Soul Mates

I mentioned not long ago that I don't like time travel romances, but enough of my blog buddies have written them or recommended them that I'll give a couple more a try.

I'm willing to do the same with "soul mate" stories, which I normally don't like. It seems like the soul mate angle allows the author to be lazy at times, to create a conflict where there normally wouldn't be one. Two people don't want each other, but ack! We're destined to be together because we're soul mates!

I dunno. Just not my thing.

But if anyone knows of one I should try, I'll give it a shot. I'm open to good reads even if they aren't normally what I read.

I'm not, however, quite ready for secret baby stories!

Monday, February 28, 2005 @ 09:36 AM CST [link]

Kitties!

It's Sunday, which means NASCAR (yay!) and bumming. Oh, and blog quizzes...

You are a Persian! You are quiet, gentle, and
loving, though sometimes you need extra
attention and care. Some might call you high
maintenance, but you just need to be pampered.


What breed of cat are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Sunday, February 27, 2005 @ 09:26 AM CST [link]

I'm Feeling A Frisson

Yesterday on the news I heard that some French journalist had commented on Condoleeza Rice's sexy but businesslike attire, saying that it caused "a frisson," amongst observers. I had to laugh. Seems like outside of romance, the only place you hear the word "frisson" is in a French article. For fun, I looked up the actual definition:

frisson \free-SOHN\, noun:
A moment of intense excitement; a shudder; an emotional thrill.

When we think a story hasn't been invented, there's an extra frisson in reading it.
--"Too true," Independent, April 12, 1998

As every parent knows, children have a love-hate relationship with stories about monsters. They love the frisson of hearing about such terrifying creatures as the Cyclops -- but hate to think about what they might do if they bumped into one.
--"Strange but true: One in the eye for all those Homer-phobes," Daily Telegraph, June 21, 1998

When we stopped in traffic at the Plaza de la Cibeles on the Paseo del Prado, where a grandiose 18th-century statue of the goddess of fertility poised on a chariot seemed to be waiting for the light to change, a little frisson of pleasure jolted through me, because this part of Madrid reminded me of Paris.
--"Counting Pesetas in Madrid," New York Times, March 17, 1996

Frisson comes from the French, from Old French friçon, "a trembling," ultimately from Latin frigere, "to be cold."

So. I've used "frisson" once in all my novels and novellas. Have any of your characters experienced, or delivered, frissons?

Saturday, February 26, 2005 @ 07:11 AM CST [link]

I'm Alive

Barely. I've had the flu. Not "flu-like symptoms," but the honest-to-god FLU. I can't remember EVER being so sick. And I certainly didn't expect the pain associated with the flu. Body aches are one thing; feeling like you've gone several rounds on the medieval torture rack is another. My joints and spine screamed with pain, like they were being pulled apart. My skin felt like every inch was nothing but exposed nerves--so exposed that just AIR touching it hurt. Wearing pajamas was agony. Just lying down was nearly impossible for two days because the pressure on my joints was excruciating. Then there was the constant migraine punctuated by white-hot stabs of pain between my ears and eyes--eyes that felt like hard-boiled eggs for days as they baked in my skull.

Now, I'll admit. I'm a storyteller, and I tend to, oh, shall we say...embellish, at times. I am NOT embellishing one word of my flu experience. Good grief, I wanted to die. Bryan wouldn't shoot me, though. Something about mercy killings not being legal in Mississippi.

Anyway, I'm still recovering. The pain, fever, and nausea are mostly gone. I still have a low-grade fever, a cough, and my head hurts, but compared to the misery of the past few days, this is nothing. I am, however, ready to go back to bed.

Thanks for all the well-wishes both in my blog and privately. And the virtual soups were awesome. I love you guys! I'll catch up on blog-hopping tomorrow--I skimmed a couple today, and geez...y'all have been busy!

Friday, February 25, 2005 @ 11:56 AM CST [link]

Hit and Run

I NEVER go more than a day without posting, but I've been really sick, so forgive me. I hope everyone is getting lots of writing done. I'll be back soon!

