Resolutions? I got 'em.

An Italian man, wealthy, who cooks!

For 2012, I am into FUN and $$$.

To ensure the laughs and my fat wallet, I promise myself to:

1. GO AFTER PIRATES more often.  WEEKLY.

Hey, all these people are ripping me off to the tune of thousands of $$$. What if I came to their house and did that??? Besides, Congress--those folks who haven't done anything but dither all year but collected their $150,000 salaries--are debating Our Anti-Piracy Bill like it was an attack on business. SAY WHA? Yep. Google and their buddies are fighting this bill, saying it would "criminalize" their business. NEWS FLASH: Pirates have already criminalized it. Google needs to step back, THINK and get a new way to make a buck, not off my back!

2. ADVERTISE more.

Yeah. It costs. But people, time or money? I am only one people, have only a bit of time and some money (esp. if I kill these pirates, I'll have more)!

3. Love FACEBOOK and TWITTER more.  This stuff really works to get the old name out there.

Color me happy.

4. Stop cruising the net. 'nuf said.

5. Invite all of you to come to my blog to post! Often! Any time!

6. Go to the gym 3x a week.

I need it.

My office chair is wunderbar, but it does not ensure my a$$ is any skinnier.

7. My last Res. This I am offering a saying to you for your consideration as one of your resolutions. This one, I used as a kid when things were tough. And they often were, especially at holiday time.

What is it?

One I wish some of the HOUSEWIVES of X-city, the Kardiasians (sp.?) and Snooki, and all her generation would use, cuz they give me HIVES with their narcissism!

Don't criticize and Don't complain.

Use facts only.

And the pix at the top?

Shameless Self-promo.

My very first EC release about a lovely widow and a smokin' hot Italian stud.

My Sweet.

Mia Dolce! Go here for author page for all my EC books: www.jasminejade.com/m-560-cerise-deland.aspx

Marilyn Monroe's infamous gown, its fate and A LONG TIME COMIN'!

Like so many of my talented author friends, I try to make people live in my stories. Now, true, screen icon Marilyn Monroe is gone, sadly, but her legend in many things lives on.
In A LONG TIME COMIN', my heroine Cait Hagerty owns a vintage clothing shop on the River Walk in San Antonio. (Trust me, this area is no low rent district! So she must earn BUCKS, baby, BUCKS!) Now Cait has in her shop has the only copy of the gown ever made for Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to JFK in 1962.
(THIS copy is fiction.)
But this line of thinking gave me a few ideas on my heroine's personality.
Who is Cait?
A woman who likes old dresses. Okay.
But she also is rather traditional in other aspects.
She is a calm, reserved business woman who knows how to navigate the world. She understands her lover's challenges and copes with them. Perhaps better than he does!
So owning a vintage clothing store also got me a plus: I could talk about Cait's figure. Always a great idea when writing erotic romance! I could write also about the absolutely out of this world gown. WHICH incidentally, Marilyn had to be sewn into the night--the only night--she wore it when she sang Happy Birthday to John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden.
Only weeks before she died of an overdose.
The other thing you need to know about vintage clothes, this dress and their value?
MM's dress is a good example. In 1999, this dress sold at Christies' auction house for... ready? $1,267,500.00
Lots of dinero.
To see this lovely creation, go here: http://www.marilynmonroecollection.com/Lot55.htm
And to see Marilyn sing Happy Birthday to JFK, go to YOUTUBE here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4SLSlSmW74 
CIAO, my lovelies!
Find A LONG TIME COMIN' at Amazon, ARe and Smashwords for 99 cents!

Cliches that murder me

Disclaimer: Pix has NADA to do with topic.

Just nice CANDY for your Monday pleasure!
I have a thing for cliches that make me pause in my reading and say, urgle, this doesn't fit.

Like the Regency lady who sits on the shelf because...um...she likes books. No pun intended. She's too smart to fall in love, or just too wise and she challenges ALL men in her path? Really?

Or the pirate who got that way because Daddy rejected him. HUH? A pirate is supposed to be a lawless creature of the high seas, without conscience or morals, or mores. How could he care if Daddy was a bastard, hmm?

How about the contemporary woman who is responsible in all else, but falls for the cad who never seems to fall for anyone? Perhaps because he is incapable?

I dunno, but I like characters a little more intelligent, integrated, noble and wise.

How about you?

Got any cliches that just do not work for you?

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

The other day I was preparing a blog for a guest appearance spot over at Nine Naughty Novelists. I was writing about adding real life to your stories. It got me thinking of the old adage, write what you know.I’ll admit I’ve written many stories based off of things I know.

Body Shots has a hero who is a singer. Music is my first love. Back in high school thru my early twenties I dated musicians. I know more about drums than I possibly need to. I’ve spent summer nights just attending concerts. When I was growing up in Upstate New York, every teen spent the summer at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. This was where all the good concerts took place. In 2003 when I was sowing my royal oats (I was celebrating my freedom from my ex), my best friend and I traveled all over to see concerts. In fact once at 5pm on a Saturday night we drove from Albany NY to the Comcast Center in MA (it was the Tweeter Center back then) to see Disturbed and Korn. A three hour drive one way AND we drove back home after the concert. Okay, so we were a little crazy what can I say.

Splashing Good Time the hero owns his own pool company. I’ve been in the business in the past and again in my present, someone close to me owns a few pool stores.

Gettin’ Lucky my heroine owns her own grocery store. My ex-husband and I owned a corner grocery store for almost ten years. And like Marcy, my heroine, the store was in a poor section of town.

Another story that will be published under my real name is about a woman’s journey to motherhood. She’s not taking the conventional way. After finding herself single, because her ex-fiancé doesn’t want children, Hailey decides to take out an ad for a sperm donor.

Granted I’ve never taken out an ad, but I’ve journeyed through the fertility process – more times than I’d like to admit. So I can add those little details to my story that make it that much more believable. Obviously my heroine will get a HEA, but the bottom line is I KNOW fertility.

But should we always write what we know? I say NO. Eventually you’ll come to a point where you want to diversify and move in a new direction. To do this you’ll have to learn something new and experiment. That’s what I plan to do.

I’m embarking on a new chapter or journey in my writing career. I’m taking on a subject and genre that is relatively foreign to me. But guess what? I’m excited about it. I may stumble along the way and I may suck at it, but I won’t know unless I try.

I’ll be honest – I’m scared witless. But that’s the thrill. That’s how I know it’s the right time to do it.

I’ve become too comfortable in my writing. I haven’t challenged myself in a very long time. A friend has thrown down the gauntlet and I’ve accepted the challenge!

Do you only write what you know? If not, how do you step out of your comfort zone?

PS...If you get a chance please stop by Nine Naughty Novelists. I could use some support! Thanks.