From Zero to Sixty in Twenty-Four Hours

September went into full swing this week – with the kids going back to school and me taking on an extra two days of office work in Edgewater.

We went from the lazy, hazy days of summer where I was technically bored out of my mind, to full speed ahead. We roll out of bed before 7:00, make lunches, get everyone dressed, I’ve been out the door by 8:30 and sitting in traffic like the rest of the Metropolitan area, working all day and roll in after 4:00 to handle school forms, book covers, running to Walgreens to pick up extra school supplies, make dinner and get some editing in before I collapse.

What was I thinking?

In a way, it’s nice to rev up the old motor and to see exactly how much I can get done in a day when I have to. After a month of both kids home and a totally free schedule during which I got very little accomplished, I feel more focused and much more productive.

Maybe that’s the trick to jump starting my desire to write – when I’m denied the time to write for a few days I really how important it is and how much I miss it. I’ve realized that after the two days I committed to work next week, I won’t be going back to Edgewater. I just can’t expend that much time doing something that isn’t fulfilling. Sure, I like to help where I can, and the work is challenging. My brain has been in office mode, which is actually good sometimes, because writer mode tends to get eccentric and little crazy after a while, but I’ve already had enough. I need to work on my novella and get started on the Beast Master Pax. I need to reclaim the house, and settle into a serious work routine as a writer/editor, not as a part-time transcriptionist/secretary.

From sixty miles an hour, I don’t want to go back to the summer quagmire, but I think I’ll settle for a leisurely and productive 35mph, with pit stops when necessary.

Updates, Updates

I'm gearing up for the new season and getting ready for a busy week. Today I'm taking DD for a hair trim [don't say CUT, please], dropping off the dual signed copy of Immortal Lovers at the PO [sending this to Annalee Blysse so she can forward it to the winner of our Vampire Theme Day contest].

Tomorrow is the first day of school! I never thought I'd get through this extra long summer. It's been a challenge, but we finally made it. The back packs are packed, the pencils are sharpened, the first-day of school outfits are all picked out. [Mostly. I think. Gotta double check that.]

I'm editing a full length novel for Siren Publishing, and I'm working in Edgewater and Saddle Brook this week, so I'll be busy. I just made an agent appointment for NJRW - yay! And I have permission to pitch both a novel and a novella [Matchmakers and Temporary Tattoos] Gotta work on both of the pitches a little bit. Nervewracking stuff.

I got a release date for The Rebound Guy with Samhain - January 2007! It'll be nice to start the year off with a new release and any day now Ravenstar's Bride should be coming out in print.

Looks like I'll be putting off 'Fall Cleaning' for a while. Oh well. It's not like the dirt goes anywhere. It'll all still be here when I'm ready for it.

Vampire Theme Day

I'll be co-hosting the NCP Vampire Theme Day at the New Concepts Readers Group September 9-10th. There will be quizzes, prizes, vampire discussions and sizzling excerpts!

Drop by for a bite.

La Nora does it again!

I just finished Angels Fall by Nora Roberts and of course I have to say she’s done it again. Her plot is engaging and compelling, her characters are warm and real, and her love scenes are sweet and juicy without being over the top explicit [and this opinion from an erotic romance author besides!]

What I especially liked about Angels Fall was the mystery element and the fact that Ms. Roberts led me to believe one thing, and made me hope it wasn’t true because even though all evidence pointed one way, that would have been the trite and expected conclusion. Of course, she pulled another answer out of her bag of tricks at the last moment and made me go, “Ah! I should have been paying attention over there, but I was too busy thinking I knew all the answers.”

That’s something I want to learn how to do.

The only thing I didn’t like about Angels Fall was that it’s hard to really like a heroine who is too skinny and is told by several people she needs to gain weight. Sure, I know, Reece Gilmore has been through a lot, but as a real-sized American woman, I have a hard time drumming up sympathy for a chef who needs to be reminded to eat and who considers it a victory to have gained four pounds. Yes, there are people who are underweight [like...um...99.9% of Hollywood for instance], but still, I’d have liked Reece a little better if she hadn’t had a ‘weight’ problem.

In other news...

I have yet another job. Today I agreed to do some work preparing meeting minutes for the Borough of Edgewater. It's a bit of a ride, but the pay is nice and it's only a temporary position to fill in for someone on sick leave. It's not like I don't have enough to do, but I've got to supplement my income between royalty payments, you know? LOL. Someday, hopefully, that won't be necessary. But on the up side, I polished up my resume and know that it still works if I need it, so living in my writing bubble for a year hasn't dulled my employability. That's good to know.

In related news...

Now that September is finaly here, I feel different. Better. More centered and proactive. I really suppose I have reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder. The summer makes me depressed, unsure of myself, tired, easily bored and unambitious while the thought of fall has me working on new projects, vaccuming the pool, and applying for new jobs in far off towns. I wish I could understand it, but I just can't. Ah well, at least things are looking up a bit. Hopefully this part-time temp job works out, puts a little $$ in my pocket and doesn't cost me too much in gas money.

What Makes A Good Villain Tick?

It's Villains Week over at Star-Crossed and it's my day to opine on what makes a great villain. Check it out!

Only the Good Die Young

Steve Irwin “The Crocodile Hunter” died in Australia today. He was 44.

It may sound sappy and sentimental, but Earth has lost one of its greatest protectors and staunchest defenders. He may have been flamboyant, but he did something that most of us would do well to learn – he looked at our planet with awe.

At a time when there are so many people out there complaining about the state of our world, predicting gloom and doom, hoping and wishing for the end of the world [or trying to cause it in the name of God], ranting and raving about what a mess everything is, Steve Irwin walked out into the world and saw it as it was meant to be seen, as it was created, as a place of wonder. He gave that wonder to his children and he tried to impart it to the world.

My heart goes out to his family.

Happy September!

Ravenstar’s Bride is available in e-book format today at Amber Quill Press!

The paperback edition should be coming out around September 15th! I can’t wait to have another print book to add to my shelf.

Since it is Friday, here’s an excerpt from RB that you won’t find at the buy link page. In this scene, my heroine meets the man who will shape her destiny. She’s masquerading as a common dock runner [read: prostitute] but he seems something more in her. By the end of their conversation, Ravenstar Bren is determined to uncover the stowaway’s secrets. All of them.


Ra'Nara stifled a gasp when the captain of the merchant ship leveled his stormy gaze at her. She felt as though her carefully crafted disguise had been ripped away, leaving her terribly exposed. It seemed as if he could see through her battered body and into the depths of her soul.

While the commander had been formidable, and handsome with his light hair and dark eyes, the captain was an even more breathtaking example of fortunate genetics.

Even drawn to her full height, which was slightly above average for a Cadeian female, he towered over her. She found that she had to look up at him. And he looked down on her, his dark brows knit together over those lustrous eyes.

His face was angular and long, with high cheekbones that were accentuated by a shadow of growth on his cheeks and chin. His lips were compressed into a thin line at the moment, but showed hints of sensual fullness. Wavy midnight black hair reached down to his brow.

Like the commander's, his uniform was a rich shade of blue that contrasted with the burnished bronze of his skin. His eyes picked up the deep hue and seemed to darken as he appraised her.
Ra'Nara's gaze was drawn to his bare arms, where his own tattoo stretched over corded muscle. Though she could not read the fine Istrian script, she was certain the embellishments to the design proclaimed him a ruler of men. He certainly looked the part.

She'd spent her life among royalty and had never met a man, including her own father, with such a commanding presence. For a moment, she fought the urge to bow to him, as she might have a prince of Cadeia. In that same instant she forgot who she was, or rather what she had become, and despite her trembling, drew herself up in front of him and embarrassed herself with a clumsy attempt at seduction. By the look in his eyes, it was obvious he found her offer distasteful. Such a man as this would have no interest in a common doxie.

She couldn't take it back though, and the shift in his expression from benign but authoritative curiosity to annoyance, told her she probably shouldn't waste breath on an apology.

She moved back involuntarily as one of his hands shot out and grasped the shoulder of her cloak. With a lightning fast movement he tore it from her body, exposing not only the pitiful dress beneath, but the purple bruises that marred the delicate skin of her upper arms.

