So, yesterday, I told about how and why we were in a field with about 17 horses, apples and carrots [no donkeys after all, but two or three mules]. With horses heading straight toward us. Fast. Well not fast. But fast enough.

Yes, the number of horses keeps changing depending on what part of the story I’m telling ;). I’m not sure how many it is. Somewhere between 15-18, including the mules [which apparently keep the wolves away].

Me, four kids [girls ages 11, 9 and 7 and a boy age 5], horses, and a bunch of apples and carrots.

I want to be quite clear.

I was never scared.

Let me repeat that.

I WAS NEVER SCARED.

Concerned? Sure. Wary? You betcha. Exceptionally respectful of animals that weigh, literally, thirty times more than my two younger kids? Absolutely.

But never scared.

And neither were the kids*.

Horses are big. Really big. Especially when you’re little. Two of my kids especially are fairly small and we’re not really horse people, so I was… a bit concerned when my [very much on the small side for her age] 7yo kind of got separated from me. Not very far, but far enough with two horse heads between us. 😉 She got back to my side, the Walmart bags of food between my feet and my arms around my kids, like a mother hen.

I told the kids over and over, in my best calm-while-there’s-a-spider-crawling-on-you voice. “They’re not going to hurt us. We’re going to remain calm and quiet and still. We’ll wait for them to go away. They’re just curious, but they won’t hurt us.”

Even as one, particularly big [at least to me] horse stood right behind me, nose in my hair, sniffling at the kids, and cheek to cheek with my five-year-old.

And still… Not. Scared.

Why?

Tomorrow – Angels Watchin’ Over Me.

*The 5yo later told me he was scared one of them was going to poop near him. But that’s not quite the same thing.

This post has to do with horses.

For those of you who read this “teaser” on my Carol Moncado Books Facebook page:

Working on a series of blog posts regarding today’s four legged guardian angel. Wanna know how big an animal? And what happened? Keep an eye open for the links to the first post later tonight :).

the first statement above may seem like a “spoiler” for what kind of animal, but you’ll have to read on. We have lots of animals around here – we even saw three wild turkeys today!

But because this story has to do with horses, it brings to mind a number of people who will likely be tagged when this posts to Facebook ;).

Candy Calvert – my very dear writer friend. Brenda and Becky – my first horse owning friends [Brenda was my bestie in 1st and 2nd grade, her twin Becky and I didn’t particularly get along, unless Brenda was sick – but Becky and I outgrew it ;)]. Penny, Angie, Paula, Ed, Amanda, Sarah, and assorted other people who work with my hubs. Mary Connealy, Karen Witemeyer, Erica Vetsch and assorted other writers of historical/western fiction. NovelSista Jessica Keller whose first book [out next month!!!!!!] has horses in it.

So yeah – lots of peeps, but mostly Candy honestly, for reasons that I hope will be apparent a couple of segments from now – running through my mind.

Okay – so my husband is a licensed therapist – he runs a group therapy program at a local residential facility for boys, mostly ages 12-18 or so. This facility is also a working ranch. They have cattle and horses and a couple donkeys and some ranch dogs [they stink!] and so on.

There’s a guy who lives not too far from my house who lets them hay his land and right now, about 15 of their horses are living on about 50 acres. It’s a couple miles from my house and I drive by there on the way to work. The ranch folks had asked us to drive by every so often and, you know, make sure the horses are there ;).

So, last night, when I heard we’re supposed to get snow next week, I thought, “Hey, I should take the kids over there and feed the horses and take some pics and stuff.”

[No commentary on anything, please. It was an idea. We can debate how good the idea was later ;).]

I mentioned it to Matt who talked to the peeps at the ranch and they okayed us going out there. Said it would be best if the horses came to the fence but – at least from what I got from Matt – didn’t seem too concerned about us climbing over/through the gate. The horses out in the field are horses the boys at the ranch ride regularly and are comfortable with people etc.

I had to be at the kids’ school for a meeting at 230, so the kids didn’t get on the bus but went with me when school got out. We went to Walmart, picked up apples and carrots, talked to a nice checker-out lady who owns horses about how to feed them, went home for a quick bathroom break then headed to the field.

We parked, emptied the apples and carrots out of the bags into the Walmart bag and climbed over/through the gate.

Telling the kids to avoid the horse doo whenever possible, we walked up a hill and around this bit of trees [there will be pics tomorrow]. On the far side of the field, all the horses were congregated.

