Dear friends,
I've made the jump to wordpress and will be blogging from there. You can find me at http://jessicamcbrayer.wordpress.com sorry for any inconvenience and I hope to see you there!
All Treat, no Trick!
1 year ago
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Six Sentence Sunday
It's the return of Six Sentence Sunday, where I post six sentences of a current work in progress here to share with you. This excerpt is from a paranormal YA I'm working on. It's set in France in the 1980's. I haven't been able to do any more writing on it in a couple of weeks as I am getting a paranormal mystery ready for final edits.
Happy Reading!
She tried to creep past the kitchen where she heard Breton music coming out of the radio Madame kept there. The everlasting potage Madame kept on the backburner was already bubbling, a mush of vegetables that was supposed to be a soup. Madame was so frugal that she never threw anything away she simply kept adding to the pot. Lizbet wasn’t sure what was for dinner but it wasn’t smelling like much. Like most of the French, their main meal was at lunch. The trouble was Madame bitched about giving her money to eat lunch at school so she mostly went without.
Happy Reading!
She tried to creep past the kitchen where she heard Breton music coming out of the radio Madame kept there. The everlasting potage Madame kept on the backburner was already bubbling, a mush of vegetables that was supposed to be a soup. Madame was so frugal that she never threw anything away she simply kept adding to the pot. Lizbet wasn’t sure what was for dinner but it wasn’t smelling like much. Like most of the French, their main meal was at lunch. The trouble was Madame bitched about giving her money to eat lunch at school so she mostly went without.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Rain and RWA 2011 Envy
It's raining here which is very odd for this time of year so instead of sunny California we have wet, drippy, soggy California. Big bummer. Where did that gorgeous sun from the solstice go? The weather channel said it looked like a winter storm moving through. Not what we want to hear. So I'm moping. Almost everyone I know is in New York City having a great time and I am sitting here listening to ABBA and watching the rain come down.
That's right it's RWA's (Romance Writers of America) National Convention for 2011. Big turnouts this year, big authors, big parties. I heard via twitter that the lines to get in went four blocks down Broadway. Craaazaaay!
So, what's a girl to do? I'll tell you. Go to M is for Mystery in San Mateo tonight to an author signing by the fabulous Sophie Littlefield and the marvelous Juliet Blackwell. Their new books just came out this month. A Bad Day for Scandal by Littlefield and Hexes and Hemlines by Blackwell. Both books are latest releases in a their respective series. A bad Day for Scandal has been called Littlefield's best so far and Blackwell's Hemlines and Hexes is full of rich characters and is an A+ in my opinion.
Worth the trip my friends.
That's right it's RWA's (Romance Writers of America) National Convention for 2011. Big turnouts this year, big authors, big parties. I heard via twitter that the lines to get in went four blocks down Broadway. Craaazaaay!
So, what's a girl to do? I'll tell you. Go to M is for Mystery in San Mateo tonight to an author signing by the fabulous Sophie Littlefield and the marvelous Juliet Blackwell. Their new books just came out this month. A Bad Day for Scandal by Littlefield and Hexes and Hemlines by Blackwell. Both books are latest releases in a their respective series. A bad Day for Scandal has been called Littlefield's best so far and Blackwell's Hemlines and Hexes is full of rich characters and is an A+ in my opinion.
Worth the trip my friends.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
POTTERMORE
Recently, JK Rowling released a new website with her usual flare of mysteriousness and fanfare. It's called Pottermore. It won't be fully functional until October except for a few lucky people that will be able to beta test it starting July 31st. I would highly recommend going to the site and watching the brief video as the graphics are amazing. More and more movies are using this paper cut out graphic technique in their opening credits and during back story. I love it.
Pottermore will essentially be the go to site for audio books and the exclusive site for ebooks. Rowling did not say what format the books would be in so I don't know if they will work on your ereader or if it is strictly for the computer, which is a drawback in my opinion. She's held out a long time, let's hope it's not going to be just about the money. I hope she considered the readers and their needs as well.
I remember when my dear daughter came home from second grade talking about a story they were reading about a little boy who was locked in a cupboard under the stairs with spiders. I thought what kind of stuff are they reading to these kids. Then she kept coming home day after day and all she could talk about was this book so we finally bought it and I read it aloud to her. Little did I know we had started a new tradition. From then on, we were in line on release day. Sometimes in costume. We would have marathon reading sessions, always with me reading aloud still, even when she was old enough to read it to herself. Now she is almost 20 and has moved on from Harry Potter but I haven't :)
My dear son who will be nine soon is hooked on the books and we read them aloud to him. He hasn't heard the later books as they are a bit scary and more grown up, but as he grows he can grow with Harry.
