Courtney Reese

How to be a Plotter & a Pantser at the same time

2011-03-25T00:45:00.004-05:00

I’ve been working on The Blood Within, part of my House of Reinhardt series, for the past few weeks. While I'm having a blast writing it, it's still being a pain in my bum. See, I'm usually a hardcore plotter. I'm talking outlines, timelines, diagrams, post-its & bulletin boards. And normally, those things work for me. But when I started TBW, I wanted to take things a little differently. I wanted to let the creative process find it's own way. I have the basic points mapped out in my head, sure, but how am I going to get there? I don't know! It's been...interesting. Sometimes, I surprise myself with my spur-of-the-moment-quick-thinking. Other times, I want to bang my head against a very sharp, metal instrument.

The first few chapters were super awesome! I wrote them quickly and with no problems, and they don't need much editing. But the further in I get, the worse off I am. Some of the chapters took me DAYS to write and they still need a serious round of red-penning.

I thought things couldn't get much worse. A few days writing a single chapter--no biggie. I can deal.

Boy, was I wrong.

Nothing has been as trying as Chapter 8.

I've had some serious bonding issues with Chapter 8 for about 3 days. THREE. He just wouldn't play nice, and by 'wouldn't play nice' I mean I'd spit out 200 words and Chap 8 would throw them back in my face, laughing! I'm talking I'd write 1000 words only to delete 1500. Yes, he'd actually make me delete words that had NOTHING to do with him! Can you believe that? Chap 8 has a mind of his own! I mean, come on; get with the program!

Despite our domestic problems --after much fighting and hair pulling-- Chapter 8 is done (for now) and I've moved on to the next part (which I'm calling Chapter 8B since it's still in 8 but is a different scene).
Now I'm trying really hard to get 8B to play nice but I don't want to piss him off, so I decided to do a little exercise to get the creative juices flowing. It's not exactly "pantsing", but it's not quite "plotting" either.

Mind Mapping is a great way to get the juices flowing & get a little direction in your writing. The key is to keep both halves of your brain working together. The left side is your analytical side, and the right side is your creative side. Personally, I tend to let my left side take over. I start putting things in organized columns and rows, complete with bullet points. But that ends up stifling your creativity! If you can Mind Map correctly, you'll be a much happier writer and your story will thank you. You'll use both logic and creativity. When you Mind Map, don't let yourself focus on order or neatness. Let the ideas fill up the page. Use bright colors in random places. Make squiggly lines, little doodles, lots of notes jotted here and there. Use lines and bubbles to keep your ideas in order (you're right brain needs a little action, after all..) but don't let order override your creativity. Maybe your Mind Map will be a little prettier, but this is what I came up with.

Here's my Map, just starting off. There are a few key pieces that I already knew were going to happen. ((Sorry about the lighting…))

And here's my Map finished. See all the craziness?!

**Does Mind Mapping seem like something that could work of you? What methods do you use to piece your books together?

Broken Heart Blogfest Entry

2011-03-16T04:08:00.001-05:00

As usual I'm *fashionably* late ;-) My apologies boys and girls. I got a little side tracked--trust me, it wasn't my fault, it's just that there were all these Buffy reruns on and, well, you can't pass up good Buffy...

So I wrote this scene as part of a character-sketch for one of my House of Reinhardt characters, Alessandra. Alessandra is a secondary character who has a major crush on her ex (my protagonist), Erik.
**This scene is a rough draft and will never actually be written into the book. It exists to help me see who Alessandra is and where she is 'now'.

*******

Alessandra doubled over, unsure whether she was going to vomit or scream. Her stomach turned over and over, twisting like a wrung towel. Twin lumps rose up in her chest just above her lungs until she could barely suck in the air her lungs needed. A slow burn crept its way through her throat and she realized her mouth was open, trying to take in great lungfuls of air, but it wasn’t working. Slowly, Alessandra realized she wasn’t inhaling. Placing a hand over her throat, she focused and took one shaky breath.

Oh God, what had she been thinking? She’d had such a great thing going with Erik; why did she have to screw that up by getting together with Collin? She didn’t even like Collin. Sure he was good looking. And yes, he came from a great family. And okay, sure, he was going to be an important leader one day. But Erik trumped him in all three areas.

So why had she been cheating on him for over a month, having Collin up to her room as soon as Erik went out on patrol? Why hadn’t she been more careful? Dammit. The look on his face when he’d walked in on her and Collin had been terrifying. He’d gone through shock, hurt, anger, and hatred in five seconds flat.

Just remembering that look brought tears stinging to her eyes. There was an actual pain in the center of her chest. If felt like someone had frozen her heart, then smashed it to bits with a sledge hammer.

He would never actually hurt her-- she knew that better than he probably did. But he’d wanted to, God he’d wanted to. She could see it in his eyes. Of course, the way he clenched and unclenched his fists was a dead giveaway too. Collin hadn’t been so lucky. Erik had exploded into motion before Collin could pull himself off the bed. A few minutes later he’d turned on her, and, after a few choice words, Erik had said it was over. He’d told her they were done.

Now Collin was cradling his broken nose, screaming at her to call a doctor. But Alessandra stood frozen, holding a sheet to her bare chest, standing in the doorway, and watching Erik walk away. The pressure in her chest grew heavier and she gasped for breath as hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

How could this be happening? Erik loved her. He was just angry right now, but he couldn’t stay mad at her forever. He’d forgive her. He’d take her back. He had to. It couldn’t be over. They were meant to be together. She just had to show him.

Drama on Steroids

2011-02-19T16:41:00.001-06:00

I'm supposed to be writing in my WIP but, as you can see, I'm not. Instead, I've been procrastinating by blog hopping. Originally, I was looking for a good writing exercise--notably a topic from a blogfest. But I just couldn't find anything that struck up a quick idea. All the ones I found required too much thinking on my part, and I'm more in the mood for "new-character, please invade my brain" kind of ideas. Not to worry, I'll keep looking for more exercises. What I did come up with was a pretty nifty new blogfest to sign up for.

Dawn Embers over at It's in the Book is hosting The Broken Hearts Blogfest from March 13th-15th! Now, is it just me or does this fest look like something you could sink your teeth into?? I don't have any new characters coming out of the woodwork just yet, but I do have a few sparks of oh my God, this is going to be soooo good! so I'm pretty excited to participate in this one. Truth be told, it's been a while since I last took part in a fest, but I'm assuming--praying--it's like riding a bike.

This uber awesome pic was created for this fest by Mia Hayson. Pretty fab, don't you think??

So be a sport and run on over to Dawn's blog and sign up! With all the drama that will be flying around, it's going to be like a soap opera on steroids. Oh, yes. There will be blood, sweat, tears, screams, sarcasm, and maybe--hopefully--even a bit of revenge! All I'm saying is you'd better take advantage of the turmoil and be there on March 13th, 14th, or 15th, or you can no longer call yourself a writer. There, I said it. You miss this fest and you are no longer a writer! *adds alarm to iPhone calendar so I don't forget and end up relinquishing my sparkly writer's tiara.*

Unofficial Post a Photo of your Work Space Day!

2011-02-01T23:46:00.001-06:00

Hey guys! I'm dropping in at the tale end of February 1st Unofficial "Post a Photo of your Work Space Day"! I absolutely LOVE looking at pictures of people's writing space so when I dropped by Kristen Yard's blog today and saw that HOLY COW! it's Post a Photo of your Work Space Day I was ecstatic!

But come on, who doesn't like to see where the magic happens?? So I decided to post a few pics myself... are you ready??

And yes-- because you asked, the walls are pink. It was a 4 year old's princess room before I took it over, and I'm far to lazy to paint... Trust me. Pink suits my muse ;-)

This is where some writing happens. And Netflix makes an appearance...

And this is where some serious plotting takes place =)


I'm an old fashioned kind of girl-- I sit on the floor and use my WIP notebooks to file away the details.

Still...sometimes the best stuff comes when curled up in bed and on the lappy 8-)

Anyone else post any pics of their work space??

Major Changes

2011-01-23T20:58:00.000-06:00

Before you ask, let me explain... You see, between today and my last post, I got a 2nd job and have been working a LOT, as in 13 days on, 1 day off, then 13 days on, and 1 day off. Basically I haven't had much time for anything, let alone my poor, forgotten blog. But I'm dropping in today to say HELLO and
Ohhh Nooooo.
I'm starting MAJOR changes on my unfished but dearly loved paranormal romance novel. It's not an easy thing to do, especially since this book is my nearest and dearest but it HAS to be done. I just can't go on the way I have been. It's too much for the first book in a series so I'm cutting, cutting, cutting. And replotting my tush off. It's not easy and is definitely not fun. As a matter of fact, I think I'd rather take on a paper cut to the eyeball. Nevertheless, here we are...
So where have I been? In writer-purgatory.

I’m baaaaaaack ;-)

2010-11-22T17:58:00.001-06:00

Hello all!

I know it’s been a while, but I promise I didn’t forget about any of you. I’ve been swamped with work and such and haven’t had time to drop in since….oh, wow…September. Okay, that’s a bit embarrassing, but completely unavoidable. I promise!

But now that I’m back, I’m working on getting out of my little funk (and by little funk, I mean start writing again). It’s been a while. Too flipping long and while yes, I do miss it, I almost feel as though I don’t know where to begin. No, that’s a lie. I don’t almost feel as though I don’t know where to begin---I totally feel as though I don’t know where to begin. Add to that the brand spanking new character that popped into my head and is demanding her own book be plotted out n-o-w just to shut her up. I’m trying to ignore her, I really am. The last thing I need is a new story on my plate. I already have so many on the backburner, but this new kid—Claire, she says her name is—refuses to leave me alone. It’s distracting and if only she could wait her damn turn, I may be good to figure out my new Plan of Action for the rest of 2010 and into 2011. I have to get a move on. My poor Nightlings series is about ready to give up on me. I’m so ashamed! Still, I’m determined to have Kate and Caleb’s book finished in 2011, the sooner the better.

But it’s been a while since I was last in the writersphere, and I suppose there was a change of venue for the awesome #amwritingparty’s that I was so fond of—you know, back in the day. Then again, it is Thanksgiving week and I know as well as anyone that this is a week of craziness. But that’s probably why I’m so ready to get back into the swing of things. IT’S NOVEMBER! Where did the year go?! Oh my God! I’m so behind on my WIPgoals that it isn’t even funny! Actually it is, in a neurotic, straight-jacked-meets-padded-room kind of way.

So today I’ll be figuring out who’s still around on #amwritingparty, blogs, and wherever else we writers used to lurk when hiding from our word processors. If you do Twitter, I’m @courtneyreese86. If not, drop me a line on the comments section of this post!

See ya around,
Courtney

PS> Oh yeah, I’m changing my blog layout for a while since my old but awesome grey butterfly template was slowly falling apart. This one is a temp while I work on tweaking the code for a new one I want. Hope you like ;-)

the Nature of Pen Names

2010-09-05T00:30:00.001-05:00

The pen name: A writer’s best friend (and source of anxiety).

This has been a big one for me for several months. I’m trying to come up with a pen name that a) suits my personality, and b) suits my genre. Oh—and then there is always c) doesn’t sound made up.

It isn’t easy.

It isn’t fun.

I do not enjoy it.

Ask me to come up with a character name. Ask me to come up with a baby name. Ask me to name your new retriever. Do not ask me to rename myself. How should I know what “fits” me? It isn’t like I really know myself, right? I mean, give me a character bio and I can tell you the perfect name to go with ‘em.

The name helps to shape the character, right? You don’t ever see Tom as a murder mystery, serial killer? Not exactly. Ted, sure; Tom, not so much. In fiction, the bad guy always has a somewhat-bad-guy-name. Cyrus the Virus from Con-Air, Sylar from Heroes, Lucius Malfoy from Harry Potter, Hannibal freaking Lecter from *duh* Hannibal!

And the good guys have good-guy-names (or normal names, depending on the genre). Harry Potter, Clark Kent, Jack Bauer, James Bond, Alex Cross, Sarah Connor, Selene (Underworld), Alice (Resident Evil)… Basically, nothing decidedly evil.

So does the same thing apply to people? Could I be, let’s say, Emily? Tess? Diane? Samantha? Nikki? Madison? Tracy? Faith? Elaine? Rachel?

No, no I can’t. Why? Because I’m not those people.

So basically, finding a good pen name to transfer on over to has been… a challenge. Unfortunately it’s one I have to face (and, hopefully, overcome). See, I work at an elementary school and it would be just plain awkward if one of my students, or even their parents, ran a little google search on me and got a direct link to a steamy blogfest entry. Yeah… creeptastic, I know. So it’s mucho important for me to get my pen name up and running. The problem—it’s not working.

My plan is to have a “general pen name” for the blog, the facebook, the writing world stuff. This pen name would go with my paranormal romance and urban fantasy stuff. But I’d also like to have a separate one for my contemporary/romantic suspense stuff. I can hold off on the 2nd name---no biggie there—but I need that first one.

Progress to come… wish me luck.

I'm a PRO!

2010-08-04T20:35:00.002-05:00

No, not a PROfessional. I'm a PROlific blogger. See?! I even have the award to prove it! Ain't she grand?

I'm a PRO!

Okay, so maybe she's a bit old... maybe a wee bit dusty, but I didn't forget about her. I promise, my dear blog award--I was just biding my time, waiting for the best possible moment to unveil you to the public... I swear... *cough*

I'd like to send a gigantic THANK YOU to Kristie Cook for passing this cutie on to me =D Thanks Kristie!

By the way, if you don't already know Kristie, check her out-- her new book, Promise, is available in stores now and is phenomenal! This book (the first in the Soul Savers series) has gotten rave reviews--and let me tell you, critics are tough. Seriously, the chick is enviable. I'd hate her, you know, if I didn't already love her ;-)

Now I'll be passing this little diddy on to one of my favorite bloggers/people in the entire world. Who might that be? Well, none other than my CP/soul-mate, Ashley Tenille!If you don't know Ashley--shame on you! She's only the coolest Canuck ever...quite possibly the coolest person ever (though I like to think we tie for the latter).

So Ashley-- do her proud! Dust off that lent and post her to your blog-- then start writing!

This is how I write...this is how I write...this is how--

2010-07-20T19:42:00.001-05:00

I've been a bad blogger--and writer--lately. I admit it, I've been a real disappointment. But I"m trying to turn all that around by getting back into the groove of things.

First, I've been working on Nightlings, moving some chapters around and getting it all beautiful for my new critique group members at CritiqueThisWIP.

Secondly, I've been trying to get some good blog posts going. Okay, so I haven't been so successful at that second part, but, like I said, I'm trying. I blog over at CritiqueThisWIP once a week (which, for a while, was more than enough). But this week, I'm branching out even further and wrote guest blog post for Kayleigh's Kaleidoscope! What's it about, you ask? How I Write (do you see the irony?). What have I realized? That I really love blogging--not to mention writing--so I'm going to make it a point to get my butt back in "the zone".

It hasn't all been easy. I've been feeling down about my writing for a few months now. Nothing comes out right, my grammar skills are annoying me to no end, and my "voice" has been hiding out in a very dark, very quiet place. How are you supposed to write when the cursor just sits there, blinking that irritating I on an otherwise blank screen?! Don't tell me just do it, because I've been tryin' and it just ain't workin'. But that will all be coming to an end. No more putting it off. You may be reading a bunch of crap, but at least I'll be posting again, right?

Don't forget to swing by Kayleigh's Kaleidoscope to see just how crazy a writer I am!

Author Interview

2010-06-14T12:04:00.001-05:00

Today I got to interview Ashley Tenille Rempel over at CritiqueThisWIP. Ashley is one of my best friends and is my very own, personal Critique Partner! I love her dearly and have been waiting with bated breath for this interview. Want to see it? Click on over to CTW for the goods.

Come one, come all

2010-06-09T23:14:00.001-05:00

Ladies and gents, boys and girls! Gather ‘round and listen to the most exciting news you’ve heard all year—

CritiqueThisWIP is looking for writers –that’s right, people like you— to take part in our Author Interview Series. All writers are welcome, published and unpublished alike. So if you want to get your name out there, run on over to CTW and send us an email!

Announcements

2010-05-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I know, long time, no blog—but I’m back, and with THREE important announcements that could make you a happy, happy reader!

First off: Today on CritiqueThisWIP I have the honor (or dumb luck) of interviewing KRISTIE COOK! That’s right, guys! I got to take a sit down with Kristie and learn all the nitty-gritty details. Swing by and check her out!

Second: Speaking of interviews—yours truly got to switch seats with none other that Kristen Yard for an interview of my own! Yep, you read that right—I was interviewed by Kristen Yard (you know, the chick I interviewed last week on CritiqueThisWIP). Apparently, Kristen wanted pay back because her questions were WAY worse that mine were…then again, I’m pretty biased. So swing by Kristen’s blog at Take It As It Comes and read my interview. You may learn more than you ever wanted to know about me. *Don’t judge*

Last, but not least: Now I’ve saved the best for last (not that mine and Kristie’s interviews aren’t little golden tickets, but this is a real gem!). My critique group, CritiqueThis has three openings available and waiting for romance writers to fill them. We’re holding a contest on our group blog where you can apply for membership. All romance writers are welcome to participate! Drop by the Contest Page for more details.

Okay, that’s it—I promise! What are you waiting for? You have links to click on!

Flirt Fest Scene

2010-05-16T15:31:00.003-05:00

So I'm having technical troubles with the drive that holds all my goodies.I have everything backed up, but that's at another location, and I don't feel like driving out to mom & dad's just now. The only scenes I currently have access to (that contain a bit of flirting) are a) Dark Goddess at her General getting groovy, and b) Kate & Caleb's first kiss.

I've decided against the NC-17 rated scene I was tweeting about with some of you earlier. Call me a chicken, but I don't think my Dark Goddess was ready to make her appearance just yet--and on a PG-13 blog, no less. Instead, I've decided to use Kate & Caleb's first kiss scene.

And yes, I do love to write scenes specifically for blogfests (scenes that have nothing to do with the WIPs I'm working on), but if you haven't noticed, I've been a little preoccupied lately and completely ran out of time to whip up a good Flirt-Fest-worthy scene.

For a long moment, she didn’t think he would answer. She wouldn’t answer if their positions had been reversed. She would probably kick him out. Truthfully, she kind of hoped he would kick her out. At least then, she could stop thinking about him—and he’d stop looking at her like he wanted to lick every inch of her body.

As it turned out, she wasn’t that lucky. Caleb leaned forward to set his drink on the coffee table then shifted his body toward her.

“That you’re beautiful,” he finally answered.

And there’s that look again. He has the eyes of a predator—a very hungry predator.

“That I want to touch you,” he went on, raising his hand and brushing his knuckles over her cheek.

Holy freakin’ shit…is this actually happening?

“That I want to kiss you.”

I’m dreaming. I’m in a coma and I’m dreaming.

As he leaned closer to her, she felt the stirrings of heat and desire well up deep inside. She wanted him to kiss her—wanted to kiss him.

As his lips brushed hers, she let out a soft whimper and caught her breath when his fingers found their way to the back of her neck. She felt his tongue stroke her lips and, wanting more, she parted them, meeting his with her own. He kissed her deeply and passionately, one hand entwined in her hair, the other, slinking around her waist, both pulling her against him. Kate was melting, her body fighting to fuse itself with his.

Yes, yes...

Caleb was warm and hungry and everything she wanted. But he was also too much; his lips felt too good, his body too inviting—too real.

Abort! Abort!

The thought assaulted her, overwhelming her body’s reaction to this Adonis who held her so close. He was dangerous—she felt it down to her bones. Caleb’s embrace was too keen; his lips, too ravenous. He showed her passion that she’d never seen before and she reacted to his touch far more than she wanted to admit. No one had ever made her feel so wanted, so needed, and she had never felt that passion for anyone…until now.
Instinctively, she pulled him away as she fumbled to her feet. She had to get away from him—far away. If she stayed a moment longer, he’d destroy her. She didn’t know how he’d do it, but she had no doubt he would.

“I—I have to go. I’m sorry…I have to go,” she stuttered, not looking to him for a response. Before she could change her mind, she strode for the door. She could hear him stand, heard his footsteps as he followed her, but he didn’t respond or try to stop her.

Neither of them said goodbye. As she walked past the statue of Aria, she heard the click of the door as it was closed.

What had she been thinking? Caleb was too intense, too passionate. She should have known better than to get involved with him—not that she was involved. It was just a kiss.

An amazing kiss…

And she had known almost immediately what a mistake it had been. If she got any more involved with Caleb, he would break down every wall she’d ever built to protect herself from getting hurt again.

She didn’t do relationships. She couldn’t. Attachments weren’t an option; they left room for failures, disappointments…for abandonment.

That was what it all came down to. Knowing that her father hadn’t abandoned her was one thing, but it didn’t help the way she felt. His death had crushed her. For years, he had been everything to her, and then, in less than a minute, he was gone. She couldn’t go through that kind of loss again, it would destroy her.

And Caleb had what it took to get there.

Critique_This Presents Flirt Fest

2010-04-21T21:04:00.004-05:00

I love blogfests! I really, really do. What better way to test your skills than to write a scene specifically for a fest? They’re awesome, they’re fun, they’re BLOGFEST, baby!
My critique group feels the exact same way, so we’ve decided to host the Flirt Fest Blogfest on May 16th. Run on over to CritiqueThisWIP and sign your blog address to the sign up list.
Get your blogfest on and write a fun, flirty scene and post the scene to your blog on May 16th. See you there!

*Photo by Ophelias_Overdose

In Which I Issue A Challenge

2010-04-13T18:46:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, I’ve been slacking on writing new material for the past few months and only writing up a scene (or blog post) when a blogfest rolls around…sometimes. But no more! As of Sunday, April 11th, I have officially reopened Nightlings (AKA The Immortal Series) to do more than the occasional edit. Oh yes, it was a wonderful day and I finally ~~after much downtime~~ have finished a very intense, action packed chapter involving my two MCs, Kate & Caleb.

So, to mark my success and my journey back into the merry land of writing, I have decided to take “InkyGirl” Debbie Ohi up on her Words a Day Challenge. I’ve thought about doing this before, but life gets in the way, blah blah blah. So, just as a lets-see-how-this-goes kind of start, I’m going hit the ground running with the 500 Words A Day Challenge.

