Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas



Everyone, I hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas.

Christmas is my favorite time of year. Be safe, eat a lot and have fun!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Something under the tree? hot, hot hot!

Good afternoon everyone!!!


Hope everyone is doing well and got all of their shopping done.
I haven’t been blogging that much due to the fact that me and my family got some nasty flu/cold bug that went around my office and now has ripped through my house.

Still don’t have much a voice, but I feel a hell of a lot better than I have for close to a week now.

A lot of us were talking on twitter about some of our favorite hot men, and some of our book b.f.’s. And i realized that I’ve never really shared any of this with all of you.

That is until now…
Because this is the x-mas season and us females could use a welcome, but sweet diversion, here are some men that I wish were under my tree in a few days.

#1. JOHN MORRSION.


Oh how I love thee. Let me count the ways…
I am so cougar over him. You all have no idea. Well some of you do!A lot on twitter know about my obsession for the man known as the Monday Night Delight.
Aside being an awesome athlete. JoMo is actually one of the most intelligent guys on the WWE roster, a martial artist, and a master of parkour which is the art of movement.
This guy can walk up walls, flip, and dive over things most of us dream about. When I got his DVD last fall, he impressed me with all he does in and out of the ring. Great person, hot guy, tremendous performer. I love him so much that he is the muse for not one but for 3 of my upcoming stories...

#2. JOEY M.


This one is for Jen, Donna, Stacey, Bells, Tigris, Jamie, Andrea, Spaz and Michelle..
Granted, I’m still pissed off that he’s getting married, but them are the brakes. Sigh…going through withdrawals until True Blood is back on.
And the dude looks effing hot in a sweater…Just sayin!!

#3. JON FREAKING BON JOVI!



HOTNESS, HOTNESS, HOTNESS!!!
For my Jovi peeps. You knew his HRH (his royal hotness) had to be on the list. JBJ could pee, and get a ton of people to watch. In all seriousness though. Jon is one of the most charismatic frontmen in the world. A genuine and intelligent icon who can and will rock into the future. Rock on Hotness!

#4. TRIPLE H. aka Paul Levesque


Ok, there’s I’ve always had a place in my heart for this man. But last night, I was looking at an interview he did very recently. And I’ll tell you, I don’t know if it’s fatherhood, or just being in his forties now, but the dude is even more hotter than he was 10 years ago.
It made for a hot dream overnight. Maybe, something I’ll write about.. And one other thing, Ya’ll are looking at Jacob from By Moonlight (which is the sequel to By Sunset)

#5. LUCKY CANNON aka. Jon Emminger


Everyone loves a bad boy and I thought of him for I was describing Caleb. He’s has just the right amount of sexy and charisma. He’s also from the WWE but for now, appears for their FCW promotion in florida. Lucky’s has actually had some serious things happen to him in his real life which is how he got his Lucky nickname and I’m for one am glad he’s around. He’ll be star when he gets on to WWE’s main roster one day.


#6. HENRY CAVILL



He’s just so beautiful. Does he ever look bad? Ever? And the man can act! He’s so freaking gorgeous. I can’t wait for the Immortals this summer. And i’m going to miss seeing him on weekly tv now that The Tudors is over, but you know. He’s going to be a huge star…He’s just too talented not to be...

#7. DWAYNE ‘The Rock’ JOHNSON.


Hawt. Hawt. Hawt. Plain and simple…Nothing else is needed. Which also goes for this man...

#8. GERRY ‘FREAKING’ BUTLER


OMG! OMG! OMG! I’m watching The Bounty Hunter as I write this. Man do I thank the Scots for him!


#9. DREW MCINTRYE aka Drew Galloway.


My Yuri. My Yuri…My Yuri in an upcoming erotic story called “Sweet Dreams”. Yuri also shows up in another story called Mail order groom but Drew is just strikingly handsome that is breathtaking.
And last but not least...


#10. JOSH BROLIN.



He’s so ruggedly handsome. Father like son. Josh looks great in a tux. But he also looks awesome in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
One of the best actors around, he kicked ass in No Country for Old Men and I can’t wait to see him make looking bad, so good in True Grit.
Josh is awesome!
Those are my picks. Now tell me some of yours???

Monday, December 13, 2010

Epiracy sucks

Hi everyone, hope all of you are well.

This blog isn't going to be as jovial as some of my previous posts, but it is a blog post topic that is important to me and for any writer or aspiring writer out there.

Yesterday i found out that By Sunset was e-sharing site.

This was done without my permission or my publisher, Lazy Day Publishing, LLC.

Thanks to friends on both twitter and Facebook, my book was taken down, but before it was there were over 1420 illegal downloads.

THAT'S now money i'm missing.

Economic times are tough enough and me and other writers work long, hard hours to bring all of our readers stories that let you escape, laugh, cry and at times to take note.

All of us have bills and have expenses and when you take my books or anyone else's books from one of those sites without paying for them, you're taking money from us, plain and simple.

It's wrong, it's stealing, and i'll tell you now I and my Publishers at Lazy Day Publishing have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy of epirates in any way shape or form.

I'm pleased thus far that all of you like By Sunset, but if you want it please buy it.
I really for a minute, was not going to finish By Moonlight because of this. It kind of knocks the wind of one sails.

Here again are the links to purchase By Sunset

You can click the site links

At Amazon.com



All Romance.com


At Barnes and Noble.com


I'd like to have everyone's comments on the subject, the more people talk about it and fight back, the more we can finally get congress know to pass laws against these thieves.

thanks again for everyone's support.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Review of By Sunset

Happy Sunday everyone. I hope everyone's enjoying their weekend so far. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. It is my all-time favorite time of year.

This morning, i woke up w/a lovely review of By Sunset in my inbox that i wanted to share with you.

You all can click for the link, here

I'm in full writing mode these last couple of days and so far it's going very well.

I'm at 59 friends w/my Ty Langston Fan Page and remember when i hit 100, someone gets a Gift Card and a free copy of By Sunset

I'm still continuing my blog tour and i have some other cool ones coming up in Jan that i'll keep you all posted on.

Till, then enjoy the rest of your weekend. xoxo!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Hello and Thanks

Hey everyone. I must post more!

First all, I thank everyone who's bought By Sunset. Let me know how you like it. Comment on Amazon, B&N.

The novella is also available on allromance.com and onmnlit.com.

For now for fans who are asking By Sunset, is currently only available as an ebook....(crossing fingers it'll be in print one day).

Also, reminder i'm 52 friends! Pretty soon, i'll be able to randomly pick someone to win a copy of By Sunset and a $25 Gift card...(Don't you need money for the holidays? It's burning in a hole in my pocket? LOL)

A couple of other things. Today, i'm visiting Marisa Dobson's site. Visit me here

And my website will be up very shortly.

I hope everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving and in the upper corner, you guys can click the upper link and catch me on Goodreads.

Till then, i sincerely apologize for being so absent. Thanks again for your support and please let me know what you think of By Sunset. okay?

Friday, December 3, 2010

Another interview!!

Hi everyone, still on the blog tour promoting By Sunset. Here's a interview that I did with the lovely Haley who is spotlighting all of the Lazy Day Authors for the next 12 days on her site. Comment and say hi.

Thanks Haley!

Interview can be found here.

