A Writer in the Making

Overwhelmed

2012-01-24T13:51:00.000-08:00

I was flipping through a slew of Writer's Digest emails that I hadn't caught up on, and realized the my knowledge of the written word is sorely lacking. Which made me feel overwhelmed and a bit like a fraud.

Who am I to think I could possibly be a published author? A writer, sure maybe, just for myself and to get it out of my head, but do I really have what it takes to be an author. I simply do not know.

I know nothing about formal plots and many of the writing terms are alien to me. Like what is a "leitmotif" and a "formula plot"? Most likely I have that same dazed look my clients get when I talk about LUNs, SANs, and SSL certs.

The last class I took in creative writing was most likely early on in high school, may ninth or tenth grade. I certainly didn't take any in college. I was concentrated on doing the bare minimum on my breadth courses and far more concentrated on the core courses required for my major. English, not being my strongest subject, was at the bottom of my list.

I can only take comfort in knowing that MaryJanice Davidson has several successful series of books, is a New York Times Best-selling author, and assured me that a college degree in English or Literature wasn't a requirement to getting published.

Yes, I will admit it. I'm a bit of an MJD stalker. I hope she doesn't mind too much, but she does give me hope that maybe, someday, even if it's self-published, I'll have a polished book for sale out there somewhere.

Even if I don't know what a leitmotif is.

An Interview with Jess

2012-01-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

I was debating about whether or not topost the first chapter of some of my books on my blog. So, as usual,I went to my writer's group – Grand Rapids Region Writers Group –with the question. There was some difference of opinion, but SimoneAnderson answered the question I hadn't asked.

So, I'm not posting chapters here. Why?Because it is possible that a publisher may consider the work“published” and may not pick it up. Since I haven't decided ifI'm going to self-publish yet (I'm still trying the traditional routeof finding an agent) I decided to heed Simone's advice.

Her advice included the idea of postinginterviews with (or of) my characters. Or at least that's how Jesshas interpreted it and she hasn't shut up about being interviewedever since. To ease my aching head and shut Jess up for awhile, Iagreed to interview her.

So, with no further ado, here's myfirst ever interview with Jess Barker from the Jess Barker Mysteryseries. Hopefully it's not too silly and you may get a good giggle.And I've warned Jess that if she swears there will be a [bleep]posted as I'm trying to keep this blog somewhat G-rated.

JC: Welcome Jess! So, how abouttelling everyone what's it's like to be you?

Jess: What it's like to be me?How the [bleep] do you think it feels to be followed around by abunch of dead people that won't leave you alone? It's kind of likebeing Tori Spelling when she's pregnant and the paparazzi arefollowing her non-stop. Only no one can see my 'paparazzi' because they'refrickin' dead and mine have the added "'bonus" of being able to follow me into the bathroom stall.

JC: Ooookay....uhm, I did warnyou I'd have to verbally “bleep” you, remember?

Jess: Oh, so now you're going toplay like you're a saint? You know your mouth is as bad as mine.

JC: (I'm trying hard not to chucklehere) No, I'm not playing thesaint here. Everyone who knows me, knows I can swear with the best of'em.

Jess: Fine. (she's pouting)

JC: Wanna tell them anythingelse?

Jess: Nope.

JC: Sure?

Jess: Positive. You're not doingthis way I wanted you to, ya know. (she's still pouting)

Jess: Quit being a [bleep] andtelling them everything I'm doing or I'm walking sister!

JC: All right, all right! Geez,you're grouchy tonight. What's wrong?

Jess: I'm tired! My horribleboss made us all work overtime, and my dead groupies whined all nightat me about paying attention to them so I haven't slept in over 24hours.

JC: Sorry. I know how grouchythey can make you. How about we talk about your work instead?

Jess: 'K. My actual work ispretty boring. The bad part is I work in a hospital so I'm always onalert to ignore the dead running around there. It's a bit toughbecause my two best girlfriend's work there too, and they don’tknow about my stupid cursed gift.

JC: So, from your point of view,interacting with the dead the way you do is a curse?

Jess: Yes. A curse. Definitely.

JC: Is there anything about workyou do like?

Jess: The good thing aboutwork is that Maggie works with me and we get to see Cora fairlyoften. On occasion, I even get a long enough break to meet Paul forlunch.

JC: Why don't you tell everyoneabout those three?.

Jess: Well, Paul and I met incollege. He's like my brother and sister all rolled into one. He'sbeen my BFF since the first day we met. I mean, who doesn't love agood Drag Queen? Maggie is a genuine sweetheart, gorgeous inside andout and she always knows when I'm arriving at work, it's a bit unsettling. And Cora, well,she's feisty, a fighter, and a bit of a cougar. She's always got aneye on some cute young guy.

Cora: Nowwait just a minute! I am NOT a cougar.

JC: Well,hello Cora, Maggie, Paul. Nice of you to join us. Is this the way it'salways going to be? I try to interview Jess and you three jump on in?

Paul: Oh,quit it. You love us all and you know it. (Paulgrins as he plants kisses on our cheeks)

Maggie: Hi,JC! You know perfectly well that wherever Jess is we're not too far behind.Someone's gotta keep her on the sober train.

Cora: Seriously!I'm not a cougar. I'm forty, fit, and fabulous. What man in hisright mind wouldn't want me?

Paul: Well,me doll. You're just not my type. You know you don't have the 'rightparts' for me. (Corasticks her tongue out at him making him laugh)

JC: Enoughyou two. C'mon you guys. I'm trying to interview Jess and it'sbecoming a three-ring circus (like usual) in here!

Maggie: We'resorry. What else did you want to know?

Jess: Aw,[bleep]! Give it up JC. We're done here. Let's take this circus onthe road and go get something to eat. I'm starving and want somethingchocolate!

JC: Fine.But I get dibs on the hot fudge!

Sorry folks, this is what goes on in my head on a routine basis. Welcome to my world!

New Business Book

2012-01-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine just released his first book today. Self published on lulu.com, he's working on getting it into Kindle and Nook formats.

Here's the blurb on it:

This book is a collection of 9 BlissPoints. They are unique marketing concepts that the author has developed over the past 22 years of marketing for Hi-Tech Start-ups and Fortune 500 organizations. These BlissPoints have enable him to see things differently, no matter the situation. They are examples where he has stolen the show and literally moved the spotlight away from the traditional and focused it on the unusual or the unique. Each point is a different area where he has found success by emotionally connecting to his audience and by doing things a little differently. The author believes in going against traditional thinking and exploiting things that others have missed. So, here's his challenge to you: "Look for the value and overcome the fears that keep you from stepping out on stage, whatever that stage may be.Go ahead! Steal the show."

He's always had GREAT ideas for IT companies, so I thought I'd share. There may be something in there for authors too. I can tell you, he has a loyal fan base from the various IT camps and we love him enough to follow him into his new career of writing about business.

Just thought I'd share.
Stealing The Show

Musing on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2012-01-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

(I liked this one enough I decided to post it here as well as the GRRWG blog).

I didn't realize that my day to blog would fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Perhaps that's because I haven't gotten this particular holiday off in over a dozen years. (Which isn't all that big of a surprise, after all my job is in IT and we typically do our biggest work on days when no one else is working.)

So, I started looking at some of his quotes. Everyone knows this one and it remains my absolute favorite:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

I was young enough when he was killed to not really get the importance of his death. Kids tend to be too self-absorbed to get some of the bigger events in their life. At the time I was more concerned about my math homework and recess than anything else. It wasn't until later on that I figured out how important he was.

This quote always gets me thinking about doors opening and paths not taken:

"All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

There are times when I'm involved in various groups that I wonder if Dr. King truly understood what he started for the rest of us. The Stonewall Riots came just a year later, helping bring the homosexual community together to take on the oppressive laws throughout the US (of which many are still on the books to my great dismay). Just two years later the first Gay Pride marches were held in LA, Chicago, and New York.

I believe our lawmakers have tried to make laws that will protect us all from discrimination, I'm just not sure they work well. Perhaps that's because some lawyers want to interpret the intent of the law, while others look for loopholes. Why don't we try simpler language? For instance: "A company is to interview all skillfully qualified candidates." (Already the lawyer in my head has a dozen questions). Can't we just use common sense?

The year that Dr. King died, women were given protections from sex discrimination by an Executive Order, and affirmative action plans were required for hiring women. A year later, my home state of California, adopted the "No Fault" divorce law, allowing divorces by mutal consent. In contradiction, men still had legal control of whether or not their wives worked and where they would live - in California of all places! Luckily that law has since been axed. This was the year I started paying attention to women's rights as I had one grandfather who constantly told me what professions were "appropriate" for girls, of which a Veterinarian was not one, and another one who told me girls could be anything we wanted to and that my chavenistic grandfather was full of it.

"Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.
Martin Luther King, Jr. "

This quote always brings to mind several friends who are talented, outspoken people, many of who are Gay. While minorites and women have come a long way, the Gay community as a whole hasn't seen as much progress. And the sad part is, they've been there for the rest of us all along. It is fairly well understood that making progress for one oppressed group helps bring the other groups forward as well. I was quoted over the summer as saying something along the lines of "It is now our time to stand up for the LGBT community, as they were there for women in the 70's". I do feel responsibility to be an ally and to help move understanding of this community forward. And it makes me incredibly happy to see the current generation being more tolerant in general when it comes to orientation, skin color and gender.

However, I don't think we are quite at the point where people are judged for the content of their character. We seem to be sliding backwards on that one. Perhaps technology is to blame for as we put more and more focus on what people look like (regardless of skin color) and less on who they are. Televeision, YouTube, and the anonymity of the internet, have made instant judgements incredibly easy, without forcing people to take the time to truly think things through. Bullying has skyrocketed and too many teens and young adults are committing suicide over violent vitriolic posts on social media sites.

Still, on this particular holiday I have great hope that someday Dr. King may be able to look down and smile upon a nation that finally accepts people as they are and for who they are. Even though we may be taking a few steps back, we are still miles down the road from where Dr. King started.

BioWare's Star Wars game

2012-01-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

I work on tech all day, last thing I want to do at the end of the day is do more tech stuff. My poor, dear hubby asked me to learn how to play this new Star Wars game (think Star Wars meets World of Warcraft) over my Christmas vacation. I have yet to even setup an account.

Blogging after a day of techie stuff isn't so bad, it's quick enough and I can write in LibreOffice and do a cut-paste when I'm ready to put it up. Not quite the same as playing a game for hours or working on a web page, This Star Wars game eats up a ton of time, and based on what I've seen of the interface and how much he's on the keyboard, I'm still stalling learning it, even though I'd have my own personal tutor, I'm resisting learning something new.

I'm stalling on making a web site for myself as well. Tweaking code and designing pages after a day of troubleshooting broken tech isn't a passion of mine. So I'm always looking for help.If you have any comments on layout, colors, whatever, feel free to leave me a comment. I'm always working on my writing and blogs.

I'm also working on pulling excerpts from both the Jess Barker and Fey Life series to post. Problem is that Jess requires a bit of "editing" to make her language more family friendly. Perhaps you'll laugh as I do at my characters from time to time.

Come on by this weekend, I'll hopefully have some more Jess stuff posted by then. Perhaps I'll add another page for excerpts and short stories.

Contest News!

2012-01-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

An author from my writer's group is having a contest. If you like Paranormal Romance (or even if you don't), take a peek at her website. You can win a book or an Amazon gift card for simply answering a question.

Here's the link:
Sidney Ayers' Contest

My Characters Wreak Havoc - Again!

2012-01-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

I'm SO glad to know that I'm not alone in having people in my head telling me their stories. But I often wonder if other writers have characters that make them laugh at inappropriate times and buy way too many of something.

For example, The Scot has me buying sewing machines like they're going out of style. I did manage to stop him after my last two acquistions: a gorgeous White treadle machine and an old Kenmore in amazing shape. But now I have to work on getting some of these machines out of my house, and try to get back at least what they cost me to begin with. I am learning quite a bit about their mechanics though, and how to fix them, so there is a positive side to his "influence. I mean really, how many of these can you keep around?

Jess had me laughing all morning with comments like: "Just because you're dead doesn't mean you can't be a complete asshat!" and "You're dead. I'm alive. Get over it and let me get some damn sleep!". And the one that made me really snort today: "Honey, your boobs are all crooked, here let me fix 'em." (She was helping Jolita into a new costume).

Since I've been sick and on cold meds, when I laugh my co-workers stare at me strangely and ask if I'm okay. What makes it funnier to me is her thick Texas drawl and the way some of her dead groupies whine at her. Visuals of Jolita in a bad costume don't help any either, especially given that she looks a lot like the ever-gorgeous RuPaul.

Then there's Merie. She gives me images of God (who's a woman by the way) grabbing Satan by his blond curly locks, looking into his baby blue eyes and shaking him like a ragdoll while she chastises him for something evil he had his minions do. Again. And she has a habit of doing so at the most inappropriate times, like when I'm in the middle of some really difficult tech problem or on the phone with a customer or in a meeting with the owners of the company.

And finally, there's Collie. My fey-hybrid who's basically a supermodel and an environmentalist - of which I am most definitely neither! She rants at me for throwing something out that she feels should be recycled. Actually, she's kind of annoying, but I adore Bambi, her vegan fey-hybrid servant who chastises Collie as much as Collie chastises me.

On the other hand, Collie does give me some really fun craft ideas. She's behind some of my latest additions to my fabric stash, and encourages me in trying new shopping bag designs to put on my etsy shop (www.etsy.com/pyrhaven). Bambi gave me the idea of modifying some apron designs that are really cute, but that makes my fabric stash grow even more.

I wonder if the IRS would understand writing off a fabric stash as a "mental health" issue?

The Christmas Party Story Challenge

2011-12-31T12:48:00.000-08:00

Tanya Eby a fellow member of GRRWG challenged us to write a short story about a Christmas party. I don't know how "short" this is, but this is what I came up with. Not like what I usually write, it was still a fun challenge.

The Christmas Party

Nervous excitement coursed through meas I left my hotel room, checking my hair and makeup for theumpteenth time in the hallway's large mirror while waiting for theelevator. Last year, I'd been a mere team member. This year I wasreturning as the first-ever woman to successfully manage the launchof a new product line. I couldn't wait to politely rub the good ol'boys noses in my success.

I'd fled to the Mid-West after Igraduated college, never realizing how culturally “backward” itwas from my West Coast upbringing. Once there, it didn't reallymatter. I was far away from the one person I hoped to never lay eyeson again, and if fighting the good ol' boy network was the price, Iwas willing to pay it.

The product launch and marketingcampaign had been a huge success. I had vindicated my bosses decisionto promote me to the spot, and even one of the Senior VP's hadcongratulated me for a job well done. With a final pat of myperfectly coiffed hair, I turned at the sound of the slow elevator'sding.

The doors opened, and my heart fell tomy stomach, the self-satisfied smirk left my face as my jaw dropped.I quickly composed myself, hoping he hadn't looked up in time tocatch my expression. Damn it! It was my own fault. I shouldn't havebeen thinking so highly of myself. I had jinxed my night.

I politely nodded as I entered theelevator, pressing the button for the floor where the party wasalready in full swing. Turning to face the doors, I acted as if Ididn't remember him. Perhaps he wouldn't recognize me. After all,it'd been almost a decade since we'd last seen each other, and mystyle had changed dramatically. Gone were my usual ripped jeans andbare feet. Tonight I was wearing an elegant ballgown, with gorgeousstrappy sandals, and I had gotten a fresh mani-pedi just a few hoursearlier.

He cleared his throat. Out of thecorner of my eye I caught a quick movement of his hand, as if he'dreached out to touch my shoulder but changed his mind. The elevatormade another stop to pick up an adorable elderly couple, one with awalker. I stepped back to give them more room which put me shoulderto shoulder with the person I most loathed on the planet.

Oh, my lord, he smells just like he didin college. Not fair! My knees always grew weak at the smell ofStetson. And it didn't help any that he was even more gorgeous thanhe had been in college. I mentally slapped myself, fighting to focuson the evening ahead of me. After all, I had a speech to give. OneI'd been rehearsing for days, and at the moment I couldn't remember aword of it.

The elderly couple exited the elevatora few floors above my destination. I took the opportunity to stepforward. It was just us on the elevator again. I closed my eyes andstarted to run through my speech.

I heard him clear his throat. “Um,Darcy? Darcy Hollis? Is that you?” His voice was soft, that lowtimber made my resolve melt a bit.

I dropped me head a bit, took a deepbreath, slapped on my best customer meeting face, and turned to facehim. “Yes, that's me. I'm sorry, are you a client of ClovisIndustries?”

“Um, no. Actually, I'm the new WestCoast regional sales manager, not a customer. Darcy, it's me, Pete.Pete Dawson? We went to college together.”

I stifled a smirk. He sounded sowounded. I couldn't resist playing with his head a bit more, but theelevator doors opened, and my boss was on the other side, drink inhand, his pink cheeks proving this one wasn't his first, or fifth forthat matter. Steeling myself for the inevitable grab, I exited theelevator trying to avoid his grasp. Bob was a bit of a letch when hehad a few drinks in him.

“Darcy! We were wondering where youwere! Hey, Petey boy, have you met Darcy? She's our newest rock star.She's the one who handled our latest product launch.” Bob slappedPete's shoulder with his empty hand, before wrapping it around mywaist and pulling me along.

Ugh! Just what I wanted for Christmas.A drunk, married boss trying to cop a feel. I fought the urge to lookat Pete and mouth the words “help me” as I would have done duringcollege. He'd bailed me out of several unwelcome clinches at drunkenfrat parties, I'd be damned if I'd be the damsel-in-distress at thisone.

Bob hung on to me as he wove usdrunkenly thru the crowd, introducing me and Pete to a variety ofpeople, many of whom already knew me. A few of the women who knewabout my history with Pete delicately raised a questioning eyebrow atme, signaling me to come back and chat as soon as I was free.

