I didn’t make any resolutions for this year. I meant to. I always do. I just didn’t this year. And January is nearly over, but I think I have come up with my theme for 2012. It shall be The Year of the Projects. Though perhaps I shouldn’t put it in capital letters like that because it suggests BIG things like building a house or sailing around the world when, really, a project can be any sort of thing. And my projects likely won’t be anything big and earth shattering. But who knows? Maybe I’ll bust out with a major project before the year ends. I don’t have the entire year planned out. I didn’t even really come up with this idea until about a week or so ago when I realized I had sort of started a bunch of things in January and I was mentally shelving them into project categories.

I’ll start a new project when the mood strikes me or when I have finished another project. It’s not really a matter of saying I’ll start projects when I have the time because, honestly, I don’t have the time. In fact, some of my projects will actually strongly resemble stuff that looks like work I’m already doing. But I like that label: Project. Start something, finish something, move on to something else. Yeah.

So here are the projects I’m currently working on and their deadlines:

Two Boys, One Picture: A Photographic Chronicle
Start date: Januaryish
Finish date: December 31
I have started taking daily pictures of the babies. I’m calling it Two Boys, One Picture right now and posting the pictures daily on Facebook. I will likely start posting them onto my mama blog, Writer (With Children), too.

The Month of Letters Challenge
Start date: February 1
Finish date: February 29
I am doing Mary Robinette Kowal’s Month of Letters Challenge. (I blogged about it here.) It’s a wonderful one-month project and I’m looking forward to sending (and receiving) “real” mail for the entire month of February. Please do read my original post about the challenge and send me your address if you’d like to receive something from me.

Good Vibes Sexy Mama blogger
Start date: January 23
Finish date: December 31 (with option to renew in 2013)
One of my projects for 2012 is to do more blogging in a variety of places. I realize not a lot of people find or follow this blog and that’s entirely my fault. So this year I hope to pursue a variety of blogging projects that I can link to from here. One of them is being a Sexy Mama blogger for Good Vibrations Magazine. The motherhood side of my identity is still one that I’m getting used to and making peace with, so my irregular (in timing, not in writing--I hope) blog posts on Good Vibes will address issues of motherhood and sexuality, either personal or societal. My first piece, Ready to Blossom, went up last week. And if you’re a mom, I would love to hear what you would like to read about.

Erotica Readers and Writers Association blogger
Start date: January 28
Finish date: December 31 (with option to renew in 2013)
Another blogging project I’ll be doing is over at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association blog. I will be blogging there on the 28th of every month, mostly about writing, editing and reading erotica. I’ll direct you to my first post: How It All Started to explain why I’m taking on this monthly project, but to summarize: Adrienne Benedicks and ERWA are responsible for my erotica writing career and I want to give back to this fantastic community.

80,000 Word Book Project
Start date: January 1
Finish date: April 1
I can’t say too much about this project right now, but I do have an official deadline and I am writing, writing, writing…

Best Erotic Romance 2013
Start date: Januaryish
Finish date: June 1
The second edition of Cleis Press’s Best Erotic Romance series and my seventh anthology for Cleis Press. I am absolutely delighted to be editing this series and I cannot wait to start receiving submissions. (Submission deadline is April 15.)

Book Proposal
Start date: Last summer
Finish date: March 1
This is a proposal that’s been languishing on my hard drive for months. Other deadlines (and having a baby) threw me seriously off course, but I’m ready to finish it. I think I’m about 75% done with it, so I might be done sooner than March 1. Mostly I just want it resolved, so I’m getting it a deadline. I started it, I need to finish it.

10,000 Word Short Story
Start date: Januaryish
Finish date: February 6
This is another one I just need to be done with. It’s contracted, it’s started, I’ve just gotten sidetracked in the past couple of weeks. It will be done by Monday, one way or another.

And those are the current projects on my plate. There are some other anthologies and whatnot with deadlines, but for the purposes of keeping the list reasonable I’m only cataloging writing deadlines that are contracted. At least for now. My plan is to check in at the end of each month, note my project progress and add and/or close out projects.

