Christmas day

Today was Christmas and a good one at that. Spent some time with the friends, ate some food and gave some gifts. What could be better than that? I did talk to my parents and my brother, made sure they were having a good time. My brother says my parents are taking the kids back with them for a bit which is good, since they got gipped out of the summer. Ah well, it’s under the bridge. When Monday hits, I’m going to have to send the packages out for the holidays. Yes, I’m a few days behind, but I like to do it this way so that people still have gifts coming even after the holidays. I wonder how my mother will like her gifts? And my dad?

Still working

I am getting nowhere in this story. It’s not for lack of trying. I have been. I just can’t seem to get back into writing. I’d planned that while I was on leave from job I would be working on my crafts and the stories. So far…I’ve completed part of my Christmas list, but come no closer to getting this story done.

How do you get over the hump?

Moving past the letdown

So, I took a moment to mourn my story that I’d finished. Wasn’t a long period, since I’ve been working on this bad boy for quite a while. But…I still feel a little sad. Like a friend you hadn’t seen in a while calls you out of the blue. You kinda missed them, but not in the aching sense of missing your best friend.

So, for my next story I’m finally tackling a story that I’ve had on the backburner for longer than I can remember. A nice little interracial love story about a couple that were separated by the hero’s mother when they were only teenagers. He comes back to the family fold after being gone for a long time and finds the heroine in the same town as his mother. He wants to pick up where they left off, but she has a secret he can’t know about. this is not a traditional love story in that the hero does not wait around for her and neither does she wait around for him. They both date during the first few chapters of the story, even going so far as to be intimate with their significant others. For one reason or another though, those relationships end up failing and they come back together. Of course, there are trials and tribulations even after they come together and it looks like they might never get together. the hero though…he’s waited a long time for his woman and he’s not going to let her go so easily once he realizes she’s really the one.

this one has been in my head for a long time, coming out here and again while I was working on other stories. Now, the situation is that I’m working on it and I have other stories that I want to get to. I can’t decide if having all these activities makes me ADD or artistic. *shrug*

What do you think?

End of story letdown

While the topic title would have you thinking I mean the end of a book I’ve been reading, it doesn’t. I’m talking about the depression that sets in when you finish writing a book. It’s the feeling you get when you finally type/write the end to a story that has taken up much of you life and you emotions. I’m going through that now, after having finished a five book story arc concerning a gay couple I created. The ending just…drained me and now…I don’t know what to do with myself.

You’re probably asking…what are the symptoms of such a feeling? Let me tell you.

You feel drained, not quite happy, but not quite sad. At one point you may have even hated you book, wishing that it would end. Now that it has, there is a tinge of sadness hanging around your head, dragging you down when you go to open that file only to realize that it’s finished.

You get this right before you send the story off to be critiqued and edited. Once it’s in the other stages, you start to hate it again and can’t wait for it to be done.

How does one deal with such an emotion? You know the characters in the book aren’t real, or at least I hope you do. But you’ve spent every day with them, sometimes hours in a day and now…you won’t be seeing them as much anymore. It’s time for them to go into the world and though you are proud, how do you let them go? Are there any special rituals you have, things you do, celebrations you hold to purge the sadness that lingers once the last page is turned and you put down the pencil?

Holidays and shopping

I need to get out and shop. Between working all day and then coming home to work on my website, I have not had any time to do the shopping needed for Christmas. This would usually not be a problem, as I would just go during the Thanksgiving holiday and do what needed to be done. The problem this year is that I will be out for surgery. My husband is insisting that I’m not going to leave the house during my recuperation, keeping me confined to the apartment and surrounding grounds. This could be a problem, since I like to shop until I drop, literally. I don’t necessarily enjoy shopping online for gifts. For me it’s okay, but for others, I love the tactile sensations of touching things, running my card through the machine and walking down the street with bags upon bags on my arms.

The angry people though…not so much.

So the situation is really, should I go through the effort of shopping or should I, the Diva of Crafts, make everything I can and then fill in the rest. I already know the answer to that. It’s really too late in the season for me to try to make too many things, so I’m gonna have to get creative. A little bit of shopping, a little online browsing and some intensive homecrafting.

How will you be filling your Christmas list?

