Jaded Love Junkie

A to Z Challenge : Funniest videos ever!

2012-04-06T16:46:00.002-07:00

Well, maybe not funniest ever, but definitely the funniest I've seen in a while. These videos are posted by Nice Peter on YouTube. If you love silly humor and don't mind a little bad language, you'll love this.

The Epic Rap Battles of History feature opponents such as Sara Palin vs Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson vs Elvis Presley, and one of my personal favs, Master Chief vs Leonidus. I know this has nothing to do with Romance (my intended theme), but I had to share this. Hope you enjoy!

Seen anything funny on the net lately that you'd like to share? What kind of humor gets you laughing the most?

A to Z Challenge : Entangled Publishing

2012-04-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Well, shucks. I misscheduled my A to Z Delta post on Dating Disasters and thus missed a letter for the challenge. Lesson learned, folks. Now that I'm settled into my nights schedule at work, I can keep a better eye on these things.

While on leave to Washington last weekend, I attended the Rose City Romance Writers Spring Intensive, and I had the pleasure of meedting Liz Pelletier, editor and one of the founders of Entangled Publishing.

She entered the publishing business in an unusual way. After starting Savvy Authors (if you're an author and don't know about it, check it out. It's a fantastic resource with tons of affordable workshops and informative posts every month), she ended up with a small surplus of profit on what she'd intended to be a non-profit venture. So what could she do with the money that would help authors most?

She noticed the majority of authors weren't getting published. As anyone else would do *ahem* she developed a business model based on case studies she'd read on Boeing's success and gathered friends who shared the same vision of how a publishing company should be. Entangled pays higher royalties because of the management team's belief that the author should receive more of the profits for their work. They are not a digital first as some people assume, instead releasing print and digital simultaneously.

Entangled is one amazing publisher, a rapidly expanding one. They've recently added multiple imprints, similar to Category lines by Harlequin. In my opinion, they'll give Harlequin a run for their money some day, though there's plenty of room in the market that's been virtually untouched by publishers other than Harlequin. They've also contracted with a distributor to get select titles on the shelves at Barnes & Noble.

I think what impresses me most about this publisher is that despite the need for the bottom line (it is a business, after all), Entangled cares about and stands behind their authors. Liz shared a lot of tips and information on how distribution works. She has only a minute to pitch the books when she markets them, so getting a great, hooky pitch down to that length is a huge plus. Overall, I was quite impressed with this publisher. Of course, I also know someone published with them, Lisa Kessler, and she's had nothing but glowing things to say about them.

What publishers do you have your eye on? What do you think of Entangled's unique "it takes a village" model of publishing? Have you used Savvy Authors before? Do you think a small publisher can take on the big guns? What do you think they need to accomplish that?

A to Z Challenge : Casual Encounters

2012-04-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Don't act all innocent! I don't know a single person who hasn't at least perused Craigslist's personals section at least a few times. When you open the page, it even has a scent. Something like... desperation, lol. Alright, I'm not going to knock the site any further. I'll just point out that for women, using CL is like shooting fish in a barrel, and generally women don't need to post pictures to get responses.

Men, however, get the gamut of spam, links to pay sites, fake responses, etc., and they must post a pic to get any real responses. Unfortunately, they post the most lewd pics--ones sure to invite the wrong responses. Now, for those of you curious, I gleaned this information from a multitude of friends who have used the site or attempted to use it. Most never answer the responses they received from a post.

Believe it or not, I don't think all who post there are looking for a drive-by. I've seen plenty of posts where the poster seems to be looking for a connection of some sort, the potential for a continuing relationship. The rest of them seem to post out of boredom.

Has anyone posted--under Personals, not just Casual Encounters (I used platonic before and found that the general public has no idea what platonic means *shudders*)? Do you know anyone who's used the site to meet new people? What's the craziest personal ad you've seen posted anywhere? Do you think CL should even include a section like Casual Encounters under Personals? After all, they're not in the Adult Friend Finder business...

Yay! Day 3 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge is complete. My post is a little late, of course, because I was driving home overnight from Washington. I got in around 7 am this morning after a seventeen-hour drive. Couldn't help myself. I had to have a little nap before I had to go to work. Thank you all for patiently awaiting my visits to your blog. I'll be making rounds shortly ;)

A to Z Challenge : Bromance

2012-04-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

Uh-hmmm...

Technically the bromance pictured above isn't typical bromance behavior, but I couldn't help myself. They're hot and confident enough to hug in public. Wikipedia defines bromance as a close, non-sexual relationship between two or more men, a form of homosocial intimacy. I never really thought about the dynamics of such a relationship until I watched I Love You, Man and realized how important it is for men to have these kinds of bonds. Women can often take these kinds of relationships for granted because they're more encouraged for women, at least in my experience.

It can, however, go too far, enough to ruin other relationships. I suppose this means there has to be balance. From the comments on this post on The Nest, you can see there are pros and cons to the bromantic relationship.

Some more famous bromances in the public eye are Matt Damon/Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt/George Clooney, Tom Cruise/David Beckham, Ben Stiller/Owen Wilson, Tom Felton/Rupert Grint (yes, it's Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley). Bromance is a frequent feature in anime as well.

Personally, I've seen the strongest romantic bonds formed among those men exposed to danger on a regular basis--military members, police officers, firemen. Danger is a great motivation to set aside differences and competitive natures.

Are you or your significant other in a bromance? When does a bromance go to far? Have you had any good / bad experiences with a bromance? Is it a necessary kind of relationship?

Alright. Day 2 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Once again, there is still time to get in on this great blogging experience and push yourself. Head over to the blog by tonight to sign up and join the fun! And a note to my visitors and followers: I'm still in Washington spending time with my kids for a few days (haven't seen them since October), so I'll be by your blogs after I return tomorrow.

A to Z Challenge : Alpha Males

2012-04-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

Need I say more? LOL, alright I will. Let's just say I've been reading Romance for a very long time, and I've seen a shift in the perception of an alpha male. In older novels, they were often portrayed as domineering and controlling, nearly knuckle-draggers--the "I know what's best for you" type. I think publishers have realized this kind of guy is indeed NOT attractive to most readers.

