Back on Track!

Pages Written: 3

Okay, I'm finally back to my own writing, and there is nothing ahead to stop me or slow me down. I am GOING to finish up my novella this month, and then I'm going to get queries sent out to agents. (Steph, keep cracking the agent whip!)

To keep myself on track, I'm going to post the number of pages I write between every blog entry so I'll be pressuring myself to produce before I can blog. Hehe--we'll see how long I can keep that up!

Found a New Yorker article today that shreds Eats, Shoots & Leaves:The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. What cracked me up is that the writer of the article tears apart the author of the book for making mistakes in a book that makes fun of people who make mistakes--but then the article author, who comes across as a complete know-it-all at times, makes his own mistake--a mistake that know-it-alls make all the time. The mistake where they think that just because something isn't so in their little corner of the world that it can't be so elsewhere.

Louis Menand says, "The book also omits the serial comma, as in 'eats, shoots and leaves,' which is acceptable in the United States only in newspapers and commercial magazines."

Hmm. Interesting, since Harlequin is neither a newspaper nor magazine publisher, and their house style is also to omit the serial comma. Granted, with offices in Toronto, London and New York (I omitted the serial comma! *gasp*) Harlequin probably needed to adopt a standard house style, but the fact is, they produce and sell a lot of U.S. books that contain omitted serial commas.

Anyway, other than that, the article is an interesting one. IMO, Mr. Menard sort of missed the point of the book, which I enjoyed not as a style manual but as a fun look at punctuation mistakes that drive us nuts when we see them in our everyday world. Still, he makes some good points about voice and style and writing in general.

Okay, must go write. Have a great day, everyone, and Happy Birthday, Alison!

Tuesday, August 31, 2004 @ 11:26 AM CST [link]

The Call!

Oh, no. I didn't get The Call. I was just practicing! I dream of the day that I can post it for real in big capital letters. THE CALL.

I want to be published so much it hurts. I feel bad sometimes, wishing for it when I really haven't been seriously pursuing publication for that long, but that doesn't change the fact that I want it.

I've been writing all my life--I wrote my first novel when I was a child. I've written several novels since. But it's only been in the last 2 years or so that I've made writing a priority and have been willing to do what it takes to make it a career. In fact, I just turned down a job earning $27/hr at the nearby weather station in order to write full time. I haven't gotten a bazillion rejections like so many of my friends who didn't get published until after many--hundreds, even. Heck, I've only gotten two rejections. I've been so afraid of sending my writing out into the world that I haven't earned many.

But that's changing. By November I plan to have a dozen queries out to agents. I plan to have at least two mss. in contests. I plan to have at least two partials or full with editors.

I want to be published. Sooo...I must go write!

Saturday, August 28, 2004 @ 08:55 AM CST [link]

I love it when a novel comes together

Well, not novel. Novella.

I've been working on SSD, my Brava novella, every day, and aside from the trauma of finding a typo in my contest entry, it's been going great. I love the freedom of writing "real" language.

That's not to say that there aren't people for whom real language and life doesn't mirror what you'd find in an inspirational romance. Or a family-oriented romance. Or even a Temptation or Blaze. But for me, "real" includes a lot of frank language. I'm ex-military, and I'm married to a sailor. And let me tell ya, the ship get-togethers can get pretty raunchy! The guys definitely do not sit around talking about feelings and cooking and gardening.

So anyway, working on SSD has been fun. Yesterday I wrote a scene out of order--I jumped ahead a chapter and a half because a scene was sticking in my head and I needed to get it out before I forgot it. Writing out of order is something I might have panicked about just a year ago, but I think I've finally hit a good place in my confidence level and abilities, and I'm trusting myself so much more.

Writing is still a lot of hard work and I know I have a long way to go as far as learning the craft, but it's becoming more fun.

Ooh, and has anyone else noticed that with the rising popularity of novels with sexy premises came a lot of sex toy shops, erotic bakeries, sexy candy shops, etc? Want to write one because you just can't get enough of that same old plot line? Well, here's my gift to you. I give you, already made, a "sexy" premise and a hero with a problem!