Priorities

Sometimes, it can hard to find the time to write. Heck, you may have the time, but you have other things you want to do, need to do instead. How do you make the decision to write instead of what’s hanging on your shoulder?
Me…I do a couple of things, tips that I picked up from other writers and organizers.
First, before I even sit down, I try to map out what it is I want to write about in my head. It could be a scene, a moment, a feeling that I want to convey to the reader. This helps me get into the right frame of mind. I also tend to only write dialogue. Not a lot, but when my mind starts to work faster than my hands, that’s when I turn it on. I may not finish the scene, but the dialogue helps me get back into the moment when I find a chance to write again.

Another thing I do is carry a little notebook with me. This is great when you are at the Dr’s office, getting the car looked at, anytime really when you have at least 15 min of just you time. True, you may have other things to do in those spare moments, but the time comes when you have to ask: What is more important? What is calling you louder than all the rest of the errands?

Now, one of the issues that may arise is that writing starts to feel like a chore. True…it can and could. That is when you step back…take a breath and do something else. I know, writing is in your blood, but do you really want to be burned out on something you love? Take a break and when you come back, you’ll be refreshed and ready for something new.

On my days off, I nearly live on the computer. Not a good thing, but I do. When this happens, I leave whatever story I’m in love with at the time minimized on my task bar. That way, when the moment hits, I can just pull it up and start typing. I may only get a line or two, but it’s enough to keep my mind focused.

What are some tips from you or that you have gotten that help you prioritize your writing?

Inspiration

I know, I’m a little late in my blog post. I just could not come up with anything to talk about. That’s not true…it’s more like I had too much I wanted to talk about and didn’t know where to start.

So…

Let’s talk about inspiration and where it comes from. Sometimes, I will be sitting on the couch, watching a commercial and an idea will hit me. It could be the weirdest thing ever, but it will spark something in me that makes me want to write a story. Or other times, I will have a dream and wake up with crystal clear images. Like a story that I’m itching to work on. I had a dream about a writer that was having one of her stories made into a movie. Of course she gets with the main actor of said move, but there were twists and turns in it that I’m not sure I could have thought up fully awake. As soon as the sleep cleared from my eyes, I had the basic outline written down on paper. It may be a while before I get to the story, since I have a few others, but it’s there.

Patiently…

Other times, I’ll read another person’s story, a fairytale and think…what if? What if I changed it, made it newer, set in a different time, and changed the people around? That’s my next step that I’m taking, once the stories that I’m working on get finished. I want to see what I can do with the classic, other than the ordinary. I mean…I’ve seen enough of the Cinderella stories to know that the usual bores me to tears. I want to spice it up…make things different and new.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Character development

Character development =The change in characterization of a dynamic character, who changes over the course of a narrative.
Oh yea…I’m on to the big things now. *LOL* seriously though, this is a hard to thing to master and sometimes…you just don’t want to. You just want to plow along and get the story written and forget everything else. Unfortunately for you types, this is an important, integral part to any story that is written. ANY story.
If your character does develop or grow, the story stagnant. Who wants to really read a story about a jackass who stays a jackass? Or a wimp who never grows a backbone? Or even the über housewife who never learns to leave the house and be her own woman and make mistakes? All these stories would just collect dust if nothing ever happened to them, if they never learned to live so to speak. As a beginning writer, it’s hard to master this step, to be able to see from above how your characters change. As the writer, you are in the story with them, living through what they do and how they feel.

Which can be used to your advantage. This is how development comes naturally, how people learn to ‘master’ it in a way. As you write the story, you have to realize that every page, every word, your character is growing, becoming someone else. The mean grumpy old man is becoming nicer, easier to be with. Not that he has to change completely, that just doesn’t work. But he has to have a spot, someone or a something that brings a smile to his face that wasn’t there in the beginning. The workaholic that thought he didn’t want kids finds himself slowly falling in love with an orphan he found shivering on the sidewalk. Some of this is cliché, but you get the drift.

