Lots of great news for Southern Magic ladies over on the Romance Magicians blog--check it out!
Anybody heard the Daphne results?
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
They Held an RWA Conference in Atlanta...
...and I didn't get to go. Man, is it quiet around the romance writing side of the cybersphere or what?
All this downtime should be giving me the opportunity to finish up DEADLY ILLUSION. I'm on page 228 out of a projected 270, and I'm heading into the home stretch. But I still don't know how it's going to end! Yikes. And a variety of distractions (family stuff, recreational stuff, etc.) are conspiring to steal my focus away from the story.
One of the distractions involves a couple of feral kittens at my vet's office. Feral kittens don't fare well in the adoption market because of their behavior and they often end up euthanized. I have experience taming feral kittens, and I can't bear the thought of two little kittens getting killed just because nobody wanted to mess with them. But my mom is adamant—no more cats until the ones we have die off. I can't blame her—we have seven cats and have had as many as 12 at one time. However, I think I could handle fostering these kittens, taming them and then giving them back up to be adopted. I'm looking into the possibility.
So, did anyone else around here have to skip the RWA conference? Come commiserate with me.
All this downtime should be giving me the opportunity to finish up DEADLY ILLUSION. I'm on page 228 out of a projected 270, and I'm heading into the home stretch. But I still don't know how it's going to end! Yikes. And a variety of distractions (family stuff, recreational stuff, etc.) are conspiring to steal my focus away from the story.
One of the distractions involves a couple of feral kittens at my vet's office. Feral kittens don't fare well in the adoption market because of their behavior and they often end up euthanized. I have experience taming feral kittens, and I can't bear the thought of two little kittens getting killed just because nobody wanted to mess with them. But my mom is adamant—no more cats until the ones we have die off. I can't blame her—we have seven cats and have had as many as 12 at one time. However, I think I could handle fostering these kittens, taming them and then giving them back up to be adopted. I'm looking into the possibility.
So, did anyone else around here have to skip the RWA conference? Come commiserate with me.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Mmmm, Sexy....
Over on Romance Magicians today, Carla Swafford asks the age-old question: what makes a man sexy?
Go answer the question. You know you want to.
Go answer the question. You know you want to.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Prozac Soundtrack
I think I'm mentioned before that I usually make a compilation CD soundtrack for my books. I listen to it to get in the mood for the story and sometimes can even listen while writing, although I really have to be deep into a scene to make that work.
I was listening to my CD for DEADLY ILLUSION today and realized it's a real downer. Here's a list of the songs on it--feel free to Google the lyrics:
Hurt - Johnny Cash
Bring Me Down - Miranda Lambert
My Skin - Natalie Merchant
I Think It's Going to Rain Today - Randy Newman
Tonight I Wanna Cry - Keith Urban
Underneath the Same Moon - Blake Shelton
If Only For One Night - Luther Vandross
There's a Wall - Miranda Lambert
Real Emotional Girl - Randy Newman
Slow Like Honey - Fiona Apple
Walk on Water - Blue County
Goodbye Time - Blake Shelton
El Cerrito Place - Charlie Robison
Maybe - Alison Krauss
Breathe - Faith Hill
I'd Settle for a Slowdown - Dierks Bentley
I must be going through my blue period. ;)
It's really sort of weird, because my hero is a sarcastic smart mouth with some great one-liners. But all that humor hides a deeply wounded man, and that's where all the angst comes in.
