I Heart Books

Seriously, I love books and I love to read. I received Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and Dark Lover by J. R. Ward for Christmas so I've had my nose stuck in Dark Lover for almost 2 days. Luckily, I finished it last night. Not so luckily, I need more -- Lover Eternal will be released in March; I think I can wait that long.

Right now, I'm reading Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris (thanks to the public library). Twilight is on deck.

:sigh: I lurve books!

It's the Holiday Season

{As an aside, can you believe it?? It just doesn't seem possible that the end of the year is less than 2 weeks away!}

Since I'm not sure what I'll be doing, I wanted to wish everyone HAPPY HOLIDAYS should we not see each other again until after the New Year (and a HAPPY NEW YEAR too!!)

Eh, she replied with a shrug

Bored of the 'plain Jane' template, I'm trying to jazz up this blog. Since I have so many ideas for writing, it's hard to pick a template to reflect those genres. So for now, this will have to do. I may continue to play with the colors and add a graphic or two -- we'll see....

Tis the Season

For sinus colds, that is.

Here in my neck of the woods, we don't get much snow. This year, I feel like winter came bearing down on us like a freight train!! One minute it's sunny and warm; the next, freaking cold! So while I do like the winter and bundling up in my cute little matching scarf/hat/gloves set, I do not coughing my head off. A runny nose I can deal with. Hacking up a lung not nearly as much fun.

Bah humbug!!

Already?

Can it really be December 1st? It just doesn't seem possible....


Remember how time used to drag on when you were a child? How you thought the summer would never end? Now, it seems like just a blink of an eye between May and July. What I wouldn't give for a way to make time slow down, if only a nanosecond or two.

Holy Hell!!

Over at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, the ladies are having a contest about bad break-ups. I had one before I met my wonderfully loving husband and on a fluke, I entered. Guess what? My entry is there!!! I cannot believe it!! I won't tell which is mine, but wow!!


ETA: I really love #7 (not mine) -- I love it when a woman gains "revenge" :evil grin:

Professional Reader Available

You know, I love to write; really, I do. [As much procrastination and moaning and groaning I do, it's hard to tell, I know.] I've only been seriously pursuing this goal since May and, to be honest, there are days when I just feel my creativity lagging. Like it's lost somewhere inside this gray mass I call my brain or oozing out of my ears.

Take NaNoWriMo for instance. It's not a difficult task. Write for a month (duh). Well, I didn't complete it. I had no concrete hopes of reading 50K but man, it would have been nice. In my defense, I was working on a potential freelance job for a week (I didn't get the job, btw, but that's okay). Now though, I'd rather read the stack of books on the floor beside my bed.

Wouldn't it be nice to get paid to read books or manuscripts because right now, that sounds like heaven. [Stupid brain -- grrrr]

New Discoveries

As I while away my moments reading blogs instead of writing (I know, I know), I wanted to comment on two I'm enjoying.

Mel-O-Drama (aka Melissa Francis) is a client of my good friend Deidre Knight. Now, I've been stalk, er, reading Mel's blog for a couple of months and I have to say she's a woman after my own heart! She's a hoot (which means funny for those of you outside Dixieland); she despises frat boys (though she lives smack dab in the middle of Greek-dom in Oxford); she lives in Oxford, home of my grad school of choice (Ole Miss) and William Faulkner. SEC football will not be something we agree upon but aren't all stalker-stalkee relationships volitile?? :grin:

Work in Progress is another recent addition to my daily 'must reads.' It's so exciting to read about other authors and their journey to representation (or publication). Me, I'm journeying toward 'the end' (as my word meter would show). And for now, that's a great goal to have.

Gobble, gobble

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! If you're from the Great White North, HAPPY THURSDAY!!!

Great Deals

I subscribe to Publisher's Lunch (the free version) and each week, I look forward to Wednesdays so I can read about the new deals in publishing. This week is no exception:

Brooke Parkhurst's BELLE OF NEW YORK, about a beautiful Southern debutante who comes to New York and lands a job in the mosh pit news room of a highly conservative cable network while reveling in the hedonisitic pleasures of the city, based on the blog Belle in the Big Apple, to Sarah McGrath at Scribner, by Bill Contardi at Brandt & Hochman (world).


Margaret Lazarus Dean's THE TIME IT TAKES TO FALL, about a young girl coming of age in the 1980s in Florida, where her father works for NASA on the space shuttle Challenger, to Marysue Rucci at Simon & Schuster, at auction, by Julie Barer at Barer Literary (NA).

Great -- two more authors to stalk!! {Kidding, natch.}

Still Here

I'm still here; no real writing progress this week. I blame sickness. I feel better than I did last week so hopefully I can close out NaNoWriMo with 10,000 words. I was never under the illusion that I would hit 50,000 but I can be happy with 10,000. 'Just write' isn't really my writing style. I cannot turn off my internal editor. I have to go back and read what I previously wrote. Which, in all honesty, is okay. I'm just going to keep working at it and hopefully I'll finish before my one year anniversary.

Good Grief!!

