Swords, Boots and Shadows

Signing at Rediscovered Books

2012-01-18T06:30:00.001-07:00

I plowed into a woman waiting in line at Starbucks Friday night. Luckily that was the worst thing to happen to me on Friday the 13th. I apologized to the poor lady, but I'm sure she thought I'd already had WAY too much caffeine and didn't need any help from the caramel macchiato I ordered. My fears for Friday's book signing included: farting, burping, puking in front of everyone, instantly losing the ability to read and comprehend the English language, inability to string words together to form coherent sentences, forgetting how to spell my name. Luckily, none of those things happened, but when it came time for me to read an excerpt from Shaedes of Gray, I did accidentally lose my place. I had this moment where all of the pages looked the same as I flipped frantically through them. And at one point I wondered, Is this even my book?!?! I don't recognize ANY of this! I eventually found my place, though, and the reading went smoothly. Thank. God.

You can't see it, but I'm panicking on the inside!

The event was wonderful, set up in a very relaxing, impromptu way. Laura, the owner of Rediscovered Books, "interviewed" me for the audience, eliminating the need for me to think up witty things to say. I simply answered her questions and it literally laid waste to my nerves. The format was great and I encourage my fellow writers to suggest this to bookstore owners for their own events. It was sort of like Inside the Actor's Studio, but for writers. :) So fun!

As you can see, I was too lazy to get rid of the "red-eyes" in this pic. Oh, and btw, I talk with my hands!

We had a great turn out, around thirty people, I think. I answered a lot of questions about the publishing business and a great reader question about whether or not Darian would ever have a girlfriend. "She needs a girlfriend." The reader said. "I think it would really help mellow her out." Every one sort of laughed and I mentioned the bad heroine girlfriend feature on Heroes and Heartbreakers. I assured the reader that Darian will have females in her life that she doesn't want to stab. She's going to loosen up considerably in books 2 and 3. :)

After the Q&A, I signed books (we sold all but 2 copies!!) and visited with everyone who stopped by and took a few more pics. And thanks to the great response, Rediscovered has asked me back for the release of Blood Before Sunrise in July. Rediscovered is a great local indie bookstore, and they're really sci-fi/fantasy friendly. I can't wait to go back!

Don't you love these t-shirts?!?! I have a posse, yo!

Cover Love - Blood Before Sunrise

2012-01-09T06:30:00.001-07:00

It's been forever since I've posted here, and to those of you who occasionally tune in, I'm sorry. I've got a list of drafts for posts that I thought about writing and abandoned. Posts on Christmas, New Year's Resolutions, how grateful I am to the universe for all of my good fortune in 2011. In the end, I realized I just didn't have the words to convey just how I feel. All in all, I just feel blessed. And busy. Very busy.

I'll be posting more regularly, though still only once or so a week. And I hope to have more guest posts, contests, and fun stuff as well. 2012 is going to be another uber busy year on the writing front, and I couldn't be happier. Not only is WHEN SHADOWS CALL, a Shaede Assassin world novella going to be released in June, but BLOOD BEFORE SUNRISE, book 2 in the Shaede Assassin series will be released July 3rd. I really love book 2 and the way Darian's character has developed and grown. The art department at NAL has been hard at work too, bringing Darian to life. I think the cover is gorgeous, but I'm biased. ;) What do you think?

Guest Blogger Cassy - Crazy? You Decide

2011-12-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

Do you know what would be fun? If I could do this whole blog post with a really thick New York accent. *waves arms dramatically* I think that would be funny and my hubby, I’m sure would not. My father-in-law has a very thick New York accent, and it’s real. I love it. (Hey, maybe that’s why my hubby doesn’t like my fake one?! ) Earlier this fall, my sweetheart took me and our kids to the east coast to meet his father. We also got to meet a ton of his relatives that even he didn’t know about. I took a ton away from this vacay--really I did--but my two favorite things about New Yorkers? [Disclaimer: We only got to spend three days there and were with family most of the time. I’m sure there are many other things I will love about NY when we get to go back someday.] Their accent and how loud they are!! I’m a loud person, and I’m very well aware of this fact (it may have been mentioned a time or two on report cards). But with my hubby’s family it was no competition--I was the quiet one! Me! I never thought I’d see the day! Plus, I got to work on my own New York accent. My hubby is still not a huge fan, my kids LOVE it. My four year old calls it my New York action, and that’s just too awesome to correct! When I get excited I find myself slipping into it...

Recently, I found myself unable to stop with the NY accent (ya, I was that excited)! Amanda and I got to go the Midnight Madness that is The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn, Part 1! I so wanted to see the Twihards!! I thought for sure I’d get to see fangs and capes and people dressed like their favorite characters. They all must have gone to a different theatre. We sure saw a lot of t-shirts though and man I would’ve loved being a cashier in Hot Topic that afternoon! We did have a ton of fun, and laughed so hard all night!!

I find it wildly entertaining to see how into books people get! Check any of your favorite authors' blogs or Facebook pages--there are fans out there that have made books and their characters part of their own reality! It’s awesome!

You see, I just found my home in this genre [PNR/UF] of reading barely over a year ago. I’ve always been a reader, mostly John Grisham, Mary Higgins-Clark and the likes. Amanda had tried converting me for years to no avail. But one afternoon I sat down with a book that we like to refer to as the “gateway drug” (Twilight) and I was hooked! I’ll admit it! As soon as I finished the series Amanda handed me a grocery sack full of books and said, “If you liked that you’re gonna love these!”

Inside the sack were Jeaniene Frost’s Nighthuntress Series and Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series. I loved them and I needed more! I’m a pretty fast reader and in six month’s time I read 120 books!! (That’s why we call it the “gateway drug”-I was on the verge of divorce and my family was preparing to stage an intervention! Just joking...I think!) I use Facebook as a tool to stalk my favorite authors and book blogs. I unfriended everyone I know because I was tired of them posting stupid shit in my news stream and interfering with important author updates. I can’t believe how at home I feel with these book people!

My Mom used to live in the Tri-Cities of Washington State and last year I planned my visit to coincide with the release of Patricia Briggs's River Marked, and the signing that was (I kid you not) two blocks from my Mom’s apartment. So I spent four and a half hours in line waiting to meet Patty and get her autograph. It is one of the highlights of my life. I’ve never done anything like that before (oh ya, I’m a newby!). So my questions for you dear reader: What’s the craziest, most fun thing you’ve ever done in the name of literature? What do I need to have on my bucket list? Don’t hold back, I’m only 31 so I could have anywhere from a day left to like 75 years and I plan on having fun!

Between Light and Dark Blog Tour

2011-11-30T12:12:00.002-07:00

Today's blog tour stop is at Full Moon Bites where I'm talking about how my fantasy world converges with my real life. Hope you can stop by!

2011-11-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

As of this week, my blog tour is in full swing! Today, I have an interview posted at Manga Maniac Cafe. Hope you can stop by!

Happy Thanksgiving - Cassy Style

2011-11-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

Just a little something to brighten your holiday, courtesy of Cassy, guest blogger extraordinaire.

Have a great Thanksgiving guys!

Blog Tour Stop - Book Chick City

2011-11-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Want to know why I write urban fantasy? I'm talking about it at Book Chick City today and giving away a copy of Shaedes of Gray! Hope to see you there!

Deep Fried and Covered in Chocolate

2011-11-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, I read every single Janet Evanovich book I could get my hands on. My main focus however, was the Stephanie Plum Series. Her books are so much fun! In every book there is a bag of donuts. Her characters…Eat…Donuts! They go to bakeries, buy bags of donuts and eat all of them! Either this is fiction at its finest or I am hanging out with the wrong groups. I know very few women who would actually confess to eating a single donut, let alone a whole bag!

I want to eat donuts a bagful at a time! I love apple fritters and maple bars, sugared donuts, donut holes, cinnamon twists, the ones with chocolate frosting and little sprinkles, Boston Creams that are so full of pudding you need a handful of napkins just to look at them. I love sucking the sweet sugary glaze off my fingertips! Mmmmmmmmm... I wish I could eat a bagful of donuts right now and every morning for breakfast! (Oh, and I don't want to get fat or high cholesterol or feel guilty because of it!)

Amanda has talked about this subject in a couple of blog posts: foods characters eat and how it makes them more relatable to the reader. Amanda’s Darian eats Honey Nut Cheerios and Charley Davidson from Darynda Jones’ series takes in coffee via an IV drip (*wink* no, not literally). In Tracey Garvis-Graves' book ON THE ISLAND, TJ and Anna like to talk about the foods they will eat if they are ever rescued (fountain Cokes with lots of ice, Doritos, Slim Jims…). Seeing, or rather, reading about people’s food habits does make them more relatable. Food is definitely important: too much, too little, when, where… Forget baseball-Eating is America’s favorite past time!

Back to the donuts. Every time I read a Janet Evanovich book I crave donuts!! Do you know what I'm talking about? Do you ever crave foods just because your favorite characters are eating it?

~Cassy

Blog Tour Kick Off!

2011-11-14T07:07:00.001-07:00

Today is officially the first day of my blog tour! I'm posting about the Shaedes Mythos over at one of my very favorite blogs Wicked Little Pixie. Hope to see you there!

Rabid Fangirl Reviews ARC of Third Grave Dead Ahead and Does What She Does Best: Talks.

2011-11-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

Or: Cassy shares her review of Darynda Jones, Third Grave Dead Ahead

Me: I won? I won!! Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God!!! *SQUEEEEEEEEE* (almost pass out) *SQUEEEEEE* (jump up and down hugging my husband, *squeeee* some more)

Husband: (Can’t help himself, he too is bouncing, smiling and hugging me back) What did you win?

Me: One of Darynda Jones’ ARCs!!

Husband: (No longer bouncing) So… you won a book?

Me: Not just a book, an Advanced Reading Copy of Third Grave Dead Ahead.

Husband: I thought you won the lottery.

Me: This is even better!!

Husband: Hmmmm…

*sigh* He will never understand.

I was really, really bummed at the end of Second Grave. Charley and Reyes were separated and Reyes was so angry with Charley and didn’t want to see her. I wanted to lay down right next to her and have a good cry!!! Amanda reassures me often that these unfinished endings HAVE to happen so that the story can continue. You can’t very well have a series if you tie up all the loose ends. I Facebooked Darynda anyway, and told her she was on my sh*t list. In my defense, I was quite nice about it and she quickly messaged me back with smiley faces and reassuring words. The same evening, while I was making dinner, Amanda called me. I answered. “Hey lady!” (caller ID, of course) and she says, loudly and without a hello,

“You are the only person I know that would tell an award winning author she’s on you sh*t list!”

“Uh-oh, is that bad? Should I have not done that?”

“No, are you kidding me? I can’t wait till a reader tells me I’m on their sh*t list!”

Sooooo….I was really looking forward to January and some, dare I say, redemption. You have probably already guessed though, since I won the ARC, that I did NOT have to wait (it’s really not my strong suit anyway). The problem with reading a book three months before anyone else is that you can’t talk to anyone about it. Thank goodness Amanda and I are friends, I read the book then sent it down the road to her with strict orders to stop anything else she might be doing and read!! I had to talk to someone!

Four different times Amanda said “I can’t believe _________!” And I’d say “He/she/it/they didn’t!! Keep reading!! Then call me back!!”

Every time you think you know what’s going to happen-*BZZZZ*, you’re WRONG!! Ha!! I love Charley! Love, Love, Love Her! While I was reading Third Grave, the phone rang a coupla times and I had to answer it (it makes me feel like I’m still being productive, I guess) and I had to use some of Charley’s lines. (It should probably worry me that they were so easily transferred over into my reality… but it doesn’t.) She’s got great lines and her snarkiness is at an all time high in this third installment of the series. At one point in the story (and this I promise will be my only almost spoiler) Charley wakes up from being unconscious and Cookie is holding her hand and she thinks to herself –That’s silly, Cookie and I rarely hold hands in public.

There is so much to love in this book. We know the characters, it’s comfortable and fun and flows so well. Reyes has tons of face time in this book and let’s be honest, that’s what we all want now, isn't it? Darynda shows sides of Reyes in this book that make me feel all warm and tingly and I’m not talking about s-e-x, but now that I've mentioned it, that makes me all warm and tingly as well! We get to see lots of Ubie and Swopes (Oh, Swopes!) Cookie is huge and Rocket has me feeling a little uneasy, I must say! There was a great scene with a bunch of biker dudes *sigh* and Holy Shnikes wait till you meet Mistress Marigold!! She actually made me nervous in the second book--I was feelin’ all, Charley don’t do it, don’t contact her!!! And then we meet her and Wow-not what I was anticipating! There is something that Mistress Marigold says about the connection between Reyes *swoon* and Charley that’s really got me thinking. Amanda and I have talked about it and I can’t wait for the book to come out so I can hear what the rest of Charley’s followers think.

Man o’ man, Darynda Jones has really outdone herself! I know that she wrote this book really fast and was a little nervous about it, (Facebook, again) but I really think her books just keep getting better and better. I can’t wait till January 31^st, I’m sooo stinkin’ excited for all of Charley’s fans and for Darynda!! Uhhh…I just realized I wrote this with the idea you’re already a fan. Amanda has mentioned this series like a hundred times, so really you ought to be! Everybody mark your calendars and if you have yet to meet Charley and the gang: The first book is First Grave on the Right and the second book is Second Grave on the Left. Both books are fabulous, but wait till you get your hands on Third Grave Dead Ahead!

-Cassy

Say Hi to Cassy!

2011-11-02T08:40:00.000-06:00

It's happening. My brain is slowly turning to mush. I'm forgetful. Scattered. Trying desperately to schedule myself before I lose control completely. November is going to be like running the gauntlet for me and to top it all off, my head feels like it's 3 times too big and filled with helium. I'm popping zinc lozenges like they're candy. Damn it, I will NOT get sick! But swooping in to help save my sanity is my friend Cassy. She'll be guest blogging here from time to time. She's an avid reader and not afraid to speak her mind.. And she's pretty kick-ass. So, without further ado, let me introduce you:

Hi, my name is Cassy. *curtseys* Most people know me by my smile and the decibel at which I speak. Since you can’t actually hear or see me you’ll probably know me by the number of exclamation points, asterisks and parentheses I use.

I’m a stay at home mom to two small girls and the wife of a very hardworking man which means I gotta be a hardworking woman (most days). If I ever had a boss that worked me as hard as my family does, I’d quit!! There is no way I’d be getting paid enough!

My best friend is a writer. You may know her, Amanda Bonilla? She writes an awesome sex scene!! Even though that should probably be an awkward sentence for me to write--it isn’t. She also writes an awesome fight scene. Don’t let that fool you, I could still take her! Anyhooo…she’s the reason I’m here…or…maybe the reason I’m here is because her debut book is about to be released and she’s teetering on the precipice of stardom (or insanity) and has too many blog posts to write (for her blog tour). So instead of letting her own blog flounder she’s letting me be her guest blogger (and thus I’m questioning her sanity). I’m not a writer. I’m a reader! BTW: that’s my disclaimer.

I thought I’d start by telling you a little about myself (because I haven’t already) and since I always enjoy it when people tell me random things about themselves in lists (Hi Tracey!) that is what I’m gonna do for you!!

· Someday I want to live in a yurt.

· I have a ten year old Pug named Vinny.

· I have three sisters and we all sound alike when we laugh.

