Cathy Pegau

Release Day for Priestess of the Nile by Veronica Scott

2012-01-23T00:01:00.003-09:00

I'm honored to have my friend and fellow Carina Press author Veronica Scott here on her Release Day! Isn't that a gorgeous cover?

I’m so pleased to be visiting today at Cathy’s blog, not only because today is Release Day for my debut novella, a paranormal romance set in 1500 BC Ancient Egypt (squee!!!!!) Priestess of the Nile from Carina Press, but also because I figure Cathy could use some hot sunshine after being virtually snowbound up there in the frozen tundra! So close your eyes and let me transport you back to a warmer time and place, when all the clothing you needed was a sheer little white linen sheath and sandals. No snowboots! Oh and maybe an amulet to protect yourself from being eaten by the Nile crocodiles. If the Crocodile God Sobek was in a good mood! (Never said Ancient Egypt was perfect, just not frozen under snow and ice 18’ deep!)

Picture yourself standing on the banks of the river Nile late on a hot Egyptian afternoon. There’s an abandoned temple up on the bluff, where Sobek was worshipped in days gone by. He’s not much regarded nowadays as the newer gods like Isis and Osiris have risen. His primary responsibility is to keep the river flowing smoothly. But one person still tries to keep the traditions alive, sings the old songs in her beautiful voice – Merys, a descendant of the last priestess, whose pendant she wears on a black leather thong as she sings and wades in the shallows to fish….

Drawn to his old temple by the enchanting song, Sobek is even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he enjoys conversing with her. Though he desires her greatly, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.

Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve not to take her as his mistress. When he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But of course in the world of paranormal romance nothing can be uncomplicated, the gods have rules about such romances, the goddess Isis is very unhappy and so the couple faces many challenges along the way.

OOPS, ding ding ding, time’s UP, turn in your sheath, sandals and amulet and you’re back to the land of icicles and snow shovels! (Just like a Disney ride, no?)

If you’d like to know how the story of Sobek and Merys turns out, or just get back into that hot Egyptian sunlight, the book is available at Carina Press Amazon Barnes & Noble.

Ooooh, you are a tease : ) Thanks for the taste of sun and sand. Congratulations, Veronica! Wishing you great success!

BIO: Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library full of books as its heart, and when she ran out of things to read, she started writing her own stories. Married young to her high school sweetheart, then widowed, Veronica has two grown daughters, one young grandson and cats. She can almost always be found on twitter at @vscotttheauthor – usually tweeting outrageous things with Cathy! Her blog is at http://veronicascott.wordpress.com

2012 Lesbian Fiction Appreciation Event

2012-01-11T09:00:00.004-09:00

I'm a bit behind in posting this, but lucky you! The great 2012 Lesbian Fiction Appreciation Event is going on at Babbling About Books and More through January 21! There are some great insights into publishing, reading and discovering lesbian fiction by authors and publishers. Plus, some fab giveaways!

The F/F market isn't as "mainstream" as the M/M market seems to be, but the following is strong and getting stronger. Which is good, considering what I have in mind for the next couple of books : )

I'll be posting my publishing journey on the 14th, but please drop in and say hello. Even if you aren't a reader of lesbian fiction the posts are interesting and heart-felt. Good stuff!

Happy Snowy New Year!

2012-01-07T08:51:00.006-09:00

While the rest of the country laments their woeful lack of snow, we here in the semi-frozen north are being snow hoarders. Hoarders. Not that other "H" word. For that, I apologize. Oh, God, how I apologize. We have been slammed with snow. Pretty much every day since the beginning of December, we have had some measurable amount, averaging over 6 inches. Per day. For the season, which is, mind you, only 1/3 over, we have had over 160 inches of snow. That's 13 feet. There's another community that is also getting buried, and we're only getting HALF of what they're receiving. Glad I'm not there. But I am here, and this is what "here" looks like lately:

Free Read and a Giveaway

2011-12-29T08:09:00.004-09:00

A bit late, but there's still time to pop on over to Jessica E. Subject's blog for her Science Fiction Romance Holiday Festivities and read some cool short stories, get inside info about some of the worlds some great authors have created, and win things like books and such! (Note: some of the contests have closed, but there are still great reads!)

I have a free read up too! A short, sexy piece where my two heroines from Rulebreaker celebrate Founder's Day. Also, a book and gift card giveaway.

So head on over, read some fun SFR, and maybe win a thing or two!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's the 2011 SFR Holiday Blitz!

2011-12-13T10:24:00.003-09:00

Yes, friends, it's that most wonderful time of year again! The Galaxy Express is hosting a Science Fiction Romance giveaway extravaganza! Lots of different authors giving away lots of great books. All you have to do is comment. The more blogs you visit, the better your chances!

I'm giving away a copy of Rulebreaker at Contact-Infinite Futures. Come on by and see what all is being offered.

Happy Holidays, to be sure!

Maria Zannini's DIY Christmas

2011-12-07T06:52:00.005-09:00

More food and fun from the lovely and talented Maria Zannini! From now through December 22, almost every day will be chock full o' holiday goodness you can do yourself! Great food to share! Great craft ideas you can keep or give as gifts!

I'll be over at Maria's on the 19th with my favorite salmon recipe and a giveaway. See you there!

Science Fiction Romance Lights Up the Holidays

2011-12-02T09:34:00.006-09:00

The lovely and talented Jessica E. Subject has brought together a plethora of authors to give you the gift of stories. Starting yesterday and through December 30, you can check out what some favorite characters are up to for the holidays, or perhaps meet a few new friends. And do check out ALL the posts. Some authors are having contests! Yay!

Here's the schedule of author posts:

December 1 – D.L. Jackson
December 2 – Lisa Lane
December 3 – Jessica E. Subject @ Daily Dose of Decadence
December 5 – Gini Koch
December 6 – Heather Massey
December 7 – Jessica E. Subject @ 30 Days of Decadence Holiday Blog
December 8 – Rebecca Royce
December 9 – Bella Street
December 12 – Sara Brookes
December 13 – Maureen O. Betita
December 14 – Jessica E. Subject @ Jennifer Lane’s blog & TRS Book-a-day Giveaway
December 15 – Ann Mayburn
December 16 – Jeanette Grey
December 19 – Melisse Aires
December 20 – Diane Dooley
December 21 – Jessica E. Subject on Lisa Fox’s blog
December 22 – Azura Ice
December 23 – Eve Langlais
December 27 – Ella Drake
December 28 - Cathy Pegau
December 29 – Marva Dasef
December 30 – Misa Buckley

Yes, there I am, on the 28th!

And yes, I'm giving away a copy of Rulebreaker!

So take a break from the madness, read some fun stories, and maybe win a little something for yourself. Happy holidays, All!!!

Claustrophobic Christmas by Jody Wallace writing as Ellie Marvel

2011-11-21T08:45:00.009-09:00

Grab a blanket and snuggle with this new novella coming from Samhain Publishing November 29. But be warned! You'll warm up soon enough. While the story starts off with a snowstorm and a great sense of the cold--and I know cold!--it quickly heats up when travel writer Darcy Burkell gets stuck in a snowy traffic jam with photographer James Jones.

When Jody was writing Claustrophobic Christmas, she asked me, her official snow consultant, if I'd ever experienced a snowy traffic jam. In a town that has only two main streets, it isn't snow that gums up traffic, it's two cars meeting and stopping in the middle of the road to chat. That's a traffic jam in my corner of Alaska.

Here's a little taste of Jody's latest:

The bleak, grey sunset was swallowed by the ticking clock, and the snow grew heavier. Thirty minutes. She could no longer see asphalt. She twitched through the stations on the AM band again and again, hoping for better news. The more the snow coated her vehicle, the more it felt like a suffocating, metal coffin. An inch of white mounded on the car’s hood, but she kept those wipers going, those windows clear.

The cabin shrank smaller the longer she sat. Was it safe to get out? Where was her jacket? In back. She’d need it. The sweat suit was cozy but no protection against a…blizzard. Wind gusted the snow half down, half sideways.

Oh dear. She’d read about wilderness survival in her books, but that wasn’t the same as interstate survival. It wasn’t the same as being stuck in her car for hours.

No, she couldn’t think about hours, only minutes. In five minutes, if she was still here, which she wouldn’t be, she’d open the door and put her feet on the ground. Her butt grew numb as Novocain, and her nerves started twanging like bowstrings.

God, she hated small spaces. Cars, mostly. Other small spaces were easier to avoid. The AM station fuzzed on and off.

Darcy switched to holiday music, hoping the cheery bells would gird her loins to warn her family about her delay. She could hardly admit to herself she might be stuck here, in this itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, yellow, candy-smelling car, because she’d ignored the Weather Channel, so how could she admit it to Pop?

The truck in front of her groaned and cranked. Its taillights and brakes flickered off with a long, exhausted hiss. All around her, vehicles followed his example, headlights disappearing from her rearview mirrors.

They were giving up? But they’d only been here a few minutes! They could break free any second. Darcy tap-tap-tapped the steering wheel, faster and faster, until she caved to peer pressure and flicked off her headlamps. It was probably a mistake. She needed to be ready. If they idled much longer, it could get nasty. It was cold out there, and getting colder. Snow covered the cars, the road, the fields. Was James stuck? She reached for her phone, charging in the console, to text him, but he might not welcome any personal back and forth.

When she heard a door slam, just as he’d predicted, she twisted around to see what was going on.
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There were still enough headlights for her to make out the man from the SUV tugging a large, shaggy dog on a leash. They cut in front of her to the roadside. The human hunched miserably against the wind as the dog cavorted in the possibly record snowfall.

So many tires to pee on, so little time.

************
How fun is that? As always, Jody delivers a great story with charming characters, and she never fails to make me laugh.

So off you go! Preorder Claustrophobic Christmas or put it on your wishlist.

(Note: Photo by Colin Broug, Dec.9, 2010)

From the TMI Department

2011-11-11T14:03:00.002-09:00

Hello Blogger Buddies!

Things may be a little scarce on the blog for a while. Well, even scarcer : P I have a few items to attend to, including a new gig as the columnist/facilitator of the schools page of our local paper. I tell you, only in a small town do you get called up for a job like this : ) It should be a fun time.

On a more personal front, I had gallbladder surgery and am in recovery mode. Things went well, and I'm feeling good. Looking forward to eating without feeling sick, that's for sure. But I'm moving a bit slow for the moment. On the plus side, no snow shoveling for 4-6 weeks! Sorry, kids!

So how are you all?

"It's Time, Not Age" with Guest Natalie Damschroder

2011-10-27T00:15:00.001-08:00

The other day, Cathy mentioned being 3F (female, fertile, and forty). Well, I'm 3F too, and the last F is really annoying me.

When I was younger, I used to get really annoyed by my "elders" (like my mother) blaming age on everything. Their minds were going because they left the coffee in the microwave after heating it. Three times. Short-term memory lapses, putting things where they weren't supposed to be, and a million other details of daily living were blamed on getting old. It always sounded like a cop-out to me.

I didn't want to be that way. And I'm fighting it, believe me! In fact, I think the problem is really a convergence of two things. Yes, we're older, and maybe our brains are aging like our bodies. Or maybe, aging just happens to coincide with the busiest time of our lives. We have way too many things to think about, too much on our to-do lists and filling our schedule books.

Of course, I don't like to blame my body breakdown on age, either. I'm not full of aches and pains because I'm 40, I'm full of aches and pains because I have three completely sedentary jobs that take too many hours a day and leave me behind and feeling guilty if I take time to exercise. I feel like I'm approaching a point of no return, though. I'm going to have to find a way to compromise.

One specific thing I used to make fun of my mother for, I now completely understand, though. It's a function of time, though not of age. She used to have this super-old, super-stuffed address book. I'd look for something in it, and 20-year-old pieces of paper would fall out. Sections would be so full stuff was written in the margins. I picked on her for not cleaning it out, at least, and really thought she should have gotten a new one, transferred over the relevant, current dates.

Yeah. *snort* I so get it now.

My address book? I bought it my freshman year of college. Some of the people in it, I haven't talked to since I graduated from high school. In 1988. I'm proud to say I only have four pieces of paper stuck in the front... You know what? Forget it. At least here, I can be self-righteous. My brother came home from Afghanistan months ago. *recycle* That business card can go in my business card file. *set aside* Those directions to Number One's best friend's house when she was 5? I used it once. And she's 16 now. *recycle* And that username and password are for a credit card I haven't used in a decade. *shred*

Where was I?

Oh, yeah! Call me a hypocrite, because I'm not giving up this book. Yes, the binding dried out and separated years ago. And the Js (my maiden name is Jacobus) and Rs (the Raffenetti branch moved a lot) are full and encroaching on nearby sections. But this is living history! I can't remember Mark-from-Ichabod's last name? I just flip through the first pages of each letter until I find him. (Daley!) It amuses me that in 23 years, I've never picked up a friend with a last name starting with E or I (Q, V, etc., are expected).

