Tuesday, December 20, 2011

8 things i always mess up during the holidays



i was trying to get Elli to pose with the bear a couple of years ago. the only expression i got was "you crazy, mom."

1. i always forget to send cards until it's too late. most get there on time, but inevitably one or two don't. (sorry Lisa)
2. i procrastinate on buying two gifts until two days before and then curse at the crowds of other people doing the same thing
3. there are no decorations up at my house. unless you count the snowman teapot that i've had out since last year...hey! i live alone, it's no biggie, right?
4. i eat way too much junk. zero willpower. c'mon. you know what i'm talking about.
5. i can never find my Christmas hair clips and other ridiculous jewellery until after
6. one or both of my cats always chew the corner of my wrapped gifts. it's like an addiction for them!
7. my bows doesn't always match my wrapping paper, but that's usually because i wrap some of the things on Christmas morning before going to my parents' place
8. i volunteer to make a dessert for the Big Dinner, then forget to buy supplies for making said dessert

so far i've managed to beat #4, but the rest? 

i think they're tradition now ;)

Friday, December 16, 2011

Fiction Friday - Kentucky Blues by Cat Shaffer




What happens when your mom's a cougar and she's dating your ex-boyfriend? 


Sparks fly.


Suspense happens.


Passions light up.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elise Drummond has never forgotten her first love-and never expected to learn via the grapevine that he was back in Brookville and living with her mother. Sam McCade had broken her heart, and she wasn't about to let him destroy her mother's as well. A quick trip back to Kentucky to lay down the law and she could back to the safe life she'd built for herself in Kansas City. 

When Sam McCade went on the run in the middle of the night to save his sister from her abusive husband, there was only one person he could trust to help them, Hannah Drummond. He expected the local gossips to have a field day with his return to Brookville, but he never dreamed Elise would roll into town to check out the situation for herself. And he certainly never imagined that in order to save his sister, Elise would be willing to sacrifice herself as the pawn in a dangerous game of catch the monster when his brother-in-law decides to take back what he wants no matter who stands in his way.

Buy it today!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Fiction Friday - Ræliksen by Renee Vincent