Naughty Baker's Diminished Sex Drive Starting To Affect His Work

Friday, August 27, 2004 @ 08:12 AM CST [link]

ACK!!!!

Pages Written: 2

So. I'm working on my Brava novella, happily plugging away, and I find *gasp!* a TYPO in my CONTEST ENTRY!!!! Ack! I'm SO annoyed and embarrassed. And it isn't an obvious typo--you know, a missing word or a jumbled word (seh for she) that can be explained away as a typo. Nope. MY typo makes me look like my grammar sucks. Just a simple little misplaced apostrophe. I wrote "pant's zipper" instead of "pants' zipper."

I wouldn't be so worried about such a thing in a normal contest entry, but the Brava contest only allows 750 words, so those 750 words should be perfect. Argh!

Okay, must go work off some steam on the treadmill. Yay! I get to watch another episode of Firefly!

Thursday, August 26, 2004 @ 08:09 AM CST [link]

Snobs

I really, really dislike snobs. People who flaunt their education or wealth or prestigious career. There are only two reasons to be a snob or braggart; one is to make those who don't have what they have feel bad, and the other is to make themselves feel good because their self-esteem is lacking somehow (even though they never will see that.) Either way, seek help, people.

Are you sensing a rant yet?

Last night I went to my son's school to have a "meet the teacher" night. The school wasn't open yet, so I sat on some bleachers next to other parents and read the magazine I'd brought.

One of the mothers, with Fendi shoes and a matching purse, stuck her nose up at the Air Force guy who walked by with his son. The woman whispered to her friend (loudly) that she wished there weren't so many military brats in the school. "The military doesn't educate their members as well as civilians." Not sure WHAT that meant, but if she was talking about the father, he was an officer, which means he has a college degree--and this particular officer was wearing a USAF Academy ring, so his education was probably better than anything she'd ever seen.

Anyway, I kept my mouth shut, even if my teeth were grinding inside it. I just kept reading my magazine. She then turned and looked at me, her eyes squinted, and then exclaimed, "You're reading the magazine back to front! Did you know that only 6% of the population does that?"

Me: Yep.

Snob: Did you know that---

Me: That there are ads designed and placed specifically for the population that reads a magazine from back to front instead of from front to back? Yep.

Snob: (With newfound respect) Are you in marketing?

Me: Nope. Stay-at-home military wife.

The look on her face was priceless. What a wench. Just because I'm a military wife, she assumed that I couldn't possibly have an education or life experience or BRAINS.

And I'm ever so thankful for the college friend of mine who got her degree in marketing and explained my back-to-front magazine habit (she had it herself, so she was fascinated by the subject.)

After the snob incident, I met the teacher and found out what kinds of things my 7 year old son will be learning. I about had a heart attack. The kids are learning about prepositions, prepositional phrases, adjectival phrases, schwas, celillas, final, stable syllables, French endings, trigraphs, quadrigraphs, diphthongs...stuff I didn't learn until middle and high school, and some of it is still foreign to me!

Fortunately, his teacher sent home a phonics/english info packet that helps explain the stuff that comes home as homework--of which he has A LOT. I can't believe how much homework he has in SECOND grade. Ugh. But you know, recently I've whined about education level of high school graduates in the U.S., so I'm not about to whine about my son learning the things he's learning. IMO, it's a step in the right direction for our educational system. Brennan has gone to school in two excellent school districts, and if this is the direction in which grade schools all over the U.S. are moving, I'm thrilled. I'm VERY impressed with his school.

So anyway, that was my day. Today I'm going to work on my Brava novella and see if I can get that puppy finished up to send to Kensington even if I don't final in the contest.

Congrats to the first two finalists!

Wednesday, August 25, 2004 @ 08:58 AM CST [link]

Brava Finalists

The first finalist entries have come up at Lori Foster's message board!

