Sunday funnies

January 31, 2010 | Sunday funnies

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Six-pack Saturday

January 30, 2010 | Six-Pack Saturday

Six things I’m sure will make me a better writer:

1) Reading not so great writers–I recognize my own bad habits clear as sunshine through a clean window when another author practices them

2) Reading great writers–I recognize genius when I read it and I can learn from it

3) Writing, actually any kind of writing, helps, even letters to long neglected relatives. Practice is to expertise what compound interest is to wealth–a sure thing.

4) Watching movies–those are stories too, only the medium is different and sometimes the difference helps me learn

5) Listening to people talk, nothing makes dialogue work as well as a good ear for it. Just like with writing, practice in listening improves the ear.

6) Watching people–sounds kind of creepy doesn’t it? But paying close attention is actually a way to honor those you interact with and it yields nuggets of body language, facial expressions, and actions. Real life people are inconsistent, illogical, and complicated and yet they provide great snippets of material to round out fictional people.

Fan Girl Friday

January 29, 2010 | Fan Girl Friday

Since I’m an addicted reader, I keep to bookcases of titles I want to read, or think I might want to read. The well-stocked bookshelves give me the same kind of security hefty bank accounts or full pantries give some people. Yes, there’s a Barnes and Noble within walking distance. Amazon and Fictionwise are only a click away. But, the power could go out. It could be after eleven. Without the bookshelves I could be stuck with nothing to read.

Of course, there’s a nice stock of previously read titles on hand, many worth a second or third reading. However, for this reader there’s nothing more enticing than the lure of the untried volume.

I’ve made it a practice not to read what I write, at least not while I’m writing. This limits romance reading to historicals, fortunately I adore historical romance. This week I’ve polished off a Julia Quinn and am busy devouring a Patricia Gaffney. :)

What’s on your TBR shelves?

Real life

January 28, 2010 | Real life

On the fifth of this month, I set aside the current WIP and began a novella with a self-imposed deadline of the end of January. I’m not a speedy writer. It took a few days to work out the concept for the story. Another couple of days to find the characters’ voices.

The new computer system added tech challenges as I struggled to make old hardware work with the new.

This month there’s not a whole lot of real life going on. Good thing it’s winter and there’s not much gardening. Daily dog walks are not optional, everything else gets minimal attention.

So far, I’m on target with the novella. Keep your fingers crossed for me. ;)

WIP Wednesday

January 27, 2010 | WIP Wednesday

As I write this post, I’ve just finished the mid-draft of a new story. A final polishing pass, a revision of the synopsis, and it’s off to submission land, with a bit of luck, this week. I’m hoping there’re no last minute snags. It seems like forever since I finished a story. :) Yes, there are a few partials hanging around on the hard drive.

I’m feeling superstitious about my new baby, and I don’t want to jinx anything. So all I’m telling you for now is that it’s a paranormal erotic romance. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I hope to have good news to share soon!

Teaser Tuesday

January 26, 2010 | Teaser Tuesday

Just for you, here’s an unedited excerpt featuring Gunn, the other hero of Ranin Seven, the first installment of the Demons and Dragons series coming February 3rd, from New Concepts Publishing ... Enjoy ;)

“Are you crazy?” Gunn growled, interrupting his brother’s kiss. Bloody dragonheads, he swallowed the automatic curse on the end of his tongue, praying that he wasn’t too late.

Everything they’d worked for depended on him and Diablo keeping it together. Neither one of them could run skynet alone. Even strong demons had to rest sometimes.

If the woman pushed his brother into mating mania then the fledgling pan-galactic alliance would vanish before it had gotten truly started.

Though, the alliance had been growing steadily, he and Diablo were still the only high-level fire demons. The only ones strong enough to control the meteor showers that protected Ranin Seven from the emperor’s forces.

If skynet failed, the imperial troops would seize control of Ranin Seven and the duranium mining operation in about two nano seconds.

For two decades, he and Diablo had fought side by side. From the first days when they’d stowed away on an imperial mining transport, through the early days of serving deep in the mines as dust devils, until now.

They’d gained control of the moon and its mother lode of duranium. Over the past three years, skynet had been perfected. The tech-aided defense system functioned well–as long as a strong fire demon handled the controls. Skynet managed the fiery meteor showers and cosmic dust storms always brewing on the outer edge of the galaxy. The system was part technology and part magic.

Gunn strode into the medi-center proper, determined to separate his brother from the threat to all they’d worked to achieve.

A fast evaluation of the situation wasn’t encouraging. The medi-droid had shut down. The exam lights had been dimmed. And the normally cool, sterile environment swirled with heat.

His brother was wrapped around the imperial pilot and he wasn’t fighting her.

Mission impossible, Gunn’s specialty. Still, he had to try.

Fear trickled down his spine in the form of cold sweat. The imperial pilot was the emperor’s tool and a human female. And she already had her scheming claws deep into his brother.

He was in for the fight of his life.

Diablo’s head came up and he met Gunn’s eyes. However, he didn’t let go of the enemy pilot.

Then, Gunn read the tats on her slender upper arm. The chilling sweat of cold fear ran faster.

A d’skeku assassin was worse than an ordinary imperial warrior. Much worse. The elite troops were soulless, lethal killers, trained in every deadly art.

Worse than that, the emperor’s personal troops were conditioned from childhood to serve the evil Prado without question. Even at the cost of their own lives. The imperial conditioning was said to be unbreakable. He had no doubt she was here on orders to kill both of them. Something Prado had been trying to accomplish for more than two decades.

They were both still breathing and that gave him a silver of hope.

Mentally, he had to salute the hated emperor. She was the perfect weapon. Exotically beautiful, with slender curves, fashioned for a male’s pleasure, and doubtless skilled in every manner of death. She’d have to be.

Demons weren’t easy to kill.

Music Monday

January 25, 2010 | Music Monday

Did someone say shy?

Sunday funnies

January 24, 2010 | Sunday funnies

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Six-pack Saturday

January 23, 2010 | Six-Pack Saturday

Six things that I’m not doing, because I’m busy being an obsessed writer ;)

1) Dusting–where does that stuff come from? It’s winter so I can’t blame the garden. I shower regularly and I groom the dog, so it’s not us. Has to be the cat.

2) Cooking–thank goodness for batch cooking and freezers

3) Reading–sniff, sniff

4) Promoting–better time management would be a good thing

5) Posting to the garden blog

6) Practicing my French lessons

Fan Girl Friday

January 22, 2010 | Fan Girl Friday

Now and then I set down my story and wander out into the big world. A couple of weeks ago, I sallied forth to see Avatar. Definitely worth seeing–maybe more than once.