Happy Weekend!

It never fails, when ever we have a holiday and my husband stays home from work my days get all shuffled! It's Saturday and it's felt like it should be Sunday for the last couple of days. Not that I mind. It's kind of nice to take a couple of days to relax. And I kind of need it after the crazy, busy week.

There has been a lot of writing going on in this house this week. I've been working on my newest story, doing edits on the second Universal Defiance story, and promoting the release of Ulterior Motives! Oh, have you heard? It's available on Amazon now :)  It's Goodread's Page is up. Plus I'm on Tina Donahue's blog today guest blogging. And I have a sizzling book blitz coming up on the 10th. This is the banner for it:

Pretty, isn't it? Brynna at Sizzling PR did an amazing job with it.  I also have a tour coming up through Goddess Fish Promotion in mid August. And there are a lot of other blogs I'll be guest posting on in the near future. I'll post them on here as they come up :)

And, of course, I can't forget that Ink in the Blood releases August 2nd.  

But I never get too busy to enjoy the fireworks. This fourth we had friends over on the third and then went to a neighborhood party on the forth. It was a ton of fun to meet new people and catch up with those I hadn't seen for awhile.

I hope you had a fantastic forth and are keeping busy on your dreams as well.

Life, Love, and Writing

So it's been a long time since I've posted. A really long time. And I don't have a solid reason. Just with releases and new stories, my blog got away from me.

The three minute catch up: My first ever novel, Ravenborne, was released August 23rd from Samhain and will be out in print this coming July. July the third. Yay!! This was a huge accomplishment for me. But, this post wasn't meant to be promo.

My big news is I've actually pick up the sequel to Ink in the Blood and am finishing it. I must admit, I love my fantasy world but I love Ink's world just a tiny bit more. I think my ties to it are stronger. It's nearer and dearer to my heart. And that's what has kept me from finishing it. But, over the last month or so, I put on my big girl panties and got down to business.

Wait!! That didn't come out right. What I mean to say is, I'm a writer and a writer doesn't not write a story because it's hard or because they're worried they won't get it right. You just work that much harder while writing the story. So far it's going well. I'm exhausted every night from working, but it's a good exhausted. And this is quickly becoming my favorite story. I'm sitting at close to 19,000 words as of today but this has to be done by the end of Feb. as I have big plans for it. I'm going to a conference in Dallas at the end of March and want to pitch it to an agent. And I want to submit it to a couple places. I'll keep you guys posted as to how the story's going. Please keep your fingers crossed for me :)

What I Did Over the Summer

I can’t believe school starts next week. And I can’t believe my baby starts Kindergarten. I’ve known this day was coming for some time. And I’m really excited about it. But we just had such a fantastic summer, the time has flown by.

We went to Cincinnati Ohio for my first ever conference, to Chicago to visit a friend eat hot dogs and swim at a beach, Indianapolis to visit the children’s museum, and to the local pool more times than I can count. My youngest had his very best friend over to say goodbye before he, the friend, moved across the country. We had a sleep over with the nieces. We went to see Toy Story 3, Last Airbender, and they went to see Sorcerer’s apprentice last weekend. I visited my home town twice and ate at the pizza place where my husband I met both times (which is a lot for me seeing as I don’t make it back to my home town at all some years). Oh, and I submitted my first ever completed novel. That was just last week though so I’m not expecting to hear anything back anytime soon.

Yeah, it’s been a fun summer, but I think I’m ready for school. I think I’m ready to have a quiet house. And I think I’m ready for my baby to be a Kindergartener J

Community

My husband came home a couple months ago and told me that a friend of a friend was an erotic writer. My response, “Really, what’s her name?” Let’s face it it’s a relatively small community and, although I don’t write erotic (because it takes a very good writer to write erotic and I’m just not there yet) I do read it and I know several people who write it. And if I didn’t know her, chances were I knew someone who knew someone that did. Six degrees and all that.

He told me her name, and I didn’t recognize it.