Wednesday, February 23, 2005 @ 12:32 PM CST [link]

Being a Bum

Pages Written: 1

It's Sunday. I have some sort of nasty yuckness that's making me feel like crap. I have absolutely nothing to blog about, so I'll resort to the ever-popular quiz filler:

You are a narrative writer. Usually a writer of
stories rather than poetry, you grew up reading
Shakespeare's less popular and heard of
plays--like King Lear or the Henry series. Your
writing contains a certain order and
organization--be it chronological or otherwise.
If you are to write poetry, it has to convey a
logical (or perhaps unreal) story with some
sort of order behind it.


What's YOUR Writing Style?
brought to you by Quizilla

Sunday, February 20, 2005 @ 09:24 AM CST [link]

More Inspiration

Pages Written: 3

Okay, for those of you who liked the pictures I posted of my husband's boat's drug bust (hubby wasn't the one getting busted, ) I thought I'd post a couple more.

The first one is of the bad guys surrendering. They know they're in some serious trouble. I almost feel sorry for them. Almost.

And this one is of the boarding team moving aboard the boat--notice that the bad guys have all hit the deck. You can barely see their jackets.

Wide view:

And this is my husband's ship on its way to catch more bad guys--which they did. A cargo ship with over 2000 pounds of cocaine hidden inside. Took the crew 5 days to tear the ship apart and find it.

Happy Saturday, and happy writing, everyone!

Saturday, February 19, 2005 @ 08:24 AM CST [link]

The Whirlwind Romance

I finally got around to watching American Idol, and was pretty pleased by the judges' final picks.

I was disappointed by the Chair hype, however.

Anyway, one of the scenes stuck with me...the one where the two girls were hugging and crying, one having made the finals, the other having gotten the boot. My son watched that scene skeptically, asking why they were so upset. I told him the girls were good friends and that one had to go home. He said, "But how can they be good friends? They've only been together for a few days."

Well, probably more like a couple of weeks, maybe a month, but still, I understood what he was saying. Those two girls became very close in a very short period of time.

Thing is, I know firsthand how quickly strong bonds can form in stressful situations (and the AI competition has to be an incredible roller coaster of stress.) A couple of the best, most raw, most REAL friendships I've ever had came out of Air Force basic training and tech school.

During periods of extreme stress, the best and worst of everyone, including yourself, comes out. People are stripped down to their essence, and they do one of two things; they either become supportive team players who try to make sure everyone makes it, or their extreme survival instinct kicks in, and they turn into the "everyone for themselves," kind of people, the Sawyers of Lost.

Those who become supportive team players have the ability to form intense bonds very quickly. And those elements that create those bonds are the elements that will make believable a love-relationship happening over the space of just a few days between a romance hero and heroine.

I've always taken issue with romances where the h/h fall in love in a matter of days. It isn't that I don't believe it can happen, because I know, from experience, that it can. But making it happen believably is something that many writers fail to do.

"Bond-seeds," as I call them, are planted quickly and bloom hugely. The seed of one of my basic training friendships was planted within an hour of arriving at Lackland AFB. I was trying to hook my dog tag chain around my neck, but my hands were shaking (two TIs were in my face screaming at me) and I couldn't snap the fastener into place. I tried and tried, all the while being screamed at, and finally a girl named Lisa ran across the dorm bay, hooked the chain for me, and went back to her locker. She risked A LOT to do that. She was my hero that day, and I had a chance to pay her back the next day. A friendship was born.

Over the next 6 weeks in hell (and several months of tech school later) I saw exactly what it takes to form bonds quickly.

Risk
Sacrifice
Confession
Honesty
Vulnerability
Laughter
Teamwork
Support
Failure
Danger (not necessarily physical)

Give me those elements in a story where a hero and heroine fall in love quickly, and I'll buy it. Strip those characters down to their cores in order for them to survive, and I will understand how they can form bonds that are a rarity in relationships that progress "normally."

I KNOW it's possible to form intense bonds in a matter of days, hours, even. I also know that convincing readers of that is difficult. But not impossible.

Can I do it? I'm not sure. But that scene from American Idol brought back a lot of emotions and memories, and reminded me of what it takes.

Now to put those emotions on paper.

Friday, February 18, 2005 @ 08:35 AM CST [link]

Today's Horoscope

Breaking the "once a day" post tradition to post the cruelest horoscope ever:

"Your charm has never been anything to sneeze at, but you'll knock the socks off of everyone now -- including those who've supposedly become immune. If you've got something to sell, consider it sold."

