Sometimes Other Things Are More Impt.

One of the previous days this week, I had a hard time getting into the writing groove and finally was in the middle of a scene that was working after dinner, when I got a call from a friend who has recently had a relationship crash. She wanted to go to dinner.

Of course I went. Even if this had been an intense deadline week, I would have gone. Like the title says, some things are more important than writing. I DID go back and finish the scene, and continued to drag along to my wordcount after we talked. Nothing, for me was lost, but I gave some comfort to a friend.

That is always more important. LIFE is more important.

So may you LIVE today.
Robin

Motivational Quote

There are no days in life so memorable as those which vibrated to some stroke of the imagination. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Internals

"Internals" is what my group calls the thinking in your head stuff. Reacting to events, reviewing options, changing WHY you do things. I took Chapter 2 of Heart Journey to Critique which was 12 ms. pages long, most of them internals. I knew it was too long but was struggling with the set up of the character, Del, and the book. So it was something I needed to know, but could thread in for the reader later.

I'm must remember that Del is a very direct woman, not one who does self-examination very often or for very long.

In any event, I cleaned up the chapter to make it stronger as advised by the group (I was keeping Heart Fate in mind and they weren't). So now Chapter 2 is 6 pages and I'll be moving the scenes that were going into 3 into 2...

Internals: make them as brief and pithy as possible. If you can show a person's emotional struggle when they are talking with someone else or acting, that's even better.

May you forget about self-examination today and go with the flow, whatever that might be.
Robin

Signing Tomorrow 2-4 pm Fort Collins

I will be signing with the usual gang: Elaine Levine, Melissa Mayhue, Lynda Hilburn. ;)

We have had a great time together.

I'll be heading out from waaaaay south east Denver suburb where Critique Group is (taking chapter 2 of Heart Journey) to Fort Collins which is waaay north...so it will be a while...and since we got 4 inshes of snow yesterday, this is going to be fun.

May you enjoy your running around and weather today.
Robin

Favorite Book

I bought a copy of one of my favorite books on half.com a little while back and am enjoying it wonderfully. Though the author was male, he wrote VERY STRONG female characters...sort of adventure romances.

Merlin's Keep by Madeleine Brent. I like all "her" other works too.

May you sink into a wonderful world today.
Robin

Cut, Cut, Cut

I have been informed that Heart Change was too long so it has been cut. I DO trust my editor, but in page count that book wasn't as long as Heart Fate. So I think that I have been writing long for most of my books, but now the economy has caught up with me and I will no longer be able to skate the far edge of page count.

Sigh. I DID cut beforehand, and now I'm not sure exactly how long is "too long." So I'm waiting.

It IS easier for others to see what can be cut rather than the author, and that's one of the things good editors do.

Looking back on the manuscript, I can think of a scene or two that can be cut because they are setting up for books down the line that may never be bought. Bits that are not really necessary for this particular story. So I may not be foreshadowing as much in the future.

Also, I did have several Passages in this book (Avellana's) and I had Passages in Heart Fate, so those may have been cut.

I am not an author who thinks her words/scenes/chapters are set in stone (but I do like my cuts, thus the READS and WORLDS pages on my website). I WILL have to see the cuts to make sure that no payoffs are dropped and choreography works.

Bottom line, this means there may be a lot more work than I'd anticipated...

And, of course, I tend to worry instead of just accept things as they come. It will be fine. The cuts will go on the website for others, no story line will be screwed up...

May you live in the moment today.
Robin

Research -- Migration of Magnetic North

Pretty interesting?

May you enjoy wherever you land today.
Robin

Series Title

First of all, in the news blurb, they called it an "unnamed series" and I guess that's true. Usually I name my series -- the Heart Books, the Summoning Series (though to keep it atop my files list I called it "Exotique Summoning Series.")

To me this is the "Lightfolk" series.

Of course the titles will probably change, and I GUARANTEE you that they won't like Water Healer...so if anyone can come up with something 2 words that means a RIVER/STREAM naiad who is going to purify her waters, feel free.

May you enjoy your own imagination today.
Robin

NEWS!

