The Dynamic Trio - Blog

A little girl called Emma, who lives in the South Island of New Zealand, is running a campaign against swearing. She says we all swear too much and wrote to Close Up, our local current affairs program, expressing her concern. They told her if she did some research into the problem they’d do a news story on her campaign. Nine-year-old Emma spent last month researching the problem. She watched TV, listened to the radio, eavesdropped in the school playground and counted the number of times people swore. It was a lot! There was the F word, the C word, the S word and the B word plus a few variations, I’m sure.

In New Zealand there was a controversy about the word “bugger” especially after Toyota came out with the ad below. Personally, I thought it was amusing (good New Zealand humor) but thousands of people didn’t and complained. You judge for yourself…

I’ll admit. I swear, and thinking about it, the problem became worse after I started writing erotic romance. I guess that when nothing bad happened to me after writing the naughty words, I figured the stories my mother told me about dire punishment weren’t true. I felt free to verbalize the odd naughty word as well. Okay, Emma. I listened to you speaking on TV, and you have a point. There’s no need for us to use such bad language. I promise to do better.

Do you swear? How do you teach your kids not to swear when they’re faced with swearing on the TV and radio on a daily basis?

Now this is rare - I can’t think of a single thing to talk about. It’s strange for me, considering I ALWAYS seem to have something to say about any- and everything.

Oh, wait! I just thought of something - CHRISTIMAS! I’ll be hosting a HOLIDAY HOTTIES chat on the Samhain Cafe loop in December, so don’t miss it.

Can you believe that I’m usually done with all my Christmas shopping by November 30th. Why? Because after December 1st, this sistah ain’t going to the mall. There are crazy little old ladies who will fist fight you over the latest sale item at the mall! And if there are things like fuzzy bunny slippers on sale RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

Now I’m thinking about what I want this year. Usually I buy myself a piece of jewelry. Last year my kids totally shocked me - they bought me a sterling silver and diamond filigree ring, a mini-humidor for whenever I feel like indulging in the every-blue-moon grape flavored cigar (think Egyptian Voyage!), and several items that I can use in my grill (I just love grilling! I am the queen of the grill all year ’round). I bawled like a baby because I’m usually the one giving gifts rather than receiving them. My kids are so cool.

The holidays are just around the corner - what do you want for the holidays? Me - I’ll take a wild fling with a gorgeous hunk! Say…Mr. 300 himself - Gerard Butler! Wait…is he married? I don’t think so, but just in case I’ll have to think of some others. Let me see… *wink*

I’m guest blogging over at Nalini Singh’s blog today and discussing the problems I have with clothes - character’s clothes in specific. Come on over and keep me company. Comment and you go into the draw to win a print book.

http://nalinisingh.blogspot.com/

And a reminder - have you entered the Stray Cat Strut. Details over on my contest page?
http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog

How’s everyone doing? I know sometimes getting started on a new project or a challenge can be daunting and the pressure comes when you start overthinking and it freezes you up. Just try and relax and remember the Sven challenge is really about yourself and only yourself and your words.

Night before last I realized as I shut my laptop down, I didn’t have enough for the wordcount the short novel I was working on demanded. I brainstormed with my husband, who is always a great source of inspiration but it wasn’t quite enough so I woke up disgruntled and still searching for the thing that would give me the depth and layers I needed.

So I booted up the desktop and turned on IM and sent a note to my buddy Megan - I’m stuck and I don’t have enough meat for the story. She popped on about half an hour later and after I told her I couldn’t very wel have 50K words of fucking (well I could but it wouldn’t work for this story) we worked back and forth (our stories are interconnected) until I finally hit on what I needed, the hook, the layers that would bring the story’s heart to light.

By that time, a story I’d been struggling for a few hundred words here and there (but with a clear idea of what I needed which made it even more painful) loosened up and I got over 2700 words yesterday.

So while we can’t compare ourselves to others and find ourselves wanting when we talk about wordcount or book deals, we can reach out to others who know what we’re going through. Brainstorming and plotting sessions with a friend is something I’ve found to be a really big help and I highly encourage it!