Uh-huh. Then why isn't the phone ringing?

Astrologists are sick!

Thursday, February 17, 2005 @ 11:08 AM CST [link]

Must. Write.

I'm not going to blog about American Idol today. Nope. I haven't watched it yet. I had to tape it because my husband insisted upon watching Alias, and it had "nothing to do with Jennifer Garner." Yeah, right. And I don't watch Angel for David Boreanaz.

Anyway, I'll have to watch AI later to see if Fox lived up to its promises with The Chair.

Today I HAVE to write. I've not written a word on any of my WIPs in days. Part of the problem is that I'm tired of the story I'm working on. It's nearly finished, but now I'm ancy to work on something else. I can't decide what to do. I have a story that needs revising so I can sub it to agents. I have a novella that's 3/4ths done. I have several new stories that are calling to me. Oh, and I have a few stories in various stages of doneness. (Is that a word? Not that I care--I'm a writer. I can make up words if I want to! )

So I'm going to go decide what to work on. Happy writing, everyone!

Thursday, February 17, 2005 @ 08:28 AM CST [link]

The Drama of American Idol

Last night was American Idol night. (The most boring episode ever, according to my husband.) And yeah, it was weird. And talk about some sore losers. Sheesh. I mean, you made it to the top 75 out of 100,000. Quit whining.

Anyway, when the episode was over, two of four groups had been cut, leaving...40 people? And tonight, they are going to cut more--down to 24. I'm waiting anxiously. Why? Well, if you'd seen the preview, you'd know, and you'd be as on the edge as I am. For those who didn't, you missed a fine moment in TV previews.

The announcer (that guy who often does the deep voice announces for dramatic TV shows and horror movies,) says, "Tomorrow, in this chair--" a picture of a lonely wooden chair on a dark stage flashes on the screen "--these finalists will know if their dreams will come true. Or if their dreams will be crushed."

Now, smoke swirls around the chair that sits there all alone on the dark, empty stage. The camera shoots the chair from all angles...from the top, the front, the side, from behind. It's all very suspenseful. And scary. Like the chair is in the middle of a horror movie.

"Who will make the cut?"

The chair still sits amongst the swirling smoke. With dramatic music beats, there are sudden closeups of the chair. Boom. Closer. Boom. Really close. Boom. We're almost IN the chair. Eerie. Gripping.

"Who. Will. Go. Home?"

Boom. Closeup on The Chair.

"Whose dreams will be crushed."

Boom. Someone is sitting in The Chair. In the fuzzy darkness, a contestant, in tears, jumps up from The Chair and runs out the door, sobbing. Fox clearly knows how to create suspense and tension. After all, these are the people who gave us The Day After Tomorrow.

Which makes me think. Do you think...could they...

Might the loser contestants be chased from The Chair and out of the studio by...

I can't say it. It's just too exciting. Must watch American Idol tonight.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005 @ 07:54 AM CST [link]

Blogging For Publicity

I read an article in my new Writer's Digest yesterday that ties in with all the talk about "Why Blog?" that's been going around. A new author, Kristie Helms, was facing a dilemma. Her first novel was coming out, published by a small press that couldn't afford promotion.

So Kristie, instead of going on a real-life book tour, went on an online book tour. She researched blogs that focused on the same themes and issues that appeared in her books (women, NY, etc.,) and then emailed the blog administrators and sent advance copies of her book. A lot of the administrators accepted and allowed her to discuss her book on their blogs. As a result of her blogging campaign, she pre-sold 2000 copies of her book on Amazon.com.

Not bad for a small press novel.

She's keeping up the momentum by maintaining her own blog, which you can read here.

Tuesday, February 15, 2005 @ 09:04 AM CST [link]

Dear Network Execs

Remember the good old days when you used to give warning before a show was cancelled? You know, so the show could wrap up all the storylines at the end of the season?

It's bad enough when, even with notice, you cancel great shows garnering good ratings. Remember Angel, WB? You know, the show that had a huge, loyal following? The show you cancelled and forced to switch gears mid-season in order to wrap up 5 seasons worth of history in just a few episodes...resulting in the worst series finale in history? I'm still bitter over that incident. I haven't watched The WB since.

