The Dynamic Trio - Blog

I finished my part of Taking Care of Business yesterday and now it’s on to blending my part with Megan’s in as seamless a manner as possible. I’m actually quite happy with how it turned out, which is nice, LOL.

Now I need to finish a few synopses this weekend - two are totally done but need slight tweaks, one is 3/4 done and I got an idea late last wee, something I’d been sort of kicking around for a while but I want to get it written while I’m thinking about it. After that, I need to start Sensual Magic, my novella in the second Spice anthology.

In further happy news - Shelley Munro’s Playing To Win - released this week from Cerridwen. If you haven’t read Shell yet, you really need to!

Blurb: Professional rugby player Lane Gerrard is used to women throwing themselves at him, but a scurrilous tabloid article naming him as father of a child sends his temper soaring. The woman he confronts doesn’t fit the blackmailer profile. Kate Alexander is attractive with an enchanting innocence, enticing. A total stranger. Her feistiness draws his unwilling admiration, but the child…he is the image of Lane.

Kate can’t deny her son’s similarity to the sexy man at her door but no way will she hand him over without a fight. Kate doesn’t possess money but she can shower her son with love. With public speculation rife, Kate reluctantly works with Lane to discover the truth. They grow closer as distrust slowly turns to mutual fascination, but the tabloid articles bring out a stalker. Mild pranks escalate into danger, and suddenly Lane realizes Kate is a woman he could love. With Kate and her son, he could have a family. Now, with his heart on the line, this is one game he’s playing to win.

I’ve got it in my hard drive right now and I’m hoping to sneak some time to read it this weekend.

Have a good day, all and if you live round here, stay dry!!

Playing to Win came out with Cerridwen Press yesterday, which I’m very excited about. Will Kate and Lane get past the danger and the problems between them to find love? Read the book to find out

On the writing front, I’ve added a few thousand words to my current Middlemarch story. I hadn’t looked at it for a while and needed to reread what I’d written to date. I edited as I went and think things are coming along nicely.

My storyboard is starting to look very pretty. I need to ponder the plot a little more, play around with some of my post-its and then I should be able to start writing. I’m actually pretty excited about the plotting part of this. My muse wasn’t so sure but we had a talk and I think we’re both on the same page now. We’d better be or else I’m trading him in for a new muse. I threatened, so we’ll see how this truce goes.

I sent a story off to Spice Briefs today. I’ve been wanting to send a story to Spice for a while since I’ve really enjoyed all the ones I’ve read to date. The confirmation email I received back says to expect a wait of 3 - 6 months. Sigh. I’ve decided I hate waiting. I intend to keep busy to stop thinking about the subs I have out. It might work…

Hubby and I have booked our flights to San Francisco for the RWA conference. We’re intending to make the conference our first stop and to spend about five weeks traveling around after this. I can’t wait.

And finally, I’ve had a really good reading week. I’ve read Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin. It’s an Urban Fantasy - a sort of a James Bond meets Buffy. Jaz Parks is an assistant to a vampire assassin and they have some cool gadgets. She’s tough but there’s a vulnerability there as well. There are two more stories in the series, which I’m looking forward to.

Before Christmas I read a suspense called Most Wanted by Michele Martinez. This week I read the second story in the series about Melanie Vargas, a Federal Prosecutor, called The Finishing School. There’s a very sexy FBI agent called Dan and he and Melanie dance around each other but the romance is secondary. I’ll be grabbing the next story in this series as soon as I finish reading my books for the RITA. They arrived yesterday, and of course, I can’t discuss them.

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

This is a question I’m trying to answer for myself - what makes me tick? What drives me? And is beauty (or ambition) in the eyes of the beholder? I know you’re probably wondering what the hell I’m talking about, but here’s a couple of instances:

I had a person tell me, “You are the most arrogant, self-centered person I’ve ever met!” And he meant it. I didn’t particularly care, but, there you go. I remember thinking I sacrifice my life everyday for my children as a single mom, work like a dog to get ahead so my children have it better than I did, while this single, no kids, no responsibilities, still-living-with-his-high-school-buddy’s guy is telling me I’m arrogant. Bastard.

