The Dynamic Trio - Blog

Hi guys,

At 3:00pm today, I’m blogging over at the Samhain Publishing blog. Last night, I got to reminiscing about “the good old days” which is hilarious considering I’m just barely forty. Come over and let me know if you agree with me or not. I say…CELL PHONES BE DAMNED! Mwahaha!

TJ

So my husband is a really fabulous guy. I think I may have hinted at that once or twice, heh. Anyway, late last year we took the kids for flu shots and when we were leaving, he handed me a book he found in the hospital auxilary book sale.

Dooood.

The book is called, “Going Steady” and the author, Anne Emery wrote this whole series about the Burnaby sisters in the 1950s and this is one of them. It’s, wow, it’s like a time capsule I have to say. Still, I read it, amused, giggly and actually impressed with how Anne Emery manages to write a pretty darned strong female character for 1950. I’d totally let my daughter read it when she gets older.

Also? He bought me an iPhone. Sigh. He’s so fabulous.

We’ve just had a holiday weekend down here in NZ and I forgot about blogging because my brain is working a day out. On the plus side, it was a great day, full of sunshine.

I have a new contest running at my website in conjunction with Jory Strong. Answer three simple questions and go into a draw to win a download from Jory Strong and Shelley Munro. Check out the details here.

Have a great week!

Is it really a question?

One “D” cup told me today, “Boobs may be a sign of womanhood, but bigger ain’t necessarily better. These damned things hurt! They pull on my shoulders, they pull on my neck, I have to worry more about saggin’ and I’ve got years before I even have kids. And, dang it, I can’t wear the shirts I want! *gggrrrrrr!!!* On the other hand, small boobs aren’t the answer either, because boobs should be more than just a nipple *snark*.”

Then a young guy told me that he doesn’t care what size they are. And an author recently posted a brilliant blog on the advantages of velcro boobs. I laughed so hard I got a whole weeks worth of abdominal exercises done in that little five minute read.

As readers, do we prefer for a woman’s breasts to be described a certain way in a novel? Do we give a single fig whether our hero likes big breasts or small breasts? Whether you’re big boobed or small boobed, I’m sure you’ve had the breast conversation sometime in your life. And the conclusion was… what? Share your wisdom and wise cracks with us about a subject that just won’t go away…as long as we have boobs in the world :D

TJ

I wrote a bit about the epiphany moment I have with each book - specifically Taking Care of Business - Each book is its own journey and I have to say, Kate (my heroine) was hard to learn at first. Part of it was that I’d been interrupted a dozen times so each time I had to put the story aside to finish up something else, I had to re-learn her all over again. But each story has a sweet spot, at least for me. And that sweet spot is like an epiphany. All the sudden it’s clear - whatever it is that’s been lacking. You see it. You know your hero, or your heroine. You finally get what her big problem is, or you know what happened to him in the past and why it’s making him a dick now, or whatever.

It’s not necessarily writing blind - it’s like tasting the book and suddenly the full bouquet of it comes to you and it’s so vivid. I love that moment! Sometimes it doesn’t even come to me when I’m writing. I can be driving and see something out the window or hear a song on the radio or it comes to me while ironing. With Tri-Mates I had no real outline, I just had the idea of this tri mate bond thing and started writing (the concept came to me when I was writing Enforcer but I don’t do brother menages) and I’d planned on making Tracy good friends with Sarah, the Alpha female of her new Pack. but suddenly Tracy and Nick were fighting about Sarah and Sarah was not the character I’d imagined. She was such a fun villain to write because she was so totally unexpected. The whole money laundering storyline was something that just fell into my head as I was writing the first scene at the Pacific Pack House.

Other times, I plot very carefully and follow the synopsis I craft. But even then I still have the epiphany moment at some point or other. Because for me, the process is a surprise. I love that! I love that I find new things I hadn’t even imagined no matter how much planning I do. And sometimes I have to go back and re-craft something, other times it changes the ending a bit. It’s flying through my brain fast and furious or slow and sensual but it’s part of me and I couldn’t ask for a job I loved more.

I related some great news that Ascension won some awards - the Ecataromance Sensual Reviewers Choice Award and the Love Romances Cafe best shapeshifter book of the year. Nice!

If you ever wanted to ask an agent a question - head over to my blog and see how you might be able to do just that!

Firstly, my ISP is currently driving me nuts working at below dial-up speed because I’ve used up all my available allowance. I’ve finally caved and signed up for the next level, but I have to wait a couple of days for it to kick in. Meantime, I’m doing minimum Internet visits and instead I have to write. So sad, but what’s a girl to do if she can’t procrastinate!

