Wolfsbane and Absinthe

CONAN

2011-03-11T08:27:00.001-05:00

When I'm NOT writing...

2010-11-07T15:32:00.005-05:00

I've been writing, I swear. BUT.
I've been working on another project for a month now.
Finally, it's done and I want to share!

I've been paintintg my kids' room. Here's what I started with:

White walls. I sketched in some standard sized blocks just to see where the painters tape should go. Then I put a color on the upper portion of the walls, and a slightly darker color on the lower parts of the walls where my faux "stone" was going.

The boys wanted stone arches over their beds. So I drew a template and painted around it. At this point, I was still excited and eager to see the room come together.

Then I outlined the stones...that took days. I painted in one arch because I had to motivate myself. Seeing how cool the stone was going to be, helped me pick up the momentum that was lost.

Then I painted and detailed each stone.
Individually.
I began questioning my sanity.
Why did I ever start this project?
What the heck was I thinking???
I was in over my head. But the boys were so excited...I couldn't stop and paint over it all in a nice, normal solid shade. No matter how I might want to.

And this big empty, windowless wall loomed.

I arranged the room and got the border painted.
I put up the props. The shield and helmet. The axes. (All are plastic toys.)
Still there was that empty wall.

It needed dragons.

So, I put in pillars and blacked out the part that would be "open to the outside."

I put in the clouds, the mountains in the distance. The moon and the stars.

And I started to paint dragons...

Finally...it was done.

DRAGON CON 2010 part 2

2010-09-10T09:39:00.007-04:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from DRAGON CON 2010

Of course we have to start with Conan...

So mad at myself for not taking several of this guy. The costume was great but my camera sucks. I got ALOT of blurry images this year. (*insert various creative expletives here*)

Next are the demons of NETHERWORLD...

And because those costumes (above, left) are sooo detailed and dark (I'm sure their haunted house is unrivaled!), I'll next lighten things up with someone's homage to one of my favorite stand-up comedians, Jeff Dunham... here's Peanut and Jose Jalapeno on a Stick:

If some evil scientist plotted to unleash a zombie apocolypse, Dragon Con would have to be among the prime location considered. This year I heard there was a Zombie Prom going on at the big D-Con, but I did not find it, though these two must have been shambling to it....

If I were to write fan fiction that mixed up various alternate and already famous worlds, I doubt I would do Star Wars as sock monkeys, and I'm sure I would not combine that with Halo.

However, my kids would love to have a Master Chief costume like this. (Yeah, the Arteest and the Future Stunt Man made me zoom in on this picture so they could examine the gun and expressed how they wished the guy had been carrying an Energy Sword.) Oh, Halo dude, where did you get the armor, and does it come in boys 14, and boys 10?

And by the way...there are no orange tips on either of the guns these two are carrying, so, as my kids pointed out, they must be real. I'm glad these two were not trigger happy.

Speaking of alternate worlds...

Can you imagine Highlander with Storm Troopers?

"There can be only one!"

My friends have tortured me with the notion that Frodo and Sam were more than adventure buddies, that Aragorn and Legolas had various methods of keeping warm on long dark nights in the wilderness, and that Kirk and Spock are way more than friends (I wish I could un-see that You Tube video featuring scenes from the original series set to Nine Inch Nails' "Closer"), but I didn't see this one coming:

Now just imagine this pic (below) is in the Cantina at Mos Eisley, and that it's Darth Vader's Bachelor Party....

I got a picture of this man's homage to Fransis Ford Coppola's Dracula last year and it was all blurry, so I was delighted to run into him again. Love this costume! Every detail. The Costumes are one of the best things about Dragon Con. People not only come up with the coolest costumes, when they copy one from film/tv/comics/etc. they attend to all the details! (Except for the guy who thought a belt with a towel draped through the front, between his legs, and then draped over the back was a "loincloth." In my opinion, towels aren't really costumes. **The various young men who wore a towel and carried around Old Spice deodorant and said they were dressed as "the Old Spice guy" are an exception, however.

The highlight of the can, for me, as I said in my previous post, was the CELLDWELLER concert. See how excited I was? Below is a pic of Klayton at the keyboard.

And this is Klayton and Blue Stahli during the uber-cool drumming portion of their show.

I bought various souveniers for the kids, of course, but I got myself something special. Here it is:

Romulan Ale. This proves my Trek fanhood. I have no pics of Klingons or Starfleet Officers, but I bought Romulan Ale and smuggled it home in my luggage. I wonder if Han Solo could use another sidekick? I now have experience as a smuggler....

DRAGON CON 2010

2010-09-06T18:14:00.006-04:00

As I walk around the big D-Con, my ears are always picking up bits and pieces of the conversations of strangers. It's become a thing for me, so I'm sharing my favorites...

--but first--

A quickie recap of the highlights of my 2nd D-Con:

* Meeting all the fantastic people--you know who you are!

* Taking pics of the costumes.

* Being on a Supernatural CSI panel with Laura Anne Gilman, Jim Butcher, Laura Bickle/Alayna Williams. Butcher's fans packed the room--it was the most people I've been in front of on a panel. (*nervous* SQUEE!) It was great fun! Carol Malcom is the best moderator EVER!

* Getting to see CELLDWELLER in concert!

When I first wrote about my character Johnny Newman's band Lycanthropia in VICIOUS CIRCLE, I had an idea what they sounded like and described it as similar to Flesh Field, but edgier, with more guitars, and predominantly male vocals. Someone kind of poked me and said, "Hey, check out this band, Celldweller," and provided a link to a video for Switchback. I was hooked immediately. OMG! Kick ass! Getting to see the concert was--for me--the biggest thrill of Dragon Con 2010. I had to get back to the hotel at about 2:30 a.m. and had to pack. I left to catch my plane home on 3 hours of sleep, but it was worth it!

To make it even better...I was on the front row. Almost center! Klayton was right in front of me. So cool!

If you don't have their cd, go buy it now. Really. Seriously. Here's a link to their you tube video for Switchback: http://www.youtube.com/celldweller#p/f/10/8WzPw6hBpkY

I'll post more pictures tomorrow from D-Con tomorrow, but for now, here's my

Top Ten Favorite Phrases I Randomly Overheard at DRAGON CON:

10.) Can we have a king size bed? We're friendly, but not THAT friendly.

9.) You want this? You want this?

8.) Yeah. You're gonna have to drag me.

7.) But it's squishy!

6.) We need to find the long gerbil tube.

5.) I'm suffering from too much boom boom.

4.) I gave you one when we got back to the room last night. I gave you one this morning. Now I'm not giving you any more.

3.)Are you sure you're putting the right end in?

2.) Shake it. It's soft rubber. It won't hurt you.

1.) Ack! My nozzle is gone!

CONTEXT 2010

2010-08-30T11:37:00.005-04:00

Context is one of my favorite conventions. It's full of writers and readers! I got to meet Linnea Sinclair who writes sci-fi romance. http://www.linneasinclair.com/ Here she is with the wonderfully talented Laura Bickle (aka Alayna Williams)http://www.laurabickle.com/

Also got to hang out with some established friends--on the left is DeniseVerrico with her book CARA MIA, book one of the Immortyl Revolution series. She has a background in theater, aint' that cool? In the middle is S. A. Swann with a variety of his books (BTW he's won some major awards and has impressive nominations--you should be reading his work!), and James O. Barnes is on the right with THEIF KING. He's an author, a publisher, and teacher.
Their websites are: http://www.deniseverricowriter.webs.com/
http://www.sandrewswann.com/
http://jamesobarnes.com/

And lastly here's me in the Lycanthropia shirt some fans made and gave me at the Romantic Times Convention. It's my new standard book-signing shirt. :-) And I had the honor of sitting with Lucy Snyder, another award winner. (http://www.lucysnyder.com/) I recently finished her Urban Fantasy Spellbent and it was gritty, fast-paced, and full of little quirky details that are highly entertaining but also grounded the story (for me anyway--I have kids and dogs--so unexpected goofy things are commonplace).

I also met Cat, J.M., Trista and Dan, Greg, and so many people who's names I sadly don't remember!! Thank you to everyone who had books for me to sign (squee!), thanks to all the Context organizers, especially Nick and Linda Winks, and on a personal note, my tongue-tied nervousness with public speaking does not yet seem to be abating. I'm fine if I'm not in front of the room behind a table. So if you see me at a con and I seem like a nit-wit on a panel, come up and talk to me when I'm not behind the table. I'm still a goof, but I'm not as likely to stutter.

EVIL, make up some of your own today...

2010-07-10T12:09:00.005-04:00

I'm not one to share recipes, really, but I have discovered the recipe for EVIL and it bears sharing. It has many names I am sure, but I am hereby dubbing it EVIL, because that's what it is. You'll read this and think, "No way," but I swear it is deceptive. If you try to touch mine I swear to you I will get out one of the swords and an axe...but if you want to make some for yourself all you have to do is this:

Set your oven to 400 degrees. EVIL likes the heat. Take out the 10x13 (or thereabouts) pan from your kitchen--NOT a cookie sheet. (Recommend sturdy pan, NOT foil.) This has to have at least short sides.

Grease the bottom and sides lightly. (Also ok to line pan with foil and spray the foil lightly with non-stick coating. Because, EVIL needs to be convenient to the way YOU like to roll.)

Line the pan with saltine crackers. Yes. Regular, ordinary crackers. (I said it was deceptive.)

Get out a small saucepan, melt 2 sticks of butter with 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Boil that mix for 3 minutes.

Spoon mixture(or carefully pour it) onto the crackers making sure to coat them all.

Bake for 5 minutes, remove carefully and scatter some almond slices (1/2 cup or more if you like)on top, then cover with chocolate chips (2cups; minis works best but regular chips are fine. Chocolate can be sinister in any size).

Wait a few minutes for the chips to melt, use a spatula to spread it around and let cool. (If you have space in the freezer, this cools it FAST.)

Cut 'em, break 'em...whatever, just eat 'em. And discover the EVIL part. You can't leave 'em alone. So deliciously rich...so freaking simple.

If anyone needs me next week, I'll be on the bike, the treadmill, or walking the dogs over and over to get rid of what EVIL has done to me.

EXCERPT from FATAL CIRCLE

2010-07-06T14:46:00.002-04:00

CHAPTER ONE--------

My living room clock read two-forty-six a.m. It was no longer Hallowe’en night, but All Hallows Day. Or, as some called it, All Saints’ Day. But it was no saint who held me in his arms—it was a wærewolf.

“I think you’d like my apartment, Red.” Red. That’s me. Persephone Alcmedi to the rest of the world. Seph to some. Red only to Johnny, my not-exactly-Big-Bad-wærewolf. “It has that open-living concept.”

I wasn’t fooled. “It’s a glorified dorm room, isn’t it?”

“If, by ‘glorified,’ you mean it has a private bathroom, then yes.” Johnny sniffed, affecting annoyance. “Something I sacrificed when I moved in here.”

I’d had to forfeit my home’s vampire defenses three weeks ago to save a friend’s life, Johnny had temporarily moved into the third-floor attic room—for protection purposes only. In the three weeks since, those defenses had since been reinstated, but he’d remained. Being the epitome of “tall, dark, and handsome,” I hadn’t complained.

“C’mon.” Johnny’s deep blue eyes glittered seductively. His voice dropped low. “Nothing’s more romantic than a bachelor pad.”

We’d both had a hell of an evening. Words like “hectic” or “demanding” didn’t begin to cover it. I must have been the only one suffering from fatigue.

His band, Lycanthropia, had played at the Hallowe’en Ball. Johnny was the vocalist and guitarist for the techno-goth-metal band, and he’d given his all on stage. He should have been as exhausted as I was.

Of course, I’d made quite an effort on that stage, too. I’d fought and killed a fairy in front of hundreds of witnesses who’d applauded afterward, thinking it simply part of the Hallowe’en show.

Killer fairies and rock-n-roll: that was only a small part of what we’d dealt with this evening.

“Do you honestly want to show me your apartment now?”

