Sorry I’ve Been MIA
I wish I could say it’s because I’ve been super busy, but it’s just been me in a funk. Reassessing my career path, the kind of books I want to write, and just what I’m willing to do to continue on my current path isn’t easy. Some hard truths have come to light.
I’ve been a happy puppy about this publishing thing for a good year now–Pretty much just under a year since my first contract was in July 2011. But even before that I’ve been the constant cheerleader for others. And I love that role. I honestly do. Especially for some of my favorite people.
But I’ve also seen that I’ve been giving a lot of my time and effort to things that aren’t good for me as well. I speak out of turn in excitement, I’m misunderstood when it’s pure laughter I’m going for, and I’m too honest for this game called publishing. There are far too many personalities out there for me to just keep going on as I have been.
Hard lessons, but important ones.
- Your personality is not necessarily good for your author persona.
- Think before you tweet or FB–Words are forever.
- Gossip isn’t fun.
- Words matter.
- Your reputation is all you have, especially when you’re starting out.
- Snark doesn’t always equal laughter.
- Writing is hard. Those that have said otherwise have never been edited.
- Learning is necessary.
- Confidence can be a shield and a hammer.
- Don’t let anyone stop you from writing.
That last one is the most important one. And the one that I’ve had to remind myself of the most. No matter what games are being played in email, social media, publishing, and at conferences–writing is what matters when you’re behind the keyboard.
Your stories matter.
MY stories matter.
The rest of the bullshit can get bent.
What…I’m never going to lose all my snark. 
Night Owl Top Pick!
UNCROSS YOUR HEART got a top pick review from Night Owl!
I don’t toot my own horn too much, but this one came at a particularly time so it put a big ole smile on my face so I’m sharing it! It’s nice to read a review that GETS my characters.
My girl, Miranda, has some serious issues and I knew not everyone was going to get her. I’m so glad that Chris over at Night Owl did.
Give it a look if you like.
#AtoZChallenge W: Writer
Writer
A lot of us on the AtoZ Challenge are writers in one form or another. We have to be to do this blogging thing. IMHO, it’s even more demoralizing than being an author. How many of us blog without a single response? Again and again, we put up our thoughts to the general public and hope someone out there gives a crap about what we’re writing about.
This has been the fun part of this blog challenge. Random people just might find you. Any time you open your mouth…writerly or verbally…there’s a chance someone will respond to you. But it’s this challenge that puts us out to a whole new slew of people that may have never found us. It’s been a really fun experience for me. And I’ve found quite a few blogs I’ll continue to follow after this is over.
I did miss almost an entire week because of edit hell. Hence my pic up there. LOL It was a learning experience of the highest order for me. I’ve been edited before, but nothing like what my new publisher does. It’s making me think about all sorts of different things when it comes to my work.
Structure, grammar woes, thought process, distancing myself from falling in love with my writing…all of these things have made me reevaluate a lot of things. It actually froze me up for a week during the process as well as another week following. Thank GOD I have this blog. It’s probably a big part of why I’m slowly getting myself back on my feet.
My writerly friends, my bestie, and all the other people in my life have been awesome, but in the end it’s me that has to pick myself up and get back to the keyboard. I have to trust in my own work, my own writing, and my own art again. Obviously it was good enough to get published in the first place.
Anyone else know how this feels?
Don’t forget your blog addy when you leave a message.
#AtoZChallenge V: The V
The V
It’s a shameless post. Seriously, I know this…but my LORD. There’s nothing so delicious on the male body as that little notch below the abs that arrows down into a pair of low slung pair of jeans.
Heck, for me…it’s even hotter than naked. Because personally, the male bits, not so beautiful. Now, don’t get me wrong, they TOTALLY serve a purpose in sooooo many ways. And just ask my friends, I’m as boy crazy as they come. In fact, my friend’s daughter actually told me I was more boy crazy than all of her friends put together. They’re 16-17 year olds. Seriously.
Sad state of affairs, but beyond true.
