My WIP is driving me nuts. I have a self-imposed deadline of June 1st (the finished book has to be turned in to my editor by July 15th) and I think the story derailed, so I'm taking a few days to mull it over. And since I don't feel like kvetching about it, I'll kvetch about something else - like coupons that are for everything in the world except for that one item you really want.
That when I have a really good coupon (like, of, 20% off), the item I covet is listed in the fine print as excluded?
WTF is that? Drives me nuts.
I mean, I know why they do it - (and you know which store I'm talking about, don't you? They sell stuff for the Bedroom, the Bathroom, and beyond that...Oh, and if you need something Stapled - they do it, too) but I don't think it's really right. Instead of listing that endless paragraph of exclusions, they'd be better off saying something like: This coupon only good for a 10,000 count package of store brand used Q-Tips. (ew.) Because really, that's pretty much all it covers.(Or, if you're in need of Stapling, the fine print should read Good only for 10,000 ct box of broken rubber bands.)
I need a new toner for my printer. It's an HP laserjet. The toners are crazy expensive (and I'm relatively cheap, so you can imagine how many times I take that stupid cartridge out and shake the bejeezus out of it to eke out a just a few more pages' worth of toner,) Now, granted, I only replace it maybe twice a year, but still... So when I get a coupon for a specific office supply place, I'm happy when I find those coupons in the newspaper, or if they come in my email (gotta love those store cards. I've yet to be able to use any of the coupons they've emailed me. I'm pretty well set for neon pink pens, really.) My toner is ALWAYS excluded. HP toners are apparently as rare and special as deep-blue Tanzanite. And they must NEVER be discounted. Ever. The store, or maybe HP, would shrivel up and die if that happened, apparently.
We also need to think about replacing our vacuum. I've been coveting a Dyson since forever. But remember, I am cheap (and not rich, either, I might add) so $500 for a vacuum is going to leave a mark. And if you look in that coupon fine print, guess which ones are excluded? Of course. So guess who's probably not getting a Dyson. And guess who haz a sad over it. :(
Showing posts with label McKenzie series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label McKenzie series. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Love/Hate Relationship
Last night, the kidlets and I were heading out to our local Rita's because the Boy's school was doing a fundraiser and really, who needs an excuse for a Rita's?
Well, the place was a zoo and when we finally left, somehow, the conversation flowed to Windemere, my current WIP. The Girl has already decided she wants to be a writer when she grows up (which I can totally see happening because right now, the stories she writes are hysterically funny, even if they don't always make sense) and I said something about how aggravated I was with Julian and Emma (H/H from Windemere) because they weren't doing what I wanted them to do.
"But, Mom," the Girl said, sounding a little confused, "they're your characters. Don't you make them do what they do?"
Ahh... young padawan, allow me to show you the love/hate relationship a lot of writers have with their characters. Then you will understand.
Yes, they are my creations, but they take on a life of their own through the story. I know the basics about them - what they look like, where they live, what sort of upbringing they had- and that's about it. Their personalities, their quirks, their flaws all come out as the story unravels. And sometimes, where I think the story is going is nowhere near where it actually ends up.
And that's when I want to drop rocks on everyone and kill them--figuratively speaking, of course.
Right now, I want to drop rocks on them. All of them. Because they are going off script again. Gah.Why do they insist on torturing me?
Well, little by little, things start to work out, and usually, I don't have to drop those rocks. But it is tempting at times. And that's when I begin to think I should have gone to medical school instead. :D
Well, the place was a zoo and when we finally left, somehow, the conversation flowed to Windemere, my current WIP. The Girl has already decided she wants to be a writer when she grows up (which I can totally see happening because right now, the stories she writes are hysterically funny, even if they don't always make sense) and I said something about how aggravated I was with Julian and Emma (H/H from Windemere) because they weren't doing what I wanted them to do.
"But, Mom," the Girl said, sounding a little confused, "they're your characters. Don't you make them do what they do?"
Ahh... young padawan, allow me to show you the love/hate relationship a lot of writers have with their characters. Then you will understand.
Yes, they are my creations, but they take on a life of their own through the story. I know the basics about them - what they look like, where they live, what sort of upbringing they had- and that's about it. Their personalities, their quirks, their flaws all come out as the story unravels. And sometimes, where I think the story is going is nowhere near where it actually ends up.
And that's when I want to drop rocks on everyone and kill them--figuratively speaking, of course.
Right now, I want to drop rocks on them. All of them. Because they are going off script again. Gah.Why do they insist on torturing me?
