The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pen

Okay, so probably not the most original title for my post, but I think it fits.

Like most writers, I've always dreamed of writing, starting my 'career' at the tender age of seven. Yes, seven. I began an autobiography and to this day, I remember the first line of that book I never finished. It went something like 'Ever since I was a kid (neglecting to mention I was still a kid), I wanted to be in show biz.' Now, this isn't true any longer, thank God. I'm not tempted to act or sing (lucky public), but I am drawn into writing.

I sometimes feel like I might've wasted too much time in jump starting my writing career, but on the other hand, I think I needed to experience life and love and hurt before I could write a credible story. Does this mean that I'm being published and didn't tell anyone? Nah. The furthest I've gotten in my 'career' is to finish one MS and actually get a request for a partial from an agent. I don't mean to sound blase about it, however. I'll admit that I sat at my computer screaming OH MY GOD a few times before getting up to run through the house to let my family know that someone was interested in reading more of my story. This was my third response to a query letter and first acceptance. The other two were rejections that really had me wondering if I was cut out for this writing career thing or not.

I hate doubting myself and that's why it's taken me so long to finish something. In the past, I'd start writing and absolutely loathe what I put on paper. A couple of years ago, I joined RWA and it took me a while to decide that I was serious about writing. That's when I began my current finished MS. Half-way through the MS, I got discouraged again, feeling blue about my life (what life! lol), and thinking that I'd never get anything completed.

Then, I joined the FF&P chapter of RWA. Suddenly, I was (lurking) in a group loop of women going through the same process I was and it felt...wonderful. It truly is amazing how being a part of that chapter instigated my joining the local Southern Louisiana Chapter of RWA and finishing my novel. It was a process that took me until this week to finally put together. Having the support of other pre-published and published authors made me feel like I was part of a sisterhood. Instead of passing a pair of pants around, it's a pen, a website, a kind word, a tough critique, or just a shoulder to lean on when we start thinking we really suck.

Even if nothing comes of this completed MS, I have to admit that I'm happier than I've ever been. The rejections did get me down, and I'm sure it will again, but seeing how excited other members of my chapter have been for me, makes me feel like I'm not necessarily alone anymore. I think that's very important for writers. Friends and family can only do so much, but unless they too write, they won't realize the struggles we suffer with writer's block, or plotting, or even coming up with a title. That's what chapters and your fellow writers can do for you, and you can do for them.

So, everyone repeat after me...Ya-ya! haha, just kidding. ;)

Putting a spin on Supernatural Beings

Beth mentioned elves and witches in her comment on Vamps and Weres. This got me thinking.

When I came up with the idea for The Veil, I wanted to incorporate every supernatural being I've always been fascinated with. The bestiary (I hate to call it that, but well...that's what it is) of beings in The Veil is long and growing. I've listed Elves, Fairies, Minotaurs, Centaurs, Nymphs, Vampires, Werefolk, Dryads, Satyrs, Angels, Demons, Dwarves, Sirens, Amazons, and I'm pretty sure there's another one...what is it...*sound of head thumping into the desk* oh! Succubi, and Incubi. That should be it. Oh and the 'humans of extraordinary abilities' like witches, warmages, aura seekers, etc.

So, when I made up this world, I had to seriously think about what rules each race was going to have to follow, because there has to be rules. For instance, some of my races can only produce children of one sex. Some of my races can only have one lover (those poor nymphs), while other races are notorious bed hoppers.

Now, just because I have all of these races, it doesn't mean that every race is going to get a book. Right now I've got the Vampire and Amazon book finished and am working on a Halfling (succubus/weretiger) and Werewolf story. I'm not sure which of my characters is going to demand a story, but I have a feeling it'll be a new race I haven't mentioned here.

The point I'm trying to make (and probably not doing a good job of) is that putting your own spin on these beings is all about what you want them to do. Do you want your vampires to drink blood or drain emotional/mental energy. Do you want your elves to be like traditional elves, or funky and flighty? What about fairies? Are they the little beings who flit about on wings, or can they be humanoid and eat more than twice their own weight? There are so many endless possibilities that I don't think they'll all be touched, no matter how many paranormal books come out.

If there is one thing you'd like to change about one of your favorite supernatural being, what would it be? I've decided that succubi and incubi aren't demons. They're just like normal people but with extraordinary sexual prowess, pheromones that drip from every pore, and they live in either Pleasure Houses or Sin Dens.

On a completely different note. I'm so glad it's Friday that I'm totally beside myself.

Hell Hath No Fury...like Furries? Vamps vs. Weres

Well, it sounded good when I thought it up. It has absolutely nothing to do with this blog, by the way. Well, maybe in a way.

I remember taking a quiz several years ago when I first began reading the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter books. The quiz was something along the lines of are you a vampire, shapeshifter, or something else (I can't remember now). I came up shapeshifter. I had to give this some thought. Is it better to be a shapeshifter/weretype person than the always cool (pun intended) undead? Let's think about this in terms of pros and cons:

According to well-known vampire lore, vampires are susceptible to crosses, silver, holy water, sunlight, garlic, stakes through the heart (but what being ISN'T susceptible to this?), can't enter where they aren't invited, have a very strict diet of blood (hello! I hate to diet!), and I'm sure there's another one I'm missing.

Now, look at shapeshifters (werefolk as I like to call them because I don't think they should JUST be wolves). Werefolk change during a full moon, have to dodge silver bullets, might have to shave more than the average human, don't have a restrictive diet, and that's about it unless there's some lore I'm not aware of.