So that's bad enough. But I've noticed a growing trend over the last few years. You started cancelling shows between seasons. Shows that ended their seasons with killer cliffhangers. You don't bother announcing the cancellation, so eager viewers wait all summer for the fall premiere of the show, only to wait...and wait...and wait.

Then...no premiere. After a little research, the viewer finds that the show was rudely canceled. Last year, Fox got me hooked on Tru Calling. Last summer, it ended with a great cliffhanger. I was SO looking forward to the fall premiere. No such luck. Thanks a lot, Fox.

So cancelling a show between seasons without giving the show a chance to wrap up is bad, too.

But nothing...NOTHING is so heinous, so diabolical, as canceling a show MID-SEASON. What are you thinking, people??? Cancel Firefly??? Not just cancel it, but rip it from television after 9 episodes without letting the season wrap up? Oh, Fox, you're on a roll.

Fortunately, the folks at Universal Studios were smart enough to recognize the brilliance in the show, and they gave the thumbs-up for a movie, which, if successful, will be followed by two sequels.

Obviously, I've been steaming for a while over the above examples. But the last straw, the spark that fueled this rant, was the fact that last night I wondered why Life As We Know It hadn't been on for a couple of weeks and again wasn't scheduled for this coming Thursday. Well, I did a little digging. Sure enough...canceled. Right in the middle of the freaking season.

Would it be too much to ask for a little notice? Maybe an apology? "Hey, loyal ABC viewers. Sorry to do this to you, but we superior minds think you'll like Supernanny better, because doesn't everyone like watching idiots who can't control their bratty kids? So we're cancelling the entertaining show you like, and forcing you to watch the bad acting in Hope and Faith, and the men of Rodney and According to Jim, who pull such moronic stunts that no one can understand why their beautiful model-wives don't leave their dumpy, dumb asses. Enjoy, loyal viewer, who is clearly too stupid to know what you should like."

And you network brains wonder why you're having trouble building loyal fanbases for your shows. Gee, think it's because viewers are afraid of becoming emotionally invested in shows that get yanked just when they get good?

ABC is going to be airing a new show called Blind Justice soon. Looks like it might be good. Am I going to watch? Hell, no. Because I just know that I'll get hooked and it'll get canceled.

Yep, I'm going to be shutting off the TV and doing a lot of reading in the future. At least with romance novels, you know that the stories are going to be wrapped up in the end.

Monday, February 14, 2005 @ 08:21 AM CST [link]

Blogrolling

Okay, I finally got the Blogrolling thing working. Sort of. It made all my Author Blog links a different color and size than all my other links, so I'll have to play with that when I have time. I THINK I got everyone in the links who used to be in the sidebar before, but if not, I apologize. I'll have to head over to the Author Blogs list or RTB to gather more.

That's it for today...my husband is coming home in a few hours (YAY!) so I need to get the house cleaned up. I'm always yelling at him for messing up the house when he's home, so naturally, I can't let him think I do the same when he's gone!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Sunday, February 13, 2005 @ 09:30 AM CST [link]

Today's post...

Pages Written: 5

...is at Romancing The Blog. It's a tie-in to the "home" post I made a while back. And let me just say that I'm thrilled that my first post at RTB was scheduled on a Saturday when (hopefully) fewer people go there!

Now...off to see if I can finally get the Blogrolling thing to work.

Saturday, February 12, 2005 @ 06:58 AM CST [link]

Good Morning Blogosphere

Pages Written: 0--but I plotted!

This is probably going to sound strange (though those who know me won’t bat an eyelash,) but ever since blogging exploded onto the internet scene, I’ve been fascinated by the posting patterns of bloggers. See? Strange. But I’ve always had a thing for patterns.

I’ve noticed that bloggers blog at all times of the day for all kinds of reasons. Some post several times a day. Some once a day but at regular times (me,) and others blog irregularly, missing days or even weeks.

I have friends who mostly blog late at night. Others blog in the afternoon after they come home from work. Still others post whenever they have something to say, be that ten times a day, or once every ten days.

