People often say that you are what you eat. In this case, perhaps you are what you drink. For years, I never liked coffee. I was a tea and Diet Pepsi girl. But with the advent of a Starbucks and Caribou Coffee on every street corner, I started to try it. Besides, I don’t get enough sleep, so I really need the caffeine. After trying a bunch of different types and flavors, I’ve learned this:

I love coffee. As long as it doesn’t taste like coffee. Give me your largest cup, a couple of shots of espresso, add a LOT of skim milk and throw in a flavor shot – cinnamon or gingerbread if you have it. Oh…and don’t forget the whipped cream. Yeah – I know the skim milk and whipped cream cancel each other out. I just can’t help it.

So what does that say about me? Well, I guess it says that I tend not to dismiss things because they fall into a category. Just because the drink has coffee in its name – which I will never like the taste of on its own – I don’t immediately assume I’m going to hate it. In fact, I took it as a challenge to find a coffee drink that I would like. I’d call that stubborn. Yep. That sounds about right. I like my coffee a bit frivolous and frothy. Check…totally me. My writing isn’t going to win the Nobel Peace Prize or put an end to world hunger. But, it might make you laugh. And the big glass – well, when I like something, I want to savor it. When I find a new author that I love, I go out and buy their entire backlist then read those that week. And heck, as a performer, I’ve learned never to do anything small – not even my mistakes.

This might not work for everyone, but I’m curious….what does your coffee choice – or lack or coffee choice, say about you?

Well, it’s finally arrived! Summer's here and not a day too soon for all the teachers at my school. Where does the time go? It seems like barely a couple months ago we were starting a new school year and now, it’s finished, over, done!

Now, to the question that is of greatest importance: what to do with the free time afforded me by the end of the school year. I plan to do several things this summer. Three are really big ones, but the most import is to complete my current wip. For those who don’t know that's writer lingo for work in progress.

I’m setting goals, making plans and lists and hoping for the best. My goal is to have my current wip completed before RWA’s National Conference in July. My plan to accomplish this includes meeting regularly with my critique partner, going to Starbuck’s several times during the week to write, but most of all, applying butt to chair and working. My list looks something like this:
Fly to Spain, cruise the Mediterranean (for real, I leave early today. If I’m absent from the fuzzies for a few days, you’ll know why!)
Return home, upload pictures of trip to the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers blog.
Apply butt to chair and write.
Go to Starbucks and write (It helps to stir my creativity to get away from the usual all by myself where I can wear my “writer’s persona” --family just doesn’t get this one.)
Set schedule to meet with Critique Partner. (I’m one of the luckiest people in the world when it comes to my partner. ( MM is the greatest.)
Apply butt to chair and write.
Attend National with completed manuscript to pitch.
Apply butt to chair and write.
Clean the deck and sit outside to write.
That's about it, I’ll hope for the best outcome. What about you? How do you plan to attack the lazy hazy crazy days of summer?