As I'm writing this, I'm planning to go to the midnight showing of the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - the final movie. It saddens me that it is all coming to an end for me. The excitement of the "next" installment will be over. But I can live the wonder with my son.
With Rowling's books, it's all about the wonder. I thank her for that.
Pottermore will essentially be the go to site for audio books and the exclusive site for ebooks. Rowling did not say what format the books would be in so I don't know if they will work on your ereader or if it is strictly for the computer, which is a drawback in my opinion. She's held out a long time, let's hope it's not going to be just about the money. I hope she considered the readers and their needs as well.
I remember when my dear daughter came home from second grade talking about a story they were reading about a little boy who was locked in a cupboard under the stairs with spiders. I thought what kind of stuff are they reading to these kids. Then she kept coming home day after day and all she could talk about was this book so we finally bought it and I read it aloud to her. Little did I know we had started a new tradition. From then on, we were in line on release day. Sometimes in costume. We would have marathon reading sessions, always with me reading aloud still, even when she was old enough to read it to herself. Now she is almost 20 and has moved on from Harry Potter but I haven't :)
My dear son who will be nine soon is hooked on the books and we read them aloud to him. He hasn't heard the later books as they are a bit scary and more grown up, but as he grows he can grow with Harry.
As I'm writing this, I'm planning to go to the midnight showing of the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - the final movie. It saddens me that it is all coming to an end for me. The excitement of the "next" installment will be over. But I can live the wonder with my son.
With Rowling's books, it's all about the wonder. I thank her for that.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Six Sentence Sunday
I've set up camp in my critique partner's office and we have been hammering out my book. It's been misery. If I wasn't such a pantser when it comes to writing, revisions wouldn't be so bad. But they are. I have friends who love them and I just nod and smile along with them and inside I'm thinking what kind of sick cookie are they?
Another good friend and writing partner, Reina Williams, hooked me up with Six Sentence Sunday. A great way a community of authors share six sentences of their work, published or not, within their blogs. Check it out. It's a great way to find new people to read.
Here goes, my six sentences from a current work in progress.
Lizbet jumped back and out of the way as the big green bus with its orange accordion middle rushed to a stop, spraying rain water everywhere. The bus was packed with steaming, smelly people and the only room was on the stairs, she didn’t want to wait for the next bus. She held onto the railing and tried not to swing back and forth into anyone. She could feel her hair start to wave from the humidity in the closed cramped space. Cecile was on the other side of the stairs from her so they couldn’t even talk. This day was turning into one big suck fest.
There you go. Have a great Sunday.
Another good friend and writing partner, Reina Williams, hooked me up with Six Sentence Sunday. A great way a community of authors share six sentences of their work, published or not, within their blogs. Check it out. It's a great way to find new people to read.
Here goes, my six sentences from a current work in progress.
Lizbet jumped back and out of the way as the big green bus with its orange accordion middle rushed to a stop, spraying rain water everywhere. The bus was packed with steaming, smelly people and the only room was on the stairs, she didn’t want to wait for the next bus. She held onto the railing and tried not to swing back and forth into anyone. She could feel her hair start to wave from the humidity in the closed cramped space. Cecile was on the other side of the stairs from her so they couldn’t even talk. This day was turning into one big suck fest.
There you go. Have a great Sunday.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Mont Saint Michel - My Favorite Things French
One of the best places to visit in France is The Mont Saint Michel. It is on the border of Normandy and Brittany and has been called one of the wonders of the world.
Normandy and Brittany fought over who it belonged to for years since it sat right on the border. It had been a prison, a sanctuary and a fortress. Today it is an abbey and tourist attraction. It’s linked to the mainland by a dike that all but disappears at high tide making the Mount a supreme fortress.
The Druids first worshipped there in the Celtic period. Followed by the Romans who worshipped Mercury. At the end of the 5th century hermits or Christians reached the forested Mount. The bishop of the time was named Aubert. He said that the Archangel St. Michael appeared to him three times. The Archangel instructed him to build a sanctuary in his name on the Mount. Over the years the Mount faced warring factions in the church, the world and in France. In the end it was Napoléon who restored the Mount to its sanctuary status. The little man had some priorities.
