Sorry I’ve been MIA. I just finished typing in the edits for my vampire novella. I need to read through it one more time to make sure I haven’t missed anything. I plan to send it off tomorrow, then jump right into more edits on another project. I wish it was more exciting around here, but LIFE is currently taking precedence over blogging. I’m sure you all understand.
I’m reading the last of the RITA’s since that deadline is coming up FAST. Yikes! I am also reading the new Stephanie Laurens’ book, ‘Where The Heart Leads’. What a delightful, delightful book. It reminds me of her early work with the original Cynsters. I’m really enjoying reading this book. It puts me in a happy place.
Anyone going to see Watchmen next week? I’ll be there with bells on. (Midwest saying, I don’t mean it literally.)
1. Scotland has always been and will always be a place I find great internal peace. The land and I have a history.
2. Paris has the best bread and hamburgers I’ve EVER eaten.
3. Austria should be known for their chocolate. I missed hearing Mozart while I was there.
4. I had no idea that five German police officers were killed trying to stop Hitler during one of his first rallies in Munich. (They didn’t cover that fact when I was in school. They really should have. It would’ve changed some of my opinions of Germany growing up.)
5. PETA + Munich = carnage. I’ve never seen so many fur shops and fur coats as I did in Munich. German women LOVE their furs.
6. Paris sidewalks really do have a lot of puppy landminds on them.
7. Afternoon tea at the Dorchester in London blew away afternoon tea at the Ritz. (Sorry Ritz.)
8. This was my first visit to London where the city actually looked tired. I found this really sad.
9. No one (including me) sang the Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music in Salzburg.
10. Italian restaurants seemed to out-number ever other kind of restaurant in Salzburg. I guess they really love spaghetti.
11. You can get arrested in Germany for displaying Nazi hand signals (ie saluting). They take that stuff VERY seriously. (And no, I didn’t do it. I don’t personally find the frustrated vegetarian failed artist funny.
12. The concentration camp in Dachau (which is twenty minutes or less from Munich) only housed men until the last two years of the war. People in Germany are still very hesitant to state that they live there, even though the town itself is one of the most beautiful in the area.
13. Mad Ludwig was a Barbie boy trapped in a Ken world.
14. I never knew there were so many types of sauerkraut.
15. The Germans and the French aren’t rude. They just don’t act like they’re friends with everyone they meet. (Think more formal in their relations.)
I suppose those are the main ones off the top of my head. If anyone has any questions about the videos or places, fire away.
Managed to finish my vampire novella. Unfortunately it has gone 1500 words over the max word count, so I’m trying to cut it down. It will be hard, since I wrote lean, but at least it’s done.
Here finally are the videos. There’s six of ‘em: we kept them short and sweet.
1) Loch Eck, Scotland (54s)
2) Scotland to Munich (1m45s)
3) Salzburg (1m30s)
4) Mad Ludwig’s Castle at Neuschwanstein (1m10s)
5) Paris (5m)
6) Paris Catacombs (1m30s)
Enjoy!
I saw this on Dee’s blog. I don’t know Dee personally, but I’ve had a lot of online dealings with her. She’s always been professional and maintained a positive outlook no matter what the subject being discussed. If you can help, please do. The way I look at it is next time it might be one of us asking.
My thoughts are with her and her family in this incredibly difficult time.
The video has been edited. Now all that needs to be done is to have it uploaded. We’re getting very close.
I’m in the process of trying to determine what I’ll work on next. I still have to finish the vamp novella. I plan to do that today. Once I’m done, I want to go through a manuscript I wrote a long time ago to see if it can be ‘fixed’ enough to fit in the Blaze line. (It was originally written for that line. I just never submitted it.) I also have a paranormal that may fit the Nocturne line. I’d have to go through it, too before I even consider submitting it. This brings me to the new work. I have a few ideas that are starting to take shape. They aren’t completely formed yet. I’ll need to do some brainstorming for both, especially since they’re looking like series books. (I’m not counting the urban fantasy partial I’ve already sent my agent or the futuristic romance partials sitting on my editor’s desk. Those are separate projects.) It’s taking so long to hear back from publishers right now I figure I have time. *g*
This is where spin the bottle comes in. As much as I’d love to work on everything at once, I’ve found in the past I’m not very productive when I do so. The pros of working on multiple projects is that you don’t tend to lose interest. When one stops, you can pick up in the other. The problem I’ve encountered when I do that is I don’t seem to make much progress in either manuscript…which frustrates me to no end.
So how do you choose? Sometimes it’s as simple as laying out the projects on the floor and spinning a bottle. Whichever one the bottle points to is the project you pursue. I’m at that point now. I am really looking forward to working on something new. No matter what I pick, it’ll take a while to put the project together. Like I said, the ideas I have now aren’t formed enough to write more than a beginning. I have a lot of brainstorming ahead of me.
For those of you who enjoy free books (and who doesn’t?), here is a download from Harlequin that’s not to be missed. I contributed an entry, along with several other authors. It’s all part of the Harlequin 60 year anniversary.
I’m off to write another chapter of the vampire novella. Have a great weekend and a Happy Valentine’s Day (if you’re one of those people who celebrate the Hallmark holiday).