· I wish I was a runner.

· I use the word “dude” a lot.

· I’ve tried to quit.

· I hate scary movies.

· I wish I could wear cute hats all the time.

· I’ve got a big head and they look weird so I never wear hats.

· I like hot tea, clean sheets and snuggling.

· I listen to country music and classic rock.

· I love painted toenails but hate painted fingernails.

· I don’t like it when my husband calls me by my name.

· I’m a morning person.

· My favorite show is Castle.

· I clap my hands and jump up and down when I watch it.

· I’m a Capricorn.

· Paranormal Romance/Urban fantasy books are my drug of choice.

· I believe the Twilight series to be a gateway drug.

· I didn’t know I was a geek until I saw Nathan Fillion (Castle) in an interview and he was being referred to as the “King of Geeks”.

· I’m OK with that.

Spooky Legends Blogfest

2011-10-30T11:49:00.001-06:00

Pop on over to Dark Faerie Tales today where Darian is telling the story of Idaho's Jack the Ripper. Leave a comment and enter to win a signed ARC of SHAEDES OF GRAY! Hope to see you there!

Putting My Ducks in a Row

2011-10-26T08:55:00.000-06:00

Last week I blogged at Magic and Mayhem about how a book release is like the ninth month of pregnancy. Between now and the first of the year, I'm going to be hustling about like a nesting mother-to-be. I'm busy in a way that I never thought I would be, and I'm loving every minute of it. But it also means that blogging here, even one day a week, might be too much for a month or so. I have 20 or so blog posts/interviews to finish for my blog tour, the outline for book 3 is due in November, I'll be working on edits for book 2, and I have a novella due by the end of December. Plus, I have to keep plugging along on a zero draft for book 3. Oh, and did I mention Shaedes of Gray will be releasing in less than 45 days?!?!

I'm really proud of how I've stuck to my schedule this summer/fall. I've blogged twice a week (once here and once at Magic and Mayhem). I've maintained my FB page and Twitter, though I have to say, I'm not the most brilliant or witty of tweeters. I'm starting to realize, though, that I need to back off a bit and get some work done. I won't be gone, though. I'll still be blogging here and there, and my blog tour kicks off in mid-November. And I'm going to have guest bloggers! Yep, you heard me. ;) My friend Cassy is going to be popping in now and again with book reviews and whatnot. I'll be posting a little hello snippet from her next week.

Have you kept to a blogging schedule lately? What works for you? What doesn't?

Happy Book Birthday to Sandy Williams!

2011-10-25T10:56:00.000-06:00

THE SHADOW READER hit shelves today! I can't say enough about how wonderful this book is. Full of action, suspense, danger, and a fair share of romance, this is a must read for any urban fantasy lover! Go forth and get your copy! You won't be dissapointed.

There can only be one allegiance. It’s her time to choose.

Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

ARC Giveaway and Blog Tour Info

2011-10-19T06:30:00.001-06:00

I'm giving away an ARC of SHAEDES OF GRAY over at Magic and Mayhem this week! Stop by and leave a comment until October 25th to be entered to win.

Also, I've added a Blog Tour information tab with a list of dates and locations for my blog tour. I'll be giving away books and cool swag. I hope to see you at one of my stops! My blog roll has grown considerably over the last year, and it's crammed full of great sites dedicated to reviewing books and spreading the love of reading. There's nothing better than the enthusiasm that comes from a great review or much anticipated news from your favorite author. I get most of my book and publishing news from blogs. I'm a total fan girl and I can't wait to be a guest on some of my favorite blogs!

Pots n' Pens

2011-10-17T09:07:00.000-06:00

I'm a guest over at Pots 'n Pens this morning, discussing food and fiction. If you get a chance, stop by!

Winter Prep

2011-10-12T08:48:00.000-06:00

For the first time in 8 weeks I don't have a post prepared. It's busy around here. Soccer just wrapped up for the season. I'm up to my eyeballs in peppers, carrots, peaches, and tomatoes. Today I'll be freezing, canning, and generally getting prepped for winter. And when you live in the mountains, you know that snow can come and stick anytime after October 15th. How about you? Are you prepping for winter? Or do you get a break before the winter storms hit?

The Zero Draft

2011-10-05T06:30:00.001-06:00

I learned something over the course of writing my Shaedes World novella last month. It's really important to just spit the story out. I have a tendency to over-analyze every word. To go back and change sentences or paragraphs before moving on with the story. But when I wrote the novella, I set a goal for myself: finish the zero draft in 30 days. And I wasn't about to not meet my goal.

I have friends who can crank out a zero draft in no time at all. And I found out that the best way to finish a story quickly is to allow yourself to skip over minor details. Whereas I might usually suffer over a name choice for thirty minutes or longer, this time I just typed [name]. Or if I needed to research another language to make sure my word choice was correct I would type the word in English and type [Armenian] or [Gaelic] next to the word. I didn't sweat the small stuff. If I wrote a couple of pages of dialog that didn't sound quite right, I would add a comment bubble in the margin that read: "This doesn't sound quite right. He's more...(add character traits) go back and fix later."

By allowing myself to skip over the fine details, I sped up my writing and finished on time. I didn't have to sacrifice anything to the time frame I set. I still wrote in a linear fashion, I was able to keep to my rough outline, and I busted out the word count, which in this case, was only 1.5k words a day.

Since finishing the zero draft, I haven't even opened the document to take another look. It's not due to my editor until the end of December, so I have plenty of time to go back, fine tune, and fill in the blanks. I won't have to rush. By spitting out the zero draft, I've given myself more time to focus on the third book in the Shaede Assassin series. A book that I'm planning to finish ahead of schedule so I can work on some non-Shaede related projects.

How do you write that zero draft? Do you turn off your internal editor and run with it? Or do you go back and edit as you write?

Running on Empty

2011-09-28T06:30:00.000-06:00

Honestly, I got nothin'. I'm running on fumes, and it seems like no amount of sleep is going to make me feel replenished. I sort of feel bad for whining because it's the teen's soccer schedule that's killing me. And let's face it: I'm just driving and sitting in the stands. He's actually running, non-stop, for 90 minutes, three times a week. And that doesn't count the practices on non-game days. But when the closest school is over 2 hours away, it makes for a tired bunch of travelers, parents and kids alike. And the hubs and I have committed to attending all of the teen's games because, well, he's a freshman starting varsity. And playing every minute of every game. It's a huge achievement, no matter what size school you attend. So, we're out there, supporting the team screaming and yelling, sometimes in Spanish. Okay, well, the hubs cheers in Spanish, I have to stick to plain-old English cheering. ;)

I'll be back next week with a shiny new post. But in the meantime, I'm going to give my brain a little rest. Downtime can be good. Really good.

Shaedes of Gray ARC Winner

2011-09-21T06:30:00.005-06:00

Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment on my ARC giveaway post! I asked readers to guess who was hiding behind the SHAEDES OF GRAY galley in this picture:

There were some great guesses, my all-time favorite being Newt Gingrich (thanks for that, Hillary!!). I love that most of you thought the girl behind the book was my daughter. But the fabulous woman behind the book is none other than...drumroll, please...

My uber awesome, kick-ass agent, Natanya Wheeler! A correct guess was not required to be entered in the giveaway, so everyone who made a guess was eligible. I'll be giving more ARCs away over the next couple of months, so if you don't get one this go around, there will be other chances. Thanks to random.org, I've selected a name from the pool of commenters, and the winner of the SHAEDES OF GRAY ARC is...
GiGi! Congrats! I'll be emailing you today for your mailing address. I hope you enjoy the first book in the Shaede Assassin Series!

Win an ARC of Shaedes of Gray

2011-09-14T06:30:00.005-06:00

I find it surreal that people will soon be reading SHAEDES OF GRAY. These butterflies I feel in my stomach aren't unpleasant, though. I'm not terrified--well, not anymore. I'm excited! I'm anxious to share Darian and Tyler and Xander with readers. I can't wait to let Raif loose on the world. And yes, some people won't like the book, the characters, my writing style, whatever. But I also know that there will be readers out there who will love my characters like I love them. And so, since we're just under 3 months from the release date, I'm giving an ARC of SHAEDES OF GRAY to a blog commenter!

All you have to do is give a guess as to who's hiding behind the book in the picture at the top of this post. You don't have to guess correctly to win. Just throw a guess out there along with your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. I'll draw at random from all comments left between now and next Wednesday, September, 21st. You can comment as many times as you like. Each comment will count as an entry. Good Luck!

A Novel is Like an Occasion Cake

2011-09-07T06:30:00.009-06:00

Most states now have senior projects that are a required research project/class necessary for graduation. When my daughter was a senior, she was obsessed with baking cakes. Not just some box mix thrown together, but the kind you see on Food Network shows. Occasion cakes.

It took her a year's worth of research and practice to build her skills up to make her senior project cake. And she didn't do it alone. I helped her make the flowers, roll the fondant, and stack the cakes. It took an entire weekend and one full school day to assemble this cake. Writing a novel is a lot like making an occasion cake.

A novel can't be thrown together over night. Just like an occasion cake, a certain amount of planning has to take place. The cake artist (because baker just doesn't do justice) develops the cake from an idea. That idea is sketched out from many angles. The flavors, fillings, and color schemes are chosen. Garnish and decorations are planned to match. Like the cake, a story is born from an idea. That idea grows and through plotting, outlining, and structure, a sketch is made. Characters are created and developed, the perfect garnish, and through those efforts, a novel is created.

Occasion cakes, just like stories, take time. My daughter didn't wake up the morning before her project was due and throw together ingredients. She did her research, baked many cakes from many recipes and through trial, error, and practice, found the best cake recipe for the job. A novel isn't born overnight, either. Drafts have to be written and revised. Plots have to be tested and restructured. And after many months of writing and re-writing, a solid story emerges.

An occasion cake isn't a one-person job. The sheets of fondant were huge and it took two sets of hands to knead the fondant, roll it out, and place it on the cakes. I prepped the cake with icing, while my daughter secured the gum paste flowers. Like the cake, a novel can't become a finished product without a little help. Critique partners give that helping hand that a writer needs by offering support, an extra set of eyes, and valuable opinions. Plots and story-structure can be as wide as a sheet of fondant. It takes more than one person to smooth it out.

And when everything is said and done, like the occasion cake, the artist can sit back and enjoy her masterpiece. I have to say, though, that there is one difference between a novel and an occasion cake. When we finished my daughter's cake, I felt that it was just too pretty to eat and I didn't want anyone to cut it! With a novel, well, my hope is that the spine will be cracked and the pages, devoured.

Back to School

2011-08-31T06:30:00.001-06:00

School started here on Monday. And though I feel sorry for my teen because he didn't get much of a relaxing summer, I have to say, I'm glad to have my routine finally back to normal.

Well, sort of. He plays soccer and his game schedule is pretty packed. My husband and I have vowed to go to as many away games as we can manage, as well as making every single home game. Not that I mind. I'm one of the loudest parents out there. I love sports, and being a former volleyball coach, let's just say that I can get a little worked up.

But what makes me happy is that I get to reclaim my space. There won't be anyone to drive to soccer, driver's ed, the beach, etc. I'll have one less person to cook for and clean up after during the day. I can sit in peace without the sound of Black Ops in the background or Dub-Step (the teen's new music obsession) blaring from his laptop speakers.

For the next few months it's just me, the pets, my laptop, and a couple of deadlines. Bliss.

Everybody Needs a Buddy

2011-08-24T06:30:00.001-06:00

Okay, so maybe the title of this post should have been everybody needs a BUNNY. This is the new addition to our "farm." She's a lion's mane angora and in my opinion, she looks a little like a baby Ewok. I mean, have you ever seen anything so freaking cute??

But I digress. Here's why we bought this cute little thing: We had two bunnies and this spring, one of them died. It was pretty sad, and though we didn't do any sort of bunny autopsy, we're pretty sure he just died of old age (Bunnies have a life span of about 6 to 10 years. See, this blog can be educational!). After that, the remaining bunny got depressed. She became easily spooked and took to hiding in dark little corners and behind the hay bails we have stored in the chicken coop. Even with all of those chickens for company, she wasn't happy.

A couple of weeks ago, we came across the angora and of course, how could I resist her cuteness? We brought her home and stuck her in the chicken coop with the old bunny. It took a couple of days for them to get used to each other, but one day when I went to check on them I found the old bunny running around the coop, chasing the new bunny, kicking her legs, and for lack of a better word, frolicking. In the past two weeks, the old bunny has been hiding less. She lays stretched out (a sign that a bunny is content) and has been less skittish.

The hubs was watching Up in the Air with George Clooney the other night (FYI, what a depressing movie!!) and his character said something that really resonated with me: Life is better with a co-pilot. I believe this. We have two dogs, two bunnies, 2 male ducks, 2 female ducks, a flock of chickens, and come next spring, our gander will have a goose again. Animals, just like people, need companionship.

And since I write stories with some sort of romance sub-plot, that desire to connect with another person fascinates me. One of the reasons I'm drawn to romance is that I love to get elbow deep in my character's psyches and peel back the layers of their personalities in order to find out why they need a certain connection or why they've closed themselves off from a relationship. That's why people read romance. They want to experience that spark of connection, relieve the excitement of finding that special someone who can be their co-pilot. It's only natural to want to companionship, no matter its form or definition. Human beings need it, chickens, dogs, and even bunnies need it.

Ode to the Sidekick

2011-08-17T06:30:00.001-06:00

Today's post is dedicated to the sidekick. The unsung secondary character who can elevate a story from good to great. I love secondary characters. Sometimes more than the main characters.

I think what I love about sidekicks is that they tend to let loose more than the MC's. They're given more leeway with their personalities and idiosyncrasies. They can be as bad, as crass, as naughty as they want and the reader will still love them because their outstanding personalities are like a get-out-of-jail-free card for any untoward behavior.

I have lots of favorite sidekicks. Ian from Jeaniene Frost's Cat and Bones series is one of my favorites. Ian is a VERY naughty boy, right down to his--uh--body piercings. ;) But he's so damn endearing, I'd forgive just about anything his rakish behavior can dish out. Another of my favorite Frost sidekicks is Vlad. I'm so happy to see that he's getting his own series. He's a sidekick who could easily carry his own series.

Patricia Briggs has Stephan, the vampire with a conscience, and Warren, Mercy's movie-night buddy with a cute southern accent and an even cuter lawyer boyfriend. JR Ward has Lassiter, the Oprah lovin' fallen angel. Lassiter is another sidekick who'll be seeing his own book. In a word...SQUEE!!!

Sidekicks make a story great. What would Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series be without Pam? And would Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series be the same without Nix? No. We need those secondary characters to help carry the story. The hero and heroine are busy fighting monsters, falling in love, and dealing with emotional baggage. We NEED those secondary characters to give those stories a little extra oomph. The laughs on the side. And in the words of SKY HIGH: Hero Support.

Who are your favorite secondary characters? Are there any sidekicks who just turn you off?

Alphabet Soup

2011-08-10T06:30:00.001-06:00

My sister actually came up with the title for today's blog post. We were talking about our favorite paranormal/UF books and the discussion came around to books with large casts of supernatural characters. Hence, alphabet soup. We like our books to be crammed with supernatural creatures from A to Z.

When a story is brewing and percolating in my mind, I already have an idea of who (and what) my major players are going to be. And since I love to write series, I have to be really careful not to paint myself into a corner. A small cast of characters can be the kiss of death to a series.