From Publisher's Marketplace:

FICTION: SCI-FI/FANTASY
Robin Owen's new untitled series, a mix of urban fantasy and romance, featuring the Lightfolk (Fae), a world where magic and technology merge, and a place where being mortal means becoming much more, to Mary Theresa Hussey at Luna, in a three-book deal, by Deidre Knight at The Knight Agency (World).


FIRST TWO BACKGROUNDS COURTESY OF MOYRA'S WEB JEWELS




I wasn't sure when the news would break, and ADVICE, never be the one to first break news like this.

May you enjoy the vistas before you.
Robin (who just misspelled her name...)

News Coming.

Today, tomorrow or Wednesday...I hope.

May you enjoy good news today.
Robin

Quizzes

Yes, I like them. I even started one "Which FamAnimal Would You Have..." but never finished it because it looked like it would go on forever....

Here's one.

You're the University of Washington!

A visionary for your area, you truly can see it all. At the
same time, you used to be prone to burning out and trying to do it all. You
have to remember that you're just one person, and can't be responsible for a
whole community. But this is a lesson you've managed to learn long ago and
now you rely on all sorts of people. Many of them really enjoy looking at you.
Even though it seems like an out-of-date phrase, you're a big fan of dubbing
things.


Take the University Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

May you enjoy learning today.
Robin

Research -- Mendocino Triple Junction

These are EARTHQUAKES.



Fascinating and scary, right?
This is for work on the
contemporary fantasy romance books...

May you enjoy wherever you land on the web today.
Robin

Posts & Spam & Moderation & Signing today

All right schtuff has been going on in my life, and I didn't realize that I'd missed a couple of days this week. I spent about 2 hours yesterday deleting that Chinese spam only to be hit again late in the evening.

So all posts OLDER than 2 WEEKS will be MODERATED. If you have something to say about my past blogs, feel free, but know I'll have to look at it, or comment on a current blog...that always works.

I haven't been able to settle well for the last three weeks and hopefully I can talk about it soon...

May you all enjoy your day!
Robin

Genres, Urban Fantasy, Readers

At the creativity weekend, another writer and myself, and my friend and line editor, tried to convince a (very stubborn) reader that Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series was not a mystery. Reader had read one of the books upon recommendation.

Because it had a mystery in it, it was, by the reader's definition, a mystery. Though she hadn't read any other mysteries except Sherlock Holms and Donna Andrews, a while back.

We all told reader that the genre was Urban Fantasy.

No, reader said, the setting wasn't urban. It was the wilds of Montana.

It started in an urban setting, didn't it?

Reader states it started in a small town, then went to Montana. NOT urban, said reader.

We went a few more rounds, then breakfast was served, but at a moment when we couldn't interrupt, reader defended her position before the whole group of us. It had a mystery, was not set in an urban setting, so despite what reader thought, it was called an urban fantasy.

So...YOU, as a writer, may know the definitions of genre (and you should so you know to whom you should be pitching your book), but the readers might not. I believe this reader to be more clueless (and unwilling to listen) than most, but many readers may not know even the basic definitions of genre...and many of them won't care. BUT, if the book is NOT shelved in the correct genre by the bookstore, some of your readers might not find it. Genre is usually listed on the back of this so booksellers and readers know what genre the publisher considers it to be.

Writing tip, Know Your Genre -- this can be understood by the main thrust of the book. Is it focused on paranormal elements or "world"? Probably a fantasy. Focused on solving a crime? Mystery. Focused on a love relationship? Romance.

And don't argue about your own book to readers.

May you enjoy what you read today.
Robin

Signing Tomorrow! And Spam

I was spammed about 400 times last night on the comments of this blog. I've taken some of them down, but not all, will probably continue as I work through the day.

I do NOT want to put the comments on moderation, but if I'm looking at this every day/night, I will have to.

Now, if you're in the area, please come to the signing! Noon! Loveland!
Signing: March 21, 2009, Noon, Centerra Barnes & Noble, Loveland, Colorado

May all go well for you today.


LATER: I think I got it all...a Chinese site, I believe. If you see any, just let me know, seemed like in the much earlier posts...

Robin

Loveland Signing Saturday

At the Centerra Barnes & Noble at NOON. The link to get there is above in the "link" area. Elaine Levine and Melissa Mayhue and Lynda Hilburn will also be there.

