Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Trying To Get On A Schedule...

Wow.

Since I've quit the paper route, things have been a bit hectic and I've been a bit more focused. However, not always on the things I need to focus on!

I've got to make a schedule for myself or I won't get anything done.

Here's what I've been doing:

~ Blogging, of course and reading blogs as well as trying to keep up with the comments.

~ Tweeting. I am trying to spend time on Twitter to keep up the decent presence I've worked hard to get. While this isn't exactly time consuming, I do have to do something daily or it gets overwhelming just like everything else.

~ Facebook. Well, this isn't really a big deal. I get on there, read my notifications, respond where I need to and all that. What tends to suck me in are those stupid games. So I have kept the browser open on that page specifically to keep up with responses to my posts and others.

~ Word Weavers. Even when my friend Jenna and I were working the networking of Word Weavers on MySpace, I don't think we were EVER this busy. We have the blog, the website and the group page on Facebook. We also have Twitter for WW as well. I don't get on there all that much, but it is shared time with Jenna. We have several people willing to volunteer some time, but it can be inconsistent. Plus, we're still trying to figure out where to put them.

~ Not only do I have all that going on, but I am gearing up to do some work from home. I'm getting ready to do critiques, proofreading and soon, editing. I'm learning from some very good teachers on how to edit. But I am also doing book trailers. Once I am able to provide samples of my work, I'll have a 'Services' section on my blog. Once I get up enough money to purchase PhotoShop, I'll most definitely be putting my art degree to good use and start doing book covers.

This all takes time. And it takes time away from my writing. Besides all of this, I'm still doing book reviews. Which, I love to read, so those aren't a big deal. I read every night before I go to bed and if I am lucky, I get a book done in a couple of days. Depending on the book. Some of them are so good I want to linger.

And on top of all of this, my daughter just informed me I'm going to be a Grandma. Phew!!!!

So now you see the need for a schedule. Lol! I've got my work cut out for me. Wish me luck!

How do you schedule your week? Do you work outside the home as well?

Monday, October 29, 2012

Book Review: 'Fox's Bride' by A E Marling...

Title: Fox's Bride

Author: A. E. Marling

Publisher: AEther Publishing

Pages: 269 (Print), File size: 1004 kb

ASIN: B009JDN2L8

Purchase: Amazon



Summary from Amazon:

A desert fox. An enchantress. And a sacrificial marriage.

Everyone in Oasis City worships the fennec fox as a sacred animal, except for the one woman forced to marry him. Enchantress Hiresha believes her fiancé is possessed by nothing more divine than fleas, and she also objects to the wedding venue: the afterlife. Priests will trap her in an airless sarcophagus with the fox. She has only four days of engagement left to live.

Her escape attempt ends in disaster, leaving her at the mercy of the city's vizier as well as her own pathological sleepiness. She wishes she could trust help from the Lord of the Feast, a past acquaintance with forbidden magic. He warns her that a sorcerer with even fewer scruples than himself may have arranged her marriage, to murder her. To find the truth before it's too late for her and the fox, she must slip off her silk gloves and break into pyramid tombs.

My thoughts:

A. E. Marling and Hiresha continue to capture my heart! The stories I have read by this author (this book and 'Brood of Bones') keep me coming back for more. Marling's writing is clean, well defined and cut as exquisitely as any of Hiresha's best gems.

When Hiresha arrives in Oasis City, she thinks her time spent there will be a bore as everyone scampers to do the fennec's bidding, believing that it is possessed by one of their gods known as 'The Golden Scoundrel'. But when the furry little avatar circles her feet three times, everyone is delighted that he has chosen his bride! While the details are a bit fuzzy, (no pun intended) Hiresha is certain she does not want to marry a fox.

While we get to meet some new faces, a few old ones return as well. Hiresha's maid, Janny and the dark one himself, the Lord of the Feast, Tethiel.