Well, I've finally finished editing and critiquing for the potential freelance job. Talk about stressful!! I have no idea how editors do it! Then again, they already have the job..... Now I'll sit on pins and needles (and stress and bite my fingernails) until I find out if I got the job.


I did do some other reading over the weekend; I finished Julie Cannon's Truelove and Homegrown Tomatoes. Such a sweet story. I plan to check out the sequel 'Mater Biscuit from the library when I'm done with some other books on my nightstand.


Oh, yea, and I'd like to write too. I would do that tonight but it's Prison Break Monday! Maybe I can write during the commericals. We'll see.

Progress? What progress??

In the world of NaNoWriMo --

5,490 / 50,000 (11.0%)

I read this weekend instead of writing (Kathleen O'Reilly's The Diva's Guide to Selling Your Soul and Cathy Pickens' Done Gone Wrong). Both good reads, leaving me to wonder if sequels will be written.

And on the other hand, this week I'm working on what I hope will be a freelance job. So, yeah me! I'm really excited about it though nervous as well (because I want the job!!).

If I'm Busy....

It's because I'm a

Must Be Some Toros in the Atmosphere

Brr, it's cold in here.

It's definitely fall here now. I love fall -- I love being able to wear turlenecks and boots, browns and blacks, my hats, scarves and gloves. What I don't like is frigid weather, and I don't like cool weather that just shows up.

Oh ee oh ee oh -- ice, ice, ice

I like for fall to gradually arrive, to creep into my life. In like a lion, you know. But this, well, this ain't creeping; this is barreling at me, head-long. Making me wish I had more warmer clothes, more cute hats and scarves.

These are spirit fingers.

In writing news, I got a little brainstorm on what I'm going to work on for NaNoWriMo. I'm pretty excited about it though I don't know if I will make the 50,000 word goal. Not reaching the word goal is okay with me; I really just want to consistently work on something.

Pardon the Mess!

Because yes, it's messy around here.

Today is Your Birthday!

Actually, it is my b-day -- the big 3-0 -- but more importantly, it's Shannon McKelden's birthday too!! Go visit her blog and wish her a Very Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Shannon!!!

Uh, What Was I Doing?

Oh, that's right! I was going to be a better blogger. I forgot.

Surprisingly enough, I have been writing. I'd love it if I could bring my WIPs to work because I seem to do better when I'm typing as opposed to actual pen and paper writing. Alas, that probably won't happen. I find if I don't set goals, I won't be pissed at myself for not meeting them!

Lately (okay, today), I've been down on myself. I guess because when I decided in May I was going to pursue this crazy dream of becoming a published author, I really thought I'd have something finished by December (see, there's those stupid goals again). Well, it's almost the middle of October (ugh) and I haven't finished one damn thing. In reality it's okay that I haven't (as of yet) met this goal but I'd love to be able to be one of those writers who says it took her 6 months to write such-and-such book. Then again, I have a toddler, a husband, a messy house, 2 dogs and a cat, and a full time job. I'd love to quit the job but mortgages are bothersome little critters. :sigh: I know I'll finish something.....one day....

This Is Crazy! This is Crazy!

Picture it - National Lampoon's Vacation, Chevy Chase is standing at the side of the swimming pool with Christie Brinkley naked in the pool. He claps and says, "This is crazy! This is crazy!" But what does he do?

He jumps in (after he's shimmied out of his skivvies).

Picture it - Me, writer-ly opportunity. What did I do?

I jumped.

Keep Pluggin' Away

I think I should cross-stitch that slogan as a sampler -- Keep Pluggin' Away. It's useful on so many levels (writing, mommy-dom, housework). (Wait, I don't cross-stitch, I'll ask my mother-in-law to do it!)

In other good news, I'm actually reading a book as research for my YA idea. The idea keeps changing in my head so I suppose I should write a plot summary. I know I won't follow it but at least I'll have a concrete idea from beginning to end.

The children's book I wrote still sucks but I'm not giving up just yet. If I've planned for an entire series, I simply cannot throw it underneath my bed with the rest of my ideas. So I'm planning to make it not suck, write 2 more that also don't suck, and query to my short list of agents.

Did you know Target has spiral bound notebook for $0.10? That's right!!! I bought 3 in hopes of writing on paper instead of a computer with Internet access so I can check my mail or blog or read blogs...

But I Don't Want To

Remember when you were a child and someone would ask you to put away your toys or go to bed? Did you ever whine "But I don't want to."

That's me and my writing.

I know I should; I have a plethora of ideas rolling around in my head. But I don't want to.

It's like I write something from one of these ideas and think it's crap. Then there's a block in my brain and I cannot seem to make it better. So what do I do? I give up.

It's a vicious cycle, one I should nip in the bud. But, right now, I just don't want to.

I See You

It's me! It's me! Back here the next day!

I've had some writing breakthroughs this week (and the week's only 3 days old!) that I'm very excited about. I wrote a first draft for the childrens' book series I've been contemplating. I think it's crap, of course, and too short, but I'm going to keep working on it. I'd like to get 3 manuscripts ready to send to my short list of agents. Maybe I will actually finish something before December!

