The Therapy Session

You knew it was wrong, but you couldn't stop yourself.  You pulled out the card from your wallet, its shiny numbers sparkling like diamonds under the fluorescent lights.  A hundred scenarios play through your head as the salesperson rings up your purchase.  Each beep from the scanner causes your heart to jump, your pulse keeping time at your throat.  You look around you.  The older woman in line behind you gives you a dirty look before she looks away, pretending to inspect a pair of sunglasses.

The pile gets smaller and smaller as each item finds its home in the bag.  Your palms start to sweat, and you tap your foot impatiently.  The salesperson tells you the final amount.  Holy crap! Can it really be that much?  You relinquish the card that you've been holding in your hands, wiping it on your faded jeans before handing it to him.  He raises an eyebrow as he swipes the card.  Authorizing.... Authorizing.... Authorizing.... Your heart skips a beat.  Am I over my limit?  Sweat beads on your forehead and you wait for the dreaded "I'm sorry, your card has been declined."  Authorizing....Authorizing.... Accepted!

You let out the breath that you didn't realize you were holding.  The salesperson hands you the bag and you clutch it to your chest.  "Have a good day." He mumbles. You know he's insincere and is only saying that because he's required to, but you reply ecstatically "I will, you too!" as you dash from the store.  You race through the mall, practically plowing down a woman with a stroller and an elderly couple holding hands in your rush to get to your car. You giggle with glee as you rifle through the bag, rubbing the silk and lace against your cheek.

But the true prize lies at the bottom of the bag.  In an unassuming beige rectangular box, they wait.  You cram the keys into the ignition and the car starts with a hum.  Just to be safe, you decide to seat-belt the bag into the seat next to you.  The people getting out of the car in beside you look at you like you're crazy.  You know what they see.  A wild-eyed woman seat-belting her newly purchased items into the seat next to her.  You know what they think.  Crazy.  You don't care.

You throw the car in reverse and fly out of the parking lot.  Stoplights turn orange in your way, but you can't stop.  They can't breathe in there.  They must be set free.  You blow through the orange lights to honks and dirty looks from drivers around you.  Against all odds, you reach your house safely.  You fly out of the car, not waiting for the garage door to close behind you.  Absently you wonder if you managed to put the car in park and turn it off before you closed the garage.  Too late.  It doesn't matter.

You sit on the floor in your closet caressing the beige box.  Slowly you slip the lid off the box, and there they await, just like they were when you left the store.  They lay on their side, nestled in rumpled paper, looking up at you lovingly. 

"Hello my lovies." You say to them, stroking the butter-soft leather gently.  You pull one out and then another, slipping them on your feet.

"Ahhh."

"Um, Mom?  Are you OK?"

You spin around to find your kids and husband standing at the doorway to the closet, staring at you with confused looks on their faces.

"Okay kids, lets leave your mom alone.  It looks like her therapy session is not over yet."  Your husband says as he pulls the kids out of the doorway.

Hope you enjoyed my little writing exercise in the dreaded second person!

Contest by Kathleen Ortiz!

Ms. Kathleen Ortiz from Lowenstein Associates Literary Agency is having a contest!  The prize includes a grab bag of three YA or MG books (some could be ARC's!!), and an additional prize of a bookstore gift card, note for a query critique, note for a synopsis critique, note for a first chapter critique or an extra book! 

 I always love adding to my 'To Read' pile, especially when they're fantastic books, but the really exiting part of the prize is the possibility of getting a first chapter critique!  I'm entering, are you??

Here's the link to her contest: http://kortizzle.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-grab-bag-giveaway.html

I would love to get the first chapter critique!  I'm jumping up and down at the opportunity!

When is a manuscript really done?

What I'm listening to:  Three Libras by A Perfect Circle.

Here's a picture that I took when we went to San Diego from our hotel room.  Whenever I'm trying to get into a peaceful frame of mind for my writing, I imagine that I'm sitting on the balcony of this hotel room looking at this image.  Ahhhhh.

I have a question for my writing friends.  When do you know that your manuscript is finally ready for submission to agents?  It seems like I could rewrite and revise my manuscript forever, but at some point you just have to say "It's done."  I'm curious how you decide that the manuscript is done. 

On the procrastination front, were you aware that season three of True Blood is coming next month?  I'm so excited! I plan on resubscribing to HBO just so that I can watch it!

Books on my 'To Read' list:
Spells by Aprilynne Pike
Lover Mine by JR Ward
The Evernight series by Claudia Gray
The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong
The last two books in the Traveler Series by John Twelvehawks

Are there any other books that I should add to my 'Must Read' list?