Happy Endings

Goofy Grammar That I Never Knew

2011-10-17T22:01:00.000-05:00

i.e. vs. e.g.

I admit it. I had no idea there was a discernible difference between i.e. and e.g. I for one am guilty of having used them interchangeably. But now, thanks to Mignon Fogarty, the Grammar Girl, I know when to use which one!

I.e. and e.g. are both abbreviations for Latin terms. I.e. stand for id est and means "that is." E.g. stands for exempli gratia, which means roughly "for example." But, since most of us don't speak Latin, there is an easier way to know the difference.

i.e. starts with i = in other words
e.g. starts with e = example

Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure

Assure, ensure and insure have the same underlying meaning, but they each have a slightly different use.

Assure is the only one of the three words that means "to reassure someone or promise."

Ensure chiefly means "to make certain or to guarantee."

Insure can be interchangeable with ensure in some cases, but it's easier to keep the words straight by reserving insure for references to insurance.

Backward vs. Backwards

When backward and backwards are used to describe verbs, both are correct and interchangeable.

According to Fogarty, "The s is more common in Britain than in the United States, so you should consider what the convention is in your country and use backwards in Britain and backward in the United States."

The main exception to this is: Never use the s when you use backward as an adjective.

Farther vs. Further

Farther = to talk about physical distance (farther has the word far in it, so it's easy to remember)

Further = to talk about metaphorical or figurative distance.

The Grammar Girl says that sometimes the distinction between physical and metaphorical distance isn't always clear. In which case, she asserts, it's okay to use farther and further interchangeably.

Okay, here's a question: with the ways that grammar rules tend to change and morph (does anyone actually spend time re-writing a sentence to avoid using a preposition at the end?) which rules do you consider hard and fast and which ones are ignorable?

For more down and dirty tips about grammar and punctuation and the like, check out Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty.

Steampunk by the Rules

2011-10-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

Sharing my current research obsession, and celebrating the last day of Tor's Steampunk Week.

Steampunk is a vast and varied genre (see my post from Wednesday) with limitless possibilities for themes, settings, and characters. According to Beth Daniels, author of Writing Steampunk, there are, however, a few rules. Even within these rules, there's some wiggle-room.

Rule #1
As most steampunk stories are remakes, updates, reconfigurings inspired by the first science fiction stories ever written, they need to be, in essence, Victorian. No matter the setting, dimension, era, etc., the feel is one with the Victorian world.

Rule #2
The story involves steam-driving machines, clockwork mechanics doing things that similar devices were incapable of actually doing in the time period.

Rule #3
The storyline uses elements of magic or that appears to be magic.

Rule #4
Because steampunk is alternative history, if set on Earth of involving the citizens of Earth, historical figures can appear or be mentioned.

Rule #5
Paranormal creatures and the fae can become featured performers in your piece.

Rule #6
Science is very much a part of the Victorian era, and thus beings created by science are welcomed in steampunk tales--including robots, cyborgs, people with mechanical limbs, creatures built from spare biological parts, etc.

Rule #7
Mystery, suspense, danger and frequently a ticking clock feature can be part of a steampunk story. Not only was the science fiction genre created in the closing years of the 19th century, the era also gave birth to the mystery novel and and detective story.

Rule #8
Time travel--the trick is to make the process believable and steampunkishly creative for your audience.

Rule #9
Beings created via magic are another trope used in steampunk, including golems, zombies, etc.

Rule #10
Practitioners of magic--though these don't necessarily need to be wizards or witches, they can be humans with a fount or stolen conjuring book, or any other magic-wielder.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE--
THE STORY MUST REFLECT THE WORLD OF EARLY SCIENCE FICTION IN SOME WAY AND MUST INCLUDE A BEING EITHER MECHANICALLY, BIOLOGICALLY OR MAGICALLY CONSTRUCTED OR WITH A PARANORMAL FAE OR SPIRIT NATURE OR A PERSON TURNED INTO A MONSTER VIA A MYSTERIOUS DISEASE.

Gettin' My Goggles On

2011-10-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

Steampunk. It's a term I'd heard before, but never really understood. I mean, goggles and dirigibles? What the heck? Then I saw a contest/call for submissions with the great people at Pill Hill Press and someting clicked for me. Pill Hill Press has been good to me and every time I tried something new, something I didn't think I could do, I've succeeded. So I thought, why not?

Well, with that in mind, a great deal of research ensued. I had to figure out what, exactly, steampunk was and what kinds of stories are included and if the vague idea I had brewing in my head was going to even fit in the genre.

Then, as if directed by fate, I found out that this week is Steampunk Week at Tor books!

So I decided to share a bit of what I've learned about steampunk.

First, what is steampunk? Steampunk is a sub-genre of speculative fiction, basically a "what if" genre in which geniuses are able to produce mechanical wonders such as robots and floating battle ships that run on steam power and sometimes clockwork. The genre is modled after CyberPunk and usually has some kind of anti-establishment theme, and is often set in the Victorian era or the Old West.

There are several sub-sub-genres of steampunk.

1. BoilerPunk--The blue-collar answer to aristocratic steampunk, incorporating the experiences and hardships of the workers actually shoveling coal to bring steam to the upper-classes.

2. ClockPunk--Clockwork technologies replace and supercede traditional steam power.

3. Dieselpunk--A heresy in which diesel fuel and nuclear power replaces steam power in alternate histories that often have a political component.

4. Gaslight Romances--A mainly British term for alternative histories that romanticize the Victorian era.

5. MannersPunk--Fiction that may or may not be deemed steampunk, in which elaborate social hierarchies provide the friction, conflict and action of the narrative usually in the context of endless forms--dances, parties, etc.--in manners.

6. Raygun Gothic--Although not strictly a sub-genre, this type of retro-futurism based is in part on art deco and streamlined modern styles has been used for a variety of science fiction settings, usually in movies.

7. StitchPunk--Fiction influence by the arts and crafts element of steampunk, with a prime example being teh animated movie 9 in which a cute Frankenstein dall-creature stitched together from bits of burlap sack tries to save the world. In a wider context, stitchpunk emphasizes the role of weavers, tinkers and darners in steampunk.

8. CyberPunk--Dark techno-fiction set in a near future.

Here are some highly regarded steampunk novels that have been recommended to me.

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

The Immorality Engine by George Mann

Morlock Night by K.W. Jeter

The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling

If you're a fan of the genre, which are your favorite books or movies?

The Twelfth Monster of Chaos--A sneak peak

2011-08-14T22:33:00.000-05:00

A Sneak peak at "The Twelfth Monster of Chaos" ...In times of trouble, know there is something watching over you...

Coming soon from Pill Hill Press, Dark Heroes.

My contribution--"The Twelfth Monster of Chaos"--tells of Omar, a reclusive, bitter storm demon, living in obscurity until an old frenemy returns. Seven words--"Choas reigns and her resurrection is imminent"--and an ancient artifact brings back the past he's trying to forget. Now he has to battle Tiamat, the creator of all things, to protect the world and the woman who snuck past all of his defenses.

Here's a small sample:

---------------------------

Omar's entire body stiffened as smoke seeped in from below the door. It smelled of foul herbs and sulfur
and caused the demon inside of him to demand release. The scent was familiar and unwelcome.

It smelled like enemies.

It felt lik family.

Sharp fangs exploded in his mouth and his hands grew bigger, longer, and developed razor-sharp talons. Aware of the fragile female huddled against his chest, he fought his body back. He had two contradictory needs: to defend and protect Lia from what he knew was coming and to protect himself from Lia ever discovering his demon nature. He had limited success in holding his demon back. The teeth and claws receded only slightly, and his overall girth increased, but to nowhere near his full size. He managed to keep the curved horns from sprouting atop his head, and the hard carapace that should cover his upper-body stayed hidden.

The dense smoke solidified, separated and formed hundreds of giant scorpions, each steel grey and the size of a grown man's forearm. They buzzed and clicked as they scurried towards them, stingers raised. They crawled over each other, wave after wave of poisonous beasts, targeting Omar and Lia. Lia screamed and tried to climb up Omar's body. Her breathing came quick and harsh. He swung her up into his arms, pushed her face into the crook of his neck.

"My children return to me, Imhullu. Will you, too, return, my son?"

"Not a chance, Mom." Omar kicked at a mutuant scorpion that had skittered close to his foot. It squealed as it winged through the air. The venom of the creature wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt like hell. Lia, on the other hand, would die a horribly painful death if one stung her. The clicks and shuffles of the armored creatures increased in intensity, as though they were angry on behalf of their punted brethren.

The cacophony of breaking bottles, crashing picture frames, colliding chairs and stools was deafening. Omar twisted and ducked, doing his best to keep Lia out of the line of fire. Though her weight was negligible to him, it was still awkward. Lia muttered against his neck. "This isn't happening, it's just a dream." She whimpered as a wooden plaque whizzed by close enough to ruffle the ends of her ponytail. "It's just a dream. Please, just a dream."

"If you will not return, then you will die."

----------------------------

Look for Dark Heroes to come out in September. As soon as it's available, I'll post a link.

Hot & Steamy (and I'm not talkin' about the weather!)

2011-08-08T04:50:00.001-05:00

A year and a half ago I figured I couldn't write romance (at least the adult version) because I was too shy (embarrassed?) to write a sex scene. I'm not a prude. I don't object to sensuality in principle. I've been reading romances since I was ten years old--I've never been put off by the crazy euphemisms or frank language. But the thought of someone reading a love scene that I'd written...let's just say I was hesitant.

Now, fast forward 18 months... I've had five erotic short stories published. The intensity (for lack of a better work) grew with each story. What changed?

I did some research on how to write sex scenes, and some of the information really helped. That, in combination with the thousands of love scenes I've read in my life has enabled me to compile a list of certain love scene requirements. There is (or at least should be) more to a sex scene that "insert tab A into slot B."

A Sex Scene Should:

Show us something about the characters
Show us something about the relationship between the characters
Advance the story and/or increase the tension
Arouse the reader

"If it doesn't do these four things," says Stacia Kane, author of Be a Sex-Writing Strumpet, "it doesn't belong in the book. This is true for the most sex-filled romance. If the sex isn't exploring, defining and advancing plot, character and relationship, it needs to go away."

What a Sex Scene Can Do:

Illuminate the most private acts of your characters
Demonstrate their connections, their trust, the depth (or lack thereof) of their feeling
Illustrate their desire for each other

While at the same time

Strengthening the story
Increasing the tension
Adding complications
Give the reader what she wants

One of the best bits of advice that Kane gives is:

Remember, a sex scene is just a scene, only with naughty parts. Think about what you want this scene to say about your characters and get it on the page.

For people (like me) who want to get beyond their personal embarrassment, or are picturing their mother or father, or kid brother or whoever, possibly reading your smutty scene, here's some advice on how to do it:

Remember, your characters are not you. Whatever you put down on the page, whatever kinks or language you explore, do not necessarily reflect on you or your own preferences.
Plan ahead. If you know that "the scene" is going to be part of your story, picturing it in advance will help you work out the bugs before the time comes and, even better, it will allow you to increase the sexual tension early on.
Make everybody wait. You want your audience to be eagerly anticipating the big moment. There's a reason why most sex scenes (outside erotic romance) take place 2/3 of the way into the story.
Write a good kissing scene and interrupt it. Good sex doesn't (or shouldn't) appear out of nowhere. Even if you don't use the kissing scene, you should write it. Anything to get your and the characters amped up. And it gives the reader something to keep reading for--for the characters to pick up where they left off.
Watch a sexy movie. Seriously. Tune out the cheesy music and stilted dialogue (of course, I may be watching the wrong movies!) and focus on the play of two (or more, who knows!) bodies moving together, and hopefully get to the place where seeing it and thinking about it don't make you blush.
Play some music. It doesn't have to be Barry White, but maybe make a sexy play list and include any songs that make you think about sex and romance. Let it set the mood for you.
Think about sex. Good sex, bad sex, funny sex, kinky sex, wild monkey sex, whatever you need. Think about sex you've had, or your friends have told you about. Maybe it seems a little odd, but just the act of thinking about it--and reminding yourself that just about every adult on the planet either does it regularly or has in the past--might help reassure you that you're writing about something universal.
Write about something that isn't sex. Make it as sexy as you possibly can. There are a slew of "sexy" words and adjectives, and tactile sensations that evoke sexual images. Use 'em. Get used to them. And it can be fun. I bet you've never thought about your laundry basket in sexual terms.
Read some sexy scenes. This is my personal favorite. It will inspire you, let you know what works (or what doesn't). Find some that you really like and analyze them.

Okay people, here's your chance. Do you/would you include sex in your novel? How hard is it for you to write a sex scene? Did you have any other advice for writing sex scenes?

Some of my favorite M/M authors

2011-08-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

Last Friday I promised to share with you all some of my favorite M/M romance authors and books.

So, as promised, here are the authors I consider the best of the best in this genre.

Z. A. Maxfield
Crossing Borders--

Tristan's got issues; he knows he does. So when his most recent girlfriend dumps him via messenger, and he can't stop staring at the messenger's cock while he's breaking the news, Tristan figures it's about time he makes some changes. He formulates a foolproof plan to get himself someone who can show him what he's been missing -- until who should crash his little adventure but Officer Michael Truax, the man who gave him a really expensive ticket for boarding without a helmet back when he was in high school.

Michael has been trying to catch Tristan for years...to give him a second ticket. Suddenly he's faced with his 'Sparky', all grown up -- and looking to get laid. The habit of protecting him isn't gone completely, but the opportunity is too much to resist. He figures the kid must know what he's getting into, so he takes him home. There, they carry on a cautious dance, only to find out that neither is what the other expected, and that together, they're hot enough to melt glass.

This is one of the first M/M romances I read, and it is still my favorite. I read and re-read this book. I LOVE THIS BOOK!

Other good books by Maxfield include: ePistols at Dawn and Drawn Together. Maxfield has several other good books, but these three are by far her best.
--------------------

K. A. Mitchell
Collision Course--

Paramedic Aaron Chase doesn't have anything against love, but he knows it means a lot of responsibility, like when he had to step in to raise his siblings. With the last one off to college, Aaron's anticipating enjoying life on his own terms. He certainly isn't expecting Joey Miller to accidentally drop into his life. Sexy, funny and annoyingly optimistic, Joey's tendency to get into trouble keeps sending him Aaron's way; Joey knows all about love. He's fallen in it ten times. All that experience has to count for something, right? With Aaron it's different. Joey's fallen for good.

Other great novels by Mitchell include: Not Knowing Jack, No Souvenirs, Diving Deep and Regularly Scheduled Life.

--------------------
J. L. Langley
Without Reservations--

Sometimes love just catches you by the tail. Chayton Winston is a veterinarian. He is also a werewolf. Much to his Native American parent's chagrin, he has always dreamed of a fair-haired, Caucasian mate. However, he never imagined his mate would be male. As a heterosexual man, he's not quite sure what to do with a male mate, but more than willing to find out. Keaton Reynolds wakes up, in wolf form, and finds himself with a mate. He's instantly attracted, but not so thrilled to find out the man is straight. Having been in a relationship once before where his partner professed to be "Not gay" left a bad taste in his mouth. Keaton wants to make a break for it and pretend he never set eyes on Chay-but Chay is not ready to let him go. Together the two work to solidify their shaky relationship and battle the prejudices against homosexuals. Chay must deal with not only his mother's prejudices against gay men but also her hatred of white people. When a power struggle in Keaton's pack threatens Keaton's life, the two men learn to depend on one another and their relationship to get them through it. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, violence and hot man-love.

Other fantastic books by Langley include: With Caution, With Abandon, The Englor Affair, and My Fair Captain.

--------------------

T. A.. Chase
No Going Home--

Six years ago, a hoof to the head ended Leslie Hardin's show-jumping career and his relationship with the man he loved. Broken, hurt, and rejected, Les has focused his energies on rebuilding his life. Les's accident has shown him that the most valuable treasures are usually found under an imperfect surface, and his reputation for taking in strays starts to grow. But it's one of these strays in particular, injured rodeo cowboy Randy Hersch, who captures more than just his compassion. Between his disapproving father and his chosen career path, Randy has always felt the need to deny his passion. But when Les takes him under his wing, Randy begins to realize that he is truly strong enough to admit his true self-to himself and the rest of the world. But in the arms of a broken man, can he find acceptance.and love?

Other great novels by Chase include: Wishing for a Home, Home of His Own, High Line: The Love of Sports, Out of Bounds: The Love of Sports and Duncan's World.

-------------------

I could keep going, but then this post would take hours to read, so I'll leave you with this list of some other fantastic M/M romance authors to check out:

Andrew Grey

Josh Lanyon

L. B. Gregg

Laura Baumbach

There are a bunch more that I know of, but these are the best of the best (of those that I've read, of course!).

Does anyone have any other M/M authors I should check out?

A Book Review: Prove It by Chris Owen

2011-08-01T04:36:00.004-05:00

http://www.amazon.com/Prove-Chris-Owen/dp/1610402545/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312061927&sr=8-1

Description:

Warren and Silas meet for the first time at the age of five. It doesn't go well. When they reach junior high they have a truce in place and Tal, a new guy in their class, acts as a catalyst, bringing them together as best friends. Together all through high school they survive school plays, Tal's girlfriends, Silas' boyfriend, and Warren's endless studying. College is more of the same, until Silas and Tal coax Warren out of the closet. For Warren nothing changes, but for Silas the world has unexpectedly changed forever. He had no idea he was in love with his best friend at all, and when he finally tells Warren the reaction is another surprise. Prove it. Warren knows all about Silas, knows the tricks, the games, the very best and the very worst about him, and Warren loves him back. But Warren also knows that if they're going to be together it's got to be forever, and he can't just risk everything for what might be another one of Silas' whims. Silas has to prove he loves Warren, and he wants to do just that. But how do you win the heart of someone who knows you better than anyone else?

My Thoughts:

I LOVED this book. Would it be considered romance? Maybe not. It's not really coming-of-age, either, though it has elements of both. It's a story about the ways in which relationships are built and how they change as people develop.

There were no wasted characters, not even random names mentioned. Everyone had a role in moving the plot forward and creating dynamic characters. Even Tal, who in many ways could be mistakenly viewed as a third wheel to Silas and Warren's romantic relationship was integral to the story.

I felt good reading this book. I felt like I was getting to know these three lovely boys and watching them grow up to become lovely men. I was happy for them and the places they were going. The story spans 17 years, from when the Warren and Silas are 5. In middle school Tal comes along and the trio become inseparable. While it covered a lot of time, the book wasn't particularly long, but I never felt like anything was missed. All of the important moments were hit, all of the characters fully developed. And, unlike a lot of romances, everything seemed plausible. I love how the three boys' personalities balanced each other out.

The sex scenes were graphic without being crude, were integral to the plot, and were creatively executed. Let me explain what I mean by that: too many times the sex scenes in M/M fiction follow a basic formula, repeated with each encounter. Ms. Owen explored different aspects of physical intimacy, paying as much attention to a brain-melting kiss or frottage as to actual intercourse. And none of it was gratuitous or over-the-top.

The only criticism I have deals with the pacing of the story when Warren and Silas realize that their love was different than the "just friends" love they shared with Tal. I think the time between the "I wonder if" to the declarations of love went too fast. I would have liked a little more build up to the declaration, even a bit more soul-searching, particularly by Warren. Silas's leap from "love" to "IN LOVE" actually fit well with his personality. Warren, however quiet and private he kept his thoughts, was a little too abrupt in his declaration.

I've only read one other book by Ms. Owen--Bareback--which was fabulous, emotionally draining, and downright painful--and while this book had the same quality writing, the feel of it was lighter, more positive. It's clear that Ms. Owen is a master at building authentic, relatable relationships and I know I'm going to be checking out some of her other works.

I absolutely recommend this book to others! (Also, it's a fairly easy intro too M/M fiction if you're interested in exploring the genre.)

Why do women read M/M romance/erotica?

2011-07-29T12:41:00.007-05:00

Hello, my name is Jennifer and I read gay male erotica.

Why does admitting that make me feel like I should be a little be ashamed or, at the very least, kind of embarrassed? I mean, though reported statistics vary, heterosexual females make up the majority of M/M erotica/romance readership. And, maybe a little stranger, they make of a large portion of M/M erotica/romance writers as well.

You may ask yourself why this is. Actually, I wondered about this myself. So I did a little research and this is what I found out.

Why do women read/write M/M erotica?

There are several theories about this. The most popular of these deals with female fantasies.

In the article "Female Fantasies Exposed" (http://www.stuff.co.nz/), editor of the erotica website forthegirls.com Louise Lush says "It's similar to why men watch lesbian porn. There's two objects of lust (in this case, men) on screen, without any interference from a woman."

The idea of two women engaged in a sexual situation is a popular--to the point of stereotypical--male fantasy. Why should it be any different if the same premise--two men engaged in a sexual situation--is true for women? According to Laura Baumbach of MLR Press, author of over 30 M/M romances it's an obvious answer. She is quoted in a Lambda Literary article saying "One man is good, two are better."

Also, Treva Hart, Loose Id author of several erotica titles (including M/M), said in the same article, "I like M/M stories to have a more male POV, even if much of what we get is still female fantasy."

On her blog Heroes and Heart Breakers, Tori Benson said, "The foreplay is also a big turn on; men touching and stroking each others' sculpted chests appeals to me because I can relate to that."

It's not just the fantasy elements, however. It's also the purpose of the story. There's a difference, many sources agree, between gay porn and gay erotica. (Personal note: I am a firm believer that erotic is vastly different than pornography, insofar that porn is generally sex for sex's sake --plot-less--and in erotica, the sex actually moves the plot forward, whatever that plot might be.) In his book Man, Oh Man!, Writing M/M Fiction for Cash and Kinks, Josh Lanyon (an absolutely amazing M/M fiction author, btw),

"The common complaint about porn is the lack of plot or character development, and what M/M fiction attempts to do--even the worst M/M fiction--is remedy that. M/M fiction is all about the relationships. The romantic relationship between the male protagonists is going to be of paramount importance."

