Time's flyin'...

Is it just me, or is there a slight buzz running through the blogging world lately? I can't help but wonder if the collective author/blogger/NaNoer community just looked at their calendars and gasped when they saw Nov 1 right around the corner.

13 days, gang. 13 measly days. Are you ready? Do you feel ready? I won't lie. I'm uber nervous about this year's NaNo.

Me in previous years:
I am SO ready that I am now killing time by putting finishing touches--embellishments, if you will--on my outline. I float around my house with an arrogant air, ready to not only "win" NaNo, but to do so before Thanksgiving. Look at me as I casually fold laundry and glance at the calendar, eager to begin. My smugness is irritating everyone, including me.

Here's my current reality:

• I leave for a 9-day international trip three weeks from today. 
• I have a sketchy-at-best outline and my characters are flatter than North Dakota.
• Theme? What theme? Why do I need one? Says who?
• (Spoiler alert!) I'm hosting a blogparty for the next TWO WEEKS and while this is all shiny and amazing, it's been cutting into my prep time. Tune in Friday for more information!
• Laundry, dishes, shopping, stocking, planning, prepping, and sleeping have all been ignored and I'm currently sporting a somewhat put-together zombie professional look here at work.

 So yeah, I'm making this short so I can go get a latte and keep planning. And by planning, I mean creating color-coded to-do lists in Excel.

Click here!

First, if you're doing NaNoWriMo, please go check out Sommer Leigh's blog. She has created a NaNoWriMo Champion linky deal and trust me when I say she does a better job of explaining it than I am doing now. Basically, if you're doing NaNo and you want encouragement, sign up. We'll be in it together.

Second, if you're not familiar with Sarah Ahiers, what's wrong with you go make a new friend. She recently posted a blog about the NaNo 30 Covers in 30 Days contest. Oh yeah, and check out her beautiful cover on her page from last year. Yeah, the snot WON! (Snot said with love and respect, of course). If you want to know how to enter, Sarah spells it all out. Two steps, kids. Two simple steps.

Finally, because I love free books, check out this link to Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire. There's a link to Calista Taylor's new book (steampunk romance!), Viridis. Have I mentioned it's FREE? (Because 99 cents is apparently too expensive? Seriously, Trish?)

Okay, off to get caffeine. Tune in Friday for my big blogparty announcement!!