Saturday, August 20, 2011

i'm likable, i swear.


anyone who's on Facebook, i've just created an author page!

like me!

there's also my profile, so if you want to be my friend, i'll be yours ;)

Sunday, August 14, 2011

some sunday entertainment

here's an interesting fact about me: unlike the majority of North America, i don't watch tv.

shocking, i know.

but i do entertain myself on my computer quite a bit and have my favorite sites that i check regularly. because i do a lot of stalking online, i'm usually ahead of the curve on viral videos that make their way around facebook or forums.

wimp.com is one i look at almost every day. i've got the android app on my phone. i watch the videos at home. sometimes during class at work, when my trainees need a brain-break, i pull up the site and we check out what the daily offerings are.

they load 6 new videos every day. sometimes they're funny or cute. sometimes they're touching or inspiring. sometimes they make you feel just a little bit smarter. and there is such a plethora of talent out there it blows my mind!

you should watch:

don't you wish you had this in your living room? (my answer is HELL YES!)

seagull steals camera (this one cracks me up every time!)

dancing chihuahua ('nuff said)

queen cover (dude did an awesome job!)

slow loris. with a tiny umbrella. (he loves that umbrella as much as i love him)

ninja cat (one of my all-time favorites)

french bulldog boogies with his owner
(i think this is adorable, especially the end)

cat gets caught barking (stop blaming the neighbor's dog!)
Link

Friday, August 12, 2011

the power of the zodiac

a couple of days ago i was chatting with another author friend of mine and i mentioned that i read my character's astrological profiles to get a better understanding of them.

it's possible that some people may think that a bit strange; however, let's think about it. maybe these zodiac things don't work for YOU, but why can't they be precisely accurate for a character in a book? they ARE just figments of imagination, after all. so i can tailor my hero, Matt, to fit into how Aquarius acts.

it's also a perfect tool to discover how he'd react in certain situations--like falling in love.

here's Matt's profile, to put it into perspective:

Born: January 31st, 1977

Sun Sign: Aquarius
Tends to hide depth of personality under frivolity. Strong willed. Truth seeker. Opinionated but will change in the face of truth. Always willing to learn. Dry humor, quick wit. Independent—refusing to follow the crowd. Dislikes interference. Possibly condescending.

Could run into these problems:
- Being left alone. Fix? Don’t be anti-social/loner.
- Always missing the boat when it comes to love. Fix? Let down mental guard on emotions and be yourself.
- Headaches. Fix? Express feelings instead!

Druid Tree sign: Cypress Tree
Adaptable, low maintenance, survivalists. They find happiness in almost any situation. Prefer to be surrounded by people. Can be a bit rude, but they like to talk and keep up with conversation. Tendency to a quiet, easy-going lifestyle, avoiding conflict by using flexibility.

Chinese Zodiac: Dragon
Fiery temper, intrigues partners, commits for life, tendency towards tension headaches & migraines, people are attracted to them. Prefers to work alone—can be perceived as arrogant. Dominating, ambitious, self-motivated/successful, passionate which can be exhausting to others around them. Good with Rat/Monkey, bad with Ox/Goat.


interesting, eh?

so now i know that Matt is single-minded, changeable, sociable, independent, snarky, and passionate. in other words, a cheerful alpha. (can't get away from them! lol) i can push him into doing things i may not have been sure fit his personality before, because now i know that it would be natural for him to pursue Liz with a single-minded focus that might be a bit obsessive on other men.

as for Liz? well, you'll have to read the story to find out ;)

Thursday, August 11, 2011

excitement ensues!


i'm soooper excited to announce that Turquoise Morning Press has offered for TOUCH for their imprint, Sapphire Nights.

of course i accepted, silly!

i'm really looking forward to working with this up and coming epress, and learning about the other side of the contract.

dude.

i'm an AUTHOR now!

Monday, August 8, 2011

influences: the good, the bad, and the totally whacked


ohhai! yes, i'm still alive for anyone who's actually been checking on here.

things got a little hectic IRL, and my brain was mush. then i got on a reading kick (thanks nalini singh) and in between all that i've been click-clacking away on Diva Diet.

it's going slower than i'd hoped on that front, though, and i've been trying to figure out why. i have it outlined. i have goals. i have motivation. i have conflict. i have character growth. this is the most well-formed story i've tried so far and i'm really excited to get it done; however, the words aren't flowing out.

then i realized that i was reading/listening to a lot of dark paranormal stuff, and my mood was pretty sombre as a result. time to switch it to something lighter, right? but i didn't want to delve into any RomCom reading because then i'd worry that my own work would be influenced and i'd start sounding like Rachel Gibson instead of Julie. so i switched to Jenny Crusie, who's neither particularly hilarious nor overly dark but full of lush descriptive emotion and i'm feeling way more motivated again.

working all of this out got me thinking about all the influences in my writing. sure, i have encouragement from friends and family; however, i get a lot of push from authors that i read, and they don't even know what they do to me.

nora roberts made me fall in love over and over and over with her romances. megan hart was the author who drove me to ask myself 'i wonder if i can do that'. the peeps at RD taught me structure and craft and perseverance. and there are so many books who make me crave to be part of that echelon of top writers i can't even describe it. it hurts sometimes, the wanting.

so i read and get all pumped up to write, and then i sit at my laptop and read a few lines of my own wip, and think 'man. you sort of suck compared to [insert famous name here]'.

*forehead smack* well of COURSE i do. i have to remind myself that i've been writing for three years! they've been writing for fifteen, dummy! and then i feel a little better. until i try and put down words that will make people feel. sometimes i'll sit there for an hour and add in a word here and there.

but there are times where it all just spills out and i write something so fantastic and i think 'yay! you can do eeeeet!' and all is write in the world again ;)