New Blog Home Reminder

Just a quick reminder that I'm moving my blog to http://www.danicaavet.wordpress.com

Happy Monday everyone...as if that's even possible.

October Dreaming

Just a quick reminder that I'm moving my blog to http://danicaavet.wordpress.com/ I'll be cross-posting entries until I'm sure everyone's on board.

So I've noticed everyone is posting something about fall, October, or Halloween. I hate feeling left out.

I love this time of year. As many of you already know, we don't get the full 4 seasons in South Louisiana. We might have a month of cold, un-Cajunlike weather, but I can remember several years when we were wearing shorts at Christmas. This week has been an exception. We're talking barely any humidity and it's nice and cool out (if 80-something can be considered cool).

I'm not a big fan of Halloween. I mean, I have fun dressing up when I do dress up, but I don't get into it like other people do. We don't hand out candy, we don't live in that kind of neighborhood if you catch my meaning. Halloween night, we turn off all the lights and lock up the house. When I was a kid and lived in a different area, we'd cruise the street for hours finally ending up back at home for the bonfire. A bonfire which ended up being a parking space one year when one of the neighbors drove his Volkswagen Beetle right on top of it. Yeah, he had bad eyes apparently, lol.

So after reading several blogs about horror movies and Halloween, I came across a picture I thought was perfect for this time of year. No, it isn't a Fantasy Man. That isn't until tomorrow. This picture is horrifying and if you have a weak stomach, I wouldn't recommend looking at it. Just remember...terror can be found anywhere! Bwahahahahaha!

Just Grin and Bear It

This seems to be the week of rejections. I'm not going to go on about the latest such letter I received this morning. No, today I'm going to talk about perseverance.

I'm a very stubborn person. At least I call it stubbornness. Others call it oppositional defiance. I don't like being told what to do, or that I can't do something. Ask my mother. :) I think this is part of the reason why I'm not as beat up about the rejections as I suppose I should be. Though no one has said anything negative about my queries, they're still saying 'no, it doesn't interest us' which just gets me fired up even more.

Perseverance is that quality we see in the underdog that makes us root for them. It's what made me sit there and cry my eyes out for 300. I cry every single time I see all of those delicious men in their loincloths being beat down by the Persians. I cry and cry when King Leonidas is skewered by those arrows with the bodies of his loyal 300 Spartans littering the ground around him. They knew they weren't going to win, but it didn't matter. They gave Greece time to regroup, giving up their lives for the greater good.

So I think authors have to have more than a little of this same quality. We trudge on no matter the obstacles in our paths, no matter how many times we hear 'you have a strong writing voice, but it just doesn't suit me' or 'I just wasn't sufficiently interested in this enough to request more'. We wrap ourselves in the cloak of our words, arm ourselves with our pens, and straggle down the road to publication anyway. How does that phrase go? 'Return with your novel, or upon it.'

Do you have a special attribute you believe has helped you in your writing career? What's your recipe for rejection?

By the way, I've started up a new blog and website.

Check it out at http://www.danicaavet.wordpress.com/

Feeding the Need to Read

It shouldn't be surprising to people that writers love to read. I'm no exception to this statement. I'm actually obsessed with reading except my banking account struggles to keep up with my addiction. It is an addiction, by the way. When I'm not writing or doing something I have to be doing, there is a book in front of my face.

Just so happens a ton of great books came out/are coming out this fall. How do I know they're great if I haven't read them? I'm psychic. Really. No, okay, so I'm not. However, these are books by some of my absolute favorite authors (who don't write fast enough to fulfill my appetite for their sexy heroes).

So what books am I looking forward to? Too many to name, really. But, let's see what we have on the list, shall we?

Covet by J.R. Ward - Ward has been one of my favorite authors since I picked up Dark Lover years ago. This shouldn't be surprising since she is THE WOMAN. I love her heroes, I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood and I have a feeling I'll love her angels. I mean, c'mon...Lassiter? Hello!

Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter - This book is a double header. I'm stoked about it. These are two of my favorite authors (okay so I have a lot of favorite authors). Gena's books ever since I read Heart of the Dragon. Her heroes are just so damn sexy! And her heroines are tough as nails. Gotta love that! I've been reading Kresley's books since I picked up A Hunger Like No Other and let me just say, I get every range of emotion from her novels. My heart aches for her characters and I seriously laugh out loud...mostly at Nix and Regin...gotta love those Valkyries.

Okay so those are two books I really can't wait to get my hands on. I don't want to turn this post into a five page summary of every author I love ;) But you get the idea!