This time, the Lord of the Feast is not as prominent and the story focuses more on Hiresha and her Spellsword, Chandur. Because Hiresha does not want to rely on Tethiel as much as she did before, she discovers some new strengths of her own. Going against the wishes of the priest's, Hiresha makes her choice: Save the city or asphyxiate with a furry spouse.

Once again, Marling captivated me and Hiresha charmed me. I have to give this book a 5 star review.

Five out of five skull and crossbones.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Friday Favorites, Fantasy Art & A Funny...

It's Friday!! But wait, what makes this Friday more special than the last?

I'm done with my paper route!

Woohoo!

Okay, I did my happy dance the day after I was done, so I will spare you all from that. So let's get on with the usual post, shall we?

Favorite Books/Authors:

Jennifer Roberson. I devoured her 'Sword Dancer' books with Tiger and Del the moment I read the first book. The woman can write! I don't think there was ever a dull moment in those books, at least for me. I have read other books where the story tends to drag on and I have to stop, put the book down and then continue on the next day. You know, break up the monotony of it all. But I don't remember doing that with Roberson's books. I pretty much sped right through them beginning to end and boy did I hate when they had to end.

Favorite Movie:

Dragon Heart was one of my favorite movies and I remember my kids liked to watch it when they were little. Sean Connery's voice is sexy enough, of course add the man and get a double dose of Scottish hotness. Lol! But I'm a huge fan of dragons to begin with. I didn't even see the entire second movie before I decided it was crap so in order to preserve my love for the original movie, I never attempted to watch it again.

Favorite Music:

Loreena McKennit has been in my music library since I first discovered her. I don't exactly remember when that was, but I do know it was quite some time ago. I love her music. It reminds me of Estrella Wars in the SCA with the drums ringing throughout the campgrounds, the fires burning in everyone's encampments. The laughter, the shouting, the drinking. Oh yes, the drinking... people wandering around with 'War Juice' and offering you a sample of it. I swear, my first war I got drunk on my way to the privies... heh. Her music also triggers images in my head and that is why I play her albums while writing.

Fantasy Art:

I have to say, this is one of my all time favorite pieces of artwork. I remember playing Cosrin, the online RPG and using this pic as reference to Kayta because in the game, she was a half elf, half demon ranger. Now in my books, she's human and all spiffy.


And the Funny... I figured I would share this one. I found it again, cleaning out my folders on my computer:

Hehe!

Okay, have a great weekend everyone! What are your plans?

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

World Building Wednesday...

As you can tell from the title of this blog, I've exhausted the list of topics I originally had. Now it is down to basic generalizations and things I have seen in other books.

If it is one thing I can talk about pretty much non-stop, it's my world. Building everything from the ground up has been pretty fun as well as tedious and sometimes downright frustrating.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I have changed something. Like my map. The first one had one huge continent with dozens of kingdoms. Lines for borders were drawn and it seemed to work. Later, though, I spent some time looking it over and thought, "There is just no way this looks feasible." So I changed it. I even eliminated a couple of kingdoms.

Each one has their own story to tell with its own cast of characters. The list of stories I have to write seems endless sometimes. Which is why I want this first trilogy done so I can move on.

I have lots of different races, all with different histories that I hope come out in the stories I tell. I like to mention my characters traveling through certain kingdoms and crossing specific areas and towns, so that later, when you read a different story and see those places mentioned, you'll go, "Hey! I remember that from such and such book!" Of course, my hope is that the image I once projected to the reader will pop back into their mind. Which is what you want. You'll have to describe the areas repeatedly, because new readers won't have that image, but those coming back, will.

One of my favorite races (I do have a hard time choosing...) are the Sinisians. They live on the southern island of Sinis. What's so special about these people? They tell their life story on their bodies. From the moment they are born to the time they die, their bodies are tattooed in a blue ink. The story it tells other natives reflects personal achievements, tragedies, first loves, first kisses, marriage, deaths, relatives, etc. To an outsider, they just look like blue tattooed freaks. To their family and friends, they're an open book.

How would you feel if everyone, aside from strangers, knew every single detail about you? Would it make life easier or more difficult?