Then they saw us.

Tomorrow: Stampede! 😉

Okay – I know – it’s not November. But I need to keep going on this second manuscript so maybe I can trick myself? It’s worth a shot ;).

Day 30: 390 words
Total: 56617 words

Goal for December: 50-55K words and a finished first draft of book 2 in the Montero series.

I’ve been using Dover Castle as my template for the Montero Palace:

When I posted it on Facebook, Jason said Edinburgh was better.

So maybe a combo of both? Not sure. What’re your thoughts?

Another question for you…

My hero in book 2 is the little brother of the heroine in book 1. The heroine in book 1 is a princess who is about to become queen. If the heroine from book 2 is the cousin of the hero from book 1…

Is it plausible that she won’t recognize the hero has a prince since she’s never met him and only seen a few pics?

Have written a bit today but it’s Can Film Festival Day at one of the local theaters. Bring cans of food, get movie tickets. Hubs already took the food and got the tickets so taking the kids to see Wreck It Ralph in an hour so I’ve gotta get ready. Plus I’ve got to figure out dinner for the night before we leave. I’ll get some more in later, I’m sure :).

Well, I don’t “must” but I’ve only missed one day this month and that wasn’t on purpose.

It’s been one of those days. I’m hoping to get some words in but don’t know if I will.

And another friend got news today – great news :).

Can’t wait to be able to talk about it all publicly :D.

Day 29: 547 words
Total: 55400 words

Gonna try to get those words in now…

So today, I heard about three bits of good news from writer friends. Two aren’t public so I won’t be mentioning what they are here. One I heard in person and I did squeal and hug her [right in the adjunct office with about 4 other people around 😉 – people who don’t ‘get’ writers, I might add :D].

The other one I got in text. I was giving a test at the time and had a hard time containing my Snoopy/Cliff-and-Claire-Huxtable-Table-Dancing Combo [hey – I was in a spinny desk chair!] but I managed to remain semi-composed ;).

The third I’ll share in a minute.

As absolutely ecstatic I am for all three of them, there’s that little piece of me [okay – I’ll admit it – it’s a much bigger piece than I wish] that is… jealous isn’t quite the right word. But where as soon as I’m done with my Spinny-Sitting-Snoopy-Huxtable-Dance thing I want to cry. Because other people are seeing success where I’m not.

I emailed with a couple other friends [without giving details] and one of them wrote this back:

“Their success is not your failure.”

Um… Let me repeat that.

“Their success is not your failure.”

It’s something God whispered to her at one point when she was going through the same thing. It’s not like we were going for the same job or the same award or the same whatever. Their success has nothing to do with my success, failure or waiting game.

This came on the heels of a couple of days where I felt really good about my writing and about that manuscript I’ve mentioned the last couple days. Really, really good.

And I felt body-slammed.

In talking with my Other-Mom, she said this:

Because God confirms your calling before you hear the news to reassure you and encourage you to keep pressing on. Your time will come.

I love how God puts people in my life who knows just what I need to hear – and when I need to hear it. I am so so so so so so stinkin’ happy for them. And less… unhappy [for lack of a better term] for me.

Thank God for those kind of people. And for a God who knows me better than I know myself. Who knows beforehand when these kind of days will come and boosts me up ahead of time. If only I’d remember that a bit quicker ;). I’m getting better :D.

So… yesterday’s NaNo:

Day 28: 34 words
Total: 55680 words

I’ve done a bit better than that today. Off to try to wrack up a few more :).

And the third one?

Dear friend Jessica Keller got her box of books today!!!! Her first release!!! So so so so awesome!!!!

Yes.

Girl Meets World.

Sequel to Boy Meets World.

Has been green-lighted.

TGIF fans around the world squee-ed.

I was one of them.

Just one of many similar articles.

And we’re not the only ones. Ryder Strong seems to be excited about it [though he’s not officially involved at this point].

Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel are back as Cory and Topanga Matthews. Still married after 14 years [Thank God! A bitter divorce between those two would likely be a death knell for GMW before it even starts.] and parents to a 13yo daughter [which coincides with the timing of the end of BMW – more or less – it was 14 years ago and the pilot likely won’t air until at least late summer – I don’t know anything about that, just the way it seems to usually work]. Cory is apparently a junior high school teacher – having turned into a Mr. Feeney.