"I suspect this foul garment is to blame for the unfortunate odor in here, feha," he said as he cast the fabric to the floor. The term of endearment he'd tacked onto his statement gave her pause. There were many things he could have called her, but "precious jewel" was not one she would have expected.

Ra'Nara made no answer at first, though her mind worked furiously. Should she beg his forgiveness for her insolence? Or merely resign herself to the fact that she had most likely garnered herself nothing more than an expedited trip to a Cadeian prison?

"Do you have a name? Or shall I continue to call you feha?" he prompted.

"I..." Ra'Nara paused to swallow some of her ire. She realized she would have to come up with something. "Nara," she said finally and hoped he would not press for anything more specific.

"Nara..." he said, rolling the name on his tongue. "If I recall, it means 'gift,' doesn't it?"

She nodded.

"I'm told you were interrogated by Commander Kree, my first officer, and you told him nothing of interest."

"I told him what was pertinent. He threatened to send me to jail."

The captain leaned back, crossed his arms over his broad chest and grinned at her. "That was no threat."

"Captain Ravenstar..." Nara said in her best diplomatic voice. "I...apologize, for stowing away on your shuttle. I was desperate. I don't ask for special treatment, only passage to your next port of call. I will work for my keep...I'll do...anything." This time she was careful to keep her request devoid of any innuendo. Offering her body to this man was degrading enough. Having him reject her twice would be unbearable.

In response, his eyes swept over her and again she felt stripped of her defenses. The paper-thin tunic, soiled from hiding in the livestock stalls at the bazaar, might as well have been nonexistent.

"You'd best be careful when making such a statement, feha. A promise like that to the wrong person could land you in hell."

"I've been there, Captain," she responded soberly, all trace of regal arrogance gone from her expression. "Believe me when I say I'm willing to do anything to escape it."

To find out more about Ravenstar’s Bride, go to: http://www.amberquill.com/RavenstarsBride.html

No Bones About It

I totally enjoyed the season premiere of 'Bones' last night! Not just because I love David Boreanaz and still [SIGH] dream of an Angel Season Six...but because it's really a darn good show. I love the interplay between Temperance and Seely Booth [what kind of a name is that, really for a hero? but anyway...] I love the little sparks between Angela and Hodgins and I love watching people use their brains at full speed.

Some people might find it a little off putting to listen to someone describe the variuos types of broken bones in a corpse, or figure out how long someone has been dead by the types of [yech!] larvae found on the body, but despite my own tendency to squeamishness, I think it's fascinating. I'm also uber impressed that once again the vision of a hardworking author has been translated to the small screen.

How cool would it be to have your book, or series of books made into a movie or a TV show? Honestly, if that ever happened to me, they'd have to give me oxygen. I know I'd pass out.

SOLD! The Concubine's Tale!

New Concepts has contracted The Concubine's Tale! Woohoo! This will be a first for me - a double romance - contemporary and historical at the same time.

Here's the blurb from my query letter. I need to shorten it and punch it up for the official blurb and tag line - which is going to drive me a little crazy.

Cait Lang is less than thrilled about having to present a rare artifact to antiquities collector Grant Pierson. Though Grant is a favorite client at the Madison-Greer Gallery where Cait is Curator, she resents his often arrogant attitude and the way her bosses fawn to get his attention.

Grant Pierson’s curiosity is peaked when the lovely but aloof Cait Lang calls to tell him about an Egyptian scroll that has come up for sale at Madison-Greer. When Cait begins to tell him the intricate and erotically charged story depicted in the ancient writing, he decides he has to
possess the scroll-and Cait.


Through the telling of the story of Nayari, concubine to a power-hungry magistrate, and Khanu, the brave warrior assigned to guard her, Cait and Grant discover their own long-suppressed passion. Shifting from present day to 1200 B.C., The Concubine’s Tale incorporates two emotional love stories connected through time by an ancient relic.

Now I have four stories awaiting release: Ravenstar's Bride [due September 1st - yikes, that's Friday!], The Adventures of Molten Man No. 1, [Due October], The Rebound Guy [TBD] and The Concubine's Tale, [TBD].

On the drawing board - Temporary Tattoos [shaping up nice at 28,000 words so far, a shapeshifter story for AQP and I have another hot, hot, hot sci-fi rolling around in my head for EC. That'll keep me busy for the next few months. I still feel like I'm swimming through maple syrup, though. I can't wait for the weather to cool off, the kids to go back to school and autumn to really begin so I can kick everything back into high gear again.

The itsy bitsy spider

Last night it was dark by the time I remembered to turn off the pool filter. I flipped on the porch light and went outside and nearly walked into the most enormous spider web I'd ever seen.


This is Augustus. He [or maybe she?] has set up housekeeping in the awning over the front door. I've seen smaller Volkswagons.

Sometimes I think we live in the Amazon jungle. You never know what you're going to find hanging around in the yard.

Lesson learned: Never rush out the front door at night without turning on the porch light.

All washed up...

Or all rained out. Today had to be the soggiest summer day on record. It rained all day long - but at least it's not hot and humid - it's chilly and humid.

My cold feels a little better and I can't really complain, since I logged another 3400 on my WIP. Yesterday's total ended up being 7000! I did 2000 more before I went to sleep. The cappuccino helped! I think I'll have some more tonight.

Here's a shot of the back yard [sans rain]. That big bare spot behind the swingset is where the spruce used to be. That's the volley ball net in the lower yard behind it. It's funny how the swingset looks like it's closer to the house now. I never realized how much room that tree took up. The swingset is the next thing to go. The kids have pretty much outgrown it. Once that's gone maybe we can get a good crop of grass growing.

Sixteen days until school starts!!

I'b all stupped up...

Yep. I definitely have a cold. I have no idea where I got it. I haven't been around anyone who even sniffled in weeks. I hope the kids don't end up with it in time for school to start.

On the up side, though, since I was under the weather, DH took the kids to the Winx Club Mall Tour in Livingston for a few hours and I stretched out on the love seat with a laptop and wrote another 5000 words on my WIP!!

I could probably write a couple thousand more tonight-I left off at a good part when the thundering herd returned with their haul of free giveaways from the Mall Tour, but my head is all floaty and my throat hurts, so I think I'm going to curl up and watch some TV instead. Five thousand is darn good for about four hours work [if you consider I had lunch and did a couple of loads of laundry in between 11:00 and 3:00.] I can't wait to get back to it, but I don't want to burn out either. I'm glad I left off during a steamy scene - that way when I get back to work, I know exactly what my characters are supposed to be doing. So far the story could easily be novella length, but I see the potential for a full novel and a number of target publishers.

I don't want to say too much more and jinx it, so I'm off to lounge on the couch and see if DH will make me that cup of cappuccino he promised me.

It's nice to be back

My Inernet connection failed today - one of those miniscule electrical blips that knocked out the modem or whatever techie thing keeps me connected, so I'm just now catching up on my blog entries.

I just posted over at Star-Crossed Romance about the Pluto situation. After I finish up a critique, I'm going to curl up on the couch and watch Stargate and zone out on Sudafed because I'm coming down with a summer cold.

On the up side - I've got 10,000 words on a new WIP and I'm having quite a ball with it. More info as things shape up.

The Changing Landscape

As I’m writing this there are five big, burly men in my backyard flexing their muscles and sweating.

Yes, life as a romance writer is pretty good.

But seriously, they’re cutting down a tree. Several in fact. The noise from the wood chopper is deafening and constant and I’m sitting at my computer trying to get some work done in between trips to the window to watch them change the face of my backyard.

We had a huge, towering Blue Spruce that was dying by degrees and needed to be removed. On the end of the house were a collection of pathetic bushes that have been slowly succumbing to the heat of the air conditioning unit and the encroaching shade of the neighbor’s overhanging trees. Our enormous Sugar Maple [I love this tree] is starting to take over the house and it refuses to allow grass to grow for more than a few minutes in the back, so it’s being trimmed.

Later today we’ll have sunlight where we used to have shade, and big open space where we used to have pine barrens.

Change is good. Right?

I have a hard time with change. I like to make progress – in fact it’s my motto – but I’m still very resistant to changing things. [Just ask my husband when it’s time to upgrade a computer program. I don’t like it when things work differently – and not always better, than they did before.] I usually dread the major changes of the year – the end of school, changing over to the lazy summer routine, then the beginning of the school year, getting back into the swing of a tight schedule. I love the gradual change from summer to fall into winter for some reason, but the first warm day of spring usually makes me a little sad [yes, I’m weird that way.]