Exuding confidence, self-esteem, and leadership seems to be key to being alpha. There is definitely a difference between controlling and leading. This former gives no regard to others' opinions, desires, or input while the latter involves doing what needs doing in order to succeed. If that means having the confidence to go beyond oneself for expertise or advice, then so be it. A man who can see the value in that is absolutely an alpha male to be respected.

Several sites list alpha traits (Alpha Men, How to be an Alpha Male, Masculine Freedom), but you'll see a wide variety of differences from site to site. Everyone has their own ideas, but they all really describe the same type of person. According to this article in the Wall Street Journal, there's also been some research that being alpha can be bad for your health especially if you're also a Type A personality.

Are you an alpha male or female? What traits are key to being a true alpha? Would you rather be an alpha or beta? Do you find alphas (m or f) attractive?

So, welcome to Day 1 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and thank you to all of our wonderful hosts. Check out the blog for more information. Sign up before Monday night to participate. Finally, I leave you with this:

Alpha Male

Lifting spirits on Leap Day...

2012-02-29T00:33:00.001-08:00

Aaaaaaaaaahhh, friendship. I must have a lot of BEST friends.

What's the craziest thing you've ever done in the name of friendship?

What do you plan to do with your "extra" day this year?

And how the heck do you know who's following you without GFC??? I have no clue who's following via the RSS feed. What are you guys using? I'm so not happy about this! Google, I love and hate you.

Blast off : CassaFire by Alex J Cavanaugh

2012-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome, everyone, to the long-awaited CassaFire Launch Party! CassaFire by Alex J Cavanaugh is the sequel to the Amazon Top Ten Bestselling CassaStar.

Alex has always been very good to me, and I adore him. Just check out his blog and see how many people he connects with on a daily basis. It boggles the mind what a great guy he is. After I first started blogging, I won his 200 followers contest, and I not only won an ARC of his book, CassaStar, but he featured me on his blog HERE.

I read his first book and reviewed CassaStar HERE. I promise I do not mention books ever on my blog unless I love them. Alex has a talent for creating memorable characters who are easy to relate to and for expressing difficult relationships. Oh, and those action scenes! I can't wait to read this sequel because I think it's going to be even better. Here's what it's all about:

CassaFire

by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities.

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

Available today!

Science fiction - space opera/adventure

Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5, $15.95, 6x9 Trade paperback, 240 pgs

EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9, $4.99, available in all formats

CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller:

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

You can purchase CassaFire here:
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Amazon Kindle

And you can view the book trailer here:

Swing by Alex's blog to leave him comments over the next two weeks and be entered to win a CassaFire prize package including a copy of CassaStar and CassaFire, a tote bag, mug, and bookmarks:

Happy Launch Day, Alex, and thanks for inviting me to the party!

First Challenge of the 4th Platform Building Campaign

2012-02-20T16:41:00.001-08:00

Kicking off the Fourth Platform-Building Campaign is our very first challenge. The challenge is presented by our lovely Campaign host, Rachael Harrie at Rach Writes. I must admit this challenge intimidates me because I don't do flash fiction, and this likely doesn't fit the description of flash fiction, but *shrug* here goes. The challenge is to write a flash fiction/short story in 200 words or less beginning with the words "Shadows crept across the wall." Bonus points for ending with "everything faded," including "orange" in the story, writing in the same genre you normally write, and ending at exactly 200 words.

This is from my most recent WIP, a paranormal romance, though it's modified to fit the challenge. I did begin and end with the challenge words, it is my genre (thus vampires and hand-holding), "orange" is included, and it ends at exactly 200 words. Even if this only qualifies as a scene, I'm a little proud for cutting it this short and still keeping the meat of the scene intact. This exercise is great practice!

Shadows crept across the wall, stretched long by the orange glow of a solitary streetlight. Graffiti plastered the crumbling exterior and streaked the double-doors.

Kade shoved them wide, the shriek of the hinges echoing through the cavernous interior. Dust choked Val’s throat, and she had to fight back a coughing fit, wrinkling her nose at the smell of disuse and rust.

A feral scream tore the silence and froze her insides. That had to be Will. The sound of a scuffle followed, and then more silence. Her hand tightened on Kade’s.

“Sure you’re okay?”

She looked up at the concern on his face. “I have to be.” He flashed an encouraging smile, and her heart squeezed. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Good. Let’s do this.”

When they entered, there was no recognition on Will’s face. His fiery gaze burned into her with lust and famine, as he’d look at any human, like a walking meal. Hungry sounds came from the back of his throat, and he strained toward her. The deranged was half-way changed, his face, torso, and fingers lengthened and his eyes at the cusp of a slant.

Shock slammed into her. Then her ex-husband reached out and everything faded.

A few notes: Huge Thank You to all my new followers. I'm trying out Bloglovin' after reading HR Sinclair's review to see if I can get better organized with following my buds, and I'm also a little behind with keeping up because of my recent push to finish my WIP (and it's done now-YAY!). To top it all, I'm prepping to make the journey to California on Friday. I'll move out of my hotel and move into another hotel, lol. Homeless yet again for a few more weeks, but soon this'll all be over.

Also coming up is the big release of CassaFire by Alex J Cavanaugh. If you haven't followed his blog yet, you must go check it out. He's the best blogger bud evah, and if anyone's great at making likeable characters it's him (pro'ly cause he is one--don't get a big head, Alex, lol). I'll have more details on his sequel to CassaStar on February 28.

Is it getting hot in here?

2012-02-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! What better way to celebrate than with a steamy blog hop? This kissing scene hop is the brainchild of Hope Roberson and Cassie Mae. Thanks for thinking up such an perfect topic for today.

