I worshiped in my two favorite places today - the library and Starbucks. (Cue choir music - Ahhhh-ahh-ah-ahhhhhhh.) My form of worship - writing, and I love it. I'm infatuated with this new work.
I know. I know. This was only supposed to be a quickie, a fling, but I fell in love. The short little rough draft of Vampires of an Aztec God was done. All I had to do was edit and submit. But I have to develop Bissette's story further. Oh and I want Charles to get his sexy resolution, too. And I need to play with Aztec (Chichimec) legends some more. They just fit too perfectly and the research is amazing. So in my places of worship, I mapped out twenty-two additional chapters this week. I'd started with five completed chapters but after such a tiny taste, I want the whole cake.
Plus, I received too much encouragement this past week. Emails asking about Bissette and Charles jazzed me up to expand on Bissette's tale and all the secrets I kept in Healing Wounds. (I love these emails and the wonderful people who send them.)
I've even started watching novelas (Spanish soap-operas) to pick up forgotten twists of phrase. I'm half-Mexican but beyond ordering tacos and asking where the bathroom is, I know practically no Spanish. It reminds me of my grandmother, though and of listening to my aunts gossip. The melodic cadence makes me feel all warm inside and I imagine the smell of caldo (soup) and tortillas.
I've been neglecting my other work-in-progress, that sci-fi vampire novel that bridges my two series, but it's incubating in my brain for later, along with three fantasies half-written. (I get overly excited and take on too much, but I promise I'll finish them, too.)
Summer's starting soon. That means a full-time writing playground for me. The hubby's off and gets to be stay-at-home dad while I work. Nice. Such a sweet hubby.
I truly appreciate him. Someone asked me if he's the inspiration for my stories. Thankfully, no. He's too together and supportive to be a fictional hero. Characters have flaws that keep them apart until they finally figure everything out. Ben had it mostly figured out from the beginning.
I am far from perfect. No, really. I have this fiery latin temper mixed with Irish rage that ignites when I reach my breaking point. Things I shouldn't say, explode from my mouth. I actually made an ex-boyfriend curl up in a ball, sobbing, literally on the floor in fetal position. That just made me see red, though now I feel kinda guilty about yelling at him. My rage rarely ignites with my hubby, but on the rare occasion it does, he knows how to put it out. He knows exactly what to say, how to listen, and how to compromise with me. He's my splash of cool water. I think what keeps me at peace is that I know he cares about me and any problem that arises is most likely due to a misunderstanding that can be talked through. A person like him with such calming devotion and commitment, is rare.
He picks up the slack at home while I'm writing. He's incredibly supportive of my career and has made countless sacrifices. That's why all my novels are dedicated to him.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
RT Adventures and After-Party Chat
I partied at the Romantic Times BOOKlovers Convention in Pittsburgh last week. They let me sign books. My very first booksigning. There had to be at least two hundred other authors there and they were all amazing. The icing to this cake - cover models abounded.
Aren't they pretty? Baby, they can put their hands anywhere they want. :)
Oooh, and check out the star! It has my name on it!
For more pictures and to share your own, head over to Coffee Time Romance. The best RT pics win prizes. Yay! Tonight, Tuesday at 9pm EST at Coffee Time Romance, there'll be an After-Party chat. Come share your RT tales, gossip, pics, etc. Already I've heard the most amazing stories and can't wait to hear everyone else's adventures.
Did anyone else suffer the "Hilton Hotel disease"? I'm still recovering from it. No, it's not an STD, though that would be hilarious.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Misadventures in Portland
The world’s biggest bookstore is in Portland, Oregon. Woo-hoo! So we had to see it before we move. It turned out to be my heaven, a brick-and-mortar version of Amazon.com - several stories high with many rooms filled with bookcases of new and out-of-print books.
What happened afterwards, however, was a demented version of hell.
Lugging around a stack of books and climbing stairs had built up an appetite. I craved my favorite food - sushi, which should be easy to find in a big city. Right? Chuck, our navigation system offered several Japanese restaurants nearby, that all turned out to be strip clubs. Five, not including the never-been-a-sushi-house strip clubs we drove past. Not that I have a problem with strip clubs, but what the hey? How many strip clubs does Portland really need?