I was lucky enough to spend the night in the Mont. A truly amazing event. Being able to roam around the abbey and streets with the setting sun and no one around is both unsettling and breath taking. I vividly remember taking a bath and watching the light flow in through the stained glass windows surrounded by stone walls and thinking I had traveled back in time. I would highly recommend an overnight stay if you can swing it.
More in the days to follow ~ My other favorite things about France.
Normandy and Brittany fought over who it belonged to for years since it sat right on the border. It had been a prison, a sanctuary and a fortress. Today it is an abbey and tourist attraction. It’s linked to the mainland by a dike that all but disappears at high tide making the Mount a supreme fortress.
The Druids first worshipped there in the Celtic period. Followed by the Romans who worshipped Mercury. At the end of the 5th century hermits or Christians reached the forested Mount. The bishop of the time was named Aubert. He said that the Archangel St. Michael appeared to him three times. The Archangel instructed him to build a sanctuary in his name on the Mount. Over the years the Mount faced warring factions in the church, the world and in France. In the end it was Napoléon who restored the Mount to its sanctuary status. The little man had some priorities.
I was lucky enough to spend the night in the Mont. A truly amazing event. Being able to roam around the abbey and streets with the setting sun and no one around is both unsettling and breath taking. I vividly remember taking a bath and watching the light flow in through the stained glass windows surrounded by stone walls and thinking I had traveled back in time. I would highly recommend an overnight stay if you can swing it.
More in the days to follow ~ My other favorite things about France.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Good Coffee Good TImes
This morning as I'm having a cup of excellent coffee I'm taking some time to reflect on the past week and all the milestones that my family has passed.
First and most imoportant my dear daughter graduated from high school after having struggled with a chronic illness. She missed a lot of her high school special moments and had to take an extra year to do it but she did it. With Honors! We were so proud.
Then we celebrated my dear son's 9th birthday (a little early). I can't believe he's getting to be so big! Massive water gun fight and a Pikachu pinata were the highlights of the day.
The same day as the birthday party was my ten year anniversary. Amazing to see we've already made ten years. The time flew by.
I've also started a new book and I managed to get in 8,000 words this week with everything else going on. Yeah!
So much happening and so much to be thankful for. Life is good. Writing is great and thanks for letting me share my news with you all. Next Blog on the Mont St. Michel.
First and most imoportant my dear daughter graduated from high school after having struggled with a chronic illness. She missed a lot of her high school special moments and had to take an extra year to do it but she did it. With Honors! We were so proud.
Then we celebrated my dear son's 9th birthday (a little early). I can't believe he's getting to be so big! Massive water gun fight and a Pikachu pinata were the highlights of the day.
The same day as the birthday party was my ten year anniversary. Amazing to see we've already made ten years. The time flew by.
I've also started a new book and I managed to get in 8,000 words this week with everything else going on. Yeah!
So much happening and so much to be thankful for. Life is good. Writing is great and thanks for letting me share my news with you all. Next Blog on the Mont St. Michel.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Wall Street Journal Tries to Kill YA Writers?
Has Last weekend's Wall Street Journal harmed the Young Adult (YA) market? It sure had everyone talking about it. Stirring a new hash tag on twitter (a conversation tag) named #YAsaves! that was trending in the top ten tweets in the nation after the article. It made it to number two in the SF Bay area.
The article specifically pin pointed author Judy Blume, among others, and she tweeted #YAsaves! to the WSJ. YA author Holly Black organized many to join her in sending their tweets directly to the WSJ.
In order to stimulate an imagination don't we need to scare it, shock and challenge it? If it's force fed the mundane it will be a mundane imagination. Some of the content by some authors should be kept for older teens. A thirteen year old might not be ready for it, then again they might. How much do you really know about your child? Many kids tweeted in that YA stories had saved their lives. Coming of age stories, coming out stories, fantasy to escape bad school or home life. We need our books to escape into and teens are no different.
The article was harsh. Really throwing a negative spin on YA authors. It made it sound like the future of the genre was bleak and heading for danger Wil Robinson. I completely disagree. I think we have broken through barriers and are finally giving teens something that they can sink their teeth into. A real story not a watered down one. I remember the YA I grew up with. I read it in fourth and fifth grade and thought it was silly then. I moved on to adult books because there was nothing else.
