It's just for research...really!

Hello peeps!

Still in downtime from finishing my book. I've been doing a little reading or as I like to call it ... research.

I'm not stealing anything but I do write down bits and pieces of dialogue and grammar usage for reference.

I've noticed that I don't format the way most published books do. I don't mean margins but more like sentences and paragraphs.

I'm not sure how one is supposed to know how to do that part. Just copy from others?

I'll read a short paragraph, two or three sentences max, then one sentence by itself and then dialogue.

I don't think I have anything formatted like that and now I wonder if I should be. 

I'm not very good with chapter placement either. I started the book with chapters and then it became one really long chapter. Gonna have to break that up.

But, that is for another day.

A special thanks to Tonja from Tonja's Musings for passing along a Stylish Blogger Award!


So, what are you guys up to? Are you reading anything for research?

Did you have a nice weekend? It was hazy, hot and humid here in NY for the guys to march in their navy blue uniforms for the Memorial Day parade.

DJ

Take that! WIP=WID!

Oh! Oh! Oh!!!

I finished my second book.

Thank the UNIVERSE!!!!

I am not a ONE-BOOK-WONDER!!!!

Thank you so much for helping me with my Un-scientific poll on Wednesday. As you can probably guess the majority of you commented that you like some sort of wrap-up.

Not too much...not too little. 

As I was reading your comments I was writing the ending and so pleased that all my contemporary peeps were 'on the same page' so to speak! :)


Now, we all know, it's not really finished. Lots of editing needs to be done, making sure all my loose ends are tied up, finding the OK and changing them to okay. Stuff like that. 


But...I did get the story all the way through to the end and that makes me completely happy.


After I typed THE END I took my son to the library to get books and movies for the weekend. I'm going to read a book written by someone else!

***

Funny thing happened the other day. I mentioned on Monday's post that I purchased and downloaded The Emotion Thesaurus.

I also follow Angela Ackerman on Twitter where she tweeted: Do you have a copy of The Emotion Thesaurus? Send me a pic of you & the book (print or digital) & I'll put it on The Bookshelf Muse blog! :)

Well, I couldn't resist. I took a picture of Stormy and sent it to her!

I'm Stormy the Weather Gnome and I approve of this book!

So I get this great tweet back from her!

Oh my Gosh--you know what's funny about that? I have the same gnome! Here he is with my proof.

Come on! How freakin' funny is that? I can't believe she took the time to send that back! It's Stormy's twin! (I'm so going to jail for trademark infringement.)

***

And finally...

Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day. Please remember why we have a long weekend. It's not just for the BBQ and mattress sales.

On Memorial Day, we remember and honor all the soldiers who gave their lives in defense of this country.

Go to a parade. Pause at a flag. Thank a soldier. Have a moment of silence. Share your knowledge with the next generation.

Give back to those who gave their all.

A very un-scientific poll.

I'm a few thousand words from finishing Maguire's Corner.

Thank the Universe.

But, as you guys are perfectly aware, the end is just as important as the beginning.

As a reader, it's what you will always remember about the book.

So, I'm going to give you guys a brief description of my book and then I'd like you to answer a quick question for me.

There are no right or wrong answers, it's purely opinion.

Deal?

Maguire's Corner is a contemporary romance set in a small town in NY. The book begins with a murder and car chase and contains multiple crimes, more murder, kidnapping and a steamy romance all through out.

I hope that's enough to go on.

My question is this. 

Do you prefer a book that ends at the culmination of an action scene?

Do you prefer a book that ends after the action scene but there is a short wrap up of events and characters? Where everything is explained and tied up in a nice neat bow?

Do you prefer a third option that I can't think of? 


Thank you for your time!

Are you sure its Monday?

Hi. How are ya?

Good here...for a Monday.

To answer your pressing question...yes, I did write this weekend. Quite a bit, actually.

Sunday turned out to be a writing kind of day. The boys slept in for a while and I was up early (go figure) so, I took full advantage of it. 

Then we went to the husband's softball game and I wrote some more in my notebook. I was quite pleased with my progress.

In other news...I have some info to pass along to you guys.

Saw this blog post the other day from Rachel Aaron. It's worth a read. Even if we were able to use 1/3 of her equation it would be worth it. How I Went From Writing 2,000 Words a Day to 10,000 Words a Day.

Carina Press put out a submissions call on May 18th for any of my romance writer friends. 



In support of mostly myself but also for Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi from The Bookshelf Muse I purchased The Emotion Thesaurus.

It's already been a help to me since I downloaded it on Kindle for PC on Friday for only $5.00! 

Excellent writing guide and I found out what all the Random Acts of Kindness Blitz buzz was about at their website.

I have received two lovely blog awards! 

Heather Murphy from Random Interruptions has graced me with the Stylish Blogger Award. If she knew me at all she would realize that I'm far from stylish but it's sweet of her to think I am! Thank you very much for picking me, Heather!

And thanks for having the same name!

Heather's rock! 

 

 

And...the one...the only...The TARA TYLER from Tara Tyler Talks...has bestowed upon me The Versatile Blogger Award! 

She not only re-designed The Versatile Blogger and The Kreativ Blogger Award boxes to give them an updated look she wrote a fantastic fantasy story to give them away to her blog buddies! Thank you, Tara! You made my day that much brighter! 

Psst...sometime over the weekend I snuck past 300 followers. Thank you and welcome! 

Wrap it up!

Happy Friday!

I am still trying to get through the First Loves Blogfest list. I'm determined to get further with that list than I did with the A to Z list.

***

I received a lovely blog award yesterday from Gossip_Grl. Thank you so much.

I tried not to look it up, I did, but I really wanted to know why Kreativ was spelled that way.




Turns out it's from a blogger from Norway and it was more of a hands on scrap book kind of creative than anything else.

It appears the rules on her blog are different too. I say appears because I don't speak, read or write Norwegian.

But, you guys know me well enough to know that I don't follow rules anyway.

So, I'm just going to say Thank You to Gossip_Grl and leave it at that.

***

I'm hoping to get right back into my story this weekend. This week has been very hectic. Doing some 'work for pay' work and hosting a blood drive has kept me from getting the words from the notebook into the laptop. Must make some progress soon before my brain explodes.

***

I did get to see The Avengers last weekend.

So. Freakin'. Good.

I won't post a lot of information here for those of you who haven't made it out to see it yet.

I'll just say...go see it.

Go see it.

Go now.

GO!

It was just the right balance of story to action. Great dialogue. Great acting by great actors. Great laughs.

It was everything I expected from Mr. Joss Whedon and yet so much more.

Really. I'm not even up-selling. (Go see the movie)

Well...that's all I've got. (Go see the movie)

I hope y'all have a great weekend. (Go see the movie)

Well? Did you GO yet?