So which books are you eagerly anticipating? Is there a series you wish could've kept going on until you were old enough to forget you read the first and start all over again?

It's Rejection Day!

Me and my melodrama. It hasn't been a day of rejections, but I'm finally beginning to hear back from most of the agents I queried and the news hasn't been good. Oh, they're all very polite saying though my work sounds interesting, it just isn't what they're looking for. That's okay. To quote my mother, "One day, you're gonna remember this and you'll be sorry". Probably not. I know they have to find something they really believe in, which is why I'm not all that torn up about it.

Of course, that doesn't stop me from pouting about it. Then I get to thinking about what's wrong with it. Is there something wrong with it? Am I just sending it to the wrong people? Maybe I shouldn't have included the line 'you'll never read anything better than this' (I didn't do that, but its true!) ;) Just kidding.

So now I'm dealing with rejection. This is where I pull out the tissue and sob about how none of the agents ever loved me and didn't give me a chance. Uh-huh. No, this is really the part where I sit down with my current WIP and write the best story I can. That's all this industry is about, writing the best story you possibly can and making sure you get it to the right people at the right time.

In the past couple of weeks, I've commented on other author's pages about rejections and my fears and I have two comments I'm going to share here (they're not verbatim, but close enough):

I fear I'll get a note from an editor/agent saying 'This MS sucks so much, Hoover might be the only one interested in it.'

The other fear, is that the editors who have my full MS are going to send me an urn filled with the ashes of my manuscript. Attached will be a note that says:

Dear Ms. Avet,

We are sorry to inform you that your manuscript, Ruby: Uncut and on the Loose has passed away. It fought the good fight, but after numerous slashes with the red pen, died from a lack of wit and plot. To save you the despair of burying your manuscript yourself, we decided to cremate it in an intricate ceremony complete with champagne and a weenie roast. The service was attended by all the editors here at (insert publishing house) and a lovely time was had by all. We're sending copies of the pictures from the service and the after party.

Sincerely,
Editors

Melodramatic? Who, me? ;)

Current score in Ruby's struggle to publication: Agents/Editors 6, Danica and Ruby: 3

A Blog Post on Saturday? Shocking!

And it really is shocking. I normally don't get to sit at my laptop on the weekends. Okay, so it's my own fault. Weekends are spent either shopping, cleaning house, reading (cough), reading, reading, or watching football.

However, I woke up at 4:30 this morning. Why? Well, it started with Cookie. I thought she fell in the toilet and got up to rescue her. Apparently, I dreamed it all. I got back in bed and tried to get back to sleep. I really, really tried. Except my brain wouldn't let me.

Earlier this week, I blogged about how I lost my muse. Well, apparently she needed a break from me because she's baaaaaack. She found me on Thursday and hasn't left me alone since. So I got out of bed, put a big pot of coffee on, and started writing. I think I probably logged about 6,000 words today in fits and starts. You know, little breaks where I cozy up with 'Lover Unbound' (for the 4th time since I got it). I just love Vishous. Yummy. Um, anyway, so I'm in a groove and letting it take me wherever it wants.

As a result, I'm about 70% finished with this WIP. Yay me!!! I'm actually a bit surprised where it's going. Since I'm a pantster, I go where my characters take me and this one has brought me to a place I hadn't foreseen when I started writing. It's so cool!

Just cause I'm in such a good mood...This is what I picture Vishous looking like. Gr...rrrrrr. Why am I suddenly thinking about Eartha Kitt in 'Boomerang' when she says, 'Marcus, I'm not wearing any underwear.' hahaha

Fantasy Man Friday

Morning all, this morning started out just fine. I got to listen to Misfits and Slipknot on the way to the office, which put me in a marvelous mood. Best of all, I was already pondering what picture I was going to use this morning.

I've decided to use two pictures. Maybe it's because we've been having such gloomy, rainy weather that I was instantly drawn to two pictures featuring water...in the best of ways, mind you.

So here we are with today's Fantasy Men.

Vin Diesel...ooh, that torso! I remember watching him in Pitch Black. In one particular scene he was fighting with the female captain in the mud. He grabbed her and spun her around in that mud and I quivered. It wasn't a love scene, it wasn't even romantic, but boy was it hot! Come to think of it, I think it was raining in that scene as well...maybe I just like a wet Vin Diesel. Hubba, hubba!