My college-aged YA idea is brewing around in my head, and I'm asking a lot of questions from my main character. Thus far, she's not really answering them or she just shrugs or sighs like what I'm asking is such a stupid question. You know how teenagers can be. I haven't attempted to write YA before so I'm really scared about finding the right voice. Plus, it's been a long time since I was 18 and I know that the main character and I don't have very much in common. We'll see how it goes.

And, as I was taking C to preschool, I wrote the opening paragraph for my NASCAR book...in my mind. I can remember the first couple of sentences; everything else has melded back into my brain mush. But that's okay -- I think it's a good first sentence/opening and as long as that's on paper, I'll just write what the muse tells me to.

I'm.....

....looking for some YA (college age) books to read. I have a YA idea blooming and, well, it's been a long time since I was 18 or 19 years old. Leave your suggestions in the comments.

I've Been a Bad, Bad Girl

Bad at updating this blog!

I haven't been doing much -- either taking care of the sick (my sweet boy) or being sick myself. No writing to speak of (actually, no writing at all, which is okay) but I have been reading. Two new series I've started: The Mommy-Track Mysteries by Ayelet Waldman and The Nick Travers Mysteries by Ace Atkins.


Nursery Crimes is the first in Ms. Waldman's series. A pretty fun read; I gasp aloud when I figured out who the real murderer was. Not out of shock necessarily, I was just that into this book.




The second is Crossroads Blues, the first in the Nick Travers series. All takes place in the South (I believe) and Crossroads Blues was centered in New Orleans and Greenwood, Mississippi. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series because Nick Travers seems like a guy I could enjoy knowing.

Quite Steamy Indeed!

Since I was home yesterday with a sick little boy, I decided I'd catch up on some of my reading. (For those that poo-poo'd me about Outlander (I just cannot finish it), well, I hope to make some amends in my reading choices.)

-- I finished Awaken Me Darkly by the lurvely Gena Showalter and man, I'm wanting a sequel asap! Gena's a busy woman (with 6 books that I know of coming out next year) but c'mon! Maybe some of the characters will reappear in Enslave Me Sweetly, a book set in the same world featuring alien huntress Eden Black. If not, I'll just have to wait until the AMD sequel.

-- I also read Summer Heat by Jaci Burton. Whew! Talk about sweltering!! I...I'm at a loss for words. There's a reason why Ellora's Cave loves Jaci!

-- Now, I'm reading Ill Wind by Rachel Caine. It's the first in the Weather Warden series and I'm really enjoying the mythology and pacing thus far. Poor Joanne Baldwin has her hands full, that's for sure!

On deck: Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris; Crossroad Blues by Ace Atkins

In other library patrons' hands (hurry up and finish already!!): Nursery Crimes by Ayelet Waldman; Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson; Plantation by Dorthea Benton Frank; gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

Now, if only my muse were interested in writing instead of reading. Too many good books, I suppose!

I Cannot Do It

Really, I just can't do it. I cannot finish Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. This is my second attempt to read it in four months and I just can't. It's like there are too many words, too much information to absorb. I'm sad about this because I've been told it's a good book (and a good series).

Instead, I've begun reading Awaken Me Darkly by the lurvely Gena Showalter.

For the lurvely Miss M

Marianne Mancusi needs a new celebrity crush. I happily nominate Ben Browder (of Farscape fame, currently seen on Stargate SG:1).

Ben is a beautiful Southern boy with a wonderful drawl and gorgeous blue eyes. I love my husband and in theory Ben cannot compete with him, but man, isn't Ben pretty?




Ben and I could talk (rather he'd talk and I'd listen) about so many things: NASCAR, Tennessee, literature. Not only is he pretty, ladies, he's intelligent. He wrote at least 2 episodes of Farscape (good ones!) and has studied at the Royal Shakespeare Academy in London. Of course, I'm sure his wife would agree he's better than sliced bread. Still, isn't he pretty?

Eagerly Anticipating

2 of the 3 books I am eagerly anticipating now have covers!! I am so excited!

Rhett's first book (in a trilogy) was A Madhatter's Guide to Chocolate. I think I heard of Rhett through the University of Georgia writer's newsletter. Rhett had attended a conference (if memory serves) and the title of her debut just caught my eye. That conference newsletter also introduced me to Cathy Pickens, a great Southern mystery writer from South Carolina.

And Deidre Knight's book, well, I've been waiting for it since Deidre told our online writers group she was going to be published, and is also the first in a trilogy. It's so exciting when good things happen to people you know!!!

If...

...you were trying to spell eggs without actually spelling e-g-g-s, how would you spell it?

I ask because I have a character whose last name I want to sound like 'Eggs' (only not to be spelled e-g-g-s).

Think with a Southern drawl.

Back to Reality

I say that as if I've been somewhere, like Reno, but alas I haven't been any place special. Just a lazy blogger, I guess.

