Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Yankee Doodle Dandy
What kind of lover of history or historical romance author would I be if I didn’t recognize this weekend’s reverent meaning? Not a very astute one.
But I found this video about Yankee Doodle on youtube and wanted to share it. It’s more than just a cute kids’ song.
And, of course, I found it quite appropriate for a lover of all things Colonial.
But what does that have to do with romance? Only that I love our country. And that while love, passion, and romance can happen anywhere, this is where I choose to place the setting.
Enjoy
Gotta go back in time, with lifetime supplies of everything
I think about traveling through time. A lot. Not sure why, really. Other than the fact that I love history. See, I’d not want to go to the future because I think there are infinite possible futures.
But to the past. To see the eras I love to learn about first hand. And every once in a while, in the middle of my day, unbidden, I think, ‘How would I do this then?,” or “What would it be like there?”
But just as quickly, my rational mind tells me the negatives. I don’t mean lack of phones or internet or medicine. I mean, I am so blind, that I could not function then. My glasses would look so foreign there, and God forbid, how would I manage if they broke? Or if I lost my contacts.
And I am pretty fond of hygiene. I probably should learn more about herbs so I can treat myself.
I just get cascades of concepts such as those. And I almost grieve that I can’t go. My inner fantasy seeker whines, “It’s not fair!”
NO fair, no fair.
It’s pretty silly, I suppose, to feel cheated that I can’t time travel because of a little think like a diopter of almost -12 in each eye. Or that I like to smell halfway decent and keep germs at bay.
Nevermind that it’s only possible in fiction.
Shoot, if they can put all this speed and apps into a phone, why the heck can’t I go and meet John Adams personally, eh?
What would you miss? Can’t say electronics. Sorry. My post, my rules. It’s just too easy a pick.
The Only Way to Move is Up.
I’ve had such a stressful day. Really quite depressing. But in the grand scheme of things, it is thoroughly survivable. Unpleasant, sure. Will it kill me? Not today. Have I learned something? Too soon to tell.
But I got to come home to a wonderful home. A happy family. The best part of my day is greeting my kids and spouse and being squeezed and climbed on. And that’s just the spouse. Only kidding.
The thing is, I know a better day is around the bend. I’m not just saying that out of some Pollyanna belief that the sun will come out tomorrow. Yet, while I do wear rose-colored glasses at times, I tend to be a realist, lately. That is, no matter how much I believe that good will come out of something, I can’t just sit still and await its arrival.
Yeah the sun is gonna rise. But that’s a given. What’s ailin’ ya ain’t gonna stop if you just sit there and do nothing. I whole heartedly believe in the best is yet to come and many of the feel-good clichés that are out there. But no fortune cookie’s gonna dictate my life.
Let’s say you’re in a miserable situation. A bad date, a relationship, an environment like work, school or whatever. It’s not going to improve just because you will it. And I’m no Jedi. *you will want to read my blog* So get up and do something about it. Word to the wise and not-so-wise: it might take a long time.
Case-in-point: I’ve been looking for a solution to this maddening misery for 8 months. But it’s finally going to end. It will come to fruition in no sooner than four weeks. Unfortunately, the agent of this dread has the power to make that change later rather than sooner. I am trying to tell myself that if I’d managed to maintain this insanity for 19 months already, what’s one more?
Well, I know it will happen. But waiting for it and continuing this…this…I don’t even know what to call it–is not as great as I’d like it to be. At least I can get out alive.
And know that the sun, indeed, will come out, tomorrow.
Trying new things.
Remember in a previous post I spoke about drawing? I really am not good at it on the computer, and on paper, it’s passable, but I’m no DaVinci. Shoot, I’m not even Brosh
Well, here’s my attempt to illustrate a post in which I wrote about not forgetting.
Not horrible. It gets the message across. But not really as amusing as others. Oh well. I’ll stick to writing. Or at least thinking about writing.
Wanting to get more input
There’s a blog I’ve recently found which has a huge following. It’s good writing. It’s funny, it’s entertaining. It’s younger than mine.
I was discouraged.
But, I’m not down for the count. I figured there is something that that author is doing that I’m not. And she, at first, wasn’t even selling things. (Not a novelist.)
I’d love to hear your input. Of course, in the back of my head is a warning to be careful what you wish for. Be kind, but be honest…
edit: And please, If you picked OTHER, comment what the OTHER is. Thank you.
Polling ends Wednesday evening at 5pm EDT
Write of the Navigator
I have this title saved in my drafts section of this blog. I do that sometimes when I want to remember to write this spectacular and brilliant piece. I figure that the witty title will stimulate that part of my brain from whence greatness comes. It’s like the string tied around your finger. You look at the string. Scratch your head. Glare at the string, begging it telepathically to emit its secret to you. What was I supposed to remember? Think, brain, THINK.
