4:32)
4. Jazzimodo - Felicidad (3:29)
5. Jazzimodo - Vestidos Y Pajaros (4:23)

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Signs of travel

Some of my favorite signs or ads from Paris.Every little boy dreams of staging their own opera. Wait a minute Jean-Timmy, are those all of mommy's Bic lighters at the front of your stage? I told you not to play with fire again!

What a happy pig to be cooked in a pot!

This piggy is ROUND, with square edges.

This goose is proud to be your stuffed liver.

translation: it is stupid to have badly
Stoopid monkey.

Happy Birthday, Adam!

OK, look at us and tell me how is it possible that we have a 20-year-old son? I mean, if we're only 30-ish (give or take a decade), how can we have a son who's 20? It's not physically possible. And, yet, there it is.

Here's a pic of Chuck and I at a lovely little bistro last month in New Jersey. Now, honestly, if you didn't know how old this hot, young couple was, what would you guess? 30? 32? OK, 35 tops? (You know, I have super-powers and can hear you laughing all the way out here in the suburbs of Philly. So, you might want to knock it off.)

Twenty years ago at this very moment, I'd just received a gift from heaven - an epidural. Unfortunately, I still had four hours to go before the biggest blessing/pain in my ass would officially arrive on the planet. Adam Mitchell Schubert came barrelling into the world at 2:22PM MST on Monday, May 8th, 1989. All kidding aside, it was one of the two best days of my life (the other day was two years and eight months later when Ethan was born.)

I remember lying in the hospital bed and cradling my newborn in my arms. We stared at each other and had a truly out-of-body experience. It was a connection I'll never forget. As crazy as it seems, I believe we "bonded" at that very magical moment. And right after that, I had this thought: "Oh my God - someday this sweet, little baby will be a TEENAGER!!!! Help, doctor, put it back!!"

And, it's true. That sweet, little baby did become a teenager. Somehow, we both managed to make it through those (frightening) years, and now Adam is heading directly for adulthood. And that, my friends, is nothing short of crazy. Like Jerry said, what a long, strange (fun, amazing, incredible, frustrating, fascinating, mind blowing) trip it's been.

Here's what our tiny baby looks like now. He used to be a geek who wore only sweat pants and t-shirts. Now he's in college and is a super-cool drummer in a punk rock band called Combat Crisis. And, damn, he's kinda cute! At least we know where he gets his good looks (see pic of Chuckie-poo above) and talent from (see pic of moi above).

So, please join me in welcoming my little, baby Adam (or, Amo, as he called himself until he was two. "What's your name?" random stranger would ask. "Amo!" he'd reply. And I thought I'd taught him never to talk to strangers...) into his third decade of life.

Happy 20th, Adam, and many, many more!

All my love, Mom.;-)

Kylie Rules My World

On Wednesday, I was minding my own business, settling down to start work and read a few quick "news blogs" while I sip my coffee. Then I ran into the headline "KYLIE MINOGUE ANNOUNCES U.S. TOUR" and all hell broke loose inside my head.

First I followed the link, hyperventilating, worried that I may have missed something. What the hell? I belong to her personal Kylie website and even signed up for "send me emails" of news. Where was my email!!!??

Its a mini-tour that starts September 30 in Oakland:
Sep. 30 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
Oct. 3 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
Oct. 4 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
Oct. 7 Chicago, IL Congress Theater
Oct. 9 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre...
Oct. 11 NYC, NY Hammerstein Ballroom (sold out)
DATE ADDED- Oct. 12 NYC, NY Hammerstein Ballroom

American Express pre-sale started Thursday at 10 am. That's when I lost it. I don't have an Amex. So I phoned Lyle. His boss has an Amex. I had a desperate need.

I called Lyle and I just kept repeating, "OHMYGOD
OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD
OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD
OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD" Faster and faster and faster....

He had to tell me he couldn't understand me and I started talking even faster trying to explain my panic, "KylieMinogueiscomingtoLAandIhavetohaveticketsandtheyareoffering
AmexpresaleandIdon'thaveanAmexbutyouknowpeoplewhodoandI..."

Lyle cut me off, "just send me an email. It's all gibebrish. I got Kylie. I got tickets. Email me."

Then I begged him to get his boss to utilize the power of his black Amex in getting me FRONT ROW tickets.

Then I called him back after I saw that she was playing at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Vegas, where Lyle knows might know somebody... I told Lyle to blame me for forcing him to call, to tell the guy that I was dieing if need be. But I must have those tickets! (And possibly a meet and greet would be special as well?")

Seriously, I kinda lost it.

This morning, I received my Kylie Fan Blast (yeah, I get a "Kylie Fan Blast") and I got my fan pre-sale code word. I waited for ten am and BAM! I was on that ticketmaster site at the stroke of 10. And by 10:10 I still didn't have any tickets.

I had an appointment, so I had to leave and then I was back at my desk at 12:10 and I was hammering that website for an hour and half trying to get tickets out of it. Meanwhile on facebook all my friends are boasting of how they already have their seats. NOOOOOO!!!!!

At 2:15 I surrendered. I emailed and texted Lyle (I didn't want any excuses) that it was up to him and his connections now. I had to give up. I had to get to work. If he did get tickets, I would have to pay for them!

It's 3:15 and I am pleased to say, we have seats. WE HAVE SEATS!!!

Oh Lyle.... now about that meet & greet....