Oh everyone don't forget to Friend me on my Facebook page. When i hit 100, someone will win a free copy of By Sunset and a 25 Visa Gift Card

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Release Day! B-day Release Day


By Sunset is officially released today!! Whoo-hoo!!
Before I start pimping the novella, I wanted to let everyone know that I will be guesting on few blogs over the next few weeks and i'll be posting a schedule for all of you to check out the blog and ask me anything.

Also, i'm holding a giveaway. I desperate would like 100 people to join my Facebook fan page for Ty Langston that's on the side of my blog, when i hit 100 followers, (hopefully by Dec. 14th), i'll be doing a random drawing with the winner getting a copy of By Sunset as well as a 25 Visa gift card. Good luck to everyone!

Also, i wanted to thanks Staci Helling and Mark from Lazy Day, they are two of the nicest people and with my co-authors from Lazy Day, they have made this experience, the best experience of a lifetime. I appreciate everything you do and more.

Now, for the pimping, on the side of my blog is where you'll be able to pick up a ebook for now of By Sunset..

The link for amazon is here.

You can buy it directly from Lazy Day's Publishing's website that link is here

Barnes and Noble's is here!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A Talk about how Monogamy Sucks!!!



Continuing to introduce you to some of my Lazy Day Publishing peers, George Pappas' Monogamy Sucks introduces us to Jake Dalmas and his sexy adventures.
George has become another great friend that I've made and here he is!




Welcome to the blog George

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a Los Angeles-based novelist, blogger, poet, freelance public relations consultant and former newspaper reporter. Monogamy Sucks is my second novel. I launched the first six chapters of my novel on my blog in summer 2010 after more than 12 years of writing and researching my work. I am a lifelong resident of southern California and have been writing fiction since I was 15.
What can you tell the readers about Monogamy Sucks.
Monogamy Sucks is an erotic fiction novel exploring a Long Beach, Calif. man’s sexy, humorous and intriguing adventures into the swinging lifestyle. The book is told in the form of a fictional diary by the book’s protagonist Jake Dalmas, who is searching for answers and solutions for his frustration and boredom with conventional relationships and monogamy. Along the way, he discovers some of the truth behind the myths and common misconceptions about swingers and the swinging community.
You have said you share some similarities with your main character Jake, tell us about them and why do you decided to write this story.
Well, I went through a similar monogamy and relationship crisis , which led me on my own interesting journey into the swinging lifestyle in the mid to late 1990s. My novel is loosely based on my experiences, but this is also a fictional account and not a memoir. I took liberties in describing a number of real life events and created others to emphasize the humorous aspects of my character Jake Dalmas’ adventures.
Jake says a lot things that I wouldn’t. He comes from the darker side my personality you could say. Jake doesn’t hold back in any way in talking about sex, relationships or monogamy, but he’s not ugly or disrespectful to women in his sentiments.
I recently created a Twitter account for my book’s protagonist -- @jakedalmas -- so I could explore his views on sex, relationships and monogamy in real time without turning off the followers of my author Twitter account. I wanted people to separate my character’s views from my own on Twitter. It has been very useful.



I know you have a background in Public Relations and are also a journalist, did any of those experiences shape this book or any of your previous stories?

One of the more intriguing chapters in my book happened at PR firm that I worked at. LOL
Aside from that, the ability to tell stories in a descriptive but direct manner, which I learned as a journalist, helped a lot in developing my novel’s straightforward style. I am able to effectively cut right to the heart of a scene, which is what you have to do as a features reporter. My public relations background didn’t have an impact on the writing of my novel, but only in the promotion side of it. It has helped immensely having PR experience in knowing how to publicize my novel. In fact, I believe it was my tweeting about my blog and novel, that has led to the Lazy Day opportunity and has brought my book to the attention to a number of potential readers, many who are fellow writers.


Do your friends and family know you are about to be a published author?

Oh yes. My family and friends have known about my book from the beginning even though they didn’t actually see it until I launched the first six chapters on my blog. They were as thrilled as I was when I received the offer from Lazy Day Publishing to publish my book.

Explain your writing process. How long do write for? Do you write in the morning? Evening?

I typically write late in the evening. It is the best time for me to collect my thoughts and focus. But really I am writing all the time. Ideas for chapters, new books, stories will come to me during long walks at the ocean or while I am sitting in a Starbucks.

Who are some of your influences?

Some of my main influences for this novel were Henry Miller (Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn), Anais Nin (Henry and June, her diaries), Charles Bukowski (Women, Post Office, all of his poetry), Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho, Less Than Zero), and Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City). They were fearless in delving into controversial sexual and societal issues in a frank, unsentimental manner exposing truth and hypocrisy alike.


Do you listen to music when you write? Any must haves on the playlist?

Actually, I do listen to lot music on my iPod when I write. My tastes are very eclectic from old blues and jazz, to every kind of rock and roll and modern musical genre you can imagine. No must haves on the playlist, though. I am open to all kinds of music and artists.
In fact, music played a big role in the development of Monogamy Sucks. The unofficial theme song for Monogamy Sucks is Naughty by Nature’s hip-hop classic from the 1990s “OPP.” “Are you down with OPP?” was a title of chapter for a while, but I later changed it. Techno music and references to songs from Prince and Bob Seger also figure in key scenes in my novel. So it is safe to say music inspires all facets of my creative process.


What made you want to be a writer? When did you know that this is what you wanted to do?

I’ve always been interested in telling stories from a young age. When I was younger, I wrote a lot Science Fiction short stories. I wrote my first novel by hand when I was 15. It was a 70-page Science Fiction story called Jake’s War. I always knew I wanted to be a writer in some capacity. I went into journalism and later public relations after college, but I always knew I would return to writing fiction someday.

Why Lazy Day publishing as opposed to another publisher?

Well, Lazy Day Publishing found me. I had no intention of seeking out a traditional publisher for Monogamy Sucks after my bad experience of trying to find an agent and publisher for my first novel. I put the first six chapters of Monogamy Sucks out on my blog and figured eventually I would bring it out myself, but Lazy Day spared me that possibility when they contacted me on my blog with an offer to publish my novel last July.

What was your reaction when you got the “call?”

It was e-mail, not a call, but I was stunned when Staci Helling, co owner of Lazy Day Publishing, informed me that they wanted to publish my manuscript. I was awe stuck and it took a while to sink in. It had taken almost 13 years to reach this point. I still can’t believe it sometimes.

What are some of the things that you are working on now?

I have written another novel and I am currently editing it. This novel has a provocative celebrity angle, but it is not directly about the particular celebrity and it focuses on the romantic, erotic adventures of a man in his late twenties. I can’t reveal much more than that right now.
I am also nine chapters into the sequel of Monogamy Sucks, which picks up six months after where the first novel ends. I am eventually looking to turn Jake Dalmas’ erotic adventures into a trilogy of books.


Any advice that you want to give any author?

Don’t wait to be discovered. Get your work out there on the Internet. Don’t leave your book in your computer or laptop because you’re worried about what others might think. We truly are not the best judge of our own work. Find your own readers, fans and supporters. Be your own agent for change. Also learn the ins and outs of book promotion and explore social marketing. Get on Twitter and build up your Twitter contacts, and followers. Twitter is a great resource for meeting other writers and finding potential readers. Create a Facebook fan page and ask your Facebook friends to be fans. Blog about your book and tweet about it on a regular basis. Write guest blogs on writers’ and publishers’ blogs. Comment on other blogs, too.
This is an amazing time to be an aspiring writer with the rise of social networking and blogs. Use that resource as an opportunity to create your own big break. It has worked for me.


