Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I solemnly swear I'm up to no good.

I'm about to start re-watching the Harry Potter movies before the last one hits theaters on July 15th.

I have not watched HP7p1 yet. I have been saving that one to watch right before HP7p2. I'm very excited to see them both.

My parents and I read these books at the same time. Almost like a family book discussion group. They also enjoyed them on audio but I find they put me to sleep, especially in the car. That's a bad thing. We had a great time talking about these books and then going to the movies together.

I know some people have issues with the movies. I understand that Hollywood couldn't possibly do the books justice. But I thought the actors did a great job and they stayed true to the books as much as I think they could.

So I will bring my box of tissues and my M&M's to the movies on July 15th-ish and watch Mr. Harry Potter, from the cupboard under the stairs, kick some Big V BUTT!



Anyone joining me?

Monday, June 27, 2011

A Fine Line

Had a chat with a male friend this weekend about the fine line between romance and erotica. 

He is well aware that I write books but I think he assumed I wrote sweet romance.

I assured him that I did not.

He then jumped from sweet right to erotica.

The conversation rolled quickly downhill.

Whoa! What about romance? What about having sex in a story without it sounding like a badly written letter to Penthouse Forums?

He didn't get it.

We discussed at length the wording differences between romance sex and erotica sex.

For him it was either all or...well...all.

For me it was writing what I was comfortable with.

I enjoy reading erotica but deep down (actually, not that deep) I'm just a prude.

I blush just thinking about writing it.

I blush even more thinking about someone I might know reading it.

Sheesh.

I'm just always blushing! 

And yes, my own sex scenes make me blush but only while I'm writing them.  ;)

To make a long story short...too late...it was good to get another point of view, especially a male point of view, about what he perceived was between the pages.


A quick thank you to Tara at Tara Tyler Talks for saying such nice things about me today!


So, anyone else NOT at the Romance Writers of America convention in NYC?

Friday, June 24, 2011

Great article and a lesson learned.

If you don't do anything else today read this article: How to become an author, in 5 incredibly difficult steps, by Robert Brockway. It's fucking hilarious. My favorite quote: "Editing is just like writing, except hateful, and in reverse."


Lesson I learned on Tuesday.

Don't leave your notebook in your truck when you bring it to the garage to have your brakes fixed. When inspiration strikes and your notebook is 5 feet in the air on a lift you have to paw through old magazines and newspapers in the waiting room to find blank paper to write on.

So sad.

I was so surprised to be writing that I didn't mind scribbling on scraps of paper in three different directions.

I am a little frightened to transfer what I wrote into the computer. My rarely used handwriting is like deciphering hieroglyphics.


So be it.


I'll take it.


That's about all I have today. I'm in the middle of the fireman's carnival this week and it's raining and raining and we are so soggy and getting a little moldy. No fun this year.


If you are having sun...please enjoy it for me.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Poignant words from a Picker.

I was watching American Pickers. The two hosts of the show are in Malibu, CA and they meet a guy who says he has over 550,000 record albums. They are too stunned, and frankly frightened, to even begin to look through them so they skip over them. 

But, the one guy says a few words about vinyl that I found very memorable and thought provoking.

He says today you just click a button and you instantly download a song or a whole album to your electronic device.

But, when he was younger there was a more personal relationship with the music. 

You took the record out of the jacket. You put it on your record player and set the needle. While it was cueing up you looked at the album cover art. As it started to play the first song you checked out the band notes and song lists. If you were lucky it even included the lyrics.

He felt there was more of a connection with the artist and their music. 

That rang completely true with me.

I'm just old enough that the first music I ever purchased was on vinyl. It wasn't long before cassettes came out and once they did I never looked back.

But, even with cassettes and CD's the music was in your hand. You were excited to open the case and see if the band wrote anything to the fans in the little booklet. 

I don't know if I would feel that same excitement by just downloading music from the internet. I haven't had the opportunity.