Is there a difference between the books written for men vs. those written for women?

The common answer is YES. John Scognamiglio of Kensington Press says, "It's two different audiences. Readers who are reading M/M fiction aren't reading gay fiction. It's two different types of books."

"There is a philosophical divide over whether M/M romance is in fact 'gay' romance. Personally, I don't always think it's the same thing," says Lanyon. He argues that M/M romance presents "a more sentimental and romantic approach to love and sex than you might find in a gay romance novel." As hot and heavy as some M/M romance sex gets, the bottom line is that it is predominantly written by women for women.

Scott Pomfret and Scott Whittier, authors of the Romentics series of gay romance novels, are quoted in Man, Oh Man as saying "Perhaps they are writing M/M sex correctly physically but portraying it emotionally the way a woman would feel."

Why is there such an upsurge in the number M/M erotic stories?

You know that argument that e-readers such as the Kindle or the Nook are destroying the publishing industry? Well, it seems that digital books are a large part of the reason for an increased demand for M/M romance and erotica. E-books provide a certain anonymity. "Even though MLR's titles support print sales, their e-book sales far outweigh print sales. The major reason, apart from convenience, is privacy. You don't have to face a smirking cashier to by an e-book," Baumbach says.

Given the negative reputation often associated with buying traditional romance novels, image being a woman buying a M/M romance complete with two naked men artfully intertwined on the cover? "This is a sub-genre that came into its own because the technology was there to feed a niche appetite," says Lanyon. And with the increased availability (and anonymity) of e-books, sales for the genre continue to increase.

Why do I read M/M erotica?

For me, the answer is kind of along the lines of "all of the above." I've been reading romance since I was 10 years old. In twenty-some years, that's a lot of bodice-rippers. So I change things up. Every now and then I get obsessed with a new sub-genre or new author. First it was historicals, then it was suspense. I explored paranormal romance, erotica, BDSM erotica, and menage erotica. I like the romance-y ones better than the sex-for-the-sake-of-sex titles. I love watching two people build a relationship and fall in love. With M/M romance and erotica, overcoming the obstacles that stand in the way of a happily ever after ending is that much harder. There's societal stereotypes and negativity, family pressure, gay-bashers, etc. Besides, I like the concept that everyone deserves a happily ever after, or at the very least a happy for now, ending, no matter the gender.

And yes, having a Kindle makes all the difference. I don't have to wonder what people are thinking if they notice a steamy M/M cover. No one knows what's on the display side of my e-reader. Also, there are a lot, and I mean A LOT, of M/M erotica/romance novels, novellas, anthologies, etc. available in electronic format.

I was going to also leave a list of authors and titles of M/M erotica/romance that I really liked, but this post is quite long enough. I'll do another post soon that includes some people to look up if you're looking to explore a new genre or if you simply want to add some names to your TBR author list.

Hello, my name is Jennifer and I read gay male erotica and I'm not alone!

Anybody read M/M erotica? If yes, why?

I admit it, I jumped on the band waggon

2011-07-24T17:31:00.001-05:00

I've never been known to be at the forefront of technological advances. For instance, I only just got an iPod and figured out how to use it. Also, I did not join Facebook until everyone in my family ganged up on me and I bowed to peer pressure. I have a twitter account that I'm mostly too scared to use to its fullest extent. My cell phone is in no way smart. All in all, I usually am the last to join any new technology trend.

Then why, you may ask, did I snap up my invitation to Google+ (G+) and jump in with both feet?

1. It's cleaner, less busy than Facebook in appearance and it's less limiting than Twitter. It's like they took the best aspects of these other social media giants and smashed them into one cool program. I know it's still in the test stages and accessible by invitation only, but I have not yet been bombarded with requests to provide lumber for a chicken coop or send a buddy a revolver so they can complete their hit. It's kind of nice.

2. I like having a separate outlet for my writing-related stuff. As it stands, I have three e-mail accounts--one for the day job, one for the personal and one for the writing stuff. The Twitter is almost exclusively for the writing and Facebook is almost exclusively for the personal. My family and friends like me (I hope), but do not particularly care that the publishing trends for YA Paranormal is heading towards ghosts and away from vampires (or whatever). Now, since my Facebook account is attached to my yahoo (personal) account, and my writing stuff is attached to a Google account, it only makes sense to use Google's answer to social updates.

The main reason, however, is that if it continues to work as well as the initial weeks indicate, Google+ will likely be a better tool for creating an effective author platform.

Why do I think this, you may ask. Here's why:

I read a report that indicated that G+ is the fastest-growing social network ever, despite being an invitation-only launch. Google confirmed 10 million users after only two weeks, and it’s more than likely that by the time you read this, that number has already more than doubled. I’m not a math or statistic wizard, but that’s pretty impressive.

One of the factors that makes this application so successful is that Google has something that Facebook and Twitter didn’t have: hundreds of millions of users already integrated into the Google network. And, since it was designed as a content sharing platform, it has been put together in a way that encourages, rewards and protects content sharing. In his post “Is Google+ the Ultimate Content Marketing Platform?", Brian Clark, founder of Copyblogger and CEO of Copyblogger Media, says:

“[Google+} takes to good things about Facebook and Twitter and makes them better. More importantly, Google had the luxury of watching what Facebook and Twitter did wrong, and made it right….Google has solved the inherent privacy and ‘over-sharing’ issues that make Facebook problematic, while providing a rich multimedia and discussion environment that Twitter simply can’t match.”

Okay, now I’m going to get into some of the technical stuff that usually makes my eyes glaze over, but it’s important! It’s called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

SEO is the algorithm (I’m pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve ever used the word algorithm in something…math-like stuff is so not my thing) that determines what shows up where when you do a search engine search. Items with higher ranking get listed first. Google’s search engine was built on the premise that content with links pointing to it deserves to be ranked higher than content with fewer links. According to Clark, “With the emergence of social media, the Google algorithm has evolved to include sharing as an additional indicator of content quality for ranking purposes.”

With G+, Google has its own content sharing platform that provides direct access to the “sharing” and popular opinion when it comes to quality content . As authors, especially now, we are responsible for marketing our content—our stories, novels, poems, etc.—and as such, it’s important to know and use every tool at our disposal.

“Building an audience on Google+ may be the smartest thing you can do as a content marketer when it comes to improved search rankings. You still need to understand the language of your audience and reflect it back in your content, but Google will now have direct indications that you’re putting out quality stuff.”—Clark

None of this means that I’m going to ditch Facebook. Since most of my family and friends are connected to me through that application, I’ll still use it for my personal social media needs. Twitter is already only used for my writing-related stuff, and whether or not I stick with it will be determined at a later date. As it is, I’m a sporadic tweeter.

Here is a cool link that will answer any questions you have about Google+.

I can’t take credit for this list, but here’s a list of authors, editors, agents, etc. who are already on G+. It’s probably a little outdated (already!) but you might find a few familiar names or connections you’d like to make.

I’m not on this list (gasp!) but if anyone wants to follow me or be followed by me, just search for J. Leigh Bailey and you’ll find me. Also, if you want/need an invitation to G+ to join the fun, let me know your e-mail and I’ll send an invitation your way.

If you're already a G+ member, add me to one of your circles and I'll do the same for you. After all, we all need one more social media time suck in our lives, right?

A failure and a comeback

2011-07-20T21:42:00.001-05:00

A couple of months ago I decided to move from my blogspot to a website with a blog feature. Um, yeah, doesn't work quite so well for me. It's not quite as user friendly, and, to be honest, I haven't been very successful at bringing my followers over to the new site. That is mostly because I pretty much dropped off the face of the interwebs (is that term still au courrant or is there a new term trending?) so I wasn't checking in or commenting on anyone else's blogs, I didn't post new entries in either blog. So yeah, I bombed the whole move to a new site thing and the keeping up with everyone thing.

But the good news is I'm back! I promise to do a better job of staying in touch, keeping up on the news and all the community and camaraderie.

Since my disappearance, I have had a couple of good things happen. Two more flash erotic stories were published and another short story was accepted for publication. It will be released the end of August.

A couple of things to add:

I am still using my website. You can check it out for stuff specifically related to my published works, craft resources and book reviews.

Be sure to check out http://www.jleighbailey.webs.com/

Also, I've joined google+ specifically for my writing and publishing. If anyone wants an invitation, leave me your e-mail address and I'll send you an invite. From the little I've been playing around on it, I have to say I quite like it. It takes the best aspects of Facebook and Twitter, without some of the challenges of those sites. Also, who doesn't need another social media outlet?

I'll be seeing you around (I promise!).

I am a writer. That's what I am.

2011-04-29T16:14:00.001-05:00

I saw this clip from the upcoming moving "That's What I Am."

Check it out.

Repeate after me: "I am a writer. That's what I am."

Amazon Author Pages

2011-04-29T05:06:00.002-05:00

Did you know that as long as you have published work available for sale via Amazon.com you can have an Author Page on their site? Of course you know, I sometimes forget that I'm pretty much always the last to know.

Anyway, the other day I decided to do it. So I now have my very own Author Page on Amazon.com

Here's the link, but do yourself a favor (and me) if you check it out, don't look at my picture...yikes, I seriously need to find a decent picture of myself!

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004XZVFB6

Has anyone done this yet? It's silly, but it makes me feel just a little bit more legitimate as an author.

Sinisterotica now available!

2011-04-26T18:51:00.001-05:00

Pill Hill Press just released the anthology Sinisterotica. You can find my short story "Under the Hunter's Moon" here, along with 23 other fabulous stories that explore the shadowy edge between horror and erotica.

In "Under the Hunter's Moon" a young woman gets taken by the Sluagh--a host of spirits of men and women so evil that they were wanted by neither Heaven nor Hell--to experience profound pleasure under the Hunter's Moon.

Sinisterotica

Published by DFE Quarterly, an Imprint of Pill Hill Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-61706-088-5

A cry in the dark… a howl on the wind… are these the sounds of pleasure or pain?

Twenty-four authors blur the line between pleasure and pain in this sinful collection of erotic horror, proving that sometimes bad feels good.

Includes short stories by the following authors: Stella Berkley, Deb Eskie, Robert S. Tyler, Lila Shaw, Gustavo Bondoni, Maxine Marsh, Sealey Andrews, Christopher Heath, C.D. Reimer, T.C. Clark, L.M. Doyle, Joshua Dobson, Indy McDaniel, Parisa Syrus, A.J. French, Angel Propps, Matt Kurtz, J. Leigh Bailey, Peter Baltensperger, Lawrence Vernon, Anton Strauss, R. Brennan, Roxanne Rhoads and Eden Royce.

You can purchase this book via Pill Hill Press or for your Kindle at Amazon.com

To Be Brutally Honest...

2011-04-25T05:26:00.003-05:00

I've always used fiction as an emotional escape. While I've always been an avid reader, even as a very little girl, my complete absorption in books did not develop until my parents' divorce and my subsequent move to a new state, town and school. Suddenly I found that getting lost in a book, in the world that someone created, made it easier to deal with my own situation. In books, you see, people overcame great obstacles to achieve a Happily Ever After.

Even in my writing, I've always stuck to make-believe and the hope for a happy ending (thus the current title of my blog).

But lately I've been drawn to the idea of writing a memoir-type story about my life and my challenges. This is a very uncomfortable desire. If I do, then I have to honestly and objectively look at things that I've been handling by ignoring or lying--to myself and others--about. It's a very scary thought.

Now, compared to a lot of people, I haven't had to deal with a lot...no major drama or trauma, no great accomplishments or heroic deeds. Certainly no celebrity status. But maybe exploring and detailing some of my "issues" I can help others. Or, at the very least, come to some kind of personal understanding and closure.

I've always been pretty open about my depression. In my opinion, hiding it or denying it only perpetuates a stigma that keeps many people from admitting they suffer from depression and consequently, don't get treatment for it. Despite admitting it, I've always down played it's effects on me. However, I've never thought to share my own experiences before because, compared to many people who suffer from the disease, I'm not as negatively impacted. I can honestly say I've never contemplated suicide or harming others; I'm not a cutter, an alcoholic or a drug user. Most people I work with or know casually are shocked when I mention that I have to deal with depression. "But you're so cheerful" they say. Sometimes I am cheerful and outgoing; sometimes it's just a mask I wear. My point is, so many people suffer from worse conditions than my own.

I think, though, that part of the reason the stigma that exists around depression could be because people only really talk about the severe consequences. If people only hear about the suicide risks and the drug and alcohol dependent sufferers, people assume that if you are depressed, they suddenly need to watch out for signs of self-destructive behavior.

I'm considering writing about this, as a kind memoir, but it's scary as hell. I'm forcing myself not to down-play the symptoms and not hide some of the aspects that no one knows about. It's not comfortable, but I think it might be good for me. If I finish it, I may never seek to get it published, but it might be a cathartic exercise, if nothing else.

Have you done anything lately that has made you step out your comfort zone?

The Word Was & Passive Writing

2011-04-22T05:26:00.006-05:00

The first time I access Twitter in two months, someone shared a link to a FABULOUS site, that probably everyone but me has been following forever. Anyway, the Grammar Divas posted an article on Tuesday 6 Things You Need to Know About Was. I'm not going to go over all the details--you need to read this article for yourself.

Anyway, I since I just finished a story and was in the process of proofing/revising it, it was the perfect time to see just how I used the word WAS.

While it wasn't the most important part of the article--it was only one of the six things you need to know about was--it was one of the easiest pieces I could test in my own works:

So I decided to go into my recently completed first draft of my storm demon short story and see how many time I used the word was and see if identifying those instances could help me avoid excessive passive voice instances. Doing a quick "find" in the document, I found out I used the word was over 150 times. I highlighted each one and analyzed whether its use was necessary and correct for one reason or another, of if it simply signalled a fall into passive voice.

In 43 of the 150 times I used the word was, I was able to revise a passive voice sentence and make it active voice.

Maybe I should be ashamed that I had 43 passive voice sentences--boring, Jen, boring!--that could be easily revised and improved. Doing some rough, and not particularly scientific, math, I determined that I had at least one passive voice sentence every three and a half (ish) paragraphs. And, if you read the article, it states that was is a perfectly acceptable "first draft go-to verb".

That left behind 107 uses of the word was that I determined to be appropriate or acceptable, either because of what I was trying to say or because it fit better stylistically with what I was doing. Was isn't always a bad word.

The point is, this was an easy way to identify some instances of passive voice. Not perfect by any means, but my story definitely benefited from the experiment.

Anywway, I highly recommend following that link and checking it out.

Another thing I recently discovered (and again, I may be the last to know): You can set your grammar check in Microsoft Word to check for passive voice sentences. How cool is that? Granted, adding another reason for little green squiggly lines to appear on a document can be annoying, but when I really dig into the grammar rules and recommended changes highlighted, I actually learn something!

What other proof-reading/revision techniques do you use?

Was In Passive Voice Is A No-No…
Editors and readers don’t like was in the passive voice because they prefer an active, resourceful protagonist involved in the dynamics of a tension-filled story. Was in the passive voice is stagnant, waiting for someone or something to act. Stuff isn’t happening. No action. No strong pacing. No excitement. Blah.

Rough Drafts and Storm Demons

2011-04-21T07:33:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I completely failed at the A to Z Challenge... I got stalled somewhere around L... Whoops! Which makes today R, I believe. My post today really isn't geared towards the challenge (I'm pretty sure I can give up now), but does Roughly tie into the letter R... it must be fate!

Last night (or more specifically, early this morning) I finished the first ROUGH draft of a short story I've been working on. But now I've got some questions/concerns. So I bring these questions to my blogger buddies around the world.

1. I need some serious help with a title... Quick synopsis: Omar is a Storm Demon, created by the goddess Tiamat at the dawn of the world. After she was vaquished (her death and the battle surrounding it created the world and humankind) Omar lived his immortal life in mundane obscurity. He is forced to once again work with his moral enemy to defeat Tiamat when her followers manage to resurrect her. The story is basically the battle between between Omar and Tiamat and her monsters.

Initially, I called the story "The Twelfth Monster of Chaos" (according to the mythology, Tiamat created 11 monsters of chaos and in my version of events, there was a 12th monster--Omar) but that title would require a more specific understanding of Babylonian mythology and the Enuma Elish than I could logically include in the story. Then I started calling it "Tiamat's Return" which is definitely more to the point, but is kind of boring. As a storm demon, Omar battles using weather phenomena and storm elements, so I also considered calling it "Severe Weather" but that one didn't really seem to get to the point.

Anyway, does any of those titles seem more intriguing than the others? Does anyone have any other suggestions for titles, given the admittedly brief and incomplete explanation I've provided?

2. My second question--the one that's my biggest concern--is this: Is the Enuma Elish and the Babylonian creation myth too obscure to act as the background for a short story? In my mind, everything I've written is clear and makes perfect sense, but I think that's likely because I have researched the Enuma Elish.

3. My third question is this: Does anyone have any interest in beta reading (and proofing!) a roughly 9,000 word short story, genre: horror (ish)? It's got a storm demon, a psychotic dragon/goddess, mutant scorpions, venemous serpents, an arrogant god king and a hint of romance...

Levels of Hell (a la Dante)--a Quiz

2011-04-14T05:25:00.002-05:00

Brought to you by the L in the A to Z April Challenge!

"Through me the way into the suffering city,

Through me the way to the eternal pain,

Through me the way that runs among the lost.

Justice urged on my high artificer;

My maker was divine authority,

The highest wisdom, and the primal love.

Before me nothing but eternal things were made,

And I endure eternally.

Abandon every hope, ye who enter here."

My friend, Barb, is an English teacher. In her class, they are studying Dante's Inferno. Somewhere, she came across this site, with a quiz. Take the quiz, and you can find out to which level of Dante's Hell you'll spend eternity.

In case anyone is interested, I'll be in Level 6, Dis. Apparently, I'm a bit of a heretic!

Go --> HERE<-- to take the quiz!

As a refresher, or in case you haven't read The Divine Comedy, here are the different levels of hell and who inhabits them!

So, if you took the quiz... Which level, or circle, of hell are you destined for?

K is for Kisses!

2011-04-13T05:08:00.001-05:00

Brought to you by the letter K in the A to Z April Challenge: Kissing ABC’s

Kissing is an expression of emotions whether they are friendship, love, or passion. There are so many different types of kisses to express these different emotions and so many more different types of kisses that are just for pure fun and enjoyment. As a lover of the romantic and the erotic, I thought it would be fun to run through some of these kinds of kisses—in alphabetical order, of course!

Aggressive Kiss – While kissing your partner, gently bite down on their lower lip and look up at them. Start sucking on the bottom lip to give them a great sensation.

Butterfly Kiss - With your faces less than a breath away, open and close your eyelids against your partners. If done correctly, the fluttering sensation will match the one in your heart.

Cheek Kiss - A friendly, "I really like you" kiss. Often the preferred kissing method of a first date. With your hands on your partner's shoulders, gently brush your lips across her cheek.

Deep Throat Kiss - Grab your partner (not too roughly) and kiss them, with both of your mouths wide open, like you are trying to reach the back of their throat.

Eskimo Kiss - With your faces less than a breath apart, gently rub your noses together.

French Kiss - The kiss involving the tongue. Some call this the "Soul Kiss" because the life and soul are thought to pass through the mouth's breath in the exchange across tongues. Surprisingly, the French call this "The English Kiss".

Ghost Kiss – Get very close to your lover’s face and look down at their lips as if you’re about to kiss them. Just as they believe you’re going to kiss, brush your lips up over their cheekbones and eyelids without firmly kissing. Hershey Kiss – Give your partner a chocolaty Hershey Kiss. If you want to be a bit more…intimate… put a Hershey Kiss in your mouth and start kissing your partner. The Hershey Kiss melts in your mouths!

Ice Cube Kiss – Place an ice cube in your partner’s belly button, telling them that if they move and it falls out, you will stop kissing them.

Jawline Kiss – Start by short kisses right below the jaw and work your way down to the collar bone. Next, blow a little air as you make your way back to the jaw.

Kiss with a Twist – Lean in to kiss your partner and just as they come to meet your lips, pull back. They’ll think you’re playing, but surprise them by leaning ini and giving them the kiss of a lifetime.

Long Kiss – Just start kissing and keep going until the next day!

Mistletoe Kiss - Surprise your lover by capturing them with a gentle holiday kiss under the mistletoe. This is also a good method for shyer individuals to steal a kiss from a potential lover.

Neck Nibble Kiss - Gently nibble up and down your partner’s neck. End with a gentle kiss on the lips.

Open Eye Kiss – Look your loved one in the eye. While staring at them, lean in and kiss them slowly, looking into their eyes the entire time. This will show your partner how much you care about them, and give them butterflies at the same time!

Pop Rock Kiss – One partner has a drink in their mouth and the other has the Pop Rocks. Start to French kiss and you get a spark!

Quickie Kiss – When you’re in a rush. Often the nose gets it rather than the lips.

Rolling Tongue Kiss – Similar to a French kiss, but both partners should roll their tongues around each others.

Searching The Cavern - Use the lips and tongue to gently tickle and kiss your lover's navel. Vary speeds and stroke to change sensation. Invigorating and intoxicating.

Tiger Kiss – Quietly sneak up behind your partner making sure they do not know what you are going to do. Out of the blue, grab them and gently bite their neck. Make sure to get a few good growls in, too. This will surely surprise them.

Underwater Kiss – Find your partner under water. Embrace and kiss. It’s a unique and wonderful feeling. By the time you run out of air, you’ll be back at the top. Continuing the kiss is optional.

Virtual Kiss – For Internet lovers. Send an e-card or a kiss via email with this symbol: :-* .

Winter Chills Kiss – Kiss your partner on the neck, then casually lick where you just kissed. Next, gently blow on the area. It creates a weird, cold sensation.

Your Favorite – Can you believe I couldn’t find a type of kiss that starts with Y? So, instead, insert Your favorite kiss here!

Zorro Kiss – Like a French kiss, except the participants’ tongues are sword fighting. Mucho romantico!