See! I even get a pretty badge to add to my blog to remind me each and every day to write at least 500 words in my WIP.

*Note: 500 words in my WIP means just that—500 words in my WIP. Blog posts, Tweets and IMs DO NOT COUNT.*

**2nd Note: That was more for my benefit than yours. What can I say? I like to bend the rules…**

So, because I like a good challenge, I’m extending this this one to each and every one of you, my lovely writer friends ~~who should be writing and NOT blog surfing~~. So, run your butts on over to InkyGirl’s Words a Day Challenge and pick your challenge (grab your badge)! You can choose from 250wpd, 500wpd, or 1000wpd.

Once you’ve picked your poison, you can compete with me—because every good challenge involves a friendly competition. Tweet your progress on Twitter with #wpdchallenge.

What are you waiting for?! Challenge yourself to write!

Point of View @ Critique_This

2010-04-12T16:21:00.001-05:00

I’m blogging today over at Critique_This_WIP about Point of View. Come check out my feelings about writing a first person POV murder scene.

Bar Scene Blogfest

2010-04-11T00:21:00.001-05:00

Today is the official day of the Bar Scene Blogfest, hosted by Tara Fouts over at her blog, Secret Story. My weekend has gotten away from me, and while I planned to write a brand new scene for this fest, I've run out of time. Actually, I did write a scene for blogfest, but it's posted on my critique group's blog, Critique_This_WIP. I was hoping to write a second scene to be posted on my personal blog, but...it is what it is.

Instead, I'm posting a video clip from my favorite bar scene moment of all time, featured in Queen of the Damned. The scene starts when you click play, but the bar scene ends at about the 2:25 mark.

Murder Scene Blogfest

2010-04-10T18:23:00.004-05:00

I just wrote this scene for Anne Riley’s Murder Scene Blogfest, from the point of view of a home intruder. I’d say “enjoy” but I don’t think that’s appropriate for a murder scene.

**I also wrote the murder scene for my critique group’s tandem story on our blog, Critique_This_WIP.**

Honest people don’t think in terms of dishonesty. They think any old lock from Home Depot will do; might as well buy the cheap one. A lock was a lock, right?

Wrong. Any thief will tell you they can pick any-old-lock, and most of them can even pick a decent one. But honest people just don’t think that way. They don’t expect to be the victim of a home invasion. Robberies happen to other people. They’ve got their guard dogs and a faux, home security sign posted in the window. They’ve got their flood light over the front door—a “deterrent” to keep away robbers.

Ha. These people don’t know the first thing about real safety. Bluffs, all of it.

I’ve been casing the place for three days, now, not that I needed to wait that long. I learned everything I needed to know on day one. First, those guard dogs were three, prized Pomeranians. I saw them in the backyard chasing squirrels around the swimming pool. Second, that Brinks Home Security sticker was from at least ten years ago. The corners had started to peel back from the window, but even if I hadn’t caught that detail, the residents of 722 Briar View Lane never paused long enough in their doorway to enter a code into a key pad. They were probably in too much of a hurry to bother with their alarm.

The flood light was the hardest part to get rid of, and even that was child’s play. I printed out some door to door fliers and slipped them in the doorjambs of all the houses on the street. When I got to 722, I made sure no one was looking, then reached up and unscrewed the bulb, just enough to cut the power to the light. Easy as pie, and two nights later, the bulb above the front door was still dark. Fools, they probably thought the light had burned out—if they even noticed.

But tonight was the night. I’d make a nice score off of 722. This was a wealthy mark; not too rich as to have the sense to buy a working security system or proper guard dogs, but wealthy enough to keep plenty of expensive jewelry around Mrs. 722’s neck.

Pulling the ski mask over my face, I said a prayer to the God of Thieves, then screwed an illegal silencer onto my 9mm pistol. After slipping it into a holster at my side, I grabbed the black cloth bag and slipped into my waistband, then slid from my van into the cold, dark night.

The lock was an embarrassment to Kwikset locks everywhere. I’d picked it in under ten seconds. It was so easy, I actually thought about trying to find a different point of entry, just to give myself a bit of a challenge. Poor 722; these marks were naïve, childlike in their trust of a fifteen dollar lock. Pitty. My next job would be tougher, I promised myself.

I entered the house and closed the door behind be, but no dogs awaited me on the other side. Of course, I thought, the prized Poms would be sleeping with mommy. I passed up the faux artwork on the walls of the living room, passed the plasma screen TV, and made my way stealthily to the master bedroom at the end of a long hallway.

The dogs had heard me coming and were barking on the other side of the closed door.

“Jim, let them out to pee, will you?” Mrs. 722 groaned, sleepily.

“I told you not to feed them table scraps. Christ, my stomach can’t handle your cooking. Why would theirs?” Mr. 722, Jim, growled.

Mrs. 722 came back with an insult, but I couldn’t hear it over the barking of the dogs. Not wanting to wait any longer, I drew my pistol and opened the door to their bedroom, shooting a hole through the first little beast to lunge at my leg. It went down in a ball of bloody fur. The silencer’s pif didn’t scare the other dogs away like a loud shot would have, and the second and third dogs followed their friend to doggie-heaven in the next moment.

“Scream and I’ll shoot your husband next,” I threatened the wife in a cold, calm voice, as I pointed my gun at Mr. 722.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Mr. 722 demanded as he tried to jump out of bed.

That’s the thing with men; they don’t like another dog pissing in their food dish. They feel some kind of unstoppable need to muscle the intruder out. They always tried to get up, to negotiate with the person who’d just broken into their house and shot their three prized pooches.

As usual, I was ready for this insanely male reaction and fired a warning shot…right into his left leg. He fell to the ground in a scream of pain, clutching his injured leg. Mrs. 722 screamed with him, then jumped off the bed toward her husband. She let out a string of profanity directed at me, but I ignored it, giving them both time to absorb the gravity of their situation. After a few seconds had past, I cleared my throat and looked to the Mrs.

“I’m a good shot. I think I’ve proven that by killing your dogs and wounding your husband. But I’m not that good. I might have nicked his femoral artery—there sure is an awful lot of blood there. If I did, he’ll bleed to death in a matter of minutes. The faster you get me what I want, the faster I’ll be gone and you can call for an ambulance.”

“Just take what you want,” she spat. “Take it and leave and get out of my house!”

“No, I’m not doing the taking. You’re going to take this bag and go empty your jewelry box into it. Then you’re going to open that safe I know you have, and dump its contents into my bag. If you try anything, I will kill your husband, then you. Do you understand?”

She looked at me with a hatred I’d seen from others before her. It didn’t faze me; I didn’t care what they thought of me. They would cease to matter once my job was done…once she’d opened the safe. The wives always opened the safes while their husbands lay in a pool of their own blood.

In a matter of minutes, she’d done what I asked—had completed her task and was now, once again, kneeling beside Mr. 722 on the bloody carpet beside their king sized bed.

I didn’t warn her, didn’t tell her to say goodbye or tell her I was sorry. I’ve found, over the years, that it’s much more compassionate to just shoot them, not letting them know they were about to meet their maker. It had to be this way and I accept that.

Two shots later, Mr. and Mrs. 722 lay slumped in a heap on their blood stained carpet, a matching bullet hole in each of their foreheads. Now I'm free to move about, collecting the rest of the valuables in the house.

Question for the readers: Is the intruder a man or a woman?

Blood, Sweat, & Ink

2010-04-07T19:20:00.002-05:00

Writing is a craft. It is something that requires time and dedication…and more time. You must practice, learn, and eventually, you will grow as a writer.

It isn’t always easy. It will, at times, suck. But practice will make you a better writer and, in the end, you’ll be grateful for all of your hard work.

So, how does one “write better”? There are several ways. Some will have you shell out some cash. Others will leave your wallet intact.

Option 1: Join a local writers group. In the DFW area, we have this nifty little thing called Writer’s Workshop. Now, I haven’t exactly attended a meeting but Tiffany Neal and ChristaCarol Jones have, and they assure me, it’s worth the $100 a year, membership cost.

Option 2: Grab yourself a nice, grammar-wise Critique Partner. This is one of my favorites! Critique Partners, as well as Critique Groups, are invaluable. They provide help with plots, characters, writers block…oh yeah, even grammar. It isn’t always easy to find a compatible CP/CG, though. Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out. Maybe your writing just doesn’t mesh well enough for your partner to properly critique your baby. Or, maybe you write different genres. Maybe (and this is a big one) your time/dedication differs from your partner's. Do they have 5 kids, a full time job, and an weekly PTA meeting to plan? Are you single with nothing but your WIP to keep you busy? Yes and yes? Then you have a potential problem, honey.

When picking your partner, go in knowing that you might not be on equal footing. Remember to be patient and understanding. And remember that opinions are just that—opinions. Maybe your CP thinks you should leave out the part about your MC’s dead grandfather’s tragic demise, but you think it helps to explain why your MC is the way she is. Opinions, opinions.

Option 3: Instead of the tried and true “edit, critique, and revise” method, try a different way to perfect your writing: Writing Exercises. Exercises can help you to improve your skills while keeping your creativity active. Casey McCormick has some great exercises on her blog, Literary Rambles. You can also find more “creative excercises” at PoeWars.com.

That being said, I’ve saved the best for last. Blogfests. Yep, that’s right—blogfests. Here’s how it works: Some awesome writer/blogger puts out the word that they are hosting a blogfest. They tell you what you’re supposed to write about, and you sign up on their blog, then go off and write a scene based on the parameters of the blogfest. On the date of the big event, you post your scene to your blog and *ta da* you’re done. People will see your name on the sign up sheet, then come to your blog to check out what you wrote, and leave comments telling you what they think of your entry. How simple is that? Did I mention it’s TONS of fun? True story.

So get to it, Anne Riley and Tara Fouts are hosting two Blogfests this weekend that are sure to be phenominal!

What— How could you have missed this?!

2010-04-02T15:43:00.001-05:00

Ahoy there! Just ignore my absence—it’s nothing personal. I have a lot going on right now, sue me.

So, if you missed the memo (I know…what memo?!) my critique group has started a new blog where we talk about the how to’s, the dos & don’ts, and the ups & downs of writing. If you’ve missed out, shame on you! We’ve have some terrific posts—and, because we are all about our readers, on Fridays, we have a special treat for ya’ll called Friday Fiction.

Friday Fiction is (AWESOME) a serialized story we do on ~~duh~~ Fridays. Each week one of our group members writes a scene, and the next week, someone else adds to it. Because it was Margaret’s idea, she got to cut the ribbon, fire the gun, kick the donkey and write the very first scene of our Friday Fiction story. If you haven’t read it—well, I’m sorry. It’s fantastic (because Margaret is just cool like that) and you’re totally missing out on some awesomeness. All I’m sayin’ is, you may not be cool if you don’t read it… Just saying. So head on over to CritiqueThisWIP and ~~follow*follow*follow~~ check out the scene from today’s, first ever, Friday Fiction.

Hold up! I’m not done. Like blogfests?! You’ll love these!

Anne Riley is hosting the first ever (at least to our knowledge) Murder Scene Blogfest on April 10th! Head on over to her blog and sign up using the Linky box on the right column of her blog. Again. I’m not sure if you like to be part of the in-crowd, but if you don’t want to be a complete outcast, sign your butt on up!! ;-)

Hey there, I know you’re all excited to sign up for blogfest and to read the awesomeness that is Friday Fiction, but hold up!

Tara Fouts is hosting the Bar Scene Blogfest on April 11th! Seriously—a Bar Scene Blogfest…a Barfest, perhaps? I foresee many a drunken bar brawls coming up. And come on, who doesn’t like sitting back and watching a bunch of drunken fools fight for their manhood while smashing their way through stools, tables (WATCH THE BEER!), pool tables… Well, at least I do. So, what are you waiting for?! Run (or click, whichever you prefer) on over to Tara’s blog and sign yourself up for a kickass (literally) blogfest!

Remember, April 10th (Murder), April 11th(Bar Brawl). Can you imagine all of the blood, sweat, and tears that will be going down on this bloody weekend?! I can!

Now, dear readers, you may link-surf to your hearts content. Have a good weekend, lovelies!

Check it Out!

2010-03-29T14:59:00.001-05:00

My critique group, Critique This, has just started a new blog and guess what?! Today is our very first day of blogging!

…AND…

I’m the one who gets to start it off with a bang! So run on over to our new group blog and check out my post about the pros & cons of pen names!

See you there!

CritiqueThisWIP.blogspot.com

It’s Okay—not everyone will like it

2010-03-23T22:31:00.002-05:00

When I wrote my Middle Grade PG Love Scene Blogfest post, I had an idea in my head. First off, I though, “when have I ever read a love scene in a middle grade book? Oh, that’s right. Never.” Would Judy Blume have her MC fall victim to uncontrollable lust and go bang her best friend’s brother? I should hope not—otherwise, Ms Blume would not be writing for kids 8-12, and I would have a few more of her babies on my bookshelves. So I tweaked the prompt a little—and came out with my entry. Overall, I was pretty happy with it. It was a little-kid-love-scene, and it suited me just fine.
Before I go any further, I’d like to tip my hat to those of you who write MG. In a way, it’s very simple—kids don’t read complex sentences, so when you write it, the simpler, the better. Emotions are raw and character behavior is almost animalistic. But for someone who usually writes for adults…wow. It sure ain’t easy to switch writing styles.
For my entry, I took a fairly common scenario, and put my story to it (in a format fit for ages 8-12, of course). When I had finished, I asked J to read it over and tell me what he thought.
One paragraph later, J looks up and says “I don’t like it. It’s choppy…simplistic. Elementary. Nothing like your usual stuff.”
And I proceeded to panic. No lie; my first thought was I’m losing it! But then, in a rare moment of clarity, I realized that *ding ding ding* it’s okay. I’m writing a completely different genre than what I usually do. Of course it’s going to be different. And I’m writing for kids, so duh it’s going to be “elementary”.
So, is it a good thing that J didn’t like it? Considering he’s not a 10 year old girl, hell yeah it’s a good thing. He likes my adult, paranormal stuff, and this may be a stretch, but I consider it a success that my eleven year old protagonist didn’t resemble my two hundred year old vampire warrior that stars in Nightlings. Hurray! I think I can count the MG/PG Love Scene Blogfest as a successful writing exercise, because that’s what blogfests are—interactive, writing exercises.
It’s not easy for us writers to remember that not everyone is going to love our babies like we do. In fact, it’s even harder for us to appreciate that fact. How do you take your criticism? What do you do to keep from letting it get you down?

MG/PG Love Scene Blogfest

2010-03-15T16:18:00.003-05:00

Late as usual…here’s my Middle Grade PG Love Scene for Simon’s Blogfest. To view the other entries, check out the sign up sheet.
I’d like to apologize in advance for the grammar and spelling errors. I’m off my game today.

The rain pounded the bus from the moment they left school to the moment they pulled out of the Glen Eagle Estates subdivision. The houses here were huge, with pools and three car garages. The students, all popular, had brand new shoes and their jeans had designer made holes scratched into the denim. They didn’t worry about stepping in the mud or kicking puddles of water at their friends. If they got their clothes dirty, their parents would wash them. If they ruined their shoes, they would buy new ones. The kids of Glen Eagle Estates were rich. Hope Arnold was not.

Hope looked away from the window and down at her ratty jeans—jeans with holes made from falling onto the black asphalt on the playground. The jeans were too short, but Hope didn’t complain. Her mother wouldn’t like it if she complained about her clothes. They didn’t have money for luxuries, her mother would say.

Past her too short jeans, Hope wore her only pair of shoes, a pair of Keds sneakers. They used to be white, but now, they were so old that they had grass stains and rub marks from where her toes were straining against their bindings.

She heard the laughter from the kids in the back of the bus. Now that the Glen Eagle kids were gone, the bus had come alive and the poorer kids shouted and tossed paper airplanes from one end of the bus to the other. Hope could have gone to sit with them in the back of the bus, but she didn’t feel like it. She was tired. Ian had been sick with a stomach ache, and she’d been up with him for most of the night. The three year old had thrown up twice before her mother had returned her calls.

“Don’t let him puke on the linens, Hope, or you’ll be the one to wash them,” Mother had said, annoyed. “Give him extra cough syrup so he’ll sleep. I’ll be home after my shift.”

Hope hadn’t given her brother the extra cough syrup. Instead, she fed him saltines and water, and stayed up to rub his back until he’d fallen asleep on his own. Ian had woken up three more times before their mother came home from her shift at the diner, and by then, it was past five and Hope was running late for school.
By the end of the school day, Hope was dead tired and dozed as the bus made its way out of town and into the country. Thirty minutes later, it stopped at the entrance to the Shady Oak Trailer Park and the remaining kids stood up from their seats.

Hope was at the front of the line and so busy looking up at the sun peeking between the clouds, that she stepped straight off the bus and into a mud puddle. The mud shifted beneath her foot and she lost her balance. She started to scream as her mind flashed to images of mud soaked jeans and ruined Keds—her mother would be furious. But faster than she could fall, an arm shot out, grabbing her by the upper arm and hauling her backward into to the bus. She fell back against the hard steps, and against him—the only boy strong enough to have saved her. Shaun Preston.

“Jeeze, Hope, you know better than to step in a mud puddle in Shady Oak. They’ll swallow you whole,” he said with a laugh.

“I didn’t…see it. Thanks Shaun,” she said, staring at the mud covering her right sneaker in dread.

“Archie,” Shaun called to the bus driver. “You gotta watch where you park this thing. You know Shady Oak is full of pot holes. She could have broken her ankle just stepping off the bus.”

“Whole Park is a pothole,” Archie muttered and he put the bus in gear and pulled up another two feet. “Happy, kid?”

“Thanks, Archie,” Shaun said, helping Hope to her feet. “Come on, Hope, I’ll carry your backpack. We can hose off your shoe by the front office.”

Hope looked back at her muddy shoe before nodding. She wanted to get home to check on Ian, but she had to clean her sneaker before her mother saw it.

And she wanted to spend an extra minute with Shaun. He was the cutest boy in Shady Oak—maybe even the cutest boy in school. Even the Glen Eagles kids liked him. He was tall and tanned with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her mother said he looked like a young Brad Pitt but Hope didn’t think so. Shaun looked like…Shaun. He was cute and funny and really nice. Especially to her.

The other kids teased him when he talked to Hope or hung out with her in the park, but Shaun just smiled and told her that he’d rather hang out with her than with his other friends. He was a year older than Hope but he didn’t care. And whenever he looked at her, Hope got butterflies in her belly.

Shaun took her backpack and together, they walked to the front office to an old, ratty looking hose. Shaun helped her wash off her muddy sneaker and wiped the excess water off on his shirt tail.

“We heard Ian crying last night,” Shaun said, timidly. “Mom thought he might have been sick or something.”

“Oh, sorry. He wasn’t feeling good.”

“Didn’t you call your mom at the diner?”

“Yeah, but they were really busy...she couldn’t leave.” Hope said, feeling uncomfortable. Shaun’s mom was nice and worked during the day so she could stay home with her kids at night.

“My mom said that you can come over tonight, if you want…if Ian’s still sick. She said she thought you were up all night with him. Her room is close to yours and Ian’s so she hears him through the walls.”

“Oh, that’s nice of her. I think he’ll be okay tonight…”

“Sure,” Shaun said. “But if you need help, you know where to find us.”

Hope felt her cheeks heat up as a blush spread across her face. She looked at the ground so her hair fell down around her face. “Thanks.”

“Hope! Get in here now and get dinner started for your brother,” her mother yelled from their trailer in a gravelly voice, caused from a lifetime of heavy smoking.

“See you later, Hope,” Shaun said, handing over her pink backpack.

“See you later,” she replied.

Hope walked into the trailer and past her mother, to the small kitchen. Dropping her backpack by the table, she went to the pantry and pulled out a box of Mac and Cheese.

“Why was he walking you home?” her mother asked, coming into the kitchen as she tied a new red scarf around her neck. She was dressed up in a red mini skirt, black tank top, and high heels.

Must have a date before her shift starts, Hope thought.

“Shaun? I fell getting off the bus and he offered to carry my bag for me.”

“Hmph,” Mother sighed. “Boys are trouble, Hope, even boys like Shaun. Stay away from them. They only like girls like you for one reason and I’m too young to be a grandmother.”

“Shaun’s not like that, Mom. He’s nice.”

“Of course he’s nice. He wants something that the girls at Glen Eagles won’t give him, so he’s looking to you to scratch an itch.”

Hope ignored her mother’s lecture. Shaun wasn’t like the men she dated. Shaun was different. He was special.

My Lovelies

2010-03-13T21:18:00.001-06:00

I’ve been hoarding. Yep—hoarding my awards. I’ve received three lovely awards in the past…month?! Thank you, thank you, I’m honored ;-)

My first hoardee is the Love Award, from Tiffany Neal. If you don’t know Tiffany, you are missing out. She’s hilarious and a fellow Texan. In fact, she doesn’t live all that far from me, though we have only chatted online. I’m pretty fond of her and enjoy stalking her awesome blog =) Tiffany teaches 4th grade (God be with her…) and writes YA. Once again, she’s awesome but she’s my friend, so back off ;-) Just kidding.

Who am I nominating for the Love Award, you ask? That’s a marvelous questions—I’m glad you asked. Drum roll please…

♥ Sara McClung

My second lovely is the Creative Writer Award—a gift from Nicole Ducleroir! Nicole is amazing. I was reading over the “about me” section on her blog and WOW this woman knows how to decorate a cake! She also has a killer workout routine that I am incredibly jealous of (because, come on…me? work out? Phleeze). So anyway, Nicki writes Literary Fiction and has a wicked creative streak. Just take a look on her blog & read some of the things she chats about—and you’ll know this is one awesome chick!

So, who’s my victim this time? Muahaha!

♥ Kristen Yard

Lastly, we have the Quillfeather Award from Carolina Valdez Miller. Thanks Carol! I love it! For this award, I have to state how I like my eggs. Well Carol, I’m not a huge fan of eggs. Frankly, they creep me out. But I’ll eat them if they’re slathered in butter and sandwiched between bread and cheese. Damn straight.