“Well,” he said, “I think she’d just starting out and my friend made it seem like she didn’t really know many people. My friend was actually wondering if she could pass along your name and e-mail to her. I told her it’d be fine.”

I loved that he didn’t have to ask, that he already knew the answer. Of course it was fine. It was better than fine. After all, the community I’d discovered had become my favorite aspect of the writing journey. Yes, the first contract I was offered was great, and getting to see covers with my name on them had been indescribable, but none of that would have happened without the guidance and support I’d received from the other authors I’d met along the way.

“She seemed to think her friend thought other authors didn’t help each other out very often. That it was very competitive.”

That statement saddened me because it’s simply not true. I mean, I'm sure there’s competition when an anthology call goes out, and yes there’s always the hope I’ll make the cut at a certain house, but I’d do whatever I could to help out another author and when I tell them I’m cheering for them and wish them good luck, I honestly mean it. And I think the other authors I’ve met along the way feel the same.

Yes, I want contracts, but I want to earn them because my story’s the best, or because it resonated with an editor, not because there weren’t enough submissions to fill a quota. And when I’m rejected it stings, but I know I was rejected because my story wasn’t good enough, not because other authors had submitted works. I settle in to make it better and then resubmit it elsewhere. It’s one of the ways I work at becoming a better writer.

The exchange made me thankful for the community I'd discovered and reminded me to be grateful for all the help I'd been given. So, huge thank yous to Barbara Hancock-whose amazingly supportive words and deeds are too many to list, Nicole Dennis-who’s read my work and given me priceless feedback, My writers group, which includes Robyn Bachar and Ghostsnapper,- who forced me to sit down and write my first sex scene, Suzanne Rock-who’s shown up at blogs and events and cheered me on, Moira Rogers (both of you) for your kind words and repeat tweets, Cora Zane-for your encouragement (especially back in the days when I was Neoindra), E-love-for your unfaltering support, Aubrie Dionne-for coming to visit me at my blog and for the offers of reviewing my work, Sandra Sookoo for your wonderful words about my cover and offering me a guest spot on your blog, and well, I think you get the idea. I don't honestly think I could thank everyone who's touched me over the last two years, and I think that says more than this whole blog does. There are no words to express how much I appreciate everyone’s support and guidance as I stumble along this journey.

BTW she never e-mailed me. That saddened me, too. It’s my sincerest hope that she’ll find a community she’s comfortable with and that it helps her on her journey, as I would be lost without mine.

Upcoming Event!

I’m trying to limit my exclamation point usage since my editor pointed out eight of them in one argument, but as this is my first event, I think it warrants one. Lyrical Press is doing an End of Summer Event! Starting August 24^th, Lyrical is posting author profiles on their blog and mine is going to be one of them. Some of the authors are even giving away prizes with the event so be sure to check it out. If you click on the very lovely picture in the upper right of my blog you’ll be able to read all the details.

The Help and Hindrance of Modern Tech.

One year ago, I had one e-mail account.  That was it!  No blog, no social networking site, no twitter, just one e-mail account.  Today I have three e-mail accounts, two Facebook pages, two blogs (one of which is being horribly neglected as of late), a twitter account, and a website.  And, of course, to keep up with all this, I’m getting a smart phone tomorrow!  It’s something I swore I’d never do.  I’d always said the internet was there for my convenience not the other way around.  But with submissions out, editors e-mailing information, and witty friends, I feel compelled to be connected even when I’m not at home.  Yet, as I sat down to check my e-mail today, I couldn’t help but think back to the simpler days and wonder if my life really requires so much tech.

It seemed such a slippery slope to get from where I was to where I am.  It all started with me joining an online forum.  There I found friends who were facing the same struggles I was, writer’s block, rejections, and unfinished manuscripts.  And they gave me the encouragement and the resources I needed to rewrite and resubmit until I got it right, and got a contract.  While chatting with them, I realized how useful a blog would be.  Not to promote, but just somewhere for me to talk about whatever is on my mind.  Being a writer can be isolating, especially when you only have an eight year old and a four year old to bounce ideas off of all day.  So I started my first blog. 