Okay, I've got to ask... what's your favorite kiss? ;-)

Jennifer: A Rose by Any Other Name

2011-04-12T05:33:00.003-05:00

Today's post is brought to you by the letter J in the April A to Z challenge.

I've gone by a number of names in my life. No, I'm not an international spy (wouldn't that be cool, though?|). And I'm not in the witness protection program (I wouldn't admit it if I were). I've just got one of those names.

My name is Jennifer. Yes, Jennifer. My mother told me that she named me Jennifer because she didn't know of any/many other Jennifers. There were four Jennifers in my kindergarten class. Gee, thanks Mom!

As a kid, I was know mostly as JENNI. Notice the spelling. Yes, that's Jenni with an I. As I told many people throughout my life, there is no Y in Jennifer, therefore my name is not JennY.

Story has it that when we were little, my brother couldn't say Jennifer. What he could say was Jeff-fer-fer, which was quickly shortened to Fer-Fer. My two aunts were the one's who mostly called me this. Of course, it was then changed again. After a while it was Fer-Fer Butt.

My aunts have somehow managed to convince my nieces that they should call me Fer-Fer Butt, too. So the name lives on.

In college, I decided not to go by Jenni. Because I knew that in their heads, people were spelling Jenni wrong. So I started to go by Jen.Most of my friends called me Jen, but there were a couple who called me Jen-Jen.In some of the different organizations I belonged to I became known as JenBailey (yes, like one word).

One of my friends decided that Jen, Jen-Jen and JenBailey were not enough. She calls me Jannae. I will say it's pretty much only her that does that.

Then, as absurd as it seems to me, some peopel began to spell Jen Jenn. Yeah, two Ns. That still seems too weird to me. So, after college, I changed my name again.

In the workplace, I call myself Jennifer.It's not very unique, but it's less likely to be spelled wrong (even internally). Now, before you say anything, yes, there are several spellings for Jennifer, but on the whole, people generally assume the traditional spelling.

And now, if you look at the sidebar there on the right you'll see I also go by another name This is my writing name, or by-line if you will. Yes, my "profession" author name is J. Leigh Bailey. It's not a big leap from Jennifer to J. Leigh, but I decided I wanted to distance myself a ltitle bit from my "real" name, but have it still be recognizable to my family and friends. Still be "me" so to speak.

So, how many incarnations has your name gone through? Do you write under your real name or do you have a pseudonym? If you have a pseudonym, how did you chose it?

Insomnia & iPods

2011-04-11T05:02:00.002-05:00

Today's post is brought to you by the letter I in the A to Z April Challenge!

Slowly by surely I'm catching up with modern technology. First it was the Kindle. Then I got a computer of my very own. Now, most recently, I got an iPod Nano. Dude, this gadget is adorable!I've already loaded a couple of songs, but I have to make a confession: As much as I enjoy music occasionally, I'm not what one can call musically inclined. Not that you have to be able to sing or play an instrument or whatever to enjoy music, but for me it's mostly background noise at work. I should also admit that most of music exposure comes from American Idol and Glee (yes, I vote for my favorite contestants and I'm a total Gleek). In fact, the first four songs I purchased came from those two shows. So why, given this, did I need to get an iPod?

For the audiobooks, of course!

More random facts about me: I have over 20 unabridged and half a dozen abridged (the distinction is important to me) audio books in the front seat of my car. I'm woefully behind on current events because I listen to Harry Potter, or whichever book is playing, during my daily commute. Since I've gotten my computer I've also started downloading books from Audible.com (audiobooks from Amazon.com).

I want to start exercising more, but I need something to keep my mind from exploding from boredom--I mean, seriously, exercise kind of blows. I used to have a portable CD player with headphones, but no matter how good the skip protection is, jogging causes skips. Also, I then had to carry with me a couple of CDs while walking/jogging through the neighborhood or at the gym. Let me tell you, changing CDs in a portable player at a 7 mph pace--okay, who am I trying to kid--a 3 mph pace is awkward as all get out.

So, iPod = audiobooks = exercises = a healthier me.

It's all good, right?

Um....not quite.

You see, I'm struggling a bit with insomnia and the audio books and the iPod aren't helping. Instead of trying to sleep, I'm listening to Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World and playing Free Cell. That is a very dangerous combination. I'm caught up in an excellent story and I'm determined to keep my win/loss ration on Free Cell above 53/47%. Though I should take advantage of these sleepless nights by working on my novel or my short story that I'm in the middle of. Oh well, distraction is my middle name!

Which means late nights, groggy mornings and exhausted days (and a lot of caffeine) repeated ad nauseum.

I figure I'll eventually lose the insomnia, and in the meantime, I might get more exercise.

And maybe even develop a true musical appreciation.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-04-09T06:37:00.009-05:00

Brought to you by the letter H in the A to Z April Challenge!

~~Today I turn 27!~~

~~Today I turn 29!~~

~~Today I turn 31!~~

Okay, fine.

Today I turn 33!

Happy Birthday to me!

Grandpa's Poem

2011-04-08T05:27:00.001-05:00

Brought to you by the lovely letter G in the A to Z April Challenge.

Some of you may know—since I mention it a lot—I’m not a poet. I don’t get poetry, I have no rhythm and I tend to avoid complicated or extended metaphors. I know (intellectually) that poetry is so much more than that, but it’s something I’ve never really gotten into.

My grandfather died a little more than ten years ago. After he died, one of the things he always said to me—“You be a good girl”—kept running through my mind. I had this need to write something, to put into words something to commemorate him. And, somehow, this poem emerged.

“You be a good girl, Jen.”

I am.

I’ll try.

It’s too hard,

Too much work.

I want to.

I think I can.

“Grandpa, I always am.”

His strong, vibrant body,

Withered with age

And depleted by illness.

But there’s still that quick grin
And a story to tell.

His hand gripping mine,

He’s lost in the past.

It’s the last time I’ll see him.

I know it deep inside.

He lays there and smiles at me.

He knows the end is near.

He smiles, pats my hand and says,

“You be a good girl, Jen.”

I smile and say, “I always am.”

It's not very well-written, but when I read it I can picture the last time I spoke with my grandpa. I have to say, other than my sporadic attempts at journal entries and letters I wrote to people I was angry with but never sent, this is the only time I'd ever written something that truly expressed my real emotions, from and by me, not a fictitious character or situation.

Fiends and Foes--Creating Credible Villains

2011-04-07T05:57:00.002-05:00

Today's post is brought to you by the letter F in the A to Z April Challenge.

When plotting a story, a novel, a screenplay, etc. every protagonist needs an antagonistic force. Sometimes this antagonistic force is an honest to goodness villain. But what makes a good villain? You can’t just slap together some typically evil or mean traits. A good bad guy needs to have a delicate balance of bad and good.

A villain is the dramatic antithesis of a hero, and therefore has the following four attributes:

He is the Antagonist—the chief obstacle to the achievement of the story’s overall goal

He is the Influence Character--the one who argues the devil's advocate position regarding the personal or moral issue the story seems to be about.

He is second in prominence to the Central Character--he one who stands out most strongly among the players, save for the hero.

He is a Bad Guy--the standard bearer of immorality --the character whose intent is to do the wrong thing.

(http://storymind.com/content/71.htm)

So, what does it take to create a credible villain?

Choose the degree of evilness or just plain "ick" you want to place into your villain. Is he serial killer or just a bully? Fit the bad guy with the genre of your story. A horror story, for example, may need a demon or a zombie. A crime thriller calls for a crimelord, a boss of a rival gang or the ringleader of a corrupt police force. An evil king or warlock is good in fantasy, as is a priest, a highly placed official or a member of a manipulative secret society.

Create a single, traumatic incident for your villain. It could be as devastating as seeing his parents murdered or as sublime as seeing a prized rosebush destroyed by the whims of nature. There’s got to be something to create a turning point in the villain's life.

Expand on this singular incident. Exaggerate it, twist it, and distort it until it becomes the rotten core of your villain. Try and counterpoint it in some way with the here’s experience.

Choose a single thing that the character adores without greed or malice. It doesn't have to be a big thing--in fact, it's better if it's not. He needs some kind of redeeming or positive quality or vulnerability. Then you have to decide if this vulnerability will give the hero leverage in some way or is the hero noble enough not to use it?

Combine the "turning point" and the "single thing" and bounce them back and forth in your mind. How are they related? Why does the villain love one thing so much and is still filled with malice, hatred, or just plain "ickiness"?

Take into account the hero of the story. How does the hero fit into the villain's life? How do his wants mix, match, and collide? How are they similar; how are they different?

Does the villain get eventually redeemed or does he stay a bad guy? Look how your story folds and your villain develops, and make your decision based on them.
(http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Credible-Villain-in-Fiction)

How to Avoid Writing Weak Villains:

Give your villain a reason to be angry. Make her motivations real. Being stood up on a date 15 years ago is not a believable reason that a woman would stalk a man and go after his family.

Make your villain intelligent. He has to match wits with your hero in order to challenge them. You don't want to bore your readers by having the hero know the villain's every move.

Avoid clichés. Many times we see the jealous ex-husband, jilted mistress, or guy made fun of in high school back for revenge. If you are going to do this, make them stand out by being different. Give them a life of their own so they don't become one-dimensional.

Try not to make your villain too evil. Twist the character's personality and make the reader a little sympathetic. If your villain goes around causing terror to everything that crosses his path, the story will quickly lose appeal.

Keep your villain strong until the end. Too many times we see stories that end with the villain giving up and wanting to change his or her ways. A powerful villain never gives up and will fight to the finish.
(http://www.ehow.com/how_2222257_avoid-creating-weak-villain-creative.html#ixzz1IcLQuokb)

So, who's your favorite villain?

Erotique!

2011-04-06T05:14:00.002-05:00

About a year and a half ago I made a joke to a fellow writer that I was focusing on YA romance instead of adult romance, despite the fact that I’ve been reading adult romance and erotic romance since I was 12 years old, because I was afraid to write a sex scene. Fast forward a year and a half, and now I’ve had five EROTIC short stories accepted for publication. I skipped right over mainstream *romance sex* and jumped feet first into EROTICA.

How did that happen?

There were a couple different levels: First of all, it started out as a test. I saw the call for erotic flash fiction and essentially dared myself to try it. I mostly wanted to see if I could actually do it. Strangely, it didn’t take me that long to write, though I blushed the whole time and kept looking over my shoulder to make sure no one could see what I was writing (I was sitting in a Panera Bread at the time).

Then I read it and re-read it. Was it too explicit? Since there was no actual “sex” in the scene, was it not explicit enough? I generally waffled about whether or not I should submit it—I annoyed myself. The publishing house that was looking for submissions had an electronic submissions option and I sat with all of my info read to go and stared at the screen for half an hour before hitting the “submit” button.

I was ecstatic when, two days later, I was notified that they were accepting my story. Except then I faced a new set of problems… who could I tell? Did I want my family to know that I wrote an erotic story? Could I post that to my status on Facebook? I did eventually tell my family, but with many shy looks and hushed voices.

The story, “Midnight Watch,” used explicit terminology but the actions were not full-on sex scene. In point of fact, the two characters were never actually in the same place at the same time.

Each of the five stories explored different themes/levels of intimacy and explicitness. In three of them, there was an implied hope for a Happily Ever After ending for the characters. They could almost be classed as Erotic Romance. One had a paranormal twist, and despite the fact that there was no relationship building or implied HEA, I would still term it a bit more romantic. It wasn’t as explicit in the language or tone as the other two.

The last one, which I called “Stone Cold Bitch,” took me less than an hour and a half to write. It is, in some ways, one of the best things I’ve written, and is not romantic at all, there are no holds barred when it comes to the sex, the language or the emotions behind it. On Friday I mentioned that the newest erotic story that was accepted was a “F*** you letter” and it was…it was a little crude, a little edgy, and took on a fairly taboo topic.

If you can see the itty-bitty print with the authors listed,
you'll see my name is set on one mostly bare buttock!

I no longer blush when I write a steamy scene and I announce it to the world when one is accepted for publication.

What kind of metamorphosis has your writing undergone? Did you start out with certain expectations only to have things turn around? Have any experiments yielded exciting results? Which ones bombed? Inquiring minds want to know!

D is a Bad Letter!

2011-04-05T05:23:00.002-05:00

Some of the worst things in my life begin with the letter D.

I have a serious lack of DISCIPLINE.

I am particularly prone to DISTRACTIONS.

Unfortunately, I also suffer from DEPRESSION.

The DEPRESSION makes it very hard for me to have DISCIPLINE.

The DEPRESSION also makes it very easy for me to actively seek DISTRACTIONS.

The lack of DISCPLINE also means that I fail every attempt at a DIET.

An unsuccessful DIET leads to poor self esteem and exacerbates the DEPRESSION.

Also, that poor DIET has me teetering close to the edge of DIABETES.

Oh, and it’s taking me forever to get myself out of DEBT!

This is a DIZZY, never-ending DILEMMA!

Gosh DARN it, D is a DISGUSTING letter that DESERVES to be DUMPED into the DEPTHS of Hades (sorry, I couldn’t come up with a bad place that begins with D—somehow DUMPED into the DEPTSH of DELAWARE didn’t have the same ring to it).

So, how does this relate to my writing? I lack the DISCIPLINE to be completely DEDICATED to writing when I should be. Instead, I let DISTRACTIONS DISTRACT me from my DUTIES and end up missing DEADLINES.

Other bad D words:

DICTATOR, DEMON, DAMAGE, DAMNATION, DISTRESS, DEATH, DANGER, DANK, DANSE MACABRE, DEVIL, DASTARDLY, DEADBEAT DADS, DEAR JOHN LETTERS, DEBASE, DOUCHE, DEBAUCHERY, DEBILITATION, DEBT, DECEIVE, DECOMPOSTION, DESCRIMINATION, DORK, DEERFLIES, DEFEAT, DEFINCIENCY, DEFUNCT, DEGRADE, DEGENERATE, DEMAND, DEMOLISH, DINGBAT…

Okay folks, don’t DESERT me; help me redeem myself and the letter D… Leave me some good D words in the comments!

Creating Compelling Characters

2011-04-04T05:31:00.002-05:00

I know it’s cheating, but it seemed too perfect not to use! I’m going to re-post one of my favorite posts from last September. It was the result of a “great blogging experiment” wherein hundreds of people dedicated a blog post to the single topic “Creating Compelling Characters.”

I kind of liked this one. So, for those of you who saw this when it first ran, I apologize and feel free to move on to the next blog post in your queue. For those of you who are new followers or who bopped over from the A to Z challenge, I hope you enjoy!

I decided to look at television, movies and books to identify some of the favorite characters. To make this list, I did a bunch of random Internet research and then picked my favorites from those lists. That way I know who I'm talking about. I've identified three favorite characters from each medium and then I'll discuss what makes them compelling characters to give us as writers an idea of what works and is memorable.

TELEVISION:
1. Dr. Gregory House from House
2. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
3. Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl

MOVIES:
1. Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean
2. Shrek from Shrek
3. Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz

BOOKS:

1. Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

2. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

3. Anne from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

What are some of the things that these characters have in common?

They are flawed.

House is the doctor you love to hate. He's a jerk, addicted to pain pill and walks with a cane. Chuck Bass is a misogynist with an over-inflated sense of entitlement. Shrek is an ogre with very ogre-like tendencies. Mr. Darcy is standoffish and proud.

They are relatable.

They are sympathetic.

Anne's a orphan who wants a family and home where she's not taken advantage of. Harry's family and friends are killed an/or threatened by the darkest wizard of all time and is bullied by his aunt, uncle, cousin, and random Slytherins. House suffered trauma to his leg that causes him endless pain. Chuck acts out to get his father's attention.

They are distinctive/extraordinary/over-the-top.

Harry is the boy who lived. Captain Jack Sparrow is, well, Captain Jack Sparrow. Everything about him is just a bit over the top, from the drinking, the women, the gestures. House is a brilliant puzzle-solver with a horrible bedside manner. Shrek is a green monster with a bad attitude.

They find themselves in extraordinary circumstances.

Dorothy is transported to Oz. Harry finds out that not only is he a wizard, he has to defeat Voldemort. Shrek goes on a trek to rescue the fair maiden and falls in love.

They have to fight for what they want.

House goes up against hospital (and legal) policies. Social standing is in the way of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship. Jack has to fight Barbosa to get the Black Pearl back. Spike has to face the tortures of Hell to get his soul for a chance with Buffy.

So, there are a few things we, as writers, should keep in mind when creating characters. If it worked for the writers of these novels, television series and movie scripts, it can work for us too!

Who are some of your favorite characters?

Book Review--Black Dagger Brotherhood--Lover Unleashed

2011-04-02T05:23:00.003-05:00

Today, brought to you by the letter B, is a Book Review of the most recent addition to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J. R. Ward: Lover Unleashed.

Description:
Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, seductive cloth as her brother. Imprisoned for eons by their mother, the Scribe Virgin, she finally frees herself-only to face a devastating injury. Manuel Manello, M.D., is drafted by the Brotherhood to save her as only he can-but when the human surgeon and the vampire warrior meet, their two worlds collide in the face of their undeniable passion. With so much working against them, can love prove stronger than the birthright and the biology that separates them?

My Thoughts:
I've been a fan of this series since book #1 (Dark Lover). This is the ninth in the series and some ongoing threads get tied off, and new enemies are introduced. It's got a lot going for it. That isn't to say, however, that there aren't any disappointments.

First, the Good Stuff:
There is a sub-plot with Vishous and Jane (and Butch), that is truly awesome. I'm avoiding details so as to avoid spoilers...sorry. This story line had me cringing, crying, holding my breath and hoping for a good resolution. This sub-plot is what made this book so good. Also, there's a scene involving a ball gag and a spoon between V and Butch that was disturbing and amazing in equal measure.

There is a secondary sub-plot (a continuation of a long-running sub-plot) between Blay and Qhuinn that also had me flipping pages to get to the next installment of their story. So much emotion and so much longing. I love the conflict between the two would-be lovers and can't wait until these two get their own HEA (and, by God, they'd better get a HEA!!!) I love Qhuinn, but he's starting to teeter on the edge of angst-y. (While I love this storyline, it's starting to feel a bit like Phury and Bella...hopefully Ward will rein in a bit on that.)
The Not-So-Good Stuff:
When I read a romance (even an urban fantasy thinly veiled as a romance) I want the main focus of the story to be the romance. Unfortunately, the story between Payne and Manny felt more like a sub-plot. Their romance was kind of sweet and predictable. I rooted for them, but the biggest conflict they faced was V's overprotectiveness. Ultimately, they were kind of forgettable.

Every time I read these books, I am left with a question: why do the vampires talk like gangstas? One or two of them picking up the local lingo would be one thing, but every male in the brotherhood--males who have been alive for hundreds of years? It seems weird. Then, when you add in a surgeon--chief of surgery no less--how likely is it that he's going to talk the same and have the same warrior/gangsta swagger? Very odd.

So, in the end, I'd give this a 4 out of 5, mostly because the good stuff was just that good. Anyone who has read the series will have to read this book. Those who have not read the Black Dagger Brotherhood series...What are you thinking? Go out and read this series! It's pretty damn cool!

PS. This book does not work as a stand-alone. You really do have to read the entire series in the correct order for any of it to make sense.

Absenteeism, Apologies & Acceptances

2011-04-01T08:51:00.002-05:00

Okay, it's April first, and we all know what that means! No, not April Fool's Day (though, of course it is). It is the beginning of April A to Z Challenge!

Every day in April, not including Sundays, is dedicated to a letter of the alphabet. And there are over 1,000 participants this year! How cool is that? Be sure to check out the link above to follow the fun!

First, I must Apologize for my Absenteeism. The last couple of months have been kind of hectic and something that I was doing had to be dropped for a bit. Unfortunately it was the blogging.

As much as it stinks, sometimes life just gets in the way.

During my sabbatical, however, I did have some successes. I wrote and submitted three short stories for a call for submissions at Pill Hill Press and all three stories were Accepted for publication!

Yes, I'm psyched.

All three stories are erotic but that's the only thing they have in common. The first is for an anthology called "Sinisterotica" and the focuses on a poor girl who encounters the Sluagh for a night of "dancing" in the sky. The second one is a fun, sweet story about a couple who goes fishing and finds out that fishing is a really sexy metaphor for something else. The third is unlike anything I've ever written before. It's edgy and just a little bit mean. One of my friends called it a "F*** you" letter, which it is.

Also, a story that was accepted a few months ago was just released in the Anthology and my name was on the cover! Out of the 90 or so authors, I was one of the 13 singled out on the cover. My very first cover!

So, those are my Announcements brought to you by the lovely letter A.

Now, be sure to check out everyone (or as many of the 1,000 other participants that you can) who are joining in this fantastic blogging challenge!

Some Truly Horrible Similes and Metaphors

2011-02-18T06:20:00.003-06:00

Metaphors and similes. They are just another tool in the writer’s toolbox, and can be great for your story. But they can also drag your story down and kick the reader out of the rhythm. Lay them on too thick, work to hard to find comparisons, or get to “fancy” and your masterful metaphor is just going to sound … well, silly.

Don’t believe me? Check these out!

1. Worn down at the edges like a Times Square hooker, the caretaker’s last tooth lay on the floor like a yellow Chiclet.

2. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, the like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

3. When she stepped out of her dress, she had the body of a 90-year-old nun, if the nun looked as young, attractive, and sexy as the dame standing in front of me.

4. He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.

5. As I watched through the slatted shades, her bosom bounced like her suspicious husband’s first check.

6. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM.

7. The killer was a misplaced comma in the jaunty, happy sentence that made up the party crowd.

8. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

9. His face looked like an ice sculpture. Not one of those pretty ones in the middle of a cruise ship buffet, but the kind they do in a contest with a chainsaw—and it had been out in the heat too long.

10. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was the East River.