I need variety. I can't settle for just vampires. Or just vampires and werewolves. I want vampires, werewolves, fae, goblins, ghouls, demons, and as many otherworldly creatures as I can think of. Now, you don't have to cram all of these creatures into every single scene. But, these fringe creatures should be introduced at least once, so they can be brought into later scenes or later books with ease. A series is only as good as its individual stories. And no one wants to read seven books about one creature. That's not what a typical urban fantasy reader is looking for. Neither do they want to read about every single supernatural creature under the sun hanging out in one book. That's just too much, and it's easy for the story to spiral out of control. Not to mention the burden of world-building that the author has to pull off in order to keep the story believable.

But by introducing a large cast, you can have one book that focuses on one creature, another book that focuses on another, and so on. Your world-building is only as good as the creatures in your world. And the story options once they're there, is limitless.

How about you? Do you enjoy an alphabet's worth of supernatural characters in the books you read, or do you prefer to focus on a specific creature? And does the lack or excess of either affect a good series?

Finding a Schedule That Works

2011-08-03T06:30:00.007-06:00

One of my CP's is going to laugh at me for writing this, but, I'm not a planner. Like not at all. I don't even plan things a day in advance, let alone months. So you can imagine what gearing up for a book release has been like for this non-planner. It's not the sort of thing you can do at the last moment. There's no, "Oh, my book comes out next week. Guess I'll do a couple of things." No, this is a months-long process.

And since I'm not much of a planner, my agent suggested I keep a calendar to keep track of my various social networking and platform building activities leading up to December and my release. So far, the calendar has been great! It's allowed me to see the days/weeks/months right there in black and white and since I'm a very visual person, I can schedule my activities in a way that works for me. I've decided to blog twice a week. I've admitted time and again that blogging isn't my strongest social networking medium. So, I'll blog once a week here, and once at week over at Magic and Mayhem. I'm going to post five days a week on my Facebook page. I LOVE Facebook. The posts can be as short as a sentence or as long as a small paragraph. And I get to interact with primarily readers, which can be really enlightening. I'll pop in and out on Twitter once or twice a day, but I have to admit, being witty in 140 characters or less is really HARD! ;) And I'll be giving away ARC's and jewelry and other goodies on all three social networking sites from August until the SHAEDES OF GRAY release on December 6th.

I have to say, it feels good to have a plan in place and a schedule to go by. How about you guys? Are you the plan-it-out, scheduling sort? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants?

I'm Curious

2011-07-28T08:50:00.001-06:00

I'm curious about the readers of this blog. Since I blog on this site so sporadically, I don't ever get much in the comments department. Which, is fair enough, I suppose. I don't often blog because I save a lot of my blog ideas for the Magic and Mayhem blog. Another reason is, that between Twitter, my author page on Facebook, reading and commenting on certain blogs (including the many book review sites I follow), and the group blog, I spend approximately 2 hours a day on social networking alone. And now that I'm under deadlines and accountable for my writing, I feel like every word blogged is a word NOT in the MSs due to my editor.

But I digress. This is about YOU after all. And I'm honestly curious about you. So let me ask you this, blog followers: What genre do you read? Are you a writer as well? And do you enjoy reading blogs about writing and industry relevant topics? I'd really like to know. :)

On the Mayhem Blog

2011-06-28T07:56:00.002-06:00

I'm blogging about negative reviews at the Magic and Mayhem blog today. Hope to see you there!

Welcome to Jurassic Park

2011-06-27T09:18:00.000-06:00

This is a repost from the Magic and Mayhem blog last week.

We own birds. Chickens, ducks, and geese. Now, before you say anything, I'm going to throw this out right off the bat: our birds live WELL. Even the ones that end up being food. They live in insulated, heated (when it's cold) buildings and eat top grade, premium food. Most days, they get the run of the place. Those damn birds live better than we do. Okay, now that that's out of the way, back to my post! ;)

These are buff Cornish crosses. Aren't they adorable? Don't let their innocent faces and fluffy bodies fool you. Just hatched, they're SO cute. Unassuming. Wouldn't hurt a fly. Yeah, right.

This is the buff Cornishes today. Two months old. Awww, still cute! NO! Don't get sucked in by they're cute feathers and curious stares. We've dubbed them "Baby Velociraptors" and rightly so. They are EVIL! In the past weeks I've witnessed these sweet, unassuming babies stomp, peck, scratch, and cannibalize their own. They've killed ten out of the group we purchased. (Five went down when they were still in the cute fluffy stage). When you go into the pen to feed them, they swarm like piranha, jumping, pecking, dead-set on pulling you down and making you into their next snack. Their violence astounds me. I can totally see how these babies could have evolved from dinosaurs. In one of my novels, these chickens would represent the bad guy.

This sweet boy is our African goose. I'd liken him to a Brachiosaurus. He's an herbivore through and through. He'd never stomp another bird into oblivion or peck his ducky pals to death. BUT--if he feels threatened, or if he feels any of his duck and chicken buddies are threatened, he will KICK YOUR ASS! In which case, he becomes an avenging T-Rex. If you've never been bitten by a goose--it is a pain like no other. In one of my novels, he'd be my alpha male.

Enter the Cochin rooster. He's gorgeous and he knows it. He flashes his cocky mane, crows nice and loud, struts his stuff. He tries to chase away any other male who dares to look at the ladies. In novel world, he'd be the thorn in our hero's side, the cocky bastard trying to steal the lady out from under my alpha's nose. But for all his flash, he'll never be what the ladies want: a sweet guy who'll die to protect his love.

Here's one of our Rouen ducks. In noveldom, he's the sidekick, the Stegosaurus trotting alongside the Brachiosaurus. He's not the biggest dino on the block, but he can be tough when he needs to be. He'd have the hero's back. No questions asked. Our sidekick isn't just a stage prop, however. He's a rake at heart (not even the chickens are safe when he's feeling amorous). But he's got charm and charisma all his own.

Well, there you have it. A cast of characters descended from dinosaurs. Where's your heroine, you ask? I didn't feel like any of our chickens would be a good representation of an UF/PR heroine. After all, they're not too particular on who they date (all of the roosters get a piece), and they lay around in nests all day, gabbing.
And if you're wondering if I get most of my inspiration from the animal kingdom, I'll leave you with this:

The Praying Mantis is 100% the physical inspiration for my Lyhtans in SHAEDES OF GRAY. Just thinking about my evil Shaede arch-enemies puts a smile on my face. :)

On the Mayhem Blog

2011-05-31T11:31:00.002-06:00

Today at Magic and Mayhem, I'm ranting--just a little--about what's got me riled this week. Hope to see you there!

A Little Mayhem Never Hurts

2011-05-24T09:13:00.000-06:00

I'm blogging over at Magic and Mayhem today, and I'm talking about character quirks. Do you relate better to a character with regular-joe traits and quirks? Stop by and leave a comment, I'd love to hear your opinion!

You are the Architect

2011-05-17T09:05:00.000-06:00

I'm blogging over at Magic and Mayhem today talking about world building. Hope to see you over there!

Smile With Your Eyes

2011-05-11T15:23:00.000-06:00

So last week the amazing Kimberly Minter of Kimberly Minter Photgraphy did my author photos. I've never considered myself photogenic. Not even a little. And if my friend Joy Denisoff hadn't been there to transform my hair and makeup with her super mad skills, I'd have been in big trouble. I tend to make weird faces and I'm generally self-conscious and nervous. But Kim was so great! She made me feel at ease, knew what to say to get me to look the way she wanted, and my self-consiousness melted away. Well, sort of. I'd thought I'd show you guys some of the "out-takes" so you could see what pictures of me usually look like! ;)

"Give me a smirk," Kim said. To which I responded by making this face. Awesome.

I don't even know what's going on here. Notice the skewed necklace, the drunken vagrant expression. Just what you want to see in an author photo!

Ugh. Just, ugh.

I think for this one, she asked me to look contemplative, or pensive, or something equally deep and artistic. Not exactly what we were going for. And again, the necklace is crooked! Why did I even wear the damn thing!?!?!

Uh-huh. Yeah. Nice necklace. Again. ARGH!

I must have been dreaming about ice cream... or a pedicure... or eating ice cream while getting a pedicure...

Ultimately, this is the photo we settled on. Out of 170 shots, Kim picked her 16 favorites. And out of those 16, I chose:

Notice the absence of the evil necklace? ;)

Thanks again, Kim and Joy!

Magic and Mayhem - Focus, Focus, Focus

2011-05-10T09:33:00.000-06:00

Hey guys! I'm blogging over at Magic and Mayhem today, talking a little about my writing space and what I need to focus! Hope you stop by. Also, congrats to Carmen Finestra who won my full manuscript critique on the Help Write Now auction! I can't wait to read your work! If you haven't checked out the Help Write Now site, you're missing out! There are some GREAT items up for bid. I'm bidding on a book trailer, and I hope I win! ;)

Cover Art Love

2011-05-09T07:25:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend! It rained here...again. And the greenhouse didn't get planted...again. I'm jonesing for sunshine, people. I. Need. It.

On a happier front, I got the go ahead to show my cover art last week. I am in deep love with this cover. And I'm not gonna lie; I tend to stare at it. A lot. It's absolutely beautiful. Darian looks just as I picture her right down to the hood on her coat and the color of her hair. My favorite part of the cover is the way the artist made the ends of Darian's hair and the edges of her coat wispy, as if she's just leaving, or just entering her incorporeal form. You see, Darian is a Shaede after all, and she'd rather travel as a shadow at night. ;) I'm also struck by the expression on her face. Serene, while at the same time reaching for her Katana and gearing up for an ass-kicking. That's my girl! After seeing my cover, I have only one thought: December can't come fast enough!

You are Not Alone

2011-05-06T08:58:00.000-06:00

I'm a guest over at the Gem State Writers Blog talking about networking and living in a small town. I'd love it if you stopped by! :)

Magic and Mayhem - It's All in the Details

2011-05-03T09:38:00.000-06:00

I'm talking about my critique style over at Magic and Mayhem today. I'd love it if you stopped by! :)

Brenda Novak Auction

2011-05-02T10:53:00.000-06:00

Happy May everyone! We've had two straight days without rain or snow and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will hold. In addition to Mother's Day, yard work, greenhouse maintence, and my birthday (hehe), May is the month of the Brenda Novak Auction to benefit diabetes research. This is a great cause and I'm happy to be participating with my Magic & Mayhem sisters this year.

What did we offer up, you ask? A 4 for 1 critique of a paranormal romance or urban fantasy partial manuscript. The winning bidder will get an in-depth crit from all four agented/published/soon-to-be-published members of the Magic and Mayhem blog. Pop on over and take a look at the rest of this year's offerings as well. There's just too many great items to list!

On Voice

2011-04-27T06:30:00.002-06:00

I don't usually do book reviews. Nor do I throw a book up and shout, "You MUST read this book!" But I'm going to make an exception today. So often as writers, we're looking for that elusive voice, the magic narrative that makes agents and editors melt into puddles of goo. The voice that causes readers to line up in droves, salivating for our words. Voice can't be taught. It's not like grammar, or spelling. You can't hone voice the way you can a story arc or plot twist. Voice is voice. You can't fake it. That may sound cryptic, but it's true. You've either got it, or you don't.

Voice comes from letting your guard down. From saying, "Screw it! This is who I am, who my character is, and I'm throwing down!" Voice is the truest part of you that flows through your thoughts, your personality, and your imaginings as you slowly wear the letters off your keyboard. And letting go of your writerly inhibitions and allowing your voice to flow is scary as hell.

Read FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT, by Darynda Jones. I'm telling you, from the first sentence, you'll be hooked. Ms. Jones knows her MC, Charley Davidson like the back of her hand. The narrative flows easily, Charley's personality comes through with amazing clarity, and through Charley, Ms. Jones tells one hell of a good story. I have to say, this book is one of the best examples of narrative voice I've ever read. It's no wonder this book won the Golden Heart in 2009. I'm hooked. The next installment of this series can't come fast enough for me. Ms. Jones, I'm salivating for book 2. ;)

A Giveaway

2011-04-20T10:26:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder that I'm doing a giveaway over at my facebook author page. Once I hit 100 "likes" I'll be giving away a Barnes and Noble $25 gift card. I love facebook and I love to interact with people there. Most of my book news, contests, etc. will be run through my fan page. Hope to see you there!

Magic and Mayhem - Your Ad Here

2011-04-19T09:22:00.003-06:00

I'm blogging at Magic and Mayhem today about product placement and advertising in media. Hope to see you over there!

Thin

2011-04-18T08:37:00.001-06:00

Sorry I've been absent for so long! After going off the radar while I worked on edits, I managed to catch the nastiest cold/flu/virus/whatever that I've had in a couple years. Even with antibiotics, these damn germs are holding on for dear life!

So, I realized something in my recent blogging adventures. I'm NOT a blogger. In the month of February I blogged every day. I scheduled posts ahead of time, and I put a lot of thought behind what I did. But when March rolled along, I didn't blog at all. I'd managed to burn myself out in the course of four weeks. Another side effect from my mad February blogging schedule: it caused me to lose a lot of my creative drive. I was putting so much thought into blogging, reading blogs, commenting on blogs, and following new blogs, that when I was done with the blogging portion of my day, the thought of writing wasn't quite so appealing.

Granted, I've been in revising mode. I didn't want to disrupt that groove because I knew I'd be working on edits soon. I have a hard time switching gears from creating to revising. But, really, blogging is creating. I had to plunk down new words once a day. I'd worn myself a little thin.

We're all eager to brand ourselves. We've all read the articles, heard our friends talk about how our careers as writers are staked on our on-line visibility. But if we don't have a product to peddle, that product being our novels, all of the visibility in the world isn't going to do a damn bit of good. I think about some of my favorite authors, take JR Ward, for instance. She doesn't blog. But she posts to her facebook page almost every day. She's interacting with her fans constantly. She also posts on forum pages and is active on her website. But as far as I know, she doesn't blog. At all. In a recent article in RWA's RWR April issue, Ward said that she forgoes a lot of appearances, as well as real life activities for her writing. She basically said, hey, my fans are in it for the books. And it's my job to give them what they want. Without a book to sell, I don't have fans.

Now, it's easy for Ward to put her platform on the back burner. She's already built a tremendous fan base. But I think the moral of the story, at least in my case, is this: don't over do it. Everything in moderation. It's not necessary for ME to blog every--single--day. It's perfectly acceptable to blog once or twice a week. Or once every couple weeks. It's okay to blog in the form of my favorite song, or a quote I want to share, or a joke. It's okay to write an essay or blog about my current work in progress. As long as I'm popping in, saying 'hi' every once in a while, I think readers will be okay with that. I'm going to keep writing blog posts, reading the many blogs I follow, commenting. I'm not going to attempt to be that super-blogger that I know I'm not. I tip my hat to those of you that can blog once a day/five days a week. I envy your hundreds upon hundreds of followers. I wish I could follow in your footsteps. But I can't. And that's okay too. I'll continue to network and build my platform through facebook and twitter. I'll continue to blog with my UF/Para-romance sisters at Magic and Mayhem. And hopefully, you'll continue to pop in every once in a while. You know, just to see what's up!

What's your opinion on blogging? If you don't see a post a day, do you unfollow blogs? Are you okay with the occasional blogger? What's your take on blogging? Love it? Hate it? Undecided?