My current project list is a little heavy on the writing projects and I would like to add some other things to the list. I welcome your project suggestions, especially if they involve self-improvement, exploration or enlightenment. I’m not artistic at all-- and maybe that’s okay?--but this art project sounds interesting: The Sketchbook Project.

So, projects. Start something, finish something. A beginning, a middle, an end. Like that. Deadlines, self-imposed or external, short term or long term. Creative, professional, personal, mental, physical, whatever. The word of the year is project. And the biggest project of all, of course, is me. 

A small sample of my stationery collection

I love stationery. I mean, I really love it. Pretty sheets of paper with matching envelopes, sentimental cards, funny postcards, fold-and-mail letters with matching seals… sigh. From the time I learned to write, I had pen pals. Cousins in other states, friends who had moved away, the grandchildren of elderly neighbors, high school friends away at college, soldiers in the Army, sailors in the Navy (including my husband)… I wrote to anyone with an address. I miss those days of spending a few minutes, or an hour, writing a letter. I also miss the thrill of opening the mailbox and seeing a hand addressed envelope just for me.

Over the past decade, email has slowly replaced handwritten correspondence. Jay’s grandmother was my last real pen pal and after her death I wrote an essay called “The Last Letter” that appeared in Megan McMorris’s epistolary anthology P.S. What I Didn’t Say: Unsent Letters to Our Female Friends. It was my goodbye to Julia and a way to honor our very special relationship. It was also a reluctant goodbye to a form of communication that is fading away into history. I still send cards to friends and I love putting something in the mail just to let someone know I’m thinking about them, but I don’t do it nearly as often as I would like.

For the month of February, Mary Robinette Kowal has issued a Month of Letters Challenge. The goal is to send something through the mail every day in February, with the exception of Sundays and holidays (which leaves 24 days). Mary’s Month of Letters Challenge appeals to the lifelong letter writer in me. I can do this. Between babies and books and life (oh my!), I don’t have a lot of time these days to write letters and cards, but I want to do this. I have the stationery (not that I won’t buy more), I have the stamps (because I never sent out holiday cards), I have the motivation. What I don’t have is your address. Yes, you.

It doesn’t matter if you live around the corner or around the world, just send your mailing address to kristinacw@aol.com and I will send you something in the mail. And if you are so inclined, tell me something about you: do you like cats, dogs, the color pink? Did you just have a baby, get married, move across country? Are you an aspiring writer, a crafty knitter, a football fan? Just something about you. I will be sending cards and letters and postcards, but also a few books and pictures. Maybe a bit of sparkle or a twinkle of magic. A trinket or a nibble. Who knows? February is made of red hots and pink hearts and fuzzy groundhogs and American history and snowy days and warm mittens. And now February is made of special deliveries. Send me your address, won’t you?

If I already have your address, you may very well get something from me whether you request it or not. Also, as part of the Month of Letters Challenge, if you write to me, I will write you back. So if you want my address, just ask. And if you already have it and feel like taking up Mary’s challenge as well, I hope to open my mailbox one fine February morning and see my name written in your handwriting. Anticipation… don’t you love it? 

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The official website for A Month of Letters Challenge

P.S. This is for you, Julia. I miss your letters.

I have the honor of being the editor of Cleis Press’s Best Erotic Romance series, which features the finest erotic romance fiction by some of the best authors in the industry. The inaugural edition in the series received a starred review in Publishers Weekly and a 4-star review from RT Book Reviews and I will once again be looking for the very best stories in the genre for this second collection.

According to Romance Writers of America, a romance must include two key elements: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying, optimistic ending. In erotic romance, the sexual component is critical to the development of the romantic relationship. To get an idea of what I’m looking for, I strongly recommend reading the first edition of Best Erotic Romance.

The collection will be primarily heterosexual with a female audience in mind. However, stories may include bisexual or lesbian encounters as well as polyandrous relationships or group encounters. I have a preference for realistic stories with contemporary settings for this series, but any time period will be considered. No incest, nonconsensual sex, bestiality or underage characters, please.