Twitter: @gpwriter @jakedalmas
Blog: http:\\www.monogamysucks.wordpress.com
Publisher: http:\\www.lazydaypub.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Monogamy-Sucks-An-Erotic-Fiction-Novel/171812426178729?v=wall


Thanks George!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Interview w/JM Kelley



I love my good friend and peer from Lazy Day Publishing's JM Kelley's writing so much that I had to have her on my blog.

Her romance, Drew in Blue also launches this Wed, Dec 1st. I had a blast talking to her and today she shares a little bit of herself and introduces us to Drew Doyle, her main character of Drew in Blue!



Welcome to my blog today.
Thanks so much for having me here as a guest!

Tell us about yourself?

A lifelong resident of Pennsylvania, I am a writer of love stories, a painter, a painfully bad knitter, and a photographer – if the pursuit is artistic, chances are I’ve dabbled in it.

After a lengthy break that included adventures in accounting and coffee distribution, I returned to my passion for writing with that old adage write what you know whispering from the deep recesses of my mind. I realized that I know how to read a book on a moving skateboard, that if you’re riding shotgun in a pick-up truck, ‘mud’ can be used as a verb, Amish traffic jams can wreak havoc on your morning commute, and Hog Maw is not to be experienced by the faint of heart.

While this list of knowledge seemed random and borderline nonsensical, it led me to one rock-solid conclusion: life in the Keystone State is a rich and endless source of inspiration. And so, I sat down in front of my laptop and began to piece together a story about life in small-town Pennsylvania – something I know a thing or two about.


Tell us about Drew in Blue? What was the inspiration for it?
Drew Doyle is a thirty-six year old loner unexpectedly saddled with the task of raising a baby while trying to sort out his mess of a life. Problem is, he just keeps making things worse for himself. It’s a running theme in Drew’s life, considering he never does anything the easy way. The River’s View, Pennsylvania gossip mill is watching each misstep as Drew juggles a price-gouging babysitter, a major case of artist’s block, and a best friend with an opinion to share on every bungled choice he makes.
His love life isn’t faring much better. Despite a long history of relationships that never really get off the ground, Drew falls head over heels for someone new, hoping she might be the one to end his romantic bad luck streak. After a few abysmally bad false starts, things finally start looking up. That is, until he finds out (the hard way, naturally) that his new love interest isn’t the one for him after all. Turns out it’s actually lifelong pal and high school girlfriend, Kristina Moser.
Drew’s feelings for Kris intensify as he witnesses her growing bond with his son and he finally realizes where he belongs. Now all he has to do is convince Kris he’s right… and she’s just not buying it.

Now, where did Drew In Blue come from? Well, I love male characters. I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy, so I identify more with the guys. Often in books, you find male leads suffering from too-good-to-be-true syndrome, and I’ve always craved stories about flawed men with good hearts. I want to see them make honest mistakes. I want them to not always say the right thing. And that’s where Drew came in. Drew is far from perfect, but he has a good heart. Imperfection presents so many plot possibilities, as far as I’m concerned.

Who’s your favorite character in the story and why?
That’s such a difficult question for me, because I love Drew so much. He’s been a great guy, very patient with my nitpicky writing ways. I miss our nightly chats as I was writing Drew In Blue. I sway back and forth between him and Kris, but I think I have to pick Kris. Mostly because Kris was originally intended to be a background character, kind of like Drew’s personal Greek chorus. But that girl is stubborn, and she refused to settle for being a tertiary character. As an actual player in the story, I love her strength, her outspokenness, and her sense of self. She doesn’t compromise who she is for anybody. Her heart is her guide, and her loyalty is fierce. I’d love to have her chutzpah.

When you write do you write about people you know, or it about any experiences you may have had or friends?
I think it colors my characters and my stories at times, but I doubt it’s enough that anybody would catch it. I am inspired by a particular nuance of someone’s personality, or an aspect of a situation. I may see somebody’s smile in my head when I’m forming a character’s appearance, but that’s about as far as the borrowing from life goes.
At the same time, my work in progress is very much awash in memories of my father. While the story isn’t actually about him, some of the themes are definitely my way of working out the pain of his loss. While he’s not present in the story, I think his spirit infiltrates my writing in that particular work, and he’s absolutely the inspiration for a particular character.

Who are you influences?

I have a weirdly mashed list of authors I call influences. Harper Lee is the biggest, because reading To Kill a Mockingbird as a child cemented my love of reading and writing forever. Stephen King is an influence, because I love the way his words flow. Toni McGee Causey is my guru of sassy writing. Joseph Heller is in the mix as well. The list fluctuates depending on the day of the week and what I’m reading.


Are there any talents that you have that would surprise your readers?
I’ve been to shooting ranges, and I’m a wicked good shot. Which is hilarious, because I really don’t know what I’m doing. Besides the part where you don’t point a loaded gun at another human, I mean.

Did you always want to be a writer? What made you decide to pursue it?
My school career was filled with secretive writing, interspersed with bouts of validation by teachers reading creative reading assignments aloud. After high school, life took over and I didn’t take time to nurture the writer within. After my dad died a few years back, I took it up again and began writing short stories. Of course, the love for writing grew again, and I didn’t want to stop. After my employer downsized, I was able to find time to write when I wasn’t sending out resumes, and because of that free time, I finally was able to pen Drew In Blue, the novel I always wanted to write.

What’s your writing background?
My official writing background is being a Sagittarian with an incredibly over-active imagination.

My short story, Killing Me Softly, earned a first place finish in the In Other Words Competition at the 2010 Pennwriters Conference, and my non-fiction piece, Anniversary, earned a Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Award at the 2010 South Carolina Writers Workshop Conference.

Do you write every day? Do you have a writing ritual?
I’ve taken my mid-work in progress break right now while I prepare for Drew In Blue’s publication. I seem to have a tendency to get to the halfway point and need to step away for a bit. Refresh the thought process. I take a notebook everywhere with me, and jot down ideas, scenes, and some free-associative writing that tests some plot advancements. I’ll be a good girl and get back to writing more aggressively in December, I swear it.
In general though, I’m a night owl. My best ideas hit at 3 a.m., which is hell on the internal clock, but what can you do but submit to the muse?

Why did you choose Lazy Day Publishing?
I just got a positive vibe from Lazy Day. I can’t really explain it. My dear friend Laurie felt the same when I showed her the site. Discussing the situation, we both felt the same-good juju here. I decided to go with my gut, and have no regrets. They’ve been incredibly supportive and the fact that I was able to share my vision for my book cover and have a publisher listen to my input is just amazing.

Where were you when you got the ‘call’?
I was rushing around doing other errands and opened an email expecting my daily rejection. Then my jaw hit the ground when I saw that lovely ‘yes’ inside. I messaged a friend on AIM and freaked out! Still haven’t come down off that cloud yet.

What advice would you give to any aspiring author?
Keep on keeping on. If you have faith in your writing, don’t give up. But be open to change. Recognize when you need to take a different approach to make your words shine. The hardest thing I ever had to do was to take a step back and see that what I thought was my finished manuscript needed work. But it paid off in the end.