In a way, this is how you as a person would relate to changes in your life. Would you grow, adapting and changing, or would you dig your feet in and refuse all attempts at newness. If that’s the case, then there has to be a damn good reason for it. Even then, once the reason is acknowledged, the change begins. The person starts to see how the reason no longer fits, how out of date it is, how stifling the reason has become. They evolve. Slowly, but surely.
Even villains evolve, though we as readers are loathe to admit it. They become either colder or warmer, but never fully good. They may even have soft spots, something that makes them almost human, that helps them develop into a different person, another character.

All of this is natural, which I know at times it hard to see. It may even become hard, if you think about it too much or too hard. You can force it, but it may come across as just that. Forced and difficult. Though at times, this may work for you. If the situation calls for the character to make rapid developments, then work it the best you can.

Just as you as a writer or a person have developed (hopefully) so too must your characters.

Any thoughts? Let’s discuss this.

Writing a blurb

Blurb=the bane of my existence
These are what sell your story. What gets the reader, the publisher, the agent drooling over what you’ve written. They can either make or break your story, whether or not the story is good. I read them and often base my reading choices on them. This is fine…until I have to write one. Then all bets are off and I’m crying in the corner asking for mommy.

It’s not that I don’t love my stories, or don’t know them by heart. Just how the heck do you boil your baby down to about two paragraphs? Seriously…I’d like to know. I realize that by the time you’re getting to the blurb writing stage, it is not your baby. You might even hate your story by this time. But still, how do you boil it down to only what is necessary to whet the appetite and not give anything away in the process. I have this tendency to want to go on and on about what I’m writing cuz it excites me so. I want everyone to love my book as much as I do. But...

Apparently I have to learn to do that in two paragraphs or less. I’ve read articles, books, blogs and forums for advice on how to accomplish this, but always it feels as if I’ve missed the bus, standing at the stop staring forlornly at the taillights as it turns the corner. So I slump back to the house and struggle through it on my own. Which usually works out for me…since I just go with what feels right. This is where a good critique partner can come in as well. They can and should give you their honest opinion about the work and what feelings it evokes in them.

So does anyone have any tips on how to write a stellar blurb?

Making time...

Sometimes…my brain moves to quick for me. All these stories, banging around in my head, demanding that I put them on paper. I would…but my fingers don’t move that quick and my attention needs to center on the maximum of two stories at a time. Three if one is in critique. That’s my max. But my brain…damn thing…keeps telling me to put all the others one paper. Just a paragraph here…another one there…until I’m working on fifteen stories at once with no clear end in sight. Drives me crazy. ‘Cause I wanna do it. I want to put all the stories in my head on paper, finish all the plot lines that I started, and fill in all the empty spaces that beg to be filled. Alas…I cannot.

With a business to run and a job to work, I just don’t have the time I wish I had. My mother told me that I have to many things going on and something’s gotta give. I don’t think so. I just need to prioritize things in my life, put them in an order that makes sense to me and try to stick with it. Shouldn’t be too hard…right.

How do you keep on top of things? Let me know, I might use the tip.

Critiquing
Definition: an article or essay criticizing a literary or other work; detailed evaluation; review.
2. a criticism or critical comment on some problem, subject, etc.
3. the art or practice of criticism.
–verb (used with object)
4. to review or analyze critically.

Is so much more than that just what the dictionary says it is. It’s also less than what the dictionary says. A lot of writers think that all you need to do is put pen to paper, go over your words later and your done. There is this inherent belief that you are your own worse/best editor and you don’t need outside help. I know this because I thought it at one time. Felt sure that I could do better work than someone I barely knew. I mean, this is my baby and I know what’s best.
I was wrong…very wrong.

I’m not saying that as a writer, you don’t know your work. You do…too well. A critique partner is that little voice in your head that says “What if…” they help you see the holes, the dropped plot lines, the character’s that just don’t…fit. They in essence make you question your work and see it from the reader’s point of view. Let’s be honest, the reader may not care about the back-story to your hero, the fact that you based it on you long lost love. They want the meat of the story, the grit, and the passion. If you’re stuck on the past and trying to explain every little detail, no one is going to pick it up. Except maybe me. I’m a stickler for details, but I assure, people like me are few and far between. A critique partner helps you figure out what works and what should either be tossed aside or left to the imagination. They may even give you some ideas on plot, how tie up the loose ends. Your cheerleading section if you will.