Next on my two-fer Fantasy Men Friday, is the Cleveland Browns Quarterback, Brady Quinn. I'm not a Browns fan (go Saints!), but that doesn't mean I can't admire their good-looking QB. I came across this picture and went 'ooooh, he's precious!'. Considering he's only 8 years younger than me, he isn't jail bait which is what most of those young football players are nowadays (disgruntled mumble). So, here he is doing his own water pose:

Let's Get Physical

Okay, so today I've managed to put a huge dent in my current WIP. I started feeling creative late yesterday afternoon and stopped right in the middle of a love scene. It was a good scene too! However, I had limited time to work, so poor Piper and Connor had to quiver with anticipation a little longer.

I picked it up again this morning and wrote one of the hottest love scenes I think I've ever written. It left me in a bit of a daze until I snapped myself out of it and kept keeping on. I'm not sure how many words I've written so far today, but I'm liking it. I think the WIP is coming along swimmingly.

I'm doing my best not to think about Ruby, out there in the cold, cruel world, but she pops in my head frequently as she's a character in this story as well. I'm the kind of reader who loves to visit with old characters, find out how they're doing, and how they fit in the writer's world. I think there are a lot of us out there, so I intend to bring old characters back in this series.

How about you? Do you like to revisit with characters you've read about? Do you like them to play a pivotal role in the rest of the series? How about love scenes? Do you sometimes get lost when writing them and think 'Darn, I'm scorching the pages!'?

Getting My Head on Straight

It feels like I haven't really concentrated on writing in a while. I'm sure it's due in part to my mom finding out she had a mass in her bladder and the subsequent worry about her and the future. My muse, who I've decided to name Ann, had abandoned me for the most part and I'm hoping to attract her back into my life.

One way of doing this is letting go of the stress. I didn't blog yesterday because I was having a bonding day with my mom and sister after finding out that mom's mass wasn't cancer. The relief I felt when the results came back was overwhelming. Even now, twenty-four hours later, I'm still a bit stunned that she's fine. I was hoping and praying, but I'm a pessimist by nature so that wasn't working very well.

I hate feeling disconnected from something that I enjoy so much, so I'm working on getting Ann to sit with me today and work. She's brushed by a few times to give me a few ideas, but nothing tangible. Most of the time, she gives me an idea of other projects to work on and I appreciate it, but that doesn't help me with the two stories I have boiling on the stove. She's coming around though, I hope. Just need to find the right enticement.

So far, I've managed to get her to sit with me long enough to really think about where we're going in the two stories we've started. It took a lot of reading (finished 2 novels yesterday) and a sleepless night to get her to come back. After she's given me a few more ideas, she'll be sitting with me this afternoon to get them down.

What do you do to entice your muse? Do you read? What television? Take a walk? What gets your muse's attention and how do you keep it?

Weekend Warriors

I really hate Mondays. They always come too fast and last too long. The only good thing about Mondays as far as I'm concerned, is Monday Night Football and House. Of course, I still have to complain because House and football are playing at the same time.


I don't have DVR, so it's a matter of deciding whether or not I want to watch the game more than I do my favorite sarcasm-wielding doctor. This is okay with me. I've decided that television is going to rot my brain.


Case in point, I spent all day yesterday watching football. This isn't anything new for me during the season. However, this is the first year I'm attempting to get some serious writing done as well. Last season, I wrote a little under half of Ruby's story before football season and finished it well after the season ended (which included the Pro Bowl). I think I see now, why I didn't write at all. I thought it was because I was fishing all last autumn, but I'm suspecting it's because football doesn't make me feel romantic and in love.


Oh sure, I love watching those big hulking men run back and forth across the field, slapping each other on the ass, sweating, grunting, wearing those uber tight pants. It just doesn't say 'romance' to me. I came in today ready to write (or at least thinking I was ready to write) and found myself writing absolute trash. Just nothing worth saving. I'm disgusted! Where is my muse? I know where she is. She's at home watching the NFL network hoping for a glimpse of her favorite players during game highlights.


Then, I just realize, I completely forgot about Fantasy Man Friday! Argh! So, in keeping with today's subject:

Week 1 Book Winner

LaTessa, get with me :) You're this (extended) week's winner! You can e-mail me at danica.avet(at)gmail.com and we'll sort out which book you'd like :)

New contest starts this week.

Bernice Has Left Her Cake Out...in the Rain!

I've mentioned before that FF&P Chapter has been having a 60 Days to PRO Boot Camp going on. Well, when I first learned about it, I was like 'what's PRO anyway?' like a complete noob. Is it some not-so-secret organization with a special password and a handshake? Is there an initiation? Will I have to promise my first born to be a part of this group? (Well this...could sort of happen if you hand your first-born manuscript over to an agent/editor. Meep. Big meep.)