A microphone boomed at the front of theroom, saving me from further embarrassment courtesy of Bob. Thechairman of the board quickly called us to dinner, and in no time Iwas up front for my speech. Luckily my amazingly great assistant Lucyhad placed a copy of my speech up at the podium for me. I managed tosail through my speech, thanking my entire team, while apparentlyflawlessly covering up any nervousness or overlooked pieces of myspeech.

I sat at a table full of my productteam members. I had insisted on being placed with my team, anunconventional choice for this particular company. The launch wouldnot have gone as well without my team and I wanted to show my thanks.

“A toast. To my wonderful, amazing,hard-working, product launch team. Thank you all! Without you allthis would never have gotten off of the ground. Cheers!” Glassesclinked, as congratulations went around the table. I smiled at mycrew. I'd handpicked my team, taking many other manager's “rejects”that I could see had talent and drive. We'd really shown the old boysa thing or two and I was proud of all of us.

I clinked my glass with my knife andstood. “Due to the huge success of the product launch, I am pleasedto announce that we are being kept together as the lead team forimprovements to the line we just launched as well as any futureproducts our brains may dream up.” The table cheered and high-fivedeach other. “Wait, there's more! I badgered management into givingthe entire team a 5% raise, and, everyone gets from Christmas Eve Daythrough the day after New Year's off. Now, let's all go dance!”

As I watched my team celebrate, I knewthat giving up my own raise to give them that extra time off was wellworth it. They had definitely earned it, and the board seemed torespect my decision to give credit where it was due. I just hoped itwasn't a career killer.

The board's chairman, John Thomas,approached me. He was in his late 80's, but didn't appear it. Stillat the top of his game mentally, he walked tall and briskly, smilinggreetings at the few willing to approach him. I had learned quicklythat his gruff exterior was all show for business, in life he had akind and generous heart.

“Darcy my dear, I've been looking foryou. I've been meaning to introduce to one of our new sales managers.He'll be taking on your product line and I need you to get him up tospeed on the marketing campaign.” He waved at someone over the backof my head as I inwardly groaned. Sales managers were typically male,egotistical, and chauvinistic pigs.

“Mr. Thomas, so nice to see you.”My stomach lurched, it was that voice, of course it would haveto be that voice, and that man. Pete came from behind me togreet John, and I swore I felt his hand brush my waist.

“Pete, I'd like to introduce you toDarcy Hollis, the newly promoted Director for our product line,Darcy, this is Pete Dawson, the new sales manager I was telling yourabout.” My eyes grew big as I doubted my hearing. My confusedexpression made John laugh. “You heard right Darcy, I justfinalized the paperwork. I didn't think Jim or Bob would do the jobas well you, and I'd like to suggest Beth as your replacement. Ithink it's high time we move more women up.”

Stunned, I could only stand theretrying to absorb it all. I had given up that promotion to get my teamtheir time off. Both Bob and Jim, one of John's grandsons had jumpedat the chance. I heard that low rumbling voice start up again.

“Congratulations Darcy. It soundslike John chose the perfect director. I can't wait to start workingwith you on the marketing campaign. I'm sure I will learn a lot.”Pete smiled down at me, his hand resting lightly on my back “Howabout a turn on the dance floor to celebrate?”

John congratulated me again, assuringme I'd earned the promotion, as he waved us off to the dance floor.The next thing I knew I was back in those familiar arms, spinningslowly around the room. How the hell had I gotten here? It took me amoment to realize that Pete had asked me a question.

“What? I'm sorry, I wasn't payingattention. It's been a crazy night.” I looked up at the familiargreen eyes. My traitorous skin was singing at his familiar touch. Oldcrushes apparently never die.

“I was just wondering if youremembered the last time we danced like this. Please don't tell meyou don't remember me, you never were all that great at lying – atleast not to me.” His voice was teasing me.

I'd really wanted to play with his egoa bit, but the night was already too confusing. Fine, I'd cave, butonly a little. “All right. Yes. I do remember you. How could I not?You broke my heart when you broke up with me right before graduation.I almost didn't attend my own graduation because of you. I'd hoped tonever see you again, and now here I am stuck dancing with you on whatshould be one of the greatest nights of my life. I just broke theglass ceiling at a century-old, male dominated company and my teamhas the most successful product launch in the company's history. AndI'm stuck celebrating that news with you.”

He looked down at me, frowning a bit.“I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to ruin your night. I was justhoping...I dunno what I was hoping for. Look, I'm sorry for being astupid kid. I hope it won't get in the way of our working together.”

Angry now, I broke away from him.“What? Do you think I am so unprofessional that I would letsomething so trivial as schoolgirl crush get in the way of my career?Tell you what, here's my card, call me or email me with yourschedule. I'd like to get started on the marketing campaign for theWest Coast as quickly as possible.” I spun on my heel and headedfor the elevator.

Lucy stepped in beside me. “Darcy,are you okay? I didn't realize that was 'the' Pete. Is there anythingI can do?” She stopped me, grabbing my shoulders to make me lookat her.

I gave her a hug. “No, I'll bealright. I'm a big girl. Besides, do Product Directors cry atparties?” I laughed at her surprised look.

“They promoted you? Even though yougave it up for us?” Lucy had been in on the discussions regardingthe bonuses and time off for my team. She'd known I'd given up thepromotion to get my team their well deserved perks and she'd kept thesecret safe.

“Yes, John just told me. I will beasking for you to be promoted as well, with a big raise. We've got aton of work ahead of us and I can't do it without you.” Lucy jumpedwith delight, giving me a big hug. “Go on, go grab your boyfriendand enjoy yourselves.” I shooed her off and continued on my way.

My night was looking up a bit. If Icould just avoid Pete for the rest of the night. I delayed my marchto the elevator to chat with friends and teammates, acceptingcongratulations as word spread of my promotion. I managed to cornerBeth and ask her if she'd consider being my replacement. Sheaccepted, but only after asking if I was sure the board wouldapprove. Like me, she was keenly aware of the ol' boys culture in ourcompany.

“Sooooo, you're our new ProductDirector.” The slurred words were followed by a bourbon-laced belchaimed at my face. Bob was back and drunker than ever. Then it dawnedon me, Bob would now be my equal. It must have stung his ego a bit.

“Hi Bob. Yes, John just told me aboutthe promotion.” My mind whirled trying to find the right words tocool Bob off and not wound his ego at the same time. “You know, Iwouldn't have been able to do it without your guidance. I learned alot from you. Thank you.” I tried to sidle away, but he wasn'tassuaged just yet.

“You got that rriigghht littlllela-la-lady.” Another belch. “You o-owe meee. How's 'bout showin alittle thanks with a kiss?” He leaned forward drunkenly, and Ijumped backwards into a firm, yet familiar body. A big hand appearedin front of me, catching Bob's face before reeling him backwards.

That low voice rumbled over my head.“You okay Bob? Looks like you lost your balance a bit.” Bob hadlucked out and been caught by a few of the larger men on my team.“Guys, would you be so kind as to help Bob to table and get himsome coffee?”

I mouthed the word "thanks" to my guys.It was nice to know that my team always had my back. They nodded asthey landed several heavy slaps on Bob's back and steered him towardsthe coffee pots. I didn't thank Pete before I headed back towards the elevator.

The door was already open so I steppedon quickly, only to be joined by Pete. I glared up at him. I didn't needsaving, I could have handled it myself. I'm sure I could have gottenout of it gracefully, somehow. I fumed a bit, which only made himlaugh.

“Still stubborn to a fault, ehDarcy?” At my glare he held his hands up. “Sorry, I know youcould have handled it just fine on your own. I just thought I'd lenda hand before your enforcers got into trouble. What is it about youand drunken men anyway? I'd of thought you'd had your fill of that atour frat parties.” His smile was warm and a bit contagious.

“Yeah, like it's my fault men getdrunk and hit on me. Why were you following me anyway?” I glared upat him. I hate the fact that he's nearly a foot taller than me andwas thankful I was wearing tall heels.

“I just wanted to make sure you gotback to your room safe and sound.”

“I don't need an escort.” I crossedmy arms and fumed some more. Pete remained quiet.

The doors opened at my floor and Iexited, expecting Pete to stay behind. No such luck. He stayed by myside, quiet all the way to my door.

I looked up at him. “I'm not invitingyou in. You can go now.” I made a shooing motion with my room card.

Instead of leaving, Pete moved incloser, wrapping his arms around my waist and drawing me tightly in. Damnthat Stetson cologne! He smelled so good, I started to melt a bit inhis arms, though I refused to look at his face.

“Look, Darcy. I'm sorry. Back incollege, you were going on and on about graduation and the job offersyou were getting, and it was driving me crazy.” At the start of myprotest he put his finger on my lips and shushed me. I hate beingshushed.

“Let me finish, please. What youdidn't know was that I learned late into the semester that my finalproject wouldn’t be accepted. I was being allowed to walk at thesame time as you, but I wouldn't be graduated until after Iresubmitted my senior project during summer semester. I wasn'tgetting any job offers and I was mad. At myself, the world, and you.You were just so on point with everything. You had your life allfigured out and I couldn't even tell you I wasn't graduating.”Pete's head hung with shame.

“So, you broke up with me because youwere going to graduate a semester later? Did you really think thatwould've mattered to me? Even after I told you I loved you?” Itstill hurt, even all these years later, that memory of his rejectionwhen I declared my long-standing love for him would be with meforever.

Pete reached in his pocket, pulling outa small, wrapped box. “Here, I was going to give this to you atgraduation. I've kept it all these years in hopes I'd see you againand be able to give it to you. What better time than Christmas,right? Christmas is a time for miracles and forgiveness isn't it?”

I took the box, unsure of what to do orsay. All I could croak out was a pathetic “ummm?”.

Pete lightly kissed me on my forehead and turned toleave. “I just wanted you to know that I still love you.”

I stood in shocked silence for amoment, and then unwrapped the box. Inside was a small diamond ringwith a white card that simply asked, “Will you marry me?” Son-of-a-bitch! Had to wait nearly a decade to grow a pair and hestill didn't ask me himself? Pissed off and ridiculously happy Icouldn't decide what to do. Finally I kicked off my heels and beganrunning, with the box firmly in my hand.

“Pete! Pete! Wait up, you lousycoward! Come back here and act like a man for once in your life.” Iraced around the corner to the elevator and slammed right into a firmchest with enough force to land us both on the floor. God I reallyhope it was Pete I knocked down and not some poor innocent man.

I both felt and heard the low rumblinglaugh. Brushing my hair out of my face I could finally see that, infact, I had knocked Pete off his feet. Score one for the short girl!

Sitting up a bit, I began my rant. “Howdare you hand me something like this!” I shook the box in his face.“And not have the balls to ask me in person? You don't ask a womanto marry you with a note written years ago! First you ask forforgiveness and then you ask her to marry you. You dolt! What? Did you think I would've have said no back then? I'd been in love with you foryears you moron. How could you not know that when everyone else did?”

Pete laughed, then roughly pulled me tohim for a long kiss. I melted. All the years of anger washed away asthe realization that the person I loved the most, and hated the most,had never really wanted me out of his life.

We broke for air and sat up a bit. Petetook my hand and looked into my eyes. “So, will your forgive me?And then will you marry me?” I laughed, and punched him on the arm.

“Well, it is Christmas, I guess I canthrow you a bone. Sure, I guess I'll marry you.” I laughed as Petepulled me onto his lap for a soft kiss.

Christmas is a time for miracles andforgiveness after all, and this one was turning out to a doozy!

It's been rough lately

2011-12-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

This particular holiday season has been full of unhappy events. First we lost our dear friend Cora to cancer, and due to a lack of communication from a variety of people, we missed her viewing and a chance to be there for her father on a rough day.

A week to the day, and almost exact time of day, our Maine Coon kitten died unexpectedly at home. He was not yet 2 years old. The analysis to this point is that he died of a heart attack as the vet didn't find anything else. Unfortunately for my dear hubby, it happened while he was home alone and caused him great distress. Our big-fluffy-large pawed-chirpy-dooropener is already greatly missed.

Christmas was a bit more fun. I got to spend it with a dear friend and her family, along with two really cute, energetic kids. And my family actually called me. So I was thinking, silly me, that we might be looking at an upswing in our lives. Nope. Another dear friend is having a tragic day tomorrow, having to put down his beloved old 18 year old cat. And another friend lost a beloved Aunt today.

This made me have a chat with God. She will occasionally answer me. Mostly she just shrugs things off and says to talk to Merie instead. She actually answered me this time around. Her answer: "That's Life sweetie." Damn bitch! She truly has a warped sense of humor. Even Merie had to smile a bit when I ranted at her about her bitch of a boss lady.

The only good news out of this chat, was I got bit more of the Merie story done. Now I just need more time to work on my blog pages, and get a break from work-work on my vacation.

Molly gets a new name

2011-12-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

I've been needing to rename one of Jess' best friends, Molly, because there's too many 'M' names too close together in the book. I've asked for input from a variety of folks and had picked a name, but was waiting for approval from my friend to use it.

It's been weeks and I hadn't heard back from her. Today I learned why. She'd been in the hospital, valiantly holding a last stand against the cancer that has ravaged her body for far too many years. Today, she lost her battle. I just learned this. She will be missed.

And Molly will be renamed Cora, in honor of my friend. Her nickname will be Corky, just as Cora's dad called her. I'm sure Cora is smiling up in heaven. She'd read part of Jess' book, and has an understanding of Molly's character and I'm sure she'd approve. They're fighters, Molly and Cora, and I can't think of a better name to use now.

NaNoWriMo has taken over my life!

2011-11-24T18:54:00.001-08:00

I'm in the frantic rush to hit 50,000 words and the end of It's a Fey Life for NaNoWriMo as well as my groups ROAR into Writing contest. All while re-writing The Reluctant Psychic and getting it ready for submission. I'd hoped to make huge dents in both during my vacation. Not so much. Still have a long way to go and it's all go to be done by November 30th. At Midnight.

I'm not sure if there's enough caffeine on the planet to help me reach my goals.

Blogger - is it an "Issue" or a "Feature"?

2011-11-17T11:30:00.001-08:00

For some silly reason, Blogger won't allow me to respond to posts on my own blog. Really? WTH?! So, if you're thinking I've ignored you, please don't. I'm not, I just haven't gotten the folks at Blogger to get it straightened out yet.

I had someone ask me this question the other day and thought I'd share: "How many passwords do you have?" I had to get it clarified, because that question has a different meaning for different people on different sides of the IT equation. It was not the one meaning how many passwords do I have "on hand" to rotate through when my password expires on any account I may have. Instead it was more along the lines of: how many accounts do I have that I have separate AND unique passwords in use.

Easy: Well over 50. Why? Because I know too much about how hackers work, how script kiddies work, and how easy it really can be to ruin someone's life or business by getting simply one password. So yep, over 50. And no, I don't rotate them through my other accounts. They are complex passwords, not easily remembered. And I make up new ones everytime one expires or needs to be reset (roughly every 90 days). Which is why I have an electronic safe that keeps track of a good chunk of my more rarely used accounts and passwords for me.

Sure, it's a bit more work. No, it's not foolproof. But just like having very large, heavy, protective dogs with BIG teeth at home, it's just another obstacle in the way of whoever's trying to get at my stuff.

Although truthfully, I have no idea why anyone would want my data anyway. My credit rating is pretty much crap, I don't have much in assets (unless you want to count all my books, vintage sewing machines, and unfinished craft projects) and my truck is older than all but one of my nephews and nieces. And I'm still un-published. Still, it's my crap and I'd kind of like to keep it mine thank-you-very-much.

Think about these: How many accounts and passwords do you have? When did you last reset your email/blogger/Amazon/B&N/social networking/gaming/website passwords? Are they all using different passwords? Do you have all the security devices in place? Example: gmail and Yahoo! ask for a primary email address to be able to send reset password requests to, and Facebook would like your cell phone for that as well. Kind of like routine maintenance on air filters for your furnace and batteries for smoke detectors, you really should change them on a regular basis.

Memory Fail! due to Writing

2011-11-14T09:27:00.001-08:00

It's definitely been one of those Mondays. Long after posting the first iteration of this post, I realized I only got the last paragraph copied properly. How did I miss that?!? So let's see if I can get it put back to some semblance of what it was...and I doubt it'll be as good.

This weekend was a busy one. It started with writing Saturday morning before the GRRWG monthly meeting, followed by picking up one of my favorite 16 year-olds on the planet, and returning home to a nice long nap. Which was followed by more writing.

I was so busy I forgot to go download some really great writing books from Writer's Digest and now the deadline has passed. The good news is I got a lot of progress done on Collie's book and more of the rewrite done on Jess' book. Barring any barriers, I should hit both the ROAR and NaNoWriMo deadlines.

The good news is that next week I'm on vacation! Yay! First time in over a year and well deserved. I'm not going anywhere. Instead I'll be having lunch with friends I haven't seen in a long time, over multiple days, working on a vintage machine that needs some TLC before sending her on to her new home, where she's being purchased as decoration (which is good as I need to steal parts, and why I bought her), and writing! Of course I'll be writing, I've got some self-imposed deadlines to meet.

The bad news is The Scot keeps interrupting to fill me on what I should write for him, but he requires a TON of research to get it right. I need a timelines, correct dates, and re-education on both WWI and WWII. And possibly the Cold War. I'm hoping to task my hubby with some of that as he's a BIG military history buff.

Oh and I just submitted a 1-sentence competition for Writer's Digest - my first ever!

Crazy, Silly, Fun day

2011-11-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it's the Vicodin I took last night for an ankle that was complaining loudly, but today's been kind of a rollercoaster of FUN! So much better than yesterday!

