Read a Book – AJ

For Katherine Stapleton (aka Kitty), being a shape-shifter isn’t nearly as glamorous as the novels and movies make it out to be. It isn’t all raw, animalistic sex and superhuman physical prowess. There’s also the hairballs.

Kitty has spent her entire life being a less-than-perfect were-cat. She can’t control her animal changes, so she decide to excel at matters human. After a decade of worldly successes, she’s back home for her ten-year high school reunion. Yet, she feels just as insignificant as she did back in school–except with Sam Philmore, a fellow D.C. lawyer and past classmate. And her former secret crush. In just three days Kitty gets the bad memories, the good times, the bitter truth, and a mouthful of one very sexy man who just happens to be a mouse sometimes…

Thursday 13: Trippin’ down memory lane

I am sick and feeling nostalgic, so there ya go. 13 Things I remember for yesteryear.

THe thing with Malibu Barbie was her skin tanned in the sun! How cool in a melanoma way! But if you left Malibu Barbie outside for three days straight as some little girls did *ahem* she turned into MARTIAN BARBIE! Yep, she turned green. GREEN! My Captain Kirk doll was thrilled.

I loved this Baby Tender Love. I had two. THis one and one you could feed and it would poop. MAGIC! er, Maggot. Yep, the thing got smelly and nasty and my mother threw it away. It is probably the reason I never let my daughter feed her Baby Alive.(also designed to feed)

I had Holly Hobbie out the ass. My canopy bed was in yellow with Holly Hobby, my lunchbox was Holly Hobbie, I had the rag doll, her sister Heather and her Brother Robbie.

And I was addicted to Little House on the Prairie. I wanted to BE Laura or Mary, even if I was more like Nellie. Never did like the books as much.

Oh yes, could not miss the Fonz. Of course, that was the original, before Joannie grew up and Chachi became a chachbag. Does anyone ever wonder what happened to Chuck, Ritchie’s older brother? I do.

Nothing will ever be as wonderful as playing in the snow until you are frozen then coming inside and having your mother strip clothes from you because yu are too shivery to move. Then while your thighs are still tingling, bundle you in a blanket and serve you hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. THAT is childhood to me in a nutshell.

Or this. That hard plastic pool that made the weird rumbling noise when Dad hosed it out before filling it. No inflation needed, stick a garden hose in it and walk away. And if it got a crack in it, which it always did before the end of summer, Dad would slap a piece of duct tape on the bottom. Duct tape fixed everything back then.

I loved this toy. Seriously loved it. I couldn’t help but think about it every time I sang the Inchworm song to my babies.

THIS! I would play for HOURS and HOURS!

I had this but it never worked as good as the commercial showed. It was mu first lesson in not believing everything I saw on TV. Plus my mother hated the damn thing. I understand why now.

The do not make the original anymore. It used to be braided caramel covered with a thin layer of chocolate and to a kid, was huge! I miss this one a lot!

This book… wow. This is the book that hooked me on reading. It drew me in and made me cry and I walked away knowing not everything is happy roses but has meaning. I distinctly remember reading the last page, closing the book and sitting there thinking that I wanted to tell stories like that.

With the long-assed cord that got tangled and knotted! I could stretch it to the bathroom if I was desperate but mostly had to stay in the kitchen. I think this was a ploy as I could talk to my BFF as long as I wanted but I had to stay in the kitchen. So I cleaned as I talked.

Memories!

Stay Busy Writing Even When You’re Not Actually Writing

It’s Friday night as I write this. Cold and grey and rainy and a few days early, but I’ve realized the reason I’m missing so many Tuesday posts is my work schedule has changed and Tuesdays have me internetless until about 9:30 pm. So – blogging in advance.

Usually on a Friday I’m working to make up lost time during the week by speed-writing on my WIP (at the moment, a short faux-gyptian piece that may or may not see The End in this lifetime).  However, tonight (um, four days ago) I am/was a bit unfocused and not in a fiction mindset. I want(ed) to take advantage of my day off, though, so I’m trying to be writing-related anyway.

Some suggestions for not-writing days:

1) Pre-write blog posts (today I’ve put finishing touches on two Saturday 10/17 blogs, three Tuesday 10/20 blogs, a 10/27 blog and I might even do a 10/31 blog before the night is through).

2) Scout promotion options for yourself, old releases, new, or upcoming (today I put together a tentative calendar of promotion activities for December, which is the release month of my first Liquid Silver Books title).

3) Visit some of the forums or yahoo groups you neglect. A quick skim of subject headings will tell you whether there’s anything worth getting involved in, and you really don’t have to start conversations all your own, as Kayelle Allen at TRS Blue pointed out last week.