“My one bulb is burned out so there’s not much you’d actually see.” His lean-muscled arms slid around me. I felt so grounded and safe in his embrace. “But I promise, what you feel will make up for it.”

What Johnny wanted was crystal clear, and so was the reason why he thought going elsewhere was a good idea. I’d already mentioned my fears about the rest of the household learning we were intimate, so he was trying to keep the secret. At his apartment we could have assured privacy and we wouldn’t have to retire to separate bedrooms like we did here. Cuddling and sleeping together after sex would have been nice.

Apparently, to him, if we weren’t actually seen together we had plausible deniability. Not that my live-in grandmother, I call her Nana, would ever believe that we’d visited his apartment in the middle of the night just so he could give me the nickel tour.

Nana and my nine-year-old foster daughter, Beverley, were asleep in their bedrooms—each just a hall’s width from mine. The old saltbox farmhouse had paper thin walls. Even the layers between second-floor ceiling and attic floor lacked the ability to dampen noise. I’d heard Johnny playing his guitar up there when the little amplifier wasn’t cranked up to “1.”

Still, there were things he didn’t know. Like, “The lucusi is coming here at dawn, Johnny.”

He pulled me closer. He’d gotten a shower after the show, washing off the smell of leather stage-clothes and leaving only the cedar and sage that was his unique scent. “Had to try.”

His breath on my neck was warm, his voice just rough enough to catch in my ear and tingle down to my toes. Parts of me were suddenly insisting they didn’t qualify as weary. It made me reconsider the definition of tired. “It’s just so far to drive. All the way back to town, only to turn around and come back here by dawn.”

But people in the throes of new love did crazy things like that.

Did I just think the ‘L’ word?

I stiffened just as he suggested, “You could fly.”

He was right, I could. Due to my performance a few days earlier in the Eximium, a high priestess competition, I’d been inducted into the powerful lucusi led by the Eldrenne Xerxadrea that was due at dawn. A real witches broom was one of the perks. “But…”

“You don’t want to fly?” He nuzzled my neck.

“It isn’t that.” Running my fingers through his long , dark hair, I looked up—way up, he’s six-foot-two—and let him see I wanted him, too. “I have a better idea.”

“Do share.” Another nuzzle.

“There’s only one place in my house with any kind of soundproof privacy.” Tiptoeing, I kissed him lightly before answering. “Your kennel.”

“Oh, that is sooo hot.” He rubbed up and down my backside and couldn’t suppress his grin.

Carrying a lit jar candle and blankets, I led him outside and around the house. Johnny pulled the slanted metal doors open and I descended the concrete stairs.

While Johnny shut the cellar doors, I placed the candle in the middle of the floor and spread the blankets over the freshly straw on the floor of the cage. I glanced into the shadows at the door of the rearmost steel kennel. This was where his beast was unleashed, where the animal in him took over. A shiver of desire ran through me.

When I heard Johnny’s footsteps had reached the bottom stair, I asked over my shoulder, “I don’t suppose you could help me out of this costume?”

He stopped in his tracks.

I tugged on the lacings of the bell-sleeved velvet mid-driff bustier—part of my costume for the Ball—and smiled.

“Actually—” His voice was a little higher than he intended. He stopped to clear his throat and started over. “Actually, I can help with that.” He was by me in an instant, deftly working the knot. Seconds later, the fabric loosened and I took a satisfyingly deep breath. Then those skillful fingers touched the bare skin at my waist, thumbs drawing little circles. “Anything else I can help you out of?”

“I’m not technically out of this.”

“Oh,” he said softly. “My bad.” He began loosening the lace-up strings even more. “Up or down?”

Though I knew he meant should he lift the shirt over my head or push it down over my hips, I went with the word that had more impact. “Definitely up.”

He was so gentle, moving so slowly, careful of my hair and the mask. He was just removing my shirt, but he made it sensual, as if he were rubbing lotion all over me. Tanning lotion. The cellar was suddenly so warm I could have been standing in summer sunlight. The bustier fell into the blanket-covered straw at my feet.

As I kept my arms raised, Johnny placed my hands on the bars atop the open cage door, and squeezed my grip to indicate I should let them remain there.

His warm fingers traced every contour of my arms, slowly descending until he could brush my hair away from my ear on one side. He put the line of his body against the back of me and nuzzled against my ear. While he sucked gently on my earlobe, his hands shifted toward my breasts.

A trembling resonance fluttered up my spine. Heat was building low in my abdomen, and under my sternum. Sensations jolted through me like electricity, and all thought of tiredness fled.

Abruptly, the cellar door creaked open and crashed loudly against the ground outside. “I locked that,” Johnny muttered.

Someone was coming down the steps. We turned as one to see who—

Menessos.

Another con weekend...

2010-06-11T16:20:00.005-04:00

Laura Bickle (fellow Juno author who's got two names and two releases...Embers as herself, and Dark Oracle as Alayna Williams) and I went to another convention. Lori Foster's Readers and Author Get Together.

A small con, very romance oriented, they had a ton of fun baskets to raffle off, and the money raised was given to a kid's charity. It's mostly a Friday evening and Saturday kind of con, and most folks seemed to have left before the pirate party on Saturday night. We dressed up and went, but ended up leaving and heading to the Dingle House for some dinner. (No we didn't go in costume.) The Irish pub, we'd discovered, has kilted waiters. Alas, many picture on my camera are blurry so here's one from their site:

Sorry, no kilted pics on their site...

Here's me in my BIG pirate shirt as "The Dread Pirate Robertson" saying...
"This is all ye got, me heartie? You mean the rum's gone?"

Here's Laura Bickle releasing the "quaken."

We had fun, enjoyed the pub food(I discovered a new favorite beer: Old Rasputin's Russian Imperial Stout)and we sampled the Skyline Chili fare because, well, it was Cincinntati. We also hit Jungle Jims an amazing 5-acre grocery with specialty foods from around the world (and a selection of specialty beers that is unmatched!!)

MARCON

2010-06-01T14:43:00.003-04:00

Marcon is a great con. I always have fun there and meet some great people. This year was no exception. I just didn't have enough time to hang and chat with all the great folks that I wanted to see. I didn't go to any room parties. I meant to do that. I also meant to get my picture made with every Klingon I saw. I didn't see any. Darn it. (That's my only complaint.)

So I had to make due with the storm troopers, Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and a handful of bounty hunters...

Not at all bad, as things go.

This weekend is Lori Foster's Reader's and Author's Get Together in Cincinnati. I'll be sure to get some pictures there too. It'll be my first time at Lori's convention, but I know there's a pirate themed party so I know I'll have fun. Hallowe'en & Dragon Con are the only times I get to wear my tri-corn hat...

RT 2010

2010-05-04T20:11:00.010-04:00

Going to writing conventions is always a treat, but the conventions with costuming/dress up opportunities are, for me, the most fun. Here's some pictures.

Left to right this is: Melissa Long of WICKED JUNGLE (check out http://www.wickedjungle.com/), Faith Van Horne (her short story "Revenge Cookies" is listed under the "Rants" tab at Poor Mojo's Almanac(k), www.poormojo. org also she blogs at "Scribatious" http://faithvanhorne.blogspot.com/), me, and fellow Pocket/Juno author Carole Nelson Douglas (http://carolenelsondouglas.com/)

Left to right here is Melissa, me, Shannon, Costie, Beth, and Steve. These folks went to the trouble of making concert tee-shirts for the fictious band that my main character's boyfriend plays in. The back lists the 'tour' dates, and instead of cities they used the book titles and release dates. Of course their tour was sponsored by Strictly 7 Guitars. My fella was in on the whole thing, giving them images to use for the tee's and he kept it secret from me so I'd be surprised.

Here's a closer pic of their shirts:

News, sort of

2010-02-12T18:37:00.002-05:00

If you follow this blog, you may notice that the excerpts below are "old news" as in they've been on my website for a while. Well, the website is getting revamped (again) and I'm going to use links there, that forward here so folks can get to those excerpts if they want.

Will make more noise about the website when it's about to launch. :-)
Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

AN EXCERPT from HALLOWED CIRCLE

2010-02-12T18:36:00.000-05:00

CHAPTER ONE

“What do you mean, you nominated me?” I held my breath.

“Oh, dear. Shouldn’t I have?”

Lydia Whitmore, a dear old witch who lived about ten minutes from me, was on the other end of the phoneline. I could imagine her startled expression. With her kindly smile and snowy hair, always secure in a precise bun, her looks epitomized those of the cookie-baking granny. She also cornered the local market on being the goody-goody, saccharine-sweet variety of witch—what society’s more mundane humans wanted all us witches to be.

She had called to inform me that the Witch Elders Council had announced their plans to find a replacement for Vivian Diamond, the Cleveland Coven’s high priestess who had mysteriously gone missing.

Not that it was a mystery to me: I’d handed Vivian over to the vampire she’d betrayed. Chances were she’d be missing a very long time.

To determine the new high priestess the Council was, according to Lydia, planning a formal competition called the Eximium. Lydia had, incredibly, nominated me as a competitor.

“Lydia, I don’t want to be the high priestess.”

“Pshaw and gobbledygook!” Lydia said. “You’re perfect for it, Persephone! Knowledgeable, experienced, personable. And such a charming smile, dear. You’d make a fantastic high priestess.”

“I’m flattered,” I said, rubbing my brow, “but I can’t do it. I wouldn’t have time right now.”

“Oh, that’s right! You have the child, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I said. My new role as foster mother wasn’t the only reason I had no intention of getting involved with the Council, but maybe it would be enough of an excuse to dissuade Lydia. It had only been three weeks since Lorrie Kordell, a wærewolf who used to kennel in my basement during full moons, was murdered. Her daughter, Beverley, ended up with me. We’d had the funeral a week and a half ago, and Beverley started school that following Monday. The legal gears and wheels to officially establish me as Beverley’s guardian had been set in motion and we were just starting to get a sense of what “normal” was going to be for us. Beverley needed stability and the security of a routine to ground her despite all that was new in her life. “I don’t want to start anything that will take more of my time from Beverley right now.”

“How’s she doing, poor thing?”

“She’s still grieving, and she will for a while, but she’s tough stuff. We’ll make it.” I truly cared for Beverley. When her mom got a job in the city and quit kenneling here, I’d missed more than just the popcorn and Disney nights I’d shared with the kid. “So, Lydia,” I asked, intentionally changing the subject, “how’d you end up nominating entrants for this…eggzemmyoom thing anyway?”

“Because I’m the oldest!” Lydia laughed. “WEC wants savvy, smart, and pretty young women as covenheads nowadays, what with the internet and media always poking around the high profile urban covens.” She pronounced the acronym for the Witch Elders Council as weck, like a kid who can’t make R sounds saying wreck. “They know I deserve the authority, but can’t keep up with the social scene. This is their way of coddling me for what I can’t do.”

Over the last few years I had become friends with Lydia, who happened to be the previous owner of my old saltbox-style farmhouse. She’d sold off pieces of her land and bought a double-wide, then stuck the For Sale by Owner sign in the front yard. We met shortly after I called the number written on the sign. One-level living suited her knees better, she’d said. The only downside, according to her, was “trading the charm and earthy smell of a root cellar for a sterile, wire-shelved pantry.” A kitchen witch, she canned the vegetables she grew in her garden and made the best black raspberry jelly I’d ever tasted, period. When she shared her scrumptious goodies, they always came with a little checkerboard gingham ribbon tied around the neck of the Mason jar. I was certain that fabric came from her worn-out dresses. She could’ve walked onto the set of Little House on the Prairie and assumed a place as an extra without being questioned. All she lacked was a sunbonnet.

“I tried to tell them from the start that Vivian was a no-good hustler,” she continued. “I tried to stop her from being in Cleveland’s last Eximium, but my objections went unheard. After she reconfigured the membership into nothing more than a who’s-who list of wealthy local socialites, though, they understood.”