Well, little by little, things start to work out, and usually, I don't have to drop those rocks. But it is tempting at times. And that's when I begin to think I should have gone to medical school instead. :D
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
I Did It Again
Once upon a time, I had a contract for a book I hadn't written yet. I always thought it would be so cool to do that, sell a book based on a short synopsis. So, when I sold A Perfect Lady before it was written, I was thinking, "Oh, yeah. You are ossum!" and doing the Snoopy dance all around my office.
But then reality set in. I had a contract. For a book that was. not. written. WTF was I doing, dancing around like a madwoman? I had work to do. I had a deadline.
And when I finally turned in A Perfect Lady, I swore I would never, ever do something so stupid again. Sign a contract for an unwritten book? Write like a lunatic to get said book finished on time? Never. Again.
Riiight...
Guess what I did?
Well, I am happy to be able to announce that the fourth McKenzie book, Windemere, is now under contract with Musa Publishing for release this October. Yay!
But the book is not finished yet.
boo...
Actually, it's a little over halfway finished, so I shouldn't go too crazy trying to meet my deadline. At least this time, I've got the bulk of the book written. Not nearly as much pressure as having to write the entire book (not to mention the additional madness of having to scrap the first 25k words and start over, like I did with A Perfect Lady. Talk about insanity. Yikes!)
Windemere is Emma and Julian's story. It's actually set after A Perfect Lady, but before The Pursuit and Playing with Fire. Writing a series out of order has been interesting, and it's also something I don't think I'll be doing again. But with this one, I hadn't actually planned to write Emma's story - then an idea for the book hit and that was that. And when that idea became a real story, I mentioned it to my Musa editrix and now here we are. :D
I'll have blurbage and excerptage and cover love coming soon. First things first - have to finish writing the book.
And I swear, I will never do this again.
Until the next time. ;-)
But then reality set in. I had a contract. For a book that was. not. written. WTF was I doing, dancing around like a madwoman? I had work to do. I had a deadline.
And when I finally turned in A Perfect Lady, I swore I would never, ever do something so stupid again. Sign a contract for an unwritten book? Write like a lunatic to get said book finished on time? Never. Again.
Riiight...
Guess what I did?
Well, I am happy to be able to announce that the fourth McKenzie book, Windemere, is now under contract with Musa Publishing for release this October. Yay!
But the book is not finished yet.
boo...
Actually, it's a little over halfway finished, so I shouldn't go too crazy trying to meet my deadline. At least this time, I've got the bulk of the book written. Not nearly as much pressure as having to write the entire book (not to mention the additional madness of having to scrap the first 25k words and start over, like I did with A Perfect Lady. Talk about insanity. Yikes!)
Windemere is Emma and Julian's story. It's actually set after A Perfect Lady, but before The Pursuit and Playing with Fire. Writing a series out of order has been interesting, and it's also something I don't think I'll be doing again. But with this one, I hadn't actually planned to write Emma's story - then an idea for the book hit and that was that. And when that idea became a real story, I mentioned it to my Musa editrix and now here we are. :D
I'll have blurbage and excerptage and cover love coming soon. First things first - have to finish writing the book.
And I swear, I will never do this again.
Until the next time. ;-)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Spring?
So where did spring go? Two weeks ago, it was eighty degrees and bee-yoo-tee-ful. Today? It's forty-three degrees and awful. What happened to spring and who do I have to bribe to get the bee-yoo-tee-ful weather back?
Ahem
Anyhoo, I'm still working on the fourth McKenzie book (still untitled, which sucks because I hate not having a title for it and I hate that I can't think of one. Grrr...), but this weekend I'm not writing anything. I'm going to read instead.
I bought The Hunger Games trilogy for my daughter. She read the first book in about a day, and just started Catching Fire. Tonight, I'll give in to the peer pressure and start it tonight. She loved The Hunger Games, so I have pretty high expectations for it as well.
Yesterday, when I went to get her the second and third books in the series, I found a copy of S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. I loved this book when I was a teenager (my original copy of it had the cast from the movie on the cover. I wonder if I still have it somewhere...) so I bought it again. Read it in about three hours and although I still loved it, it struck me as being a little sadder than I remembered. There is so much tragedy in it that I didn't remember, and it seemed to me the book was a lot more powerful than when I was 13 or 14 and reading it for the first time. But it was still great.
Oh, I'm also reading Stacia Kane's newest, Sacrificial Magic. It's good so far, but I still have to reread some of the dialog. I don't get why some characters speak normally and others seem to have their own form of English, but it's a minor annoyance for me and doesn't really ruin the read.