It's unseasonably warm this week, not the horrible snowstorms of March, but there will obviously be a drought. I had hot chocolate with ex at Common Grounds for a couple of hours, so got started on work late.

For lunch, I went out to the local pub, Mead St. Station, for lunch because they advertised the Best Corned Beef & Cabbage in Denver (though Mom also made some, so I should have gone over there, but I am working hard on Heart Journey and it's not exactly flowing, more like spurting in jumps and starts). The dish was good, with some excellent sharp mustard, cabbage was good and buttery new potatoes wonderful.

I wore green when I was out but my regular stuff at home.

I'd love to see you at the signing! The Centerra store is good, and don't forget to bring whatever coupons you might have.

May you enjoy all your outings today.
Robin

ARC Format -- Advanced Readers Copy

I send my hardcopy and email arcs out in the following format:




Header with copyright info, two columns per page, Times New Roman font, pagination on the OUTSIDE TOP of every page, full justification, paragraph inset .3

This makes it look more like a book.

May you enjoy the day.
Robin

Working Writer Realities

Now that the whole Summoning series is out and I'm getting comments about it, I'm thinking of the stories that were left out of the books. There were three. One was Koz's story, which I'd planned on being in book 3 of the second 3 book set. Since the second set was two, I never wrote his story, though I know a few bits of it.

Another story was of a couple I never introduced, and a third was about the woman who came to Earth to be the Earth's "Singer." That one drifted through my mind this morning when I woke and began to form, I could see the meet between her and Trent, I heard dialogue, bits of the first couple of scenes flashed.

Then I put away the ideas and got up and to work.

The reality of being a working writer is that I don't have the luxury to write that story now that the series is finished and I won't be paid for it. If I was unpublished with no deadlines, I'd do it. But I do have commitments and my schedule is rapidly filling and I just can't follow my muse in that particular direction.

Again, this is the difference between writing for your living and being published and being unpublished and completely following your heart. As much as the accomplished and unpublished writer yearns for publication (and I KNOW that taste in the mouth, it took me 8-9 years to get published), so does the working, published writer yearn for the time and luxury to play with stories that will never pay.

So, those of you who are unpublished, think of this and count your blessings.

May all enjoy your work today.
Robin

Interviewing Your Characters

My workshop, Interviewing Your Characters, went extremely well. I enjoyed it a lot and I think others did, too. There were hands up after all three exercises from people who'd gotten new insights into their characters and books. I included a set of tarot cards for people to pick from to see if their character reacted to the IMAGE that the card showed (though I didn't explain this properly this first time).

I am very pleased. I worked hard on the questions and the flow of the questions, the different aspects of each exercise.

May you be satisfied today...and enjoy the characters in your life.
Robin

Award of Excellence Finalist!

I was told before I gave my workshop that Heart Fate had finalled in the paranormal category. I turned red. I am SO pleased. This is important to me because the contest is judged by readers, and also because this is my local chapter. Much merriment in the house! (Ok, Tommy ate his rabbit and licked his paw, Dingo ate his crunchy food and went back outside, but I danced around!).

THANK YOU, CRW.

Robin

Author: Best Promotional Tool

1) Write the best book you can.
2) Send out ARCs (advanced Readers Copies) to create buzz.

Your work should speak for you. Booksellers who like your work, readers, bloggers, will spread the word (booksellers may hand-sell)

May you feel accomplishment today.
Robin

Proposals -- Editorial Changes.

I work very hard on the proposals -- writing the chapters, explaining the world and plot in the synopsis.

Then comes the pitching and the selling and the negotiating, all taken care of my by wonderful agent, Deidre Knight.

But the last negotiations have made me skittish. I'm afraid I will sell my trilogy or series and then get into the writing of it and have it changed. This happens, and it happens a lot.

What do you do? You either go along with the changes or argue (have your agent argue hard) about the changes. If you can't come to an agreement, you give the advance money back -- and may get a reputation in the business for being hard to work with. In the best of cases, the changes will make a better book/series, sometimes they don't. In any event, when requests for changes happen, they take time to process (at least for me) and work on, if you have to scrap what you've done and do something else...I had problems with the very tight deadlines the last few years.

I don't want to write proposals, sell them, then be told to rework the whole thing... in essence, give up my vision of the story.

