Ideas Are Plentiful

I had one of the most insane weekends I think I've had to date. It started Friday with birthday party in Boston for my SIL, after I went home to bed until 3:45am when I had to work for a few hours. We had to be at the softball field for 7:30 that morning for two back-to-back games. We grabbed lunch on the way home. When we arrived at home, my daughter and grand daughter were waiting. It was my night to keep her over. So baby T and grandma spent the day running around getting birthday gifts for her mother and father and picking up the last minute stuff for the cookout/birthday party the next day.
Baby T went to bed around 9ish. I'm pretty sure I crashed shortly after. She woke up at 11. My daughter failed to mention that she doesn't like her pack and play. She needs the comfort of a soft mattress. So I had to do the one thing I do not like doing. I slept with her in my guest bed. I raised three children and none of them ever slept in my bed. So here I am kicking aside my own rules for the grand baby. Yes, I'm a pushover.
T woke up bright and early at 6am ready for her bottle. B, promised the baby would go right back to sleep after the bottle. HA! She was ready to play! So grandma and grandpa got up and played. In the process I made salads, cut up meat and got it marinating. Oh, did I mention we had to be back on the ball field at 11? Everything was set up for the party, except the deck. We had it stained the day before and we were still waiting for it to dry. I can't lift heavy things due to a condition(a pleasant one), so I asked the DH to call his friend to get the table and grill back on the deck. He reassured me he would. First mistake! Men lie.
By now baby T is with her mother and I'm off to softball. I grab something to eat and relax for a bit. Games over back home to host a party. Oh wait I picked up one of the cakes on the way home. I wasn't in the door fifteen minutes and the guests started to arrive. YAY! Let the party begin. I don't think the last guest left until almost 10pm when I finally crawled into bed. I woke the next day with a terrible sinus infection, so I did the only thing I could do - I spent the day in bed. Now I'm behind. I took the day off from work to finish my overdue edits on Heat Waves.
I almost forgot it was my day to post. So whats the point of this long boring blog? Well for all the activities I had going on I have various non-fiction article ideas and lots of fun stuff I can add to my fiction books to add a little humor.
My DH has a cousin who is not the most handy person. The stories she told me will surely show up in a future book. Like the time she fell into a floor vent while cleaning. She got stuck and her boyfriend had to tug her out. Or how she hung valances and stuffed them with paper towels and toilet paper. I never laughed so hard at her stories.
Off to finish edits. Hope I didn't bore you too much, but the bottom line is get around people whenever you can. They have such interesting stories to tell.

Hate "Chain Letter" Emails? Not This Hunky Angel One!

I swear some people spend their days just looking for "chain letter" emails to send out. I rarely will forward anything to anyone, and never give a second thought to the "bad luck" I may get if I don't, nor do I wonder about the "surprise" or "good luck" I'll get if I do.

SO, BE HONEST...how many of you REALLY ENJOY getting them from every person in your address book?

Here's one I received and just can't resist sending to you through this blog. Forget the "cutesy" angels you normally get. This version is different.

Take some fairy dust:

Add it to one of those "cutesy" angels:









AND POOF!!!!



Did you smile? Have you finished trying to see up his loincloth? YOU JUST LOOKED AGAIN, DIDN'T YOU?

Hmm. My creative mind is spinning away with thoughts of a story centering on a hunky angel now that I have plenty of time to just stare at his...ahem...charm, grace, and saintly attributes.
RIGHT! Get a good look at this guy...don't you wish he was on one of your covers?

My newest release, "Sexy Games" has the hero and heroine donning costumes and testing adult role-playing games. Too bad I hadn't seen this hunky angel before I wrote the book. I could have written him and his costume into a scene!
www.aprilash.net
www.mariannestephens.net

Saturday's Scribe Posting...

Upcoming release from Resplendence Publishing!

First and Ten ~ Carnal Reunions Anthology

Coming November 10, 2009!

I love sexy covers! You know my feelings about covers...and I have been very lucky with all of my covers so far. Note the strategically placed author name? :)

I have two wonderful publishers, and both have some excellent cover artists. Every time I write a new book, I pray to the cover goddesses and POOF! It works every time. LOL!

I have officially run out of subject matter...I am too pooped to pop, as my sainted mother used to say. I am rambling here because it is 4:07 a.m. and I am still at my computer, cleaning up edits, writing posts for my several blogs, and generally burning the candle at both ends AND in the middle. :P

I had better finish up here and hit the sack. I need my beauty sleep...(it won't help in the beauty department, but I sure need it.) Maybe by next Saturday I will have my brain screwed back in tightly and will have something interesting to blog about.

Wish me luck...I need it!

Fran Lee
http://www.franleeromance.com

A Re-introduction...

Hi, I'm Julia Barrett

It's time to reintroduce myself. I have lots going on, some good...some not so good. Some of the good has to do with my career as a romance writer. For instance, Julia Barrett - me - oh I so hate referring to myself in the third person - has had a short story accepted for The Cougar Anthology, coming February 14, 2010, with Logical-Lust Publications. Yay! I wrote my very first short romance and to my great surprise, the editor liked it. I'll be joining nineteen other authors - most of them multi-published and far more experienced in this business than me. I'm pretty dang excited about this, so excited that I've felt confident enough to submit another short story to a different publisher.

The main reason I'm re-introducing myself is because I have an alter-ego...Chana Alexander. She...here I go again with the third person...is writing for Resplendence Publishing. I have a contemporary romance scheduled for release early in 2010, Beauty and the Feast, and a futuristic series coming out next July. Beauty and the Feast is about a private chef and the client she falls in love with. Having worked as a chef, a pastry chef, a private chef and a caterer, and owned a restaurant in one of my lives, writing the book was a blast.