My scene is from my newest WIP, a paranormal romance featuring vampires. Never thought I'd write a vampire story, but now I never say never, lol. The hero is a embittered (and crude) vampire prince who hates humans until the day he meets the heroine, a human liaison to the vampire nation. She hates and fears vampires, having lost her ex to his own obsession with becoming a vampire. This is their first kiss. I probably shouldn't have picked a first draft, but most of my stuff is too graphic for public consumption :) Thanks for coming by!

As they neared Ptolomy’s mansion, Val clutched her satchel with an iron grip, her knuckles white. Her lips trembled, and he could smell her fear again. She pulled her thick black peacoat tighter, readjusting the tie at her waist. He felt her chill, it was written so plainly in her body language. Her vulnerability broke open a pocket of warmth in him. Without thinking, he reached for her, pulling her close against his side.

She sat stiffly at first. He stroked his hand up and down her arm, firm and soothing. Her body softened, the tension easing, and she relaxed her head against his shoulder. Unable to deny himself, he nuzzled her pale wheat curls, that heady lilac scent too much to resist. She was softer than mink. He turned his head to brush his cheek against the luxurious sensation.

She lifted her head to meet his gaze. Those eyes were brilliant pools of Caribbean, her pupils dilated with arousal. Hell yeah, she wanted him. But they were also wide with surprise. He’d only wanted to comfort her, but now his head dipped toward hers. When she licked her lips in response, it was all he could do to be gentle when he wanted to ravage her mouth. He touched his lips to hers, a tender sweep across and back again. An electric charge zipped all the way to the bottom of his feet, drawing his body tight. Just as he would have settled more firmly against her sweet mouth, the door swung open.

She jerked away from him, her fingers at her lips. Her eyes clouded with confusion and regret. F**k. He shot his driver a withering look, and the man cringed. He shook his head sharply before the man could stumble over an apology. Douchebag had also arrived at the side of the car, and Kade didn’t want the bastard to know anything was amiss. Holding a hand out for Val, he guided her out of the car and to the heavy doors of the mansion where Ptolomy no doubt waited impatiently for them.

Optional reading only, Val's POV (Graham is "Douchebag" to Kade):

Her lips tingled where Kade’s had been, and Val’s mind was a jumble. Why had she let that kiss happen? She’d been at the head of a panic attack. Maybe that had weakened her enough to succumb to Kade. Maybe she would have taken the comfort from anyone. That didn’t really fly because had it been Graham, she would have turned a cheek. She knew because Graham had made the attempt before.

Even more surprising than her easy participation was Kade himself. He’d caressed her hair with his face, like a thoughtful lover, and it had put her body and mind into a sweet, blissful fog. He’d been so soft, so careful, his lips whispering along hers. She would have taken him for the caveman-kiss type complete with bruising force and an invasion of tongue and teeth.

“Ready for this?” Kade asked. With a start, she realized they were in the foyer, and she was still holding his hand. She dropped it like it was on fire. Apparently it had been on fire because her hand was hot from the contact.

Origins Blogfest: the chicken or the egg?

2012-02-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

Today's blogfest is brought to you by DL Hammons along with co-hosts Alex J Cavanaugh, Katie Mills, and Matthew MacNish. The 'fest is all about how we got started on the writing journey. Thanks for dreaming this up, guys. I'm looking forward to reading about what lit the spark for other writers!

Sometimes I wonder if I write because I was born a writer or if I am a writer only because I write. I've always loved books. My world was all about books, books, books. After all, I lived in the boonies, only had one really bad tv channel, and didn't get out much. From junior high on, I'd written short stories, decent ones, and some poems, really bad ones!

By the time I got to college, I had quite a collection of stories and gained a lot of encouragement from my instructors and the Dean of the English Department. I was majoring in English, and then I started on the newspaper. The writing there burned me out so hardcore that I stopped reading and then stopped writing. I couldn't look at a book without feeling nauseous. I didn't finish college. Still haven't, I'm sorry to say.

Roll forward thirteen years. I was in the Navy, separated over a year from family, out to sea on deployment, and still hadn't cracked a book open other than what I had read to my kids. We'd gotten a box of books in, and when your life becomes work-sleep-work-sleep-work-sleep-work, you'll do just about anything to break the cycle. So I began reading again, and reading and reading. I was reading one to two books per day. I ran out of books. We got a new shipment which included a famous series. All the girls read and hated it. After a lot of discussion, we decided what we wanted to see in a novel, and I was challenged to write one.

Thus the gauntlet was thrown, and for the first time, I was up for the challenge. I wrote my first manuscript in less than four weeks. It was only for fun, I swear, but they loved what I wrote. I was asked to write about some of the other characters, and I realized I loved the way I felt when I was writing. I loved how it felt to share the writing and how it felt to talk about the stories with people who loved the stories.

Two years later, I have three finished manuscripts with plenty of nibbles for them and about two dozen other ms pans in the fire. I know if I keep learning, keep improving, and keep my dedication, I will succeed. I'll someday share my work with readers who enjoy what I write.

If I could name one person who was most influential, I would have to say it was my friend, Natalie. She was my alpha and my beta reader. She kept me going when I might have slacked off. Now, I'm happy to say she's writing a book of her own, too, that I'm excited about. If I could name a close second, I would say that was my friend, Jenny. Her feedback has guided my writing in the right direction, and her support gave me the warm-fuzzies to keep going. She doesn't write, but she truly gets me when it comes to my writing. I never get those 'she's crazy' looks from her when I talk about characters like they're real people.

So I wonder if I've always been a writer. I went without even thinking about it for more than thirteen years, but once I started, it was like a dam bursting. In two years, I've written a lot more than some people write in ten. Was it there all along, lurking under the surface? If we're writers at heart first who write to fulfill a need, maybe it was. If writing makes us writers, well then I guess I wasn't one for half of my life. I believe that ratio will change over time because I don't think I could ever dam it back up again. Writing is the light of my life now, and I wouldn't give it up again for anything.

Thanks for reading about my origins. If you're participating in the blogfest, I'll be visiting a little late-like today because I have to get home from work before I can make the rounds. Thanks again to our wonderful hosts!