PS. I like my chicken grilled, fried, or roasted & I’m partial to Butterball :-)

My 3rd victim of serial-blog-awarding is….. TA DA!

♥ Ashley Tenille

Oh yeah! I’m on a blog award high right now. Definitely feeling the love! I hope everyone is having a great weekend and getting tons of writing done. I know I’m planning a write-a-thon for this coming week (SRING FREAKING BREAK BABY!) so if anyone wants to join in…you know where to find me :P

Forget Me Not!

2010-03-10T19:40:00.001-06:00

Forget me not! I’m still here. Kinda. It wasn’t planned, but I’ve been on a blogging/writing hiatus—thanks to massive amounts of homework and out-of-town company. It was a nice little mini-vacation, but now that it’s over…back to work I go! Here’s a peace offering, from me to you—Forget Me Nots. Aren’t they pretty?!

Because of my scheduling conflicts, I’ve sorta balked on the writerly stuff. No new chapters, no new crits, no nothin’. That’s right, just call me a slacker; that’s what I am. I’m a proud slacker, though (or at least I try to be).

Lucky for me, I did manage to get some reading in while on Slacker Island. Actually, it was more like listening, since I did most of it while I was working, driving, or coloring my hair. *Audiobooks for the win!* May I just say, for those of you who know of Rachel Vincent, her latest Shifters book (appropriately titled SHIFT) was amazing and kept me up until 6:30 in the morning. While I can’t stand her MC, the books are fantastic.

And after SHIFT, I went on to finish the Lone Star Sisters series from Susan Mallery—also phenomenal—which kept me up all of the next night. I started functioning off of 2 and 3 hours worth of sleep. Not good for an avid sleeper… You can see what else I’ve been reading at Goodreads or Shelfari.

Now that company is gone and SPRING BREAK is approaching, I’ll be getting some quality writing time in. Hopefully that means more blog time too. I’ve missed you guys! I haven’t even been on Twitter and I don’t even see how I’m still alive without Twitter and the #amwritingparty!!

Will be posting some awards soon (get ready, and watch your back!)

Oh, and one last thing before I’m off to mentally prepare for Criminal Minds tonight— I got my hair done for the summer! …yes, I have summer and winter colors. It didn’t come out how I planned (at all) but it works.

Curled and straight. Whoopie! Now to lose that extra 50 pounds…

Kung Pow Chicken

2010-03-04T22:20:00.001-06:00

I’ve been getting my butt kicked in school for the past two weeks—hence my lack of blogging. But I wanted to let you all know that I’m alive and well….and that I’ll be back to blogging next week. Hopefully.

Until then, here’s a video of a professor tackling a chicken. That’s right. A professor tackling a chicken. I wish I was in this class…

That’s a Wrap

2010-02-22T22:55:00.001-06:00

It’s time to wrap up the Big Fat Liar Award, and yes, I really do feel like a big fat liar. There are 2 truths, and 5 lies…

“I played volleyball throughout high school.” Nope—never even played.
“I have six toes on my left foot.” Only, five…sorry.
“I wear wedding rings on both my right and left hand.” Ding ding ding! True story. I do wear them on both hands. The white gold set is mine—my fiancé bought it specifically for me. But the set on my right hand—yellow gold & platinum—is a family heirloom. J’s grandmother passed it down to him after we got engaged.
“I love watching golf.” As if! I work at a golf course, so I’ve seen enough golf to last me a few lifetimes. I do like to play—as long as there’s alcohol involved. I don’t want to remember the back nine, you feel me?
“I’m allergic to shellfish.” Another lie. I’m not allergic; I’m just not partial to them.
“I have a tramp-stamp.” Oh yes, this one’s the second truth. I even call it a tramp-stamp; no shame over here. I got it done about two years ago and have a love/hate relationship with it (and I’d soo get another one!). I found it would I was looking through wedding invites (I was obviously going through a girly phase) and loved it. It holds meaning with me and J—two hearts together, two people together. Forever.
It ended up well, seeing as how J & I are eloping when the time comes. I’m thinking the drive thru Tunnel of Love at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Vegas. What do you think? A drive thru in Vegas?! Yes, please.
“I’m majoring in psychology.” Nope. English.

This was a fun award. Thanks again to Kelly R Morgan and Ashelynn Sanford!

Whoops! Blogfest

2010-02-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

Blame it on school. Blame it on spring cleaning. Blame it on writing. Or life. Or the weatherman. Hell—blame it on me, but I didn’t get around to writing a scene for the Whoops Blogfest. Whoops…

Instead, I’ve decided to link to a YouTube video with I find perfectly whoops worthy. Seriously, what’s funnier than Jackie Chan bloopers?! Nothing. That’s right—nothing!

Oh yeah!

2010-02-19T15:45:00.001-06:00

Wow! Blogfest was wonderful! So wonderful, that I’m still reading through all of the posts. There are some incredibly talented writers out there. Thank you to everyone who participated. It was a blast!

Also, I’d like to say a BIG thank you to Kelly R Morgan and Ashelynn D. Sanford for passing on the ~~Bold Faced Liar~~ Creative Writer Award! Check out their blogs because both of these ladies rock!

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you.
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.
5. Nominate seven “Creative Writers” who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

Rather than go easy on you and only have 1 truth, I’ve changed the rules a bit. So, here are your 5 lies and 2 truths. Which is which? You’ll find out on my next post.

I played volleyball throughout high school.
I have six toes on my left foot.
I wear wedding rings on both my right and left hand.
I love watching golf.
I’m allergic to shellfish.
I have a tramp-stamp.
I’m majoring in psychology.

I’m passing on this award to…

Embee over at Musings of a Would-Be Writer (That’s what you get for being a great crit parner!)
Merissa at See Merissa Write (Muahahaha! Critique partner victim 2)
Sherrinda at A Wannabe Writer (another fabulous critique partner!)
Julie at The Little Pink Clubhouse (my last super talented, CP victim…lucky girl!)
Wendy Sparrow at Where Ladybugs Roar (seriously—did you see her Blogfest entry?! AMAZING!)
Tiffany Neal (my newest stalkee)
Ashley Tenille at Things She Says (and new Twitter friend, writer, and Survivor-lover!)

Enjoy blogfests? Laurel over at Laurel’s Leaves is hosting the Whoops! Blogfest on February 22. Post your Whoops! scene on 2.22 and check out the other scenes through the McLinky list on her blog.

I’ll make my own rules…

2010-02-15T03:01:00.007-06:00

Is it wrong to change my Love at First Sight Blogfest scene? Originally, I posted a snippet from my brand spankin’ new romantic/suspense WIP, based in Canada. But now that I’m looking it over, it isn’t as romantic as I’d like. Sorry, but I had just finished writing the scene and (of course) I thought it was perfect for Blogfest. Upon hindsight, I have changed my mind. Instead (because I enjoy making up my own rules) I have submitted a scene from Nightlings, my paranormal romance series. Like I've said, I don't actually have a love-at-first-sight scene with these characters, but I'm rather fond of this scene, and it's plenty steamy for Valentine's Day. You’ll notice this post is significantly shorter than the last snippet :-)

Want to see the other LaFS Blogfesf entries? Check them out here.

A little backstory: Two vampires, Caleb and Kate (you may have already read their author/character interviews) have been fighting their growing attraction for one another. Unfortunately, current events keep bringing them together. The scene below is one such scene. While at an annual ball involving the three different Nightling races, Kate is dancing with the Vampire King, Gabriel—who also happens to be Caleb’s cousin. A little family rivalry, perhaps?

Note: This is an excerpt from a never before seen chapter—meaning, it is unedited by both my critique group and my partner. As always, feel free to comment and critique.

Caleb had managed to distract himself from Kate by mingling with their foreign dignitaries. Unfortunately, he’d only made it halfway through the First Dance when his eyes betrayed him and honed in on Kate like a magnet. She was drop dead gorgeous tonight, just like every night, but tonight, she was in Gabriel’s arm. As they twirled around the dance floor, she laughed at something he’d said.

Damn it, Gabe.

He was probably using his charm on her.

The bastard.

It had been hell watching Kate dance with his cousin. The First Dance was similar to a waltz—very classy with no real sexual undertones, but Gabriel still managed to make his dance with Kate look intimate.

Fucking pervert…

Caleb had to stop this. His cousin was seriously crossing a line, even if he didn’t know there was a line to be crossed. As if scripted to piss Caleb off, Gabe leaned in and whispered something against Kate’s neck. Son of a bitch. He had to stop this and he had just the opportunity.

The First Dance opened with only the three Immortal King’s and their dance partners. As the dance continued, members of the royal families were expected to chime in, followed by advisors. By the end of the dance, anyone could join in; the ball had officially begun. Luckily, it was halfway through the song, and time for the royal family to join the dance. It wasn’t exactly proper to steal the dance partner of a king, but Caleb didn’t care. If Gabe wanted to bitch about it later—big whoop; there wasn’t a rule against it.

Caleb didn’t remember making his way onto the dance floor. One moment he was standing near the head table, and the next, he was placing a firm hand on Gabriel’s right shoulder.

“Cousin,” he said, glancing at Gabe before looking to Kate and offering her his hand. “You can’t expect me to do work of finding her if you’re the only one who gets to dance with her.”

Gabe chuckled and stepped away from Kate. “Be my guest, Caleb,” he said. Then, so that only Caleb could hear, “Take your prize.”

******

What was he doing? Was he crazy? Did he not understand that she’d put a stop to…to whatever was going on between them, the night before? She didn’t want this. Well, she did but she couldn’t—shouldn’t—want this. But here he was, taking her hand in one of his and pulling her against him with the other.

Electricity sparked in her arm when she placed her left hand on his shoulder and settled her body into his hold. His muscles were hard, his steps confident. Her mind began a picture show of last night’s highlights. His touch. His kiss—it was all too much, too good.

“You’re blushing,” he said, his voice deep. Stepping into motion, he forced her to dance with him.

“I’m pissed,” she spat at him, then looked around to make sure she hadn’t attracted any unwanted attention. She hadn’t; the other dancers looked only at their partners. When she looked back at Caleb she was annoyed to see he was trying to hide a grin. “Is something funny?”

“Just wondering why you’re upset…”

“Because of you!”

“Me? What did I do?”

“You’re dancing with me!”

“And dancing makes you mad?”

“Dancing with you makes me mad. You make me mad.”

“Why’s that? I thought we got along well last night…”

“Why’s that?” She repeated, angry that he seemed so have forgotten that she’d put a stop to their…encounter. “Last night’s why’s that!”

“You didn’t enjoy kissing me?”

“What?” She stumbled but he pulled her harder against himself to keep her from falling. “I…it was...last night was… It doesn’t matter. It happened, now it’s done with. I won’t happen again.”

“Won’t it?”

“I thought I’d made it clear—

“By running off? I suppose it could be taken that way. Of course, it could also mean other things…”

“Other things? Like what—no! Nevermind, don’t answer that; I don’t want to know.” She breathed in deeply to try to clear her head of the images still flashing in her head, but she only managed to breath in the scent of him and that only made the images stronger. “Caleb, I can’t do—

“Shh,” he said softly. “It’s just a dance, Kate. I’m only dancing.”

His eyes were so kind that she felt hypnotized—lost in their depth. He was right. They were only dancing. It wasn’t like she’d make some crazy mistake like falling in love with him, right here on the dance floor. This was safe. Two people, dancing, in a room filled with people. There was no danger in that.

She didn’t reply; only nodded her head once in acceptance, then followed his lead as they danced.

The longer they danced, the more the music entranced her. Kate didn’t fight the images of the night before; rather, she indulged in them. And she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Caleb. His face was a work of art: a chiseled perfection. He had a strong jaw, and straight, white teeth framed by full, soft lips—lips that she couldn’t help but want to suck on. Again.

The song ended but neither of them released the other. His eyes…she was lost in those pools of blue and green.

How had she missed the flecks of silver that were sprinkled atop the blue and green? The silver specks added an icy, cool hue to the irises, but, as if watching them transform, the silver turned to gray, and his eyes grew dark with…something. Desire, maybe?

A couple brushed past them, exiting the dance floor, but still, they didn’t separate. His gaze was so intense; she licked her lips and started to pull away, but Caleb held her firm.

“Not yet,” he breathed, so quietly that only she could hear him. The music started again, this time a deep, lusty rhythm that matched her beating heart. “Try to relax this time; let go and enjoy it.”

She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Letting him lead her into the next dance was natural—like breathing. It wasn’t as if she could have said no. For some reason, her damn throat couldn’t seem to muster up the energy to even try to speak. She simply gave in, and did as he asked: let go and enjoyed it.

Scene for the Love at First Sight Blogfest

2010-02-14T21:30:00.001-06:00

Wow—I’m a bit late in submitting. I wasn’t feeling good last night and took some Nyquil…and slept all day. But here it is now, ready for posting.

My scene isn’t exactly a little scene…its a bit long, and I apologize ahead of time. This is a snippet from my new WIP—the romantic/suspense based in British Columbia, Canada. It’s a first draft (and unedited) so it may be a bit messy. Feel free to comment and critique. If you’d like to see the other submissions for the Love at First Sight Blogfest, click here.

This was a mistake. What was I thinking?

She hadn’t been thinking, obviously, or she wouldn’t be here, in Canada of all places, running a dude ranch with her two elderly housekeepers. She’d picked up her life in Texas and had dropped it like a nice little care package in the middle of the Canadian wilderness.

“Hello, my name is Abby Bennett, and I’m an idiot,” she muttered, rubbing her palms across her face, her voice seeming to echo in the emptiness of her new home office. Halfway expecting to feel the lines of stress this last six months had hurled at her, Abby brushed her fingers over the soft flesh, circling and massaging at her temples.

Damn her ex-husband for chasing her out of the country.

Damn her housekeepers for encouraging her crazy delusions of running a ranch.

Damn Connor Murphy for trying to steal from her.

And damn this damn Canadian winter.

Shuffling with double socked feet across the large room, Abby plucked a piece of wood from the top of the stack and pushed it into the fireplace. A cloud of embers erupted in objection to the new piece, but quickly quieted and began licking at its latest victim, the fire rising up and brightening the darkened room.

She’d been freezing since she’d flown north of the Rockies and couldn’t seem to get warm. It wasn’t cold for a Canadian winter, but it was cold for a native Texan. Not wanting to move away from the warm glow of the fire, Abby curled up on the hearth and stared into the flames, searching for the answers to her current problems—her lying, stealing ex-ranch manager, Connor Murphy.

He’d tried to steal from her. The bastard had actually tried to steal from her. Now he was gone, and she was short one ranch manager.

“Uhh—damn you, Abby Bennett, for being so stupid,” she moaned, banging her head into her open palms.

“Are you done pouting, or are you going to need a few more minutes?” said the crisp, accented voice of her elderly housekeeper and friend.

Surprised, Abby flung her head up so fast that it banged against the brick backing of the fireplace. Stunned for only a few seconds, she quickly recovered and glared at the small Austrian woman. Heidi was white haired and in her mid-sixties, but had the presence of a live grenade—when she wasn’t stalking in the shadows of her employer’s private study.

“What are you— How long were you there—stalking…creeping around in the shadows like some sort of…stalker.” Abby flustered for self control but it didn’t work. Rubbing the back of her pounding head she pushed off of from the mantel, needing to walk off some of her nervous energy.

“Long enough to know you’re pouting again,” Heidi replied, standing from the red cushioned armchair she’d been lounged in. In a brisk motion she reached up and jerked the heavy curtain away from the nearest window, letting in the midmorning sunlight.

“Agh—don’t do that!” Abby cursed, shielding her eyes from the sudden, blinding light.

“It’s after ten. Did you not sleep?” Heidi scolded, ignoring her boss and flinging open the next heavy drape. Not waiting for a reply, she went on. “Of course not. Because you do not let my sister and I do our job and find a new manager for the ranch. You stay up and pout and add lines to your pretty face.” Another quick jerk and a third window was unveiled, pouring light into the room with all the subtlety of a forest fire.

“Stop that! I don’t want them open,” Abby snapped. The sunlight bore though her closed eye lids, making her painfully aware of just how long she’d been awake.

“Come here,” her housekeeper commanded, suddenly standing in front of her. Her strong bony fingers clamped down over Abby’s wrists and pulled them away from her face. “Open your eyes, Bӓrchen. Let me see you. Ach! Horrible, just horrible. You look like death.”

“I’ve been working,” Abby said, pulling away.

“No, you’ve been worrying all night when you should have been getting a good night’s sleep.”

“Someone has to decide what we’re going to do next. We might have to sell the ranch—there’s no way I can a fill the position. I don’t have the slightest clue how to run the working side. I only have experience on the guest and financial ends of ranch life.”

“No, your job is to sit back and manage. My sister and I work the inn, and the ranch manager will work the land.”

“But we don’t have a ranch manager,” Abby said, exasperated. “I fired him, remember? He was stealing—”

“You think I forget?” Her accent came out thicker than usual; Heidi was beginning to lose her temper. “Elsa and I were at the town pub for three hours last night, looking for a new manager. We even started interviews…in a pub—like hillbillies!” Her distaste for hillbillies was obvious by the way her eyes bugged on the word.

“And no one was interested, were they?” Abby said, tempted to push the old woman from the room and slam the door behind her. “I know what they think. A writer from the states has no business owning a ranch when she can’t even work it. I’ve heard the rumors too, Heidi.”

“I’ll take care of the rumors. They don’t know you or your experience with ranches. If anything, it only makes them look stupid. You were raised on your grandparent’s ranch. It is in your blood, Bӓrchen.” Heidi said, placing her hands on Abby’s cheeks. “You will not fail what it already yours.”

Wanting to cry, Abby closed her eyes, letting the old woman pull her into a soft embrace. Over as quickly as it had begun, Heidi jerked and grabbed Abby by the arms.

“Oh! We must hurry—you don’t want to meet him looking like that, do you?”

“Meet who?” Abby said, furrowing her brow in confusion.

“I was going to tell you, but you were pouting—”

“Tell me now,” Abby interrupted, pulling her wrist from Heidi’s viselike grip. God, please don’t let her have to meet anyone today—looking like this, as Heidi said.

“Last night at the pub, Elsa and I kept hearing talk of a man called Morgan. They spoke of him like a god, both idolizing him and fearing him. They say he does not come to the town much; that he lives in an old cabin near the river. He hunts for his food and drinks from the waters, and only come to the town for supplies.”

“Sounds like a lot of the men around here,” Abby said.

“No,” Heidi snapped, abruptly. “He is not. They say he could lead the sun. That men stand in awe of him and would follow him over the edge of a cliff.”

“It doesn’t sound at all like you’re making this up,” Abby said, skeptically, one eyebrow raised.

“I’m summarizing. Pub patrons are crass.”

“Oh—so you’re embellishing. Then by all means, go on,” Abby replied, sarcasm dripping from each word. Heidi scowled at her, but continued.

“We did not see him but left word—and incentive—for the pub’s owner to spread the word that we were looking for a new manager.” She paused, and looked to the ground briefly before going on. “We didn’t stay late, you see...and I couldn’t sleep. I came downstairs to check to locks and pour myself a cup of warm milk, when I saw the light on in your study. I peeked inside, saw you were not sleeping either, nor were your working on your computer, and I knew you were worrying too…about the ranch. So, I decided to get dressed and go back to the pub.”

“Alone? In the middle of the night? Are you crazy?”

“It was not that late and I am a grown woman. I will do as I please,” she replied.

“You’re a crazy, old woman,” Abby muttered, rolling her eyes.

“I went to the pub and paid a man to take me to where Mr. Morgan lives—”

“You what?” Abby shrieked. “You don’t know anyone here! He could have killed you and we wouldn’t even know where to find your body!”

“You write too many crime novels, Bӓrchen. Some people can be trusted…when money in on the line,” Heidi said, nonchalantly. Waving her hand in dismissal, she went on with her story. Open jawed, Abby listened. “My guide did not know exactly where Mr. Morgan’s cabin was; only that it was off of the old logging trail. We drove up and down the trail several times before we found the dirt road that led to his cabin. I explained to Mr. Morgan who I was, why I was there, and asked if he would be interested in the job.

“He is here now, interviewing with my sister. After she’s finished with him, he will come to interview with you—for a final approval, of course.” Heidi finished.

Abby narrowed her eyes at the elderly women. Something was off; Heidi had wrapped up her story rather quickly, and the Austrian was not the type to skimp on details.

“What about the meeting at his cabin? What happened there? What did he say?” Abby probed.

“He said,” she explained slowly, “that he would think it over, and get back to me. And he has.”

Abby blinked, knowing there was something that her housekeeper wasn’t telling her. “What’s wrong with him? Is he old? Gimp? Cross-eyed? Toothless?” She ticking off the traits of every rural, mountain man she’d seen in movies. “Hairy? Ah—he’s hairy, isn’t he! You know how much werewolf-men creep me out—”

“He’s not hairy. Or old, or gimp. He sounds like the perfect man for the job.” Heidi said as she turned and walked around Abby’s large desk. Opening the drawer, she pulled out a small cosmetics bag. “Now come here so I can make you look presentable. Elsa will be done interviewing him by now. Ach—look at these hideous bags under your eyes! ”

In less than five minutes, Heidi had brushed out Abby’s tangled red hair, smeared concealer on the dark, sleep deprived bags, blushed and mascaraed, and, finally, smeared a tinted lip gloss across her dry lips. “Blot, Bӓrchen. There, much better. Not your usual beauty, but nothing that a man will not appreciate.”

“Appreciate? Since when do I care if ranch hands appreciate me?”

A knock on the closed office door brought her head up. Heidi dropping the cosmetics and their bag back in to the desk drawer. “Ahh, Bӓrchen, I told you that Mr. Morgan was not old or hairy,” Heidi said, timidly. “But, he is…rather attractive. I believe you will want him to…enjoy the view.”

Suddenly, it all made sense. No wonder Heidi hadn’t said anything about her visit to Morgan’s cabin—she hadn’t wanted to give anything away. This wasn’t about hiring a ranch manager, so much as it was about setting her up.