I think that the young adults and adults that are reading YA books will continue to read them regardless of what WSJ has said. No one reads the WSJ anyways, right?? :)
The article specifically pin pointed author Judy Blume, among others, and she tweeted #YAsaves! to the WSJ. YA author Holly Black organized many to join her in sending their tweets directly to the WSJ.
In order to stimulate an imagination don't we need to scare it, shock and challenge it? If it's force fed the mundane it will be a mundane imagination. Some of the content by some authors should be kept for older teens. A thirteen year old might not be ready for it, then again they might. How much do you really know about your child? Many kids tweeted in that YA stories had saved their lives. Coming of age stories, coming out stories, fantasy to escape bad school or home life. We need our books to escape into and teens are no different.
The article was harsh. Really throwing a negative spin on YA authors. It made it sound like the future of the genre was bleak and heading for danger Wil Robinson. I completely disagree. I think we have broken through barriers and are finally giving teens something that they can sink their teeth into. A real story not a watered down one. I remember the YA I grew up with. I read it in fourth and fifth grade and thought it was silly then. I moved on to adult books because there was nothing else.
I think that the young adults and adults that are reading YA books will continue to read them regardless of what WSJ has said. No one reads the WSJ anyways, right?? :)
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Four Women and Their Computers
Friday I had over some friends of mine for a mini writers retreat. I thought it would be a great way to kick start the summer with a day full of intense writing. I got a veggie plate, bagels, coffee, biscotti and we had chinese for lunch. Fun.
Well, what I learned is not as much writing happens as a person plans for at these things. We set a timer for forty-five minutes at a time but still managed to talk in between. We started later than expected. Our breaks lasted a wee bit longer. By the end of the day I think our accumulative word count hovered around 2000. Not terrible but not what I was hoping for. What I didn't expect was how much I needed to talk about all things writing with my friends, share my work and hear about theirs. It was wonderful. Word counts be damned.
I'm going to plan another one soon, but this time plan out time for sharing work, doing excercises to get us to do some break through writing and of course time to work on our current projects. I love writing with other people. How about you? Shout outs to Karysa Faire, Reina Williams and Marik Berghs!
Well, what I learned is not as much writing happens as a person plans for at these things. We set a timer for forty-five minutes at a time but still managed to talk in between. We started later than expected. Our breaks lasted a wee bit longer. By the end of the day I think our accumulative word count hovered around 2000. Not terrible but not what I was hoping for. What I didn't expect was how much I needed to talk about all things writing with my friends, share my work and hear about theirs. It was wonderful. Word counts be damned.
I'm going to plan another one soon, but this time plan out time for sharing work, doing excercises to get us to do some break through writing and of course time to work on our current projects. I love writing with other people. How about you? Shout outs to Karysa Faire, Reina Williams and Marik Berghs!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Vampires & French Royalty
So I'm plotting out a new book and it's set in France. I spent a year there and am drawing up from the fuzzy, foggy depths of my memory for details to use in the story. One thing I didn't learn while I was there was the order of French royalty. I googled it and am pretty certain that after the King comes the Duc which could either be a relative or a clergy. But there is no definitive spelling on his wife. I am assuming it is a Duchess. I'm putting this out to the world hoping someone has a better grasp on it than I do. Maybe you have google magick at your fingertips that I don't posses :)
One of the minor characters in the story is a vampire who is a Duc long dead. He has a mate who would then be a Duchess. But I want to spell it correctly. This story may end up being a YA as the heroine is just 17. There are gargoyles, vampires and all sorts of dark trouble in it. I'm just in the planning stages so far, which is a new process of writing for me. I'm ususally what they call a pantser, I write by the seat of my pants. I sit at the keyboard and just write, but this time I am actually making a plan of attack. I hope the story will be stronger for it.
Well, that's all for now. Any help you can give i.e. the Duchess issue would be much appreciated.
One of the minor characters in the story is a vampire who is a Duc long dead. He has a mate who would then be a Duchess. But I want to spell it correctly. This story may end up being a YA as the heroine is just 17. There are gargoyles, vampires and all sorts of dark trouble in it. I'm just in the planning stages so far, which is a new process of writing for me. I'm ususally what they call a pantser, I write by the seat of my pants. I sit at the keyboard and just write, but this time I am actually making a plan of attack. I hope the story will be stronger for it.