More than this though, a critique partner can become a friend, a companion in this crazy world we call publishing. ‘Cuz…it does get crazy out here. With contracts and failing publishing houses and people stealing your stories, you need an ally in your corner. Someone that gets this is your life and you need it to work. Not want, but need. You also need someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to tell you that the *werewolf story set in a future world of androids* may not be the best idea. Or if it is, how to do it so that’s original and cool, not kooky and…ugh. You get my drift.

It takes time though, to build this up. It does not happen overnight. You have to work at it as you do any other relationship. Being honest helps, but so does being sensitive, understanding that the story you’re reading is someone else’s baby, just as your story is yours and sometimes, people take criticism personally. You also have to be willing to say “This is not working for me. I think we should break up.” What is the point of working with someone that you don’t like, whose opinion you don’t trust or want? That is a waste of your time and theirs. You do need to be strong in yourself, knowing what you do and don’t want. I know that my critique partner and I have a long standing rule of just let it go. If it’s something either she or I feel strongly on, we leave it alone. Much like life, learn when to hold on, learn when to let go.

If you play your cards right, you and your critique partner can have a long lasting relationship, which can traverse just about anything.

*if this idea sells anywhere, I want in on it. Serious.

Book Release-My Sun, Your Shadow

I know, I’m a bit late with this, but as I only recently got back on line, I think I’m allowed a little lateness. My critique partner, Suzannah Safi has another book release. This book had been out before, but from what I understand, the publisher that had it was not on the up and up, so she had to take her work elsewhere.

Here's the juciy blurb:

Cat Mckibben wakes up one night to find herself chained to a bed at the will of a mysterious dark stranger. Yet his allure is more than she can handle as he entices her to follow him down a path of self-revelation and self-indulgence. When given to her fantasies, Cat finds the stranger more powerful than she imagined--...and his identity is revealed as Dracula.
Set out to take a queen, Dracula informs Cat that her secret heritage makes her the predestined queen.
Cat faces a decision--to stay with Dracula and enjoy a vampire's life teeming with sensual bliss, or the alternative fate that awaits her when she wakes up once again in her former nightmarish reality…

A Dark Fantasy Thriller Romance, Vampires.

I have not had the oppurtunity to read this book, but I know from expereince that this will surely satisfy your desires for sexy vampires.

back in the saddle

Okay, I’m back to writing.

Really, I’m writing again. I’m in the second book of my Trilogy The Hectate Trilogy titled Henbane and I’m feeling better about myself. I’ve been struggling with this story for so long, I never thought I’d get back into it. I can’t tell you why I was having these problems, I just was. Then something clicked for me, as if a light went off my head. (there I go again, being dramatic) and everything started to flow. At least until chapter 4 came to an end. Then, chapter 5 started to mock me. I had to force my hubby to sit down with me and brainstorm so I could over the hump. I did, at least until chapter 7, but by then, hopefully, I’ve gotten more in-depth and will know where I’m going. Already, I’m thinking ahead. I really need to put this stuff down in my outline so I don’t lose it. That would suck worse than the writer’s block.

A confession...

I have a confession to make and it might be a shocker:

Sometimes…I don’t like writing.

Okay, for any writer, that’s a no brainer. Really. You know what I’m talking about. Sitting down in front of the computer or a piece of paper and taking the pen in hand and…nothing. Not a line, not a word, not a nothing. You just keep staring at the blinking cursor and wishing that something would come pouring out. Anything to make the screen less intimidating. Sometimes, I just tap a letter and let it fill the screen. Stupid, but relaxing. The worst is when you have a story, you’re in the middle of it and suddenly…nothing. Your mind takes a vacation and you have no idea when it’s coming back. Damn thing!

When those moments happen, I try to keep busy. I have song lists that would make any musician proud. My desk is so clean you can eat off it. The floors…bugs don’t dare tread on it since I’m on watch for them. All the time spent on that and the screen still stares at back at me, mocking in its emptiness. Grrr…

For a while there, I used to read, anything really, but I stopped that. I find that when I read and write, my style starts to resemble whatever it is that I’m reading and that can be a bad thing when reading crap. Okay, not crap…just stuff that I really don’t like and can’t get into. There, more PC. I tell my husband that I need an assistant to help with everything, but in reality, I don’t. If I did, what would I do when my mind left and I had nothing to do? So I trudge on…hoping that my mind comes back and brings a gift with it.