So, my strategy now is to do the work, submit it to my agent to read and comment about (if she doesn't think it will sell, I'll just toss it and start over with something else). Then we will talk and I'll tell her of my fears, see what we can do to minimize my concerns.

But be aware this happens, and be aware how flexible you can be, and when/whether you are able to walk away from a project or publisher.

May you know your limitations,
Robin

Research

So I start out the day thinking about surnames for my hero, trying to come up with some sort of new naming system for the new "world" I'm creating.

After that I start the heavy research: tectonic plates. One of the first things I do is to look at a map of the major tectonic plates of the world. I read several articles, then progress through the day to thinking about time (again), and battles and evil monsters and backstory and plotting my novel.

Then I go back to research...this time about the flip-flop of the magnetic field of earth, the lessening of the field, the wandering of magnetic north...and finally onto magnetic anomalies...I find a map of magnetic anomalies (about 12 hours later) and I stare and stare. Right there, unexplained on the map, are some lines that look familiar. I pull up my first map, and, yes, those are the tectonic plates. Now those of you with a science background would think "of course the tectonic plates would affect magnetic anomalies (or vice versa)" but it was a revelation to me. Wow. Or maybe geologists/geographers always put the plates in....



May you feel wonder today,
Robin

Win Guardian of Honor - ARC of Heart Change TODAY!

I'm giving away one of each!

May you win something today!
Robin

Win Guardian of Honor / ARC of Heart Change TOMORROW

I'm giving away one of each!

May you enjoy yourself today!
Robin

Back in print! -- Summoning Series

Just got a note that the Summoning series is back in print. Checked on amazon.com and found this was true. Now to contact all the folks who wanted Guardian...

May you smile today. LOTS.

Love,
Robin

Writing Software

My pitch for the seminar for my seminar workshop for Romance Writers of America on Writing Software was turned down. No clue why.

But since I put a lot of time into the Mile Hi workshop and it was fresh (again), I submitted it.

And since it would have taken even more time to make the seminar smooth and do examples, I am not altogether displeased that my pitch was turned down.

I haven't quite figured out why other writers aren't as interested in software as I am except that they must have kick-ass groups that meet really often...or must be whizzes at plotting.

I DO have a kick ass group, but we meet once a month, and when things fall through (like they did last month) and we send stuff out...well, I sent the new Heart Hope opening out and got 2 replies from my group of 7 others.

So...wandering this am...I USE writing software, which is why I can speak on it. Currently I have loaded on this laptop: Dramatica Pro, Liquid Story Binder, Write Way, ThoughtOffice and Storybase. On my desktop (still in shop, I'm hoping that new board came in), are the additions of Power Structure and Inspiration (which is more of graphical brainstorming program).

Many of those I bought to try and also to comment upon for the seminars (originally pitched a few years ago).

I have used Dramatica, Write Way and Storybase.

I am currently starting the plotting part of Dramatica for my contemporary fantasy romance story. Dramatica has a high learning curve, but it really makes me think about the structure. I'll do other stuff, too (like tarot and the Writer's Journey, I've pulled the cards, may pull more), but at least it will be a start I can give to my group to critique (though I am missing this month's, too, for a signing).

Now that I've said the above, I need to open up my program and get at it. The nice thing about working for myself in a household of 1 person is that I didn't have to scramble to get myself or others to work today now that it is an hour later.

May you follow an interesting path today.
Robin

2009 Creativity Weekend

This weekend was excellent. My masquerade costume as a cavewoman artist (no speaking part, just drawing a TERRIBLE horse, much worse than any in the cave paintings I studied), with a kiss of the fingers at the end, was not as good as I envisioned. I think I should have practiced. I won an award (we all do), but can't quite recall what it was (Rose is always very clever about naming the awards).

I made two pieces of collage art and they went for a total of $1.05. Too much glue on The Sun, which I took pics of, but since it is a collage of copyrighted images, I will never post here. Liquid Dreams won the Rhapsody in Blue Award. ;) (we all get art awards, too). The big seller this year went for about $13.75, a 3D sculpture of wires and beads by a real artist.