“I know.” Lydia didn’t know the half of it. Vivian had done wrong by the coven, but that was only a minor part of her no-goodness. Vivian not only set me up and used me in attempt to gain an Elders Council seat but she had murdered Lorrie and been responsible for the near-death of Theo, another friend of mine. That’s why I’d turned her over to the vampire.

Truthfully, it wasn’t like I could have kept him from taking her, so “I turned her over to the vampire” may be overstating my role in the situation.

My part of it aside, the vampire had taken her and she hadn’t been seen since. Now, Hallowe’en was coming and there was no high priestess to conduct the all-important annual Witches Ball. It was the single biggest fund-raiser of the year for the coven and its largest publicity opportunity. Having a stand-in or temporary priestess just wouldn’t suffice—or so Lydia claimed the Elders had said.

“I wonder what happened to her,” Lydia mused.

“I think she disappeared after she dropped Beverley here. Maybe the role of godparent was too much for her.” That was the angle the media had taken. Any story that left me out of the loop was a good one and I was sticking to it.

“Will you adopt her, Persephone?”

“Sure, if she wants, but I think we’ll just keep me as the legal guardian. She needs to settle in and just be a kid.”

“See, dear, you’re such a responsible soul! You should be the one to lead the coven, not a stranger to the area. You know Clevelanders are slow to warm up to outsiders—and I don’t want another fast-talking swindler misusing the privilege.”

Vivian had carried a vampire’s mark—I call it a “stain”—and that should have prevented her from attaining any authority in the first place. Under the influence of a vampire and in authority over witches? Totally bad idea. Vivian had pulled it off only because of a magical stake she created to keep her vampire master at bay. Now, due to her involving unsuspecting but responsible little ol’ me in her plot, the stake was destroyed, she was with the vampire, and I, too, carried a nefarious stain.

Ethically, I didn’t deserve being high priestess any more than Vivian had, but that wasn’t something I wanted to advertise. “Lydia, honestly, I don’t want the authority.” Not the whole truth, but not a lie, either.

“That’s exactly why your name’s in. They asked me to nominate someone local from the coven to take over and I gave them your name—”

“But I’m a solitary! I may be local, but I’m not part of the coven. I never even attended the esbats, let alone the sabbats or—”

“You’re still the best person for the job, Persephone Alcmedi, and if you want out, you’ll have to come to the Covenstead and formally decline it. Good day.”

The phone went dead in my hand.

So…if she didn’t get her way, dear old granny-witch was going to be difficult.

It’s always the sweet ones you have to watch out for.

AN EXCERPT from VICIOUS CIRCLE

2010-02-12T18:33:00.002-05:00

An excerpt...FROM VICIOUS CIRCLE

In the back of my address book was a list of contact numbers for the wærewolves who kenneled in my basement during full moons. My finger ran down to the name Johnny. A last name wasn’t necessary to clarify this guy. There was only one Johnny.

I put quarters into the pay phone and dialed Johnny’s number. It rang twice.

“’Lo?”

“Johnny, it’s Persephone Alcmedi. I—”

“Hey, Red.”

That threw me. My hair’s dark, dark brown. I tried going blonde in my late teens. A week later all the prissy cheerleaders at school started saying things like ‘Your Greek roots are showing.’ I went back to brown; blonde hadn’t been me anyway. I’m a darkling. “Red?” I asked.

“I’ve decided I’m going to call you Red from now on.”

“All right. I’ll bite—no pun intended. Why?”

He snickered in a very masculine way and lowered his voice. “’Cause I like the idea of the big bad wolf visiting you and Grandma.”

I laughed so hard people pumping gas turned to stare at me. Johnny’s sigh made me imagine the satisfied smile he surely wore. He loved attention.

“I knew you’d call me eventually,” he said.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but this isn’t what you think it is.”

“Damn.” He breathed the word more than said it.

Quickly, I asked, “Busy tomorrow?”

“Never too busy for you, Red.”

“Stop it. And don’t read into the words.” On full moons, the wolves let themselves into my storm cellar and locked themselves into the cages they wanted with whomever they wanted to share them with—an important choice, since these caged animals passed the time by mating, and furious mating by the sounds of it. Wæres differ from natural wolves in that they don’t have to be in heat for such activity. When I went to unlock the cages at dawn, Johnny was always alone. He teased me and howled at me, the pack clown, so to speak.

“Aw, c’mon, Red. Go out with me just once. I won’t bite. I won’t even lick if you don’t want me too.”

I grinned, but softly said, “No.”

“Busy or not?” Now I felt guilty for asking.

“I said I wasn’t.”

“Perfect. Would you please go to Cleveland and pick up something for me in, uh, well...your stage clothes.” He fronted an awesome techno-metal-goth band.

“In daylight hours?”

“Mm-hmmm. At four o’clock.”

“Awesome. I love scaring the white-collared types. What’m I picking up?”

“Probably a briefcase or something like that.”

He paused. “You don’t know?”

“Long story.”

“Sounds like perfect dinner conversation to me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Johnny.”

“Okay, okay. Where?”

“From the manager of a coffee shop near the Rock Hall of Fame. On ninth.”

“No way! The place they roast their own beans?”

I had to smile. His enthusiasm never waned. I didn’t mean to be cruel, but if any man would make a good wolf, as in cousin to man’s best friend, it was Johnny. He had the personality of a tail-wagging leg-humper that had just gotten his treat. “Yep.”

“Cool. Wait—what’s in it for me?”

Going with the thought I’d just had, I said, “Treats.”

“Oooo baby.”

“Not those kind of treats, Johnny. I’m talking steaks.”

“Don’t blame me for trying, do ya?”

“Never.” I had to admit, his interest in me was flattering—and his voice seemed sexier to me on the phone than it ever had in person—but my personal rule was direct: Don’t flirt with the wolves you kennel. Kind of like no office dating. Of course I’d only adopted that rule after he started kenneling and flirting with me. But I couldn’t date him. He…he had these tattoos that were just…ominous.

“So,” he drew it out. “Am I keeping this briefcase or whatever until the moonrise or do I get to make a special trip to see you and Grandma?”

In a mocking, child-like voice, I teased, “What big ideas you have.”

He growled low. “I got other things bigger than my ideas, little girl.”

My cheeks flushed red enough to suit the nickname. Johnny was different. The other wolves, in human form, were just people. Johnny had such presence!

I’d always thought he just flat out scared me, but talking to him now—more than we ever talked when he kenneled—I had to wonder. He was funny. He was witty. Was it different now because I needed him to do something for me? Was I that shallow?

No, it had to be because this was the first time I was on the phone with him …hearing him without seeing him.

I realized it was all about his looks. That made me feel bad. I didn’t judge people on looks. Not usually, anyway. And though I’d not thought Johnny was a bad person based on his looks, I’d definitely judged him as not-boyfriend-material because of them.

“I’ll be home; bring it to me there.” I’d have to test my theory and see if he still intimidated me.

He hesitated. “I’m not complaining, Red. I’ll play fetch with you. But why aren’t you doing it if you’re just going to be home?”

“I’ll explain when you arrive. Okay?”

“Okay,” he said brightly. “It’ll be about five-thirty or six by the time I make it through traffic and get to your place, so I’ll just go ahead and pick up something for us to eat. See you then.” He hung up before I could protest.

FATAL CIRCLE cover

2010-01-27T14:35:00.002-05:00

Squee!! I love it!!! Hafta wait til July to get my hands on a copy though.

The artist is DON SIPLEY and he's done all three of my covers and I have thought all of them were fabulous. YOu can see some of this other work here: http://www.dripbook.com/donsipley/splash/

WRITING & SOUP or: Use What You Have

2010-01-26T09:33:00.002-05:00

WRITING & SOUP

Let me begin with this: Winter is not my favorite season. Though I love the snow, snowmen, and how the white makes everything look clean—until the plows come through and pile up gray chunks of frozen street grime, that is—I don’t like to be cold. Not one bit. Soup makes the season tolerable.

So. I was in my kitchen, cooking, and thinking about what aspect of writing to blog about. My ideas wandered around aimlessly for a bit, but, like boys when its bath time, they escaped when I wasn’t looking. All that was left was tending to the soup I was making.

I love soup. Beef stew, potato soup, soup beans, chili, veggie soup…you name it, I can make it. But it’s never the same soup twice. You see, my mom, who’s a good ol’ hillbilly born and raised ‘up a holler’ in West Virginia, taught me a thing or two about cooking. “Use what you have,” is her motto.

So, I decided that, since soup was dominating my brain like a tyrannical sovereign with a wooden spoon instead of a scepter, I’d take my mom’s advice and use the soup.

Metaphorically speaking.

Let’s say books are soup. There’s no one way to make a book. Different ingredient combinations(all that makes up a book like characters, plot, setting, dialogue, conflict, etc.) and endless numbers of cooks(writers) means innumerable possibilities. When I was first learning, I started with recipes, for both soups and books. Who among us hasn’t heard of the Heroes Journey? Well, I’m suggesting that Joseph Campbell and Betty Crocker are, to quote Elizabeth from Pirates of the Caribbean, “…more like guidelines anyway.”

I’ve read the how-to books to get the nuts and bolts of story-craft. If you’re reading this, you probably have too. But at some point, there’s an idea, a twist or a turn that doesn’t quite fit within the rules. What do you do? There’s an ingredient that makes you think, “It’s not on the recipe card here, but I bet it would be a good addition.” (Exception: don’t ever add water to melted chocolate. That’s chocolate abuse and the Candy Patrol will cite you.) I’ll ask again, what do you do?

I hope you make an effort to see what happens.

Every soup has a main ingredient. Sometimes it’s meat. Sometimes it’s a vegetable. Sometimes it’s noodles! No matter what though, it’s simmered in a fluid environment. The base may be water or broth—both are reasonably transparent, or it may be a “cream-of” soup that’s anything but clear…and even then it could be thin or thick or viscous. Or it may be a spicy-hot tomato base ready for burger and chili beans.
To mimic that “recipe thinking” in story context, every story has a main character (meat, veggie, noodle). They have to simmer in the environment you drop them in, i.e. the main plot you’ve set up for them.

Then what?

May I suggest, “Use what you have.”

What’s in your cupboard? What’s in your writing arsenal? What else are you going to populate this soup/story with? You know the archetypes. You know the tropes. How can you make this story unique and compelling?

Try something unexpected. No beans for your chili? Open up that box of mac and cheese, stash the cheese flavor pouch for another day and cook up that macaroni!

Your heroine is a Princess waiting for her Prince Charming to arrive? Maybe he’s not coming at all. But why? Maybe she’s psycho and made him up so well she believes he’s real. Maybe she’s not psycho, but he was gunned down on the way over—because of her gambling debts. Maybe he had a drug-induced hallucination(escaping from the pressure of the cost of her wedding plans) and is dying in the ER—but a brilliant doc saves him and the Prince decides to become a monk. Maybe he’s a spy who set the Princess up so she could be murdered at a certain time and place but all this was discovered by the Captain of the Guard who’s been in love with her forever and though he saves her life and reveals the whole ruse…the Princess reveals she was a spy too and the Captain just foiled their one chance to catch the Prince red-handed.

Are you getting what I’m saying? Plots are like soup. Get your environment and your main ingredient, and then anything goes!!!

Every chef has a signature dish, right? Something they’ve put their own personal spin on. When writing, don’t let those ‘guidelines’ confine you. Let some of your unique ideas reside on that page too. But you have to experiment to find out what your unique ideas are. Mix it up.

Try adding the flavor packet from the box of mac and cheese (the one left over from when you cooked the macaroni to add to your chili) to your creamy potato soup.

Push yourself to think harder, one or two or six steps worse than what you’re thinking the plot is now. Push your characters to deal with more or deeper problems. Be willing to try new avenues and learn new methods. In your writing and in your kitchen.