Blogfests galore!

2012-02-05T21:39:00.000-08:00

Hosted by Writing with Hope & Reading, Writing and Lovin' It

How could I not enter this Valentine's Day blogfest??? I am, after all, a romance writer. So on V-day, my post will cover a kissing scene. If you'd like to participate, post about a scene from a book you've read, a scene from your own WIP, make up a new scene, or write about one of your own memorable kisses. Check out either of the links below the blogfest pic to add your name to the linky list. Let's have some fun and keep in the spirit of Valentine's Day!

I'm also participating on February 13 in the Origins Blogfest hosted by DL Hammons and co-hosted by the most awesome bloggers, Alex J Cavanaugh, Katie Mills at Creepy Query Girl, and Matthew MacNish at the QQQE. This blogfest is about getting to your roots, showing the blogosphere how you began your writing journey. As DL says: Tell us all where your writing dreams began. It could be anything from how you started making up stories as a child, or writing for the school newspaper, or even what prompted you to start a blog. How about stories about the first time somebody took an interest in your writing, or the teacher/mentor that helped nudge you along and mold your passion, or maybe the singular moment when you first started calling yourself a writer. It all started somewhere and we want you to tell us your own, unique, beginnings.

Who's game to sign up for either of these? How do you feel about blogfests? Has anyone hosted their own? What is it about a particular blogfest that gets you to participate? If you don't ever participate, what about them dissuades you?

What are you reading?

2012-01-31T20:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a little wrap-up o' reading for January. I read a grand total of twenty books. Check out the link titled The Reads at the top of my blog for my final list. Twenty sounds like a lot, but a few of them are novellas. I think I normally read more than that. This month, I've been busy with my big editing workshop and kind of set the reading aside more than usual. Now I've signed up for yet another workshop in February so we'll see if I can beat the past month.

I've already fangirled a little over Anne Gallagher's books and also at the end of this post here over Roland Yeomans' books so I won't beat you over the head with it. I do want to add a couple more favs from this month's list. Some of these I encountered because of the Romance Reading Challenge for January. This required me to read the first of a new series, an erotica novel, or a romance with a teen protagonist. Of course, I chose to do all three challenges. Roland's Legend of Victor Standish was my teen protagonist read, though the book isn't all-out romance. The romantic elements are absolutely all over this series.

Yet another historical series has surprised me. I read two Italian Medieval historical romances by Jannine Corti-Petska, and now I can't wait for another one to come out. She did an amazing job pulling me into the place and time and into the culture without getting away from the story or losing me in too much detail or in dry facts. I loved the heroes and heroines, and I hope Niccolo gets his own story soon *hint hint*

I tried the erotica, though I normally shy away from them. I've read too many baaaaaad ones in the past, and I don't mean bad in the good way ;P However, I read Doubled by Charlotte Stein, and the characterization and relationship development were superb and the love scenes were blazing.

And last but definitely not least, there is Zoe Archer's Devil's Kiss, the first in her Hellraisers series. What better kind of conflict is there than the conflict with oneself? The heroes of this series are cursed with gifts of ultimate gain. Their biggest battles are between what they think they want vs what they truly need. I couldn't put this book down. It was absolutely a straight read through. Man, 4 am is a crazy bedtime!

So what's on your nightstand or on your e-reader device? Have you delved out of your usual genre lately? Has anyone set a goal to read more this year? What's the most books you've ever read in a month (and yeah, you can count school assignments I suppose)? Is anyone entering Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award for the chance at publication via Penguin? OK, that last Q was random, but I'm curious...

The beauty of mating rituals

2012-01-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

Four red eyes sense moon phase light from mates

I visited Lynn Rush at her blog today. The picture she posted reminded me so much of being out to sea, and the many gorgeous and unique sights you can see out there. In the Gulf, I saw the biggest pod of dolphins EVER. There had to be more than a hundred of them. I was so upset I didn't have my camera. I kept it with me from then on, hoping I'd see them again, but I never did.

I saw flying fish and poisonous sea snakes (they looked perfectly harmless, like toys floating on top of the water). I saw whales, though not as up close as I'd wanted. I saw amazing and some very strange sunsets and sunrises. One pitch black night, I caught flashes of light in my periphery. It was lightning, but unlike anything I've ever seen, like big, round blasts of yellow from the cloud to the ocean surface.

By far, one of my favorite sights is the bioluminescence, when the ocean water glows in the dark. Sometimes it's blue or green or sometimes it's somewhere in between. In the wake of our ship, a fireworks display bubbled just under the surface. Along the Pacific SoCal Coast, the green glow is caused by fireworms. Yeah, kinda gross but cool. One underway from San Diego to Port Hueneme, the entire ocean lit up the blackest night. It peaked most on the wave crests where the ocean churned and in the upset from our ship. Such beauty, and all because these little worms secrete bioluminescent goo to attract their mates. Other bioluminescence can come from jellies, phytoplankton, algae, sea snails, bacteria, or a host of other creatures.

Seen anything amazing come from a mating ritual? Anyone been out to sea and want to share an experience? Anyone find where my monster pod o' dolphins went? I really want that picture, darn it!

In other news, please join amazing blogger friend and writer, DL Hammons of Cruising Altitude 2.0, in the Origins Blogfest. Tell us about your journey as a writer and how your dreams began. Meet some great new people you can identify with and find a bunch of fantastic blogs to follow! I know I haven't signed up yet, but I will. You can also help DL out with his query over at Matthew MacNish's blog The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment (the QQQE). Matt is another amazing blogger who helps others craft queries so they can improve their chances at publishing.

Anyone joining in this blogfest or some other you have coming up?

Mmmmmm... lasagna!

2012-01-17T22:52:00.000-08:00

A friend just starting on the writer's journey asked me how I deal with character descriptions, and sheesh, that is so not an easy topic to answer in a sentence or two. As I wrote her a mile-long email complete with helpful attachments, I realized I was describing lasagna to her. Yep, I write my own special recipe of literary lasagna, layering backstory with setting with character description with dialogue with conflict with ricotta.

