Character Design & Coffee Flavored Moonshine...

"You can tell its good if you light it and a blue flame comes up; that means its good moonshine and it won't make you go blind."

-Johnny Knoxville

***

 Just a hello, I've been on a few adventures lately & I wanted to pop in...

I've never been a big drinker. I will, on occasion (define: when a client is in town & does not want to drink alone), imbibe on a fruity (preferably frozen) cocktail. It must be sweet enough to hide the liquor, pretty enough to make me smile and at the right temperature where I feel like the Caribbean should be in front of me when I open my eyes after the first sip.

This past weekend I journeyed to Puerto Rico for a girls getaway weekend. Yes, you read that right, a girls getaway. There were 3 of us. We have known each other since before we were born; i.e. our parents were friends way before conception. One of my lovely friends was needing an escape, the other was excited to go somewhere without her two young boys in tow and I, well, I just love to travel. 

We arrived, we definitely experienced, we laughed and we danced. We ordered the island's poison on more than one occasion - in fact I spent most of Saturday lounging beside a pool in a 'bed', reading magazines, talking, eating cotton candy & viewing the beauty of the Caribbean with a grin on my face and pink cheeks. I have not done that in years, possibly never to this extent. I enjoyed every flavor of frozen, exotic concoctions that the swim up bar could serve me. The sugar rush had me on high alert and the characters around me are now committed to memory. I often sat in the refreshing cool water of the pool and watched as people from all walks of this great earth enjoyed their vacation. I looked at bodies - all shapes, sizes, colors, designs. I saw hair - long, wavy, short, frizzy. I listened to accents - Australian, New Jersey, New York, Colombia, Southern. It was a plethora of character options. 

There was a moment when I watched a man, easily in his 70's - but moving like he was in his 40's - dance to every song the DJ blared beside the pool. He lost himself in the sounds of contemporary music. He grinned at young ladies, whistled at a few; he high fived the staff and boogied next to the patrons. In my own dazed state of sugar, rum and sun formulation I found myself in awe of his confidence. He moved to his own rhythm, he laughed at himself when the beat changed too quickly, he smiled the entire time. I love this man. He gave me an idea for a character & I am so pleased that in my slightly drunken state that he was able to leave such an imprint...if I had seen him a short 4 hours later I might not remember him as well.

4 hours after the dancing man I sat in a carillo restaurant named Casa Lola in Condado with a shot glass in my hand, numbness in my lips and a grin on my face - as we 3 girls cheered each other on, toasted to friendship, grinned at the nice waiter and then tipped back some Cafe Luna (coffee flavored moonshine)...it burned but in the moment all I could think about is that sometimes it can be rewarding to step away from everything, try something completely new, re-focus, observe life and the people within and hopefully find a moment to see someone else enjoying how fabulous this life is...oh and of course to pray that the moonshine won't make you blind - it sure would stink to miss out on all these interesting facets of life..... 

Life and Loss...

I'm never sure about life. I guess that's a naive statement. It implies I should be, well sometimes I think we feel that curveballs are to be expected but we do assume we'll be prepared enough to have a glove or bat handy. Unfortunately we aren't often even standing at the plate.

My community lost someone yesterday. A tragic loss that leaves another family member in critical condition, fighting for her life. It was an accident, water + tires + 0 traction and life becomes a blur snapped away all too quickly. 

He was a man who played Santa Claus for young children, a man I've known my whole life, whose children are like extended siblings and in the past year a man who's soulmate moved on to streets of gold and heavenly views. I had wondered how long he would be here - their connection so beautiful that for it to be here while another is in heaven seemed destined to be short...however short is a relative term and this small minute in time between losing one an now the other felt cruel when first learning of his passing.

Today with fresh eyes and aching heart, I realize how he must be smiling down with her. Sending his love, his guidance, his wishes for speedy recovery of a daughter in law he loves. I ache for his children, who in recent months had come to see a father coping, smiling again, enjoying grandchildren and activities again. It is a beautiful sentiment that they were able to see him smile again...to see the beauty in life after loss. 