11. There was something funny about the kidnapping crime scene that Special Agent Frievald couldn’t quite place, and the thought stuck with him throughout the rest of the day, like those tiny little bits of the circumferent skin from the bologna slices on a foot-long Subway Cold Cut Trio that get stuck in between the last two molars on the upper left, on the tongue side where you can’t possibly reach them with a toothpick, your fingernails or even a systematically straightened paper clip, they just sit there and make everything you eat at your next meal taste vaguely like vinegar and mayonnaise, and then somehow—quietly but miraculously—they disappear by themselves in the middle of the night while you’re asleep, just like the visiting Countess appeared to have done.

12. Even in his last years, Grandpappy had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

13. Her parting words lingered heavily inside me like last night’s Taco Bell.

14. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

15. She had a voice so husky it could have pulled a dogsled, and the gun she was holding gave me a bad case of barrel envy.

16. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

17. The neon sign reflected off his gun, like the moonlight reflects off my brother-in-law’s bald head after a night of beer drinking and cow tipping.

18. It hurts the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall.

19. A single drop of sweat slowly inched down Chad’s brow—a tiny, glistening Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball of desperation.

20. Unable to contain his rage, he burst like a pimple of emotion, the pus of his fury streaking the mirror of calm in the bathroom of his life.

You know that these are so bad because some very talented people tried to make them bad.

So, just for kicks, write a really bad metaphor or simile and post in the comments. It’s fun and we could all use a laugh!

Bernard Pivot Blogfest!

2011-02-16T05:26:00.016-06:00

Nicole at One Significant Moment at a Time is hosting a blogfest!

Here's what she said:

Anyone who's watched Inside the Actor's Studio will be familiar with the questionnaire. The show's host, James Lipton, asks it of every celebrity guest at the close of the interview. The questionnaire was originally created by Bernard Pivot, a French journalist, for the cultural series he hosted on French television from 1991-2001, called Bouillon de Culture.

After you've read my answers, be sure to check out the other entries in this fun blogfest!

Here's the Bernard Pivot Questionnaire:

1.What is your favorite word?

HERETOFORE

2.What is your least favorite word?

DIET

3.What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

RUGGED, DRAMATIC SCENERY—MOUNTAINS, OCEANS, ETC.

4.What turns you off?

NARROW-MINDEDNESS

5.What is your favorite curse word?

SCHNIKE (rhymes with Nike, like the shoes)(I tend not to swear a lot, so I use a lot of made-up words)

6.What sound or noise do you love?

THE PURRING OF MY CAT, OLIVER

7.What sound or noise do you hate?

HIGH PITCHED SQUEALING, whether it from children, metal on metal, brakes on pavement...

8.What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

TEACHING

9.What profession would you not like to do?

JANITORIAL/CLEANING SERVICES

10.If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

BOARD GAMES AND CARDS IN THE PARLOUR!

Now, go, it's time to check out the other entries!

Writer's Toolbox--More with Metaphors & Similes

2011-02-14T06:02:00.003-06:00

Considerations for Writing a Good Metaphor/Simile

On Friday I talked a bit about metaphors and similes and their purposes. Today, I have a quick list of things to keep in mind when writing/using metaphors and similes.

1. Brevity—It should be short. Shakespeare wrote that brevity is the soul of wit. Good similes and metaphors display with, and therefore should be brief. Shakespeare knew what he was talking about. In general, the length of a sentence should be less than doubled by adding a metaphor or simile.

2. Immediacy—It should bring an immediate image to the mind of the reader. As soon as I read the word bus, my mind should have a mental image of a bus and it should make sense in the used context. If I don’t know what a Tripping Tapinito is, no image springs to mind, and we lose the effectiveness of the metaphor.

3. Commonality—It should refer to a common experience or image. A good simile should be understood by almost everyone, everywhere. The majority of people have seen a bus of some kind. It is not important that someone is Britain may imagine a double-decker bus, that someone in Germany may imagine an articulated single-decker bus. The simile is not intended to convey precision.

4. Relevance—Although a simile or metaphor is not an exact description, it should be relevant. If I wanted to say that something was both large and immobile, I would make reference to a mountain rather than a bus. This is particularly true if I wanted to state that something was big and then later add that it was also immobile. It would be too complex to write that it was as big as a bus. It was also immobile, like a broken-down bus. That would be stretching the simile a little too much. The metaphor or simile must remain relevant.

5. Strength—Any simile or metaphor should strengthen the writing. If it adds nothing to the sense and clarity of the sentence, then you should not use it. If in context, it is enough to say it was big, then that will do.

*Examples taken from http://www.blakeyconsulting.com/journal/article.asp?t=051226

I’m going to add another tip, from my own personal experiences:

6. Scarcity--Metaphors and similes should be used sparingly, or they lose their impact. They should be like adverbs—when used correctly, and in moderation, they can add a lot to a scene. However, if they are piled on top of each other, coming one right after the other, then my mind is full of a dozen different images that then become almost comical, rather than effective.

Be sure to check back on Friday when I share some truly horrendous similes and metaphors that I’ve collected. Some will make you cringe, some will make you laugh, and some might even make you nauseous.

Writer's Toolbox--Metaphors & Similes

2011-02-11T05:47:00.003-06:00

After reading a particularly bad simile the other day (and I can’t even tell you it here because if I did, I’d have to engage the adult content warning on my blog) I’ve decided to do a little series on Metaphors and Similes and the best (and worst) ways to use them.

Today we’re going to talk about what metaphors and similes are and their purpose. On Monday I’ll give you some tips for writing a good metaphor or simile. There will be a quick break in the series on Wednesday for a blogfest! Then, on Friday, I’ll give you a list of some truly BAD metaphors and similes that will, hopefully, make you laugh. If you recognize any of your own writing, it was purely accidental!

So, what is a Metaphor? ( Yes, I know we’re getting back to elementary school English class, but just in case…)

In Greek, the term metaphor meant “carry something across” or “transfer,” which can tie into metaphors as we use them today. A metaphor is used as a replacement, a comparison between two things, based on resemblance or similarity, without using “like” or “as”.

What is a Simile?

A comparison between two things, using “like” or “as”.

Why use them?

• The enliven ordinary language—People get so accustomed to using the same words and phrases over and over, and always in the same ways, that they no longer know what they mean. Creative writers have the power to make the ordinary strange and the strange ordinary, making life interesting again.

• They are generous to readers and listeners; they encourage interpretation—When readers or listeners encounter a phrase or word that cannot be interpreted literally, they have to think—or rather, they are given the pleasure of interpretation. If you write “I am frustrated” or “The air was cold” you give your readers nothing to do—they say “so what?” On the other hand, if you say, “My ambition was Hiroshima after the bombing,” your readers can think about and choose from many possible meanings.

• They are more efficient and economical than ordinary language; they give maximum meaning with a minimum of words—By writing “my dorm is a prison” you suggest to your readers that you feel as though you were placed in solitary, you are fed lousy food, you are deprived of all of life’s great pleasures, your room is poorly lit and cramped…and a hundred other things, that, if you tried to say them all, would probably take several pages.

• They create new meanings; they allow you to write about feelings, thoughts, things, experiences, etc. for which there are no easy words—There are many gaps in language. When a child looks at the sky and sees a star but does not know the work “star,” she is forced to say, “mommy, look at the lamp in the sky.” Similarly, when computer software developers created boxes on the screen as a user interface, they needed a new language; the result was Windows. As a writer, you will often be trying to write about subjects, feelings, etc. so complex that you have no choice but to use a metaphor or simile.

• They are signs of genius—or so says Aristotle in Poetics: “[T]he greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor.” It is “a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilar.”

Creative ways to use metaphors—some examples:

Use metaphors as verbs: “Scratching at the window with claws of pine, the wind wants in.” (Imogene Bolls, “Coyote Wind”)

Use metaphors as adjectives/adverbs: “What a thrill—my thumb instead of an onion. The top quite gone except for a sort of hinge of skin…A celebration this is. Out of a gap in a million solders run, redcoats every one.” (Sylvia Plath, “Cut”)

Use metaphors as prepositional phrases: “The clouds were low and hairy in the skies, like locks blown forward in the gleam of eyes.” (Robert Frost, “Once by the Pacific”)

Use metaphors as appositives or modifiers: “Little boys lie still, awake wondering, wondering delicate little boxes of dust.” (James Wright, “The Undermining of the Defense Economy”)

*Examples taken from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/687/05/

6 Suggestions for Critiques

2011-02-09T05:54:00.002-06:00

One of the things we talked about in my weekly Saturday Novel Critique Class was how to effectively (and positively) critique others' works.

Here are six suggestions for critique by Laurel Yourke (with the UW-Madision Extention program).

1. First, do no harm. It doesn’t matter how tough a critique you can take, or how blunt you like to be, or how everything you say is meant to be constructive. The idea is to avoid anything apt to be seriously demoralizing—particularly during those middle-of-the-night moments many of us experience; everything looks relentlessly bleak anyhow. Even compliments become reasons to give up. So real reasons to give up don’t help at all! Don’t provide any painful phrases for any writer to replay (and replay and replay). Avoid working such as: “It doesn’t work for me,” “I detest long sentences,” “It’s good except for the dull opening,” “This is a really confusing ending,” etc. You get the idea.

2. Be specific. “The opening could be stronger” isn’t as helpful as “What about adding conflict to the opening?” Or, “Would it help to shorten this description and introduce the characters sooner?” The added bonus is that specific critique not only helps other writers. It simultaneously hones editorial skills—those you can apply to your own manuscript.

3. Consider audience. Not everything is written for everybody—nor should it be! If you never read historical fiction or westerns or whatever, don’t assume that this isn’t a vital manuscript because it’s historical fiction or westerns or whatever.

4. Be objective. (See above.) Try to transcend your own personal experience. Just as something is neither strong nor weak because it is or isn’t science fiction, for example, it’s still neither strong nor weak because it does (or doesn’t) remind you of your own experiences with Grandma or zoos or Thanksgiving.

5. Respect the author’s intentions. Even the most brilliant idea about using dill to make borscht or create an herbal knot won’t enhance a children’s story about baby rabbits snacking on dill. No recipes or landscape plots called for here. Help the writer to write the intended story instead of speculating on a fascinating story that someone else (you for example!) might compose.

6. Accentuate the positive. It’s not only a wonderful experience for a writer to hear why something is working; it’s a wonderful experience for the critiquer, as well. The better you understand what’s effective about a scene, for example, the further along you are toward applying that to your own scenes. Everyone wins.

While there is any number of other things that we should keep in mind when reading someone else's work, I thought this was a great way to break down the key points.

Saturday Novel Critique Workshop--Class 1

2011-02-07T06:12:00.002-06:00

Okay, so my logline was kind of a dud. :( On the up side, the thing that was pointed out as the biggest negative, was something I had already identified about it before I sent it in.

Here's what I submitted:

When an ambitious high school student unexpected falls for another boy, he must choose between playing it safe to live the life he's meticulously planned and risking it all to become the person he's meant to be.

Here's what was said:

The instructor: "Excellent dilemma. Dilemma is what keeps readers turning pages. To have that set up in your logline will help you keep writing pages, too, so kudos. That said, make this dilemma more specific. That specificity is what will make this original, too. You want what agents/editors will quickly see as a
'coming out story' to have an original twist. But too much specific detail will bog your logline down. Be clear and concise. Just the essentials.

Very tight and short and succinct. Good use of sentence structure.

Nice combination of gut emotional appeal and inherent conflict. That said, just what's at stake is very important. All protagonists, if the story is good, are often 'risking it all'. What's this protagonist's all?"

The other students: Essentially it came down to, as I suspected, that I need to make the protagonist's goal much more clear. There was a lot of confusion about whether the goal was to find love, come out, etc.

The lesson that was brought up here that I really appreciated (even after I pouted that no one was ecstatic about my obviously brilliant logline) was in relation to the goals. Every protagonist should have an Exterior Goal and an Interior Goal.

An External Goal is something specific that the protagonist must do. Coming to terms with his sexuality is not an External Goal. Earning the scholarship that will allow him to go to the university of his dreams is an external goal. The external goal is something positive that the character must do. Escaping the bad guys or staying alive are not positive goals (it's more reactionary than proactive). Reaching the safe haven before the bad guys in order to commence a counter-attack is a more positive goal.

An Internal Goal is more nebulous. This is the deeper, learning something new about life, the character, or humanity kind of goal. Things that would fall into this would be: learning to forgive oneself, embracing one's destiny, seeking solace or peace in life.

Also, the goal must be specific. How many times have you read a book, watched a movie, or whatever, where the ultimate goal was to save the world. Yawn. Sure, it makes for some exciting moments, but it's the specifics of how the character is going to save the world that makes it interesting and unique.

Remember the t.v. show Heroes? They needed to save the world, but, more specifically, they had to Save the Cheerleader. So, the goal really was, not save the world, but save the cheerleader.

So, altogether it's going to be an interesting class. For this week, I have to submit my first six pages to see what the others have to say about them.

Sn' Oh My Goodness, it's a Snow Day!

2011-02-02T08:47:00.001-06:00

I haven't had a snow day since... well, since I was in school. But today, because of the weather fronts passing across our country from Texas to Maine, I'm at home, playing on my computer and getting caught up on my blogging friends.

I know this isn't the best picture, but these are the drifts that are nearly covering my car. Needless to say I'm not going anywhere!

I hope everyone is doing well, and if you are impacted by "Snowmaggedon" (as some I've heard on the radio call it) I hope you have power, have heat and don't have to drive out there! As for me, I'm gonna play a bit and maybe go and make a snow angel or snowman...you know, typical snow day type things!

P.S. In my area, there was thunder and lightning during the storm. I've never seen lightning or heard thunder during a snow storm before. It was very cool, but I was glad to be inside!

Connected!

2011-02-02T06:58:00.000-06:00

Some of you may know, from things I've said in the past, that most of my Internet access--and therefore my access to the fabulous blogosphere to which we are all connected--came primarily through my work computer.

Unfortunately, my company has gotten hard-core about what Internet sites are accessible from work computers. Which, in turn, meant that about 80% of my blogging (and research and writing) became seriously inhibited.

So in an effort to get (and stay) connected to you all I have purchased a laptop of my very own, one that will not be monitored for "inappropriate" sites.

While I had other, perhaps better, ways to spend my money I decided that it was a good investment.... it'll help my writing career (or at least take away some of my excuses for not writing).

I didn't get anything fancy, but it's serviceable and has pretty good memory and resolution. So, yay!

Loglines--The Assignment

2011-01-31T19:14:00.003-06:00

Thanks to everyone who commented on my possible loglines for "Guyliner".

Here is the logline that I finally submitted for the class:

When an ambitious high school student unexpectedly falls for another boy, he must choose between playing it safe to live the life he's meticulously planned and risking it all to become the person he's meant to be.

So you can see I chose option #3 with some modifications: I took out the "hardworking" (you guys were so right!) and added the word "unexpected" to sort of increase the insinuated conflict.

As part of the assignment I also had to send in the first page of the manuscript. So, for anyone interested, here's the first page of my WIP.

Connor fixed his gaze on a point of color several feet in front of him as he counted out the reps in his final set at the lat pull down machine. The muscles in his shoulders burned and his triceps quivered as he lowered the bar below his chin. His gaze was unfocused, the images in front of him blended into an abstract collage of fuzzy shapes and colors that distanced him from the pain. As he counted, one shade—a pale, wintry blue—drew him. He let the color surround him, the icy hue cooling his overheated skin. As he reached the last of his reps, the picture before him came into sharp focus. No longer was he lost in a vast blue field, he was staring into a pair of bright eyes accented with dark lashes. Eyes, he noted, that were heavily outlined in black eyeliner.

Blinking he stared at the unfamiliar teenager doing arm curls across the narrow aisle separating the bigger weight machines from the free weights. His dark hair was cut kind of short along the sides, but shaggy in the front, nearly hiding his amazing eyes. Jesus, Connor cursed himself, not amazing eyes. Just eyes. Besides, what kind of guy wears eyeliner? What, does he think that he’s some kind of rock star? Connor tried to be disgusted, he really did, but the contrast between the darkly lined eyelids and the pale irises was mesmerizing. They were part of a narrow face that would be considered pretty if it weren’t for the very masculine angles and planes.

Wow, Connor thought as he pulled the bar of the weight machine to his chest for the last time, eyeliner boy is hot.

Shock held his breath captive in his throat while his heart jerked hard before dropping to his stomach. His suddenly sweaty hands lost their grip on the bar as the mental bombshell exploded in his consciousness. The handle swung up, clipping his chin as the weights crashed down.

“Crap, crap, crap.” He tasted blood and jumped to his feet.

All around him, students stared. The small noises of weights clanking into position and athletes’ grunts and pants as they strained at the equipment were gone.

So, what do you think? Any kind of "hook" present?

Loglines--Day Three--The Practicum

2011-01-28T06:34:00.001-06:00

I've spent the last few days looking at loglines, what they are, what elements are included, etc. Now I have to put that learning into practice and actually write a logline for my WIP "Guyliner".

Let's get started, shall we?

Who is the main character and what does he want?
Connor Fitzpatrick is an ambitious, hard-working high school student from a blue-collar family. Getting into the prestigious university of his dreams is the first step in a life-plan that culminates in a successful job in a city far away from where he's at. Everything he does, every activity he participates in, every sport he plays, every class he takes, is all geared towards achieving a full scholarship--anything less and his future options are bleak. He gets good grades, stays out of trouble, and always does the right and expected thing to help ensure "the plan".

Who or what is standing in the way?
New student Graham Parker. From the first moment he sees him, Connor is attracted to Graham, the wealthy, gay, eyeliner wearing Soccer phenom that just transferred to his school. Being attracted to another boy is not in "the plan". He has to confront not only his own beliefs, but the beliefs of the conservative community in which he lives. Trouble, rumors and violence suddenly become part of his life, threatening to destroy his carefully laid plans. He'll have to choose between playing it safe to live the life he's planned out and risking it all to live the life that just might make him the happiest.

What makes this story unique (twist)?
I struggle here a bit... I don't want the fact that it's a m/m romance (and a YA one at that) to be the unique feature, so at this point I'd have to say that the twist is that the eyeliner becomes a symbol--for Graham it's both a defiant statement of "this is who I am" and a mask he uses to misdirect others' attention from his own pain and insecurities, and for Connor it's the defining act where he breaks away from who he's expected to be to become who he is meant to be.

Okay, now I have to take three paragraphs and pare it down to a sentence or two that conveys the same thing.

Here's the pared down elements:

Protagonist: An ambitious and hardworking high school student
Goal: Getting a full scholarship to the university of his dreams
Antagonistic force: the conflict, rumors and violence that results from his unexpected attraction to another boy
Genre: LGBT YA
Climax: breaks away from who he's expected to be to become who he is meant to be

Now, to put those elements (or at least a couple of them) into a logline:

Here's a few I've come up with. You'll notice I color coordinated them to the elements that are present in the logline.

1. An ambitious and hardworking high school student has geared his life towards earning a full scholarship to the prestigious university of his dreams, but an unexpected attraction to another boy threatens to destroy is carefully laid plans.

2. An ambitious and hardworking high school student has geared his life towards earning a full scholarship to the prestigious university of his dreams, but the conflict, rumors and violence that results from his unexpected attraction to another boy threaten to destroy his carefully laid plans.

3. When a hardworking and ambitious high school student falls for another boy, he'll have to choose between playing it safe to live the life he's meticulously planned or risking it all to become the person he's meant to be.

4. An ambitious and hardworking high school student has geared his life towards earning a full scholarship to the prestigious university of his dreams, but the conflict, rumors and violence that results from his unexpected attraction to another boy threaten to destroy his carefully laid plans. Now he'll have to choose between playing it safe to live the life he's meticulously planned or risking it all to become the person he's meant to be.

Of the four, number 4 includes all the elements, but it's a little long. Number 3 gets to the theme faster, but the protagonist's goal isn't really mentioned, which is likely a big no-no. Number 1 is the most to the point, but it doesn't really explain how an attraction can disrupt his future plans (which may not really be needed). Number 2 goes into more details about how the attraction, or more specifically the conflict, rumors and violence, can impact his plans, but it doesn't get into the climax.

So...here's your chance. Which do you think is the best, or if they all leave you cold, what kind of changes would you recommend?

Logline Lessons--Day Two

2011-01-26T05:46:00.006-06:00

On Monday I talked about what loglines are and what elements are included. Today I'm going to talk about the process of writing a logline.

Start broad:

Write a brief set-up, then the conflict and it's resolution. Which is essential? What can you cut?
Capture your three key visual images from your novel (you may use only one or even none, but this will help make your writing more vivid and focused).
Summarize (be brief!) the essential elements of external and internal storylines.
Capture what's universal about your protagonist's situation. Even jot down your themes. Next, see if you can enact them through the plot description without explaining.
Jot down three reasons why someone must read this.

Narrow down your notes: Which answers give a sense of 1) your protagonist, 2) his goal--internal and external conflicts, 3) genre, 4) the antagonistic force?

Begin tightening even more:

Start with your protagonist
Think in terms of writing a beginning, middle and an ending.
Reveal what he or she wants (goal--let it be action oriented).
Next, what's standing in its way (antagonistic force/dilemma)?
Next, include the action that he or she takes as a result of the dilemma.
Offer a sens of the ending (a subtle hint or s stronger emphasis, it's up to you).
Write tight. Your language must sizzle! Active verbs are crucial. Cut weak language. Keep vivid images. Heighten the tension.
Think "who, dilemma, action, goal."
Draw a picture that makes us feel empathy for your central character.
End with a hook.

Sample Logline: Two brothers fight on opposite sides in the Civil War and come face to face on a battlefield.

Who is the main character and what does he want?--in this logline, one or both brothers could be main characters. Both brothers are fighting a war they believe in for different reasons, and each wants to win.
Who (villain/antagonist) or what is standing in the way of the main character?--The Civil War itself is the obstacle the brothers must overcome because they have chosen opposite sides.
What makes this story unique (twist)?--The twist comes when the two brothers face each other on a battlefield. An enormous conflict is implied. Would one brother kill the other for a cause he believes in?

Transforming dull loglines into more exciting loglines.

Dull logline: A woman plots to murder her sister.