Well, that's all for now. Any help you can give i.e. the Duchess issue would be much appreciated.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Kim Harrison Says 'Excuse Me, You Got Your Romance In My Urban Fantasy'
I was lucky enough to stumble upon this guest post at SF Signal this morning by Kim Harrison - Kim Harrison Says 'Excuse Me, You Got Your Romance In My Urban Fantasy' . It is an intelligent and articulate look at the difference between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance genre writing. Kim is the talented author of the New York Times Bestselling Hallows series, a nine book series with the latest being Pale Demon.
I recently discovered the series. I had seen her books before at Barnes and Noble and had been intimidated by the sheer number of them. I love a series but I didn't know where to start. After taking a class and hearing how wonderful they were I downloaded the first one onto my Kindle and the rest was history. I devoured them. The books are amazing. Kim's world building is fantastic. There is never a cliche and she's not afraid to beat up on her protagonist :)
But she does write Urban Fantasy and not Paranormal Romance and that is the lesson today. She didn't just throw in some pixies, werewolves and vampires to sell it in the trending market like so many these days. She's created deep characters with real histories not the two dimensional ones we get in most romances. And for that we love you Kim. Tink's Contractual Hell, write another book soon!
I recently discovered the series. I had seen her books before at Barnes and Noble and had been intimidated by the sheer number of them. I love a series but I didn't know where to start. After taking a class and hearing how wonderful they were I downloaded the first one onto my Kindle and the rest was history. I devoured them. The books are amazing. Kim's world building is fantastic. There is never a cliche and she's not afraid to beat up on her protagonist :)
But she does write Urban Fantasy and not Paranormal Romance and that is the lesson today. She didn't just throw in some pixies, werewolves and vampires to sell it in the trending market like so many these days. She's created deep characters with real histories not the two dimensional ones we get in most romances. And for that we love you Kim. Tink's Contractual Hell, write another book soon!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Memorial Day Weekend, Life & Death
This weekend we celebrate our soldiers. We remember their sacrifice and affirm our devotion to freedom through it. In my own personal life I've gone through some milestones this weekend as well.
My daughter went to her senior prom last night. She was beautiful. Sending her off was a culmination of many years of worry, nuturing and hardwork. It was truly a bittersweet moment. It was a moment meant to mark an important milestone in a young woman's life and she did it gracefully.
This morning my aunt died after a long struggle with brain cancer. She passed peacefully in her sleep. Her children had been with her. The last important milestone in a woman's life.
The irony of the two events occuring hours apart did not pass over me. It gave me a lot to think about. My young daughter starting her life out with hopefully many wonderful new experiences. My aunt leaving hers with many wonderful adventures behind.
As we go about this weekend, let's remember the reason we have the holiday. Our service men and women. But also that it is an affirmation of life and death and the freedom to pursue it. Always pursue life, don't wait for it.
My daughter went to her senior prom last night. She was beautiful. Sending her off was a culmination of many years of worry, nuturing and hardwork. It was truly a bittersweet moment. It was a moment meant to mark an important milestone in a young woman's life and she did it gracefully.
This morning my aunt died after a long struggle with brain cancer. She passed peacefully in her sleep. Her children had been with her. The last important milestone in a woman's life.
The irony of the two events occuring hours apart did not pass over me. It gave me a lot to think about. My young daughter starting her life out with hopefully many wonderful new experiences. My aunt leaving hers with many wonderful adventures behind.
As we go about this weekend, let's remember the reason we have the holiday. Our service men and women. But also that it is an affirmation of life and death and the freedom to pursue it. Always pursue life, don't wait for it.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Coroner vs Medical Examiner
Every county or parrish in every state has either a coroner or a medical examiner (ME). The terms are used interchangeably but the two are different. The word coroner comes from the English office "crowner of the King" or "the keeper of the pleas of the crown".
As early as the 11th century the coroner's duties were many, including determining cause of death. He would also investigate and judge said deaths. Early English settlers, in the 1600's, brought with them the office of the coroner and it's inquisitional way of investigating and judging death to America.
The medical examiner traces its origins to Scotland and France in the 1800's. You must hold at least a MD to hold this office and often the modern ME also has forensic and pathology training.
Since the King had appointed the office of coroner it was ran like a popularity contest and continued that way in the States, leading to elections today. Your coroner may be a sherrif, a mortician or a MD. In 1940, Congress passed a law to make it uniform in all states to have the medical examiner system but some have held out. California for example. Usually when you have a coroner today, he is a medical doctor and he/she hires forensic pathologists to do the actual work.
What system do you have? Did you know there was a difference? Does it surprise you that anyone can be a coroner? Maybe I should run? Hmmmmmmm......