This year, we’ve added five new sponsors to the challenge. Those of us running Sven’s gym are Alison Kent, Jo Leigh, HelenKay Dimon, Larissa Ione, Stephanie Tyler, Shiloh Walker, Lauren Dane, Diana Peterfreund, Jaci Burton, and Portia Da Costa. Expect to see us popping up on various sweating challengers’ blogs over the next 70 (93) days.

In addition there are nearly 300 sweaters and many of us know other authors who are willing to lend an ear and their creativity to help you out of a block or a tough spot. We’ve all been there so there’s no shame in reaching out. BTW, Megan is made of sparkly awesome for helping me.

Hubby is still on a search for the perfect barbeque. It must be reasonably priced, have three burners, a side burner, have a hood and be stainless steel. He dragged me to five - yep that’s FIVE - different shops selling barbeques on Saturday. I tell you, I know more about the things than I ever wanted to know. I think he’s narrowed down the options but I wish he’d just go and buy one. I am so NOT a shopper.

It rained off and on for most of the weekend. Yes, it’s supposed to be spring but Mother Nature is keeping us all guessing. It’s been so windy I haven’t attempted to get out my bike. After a few hairy bike rides battling the wind I know better. I did get quite a bit of polishing done on my book. The second-guessing is still present but I’m ignoring it and pushing onward. This morning I did some work on a novella and this afternoon I’m back to polishing. I’d like to finish the novella this month - that’s the plan anyway.

I did a little reading. I read Up Close and Dangerous by Linda Howard. I went off Linda Howard for a little while and this is the first of her books I’ve read for at least a year. This one was really good. I totally loved the characters and I didn’t see the twist coming at the end. I read late into the night to finish it - proof of how much I enjoyed it.

I also read Bound by Sasha White. I’ve been meaning to read one of Sasha’s books for ages and grabbed this one while we were in Hawaii. It’s first person with a slight submission element. Once again, I loved the characters and enjoyed the plot that went along with all the hot sex. I thought Sasha did a great job and I’ll be looking for more of her books.

And finally, I’m guest blogging over at Nalini Singh’s blog on Thursday. Nalini has guests all week so drop on by and enjoy the fun.

What did you do for the weekend? Anything interesting? Any good reads recently? Have you entered the Stray Cat Strut contest?

Lord my feet are killin’ me! But while I was getting my toes squished in a pair of high-heeled pumps, I discovered that women have two national anthems. One is “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor from the 70’s. The other is “Lady Marmalade” originally done by Patti LaBelle but most recently redone for the movie “Moulin Rouge” and sung by Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink and Lil’ Kim.

Now how do I know about this national anthem stuff? Girlfriend, let me tell you what I did last night! Or rather, this morning since it’s about 2:00am on Sunday morning now. I went to a BALL! Yes, a real black-tie dance with loads of yummy hors’d'ouvres, plenty of beverages (both the tipsy and non-tipsy kind), professional photographers, and the whole works. Oh, and it’s was a singles, over-30 only, packed to the rafters shin-dig!

It was the Colorado Black Tie Association event called the Harvest Moon Ball. And yes, I was bullied into it by a girlfriend of mine. It turned out to be equal parts fun and equal parts boring. And you could tell who the firecrackers were in the room - all the single women who didn’t bother waiting on a guy to ask her to dance when the two songs I mentioned earlier came on.

As with many balls and dances, most of the guys were on the wall and many of us women (keep in mind, there were AT LEAST 400 people there) were either sitting at tables sipping something-or-other, talking, laughing or wishing someone would come and ask us to dance.

BUT when the two songs I mentioned above came on? Oh my fricking god, you should have seen it! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pack of women run to the dance floor like that! Some were dragging men behind them. Some said screw it, and just danced by themselves. Some came onto the floor alone then congregated into groups to sing and dance about surviving and getting laid!

When was the last time you went out and just said, “screw it, I’m gonna have a good time regardless of what else is going on, damn it!”

Doesn’t have to be a fancy dance. Maybe it was a concert or a baseball game. We promise not to tell anyone else your secrets *wink*

TJ

We here at Sven Says Sweat invite you participate in round two of our Seventy Days of Sweat Writing Challenge. The challenge begins on Monday, October 15 and runs through Tuesday, January 15.