That's it! I mean c'mon...okay, okay I didn't mention the pros:

Vampires are so popular everyone and their mama is running around with fangs and goblets. (This could also be labeled as a con if you're nonconformist...which is really funny if you think about it since they want to be vampires because they're nonconformist...I'm shutting up.) They live forever unless they get a tan, a stake through the heart, shot with silver, eat some garlic, or get doused in holy water. They always have the coolest names. They're considered schexy (just like Sean Connery cause the older they get, the better) and they generally have servants willing to do anything for them.

Werefolk aren't as popular unless you're talking about werewolves. They can live a somewhat normal life as they aren't always furry. They have the strength and abilities of their animal half (which is really cool cause I always wanted to be a cat...preferably a tiger or jaguar. Thundercats was the best cartoon of my childhood.) They don't live forever as far as I know, but they live longer than humans do. They have a certain (yes, I'm going to say it) animal magnetism, muhuahaha. They can come in any form: wolf, tiger, lion, dragon, etc. They aren't restricted by diet or time of day.

To me, werefolk have it hands down. Don't get me wrong I think vampires are cool, otherwise I wouldn't like writing about them, but weres just come in more shapes and sizes which means they're almost an equal opportunity supernatural group.

What do you think? Which would you rather be? Keep in mind that I'll probably blog about witches and demons and angels and others at a later date.

Who's a 'Normal Female'?

I've heard this phrase several times over the years. Mostly because some people don't think I'm a 'normal' female. Why? Is it because I dress up like a man and call myself Steve? No. Is it because I dislike children to the point that I run away screaming at the thought of the little terrors touching me? No, not all the time. It's because I have interests in things that aren't considered especially feminine.

I like cars. I like to look at cars, watch cars, drive cars. I've always been like that. I enjoy learning about new cars and how fast they go, or how strong they are. I'm not restricted just to cars either. I like trucks and SUVs and motorcycles and everything in between. I'm not into racing though, so that's one boon towards my questionable girliness.

I LOVE football. I was in band for nearly 10 years, playing in high school and into college, so football games were required and I grew to love the sport. I'm a rabid fan, screaming my fool head off for my team (the New Orleans Saints, of course) and cheering for homeboys who make it to the NFL. I don't know all of the penalties (not yet) but that doesn't stop me from assuming something is pass interference when it's a legit play. When I get together with my older sister, we talk about two things: football and food.

I also love to fish. I'm usually the only girl when I go fishing and it's okay. I don't have my boys (nephews, brother, brother-in-law, cousin-in-law) do anything for me. I bait my own hook, reel in my own fish and clean it too. This is a great change from the much younger me though since I was once convinced a seven pound catfish could pull me into the water. Yeah, I wish, lol.

Does this make me an unnatural female? Does the fact that I don't mind watching UFC matches make me less feminine? I don't think so. In fact, I think it makes me more so. If you think about what I say I'm interested in, you'll see that they generally involve men (and in the form of football: men in very tight pants and bulging muscles). I love men. I like to watch them interact with each other, I like to watch them walk, and sometimes I like to listen to them talk. ;)

Women should be able to appreciate anything they want to without having their femininity come into question. You like Lumberjack competitions? Good for you! You really enjoy hunting? Go for it, sister! Do what you wanna and enjoy it with all of your girlie heart!

Hello again, Cookies and Query Letters

I realized that I haven't blogged for at least 4 or 5 days. OMG. I know you're all just dying to know what's been going on (well, maybe not, but thinking it was a great ego boost).

Cookie is home finally. She came home complete with a cone around her head on Saturday. She hates the cone, hates having to take her medicine, and is eating like a little pig. Her stitches look good and she's becoming more accustomed to having us around. She likes to greet us with an extended paw and a Darth Kitty purr (because of the cone, when she purrs it sounds a bit like Darth Vader...too cute). She's gaining weight and attitude and we love it.

I sent out five or six query letters last week and got one rejection so far. In thinking that the query just wasn't strong enough (because apparently the story was 'intriguing' but didn't make the agent enthusiastic for more), I posted it in the Absolute Write forums in the hopes that some tough criticism will help me. I've only had a couple of reviews, but it did help a bit. I rewrote the query and reposted, so hopefully it'll be better than the first.

I have a feeling that there are some people out there who just NAIL the query letter and pitch, while others struggle mightily. I have a feeling I'm in the latter group. I'm long-winded and grinding a 93,000 word story into 250 words or less is downright scary. I think I'm no longer afraid of the synopsis. No, it's the query letter and pitch.

Speaking of pitches, I've got to get working on mine soon. Next weekend is the Writers for New Orleans Workshop and the editor appointments. Maybe working on the query letters will help me get through the pitch, or is it the other way around? Mais, this is so confusing.

That's about it really. Life has been busy with Cookie and the family, oh and a wardrobe malfunction at work yesterday. About halfway through the morning, I realized that my jeans had ripped right next to the back pocket. A HUGE rip...straight down my butt showing off my bright colored undies. Can we say 'OMG'? Oh yes, people. I was laughing hysterically, praying that no one at work saw it before I bustled out the door so fast that I think I kicked up dust. This is really no different than my very FIRST day at this company, when I went the entire day with my fly undone, or the day that I realized that the slacks I was wearing were not only on inside out, but also backwards. I'm a disaster when it comes to dressing myself apparently. I hope that got some laughs out of ya'll. :)

So that's all for now folks.

Writer's Block? What Writer's Block?