But! Don’t let faux-writing (above) become more frequent than actual writing. The above are necessary business things, but they won’t take the place of creating fiction words. They’ll just help you make the most of the days you have trouble focusing, and make the most of the days you’re ready to go 1,000-words-an-hour.

And they might make life a little easier for the upcoming NaNoWriMo season!

PS: AJ is guest blogging at my web site today. Go read!

PPS: Given my work schedule, starting 10/28 I’ll be switching my blog day from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Read a Book – Inez

Magic bites… and its name is Myla.

Created at Prince Taric’s birth, Myla is a spell, an enchantment designed to appear and protect him when he needs it most. She has always been content to do her duty…until one night of forbidden passion leaves her longing to experience life—and love—as a mortal woman. Yet the risk is too great. Even if her blood runs as red as his, she can never give him the one thing he needs: a child.

Taric’s blessing—and his curse—is knowing the kingdom’s future depends on his producing an heir to continue the bloodline. His bond with Myla has always been that of protector and protected. When it suddenly becomes something much more, he unwittingly sentences his people to certain death.

An old enemy is plotting to destroy all he holds dear: his lands, his people, his father, and his lover. And this time, even if they fight tooth and blade, their shared magic may not be enough to save them…

Click here or here to read an excerpt.
Click here or on the cover to purchase.

You Say Tomato, I Say To Motto

What’s your writing motto? And why?

Thursday 13: TFLN WTF???

I am addicted to Texts from Last Night. It appeals to my juvenile mind and yet, makes me feel superior to these people. Their life is way more screwed/drunk/warped than mine.

Some that made me laugh today…

1- (714): I cut holes in my blanket and put my arms through it. It’s the sleeveless “Bro Edition” Snuggie.

2- (919): please tell me that the half empty jar of cocktail sauce on the table has nothing to do with my missing seamonkeys

3- (858): Straightened my pubes. My dick looks like John Lennon fucked Gonzo.

4- (386): after he passed out we removed everything electronic from his room, stuck in some old books and an ancient typewriter from goodwill. for 20 min. we had him convinced he’d drunk himself backward in time.

5- (978): is it wrong that i plan on stealing a few pipecleaners from my preschool classroom to clean my bowl?

6-(801): so the sex was amazing up until the point where she said “wow, you’re even better than your dad!”

7- (678): I read the police report. You asked the cop if you could use his in-car computer to update your facebook. No way you get out of a DUI.

8- (519): and then she said I drew a line on her forehead with my cum and whispered “Simba”

9- (313): mark looks like s**t tonight! thank da lawd we broke up!
(1-313): it’s mark…i’m guessing you didn’t mean to send that to me…

10- (773): When she said “surprise me” I’m positive she didn’t mean “bang my roommate”
(312): Prob not but she was surprised

11- (914): ? is bags or t-bags slang for scrotum?
(773): jesus mom

12- (870): do you think it i’m gay because i was in a 3 way lastnight?
(1-870): well not if you dont touch the other dude and concentrate on the chic
(870): what chic?

13- (205): Dude, she had a vegina. I felt like Indiana Jones cutting a path through the jungle.

Romanctic Hero or Romantic Zero?

Earlier this week, I was faux plotting a pivotal relationship moment between the heroine and the hero and realized that my hero is romance challenged.  He can do heroic like nobody’s business, but when it comes to being romantic, he needs serious help. Part of his problem is that he believes his actions speak louder than any words could.  So he does stuff,  but it’s not clear to the heroine that he’s doing these things for her.

Is your hero romantic? On a scale of 0 to 10, how would your heroine rate your hero’s level of romance?  (0=he’s clueless about romance and 10=his picture is in the dictionary next to the definition of  romantic)

Thursday 13: Random lines, Random stories

My headache has now reached unimagined levels of ouch-itude so I am just going to grab 13 clips from 13 of my stories.

13 – As a child, Jinx had learned in science class about magnets. A pencil threaded on two magnets, suspended above two more, would hang like magic, floating on an invisible force. If the pencil was just a millimeter off-kilter, it would crash down, yanked by the powerful pull of attraction.
Frannie just yanked his pencil. – JINXED

12 – She craved water. Not tap water, not bottled water, but the one slow droplet sliding down his belly right now. Thirst consumed her and nothing but Rafferty-flavored Evian would quench it. -FRISKY BUSINESS

11 – A sigh parted her lips and his tongue snuck inside, inviting hers to come out to play. Play turned wicked. Tag, Hide and Seek and Kickball had never had this kind of inducement.
Simon says ‘kiss your girlfriend into a quivering puddle of panty-pudding’.
His hands slid down her waist, over her hips. Green-light, green-light…
Palming her ass, he tugged her closer. RED-LIGHT, RED-LIGHT! Ollie ollie oxen free! -MAYDAY! MAYDAY!

