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/ ( mm / dd )

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday

Sometimes I make outlines for my WIPs, other times I don't. Some of these outlines are more detailed than others. My notes for Chapter 19 simply say "ragesex following failed attempt #2", and then some brief snippets of dialogue I wanted to include. Very comprehensive, I know. Enjoy!

Her face was less than a foot away from his. Callum’s emotions jumbled together in a violent hurricane as he looked over her shimmering eyes, moistened lips, and heaving chest. He didn’t know what to do with her. Part of him believed he never would. This is wrong….

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Winners, Hop Up and Down!

All good things must come to an end, and the Alpha Male Blog Hop has come to a close. I had a blast hopping from link to link and reading everybody's comments (both here and elsewhere). My "to-read" list has gotten even longer! Big huge thanks to Carrie Ann for coordinating the festivities, to all the authors who participated, and, of course, all our faithful readers!

Okay, okay, I'll get to the part you're excited about. The winner of the giveaway I hosted (e-copy of Searching the Skies, plus $10 to spend freely at All Romance eBooks) is Kat! The three grand prize winners for the entire hop are Marie (Kindle Fire), Jessica ($130 Amazon Gift Card), and Natasha (Swag Pack)!

Keep checking back for more giveaways, book information, and my own self-deprecating musings! Thanks again!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

"No Day But Today" is Yesterday, But Still A-Okay

We always remember the books/movies/music/TV shows/etc. of our youth fondly. They're the words that awakened us, touched us, and spoke to us in a way that made us think they were written just for us.

There's a category of culture that I think can only be truly appreciated if you experience it at the exact right point of your life. Take Catcher in the Rye - I know there are people out there who love it, and people who hate it. I kind of fall in the "indifferent" camp, because I'm in the group that believes that your opinion of it depends on when you read it. It was never assigned reading for me in high school, and I finally decided to pick it up in college to see what the fuss was all about. Admittedly, I was a little disappointed - I'd heard how this book was amazing, it had changed lives, how it had spoken to so many people...and it didn't really do anything for me. However, I do concede that if I had read it 3-5 years earlier, I think I would have been all over it and firmly on the love train.

Then there's the category of stuff we outgrow. On one of the online forums I visit (I don't remember which one), I remember someone making a passing comment (half joking) about how she had loved Rent when she was younger, but now that she was an older, responsible adult, she just wanted to yell, "Get a REAL job and pay your damn bills!" to all these characters. I saw her point.

I was getting bored with the CDs in my car, so I decided to switch them around today, and put in ones I hadn't listened to in a long time. Among the new ones was the Rent soundtrack. I remembered that comment that poster had made, and part of me agreed. While they're entertaining, I don't really know if I'd want to be friends with any of these people in real life. (Well, maybe Joanne. She could be the type who'd organize my filing cabinet and make a spreadsheet with me and have fun doing it.) I appreciate devoting oneself to one's art, but at the same time, there comes a point where yes, responsibilities take over and the rent must be paid.

That said, it still holds a certain magic for me. Firstly, the music and lyrics really are just so well-written. That alone makes listening a worthwhile experience. And while I may be all old and responsible now, like many appealing works of fiction, there's still that element of fantasy, of imagining a different life filled with drama and passion. Again, I don't know if I'd truly want any of it, but it's nice to daydream sometimes.

Even though I haven't listened in years, I still knew most of the words. "Another Day" continues to be one of my favorite tracks, and is a fantastic song in general. Apologies for the sub-par video - most of what YouTube turned up was from the movie version, and I'm just used to the original arrangement.

Friday, October 19, 2012

The Alpha Male Blog Hop!


"What makes an alpha male?" That's like asking "What do women really want?" It's highly subjective, and I don't know if we'll ever agree on a solid definition.

Some traits immediately come to mind. Dominant. Confident. Strong. But even those can take us into a gray area. Are we referring to just physical strength, or other powers and talents? Do we want someone who can lift cars over his head, or will we be equally satisfied with someone who could, say, inspire crowds of people, or simply help us talk through the issues that plague us?