As early as the 11th century the coroner's duties were many, including determining cause of death. He would also investigate and judge said deaths. Early English settlers, in the 1600's, brought with them the office of the coroner and it's inquisitional way of investigating and judging death to America.
The medical examiner traces its origins to Scotland and France in the 1800's. You must hold at least a MD to hold this office and often the modern ME also has forensic and pathology training.
Since the King had appointed the office of coroner it was ran like a popularity contest and continued that way in the States, leading to elections today. Your coroner may be a sherrif, a mortician or a MD. In 1940, Congress passed a law to make it uniform in all states to have the medical examiner system but some have held out. California for example. Usually when you have a coroner today, he is a medical doctor and he/she hires forensic pathologists to do the actual work.
What system do you have? Did you know there was a difference? Does it surprise you that anyone can be a coroner? Maybe I should run? Hmmmmmmm......
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
An Excerpt From Still Sucking in San Francisco
We pull up to a beautifully restored Victorian with wildflowers planted in every square inch of the lawn. Humming bird feeders and bird baths are squeezed in. Wrens, bushtits and buzzing iridescent hummingbirds dart through the air, chirp or make use of the stone baths. The whole house pulses with magick but it was blue magick and beautiful. A simple sign hangs near the door that reads ‘Starbird’.
“Starbird?! The Starbird! You know Starbird?”
“I’m her Goddess mother,” Helena nonchalantly says. “I was there when she came into the world, glowing of magick even then.”
“How is that possible?”
“The gift is very strong in some of us. She was born with it. Her mother was a Wiccan too. She has a lovely soul and has made her life’s work educating others. I'm truly proud of her. But even I need to make an appointment,” Helena
Just a little snippet from what I am working on this morning. This is a book about vampires but also has witches and magick resonating through it. A touch of humor and hopefully some twists and turns. Happy reading. ~
Monday, May 23, 2011
Vampires and Texting
I'm doing some rewrites on my WIP (work in progress) Sucking in San Francisco and I am considering having my vampires text each other. They call each other, why wouldn't they text? The main character uses an iPhone and an iPad, she's savvy. Charlaine Harris, for goodness sake, has her vampires and King of the fairies calling each other on cell phones during battle. If she can get away with something like that shouldn't I?
But that's the rub. She's Charlaine Harris :) Would I get away with it, should I? Oh reader... the few of you there are... what do you think? Are vampires 21st century enough to text and use gadgets or should they stay mysterious and dark?
But that's the rub. She's Charlaine Harris :) Would I get away with it, should I? Oh reader... the few of you there are... what do you think? Are vampires 21st century enough to text and use gadgets or should they stay mysterious and dark?
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Social Media and the Universe
So I've been blogging and tweeting and facebooking for a day now with awesome results. The world really does revolve around social media. I'm beginning to think life's answers are out there if you just dig hard enough. Twitter was ablaze yesterday with tweets about the rapture and zombies. It seems that my blog was apropos. Towards the end of the day people were saying enough already and started talking about other things. It seemed the rapture came and went via facebook and twitter.
The funny thing is, I would have missed it all if I hadn't taken on this trek to higher enlightenment. I have to ask myself if I would have missed the poignant and funny posts and the answer is: Hell Yes! I've found my fountain of youth. Next will be a smart phone and texting. My daughter groans, my mother rolls her eyes and my husband is oblivious. But I will soon be the Queen of the Universe. (If I can figure out the language.) Captain Underpants watch out!
The funny thing is, I would have missed it all if I hadn't taken on this trek to higher enlightenment. I have to ask myself if I would have missed the poignant and funny posts and the answer is: Hell Yes! I've found my fountain of youth. Next will be a smart phone and texting. My daughter groans, my mother rolls her eyes and my husband is oblivious. But I will soon be the Queen of the Universe. (If I can figure out the language.) Captain Underpants watch out!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Facebook & Twitter
So I haven't been very active on here and I am about to change that. I am breaking into the world of twitter as we speak. Very nervous and honestly feeling like a mega geek. But in today's world that's a good thing. I'm getting ready to publish an author's page on FB. Technically I'm not a published author in fiction, I'm still a writer but I've been published mutliple times in the non-fiction world so I'm using it in the name so I can have it as my FB title :)
On to some things paranormal. I recently went with a wonderful group that I am a member of, Sisters in Crime, to a shooting range, across from San Quentin, for some target practice. We had a very thorough class on guns and shooting from Adam and then went downstairs to pick out our targets and gear so we could shoot. I of course I picked the ZOMBIE target. Oh Yeah!