It takes a while for me to get used to things and it’s going to be strange to see how the back yard looks now. I know I’ll get used to it, like I do every other necessary change in life, but there’s still that moment when you long for the way things were just because it was familiar and easy.

Tomorrow I’m blogging at StarCrossed Romance, but I’ll put up some pictures of the yard the way it looks now.

I haven't blogged in a couple of days but at least I've been writing. I spent Sunday afternoon at the Author Chat at Novelspotters and I had a great time. I posted a ton of excerpts and ran a pretty cool contest.

Yesterday, I took the kids school shopping and today of course I had to do food shopping. Fun, fun, fun. On the up-side I've been putting in a LOT of work on a new short story - which may shape up into a novella. I wrote about 5000 words today believe it or not!

This is a picture of the boardwalk at Seaside Heights about dusk last week Monday. I love the color of the sky for some reason. It looks overcast, but it's really not. The brilliant colors of the neon lights on the board walk are wonderful. The whole day there really inspired me and the story I'm writing actually strated out taking place on the board walk. It made a significant turnaround and now it actually has nothing more to do with the beach. Funny how ideas evolve.

I've got to finish up the galleys for Ravenstar's Bride and then get started on my next shapeshifter story, so I've got a full plate right now. It's nice to be busy and to be over that little 'interstory' slump I go through when I'm not sure what project to pick up next.

Back to work!

Tenacity

te·nac·i·ty (t -n s -t ) KEY NOUN:
The state or quality of being tenacious:

te·na·cious (t -n sh s) KEY ADJECTIVE:
Holding or tending to hold persistently to something, such as a point of view.
Clinging to another object or surface; adhesive:

I don’t know if I’ll have a picture to go with this post, but this is the word that came to mind when I got out of the car on Saturday afternoon and noticed, growing by the side of the road, next to a crack in the asphalt, a beautiful little yellow flower. There were no similar flowers nearby in any of the yards or gardens on the street, and this one, with a few little leaves on its tiny stem, was poised precariously on the brink of death. Any moment a car could come by and squash it out of existence, and yet there it was growing with every ounce of strength it possessed – tenacious.

I ran in the house to get my digital camera and I did actually take three shots of the flower. For some reason, when I went inside and tried to load them into the computer, they were gone. I tested the camera and it worked fine taking random pictures in the house, so I wonder if perhaps part of the little flower’s power is that it may be effectively invisible – which is why no one has stepped on it, or picked it, or run it over.

The little flower made me think about two important concepts. One, the tenacity of life. Our planet is amazing in that life will find a toe hold almost anywhere – the driest deserts, the coldest glaciers, the most toxic volcanic vents – something will find a way to survive there. Life persists. That thought led me to the second concept – writing for a living takes persistence. Tenacity. It’s not easy. You have to find a precarious toe hold and put down roots. You have to be prepared for rain, large rubber tires and sneakered feet, maybe even a hungry creature looking for a quick snack. You know you won’t last forever, nothing does, but you dig in and hang on and hope that you’ll be around long enough to produce a seed or two that will grow even after you’re gone.

Funny how a little yellow flower can say all that.

I went back outside later on, but the flower had closed up in anticipation of a short rain storm. I was bummed. However, I haven’t forgotten it and I will try again to get the picture. I’m tenacious that way.

Sunday update: I went out today and the little yellow flower had met its untimely demise. Squashed - maybe because I was rude enough to see it and make note of its existence. Oh well. I regret not getting the picture, but maybe I wasn't meant to. Now I have to just remember that the flower existed and learn from it that way.

Upcoming Chat

Join Me on Sunday, August 20th for the Amber Quill Authors Chat at Novel Spot!

This is a loop chat held at Novelspotters – the Novel Spot Yahoo Group. There will be excerpts and prizes and I’ll be giving away a surprise gift! Stop by and say hello for a chance to win!

The chat will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 PM EST at Novelspotters and I’m on deck from 1:30 to 2:00.

Summer - buh-bye!

I'm in a hurry today - gotta' go to the actual office. Rather than come up with something unique, I thought I'd add a few lines to Kate Rothwell's Thursday blog about what she won't miss about summer.

She pretty much nailed most of them.

I'm not a summer person. Sorry, never have been. Here's what I won't miss:

1. The heat [stole this one right from the top of Kate's blog]

2. The mosquitos. The state bird of NJ is the Mosquito. The state flower is crab grass.

3. The wet towels. [Stole this one, too.] No one in this house can lift a towel higher than their own elbows. There's always a soggy puddle of terry cloth mixed with bathing suit spandex on one of the hard wood floors...

4. Being cooped up in the house with the air conditioner on. It used to be the biggest bills we had to pay each month were the mortgage and car insurance. Now it's PSE&G and Exxon.

5. Little voices crooning, "I'm booooored!" [Why won't they accept cleaning their rooms as a legitmate activity?]

6. Sudden thunder storms. [Don't get me wrong, I do like rain and a rumbly storm is fun sometimes, but if I have to rescue the patio umbrella one more time...

7. The ant parade. [They have the house surrounded, marching in two straight lines all around the foundation. The exterminators don't seem concerned about this phenomenon.]

8. Wearing a bathing suit. [Stole this one, too. In my next life I'm coming back with a body that looks good in soggy spandex.] [Actually that's a joke, I'm not coming back at all.]

9. School shopping. [For clothes kids will refuse to wear six weeks from now.]

10. Summer reruns. [Don't those actors need a little more money? Why can't they work all year long like the rest of us?]

I'm sure I could think of more, but I've gotta run. Catch you later!

It's finally here! I've been waiting a long time to see the cover art for my second sci-fi novel.

Look for Ravenstar's Bride coming in September 2006!

In other news

It went out today. The Hunted: Rogue Theta was sent to EC this afternoon, critted, tweaked, synopsed and prayed over a little bit. Now the waiting begins. At least I feel like I accomplished something today.

After a two-day mini-vacation that included a very enjoyable day at the beach, I came home to another agent rejection for The Matchmakers. Pfft. Nothing like seeing the shine go off a really nice day in the time it takes to open an envelope. It wasn't a bad rejection, per se, but even the good Rs are still Rs. So I needed something to boost my spirits. It's funny how submitting used to be terrifying, now it actually makes me feel better about myself and my writing. Each submission is another chance for someone to see my work and love it.

In addition to that, I signed on to write another Amber Pax story for a shapeshifter anthology and I'm pretty juiced about that contemporary/paranormal story I've been meaning to write. I really need to get steaming on something. I've been writing a lot lately and scrapping it because my internal editor has apparently stopped taking her medication. She hates everything I write, or she likes it, but ends up talking me into trashing it because it's just not the direction she wants the story to go in. I should fire her. Of course then I'd be without an internal editor. Maybe she just needs a forced vacation.

Back to the drawing board.

Joyfully Recommended!

Fresh Blood has been Joyfully Recommended by Joyfully Reviewed!

Here's a snippet of the wonderful review, which can be read here:
http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews/FreshBlood.html

Fresh Blood is wonderful! Max and Erica are fresh characters that come alive for the reader. The secondary characters are well developed and I enjoyed all of them immensely. The plot, the setting, the characters are unique and lively. I very much enjoyed Fresh Blood and definitely recommend it. - Klarissa, Joyfully Reviewed

Stars in my eyes...

or What I Learned from Romantic Times Magazine

I got my copy of RT today, and I took it and a cold drink out on the patio and sat down to do some research. As I may have mentioned before, I feel I learn more from reading the Two Star and One Star reviews than I do from reading the Three, Four and Four 1/2 Star Reviews. Why? Well, we all know what makes a book a keeper, but what makes a book a stinker - or merely problematic - is a little harder to define and often based solely on the reviewer's opinion.

Sometimes a book just doesn't sit well with a reviewer. One may pan it while others rave about it and I'm sure that all the books in this month's RT that got low grades have been raved about in other venues. Remember, all these are published novels, most through NY houses, so an editor thought they were great, and in many cases a literary agent got behind the book, it's author, and it's concept in order to see it to publication - so where is the disconnect?