Hey all, for the last couple of days I haven't been writing much. I don't know if it was writer's block so much as it was just lack of motivation to write. My WIP was stuck in a sex scene and I just couldn't motor through it (although who wants to motor through a sex scene? It's supposed to be savored, something that makes your body heat up, your eyes water because you haven't blinked from reading it, and give you all sorts of ideas to try with your special someone! Right?)

I didn't motor through the sex scene. Oh no. I rolled, sauntered, swayed, moseyed, sashayed, basked in it, soaked it in, ate it up with a wooden spoon...this scene is H-A-W-T. I just have to decide how long Connor's um pleasure can last *cackles*. Poor, poor werewolf. He doesn't know what he's messing with. Piper is going to wring him dry. Tsk.

Anyway, I think letting something stew for a while rather than forcing it to happen is best. I've read some authors who swear by writing so many words or so many pages a day no matter what, but I can't operate that way. If I force myself to write, I don't feel creative. It feels like 'work' and that's something I really don't like (being innately lazy). If I take time to read or watch a little television, it gets my mind off the scene I'm stuck on and allows my brain free reign.

I was supposed to have tried hammering out that scene last night, but instead I watched 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'. I LOVE this movie. It's fabulous, thought-provoking, and just flat out weird. Not to mention Gary Oldman looks good in this movie with that hair. Rar. I think actually watching the movie helped me get over the slump.

Do I recommend doing as I do? If that's your thing. You have to realize that I'm the type of person who only does well when working under pressure. Sounds lame, but there you have it. How many of my best papers in college were written the night before they were due? Tons! One was just short of being a thesis, written in twelve hours. Not everyone operates this way though. Some people plot and plan for hours before even opening a book or putting words to paper. Those are the people who had their papers ready three weeks before they were even due. I admired and envied those people.

So, that's how I got over my writer's block this week. A good movie based on a good play by the most famous writers of all time. How great is that??

Love and Laughter

I love to laugh. Who doesn't? When I go to the movies, I'd prefer a comedy over a traditional 'chick flick'. Laughing, for me, is one of the best ways to pass the time. I can easily spend hours on www.icanhazcheeseburger.com just because I'm a cat lover. (Okay, so my family thinks I'm sad to laugh uproariously at pictures of cats with silly captions, so what?)

I try to bring my love of laughter to my writing. I like to think I have a good sense of humor (sarcastic, biting, sharp enough to pierce at fifty feet) and want people who read my stuff to laugh. Lord knows I laugh when I'm writing what I think is a particularly funny scene.

So my finished MS has a farting English bulldog. I think it's funny. I never said that I had the most high-brow humor in the world. I go around quoting Monty Python (and they aren't exactly subtle), or Airplane!, or Kung Pow, not to mention Napoleon Dynamite, Anchorman, and 40-year-old Virgin. Silly or, some might even say, downright stupid, these are movies that earn a chuckle from me. I'm not saying that my book is filled with slapstick comedy, but it does have some funny parts.

Love should be filled with laughter. Does that mean my characters go around telling jokes? No, but they do react to the humor in situations that surround them. I crack myself up sometimes (most of the time), so I begin to worry that my story isn't as funny as I think it is. It isn't meant to be completely funny though, so don't go away thinking I wrote a paranormal comedy romance. It just has funny parts. Writing a story filled with doom and gloom isn't my style.

The Sex Scene

Writing a sex scene isn't always easy if you're not really 'in the mood' for it, I've found. Does that mean I have to be aroused to write one? No. I think it has more to do with whether my characters are ready for it and if they aren't ready, it won't be fun to write it. I remember writing the sex scene (which I think is pretty effin' hot) for Lucian and Ruby. Holy guacamole...they were ready for it, the tension was just right, and the scene just seemed to explode. It was h-o-t and when I'm reading over the MS to tweak here and there, somehow that scene just stays the same because I think it's perfect.

I mention this because Connor and Piper are at that point in my WIP. The tension has been building for several chapters (since they first met...she IS part succubus after all) and now comes the big scene. I know it's the right time, but I'm not in the mood to write it. Can I tell them that I have a headache and wait until tonight or tomorrow to write it? Is it okay to put your characters' sexual release on the back burner until the writer is ready to get down and dirty?

I know that once I am ready to write this scene, it'll be hot as all get out, but for now, I'm telling Connor and Piper that I have a headache. They'll just have to understand and not mind that they're in the middle of sexual release...she's currently licking her way down his body. Poor werewolf...

Just because it's uber hot

I know it's been a long, hot summer for all of us...so I thought I'd send everyone something to cool them off:

Now, don't you feel better? *grin*

Lost in Space (this may be gross for those with a weak stomach)

No, not meant like the show. I'm just sort of 'lost' today. It was an eventful weekend. I was supposed to have gone out with my camera and take pictures of the surrounding countryside for my Facebook and MySpace, but that didn't happen this weekend. Instead, I stayed home, swam with my nephews, and shopped for costumes for the Writers for New Orleans weekend coming up.

Yesterday was a day to watch some football. Have I mentioned yet that I'm a rabid football fan? I am. My Saints played on Friday night and woot! did a great job. I shout at the television when I'm watching a game, just FYI. Anyway, I watched some football and then the drama started.

My brother was swimming and saw a little kitten hiding out behind our shed. He told my mother, who just 'can't stand to see something starve' and decided to feed the little kitty. Normally I'm the one trying to save every cat or dog that I see, but this time I was innocent. I swear.