I did discover that a name I selected for the main character in one of my WIPs is also a pseudoynom for a mystery author. I'm kind of upset about that because 1) I'd never read any of these books by the author or pseudoynom (just liked the name) and 2) I feel like I can't move forward with this project because of the character's name (and my obvious affection for it). Honestly, it's not like the WIP will be done tomorrow (try next year) so I shouldn't be boo-hooing about it. It's just one of those frustrating things, you know.

I've done a little bit of writing (I need to get back to that 100 words a day schedule) and I think I've narrowed down a genre for myself. I've also decided to concentrate on one piece though I know I'll take a detour and write on something else. Several "moments" have come to me over the past 2 weeks but I didn't have a chance to write them down and now they're lost in my subconscious.

And I've been reading the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I finished Living Dead in Dallas (#2) yesterday; hopefully, Club Dead (#3) will arrive by the end of the week.

Note: Please keep Marianne Mancusi in your thoughts. The lurvely Miss M. lost everything in a house fire while she was in Reno. For more info on what you can do to help Marianne, visit Literary Chicks.

Undead and Unappreciated

Most women would love to live as royalty, but Betsy has found that being vampire queen has more problems than perks, except for always being awake for Midnight Madness sales. It may be easy to find blood (yuck) in the dark of night, but try finding a strawberry smoothie. And employees at her nightclub Scratch have been giving her nothing but grief since she killed their former boss. Some people...

But Betsy's "life" takes an interesting turn at a baby shower for her wicked stepmother, who lets it slip that Betsy has a long-lost half sister. Now twenty years old, this woman just so happens to be the devil's daughter...and destined to rule the world.


Yet another book to add to my To Be Bought pile; Undead and Unwed is first up TBB. (Gotta have a system if it's a series, people.)

Anyone? Anyone?

Has anyone read books by these authors:

Dorthea Benton Frank

Martha Grimes

Gregory Maguire

Susan Carroll

Anita Shreve

These authors have been recommended to me (or I've stumbled across them in book stores). They look interesting.

Crimson City

Can I just say how excited I am about this book and series? All of them are on my Wish List (which just keeps growing and growing). I like to read books in series so I may have to wait until the series is completely published (Liz's Crimson Rogue is due in April 2006).

What I find really interesting (and very enjoyable) is the blog by Crimson City residents. It's like a sneak peek into everyone's lives, even if we don't really get to meet everyone yet. How cool is that?!?

Identity Theft

Deidre Knight's identity has been stolen!

Someone pretending to be either her or affiliated with The Knight Agency has sent a mass e-mail. Read more about it at The Knight Agency's blog.

Carpe Demon!!!

I've just got a mention a book that's on my Wish List. It sounds absolutely hysterical, and I cannot wait to own a copy! (And the rights have been bought so CD could be a movie soon!)

Carpools. Crabgrass. Creatures from the depths of hell. Suburbia has its problems too...

Lots of women put their careers aside once the kids come along. Kate Connor, for instance, hasn't hunted a demon in ages...

That must be why she missed the one wandering through the pet food aisle of the San Diablo Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, he managed to catch her attention an hour later-when he crashed into the Connor house, intent on killing her.

Now Kate has to clean up the mess in her kitchen, dispose of a dead demon, and pull together a dinner party that will get her husband elected to County Attorney-all without arousing her family's suspicion. Worse yet, it seems the dead demon didn't come alone. He was accompanied by a High Demon named Goramesh who, for some unknown reason, intends to kill off the entire population of San Diablo.

It's time for Kate Connor to go back to work.

Also on my Wish List (and also by the lurvely Ms. Kenner) - The Givenchy Code. And I'll give ya a scoop: both books have sequels. *squeal*

Unmasked

One of the first books I recently added to my TBR pile was C. J. Barry's Unmasked.

To the merchants he plunders, he's the Ghost Rider of the Dead Zone. To sector law enforcement, he's a wanted pirate. To the slaves he rescues, he's the savior, laghato. To one determined female, Qaade Deter is serious trouble. Torrie Masters had heard of the legendary raider, but she'd never expected to encounter him. Nor would she have expected that beneath his black mask lurked an enticing man destined to challenge her in ways she couldn't shoot her way out of. But a great threat has emerged-one that's left no choice but for them to join forces. Entrusted with the fate of thousands, Torrie has discovered Qaade's impossible dream. Only she has the power to help him. Only she has the power to see him UNMASKED.

Since I'm a sucker for a series (and pirates), I asked the lurvely and talented Ms. Barry if I needed to read any of the other "Un-" books first (Unearthed, Unleashed, Unraveled). She said I didn't have to have read the previous books to understand the world Qaade lived in. Now I just have to get to readin'!!

Master of the Moon

I don't own this book (yet) because I feel compelled that, when there's a series of books, I like to start with the first one. That way, I have a clear view of the setting and characters. And boy, are Angela Knight's characters clear.

I'm a sucker for Arthurian legend so this entire series greatly appeals to me. I cannot believe I haven't discovered it before! Here's a snippet:

Diana London works hard in her day job as the city manager of a small South Carolina town. Yet she still finds time to moonlight for the Verdaville Police Department.