Monday, August 23, 2004 @ 12:38 PM CST [link]

Let's Talk About Reviews

Has anyone else noticed the utter lack of objective book reviews lately? Has anyone noticed that many review sites and newsletters seem to be giant love-fests where reviewers don't want to step on anyone's toes or hurt author feelings?

I've kept my mouth shut for a while now, but the latest romance review newsletter I read tipped my tolerance scales.

The newsletter posted 72 reviews. Of those 72, only 3 reviews gave less than 4 (out of 5) stars. Three. Doesn't that seem a little top-heavy? 72 books and only THREE were less than spectacular? Two of the three got 3 1/2 stars, and the last one got 3 stars. No 2s, no 1s.

Out of the last 72 books I've read, only a handful were spectacular. Maybe I'm too picky--no--I KNOW I'm too picky. But still, I can't imagine that out of 72 books there weren't some real stinkers.

So, just for fun, I took a look at Romantic Times' (who I think tends to be a little generous) most recent reviews, and after a quick count of the first 72 reviews for mainstream romance, I found that 25 books received less than 4 stars, and there was a good smattering of 2 stars. That, to me, seems to be a little more realistic.

AAR even breaks down their average review grades into percentages, which run fairly close to my own grade percentages. According to their summary, 8% of books reviewed receive "A" grades. 39% receive "B." 32% get "C." 18% get nailed with "D" grades, and 5% are sentenced to "F."

Another gripe I have with "love-fest" reviews is that they rarely list reasons for any less than perfect scores. If a book rates less than the highest rating, I want to know WHY. As a writer, knowing would help me understand and avoid the same mistakes in the future. As a reader I want to know what to expect.

It sounds like I'm picking on that one review newsletter/site, but I'm not. They just happened to be the last straw. I've noticed the same thing all over the place. Seems like some of the only honest reviews I can find are at Mrs. Giggles, AAR, and sometimes, Romantic Times. Heck, even with the hoopla over reviews at Amazon, I still find the customer reviews to be more helpful than most reviews posted by "official" reviewers. Why? Because once you weed out the obvious cases of sour grapes and rival-bashing, the reviews are honest reactions BY readers. They aren't afraid to hurt their peers' feelings. They tell it like it is. I don't pay attention to them all, but sometimes people post intelligent, well thought out reviews, and those are the ones to which I give a little weight.

I realize that quality is subjective. There are books I love that others hate and vice versa. But my point is that glowing reviews for less than stellar quality does authors and readers no favors. I want to know WHY that book got 4 stars instead of 5. I want to know WHY a book received 3 stars when the reviewer says the hero is has no redeeming qualities, the heroine is a wimp, and the plot falls apart at times. Sounds like a big, fat, one star to me.

As a reader, I'm laying out a lot of money every month for books, and I want honesty. If the plot falls apart and the characters are idiots, I want to know before I spend the money. If I buy a car based on glowing reviews and then find out that the brakes tend to go out and the steering sometimes fails, I'm going to be pissed that people wrote great reviews because the manufacturer was a friend.

Okay, rant over. I just know this will someday come back to bite me in the ass--I'll get two stars on my first book and the reviewer will list every little thing that was wrong with it--but I just had to let go. And hey, no one has posted an angry comment in my blog for a few months, so it's about time!

Monday, August 23, 2004 @ 10:36 AM CST [link]

Celebration

In celebration for finishing Snowbound (okay, I'm actually finishing it today,) I bought myself a present. I finally got the complete series DVDs of Joss Whedon's Firefly. Yay!!! There are 14 episodes, so I have 14 days of treadmill entertainment. Woo hoo!

I also updated my sidebar to include more blogs I read on a regular basis and the website of a script CP of mind, Daria Karpova, who just sold a novel to Loose Id, as well as a couple of short stories to various e-mags.

I have many more updates to go, and someday I'll get to them.

Maybe.

Have a great Sunday!

Sunday, August 22, 2004 @ 09:39 AM CST [link]

Greek God?

Thanks to Alison for this!