And you know what else? It will take too damned long to copy the current stuff over. And that's what really matters.

~~~~~~~~~~~
The heroines in Natalie J. Damschroder's upcoming releases may not be 3F quite yet, but they're not ingenues, either. And they totally kick ass, literally as well as figuratively (which is the only way Natalie can manage it, herself).

Behind the Scenes October 31, 2011
A romantic adventure about a security expert who refuses to let her attraction to the movie star under her protection be a distraction…especially when it makes him a direct target.

Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible coming soon.

Under the Moon November 1, 2011
A paranormal romance about a modern-day goddess who teams up with her protector—and forbidden soulmate—to track down the leech who’s been stealing power from other goddesses.

Entangled Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

You can learn more about Natalie and her books at her website, eHarlequin, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook. She blogs with four other ~~obsessed~~ passionate Supernatural fans at Supernatural Sisters, with a number of fantastic romance authors at Everybody Needs a Little Romance, and just to hear herself talk at Indulge Yourself.

How Galling

2011-10-24T14:04:00.004-08:00

NOTE: This post may be TMI for some. I will not be offended if you skip it : )

For the past few years, I have had issues with my gallbladder. Being in the 3F Club (female, fertile and forty), along with family history, it wasn't a surprise when things went awry. The problem was having it get bad enough to merit action.

With a recent increase in the discomfort and pain associated with eating *anything*, it was time to go to the doctor. I spent a week in the Big City hoping, believe it or not, to have surgery. Yep, I wanted it, but my darn body would not cooperate. An ultrasound revealed no gallstones, which would have been a slam dunk for surgery. A nuclear medicine procedure showed abnormal function of my gallbladder (not a shock, considering what I've been feeling for a few years) but I needed one more test before it could be okayed for removal. An upper GI endoscopy showed everything else was normal, so it was finally decided the gallbladder was, indeed, the culprit and had to go.

Can we say frustrated? I know the doctors needed to cover their bases, that the insurance company would want absolute proof this was my problem. But still. Going all that way and hoping for relief only to have to come home intact and needing to figure out when my husband's travel schedule and my doctor's surgical schedule would mesh is a pain. Not to mention the cost and inconvenience of more travel and juggling home life. Ugh.

This is the price paid for living in semi-rural Alaska, away from large cities and snarly traffic. The price for phenomenal scenery, wildlife right outside your front door (yes, literally), and living in a town where you don't worry about your kids wandering neighborhoods.

Worth it? While I sit and wait and get frustrated about rearranging my life, not so much. But in the grand scheme of things, I'd rather be inconvenienced for a week or two or three than have to live under more "civilized" conditions.

And in case you were curious, my upper GI is a thing of beauty. I'm considering using the images on the report as my holiday card. Okay, maybe not.

This, That, and an Excerpt from Rulebreaker

2011-10-09T19:35:00.011-08:00

I love getting feedback. Between the blog and Twitter, I've received great responses to what to blog about next. The bread stealing bear drew the most interest, so I'll tell you about him (or her, I don't know. I didn't get *that* close). After a conversation with my mother about holidays, I have more blog fodder. And finally, an excerpt from Rulebreaker.

BREAD BEAR
My husband did our quarterly Big Shopping while in Anchorage the other week. He fills the pickup with groceries to stock our pantry, freezer and refrigerator so we don't have to buy a whole lot locally (love the local guys, but it's pricey here). This time, he went a little overboard and we didn't have room for some things in the house or in the outdoor freezer. Some loaves of bread and bagels were left in a cooler near our front porch.

Well, our new "neighbor" caught wind of this. The other morning, about 8 am, we heard a thumping near the front door. Husband turned on the porch light (it's still kinda of dark at 8 am) a caught a glimpse of a young bear running off with a grocery bag of bread products. "Darn," said husband. "I wanted French Toast."

Ah well, such is life. We'd secured our garbage, but had no safe place to put the bread. No big loss. But then, unbeknownst to me at the time, Husband put a frozen gallon of milk in the same cooler. And left it outside to thaw slowly. That night, about 11 pm (definitely dark out) there was more thumping. Husband was asleep. I got up, went to the door and turned on the porch light. Lo and behold, the cooler was knocked over, a gallon of milk was bleeding out on my front walk, and I got to see a furry bear butt scuttle off into the night.

Damn it! Milk is expensive. Broom in hand, in case he returned, I grabbed the milk to let it finish thawing in the sink. There was no saving it, considering the sizable bite mark, but I didn't want it out there encouraging a return visit either.

So, lesson learned. Hopefully Husband will remember this incident next time he gets his shopping groove on.

Oh, here's an earlier post about our previous neighbor: Bear With Me

MOM'S FAVORITE HOLIDAY
I speak with my mom every couple of weeks or so. She lives back East, where I grew up, and takes the train into NYC from her Long Island home for work. Yesterday's conversation led to a discussion of her favorite holiday. She told me she didn't have to go to work today (October 10) because it was Columbus Day and everything was shut down.

"I love this holiday," she said. "There's no pressure, no reason to make a big meal or organize meeting with the family. You don't have to go to church or feel particularly patriotic. It's perfect."

Happy Columbus Day, Mom.

And to all my Canadian friends, Happy Thanksgiving!

FROM : CHAPTER ONE
One of the three masked men raised his rifle and shot a short burst of energy pulses into the ceiling of the First Colonial Bank of Nevarro. Fft-fft-fft-fft-fft. Plaster hit the wood floor in a staccato patter louder than the shots themselves. Ozone, dust and cries of alarm filled the air.

The shooter swung the muzzle toward me. “I said, heads down, lady.”

Gut tight, I complied, imitating the others who had been caught inside the bank when the black-clad men had entered just before closing time. It wasn’t often that I stared into the dark, deadly hole of a weapon. I don’t recommend it as a regular activity.

“Everyone stay down and stay quiet,” he ordered. “We’ll be outta here in two minutes, and y’all can go home alive.”

One of the men in black escorted the teller and the manager to the back of the bank where the vault was. The guard, an elderly couple, my partner Calvin and I lay on our bellies, hands on the backs of our heads and cheeks to the rough wood. The elderly couple had come in to check on their savings.

Cal and I had come in to rob the place ourselves.

Despite the pulse pistol nestled under my clothes against the small of my back, and Cal’s gun tucked in a holster covered by his right pant leg, neither of us was inclined to play hero.

Cal turned his head away from the shooter to glare at me. “Only you, Liv,” he whispered fiercely, “would pick the exact same day to rob a bank as real criminals.”

Real criminals? I opened my mouth to loudly voice my indignation but snapped it shut. I’d already drawn enough attention to myself. Instead, I returned his harsh whisper. “We are real criminals. This is just poor timing.”

Cal and I had been planning this job for a while. The Exeter Mining Company deposited its employees’ pay during an undisclosed period each month to avoid such actions as, say, robbery. But Cal had finagled the schedule and amounts from a friend. Seventy-five thousand in cold, hard cash had been delivered to this bank in Milchner the day before. Many small-op contract miners preferred hard money to electronic transfer—fewer slipped digits and short changings to worry about.

We chose this branch because it was the most remote, the least secure and had the fewest personnel. Despite its lower take than a branch in one of the larger cities, like Pembroke, it was the perfect hit.

Apparently the competition thought so too.

“We should have done this sooner,” Cal grumbled.

“It’s not my fault my car died,” I said.

This had not been one of my luckier days, or months, or years for that matter. The job was supposed to go down last month, but fast transportation was a must. Cal only had access to a slower model Airvan. A week before the original hit date, the lifters on my somewhat newer, sleeker and more sensitive light air car went offline. Part of this take was earmarked to pay that bill. Damn the void.

And while PubTrans was an efficient mode for us working-class folks of Pembroke City, it was not the ideal getaway system. Besides, PubTrans didn’t run to way-the-hell-out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere towns like Milchner.

Before Cal could remind me we’d had ample opportunity in prior months, the black barrel of the second gunman’s rifle tapped down on his temple. Cal’s eyes widened. The breath caught in my chest.

My gaze traveled along the length of the rifle, hesitated where a gloved finger rested on the trigger, then up to the man’s face. I assumed it was a man; he looked tall and broad from my view from the floor.

Like the other two thieves, this one wore dark glasses and a garish cloth to mask his features. The hood of his black jacket covered his head. There would be no facial recognition program to help catch these guys even if this bank had decent video, which it didn’t. Yet another reason Cal and I had targeted it.

Black lenses reflected twin images of my prone body. The man raised his index finger and placed it against his mouth. Quiet.

I nodded, getting a splinter from the floor jabbed into my cheek for my troubles. The gunman moved away.

My stomach did a flip. I closed my eyes, trying not to puke as bile bit at the back of my throat. So this was what it felt like to be utterly helpless, to have complete strangers decide if you lived or died. The fear. The uncertainty. The praying they would just do their thing and go away without hurting anyone.

Somewhere behind me, the old lady began to sob quietly. Her husband made soft shushing noises, his voice shaky. I hoped the gunmen wouldn’t notice.

Forget about them, Liv, my brain ordered. You’ve got your own ass to keep alive. Right. Felon’s Rule Number One: Don’t get emotionally involved. I forced professional curiosity to replace victimization—the old couple’s and my own. I opened my eyes and took in as much of the scene as I could without lifting my head. Shooter at the door. Second gunman? Out of my line of sight for the moment.

What was the third man doing with the manager and teller? You only needed one or the other to open the vault. The money sat right there in its happy little lockboxes, which also required only one key. Why risk having to deal with two employees? These guys had a different technique than from mine and Cal’s, but now was not the time to open a discussion.

“Liv,” Cal whispered through unmoving lips. His dark eyes watched something behind me.

The soft scrape of a boot. The gunman had returned. I didn’t dare turn toward him. Cool, ion-hardened ceramic touched the back of my hands. I swallowed hard, eyes fixed on Cal.

The gunman didn’t speak. His palm skimmed the length of my leather jacket from shoulder to just above my buttocks. He pressed down, jabbing my pistol into my spine, then moved the tails of the jacket and shirt aside, exposing the waist of my trousers. And the gun. Like he knew it would be there.

My gut quivered. Shit! If he took me for a lawman, I was dead.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” he whispered close to my ear. He eased the gun out, resting it on the bared skin of my back. His gloved fingers slid under my trousers. My muscles stiffened when he tickled my tailbone just below the waistband of my bikini panties. “Got anything else there?”

His hand trailed back up to my gun, and its weight disappeared. The barrel of his rifle nudged the back of my hands. “You’re quite lucky today, amante. Quite lucky.”

Amante. Lover.

Only one person used that word with me, and he’d lost the privilege three years ago.

Tonio Calderon.

Over the indignation and disbelief buzzing in my head, activity from near the vault told me the job was done.

The bastard leaned closer. His breath warmed my ear. “Gotta go, darlin’.”
He dragged a finger up my spine then was gone.

My body shivered in memory of his touch while my mind screamed. No! No no no, double damn the void, NO! This went beyond poor timing.

My ex-husband had just felt me up, taken my gun and spoiled my hit.

* * *

“Here’s your water, Miss Braxton.” Sheriff Nathan Sterling set the heavy glass tumbler in front of me and resumed his seat on the other side of the table. He wasn’t particularly tall, only a dozen centis over my 167. But his dark uniform with its shiny badge, his broad shoulders and erect posture made him seem bigger.

“Thank you,” I said and took a sip of tepid water.

We sat in the windowless, overheated interview room of the Milchner sheriff’s station. Like most of Milchner—and Nevarro, for that matter—the room and the station had seen better days. Peeling paint and rickety furniture proclaimed the sheriff department’s lack of budget.

Sterling shuffled through a few sheets of synth paper on the table. Paper. I swallowed a chuckle with another sip. No handhelds in sight, and the bulky System Interface terminals in the main office were about a decade behind the rest of civilization. How did they chase down criminals? With a posse on horseback? Just as long as they didn’t go in for lynching, I’d be fine.

A thin scar running across his forehead blended with frown lines as he read my statement. “You went into the bank to withdraw some cash.” His blue eyes met mine. “Your ID says you’re from Pembroke. What’s your business in our little burg?”

Cal and I had worked out details well beforehand. “My friend and I were taking a weekend trip. We needed a room.”

That was a lie, but the fleabag hotel we’d scoped out only took hard money, not credit vouchers or weepy promises. Though the guy behind the desk was scary enough that he probably would’ve taken a kidney or small child as payment. The trade in both was rampant on some worlds.

Sterling quirked a dark blond brow at me. “You were gonna stay at the Milchner Arms?”

I gave him a weary smile. “It’s the only hotel in town. We’re tired and poor.”

This part was true, hence our plan to rob the bank.

He held my gaze for a moment. As he stared, his right eye drifted, shifting its focus to the wall. Artificial organ. And a cheap one at that, if it couldn’t hold position. If the Milchner constabulary couldn’t afford decent furniture, why was I surprised its sheriff received second-rate eye replacement?

The sheriff rubbed the corner of his eye, setting it back into place before nodding. “All right. Tell me what happened.”

Despite the fact he had my full statement right in front of his baby blues—at least the colors matched—the lawman wanted to see if there were any discrepancies in my story. To see if I’d left out any details of the robbery, which I hadn’t. Or was lying about anything, which I was, but he’d never know it. Lawmen were suspicious types; “trust no one” was their mantra. I could relate.

I cleared my throat. “Cal and I had come in to get some cash. It was getting late, and the bank was about to close.” Classic time for a hit. The robbers knew it. Sterling probably knew it. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to admit I knew it. “Before we got up to the teller’s cage, these three guys in black burst in, hit the guard and pointed guns at us. They told us to lay on the floor, and we did.”

My hands clenched on the table. Sterling probably thought it was a reaction to the frightening situation I’d been through. Actually it was from being torqued that our plans had been thwarted. Again. The idea of switching careers had crossed my mind more than once since this afternoon.

“What about the teller and the manager?” he asked.

“One of the men yelled to them to come out from behind the cage. I guess they did. I couldn’t see them, but I heard movement when the gunman told them to hurry up.”

The reason the robbers needed both people still niggled at the back of my brain.

He tapped on the table and rested his other hand against his face, two fingers pressed against the corner of his right eye. “One of the other witnesses says you were approached by a gunman. Want to tell me about that?”

I shifted on the wooden chair. “It’s in my statement.” Mostly.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear it out loud, Miss Braxton.”

Like the distraught victim I was supposed to be, I dropped my gaze to my hands encircling the tumbler and waited for him to prompt me again. I didn’t have to wait long.

“I realize this is difficult for you,” he said in the lawman tone of sympathetic interrogation, “but we need your help if we’re gonna catch these guys.”

That brought my eyes up to his. “Do you think you will?”

I hoped I sounded more like a justice-seeking victim than a vengeful ex. But oh, to have Tonio and his new little gang tossed into a Colonial Correctional Mine for a dozen or so years would make my year. Teach the bastards for messing up my hit.

“I can’t make any guarantees, but every little bit helps.” Sterling’s earnest desire to see the bad guys put away was admirable. He actually seemed competent, an unusual trait in backwater lawmen. Though I’d rather have been the one to make the hit, I was glad it wasn’t me he sought.

“All right.” I took another sip of water. “We were all lying on the floor. I said something to Cal about how scared I was. One of the men stuck his gun against Cal’s head.” I swallowed hard, remembering the look in Cal’s eyes when he felt the barrel.

Sheriff Sterling asked, “Did he say anything?”

I shook my head. “No. He just raised his finger to his lips.” I demonstrated. “Then he left us alone.”

“But he came back to you. Touched you.”

Renewed indignation seared my cheeks. “Yes,” I whispered. “He put his gun to my head.” I’d never forgive Tonio for that little bit of theatrics.

Sterling leaned forward, his forearms on the table. “Mr. Crosby, the elderly gentleman, said the gunman crouched down beside you. What did he do?”

Took my gun and copped a feel. But the first part wasn’t in any statement and never would be. My pulse pistol wasn’t exactly legal. Between its scatter coat to deflect security detection and not being registered, merely possessing it was an automatic five years in the CCM.

“He ran his hand along my back and—” I let my voice break appropriately, “—and m-my backside.”

Phantom fingers sent tingles up my spine. Damn Tonio for having that effect on me after three years!

The sheriff’s jaw clenched and cold fire glinted in his eyes. “Slag mucker,” he muttered. Apparently, taking advantage of a woman while holding a gun on her was one of his pet peeves. “Did he say anything?”

“Just that he was s-sorry they didn’t have more time.” I let my gaze drop again. Total lie, but it made Tonio look that much worse to Sterling, which made me feel somewhat better.

“Anything else?” he asked. I shook my head, too “distraught” to look him in the eye. “Do you think you could recognize him? His voice?”

Sure I could, Sheriff, because he’s my ex-husband. I haven’t seen or heard from him in three years, but I clearly recall his voice, his touch.

And when I help you nab him, Tonio will be happy to tell you all about how he knew me. How we’d hit banks, mercantiles and jewelry stores from Weaver to Hawkins’ Rock before landing here on Nevarro.

I shook my head again, hard enough to rattle thoughts of vengeance out and some sense back in. “No, I don’t think so.”

Sterling’s eyes locked on mine again. “I know you’re scared, Olivia.”

Uh-oh. Lawmen used your given name to make you feel like they were your friend. Had I been nothing more than a victim of groping and robbery, I would have felt safe and secure knowing Sheriff Nathan Sterling was my pal. But with a friend like him, I’d get a quick ride to the CCM myself if I wasn’t careful.

“These men will keep on with their thieving,” he continued. “They’ll keep terrorizing old people and assaulting young women like yourself.”

Sympathy with a side of guilt. He was good.

Hands clenched, I dug a fingernail into my palm and let tears flow. “I know he’d have hurt me if he could, but I don’t think I’ll be of any help, Sheriff.” I hung my head. A soft sob escape my throat and I whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Sterling laid one of his red, chapped hands over mine. I wondered if it was real or another replacement part. “It’s all right. Thanks for your help.” He stood up , the scrape of the chair covering my sniffles. “I’ll get in touch with you in Pembroke if I have any more questions. Will you be heading back there tonight?”

I looked up at him and wiped away my crocodile tears. “Yes. It’s a long ride, but Cal and I decided we just want to go home.” I stood, offering a wan smile. “Thank you, Sheriff. I hope you catch those men.”

I did and I didn’t, but I had to mouth the appropriate words.

Sterling nodded then held the door open for me. Cal waited on a bench in the hall. The older couple had been interviewed before us and was nowhere to be seen. My partner stood but didn’t approach.

“Just out of curiosity,” I said turning back to the sheriff, “how much did the robbers get?”

He gave me a hard look for about a second before his features softened. “Don’t know. They didn’t take the cash sitting right there. They took the contents of some safe deposit boxes.”

That explained the need for both the manager and the teller.

It took every gram of willpower for me to merely nod and walk away. The bastards messed up our hit and didn’t take the cash? Worse, there must have been something more valuable in those safe deposit boxes. Something Cal and I had no idea about. Now I felt inept as well as pathetic.

I was going to kill Tonio if I saw him again.
**********

Rulebreaker is available at Carina Press, Amazon, B&N, and other fine ebook retailers : )

**********
Legal stuff:
The bear image was originally posted to Flickr by HBarrison at http://flickr.com/photos/10299779@N03/2874265346 . Thanks for letting me share!

Rulebreaker text and cover is copyrighted by me ahd Harlequin Enterprises, respectively. Please DON'T share without permission.

I'm in the Mood for.....

2011-10-08T10:47:00.004-08:00

?????

I have a dilemma, friends. What to blog about next? A few fun things are coming up:

I'll be at the Carina Press SF blog Contact: Infinite Futures next week, and have a sort of plan in mind for that one.

The lovely Natalie Damschroder is scheduled to be here on the 27th. (Read her "Fight or Flight" and LOVED it! Go get it!)

But between now and then, what to post? A long excerpt from Rulebreaker? A character study scene I wrote featuring Zia Talbot? A bit of a paranormal western I've been mulling? A rant about bread-stealing bears?

What do you think?

Belated Birthday Bash!!!!

2011-09-28T11:12:00.003-08:00

Happy belated birthday to me!
Happy belated birthday to me!
Happy belated birthday to me-eee!

So how about a nice giveaway?

Yup! Yesterday was my birthday. I was going to run this little giveaway then, but I was called in to work at the last minute. (Seriously. As a sub, I usually feel "safe" once it hits 8a.m. Not so yesterday!)

I had a great day despite having to work. Hubby was out of town (that wasn't the great part.) so daughters and I went out to dinner. We laughed a lot, had some good food, laughed some more. Kids made me a couple of little gifts and cards. I have always loved getting handmade gifts from them and this year was no exception. Thanks, girls!

Since I missed posting yesterday, I want to celebrate the next 364 days (or is it 365 because 2012 is a Leap Year?)by having a giveaway this week. It's very easy. Tell me about your best or worst gift ever. Doesn't have to be a birthday present. Any occasion that you received something and went "OH!" for whatever reason : ) I'll randomly pick a commentor and you can choose a $25 gift card/certificate to Amazon, B&N, or another major outfit (need to keep things legit, of course) or I will donate the $25 to a reputable charity of your choice in your name. Seriously, you pick and I get it for you. That way you know you'll get what you want! Oh, and you will also win a copy of Rulebreaker if you don't already have one ; ) I'll pick a birthday winner on Sunday October 2. Remember to leave your email addy!

WRITING A SF NOVEL PART 4: THE WRITING PROCESS--Guest author Robert Appleton

2011-09-26T01:00:00.001-08:00

How lucky we are! SF author Robert Appleton is here today with the next installment of his five part series AND this is the release day for his newest book, Sparks in the Cosmic Dust from Carina Press!

WRITING A SF NOVEL PART 4: THE WRITING PROCESS

Or Thru the Black Hole

iPod fully charged. Check. Assorted Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, James Horner, Holst and other cosmic composers set to continuous play. Check. Phone off. Check. John Carter of Mars & Dejah Thoris and Luke & Yoda posters nicely lit on the wall. Check. Sisyphean mindset in place. Um, check. Genius in place. I wish. Ideas racing at light speed. CHECK-CHECK-CHECK...

It’s hard to describe the moment-to-moment process of actually writing the book without sounding pretty insane. Sure, I’m using the craft I’ve learned painstakingly over years of storytelling. I can describe to you the structure and the characters and the worldbuilding and how to create tension and emotion. But what I can’t tell you is exactly how I combine all those, moment to moment, to spin the threads uniquely mine.

Without coming across as too goofy, I will say that while anyone with a competent grasp of language can learn the nuts and bolts required to write a novel, you have to take it far beyond that. Not that I’ve mastered this gig yet—I don’t think you ever really do—but what makes a strong piece of storytelling stand out from the crowd is, for me, something that can’t be taught. It’s the moment to moment intuition, the descriptive flights of fancy, the feel for tension and emotion in a given scenario, the insights into human behaviour you’ve picked up over a lifetime. You don’t know for sure they’re going to work on the page but you trust your instincts anyway.

Writing is generating those sparks in cosmic dust and using them to light your way.

You can’t be that intense all the time, of course. Knowing when to step off the gas is just as important in novel writing. You don’t want to exhaust the reader. And the best way to ensure that is to keep the writing smooth and natural: pacing is another intuitive skill, probably the easiest one to get wrong when you’re wrapped up in the grammar mechanics and the plot points and the million other factors jostling for your attention. There comes a point where you have to just glide and let your instincts take over, otherwise you’d be agonising for a year over each chapter.

The hardest scenes for me to write in Sparks in Cosmic Dust were those with group dialogue. It’s like acting all the parts in a play on your own, and each character has to have a unique voice while also driving the story forward. I’m at my best with one on one dialogue—I like generating friction in the backs and forths—but in a five-strong group, it’s harder to settle into a groove. It’s also hard to give each character equal weight. While it’s often necessary to focus on one or two in the scene, you have to at least consider the others’ POV, even if they’re not speaking.

The easiest chapters were, strangely enough, the action scenes. There are quite a few in Sparks, especially in the second half. But I’ve found from past experience that my action scenes flow much better if I write them in one go. The ebb and flow requires continuity, and any time I have to stop-start, I lose that momentum. One extended chase/fight scene ending on the beach of Zopyrus I had to spread over two chapters, but I made sure I got the whole thing done in two days. It also had an emotional climax, which may have ultimately worked better because I was so exhausted. The desperation the characters felt mirrored my own.