Magic and Mayhem - The TBR Pile

2011-04-12T09:18:00.000-06:00

I'm laying out my reading goals and revealing a few gems from my TBR pile on Magic and Mayhem today! Stop by and you might find a new series to read!

Magic and Mayhem - Owning It

2011-04-01T08:08:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone! I've finally come up for air while my edits stew a bit and I'm blogging over at Magic and Mayhem today about owning your successes as well as your failures. Hope to see you over there!

Magic and Mayhem - Let's Talk About Sex

2011-03-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

I'm talking about sex in paranormal romance and urban fantasy over at Magic and Mayhem today. Hope to see you there1 :)

So...Whatcha Doin'?

2011-03-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

I was a bad blogger last week. And I have to warn you, when my edits come in, I'll probably be a bad blogger again. I have a lot of blog reading and commenting to catch up on and I hope to hit you all up today! :)

I'm trying not to write too many new words because I have a hard time switching gears from writing to revising. So I've been finishing my outline for book 2 which is due next week and looking over CP feedback so the MS for book 2 is ready to go. I've also been reading. Sooooooo much reading. Some of my favorite authors had releases over the past few weeks, two of them being Jeaniene Frost and Patricia Briggs. Let me just say, I devoured their books. I've also dipped in to Kresley Cole and in a couple of weeks I'll be making the two-hour trek to Boise for the new JR Ward book. Yes, I love JR Ward enough to drive two hours for her. ;)

So, what is everyone else up to? Writing? Revising? What are you reading right now?

Magic and Mayhem - Books That I Scream Like a Girl For

2011-03-01T09:39:00.001-07:00

I'm giving a shout-out to Patricia Briggs today over at Magic and Mayhem. RIVER MARKED, the sixth Mercy Thompson book releases today! I can't wait to get my copy :)

Winner!

2011-02-28T07:25:00.001-07:00

I totally dropped the ball on this and should have posted on Friday! I've just barely come up for air from revisions on book 2 and expect to start edits on book 1 at the end of the week. Then I'll dive back under for a while.

Anyway, thanks so much to everyone who entered my contest! I'll be doing another one at the end of March. Random.org has halped me pic a winner...Tracey (funny in the 'hood)!!! WOOHOO! Congrats, Tracy! You get your choice of either a $25 B&N Gift card or a synopsis critique. Thanks again for stopping by the blog! :D

WIP Song of the Week

2011-02-24T06:30:00.001-07:00

This song works perfectly for the early part of Shaedes 3. Enjoy!

Indie? Commericial? Both?

2011-02-23T06:30:00.011-07:00

Okay, so I really wanted to post this the day after the Grammies, but since my blog schedule was already full, it's going up a bit late. Really, my brother-in-law is the inspiration for this post. You see, he's an Indie snob. He avoids all things mainstream like the plague. He posted this huge rant the day after the Grammies expressing his excitement over Arcade Fire's Album of the Year win and basically said main-stream, commercial artists could shove it...well, you get the picture. This got me to thinking, though. Isn't Indie really Pre-commercial?

Think about it, a few years ago, Green Day wasn't considered commercial or main stream. But after they won a Grammy, a mainstream audience took notice. Their popularity soared and their songs were being played along side other Top 40 artists. Then the detractors started wagging their tongues calling Green Day sell-outs and shouting to the heavens that the band no longer cared about their indie roots. Really? I mean, seriously?? I like Green Day. I liked them pre-commercial success (uh, Brain Stew...brilliant!) as well as after. And isn't it every artist's goal to reach the largest audience possible? Of course it is! We WANT millions of people to buy our CD's, books, DVD's.

Think of Arcade Fire as the Indie pubbed author. They've been around for a while, found their popularity in a smaller, yet no less valid audience. They've perfected their craft, played the venues, paid their dues. Then, one day, some mainstreamer somewhere happens to hear one of their songs, passes it on to someone else, and so on and so forth. Their peers in the music industry start paying more attention to them as well. And before you know it--BAM-O! Grammy. In the weeks that follow, mainstream music customers grow curious, they buy their albums, and so it goes. Arcade Fire is no longer "Indie" but "Commercial". A great literary example of an author going from indie to mainstream is Audrey Niffenegger. She sent The Time Traveler's Wife as an unsolicited submission to MacAdam/Cage, a successful indie publisher in California. The book has sold millions of copies and from I found on the interwebs, her second book sold for a seven-figure advance.

Same goes for commercial, or "traditionally" pubbed authors. Think of them as Rhianna. Agented, contracted, publicized, she's got a cameo in a dozen records this year, as well as her own successful album. Everyone knows who she is, they recognize that trademark red hair she's sporting lately, and there isn't an hour of the day when some radio station, somewhere isn't playing one of her songs. Yet where was she on Grammy night? Sharing the SAME stage as Arcade Fire. Singing to the SAME audience. Building a fan-base in the mainstream, television viewing world.

Indie? Commerical? No matter how you classify yourself, we all have the same goal, to put our books out into the world and have them read by the masses. Otherwise, we'd just print out our manuscripts, put them in a binder and circulate them to friends and family only. We're all on the same staircase, people. We're just on different steps. What do you think? Is Indie really Pre-commercial or will there always be a line separating two artistic sides of the street?

Magic and Mayhem - Digital, Paper, or Both

2011-02-22T06:30:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! A quick reminder that if you haven't entered my contest to win either a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card or a synopsis critique, there's still time to enter! Just check out the original post here. I'll be picking a winner at the end of the week.

In the meantime, I'm blogging at Magic and Mayhem today, talking a little about my love of paper books versus my new obsession with e-books. Check it out!

Contest Time!!!

2011-02-21T06:30:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I promised a contest a month until SHAEDES OF GRAY sees the light of day. Without further ado, here's contest numero uno! I'll pick a random winner at the end of the week and you'll get your choice of prize! That's right! Hurray for choices! You can have your pick of either a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card or a Synopsis Critique. According to one of my CPs, I write a pretty mean synop so this was her idea. ;) Synops are usually the bane of writerly existence. When an agent asks for one, I swear I can hear a collective groan in the universe. In the past year, I've written my fair share. For books I hadn't even written yet. So, ya, you could say I'm getting fairly good at it.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment. If you mention this contest on your Twitter or FB, send me a link in the comments and you'll get another entry! Blog about it and link to in the comments and you'll get one more entry! YAY FOR CONTESTS! I can't believe the count-down to December has already begun!

Snow, Snow, Go Away!

2011-02-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Winters are long in Idaho. Looooong. We won't see green grass until April. March if we're lucky. I want to see a view out of my window that isn't a blanket of white. I found these pics I took over the past couple of summers. Spring is right around the corner, right?

WIP Song of the Week

2011-02-17T06:30:00.001-07:00

This song is from the first book in another urban fantasy series I'm working on. It's full of bad choices, secrets, and oh yeah, demon slaying! I'm a 90's music junkie, Bush being one of my all time fav's. Gavin Rossdale's voice is yummy! Enjoy!

Grandma, Howdy Doody, and Julia Child

2011-02-16T06:30:00.006-07:00

My grandma passed away last week. She was 95 years old and it wasn't unexpected. I'm now officially grandma-less as my other grandma passed away a year and a half ago. I was thinking about what I loved the most about my grandma, Mary. Isn't that the perfect grandma name? She was a woman surrounded by books. She was progressive, she attended college, she believed that a woman should be educated and able to take care of herself. She also sort of reminded me of Julia Child. She even had my grandpa build custom counters in their cabin to accommodate her height. That's probably where the similarities end, but who can tell why kids perceive things the way they do.

She used to read to my sister and I when we were little. Our all-time favorite book was one of those little Golden Books: Howdy Doody's Animal Friends. Whenever we went to her house to visit, my sister and I would run straight for the drawer where she kept it. We'd climb up into her lap and she'd read it. She had a the BEST voice for reading aloud. Mellow, soft, with just the right amount of inflection. It was magic when she read.

I never saw her without a book. She was a regular at her local libraries. The librarians knew her by name and would put aside books they thought she'd like. She loved Dick Francis. She didn't buy a lot of books, she was a very frugal and practical woman. But boy, her library card must have smoked from over-use. :) Even when she got older, and her eyesight wasn't as good, she looked for large-print books. Whatever she could get her hands on. Oh, and she was AMAZING at crossword puzzles. Seriously. She even had crossword dictionaries!

Thanks for reading to me, Grandma. Thanks for making me bowls of popcorn and for buying Honey Nut Cheerios. Thanks for putting a bay leaf in the chili and telling me and Niki that whoever got it in their bowl would have good luck. Thanks for sewing beach cover-ups for me out of big fluffy beach towels. Thanks for teaching me how to make the most kick-ass Thanksgiving turkey ever. Say hi to grandpa for me.

Magic and Mayhem - The Art of the Fight Scene

2011-02-15T06:30:00.003-07:00

Hey! I'm blogging at Magic and Mayhem today and I'm talking about my love of all things actiony and crafting a believable fight scene. Hope to see you there!

Be My Valentine

2011-02-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Ready for some Valentine's Day fun? I was perusing the interwebs and found some fun Valentine's Day facts.

Check out Nadia Lee's post on Magic and Mayhem to learn more about Valentine's Day in Japan. For instance, did you know that in Japan women are required to give men Obligation Chocolate? You heard me right. Read the full post for all the interesting details.

I came across another site full of Valentine's Day facts and superstitions. Here's a few fun snippets:

Heart-shaped chew toys, anyone? About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.

73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women. Way to go, guys! You're doing something right!

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling. Does anyone else think we should bring this back in fashion? Me either.

Romance never dies, people! The oldest surviving love poem till date is written in a clay tablet from the times of the Sumerians, inventors of writing, around 3500 B.C.

Parents receive 1 out of every 5 valentines. Aww! 'Nough said.

And what V-day would be complete without a little smooching. Did you know...

Kissing isn't only fun, it's EXERCISE! French kissing involves all 34 muscles in the face. A pucker kiss involves only two.

The term “French kiss” came into the English language around 1923 as a slur on the French culture which was thought to be overly concerned with sex. In France, it’s called a tongue kiss or soul kiss because if done right, it feels as if two souls are merging. In fact, several ancient cultures thought that mouth-to-mouth kissing mingled two lovers’ souls. I LOVE this one, and I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you why! ;)

Passionate kissing burns 6.4 calories a minute. A Hershey’s kiss contains 26 calories, which takes five minutes of walking–or about four minutes of kissing–to burn off. A good kiss can TOTALLY justify that chocolate your man bought you, right?

Colgate's got nothing on tongue wrestling! Kissing is good for teeth. The anticipation of a kiss increases the flow of saliva to the mouth, giving the teeth a plaque-dispersing bath.

Want some more sexy kissing facts? Check out this link.

Hope your day is full of Love and Kisses! And not just the chocolate kind! ;)

Winner!

2011-02-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Just wanted to give a quick congrats to Rose Moriarty who won the drawing in Michelle McLean's interview giveaway! Thanks to everyone who visited and commented on the post and congrats again to Michelle on the launch of her book. :)

WIP Song of the Week

2011-02-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Actually, the song this week isn't from the book I'm working on right now, but for the one I just finished and is hanging out with my CP's for a while. I wrote a killer scene in book 2 that takes place in a club. It's like a fetish club on steroids. I wanted it to be creepy, and if my CP's feedback is any indicator, I got the job done. This song put me in the perfect mood for that scene. How I love Shirley Manson!

Comeback Queen

2011-02-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Don't let the title fool you. This isn't going to be a post full of inspiration and triumph. Nope, I'm going a little baser today. This post is all about the snark.

I wish I was the girl with the snappy comeback. The one who can fire off snark at the speed of light. But alas, I think of really GREAT things to say a few hours (or days) too late.

Case in point: Most of you know I used to coach high school volleyball. Well for anyone out there who's never coached, I can tell you, I'd rather muck out porta-potties than deal with angry parents. Don't get me wrong, most of the parents are great. But there's always one or two who make it their life's ambition to make your life a living hell. Last fall, I had a monster team. Almost six players too many. You see, our school district's policy is NOT to cut athletes. If a student wants to play, they get to join the team. But it's not so easy. I had 16 players last year. That's almost 3 full teams. There's no way I could play all the girls all the time. And it was strongly suggested to me by my superiors that I focus on playing the girls who were capable of winning games. I mean, it is a Varsity sport after all, we're not out there for any other reason than to win.

Anyway, one parent was particularly miffed that I didn't play his daughter. It wasn't like she didn't get to play at all. I made sure she was on the court at least once. But that wasn't good enough for this particular dad. I happened to make eye contact with him at one point in the match and he stood up in the bleachers and proceeded to make some very inappropriate gestures at me. I hate confrontation. Like, HATE it, hate it. And my stomach instantly rebelled, threatening to send my lunch back the way it came. Dear old dad waited until the gym was almost completely cleared at the end of the night, made a B-line for me and proceeded to rip me up one side and down the other. Lovely.

I stood there and took it. I tried to be understanding, accommodating. I tried to explain my position. But all in all, I didn't stand up for myself. I didn't tell him that HIS behavior had been inappropriate and that HE (not me) was being a poor role model for his child. Eventually, my Athletic Director took over, and we dealt with him more than once over the course of the season and I let it slide.

But yesterday, I saw him in town and started thinking about our first encounter. And wouldn't you know it, every single snarky, awesome comeback in the world snapped into my brain. All of the uber cool "take that, asshole" things I would have liked to say waited at the tip of my tongue. And damn it, I'll never get the opportunity to put that jack-ass in his place.

Luckily, I get to use those snappy come-backs and snark in my writing. They might not pop into my head at the moment I need them, but it doesn't matter. I put them to good use, eventually.

A Little Mayhem Never Hurts

2011-02-08T08:40:00.002-07:00

I'm blogging over at Magic and Mayhem today, talking a little about outlining and how I (sort of) overcame my pantser ways. Stop by and say hello!

Tough Girl

2011-02-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

This was definitely not the post I intended to write today. But I'm sitting here, looking out my window at the elk. The herd is huge this year, I think word's gotten around that there's free food. My grandpa started feeding them about ten years ago in an effort to keep them from raiding his haystacks and stealing from the cattle. They're a bit of a nuisance this year; they trampled the "elk proof" fences around the haystacks and have taken up residence with the cattle. They're ravenous eaters.

Anyway, the elk were leaving the feed yard to spend the rest of the day in the trees. As I watched them pass by my house in a single-file line I noticed one cow had a horrible limp. Her entire body rocked and lurched from the effort of walking and it broke my heart. I know what will happen to her. Nature isn't kind to the weak. The herd will take notice and shun her. Soon they'll push her away from food, drive her from the group. One weak member will weaken the entire herd. Survival of the fittest and all that. She'll die. It's an inevitability. And being the highly sensitive person I am, it made my stomach lurch with worry. I wish I could unsee it. I wish I didn't know this poor elk was hurt. I can't help her. There's nothing I can do. And I hate to feel helpless.

For some reason, it made me think of my MC. I once told my agent that Darian was the woman I wished I could be. Darian is tough. She's unapologetic. She's realistic. She doesn't let anyone push her around. But more than that, she's strong. It's not that she's uncaring, but she knows how to stand up to nagging things like worry and overwhelming emotion. If she were sitting here right now, she'd feel sorry for that poor elk. But she wouldn't lose any sleep over it. She'd rationalize that this is how nature works. She might even put the creature out of it's misery. I can see her doing that. Because she does what has to be done and she never whines about it.