Me, I’m a morning, once-a-day blogger. A rise and shiner. I have no idea what this says about me as a person, or what psychologists would say about it (but I can guess! )

What I know is that being a morning blogger is, for me, about warming up my writing muscles.

I get up at 0'dark-thirty, and, even after sending the kid off to school, an hour on the torture machine, er, treadmill, and my 3 cups of coffee, I still have cobwebs in my brain. I’m in no shape to think about writing fiction, let alone write it. I need to talk through those cobwebs and flex my fingers on the keyboard. To stretch those creative muscles.

I might discuss something personal. I might talk about something topical. I may discuss issues that came up in my WIP or writing life since the last post on the previous morning. If I’m extra tired, or in a hurry, I might do nothing but post a blog quiz. Whatever I do, I do it in the morning. Always.

I’m a morning blogger. What are you?

Friday, February 11, 2005 @ 07:42 AM CST [link]

About The Medical Field

Things I Learned Yesterday:

1. Doctors apparently don't practice accuracy with liquid nitrogen applicators before applying liquid nitrogen on a patient's skin.

2. Mammograms hurt. A LOT.

3. The combination of pain and no breakfast makes me pass out.

4. Mammography technicians are not gentle, they have cold hands, and they freak out when someone passes out in their radiology room.

Thursday, February 10, 2005 @ 07:14 AM CST [link]

Another Drive-By

Pages Written: 3

I don't have time for a real post today because I'm on my way to a doctor appointment that'll take forever.

Sooooo....

If you like (or can't stand) alpha males, Angela Knight posted a great article about them in her blog.

The Red Pen Diaries cracked me up today with a post on internet popularity contests. #2 is the best, mostly because I've been increasingly irritated by the constant not-so-subtle begging for votes by some American Title contestants and other authors whose books are up for internet voting awards. Mentioning something on your website is one thing...bombarding listserves and message boards is another.

If you've missed it, Alison Kent's guest blogging series was great. Scroll down for some interesting posts by authors and editors.

And Emma Gads is a must-stop for her pictures of DUCKS and wolves.

Off to the docs! (Military doctors--pray for me! )

Wednesday, February 09, 2005 @ 09:35 AM CST [link]

Heart Attack in an Envelope

Pages Written: 3

Yesterday began like the rest. I made coffee, made breakfast, blog-hopped, settled in to write...and waited with a gnawing dread in my stomach for the mailman. She came. I got the mail. At first glance, it looked safe. No SASE's to make me think I'd gotten a rejection from one of the two publishers where I've sent my manuscripts.

I took off my shoes, and one of the pieces of mail fell to the floor. I looked down. My heart stopped. The envelope was from Harlequin.

Crapcrapcrap! Letters are never good.

My heart restarted, but it was pumping so fast and hard I could hear it in my ears and feel it throwing itself against my ribs. My hands were shaking and I was feeling some serious nausea. Can we say "cardiac incident?"

So I opened the envelope, on the verge of tears. (Yeah, okay, I overreact a little to rejections. Sue me.) I pulled out the letter. And it WASN'T a rejection. In my panic, I failed to notice that the address on the envelope was that of Harlequin Mills and Boon's London office, not the Toronto office where I'd sent one of my manuscripts.

It was a letter saying that they'd received my ms. from the Toronto office and were considering it for publication! The editors in Toronto liked it enough to NOT reject it and sent it on to the new Temptation office! Yay!!!!

I still don't know how well the story will go over there, but at least there's still hope. After two months of waiting, they were kind enough to throw me a bone. Now the waiting starts all over again!

Tuesday, February 08, 2005 @ 08:14 AM CST [link]

Heroes

Remember when I blogged about finding inspiration for romance heroes right in front of you in real life?

Well, I got these pictures yesterday--pictures of the crew of my husband's Coast Guard cutter taking down a boat loaded with over 2000 lbs. of drugs. For me, this kind of real life dangerous situation is sexy. THIS is the kind of thing I want to see in romance novels. (Well, the ones that are about danger, suspense and action.)

I want to see the intensity on the hero's face. I want to see the tension leap right off the page. I want to see the bad guys realize that, "Oh, man, we're screwed." I want to know that their stomachs dropped when they saw the good guys coming and ready to push things to the edge.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not the type to gush over my husband often. Usually I'm complaining about something, though that happens less and less as time goes on and he grows as a person (read: comes around to my way of thinking ) But I have to gush over this picture. THIS is my hero. I love seeing him like this. And I can't wait until he gets home!