That little notch makes my damn teeth itch. And obviously I’m not the only one since men actually go into the gym to MAKE that happen nowadays. And believe me.
I’m eternally grateful.
Anything you like on the male or female of the species that makes your temperature rise?
don’t forget your blog address in your reply!
#AtoZChallenge U: Unsaid
Unsaid
Ahhh. My claim to fame. Sometimes my mouth gets me into trouble. There’s this whole censor thing missing in my brain sometimes. I’m getting better, but I still have to work at it everyday.
Sometimes it’s just a little something funny. Sometimes it’s a little crass and crude. Sometimes I hurt people’s feelings unintentionally. That girl in the picture up there. She’s definitely me more times than I’d care to admit.
Now, some people enjoy my blunt-speak and actually prefer it, but man…there are so many out there that do NOT.
Have you ever needed to take a pair of scissors to your tongue like me?
If you comment leave your blog addy too please!
#AtoZChallenge T : Tattoo
Tattoo
They’re fascinating as well as individual. My tat means something to me. Both a time in my life wrapped in relationships. At 19 I got my first tat with my best friend, Laurie. It was a first for both of us and it was another form of bonding besides the friendship we’d created. Hers was a Celtic knot and mine line art that focused on the colors of creativity.
Years later I got it touched up and added to. It was another bonding moment, but with my brother this time. They are both very important people in my life. When people look at my tattoo, they don’t know those things. And people that don’t have ink don’t really understand the significance of the time and the pain as well as the art left behind.
Some simply look at it as marking the flesh unnecessarily, or look at the future when our skin is older and will change, some simply think it’s silly. But those of us that have been inked know it’s something else. Something personal and something sacred. It might have been pure fun, marking a time and place, or even a way to remember someone that’s passed.
So, the next time you sneer at someone with ink…think about that. There might be much more to the ink than what shows on the surface.
Six Sentence Sunday – UNCROSS YOUR HEART: Rooftop pt4
My six comes from my novel, UNCROSS YOUR HEART. Continuing the rooftop with Nate and Miranda. Enjoy!
“The design world is pretty cutthroat lately. But I invested in the building and wanted a space of my own. The bottom three floors, including mine, are offices and the fourth floor and rooftop are part of my private home.”
Impressed, he tried to relax. He wanted to press her for details, to learn everything he could about her. Most women needed only a gentle prompt to unload, but not Miranda.
Now Available from Ellora’s Cave’s site:EC or AMZ
For More Six Sentence Sunday goodness click me.
Six Sentence Sunday – UNCROSS YOUR HEART: Rooftop pt3
My six comes from my brand new novel, UNCROSS YOUR HEART. Continuing the rooftop with Nate and Miranda. Enjoy!
He sat down beside her at the large octagonal table, his butt sinking into the plush green cushions of the swivel-based chair. “This is amazing, Miranda.”
She smiled, digging into the bag for a grape. “Business is doing pretty well.” She slipped a fat green grape between her lips, and chewed thoughtfully. “Well, it had been doing well until recently.”
Now Available from Ellora’s Cave’s site:EC or AMZ
For More Six Sentence Sunday goodness click me.
#AtoZChallenge K : Kiss Kakes
Kiss Kakes
My crit partner and I have this idea for a 4bk series about a cake shop set in Salem, MA. We have a deep and abiding love for the area and keep returning there again and again to soak up the atmosphere and the beautiful community. It’s more than just witches and lore. The place is crawling with amazing little shops and quirky side streets and pulls together the new and the old in a way that begs for a story. And not a paranormal story either.
Three friends pulling together to make a business work with all the pitfalls of retail, the seasonal business that does NOT include Christmas for once, and the mayhem of falling in love. Even better, I get to work with moi girl, Cari Quinn, and build a world with her. Of course our lives are complete madness and we’ll have to wait a little while to get our schedules to line up, but we’ll get there.
Not to mention the first hand experience of friendship, collaboration, and compromise. Should make for some interesting writing me thinks.