10- She could name each dish but had no idea of their textures or tastes. The choices on the table tempted her. What did bread taste like? Why did Taric prefer the oranges to the asparagus? The scents filling the air tantalized her and her mouth watered. What was it like to bite and not have blood coat your tongue? – MYLA BY MOONLIGHT

9 – A word formed in her mind. A word she had no purpose for but it teased her, made her want to explore every meaning of it. It was an action and a thing, a request and a response, a thrill and a fear. The word was desire.-MYLA BY MOONLIGHT

8 – “I knew men like that were too good to be true. Dreamboat on the outside, shipwreck in the sack. Was it like fall-asleep-in-the-middle sex? Was he hung like a Tic Tac? Wham, bam, so sorry ma’am? Oh God, was he freaky hairy or worse, slick willie? Some bodybuilders shave everything and then grease up to look bigger, ya know. And swimmers shave their legs, don’t they?” -JINXED

8 – Gunner’s growl returned when Jace did not relax his stance. Jace knew exactly how the K-9 felt. He had the urge to sink his teeth into Paul Thompson, too. -POLICE PROTECTION

7 – Maybe she was coming down with the Filipino Flirtatious Flu or something. Her face felt hot, her pulse raced and she had this nearly uncontrollable desire to frisk the cop in front of her. Jace definitely looked like he was packing something. -TO COP A KISS

6 – A cornered animal is the most deadly and unpredictable. Like a wolverine’s in a snare, Marchen’s lips curled back into a feral grimace. Hostility etched his face with no disguise. -MYLA BY MOONLIGHT

5 – Tiny lines creased the corners as he smiled but beneath the desire lurked something dark, something shadowed, something dangerous. This was not a man for frivolity. He was made for hard work, hard play and heartache.-ML(in submissions)

4 – The front lock of his hair fell forward, arced over his forehead like a canopy shading a sheen of sweat. It shimmied with his emotional shivering and she longed to push it back, have him smile that lopsided grin at her. Instead, his mouth went thin and tight. -ML(in submissions)

3 – Ginger attracted movie star handsome men like moths to a bug light and treated them just as badly. Come into the light, closer, closer, zzzzzap. -WBIA (WIP)

2 – “Do you want the hard truth or an easy lie?” Jesse heard the irritation skip into his tone and internally winced. Not a great way to convince a woman to do anything but he couldn’t help it. She made staying married to him sound as appealing as a brick enema. -WBIA (WIP)

1 – Bram clenched his jaw. He had no claim, didn’t know her from Eve. But he wanted to. Wanted to know her in every sense of the word, biblical included. -LOHC (in submissions)

Your Sweetness is My Weakness

In my current wip, my hero, who has Alpha tendencies and  is all about following the rules. And he should be since he’s the one that enforces the laws of his world.  Yet he consciously breaks many of these laws for the heroine.   I know it’s because he likes her, but that’s too broad a reason.

I’ve been trying to narrow down that thing about the heroine that drives him to ignore his responsibility to uphold the law and risk being banished from the community, stripped of his abilities.  I thought he was risking so much because he enjoyed having her around.  Turns out, the heroine’s high level of honor is what motivates him to make the choices he does.

Borrowing from Barry White’s, Your Sweetness is My Weakness,  finish this sentence:

My hero’s weakness is my heroine’s ______________.

Thursday 13: Don’t worry, Be happy

CLICK ME

13 things that make me happy, even moderately. There has to be at least one thing on this list you cna agree with. And tell me one thing NOT on the list that brings a smile to your face.

13- Coffee. End of story.

12-J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. What, so I have a thing for super-alpha heroes in leather.

11- Embrace the Chiapet. You know you wanna.

10- Grover. Cute, adorable little Grover.

9- 84 sleeps until Christmas!!

8- I love the look, smell and idea of brand new sharpened pencils

7- Autumn in the mountains. This was taken not far from my house.

6- No bake cookies. OMG!  yummmmmmmmmm

5- So I like sex, sue me.

4- Speaking of sex… this is my inspirational video for those steamy scenes

3- I love sleep and nothing is better than a comfy bed, clean sheets and no alarm clock.

2- I love a good story. Make me laugh, make me cry, I don’t care. I will love you for it.

1- *sigh*