Intriguing logline: A woman obsessed by jealousy plots to murder her sister, who married the man she loves.

Note how the more effective logline includes all three key points: protagonist (a woman obsessed by jealousy, not just "a woman"), goal (plots to murder her sister) and antagonistic force (her sister).

Dull logline: A woman goes on an unbelievable journey of self-discovery when her illegitimate daughter shows up after twenty years.

Intriguing logline: A minister's wife confronts her long-buried past when her illegitimate daughter shows up after twenty years and starts spreading rumors.

An unbelievable journey is vague and generic. Dorothy Gale goes on an unbelievable journey of self-discovery in Oz. Luke Skywalker travels the empire to save a princess and restore peace and has, guess what, an unbelievable journey of self-discovery. Be specific about your story's particular journey. A lost daughter showing up after twenty years is not an unusual plot. But the fact that the main character is a minister's wife implies conflict, morality vs. immorality, and deception. Defining the woman's past as "long-buried" peaks interest.

Final Tips: Make your logline unique to your plot, but with no proper nouns. Include central complications only. Answer: What of the protagonist's efforts to address "what's at stake." What's the main crisis, climax. What's gained? All in three sentences max (less is more) delivered in present tense.

Hopefully you are finding this as helpful as I did when I first started digging into the mystery that is (or was) loglines. On Friday, I'll put the lessons into a practical context and reveal the logline (or lines, depending) that I come up for my WIP "Guyliner".

Logline Lessons-Day One

2011-01-24T06:01:00.002-06:00

Yes, people, I'm back. Of course, if you all gave up on me and my unforgivable absenteeism, you won't know this, in which case it's no more than I deserve. But I have every hope/plan/expectation that I will again become a visible presence in the blogosphere.

To commemorate my return, and in preparation for my Saturday Novel Critique Group workshop that begins in a couple of weeks, I'm dedicating my first week back to...Loglines. (Prior to the class, I have to e-mail the instructor my first page and a sample logline for my novel.)

So, what's a logline?
Borrowed from screenwriting land, it's an extract of your novel's plot in 2 sentences or less, and an emotional "hook" to stimulate interest.

A logline answers the main question you get from friends, family and your mailman: "So, what's your book about?" A good logline makes people sit up and take notice. And it's infinitely preferable to the "well, see there's this guy..."

A logline also serves as a handy, dandy quick summary of your story to use in persuading agents, editors, and anyone else who might show an interest, that you've hit a "wow!" premise that simply must be written.

The third purpose of a logline is for the author alone. "A good logline not only let's you picture your entire book while standing in line at the supermarket, but encourages the kind of focused revision that improves every stage of the writing process." (Laurel Yourke) Writing a logline helps you define--for yourself--the essential elements of the plot.

What's in a logline?
An effective logline includes protagonist, goal, and antagonistic force.

A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer, risking the dangers of his hypnotic influence on her mind in order to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. ~The Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris (novel)

          Protagonist: A young FBI cadet
          Goal: catch a serial killer
          Antagonistic Force:   incarcerated and manipulative killer with hypnotic influence on her mind

A meek, alienated little boy discovers a stranded extraterrestrial and finds the courage to defy authorities and help the alien return to its home planet. ~E.T.

          Protagonist: A meek and alienated little boy
          Goal: help the alien return to its home planet
         Antagonistic Force: Authorities

Notice how these loglines also give even more nuance to the three points?

Protagonist and Inner Conflict: Identify a sense of who the protagonist is, what makes him unique, as well as inner conflict. i.e. not just a child, but a "meek and alienated little boy" (describes the protagonist and hints at inner conflict, especially in relation to "stranded" ET, so their inner conflicts parallel)

Genre: Reveal this subtly through key points that hit on elements of genre. "Stranded extraterrestrial" = SciFi; "young FBI cadet" = crime thriller.

Climax: Lead towards a major conflict between protagonist and antagonist while hinting at the ending. "Help the alien return to its home planet", "Catch another serial killer who skins his victims".

So, folks, that's a brief (and since it's me, it's also quite wordy) summary of what a logline is and what it includes. Check out my post on Wednesday which will focus on how to write a logline!

From Out of Grandma's Bag

2011-01-03T20:16:00.000-06:00

My maternal grandmother has been spending the last couple of months at my mom's house while she (my mom) recuperates after spinal surgery with complications. With her she brought a packet of pictures, newspaper articles and other things she thought we might enjoy. One of the things she gave me was a single piece of wide-ruled spiral notebook paper with my own 13 year old handwriting. Strangely enough, my handwriting was better 19 years ago than it is today.

Anyway, this piece of paper was apparently the beginning of chapter one of a novel I decided to try. I have no memory of writing this. But, since it is absolutely my writing, I thought I'd share (with some random commentary along the way) what my 13 year old mind came up with.

The mans hand (this was, apparently, prior to my rabid support for the apostrophe protection movement)moved up my arm. I tried to repress a shudder of revulsion. I thought to myself, It's only a job, a job I love. I don't have to like him. "For you I lower my price. Three hundred." (I should point out that before my grandma gave it to me, she gave it to my mother who started to read it out loud. I had a moment's panic that maybe I had written something inappropriate for my age. All 13 year olds write about being prostitutes, right?)

I tensed my muscles in caution. I had to be prepared for an attack. "Sorry L.C., but I'm afraid I'm gonna hafta (I love that I spelled the dialect out phonetically) arrest you." I flipped out my badge. He turned to run but two big men stopped his escape. The two men were fellow police officers.

The youngest one came back and almost laughed at the way I looked. The black silky wig, black leather mini-skirt and a too tight tank top (working the alliteration!) was not me. At least not the normal me. I laughed. "Max, you should be used to me by now. We've only been working together for about two and a half years."

"Sometimes I wonder who the real you is. Are you a red head? What color is your hair. (Apparently this was not a question???) Black? Red? Blond? White? Green with a pink spike?"

I laughed. (For the second time in this scene. Maybe I need to chuckle more, or giggle, or snort...) "I have to go fill out a report at the station." (As you can see, 13 year old me was well versed in proper police procedure.)

In all actuality (yes, spelling was never my forte) I have brown eyes, brown hair and a forgetable (still can't spell) face. That didn't bother me very much because it was perfect for my job. I'm an undercover detective. I wear wigs and colored contact lenses so nobody could recognize me. The only distinct feature about me was my hight (again, not a speller!). Sooner or later someone might figure out that the different six foot tall women they knew was one person.

And that's all she (me) wrote on that epic masterpiece.

I'd like to point out a couple of things that struck me as I read this. First, nowhere in all the dialogue (and there was so much of it, too!) did I use the word said. I guess some stuff is just instinct. :p Of course, later in life when I started taking writing more seriously I started to use all the fantabulous dialogue tags that the experts warn against. It just proves that true genius cannot be taught.

Also, note the simple, blunt statements and the staccato sentence structure. I guess maybe I have a natural knack for the detective story/crime drama. It can't possibly be that I was unaware of the myriad stylistic choices that could be used to create tone and atmosphere. Hard-boiled, just like an egg. I knew that. Yep.

Saturday Critique Group

2010-12-13T13:48:00.000-06:00

I'm going to try the whole writing class thing again. I really hope this one is more successful than the last one.

This new class, called Saturday Critique Group, will be held every Saturday afternoon in February and it's being held at the University of Wisconsin's Extension Program office in Madison, WI and the workshop will offer detailed, practical critiques for writers beginning or continuing a novel.

"Discover what agents and editors look for in a novel's crucial first pages--a hook, a protagonist to empathize with, a problem to solve, and a journey to begin. Weekly critiques help you get the plot rolling, make your protagonist complex, and escalate the conflict from bad to worse--all in the first 12 pages."

The workshop is also going to "tackle the techniques all beginning novelists must master," including writing tight, showing vs. telling, characterization and bridging conflict.

I'll admit, I have an ulterior motive. Not a nefarious motive, though. It's also a good excuse to get out and do something. Sometimes when you live alone and the only non-work interaction you have is your cat, it's good to go out and so something fun!

Anyway, we'll see how it goes in February and maybe I'll come back with some exciting advice or ideas. :)

Off the Grid

2010-12-09T09:42:00.002-06:00

I know I've been a little MIA lately. Sometimes life just gets in the way. I know you have all been desperately awaiting the amazing words of wisdom that I share... or, well maybe not. Anyway, I promise I'll get back to a regular posting schedule (or as regular as I've ever been) soon. It may not be until after the holidays, but it will come back.

In all of my absenteeism, I was not even able to commemorate my 1 year blogging anniversary which happened last month. If it helps, I also forgot my best friend's birthday yesterday. She even called me and asked if there was anything that I had to tell her and me, ignoramus that I am, said, "Nah, I can't think of anything." Yes, I really did deserve the "jackass" she threw at me. In my defense (and it's a really, really weak defense) I had been sick on Monday and Tuesday and in my head it was still Tuesday, not Wednesday and we were talking while I was at work working on a project. Otherwise I wouldn't have missed the exceedingly blunt hint. Oh well, I'm sure she'll forgive me. It will probably only cost me a very extravagant Christmas present.

**********

Thank you to everyone (including my Facebook friends and family) who added to my list of creepy, stalkerish songs. It's amazing how very creepy some of the lyrics to popular love songs can be if taken out of context, or by putting them into a different context.

The reason I was compiling this list is because I am writing a short romantic suspense story where the heroine is being stalked and her stalker is leaving her notes, texting her, etc. increasingly disturbing love song lyrics. A big BIG "thank you!" to Aspiring_X and her hubby who came up with the lion's share of my list. One song in particular was perfect: I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers.

In my story the heroine goes back to her home town (in another state) to get away from the stalker and finds a note in her car with these lyrics:

"When I come home yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home with you
I'm gonna be the man whose coming home with you.
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door"

That would be a little freaky, right?

Stalker Songs

2010-12-02T13:06:00.000-06:00

Help!

I'm making a list of songs that could be considered kind of creepy or stalkerish. Think "Every Breath You Take" by the Police.

Unfortunately, I'm coming up blank.

Anyone have any other suggestions for me?

Thanks!

Help Talli Take on Amazon

2010-11-29T05:50:00.004-06:00

December 1st is fast approaching and your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to help Talli Roland take on Amazon.com and get her debut novel The Hating Game hit the Kindle bestseller list at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Even a a few sales in a short period of time on Amazon helps push the book up in the rankings, making it more visible to other readers.

The Hating Game on Amazon.com.

The Hating Game on Amazon.co.uk

Product Description:

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £50,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end? Who will win The Hating Game?

Okay everyone! Let's see if we can help Talli get her fun debut novel on the Kindle bestseller list!

No Kindle? No problem. Download a free app at Amazon for mac, iPhone, PC, Android and more.

Coming soon in paperback! Keep up with the latest at http://www.talliroland.com/.

Join me on December 1st for the Take on Amazon Web Splash! See you there!

Story Accepted for Publication

2010-11-24T09:04:00.000-06:00

I just got some good news!

I just got the news that the fine people at Pill Hill Press have accepted another of my erotic short stories for their Daily Flashes of Erotica Quarterly anthology. This one will run in the Quarter 2 (April-June) book.

This story is called "Fantasy Match Up" and includes a MC whose fantasy is to give up control during an intimate situation.

In case you're interested, the main character in the other story, "Midnight Watch", which was just released in the first quarter's anthology, Daily Flashes of Erotica Quarterly, Vol. 1, partakes in a bit of voyeurism.

Sexy, steamy stories just might be my future...

In other news...

Everyone have a HAPPY TURKEY DAY.

Gobble, gobble...

Chatting with Family--Storytellers vs. Writers

2010-11-22T06:00:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I've been pretty absent from the blogosphere lately. I was sick as a dog (where does that phrase come from? I mean, really, how many dogs are that sick?) for the last week. The good news is that during my epic battle with the flu I managed to lose 8 pounds. Gotta look at the positive side, right? But I'm back now!

Now to the post...

I've come to the conclusion that I did not go to the same high school or experience the same things as a child that my brothers did. I did, of course, but when I listen to them tell stories from the past I often ask myself "where was I when this was happening?" Despite the fact that I attended the same high school at the same time as my siblings (there were five of us and we each graduated one after the other, boom, boom, boom) they'll share a story that presumably took place during that time frame and while the others are nodding and chuckling knowingly, I'm flabberghasted that such a thing happened and I was totally oblivious.

I've decided, and some of my relatives concur, that I spent all of my time either with my head in the clouds or my nose in a book. So yes, I was oblivious to all of the exciting things that I could have been keeping track of for future use in the fantabulous novel I will someday write. Seriously, the time my brother and his friends locked their teacher in his office and glued his phone down so he couldn't call out and no one let him out for over 3 hours, even though two more classes showed up? How much fun is that? But I had no idea.

http://th08.deviantart.net/fs13/300W/f/2007/088/2/3/Head_in_the_Clouds_by_devilishlypure.jpg

I come from a long line of story tellers. In fact, I could sit for hours and listen to my brother, my father, my aunt, my grandfather, any of them, tell a story. They had a way of making the most mundane things seem fun and exciting. When I try and tell the story to someone else, they just look at me like "why are you telling me this?" They don't see the humor. And it's all in how it is presented. When they tell it, laughter to the point of tears ensues. When I try and tell a story, it falls flat.

However, none of them could actually write their stories out and get even the smallest ratio of the same reaction. I can WRITE a story. They can TELL a story, and it's the presentation that sells it--the quirky facial expressions, the hand gestures, the empahsis on a particular word.

Now, I've heard it said, many times, but most recently in an interview with literary agent Donald Maass, that the best way to put the fire in fiction (which happens to be the title of his recent how-to book for writers) authors should focus less on writing to sell in the current "hot" trend, and focus on being good story tellers.

But what does that mean, exactly?

I've wondered and worried about this for a while. It wasn't until I started to analyze why it was that my family members had the great stories but I was the one who considered herself to be a writer (and in a very real sense a story teller). What was the difference in our approaches?

In the end it comes down to three things, as far as I can tell.

1. Details--it was the little things that make my relatives' stories so engrossing. The gestures, the quirks, the empahsises, the word choices. The knowing which details to include for the most effect. While I'll never be the story presenter that they are, I can still incorporate these same things into my writing.

2. Passion--when my brother tells a story he's fully involved in it, the excitement of what he's relating. He's completely engrossed in the story he's telling, which draws the audience right in. If I, as a writer, can't get completely caught up in my story, how could I expect my audience (the readers who will eventually--hopefully--read the fantabulous novel I will write) to get caught up in it?

3. Conviction--When my aunt or dad or whoever, tells a story, they believe 100% in what they're saying. Even if they're pulling the "facts" out of thin air, they are convinced, and convincing, that everything happened the way that they are telling it. They don't second guess anything. They don't hem and haw about the details. So, as a writer, believing, absolutely, in what you are writing, will help your audience believe.

How do you define the difference between writing a story and being a story teller?

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

2010-11-15T09:50:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of my grandma in 1945.
Her family called her Toots, but but her name was Kathryn.

This is a letter that my grandmother wrote to my grandfather (who was stationed in Europe during World War II) telling him about the birth of their first child, my aunt Sharron. The previously unknown letter was discovered while going through some of my grandma's things before her funeral last week.

I've typed exactly how it was written, spelling and punctuation and all.

It's amazing what a person can tell about my grandmother by what she said and how she said it. Also, it's a great little slice of history.

Wednesday afternoon

August 15, 1945

My dearest darling Eddie (daddy)
     Yep! Honey it’s all over with except the shouting and I aint talking about the war! I hope you have my cable by now. Sharron Kay arrived about ten minutes after six last night. Darling I wish you could see her! She is a perfect little doll. Lots of black hair and eyes that are so dark blue that they look black. She is, I’m sure, the most wonderful little girl ever to be born.
     I didn’t write you my daily letter last nite cause by the time I was finished with my celebration the mail had gone out. Anyway I hope I get this one in the mail this evening.
     Jim + Lola are sending the cable. There was no one to send it last night and everything is closed today but they are trying.
     Yesterday morning I got up feeling fine except every time I moved I almost left a puddle of water behind. Pa brought me down. Got here at 12:30 and I still felt fine except I was still flooding. The nurse brought me in and undressed me, then took me to the bathroom for an enema. About two o’clock I started having pains five minutes apart but they were easy. About three thirty they came every two or three minutes and got harder and harder. Was in a bit of misery from about four until five minutes till six when they had me on the push cart and took me to the delivery room. Things really began to happen fast and furious then and about the third hard pain I had out popped the baby. It was fine from there on out and I’ve never had a single hurt. President Truman was just starting his VJ speech when Sherry made her debut with a loud bawl and by the time she quit crying, the Pres. was thru talking. Sure starting the life out as an important one isn’t she? Guess she is too!
     She sure is grand. I sorta hoped for your sake that it would be a boy but we can have him when you come back. She is so bright eyed and lively. After they bathed her when she was born they brought her in and I darn near blew a fuse with pride. She is so sweet. Then this morning at six they brought her in to nurse. When she snuggled her little pug nose up against me I felt like I was the only woman in the world. And how she did suck. She is a regular glutton although there is nothing much but watery milk in my breasts yet. I hope I can continue to nurse her.
     I’m so glad the war is finally over. Now maybe you can come home to us before too long. We sure hope so.
     Ellen was in a minute last nite. Jim + Lola this afternoon. Has been raining hard all day so no grandparents have been in to see the new arrival. Will be tomorrow I guess. They telephoned and asked how I was.
     We love you very much Eddie and hope you are half as tickled as we are. I really feel wonderful. Loads of love and hugs and kisses. Toots + Sherry

Part of what makes this letter so interesting to me is that by the time I knew my grandma she was already sixty years old and a very straight-forward, practical type person. The emotion and love were there, but she wasn't a particularly sentimental person, if you know what I mean. This letter shows a side of her that I'd never seen before. But then the blunt talk about the birth fits perfectly with the woman I knew.

Also, the bit about my aunt being born as Truman was declaring the war over is just an awesome piece of trivia.

People just don't write letters like this any more. It's truely a lost art.

Only in Wyoming...a top 10 list

2010-11-14T09:45:00.000-06:00

I haven't done it in a while, but among my family and friends I am known for creating the occasional, mostly-humorous accounting of a trip or vacation using the much lauded "Top 10" list format.

Here is a Top 10 about my travels to Wyoming for my grandmother's funeral.

**DISCLAIMER: I love Wyoming and the people of Wyoming. This list is in no way meant to belittle the fine people and places of Wyoming (though it may sound like it at times).

Only In Wyoming...:

1. ...do antelope wander the parking lot of the airport. Apparently antelope do not present a high security or terror threat. Though Troy thought all horses were benign as well...

2. ...does no one look at you askance if you go a day or two (or three or four...) without showering or changing clothes...

3. ...would someone have the nerve to steal my recently deceased grandmother's car (a Ford Tempo with many baskets glued to the dash to hold random Avon stuff...not exactly top of the line chop-shop material) while we were in the house, go joy riding in it, then burn it up outside of town. Even the cop commented that, unless they found it within an hour or two, it would be burned up in tn the rez.

4. ...would someone offer to let you borrow their car to drive to Texas as long as you brought it back in the spring.

5. ...would the most successful whorehouse within driving distance (called the Tokyo Massage, by the way) be staffed by fifty to sixty year old women charging $200 a pop. And when it was raided everyone was "shocked" to discover such a place existed (not really, since people had been talking about it for years, maybe even decades)...

6. ...are animal carcasses (and heads and antlers...) considered the height of decorative fashion. Your home decor is not complete without at least one deer head or stuffed duck or preserved fish hanging on your wall. And antlers are a fabulous place to hang your hat!...

7. ...does no one raise an eyebrow when a 27 year old woman shares a bed with her 29 year old stepbrother, not even her husband... (these are my siblings, by the way...alcohol may or may not have been involved...)

8. ...does everyone, and I mean everyone, have at least one dog running around their yard, and leash laws apparently don't exist...

9. ...is shooting at the birds (or pesky cats) with a pellet gun considered a fun evening's entertainment...

10. ... can you see this:

Sometimes life sucks.

2010-11-09T14:03:00.000-06:00

So, we're barely into the month and already I can say that NaNo will be a complete failure for me. And, believe it or not, it's not because I'm procrastinating or lack discipline.

Okay, that was really just to make the post at least a little bit writing related. Basically, my life kind of sucks right now. And yes, that means I'm going to go a bit off topic for a minute.

Here are the things I'm dealing with (in chronological order, not really order of importance or impact):

1. My mom went in for neck surgery almost two weeks ago. The last time she went in, it left her completely paralyzed on her left side for eight weeks and she spent six weeks in a rehabilitation hospital. Then, the make it worse, the surgery didn't heal right and she had to go back almost two weeks ago to have it re-done, plus some additional work. This time she lost all strength (there's still movement, but no strength at all) in her left side, developed several blood clots in her lungs and the swelling and bruising from an incision on her hip (where they cut out bone to graft into her spine) is pressing on her sciatic nerve, causing major pain. And now she gets to spend another couple of weeks in the rehabilitation hospital.

2. My 92 year old grandmother (dad's side of the family) went in for colon surgery and threw a blood clot and died late last week. So now I'm staying with my family in Wyoming for a week while we work on arrangements. I'm going to do another post on her later because she was the most amazing woman, bar none, that I have ever met and I read a really cool letter she wrote to my grandfather when my aunt was born that was amazing.

3. My great-aunt Carol (mom's side of the family) went into surgery last week (also on her colon) and had a stroke during surgery and the prognosis is grim.

4. My honorary aunt Val went into surgery last week (also on her colon), but she's doing pretty well. Thankfully.

5. My mom is mad at my brother, my brother is completely grief stricken by my grandmother's death (they were really, really close), and the stress and grief is causing everyone in my family to act a little oddly. And I always feel just a little bit insecure when I'm around the Wyoming side of my family.

6. Getting to the middle of Wyoming is no easy (and not inexpensive) feat. I actually have plans for another (more humorous and less bitching and moaning) post about my trials in getting to my family's home in Wyoming.