I’m participating in Christine d’Abo’s writing challenge and have almost made my target for this week with two days to go. I might even cheat and do some more planning on my Urban Fantasy and also my storyboard. Christine said I’m meant to concentrate on one project but no one will tell on me, right?

This week has been one of rejection. I’ve received two, and while I’m disappointed, I’ve already moved on, submitting one project to another pub and reading/editing/cutting the other project to make it under 15,000 words. I’m thinking I might submit this to Spice or EC. I’m going to ponder this for a bit longer. The lesson to all you unpublished/aspiring writers out there is that rejections never go away. I’ve been published since 2004 and I still get rejections. Even though they’re disappointing and some plain hurt, dammit, a rejection isn’t personal. It just means that the project didn’t work for that particular editor or agent. Run with any feedback and send that sucker out again. That is my advice for the day.

I’m running a new contest on my website in conjunction with the wonderful and talented Jory Strong. The details will be up on my contest page this weekend so do pop back and check it out. I really love Jory’s books and the contest is going to be a lot of fun.

Reading: I’ve started reading my RITA books, which I can’t tell you about, but I did sneak in Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian. I’ve been enjoying Ms. Adrian’s series and her take on vampires. I’ll admit I thought the first book was only okay, but I picked up the second book and loved it. I think her series is getting better with each book and will definitely snap up the fourth in the series. In this, the third book, the hero Tegan is strong and feared by others but he has a softer side that he shows to Elise, the heroine. I liked Elise, too. She’s grown strong after losing her son and finds new depths along with love. Really, if you like vampire stories this is a great read.

I also picked up a few of Ellora’s Cave Exotica line. The only ones I’ve read to date are by Red Garnier. Today I read a Quickie by Ciana Stone called Riding Ranger. I really liked this story. While I usually prefer a happy ending this story really worked for me.

How has your week been? What are you up to for the weekend? What are you reading at the moment?

Hey all. I’m posting this late - I’m at work teaching a class all week to some customers who’ve flown into town. But tomorrow I’m scheduled for a MASSAGE! Woooo!

My problem area is my neck. Unfortunately, from working on the computer all day I tend to carry tension in my shoulders and neck. But this lady works wonders.

I’d love to know if you’ve ever had a massage and whether it was something useful to you. Also, has anyone tried reflexology or accupuncture? What did you think?

Back to class…

TJ

1. Your genre(s)? Dark paranormals, urban fantasy, contemporaries, futuristics and post apocalyptics - nearly almost always with a romantic plot.

2. How many books have you completed?
Oh my, let’s see: 18 full length novels and seven novellas. I’ve also got contracts for two more full length novels and a novella

3. How many books are you working on now? I’m writing a novella, revising a dual author novel and working on two proposals.

4. Are you a linear or chunk writer?
Linear. I cannot jump ahead although I can come back at the end and add new things.

5. The POV you’re most partial to?
Third but I do find myself drawn for first for just the right story.

6. The theme that keeps cropping up in your books?
Well this is a hard one. I suppose strength of conviction even in a challenge. Strength of character. Class and gender issues pop up frequently and well, I do love a big, bad alpha male and tend to write women who can hold their own with them.

7. How many days a week do you write?
Seven. Occasionally I take the day off, but most weeks I write every day.

8. What time of day do you get your best writing done? I have three kids and one of them is still home all day so I don’t get much done until after 8 when they’re in bed. So I write from about 8 - 11 nightly. It used to be 9 - 1 so I’m getting better and sleeping a tiny bit more.

9. Who are your inspirations? Authors who excite my imagination. Authors like William Gibson who can say in 3 words what it takes other authors 15 to say. Margaret Atwood whose writing has a sense of grace and beauty even when the subject is stark. Authors like Jenny Crusie and Nora Roberts who can create characters you can sink your teeth into but who aren’t one dimensional stereotypes. Nalini Singh and Eileen Wilks who can take a genre like paranormal romance and simply turn it upside down and breathe new life into it.

10. Who are your favorite authors to read? (different from mentors) William Gibson, Patricia Briggs, Frank Herbert, Kim Harrison, Margaret Atwood, Eileen Wilks, Nalini Singh, Liz Maverick, Marge Piercy, Sherri Tepper, Louise Marley, Richard Morgan, Linda Howard, Megan Hart, Anya Bast, Susan Elizabeth Phillips - the list goes on and on!

The weta - it’s a large and primitive insect, native to New Zealand. The reason I chose to write about wetas today is so more people know what they are. When I used a weta reference in my book Talking Dogs, Aliens and Purple People Eaters my editor didn’t know what I was talking about and I had to rewrite slightly to describe a weta as a prehistoric cricket-like insect.