Yesterday wasn't...yesterday started with me spilling my Diet Pepsi on the seat of my beloved old beater of a truck, which then rolled on down and promptly soaked into the backside of my jeans and panties. So arrive to work in wet pants with customers looking at me funny. It progressed to be overly stressed trying to rush out the door to get to a job site, while my software wouldn't load and I had 3 clients on the phone - all of whom HAD to talk to me - and no headset for either of my cell phones. I promptly spilled hot water all over the kitchen sink at work as I tried to too quickly fill my thermos with tea for later. I got lost on the way to the job site (phone GPS failed), had to call my co-worker who was patiently waiting for to arrive for directions, and arrive 1/2 hour later than expected. I spent the next 6 hours going up and down ladders, mucking about in drop ceilings, and wandering around with a laptop to test out wireless network signals. By the end of the night, my patience, ankle, and both knees were shot.

Today I arrived at work, unloaded last nights equipment just inside our front doors, and walked in to find my boss (CEO and owner of the company) putting all of the equipment I had unloaded into it's proper spots - without asking! I do love where I work. Small companies are much more fun and understanding. And it's awesome to have a boss who'll roll up his sleeves to move ladders, cables, and assorted rolly devices without asking.

Work then evolved into my making a bone-headed mistake on a cut-over for a customer (reminder: check file dates on secure certificates!) which another co-worker helped me figure out and quickly resolve. Best part is he admitted doing that in the past too, so didn't rub it in and we both got a chuckle out of it. It's always the last place you look, even if that's right under your nose.

Then my hubby texted me that my big box from Goodwill arrived - it's a bunch of brand new zippers and other assorted sewing stuff to make purses and totes with, which will help out loads with getting my Etsy store a few more items to post for sale. Happy dance!

He's ready to do happy dances himself as his new computer is supposed to arrive today (early Christmas present), so he's got a new toy to play with as well.

Better yet, it's sunny out with white puffy clouds, and I just learned that our fearless President of GRRWG actually reads my blog!

Yes, Cheryl, I'll post those Farmer's Almanac link for you.

Farmer's Almanac

2011-11-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

I needed to verify a weather pattern for a back story in a future Jess Barker book. Of course my first thought when I think of weather is Farmer's Almanac not the Weather Channel. I've got farmer genes in my blood, I think of the Almanac as my default reference book for pretty much anything and buy a new one every year.

To my delight I found on a very cool research tool on their website: a historical weather calendar. It even includes snow depths for states with snowfall. Pretty cool!

Just thought I'd pass this on for anyone that may be doing historical story lines that needs to verify weather data.

Who knew? I love research!

2011-11-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Gimbels once had a sewing machine made for them? I saw this poor, neglected vintage machine up for auction and laughed when I read them name. Of course I was instantly whisked off to Christmas movies like Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Story. So I had to go digging.

There isn't much information out there, but I needed it for Stewart's storyline. (Of course he kept smugly chiming in "I already knew this.") I've discovered that in addition to Sears' Kenmore lines - Gimbels, Montgomery Wards, and even RH Macy's had sewing machines made for them from factories in Japan. Models were pretty much interchangeable, but the name and color would change from time to time.

This practice also led to the wide variety of colors we see in the 40's/50's/60's machines. Anything from light teal to bright red was fair game. I've found some bubble-gum pink machines that are amazing! The more I learn about these vintage machines the more I miss the variety and style from back then. Not only are they solid metal, but they're quite beautiful as well; especially when compared to today's plain, boring, white colored plastic machines.

I mean seriously, how can you NOT like a machine that looks like this? (And I'm only a fan of pink for Breast Cancer ribbons).

Halloween Magic - a.k.a. Visting with Pop

2011-10-29T18:19:00.001-07:00

I was talking with Pop, my grandfather,the other night. It's a bit more difficult than one may expect. Yousee, Pop died back in 2000. That doesn't stop me from visiting withhim though. In order to do so I must be very tired, very stressedout, very much missing him, and very much asleep. I figured, withHalloween rapidly approaching, it was high time he came for a visit,and perhaps would be a fun little story to share with you all – ifhe'd just cooperate!

Not everyone in my family can do this,but it is most definitely an inherited trait. My mom talks to Maga(her mother) often, as does her sister. No, I'm not a psychic, it'sjust one of those odd things that my quirky family can do and wedon't really think about. I can only do this with family that I hada special connection to, so please don't ask if I can talk to yourrelatives for you.

Pop loved all of his grandkids equally,although each of us had our own special relationship with him; our'swas a particularly tight and honest one. Pop always gave me good,practical, honest - and often brutal – advice. I miss him daily.

I found Pop in his favorite spot,accompanied by my favorite dogs, John Deere cap in place and a bigsmile on his tanned face. He loves this spot, and it's definitelythe farm of his dreams. I hadn't seen the dogs with him in sometime, so I knew he picked up on the fact that I was more than a bitpeeved. After hugs and scratches to all my pups, we plopped down oncrates to chat.

Me: So ya old-fart, where the hellyou been?!

Pop: Hey old woman, glad to see youtoo. You know I can't always come when you call, it doesn't worklike that.

Me: (grumbling a bit) Yeah, yeah, Iknow. Still doesn't make me any happier. I miss you, ya know. Youneed to visit me more often.

Pop: I know. So what's got you allworked up? Why're ya here? And what the hell's going on with allthose old piece of crap sewing machines you're buying up?

Me: They're not crap and you knowit. I like 'em, they're fun to work on, and they cost less than aproject car. As for the rest, I've got a test coming up – computerstuff – and I need to finish a re-write of Jess' book. Since yougave her to me, I figure you're the best one to talk to about this.

Pop: I don't get it. Hasn't shetold you what to write?

Me: Yep, but I keep getting the sameadvice about her language over and over. And of course Rosie has tochime in about 'proper' language and not to write 'such filth'.

Pop: Aw, hell! Tell Rosie to quitgetting her bloomers in a bunch! So Jess swears; it's just the wayshe is. You know, she's a lot like you and I knowyou swear just as badly.

(He's right, I do)

Me: Don't I know it! But she givesme a head ache when I change her language. It's mostly the f-bombthat people take issue with. Hell, Mom won't even read it.

Pop: You know your Mom's a smartlady, maybe you should listen to her – a little bit. And take thatwriter friend of yours advice; don't drop it right off the start, butlet her work up to a good outburst.

Me: (sighing) Okay, okay. I'lllisten to everyone's advice. I'm working on it but it's kind ofhard...I'm eating Excedrin like it's candy!

Pop: (laughing) Yep, that Jess' is afirecracker. Tell that pretty blond writer friend of yours that ifI was alive and a lot younger, I'd be more'n happy to show her a goodtime!

Me: Will you always be a cute old letch?

Typical Pop, always with an eye out fora pretty girl! Still, I love our visits - even when he acts like an old letch.

The Scot's getting me in trouble again!

2011-10-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

As is normal with all of my characters, Stewart - a.k.a. The Scot - talks to me. He loves to go along on my perusal of the various thrift shop sites where sewing machines may be listed. The thrill of the hunt for a vintage machine. He's been pushing me to get a Singer "Rocketeer" for the past few months, and while I've found some, none of them are quite in the price range or condition I would like them to be. They're really kind of cool and techie looking though, and have a wide range of stitches available.

Here's one to give you an idea - very 50's Jetson-y styling.

He got more excited about a find for a vintage Singer that is aluminum, was built in Scotland, and is available within my state. Best part is the case would also fit my grandmother's machine. Hard part is deciding how much I'm willing to spend on a new "toy" when I still have 10 at home that need attention.

Besides, I have tons of writing to do, NaNoWriMo is coming up and I have technical presentations and several exams to pass for work. Why do my characters not understand that I have to make a living and can't devote all of my time to their stories? Am I the only one with this particular problem?

I Always Wanted to Write a Book! Conference was a Success!

2011-10-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

GRRWG hosted it's first ever writer's conference this past weekend and itwas a rousing success! The committee did a great job, everyone pitched into help out and it ran so smoothly that if anything had been falling apartbehind the scenes (and from my experience something usually does) no one knewabout it. Yay Team!!

Highlight for me - besides the sessions - was the agent pitch. I lostmy "agent pitch virginity" at this conference which ended with arequest for the first 3 re-written chapters of The Reluctant Psychic. Yay me! She made it really easy for allof us and was such fun to have at the conference.

While I’ve survived my conferences, I have a load to do this week. First, I need to study and pass a tech exam that’sneeded for work for a partner relationship that we have. Second, I need to WRITE! Third, I need to get a critique groupscheduled with Sidney and anyone else that’s looking for a group and meet upsometime this week. That’s on top of ameeting I’m hosting tomorrow for a bunch of techies. I’m busy, busy, busy.

Lucky for me I have quirky pets to make me laugh. This is Marco, our Maine Coon kitten (yes,even at 18.5 lbs. he’s still a kitten for another year).

Happy Halloween!! Marco “picked” hispumpkin. (No worries, I grew this onemyself, no chemicals involved).

Conferences, Conferences!

2011-10-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

First up I have my big techie conference next week (for which I'm hopping on a train to get there), and then we have our GRRWG "I Always Wanted to Write A Book" conference on the 21/22 of October. It's going to be a busy month!

If you're in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area on the 21st and 22nd of this month, stop on by our conference. Details can be found at grandrapidsregionwritersgroup.blogspot.com. Just look for the Conference tabs. Hopefully I'll see you there!

New Inspiration for The Scot

2011-10-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine's been looking for a vintage machine to sew leather on. I happened to find one for her at the local Goodwill and, after a bit of confusion on the payment side of things, I picked it up this afternoon. Pleased at my new found "treasure" I bustled into the back of my truck without looking at it much.

Back home after a day of work, I hauled it into the house (it's not really heavy, just awkward with no case), and took a good look. The second I get a good look at the decals The Scot pops up. "Oh, lookie lassie, she's a beauty!" Stewart's doing a jig over this one. Other than a layer of dust and a bit of minor rust on the bobbin slide plate (easily removed with vinegar), she's in great shape.

According to Stewart, she should be "right as rain" with a bit of gentle cleaning on the deck, elbow grease to remove the old dried up gunk, and a good oiling. I hope he's right. Looks to be that way to me. Take a look for yourself:

Stewart's been "advising" me ever since, all evening in fact, as to the best place to start and what to use. The funny part is he's showing me a side of himself I didn't know yet. He really, truly loves to tinker on this "wee beasties" as he puts it. His hands twitch a bit when he tells me what I should work on next. It makes me laugh, because I understand his eagerness to get his hands on something, but there's still something dark lurking about in the background. So far I've only caught glimpses of his past, most of the time I only get the fun part of the treasure hunting for old machines.

I hate to tell him I'm full up now. At 10 machines and counting, I need to get rid of some before bringing any more home. I'm betting he'll pout a bit, but I'm hoping I can keep him popping up and feeding me his story line as he could really be fun to write a series on.

Is it The Scot or Procrastination?

2011-09-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

I haven't yet finished the re-write of the first chapter of Jess' first book, due in large part to my obsession over finding additional attachments for my vintage sewing machines. Which, in turn, causes me to stop and drool over newly available vintage machines.

I'd like to blame it on my latest character Stewart (aka "The Scot). He's as obsessed with vintage machines, perhaps because that's his cover, and he's been chiming in my ear for the past few days about a real steal on an old Singer. It's one that was made in the Kilbowie, Scotland plant and he's really getting insistent that I need one of the Kilbowie made machines. I have "enough" machines made out of Singer's New Jersey plant apparently and now need ones from Scotland. He is helping me decide if it's worth restoring my latest find, this poor machine has water damage to the case which may be fixable, but it's missing parts too and may or may not work at the end of the day.

Jess needs attention too and is starting to stomp around and complain a bit about some of the changes I'm thinking of making. Namely that the F-bomb isn't getting dropped in the first sentence of the book. It was suggested that I not start out with that as the reader doesn't care about her at the start of the book, it may be more viable further in. She does have quiet the colorful vocabulary though. I'm hoping to calm her down a bit later today as I happen to have the day off and was planning on reserving time for writing.

Writing Excercises Provide New Inspiration

2011-09-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

At my last writer's group, we walked through a writing exercise that proved extremely helpful. I learned so much in such a short amount of time. It was great! And my smaller group liked what I had so far. I think The Scot is going to be fun to write.

Through the exercise I learned his name, what his wife looked like, his job, his traits, his Achilles heel, and worked out the start of his story. It was amazing!

And now were' just a few short weeks from our local writer's conference. I'm totally geeked. And NaNoWriMo is right around the corner! So much to do, so little time. Can I win Lotto please?

I've been baaaadddd....

2011-09-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged here in way too long. That's because I've been busy with my 2 other blogs (which I will eventually link here - but later). One's my techie blog, that acts as my purse for all my tech notes that I need for my day job. The other one is my new blog for my new etsy site, and which holds the clue as to why I've been bad here.

To be fair, I did get a huge chunk written on Collie's first book (25,000+ words - she was very chatty), I got editing done on Jess' first book, rewrote the synopsis for A Reluctant Psychic, and added some to Merie's story, so I've been busy.

Also, I have a new obsession which has resulted in a new character popping up, and a possible new series, revolving around an older, talented, gentleman who restores vintage sewing machines. He's in the back of my head telling me "Oh, lookie there, what a nice little machine that could be with just a bit of TLC and elbow grease". Great. Thanks. Just what I need, another vintage sewing machine. Aren't 6 enough? My Kenmore doesn't count yet, it's still in it's teen years.

Here's what I know about "The Scot". He's from the UK, I'm thinking Scotland, but I'm not sure as his accent isn't hugely thick. He's a widow, and I keep picturing him in the NorthEast, but I also see him in the UK, so he may be hopping back and forth. His wife got him into saving old machines, and he continues it as a labor of love for his late wife. She's a cute little thing, about 5'1', masses of red curls, with a touch of grey, fiesty, with a perpetual twinkle in deep blue eyes. He's about 5'10" now, a bit shorter due to age, salt and pepper wavy hair, with dark eyes, and BIG hands from years of mechanical work. Always with a twinkle in his eye and a quick smile, I'm not sure of his name yet either. He makes me smile like Merie makes me smile.He was a whisper in the back of my head when I got this little beauty home and out of it's trapped location inside a bent wood case with a bent lock.

The Scot popped in full force when I decided on a name for this old, neglected beauty that was my grandmother's and is now mine. I've named her Black Betty, and have dubbed her restoration project "The Black Betty Project" at which he let out a musical belly laugh. He's really quite charming.

So please forgive my lapses in posting here, I promise to try to get better at it. I have so much to do, machines to restore, pages to write, an agent to find, and a short story to get ePublished. Oh, and I've learned how to can, make jam and pickles, and next weekend I'm learning how to make and can salsa. It's a very good thing I'm a Gemini...otherwise I'd be a bit freaked out about all the people in my head. :)

Silver Linings

2011-08-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

I just got done reading a post from Bronwyn's blog about how she ruined the life of one of her research contacts. Made me laugh, and as usual I found a silver lining in the entire story.

Which is rather funny as last night I just submitted a story to Chicken Soup for the Soul for an upcoming book. It's one on family caregivers, and seeing as how I have lots of experience with that I wrote a story for them on Alzheimer's.

Granted, most people wouldn't find Alzheimer's a "funny" topic. But I'm not most people and I do sport a warped sense of humor. I fully expect to find myself (or more likely someone finding me) running down the street some day with my underwear on my head proclaiming myself the "Queen of Everything". It doesn't make me sad, it makes me laugh, as that scene is a true possibility for me. See, another silver lining! I must get it from my mother, although I'm a cynic there are some topics that just beg me to dig for a sparkle of mirth somewhere.

I just hope I'm as funny as my great-grandmother was and as feisty as my grandmother when it strikes. They both showed true grace and left me with warm memories that make me laugh. Like Grandma dropping the f-bomb and swearing like a sailor. So out of character and yet so hilariously funny! I just hope I remember that when it's my turn.

Writer's Groups ARE Important

2011-08-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

In addition to helping you hone your craft, decide between traditional publishing vs. self-publishing vs. epublishing, and whether or not your really need an agent, they can provide you with much needed moral support.

My local group is full of published authors who are great at their craft, and whom are willing to share their knowledge. It's awesome! On top of that, one of them has decided to tackle reading my first book and has told me I definitely have a voice and I'm not as bad at the grammar and mechanical skills as I think I am.

All of this makes me smile, and want to go write. Unfortunately, I'm watching system files copy in my attempt to resurrect an email system for a client at the same time I'm installing virtual servers. The day job pays the bills and is challenging, but one of these summers I'd really like to be able to take a week off, sit by a lake and just write.

I've been baaaddd

2011-08-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, a month has gone by with no posts! Shame on me.

I've been busy, still it's no excuse. I hope to hop on this weekend and make a posting about all the stuff I learned at my latest writer's group meeting. For instance, how my first chapter of my first book is completely wrong.

The good news is that I've found a reader - a REAL reader - who will be honest with me about my first book. I hope it's still worth working on. I've been begging for brutally honest feedback for several years now and have yet to receive any. This time though my reader is a fellow writer who is a hoot and a half, that I enjoy immensely.

Hopefully, I haven't lost my few followers!

Writing and Drag Queens

2011-07-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

So, what do those two have in common, you may ask. Well, I found a sure fire cure for writer's block (well at least for me).

I entered into my writer's group contest and have to have two books ready to go by September 1st. Just a short 6 weeks away! I was kind of stuck on Collie's story. Then this weekend happened.

Saturday was the 2nd Annual Network Neighborhood Bash in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My writer's group sponsored a booth there this year (at my nudging). We had a blast! It's a bit of Pride coupled with a Street Fair and there is so much energy you can feel the air vibrate.

Pretty young men and women paraded about, some modeling, some just being themselves and owning their beauty. A belly dancing young man treated us to a special scarf dance and then danced with a full troupe of belly dancing women who danced together, had their own solos (one complete with a snake that launched a new story idea), and one did a belly dance to country song! Then there was the Queens and Kings show. Our King was adorable, and the Queen's were fierce. California Queens be warned - Michigan knows how to be F-I-E-R-C-E too. (Yes, I am surprised by that as the area I live in is very homophobic).