voila! a new weekly feature, and this one is STICKING. lol

every Friday i'm going to give you a recommendation, and you're going to go buy it :D

~~~~~~

this week, check out Ræliksen by fellow TMP author Renee Vincent. romance, history, a sexy chieftain...what's not to love?

this book has some fantastic reviews out there, folks. it's not one you should miss out on!



The Emerald Isle Trilogy, Book One

Mara, the daughter of an Irish clansman, was raised to believe the men of the North are heathens - murderous pagans without a moral bone in their bodies. Despite warnings of the Northmen's raids, and the growing threat of another incursion, Mara is continually drawn to her favorite place - the River Shannon.

Dægan Ræliksen, a wealthy chieftain from Norway's frozen fjords, secretly discovers Mara at the water's edge. He is charmed by her beauty and sensuous grace. As the days pass, his contentment with watching her grows thin. He can no longer deny his desire.

Mara and Dægan come face-to-face in a time when every Irishman is being called up to fight against the Nordic foreigners. In these times of upheaval, can Dægan make peace with Mara's father and acquire the woman he treasures? Can Mara move past her fears and find the noble man within the savage?


Available at Amazon

Saturday, December 3, 2011

released into the wild...

TOUCH is now available on the interwebz.

i can only hope that people have fun reading it, because i had a lot of fun writing it!

currently it's available at the TMP bookstore or at ARe and soon at all major eBook retailers! 

it's $1.99 of sizzling, quirky fun :D

enjoy!

ETA: whoot! now at Amazon, Smashwords and Bookstrand, too :)

Sunday, November 27, 2011

t'was the night before...

...release day week!

whoo! TOUCH releases tomorrow this week!

i got the dates mixed up somehow so it's not actually Monday like i'd originally thought. 

but i'm still Sooper excited!

in honor of the big day, here's a little snip. poor Finn is a little on the nervous side now that things are getting down to business...but don't worry, he gets it together in no time at all *wink*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Fumbling, he attempted to untie the sash on her robe. Of course, the damn thing had managed to tie itself into some ridiculous Gordian knot of satin that seemed to constrict tighter with every jerk. 

His growling curse made Kass laugh. “Settle down big boy--you're only making it worse.” 

Her fingers, the same ones that left paths of sizzling heat wherever they skimmed his body, slapped his clumsy paws away. Within seconds the impossible snarl was gone and she'd grasped his hands, this time to guide them to her bare flesh. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

also, come visit me on Tuesday, Nov 29th at Lush Book Reviews where i'm talking about the evolution of Touch and you could win a copy of Finn and Kass' sizzling story! 

for those who don't want to wait, check the Turquoise Morning Press book store on Monday!

and the blurb:

Sometimes, the dark exposes more than it hides....

As a news anchor, Kass needs to show the world her conservative side, but underneath her public persona is a woman who longs for physical connection. When an invitation to visit a sex club arrives in her inbox, she jumps at the chance to indulge herself in an evening of hot, sweaty sex with a stranger—no strings attached. What she finds instead is a man who shows her that secret fantasies can become reality, but only if she’s willing to take a chance.

Finn's a man whose mojo has hit rock bottom. After the crash and burn of his last relationship, an anonymous sexual encounter is just what he needs. Although the goal for the night is simply to give them both pleasure, he discovers that he may be willing to give something more….

Kass is scared to risk revealing her identity to the man who just took her beyond her wildest expectations, no matter how much he tempts her. But Finn’s determined that their scorching passion has a chance to see the light of day.


Sunday, November 20, 2011

how refreshing!


so, i decided to give the ol' blog a little face-lift. bright colors are where it's at.

hope you like!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

treats!

alright, i only have a couple of minutes before i'm off to the day job (and have yet to shower!!!) but i'm really excited to share a couple of things with you...

first, my cover for TOUCH!




























i loves it. simple, sexy, and leaves no doubt what the story's about, right?

AND, i thought i'd post a short excerpt since i haven't let anyone have a peek at this except my beta readers and editor.

this is the beginning of chapter four, and i'll leave it to your imagination what just happened between Finn and Kass...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kass blinked against the darkness, wondering why her blinds were closed before remembering there would be no sunlight to penetrate the black-hole of a room she was in.


In fact, she hadn’t been outside this square-shaped universe for hours now, but couldn’t care less if she ever saw daylight again—not when the pair of them could create their own world right here.


Just a short while ago, she was sure there had been stars, the roar of the ocean, and possibly an earthquake. Definitely an earthquake. And thunder. Positive about the thunder because she could still hear it, a steady booming in her ears.


No, not thunder, she dimly realized, but Finn’s heart beneath her face where it was mashed against his chest, one arm draped across his torso. 


“Did you feel the earthquake?” she mumbled, and was answered with a wheezy laugh.


Slowly, she lifted her head, resting her chin against his sternum. 


“Good God, Finn.” She licked her lips, trying to get her senses working properly again.


“Hmm…” was the only response, the sound vibrating under her jaw. 


With effort, she dragged her arm upward, until she could lay her palm against the strong curve of his cheek. She brushed her thumb over his mouth—the same mouth that had just shot her straight into the sky with pleasure.


“Thank-you,” she murmured, wishing fervently she could see him.