Monday, October 22, 2012

Social Media...

I've been on the fence about several networking sites since I started working my book release. I currently use Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and of course, I blog. I have a website as well.

But what else is there to use? What do you use?

Pinterest seems to be the new rage, but is it for authors? Most people just like using it for their personal stuff and that's fine. I'm still on the fence about it.

However, I am looking for even more sites to utilize. I'm so excited for my book release and I know lots of you are as well.

So what places do you use? What would you suggest? What are your thoughts on all of these forms of networking media?

Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday Favorites, Fantasy Art & A Funny...

It's Friday... again! Wow. I'm counting down on my paper route. 5 DAYS LEFT!! I can't freakin' wait. I've had nothing but car trouble the past month or so and I've spent more than I have made, I swear. Things are already tight...

But enough about that, let's get on with things, shall we?

Favorite Books/Authors:

Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. I love these books. I love how Rita Mae makes the animals talk. What is my fascination with talking animals? I have no clue. But I talk to my own animals like they can understand me and I swear they are more intelligent for it. I have to have someone to talk to, sheesh!
These books feature a character named Harry or Mary Minor Haristeen. Harry's pets, Mrs. Murphy, Pewter and Tucker all help her solve the mysteries, even if Harry can't understand them completely. All her pets keep a sharp eye on their mom. And there is usually a little note from Sneaky Pie at the end of each book. I'd have to say that Rita Mae is right up there for me along with J. A. Jance and the author of the 'Cat Who' books, Lillian Jackson Braun.

Favorite Movies:

For movies this week, I'm choosing 'The Boondock Saints'. Both movies! I love those movies and I can't get enough of them. I even have a t-shirt, which is unusual for me. I like wearing t-shirts, but I am not a big fan of concert t's or one promoting movies. I don't know why, I really don't. But I do have one from the Boondock Saints. My fave scene... well. Let me just quote it, "Is it dead?!" If you know the movie, you know what I'm talking about.

Favorite Music:

Violent Femmes. That's another favorite I have to find music for all over again. I used to have so many CD's and with my iPod, well, I just have to find more music. I'm already looking for a larger capacity iPod because the one I have is only 8 gigs. I don't have enough ROOM!!! Gah. As soon as I get a new one, Violent Femmes will be all over it!

Fantasy Art:




And the funny! Seriously, this is how I feel over on Facebook these days:

 That's it, folks! So what are your plans for the weekend?

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Shameless Plugs...

I've got two things to promote today.

One being Word Weavers. My friend Jennifer reactivated the group on Facebook recently and the amount of old and new members is staggering! I'm super excited. So now we're not just on Facebook, we're on Twitter, we have a website and we have our own blog. I'd love for you to check out those links, follow where you choose and help us spread the word. We're a tight-knit, fun loving group and we help support and promote (the hell) out of fellow authors. Our reach is long. So if you are looking for yet another place to promote, you've got the links now.

In the WW group is fellow author, Selah Janel and she's got a blog tour going for her book, 'In The Red'. Here are some links to that as well:


This is the schedule for the first leg of her blog tour.

This is the 'Like' page for her book.

This is available at No Boundaries Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Live like a rock star.

Dance ‘til you die.

Are you in?


Blurb

What kind of a rock star lives in a small town in the middle of nowhere and plays at weddings
and funerals? That’s what Jeremiah Kensington is thinking after an unsuccessful bar gig one
night. Then Jack Scratch comes into his life, ready to represent him and launch him to stardom.
Jack can give him everything: a new band, a new name, a new life, a new look, and new

boots…although they aren’t exactly new. They once belonged to The One, a rocker so legendary
and so mysterious that it’s urban legend that he used black magic to gain success. But what does
Jeremiah care about urban legend? And it’s probably just coincidence that the shoes make him
dance better than anyone, even if it doesn’t always feel like he’s controlling his movements. It’s
no big deal that he plunges into a world of excess and decadence as soon as he puts the shoes on
his feet, right?