Excerpt
Abandoned by his mother and delivered into the arms of the father who deserted him first – the world carried an awfully big grudge against such a little guy.

“Kid, you’ve got rotten luck,” I said. I squatted next to the car seat he occupied, my knees cracking on the way down like trampled twigs. The baby’s cries intensified when I reached out my hand to tentatively stroke one of the clenched fists shaking with the force of his fury.

Tears fought their way past eyelids he’d squeezed shut. They snaked down his sallow cheeks, pausing at the corners of his open mouth before continuing on and disappearing beneath his quivering chin.

I glanced over my shoulder when I heard a screen door slap against its wooden frame. My next-door neighbor stepped out onto his porch and placed his hands on his hips before turning in my direction. It was late, and the residents of my street, mostly retirees, expected quiet nights. I couldn’t see his face, but it didn’t matter – nobody else was around to earn the annoyance his posture projected. Instead of acknowledging his presence and my obvious role in disturbing the peace, I turned back to the caterwauling baby before me.

This was my son. Nicholas Embry Doyle. Illegitimate offspring of me, Drew Doyle, and Allison Embry – the woman who’d, just moments before, dumped him on me before speeding off in a car driven by a man with so many tattoos and piercings that my initial theory of her running off to join the circus carried some serious merit.

“I don’t want it,” she said when she thrust the handle of the car seat into my hands and dropped a bag of the baby’s belongings to the porch steps. “I can’t deal with it. I don’t want it. Take it.” As if he was a thing. An object. Not her own child.

Allison’s dark hair stuck out in frizzed clumps and her eyes darted from side to side. She stood rigid and trembling, like a caged animal. In the shadowed confines of my porch, her dilated pupils, black voids obscuring any hint of the usual pale blue, amplified her feral appearance. I suspected she’d been smoking pot or something more potent. She’d never taken drugs in front of me, but I’d taken note of the sweet, pungent odor of marijuana clinging to the furniture in her apartment in the few instances I’d been there. I didn’t question her about it.

It’s not like what she did ever mattered to me, anyway. We weren’t exactly close. I met her in a bar over in Finchesburg. The town is about a half hour’s drive due east from my hometown of River’s View, Pennsylvania – a veritable wasteland of German heritage and backwoods Appalachian dimwittedness.

Allison and I did the deed a few times and moved on. When she called me two months later, I couldn’t place her voice. When she told me she’d taken a pregnancy test and the results were positive, I’d wished I’d never met her.

Turns out the ninety-eight percent efficiency rate on the back of the condom box isn’t the number you need to be paying attention to – it’s that two percent failure rate that bites you in the ass when you least expect it.

“You look like hell,” I said to Nicholas, fumbling with the complicated latch holding him in his seat.

At the age of … what, four months old? He was too small. I pictured babies with round, apple-red cheeks and pot bellies. Nicholas may as well have been constructed of toothpicks. After a brief struggle to extricate him from the car seat, I was caught off guard by his slight, scrawny frame. I’d lifted heavier bags of marshmallows in my life.

This wasn’t our first meeting. Allison had called when the baby was born, and I visited them in the hospital. He was gaunt then, too. She’d handed the swaddled bundle of wrinkled, purplish-colored infant to me, and I stared at him while he screamed and writhed. His head wobbled when I tried to position him in my arms, and I nearly dropped him to the floor. Something about that egregious error had made it okay to write out a check right before I walked out of their lives.

He deserved better than me. She was supposed to have given him better.

I rested the baby on my shoulder and offered him an awkward pat on the back. Beneath his dirty t-shirt, the bony protrusions I encountered when I strummed my fingers down his torso elicited a shudder.

“Shit.” I collapsed to the porch, my shaking knees too weak to support my own weight any longer. The gravity of the situation finally hit me, like a bullet between the eyes. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. His cries diminished and he whimpered into my neck, exhaustion gaining the upper hand.

This was the kid I’d left behind. The kid I didn’t want to complicate my life. And I’d left him in the care of a woman I barely knew, assuming she’d do the work in my place.

She didn’t. One glance at the kid was all the proof I needed.

My stomach gurgled. Nicholas lifted his teetering head and stared at me, confused by the wet, menacing growls coming from within me. He either lost interest or used up too much energy and collapsed against my shoulder. I barely had time to deposit him back in the car seat before I had to scramble to the porch railing and empty the contents of my stomach into the bushes below.

Thanks Joann!

Websites
My website address is www.jmkelleywrites .com, and my blog, The Dirt, is located there.
My Facebook fanpage can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/JM-Kelley/108021242585994
And as if that isn’t enough, I’d love for everyone to join me on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3164982
Twitter
My Twitter handle is @JM_Kelley, and my main character, Drew Doyle has his own account as well. Pretty mouthy for a fictional person. His handle is @Drew_Doyle.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Interview at Writing Insight

Hi all.

Sue London was nice enough to interview me for Blooming Authors. We talked writing, By Sunset and Lazy Day Publishing.

Link can be found here.


Also, i'll be posting JM Kelley's interview on Monday. It's fantastic and deserves to be seen. I adore her and you'll love Drew in Blue.

Till then, Happy Thanksgiving. Be safe, enjoy your weekend.

xoxo

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Hi everyone!! Here it is!!!

Hi everyone. I'll be having my good friend JM Kelley on my blog tomorrow talking about her awesome release from Lazy Day called "Drew in Blue" but before i do.

I thought you'd all want to see my cover for By Sunset.

Also, i also did a guest post on lazy day's site today talking about By Sunset.
All of you can ck it out by clicking here.

Enjoy!


Monday, November 22, 2010

Interview w/Marissa Dobson

Hi everyone! Over the next few days, i'm going to have a couple people as guests on my blogs.

Today's guest is Marissa Dobson, book reviewer of Sizzling Hot Books!

Marissa, is not only now, a popular book reviewer, but also an author!
Today we talk about her contribution to Turquoise Morning Press's Christmas Anthology, "Believe".

Everyone say hi to Melissa!


Welcome Marissa

First off Congrats on being a part of this great anthology, a lot of us know you as a lover of books and also as a book reviewer, can you tell us a little about yourself?
First let me say thank you for having me. I am honored to be here, this is the first interview I have done as an author, and I am pleased it was here with you.
When it comes to me there isn’t much to tell. I am no where near as interesting as the characters I write about. I am just your average twenty something housewife with a reading fetish and an active imagination. I am originally from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, but moved away when I met my husband.

Can you tell us about your contribution to ‘Believe’ called ‘The Twelve Seductive Days of Christmas’?
Where did you get the idea for this story?
The Twelve Seductive Days of Christmas is a sweet romantic story. Jasmine has a rocky past, she has been burned by love and family before, and now she has a daughter to worry about. She isn't looking for anything, just a quiet place that she can raise her daughter.
On the other hand Logan Clarke fell in love with the mysterious Jasmine long ago, hearing stories from her grandmother. And now that Jasmine is finally here, he knows he’s in love for sure.
Snowbound in a cottage, twelve days before Christmas, does Logan have enough time to convince Jasmine of love at first sight? And can Jasmine let go of her past, and let Logan into her heart?
As for where did I get the idea…honestly it came to me one night while I was laying in bed wondering what I could write for the Christmas anthology. I wanted to contribute something to it but couldn’t think of something that I should write and keep under the word count. I had the idea for this story and thought I could make it work.