So, anyway, I haven't even looked at my NaNo project in almost a week. And, to be honest, I'm not that upset by it. Obviously I have other more important priorities at the moment. But it was my first attempt at NaNo and I'd have liked to get a little farther than 3,000 words at this point.

Thank you for reading. I just sort of needed to get this off of my chest and this is as close to a journal or confessional as I have.

PS. Everyone, take care of your colons! You may have noticed a theme in some of those surgeries above.

Anthology Released Today!

2010-11-04T10:37:00.001-05:00

The anthology that contains my second short story that was accepted for publication was released today.

Daily Flashes of Erotica Quarterly #1 is now availiable through Pill Hill Press. It contains my short story "Midnight Watch" on January 16!

Featuring daily doses of adult flash fiction, DAILY FLASHES OF EROTICA QUARTERLY is published four times per year. As a daily flash fiction calendar anthology, a 1500 word or less short story is featured for every day of the calendar year (January - March 2011). This is a fun and steamy anthology designed for busy adult readers.

NaNoWriMo--Page One

2010-11-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

So here's the first, VERY ROUGH, page of my NaNo WIP tentatively called "Guyliner"

So far (as of the end of day 2) I've made my word count goals. Yay! Here's hoping we (meaning I) can keep it up!

This is what I picture Connor to look like. It's really Kellan Lutz. Sigh. Gorgeous, right?
http://www.freewebs.com/twilightmovie1/emmet.jpg

--------------------
Connor fixed his gaze on a point of color several feet in front of him as he counted out the reps in the final set at the lat pull down machine. The muscles in his shoulders burned and his triceps quivered as he lowered the bar below his chin. Focusing on the pale blue specks of color helped him ignore the pain. As he counted, he let the color surround him, the icy hue cooling his overheated skin. With only two reps to go, the image expanded. No longer was it a vast blue field, it was a pair of bright eyes accented with dark lashes and outlined in black eyeliner. The eyes were part of a narrow face that would be considered pretty if it weren’t for the very masculine angles and planes.

Wow, Connor thought as he pulled the bar of the weight machine to his chest for the last time, eyeliner boy is hot.

His hands lost their grip on the bar the minute the thought processed in his brain. The handle swung up, clipping his chin as the weights crashed down.

He tasted blood and his lip throbbed. “Crap, crap, crap.” He jumped to his feet.

All around him, students stared. He could feel thirty sets of eyes trained on him. The small noises of weights clanking into position and athletes’ grunts and pants as they strained at the equipment were gone.

“Fitzpatrick!” Coach Petrewski barked into the silence. “What the hell was that?”

What could he say? He couldn’t tell Coach what really happened. Yeah, there was conversation he never imagined having. Gee, Coach, I just realized I’m a sucker for pretty blue eyes, especially a guy’s, and I was a little startled to find I was attracted to a boy. No matter that I’m dating your daughter… So, yeah, that was totally not happening.
-------------------
Any thoughts so far?

Poetry for the Non-Poetic

2010-11-02T06:20:00.000-05:00

The second week of my creative writing class was just as interesting as the first. I didn't really learn anything, but it was a lot of fun.

This week's topics: Poetry and Character Outlines

Here's what I learned about poetry: It doesn't have to rhyme or even follow a specific meter to be considered poetry. That's it. That's all she said.

But we did do a fun exercise where we got to write a diamond poem.

Here's the format: "Diamond Poetry usually shows change. The beginning line and the last line are opposites or contrasting words. The poem shows gradual change from the first line to the last line. It's in the shape of a diamond." The first line is a noun that is the opposite of the last line. The second line is two words that describe line one. The third line is three words related to the noun ending with "ing" or "ed". The fourth line is made up of two nouns that relate to line one and two nouns that relate to the last line. The fifth line is three words that end with "ing" or "ed" that relate to the last line. The sixth line is two words describing the noun in the last line. The last line is a noun that is the opposite of line one.

Here's the example from the class:

War

Run, Hit

Stabbing, Shooting, Killing

Vietnam, Iran, U.S., Japan

Living, Relaxing, Singing

Harmony, Free

Peace

One of the cool things about diamond poetry that was discussed in class is that if you read it backwards, from bottom to top, it gives a completely different emotional feel or impact. In this one, it starts out kind of scary and violent and ends peaceful and hopeful. Reading it backwards, it starts out relaxed and peaceful, and ends up scary and disheartening.

Most people picked kind of serious topics for theirs. We had ones about abortion, infidelity, politics. I took a slightly different tact (the lady next to me liked it so much she copied it down in her notebook--yeah, I'm cool). Here's what I came up with:

Beauty

Lovely, Sweet

Singing, Dancing, Strolling

Daughter, Maiden, Monster, Master

Growling, Prowling, Roaring

Fierce, Proud

Beast

Yeah, I'm totally talking Disney here! :) This is the perfect poetry for the non-poetic, which means this is my kind of poetry!

Anybody out there poets? What do you like about writing poetry?

Ready, Set... Write!

2010-11-01T05:00:00.003-05:00

Day 1 of National Novel Writing Month...

Because I should be writing that novel, at least the first 1,667 words (though I'm shooting for an even 2,000 per day, to account for a few days off here and there), I'm going to leave you with this quote from the always inspiring Stephen King:

"The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better."

Good luck to my fellow WriMoers! :)

NaNo Panic

2010-10-27T06:00:00.011-05:00

I'm a schmuck. I know it.

I finally--FINALLY--sat down to try and figure out where I wanted my NaNo novel to go, you know the goal of the book, the conflict, character charts and all that jazz when I realized that I'm no longer very interested in this idea that I thought was so fabulous two months ago. I even put off going anywhere with the idea specifically so I'd have a new project to start on November 1.

I blame it all on Taco Bell guy.

Here we are, a week from NaNo and I'm waffling on what to write about.

This morning I woke up and had the whole first scene--of the wrong novel!--written in my head.

So instead of a sweet YA romance about a girl battling grief and guilt over a friend's suicide and her attraction to the neighbor boy, I'll be writing a YA (romance) about a boy realizing that he's actually attracted to other boys, specifically the quiet, scarred boy who just transferred to his school.

Which means I have a lot of research and planning to do!

Also, if anyone wants to buddy me, my NaNo i.d. is: J. Leigh Bailey

Back to School...

2010-10-26T06:00:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday was the first session of my four week creative writing class at the local community college. [A couple of years ago I took a conversational Spanish class at the same school, so I should have been prepared. In the Spanish class, for example, we spent three of the ten class periods going over the alphabet. The Spanish alphabet just isn't different enough to warrant such attention.] I'll admit, I was a little skeptical about what I'd learn in the creative writing class, but I didn't figure I had much to lose (apart from $45 and eight hours of my life).

Found at: http://www.swedesboro-woolwich.com/

Here's some random information about my class:

1. The instructor is super-nice, super-chipper and sweet as can be. For her day job she teaches elementary school and middle school reading and creative writing. As such, she talks to us like we're all ten. Don't get me wrong, she really is nice. Just took a while to get used to her.

2. Also, as it currently stands, I have more publishing credits to my name than the instructor. Which is not to say I don't have anything to learn from her--she is a teacher, after all, and I am so far from being an expert in the craft.

3. Three people, during introductions, asked if she would be willing to read their memoir/book of poetry/song lyrics that they were working on. For some reason, this bothers me. It just kind of seem presumptuous. Though as an instructor, I'm sure she'll be able to provide feedback, but still. (I had this same problem when I took at "So You Want to Start That Novel" class last April.)

4. There are 16 people in the class, and maybe a few of them I would call "serious" about writing, and the rest of them are either deluding themselves (think American Idol auditions) or are just there for fun and exploring their creative side. Which is good, but it means the classwork is going to be more general than I need--I was hoping for more in-depth exploration of plot and character development--and will include a lot of poetry.

5. We did a three-minute writing exercise which was a lot of fun. We started with the phrase "It was a dark and stormy night" then had to start a story. Three minutes later we passed our story the person to our left and had to continue the story started by the person to our right. (The guy next to me used A LOT of similes and metaphors. They were pretty good--very militaristic--and imaginative, but excessive.)

6. Our homework: take six nouns and adjectives and use them as verbs in a sentence. I actually had to work at that. It was much harder than I expected it to be. I actually had to get help from my parents! (I was at their house for dinner when I was playing with the assignment.)

What I learned:

I need to eventually shell out the money for a serious writing class for serious writers taught by experts in the craft. I need serious, honest feedback on my own work, which I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get here.

I know it sounds like I'm disappointed in the class, but I'm not. Not really. I had sort hoped (as unlikely as I knew it would be) that there'd be more to the class. This is still a fun way to spend a few hours and let me expand my creativity and hang out with other writers.

This Thursday will be the second class where we're going to explore poetry and characterization. I'm sure I'll update you with what I learn.

AND THE WINNER IS...

2010-10-25T08:35:00.002-05:00

Quick post today to announce the winner of my
100 Followers Celebration Giveaway.

(Per random.org)

I'm not even going to make it suspenseful ('Cause I'm cool that way).

Congratulations to.....

Hannah at Musings of a Palindrome!

I'll be contacting you to get your mailing address so I can ship the fun Halloween-themed prizes.

Thank you to all of my blog followers. You have no idea what it means to me that you stop in and see what's on my mind on a given day. :)

Short Story Advice -- Kurt Vonnegut

2010-10-21T06:00:00.004-05:00

Couple of quick reminders--

Don't forget about my 100 Followers Celebration Giveaway. (Click on the previous link, not the graphic...there's no link there right now.) Sign up for a chance to win a fun Halloween prize package.

Tonight I start a creative writing class at the local community college. It's only for four weeks, but I thought it could be fun and a chance to meet writers face-to-face and in person. And I have nothing better to do on Thursday nights. It was supposed to start last week, but when I got there, there was a sign on the door stating that the start date was delayed a week.

Finally, I found this on Twitter yesterday and thought it was fun. The original post can be found here.

In his book Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction, Vonnegut listed eight rules for writing a short story:

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

Vonnegut qualifies the list by adding that Flannery O’Connor broke all these rules except the first, and that great writers tend to do that.

Time to Ketchup

2010-10-20T10:55:00.002-05:00

Er... Time to catch up!

I'm so far behind! There's so much I need and want to do, but I can't seem to get any of it done. Cripes.

My number one hurdle? Work. You may not know it, but 90% of my on-line time happens when I'm at work. Which means I'm not working when I'm supposed to. Oops. But, come on, things were slow. What else was I supposed to do? Unfortunately, my on-line time was commented on so now, in an effort to not get fired, I need to actually work at work. Darn it.

My number two hurdle? Me. I've commented before on my lack of personal discipline. I tell myself that I'll do my on-line stuff and my writing stuff after work. I mean, that's what most people do, right? But I get off of work and all I want to do is hunker down with a good book. Or even a not-so-good book. So instead of doing what I tell myself I should be doing, I'm reading a record number of good and mediocre books instead.

So, what did I hope to accomplish this month?

1. Finish the post apoc. story to submit by the Nov. 4th deadline. I'm only about 25% done with it right now. There's no way that will happen in time, so yeah, big FAIL.

2. Prep for NaNoWriMo. I wanted to outline the major scenes and plot points, develop the characters. For once, I wanted to make sure I knew where I was going with the story before I actually started. I've still got a little time for this, but it's not happening the way I would like.

3. Blog with regularity. I'm usually good for 3 posts a week (not necessarily on a given schedule) but I've been wracking my brain for something to talk about. I even re-posted a post from last year in my desperation last week. Yikes!

See, I didn't have a lot of goals, but I'm starting to feel the pressure.

Makes me a little nervous about the pressure of NaNoWriMo!

P.S. The limited amount of on-line time means that I'm not commenting on all of your great blogs as much as I would like to. Even though I may not be commenting, I am reading them, but it's taking longer (my Google Reader number keeps getting bigger, not smaller!).

On my Kindle...

2010-10-19T12:20:00.000-05:00

Did you know that an Amazon Kindle is a good way to meet new friends? I swear, every time I go out to eat (I live by myself and don't like to cook for one, so I eat out a lot) I will read from my Kindle while I'm at the restaurant. Every time (no exaggeration) someone will stop by and say "Hey, is that a Kindle? I've always wondered how that works." Then I'm honor bound (and not just a little enthusiastic) to give a show and tell presentation of all the cool things my Kindle can do. I even know current pricing and version differences.

Geez, I'm a geek.

And every time someone asks about how I like my Kindle (I love it, though I do sometimes miss the aesthetics of an actual book) they will invariably ask "What are you reading?"

So, just for kicks, here's a list of some of the most recent downloads on my Kindle:

Via Goodreads.com

Sin Undone (Demonica, Book 5) by Larissa Ione

As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she’ll die before she’ll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin’s innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

HIS HUNGER CAN’T BE DENIED

Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she’s no stranger: He’s bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld’s most wanted and Con soon learns he’s the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

My thoughts: Pretty good read. Not quite as good as the ones that came before, but still darned good.

via Goodreads.com

The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed it. Keplinger kind of beats the reader over the head with the message/theme of the novel, but I loved the fact that any girl can relate to being the DUFF and that we sometimes make questionable, and sometimes life-altering decisions based on our own self-esteem issues.

via Goodreads.com

Duck! by Kim Dare

A modern day M/M, BDSM retelling of The Ugly Ducking Fairy Tale using avian shifters.

Raised among humans, Ori Jones only discovered he was an avian shifter six months ago. Unable to complete a full shift until he reaches his avian maturity, he still can’t be sure of his exact species.

But with species comes rank, and rank is everything to the avians. When a partial shift allows the elders to announce that they believe Ori to be a rather ugly little duckling, he drops straight to the bottom rung of their hierarchy.

Life isn’t easy for Ori until he comes to the attention of a high ranking hawk shifter. Then the only question is, is Ori really a duck—and what will his new master think when the truth eventually comes out?

My thoughts: I loved this book. It's one of those stories that's so intense and emotional that I would actually call it gut-wrenching. So good. The world building and the hierarchy of the avian shifter society is brilliant. Warning: it is very explicit, and delves very deeply into the psychology of a Dominance/submission relationship--not for the faint of heart.

So, what are you reading?

Finding Inspiration at Taco Bell

2010-10-14T12:26:00.003-05:00

I remember reading an article where J.K. Rowling explained that she got her inspiration for Harry Potter (the character) while on a train. She saw a young boy with dark, mussed up hair and Harry was born. Or something like that. I'm sure I'm paraphrasing badly. Anyway, I had my own moment of inspiration the other evening when I went to Taco Bell.

Normally I do the drive-thru when I feel the overwhelming desire for a Nacho Bell Grande, but this time I went in. I had time to kill, a new book in purse, so why not settle in? There was something very intriguing about the young man who manned the register.

The first thing I noticed was that he was 15 or 16, kind of young, with dark, nearly black hair, in that shaggy cut that's so popular these days. The second thing I noticed was that he seemed to avoid eye contact. He seemed kind of shy, and, having spend years as a cashier in some form or another, decided to be my cheerful, friendly self and try and engage him a little. I chatted a little with him until he looked up. The second thing I noticed was that he had very pretty brown eyes that were outlined in black eyeliner, which seemed like such a contradiction from his body language and shy demeanor.

Confession time: I find men in eyeliner strangely attractive. Even before Adam Lambert made guy-liner a household term.

The third thing I noticed about this young man was the burn scars on his hand. Looking up farther, I saw that his arm was completely covered in skin graft scars. This intriguing boy with the shy smile, shaggy hair and guy-liner had at some point been horribly burned. My curiosity was instantly piqued. What happened to him? How did he get burned? Do people tease him or make a point of not noticing the scars? How far do the scars extend? You know, all the things a person thinks when they see that kind of scaring but, hopefully, are too tactful to actually ask a stranger. So instead of asking any of these inappropriate questions, I let my imagination create the answers.

Now, I've been reading a lot of gay (M/M) romances lately. No, more actually, I've been devouring gay romances lately, in massive quantities. You know I love a good romance, but the added challenges of building a same-sex relationship give the genre a completely new dynamic for me.

The combination of my recent book obsession and the shy, burned boy in guy-liner was too much for me. During my brief stay at the lobby of the Taco Bell, I plotted an entire novel in my mind (a contemporary YA with a young, scarred and introverted main character, struggling to understand his sexuality, and understanding that some emotional scars are more painful and harder to heal than those on the outside). And this story wants out--forget that I've got another story planned for NaNo that I need to focus on. Sheesh.

I'll probably never write the story that came to my mind that evening. Mostly because I don't think I could accurately, honestly and with sensitivity, portray the emotions and internal conflict of a young gay man, especially one facing so many other challenges. But, by God, it's a story I'd love to read.

I love how the most random things can inspire us, and that a slight deviation in my normal behavior ultimately led to awesome inspiration.

What's inspired you recently?

Is Spying on Teens a Crime?

2010-10-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, to be 17 again! Seriously, I wouldn't be 17 again if you paid me, but if I were, some parts of my novel writing would be better for it.

I'm reading a book on creating good dialogue, in particular, authentic dialogue and it made me think about what my characters are saying. Are they too adult? Too young? Too stereotypical? I want to create characters that young adult readers can relate to--which means they have to sound like they are the ages they are. Apparently several authors or Young Adult novels have trouble with this--either their characters sound like educated adults or constantly speak in hip slang, both of which are unrealistic.

I find that my writing is a bit more like the former--my charcters seem to take on my way of speaking. Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure that a 17 year old boy in northern Minnesota would not speak like a 32 year old woman from Illinois. Go figure.

One of the "hints" in the book I'm reading about creating good dialogue recommends for people writing for teenagers is to go somewhere that teens hang out and listen, record if possible, the conversations. Then, take the dialogue that was noted/recorded and create a scene for some fictional characters and work the dialogue in. Great idea. It would be a better idea if I was my friend who just happens to teach English at a high school. I bet she wouldn't have any trouble creating realistic, authentic dialogue! For me, the only teenagers I ever see are those who work at the local McDonald's restaurant or at the grocery store. And then their conversations (the ones that I can hear, of course) revolve around stuff like "Would you like fries with that?" or "Paper or plastic?"

I've considered sitting myself down in the food court of the local mall and observing the patrons. Funny thing, though, the times that I've tried that, the patrons tended to be older (60 to 70 years) men and housewives with their toddlers in tow. And the conversations I overheard really were fascinating, but not really helpful for what I needed. Obviously, I have to find a better time to hang out at the mall.

I've also kept track of the FaceBook entries my younger "friends" make. These just plain make me feel old. I don't get it. Sometimes, what I read is crude, and I can tell it was said for shock value. Sometimes it looks like they just typed gibberish. Other times it confuses me to no end. I finally found out that, unless it was something like Muahahaha or Nanananana, it was lyrics from songs I've never heard (and judging by the lyrics, songs I probably wouldn't listen to anyway).

Then there are the t.v. shows. I thought, maybe I'll see what teens talk like on t.v. Hmmm. The CW is full of shows targeted at the teen audience. These characters, however, don't talk like any teen I've ever met. Take Gossip Girl--maybe if my characters were priviledged super-rich kids form the Upper East Side it might help. Hmm.

So, is stalking teens a crime?

100 Followers Celebration & Giveaway

2010-10-12T06:03:00.005-05:00

Okay, I recently hit a first major milestone in my blogging adventures...100 followers!

I'd like to take a minute to acknowledge some of my personal "Milestone" followers.

My first non-family/non-friend follower: Gina Leigh Maxwell

The follower that knocked me over the edge of more "real" followers (those who are not close personal friends or family) than family and friends: Elle Rohan

My first international follower: Talli Roland (UK)

My 50th follower: Kim Williams

My 100th follower: Chazley Dotson
(if you look at the Bloggin' Buddies list on the right, it actually looks like Chazley is my 101st follower, but one of my followers is actually me...I somehow managed to start following myself unintentionally...so, Chazley is the 100th follower, not including me.)

The Giveaway--

I've been promising some sort of contest or giveaway in celebration of reaching 100 followers, and I've finally decided what I'm going to do. I'm going to do a simple giveaway of a Halloween/Fall themed goodie bag.

I don't have access to any cool ARCs or autographed books, so this prize (though not completely assembled as of yet) will include the following:

A copy of the book Silver Moon, Bloody Bullets: an Anthology of Werewolf Tales (which just happens to contain my short story "Runaway" on page 103).
A magnetic pad of paper with cool Halloween jack-o-lanterns.
A small notebook with cool Halloween jack-o-lanterns.
A McCafe (remember, I work in collaboration with McDonald's Corporation) tote bag.
Plus a couple of secret surprises!

Now, to win this fabulous collection of goodies, simply comment below. You get:
+2 entries if you're an old follower
+1 entry if you're a new follower
+1 entry if you Tweet about the giveaway (include @JenniWrites so I can see you!)
+2 entries if you mention it on your blog.

Leave me a comment below with the total number of entries. I'll draw (or, more specifically, Random.org will pick a number) on OCTOBER 24 and I'll announce the winner then.

Fun, right?

P.S. International Followers... I'm not going to be able to ship the fun prize package internationally. BUT, still go ahead and enter. If an international follower wins the giveaway, I'll actually send you a giftcard for Amazon.com as a prize (and if Amazon doesn't deliver in you corner of the world, we'll negotiate some other fun e-mailable gift voucher).

Double Jeopardy--Two Blogfests for the Price of One!

2010-10-11T06:00:00.052-05:00

Really long post today, folks! I've signed up for two blogfests today! First, because I signed up for it first, is the The First Novel that Moved Me. Scroll down a bit farther and you'll see the second fun event, the Hook, Line & Sinker Blogfest!

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Brad at Brad Jaeger, Aspiring Author is hosting a blog hop. The topic: The First Novel that Moved Me.

Here's what he's looking for: "what is the first book that you remember reading that resonated with you? What novel left your mind lingering in thought over it day after day, well after you read it?"

Be sure to go HERE to see the other entries! Thanks, Brad, for such a fun blog hop!