We all worked on small slabs of sandstone with thin sticks and acrylic paint, since the theme was prehistoric man/dinosaurs which (of course) never took place. My rock art was so bad it wasn't even recognized as art. :D I think it became part of a diorama.

The highlight of my weekend was last night during the playing of The Best Party Game (folks put 5-6 VERY WELL KNOWN fictional or real people names in a bucket, divide in 2 teams, first round describe the name in as many words as you want, second round describe the person in two words, 3rd round is pantomime). I was not having a good evening (though now I know who Danica Patrick is), and was dissatisfied with my performance in rounds 1 and 2. Usually I do very well in 2. Then I hit three and was smokin'! I got 10 names in a minute. Wow.

Yes, I'm competitive, but it was a good time. Roomed with a new friend (stranger to me until this weekend).

Got home safely and found messes by Tommy so I really don't know what I'm going to do about that cat. A visit to a new vet this week, I think. Was exhausted and felt like I'd pulled my shoulder/neck muscles and I think it was due to the fat pillows at the hotel. I usually sleep on very thin pillows.

One convention down -- oh, creativity weekend. ;) Romantic Times wouldn't be as nearly as fun because I'd be me and working. Here I'm just a friend and everyone is themselves. Art on Friday evening, masquerade and skits on Saturday, art auction on Sunday. Everyone must participate in all aspects or you are not invited (back).

I talked writing with Hilari Bell and Thea Hutchinson, particularly plotting, and discussed books and Harry Potter and Twilight and authors and storytellers with others.

During the Werewolf games on Friday and Saturday night, I was et 3 times but never lynched. ;)

All in all, a good time.
May you enjoy your friends today.
Robin

Annual Creativity Weekend

I'll be gone, but I think this place has wi-fi, so I'll post tomorrow am, too.

Karval Kon 32: The Kon That Time Forgot
March 6-8, 2009
The Quest for Fans begins…
at the Quality Inn across from the Rip Griffin in Limon, Colorado

Long ago, 10,000 BK (before Karval), When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth and we were but

Teenage Cavemen and Teenage Cavegirls, the Eastern Plains were shrouded in mystery …

The Lost World. Then a small but tribe took the long trip. They took a Journey to the Center of the Earth, through The Valley of Gwangi and beyond Jurassic Park, past the jungles of Pellucidar, the rock quarries of the Flintstones and the campfires of Alley Oop.

And there they created strange cave paintings and etchings, dressed in strange aluminum foil skin, and cavorted in peculiar (but enjoyable) ways. Have no fear—join the Fans of the Cave Bear for an evolution of participation at the Quality Inn! Bring along a bathing suit—or at least a fur loincloth—for a return to our primordial watery element (or just the hot tub...


May you enjoy your own creativity today, wherever you are.
Robin

On Tour -- Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh introduces a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires…

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she's the best—but she doesn't know if she's good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option...even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break…

May you enjoy all the worlds you visit today,
Robin

Writing -- How Heroes Cry, Cost of Tears for Readers and Hiding Tears for Hero

Yes, I watched the finale of the Bachelor. I actually watched many of the episodes, more to see the interaction between personalities than because I was very interested in the guy or women (though, IMO, Nikki [sp?] was the most beautiful woman -- and if you watch all the women step from the limo, and watch Stephani, you can see the difference in movement, REALLY interesting).

First, personally, I was not uncomfortable at Jason crying or the amount of times he cried.

I don't think I've ever written a hero who sat down and wept -- or braced himself on a balcony and wept, and I don't know that I would. Tears of pain might leak from eyes. (Did I do that with Bastien in Guardian of Honor? I don't think so. I think he just passed out -- underwater/jerir). I believe Saille Willow of Heart Dance has been my most Beta hero and I'm pretty sure he didn't cry.


OTOH, now that I think about it, I recall trying to find words for a guy's tears, so maybe...ah, I know I've had vision blur (Holm after he was disinherited in Heart Duel?) and maybe wind stinging the eyes (Luthan in Echoes In The Dark?). So I must have done it.

So is it all right for a romance hero to show emotion? I would say if you are writing an alpha hero, the above is pretty much how you handle it. A choked noise, stinging or blurry eyes. One sentence.

I think lingering on the action or the use of words like "weep" "sob" should definitely not be used -- though you might be able to have eyes blur in one paragraph and a couple of paragraphs later have a choked sound or strangled noise.