Morpheus


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla

Saturday, August 21, 2004 @ 09:23 AM CST [link]

Spelling Woes

Yesterday I got 6 pages written on Snowbound! Yay! Just two more scenes to go, and the story will be wrapped up. I can't wait. I think I'm definitely cut out for writing shorter novels because by about page 220, I'm ready to be done with the story. Pushing through the last 100 pages of a 400 page novel is sheer hell. I've done it three times, and at no time did I enjoy it. Just finishing up the last 60 pages of EOTH, which was a 320 page novel, was bad enough. I'm thinking that 240 pages (about 60k words) is about right for me. Naturally, now that I've found a good length and good line for my voice, that line, Temptation, is going through weird cut backs and reorganization.

I think I've also found all of my "trouble words" now. You know, words you can't spell no matter how often you use them.

I used to be an excellent speller. I could spell anything. I couldn't add two plus two, but I could spell whatever was thrown at me. Things have definitely changed. I don't know if my difficulty with certain words is because I've learned too much over the years and my brain had to purge a few items, or if it's because I'm getting older, or what. But I have these "trouble words" now. Words like "separate," which I tend to spell "seperate." And "necessary," and "embarassed," which I always have to look up. And don't even get me started on "rhythm." Or rythym. Or however the hell it's spelled. Yeah, I could look it up, but the stupid word doesn't deserve it. I'll just say tempo or cadence or throb.

"He set a throbbing pace..." Maybe not.
"The cadence of his motions..." Sounds like there's a drill instructor nearby.

Sigh. Guess I'll have to keep looking up words I can't spell anymore. Getting old sucks!

Friday, August 20, 2004 @ 09:01 AM CST [link]

Thursday Stuff

Last night my husband and I took our son out on the new deathtrap, er, bike we got him. Since he's seven years old and tall, we had to get him a 20" bike and buy the training wheels separately. (Where we lived before he couldn't ride because of the hills, so he's a little behind.)

Anyway, we're out walking with him while he rides, and he says, "Mama, when I fall off the bike, will you write about it?" I pat his head and assure him that I will, all the while thinking, "You're on training wheels. You won't fall."

Right. About 30 seconds later, one of the wheels FALLS OFF and he hits the ground. Whoops. Psychic little booger.

So here I am, writing as promised.

And speaking of writing, I've gotten two pages done on my nearly completed project, Snowbound! I'm so excited. It's nearly finished. Just a few pages left. With any luck, I can finish it today and then work on the Brava novella I'd started (and entered in the contest!) So I really need to get that done. Even if it doesn't final--and with 200+ entries, it has a lot of competition!--I'm going to send it on to Kensington, anyway.

Okay, back to the WIPs! Happy writing, everyone!

Thursday, August 19, 2004 @ 12:07 PM CST [link]

Wimpy Heroines?

I just finished a pretty good romance. I had very few beefs with it, really. Military hero (yum,) feisty heroine (slightly annoying at first, but she got better) and lots of bad guys.

Still, there was one scene that bothered me, and it's a scene I see all too often in romances. You know, the one where the hero confronts a bad guy who is trying to kill the hero and heroine, and for some reason...the hero doesn't kill the guy even though that would be the smart thing to do. It's kinda like in horror movies. When the monster looks dead...it isn't. Don't relax, don't walk away. Chop it into little pieces. And then set it on fire. Duh.

I'm guessing that editors think readers don't want to read about a hero who could so casually take someone's life. It's okay to "know" he does it, but to actually "see" it might be a different thing. Not for me. I want evidence that this man who is protecting me can take out a few bad guys and not think twice. Yep. No wussing out of it by tying the dude up. I want closure.

Anyway, in this book, what was refreshing is that the hero was perfectly willing--and eager--to kill the bad guy. But the ditzy heroine flipped out. "Oh, please don't kill him! Can't you just...tie him up?" Yeah. Sure. So when the ARMY of bad guys finds the living, breathing, tied-up guy, he can tip them off about the direction in which the h/h went and what kind of weapons they have. Brilliant. It's kill or be killed, lady.