The beauty of writing, though, is that for a few hours a day, I get to be Darian. I have the privilege of living in her skin, being that tough girl, making the tough decisions without shedding a tear. I get to be the woman I wish I could be. Her adventures are my adventures, her strength is my strength. And since she's a part of me--a character forged with a lot of my personality traits--at the end of the day, maybe I'm a little more like her than I think.

WIP Song of the Week

2011-02-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

This song completely sums up Tyler. He's a permanent fixture in the Shaedes world and I've missed him. I'm glad to be writing him again. I didn't think I'd miss him quite so much.

Blog Chain: Are You a Social Networker?

2011-02-01T15:30:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!

I'm still on hiatus, but I'm going to go ahead and start a round of the blog chain. I've been really busy lately and the next couple of months are going to be busier still. I've had a lot to think about since my book sale, one of those things being my platform as an author. So for this round of the blog chain I'm wondering:

Are you a good social networker? What aspect of platform building do you focus on the most? Which aspects freak you out?

I'm incredibly introverted. One on one, I think I do pretty well. My personality comes out with my close friends. But put me in a group and I sort of freeze up. I'm shy. I don't talk a lot. I often find myself hanging out in the fringe where no one will notice me. But with my book releasing this year, my agent and editor have advised me to work on building my platform. Get out into the authorly world. Make some friends, some connections. Put my name out there.

I'm not a very consistent blogger. Mainly because I wonder, what do I have to offer that someone hasn't already covered? I don't tweet very much. I can't ever think of anything witty to say in 140 characters or less. Facebook? Yeah, I post a status update every once in a while. I have a Tumblr account that I've never used and though I read a TON of blogs, I comment on very few.

I think social networking is hard for me because I'm very self-conscious. I'm always worried about what people might think of me. That I'll be snubbed by the cool kids and outed for the socially awkward person I've always thought myself to be. Fear more than anything keeps me from reaching out to other authors, no matter how much I want to join in. One of my friends and CP's said something pretty profound to me yesterday. I think it might be a quote from someone or somewhere, she's good for deep thoughts like that.

"It's none of your business what other people think of you."

Sounds sort of harsh at first. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right. It isn't any of my business. I can only be me. I can't please everyone. I can't always be witty or charming or outgoing. I can only put my thoughts out there and it shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks about it as long as I'm happy with it. I shouldn't be afraid to dive in to the deep end of the social networking pool. I can always tread water for a while until I'm really ready to swim.

I don't focus on one social networking aspect more than any other. Frankly, they all scare the holy living crap out of me. But I figure if I do a little here, and a little there, sooner or later I'll find a rhythm that works and I won't worry so much about what everyone thinks. I can only be myself. And that's good enough.

Be sure to check out Margie's post after mine!

Magic and Mayhem, Contests, and Features!

2011-01-31T06:30:00.006-07:00

I promised one of my crit partners that I'd blog 5 times between January 18th and January 31st. I'll have to go back and check, but I think I might be one post short. I'm a horrible blogger. Mainly because I'm a horrible planner. I'm such a spontaneous person that the thought of lining up blog topics and posts in advance makes me break out into a sweat. I'm going to try to be better, though. I promise. ;)

So, it sounds silly to say, but I'm officially eleven months from the release of SHAEDES OF GRAY. It sounds like forever away, but really, it's not. A year has never felt so short to me, including my daughter's senior year of high school, and that year flew by! So, for the next eleven months, I'll be doing one contest per month. You can win books, critiques, swag, writerly essentials (you know, post-its, notebooks, pens, the stuff we can't live without), and in later months, I'll be giving away some awesome Shaede-related stuff that I'm really excited about. But I'll be keeping the details under-wraps for a while! Also, I'm going to be adding some new features to this blog: guest posts, short stories, and other fun stuff. I'll be crossing my fingers that I can teach myself to be a better planner, because I want this year on the blog to be epic!

Also, I'll be contributing to the Magic and Mayhem blog once a week. It's a Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy blog featuring myself and three other AMAZING debut authors. We'll be doing some fun contests, blogging about what we love...mainly all things Paranormal/UF! So stop by and say hello. This week we'll be giving away our favorite books of 2010. Be sure to leave a comment over there to be entered to win and spread the word! We'd love to hear from you.

An Interview and Giveaway! Welcome, Author Michelle McLean!

2011-01-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited to have author Michelle McLean as a guest on my blog today! In addition to being one of the nicest people I've met in the on-line author community, she's a contributor to the blog chain I used to participate in. I met some great people and found friends and crit partners through Michelle. And besides being an uber talented poet and fiction writer, her non-fiction book, HOMEWORK HELPERS: ESSAYS AND TERM PAPERS hit the shelves last week.

Tell us a little about your book, Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers:

Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers is a fun, user-friendly book that guides the reader, step by step, through writing a dozen different types of essays, including the dreaded SAT essay. Using straightforward, plain English, this book shows the reader exactly what they need to do, from start to finish, and includes rough draft, edited, and final draft versions of every type of essay discussed. This book also provides chapters that include tips and instruction on researching, proofreading, and citations.

What was your motivation behind writing the book?

My goal with it is to help people, especially students, get through their assignments with the least amount of pain and confusion possible. Essays are something that everyone has to write, whether they want to or not. Being confused by the process doesn’t make it any easier. It seems like most of the “help” guides out there are so full of complicated language and instructions they don’t help anyone. So I wanted to write a book that would actually help students through the entire process, from picking a topic to turning it in.

What issues did you address or target in Homework Helpers and what was your research procedure?

For the most part, I am just walking my readers through every step of the writing process for a dozen different types of essays. I also address things like researching, proofreading, and citing sources, and included a chapter with tips on how to write the SAT essay. As an English major, I’ve spent a lot of years writing every kind of essay and paper you can imagine. So, my research for the book mainly consisted of triple checking to make sure I had all the right rules for each essay. The sample essays in the book are actually my own essays from my school days, so I used them as a base and went from there.

Query letters vs. Non-fiction proposals: which would you rather write and why?

Ooo tough one LOL Query letters can be a pain, but I think I’d have to go with them. They can be kind of fun to play with and they are much shorter and less involved. A non-fiction proposal contains an overview of the book, a marketing section, a promotion section, an author section, a competition section, a detailed outline, chapter abstracts, and sample chapters. They can easily run 60+ pages.

Are you working on any other non-fiction projects, companions, or follow ups to Homework Helpers?

I am :) I am working on a book on how to write about two dozen different forms of poetry and a book that focuses on literary analysis essays and literary criticisms.

Aside from your non-fiction writing, you also write fiction. How long have you been writing fiction? Was it a natural path to follow from non-fiction or was your non-fiction borne of your fiction writing?

I’ve been writing fiction (with an aim for publication) for six years. I technically started with fiction since I’ve been writing stories and poetry for as long as I can remember. But I’ve always enjoyed writing essays and papers and even started my college career with the goal to become a historian or archivist. My first publications were non-fiction narrative essays in several Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
So, I’ve sort of always done both, hand in hand.

What is the hardest part of being a non-fiction writer? Fiction? Is one more difficult than the other?

Fiction is more fun, but harder for me than non-fiction. Writing stories for myself and writing them with an eye to get them published are two totally different things. There is an art to storytelling, one I’m still working on.

Non-fiction comes a lot easier to me. But then, I’ve been doing it “professionally” a lot longer. I have a master’s degree in English so I’ve spent a good 20 years writing essays and papers. Non-fiction is basically taking facts and presenting them to your audience. It’s taking information I know or can look up and arranging it in a logical and organized manner.

Fiction is a lot more messy :) There are more potential problems (plot holes, characterization problems, etc). It’s emotional as opposed to the more analytical non-fiction.

Tell us a little about your journey: What was your agent search like? Your submission process? Did you ever feel like tearing your hair out?

You know, I expected it to be hard. I’d spent a couple years repeatedly revising and unsuccessfully querying a novel in the past, so I’d definitely done my time in the query trenches and had more than my fair share of rejections.

So with this book, it was a shock at what a whirlwind it ended up being. From sending my first query to signing with my agent, it was only about 3 ½ weeks. My agent, the fabulous Krista Goering, emailed to set up a phone call within an hour of reading my proposal and I signed with her the day we spoke. It took about six months to get an offer for the book from Career Press.

Would you mind volunteering one random fact about yourself?

Um… my right foot is half a size larger than my left foot, courtesy of my pregnancy with my son :D

Is there anything else about your book you’d like my readers to know

While the book is mainly geared toward junior high, high school, and college students, it also contains chapters on researching and proofreading that can be used by any writer. The processes I outline for writing essays can also be applied to any project, so even if you aren’t currently in school and needing help with essays, you can still find useful information and tips in the book.

In celebration of Michelle's release, we're giving away some sweet swag!

All you have to do to enter is comment on the blog. I'll draw a winner from the comments, just please make sure I have your contact information if you don't supply it on your profile! Thanks for stopping by, Michelle! And good luck!!

If you want to find Michelle's book on the web, you can find it at the following places:

Amazon
Borders
Barnes and Noble

The Stroke

2011-01-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

I've been working on an aspect of my writing that's been weak. Namely, the sex scene. They're a lot harder to write than you'd think. When I sent the second book in my series off to my crit partners, I told them: I've been flexing my writing muscles a bit. Let me know what you think.

I got an email from one crit partner this week telling me that she'd stumbled upon the first sex scene while reading during her daughter's gymnastics class. Can you say uncomfortable? And to top it all off, guess what song was playing on the radio?

The next day I got an email from a second crit partner. The title: The Stroke. It read along the lines of OMG I'm SO glad I wasn't in public when I read this!

I think I'm getting better at writing these babies! ;)

The Case of the Stolen Zen

2011-01-18T07:23:00.004-07:00

I have a friend--and crit partner--who is calm. Seriously, unshakably calm. She's the sort of friend who always has a logical explanation, the pragmatic soul who thinks everything through before making a decision. A steady, unflappable influence. And she's totally rubbed off on me.

I've stolen her Zen. Now, I don't want you guys to think I've been a bad friend. I gave it back to her this morning. But over the past month, I needed it. Things have been a little unsettled in my writerly world. It was the sort of situation that would have had the old me biting my nails, eating compulsively, and lying wide awake in bed at night. But thanks to my stolen, er, borrowed Zen, this particular bump in the road didn't faze me.

Why?

Because I've learned one thing over the past year: The publishing industry is what it is. Sounds cryptic, but it's true. I can't do anything about timelines, responses, unexpected changes. These things happen in publishing just like they happen everywhere. And really, in comparison, publishing doesn't move any slower--or faster--than any other business. I can't do anything to change that. I'm a writer. I write. I can control my words, my scenes, my characters, and that's where I should focus my energy all of the time.

So, now that I've given my friend back her Zen, am I running around my house like a maniac, fraught with worry? Not exactly. Now returned, my friend says her Zen feels like swiss cheese. Full of holes like I held on tight and it ripped when I gave it back. And maybe I did manage to keep a little.

2010 In a Glance

2010-12-31T10:19:00.003-07:00

Wow, what happened to 2010? I swear, every year zooms by faster than the last! For once, though, I'm sad to see a New Year on the horizon.

Most New Year's eves, I whisper, "Thank, God it's over. Hope next year's better." My Mom says I'm Murphy's Law incarnate, and that I inherited my Dad's "If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all" luck.

But 2010 was a different story for this bad luck girl. I signed with the best agent ever in March. The first three books in my UF/Romance series sold to my dream editor in October. 2010 gave me everything I ever wanted and then some. This bad-luck girl still has to pinch herself every once in a while, just to make sure she's not dreaming.

I'm sad to see 2010 go because of all the great, exciting things that happened in my life this year. But, with 2011 on the horizon, I KNOW for the first time that things can only get better!

I hope your 2011 is filled with all the good luck you can handle! See you next year!

One Track Mind

2010-12-08T08:25:00.002-07:00

Son: Mom, could you please make me a sandwich? (He's 14 and always says please AND thank-you. Color me proud)

Me: Sure.

(30 minutes later)

Son: Uh, Mom, were you going to make me a sandwich?

Me: Crap. Sorry, I got sidetracked. Hang on a sec.

(an hour later)

Son: Mom...

Me: CRAP! *runs to kitchen and throws open cupboards*

Okay, so I'm easily sidetracked. I get tunnel vision. Which is why I'm not a super impressive, on the spot, like clockwork blogger. When something grabs my attention, it latches on like a Pit bull and doesn't let go. If I'm reading a good book... Laundry? What's that? Dirty dishes? They'll be there tomorrow. Dinner? Seriously, family? You guys are actually hungry? For food? When I'm writing, it's worse and since I've now got things like deadlines to think about, I'm obsessed.

My characters have taken up permanent residence in my head. I think about story lines for subsequent books and my current WIP most of the day. I dream about it at night. I wake up with narrative floating around in my head. Aside from the occasional impulse to play Bejeweled Blitz for two (or ten) hours, I've pretty much got one thing on the brain. It's not a bad thing, though. Sure, my house looks like it's been fire-bombed and and the dogs and cat are starting to watch me as if they're concerned. My single-mindedness has allowed my creativity to take over and I'm seeing my first book morph into an actual series. I'd worried, at first, that I was a one-trick pony. That nothing could compare to that initial idea, book numero uno. But thanks to my crit partners, family, and friends who don't mind listening to me ramble for hours about these imaginary people, I have a ideas coming out of the woodwork. My three ideas have morphed into six, and a standalone spin off.

If I were a multi-tasker, the type of person who could write, read, clean house, do dishes, laundry, and dinner all while making sandwiches, I wonder... would the ideas be flowing? Could I live in this imaginary world with these imaginary people and orchestrate their fates with such a clear vision?

How about you guys? Are you super-duper multi-taskers who don't forget to make their son's sandwiches? Or do you have a one track mind?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T11:06:00.003-07:00

I'm heading out of town for Thanksgiving. It's my daughter's favorite holiday. Mostly because she has a deep, unconditional love for all Thanksgiving food. :) She's working over the holiday so we're taking dinner to her. And getting out of the snow for a couple of days.

But before I leave I want to give thanks. I mean, isn't that what tomorrow is all about? I've been incredibly blessed this year and I attribute a lot of my successes to the wonderful friends I have in the writing community. I've found many a kindred spirit over the course of this year and I'm grateful every day for the friends I've made. Suzanne, Sarah, Windy, I wouldn't be sane without you! Sandy, I'm SO glad we started exchanging emails and have become friends! I can't wait to read your book!!Cole and Shawntelle, you've made me laugh and given me great advice when I needed it. Oh, and Shawntelle, your writer's gadgets are the BEST! I mean, advance calculator, synopsis wizard... AMAZING! :)

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone! Be safe! I'll be back on Monday with a food hang-over I'm sure. Unless my daughter hijacks all the left overs!

The Real Me

2010-11-18T16:39:00.004-07:00

So I was thinking the other day. I know, amazing, right? I was thinking about the fact that in a year and a half my book is going to be on shelves. Printed. Bound. Glossy, beautiful cover. Dedications. Acknowledgements. And my words plastered all over the sweet smelling pages. And then I realized, HOLY CRAP! People are going to be READING my book!

