Archive for June, 2010
More good company
This lady is so dear to my heart. In my circle of friends she’s tops. And within that circle is the author ring of people to whom I look for advice and grounding. She is a very special friend and I am honored to be one of her first fans. Seriously!
I have at least three (maybe four?) of her books, and I could not put them down. She is so clever and witty and smart. (Yeah, I’m being redundant, but these all fit her.)
Folks: I give you, Inez Kelley. Before I give you the blurb, let’s get inside her mind. Now, don’t be scared. I kind of know my way around. Just in case, I will leave some breadcrumbs.
I feel like I’ll be redundant in some of these, I’ll just ask a bunch, you answer what you wish and we’ll go from there.
1. You bring such a depth to your characters with clever wit and charm. Do you save all of this for your writing or is this how you always are?
What you read is what you get. I could possibly be described as a wee bit melodramatic. Or Juvenile, depending on your take. Whatever, I am fun at parties.
2. Compare the stress of your former occupation to the stress of writing. What do you miss most? (didn’t want to mention 911 unless you wanted to…) What could you do without most right now?
I used to say answering life threatening emergencies was nothing compared to raising children. I still stand by that. Writing has pressures and stresses of a different nature. They are more drawn out, longer lasting and I guess gnawing would be the word. There is no quick fix. I can’t hit a button, drop some fire tones and know the good guys are on the way to save the day. Where the heart pounding adrenalin rush of hearing someone plead for help is gone, now I get to craft that and hopefully inspire that reaction in my readers.
3. I had the honor of being among your first readers. That was a tremendous leap of faith. Do you still have that first never-to-be-read manuscript that all writer have hidden somewhere? Any chance of reviving or rewriting it? (note to blog readers, that was not what I first read: Jinxed, and it is awesome! check it out too.)
Oh God. The absolute first, no. But I still remember it well. I do however have the second, third, fourth, etc. And yeah, I may revive a few of those one day. Strangely when I go back and read them, I cringe in many places and am astounded in others. At 12, 13 and 14, there are things captured in those words that show how wide-eyed I was but there is a depth that surprises me. I only wish I had been taken seriously and encouraged when I said I wanted to be a writer.
BTW, JINXED was a rewrite of one of those stories from way back when, not from age 12, but young. It got completely revamped to where it is not recognizable now.
4. Where do you see yourself as a writer in 3 years? 10?
3 years- Churning out stories, sizable backlist, people who crave my books
10 years- Churning out stories, a hell of a backlist, people who crave my books and one kook who got a tattoo based on my work.
5. All writers have to start somewhere. This question is cliche, but has to be asked. What would you tell them? (besides to just BICHOK, or Butt in chair, hands on keyboard.) Because, yeah, you give me swift kicks often. I haven’t forgotten my promise. Just postponed it’s completion….
There is a voice inside that shows you a path. Everybody will try to divert you from it, be it saying “You can’t say it like that”, “that is too far a reach”, “you must follow these steps and pay these dues”, etc. Shut them out. Listen only to the voice inside. Blinders on and barrel forward.
SALOME AT SUNRISE by releases today from Carina Press!
It’s not nice to piss off Mother Nature…
Bryton Haruk sets out on a suicide mission to stop the bloodthirsty Skullmen from terrorizing the war-weary Land of Eldwyn. Consumed by guilt over the death of his wife, Bryton seeks revenge and reunion in the afterlife with his lost love. His purpose is determined, his bravery unmatched, until the queen casts a spell to save Bryton from himself.
Salome is that spell. A bird-shifter, she can harness the earth’s breeze and take the form of a beautiful, innocent woman. Her challenge is to harness Bryton’s pain and guide him to peace. She entrances and irritates him, tempting Bryton from his mission. Even as he gives in to the passion between them, Bryton insists on mounting a solo attack on the brigands’ compound, and Salome fears her love won’t be enough to save him…
Salome at Sunrise from Inez Kelley and Carina Press.
Seize the day.
I’m in good company
One of the perks and pleasures of being an author is getting to know other authors. I’ve had so much support and advice and kinship in this lovely circle of friends. I’ve also become a fan of many of these friends. Of course, before I am an author, I’m a reader. And I’d love this book. Take a gander at my author friend’s book. I’m so thrilled for her.
The inimitable Annie Nicholas:
BLURB:
Someone is about to get some Spice in his life.
Spice has nothing but the clothes on her back when she returns to Chicago. She’s looking for a better life, and that means reuniting with her estranged twin sister, Sugar. She isn’t thrilled to find out Sugar’s boyfriend is a vampire. But then she meets Eric, once the bottle-cap-glasses wearing nerd next door – now grown into the kind of man she’d love to snuggle with on this cold winter night…and he’s offered her his room in Sugar’s house.