And hero-boy, sucker for blonde hair and boobs that he is, gives in. What he should have done is wax the bad guy when the heroine wasn't looking.

The good news is that by the end of the novel, Ms. Freaked-Out wasn't so wimpy anymore. She was happy to let the hero slit a throat or two.

Oh, and the next time you need to slit someone's throat (in your novel, of course,) don't have your character yank the victim's head back to expose the throat. Doing so retracts the jugular and carotid, and it extends the larynx and trachea, meaning that your character has to slice harder and deeper to cause fatal damage. The smart (and easy) way to slit someone's throat is to push their head forward, retracting the trachea and exposing the jugular/carotid. Just FYI. For your novel. Don't try this at home, kids!

Wednesday, August 18, 2004 @ 09:45 AM CST [link]

Tuesday Blahs

I'm still trying to get used to the early morning school schedule, so today I'm exhausted. But I'm not planning to get any writing done today, so that'll help. I've got too much catching up to do with other things.

First, my house. Once I'd set it up enough to live in comfortably, I stopped doing other things, like hanging pictures, organizing the spare bedroom, etc. So I've got to do some of that today.

I also have to go grocery shopping. Joy.

And I'm going to finish editing the novel I've been working on for LSB. After today's edits, all I'll have to do is look over the final draft for little mistakes, and I'll be completely finished with it. And After it is done and sent off, I'm taking some time off editing to work on my own stuff that has been very neglected. YAY! I'll bet my author will be even happier than I am to get it done--she hates me. Came right out and said it.

So anyway, my day is going to be truly exciting. Must go read everyone else's blogs so I can do something interesting today!

Tuesday, August 17, 2004 @ 10:32 AM CST [link]

Monday. Ick.

Mood: Is Monday a mood?

It's Monday. Know how I know? It's because at 2:30 this morning, my cat (the psychotic one) woke me up and PEED on me. Yes, peed on me. In bed. On my arm and pillow.

Now, this is the cat that we had to keep medicated on anti-anxiety drugs when we lived in Michigan because idiots let their un-neutered toms run free, and the cats would spray on our doors, causing our psychotic cat to go nutso and spray inside our house.

When we moved here, we hoped that the lack of neighborhood cats would keep that from happening again. So far, so good. We haven't needed to drug Felicks at all.

Now, this morning was weird. He didn't spray. He was upset about something--had awakened us by meowing fretfully. I think there was a raccoon or possum or fox in our back yard or something. So he came into the bedroom needing attention desperately. He got all lovey--purring and rubbing and drooling ('cuz he drools when he's happy,) and then he just...peed on me. Thing is, he didn't stop purring, and he didn't think he was in trouble. It was weird, and most likely an accident.

I discussed this with Bryan this morning, and he had a much more horrifying explanation. He thinks Felicks got all worked up and spooged on me. EEEWWW!!!! I'm not sure which is worse. Getting peed on or spooged on.

Either way, the cat is going back on meds. I'd really like if he kept his bodily fluids to himself.

Monday, August 16, 2004 @ 08:54 AM CST [link]

Happy Saturday!

Nothing exciting going on today, and I actually try not to blog on weekends, but since I worked on my site a little I decided to let everyone know how excited I am to have finally alphabetized my sidebar blogs! I know...no one cares. But working on my website is always a slow, painful process, so anytime I do something like that I get excited.

Ooh, and I added three more blogs to the list. I have more to add, but I need to find the paper with their addresses. I'm SO unorganized. It's weird, because in some areas of my life, I'm anal about structure and organization. I don't want ANYTHING on my kitchen counter to be out of place. I like my days to be scheduled and routine. A break in my routine throws me for a loop. (Funny, because this has only become important in the last few years. I used to be very fly-by-the-seat-of-my pants.)

But my desk...if it ever looks neat and organized, it'll be a miracle. And it would probably make me cranky!

Saturday, August 14, 2004 @ 11:02 AM CST [link]

Killing Your Voice

I have a friend who has written scores of manuscripts, has been on the verge of publication with H/S several times, and has sold a gob of stories to Ellora's Cave.