Like right now.

I’m writing this blog post because I need to be working on a story that my critique partner and I are working on. But my mind said ‘next week’ and left before I could catch it. Now, I’m staring at this story, with the knowledge of what I need to do and nothing to do it with. Damn brain, you’d better come quickly!
On top of that, it took with it the other story that I was working on, the ménage I’d referenced.

I’m not going to get anything done other than editing, am I?

Coming soon...

As I said before, I have a very talented critique partner, Suzannah Safi whom I adore. We’ve been working together for about…two years now…I think. My mind slips sometimes, but it feels about right.

Anyways

She has a new book coming out titled “Beyond a Planned Fantasy” by Pink Petal Books. The books is scheduled to be released May 6, 2010. Here is the cover:

And a blurb to entice you:
Carol has one thing on her mind when she creates a fantasy encounter—revenge. Then, her escort, Leo, pushes her boundaries as he introduces her to forbidden desires. She's only booked her fantasy man for the weekend, never planning on seeing him again. What she doesn't know is that Leo has a plan of his own and his own need for revenge. Carol may have wanted only a weekend fantasy; she ends up with more than she'd ever bargained if she can only trust her heart and her fantasy man.



To say that I’m excited for her is an understatement. She and I have come a long way since the early days of praying for a book deal. Okay, she has, I’m still on my knees. But that’s not the point. I did critique this book, so I do have an inkling of what’s it’s going to be about, as long editing didn’t change too much. I would have to say that you will not be disappointed by the book or the writing.

I want everyone to go out and by this book. I now i'm going to.

Plot issues

I’ve got a story in mind. One that seems to be consuming me in every way. Sounds dramatic, but I’m a writer. Everything I do will be dramatic. I just need some help in setting up the whole hero meets heroine. It’s in a genre that I have little to no experience with and I’m stuck. I can see the sex clearly, that’s a no brainer. I can see the issues that arise between the main characters. It’s not going to be a novel. More like a novella or short story. Nothing to in depth, just enough to get you going. I can even see the ending in all its glory and beautiful splendor. But I’m stuck with the beginning. I have some of the start ready, but I can’t see how I get from the heroes to the heroine.

Essentially, I’m missing the first three chapters. How does that work?

Alright, let’s get down to the issue. I’m working on a ménage relationship. It’s something that I’ve been dreaming out (yes, dreaming) for a minute. I want to put it on paper. I just need to figure out how to get the ball rolling.

I may have to do research. 

Book Trailer-Henbane

Henbane is an herb used in magic and diabolism, for its power of throwing its victims into convulsions. It was employed by witches in their midnight brews, and from the leaves was prepared a famous sorcerer's ointment. I chose the title for the second book in the Hectate trilogy for this reason and a few others. Taeyla is a big beautiful woman, only she doesn’t see it. Large for as long as she can remember, she’s been ignored and regulated to the sidelines her whole life, her thinner, beautiful sisters getting all the attention. Resigned to a life of solitude and loneliness, she puts all her energy and time into building up her business, Dream Flowers, a high end flower shop. When the man from her dreams steps into her shop, her whole world is turned upside down. He’s everything she has ever imagined, but can she trust what’s between them or will she throw it all away when it gets too hard? Mac Hectate is fourth generation warlock, running out of time. He’s about to hit thirty and with no mate to ground his powers and a powerful curse looming over his head, he and his family could lose them, forever. Out looking for a gift for his mother’s birthday, he steps into Dream Flowers, his attention and heart captured by the vision of smooth skin, a sexy smile and generous body in front of him. Now all he has to do is convince Taeyla that he’s not crazy and that she really is his mate. Meanwhile, there is a dark force gathering, trying to prevent the Hectate family from fulfilling its destiny and now it’s a race against time for Mac and Taeyla. Can their love survive?

This trailer is on the website.

To be honest, this story is causing me some serious night time sleeplessness. I just can’t get the hero right. I’ve got her where I want her, but he is refusing to cooperate with me. So, for now I have shelved this part of the trilogy until I can figure out where it’s going.