I thought I'd do some comparisons and I skimmed out the things I saw most often in the RT reviews. I made a short list of what appears to be the Do's and Don't's. This is what I found:

Books with Four 1/2, Four and Three Star reviews seemd to contain the following:

Simmering sexual tension
Intense emotion
Well defined, vivid, multi-faceted characters
Witty dialogue
Endearing heroines
Powerful love stories
Quick pacing
Powerful conflict
Humor

The books with Two and One star reviews seemed to have these drawbacks:

Formulaic plots
Forced action
Unbelievable characters
Frequent flashbacks
Whiny, unlikable heroines
Meandering plots
Slow pace
Stilted dialogue

You might say, well duh. And I'd have to agree. It seems elementary and of course, it's also subjective, but for what it's worth, this is what I found. Will it influence how I craft my stories in the future? Hell, yes. I'm going to be checking for these points and trying to make the best story I can, not to impress reviewers, but to give readers what they're looking for in a good book.

Happy 200th Episode!

Yeah, I'm a little sappy. I'm a Gater. What can I say. The longest run sci-fi series just happens to be one of my favorites! [Finally something that didn't get cancelled after one season!]

Click on the picture for a trip to GateWorld - a great place to visit if you're a sci-fi fan like me.

We All Scream for Ice Cream

There’s been a lot of discussion on the web lately about the different sub-genres of romance and who likes or dislikes which genres and why. It goes far beyond, “I like historicals!” or “I never read chick lit!” It’s come down to worries, real or imagined, spoken or only considered, that one genre will eventually push another off the shelves.

While it’s true that erotica is hot, hot HOT right now, and writers of sweet romance sometimes find it harder to sell their work, especially to the small press and e-pubs that in some cases are making comfortable careers for E-rom authors, I find it sad that there is hostility against those writers. Yes, I’ve seen publishers who strictly state they only publish a very limited number of sweet romances per year and guess what – they’re booked until doomsday. That’s discouraging for authors who don’t write spicy, sizzling or scorching romance.

Yes, it’s true most e-rom writers will tell you, their erotica titles sell ten times better than their sweet or sensual titles if they have both flavors in their repertoire. They will also tell you their edgy sci-fi and dark fantasy stories sell way better than their contemporaries or historicals. It’s the way the market works right now. It doesn’t mean it will always be this way.

The whole debate reminds me of ice cream. [I’ve mentioned before, food plays a big role in my life.] There are hundreds – maybe thousands of flavors of ice cream available today. Last night I had something called Strawberry Skydive [strawberry ice cream, walnuts and Oreo cookies – YUM!] My husband had Twizzler flavored ice cream. Yes, it tasted exactly like the red licorice candy. The place we had dessert sold coconut ice cream, banana pudding flavored ice cream and tons of others. I recently tried Green Tea flavored ice cream and it wasn’t half bad. Guess what? They still sold vanilla.

Vanilla remains the most popular flavor of ice cream. [At least in the US at last poll.] Chocolate comes in second, believe it or not.

Just because someone invented Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Phish Food, or Pumpkin Spice ice cream doesn’t mean you can’t still get vanilla at just about any ice cream shoppe you go to. The exotic flavors aren’t pushing the old standbys off the shelves.

Granted ice cream sales aren’t perfectly synonymous with book sales, but you get my drift. There’s always room for everyone’s taste and no one should blame erotica writers for taking away space from traditional romance writers. And though vanilla is often used as a euphemism for plain or tasteless, that’s really very far from the truth. I love vanilla, and I love black raspberry, and I sort of love Strawberry Skydive now, too. The trick to vanilla’s popularity I think is that it’s consistent, it’s reliable and it can form the basis for a lot of other flavors. It won’t go out of style and neither will sweet romance or inspirationals or historicals or any of the flavors of romance that are experiencing a down-turn right now.

The key is to write what you love no matter what flavor it is.

The Fickle Finger of Fate

There’s a great post on Romancing the Blog today about how difficult it is for writers who want to try different genres and still please the public. We’re told to brand ourselves to have the best career – find a niche [start writing those sexy red-headed vampire-accountant-turned-werewolf stories] and fill it. Then – keep filling it until it overflows. If we decide to branch out and be ‘unique’ which is what all the publishers are clamoring for, we run the risk of alienating fans who will have a major cow if suddenly we’re writing about sexy BRUNETTE vampire-accountants-turned-werewolves. They’ll crucify us for not giving them exactly what they’ve come to expect from us over the course of seventeen best selling novels. [Would that we all should be so lucky to have seventeen best selling novels.] Suddenly there is ownership. You can’t change! We love your stories exactly the way they are. EX-ACT-LY!

Aaaagh! Then you have the editors who send rejections like this: “This has been done to death.” “This story is like every other one out there.”

Egads, what’s a writer to do?

I must confess, as a reader, I’m guilty of both forms of bad behavior. I’ve been turned off by favorite writers who’ve changed their tone and their voice a little and not gone back for subsequent books. I told myself it was because the quality of the writing changed. And maybe it had – after a few blockbuster bestsellers, the drive to produce must become overwhelming. The clause about no-editing gets written into the big contracts and to meet a deadline a writer cuts corners. Heaven help me if my career comes to that. I want to pledge that I won’t let it – and I’ll do my best. If it ever comes to turning out junk just to meet a deadline, I will quit this business and find a nice quiet office where I can answer the phones and do some light typing.

I’ve also been guilty of saying, “Sheesh, this book reads just like her last one, two...three? Oh, no wait, I’m sorry. The heroine in THIS one doesn’t have long hair and green eyes. My mistake.” Yeah, I’m bad. I’m sorry.

What to do about it? As a reader, I say let’s get over the idea that a writer dare not surprise us. Give your favorite authors the room to grow and lead you in new directions. If your favorite historical author pens a sexy sci-fi, don’t get mad – give it a try. If you don’t like it, wait for her next historical to come out and if she never goes back to her old genre – oh well. There are other historical authors out there who need your business. It’s really no biggie because that author just picked up a handful of sci-fi fans. If you’re on your tenth installment of ‘sweet, shy librarian meets Celtic hunk with long war braids and a rumbling brogue to battle ghosts from the past’ and you’re sick of it, tell someone. Leave a note on a publisher’s blog – they all have them these days - and beg them not to demand their writers churn out same after same after same.

Enjoy the spice of life and try something different. If we all did that, as readers, we’d all be a lot busier as writers and I think everyone would be much happier all around.

Just my two cents for the day.


In other news:

DH and I have been married fourteen years today! We're going out to dinner and then to a place called Maggie Moos for dessert. I may complain now and then about him, but all in all, I got one of the good ones. There aren't too many out there.

Back to the Daily Grind

We spent the weekend in Pennsylvania, visiting my sister-in-law and catching up with old friends who moved to Las Vegas several years ago. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was phenomenal. SIGH. The whole experience made me long for the quieter, simpler life of small town America.


This is a pciture from Salt Springs State Park where we did some hiking. The trails were severely damaged by recent flooding so we didn't go very far. It was nice just being out where you can't hear any traffic and you can breathe clean air. I don't think we even saw an airplane in the sky all weekend.

Today I feel like I'm back behind the Eight Ball with a ton of things to catch up on as usual. Hopefully I'll get some writing done while DS is at Robot Camp this afternoon.

In other news:
I have an excerpt of my upcoming Sci-Fi romance Ravenstar's Bride at the Amber Quill Press blog. Go check it out!This has been a long time coming and I'm really excited about the book finally being available. Look for Ravenstar's Bride in September, 2006!

I Need A Hero!

Bonnie Tyler said it best in her song:

Where have all good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?

Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong
And he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life

I need a hero!
WANTED: Hero for an edgy, dark paranormal novel. Must meet all the above listed requirements and be willing to take on a heroine who is unorthodox and unique with her own set of demons to dispel. Must be able to hold his own in a fight, physical or verbal and...okay, it wouldn’t hurt if he drives a cool car.

Interested parties please contact my muse. She will be conducting interviews starting immediately. Have your resume, an 8x10 glossy and a chocolate bar ready should you be called. Dress appropriately – dark colors, leather preferred, and a good set of running shoes, you’ll need them.

An Interview with Chance MacKenzie

I’m blogging at Star Crossed Romance today. Check out my interview with Chance MacKenzie, hero of my new steamy paranormal romance, The Soul Jar!