His face turned down toward her, and muscles flexed under her hand as he smiled. “For what?” He sounded amused, but completely baffled.


“For what just happened. For giving me what I needed. It was amazing, Finn.”


Wickedly, she reached down to cup his sac and cock. “And for this,” she said, dropping her voice to a husky whisper as she gave a firm rub. He was still half-hard, waiting for the next go-round, maybe. The object under discussion jerked, a quick pulse which lifted Finn’s hips slightly.


“Oh, woman,” he groaned. “Have mercy. Let’s just lie back for a bit, while I gather my wits. Talk to me about something. What was that you had said earlier? Secrets?”


 “Yeah. Tell me something you’ve never told anyone else. A secret. Or, a personal fear of yours. Not like, ‘I’m scared of spiders’ or whatever. Something private. But no names.”


“I thought you were supposed to talk, and let me recuperate here,” he grumbled.


Her fingers tapped a soft, deliberate pattern over his ribs, laying her money on the bet that he’d do anything to avoid getting tickled. “Talk, big guy.”


****


“Alright, alright. No need to be cruel.” Finn flinched away from her feather-light torture. Damn her for figuring out how he hated being tickled.


He took a deep breath. Sure. He had a secret alright. Something that had been burning in him since the split, morphing into an almost obsessive fear which had, up to this point, prevented him from getting involved with another woman. This was probably the best opportunity he’d ever have to air it and maybe get an honest answer, considering what they’d just done together. 


But Christ, it was harder to say than he’d imagined.


“Okay. Well, I mentioned I’d been involved with a woman earlier. It was pretty serious, at least on my end, but there was always a part of me that knew she wasn’t into… uh… things as much as me. There was always a certain something missing, especially in the bedroom.”


Finn felt his face flush, and he shifted, uncomfortable. Her hand stroked his chest, avoiding his susceptible ribs, thank God.  

She’s a stranger. You’ll never see or talk to her again.


“Now, looking back, I can’t help wondering if she faked even that little bit of passion we had together. I mean, I tried my damndest to make her happy, but I’m pretty sure…” He trailed off, incapable of saying the words.


“Pretty sure what, Finn?” The question was drowsy, but he had the sense she was listening intently. Somehow, he believed she wouldn’t judge him. Acceptance was a balm to his soul, just as the almost hypnotic sweep of her palm calmed his still-racing heart. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

oh! gonna leave you hangin' cause that's how i roll.
ha!  don't worry, though. it's only a week and a half now ;)

Sunday, November 13, 2011

it's sunday again!!!

hey sixers! welcome back. i really appreciate you coming to visit each week :)

today i'm sharing a little snippet from my new wip, Lawn Mowers. yeah, i know. weird title, but it is what it is :D

this story has just been pouring itself onto the screen, and i have to say that the characters have really surprised me with their intensity so far. 

this is a little glimpse into the mind of Markus, the bad boy of the bunch. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Markus hooked a thumb into the waist of his jeans, pulling them down just a little further and making sure that his biceps flexed under the sheen of sun-screen and sweat. That particular move had brought more than one woman to her knees for a little afternoon-delight. 

Apparently made of sterner stuff, Faye's expression remained impassive.

Man, he loved a challenge.

Smile widening, he began a variation of the same question he’d tossed her way twice a week for the past month. “You look bored, Ms. Rogers.”
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


check out my fellow sixers at Six Sentence Sunday. there are so many talented writers out there! i only have time to read through about 1/3 or maybe 1/2 each week, so my apologies to those who drop by and comment if i don't get the opportunity to return the favor!

Friday, November 11, 2011

if two's better than one, then three must be...

i've been writing. 

but not Diva Diet! it's still there, but this new story is just bursting forth and i need to get it all down while it's flowing.

the little tale that has been kicking around my brain for the past couple of months has finally exploded into full-blown plotness. 

i'm calling it the lawn mower story for now (you may have noticed that it already had a place on the right hand side of the screen under my current WsIP) because there's a lot of gardening happening.

this is going to be a m/m/f menage, folks. i know, right? 

i admit, i was a little a little surprised, too. it's not something i'd ever thought to write, but the characters are so real in my head already. there's a quiet, sensitive man, and a rough, broken guy, and a lady on her way to finding her way home.

lots of crazy, messed up emotions, maybe a bit of a triangle happening, a little touch of quirk that i love so much, and that deep, intimate kind of eroticism that just makes your chest ache. 



over the years, i've read a lot of menage, i'll admit. there are a ton of smoking hot tales out there, filled with scorching sex and lots of fun. but every once in a while, i come across one that focuses on the emotional development or the characters, not just the sex. THESE are the stories that stick with me and i read them over and over. they're just as sensual the third or fourth time around, because there's always a different angle of the emotional aspect that jumps out at me each time i go through them.... 

if you're interested, check out three of my favorites:

Surrender's Edge by Pepper Espinoza
Coming Clean by Inez Kelley
Tempted by Megan Hart

sometimes they have happy endings, and sometimes they don't.

i'm not quite sure where lawn mowers will end up, but i do know it's going to be a trip! i only hope i can pull it off the way that the story deserves to be told.

i think i'll share a snippet this week for 6 Sentence Sunday...check back!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

6 sentence sunday!!!

oooh, it's a hot one today, folks! my favorite kind *wink*