He's the one in the back getting ready to draw his gun:

This is the wide view of the Coast Guard small boat approaching the drug runners' fastboat.

Yep, I've found some inspiration here. Now I must go write the scene in my latest WIP where the hero takes down the baddies.

Monday, February 07, 2005 @ 09:37 AM CST [link]

Quiz Time!

Because it's Super Bowl Sunday and I don't feel like talking writing!

You are Captain Janeway!
One of Starfleet's finest Captains, your style is
unique in that you encapsulate the spirit of
the Federation's highest ideals. Out in the
Delta Quadrant, you came across more unknowns
than any other officer in Starfleet. Your
victories over the Borg Queen several times, as
well as species 8472, have marked you as one of
the most innovative Captains in Starfleet
history. This is partly due to your ability to
think "outside the box" . Your crew
will not only die for you, they will and have
been to the ends of the Galaxy with you.
Congratulations!

Which Starfleet Captain Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Sunday, February 06, 2005 @ 08:40 AM CST [link]

Different Voices

A few days ago, Amy Garvey posted an article about voice at Romancing the Blog. Since then, dissenting views have popped up in various places. People think she's confused voice with author intrusion.

Tod Goldberg says in his post: When someone tells me that they hear me in a book or story (fiction only here -- in my essays and columns, you often are getting unfiltered Tod) I feel disappointed. My characters aren't me and if you see me, hear me in the narration, that 4th wall is broken. I want you to hear the narrator, whomever that might be. If it feels like I'm sitting there telling you a story, I believe I've failed -- I'm not my characters and in that regard the voice of my work should change from piece to piece, book to book, but my style should at least let you know I wrote it.

Wendy Duren says: Voice is a difficult thing to describe. It's syntax, texture, sentence length, topic and so much more. What it is not, is author intrusion. Any time your friends or family say 'Wow, this sounds just like you' that isn't a voice you've perfected for a particular story, it's you as a character stepping into the story.

Now, I'm not trying to pick a fight with these people...far from it. I respect their views. I simply disagree. But I think that voice is one of those things that is so hard to define and so subjective that we'll always have different perspectives.

Who says that you can't have several "voices" for different novels, just as you have different moods? I write romantic adventure, historicals, and light contemporaries. Each one of them is different in tone, but they all sound like me. They are all written in MY voice--my serious voice or my goofy voice or whatever, but they are still all essentially...me. So if someone says "wow, that sounds just like you," it IS me. It's me being serious or sarcastic or goofy...it's whatever voice I HAVE perfected for that novel.

It seems like the one camp wants to define voice, to fit the definition neatly into a technical box. They, as Steph pointed out to me, are intellectualizing voice, looking at it from a more literary perspective. Making it about syntax and pacing and word choice, etc. Which I think we all agree, DOES make up voice. But these people don't want to see the author in the characters or the narrator. There isn't anything wrong with this. There ARE writers who don't feel that they, as a person, show up in their stories, and that's okay.

But the other camp looks at it from a less hard core perspective. For them, voice is about your life, your passion, your experiences (which will shape your word choices and syntax, etc.) They think that some bits of you will naturally come out in the characters and narrative, and that as long as your characters are still individuals and different from each other, and the tone of each book fits the story, that's okay.

It's kind of like looking at a situation from both a scientific and unscientific perspective. Scientists want to explain the phenomenon of deja vu by saying it's a result of chemical reactions in the brain. Others with a more spiritual view might see deja vu as a roadsign from above, or a peek into a past life.

Just like with the subject of voice, there are people on the extremes and people somewhere in the middle.

Holly Lisle says: You have to put yourself on your page. This is what is known in the writing business as developing your voice. Voice isn't merely style. Style would be easy by comparison. Style is watching your use of adjectives and doing a few flashy things with alliteration. Style without voice is hollow. Voice is style, plus theme, plus personal observations, plus passion, plus belief, plus desire. Voice is bleeding onto the page, and it can be a powerful, frightening, naked experience.