I'm Melting...

The heat has been unbearable here the last few days. It's even too hot to go outside and go swimming. The water in the pool isn't even cold anyway.

I've been working on my synopsis of Rogue Theta and that's about it. I can't muster much energy to do anything else. Hopefully the heat will break before the weekend. We're supposed to go to PA to meet our friends from Vegas - they'll probably think it's a bit chilly.

Gonna go have another ice pop. Stay cool.

Wanna be a Diva?

If you're a romance author the best place on the web to be is Romance Divas! Here's a sampling of the special things RD has lined up for the month of August.


Author of the Month : Gemma Halliday – Contests workshop from the Golden Heart winner




Aug 5-7: Paranormal Event with Carrie Vaughn, LA Banks, CT Adams/Cathy Clamp, Gena Showalter, and Kelley Armstrong.


Aug 11 Jessica Faust: Bookends-inc agent in the Chatroom. 9 Eastern

August 8-18 :: Getting To Know The Voices in Your Head Workshop with Jo Ann Ferguson/Jocelyn Kelley



Aug 18 :: Theresa Meyers: PR/Promo in the Chatroom.

August 25 :: Ann Christopher, Patricia Sargeant, Maureen Smith and Sophia Shaw Multi-cultural Authors Chat

Drop in and sign up, it's easy and free and you too can be a Romance Diva!

What Do Writers Read?

I had an idea it might be interesting to poll some of my fellow authors and put up a list of what we’re reading right now. I find I read much slower than I used to, so my TBR pile is huge. I also find that whenever I sit down and crack open a book for enjoyment it becomes open season on Mommy time. Suddenly everyone has to talk to me, stare at me, turn on the TV or have a crisis of some sort that only I can solve. This is why it’s taken me half the summer to read two books. SIGH. Apparently my fellow Romance Divas are doing a lot better in the book reading department.

Here’s the list I compiled:

I'm reading:
Sunset Key by Cassidy Kent
Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Historical romance author Leigh Royals is reading:
Beyond the Vision of Dreams by Stella and Audra Price

Romance author Maria Shanti is reading:
Snowbound by Susan Greene

Angelique Santiago, author of Diary of a Love, is reading:
1. Again by Sharon Cullars
2. Solid Soul by Brenda Jackson
3. Grown and Sexy by Phillip Thomas Duck

H.A. Fowler, author of Sword of Regret, is reading:
the Retrievers Series by Laura Anne Gilman - 1.) STAYING DEAD, 2.) CURSE THE DARK, and 3.) BRING IT ON

Shelley Munroe, author of The Shadow, is reading:
The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe

Venus Press Author, Amelia June, is reading:
Kushiel's Scion by Jaqueline Carey

Dayna Hart, author of You Again, is reading
a) Waking the Shadows by Elisabeth Drake.
b) Ice Cream in the Snow by Diana Castilleja
c) Ties that Blind by Dee Lloyd

Cassandra Curtis, author of Cup of Fate, is reading
The One-Hour Orgasm
How to Learn the Amazing “Venus Butterfly” Technique byLeah Schwartz, Ph.D., and Bob Schwartz, Ph.D. [for research purposes of course!]
and Best Laid Plans by Constance O'Day-Flannery's

L.K. Campbell, author of Gold Star Wife, is reading
Dangerous Alumni by Laine Morgan
To Wicked To Wed by Cheryl Holt

Elizabeth Drake, author of Waking the Shadows, is reading
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
and On Fire's Wings by Christie Golden.

Forbidden Publications Author, Jelena Burke just finished:
Angel’s Fall by Nora Roberts

That's some collection. Now that you know what all these fabulous authors are reading, you can follow the links to find out what they're WRITING!

Stop by and let me know what you're reading these days. And stay tuned for my next author poll. I need a good question to ask everyone...

I went to Borders today

And they didn't have a copy of Immortal Lovers on the shelves. That's good! I hope it means they sold the one they had. LOL.

What I did find though were two copies of Annalee Blysse's Starlit Destiny! I took this picture, then moved a copy to the open end of the top shelf where people could see it as they came around the corner. This is my new hobby - looking for my books and the books of my friends and turning them face out on the shelves. I think it does increase sales. Honest.

Today I've got to finish typing up Rogue Theta and put it aside to cool. I have some editing to do and some research to do. I still don't know what project I'm going to tackle next, but it is a nice feeling to know I've completed something.

Congrats to fellow Diva Rose Middleton who just sold t Ellora's Cave! Check out her blog to learn more about her story, Grounded.

The Frog Croaked

No, he didn’t die.

He learned how to make noise.

BTW, this is not at all what the frog looks like, it’s just a cool picture.

Our little class frog, who isn’t so little anymore, now makes a cricket-like sound in the early evening. He does it from under water and the bowl he lives in vibrates a little bit. I assume he’s calling a mate and now I fear there will be a bevy of amphibious beauties lined up outside my den window looking for Mr. Right.

I guess he’s taken his name [Jiminy] to heart. My son’s interpretation of this is that he is getting ready to have babies. I don’t know whether to be pleased or frightened that at age 8, he still doesn’t get that males of the species don’t have the babies. He wanted our dog [a neutered male, btw] to have puppies. I told him it would be easier for Mommy to have a cow.

Anyway, whatever Jiminy is up to, I’m keeping a close eye on him. At six months old, he’s way too young to date, but I’d be willing to let him elope if the right gal came along.

In Other News

Last night I finished the first draft of Rogue Theta! I never thought I'd get it done. Of course it still needs work, but at least I've got a completed product to work with now. As usual, once I finish one thing my mind jumps ahead three steps. Should I write a couple of short stories just to practice my craft and have some fun now, or should I get to work on those proposals I wanted to have ready of the full length novels I want to write? Should I move right into the sequel so I have it ready just in case there's the oportunity for a two-book deal? Or should I get to the sequels from my other titles like Wolfsbane and the Bonfire vampire series which still has two stories to tell? Arrgh!! So much to write, so little typing skills.

Oh, and one more person said, "I thought you were writing children's books..." I could just weep. I'm definitely buying the T-shirt - No, I DO NOT write children's books. I write 'BED' TIME stories. Ooohh - hey, that's not bad...

How To Ruin Your Writing Career (Step 2)

The first step toward destroying a perfectly good or even somewhat mediocre writing career was discussed in my post about the teenaged author who met her tremendous deadline and earned a whopping and undeserved advance by plagiarizing the work of another author and then excusing her crime by saying she had a photographic memory and ‘unintentionally’ copied whole paragraphs time and time again from someone else’s book. Kudos to her for providing a perfect example of how to royally screw up.

Here’s another one:

Step Two of How to Ruin Your Writing Career comes from a lesser known author [she has one book published so far] who wrote a scathing letter that was published in this month’s Romance Writer’s Report [the newsletter of Romance Writers of America.]

I won’t name the author here, because I feel mentioning her name will only give her publicity she doesn’t deserve, but for anyone who is interested, her name and the text of her ignorant and ill-informed missive can be found in the following places:

This post at Smart B*tches.

This post by HelenKay Dimon

This post by Kate Rothwell


Kudos to this author for providing yet another sterling example of a writer behaving badly. Not only has she spewed bigotry and hatred and impugned the very morality of other writers, she’s set up her own code of acceptance into RWA, listing the target demographic of the ENTIRE romance industry as: college-educated, married, middle-class, monogamous and moral.

Ain’t she just a peach? I have half a mind to post on her blog and ask her to define more specifically her definition of moral, since I’m college-educated, married, middle-class and monogamous – I just want to make sure I comply entirely with all her high and mighty standards before I go out and buy another romance novel, or write one for that matter, or pay my yearly dues to RWA.

Like tons of other authors today, I’m penning a response to RWR, not only taking this author to task for her vitriolic assault on the rest of us, but taking RWR to task for printing such garbage and fueling a fire within the organization that we thought had died down to a small ember.

So, once more congratulations to the author in question for letting her friends, fans and fellow authors know how narrow-minded, mean-spirited and completely ignorant she is. I’m sure this will help her sales tremendously. Good job!

OMG! Yummy!

Somebody whose blog is listed in my sidebar had this picture of Josh Holloway up the other day. I stole it. I’m sorry. I had to swipe it because...well...can you blame me?