As a werewolf.

But while helping the police investigate a brutal murder, Diana discovers she’s not the only magical creature in town. A female vampire has also decided to make Verdaville her murderous playground. What’s worse, she has powers even Diana can’t match.

Fortunately, Diana is not the only one determined to stop her. Llyr Galatyn is the king of the Cachamwri Sidhe – a seductive otherworldly warrior with fantastic abilities. He’s sworn to hunt down the murderer, and he’s more than willing to give Diana any help she needs.

And not just with the case. Diana is in her Burning Moon, a time of sexual heat, when need rides her hard. Llyr is delighted to be the answer to her erotic prayers.

But as they hunt the vampire while desire runs hot between them, a deadly enemy urges the killer to turn her sights on Llyr. It seems Llyr isn’t the only king of the Sidhe – and his brother wants him dead.

I'll be heading to my favorite local used bookstore to get all of the books of this series. Master of Wolves is already on my Amazon Wish List.

Can time travel be a curse?

I know in the The Time Traveler's Wife, Henry thought time traveling was a curse but in actuality, his ability to time travel was a disease (a genetic one).

I wonder if someone can be cursed with the ability to time travel.

I should just write it and stop worrying about the logistics of it. I guess I wonder if it's a stupid curse. Of all the things to be cursed with, the ability to travel through time just doesn't seem that bad (considering one could be cursed with no memory, warts, a tail (or two)). But then again, there's a twist.....

So....

The marathon of posts will continue momentarily. I was busy at work yesterday (after I wrote and said I'd be making more posts), and my internet network connection was screwy last night so....

I made a comment on Shanna Swendson's Live Journal just a moment ago because apparently her air conditioning is in the fritz. I said that I could live without air conditioning (though it would royally suck) but what I couldn't live without was deodorant. This lead me to think:

If you were a contestant on Survivor, what item would you declare absolutely essential to your month away from civilization?

I pick deodorant.

Catching Up is Hard To Do

I've been bad. So this is a catch up post.

Okay. Actually, I'm going to do this right, and not take the lazy way out. Several posts will follow.

Here are some brief observations:
* I'm reading the 3rd Merry Gentry book (almost finished -- and the 4th is waiting for me --- I LOVE the public library!). I'll be honest and admit that I'm a little disappointed with it. Every page I turn, Merry has to sleep with more men. To some, that might be great, but quite frankly, I'm getting tired of it. Adding more potential fathers to Merry's potential child is advancing the plot; it just seems like some of that could have condensed. Last week, I even skipped ahead and read the last paragraph (which did nothing except confuse me so I was forced to pick back up where I'd left off). I had thought about purchasing the series from the local used bookstore but am now rethinking it. [It's like when I read the Dune series last year; I liked it until all the core characters died then I stopped reading.] I read about Andais' spree last night, which made me want to finish. Action - I like it!
* Diana Gabaldon's Outlander is waiting for me too (as is an entire stack of books). There's just not enough time to do all the things I want to do in a day!
* I've been typing my handwritten historical novel. (I wrote the novella over 10 years ago and, as I am prone to do, I expanded it into an entire universe.) I've decided that (1) I'm switching titles for the books, (2) making the second book entirely about a character introduced late in the first book, and (3) that I stunk as a writer. Dialogue - good; prose - bad to nonexistent
* I came up with the idea for a series of novellas about a fictional town/community. They were all separate ideas I'd written and stored in my writing box underneath my bed but now I'm combining them (and possibly expanding them into full length). Would an agent read a book where the only thing the characters have in common is where they live?
* I placed a hold at, ta da, the public library for the 1st Sookie Stackhouse book. I'm really excited to read it.

[Okay, this wasn't very brief at all.]

Eureka!

LITERATURE! - You have a story... Oh yes you do!
You are not quite sure what it is, but it
burns! It burns to be poured onto the page!
Write! Write I say! And thrill us with your
unique view of the world. YOU are your own
inspiration!


What Kind of Novel Should I Write?
brought to you by Quizilla

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to all my American friends. And to my Canadian friends, Happy Monday!!

Interesting that

In my previous post (and a couple of posts ago), I posed the question of POV.

3rd person (i. e. "Jana's klutziness is a charming quality, if not a deadly one.")

vs.

1st person (i. e. "I admit it; I'm a klutz. Blame genetics. My mother got all the grace.")


In my 'Southern girl' piece, I want to have 3 POVs -- the main character, a farm hand, the main character's younger sister's friend (wow - long character description). Some have said multiple POVs are fine but then the lurvely TJ Brown says her critique group said no (as she attempted the same thing in her YA WIP).

Maybe I'm just making this harder than it has to be.

I mean, I'm the writer, damnit; if I want Farm Hand and Sister's Friend to speak in 1st person, I should be able to do that. Right?

Well, crap. I should just write some more on the stupid thing and post an excerpt for everyone to critique.