In the process of looking over the kitten (which we weren't planning to keep), we found a small hole on her side. It looked a bit like a bullet wound, which is something we expect from our unsavory neighbors. Upon further inspection, we discovered that the kitten has a hole on her lower belly. A huge, gaping hole that didn't look like it was doing so hot. Me, being the slightly hot-headed person I am, didn't even bother to brush my hair or change clothes before I packed up the cat, my mom, and my sister in my car and drove to the emergency animal hospital.

I filled out the paperwork, and because apparently this cat belongs to me now, had to come up with a name for her. My sister came up with 'Bella' which was good enough for the time being. Bella was checked out by the vet who pronounced her the sweetest kitty he's ever seen. Even though he was hurting her while he cleaned the wounds, and she was scared to death (her little furry feet shaking in fear), she purred. She purred and purred and made everyone in the exam room pet her. She's still a baby, maybe 3 months old at the most, but she's a tough little cookie. The vet said it wasn't a bullet wound, that it was most likely that she jumped over something and ripped open her belly which then got infected. She's going to need stitches, but has to wait so the infection can drain itself.

So, once she was finished being examined, I handed over my credit card and paid the bill, walking out of the hospital with my brand new kitty. Once we got back to the house, I decided she wasn't a Bella. Discussing it with my sister (who shared my rather sick sense of humor), we decided that the kitten needed to be named after our mother who's something of a tough broad herself. We couldn't call her by mom's real name, so we settled on using her nickname, Cookie.

Cookie settled in, acting like nothing was wrong with her, throwing herself all over the inside of the kennel to get attention, climbing in the bathroom cabinet because that's where my hands were and she wanted them on her. She's eating like a horse, purring like a rapid fire machine gun, and is too sweet for words. She has a vet's appointment on Friday and hopefully they won't break me completely to sew her up. Here's our little Cookie:

Ruby's Interview

Hi all, once again I had trouble tracking down my prey for an interview, but I finally caught up with Ruby (or rather, her family caught up with me sneaking around their camp) at the camp of the Blood Maiden Tribe. Just FYI, these ladies are hell on wheels! I had so much fun with them, once they realized I wasn't dangerous. As if!

The Blood Maiden Amazon camp is located BFE (or at least it seemed like it). It's somewhere in Vermillion Parish, they wouldn't let me tell you all exactly where. I'll just say that it's near a lake in the middle of nowhere. Going into the camp was an experience in itself. There's this dirt track that sometimes goes under water and more often than not, you're likely to see an alligator slipping away from the 'road' than you are anything else. It's not the most habitable place I've ever been to, but I was determined to meet up with my heroine!

Ruby was working out when I got there, the tribe was doing the same. Someone had the Sex Pistols cranked up, so I didn't have much trouble actually locating them. I did the 'take me to your leader' spiel and finally sat down with Ruby and her aunt, Queen Albreda, in this really sweet longhouse they built out there.

Ruby Fontenot-Blue of the Elk Fire Line's stats:
Age: 30
Height: 6'2"
Weight: You NEVER ask a woman her weight and I wasn't going to ask her
Eyes: Completely black, no pupil, iris, whites showing
Hair: Brownish red
Distinguishing features: Swirling red and orange tattoo beginning around her left eye in a swirling pattern that trails down her cheek, jaw, and thickening into a band around her neck. It was kick ass.

Danica: Hi Ruby! I've been waiting for a chance to talk with you forever! How are you?
Ruby: I've been better. My ass hurts-
Albreda: Cause she's been falling on it so much. We have to get this girl trained up fast.
Ruby: Right. It's nice to meet you, Danica. I've heard a lot about you.
D: So I'm guessing you heard from either Lucian or Jackson?
R: No, it would've been Pagan. She said you gave Lucian the third degree. Do you wanna be bff's? (laugh)
D: So what can you tell me about Lucian.

People, let me just interrupt to let you know that Ruby is, and never will be, a push-over. She's built like a brick house. I'd never want to meet up with her in an alley after stepping on her toes. But when I mentioned Lucian, she almost went all girly on me!

R: Not much to tell you about Lucian. I only met him about two weeks ago.
D: He's hot (of course I'm not subtle, it's not in my contract)
R: Yeah, he's hot. But he's also an ass. Do you know he kidnapped me and kept me at his house for almost two weeks?
D: So you're saying the first day you met him, he kidnapped you? (I was sitting on the edge of my seat by now.)
R: Yes! I was having a nice dinner with some new friends I'd made, he walked in and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes!

I'm pretty sure I was drooling by this time. You all met Lucian. If he'd thrown you over his shoulder, wouldn't you have been thrilled? I sure as hell would! I wanted to know more about what happened when he went caveman on her, but I am a professional.

D: Does he wear boxers or briefs? (Okay, I'm not all that professional!)
R: I should say 'thong', but he'd probably want to kill me. He goes commando.

We both fanned ourselves. That man without underwear...hubba, hubba!

D: So why did he kidnap you?
R: Ugh. You know I'm the last Lineage Chieftain, right? Well, he's got this 'duty' to keep the Chieftain safe from big, bad Malachi and the Eturians, so he thought he'd just snatch me and I wouldn't mind.
D: Could you tell our readers more about Lineage Chieftains?
R: Sure...uh, okay so I'm still learning about them. I wasn't born to the role or anything. I didn't even know I was an Amazon until recently. Anyway, the Lineage Chieftains have the ability to touch a person and see their entire family tree, past, present, and future. This is to help the Chieftain weed out who would make the best leader for their group.
D: That sounds so cool! How do you do that?