I outlined thirty-odd chapters before I wrote Sparks, giving a paragraph for each chapter. That’s always the most critical part of novel writing for me in that the story arcs have to work in condensed form before I even think about embarking on the journey into the black hole. Chapters evolve as I write, but for the most part that initial outline is close to the end product.

It took me three months to write Sparks, and another one to edit it before submission. That’s a pretty quick turnaround, especially the latter part. I think the confidence gained from having written four previous novels allowed me to loosen up and trust my intuition this time. The result is my most ambitious and probably my most consistent SF book yet.

Today is launch day for Sparks in Cosmic Dust! Woohoo! To celebrate, I’m posting a five-part look at the book’s development, from initial concept to book launch. I'm also giving away one SF title from my back catalogue with each segment, ending with a special Sparks giveaway. The winners will be all announced on September 30th on my own blog: http://robertbappleton.blogspot.com

Here’s where you can find the other installments:

Part 1: Concept (Aug 31)—Contact: Infinite Futures Blog
Part 2: Character (Sep 13)—Mercurial Times (my blog)
Part 4: The Writing Process (Sep 23)—Shawn Kupfer’s Blog
Part 5: Publication (Sep 28)—Carina Press Blog

With this fourth installment, I’m giving away one set of The Eleven Hour Fall trilogy ebooks. To enter, either leave a comment here on Cathy’s blog or send me an email at sevenmercury7@aol.com with SPARKS GIVEAWAY FOUR in the subject line. Don’t forget to give your name.

Good luck!

A Little Perception with Heather Cashman

2011-09-23T04:15:00.001-08:00

Finding new-to-me authors and sharing their fabulous stories with folks is one of my favorite things to do. Becoming friends with them is a perk I will never grow tired of.

Today, I have the lovely and gracious Heather Cashman here. I was supposed to have Heather visit last week, but I totally dropped the ball and she agreed to do a super quick gathering of material for me.

Her novel Perception: Book One of the Tiger Eye Trilogy is a lush YA fantasy:

Your perception will sharpen once you see through a tiger’s eyes.

More than five hundred years after the apocalypse, the survivors of off-grid genetic experimentation have refined their mixed DNA to the point that humans and their animal counterparts share physical and mental links. Varying species have divided into districts, living in a tenuous peace under the President of Calem.

Ardana and her tiger ingenium Rijan leave their life of exile and abuse in the Outskirts, setting out with their twin brothers to redeem themselves and become citizens of the Center. But shedding their past isn’t as easy as they had hoped. When the system that shunned them becomes embroiled in political conflict and treachery, their unique abilities and experiences from the Outskirts make them invaluable to every faction. The runaways become pawns to friends as well as enemies, and with every step it becomes more difficult to tell which is which.

I asked Heather a few questions about her writing and life in general.

How long have you been writing and what prompted you to begin?

HC: I've been writing seriously for about five years now, but have loved to write ever since I was in elementary school. During the mundane tasks of the day (laundry, dishes), my mind would wander to far off locations. I would entertain myself with imagination. When my children went to school, I found a few hours to begin writing the stories down. It took me a long time to study how to write, and I am still working on making my writing better every day.

What is it about your preferred genre(s) that interests you most?

HC: I like Fantasy. It's like creating something all your own, completely unique, where anything goes and you set the rules.

Perception is set in an amazing world full of complex characters. What do you like best about creating such a fantastic setting? What is the hardest part?

HC: I think what I enjoyed the most was discovering the world. It was like taking a really amazing vacation. The most difficult part was taking something I saw so clearly and writing it in such a way that someone else could visualize it, though I'm not sure anyone will ever see it quite the way I do. The original manuscript was over 150,000 words, a lot of which was setting that I cut out to tighten it.

Are the other books out or coming soon? What else are you working on?

HC: YES! I am hoping to have book two, Deception, out by December 1st, but I want to make sure it is top quality before I release it. So Dec. 1st is not a set date, just a goal. The final book, Insurrection, should be out mid-2012. I am also writing a prequel, Resurrection, that will be out late 2012.

My other project is a YA Urban Fantasy, which I hope to have finished by the end of this year.

Juggling work, family and a writing career can take its toll. How do you keep the balance? What do you do for yourself (other than write)?

HC: Deep breath. I accept the wrinkles appearing from lack of sleep, try to keep my head up, and remember that I am doing this because I love to write, not because I care how many books I've sold. I actually wrote an article for a fellow author that you can find here called "Staying On the Roof." It talks about finding balance through tradition (of all things).

What I do for myself--my kids call them "Blow-out Nights." I buy about fifteen kinds of junk food, set them in bowls on the coffee table, and we watch back-to-back episodes of the shows we've missed. I go to bed sometime the next morning feeling sick. Somehow it cures me.

Sounds like you're a busy woman who knows how to keep things in perspective! Thanks for coming by, Heather!

Find Perception
at Heather's
or on Amazon
or Barnes&Noble Nook

Find Heather
at her website, on her blog, or on Twitter

Heather Cashman graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry but has always loved to write, winning her first contest in the second grade. Married since 1992, she has three unique children and has moved from Arizona to New York to Kansas. She loves to kayak and canoe down the windiest rivers she can find. She welcomes opportunities to visit schools, libraries, and book groups in person or via Skype. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Heather currently lives near Wichita, Kansas with her husband and three children.

Here and There

2011-09-20T06:43:00.003-08:00

Going visiting and having visitors is always a lot of fun. Like swapping houses a la the movie The Holiday.

So, I'm visiting the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal chapter of the RWA today. I give my $0.02 on revisions. Pop in and say hi.

On Friday, the lovely and gracious Heather Cashman will be here. I have a few questions about her life as a writer and her fantasy novel Perception.

Look for more visitors and visitings in the next couple of weeks.

And don't forget your copy of Rulebreaker : )

Warm Fuzzy Feeling

2011-09-10T07:54:00.003-08:00

During the Rulebreaker Blog Tour I was lucky enough to be a guest on several fabulous blogs. There were several giveaways of the book and I received some lovely responses from winners.

One of those winners, author Misty Simon reviewed Rulebreaker on her blog. Misty told me that while she'd never read F/F before she had been looking for one to try. Having someone new to the genre enjoy your story is a warm fuzzy that writers crave. Okay, maybe that's just me, but I don't think so : )

Anyway, I want to say thanks to Misty and to all the other folks reading my book, perhaps getting a first taste of a new genre. You all make my day!

A Little Quiet Time--Sort Of

2011-08-31T19:55:00.004-08:00

Thank you to everyone who popped in to visit the variety of blogs during the last few weeks of the Rulebreaker Blog Tour! I've been getting some great feedback and have had a lot of fun interacting with readers and other writers. Some folks who hadn't read much science fiction romance or F/F fiction have told me how much they enjoyed the story. I can't tell you how fabulous that makes me feel.

So if you've read Rulebreaker, or any other story outside your normal fare, tell me what you thought.

Here, I'll start. I recently read my first M/M, Muffled Drum by fellow Carina Press author Erastes. I'd read snippets of M/M before, but it really wasn't my thing. But Erastes's story touched me. There was such tenderness and heartache. Yes, there were some love scenes, but they were tasteful and poigniant.

I'll probably read more of her work, and perhaps look for other M/M stories of similar sensuality.

In a couple of weeks, I'll have a guest blogger here and there, but for the most part things will be a little quiet as far as all out promoting and touring. Which is good. I'm scheduled to work through the middle of September and have a manuscript to revise, another partial to tweak, and a WiP to flesh out. I'll keep things up to date and let you know how things progress.

In the meanwhile, have fun out there and be kind to each other.

Rulebreaker Blog Tour Continues with Prizes!

2011-08-21T08:33:00.005-08:00

Another fun-filled week of the Rulebreaker Blog Tour is ahead! And there are prizes to be won. What kind of prizes, you ask? Well, books and maybe a gift card or two. You'll have to drop by and see.

Monday August 22, I answer some questions posed by the lovely LVLM Leah over at Loving Venus-Loving Mars. Leah has something planned ; )

Tuesday August 23 I'll be posting at Castles and Guns talking about Bad Girls and why we love them. Look for a giveaway there, too.

And Thursday August 25 I'll be at Natalie Damschroder's with a post on...something fun : ) Chance for a prize there? Could be.

Remember, if you comment at all three, your chances of winning are greatly improved.

I've been posting short lines of my WiP over on my Twitter feed. It's not a regular thing, but one pops up now and again.

See you out on the Interwebs!

*****************************
Rulebreaker is available from Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other ebook retailers. Thank you!!!!

School Daze Countdown

2011-08-19T16:20:00.003-08:00

It's that time of year again. In a few short days, the kidlets will be heading back to school. DD#1 starts the ninth grade. Yes, a high school freshman is in my house. DD#2 is in sixth grade, still at the elementary school. Next year they'll both be at the Jr/Sr High School.

I had been looking forward to at least a couple of weeks of alone time before the substitution calls started coming in, but alas. Before July was over I had a request from one of the elementary school office ladies asking if I'd sub for her the first three days. She was headed out of state to help her daughter settle in at college. Sure, three days. No problemo. I had a couple of blog tour posts to keep tabs on for those days, but that was doable.

Then a secretary at the Jr/Sr HS caught up with me. Could I sub for a one-on-one aide in early September so *that* staff member could take her daughter to college. Deja vu all over again. Sure, says I, scanning my calendar and seeing what I needed to juggle.

Today the phone rang and the caller ID read the elementary school. I figured it was the other office lady reminding me to come in next Wednesday. Yes, that, but also, did I realize I was supposed to show up the Monday and Tuesday before school started?

Um...no.

Those dates are now marked on my work calendar, along with several others she asked if I could take. The sub list is scant this year. My September is essentially booked, work-wise, and school hasn't even started.

Ah well. A busy work schedule keeps my bank account (and therefore my husband) happy. It keeps me from raiding the fridge while I'm supposed to be taking advantage of the time and writing the WiP. And limiting my time actually helps me focus on writing. So, when I get those evening or weekend hours to myself I can make the most of them. In theory.

How's your Fall shaping up?

Release Week in Review

2011-08-13T20:10:00.003-08:00

Gratuitous dog picture:

What a great Release Week for Rulebreaker! I can't thank my hosts enough for their generosity. And the chance to connect to folks through the comments was great fun. Thank you so much Heather at The Galaxy Express, Maria Zannini, Carina Press, Manic Readers, and Shelley Munro.

Go visit them and show them some love!

But the fun isn't over yet! I have a few more guest appearances coming up and will have some authors visiting here in the weeks to come. On Tuesday the 16th, I'll be at Sarah Makela's blog, and on Wednesday the 17th I'll be at Maureen Miller's.

Stay tuned for more appearances later in August and into September.

I'm getting great feedback on Rulebreaker and appreciate all the kind words folks have for it. Thank you so so much!

Rulebreaker Releases in One Week!

2011-08-01T12:06:00.005-08:00

Holy moly! August 8 is almost here!

There are a couple of early reviews up, if you want to take a peek. One by Jill Sorenson on GoodReads, and another by LVLMLeah on her Loving Venus-Loving Mars blog. Both have some great things to say about Rulebreaker. Thanks, ladies!

Release week is going to be full of fun and some giveaways as I embark on a Blog Tour Extravaganza! Drop in and say hello, ask questions, give me a hard time.

August 7 The Galaxy Express
August 8 RELEASE DAY! at Maria Zannini's
August 9 Louisa Bacio's blog
August 10 Carina Press
August 11 Manic Readers
August 12 Shelley Munro's blog
August 16 Sarah Makela's blog
August 17 Maureen Miller's blog
August 23 Castles and Guns
August 30 Heather Cashman's blog

I hope to see you here and there over the next week or so!

Rulebreaker is up for pre-order at Carina Press, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Don't Fear the Research with Guest Sarah Mäkelä

2011-07-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, Blogger Buddies! I have another New Author Friend to share with you! Please give futuristic/paranormal romance author Sarah Mäkelä a warm welcome!

Don’t Fear the Research

Research is something almost integral to any writer since while we might know a lot, usually what we write about sometimes delves into what we don’t know. That was something I did with the two series I have right now, one is a futuristic cyberpunk romance with a private investigator and a technomage (Hacked Investigations) and the other is a paranormal romance about a village in the Amazon Rainforest that mingles with shapeshifters (The Amazon Chronicles).

When I first started out with Jungle Heat, I did my research first and then supplemented it while writing. I went all out, finding out about the Amazon warriors who fought Spanish explorer and conquistador Francisco de Orellana and his men, where they fought, what happened, and everything else I could about the culture of those people that I could. I also learned about the kinds of animals and weather to better wrap my head around how the women live. You could say I pretty much geeked out.

It was a good experience since I learned not to be afraid of research. I don’t have to be restricted to what I know just because I’ll have to dig around and find out more information on town/item/culture. Will you find out everything and be able to make your writing 100% believable to someone who knows the subject very well? That’d be great, but it’s important to do the best you can. Some people will spot minute details only a person intimately familiar with the town/item/culture and will put the book down. That’s on them.

Here’s roughly my process for research. First off, I go to Wikipedia, and then I’ll fact check with Google. If there’s not much information online, I head to my local library. It’s important to get the information you want while researching, but also allow yourself to delve into what you might not know you want, but then that’s easy for me since I love learning. Besides, it’s great for when you’re writing the next book, and you find a way to use what you’ve found out!

Do you find research fun or frightening? Do you have any tips that make it easier?

Sarah Mäkelä
Dark Magical Encounters of Passion...
Website: www.sarahmakela.com
Blog: http://blog.sarahmakela.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sarahmakela
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsarahmakela

Here’s the blurb for my newest release, Jungle Heat. I hope you enjoy it! If you’re interested, the excerpt is available here.

The Amazon Rainforest still contains a few secrets. One of these secrets is a hidden village of women whose history is filled with the horror of conquering men.

Adara Rukan, princess of the Amazons, ventures away from her village to find something waiting for her. Andrei "Rei" Makarov is a weretiger and a biologist on assignment. Can Rei and Adara find love enough to bridge their two separate worlds?

Jungle Heat is available now from Changeling Press: Buy Link

Elsewhere: Contact Infinite Futures

2011-07-19T16:41:00.001-08:00

Over at the Carina Press SF/SFR blog Contact: Infinite Futures today talking about moral dilemmas and the brain. It's not nearly as boring as it sounds, I promise : )

Inspiration: Getting Between the Sheets with Louisa Bacio

2011-07-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

I love getting to know authors, especially those who are new to me. And I want you to get to know them too! In that spirit, I'll be having guests drop in now and again. Starting now :)

First up is author Louisa Bacio. Louisa writes hot (and I mean HOT) f/f contemporary and paranormal stories. Please make Louisa feel welcome.

Want to get to know me a little better? How my mind works? Slip between the cool sheets on this hot summer day, and let’s talk a little about my latest release Sex University: All-Girls Academy, which is a f/f contemporary erotic.

For those unfamiliar with the term, f/f translates into lesbian.

And immediately when one starts to write f/f fiction, many ponder the question on the writer’s sexuality and life choices. Those who have read me before must realize that I believe in equal-opportunity love. It’s not about the gender, it’s about the individual or individuals.

Now, with that out of the way … let’s move on to another topic that often comes up with writing, and that’s inspiration. With Sex University: All-Girls Academy, it began with a few characters whispering sweet nothings to me late at night. It all began with my first full-length novel in the Sex University “Universe,” Physical Education.

Strong female characters draw me. My mother always stressed not to be a “victim,” and to take control of one’s life. The character of Officer Margaret was seen briefly in Physical Education, but readers really get to know her story here. We slide into that uniform with her, so to speak. And, she shucks it off and transforms from “Marge” into “Maggie.”

Next there’s Ms. Lucy, headmistress of the schools. She’s another returning character – and her story’s not quite finished yet – but we primarily delve into the life of her niece, Savannah. Like her Aunt, Savannah wants to escape from her ultra-conservative home life, and experience something new, which brings her to the All-Girls Academy.

Also populating the Academy is a number of other strong-willed women. A favorite will be the Italian art teacher Antoinella who instructs on, among other things, the art of body painting.

Is it getting hot in here or is it just me? Anyway, thanks to the lovely Cathy for hosting me today. I’m very much looking forward to her upcoming release, too.

Now, if you don’t mind, I think it’s naptime …

Sex University: All-Girls Academy

Raised by an over-controlling and manipulative father, Savannah “Van” Morgan flees the East Coast for the West, seeking sanctuary with her Aunt Lucy, headmistress of San Francisco Sex University. Rather than staying at the main campus, Van enrolls in SFSU’s more nurturing “sister” school, the All-Girls Academy.

After visiting the main campus of SFSU, Margaret “Maggie” O’Neil hangs up her police badge in search of new experiences and hoping to awaken her own dormant sexuality.

With subject matters such as an “Art Sex-education” class with an Italian visiting professor who’s more than happy to schedule private tutoring after-hours, the All-Girls Academy invites all sorts of sexual exploration. In the end, Van and Maggie will either fall victim to the pressures of society, or come together to save each other.

****************************

Louisa Bacio enjoys soaking up the sun in Southern California, and spending time with her family.

To see how the story started, check out Bacio’s erotic thriller Sex University: Physical Education. Her story “Two’s Company” can be found in I Kissed a Girl: A Virgin Lesbian Anthology. For those who love paranormal ménage, check out the hot “The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome.”

In addition to writing and editing, Bacio teaches college courses in English, journalism, film studies and popular culture.

Drop in for a visit:
http://louisabacio.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/louisabacio
http://www.twitter.com/louisabacio

Want to win a copy of Sex University: All-Girls Academy? Leave a comment … any comment will do! One random entry will be selected to win a .pdf copy.

Family Vacation By the Numbers

2011-07-11T09:00:00.007-08:00

My husband decided we needed to take a family vacation. Not one that focused on visiting one set of relatives or another, but a REAL just-the-four-of-us vacation. Of course we all jumped on the idea like fleas on a dog. Originally, we decided to go to Southern California for a week then drive to Arizona and New Mexico where Husband has a few relatives he hadn't seen in forever. No, we weren't going there *just* to visit them. We had plans to see the Grand Canyon and other wonders of the Southwest.

Then we realized we'd be four Alaskans traveling through the desert. In June. Yeah, not a good idea. The wildfires kicked up about then and we put the kibosh on that direction.

Option Number Two: Stay in SoCal for a while then travel up the coast to Monterey.

Ahhhh. Much better. And cooler. So that's what we did. Oh, and we did take a side trip to visit his family in eastern Washington for five days. When you live in Alaska, you look at the idea of "while you're in the area" a little differently :)

Rather than give you a long travelogue of our adventure, here's a down and dirty look at the trip.

Days Gone: 21

Air Miles Traveled: 4,000+

Airplanes Traveled in: 6

Rental Car Miles: 1,300

Foot Miles: Too many to count

Blisters: 4

Attractions/Museums/Parks: 15

(including: SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari, gobs of museums at Balboa Park--loved that place!--Universal Studios, Disneyland, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium)

(now you understand the Foot Miles and Blisters :P )

Hotels: 7

Pools Used By Kids: 1 (I still don't understand how that happened)

Beaches: 1 (ditto)

Tubes of Sunscreen: 1

Pairs of Sandals Broken: 1

Lost Sunglasses: 1

Souvenir Hats Purchased: 3

Souvenir Hats Lost: 1

Souvenir T-Shirts Purchased: 14

Friends Visited: 5

Agents Met: 1

Happy Tourists: 4

We returned relaxed and tanned (except for DD#2 who is so very fair-skinned) but happy to see home again.

Not only did this vacation give us the opportunity to get out of our small town, but I think it brought us together as a family. There were never any moments where I wanted to leave my kids or husband along Highway 1, and I hope they were good with keeping me in the car as well. We enjoyed ourselves and each other immensely. Which is the point of a family vacation, isn't it?

Time to Go Home

2011-07-04T18:33:00.002-08:00

We've been on vacation since June 13 so it's about that time, folks. Time to go home. It's been amazing, seeing all kinds of things, enjoying each other's company (no really!) and spending the last week hanging out with family in a super relaxed sitution.

But tomorrow we head back, and while we've had fun, we'll also be happy to see our own home, our own beds and our critters. Plus, there is work to be done, blog tours to prep (Rulebreaker comes out Aug. 8 and I've got things to do!) and the rest of the summer to survive.

I'll post some stats and some pics from our SoCal tour in the next few days.

See you back in the Semi-Frozen North!

Happy Summer!

2011-06-21T19:37:00.003-08:00

Happy first day of summer, folks! We're celebrating the turn of the season (and DD #2's upcoming b-day) in sunny California. Yep, an actual family vacation full of tourist attractions, cranky kids, and tired adults. Kidding (mostly). It's been a blast so far, and we have another couple of weeks to go before heading back to Alaska. A full report will be issued then.

In the meantime, I hope your summer has started off well! Catch you later, dudes! (Well, I told you we're in California :)

Social Media for the Unsocial

2011-06-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I've finally taken the plunge and joined Twitter. Why? It's. The. Thing. To. Do.

Not that I'm a follower of the latest trends (see sad closet as proof), but I do understand the basics of networking and such.

Living in a somewhat remote location, I love things like Twitter and Facebook that allow me to keep in contact with friends, family and associates in 420 characters or fewer. For on the go folks, or those of us who are often at a loss for how to fill in dead air space, these options are appreciated. Sure, I like the occasional round of small talk, but if I can tell you what I'm up to or make a witty retort then go on to the next shiny topic, I'm happy with that too.

So what do you do to keep in touch? Are you a Twitterer? FBer? Other? Does it work for you? Love it? Hate it? Wish we were back to actual face-to-face conversations that required fully spelled out words? Tell me.

Happy Anniversary, Carina Press!

2011-06-07T06:52:00.004-08:00

Before Carina Press ever released its first book, there was tons of buzz and anticipation about this digital first imprint. Between the Harlequin connection and Angela James at the helm, authors pubbed and unpubbed couldn't wait for them to open to submissions and see who would have the first books out of the gate.

Carina Press announced its existence while Rulebreaker was still being tweaked and I was looking into publishers. I had the feeling the story would be a perfect fit for Carina. I'm glad they did too.

One year later, tons of amazing stories have been released, with more to come ;) The imprint is thriving. Authors are happy. Readers are happy.

In celebration, there is a big party of blog posts, contests, announcements and giveaways going on. Head over to the Carina Press blog for details.

Happy Anniversary, Carina! And thank you!

RULEBREAKER Cover

2011-05-28T07:45:00.004-08:00

Liv Braxton, a small-time thief stuck on a backwater planet, takes on the gig of a lifetime filling in as executive assistant at Exeter Mining Company. Her job is to download incriminating files, but Liv finds herself unexpectedly torn when she falls for Zia Talbot, the beautiful and alluring VP she is supposed to betray.

When I saw this for the first time, my jaw dropped and I felt myself getting all faklempt. Can you blame me? It's a gorgeous cover, and I can't thank the art team at Carina Press or the artist at Croco Designs enough for the perfect rendition of Liv and Zia. That's them, I said to myself.

Perfect.

The cover shows Liv and Zia's strength and vulerability, two characteristics I love in heroines. Liv is a thief, she needs to be tough but she's not unfeeling. That's sort of her problem : ) Zia may be standing behind Liv, but she's no shrinking violet. Far from it.

The blue tone, weapon and background let you know this is going to be a futuristic/science fiction story. The position of the characters tells you it's a romance, but not erotic. It looks like Zia is about to kiss Liv's shoulder. There's a scene in the book where Zia comes up behind Liv and does that. I'm not sure if the artist read it, but it's nicely implied here. And rather sensual, IMO : )

Rulebreaker comes out August 8. I'll be posting a blog tour schedule in conjuction with the release. I hope you join me.

But until then, feel free to pop back and drool over the cover. I know I will : )

The legalese:
Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Copyright© 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Wanna See Something Pretty?

2011-05-24T17:19:00.004-08:00

Head on over to The Galaxy Express ; )

Or, if you'd rather wait until tomorrow, you can come back here.

ETA: Oops! Sorry, gang, I'll post Thursday or Friday. I have to find something first : P

Over at Contact-Infinite Futures Today

2011-05-17T06:31:00.003-08:00