Have you always wanted to be an author? When did you know that it what you wanted to do?
Since I was a teenager have been writing down stories, and always dreamed of being published. However after I married I didn’t have as much time to indulge myself in writing. About a year ago a friend talked me into doing National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) with her and since then I can’t stop writing. I try hard to take the weekends off with no writing but over half the time the characters bug me until I give in. Thankfully right now it is football season so I can write while my husband watches the game and not feel guilty.
What’s your writing process like? Do you write in the mornings, afternoons? Do you write with music, food by your side?
My writing process, well I hear so many writers say they work with music on. I can’t do that. I need silence. As for food by my side while I am writing, I keep a small jar with hard candy in it and when I am stuck on something and not sure how I want to proceed I have a piece and think it over. It helps. However I have to have a drink by my side in the mornings it is coffee by the gallons, and evenings it is tea or ice water. As for when I do most of the writing, I am not a morning person, so writing doesn’t start until around 10am when my brain is finally active. I try to stop writing when my husband gets home from work between 3 and 5 so we can spend some time together. I do some writings in the evenings if I am on a roll or really behind, but normally that time is saved for reading.
If you listen to music when you write, what kinds of music do you like to listen to?
Sorry no music while I am writing.
How did you fell when you were told that you got your writing contract?
Just thinking about hearing the news brings a smile to my face. I cuddle up on the couch reading when my cell phone went off letting me know I had an email. I was engrossed in my book, I was going to wait and check the email later but for some reason I couldn’t get back into the book, I was wondering what that email was. Finally I gave in and checked the email. It was telling me that it was going to be included in the Believe anthology and I started screaming. I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited
Working on anything now?
Currently I am working on a few projects, a Valentine’s Day themed short story, and a paranormal romance novel. I am also polishing another romance novel.

Giveaways…. After I reach 100 fans on my author facebook fan page I will give away a copy of Believe, link is below.


Excerpt
December 10
“I appreciate your taking the time to see me, Mrs. Pierce,” the man standing before me said. “Please have a seat.”
Sinking into the comfiest chair the old hotel lobby offered, which wasn’t saying much, I replied, “Call me Jasmine.” I hadn’t been Mrs. Pierce since the divorce. “And why do you need to see me?” Hopefully this isn’t what I think.
He put out his hand. “I’m Dave Johnson, attorney. Came all the way from Montana to find you.”
I gave his hand a weak shake. Montana? “I don’t understand.”
The lobby was nearly empty at this time of day, which I was glad of. Everyone had finished with breakfast and was on with their day. The owners’ two kids were waiting for the school bus outside.
“I’m your grandmother’s attorney, Jasmine. She had me looking for you up until she passed away in September. Your mother had changed your last name, and I had a hard time finding you.”
That was the last thing I expected. I’d half worried this had something to do with my ex, who vanished months ago. I figured he was in some kind of trouble, somewhere, and was looking for me to bail him out.
But— Grandmother?
Couldn’t be true. My mother always said we had no family left. “I’m sorry. You have the wrong person.”
He scooted to the edge of the grimy brown couch. “Jasmine, let me explain.”
I nodded, letting him know I would hear him out.
“Your mother ran off with you when you were very young. She sent pictures home to your grandmother but wouldn’t allow her to see you. They—your grandmother and your mother—had a difference of option that lead to an estrangement.” Mr. Johnson leaned down to his briefcase. “These are letters she wrote to your mother. They were all returned unopened. She believed they would explain everything—
“But that is not why I came, I came to give you the deed to her house. When she passed, she left everything to you.”

December 13
Two long days later, I arrived at my grandmother’s house in Casper, exhausted and aching from sitting in the car for so long. Driving from Richmond, Virginia to Casper, Montana with Alyssa, my eight-month-old daughter, and my sweet, but cantankerous little Cocker named Floppie, was not an ideal trip, but it was what I had to do.
What did I have to lose?
My grandmother had left me everything. And although it was in one way a relief, I was also scared to death of starting a new life, in a new place.
It was late afternoon and almost dusk, and the best I could hope for was to unload the few things for the night. We’d eaten at the last fast food stop we’d passed about two hours earlier, so I didn’t care about dinner, or anything else. I just wanted a hot shower and a good night’s sleep, and to get my baby to bed.
I sat in awe of the house, looking up from my old beat-up car, actually amazed that it made it this far. The house was a beautiful two-story log cabin with a large wrap-around deck. I remembered it, somehow, from a distant memory. Barely. Enough snow blanketed the ground to make the cabin stand out against the wood background. I couldn’t wait to look around inside, but I’d have to postpone that until I got Alyssa settled.
“Let’s get inside and turn the lights on, Alyssa, before it gets too dark.” I dug the key Mr. Johnson had given me out of my change purse.
Floppie was asleep in the back and Alyssa in her car seat. I left the pup so I could get Alyssa inside, taking the whole seat out to make my way to the porch. “Just for a minute,” I whispered to Floppie. “Let’s get the lights on and see if we have heat.”
Struggling with car seat, my purse and the diaper bag, and Alyssa, I juggled while attempting to slide the key into the lock the unforgiving lock.
The deep husky voice that came from behind startled me. “You must be Jasmine.”
“What?” My heart pounced inside my chest. I faced the voice, my senses immediately on high alert. I stared, making a complete fool of myself. “Um, yes... Who are you?”

Thanks Marissa!

Here's where you can find her!

You can find me at a few places….
Site - http://www.marissadobson.com/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Marissa-Dobson/175831712431627
Twitter - http://twitter.com/MDobson84
My Review site - http://www.sizzlinghotbooks.net



Everyone, Make sure, you go onto Marissa's Facebook page at this link. When Marissa, gets 100 fans, Marissa will be giving away a copy of Believe to a fan. Good Luck!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

I talk about By Sunset

Evening all, i did two great interview yesterdays my fellow Lazy Day Authors, J M. Kelley and George Pappas, we talked about my novella, By Sunset and about the writing process!

You can check out the interviews by clicking here!

and also here !
thanks Joey and George !! xoxo!!!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Chat time

Morning all.

I hope you can join me and my fellow authors at Lazy Day Publishing for our weekly chat this evening between 6-7 EST on twitter.

All you need to do is log onto twitter find me, I'm @bedofroses2001 and use the hashtag #LDChat

Hope to see you all there!!!

Have a great day.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Blog hop anyone ??

Just saw this on the awesome Lisa Sanchez blog and wanted to participate.




For anyone who is a new author like myself, let's get to know one another.
Just simply paste the link, read from excerpts and get to know all of us.

And please comment.

Hope to hear from all of you soon.
my link to my excerpt is here

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Wanna Chat?

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone had a lot of candy on Halloween. (i sure did!)

I wanted to let everyone know that this evening my fellow Lazy Day Publishing authors, will be having a chat from 6-8 EST on twitter talking about our books, writing, and the publishing industry.

Please stop by, my twitter address is @bedofroses2001 and when you chat please use the twit hashtag, #LDchat

Hope to see you there!!!

Have a great day all. I also have a contest to announce soon, so stay tuned!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Wanted to wish you all a very Safe and Happy Halloween!