Please be sure to follow all of the submission guidelines: Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions.  The desired story length is 2,000-4,500 words. Double-space and indent the first line of each paragraph.  Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs. Include your full contact information (legal name/pseudonym, mailing address and phone number) and a bio of 50 words or less written in the third person.  Please paste your story into the body of your e-mail and attach it as a Microsoft Word .doc file. Send your submission to besteroticromance2013@gmail.com with Submission: Story Title in the subject line.  Please direct any questions to the same address. The deadline is April 15, but earlier submissions are very much appreciated.

Payment will be $100 per story and 2 copies of the book upon publication.  Contributors retain the rights to their stories.

About the editor:

Described by The Romance Reader as “a budding force to be reckoned with,” Kristina Wright (kristinawright.com) is an author, editor and college instructor.  She has edited the Cleis Press anthologies Fairy Tale Lust: Erotic Fantasies for Women; Dream Lover: Paranormal Tales of Erotic Romance; Steamlust: Steampunk Erotic Romance and Best Erotic Romance. Her forthcoming anthologies include Lustfully Ever After: Fairy Tale Erotic Romance and Duty and Desire: Military Erotic Romance for Women. Her first anthology, Fairy Tale Lust: Erotic Fantasies for Women was nominated for a Reviewers’ Choice Award by RT Book Reviews and was a featured alternate of the Doubleday Book Club. Kristina’s erotica and erotic romance fiction has appeared in over ninety print anthologies and she received the Golden Heart Award for Romantic Suspense from Romance Writers of America for her first novel Dangerous Curves.  Her work has also been featured in numerous magazines and e-zines and her articles, interviews and book reviews have appeared in dozens of publications, both in print and online.  She is a member of Romance Writers of America as well as the RWA special interest chapters, Passionate Ink and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal.  She has served as the book club moderator for EdenFantasys Naked Reader Book Club and is a book reviewer for the Erotica Readers and Writers Association (erotica-readers.com). She is also a regular blogger at Oh Get a Grip! (ohgetagrip.blogspot.com) and Good Vibrations Magazine (magazine.goodvibes.com).

In order to write the year in review, I have to actually slow down and think about it. It’s been a whirlwind year—another one, actually—and there is so much to remember and be grateful for and to move forward from.

This year, I saw the release of three new anthologies. Dream Lover hit the shelves in May, Steamlust in October and Best Erotic Romance in December. This editing gig is awesome, I love it. I love getting to work with authors I’ve long admired, I love getting to tell a new author that I’m buying her first story, I love hearing that readers and reviewers enjoyed the books. It’s a joy and a pleasure to do this job and I’m so grateful to Brenda and Felice and Kat and Kara and the rest of the wonderful team at Cleis Press for being so amazing to work with. I signed contracts for two more anthologies this year, Lustfully Ever After, due out in May and Duty and Desire, due out sometime in the fall. I don’t have a contract for the next edition of Best Erotic Romance yet, but I’m looking forward to discovering new stories and authors.

In other writing news, I was invited to join the group author blog Oh Get a Grip! I’ve followed the blog almost since the beginning, and I was truly honored by the invitation. I think I’ve written some of my most honest and real stuff over there and in some ways I feel like OGG has helped me find my true voice again. And I didn’t even know it was lost.

Thanks to Lisabet Sarai, I’ll not only be continuing my blogging at OGG in 2012, I’ll also be blogging once a month at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association blog. That will be fun—and I’m so delighted to be a part of such a wonderful writing community. I hope to expand my writing circles in 2012, both at conferences and readings and also locally.

I can’t say much about it yet because I’m still waiting on the contract, but I’m working on a new writing project. It’s an exciting opportunity and I’m thrilled about it. The next few months will be intense, writing a lot, promoting my forthcoming anthologies, pitching new ideas, expanding my horizons. But I’m not ready to talk about 2012 yet. I’m still taking a look at 2011.

Editing anthologies ate up a lot of my work time this year, between calls for submissions, choosing stories, writing introductions and my own stories, editing the manuscripts, promoting the books, etc. But I did have a few new writing sales that I’m proud of, including the first story I wrote after Patrick was born. It seemed to take awhile for me to bounce back to my writerly self after Patrick, but with Lucas it felt like I hit the ground running as soon as I was out of the hospital. I turned in Lustfully Ever After two days before he was born and was promoting Steamlust and editing galleys two weeks after he arrived.