He remains a shining person in my mind. A man of a generation where love is sacred and shown with a careful hand. He made so many people smile, he fathered fabulous children and he loved a woman - one who saw the good in him, saw the power in his presence and loved him until the very end of her life. What a mark to make...

I'm writing today. My characters have sarcasm and wit, they are experiencing confusion, shock and fear...yet in their darkest moments I hope my fingers are able to show their brightest light...their capacity to care, to love. It is what I want in life, a life where death is merely a memory and life is the moment we exist and yet simultaneously cease to exist. It is in that fragment of time that we have left our imprint. we live beyond the physicality if science, existing in memories, photographs, stories, the curve of a nose, the light in the color of someone's hair....Because though we are destined to leave this earth our imprint here remains - make it bright, make someone smile, make every second count, even in death we treasure that it is a beautiful life...

My character lost her car keys and ate her pants...

Good Afternoon Blogging World of Writers, Readers and Lovers of Words!

I am writing this entry via the keyboard on my new personal computer. It is not a tablet. It is not an iPad. Nor is it a gargantuan desktop. It is a laptop that I am in love with. The keyboard makes me grin, the feel of the buttons under my fingers makes typing a breeze (keyboards are what sell me on computers - there is a certain feel to the board that I have to acquire in order to purchase one). My old computer(s) (a netbook and a laptop) had become entirely outdated and well to be honest...heavy. The keyboard will get me out the door with my purchase but the weight will move me faster. I like that technology is able to provide us with these amazing machines that can be so lightweight and built for processing my quick mess-ups and happy days.

This particular computer had me at hello. Yet, I did my research. I have computer gurus who are friends/family, I read the blogs, websites and reviews of technological companies. The competition is fierce in our ever expanding techno enhanced world that going in blind would either be silly or extremely adventurous & trusting.

So today I am playing. Learning the latest version of Windows and discovering that I don't hate it. In fact, thanks to my Apple/iPhone for years of apps & my nieces for having Windows based phones; navigating the app style start menu is a breeze and quite frankly...fun! It is a touch screen laptop - no real idea why this is necessary since it does not separate from the keyboard - but I do like freezing the track pad and using my finger to maneuver through some of my favorite apps. Who knew?

Ah well, I promise a more writing centric post soon. I felt the fundamental of my writing process begins with the keys so why not share my excitement of once again loving the feel of them beneath my fingers...and not wanting to throw an electronic device out the window because the keys on the old ones jumped around all willy nilly...yeah my characters occasionally found themselves in 'sorrible hituations' and 'crabbing old of the sindow sill'. no joke. So the novel will hopefully survive and keep on trucking and the characters will quit fussing at me when all I did was hit cntrl and somehow she lost her car keys and ate her pants....true story.

Have a lovely weekend....

What a Royally Fabulous Blitz it was....

I'm not sure what to say. People were everywhere in the Kingdom yesterday!!!! Like....all over the place! Wow.

 I've been participating in D.L. Hammons Blog Blitz this summer. It is quite possibly one of the coolest things I've ever done. So far I have added to my blog roll some of the coolest blogs and I'm itching to visit the remaining ones. I also had the supreme pleasure of adding his wife Kim as a friend on Facebook when we blitzed her on her last day of treatments. 

Yesterday I had the unbelievable treat of being Blitzed. So far 132 comments are on my last post - a post where I was promoting another of D.L.'s great ideas (Write Club). I cried when I saw them start coming in - my email began truly understanding what Blitzkrieg is all about.

Yes we make a note on another bloggers site; saying hello and happy blitz. However what I had failed to understand by being just a participant is the emotion of seeing all these people who I respect so much saying those hellos and sweet messages as the recipient. It surged through me like a new breath and I found myself crying, smiling and laughing. I guess I thought as a participant it would just be a quick "oh how nice" when it happened to me, boy was I wrong. I have 132 replies to make and goodness almost that many blogs to add to my roll AND I WILL VISIT THEM! Lol

I do need to return to blogging. It is a creative outlet that allows me to keep my juices flowing and it never ceased to make me smile. I am pleased to let all of you know that I have been writing. My novel is coming along well. My CPs are itching for the next chapters and it brings a smile to my face to have so many people to share my love of words with. Please don't be strangers, my little Kingdom welcomes everyone, my Royal Family is quite inviting and loves to entertain....