This week and for the rest of this month, i hope, since first round of edits are done, to wrap up the sequels to By Sunset as well as update all of you about the book launch in Dec.

Till then, have plenty of candy and enjoy!!!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

By Sunset Excerpt




Hi Everyone.

I've been busy doing my first round of edits today for my fantasy novella, By Sunset, and for the most part they're done and nearly ready to be shipped off to Lazy Day in a couple of days.

The Story is about two warring families that annually race Dragons for not prizes aka "assets" but also the use of the Mother Dragon which each year lays two eggs.

Some of the eggs are your standard fire-breathing dragons and some....well let's just say they are enchanted.


Because so many of you have asked, here's a first 'unedited' excerpt.

Enjoy!



Swimming alone, the young woman enjoyed her mid-afternoon swim along the banks of Elderon Lake.
On one of the hottest days she had ever experienced, the large lake and forest were one of the three borders between her kingdom of Kergan and the enemy state of Tacorian.
She adored the solitude, making a point to take an occasional break from her duties as a lady-in-waiting to the youngest heir of Kergan, Princess Isabelle, to relax, reflect and perhaps enjoy some sporadic company with a young border soldier needing his own afternoon stress reliever.
It didn’t matter who they were or if they were from enemy territory. Both royal families of Kergan and Tacorian had more than their equal share of handsome and lustful men on each side that provided her with several hours of pleasure.

Wrapping around the curves of her pale, bare breasts as if it were a winter blanket, the dark water felt amazing against her warm skin.
Floating on her stomach, she flipped herself over on her back watching the blue sky for several minutes, her cascading ebony mane and feet, occasionally making a brief appearance through the water’s surface.
On this day, she contemplated everything from when her nation’s current drought would end, to helping her country’s eldest son, Prince Julian, win the upcoming Dragon Race. Doing this would finally release their nation of Kergan from a mounting economic debt, thanks in part to Tacorian.
In her opinion, she was getting faster by the year. It was only by sheer luck that the Tacorian team won.
Their dragon, Hera, apparently knew the course better.
Unfortunately, because of her win, it may have cost the Dragon her life.
She was concerned for Julian and the royal family she served. People were blaming him for the murder which happened a couple of nights ago while the Dragon slept quietly in her lair.
Knowing Julian for her entire life, she knew that he wasn’t capable of such a horrendous act.

She turned onto her stomach and dove deeper into the lake swimming underwater for several yards.
Coming up for air was when she noticed him only several feet in front of her.
Lying on the grass, the young man’s ivory shirt was trimmed at the bottom with the crimson and gray colors of the Tacorian.
Her curiosity was peaked. She knew the military garments of the Tacorian army. This wasn’t it. Their coats, their vests, were of red, black and gray.
They never wore white, but for some reason, he did.
His shirt was opened, revealing his tanned skin. He had shoulder-length light brown hair and green eyes.
She swam towards him. The closer she got to him, the more taken she was by him.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Great News!!!!

Well, I have to explain the reasons for my absence of late.
But i think you'll like the reasons why and I hope you continue on the journey with me.

Today, I was offered a contract for my novella, By Sunset: A Dragon Races Tale from Lazy Day Publishing.
It's the first in a series of novellas that i hope you all enjoy!

You'll see me lot over the next few weeks. I have a lot that i'll be able to share with you.

But, until then...Take care everyone. xoxo

To learn more about Lazy Day and their great team of writers please click here.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Save Me

I haven't updated this in a while.
But i wanted to give everyone an update.
Finished up one WIP that has pretty much kept me off of every social networking site for the entire summer.
It's off to my wonderful CP Carole, (who i pray isn't tearing it to shreds.) LOL
Also, nearly done another with MOG (aka) mail order groom also, and i'm working on another short story.
So, most likely I'll be off the radar again to finish those projects up and then..We'll go from there.
One of the songs lately that has been on my playlist is Save Me by Australian rock band Juke Kartel, my friend Lysa turned me on to them about a year ago and I've been a fan since.

Enjoy!


Tuesday, August 31, 2010

An WIP excerpt

Hi everyone! Been busy with a ton of stuff as usual. But I'd thought that i'd share an excerpt of a WIP that i've been working on for a bit.

Its the first of a paranormal/fantasy tale focusing on two royal families that are bounded together by both hated and love for Dragon Racing.

This excerpt is a conservation between Lady Elena and her father Reddick. Reddick is one of the elders of Gaia and is one of the races judges.


Enjoy.

Since, the race was moments from now, Elena, decided to talk to her father while they walk towards Council Hall.
She was wearing a light purple dress with silver lace trimmed on its long sleeves, jeweled bodice and long train.
She wore the pink and black diamond engagement necklace draped in silver that Julian gave her along with a simple silver headdress given to her by father.




As the youngest elder of the High Council met his daughter in the middle of the corridor, Reddick smiled at her proudly. He approved of his future son-in-law a great deal. Julian reminded him of the way he was with Elena’s mother during their courtship. Intense, flirtatious, and loving.
He could sense her concern as she approached. Their strong intuition could be both a blessing and curse. As much he loved Julian and his daughter with him, he knew from what he saw in her future, there would always be danger.
For his family’s sake, Reddick decided to not interfere and let the young ones chart their own destiny. He had hoped his visions were wrong.
Kissing her gently on the cheek, he greeted her
“My darling, you look beautiful.”
“Thank you Father.”
The two began to walk towards the Council Hall.
“Father, I come to you with concern for my love’s safety.”
Reddick held his daughter’s hand in an attempt to reassure her. “Elena, now you know as well as I do that the races are by are dangerous.”

“But the visions I’ve been having father are much more frightening than a race course. Can you tell me where the assets are?”
Reddick shook his head. His hazel eyes flared. “No, I cannot. You know the rules.”
“Wherever the destination is…There are buildings on fire and people, earthlings I do believe that are dying or will.”
“Did you tell Julian of your concerns, darling?”
She nodded. “Yes. He’s insistent on running the race.”
Reddick smirked. “It figures. His family’ royal stones are what he needs to retrieve and bring back here before Caleb does.”
She was shocked at her father’s attitude.
“And Caleb? You’re not concerned about him wanting to hurt Julian or Olivia because of Hera?”
Reddick stopped dead in his tracks. He turned towards Elena, who appeared to be frustrated by everyone’s lack of apprehension.
“If he tries to hurt Olivia or Julian, he’s dead. It is that simple.”


“Is it? Besides our family, aren’t the Tacorians one of the most wealthiest in the galaxy? It would take nothing for him to bribe some of the other elders into taking Caleb’s side.”
Reddick was angry. He refused to listen to his daughter speak with disrespect about the other elders in this fashion. Since his father, the former Emperor of Gaia, died several years ago, the High Council hand-picked by Reddick would govern the galaxy with neutrality. Anyone caught taking a bribe would be subject to a lifetime prison sentence.
“Take it back Elena! They would not!”
Elena shook her head. “I won’t father! Whatever Valorian wants, he gets. Julian told me that his family is borrowing money from Valorian now to simply run the day-to-day functions of their kingdom. “
Reddick looked blankly at her.
“You didn’t know? Everytime Valorian jumps; the High Council jumps with him. “
Reddick shook his head in disbelief.
“Not true!”


