Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Archive for October, 2009
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Back in the first week of September, me and 5 author friends went to Washington State for a writers retreat.
Hey there! Delilah Devlin, here.
Sasha gave me access to add my comments to the photos. So I’m taking major advantage here. If you can imagine, we all had some trepidation about spending five days couped up in a cottage with five other authors. We knew each other, some of us better than others, but you never know what happens when the “nice” wears off in close confines.
What happened was magical. We worked hard. Sasha has tons of shots with us parked around the living area with our laptops perched on our knees. We brainstormed new ideas. Talked about publishing woes. Shared advice for getting through slumps. Everyone was very giving and supportive.
As the groups bartender, I have to say I think the daily Margaritas helped. 
Pssst…..I’m not showing any of the photos of the girls with laptops and such because this was a RETREAT, and we were WORKING, therefor it was all sweats and messed up hair, and they only let me take the pictures if I promised they wouldn’t get posted on the internet.
On the last day together, we all talked about how well we’d gotten along together. Sure, we’d learned each other’s faults, but we weren’t ready to kill each other. When it’s women, you never know. We’re planning to do this again next year!
Isn’t this gorgeous? That’s the view of the lake from the cottage where the retreat was held. This was early one morning when the fog sat on the water. Doesn’t it look like sky stretching from the edge of the lawn?
Almost daily, we powerwalked the two-mile route around the lake. One day, Sasha made the trip alone to take pictures of anything that caught her eye.
While I’m not posting the pictures of us working, I will post this LINK to Delilah’s Blog where she posted some of the pictures she took. *bats eyes*
Oh, and have I mentioned that Delilah and I are going on a Caribbean Cruise in December? Yeah, we’re going to work, and research, and write, and have a damn good time doing it all!
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
NaNoWriMo = National Novel Writing Month
That’s in November. Write a novel in a month. I’m doing it. Are you?
If you’re thinking abotu participating, even unofficially, you should check out Horror author Joe Nassise’s post at GENREALITY today. It’s Fabulous stuff. Story Structure and NaNoWriMo.
Monday, October 26th, 2009
My horoscope for today. It sounds scarily accurate.
“All your instincts are telling you that you’re at a major crossroads in your life, with the filters through which you viewed and defined your world changing. Where before you saw the world through the people in your life, either being directly influenced by them or by having the same shared philosophies or outlook, that is changing. This may cause you to wonder why people in your life are changing, but they’re not, you are.”
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
Today snippet is supposed to be an emotional theme. I wan’t sure I could do this, because while I do feel I have emotional scenes in my books, they’re never really over-the-top or obvious. What makes them so emotional to me is knowing the characters story, being invested in them to the point that you feel their pain deeply, even when the scene itself isn’t super intense. I hope that makes sense, but maybe the best way to explain it is to simply show you…so here’s a clip from NO ANGEL in the Most Wanted anthology.
Gabe kept his mouth shut on the drive home.
So did Anna.
Since they were the only two people in his truck, it made for a quiet drive. He didn’t care. He was pissed off at her and it took concentration to keep from yelling at the top of his lungs. He needed to breathe, and drive. Breathe, and drive.
The family had split into three vehicles when they left the hospital and when he parked his truck, Caleb was the only one already home. Drake, Devil and their crew hadn’t arrived yet.
As soon as they entered the house, Anna turned to face him. “I’m sorry I put your family in danger,” she said. “I’ll get my bag and leave before they get back.”
That made him lose his temper. “Like Hell!”
Caleb took one look at the two of them and left the room.
Anna didn’t even notice. Her pretty forehead wrinkled and she stared at him. “It’s not safe for any of you if I stay.”
“We’re safer together than apart.”
“I agree. You should stay with them.”
Emotion boiled over inside of him and he lost it. “What the fuck do you mean I stay and you’ll leave? You’re not going anywhere without me, Anna. I don’t care what the hell you can do with knives or … or … fire or whatever powers you have. You are not going anywhere!”
“Don’t yell at me,” she said.
“Then listen to me.”
“When you make sense, I will listen to you.”
Gabe bit back a growl. He was making sense, she was just being dense.
He took a deep breath and held out his hands. “Okay, let’s start this again. Anna, are you nuts?”
Okay, so that wasn’t exactly what he’d meant to say.
“Me?” Color rose in Anna’s pale cheeks and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “It’s you who are nuts. What did you think you were doing grabbing my arm when a demon is right in front of me? You think I can fight with you hanging on my arm?”
Devils voice came from behind Gabe. “She’s right, you know.”
Gabe ignored the crowd that had followed Devil in and focused on Anna. “You weren’t supposed to fight it! That’s the whole point!”