Now she's trying her hand at a Single Title. The problem is that she let a bunch of people read the first chapter, and now she's lost her confidence because many of the responses were along the lines of, "You're breaking the rules and this will never get published."

So she's trying to figure out how to change things, which may or may not be a good thing.

I've been through that. I've discovered the dangers of letting too many people critique my work. I've discovered the dangers of letting people who "don't get" my genre or my writing critique my work.

And you know what happens? You kill your voice. I'm paying for that now as I revise my romantic adventure, Emergency of the Heart. I spent way too much time following "the rules," and listening to people who didn't "get it."

I should probably have listened to a few select people I trust, and I'm doing that now with my new work. And guess what? My new work is SO much better. I'm writing to please myself, not 20 people who don't have a clue what I like to read and write.

And "rules?" Rules, schmoolz. They have their place--especially for beginning writers--but they are guidelines, not set-in-stone laws. I break them if I need to, and most people will understand WHY I broke them. The only people who will freak out are contest judges and romance rule police, who I don't let read my work anyway.

That said, all of the critiques I received on EOTH WERE helpful in that it was my very first contemporary romance and I had a LOT to learn. I still do. But at the time I didn't trust myself or my voice, so I listened to everyone who had anything to say--good or bad. So my manuscript is stiff, stilted, and in many places it doesn't sound like me at all. I did need that learning experience, and I appreciate all the input. The story is better because of the critiques, but it is also...not me.

But I've learned and moved on, and now I'm "protecting my work." No one sees it right away, and when I'm happy with what I've got, I submit a few chapters to my teeny crit group and see what happens. Input is invaluable, but be careful! Too much input--or the wrong kind of input--is damaging.

Friday, August 13, 2004 @ 10:47 AM CST [link]

Dodging Bullets

Everyone in Mississippi says that we dodged a bullet with Tropical Storm Bonnie. Not me. I love tropical storms! Drat.

Oh well. I'll survive the disappointment. Besides, with my luck we'll get hit with a category 5 hurricane before the season is over.

But I am excited about one thing! I did it. I submitted my entry to the Brava contest. And boy, did I get a slow roll in my stomach as I pushed the "enter" button. I get that when I send off a contest entry in the mail, too. Only three more days to enter, so get with it if you plan to submit!

Other than that, not much to tell. It's my birthday today, and dh is taking me to dinner anywhere I want. I haven't decided yet. There's a wonderful Middle Eastern restaurant downtown where I've been wanting to go again, but I'm also craving fried green tomatoes, so we may go to a regionally famous place called Aunt Jenny's Catfish Restaurant. Hmm. We'll see what I'm hungry for later. Yes, my life is thrilling!

Thursday, August 12, 2004 @ 08:37 AM CST [link]

Where, Oh Where, Did My Heroine Leave Her Inhaler?

Let's chat about a malady we've all seen--and may ourselves be guilty of burdening our characters with. I call it RHRDS.

What is RHRDS? A definition:

RHRDS-- Romance Heroine Respiratory Distress Syndrome. A condition in which easily surprised and/or shocked romance heroines gasp frequently. The heroine is almost always "innocent," if not a virgin. Heroes can also suffer from RHRDS, but this, fortunately, is extremely rare.

RHRDS can be acute or chronic--acute (ARHRDS) happening when an otherwise healthy heroine suddenly begins out-of-control gasping during a sex scene. Chronic (CRHRDS) occurs when a heroine gasps often all throughout the novel for whatever reason.

Many excellent romances feature heroines who don't gasp anywhere in the entire novel. *gasp!* Others may contain a gasp or two, and often the gasps happen for good reason--like the heroine has nearly suffocated and must gasp for air. Even if the heroine gasps out of surprise or shock or sudden lust, it'll happen infrequently. This is not RHRDS.