At this point, Ruby took off these fingerless gloves she was wearing to show me two circles tattooed on her palms. The circles looked like tribal wreaths and were colored in bold red and orange. They were very cool looking, but I didn't want her touching me with them.

R: If I touch someone with my bare palm, I see their entire life, the lives of their families.
D: Wow, that must be mind boggling. So, what's with the facial tattoo? What does it mean?
R: This is apparently the markings of my Chieftian line. I'm the last Chieftain of the Elk Fire line.
D: This whole thing must've taken some getting used to. How did you manage? You seem to be so at ease and comfortable with yourself that I can't imagine you being surprised by anything.
R: Ha! I was a hermit, living alone in the swamps with nothing but my dog, Briggs, to keep me company and I liked it like that. I played my computer games, trapped in the swamp, shopped on-line. It was a good life. Julius, my predecessor, ended up in my shed and passed his abilities on to me. I panicked. The tattoos appeared out of nowhere and I had this weird Instinct guiding me. Pretty much, I was like a chicken with its head cut off.
A: She's much better now, though. She's finally come into her own.
R: With the help of my family and, yes, even Lucian, I've become the person I always wanted to be.

This was pretty profound. I'm not sure I was the person I wanted to be, but she seemed collected.

D: What kind of person did you want to be?
R: I want to belong. I wasn't as happy alone as I thought I was. When I began moving around the Veil and learning more about the people within it, I realized that this is where I needed to be. The Veil needs my powers and I want to make a difference in the world. I can do that with them. Out there, in the mundane world, I was just another freak.
D: Wow. That is so amazing. I only have two more questions, if that's okay?
R: Sure, I don't mind.
D: What's Lucian to you now?
R: Mais, that's one helluva personal question!
D: I'm sorry...
R: It's fine, I guess. I don't know what he is to me. He's sexy as all hell and I wouldn't mind licking him from head to toes, but he's bossy, over-protective, and he kidnapped me! It was also almost two of the best weeks of my life.
D: Last question. Where do you see yourself in five years?
R: I see myself living with my mother's family (she gave her aunt a secret smile), helping the Veilerians who need me, and maybe meeting some nice, sane male to mate.
D: You don't see Lucian in your future?
R: You just got your last question answered, sorry. I don't want to talk about him anymore.
D: O-kay. Ruby, thank you again for agreeing to see me.
R: No problem. Do you want to hang around here a little? I think one of the hunters caught an alligator and we're having it along with a fish fry tonight.
D: Hells yeah! (I'm a Cajun girl too, you know!)

So I got to hang out with the Blood Maiden tribe that night. They're a group of fun-loving, rowdy, women who like to eat. A lot. I probably put on five pounds visiting with them, but it was worth it.

Look for Ruby and Lucian's story, hopefully coming to a store near you before the end of the world.

Lucian's Interview

Hi all. I finally ran Lucian Ravenswaay down in New Orleans. I'm sure he let me do this since I'm not the most savvy and stealthy person on the planet. After pleading (pathetically) that he let me interview him, he agreed and we met up at his friend Jackson St. Marie's bar, The Pit.

Lucian's stats:
Age: 285
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 260
Hair: Black and red, shoulder length
Eyes: Green

I was more than a little nervous. I mean, I KNOW who hangs out in this bar and I'm not talking about bikers. Jackie (he told me I could call him Jackie) was hanging out at the bar and looked far too amused to see little ole me trailing behind the Oculum-se. He sent over a drink. I guess he figured I needed Dutch courage to get through the interview. You can bet your sweet ass I gulped it down!

So, Lucian led me to a table in the back of the bar and I really didn't mind walking behind him. He has the nicest derriere I've ever had the fortune to ogle. The front is even better, by the way. I kind of caught that by accident as he'd turned around while I was still looking at his butt. Niiice!

Without further ado, he sat me down and glared. It was time for the interview.

Danica: So, uh...thanks for meeting with me! (My voice was kind of squeaky...I hate it when it does that!)
Lucian: You didn't give me much choice, Dani. You were making so much noise following me around, the demons were scared to come out.

He flashed a little fang, but I knew he wouldn't go for my throat. I'm not really his type, like I'm O positive and he's into rare.

D: What do you look for in a woman? (I decided to get right down to business. Have I mentioned he's sexy??)
L: I like curves. I like a woman who doesn't feel like she's gonna break if I decide to play with her.
D: Have you met anyone who matches that description?
L: Only one person.
D: Um, okay. Do you have a favorite color?
L: Black, red, orange.
D: What's the best night you ever had?

This is when he grinned and OMG people! OMG!! I think I wet my pants when he grinned, but back to the interview.

L: I was here one night when Pagan told me she found the last Chieftain. Man, I was hyped, but pissed off cause I'd wanted to hook up with these two blonds for some B&R-
D: B&R?
L: Blood and recreation.

He winked and people, this man has SEXY green eyes. I was drooling but he was gentlemanly enough to ignore it.

L: Anyway, I went over to the Hotel d'Ours to wait for the Chieftain. I thought Pagan was joking with me when I saw it was a woman. Not just any woman either. This woman was stacked. Full hips, full chest, almost as tall as me.

Okay, I was jealous. This man was talking about a virtual Amazon if she was as tall as he was since he's nearly six foot eight. He was also really into describing her body and I wasn't going to look down at my own.

L: She was...wow.
Jackson: She was hot!
L: Shut the hell up! Don't talk about her, or I'll shove your head up your ass. Now, where was I?
D: She was wow.
L: Right, so I knew the minute I saw her, that she was gonna be something special. I wasn't sure how special though.
D: What's her name? Did you get it?
L: Chieftain Ruby Fontenot-Blue of the Elk Fire Line.
D: Where is she now?