Merry Gentry -- Part 2

So I put down Outlander in favor of Merry Gentry #2, A Caress of Twilight which I finished last night. It seemed shorter than the first book (maybe because it was a hardcover or maybe because I read it every spare moment -- *shrugs*). I liked it but it leaves me with questions, of course, so I'm sure I'll have to zip over to the public library today on my lunch break (good thing it's right next door!) and check out the 3rd in the series. I accidently placed a library hold on the 4th (and newest) book so it's waiting for me. I have 7 days before the library will send it to someone else. Can I finish the 3rd book in 7 days? I wonder.....

In writing news, I did an "outline" for my 'Southern girl returns to the farm' piece last night. It seems short to me (only 20 chapters) but that may change as I continue writing. I have most of the main character's scenes/chapters written, and I'm really looking forward to writing the other characters. My outlining did bring up a question: can I switch narrators? What I mean is, can I write the main character from a third-person perspective and the other 2 from first-person? I wonder.....

Merry Gentry

I finished A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton yesterday afternoon. A couple of my friends have read (and raved) about the Anita Blake series but I decided to go with Ms. Meredith Gentry instead. I'm not saying I won't ever get to Anita; Merry just seems more like my cup of tea right now. And what a cup of tea it is....



I've never known such an imaginative writer, with such descriptions and characters. (My library holdings/requests are catching up to my TBR stack which is why I've started Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.) What I really want to do is read some more about Merry, Doyle, Frost, and the entire Unseelie Court! I may have to push Outlander down on my reading list just a bit until I finish (or get caught up) with Merry and her gang.

A Writerly Question

I'm asking for opinions here, people.

One of my current works-in-progress is what I'm calling "Southern girl returns to the farm." This was originally a play for an undergrad class, but I'm interested in turning it into a manuscript. As it stands now, it would be a novella length (which is fine and good) but I want it to be full-length novel.

My question is: would it be too jarring to have various POVs, like William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying or Lee Smith's Oral History?

I'd like to keep things third person, and I'd like to have the POVs come from the main character (D), a farm hand (B), and D's younger sister's friend (M). Would it be wierd for the reader to see things through the eyes of characters unrelated to the main character?

[Now that I ask, I realize that particularly in Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, Caddy Compson is the "main" character, but we the reader never hear directly from her, only the men in her life; same goes for Lee Smith's Oral History's Dory. I guess it's a stupid question because technically, a writer can write whatever they choose. The questions should be will the work land an agent or sell to the public, and that's all about the voice/tone/plot/etc.]

But I'd still like some opinions..... :p

Someone's Been Naughty....

Do you know who's been a bad girl? No, not me (well, actually, yes, because I haven't written in a week) -- I'm talking about Mia Snow, the heroine of Gena Showalter's new book, Awaken Me Darkly.

In a time and place not too far away, Mia Snow is an alien huntress for the New Chicago Police Department, using her psychic abilities and deadly fighting skills to catch her prey. Heading up her expert team of Alien Investigation and Removal agents, Mia is unmatched at battling the elusive enemy among us, and she’s the perfect girl for the job. She’s seen her brother die at the hands of aliens. She’s earned each of her scars. And she’ll never, ever give up. Now, a series of killings have Mia and her partner Dallas tracking alien suspects – but a sudden blast of violence leaves Dallas fighting for his life.

The chance to save Dallas appears in the form of a tall, erotic stranger. An alien. A murder suspect. Kyrin en Arr, of the deadly Arcadian species, holds the power to heal the injured agent but not without a price. For Mia Snow, that price is surrendering to Kyrin’s forbidden seduction…and embracing their electric attraction. She’s walking a knife’s edge, risking her badge and even her life. The closer she gets to Kyrin, the more Mia learns about her own heart, her human needs – and the shocking secret that will shatter everything she’s ever believed.


Ms. Snow is currently staring up at my from my To Be Read pile (which grows h-i-g-h-e-r every day) but I cannot wait to dive into it! And if you'd like to learn more about one of me favorite Naughty Girls, get thee to Gena's blog.

Go Hex Yourself!

So I have this book Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson. The tagline is "Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter." My friends that love Bridget and Harry will be green with envy until they get my copy in their hot little hands. Here's a snippet to wet your appetite:

Shanna Swendson's debut mainstream novel, ENCHANTED, INC. is a magical story featuring Katie Chandler, a 20something, small-town Texas girl, who finds that being average in New York City is anything but. Katie loves the energy of Manhattan, and if she fines some of the people odd, well, that's New York, right? Where else would you see a person on the subway wearing fairy wings? In fact, if Katie wasn't completely sure those wings must be a costume, she'd think they were real, the way they flutter in the breeze. Certainly the gargoyle that perches above the door of the church she passes on the way to and from work isn't real. Its eyes seem to follow her, and she could have sworn it winked at her once, but now that she thinks about it, it was really hot that day, and she hadn't eaten lunch....

Katie is still adjusting to life in the big city while working for a nightmare boss, when she gets a fantastic offer to work for a mysterious company, MSI, Inc. Through her new job and the magical folk she meets, Katie comes to find out she isn't quite as average as she thought; and the fairytale life she has longed for begins to come true in surprising ways.