“It is true! Think that if Caleb kills Julian or Olivia for Hera he’ll go free? I do!”
“Elena stop!” Reddick yelled
Her pleas rang throughout the hall.
“Father, you know I’m right. If Caleb hurts Julian or Olivia you all have to sentence him to death.”
Reddick began to walk again towards the launch pad.
“Julian will be your son-in-law! I have never asked you for special treatment on his behalf because if he knew I went to you, he’d never take it! But I am begging you to sentence Caleb if he hurts him…Please!” She cried as turned around and walked the opposite way and up the balcony steps of the Council Hall.
Reddick looked up at her as she watched him now over the balcony. As the crowd, began to fill the hall. He closed his eyes. ‘What would you do if we didn’t sentence him Elena?’ he asked her in silence.
She stood there blankly touching her necklace.
He opened his eyes. He got his answer with a glance so chilling that he did briefly have to consider her concerns for her future husband.


‘Revenge doesn’t suit you well daughter. Not at all.’ He thought.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Tuesday Pick me up.

I don't have much to say these days, so i think i'll just let this picture of Joe say it all!

Monday, July 19, 2010

True Blood: minisode

Sorry, I haven't posted much everyone.
Honestly, there's not a whole lot for me to say.
Life is just busy.
Writing is going very very well, between the job and its OT...I now manage now to make time writing when work is done either very late at night or for a couple of hours before I work.

Mail Order Groom is nearly done. And I've finally really to start to plot out a series of were-stories that i didn't want to start writing until i knew where i wanted to go with them.

Since the main character is over 200 years ago, i've been for close to a year doing a lot of research on this period and more specifically his love interest and how their relationship came to be.

Also, i've been playing catchup with one of my all-time favorite shows, True Blood.
Although i'm very much Team Eric, I gotta admit, Alcide is hot, hot hot!! And Franklin's hysterical.

For anyone who wants to see what all the fuss is about regarding us Truebies, here's minisode feat. Eric and Pam.
Enjoy!!!


Tuesday, July 6, 2010

The Big Easy

I hope everyone had a great fourth of July.
I had a great time here with family and friends.

While we're battling the Extreme Heat here in the Great Northeast,i am addicted these days to the movie "The Big Easy".

I don't know if it's because of the fact that this movie has in my opinion one of the sexiest love scenes ever, or if its because of that devilish grin that only Dennis Quaid could pull off.

Well, since i can't upload that infamous love scene clip, here's a clip i found that is one my favorites also from the movie.

Ellen Barkin and Dennis' chemistry is amazing and in this scene, despite how much she despises him at that moment and what happens prior to this clip, he manages to still forgive and fall in love with her...and her with him. (although she doesn't realize it until the end of the scene. LOL).

Ellen Barkin is great in this role and if any of you have never seen this movie, go get it on DVD, Netflix, somewhere...Oh, you'll make sure you have plenty of ice.

You'll need it to cool off.

Enjoy!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Enjoy the Holiday

I hope everyone has a Happy and Safe Fourth of July!!!!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Sorry Been MIA

Hello everyone!

Sorry for being so MIA but i've been enjoying the summer and working very very hard on finally completing Mail Order Groom.

The story was intended to be a a lot shorter, but looks at it'll be a bit longer.

Guess the main characters want to make their presence known so i'll go with what the muses are telling me to do.

All is well with the story. In fact going very well. Very proud of this story and hope that all of you will enjoy it one day.

I've grown a lot as a writer and thank not only my Critique Partners, especially my dear friend Jill Lieberman, but also the other authors and writers that i have gotten to know over the last two years. Thanks for your words of encouragement and ongoing optimism.


Before I head back into the writing cave, i wanted to say congrats to both Cari Quinn and my good friend Jamie Saare.

Both of them have stories released today from The Wild Rose Press.

Cari's story is called Ex-Appeal which is a follow up to her other story called Full Disclosure (also available from The Wild Rose Press)



It is available by clicking here.

And the awesome JA Saare's story is called Crimson Moon.




And it is available by clicking here

Enjoy the weekend!!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Wednesday night pick me up.

Okay, i have to make word count as I plan on finishing the rough draft of Mail Order Groom aka MOG by the end of the month.

Story is going very well...

Since tonight i'll be working on Nik's first appearance in the U.S., I thought you all would like to see the "muse" yet again...

Dear god he's on TV now twice a week...it's going to be a loong, hot summer!!

Enjoy the 'muse' hahaha :)



Thursday, May 20, 2010

More Henry...I want to see this

Okay, taking a break from writing for yet another Henry Cavill clip.

I can't wait to see this movie,

Henry, vampires, sexy!!! Blood Creek! Oh yeah. Michael Fassbender and the uber hot Dominic Purcell are in this too!!!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

OMG!!!! Henry Cavill!!

In between writing, reading some great books and prepping to go on vacation in about a week... the first pictures of the Immortals came out this past weekend.

This movie doesn't come out until next year, but i've been a sucker for Greek Mythology since college and Theseus is one of my all time favorite characters.

One of my favorite actors is Henry Cavill, who plays Charles Brandon in the Tudors, well here's everyone's first look at him as Greek warrior Theseus in the Immortals.

The films also stars Mickey Rourke, Stephen Dorff and another favorite of mine, Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto.

Enjoy!!! Is it 2011 yet?

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Saturday Night Pick Me Up!

Work and Real Life lately have been quite hectic for me lately.

But what always seems to make me feel a bit better is a little music, and a lot of writing.


Mail Order Groom is coming along very well. Before I work on it a bit more this evening, I'd like to introduce you to Yuri.

Nik's Best Friend and as close to a brother to him as one could be.

I wrote a good great deal about him and how his actions pull Nik's into one of the craziest situations he'll ever be in.

Enjoy the Pick me up!


Wednesday, May 5, 2010

What gets your attention?

I haven't been online that much have been writing a lot. (I have to update my word counts in fact so that all of you can see my progress, i've been too lazy to do that).


The other day, when talking to one of my Crit Partners over the phone like we always to and we were commenting on capturing aka "hooking" your reader's attention.

For readers, can a hook turn you off? Or does it make you want to continue reading?

For writers, when do you use hook or a cliffhanger? At the end of the chapter? The beginning?

I think it's good to do at different point of a story and it depends on the plot, but what does everyone else think?

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Playing catchup

Been playing a bit of catchup of late on reading, writing, doing RL stuff and watching a lot of TV that i've missed. (thank god for HULU!!).

One of the shows recently i've been recently watching (well it's old) was The Practice. I've always been a fan of the show, so when i saw some old episodes from the first two seasons come up on hulu, i couldn't help but to watch...


Dylan McDermott is fantastic!! Granted he's got a great new show on TNT called Dark Blue now, but you tend to sometimes forget until you watch him in different roles and especially in movies like The Line of Fire and in the Practice just how versatile and truly talented he is.

Okay and he's very easy on the eyes (he's 48 all!! seriously!! LOL)

Take a look at him in this fan made clip from the movie The Mistress of Spices and you'll see why he's my new crush.OMG!!! (Fanning face)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

It's been awhile.

Mood: Relieved/Grateful
Listening to: Only Lonely by Bon Jovi


Because of work and other things going on in my life i haven't been able to update this blog as much as i'd like to.