It's not that I'm not proud of my book. I'm damned proud. But I live in a small town. Everyone knows everyone more or less. And as word got out that my book was going to be published, I noticed a common theme among my congratulators. They all think I write Young Adult. "I'm going to buy two copies for each of my granddaughters!" my husband's secretary said. "My little sister loves fairies! If you have fairies in your book she'll read it for sure!" a high-school student told me. "Tell your daughter I'm so happy for her!" my mom's collegues said. "She writes for children, right?"

Wrong.

Dead wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrongski.

It's not that I have anything against YA. I actually occassionally read it. And two of my awesomesauce crit parters write YA. You see, I was NEVER a conventional young adult. Having a baby at 16 sort of cuts you off from things like going out, angsting over a guy, the fact that Becky So-and-so is wearing the dress I wanted to wear to prom. Yeah, I was angsting over things like dirty diapers, a crying infant who refused to sleep until well after 3 am. Finishing highschool with my graduating class while taking two years worth of classes in one year. A husband who was in the Navy and living clear across the county from me. So to say I can't relate to teenagers is a bit of an understatement. Not that I didn't get into a little teenage trouble (obviously). But my experimentation and experiences were cut short. And, honestly, I don't regret ANY OF IT.

I've been reading "adult" books since I was 16. And this young mom was into the hard stuff: Dean Koontz, Kathleen Woodiwiss (I likes my historical romance), Shakespeare (ya, he turns me on), and Anne Rice to name a few. So when I started writing it was natural for me that I would write for an adult market.

I can really swear it up in my novels. Yep, nothing enhances a sentence like a few artfully placed F-bombs. And sex... well, I can go a little further than a YA writer can in the sex department. I can tell my story from an adult perspective and I can connect with an audience I get. And I can write in my comfort zone.

So, what's the problem, you ask? I'm afraid of dissapointing people. "I don't write for kids!" I've been putting the disclaimer out. "PLEASE, do not buy my book for your granddaughters." "Attention all highschool students: you will NOT find my book in the school library." I told a mother at my volleyball awards ceremony this year that I wrote "Adult Urban Fantasy" and she looked at me like I'd signed on to ghost-write for Penthouse Forums. In a small town, people are curious. I assume some people will read my book out of sheer curiosity if not for their personal enjoyment. And when they dive in, I just hope I live up to their expectations and they still think that I'm as sweet and personable as I've always been.

I am not my characters. Well, not really. I wish I was sometimes. My heroine is tough, foul-mouthed, and unapologetic, not to mention tall, gorgeous, and not afraid to cut your head off with her katana if you cross her. And while there are things about Darian that might remind some people of me, she's not me. And I'm not her. I'm a storyteller and that's my job. To create extraordinary characters for your reading enjoyment. Just... not for kids.

Reading the Fine Print or Why I Love my Agent

2010-11-14T13:26:00.006-07:00

So... you all know that I've been blogging less and less lately. It's something that I'm going to try to remedy, though I suspect it's going to take some serious effort on my part to actually make it happen. I've got a few weeks of free time before I'll be gearing up for edits and so I'm going to make the most of my time.

The writertly world was abuzz this week with news of James Frey's Full Fathom Five, a fiction factory aimed at recruiting young MFA's and other writers to produce the next "big YA" novel for virtually no money and no rights whatsoever. Obviously, I disagree with what Mr. Frey is doing here, but it made me so very thankful for my agent that I thought I'd share with you all just why I appreciate her so much.

First of all, I want to start off by saying that being young doesn't inherently make you gullible or ignorant. I didn't start seriously writing with publication in mind until I was 34 years old. Not exactly a spring chicken. That first year was tough. The manuscript I was seeking representation for was not at all ready, my skills as a writer had yet to "mature", and I had very little knowledge about the rules of the biz. I didn't even have a crit partner! With each rejection rolling in I became a little more downtrodden and a friend of my husband sent him many links to self-pub services. His basic message: it's just too hard to get an agent these days. Self-publishing is probably your best bet.

I wasn't quite ready to go that route. I'd set out a goal for myself and I was determined to reach it. But I'll admit that if someone like Frey had approached me during that first year, I would have JUMPED at the opportunity to sign on with him. I realized that my manuscript was not going to get me an agent or a publishing contract and so, I put it away. And started the sequel. Stupid? Not really. Of course the sequel wouldn't do me any good in securing an agent, but what it did was give me more writing experience. In the meantime, I found crit partners (great ones, I might add), reached out to the writing community, and learned the ropes. By the time I finished my third manuscript, I was ready to jump back into the query waters. It wasn't easy, though. Seven months, and two revisions later I found the perfect agent. Why is she so perfect, you ask? And what does this have to do with the Frey situation? Well, I'll tell you! :)

First of all, she believed in me. She "got" me. She read my story and saw the potential meat in the skeleton that was my manuscript. She wasn't just looking to throw my MS out there and earn a quick buck. She saw the potential and helped me craft my MS into something worth selling. We writers have a tendency to doubt ourselves and never once during the submission process did she ever doubt that my book would sell. She knew the market, knew the editors, KNEW the business and I always trusted her advice because I knew she had my best interests at heart, rather than solely thinking about what this could do for her. She has a firm grasp of contracts. I know for a fact that she'll cross every T and dot every I. No way am I going to get less than I deserve. I could have never negotiated a sale on my own behalf. I just don't know enough about contracts and I probably would've gone blind trying to decipher the legal jargon. She's with me for the long-haul and I consider her a partner. She's worth her weight in gold and if I could, I'd pay her that and more. It takes a lot to trust someone with your livelihood and that's what you're doing when you sign with an agent. You're saying, "Okay, here's my hopes and dreams for the future. Go for it."

There are pubs out there that take unsolicited submissions. You don't have to have an agent. But even if you sell to a publisher without the help of an agent, I strongly suggest having at least a contracts lawyer take a look at the paperwork for you. As writers, as artists, all we want is to see our work out in the world, our pages perused by eager readers. Sometimes the fine print takes a backseat to our hopes and dreams. No matter how you do it, traditionally or not, agent, no agent, indie pub or self-pub, know what you're getting yourself in to. Don't let someone exploit your dreams.

I'm glad I stayed true to my course. I'm glad I stuck it out when I wanted to quit. I'm glad I have an agent who can be tough when I know I couldn't be and has the guts to say, "Calm yourself, Amanda," when she knows I'm about to go off the deep end. I'm glad I have her on this journey with me and even though I've told her more than once, I just want her to know once again: I am SO thankful for you! I can't wait to see what we accomplish next!

It's Official

2010-10-26T13:17:00.004-06:00

I can finally scream it out loud: My AWESOME ninja warrior agent Natanya Wheeler has sold the first three books in my urban fantasy/romance series to NAL/Penguin!!!! I'm SO excited to work with the AMAZING Laura Cifelli and all of the wonderful people at Penguin!

I'm still pinching myself! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!

When Revising Becomes an Ugly Tattoo

2010-09-18T13:07:00.006-06:00

So I noticed something after turning in my last round of revisions to my agent: Sometimes revisions are like an ugly tattoo. It's the ink you get when you're drunk, or feeling impulsive, or on a dare. A week later, you look at the monstrosity on your arm and go to another tattoo artist and beg her to fix it! But it's HUGE. And even after she covers the portrait of--who the hell is that, anyway?--you realize the overlaying tattoo has made it bigger and even uglier than it was before!

Now, this is not to say that the writing was bad. In my case, the editor who's looking at my MS wanted me to change certain aspects in regards to the story's tone. You'd think that would be easy, but after revising the first chapter three times, I found that it had become irreparable. The realization came from a much deserved chiding from my agent. I'd sort-of lost focus somewhere in the revision process. I hadn't done my writing justice with the revisions. My agent was 100% right. Essentially, the entire chapter had to be scrapped and re-written.

I thought about why the revisions hadn't worked. I started out with my original chapter: the foundation of the book, the first glimpse of my characters and their personalities. Then, after the editor's feedback, I took that first chapter and rather than removing the elements she didn't like, I added another layer. When she asked for just a little bit more, I poured it on thick, adding yet another ugly layer to the previous two. I didn't remove what wasn't working, I just kept adding, and adding, and adding. What I ended up with was a friggin' mess.

In most cases, revisions are quick and easy fixes. A tweak here, a scene there... But if you have to change an entire element, I've learned it's best to to just start over. When I re-wrote the chapter this last time, I had a long talk with my characters prior to starting. I reminded myself of who they were, what they wanted, and how they ABSOLUTELY would NOT act. Then I hit the keyboard. The end result was a chapter that kept the integrity of my characters personalities intact. It laid down the foundation that I had originally laid while at the same time incorporating the story elements that my agent and the interested editor wanted. And when I turned the chapter in to my agent she said, "You nailed it!" I had essentially performed laser ink removal on that ugly tattoo that was my first chapter. Sometimes all you need is a blank canvas!

Blog Chain - What's Your Poison?

2010-09-12T18:51:00.002-06:00

Margie started this round of the blog chain and she asks:

How did you come to write your YA genre (e.g. contemp, fantasy, etc.)? AND (yep, it’s a 2 parter), if you weren’t writing that, what genre would you be interested in exploring?

I've always loved stories with a fantastical twist. Even my favorite historical fiction is interwoven with rituals and ancient religions. I'm a fan of anything that involves sword-play, fighting, magic... My movie collection ranges from Lord of the Rings to Underworld, so urban fantasy was a no-brainer for me. But it wasn't until I graduated from writing paranormal into urban fantasy that I truly became a hard-core fan of the genre. The paranormal I'd been writing always had human MC's with extraordinary abilities. Sort of my twist on the super-hero. After I came up with the idea for my urban fantasy, I decided I'd better start reading up on the genre so I'd know how to write it. And since I started reading urban fantasy, I haven't stopped. Be it straight UF or with a romantic twist--I'll read it!

If I weren't writing UF and Paranormal, I think I'd write historical fiction. I would try to write an epic tale in the style of Bernard Cornwell, though I doubt I could live up to that standard! It's funny, but for me the research involved in writing historical fiction is more daunting than world-building for an entire race of mythical creatures!

Check out Kate's blog before mine and Sandra's tomorrow to find out what genre works best for them! Or you can start with Margie and work your way through the entire chain.

Blog Chain - Hills and Valleys

2010-08-31T08:52:00.003-06:00

Eric challenges us this round of the blog chain with the question:

What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of being a writer? What is your greatest reward from writing?

I can honestly say that right now, I'm experiencing my greatest challenge so far as a writer. Since going out on submission I've been asked to make some pretty major revisions to my novel. Not once, but twice. The changes require me to take the characters I've spent over a year with and tweak their personalities. Not much, but just enough to make a subtle difference. Let me say, the whole thing is making my head ache. Whereas I'm usually a good reviser and a thoughtful one, this last round was done hastily and thoughtlessly. The end result: a tongue lashing from my agent that I 100 million percent deserved. As it turns out, my downfall in this situation was my inability to relax and realize that publishing moves at its own pace. Period. I can do NOTHING to change that fact. For me, the most challenging aspect of being a writer is the waiting. I struggle with being patient every day. Once I get a grip on the pace of things and learn to accept the fact that I can't hurry it along, I think I'll find my Zen.

My greatest reward in writing is seeing the end result of my hard work. And I'm not just talking about signing with my agent or going out on submission. I'm talking about the creation--the story crafted from my mind and laid out on paper. The intricate weaving of plot and character and story that comes together to form this real-to-me world. Knowing that I can sit down with a stack of Post-its and a Sharpie and outline an entire adventure puts me in perma-grin mode. The smiles and wonderful comments from readers is the icing on the cake. Nothing can compare to the feeling you get when someone tells you: "This was a great book. Really. Great."

Want to know what my fellow blog chainers consider the hills and valleys of their writing experiences? Check out Kate's post before mine, or Sandra's tomorrow.

Blog Chain - So.... What's Up?

2010-08-04T12:17:00.004-06:00

Superhero incognito Cole Gibsen came up with this round's blog-chain topic. Kate posted before me and check out Sandra tomorrow. Cole asks:

Are you querying? Gearing up to go on submission? Writing? Revising? I'd love to hear what's new with you. And if you'd like to share a snippet of your WIP, even better!

I've been in a literary limbo for the past couple of months. My novel, SHAEDES OF GRAY went out on submission at the beginning of June. And while I play the waiting game, I've been working with my agent of awesomeness, plotting and writing synopses for the next three books in the series. Before that, I wrapped up an unrelated WIP, HUNTER'S MOON and it's resting until I get the opportunity to re-read and further edit.

So... though it's not anything I'm actively working on, I'll go ahead and share a snippet of that WIP with you. It's been on my mind lately, I can't wait to get back to work on it. Maybe I'll make it my "waiting" project. It's a little rough... just barely a first draft, so go easy on me. Enjoy!

The three of them whispered in his ear. They'd prodded him for weeks, urging him to take action against those who’d wronged him. They spoke as one, not nearly as strange as the fact that he couldn’t see them. But he felt their touch. Their hands never left him.

“We can give you pleasure,” they said. “We can make you the object of her obsession. We can give you anything you crave if you unleash us. All you have to do is ask.”

“No. You’ll hurt her.”

“Why would we do that?” they seethed. “If she is not your enemy, she is safe from our wrath.”

“I—I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think this is a very good idea.”

The hands pulled away and their hissing voices raised the hairs on his neck. “You want what is just beyond your reach. You crave what we can give you. We are vengeance.”

“No. I want you to leave. I want you to go away.”

Their laughter came as through dusty-dry throats. “It’s too late for that. You called to us and we are yours until you give us purpose.”

“If I do it… If I—give you purpose—then you’ll leave me?”

“Of course,” the three replied. “Once we’ve tasted the flesh of your enemies.”

He shut his eyes, the tighter the better. But he couldn’t banish the sensation of their invisible hands caressing him from head to toe. He wished he were dead. The suspicion he’d lost his grip on reality wore him down. If he told anyone, he’d be put away for sure. But they were as real to him as anything. It didn't matter that he couldn’t see them. He could hear them just fine. And his body knew their lover’s touch.

He was willing to do anything. Anything to get rid of them.

Tears squeezed out from his tightly shut lids. “Fine. Do it. Take revenge for me. Give me what I want and then leave me alone.”

Invisible lips took turns kissing his mouth. “They will taste our fury. Who is first?”

He knew who he wanted it to be. But just to be safe he’d try it out on someone less important. He whispered the name, barely audible, but they heard him and for the first time in months, left his side.

Blog Chain - Revise Me a Story

2010-07-24T08:58:00.004-06:00

This round's blog chain comes from the FABULOUS Sarah who, I might add, stayed up with me into the wee hours last night for an EPIC brainstorming session! Let me just say, that girl could write a book in a night! Anyway--she asks the question:

How do you handle revisions? Do you revise as you're writing, or do you wait until you've gone through beta readers and crit partners to revise? How soon after you finish do you begin your revisions?

I hate to revise. Well, at least, I used to. It always seemed like such a daunting task. I'd whine about making the changes with an "I can't" attitude. But now that I've found my revisionist groove, I don't feel that stress any more. Revising is part of the process and there are many voices chiming in, helping your novel to become a complete and finished product.