I don't believe there is anything wrong with allowing yourself to come out in the pages of your novels (and, in fact, some authors have made a comfortable living by putting A LOT of themselves on the pages.)

As Alison says in her comment on Lee's blog: We can't avoid infusing our work with who we are. Ergo, it becomes part of our voice.

Some people infuse more than others, becoming what some would call "author intrusion." Others do their best to keep themselves out of their novels. To each his own.

We will never be able to fit the definition of voice into a neat little box. It's different things to different people. Author intrusion is different things to different people.

Now, I'm going to go write something that no doubt, someone will think is intrusive.

Saturday, February 05, 2005 @ 09:35 AM CST [link]

What I REALLY Want

Emma posted something yesterday that made me nod in agreement. I always say that I just want to KNOW the status of my submitted manuscripts. I need to know SOMETHING or I'll go nuts. But what I REALLY mean is that I want THE CALL. I don't want to take the Long Walk and get a big, fat R in the mailbox. I would rather wait in the awful agony of NOT KNOWING than get a rejection and know. I don't want to know if my work is going to be rejected. Yes, I'm an ostrich. Let me bury my head!

Ooh, and my friend and CP, Jill Shalvis, has a blog now! She's really shy and paranoid that she has nothing to say, so please go leave some comments and welcome her to the blogosphere!

Friday, February 04, 2005 @ 07:40 AM CST [link]

Trips Through Time

A friend of mine is trying to lighten the load on her sagging bookshelves and asked if I'd like the romances. Uh...duh.

So she gives me a large bag containing several of the romances I despise the most. Time travel romances. To be fair, I don't limit my hatred of time travel stories to romance. I don't like time travel to the past at all. I don't mind going forward in time (though there are issues there, as well,) but going back...huge irritant. I have a real problem with the possibility of altering the known future by traveling to the past.

Anyway, I put aside the time travel books to donate to Goodwill and dug into some of the others. I figured I'd try one of Linda Lael Miller's vampire books because I love her romances, and I like vampires. I'd put off reading her vampire novels because I'm extremely picky about my vampires (they'd better stay fairly true to Stoker's version, cliche or not,) and I didn't want to be disappointed. But hey, I'm needing a vampire fix since Buffy and Angel are off the air, so why not?

I should have not.

I'm not going to go into the vampire thing because her take on them is exactly what I don't like. But what truly drove me over the edge was the fact that her vampires can TRAVEL THROUGH TIME. To the PAST. It might not have been that bad if this particular story didn't feature a doctor hero from the civil war who was turned into a vampire by the heroine from the future, who then brought him medicines and books from the future (LLM's vamps can't travel forward in time beyond the day they became vampires,) so he could better treat his battlefield patients with futuristic meds and procedures. Noooooo!!!!! By saving people who should have died, he could be altering some serious history. That book went promptly not into the Goodwill box.

Did I mention that I don't like time travel romances? The ONLY way I can tolerate travel to the past in any movie or book is if I know that the travel to the past was...I don't know, pre-destined, I guess. I need to know that the person had to travel to the past in order to shape the future he or she just left. For example, they get stuck in the past but learn that they are their own great-great grandmother or something. I'll still probably not enjoy the story as much as a non-time travel, but at least I won't be freaking out about time being altered.

Do time travel romances annoy anyone else, or am I the only weirdo?

Thursday, February 03, 2005 @ 08:23 AM CST [link]

Drive-by post

Busy day at the doctor's office and with a sick kid, so I have nothing to say that would be of interest to anyone, including myself. So I'll just post the non-shocking results of a quiz--thanks to Shannon!


You're a Dialogue/Character Writer!


What kind of writer are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Wednesday, February 02, 2005 @ 04:08 PM CST [link]

Running out of time

Pages Written: 1

Ack! I have about two seconds to write a post today. My cat (not Spoogie--he had his own disgusting issues yesterday) has puked all over the carpet--and we're talking Exorcist, here, so I have multiple areas to shampoo, but it's going to have to wait until I get back from my parent-teacher conference this morning. Argh!

So instead of blathering on about my pathetic life, I'm going to direct you to Shannon, Sasha, and Sylvia, all of whom have had great things happen to them over the last couple of days. Congrats, ladies!!!!

Tuesday, February 01, 2005 @ 08:00 AM CST [link]