“No, no, no,” Abby said, deciding to stop whatever matchmaking attempts the two sisters had planned, but the old woman had already started to walk away. “I need a manager, not a boyfriend. Tell him to go.”

“You need both, and we need to stay in business. He is the best candidate we could find. Even Elsa is impressed. Why do you think I am here and she is with him?”

“Because you’re both evil and want to put me in an early grave,” Abby muttered under her breath.

“He’s in his thirties, blond hair—and those broad shoulders that you like. Umm, if I were not an old woman…”

“You’d still be trying to drive me crazy.”

They were to door and Heidi was reaching for the knob when Abby grabbed her arm. Hissing in her ear, she said, “I mean it Heidi, I don’t want him. Find someone else.”

Heidi must have heard the panic in her employer’s voice, because she turned and patted Abby’s arm. “You must forget about Andrew, Bӓrchen. Not all men are the same, after all. Do not be afraid; today, we are hiring a manager, not a husband.”

Before she could respond, Heidi had opened the door and Abby had to clench her jaw to keep it from hitting the floor. Standing in the hallway was a man, over six feet tall with blond hair and ice blue eyes.

Abby took an involuntary step back as he mind went wild. What was he doing hiding in the deep forests of the Cariboo? He should be on the cover of Men’s Fitness or GQ…or Playgirl.

“Abby, this is Jake Morgan,” Heidi’s older sister, Elsa, said as she stepped into the room. “Mr. Morgan, this is my employer, Abigail Bennett.”

The living, breathing Adonis followed Elsa into the room and extended a hand to Abby.

“Ms. Bennett, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said in a voice that dripped honey. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Grabbing his hand, she nearly jumped. He was warm—God, he was warm—and she had the sudden impulse to sink into him and absorb his heat, getting rid of the winter’s chill once and for all.

“Oh—uh, thank my housekeepers. They’re the ones that found you.” Did she really just say that? “I appreciate your coming, Mr. Morgan.”

“Call me Jake.”

“Of course. And I’m just Abby.” Really? Just, Abby? “I mean, just call me Abby.”

Behind Jake, Abby could see her two housekeepers squirming, little grins on their wrinkled, old faces. The little Brownies—Gremlins!

Realizing she was still clutching his hand, she jerked it free, startling her housekeepers.

“Abby, my notes on Mr. Morgan,” Elsa said, handing her a clipboard. “I believe you’ll be quite impressed. He’s more than qualified for the job.”

“I’m sure he is,” Abby said, thinking that her maid was full shit. Jake Morgan looked more likely to be seen on a Hollywood red carpet, than on a working dude ranch.

“We’ll leave you both to it,” Heidi chimed in, a smile on her face as she grabbed her sister by the arm and towed her from the room.

“Thank you, ladies,” Abby said, automatically. “Mr. Morgan—”

“Jake.”

“Uh, yes—Jake, have a seat,” she corrected, leading him over to her desk. Her socked feet swished across the carpet, the only noise in the room.

“Cold?”

“I’m sorry?” She asked, turning to him on wobbly knees.

“Are you cold?” He said, eyes going to her feet. “Your feet are double socked and you hand felt like ice when we shook.”

“Ah, yes. I’m not used to these long, cold winters. I’m from Texas. Our winters are shorter and, generally, warmer.”

“It’s nearly over. Only about a month left. How long have you been here?”

“Um, about three months,” she said, wondering how on earth he had this effect on her. Making it behind her desk, she sank into the soft chair. At least now she didn’t have to worry about her knees giving out. Following her lead, he sat down opposite of her.

“What about you? Did you grow up in Clinton?” she asked, continuing with the conversation.

“No, I didn’t. I was just passing through and decided to stay a while,” he replied, not answering her question.

Looking at the clipboard Elsa had given her, she read the first line.

Gorgeous, it read, scrawled in a small, slanted print. One the next line was he’s the one. The third line was a bit more promising.

Experienced rancher.

“You’ve worked on a ranch before?” she asked, hoping to God it wasn’t true. If he was qualified, she’d have to hire him. And if she hired him, he’d be around...distracting her with his Brat-Pitt-meets-Channing-Tatum good looks.

“Yes. My father’s family owns a ranch up north. I spent quite a bit of my childhood working it, as well as good few years in my twenties. It’s quite a bit cooler up there,” he added half grinning, a twinkle in his blue eyes making her squirm in her chair.

Averting her eyes, she looked everywhere but at him. It was embarrassing; did he know what that look was doing to her?

“And did the cold drive you south?” she asked.

“No, the cattle did. I’m not all that fond of cows. I understand you prefer horses?”

“Yes. Our guests don’t come for cows. They come for horses…and the countryside.”

“Vacationers.”

“Umm. This ranch is meant to be an escape. Wild open country, warm fires, horseback riding, fishing.”

“Beautiful,” he said from low in his throat. His tone was different from before…creamier, like whipped chocolate. “The view is…breathtaking.”

Were his eyes boring into her, or was she just imagining it? Feeling her face flush, she looked back to the clipboard.

Broad shoulders. Long, agile fingers. Strong jaw. High cheekbones. Muscles atop muscles. What’s under the hood?

Damn it—what was Elsa thinking? Heidi must have put her up to this. Skimming further down the page she saw carved from marble and if I were forty years younger…

At last, she read dual citizenship.

“You have dual citizenship?”

“Canadian and American,” she said, shortly.

“Care to elaborate?”

“My father is Canadian. My mother was American,” his voice had dried out, no longer the tempting honey from before. He didn’t want her prying, and he was letting her know it.

“Will you be sticking around for long?” she asked instead as a shiver raced down her spine.

“A while. I’m in no hurry to go anywhere,” he said, his voice creamy again. “Especially now, with this…opportunity knocking at my door.”

“Oh, yes. Sorry about Heidi. She can be...direct.”

“She was more that direct,” he said on a laugh. “Nearly drug me out of bed to come meet with you. Said the job and the owner were, how did she put it? Intoxicating.”

He was drinking her in—that was the only explanation for what those blue eyes were doing, flicking from her eyes to her lips to her breasts. Gazing back up, into her eyes, he smiled that sumptuous half smile, captivating her so that she couldn’t speak. Lingering like a lover, the silence stretched for an electrified moment.

“Yes…the land is spectacular. I’m quite pleased with the area,” she said, hoping this attraction was all one sided. Preferably, her-sided. Surely she was imagining his interest. He couldn’t be flirting with her…

“Elsa had mentioned a trial period. Three months, I believe is what she said?” Jake said, bringing her attention back to business.

“Yes, three month,” she said, stumbling over her thoughts. This is a business meeting, Abby. An interview. Get your mind out of the gutter. “After that, benefits and bonuses will be arranged.”

“Excellent. I’ll start tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” she repeated.

“And if you have doubts at the end of my three months, we’ll go our separate ways. No hard feelings,” he added, standing and extending his hand to Abby.

Mechanically, she reached to take his outstretched hand, shaking it while wondering what had just happened. He’d stood, reached the door, and closed it behind him before she’d even realized what she had just done.

She’d just hired Jake Morgan.

Roadtrip & a Reminder

2010-02-13T03:57:00.001-06:00

It’s 3:30 on Saturday morning and I’m getting ready for a road trip! I usually love taking trips, but today…not so much. J and I are going to Wichita Falls (Texas, not Kansas) with both our fathers to visit Midwestern University. It isn’t that I don’t want to go, I just don’t want to amble around campus with a couple hundred other prospective students, all looking for admittance. Even worse, my cold has started to come back with a vengeance. Hopefully the road trip part will be fun.

♥This is the last reminder for the Love at First Sight Blogfest. It launches tomorrow, Valentine’s Day, and will be an all day event! Post your love at first sight scene to your blog and add your name to the sign up list. Before you spend a romantic evening with your sweetheart, spend a lazy Sunday reading through some of the other LaFS submissions. ♥

See you at Blogfest!

Side Projects? What side projects?

2010-02-10T23:15:00.000-06:00

School is putting a serous cramp in my writing life. Whenever I think I have time to sit down and do my thing…AHH! Another essay is due!
It’s hard to remember my priorities sometimes. I want to write my novels, but I need to finish school. And then there’s that pesky work thing. Really though, when is a writer supposed to write? I’ll have to be dead before i get the time to work on it, and by then I’ll be too dead to actually write the damn book!
I’m not the kind of writer who see’s twenty minutes of free time and can sit down to write the next few pages of my WIP. I need to warm up—to get into the zone. And then, of course I’ll need to get out of the zone. I can’t just stop writing when I’m on a role, after all. That’s just crazy talk. Absolute nonsense.
Fortunately for me, (and unfortunately for you) I realize that I’m not the only person who struggles with balancing the precious 24 hours given to me. Plenty of you work, raise families, do the school thing, volunteer, play a weekly game of bunko, have a social life, read, and still manage to get in your writing. Who knows? You might even have time to exercise. And to all you well adjusted people, I say kudos and congratulations (in addition to a hearty “screw you”).
But really, if I could give you an award, I would. It would be called the Ass Kicker Award and it would be awarded to bona fide ass kicking people everywhere. Except for me, because I’m a scatterbrained nut-job with a fondness for writing.
On another note, I’ve finally decided to do something about the extra pounds I’ve packed on in the past, oh, two years, or so. You see, I have this genius plan for weight loss. Get ready, because I know this is going to shock some people (mainly, anyone who knows me). I’m going on a diet! Actually, I’m already on one. It’s been one day—the most successful diet attempt I’ve ever had.
I feel like a vegetarian. Okay…a quasi-vegetarian. I’m actually eating those green things and passing on the cookies. I’m pretty proud of myself, as I have no willpower. Maybe I’m just a horrible stereotype, but I’m a Southern woman, and I like my food fried. Umm mmm! Fried chicken, fried Twinkies, fried cheese sticks. You fry it, I’ll eat it.
But for breakfast today, I ate these strange things called strawberries and peaches. Lunch and dinner? Fat free yogurt—and a bowl of shredded lettuce. I mean, come on! Who eats a bowl of shredded lettuce?! [I might have cheated with tacos…but J made them for me. It would have been rude to decline :) ]
Please, oh please, oh please, dear gods of weight loss—rid me of my extra forty pounds! Smite down these evil fast food cravings and let rabbit food taste like Belgian chocolate.
Once I’m over this damn cold, I’m going to start that exercising thing. Maybe I’ll even get out of the house…
Baby steps. Baby steps.

Cough, Cough Plot

2010-02-09T22:57:00.001-06:00

I’m sick. Both literally and figuratively. So sick, in fact, that I skipped my classes, but not sick enough to shut off my overactive imagination. So, not-sick, that when I should have been sleeping, my creative bastard of a mind decides that it has the perfect idea for a new novel. That’s right—a new novel.

Sorry, Professor Grooms, I’m too sick to come to English class. No, no—don’t bother e-mailing me the assignments; I’m busy creating another novel.

Oh yes, I’m a sick, sick mother.

Picture me, swathed in a bundle of warm, fuzzy clothes, cup of hot Theraful at my side, thermometer in mouth, while sitting at my desk (because my laptop is also sick), researching the perfect setting for my knew book … and my mother-in-law pops in to see if I’d like some dinner. Hmm.

The good news is, I found the perfect setting and my fever broke. Yay! The bad news — Theraflu sucks. Really, the shit tastes awful, but it does help a sore throat.

Despite the bad timing (and the whole being-sick-thing) I’m pretty excited about my new plot. It’s a romantic suspense that takes place in British Columbia, Canada.

I just love the countryside. Who needs over crowded, pollution filled cities when you can have wide open spaces and crisp fresh air—air so fresh it would burn my unworthy nasal passages? Sure it may get a bit chilly up in the mountains, but at least the summers wouldn’t reach 110° and an ozone watch of level red. Okay, maybe I wouldn’t survive the winters but I can always dream, can’t I? And come on—there’s wildlife! Real, honest to God wildlife! The only wildlife I’ve seen in Dallas are the coyotes on the golf course, the rabbits that my cat kills, and the blasted owls that hunt small cats and dogs in my neighborhood. Not that a bear would be any better, but…

Moving on…

I’d like to make a SHOUTOUT to Leslie! Leslie posted a comment on my blog Monday, Feb. 8 wishing me a great week and giving me a Sunshine Award. Unfortunately, the link to her profile (and blog) didn’t work, so I can’t get to her blog ;(

Leslie, I’d love to give you a proper thank you and support for your blog. I hope you get this shoutout. Can’t wait to hear from you!

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and if you’re like me, you’ve sorta…dropped the ball on the I-love-you chocolates for your special someone. Hmm. I’ve been so busy getting ready for the Valentine’s Day Love at First Site Blogfest that I actually forgot about Valentine’s Day. Whoops. I should probably get started on my Happy V-Day honey present. Have a good week everyone!

Awards & a Book Cover

2010-02-04T02:05:00.000-06:00

I've received two awards this week from three lovely ladies. Thank you Valerie, Stephanie, and Jemi, I'm both thrilled and flattered!

Valerie over at I Should Be Writing has given me a present: The Over the Top Award. Yay! Valerie rocks! If you don’t know Valerie, you should. She’s got a terrific blog with tons of advise and updates on her life as a writer. Seriously, check her out. Seriously!

Stephanie, at Hatshepsut: The Writing of a Novel also presented me with The Over the Top award! How cool is that?! I've just recently come across Stephanie's blog, and let me tell you, I'm impressed! Her latest posting (okay, her 2nd to latest post) was about editing her MS and was really good--and funny! I'm going to be stalking you for a while now, Stephanie. I apologize ahead of time... :)

Now, I don’t know if I’d wear the apron, but I totally dig the award anyways. It’s just too cute. This one is definitely going on my wall of awards (you know, the right sidebar of my blog). haha!

Rules: Answer the following questions with Single Word answers then pass this along to 5 other bloggers. Make sure you let them know about it though.
Your Cell Phone? Envy
Your Hair? Crazy
Your Mother? Loving
Your Father? Amazing
Your Favourite Food? Dessert
Your Dream Last Night? Monkey!
Your Favourite Drink? Dr. Pepper
Your Dream/Goal? Published
What Room Are You In? Bedroom
Your Hobby? Writing
Your Fear? Cockroaches
Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? Mother
Where Were You Last Night? Home
Something That You Aren't? In-shape
Muffins? eck.
Wish List Item? gift-cards
Where Did You Grow Up? Hogwarts
Last Thing You Did? Watched "Dog the Bounty Hunter"
What Are You Wearing? PJs
Your TV? A&E
Your Pets? Fat
Friends? Noisy
Your Life? Ongoing
Your Mood? Better
Missing Someone? no
Vehicle? Temperamental
Something You Aren't Wearing? Socks
Your Favourite Store? Borders
Your Favourite Colour? Blue
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Today
Last Time You Cried? Yesterday
Your Best Friend? Kelly
One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Home
Facebook? Twitter.
Favourite Place To Eat? Out

And now to pass it on…

Anne Riley at Anne Riley
Sarah Ahiers at Falen Formulates Fiction
Elizabeth Bradley at Bits & Bites
W.M. Morrell at Musings from Down Under
Kelly Reese at Rants, Observations, and other Ramblings

The Circle of Friends Award has been passed on to me by Jemi Fraser at Just Jemi! Thank you, Jemi! I love my online writer friends so this award is perfect! Blogging and Twittering (#amwritingparty hells yeah!) have really helped keep my spirits up with this whole writing thing ;-)

Jemi has been a friend since I started this whole blogging thing. She's a sweetheart who reads whatever crap I write and comments no matter how stupid my post was. And seriously, what more can a blogger ask for? Nothing--I know! There's nothing worse than someone like me--a lurker. I read a lot of blogs, but I'm pretty bad at that whole commenting thing. (I know, I know. So shoot me) So, to someone like me, Jemi is a freakin' goddess! Visit her blog, follow, and comment because Jemi is a gem (lame? Nah...).

So, I'm going to pass this one onto a few of my writer friends with tons of love. And yes--I do know that some of you have already received this award but come on! Its the CIRCLE OF FRIENDS and (though it sucks for you) you're my friend. Consider it your punishment for speaking to me.

♥ Sara McClung at The Babbling Flow of a Fledgling Scribbler ♥

♥ Carolina Valdez Miller at Carol’s Prints ♥
♥ Simon Larter at Constant Revisions ♥

♥ Shannon O'Donnell at Book Dreaming ♥
♥ Anne Riley at Anne Riley ♥

Oh, yeah...I have one last piece of business to attend to tonight. Carolina Valdez Miller, Sara McClung, and Alexandra Shostak have been having some fun posting *fake* book covers for their blogs. After taking a sneak peek at mine, Carol has convinced me to blog my WIP's fake book cover. This is Book One of my Immortal Series (which I have renamed to Nightling Series) and no, I don't have an actual name for book. Like I said, it's a work in progress.

Go, go Photoshop!

*images courtesy of vi.sualiz.us*

Let’s Write a Story

2010-02-01T00:00:00.004-06:00

I’ve had some people ask me about the different kinds of scenes that can be submitted for Blogfest. Now, this may sound crazy, but—any good old scene where one, or both, of your characters realizes “Wow, I love this person” will do.

I like to see where my characters take the scene. Initially, I may have some sort of rough draft or outline about what’s going to happen, but the characters are the ones that get the final say. If they end up taking the story somewhere else entirely…so be it. They know what they want more than I do (consciously, anyway).

13 days until the Love at First Sight Blogfest and I’m still shuffling different ideas around in my head. There are so many potential characters that are battling for my attention, and even more that keep popping up to say “how’d’ya do?”. So how’s a girl to chose one scene to post?

There are ways to form the barebones of a story. The Story Architect by Victoria Lynn Schmidt is a great place to start. In her book, she lists 56 “classic” story themes that are used in every genre of fiction. If you want to take a look inside, you may view a bit of it here. While I love this book (and recommend it to anyone writing fiction), it isn’t exactly cut and dry for a romance scene for the LaFS Blogfest. We don’t want a whole plot do we? Some people may be inspired to create a novel around their LaFS scene, but for now, I just want a scene—a hot and steamy scene.

So, in lieu of anything better, I’ve decided to write my own list of themes—themes for Blogfest.

Blogfest Architect: Types of Love

Opposites Attract: the wrong people with the right feelings. Love against all odds.
Holy cow—I love you!: Some personality types fight the whole love-at-first-sight experience. Instead, write the scene where your character(s) realize that they are in love.
Head Over Heels: Do your characters steal little glances at each other when no one is looking? Do they blush when the object of their infatuation speaks to them? If so, they may be head over heels .
Infuriating Infatuation: ‘The woman drove him nuts! Pompous and bossy—a pigheaded know-it-all. He thought he’d always wanted a nice girl with a pretty face. Now, he wasn’t so sure.’ This is another of the holy-cow-I-love-you themes.
Forbidden Love: Romeo & Juliet is a classic for a reason. Who doesn’t love the idea of breaking the rules for love? How can something so wrong feel so right?
Unrequited Love: Taylor Swift’s Teardrops On My Guitar says it all. Pining after someone who’s in love with another person is a hell of it’s very own making. No one said love at first sight has to be mutual.
Fairy Tale Love: The stars align and falling in love feels so easy. Talk about a fairy tale…
Childhood Love: Jack and Jill have been in love since the day they went up the hill. Jack may have broken his crown but Jill stayed by his side while he healed. After all these years, he’s never forgotten her. Now, it’s time to track her down and confess his love. Maybe she feels the same way…
Hero Love/Damsel in Distress: Need I explain?

Want to challenge yourself?

I’ve read that some people are going to switch point of view Blogfest. If you usually write from the female perspective, try writing your scene from the male POV and vice versa.
Try writing a “historical” love story based on characters that already exist—or existed. Take advantage of creative license! There are plenty of time periods to chose from. Try on of these stories or find one of your own.
- Lancelot & Guinevere
- King Henry VIII & Ann Boleyn
- Napoleon & Josephine
- Ferdinand & Isabella
- Marc Antony and Cleopatra
- Eurydice & Orpheus
- Adam & Eve
- Samson & Delilah
  
  ♥ Want more historical romances to choose from? Consider your wish, granted— Top 20 Most Famous Love Stories in History & Literature.
Retell a classic and make it your own.
- Cinderella
- Gone With the Wind
- Ariel the Little Mermaid
- Aladdin
- Jack & Jill
FanFic. Is there a book, TV show, or movie that messed something up? Fan Fiction lets you fix it…
- Lost
- Burn Notice
- Weeds
- Desperate Housewives
- Vampire Diaries
- Twilight
- Outlander
- Werecats Series
- Avatar
- Bones

Have I forgotten a good one? Anyone have any other themes to add to the list?

I hope I’ve stuck a creative nerve. If not, there’s always the next blog posting. Don’t forget to sign up for the Love at First Sight Blogfest!

Happy writing!

PS. If anyone needs additional inspiration, I have some terrific poems on my inspirational blog, To Keep it Going.

Honest Scrapper—I mean Scrap

2010-01-28T20:59:00.002-06:00

I must have done something right—or people just feel really sorry for—because Valerie at I Should Be Writing has awarded me with the Honest Scrap Award! Seeing as how my blog is not only honest but is also scrap, I humbly accept this award. Thank you for thinking of me Valerie, and for passing on this award. And for those that don’t know Valerie, she’s a writer, a reader, an indie filmmaker, and more. Click on over to her blog to dig into her mind—she’s awesome and her blog is super cool.
So check it out!! Isn’t it pretty?!
Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about it. But seriously, what part about getting a pretty blog award isn’t exciting?!
For this award, I need to list 10 “honest” facts about myself. I’ll try to come up with some stuff you might not already know about me, but I can’t make any promises—I’m not the most interesting person in the blogosphere.