Here’s what I made today:
I’ll call it: NOT JUST POTATOES POTATO SOUP

1 lb. Italian sausage, crumbled and cooked
1/3 medium onion chopped
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, halved and diced
3-4 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
2 ½ cups milk
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
2-3 cups water
Salt & Pepper, Ground Rosemary

Cook the sausage and onion together, set aside. Boil the potatoes, carrots, celery together until done. Drain, dump on top of sausage and onions. In the pan you cooked the potatoes in, melt butter, low heat. Add flour a little at a time, mixing it well (or it’ll get lumpy.) Add the milk a little at a time stirring after each addition so it doesn’t get lumpy at this stage either. Add the cheese and stir over medium heat until it thickens. Add water—amount depends on if you like your soup soupy or thick. Pour over other ingredients, add spices to taste, stir and simmer.

**If you rinse off the leaves atop the celery and then chop them up and throw them into the soup, it adds a little color, garnish and flavor.

***Serve with crackers or cornbread.

What do Witch Doctors, Elvis, and the Amish have in common?

2010-01-25T10:22:00.004-05:00

What do Witch Doctors, Elvis, and the Amish have in common?

Sounds like a joke, yes?

Before I reveal the answer to the question...an update. I have the one picture from the official HALLOWED CIRCLE release party. Here it is:

Logan and I had Subway. A party, indeed.

NOW...what Witch Doctors, Elvis, and the Amish have in common is this: my weekend.

Yup. Friday night my fella Jim took me to see some friends play at Peabody's. The band is called King Bong. (you figure it out) The bandmembers all dressed up. Curran (guitar) was like a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western character, Fuckin Johnny (vocals, and yes that is his name) was a Witch Doctor. The other guys, forgive me, but I didn't catch their names. They were dressed as Elvis with the white jumpsuit and a thong over top of it, as a Jedi, and the drummer was Santa--as prove to what the jolly old elf does off-season. Here's a pic:

They were goofy on stage, totally having a blast and you could tell. The crowd was into it. Talented musicians, all. :-)

Then, on Saturday, I visited my mom (family was in from out of town) and we went poked around Amish Country a while and had lunch. (YUM!)

I didn't get any writing done, but hey, it was a nice break. And such a bizarre combination that I had to share.

HALLOWED CIRCLE & CONTEST

2009-12-29T13:28:00.004-05:00

So...it's that day. Release day. I'm so excited!!!!

There's no big party planned, but I feel good about it. Hallowed Circle was just so much fun to write. That doesn't mean it wasn't work, writing is always work, just sometimes doing the work is really enjoyable. Or maybe, as one of the panel titles/suggestions going around for MARCON indicates, All Writers are Sadomasochists. :-)

I dedicated HALLOWED CIRCLE to my son, Logan. He just got his driver's license. I think, in spite of the snow, I'll let him drive me out to some lunch to celebrate. (The plows have cleared the roads.)

AND

How about, since I'm feeling celebratory, let's see if anyone out there reads this little ol' blog of mine. Let's have a contest. (Feel free to let others know via FB/twitter, etc.)

One condition: You have a shipping address in the USA.
One three-part rule: Leave me a reply, tell me who your favorite VICIOUS CIRCLE character was and why.

I'll give it a week--until noon EST on Tuesday January 5th. I'll take all the entries and copy the names, pull one at random, and post it by 2 or 3 pm. Then, you'll have to check back and see if you've won. (You'll have to email me your address.) If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, I'll pick a new random winner who'll have the same 48 hours, etc. If those terms sound good to you, please enter!

Big Furry Balls or The Hazards of Holiday Pre-shopping

2009-11-24T15:10:00.004-05:00

There I was, minding my own business, walking around a Shall-Remain-Nameless store with my writing pal, enjoying the conversation far more than the red-and-green visual overload, when what to my wandering eyes should appear...but items that sent my overactive imagination into fits of laughter and wicked delight, only to find my mind had gone sprawling down the path of goofiness. Oh wait, that path is well worn. Yup, my mind goes there and back again so much the grass won't grow.

Check this out: Big Furry Balls.

Available in two sizes, no less. My plaid flannel fashion aside...I can't decide. Do these things need some googly eyes hot-glued on? Or do you think these furballs need to stay on the store shelf in case the werewolves they were snipped from come looking for them?

SQUEE! Good news!

2009-11-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday everyone!

I’m so excited—I’ve got TWO big news-bits to tell—and I have to share NOW so I can get back to my “happy dancing” so I can settle in for the java and get to work .

First, I just signed the contract for the fourth installment of Persephone Alcmedi’s story! It will be called Arcane Circle. WOO-HOO!

Second, somehow my publisher Simon & Schuster/Pocket/Juno has acted in that vast labyrinth known as Publishing-Things-that-Happen-though-I-Don’t-Understand-How and sold foreign rights of the first three Persephone books to a German publisher. How do you say “Groovy!” in German?

C’mon, Happy Dance with me! And have a FANTASTIC weekend!

COOKIES!

2009-11-18T09:50:00.004-05:00

I received the most adorable invitation in the mail and it is mega-cool in 3 ways--a feat that your average piece of mail simply cannot compete with.

First, this thing was hand made. HAND MADE. Read that again. HAND MADE. Someone, in this busy world of ours, someone with small children, took the time to MAKE this adorable invitation.

Second, this is well done. Did you notice the little cookies? The detail on the gingerbread man? Maybe you can't see it in this picture, but OMG, is he cute! Being totally artsy myself, this is one of those things I can point to and say, "That is awesome," with a certainty that you should all simply accept. :-) For clarity, I have sons, not daughters, so 'scrapbooking' and this kind of craftiness is...well it's not going to happen in my world. So, when I see this, it's special. It's not just a paper card or invitation. It's a show of talent that speaks of time-taking and care. It's technically still just paper and ink, but somehow it's...warmer.

And third, I've been invited to a cookie exchange. I've never been invited to a cookie exchange. I love to bake. Cookies, brownies, cakes, cookies, and oh, did I mention cookies? (Notice pies are not in that list...) I make oatmeal scotchies with chocolate chips and pecans that my kids swear should be sold in stores. And that is high praise coming from the Oreo fiends I'm raising.

But back to the cookie exchange. This is such a no-brainer idea--whoever you are, wherever you are, get your friends together and do this! (That's an order.) You won't have to get the various supplies to make a bunch of different kinds of cookies, and you won't have to go through and clean the mixer and the beaters a dozen times. Once. Once. And then: you get to have a party and see all those friends before the busy-ness of the season sets in, yet you have your snack stash ready whenever anyone comes calling! (Perhaps freeze a variety of cookies is separate baggies and pull out a baggie to thaw when you know someone's coming!) This is one of the most brilliant things ever and I am delighted to have been invited. (Thank you, S!)

Imagine how YOUR friends would feel if you spear-headed such brilliance as this in your circle and invited them? Even if they're not bakers per se, they can do the cookie dough roll from the store and add little candies to the top or something, right? Cookies can be as easy or as involved as you want them to be. You choose. And since the holidays are about spending time with the people who matter to you, combine them.

There you have it, my nudge towards peace and goodwill in the name of cookies.

What I've been working on...

2009-11-08T21:00:00.001-05:00

The leaves are raked. Let me say I love my boys, they are typically wonderful helpers. The youngest, we'll call him Future Stunt Man, was up this morning, breakfasted, and ready to rake WAY before I was. But I consented, only half way through my peppermint-choco-java fix . We raked. He's a dandy little fella. Other than taking advantage of this fabulous weather to do the outside work today, I've been deciding on a con schedule for next year, and updating the website for a big reveal late next month to celebrate the coming release of Hallowed Circle. Yes, we're almost there! (It's available for pre-order...as is Fatal Circle, the third installment for the Circle Series.) I'm working on book four...we'll keep the title a secret for now... HA HA! And also doing a little work on a side project-mwahahaha! Yeah, I'm chugging that much coffee.

My Doctor's Excuse...

2009-10-13T10:40:00.005-04:00

Word of the Day: remissness. "Negligence in the performance of work or duty." I, people, have been remiss with my duty to this blog. I can't believe it's been over 3 weeks since I posted something. YIKES. Here's my Official Doctor's excuse:

So. Deadlines are met, for now. Book four is being plotted, titles bandied about, and --doctor's orders-- I purchased a new pouch of Millstone or Mills Brothers or whatever coffee Kroger carries. Chocolate Velvet. Mmmm. Ever have a piece of Red Velvet Cake? YUM! My ma makes the BEST. I make 'em quite good myself. But this java, with my usual additions, OMG! Tasty.

Speaking of coffee...I have a funny story to share:

Long ago, when I attended OSU Mansfield, my afternoon classes were in--gasp--English. Specifically creative writing. (Another gasp, huh?) And though I enjoyed the classes, I also enjoyed good java. So I always brought my own cup from home. Now, granted, I'm a mom of four and not your 'traditional' student at this time. Meaning I'm not a twenty-something. One day, as one of these nice young girls held her paper coffee-machine cup in her hand, she asked me, "Why do you bring coffee from home? I mean, there's a coffee machine downstairs in the cafeteria. It's hot and it's cheap. Doesn't that get cold?"

My answer: "Yeah, but honey the coffee machine downstairs doesn't add a splash of Kahlua." I take a drink and 'ahhh' appropriately.

That's me being a Rock & Roll Bad Influence. In my own little way.

I'm Bad. Again.

2009-09-21T10:01:00.000-04:00

I should be posting more. I know. I should finish up th Tarot thing I started. I know. But I have really good excuses. Not only did I have to recoup from Dragon Con, I was hit with an allergy attack, and I have a major deadline. But this past weekend rocked, got over 6,000 words written and am ready to wrap up book three, FATAL CIRCLE and have time to tidy it up nicely so the wonderful editor won't knock me over the head for using certain words too many times. :-) And stuff like that.

I'll be back to the Tarot as a Story Prompt thing soon!

Things I Heard at Dragon Con...

2009-09-10T08:28:00.009-04:00

Finally recouping from the event, I am able to blog about it and I must say...I had an absolute BLAST (no Star Wars/Star Trek pun intended) at my first ever Dragon Con. As the picture below may show, my grin couldn't be stopped. That's my writing-group pal Laura Bickle in the white wig--her fabulous book EMBERS will be out next spring. Conan the Barbarian didn't know how close to doom he truly was with a giddy writer on each arm.

This is a list of phrases I randomly heard in wandering amid the 20,000+ folks at Dragon Con:

"Respect the Codpiece." (Okay, so this one wasn't actually random. Gary of the Ambiguously Gay Duo --SNL-- said this to me.)

"You sooo wouldn't look gay in that shirt."

"I love seeing celebrities. It makes me feel like I'm somewhere important."

"I found Jesus. Twice! And he's a mean drunk."

"Was it good for you, or not?"

"F**k Delta Airlines."

"If you cut the zombie penguins, I quit."

"These panels always make me feel dumb and inobservant."

"I haven't been dumpster diving since college."

"Let me exterminate you with my love."

"No matter what it looks like, it's not a hangover. It's con fatigue."

**Mumbled by man taking photo of man in Alien costume: "I bet his nuts are sweatier than mine."

This was Dracula, a dream come true meeting (please just ignore the mood-killing restroom sign over our heads). Allow me to clarify, that is not camera shake creating that blurriness. There was something mystical and dreamy about the experience. I felt blurry in Vlad's presence and it had nothing to do with the margarita.

And here is the Holy Grail of Pirates...Captain Hook.

And last but not least, Davy Jones, who--as fate would have it, shares his name with one of the Monkees. He is, if you recall the movie, a musician as well. Not recognizing my groupie attitude, he politely reminded me that he could move each of his tentacles individually, as if I didn't know he's wicked awesome on the pipe organ. (That was not intended as a smutty reference but as I type it, yeah, I find myself venturing there...).

TAROT as STORY PROMPTS part 4

2009-08-25T08:06:00.004-04:00

Today, in this sporadic little blog series, (apologies...tis the season of Backtoschool, and during Backtoschool, there volcano Kidsindenial always erupts) I'm going to take the cards so far and develop a storyline. A decidedly NOT urban fantasy one but I think you'll see how it can work. And, today's card is the 4 of cups.