RHRDS occurs when a heroine gasps so often that the reader begins to wonder if the poor girl has a respiratory illness. She may be gasping several times PER CHAPTER for hero-related reasons. Here are some actual examples I've seen while critiquing, editing, or judging contest entries:

His size and huge build was a shock, and she gasped as he stalked toward her.

Gasping, she struggled for breath when he brushed his thumb over her nipple.

"Oh," she gasped, amazed at the feel of him against her.

Her gasps of pleasure filled him with masculine possessiveness and pride.

Her gaze swept over him, and she gasped when she saw the size of the bulge in his jeans. (My personal favorite.)

Had these examples come only once or twice in an entire manuscript, they wouldn't be so bad, but they came one on top of each other. One begins to wonder if the heroine is really a fish who needs to be tossed back in the water so she can breathe normally again. (She writhed beneath him, gasping and moaning.) Quick! Dunk her in the water before she dies!!!

And think about it--how often do you really gasp? Sharp intakes of breath, jaw-drops, wide eyes, breath catching...these happen more frequently. Overused gasps in a story become distracting and melodramatic.

And speaking of distracting, I need to stop blogging and start writing fiction--minus gasps.

Monday, August 09, 2004 @ 09:49 AM CST [link]

A Song or Dance, M'lord?

Britain is in the process of hiring its first official royal jester since 1649! It's about time. Every time I visit Britain, I think, 'You know, what this country really needs is a jester."

Here in America, we're way ahead of our friends across the pond. We elect a new fool every four years...

Sunday, August 08, 2004 @ 09:42 AM CST [link]

Must...sit...down...and...WRITE!

Argh!

Yesterday I was SO tired and run down from lack of sleep, stress, and that fun monthly visitor that makes womens' lives hell that I didn't get any writing done. None. The day was a blur. I mostly wandered around the house like a zombie. I cleaned and did laundry because that requires no brain power, but that's all I did.

So today I have to catch up. I have a LOT of editing to do, and I have to write. Must. Write. Especially because this weekend will be a largely non-writing one. Saturday we're going to be doing housework, and Sunday we're going over to my husband's commander's house for dinner. Oh, and might I add that I have to be on my best behavior because the last time his commander called, I thought the guy was a salesperson and was rude. (Don't ask.)

Okay. Must go write.

Oh, but before I go, I've added a new blog to my sidebar. Wendy Woo keeps an entertaining blog, so check it out!

Friday, August 06, 2004 @ 10:21 AM CST [link]

First Day of School

Wow. It's my 7-year-old son's first day of school. Yes, it's AUGUST 5th, in case anyone was running for the calendar and wondering if September had somehow snuck up on you. Who in the world makes kids go back to school in August?

The state of Mississippi, that's who. Ugh.

Oh, and to top it off, his bus picks him up at 6:38. That's 6:38 A.M. In the morning. Oh-six-thirty-eight.

I'm going back to bed now.

Thursday, August 05, 2004 @ 09:03 AM CST [link]

Latest Reads

I haven't had a lot of time to read lately, what with moving and writing and editing, but I do find that I must make time for reading or my batteries drain and I just can't write anything better than "Dick and Jane went to the store. Then they went home. Then they fed Spot." It's pathetic. I need inspiration.

Remember my blog about authors who can write a fantastic romance that doesn't rely heavily on "stuff happening?"

Well, the novel I just read, Dream a Little Dream, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, is one of those. Yes, there is a plot, but the heart of the story is the relationship between the hero, heroine, and her son--and their deep, emotional issues that affect their feelings and lives. I normally don't like novels with children as major characters, but this child wasn't the cute, annoying kind so often seen in romances. This kid was a brat--but we understand why. And as a mother, I felt his pain.

I loved this book. Not much "happened," but the maturity of the characters and the depth of their development kept me reading the book in one sitting.

Now, remember I said that Alison Kent is also one of those authors who delves so deeply into her characters that her books don't need "something happening" to make them interesting?

Well, it turns out that her new Bravas DO have stuff happening. And guess what? She still manages to create very real, very deep characters.