I’m usually very reserved. I like to sit in the background and observe people (which makes me either a people watcher or a voyeur. Maybe there isn’t really a difference, but I like to think of myself as a people watcher. Voyeur just sounds so dirty…) At first, some people mistake this as shyness or even snobbery. And maybe I am—the former, (hopefully) not the latter—but people say the same about Steven Seagal, and he’s done pretty well for himself.
I’m adopted—on my dad’s side, anyway. I don’t know my biological father but my adopted dad has been with me since I was an infant. He’s a great dad and I love him to death.
I’m German, French, and Scottish, with a bit of Native American (Iroquois) thrown in for good luck. Like many Americans, I’m a mutt.
I love camping but hate bugs. Trust me, it is possible to camp with a minimum of bugs—it just requires hellovalotta bug spray and you must buy citronella candles in bulk.
I’m an “old soul”. I’m certain I was born in the wrong century.
I’m sensitive, emotional, compassionate, fiercely loyal, mama-bear protective, and an avid dreamer.
I believe in justice, not vengeance, though the two are often confused.
I love colorful, funky socks. And legwarmers.
I’m a total nerd who loves to “info-gather”. Discovery, History Channel, Crime & Investigation, Animal Planet = my playground.
I believe that Science and Religion are not mutually exclusive.

Okay, that wasn’t too bad. I think I’ve managed to hold on to most of my dignity. Now to pass it on. Hmm…who gets to be my victims today?

Jamie Harrington at Totally the Bomb
Elizabeth Mueller at Elizabeth Mueller
Eva at Screaming Whispers
DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude
Alan Davidson at Conversations From Land’s Edge
Kelly Reese at Rants, Observations, and other Remarks

☆★☆ And now for an update on Blogfest!
The Love at First Sight Blogfest is 16 days away and my “Mr. Linky’s” sign up widget has decided to go completely haywire. After some blood, sweat, and tears, I had given up on the POS and created a new and improved sign up widget, using “Simply Linked”.
And, like all things technology, as soon as I moved on to another program, Mr. Linky started working again. So for now, we’re going to stick with Mr. Linky (even if he is a defective piece of crap). But if he goes out again, so help me, I will boot his ass right out of Blogfest!
If that happens, there is no need for anyone to re-sign up. I’ll take care of transferring your blog link to the new sign up sheet.
♥For those that would like to sign up for Blogfest, simple click on the Love at First Sight link above and add your name to Mr. Linky’s list. ♥

Need an idea for Blogfest? On Monday, Feb 1st, I’ll be blogging about different kinds of love-at-first-sight moments. Swing by to get some ideas.
You can also find some writing-inspiration at my other blog, To Keep It Going.

Remember to say I love you

2010-01-26T18:47:00.000-06:00

For the first time in months, I had my next blog posting planned and written ahead of time. Everything was ready—all I had left to do was click publish. I'd even started to outline the next blog post. Needless to say, I was really proud of myself.

But then, this morning, things changed and I've decided to hold off on both of those posts in lieu of a tragedy.

For those that don't know, I work for the City at our community golf course. Our Parks and Rec department are some of the best in the state of Texas. We have an ice-skating rink, an event center, two indoor city pools (one a lap-pool, the other, a leisure pool with a lazy river and "crazy" slides), a state of the art gym, a 27 hole golf course, a HUGE park complete with baseball fields, soccer fields, playground equipment, and an outdoor water park. Needless to say, our maintenance workers are utterly incredible.

While all of them are great, I have always been fond of one in particular. We've talked shop, work, family—you name it. If I ever need anything, he's the one to ask. A good ole country boy, he's married with two boys, and lives about an hour out in the country. Because he works on all of the Parks & Rec buildings, I rarely get to see him, but when I do, he brings a smile to my face and I know he'll make sure to stop by and gossip with me before he moves on to his next location.

Yesterday, my coworker received a call while at work and was told to rush to the hospital. His wife, her grandmother, and his 3 year old son had been stopped, waiting to turn left across traffic. They were rear-ended and pushed into incoming traffic, where they flipped over and hit another car. His wife was killed on impact; her grandmother died at the hospital. Their 3 year old son, by the grace of God, survived and is in stable condition.

My prayers are with my coworker and his two children, and while I grieve for him and his family, I can't help but think, Oh God. In the blink of an eye, everything changed. It isn't as if he woke up that morning, knowing that his wife would die. She didn't have an expiration date stamped on her wrist, no sickness that foreshadowed death. One moment, the world was fine, and the next, everything went to shit.

God...did I tell J that I loved him before I left for work this morning? No, I didn't. I grabbed the keys off the night-stand, flipped the light switch , and slipped out.

What about my brother? Were our last words in anger? I honestly can't remember.

So when you get home tonight, make sure to tell your family that you love them. Don't even let sleep stand in your way, because death is permanent and tragedy hits everyone.

Goodnight, and God bless.

Happy Award x2 & some inspiration for the LaFS Blogfest ♥

2010-01-23T19:02:00.003-06:00

I've won the Happy Award...twice! I am definitely feeling the love!

♥ Thanks to Tiana Lei over at Spilled Ink for this awesome award! Tiana has a great blog. She's an aspiring writer who is kind enough to blog about her writing ups and downs. OH, and she she has a really cute layout. ♥

♥ Thank you, Rhonda at Snarktastic Ramblings for being kind enough to pass this one on to me! For those that don't know, Rhonda is one of the funniest bloggers out there. She delivers snark of a colorful variety. Swing by her blog and check her out. ♥

The Happy Award (which is really, really cute!) is very simple and pretty darned cool. First, I'll pass on the award (my favorite part of receiving awards--besides getting to post the pretty pictures on my blog) then state 10 things that make me happy. Hence, the "Happy 101" picture.

But before I forget — and yes, I know I'm interrupting a perfectly good train of thought — I want to remind everyone about the Valentine's Days Love at First Sight Blogfest. Sign your name and blog address to the Mr. Linky's sign up list and post your Love at First Sight scene to your blog on February 14th. ★ Don't forget to sign up, or people won't know how to find your blog ★ If you're having trouble with your muse, head on over to To Keep It Going, a blog of inspirational tidbits. I'm doing a series on love poems and other romantic paraphernalia, in honor of Blogfest.

Now—back to business. First, to pass on this award I've searched my blog reader for blogs that have not (at least to my knowledge) already received this award. It's nothing personal, I just wanted to spread the love to people who didn't already have it. And if I messed up, and you do already have this, please forgive me ;-) This task was not as easy as I thought it would be...

Valerie at I Should Be Writing
Denise Swank at There's Always Room for One More
Angela Corbett at her self titled blog Angela Corbet
Terresa Wellborn at The Chocolate Chip Waffle
Margot Kinberg at Confessions of a Mystery Novelist
Angie Kate at Always Write
Michele Emrath at Southern City Mysteries
Natalie Murphy at The Sound of Rain
The Blogger Girls at The Blogger Girlz
Elspeth Antonelli at It's a Mystery

And now for the 10 things that make me happy —

1. My beautiful family.

(brothers, sister, myself, and cat, Leo)

2. My incredible fiance', J.

(Me & J on my birthday, last year.)

3. My religion

4. Writing

5. Reading

6. Photography

7. Music

8. Movies

9. Nature

10. Rainstorms

Have a great week everyone. I'll see you next time.

Hunky Scots & Quirky Apes

2010-01-15T20:02:00.001-06:00

I wish I could say that I've been around, lurking in the background of the World Wide Web. Or that maybe I've been sitting back, patiently waiting as I allowed the debut of the Love At First Sight Blogfest to peculate though blog readers everywhere. Hell, I don't even have the excuse of a vacation to explain my 12 day, blogging dry spell. My excuse is far less exciting, not to mention, far less pleasant.

First, may I just say that a college faculty should not be made up of morons?

That's right, folks! I've been yanked from my normal blogging routine, only to stand in line for hours before getting my turn to argue with the idiots on the other side of the counter at a college. And one time is understandable--things happen. But twice? Thrice?! No, no. Someone is fighting a losing battle in the war on common sense, and it's not the ape in the picture above... Just sayin'.

But enough about that; I'd just as soon forget the whole mess--and I've (mostly) managed to do just that. The important part is that I have sorted the whole thing out *knock on wood* and am registered for classes this Spring. Finally .

My time in the long, winding lines wasn't all bad though. I did manage to do quite a bit of reading. I finished Dragonfly in Amber (the 2nd book in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series). It's a book that I started months ago but never got around to finishing. Writing tends to get in the way of my reading, but the long lines gave me an excuse to indulge myself in someone else's writing while leaving me completely guilt free. What more could a girl ask for? A hunky Scot, perhaps? Yes--and that's exactly what I got with Gabaldon's historical, time-traveling work of art. And her writing really is art. Truly, the word "book" doesn't fully describe the magic she weaves. [Note: Simon, you don't count this time, because you do not wear a kilt ;) At least, not that I know of...]

But I find myself facing two problems. One, I've been talking with a Scottish accent for days day now. Not that I mind--I love accents--but I think it's starting to grade on J's nerves. He'll have to get used to it though; I've started book 3, Voyager, and let's just say, the accent is only getting stronger. And two, my internal dialogue, while not Scottish, is coming in loud and clear. And British. This is heavily due to the fact that I gave in and bought the audiobooks, but I'm sure it would have happened anyways. I'm very animated, so what? Does that make me weird or something? Nah. I just like stories.

What about you? Do you ever get way too involved in a book your reading? Or if you're a writer, do you find yourself thinking like one of your character thinks, or talking like they talk? What little quirks do you notice when you dive into the magical world of fiction?

Don't forget to sign up for the Valentine's Day Love at First Sight Blogfest!

Critique This presents the "Love at First Sight Blogfest"!

2010-01-04T17:29:00.004-06:00

I'm a sucker for a good romance.When I hit the local bookstore, I make a B-line for the romance section. And no matter how many crazy love stories I read, I need more. (More, I tell ya, more!) Some people may say that I've reached my romantic quota while others might just make me look like a novice romance reader. Hey, a girl can hope... So when the Kissing Day Blogfest came around, and I missed it, that was okay, because I had 80-some blog posts to read, all of which contained incredible romantic scenes, minus all the build-up of a four-hundred page novel. Perfect.

But I wanted more! And I wanted to toss in my two cents--err, scene. So when the No Kiss Blogfest popped onto my radar, I was thrilled, no--beyond thrilled, jubilant. This time, I had caught the train in time to jump on board. Except I totally missed the boarding call and missed the train to romance-ville. Well, damn-it, son-of a-birth-mother, and any other expletive you find appropriate for this little whoopsie.

Okay, so I'm oh for two. No biggie. I can just view everyone else's vacation photos--completely green-eyed-monster free, I might add. And they were great posts...but of course they were great, they were romance! Still, I'm growing more disappointed that I keep missing the complete "awesomeness" that is blogfest.

Lucky for me, I am apart of a terrific critique group--Critique This--a group who also loves blogfests. In fact, the founder of the Kissing Day Blogfest...in my group! That's right, Sherrinda over at Writer Wannabe, AKA creator of the Kissing Day Blogfest, AKA amazing writer of amazing romance---my friend! (*point, point* I know that girl!)

So, like I was saying, my critique group and I were chatting about blogfest and how much fun it was (at least for those who remembered to post their scenes...) and how great it was to read everyone's contributions. In the end, we decided to host the Love at First Sight Blogfest!

That's right, the Love at First Sight Blogfest will be made up of those steamy, sometimes awkward, first-meetings, the ones where your two characters meet for the first time. Or, if your characters didn't have a love-at-first-sight kind of relationship (because mine sure didn't!), the scene where they realized, "wow, I think I love this person".

So get ready, writers! Post your scenes on Valentines Day for all to see! Or, if you're one of those people who just likes to read over the hot and steamy contributions, we'll see you February 14th for one hell of a blogfest!

If you'd like to participate in the Valentines Day Love at First Sight Blogfest, sign up below. Spread the word; let's make this the best blogfest yet! Who's in?! So far we have the Critique This members:

Merissa at See Merissa Write
Sherrinda at A Writer Wannabe
Margaret at Musings of a Would-Be Writer
Me

Bringing in 2010 with Blog Awards!

2010-01-02T01:06:00.005-06:00

Happy New Years! I hope everyone had a wonderful January 1st. Mine has been incredibly relaxing and full of tivo’d Burn Notice episodes (which, for me, is the equivalent that Beerfest is for college kids). Basically, I’ve become a little obsessed. But hey, everyone needs a vice…

Before I get too enamored with the new year, I need to finish up some business from the last one. First off, I have been thrilled to receive some incredible new awards from some awesome bloggers! I’m so honored that people even read my blog, much less think I should get awards for it!

And if that wasn’t good enough, the lovely Julie Dao over at Silver Lining has tagged me with the writers meme! Thank you for thinking of me Julie! I’ve actually already done the meme, which makes this really easy for me—and just like a drunken frat boy, I like easy. (Sorry, but lame jokes make me happy.) If you’d like to see my meme, click here. If you’d like to see who I tagged, say hello to Kayleigh, a outstanding writer living in the south of France. Want to know something even better about her? She’s only fifteen years old and her writing is superb! This chick has all the markings of the next JR Ward, Laurell K Hamilton, Jim Butcher, Jeff Lindsay, name-the-big-shot. She’s also on twitter as @luckynumbr22.

Another terrific writer, Carolina Valdez Miller, over at Carol’s Prints, has given me two new awards, the Blogging Writer Award and the One Lovely Blog Award. Thank you Carol! I’m so excited to have two brand new awards—talk about a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Carol can usually be found on Twitter (just like most of us crazy writers) cruising the #amwritingparty as @cvaldezmiller.

These two awards only require me to pass them on to other bloggers, which happens to be the best part of getting awards.

I’d like to pass on the Blogging Writer Award, to Victoria S. at her self-titled blog Victoria S. Vicky writes YA and Paranormal Romance--AKA, she’s my kind of girl.
I’d like to send Anne Riley the One Lovely Blog Award! Anne is one of the sweetest ladies I know, and—even better—she’s another #amwritingparty peep AND an Alabama girl! Roll Tide! You can find her on twitter as @AnneRiley.

My third award. the Picasso Award, came from another fantastic writer friend, Rhonda, from Snarktastic Ramblings. Rhonda has a great blog; it’s not only cute but funny. She can also be found on twitter as @rcowsert playing in the #amwritingparty.

The Picasso Award is one of those tell-me-your-deepest-secrets kind of deals, and, like the stickler for rules that I am, I’m going to go ahead and get to it. I pass this award on to 7 other bloggers and state 7 facts about myself.

Kelly Reese (my fabulous Critique Partner, & another Roll Tide fan!)
Sherrinda (a member of my critique group) at A Writer Wannabe
Margaret (another member of my critique group) at Musings of a Would-Be Writer
Kayleigh at Kayleigh’s Kaleidoscopes
Wendy Morrell at W. M. Morrell’s Musings from Down Under
Mary Campbell at Writer’s Butt Does Not Apply to Me
*A new indulgence* Joann Mannix at Laundry Hurts My Feelings

And, if you really want to know some meaningless, ooey-gooey facts about me, here ya go. Dig in. Enjoy. Don’t judge me.

I’m a design-school dropout—web design to be exact. I did it because I didn’t know what else to do…and I had just dropped out of early-childhood education. Turns out, I sucked at the web design and don’t have the patience for a horde of first graders. Oh well, you live and you learn.
I could spend days—no, weeks watching crime shows. A&E, Crime & Investigation Network, ID, you name it, I’ll be watching it. Forensic Files = the superbowl of crime shows. I’m just saying…
I am the oldest of five kids, ages 23 to 5. All of us have the same parents and no, we aren’t Mormon or Catholic. My parents just started early, and the youngest was a … surprise.
I love watching crappy-scary-movies. I’m not talking B-grade, I-Know-What-You-Did-Last-Summer kind of crap either. I’m talking never made it into theater, Sci-Fi-won’t-even-air-it kind of bad. Something along the lines of Mr. Jingles, Storm Warning, or Splinter. It’s okay. Everyone has a few quirks, this just happens to be one of mine ;-)
I suffer from an incurable, chronic pain disease called Interstitial Cystitis. It sucks. I blog about it sometimes but I usually try to forget about it. “Ignorance is bliss” or something like that.
I’m addicted to Dr. Pepper—seriously—which is really bad for my IC but…whatever, my body’s used to it by now. Ironically, cigarettes, booze, prescription medications—none of them faze me :) My addictions are limited to internet, TV, and caffeine.
I’m a germaphobe but I’m all about clutter…except when I’m being organized. Call me an oxymoron.

So, what are some random facts about you?

Plotting the Properly Paced Prose

2009-12-28T18:36:00.002-06:00

(I'm sorry about the title; I just couldn't help myself...)

Plotting is one of those hit-or-miss kind of things. Sometimes, ideas will flood your mind with incredible possibilities of unbelievable (or completely, "well duh") images. But, then there are the days when you can't, for the life of you, think up one tiny, little scheme to foil the bad guys. Now, I've seen some writers tackle the plotting process like some football players tackle...oh, let's say Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately, I am not one of those writers. I need highlighters, post-it notes, dry erase boards...divine intervention...to even put a dent in my plots. Fortunately, once I get going, there's usually no stopping me. Usually.

Over time, I've found that I need to revisit the plotting-boards to make sure that everything is all-fine-and-dandy. Even then, after countless plot revisions and agonizing editing sessions, I'll discover a looming plothole that stands out despite the rest of the uber-cool plot. And, as most civilized writers would do, I simply flip my shit.

How could this happen? I've geared countless sticky notes with the sole purpose of protecting my unsuspecting manuscript from the evils of plotholes and--possibly worse--pacing problems. And yet, when editing fever rolls around...*wham, bam, thank you ma'am!* Houston, we have a problem.

Before I go any further, I feel I should warn you that while I'm not a perfectionist, I do have OCD tendancies. And I'm very visual. And I'm a masochist.

But I like plotting. In fact, I re-plot every five-or-so chapters just to make sure that my plot is the best it can possibly be. I've been meaning to do this post for a while now, but it's been a bit of a trouble maker for me. Everyone plots differently, and even I can't commit to a fool-proof way of doing it. I can, however, show you the jist of how I plot. I can only hope that it helps someone else to do their ~~impossible~~ plot.

I start off with a package of post-its (extra sticky, because I move them around a lot!) then I take my trusty dry erase boards (two of them), a few markers, and sit down ~~with a glass of wine (or the whole bottle)~~ to get started.
As the juices start flowing, I write down each idea onto a post-it and stick it to the dry erase board. At this point, it doesn't matter what order they are in so long as I've got them written down and stuck to my handy-dandy white board.
Once my imagination dries up, I grab my second dry erase board--and even more post-it notes--and start to organize the chaos. I start re-writing the plots-points on different stickies based on what they mean to the story I have in my head.
- Main plot points are on blue post-its.
- Secondary storylines are on green post-its.
- Romance plot points are written on pick stickies.
- Comments/questions are on yellow.
- Ideas that I'm not so sure about get put on purple.
I place them all on the second board in a logical order...
...then go through the pointless step of writing them down again, by hand, on the freshly cleaned, first white board--by coordinating colors, of course. There's no point in telling me how utterly stupid this step is--I'm well aware it is repetitive and tedious--but this is one of those OCD/Masochistic tendencies I warned you about earlier. Normal people, feel free to skip step 4.

Step 4 ends up looking like the picture to the right.
Once all of that is done and I've started the actual writing, I keep a spreadsheet of my word that helps to keep everything in order and tracks the pacing of the novel. This log tells me all the major details of my plot, starting with the act, chapter, chapter-summary, the time and date of the chapter, the point of view, setting and chapter word count. I also have two extra columns called "Point of Chapter", which helps to keep me from including pointless scenes, and "Changes".
The Changes column is there to help me keep track of what I need to change based on my instincts, and what my critique partner and critique group thinks I should change.
The last column is the Total Wordage column which uses an auto-formula to tally up the total word count of the whole novel.
Here's a screenprint of what my spreadsheet log looks like:

Now that I've shown you how I do it, why don't you drop me a comment and tell me how you do it?

Want your own plotting-spreadsheet? Here's my template.

It's research, I swear.

2009-12-23T20:11:00.000-06:00

One of my very favorite things about being a writer is the simple fact that it gives me the excuse to research the most...unusual things. I mean, come on...if someone sees me reading a book on medieval torture devices, I have an out-- "Oh, I'm just researching some of the horrendous methods used during the Spanish Inquisition for a book I'm writing. How utterly barbaric they were back in those days; I'm sure glad we've evolved into a more civilized species."

Or maybe that one time, when my boyfriend got a little too nosy and took a little peek at my browser history? "Oh honey...don't worry, I can explain my interest in demonic possessions, exorcisms, and creepy pagan rituals. I swear its just research for my next book."

I thought it would be fun to do a post on some of the research topics I've used in the past few years. Some of them are somewhat normal, while others...well, they are subjects that only a writer might understand. Actually, maybe this should be a writer only post, because otherwise, someone might try to have me committed to a white-padded-wall institution...

So, like I said before, I'm going to list a few of my most recent, Google-powered searches.

YouTube video search of "big cats". Yes, that's right-- Big Cats. My current work in progress has three paranormal night races, demons, vampires, and shapeshifters. I wanted to see video of a lion/leopard/cheetah (you name the kitty) running/pouncing/stalking so I could accurately describe it in my book when my shifters transform into--you got it--Big Cats. And thanks to the BBC and their excellent wildlife footage, I can.
Infomercials. Uh huh...infomercials. I was writing a scene and one of the characters started to make the point that someone's idea was as stupid and pointless as __________---and I needed an infomercial to fill in the blank. So I did a quick search; this is the best one by far....
High-end, designer clothing and evening dresses.
Gunshot wounds--where to aim to maim, not kill. What can I say, there's a war going on in my books--I want it to be realistic.
Military helicopters. I needed a helicopter in my book and I needed to know which one to use...
The weight of the KA-BAR survival knife and the different holsters one can use it with.
I received a package in the mail a few months back. Inside, were two books I purchased for research purposes. However, when my family saw what was inside the package...lets just say I had to remind them that I write murder scenes.

Howdunit Forensics by Dr. DP Lyle
A Book of Poisons by Serita Stevens & Anne Bannon

Of course, those books took their positions on my bookshelf next to Dr. DP Lyle's other works, Murder and Mayhem and Forensics and Fiction...

Of all the things I've looked into, one of the best research topics I read was on Multiple Personality Disorders. The book, Switching Time by Dr. Richard Baer, is the story of a woman, Karen, and her seventeen different personalities. I won't go into the details, but I was truly amazed by this story and the depth of this illness. I was absolutely spellbound by Karen and her alters, all whom had their very own names, personalities, and purposes.