After I imagined a scneario where I found myself skulking through the RWA corporate offices with nothing but a thesaurus and an ink pen to help me get through the gauntlet of professional writers who were there to test my mettle, I looked it up online. Always best to do this before you start coming up with worst-case scenarios.

According to the RWA website (and I'm going to trust them on this one, I didn't sense a trap), "PRO was created to serve RWA members who are pursuing publication, but are still waiting for "the call" from a publisher. PRO promotes the interests of RWA members who have submitted at least one completed manuscript, but have not yet been published, and, to enhance communication between those members and publishing professionals."

"Hm," I thought as I tapped my chin. "This seems strangely easy, there has to be a catch." Of course there isn't. I'm just a bit melodramatic at times.

Today I put my application for PRO status in the mail. It was fraught with danger! The car was suffocating (from the intense heat). I had to navigate an obstacle course (to get to the Post Office) and I almost got a paper cut! Then, to make matters more dangerous and fantastical, by the time I got back to the office, it had started to pour down. So then I had to dodge rain drops in an attempt not to get my hair wet since my evil umbrella was sitting next to my desk. *Glares at said umbrella* My hair is now twice the size it was when I came in to work today and of course, it waved up. Bye-bye straight hair, hello Bozo. But the application was mailed off, now we just have to see if I met all the requirements as requested.

Disclaimer: There was no gauntlet at the RWA corporate office as far as I know. If anyone knows differently, let me know! ;)

Short Attention Span? I don't think so

I've been working on Succubus-in-Waiting since mid-July and haven't gotten very far. It isn't because I don't love the story, because I do. I want to find out how Connor and Piper end up together and I think I've written some good stuff lately. However, their story has been pushed further and further from my mind as Pagan began demanding her story.

Pagan is a character I began trying to write five years ago. Even then, I had the idea for The Veil and couldn't wait to start writing about the beings within it. But no matter how hard I tried to write Pagan's story, I didn't know who she really was and why she would fall in love with Christian. (I know, Pagan...Christian...am I hoaky or what??) Recently though, she's become more prominent in my mind. It could be because she made an appearance in my finished MS, Ruby: Uncut and on the Loose. Or it could be because I've finally figured out who she is.

Whatever the case, I started writing her story this morning. I'm playing with the idea of calling it Falling for Dr. Love (I did say I was hoaky). Why this title? Well because I have a playlist in mind for it. Let me list it:

Playlist title: For Medicinal Purposes
Song/Artist
'Dr. Feelgood' by Motley Crue
'Calling Dr. Love' by Kiss
'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet' by Bachman Turner Overdrive
'Sexual Healing' by Marvin Gaye
'Doctor My Eyes' by Jackson Browne
'The Nurse Who Loved Me' by A Perfect Circle
'Just Like A Pill' by Pink
'Bad Medicine' by Bon Jovi
'I Wanna be Sedated' by The Ramones
'Contagious' by Trapt
'Remedy' by The Black Crowes

I know, I have too much time on my hands. Anyway, Pagan is demanding her story right now of all times. Doesn't she realize I'm in the middle of Piper's story? Or doesn't she care? Probably the latter. And I know, Piper, Pagan...I'm going to get mixed up with my P's. These two characters are so different, I don't think that'll happen.

So, what do you do when you're stuck on a story? Do you try to work on something else? Do you take a break from everything and go back to it?

Reading Between the Lines

I have a confession to make. I love to read. Really love it. I can remember the first book I read for my own enjoyment to this very day. It was called 'Socks' and it was about a stray cat. I was about 11 years old, at a new school away from all of my friends and Socks helped me escape how 'unbearable' my life had become. I put unbearable in quotations because when you're 11 your definition of unbearable and others' aren't quite the same.

Anyway, after 'Socks', I moved on to Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Super-mysteries. I sure did love solving the crime before the book was over. I'm something of a smart ass when it comes to that. If you've read/watched enough, you pick up the clues that tell you who the perpetrator is. Remember 'The Usual Suspects'? Yeah, I knew who Keyser Soze was. So thank you Nancy and the Boys. You helped me be the person who ruins the end of movies for their friends!

Once Nancy Drew was no longer fun, my aunt's neighbor was getting rid of boxes of books. We're talking about years of Harlequin romances. Some of these books were probably as old as I was (at 13) and they were going to throw them away. My aunt, being the thrifty person she is, asked me if I wanted them. I said 'sure' and the world of romance was opened to me.