But what happens when they refuse to come off?


Okay, kids, that's it. Have fun and hope to see you around the web!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

World Building Wednesday: Money...

Whenever you read a fantasy story, there's always some sort of cash involved. Characters purchase supplies or pay for a night at an inn and always drop a few coins into someone's outstretched hand. Some of those stories have markets where you can either buy or barter. But is it necessary to work up a monetary system?

You betcha.

Money is the all mighty motivator no matter if you are just living day to day in the real world or you're absorbed in reading about another world. In Harry Potter, the first book, I'm sure there was a collective sigh of relief when everyone discovered that Harry's parents and had left him a sizable amount of gold. Seriously, you didn't think his aunt and  uncle would fork over anything for Harry, did you?

If you're a fantasy writer, you'll know the standard forms of acceptable payment is copper, silver, gold or platinum. Or all of the above, including brass. Copper is the cheapest. Think pennies. Silver is next, then gold and highest is platinum. Some fantasy worlds don't even deal with platinum or brass. They aren't "standard" forms of currency.  Sometimes gems are involved, but how do you put a price on a gem? By size? Possibly. There are all sorts of types of gems, so you could base your monetary system around that.

Other worlds like to use bartering. But you can't really barter for everything. Sometimes a copper is needed.

No matter what, you can't get away from money. It is something we're all familiar with, it is something everyone wants more of whether they are real life or fictional. The more money, the more power. But what if more money didn't mean more power? What if it meant the opposite and you couldn't get rid of your money fast enough to save your life? Food for thought.

In my world, I have several types of currency as well as bartering engineered into my monetary structure. A Dract is gold, a Kemya is silver, a Barou is brass and an Aurn is copper. The Elves and Dwarves use gems. The highest being a sapphire, then an emerald and lastly an amethyst. One kingdom goes rogue in the currency department and their names for the gold, silver, brass and copper coins are Falah Tree, Herring, Sheaf and Gull. There's a whole story behind it, don't ask. Or ask later.

One island uses different gems and minerals for their monetary purposes. The highest is jade, then ivory and finally onyx.

Most of the time, I don't get too detailed in the information of what coinage or gems are being passed during a transaction. Mostly I refer to the money as coin or gems. The mention of the gold Dract is prevalent due to Farrehn and Vendras always betting on silly things. A gold Dract is always at stake. Also, gold is pretty easy to come by in my world, not everyone has it, but a very large percentage of the population does.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Most Likely To...

I was reading some comments and such from people on Facebook. People commenting on other statuses and the like, nothing earth shattering, but it got me thinking.

Scary, isn't it?

At the end of the school year in high school, I could practically predict what people were going to say about me. Very few people ever wrote meaningful stuff. I mean, really, I didn't have a lot of close friends. However, they were friends who would be sitting in the jail cell with me saying, "That was freakin' awesome! Can we do it again?"

Ahem.

I seriously did not cause THAT much trouble, I swear.

But when it came time to pass around the year book, get people to sign it so you could have some sort of memento, what did they say?

Mine were always short and sweet. I was always one of the 'sweetest people they knew'. Ha! They didn't know me that well... er...

Anyway!

I got lots of the 'sweet' stuff. I'd give a person the shirt off my back if they needed it. (And I'd get arrested... lol!) I'd offer to pay for lunch or a movie without ever expecting to be treated in return.

I also got a lot of 'You're so funny! Had a blast with you in Science/History/Choir...'

So what did people say about you? Might be fun to go dust off your yearbook and check it out. Have fun!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Interview With Edward McKeown...

Hey everyone! I'd like you all to give a hearty hello to Edward McKeown, author of 'Was Once A Hero', which I reviewed last week. You can find that review here.

Edward is a fellow author over at Hellfire Publishing and it was a great pleasure to read his book, review it and now interview him. So without further ado:

Mel: What is your favorite genre? Is it also the genre you write in?