Now doesn't that sound fun? Want to know more about Shanna? Visit her Live Journal.

I Need a --

-- writing routine. (You thought I was going to say "hero," didn't you? Admit it, you like Bonnie Tyler. It's okay -- don't be afraid.)

Last week, I was a writing machine. 1,000 words one day, 500 the next, 300, 100, 230 -- I was in a groove. I think either Liz Maverick or Marianne Mancusi were waxing poetic about the riggers of getting back on the horse (so to speak) after taking a break from writing. I concur! I haven't written diddly squat this week!

Now we have had vacation bible school at our church (ending tomorrow night) so my sweet boy has been going to bed at 9 pm instead of 8 pm. That's screwed up my routine, I think. Because when he goes to bed at 8 pm, I have an entire hour or so to play around on the internet, check mail, read blogs, etc. Then I either prepare for the next day or write - whichever mood strikes me first -- before getting into my pjs to read for about an hour. That routine had been working well. I was proud of myself. I suppose it's okay to backslide a little bit; everyone needs a break but I've got to get back on the horse! Lots of goals to accomplish!!

Finished --

-- with Jennifer St. Giles' The Mistress of Trevelyan, that is. (I *wish* I was finished with something writing related.)

I climbed into bed last night at about 10:30, I think. My back had been hurting me all day so I unplugged the alarm clock to plug in the heating pad. (I also took 4 Excedrin Migraine during the course of the evening. Nothing cures what ails you like Excedrin Migraine. I had some hydrocodine but I figured it would knock me right out and I wouldn't hear the sweet boy if he cried. Since he's standing up in his crib now and the hubby is at a tennis tourney this weekend, being knocked out on meds would not be a good thing.)

As I'd been doing all week, I had planned to read a couple of chapters then hit the hay. Did that happen? No! I kept on reading and reading and reading. I couldn't put it down! When did I finish? 2:00 am this morning. But I'm glad I did.

What an amazing book with twists and turns, suspense and period romance, all rolled into one!! I'm not much of a straight-up romance reader but I am so glad I finished this book. I really couldn't put it down! I'd start a new chapter, thinking I was going to finish this one then go to bed, then I'd arrive at the end of said chapter and say, "well, I *have* to know what's going to happen next."

That's the hallmark of a good book -- when you simply cannot put it down. And now I cannot wait for His Dark Desires to be relased in November. Thank you, Jenni!!!!

Again!

Last night, I wrote 300 words on yet another project. I'm pleased to announce that these are projects I have on my "writing projects" list, nothing new that's popped into my head recently which is good. I was worried about Adult ADD (or Writers ADD) since I couldn't concentrate on writing for very long. But I think I've been very smart with my planning recently. My husband has even noticed I've been a "busy little bee, writing, writing, writing."

I guess I'm currently working on 5 things: a historical romance (I have an entire series -- 8 books -- in mind) as I scrape off the dust and edit while I type what I handwrote over 10 years ago; the Southern literary fiction that was formerly a play; the OBX idea, now set in New Orleans (which is a long way from Ocracoke, NC -- that would be one of the sharp right handers the idea has taken in the 2 weeks since I thought of it); a magical chick lit piece and a contemporary chick lit piece. The contemporary chick lit piece was originally for a contest but now I think I may use either the OBX idea or the magical chick lit since both are either edgier or funnier. We'll see.

My goal for tonight was to plot out the OBX idea and the magical chick lit but that's not going to happen. I just feel so tired, I don't know why. I'm not coming down with anything (I hope). I fell asleep while trying to get my sweet boy to go to sleep. My husband woke me up so maybe I didn't get those supposed 8 minutes that leave you refreshed instead of dragging. I have the weekend though to get back on track, and I'm proud of what I've written over the past week.

The Smallest of Victories

In an effort to keep with the "100 words in 100 days" mantra I'm attempting to, er, attempt, I've spent 2 days writing. Seperate projects, mind you -- yesterday was almost 1,000 words on the paranormal piece that jumped up and bit me in the Outer Banks (although it has taken a sharp right as I've started to flesh things out in my mind and on paper). I could have written over 1,000 but I need to brush up on New Orleans. Tonight, I wrote 100 words exactly for my As I Lay Dying-ish piece. It was stream-of-consciousness mostly, and at 80 words I revised and added so I'd hit 100. I plan on working on my 'Southern girl returns home' piece later tonight which should put me well over the 1,000 word mark for today. Hopefully, I can keep up this pace!

Edited to add: Okay, so I didn't write 1,000 words as I had planned last night but I DID write 500 words. About 10:30 pm, I started yawning, closed up shop and propmtly crashed into my bed. I slept until my sweet boy (and the serious thunderstorm and lightening) woke me at 2:30 am.

Move over, Mark Twain --

Someone new from Connecticut is in King Arthur's Court.