I'd actually been looking down the psychology aisle at Borders when I came across the book, took a peak inside...and couldn't put it down. I couldn't imagine anyone questioning my choice of reading material...until of course I brought it home and my family looked at me like I'd grown four extra heads. Why in the name of God would I want to read such a thing? The girl had obviously been abused and now suffered from a psychological illness; it was a tragedy, not entertainment, and certainly not research for a paranormal romance!

And the really sad part was, I could actually see their points. This was a tragedy, and I was a little too enthralled by the whole concept of it. Of course my family (who happen to think my interest in all things "different" to be...well, different) got me thinking.What kind of a lech am I that I can sit down for four straight hours and read through page after page of trauma and illness and hopelessness? Obviously a very sick kind of lech...

...or a writer. Ah ha!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, I have an excuse for my ~~twisted~~ fixation with the weird, the macabre, and the completely random. As writers, we're naturally nosy and intrigued by the strange and unusual. We get ideas from everywhere and from everything. If something strikes our fancy, we want to know more about it, to learn everything we can, and we want to file it away for future use. Well duh, right?

So--what have you researched lately?

**Want to buy the t-shirt at the top of this post? The Write Snark

Sneaky Little Bugger

2009-12-21T16:46:00.006-06:00

Christmas is coming, and coming fast! I've been busy this last week getting ready for it, but I still haven't finished all of my shopping. Since I haven't had much time to sit down and write, my brain has been running in overdrive to try to make up for the loss of exerted creativity. In other words, the voices have started screaming (in lieu of their usual mutterings). I'll be at the store, browsing through the latest and greatest, looking like your average Christmas-shopping crazy person. But on the inside, I've completely checked out. My mind is a maze of plot-lines, juicy conflicts, and character issues. I swear, I think I might even hear myself mumbling from time to time...

I've got Kate and Caleb in some lover's quarrel (so out of sync for the holidays, don't you think?) at the same time that I have my Dark Goddess musing on the details of her newest plan for world domination. Then, I've got a group of rogue Immortals who are feeling extra left out and incredibly needy (even though they don't make their debut until book six--that's right book six, and they're already bitching at me!)

But that isn't all. I've been working on my plot (which I'll be blogging about in the next couple of posts) so I have what if I do this, or what if I do that's competing with irate Rogues, quarrelsome couples, and a Dark Lord-ess with a hard-on for taking over the world. And that's not even counting the characters who just turned traitors and are deciding on their best course of action for ambushing the Vampire General!

Peachy, just peachy. Why do I suddenly have flashbacks to my sixteenth birthday at the DMV? Oh yeah, that's right, "Everybody take a number and wait your turn." Order would be such a handy little tool to have at my disposal. Too bad my brain doesn't do order. I picture my characters taking their number, then glancing between the paper slip and me with a look of are-you-effing-kidding-me writing on their faces. It's sad that I'm amused by the visual...

On one side, this whole "bonanza" of mental goodies is awesome. I'm coming up with some quality ideas. Plot lines are a necessity in my world, and conflict is as important as romance in my novels. If my writing is in short supply, my idea-pool is overflowing.

On the other hand, I think my brain might explode from all of its recent activity. While I'm not exactly aware of any overactive-brain related deaths, I won't rule out the possibility--especially when the idea of it happening to me seems so real.

But enough about my up-and-coming implosion; I do have something to blog about today, and it will only take a few short sentences, so get ready--I wouldn't want you to miss it!

I save each chapter in its own Word document, so I don't necessarily know how many words are in my MS at any given time. In the chapter, yes. In the MS, no--unless of course I take the time to add up all the different files, which is precisely what I did. And I was shocked to discover that I've been quite the busy little bee. My current word count for "Book 1" of the Immortal Series is at an unbelievable 35,822--and it completely snuck up on me!

I really don't know why I'm shocked by this--it isn't as if I don't write four-thousand-word chapters--but I am. It probably has something to do with the fact that when writing, I only look at the word count for each individual chapter, and that never goes above six thousand. To see the numbers 35,822 flash on the screen almost seems like some cruel kind of joke. But it isn't. I know because I added the numbers...

...three separate times.

So yay! Go me! I'm "29%" done with my WIP, which is still--sadly--nameless.

Until next time, happy writing!

Superior Scribbler Award & Critique_This

2009-12-11T23:09:00.002-06:00

Can you believe it? The incredibly talented Anne Riley thinks I'm a Superior Scribbler! I'm so excited--and honored--to receive my second blog award. And look how cute the badge is, by the way.
The rules for this award are very simple; all I have to do pass it on. It should be easy--except for the part where I have to narrow down my list of favorite blogs, but, I'll give it a go.

Julie Dao at Silver Lining
Courtney Barr at Southern Princess
Alexandra Shostak at The publication follies of miss Alexandra Shostak
Lynnette Labelle at Chatterbox Chit Chat (I know she already has this award, but her blog is just too good for me to pass up.)

I also joined a small Critique Group, which we named Critique_This. Right now, we have 5 members. We'll have to see how it goes, but so far, I love it. My group is so supportive and laid back (just like I like). Well, I'll blog more Sunday, but as for today, I'm exhausted. I just really wanted to post the Award that Anne gave me like, oh...about FOREVER ago! Sorry it took so long getting it up.

My MS has be suffering because of the family drama that will not seem to take the hint and die already!
Actually, it isn't that my MS is suffering; the MS has just been neglected. But my MCs...well they are
definitely suffering--which my Critique Partner seems to think is barbaric (though she won't come out and say it to my face).

You see, she's quite peeved-off that she's been stuck at a cliff hanger for about a week...which means Kate and Caleb are also stuck at a cliff hanger, right at the edge of danger---the same edge of danger that they've been stuck at since this family drama, that-is-my-18-year-old-brother's-fault, started, well over two weeks ago.

Still, I'm a mean, mean writer/mommy to my characters and they don't deserve that.

Happy writing everyone!

Writing is like playing God...or acting like a seriel killer

2009-12-06T01:48:00.002-06:00

Last night I had an amazing (if incredibly long) talk with my CP, Kelly Reese. Other than e-mails, we really haven't had much time to sit down and talk so I was very excited when she called me last night to chat. After my cell phone died, we resorted to IM, and WOW--some of the things we were saying in shorthand could probably have gotten us arrested had we been talking in a public place!

I thought I'd write down a few of our most crazy lines...

Kelly: OH! I love ------ for no particular reason.
Me: Oh, I know! She's awesome! Great personality, cute, witty... At least until she dies-- she's not so spunky after that.
Kelly: NOOOOOOO! Why do you always kill off the people I like?
Me: I don't WANT to kill her off! I HAVE to.
Kelly: But i like her for no reason!
Me: If it makes you feel any better, I won't enjoy killing her. I'll probably even cry a little.
Kelly: GOOD!

So that little chunk of IM magic got me thinking. Wow, writing really is kind of like playing God. You create people only to kill them off. That, and I have a really intense plot! And I kill off a hellofalotta people! But I'm not that bad...I mean, take Karen Rose. Superb writer, incredible plotlines, characters to die for, NYT Best Selling author...kills 20-something people a book. She's got around ten books now--that's 200 people offed, just like that! So, what I guess I'm saying here is--at least I'm not that bad.

But then, a while later, we started talking about a different chapter where a new character and his family make their debut. That's when my whole writers-like-to-play-God theory went right out the window.

Me: Oh, I forgot to tell you, John's* family dies later on, but I haven't written it out yet.
Kelly: NO! Why?!
Me: I need them dead; it's nothing personal. Speaking of deaths, I should also tell you that I'm killing Lee* off too.
Kelly: NO! What about his family?
Me: It's because of his family that his ass has to die. Blame them.
Kelly: But his family is okay?
Me: Yes. They're fine. I'm only killing off a few people...Jane*, Lee*, and John's* family. Oh and a priest that you haven't met yet.
Kelly: I think your inner seriel killer is coming out...

Hmm. So maybe we writers don't mirror God so much as a sociopath on a killing spree. And I though I was writing a romance--paranormal though, it may be. I supose anything worth reading has a few deaths in it, right?

The Infamous MEME

2009-12-02T23:58:00.006-06:00

Carol over at Carol's Prints was nice enough to tag me in a "meme". Now, I'm still new to blogging, but from what I've gathered from the blogs I read, a meme is basically a questionnaire. So, it's my turn to answer the meme, and tag someone else...

So-- Kayleigh, tag, you're it!

What’s the last thing you wrote? What’s the first thing you wrote that you still have?
The first thing I wrote that I still have was called CFC vs. Bad Boys. In my defense, I was ten years old at the time. It was about two rival, gang-like clubs; your typical good vs. evil scenario. The bad club was always trying to bring down the good club. The big climax occurred when the Bad Boys kidnapped the CFC leader’s girlfriend and he had to save her! Yikes.

Write poetry?
The last time I wrote a poem was for my nana when was nine. It pretty much sucked.

Angsty poetry?
I’m not good at poetry. Sorry.

Favorite genre of writing?
Paranormal Romance or its subcultures.

Most annoying character you’ve ever created?
I love all of my characters; they all have a piece of me in them, but…a character in an old PNR I wrote really got on my nerves. Dara: needy, insecure, jealous, selfish, evil. That pretty much sums it up.

Best plot you’ve ever created?
My current WIP has a pretty awesome plot.

Coolest plot twist you’ve ever created?
Hmm. Everything I write is a plot twist in its own little way.

How often do you get writer’s block?
I don’t so much get writer’s block so much as I lack the motivation to sit down and type out a scene.

Write fan fiction?
Once upon a time…

Do you type or write by hand?
I do both. I generally “write” out scenes because it helps me to get down the meat of it without dealing with OCD over grammar and spelling. After I hand write the most of it, I type it up and add the mashed potatoes and gravy….and obsess over grammar and spelling.

Do you save everything you write?
Yep. I obsessively control/S every few seconds whenever I type. I back up all of my files on an external drive also. I once lost the MS I was working on because my computer crashed. I was at the halfway mark…

Do you ever go back to an idea after you’ve abandoned it?
I don’t like the word “abandoned”. Every “unfinished” piece I have gets filed away. I usually find my way back to it in time, after fresh ideas make it workable again.

What’s your favorite thing you’ve written?
I’m not entirely sure. I love all of my books, but I think I’d have to say my current WIP because of how organized I was when plotting. Everything seems to be paced pretty well and makes sense (so far).

What’s everyone else’s favourite story that you’ve written?
My current WIP “Book 1” of The Immortal Series is my fiancé’s and my CP’s favorite. But isn’t ‘newer always better’?

Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
Of course. Who hasn’t? Really. Tell the truth.

What’s your favorite setting for your characters?
No preference. They go where the story takes them!

How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Too many. I’m working on 3 series. My main love, a PNR, is an open ended series, of which I’m currently writing in 3. So, including my other series, I have a total of 6(ish) WIPs.

Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Only A’s on English papers. I haven’t even submitted any of my writing into an contests—until now, I wrote strictly for myself.

What are your five favorite words?
Good question. I love curse words, of course—they just add such emphasis—but I won’t list those. I use “usually”, “tend to”, and “though” a lot, but I can’t think of any words I particularly like. I enjoy using strong verbs and adjectives.

What character have you created that is most like yourself

Kate (Immortal Series) is actually based off of me. She’s much stronger though and could totally kick my butt in a fight ;-)

Where do you get ideas for your characters?
They come to me actually, silly as it sounds. I’ll be writing a story and some “voice” will pop into my head, like Hello, what about me? You can’t write this story without me! Hmm, that definitely makes me sound a little nutty…

Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Oh God—all the time. As a matter of fact, most of my novels have been based (on some level) from some weird dream I’ve had, which ironically makes me feel like I’m violating some copyright law...

Do you favor happy endings, sad endings or cliff-hangers?
I figure there are too many sad endings in real life to justify putting them in fiction. Obviously some scenes require sad endings and some novels just lead to one, but on principal, I only like sad endings in poems and short stories.
But seriously-- I can’t stand committing myself to a book (whether reading it or writing it) and ending up with a crap-tastic ending. It makes me feel so…tricked, like someone’s laughing and pointing fingers at me while taunting “ha ha! I got you!”

Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Unfortunately, yes. It’s a bad habit I’m trying to break. I tend to take FOREVER to write 500 words because I’m too consumed with “does that comma go there?” and “semicolon or period?” Write or Die can usually help me avoid the grammar checks but then I get mad later when I’m reading over it and I see all of my mistakes…
This is why I am the world’s slowest writer.

Does music help you write?
I’m like Carol; I use music and lyrics to help me plot out scenes in my head, but I can’t listen to it when I write because it distracts me. Sometimes I can listen to piano music, but that doesn’t always work for me.

Quote something you’ve written. Whatever pops into your head.
“The TV was on and a commercial advertised for the Real Housewives of someplace-or-another.”

Wow, that was a lot of questions! I didn't think I'd ever finish. Some of the questions really embarrassed me...like #1. Yep, that was the worst of them.

My next blog post will be back to "normal" and will be posted either Thursday or Friday. Have a great day everyone!

Best Blogger Award & 'An Interview with a Vampire'

2009-12-01T02:41:00.004-06:00

Because I've been AWOL for the past week, I'm just now getting around to checking in with some of my favorite bloggers and guess what I found out?! Last week, my writer-friend, Sara McClung, awarded me my very first blog award!

The Best Blog Award--awarded by:
Sara McClung who blogs at The Babbling Flow of a Fledgling Scribbler.

I'm so excited to get this award! Thank you so much, Sara. I'm so honored!

In keeping with the Best Blog Award traditions, it's my turn to pass on the love. Here are the rules for the BBA:

To accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link.
Pass the award to other bloggers that you recently discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I have so many favorite blogs that its really hard to ONLY select five for the award -- but I have to limit myself or this post will be really long. So, here goes. These are five of my must-read bloggers.

Jemi Fraser at Just Jemi
J. Koyanagi at J. Koyanagi
Simon C. Larter at Constant Revisions
Carolina Valdez Miller at Carol's Prints
Mary W. Jensen at Feywriter

Congrats guys! Now its your turn to pass on the love; get to it!

On another (and still super excited) note, I am pleased to announce that Caleb's Interview has been posted on Carol's Print's. His interview is part two in a two part series. To see part one (Kate's interview) click here.

I have to say... Carol, you could be in advertising; you made me look good! I definitely don't feel nearly as awesome as you made me out to be on your blog! You've been such a sweetheart to work with. Thank you for hosting Caleb's Interview. We both applaud your patience as we struggled to keep ourselves in "interview mode". What can I say? I'm a writer not an interviewer; I live for descriptions!

For anyone who doesn't know, Carol AKA Carolina Valdez Miller is currently blogging a series called Totally Sane Interviews with Vampires, Hobbits, and Talking Toads: A Series of Character Interviews. This series is a collection of author/character "interviews" from different writers throughout the writing community. Can I just say, WOW! Talk about funny stuff...seriously. We writers are constantly saying things like, "Man, my poor character is going to hate me when I'm finished with this chapter," and "I feel bad for what I'm about to do to [insert character name here]." But after these character interviews, you can forget it! The characters (yes, the one's inside our heads) totally get back at us! They so deserve that broken bone, gunshot wound, or crippling heartache. I don't even feel bad for the near-death-experience that my MCs are headed into... muahhahaha!

Sticky Situations

2009-11-30T11:26:00.001-06:00

Wow--so I've totally fallen off the edge of the planet for the past week. I haven't even been on Twitter, which is how you know something's up in the Reese household.

Right after Thanksgiving (which was a wonderful day of food, football, and family) a personal crisis reared its big, fat, ugly head. Its taken most of my time away from writing, blogging, tweeting---you name it--so I've been pretty much AWOL for the past week. This problem has been (for the most part) resolved, and I'm finally falling back into the swing of things...at least as of 11am Monday morning.

My plan today is to write the ending to chapter 10 and work on chapter 11. Kate and Caleb are in a tough situation and they have to fight off the enemy and save the day--you know, all in a day's work, right?

Will blog about my success tomorrow!

An Interview and a new Critique Partner

2009-11-22T01:35:00.005-06:00

I'm a few days late on updating my weekly blog, but better late than never, right? I've been busy writing away for the past week and trying to get through some very important scenes. Unfortunately, I've been suffering from a serious case of brain-farts. I'll sit down to write, have the scene plotted out, and then....*crickets*. Nothing happens. It's like I can't find my voice, and its REALLY annoying.

Luckily, I was able to write Interview #2 (featuring Caleb) which will be débuting on Carol's Prints, a blog by author Carolina Valdez Miller, sometime this week! Caleb's interview will be featured in a series called Totally Sane Interviews with Vampires, Hobbits, and Talking Toads, a series where authors interview their characters. These interviews are hilarious and very insightful into the minds of writers, the latter of which may not be a good thing...

I'm so excited to be one of the writers featured of Carol's blog! I can't wait to see Caleb's interview up on the Web.

To see Interview #1, featuring Kate, click here.

Another huge plus this week is that I found a new (or old, depending on how you look at it) Critique Partner! I've been wanting a CP for a while now but I'm so picky about my work that I have been hesitant in really looking for one. Luckily for me, my MC Kate has a mind of her own and was determined to be a little crazier than I had originally intended. Because of a traumatic event, I'd been toying with the idea of giving her PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, for those of you who don't know). Originally I had decided against it because I didn't want her to seem weak--especially to herself--and I was afraid PTSD might do just that. But, like I said, Kate has a mind of her own. PTSD doesn't change much in the story but it does take us to some other places.

Obviously, I needed to do some research on the disorder to make sure I got it right. So, instead of reading websites, I e-mailed my cousin Kelly--who just happens to have a degree in Psychology! We got to talking and she's going to be my new CP. I trust her with this job for several reasons, one being the fact that she used to critique my stories when we were young. But, more importantly, we talk books all the time, and she knows what I like and what don't. Kelly knows me and--most of the time--where my mind is headed even before I do! She isn't a writer, but an AVID reader and I'm so very grateful to have her critiquing my work. Thanks, Kel, for all your help!

I've been sidetracked from the Immortal Series today by a story that's pummeled its way to the front of my mind and is demanding to be written. Forced to comply (because to resist would only result in torture) I've started the beginnings of Dream Waker.

Dream Waker is a short story, though, I don't know if I'd even call it that. I'm actually more comfortable calling it a "tale". It's short (obviously) and a bit of a thinker--and totally implausible. Still, its a story worth writing and one that has a pretty clear message. Once it's finished, I'll post in up on my blog for all to see.

Plotting, Characters, & their Complexities

2009-11-12T14:41:00.015-06:00

Plotting & Characters—The Two Elements

When writing, there are two basic elements that make up a novel: plot and characters. These two elements must coexist—and coexist well—for the book to be anything worth reading. And let’s face it, why bother writing something that no one wants to read? It’s the plotlines and the characters that hold a reader’s attention. They are the glue that not only binds the story together, but connects the story with its audience.

I have a love/hate relationship with the plotlines of my books. Out of all of the elements that go into novel writing, it’s the plot that is my Achilles heel. I constantly worry that the plot is missing something, that it could be better. Or—when I’m having a particularly bad day of writing—that it’s absurd. While plot-holes can be patched up, a bad plot is seldom able to be revived.

I’ve been planning to write a blog post on plotting for the last few weeks. After all, It only makes sense that I write about the devil I know best. After reading a blog called Why You Should Interview Your Characters by Carolina Valdez Miller, I realized two things.

One—I don’t struggle with character relationships in my books. If anything, my characters keep the story alive. My books are (mostly all) character driven. They are about people and their journeys to the other side of the rainbow.

And two—obviously—plots and characters go together like babies and diapers. Basically—put the diaper on the kid’s head and you’re in for a messy time. But, put the diaper where it goes, and one element complements the other. When I look at it this way, I can really see that the more you know one, the better you will understand the other.

Plotting

I've spend countless hours plotting and re-plotting my novels. And I know, I'll be re-plotting again and again before I've finished my currrent WIP. To date, my two plot boards look like this:

I know--I'm not the most organized person on the planet, but it works for me.

I'll add new notes to the boards as they come to me because I need everything written out or I start to feel lost and overwhelmed. It helps when I can look over and see where I am and where I need to go.

Character Interviews

First off, I'll be interviewing Kate, one of the main character of my current WIP, "Book 1" or the Immortal Series. Here goes...

I waited for Kate for about ten minutes in a small but comfortable private sitting room in the vampire palace. I knew she’d be late—I’d been warned by several of my characters that the reclusive assassin wouldn’t willingly submit to an interview. But, luckily for me, the King himself had extended my invitation to her, making it impossible for her to refuse.

Of course, that didn’t mean she’d have to be generous about it…

When she did arrive, she smiled politely—though it didn’t reach her eyes—and took a seat across from me on an antique settee that coordinated perfectly with the armchair I had chosen.

Me: "Hello Kate, how are you today?"

Kate: “Busy; I’m getting close to nailing another Dark Cell. No offense to you or anything, I just don’t see why you couldn’t have found someone else to interview. I don’t have time to be back in Crehmor, let alone sitting down for an interview.”

I was expecting this kind of response from her. I knew she hated the vampire city of Crehmor and wouldn’t be thrilled to be here, so I’d prepared myself for this line of argument.

Me: “You’re a main character in the upcoming book, Kate. Everyone wants to know a little about you, including myself.”

Kate: “I’m here because Gabriel told me to come, so ask your questions so I can get back to work. There is a war going on, or haven’t you noticed?”

Me: “Speaking of the war, what part do you play in it?”

Kate: “As you well know, I’m the General of the Assassins—the Assassins being a branch of the Vampiric Army. I work undercover to collect intelligence against our enemy, the Shade. Once I, or one of my people, infiltrate a Cell, we join up with the Slayers—the other branch of the army—and take them out. Then, we move on to another Cell.”

Me: “Sounds like dangerous work.”

Kate: “It can be.”

Me: “Don’t you ever worry about the things that could happen to you while you’re undercover?”

Kate: “Not much. I’ve thought about it, sure, but someone’s got to do it. Might as well be me—I don’t have anything to lose.”