So, we decided to wing it and stop somewhere on the way home. Strangely, every restaurant beyond the skyscrapers, closes after dusk, except for one confused Chinese restaurant. I say confused because it also serves Kimchee. (I reeeealy hate kimchee. My apartment-mate in college used to stink up the fridge with kimchee and that smell lingered for weeks.)
So here’s the funny part. After ordering, my hubby thanked the clerk for being open because he didn’t want to feed his family Burger King. The woman responded with, “Oh, Burger King is better.”
What the…We hadn’t a clue if she was joking or if it was a language barrier thing. She walked away as we stared for some sign, unsure.
So my hubby, being the sweetie that he is, said, “If the food sucks, we’ll toss it and eat somewhere else.”
My growling tummy figured, “Why not?”
She gave us drinks in those plastic tumblers typical of Pho restaurants, then told us, “You take it to go, okay? We’re closing.” She didn’t tell us this before we ordered, but after.
Yeah, weird.
So after using a very scary bathroom, we left with our Styrofoam encased, confused Chinese food; and sodas transferred into to-go cups.
I drove the first shift while the fam, the taste-testers ate. They loved it. My hubby described it as a school cafeteria version of Chinese food. Yeah, he likes cafeteria food and has a bionic stomach.
After all the clues so far, you’d think I’d have tossed it, but no, I bravely ate the chicken, rice, and salad during my hubby’s driving shift. “How can they screw up chicken?” I thought.
Oh, how I was wrong. I spent the next two days in the bathroom and am still recovering. The clerk was right – Burger King is better.
The grossest part was the next day as I was lying in bed whining about how awful I felt, my hubby came in reeking of the offending food. I nearly threw up when he leaned in to kiss me. He’d actually eaten the leftovers, knowing it was bad!
What happened afterwards, however, was a demented version of hell.
Lugging around a stack of books and climbing stairs had built up an appetite. I craved my favorite food - sushi, which should be easy to find in a big city. Right? Chuck, our navigation system offered several Japanese restaurants nearby, that all turned out to be strip clubs. Five, not including the never-been-a-sushi-house strip clubs we drove past. Not that I have a problem with strip clubs, but what the hey? How many strip clubs does Portland really need?
So, we decided to wing it and stop somewhere on the way home. Strangely, every restaurant beyond the skyscrapers, closes after dusk, except for one confused Chinese restaurant. I say confused because it also serves Kimchee. (I reeeealy hate kimchee. My apartment-mate in college used to stink up the fridge with kimchee and that smell lingered for weeks.)
So here’s the funny part. After ordering, my hubby thanked the clerk for being open because he didn’t want to feed his family Burger King. The woman responded with, “Oh, Burger King is better.”
What the…We hadn’t a clue if she was joking or if it was a language barrier thing. She walked away as we stared for some sign, unsure.
So my hubby, being the sweetie that he is, said, “If the food sucks, we’ll toss it and eat somewhere else.”
My growling tummy figured, “Why not?”
She gave us drinks in those plastic tumblers typical of Pho restaurants, then told us, “You take it to go, okay? We’re closing.” She didn’t tell us this before we ordered, but after.
Yeah, weird.
So after using a very scary bathroom, we left with our Styrofoam encased, confused Chinese food; and sodas transferred into to-go cups.
I drove the first shift while the fam, the taste-testers ate. They loved it. My hubby described it as a school cafeteria version of Chinese food. Yeah, he likes cafeteria food and has a bionic stomach.
After all the clues so far, you’d think I’d have tossed it, but no, I bravely ate the chicken, rice, and salad during my hubby’s driving shift. “How can they screw up chicken?” I thought.
Oh, how I was wrong. I spent the next two days in the bathroom and am still recovering. The clerk was right – Burger King is better.
The grossest part was the next day as I was lying in bed whining about how awful I felt, my hubby came in reeking of the offending food. I nearly threw up when he leaned in to kiss me. He’d actually eaten the leftovers, knowing it was bad!
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Turbo Tax Gods
I think I have five silver hairs from taxes this year. :) My first silver hair came at age 24 from teaching, not that I mind. I kinda like the silver. It’s like glitter.