New Story

I have a few stories I’m working on at the moment, most of them close to completion. Okay, so I really only have two stories at the moment, but they take up a lot of my time, so it feels as if I have a lot. Right now, in critique with my wonderful partner Suzannah. Without whom I would be much less competent than I am right now with my writing.

The story in critique is departure for me, both in style and hero status. Normally, my heroes are very macho, very alpha. I like it, but sometimes, you want the loner; the one who doesn’t fit in with the crowd, who leans against the wall and watches. You know, the shy guy, the one who doesn’t really talk, but when he does, your knees melt and when he smiles…it’s over. The style is different in that the POV is going to be mostly his. I read romances and I love them. But there are times when I’d like to read what the hero is thinking, how he’s handling the situation. I know how the heroine is going to handle, usually when you read you are her and she is you. But for me, I wonder what the man is doing, how he’s taking a situation. So, that’s my basis for this story. She still gets to talk, but this is really his story, his love. Another departure is that it’s a short story. I go for novels. Books that consume you in their length and depth and drawing it out until you are begging for it to never end. Not this one. I wanted to get to the point and still have you wanting more. It’s how I roll.

There is no blurb for this book, but I’ll give you a little background. The story premise is that Alan, the hero is an immortal living in secret. He meets Josceline at work and falls for her, hard. Josceline feels the same way, but Alan’s got secrets and he can’t tell her. He wants to protect her, keep her safe from the past and what’s lurking there. Too late, he realizes that he can’t protect her, not from what’s coming and in the end, he might lose her anyway.

There, does that tease you? Make you want more? Certainly hope so.

Book trailer-You Can Always Go Home

Alexina’s life is full of twists and turns. She lost most of her family as a child, and now as an adult, has just buried her husband of two years. It doesn’t help matters that she’d been on the verge of asking for a divorce. A chance meeting with a past flame has her thinking of what could have been. Exhausted and burned out from the guilt of her husband’s death and the pressure of her family, Alexina heads back to her childhood home, Killeen, Texas. Luciano has loved Alexina since high school, keeping her close to his heart. When he sees her at her husband’s funeral, he can’t help the pull he feels for her. Knowing it’s the wrong place and time, he walks away, hoping to see her again. When he sees her six months later at a friend’s party, he knows fate is on his side. Now, all he has to do is get past her doubts of them and the guilt of her husband’s death. Behind the scenes, a sinister force is working against them, threatening to tear them apart. Her late husband left behind unfinished business, information his enemies desperately want kept hidden. His old company is after her and the information, whether she knows anything about it or not. It’s going to take everything Alexina has to keep her wits about her and make sure they stay safe.

This trailer is also up at the website.

Book trailer-Willow

The story itself is part of a trilogy I've been working on for quite a while. The premise is that a family of witches, long standing in the community has been cursed. The curse goes back to ancient times and the family has forgotten it's existence, but not the repercussions if they don't follow through on it. Sounds complicated? Well it is. The first book involves a lesbian couple and I had a bit of fun writing it. I was in the middle of having it critiqued by my wonderful partner, but then i started to move, didn't move, but never picked it back up. It's a long book, so i don't blame her for not wanting to get back into it. I hope that we do though, because I'd really like to see this book and the whole series finished. At the moment, I'm in book two of the trilogy, but it's not coming as easily as this one did. We'll talk about that another day. .
This video is already up on the website, but I've decided that i would like to put it here as well, for those moments when you just want to watch and not scroll

New blog, new start

So, I'm starting yet another blog. I have to so that i can keep up with all the random thoughts that race through my head, overwhelming at times. All times, but that's not so bad. This is going to be my journal of writing and trying to get published. If you'll remember, i had one on yahoo, but when they did away with Yahoo 360, i lost it. So, we're going to be starting again. I'm back on the writing wagon, not that i ever really fell off. I was just kinda...hanging onto the back, trying desperately not to get thrown as it bumped along the trail to completion. Now I'm back, hopefully on more solid ground. Or at least more realistic ground.

Feels good to be stretching myself thin again. What was i thinking, trying to slow down. That's what sleep is for!