Edward: Yes SF is my favorite genre and in it I like the broad star-spanning far future stories of Andre Norton, CJ Cherryh, and Larry Niven. I am less fond of cyberpunk or near future or dystiopia stories. I want starships and aliens

Mel:How much research goes into writing a Sci-Fi story?
 
Edward: As you would imagine it is highly variable. I tend to take as few liberties with the laws of pyshics as I can. My stories are character centric and less concerned with the technology. While I do not want to be busted by “mythbusters” I have an educated layman’s version of the sciences and do the best I can. Sometime I get lucky when I got bonked with the difference between the rotation interval of a pulsar and my story needs of my work, the great Catherine Asaro (scientist and SF writer married to a rocket scientist) told me to use a Preon Star because as she put it, “No one knows how those things work.”

(I wouldn't want to get busted by 'mythbusters' either!)


Mel: How long have you been writing? 

Edward: On a serious basis about 10 years.

Mel: What made you start writing? 

Edward: I was finding it hard to find the sort of book that I liked and one day I was reading a work by a major author (and torture will not get the name out of me) who I normally like and I felt it was a bit of a dog. I thought maybe I could do as well. Fortunately I did not know how hard it would actually be….

(I hear you. But it is a labor of love.)

Mel: Do you read in the same genre you write? 

Edward: Yes, though less now as I am afraid of being overly influenced which is kind of silly as there is nothing new under the sun. I draw most of my influence from anime, and actual history books I read.

(No, that's not silly. I'm afraid to read fantasy sometimes as I dread finding a story too similar to my own.)

Mel: What part of the writing process is your favorite? (Plot development, character creation, etc.) 

Edward: My process is a spontaneously creative one. I preplan nothing, I sit down and I write, it pours out of me like wine from a bottle. So I don’t section my work or think of that way. My characters tell me what happens and I write it down.

Mel: Do you have a routine you do after completing a book?
 
Edward: Yeah I work like heck trying to promote the book and get the word around. wink

Mel: And now for something totally random: What would you ask for as a last meal if you were on death row?

Edward: Something that would take a really long time to eat, maybe a Scottish dish as they take a long time to choke down and digest…

Well maybe a Hawiian Pizza? 

Thanks for all you do Mel.



Mel: You are most welcome, Edward! And all I can think of now is Haggis... lol! Have a great week everyone.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Friday Favorites, Fantasy Art & A Funny...

Wow, Friday. Weeks seem to just be flying by! I had a birthday yesterday... I'm so old.

The week has been decent. Nothing to brag about and lots to complain about but I will keep that to myself. You, my dear readers, enjoy the favorites, art and funny!

Favorite Books/Authors:

This week, I'm going to kill two birds with one stone. Okay, not literally! I don't have excellent aim... No, what I mean is, my favorite book and movie are tying in together today.

Hmm... what has a giant, revenge, true love, pirates, a princess and a ruthless soon to be king? Are you tired of guessing? Well then, 'As you wish':

The Princess Bride! I absolutely love this movie and the book, well, it's one I can read over and over, of course. Especially when I'm sick. Heh!

So I'll be skipping the favorite movie and going on to...

Favorite Music:

The Verve. I don't have a lot on my iPod from The Verve, but I do have some and have been wanting more. So someday, when I get a larger capacity iPod, I'll be adding all I can find along with a lot more. 8 gigs of space for music... I suppose some people can deal with that. Sadly, I have far too much music I like. One of these days I'll get all my classical on there as well. Yes, I said classical. I also like some opera, so there!

Fantasy Art:

I saw this circulating on Facebook and had to have a copy of it! I love dragons and this pic is awesome.


And the Funny!


Awww, poor pouty kitty! We loves you! Have a good weekend everyone and I'll see you all next week!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Book Review: 'Was Once A Hero' by Edward McKeown...

Title: Was Once A Hero

Author: Edward McKeown

Publisher: Hellfire Publishing, Inc.