Several times, I've heard writing a book compared to childbirth. I thought, "Wow, it must be so much more painful for men to write a book." I've heard it compared to learning to drive. Eventually it becomes second nature, but maybe after you've totaled an MS or two. How about dentist visits, anyone???

How best describes your writing process? Heard of other analogies I missed? Do you do small layers or do you work in chunks? Personally, I don't start with layers, but it's what I end up with after edits. Now the real reason behind this post: I'm starving!!!

A quick note to Roland Yeomans: If you happen to see this, I tell you I don't read such young protags normally, but now I eagerly (impatiently) await your next installment of The Legend of Victor Standish. Your writing is like a painting to me. I think it's amazing you're donating proceeds this month to Salvation Army, but I still kinda wanna smack you in the cliffhanger. Please take that as a compliment. You have me happily hanging here :)

Whaleshark shifters and other such nonsense

2012-01-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Whaleshark Code of Conduct courtesy of Ningaloo Atlas

Truly, this post has nothing to do with whalesharks. Sorry to disappoint. I was thinking about innovation in the writing community, and it has really quite impressed me. Writers have a way of bringing unlike things together or creating themes not previously published, though we hear continuously that there's nothing under the sun that hasn't been written about already.

I remember back when a shifter romance brought together a wolf shifter and another wolf shifter or a wolf shifter and a human. Now I'm seeing otter shifters with wolf shifters and swan shifters with hawk shifters. Heck, why not a whaleshark shifter? There's inherent conflict in being restricted to an ocean. Pair that shifter with an avian shifter, and BAM! they can never be together as a shifted pair. I'm seeing now romances with a rock 'n roll theme or with a culinary theme (ala Louisa Edwards). I'm seeing more hero variety, like nerd-types and outcasts and handicaps/physical imperfections.

Personally, a well-written story even without something unique can grab me by the nape and pull me in. It's all in the writing. For example, and I know you might groan at this, the vampire stories. I heard this statement somewhere on the internet, and I wish I could remember where so I can attribute it properly, but I find that the concept is one I agree with: I'll get tired of vampires in novels the day I get tired of people in novels. Heck yeah! Because even though I love to see the crazy plot ideas people come up with, it is execution that counts most. This supports the 'write what you love' idea whole-heartedly over writing to the market.

What's the most outlandish story idea (in any genre) you've ever encountered? What are some plot ideas you believe haven't been done yet? Have you been captivated by a novel even though the plot was unoriginal? If so, what was it about the story that hooked you?

Quick side note: If you have any short stories, novellas, etc., ready for submission, go visit Jami Gold for her Pitch Your Shorts event. She has several editors from Entangled Publishing taking two-sentence pitches plus first 100 words for multiple genres. They're taking pitches until January 16. Good luck! BTW, the awesome Lisa Kessler is pubbed via EP, and she says they are fantastic to work with.

I'm full of it!

2012-01-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

Challenges, that is. Full of challenges. Er, well, if I was perfectly honest, I'd have to admit that writing fiction, by definition, requires being full of it... Anyway, in addition to the A to Z challenge, I'm adding a reading challenge too. I figured I might as well since I read so many books anyway, particularly romance. So here's the deets:

The Reading Romances Challenge 2012:

The goal with this challenge is to read the widest variety of books possible, as many sub-genres as you can find, as opposed to just quantity. This is totally an "expand your horizons" kind of challenge. Since my genre selection has gotten pretty narrow, I figured this would push me to read outside of my habitual path. So here are the guidlines:

This challenge runs all year from 01 Jan through 31 Dec.
Anyone can join, even if you don't blog. You can post reviews to any book site (Amazon, Goodreads, Shelfari, Smashwords, etc.).
A list of romance sub-genres and themes will be posted to choose from each month.
You can list your books before reading them (by leaving a comment on the post with the topics for that month) or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, don’t feel obligated to read them, changes are welcomed!
When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the Reading Romances Challenge. If you don’t have a blog, please link it to the page where you post your reviews (Goodreads, Shelfari, Amazon etc).
You don’t have to participate every month, but please try to!
Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

There will be random giveaways for active participants throughout the year. Yay, contest! If you'd like to join me in this challenge, sign up right here on Reading Romances. I'm trying to avoid challenges I already know I can do in favor of choosing ones that push me to be better or to try something different. What challenges are you braving this year? What keeps you motivated to meet your challenges?

In other news, one of my fav paranormal romance stories ever:

Alex. Two weeks...

I'm not one to gush...

2012-01-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

Especially about a historical. I've nothing against them but my cuppa usually runs along the steamy paranormal or military/romantic suspense line. Now Anne Gallagher has me hooked on her Reluctant Grooms series.

I first read A Wife For Winsbarren (only a 99 cent read), and you can see my review for that novella here on Amazon. Then a couple of days ago, I read The Lady's Fate until the wee hours of the morning because I couldn't put it down. My favorite aspect about this book is the way Anne develops a beautiful, sweet relationship between the hero and heroine without in any way, shape or form diminishing the love the hero had for his deceased wife. Yes, there were a few times I wanted to knock him on the head and tell him to wake up, but I didn't need to worry because Anne did it for me. Honestly, I haven't enjoyed a historical series this much since I read Pamela Clare's historicals. As Pamela writes an unusual era, you may tell that I prefer historicals with something different to offer. Anne told me she currently has a novella entitled A Husband For Miss Trent available for free download for a limited time on Smashwords. Can't get better than free! But I have to warn you, if you enjoy characters not cut from a cookie-cutter, you might get hooked on her writing style like I did.

In other news, I have officially decided to test my mettle with the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in which bloggers post the alphabet every day in April minus Sundays. I heard about this challenge via one of my favorite bloggers (and I'm sure you'll love him, too), Alex J. Cavanaugh. Who else could have started this craziness but Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out? Sign ups begin on January 30, and such early notice gives you plenty of time to create a plan of attack. So who's up for this? I have to say challenges like this are a great way to meet new bloggers.