Recap:

6 of Cups : past dreams tested

TOWER : breakdown of structure

10 of Swords : difficulty at an end

3 of Wands/FOOL : new journey with potential and a risk

4 of Cups : dissatisfaction

Ooooo. Dissatisfaction. Sing with me, the old Rolling Stone's...Can't get no...dissatisfaction.

Yeah, silly. I know. But in a story, there has to be some bumps. If it's all happy-happy its probably a false--I mean embellished--autobiography. Conflict is interesting and character building because we see how the character deals with it. Stir things up!

Let's build this thing. (Build yours any way you want. Mine below are examples. Use your imagination!!!) First, I say I have a female protagonist. We'll call her Jane.

6 of Cups: Past dreams tested...let's give her a past that's decidedly NOT happy happy, but could have been. HER PAST: Jane was a dancer. She had great dreams, but she fell and badly broke her leg missing her Big Opportunity, and in the recovery months, she let it go due to depression, false friends, and parents who wanted her to be a nurse. She met a guy, Adam, we'll say a man with a high-stress job and a penchant for drinking too much. He's abusive.

TOWER: breakdown of structure Here, she sees an opportunity. The dance studio in town is hiring, or is for sale, for the owner sees her and, remembering how she used to dance, offers to let her take over, with the promise of selling it to her as this person is looking to retire... Jane tells Adam. He laughs at her. Tells her she's stupid for even thinking she'd know how to teach anyone to dance. (Maybe she still walks with a limp and a cane...) She hates him, but he is her only means of support because she never finished nursing school. She sees that she's stuck and prays for way out. A week later, he gets drunk and beats her up, bad. He says terrible things to her, demeaning things. He goes to get more liquor; is killed drunk driving.

10 of Swords: difficulty at an end Abusive Adam is dead. But she grieves him. And there was no insurance, no savings, no means to pay the mortgage. She considers the dance thing again. In the past weeks, the dance studio owner has suffered a heart attack. Is hospitalized, and not expected to recover. The studio is closed. Jane wants to re-open it, start her own cash-flow, but now there's no one to teach her the ropes and gradually let her take over. She wants to take action, to do something, but the evidence of Adam's abuse rises in her self-doubts as her own thoughts take on his voice "You're too stupid to make it work." etc.

3 of Wands/FOOL : new journey with potential and a risk Jane sees the means to make her future work in this dance studio. But she has no business sense, hasn't danced in years, and uses a cane now...how to instruct when she can't display the moves herself? She goes to the bank and works out the details of a loan to re-open the dance studio and use the house as collateral. The bank's loan officer takes the paperwork submitted and says they'll consider the loan, etc. She could lose her house if they accept and the studio doesn't work out.

4 of Cups : dissatisfaction Now, as this card is about emotional dissatisfaction, let's give her alot. Mwahahhahahahaaha! Another local person with serious clout, is revealed as wanting the dance studio space for his own, and he intends to make it a bar, or a strip club, or some other kind of establishment that is anti-kid, or un kid-friendly. This gives Jane another reason to fight, for the benefit of the kids at the studio, but this guy's clout makes him seem an obvious better choice by the bank. AND, let's say the bank's loan officer is an old flame of hers, who she is not interested in. He's married, has kids--daughters who used to be students atthe dance hall--and during the time filling out papers, he was making advances on her. She needs him to say yes to her loan...whatever will she do?

Heh heh heh heh. Ain't this fun?

TAROT as STORY PROMPTS part 3

2009-08-22T18:59:00.006-04:00

Okay, so I didn't call it Tarot as Story Prompts before, but dang it, I didn't plan this. It's just kinda happening so I'm rollin' with it. Hope it triggers some creativity in somebody out there!

So, if you haven't read the previous posts, go back and read them.Yes, in honor of back-to-school season, this is your homework. Go on. I'll be here when you get done. I'll play a game of 4 card Spider Solitare while I wait....

Oh, you're back. Good. You know the character you've started has had a rough patch. So what's next? Here's what we have today.

Three of wands.

and the Fool.

Why two? Because that's what I wanted. I drew one, then to clarify, drew another and combined them. When using the Tarot as prompts, as often in life, you do what works.

Let's say the 3 of Wands tells us that there is hard work ahead, that the foundation for this work is already complete, and some early success indicates this project has real potential. YAY! Happy things for this character. Then add in he Fool, which represents a new phase of life(works with the 3 of Wands), but the clarifying element here is this: this new phase of life is one that comes with a risk. It means your character has to jump into the journey whole-heartedly...yet this character can see how she (your character may be a he, but I'll use she pronouns here) is either going to land wonderfully, or trip over her own feet and look foolish.

The point is this: Regardless of the landing, she's jumped. The journey has begun.

Easy enough, right? Character has bad things happen, she deserves an upturn. But it's not all cake. Here's an opportunity to reinforce that character, to define her...after disclosing the pain of that falling Tower card, the character's risk here should hearken back to that time and bear a resemblance to it. Even better is if this moment can call her to prove that the lesson was learned, or show that it wasn't.

C'mon now, the creative wheels are turning. Get out your paper or a new document and start writing down some notes. Go back to the other posts and start building a character and her story. You might be surprised what you get.

I'm going to use an example in my next post, so stay tuned.

Ten of Swords + STORY PROMPT

2009-08-20T10:46:00.003-04:00

The Ten of Swords is the card that indicated the end of some difficult situation is at an its ending point. The pain suffered through that ending is acknowledge here, but implies that the road before you--if you've learned what you were supposed to learn--can be travelled with less conflict.

Think about the previous post's card...the Tower. Did it inspire some character for you? What happens when that positive turn toward the goal is the painful falling of the Tower? Now...what happens when the smoke clears? What goal is left for that character? Get them started forward. And make us wonder if they've learned that lesson...

The Tower + STORY PROMPT

2009-08-17T13:58:00.005-04:00

Recently, I posted on the Six of Cups. I said it was nostalgic, that sixes are about balance, and blah, blah blah. You should go re-read it because I am going to contrast it with today's card, the TOWER for a cool story prompt. I love doing this, and I thought it might be nice to share.

The Six of Cups "refers explicitly to the past, and of memories and good times experienced there." (I'm quoting the post because you likely didn't go and re-read it.)

Now, take todays card The Tower...

The handbook for the Mythic Tarot says, "...the Tower will fall anyway, whether we are willing or unwilling, not because some malicious external fate decrees it, but because something within the individual has reached boiling point and can no longer live within such confines."

The Six of Cups expresses a positive turn toward the goal... can that turn BE the falling of the Tower? What kind of story would that be and what kind of character would make that story interesting adn compelling?

CONTEST!

2009-08-09T16:28:00.002-04:00

Go check out a post on Divination and a blurb at author Linda Hilburn's blog:

http://paranormalityuniverse.blogspot.com

Leave a comment and you'll be in the drawing for a free signed book! Of course you'll have to check back Tuesday evening to see if you've won...

Six of Cups

2009-08-06T15:54:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a card comes up that just makes me go, "Huh." I guess I have been thinking about people, places, and experiences from my past, but I didn't think I was doing so with enough weight for it to influence the drawing of a card. At first glance, the 6 of Cups is nostalgic, and sixes are about balance, and good will.

But ata-tarot.com says more, and makes a LOT of sense to me now. Have to share.

"This card is the only one in the Tarot that refers explicitly to the past, and of memories and good times experienced there. After losses such as those on the Five [of Cups] we sometimes have to take a time out to heal, to look back on the past and all the good that lies there. And during such times it's never the right thing to focus on the negative, and that's why this card is so positive and full of light. The fallen cups are now full and upright again, but with blooming flowers that cannot be spilled or washed away. Now that you have looked back, maybe now the way will be clear to look forward." and "The Six of Cups almost radiates an aura of joy, because it represents the past with all its memories, the present with all its gifts, and the future with all its wondrous opportunities. It has ties to all kinds of pleasure, particularly sexual pleasure, but it can also refer to smaller, everyday pleasures. Simple gestures of affection, such as the gift of a cup pictured on the Rider-Waite version of this card, are still meaningful despite our modern world and its frantic pace. The Six of Cups can thus signal a gift given or received, or some other similar gesture."

Sometimes, the little things aren't so little.

Knight of Wands

2009-08-04T15:49:00.000-04:00

I love this card. I just do. It's movement to me and if you know me, and read the ata-tarot meaning, you'll understand perfectly:

http://www.ata-tarot.com/ says: "There is no card in the Tarot that portrays such daring and enthusiasm as the Knight of Wands. His energy and courage are boundless, and he has no fear of anything; while this sometimes serves to get him into trouble, these are also the means by which he can free himself from any detrimental situation. There are few times when he does not move with the speed of a flash of lightning. When he rides into the area he always kicks up dust behind him..."

http://www.salemtarot.com/ says: "The energy of this card is that of action and movement. Harness this energy, but remember to “ground” yourself. You must think clearly to accomplish your goals. Don't get caught up in the situation: take time to think things through before you act."

I've recently harnessed the energy of the Knight for certain. Yesterday I cleaned up a storm, and didn't write one single word on the book. And it was nice. It felt good. (weird, huh?) I have to admit, my mind wanders as I'm running that vaccum, as I'm wiping down the microwave, changing bed sheets. What if Menessos did this? What if Johnny does that? And then the kids give me the "she's lost it" look when I chuckle to myself.

Sometimes, the best ideas blossom when your hands aren't poised over the keys, when you're not sedentary staring at the screen with just your mind racing. Sometimes, it's in the moving itself, like the mind has to move forward because the body is moving. It's not always about sitting in front of the computer.

I have been accused of...

2009-08-03T08:45:00.004-04:00

...spoiling my kids. What do you think? Is turning their fenced play area into a mini-military base complete with Special Forces flag atop the command center and helmet-topped fence posts and camouflage flags the stuff of spoiling? We have signs to declare it Alpha Base but haven't yet put those up.

If those kids hadn't helped stir up the Quikrete for those fence posts (okay using the hose was the fun part of this) and hold the fencing while it was being nailed in, if they hadn't helped me shovel all the mulch (4 yards of it) into the wheel barrow to fill this area, if they weren't helping with the signs, if they hadn't held the nails and screws and stuff while I put up the flag holders and helmets (okay, so I think power tools are fun), then yeah, maybe they'd be spoiled. But they helped. And I learned I have some good workers.

It's worth it seeing them stalking around the yard with their nerf guns and light sabers (one or the other usually tucked down the the back of the their shirt-necks as if holstered or sheathed) fighting off some imagined beast with the other neighborhood boys and then suddenly everyone's swinging and sliding. Yeah. I have plenty of popsicles. :-)

The MOON

2009-07-30T15:43:00.005-04:00

Oooo...the moon! (She'll be full in about 6 days!)

This is a card a writer can work with. Check it out:

In her book Solitary Witch, Silver Ravenwolf says this is a card of "Intuition; deception; night work; instinct; struggle for sanity; change; possible confusion; magick; gossip; stuck between a rock and a hard place; self-esteem issues; empathic."
And http://www.salemtarot.com/ says: "When the Moon appears in your present, things are not as they seem. Deception of one’s self, or from another, is strongly indicated. Extreme caution when dealing with others is advised. New information comes to you, possibly in dreams or through a vision. In any case, when the truth is exposed, it must be dealt with. Accepting the darker, wilder side can bring peace; denial only brings chaos."

Presently, I have some characters dealing with a bit of this....mwahahahahaha!

The WORLD

2009-07-30T15:25:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I've been gone and neglected my tarot of the day for a few days. I've been busy. I need more hours in the day. Like 12 more. Would we all really have mental breakdowns if we had more time in each day? (K says so in MIB.) I mean don't egg farmers control chicken's day/night environments so they lay more eggs? Wouldn't we be more productive too? Just think, 36 hour days, and you still work only 8? That's 10 to sleep, and you still have half of the day left for all your chores, helping the kids with homework, and just relaxing. Wouldn't we all be happier?