Pages: 356 (Print), File size: 431 kb

ASIN: B006UMTBY8

Purchase: Amazon



Summary from Amazon:

Reluctant privateer Robert Fenaday searches the stars for his lost love, Lisa, a naval intelligence officer whose ship disappeared near the end of the Conchirri War . He’s joined by the genetically engineered assassin, Shasti Rainhell, whose cold perfection masks her dark past. Both are blackmailed by government spymaster, Mandela, into a suicidal mission to the doomed planet Enshar. Leading a team of scientists and soldiers, they must unravel the mystery of that planet’s death before an ancient force reaches out to claim their lives.

My Thoughts:

Sometimes it is difficult for me to get into a science fiction story. Some of the terminology used can be quite confusing. Not this time around, though. It was an easy read for someone like me who isn't a hard core sci-fi fan.
Robert Fenaday's loss of his wife is heartbreaking and his search for her seems fruitless. Now, with the Conchirri War over, funding his search becomes a bit of a problem. Enter the little Enshari who is about to change all of that. Granted, the government wants to see Fenaday go on this mission ... and not come back, but this isn't why Fenaday chooses to accept.
Shasti Rainhell is definitely not a woman you want to mess with. She lives up to her surname in lots of ways. Always by Fenaday's side, she isn't about to let him go to the Enshar planet without her.
This book contains a myriad of aliens and robots, cyborgs and intrigue. Enshar was attacked by an unseen force and McKeown keeps you guessing until the end as to what exactly wiped out almost an entire species and then some. Very well written, great plot and strong characters. I would definitely read more from this author.

My Rating:

5 out of 5 skull and crossbones

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

World Building Wednesdays: Laws...

When you are building a world from scratch, there is so much to think about. So many tiny details you need to add, that some get over-looked. This is why it is a good idea to keep notes and note cards.

One thing that always seems to be taken for granted is laws. It is only hinted at in most fantasy worlds. What is right from wrong, what are the punishments? What is acceptable in society?

While there are some givens, like no stealing, no killing, don't cheat on your spouse kind of things, there are times when details will need to be called upon. Again, the depth you want to go with these details is entirely up to you and the story you are writing. You don't want to get into a lot of these details about laws if you are not writing about a thief.

But there are all sorts of laws that this topic covers when writing fantasy. Laws of earth and men, laws of magic. Laws for gods and goddesses. Well, those are mostly rules, but lots of them have consequences when broken.

Fizanu is my goddess of Law and Justice. Her disciples are scriveners of law. She dictates the laws to her priests and priestesses and they write them down. These are then passed on to the Law Makers of Fizanu. There is at least one Law Maker in every major city and town as well as an Overseer. The Overseer is the equivalent to a sheriff.

So if we were to follow the order of my laws, they start with Fizanu, then are given to the Law Makers, who pass it on to the Overseer who in turn passes it on to the King or Queen.

Punishments for crimes are pretty straightforward. There are dungeons, jail cells and (for those really nasty criminals) an island. On this island are colonies formed from the nature of the offense. Murderers inhabit one colony, repeat offenders of theft inhabit another and so on.

So think about your laws. What would you consider a crime? What would punishment consist of? Would you chop off the hand of a thief? Behead a killer?

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Whaddya Mean Ya Don't Wanna?...

Ever have one of those times in your life when you absolutely, positively could not force yourself to write a single sentence?

Maybe you hit a low point in your life and writing was the last thing on your mind. How did it make you feel?

I know how I feel when I'm not writing. I feel like a failure. I feel like I've just put up a really good front, told people all about my writing and then I feel like a sham. What was I thinking? (Way back when) What did I think I would be able to accomplish?

When you hit a low in your life, it is hard to keep writing. Some people can power through it, others can't. Sometimes you spend so much time in front of computer on a daily basis the last thing you want to do is sit in front of it to write.

I've hit lows before. I haven't wanted to write a single word, but I just can't get away from it. It's my passion and obviously something I am meant to do. When I don't like sitting in front of the computer, I will write stuff down in a notebook.