Okay, I really love blogfests, and I've been eager to dive in again. So I found Cassie May's Valentine's Day blog hop, Is It Getting Hot In Here. Yes, a kissing scene--hey, that should be right up my alley, right? Well, I got excited about it and then reviewed my WIPs for something appropriate. To my dismay, all of my writing was too racy for public display. I think I might have to post a sufficiently censored version, lol. Thank you Roland Yeomans for the referral!

Aaaaaaannnd I see I've gotten quite link-happy with this post. How about you? Any links or good stuff going on around the blogosphere you'd like to share? Workshops or contests? Blogfests you're participating in or hosting?

A kind of addiction

2012-01-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

Oh, don't look at my screen like that! I'm talking the good kind of addiction, the writing kind. It's such a great one to have because it means the words are flowing and the word count is climbing. LOL, of course it doesn't mean the words aren't garbage, but if that was too horribly important in a first draft, NaNoWriMo wouldn't exist!

My most recent addiction, cause ya know it comes and goes, is to my new WIP, a vampire paranormal romance. Man, I never thought I'd write a vampire novel, but it grabbed me by my pen hand and dragged me right through it. So my good addiction news: I started a week and a half ago, on Thursday, with an 8,000 word count. I'm now at 35,000 words *happy dance* and it still won't let go of that pen hand. What a great kick-off for the new year! Why can't this happen every time? Only down side is I'm supposed to be in revision mode with another WIP right now. Oh, well. Gotta love it while it lasts...

In other news, tomorrow is the first day of Savvy Authors EditPalooza and I'm psyched about it. I found Savvy Authors via one of my dear RWA San Diego Chaptermates, Melissa Cutler (who btw has two shiny new contracts with Harlequin and Kensington *cheer*). Savvy Authors has a bazillion workshops and great articles on everything writerly. This is also where I found Jodi Henley and her character arc workshops. Amazing! I had my greatest writerly AHA! moment on the first day of her workshop. I highly recommend taking one of hers, especially you fellow pantsers. This was the ultimate plotting for pantsers instruction I've ever received.

Now, I haven't been completely glued to the keyboard. I've been catching up on my TBR list. My most recent reads: Anne Gallagher's A WIFE FOR WINSBARREN (sweet historical novella with an original hero who made my heart melt), Lisa Kessler's NIGHT WALKER (hot paranormal with a drool-worthy hero, cover to match, and a vivid setting), Linda Thomas-Sundstrom's Veronica and the Vampire (fun,quirky paranormal with an original premise--lol, vampire pick-a-date), Stephanie Draven's THE FEVER AND THE FURY (erotic romance novella with compelling hero and heroine--they're supposed to be killing each other, yeah, right!) I've read several others over the past week-ish, but these are my favs.

Next up TBR is CATCHING FIRE and MOCKINGJAY. I got sidetracked after reading the first one, but now Sondrae got me wondering which side of the love/hate fence I'm on with this series, and seeing how the first movie comes out in March, I'd thought I'd find out. First, I want to get to Anne G's THE LADY'S FATE. Stieg Larsson's taking a back seat for now. Don't know if I'm in the mood for reaaaaallly long books!

So what's your good addiction news? Any writing progress? Reading? Who's working on revisions from NaNo? Who's waiting eagerly for 2012 releases? Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

WDWParksgal @ DeviantArt

A critter crisis...

2011-12-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

ningmilo / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ok, well, it's not that bad. I'm pretty decent at self-editing and only getting better workshop by workshop. But we all hit that point where our manuscripts need fresh sets of eyes and minds.

A critique group is a great thing. It’s a fantastic way to get outside eyes on your manuscript and help you polish your work. You can find areas of weakness and mistakes you might not have seen on your own. You learn how to better critique others’ work. You have a ready-made support group to identify with the trials you go through as a writer.

Despite the benefits, I’ve decided to opt out. If I’d found a goodfor me group, I might feel different. I’ve tried several, giving each plenty of time and taking my feedback with a grain of salt. Still I choose to opt out. I didn’t get bad feedback (mostly—someone did tell me not to use fragments in dialogue and another said no contractions in writing ever). No one offended me. The fact is when I submitted, I received a virtually clean copy back. I got a few suggestions, some of it positive feedback. While that’s great for my ego, it does nothing to polish my writing.

I ran into two basic problems. First, I was at a different writing level than most members. Second, the other writers didn’t write or read my genre. So what now? The image of the solitary writer makes me laugh. IMHO, it takes a village to produce a great book.

I tried out Writer’s Digest Community, but ran into problematic feedback from writers outside of the romance genre. Plus not enough writers use the site so the crits are few. I registered for Critique Circle but haven’t used it yet. Anyone tried it? If so, how was it? Pros? Cons? I dabbled with Book Country, but I have to admit it made me nervous. You don’t have to be a registered user to view large portions of an author’s posted work. Would a publisher have a problem with so much of your unedited manuscript openly displayed to the public? And if you had some pretty original concepts, aren’t you then wide-open to giving them to other writers?

I have a few beta readers who aren’t writers but read romance, and aren't afraid to tell me when something's jacked up. For my first manuscript, I had one fantastic critter, Sondrae Bennett, who was amazing at helping me shape up my writing skills. If I had two or three critters as skilled, I’d be set.

Where have you found your outside eyes? Tried any critique sites? Have a critique group story, good, bad or ugly? How do you feel about publishers building their own critique sites, like Book Country? Who else is game to try it out?

Slowing down to live life

2011-12-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, I've been MIA and the blog has been on hiatus for over a year. There are many reasons, but for simplicity's sake, I'll just say a lot of things have changed for me over that time. Now I'm ready to slow down, get healthy, enjoy life and stay for good. I won't deploy again, and I cannot come close to expressing my relief at having that part of my life over. I loved the company of my fellow sailors, and that's what I'll miss. For those who continue to stick with me: a heartfelt Thank You!