I have a short post over at the Carina Press SF/SFR blog, Contact-Infinite Futures, about John Travolta having been considered for the part of Han Solo, and a little more on how movies fix a character in our head. Consider movie characters and the actors we associate with certain roles. Would anyone else fit the bill? Pop on over and leave a comment.

Update: Rulebreaker will be released in less than three months! I received the preliminary cover from the art team and Oh. My. God! It's gorgeous. Liv and Zia are perfectly portrayed. Better than anything I could have wished for. And yes, I am a dork and look at it at least once a day. When the final-final cover is approved, I'll post it, of course. For now, you'll have to live with my teasing : )

Help Write Now--Storm Relief Auction

2011-05-10T12:59:00.004-08:00

In response to the horrendous devastation of the recent storms in the South, the writing community has banded together for an auction to raise money for relief.

At Help Write Now, you can bid on everything from books to critiques. My good friend Jody Wallace, who lives in TN and is coordinating her local chapter's contribution, asked me if I'd be a reader for their offering. Of course I said yes.

So go. Bid. Help where you can. And thank you!

Maria Zannini's "Apocalypse Rising"

2011-05-09T10:07:00.004-08:00

Woo Hoo! Another book to pimp! I mean, recommend. Granted, I haven't read Apocalypse Rising yet, but I did read the first book, Touch of Fire, so I'm familiar with the characters and their situation. And knowing what I do about how Maria Zannini writes and builds her worlds, I'm sure I won't be disappointed in her latest offering.

Congrats on the release, Maria!

(Sorry I don't have a cover image! Go to Maria's site. Like all Carina Press covers, it's amazing! And her cover for Touch of Fire is pretty dang hot too!)

Bella Street's "Kiss Me, I'm Irish"

2011-05-08T18:22:00.005-08:00

One of the great things about the internet is hooking up (no, not *that* kind of hooking up) with people who share interests. Writing is no different in that respect, and the beauty of digital publishing is when you find a new author you can immediately download and read their books.

Bella Street and I are members of the same writers' loop. We "met" when I asked about blog tours and we hit it off. Bella is the author of paranormal romances (and a So I Married an Axe Murderer fan, so you know she's cool ;) with a new release out called Kiss Me, I'm Irish.

Here's the blurb:

In 1830, Emily Musgrave is heading to a convent for misbehavior. In modern-day Tennessee, Liam Jackson is playing his Dobro in seedy bars. It's doing nothing for his career and even less for the dark places in his soul.

Pixie mischief can not only change time-lines, it can change hearts. Because sometimes a girl just needs a little magic in her life.

Here's an excerpt:

He stared at her without answering. Emily returned his gaze, realizing this was the first time she'd seen him in full light. His hair was coal black and mussed from sleep. His skin, tan and ruddy, as if he were a field laborer. And his eyes were the intense blue of a milkwort blossom, with a telltale darker ring around the outer edge of the irises. Of course! With a name like Liam she should've realized it sooner. He wasn't a gypsy at all.

He was an Irishman.

That meant this was some form of purgatory. Jem, Donnelly, and Our Lady of the Portal had had their revenge after all.

Crinkles formed at the edges of Liam's eyes. “So you're still holding to the story that you're from another time?”

“I believe I've already made it clear I don't tell falsehoods, Mr...” She bit her lip. “As we have not yet properly been introduced, I'm afraid I am ignorant of your formal title.”

“My last name is Jackson, but you can call me Liam.”

“Well, Mr. Jackson,” she said, lifting her chin, “I am Miss Emily Musgrave recently of Trethwick Hall, Truro, Cornwall, 1813.”

And here are the purchase links:
Amazon link

Smashwords link

Emily is out of her element, but with the help of musicians Liam and his sister Tinker, she gets a quick education about 21st century living. It's a sweet time travel tale set in the South that has fun characters and interesting twists. I enjoyed it quite a bit and look forward to reading more of her work.

Check out Bella's Kiss Me, I'm Irish and bring a little magic into your life.

Rulebreaker Release Date

2011-05-01T13:44:00.003-08:00

August 8, 2011 will be a heck of a day here in the Hopefully-Not Frozen North. My F/F SFR Rulebreaker debuts at Carina Press. Here's a blurb:

Liv Braxton, a small-time thief stuck on a backwater planet, takes on the gig of a lifetime filling in as executive assistant at Exeter Mining Company. Her job is to download incriminating files, but Liv finds herself unexpectedly torn when she falls for Zia Talbot, the beautiful and alluring VP she is supposed to betray.

It seems unreal that this story, that ANY story of mine, is going to be published. But there it is. Or will be.

I'm getting up the nerve to contact folks for a blog tour, which should be fun/chaotic. I've never done one before, nor hosted any other person on my blog, so we'll see how it goes.

IRL, I want to have a release party, but other than displaying my cover (which I can't wait to see because Carina puts out some awesome covers!) it's not like I can sign anything. Still, any excuse for a party, right?

August 8 is also the start of Science Camp week. We will have at least two house guests, possibly three, to add to the mix. That'll be fun, but we'll have to keep things family-rated, as two of our guests are under 13.

So there you have it. August 8, 2011. Mark your calendars and stay tuned. I'll post a cover and, hopefully, a blog tour schedule.

Title Me This

2011-04-16T18:41:00.005-08:00

A lot of writers have difficulty coming up with titles for their work. You want something that conveys the tone and perhaps the genre, but it should be dynamic, gripping. Different. Because despite the fact that titles aren't copyrighted, do you *really* want to call your book "Gone with the Wind" or "The Bible?" Probably not.

I'm a hit or miss sort of titler. My first foray into fantasy (boy, that sounds kinkier than it is) yielded "The Guardian." Rather generic, in the scheme of things, and at the time I didn't realize that everyone and his/her brother/sister had a book with this title. An Amazon search recently came up with 11,000+ hits. Yeah, that book will be retitled. (After it's revised. It was a first foray and it shows. I still like it well enough, but I'm betting my skills have improved in the years since it was written. Gosh, I *hope* they've improved!)

My next writing/titling project was a trilogy that is still waiting for fantasy romance to take a bigger upswing, and yes, for me to revise the daylights out of it. But the titles rock! The first is "What Price the Crown" (zero hits on Amazon--Yay!), the second, "Once a Princess," (18 hits, mostly for the same book) and the third, "Queen without a Country" (9 hits, all about Queen Mary). Not that the titles alone will get it sold, but they are good titles, if I do say so myself.

My paranormal women's fiction, "Haunted," is another okay title on a particularly favorite story. That one will need less revising (I hope) to let it see the world some day.

My SFR "Bad Girl" was called that for lack of a better idea as I wrote it. The title fit, since the MC is a thief, and I really didn't think much of it as I queried. No one at Carina Press asked about changing the title when they offered for it. But recently, I was once again at Amazon and put it in the search box. 702 hits, including this gem from 1946 . So I contacted my editor and asked about changing the title. She said no one at Carina had suggested a change, but if I wanted to offer some alternates she'd see what the team thought (side note: *love* the idea of having a team : ).

So we brainstormed. And brainstormed some more. Several words kept coming back to me--rules, felon, thief, breaking rules--words that would give a sense of the story, combinations that would hopefully catch a readers attention. Between the two of us, we had six or seven. Kym told me to pick the 3-5 I liked and she'd let me know. As I ran through them again, I was telling my kids about the situation. My youngest piped up, "How about 'Rulebreaker'?"

Huh. How *about* "Rulebreaker?"

I put it in the mix, told Kym my 10 year old suggested it as a "What the heck" idea, let my agent know what was in the works, and waited. Well, the team liked it. My agent was good with it. So now, "Bad Girl" is "Rulebreaker," and I'm thrilled. And I know who to consult when titling my books.

Science New Post...Elsewhere

2011-04-05T06:48:00.003-08:00

Kind of a "cheat" post today. I recently joined the Carina Press SF/SFR blog "Contact--Infinite Futures" and I've put up a piece about science news. Pop on over. I have a few things brewing at the moment and will share soon!

Have You Seen My Pants?

2011-03-14T14:05:00.004-08:00

That's a question I haven't asked since, oh, college. (Hey. Don't judge.)

I've been wandering around the house for a week now, asking if any of my kids have seen a favorite pair of black pants. They haven't. Nor did Husband take them with him when he packed for his research cruise. I've been in contact with him; he denies having them, though he hasn't gone out of his way to search his luggage either. The pants are similar in fabric, if not size, to one of his pairs of trousers, but not the sort of garment one takes when one is prepping to live on a manly boat with (mostly) other manly men. Jeans, baby, that's what they wear. The more stained with fish guts the better. Yeah, doing *his* laundry upon return will be a great joy.

Anyway, back to my problem of not finding my pants. Last I saw them, they were hanging in the laundry area before I headed out on a short trip last weekend. I made sure they were clean so I'd have them for work on Monday morning, in case I didn't have the energy to do laundry when I returned. (As it turns out, I couldn't do laundry Sunday even if I wanted to--our pipes had frozen. Oh, the joys of living in the Frozen North.) But my pants were not where I thought I'd left them. Nor were they hanging in my closet or in the dirty clothes pile. Or in the kids' rooms.

So where did they go?

I offered the kids cold, hard cash if they found the pants while cleaning their rooms. No such luck. Though they asked for some sort of percentage for cleaning their rooms. No such luck there, either. Sorry, kids.

Driving in to work last week, me fuming about the pants, we passed a dog trotting along the road. The dog was mostly black with white socks.

DD#1: "That dog looks like he's wearing pants."

DD#2: "Maybe they're mom's."

Funny, kid, real funny.

Later, at home....

Me (still ranting): "It's not like they got up and walked away!"

DD#1: "Well, they *do* have legs."

Har-dee-har-har. I have birthed comedians.

Husband suggested I just break down and buy a new pair. I was resistant, but this morning I put in an order for new pants, along with some shorts, a skort, and some t-shirts for our summer vacation in June. I know that as soon as I tear off the tags and wear the new pair, I will find the old ones.

Then I'll have two pairs to lose.

ETA: Original pants were found in youngest daughter's drawer. How they got there, who knows. But I know that dog doesn't have them.

Making My Mark

2011-02-26T08:54:00.005-09:00

I've been reading up on marketing strategies and branding for authors. With a book coming out in August or so (still on track there, as far as I know) I need to get word out every way I can.

I've taken mini courses, subscribed to marketing groups, looked into what others have done, to glean what may work and what may not. For instance, a Real Live book signing isn't going to do me much good because mine will be an ebook. What would I do? Sign the readers' computer or Kindle screens? That would be annoying. A reading at my local bookstore or library might fly, but again, I wouldn't have much in the way of tangible "goodies" to sell or share. OK, I could do give away items, so that one is still on the maybe list.

One of the things I see as working is a virtual book tour. It sounds like fun and a lot of work, but marketing is work. And if I want my next book published I'd better show some effort in getting word out. So, I've been checking blogs where science fiction romance is reviewed/discussed/revered/mentioned. I've started a list of places I will be asking about blog stops and such. Offering exchanges is important, as in, "I'll have you over this day for your book if you'll have me over that day for mine." It's a lot like arranging playdates in that way : )

One of my stumbling blocks, however, has been my "brand." Everywhere you turn, authors are talking about branding. Branding isn't about that particular book (I've leaned something, anyway), but about the author. What represents *you*? What phrasing/terms show a reader who *you* are and what they can expect from one of your stories? Does your website/blog reflect the tone of your work?

Oy.

So here's my challenge. What catchy line(s) can I use as a brand? What reflects me and my writing? First, I tend to write SF/F/Paranormal stories. Even if I TRY to start off with a non SF/F/P genre it ALWAYS gets some sort of woo-woo treatment. So let's just assume everything I write will have some kind of otherworld feel to it. Second, while I write m/f or f/f romances they aren't erotic or even steamy. I think I have one love scene in each of the books I've written. Maybe two. But while they may be sensual, they aren't graphic. So the "Hot lovin' for long, cold nights (since I'm in the frozen north)" idea won't work. Really. It won't. Lastly, I don't think of my tone as overly dark or light and fluffy. There are some serious situations and places I hope elicit a chuckle or two, but I wouldn't categorize my work at either extreme.

You understand my problem now. I fall in the middle of most scales.

So what's an unbranded author to do? Help me, Obi Wan!

Book Pimpage: One Thousand Kisses by Jody Wallace

2011-02-10T08:03:00.003-09:00

Hey, Kids! Jody Wallace's newest release, One Thousand Kisses, is out at Samhain Publishing.

I'm a huge fan of Jody's and her writing. She is funny and smart. Her books are romantic and quirky, and filled with interesting characters. Here's the blurb for One Thousand Kisses (which I totally stole from her site):

Embor Fiertag, Primary of the Fey Realm, and Anisette Serendipity, Court intern, are foretold bondmates, but only Embor knows it. He hasn’t informed her of the prophecy because she doesn't seem to like him. At. All. At the same time, she assumes he disapproves of her. After all, her sister almost got him killed once.

An unsavory political strategy turns the Court against Embor, forcing Embor and Ani to flee to humanspace. With the aid of a scheming feline, they'll have to share their hearts if they're to have any hope of keeping the fabric separating the Fey and human realms intact.

Embor is a commanding leader, but is having all sorts of trouble getting Ani to see him as more than that without spilling the beans about the prophecy. What girl wants to be *told* who she'll end up with? And Ani is caught in the middle of political machinations that would make a White House insider weep. She has to learn to trust herself and Embor if they are to save the realm.

I've read 1000K, as well as the previous book set in this world, Survival of the Fairest (which you don't have to have read to follow 1000K, but buy it anyway ;). Jody has created a world of magic and intrigue like no other author I know.

Go buy Jody's books. Oh, and Beware of Gnomes!

Writing: It's in the Genes

2011-01-18T09:20:00.005-09:00

(Nearly late January??? How did that happen? I guess I can still say Happy New Year. I have until the end of the month, don't I? Okay. Good. Happy New Year!)

Unlike some children, both my kids love to write. School assignments that ask for a paragraph get a page or two. A simple question turns into a thesis.

My youngest, who will be 11 this year, has been writing and illustrating stories since kindergarten. We have stacks and stacks of books she made at school. Pages and pages of drawings of characters that live in her head. There are documents on two home computers, a 3-ring binder, and at least two spiral notebooks filled with her squished-together printing. She loves to talk about her stories, loves to brainstorm with me or her sister. There are two writing contests she's preparing to enter in the next couple of months.

My oldest, soon to be 14 (yikes!), caught the writing bug a little later in her young life. Only within the last year or so has she seriously sat down to put a story on the page that wasn't a school assignment. She even attempted the young writers' version of NaNoMo and asked her Language Arts teacher if it could be part of their classwork/extra credit. The teacher was happy my daughter was writing, but the current curriculum was already full. Creative writing on that scale would have to wait. That didn't stop my daughter. She stuck with it, wrote every day, and I believe completed the 20K word requirement. She is also working on at least two Sci Fi stories and does a little fan fiction here and there. For her research paper in L.A., she is writing about what it takes to get published.

Some of our best times together are when we're discussing one of their stories or something about the craft. It's amazing to see where their imaginations go. (Strange places indeed, but not a shock there.) I love it when we're talking about plot or characterization or pacing or what have you and I see in their eyes the sudden dawning of comprehension. That light bulb moment where it all seems to make sense. They get it. They apply what they've learned to their personal writings as well as assignments.

My kids are not athletic. They aren't social butterflies. For the most part, they aren't "joiners" of activities. They are more introverted and tend to observe rather than participate. In other words, they have the makings of writers. No, not the makings. They ARE writers.

Could a writer mom be more happy? I think not.

An Alaska Midlife Crisis

2010-12-28T13:50:00.003-09:00

Scene: Me sitting at dining room table, cooling down after a brutal *snort* workout on Wii Fit. Phone rings. Check caller ID: Husband at work.

Me: Hi, what's up?

Husband: Well--

Me: Uh oh.

Husband: Have I got a deal for you.

Me: Uh oh.

Husband: It's a way you can keep me in a manner in which I'd like to get used to.

Me: You've found a way to sell thousands of copies of my book?

Husband: No. I want to buy a bobcat with Linee and Jason.

Me: Not the predatory mammal kind, I assume.

Husband: No, the front end loader kind. We can use it for snow removal, and to fix the gully in the driveway, and to recontour the parking area so it doesn't flood every spring, and--

Me: How much?

Husband: Only two, maybe three grand.

Me: (choking on water) Only?

Husband: If it's still available.

Me: I see.

Husband: Can you bring me the checkbook?

Me: (long suffering sigh) Sure. I'll be there in half an hour.

In Alaska, particularly here in the boonies, there is little call for zippy red sports cars, and having an affair would soon become public knowledge in a place where everyone knows everyone else's business. So as far as a midlife crisis goes, this one at least has a practical side.

Any bets on what the next request might be?

Winner of the SFR Holiday Blitz

2010-12-27T07:31:00.007-09:00

First of all, I want to thank Heather at The Galaxy Express for putting on another fabulous Blitz. You rock, Heather! Thanks also to all 33 authors who offered up 50 books! How generous was that? And to my fellow bloggers who hosted, it was again great fun to be linked to all of you for such a great event.

And of course, huge thanks to everyone who entered. I hope you enjoyed yourselves and discovered a couple of new blogs to check out. Some of us who are just getting going in this publishing thing (more news on that as it comes in ; ) appreciate it.

So, on to the winner.....

The name/comment randomly chosen to win all three prizes is...Francene!!!!!! Congrats Francene, I'll be sending you an email so I can get contact info from you.

Thanks again, Everyone! And don't forget to check out the other blogs to see the winners there.

Happy New Year, and Happy Reading!

The Galaxy Express

SpacefreightersLounge

SFR Brigade

GeekMom

Lisa Paitz Spindler

Enduring Romance

Smart Girls Love Sci Fi & Paranormal Romance

SciFi Guy

Dirty Sexy Books

Love Romance Passion

Panic in the Lingerie!

vvB32 Reads

Corrina Lawson

Flying Whale Productions

Alien Romances

Enter The SFR Holiday Blitz Here!

2010-12-20T07:00:00.007-09:00

Welcome to the SFR Holiday Blitz!

This holiday season, you could win over 50 science fiction romance books! Thirty-three (33!) talented SFR authors have teamed up with 15 bloggers to give you a taste of the adventures the subgenre has to offer. And who doesn't like tasting things during the holidays?

Entering is free and easy: Just leave a comment. Seriously, that's all you have to do. Then visit the other participating blogs, which are listed below for your convenience, and leave comments on each of them. Click and comment. Click and comment.

One winner will be picked at each blog.

The deadline to enter is midnight EST on Sunday, December 26.

On Monday, December 27, I'll randomly pick ONE WINNER,

so be sure to check back!

What's the prize here at the Frozen North, you ask?

1 print copy each of THE STARS DOWN UNDER and THE STARS BLUE YONDER by Sandra McDonald. (Author will ship internationally. Sweet!)
Chief Petty Officer Terry Myell—whose taboo enlistee/officer marriage to Lt. Cmdr. Jodenny Scott has landed him a tedious desk assignment—is kidnapped and forced to join a mission seeking a group of researchers who disappeared while investigating a network of spherical gateways that allow almost instantaneous travel between the stars.

AND

A digital copy of LAST FLIGHT OF THE ARK by D.L. Jackson
Evolution never happened so fast. Twelve hours outside of Terra II, Colonel Kaleb Titan, a molecular geneticist and commander of the Ark, faces a life or death choice that could change the fate of mankind. The Genesis I, aka the Ark, travels with a hold full of wildlife and three crew members. When a wolf bite and genetically-altering gamma radiation transform Kaleb, he notices his senses have been heightened, his libido has gone haywire and he can't keep his hands off his crew. Worse yet, they don't seem inclined to stop him. When their sister ship, the Genesis II arrives early, Kaleb's problems compound. As soon as the command crew of the Genesis II boards, one whiff tells Kaleb they're not from Earth or who they appear to be.

AND

A digital copy of SILVER BOUND by Ella Drake

Sheriff Guy Trident doesn't have much to do with off-worlders; he has his hands full keeping his own planet safe. But he'll do anything, go anywhere to save Jewel Quinn. She broke his heart years ago when she left to marry a Terraloft aristocrat. Now she's run away from her husband, only to fall into the clutches of slavers.

Yes, Virginia, ALL PRIZES will go to ONE WINNER!

When you've entered at this site, go on over to the others for more shots at some of the best SFR out there! Go!! Go!!! GO!!!!

The Galaxy Express

SpacefreightersLounge

SFR Brigade

GeekMom

Lisa Paitz Spindler

Enduring Romance

Smart Girls Love Sci Fi & Paranormal Romance

SciFi Guy

Dirty Sexy Books

Love Romance Passion

Panic in the Lingerie!

vvB32 Reads

Corrina Lawson

Flying Whale Productions

Alien Romances

*****12:05 am EST : COMMENTS ARE CLOSED!!! COME BACK MONDAY THE 27th TO SEE WHO WON!!!*****

What Am I Thinking?

2010-12-13T13:49:00.004-09:00

My husband and I have been together too long.

We'll be celebrating our 19th anniversary this February. (Actually, our 4 3/4th anniversary. Work it out ; ) The number of years isn't the issue. It's how we rarely have to say a word yet still know what's going on in each other's heads. We can sit in a room watching TV, or listening to the kids' conversations, and some phrase or topic will come up. We just have to look at each other and we'll both smile knowingly. We can spend hours in a room or in a car together and exchange no more than a dozen words, but not feel awkward or like we need to fill the silence.

But the other day took the proverbial cake.

Hubby was in Anchorage for several days. He had a meeting or two to attend and did some Christmas shopping as well. I'd given him a list of the few items I wanted for the girls and knew he'd add to it as well as pick up stocking stuffers. While he was away, he called to confirm that I hadn't thought up anything to add. Nope, I'm good, I said. See you in a couple of days.

The day before he came home, I was watching our eldest daughter play World of Warcraft and thought back to my high school and college days as a Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game geek. We've told the girls about these old school pencil, paper and dice games, and they were intrigued. In a time when video stimulus is the norm, the actual use of imagination is rare. Both our girls are chock full of imagination, and I thought maybe it would be fun to introduce them to the world of Dungeons and Dragons some day. Something came up, as it usually does, and my mind went on to other things.

Then Hubby returned from the Big City the following day. Guess what he had bought the day before? Yep! A D&D starter set. I was floored. We had not said two words about the game in months and months while in the same room, yet here he was holding up a familiar box and smiling. I sputtered and told him that I had just been thinking about it. He laughed, but I think he was a little freaked out too.

There are great advantages to having a loved one know you so well you don't have to explain yourself or try to suss out what, exactly they are thinking. On the other hand, I wonder what I think he *doesn't* know that he really does....

The Other Woman

2010-11-24T13:42:00.002-09:00

Her name is Peggy, and I'm damn tired of her getting all kinds of perks while I have to do the drudge work around the house. She goes to movies and restaurants with Hubby. She is the goody-two-shoes who supports public television and radio. She even sent papers off to the title company when we refinanced our house. That Peggy! If I ever meet her, I'm gonna punch her in the nose. But I never will. In fact, no one will, not even Hubby.

Let me explain. Peggy is a mistype on some paperwork as well as a figment of my husbands imagination (more on that in a minute). It all started when Hubby was giving to the local public radio station. He'd put both our names on the form, but for some reason the person who entered the info renamed me Peggy. And so the Other Woman was born.

We kept getting donation reminders in her name. Even a phone call or two. And without knowledge of that clerical error, an old office manager I had, whom I didn't like, tried to get my attention by calling out Peggy (he knew my real name but was befuddled that day). I ignored him even though I knew EXACTLY who he wanted. Why yes, I can be a b****.

But Peggy isn't limited to paperwork and befuddled coworkers. She has been around for a while so it shouldn't be a surprise when she horns in on my life. Or rather, the life I wish I had.

(Trailer for film now out on DVD comes on television)

Hubby: Oh, that was a really good movie. Remember the part--

Me: I've never seen it.

Hubby: Sure you have. We went after eating at that new restaurant in Anchorage.

Me: (giving him cocked eyebrow of distain)

Hubby: Oh, yeah. That must have been Peggy.

Me: I hate her.

So, Peggy, I hope you're enjoying yourself. But do us both a favor. Load the dishwasher or vacuum once in a while. I can't blame the lack of clean forks on you forever.

What a Deal!

2010-11-17T17:41:00.005-09:00

I've been sitting on some news for nearly two weeks, waiting until things were more "official." My lovely agent Natalie Fischer posted this, so it looks like we're a go : ) Carina Press made an offer on Bad Girl! Yay!

Excited doesn't describe how I've been feeling for the past twelve days. I simply can't believe it at times. I know the real work has yet to begin (edits will be coming soon), and I'm sure I'll question my sanity for ever starting down this road. But for now, all I can say is WOW!

And a huge thanks to my crit partners Sharron and Jody. Because without them there would be no Bad Girl. Without them encouraging me and kicking my butt, I would have quit writing a long time ago. So thank you my friends! You are the best!

OK, back to the wip so I can show Natalie and Carina I'm more than a one hit wonder ;)

Whiplash

2010-11-13T12:27:00.003-09:00