His face closed up tighter than my mom's when I asked her if she'd had sex before she married dad. I have a habit of putting my foot in my mouth.

L: That's classified.
D: Is it true that Malachi Cromwell, the Eturian leader, is after her?
L: He'll die.
D: Um, okay. That's fair. So, is it true what they say about vampires?

I really hadn't meant that to sound so sexual, I had meant about the staking through the heart, sunlight and all that mess, but he'd just been about to take a sip of his Jack and Coke and spit it out all over me. I guess I need to work on my interviewing skills. Jackson appeared at the table and gave me a towel while smirking at Lucian. I really like Jackie.

L: What the hell kind of question is that?
D: I meant can you guys go out in the sun and all.
L: Oh. Okay, cause you're cute, but I'm not interested.
D: Just answer the damn question! (I didn't mean to shout, but he looked like he thought I meant business and not too insulted so I guess he would let me get away with it.)
L: Sheesh, calm down, lady! I didn't mean to insult you. Hell. Before we transition, vampires are just like humans, but after the transition we become very similar to what you read about. We drink blood, we can go out in the sun, but it isn't advised since it hurts after a while. We don't live forever cause nothing is truly immortal, you cut some thing's head off or stake something through the heart and it's gonna die. We can't make humans vampires, so don't even ask.
D: Do you get that a lot?
L: What do you think? Ever since all those Underworld movies came out - by the way Kate Beckinsale in that catsuit thing?...mmm - we're getting more people running to us if they suspect what we are. Could be at one time, we inspired fear. Now everyone wants to be bitten.

He wasn't looking too happy, so I decided to change the subject.

D: What are your goals?
L: Get the Chieftain in a safe place, take out Malachi, finish this assignment and take over the seat I've been apprenticed to on Council.
D: For our new readers, what does the Oculum-se do?
L: The Oculum is the High Council spymaster and the Oculum-se is part of their network. We follow up on any rumors of rebellions, danger to the Council, and anything that might pose a problem for the Veil.
D: What do you do with the problems?
L: The Oculum trusts me enough to handle them how I see fit.
D: How so?
L: I eliminate problems.
D: O-kay...what is the Veil?

He sighed like he wanted nothing better than to throttle me.

L: The Veil is the community of 'others'. We live parallel, within, and around your world. We are masters at blending in, well most of us are at least. Most of the time humans don't even know we exist and we keep it that way. We hold jobs in every sector of the human world, but we only follow the laws of our High Council.
D: What races belong in the Veil?
L: Everything 'other', of course. (I think he was getting exasperated with me cause he rolled his eyes.) Vampires, werefolk, demons, angels, succubi, incubi, centaurs, minotaurs, elves, dwarves, fairies, you name it, we have it.
D: Can I get a copy of this for my website?
L: You realize that if you publish anything about the Veil, I'll have to kill you.
D: Ha. Oh, you're not joking. Um. I wouldn't publish it per se...
L: Fine, I'll loan you a book. Are we finished yet?
D: Just one more question: Where do you see yourself in five years?
L: Gods, I hate questions like that. Why do people ask that? Hell, I don't know. I'll be the Oculum and the Chieftain will be my sex slave. Now, are we done?
D: Sure, thank you so much!
L: Yeah, just don't tell anyone about this, okay? I really would hate to kill you.

He walked away without another word. I spent several minutes trying to catch my breath. That was one intense male! Now I just have to figure out where Ruby is and get an interview from her too!

Fighting the Cynic

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I'm a pretty cynical person. For the longest time, I called myself a closet romantic because even though I read romances, I wasn't sure that I believed in the love I read about. I'm sure college had a lot to do with that (when all else fails, blame everything on college!).

However, I do believe in love. I believe that there is someone out there meant just for me (yeah, I'm single. meh) and that when I finally find him, we'll be together forever. I'm a child of divorce and remarriage. I grew up with two homes although I only counted one of them as 'home'. I saw the bad side of marriage, but I also saw the good side. Unfortunately, the bad side seems more prevalent than the good, so sometimes I have to remind myself that love does exist.

Reading (and now writing) romance gives me a way to explore how powerful love really is. As a history major, love has been used as the cause for everything from war to torture to historical monuments to sacrifice. It is, I believe, at the root of all our lives whether we believe in the happily-ever-after or not. That's what romance books are about. It's learning about this fickle, overwhelming emotion and what causes reasonably sane people to do crazy things.

So yes, sometimes (especially after reading or watching the news or hearing about the new woman my uncle found online) I am the cynic, curling my lip at the idea of love and romance, but the romantic always wins out.

I think I might be able to get back to my work-in-progress now. I feel like I've got the muddle out of my head.

Character Interviews

Hi everyone. So, I'm thinking about giving my blog a little more pow by interviewing the characters of my first finished book. What I want to know, is if anyone out there would be interested in reading about them (if I can get them to pay attention to me while I ask questions instead of making goo-goo eyes at each other, that is!).

I'd like to get some followers on this blog so that I can entice Lucian and Ruby into wanting to do the interview. They're stubborn as all hell and more than likely won't want to talk about anything but each other, but I'm hoping I can get them to answer a few questions about the Veil, the Council, and the Eturi.