I can’t remember what I was going to write, at. all. But I do know that I was inspired to write again by reading Hyperbole and a Half. Allie Brosh communicates in a way that I totally get. My viewers *do blogs have viewers*, nay, readers, know that I am very ADD. But reading her rambling insight renewed my belief in myself. It centered for me the fact that most creative people have some affliction, and with ADD I can focus on almost nothing for long, but on lots of things all the time. If I do it successfully, then I can say I am a multitasker…
Ok. I didn’t doubt that I want to write or indeed that I am an author. But it sparked that fire that had been turned a little low.
But now I’ve run out of ideas. This post has been open for over 24 hours begging for me to write it. So, I’ll make a list, and see how long it gets, on what actually is the Write of the Navigator.
1. Quite literally, it could be a map. That doesn’t sound like much fun unless the it is a treasure map. And crap, as if that were the magic string, I think I remembered the point of the title…. shoot. I thought the list would at least get to 7. I’ll get to that later then, but cause I really want to make this list….
2. It’s the tenet of The Navigator. Said in the totally multisyllabic exaggeration connoted in my head. NaveegayTOR. Emphasis on Tor. Not Ter, but Tor. His tenets include, but are not limited to, exploring the vast universe that exists only on the web. He can direct you to any blog about nothing. The ones that are really about something or have meaningful content other than amusement or entertainment are boring to him. Or her. Or it. Gender is not certain for The Navigator.
3. It’s a typo or a pun. It’s supposed to say Flight. Of course. Do you think I’m a moron?
4. It’s an insightful secret that is known only to me, except I don’t know it yet because it’s that profound. Profundity is a magnificent thing. It’s like when I was in the fourth grade and was reading that book by L’Engle and understoon 4th dimension for a mere nanosecond and at that nanosecond I felt like the genius of all geniuses, but then *poof* it was gone. And to further mess with your head, this tesseract is an example of 4th dimension. Have fun.
5. Or it’s another typo/pun, nay, homophone, that shoulda said Rite. or Right. If it’s a Rite, it certainly is that of The NavigaTOR. But if it’s a Right, it falls to all who would be a navigator. Like the right of way. And if I were clever or talented with drawing at all, I would illustrate each of these. I did try, with the ribbon on the finger thing. I even tried to insert it, but it poofed. I could NOT find it. But if I do later, I’ll come back and edit this post.
6. It’s really hard coming up with different things that the title could mean. I read it and think, “That’s kind of clever, but I don’t get it.” So if I don’t get it, how am I supposed to make it make sense to you? It’s a confounding title that aggravates me now.
7. Could I even leave the e off of Write and make it Writ? It sounds more like the Tenet thing. The Mission Statement of the Navigator. He/She/It could have one. Who knows. It would be something totally plebeian yet because of that, appeals to the commoners in a visceral way. (And yes, I know plebeian means common, so I’m probably a bit redundant there.)
Now, I did make it to seven and that was exhausting. Back to your irregularly scheduled post…
As I alluded above, I did have a lightbulb moment in which I sorta remembered what this title was supposed to mean. It had to do with maps.
And with writing.
There are different kinds of authors out there. Some who can begin the story at the beginning and go forward in a useful and logical manner until ‘The End.’ This is called doing by the seat of your pants, or ‘Pantsing.’ I like for it to be in order because it allows my suspension of disbelief to take me where my characters go. And they like to have their own way. Really are bossy buggers. But some authors plot. And there are varying degrees to plotting. No method is wrong. But I would seriously doubt my sanity if I even ventured to try the Snowflake method. I am entirely too ADD to stick to it long enough to even make part of a flake. (again, insert illustration here, If I could draw.) I would get to the part of drawing to where it looks like the Star of David and go off reading Wikipedia about Judaism or Kabbala. And then I’d go around wearing a red string on my wrist because I want to be a good person, but although I believe in Christ, I’d want to practice faith as he did. See. I can’t even talk about the snowflake method cohesively.
The way I write is somewhere in between. (in case you hadn’t noticed.) I lack both the attention span and the discipline to write straight through because even though the story always starts at the beginning, I’ll have random moments where scenes pop in my head, usually when I’m in the shower or about to go to sleep. At which point I wish I had a waterproof pen and pad or could write in the dark blindly. (which I mean literally. Without my contacts or glasses, I can’t even read the big E at the top of the chart, when my nose is touching said chart.) Could you imagine me trying to transcribe my wet and/or blind scribbles? It just wouldn’t work. So these random scenes are always like an epiphany. Sometimes, a mental writing road block is opened and I miraculously can move the story forward, except that theres a gap between it and what I’ve already written. But since I ‘loosely plotted’ in my head, it kind of fits.