Who will be back for guest spots? Well, that’s anybody’s guess. But Ryder as “Uncle Shawn”, Uncle Eric, Shawn’s half-brother [whose name is escaping me at the moment], maybe Angela. Of course, Grandma and Grandpa Matthews.

And Mr. Feeney.

We need Fee-eee-eee-een-eh.

Sorry. Channeling my inner Eric.

Yes. My inner fangirl is still squeeing.

And since it’s on Disney, it may not quite live up to my memories of the original [or it’s reruns on MTV2 of all places], but it highly unlikely it’ll be something I won’t let my kids watch either.

Oh.

Right.

This is about NaNoWriMo. Today, I got to hang out with Margie for a few hours – love that gal. Plus we had Chick-fil-A for lunch and I got to see some of my friends there [including the owner’s wife who thought I’d been ignoring here – I’d replied to her texts – she just hadn’t gotten them :p].

Yesterday: 20 words
Total: 55644 words

I should probably try to beat that today… 😉

Yep. I officially “won” NaNoWriMo today. I’ve had the words since Saturday but just entered them in the validator so the little line on  the my counter turned purple and says WINNER! now.

So yay!

I also reread a manuscript today. I <3 that story. So much. I so hope it gets published someday because something about the whole thing is just… different. Special. I think I mentioned it last night – but after reading all 70K words of it, I love it even more [and need to figure out where to add 15K more words to it].

Day 26: 414 words
Total: 55623 words

Tomorrow, I get to see local writer friends Margie and Cindy where they’re critiquing part of that same manuscript as I get it ready for a contest :).

And since NCIS is over… time to get some work done.

I love my kids. I really do. But with a weather change overnight, today was… not our best day. Too cold to really go outside and let them run off the insane amounts of energy they seemed to have absorbed.

But tomorrow I go back to work [okay – I only work on Tuesdays and Thursdays anyway – and tomorrow is my last lecture of the semester :D] and the kids go back to school. I’ve gotten a bit of writing/research done – along with some other stuff. Including working on an entry for a contest. Had a hard enough time coming up with a 200 word blurb for the last contest I entered it in. A 300 word synopsis for this one won’t be much fun :p.

Day 25: 971 words on book 2
Total: 54382 words

Despite her protests, Princess Gisela, headstrong daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, must enter into a diplomatic marriage. Yet en route to her wedding, her ship is attacked and she’s gravely injured. Rescued by a renowned healer, King John of Lydia, Gisela recuperates at his Mediterranean castle. The handsome, widowed ruler soon has her reevaluating her beliefs on love and marriage…but only if King John could be her groom. Their love is forbidden, and duty requires him to deliver her to her betrothed. Unless they can find a way to join their hearts—and kingdoms—with love, faith and honor.

This is my fifth book by Rachelle. I read her “Reclaiming the Crown” series set in the fictional country of Lydia on the Mediterranean. A Royal Marriage takes place in the same country well over a thousand years earlier.

Gisela is the daughter of Charlemagne – she did exist but next to nothing is known about her but her name. Rachelle uses her – and what we do know of Charlemagne and the world at that time – to weave a love story into ancient Lydia.

It was great fun seeing the places from the first series [Love Inspired Suspense] as they were centuries earlier or as they were being created. But it isn’t necessary to have read those books to enjoy this one.

Though the conclusion [Gisela and John together] is foregone given the genre and line [Love Inspired Historical], Rachelle kept me guessing to the end as to how they were going to manage it. And she pulled it off wonderfully.

The interactions between Gisela and John were fabulous and the other characters were brought to life – real, flawed, and I fell in love with the country of Lydia all over again. I’m so glad to hear that there is a sequel [one of John’s brothers – he has two and a sister] plus Rachelle’s next series for LIS involves Lydia as well.

This one had a bit more suspense than I seem to remember from other LIH books, but that didn’t take away from the romance.

Overall Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ecopy in exchange for my review.

Yep. That’s right! I finished the rough draft of book one last night :D. WOOHOO!!!!!

Day 24: 11297 words
Total: 54238 words

So today I’m working on book 2 for a bit. Am nearly a thousand words into it already and LOVING my heroine! Didn’t know a thing about her till now and loving her spunk!

Did a bit of reading today, too. That’s always nice :).

But now time to write a bit while watching MegaMind [again] with the kids ;).