When I first saw the prompt for this blog hop, I thought and I thought. I've been reading for almost 30 years, surely there had to be a book that was sort of the defining moment. You know, somewhere after "Dick and Jane" and before my book and a half a day reading addiction I'm facing now.

Now, I'd like to say that it all started with some great piece of literature--like, I tried to read To Kill a Mockingbird at age 12 and it changed my life, but that's not really what happened. I never could get through To Kill a Mockingbird, even to this day. [My best friend who is a high school English teacher has read it three times a year for the last 6 years.]

I could make an argument that the Little House on the Prairie series captured my little girl heart and there was no looking back after that. Which is sort of true. On the Banks of Plum Creek is one of my all-time favorites. But no, not that one either.

The first novel that moved me is one that you'd be hard pressed to find today. You've probably never heard of it, either. It was one I found in my middle school library and I think I was the only one to check it out, which I did, about three times a year for the three years I was there.

Before I reveal this mystery novel, I'm going to give you a bit of back story. It won't be in the form of a flashback, and it's not a prologue or opening chapter of The Story of Me. Basically, when I was 10 my parents got divorced. Pretty common thing, and it wasn't horrible or violent. Just they didn't love each other and couldn't live together any more. Then my mom and my brothers and I moved to a town in Wisconsin that was miles away (figuratively and societally) from the small town in Wyoming where I'd grown up until then. In this town, at this school, I got teased a lot. I didn't wear Guess jeans (the one time I convinced my mom to buy me a Guess t-shirt, I was then made fun of for wearing "generic" Guess, which is a contradiction I wondered at even then). I *gasp* was already wearing a bra (side note: fifth graders today wear bras all the time, but apparently at the time, that made me a freak). Anyway, it was a bad year for me. Then we moved to a slightly smaller, less pretentious town where I lived until college. Okay, the back story's getting kind of long. The point is, it was at this time that I started using books as an escape. I read to get away from the real world. That's why, to this day, I read books that have a happy ending, where, no matter what happens, the good guys will triumph and the guy and the girl will live happily ever after.

When I started middle school in this very nice, less pretentious Wisconsin town, I spent a lot of time in the library and discovered this great book called The Matrix Witch by Marjie Douglis, which was a Young Adult Paranormal Romance written almost 20 years before Twilight.

Meaghan Lake appears to be a teenager like any other, but her schoolgirl appearance is deceiving--she is really a "white witch"-in-training.

Was it a "good" book? I don't know. I haven't read it in almost 20 years (let me tell, that makes me feel kinda old). There was nothing extraordinary about the plot or the characters (excpet that they were witches and could wield magic). It was a fairly typical YA romance. Guy and girl meet. They date while both are hiding something from each other. In the end, they work together and save the world. But this was THE book that had me falling in love with romance. And, looking back, it was my first real foray into the paranormal. And it was entertaining. I would read this book over and over again while I had it. It was like the literary equivalent to 16 Candles which I could watch, rewind, and watch again, over and over. It was a fun escape that ended with "happily ever after", which is what I still look for in a novel today.
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This next blogfest was a totally last-minute addition that I came across when I stumbled upon a fascinating new blog. Justin at In My Write Mind is hosting the "Hook, Line & Sinker" blogfest. Here's what he's looking for:

Please post a 1000 word (a few over is okay) sample of your hook. Preferably, chop it right out from the opening of your manuscript. I'd like to see the range of openings various writers have to grab attention. Can you establish a great character relationship in just those few words? How about showing the world? Whatever your hook is, post it for the fest and we'll do the little jig around it (and give you comments along the way).

Here's my entry. Be sure to go here and check out the other entries! This is the first scene of my post-apoc. short story that will probably not be finished by the submission deadline I was aiming for. Anyway, let me introduce you to Jay and The Gatherers.

“I’ve almost got it.” Jay groaned and tried to make his arm reach just a little bit further without disrupting his precarious position on the eroding edge of the ravine. The only thing keeping him from tumbling into the rocky chasm below was the leg he had bent around an anemic looking sapling that had dug its young roots into the sandy, gravel covered dirt. His entire torso and upper body hung suspended in midair. A small hand, nearly as delicate as the baby tree, gripped his filthy leg just above the ankle. Jay didn’t have much faith that Lily could keep him from falling if his weight managed to uproot the tree. He was more afraid that if he lost the battle with gravity, he’d take her with him. No one could survive the long drop into unforgiving boulders, let along an emaciated eight year old girl.

He felt a bead of sweat tickle its way from his hairline and down the slope of his nose, pausing for just a moment at the tip before it fell away. His eyes automatically followed the tiny drop make its descent. In that moment of incautious distraction, his body slipped forward. It was only a bit, the smallest fraction of an inch, but he gasped in a breath and tried to press his hips and thighs harder into the earth. Lily’s small hand dug in, her ragged nails scratching his skin.

“Hurry, Jay. Please hurry,” she pleaded.

He focused on his prize—a small silver cell phone—strained every muscle in his arm until he could just touch it. He managed pinch it between two fingers and, holding his breath, he drew it up with as much care as someone carrying TNT through a minefield. As soon as he was able he shifted his hand so that he could grip it more securely and reached behind him.

“Grab it, Lily.” His voice was breathy from exertion.

He felt her take it from him and let out a long breath. Using only the muscles of his thighs and abdomen he levered himself up and onto the ledge. Once he was solidly away from the ledge, he lay back on the ground and sucked in several deep breaths. He pushed back his shaggy sandy blond hair and wiped at the sweat covering his face before turned his head to look at the girl next to him.

“It’s a good one, isn’t it, Jay? Ricky will like this, right?” Lily watched him with wide violet eyes that looked huge in her gaunt face. Eyes that were too sweet and innocent for the lives they lived.

“Yeah, Lil. Worth two cups of water at least. Maybe even some extra meat.”

Jay looked at the little device held in her small hand. He remembered when cell phones were everywhere. Everyone had one. Hell, once upon a time he’d had one that was never far from reach. He’d spent hours talking with his friends, or texting. Taking pictures of random things that didn’t mean anything. Then it was just standard. What 15 year old boy didn’t have a cell phone? Now, two years later it was a rarity. A rarity that just might earn him and Lily extra portions at meal-time that night.

Ricky was a mean son of a bitch, but he’d come through on the deal. A cell phone—more importantly the chips and electronic components of the cell phone—were in high demand. Other items that could be melted down and reformed were also high priorities. Reusable containers were okay, but wouldn’t earn a kid more than a sip of water. He sat up and groaned as his muscles protested. “C’mon, Lil. We’d better get moving. It’s going to be dark soon. Put the phone in your sack.”

Lily’s bag already had a small collection of loot that she’d gathered—a rusty pocket knife, an empty plastic bottle, a metal rod of some kind. She pulled the small sack off her back and set the phone inside. She was just pulling tight the drawstring when he heard footsteps approaching.

Three young men, bigger and bulkier than most gatherers, approached them, their steps confident, big smiles on their face.

“Hey girls.” The one in the middle sneered, crossing his arms across his brawny chest. His buddies apparently thought referring to Jay as a girl was funny. They grinned and chuckled at each other. “What’d you find? I saw you hanging over the edge. I kind of hoped that you’d fall and we could all see if you could fly. And, if not, well, it wouldn’t be any loss. It must have been important, though, to have you risking that much.”

“It’s none of your business, Peter. Let’s go, Lil.” Jay grabbed her arm and started to pull her towards the caravan.

“Here’s the thing,” Peter said, stepping in front of them. “Me and the boys”—he gestured to the guys following him—“had a pretty light day. Didn’t find much of anything.”

“Sucks to be you.” Jay tried to skirt around them.

“See, that doesn’t work for us. We’re growing boys. We need our food. And Steve here, he’s got low blood sugar. He gets grumpy when he doesn’t get a good meal. We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

Given that Steve was taller than any of the other gatherers in their crew, with easily twice the body mass of Jay, his being grumpy could be a bad thing.

Lily tried to hide behind Jay. He felt her trembling. Peter, Steve and Brad were bullies, and they were good at it. Most of the other kids feared them—and for good reason. They were bigger and meaner than any of the others, and made a habit of stealing the other gatherers’ loot instead of searching for themselves. Ricky and his crew didn’t particularly care how the loot was acquired, just that it was. Being the same age as them, and nearly as big, Jay was usually left alone. They must have seen the find and decided it was worth taking on Jay.

“We did find something cool in our hunting,” Peter continued. He pulled back the side of his worn jacket to reveal a 12 inch hunting knife secured in his belt. The silver edge gleamed in the afternoon sun as he pulled it free. He pointed it at Lily. “Neat, huh?”

Lily whimpered, burying her face harder into Jay’s side.

“Now, I’ll ask again, and don’t make me repeat it. What did you find?”

Jay glared at the boy, knowing that Peter had no qualms about using the big knife. “A cell phone.”

“Nice. I think we’ll take that. Along with whatever else the little girl has in her bag.”

“No!” Lily gasped, gripping the thin straps in her hand.

Peter waggled the knife at her. “Uh uh uh. I don’t think I asked. Hand it over, or I’ll show you how much fun a big ol’ knife like this can be.”

There was something cold in Peter’s pale blue eyes, an evilness that Jay hadn’t fully appreciated before. He wrapped his arm around Lily’s shaking frame. “Go ahead, Lily. Give him your loot.”

“But, Jay…” she protested, choking on fear and tears.

“Just do it. It’ll be okay.”

Lily opened the bag and dumped her loot on the ground in front of them. Then, sobbing, she ran towards the caravan as fast as her legs could carry her.

Peter gathered the random items and dumped them into his own sack. Jay heard the clang of several other items. “Excellent. We’ll eat well tonight, boys.”

Sure, Jay thought, and a bunch of starving little kids will go hungry thanks to you.

So, sorry about excessive length of today's post, but I couldn't resist signing up for these fun events. Now, if you've managed to make it through all of this, go back and check out the rest of the entries for the "The First Novel That Moved Me" and "Hook, Line & Sinker" blogfests!

An Award to Share

2010-10-07T06:00:00.002-05:00

First, the fabulous Quinn at seeing, dreaming... writing has passed on an award. Of course, that was before I changed the title and design. Hopefully it was the lovely content that earned the mention! If you haven't yet, be sure to check out his blog.

The rules of this award are: acknowledge the person who gave you the award (Thanks, Quinn!) and pass it on to 15 blogger's you've recently met.

I'm passing this award on to the following people:

Kelley at Flowers for a Ghost
Bish at Random Thoughts
Talei at Musings of an Aspiring Scribe
Michelle at Author Michelle McLean
Angela at Jaded Love Junkie
JW at In the Flow: A Writer's Journey
Nancy at N. R. Williams, Fantasy Author
Shallee at Life, the Universe and Writing
Cholisose at Rose Transpose
Kelly at Nerdville Rhapsody
Roni at Fiction Groupie
Mia at My LIterary Jam & Toast
Cheyanne at Cheyanne with an A
Misha at My First Book
Misty Waters at Writer's Block ~ Oh wait, I mean Blog

If you haven't seen any of these blogs, be sure to stop by and check them out!

I'm a grumpy gus

2010-10-06T06:02:00.000-05:00

I'm grumpy.

I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't want to do anything. I just want to sit around a sulk. Wallow in my own self-pity.

Nothing bad happened. I'm just in a mood. In fact, if you saw my post Monday, I have several reasons to celebrate. But no, I just want to bunker down on my couch with a bag of Doritos and a 2 liter of Diet Pepsi and watch the first four seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

But I don't have time for this particular mood.

I have to work. And my job generally requires me to be upbeat and perky.

I have a writing deadline. I still need to finish and have a couple of people beta read my post-apoc. story, and the deadline for submitting it is fast approaching.

I have plans to get together with the girlfriends from college this weekend, and they don't want to spend the time with a grumpy gus. *sigh*

I've got to break out of this funk and take charge.

Do you let your moods affect your writing?

The Baddest of Good Guys

2010-10-05T06:00:00.016-05:00

Here's a question for you all--How bad can the protag be and still be a relatable (maybe even likable) character?

I'll admit it. If I don't like the main character, I have trouble liking the book. And I want my main character to be a "good guy." So if the MC is a total prick, I don't really care if he gets hit by a bus or offed by a mafioso type. Which I guess is about the character's likability.

But what about if the MC is a criminal kingpin or a hitman? What if, for all intents and purposes, the protagonist is actually a bad guy? Do you still want to see him as the male lead in a romance novel?

I guess in the end, it's all about his motivation.

For example, someone who is a cold-blooded murderer wouldn't make the best romantic hero. Unless he's Roarke from J. D. Robb's "In Death" series and the murders he committed were justifiable retribution for a more heinous crime. We can forgive him, and maybe even applaud him.

On the other hand, a paid assassin who is, quite literally, only in it for the money and doesn't care who the victim is, might be a harder sell as a romantic hero.

A rapist might make a reader cringe if he was suddenly the male half of a romance novel. But what about Vishous in J. R. Ward's "Black Dagger Brotherhood" series, who, back in a time and culture where it was required, sodomized a defeated opponent and to refuse would have meant his death and dishonor to the opponent. Somehow, we can forgive him. (The fact that he regrets it horribly, helps.)

Robin Hood, a notorious outlaw who robs people should be vilified, but because he steals from the rich and gives to the poor, he's romanticized instead. Would we be as accepting if good ol' Rob stole from the rich to support a terrorist cell? Probably not.

See, it's all about the motivation.

The reason I ask this question is that I started reading a romance novel where the male MC is an assassin. In the first scene he cold-bloodedly kills the target and then meets his assassin family for dinner. It was just a job. There was no indicator that someone's life (except maybe that of the victim) hung in the balance. He wasn't trying to support a bunch of orphans, or eliminating a blood-sucking vampire bent on destroying the mortal population. After that opening scene, I'm not sure I want to go on to figure out what, if anything, makes him likable enough to deserve a Happily Ever After ending.

So I ask you, where do we draw the line between what is abhorrent to us and what we're willing to overlook and forgive? And, on another train of thought, does our MC actually have to be a good guy?

PS. I'll add here that I focused mostly on romance novels here. I understand that there are many novels of all descriptions where the main character isn't completely on the up-and-up. In romance novels, there is more need for the MCs to be likable.

PPS. Though, even in non-romance books, the MC should be relatable and sympathetic...right? Even in the book The Godfather, the MC started out with good intentions as opposed to a desire to maim and destroy for the sake of maiming and destroying.

Big News!

2010-10-04T05:00:00.003-05:00

BIG NEWS. THE BIGGEST. IT'S HUGE. I mean, it's GINORMOUS.

First, you probably noticed the new design and the new title, yes? What do you think? I'm not entirely sure I'm 100% satisfied, but I like it for now.

Thanks to everyone who entered my "Name My Blog Contest." You did not make it easy for me, though. I had a lot of suggestion, a lot that I really loved. I even had my friends and family members vote on which they liked better. And would you believe that each and every person I showed the "finalists" to picked a different title? Sheesh!

For those of you who are interested, the winner (the one who sort of inspired the new title) is Cholisose @ Rose Transpose. I'll be e-mailing you shortly with your prize--$20 gift card to Amazon.com. Thanks so much!

Now, more news. I noticed I was creeping towards 100 followers last week and on Thursday, it happened! Woo-Hoo! So now, I have to have a celebration, complete with prizes! I'm asking you to be patient, however, as I determine the most fabulous prize (and as much as I'd like to send a special winner to Las Vegas, that's a bit out of my price range) and some sort of contest type thingee. So, stay tuned!

A Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

2010-09-30T04:00:00.001-05:00

In support of Banned Books Week, Tehereh at TH.Mafi and Le R at The Rejectionist have coordinated a sort of banned book review blogfest wherein the participants read/review/talk about a banned book. Be sure to go here to check out the rest of the entries!

Standing on the fringes of life...

offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

Do you remember being fifteen, or the anxiety of starting high school? The conflicting battles between wanting to conform and at the same time wanting to be special? Feeling like you should be old enough to take care of your own problems, but still silently wishing for someone to come along and make them all go away? Finally feeling like you have some control over your life while at the same time feeling like everything is spiraling out of control? Or, mostly, the desperate need to figure out who you are and how to become who you want to be?

That is why The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is such a phenomenal read. I remembered, sometimes relived, all of that angst and confusion and excitement of being a teenager in reading this book.

In a series of strikingly raw and unaffected letters to "Dear Friend", Charlie takes us through his first year of high school, first love, tragedy, acceptance. I don't think I've ever read anything quite so HONEST, ever. And so earnest and naive. And funny and sad. And relatable.

This quote from the book is why I fell in love with it and why it's so powerful. Because this is what I think every adolescent/teen feels at some point:

"So this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

I used the Highlight feature of my Kindle more for this one novel than I did for all of the other books I've downloaded combined (and there are a lot of them). If I'd read the paperback, yellow highlighter ink would have bled through nearly every page and there would be a mess of multi-colored Post-It Notes sticking out all over.

Here are some quotes that really stuck with me:

About family:

"I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other."

As someone who's battled depression for years, I felt these, if you know what I mean:

"I don't know if you've ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist."

"I'm a big faker because I've been putting my life back together, and nobody knows."

"Something is really wrong with me. And I don't know what it is."

Something about fate and choices:

"So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to chose where we come from, we can still chose where we go."

So, honest truth:

Do I understand why this book is so often challenged?
Yes. There are references to sex, homosexuality, drugs, suicide, abortion, abuse--and these are not light, minor references. They are discussed in a straightforward, albeit not particularly explicit, way, and without apology or caution.

Would I want my 13 year old niece reading this book?
Probably not. There are some very adult themes and issues brought forward. And while there are serious consequences to the actions taken, they are discussed as subtly as the actions themselves. More specifically, I would want my 13 year old niece to read it with her mother so they could talk about the issues that are represented.

Do I think it's okay to ban this book?
NO!! And not just because I think banning books is narrow minded and shortsighted (which I do). Just because I don't want my niece to read this now, I think she should read it in 4 or 5 years. When I was 13, I probably would have read it and been mature enough to understand some of the subtleties. My niece maybe is, too, but it's not my call. It's her mother's call.

Not talking about a subject does not prevent or make the problems disappear. Some teenagers have sex. Some teenagers may be homosexuals. Some teenagers get pregnant and have an abortion. Teenagers go to parties where drugs and alcohol are available, and may or may not partake in the options.

My message to those who want to ban books: Banning books that talk about these issues won't help. Talking about them (both the books and the issues) with your children in an honest and straightforward way will. Don't take the choice away from others, just make the choice for yourself and your family.

Okay everyone, I'll get off my soapbox. I'll leave you with this final, and super profound, thought brought to you by The Perks of Being a Wallflower:

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

Announcements and Reminders

2010-09-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

Name My Blog Contest

Don't forget about my Name My Blog Contest.

The contest:

Suggest a possible title for my blog. You can enter as many suggestions as you can come up with. Post them in the comments section.

If I pick the title you suggest (or if your title prompts a moment of brilliance for me) you will win a $20 gift card to amazon.com.

NaNoWriMo is a Go

Okay, I decided that I'm going to try NaNoWriMo this year. I have not real expectation of succeeding, but decided that it can't hurt to try. *crosses fingers*

If you want to buddy me, my user name is: J. Leigh Bailey

and, last but not least,

***OMG! OMG! I'm almost at 100 followers!***

This means a celebration of sorts, yes?

When I started this blog last November, I had a few goals. The first was that I would not make a complete idiot of myself. Hopefully I've succeeded there. *looks around for affirmation* Right? Right? My next goal was 20 followers. After that I waited for my "real" followers (those who are not personal friends and family) to exceed the number of relatives following me. Then it was 50 followers. At this point, I gave myself a real goal, one I was going to work hard towards. I was going to aim for 100 followers before my first anniversary. I had a plan and everything! Then, there was this Great Blogging Experiment on Sept. 24 with over 180 participants and suddenly, WHAM! 30 new followers.

So, in the next week or so, I'm going to plan for some exciting way to celebrate 100 followers. And, as soon as I actually reach 100 followers (given my luck, I'll be sitting at 97 for months), I'll announce the plans for some kind of contest or somthing... someone will be able to teach me how to do those great contest form thingees, right?

A Jane Austen First-Timer

2010-09-27T06:00:00.025-05:00

This is kind of a rambling collection of thoughts brought forth from reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for the first time.

Part I--What I've Been Missing

How in the world did I, as a 32 year old romance book loving woman, manage to go this long without reading Pride and Prejudice? It's crazy. After watching (and loving!) the movie version of Sense and Sensibility in high school (Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Allen Rickman...man, I so love all of them) I tried to read something by Austen. I don't remember what it was, but I do remember thinking that it was unfortunate that the works of Austen were going to be joining the works of Dickens in my mind. Great stories that I love, but can't read for myself. Movie version of A Tale of Two Cities? Loved it. The book version? Couldn't trudge through it. I thought I was destined to only enjoy the movie adaptations of Austen's works (of which there are dozens, if not hundreds). Pride and Prejudice (staring Colin Firth) is my all-time favorite movie/mini-series closely followed by Persuasion.

Anyway, to make a long story a little less long, I recently downloaded Pride and Prejudice to my Kindle, determined to make my way through it, no matter what. Much to my surprise, I loved it. I already knew I loved the story, but was sure I'd find it cumbersome to read through. I was wrong. Which makes me wonder which Austen book I'd tried to read back in high school. I've totally been missing out. This also makes me wonder, what other "classics" have I been missing out on?

Please remember, I started reading Harlequin and such romances at age 12, and couldn't be bothered with "real" literature after that point.

Part II--What I Noticed

Okay, Austen is noted for her biting wit and almost satirical examination of society during her day. I truly appreciated that fully for the first time. I found so many places where I wanted to say "ouch" or "zing" or "touche" or whatever as I was reading. And it was snarky and subtle. It was fantastic. Someday I want to be able to do that.