I have downloaded a few e-books to my computer. Less than 10. I have read most of them. I do like the convenience and of course the instant gratification.

But, I miss the pages. I miss holding the book. I miss throwing in a bookmark when I reluctantly have to put it down. I miss carrying it to the porch or into the bedroom to sneak in a few more pages.

Real books will always be my favorite.

Will I stop downloading? No.

Will I eventually buy an e-reader? Probably not. 

Carina Press is giving away an e-book for free each day this week. Free free. Sign up. Use the daily promo code. Download. 

So, long winded post I know, but does anyone care to share their thoughts?

What happened to Monday?

I meant to post. I really did.

I'm not sure where the day went. It was just suddenly over and I was heading to bed and I remembered that I never had a chance to post anything. 

Huh.

It's now the middle of the night. I'm awake for no apparent reason. I guess I'll post.

Finished reading a few books that were on my pile. That made me happy.

Even with the constant interruptions.

That would be my 5 year old. Pick up a book or the phone and suddenly he needs to tell me something so important that it could not wait.

I remind him that everything is not 'all about him' but he really doesn't believe me. How could it not be 'all about him'?



I was tagged by the lovely Tara from Tara Tyler Talks. She apparently didn't like the questions that came with her tag so she changed them.

Gotta love that.

I will use her questions but I'm going to skip tagging anyone else at the moment. My brain will only do so much at 4:00 am. 

1. What is the first thing that you do in the morning? -- I hit the 'on' button on the coffee pot. Yes, the pot does have a timer but it rarely has the correct time.

2. How old do you feel? -- I feel my age. Old. I'm lucky in that I don't completely look my age.

 3. What's your sign and does the description match your personality? -- I am a Libra which I believe is the sign with a scale. This would match my personality since I mentally weigh all options and choices very carefully. Sometimes too carefully.


4. How do you like your caffeine? -- Coffee mostly but I do enjoy its other forms. I prefer 'coffee flavored coffee' but there are times I will be adventurous and try a flavored cup or additive.


5. Favorite cartoon character? -- Wile E. Coyote: Eatibus Anythingus. Wile E. teaches us perseverance, humility and the benefits of a great HMO.



Thanks, Tara, for the tag.

Friday, June 17, 2011

It's all good.

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reading copy of the book Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera.

All she asked was that I would read it before the release date and post a review anywhere I was comfortable. 

So, I'm posting it everywhere!


Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera has all the ingredients for a great contemporary romance. Beautiful women, handsome men and delicious pastry.

Fraught with poor self-esteem issues, but a strong personality, Grace Mills is a character I can really understand and root for.

Carlos Flores isn’t your typical cookie-cutter alpha male. He oozes charm and intensity but he’s solid and dependable.

I really enjoyed this very unusual novel. An important lesson about the grass not always being greener on the other side.

Craving Perfect is the perfect way to treat yourself to a charming love story. Bring it on vacation or to your favorite coffee shop and don’t forget to order the raspberry scones.

Or you can bake them at home because Ms. Fichera graciously included the recipes for the delectable treats she writes about in the back of her book. 



It's my first official review of anything. I realize I give out my opinion all the time but to write a review was more challenging.

I read some of the other reviews for the book on Goodreads and you can tell they have done this sort of thing before. 

Great experience and great read.

Also this week a neighbor/author friend of mine asked me to read through some of her chapters to help her clean them up before she submitted them to her agent. 

I'm feeling terribly snazzy about my-editing-self right now.

Of course your wonderful comments about my last blog post helped put a big smile on my face as well.
I'd say this was a pretty damn good week.

How about you guys?

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Like munchies to a stoner...

Your comments to me are like spinach to Popeye. Like sun to Superman. Like beer to a firefighter.

Awesome.

Here is the scene I was thinking of posting on that blog contest but didn't. It's from my story, Setting the Record Straight.