One very important topic I left off: the results of the Madlib Contest. And the winner was *drum rooooooooollll* Nate Wilson. If you don't know him yet, please visit his blog. Bring friends, family and your sense of humor because you're all going to have fun there. Here's his winning entry (his words are highlighted):

A Personal Ad

I enjoy long, scintillating walks on the beach, getting undulated in the rain and serendipitous encounters with Presbyterians. I really like pina coladas mixed with Ecto-Cooler and romantic, candle-lit wombats. I am well-read from Dr. Seuss to the Dalai Lama. I travel frequently, especially to a Kiss concert, when I'm not busy with work (I am a Roomba repairman). I am looking for haberdashery and beauty in the form of a Uzbekistani goddess. She should have the physique of Angela Lansbury and the rapscallion of Jezebel, the kindhearted stripper. I would prefer if she knew how to cook, clean, and wash my dirigibles. I know I'm not very attractive in my picture, but it was taken 73 1/2 days ago, and I have since become more cantankerous.

An entertaining personal ad, Nate! I'll be on the lookout for a cross between Angela Lansbury and Jezebel, the kindhearted stripper. Thanks to all who played.

I'll post here regularly every Tuesday and Friday. I might occasionally post more if I'm dying to share something like a friend's new release or book cover, a contest, or a blog shout out I can't pass up. Stay safe over the holidays, and I hope everyone has a Very Merry Christmas.

Breaking it down

2010-11-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

        I noticed recently I tend to write fairly short chapters compared to other writers, and it crossed my mind there may be one of those famous "rules" regarding chapter length so I poked around the web. Apparently there are no rules. Wow. Imagine that. We actually have some freedom in deciding where to break our story into delicious bite-sized bits!

        Some people write their entire story straight through before they even think about breaking out the chapters. Others use chapters to create a rhythm in the story, to control the pace.  Some authors use chapters to separate POV shifts. There are writers who set their chapter breaks so they don't exceed a maximum number of pages or maximum reading time. Personally, my scene shifts are my chapter breaks, and I always end my chapter with some sort of hook, like a mini-story. I have twenty chapters in my 87,000 word manuscript.

        Where do you put your chapter breaks? Do you set them while you're writing or afterward? Is there such a thing as too short or too long when it comes to chapter length? Do you prefer titled chapters or numbered?

Don't forget to enter my Mad Lib Contest. Email or comment with your words for the Mad Lib any time today.

NaNoProcrasto!

2010-11-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Not really. I can't say I exactly procrastinated because I was working on Day One. I had five hours I wasn't working yesterday, and I spent one of those hours reading and four sleeping. Nevertheless, I am a bit behind so I've gotta get my buns moving. My region's in a word war with Brisbane, Australia, too. It always motivates me to have someone else waiting for my words, lol. If anyone participating wants to Buddy me, find me on NaNo under Jaded_Love_Junkie or search for my WIP, The Lesser Evil. PS, Alex, you're kickin' my butt!

For those of you who write romance, if you haven't heard already, Harlequin is hosting So You Think You Can Write, an editorial week, all week long on the Harlequin blog. It's free and educational and gives you lots of opportunities to get your writing in front of the editors.

Don't forget to enter my Mad Lib Contest. Send me your words by November 15 and win some books!

Is there anything different you do for NaNo? Do you find write-ins helpful or distracting? Does some competition help you get your word counts? Anyone designing a cover for their book? And for those who aren't playing NaNo, what's the weirdest thing you saw or did on Halloween? Happy NaNo to those participating and Happy NonNaNo to those who could care less!

Madness, as usual... plus a contest!

2010-10-31T16:21:00.000-07:00


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I hope all are having a safe but scary and happy Halloween. I must apologize for my long absence. I've tried to at least stay on top of posting new blogfests and contests, but it's been difficult. Just a work thing, really. My ship's getting ready for the big 'ol Insurv (HUGE inspection that reports to Congress) so we've been working 6-7 days a week with lots of long hours, late days, and hard manual labor.

If you wanna know what it's like, just go to your place of work and start doing all the building maintenance and janitorial work yourself on top of your normal workload. Don't forget you'll also have to fix your own computers, copy machines, telephones and every other electronic device around because they're not under warranty and your boss doesn't have the money to pay for technicians to fix it. Oh yeah, he also doesn't have money for supplies for all this work, so you'll have to buy you're own grinders, sanders, tape, paint brushes and rollers, and you'll have to borrow the primer and paint from someone else, too. Quite a bit of madness going on, so right up the Halloween alley!

Speaking of MADNESS, I've decided it's about darn time for a contest around here. I haven't had one yet, and since I've gotten up to over 160 lovely Junkie followers, I'd like to host one. So here's the deal. I'm giving away some books. Now, I realized that some of you guys aren't writers, some aren't into romance, and some may not read much at all, so I've got up for grabs an eclectic list of brand-spankin' new books for the winners to choose from. And all you have to do is come up with some good words because we're going to fill in a Mad Lib!

Send me your word choices by November 15 in the comments or via email, and I'll enter you into the contest. I'll pick two winners to choose a couple books each from the selection. Winners will be chosen based on how ridiculously funny their Mad Lib turns out. I'd love more new followers and some publicity for the contest, and it's always appreciated, but it's not a requirement. If you like my blog and content, please do follow. I'll post winners and winning Mad Libs by November 17. If I get a big enough response or my friends and I have trouble deciding who's winning, I'll probably pick more winners :)

So here's the words we need to finish the Mad Lib:

1) Adjective
2) Verb ending in -ed
3) Plural Noun
4) Liquid
5) Plural Noun
6) Famous Person
7) Place
8) Occupation
9) Noun
10) Nationality
11) Opposite Sex Celebrity
12) Noun
13) Opposite Sex Friend
14) Plural Noun
15) Number
16) Adjective

Oh yeah...