The futuristic romance is entitled Daughters of Persephone. The first installment is two books in one, Exile and Return. The third book in the series, Daughters of Persephone, will stand alone and the title is yet to be determined. Sci fi is one of my favorite genres, but this is my first foray into the future. So, stretching my wings! Hopefully I won't fly too close to the sun. Wish me luck!

Where's My Vampire Story?

My father was a movie buff of monumental proportion.

He could, and would, spout random facts from every aspect of the industry. When he talked about a film that particularly moved him, he would become a master story teller, mesmerizing those of us lucky enough to be around to hear. Our family room was decorated with classic movie posters and he would get as excited as a kid to be at the first showing of a new film on any given Friday. We were the first family in our neighborhood to have a VHS player, and my mom swore we were headed to the poor house because my father was hell bent to own every film possible.

One night, my dad came home with Nosferatu, the 1922 silent film. I flopped down on the couch, full of teen angst that our only TV was being commandeered to show such an outdated, did I mention silent, movie. I was riveted, terrified and slept with the lights on for days afterwards. Bela Legosi movies followed, as did those of Christopher Lee; I couldn’t get enough. When the 1979 version of Dracula, starring the ultra-yummy Frank Langella hit the theaters, my Dad and I were at the first showing. I went back and spent my hard earned money four more times that weekend, enthralled by the dark sensuality of the story, the actor, the music and the romance.

I have read and re-read every Ann Rice vampire book. I feel like I know Christine Feehan’s Carpathians personally. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Jean-Claude and Asher have brought me to tears. I’ve devoured countless other vampire tales, watched documentaries on the History Channel and laughed uproariously at the many comedic takes on the vampire character.

When those who know and love me learned I had actually finished a story, many of them assumed it had to be vampire. They know of my obsession, my love of the immortal undead. Why wouldn’t I try my hand at that which intrigues me so?

I have been forced to look deep into myself and admit I’m scared to death at the possibility of sucking at writing the little blood suckers! Oh, I have my hero all drawn out in my head. He is darkly beautiful, ultra-alpha and completely comfortable with who and what he is. But when I sit down at my computer, I simply stare at the blank page. What new spin can I put on the subject matter? What will make him and his story unique? Only time will tell if I can work up the courage to bring my vampire out into the light of day.

Tessie

http://www.tessiebradford.com

"The Darker Side of Tall, Dark and Handsome."

With the current preponderance of alluring Vampires, Shape Shifters and troubled mutants like Hugh Jackman’s character Wolverine, is there anybody out there who hasn’t gone over to the Dark side? If not what’s stopping you! A lot of hot action is taking place deep in the shadows on another plane of existence.

The undead have become a trend that just won’t die. Vampires are doing a lively business getting our blood pumping. The undead have wildly succeeded at rebranding their unsavory qualities and are now known as protective, chivalrous guardians of women.  Surprisingly this once manipulative and repulsive creature has become a symbol of dark, dominant sexuality and an ideal lover to the uninitiated. They represent a partner who knows how to take charge and gatekeepers to undreamed of erotic realms. This is a far cry from the skulking, decrepit, rat-like features of the 1922 “It” vampire "Count Orlok" Nosferatu. I wouldn’t donate blood to that man let alone consider him as a lover.

There are a lot of big-hearted animal lovers out there as evidenced by a slew of irresistible fantasy men with animal souls who shape shift between various states of being. Hugh Jackman’s super sexy character “Wolverine” instantly comes to mind. Actually Hugh Jackman comes to mind quite often just because he’s Hugh Jackman but I’m getting off message… I love warm-blooded animals. I love hot-blooded men. Why not combine the best of both worlds? Shape Shifters are like giant pets. A little love and understanding goes a long way. Shape Shifters are invariably territorial they want you as their life mate and only you. Except for the many two for one deals that involve the life long devotion of two deeply committed male Shape Shifters to the same woman. What a fantasy. You can’t beat that! On the whole Shape Shifters seem like a pretty good deal, they provide a taste of the wild and unconditional love. Though you would think the living arrangements might be challenging. Think damaged upholstery and lots and lots of hair in the sink…

What’s your opinion about lovers from the dark side?

XXOO Katalina Leon

PS. I want to Congratulate Fran Lee on her 4.5 hearts Top Pick review "For Out of Her Dreams" from Chris at Night Owl Romance. I also got 4.5 hearts from Elf for "Noblesword"-I'm so pleased! 

Eight to Date

That's the number of contracts I've signed since December '08. Am I bragging - NO. What I'm doing is telling everyone out there that if you want to be a writer and you work hard it's possible. When I signed my first contract I had two others out to editor's. My goal at that point was to have both contracted. By January's end that happened. I set a new goal - eight contracted stories by the end of the year. At the time I thought it was totally unrealistic, but I like to dream big. I'm a writer after all.
In May I thought about upping that number, but I was slowing down a bit with writing and decided against it. As I just signed the eighth one on Monday I realize it's time to change my goal. I'm now reaching for ten by the years end. Not impossible. But, I don't want to set myself up to fail, this time. Not that I could call myself a failure at this point.
So if writing and publishing is your dream, grab a pen and paper, or open a word document on your computer and start writing. Write every day. Read all you can on the craft. Devour books in your genre, study publisher's guidelines and no matter what you do -don't give up. Is it easy? Not a chance. But it's worth it when you see your book up for sale on a publishers web site. Just remember, Perseverance wins!