Anyone have any experience with collaborations?
Don’t forget your blog addys with comments!
#AtoZchallenge J : Jewelry
Jewelry
I’ve always been fascinated with it, but don’t tend to wear it all that often. In fact, I loved designing it more than wearing it for a long time. Taking a class in college got me involved with the metal craftsmanship and gave me even more of an appreciation for all the work that goes into each piece.
I love the sparkles, the leather-work (the pic I posted today reminds me of a scene in my current novel. I saw this and had to use it for my little book store owner), metals, and even tiny craft type rings like this one. 
They’re all fascinating to me. It’s pretty much wearable art.
Even though I’ve moved more into the world of word-art, I’ll forever be moved and enamored with what people create. And with the lovely internet world we live in there’s even more ways to get your work out there. I gotta say, ETSY is an evil place created to take my money. All these artists have a new home to sell their wares and a host of clients to sell to.
Sometimes it’s a great time to be alive.
Do you have a little gypsy in your soul? Let me know.
Don’t forget to leave your blog addy with your comments. =)
#AtoZchallenge H : Happy Place & I : Inspiration
Whoops. Had to double up again. Things got crazy yesterday and I didn’t get on in time to do a blog post. It would have been nice and easy too. It was my birthday! LOL But I also felt bad just gratuitously talking about myself. LOL So…here we go!
Happy Place
The beach…any beach…will always be associated with happiness for me. Some of my fondest memories as a child are associated with our yearly trips down to Wildwood, NJ or New Hampshire. As I got older I was drawn there on my own. Whether with family trips or ones on my own. Even as an author, I’m drawn there and do some of my best writing when the roar of the ocean is part of my soundtrack.
A few years ago a bunch of my girlfriends got the opportunity to use a family home that was on Long Beach Island, NJ. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun with a bunch of girls in my life. We laughed, talked, stayed up, watched videos, wrote, drank a lot of damn wine, and just soaked up the atmosphere. It wasn’t even beach season, but we had the very best time and ALL of us wrote like CRAZY! It was a slice of awesome that has never quite been recreated. We keep trying, but it’s a rare thing to get all the stars to line up, schedules to cooperate, and spouses to take over the children. But damn, we will always have those memories.
Inspiration
So…if you hadn’t figured out, I’m a romance author. LOL Pretty obvious, but if not…there you go. As a female, sexy has a lot to do with the brain more than just the slapping flesh of p0rn. Now, it has it’s place, I’m not going to lie. But in the end it’s a picture like this that will get my imagination flowing more than anything I can find in a video.
Inspiration can come from all different places and Pinterest has been a HUGE source of visual help. From clothes, to hair, to settings, to the characters I build in my stories. A little bit will go a long way in that regard. Even if the final version doesn’t have anything to do with my original inspirational picture, it put me on the path. And I gotta say, it’s usually a damn entertaining path.
Just don’t ask me about edits.
#AtoZChallenge G: Gratuitous #Gandygasm
The Gratuitous Gandygasm
This ones for the girls. Okay, and the boys that like boys. But hot damn that fine man right up there? Holy freaking hell. He’s been the highlight of Pinterest and Twitter and Tumblr for quite some time. He’s the principle model over at Dolce and Gabana. Now, normally I could give two craps about fashion–this girl wears jeans and t-shirts every day that I can get away with it–but him? MERCY. The first time I saw him I was a little stunned. You don’t usually get a touch of rugged with your airbrushed models.
Add in the fact that he’s sweet as hell, has a british accent, is a huge car-nut, and blogs about interesting and well thought out posts on Vogue’s blog…well. Hell. He’s got it all. And he’s the prototype for one of my characters. If you want more, just type in David Gandy or click on that little link on the side…heck…I’ll make it easy. After you click the link, click the beachy pic of him and behold, the Gandygasm.
CLICK ME
Oh and if that wasn’t enough…he’s the posterboy for Battersea. DOGS and HOT guy? SWOON.
Don’t forget your links in the comments!