For you movie and TV lovers, I also have Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead and Burn Notice: The Giveaway. There'll be posts to come regarding NaNoWriMo (yes, I'm gonna do it!) and some big contests from other blogs and such coming soon. Thanks everyone for sticking around. Also, if you know anyone who likes to beta read or is looking for a crit partner for romance, please send them my way. I'm actively looking for some critters!

The Worst News: Witnessed!

2010-10-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

Well, so what if I thought I was taking a blogfest break? They're just too darn fun to resist sometimes. At any rate, I mentioned I'd show more of my MCs from my second WIP. So I thank Francine @ Romancing the Blog for her Bad News Blogfest for giving me the opportunity to share the bad news!
In this scene, Rainee's waiting for Sen to get out of a meeting and wants to spend time with her fiance, Tom, while she waits.

The debrief was going to take a little while, and she felt a growing need to see her fiancé. Though she’d seen him less than ten hours earlier, it seemed like an eternity. She didn’t even care she had blood all over her leather battledress. All she wanted was to strip down and feel Tom's arms around her.

He didn’t live too far from her suite. They both resided in an upscale section of the settlement. Many of the single suites were studios rather than having separate bedrooms, but this section went all-out with the amenities.

She entered the well-lit living room. It was the middle of the night, and all the lights were on. Tom was nothing if not dedicated to his job. It was his life. The poor man needed to stop staying up so late working on his proposals. Or maybe he was planning their engagement party.

She slipped the bedroom door open quietly and peeked in. It was empty, the bed still neatly made and curtains wide open. She shrugged out of her long jacket and headed for his office. Damn workaholic.

When she opened the door, a quick indrawn breath was all she took before her head went from zero to a hundred on the fury scale. Tom leaned back on his desk, office supplies scattered on the floor. His pants were at his ankles and her sister, also naked, straddled his hips. Their faces would have been comical to her if she wasn’t such a violent person when violated.

Two long strides brought her to them before they could even move. She grabbed Amber by her extensions, ripping her head backward as she landed two hard, bare-knuckle punches straight to her face. Amber screamed, blood pooling from her nose and fat lip.

“You.” She pulled out her katanas and pointed one down at her sister, crumpled and crying on the floor. “You should learn some day not to screw over someone who can beat the living crap out of you. I have no love for you, so you’re damn lucky I don’t kill you.”

“Baby! Please, this isn’t—She's not—”

“Shut up,” she said to Tom, much calmer than she felt. “I have nothing to say to you anymore, and there’s nothing you can say to me to fix this. I’m keeping the goddamn ring.”

With that, she spun and rushed to her suite, grabbing her jacket along the way. Her insides were jelly and her mind took on a circular spin. She’d been enraged, angrier than she’d been in a long, long time. But she didn’t feel the pain yet, just a barren numbness in the middle of her chest.

Throwing her jacket to the floor, she hurried toward the bar and ran directly into the brick wall of Sen. She plopped straight down on her behind. At first she started to get up, but then just sank down and laid flat on the hard, cold floor staring up at the ceiling. She said nothing to him when he crouched down next to her.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you.” She still said nothing. “What is it?” She shook her head.

“I can’t do this tonight. I can’t talk right now.” Her voice seemed dead, Sen-like, even to her. He took her hand, trying to haul her up. “Just leave me,” she said, pulling her hand away. Then she looked at the ring. The red gem inside the diamond was an evil eye laughing at her. She pulled it from her finger and rolled it away from her on the floor. Sen frowned.

“Did you make the wrong choice?” She didn’t even have the energy to glare at him.

“I always do,” she whispered. He scooped her up as he would a sleepy child and placed her softly on the couch. She watched him move back to the bar to pour a drink for her. Then she chugged the shot like it was water. He brought the whole bottle over before sitting next to her.

Aw, it's alright, Rainee. It's not so terrible. It leaves the door wide open for Sen, a man who's truly good all the way to his core, even when he's bad! ***When he asks about making the wrong choice, he's recalling an earlier conversation when he'd asked her about love:

“I know it’s hard to understand this, Sen. It’s different with Kindred because you know. You feel it right away when you bond. You don’t have to go through all we do to find out how we feel. All we can do is hope we get it right. You hope you make the right choice.”

Thanks everyone for coming by. Everyone who signed up should be posting today or tomorrow so make sure you get around to the others listed at Romancing the Blog!

Wanna get lucky???

2010-09-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

        Just 'cause I write romance doesn't mean my mind's always in the gutter! Fact is I do want to get lucky with an agent, specifically Marisa Corvisiero of L. Perkins Agency during the Sixth "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest on Chuck Sambuchino's GLA blog.

        This month covers *gasp* Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy (adult and YA). The top three winners all get a critique of the first 10 pages of their work by the agent judge and a free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com.

        Yes, it's right up my alley and, yes, I've sent my entries. Well, it mentions: "no 'high fantasy' with dragons, elves or other planets please." It was tough for me to decide whether to enter because my books involve another planet, but it's not high fantasy nor is it high sci-fi. It doesn't read much different than a paranormal set on Earth. The science fiction's a backdrop.

        Oh, well. Too late 'cause the entries are off. What's the worst that can happen? Nothing? Oh, I guess that's what's going on now anyway. Can't get anywhere if you don't take a chance, right?

Yet another contest I'm hoping to get lucky with is the Popular Fiction Contest at WD. I have short stories ready to enter before the deadline of November 15, 2010. Manuscript length is 4,000 words or less. You can enter as many times as you like in all five categories:

Romance

Mystery/Crime Fiction

Science Fiction/Fantasy

Thriller/Suspense

Horror

Anyone else entering these or any other amazing contests? How about the Golden Heart??? How do you feel about submitting to contests? I've heard some writers and agents say winning contests doesn't help an author get an agent or publisher. Do you think it helps your chances, hurts them or makes no difference?

Check out my Blogfests page if you want to get in on more of them next week. They're a great way to get to know your fellow bloggers. Next up are the Mash-up, They're People Too, and the Bad News Blogfests all scheduled for next week. I might do one. Maybe. It was crazy this last week. Oh what the hell. I'll do one at least. I'll flip a coin...