So, I've got a nice quiet, word-filled weekend ahead and I'm looking forward to it.
Ahem
Anyhoo, I'm still working on the fourth McKenzie book (still untitled, which sucks because I hate not having a title for it and I hate that I can't think of one. Grrr...), but this weekend I'm not writing anything. I'm going to read instead.
I bought The Hunger Games trilogy for my daughter. She read the first book in about a day, and just started Catching Fire. Tonight, I'll give in to the peer pressure and start it tonight. She loved The Hunger Games, so I have pretty high expectations for it as well.
Yesterday, when I went to get her the second and third books in the series, I found a copy of S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. I loved this book when I was a teenager (my original copy of it had the cast from the movie on the cover. I wonder if I still have it somewhere...) so I bought it again. Read it in about three hours and although I still loved it, it struck me as being a little sadder than I remembered. There is so much tragedy in it that I didn't remember, and it seemed to me the book was a lot more powerful than when I was 13 or 14 and reading it for the first time. But it was still great.
Oh, I'm also reading Stacia Kane's newest, Sacrificial Magic. It's good so far, but I still have to reread some of the dialog. I don't get why some characters speak normally and others seem to have their own form of English, but it's a minor annoyance for me and doesn't really ruin the read.
So, I've got a nice quiet, word-filled weekend ahead and I'm looking forward to it.
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Still Sick
Last week, I started with what I thought was a cold, caught from the Boy because he just loves to share. Sore throat (ugh. I despise sore throats with every fiber in my being. I heard that if you have your tonsils out, you never, ever get sore throats again. I'd voluntarily have them removed if it meant I never had to have another sore throat. I'd probably voluntarily give up just about any body part, if it meant I never had to have another sore throat again.) Cough. Stuffy nose. Watery eyes. It. Sucked.
And with the hubs working the way he is, I didn't have any chance to really rest. The kids were really good about not killing each other, but the Girl's only 11 so she's not really ready to cook meals yet, and they still needed to eat, and I still had to get them off to school and all, so just hiding under the covers until the Ick went away just wasn't an option.
Well, by yesterday, not only was I still sneezing and coughing, but my right ear was starting to bother me. It felt all clogged and uncomfortable and since I'm prone to ear infections, and usually can recognize them, I caved and called the doctor.
Turns out it wasn't an ear infection yet, but there was fluid trapped down there and it turns out I have a sinus infection that probably would have morphed into an ear infection if I'd waited any longer. Sigh. So now I'm antibiotics and Mucinex-D (which you need a driver's license to get. Thanks, meth-heads, for ruining everything. A-holes.) With any luck I'll actually be able to breathe through my nose very soon. I don't like being a mouth-breather. Not one bit.
Spring can't get here soon enough.
But on the bright side, I've started work on another McKenzie book. As of right now, this will probably be the last one. Then again, I thought A Perfect Lady was going to be the last one, so never say never, right? I'm about 50 pages in, still don't have a title, but it's going well. Or, at least I think it is. We shall see. I've made it beyond the first thirty pages, and that's usually when I hit the wall, so I'm pretty optimistic about this one.
And with the hubs working the way he is, I didn't have any chance to really rest. The kids were really good about not killing each other, but the Girl's only 11 so she's not really ready to cook meals yet, and they still needed to eat, and I still had to get them off to school and all, so just hiding under the covers until the Ick went away just wasn't an option.
Well, by yesterday, not only was I still sneezing and coughing, but my right ear was starting to bother me. It felt all clogged and uncomfortable and since I'm prone to ear infections, and usually can recognize them, I caved and called the doctor.
Turns out it wasn't an ear infection yet, but there was fluid trapped down there and it turns out I have a sinus infection that probably would have morphed into an ear infection if I'd waited any longer. Sigh. So now I'm antibiotics and Mucinex-D (which you need a driver's license to get. Thanks, meth-heads, for ruining everything. A-holes.) With any luck I'll actually be able to breathe through my nose very soon. I don't like being a mouth-breather. Not one bit.
Spring can't get here soon enough.
But on the bright side, I've started work on another McKenzie book. As of right now, this will probably be the last one. Then again, I thought A Perfect Lady was going to be the last one, so never say never, right? I'm about 50 pages in, still don't have a title, but it's going well. Or, at least I think it is. We shall see. I've made it beyond the first thirty pages, and that's usually when I hit the wall, so I'm pretty optimistic about this one.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Shifting Gears
OMG.