I do like to revise while I write. Sarah and I have a tendency to crit chapters as we write them and the rhythm works well for us. But my other crit partners like to have that finished MS in their hands and that works great too! Different methods=different results=all good! While I'm writing, I like to go back and read the previous chapter. I usually don't make any major changes, I'll just polish it a bit. After I've typed THE END, I know I should wait the obligatory 4-6 weeks, but let me tell you, it's HARD for me. I'm not a waiter--like--at all. I'd get so excited to "get the book out there" that I'd jump the gun. And more than once, I've suffered for my haste.

Wait. Do it, people. I may not be any good at it, but I know the benefits. Revise, let the MS sit and send it crit partners. Revise again. Shelf the book for a while--three weeks is even better than none!--and revise again. Once you get that draft to fighting weight, send it out there. And yes, be prepared to revise again, and again, and again!

Kate's response to this question came before mine, and Sandra's will pop up tomorrow. If you want to read about the entire chain's approach to revisions, Start from Sarah's original post and work your way through! Unless, you've got some revising to do! ;)

Climbing the Mountain and Facing Fear

2010-07-22T19:49:00.012-06:00

My kids have been on my case lately. I think they're tired of my stressed-out attitude. To take my mind off of my worries, we've been having some adventures. Now, with little ones, an adventure can be as small as a walk to the park. But when your kids are 13 and 20... well... they expect a little more out of the experience. Today we took a break from the lake, tennis, movie marathons and short hikes behind our house for a larger-scale endeavor. This rock is known to the locals as "Thinking Point" and it's a steep 30 minute hike to get there.

I hate to admit that I'm not in very good shape. I'm going to be coaching in less than a month and I need to get my ass in gear! "Are you okay mom?" The kids asked as we hiked. "Yep," I said, panting just a little. "You wanna quit?" They asked. "NO." Was I tired? Sure. Was the thought of a cushiony couch a welcome distraction? You know it! But I signed up for an adventure, damn it, and I wasn't going home until I'd climbed to the top of that rock.

To say I've been distracted, cranky, and a bit crazy lately is an understatement. Being on submission is a million times more stressful than querying, and this week, the stress really caught up to me. "Are you okay, now, Amanda?" My agent asks. "Yep," I type back, embarrassed for the neurotic email I sent her. "You wanna do those revisions?" My crit partners ask. "YES." Am I worried about my subs? Um, yeah. Was the thought of editorial notes and further revisions a frightening thought. Yes, yes, and YES! But I signed up for this adventure too, damn it, and I'm not turning back until I see that publishing contract in my hands.

When we got to the top of the rock, I walked out to the very tip and took this pic. The red dot on the road is my car. As I looked down, I had that moment of fear where your breath stalls in your chest and your limbs just absolutely refuse to move. One misstep and I'd be a goner. Just like my submissions. One plot point, one similarity to another book on their list and my hopes and dreams tumble to the spiky granite below. But when I took a step back and looked at the magnificent view all around me I realized that the fear was worth the reward. The hard work hiking the steep trail, the vertigo, all of it was worth the view.

Just like my journey to publication, the hours spent writing and re-writing, editing and revising, refusing to quit not matter the rejections has been well worth the journey so far. I'm standing on the edge of that virtual cliff right now, my breath stalling in my chest as I wait. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. It might be next month, or next year before I hear the news I'm waiting to hear. Until then, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the beautiful view.

The Power of Belief - A Guest Post With Author Christine Fonseca

2010-07-19T07:30:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited to have author Christine Fonseca as a guest on my blog today! She's a talented writer (in both the fiction and non-fiction arenas) and always there for me when I need a pick-up. We've been talking a lot about the road to publication and what it takes to make it. Her post today literally brought tears to my eyes. Take it away, Christine!

Before I get into today’s guest post, I want to take a minute to thank Amanda for having me. Amanda and I met on the interwebz a year ago or so. Since that time, we’ve belonged to the same Blog Chain group and traveled similar circles. She’s hung out on my blog sharing an interview or her words of wisdom. Most recently, she’s been one of my go-to peeps to swap an idea or two with. Amanda is a great writer with a fabulous future. I am so excited to see what exciting things happen for her.

Which brings me to today’s post – The Power of Belief.

I stumbled across the following quote while ~~wasting time~~ researching on the interwebz.

“Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have NO choice but to believe with you.” - Cynthia Kersey

The words struck a chord with me, reaching deep into some unspoken place.

...believe in yourself…believe in yourself

The words wrapped around me, seeping into my skin. The missing ingredient over the past few weeks. The differentiating piece between success and failure.

Belief.

We can all agree that it takes good writing, good timing and a little luck to make it in this business. But it takes something else as well.

The infallible belief that YOU WILL MAKE IT.

That belief will carry you through the hard times, because yes – there will be hard times.

And that belief will force you to do what is necessary for success.

It will force you to improve your craft, create new stories, and revise until your eyes bleed.

Belief in yourself and your success will force you to find honest – brutally honest – crit partners. It will force you to see the stories in a new light, force you to jump into the deep end of the query pool as often as necessary to find that agent or make that sale.

These actions will make the world will stand up and believe in your success as much as you do.
One of my writerly buds used to tell me to Dream Big. I have a new saying…

“Dream big and have the strength to believe it will happen.”

Do you believe?

Christine writes nonfiction and fiction for teens and adults. Her upcoming release, Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students (Prufrock Press, October 2010) deals with the often turbulent world of giftedness. When she is not working as a school psychologist helping adolescents deal with the transition to adulthood, or playing Band Hero with her husband and daughters, she can be found sipping a skinny vanilla latte at her favorite coffee house, writing her next book.

Blog Chain - The Inner Sanctum

2010-07-07T08:33:00.004-06:00

I'm back for this round of the blog chain! My internet troubles and writing whatnot has kept me away but Bonnie's question this round came at just the right time!

Is there a place you like to write that's extra special? Have you carved out a writing niche? Is there a certain time of day (or night) when the words fall into place, and your brain is focused on nothing but writing?

I live in a tiny house. Like, just over a thousand square feet. There's no such thing as privacy, and my writing space consists of a kitchen table that my husband wishes we'd actually eat at once in a while. During the school year, I get the house all to myself four days a week. Friday through Sunday... well that's another story. But even when I do have the house to myself, real life sort of seeps through. There's the laundry, the phone, the dogs who want in and out, in and out. So even though it's just me and laptop, it's really not.

Adaptability is key for my writing. Pandora and headphones are all I really need to shut out real life. And when my husband travels to conferences, I often tag along. Hotel writing is one of my favs! Nothing but me, and a quiet room with no distractions. In the summer, I flee to my family's cabin by the lake. No internet, no phone, and a view to die for. Just last weekend I holed up by the fireplace and cranked out four-thousand words.

But those solitary moments are few and far between. I've learned how to channel my muse despite the distractions of every day life. I sort of like my little kitchen table in my tiny house. But I'm not gonna lie... I dream of building an addition with a nice little office. Sound-proof!

Where do you go for a little peace and quiet? Is there a special place where inspiration flows? Check out Kate's post before mine and Sandra's tomorrow for the inside scoop on their inner sanctums!

Blog Neglect

2010-07-01T07:23:00.002-06:00

I have come to a decision: I'm a horrible blogger. It's okay, I've come to terms with it. I just can't make myself post on a regular basis. And I'm envious of my friends out there who put out the effort and write--sometimes daily--some really great posts!

I've hit the downhill slope of my WIP. I'm looking at 8 chapters. A mere 24 thousand words and I'm done! This is my favorite part of any WIP because the story just seems to fly! The loose ends all come together, and best of all, this is when my heroine gets to really kick some ass! I think I do some good writing in action scenes. I can crank out three or four thousand words and not even realize I've been sitting at my computer for a few hours.

Of course, I'll still be posting here and over at Writing Out the Angst. But as I sit here, antsy to get back to the WIP I can't help but think, Does it get better than this? Sitting at my laptop with a cup of coffee, letting my imagination run free on the page. I think not.

What's your favorite part of a WIP to write? The foundation? The rising tension that builds to the middle? Or the climactic ending?

St Vincent - Paris is Burning

2010-06-18T13:24:00.000-06:00

I love summer. One of the reasons: So You Think You Can Dance! I find so many great songs to inspire me. This song from last week has become the theme song for my WIP. How about you? Where do you find new music to inspire you?

Being Coachable

2010-06-10T13:04:00.002-06:00

You might have guessed since I'm pulling out the sports metaphors, that volleyball season is about to start. I've been talking to a university coach who's coming up to do our summer camp and it got me thinking about something we tell the girls every season.

Be Coachable.

Usually when I say this, the girls look at me with this glazed-over, confused expression. Most of them don't have a clue what I'm talking about and so I have to give the lecture every year. Being coachable means being open to suggestions, listening to your coaches and implementing the things they're teaching you. Don't argue. Don't insist your way is better, because it's not. If your serve isn't making it over the net, your way is NOT WORKING. We're the coaches, we have our jobs for a reason. Please listen to us and be open to trying our methods.

The same thing applies with writing. Someone mentioned to me that she couldn't believe how much my writing had improved since she'd seen the first draft of my manuscript. And the reason for that is coachability. I absorb feedback like a sponge. I only have to be told once that I'm doing something wrong. I am open to criticism and I strive to grow and learn every day. I weigh the pros and cons of every suggestion and never discount anyone's feedback until I've thoroughly thought it through. I am a coachable writer.

Flexibility is key. Be like a tree in the wind. You don't want to break, you want to sway. Be open to every crit, every suggestion, every ounce of beta feedback. Listen to what people are telling you. Don't be stubborn. Learn from writers who've been where you've been. Be coachable and soon you'll be a top-notch player.

You Must Read This Post

2010-05-26T16:20:00.003-06:00

Now. Just click the link and read the awesomeness. Cole Gibsen has written an epic post about writing like an X-men. It is without a doubt The. Best. Post. Ever. I dare you to disagree!!!

Blog Chain - Dream On

2010-05-24T19:31:00.002-06:00

I should NEVER be allowed to start a blog chain! For some reason or other, I always seem to forget and this round is no exception. Since finishing my agent revisions last week, I sort of went on mental hiatus. I still have comments to post from last round, and I'm sorry fellow chainers... I'll get to you ASAP! :)

I'm going to combine the blog chain with a post I've been thinking about writing for a while now:

What do you do to keep yourself motivated when you feel like you're not making any progress in your writing career?

It could have been last week's episode of Glee that inspired me. Aerosmith's DREAM ON has got to be one of my favorite motivational songs, and it made me think of all the times on this journey to publication where I felt like I was spinning my wheels and making no real progress at all. You begin to feel hopeless, and that's not a feeling I enjoy.

There were times when I had extreme ups and extreme downs. Requests for fulls and an agent conversation that had me soaring through the clouds, only to send me slamming down to earth. That was the worst for me, that episode almost six months ago. I leaned on my family. I whined to my friends. I cried. I cried for about three days. It was the one time that I truly felt like I needed to take an extended break from this dream of mine. My friends and crit partners rallied, telling me I was good enough, reassuring me it was only a matter of time. My kids urged me to keep going despite the odds. And my husband, usually a writing opponent, turned to me one night when I was at my lowest and said, "You're going to get up in the morning, you're going to sit down at that computer. And you're going to write."

I needed that kick in the ass. It was like waking up from a stupor. This was my dream! How could I even THINK about giving up so easily? I hadn't even broken the surface of the query pool! I wasn't even close to throwing in the towel!

Thanks to my friends and family and their kind words and in case of my husband, some firm commands, I sat down at my computer the next day and I spent the next two weeks revising my novel. I spent the next two months querying that novel, and three months to the day after that low moment... I signed with an agent. This is my dream. Some dreams are harder to achieve than others. But when I was feeling less than motivated to keep fighting, I listened to the voices around me, the ones that lifted me up from that dark place. To write a novel is a solitary thing, but I've never felt so surrounded by support as when I dreamed the dream of becoming a published author.

How do you keep motivated when you feel you're losing momentum with your writing? Check out Sandra's post after mine to see how she keeps her wheels spinning!

We Have a Winner!!

2010-05-24T09:33:00.003-06:00

Sorry I didn't post this on Friday, guys! Blogger and I were NOT getting along. Anyway, the winner of my Patricia Briggs Book Giveaway was selected from my followers using Random.org to generate the winning number. And the winner of MOON CALLED by Patricia Briggs is....

Lady Glamis! YAY! Michelle, shoot me an email with your mailing address and I'll get the book sent out to you! Congrats and enjoy! This is one of my very favorite book series! :D

Blog Chain - Reading Obsessions

2010-05-18T18:29:00.005-06:00

Blog chain time! I've been so excited for this post, because I get to talk about the books I love to read. The AWESOME Christine started us out this round asking:

“Which author or authors have most influenced your writing and how?”

You'll all be surprised to know that being the Urban Fantasy junkie that I am, the writer that has most influenced me has nothing to do with my genre at all. Bernard Cornwell writes historical fiction; my two favorite series being THE WARLORD CHRONICLES which gives a fresh spin on the Arthurian Legends, and THE SAXON TALES which centers around King Alfred's resistance of Danish invasion. Mr. Cornwell's writing strikes a chord with me. He writes the most honorable, heartfelt, complex, and strong protags. Granted, they're all men, but I aspire to write my female protags in much the same way. I also bow down to Mr. Cornwell as a writer because he taught me how to write a battle scene. My female protags are fighters! They can wield a sword or dagger with the best of them. I learned from his books about sword fighting, the gruesome details of battle, and the warrior's mentality. I can honestly say that when I received the revision notes from my agent, she didn't touch my battle scenes. And I have to admit, I am damn proud of myself for that!

Another writer who has influenced my writing is Anne Rice. Her fearless exploration of the dark and taboo only served to enrich stories woven with some of the most beautiful descriptive passages I've ever read. The woman was a vampire powerhouse before vamps were en vogue! A true Urban Fantasy Pioneer! She took literary flare, family saga, fantasy and psychology and wove them together to create books that have no comparison. I love Ms. Rice's writing so much, that everything I write has a secret little homage to her!

In my own genre, I have many loves. Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Ilona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Cheyenne McCray, Lilith Saintcrow, Caitlin Kittredge, and on the YA side, Melissa Marr and J. K. Rowling just to name a few. All of these talented women have taught me a thing or two about writing kick-ass heroines and writing tension that keeps a reader enthralled come hell, high water, laundry, kids, work... well, you get the picture! ;)

Be sure to check out Michelle's post before mine and Sandra's tomorrow to find out what books distract them from real life and fuel their creative lives!

Patricia Briggs Book Giveway!!

2010-05-17T09:37:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I know I said I'd announce this contest last week, but I totally spaced the fact that I was going to be out of town. Better late than never, I guess!

In honor of Spread the Awesome two weeks ago, I am giving away a hard-cover copy of Patricia Brigg's first book in the Mercy Thompson series: MOON CALLED. All you have to do to enter is be a follower on my blog! No retweeting or facebooking necessary, but if you want to pass the word around, that would be great too!

I'll pick a winner randomly from my followers on Friday, May 21st. Good Luck!

Flexing my Writerly Muscles

2010-05-05T09:05:00.002-06:00

I'm closing out this round of the blog chain. Sandra really challenged us by offering us a choice between two topics--or both:

1)Have you ever created a character different from yourself in some significant way, such as (but not limited to) different gender, race, ethnic group, religion, or sexual orientation? If so, what, if any, research did you do to portray these differences? Was this character a main character, secondary character, or walk-on? Did these differences have an impact on the story?