#AtoZChallenge F: Frenzy
Frenzy
One of the best and worst things to have happen is a frenzy when you’re writing. While you’re in it you feel a little out of control, a lot like you might be on a narcotic, and sleep is pretty much a non-entity. At least when I get in one. I’ll lose like 8hrs of a day and get wrist cramps from writing via notebook as well as keyboard work. For me it usually happens when a particularly intense idea takes hold.
Now, that looks like it would be awesome if your world revolved around writing like mine does. And believe me, it’s pretty awesome when it happens. But the letdown when you get out of the frenzy? Whew. It’s like a damn hangover. The kind of hangover that you forgot to drink water for three days so you feel like you slammed into a wall at 90mph.
Sometimes the frenzy gives you a great story. And sometimes it gives you the teaser of a great story then pitters out to a ho-hum story you may or may not go back to. (I hate that 2nd one) As a pantster that’s just the way of things. And a lot of the excitement of writing for me.
So, anyone else know of this phenomenon? Had experience with it themselves?
Don’t forget to put your blog in the comments so I can find you!
#AtoZChallenge E: Elvis
Elvis
The love I have for this man is long standing. Actually it’s from the womb if you want to get particular about things. My mother loved watching Elvis movies when she was preggo with me. And she loved that era’s music. And Elvis was my start into the ongoing obsession I have with musicians. The charisma and the stage presence, the hip action and flirtation, the low points and the addictions. It all made for such a fascinating character.
Add in a healthy dose of sex appeal and I enjoyed him just as much as my mother did. A weird bit of trivia…one of the few memories I had as a child included Elvis right near the end of his life. The Hawaii concert he did right before he started going downhill. It was a simple setting–my house and all my furniture was exactly right. The only problem is…the concert was from 1973. I wasn’t even born yet. Back then we didn’t have videos on demand or even on VHS. It was televised. All I can imagine is that they replayed it on television just after he died in ’77. I would have been 2 years old. Just one of those weird things. Another overlap…my longest relationship started on the anniversary of Elvis’ death, August 16th. (Doomed from the start. heh.)
Anyway, the clip I decided to share was his ’68 Comeback Special. It was truly the most delicious Elvis in my personal opinion. And he’s wearing leather for God’s sake! All leather. *SWOON*
So…what musical artist has stuck with you for the longest?
If you decide to comment please leave your blog link and I’d be happy to reciprocate.
#AtoZChallenge D: Downtime
Downtime
is essential to keep a writer moving. I used to think that I had to just keep working. Keep going even when the words were crap. And you do have to do that…to a point. But what writers REALLY need to do is walk away from the story and find other outlets for themselves.
In the end it only makes us stronger writers. Even if it’s just watching TV like above. Hi. Um, I want to dive into that theater pit with about nineteen pillows and watch a Dr. Who marathon on my Netflix streaming. Sad, but true. I love immersing myself in a genre outside of what I write. In the end, the storytelling is the same. The goals are similar, just the way of telling the story is the difference.
It also helps me get out of my own way. Self doubt is an evil and insidious thing. It sneaks in just as you think you’re really doing all right on a story. I just destressed with a few mindless action movies and now I’m going to go back and see if I can put my characters back to rights.
How do you destress? What’s your favorite thing to do in your downtime?
#AtoZchallenge : C is for Creativity
Creativity with a bonus topic, Crit Partner
Pinterest became an inadvertent star of this little challenge. And since I’m such a visual writer it’s really no surprise. The storyboards and inspirational pics have really sparked my writing lately. It always amazes me the creativity that others have. Case in point. That crazy room with the circular library.
One of my long-term dreams was a tower room to work in. A huge circular desk and bookcases that would hold my favorite novels and craft books. (I’m addicted to writing how to’s.) This room took my little dream and folded it on its ear and came up with something even more amazing.