I again am honored to have you all come into my Kingdom, to meet you all, to share with you all and to D.L. who may never realize how amazing, inspiring and uplifting this little experiment truly is...

WRiTE CLUB 2013

soooo...yeah...D.L. Hammons is hosting WRiTE CLUB again... have you heard about it?

No?

Well lets just say its a battle...not of fists,  not of martial arts crazy kicks, not of ninja stars, greased watermelons or even spitballs....it's a BATTLE OF WORDS!!!! Yeah, baby!

What? You still aren't sure about it...well let me tell you a few details then you can scoot over there and  check everything out:

• The modest writing competition whose inspiration was derived from the movie FIGHT CLUB is ready to go another round, and this year it’s leaner and meaner than ever!
• the winners are determined by fellow WRiTE CLUB members alone!
• This year the submissions will be cut-off on June 30th. A panel of ten judges will read all of the entries we receive during that time and pre-select 32 of the best writing samples to climb into the ring. Those 32 participants will then be randomly matched to compete over the next eight weeks, each of them hoping to make it into the play-off rounds and moving towards the ultimate goal – WRiTE CLUB Champion. 
• Again this year, the most exciting part is the winner of the final round will be chosen by a panel of publishing industry professionals! Agents, Editors, Publishers, Marketers, and published authors

So yeah....go check it out...maybe submit...maybe just follow along...either way - this is one title bout you don't want to miss!

So, Sally Slick...You are looking GOOD GIRL!

The amazing, talented, hilarious and well outstandingly sweet Carrie Harris has ONE EXCITING treat for me to share....

SALLY SLICK COVER REVEAL...

TA DA!!!

OMG! GUYS IT LOOKS AWESOME!!!

Here is some info (just in case you have a second after staring....I know its hard not to conjure up all kinds of adventurous images...DECEMBER IS TOO FAR AWAY!!)

Title: SALLY SLICK AND THE STEEL SYNDICATE

Release date: December 3, 2013

Publisher: Evil Hat Productions

Ages: 12 and up

Jacket description:

Every hero has a story. This one starts with a girl and a racing tractor.

Sally Slick knows she’s meant to be more than a Midwestern farm girl. What she wants more than anything is to be an inventor when she grows up—and she has the custom-built racing tractor to prove it. But good girls in 1914 don’t go off to the city in search of adventure. Everything changes when Sally’s big brother comes back from Chicago with a robot in hand and mobsters on his heels. With the help of her friend, wannabe hero Jet Black, Sally will risk everything to protect the people she loves.

Those bad guys are about to get a giant wrench thrown right into their plans.

So if you have never visited Carrie's site or if you have yet to grab one of her books, well, then what are you waiting for?! It's 6 months until this drops - you have time, catch up on Carrie's talent by grabbing Bad Taste in Boys, Bad Hair Day or Bad Yeti ....nevermind...get them ALL!!! I mean Bad Yeti? If that doesn't suck you in then, well, you need a new hobby!

Now go, spread the news, talk about the cover, ponder the adventure of Sally & Jet...or you know for goodness sake READ HER OTHER BOOKS!! ;) It's a Royal Decree...now get outta here!

You don't read a book because you like it...

Headphones? Check.

Favorite Writerly Playlist? Check.

Fingers Flexed? Check.

Beverage? Check.

Mentally Ready to Attack all Plotlines/Characters? Err…yeah, that ‘character’ hollered at me last night…she’s mean.

Are you prepared for today’s mind blowing truth: Writing is work.

There is definitely nothing like putting words to page, whether for your personal, private enjoyment or for a story you hope to share with the world. But don’t let one single writer fool you. It takes work.