On the very same day I was making arrangements for our furry friend Holly (previous post), I received the best news in my fledgling career. Never have I laughed and cried so much in the same afternoon, the same hour. I got my head on straight enough to send out emails, but mostly spent the weekend mentally exhausted, weepy, and waiting.

One of my emails resulted in an agent asking to see the full manuscript of my science fiction romance Bad Girl. In a couple of days, I received an update from her that she was half way through and really enjoying the story. I couldn't believe it. I dared to hope, because that's what we writers do when we aren't waiting anxiously or, here's a thought, writing. The agent made an offer for representation, and after a few more emails and a lovely conversation (she is so nice!), I am pleased to announce I've signed with Natalie Fischer of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Yay!

The Universe is never short on surprising, seemingly random events, where the stars align and good fortune befalls us on the heels of such sorrow. Usually, and thankfully, such diametric events don't occur at the same time, but I'll take the emotional roller coaster over bland sameness any day. Well, not today. I need to write.

Holly

2010-11-06T18:18:00.005-08:00

Recently, I wrote about our dog, Holly, her losing a leg to cancer, and her amazing ability to bounce back and get on with life as if nothing was amiss. She was her happy self, smiling, I swear, as she bound across the yard or played mama to a friend’s high-energy pup. Unfortunately, things took a bad turn, as these things tend to do.

Less than a week ago, Holly began having trouble standing. She could do it, but you could see there was something going on. Then she had trouble with the three stairs leading up to our house. Within days, she couldn’t walk, couldn’t even stand on her own.

My husband had to leave on a research cruise--out of town and out of reliable communication range. I was on my own. We’d discussed the inevitable, but our vet was in his other location, and there was no one else in town to turn to when the time came. I prayed Holly could hold on until Hubby got back.

Then it got to the point where I had to lift Holly to bring her outside and stand there holding her up, encouraging her to relieve herself. Her brown eyes asked why I was encroaching on her “private business” yet she seemed grateful for my touch and support. I’d haul her back inside, lay her down on her bedding and we’d collapse, both of us exhausted and frustrated and unhappy. So unhappy. She deserved more than relying on me to get her outside. She deserved to be freed from the pain that made her shake and whimper, even when lying still.

I called my husband yesterday morning, Friday, leaving a message that Holly was in very bad shape, that the vet wasn’t available, that no one was, that I was at a loss for what to do. I had kids and other animals to tend. How was I supposed to give our furry friend a peaceful end to her pain?

I headed into work on the verge of tears, holding it together for my kids. They saw the difficulty Holly was having, and the stress of taking care of her was taking its toll on me as I got short with them. I apologized frequently for my behavior, but I’m not sure it helped.

Friday afternoon, I was done with work and about to go home when one of the office ladies handed me a phone message. One of Hubby’s coworkers had called regarding the dog. I realized Hubby must have called or emailed her and explained the situation, asked for help when I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

At home, I returned the call and spoke to Nancy. Her take-charge attitude and soft voice assured me that there were people to help. That she and her husband could take Holly to Valdez if I wanted. That if I went, Penny and Linee would stay with the girls so they wouldn’t have to go with me or be alone for the day. The ferry schedule was tight, however, arriving at Valdez at 11:45 then returning to Cordova at 1:15. Not a lot of time, but enough if weather didn’t hamper the voyage.

Knowing it was what I had to do, I called the vet in Valdez and explained the situation. He wasn’t normally open on Saturdays, but would come in under the circumstances. I called the ferry terminal here. They assured me that I would have time to run into town at Valdez, take care of Holly, then make it back onto the ferry for the return trip. The crew would be made aware of my situation and I wouldn’t miss the boat.

It was settled. I looked into Holly’s brown eyes and cried. In my head, I knew this was the best thing for her. In my heart, I knew it was unfair to put her through so much but it hurt, oh it hurt, to think about losing her. When the kids came home from school, we sat on the floor near Holly and I told them what we had to do. We cried. We told stories about getting her and her “Goomba sister” Bailey when the girls were little. How Holly used to jump the five foot fence that surrounded our house in Oregon. How Bailey, much skinnier then, used to follow and we’d chase the dogs through the neighborhood. We laughed and remembered. And we knew we’d never, ever forget.

Last night, we all slept on the living room floor beside Holly. I gave her an extra dose of pain meds to help her rest, knowing the side effects were moot. This morning, Penny came over to help load Holly into the car and stay with the girls for a little while until Linee and her son could keep them company. We all cried again and the girls said their good-byes.

I checked in at the ferry terminal and was once again assured the captain and crew knew what was happening. Monica, the clerk, handed me a little dog treat. “I know how tough this is.” She’s lived her for a while. I’m sure she knew exactly what I was going through, as did all of the wonderful folks who jumped in to help us.

The ferry ride was uneventful. Hubby called to make sure the boat had sailed because the weather had been iffy. He would be out of range again until Sunday and we'd talk again then.

At the Valdez terminal, I was met by a woman named Donna who has worked with Nancy and my husband. She got in my car and showed me how to get to the vet’s office. Valdez isn’t a large town, but it was great to have someone there to lean on.

The vet, Kelly, pulled up just as we did. He carried Holly inside and gently laid her on the floor. We chatted a bit then I filled out some required paperwork. He went into the back and returned with a syringe of yellow liquid. The sedative would relax Holly prior to administration of the drug that would actually stop her heart. I could stay until the very end or leave after the sedative took effect, whatever I felt more comfortable with. I wasn’t sure, and time was an unfortunate factor. He assured me she would feel nothing once the sedative kicked in.

He gave her the shot and Holly laid her head down as I stroked her soft ears. Her eyes were wide open and she looked around at the strange surroundings. I spoke to her, cried some more, told the vet and Donna about some of her antics. After ten minutes, she was still more interested in the clinic than closing her eyes. Not reluctant, just curious about where she was and these two new people—her new friends, because everyone was Holly’s friend. The vet gave her a second shot. Within minutes, her eyes closed and her breathing became regular. No longer quivering or whimpering with pain, no longer looking at me with confusion and frustration in her soft brown eyes. I cried on her big rottie head and whispered my good-byes. “Good puppy.”

I couldn’t bring myself to watch Kelly give her that final injection, the one that would stop Holly’s heart. I wanted to remember her in a peaceful sleep, perhaps dreaming of chasing squirrels or licking the girls’ faces.

Donna, also crying, walked outside with me and we returned to the ferry terminal. She drove and waited with me until it was time to load. Here was a woman I’d never met before, who knew my husband just a little, but was willing to go through almost as much emotional stress because of the commonality of our love for our animals. We said good-bye and I told Donna she and her husband had to visit us under more cheerful circumstances. I hope she takes me up on it.

I’m so grateful to all the people who got us through this difficult time, friends old and new, people I’d never met, who made Holly’s passing a little easier.

Returning home with Holly’s collar on the seat beside me, I was exhausted. Only one dog greeted me when I walked in the door. Bailey seemed confused, and looked past me. Where was her sister? I gave her a hug and cried some more.

It’ll be strange not to wake up to Holly’s smiling face or pat her big head when I come home. It’ll seem odd to call only one dog in. I’m sure I’ll call Bailey the wrong name now and again and feel the pang of loss. My girls or I will tear up, and we’ll all hug and sob then remember some funny thing about Holly and feel a little better.

Not much compares to the love and memories generated by our relationships with animals, and despite the pain of losing them we seem compelled to have them in our lives. We gave Holly the best life we could and a peaceful passing. I know she’s somewhere in doggie heaven, smiling, four legs flying as she chases a forest full of squirrels.

Good puppy.

The Accidental Convert

2010-10-29T15:52:00.004-08:00

My husband travels a lot. He also reads quite a bit while traveling, due to many hours on airplanes (it takes a good long time to get Outside from here) and being cooped up in hotel rooms when not meeting with colleagues. Quite often, he'll buy books in airport bookstores. Recently, he returned home with a number of new purchases.

Me (perusing cover with scantily clad female in red leather): Um, Hon? Whatcha reading?

Hubby (dismissively): Some fantasy. It has vampires and werewolves.

Me: Uh huh. It's an Urban Fantasy, not the stuff you normally read.

Hubby (defensively): It was in the Science Fiction section.

Me: It says on the spine "Urban Fantasy."

Hubby: That print is too small; I didn't see it. Anyway, it was in the Science Fiction section.

Me: Yeah, you said that. (I look at the books in his TBR pile) So if your purchase was a "mistake" why did you buy all five books in the series on your next trip?

Hubby (returning to reading book with scantily clad female smooching equally scantily clad male on cover): They're good. You should try them.

Me (smiling): Uh huh.

I have had a number of Science Fiction Romance and Fantasy Romance and other sort of romance novels on our shelves for months, if not years, and I have yet to convince him that reading them would be worth his while. There are some things he, like many of us, have to "discover" for themselves. So thank you, limited airport bookstore shelves! With any luck, more people will accidentally discover SFR and Fantasy Romance then go on to get their friends and loved ones to give them a try.

Books I'd Love to See Made into Movies (or Maybe Not)

2010-10-13T20:06:00.005-08:00

Sometimes, I read a book and think, "Wow! That would make a great movie!" In a way, it's a complement to the author. It means I loved their story so much that I want to see it in another format, see how someone else interprets what I've read.

But how many times have I said that then was disappointed by the film? Probably more often than not. Which annoys me to no end. It doesn't reduce my love of the book, but it does make me wary of movies made from books I haven't read yet. Watching a less than boffo movie will likely delay, if not suspend, my reading the book. Which is a shame and something I need to remedy.

Lucky for me, we don't have a movie theater here. But we do have a decent library. Yay! If a book-to-movie does come out, chances are I'll be able to read the book first. Or buy it at our local, independently owned bookstore. Yay! Or order it online and have it in my hands in a matter of days. Okay, a week. Maybe two, depending on how it's shipped.

Whenever your favorite stories are put into another person's hands (ie: director, screenwriter, etc) you are taking chances. All the nuances and subtleties of a novel can't be expressed in a two hour movie. And not all of them should. You don't want to bore your audience. You have to go into movies based on books assuming not everything will be in there. And that's fine. As a reader of the book, you already know the inside info necessary to fill in any holes. It's when those holes are huge, gaping, confusing chasms that make a novel-to-move transition difficult. Or when someone decides the ending of the original story wasn't "right" and changes it. What?!?!?

There are some books I've read recently that I'd love to see as movies. Maybe. It would depend on who is running the show, but I'd probably still go see them. Or rather, wait until they're out on DVD. Dang, we need a theater here....

Anyway, a few from my list, in no particular order:

"The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins. Still need to read the other two books, so no spoilers!

"The Little Stranger," by Sarah Waters. I've seen the adaptation of her book "Affinity" and loved it. She has other movies based on her books "Tipping the Velvet" and "Fingersmith" that I really really really need to watch. Really.

"On Basilisk Station," by David Weber. The first book of a scifi series starring Honor Harrington, one kickin' ship's captain. I think it was supposed to have been made into a film but things fell through. Anyone know? The other books in the series would be great too.

The "Titan," "Wizard," and "Demon," books by John Varley. This trilogy knocked my socks off the first two times I read it. The world Varley created begs for visual representation. James Cameron, look out if this ever comes to film.

"Ammonite," by Nicola Griffith. A thinking woman's scifi story. The world she created is also amazing, in a different way from Varley, but still, wow!

"Touched by an Alien," by Gina Koch. A grand mix of action, romance and alien bad guys. Pass the popcorn and hang on.

So what books would you like to see as movies? Which ones would you *not* want to see as movies, too afraid they would be massacred like Custer at Little Big Horn?

Shine on Harvest Moon

2010-09-23T09:40:00.005-08:00

Autumnal Equinox already?!?! My, how time flies.

We've had a couple weeks of glorious days here in the usually soggy Northlands. Daytime temps in the upper 50s (that's balmy for us) and a nice snap to the air come evening. After a summer soaking, we deserve to dry out a little before the weather returns to normal. Lucky for us, we've actually been able to see the bright, bulging moon up here. (The pic isn't mine, but snagged from Wikkipedia.)

School is in full swing, which means my dance card as a sub is filling up. I don't have anything scheduled for October yet, but I know something is coming. It always is. But that's good. As long as I can discipline myself to write in the evenings (not my favorite or more brain-active times) and weekends I should get the WIP done and some contest judging finished in a timely manner.

Oh, Sharron's visit was a hoot, and over all too soon. Did some hiking, trekked to the glacier (that is, drove. It's 40 miles away), wandered about in the delta flats and decided (a) it was waaaay too wet for our footwear, and (b) the potential for bears popping up from the alders scared the bejesus out of us. Sharron was around the morning DH bagged a good-sized cow moose, so she got to watch and participate in skinning and hanging. Messy, but man oh man, that moose tastes good!

We did go to Fish Prom, but were so busy yammering with others (Sharron, I haven't seen *him* since then : ) that we didn't get much in the way of photos. The outfits were great. Who knew there'd be so much paisley in our small town? We didn't stick around for the dancing because we had an early morning departure, but it was a fun night.

So as the weather gets cooler and damper, as our lives settle into routine, as I await word on this or that project, I wish you all a bountiful harvest of whatever you have sown.

This and That

2010-09-01T11:57:00.006-08:00

School starts in just over a week. I'm much happier about it than the kids, though they are anxious to be able to do something other than chores.

BF Sharron arrives Saturday for what's going to be an all too brief visit. We will hike around, go see the glacier, and attend the Fish Prom. Details regarding that later.

Holly is doing well. Finishes with her meds today. I'm trying to get in touch with her regular vet, who has another office in another part of the state, but no luck so far. Hopefully he'll swing by our town soon. It's still a bit weird to see her with only three legs, but she doesn't seem bothered.

Diligently working on revisions of Bad Girl. Patiently waiting CPs' notes so I can resubmit.

Critting some chapters for Melanie. Will get them to you soon!

Mulling the continuation of the current WIP and how to tackle a serious plot hole in a different story. I mean, Mack truck-sized plot hole. Got the characters, got the setting. Logical plot? Not so much. Perhaps it's time to jettison that line of thought and go elsewhere with it.

That's what I'm up to. You?

Dog Days of Summer

2010-08-22T09:21:00.005-08:00

Before we left on our trip, one of our dogs, Holly, had been limping about. By the time we returned, Hubby told me she was getting worse and hardly using the bum leg at all. We needed to get her to a vet. Our regular vet wasn't in town, as is his routine this time of year, but I called him and asked for a recommendation in Anchorage. After a few more phone calls, we had an appointment and reservations on the ferry. While in the Big City, we'd do some back-to-school shopping, maybe even take in a movie or two. With Hubby staying home to work and care for the other critters, I packed the kids and dog last Monday and off we went.

We had no idea what was wrong with the dog, figuring she's tweaked something in the leg and it was healing poorly. There was a ridge along the upper part of her leg that felt, to me, like her shoulder blade was off kilter. But not being a vet, I let the professional make the diagnosis. And what a diagnosis it was. Within 30 seconds of hearing her symptoms and running his hands along both forelimbs, he stated he was 99% sure she had a bone tumor that was more than likely malignant. Blood work and x-rays would confirm that and tell us if the cancer had spread. If it had, Holly would have another 2 to 3 months with us. If it hadn't spread, amputation would be the way to go. With that and chemo she would probably have another year or so.

Holly is, perhaps, one of the best dogs I've ever had. She is one of the two dogs our girls have grown up with and truly bonded to, even though my husband and I had two other dogs when they were little. The idea of losing her to such an insidious disease made me sad and angry. It was no one's fault, of course, certain breeds are prone to this sort of thing, but I didn't want MY dog to have to go through it.

I cried as I explained the situation to my girls. Then we were all crying. We waited for the results in the reception area of the clinic, where a very kind tech offered us chocolate. They certainly understand their patients and the families. Never in my life had I prayed that I'd want to amputate an animal's leg, but that's what I did that afternoon. Because if the cancer had metastasized, even amputation would have been useless. We would have had to either put her down then and there or deal with her disease and make her as comfortable as possible for the next couple of months so she could die at home with all of her family around her.

Soon enough, the vet came out with x-rays. Heart in my throat, I had the girls wait in reception while I followed the doctor into an exam room to view the films. The tumor surrounded her upper humerus, making it twice as thick as a normal bone. You could almost see the malignancy pulsing from it. Who knew how long it had been growing there. I held my breath as the doctor slid the film of her chest into the viewer. No nodules or masses. Her lungs and chest appeared clean. That didn't mean the cancer wasn't in her system, but for the moment it wasn't present. Taking Holly's leg would be a good start to keeping her with us a bit longer and out of pain. And that's what we wanted most of all, to get rid of her pain.

Surgery was scheduled for the following day. We did a little shopping while we waited for the phone call to tell us she was done. I offered to take the kids to a movie, but no one's heart was in it. How could we enjoy ourselves when our best friend was in surgery? So we picked up a few things for school and home, wandered the mall, waited for the phone to ring. Soon enough, the vet called to say the surgery had gone well, that Holly was starting to come around. We could come pick her up and transport her to another clinic where there was a doctor and techs on site 24 hours a day. They would keep an eye on Holly over night.

When we returned to the clinic, Holly was brought out on a stretcher. She was still very out of it, though her eyes were half open, and her front left quarter was shaved and covered in gauzy bandage. The sight of my big, robust rottweiler-retriever laid out on a stretcher and missing a limb was tough to see, but not as tough as if we would have lost her. The techs brought her to our waiting minivan and we transported her to the other clinic. The folks there assured us that they'd call if anything happened, and that we were welcome to call any time, even late at night, if we wanted.

Even with that assurance, the girls and I were still in no mood to do anything but head back to the house (we were staying at my step-father-in-law's) and decompress. We did call that evening after dinner and told Holly was doing well. She had almost completely come out of the anesthesia and was sleeping normally. The next morning we called again. The tech and doctor were happy with how things went the night before and we were free to come pick up Holly whenever we wanted.

At the clinic, Holly wasn't too keen on the linoleum floor and was still a bit wobbly from the pain meds, but with help she made it out to the car. Once back at the house, she laid down outside for a bit before regaining the energy to hobble inside. For the next couple of days, we enticed Holly outside with treats and verbal encouragement. Each day she grows stronger and more sure of herself on three legs.

Back home now, after a ferry ride that ended with a scratched open incision and the donning of the shirt and sock of shame, Holly is getting on well. Though the pain she is going through with her recovery is pretty high, I think she realizes this is a different pain. A better pain, if that's possible, knowing it's short-lived. After she's through her current pain meds and antibiotic, we'll discuss options with the vet. Chemo may be in her future, depending on circumstances. But no matter what medical situation we may find ourselves in, this family is quite happy to still have its best friend around, no matter how many legs she has.

Holly wearing the tee shirt and sock of shame:

Back from a Fantastic Trip

2010-08-11T08:29:00.008-08:00

Oh what a month it’s been! The journey to England and Switzerland with my oldest daughter and her Girl Scout troop was fabulous. Not perfect or all smooth sailing by any stretch of the imagination, but when traveling for so long with so many people (particularly a gaggle of teen girls) you learn there is a grading curve for how well the trip goes. So overall, yes, it was fabulous.

We started by staying in little villages outside Colchester in eastern England. Our leader, Anita, had met with some Guide and Scout leaders (Scouts are predominantly boys and Guides only girls for most of the world) several years ago who invited her/the troop over for the Centenary celebration the UK was throwing this summer. One hundred years of Girl Guides is a big deal, of course, and the history of how the girls back then essentially crashed a Boy Scout gathering and demanded something for themselves is a testament to the inner strength I admire in Girl Scouts and Guides.

The people of Feering and Kelvadon were incredibly warm and generous. They put us up in their homes, fed us, and transported us to various places when we couldn’t take local buses or trains. They even picked the 14 of us up at a bus stop when we missed the last bus back from the Colchester Zoo one evening. (We missed *that* bus because the earlier bus we should have been on totally blew past us while we were at the stop. Yeah. Not cool, Mr. Driver. Not cool at all.) We also attended their local Centenary celebration, a day-long fair of sorts with activities, entertainment, games, and a concert by a local band as well as the winner of their “Britain’s Got Talent” contest. A great day of fun surrounded by 3,000 local girls and many new friends.

Our next stop was London, where we stayed at Pax Lodge, one of the World Centers for Guides/Scouts. From Pax we set out on daily excursions to do the tourist thing. The Tower of London, Camden Market, the London Eye, Westminster and the Parliament, Trafalgar Square, and Buckingham Palace are some of the places we visited. Yes, *some*. We were a busy group. Some of us visited London Dungeon, an attraction that highlights London’s more horrific history like Jack the Ripper, the Plague, the Great Fire of 1660, and Newgate Prison’s “interrogation” techniques. Scary but fun. We also saw “Lion King” and “Sister Act” on stage. Amazing productions! By the time we returned to Pax each evening we were exhausted but thrilled with all we’d seen and done.

From there we headed to Switzerland to attend sessions at another World Center, Our Chalet in Adelboden. The journey there deserves its own post, so I won’t go into it now. Suffice it to say, it was fraught with anxiety and cost some of us time as well as money. But we all made it to Switzerland eventually and had a blast. What a beautiful country! There is not a bad view anywhere. The girls partook in activities ranging from abseiling (repelling) to visiting a castle, learning about Swiss chocolate from an elite chocolatier to swimming in a mountain lake, and then some as they learned about the global themes the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) would be focusing on this year. On our last day in Switzerland, we headed to Zermatt, the small town near the Matterhorn. We rode gondolas up to the Ice Palace and were rewarded with stunning views and clear shots of the unique mountain. At 2600+ meters, the altitude was a bit much, but we loved it.

The train ride from Zermatt to Geneva Airport was relaxing and, once again, filled with breath-taking scenery. I wondered if the people of Switzerland see the beauty of their country or if it’s just *there* for them. Here in AK, I think we sometimes take it for granted that we live in such an incredible place, and I’ve promised myself to be more aware of just how special it is.

A late night flight brought us into Liverpool, where we got to our hotel as quickly as we could and went to sleep. The next morning, a group of Guides from the area picked us up in the coach (big bus, not the kind with horses) they consigned and brought us to the UK’s giant Centenary celebration situated on the grounds of Harewood House , one of England’s stately manors in the Leeds/York area. The bus ride with the Liverpool girls was loads of fun as we compared sayings, TV shows and music. They were all so fun and friendly.

At the camp, we were among over 5,000 girls from around the world (mostly the UK). We were given tents that we brought back with us, and the girls attended a variety of activities from crafts to the heritage of Guides to rock climbing and SCUBA diving. Anita and I even chaperoned an afternoon at Diggerland, a heavy machinery theme park. No kidding. Our first stop was at a ride called Spindizzy, where we rode in the huge scoop of a real digger. As the name suggests, we were spun around and got very, very dizzy. Though it may appeal to mostly little boys, our teen-aged girls had a blast.

In the middle of the week, the organizers had put together a huge event called Fusion where there were more than a dozen venues of entertainment, food and activities for the girls and leaders from camp as well as another 13,000 Guides, leaders and their families. Over 18,000 people attended this incredible day of fun, but the camp and Fusion were more than the activities. It was a fantastic celebration of the 100 years of Girl Guides and Scouts.