Me: “Except your life…”

Kate: “It’s a war, Ms. Reese. People die every day—people with husbands, wives, children… I don’t have anyone. My family’s dead. Besides, I’m not afraid to die.”

Me: “You have someone; Micah. Tell me about him.”

Kate: Sighs and slouches back in her seat before answering. “My father was killed when I was a child. Micah had been very close to him, and he became my guardian. He’s…like an uncle to me.” Realizing where I had been going with this, she added, “Micah knows the risks of what I do. He also has his own life to live.”

Me: “I see. So you take on the tough assignments? So the soldiers with families don’t have to?”

Kate: “I’d rather risk my life than the lives of my men.”

Me: “So there’s no one in your life? No boyfriends or special someones?”

Kate: “No; I don’t get attached to people.”

Me: “No one?”

Kate: “No one.”

Me: “I’ve heard the gossip around the city. They say that you and the King’s cousin—the King’s Right Hand—are involved?”

Kate: “Caleb and I are acquainted only through our work; we’re both on the High Council. That is our only connection.”

Me: “He is quite attractive…”

Kate: “Your point?”

Me: “Well. He seems like he’s interested—”

Kate: “Well he’s not; and neither am I. Are we finished here?”

Me: “Not quite; I have a few more questions. You’re a legend throughout the immortal world—an icon for young girls. Why is it that you are afraid of relationships? Even the soldiers in your unit say that you can be cold as ice. They say you’re afraid of attachments.”

My bluntness must have taken her off guard. She glared at me and I added a mental note to add “deadly as explosion” to her bio…

Kate: “I can’t afford attachments, Ms. Reese. My job isn’t just a danger to my life, but to all those around me—”

Me: “Your father was killed in this war. Are you afraid to put your own loved ones through that pain if you are kill as well?”

Kate: “My—that has nothing to do with this interview. Leave my father out of this. As for your little observation, no, I’m not afraid of dying.”

Me: “No, you aren’t afraid of dying—we’ve established that. But that wasn’t what I asked. Are you afraid of getting involved because of the work you do?”

Kate: “Next question.”

Me: “After you answer my last one.”

After a long pause, Kate stood and smiled.

Kate: “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Reese. I hope you got what you needed for your report. I’ll tell a servant you’ll be leaving now so they can escort you—

Me: “Oh, don’t bother. I have one last interview today…with Caleb. He should be here shortly, if he isn’t already waiting in the hall.”

The look she gave me could have triggered heart attacks in the elderly. I, however, stood and extended my hand.

Me: “Good luck, Kate. I’ll see you again soon.”

Yay! That was fun. I'll be doing that again soon!

The Results: Battle of the Bookclubs

2009-11-05T22:52:00.001-06:00

A month ago today, I wrote a post about my dabblings into four book clubs. I’ve been wanting to join a book club for a while, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to get involved in one, let alone whether I’d be able to stand one. I tend to read a hodgepodge of different genres and will read (or listen to) a book based on my current mood. In the end, I figured why the hell not?

It’s been a month since I joined four different book clubs and began a little something that I like to call, The Battle of the Book Clubs. After tinkering with the idea of joining a book club, I had only to browse subject lines to find one…and I found four (well, technically, one found me—but I found the other three). I gave them a month, now to fill you in…

The day after I decided to join a club (and by pure coincidence) BookClubUSA twittered me and invited me to join her brand spankin’ new book club. Joy of all joys, right? Well…let’s just say, BookClubUSA was not the book club for me. The books were good—great even, but I wasn’t exactly sure when or how the “discussions” would take place. But that’s not so hard to figure out, right? Just message the woman and ask…and wait. And wait some more. Until you finally realize that the Club Moderator was too busy chatting with the authors of the books she was reading and not so interested in taking care of her club.

I’m sure she’s a lovely person—I followed her on Twitter and she seemed quite personable—but not the kind of person meant to be a club moderator. But I didn’t quit just then; I didn’t want my opinions to be biased based of the fact that she snubbed me. For all I know, she’d had some legitimate reason for failing to respond to an important club question…

I officially quit BookClubUSA because, at the end of the month (when you’d expect a book discussion to take place) nothing happened. That’s right. Nothing. But all’s well and good. No sweat off my back, because I have three clubs to go.

The next three clubs I found on Goodreads and they are all wonderful clubs: The Next Best Book Club, Who's Your Author, and Chatting Chicks.

The Next Best Book Club was the first to go because I wasn’t all that interested in the books they read. They looked interesting, don’t get me wrong, but they just weren’t the kind of book I’d like to spend my precious time reading.

Now for the results of The Battle of the Book Clubs (and which club gets my undivided love and attention)— Drum roll, please…

For our runner up...Chatting Chicks! That leaves leaves Who’s Your Author as the winner!

Yay!

I eliminated Chatting Chicks based strictly on their book choices—good books, and tuned more to my style than TNBBC, but still not the “OH MY GOD! I have to get online to find out what my group though about __________!” Who’s Your Author definitely had that element. The members are great and the books are good. What more could I ask for?

Sorry for the sub-par blog entry today; I'm exhausted.

Have a great day!

can't work with it---can't work without it

2009-11-05T13:41:00.001-06:00

The Internet (damn it to Hell) has proven to be more of a distraction lately than anything else has ever been to me. My plan of an all-night-write-a-thon yesterday night--squashed! After a five hour Twitter-binge, I turned off my laptop and accepted the defeat...then tossed and turned all night because of what an idiot I'd been.

This isn't the first time the Internet has stood between me and my writing-goal; I have the attention span of a goldfish. The problem I find myself facing is that if I disconnect my Internet (which I must, at times, force myself to do) I end up needing it for something while I'm writing. A quick fact-check here and there are sometimes necessary. And I'm not the type of person who can just "put it off 'til later', granted I do decorate my page margins with little notes to "fluff this up" and "details to come" and "rewrite when coherent".

The point I'm trying to make is that I lack focus when the temptation of the Internet is at its greatest. Twitter, Facebook, Blogs...how is a girl to concentrate when the little Demon on my shoulder is constantly whispering "just five more minutes--then I'll get to work". You'd think I'd have a little Angel on the other shoulder, whispering sweet nothings about focus and priorities, but no. Either she's on vacation or she's turned to the dark side, because the bitch isn't makin' a peep.

As for the novel itself, it's actually going pretty well. While its been slow going (mainly because of my *cough cough* other interests) its at least been quality work...except for the pages where my little notes fill the page margins. But really, it is my first draft. A rough draft. A really rough draft.

I'm actually feeling a bit accomplished right now. I've finally gotten around to updating my blog, which, while not beneficial to my book, is at least a good way to dust the cobwebs from my brain.

Now, I leave you with a picture of my brain on Internet:

Something tells me it's not so cute when I do it...

Outlines and Changes

2009-10-29T22:56:00.001-05:00

I know its been a while since I last wrote, but I've been too busy writing to click over to the Internet to update my Blog. But, I've taken a timeout tonight to do just that.

I've spend the last week and a half rearranging the order of some of the event of my book. Then I tweeked it a little more. It's been a good change, if not a slow go of it. Still, I'm happy with the results.

Technically, I guess I'm back to writing chapter 8--but that's only because I moved the previous chapter 8 to be chapter 10 and chapter 9 became chapter 11. I know...I know. It's even more confusing when you're the one doing to rearranging. Just one wrong move and POW, I accidentally delete a chapter. But don't worry, that hasn't happened in the last couple months.

I've outlined the next ten chapters, so I'm pretty excited. I know what's to happen in ever chapter...I just have to write it out. And of course, figure out the details that link them all together. That's something I do while writing though. It makes things a bit easier for me, and I get more of a "flow" when I do that.

Clifford the Big Red Dominatrix

2009-10-14T21:43:00.002-05:00

Last night, I stayed up late writing, and while I didn't get a lot written word-count-wise, I did get a really good quality scene written out. I was pretty ecstatic last night--especially after all the whining I did to my main squeeze over the past few days (love you Josh!). The scene went over a critical romantic choice. I wrote three sections back and forth between point of views. I would have written this entry last night, but I was exhausted when I finally closed my laptop--it was 4:30am!

Tonight I plan to finish up the last scene at the ball/dinner party and make my way into the next chapter! Of course, that's been my plan for how long? Right...

I'm about an hour behind my schedule tonight. An unexpected project came up with my brother, the kindergartner. The project was, of course, due tomorrow. Perfect. We had to pull out the craft box and dress up Clifford the Big Red Dog for Halloween. F-ing perfect. Like I really had time for that... We actually had a really fun time together while working on E Man's project. Here's what we ended up with

...sort of a cross between a superhero and a dominatrix (the latter was unintentional). The mask just turned out that way. I would have fixed if, but I was in a hurry. Plus, it was a peel-and-stick foam and we'd already stuck it to the Clifford cutout by the time I made the connection...

As you can see, we gave Clifford a studded collar out of jingle bells. (The giant E on the cape is E Man's initial)

I am rather proud of the poor thing. He can't help that he's not perfect.

Distractions and procrastina--OH! SHINY!

2009-10-12T22:43:00.003-05:00

I bailed out on my main squeeze early this afternoon so I could get around to writing more of the ballroom chapter (which I have lovingly nicknamed The Chapter That Will Never End also known as chapter eight---yes, that's right, chapter eight. Like I said, I've been preoccupied for the past month). Unfortunately, I not only have an attention span to rival that of a goldfish, but I also bare a shocking resemblance to this

That's right--I've spent the last four and a half hours playing mindless games on Facebook. I know, I know. Facebook games suck, but for those four and a half hours, I was addicted! Not to worry, I've closed out of Facebook and now have TweetDeck open; I won't be playing Vampire Wars, Sorority Life, or Make Me a Celebrity.

Speaking of my main squeeze--Josh and I watched 100 Feet today. The main character also plays Jean Grey in X-Men. We both figured it would suck (which was why we wanted to watch it, seeing as how we love making fun of crappy, horror movies) but, surprisingly, it was pretty good. Jean Grey played a woman who was put under house arrest after killing her abusive husband; he ended up haunting her throughout the movie. Yep, one good ole crappy movie with my man and some fast food. Perfect.

Now, I'm going to get around to working on chapter eight...as long as nothing distracts me.

Army of Darkness

2009-10-11T22:45:00.001-05:00

It's way past time to get back to my writing. Once again, I've taken too much time this past week to read or watch the new episodes of Bones, NCIS, CSI, and Lie to Me. Go figure... I'm a TV and book junkie. I read books 1-3 of the Texas Lone Star Series by Susan Mallery, which was of course superb. But now, back to my actual writing.

I did a tiny bit of plotting last night and am starting to get somewhere with a few loose ends. They aren't quite right just yet, but they will be soon enough. I wanted to write yesterday or at least update my blog, but my right hand was not cooperating. Carpel tunnel (or something with similar symptoms) had my hand and wrist sore and achy. It was even swollen. It isn't nearly as bad today; it's a little sore but that's it.

I'm working on the "ball" scene still, which just goes to show how much I haven't been writing. Unfortunately, my mind has been in another frame of mind entirely. I have been thinking about the battle scene that I have coming about three-fourths way through the first book. Keep in mind, I'm not even a fourth a way into it... Still, I'm the kind of writer who skips around and writes what on her mind. I just haven't given in to the temptation just yet; I'm really trying to stay in the "ball" frame of mind. :-P

Oh yeah! Speaking of battles, I found this picture online of the Army of Darkness. Pretty funny.

Interstitial Cystitis & the Battle of the Book Clubs

2009-10-05T14:56:00.002-05:00

Living with IC just plain sucks. There are good days and bad days--just like with most diseases and disorders. Today happens to be a bad day...as was yesterday and the night before that. So now, its 1pm on Monday and I have a ton to do (especially since I only have two days off this week, despite the fact that I'm a parttime employee who should only be working twenty hours a week) but I'm stuck in bed today--which normally I wouldn't mind, except for the pain. I've taken the pain meds--which didn't help diddly squat.

Since I'm stranded in a sea of blankets and pillows with only my laptop and a Colleen Gleason novel for company, I've been surfing the Internet for Interstitial Cystitis homemade, pain remedies (since the Rx stuff seems to be a joke). On the ic-network they are starting a new "series" of videos which feture info on IC, the diet, the pain management and so on.

So, being desperate, I watch this video. TELL ME SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW!!

Now, I'm not generally this ungrateful--really I'm not. I'm sarcastic, but not ungrateful. I realize that this woman went through the time and effort of posting a video of IC pain management online. Good for her. But when I'm in a pain all of my own, I'm just not a very nice person. As a matter of fact, she can take that video and shove it right up her ass.

But I'm not going to let it take me out of the game. Today, I'm going to use my bed rest to my advantage; I'll write a chapter in my book, read a bit, maybe do some online shopping. I joined an online book club on Twitter called BookClubUSA. Its a brand new group and the administrator invited me to join, which happened to to be a great coincidence because I had just started searching for book clubs. Our first book is by Sherrilyn Kenyon called Born of Night. Its the first book in her new League series. I've never read any of Kenyon's book because she's always had too many shelves dedicated to her works at Borders and I was a bit intimidated, or, well--overwhelmed. Where should I even start? But Ms. BookClubUSA seems to like her and its a new series, so I'll give it a go.

Now, not to say BookClubUSA isn't for me, because I haven't even made it to the first discussion, but let's just say I'd like to keep my options open. Recently I joined a site called Goodreads. I have had the app on my facebook account and loved it, so I joined the site...and I love it. Just to see where I belong, I joined three other bookclubs. Three? you say. Yes, three. (Lets face it, I could keep up with all four if I wanted to). Obviously, with my taste in books, I won't belong to four different clubs for long, but I'd like to go over the stats and the upcoming crusade I like to call, The Battle of the Book Clubs.

Our first BC is, as I already said, BookClubUSA --but we'll call them, TeamTwitter. Now TeamTwitter is currently reading one book a month, this month being what? That's right, Sherrilyn Kenyon's Born of Night. So far, I have no idea when the "due date" is for reading this book but I hope to find out soon since I have tweeted the Admin. Haha! Tweeted the Admin. Is it just me or does that sound naughty? I'm also not clear on how one holds a discussion group on Twitter (as TeamTwitter does not have a seperate website). Perhaps we members will be added to a group at a later date? Perhaps the Admin is losing interest in his or her newly formed club? Time will tell.

Our second BC is called The Next Best Book Club. They are currently reading two books; one called Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier and another called The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. They are both Halloween themed because of the month, and they give one month to read the books before the online discussion. The discussions are forum based, which I can handle without any problems. The downside, however, is that this book club is very large with over 5000 members. Wowsa! That a quite a bit of members...which makes me think, "hey, maybe this isn't the place for me". But they do have this cute little logo (shown below) and come on, I just had to join... We'll call this BC TeamCuteLogo.

Book Club #3 is more "my style" than TeamCuteLogo. It's called Who's Your Author? and it only has about 600 members. That's still more than I was considering but they specialize in Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. Currently they are reading two books: Rogue by Rachel Vincent (a book I've read twice) and Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. They are also forum based and give a month to read the books. However, this group also has discussions for non-book-of-the-month books. Yay! They are very liberal on posting--they even have TV show threads---Tru Blood, Vampire Diaries, Supernatural... So far, I like this group. We'll call them TeamFantasy.

Last but not least, we have the Chatting Chicks. The Chatting Chicks are much like the TeamFantasy because they read books that I know I like. This month is Deadly Game by Christine Freehan and Red Hot Lies by Laura Caldwell. Suspence and fantasy? Yes, please. They also list next months reads (You Suck by Christopher Moore (which I own but have yet to get around to reading) and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley). Great reading so far. With only 200 members, you have to be approved by the admin to join this group (the others were join-at-will). This group is a nice group of women who are a little more structured the TeamFantasy. The structure kind of scares me because I'm afraid I'll get booted out if I post to the wrong thread!

So, with four teams competing for my love and time, who will get the boot? I have my doubts, but I'm not holding my breath. Maybe someone will surprise me...

The devil's in the details.

2009-09-30T01:13:00.002-05:00

After being worked and overworked at the golf course, I'm finally back in the swing of things. I know it has been over a week since my last post, and I do apologize for disappearing, but it couldn't be helped. One of the girls at work decided to stop coming to work, and I got stuck having to pull up the slack. Now, on to happier topics...

I've been doing some research lately on balls. No, not bouncy balls, soccer balls, or footballs but actual formal, dancing balls. You see, my latest chapter has been set in a ball. My characters are all required to attend (even if they don't want to) and while writing the rough draft, I wanted to get some nice details down about what my heroine is wearing to the big event, and I'll admit, I might have gotten a little bit carried away.

Now, without giving too much away in terms of her looks and personality, Kate (my heroine) is a beautiful vampire with flowing, dark hair and an hourglass figure that I would kill for. And I really wanted to make Kate sizzle while at the ball so I put her in a red dress--which will look absolutely stunning on her soft colored skin and in comparison to her dark hair. Easy enough, right? Well, then I decided to throw in a few extra details, maybe just for the RD, maybe not. Okay, no biggie--so she's wearing Valentino. No big deal, she's a rich immortal who makes her living as a highly lethal assassin--she's got the money to blow on Valentino and his best friends, Prada and Gucci, right?

Would it really be so bad if I gave her an updo and weaved baby pearls and crystals into her hair while fitting her with a silver clutch and matching Charles David heels? Oh, the heels! They're the best part of the whole ensemble. Simple yet elegant. A perfect match to the dress I had in mind.
Well, as if all that wasn't enough, I just wasn't satisfied. I needed to see what kind of shoes would actually go with my made-up Valentino dress...so, I did a little online shoe shopping, just browsing to get an idea. I'm such a visual person that it helps me to write better when I have a little inspiration to go off of.

Well, I found my inspiration--a Charles David creation:

Being the sick person that I am, this shoe gave me the motivation I needed to finish the ball scene. I guess it goes to show, the devil's in the details.

If you know me, you must realize how crazy this is to me--I hate wearing shoes. I absolutely loathe wearing heels. If I must wear shoes, I choose flip flops. Crazy where you get your inspiration, huh?

Another little detour

2009-09-21T13:43:00.001-05:00

Between my busy work schedule and my lovely beau, I've spent the last few days not writing. I did some re-plotting of the Immortals series I'm working on, as well as on the two other books I've been playing with in bits and pieces. To be honest, I didn't plan to work on plotting my two other books just yet--I'm not quite ready to focus my attention on them because of how well my first book in the Immortals is going--but, seeing as how "book one" was pissed off and not speaking to me, I switched my attention to first Bitten, and then to a Young Adult book I'm toying with, which remains nameless...

As it turned out, switing my attention actually was a good thing. I suppose the best way to explain it is that it "opened me up" and made me more compliant in dealing with the issues I was having in my plot with "book one". When I turned my attention back to the Immortals, poof--problems solved.

So, in a miraculous stroke of luck, fate, or divine intervention, I knocked out three birds with one stone. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Now, since I just mentioned it, I should point out that no, my books are not actually named. I happen to be the worse writer ever at inventing book names. If I had my way, my book series would be titled A, B, C, and so on, while the books themselves would be numbered 1, 2, 3, etc...

I also spent the last two days (while not working or with my fiance) reading a magnificant new book (that's actually been out for a few years). The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason was bloody brilliant--no pun intented. Now, for anyone who has actually taken a look at my library and seen the number of books--no, I have not read all of them, and no, there is not enough time to read them all. However, Josh (because you know I'm talking to you), If I did not purchase books at random, I would never have come across The Gardella Vampire Chronicles, and therefore, would not be so completely amazed by how expertly put together Gleason's "world" is. So, ha! There is a very good reason to let me indulge in my Borders addiction--I truely enjoy it.

Now that's it Monday, it's time to get back to work with my writing...
Laters

Good things come to those who wait---or beat their head against walls

2009-09-16T21:15:00.007-05:00

I've finally finished chapter seven!!! YAY! I cannot express how happy I am! Truly I feel such a huge relief. Of course, that will only last until I start chapter eight...but chapter eight should be a little easier, at least I hope it will be.
But seriously, back to chapter seven---wow. Talk about stressful. This chapter totally pissed me off. It's a good chapter, don't get me wrong. Very informative, yada, yada. But I just never thought I'd get to the end. And even now, I guess I'm not totally done yet--I have a few notes on the side that say things like "fluff it up" and "add details later". Yeah, so I guess I'll get back to those later--way later, after the chapter's had a few weeks to sit and stew.

So far, I'm at 22,692 words and am seven chapters in.

I actually had most of it done last night, I just got too tired to finish up the last itty bitty section, so I put it off until today. Even baby kitty was tired... Poor Simon...

Detour...

2009-09-15T19:35:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, I feel like I'm treading water. Today is just one of those days. I figured chapter seven would be somewhat simple because I'm basically writing some backstory for the characters and bringing my main characters together for a little one on one time. But, I keep putting it off...because it's a little harder than it sounds. Kate and Caleb are still in that awkward stage of falling for each other. So, I'm taking a little detour and replotting the whole chapter...again. Who knows, maybe the third time's the charm... After which, I will continue with chapter seven no matter what--and I'll finish today, or at least, before I go to sleep again...

Time Out! ---- Okay, time in.

2009-09-14T18:07:00.002-05:00

Today I got back from a mini vaction with Josh. We had a wonderful time and, of course, we did some talking about my book. Thanks to his gift of perception, I’m going to be doing an update before going on. Because my Dark Goddess wasn’t quite right, I’ll be starting off my next adjenda with a a revision of chapter six. Simple enough, right? We’ll see.

So, here’s the plan for this week:

Monday:
Additions to chapter six
Work on chapter seven
Tuesday:
Finish chapter seven, once and for all
Wednesday:
Chapter eight
Thursday:
Chapter nine

Basically everyday, I write a chapter—if I have time to start on the next one, even better. My plan is (once again) to be done with the festival (and hopefully into the recovery) by the start of “golf course” work on Friday.

How did I miss that?