Here's a little background on 'Ruby: Uncut and on the Loose':

Ruby Fontenot is a recluse in South Louisiana who lives for her independence. She finds herself accidentally inheriting some of the most unique powers in The Veil, the supernatural community that exists parallel to the human world. She becomes the last Lineage Chieftain in existence and as a result, has become the most hunted being in the world. Who's she hunted by? The High Council, the Veil's governing body, and the Eturi, the Veil's worst nightmare.

Lucian Ravenswaay is the vampire apprentice to the Oculum, the Council Spymaster. He's been searching for the last Chieftain for years and when he finds out Ruby's it, well, you can imagine his shock. The Chieftain has never been a female, not to mention he thinks she just might be his life-mate. Oh, did I mention that he's terribly protective?

Throw in a dog with gastrointestinal problems, wise-cracking Amazons, and a malicious mentor and you've got the recipe for disaster, or one hell of a love story.

I will get these two characters to give us an interview, trust me. If anyone has anything they'd like to know, leave a comment or e-mail me at danica.avet@gmail.com

Til then!

Oi for Monday

It was a lovely weekend. My birthday was Saturday and I really had a wonderful day. Very calm, very relaxing, but that isn't the point of this post.

You see, I've been re-reading the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I LOVE these books. Even though I've read the series start to finish at least twice before now, when I pick them up after a while, I still crack up laughing at the monkey on Lulu's back, Grandma shooting the roast chicken, and any other of Stephanie's crazy life. What got me to thinking was, if you're a fan of the series, you know how Stephanie ranks birthday cake up there before sex. Morelli thinks sex comes first, but she thinks birthday cake should come first.

Well, as a result of reading this entire series over the last week, when my birthday rolled around, I didn't have a 'real' birthday cake. I went to dinner with my immediate family and left the restaurant with a slice of the most sinful chocolate cheesecake with fudge and caramel sauce topped with pecans. It was so good, I can't lie: I drooled a little bit. Mm, that cheesecake was divine!

However, yesterday morning, I finished reading Ten Big Ones and of course, Stephanie was going on about birthday cake. I put the book away and decided I needed to do my weekly shopping. I headed to town (down here, you're either going down the bayou, up the bayou, or 'going to town' even if you live in town) to get some food for this week. I'm wandering around the grocery store, picking up things and somehow I found myself in front of the bakery. There, sitting on a shelf, was a beautiful white icing birthday cake with a red border and huge red roses. Even better, it was a chocolate cake. So what does a Stephanie do when she's confronted with this temptation? You bet! I made room in my basket for the cake. It's now sitting on the counter at home looking like it was butchered. No, I didn't eat it by myself, I had a lot of help.

So I just wonder how often it is that we get 'inspired' or 'persuaded' to do things from the books we read. The birthday cake isn't the first time I've found myself thinking 'oh man, that sounds REALLY good right now', whether it's swimming, or having a few drinks, or buying a birthday cake I really don't need.

How can a Friday be 'blah'??

Well, I'm not sure how it's managed, but I'm having one. I think I was okay until I got to the office. In fact, it might not be me at all, it might be all of the onions that were chopped have sunk into my brain and eyes making it impossible for me to think. You see, I work in the oil industry (lots of men in hardhats 'hubba hubba') and the bosses like to cook. Unfortunately for me, my office is right next to the kitchen so anything they cook filters in here and I smell like whatever they cooked that day. Fried shrimp? You got it. I walk out of here at the end of the day smelling like fried shrimp. So much for my expensive perfume!

I need to get some writing done today, but I just don't know if I have the...I don't even know the right word. This is a further example of why I shouldn't be subjected to their cooking ventures. It rattles my brain and I'm useless!

Or maybe it isn't any of that. Maybe it's because tomorrow's my birthday and I'm beginning to feel the 'getting-older-blues'. Hm, I doubt that. Birthdays don't bother me. I don't mind getting older.

Maybe I'm just under the weather. That's got to be it! Thanks so much for letting me work this out for myself!

Docudramas

I'm having a heated debate with my best friend in the world. She and I have been friends since we were 13 and even though we have a lot of things in common, we don't always see eye-to-eye.

Today's discussion is about the Lifetime network. She claims to love it. I'm not a fan. I'll watch it come August 20, but that's because Project Runway will be playing there now. No, my problem is the docudrama.

See, as a single woman (and a romance writer), I want to believe in love and happiness...even if the cynical part of me calls the romantic side a fool. So, sitting down to watch a Lifetime docudrama is BAD. Think about every docudrama you've ever seen on Lifetime. Some woman is either being abused, cheated on, murdered, kidnapped, raped, or having her children taken away from her by her husband, her mother, her ex-boyfriend in college, her neighbor, her husband's ex-girlfriend, a total stranger, the person she talks to at the bus stop, or she has a eating disorder that kills her, that's another one. It isn't very pretty. It depresses me. I believe the last movie I watched on Lifetime was about a porn actress who either killed herself or someone else killed her. I was unemployed, sick with pneumonia watching this movie, and I couldn't. Leave. The. Room. Now I don't even bother flipping to that channel.

I keep telling people that if they showed docudramas like this in Sex Ed classes, teen pregnancy would probably go down. No offense, Lifetime! I know a lot of women who adore that channel, spend hours - hell, entire weekends- watching it, but not this cookie!

Bruce Dickinson and Steve Irwin

I don't normally blog twice in one day, but something has been on my mind and I just have to come out and share it with everyone.

Bruce Dickinson was on Heavy: the Story of Metal a few months ago (maybe a year ago) and he was wearing this hat that made him look like Steve Irwin to me. Now, if you don't know who Bruce Dickinson is, he's the lead singer of Iron Maiden. This man can SING. He's got some vocal chords on him! I try singing along, honest I do, but my voice can't reach the same pitches he can. It's ridiculous. I admire his music.