On the other hand, I’ve had people tell me, “Girl, I don’t know how you pull it off everyday! You’re doing and accomplishing so much!” And they’re proud of me, which really means alot because I always feel that I should be doing something more. What that something is, I don’t quite know.

So why do we do what we do? Honestly? Why do we work a full-time day job, then go home and write our brains out? Why do we submit to pubs and then pull our hair out while we wait to see if they like us? Why do we practically bed readers to buy our work? Sounds like self-abuse, doesn’t it?

I do it because I love creating stories out of nothing but thin air and what’s left of my brain. The thrill of creating a new world and people to play in it where things are so different…yet the same. Outside of loving to write, I also want my kids to see that if they want something (like, being published or owning a business) go after it hard until they get it. Nobody’s gonna hand it to them, and nothing’s going to happen if they sit around and whine about how hard it is.

Breaks? I had none, but still managed, with my arrogrant, self-centered self, to reach some goals. Nothing like teaching kids by example, eh?

So, that’s what makes me tick. What about you?

You should pop over to the Sven Blog to check in!

Despite the holidays happening in the midst of the challenge, Sven was really successful for me on multiple levels. First and most important - It helped me to keep writing as my main focus. It made me accountable to myself because I had to think about it every day. And while I tend to do that anyway, it helped me keep on task when I’d have preferred to play scrabulous or check my email or whatever. And because of that, I was ahead on my task list and word count which played nicely into my sale to Berkley when I could turn in a finished manuscript early (yay!).

Wordcount wise - it was huge for me as well. I stopped counting after I hit 120K but I finished multiple books, wrote a few proposals and did a lot of revising and editing. I even finished one book from start to finish (instead of from chapter four to the end if I sold on a partial). I just got caught up in the challenge and it worked out nicely. Some days I did next to no new words because of all the editing I did, but other days, I just sailed through and made up for the low count days.

I’m going to keep the Sven Challenge going for myself because I think it’s been a big help to me. I hope it was for you all too.

We don’t all write at the same speed. We get blocked. We have outside demands on our lives so some days, some weeks, etc, are more productive than others wordcount wise. The important thing is - did you put writing where it needed to be in your life?

I’m old school about this writing gig. People approach it differently but I believe in doing what works for you. When you were tired did you try to get at least a page done or did you fall in front of your television? That’s a choice you make. It’s a choice I make. But it’s a choice nonetheless. You can talk about being a writer, or you can be a writer - again, that’s a choice. You don’t have to write every day if you simply can’t fit it into your schedule. But if you don’t write regularly, into all the time you can, *you’re* making the choice not to.

It isn’t easy. When a story is kicking my ass and my kids are having trouble in school and I have a four foot high pile of laundry to deal with and I haven’t had a moment to myself in weeks and I’m TIRED - I don’t want to do anything. I want to watch television and veg. And sometimes I do, but 9 times out of 10 I make myself get back in that chair and 9 times out of 10 I’m glad I did.

Kate Alexander:
When I opened my door I expected Jamie. Instead I found myself face-to-face with a glaring stranger. I gaped. Yes, I probably looked a little like a fish but consider the situation. What would you do when faced with a tall, dark and sexy stranger dressed in a designer suit. I mean what man doesn’t look good in a suit? My friend, Danielle says they’re good for hiding beer bellies, which is true. But this man didn’t have a beer belly. I know because I sneaked a look while he was glaring at me and eyeing me up and down. It made me want to squirm so I brazenly did the same to him. My cheeks went hot, my stomach took a dive south and I felt as if I were on a rollercoaster. I haven’t dated for ages because I’m too busy running my business and keeping ahead of the bills. But I started to think of sex. Heck, doesn’t this man ever smile? Who is he anyway? Ooh, sexy voice. He spoke and I started to think about sex again. He’s probably at the wrong house. I must grab a chocolate bar from the pantry. Maybe that will stop me thinking about sex…

Lane Gerrard:
I expected a blonde bimbo with old eyes and a hard face. Instead an innocent pixy answered the door, fresh-faced and dressed in loose baggy clothes. She has freckles—cute little golden dots across the bridge of her nose. When I asked if she was Kate Alexander she said yes, but her tone was cautious and she edged away from me. Hell. Not that I blame her. I can practically feel the smoke coming out my ears. The woman’s trying to blackmail me. Dammit, she’s not getting away with it, no matter how cute she is!