I sometimes wander the aisles of book stores and get completely suckered in by how many books one author has penned. I find myself pausing, reading titles, looking over covers and exploring the plot lines of each trilogy, stand alone, or series that he/she has birthed. I wonder about the hours, the pulled hair, and the scared dog under the couch, the husband/wife begrudgingly asleep while the glow from the computer urges them to wake up, and of course I wonder about the state of mind the author is in NOW. Are they content with these works? Did they want to share so much of themselves or did the domino keep pushing?

I wonder at their brilliance. Yes, I know people can easily say that every single book is not award winning, life changing prose, but for someone, somewhere the words in each book published struck a chord. Isn’t that why we write?

I watched a movie just this week while being stuck at home sick, drugged and definitely not ready to fight that mean girl character I mentioned above. In the movie a main character hates a certain teenage set of books, he thinks they’re dribble. He even questions the girl he has feelings for because she found pleasure in the book. He proceeds to say “You don’t read a book because you like it.” I burst into laughter during this serious onscreen argument. He is a literature snob and well she calls him on it.

After calling him a snob she defines her reason, but not in detail. She, his love interest, does not defend the book on its prose, plot, or structure instead she simply explains “It was fun to read, an escape. It was enjoyable.”  He is baffled by this. She tells him “You think it’s cool to hate things but it’s not. It’s boring. Talk about what you love and keep quiet about what you don’t.” This, this line, this singularly brilliant line brings me back to my topic of writing is work.

Yes, it is, it is hard, it is time consuming, mind boggling, and honestly there is nothing else that will press your mental limits like words on a page. BUT it discovers, it explores, it grows, it denies, it proves, it inspires, it creates, it destroys, it saves, it reminds each and every person who turns the page that life is about change, about seeing things, about believing and about our individuality.

If you read it because you must then you end up liking it, is it a bad book? No.

If you read it because the populous love it and you don’t like it, is it a bad book? No.

Someone loved it and wrote it. Someone read it and shared it.

Someone worked until their eyes were red and dry, they toiled, and they spent grueling hours on characters that you may never know, who died before finding the first page.

They worked. They worked until they were spent.

The girl in the movie is right, ‘talk about what you love, keep quiet about what you don’t.’There is so much cynicism and negativity in this world, we often let it filter into our craft, to spread like a virus and perpetuate stereotypes of hateful, rude, arrogant writers. We are all working to create something we love and can be proud of, why waste words complaining? Every part of the process should be enjoyed, even if you have to enjoy it ironically, because someone out there is aching for your story, yep, they want to read your words; so yeah the work is hard but man is it worth it.

 

WIP it GOOD!!!

The fabulous DL from Cruising Altitude is co-hosting a DEVO inspired blogfest with Elise Fallson. Yep, you read that right...we are all "whipping" our WIP into shape!
There are some fabulous WIPs being created out in the writing universe, DL's is awesome btw, and I am honored to be a part of this amazing collection of bloggers!

So here is mine...

WIP Title: The Story of the Stars (definitely a WIP title)
Word Count (projected/actual so far): 30,400
Genre: YA (toss up between YA supernatural and YA fantasy)
How long have you been working on it? 4 months

Brief Synopsis (300 words or less): In this town no one new ever stays and the locals are here for life. People talk of leaving, but rarely do. Those who leave never come back and never contact anyone left behind. It is a simple town, with simple people. 

Andrea Callum wants nothing more than to graduate and get out of Barbours. She's made all the right choices: perfect grades, good friends, plans for her future. 

The last week of school was supposed to be easy, no surprises; then one afternoon Andrea meets a guy with silver eyes and a voice that has plagued her dreams. He says he just needs a ride - nothing more.

One ride in a town she thought she knew by heart and her whole world collapses. Visions of grotesque murders, confusing ancient symbols and prophecies surround her. Andrea discovers that she is more than a good student - she is a talisman and her family has secrets that go beyond the limits of Barbours - secrets that go beyond the limits of the universe. For the first time in her eighteen years she is faced with the opportunity of leaving Barbours. 

Leaving is the one thing she wants - to do so she has to choose who will be left behind facing darkness and who will travel toward the light.

Are you looking for a Beta Reader? Once this round of revisions is complete - then for sure!

Be sure to check out all the other WIP-its!!!!