That was it. I was hooked immediately. By the time I was sixteen, I'd read all 300 books the neighbor gave us and began checking books out of the library. I was reading all the time. It got so bad that my mom threatened to throw my books away. I think she was worried I was going to rot my brain or something. I didn't party, I read. I still did things with friends, but seriously, those books kept me out of trouble.

Senior year: My high school was right across the street from the library and since I didn't have my license and had to wait for someone to pick me up from band practice, I'd hang out at the library. Every week I checked out anywhere between 6 and 12 books, finishing them and returning them the next week to trade for more. This went on at least 9 months. I began to read fast enough to finish a full-length novel in 3 hours. This excessive reading actually helped me on my ACT! Can you believe it? I wasn't the best student (hiding my romance novels in my textbooks), but I scored well enough that the valedictorians and all were asking me how I did it. What'd I tell them? I just read a lot. Yeah, the geeks thought I was a geek, lol.

When I finally got a car and a job, I began to cultivate my collection. Over the years, I've had to thin it out, but I still own some of the first books I bought for myself. No, I don't have anymore of those old Harlequins or Barbara Cartland's (they were taking up too much room in my bookcase!).

I'm 33 years old and if I had the money, I'd be at the bookstore every week buying 20 books at a time. Because I don't have the money (and I've started writing). I re-read my novels. I have some books I've read up to eight times. Excessive? Probably, but when you're desperate to read and can't spend money, this is what you do! I keep telling my mother this, lol. If a new book comes out in a series, I have to read the entire series before reading the newest release. This is a little more difficult with some of the series (like Sherrilyn Kenyon or Laurell K Hamilton), but I do it. The Black Dagger Brotherhood? Immortals After Dark? Lords of the Underworld series? Yeah, I've read them about eight times.

My joy of reading has helped me so many times. Now that I'm writing, I hope that my books (should the blessed things ever be published) do the same for some other teenager.

Now that I've finished rambling, does anyone else re-read their books frequently? Do you remember the first book you read for the joy of it? How fast do you read?

Slow Start

If you follow this blog, you may have noticed that I didn't post anything yesterday. Yeah, I felt weird about not giving my daily two cents, but my mom had surgery, so that took precedent over anything else. I think the most I did yesterday was check my e-mail and even that was iffy.

What's today's blog going to be about? Well, considering I was taking care of mom yesterday, I think it should be about mothers. Now, my mom is something else. She likes to go around saying she's a little old lady, but if anyone else even suggests such a thing, she gets offended. Maybe not 'offended' so much as it puts her back up.

She just turned 60 this year and (I guess this is where I should say that my sister, brother, and I love to torment her in a nice way) she wanted a party. I kept telling her that all she was getting was a cupcake with a candle on it. Meanwhile, we were covertly planning a birthday party. Yeah, we knew that was all she wanted, but we couldn't let her know we were doing it! When her birthday came around, she had no clue about the party and we surprised her but good. She loved it. Of course, she said we were trying to kill her because we scared her. It isn't true though.

She wasn't a conventional mother, I guess. She wasn't a mom who made breakfast for us every morning (we were lucky if she made breakfast once a month), she didn't help us with our homework (she kept telling us that she wasn't the one in school, we were and it was up to us to learn what we needed to), and she didn't believe in things like senior trips (once we graduated from high school we were expected to go to work). However, she was always there when we got our hearts broken by something or other, she always made sure we spent time with our families, and she taught us to think for ourselves. She frequently gets frustrated with us because we're all as hardheaded as she is and we won't listen to every pearl of wisdom she hands out, so we have to remind her that she taught us to make our own mistakes, opinions, etc. and stick with them.

Do I think my mom is unique? Well, yeah! I think she's amazing. A strong woman who's spoiled rotten by her kids. Have I mentioned that if we don't buy her soft drinks or sweets when she wants them, she pouts? Oh yes. She pouts. She likes to have her own way (who doesn't) and isn't above using guilt to get it, lol. Mom's favorite sayings are 'When I'm gone, you're gonna remember this' or 'When I die...'.

So is it any surprise that when it was said she needed surgery, all of her kids took off of work to wake up at 3 in the morning to take her to the hospital? I don't think so. Is it any surprise that we ignored her medicated ramblings? I don't think so. She's mom. We pick on her, we love her, we'd do anything for her. She's my role model and my biggest fan (even though she DID say my business cards looked like I was writing porn).

Oh, don't worry folks. I haven't forgotten about the contest. I'm extending the first week in light of personal stuff going on, so any comments made beginning last week until this Sunday will be put in the drawing for a book.