~~~~~~~~~~

“I dreamed about you, you know,” he whispered suddenly, a rush of rough words against her lips as they moved together. “The first time was just like this. I was here, in you. And you were making that noise…You know, the one that sounds like you’re just about to come?”

He rocked his hips harder, and she gave it to him, a sharp gasping cry against his mouth that had it curving into a smile against hers.

“Yeah, just like that."

~~~~~~~~~~
oh Finn, you slay me. 

this story was so much fun to write. 3 weeks! whoo!

thanks for stopping by. now go check out all the other awesome Sixers at 6 Sentence Sunday!

Friday, November 4, 2011

i feel funny

well, at least like reading some funny. or watching.

y'ever have one of those days or weeks where you just want to snark at stuff?

so here are some of my favorite sites to go to when i've got a bitch on and i need to laugh at people:

AutoCowrecks - autocorrection hilarity.




















Failbook - status updates that boggle.











TFLN - texts from last night. drunk. stoned. just stupid.

"Single person behavior: I wanted a cookie but was too lazy to 
make or go buy any, so I let cookie dough ice cream melt and 
ate all the chunks. Pantsless."

Warning: all of the above are offensive to those who don't get sarcasm. no clicky.

lastly, I do a lot of visiting to Wimp.com

this site is completely PG, and i find a lot of incredibly cute, funny or neat-o stuff on there. i'm pretty sure i've mentioned this site once or thrice ;)

now, i found the following video on wimp originally, but i'm using the youtube version so i can embed it right into my post (if there's a way to do that from wimp, i'm not that technologically inclined so :P  )

voila! "interesting" aerobic moves. aka Floor Gasm.
the guy is Re-Damn-Diculous.




Thursday, November 3, 2011

what's in a name?

i thought i'd do a really short post today about my last name.

i know, weird topic, right?

but the fact is, i get some strange looks when i tell people my pen name. the best is when they repeat it--slow like--to try it out on their tongue. 

yeah, it's definitely not a common last name but it has a special meaning for me. 

there are a few different meanings according to the baby name sites out there, but the one that kept coming up and the main reason i picked it for my alter-ego is because it means Horse Keeper.

those who know me IRL know i've been involved in the horse industry since i first laid eyes on them as a young'un. obsessed might be a word my parents would use.


(no longer) my 
handsome Slick

   my old girl, Tip

when i started looking into pen names, i checked out a couple that i thought i might like to use, but they were taken by authors already. albeit by craft book writers and recipe gurus, but i didn't think they'd appreciate an erotic romance author having the same name so i moved on. plenty of names out there, right?

but i wanted something that had some tie to my real life, so when i started looking into horse-themes, this one popped up.

i like it. it's unique. it's mine. and now you know why!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

just a little touch...

well, it's officially less than a month away until the release of TOUCH.

this is an extra hot, extra erotic novella releasing late November from Turquoise Morning Press. i can say that this story was a blast to write, and there's lots and lots of steamy, sweaty naughtiness.

i am STOKED people!!!

SO, as a little treat, i'm participating in a fantastic blogroll called Six Sentence Sunday.

so go on...check out all the other crazy talented writers out there! (after you've read the six sentences i've chosen to share with you today, of course ;)  )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her next words were slow and quiet, but with a wicked edge that had fire slicing through him again. “I think that you’re just going to have to find out on your own. Half the fun is figuring out what turns the other’s crank, isn’t it?”

Relief poured through him, mingling with renewed anticipation...Oh, yeah.

“Sweetie, I’m already cranked so tight that one more turn is going to spring me loose faster than either of us would like or deserve.” 

She laughed again, a raspy, knowing chuckle that punched him low in the belly and told him that she’d like nothing more than to trip his wire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

you can find out just how often Kass and Finn trip each other's wires on November 28th! 

Monday, October 24, 2011

aaaah...staycation time!

two. whole. weeks.

yup!

it's alright to be jealous. who doesn't want sixteen glorious days of not having to go to work? there are no plans to travel on my part...i'm planning on sticking close to home and getting stuff done. and i'm definitely not going to complain that my first two days were spent mostly in bed recovering from a bout of pneumonia. i still have lots and lots of time!

here are my favorite things to do on staycation:

10. spend an hour or so at the dollar store, just because i have the time and it's not expensive
9. find a bunch of awesome new music and dance around the house like an idiot