If I'm going through a rough time, I'll write all my angst out on paper and burn it later. Some of that stuff is not meant for other people to see. Those are some of my private thoughts, things I sometimes don't have the courage to say to someone, so why on earth would I want someone to accidentally stumble across it?

Seriously, I'd scare people.

So what do you do when you just don't have the energy to write? What do you do when things keep flying at you and you feel like you're spinning out of control? Do you power through or take a break to focus on yourself and re-energize? I'd really like to hear your thoughts on this.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Ah, Monday...

I don't mind Mondays. They're just the beginning of another week. Last week sucked pretty bad, so I am glad to be on a fresh, new week.

Sunday I spent some time catching up on some blogs. I even left comments. *Gasp!* But, it was a pretty casual, laid back kind of day.

I'm hoping this week will be better than last. I don't like to post a LOT of personal stuff up here, but it has to be mentioned that an old friend of mine was shot and killed at a bus stop in Tucson. I'd known him since high school, lost touch, reconnected with him a couple years later as well as another friend and then we lost touch again. I was thinking about him a month ago, wondering where he was and how he was doing.

But, I then got caught up in all my pre-release book stuff again. He was a good guy, even if he did have a messed up childhood. I remember picking him up so he could escape his foster parents for a couple hours and hang out at the mall. He was like a little brother to me back then.

At any rate, I am hoping to have a guest post either this week or next with Edward McKeown. I am finishing up his novel, "Was Once A Hero". I'll also have a review of that posted. I have my World Building post set for Wednesday and maybe I'll have something to post on Thursday. I'm thinking another excerpt, but we'll see.

I hope you all had a good weekend! I'll be around this week, preparing for my book release as usual. I was also thinking of looking into Pinterest. Any suggestions for that? Oh, and I have artwork to do. Always have artwork to do!

Friday, October 5, 2012

Friday Favorites, Fantasy Art & A Funny...

Well, things are getting back on track. While I still have a TON of things to do and prep for my book release, it doesn't mean I'm any closer to getting those things done. Seems like I finish one thing and several more pop up that I forgot about. But that doesn't mean we can't get back to our regularly scheduled Friday Fun, right?

Right! So here we go!

Favorite Books/Authors:

You know me. I LOVE pirates. Adore them, emulate them on occasion and have to get my pirate speak on every 'Talk Like a Pirate Day'. I had fun this last time around posting pirates tips on my Facebook feed. So this next series of books won't come as much of a surprise. It's the Young Adult series, 'Bloody Jack' by L. A. Meyer. This series follows Jacky, a young girl orphaned on the streets of England and avoiding the corpse seller, Muck. Muck doesn't just look for the newly dead, he'll kill to get his coin. Jacky soon finds herself dressing as a boy and hopping aboard HMS Dolphin and getting into lots of trouble. She soon earns her name, Bloody Jack, and the adventures just keep coming from there! Excellent book and series. I think I have one more left to read and I'll be done.

Favorite Movies:

And keeping in line with the book, of course, my favorite movies will be all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Gotta love Jack Sparrow! ::Swoons::





Favorite Music:

Flogging Molly, of course. Who wouldn't love that band if they love pirates!

Fantasy Art:



And the funny:

And before I am accused of talking too much, I'll just say have a great weekend! See you all next week.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Sneak Peek From Last Week...

Okay so last week I was spotlighted on the Word Weavers Facebook page. I realize a lot of you don't do Facebook,so I thought I would share the excerpt here that I shared with them.

Enjoy!