The year has been a good one in so many ways. New books, new contracts, new writing and editing opportunities--and a shiny new baby and Jay home for the entire year. Patrick turned two at the beginning of the month and Lucas will be four months old on New Year’s Day. Two babies under two! I used to cringe at the idea and pity the women who were going through it—and now it’s me and yes, it’s challenging and exhausting, but it’s also amazing and fun (most days).

It boggles my mind sometimes that I’ve accomplished anything this year besides keeping the babies alive and healthy—and maintaining the bare minimum of hygiene for myself—even while I find myself wishing I had done more. But that’s the nature of this writer thing, isn’t it? Never being content, always wanting to do more, write more, be better. Or maybe it’s just me.

2011 was a year of personal growth—and I don’t just mean my expanding pregnant belly. I have learned to speak up and ask for what I need instead of worrying about upsetting or inconveniencing others. I am giving up on the notion of being superwoman and now I’m simply trying to do as much as I can and maintain my balance. I have learned that the things that are important will get done and the things that don’t get done probably aren’t all that important. Jay and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary.  He is an amazing man and supports me in every way, keeping me grounded and also reminding me I have wings. What a ride it has been with him!

I spent time with old friends and I connected with writing friends, both of which fed my soul. I daydreamed about traveling, though I didn’t get farther than Baltimore this year. I watched my babies grow and thrive and marveled that my almost-45 year old body was able to produce such beautiful kiddos.

It’s been a year of change, of exhaustion, of joy, of frustration, of love. Boundless love. I have been more happy than sad. I have been more excited than scared. I have gained more than I have lost. I am stronger and wiser and more at peace with my life than I have been in a long, long time. It’s been a damn good year.

Onward to 2012.

We had three house guests in the span of a month and I had some lovely days with a writer friend and some terrific conversations and some not-so-productive work days because of it. The holidays have come and gone-- Lucas’s first Christmas (sniffle) and Patrick’s third Christmas (third?!). I’ve been sick, I’ve been frantic, I’ve been sad and happy. We put up the Christmas tree terribly late and I never did send out cards (though I hope to send them out in January). I still have gifts that need to be mailed, too. I mostly let go of my expectations for the holidays this year-- I just had a baby less than four months ago, after all! That’s an excuse for at least a little while longer, right?

I got some good writing news that one day I’ll be able to share. It’s a project I’m excited about and that will translate into some really fun writing days in 2012. I am nearly finished with Duty and Desire after a lot of hair pulling and hand twisting. I don’t know if it was the military theme or the time of the year I was looking for submissions or what, but it seemed like no one was interested in writing military erotic romance even if everyone seems to be reading it. Oh well… I’m really pleased with how it’s coming together, even if it has taken longer than I anticipated.

I’m contemplating New Year’s resolutions, goals, plans and trips. 2012 is this bright shiny thing on the horizon with infinite (or nearly infinite) possibilities… and yet I know time will impact me more than it ever has and I will be frustrated by all the things I want to accomplish that fall by the wayside because I run out of time. Sigh. But I would truly rather have too much on my plate than not enough.

I hope your holiday season has been bright and merry. I hope your new year is shaping up to be a thing of wonder and beauty. I hope I will be back in here in a day or two to report on my resolutions and goals. I have hope.

Keep the faith, okay?

(A picture of you at 12 weeks, taken by Aunt Sheri!)

Dear Lucas,

Hello, baby boy! You are three months old today! Where has the time gone? The days slip by even as I try to hold onto these moments, not wanting to ever forget how sweet and soft and warm you are in my arms. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago when I was holding your brother like this and now he squirms and wriggles away and I know you will too, soon. Too soon!

Aunt Sheri just left after spending nearly ten days with us like she does every year at this time. She was very excited about seeing you and your brother—her “squishies,” she calls you. You didn’t get to have turkey and sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner this year because you’re still too young to enjoy it, but you did stay awake through dinner! In fact, you are quite the alert little monkey for big chunks of the day. I enjoy your two and three (and sometimes even four) hour stretches of being awake. It’s fun to watch you kick and coo on the playmat and see how you stare at your brother with your big intense eyes.