I’m not a fan of plotting, because, as I’ve said, it’s hard for me to accomplish with any flair. (Haha, now I’m thinking of Office Space!) The last time I tried to plot, I made a horrible synopsis and hated the story. Then I got depressed because that was NOT what I wanted to happen in the story. Then mad at myself for not knowing where I wanted the story to go. I wanted to write organically. Whatever that means.
How is this related to a map you ask? Well, let me tell you. Just as there are more than one way to skin a cat, or to get from point A to point B, there is more than one way to write right. There is no right way. Do what works best for you. YOU are your own NavigaTOR of your story, and indeed of your life. So make your flight what you wish it to be. You can set your own Tenets and Mission Statement and you own your own methods of madness, or Rites, and as such, they are yours (Rights.)
I’m rather impressed with myself for how handily I tied that together. It’s amazing how the ADD mind works. It can really make no sense at all but in the end, it really did.
It’s amazing….
Sometimes, out of nowhere, a beautiful thing can happen. And even while so much around you is distressing, this ray of hope reminds you that things will be ok.
The goal of every writer is to be published. But I’ve been working on some of the same books for so long, I got lost in the writing of it. I wanted to perfect it, I wanted it to resonate. A few contests later and I kind of forgot what I was trying to do, almost losing the joy of it all. But, with planning carefully in place, a seed I planted long ago has borne fruit. (just goes to show to be nice and have a good presence. It works in both real life and on the web.)
I have excellent news coming my way, and my careful and sporadic ways are definitely going to prove valid.
Stay tuned!
Romance Writers’ Conference, at home. Diva-style.
Not forking out the dough for the RWA Conference this year, with evening wear, suits, high heels and whatever “business casual” means?
Not to worry! Romance Divas is hosting the
Not Going to Conference Conference…
The Conference You Don’t Have to Get Out of Bed For!
From July 28-31, come hang out with some terrific, savvy authors — and you don’t even have to brush your teeth (although, seriously, good dental hygiene gets you extra points.)
We’ll be hosting panels on:
The Power of Three: A crit group tell-all (Paranormal)
The Lolitas of STEAMED! Present Writing the Steampunk Romance -more than leather corsets and brass goggles!
Whips, Chains, Slings, Oh My: It Really Isn’t About the Toys (BDSM Erotica)
The Great Big YA Panel
Register for free at Romance Divas, then come join us on the forums for the discussions, as well as some terrific prizes:
Eden Bradley/Eve Berlin:
1) erotic e-books, THE SEEKING KISS and TEMPT ME TWICE.
2) a synopsis critique in any sub-genre of erotica/erotic romance.
Jax Cassidy:
1) erotic e-books, DEVIL’S HEART and BRUSH STROKES.
2) book cover design or banner ad
Kristen Painter:
copy of her e-book, ALL FIRED UP
Rhonda Stapleton:
1) STUPID CUPID YA Book trilogy
2) a proposal critique (1st 3 chapters and synopsis) for any genre of book, romance or not
K.B. Alan:
1) The choice of one of her e-books: PERFECT FORMATION, ALPHA TURNED or BOUND BY SUNLIGHT.
2) A $25 Barnes and Noble gift card.
Robin L. Rotham: Signed copies of BIG TEMPTATION, ALIEN OVERNIGHT, and ENEMY OVERNIGHT
AJ Chase: copies of e-book CAT AND MOUSE
Inez Kelley:
1) e-book package of both MYLA BY MOONLIGHT and SALOME AT SUNRISE
2) The complete Dirty Laundry Series (3 e-novellas) co-written by Ginny Glass aka Wordsugar and Inez Kelley
Kate Pearce:
1) a three chapter ~and~ synopsis critique-any erotic romance, paranormal romance or historical romance.
2) Winners choice, in either print or e-book format (if available), of a set of the Simply series (there are 5) ~or~ a set of the Cowboys (there are 3) ~or~ a copy of KISS OF THE ROSE-readers choice.
R.G. Alexander:
Winners choice of any two e-books from her Samhain or Ellora’s Cave back list
Nadia Lee:
Critique of 1st chapter & synopsis-paranormal or contemporary romance
Shelley Munro: Winners choice of any one her backlist books from Ellora’s Cave or Cerridwen Press
Ciar Cullen: Winner’s choice of any one e-book on her website.