For me, this happens all the damn time when I’m working with my critique partner, Cari Quinn. (She’s amazing. SERIOUSLY. Not just because I’m biased! If you like sexy, sexy romance then give her a try.) She can take a mundane idea and twist it all around until I’m staring at my screen like this: o_O
And not for a bad reason. Just because I’d never think of things her way. Well, I’d never HAVE thought that way. A lot has changed since we became writing partners and best friends. Not only does she know me inside and out, but she makes me work harder on my stories. Push for more, take more risks with my characters and plot.
And she does it without tearing down my work. Without even uttering a word sometimes. We’re slowly learning to call each other on stories that are taking the easy way out…pushing each other for more than just the support aspect that we needed when we first met. This is exactly what a crit partner should do. I got damn lucky when I found mine.
#AtoZChallenge : Art and Beauty
Soo…I’m going to do this AtoZ Blog challenge thingie. Yep. Probably a dumb move with my killer April, but Roni Loren posted about it and how it might just push her out of her comfort zone and help with the writing. I think she’s right. And I haven’t done any writing exercises in a long time. What the hell…I’ll give it a go. I’m behind a day, so I’m going to combine A and B today.
A
Art has been as central to me as writing. When I went to college I thought for sure that I’d end up illustrating children’s books. I love the look and the feel of a really well done book. My only problem? I’m not really a kid at heart. Even as a kid I wasn’t. So I started moving into a more graphic design based program. The nerd in me was incredibly attracted to the design of menus and logos. The deeper I got into the curriculum, the more I wondered if it was actually for me. Being the superstar of your HS is much different than actually going away and being dropped into the general population of amazing artists. And one place that I saw that I was severely lacking was my 2 dimensional design classes. I caught this picture on Pinterest and it dragged me right back to those days. The lust I have for creating wants to do something like this. The reality of what I got on the page…yep. Not so much. It doesn’t make my love for art any less, it was just a wake up call that my original plan might not be the one for me. Thankfully it seems that words have never failed me. Not as an innocent teen, and not as a life-can-beat-you-down adult.
B
As a writer beauty takes on a lot of different forms in my mind. I like to twist it around and bend it to suit me and sometimes I’m the one that gets educated by my characters. Traditional beauty is fine. I’m as susceptible to it as anyone out there. But when I see a picture like this, it’s the striking dynamics of the subject that make it beautiful. Some people would only see the tats and wonder why someone would do that to their body. Me? I know there has to be a story there. And the story sometimes comes out of me. This is very much like my character, December, from Vintage December. She’s vulnerable and beautiful, distant and hard sometimes. But one thing she never is…boring.
The Romance Man
Okay, so I got a notice that @TheRomanceMan3 was following me. And this is the icon:
After I stopped snickering I went through his tweet stream quickly and decided, what the hell… Followback.
First thing…thanks to Twitter I find out he’s actually got a blog and reads romance novels and actually likes them! WOOT! Way to go! #2 He’s married with a kid. Even better! #3 He’s freaking HIGHlarious! BONUS! Anyone who reads my work knows that I adore men. Seriously…ADORE them. I live with two guys, love hanging out with guys, and they are so much less complicated than women. (This is why I love hanging with them) Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my girlfriends, but men are endlessly fascinating and sometimes brutally honest in ways that women simply never will be. Not to mention the interaction with them makes for better writing when I’m diving into the male POV.
But the reason for this post is this little quote from one of his reviews:
Jen has orgasms faster than any woman alive. As soon as Shane touches her she explodes. I don’t need to tell you that this is not realistic. Most men need a copy of Grays Anatomy and Ron Jeremy on speaker phone giving instructions in order to get a woman off.
Yep. I’m officially in love. I’m so following him. And I’ll probably end up buying half his recc’s. He tells it like it is and he’s irreverent as hell. MY kind of guy!
You gotta check him out!
Lucky Seven: ASHES AND WINE
Cindi Madsen tagged me in this fun little thing making the rounds on the writing circuit.