OR:

2)Have you ever written writing exercises? If so, did you find the experience useful? What type of writing exercises were they, and did you do them on your own or as part of a writing class or workshop?

Because it's relevant to my life right now, I've decided to tackle option number 2.

I'm currently working on round 2 of agent revisions. My world building just isn't quite there yet. The who's and why's of my imaginary world need to be set out--definite and firm. I'd held back vital information from the reader. Things I knew in my head and didn't bother to think another person might want to know. Creating rules for my characters to live by is hard. Like, aching brain hard. So, I've used a couple of writing exercises to get the ball rolling.

Two groups of characters in my book, Shaedes of Gray, needed histories. Namely, my Shaedes, and their antithesis, the Lyhtans. Where did they come from? *Amanda scratches her head* How to begin? I wrote their history. I used a cheesy fairy tale format, I told the story like I would read it to my children at bedtime. I used flowery purple prose and antiquated speech. I mean, it's not like any one's ever going to read it. This story was for me, to give me insight into my characters' origins.

Next, I needed to lay out some rules. Such as... What do Lyhtans eat? Where do they live? How do they make money? Where it might not seem relevant to the story itself(it's not like we take a peek inside their daily life) it IS relevant to the world building. And with that thought in mind... How do my supernatural creatures interact with one another? How do they get by in a world populated with humans? How do they govern themselves, who polices them? You can see how this may have triggered a migraine or two. Enter the storyboard! I was going to use this system to plot the next book in the Shaedes series. But I've decided to modify it and use my storyboard as a world building board. Sticky notes, headers, Sharpy markers, and viola! Rules and lifestyles mapped out and ready for me to incorporate into my novel.

In fact, the storyboarding is working so well for me right now, I can't imagine starting another novel without one! Character biographies as well have become an indispensable part of my writing process. Do you use writing exercises? Storyboards? What works for you and what doesn't? I'd love to know!

Spread the Awesome! Books That Deserve Ten Stars

2010-05-03T05:30:00.000-06:00

Spread the Awesome: Books That Deserve Ten Stars

Thanks to idea machine, Elana Johnson, May 3rd has officially become Spread the Awesome Day. Throughout the blogosphere you’ll find posts dedicated to authors and books so good, they deserve ten stars. As my own journey in publishing continues, I can’t help but think of the great authors who have inspired my own writing and I’m using today to pay homage to an awesome author who has distracted me from household chores, meals, kids, work, and my own writing: Patricia Briggs.

Believe it or not, my first experience with Ms. Briggs’s writing came to me via a fireman. One of my husbands colleagues and a voracious reader, he approached me one day and said, “You’ve got to read this book.” Moon Called was my first Patricia Briggs reading adventure, and from the first sentence, I became a head-over-heels Mercy Thompson fan.

Mercedes, the WV mechanic (cute, right?) is a shape-shifter. Thanks to her Native American father, she can shift into coyote form whenever the mood suits her. But raising a shifter was no easy task for her very human mother. She’s sent to the Marrok (the alpha of all alphas) in Montana and fostered by the werewolf community. Needless to say, she grows up more than able to hold her own. You have to be tough as nails to deal with werewolf egos. Mercy’s adventures in the Tri-Cities area of Washington have her tangling with vampires, fae, demons, and ghosts. And in the fifth installment of the Mercy series, Blood Borne, her plate is more than full:

When Mercy attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down. It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side—leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father (the Marrok) declare Sam's life forfeit. All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

I just can’t say enough good things about this book. Not only is Patricia Briggs an excellent world builder, her werewolves ROCK! She’s done a great job crafting a tough, independent female protagonist who can hold her own in a fight while surrounding herself with Alpha males who can still bring a flush of excitement to her cheeks. In Ms. Briggs’s series, the Fae and werewolves have come out to the public. I love that even though the world knows about the existence of these creatures, an esoteric veil remains to conceal their deeper secrets. And as far as Mercy goes… well, Ms. Briggs has crafted a multi-dimensional, emotional character, unique as she’s a shifter and not a werewolf. Though she lacks the super-strength of the werewolves, she possesses her own magic that I suspect we readers know as little about as Mercy. I’m hoping to see that aspect of her character develop in future novels.

Haven’t read the Mercy Thompson series yet?!?! Well, you’re missing out! To celebrate this great day of blogging dedicated to our favorite authors, I’ll be giving away a copy of the first Mercy Thompson book: Moon Called right here next week. Stay tuned for details! In the meantime, if you’re looking for more awesome reads, check out Shannon Messenger’s blog to read about her featured book: The Candy Shop Wars by Brandon Mull. And for links to all of the Share the Awesome participant’s posts, check out the Recommended Reads page at Elana Johnson’s blog!

Characters, Playlists, and Bolero

2010-04-21T08:36:00.002-06:00

Recently, a crit partner was reading my revisions when she emailed me. "I was reading some Shaedes and Ravel's "Bolero" fits Xander, musically speaking. It's just so full of itself and even, perfect rhythm."

Now for those of you who don't know--which is everyone :)--Xander is an over the top, full of himself character in my novel Shaedes of Gray. I reflected on my friend's comment and thought, Wow. That piece of music is TOTALLY him. She sent me a link to the piece and as I listened, eyes closed, I couldn't help but smile. "Regal and seductive," she said. Oh ya. That was Xander to a tee.

I've posted before about music and inspiration. For a writer the two go hand in hand. Playlists are a norm in YA right now, and as an adult writer, I envy YA writers that they get the extra attention of showcasing the music that inspires them. My crit partner Sarah has corresponding playlists with her novel and my other partner, Suzanne (who writes adult as well as dabbles in YA) has incorporated the music of the 80's (Zepplin and The Runaways just to name a couple) into hers. And though I don't have a particular song or piece of music to correspond to each chapter, I did include a link to playlists on my website. The songs I listened to while writing helped me channel the emotions I needed to set up a scene or had lyrics that spoke to me. Like I've said before, I'm a sucker for 90's alternative. Give me an angsty, gravelly-voiced guy with greasing-looking hair and I'm gone! But classical music as well, has fueled my creativity in a way that no other music can. The emotions conveyed in classical pieces (Vivaldi, Brahms, Mozart, just to name some of my favs) have no rival. I could write all day with the right crescendo to guide me.

What do you listen to for inspiration? Do you include your playlists on your blog/website? Are you a YA author bent on discovering the next big thing in music? Or are you an adult writer like me, wishing your playlists had their own page at the back of your book?

Blog Chain - For Love or Market

2010-04-04T22:17:00.006-06:00

This round's blog chain, started by the fabulous Michelle is eerily relevant to me right now. She asks:

Do you write for the market or for yourself? Why? Are there times you do both? Or times when you've written something specifically because it was "hot" at the moment? If so, how did it turn out?

When I started my new WIP last spring, I ran with a single idea. A sentence, really. I didn't write it for the market, or the reader, or even with an agent in mind. This story was for me. I set out to produce something unique, an urban fantasy that broke out of the typical character line-up. The words flowed, the story unfolded and when I'd finished, I was beyond proud of the book.

When I started querying, I received mixed reviews. It was a love/hate situation in that some of the agents rejected me at the speed of light while others requested with enthusiasm. And the submissions went pretty much the same. One agent even told me that the novel was just too fantastical to be sold as an urban fantasy. But thanks to my friends and crit partners I persisted and continued to query. And after 6 months and many rejections, I finally found an agent who just 'clicked'. And I'm happy to say that I signed with her right away!

But again, market vs. passion came in to play. One thing that drew my agent to the story was the unique concept. But this got me to thinking... If it had been this hard to find the right agent, how much harder would it be to find the right publisher? Especially with the economy and market trends being what they are. In a waning industry, editors might not be willing to take a chance on a new concept. But then again... sometimes people need 'new and fresh' right?

In the end, I wouldn't have it any other way. Market trends or not, I write what I write. Period. Because if it doesn't come from my heart, it won't be believable. And no one's going to buy a book with no heart. I wouldn't.

Check out the equally fabulous Kate's post before mine and Sandra's tomorrow to find out who or what they write for!

A Big Announcement!!

2010-04-02T13:40:00.004-06:00

I've been given the green light to let everyone know that I've signed with an agent!

I'm now officially represented by Natanya Wheeler of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency. Natanya is absolutely amazing and I can't wait to start working on polishing my urban fantasy so we can get it out there in the world! This has been a totally surreal experience and I can safely say that I wouldn't be in this position right now if not for my writerly friends and most of all my critique partners! Thanks you guys!!! You're awesome! :D

Who am I?

2010-03-22T10:59:00.002-06:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent the weekend re-vamping my blog and website. I really felt like my blog in particular was a generic, cookie-cutter product that didn't showcase any of who I want to be as a writer. Then, I got to thinking about it and realized that when I started my blog a little over a year ago, I had no idea who I was.

I wrote my first book in a flurry of keystrokes, cranking out a product that fit a preconceived notion of what I thought readers(and agents)wanted. It was soft, fluffy, and a bit non-committal. In essence, the book was a big fat bowl of vanilla ice cream. I took a break, queried, took my hits and started back up, this time working on a sequel. I relaxed a little, let my personality come though a bit more, and the end result was--well--more like pralines and cream. A step up from vanilla, but not by much.

The rejections rolled in, one after the other. My request rate, a little worse than ten percent. "Your writing shows promise, but it's not quite there," became the standard response to submissions. I took another break. A little longer this time. I networked, I blogged, I critiqued. And I made some friends in the writing world. But it wasn't until a rainy Saturday morning last May that I finally realized why my writing wasn't quite there.

A single sentence popped into my head. A voice in, of all things, first person. Um, I don't write first person! I don't like it! But the voice would not be silenced and an idea bloomed in my mind bright and urgent. I sat down at my laptop and in one weekend wrote the first 10,000 words. The story was dark, my heroine, bold, brash and unapologetic. Her steel-toed boots and samurai sword were a far cry from my previous characters. The tone of the novel, decidedly darker. I wrote the book in just under three months and couldn't have been happier with the end-product. My voice had finally shown through. The story had taken on a life of its own, no longer fitting the mold of what I thought readers and agents wanted. This book was one-hundred million percent ME. This book was a big 'ole bowl of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey. And you know what? This book has had a much better reception. I can't believe how blessed I've been during this long query process.

One of my friends asked me the other day about my first book, now shelved and resting, maybe indefinitely. "You could always revise it," she said. "Do you think you will?" I thought about it, rolled the possibility in my mind and said, "I've been thinking about that, and I've decided that book just isn't what I want to be known for. It's not the kind of writer I want to be. I like the dark stuff, I like hard, angsty characters." And I know--KNOW--this dark stuff won't be everyone's cup of tea. But it's mine. And if I like it, there's other readers and agents out there that will like it too. I didn't try to please anyone but myself, and by doing that, I became the writer I knew I could be.

So when someone asks, "What do you write?" I'll no longer waffle on the answer, trying to decide what they want to hear. I'll answer, "I write dark urban fantasy. And I like it."

Spring "Cleaning"

2010-03-20T20:00:00.003-06:00

I've been inspired by my super busy friends. Many of them are revamping their blogs and websites and since at this particular moment I'm in a holding pattern... that is, waiting, waiting, WAITING... I thought I'd spruce up for spring too with a new and improved blog backdrop and a title that I felt was more fitting to me as a writer. My website as well as been "enhanced" with a new photo and a new excerpt from my WIP. Do you get antsy as well? Are you constantly itchy to change your look? Let me know!! :D

A Quick Shout Out

2010-03-18T07:15:00.003-06:00

I'm seriously going to TRY to be a better blogger, as in, I'm going to step out of the blog chain box and post more often. So, I think I'll take baby steps and crawl back in to it! ;)

My friend Michael's YA paranormal, The Dark Light of November, was recently released as an e-book! You can check it out by visiting his blog or you can purchase the e-book through the following links:

ireadiwrite

amazon

Congrat's Michael! And good luck!

Blog Chain - Talk to Me

2010-03-16T15:20:00.007-06:00

My poor blog... it's been pretty neglected lately. After a brief hiatus forced by a nasty computer virus, I'm back on line. But--I'm determined to finish all of my crit reading and give some much needed attention to my WsIP right now. (Yes, I'm working on multiple projects right now, something I said I'd NEVER do!)So, aside from blog chain, I've kept a pretty low profile. Thanks to everyone who still follows me, I'm sorry I haven't commented on your blogs lately and I appreciate that you haven't dumped me yet! ;)

Kate started the chain this round, throwing down the gauntlet with a many-parted question:

Do you enjoy writing dialogue? Do you use a lot of dialogue in your writing (for our purposes "a lot" will be defined as more than a smidge and yet not so much that the quotes key on your computer is completely worn out.)? Do you have example(s) of dialogue you especially enjoyed from something you've read? Do you have example(s) of dialogue from your own writing? What about these examples makes them special?

I LOVE writing dialog. It's one aspect of my writing that I don't mind tooting my own horn about. I think I do it well and I also think I have a knack for making dialog come across as natural and fluid. Though I don't think I overuse dialog in my writing, (I hope it's about a 50/50 mix), I use dialog as a means for description as well as a tension builder within a scene.

I have SO many favorite books, so many exchanges of words that I love. Finding a good example was hard. Ultimately, I decided on a short exchange that really shows how good dialog can amp up tension in a scene. I'm a HUGE Anne Rice Fan, and this exchange between Louis and Lestat in Interview With the Vampire is one of my favorites:

"Why do you do this, Lestat?" I asked.

"I like to do it," he said. "I enjoy it." He looked at me. "I don't say that you have to enjoy it. Take your aesthete's tastes to purer things. Kill them swiftly if you will, but do it! Learn that you're a killer! Ah!"

The dialog tags here are simple: he said, he looked at me. But the conversation between the characters shows me all I need to know. The heated tempers are there, the tension is there. I can tell the friction between them is building to a point that will soon explode. This--is great dialog.

As far as my own writing goes, I'm going to defer to one of my crit partner's suggestions. It's a small snippet, as I'd like to keep this post to a PG-13 rating ;)

“Finn, her house was decked out for a date night, candles, dinner on the table, wine. Are you seriously going to stand there and tell me that you stood her up? No phone call, no apologies?”

“You’re damn right that’s what I’m telling you.” He’d closed the space between them, his stance aggressive as he leaned down to eye level. “She was nasty to you every single day of your life. Do you really think I’d give two shits if her feelings were hurt about being stood up? She deserved it. In fact, she deserved a lot more than that. I’d never play nice with anyone who’d hurt you.”

“Did she deserve to die?” Jacquelyn asked.

“What? No,” Finn said, looking away. “But damnit, Jax…”

“What, Finn?” she demanded. “What?”

“Why can’t you see that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get you back? I’m dying here. I can’t breathe without you. You’re killing me.”

I like this exchange because it's a tense moment between my characters. I mean, it's not every day you accuse your ex-boyfriend of bringing down some serious supernatural death down on someone. Both characters are stressed. Jacquelyn, because she's trying to stop a killer and has to face the possibility someone she loved is behind the murders. And Finn, because he can't believe he's being accused by the woman he's been trying to win back for the last few chapters. I wanted their exchange to be charged, real. And as I wrote it, my stomach tightened, my jaw clenched, and I hope that the reader feels that physical tension as well while reading the words.

Want more spectacular dialog? Check out Sandra's post tomorrow!!