By this time I was drifting away from the group.  I loved the people, but realized I would probably never be published by this particular publisher.  But I knew I would miss the friends I had made, so I started a Facebook page.  That way I got updates on them and could continue talking to them outside the boundaries of the forum. 

The next big change happened when I got my contract.  In the ‘publisher’s welcome pack’ it had a line about needing a website.  Me?  I’ve only had one thing accepted, do I really need a website?  They seemed to think so, and it is a nifty thing to have, so I put a website.  And since I’m writing under a pen name, that meant I needed another Facebook page to get my name out there.

So yes, I guess it turns out I do need the tech.  Well, everything but Twitter.  I actually signed up for that to enter a contest.  I didn’t win btw, but I do like the conversation feel of it, so I’m going to keep it. 

There are days I feel overwhelmed by the internet.  There are so many interesting blogs, people, articles, etc.  And there are days where I don’t get any real writing done because of it.  But that’s a lack of disciple on my part.  In the end, I can’t imagine being able to do my job without it.  To be honest, I wouldn’t have a job without it.

 

Why Asura?

When I first started writing the Inked series, it was going to be about demons and angels, but as I started researching demons I stumbled across the name Asura.  It was a beautiful name that had a delicate flow to it that I loved.  So I dug deeper.

Asura are sometimes considered demons in modern Hinduism, which is why they came up in my search.  But, as I continued to dig, I discovered the term 'demon' wasn't quite right for this race.  Asura are, to the best of my ability to determine, divine beings that have great weaknesses in will.  They’re drawn to excess and power, which tends to lead to corruption and evil.  But corruption and evil aren't certainties.  Asura have free will, and some have been known for their piousness.  And that’s what I loved about them.

To have a good nature and do good is commendable, but nothing noteworthy.  You are living within your nature.  But to have a nature that draws you to the darker things in life, and yet still do good—that’s remarkable and something worth note. 

So, in my stories of the Asura, that’s what I focus on, the constant struggle over the darkness that pulls at them and their desire to rise above their nature.  As it turns out, I’m not writing about demons.  I'm writing about overcoming them.

The in-laws are coming! The in-laws are coming!

For the past month and a half my mother and father in-law have been abroad, but they're coming home this Wed.  And since my husband's picking them up at the airport, they'll be coming back to our house for a quick dinner before he takes them home.  That means I’m going to be cleaning for the next two days!

I’m not a slob and my in-laws aren’t neat freaks, okay they are neat freaks but they don’t expect me to be a neat freak, but I still feel a certain obligation to have things cleaned to a certain standard whenever they come over.  And with two small kids, a cat, and a dog, it’s not an impossibly high standard either.  I’m okay with the scattering of toys, and the occasional pile of unopened mail, but the dust bunnies and sticky residue my boys leave on every surface must be eliminated.  And, since my father in-law is allergic to cats, the slip covers have to be washed and the floors vacuumed. 

And the dinner?  My husband is such a doll.  He grilled chicken breasts last night and stuck them in the freezer, so all I have to do is throw some couscous on the stove and throw the chicken in the microwave on Wed.  Add a vegetable and voila, an easy peasy dinner! 

Now, since I’ve already gotten the front room picked up and vacuumed, the dishes done, and the laundry caught up, I’m going to go write.  

If you’re looking for something interesting to read on this fine day  Grayson Reyes-Cole and Cora Zane have new releases out!  Yes, they both have new books in addition to the ones I posted about last time!  I know, they’ve been busy.  I’m in awe.  One note, the anthology Cora’s short story is in is erotic so you have to be 18 to buy it.  

Happy reading all!