Outside, the twin suns began to set, one dutifully follo
wing the other, and Alabassin continued to stare at the same page. He made no move to light a candle or lamp as the shadows in his room deepened. Just before the first sun dipped out of sight, the door to his room slammed open, and his father stood there, silhouetted by the torchlight in the corridor.
“Have your senses left you?” Li’endrin asked his only son. “Are my orders so unspecific that I have to remove myself from our guests to deliver them to you in detail?”
Alabassin raised his head to look at his father, weary of this constant conflict.
“I understood your orders.”
“Then why have you refused to come to the receiving hall?”
“I am not one of your lowly Nobles that feel the need to bow and scrape at your feet to remain alive.” Alabassin stood and walked over to stand before the man he called father. Lifting his chin, he looked down at his father who was half a head shorter. Alabassin knew it irritated him when he did this. “You cannot expect me to drop everything because you suddenly feel like entertaining guests. It's been years since you've had anyone to dine with you, what's the occasion? Looking to impregnate another wench and kill off a bastard child?”
“You are my son and future king of Relavia. If I order you to drop your breeches and piss in the street in front of a Priestess, you will do it. Do you understand me?”
Alabassin stood inches from his father's face and stared at him for a long moment. Years of hatred and abuse used to dictate how lightly he needed to tread around his father, but recent events lifted the heavy yoke of intimidation. His soul lightened considerably as he squared off with his father more and more in the last several days.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Insecure Writers Support Group...

It's the first Wednesday of the month and that means it is time for IWSG! Insecure Writers Support Group.

Who isn't insecure about their writing?

Having a support group like this is really, really helpful. It saves my sanity, more often than not, just knowing I can vent to other writers once a month. People who know what I am going through when I feel insecure or hit a snag or get irritated with some lousy idiot who doesn't....

Ahem.

You get the idea.

It's also nice to be able to offer up support and advice for those who might need it. There are soooo many of us involved in this, I don't get to everyone. I think the Ninja Captain himself is the only one who does... So if I don't make it by, I'm sorry. I will try to get to you next time around.

Which leads me to my insecurity of sorts. Commenting. I love reading everyone's posts and I do drop by, trust me. Time is limited as you are well aware. But sometimes, I don't leave a comment to let you know I was there because I just don't know what to say.

Things like, "Great post!" is good, but I fear may come across as, "Oh. Hey. Just skimmed. Good job. Keep it up. See ya."

You know?

Meh.

I do make an effort to get involved in discussions. But I'm also having issues with Blogger these days with people not able to leave a comment. (Some anyway, working on it.) And I've reached my limit on how many people I can follow. So I don't see all the posts in the feed. I have tried deleting some blogs that are inactive and have been for over a year or something silly I don't want to follow anymore and I can't get them to load so I can remove them. Very frustrating!

And I refuse to upgrade Blogger. That's like saying, "Hey, don't worry about your buggy issues, let me just throw some money at you to make it all go away..."

Not.

I'll try to be better. Maybe when I comment, I'll say, "I was here!!!" if I can't think of anything else to say. That way you know I stopped by and showed you some bloggy love. <3 br="br">

Monday, October 1, 2012

How You Roll, Or Write, Rather...

I was browsing through blogs today, looking for a topic and saw Nathan Bransford's post on writing every day.

I thought it was a good post topic.

There is absolutely, no way, whatsoever, in any circle of Hell, I would be able to write daily.

How'd you like that sentence, eh?

It's true though. I have lots of different characters and stuff to maintain and when one of them shuts up, I have wheedle stuff out of them. OR I have to just kick back and let my mind work in the background and fix a problem/unlock a puzzle. If I were to write every day, I'd literally have to live in my fantasy world.

It'd be fun. But. No.

It's bad enough that I have lots to do now and trying to prepare for things. I'm working on drawings, my maps and all sorts of other little goodies and that takes time away from things like family. Which sucks.

It also takes away from household chores, but that doesn't suck as much until I look around and go, "Gah!!"

Some of those dust bunnies are freakin' scary. And carry weapons. I do have swords in my house. Have you ever met an armed dust bunny?

Anyway. There's lots of reasons to write daily, but just as many (I think) to not write every day. My brain just doesn't function that way. I can't force myself out of a block. I have to work on it while doing other things. Let it fulminate in the back of my mind. Half the time, it is hard for me to write about something completely different because that creative part of my mind is already occupied. So yes, I will go for long stretches of time where I don't write. But once I hit that, 'Aha!' moment, I'm off like a shot.

So do you write daily or not? What's your take on this?