Throughout the week, I heard few complaints, virtually no harsh words, and was inspired by the wonder and joy of most everyone I met, girls and leaders alike. The closing ceremony was a beautiful wrap-up of how we all had come together from around the world and shared so much not only in our involvement in Guiding or Scouts, but as women and girls (mostly) who are open to adventure and new experiences, who can achieve so much in this world as long as we are willing to try. During the mass renewal of the Girl Guide Promise, 5,000 voices strong, it was difficult not to be overcome by the feeling of belonging to a very special group.

The end of camp and the return to the States was bittersweet. We’d been away from home for weeks and missed our families, but we’d also had the time of our lives. We made many new friends that I’m sure we’ll keep in touch with for years to come.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2010-06-30T12:41:00.003-08:00

In about ten days, DD#1 and I will be jetting to Europe to join up with her Girl Scout troop for four weeks of tromping the English countryside, scaling Swiss hillsides (not the real mountains. I don't do mountains), and overall fun with Scouts from around the world. With the amount of going back and forth between venues, it was strongly suggested that we pack lightly. The hard part? Figuring out what I absolutely need for a four week trip.

For starters, I am not a clothes hound, so that part is easy. A few of my favorite pairs of pants (though my absolute faves may be too heavy for summer in warmer climates. Might work in Switzerland...hmmmm...), t-shirts, underfrillies, socks. A pair of hikers I love love love, a pair of casual shoes and *maybe* tennies, if I have room. A jacket and some light-weight rain gear, just in case.

I'm also not one for needing lots of product for face or hair. I don't wear makeup, though I'm sure some would say I should : ) My only concession is a bottle of Oil of Olay. I love the stuff, and it reminds me of my grandmother. She kept a bottle of it on her dresser and had lovely skin, so there you go. A tube of cleanser will probably find its way into my ditty bag as well.

As for hair, I recently got a "goo and go" cut, specifically for this trip. Yes, it's short. Very short. But all I have to do is wash it, towel it dry to a degree, goo it and brush it back. Bam. Done. Normally, at home, even when it's short I'd take a hairdryer to it. But I don't want to waste luggage space on a hairdryer.

I won't have my laptop either. Which means (a) no internet, (b) no ebooks, and (c) no access to the manuscripts I'm working on. The lack of internet may be solved by cafes or such along the way, so I might be able to shoot an email to hubby and friends, but I'm not counting on access. I don't have too many ebooks, but they are convenient when I am traveling with the laptop. No reader, either, so I'll have to choose a few paperbacks.

The inability to twiddle with my work might seem like it's much tougher to deal with, but not really. I have 4 weeks to put aside and "forget" one manuscript that is being revised. When I get back, I can see if I like what I've done. As for the WIP, 4 weeks of not going back to what I've already written to tweak or avoid tackling the newest scenes and finish the darn thing is good. I'll have my notebook and several pens. If I find myself with relative quiet time (on planes, trains, or any time 20-odd teenage girls are out of the room) I will write. By hand. The old-fashioned way. Why? Because while I can easily give up my hairdryer for a month, there is no way on this earth I can give up writing.

What are your essentials for a trip?

Mii, My Shelf, and Aye-Yi-Yi: Random Thoughts

2010-06-16T10:22:00.002-08:00

I'm supposed to be finishing up the SFR wip I've been working on, but that has been set aside for the time being. I doubt I'll make the July 11 deadline I've set, but the reason isn't laziness or loss of enthusiasm for the project or anything like that. Something else has taken priority, in a good way, so my wip characters are currently in a holding pattern. (Quite literally, actually, as I left off with them kissing and on the verge of taking it to the next level : ) But all is good, if a tad nerve-wracking.

Mii
To balance the mental exercises necessary to accomplish certain goals, and in preparation for a long trip requiring sustained walking and hiking, I've been diligent about my Wii Fit routine. Well, mostly. I've missed a few days here and there. The Mii and I are working hard, but for some reason that dang Simple Test tells me I'm not losing anything. In fact, I've gained 0.2 pounds each of the last two days!! What the--! Grrr. I'm going to chalk it up to increasing muscle mass (yeah, that's it), but at the same time watch the snacking more closely. Not as easy to do when I'm at home, but throwing myself in the aforementioned project will help.

My Shelf
Writers are supposed to read in the genres we write in as well as others so we can get the scope of what's out there, how it's done, and how it probably *shouldn't* be done. I write SF/F or paranormal, so there are many such books on my shelves and a few in my computer. But the last two books I've read are more literary. Out of Eden by Kate Lehrer is about two women in the 1880's, I believe, who head to Kansas to create a place where they can do as they please and live independently. I loved the friendship between the women, complete with protectiveness, jealousies and betrayals. As a literary novel, there is no guarantee of a happy ending, but it was an engaging read.

Margaret Atwood has been one of my favorite authors since I read The Handmaiden's Tale years ago. I'm almost done with her novel Cat's Eye now. It's another book about women's friendships, and while I don't expect a happy ending all around, I can trust Atwood to give me a satisfying one.

Aye-Yi-Yi
DD#1 and I head off for a 3-4 week romp with her Girl Scout troop in less than a month! DD#2 will be spending all that time and more at Grandpa's. DH will be home, tending house and hairy pets. It's ironic that he's been traveling so much for the last few months and the period he will be home the rest of us will be gone. He'll have to remember to pick up the veggies we order every other week. The cats and dogs will focus on him for attention, since their main petters will be gone. I just hope he remembers to feed the fish and the hamster.

New Contest for Published Books/Authors

2010-06-05T09:27:00.003-08:00

The Rainbow Romance Writers, the first and only LGBT chapter of
Romance Writers of America, is proud to announce the first annual
Rainbow Awards of Excellence (RAES) for published authors.

This contest, sponsored by RRW, will recognize the best in published
LGBT romance. The contest is open to all authors published in novel or
novella length romantic fiction during the 2009 publishing year as
long as the story in question has an LGBT romance as its focus and
fits within one of our seven categories.

The contest categories are:

list of 7 items
• Contemporary
• Paranormal
• Romantic Suspense
• Historical
• Sci-fi/Fantasy
• YA (full blown romance not necessary, as long as there's *some* in the story that's fine)
• short/novella (10,000-20,000 words)

All entries must be submitted electronically and will be accepted
beginning June 1 2010 through August 31, 2010. The entry fee is $15
and is payable through Paypal. Entrants need not be members of either
Rainbow Romance Writers or RWA. All heat levels are welcome from sweet
to sizzling.

Any questions regarding the contest in general or submission process
in particular may be directed to the contest coordinator, Sara Bell,
who may be reached at: wavyscribe @ aol . com (spaces removed).

For more information, or to submit an entry, please visit our web site at

http://www.rainbowromancewriters.com/2010/04/contest-2010-rainbow-romance-award-for-excellence-in-romantic-fiction

Five Reasons to Read Gini Koch's "Touched By an Alien"

2010-05-29T09:36:00.004-08:00

Thanks to another win from a generous Galaxy Express promo giveaway, I got to read Gini Koch's Touched By an Alien. TBaA is full of action, humor, and hot aliens. And nasty aliens too. Care to guess which one our heroine, Katherine Katt, touches? If you answer "both" you're right, though she doesn't touch them for the same reasons : )

But I digress.

Five Reasons to Read TBaA:

1) A smart, funny, take-action heroine. When we first meet Kitty Katt (Yeah, yeah. I know. But Koch does a good job making you forget there are an abundance of "Kitty"s in SFR and UF these days.) she is standing on a street corner when some dude turns into a monster and starts killing people. Kitty doesn't run, which sort of surprises her. Instead, she attacks the monster. With her pen. At first, you think this woman is insane, but you come to see Kitty as someone who doesn't run from a fight. Her sense of humor is right up my alley, too. Snark and sarcasm? Oh yeah. But never in a cutting way. Well, mostly : )

2) Hot alien hero. Actually, all the good guy aliens are hot, males and females alike. But one is the obvious hero here. Jeff Martini is gorgeous (of course) and funny, a man on a mission who also knows how to bring out the best in people. He "gets" Kitty from their first meeting and tells her and her parents (more about them later) that he's going to marry her. She takes it as a player's line, but finds herself falling for him. Who wouldn't?

3) Nasty aliens. I won't go into an explanation here because the story about them, what they are doing on Earth, and why they need to be stopped, is better told by Koch : ) Suffice it to say, these baddies are at the head of the class when it comes to making your skin crawl.

4) The worldbuilding in this story is top notch. The combination of the familiar world to give the reader a solid base and the otherworldliness of the aliens is deftly explained and seamlessly carried throughout the book. Once I accepted the idea of Koch's world (aliens among us) never did I think "Oh, that couldn't happen." Within the context of the story, all the fantastic elements worked well.

5) Kitty's parents. Angela and Sol Katt play important roles in TBaA. They aren't just there to give Kitty a hard time about her choice of men, wistfully long for grandchildren, or become pawns in the villains plans. Oh no no no. Who they are and what they do is integral not only to Kitty's character, but to the story. I love both of them, especially Angela who has a few surprises for her daughter : )

One of the things that I was asked to address about TBaA was the first person POV. I have no problem with first person, and often write in it. Does it limit the reader's access to information and emotion? Maybe, and I think Koch is a tad guilty of having Kitty figure out complex issues involving the aliens faster than most of us would. But she is the heroine : ) First person is effective by giving you a more visceral connection to the POV character. Plus, by only seeing one side of events, when critical information is revealed we can see if the MC (and therefore we the reader) was right in how they perceived things. First person isn't for every reader or for every story, but it works well here.

Overall, Touched By an Alien is a well-paced, fun read. Go out and get it. The sequel, Alien Tango, comes out in December. I know what's going on my Christmas list.

Girding the Summer Loins

2010-05-19T10:18:00.004-08:00

Tomorrow is the last day of school. The last day to appreciate the mid afternoon quiet of my house. The last day to sit at the computer and pound out thousands--okay, hundreds...tens?--of uninterrupted words. As much as I love not having to get up and get kids off to school, or get ready for work myself, this free-for-all time of year challenges my self discipline and my organizational skills.

I want to stick to a writing regiment and accomplish my one big goal: Get my SFR WIP done before July 11. Yes, specifically that date, because I will be gone for the month following it. I want to get the first draft done, out to my lovely crit partners, and also allow the story to marinate for that time, unseen and untouched. When I return in August, I will be looking at it with fresher eyes. Well, after I get over the jet lag they'll be fresher.

I can do this. My kids are old enough that I don't have to monitor their every move. When I was a kid, we left the house after breakfast, returned for lunch, maybe, went back out, came in for dinner, unless we called to say we were eating at a friend's, then wandered home when the streetlights came on. Daily adventures and evening exhaustion were normal parts of our summers. I may have my kids follow that plan more than a few times. Except for coming home when the streetlights go on. It doesn't get dark here until 11pm in the summer, a wee bit too late for the under 16 set.

Between that, camps, and trips, I should be able to keep them busy enough not to hear the dreaded "B" word: Bored. They know what it means if they utter it in my presence. The "C" word: Chores. Husband will be cutting wood for the coming winter, so there will be LOTS of stacking necessary.

That means, the only one I'll have to closely monitor is myself. I predict more than one mental kick in the butt in my future, but if I can work like a demon until July 11 and get to "The End," it will be worth it. And yes, dear reader, feel free to kick. Accountability to someone other than yourself is a wonderful source of inspiration. The muse does not like having a sore bottom.

What are your plans/goals for the summer?

Agent Provocateur--Delayed Pimping, Part II

2010-05-02T15:31:00.004-08:00

Here's another installment of a woefully late plug for a story won during a Galaxy Express give away/promo event months and months and months ago. Please don't hate me, Ms. Gray.

Nathalie Gray's Agent Provocateur (Red Sage, Sept. 2009) is a fast-paced novella set in 24th century, dystopian Montreal. There has been some kind of Gene War fifty years before, giving rise to much animosity between folks that have been genetically tweaked somewhere in their family line (Misborns) and those who have not (Integers).

The hero, Troy, is a former agent for the State who is serving a sentence in the aftermath of an undercover operation that resulted in the death of a lot of people. Basically, his agency set him up as the fall guy. He's told he can receive a full pardon if he captures the leader of the Misborns and brings him in. Mercury is to be his partner, but she has other things in mind for our hero. Troy and Mercury start off with rapid-fire banter and sexual attraction that escalates into, well, let's just say the erotic label is not misleading : ) Troy has no love for anything regarding his former employer. Except for the chance to stay out of prison. And maybe a certain blonde. Mercury is a kick-ass gal who takes no one's crap, and at the same time is vulnerable and unsure of her growing feelings for Troy.

Twenty-fourth century Montreal is dark and gritty. Your senses are completely engaged through the descriptions of the setting, and it should come as no surprise that the author is also an artist. With that amazing sense of place and time, you might expect info dumps to reveal the world she has created, but no. There is enough detail to set the scenes and keep a reader's interest without overdoing it. That is a fine balance few writers can claim. Well done, Ms. Gray.

I felt the idea of the relationship going beyond HFN was a little premature, but I could certainly see these two duking it out verbally and physically as they navigate the path to longer-term happiness. Though I'd suggest they keep the first aid kit handy.

Five Reasons to Read Kristin Landon's Hidden Worlds Trilogy

2010-04-13T19:48:00.004-08:00

I have been a follower/fan of The Galaxy Express for a while now, and can’t tell you how happy I am that the site exists. Heather Massey does an amazing job promoting Science Fiction Romance. Interviews, reviews, discussions, you get it all at TGE. And giveaways. I have benefited three times from such promotions and have always imagined one of my books being the prize at TGE someday. After this third win, Heather gently reminded me that what I SHOULD do (my emphasis, not hers. Heather is very kind to knuckleheads like me) is give back for my great luck by talking about the books.

Oy. Ever feel like a complete tool? Yeah, that would be me.

I should have done this long ago, and I apologize to Heather at The Galaxy Express and Kristin Landon for being so…well, the only word for it is negligent…lazy…oblivious. I guess that’s three words, but they all apply. (I will run another self-flagellating apology when I post about Nathalie Gray’s Agent Provocateur : )

So let me stash the wet noodle for a moment and tell you why you need to read this series.

After the Earth was destroyed by ruthless machine intelligences known as the Cold Minds, the remnants of the human race sought refuge on the Hidden Worlds. For 600 years, the worlds have been protected by Pilot Masters, men who have been bred and trained for this sole purpose. But from a small, insignificant world comes a woman looking to secure her planet’s economic health. A woman who holds the key to a secret the Pilot Masters don’t want revealed.

Can you guess what is eventually going to happen? Well, maybe you can, to a degree, but there’s more to these books than a bunch of evil machines and haughty pilots. Much, much more.

Granted, I’ve only just finished Book Two, The Cold Minds, but I have more than enough to back up a recommendation. I stink at “reviews” and decided to take Heather’s suggestion to make a list. It is a tad vague, but that’s to avoid spoilers : )

1. Stellar writing. And I don’t use “stellar” in the “it’s about other worlds” sense. I mean the writing is AMAZING. Ms. Landon has some mad skills in this department. Intricate plotting, incredible detail, well-rounded characters. I’ve read more seasoned authors who can’t weave a story nearly as well as she. Brava, madam.

2. Delicious villains. No, not the machines; they are creepy. Not all the humans are the good guys here. The characters are multidimensional and the villains, like all good villains, are heroes of their own stories. You can totally see that, considering the situation they are in. Well, *mostly* see that. There are some real jerks, but jerks you’ll love to hate : )

3. Super hero. No, not the Batman or Superman variety. The hero is Iain sen Paolo, one of those haughty pilots. At first, he comes across as a bit over-privileged and self-involved (sorry, Ms. Landon, but he does : ) . But he comes around soon enough. Iain isn’t perfect, and he has some issues to deal with, but he’s trying hard to be loyal to his brother pilots (even after they treat him like dirt because—oops! That would be telling ; ), save his people, and love the heroine when she is pushing him away.

4. A heroine you can love. Linnea Kiaho is one brave young woman, and tougher than she first appears. She is more than a little naïve about the ways of the rest of the worlds, and unfortunately she gets a harsh lesson all too soon. But saving humanity—and her family back home--is more important to her than dwelling on her own problems. You just want to sit her down and say, “Linnea, honey, sometimes it’s okay to be selfish.” I don’t think she’d listen, though. It’s not that she is a martyr or does silly things in the name of love and self sacrifice. Linnea is smart, and that, along with her vulnerability and her determination to save her people, makes her a heroine you can root for.

5. Mind boggling world-building. Along with Ms. Landon’s incredible writing talent, you get one of the most complex and detailed universes in SF. Six hundred plus years of history and subsequent human cultures. I would have to put her universe up there with the one in David Weber’s Honor Harrington series. Yes, it’s that well thought out.

Go get this series. Go now. Get all three books and start reading. Then come back here and tell me what you thought. Better yet, tell the author. I hear they love getting fan mail : )

I am about to start Book Three, The Dark Reaches, so my next post might take a bit.

ETA: Finished The Dark Reaches. My take: Whoa and damn! Read this trilogy!

Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing

2010-04-10T19:07:00.003-08:00

Oh, I am so very ashamed!

I have been lucky enough to win not one, not two, but THREE giveaways from the amazing SFR site The Galaxy Express in the past year and I have yet to remark on the books. (OK, I just won the third one and I haven't read it yet, but still, my flagellation is deserved.)

What kind of terrible person/promoter of SFR goodness am I?!?!!?

Very. With a capital "V" that rhymes with "T" that stands for "Terrible"!

So to remedy that sad situation (Thanks for the kick in the butt, Heather!) I will dedicate myself to getting a couple of bang-up reviews out soonest. I've read Nathalie Gray's Agent Provocateur a while ago and may need to go back to re-read it. No skin off my nose there : ) I recently finished Kristin Landon's first book of her Hidden Worlds trilogy, so that one is fresher. I'm in the middle of the second book and totally enjoying it. The most recent win is Gini Koch's Touched by an Alien. Thanks, Heather and Gini. I will not fail you this time!

It's not that I wouldn't recommend these great books by these amazing authors. I just stink at remembering to do stuff like that : P

But change is upon me, my friends. Stay tuned!

The Game of Your Life

2010-04-06T20:38:00.002-08:00

Like much of America, pretty much the only time I watch/follow college basketball (now that we aren't in a college basketball town) is during March Madness--the NCAA Championship games. We'll catch a game or two during the season, especially if a PAC-10 team is playing, but our viewing time dramatically increases as the teams begin their push to the championship.

This year, Butler and Duke squared off for the men's final game. The Butler Bulldogs were not expected to beat the perennial favorite Duke Blue Devils, but damn was that a nail-biter of a game. The Butler team, to paraphrase a line in "Galaxy Quest," never gave up and never surrendered. They challenged the Blue Devils literally to the last second, when a lob across the court bounced off the rim and failed to go in. Heartbreaking for a team that played with so much heart, so much poise. At the end, as Duke was celebrating yet another championship, those young Butler men and their coach held their heads high--and rightfully so--as they shook hands with their opponents, stunned and disappointed yet offering congratulations and "Good game." They had earned the right to be there, deserved the championship just as much as their foes, but the ball just didn't fall the right way that final shot. So close. So very, very close.

The women's game between Stanford (yay! PAC-10!) and the University of Connecticut (another perennial participant in the Final Four) saw play a little slow and disjointed at the start, but again, all those young women showed had the right to be on that floor. Both teams played hard, fought for every point, every rebound, every chance. Players fell hard going after the ball, but for all the physicalness, there was no aggression, not a glimmer of loss of control. These young women, like their male counterparts, are fierce competitors. But the maturity and poise they showed was amazing. When UConn had won, and another round of congratulations and "Good game" was exchanged between teams, I was happy for the winners, but my heart broke for Stanford as it did for Butler.

I'd have to agree with those who might see college basketball (or any collegiate sport) as an allegory for life. Years of practice, of learning from people who know what they're doing, of weeding out the advice of people who think they know what they're doing, of getting up early to work out and staying up late to finish homework assignments. Of treating yourself right and sacrificing some things you want to do but can't because there's a game the next day or a bus or plane to catch. Tired of doing the same drills over and over and over again. But knowing, in your heart, that it's worth it. That there are people in your life, on your team, counting on you to give your hundred percent. Who you can count on to give their hundred percent. That makes you want to give even more, and you're happy to do it.

And in the end, after doing everything you can to be in the game of your life, maybe you'll be the one cutting down the net. If not, there is always next year.

Congratulations to all the teams in this year's games.

Oldies but Goodies

2010-03-23T11:45:00.003-08:00

(Totally spaced titling this one first time around...Need more coffee....)

Though not an afficianado, I've been on a classic movie kick of late. Yesterday, I watched The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon back to back. Yes, I loves me some Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Sidney Greenstreet, and even creepy Peter Lorrie. I'm also a fan of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, the Thin Man series, and anything with Katherine Hepburn, particularly when she's paired with Spencer Tracy. Or Cary Grant. Or anyone, for that matter.

Today, you'd be hard pressed to find such great banter between the sexes as many of these films offer. I'm not saying more recent movies aren't fun or sexy. But to have the interplay, the subtext, and the sexual chemistry come through without actually using certain words or the physicality that is present today is a lost art. When was the last time you got the impression a couple was hot for each other when, on screen, all that was shown was some snappy, not suggestive give-and-take and a 3 second kiss? (Side note: back in the day, screen kisses could only last 3 seconds. No kidding.) I'm sure they're out there, but it's not the norm.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no prude, and I like more graphic movies too. But there is a part of me that smiles and is deeply satisfied by the dance between men and women as shown in those old films. When the raciest lines are like this, from The Big Sleep:

A female taxi driver, who has followed a car with Marlowe in the back, hands him a card.

Driver: Call me if you need me again.

Marlowe: Day and night?

Driver (putting taxi in gear): Make it night. I work during the day.

Brilliant!

Will that sort of interplay ever be popular again? I don't know. I'd hate to think we always have to be hit over the head with sexual content. I'd love to hear about recent films you've seen that defy typical "in your face" sexuality. Any suggestions?

Expect the (Un)Expected

2010-03-07T13:58:00.005-09:00

I mention the weather a lot because, let's face it, living Alaska we get a lot of weather. While March might come in like a lion, most of the Nation is starting to see some signs of spring. Winter-dead grass is beginning to perk up. Tree buds might be unclenching in the warmer, longer days. Birds are beginning to show up again.

Here in the semi-frozen north, we got a taste of spring the last two weeks of February. Yes, February. The temps hovered in the low 40s, there were spurts of heavy rain that melted the mountains of snow (nothing that lasted more than a day) and most of the time a gentle wind ruffled our open coats rather than hurricane-force gusts. It was bliss. It was relief.

It didn't fool any of us.

In the Lower 48, my sister-in-law boasted about changing over her studded tires to her summer treads. Here, we tolerated the load rumble of steel on pavement, perhaps cringed at the damage of a few hundred cars on bare asphalt, but knew better than to think we wouldn't need the traction again soon enough.

And we were right.

The past three days saw the spring-like warmth in the air obliterated in a white-out of a snow system tearing across the region. Friday was the worse, with blowing snow making the five minute drive to work a nightmare of low visibility. (Yes, we had school. I would have been more surprised if they would have cancelled.) As the day progressed, short bouts of sun one minute gave way to raging, sideways snow the next. This went on all weekend, and we have a fresh, foot-high layer of heavy snow to remind us that March doesn't just come in like a lion here. It comes in like a hungry, pissy lion.

As much as we appreciated the reprieve, we know winter isn't over. In fact, chances are good we'll have snow coming and going into April or even May. But maybe, just maybe, we will have a spring as decent as the taste we got in February.

Like most things in life, you should hope for the best but be prepared for the worse. Some might consider that take to be a bit pessimistic. I prefer to think of it as realistic optimism. Sometimes, even if you're prepared for the worst, the unexpected just might turn out to be better than you feared : )

Bad Girl Wins Beacon Contest FF&P Category!

2010-02-21T16:44:00.004-09:00