“You think I should’ve just stood there and let him snatch Nadya? Or you? Focalor wants me, and he’ll do anything to get me.”
Gabe stilled. “Him?”
“That was no possessed human, Gabe. That was Focalor, the Great Duke of Hell himself! I don’t know why he’s suddenly stepped up the hunt. I don’t understand why in the last week I’ve been attacked six times. Twice yesterday, on my first day in this city. Twice in one day, Gabe. That has never happened in my life!”
She pointed a trembling hand at him and the family spread out behind him. “He will kill you all with nothing more than a laugh if you get in his way.”
Silence fell on the room and Anna stood there, fists planted on her hips, cheeks flushed, chest heaving and it hit Gabe. She was afraid. His tough little warrior angel was afraid. And not for herself, but for him and his family.
Unable to speak past the emotion clogging his throat Gabe stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.
“Shhh, it’s going to be okay.” He saw Caleb standing in the living room doorway, watching them. “It’s going to be okay, Anna. My family is pretty hard to kill.”
“You have a new baby coming home soon,” she said against his chest. “I have to leave, Gabe. That baby needs to have a safe home.”
Pride knifed through him at her words. She was hunted, had been hunted her whole life, and her first thought was to make sure his new nephew had a safe place to come home to.
She truly was an angel, and he was going to make sure she didn’t go anywhere.
READ MORE ABOUT NO ANGEL and the MOST WANTED anthology.
Read more Saturday Snippets from these great authors.
Eliza Gayle
Michelle Pillow
Juliana Stone
Jaci Burton
McKenna Jeffries
Moira Rogers
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Ashley Ladd
Victoria Janssen
Shelli Stevens
Shelley Munro
TJ Michaels
Lauren Dane
Beth Kery
Leah Braemel
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
If you want to explore writing something new, check out these calls for submissions…
Burrow Publishing is looking for hot raw Male Gay & BiSexual stories for a new Men Of Color anthology. Stories need to be 3,500 -6,000 words . Deadline for submissions is December 15, 2009
Rachel kramer Bussel is putting together a newanthology titled NAKED. She’s looking for short story submissions that have a theme of being naked…you can take that in pretty much any direction you want, (Short stories should be 1,500 – 5,000 words)check out her call for submissions on the ERWA website. Deadline for submission is January 1, 21010
Samhain Publishing has just put out an open call for submissions for a new Steampunk Romance Anthology; Novellas must be 25,000-30,000 words. Deadline is April 30, 2010
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
So, it’s time to focus..on more than writing. Yep, I’m turning 40 soon, and I’ve let another year go by without putting much effort into getting healthy. Sure I tried, but I didn’t keep trying, and thats the key, isn’t it? When you have 100 pounds to lose, it’s not good to stop trying after only losing 5. Sort of like getting published. If you want it, you don’t give up after one rejection.
So, I’m back to trying real hard, and I’m happy to say that after one week, I’ve lost 2 pounds. And you know what? I even had bad days in the past week. I mean, Halloween is coming and there are all these bite sized chocolate bars around, and we had a family dinner for my brothers birthday where there was all sorts of deep fried yuminess. Despite falling off my health wagon a couple of times, I still lost weight. Why? Because I jumped right back on. I’ve been making a serious effort to change my eating, and one of the things is less bread.
Seeing as I work at a place that makes the best pizza in the world, it’s not easy. But here’s one recipe I found that helps me stay on track. Check it out.
From NEVER SAY DIET
You’ll never miss the pasta in this scrumptious, cheesy Italian favorite. Wrap and freeze any extra servings individually to thaw and warm for lunch in a hurry.
Ingredients:
2 large zucchini (about 1pound), ends trimmed, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 links (about 4 ounces each) lean turkey Italian sausage
1 red bell pepper or roasted red bell pepper, diced
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup low-fat marinara sauce
2 egg whites
1 (15-ounce) container fat-free ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2⁄3 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly coat an 8” × 8” baking pan with olive oil cooking spray. Set aside.
Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spray them lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Broil (or grill) the zucchini for about 8 minutes, or until tender and very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
To prepare the meat sauce, cook the sausage in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to break up any clumps. Add the bell pepper,
onion, and garlic, and cook for about 4 minutes longer, until the meat is no longer pink. The juices should be cooked dry. Stir in the marinara sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce will be very thick. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, ricotta, Italian seasoning, and black pepper until well combined.