Two weeks ago at your 2 month appointment (which was a little later than it should have been), you weighed 14 pounds and 9 ounces and you were 24 inches long. You are a big baby! You are healthy and strong, already holding your head up well and trying so hard to sit up. Two days ago, you rolled over for the very first time on our bed! I couldn’t believe it. It won’t be long before you’re rolling over both ways and sitting up by yourself.

Your brother has gotten settled into having you around and he loves your very much. He likes to pat your head and say, “Awwwww!” before running off to play. I have no doubt you’ll be running after him soon enough and I think he will be thrilled to have a playmate who is closer to his size. As much as I am enjoying your infancy, I am looking forward to my two little boys playing together! It’s going to be so much fun to take you both places and plan family trips. Soon, baby. Soon!

One thing I would like to enjoy a little more is sleep! Oh baby, some nights you are awesome and sleep 7 hours straight and other nights… sigh. You had a pretty good stretch for about a week and I thought we’d solved your sleep issues by swaddling you tightly and elevating you with a sleep positioner. But the past week or so—oh my! Two nights ago you were awake about every two hours. I thought perhaps it was because you were too hot in your fleece swaddle in your warm room, so we adjusted things last night and it went a little better. I really can’t complain too much, most nights you do sleep at least four hours straight and that’s not so bad. It will be nice when you sleep through the night every night!

You have been smiling for a long time now and your squeals and coos are a prelude to your baby laughs. I can’t wait! You are fascinated by things around you and you even crane your neck to see what’s on television sometimes. This morning I sat on the living floor with you in my lap and Patrick perched on my knee while we watched Sesame Street. These are the moments I will remember, sweet Lucas. I don’t have as much one-on-one time with you as I did with your brother because he is now an active almost-two-year old, but you are precious and patient and enjoy watching whatever we’re doing. I’m grateful for your good nature and easy smiles. I’m so grateful for you!

The holidays are here and this next month will fly by. You will be four months old on January 1 and I imagine we’ll be starting to try you on solids around that time (if not sooner!). There is so much to look forward to, so many more milestones to help you achieve, so many memories to make! One day at a time, baby… here we go! 

Mama loves you. Always.

I am so thrilled with this book! These authors rocked my world with their stories and I am so in awe of their talent. I’m equally thrilled with the foreword by the mega-talented Shayla Black, as well as the glowing reviews Best Erotic Romance has received so far. First there was this starred review in Publishers Weekly:

And then I picked up the January issue of RT Book Reviews and saw that they’d given the book a 4 star review! This was a very lovely surprise after thinking they hadn’t reviewed it at all because it wasn’t in the December issue!

And last week I learned that Best Erotic Romance (and Fairy Tale Lust) will be translated into German in early 2012! I couldn’t have asked for a better kickoff for the Best Erotic Romance series. Here’s to many more years of erotic romance…

Foreword Shayla Black

Introduction: Simply the Best

What Happened in Vegas Sylvia Day

First Night Donna George Storey

Another Trick Up My Sleeve Heidi Champa

Drive Me Crazy Delilah Devlin

Once Upon a Dinner Date Saskia Walker

He Tends To Me Justine Elyot

Guest Services Angela Caperton

Memories for Sale Andrea Dale

Blame It On Facebook Kate Dominic

The Draft Craig J. Sorensen

To Be in Clover Shanna Germain

Honey Changes Everything Emerald

Cheating Time Kate Pearce

Our Own Private Champagne Room Rachel Kramer Bussel

Till the Storm Breaks Erobintica

The Curve of Her Belly Kristina Wright

Dawn Chorus Nikki Magennis

--Finish my NaNoWriMo novel (ha!)
--Duty and Desire anthology: read stories, choose stories, write my story, write my introduction, put everything in order, edit, submit…
--Finally get this nonfiction proposal written and submitted
--Write several stories for various January/February deadlines
--Brainstorm new anthology ideas
--Write a nonfiction essay about Patrick and music
--Review two books I have been hauling around for a month
--Write my OGG columns in a timely fashion (for a change)
--Pay Best Erotic Romance authors
--Lineup interviews/reviews/promo for Best Erotic Romance