Yes, that’s 93 days. We’re giving you 23 days off to use as your personal holiday and religious circumstances require

For those participating in Nano who don’t want to start before 11/1, you can use the first 15 days to plan out your story, and then have 45 days to polish once November is over.

The goal is to have a completed manuscript at the challenge’s end.

The rules are simple. You agree to write from 750 to 1500 words a day (depending on your project needs) between the dates listed above. If you need to take off a day, you make up the pages another. Remember: You only have to do the writing for 70 days.

You don’t have to have a blog to participate, but we do want you to sign up below so everyone involved can get to know one another. And if you do have a blog, you can post the information there. Going public with your commitment is about owning it.

As far as reporting your progress, you’ll come back here each Wednesday and Sunday and post your total word count. Those of us sponsoring the challenge will be dropping by your blog (if you have one) and egging you on! And this year we have several co-sponsors who will also be checking up on you! (More on that later.)

The challenge is open to anyone writing in any genre, published and aspiring authors both. On the sidebar, you’ll find our logo if you’d like to put one on your blog. For now, let’s see a show of hands.

Who’s not afraid to sweat? Go here and sign up! I’m one of the author sponsors this round so I promise to poke at you and cheer on your successes too!

Jiggity Jigg…. Got home late last night after many days of driving. Or well, after many days of my husband driving and I sat, handed food and drinks to the kids, made them stop arguing and even did some reading here and there. The constant chaos of three kids is insane but I’m so used to it at this point, it’s crazier when there’s silence.

This is us at the California Adventure park - we rode the Roaring Rapids ride twice and were totally soaked. Still, it was so hot it worked out nicely and we dried quickly. I can’t believe everyone is marginally looking toward the camera at once, no one is crying, hurting anyone else or doing anything non cameraworthy.

I am sick to death of eating in restaurants and living out of suitcases. How can three little people make such a huge pile of laundry? Good lord, I’ve been washing clothes all day it seems like. Now I have to work since I didn’t write at all during our vacation, which was nice actually. I don’t take breaks very often.

Monday, 70 Days of Sweat begins again, more on that in a moment…

Don’t forget to check the contest page of my website, I’ve got some good stuff going on right now!

It’s Saturday here in New Zealand, a beautiful spring day, and after we have a cup of tea and shower etc, we’re off on a mission. Mr. Munro has decided it’s time for a new BBQ. He wants one with a few more bells and whistles. It needs a hood so he can cook roasts and must be stainless steel so it doesn’t rust. It also needs at least three burners.

For the last two weeks he’s been checking out BBQs at various retailers and today, I have to go too. Not quite as enthusiastic as Mr. Munro because the BBQ is his domain and I’m not allowed to touch it. Even after looking at BBQs all week he’s still really excited. A bit like a kid really. Or maybe a woman who likes shopping for clothes. I’m definitely not a clothes shopper. In fact the only shopping I get really excited about involves books or maybe DVDs.

*Putting my patience hat on* I’m going to be a good wife and follow in his excited footsteps, murmur “oh and ah” noises where appropriate while hoping like heck he decides on one and buys it to put me out of my misery! Wish me luck.

I was getting nervous there for a bit because I hadn’t seen ANY reviews for my August releases. And considering that SERATI’S FLAME was done so early and sent out months ago for reviews, sistah was really starting to trip!

Well, in spite of another headache from hell, new reviews showed up and made it all better - ’cause THEY KICK ASS!

The first review for Egyptian Voyage came in and it kicks major booty! It’s so good it makes me want to kiss feet upon demand! You can visit Ecataromance Sensual or visit the Egyptian Voyage page by clicking my Bookshelf link to see available titles and their reviews. Woohoo! Uh-huh! Go, TJ! *tj dancing around her office…badly*

AND

Serati’s Flame, Vampire Council of Ethics Book 2 received an Oooo-Weee review and FIVE HEARTS from The Romance Studio. They said, “I, for one, am eagerly looking forward to Ms. Michael next wildly, thrilling book within the Vampire Council of Ethics series.” 5 Hearts, Sensuality Rating: Explicit @ The Romance Studio.

Can’t get any better than that…well, unless it’s 6′ 3″, 220 lbs of muscles and legs like Clive Owen!