To assemble the lasagna, spread half of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Layer on half of the zucchini slices, followed by half of the ricotta mixture and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 8 servings
Per serving: 210 calories, 18 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 45 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 340 mg sodium
Reprinted from: The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps © 2009 by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. The Biggest Loser (TM) and NBC Studios, Inc. and Reveille LLC. Courtesy of Rodale, Inc.
Sunday, October 18th, 2009
People have a variety of reactions when you tell them you’re a writer. I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you.
Lately I’ve had a variety of reactions when I say I’m a writer. Does that surprise you?
A big part of me feels pride because everyone, at some point in the conversation, asks if you’ve been published, and I can answer yes. But a part of me feels like a fraud. It was 2 years ago I decided I needed a break to figure some things out, and I haven’t written anything new in over a year. I’ve written words, pages, even, but they’ve gone nowhere yet. They are just samples of ideas that tease my brain. None have truly caught my imagination yet, and this frustrates me. What frustrates me even more than that is the fact that I was waiting until one catches my imagination.
You see, I’ve never been someone who waited for inspiration before. I got into writing to change my career, change my life, and that was what motivated me. I followed Calls For Submissions, and I wrote what publishers wanted. That’s how I sold. But after several years of that, I was feeling burnt out- so I took a break. I thought I could take some time and write something ‘just for fun’ and I’d feel all re-juvinated. It never happened.
Only recently I accepted that no matter how much I want to be like many of my author friends who love to write, I have to be true to me. The truth is I don’t actually enjoy writing. I hate sitting at a desk all day, I suck at typing, and grammar rules confuse the hell out of me. However, I love holding a book in my hands and knowing that the story came from my imagination. It’s something I, and I alone, did. I don’t mind editing, and I enjoy promoting my work. I love talking about the stories and characters-after the book is written.
This is not to say I don’t feel satisfaction after a day at the computer when I look at my pages and think, “Wow, I like that scene.” I like telling the stories, I just don’t like typing them up. I love to brainstorm with friends. I’ll think of a great idea, and be excited about it so I’ll tell a friend about it. Then after I think about it, and talk about it, the urge to write it is gone. This is why writing a full synopsis beforehand is detrimental to me. This is why I don’t plot. It’s not that I don’t like writing the synopsis, or plotting out a story. I’ve learned that I don’t mind doing that stuff. They’re creative and fun, and take a short amount of time. But once those are done, I no longer have the urge to write the story. I already know how it ends, so for me, it’s time to move on. It’s the physical act of writing that I don’t really enjoy. And accepting that has helped me find out what I need to do to continue my career as a writer.
Armed with that knowledge I emailed Crissy Brashear, the publisher of Samhain. I love Crissy. She’s business smart, and she is available to her authors. She listened to me, and she didn’t laugh me off, or put me off. Nope, instead she told me what she wanted form me as an author, she got out her cattle prod, got me an editor to work with, and now I have a contract and a deadline. Yes, deadlines do me well. They motivate me. They help me turn off my brain so I can just write without thinking too much. What am I writing right now? Here’s a short blurb…
One Weekend
Sarah Wilson is in love. Rick Craig is her perfect match, he’s good looking, ambitious, and adventurous in more ways than one.
But what happens to their perfect relationship when another man comes between them, literally, and secret passions are revealed by all?
Novella, deadline Nov 15, release date April 2010.
Now I’m writing again. 
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day is the much-anticipated sequel to the indie cult classic, The Boondock Saints. The film is the continuation of writer/director Troy Duffy’s tough, stylized cutting edge saga of the MacManus brothers (Norman Reedus, Sean Patrick Flanery). The two have been in deep hiding with their father, Il Duce (Billy Connolly), in the quiet valleys of Ireland, far removed from their former vigilante lives. When word comes that a beloved priest has been killed by sinister forces from deep within the mob, the brothers return to Boston to mount a violent and bloody crusade to bring justice to those responsible. With a new partner in crime (Clifton Collins Jr., Star Trek) and a sexy FBI operative (Julie Benz, TV’s “Dexter”) hot on their trail…the Saints are back!
The Boondock Saints is one of my all time favorite movies. I love the brothers, the action, and the writing is brilliant. Talk about anti-heros! Really, there is nothing else I can say. I can not wait for this movie to hit theaters. If it’s even half as good as the first one, it’ll be fantastic.
Check out the trailer from The Original Movie:
THE BOONDOCK SAINTS
Now, for the sequel.
ALL SAINTS DAY
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
I’m over at GENREALITY today, and there’s a giveaway. :)
Oh, and the countdown begins…I booked a cruise with a buddy you all know as my gift to myself since my birthday is coming up in November. The cruise isn;t until December, but that’s ok. I’m super excited about it. :)