2009-09-09T23:39:00.003-05:00

Okay so I'm no where near where I had planned to be by today...I'm still stuck on chapter seven, not that it's been more difficult that I thought it would be--I knew it would be a pain. But I'm having some trouble with it. It's been over a week since I last did some heavy duty writing and my mind just isn't getting into the groove. I'm having some great ideas plot wise though...really good ideas. Unfortunately, my brain just isn't spitting out my word by word story for me to type out. I'm getting there though...just slowly; its my own damn fault for taking such a long break and losing my rhythm. I'll get it back, I just need to read over a chapter and then plot out the details of how to get to the next step (kinda crazy since I'm adding shit to seven left and right...good additions though, juicy additions) .
While I was writing, I realized, even if I was in a writing zone, I wouldn't be done with the festival yet...there's a lot to cover in this chapter (chapter seven). I need to cover certain events in the past for both of my main characters, while being careful not to reveal too much too soon (and while revealing enough to keep my story making sense). So far, its going well. It's definitely a rough, rough draft, but eh, what the hell. I'll stomp out the bugs later...
Anyway, the point of this was, my goal was unrealistic to begin with--I didn't take into account the background filler that needed to go into seven. The crazy thing is, when you've been toying an idea around in your head for as long as I have, by the time you start writing, you forget that the dark history that comes back to bite them in the ass has to come up somewhere before it actually bites them. Oversight on my part; I was too busy hinting at a dark past and not busy adding the details of it.

Holiday Hangover

2009-09-07T22:41:00.003-05:00

Whew—Labor Day was hell at work but it’s over now and I can now focus on my book. It’s just a few hours ‘til midnight but, better a late start than no start at all, right? The problem is, I’m too tired from the holiday rush at the Golf Course to do much writing…or thinking, for that matter.

The plan is to have chapter 7 finished and chapter 9 mostly finished by Tuesday at midnight. That sound get me into the festival and the subsequent raid…from there I’ll be able to sail through a chapter or two. Then I have to figure out where I’m going to go from there—Colorado to do something involving the psychic artist or straight to Nolen? Having the artist would leave open some options later on…

Okay, I’ve got to get a move on.

To be or not to be...or something like that

2009-09-06T23:13:00.003-05:00

Lately I've been on a hiatus from writing...no blog, no book. Nada. But that's all about to change. I'm about to get into it, as soon as Labor Day passes-- so probably Monday night, Tuesday at the latest. I've been working a lot. And I will be for a few more weeks, but this week I'm going to write even it it kills me.

I've been looking into changing some of my plot--not a big deal in book one, but it will be come books two and definitely by book three. And here it is, the reason for the title--should Gavin and Becca be merely "siblings" or something more. I know--it could be good either way, but whats the best way? I'm just not sure yet--and of course it changes a bit chunk of the story for books 2 and 3--Gavin and Anya, and Gabe and Becca? Or...just Gavin and Becca?

Right now I'm leaning towards a combination of the two. Maybe at first they aren't sure of what their pull to each other means...but later, they realize they are more brother/sister than lovers. That leaves room for Anya to get involved and subsequently whacked off, and for Gabe to get over his issues with humans by falling for one.

Anyways, that's where my heads at now....not exactly a vital part at the moment, but enough to make me pause and think...

Later.

Quote-- Shakespeare on Death

2009-08-31T00:25:00.001-05:00

"Cowards die many times before their deaths, The Valiant never taste of death but once: of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear, Seeing that death, a necessary end will come, when it will come."
-Julius Caesar; William Shakespeare

when it rains, it pours

2009-08-31T00:05:00.006-05:00

After chapter 6, the chapter that introduced Sarelle (which needs some serious editions because my Dark Goddess is not nearly dark enough) I have started chapter 7. Yay, simple enough, right? Wrong.
As it turns out, chapter 7 is one of those those necessary, transitional chapters that is needed but not all that enjoyable to write--nothing like chapter 6 was. I'm trying to spice it up, but I'm running out of ideas...I may need to resort to something unsavory to boost my moral--something like a murder or a raid or a nice sex scene! No, I know--this chapter just isn't set up for any of that. Unfortunately.
Why is it that when I get in a rut, the rut seems to last forever? Like I said in the title, when it rains, it pours.
So far, I'm at 17000 words. Not to shabby. Most of my chapters are rather short but its okay. They fit pretty well, I think.

Well, back to work I go.

Satisfaction at last!

2009-08-28T01:12:00.001-05:00

Oh I love the feeling I get after a good day of writing. I finished retyping the lost chapter 4 a day or so ago, then started chapter 6 yesterday--and finished today. What a way to end the day! Chapters 1-6 are complete! Only a million left to go... not to get overwhelmed or anything--yeah right..

Whoops...

2009-08-25T20:42:00.001-05:00

Well, I've run across an unexpected snafu. While dividing chapters, I accidentally deleted one...a very long and very important chapter. Not to worry, I had a hard copy--I'd just printed it out not two days earlier. Nevertheless, the prospect of retyping the damn thing is daunting. Just another delay in the writing of my newest book...

First Posting

2009-08-19T18:52:00.001-05:00

Yay! My first post! Starting off--always the tough part in my opinion.

I've spent most of the day plotting the outline of my first book in my new vampire series (which still does not have a name...go figure). It's gone much smoother than I imagined it would. Everything fits together nicely, and yes I was worried they wouldn't. There are so many little-big-things that occur in this book--getting a complete world created and explained in book one isn't easy, but I think I've done it!

Updates soon!

About Courtney

2009-08-09T23:05:00.008-05:00

Hello! My name is Courtney; I'm a 23 year old student/writer/daughter/sister/fiancee'. I'm an aspiring author of several genres of fiction. I write both Paranormal Romances and Contemporary Romances, as well as Romantic Suspense, Urban Fantasy and Young Adult novels.

Currently I am working on a series that I’ve nicknamed The Immortal Series, because I have yet to come up with anything better. I’m also plotting out two other series, though I won’t begin writing them for a while. I call them the “Bitten” Series and the Young Adult Series (that’s right–nicknames are my friends). All three are paranormal romances, though only one is for the YA audience.

Also (as of January 2010) I have started a fourth project--a Romantic Suspense novel based in British Colombian Canada. Yikes!

As of May 15, 2009, I'm engaged to the love of my life, who I refer to as either "J" or "Fiance o' Mine". We've been together since the summer of '07 and I thank God everyday for bringing us together. I truly don't know how I managed without him. I'm also the proud mother to my one year old cat, whom I refer to as "Baby Kitty" but whose name is actually Simon. (If you can't tell, I have an addiction to nicknames.)

I love blogging and Twittering; I'm also on Facebook but I don't use it as much as Twitter. I also have an addiction to Goodreads. I'm always looking for new friends to chat with online so feel free to add me as your friend!

Writing is my passion, research is my hobby. I prefer dogs over cats (except for my cat of course), Dr. Pepper over anything else, being cold over being hot, summer over winter (ironic isn't it?!) Christmas over Thanksgiving, MSN over AIM, the beach over the mountains, nighttime over daytime, being laid back over being super active, spending over saving....

I love to read and write everyday--and when I can't read (like when I'm at work or driving in the car) I listen to audiobooks! Television and movies are great too; I could spend days watching TV, so I have to limit myself...

I love sarcasm, retarded jokes, stupid movies that never make it into theaters, nice smelling men, & forwardness. Ambition is a good thing, goals are meant to be achieved, silence should never be awkward, jealousy is a turn-on, and every day is worth living...most of the time ;)

I also keep a blog filled with inspirational bits and pieces, ranging from quotes to music to YouTube videos. Its my way of keeping myself going when I'm ready to slow down--especially when writing. Coincidentally, it's titled To Keep it Going.

To reach the maximum number of readers, this blog has been cross-platformed to Wordpress and LiveJournal.

Visit my website here.

-Courtney Reese

Kate's Interview

2009-07-22T00:58:00.006-05:00

Of course, that didn’t mean she’d have to be generous about it…

When she did arrive, she smiled politely—though it didn’t reach her eyes—and took a seat across from me on an antique settee that coordinated perfectly with the armchair I had chosen.

Me: "Hello Kate, how are you today?"

I was expecting this kind of response from her. I knew she hated the vampire city of Crehmor and wouldn’t be thrilled to be here, so I’d prepared myself for this line of argument.

Me: “You’re a main character in the upcoming book, Kate. Everyone wants to know a little about you, including myself.”

Kate: “I’m here because Gabriel told me to come, so ask your questions so I can get back to work. There is a war going on, or haven’t you noticed?”

Me: “Speaking of the war, what part do you play in it?”

Me: “Sounds like dangerous work.”

Kate: “It can be.”

Me: “Don’t you ever worry about the things that could happen to you while you’re undercover?”

Kate: “Not much. I’ve thought about it, sure, but someone’s got to do it. Might as well be me—I don’t have anything to lose.”

Me: “Except your life…”

Kate: “It’s a war, Ms. Reese. People die every day—people with husbands, wives, children… I don’t have anyone. My family’s dead. Besides, I’m not afraid to die.”

Me: “You have someone; Micah. Tell me about him.”

Me: “I see. So you take on the tough assignments? So the soldiers with families don’t have to?”

Kate: “I’d rather risk my life than the lives of my men.”

Me: “So there’s no one in your life? No boyfriends or special someones?”

Kate: “No; I don’t get attached to people.”

Me: “No one?”

Kate: “No one.”

Me: “I’ve heard the gossip around the city. They say that you and the King’s cousin—the King’s Right Hand—are involved?”

Kate: “Caleb and I are acquainted only through our work; we’re both on the High Council. That is our only connection.”

Me: “He is quite attractive…”

Kate: “Your point?”

Me: “Well. He seems like he’s interested—”

Kate: “Well he’s not; and neither am I. Are we finished here?”

My bluntness must have taken her off guard. She glared at me and I added a mental note to add “deadly as explosion” to her bio…

Kate: “I can’t afford attachments, Ms. Reese. My job isn’t just a danger to my life, but to all those around me—”

Me: “Your father was killed in this war. Are you afraid to put your own loved ones through that pain if you are kill as well?”

Kate: “My—that has nothing to do with this interview. Leave my father out of this. As for your little observation, no, I’m not afraid of dying.”

Me: “No, you aren’t afraid of dying—we’ve established that. But that wasn’t what I asked. Are you afraid of getting involved because of the work you do?”

Kate: “Next question.”

Me: “After you answer my last one.”

After a long pause, Kate stood and smiled.

Kate: “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Reese. I hope you got what you needed for your report. I’ll tell a servant you’ll be leaving now so they can escort you—

Me: “Oh, don’t bother. I have one last interview today…with Caleb. He should be here shortly, if he isn’t already waiting in the hall.”

The look she gave me could have triggered heart attacks in the elderly. I, however, stood and extended my hand.

Me: “Good luck, Kate. I’ll see you again soon.”

Caleb's Interview

2009-07-03T00:56:00.000-05:00

A knock on the door brought me to my feet as the door opened and Caleb stepped into the small room. He was tall and masculine and everything I knew he would be—still, he took my breath away. I watched, awestruck, as he bowed slightly and stretched out his hand. Automatically I extended my own and he took it, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss on my knuckles.

I was staring—I knew I was, but I couldn’t seem to stop. He was literally perfect; no wonder Kate had it bad. Did I look okay? Had my makeup smudged? Was I drooling?

Caleb: “Hm, ma’am? Are you alright?”

Me: “Huh? Oh—ah, yes. I—I stood up too fast… I’m…just a bit lightheaded is all.”

I really hoped he hadn’t caught my lie—how embarrassing would that be to be caught ogling?!

Me: “Tell me about yourself Caleb. Who are you and what is your role in the immortal world?”

Caleb: “I am the cousin to the Vampire King as well as his top advisor. A few years ago, I was given the title of Right Hand. It means that I am not only his top advisor, but also the successor to the throne and the second highest authority in the vampire world.”

Me: “That seems like quite an honor.”

Caleb: “Yes, it is. I’ve been Gabriel’s top advisor since he took the throne. He values my opinion.”

Me: “Now, you weren’t promoted to Right Hand until five years ago. That was right after you retired as General to the Slayer Army, wasn’t it?”

Caleb nodded; he knew where I was going with this, but he didn’t so much as shift in his seat.

Me: “But you didn’t retire on the best of terms. You stepped down because of a dispute between yourself and the daemon race. Can you tell me what happened?”

Of course I knew the answer—I’d done my research—but I didn’t think he’d answer. After a long minute, he spoke.

Caleb: “I insulted them. They felt as if I’d overstepped my boundaries in seeing that justice was served to one of their people. I retired to keep the daemons from going after the vampire race. It worked; they saw me as a ‘lone ranger’ instead of as the leader of an army. Soon after that, they pressed charges. It went all the way up to the gods before I was cleared.”

Me: “What was it that you did, exactly?”

Caleb: “Some say it was murder. Some say it was justice.” His voice was blank of all emotion, as if he’d used that line a hundred times before.

Me: “What do you say?”

Caleb: The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. My questions weren’t annoying him; he was amused by me. “It depends on the day of the week.”

Me: “As the king’s advisor, do you know the details of the Assassin general’s latest assignment?”

Caleb: “Yes, I know about Kate.” He looked at me suspiciously. “She’s currently working undercover in a Dark Cell.”

Me: “I’ve heard that you and she are somewhat of an item.”

Caleb: “Uh, no. That’s not true. We’re coworkers, in a sense; we’re both advisors.”

Me: “You’re daughter seems to think you like her…”

Caleb: “My—you talked to Hannah?”

I nodded. Now I was getting into tricky territory. If I wasn’t careful, he’d up and walk—just like Kate had.

Caleb: “My daughter’s five. Of course she thinks I like Kate; I do—as a friend.”

Me: “A friend? A moment ago she was just a coworker.”

Caleb: “Semantics. You’re fishing, Ms. Reese.”

Me: “Why would I need to fish? I’ve already spoken with Kate. She’s told me exactly what’s gone on between the two of you.”

He squinted at me, probably trying to get a read on me. Of course I was bluffing but he didn’t know that.

Me: “The way I see it, the two of you have some serious chemistry and—”

Caleb: “You do realize that I can read your mind? It makes bluffing a moot point.”

Son. Of. A—

Caleb: “I should be getting back to work. I’m glad I could help you with your report, Ms. Reese. We should do this again sometime.”

I was still a bit shocked from the whole mindreading thing. How had I missed that? I knew all about vampire abilities and that Caleb was one of the most powerful of them all. Stupid, stupid...

Me: “Uh, huh. Sure.”

As he walked out, I realized—to my utter horror—he had caught me ogling him. Great.

Excerpt from Nightlings: The Ball

2009-01-15T03:34:00.006-06:00

The follow is a snippet from Nightlings, a paranormal romance I’m currently writing.

Damn it, Gabe.

He was probably using his charm on her.

The bastard.

It had been hell watching Kate dance with his cousin. The First Dance was similar to a waltz—very classy with no real sexual undertones, but Gabriel still managed to make his dance with Kate look intimate.

Fucking pervert…

Caleb had to stop this. His cousin was seriously crossing a line, even if he didn’t know there was a line to be crossed. As if scripted to piss Caleb off, Gabe leaned in and whispered something against Kate’s neck. Son of a bitch. He had to stop this and he had just the opportunity.

The First Dance opened with only the three Immortal King’s and their dance partners. As the dance continued, members of the royal families were expected to chime in, followed by advisors. By the end of the dance, anyone could join in; the ball had officially begun. Luckily, it was halfway through the song, and time for the royal family to join the dance. It wasn’t exactly proper to steal the dance partner of a king, but Caleb didn’t care. If Gabe wanted to bitch about it later—big whoop; there wasn’t a rule against it.

Caleb didn’t remember making his way onto the dance floor. One moment he was standing near the head table, and the next, he was placing a firm hand on Gabriel’s right shoulder.

“Cousin,” he said, glancing at Gabe before looking to Kate and offering her his hand. “You can’t expect me to do work of finding her if you’re the only one who gets to dance with her.”

Gabe chuckled and stepped away from Kate. “Be my guest, Caleb,” he said. Then, so that only Caleb could hear, “Take your prize.”

******

What was he doing? Was he crazy? Did he not understand that she’d put a stop to…to whatever was going on between them, the night before? She didn’t want this. Well, she did but she couldn’t—shouldn’t—want this. But here he was, taking her hand in one of his and pulling her against him with the other.

Electricity sparked in her arm when she placed her left hand on his shoulder and settled her body into his hold. His muscles were hard, his steps confident. Her mind began a picture show of last night’s highlights. His touch. His kiss—it was all too much, too good.

“You’re blushing,” he said, his voice deep. Stepping into motion, he forced her to dance with him.

“I’m pissed,” she spat at him, then looked around to make sure she hadn’t attracted any unwanted attention. She hadn’t; the other dancers looked only at their partners. When she looked back at Caleb she was annoyed to see he was trying to hide a grin. “Is something funny?”

“Just wondering why you’re upset…”

“Because of you!”

“Me? What did I do?”

“You’re dancing with me!”

“And dancing makes you mad?”

“Dancing with you makes me mad. You make me mad.”

“Why’s that? I thought we got along well last night…”

“Why’s that?” She repeated, angry that he seemed so have forgotten that she’d put a stop to their…encounter. “Last night’s why’s that!”

“You didn’t enjoy kissing me?”

“What?” She stumbled but he pulled her harder against himself to keep her from falling. “I…it was...last night was… It doesn’t matter. It happened, now it’s done with. I won’t happen again.”

“Won’t it?”

“I thought I’d made it clear—

“By running off? I suppose it could be taken that way. Of course, it could also mean other things…”

“Other things? Like what—no! Nevermind, don’t answer that; I don’t want to know.” She breathed in deeply to try to clear her head of the images still flashing in her head, but she only managed to breath in the scent of him and that only made the images stronger. “Caleb, I can’t do—

“Shh,” he said softly. “It’s just a dance, Kate. I’m only dancing.”

His eyes were so kind that she felt hypnotized—lost in their depth. He was right. They were only dancing. It wasn’t like she’d make some crazy mistake like falling in love with him, right here on the dance floor. This was safe. Two people, dancing, in a room filled with people. There was no danger in that.

She didn’t reply; only nodded her head once in acceptance, then followed his lead as they danced.

The longer they danced, the more the music entranced her. Kate didn’t fight the images of the night before; rather, she indulged in them. And she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Caleb. His face was a work of art: a chiseled perfection. He had a strong jaw, and straight, white teeth framed by full, soft lips—lips that she couldn’t help but want to suck on. Again.

The song ended but neither of them released the other. His eyes…she was lost in those pools of blue and green.

How had she missed the flecks of silver that were sprinkled atop the blue and green? The silver specks added an icy, cool hue to the irises, but, as if watching them transform, the silver turned to gray, and his eyes grew dark with…something. Desire, maybe?

A couple brushed past them, exiting the dance floor, but still, they didn’t separate. His gaze was so intense; she licked her lips and started to pull away, but Caleb held her firm.

“Not yet,” he breathed, so quietly that only she could hear him. The music started again, this time a deep, lusty rhythm that matched her beating heart. “Try to relax this time; let go and enjoy it.”

She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Letting him lead her into the next dance was natural—like breathing. It wasn’t as if she could have said no. For some reason, her damn throat couldn’t seem to muster up the energy to even try to speak. She simply gave in, and did as he asked: let go and enjoyed it..

Snippets of my Work

2009-01-10T23:28:00.005-06:00

Here, you can find samples of my writing ranging from
character interviews to short stories--even excerpts from
my novels and current works-in-progress.

Author/Character Interviews

Kate's Interview (Book 1- Immortal Series)
Caleb's Interview (Book 1- Immortal Series)

Excerpt from Nightlings Series

Excerpt from "The Ball" (current WIP)
Excerpt from "The Kiss" (current WIP)

Excerpt from untitled, Romantic/Suspense Series

Excerpt from untitled Romantic/Suspense Series (WIP)

Blogfest Entries

Coming Soon

Excerpt from Bitten (Future WIP)
Excerpt from Myka (unfinished)

Courtney Reese

How to be a Plotter & a Pantser at the same time

Broken Heart Blogfest Entry

Drama on Steroids

Unofficial Post a Photo of your Work Space Day!

Major Changes

I’m baaaaaaack ;-)

the Nature of Pen Names

I'm a PRO!

This is how I write...this is how I write...this is how--

Author Interview

Come one, come all

Announcements

Flirt Fest Scene

Critique_This Presents Flirt Fest

In Which I Issue A Challenge

Point of View @ Critique_This

Bar Scene Blogfest

Murder Scene Blogfest

Blood, Sweat, & Ink

What— How could you have missed this?!

Check it Out!

It’s Okay—not everyone will like it

MG/PG Love Scene Blogfest

My Lovelies

Forget Me Not!

Kung Pow Chicken

That’s a Wrap

Whoops! Blogfest

Oh yeah!

I’ll make my own rules…

Scene for the Love at First Sight Blogfest

Roadtrip & a Reminder

Side Projects? What side projects?

*Cough, Cough* Plot

Awards & a Book Cover

Let’s Write a Story

Honest Scrapper—I mean Scrap

Remember to say I love you

Happy Award x2 & some inspiration for the LaFS Blogfest ♥

Hunky Scots & Quirky Apes

Critique This presents the "Love at First Sight Blogfest"!

Bringing in 2010 with Blog Awards!

Plotting the Properly Paced Prose

It's research, I swear.

Sneaky Little Bugger

Superior Scribbler Award & Critique_This

Writing is like playing God...or acting like a seriel killer

The Infamous MEME

Best Blogger Award & 'An Interview with a Vampire'

Sticky Situations

An Interview and a new Critique Partner

Plotting, Characters, & their Complexities

The Results: Battle of the Bookclubs

can't work with it---can't work without it

Outlines and Changes

Clifford the Big Red Dominatrix

Distractions and procrastina--OH! SHINY!

Army of Darkness

Interstitial Cystitis & the Battle of the Book Clubs

The devil's in the details.

Another little detour

Good things come to those who wait---or beat their head against walls

Detour...

Time Out! ---- Okay, time in.

How did I miss that?

Holiday Hangover

To be or not to be...or something like that

Quote-- Shakespeare on Death

when it rains, it pours

Satisfaction at last!

Whoops...

First Posting

About Courtney

Kate's Interview

Caleb's Interview

Excerpt from Nightlings: The Ball

Snippets of my Work

Cough, Cough Plot