That is how I recommend heroes cry.

But my heroes hold hands often.

On Celta they hold hands when teleporting, or during a ritual. Ditto, during ritual circles on Lladrana. I'm impatient with the idea that men can't hold hands when necessary to do a task, that it's unmanly or whatever.

So it depends on your culture, and on your readers. Another READER RULE, do not show your hero as "unmanly." Particularly in public. They'd suck it up in public..., which, of course, was why Bastien's life had to be saved by Alexa in Guardian of Honor. So hiding pain/emotion DOES have a cost. Does the heroine know he is suffering or does she misconstrue?

Lots of interesting things to be done with this.

May you know your own emotions -- and show them or not -- today.
Robin

March Forth -- 4th

The evening of this day was when Alexa Fitzwalter went to Lladrana. ;)

Robin

Living the Job -- Writer

I was reading J.D. Robb's latest book, Promises in Death, and one of the themes was cops who ARE the job (like heroine Eve Dallas), and people whose job is as a cop.

That's one way I believe that you can keep writing, even through tough times -- define yourself as a writer. Eve Dallas IS a cop. Most of the dancers in A Chorus Line couldn't say what they would do if they couldn't dance.

I am a writer, and, luckily, an author. I think I stated that on my profile, or why I am doing this blog.

I define myself as a writer. That is who/what I am. I usually see whatever I do, wherever I go as how it affects the writer. Part of this is because I am a single adult. So I don't identify myself as a wife. Or a mother. Even when I was a paralegal, I was a writer. I didn't identify myself as a paralegal, get involved in the organizations, though I admired many who did.

Eve Dallas is a cop.
I am a writer.

However you identify yourself is right, but if you are unpublished and need that extra bit to hold onto until you are published, define yourself as a writer.

Now I need to work on Exercise 3 of my Interviewing Your Characters Workshop. It's different than any I've seen out there, and kept running in my mind a lot last night after I went to bed. I also thought of the plot of TS and part of the chapter I want to write.

May you know who you are and what you need today.
Robin

Passages -- Worldbuilding

Heart Fate has a lot about Passages -- the fugues that free a person's Flair. So does Heart Change, I didn't anticipate it happening that way, but so it turned out. I'm a little nervous about talking so much about it in both books back to back.

But after this I don't anticipate doing anything but mentioning Passage.

Sigh.

In Heart Change, Signet helps the child Avellana Hazel through her Passages and Cratag is aware of Laev Hawthorn's. I think we have actual scenes with two of them (of three) of Avellanas, and bits of the rest.

So just letting you know...
May your days be full of sunshine.
Robin

Author Career Responsibilities

So, the book is done, what next?

The Cast of Characters and maybe a Family tree need to be done.

Contests to judge.
Intensively prepare for my workshop "Interviewing Your Characters" in two weeks. I have interview sheets, I have notes, I need to put them together.

Proposals: I think I'll work on the contemporary fantasy romances first, though the dark urban fantasy trilogy is more fleshed out. I'm not sure.

Cast of Characters is for the upcoming book.
Contests are my way of "giving back" to the writing community.
Workshop, again, "giving back" and promotion.

Proposals, the lifeblood of the writer's career. You can't stop pitching them if you want a career.

May your job/vocation go well today.
Robin

Reply to comment: Why Middle Initial D.?

Very easy reason. When I wanted the website robinowens.com (March of 2001), it was not available. The guy who had it had bought it for his sister's boyfriend who became her ex. I asked a couple of times but was afraid he'd raise the price very high, so I went with the D. and I asked my publisher to put the D. on my books. When he didn't renew that domain, I got it and it is parked with mine.

It can be a little disconcerting to overhear my name, or hear myself called that, but I'm getting used to it. I've had comments that it adds a certain something, so that's ok, too. As long as my first and last are remembered, I don't care.

So, a practical reason, ease of finding an author on the net.

Also, I have a second, email name, that I'm coming to think of myself as, if I ever want a real pseudonym. Problem with that one is that though both the names are common, they aren't spelled in the common way...so if I ever go with that name, I should probably buy both sites again. If possible.

May you enjoy yourSELF today.
Robin