“You throw a great wedding Kerry. Congratulations again,” he said to her, putting his arms around her and pulling her in for a hug.
“You look even more tired than I feel,” she said.
“My schedule’s off. It’s early for me, my day is just starting.”
“I don’t know how you do it. Thanks for filling in at the last minute. You made an excellent groomsman.”
“Thank you, but it was my pleasure. Whatever you need, you know that.”
“I do know that. Speaking of which, do you think you could take Riley home? I don’t think she should drive.”
“Sure. I think she’s still out on the deck.”
The last thing Colin wanted was to see Riley but Kerry was right. He kissed his sister on the cheek and shook Patrick’s hand before he went to find her.
Colin checked the deck but he could tell right away that there was no one out there. He searched the reception hall and then headed to the parking lot to see if her truck was in the lot.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw that it was gone. Maybe Riley had someone drive her, he thought, but he knew she was too stubborn for that. He ran to get his father’s car keys.
By the time he gave a brief explanation to his parents and headed back to the car his temper was again at full boil. He followed the familiar roads to Riley’s house. What if she didn’t make it home? What if she hit something or someone? What if she was hurt?
As he pulled up in front of her house he saw her truck parked in the driveway. He stalked up her front steps and pounded on the front door. Ramsey barked steadily from the other side.
“Go away,” Riley said through the door.
“Riley, open this door.”
“Not a chance.”
“Open the damn door.”
“Are you completely mental?”
“Open it.”

Riley could feel Colin’s anger through the thick wood and she wondered if he could cause it to implode. She slowly unlocked the door and pulled it open, holding on to Ramsey’s collar with her other hand.
Colin swept in and slammed the door shut. His hands were unexpectedly gripping her and touching her everywhere.
“What are you doing?” she sputtered, losing her grip on the dog, who took off for the kitchen.
Some guard dog, she thought.
“I’m checking you for injuries. Do you have any idea what you put everyone through? Leaving the party and driving home drunk?”
“I am not drunk,” she said pushing at his hands. “I’m all sobered up thanks to you. I didn’t hit anything so you can stop touching me.”
“Are you sure? You didn’t swipe any cars? You didn’t take down any mailboxes?”
“Of course not.”
“Good.”
Colin pushed her back against the wall and covered her mouth with his giving her one searing kiss after another. His fingers pulled the pins from her hair and it fell around her shoulders in large red waves. He pressed even closer crushing her satin gown.
Riley’s heart was beating out of her chest and she was running out of air, but she didn’t care. She let him kiss her again and again. When his mouth was on hers she felt whole. When his hands were on her she felt alive. It had been so long. It was as if her body was waking up from a very long sleep just waiting for him.

When Colin realized she wasn’t fighting him but, in fact, kissing him back he calmed. He kissed her slower, exploring every inch of her mouth with his own. She tasted sweet and he found himself becoming addicted to it.
His fingers traveled down her arms and he lifted her hands, pressing them against the wall on either side of her head. He released them to pull her closer and felt Riley wrap her arms around him pushing her fingers into his hair.
Colin broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers while he tried to catch his breath. “I feel - I can’t - damn.”
“More,” she said and kissed him again.

