Join me at Maria-Claire Payne's site today as we welcome Monday in style.
http://maria-clairepayne.com/manic-minute-monday-with-naomi-bellina-sit-up-howl

I don't like to cry in public. My face looks horrible, my makeup runs, and people don't know what to do with crying women. It makes them uncomfortable. All through my father's burial service, during much of the visit with my family, and most of the time in the airport, (aside from that moment in the bathroom stall), I held my tears.

When I arrived home, my honey informed me that our video streaming service, Nix (name changed to protect the innocent), was not working and had, in fact quit the day I left. He's fairly technology-challenged, and didn't even try to fix it, so, I fiddled around for awhile with my grief-stricken, weary brain, far past the point when I should have stopped. I talked and computer-chatted with service people at both Nix and Sang (brand name of DVD player, also changed), and encountered the usual aggravation from dealing with young technicians who are trying to be helpful, but don't really have a clear-cut answer and are only reading possible solutions from a script.  
 
Finally, I could do no more. I crawled under my desk to unplug the computer, and there, on the floor, next to my fuzzy slippers that hadn't made it to the closet for the summer, I sobbed. I cried because I couldn't fix a problem, because my dad was gone, because my heart ached. I cried for everything that was wrong in my life.

After a few moments, I got up, blew my nose and felt a sense of lightness. Tears are cathartic, crying is therapeutic. I will keep my ban on public weeping, but I do want to thank Nix and Sang for providing me with that beneficial release, a service I'm sure they are unaware they offer and would no doubt charge me extra if they knew.

Yes, my video streaming is working fine, thanks to one of the eight or so changes I implemented.  Nix and Sang usually provide me with fine service, so let me not discourage anyone from using them. Instead, my lesson today, take the opportunity to have a pity party for yourself now and then. Cry under your desk, in bed, wherever you feel safe. Life looks better from the other side.

 The clock is ticking and you can't find that document. Where is it? What did you name it? It's due now and you have to leave the house in five minutes for an appointment. You don't have time for seek and find.

Does this scenario sound familiar? We've all been here, hunting like crazy, scrambling to track down a missing document or file. If we're lucky, we gave it a sensible name and can use the search function on the computer to locate it. If not, we're in for aggravation and headaches.

I've worked in numerous occupations and am now the owner of my own business, so I know the importance of getting and staying organized. There's nothing more frustrating than spending valuable writing time searching for a file or working with jumbled, messy documents.

Here are a few tips to help you get and stay organized.

Create folders. Make one for every project you work on, then put everything related to the project in that folder. Everything. Emails, pictures, documents, it all goes in here. You may never need most of the contents of the file, but it will be there if you do, and it will be easy to find. Also, it's much quicker to save and back up a whole folder rather than many pieces of work. If your folder is getting full, make sub folders within the main one. 

Read more tips here at my guest blog on  Savvy Authors http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/content.php?2012-Seven-Tips-for-Busy-Writers-to-Get-and-Stay-Organized-by-Naomi-Bellina&commentid=200772

Thank you to all who left comments. The winner is Rose M. Congrats, Rose!

MY PRIZE WILL NOT BE AWARDED UNTIL 4/28/2012, AS I HAVE TO LEAVE TOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

I'm a self-help, make life better, improve my character, motivational junkie. I diligently download lectures and talks from scores of inspirational and enthusiastic women, who tell me how to become the best person I can be.  I listen to these in my car on the way to work, to guarantee my day starts on a positive note.  I want to make the world a better place, help society improve, and be a good person.

Part of my life's work as a massage therapist involves helping others, but I have to wonder, how does writing romance novels fit into this holistic picture? I mean, come on, romance? And erotic romance at that. Isn't this a frivolous way to spend one's time, writing and reading love stories, especially since we know what's going to happen? It's going to end happily ever after and everyone will get what they deserve. Shouldn't I be spending my time on more worthwhile endeavors, like raising money to cure cancer, or helping the homeless?

I'm visiting Tracy Cooper-Posey today, and you can read the rest of this post at her website, http://tracycooperposey.com/can-romance-save-the-world-guest-post-by-naomi-bellina/ and enter my contest to win your choice of ebook from my backlist.

Our little town in Florida was privileged to enjoy the fabulous music of Los Lonely Boys. The weather was perfect, the music sounded great, and the energy from a live crowd keeps me revved up for days. What a treat! Here are pictures with my little camera, and then the professional one. Henry Garza…yuuummm!

I'm delighted to welcome fellow wolf lover, Joann Buchanan, here on my blog today for her tour of I Am Wolf! She's given us a teaser excerpt and shared her links. Enjoy the read and be sure to follow her via her links and on the rest of the tour. 