Kate Alexander:
The shriek of brakes caught my attention. Photographers? Why are they taking my photo? When I glanced at the man, he seemed to know. He cursed and asked if could talk inside. Before I could answer he shoved me through the door and followed me inside. He still looked angry but he seemed in control of his temper so I directed him to the den. The last thing I need is another violent man in my life. Been there, done that.

Lane Gerrard:
The woman is a cool cucumber. She’s denying everything even though I’ve shown her the newspaper article. It’s there in black and white but she’s denying she talked to the press. My parents don’t need this, especially with Mom just out of hospital. When I told Kate to organize a retraction she just looked at me with her big eyes. Damn, I really don’t need this. I’d hate to have my promotional contracts canceled because some crazy woman is spreading malicious lies.

Who the hell is he? He looks familiar. Massage? Whoa? This woman is a kinky masseuse? Maybe I should set the cops on her? Okay, lady. No need to shout like a fishwife. I’m going. We’ll let the lawyers sort this out.

Will Kate have enough chocolate? Will Lane change his mind about her? What is up with the photographers? Why are they interested in Kate? Does Lane really think she’s an adult masseuse? How is Kate going to set him straight? How big will the lawyers bill be? Will Kate and Lane ever get together?

Read Kate and Lane’s story in PLAYING TO WIN by Shelley Munro, coming to Cerridwen Press on 17 Jan 2008.

I’m a sheep, I know but I’ve seen this one all over the web and it looks fun so I hope it comes off as fun and not douchey…

1. Smart Mouthed Women - Um, yeah, they say you write what you know. Most of my heroines tend to have quick, smart mouths. Some hide it under a smoother, nicer veneer (like Grace in Standoff) but when you push them too far, you’ll know it.

2. The couple usually gets together early and the threat is external - I tend to write stories where you know the couple will be together but the stressor is outside - werewolf mafia, class distinctions, big world threatening events.

3. Pop culture references. It’s just how I am. Many of my characters will use slang or make references to music or pop culture figures.

4. Cursing. Yes, start that letter to the RWR right now because my characters say bad words. A lot. There are exceptions but a lot of my characters are hard, or warriors and my warriors say bad words when a baddie pulls a weapon on them. Or when they catch their partner with another person in bed.

5. Big families - I love big families. Be they werewolves or small town humans - you’ll find them in almost all my books.

6. Lots of secondary characters - not as series fodder but because, well, I like secondary characters. I think they add an interesting layer to the main story and characters.

7. Sexin. Oh yeah. Even in my non erotic titles you’ll find it. Because I like to write it and I think sex is rich with opportunity to explore character motivaton.

8. Lots of talking - I like dialog, my characters like dialog. I can’t help it. It’s because I’m so shy in real life (okay I laughed when I wrote that)

9. Dominant heroes and heroines who push right back when the hero gets all bossy

10. Romance. Even in my urban fantasy and post apocalyptic books there’s romance. What can I say? I like it.

Today our news in New Zealand is full of Sir Edmund Hillary, an ordinary man who was extraordinary. He died today from a heart attack at the age of 88. Sir Ed was brought up in Tuakau, the small town where I lived for part of my life and went to high school. In a coincidence, the story I’ve just sent off to Samhain is set in Tuakau. Sir Ed climbed Mt Everest years before I was born, but I, like many New Zealanders, really admire his achievements. He will be given a state funeral.

In writing news I finished my story targeted to Samhain for the Red-Hot Summer anthology and sent it off. Submissions closed yesterday and successful authors are notified at the beginning of February. Luckily it’s not long to wait. I’m getting very impatient in my old age.

This morning I pulled out the Middlemarch story I started in December and reread the 10,000 words I’d completed, editing as I went. I’m actually really pleased with it and will continue with it next week. During the afternoons I’ve been working on a tiger shifter story and putting my storyboard lessons into practice. While storyboarding is good in theory, I’m finding it much harder in practice. This method of plotting has, however, highlighted some conflict difficulties and I’m pondering about whether to change my contemporary idea into a fantasy. I haven’t written fantasy before but I think my initial idea lends itself better to this genre than contemporary. If I set it in the present day I think readers would need to suspend disbelief a bit too much and I’d lose them. I shall continue to ponder and fill out my storyboard. If you’re puzzled by storyboarding here’s a link.