8. renovate. this will include my bedroom so my purty new purple bedspread can become useful
7. clean out my closet so i have room for new clothes, which i will then go out and buy
6. put my house in order because it feels good to be organized
5. stay up really late saying "just one more page..." on memebase
4. lay on the couch listening to audiobooks for hours at a time and play sudoku. or bejewelled blitz...it may be time to hit that 1 million score
3. try out some new recipes and get some OAM cooking done
2. catch up with friends over a latte
1. write and write and write and not feel guilty

what are the things you love to do when you've got time off your normal job?

Saturday, October 1, 2011

i'm alive!

good thing i don't have kids, eh? if i took care of them as well as i did this blog, i'd be up for charges of neglect.

yeah, i keep saying i'm busy. seriously, though, it's a bit ridiculous. right now i have the opportunity to write about once a week if i'm lucky. and let's just say that some weeks i'm luckier than others. maybe it's not so much that i'm busy but that my MIND is busy and i don't have the mental energy after work to concentrate on fiction. i find myself investing more and more into each subsequent group of trainees. have i mentioned how much i love my job? because i really, really do. there's something innately satisfying in changing people's perspectives on dealing with other people, and discovering what motivates individuals at work.

anyway, enough blathering on about that. lol!

despite being mentally exhausted (in a good way, of course) i try and carve out some time to write each weekend, usually at starbucks. i've also joined a writing group (a second one, actually) and every saturday we meet at the library--can you believe that i've NEVER gone to the library before?!--to read excerpts of our WsIP. i got good feedback for Diva Diet today and i'm all pumped up about working on it now!

so here i am, sitting at starbucks having my salted caramel mocha (zomg try it!!!) writing this blog and listening to some guy get suckered into a pyramid scheme. i feel like jumping up and shaking him. "Don't do it, dude!!!"

sadly, it's not my place to save him from wasting money and time and hope. i can only have faith that his friends will bitch-slap some sense into him.


edits are happening on TOUCH and i'm stoked about it. i'm really excited to get the story all smoothed out for release on November 28th. wow! that's less than two months away now! check back for some lines and excerpts from my smokin' hot novella over the next few weeks!

i'm also still working on Diva Diet and i have to say that my love of this story hasn't died. it's a little overwhelming, though. i'm not entirely sure how i came up with this convoluted tale, to be honest...and it just keeps getting messier. poor, poor matt and liz.

my little notebook is chock-full of questions that need answering, like "what are the stakes?" and "why is matt acting like such an asshole?". piddling things, really. *eyeroll*

really, stakes are no small deal. this story is all about life-changes for liz and matt. they travel in opposite directions for a while before finally colliding. yeah, they're friends and hang out the entire time, but there's always something that interferes with their connection. life-static, i guess you could call it. yet there has to be something to lose if that connection is completely cut.

of course, this is a romance, so love is on the line. duh!

but each has something to lose if they give in to each other, as well. not that i'm saying that they lose something good...but the act of letting go of something that's been a part of your world for years is one of the most difficult things to reconcile yourself to. and isn't that what makes up the conflict? the stakes? isn't it the ingredient that has a reader investing in the characters (hopefully)?

along with discovering my characters, though, each story i write reveals a piece of myself. each chapter of each story, actually, if i want to tell the entire truth. sometimes it's a big surprise! and sometimes it's just a little sliver of what makes me "me" that i choose to share, even if it's ambiguously hidden within a character.

they say to write what you know. and what or who do i know better than myself? :)

p.s. dude is now attempting to sucker his friends into said pyramid scheme. poor things. i wish one of them would just have the balls to say "this is a really bad idea, man."

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 ;)



Sunday, July 3, 2011

things i've learned...

i've been writing furiously on Diva Diet the past few days (thank goodness for long weekends!) out in the living room on my 'unplugged' laptop.

things come up, though, and in order to not tip into the slippery pit that is the interwebz, i've been using my trusty phone for research and brainstorming.

bless you, wikipedia and dictionary.com, for making android apps!

so here are a few things i've learned while writing this book so far:

1. toronto has more neighborhoods and sub-neighborhoods than i'd ever dreamed.
2. Tucker Max really IS an asshole. 'nuff said.