Anyway. So, on with the card.

http://www.salemtarot.com/tarotcard_The_World.html says, "The World is the twenty-second card in the Major Arcana, and is given the number 21 to indicate the subconscious mind of the High Priestess (2) uniting completely with the conscious mind of the Magician (1)."

Now there's something that hadn't occurred to me before. And how the central figure in this card is often considered a Hermaphrodite, that blending of female subconscious and male conscious is made a bit more interesting.

Salem Tarot also says, "A figure dances in the center of a giant victory wreath. The creatures that symbolize the four elements have materialized, taking on more realistic forms." and "The dancer passes through the wreath, entering a new phase of development, holding two wands. These wands channel the energy outward and inward, in an endless flow. The Wheel has come full circle, and the Dance of Life begins again, coiling ever upward toward divinity."

A fascinating card, to be sure. But there's more!

"The World is a card of unlimited potential put into experienced hands: the opportunity of a lifetime. Its image literally states “the sky’s the limit”. If you have been waiting for your chance, this is IT. You have the tools to accomplish your goal, and the door is open. The World is a card of action. Of all the Major Arcana, only the first (The Fool) and the last (The World) show movement. While The Fool is like the dawn of creation and its promise, the World is like the hallmark of self-actualization. The benefits indicated by this card are truly as limitless as the cosmos it represents."

And who doesn't want to hear that the door is open?

WANNA WIN SOME BOOKS?

2009-07-24T08:28:00.007-04:00

All you have to do is write some haiku! Go check it out at http://chickwriter.livejournal.com/287279.html

teaser detail:

write a Haiku with the theme of any of the following (choose one or more):
-- vampires -- Texas -- werewolves
-- shapeshifters -- summer

For ALL the details follow the above link! You could win Maria's books and mine! So put your little thinking caps on--yes, even the one's with the propellers on top--and write a Haiku!!!

These are Maria's books...what great covers!
And GREAT stories too!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kiera Kelly is a a Texas heroine born not only of shapeshifters, but of fey...

YOU WANT TO WIN THESE BOOKS!

The Fool. Again.

2009-07-23T09:51:00.002-04:00

We've seen this one before...and recently. Hmmm.

I gave your the definition from The Mystic Eye last time we saw this card, so this time I offer the definition from a website I'm rather fond of. (Italics are my doing, not the websites.) http://www.spiritualguidancetarot.com/judgment1.html "When the fool card is drawn you are about to embark on an adventure or you are in the midst of a course of action that has some degree of newness and excitement to it. A great deal of potential lies ahead. It is important at this time to maintain balance. In this card the young man dances along happily. He is fully in the present moment and enjoying himself very much. He isn't caught up in the past and he isn't worried over the future... he is fully present and aware. This allows him to make the most of the potential of any given moment. At this time you benefit by pouring all your energy into the task at hand - if you get too caught up in wonder/worry over the future or spend too much time looking back you stop moving. You can only discover how much you are capable of if you are willing to make the most of the circumstances you find yourself in presently and learn from them as you go. This is a card of fresh starts/new beginnings.

So, with edits about done, I'm going to pour all my focus into that, then move back to BOOK THREE and "make the most of the circumstances" the characters have found themselves in...mwahahahaha.

So...what do YOU take from this card?

The Star

2009-07-22T08:41:00.004-04:00

FROM: http://www.ata-tarot.com "...the Star will light your way. Its light is not a blinding flash like the lightning bolt of the Tower, but a soft radiating glow that warms and comforts..." and "When you cannot help yourself, the Star tells you to look to the heavens for guidance. Or, more appropriately, look to the spark of divinity that lies within yourself that you could not see or acknowledge before. Each of us has a little piece of the Star deep inside, waiting to cast its light into the world to light the way." Also, "The Star is a card of faith, both in your own power, and in powers greater than your own. ... What exactly is faith? It could be said that faith is a conscious belief in an unconscious experience, of which we may not be directly aware, but of which we can still feel the effects. This definition fits both belief in a deity and belief in your own abilities. Having faith in any power will allow that power to manifest in your life. Believing that something will happen is as sure a way as any to make it happen."

See the above website for more, as their explanation of the card is long and detailed. It's a great site, very insightful, referencing other cards in their explanations to make a full understanding of the Tarot, not just this single card.

I've been drawing many Major Arcana cards. I wonder what that's all about???

Judgment...

2009-07-21T08:22:00.002-04:00

Again with this site: http://www.spiritualguidancetarot.com/judgment1.html

I just really like this one!

The Judgement card (misspelled the correct spelling is Judgment...just a bit of trivia thrown in there ;) ) represents fairness, discipline, control. It is a merciful card not harsh and it calls us to be more disciplined and fair with ourselves. Don't settle for less than you deserve whether that is at the hands of others or by your own hands. When this card comes up you are asked to look at yourself and your situation with a high degree of honesty. Are you truly doing what is in your best interests? or merely what you "think" you want? In this card the Angel Gabriel sounds the trumpet - it is a wakeup call to look for your higher purpose at this time and live up to those higher standards. Accept and honor yourself enough to do the right thing even if it isn't necessarily the easiest thing.

Whoa. Heavy....

The Magician & my weekend...

2009-07-20T12:21:00.003-04:00

http://www.spiritualguidancetarot.com/magician1.html says the Magician is "...the ultimate card of manifesting. In this card he points his hand to the sky and looks at all the elements on the altar before him. When this card comes up your thoughts/beliefs are about to take shape - this can mean an enourmous surge of determination and creative energy or it can indicate challenges due to negativity. When you catch yourself saying "I can't" what you believe will manifest, but fortunately the opposite is also true, when you believe in yourself and are determined positive goals will manifest for you as well. Take your energy and consciously direct it towards positive thoughts and actions at this time and you will get a lot accomplished!"

No more negative self-talk! Not for me or for you out there!!

I met this weekend with someone who influenced me in the past, through simple honest encouragement. We talked about many things Friday, but the most important thing, the thing I want to share with everyone is this: the seed you plant, an idea, a pat-on-the-back, an encouraging word --or the negative flip-sides of those-- has the potential to grow in those you plant them with. People can, through their self-talk, nurture those seeds, for good or for ill, and that may be what flourishes in their life. Granted this is up to them, what they do with what they are told, but if there are people in your life whom you care about, take the time to be honest and be encouraging. You never know what may happen in twenty years that they might thank you for. (That's how it worked in my case, anyway....)

With that said, I'm off to write, write , write and manifest those words onto the page!!!

Made the PNR List!

2009-07-18T16:23:00.002-04:00

SQUEE! Follow the link below to see the complete list!

http://pnrinklings.com/2009/07/pnr-recommended-reads-june-2009/

I am certainly delighted to be included. Thanks to Missy and the PNR staff!

Botanical Gardens of Cleveland

2009-07-16T11:24:00.003-04:00

It was an evening of research. Warm but breezy, and despite the free concert nearby, it was quiet. The sounds trickled in like the ghost of a concert. Few people were around and I preferred it this way, being a Mojito-virgin & a Cleveland-Botanical-Gardens-virgin before this camera-in-hand stroll. The refreshing Mojito kept me from becoming parched. I only had to adjust one pic for "leaning."

No Tarot today. The world feels like all is right.

3 of Pentacles

2009-07-15T16:26:00.002-04:00

Today its a quickie post...

A cool Tarot site to visit: http://www.ifate.com/cardoftheday.html

Today their card is the Three of Pentacles. Meaning: "Work: An emphasis on the fundamentals of hard work and the fulfillment of seeing a job done well. Advancement and new opportunities come through diligence and perseverance."

Let's hope so. Now, I'm off to do research at the Botanical Gardens tonight.

3 Card Spread; NRRRadio

2009-07-13T09:15:00.005-04:00

http://www.llewellyn.com/free/tarot has options of the spread you randomly draw as a reading, not just a single card spread. I went for the smaller three-card spread and selected the Shapeshifter Deck, a deck that I am unfamiliar with. I got:
*) Transcendencein the Past position. A card in the left position indicates what has happened to affect your question in the past.The seeker has progressed to a time of renewal in a new cycle of life. The opportunity to be reborn is at hand, but the seeker must make the decision to make positive changes.
*) Seeker of Earth: Tarvos in the Present position. A card in the middle position indicates what is affecting your question at this time. Like the bright light of the sun, you are unstoppable. No one can deter your forward progress.
*) The Journey in the Future position. A card in the right position indicates your questions future. A time of revelation and understanding are at hand. Doorways and opportunities open unexpectedly, their importance depending on the foundations you have laid in the past.

I cannot show the card pictures this time--trust me, they are lovely. Or don't trust me and hit the link above and see what you get!

Also, I went and hung out at NRRRadio (www.nrrradio.com) last night and ended up being interviewed rather impromptu...or at least I was surprised. I'm naive. :-) A bunch of wild guys with their own station. Can you say dangerous? They are outrageous, and get to say whatever's on their mind. It was a blast to hang out and see behind the scenes. Stay posted as there will be a book giveaway in the future. I will give a heads' up!

KNIGHT of CUPS & the weekend off...

2009-07-10T08:00:00.002-04:00

http://www.salemtarot.com/tarotcard_Knight_of_Cups.html says: "The Knight of Cups, dressed in blue to denote his sensitivity and emotional nature, signifies a dreamy, caring, loving individual from your present. This Knight pursues his thoughts and fantasies, and intuitively attunes to the needs of others. He may signify a lover who does not wish to commit, who is attractive, but passive. He does what he believes in, and is considered a charmer...someone you know, or is this you?"

To me this is a card indicative of the true romantic, or the spirit of romance. So I guess I'll be working on that romantic element in the WIP. And since I intend to use this weekend to get a lot of work done, I'll post more Tarot on Monday!

ACE of CUPS

2009-07-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

Whoa. I got an Ace for yesterday's Tarot of the Day too! Hmmm...

http://www.learntarot.com/sa.htm says of these Ace pairs... "An Ace-Ace pair shows that a new spirit is entering your life." It draws the energy of the Ace of Swords "intelligence, reason, justice, truth, clarity, perseverance" and adds "the Ace of Cup's deep feelings, intimacy, attunement, compassion, love."

For the Ace of Cups specificially it also says: "Using emotional force: getting in touch with your feelings, letting your heart lead the way, empathizing with others, expressing deep feelings, responding viscerally. Developing intuition: trusting your inner voice, responding to messages from within, experiencing direct knowing, enhancing your psychic awareness, getting in tune with yourself, going with your gut reaction. "

I think the card is attuned to my WIP. Hee hee.

ACE of SWORDS

2009-07-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

The suit of Swords deals with the mind and intellect, and here with the Ace, as with all Aces of the suits, you see that raw energy is available.

In Silver Ravenwolf's book Solitary Witch, she sites the Ace of Swords as, "A striking new idea, using your intelligence to attack a problem in a new way, a personal victory."

My own interpretation is more along the lines of "adversity will teach you to see things in a new, creative, and beneficial way."

Well, on Monday, I had the Two of Wands indicating that I'd solve some of my "writing time" issues, and I'll take this as "problem solved..."

QUEEN of CUPS

2009-07-07T08:00:00.001-04:00

The Queen of Cups is a dreamy, secretive, creative woman. Hmmm...could this be me?

http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/gbt/gbt70.htm says: "The personification of the soul on the house of Capricorn, the Tenth, manifesting into the world that which it carries. As such this queen is to us the image of the married woman and the mother and of all that which woman can give to man and mankind, by her virtue both of soul and body. So the card must also mean the realisation of hopes and wishes, consequently success, etc. The 'wisdom' is here more of the practical blend, usefulness, knowing how to act with care and prudence."

Wow. Would be nice to be such a fabulous sounding person, huh?

TWO of WANDS

2009-07-06T14:48:00.004-04:00

The Two of Wands, in my interpretation is indicative of a new partnership, the forming of a new goal--especially a creative project, success, and overcoming obstacles and hardships by using your own initiative. It's a goal card that says you've got an idea that has potential...now get to work and make it manifest!