So much color, so much fun, and so many interesting people. I met some transgendered women I hadn't met before, some trans people there I already knew that I hadn't seen in a while, and I got to catch up with a lot of friends from the LGBTQ community that I don't see often enough. Interesting conversations with all of them, and no, we don't have the same political views on everything. Which makes the conversations even more fun.

Top that up with a visit from one of the college students I know (although my brain was completely fried by then and I didn't spend enough time enjoying her presence as I should have). I also got to know some of my fellow writer's better and now understand why I was drawn to them in my first timid visit to the group meeting.

All in all, I feel like an energy vampire. I'm still vibrating a bit from all the energy, color and life, and my girls are all chatting up a storm.

Got writer's block? Visit a local LGBTQ summer event and you may find it vanish as you laugh, cheer and simply soak up the colors. It seems to work great for me.

I often surprise myself

2011-07-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

There is a short story contest going on for Paranormal Romance that I was considering a submission for. (Romance isn't my genre, but there's one that kind of fits in their category).

I haven't read this particular piece in about a year, and I was astounded that I wrote it. Not because it's that bad, but because it was much better than I remembered and I was surprised by the wording. It's very different from Jess' story lines, so it's a bit odd to me that I even wrote it. I know I have different styles for different characters, but still, I was surprised I had written it. It's a style I'd read, but not one I thought I could actually write. So, yes, I surprised myself, and pleasantly so.

Do other writers do this? Surprise themselves with their own writing? It's kind of like catching yourself in a window after getting into shape and thinking "Is that me?". Happier moment than the one I see more often these days of an larger version of my mother staring back at me in the mirror.

Time flies too fast!

2011-07-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind on so many things this summer. First there was the month-long delay in getting my veggies in the ground - more of which is being done this 3-day weekend - and then there's been the 12 to 16 hour work days that have been going on, so I haven't updated my blogs. I'm overwhelmed at best.

I still have to get the list of writer's links added to this blog site, get the tech stuff added to my tech blog (sometimes I wonder why I bother then some techie friend says "hey, your post helped me" and I'm guilted into maintaining it), and change the format here to include additional pages.

Plus I need to find an editor for the short story from Collie's life submitted into a Paranormal Romanace genre contest just to see how it does. Plus Jess has been bugging me to work on the real-life book of my grandparent's lives, plus get her 2nd book wrapped up and 3rd book started. Oh yeah, and where-oh-where can I find an editor?

Remember those old sexist commercials by Calgon? I feel like I'm stuck in a "Calgon, take me away!" loop lately. Maybe a Jack & Pepsi will do the trick instead.

Typing Dyslexia

2011-06-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have no idea if this is a "formal" term, but I seem to have a lot of it these days...especially with acronyms that I'm very familiar with. I know what it's supposed to say, so I don't catch the typo until someone else points it out. Which is why I'm such a terrible editor/proof reader of my own work.

Editing is a special skill set that I simply don't seem to have in my genes. My mom is much better at this than I am, but she won't read my writing because of the swearing. I'm in desperate need of an editor but I'm not sure how to go about getting one. How do others go about doing this? I guess that is a question for my mentor. But she is, quite happily, planning for her upcoming nuptials, so I hate to bother her.

Do critique groups have suggestions as to how to find an editor? Are all editors paid? How does this work? I've yet to figure it out, but I'll keep learning.

Thankful for Friends

2011-06-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

Another person in my writer's group wrote about friends and friendships earlier this week. It's kind of odd, in a funny way, that this was brought up as another friend (one much younger than me) had asked all of his friends how we would define friendship.

Then tonight, a friend of mine checked on me because of a FB post I'd shared just minutes earlier. He was genuinely concerned and I was once again reminded how many truly wonderful people I have in my self-selected family. I wasn't down in the dumps like he thought, just annoyed with my dysfunctional family for the upteenth time.

Then another one messaged me about not being able to attend Pride this weekend due to work and apologizing once more for not being around on my big birthday that just passed. She sent along lots of love and "mwahs" which made me smile and laugh. My friends always know how to perk me up.

It's funny how many friends I have that I seldom get to see but are always there for me if I need them. My BFF has flown out more than once to hold my hand while I was impatiently waiting in a hospital waiting area. (They're no longer rooms, they're mezzanines or some other such name).

My definition of friendship was as follows:

The ability to continuously move in and out of the immediate presence of another person and reconnect after variable lengths of time as if no time has passed, with mutual respect and affection for one another.

Tonight that was proven again to me. We may weave a fabric of friendship that has large gaps, but on the whole it's a warm, fuzzy, soft but strong, loving blanket that is always available if we just reach for it.

Summer = Busy, busy, busy, busy

2011-06-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

I either need a clone or a drudge to give me an extra hand. I would not have been able to finish my raised bed planters in time without the help of my dear husband, but I could still use more help for juggling all my plates.

Summer is always highly anticipated for me. I'm a "Sun Child", and the snow was way too long this year. I've finally been able to get my some of my seedlings into one of the raised beds, but I still have tons of sewing and needlework projects that need attention.

My writing ends up being shelved during the first busy months and by August the girls are hollering so loudly that I have no chance but to sit down and crank out pages and pages on each of their stories. This year, they seem to have been affected by the longer cold season and want attention NOW! For this I need an extra one of me, or a jack to download my stories as I barely have time to blog posts done for the all the sites I maintain or am an co-editor for.

Unfortunately, summer also ramps up my busy season for work as schools start their summer rush to get new tech systems in place. I guess I don't really need to sleep.

Merie on The Rapture (a.k.a. "The Big Flop")

2011-05-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the world didn't end on Saturday at 6pm EST as per Harold Camping's prediction. Which is a real bummer because I was hoping to join the post-rapture looting parties and score me a much coveted 2011 Ford Mustang.

Merie has been chiming in ever since I figured out what the stupidly annoying billboard was about off the local freeway (or Expressway for MidWesterners). She started out with little signs and comments like "oh, you silly humans!". That has since grown to more vocal statements about how silly the male humans can be, especially when they think they're so much smarter than their Creator.

She's had me typing little snippets here and there, even some handwritten stuff - my eyes will hate me later as even I have issues reading my handwriting. I really need to find a good tool for syncing all this stuff up and preferable not in the "cloud" as I don't always have internet access. Just another thing to add to my ever expanding "to do" list. Summer's always have me busy and this one it's going to have me running like spinning dervish. Wish me luck!

Life gets in the way

2011-05-16T08:39:00.001-07:00

Life always seems to get in the way of my writing. My job, although I do enjoy it, demands a lot of my “spare” time, along with the plethora of my other hobbies (including belly dance classes)and I seem to find myself not writing much.

This point was driven home last night as my husband sat down next to me to watch Game of Thrones and noticed me pounding away on my favorite writing laptop. (Yes, I have favorite laptops, but that's another blog). He asked if I was working on my book, and seemed surprised by it. Apparently it's been months since he's actually seen me writing, which got me to thinking that my writing has been taking the back seat way too much lately. I'm just going to have to find more time to dedicate to writing. Trying to figure out what to cut out is the hard part. Summer is rapidly approaching which means lots of yard work and gardening. Plus I have belly dance class once a week, and I'm helping out with the local GLBT Network groups, and I'm spearheading a big tech event for 2012, and...and...and...I just need a clone.

The odd part is that my most prolific writing month seems to be August. Of course this is Jess' anniversary of her first appearance in my life, and I think that's a big reason why. Or maybe it's just all the sunshine finally gets me to a good level of Vitamin D. The gray weather of Michigan does get to me from time to time, being the Southern California native that I am, I soak up whatever rays of sun that manage to sneak through as often as I can. And that brings me right around back to work.

Summer will be eaten up by tech projects at client sites, which are scattered all over the state. I've decided to experiment with the digital recorder on my Android phone the next long drive I have. If I can record some of my story lines and convert them to text when I land back home, that could be pretty cool and provide me some of that much needed time to write. I'm not sure how well it might work as my old pickup's cab can be pretty noisy, but I figure it's worth a shot. At least until the brain-to-computer jack or those fabled surrogates are ready to go.

Is it Blogger or the Browsers or my POS laptop?

2011-05-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

I can't respond to comments now. I'm not sure if it's Blogger or Firefox because it occurs on another laptop I have in FireFox, or if it's IE or if it's just my POS work laptop taht's causing the problem. Either way it's very frustrating as this is happening on my techie blog too.

On a better note, Al-Qaida has confirmed Bin Laden's death, so at least I can be somewhat assured we didn't just get one of his doubles. Jess is two-stepping across my brain today, all happy about it, while I need to get back to writing very boring, dry, technical instructions on how to install a particular app. Yee-haw....

Need to Write, Chaos Reigns again

2011-05-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

I have a day job, one that I actually enjoy greatly, but it does get in the way of writing sometimes. Today is one of those days. I can't seem to focus and am taking a time out to jot a few things down here just to relieve some of the chaos.

Part of the wandering brain and Jess' fussing at me may be due, in part, to the fact that my beloved pickup truck is currently at the mechanic. It's possible that the transmission or transfer case may need replacement and if the bill is too steep I won't be able to get it fixed. Which has my hubby nudging me, gently, to the possibility it may be time to replace it. I really don't want to do that, I'd rather restore it. Fact is though I need a vehicle, my job is not conducive to alternative modes of transportation.

So Jess is fussing that I should keep it. I've had it a long time, it's got tons of miles on it and still runs really well, and fact is I really do love my truck. Jess has an old truck too, one that was her grandfather's and I understand the weird love for their trucks that truck owners have. Even more so than anyone with a muscle car. Perhaps because our trucks bail us (and often our friends) out when things are tight and a true workhorse is needed. Jess will never let her grandfather's truck go again and it's a big part of what's keeping her sober. Paul saved it once already for her; he may not be so willing if she falls horrible again.

Merie's quieter today while Collie's gotten more vocal about stupid humans and why can't I just grow wings like her and fly around. Yeah, right like that'll work! Elephants can't fly for a reason, and my ever-expanding butt is in the same boat as elephants. Collie's being very unreasonable for some reason that even Bambi can't fathom. She is coming-of-age in faerie terms, so maybe it's a version of faerie PMS kicking in that I haven't yet to "see". Or maybe she's just being pissy because the weather is so weird lately.

Who knows? My characters are what they are, volatile personalities in their own ways. I just wish we had that brain-to-PC-interface done already so I could quickly download all of their chattering into their various story lines.

I still wonder some days if I'm slipping into dementia early.

Writing & Bin Laden

2011-05-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

So, according to my government Bin Laden is dead. Not sure I completely believe it as I don't trust any politician - even the ones I like - farther than I can throw them. I'll believe it more once Al Qaida (do I have that spelled correctly?) verifies it. Little did I have any idea what the affect would have on my characters.

Jess started hooting and hollering the second I heard about it, with Paul at her side trying to calm her down. She's like me in some ways, and is thrilled we finally got the head honcho. Paul, her BFF and balance, managed to get her to listen to some sound advice from Martin Luther King, Jr. and her mood changed to a more respectful and somber one. After all, many lives were lost for this cause and the world will suffer because of this. Jess may suffer too, I'm not sure on that angle yet.

Collie's been neutral, preferring rather to step back and watch how the human world reacts to this latest upheaval in global politics. She's been tsk'ing in my head some, shaking her head at our own destruction and fighting her usual battle of reconciling the Fey and Human components of her own life.

And that brings me to Merie. She's been unusually loud and chatty all day. Throwing her hands in the air, shaking her head, and chewing out Satan while shaking her finger in his face. He swears he had no hand in any of the 9/11 tragedies and that Osama was not one of his minions. Merie is concerned about the potential for erupting violence that may escalate to humans destroying themselves - once again.

As none of this really has to do with any of my character's current stories, I'm uncertain as to why they're so chatty about this. I guess I'll find out soon enough. I would appreciate it though if Merie would pipe down a bit so I can get some sleep tonight. I've got an early morning for my SDJ!

Meet Collie

2011-04-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

I just realized I hadn't formally introduced Collie here. no wonder she's been complaining so much lately. She's way over due for an introduction, especially as I'm trying to finish up her first book.

Collie Shimmer, who's real name is Columbine Goblinshimmer, stands just a smidgen above the 6' 2” mark, with hair colors that change from her summer honey blond, to a fall auburn, winter white, and spring dirty blond. Her fragile beauty belies her true strengths, but allows her to make an amazing amount of money as a model. She works hard to stay just below super-model status to avoid any truly close scrutiny. Modeling isn't her preference for work, but it allows her to travel the world without drawing any suspicions and the money helps save crucial pieces of her people's territories. Collie's real job as an Ambassador for Faeries the world over keeps her busy and her father happy. She helps keep the peace between the various faerie kingdoms, while working on ways for stopping the humans in their relentless pursuit to completely rape the planet.

Her best friend, soul sister, and servant is another faerie hybrid, Bambi, who is never far from Collie's side. The two work together on everything, and they use their closeness to keep humans at arm's length, opting to not correct the assumption that they are a couple and not interested in any one else. Which is crucial as neither is allowed to breed.

So that's the gist of Collie's story. She is an environmentalist which drives me bonkers as I'm not, so I have to do more research for her story lines that I do for Merie or Jess. But she is beautiful and I enjoy the mysticism of her world. Her wings are exquisite as well and trying to find someone to draw a correct picture of her is proving to be a challenge.

There is a short side story from Collie that I am looking at possibly publishing on Barnes & Noble or Amazon. I'll post a link here when I decide which site to post it on. The legalize is different between the two sites and I'm trying to be sure I'm not giving away any copyrights.

Jess & Paul - A Brief History

2011-04-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Jess is my first character - and the one to start all this writing. She makes me laugh, cry, swear, and get blazing mad. I love her anyway and enjoy visiting her world.

Paul is her BFF. They met in college and have been inseparable ever since. Paul is a stockbroker, but is not out at work, and he's a Drag Queen (a Diva really), who not only looks fabulous is a dress and heels but has an incredible singing voice to back them up. It broke his heart to let Jess fall as far as she did, but he knew it was necessary to save her life.

Jess never blamed Paul for her fall, and is grateful that he let her go. She needed the fall to be able to come back, stronger in her sobriety and determined to get her life back on track. Her's is a complicated life, but she's thankful to still have it.

Jess will always be two things: first, a recovering alcoholic, and second, a psychic and she's not particularly fond of her "gift". Jess sees dead people, but not like other psychics. She can see them, touch them, talk to them, and they can respond in the same way. This has resulted in some painful encounters and some interesting battles when one of the dead insists on "borrowing" her body.

Her best girls, Molly and Maggie are also AA lifers, both work at the local hospital with Jess and aren't fully aware of her gift. Molly's a social worker - also a recovering alcoholic and former stockbroker. Maggie works as a billing coder with Jess in the bowels of the hospital.

There's always a hoard of dead clamoring for Jess' attention following her around and new ones pop up at the most inconvenient times. She's managed to corral most of them in her apartment, but every once in awhile one sneaks out. Rosie, a warm grandmotherly type, is one that can find Jess anywhere, and who Jess occassionally calls on for help from time to time. She's almost like Jess' spirit guide, almost, but not quite. Then there's Melissa, the constant whiner who makes Jess throw shoes through her semi-transparent head when she's pushed Jess too far Rosie chastises Jess on a regular basis about her language. Jess can make a drunken sailor blush with her swearing.

I hate to give out much more information than this as I'd like to have people read the book. One which Jess is insisting i need to get published soon...especially since a few of the other characters are insisting on their own story lines now too.

Stay tuned for a few more sneak peeks, and I may be putting some short side stories out on B&N or Amazon sometime soon.

Time for my own "Coming Out", so come meet Merie

2011-04-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

Now that I no longer work where I used to, I can finally step out of my writer's closet and say "I wrote a book!" on my various social networks and tell folks about my characters. Merie would not have been taken well where I used to work, for SO many reasons, but a big part of it being that in Merie's world, God's a woman and none of the world's religions are correct.

If feels great to be able to openly talk about my writing now. Several of the students where I used to work heard about Jess, some from the very beginnings of her presence. Many have laughed with me at the antics of Merie, Jess, and Paul.

So Merie and I are coming out together tonight. Mainly because even thinking about Merie (pronounced more like May-ree) and her world makes me smile.

Merie makes me laugh often - and usually inappropriately - during the workday. You see she gives me mental images of God, who is a woman, grabbing Satan by his curly, blond locks and shaking him like a rag doll all while talking to her Chosen or Satan himself. God has a definite love/hate relationship with Satan and while she could wipe him from existence, she keeps him around...perhaps for stress relief.

The Chosen were created by God to save humankind from itself and are most easily described as Angel/Human hybrids - without the wings. They are the protectors of humankind (which is on version 2.0). Merie is a "baby" in terms of Chosen, at a mere 413 years old, she's Jesus' half sister. And yep, Jesus, a big metro-sexual, is still around and preparing for his second-coming. He makes me laugh too.

God is beautiful, loving, scary and fierce. Picture a carmel-brown colored woman who looks kind of like the Greek's depiction of the Goddess Athena, only really, really TALL. God, is understandably, an awesome engineer and Satan (a.k.a. Stan) looks like an adult version of a cherub, standing somewhere around 6'7".

Every Chosen has special capabilities. Merie's special abilities allow her to manipulate the earth's energy (which makes moving really easy) and she can restore barren earth to agricultural viability. There's a catch though; she can only heal barren or human-damaged earth at God's command. To do otherwise could throw a wrench in God's plans and no Chosen wants to do that.

Merie's being sidetracked to determine how an area in North Dakota has been damaged by an oil leak when it was not in God's Plan. God gave humans free will because it was the right thing to do, but it keeps coming back to bite her in the butt. At least God has a sense of humor about it. And because it's a free will issue, God doesn't know the details of the who/what/when/where/why of it all. Merie keeps running into Satan, who keeps breaking out of his cage, and learns in the process that sometimes Satan doesn't lie and that sometimes, God is not only loving, but really funny too.