The vampire novella is coming along nicely. I’m starting chapter three (out of five) today. Hopefully I’ll get a rough draft done by the beginning of next week, so I can let it sit for a couple of days before I edit it.
Charli has a wonderful cause on her site. If you can afford to give, please do so.
Dh edited the last of the videos we made on our trip. He has to nip a few for my site, but they should be up by next week. Thanks for your patience and please ignore my pointy hat. It was cold. I wasn’t trying to make a fashion statement. *ggg*
Almost finished reading my RITA pile. I have three more to go. I’ll have a lot more to say about this once the finalists are announced. Let’s just say I think the RWA is going to have to take another look at it’s definition of romance.
Charlene Teglia pointed me to a wonderful, wonderful article written by Barbara Samuel. She said things I REALLY needed to hear. A few of the standout points for me are: ‘Write things that are not for public consumption’ and ‘Remember, too, that you are creating a whole body of work, and not even you know what is good work or your best work until you get to the end of the road’.
I don’t tend to write things (outside of an occasional journal entry) that aren’t for public consumption. I think that’s where I’ve made the biggest mistake. My rebel has been ignored. *g* No wonder the bunny is so angry. Seems so obvious now. I also don’t look at my books as a ‘body of work’. I take them individually and try to determine if they are a success or a failure. Time to widen the lens a bit.
What have you been doing that might not be in your best interest?
We made this weekend a movie weekend. We went to see Coraline and Push back to back. Coraline was playing earlier, so we chose it first. The movie had a very Nightmare Before Christmas feel to it. Solid story (as you might imagine) and beautiful visuals. The version we saw wasn’t 3D–thank goodness. Those tend to give me headaches. The story is about her girl whose parents are writers. *g* In fact the father reminded me a little of Neil Gaiman, if he had exaggerated features. Anyway, she moves to a spooky house that has been subdivided into multiple units, leaving her friends behind. Every neighbor she meets is ‘quirky’. Her parents are super busy with their upcoming gardening book, so they don’t have a lot of time to entertain Coraline. She’s lured into this alternate world where she has another set of parents. These parents have button eyes and dote upon her. At first it’s all sunshine and rainbows, then she gets a glimpse behind the curtain. From there the adventure/nightmare begins.
It’s a really good flick. Like I said, solid story telling and wonderful visuals. I imagine it might be a tad scary for some kids. I probably wouldn’t take little ones to see it because of the ‘dark fairy tale’ elements sprinkled throughout. Highly recommend seeing it.
We saw Push later in the afternoon. Dh was a little disappointed with the ending. I suppose it could’ve been stronger, but I thought it was a really fun film. The film is about two misfits who are out to change their intertwined destiny and save the people they care about. The twist (not a hidden one) is the future is always changing, so they have to try to stay a step ahead in order to survive. I love how they handled the supernatural aspects. (They were commonplace.) I also liked how our hero and heroine weren’t exactly at the top of their game. Both were a nice change. There are a plethora of background shots of Hong Kong, which made for an interesting setting. Tons of action. I would’ve liked the hero to have a bit more stake in things from the beginning, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Dakota Fanning was terrific–as always. I’m really surprised it didn’t do better over the weekend. I will be buying it when it comes out on DVD. All in all, it was a two thumbs up for me.
I’m still working on the vampire novella. You wouldn’t think it would be so hard to write a straight story, but it is. I will get it done on time. Waiting to see what if anything is going to happen on the publishing front. I’m hoping to be able to attend the Romantic Times Convention, but I have to wait and see. I know a lot of people who are in a holding pattern with their jobs. Hopefully we’ll all know more within the next month.
Just realized that Monsters vs Aliens doesn’t come out until next month. I got it and Coraline’s release date mixed up. I’m looking forward to seeing it, too. Going to be a movie weekend.
Anyhoo, onto the post. Given the current climate in publishing, it’s easy to get discouraged. Long wait times have basically doubled tripled. You have to be prepared to stick it out. Lots of ‘helpful’ companies are popping up. You know the kind. Give us some of your money and we’ll help develop/push/edit/etc. your book. I’m not sure where they expect writers to get the money if they aren’t selling, but I suppose they don’t really care.
I think the most important thing a writer can have these days is something else to concentrate on. I had my cooking classes for a while. Still miss them, but I’m on a diet and really can’t afford three more months of wonderful food. That means I have to find something else. I’m just not sure what that something else is at present. I’ve never been the type of person to have hobbies. I’m not what you’d describe as ‘craft’ oriented. I equate things like that to a form of punishment. I do work out several times a week thanks to my Wii Fit and Wii Sport, but I wouldn’t call it a hobby.
Why am I bringing this subject up? Because I think it’s important–now more than ever–that writers have other things to concentrate on. (Note: I’m not saying to do as a career.) If you’re a writer, you should continue to write the stories you want to tell. At the same time, find something you like to do. Something that will take you away from the computer and the constant industry updates. They don’t do anyone any good and certainly won’t entertain your muse.
I am also reading the new Stephanie Laurens’ book, ‘Where The Heart Leads’. What a delightful, delightful book. It reminds me of her early work with the original Cynsters. I’m really enjoying reading this book. It puts me in a happy place. 