And this week I’ve read some wonderful books. I read Lauren Dane’s Wolf Unbound, which I highly recommend. I loved it. I’ve read Lora Leigh’s Hidden Agendas. I really liked this book, much better than the previous one in the series (Dangerous Games) because the hero appeals to me more. He seems more sympathetic than the hero of Dangerous Games. I thought Lora Leigh did a great job with the character emotions. And at the moment, I’m reading Dangerous Grounds by Shelli Stevens. So far this is great, and I like both the suspense plot, with the man who is holding up coffee stores, and the two main characters.

I hope everyone has a fun weekend. Hubby is going fishing so I’ll be able to get some work done on my Middlemarch story, and hopefully fill in the dreaded storyboard a little more. What are you up to for the weekend?

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that I’m visiting another blog today. I’m guest blogging over at Fuzzy Pink Slippers. Check out my post here.

I just received an e-mail that “GIFT WRAP OPTIONAL” is in an athology that will be available on the Ellora’s Cave print book site next week. I’m waiting for a cover - as soon as I get it I’ll put it up here and on my site at www.tjmichaels.com.

In the meantime, here’s an excerpt:
Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday hubby and I visited Villa Maria Estate, which is a hop, skip and a jump away from central Auckland. I hadn’t visited before but they have a small vineyard (the main grape crop is grown elsewhere in New Zealand) along with a restaurant, wine tasting, a conference center and during the summer they have concerts. Joe Cocker is appearing there later this month.

The view from the restaurant area is beautiful and it’s difficult to believe how close to the city we were. The acutal estate is built inside an old volcanic crater. Auckland is built on a field of dormant volcanoes. If you’ve visited my blog before you’ve probably heard me mention this since volcanoes fascinate me.

The wine was pretty good, too. I sampled the Pinot Gris, which is my current favorite, while hubby tried the Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot.

Villa Maria was the first wine company in New Zealand to use screwcaps. These days all our wine in New Zealand (and Australia) is bottled with screw tops since this makes for consistent wine with no loss due to corkage. If you live in the States and see a New Zealand made bottle of wine with a screwcap don’t disregard it as cheap and nasty. It’s the modern way of bottling wine from Downunder. Personally, I find the screwcaps very convenient, especially to take on a picnic. If you’ve ever forgotten the corkscrew, you’ll immediately see the benefits of a screwcap. I know I’ve spoken to wine waiters in restaurants who prefer the corks because they can do their whole showy opening act but they are a decreasing number.

Villa Maria Estate is a beautiful spot. We found it quiet but hear that things liven up in the afternoons during the weekend. There’s plenty of room for kids to run around, although you need to keep an eye on them because of the water features. I loved all the trees and the native plants they’d used in their gardens. It was a lovely outing and I hope to make a return visit soon.

I just finished two books that BLEW MY SOCKS OFF! Of course, Lauren’s WOLF UNBOUND rocked my world! Now, let’s be real - I don’t typically do books with domination in them. But this book has changed my mind! It was so tastefully done, and in terms and words that, while I’ve never actually heard them before, made it clear that the couple was SO totally knowledgeable, comfortable and into what they were doing. No humiliation, no jacked up behaviour. It was fabulous. Okay, now I’m rambling…sorry ’bout that. Then throw in all the suspense and BAMMO! You’ve got a hell of a book! It wrapped up nicely and left the door open for the next one…which I’m already dying to read.

And finally, I had a chance to read NJ Walter’s DALAKIS PASSION: ETERNAL BROTHERS. Just like with Lauren’s Cascadia Wolves series, I’ve read every single one of NJ’s DALAKIS books. Now, THIS book took me for a frickin’ ride! All the characters from the previous books make an appearance and brought some twists and turns with them that flipped me out. I totally didn’t see ‘em coming.

I was so NOT motivated to write anything over the holiday break, so I read to clear my head. And I’m glad I did! It was a blast.