Here are the rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines – sentences or paragraphs – and post them as they’re written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 authors
5. Let them know
This is from my ASHES AND WINE novella from Entangled. I’m just into the first pass edits. So, God knows what this bad boy looks like. It’s a scene between Tessa and her friend Mercy and there is much tequila involved.
She needed to get some water in her or she was going to be absolutely useless by morning. Did tequila draw every last bit of moisture out of your mouth? “Tell me how you really feel.”
“Alaric, who names their kid Alaric? That’s just asking for their kid to be an overbearing, arrogant piece of overbearing—”
“You said overbearing.”
Mercy stabbed a finger at her. “It bears repeating!”
Tessa forced a wide plastic cup into her hand, half full of water. “Drink this.”
“What is it? More tequila?”
“Water.”
Mercy made a raspberry noise with her lips, but glugged back the contents anyway. “It should be tequila,” she said sadly. “I think I might be in love with Alaric. Stupid name.”
And now…tagging.
*rubs hands*
Cari Quinn
Faye Roberts
Ros Clark
Kiersten Krum
Leigh James
Alice Keezer
Joshua Keezer
RELEASE WEEK!
Oh my freaking SQUEE!
Okay, that’s out of my system. LOL I’ve been waiting for a long damn time for this particular book to come out. And honestly, being the impatient sort, this has been a bit of a trial for me. I sold the book last summer and it’s just FINALLY coming out now. You work so damn hard to get your book together and then pop Tums like Pez after you’ve pushed your chick out of the nest.
And man, you think that takes time?
Nope.
That’s nothing compared to the time it takes to get from contract to cover and release date. I was one of the lucky ones. I got the call back really quickly on my book. Ellora’s Cave got back to me in less than ten days with a YES! And believe me, there was a lot of booty dancing…but then the waiting sets in.
You wonder if the book will ever come out. You stare at your inbox hoping to hear from someone about the next step. You get twisted up about edits and what your cover is going to look like, then comes the NEXT round of edits and the more staring at your email.
Personally, I know my editor has about 40+ (probably more now) authors in her stable and she’s got to work with each and every one of us to create the best possible story to send out to those virtual shelves. But man, it’s REALLY hard to remember that when you’re holding your butt for that release date.
Believe me when I say…don’t pester your editor. As hard as it is to keep your fingers off the trigger finger, they know what they’re doing and they have a schedule that most of the time we’re not going to be privy to. But man, when you do get that notification of release day….
Booty Dance reigns supreme once again!
Anyone out there as impatient as I am? Doesn’t have to be the writerly kind of waiting either.
Avoidance = Twitter
Yep. I’m in the end stages of first pass edits with my book ASHES AND WINE. And seriously…It’s heavy stuff. So heavy that I keep avoiding it and it’s taking WAY too long to finish. So instead I went on Twitter and lost…oh, roughly 3hrs to mancandy, book recs, new release squeeing, and tv lusting. Now part of it is good social play. As an author they tell you to go play with people and don’t mention your book. Just let people enjoy you and the reading will probably follow.
So part of a twitter frenzy is good for my social media side of things. But it’s no less of an avoidance technique. One that I used WAY too much in the last 2 weeks. Another one was an ungodly string of Scarecrow and Mrs. King episodes. (Shh. Don’t judge. Bruce was WAY hot in the 80′s) Amazon Prime has a level of evil that I have to get under control. Oh and Pinterest. That’s just in league with the devil. Period. But since I’m a visual writer it’s also another tool that I love.
But in the end the avoidance is just fear. This is my 2nd book with a bigger house. And there’s a lot of good press going on with Entangled. I don’t want to fuck it up. That’s the bottom line. I want this book to be filled with awesome and it’s making me a little crazy. And as my editor told me, it’s already great…it sold, right? But the pressure to make this story awesome is all on me.
Because the other part of the avoidance factor is the subject matter of this novella. Death and family and coping. It brings back a lot of personal crap that’s still very fresh. It helps with the writing because I know first hand what it’s like to watch a parent die, but it also feels very invasive.
Hopefully that equates to good writing.