I commented on that blog too, so if you recognize the pic from your post, please let me know and I’ll link back to you in my next post.

The reason I had to swipe this pic is because Josh Holloway, Sawyer from LOST, is the inspiration for Nick Garrett in The Matchmakers. Sans sweat stained T-shirt and perpetual seven-day stubble, picture Josh in a denim workshirt and sexily tattered jeans and there you go. He’s enough to make my Fae heroine Callie give up her wings. Wouldn’t you do the same?

The nuts and bolts of writing

I’m blogging over at Star Crossed Romance today about world building. Check it out and let me know how you build your worlds.

Ranting About Romance

Here’s a question based on a lively discussion that’s come up on Romance Divas today.

Do romance readers like most of the books they read?

It seems like a silly question. Why would they spend so much money on romance novels if they didn’t enjoy them? Why would romance have the largest slice of the publishing pie if no one really liked to read romance novels?

The poser of this question, or rather the person who made the statement that most romance readers don’t like most of the books they read, is gauging her opinion on the abundance of bad reviews out there, such as those posted on Amazon.com and on the many review sites. Granted there are reviewers who in essence make a living or make a name for themselves by trashing books. Some writers avoid submitting their work to these sites for fear of getting ripped to shreds [raises hand!] and other, braver souls do so with trepidation that is sometimes rewarded with the rare good review for outstanding work.

You’d almost think there were a lot of romance-hating romance readers out there.

But I just don’t think that’s the case. Readers love romance. Romance fans are loyal, joyful people who see the merit in reading a story about love that has a happy ending and ultimately makes them feel good. Romance readers [I was practically born a romance reader, btw] keep going back to the book store not to weed through tons of crappy, mediocre stories that are churned out by hack writers, but to find those gems from the writers they’ve grown to love. They come back to be reminded that we can imagine, if not create, a wonderful world where love does conquer all and two people can ride off into the sunset toward a rosy future.

Sappy? Okay, maybe a little. But the world is full of violence, hatred, war, anger, pollution, crime. We need a little sap as the balm to our emotional wounds sometimes. Romance heals, in my opinion. It serves a purpose. It gives people hope that they can forge a lasting relationship under less than ideal conditions. People read romance because they need that hope once in a while.

The publishing industry is full of hopeful writers who want to give readers that hope. What’s wrong with that? Some do it well. Some don’t. Some do it with a level of finesse that very few can hope to achieve, but we all try. Why?

Because we love romance novels. Period.

A Day In The Life

Despite actually writing only 400 new words on Rogue Theta, I consider yesterday a productive day.

While DH took the kids to the Pokemon Tour on Long Island, I used my copious block of ‘Mommy Time’ to:

1. Make a crock pot stew for dinner
2. Make brownies for dessert
3. Go to the Post Office to track down my missing agent proposal {No luck.}
4. Prepare a replacement for my missing agent proposal
5. Prepare a proposal for yet another agent
6. Reread all of Rogue Theta and decide it’s much better than I thought it was
7. Make the decision to continue on with the plot as I had planned

For a rainy, thundery Saturday, that’s not bad.

If I could get that much every day, I’d be golden.

Another lazy hazy summer day

Rather than post an excerpt today, I thought I'd put up a few of my favorite quotes. Like cooking in the summer, I just want something quick and easy. These are some of the ones I like the best:

"I've heard it all, you know. I grew up in a house with three generations of witches, so nothing shocks me. What is it? Embarrassing warts? Scum in the bottom of your cauldron? Can't get your broomstick up?" ~ Emilie Swanson, Wolfsbane: Aspect of the Wolf

"I prefer to be reduced to ash, that way it’s easy to clean up. How about you do it right here in the foyer so Martin can use the Dust Buster on me?” ~ Jake Beaumont, Bonfire of the Vampires

"If you could just take this off, I promise, very sincerely, not to kill anyone." ~ Gillian Lawrence, Conjured in Flames


In other news:

I’d like to congratulate fellow Romance Diva Elizabeth Drake for her 1-shot reviews from Literary Sass. [The less shots you have the better]. Elizabeth’s Waking the Shadows really wowed them over there! WTG Nonny!

Let's talk about sex

Everyone else is doing it, so I figured I’d bring up that all-consuming subject. Why? As an erotic romance writer, of course sex is the driving force in many of my plots and almost all of my character interactions – in CERTAIN stories, mind you. As a romance author first and foremost, I also write about characters who aren’t always in a state of sexual arousal.

I’ve been noticing in the romance novels I’m reading recently [not erotic romance mind you] that even though the hero and heroine don’t actually get horizontal until much later in the book, or very close to the end, they do think and talk about sex almost constantly. Nearly every scene seems to be sexually charged, sexual thoughts interrupt the characters’ actions – and while I can suspend my disbelief from the rooftops if necessary [let’s face it when you’re a fan of the vampire with a soul whose heart belongs to a vampire slayer who lives on the hell mouth, you have to accept a lot of wild ass stuff], I find I draw the line at instant, visceral sexual arousal.

Maybe I’ve been out of circulation too long. I don’t know. I mean I’ve seen hunky guys that have made my jaw drop, but I find it hard to swallow that a heroine can meet a hero under suspicious circumstances [a dark, stormy wine cellar, for example, or a demon bar, for instance] and within seconds she’s wondering what he could do to her with his...er... tongue. Conversely, the hero, who is busy saving himself and the heroine from evil vampires, bio-terrorists or an army of carpenter ants [whatever big bad is starring as the villain in the book] he’s stopping every few minutes give serious consideration to tearing off her clothes and indulging his suddenly raging desire.

Pul-ease.

No, really. I love love at first sight, and the hot steamy, sultry relationships that sizzle from the moment two people lock eyes – but I still think there are circumstance under which it’s inappropriate to be thinking about sex – specifically when you’re immediately engaged in eluding a murderous evil of some sort. During a break in the chase, getting hot and heavy is one thing, but when a hero is using one hand to dial 911 and the other to fondle the heroine, I go...give me a break, buster. Come on.

Call me old fashioned, but I think sex begins in the brain. Sure physical attraction is important, but the best relationships are cerebral – a hero and heroine need to have that rapport established. They can find each other attractive and sexually stimulating, but when they meet on page 2 and on page 3 they’re internal monologue has already turned to imagining a hot and heady encounter, I’m lost.

Is it just me, or is there a trend toward the instant sexual relationship that may be fine in erotica or even erotic romance, but are just a little too fast for the regular romance genre?

Swimming Upstream

That's what it feels like this week. I'm swimming upstream trying to get my WIP finished. Rogue Theta was going very well, until I hit I guess what you'd call the third act. Secondary characters are giving me problems - and fear that:

1. The plot is becoming too convoluted
2. I'm losing character voice - they're becoming generic
3. I'm trying to force a love scene in that doesn't belong

I've been eeking out a sentence here and there, mostly wasting a lot of time and procrastinating in any way I can. Today I cleaned out my office supply drawer [I didn't know how many erasers and pens I actually had!] just to kill time. I can't stand this. This is the 'pulling teeth' part of writing that I hate. This is when it feels like a job - but no matter how tedious it becomes, I can't stop. I have to keep at it because ultimately I love it. This is what I've always wanted to do, even when it's hard, even when it's frustrating and I feel completely useless at it.

I will get the story finished, but in the mean time my house will probably end up totally organized since the only time I really feel like doing massive cleaning is when I'm stuck on a scene.

Help. Help. Help.

I'm off to try to scrape together another sentence or two before I get distracted by dust or decide to alphabetize the silverware. Wish me luck.

Medical Mystery Solved

In case anyone remembers, a few weeks ago I was complaining of some strange symptoms – painful joints in my hands, swollen ankles, chills and fever. The blood tests I had turned up nothing and I was given an anti-inflammatory and sent on my way with a sincere, “We hope you feel better soon,” from the doctor.

Well, it turns out I had Fifth Disease. I would never have known except that my son developed that mysterious case of what we thought was hives, and the very next day my daughter broke out in a very distinctive, lacy red rash. Turns out a kid in her class had Fifth Disease and after a little research I found out that, though it usually occurs in children between the ages of 5 and 15, adults can get it also and the symptoms in adults are pretty much exactly what I had.