When it was my turn, my good friend, Reina Williams (check out her blog) and I took our targets into the range and loaded them up. I used a 1911 gun and aimed. First shot was in the head and the remainder of the clip went into the heart. That's right... I double tapped. Can't be too sure with zombies!
What I learned. Well, I'm a pretty good shot if I have to be. I don't really like guns but could probably get over that with some practice. I really love shooting zombies and will happily defend my home against them. Apocalypse... I'm ready.
On to some things paranormal. I recently went with a wonderful group that I am a member of, Sisters in Crime, to a shooting range, across from San Quentin, for some target practice. We had a very thorough class on guns and shooting from Adam and then went downstairs to pick out our targets and gear so we could shoot. I of course I picked the ZOMBIE target. Oh Yeah!
When it was my turn, my good friend, Reina Williams (check out her blog) and I took our targets into the range and loaded them up. I used a 1911 gun and aimed. First shot was in the head and the remainder of the clip went into the heart. That's right... I double tapped. Can't be too sure with zombies!
What I learned. Well, I'm a pretty good shot if I have to be. I don't really like guns but could probably get over that with some practice. I really love shooting zombies and will happily defend my home against them. Apocalypse... I'm ready.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Suspects
I'm taking a Mystery Writing Class and part of our assingment is to come up with a list of possible suspects. Well I'm a pantser, for those of you who don't know what that means, I write by the seat of my pants. I don't draw up elaborate flow charts and index cards. I don't have files and files of background on my characters and I usually don't know what's going to happen until I write about it. I always have a vague idea but nothing set in concrete. This class has been a challenge for me. I am working on a mystery and I am bogged down. Maybe because mysteries need some planning? They are not conducive to pantsers. Am I doomed before I even set pen to paper or in this case finger to keyboard? You tell me. Also a little help on the usual suspects would be greatly appreciated. I have a stalker, a bad cop and a bad witch (it's a paranormal), but I need one more because one of these guys is the killer and according to my teacher I should have at least three suspects besides the killer. Who else is a stereotypical suspect, a red herring? I value your opinions.
Monday, January 3, 2011
I Dream Of Jinni...
My first book features a jinni or djinn (one of the traditional forms of the word). His name is Aidan which means fire. I thought that was fitting since djinn are fire spirits. He falls in love with the herione along with another man. Love for Aidan is something he has never felt before. He had spent his 5000 years roaming the world alone. It was fun writing about a djinn, trying to imagine the things he had seen and done in those many long years.
Djinn have a long history. They're first told in Arabic folklore and Islamic teachings. They exist in a parallel universe to mankind. Djinn, angels and humans make up the three sentient creations of Allah. The Qur'an mentions that they are made of smokeless flame or "the fire of a scorching wind". They have freewill along with humans. They can be good, evil or neutrally benevolent according to wikipedia.
A djinn having freewill gives us a different picture of the genie we have come to think of today. The evolution of the djinn has come to be one of captive who will grant three wishes when you find him. He has popped up in everything from children's movies, jokes and pop culture songs.
It was believed that jinni stood behind King Solomon in his court giving advice. In the Qur'an one djinn is cast out of paradise and is now Satan. They have a complicated and rich history that we have adapted to modern times.
Are djinn real? Why have they persisted down through the ages across religions and cultures? What would you do if you met a djinn? An all powerful being that could grant you wishes?
Djinn have a long history. They're first told in Arabic folklore and Islamic teachings. They exist in a parallel universe to mankind. Djinn, angels and humans make up the three sentient creations of Allah. The Qur'an mentions that they are made of smokeless flame or "the fire of a scorching wind". They have freewill along with humans. They can be good, evil or neutrally benevolent according to wikipedia.
A djinn having freewill gives us a different picture of the genie we have come to think of today. The evolution of the djinn has come to be one of captive who will grant three wishes when you find him. He has popped up in everything from children's movies, jokes and pop culture songs.
It was believed that jinni stood behind King Solomon in his court giving advice. In the Qur'an one djinn is cast out of paradise and is now Satan. They have a complicated and rich history that we have adapted to modern times.
Are djinn real? Why have they persisted down through the ages across religions and cultures? What would you do if you met a djinn? An all powerful being that could grant you wishes?
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