*crosses fingers*
*steps away from Twitter*
Time to finish, dammit.
Editing, Writing & Friends
Most of my weekend was spent with this guy in mind. Royal Andreas from my first Entangled Publishing novella under their Ever After line. I’m in the first pass phase of edits for ASHES AND WINE. This is probably the last time I’ll have complete control over the ins and outs of this story. My editor is pretty fabulous and I’m looking forward to working with him on the nuances that will come up when we get deeper into the editing process. But for now I have a list of wants and needs that he feels I should be adding to my manuscript.
I think they will add a lot to the story, but man…it’s hard to slash. And I will, and have been, slashing whole passages from my 1st version of the story. Already, I know he was right in some of the choices. I had to tone down some of my sexier passages and beef up Tessa’s story so it wasn’t Royal with a side of Tessa.
I spent most of the weekend with some writer pals and we laughed, bitched, moaned, ate a lot of bad-for-you food and spent a little too much time on twitter as we worked. I wouldn’t want it any other way…well, except for 12 more hours in the day sometimes.
If you’re reading and would like to share…I’d love to hear your side of the story on 1st round edits.
Edits…
So…I thought I was a decent writer until I dived into my 2nd round of edits. Sweet MARY, I’m getting way too picky and the red-lines of Track Changes are following me into my dreams. Doesn’t help that I’m sleeping at the wrong time of day.
O_O <—what my eyes feel like.
>_< <—what they look like.
I’ve got the word doc up at 130% on what’s already 12pt type and man…it might go up to 140 by the end of the day. *sigh* Okay…enough bitching. This is the holy grail…what all of us writers live for and WANT with everything inside them.
I just wish edits weren’t so hard.
Maybe with a few books under my belt I’ll feel differently.
The Care and Support of Writers
What would we do without the people that support us in mind, body and technology? I don’t know and man, do I not want to find out. Voila…additions to the website thanks to a great friend that’s willing to give his time and expertise to me whenever I need it. (Even if he’s tired and has to do his own research to figure it out.)
He’s not the only one that’s helped me over the course of this crazy time as a writer transitioning into author. The crap and heartache I’ve had to endure through the last handful of years has been more than balanced by the family and friends I’ve had for years, as well as the new people that have been added to my personal roster.
Sometimes you need to remember to say thanks.
So…
THANKS!
The Danger of Reviews
“The artist doesn’t have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews, the ones who want to write don’t have the time to read reviews. ”
~William Faulkner
I’ve been a reader longer than I’ve been a writer…just barely. But nonetheless that’s a truth that I sometimes forget. And when you enter into the actual business of being an author all of a sudden the comments you’d normally let fly off your tongue–or fingers as it were–can hurt an author you’ve become friends with or could become friends with in the future.
Places like Goodreads have taken on a new role in my life. For awhile it’s been a place that readers and authors alike have been adapting as homebase to keep track of books we want to read, have read, or are currently reading. I admit I go on there a lot and follow a heck of a lot of reviewers and fellow authors. It’s fun to see what people are reading…even informative to read a review. I know it can help influence me when I buy a book, whether it’s to try a new author or steer away from a story that wouldn’t be my cup of tea.
But what happens if you’re the author on the receiving end of a not so glowing review? When you’re an author and a reviewer there’s a murky area in there. I want want to give an honest review, but I don’t want to hurt an author’s feelings either. *sigh* Did I mention murky area?
My idea of a great book is 4stars because I’m REALLY stingy on my 5star ratings, but another author might not feel the same way. And while we tell ourselves that we need a thick skin in this business we have to worry about review sites and the general public as it is, do we really have to nitpick at a fellow author as well?
Now that I’m part of two different networks of authors I have to think about what I say from a professional standpoint, not just me spouting out my opinions. To be fair to my friends and fellow authors, and as a compromise, I think I’m going to have to move myself to a no-rating system and just post what I like about a story and leave it at that.
Edits…Edits…and DOUBLE Edits.