Fantasy Man Fridays

Today isn't just another Friday. It's also the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. This brings to mind horror, grief, disbelief, and a lot of anger. It also reminds me that there are civil servants who are there to protect and save us from horrors such as this.


I have a cousin whose boyfriend is a volunteer fireman and when 9/11 happened, he was devastated. Just devastated. Everyone was, but I think it might've hit our civil servants harder. Was this something they could have prevented? Could they have saved more lives if more workers were out there? It's something we'll probably never know the answer to.

I don't normally post in a serious tone and I hadn't intended to when I began, but this was a serious moment in our nation's history (and the history of the world for that matter). So do what you feel is right to honor those who lost their lives, those who saved lives, and those still mourning the tragedy.

Give it up to the police officers, the harbor police, the air force, marines, army, and navy. Give it up to those people who give their lives to protect us day in and day out. They deserve it.

Now, to go with our Fantasy Man Friday theme...is there anything sexier than a man who puts his life at risk to help others? An Alpha who does what needs to be done without hesitating? Who fears, but doesn't let that fear stop him from protecting? I don't think so.

Enjoy!

Revising and the Bloody Manuscript

Since I got home on Sunday, the only thing on my mind has been how to edit and revise my manuscript to make it as perfect as possible before sending it off to the requesting editors. Now, this isn't the first time I've edited or revised my MS.

I finished Ruby: Uncut and on the Loose on July 4th (cool, huh?) and put it down for about two weeks. I began editing on the computer, but after hearing someone say the best way to edit is to print your MS and read it out loud, I did just that. At that point, the editing process took on a life of its own. I had post-its and red ink all over my beautiful manuscript's pages. I took things out here, moved things around there, and when I turned the final page, I had a grin from ear-to-ear. I was finished! Right? Wrong. Oh, so wrong.

I'd been asked for a partial from an agent and was all set to send it out when a published author offered to look over my partial to make sure it was sparkling. Excited by this chance, I sent it to her and she had some suggestions for more revisions. Oh boy. So my baby still wasn't ready for its big debut? Eek! I revised everything she suggested and sent it off last week. That's one submission down.

But I still wasn't finished. When the editors requested fulls, I knew I had to apply all the techniques this lovely author recommended for the first 50 pages of the MS. I've read and edited and revised my MS at least four times since then. Do I think it's ready to go? Probably not. This puppy is getting the look over with a fine tooth comb. I hope *crosses her fingers* to have it ready to go on Tuesday. I don't want to wait any longer than that.

Is that too long between a request and submitting? I don't know. Part of me is also hoping the agent will get back to me and request the full before I send it to the editors, but I'm not holding my breath. Here's to hard work and bloody manuscripts!

Contest Perhaps?

I've been trying to devise ways to get this blog out there, get some more readers (because I know everyone wants to read about my fabulous lifestyle). Having commented on several blogs, I found myself winning a book from the lovely ladies at http://southernsizzleromance.wordpress.com/ and it gave me the idea that perhaps I should do something similar.

Unfortunately, until I get published, the books folks can win will be from my own (enormous) collection of romance novels. If you're interested in this type of contest, here are the rules:

There are none! Just comment on something I've blogged about. I'll put all the names in a hat and randomly choose one winner a week and give them a choice of novels to be sent to them. Trust me, my bookcases will appreciate it. They've been recently cleaned out, but I have a nasty habit of buying and buying...well, you get the idea.

If you're interested, comment and send your friends over to comment as well. We'll have the drawings on Sundays and winners announced on Monday morning.

How does that sound?

On a different note...the ladies at SouthernSizzleRomance are trying to give me a heart attack with their pictures of sexy men taking showers. Shame on you! I think I need my heart checked at least once a day, so post more! haha I've decided I need to have something like this as well. It'll be very difficult to search for pictures of hot men, but someone has to do it, right? So this is your chance to leave some great comments.

We've already got Gena Showalter's Beefcake Mondays, Sapphire Phelan's Hot Hunk Wednesdays, and SouthernSizzleRomance has Wednesday Eye Candy. I'll take Fridays...here's your first assignment for the contest! Come up with a proper name for a Friday hunk fest...should it be Frank and Beans Friday? (Okay, that was awful which is why YOU need to come up with the right name. Get to work!!

You can't make me!

Not to keep going on about the conference this weekend, but I'm so glad its over. My feet were hating me for stuffing them in heels all weekend. I was never so glad to put on my sneakers to come to work as I was today.