Yay! My futuristic won the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon contest for unpublished manuscripts! I was very excited to get the judges' comments, particularly from the final round judge, Meghan Conrad from Cerridwen Press/Ellora's Cave. Bad Girl has been seen by agents but never by an editor, so waiting to see what she had to say was nerve wracking. But her comments were positive and shed some light on where I could make the story better. And that's really what we're looking for when we enter contests--advice that makes our stories better.

Congrats to fellow FF&P category finalists Eden Glenn with her story, Dragon's Mark, and Mary Karlik with her Izzy's Tale, as well as to all the Beacon contestants and finalists. Thanks to the first round judges who have a lot of entries to read (this contest was for up to 30 pages! 30!), and it's not an easy task. They did a great job explaining what worked and what didn't in my story. More thanks to Ms. Conrad for her comments and suggestions, and for taking the time to explain things as well. And thanks to the First Coast Chapter and its contest coordinator Maria Connor. Contests are part of a chapter's bread and butter. Fees let them continue the work of helping writers of all levels navigate the world we've decided to occupy. Plus, you get read by people who understand you. How cool is that? And coordinating a contest requires more patience and organization I'll ever possess. My hat is off to you, Maria.

Finally, a big thanks to my friends and crit partners, Sharron and Jody. Your comments on the early manuscript helped form Bad Girl, for better or worse : ) Thanks!

The Practical Winter Olympics

2010-02-12T15:59:00.007-09:00

The 2010 Winter Olympics open today in Vancouver, B.C. I love watching the Olympics, especially if I can do it from the warm comfort of my home. The athletes are all so strong and agile, so determined and dedicated. They are the top contenders in their sports, an elite group of humans who do amazing things many of us would never even try. Snowboarding in a half-pipe and shooting 20 feet into the air while doing tricks? Not gonna happen. Luge down an ice tube at a gazillion miles per hour wearing a helmet and a rubber suit? Um, no. Ski down a mountain--a MOUNTAIN!--on two pieces of fiberglass with only two skinny sticks to help keep you upright? I don't think so. I'll be right here, on my couch sipping tea and wearing my fuzzy slippers, thank you very much.

We enjoy watching these fine athletes but know we will never be in their class, never achieve such grand accomplishments. Besides, when will being able to hurl yourself down a slippery mountain at 60 miles per hour ever come in handy? For those reasons, I present to you my list of Practical Winter Olympic events. Doable by your average Joe or Jane. No athletic prowess required.

1. Shoveling—the use of a regular snow shovel or larger “scoop” shovel is permitted. Style points for creating a dump pile that can be climbed without slipping back down again when halfway up.
a. Driveway—team and individual
b. Roof—team of two: one on the roof shoveling, the other on the ground removing snow from front of house and to call 911 when “roofer” hits unexpected patch of ice.

2. Walking icy sidewalk w/o grippers, carrying hot coffee—10 points for no spillage, 5 if some slop-over, 0 if the cup is dropped. Style points for avoiding fall awarded. Refills are available.

3. Driving an unplowed road—navigate a road you *know* is under there somewhere. Points deducted if you follow another vehicle’s tracks.

4. Driving an icy road the morning of a melt/freeze cycle, before sander arrives—style points for slide control and number of spins, awarded as necessary.

5. Wood cutting--Though usually done in summer and fall, wood cutting and its accompanying activities (splitting and stacking) are necessary skills for winter survival (like how basketball is a sport typically played in winter but part of the Summer Games).

6. Car window ice scraping
a. Using regulation scraper
b. Using whatever you can find inside the car or on your person

Now, these events will not get your name splashed across the sports pages, or get your image on a box of Wheaties, or your name in a record book. There will be no gold medals awarded at the end of the season, but if you can excel at one or more of these, your spouse/partner/significant other will be appreciative. That's better than a hunk of metal any day, isn't it?

BTW, good luck to all the athletes at the REAL Olympics. You are all amazing and inspire the rest of us to go for the gold in whatever we do.

Dear Russian Women...

2010-02-01T08:24:00.003-09:00

I'm sorry about ignoring your emails, but I can assure you we did not meet either in your country, online, or anywhere else. Surely you have me mistaken for someone else.

Be that as it may, your offer to become my wife is appreciated. I've discussed it with my husband and he thinks it's a grand idea to have a 23 year-old blonde as a second wife. I couldn't agree more. There are plenty of chores left undone around here, so another pair of hands would be appreciated. While you're doing the things I never seem to have time for, I can continue to do the things I want to do. And our husband, fab guy that he is, won't have to worry about the house being clean, dinner being cooked on time, or getting bored with the same woman he's been with for nearly 18 years. The kids will have someone sort of near their own age to hang with, because surely you are way cooler than their 40+ year-old parents.

So yes, please come over and be our wife. The check for expenses is in the mail. It may not be as much as you expected as we may have to check out the offer for E.D. pills. With two wives Hubby will be a busy man.

Can't wait to meet you,
Me

All Grown Up

2010-01-16T12:28:00.006-09:00

There are certain milestones in life that you are supposed to accrue to be deemed a grown up. These may include, but are not limited to, attending/graduating from college, getting a *real* job, getting married or being in a long term relationship, having a child, buying a new car, buying a home. The sort of things that make your parents, guardian or parole officer sigh with relief of a job well done. Everyone is different, of course, so your milestones may vary.

Recently, I've added another two items to my personal list: buying a new living room set and installing new carpeting in the vast majority of the house.

You'll notice I have the word "set" in bold. That's because until now, we have purchased furniture one piece at a time and none of it actually went with the rest. Never an entire three-piece set that goes together. That all arrives on the truck at the same time. It's a heady experience, I tell you, to see all that lovely matching upholstery in one room.

And new carpeting? Bliss! So clean, so cushy. New carpet smell is not as pleasant as new car smell, to be sure, but it is just as significant as a sign of adulthood.

Granted, with two kids, two dogs and two cats, the newness of the furniture and carpet will fade quickly, but for now I feel all grown up. Well, mostly.

What makes you feel grown up?

Bad Girl Finals in Beacon Contest

2010-01-04T10:10:00.003-09:00

Woo hoo! My SFR Bad Girl has finalled in the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon Contest for unpublished writers. The final standings will be announced in February. Go here for the complete list of finalists: http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/contest_un.htm/?page_id=152

Many thanks to the chapter and first round judges. Having been a contest judge, I know it's not an easy task.

Best of luck to all the finalists.

What a great way to start the new year : )

Merry Merry and Happy Happy!

2009-12-24T11:36:00.002-09:00

May your holiday be bright and your new year be joyous!

See you in '010! (Yes, that was intentional, a la Stephen Colbert :)

~Cathy

NEW SFR Holiday Blitz Winner!!!!

2009-12-17T19:52:00.003-09:00

Since the first randomly chosen winner never came forward (unfortunate, but it happens) to claim Ann Somerville's On Wings, Rising, I exercised my right and duties as Queen and chose another. And yes, this one stuck!

The new winner is Cybercliper! Congrats and I hope you enjoy the story.

Thanks again to all who came by. I hope to see you here now and again.

Joyous Holidays and Happy New Year!
~Cathy

New SFR Holiday Blitz Winner TBA

2009-12-16T07:19:00.003-09:00

Well, the original winner of Ann Somerville's On Wings, Rising never contacted me, so I'll be choosing another winner later today. This time, I will ensure contact before posting who it is, so it may take a bit. Stay tuned!!!

Thanks again to all who entered. Let's see who the Fates choose this time.......

SFR Holiday Blitz: And the Winner is......

2009-12-12T08:00:00.003-09:00

....going to be announced in just a second.**** IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW****

First, I want to thank everyone who popped over and commented here and on other blogs. The response to this contest was amazing! It was great to see so many folks who already love SFR as well as those who are current SF or romance readers eager to try new kinds of stories. Finding new authors you can fall in love with is a great joy. I can guarantee that somewhere in the SFR universe there will be a story for just about every taste. And more than a few of you also mentioned how fun it was to discover new blogs. Gotta love that!

Speaking of, a big hand to the participating bloggers and the authors whose work so many people
are going to get to enjoy.

And finally, HUGE thanks to Heather over at the Galaxy Express for running the show. I think we've convinced her to make this an annual event, and some day I hope my own novel(s) will be among the prizes : ) Thanks, Heather! You rock!

So which of the commenters here won their very own copy of Ann Somerville's On Wings, Rising? That would be Stephen!!!! Congrats, Stephen!!!! Send your contact info--email, snail mail, I'm not sure which will be needed so send both, if you would : ) --to me cathy AT cathypegau DOT com (using the correct email do-hickies, of course). I'll pass the info on to Ann and she'll take it from there.

Thanks again to everyone for participating. Keep SFR and all its great authors in mind when you're looking for something fun to read. And remember to take a chance on a new author once in a while ; )

Happy Holidays! And Happy Reading!!!

12/14 7pm AK time
****ATTENTION!!!!**** Stephen has yet to contact me!!! If you know Stephen, please tell him to pop over here and send me his info. If he does not do so by MIDNIGHT Eastern Time on Tuesday, Dec. 15, I will choose another commentor!

SFR Holiday Blitz--Win Free Books!!!

2009-12-06T07:00:00.003-09:00

12/11: The contest has ended and comments are now closed! Check back on Saturday, 12/12 to find out who won Ann's book! (In the meantime, feel free to read more posts here, check out my site, or visit other SFR-philic blogs ;)

Welcome to the SFR Holiday Blitz!

The holiday season upon us, and that means 2010 is simmering just below the horizon. Start your New Year off right with a chance to score a FREE read in one of the hottest up and coming genres around--Science Fiction Romance!

Twelve bloggers have teamed up with 17 authors for your chance to win over 30 SFR books. Whether you're new to the genre, or a fan looking to add to her collection, this event is for you.

There are no quizzes to answer, no hoops to jump. Gotta love that.

For your chance to win On Wings, Rising by Ann Somerville, all you have to do is leave a comment for this post. Print book prizes are limited to U.S. residents. The deadline to enter is midnight E.S.T. on Friday, December 11, 2009. The winner will be announced on Saturday, December 12, 2009.

Here's the blurb for On Wings, Rising from the My Bookstore and More site:

Dinun can’t fly—but he could be the answer to an Angel’s prayer.

Barely tolerated by his own kind, Dinun is a self-reliant soul who scratches out a living from the great, empty lands of Quarn. Always looking for unexpected treasure, he never dreams of finding an injured Angel.

Moon belongs to a race of telepathic winged humanoids. Exquisitely beautiful, sexually playful, Angels have always fascinated humans. Dinun’s feelings for Moon take flight as they become lovers, but a planetary invasion could destroy their future together.

Centuries ago, humans on Quarn saved their race from destruction by joining their DNA with that of the Angels. Now full-blood humans are stealing Angel children—including Moon’s son—for barbaric experiments. The full-bloods are prepared to slaughter anyone who gets in their way.

Thrust into a desperate race against time to save the infants, Dinun and Moon must battle against a people with weapons far beyond anything the Angels—or their human friends—can hope to defeat. Dinun brings to the fight his bravery and a determination to be true to himself. Will that be enough to save the children, and win the Angel he’s come to love?

Planetary invasion? Threat to lovers? Endangered races? Exciting stuff!

But don't stop here! Increase your chances of winning even more books! Just click on one of the links to the participating bloggers below. Make sure to leave a comment on the post titled "SFR Holiday Blitz." From there, you can jump to the next blog. Then the next, then the next. There's a wide variety of books to win and a bunch of fun blogs to visit. Check them out:

Alien Romances

Dirty Sexy Books

Ella Drake

Enduring Romance

Flying Whale Productions

Lisa Paitz Spindler

Love Romance Passion

SciFiGuy

Spacefreighters Lounge

Take It To The Stars

The Galaxy Express

And the participating authors? The best of today's SFR:

Ann Aguirre

Katherine Allred

Margaret L. Carter

Rowena Cherry

Ella Drake

Jess Granger

Susan Grant

Nathalie Gray

Leanna Renee Hieber

Claire Delacroix

Barbara Elsborg

Susan Kearney

Jacqueline Lichtenberg

Karin Shah

Linnea Sinclair

Susan Sizemore

Ann Somerville

So what are you waiting for? Leave a comment here for Ann Somerville's book then get your bad self over to those other blogs for a chance at even MORE fab SFR. Go on!

Happy Holidays and Good Reading to All!

Name Game: Color Me Baffled

2009-12-04T08:39:00.007-09:00

Sometimes it's difficult to come up with titles for my stories. I've hit upon good ones (a fantasy trilogy in the works: "What Price the Crown," "Once a Princess," "Queen Without a Country" (which has been used, but I didn't know that at the time)). Quite by accident, I must admit. Others are, as my daughter would say, "meh". Serviceable, but nothing that pops. I know a good title is important to both convey the contents of the story and be as memorable as possible without being ridiculous (no more than five words; it should be "active," using some verb form, etc.).

But I don't have the difficulty that others do when it comes to naming things. Consider the folks whose job is to name paint colors.

Recently, my husband and I decided to paint our bedroom. Down at the hardware store, we found that handy book with all those rectangular paint sample cards. An amazing number of colors. But looking closer, the names the company labeled their paints were amusing. Or head-scratchers. Examples? I got them.

First of all, there are many colors named for foods and drinks, and a good number of those are roasted, toasted and baked. A few are raw, but mostly they've been subjected to some kind of heating method. Another popular category is nature. Makes sense. We like a little of the outdoors indoors, where it can be controlled and kept clean with the swipe of a sponge.

Weather/atmospheric conditions get more than a few. There were many raindrops this and windy or breezy that, but my faves are a little more, shall we say, tumultuous.

New Monsoon and Tsunami Night--exciting, I'm sure, but do you want your room color to make you think of potential natural disasters?
City Storm--appropriately a darker gray.
March Ice--kind of brownish, which makes sense.
March Breeze--a lighter shade than March Ice, but still brownish. Not healthy.
Warm Fog--quiet the oxymoron, don't you think?
Dusted Gloam--"gloaming" means twilight, but why the decision to take off the "-ing"? Doesn't "Dusted Gloaming" roll off the tongue easily enough? No, no it doesn't.

A few others I found that had me wondering about the state of mind of the poor paint company employee trying to come up with a new way to describe the thousandth shade of some color:

Limish--really? That's the best you could do?
Martian--yes, it is green. Surprised?
Bluish--see Limish
Novella Blue--what?

But my favorites are the colors that send a message.

Lucky You--a perfect choice for the bedroom, don't you think?
Dawn's Reveal--unless you've had a bad morning after experience.
Bleak--also not a good bedroom choice.
Rapture, Bliss and Rollick--now we're talking.
Super Nova--Yes! Though it's a paler color than I think of when I think of a super nova.
Slumber--well, yes, I would like that too, thank you.
Prudence--sounds a little to stiff and formal. Perhaps a few glasses of wine before bed are in order?
Virtue and Naivete--totally painting my daughters' rooms these colors.

There was one color that would make a killer title for a SFR: Helio Prism. Apparently I'm not the only one who thought that sounded way cool, as it's also part of the title of an album by a band called Beautiful Bloody Fiction, with some paint color-worthy song titles: Waiting for the Smoke to Clear, Burst, and Rose-Colored Specticles.

In the end, Husband and I went with a warm, peachy color called "Sonoma." Neither of us have ever been to Sonoma, but should we go we'd expect to see this shade dominating the landscape. Because the paint company said so.

Not So Black Friday

2009-11-27T11:02:00.003-09:00

There is no Black Friday here in our little town. Well, maybe there is sort of a greyish Friday, but certainly not one that starts at 5 a.m. And for that I am profoundly grateful. Not that I'd be up that early just to save a few dollars. Even if we lived in a more urbanized area, it wouldn't happen. When we visited family in larger towns/cities during the Thanksgiving holiday, it didn't happen. There is no sale, no item I need to get that could possibly justify my getting out of bed in the cold and dark to stand in a large crowd of people crushing me against glass doors or another cranky, coffee-deprived person. Best to just avoid the situation altogether, I say. That's what the internet's for, isn't it?

So it's a good thing that I live in a town that is not subject to such insanity. Hubby and I will do our version of Black Friday this afternoon. We'll have been well-rested after a relaxing Thanksgiving meal yesterday, a decent night's sleep and a couple cups of coffee this morning. Heck, we aren't even starting out until after lunch. Will we miss any great deals? No. Then again, with the limited shopping in town--and the possibility many shops are closed for the holiday weekend--we probably won't be finding much today anyway. And that's fine by me.

We're Not All Rogues

2009-11-17T09:37:00.006-09:00

Please don't judge the rest of us in AK by what you read about Sarah Palin and Levi Johnston.

I will admit, I admired Palin enough to consider voting for her to be governor. Yeah, that's a big deal for a liberal-minded gal like me. But she was a lot more normal then. At least on the surface. And compared to the other candidates during that election? Well, let's just say she was a breath of fresh air as she spoke of ethics reform and fiscal responsibility. Since then, I promised myself I would research candidates much more thoroughly in the future. Much more.

But then the vice presidential thing and the pregnant daughter thing and the baby daddy becoming some sort of celebrity thing occurred (Can someone please please PLEASE explain to me what Levi Johnston did to earn all this attention?). Palin and Johnston have been splashed across the national scene like poo at a monkey house. There are book deals and pistachio commercials, appearances on Oprah and spreads in Playgirl. They're dragging the rest of the state along for the ride, whether they mean to or not. Whether we want it or not.

I just want to remind you that there are normal people who live here, too. Folks who work hard, do their jobs, raise families and care about the world around us. Not that Palin and Johnston don't do those things (though for the life of me, I can't figure out what Johnston DOES do), but the attention isn't on their normalcy. Far from it. And there is normalcy here. Despite our living in a more extreme environment, we're not all rogues. Or celebutants. Or hockey moms. Lip-sticked or otherwise.

Equal Rights and a Family's Heartache

2009-10-18T13:31:00.004-08:00

This is not a political blog. In fact, I usually do my darnedest to keep my politics out of public forums. But this story/link posted on Nicola Griffith's blog about a family denied the opportunity to see their dying partner/mother is an outrage. A crime against what we humans should have over the basest of creatures: compassion. I'm sure the hospital social worker, the doctors and other personnel were just following the rules. Well, you know what? The rules suck. And when rules suck, when they prevent loved ones from seeing their ill family member and prevent them from saying good bye, the rules need to be changed. Now.

For those of you in Washington state, Referendum 71 is worthy of your attention and your vote. If you live elsewhere, find out where your state stands on same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships. You may be surprised. And possibly stunned and disappointed. If so, make an effort to change it.

If the states won't step up, there needs to be a federally mandated equal marriage law. Equal.

I have never understood how granting equal rights to all could possibly be detrimental to anyone. When I read the story I wept for that family and for everyone caught up in the stupidity that is the current climate. And my friends, we are ALL caught up in the current climate.

Bear with Me

2009-10-10T08:22:00.008-08:00

One of our neighbors is becoming annoying. No, not in a playing his music too loud or letting his dog poo in our yard sense. He (or she?) is rattling our empty garbage cans at night and getting into things in the open bed of a pick up truck.

Yes, our formerly polite black bear is acting like, well, a bear.

When we first moved to this little coastal town in south central Alaska, we knew there were more bears than moose around, completely opposite from our previous location. Both critters can be dangerous, especially when your dopey dog runs up to full grown mama moose and barks in her bulbous nose. Not smart, dog, not smart at all. Both are given space and respect (as much as we can with said dopey dog, at any rate).

We quickly learned there was a neighborhood bear, but never saw much of the bruin. He (we'll stick with the patriarchal pronoun for now) left piles of berry-seeded poo along the narrow strip of grass that separates our house from a swath of brush and the slope down to a creek. While picking salmon berries (no, they don't taste like fish), my husband saw his brown nose peek out from some bushes. A stern, "Go away, bear" was enough to scare him off. Our cat was never chased. Our garbage cans were never so much as turned over, let alone debris strewn across the yard.

But things have changed.

Two weeks ago, I was settling down for the night when I heard thumping outside--the telltale sound of a plastic garbage can being abused. Shoot. I knew it wasn't a neighbor's dog. Taking up the heavy flashlight from the kitchen counter, I went to the front door and flipped on the porch light. Grateful we, like most Alaskans, have an arctic entry (an area for coats and boots that separates the house proper from the outdoors), I was able to keep the dogs in while I poked my head out the outer door. I could hear the bear bumping into things, and since garbage had been collected that day I knew he wasn't making a huge mess. But due to the monster piles of wood dear husband had stacked for the winter soon to come, I couldn't see anything.

"Go away, bear," I said in my gruffest "dad" voice. The thumping stopped. "Go on, get out of here."

I listened and waited, the half-glass outer door between me and the bear and flashlight in hand (why I had it, I don't know. It's not like I was going to go out there. But its weight felt good in my hand.). After a few moments of no sound, I figured the bear moved away from the house, back up into the brush. Just as I was about to go back in, he lumbered from behind the tall stack of wood into the light. My heart stopped for a second or two then thudded hard in my chest.

"That is one big freakin' bear," my brain informed me. Yes, thank you for stating the obvious, brain.

Maybe 200 pounds, he strolled past the porch and glanced up at me behind the laughable protection of the half-glass door. My heavy duty, 2" diameter, foot long Mag-Lite suddenly seemed like a tube of tin foil. Not that I would have gotten close enough to hit him with it. Not intentionally, anyway. He kept walking and disappeared into the shadows.

The next morning, I warned the kids about our night visitor and made sure the coast was clear before letting the dogs out at night. All had been quiet for the past couple of weeks, except for the distinct whiff of musk the other evening that told us he was still making his rounds. But nothing destructive.

Until last night.

Hubby returned from a week of meetings and shopping in Anchorage at 1 am. He left the groceries and things he purchased in the back of the new, open bed pick up truck he'd transported back via ferry. (The truck is for the science center where he works, the groceries are ours and a co-worker's.) He had some totes of freezer/refrigerator items, including coffee creamer, butter, cheese and meats, that he left outside rather than put away after a long day. It was cool enough to keep things fresh. Along with that, our pal Penny had purchased three dozen tamales from Taco Loco, a restaurant in Anchorage that she absolutely loves. Hubby transported them back with our stuff so we could store them for her, as Penny was staying in Anchorage for a few more days.

This morning, Hubby let the dogs out and discovered our bear had been back. Despite the presence of approximately 30 pounds of meat and other fat-rich goodies, the bear went for the enticing scent of tamales. And really, who can blame him? He pulled the tarp off the tote, chewed a couple of holes in the plastic, tossed the lid and went to work. Of the three dozen tamales, packaged in a tin foil covered pan, 21 survived. As long as Penny doesn't mind paw prints on her corn husks, they should still be fine.

Living with wildlife is never boring, but the past few weeks have seen a marked increase in the excitement level around here. In the scheme of things, the loss of a dozen tamales isn't bad (though Penny might not feel that way). We'll be temporarily free from our furry neighbor's antics once he goes into hibernation for the winter. For now, we'll keep the garbage shut in the shed until pick up day, especially if we have Mexican for dinner.

Olé.

Book Pimpage of the Month: Mercenary's Promise

2009-09-21T13:25:00.005-08:00

What kind of book pimper am I??? I meant to do this earlier but apparently the chip in my head is acting wonky (better get on that, Sharron).

My BFF Sharron McClellan has the second of her Mercenary series out this month, Mercenary's Promise from Silhouette Romantic Suspense. Having been there at its beginnings and reading the development of this book as well as the others, I must say these are some high-octane reads. Set in the steamy jungle of South America, it's a fast-paced combination of action and romance.

Here's the blurb:

Wilderness guide Bethany Darrow was desperate to save her kidnapped sister in Colombia, but lying about having the money to pay dark, mysterious mercenary Xavier Monero would cost her dearly. Especially when their forced proximity during a dangerous jungle rescue unleashed a smoldering, irresistible attraction.

Xavier knew the beautiful American was trouble the second he laid his eyes on her. Taking Bethany on the mission was a risk, and he wasn't prepared for the peril she placed on his heart. Suddenly he wanted more than fortune—he wanted Bethany, body and soul. But everything comes with a price….

Sounds good, yes? Well, it is. Trust me. So go get it, and pick up the first book, Mercenary's Honor, while you're at it. Oh, and pre-order the upcoming anthology Blackout at Christmas (Nov. '09) too. That last one isn't a Mercenary book, but Sharron's story is damn good.

Bringing Out the Shine

2009-08-30T08:59:00.004-08:00

{A quick preface: One of the things I love about world building in fiction is the use of a phrase unique to that world. "Frak" in Battlestar Galactica. "Damn the void" in my own work (yeah, shameless plug. So sue me.). In Firefly, one of the best shows EVER on television, it was "Shiny," in reference to something good. }