Typo Artist

Yep, that’s me :). If there’s a word that’s almost, but not quite the same, as the word I want, I’ll pick that word a good 30% of the time, making the most delightfully awful sentences. I would buy that it’s my own laziness, except I really am trying to catch the mistakes. I’ve gotten to the point of looking up any word I’m not completely sure about, just to make sure it’s the right one. But still, they slip by me.

Some of my more memorable ones: I once used immolate instead of emulate, thing instead of thigh, bowel instead of bowl, and, most recently, I used shutter instead of shudder. What makes the typos so funny is half the time they work in the sentence, but you can tell they aren't right. Take the immolate one. I was trying to say my heroine emulated the hero’s mount. Meaning she tried to jump onto the horse like he had. I ended up saying she sacrificially killed his horse. It could have happened, but it didn’t. And the thing-thigh one...well, let's just say that one had my writers group laughing so hard there were actually tears involved.

I’ve gotten used to laughing at them, too. After all, it’s apparently part of me, part of who I am. I’ve also gotten used to running my work by at least three critic partners that understand who I am, are used to looking for my quirky typos, less an editor read that my heroine drank from a bowel instead of a bowl.

Sigh…

Writing Huzzah!

I’m really excited because I wrote about 2K yesterday. I know, it may not seem like very much, but it’s the longest stretch I’ve written in the past week. I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time getting this thing done. I love the story, the characters, and the world. And I’ve got the plot and twists all mapped out. My guess is it’s a combination of things that have nothing to do with the story at all, and everything to do with two little kidlets running around asking for apple juice every time I manage to sit down behind my computer. Regardless, it felt really good to get my heroine out of her ‘femme fatal’ scene. No one should be left with two assassins and a traitor for weeks at a time. Bad writer! Very bad writer! But that’s all resolved now. Unfortunately, life caught up with me shortly after the scene was finished, and I had to leave her in a shower handcuffed. Trust me, it all makes perfect sense when you read it :)

Any other weekend and I’d be all about finishing that scene as well. But it’s mother’s day weekend, and that’s always one of my boys’ favorite weekends. Why? I’d like to think it’s because they love me so much it makes them happy to have a weekend all about me, but realistically it’s because we always go to our local train museum and take a ride on their steam engine trains for both mother’s day and father’s day. Even knowing this, it still makes me happy when they run into our room and ask, “Is it mother’s day yet?” with the excitement usually reserved for Christmas.

I'm hoping to carry on the tradition this year, but with my youngest still a little under the weather, we might have to schedule something else. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

So that’s about it here. I hope you all have a great mother’s day tomorrow, whether it be with trains or tea cups.

Drive-by Promoting

I know promotion is important in this business. And I know it can be daunting trying to come up with new ways to get the word out. But I’ve come to really hate drive-by promoters. So much so, that I’m thinking about removing anyone from my Facebook ‘friend’ list who invites me to join a group or fan club, yet hasn’t taken the time to say hello to me. It’s really a matter of common courtesy.

Think about how you’d act at a conference for a moment. Would you just hand your card to everybody you walked by? No. You stop, smile, engage in a bit of chit-chat, look for an opening, and then, when you’ve established you have something in common, something the other person might benefit from, you offer them your card. It’s really the same concept in the cyber world.

If you want me to join your group, all you have to do is stop at my wall, say hello, say something about me(I’m a sure join if it’s something that shows me you took the time to visit my webpage) and what I might gain from joining said group. Now, really, is that so difficult?

Yes, if you have 2,000 friends it would be a time consuming task, but the people who actually join would be more likely to buy your book, or whatever it is you’re promoting, because they’d feel connected to you somehow.

Now, before what I’m saying is misconstrued, I think it’s perfectly acceptable to put your blog, or website, or whatever it is you want the world to see, in your status. How is this different? Because you’re not soliciting me directly, you’re just putting the info out there for any who might be interested. It’s the difference between a television ad and a person thrusting unwanted flyers into my hands as I walk by them on the street. I don’t know what you do with the flyers you get, but I can tell you what I do with mine…exactly the same thing I’m doing with unsolicited group/fan club invites.