I just finished The Shaughnessey Accord, the second installment of her Smithson Group spy novels. The Shaughnessey Accord is a novella, so it's a quick read. There's not enough room for Alison to delve deeply into the characters' backgrounds, which is a shame, because the characters were still interesting enough for me to want to know more about them.

Still, she managed to go deeper into the characters than I'd have expected with such a limited word count. I've read a bazillion Brava novellas lately, and none, not one, has managed to weave an erotic, action-type plot with characters that aren't shallower than a tide pool. (Which isn't to say that the stories weren't entertaining!) Alison did. She just keeps getting better and better.

And, speaking of authors who create intensely deep characters who don't rely on action to fuel them, take a look at Lydia Joyce's cover for her first novel, The Veil of Night. Gorgeous!

Wednesday, August 04, 2004 @ 10:43 AM CST [link]

Spiderman 2

There are so many movies out (or coming out) that I want to see, but until we find a babysitter, we're stuck going to movies suitable for our son. So much for The Bourne Supremacy, The Village, and AVP.

But we did go see Spiderman 2. And it really was better than the first. (Of course, I didn't like the original film.)

I've always liked Tobey McGuire, but I still don't know if I like him as Superman. He does a great job, but it's always weird to see him in his costume and think that it's doofy Tobey under there.

So why was S2 better than the first? For me, it was about four things.

One (not really a spoiler) was his internal conflict. He's been saving the city for two years while trying to have a normal life. School, job, etc. It ain't working. He has a decision to make, because normal and superhero just don't go together.

His conflict is something I think everyone can relate to on some level. I kept thinking about my writing. How I used to write as a hobby, finding time here and there between my "real" life.

Then I started taking writing more seriously. I wanted to get published. So I started making time in my "real" life rather than just stealing moments as they came.

And that's when the trouble began. I couldn't get enough time to write, and it was frustrating. And when I set aside large chunks of time, it took away from my friends and family because I was already working full time and going to school. So it wasn't working. Something had to give.

I chose writing, and I'm very happy with that decision.

So anyway, back to S2. Peter Parker has a decision to make, and his conflict is wonderfully painful to watch--even though it did go on a little long.

The number two reason that S2 was better than the first was the romance. I'm not going to give anything away, but I enjoyed watching the characters struggle with their feelings, even if I wanted to slap them both at times. It could have been worked better--there was SO much room for expanding the depth of the romance, but I guess that since it's a superhero flick the romance wasn't a priority.

Number three (spoiler!) is the set-up of the villains. Aside from Peter Parker's best friend who will avenge his father, the movie set up the spurned astronaut villain and the mutant professor villain. We should see at least two more movies. Yay!

Number four (spoiler!) reason I liked this movie better is that finally, finally, the truth comes out. I HATE secrets. They make me crazy. I was so relieved when Spiderman's identity was revealed to the people who matter--for better or worse.

Anyway, the film had flaws, but I still think it was better than the first.

Okay, off to write. Have a nice day, everyone!

Tuesday, August 03, 2004 @ 10:49 AM CST [link]

Buyer Beware

My husband and I had an interesting experience this weekend. We checked our credit card statement and found several unauthorized charges from a company called MWI Connections. After some investigating, we found that this company has several lawsuits and complaints with consumer protection agencies filed against it.

We called the company to find out how they got our credit card and personal information. Surprisingly, they were very forthcoming, and they let us know that an internet travel company we have often used to purchase airline tickets and hotel and rental car reservations had GIVEN MWI Connections this information.

You can bet that we will never use Travelocity again.

After more investigating, we found that other internet travel companies, like Orbitz, have done the same thing. So if you have recently purchased tickets or reservations through an online company, keep a close eye on your credit card statements. Some people are having a hard time getting these charges removed.

In other news, I've updated my Doggie Bag page with a new myth and new tips for summer. Yes, I'm late on the summer tips, but the move screwed things up. I'm going to be making other website changes later this month, and I'm excited (and a little scared,) but hopefully I'll get the thing up to date!

Monday, August 02, 2004 @ 09:43 AM CST [link]