The other thing that I noticed that was kind of interesting, was that there was very little description. Not of locale, not of people. We know that Mr. Darcy admired Elizabeth's "fine eyes", but nowhere does Austen tell us what color her eyes are, or her hair, or her height. The only thing we know about Mr. Darcy is that he's tall, but again, we don't know his coloring or build beyond that. Despite this, Mr. Darcy is considered one of the premier romantic heroes of all time. Just proof, I guess, that looks aren't everything.

I don't think readers today would appreciate a novel with such spare description. We rely on authors to tell us what we see, and we don't use our imagination the same way. If one read Pride and Prejudice when it was first written, one could imagine any man was Mr. Darcy. I, of course, pictured Colin Firth through the whole thing, thanks to A&E and BBC, but I really enjoy looking at the man, so it's all good.

So, my wonderful followers, I have two questions for you:

Are there any "classics" that you tried to read when you were younger and couldn't get through, only to have them become favorites as adults?

How much do you rely on description--both for setting and character--in your writing?

Bonus question: Who made the better Mr. Darcy? (I bet you can't figure out who I'd say...)
1. Andrew Osborn--1938
2. Laurence Olivier--1940
3. Colin Firth--1995
4. Matthew Macfayden--2005

Writing Compelling Characters--The Great Blogging Experiment

2010-09-24T06:00:00.009-05:00

Last week Elana (Elana Johnson, Author), Jen (unedited) and Alex (Alex J. Cavanaugh) shared oodles of advice about blogging--how to attract followers, what to blog about, etc. Then, to sort of illustrate how no two bloggers are exactly the same (to paraphrase badly) they are also hosting The Great Blogging Experiment. Basically, they assigned the topic and we all get to write about it on the same day.

The Topic: Writing Compelling Characters

For my contribution, I decided to look at television, movies and books to identify some of the favorite characters. To make this list, I did a bunch of random Internet research and then picked my favorites from those lists. That way I know who I'm talking about. I've identified three favorite characters from each medium and then I'll discuss what makes them compelling characters to give us as writers an idea of what works and is memorable.

TELEVISION:

1. Dr. Gregory House from House

2. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

3. Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl

MOVIES:

1. Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean

2. Shrek from Shrek
3. Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz

BOOKS:

1. Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

2. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

3. Anne from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

What are some of the things that these characters have in common?

They are flawed.

They are relatable.

Dorothy is a bored teenage girl who wonders if there is more to life than what she's experiencing. Shrek just wants to be left alone and protect his property. Spike has a weakness for strong women. Mr. Darcy is emotionally distant and proud, but loves his sister.

They are sympathetic.
Anne's a orphan who wants a family and home where she's not taken advantage of. Harry's family and friends are killed an/or threatened by the darkest wizard of all time and is bullied by his aunt, uncle, cousin, and random Slytherins. House suffered trauma to his leg that causes him endless pain. Chuck acts out to get his father's attention.

They are distinctive/extraordinary/over-the-top.
Harry is the boy who lived. Captain Jack Sparrow is, well, Captain Jack Sparrow. Everything about him is just a bit over the top, from the drinking, the women, the gestures. House is a brilliant puzzle-solver with a horrible bedside manner. Shrek is a green monster with a bad attitude.

They find themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
Dorothy is transported to Oz. Harry finds out that not only is he a wizard, he has to defeat Voldemort. Shrek goes on a trek to rescue the fair maiden and falls in love.

They have to fight for what they want.
House goes up against hospital (and legal) policies. Social standing is in the way of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship. Jack has to fight Barbosa to get the Black Pearl back. Spike has to face the tortures of Hell to get his soul for a chance with Buffy.

So, there are a few things we, as writers, should keep in mind when creating characters. If it worked for the writers of these novels, television series and movie scripts, it can work for us too!

I'd like to add a special thanks to Elana, Jen and Alex, both for sharing their blogging tips and for hosting this great blogging experiment!

A Blogfeast!

2010-09-23T05:00:00.002-05:00

Angela at Jaded Love Junkie is hosting a blogfest! No, actually, she's hosting a blogFEAST. What fun!

Here's what she's looking for: "It can be a scene where food is central or just happens to be in the scene. It could be a poem about food."

Be sure to check out Blogfeast 9.23.2010 to read the other entries!

Here's my entry--this is a scene taken from my WIP short story "The Gatherers."
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Jay noticed that almost all of the gatherers had arrived back at camp before him. Kids ranging in age from six to eighteen stood in line with their loot, ready to exchange their finds for food and water. The central bonfire was already burning, the flickering flames alternately highlighting exhausted faces and casting shadows in hollow cheeks. The smell of roasting meat—Jay had learned long ago never to question too closely the origin of the meat—was enough to make his stomach twist and grumble. Moisture flooded his painfully dry mouth.

As he neared the line, he saw Lily huddled against the wooden side of a wagon. Her face was pressed against her drawn knees, her shoulders shuddering as she cried.

“Hey,” he said, crouching next to her. He reached over to brush aside her snarled elbow length black hair and ran his hand along her back, trying to comfort her. He mentally cursed as he felt every knob of her spine and the sharp edges of her shoulder blades. He pushed his own loot bag into her arms. “Get up. Get in line.”

She lifted the bag, hefting its weight and stared up at him with big violet eyes. “But…”

“Take it.” He stood and helped her to her own feet. “I had a good day yesterday,” he said, lying. “Besides, I’m the one who told you to give Pete and his gang your bag.”

“But Ricky will be so mad at you.”

He shrugged, trying to look unconcerned, though his stomach twisted again, in anxiety rather than hunger this time. “I’ll be fine. Go. Get in line and get something to eat and drink.”

With one last agonized look at him, Lily raced to the line. He kept his eye on her as the line moved forward, ready to step in if anyone made an attempt to steal her items or her share. His throat burned and his stomach churned as he watched her collect a sliver of meat, half of a roasted potato and a cup of water. The meat and most of the potato had disappeared into her mouth before she’d taken two steps, along with a long swallow of the water.

“Being noble is going to get you killed. Dumbass.”

Jay looked up at the sardonic voice and watched his tent-mate Glitch limp up to him. His coffee-colored skin was nearly invisible in the dark shadows left by the setting sun. Glitch was a year younger than Jay, slighter and more delicate in build. His foot had been crushed during the Destruction when the four story apartment building he’d been living in had fallen on top of him and the other residents.

Glitch was one of the few people in the clan who wasn’t a gatherer. Usually, if you didn’t gather, you didn’t eat, but he had a talent with electronics and gadgetry that Ricky recognized and was more than happy to take advantage of. As long as Glitch was able to fix some of the electronics that were brought in or use the parts to create something worth selling or trading, he was given food and water regularly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jay tried to keep his eyes—and his mind—off of the aromatic food and 50 gallon drum of water.

“Right. Why’d you give her your loot?”

Feeding the anger, Jay realized, was one way to distract him from his gnawing belly. “Peter and his gang saw Lily and me retrieve a cell phone and decided they deserved to have it. Rather than fight them—and Peter was playing with a monster of a knife—I told Lily to hand over her goods.”

“Which doesn’t explain why you gave her yours.”

“C’mon, Glitch. She’s had next to nothing to eat in days. She’s starving. I can handle an extra day without food. I don’t think she can.”

“Jay, she’s not the only one starving. You can’t save them all. You won’t be any help to anybody if you don’t take care of you first.”

"Jay!”

Cold snakes of dread curled in his empty stomach. Ricky in a rage was a very bad thing. Waves of animosity and fury rolled off him, milling gatherers parted to create an open lane to where Jay was sitting.

“Shit, dude,” Glitch muttered, backing away quickly.

Jay refused to have this confrontation looking up at Ricky. He came to his feet, forcing his trembling legs to stillness.

“Where’s your loot?” The demand was abrupt, and despite the low volume, pissed.

Jay saw Lily’s terror-filled face in the crowd that had formed around them. “I didn’t find anything today.”

Ricky narrowed his eyes. He unfastened his belt buckle as he turned away. “Come with me.”

It never occurred to Ricky that Jay wouldn’t follow.

It never occurred to Jay to disobey.
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An A for Easy A

2010-09-22T06:00:00.005-05:00

I enjoy a good movie the same way I enjoy a good book. And usually for the same reasons. Most of the time I'm looking for entertainment value over deeper meaning, heartwarming relationship building and dynamic, memorable characters. I prefer clever plays on words and fun references to slap-stick comedy or crude "shock" comedy.

I expected the movie Easy A to be fun. I sort of expected crude references. I expected to enjoy it in a very shallow way. I was expecting something along the lines of American Pie. Much to my surprise, and delight, I really enjoyed Easy A and not in a shallow, playing-to-the-least-common-denominator kind of way.

The reason I wanted to see it had everything to do with the cast.
I love Emma Stone (her role in House Bunny cracked me up).
Penn Badgley is dreamy (he's the reason I ever watched any episode of Gossip Girl).
Amanda Bynes is a riot, whether it's super-fundamentalist religious girl or Penny Pingleton or any of the dozens of other roles she's had over the years.
Stanley Tucci. He needs no explanation. He's just always amazing.
There's also Dan Byrd, Lisa Kudrow, Thomas Haden Church, Malcolm McDowell, Alyson Michalka, and Patricia Clarkson, who were equally awesome.

So, what's the movie actually about (thank you Yahoo movies!)?

After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in "The Scarlet Letter," which she is currently studying in school -- until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

Here's why it was awesome:

I went into it knowing that it tied into the story of Nathaniel Hawthorn's The Scarlet Letter. I did not know that there would be more, especially fun references to other books and series. Here are the ones I caught (and remembered):

The Scarlet Letter (obviously)
Huck Finn (a very funny reference!)
Gossip Girl
Sweet Valley High
Twilight

I know there was another fun one, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was. But these were peppered into the story in such a way that a person who has read these books (as I have) got an extra kick out of the movie.

In addition to the great literary references (hey, some of those books are literary!) the movie also paid homage to the great collection of John Hughes films. Specifically:

Say Anything
16 Candles
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Breakfast Club
Can't Buy Me Love

In the end, if you enjoy John Hughes's movies (as I do), I think you'll enjoy this one.

Then, if that wasn't enough fun for me, when I was in the little girls room after the movie (those 44 oz sodas kill me, but I can't resist) I ran into a group of five or six girls, probably about 15 or so, who were gathered. Apparently they all went to a movie together for one of the girl's first date and got to observe the girl's first kiss. So they were all huddled in the bathroom discussing it in detail. When I left one of the girls' father (their chauffeur, no doubt) had apparently heard the conversation too (15 year old girls are not known for being quiet) and he sort of grinned at me when I left. It was so cute!

Why I Type

2010-09-21T00:01:00.006-05:00

Just a short note. The picture below is why I type rather than write most of the time. :)

I have atrocious handwriting.

I'm always moving chunks around.

Hitting delete/backspace is neater than scribbles.

Inserting text is easier with a cursor and keypad than arrows and scratches.

I once had a friend tell me I wrote like her grandfather--or a serial killer.

How many of you actually do your writing old-school? You know, pen and paper, then transcribe it to computer screen?

NaNoWriMo or No?

2010-09-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

I'm debating entering National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the first time this year. I'm a little uncertain, however.

I have a novel sort of mentally plotted and ready for some action, so I've got that going for me.

I have some questions for past participants:

Is it worth it?

Was it just a big time suck?

What are the benefits and drawbacks of this?

And, I guess, most importantly, are you doing it? (I may not be an adolescent any more, but peer pressure can still drive my decision making process!)

It's a Secret Blogfest!

2010-09-17T06:00:00.003-05:00

Summer at My Inner Fairy is hosting a blog fest to celebrate reaching 100 followers, complete with prizes! This is my second one this week. Man, these have messed with my planned week of book reviews, but these are so much fun!

Here's what Summer is looking for: "In 700 words or less give us at least one secret in a story: murder, mystery, funny, romantic, poetry, or story snippet...doesn't matter but the word "Secret" must be included in the story or poem to count."

Here's my entry. It's from a half-written short story that takes place in Wyoming near where my family lives.
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Chloe James stood at the end of the trail and stared at the female body laying face down in the shallow water of the Popo Agie River. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon and the pale yellow rays of the sun caused diamond bright sparkles to dance on the rippling water. Those ripples, she noted with a detachment she knew was not normal, had the woman’s hair billowing around her in streaming red waves. Mingling among the bright strands were cloudy wisps of darker red that were spreading and turning pink as the diluted blood flowed with the water into the large cavern known as the Sinks.

The woman was wearing a short denim skirt and a black tank-top that revealed pale limbs that stood out in sharp contrast to the dark grays and browns of the rocks blanketing the river bed. Spring in this part of Wyoming was still quite cold, so the woman’s scanty apparel was odd. And she was shoeless. Why that bothered her so much, Chloe wasn’t sure.

The call of a golden eagle as it returned to its aerie jolted her out of her reverie and the horror of the sight before her hit her fully for the first time.

“Oh, my God.” She ran forward, heedless of the boulders and bushes in her path. The icy water, which was little more than the run-off of melted snow from the surrounding mountains, drew a ragged gasp from Chloe as she dashed into the calf-deep river. She knelt next to the body and grabbed the woman’s shoulder, turning her.

Lifeless brown eyes stared up at her from a face that, despite the slight blue tinge to the skin, was young and pretty. And horribly, horribly blank.

Though she knew it was futile, she reached out to check for a pulse. She pressed her shaking fingers against cold, wet flesh, and waited. The rhythmic tug of the running water was the only thing she felt.

“Help. I’ve got to get help,” she muttered through chattering teeth. She patted the pockets of her khaki hiking pants, then up along her torso, frantically searching for her cell phone. “Back pack.” She finally recalled where she’d put it and started for the bag she’d dropped along the shore.

Her feet and legs were nearly numb from the frigid water, making her trek to the shore a clumsy, stumbling one. She fell once, tripping over a tree root, and scraped the palm of her hand on a jagged piece of granite before reaching her pack. Her hands were stiff from the old, making grappling with the clips securing the pocket where she’d stored the phone difficult.

Before she dialed, she stopped. If she called it in, her secret would be out. No one was supposed to know she was back in the state. If she called it in, reports would be filed, and then he would find her. But she couldn’t just leave this poor woman’s body floating in the river.

Her brain scrambled for a solution that that would satisfy her ingrained desire to help, and her instinctive need to protect her secret and her anonymity.

“Anonymous report,” she told herself. That would work, right?

She had just grasped it when a sharp pain erupted at the back of her head in a shower of multi-colored sparks. Then there was nothing but darkness.
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Special thanks to Summer for hosting this. Now, be sure to go here and read the rest of the entries!

A Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

2010-09-16T06:00:00.008-05:00

I think I have trouble reading the end of a series. In fact, I can only think of a couple of instances where I loved the last book in a series.

The Deathly Hallows almost (almost!) ruined the whole Harry Potter series for me, and believe, me up until that point I was uber-fanatic about everything HP.

I despised almost every aspect of Breaking Dawn while I devoured the rest of the Twilight series like a star-struck teenager.

My sister-in-law once commented that maybe the reason I was always disappointed in the conclusion of a series was because part of me was upset that it was ending. That maybe, because I regret that the books that I'd enjoyed so much were going to be no more, I was overly-critical when I read them. She may be right. She's a pretty smart lady.

[On a side note: This is entirely different from those series that I feel have been dragging on waaaayy too long (Anita Blake, I'm talking to you!) and which I think it's time for them to come to some kind of conclusion.]

No one can argue (well, I suppose you can, but I wouldn't give your argument much credence) that Suzanne Collins is an amazing writer. She has a wicked way with words and engrossing plots and complicated characters. The Hunger Games was probably the best book I'd read in a decade. Despite this, I find myself very torn about Mockingjay. And I think it has to do with pacing.

When reading it, I found myself going back and forth between edge-of-my-seat, can't-read-fast-enough to completely bored. Back and forth. Over and over. It was draining. And, I suspect, it was a deliberate choice by Ms. Collins. It takes an amazingly skilled writer to actually make me feel, to experience at some level, what the main character is feeling. Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy it.

The action packed moments were too short and the long wait between them was too long. But as much as I could wish we could have zipped from one tense moment to another action sequence and back again, the long breaks between really were necessary for the story. In real life, the moments of adrenaline-infused action seem to go by in an instant while the boring moments of life, or those times when we're forced to reflect on our purpose, or decisions, or sadness seem to drag on endlessly. So, again, it takes tremendous skill to convey that so effectively.

I'm not really upset with the way it ended, though I was a little dissatisfied at parts. Katniss definitely went through some significant character growth, but in the end, I just didn't like her as much.

Or maybe I'm just disappointed that an awesome series is ending and that disappointment is reflected in my negative feelings of the book.

Here's the thing: If you've already read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, you're going to read this book, no matter my review. And you should. Absolutely.

I would have rated The Hunger Games 6 out of 4 Jewels from the Dragon's Hoard. Yes it was just that good.

I would have rated Catching Fire 3 out of 4 Jewels from the Dragon's Hoard. It was good (especially the second half) but rather than feeling like a book in and of itself, it felt like it existed as purely a transition to get from The Hunger Games to Mockingjay.

My first knee-jerk reaction would be to rate Mockingjay at 2 out of 4 Jewels. Not necessarily because it wasn't a good book, technically speaking, but because it was just not to my taste, which isn't really fair. So, I'm giving Mockingjay 3 out of 4 Jewels from the Dragon's Hoard

What do those of you who've already read it think? Am I off base? Is it just misplaced disappointment coloring my view?

Back-to-School Daze Blogfest

2010-09-15T05:00:00.004-05:00

We're breaking up the book review week planned for a special event:

Roh Morgan at musings of a moonlight writer is hosting a blog fest. Yay!

Here's what Roh's looking for:

"Write a scene that takes place on a campus. It can be in a classroom, on the football field, in a locker room… (grin – but nothing explicit, please!) – just as long as the setting is on school grounds."

This is part of the first chapter of my WIP Embracing the Dragon which has been filed under the bed as a "maybe someday" project. This is where the main character Lacey first sees her love interest.

Enjoy!

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Seventeen year old Lacey Bradley had one goal in life: to live long enough to graduate high school. Everyone’s life needed at least one major milestone before they died, right? Of course, she wouldn’t object to living a long and healthy life, but things were starting to look a little bleak for that particular ambition. Especially if she spent much more time in the frigid Minnesota air on a December morning.

And why, oh why, did it have to be Minnesota?

Chicago winters were no summer picnic on the lake shore, and the Windy City’s winter wind could freeze a person’s eyeballs, but nothing she had ever experienced could compare to the bitter cold that slammed into her as she walked down the salt-covered sidewalk that crossed in front of Dalton, Minnesota’s high school.

The sun was shining and it was a perfectly clear blue day, but she was still afraid to touch her ears in case they broke off. She pressed at her cheekbone. It felt almost solid. “Ah, man, that can’t be right,” she grumbled and pulled the red hood of her parka tighter around her face.

She saw the steps that led to the main entrance of the school and sighed. Half a block to go. It might as well be half a mile. The cold was sapping her strength at a tremendous rate. There ought to be a law against parking lots being located a block from the main building. Kids probably got lost in blizzards never to be seen again, just trying to get to class. A quick image flashed through her mind of her falling into a snowdrift and no one discovering her ice-encrusted corpse until things warmed up. Which would probably sometime in August, she thought in disgust.

Lacey grabbed her cell phone out of her coat pocket and fumbled it in her stiff fingers. After a moment she was able to grasp the shiny plastic phone and looked at the time display.

“Fantastic,” she muttered at the phone. “If being the new kid doesn’t make me enough of a freak, I get to be the new kid that shows up late.” The wrong turn she’d taken off of the main street is what did it, she decided. She sighed. It was the story of her life: whenever she was at an intersection and had to guess right or left, she always chose the wrong way. Always.

As she went to put the phone back, she heard quick steps crunching in the crystals of ice melt behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw three boys striding up the walk behind her, closing the distance between her and them with each step.

“Damn it, Nate,” one was complaining. “I have a test in Trig this morning. You know Mr. Greyson hates it when someone’s late. He might dock my grade.”

“Whatever. He’s not going to dock your grade, not top-of-the-class Dominic Drake. You’re his pride and joy. Besides, even if he did dock it, you’d what, get an A instead of an A plus?”

By this point they had caught up to her and they parted around her while she stood there. Whoa, they sure do grow them fine around here. She knew she was gawking, but couldn’t seem to stop herself. The one she’d heard first was tall, probably half a foot taller than her own five-ten, but looked puny compared to the one he’d called Nate. Nate was even a couple of inches taller than the first guy, and since he’d wasn’t wearing a coat—was the guy crazy?—she could see that his limbs and torso were covered with thick bands of muscle and he was broad enough that she felt positively petite as he walked past.

“You dropped your phone,” a quiet voice said. She started and knew that if it the blood in her face wasn’t frozen to slush, she’d have been blushing for getting caught staring. Then she looked up and found herself lost in the brightest green eyes she’d ever seen.

He was beautiful. Not in the way that so many boys were, that just this side of pretty way, but in a wholly masculine way that made her think of guardian angels in battle. His blond hair glinted gold in the sunlight, thick and wavy and just a little bit too long. His leather jacket was open, exposing a broad expanse of chest covered in a blue and yellow rugby style shirt. He was holding her phone out to her.

“Aren’t you cold?” The minute the words were out of her mouth she wanted to kick herself.

He looked at her in apparent confusion.

“You’re coat is open. Aren’t you cold?”

He smiled, flashing even white teeth and a single dimple. “I’m warm blooded,” he said.

At the sight of his dimple, her mind took a detour to loco-land. Oh, wow. That’s so not fair. Then, to compound her humiliation, a strange gurgling sound escaped her throat. She was pretty sure it was supposed to be something like “uh-huh,” but sounded more like someone was trying to strangle a guinea pig.

She blinked, trying to pull her mind back on track. This was mortifying. She’d always thought it was a joke, or at least an exaggeration, when people said they were struck speechless by someone’s good looks. The fact that it was happening to her was embarrassing in the extreme.

She snatched the phone out of his hand, and dropped it in her pocket. It was only after he had gotten several feet away that she realized she was still standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring after him.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice trailing off.
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Be sure to check out the other entrants here!