On top of that, my mother also developed flu-like symptoms, a rash and a generally ill feeling. She went to her doctor and mentioned Fifth and he confirmed it.

So, mystery solved, once again, by a lay person. At least I know what it is. Can’t wait to go back to my doctor and tell them what it was. Maybe next time they’ll be able to diagnose it – not that it can be cured. Like most viruses it just has to go away on its own and you feel crappy until you feel better.

At least I've stopped feeling crappy. Now if only the NJ heat wave would break and we could all stand to go outside. Yesterday my daughter was complaining because the water in the pool was too warm! The kid has a rough life. What can I say. Sheesh.

Off to try to get some work done.

What do you see?

This weekend we took the kids to The Lost River Caverns and The Crystal Cave in eastern Pennsylvania. These places are educational and they feed my need to spelunk.

I've always had a fasciantion for caves, just the idea that there are all these underground passages where things have lain hidden for centuries, never seen by human eyes. I guess it's the sci-fi geek in me that relishes the idea of new frontiers, even if you travel down rather than up to get there.

I took a bunch of pictures while trying to simulataneously listen to the guides, stare in wonder at the amazing formations and avoid clocking myself on low hanging rocks. When I got home I loaded them into my computer and I found these three shots which are think are quite amazing.



This one is just an outcropping of rock, but to me it looks like the head of some alien beast with a tiny eye and a gaping mouth.



This one, through a trick of artificial lighting, looks to me like blood dripping off the ceiling. Myabe my imagination is a little macabre, but I think it's a cool effect.



This last one defies explanation. I know I didn't take a picture of a plain black wall, but I see what looks like a huge bird, wings spread, talons spread, stuck in the rock. Am I crazy? What do you see?

Sci-Fi Friday is Back!

Where will I be tonight? Cheyenne Mountain Complex of course – with a front row seat for the 10th Season Premiere of Stargate SG-1 on the Sci-Fi Channel.

I’ve been Gater [loyal fan of Stargate] since I stumbled upon a scene from the pilot episode quite by accident. I enjoyed the movie, but the series far surpasses it. I’ll be front row for the third season premiere of Stargate Atlantis, too.

What makes these shows so great? Well, the mythology is spectacular, the special effects are kick ass, and the casts are wonderful but I have to admit, it’s the hunky men I can’t do without.

Here’s Joe Flanigan, Major John Sheppard. He’s the inspiration for my vampire investigator Maxwell Hart.




















And this is Ben Browder, formerly Jon Crighton of Farscape, now Colonel Cameron Mitchell. He’s actually the inspiration for Daniel Garrison from Wolfsbane.















I may not choose the usual suspects to flesh out my main male characters, but I think I do pretty well.

I’m off to distant galaxies surrounded by hunky, heavily armed men. What science fiction romance writer could ask for more?

Ultra-Meatballism

Here's another one - though it wasn't mine. My daughter came up with this one.

I ordered a bunch of books from that new book club the other day and one of them was Ultra-Metabolism by Mark Hyman, MD. I saw him on PBS and thought what he had to say about food made a lot of sense so I bought his book. Hey, for $0.40 you can't go wrong, right?

Anyway, DD is passing through the den this afternoon and looks up at me and says, 'Ultra-Meatballism? What's that?' Well, of course it goes with The Wisdom of Yogurt and the Zen Clam. Do you get a feeling we think about food a lot in this house?

In other news...

I'm a little worried about having too much convuluted plot in Rogue Theta. I introduced the secondary character who I'd like to have carry the second story in the series - but I'm not sure how I want to craft her. I don't want a victim-like heroine, but I don't want someone who's quite as kick-ass as Lilliana. I'm also concerned about her being sympathetic if she's too physically perfect and too overtly sexual - though that is the point of her very existance. SIGH. This second guessing is going to make me nuts. I so want EC to like this longer story, but I don't want to work myself into a big tangle and end up getting rejected because my story stops making sense around page 102. Maybe a short break to do another round of edits for Hunter's Mate, then back to the drawing board.

It's the little things...

...that make me feel like a writer.

Today I prepared and sent out another proposal for The Matchmakers in response to a request for partial from another agent. I really want to find Nick and Callie a good home. I love their story and I want someone else to love it too.

I also added another 4000 words to Rogue Theta. I'm now at 29,000 words! Woohoo! I also believe I can craft a sequel to this story, so I may move right on to the second story after I complete this one. With any luck at all I might be able to finagle a two- or even a three-book deal on it. [I can only hope! Nothing like thinking big.] I know, I have to get the first one done first.

Off to do some more work and then curl up on the couch with my new Vegetarian Slow Cooker Cook Book. DS insists he's a vegetarian, so I plan to teach him how to eat like one. Wish me luck.

RT Reviews Immortal Lovers

Immortal Lovers got a three star review from Romantic Times Magazine! The reviewer, Sarah Wethern, called it "distinctly biteable" [which I think is good?] and had this to say about Fresh Blood:

Surprising twists and an interesting take on vampire lore makes "Fresh Blood" by Colgan the redeeming story in this anthology.

Hopefully that will entice some readers to pick it up. Especially those who enjoy vampire stories.

I have to admit, I don't pay much attention to the three, four and four and a half star reviews [not too many fives in there!]. Honestly, and this may sound odd, but I read the two and one star reviews first. Why? Not because I want to know which books to stay away from, but because I'm more interested in what doesn't work. What makes a book a pass for a reader?

Granted these books have all been published, so an editor and maybe even an agent liked them enough to stand behind them. Then a reviewer comes along and dishes the real dirt on the story. While I know, a review is merely an opinion and what one person pans another will love, I find it informative to see what gets low grades. I know what makes a book a winner: endearing characters, smooth writing, a believable plot [even if it's sci-fi or paranormal], flowing action, steamy sex or heart rending emotional conflict. Easy to list these things, harder to actually make them happen. Call me crazy but I want to know where writers go wrong and I find I learn a lot from reading the Pass On This One and Problematic reviews. They tell me that readers don't want plots that are convoluted and overly complicated. They can't stand whiney heroines and lackluster heroes. They want deep emotional conflict and focus on the main characters.

The complaints I see the most are about plot. Something that's too hard to follow and filled with uneccessary pit stops generally gets a low grade from RT. I keep that in mind when trying to stretch a short story into a full novel. What don't I like about most books I pan? The extraneous scenes, the fluff, the things going on that don't have anything to do with the main story line. Sure I see how an author can garner a multi-book deal by adding in interesting secondary characters whose stories beg to be told, but sometimes there's just too much going on. This seems to be the number one problem for the RT reviewers.

Now, I'm not going to start writing my strories with the idea that they have to please the people at Romantic Times. But I do keep in mind the things I read there and try to avoid the pitfalls I see time and again. Would I buy a book that recieved a two or one-star review from RT? Probably not, but I don't run out and buy the four stars either, unless they truly intrigue me. In fact I never buy a book based on a review though I'm sure a lot of readers do or there wouldn't be a market for the magazine.

Do you buy or avoid books based on reviews? If not, what are your criteria for choosing what you read?

A character study - Jack Sparrow

I'm blogging today at Amber Heat about the unconventional hero. And who could more unconventional than Pirates of the Caribbean's Captain Jack Sparrow?

Check it out and tell me what you think.

What's in your trash bin?

I was cleaning out my e-mail junk filter today, a thankless task, but like taking out the garbage and flossing behind the bathroom faucet, it’s a necessary one.

Most of the junk e-mail I get is naturally from the true smut peddlers of the Internet – promising all sorts of lurid and horribly misspelled perversities. I wonder how many people actually open up these e-mails looking for their jollies. Ewww.

Then there’s the slightly more insidious ones telling me I’ve won the lottery in Budapest, or claiming that my PayPal or eBay account has been compromised. Sadly, I think more people fall for this crap. The first time you see it, it looks official and if you actually have a PayPal or eBay account you start to wonder a little bit.

The rest of them are just fishing lures for idiots. Who would ever think someone is going to open up some of these e-mails? Come on. Here’s a sampling of the subject lines I dumped today:

Marsha Brewer sends: Your cash, office building
What about my cash? Does she think I want to buy an office building with my cash?

Hatty Wilson offers: chateaux folk music
I guess since it’s such a popular thing right now, she assumes everyone would want some?