The suit of Wands typically deal with Communicating, as a writer...hmmm, communicating is kind of a thing for me. In novel form. So, I of course like this suit.

http://supertarot.co.uk/minor-wands/two.htm says: "...the Two of Wands means taking control of the territory around the action" (indicated by the ace of wands) and, "Making something one's own. Making a statement of ownership."

I've discovered that having the kids home from school is as much of a writing distraction as I feared it would be...and overcoming this obstacle, is only done when I buckle down and make it so. I have to make writing time my own. When I don't "take control of the territory around the action" (i.e. my writing room...) I don't get much done.

THE FOOL

2009-07-04T08:24:00.002-04:00

THE FOOL

http://www.themysticeye.com/info/tarotcardm.htm defines the meaning of this card as: New beginnings, new adventures, new opportunities, unlimited possibilities, pleasure, passion, thoughtlessness, rashness.

Since I am embarking on a Fourth of July camping excursion, I'll take this as the new adventure. *And I may not blog tomorrow...*

I hope you all are doing something fun with people you care about this weekend!

THE HANGED MAN

2009-07-03T08:48:00.004-04:00

www.ata-tarot.com/resource/cards says: "As the card of the paradox, the Hanged Man also urges you to look at things in a new and different way. If your mind is yelling at you to do something, then doing nothing could be the best thing to do... don't try to force anything to happen while the Hanged Man is about. By trying to force changes, you ensure that they never happen. Relax and let things happen instead of trying to interfere. Instead of fighting against the current, let it take you wherever it is flowing."

My experience with this card concurs. My take is: What you're trying to do now won't work that way, change your approach. So, for that scene giving me trouble, today I'm going to work differently. I may even skip ahead to another scene altogether and come back to this one later. But I'm in a different room (bedroom, not office), different chair (okay, so it's not technically a chair...I'm stretched out on the bed with my feet up), and even a different computer (laptop instead of desktop). C'mon progress....

High Priestess

2009-07-02T09:31:00.003-04:00

http://www.ata-tarot.com/resource/cards/ defines the High Priestess this way: "...arguably the most difficult of the Major Arcana to qualify with words alone, because so much of her power and ability is veiled in mystery..." and, "She is, above all else, the base of potential that is the source of the power wielded by the Magician. She is the unlimited potential that allows him to transform and create whatever his Will desires. Understanding this type of balance, as found between potential and creation, masculine and feminine, is the key to unlocking some of the mysteries of the High Priestess. We see the clear progression of the theme of balance; instead of integrating opposites, the Priestess keeps them separate and keeps them in balance nonetheles. She herself is the scales; this symbolism is found in many Tarot decks. Without this balance there can be no power."

Here's a link to a free one-card reading site: http://www.spiritualguidancetarot.com/freetarotreading.html Their interpretation of the card says: "Take time for meditation and reflection. In the stillness our answers often make their way to us. If your mind is too busy with its chatter you cannot hear this silent wisdom. Be still and listen to your intuition/higher power at this time. "

So, for me, today I'm analyzing the work I've done so far on the WIP (Work in Progress) and make sure I'm accomplishing what I'm aiming for.

TAROT of the DAY, relaunch

2009-07-01T08:31:00.002-04:00

I know, I've done the Tarot of the Day thing before and kind of drifted out the habit.... Deadlines can do that if you're not vigilant. So, yeah, I'm going to try to be more vigilant. And, if I forget, you can always follow this link (you'll need to put it in your fav's list so you don't have to come back and find this post...) But this is a pretty cool link and it gives you a choice of decks, and spreads.

http://www.llewellyn.com/free/tarot.php

So, without further adieu, the Tarot of the Day is: Ace of Pentacles.

MEANING: A prosperous cycle is now beginning. Material success is now within your grasp. With a little effort, this time could be the beginning of a profitable career.

Wow. Isn't that cool? I swear I didn't load the reading. Totally random.

CONTEST @ the League!!!

2009-06-26T16:38:00.004-04:00

Please go over to The League of Reluctant Adults blogsite @: http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/

Not only are there a bunch of very talented and entertaining writers over there who you should be reading...but Kelly Meding, whose debut book comes out this fall, has been kind enough to do an interview with me, and have a contest in honor of my soon-to-be-out book, VICIOUS CIRCLE! (Scroll down...there it is!) In the interview I reveal some electrifying events from my rock-n-roll past, heh heh, and you can be entered into a drawing to win a signed copy of VICIOUS CIRCLE by leaving a comment or asking me a question in the comments section. The contest is open all weekend, so--in a moment between the awesome things you're all surely doing this weekend-- stop in and say hi or ask me a question and get yourself in the running for that free copy! Kelly will conduct a random drawing, and I'll mail the book out!

And, when you're done with that, zip over t Kelly's site http://www.kellymeding.com/ and read about THREE DAYS TO DEAD, her novel coming this fall. SOUNDS AWESOME! You'll want to add it to your to-be-read list!

New Moon, as in the actual moon... & SQUEE!

2009-06-22T21:51:00.004-04:00

(this post has nothing to do with the upcoming movie that has everyone all gaga)

The Moon is New. So what does that mean?

The moon cycles through two phases, waxing and waning. Waxing means the moon is going from dark to full. Waning means the moon is going from full to dark. Simple, right? Waxing, that dark orb filling up, growing bigger and brighter every day. Use this time to draw the good things to you, making your life better and brighter, too. Examples are, good new habits, like studying, exercising, making time to write. You get it. And, of course, flip it for the second phase. Waning means the moon is emptying out. During that time you want to sweep away the bad things like negativity, doubt, heartache, bad habits (you know your vices & you which should go & why). With a little creativity, you can apply this simple pattern in a variety of helpful ways.

Try this:
Decide what you want more of, what positive qualities do want to bring into your life?

Success? Happiness? Love? Decide, then spend the next two weeks building up a daily affirmation. Make it a simple phrase that you say with some task you repeat every morning. I say mine while stirring the chocolate into my coffee. You're laying the groundwork for a better regime of self-talk, and you should feel a positive vibe, a good change. To keep it going, as the moon shifts to waning, change your affirmation to a simple phrase the releases something negative that is in the way of that goal.

You can do it! You own your mind, and only you can make your self-talk positive. Be your own cheerleader, just don't carry around the pom-poms, okay? No negative inner-monologues!

And as for my SQUEE!!!! I received a package in the mail today...two copies of VICIOUS CIRCLE, hot off the press! WOO-HOO! I actually got to hold in my hands my first published book! What an amazing feeling! And what a great day for it to arrive. :-)

8 days 'til VICIOUS CIRCLE hits the stores....

LITHA/MIDSUMMER/JUNE 21

2009-06-19T23:21:00.005-04:00

Both are other names for the Summer Solstice, and yeah for those non-magical folk out there, this means the Druids are partying up at Stonehenge again. Jealous? I am. Well sort of. I'm not feeling up to traveling like that right now.

That said, the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, and is marked by a celebration of the sun because, obviously, it’s at peak power. So go get your stones, rings, necklaces, earrings, whatever, and set them on a sunny windowsill or porch rail to charge. As long as you trust your pet not to knock them off, or your neighbors not to swipe them, that is.

But let us not forget the fairies, for Litha is also the Feast of the Fairies. It is said that, at twilight, the portals between the worlds is open…think Hallowe’en, when the veil between this world and the next is thin, only this portal is to the fairy world. It is said if you welcome them, you'll be rewarded. However, try to avoid stepping into the middle of any mushroom rings... if you do happen to fall through, try not to eat their food. Not even Emeril Lagasse will be able to satisfy your palate if you return. (Emphasis on the if right there.) The Bard used this celebration as the backdrop of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and chocked the cast full of fairies.

Of course, if you’re of a more Druidic tradition, you’re gonna wait three more days and celebrate Alban Hefin on Wednesday. Druids follow a half-year cycle where the Holly King and Oak King take turns ruling as the consort of the Goddess. That changing of the guard occurs on the solstices, and Summer Solstice (not to be confused with the cool chick-sportster by Pontiac…) the Holly King takes over until Yule. Christians use this time to celebrate the Feast of John the Baptist, following the Druid timeline because…well, they ripped off a lot of holidays and renamed and reshaped and them. (They weren't the first to engage in such maneuvers. Nor were they the last. American's have allowed their holidays to be taken over and the true meanings diminished in light of retail bottom lines somehow. Wake up people. Shopping is not a religion. Coupons are not tickets to salvation. Receipts are not proof of tithing.) (Sorry. The unwarranted rant is over.)

Midsummer rituals include personal purifications and healing work, as well as charging gems and/or ritual objects with the sun's power. For some, it is the time to make of mead (honey wine, mmmm). So, on Sunday (or Wednesday, if you prefer), if you're doing anything else, take a moment to soak in a few rays and have a warm thought. Consider how your life has grown this year. What have you planted? The harvest is coming. When the day is done, look up at the night, you may see the is moon a slight, slight cresent...waning and soon to be dark, or new. Check back then. I'll have something to say about New Moons as well.

this pic is available as a background at http://www.knowth.com/stonehenge.htm

No Stirring Cocks & More "Geeks"

2009-06-17T08:08:00.007-04:00

First, for my writing pals, check this out:

Interesting tidbits and ideas about writing and web-book promotion here:

http://www.mywritingblog.com/writer/2009/06/guest-post-seven-ways-to-use-one.html

What do you think? I think I'm too lazy--um, I mean busy, yeah--I'm too busy writing to do all that stuff, but there's some interesting ideas there. Maybe I could incorporate some of it.

And don't forget, it's Wednesday. THE GEEKS COME OUT AT NIGHT is on! Tonight is part 2 of the radio broadcast the OHIO WRITERS NETWORK did with SYRINX at http://www.nrrradio.com/ at 8 PM EST. BE THERE. It's, like, an order, dude.

BLACKNESS TOWER

2009-06-11T08:16:00.003-04:00

BLACKNESS TOWER by Lillian Stewart Carl
www.lillianstewartcarl.com

Okay, so I had a bit of the outpatient surgery and have been rather unmotivated about moving around. So, of course that meant I had to curl up with a book from the ever-growing to be read pile.

This one, for some reason, was near the bottom of said pile, but it had been high in my mind as one to read soon. I'm bad, I know. It takes me a month or so to read a book because, well...I have a bunch of boys and a couple of dogs. They need me (to feed them and clean up after them, anyway).

This book, a Gothic romance of past and present, had mystery, Scotland and magic! It held my attention until I'd finished...a mere 4 days later. (A miracle for me!!!) Lillian's words are mysterious and evocative, lush and--at times--eerie. The characters are very well drawn, and the tale, I found, was very intriguing and delightful.

I'm not one to review books, or read reviews of books. (I read the cover and decide from there if the book is for me.) However, Lillian's writing skills shine in Blackness Tower. Her words were so haunting and moving, they just SOOO created the imagery for that little cinema in my head. I had to share.

FIND IT ON AMAZON HERE: http://www.amazon.com/Blackness-Tower-Lillian-Stewart-Carl/dp/0809572028/omnivoracious-20

Geeks Come Out at Night

2009-06-09T07:01:00.004-04:00

That's the title of a radio program, a web-based radio program that is, and it's based in Cleveland Ohio! I'm not tech-savvy, but Nyte's Realm Radio sounds like a cutting-edge idea, one that will perhaps make traditional stations re-think how things are done!

A brief history (lifted right off their website): NRR was started in 2008 by DJ Nyte for the sole purpose to provide entertainment for the internet user. NRR began as a simple project by DJ Nyte with web creation, broadcasting, programming, and show entertainment governed by DJ Nyte. NRR has now grown into a complete interactive station on the internet with a staff providing the tools to help the listener to listen to current dance music along with entertainment provided by internet jocks.

So why am I telling you this?

Because at MARCON my writing friends and I met up with Syrinx and Co. and recorded an interview that will be aired tomorrow evening!

Geeks Come Out at Night(Syrinx) June 10th 8-9pm est A show based on you and your fandoms! http://www.nrrradio.com/ Of course, our "fandom" is about books!