How sad is that? Aren't women supposed to be able to suffer for beauty or something like that? I think I'm missing that hormone...the one that allows women to wear heels and look comfortable doing it. The entire time I was stuffed into wedges, heels, and boots, all I could think was 'Oh God, let me find a seat'. The really sad thing is, I loved every pair of shoes in a 'I like to look at them' way, not a 'I can't wait to wear them'. The heels were seriously cute, but I had to pry them off my feet when I was finished wearing them.

I have to give major kudos to women who can and will wear heels every day. I envy you! My feet don't have a very high threshold of pain. Give me a tattoo, but don't put heels on my feet.

On a slightly different note, I've got to buckle down this afternoon and work on my synopsis and clean up my MS more. I'm going to just blurt it out. This weekend, I had requests from 2 editors for full manuscripts. I've been so over the moon about it, that I didn't care about my feet until they started feeling normal again.

Cut it with the negative waves

I was talking with my family yesterday about my writing and my cousin said 'Why write romance?' When I told her that romances are great and very popular, she replied 'There's lots of sad, desperate women in the world.'

Now, my cousin doesn't mince words. No one in this family does, but I was a little offended that she thought sad, desperate women are the only ones who read romance. It was on the tip of my tongue to start spouting off statistics about the education level of women who read romance, but didn't want to waste my breath.

I know that most of the world view women who read romance as sad, desperate women who are either: lonely housewives, bitter divorcees, old maids, or grandmothers. I'm sure they read romance as well, but I know a lot of women who are successful, educated to the nine's, beautiful women in loving, secure relationships who also read romance. I also know this is an ongoing struggle withing the romance writing community. It shouldn't be.

From this weekend, I met a lot of fellow pre-published and published authors (my first conference) and found them to be funny, outgoing, smart women. They're confident and make no apologies for what they write, as it should be. You don't see Stephen King apologizing for writing horror novels and no one seems to expect people who read his books to be closet serial killers.

It's a shame there's such a stigma associated with the genre when it's the fastest growing genre in the country. So either there are a lot of sad, desperate women in the country, or more and more people are drawn to these stories. And why not? With a romance, you're almost guaranteed a happy ending, a resolved conflict, and the hope that love really does conquer all. Who doesn't want that?

It isn't like all romance these days is of the 'oh dearest, I love you and only you and we will never fight and have many children together' variety. Today's heroines are smart, tough, and don't wait around for the hero to save them. It's a reflection of the new wave of feminine confidence that our mothers fought for in the 60's. We've embraced our sexuality, are confident in our abilities to take care of ourselves and we want to read about heroines who feel the same. But the stigma remains. It's truly sickening.

So what do I say to people who think romance is for the lonely, sad, and depressed? Well, if it's a man, I'll tell him 'Maybe you should read a romance before you make any assumptions. You might learn a few things' (and hand him The Darkest Whisper by Gena Showalter) and if it's a woman, I'd say 'What's so wrong with a little peace, love, and understanding?' (and give her a copy of Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers).

Love is the universal language. The job of the romance writer is to ensure that the Happily Ever After is so satisfying that the reader is left with a feeling of good will towards their fellow person.

Viva la romance!!!

Just Home

From the Heather Graham Writers for New Orleans Workshop and I'm pooped. Well, I'm not just getting home. I've been home since about noon, but had family over so wasn't able to really relax until now.

It was my first conference, so I don't have a basis for comparison, but I will say that I had a wonderful time. My toes are numb from wearing dress shoes (I'm a total jeans, T-shirt, and tennis shoes girl) so heels and wedges kill me. Considering we walked around the Quarter as well doesn't help matters much, lol.

The people were amazing. I met so many wonderful pre-published and published authors that my head is spinning. Kathy Love and Erin McCarthy were hilarious and threw a wicked welcome party (Hello, it was also Decadence Fest and there were plenty of beautiful bodies all over the place). Helen Rosburg hosted a steamboat ride on the Natchez that was very soothing (even though my heels were killing me and I was terrified to go anywhere near the rail!!). Saturday was filled with a flurry of informative panels from Pros and Conflicts of writing to Handling your Dream job and real life. Everything was interesting and very helpful.

This morning was set aside for editor and agent appointments. I'll just say that I started out my morning feeling somewhat sick and ended it feeling faint. It was a rollercoaster ride I'm not sure I'll ever feel blase about, but it went wonderfully! The two editors I met with were very nice and didn't make me feel nervous at all. Overall, it was a very satisfying twenty minutes lol.