George Cochran wants to talk about: Clump
I’m afraid to ask what this might mean, but let’s be honest, a clump of what? If it comes in a clump, I really don’t want it.

FeroXx WareZ is offering: revealed selling Inca
That makes a lot of sense. Is the Inca selling something or is revealed selling an Inca? Who knows.

Carol Prater wants me to: forward this to Mark
I’ve got news, Mark doesn’t want it either, whatever it is.

Aurelio Covington offers: your future, night lamp
I’m happy with my present, night lamp, thank you.

I know these aren’t real people, but whoever sends them wants us to think they’re pals of ours who have important things to share with us, like selling Incas and night lamps.

Give me a break. Do these things really garner ‘business’ or are they just gateways to computer viruses so that remote controlled hackers can get their rocks off knowing someone’s computer files have been corrupted by their worms?

Either way, I wish there was a way to really combat them, but I guess like chain letters and campaign fliers, we’re stuck with them forever.

Have you got the Fever?

Looking for excerpts? I’ll be posting a bushel of them over at the Amber Heat Readers Group today for the Gimme Fever Friday chat. [This is a loop chat, not a live chat, so you can participate at your leisure.]

Stop by for a chance to win a free download of one of my Amber Quill titles:

Conjured In Flames [A Fallen Angel Reviews Recommended Read!]
Renna’s Sacrifice [My 2005 Amber Heat Wave Winner]
Ken’Ja [A 1st and 2nd Quarter Best Seller at Amber Quill]
Wolfbane: Aspect of the Wolf [Road to Romance calls it a Smashing Hit]
More Than a Fantasy [Five Stars from Fallen Angel Reviews!]

See you there!

The Wisdom of Yogurt

At least that’s what I thought the title of the book was. I just got one of those book club mailers, the mini-catalogs where they offer you a ton of books for some ridiculously low price that you can’t pass up and usually – I can’t pass it up. While paging through and trying to decide if I could find 5 books I wanted for an incredible $0.40 each [and yes, I can!] I saw what I thought was a book titled, The Wisdom of Yogurt. I was hooked already. I figured that would go great with my Zen Clam [Post from December 26, 2005].

I’ve always wondered about Yogurt, you see. The cultures in yogurt are alive [best not to dwell on that thought] and therefore certainly have the potential to be self-aware. [definitely best not to dwell on that!] But consider for a moment if yogurt does have the ability to impart wisdom, or at least possesses some type of wisdom that we, as mere humans, can unlock or tap into in some way. Wouldn’t that be worth reading about?

Too bad my brain doesn’t process what my eyes see as well as it should. The actual title of the book is The Wisdom of YOGA. Which of course makes more sense, I suppose. I must admit, I’m a little disappointed. I was about to open up a container of Yoplait from the fridge and ask it the meaning of life. Oh well. I guess I’ll stick to the Comfort of Mac and Cheese and the Passion of Chocolate.

Gimme Fever Friday

Is it hot and steamy where you live? If not, drop by the Amber Heat Readers group this Friday, July 7th, for a chat with some of Amber Quill’s hottest authors.

There will be contests, prizes, and sizzling excerpts so don’t be late! You might even get to take home a hunk of your very own.

In other news – I’m braggin’ today:

I’ve got book ends! Ken’ja and Wolfsbane are #1 and #10 respectively on Amber Quill’s best seller list at Fictionwise.

Ken’ja is also #7 on the overall Erotica list. And it’s #9 on the June bestseller list at Amber Heat.

Now that I’m done braggin’ I’d better actually get some work done or I won’t be taking spots on best seller lists for long.

Happy Fourth!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday, or just the day in general if you're somewhere where this is just a regular day.

We're not big party goers here, so after a family swim this morning and a light lunch, we've spent the day just bumming around. I added 3000 words to Rogue Theta bringing my total up to 20,000. I'm getting there.

Off to make dinner and then curl up with a good book.

Catch a falling Star...

I’m posting over at Star Crossed today about what inspires me to write science fiction. Drop by and say hello, Nano-Nano, Live Long and Prosper, or whatever serves as a greeting on your world.

Character Excerpt - Jordan Dane

For my second character excerpt I chose Jordan Dane, the hero from Flight of the Valkyrie, my latest science fiction release from New Concepts Publishing.

Jordan started out as a military man, a fighter pilot in a war that was winding down. He gave up fighting, but remained in service to the Galactic Protectorate as a courier in the justice system, where his job became transporting criminals held in stasis to the prison ships where they would await trial for their crimes.

Jordan likes things quite, orderly and efficient. He never expects trouble, but he’s always ready for it. The last thing he could ever imagine is developing feelings for one of the criminals he transports, but from the moment he sees Sienna McCade he begins to wonder about the raven-haired beauty who looks so innocent.

Unlike most of my male leads, Jordan isn’t exactly an Alpha male. He’s more of a Beta with Alpha tendencies. This scene shows him crossing the gap between Alpha and Beta.


FLIGHT OF THE VALKYRIE – JORDAN DANE

Ready for work, Sienna headed for the door where she nearly collided with Jordan. His borrowed shirt hung from one hand, and he held a spear as tall as himself in the other. Greenish mud streaked the bare skin of his chest and upper arms. He looked at her with mild embarrassment.

“What’s this?” she asked, fighting to suppress the laughter that replaced her earlier frustration. Despite the earthy smell of the mud and his wide-eyed stare, he made a virile picture. She would never have imagined him as the fearless warrior type, but he certainly looked the part at the moment.

“I’ve been invited to join the hunting party,” he said, and she detected a faint hint of pride in his voice. She bit her lower lip and gave him a lingering once over.

“Where’s your loincloth?” she asked innocently and found it a monumental effort not to grin at him.

“I’m not the loincloth type,” he responded with great seriousness as he moved past her to drop his shirt on the pallet. “They’re letting me stick to trousers.”

“Ah,” Sienna sighed. She turned and followed his movements with her eyes. She let her gaze travel across the burnished skin of his back and down to the purplish bruise that extended around his wound. “Are you sure it’s a good idea?” she asked. “Aren’t you still in pain?”

He turned back toward her. “Not really.”

She placed her hands on her hips and remained firmly planted between Jordan and the door. “That’s not a definitive no.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted, then added quietly, “Thanks to you.”

Sienna caught his somber glance. Obviously it bothered him that a criminal had saved his life.
“I’ve been in worse shape than this and flown combat,” he said with a shrug. “Besides, we’re hunting sloth. How difficult could that be?”

“You saw the size of the pit they catch them in,” she said. “And that’s for the small ones, remember? What if you come across a big one?”

“I’ll hang back and let the experienced hunters do the heroic stuff.”

“Heroic? Shoving spears in an animal that’s trapped in a pit is heroic in what way, exactly?”

Jordan groaned. “You’re one of them, too.”

“One of what?”

“An animal activist.”

“As a matter of fact, I am.” Sienna thought of the gonars and her fight with the government of Kyrasau to protect them from over hunting and blood sports. It troubled her for a moment that she couldn’t recall if she had won that battle or not.

“These people live off the land,” Jordan said. “They have to hunt to survive.”

“I understand that. I just don’t think there’s anything heroic about it. Nor is there anything heroic about exerting yourself before you’re fully healed. We don’t have enough derma-gel to cover any more major wounds.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I heard this all from Tia already,” he admitted as he tested the balance of his borrowed spear.

“You did?”

“Yes. She lectured me, so you don’t have to.”

Sienna regarded him skeptically. “And you’re going anyway?”

“Yes.”

She rolled her eyes and flung herself out of his path. “Have a good time,” she said. “If any of your internal organs should fall out, don’t come to me.” She resisted the urge to shake her finger at him. “I put you back together once by pure luck, I don’t think I can do it again.”

“You’re overreacting,” he called as he stalked past her, spear in hand. “I’ll be fine.”

* * *

To find out more about Flight of the Valkyrie visit:
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/flightofthevalkyrie.htm

We Have A Winner!

The Winner of my Soul Jar Celebration Contest is:


Tara Woods

The correct answer to the question: What book is Bree Sennett reading in the excerpt from The Soul Jar is: Conjured in Flames. [A shameless plug, I know.]

Congratulations, Tara! Please e-mail me where you would like your download sent. jcolgan@newoa.com

Thank you to everyone who participated! Stay tuned for more contests to come.