Then there are the various appointments coming up (or to be scheduled):
--My GP this week to go over various tests I’ve had in the past month
--My gynecologist next week for postpartum follow up
--2 month baby wellness appointment for Lucas
--2 year vaccines and appointment for Patrick
--Massage appointment to use gift certificate I’ve had since last Christmas
--Hair appointment for pre-holiday color touchup and maybe a cut
--Pedicure
--Eye appointment/new glasses/glasses adjustment (if I can squeeze it in)

And the holiday festivities:
--Sheri will be here Saturday for our annual 10 days of Thanksgiving fun and feasting
--Patrick’s birthday party to plan and celebrate
--Thanksgiving (plan dinner, prepare dinner, enjoy dinner!)
--Favorite writer friend coming for a brief visit at the beginning of December (yay!)
--Shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, Patrick’s birthday, Hanukkah and Christmas
--Holiday cards (buy, write, address, mail)
--Get pictures printed to put in holiday cards
--Holiday decorating (need Christmas stocking for Lucas)
--New Year’s Eve (?)
--Plan New Year’s Day brunch (?)
--Holiday baking!

And then there’s the general day-to-day stuff and lists… including picking up a new planner so I can start penciling in dates and deadlines for 2012! It’s a busy few weeks ahead and it’ll be 2012 before I can catch my breath, but it should all be pretty good (except the medical stuff we’re trying to resolve). Lucas seems to be sleeping through the night (8 hours the past two nights), I’m finally getting over whatever cold virus I’ve had for the past week and things are generally falling into a rhythm with two babies in the house. Patrick has been a little off lately (with the same cold I had, I think, and maybe teething?) and very clingy with me (something he’s never been), but it’s been manageable and I’m hoping he’ll be his usual cheerful self through the holidays. I’m excited about sharing his birthday and Christmas with him this year when he is more likely to understand the celebrations. Having Lucas sleep through the night is really going to be icing on the holiday cake.

Of course, the last thing on my to do list for 2011 is making my list of goals and resolutions for 2012. So far, plans include a trip to the UK, a new tattoo, some sort of real exercise plan and maybe guitar lessons. More to come!

Am I being too cavalier in writing an erotic urban fantasy about a character who cuts? I don’t know. It’s not like I’m so far removed from the character I write about. I do understand the psychology behind cutting and the emotional pain associated with it. I’m not trying to make light of the issue, but maybe my story romanticizes it?  Again, I don’t know. Argh. I’m writing fantasy, but where is the intersection between writing and responsibility? I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. So, I’m kind of not in the mood to work on the book right now. I think maybe I need to skip around the cutting and see if I can get a better feel for the characters. It’s supposed to be a darkly erotic book and I’m just not feeling it right now.

I am, however, feeling like I’m getting sick and that makes my mind go in a dozen different directions instead of focusing on one thing. I don’t have ADD, but sometimes my imagination finds connections in things and as I ponder one thought I end up chasing another thought down the rabbit hole… My brain is off onto tangents about body image and sexuality and what is erotic (and what isn’t) and perceptions of desire and age and desire and size. I don’t know if any of these things will find their way into this book I’m writing or if I’ll follow some of these threads in something else I’m writing. I just know that right now I need to find some focus and write some words somewhere.

Just a few links to show you where my mind is at the moment, because I clearly don’t have the words to express my thoughts coherently:

Only Cute Chubby Girls (Tumblr, possibly NSFW)

I’m the Scary Model in That Awful Ashley Madison Ad (Jezebel)

Sex Is Not the Enemy (Tumblr, NSFW)

The comment thread for Legitimizing Erotica (My column last week at Oh Get A Grip!)

Boobs, Bras, Sex, Cougars and Sluts (Rita Wilson at Huffington Post)

The stories are deeply passionate, and each tale first makes the reader care about its characters before pulling them into the steamy sex scenes. No matter what the surroundings, one thread runs through every story in this volume: true love endures.

And can I tell you what that little star means? “A starred review indicates a book of outstanding quality.”