A manager from H&R Block never called. Hmmm. The two representatives who wouldn’t give their names probably lied about leaving messages for their managers to call after supposed meetings. I hate bad service. It makes my neck tense up.
However, my taxes are done. Yay! I entered my mass of forms and receipts into Turbo Tax last night in one quarter the time. The best part - Turbo Tax actually e-filed right away. No software glitches. No rude reps. Nice. I got an acceptance letter for federal and state a few hours later. Turbo Tax even has the capability to efile to more than one state, which makes their service all the better. I’ve definitely converted to worshipping the Turbo Tax gods. I’m never going back to H&R Block.
After I get some sleep, I’ll catch up on correspondence. People probably think I’ve died, I’ve taken so long to answer emails. I never neglect my inbox so, but I am sooo drained this past week.
A manager from H&R Block never called. Hmmm. The two representatives who wouldn’t give their names probably lied about leaving messages for their managers to call after supposed meetings. I hate bad service. It makes my neck tense up.
However, my taxes are done. Yay! I entered my mass of forms and receipts into Turbo Tax last night in one quarter the time. The best part - Turbo Tax actually e-filed right away. No software glitches. No rude reps. Nice. I got an acceptance letter for federal and state a few hours later. Turbo Tax even has the capability to efile to more than one state, which makes their service all the better. I’ve definitely converted to worshipping the Turbo Tax gods. I’m never going back to H&R Block.
After I get some sleep, I’ll catch up on correspondence. People probably think I’ve died, I’ve taken so long to answer emails. I never neglect my inbox so, but I am sooo drained this past week.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Do Not use H&R Block Online
I have to vent.
For the past ten years, I've used H&R Block to file my taxes, and never had a problem with them until this year. Never ever will I use H&R Block again. I spent over an hour on the phone with their tech support people because of a glitch in their online software. They were aware of the glitch, and no one could over ride it, so they told me to paper file. The only reason I purchased their online plan was to e-file. I hate snail mail, not only because it's slow in getting there, but because the IRS takes weeks longer to refund what they owe via snail mail.
So, that means I have to redo my taxes from scratch somewhere else where I can e-file. I asked for a refund from H&R Block. The first representative said yes, but to call back after the next error message in order to complete the refund. I did, and spoke to two different reps who both said, "Did you read the fine print? H&R Block doesn't guarantee that its software works. I can't give you a refund. It's against H&R Block policy."
What the…?
Being in angry bitch mode, I asked for their full names so as to complain about them, but they both refused. OMFG! They wouldn't even connect me to their managers, claiming that their managers were in meetings. Yeah, right.
I warned them I'd file a complaint with the BBB, and the Attorney General's office (It's really rare that I do this, but I have.) I even offered a negative press release, that's how frustrated I was and you know how I hate writing press releases.
Their response – "Go right ahead."
My angry-bitch-mode escalated, so I called my bank and stopped payment. I am not paying for software that doesn't work. I don't care if they claim it kinda works in that it'll print. If I wanted to paper file, I would have used the free IRS worksheets. Obviously, I wanted the quick and easy method H&R Block advertised.
I soooo hate H&R Block now. I've spent four days on their faulty software. Normally, in past years, I spent only one day on taxes. Save yourself time and money this tax season. Don't use H&R Block online.
For the past ten years, I've used H&R Block to file my taxes, and never had a problem with them until this year. Never ever will I use H&R Block again. I spent over an hour on the phone with their tech support people because of a glitch in their online software. They were aware of the glitch, and no one could over ride it, so they told me to paper file. The only reason I purchased their online plan was to e-file. I hate snail mail, not only because it's slow in getting there, but because the IRS takes weeks longer to refund what they owe via snail mail.
So, that means I have to redo my taxes from scratch somewhere else where I can e-file. I asked for a refund from H&R Block. The first representative said yes, but to call back after the next error message in order to complete the refund. I did, and spoke to two different reps who both said, "Did you read the fine print? H&R Block doesn't guarantee that its software works. I can't give you a refund. It's against H&R Block policy."
What the…?
Being in angry bitch mode, I asked for their full names so as to complain about them, but they both refused. OMFG! They wouldn't even connect me to their managers, claiming that their managers were in meetings. Yeah, right.