Steve Irwin, as I'm sure everyone knows, was the Crocodile Hunter. I thought he was a great host.

So anyway, back to the point of this post. While I'm watching this documentary on Heavy Metal, Bruce Dickinson is interviewed and I swear, he looked just like Steve Irwin! He's talking about heavy metal and I keep waiting for him to say 'Danger, danger' while pointing out Blackie Lawless' exploding codpiece. Of course, now that I finally got around to blogging about it, I can't find a picture of Bruce during that episode, nor the correct picture of Steve Irwin to reinforce what I saw!

It was interesting and it startled me every time I saw Bruce interviewed. He was wearing what I found out could be called a 'slouch hat' which is a wide brimmed hat with one side pinned up to the crown. It was insane!

Anyway, if it ever comes on VH1 again, please look for it.

Music and Romance

Yesterday I found myself wanting/needing to listen to punk music while I worked on a particular scene in my MS. This isn't unusual since I find punk music keeps me buoyed. I did get a lot written, but all of a sudden, I realized that it isn't necessarily the punk music that I like, it's the words they use.

This got me to thinking (and this can sometimes be a very dangerous past time) and I noticed that some of the songs I just HAVE to listen to have one important word in them: oi. For example, T.N.T. by ACDC, Barroom Hero by Dropkick Murphys, among many. I have no idea why I like the word. Strange, but then I've gotten used to being dubbed strange.

Anyway, so I got my Sex Pistols punk mood under control and wrote. When I put away the story and relaxed last night, I'm flipping through the channels and guess what's on? Sid and Nancy...Sid and Nancy, almost like a divine sign! Is there anymore strange, twisted, and tragic love story other than maybe Fatal Attraction? This meant I couldn't go to bed early like I'd wanted to. Gary Oldman is just riveting. I watch it like it's a train wreck that just happened. I can't help it. Gah. Okay, so I got off topic, this is something everyone (whoever reads this that is) should be used to!

I've got to find some motivational music now. Maybe some Kool & the Gang...there isn't a movie about them, right?

Laziness

Have I mentioned that I'm naturally lazy? I keep insisting it's because I'm a Leo. You know, the whole 'big cat lazing about on the Savannah' but no one believes me. The thing is, when I'm motivated, I'm a beast. When I'm not, eh. Well, you get the idea. Naps, snacks, naps, and naps.

I've been this way as long as I can remember. Hell, most of my pictures from childhood show me with tangled (just-woke-up hair) and a sleepy smile. I am just not a perky person, but I'm fine with that. There are enough perky people out there as far as I'm concerned.


Anyway, in reading over the weekend, I realized that there are a lot of things I missed in my finished manuscript. Obvious things that if I hadn't read a couple of novels, I wouldn't have picked up. Crazy. Now I have to sit down with the MS again and add scenes, but it's fine by me. It gives me more time with my baby.

I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to anyone who doesn't write, just how I felt when I finished the first edit. I turned the last page of my manuscript, red pen in hand, and just smiled. I smiled because I LIKE my story. It's funny, it's touching, it's fast. I don't think I've ever written anything so fast before and I mean fast in the action never stops way. It feels...right :)

Anyway, enough of me gabbing about my baby because I was told that I need to learn to accept criticism. What if someone told me my baby was ugly? Would I cry? I don't know. I tend to cry more for happy things than bad things. I'll bawl my eyes out over something positive before I'll cry about something sad. That might have something to do with my naturally pessimistic attitude. If something bad happens, well I knew it was going to happen, yes? But if something good happens, I'm totally unprepared. This is the reason I can never win the lottery or anything like that. I'd cry and cry and people would think I was nothing more than a sap. *sniff*

Is it obvious that I'm writing this blog to keep from opening my MS? It isn't reluctance so much as the laziness I mentioned before. *yawn* I feel another nap coming on.

Mais it's Monday

I really dislike Mondays. It feels like punishment for having a good weekend. I didn't get anything written this weekend. Shame on me. I turned my laptop on, hooked up my external hard drive and got distracted by books I'd purchased. So, what do I do? I read 3 of them. heh

I devour books. Ever since I was a teenager, it was nothing for me to go through five to ten books a week (depending on activities that week). To this day, people will say 'you bought MORE books?' to which I have to respond 'It's better than buying crack.' Which it is! Honest. So what if romance novels are my drug of choice. They aren't illegal and they do almost the same thing illegal drugs do: they expand my mind, bring me to far away places, I see dead people (vampires, etc.), and I can do it all in my pajamas if I want to.

It's always been my outlet, but now that I'm writing, when I pick up a book and know that I have something I need to work on, I feel guilty. Do I feel guilty about not getting that last batch of clothes washed? Ha! I laugh at the towels.

I hope other people understand my feelings on this subject. Books are my passion. I remember reading about a Romantic writer whose house caught on fire. He stood in front of his bookcases and shouted 'By the Immortal Gods, I shall not move!'. It sounds crazy, but I do understand his passion. When I have to evacuate for a hurricane all I can think is "grab the cat, the dog, laptop, and as many books as you can". Messed up, eh? Well, that's what makes me an interesting character, I think. Or really weird. Whichever one works ;)

So that's it. It's Monday, I feel guilty for not getting as much done as I wanted to this weekend although I did catch up on a lot today. Now I need to sit down with my finished MS and figure out why my MCs don't see each other as much as I thought they did!