Ready....Set...Write! Yeah, right!

2011-04-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

So here I sit, Diet Pepsi and Chocolate on hand (doesn't everyone have Diet Pepsi and Chocolate for breakfast?) ready to write something fantabulous for the Grand Rapids Region Writer's Group for my first blog entry and my brain goes "Yeah, right. I'm taking a nap." and hands the reigns over to Jess, Paul, Collie, Merie, and Myrtle. Let the chaos ensue!

I even tried the tactic of hitting FaceBook to get them to back off to no avail. Instead, I now have notes for 2 more books, three more scenes written for existing stuff, and none of it edited or even in one spot. Too bad I don't make enough at the day job to afford an assistant, I could really use one today. And to top it off I have a fund raiser to appear at this afternoon, found a Drag Queen in town that I just MUST meet - she's GORGEOUS! - and luckily a friend of mine is FB friends with her, and I got myself volunteered to help with IT stuff for the next Network Neighborhood Bash. This is all on top of my normal workload, upcoming IT training session (I'm the leader/presenter), planning for a 2-day local tech event organized, manned, and pulled off by volunteers who all have full time IT jobs.

The chocolate is gone now, the Diet Pepsi is about 1/2 drained, the dogs have finally stopped barking, Jess is still chatting, but much quieter now, and I'm still trying to figure out what to write for the GRRWG blog. Something will come...I hope.

I'm also thinking about the latest news from my newly assigned mentor, an established, published author, and dreading the fact that not only do I need this blog, I now also need to set up a website for myself. I work in IT all day long, the last thing I want to do is do more IT work when I get home. I wonder if I can teach the dogs how to code in Ruby, Pearl, PHP, or HTML5. They're certainly smart enough, but they're pretty lazy. I'd try to teach the cats, but they're cats, they don't even deign to work...unless it's to unravel what's in my knitting bag.

The last of the Diet Pepsi is drained (I wonder if I can get money for product placement on a blog?...hmmmm....) and my brain has walked by, yawning, stretching and heading for a coffee pot. Perhaps it'll finally cooperate and come up with something novel for my first assigned blog spot.

Musing about MaryJanice Davidson

2011-04-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

One of the writer's from my local group was on TV yesterday, touting her latest book, which made me do a "happy chair dance". Best part of that is she'll be my mentor, yippee!!

So, what's this got to do with MaryJanice of Betsy, Wyndam, Fred, and Jennifer Scales fame? I was having a bit of a self-pity party as it wasn't me on TV and I was wishing MaryJanice was next door so I could dash over with some warm Snickerdoodles as a bribe and pick her brain for a bit. MJD was most kind in answering all of my questions at her book signing in Lansing for Me, Myself, and Why?, but now I have more questions, and she's not anywhere near me - geographically speaking.

Tracy, MJ's busy assistant, is also incredibly wonderful, answering all sorts of questions I've emailed her. One of these days, I'll have to find a way to be at a conference where they will be at so I can thank them with something appropriately and wonderfully chocolate.

In the meantime, I'll skulk about for the rest of the day while mulling over what to blog about on the GRRWG site tomorrow, and perhaps re-read the first Betsy book for a good laugh tonight.

Writing and WOOT

2011-04-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

What does writing and the WOOT site have in common? Ever since officially joining this "new" writing group, I've been a bit obsessed with writing again. This has caused me to not check woot.com on a daily basis as I've done for the past several years. Which in turn made me miss out on a deal for some more Topsy-Turvy planters and I'm a bit bummed about that.

I have a big garden planned again this year, and hanging tomatoes means I have more space in the yard for other plants. It means more work, but more produce so it's a 6-of-1, 1/2-dozen-of-the-other situation. More yard work = less writing time. In theory anyway. More yard work means I also sleep in less during the sunny months, which may ultimately mean more writing time.

Is it possible to have too many hobbies? Maybe so as I still have a full-time techie gig, which requires a lot of my time during the summer months to help out educational customers doing big upgrades. No matter how I look at it, I either need more hours in a day, or some minons to help out. Winning a big lotto wouldn't hurt either.

Gone for too long...

2011-04-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

Another month has flown by without me posting or writing much. I've been super busy at work - including doing some weekend work - and somehow I've found I've "volunteered" my mooching expertise to help with this year's Network Neighborhood Bash. I just can't pass up a chance to see Drag Queens, Belly Dancing, and Fire Dancers all in one place! Plus it really is a fun event for the GLBTQ and friendlies in the area.

AND...I've officially joined my local writer's group, so I'll be volunteering to pick up a spot on their blog. AND..I have a tech event to plan, a presentation to get ready for in May, and I'm traveling somewhere around 300 miles just on Monday and Tuesday of this week for work. Maybe it's time to invest in the latest version of Dragon and get a digital recorder. I wonder if there's one that can eliminate the wind noise from inside my truck cab? Hmmm....

Oh, and I started Belly Dance classes...as an absolute neophyte, but it's just too much fun to pass up!

Crazy Women Writers - gotta love 'em!

2011-03-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

So, I went to my first ever writers group. Yes, I'll be joining, even thought most of them are in a genre I don't write for. But they're up for Jess' swearing, Merie's irreverence, and Collie's blood lines. Plus all of the LGBTQ story lines that can't help but be interwoven into all of their stories.

Many of the women are published, most electronically and in paperback, some via Champagne Press which is a Canadian ePublisher. I'm not sure that any of my story lines fit their genre either, but I'm still debating about ePublishing submissions. I need to learn a bit more about the publishing biz first. And I still need to get submissions out to more agents.

I'm hoping to find a reader/critique-r from the group who can help me decide if the ending in Jess' first book goes too fast, or is lacking in some fashion. I'd shortened some pieces up thinking that 65,000 words may be "too" long for mass paperback. I'm finding now, perhaps it's too short and I can add back a few pieces and parts.

Either way, I need more time to write and as I've been working late ever since starting the new gig, I could really use a clone of me. Or at least a few surrogates like in the Bruce Willis movie so I could send one off to work while another writes what I tell it to...hmmm, that gives me a new idea.

Where's that brain-to-computer jack at?! I could really use one.

Oh, and I could use another surrogate to do all the baking that needs to happen so pictures can be taken for the cookbook I've been asked to write.

Crazy Busy!

2011-03-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

The new day gig has been keeping me crazy busy in addition to a little side gig that I have on my plate. No time to write pretty much anything but tech stuff.

Good news is that I may have found a local writer's group to join. I'm waiting to hear back from their fearless president to see if they're open to Jess' potty-mouth, Merie's knowledge of God, and Collie's environmentalism. The girls are all clamoring for attention and with little time to write, the chaos in my head is building. I'm hoping to carve out some time this weekend to hit the keyboard hard.

Oh, and not to be forgotten, the coven is demanding their book be started soon. Auggh!! Have "they" perfected the brain-jack yet so I can just link in and download everything?

Happiness = Inspiration

2011-01-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

I'm am so overjoyed at the new job I accepted today and all the new techie stuff I will be learning, that I have a new story line for all 3 of the girls. And I still have to finish up the first books for 2 of the girls, and the second book for Jess.

It's so nice to have the girls back and chattering on about their story lines that I don't care about the chaos or the resulting headache. Just thrilled to be so ready to write again.

The mysterious "they" have predicted will have "mind jacks" in the near future where we can plug into our computers and down load our thoughts. Why isn't that available now? I need it now, it would make things much easier.

Another happy note is that at my new job, not only do I get a real office - yes, finally I get to escape Cubeville - it comes with a nice bright window, yellow walls and one bright green wall. I can't wait to move in!

Been a long time!

2011-01-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been since November and here it is mid-January already! I failed NaNoWriMo...didn't hit the 50,000 mark but made great progress on Collie's story.

Job hunting has been consuming me lately. I'll be leaving the current job at the end of the month, and will heave a big sigh of relief at my departure. Good news is there are some leads that show potential and that may leave room for the editing of Jess' books.

I have a list of agents to hit up, and I've decided to use B&N's electronic publishing arm to publish a cookbook that a friend has asked me to put together. So I'll hopefully have some real feedback on that soon.

I've also added an iPad to the mix of electronic devices that I jot notes on. Let me tell you, the iPad is not so good at creating content...the keypad and auto correct tends to get in the way. But, it can be handy when inspiration strikes in the wee hours and you need a fast booting device.

More on Jess, Collie, Merie and the rest of the girls...perhaps next month!

NaNoWriMo begins TODAY!

2010-11-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

NaNoWriMo begins today and I was most pleasantly surprised to see some of my all time favorite tech folks participate in it as well. I cranked out about 1500 words at lunch time as Collie was chattering away and I really need to concentrate on my resume this afternoon.

I'm excited for this year though! Hopefully, I'll finish up a story Collie's been begging to get done. I've yet to submit my info for my book this year, but will hopefully get to it tonight. And my region is having a LOCAL event this year! Even better! Yep, I get to go write with a bunch of writing "geeks" at the local B&N this year. Should be interesting.

Looking for Tools...found the inspiration

2010-10-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

Since I'm new to this whole writing deal, I'm behind the curve when it comes to tools. I've used a variety of computerized tools to track changes and manage project notes for software development, but none of those tools are really what I need to manage all my writing "stuff". So I'm on the search, and wondering if perhaps I should develop one of my own.

Here's my dilemma: today's weather's been wild, keeping me home for the day, with a painful head and running brain. I had lots of inspiration today as a result, and this brought about an entirely new story line for one of my characters which I jotted down on one of my mini computers for future reference. The problem with this is that I have lots of these little "virtual" post it notes on a variety of devices, including my BlackBerry (which I can't live without now). I also have some hand written notes in a variety of little notebooks, none of which I hope to be able to decipher 100%. I used to practice writing like a doctor - on purpose - and now my handwriting is almost illegible. At least I succeeded at something.

I found an nice online tool (free of course!) which I use to keep track of the who/when/why I send a letter to an agent or publisher. And while that's nice and readily available from "anywhere", when inspiration strikes I can't ensure that I'll have either 1) an internet connection and 2) a device capable of making such a connection readily available.

The old Microsoft briefcase came to mind, but that's not supported on all versions of Windows, and the open source iFolder project is a possibility with some custom programming, but nothing "out of the box" quite suits my needs. So I have to wonder "What do other writers do?".

I'd go to my old standby method of harassing MaryJanice Davidson and her assistant Tracy, but they're busy with a book tour and new announcements, so I hate to pester them right now. I might go the route of bugging Monica Ferris again (she's always a doll and answers me), but I'd really love to know from the folks in the trenches who also have a day job as to how they keep track of their various notes and story ideas.

Anyone have any suggestions? And of course all of this is hitting as NaNoWriMo rapidly approaches. Monday! NaNoWriMo starts next Monday already! And I've yet to focus on which character's going to win for this round.

An Odd Duck

2010-10-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'll heartily admit I'm an "Odd Duck" in more ways than one. Even the vast differences of my 3 main characters makes that obvious. But I'm feeling it more than ever now at the job I currently have (the thing that actually pays the bills) and am still - very impatiently - waiting to hear the news of who stays and who goes in our latest round of layoffs. I'm a pro at layoffs and fully expect to be one of the folks sent off to join the unemployment lines, but the fact that I'm the only one who appears to be concerned about it certainly singles me out even more.

And then there's the upcoming NaNoWriMo decisions that need to be made. Do I tackle Jess' book editing for this, or do I work on Collie, or even better do I work on Merie's story - which is most certainly the most controversial of the three series, even though it's the most fun to write. I'm beginning to feel at bit like MJD's latest book's primary character as I'm rather scattered to the winds at the moment.

PubIt! Barnes & Noble's electronic publishing is looking very attractive. I'm having a bit of trouble focusing on getting through all the legalese though and I spent absolutely no time on it this past weekend, so I'm hoping to get through it sometime this week so I can give you all a synopsis of what it's all about, who keeps the publishing rights vs. who keeps the copyrights and any other pertinent stuff. I am a bit boggled about the cover art though as I can't draw worth a damn even though I can picture it in my head. I'll have to shelf that for the time being though as I deal with the dueling personalities that are demanding I put "their" book first and use that for NaNoWriMo.

I wonder, has anyone else ever tackled more than one book in a single NaNoWriMo? This multiple characters thing is just so chaotic! It must be Alzheimer's or dementia kicking in early...it just has to be!

Researching self publishing via B&N's PubIt!

2010-10-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with the idea of selling my book electronically for some time now. And I just found out about the Barnes & Noble's PubIt! service. Basically, you write and edit your book, get some cover art made up (wonder if I can convince the aunt to do something for free?) and upload the entire shebang to the PubIt! service at Barnes & Noble.

They have their own pricing scheme for which the majority of books will fall in the "we get 65%, you get 35%" category. The other category is they get 40% of the take. Not sure how they worked all that out or if that's kind of "standard", but it is an option to not having an agent. They'll even accept short stores, which may be where I start at...if I do this at all.

There are restrictions (of course) on what is acceptable material, and sad to say MaryJanice Davidson's Betsy series wouldn't make the cut as they would consider it "pornographic" in nature (due to the number of times Betsy gets graphically laid). I think Jess will fit into their requirements okay, but I still have to wade through all of the legalese and FAQs on the site before submitting anything.

And I'm not sure how the copyrights will work either and that's the stuff I'm the most concerned about. I want to make sure I'm not signing over control to B&N. Jess has her own strong opinions about who can/can't modify her language; she does have quite the repertoire of swear words, many which I don't use and end up with a headache as a result.

I'll be better about updating as I find out more about this potential option to get my book(s) published. I'm very intrigued by this new service and B&N says it will put the manuscripts into a common eReader format, but I'm not 100% convinced of that just yet.

In case you haven't heard about this service yet, here's the link to the B&N PubIt! service: Note: the link feature on blogger seems to be borked up on my blog atm

http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com/pubit_app/bn?t=pi_reg_home

I'm also looking into what it would take to publish electronically via Amazon, and all the legalese that goes along with their service as well.

And I've been debating about chasing after MaryJanice's agent...if he can keep up with her, I wonder if he could handle another one that goes off on tangents at random times. Hmmm...... oh well, back to the day job.

Losing my virginity...at a book signing

2010-09-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's not as exotic as you might like to think. But last night was the first time I've ever been to a book signing event - ever. And it's the first time I'd asked anyone to sign a book for me, so technically speaking I gave up my book signing virginity to MaryJanice Davidson. Which is a bit odd when I think about it as my mom was an English major and my aunt is a published author, so you'd think I would have to been to something as a kid. As my grandmother would say with a shrug - it is what it is.

I dashed over to Lansing last night to see MaryJanice Davidson in person, and to ask many questions of course. She was a riot! She really does write like she talks. Should she need a "next career", I'd strongly suggest stand up comedian as she had me in tears last night. I couldn't help but think if we'd been in high school together we would have been friends (she's too young to have been in high school with me though). She switches tangents as quickly as I do, and it was a blast to keep up with her, and she's just so damn FUNNY!!

I had several questions about writing for her, and asked if she's thinking about updating her eBook Escape the Slush Pile - good news, she is! She kindly answered all the questions everyone threw at her. And then referring to me as the "aspriring author" she said she liked my bangs and to just ignore reviewers who pick on you about your hair. Some reviewers have apparently referred to her has having "soccer mom bangs". All of which made me laugh harder.

She did say she hates me though - jokingly of course - because of the positive responses I've had so far from agents. I wouldn't have received them though if it wasn't for her book, so it's kudos to her as well. Made me think that perhaps I should hit up her agent next, even though we're not in the same genre. At least I'd know he can handle my sense of humor.

And I was most surprised to hear she likes many of the same authors I do - most specifically John Sanford. I'm not sure what I was expecting her to like, but I was surprised to hear his name. And she's a Fan-girl (which I'm not) and had some great stories about "molesting" Laura K. Hamilton and Charlene Harris at a conference. The funny part about this for me is that I would never have read anything from Laura K. Hamilton if it wasn't for MaryJanice and here MaryJanice is a huge fan of Laura K. Odd how the world works sometimes.

Which reminds me of how I ended up reading a genre that is not normal for me. Anyone who knows me well knows I prefer thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi, and fantasy. I've been asked how I started with the Betsy books before and most people laugh when I tell them, but the truth is it was the book cover. Sometimes you can tell a book by it's cover. I was in the library to pick up the latest Carolyn Hart Death on Demand book when the book cover for Undead and Unwed caught my eye - it was the older cover, the cuter one. The title intrigued me, so I checked out the back cover and took it home. I devoured it in gales of laughter in a single night. I was hooked, and now I own them all...along with Fred and now Me, Myself, and Why.

All the humor and simply being around MJD has caused my girls to pipe up. So I guess it's back to writing for me, and I'll put at least Jess and Collie into NaNoWriMo...I'm not too sure about Merie though. She's the most fun to write, but she's also the most controversial. (And why I like writing her so much).

Happy Dancing!

2010-09-28T06:36:00.000-07:00

MaryJanice Davidson is in a nearby town today! About 10 hours from now I hope to be getting a book signed. This is the first time I've gone to a book signing, so it will be a new experience for me, and one I expect I'll enjoy. Plus it gave me an excuse to take a 1/2 day vacation, which makes the day even better!

Ridiculously happy and humbled

2010-09-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe it's not THAT big of a thing, but I was ridiculously giggly, happy dancing, blushing, and humbled to see a link to my little, insignificant blog on MaryJanice Davidson's website. Really?!?!?! MJD has stumbled across my blog? She and Tracy (her fearless assistant) are too busy for this, aren't they?

Even better yet - MJD will be in my state in just 4 short days for a book signing of MMY! Can't possibly explain in feeble little words how great that made my day.