Eric can’t believe Spice has returned. He’d given up hope of ever seeing her again, let alone having her stare at him as if he’s sex on a stick. But now that all of his fantasies for them are coming true, reality rears her ugly head and Eric must tell Spice his intimate secret; he’s actually an Alpha werewolf looking for his mate and he thinks he’s found her.
Excerpt:
Sugar had everything Spice wanted; a loving man, friends, and a home.
“Daedalus let you cut your hair?” A short man built like a bodybuilder approached her.
The awe in his voice snapped Spice out of her self-pity and the protector inside reared its head. This was the second reference to someone allowing her little sister to do something. “What do you mean ‘let me’?”
What kind of relationship did Sugar have? She needed permission to cut her hair? Maybe destiny brought her back to Chicago to save her little sister from some monster. Again. All those bad things happening to drive her here couldn’t be coincidental.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Where is my sister, and what are you doing in her house?”
They glanced at each other, confusion apparent on their faces. “What?”
The man in the kitchen stuck his head out of the door, chocolate brown eyes wide as he stared at her. “Spice?” The smile he’d given to her when he thought she was Sugar returned but wider.
Her heart skipped a beat. In the light his face seemed familiar as well. “I know you.”
“You should, we were only neighbors forever as kids.”
“Eric!” He had grown. Stupid, of course he’s changed. But she never expected that the skinny, lanky bottle-cap-glasses-wearing nerd would develop into a charming, handsome I-wanna-snuggle-you-on-a-cold-night kind of man. “Hi.” The jobs as a hostess, a bartender, and the most recent, a stripper taught her how to talk to men the way they liked. But with him grinning at her like a happy puppy, her mind went blank.
He swept her into his arms in a bone-cracking hug.
“Wow, I’d forgotten Sugar had a twin.” The redhead scratched his chin. “You look exactly alike, except your hair is short.”
Eric set her back on her feet. “Let me take your coat.” He tugged on the belt and untied it. To her surprise, the small action sparked warmth between her thighs. Not like he took off her clothes but she began to wonder what it would feel like if he did.
Their eyes met. His pupils dilated, the chocolate brown faded to amber, and something feral peeked at her.
She gasped and stepped back.
The pretty oriental girl took her arm and dragged her into the living room. She chattered about making tea, but Spice’s attention riveted on Eric as he stood with the men surrounding him.
What the heck? She’d seen need in men’s eyes before but this was darker, deeper, and so much more alluring.
The redhead tried to take Eric’s arm, but he shook it off and stomped out of sight.
Spice sat on the overstuffed couch. “What did you say your name was?”
“Katrina.”
A dainty, petite girl with long black hair to her knees, yet she gave Spice the impression of great strength. Life in Vegas taught her to be an excellent judge of character. Too bad it had taken her so long to learn.
“I’ll be back in a minute. You stay while I make tea.” Katrina slipped away to the kitchen.
Every flat surface in the living room held a book. Soft cover, hard cover, tattered, or new, Sugar loved her books. The walls were lined with shelves filled with them. Spice picked up the closest one and smelled it. The scent of paper always reminded her of her twin.
The large, square coffee table in front of her held the game Risk. Different colored pieces lay scattered on the thick blue carpet.
Game night at Sugar’s house. She glanced at the hallway. With Eric. Many questions formulated in her head. What happened to her reclusive sister over the past two years? When did she get friends? Probably when her only one, me, left town. Did she hook up with Eric?
Hope sprung in Spice’s heart. Her attraction to him was out of character. She usually loved them tough and bad. Maybe he could be the new beginning she’d come home for.
Annie Nicholas
I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth
I know my posting is irregular at best, but I wanted to assure any who wondered, that I am doing fine. I have now joined the company of women who are without their uterus. Yeah, this is a personal topic, but I wanted to make fun of my body and how the anatomy can fail you.
Since there were no Ute’s-r-us, and I was finished with it, the decision to have it removed was made much easier. It had to come out. I want to iterate that elective hysterectomy shouldn’t be taken lightly. To have it removed only because having your cycle is annoying is not reason enough to undergo a serious procedure.
Signs you should have a hysterectomy: (facetious)
Your cervix is now an outtie, not an innie.
Your cramps are severe enough to make your toes ache
Your thought regarding intercourse is not do I have time, but do I have time to recover from it?
Your cycle is more unpredictable than the weather channel.
The drugstore cashier no longer raises her eyebrows as you stock up on the weekly supplies of tampons, liners, ibuprofen and chocolate. (BTW, I have tons of supplies I no longer need woohoo!)
I’m sure there are more great lines out there. Give me yours!