When I was writing Searching the Skies, I wanted to write two different men, each appealing in his own right. At first glance, Ash is probably more the "traditional" alpha male - military man, proficient with weapons, muscles that go on for days, assertive in the bedroom. While Marcus may not be as outwardly domineering, he still has a lot going on for him - wealthy, intelligent, charismatic, and doesn't tolerate any bullshit. Is one more "alpha" than the other? Mileage may vary. Geneva, our heroine, is faced with a difficult decision.
To commemorate this celebration of alpha males, I'll let you decide which type you prefer. Firstly, for the blog hop, there are THREE grand prizes! Don't forget to leave a comment here with your email address so you can enter as many times as you possibly can! The prizes are:

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack! (US only)


Next, you can also enter to win an e-copy of Searching the Skies, along with $10 to spend at All Romance eBooks in pursuit of your favorite alpha male! Don't forget to check out the other stops on the blog hop!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Yes, Oysters and Yarn

Whoops, haven't checked in here in a week. The past few days were busy with writing like crazy for a deadline, and then celebrations of oysters and yarn (not in the same place) as my mom and I road tripped it around New England. There was lots of good food, my list of knitting projects has grown, and I got paid for reaching that deadline. (The amount I got paid, alas, is a fraction of what I spent at the yarn convention. Oh well.)

I had to neglect my novel-in-progress for a while, but I'm happy to report I'm back in that routine again. Things may be hectic, but I do better when I'm occupied, as opposed to sitting around, looking for things to do.

Now I just need to balance writing with playing with all my new pretty yarn....

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Imperfect Timing

I hate having to admit that I haven't had as much time to work on my book-in-progress as I would like. The best excuse is that I picked up a little side writing job (one that actually pays weekly, albeit a minimal amount), so starting from when I get the assignment, that takes priority so I'll be sure it's done by the due date. The not-so-good excuse: bah, I just have a lot of STUFF going on.

I have a wedding to attend today (and yet, I'm still parked on my couch in my PJs). The rehearsal dinner for said wedding (I'm not in the wedding party, but my husband is) took up a large chunk of Friday. I'm leaving Thursday afternoon to go to an oyster festival and a yarn convention, and I won't be home until Sunday. I'll have the laptop with me, but I'm not sure how much writing I'll get done with other people around.

In a way, though, having all these other things going on has been beneficial. My weekly writing assignments are nicely broken down into ten different chunks. Sometimes I create the schedule of completing two per night, and once I hit that, I'm already in a good writing routine, so I can go back to working on the book. If I know something time-consuming is coming up, it can have the effect of making whatever writing time I squeeze in more productive. For example, I had plans with my mother last night, and I really wanted to finish up the chapter I'd been working on. She surprise!texted me to tell me she'd be at my house an hour earlier than expected. I worried for a moment or two, but guess what? The chapter got done.

I do have the added bonus of not having to get this book done by a specific deadline. That said, I'd prefer not to spend the rest of my life writing it. It'll get done, I know, but things just keep getting in the way!

Monday, October 1, 2012

Don't Ever Leave Me, F7

Cool story, bro: when I was in the first grade, I was eventually banned from participating in my class's spelling bees because I kept winning all the time. The teacher tried to make things fair by letting me pick some of the words, but then there were complaints that the words I picked were too difficult. (For example, I tried giving "spring" before the class learned the -ing ending. Bah.) Don't believe me? When my best friend gave his man-of-honor speech at my wedding, that's the anecdote he chose to open up with. Good times.

Regardless of my spelling prowess, there are certain words that I just can never spell correctly on my first try. I don't know what it is. I try memorization, mnemonics, repetition...nothing works. I have a mental block. I'm sure I'm leaving some out, but here are a number of my most frequent offenders:

embarrass(ed/ing)
mischievous
occurrence
camouflage
fluorescent (I think these two have similar issues)
viscous
insistent (why is that E not an A?)
dissipate

For the record, when I hit spell check just now, sure enough, I'd missed a couple and had to fix them. All hail the mighty spell check. I would be embarrassed without it.