I just had to gloat a little...a New York Times Bestseller posted a link to my itty-bitty blog (the only thing itty-bitty about me). Woo-hoo!!!

NaNoWriMo is looming

2010-09-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

National Novel Writing Month is on the horizon and I'm having a hard time picking a character to concentrate on for the competition. I may end up trying to tackle something to soothe both Jess and Collie. Merie would be WAY more fun, but I don't think they'd be too fond of some of the story lines and the possible Jihad (did I spell that correctly) that could arise as a result.

Just the thought of NaNoWriMo is helping cheer me up a bit, and I'm hoping all my "girls" chime in to let me know who should be my primary focus for this go-round.

It's also possible that I go completely off-track and instead write something about the challenges of being in an industry that is in more upheaval and turmoil than the UAW. Given that I may be on the unemployment lines soon myself, it might not be a bad thing to do. I've been through the process often enough to know how get my feet back under me, dust off my backside, put a smile on my face, and go job-hunting.

There's also the MaryJanice Davidson book signing coming up to look forward to. That could be a hoot, standing in line with other fans, talking about characters. I've never been to a book signing before and I love new adventures like that!

Writing Moods

2010-09-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough month with a lot of unexpected losses of pets and people. So I'm understandably not in a "chipper" mood.

I often wonder if other writers have to be in a specific mood or mindset in order to write effectively - or at all. Just writing this short bit of fluff is taking a lot of concerted effort.

On a more happy note though, MaryJanice Davidson will be at a signing near enough for me to get to "quickly" for her new book Me, Myself, and Why. I'm hoping to be able to get off of work to head over early and grab a spot in line. I'd love to be able to thank her in person for writing her book and for being willing to answer my myriad questions about her writing style. More importantly, I'd love a chance to shake Tracy's (her assistant) hand for being so generous to the fans and making sure questions don't go unanswered for too long.

I'm still looking for an agent, or an editor. I haven't heard a peep back from the last submission, so I'm done waiting and will hit a bunch at once after another go round of the current drafts. I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the effort to chase down an agent or whether I should take the plunge and go the self-published route by trying to make it available on various eReaders.

Of Family Matters

2010-08-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month on the in-law side of things. First an Uncle passed, then my mother-in-law's best friend, followed shortly by my mother-in-law and then a "dog-in-law". (Hubby's Aunt's Goldie). Lots and lots to deal with none of it much too happy.

Due to this my characters have been uncharacteristically quiet of late. They're still there, ready to cause chaos in my head at a moment's notice, but they seem to understand I need time to deal with things and won't have much time to write yet. Or perhaps they know about the impending layoffs and are waiting to pounce once I'm on the unemployment line. Who knows? They do have minds of their own; which I find utterly fascinating.

Then today, I get told about a dinner table discussion about some responses I had to things my nephew's posted on a social media site. Jess had a bit of a hissy fit, not a long one, but a rant that would make a sailor blush during this conversation. (Granted, she's right, I haven't sat down to dinner with these people in at least 5 years). They aren't children either, they're both over 18. It's funny (in an odd way) that they even complained about it. First off, isn't the rule of thumb don't post anything on the internet that you don't want people to see? And second rule of thumb, if you can't take the heat of a response that you don't agree with, don't post stuff to the internet? Or perhaps I'm just showing my age as I've been on the "Internet" since back in the old ARPANET and FLASH days.

Anyway, it got me to thinking about how odd my family can truly be and how I SO don't fit their "expectations" of who I should be at all. Which may explain why my sister has now lost 5 copies of my book that she's supposed to be editing.

Which, in turn, brings me to the family I have built for myself, a.k.a. "The Family". It's an eclectic mix of very fun, wonderful, loving and accepting people. We don't have to see each other often to know we care about each other or to know what's going on in each other's lives. We treasure the time we have together and have great fun when we are together. And these are the people who step forward to help out on a moment's notice when tragedy hits and I unexpectedly need help in any number of ways. There are no expectations, no demands, just simple offers of assistance. And I happily do the same for them.

What does all of this have to with writing? Well, I've given up on asking my family for an honest evaluation of my writing. Instead I'm going to The Family to ask people for opinions, criticism, and input on my book. And I'm hoping to gain more insight from a new writer's group (well, new to me anyway) from people that aren't "family" and will not hesitate to give an honest opinion. Which in turn means this entire process is going to take a lot longer and I will hopefully learn a TON about writing, whether it be for pleasure or profit.

At any rate, I'm sure Jess will jump in at some point, demanding attention and kicking my virtual butt to get back to work on her storyline. And I really can't wait I do have such fun jumping into her world.

Chatty Characters

2010-07-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

There must be something about August that gets my characters all riled up. Perhaps it's the fact that school is due to start soon, perhaps it's the weather, maybe it's just because they want to be annoying. Either way, my head is chaotic at the moment.

I'm debating about posting some of the short stories on my blog. Mainly because Jess is so foul-mouthed that it would take me out of the PG-13 category, but there's a part of me that doesn't want to see someone try to snake off with my characters and hose up their voices. Because both Jess and Myrtle get REALLY cranky when their words are changed around. Just try to modify Jess' swearing too much and she'll give me a right royal headache.

Anyway, thought I'd add a short post, just to let people know I'm still alive, I just need many more hours in the day right now.

Thoughtful wondering

2010-07-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm wondering how long it takes an agent to say "no thanks". Is 3 months long enough, or should I wait 6 before sending them something else? And why isn't there a writer's group in my local area?

More importantly, how useful is this blog really? I'm not sure how many people have even read this one. I have another one over at writing.com but am not finding that site very useful either. Maybe it's just cynicism striking me, or the busyness of my life. Either way I find myself thinking more along the lines of "is it worth it" than "what's the Coven up to today?" or "what's going to happen in Jess/Collie/Merie's world"?

Summer may not be helping either as I prefer to be outside playing on my tractor or working in my garden instead of in front of a keyboard. From time to time, the Coven or Merie or Jess or Collie reaches out and grabs my attention in a way that I have to stop what I'm doing and grab the closest writable device (including my BlackBerry) and write as fast as I can. The problem with that is finding the focus to go back and edit what I've written. And finding willing editors for Jess' book is difficult as well as most find it either: 1) offensive in language or 2) offensive in content. Which is fine with me as I didn't expect it to be a large market range; that's more of Collie's book.

So, if I lapse in posts and you would like to know where I'm at, nudge me with a comment.

Right now, I'm waiting to hear back from 3 agents and searching for an editor that might be interested in either Collie or Jess. Waiting, and waiting, and wondering.

Coven Women

2010-06-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

Another new book has been started, just to quit Myrtle down a bit. I don't have a title for it yet, but she's insisting it will be yet another series. Oh dear, I already don't have enough time for everything. How many hours sleep does a human need?

This new book covers much of the back story of how the Coven came to be, the women in, all of a "certain age", and the "why" of their existence. It's been pretty fun to get started, in the same sense that Merie is fun for me to write. Lots of giggles as I type and see the story begin to form.

Once again there is no outline, no plot defined, no story boarding. Just straight from my brain to my keyboard. This book is like Merie, just for me at the moment, and a few cherished friends to read as the public most likely will take umbrage.

And I wonder often if I should keep blogging as more time is pulled away for other things in life. I haven't yet figured out how to add a counter to see how many unique visitors there are to this blog. Probably just the 3 that are followers. I can't imagine anyone else would find this blog all that interesting. If it's more than that it will be a happy surprise, as I don't consider myself all that unique, interesting, or memorable, although others tell me often I am.

Character Chaos

2010-06-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

I need to double the hours of free time in my day. Now that summer's here, gardening is on the mind, I have a new video game addiction, lots of To Do's around the house, ad not enough time to write. Normally, getting a 1/2 hour to write would be enough to quiet my characters down, not so much any more.

Secondary characters in my main series are now demanding their OWN series. The Coven Women are becoming a lot more vocal and demanding, while Paul and Paxton have wedding changes to make, and Collie's world calls while Merie jumps in at inappropriate times to leave me laughing. Perhaps it's a good thing I don't have as much to do at work as I should at this time.

I am considering setting up a regular website to post a few chapters and offer the books for sale "as is" in electronic formats until I can find an agetn/publisher/editor. The money would come direct to me (a plus), but without knowing how to really advertise or publicize it properly then I may only sell one copy and that's it.

The short stories are done and one was submitted, only to find it's not the right "genre" for these folks. Too "mass market paperback" and not "literary" enough. Not a surprise, I do tend to write along lines for the masses and not for the eltist college types. (Yes, I can say that, I do have a degree and am working on a Master's - none in literature though).

For now, my sister is my editor, my friend's who read it love it, and I'm trying to wrap up Collie's first book. Perhaps I'll get that finished in the next NaNoWriMo competition. You never know, I might actually get it done and get some attention on it.

Waiting to hear back from editors and agents is long and boring. Sister's in Crime has conferences coming up in my area again; I'm saving my pennies in hopes of attending and getting some objective criticism on whether or not it's worth chasing a publishing deal on the Jess series. I can always hope and I might have a chance to meet a few authors that I enjoy. One never knows!

Life gets in the way

2010-05-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official I'm getting old. I'm actually happily accepting it, but it comes with a few mean flashes paired with racing heart beats. All of that gets in the way of work (no big loss) and my writing (BIG loss). So I've been neglecting pretty much all of my writing.

I did however send my short story of Jess and Paul's coming out to my Aunt. She liked it, but it shifted too quickly and too darkly to a scene where Paul witnesses exactly how much ghosts can affect Jess' life. I'll have to work on making that shift happen more slowly. But I'd like to have another person, who doesn't mind the dark side of writing so much, take a look at it. My family is a bit sensitive to the darker pieces of my writing.

My short story on how Collie came to be is almost ready to pass on to my Aunt to see if she thinks it would work for GlimmerTrain. They're more on the intellectual side of writing, whereas I'm more of the "mass paperback" genre. :)

So life goes on, and I'm trying to get back on track with finding a "home" for Jess' series and finishing up the first books for Collie and Merie. And I'd better hurry up as the Coven Women from Jess are harassing me for their own book as well. Chaos reigns!

Short Stories and Mis-typed URLs

2010-05-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

I've been working on short stories to submit to GlimmerTrain in the hopes that I'll get some credible feedback on my writing at some point. Both are off-shoots from my current story lines. I'm not sure if I'll ever figure out this writing thing, but if I don't write my head stays in a state of chaos. This summer will be interesting as I'll be picking up some free-lance work that will eat up the majority of my "free" time, but I need the cash, so Jess will have to wait.

Anyway, now where was I going with this? Oh yes! I was looking for some information regarding a potential agent and accidentally mis-typed their URL by adding typing an extra letter. Not that this is normally a problem but I was at my regular job when an inappropriate Asian site of a "male persuasion" popped up on my screen and I couldn't get the browser to shut properly. So, power off the wireless, run scans galore, and now I'm back on and hopefully virus-free, but we'll see. It may be time to backup my data and rebuild my laptop from scratch.

I've also been researching Vitamin D deficiency which is common for "women of a certain age" and which I now apparently have. That also leads to interesting odd pages popping up once in awhile. And being that I'm paranoid, I have to shut things down and do scans right away. Wonder if craziness comes with Vitamin D deficiencies? Hmmm...

Anyway, I'm hoping to have a lead on an editor soon. I missed out on getting to RT to meet MaryJanice and try to sponge knowledge off of her, so I'm hoping to get to the next SIC conference that's anywhere in my area while submitting stories to GlimmerTrain and other competitions.

Weekend Shots

2010-04-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

Time to fess up: all I got done was some rummaging around in QueryTracker and absolutely no editing done at all.

I did sleep a lot this weekend, and last Thursday. I needed it. I'm still sick, but feeling much, much better. And the apple-cinnamon-oatmeal muffins turned out just okay. They really didn't have the flavor I was hoping for, so I may do something different next time. The cranberry-orange ones turned out great though. I did burn the cinnamon-swirl and banana nut bread I made on Saturday so there's no "treats" in the house at the moment.

So my weekend was basically shot when it came to getting writing done. I only did one thing other than bake when I wasn't sleeping and that was going shooting. I'm working towards getting over my fear of guns (have a 22 pulled on you as a kid that is supposedly "unloaded" and you'll understand) and working towards getting my concealed weapons permit.

The guys at the gun shop told me I should try a revolver to back up my mouth as I tend to jam the semi-auto Smith & Wesson that we own when I'm shooting fast and I don't back down from gang bangers (who are notoriously lousy shots). So I tried some 38 specials. Huge kickback on those little pups and I didn't hit the target once. They are only good for short range though, so I may ask for some help next time we're in the shooting range. I'm also going to try out a Magnum to see if I do better with the longer barrels. I hit the bullseye every time when I use our S&W both with 22s and 45s, so it may be an issue of barrel length. Although I'm madly in love with this little Browning 22 revolver that will actually fit in my cleavage; it's adorable!

At some point I'll have to try out a rifle as that's what Jess prefers. Funny how I know that. She makes me laugh a lot as well, especially when she's swearing at men. Merie doesn't like guns, but she prefers them over tasers as all the electronic stuff we use know messes with her abilities. Why I have all female characters in my head I'll never know. Oh wait! I forgot about Paul..he's a main character as well, and now Paxton, Matt, and Stan are chiming in as well. (The guys get cranky when they feel they're being overlooked.) What have I started?

Perhaps it's time to settle into the recliner with some tea and write while watching House. Maybe then they'll quiet down a bit.

Lacking Enthusiasm

2010-04-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

I've been sick. In a drawn out, boring kind of way. I hate viruses, especially when I can't get enough time off of real work to rest appropriately. It's been a month already, jeez why can't this bugger move on? If it was a computer virus I'd have already vanquished it, but this one has the stubbornness of the most vile dragon.

Ooo! Dragons! If you haven't already, you must go see "How to Train Your Dragon". Apparently it's not much like the book, but it's a great movie and the animation is awesome. Okay, enough about dragons.

Even gardening hasn't gotten my attention of late, so I'm trying my best to pull myself up by my non-existent boot straps and get that done along with some editing on Jess' story. I really want to get this done and published. Perhaps I'm asking for too much. I haven't gone about this in a "normal" fashion at all. But if you know me, normal is not something I'm much good at.

So I've made two goals for myself for this week. 1) Get back into the QueryTracker system and do some research on agents, and 2) at least get Chapter 1 in Jess' book edited. We'll see how I do. I figure they're small enough goals I should be able to get something done; at least I'm hoping that's how it will pan out.

Although, all I seem to be able to think about today is coming up with a workable recipe for apple-cinnamon-oatmeal muffins. Food usually does trump all for me.

Agents, Editors, and Publishers - Oh My!

2010-04-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

Still no word from Agent #2, which is fine. My sister's taking a crack at editing the book for me, so it's just as well I guess.

I've been digging through the various references that MaryJanice wrote about and am finding it a bit overwhelming. So many editors and publishers and agents to try to sift through and take a "best guess" at who to approach next. I'm hoping the Sisters-in-Crime group can give me some tidbits on that. After taxes get paid, I'm paying my membership fees to be a full-fledged Guppy and see if I can get any forward progress on this thing.

I did take some time and do a second go-round on the short stories I have for GlimmerTrain and plan to get them submitted in time for the May contest. I'm not sure my writing is in their style though, so I'll have to wait and see.

My Aunt shared one of her non-fiction pieces with me. I can see we have the same typos style, but our writing is different. Hers is more fluid, and richer in nature, whereas mine is blunt, a bit more quick and not nearly as graceful. Ann Rice has a style that is rich and dense, a type of writing that makes you feel like you're eating the book in a most indulgent style. My Aunt's is a lighter form of rich, more like a nice rich dessert mousse. (I must be hungry for chocolate.)

I'm getting ready to dig back into Collie's book in the never ending round-robin of "tag, you have to write about me next". Maybe Collie will get published first, only God in her infinite wisdom knows for certain. In any case, the girls still clamor for my attention and I feel like I'm really starting to get back into the swing of it again. Perhaps because my workload looks very light for the next few months, so I have more time to dedicate to putting their voices to electronic paper. Oh, and I can't forget the boys as Paul just chimed in that I haven't put nearly enough work into his piece of the story.

Do all writers have characters that talk to them? And I wonder, how many people actually read my ramblings? I was surprised to find that someone I have great respect for has been following a tech blog I work on, and even more so when I discovered several others who read it but don't officially "follow" it.

Writing Excuses

2010-03-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Actually, this isn't my excuse for not writing more here, but rather a plug for a friend's podcast. It's all rather entertaining. He's self-published too, so I've been trying to take in as much information as I can.

I'm currently editing Jess' first book, while fending off Paul's constant demands for me to write about his wedding. I swear he's doing this just because I'm following after the SoulForce Equality Ride with more dedication than usual and he feels he's not get his fair share of attention as a result.

Anyway, back to the Writing Excuses information. You can find it at http://www.writingexcuses.com It's more than just a podcast, but I do love follow Howard. He's quit entertaining.

I haven't heard back from agent #2 and don't expect to any time soon. Instead I've decided to try a finding an editor. Once I get back from this tech conference, I'll be hitting up the local B&N for all those handy reference materials MaryJanice outlines in her book. And I'll be resubmitting to GlimmerTrain as well as looking for more competitions to try out.

Writing has taken a back seat

2010-03-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

For the time being as I ramp up for a conference, my writing is on the back burner. I still need to edit and rewrite the submissions to GlimmerTrain and prep them for the April submissions deadline. I'm bummed I'm going to be missing a SINC conference that's close by as I'll be out of state. Maybe some other time.

I'm still very curious as to how other writers have come to writing. That is, have they always know they'd be a writer, or are there others out there like Maggie Sefton and myself, who never really considered it until our characters simply got "too loud" and we had to let them out?