3. people collect really strange things. like cat whiskers. and barf bags.
4. i wish there was a bistro slash martini bar here
5. monkeys and dragons have a lot of fun together
6. i'd forgotten how much i love reading my horoscope daily
7. the less dry vermouth in a martini, the drier the drink. and 'dirty' means mixing in olive juice.
8. alliteration is addictive.
9. understanding gay men is HARD
10. speed dating and wine aren't the best mix when it's all said and done

Friday, June 24, 2011

just some random ridiculousness

my sense of humor is in the realm of ridiculous the past few days. here are a few of my "can't. stop. watching..." videos:


Nyan.




Charlie! Look out for the BlahBlahBlah!



(ring..ring... hello?)


More Nyan. With extreme geekery.




Marcel the Shell with shoes on.




BBC talking animals (Walk on the Wild Side)





You're welcome.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

i'm excited!

Not Going to Conference?

Attend Romance Divas' Annual Not Going to Conference Conference June 28-July 1




Romance Divas' annual virtual conference features workshops, publisher spotlights, pitch-your-book opportunities, fabulous doorprize giveaways and more.


It's FREE!


And nobody says you can't wear fabulous shoes while you're recharging your writer batteries from home.


LIKE the NGTCC on Facebook for future updates in 2012 and beyond.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

pitching a fit

true to my nature, i've swung from the furiously reading spectrum back into the furiously writing one.

i have a new story and i *love* it.

while doing my reading thing, i'd been waiting for a new erotic plot bunny to bounce into my yard. instead, i found a really cute romantic comedy. an erotic one followed closely behind but no! too late! i've managed to take just a few notes and do a shut out of that one.

on top of maniacally making notes and outlining the RomCom, Romance Divas' Not Going to Conference Conference is fast approaching. this is a fabulous stretch of workshops, spotlights and door-prizes for the folks who can't make it to the big RWA conference.

one of the wonderful opportunities is to pitch to both Ellora's Cave and Carina Press. i'm THRILLED to be able to pitch my new story to CP because i think it would be a great fit with that publisher.

the problem is that i don't have a clue on writing three-line pitches. thank goodness for Em, Google and plenty of practice time! lol

according to Em, i need:

Hook
Heroine & conflict, meet Hero & conflict
Stakes

not only is this a great opportunity, but it's actually made me focus on the baseline of my story. i've got lots of plot happening, but underneath it all, i've discovered there are no stakes. there's nothing keeping my characters apart after a certain point.

i've got me some decisioning to do!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

it was a dark and dreary day..

or month, as it were. May has been a pretty rainy month and i have to say that i'd been feeling a little unmotivated by it all. i need some vitamin D!

still, i've been working on my writing when i can, mainly on DiD.

i can't pinpoint why, but this story means a lot to me. it's usual practice for a writer to get part-way through and the passion dies out, but this book is always in the back of my mind, even when i'm working on something else. maybe it's because the heroine never really shuts up. i'll be doing something completely mundane and bam! a fully-formed thought pops into my head in kari-speak.

mostly i think it's because kari is the kind of woman i wish i could be--sassy, creative, completely independent and she's never afraid to speak her mind. i'm not brave (although i don't consider myself a coward either), and more than one person has told me that i give off a 'don't talk to me' vibe. it's really just false confidence, if you want to know the truth. kari's kind of the opposite.

this all makes me wonder how many characters out there are based on their writers? or maybe the author just infuses all the bits and pieces that they wish made up their own personalities...

then again maybe not, because i've read a lot of really dumb heroines. i really hate to think that there are millions of women who run toward the scary noises or who will give themselves to a cruel man for the sake of their father's pride.

but i digress.

just as many times, i read heroines who connect with me on a very personal level. the author has managed to pinpoint and articulate exactly what it's like to live in the real world--you know, the one without multi-billionaire models who take one look at ol' suzy-q with the bad hair and cow-snot on her shirt and decide that she's the one?

that personal connection with a character is what gives me afterglow, as i call it. that special warm, sparkly feeling that you get when you've finished a book and you're just aching with the want of it to go on forever. in other words, your keeper shelf!

i just finished Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, and it's (so far) my favorite book of this year. major afterglow. i think you should buy it.

what book has given you afterglow?