Return of the Jedi, uh, I mean, GeekWriterMom

This post has nothing to do with pirate kitties, but my head has been fuzzy with travel hang-over. I've got so much to do, it's nice to take a moment to breathe and giggle over an lolcat.

Hello! I'm back from my visit with my family. It was great to see everyone, but it's rough traveling with a toddler who hates to travel. Every hour, he asked to go home. Poor little guy. We learned he talks in his sleep and can climb out of his playpen. He slept very well - we all did - when we got home.

I've lots of catching up to do. Welcome to my new followers and thank you to everyone who left such awesome comments. I'm so happy you're loving the story. The A to Z Challenge has been incredible!

My first rejection of the year was waiting for me when I got home. Ah well. I'll try the story elsewhere. I have to write something for April yet too. Oh boy.

My son turns two this coming Friday. I need to prepare for his party. We're barbecuing and having a decorate your own cupcake and sundae dessert bar. Good times!

With his turning two, I've been busy making his annual photo book on Shutterfly. I want to do one for him every year throughout his childhood. It's so much fun to create books on that site.

Okay. Time to visit some of your blogs!

Sunday tidbits

Whew. Back from my long weekend away. I'm glad to be home. I like to travel, but I love my cozy house and comfy bed. I never sleep well in another bed. And traveling with a small child isn't fun. Thank goodness for chocolate. For me!

I haven't done any more writing yet. I haven't done any reading except a few magazine articles here and there. Here's a few things I picked up I thought I'd share with you.

I learned there are three types of YA books: YA (teens), Upper YA (late teens to early twenties), and New Adult (early twenties to twenty-five). The growth in the YA genre is phenomenal and not just amongst young people either. I know a lot of you write in this genre and that's great.

There's a genre called "Gentle Fiction." Usually set in small towns with strong bonds between family and neighbors. The plots center around home, family, and true love. All told in a heartwarming and sweet manner.

I discovered there's such a thing as a personal writing coach. Teacher? Critique partner? Cheerleader? Could be a good thing or could be a scam. Sort of like a life coach.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Home sweet home

I love to travel, but it always feels good to return home. I like our cozy house. My son squealed and clapped when we pulled into the driveway. He likes our little house too. I can't wait until I can curl up in my own bed tonight. Only after True Blood, of course!

Gen Con was good. It had its ups and downs. I'll tell you all about them tomorrow when I get some time to write an entry. I missed some of my seminars. I didn't get enough sleep. Yet social anxieties did not stop me from talking to other authors. I survived the True Dungeon. My son's cuteness got him free stuff.

I didn't get many pictures. It's hard to wrangle a toddler in a crowded convention center and take pictures at the same time. Plus, the first few people I asked to take a photo with my son said no. They didn't want anything to do with babies.

I hope you had a good weekend. It's Monday tomorrow. Let's see if I can get back into the swing of things.