But today was a good day.
Some of my readers may know that i was pretty sick for a bit and had a procedure to shrink a large mass that covered most of my abdomen.

Well six months after the procedure and a couple of follow ups appointments w/the radiation team, I was happy to learn that the non-cancerous mass has shrunk a great deal so I will not be needing surgery.

Relieved and grateful for the Dr's and staff who treated me over the last few months. Thank you for everything.

During all of this, I was writing. In fact a lot. Mail Order Groom is going well. I wrote a short piece called The Last Night that's pretty cool, I think.

And on the line is on hold, may make that a young adult story after some advice from my CP awhile ago.

Anyways, i thought i'd share a little of Mail Order Groom w/you. Rough...But here's an excerpt. Enjoy!!!

Excerpt!


Feeling as if someone had removed the last shred of optimism she attempted to hold onto for the day, Jessica Brooke turned towards the aging tow truck driver and asked.

“Is there anything else that can go wrong for me today? “

His weathered face focused on the road, the tow truck driver hid any sympathy he had for the young scientist as she continued to whine about her lifetime tolls.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to understand where she was coming from but, at 8:45 in the morning, sleep had not yet removed itself from his sky blue eyes that were concealed rather nicely by a pair of Ray Bans.

She scanned through the morning’s events in her head. Seemingly in a state of disbelief at the series of events that had all occurred within a span of ninety minutes.

“First, I wake up late thanks in part to my dear, sweet, boyfriend who decided that he wanted to stay overnight. Usually when he does that, I tend to forget to set the alarm clock. Then, after jolting out of bed after 8, I jump into the shower only to find out that my pipes are frozen solid.”

The tow truck driver stared vacantly at her for several seconds before turning his concentration back onto the road. For his own sanity, he realized that saying nothing would be better than saying something. One wrong word from this one would only make her rant and simmering wrath worse than he wanted to get into at such an early hour.

Praying for any kind of acknowledgement from the driver, Jessica continued to spew her venom.
“So with no water at all, I decided to go to work early and work on some of my notes before this big presentation I have this afternoon. I go, grab my banana, laptop and keys. Check the time, it was then 8:30 which to be honest, wasn’t that bad all things considered. Then, I go, put my keys in the ignition and that is when the car wouldn’t start. Not even an engine turnover. I knew I was in trouble the minute that red ass battery light came on! And then that brings me here with you.”


He was relieved when he saw the automatic gates opened slowly at the Edison Energy plant. The seven minute ride was as aggravating as nails on a chalk board. The quicker he dropped her off, the quicker the morning silence would return.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Pleae vote.

Happy Sunday!

My good friend Cari Quinn's book Full Disclosure is up for Book of the Week for Whipped Cream Reviews.

Please vote for this talented lady! Thanks for the vote!




http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/recentrev.htm


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The muse

Mood-sleepy
ipod-Already gone by Kelly Clarkson


Okay, because of real life stressing me out lately to be point of exhaustion. It was great yesterday to get back into the groove of things and work on my WIPS.

And it felt good. Wrote a lot. My Crit partner's will be happy because in a few days they will have some gifts in their in boxes for MOG aka Mail Order Groom.


Which is simply just a fun, erotic romp...With probably the best looking 'groom' that i could find.

Meet Nik!

x

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Last Song

Here we go another Nick Sparks book, another movie!!! whoot!

I can't wait to see this movie, I haven't read this book yet either. And from the looks of this movie and all that i've heard about this movie. Miley Cyrus is FANTASTIC in it.

Trailer for The Last Song and yes everyone this is Miley singing the Theme Song, which is also great!!! (i have it!)

Enjoy!


also adding in the addictive miley cyrus video!!! great track

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Sunshine Awards

Writing Status-nearly almost done writing my transitional chapter

Music? None at the moment.

My dear friend Grace chose to give me and several others a Sunshine Award.

It's given to people whose blogs you enjoy reading the most.

So it's my turn to share this award to 12 other whose blogs i enjoy as well.



These are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or within the post.
2. Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within your post.
4. Let the nominees know they have received the award by posting on their blogs.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

And here are my picks

1. Random Musings by JA Saare http://jasaare.blogspot.com/
2 Wendi Zwaduk Romance to make your heart race http://wendizwaduk.blogspot.com/
3. Sunstreaked -Sunshine and Rain http://sunstreaked-sunshine-and-rain.blogspot.com/
4. Becky - http://www.jovibits.blogspot.com/
5. The Goddess Hathor http://thegoddesshathor.blogspot.com/
6. Cari Quinn, Girl Writer http://cariquinn.blogspot.com/
7. Ashley Ladd, Happily Ever After http://www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com/
8. Keta's Keep http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com/
9. One Perception is One's Reality by Jill http://onesperceptionisonesreality.blogspot.com/
10. Wicked, Whimsical and Random by Lissa Matthews
http://lissamatthews.blogspot.com/?zx=64c885bf3b8329e5
11. Lynne Roberts http://lynneroberts.blogspot.com/?zx=d99c050b49dd0a1d
12. Jacqueline Paige http://jacqpaige.blogspot.com/

Saturday, February 6, 2010

More Procastinating

Okay,
I should be writing.
But instead like a friend just said. Blogging is technically writing so i'm going to add it to my word count for the day !

Before i start going. Wanted to mention some other writer's blog that i love to visit and i think people will love just as much as I do.

I thank Cari Quinn, JA Saare and Sunstreaked in part because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't know a lot about these great writers.


First off, JA Saare's Random Musings

http://jasaare.blogspot.com/

Jamie talking about life and about her upcoming book releases, she's great lady! (plus we share the same taste in music!!)

Sunshine and Rain by Sunstreaked

http://sunstreaked-sunshine-and-rain.blogspot.com/

My dear friend Sun is one of the best writers i know. Links to her stories are the the side of her blog. Great person, fantastic writer!

Cari Quinn, Girl Writer

http://cariquinn.blogspot.com/

Another great writer! Check her out!

Wendi Zwaduk

http://wendizwaduk.blogspot.com/?zx=dd72a3d6b4bb5717

Hysterically funny, Wendi is another writer who talking about her upcoming releases and like the other ladies, talk about life in general.

Ashley Ladd's Happily Ever After

http://www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com/

Fantastic writer also!!

There are tons more but far too many to list! I've learned a lot of these writers over the last year than I ever thought i would.

On the bottom of my blog i also (when I get a chance will add more links of the cool people i follow)

I guess now i truly must write, currently in a transitional chapter and I hate doing them. Love you all!!

And two more items make sure you vote for JA Saare's Lick of Frost for book of the week (link is on previous post) and visit Jamie at Eternal Press tomorrow where she'll talk about her new release, Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between

http://www.eternalpress.ca/index.html

And also my good friend Madison Night has her very first book release at Noble Publishing Romance, called Firefly.
https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=93

Happy Reading!

Lick of Frost-Go Vote

Status on Writing (Procrastinating)

Listening to: Used to be my Playground by Madonna

Lick of Frost

Vote for Lick of Frost at Whipped Cream Reviews. It's up for book of the week!


http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/recentrev.htm

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Soft as Moonlight by JA Saare




Mood-Great!
Listening to Richie Sambora's Ballad of Youth

My good friend JA Saare's story Soft as Moonlight is up for Book of the Week at Whipped Cream reviews. Please vote!

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/recentrev.htm