It's fascinating to me. Especially as my Aunt had another article published..quite a fun one for me to read too. This is something I'm somewhat driven to do, just to keep the chaos out of my head. Is this how others do it? Or can they simply call up a story as they wish and pop something out for a deadline and make money doing so? Because I have to wait on Jess and Merie and Collie. All three have been surprisingly quiet of late, although Paul (Jess' BFF) and Bambi (Collie's lady-in-waiting for lack of a better term) have been chiming in quite a bit. Perhaps the "Big 3" are quiet because work's become a bit more tolerable and somewhat fun lately, but I never know. They'll gang rush me at some point and all I'll be able to focus on is getting their stories down before they get quiet again.

Or maybe this really is just the Alzheimer's and Dementia making an early appearance. :)

A Slight Reprieve and Sisters in Crime

2010-03-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

I've been busy trying to gain access to a conference that I really need to go to, as a result the girls have been uncharacteristically quiet. Which is helpful as I've been busy at work fighting a variety of battles over upcoming projects.

I'm looking forward to them being vocal again. I've been giving Jess' book another once-over as it really does need to be edited. And I'm trying to figure out a way to swap out all the "bad words" in an effort to get my mom to edit it for me. She's fearless in her criticism and I really appreciate that.

The Sisters in Crime group is getting another "guppy" after I get back from the conference. The guppies is the group for newbies. I believe I've mentioned them before. But with wonderful authors like Monica Ferris on board, I expect to get a lot of good advice. They have virtual groups which is awesome, because there's no local group. Heck, even NaNoWriMo didn't have anyone from my "city" involved. Which was a bummer because I could have used the company.

There's only one writer's group that I have heard of in town so far, and if there's anyone related to work there, I have to be very cautious in what I show and discuss. Jess' mouth alone could get me into trouble. This is a part of living in the MidWest that I have trouble adjusting too. The fact that what you do after hours can directly impact your employment. On the coasts what you do in your own time is up to you - as long as it's legal and not in competition with your employer, they don't care.

I hope the girls return to their normal chattiness soon. I'd really like to get back to writing their stuff than trying to force a new story out about something unrelated to them. They normally keep me busy enough...I don't need additional characters running through my mind and demanding my attention.

GlimmerTrain

2010-02-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I submitted two stories to the GlimmerTrain February contest. Now it's wait and see what they say. According to their rules, I can post the stories here. I'll have to modify Jess' story for language to post here as I'm trying to leave this blog as PG as possible.

I don't expect to win as I didn't have a chance to edit them (busy weekend), so I suspect I'll rewrite one and submit it for next month's open fiction (no dollar winnings, but they'll review it again). And then maybe resubmit Collie's front story for the August contest. At least it gets me in front of someone new and objective.

This is still all rather surreal for me...I never expected to be in a search for something that I wrote to be published.

Have I mentioned how much I hate McAfee Anti-Virus? It pops up at the most inopportune time to announce it's downloading new patches and then takes over the CPU. One reason why I prefer writing on my Linux machine over my Windows boxes. (Sorry, the computer geek in me just jumped in...).

Cool website that's useful!

2010-02-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

Digging around yesterday I stumbled across QueryTracker (http://querytracker.net). I played around with it a little bit and found lots of info on my first pick agent, decided to join with the free membership, posted my rejection letter, and poked around a bit. I've since decided that I'll probably use it to track all of my queries after all. I was planning on just keeping them in my email, but as many times as I've accidentally deleted stuff, I figured this may be a safer bet.

Plus there's all sorts of helpful information, other authors on-line to chat with, and it's kind of a support group of sorts.

Now I just need to get off my duff and join Monica Ferris' Sisters-in-Crime group and become a guppy. After all they hold several conferences within driving distance for me and at a reasonable price, so for $15 for annual membership I figure it's worth the bucks.

MaryJanice is Right - Again!

2010-02-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

I love MaryJanice Davidson's writing. Love the Betsy and Fred books, she's got a new serie's coming too that I can't wait to get my hands on. But mostly, I love her book Escape from the Slush Pile. It's like a crash course in publishing. Way cool!

I made the decision to approach agents of authors who's work I enjoy and who's style has a similar feel to Jess' book. In Escape from the Slush Pile MaryJanice talks about using the Internet to search for information on agents and publishing houses. She has an entire chapter devoted to it called Why the Internet Rocks. She's right - it does rock. And I've been working in tech since before the Internet; yes, there was a time before the Internet as we know it existed - it was called ARPANet.

Within in the span of 20 minutes, I found more information on my next targeted agents, and sent an email to one about the fact that her LinkedIn public profile directs people to her former agency (where she was a partner) and that she may want to change that. I also found lots of ratings for different agencies and agents so I now know who I don't want to send a query letter to.

It's also far easier than in the past to find ePublishers, submission requirements for the big print publishers like Bantam, Penguin, Avon, Harlequin (if you're a romance writer). Amazing stuff! Even better, I found I can get a copy of the Writer's Guide and other references MaryJanice suggests via my local library. Woo-hoo! (Yeah, I'm woo-hoo kind of gal at times...Gemini's have a complicated life).

I've also found a few folks that I trust to tell me the truth to read the book and let me know what needs fixing/tweaking/changing. Although Jess swears really bad, there were a few spots where I felt it may be masking the more interesting pieces of that particular piece of the story line. So we'll see how many changes are suggested, but cleaning up her mouth entirely won't work...because I'll never hear the end of it and she won't shut up long enough to let me sleep. If nothing else, Jess IS persistent.

Waiting Anew

2010-02-23T14:28:00.000-08:00

Well, I sent out my second query letter to my second choice agent, who happens to represent Dakota Cassidy. Dakota writes paranormal romances, that are wickedly funny and make me laugh like MaryJanice's Betsy books. Oddly enough, Dakota lives in Texas, as does Victoria Laurie, and Jess' lives in Austin. (I'm taking that as a sign). I "think" I'm a similar style, but not 100% certain of that.

Anyway, I'll be waiting for a few weeks before hitting up the next agent. In the meantime, I'm wrapping up and proofing two short stories for the GlimmerTrain contest that are due on February 28th. I may do a short story on Merie, or one of the other Chosen and submit it as a regular submission at a later date to GlimmerTrain.

I'm also debating about joining in on a contest with the SouthWest Writers group in New Mexico. But I may hold off on that as I still need to join the Sisters In Crime "guppies" group for newbies. Monica Ferris is a big part of that group and they have conferences that are close enough (and cheap enough) for me to attend from time to time. And I love her hats!

Either way, I'll be waiting, and writing, and waiting for a few folks who are taking a stab at editing the first draft (did I mention that I haven't edited the book yet - I sent a first draft to my first agent pick) of the Jess book. I'll be trying to edit that as well, but Jess, Collie, and Merie are all clammoring for their stories to continue moving forward. So, I guess I'm off to write!

Short Story Contest

2010-02-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

My dear Aunt sent me this contest information for Short Stories that I thought I'd share. It's a neat company, of course I like that fact that it's run by smart women. :)

The URL for this company is www.glimmertrain.org.

And here's the competition info:

SHORT STORY AWARD for NEW WRITERS
Deadline: February 28
Prizes:
1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 10 copies.
2nd-place: $500 and possible publication.
3rd-place: $300 and possible publication.
Results post on April 30. Winning story will be published in Issue 79.
Other considerations:
Open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared in any print publication with a circulation over 5,000. (Entries, of course, must not have appeared in any print publication.)
Please, no longer than 12,000 words. Any shorter lengths are welcome.
Reading fee is $15 per story.

I've found that reading fees for competitions seems to be pretty steady around the $15 (US) mark even for full novels.

First Rejection Letter

2010-02-22T07:29:00.000-08:00

I got rejected. Which is what I expected, only I got so much more than I expected. I'm actually quite happy about given that my book hasn't been professionally edited yet and I still got this really nice response.

Thanks much for sending THE RELUCTANT PSYCHIC, which I read with great interest. Unfortunately, I’m going to be passing at this time.

Fiction, as I’m sure you know, is just about the toughest thing to sell in the current marketplace. I need to really fall in love with something before I can even think of taking it on. Though there is much to appreciate here, I’m afraid that I ultimately didn’t believe I would be its best advocate.

Thank you again, sincerely, for the chance to take a look. I wish you all the best of luck placing this successfully.

Friends and family were a bit worried that I'd give up. Actually, this rejection has given more hope than I ever had that Jess' book will get published. The fact that someone from the industry not only took the time to read it, but like it (even if he didn't love it) was HUGE for me. Now I'm off in search of another agent and am approaching a friend who has edited in the past to take a glance at the book. Maybe a few rewrites will do the trick. Anyway, I'm still a very happy camper and I have even more respect for this particular agent and agency than I did before.

The long wait begins....

2010-02-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I put the book (electronically speaking) in the agent's hand last night. Now it's a waiting process while he reads it. Even if he rejects it, I'm still thrilled that someone in the industry is even remotely interested.

But there is still hope that the first book in Jess' series will be published at some point and in some fashion.

I've learned I still have a lot to learn about agents and this whole writing game. It's interesting to hear about the love/hate relationships between some agents and authors. So I konw it's a long process and I understand about building business relationships...I've been doing that for a long time now myself. And I'm pretty good at it...I've mooched quite a few cool geeky things in my time. Most recently I've managed to mooch a netbook. And it's quite the fun toy.

So bear with me while I wait. I promise to keep you posted on the good, bad, and ugly as I learn this publishing biz stuff.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy - a response already!

2010-02-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I was having a rather boring day of "discussions" with a co-worker and patching of servers and then, before leaving for home to begin an early day of more patching, I checked my email and received this:

I’m game. Send the manuscript along, and I’ll review promptly. A Word attachment is most preferable if possible.

Best,

Jim

My day just became awesome! Happy, happy, Joy, joy dances all around.

And the wait begins...

2010-02-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Well, I did it. I clicked the SEND button and off went my synopsis to the first agent on my list. Now the wait begins. It's usually a 6-8 week turnaround for this particular agency. But I like them. It's woman run, and the agent I targeted is into Women's fiction and mysteries, so here's hoping. Although I fully expect a rejection. Which is fine...it's all part of the process. :)

Now I can focus on finishing up book 2 in Jess' series, join the Sisters in Crime writing group, I'll be a "guppy" (their group for newbies) and perhaps I'll have a chance at some point to meet Monica Ferris face to face (and maybe try on one of her famous hats!).

So, bear with me. Keep checking in though as I'll have more snippets from Merie, Jess and Collie...and the Snot Fairy may make a visit or two as well.

Writing Waylaid Again

2010-02-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

Wild weather makes for bad, bad migraines for me. Which means I don't write. Even though Jess and Merie are dumping pages and pages of writing in my head for me. Perhaps tomorrow I'll be able to get some of the chaos out of my head.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying the fluffy white stuff now that the barometer is stabilizing...as are the dogs. They LOVE! this stuff. Quite fun to watch them frolic in it, with being so big and all.

Better news is that MaryJanice Davidson is finally done with the final edits of "Undead and Unfinished" and is looking for new ARC readers. Hoping to get my name on the list somehow. I love her books, fast reads and they ALWAYS make me laugh.

A Peek at Merie

2010-02-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

Merie is one of God's "Chosen". She's an angel/human hybrid with no soul, placed on Earth as one of God's protectors of humankind. She's also 413 years old at this point. The following piece appears about midway through the first book. What you need to know is that Stan is actually Satan, but he prefers to be called Stan. It's these types of scenes that make me laugh like a loony at inappropriate times.

Oh! And God's a woman. Picture a carmel-brown colored woman who looks kind of like the Greek Goddess Athena, only really, really TALL. And God's an engineer, among other things.

It was pouring, nearly sheets of rain, thunder clapped loudly, and the lightening was close. Stan and Merie huddled in the mine shaft together, trying to avoid God's directed wrath. And God was furious!

“I swear Merie, it's not my doing this time! You know I like to 'tweak' her at times, but she's on a major rebuilding frenzy and there's NO WAY I would have done this. That's what I came to tell you.” Stan's face was sincere, but as Merie knew well, Stan was a phenomenal actor.

Taking his words with a grain of salt, Merie sighed. “Well, 'if' you didn't do it, do you have any idea who did? And what's the background on the whole event? God didn't tell me that this was in the plans.” Merie tilted her head up at Stan. He was an angel after all, and they did tend to go towards the tall side of God's creatures. Standing about 6'8” he wasn't her tallest, but he was a stretch for Merie.

Stan shook his blond curly head, “All I know is that it's none of my crew. I swear if it was one of my human minons I'd have killed them already, but none are admitting it. There's more to this than either of us know, and God's not helping any.” He smirked down at Merie as the thunder began to tone down a bit. If he'd been paying attention to Merie's eyes, he'd have seen what was coming reflected in them.

“OW!!! Shoot!! Woman! Let go of me.” Stan hollered as he was lifted more than a foot off the ground.

Merie was doubled over in laughter. God had stormed in and snatched up Stan by his curly blond locks to look in her still stormy eyes.

“What the hell are you doing out of your cage?!!” God thundered down at Stan as she shook him like a rag doll.

“OW!! Damn it all woman, put me down!” Stan was holding onto his head while trying to kick his way out of God's grasp.

“Address me properly little one! Or have you forgotten? I created you; I can simply 'uncreate' you at my heart's content." God's smirk was evil, her eyes glowing red. "You're lucky that I have a soft spot for this little chosen one. She's the one that always saves your skin for you.” God motioned her head in Merie's direction, and smiled benignly down at her Chosen one. Merie basked in the warm beam, feeling the love that only God could make her feel.

Smiling up at her God, Merie said, “Not to contradict you dearest One, but I don't 'always' save his skin.” God laughed, her face brightening, the red glow dimming to a deep pink. “But he does say it's not his humans or his minions. I wonder...could it just be that a human is behind all of this for some reason?” God frowned down at Merie, her face growing dark. “I didn't mean this disrespectfully at all, dear One, but could it be possible that due to free will it's out of your hands?” Merie downcast her eyes, afraid of a close handed burst of God's wrath.

Instead of pain, Merie's face was quickly jerked upwards at a burst of warm, happy, laughter. God finally put Stan back down, placed her hands around her waist and laughed. “Oh dear, you're probably right my little one. That stupid 'free will' always comes back to bite me in the ass.” Merie chuckled as well...she and God had once chatted long into the night when Merie was very, very young about God's choice of free will for her human creations.

“So, little one, do you have any ideas who it might be?” God's eyes flashed with anger, but her voice was still mirthful.

“Well, I was thinking perhaps it was the environmental folks, but I'm thinking it has more to do with that big ranch just on the other side of this mountain. From what I understand, the head of the family that owns it has been in a battle with the poor family that owns the drilling rights. He has the knowledge, perhaps you can 'change his mind' for him and make him fess up?” Merie smiled crookedly up at God.

“Ah, but my dearest little one, you're forgetting your own choice of will. If it is in fact a human leveraging his free will, I won't interfere. Best you try your own bag of tricks to determine who's causing the problems here. Perhaps your own 'feminine wiles' can do the trick.” God winked at Merie, “You've used them well in the past, perhaps it's time to bring them out once again. How old is this human?”

“Well, he looks to be older than I look now, so perhaps that will work. He is a rather disgusting excuse for a human though. However - for you my dearest One - I can endure anything.” Merie felt the full force of God's love on her as she beamed down at her.

“Wonderful my child! I shall give you a vacation after this job is complete.” Whipping her head around to glower down at Stan's attempt to escape, she reached a long arm out to once again grasp him by the hair. “Not a chance Slim. I'm putting you back into your cage where you belong.” God flew out of the mine shaft, Stan in tow, as Merie raced to watch her descent.

Merie emerged from the mine shaft just in time to witness an incredible full rainbow, the clouds, rain and thunder all gone in an instant. She shook her head sadly, thinking What a shame that humans can't see God as I can see her or recognize her miracles.

I laugh every time I read about Stan being picked up by his curly locks. He looks like an overgrown cherub with beautiful light blue eyes and dimples. So cute his only option was to become evil after all. I did adjust some of the language to to be more PG rated.

Another peek at Jess' life

2010-02-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

I still haven't clicked on that "send" button yet to alert the agent that he should read my stuff. So, as I have nothing new to report on the progress of finding an agent, I figured I'd give you another tidbit from Jess' story.

“Stop right there!” Jess practically shouted as the dead man walked through the door and into the closet. Luckily, she surprised him and he immediately stopped, just shy of touching her outstretched hand. More softly she asked, “Do you realize that you are dead?” Jess knew many didn't understand they were truly dead, and the newly dead were far more dangerous to Jess then the long dead.

“Why does everyone keep telling me that? I can't be dead! I have to get to surgery and no one will tell me which room I'm assigned to and I don't see my name on the board anywhere.” The man appeared to be in his early 30s and his expression was one of pure frustration.

“Oh, dear, you don't know. I'll swear on a stack of bibles that you are, most definitely, dead. What is your name?” Jess had heard about a young doctor being killed shortly before she'd started, but had never seen a picture of him. She was pretty certain the dead man in front of her was him.

“It's Dr. Dickinson and I have a critical patient that's waiting on me! Who do I need to talk to around here to get a room scheduled?” Still in denial, the doctor was focused solely on his patient and not paying complete attention to what Jess was telling him.

“Dr. Dickinson, you're not listening. You died...almost a year ago. No one talks to you because no one else can see or hear you. Just me. It's a curse, or a gift, depending on how you look at it. I'm sure someone else stepped in and took care of your patient for you. Tell me your patient's name and I'll see what I can find out.” Jess was talking calmly and slowly, hoping it would sink in. What a shame, she thought, losing such a dedicated doctor so young. She desperately wanted to comfort him, but knew that if she touched him, he'd be far less inclined to believe her news of his death.