There are five broad groups of weta:

1. Tree weta
2. Ground weta
3. Cave weta
4. Giant weta
5. Tusked weta

Wetas are nocturnal and live in a variety of habitats including grassland, scrub land, forests and caves. They live under stones and in rotten logs or in pre-formed burrows in trees.

They are mainly herbivores in the wild but are known to eat other insects. They can bite but are not poisonous. Species of weta are still being discovered and several are endangered. In the wild they were traditionally eaten by the tuatara (a prehistoric reptile native to NZ) but these days many are destroyed by rats, cats and dogs and of course, humans encroaching on their habitat.

The weta sheds its exoskeleton when moulting.

At 18 months the male weta selects a female and they spend time together in the male’s territory. (Romance in the insect world!)

At around two years old the female will lay 100 - 300 eggs. The parents die before the weta eggs hatch 3 - 5 months later.

The Department of Conservation in New Zealand is currently involved in weta breeding programs and translocation to safe sites such as protected islands like Tiritiri Matangi and Little Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf. The weta respond well to a captive breeding program.

The following photo is of a giant weta.

I’ve never seen a giant weta but have personal experience with both tree and cave wetas. We often find tree wetas in our garden and will return them to live in peace. They can nip and look creepy but I don’t mind them. My experience with cave wetas is a bit more spooky. When I was a kid my girlfriend lived on a farm with limestone caves. It was a favorite pastime to visit the caves and wander through them with a candle and maybe a torch to search for stalactites, stalagmites and glow worms. When I think about our cave visits now I can see how dangerous it was but for us it was an adventure - an hour or two of wandering through pristine caves. One day we discovered a new tunnel and were all set to charge into it to explore. I happened to shine the torch over the ceiling and it was covered with huge cave wetas! Really covered. I think I let out a screech and dropped the torch and we all decided to explore another part of the cave. I also took to checking my gumboots carefully and shaking vigorously before I put my feet in them. This lasted for a few weeks until the initial horror passed. I’ve never been bitten by a weta but I’m always careful not to get too close either. I can appreciate them from a distance.

How are you with insects? Do you like them or hate them with a passion? Do you have any insect stories to tell? What do you think of New Zealand’s weta?

I’ve got three things on my mind: Sex…and other stuff. I’m just kidding! Actually, there’s a lot of going on these days and I’ll tell you about it all once things calm down. In the meantime there are a couple of topics on my mind this morning. Warning: It’s barely past 8:30am here on Sunday and I haven’t had a cup of coffee yet.

First, are there words in erotic novels these days that just flat out turn you off? I love, love, LUV reading erotic romance, especially paranormals. I recently read a contemporary with a bit of a paranormal twist that was an excellent short read. And in it, I ran across something I see often that just frosts my cookies (for those who aren’t sure what I mean, it means that it irks me ;D). The author actually used the word ’squealch’ to describe the sound of the couple having sex. And all I could think was, ‘EWW!’ I actually expected the guy to fart next or something.

Then they described the natural lubrication that secretes from a man’s ‘organ’ *snark* during foreplay as white. In most normal men, it’s CLEAR, not white. But I swear I see that reference to white pre-fluid all over the place in erotic romance. Here’s another one - “He felt his orgasm begin at the base of his spine…” - er, when I asked my ex-husband and several other males who didnt’ mind answering the question, they all said their orgasms are mainly focused in their genitals, not in their backs/spines. Again, you see it all over the place (sorry, I was a nurse’s daughter and the anatomically and psysiologically correct side of my brain just gets going sometimes - just smack me).

Any words that make you squirm when you read ‘em? I’m wondering if it’s just me.

Okay, second topic - what’s TOO close in regard to story lines? For example, Lauren has an awesome book (haven’t read it yet, but hey, it’s Lauren so you know it’ll be good) coming out where a contracts lawyer is having an affair with another lawyer. Without knowing anything about her book, I finished a novella and sent if off to my editor back in November that has the heroine as an executive at an international shipping company who’s having an affair with a contracts lawyer. So we’ve got two contracts lawyers here. While I could bet you real money the plots are way different, is the contracts lawyer thing too close in plot, in your opinion? And do you think it’s weird that both of us came up with contracts lawyers without either of the other knowing about it?

Maybe we’re linked by some sort of a psychic…nah. If that were the case I’d be writing faster ’cause ya’ll know that Lauren can really crank ‘em out!

Third topic - I reached level 27 in WarCraft the other day! Squeeee! Not bad for a newbie! My son is having a fit ’cause I’ve passed him up. Tee hee!

Happy Sunday, ya’ll! Be good to yourself!

TJ