Marianne Mancusi has written an outrageous tale of time travel, gypsy curses, fashion and medieval knights with A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court. Here's a blurb:

Once upon a time there lived an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who certainly was not your typical damsel in distress. But when a gypsy curse sent her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she found she'd need every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity--all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos--takes some doing!

Luckily, she's got her very own knight in shining armor, Lancelot du Lac, on her side. The honorable-to-a-fault and devastatingly handsome champion insists on helping her out, even though she's not quite sure she wants him to. After all, shouldn't he be off romancing Queen Guenevere or something? Will Kat manage to stay out of trouble long enough to get back to her beloved café lattes, cosmopolitans and cashmere? And what will Lancelot's forbidden love mean for the kingdom of Camelot?

Want to read an excerpt? You should!! I highly recommend this book!

Want to know more about Marianne? Read her blog!

100 Words in 100 Days

I recently read an article by Jody Wallace which gave me a much-needed inspirational writing boost. She gives writers an assignment of writing 100 words in 100 days; if you don't complete 100 words, you have to re-start your day count, even if you were at Day 99. So, in the car on the way to the Outer Banks on Friday, I decided to test this 100 words thing (I wasn't driving, by the way -- although I have written while driving, only at red lights or with my eyes clearly on the road, which makes reading what I had written impossible since each word is on top of the other or all looped together in one run-on sentence.....anyway, I wasn't driving while I wrote this).

I wrote a 2 paragraph description. Was it 100 words? Yes, over 100 words actually. And it was very rough, not fleshed out at all.

So I think that starting either late this week or early next week, I'll be writing 100 words for 100 days. I have much of the story complete (it is a stage play I'm turning into a manuscript -- I need to change some POVs and add more prose description) but I think I'll be able to complete it in less than 100 days. Don't hit Vegas just yet to bet on me though, because sometimes motherhood and the job that pays the bills get in the way. Both interruptions are okay. I now know I only need moments to write a little bit each day.

Also, while I was in the Outer Banks, I thought up a snippet for another story. I'm going to begin researching that today (by checking out some books at ye olde public library) and creating some character sketches. It doesn't matter what I write, as long as I'm writing, right?

Adult ADD

Does 10 or so writing blurbs constitute a diagnosis of Adult ADD?

I write stream of conscious-like; sometimes, an idea or a moment just comes to me and I write it down. I have pieces of paper in my writing box (underneath my bed, which is where any writer should store their materials -- out of plain sight so they have to dig to find them and after said paper is found, the moment is long gone) but nothing more than a few paragraphs.

So I ask again -- do I have Adult ADD?

I myself think I'm a procrastinator, especially if I'm writing where I have instant Internet access. The Internet is the devil! I can lose myself in blogs, webpages and potential agents for h-o-u-r-s, hours that I could have spent plotting and planning and figuring out a way for my characters to tell me their story.

I'm reading a writing book right now in hopes of helping myself along. I read Stephen King's book on writing last summer but it didn't help me become a better writer; it only added to my fears that everything I write really sucks and I'm dreaming an impossible dream. This book, First Draft in 30 Days, seems to be more helpful, a how-to (if you will) for people like me who procrastinate or potentially have Adult ADD. Will I be writing a book in 30 days? Ha! No. But maybe I can actually finish something, damnit.

Awesome News!

It pays to have friends in high places!! My amazing friend (and soon-to-be published author) Deidre Knight has invited me to help with some behind-the-scenes aspects of Out Of The Blogosphere.

I am beyone thrilled! Literally, there are no words. It's like Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed when she discovers Billy Prince wants to take her to the prom -- "I'm speechless. I have no words and that's never happened to me before because words are my life."

Thank you, ladies!! Wahoo!

Tape Recorder in my Mind

How I wish I had a tape recorder in my mind, a way to retrieve the little snippets I write in my head as I walk around town or drive in my car. I wrote almost an entire chapter just a moment ago with nary a pen or paper in sight. Can I remember it now that I'm staring at a computer screen? No.

If someone invents such a recording device, can I have the royalties? I'll let you keep the patent.

Hysterical -- seriously

Shannon McKelden cracks me up -- honestly! I can't wait until she's published so I can rush right out and buy the book. Then share it with my friends and post reviews on Amazon and post at her blog.

Wait -- this is a fangirl moment.....can this considered stalking??

A Sorta Fairytale

I am considering entering a writing contest. I've only entered 1 contest previously (for my local writers guild) which was almost 3 years ago. I never had hopes of winning; most of the winning pieces seem to be such "far out" concepts I know I'd never read the author were they to be published. But in an effort to jump start my brain, I have decided to enter. The contest deadline is in late-July so I could technically back out, should nothing come of the grand notion. Surprisingly, I have almost 2,000 words written (the contest length is 7,500). And this piece seems sorta chick lit. While I've read chick lit, I've certainly never attempted to write it. It's turning out to be fun!

A New Chapter

As the calendar turns into a new month, I begin a new chapter in my life: writer. I've tackled many of the serious ones (daughter, sister, wife, mother) and am now looking forward to this new part of my journey.

But instead of writing what the new character in my head is saying, I'm creating a blog.