I was listening to my CD for DEADLY ILLUSION today and realized it's a real downer. Here's a list of the songs on it--feel free to Google the lyrics:
Hurt - Johnny Cash
Bring Me Down - Miranda Lambert
My Skin - Natalie Merchant
I Think It's Going to Rain Today - Randy Newman
Tonight I Wanna Cry - Keith Urban
Underneath the Same Moon - Blake Shelton
If Only For One Night - Luther Vandross
There's a Wall - Miranda Lambert
Real Emotional Girl - Randy Newman
Slow Like Honey - Fiona Apple
Walk on Water - Blue County
Goodbye Time - Blake Shelton
El Cerrito Place - Charlie Robison
Maybe - Alison Krauss
Breathe - Faith Hill
I'd Settle for a Slowdown - Dierks Bentley
I must be going through my blue period. ;)
It's really sort of weird, because my hero is a sarcastic smart mouth with some great one-liners. But all that humor hides a deeply wounded man, and that's where all the angst comes in.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
When Characters Attack
Iris and Maddox are being naughty characters, throwing me curveballs I didn't expect. Now, the control freak in me feels like slapping them around and ordering them to behave the way I expected, but the adventurer in me kind of wants to see where their latest little rebellion takes me.
I guess that's the luxury of not being under contract--I have time to follow them down a few rabbit holes to see where they go.
Speaking of not being under contract, I have no idea if the customary rules about how long to wait to hear from an editor apply the same when you're published as when you're not. Because to me, two months on a full should be enough time to know whether or not you want to buy it, especially since you've already seen the partial and the synopsis. However, my editor may disagree.
Anybody have a clue how long I should wait before e-mailing my editor with a request for a status update?
I guess that's the luxury of not being under contract--I have time to follow them down a few rabbit holes to see where they go.
Speaking of not being under contract, I have no idea if the customary rules about how long to wait to hear from an editor apply the same when you're published as when you're not. Because to me, two months on a full should be enough time to know whether or not you want to buy it, especially since you've already seen the partial and the synopsis. However, my editor may disagree.
Anybody have a clue how long I should wait before e-mailing my editor with a request for a status update?
Friday, July 14, 2006
Everything But the Kitchen Sink
Ever written one of those books where you throw in everything you've ever loved about a romance or mystery or both? I think the book I'm working on now, DEADLY ILLUSION, is turning out to be one of those for me. Here are just a few of my favorite story elements that I've managed to weave into this story so far:
1) International intrigue
2) Paranormal gifts
3) Rough, sarcastic bad boy hero with a vulnerable heart
4) Troubled heroine with a spine of steel and a big heart
5) A dangerous, enigmatic trickster character whose actions stir the plot
6) A shadow couple whose love shows the hero and heroine that the obstacles between them don't have to be insurmountable
7) A lush, exotic setting
8) The hero getting beat up and the heroine nursing him
9) Lots of snarky dialogue
10) A mysterious secret society whose motives are unclear
11) Alphabet soup (CIA, DSS, MSG, etc)
12) Did I mention the snarky dialogue?
I have no idea how this book will hold together when it's done, but it sure has been fun to write.
1) International intrigue
2) Paranormal gifts
3) Rough, sarcastic bad boy hero with a vulnerable heart
4) Troubled heroine with a spine of steel and a big heart
5) A dangerous, enigmatic trickster character whose actions stir the plot
6) A shadow couple whose love shows the hero and heroine that the obstacles between them don't have to be insurmountable
7) A lush, exotic setting
8) The hero getting beat up and the heroine nursing him
9) Lots of snarky dialogue
10) A mysterious secret society whose motives are unclear
11) Alphabet soup (CIA, DSS, MSG, etc)
12) Did I mention the snarky dialogue?
I have no idea how this book will hold together when it's done, but it sure has been fun to write.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Today on Romance Magicians...
Today was my day to blog on Romance Magicians. So, of course, in keeping with my obsessive nature, the topic is Steve and Kayla from Days of Our Lives. Okay, so it's really about writing a strong, transcendent romance. Check it out!
And now, for a little eyecandy...Steve and Kayla then...
And now...
Still cute together after all these years.
And now, for a little eyecandy...Steve and Kayla then...
And now...
Still cute together after all these years.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Conference Info, Plus Some This and Some That
Southern Magic will be hosting a reader's luncheon in November. The keynote speaker is fan favorite Teresa Medeiros. Check out the post over on Romance Magicians for more details.