Yesterday, amid the catching up of family doings with my old friend Patti (her kids are BOTH in high school now, her oldest a senior! Yeah, we feel old.) she told me about the enthusiasm her daughter has for a particular teacher's lessons. Her daughter often comes home with a gleam in her eye and begins a conversation with "Today, Mr. Smith talked about..." and goes on to reiterate everything Mr. Smith said about one topic or another.

"Remember when we used to be that excited about everything our professors said?" Patti asked.

"We were young then," I said. "Everything we heard and did was still shiny. Now, most things aren't so new."

There are things in life that we first gaze upon with wonder and enthusiasm. Events or ideas or even objects we fawn over and proudly share with the world, or maybe even keep hidden from view so we alone can bask in its glory. There is a shine that might blind us to everything else, dazzle us with its brilliance, attract the attention of others. It is all good and amazing.

But sometimes, somewhere along the line, the shine is dulled. The brilliant observations of a beloved professor are chipped away by better techniques and different views. Travel is no longer the carefree romp across the country, but a slog between crowded airports on crowded planes. Relationships, always shiny at the beginning, are worn by time and dinged by life.

The challenge is to find the shine. Not just to experience new things that make your heart race and feel like you're nineteen again. Those are wonderful and should be part of your life. Maybe not skydive every day, but even something as simple as trying a new dish at your favorite restaurant, or trying a new restaurant, can set you on a world of discovery.

No, for me, the real challenge is to buff those things that once made my heart race and have lost their glimmer for some reason or another. The return to a hobby I used to devote all free time. Re-reading a book that made an impact on my younger self. Re-igniting the fire we had before the patter of little feet.

If I can make the effort to see these things in a new way, if I can remind myself why I loved them so, and perhaps find a new facet to admire, they will shine for me once again.

What old passion can you think of that you might re-awaken and say, "Shiny!"?

Tax Relief and Economic "Whoa!"

2009-08-19T10:13:00.003-08:00

In these tough economic times, I can completely get behind government and private assistance, even bailouts if the Average Working Joe or Jane gets a break somewhere (bailouts being used for million dollar bonuses to executives are totally nauseating). And I can understand if tax payments need to be renegotiated so folks can still maintain a living. But there is an ad for a tax relief service on television that has me fuming.

The ad starts off with an everyday looking couple saying they owed $30,000 in taxes but when they went through this service they ended up only paying $3,000. The next couple (and these little bits always show a man and a woman, whether they are married or partners in some business) owed $100K and paid only $10K, or some such fraction. Each of the four or five bits increases the original amount owed, with the final being $3 million, and the happy couple reveals they actually paid $1 million. That's what this company does, eases the burden. Fine, except for one thing. These people seem more smug than relieved. They come across not as "Oh my goodness, we were so buried by all kinds of financial difficulty that we couldn't breathe and now we can afford food again." but as "Heheh. Screwed the government and, in effect, the rest of you people. Suckers!"

Now, as I said, I have no issue with helping folks when they need a hand. And I'm not going to argue the tax code here (mostly because I don't understand it). What gets me riled, and never ever willing to consider the company, is the attitude portrayed by the couples. Sure, taxes can be difficult to pay, but if they aren't paid many federal programs that do things like provide health care to kids, veterans and the elderly don't get sufficient funds. Schools don't get money, highways don't get maintained, etc. There's less going into the coffers, less to be used for the things we need. If taxes can't legitimately be paid because there are too many other things demanding payment and you need help, that's fine. Get help, pay what you can. But don't sound like you're happy about it. Because for every dollar you aren't paying, some program is losing a dollar.

I was raised to believe we are a nation that takes care of its own, and then some. That everyone should do what they can to help those in trouble. Folks receiving such things as tax aid should be, first and foremost, legitimately deserving, and yeah, even grateful that there is help to be found. Not grovelling and feeling like they are lacking, but appreciative. And even if you feel more smug than relieved, at the very least don't let the rest of us suckers feel like suckers.

Summer, We Shall Miss Ye...Sort of

2009-08-15T10:29:00.005-08:00

By most of the country's standards, summer is still in full swing. Even if school has started, there are plenty of hot days and at least one long weekend to go before it's over. Not here in the Soggy North. School will not start until the 20th (too soon, according to my oldest child), but looking out my window at the blowing rain, listening to the furnace kick on despite the thermometer setting of 63, the carefree days are essentially over.

Over for the kids, anyway. Hehehe. I'll try not to gloat as I sit in my quiet house, sipping a second or third cup of coffee whilst donned in flannel pajamas. I'll consider their hectic schedules as I make the difficult decision whether to shower before or after "Regis and Kelly." I promise not to smirk as they labor over pages and pages of homework while I flip through the latest issue of People. I promise not to do these things because I am a good and kind mother (snerk).

But hey, I've done my summer duties. We spent some grand quality time together, had visitors and participated in all kinds of activities, went Outside for ten days to visit family and friends. All in all, it was a very good, fun summer. And now it's time to get back on schedule, continue focusing on our goals and dreams. If I can do that in my pajamas, so much the better.

Alaska Adventure Coming to a Close

2009-08-01T08:08:00.003-08:00

The Nephew's visit is almost over. He arrived about three weeks ago from New York with my Mom so he could attend Science Camp here in the Soggy North. During camp, he and my daughter canoed, kayaked, trekked on a glacier and learned a lot about the various ecosystems that thrive in our area. His favorite activity during camp was climbing a wall of ice at the glacier. Scary, but cool (no pun intended : ). In all, according to the two kids, "Camp was epic!" I think that means they liked it a lot.

He spent another week here being very tolerant of my youngest using him as her personal jungle gym and not doing the activities I thought we'd get to do. Rain and the absence of my husband contributed to a somewhat uneventful final week, but he didn't complain. Didn't act bored or frustrated.

There was one final adventure. On Tuesday, Nephew and Daughter got to fly in a four-seater float plane from here to Valdez, a town about 45 air minutes away. They were to help demonstrate remote operated vehicles (ROVs) made by kids in the 6th grade (my daughter's class). The kids built models of vehicles that could maneuver in the water and aid in "oil spill" clean up. The "oil spill," in the name of environmental safety, was stale popcorn for this demo. The project got the kids' creative juices flowing regarding engineering and design. It's amazing what a 12 year old's mind can come up with and accomplish when they are interested. No two ROVs were alike despite the limitations set by purpose, size and the number of propellers allowed. Very, very cool.

So off they go with Lindsay, the Education Coordinator at the Prince William Sound Science Center, with the intention of returning at 8pm that night. The weather was iffy here, with fog rolling in between the mountains, but flyable. I trust the pilots here, especially if they are older. The saying goes, there are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are few old, bold pilots. I like mine to be calm and in control but know when flying is to risky, especially if my kids are aboard. At about 4 or 5pm, I get a call from Lindsay. The weather is worsening where they are and the charter company won't be able to get in. She, my kids, and two other Science Center folks have to spend the night in Valdez. They'll catch the ferry at noon Wednesday and return to us at 7pm Wednesday. The kids have no toothbrushes or pajamas; I would not want to be near their breath the next morning. I gave them some money for lunch and dinner, but that's all. I know Lindsay will take care of them, so I'm not worried. In fact, they had a fabulous time. In a way, I'm glad they got stuck. It's an adventure they won't soon forget.

So all in all, with Science Camp and the Valdez Adventure, Nephew has had a pretty decent visit. He's a good kid (Nice job, sis!) and I'm grateful we were able to spend some time with him.

Tomorrow we head to Anchor-town to begin his return to the Right Coast. My kids and I will accompany Nephew to Seattle. We'll see him off on his plane and then catch a flight to Spokane to visit the in-laws for ten days. Then school starts a week after we return, Yikes! Summer is winding down, but it's been a good one.

Change of Plans

2009-07-21T10:26:00.003-08:00

The guest post over at The Galaxy Express was a lot of fun. Heather's Parallel Universe idea during the RWA National Convention brought out a nice array of topics and ideas. Thanks again, Heather! I said I'd post the piece that didn't make the cut, but two things happened to kill that idea. First, my modem burned out. No Internets for the entire weekend! I don't know who was more twitchy over the lack of networking, me or my 12 year old. I did slip into the library and checked email once, but I didn't have the file with me anyway. Then, my mother and nephew arrived. Visiting took precedence over posting. And now, well, I've changed my mind about putting the piece up. At least for the time being.

The visit with Mom and Nephew went well. We got out on a few easy hikes, trundled to the glacier 50 miles down the gravel highway for lunch and some awesome calving, and generally enjoyed ourselves. Weather, always a questionable factor here in soggy south central AK, was mostly agreeable. The only downer was our boat breaking. Hubby wanted to take Nephew and our kids out fishing, but not being able to go further than line of sight made it less than enticing. But now Nephew and Daughter #1 are at Science Camp. They are getting plenty of outdoor time, even if it is wet. Yes, after two weeks of relatively dry and pleasant, we have rain. Lots and lots of rain.

The weather has also affected Hubby. He is overseeing a big research event, coordinating scientists from several universities and such on three different boats that should be out in the Sound running instruments and gathering data.

At least that was the plan. He was supposed to leave Monday afternoon, but a winter storm-type weather system roared into the area. Thirty to thirty-five knot winds have grown to 40-45, with rain increasing. Two of the boats had already left and are anchored in the lee of islands somewhere in the Sound, waiting for a break in the weather to get a little work done. Hope they brought a deck of cards.

Hubby and the two science dudes he was working with came back to our house last night for dinner and more comfortable accommodations than sleeping on the boat. They had managed to get a little data, but not nearly as much as they were hoping for. They are going back out today, but the weather is getting worse, so they won't go far and will be back in port this afternoon. We'll have them eat and sleep here and hope they can get out Wednesday. And not lose a $100K science instrument in crappy seas.

While they are anxious about getting the work done, they are philosophical about conditions. The weather is what it is. You can bitch, but that won't help or change it. Just do what you can with what you have available, try to take advantage of small windows of opportunity, and be glad you can come back to a warm bed and a hot meal even when things have gone awry.

It's an attitude I think we need to have more often, for all occasions.

On Location at The Galaxy Express

2009-07-10T09:42:00.003-08:00

I'm over at The Galaxy Express today talking a little about creating different worlds in SF and SFR. Pop over and comment!

Tomorrow, I may post here the piece that *didn't* make the cut for my guest spot, so come on back : )

July? Already???

2009-07-01T15:09:00.003-08:00

Yikes! What happened to the latter half of June? My kids have been out of school since May 21 and it feels like we've hardly done a thing. One attended a week-long science day camp, the other went to girl scout camp, and we've gotten out on the boat a few times (fishing, but not catching), but generally we've been lay-abouts. Which is nice and all, but still, I feel a little sluggish compared to how quickly the month flew by. This last half before school starts in late August will probably whip by as well, but we have a busier schedule.

First up is the local Fourth of July extravaganza, complete with kids' activities and a barbeque. Everyone comes. There won't be fireworks, however. What, you say, no fireworks??? What's 4th of July without fireworks? Well, considering it doesn't get dark until nearly midnight in the summer, a public fireworks display is tough. There will be plenty of noise-making fireworks, I'm sure, but not the pretty ooh-ahhh light up the sky types. Or if there are any planned, I won't be watching them. New Year's Eve is the time for pretty fireworks displays in the North.

The week after the 4th, my mother and nephew will be coming from New York for a visit. Mom will stay a week before having to return, but my nephew will remain here. We'll take them to the glacier and hopefully get out on the boat. Nephew will go to science camp with our oldest then stay another week for fun. We'll travel with him to Seattle, see him off to his NY-bound plane then my kids and I will head to Spokane to visit the in-laws. Poor hubby has to stay home to work, take care of the critters, and prep for a 3 or 4 week research cruise off Hawaii that leaves the day after we return. Yeah, rough life.

After Spokane we'll have a week or so before school starts up. Whew! How time flies. Like the hormones here in our house (DD#1 is 12 1/2, DD#2 is 9 and just hitting those pre-pubescent waves). No wonder hubby isn't turning down the chance to be gone for weeks at a time.

But it's been a good summer so far. Even the weather has been mostly cooperative--in the 60's and low 70's, no days and days of torrential rain but real sun. Often more than two days in a row! Crazy balmy, I know!

So how's summer in your neck of the woods?

Tag! I'm It!

2009-06-18T09:32:00.002-08:00

Avalon author Sierra Donovan has tagged me. Thanks, Sierra. No really : P

I answer the questions below then "tag" four more people, asking them to post their answers to the same questions. No pressure to play, but it is fun and gives an excuse for not hitting my WIP. OK, here we go:

Four Movies that I can see over and over
1. Serenity
2. Young Frankenstein (Sierra listed this one too and I must agree)
3. Mr. and Mrs. Smith
4. Pride and Prejudice

Four Places I have lived
1. Brentwood, NY
2. Bottineau, ND
3. Fairbanks, AK
4. Corvallis, OR

Four TV shows that I love to watch
1. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart/The Colbert Report (two separate shows but on in tandem, so suck it up)
2. Chuck
3. House
4. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles—which has been cancelled but I loved it

Four places where I have gone on vacation
1. England/Scotland
2. San Diego
3. Cruise along Mexico’s west coast (salt air shrinks clothing, btw, tho it may have been the buffet…)
4. Orlando

Four favorite foods
1. Baked winter king salmon
2. BBQ pork ribs
3. Fresh peaches
4. Ice cream

Four websites I visit daily
1. Yahoo Mail
2. My other mail site
3. Mrs. Giggles
4. A bunch of blogs I pop in on during my morning rounds (yes, this is a cheater answer. So sue me.)

Four places I would rather be
1. Back East visiting my family
2. At my father-in-law’s ranch/visiting DH’s family near by
3. Soaking in a warm bath
4. Traveling to somewhere new

Four things that I would like to do before I die
1. Write a bestseller (I believe this is on many of the “tagged” folks’ lists :)
2. Visit each continent
3. Get all my friends together for a huge party
4. See my husband happily retired and my kids happy and successful

Four novels I wish that I was reading for the first time
1. On Basilisk Station by David Weber (the first of an excellent series featuring a female starship commander)
2. To Kill a Mockingbird
3. The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
4. The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

Four people to tag
1. Sharron McClellan
2. Jody Wallace
3. Amy Jandrey
4. Tracy Montoya

Things I Ponder When I Should be Writing...

2009-06-10T12:45:00.002-08:00

Are the dust bunnies under the furniture gathering for a coup?
How much coffee CAN one drink without having their heart explode?
The Internet isn't so much a series of tubes (thanks for that analogy, Ted Stevens) but more like a Slip 'N' Slide. Think about it...
Why does the cat have to sleep on top of things? He can't just sleep on the bed but must sleep on the one article of clean, folded clothing on the bed. Why?
How long can I futz around before my crit partners yell at me to get my arse in gear?

OK, back to work. No really.

Let the Summer Begin

2009-05-25T09:07:00.002-08:00

Even here in the semi-frozen north there is a season--albeit a short one--known as summer. How do we know it's summer? The snow is gone, except for a few shadowy, north-facing patches here at almost sea level. (The stuff still on the mountains doesn't count.) The kids are out of school until August 20-something. And the tourists have begun to arrive.

Unlike our previous location, the town we are in isn't easily accessible. You can't just take a drive and end up here. But there is a small cruise ship that comes over every Wednesday, bringing a few folks to spend the day wandering the two main streets of town or to take an hour-long jaunt down the mostly gravel highway to Child's Glacier and the Million Dollar Bridge (no, no, not the Bridge to Nowhere. That's somewhere else.). Standing a quarter mile away across the river and feeling the cool breeze come off unmeasurable tons of ice while Volkswagon- to building-sized chunks calve is awe-inspiring and exhilarating. You just have to be ready to bolt inland in case one of those chunks creates a wave that will wash up and over the river bank on your side, flooding the picnic/viewing area. Yeah, it's happened. Apparently there were salmon tossed into trees during one big calving-induced wave.

We'll be taking my mother and nephew out there when they come up in July. I'll remind them to wear their running shoes.

Other than relatives visiting, we do have a few things to keep the kids busy and me sane. Camps, both sleep-away and day, will fill some of my daughters' days. Family fishing trips will dot the calendar. We're planning to go Outside for a couple of weeks before school starts. But overall, the plan is to take things nice and slow.

What will you be up to?

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T15:53:00.002-08:00

Though I'm asked what I want for Mother's Day, birthdays, etc., I rarely come up with a specific idea for my poor, befuddled family. I'm usually happy with sleeping in and not having to cook or clean up. This year, however, did get me a couple of lovely things: poems from my daughters. Like most things kid-related, they make me laugh and cry. I've been given permission to share them here.

A Mother's Day Poem
by DD #1 (age 12)

Dear Mom,
You make us feel good when we're sad,
You calm us down when we're mad.
We're jumpy bear cubs in a den,
You're our doting mother hen.
You make sure we are neat and straight,
And that we clean our plate.
When you're around we feel happy.
I think this poem is getting too sappy!
Even when we feel shy,
You make sure we don't cry!
You're the best Mom there's ever been!
(Even when the cat meows his head off for din din : )

A Poem and a message
by DD#2 (age 8, almost 9)

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
I give lots of love
to you!

Moms are like blankets,
they cover you with love.

Aren't they the sweetest? There is nothing in this world that could be bought or sold that equals receiving these gifts. One day a year isn't enough to celebrate the joys of my children--I'm blessed every single day.

Happy Mother's Day!

RWA Welcomes Rainbow Romance Writers

2009-04-29T10:06:00.005-08:00

It's official! The RWA has approved its newest Special Interest Chapter: Rainbow Romance Writers, dedicated to the promotion and advocacy of LGBT romance. Yay!!!!!

Despite my just starting out in the genre, the members of the RRW have been nothing but kind and supportive. They are an amazing, dedicated, and open group, and I'm proud to be part of the chapter. Go check out the RRW website to take a closer look.

Thanks to the Board of the RRW chapter (Jade Buchanan, Sara Bell, Kimberly Gardner, JL Langley, and Jet Mykles) and Laura Baumbach and others, who did all manner of gathering interest, collecting member information, and filling out the paperwork to assure all i's were dotted and t's were crossed. You all rock! Having an official LGBT chapter of the RWA will hold a lot of weight in the romance community. The majority of the members have been writing LGBT romances for as long as any romance author out there and it's time--past time, actually--that they receive equal recognition for their work.

As one of the members said in response to the chapter president's announcement: "Rainbow power--for the win!" It's a win we can all savor.

Write What You Want

2009-04-26T13:32:00.006-08:00

Two posts over the last week or so have me thinking about my writing. I'm worried about how it will sell. Not worried in a hand wringing sort of fashion, but concerned.

First, there was a post on Karen Knows Best about whether traditional romance readers were ready for lesbian romances. The other post, over at The Galaxy Express, posed the question about publishers being "ashamed" of the science fiction romance subgenre. Can you guess why I'm a little concerned? Yep, Bad Girl, the manuscript I'm currently peddling, is a science fiction romance (or SF with romantic elements, depending on how you see these things) that has a relationship between two women. If the commentary/information regarding the desire for and treatment of F/F romances and SFR are any indication, I may be out of luck.

Marketing for the subgenres separately is tough. I know. It's very possible I'm setting myself up for a lot of rejection and frustration. I know. Publishing for a newbie in ANY genre is tough. I know.

But you know what? It's the story I wanted to write. It's the story that made me think about love and sacrifice. About who we are, who we're meant to be, and who we're meant to be with. There are good guys who aren't really all that good, and bad guys who aren't all bad. There's betrayal and emotional abandonment, forgiveness and redemption. While I was writing, the setting on another planet, in a future time, made it fun. As the relationship between my two heroines began to develop, it made me think. Not about how I'd market this story, but how I could make it the best possible story I could write.

Now that Bad Girl is seeking a home, I do consider the marketability of a F/F SFR (I take my career, such as it is, as seriously as the next writer.). One of my crit partners has warned me that it will be a tough sell. She kindly recommends that my next WIP be more marketable because she wants to see me published. I love her and appreciate her concern, and the current WIP is more "traditional". But even if Bad Girl doesn't get any further than my hard drive, it's a book that wanted to be written, and I'm really glad I wrote it.

Grow Up Already

2009-04-07T14:54:00.006-08:00

Since I have an outside-of-the-house job, irregular as it may be, I actually have to dress like a grown up now and again. Sometimes for several days in a row. Crazy, I know. But because I didn't have any real need for normal, every day clothing, my serviceable wardrobe dwindled dramatically over the last seven years. If something got worn out, or stained (slob that I am, likely), or didn't fit any more (sadly, this was *most* likely), I didn't bother replacing it. Why spend money when I didn't really need to? I've never been concerned with fashion, and luckily we've lived in places where casual was acceptable for every occasion, so jeans and tee shirts or a sweater worked for me.

Until now. Now, not only do I have to wear something other than jeans sometimes, the clothes need to make me look like a grown up. No one would mistake me for any of the kids at either school, but I have to at least try to reflect my reaching adulthood. Tee shirts with cute pictures and snarky phrases won't do. The staff at the school would give me "looks." Not that they're snobby or anything, they are all very nice people, but I need to make the effort and present myself properly.

At the same time, I don't have a lick of fashion sense (which works well with the stand-by jeans and tee shirt outfits) and like to be comfortable (again, jeans and tees fit here). I settled on ordering some nice tees online, a pair of pants and a new pair of shoes. While still casual, I can dress up the tees and the pants aren't jeans. The shoes are more of a question mark as far as fit and style go. They may have to go back. We'll see.

I doubt anyone seeing me in my version of adult attire will swoon over my choices, but I won't embarrass anyone either. Hopefully they'll just appreciate that for where I'm from, my new duds mean either I won the lottery or have a court date.

Iditarod--The Last Great Race Run By Great 2- and 4-Legged Athletes

2009-03-19T09:12:00.007-08:00

One of the biggest, if not THE biggest, events here in Alaska is the Iditarod sled dog race. The Last Great Race, it pits man and his best friends against the elements of the Last Frontier. While the rest of us are snuggling close to our wood stoves or sitting comfortably in our easy chairs as the central heating kicks on, these brave and hearty men, women and dogs are traveling over 1,000 miles across some of the roughest terrain around, during some of the harshest weather.

About ten days ago, a field of 65 mushers, each with a team of 16 or so dogs, set out from Anchorage (well, Willow is the official start. Anchorage was a ceremonial start.) to Nome. Both human and canine athletes were prepared for anything the Alaska wilderness could throw at them. They hoped. Checkpoints, GPS, and aerial monitoring, veterinarians and doctors, assure that the teams are as safe as possible. Still, some ran into difficulties, a couple suffered broken equipment, and sadly some dogs were lost. More than a few mushers scratched, for various reasons, but at this writing nine are in Nome and another 40 are still making their way there.

The winner this year, Lance Mackey, took his third Iditarod Championship in a row. He joins the three-peat ranks of mushing legends Susan Butcher and Doug Swingley.

Lance and his team were the first into Nome, but all the men and women and dogs who set out are to be commended and respected for their toughness and spirit. Read some of the stories about sleds turning over and mushers smacking into trees and rocks. Of dogs getting tangled, of one that ran off in fright and was thankfully returned to his musher. Of the dogs that died and how the mushers grieved for lost friends. BTW, this is not the place to complain that dog sled racing is inhumane or cruel. A good musher treats his team with the utmost respect and care. They are his friends and his lifeline. Man and dog are truly teammates, and if you've ever seen an interview with a musher as he or she raves about the greatness of their dogs, or grieves at the loss of one, you will understand the heartfelt connection there.

So congratulations to Lance and his team, but the entire field, even those who scratched, deserve major kudos just for taking that first step onto the trail.