Le sigh. Folks, I just have to say right now that if you haven't been to a conference, you should. I was somewhat resistant, but I'm so glad I did. Heather and her gang did a wonderful job of making everyone seem welcome, New Orleans was hospitable (as always), and of course the food was good! It was a lovely weekend and I'll probably be walking on Cloud 9 for the rest of the month lol, well, I would except for all the work I have ahead of me now!!

Book Soundtracks

As I'm sure everyone knows by now, I'm seriously nervous about my manuscript and the editor appointments I'm attending this weekend. Yes, I leave tomorrow morning and won't be back until Sunday. I plan to take my laptop along so I can attend some of the FF&P chats and boost my confidence a bit.

What I'm really blogging about, is a strange sensation I just had. I'm looking over my completed manuscript, cleaning up this part here, that part there, and right when I get to the part where Lucian finally FINALLY realizes how important Ruby is to him and how badly he's betrayed her...REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling" begins to play. I got goosebumps! It fit the scene perfectly, like it was Fated to be...or just really good timing.

I wish there was some way to make soundtracks for books...like a disc you buy with the book that plays while you read, giving you the perfect atmosphere for each scene. That would be awesome. Of course, it's impractical since not everyone reads at the same pace.

Anyway, I just had to share that since it was so...serendipitous.

60 Days to PRO

So what's today's blog about? (I should say tonight's blog). FF&P is hosting a 60 Days to PRO Boot Camp. It looks pretty intense and everyone's gearing up with lots of caffeine. What am I doing to prepare? Um. I looked at the weather, played around with MySpace and Facebook...and ogled some hot guys here: http://godsuk2009.blogspot.com/ Thanks to Sayde Grace for the beautiful, distracting eye candy.

Anyway, PRO is something I never really thought about. I guess I focused so much on just finishing my story and getting it out there, that I didn't realize there was a status going along with it. Right now, my head is stuck so far up my editor appointments and query letters' backsides, I can't see daylight. I feel like an ostrich, burying my head in these things instead of getting in touch with what's going on around me. Is this normal for authors? I don't know. It feels...egotistical as all get out, I know that much.

So this weekend is the workshop I've been planning for, agonizing over for the last month and a half. I'm ready for it. I'm prepared to have fun and meet some people. Hopefully I won't make an ass out of myself. Or as my mom likes to say 'showing my ass' to everyone. I'm not sure if that translates to 'being an ass' or 'showing all your weaknesses and dirty laundry' in public. Hm. Might have to ask her.

Nothing in this post so far has anything to do with the boot camp, does it? Well, I will say this much: there are so many workshops and chats and exercises, that it's worth it to anyone who wants to reach PRO status. As soon as I get over the editor appointments, I'll be pledging myself to it full time. I have a WIP to finish and a MS to polish off. It must be done!

So, say goodbye to all of this....and hello to Oblivion!

Hiya, Oblivion! How're the wife and kids?

I love Rocky Horror Picture Show!!! In fact...*wanders off to find her DVD*

Sprechen Sie Deutsches?

I love babblefish! Unfortunately, I don't know a foreign language and I feel a little uncultured because of it. Oh sure, I can throw out a few Cajun French phrases, some elementary French and Spanish, and I can swear in German, French, and Spanish, but none of that helps me when I'm listening to Falco or Rammstein.

Yes, you read me right. I somehow always manage to find (and like) music that's in German! Nina (99 Luftballoons), Falco (Rock Me Amadeus), and of course, Rammstein (lots of stuff). For some reason, the German lyrics sound...perfect. In the case of Rammstein, it sounds harsh and eerie. In the other two 80's 1-hit wonder cases, it's just good fun.

However, my love of foreign languages in music does not extend beyond German. Maybe it has something to do with the mornings I'd wake up at my friend's house with her mom cleaning house to Rockin' Polka. My best friend's mom is from Germany and she has just the cutest accent! There's nothing like her New Years Eve parties with dozens of little German women making you dance the polka until you nearly faint from exhaustion, or my friend's wild, yodeling aunt leading a Conga line through the house.

This post has reminded me that I need to post this week's Cajun French Word/Phrase of the week. I don't speak Cajun French unfortunately. My grandfather grew up speaking strictly that, but when he went to school, he was severely punished for not speaking English which means that he never taught my mom or his grandchildren. It's quickly becoming a lost language and I want to share it with everyone.

Anyway, I think I've done enough rambling here. I will add that at some point, this topic will come up in one of my books. I'm not exactly sure how, but it will. Oh yes, it will.

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.