Voirey Linger: A copy of her e-book RISKING ETERNITY
RF Long:
1) a submission package critique (letter, synopsis and 3 chapters)
2) e-books! (details TBA)
Crystal Jordan:
1) 1st chapter and synopsis critique
2) One copy of any e-book off her Samhain backlist (http://samhainpublis…/crystal-jordan)
3) One copy of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (print or electronic, winner’s choice)
Jeannie Lin:
1) a first chapter critique, any genre
2) an official BUTTERFLY SWORDS souvenir charm
Elise Logan: Winner’s choice of any e-book from her backlist
Marguerite Labbe:
1) A critique of an m/m story
2) Signed copies of her m/m vampire trilogy MY HEART IS WITHIN YOU, HAUNTED BY YOUR SOUL and OUR SACRED BALANCE
Seeley DeBorn:
One jar of home made body or face scrub, customized to the winner’s preferences and skin type.
For example: Orange Spice Oatmeal, Coffee-Cocoa, Citrus Salt, Lavender Mint, Honey and Flax
Sela Carsen: a copy of her e-book CAROLINA WOLF
Hailey Edwards:
1) a copy of her sweet fantasy romance ebook, EVERLONG.
2) two five dollar MBaM gift cards
Charlotte McClain:
Copy of her two e-books, LOVE TO DECLARE and ROCK STAR’S RETREAT
Cynthia Justlin: (Golden Heart Finalist!) Proposal Critique (3 Chapters and synopsis)-any genre other than erotic
Lainey Bancroft:
1) signed copies of her contemporary romance, THE TROUBLE WITH TESSA and her chick lit romance COZUMEL KARMA
2) Proposal critique (3 chapters and a synopsis) any genre except Steampunk
Tina Burns-Publisher-Liquid Silver Books:
1) a critique of 1st 3 chapters & synopsis
2) 3 be-book prizes for 3 different winners! Winners choice of any one e-book download from LSB library.
Mima:
Winner’s choice of one e-book from her backlist-see her website for booklist.
Taneasha: handmade jewelry by our own Taneasha-details to come!
Barbara Sheridan:
1) Winners choice of one e-book from her backlist-see her website for booklist.
2) Critique of up to 20 pages of either M/M, or M/F romance or erotic romance in various subgenres (contemporary, historical, paranormal or suspense/mystery)
David Bridger:
A copy of his ebook BEAUTY AND THE BASTARD
Victoria Janssen:
3 print books TBA (whatever she finds at the RWA Conference)
Gemma Halliday:
Signed copy of SCANDAL SHEET
Jennifer Leeland/Jennifer McKenzie:
1) copy of her e-book MARKED FOR PLEASURE (Kindle version available upon request)
2) copy of her e-book MARKED FOR DESIRE (Releasing June 29th) (Kindle version available upon request)
3) copy of her e-books The Command Series (Trilogy)
4)copy of her BDSM e-book series (3 from TWRP and 1 from Samhain)
Emily Ryan-Davis:
1) Critique of novella-length (up to 30k) manuscript; any time period, m/f, menage, f/f (m/m not her area of expertise)
2) signed print copies of her anthology: MATING CALL, DRAGON DANCE and DRAGON BOUND
3) e-book copy of CHANGING THUMBELINA
Sabrina Darby:
1) Signed copy of her erotic historical novel, ON THESE SILKEN SHEETS
2) Critique of first thirty pages of any Regency (erotic or non erotic fine, but m/m outside my area of expertise)
Alina Morgan:
1) copy of her e-book The Twilight Deception
2) copy of her e-book The Shadow Unveiled
Debbie Mumford:
1) Critique of a synopsis
2) Winner’s choice of any e-book from her back list.
Kimberly Troutte:
1) copy of her e-book SOUL STEALER
2) copy of her e-book CATCH ME IN CASTILE
Sasha Devlin:
1 pair of hand made writing mitts or gloves-style and color TBD by the winner
Julia Knight
Winner’s choice of one copy of any of her books available in e-book format
The incomparable David Bridger
BEAUTY AND THE BASTARD by David Bridger releases today from Liquid Silver Books!
Dangerous love in dangerous times…
Saul the Bastard is a fallen angel who works as a bounty hunter for powerful urban demon families. Rebecca Drake, a modern day demon princess, is being hunted by dangerous desert demons. When Rebecca’s family hires Saul to protect her, they are both unhappy with the arrangement, but before long sparks fly as they try to resist their strong mutual attraction. For the first time in living memory, Saul has someone to love; someone he is scared of losing; someone the desert demons have marked to be their next sacrifice.
Beauty and the Bastard
from David Bridger and Liquid Silver Books
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.