I warned them I'd file a complaint with the BBB, and the Attorney General's office (It's really rare that I do this, but I have.) I even offered a negative press release, that's how frustrated I was and you know how I hate writing press releases.
Their response – "Go right ahead."
My angry-bitch-mode escalated, so I called my bank and stopped payment. I am not paying for software that doesn't work. I don't care if they claim it kinda works in that it'll print. If I wanted to paper file, I would have used the free IRS worksheets. Obviously, I wanted the quick and easy method H&R Block advertised.
I soooo hate H&R Block now. I've spent four days on their faulty software. Normally, in past years, I spent only one day on taxes. Save yourself time and money this tax season. Don't use H&R Block online.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
I Won a New Covey Book Trailer Award!
And not just any New Covey Trailer Award. I won the new one, judged by award-winning screenwriters and directors from REC tv. Woo-hoo! Have you seen this site? It’s amazing! The Readers Entertainment Channel is an online television site where you can find original programming, author interviews, and gorgeous book trailers. Their primary goal is to promote reading as entertainment. I love them already.RECtv is going to feature my Guardian of the Onyx Empire book video trailer and post it to
either their Sci-Fi/Fantasy or Erotica channel. Yay! The book featured in this trailer is also the winner of a Night Owl Romance’s Reviewer Top Pick. Get your fix of an oh-so-sexy ex-love slave and his empress lover. Buy now.Sunday, March 16, 2008
Lots of Great News
Woo-hoo! Amazon now has Healing Wounds, my vampire romance for sale! It’ll be in stock soon. They just ordered a batch. Yay! Check out the book that Romantic Times BOOKreviews describes as “frightening.” Oh, yeah – you’d better sleep with the lights on after reading this dark romance. Who says romance can only be fluffy and sweet? Enjoy shivers of both types.
For more lovely reviews of Healing Wounds and my other babies, check out the News page of my website.
Masquerade of the Cursed King Reviewed in RT
Four stars, baby! That’s right, and from Romantic Times BOOKreviews that’s great. They don’t give fives to eBooks. I don’t know why, but it makes me even more ecstatic over the four stars. (Thank you!)Check out their April issue for a review of Masquerade of the Cursed King, and their March issue for a review of Healing Wounds.
Might be Moving
Due to the housing market crash, the fam and I will probably move back to California this upcoming fall. We’d hoped to sell this year so as not to pay a mortgage and rent, but that’s not gonna happen. So, the only other option is to head back.
It’ll be nice to have sun again, but I’m going miss the Oregon coast. We’ll just have to drive two hours to the beautiful California beaches to get our briny fix.
Great Workshop Last Weekend & My Alternate Identity
I went to a great writing workshop in Portland last weekend. Previously, I’d just read one of the presenter’s books. Gunshot Grange by Heather Hiestand was a nice dark read. I enjoyed it so much that I reviewed it, using my alternate identity, of course. J
Vanity tempts me to put my own name on everything, but that would get me into trouble when reviewing other authors’ books. A few lash out vindictively when others won’t gush only with praise over the works of their heart. Not everyone realizes that reviews, even the ones that list negatives, are still an honor. Roughly 50% of review requests go unfulfilled because there aren’t enough reviewers. So I’m incredibly thankful when my own books receive a review, even if the reviewer doesn’t match my opinion.
Review ratings vary anyway, usually by a star in either direction, but sometimes you’ll get outliers. Masquerade of the Cursed King received mostly fives and fours, a three and an actual zero. There’s no reason to retaliate against the reviewer who gave my baby a zero; it just didn’t suit her individual tastes, in the same way that Westerns do nothing for me.
I know what you’re thinking, but no, I’m not allowed to review my own books. If only. (sigh)
My Column
I forgot to tell you all that I have a new column - The Pampered Reader! It’s in Night Owl Romance’s magazine. Yay! This month, my column featured a how-to guide on stalking authors. Completely as a joke. Check out what gear you’ll need and where to find your favorite authors.
Next month’s article will feature fun conventions where readers can party, ogle at cover models, and load up on swag (free books and goodies). Subscribe for free at Night Owl Romance's forum.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