“I'm not dead! I keep telling you. I'M. NOT. DEAD!”, he was shouting and so close to Jess' face that that she could have licked his nose. “However, since YOU refuse to believe ME, I'll give you my patient's name and room number. Let me check my notes.” And with that he was gone. That's kind of the way it was with the newly dead who refused to believe. If Jess was lucky he'd be gone for a least a week, perhaps more. Sometimes they popped up again pretty fast, but that wasn't so common. Time between the two planes was warped and inconsistent, with the other side still moving forward but at vastly varying speeds and that rarely failed to surprise her.

Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Jess peeked her head out of the janitor's closet. All clear; good, now I have a chance to pee! Jess thought as she headed into the women's room.

I just wish you all could see what I see in my head...then y'all might understand why I look like a crazy woman laughing to myself in my cubicle.

Fighting with The Big Dog

2010-02-01T11:37:00.000-08:00

I have 2 very large dogs, one of whom is a neutered male that "forgets" from time to time that he is NOT "The Big Dog". We had a "tiff" over the weekend, which ended up with me wishing for harsher pain killers than I had on hand, and using a crutch. So, I didn't get much writing done as I just wasn't in the mood.

Agent letter has yet to be sent...I'm proofing it with a fine toothed comb, but I'm deathly afraid I'll miss something, It's far easier for me to proof other's work than my own. I don't know what they're "meaning" to say, whereas I'm thinking my typing looks just as I mean it to, when often it's not. It's confusing, I know, which is why I had my mom proof stuff for me in high school and friends proof my stuff in college.

In lieu of any actual writing, I figured I'd let you take a sneak peek at Jolita, Paul's drag queen persona...

Jolita entered onto the platform - it was rather hard to miss her. At 6' even, Paul (aka Jolita) was about average height before putting on the 4” heels, but had far from average looks. A touch of padding, some good makeup, and he made an absolutely stunning woman. As a man, he had beautiful looks that he could only attribute to his parents' mixed heritages. His father was Black and Korean, his mother full Brazilian. An outstanding combination, resulting in perfect milk-chocolate colored skin, high cheekbones, almond eyes, an unnoticeable Adam's Apple, long legs that rivaled Ru Paul's, and a butt that would give any plastic surgeon pause, all of which Paul knew how to work for Jolita.

“Good evening, Madames and Messieurs! Welcome to the 5^th Annual Cowboy's Ball, or should I say 'balls'?” Jolita gave a suggestive wink and sashayed further down the stage. “For those of you not in the know, I am Jolita!” A luxurious upsweep of her arm let everyone know just who the Queen of the Ball truly was. She bowed to the applause before turning towards her band. Jolita was definitely proving to the crowd just who the Drag Queen Diva of Austin was tonight.

“Hit it boys!” Jolita launched into her rendition of “I just want to be loved by you”, sung in a breathy Marilyn Monroe fashion. The crowd was on their feet, cheering, whistling, and stomping. She followed up with a montage of the songs from her regular act, and ended with the whole crowd chiming in to a campy version of “The Yellow Rose of Texas”, which was always a crowd favorite. Jolita wasn't a lip syncher either, her vocal talent was real.

“Tonight's festivities will begin shortly. I'll be your Mistress of Ceremonies this evening, so we'll be seeing lots of each other tonight.” With a wink and a smile, Jolita blew a kiss to one of her favorite fans, a big ol' stereotypical Texas white boy who had tons of money and one foot still in the closet. “Dinner will be served in the next room, if y'all'd start moseying in that direction, I'd be most appreciative. I'll see you on stage in there, where you'll be granted the pleasure of seeing moi again.” Jolita took a small bow, disconnected her mike, and was escorted down the steps by a most handsome young man. She headed towards Jess, Molly, and Maggie's general location. Jess was used to the fact that Jolita would get stopped along the way and waited patiently for her.

Finally arriving at Jess' side several minutes later, Jolita gave her a big hug and air kisses. “Hey dolls! Enjoying the festivities? What until you see my new Angelia Jolie impression. I have a baby bump and everything!” Jolita giggled with a wicked grin. Jolita had a thing against Angelia Jolie for stealing Brad Pitt away from Jennifer Aniston. It was an impersonation that kept her readily employed as a good chunk of Austin's population appeared to feel the same way, or more likely, they simply enjoyed seeing the stars lambasted instead of idolized.

It's a little taste, but hopefully it was descriptive enough to leave you wanting more. :)

Agent Letter - done!

2010-01-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

I finished my first agent letter today. I tried, I really did try, to stay within their submissions guidelines, but it was tough. How can you fully describe a recovering alcoholic, with a gay BFF who's the reigning Drag Queen Diva, two best gal pals that don't know her biggest secret, an attorney that makes her skin crawl, an evil boss, too many men interested in her friends, and a little girl's murder to solve in one paragraph? Okay, so I made a horribly long sentence as an example, but really, sometimes one is just too few.

I did manage to cover most of it in two paragraphs. I really hope he doesn't mind. And I'm targeting one agent first for a very valid reason. He represents one of my current favorites who's in the same genre (approximately) and works for a woman. Who doesn't love a man who works for a woman and who's interest is in women's literature? We'll see. I'll have to wait to hear anything for at least 6-8 weeks. I'm hoping for something good, but expecting a rejection.

But my husband has had a suggestion that I'm seriously considering. Put out the first 3 chapters on a website. Let people decide if they want to read the rest, charge $4-$5 for an electronic copy of the whole book that they can download from the same site. It's a possibility. I'm still contemplating it. All the formats and securing those files means I have to learn more tech stuff and I'm not 100% certain I want to go that way yet. (Or perhaps I'm just being really lazy).

In the meantime, I'll be considering posting a few tidbits here that are PG-rated. (Jess swears so badly a lot of it would be considered adult content).

And I'll let you know when I actually click on the "send" button. I'm thinking perhaps I'll wait until this weekend, so it's fresh in his mailbox on Monday. Really, I just need to get up the nerve and send it already.

How I Write

2010-01-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

Since work is getting in the way, I figured I'd explain my "writing process" as it were/is/whatever, because it can be rather confusing.

I don't do outlines, I don't do plot lines, I don't do storyboards or planning of any type. What I do instead is wait. My wait is usually not long. I wait for Jess, or Collie, or Merie to skip through my brain raining down "visual pages" of what to write. So really it's not me writing, it's my characters. I'd feel bad (as in a mental health issues way) if I didn't have confirmation that this is fairly "normal" for some writers. I figure it's just the dementia kicking in early (have I mentioned this before?).

Lucky thing for me - at least sometimes - is that my characters are very chatty. Unlucky thing is that Collie speaks in a mix of English, and Celtic/Tehachapi dialect (as in the Tehachapi tribes of California) and I have to translate or figure it out - there's no dictionary for her language. Collie only slips into her "native" tongue when she's mad at me, which is often. And the unlucky part of Merie's story is that she's always making me laugh at inappropriate times (like in the middle of meetings or while grocery shopping - the husband's gotten used to it). She does this by giving me visuals of God in all her glory shaking the bejesus out of Satan by the roots of his curly blond locks. Jess is far easier. She swears horribly, which I kind of admire, and she stomps her foot when she's not getting enough attention, or when Paul pushes her out of the way to demand of me more attention to his storyline coming up in the third book.

In a way, I'm a bit like Jess, but instead of a dead hoard following me around, I have these characters running amok in my head and making my life a circus at times. I love them all dearly. Merie is by far the funnest for me to write, Jess is harder giving me both laughter and tears, Collie is most difficult as she's a big environmentalist, something which I am not. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for protecting our natural resources, but when I want a steak, I'm getting a steak and don't want a lecture with my meal.

The best part I like about Jess, besides the fact that she's really easy to understand, is that she's true to her country roots. I would have loved to have been raised on a farm, but I got stuck being raised in the busier parts of the US West Coast, where land comes at a premium and my folks were on a pre-WalMart budget.

All-in-all, my characters keep me laughing, and they keep bringing in new characters to bug me, like the Snot Fairy (among others), and Miracle Max. So, my hope is that in some way I make you laugh a little too when I dump out pages from my head.

Work gets in the way again

2010-01-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

Had to interrupt writing to attend to work issues again. So Paul and Paxton (he appears later) are pitching a hissy fit. I need to finish Book #2 in Jess' series to get on to their complaints. But Merie and Collie are fighting for attention while Jess just grins evilly in the background knowing that it's "her" story that's being pitched first. But, we'll see who gets published first.

MaryJanice Davidson had started with Fred, her grumpy Mermaid series, but ended up with Betsy being published first. While I adore Fred, I wonder if she'd have had the chance to get Betsy heard if Fred had been published first. Partly because Fred's story was only 3 books long, and partly because Betsy is just so hysterically, raunchily funny that I have to get the next book the second it's available at my local B&N.

Hoping to get more done this week as Jess and Merie have taken to waking me up at god awful hours of the wee morning to dump "stacks of pages" in my head. And I like my sleep.

Meet Jess

2010-01-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

Since I got my synopsis done today (boredom while watching big files download = writing), I figured I should introduce Jess to you all and just get her off my back already. The circus in my head is growing restless.

Jess' life is complicated. Not only is she a recovering alcoholic approaching her 1-year sober date, her BFF Paul is a closeted stockbroker by day and the reigning Drag Queen Diva of Austin at night, but she also sees dead people. She doesn't just see them, she talks to them, they touch her, she can touch them, they've done physical harm to her in the past as well. You'd drink too if you found yourself unexpectedly flying through the air like a rag doll. And only Paul knows her secret, or so she thinks. Her best girls Molly and Maggie work with her at the local hospital. Molly's a social worker - also a recovering alcoholic and former stockbroker. Maggie works as a billing coder with Jess in the bowels of the hospital. And Matt works security and is harboring a major crush on Maggie.

There's always a hoard of dead clamoring for Jess' attention following her around. She's managed to corral most of them in her apartment, but every once in awhile one sneaks out. Rosie, a warm grandmotherly type who dresses like Lucille Ball, is one that can find Jess anywhere. She's almost like Jess' spirit guide, almost, but not quite. Then there's Melissa, the constant whiner who makes Jess throw shoes through her semi-transparent head at times. Rosie helps keep the dead hoard in control and chastises Jess on a regular basis about her language. Oh, did I mention Jess swears like a sailor? The first line in the book starts with "Shut the f--- up!" Which is exactly why my mother won't read it.

And then there's Sam. He helped save her life, paying for her rehab stint and helping her get into her apartment. She likes him, but wants to only be friends. And she's sure she knows him from somewhere, but can't quite place him. Her memories are lacking in places and it may just be that Sam fell into one of the "holes" in her brain. It's complicated, like I said.

Then there's the new hospital attorney who makes every woman's skin crawl, her evil boss "Vampira" who wants to fire her in the worst way, and 5 year old Sallae Ann's murder to solve. And that's just the first book. She's demanding an entire series.

And I thought just being a Gemini is tough!

Procrastination

2010-01-19T17:49:00.000-08:00

I've been dragging my feet. I'm really good at procrastinating. A friend of mine from stitching used to talk about starting a Procrastinator's Anonymous club but we could never get around to scheduling a meeting. Still makes me laugh...okay, so I'm easy to entertain, I'll admit it.

But, I do have my synopsis done. And I got some sewing done. The two have nothing to do with each other, unless you figure I use my delayed sewing projects as a diversion. My excuse is that I have a freebie coupon to get my abused machine cleaned for free and I still had polar fleece to use up. Now that's out of my way, I really have no excuses to delaying my agent letters.

Jess is threatening to kick my butt...how a character in my head can actually kick my butt I've got no idea, but if any of my characters can do it, Jess can. I promised her I'll introduce you all to her within the next few days. She's happy that she's first on the list as Collie really drives her batty in so many ways. She likes Merie though, because Merie thinks it's funny when God picks Satan up by his blond curls to shake him like a rag doll. The visuals I get off of that make me laugh out loud, which makes people look at me funny. These outbursts happen randomly and I'm finding it hard at times to control it during meetings when I'm bored.

I miss my LGBT kids at work who so patiently listened to me talk about the book and who understood why I was at my desk laughing at my laptop screen.

Progress...sort of

2010-01-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

I verified my target agents email and snail mail address. Now I have to decide which method I should use. One costs no money, the other costs, but may get it in his face faster. Decisions, decisions....

I do have the synopsis done though. I corrected several typos and grammatical mistakes in the first book and added notes to the 2nd book in the series. Even Collie got a bit of attention today and I've left her hanging for more storyline since November. I failed horribly in my first attempt at NaNoWriMo (www.nanowrimo.org), only reaching 15,000 out of 50,000 words.

The other part of my day was spent downloading technical training materials. I'm overdue for some new learning and this is one really cheap way to do. I'm not naturally cheap, however with budget cuts and such I have to get truly creative with obtaining new knowlege. The bane of IT workers worldwide...it changes so often we're constantly retraining.

Random thoughts on Prayers and Laziness

2010-01-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

Readers Alert: This post has little to do with writing...just an observation as to why I'm not getting letters done.

I feel better now. That is after reading MaryJanice's blog and her self admitted laziness. It's not that I'm actually being lazy...just not feeling like writing much this weekend. You see, we lost a very sweet kitten last weekend and it's hitting us pretty hard this weekend, so I've been doing other stuff to occupy my time in an vain attempt to occupy my brain. Didn't quite work.

Instead, I had the random thought that I hadn't heard from a dear friend who's fighting cancer since sometime before the holidays. This is odd and not necessarily a good sign. You see, she's one of the beings (beings because I include humans and animals) on my soul's prayer list. I always have a prayer list going, even though I'm not overtly religious. I have this running list that I post in my soul and delegate to my soul to take care of while I go about other tasks. It's a very convenient method of multi-tasking, but when one of the souls I'm praying for jumps off that list and into the forefront of my brain it's not usually a good sign. Kind of like how I knew my father wasn't going to make it out of the hospital after his second heart attack. So I'm hoping she's okay and just super busy at the moment.

My employer wouldn't be pleased that I leave my praying duties to my soul to perform on my behalf. I work for a conservative Christian organization, which I find very hard at times as I'm openly supportive of the LGBT community as a whole, while my employer does not. I have had some very interesting (and enlightening) converstations with people at work. Anyway, they view prayer as a very active, and required, duty, while my view point is different. I figure that God's very busy and I'm sure God's okay with my particular "prayer method" and may even appreciate the fact that I'm trying to lighten the load a bit.

So, I'm concerned. I hope to hear from my friend soon and that all is okay, as I hope it is. After the loss of our sweet, lovely kitten (only 6 months old) to Lymphoma, I'm understandably worried. I just have to remind myself that all my beloved pets are together, playing on a farm somewhere under Pop's watchful eye, and having a blast.

Enough melancholy...hoping for a brighter day tomorrow when I can concentrate on those oh-so-important agent letters that aren't going to be magically written for me.

Agent Hunting

2010-01-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

I did it! I found the agent information I was looking for...now I just need to get the letter drafted and off to him. Patience will be much needed as their lead time for a response is anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks. I'm hoping that because he has an author that is in the same genre that he might be piqued...especially since she's one I read anytime a new book comes out.

MaryJanice Davidson doesn't use an agent, she represents herself, but she's also well published. So I decided to follow Victoria Laurie's route and get an agent. And it will be her "fault" if I end up with the same agent; as it was in one of her books that had lots of links to my life that she mentioned her agent by name in the forward. I took it as a sign.

I have to, don't I? After all, my main character has similar abilities to one of her main characters...not the one in the book I was reading, but still it's the thought.

I was perusing another blog today that led to a link that points out the odds of being able to be a successully published author (meaning you earn enough on your books to just be a writer and nothing else) are somewhere between 1 in 200 to 1 in 500. Here's to hoping my luck holds out! I was accepted to the only university that I applied to (much to my mother's anguish...that I only applied to 1 university, not that I was accepted).

Wish me luck! Mostly to getting the agent letter done...then luck that he'll pick me up...and then luck we'll find a publisher to find it.

And once I get those agent letters shipped off, I'll try to introduce you to the ladies, as well as the new Miracle Max and Fairy series children's book ideas I have.

Why Now?

2010-01-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

Had you asked me a few decades ago, heck even a few years ago, if I would ever be a writer of fiction I would have laughed and said you were crazy. I write business documents, technical documentation, and end-user instructions, not fiction. Yeah, right!

That was all before I had a dream that caused me to write a complete 50,000+ word novel in a little less than a month. Yep, a novel.

My Aunt is an artist and a writer, my cousin is a writer, in fact one cousin is a published author and has a Master's in English Lit. Me, I'm a computer geek. So, when the stories first started coming I asked my Aunt about her writing, to see if I was going nuts or if this is "normal" for us. Turns out it's normal - for us anyway.

I've come to the conclusion that I must be experiencing "early dementia" as both Alzheimer's and Dementia run in the family. I decided to embrace this new stage of my life and write the first story. Half way through the novel a new character popped up and I started her book, then a third character chimed in and - whaddya know - I now have 1 novel complete, 2 others started, and the first novel is quickly becoming a series with books #2 and #3 started in some fashion.

I'm not a trained writer, in fact English was one of my weaker subjects. I have no idea how to get a book published, but I'm learning. Thanks to help from some of my favorite authors - MaryJanice Davidson and her book "Escape the Slush Pile" is a great read and offers lots of advice - Monica Ferris has answered every question I've thrown at her, and Maggie Sefton eased my concerns that I might - in fact - be crazy. It was comforting to know that other writer's characters "talk" to them as well.

This blog is the first I've ever had. I don't want to look at a computer when I get home and I never bought into the pressure to have my own website or my own blog. (To tell the truth I find it all very narcissitic) . So why now? Because apparently it's something writers need to be doing in order to help sell books. So here it is.

Should you feel so inclined...follow me as I get through the process of writing agent letters, negotiating the pitfalls of contracts (in case I get one) and how to take the criticism of your mother who holds a degree in English and doesn't like the fact that one of your main characters swears like a sailor, and because of that she refuses to read the completed book, instead preferring the other two characters who don't swear like a sailor. In fact one talks to God (who's a woman by the way) but that's for another day.