Yes. I'm blogging. Woo hoo!
Well, now don't get too excited, since every time I think (and say) I'm back, I go **poof** just as quickly.
So, let's just enjoy this while we can, 'mkay?
Anyway, first off, thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post. You have no idea how much it meant, reading your kind words. It helped me get through what's been undoubtedly the roughest few months of my life. My mother is doing a little better, but not much. Still, each day is a gift and that's how I have to look at it.
Things are starting to calm down a little. A Perfect Lady is off to my editor. I'm going through the print galleys for Tiger Eyes (**coughcough**available on Amazon for preorder. Order early. Order often**shamelessplug**coughcough**) and that's it. I'll have a clear schedule (until the edits for APL come in, that is) and I'm already plotting out two more books, and finishing the third Sebastiano book. Yay!
I'm taking a break from the Georgian/Regency era for a while. You Belong to Me, After the Storm, Devil in Disguise, The Pursuit, Playing with Fire, and A Perfect Lady are all set in those time periods and I'm a little burned out from it. For some time, I've wanted to write a western-set historical, which I did for NaNoWriMo, and I'm planning (hoping?) on finishing that sometime before the end of the year.
I'm looking forward to the change. I love the Georgian/Regency eras, but I don't know if I'll write any more books set in either time period. At least, not in the strictest sense of the words. I'm a strict believer in never-say-never, but right now, I have no plans to. I do have two WIPs that are nearly finished (as in submission ready) so while I may sub those somewhere, I have no plans to write anything new.
Change is good for the soul. Hopefully it'll be good for the stories, too. :D
Yes. I'm blogging. Woo hoo!
Well, now don't get too excited, since every time I think (and say) I'm back, I go **poof** just as quickly.
So, let's just enjoy this while we can, 'mkay?
Anyway, first off, thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post. You have no idea how much it meant, reading your kind words. It helped me get through what's been undoubtedly the roughest few months of my life. My mother is doing a little better, but not much. Still, each day is a gift and that's how I have to look at it.
Things are starting to calm down a little. A Perfect Lady is off to my editor. I'm going through the print galleys for Tiger Eyes (**coughcough**available on Amazon for preorder. Order early. Order often**shamelessplug**coughcough**) and that's it. I'll have a clear schedule (until the edits for APL come in, that is) and I'm already plotting out two more books, and finishing the third Sebastiano book. Yay!
I'm taking a break from the Georgian/Regency era for a while. You Belong to Me, After the Storm, Devil in Disguise, The Pursuit, Playing with Fire, and A Perfect Lady are all set in those time periods and I'm a little burned out from it. For some time, I've wanted to write a western-set historical, which I did for NaNoWriMo, and I'm planning (hoping?) on finishing that sometime before the end of the year.
I'm looking forward to the change. I love the Georgian/Regency eras, but I don't know if I'll write any more books set in either time period. At least, not in the strictest sense of the words. I'm a strict believer in never-say-never, but right now, I have no plans to. I do have two WIPs that are nearly finished (as in submission ready) so while I may sub those somewhere, I have no plans to write anything new.
Change is good for the soul. Hopefully it'll be good for the stories, too. :D
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Playing with Fire is Out!
Okay, I'm a bit slow this weekend, I confess. Playing with Fire came out on Friday and I didn't say a word about it.
I am shamed.
Anyway, here it is now - happy dance time!
Want to read an excerpt? (Of course you do!) Check it out right here.
Want to buy it? (Of course you do!) Well, just pop over to Aspen Mountain Press and pick up a copy!
And when you finish reading, come and have a happy dance with me! :D
I am shamed.
Anyway, here it is now - happy dance time!
The last place Heather Morgan thought she’d find herself was in a house of Eros. There she waited to be sold to the highest bidder as a way to pay off her father’s mountain of debt to the proprietor of the gaming house holding the auction.
Drew McKenzie had no intention of buying a mistress. But something about the delicate beauty with chestnut hair and gold-flecked dark eyes stirs something inside him. He's been hurt before and isn’t willing to risk his heart a second time.
But when Heather's scandalous past is exposed, Drew must choose between his love for Heather, or his family’s honor. Caught between the two, Drew realizes what it means to be playing with fire.
Want to read an excerpt? (Of course you do!) Check it out right here.
Want to buy it? (Of course you do!) Well, just pop over to Aspen Mountain Press and pick up a copy!
And when you finish reading, come and have a happy dance with me! :D
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