It was as if Riley were getting all her oxygen from him and if they stopped she might not be able to breathe ever again. His hands on her body were always moving, caressing her skin and dragging her tightly against him.
She could feel his muscles moving under his clothes and she wanted to see him, all of him. Her hands slipped under his tuxedo jacket and she tried to push it off of him, but he stopped her and broke the kiss again.
“Ri.”
“Yes,” she answered trying for the jacket again.
“No, wait,” he said taking her hands.
“No more waiting.”
Riley tried to reach for him again.
“Wait. We can’t do this.”
It was like he had dumped ice cold water on her.
“Can’t?”
“No, not like this,” he said and stepped back raking his fingers through his hair.
“Like what? Like me?”
“No, it’s not you.”
“Then what?”
“I didn’t come here for that.”
“What the hell did you come here for?” she snapped at him.
“I was supposed to take you home.”
“I am home.”
“I guess you were lucky you made it here in one piece,” he said, the anger creeping back into his voice.
“So you thought, what, that you would drive on over here and give me a good talkin’ to? Tell me all about the evils of drinking and driving. It’s been a long time since I had to answer to anyone Colin. I’m certainly not going to start now with you.” She started to walk away and then spun back around to face him. “What the hell did you kiss me for?”
“I didn’t mean -”
“You never do,” she interrupted him.
He snapped back at her. “You think it’s better if I just take advantage of the situation? I should just take you up against the wall there and not worry about the consequences this time? Isn’t that what you’re so pissed at me about already?”
“Then why?”
“I don’t know why,” he admitted. “I was so - mad when I realized you drove home. Maybe you had an accident, maybe you were hurt. And then when I got here, and I saw you, well, you look really beautiful. And I’ve been thinking about doing that half the night.”
“Right,” she said sarcastically. “Colin, you can’t keep doing this. You can’t keep screwing with my head.”
“It’s not like I planned it.”
“Yeah, you have made that abundantly clear. There’s another week of therapy.”
“I’ll go,” he finally said.
He walked past her to the door and opened it. He stood another moment and then stepped out onto the porch.
“Please don’t skip the brunch tomorrow because of me,” he said and then he was gone.
Riley locked the door behind him and collapsed on the stairs in a pool of satin. Ramsey was suddenly at her side and she leaned into him. The tears coming down her cheeks were hot with shame and regret. Each beat of her heart was more excruciating than the one before.
How many times can one man break a girl’s heart?


 

Monday, June 13, 2011

What's the matter Colonel Sanders? Chicken?

I completely chickened out.

For so long I was like a blogfest/contest whore and yesterday I chickened out.

So sad.

I read about this contest on Gabriela Lessa's blog.

All you had to do was post a love scene from a finished manuscript yesterday.

I quickly opened my story and tried to decide what to send.

But, almost as quickly, I closed it.

I currently lack the confidence to enter anything.

I did check out a few of the contest entries today and they were pretty good so if you need a little love pick-me-up go check them out.




At the husband's softball game yesterday I pulled out my notebook and hashed out a few things I would like to do with my werewolf story.

That's a first for me.

I asked myself a few important questions about the story and the characters and then tried to answer them.

It was ... interesting.

We shall see where it takes me.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

What are you reading?

I am currently reading...

Fire's Daughter - Wendy Tyler Ryan 

Plum Spooky - Janet Evanovich

Craving Perfect - Liz Fichera 

And... I have a few books waiting in the wings... 

Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich

To Pleasure a Lady - Nicole Jordan


And...perhaps the one I'm waiting for the very most...

Karen Marie Moning has completed her Fever seires...but...the Vampire Book Club had an Alpha Showdown that included Jericho Z. Barrons. And, of course, he won. Hands down. No contest.

Ms. Moning made a big, huge, unbelievable promise if Jericho won...and I quote...So here’s the deal: Barrons wins, you get a sex scene told intimately from JZB’s POV. It won’t be pretty but it will be…well, let me just say if I’m getting in there for a good look around when the action is happening, I’m taking notes on EVERYTHING. 

Holy crap on a cracker.

If she had asked for blood I would have given it to her.

If she had asked for a kidney...yes.

Maybe even my first born.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The feeling is mutual.

Just want to tell you folks how much it means to me when y'all stop by and give me encouragement.

You're all very generous with your time and wonderful comments.

I listen.

I do.


And I appreciate it.


So, thank you. Thanks for sharing and caring.

The feeling is truly mutual.





Friday, June 3, 2011

Who turned off the lights?

WTF is going on with my brain?

Erggg. Arggg. 


I started on my werewolf story again today. 

I did write.

Not well. Not for long. Not enough.

Literally, I probably deleted more than I wrote.

I have the thoughts but I don't have the words. They are stuck somewhere between my brain and my fingers.

Must. Figure. Out. What. Is. Wrong.

Must. Fix. Brain.

So, how are you guys doing?