Still haven't caught up on my sleep, but I have worked through a twisted mess with my WIP. I needed to spread the scenes out over a longer period of time than I'd originally planned, and some of the scenes had to be reshuffled and put in a different order. I've ditched my new idea to kill of a character I liked, but I've decided to kill off a different character than I originally planned to kill off, so that's still a change. And the romance is making a much bigger impact in my WIP than my first drafts normally do—I think it's because I adore the hero in this one and can't imagine any woman being able to resist him for long. :)
Finally, just a reminder that while FORBIDDEN TERRITORY is no longer in most book stores, it's still available on Amazon.com and other online bookstores. Wouldn't it make a lovely birthday gift or Christmas gift? Hey—it's a spooky story, you could even buy it for Halloween.
Still haven't caught up on my sleep, but I have worked through a twisted mess with my WIP. I needed to spread the scenes out over a longer period of time than I'd originally planned, and some of the scenes had to be reshuffled and put in a different order. I've ditched my new idea to kill of a character I liked, but I've decided to kill off a different character than I originally planned to kill off, so that's still a change. And the romance is making a much bigger impact in my WIP than my first drafts normally do—I think it's because I adore the hero in this one and can't imagine any woman being able to resist him for long. :)
Finally, just a reminder that while FORBIDDEN TERRITORY is no longer in most book stores, it's still available on Amazon.com and other online bookstores. Wouldn't it make a lovely birthday gift or Christmas gift? Hey—it's a spooky story, you could even buy it for Halloween.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
:::yawwwwwwnnn:::
What is it about vacation that makes a normal person think that it's okay to try to exist on less than five hours of sleep a night? Do we really think we have to pack every free moment full of all the things we don't get to do when we're working eight hours a day?
Alas, vacation is over and now I'm having to get through eight hour workdays again without nodding off.
On the upside, the WIP is moving along nicely. My hero just got beat up--comfort schmoop coming! Well, after he works through the discovery that Iris can actually feel his pain--literally.
Still no word from the editor on Rose's story. I'm beginning to feel like a red-headed stepchild.
Alas, vacation is over and now I'm having to get through eight hour workdays again without nodding off.
On the upside, the WIP is moving along nicely. My hero just got beat up--comfort schmoop coming! Well, after he works through the discovery that Iris can actually feel his pain--literally.
Still no word from the editor on Rose's story. I'm beginning to feel like a red-headed stepchild.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
A Little Whine with that Cheese?
:: whine ::
My laptop is dying. Actually, I think the fan that cools the thing has stopped working, which means that I'm trying to limp along, running it for thirty minutes at a time (so it doesn't overheat) while I desperately burn essential files to CD, until I feel comfortable handing the baby over to someone to see if it can be salvaged.
It also means that I've suffered the cruel fate of being forced back downstairs to the dank, chilly basement den to work on my WIP. And this is my vacation, darn it! I was supposed to be able to lounge on my sofa, typing away on my trusty laptop all week. Not sit here in this uncomfortable desk chair, wearing a sweater in the middle of the freakin' summer, trying to carve a hole in the middle of my WIP because I realized I had enough stuff happening in the first day of my manuscript's timeline to fill a season of 24.
:: /whine ::
My laptop is dying. Actually, I think the fan that cools the thing has stopped working, which means that I'm trying to limp along, running it for thirty minutes at a time (so it doesn't overheat) while I desperately burn essential files to CD, until I feel comfortable handing the baby over to someone to see if it can be salvaged.
It also means that I've suffered the cruel fate of being forced back downstairs to the dank, chilly basement den to work on my WIP. And this is my vacation, darn it! I was supposed to be able to lounge on my sofa, typing away on my trusty laptop all week. Not sit here in this uncomfortable desk chair, wearing a sweater in the middle of the freakin' summer, trying to carve a hole in the middle of my WIP because I realized I had enough stuff happening in the first day of my manuscript's timeline to fill a season of 24.
:: /whine ::
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