 
                                                                      **********

Sleep wrapped Jonah in a protective veil of peace and serenity, the kind of peace that only comes with rest, when the mind and body fall in unison into the chasm ruled by the subconscious. The strange dreams faded into the backdrop, allowing more normal thoughts to invade his mind. She was there, tall, beautiful and wild as the night and all the forest creatures. Her will overpowered all Jonah knew. He watched her dance. Who was she? Why could he not get this beautiful creature out of his mind?

Mirrored on the lake, the giant silver moon was clutched in the ripples of the water causing an illusion of snakes made of light. The majesty of it all forced Jonah to approach her. She looked back at him with fierceness in her eyes, and Jonah felt himself gulp. Why would she appear so real to him? His heart raced against his chest.

Wolves stepped out of the wilderness surrounding the lake. Their eyes pierced the darkness, full of a wild peace, all staring at Jonah.

He stepped towards the girl. She turned around, staring at the wolves with a smile on her face. With her arms raised high into the air, she danced to music in her mind. Jonah took another step towards her. One of the wolves growled, showing his teeth, sharpened to shear perfection by nature herself. Jonah tried yelling out to the girl in his dream. “Run!” he said.

She turned and let out a whimsical laugh, once again washing herself in the night sky. The wolves disappeared back into the darkness of the forest. “I am a part of Tibolt’s clan, a creature of the night. I wash myself with the shining sun and dance with joy in the glittering moonlight. I’m loyal to a fault and sing in the midnight hours. I am wolf,” she said.

Light rose up from the water, wrapping around her. She laughed with glee as the bright night sky became shattered by the light, hiding the stars from the darkness they existed in. The bright white faded, and the girl was gone. But standing before Jonah was a white wolf with blue eyes. Jonah stepped closer to her. Just when he was about to reach out and touch her a cold shock ripped his being from the dream, back to a reality he didn’t want to face.

http://www.facebook.com/JoannHBuchanan

http://theeclecticartistcave.blogspot.com

  Thank you to all who left comments. I loved reading them. A sense of humor is a popular trait we want in our heroes, as well as sensitivity and strength. A great ass was mentioned at least once, and it seems we like those sexy eyes. The contest winner is MicheleAnn O. Congratulations, MicheleAnn!


MY PRIZE WILL NOT BE AWARDED UNTIL 4/28/2012, AS I HAVE TO LEAVE TOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.


Yes, the Hunky Hero Giveaway Hop has begun! Join me and over a hundred other authors for this event. After you enter my contest, click on the other authors' names below, and find their giveaway. What fun!   http://riverinaromantics.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/hunky-hero-giveaway-hop-sign-up.html?zx=e01792f3fab35402
 
My contest is as follows: Go to my About Me page, and give me your name, email and tell me one trait you like your hunky heros to have. The winner will receive their choice of one of my ebooks from my back list, so take a peek at the Excerpts page to see which one you'd like.  I couldn't decide who my favorite hero in my stories is, so I'll let you pick. I can send a US winner an Amazon Kindle book or PDF, or Canada and International winner a PDF. If you can read one of those formats, you're eligible to win. 

Now hop on over to another author, and good luck!

Our little town was thrilled to have Los Lonely Boys perform at an outdoor party. Perfect weather, and the band sounded great. What a treat for us! I tried to get pictures of the brothers, especially ones of the hunkalicious Henry Garza (in the middle), but my little camera can only do so much. Enjoy the picture above, and giggle at mine below. Look at all the energy coming off me! Don't you love live music?
Speaking of parties, there's still time to head over to The Romance Studios' Staying Home Party. Lots of authors, excerpts, and prizes.

Happy day! My new release, Something to Howl About, is now available at Silver Publishing. This is a short story, a little sweeter than I normally write, but lots of fun with one steamy, romantic scene that will leave you panting.

https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/coming-soon-c-2/products_id/833?zenid=b52d2c7e37518da2294cc45f0d7d76e1

Blurb:
Red is shocked to discover her sweet grandmother is a werewolf, but Granny is relieved to finally share her secret. A visitor is hunting in her woods and she needs Red's help to discover who it is. The women locate the male wolf, Lee, in his human form and forgive him for not following proper werewolf protocol, as he has just recently been changed. Lee is happy to take hunting lessons from Granny, and Red and Lee discover a mutual attraction. Sadly, he must return to his teaching job and his home at the end of the summer. When another wolf attacks Granny one night, the women summon Lee for assistance. As the two wolves conspire to dispose of a vicious killer, Red examines her feelings for the sexy man that's appeared in her life. Could this be the start of something wild and wonderful?


 

Join Lila Munro and "quite an assembly of talent" (including yours truly), for her fun party, the Excerpt Extravangaza. Writers will be sharing excerpts, blurbs, beautiful covers, and there will be some great prizes to be had, including a $25 Amazon gift card.

http://realmanticmoments.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-04-13T09:00:00-04:00&max-results=7