O_o <— ME
So…I was just diving into my edits for Entangled with a lovely 3 week leeway and what lands in my box? Yep, edits round 2 for Ellora’s. Yeah, slightly agog still. Not that the 2nd pass edits are tough on Uncross Your Heart, but still…sigh.
But, the good thing is I’m diving right into the deep end of the pool and getting used to working hard. I want this author thing to pan out. I want it so bad that I can taste it on the back of my tongue. And it’s only causing a deeper hunger. It’s just that sometimes my brain feels too full of ideas that I can’t seem to settled on just one.
Those are the days that I end up web designing. LOL It always helps to even me out. So, now I have a decent main page with my pretty cover and link to Ellora’s on it. And I’m closer to that release date.
#amwriting
New Year’s resolution is a goal-a-palooza. I’ve got lots of great things going on for the new year and some news that I can’t quite share yet. (damn paperwork) But it will be coming soon.
But what I can say is that there’s going to be a helluva lot of work to be done. So, to get it all done there’s going to need to be some serious BICHOK’s action going on.
In the works: 3 shorts 15k each, 1 novella 32k, 2 category length 45-55k, oh and clearing out the rest of the manuscripts I’ve got started.
*falls into an exhausted heap*
So…my new motto is: #amwriting
Oh and: #amblogging
But definitely not: #amsleeping
LOL
Edits & Excerpt
*sigh*
I’ve been editing and rewriting a book from a year ago….pretty much all day today. It was for a pitch contest and unfortunately I wasn’t chosen, but part of me is happy about that. Only part of me. The other half is sad, of course. Everyone wants to be chosen for contests, but the story needs some work and I plan on giving it the time it needs to make it great.
So…here’s to the natural selection of editors. May they be excited about the revamped version of Distorted Views.
Brandon Mitchell
Logan Price
And a little excerpt because I’m rather proud of my days work.
He reached out, going slow when she froze. His finger traced the line of a tendril of hair and brushed his thumb over the little upturned point of her chin. “I’m a patient guy, Logan. Especially with something that feels worth it.”
She stepped forward, nerves and fear practically shoved her back, but she forced herself to rise up on her toes and kiss his cheek. His evening stubble felt as good as it did the other night.
She moved over a little to the corner of his mouth, watching his brown eyes deepen until the little gold flecks were nearly gone. He had the longest lashes, she thought distantly.
Would it be okay to try? To see if the dip at the center of his top lip was as soft as it looked?
He didn’t touch her, just sifted his fingers through the lock of hair that had come out of her clip. “Just a kiss is enough for me, Logan. I wouldn’t push for anything more.”
She just wanted to get it over with. She wanted to feel whole and normal again. Playing with the tail of his tie absently she tugged him down to her. The surprised grunt almost made her step back, but his lips softened and he smiled into the kiss. She tamped down the need to run and focused on his taste. She sighed into him, happy to learn that he was, in fact, all about the mouth.
The kiss was slow and soft. He reached up to her clip and let her hair fall down around her shoulders. He buried his hand into the heaviest part of it and tipped her up to him. She felt him holding back and part of her wanted him to let loose.
The other part of her was thankful. It was nice to be close to someone again.
Very nice.
Catching up
Mercy.
Nanovember was a bit nuts. I didn’t get all the way to 50k, but I did manage to finish up a novella–at least the first draft. I sub’d the first 5 pages and blurb to Entangled to see if they’re interested in seeing a full. If not, I’ll probably shop it around. I think it’s a strong piece about love and loss and hope for the future. This one is pretty near and dear to me thanks to the subject matter. I need to step away from it for a few days and see if I’m TOO close.
Sometimes you can’t see the old forest for the trees when you are close to a story. The urge to edit it right away is sitting there on my shoulder…but I’m trying to be smart about it.
Next novel on the docket…my original story idea for NaNo. LOL The Kiss Contract, which will be book 1 of the Kiss Kakes series that my CP and I are developing.
Right now? A little Christmas fun with some online people that started me on this lovely and long road to publication.