NRR provide a 24/7 continuous stream that is easily accessed from any computer connected to the internet. I hope you'll tune in and check 'em out!

Totally Lame Post

2009-05-30T19:51:00.002-04:00

This is my puppy-girl. Her name is Bela. Can you see, she's smiling for her picture?

Just had to share. I warned you it was a lame post.

Post-MARCON Post

2009-05-25T13:38:00.008-04:00

Was that title redundant?

Well...there we were. What fun we had! Despite it being not-so-heavy into books, I met many folks who were delightful, entertaining, friendly, chatty and fun. I love that the people who go to such efforts on their costumes (and OMG, do they make astounding efforts!!!) are "in character." Klingons roam around and act like it degrades them to ride elevators with human scum, then you see 'em playing poker with a table full of regulars and it cracks you up. From Ghostbusters to Jenga Fett (whom I mistakenly called Boba Fett...my mistake, and I realized it after you'd gone), Dr. Who-ligans (get it...hooligans???, hey Brig, I made a funny!) to Stargate crews, from the Joker to Tia Dalma, MARCON is sooo much fun.

Here's some pic's I snapped, but I did not take as many as I should have.

Going to MARCON

2009-05-21T08:20:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow I will be heading out with writing group friends (ever good company to be in!!!) and visiting Columbus for the Multiple Alternate Realities Convention, or MARCon. Always fun, good panels, costuming, and a little Rocky Horror for good measure. Will take pictures and, hopefully, provide a report on the quality of local margaritas or, perhaps, the availability (or lack thereof...) of decent Stouts. Of course, I will post pictures and some general bookishness comments. (I'll give highlights of panels I get to see, and mention any awesome authors I get to meet...) My writing group, well it's not MINE but I'm a part of it, the OHIO WRITERS NETWORK has a table there somewhere and we'll be promoting our books--I'll have an excerpt available and Laura Bickle has EMBERS coming out next year. She's doing a gift card giveaway (5 gift cards worth 10 each, so sign up! you have 5 chances to win!), we'll have CANDY (yes candy!!!), and there's talk of a room party Friday but my details aren't clear yet, so stop by the table and say hi! (Don't be shy. And did I mention there's candy?) We'll fill you in on the scoop.

Totally Geekin' Out

2009-05-08T08:02:00.009-04:00

In spite of having a crappy couple of days, last night brought my grin back in force. The honey and my 2nd eldest went with me to see STAR TREK. Now, the honey said he's seen maybe one episode of Star Trek. "The one with, um...tribbles?" he said. Totally non-geek. The boy had probably better Trek knowledge than the honey, but then he's my boy.

And, in preparation for leaving, I frowned and said, "Wait...I don't have anything Trekkie to wear." Jim promptly replied, "If you do, I'm not going with you." He proceeded to mumble something about weirdo's decked out as Klingons. I told him, "You would make a GREAT Klingon, with your long curly hair and goatee and stern eyes." All he needs is a ridged forehead piece and armor and those groovy boots with the sharp horn coming off the toe like a Velociraptor claw. He could even wear the boots on stage when he plays. (Very heavy, prog metal.)

As it turned out there were seven people in the 8:30 showing. We accounted for three of them. Concerned about this, I expressed my fear that perhaps I couldn't live here...there aren't enough Trekkies. I'm almost a lone geek in this town. (I don't think most folks here realized we had a sneak peek or that it opened on a Thursday.)

Regardless, I completely enjoyed this movie. I won't spoil anything for anyone out there, but THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME. Go see it! Plot is great, acting is great (they pegged the original cast down to mannerisms and everything!), CGI is perfect. Tension, action, explosions. What more could a girl want in a movie?

HERE IS THE TRAILER

Admittedly, I shed a tear at the start...I mean the opening credits, not any kind of action scene. I did this because...well...my dad would have been there with me and, in spirit, he was. As a kid he always took me to see these movies, since I had enjoyed the syndicated episodes (followed by Kung Fu). One of my clearest memories is from the summer when the Wrath of Khan came out. My mom was babysitting another girl my age and he took us both to see it. (Khan was sooo scary!) I remember it being hot outside, but the theater was cool, almost cold. And I remember those Ceti Eels Khan puts in the ears of Chekov and Terrell. (See? I am a total geek. I know these crazy things.) That scene made me pull my feet up into the chair with me, as if Ceti Eels were slithering all around the floor of the theater eating dropped popcorn. That scene still squiggs me out.

Sigh...there's just something about seeing the USS Enterprise NCC 1701 swing by, see the nacelles flash and zip into warp that makes a girl (well this girl anyway) smile.

What I Did This Weekend, with Pictures!

2009-05-03T12:01:00.005-04:00

So the honey and I did something new.

Really new.

He'd never done it before.

And we took pictures.

We did book research together. Not for that kind of scene, get a net and retrieve your mind from the dark waters of the gutter for a moment. We did this ON our feet.

Wait, I know, that's not specifically indicative of things free of mind-in-the-gutter-ness. But I assure you we were fully clothed, and in full view of the public. In fact, we saw security guards often, but none were tempted to arrest us for anything indecent. (Unless one considers looking like goofy tourists to be indecent.)

We went to Cleveland, to Public Square (and all points surrounding) to track down the best spots to use for scenes in the as yet untitled BOOK THREE. (And yes, I've said Bloody Circle, the editor has said Dead Circle...truth is, we don't know know. It will likely be neither of those, so I'm saying untitled from now on.) So here are some shots:

Here's the scene from Tower City with the big Hard Rock Guitar sign; the Q and the Jake, I mean Prog Field in the distance....
We had lunch at Hard Rock and our server was awesome, even offered some aid in directions around town. (THANKS!) Here's inside Tower City...cool architechture and arched glass roof.

Below is the gorgeous Arcade.

Seriously, this place is sooo beautiful I couldn't NOT have it in the book, could I?

And let me say that this little alley entrance to Zocalo was so charming with it's brickwork and benches and party lights, it has to go in somewhere. Then the honey said the Patrôn would "mess you up fast" (of course he probably just meant "me" as in the alcohol-tolerance lightweight that I personally am) and that made me think of the character Johnny. So guess who's going there? And again, our server at Zocalo was also delightful. (THANKS!)

Of course my mission was for something even more awesome than any of this, and it's a secret for now. Don't want to give it away. But we had an awesome day, met many friendly and helpful folks and I am looking forward to casting some positive light on Cleveland. If, that is, the association of vampires, wærewolves and witches in the city can be a positive....

Excerpts and Prizes

2009-04-29T16:46:00.003-04:00

Yup. I've added a short excerpt from VICIOUS CIRCLE to the website. See the Vicious Circle page and scroll down.... This excerpt appeared in a blog on Lori Devoti's site (link on my website links page) and had good feedback. So go read it, then come here and comment!

And I'd like to send out hearty "Congratulations!!!" to Barb P. Barb commented under my blog post during Lori's "Full Moon of Werewolves" blog series, then from the entries, Lori drew at random Barb's name. So, today I went to the Post Office and sent off the photo album/journal prize. Sadly, I haven't any ARC's to giveaway (Advance Reader Copies).

MARCON and friends' blogs

2009-04-23T15:16:00.006-04:00

First, a GI-HUGE-IC thank you to everyone who read my post there and played along by coming to my website to find the height of the character Johnny. I read throught he comments, and so many had positive things to say about the excerpt! Thank you. As a newbie author, I can't tell you how cool that is. My cheeks hurt from smiling. :-) And second …thank you, LORI DEVOTI, for asking me to be a part of your wonderful "A Full Moon of Werewolves" blog-series! And third: thank you to everyone who participated in the aforementioned blog series. All the authors and post-ers over there this month were awesome! I’ve added many books to my to-be-read list!

If you haven't been over there, you can go and get in on the goodies and giveaways until April 25th, so you're not too late! Go check em out! link: http://www.loridevoti.com/

And I did mention Marcon, didn't I? Yeah. I'm going! Awesome fellow writers from my writing group are also attending the Columbus, Ohio event May 22-24. (Also planning to go to Dragon Con in Atlanta in September, but more on that later....)

My friend Laura Bickle has also had a manuscript accepted from Juno/Pocket Books. She will also be attending Marcon and we have a table for some promotional stuff and we're hoping to do a give-away, so if you go--look us up! And check out Laura's blog at: http://salamanderstales.blogspot.com/

Palm Sized Evil Incarnate

2009-04-06T14:26:00.007-04:00

Today's post is simply proof that I've been busy, I've been gone, and the explanations as to why I'm freaking tired. But even if you think you don't need to read this, trust me, for laughs, read on.

Off-season vacation at the beach was not too hot, not too cold, not too crowded. It was, in a word, perfect. Except for the 70MPH hills of West Virginia where, like a roller coaster without the safety of a track, semis zoom, and all the various insane drivers flock to experience the thrill of real danger. (Those roads were not meant for that speed.) And no...I don't have any action shots from the road. My hands were firmly at 10 & 2 on the wheel. But, I officially have proved that I possess nerves of steel.

We had the opportunity to visit a magic land called MagiQuest. I thought it was gonna be a cool diversion for the kids on the day it rained. Turns out, its a mecca for geeks like me. I loved it. (Go ahead, print out my picture and draw nerdy glasses on my face.) It was so cool we went back again. We are all Master Magi now. *Except for the seven-year-old (above pic) who declared the place "stupid" after fifteen minutes on day one. He did not return for day two's fun.* I have been advised that perhaps he is the only normal one in the family....

Let me say here that Garmin GPS is evil. Don't ever let let a GPS hear you say it's stupid, or that you hate it, or that you think it's voice is condescending. "Recalculating. Recalculating." She (Garmin) visually showed us as being in a field of green...while we were on a 6 lane highway. I remarked that Garmin was stupid and needed to upload new maps. An hour later, we were on a dirt road. I'm NOT kidding. She did not recognize the mega highway, but she knew about Bob's Road that has never been paved. And, to express her mastery of maps, she meant for us to experience Bob's Road.

The ten-year-old (above pic) is ever cool. He and the bestest soon-to-be sixteen-year-old (who expertly avoids cameras) decided to spend a day being British. They spoke a good rendition of Cockney until the youngest was so annoyed he shouted, "WE ARE AMERICAN!" at them. We ate lunch at a touristy restaurant before the 3-D Imax adventure. (Why does the wait staff feel obligated to dance in the aisle every ten minutes at touristy restaurants? I'm sure it was not just for us...though we were practically the only ones present.)

Then there was aquarium day. Horseshoe crabs, blek. Sharks swimming overhead, cool. Took the soon-to-be sixteen kid to see a comedian. Turned out it was a hypnotist. The kid promptly volunteered. He sat on stage with 3 pretty 20-something girls who also volunteered and, at various times during the show, they decided that he was the best thing ever. Yeah. He had a fabulous time.

The beach (and the 85 degree heated pool) were favorites of the two little ones. In fact, it would not surprise me to discover gills at their hairlines. They couldn't get enough. This they do NOT get from me. I do not swim and I do not want to get into the ocean. (I mean all sorts of scary things are out there, like whale poop--and speaking of whales, do you know how big the boy whale's things get? I don't want to swim anywhere where there could be things that big lurking around, y'know?) hahahahaha

But alas, I am more exhausted than before the vacation. Taking kids on a trip means no relaxing for the parent. (I didn't even get a single margarita while I was gone....) But we made a ton of memories and had fun, shared lots of hugs, smiles, laughter and all around goofiness.

And, just for fun, Garmin took us off of a real road and put us on another dirt road on the way home. GPS's have egos. (They tell you what to do but never, not once do they say, "Good Job" or "You did it!" when you follow the directions.) They could be the first Artificial Intelligence. And...like an ex-friend with a god-complex, the GPS exploited our ignorance of the area, she told us where to go and we, at her satellite mercy, obeyed and found ourselves in the dark of night on a narrow road in danger of being flooded--seriously, there was water about two inches below the road level on both sides--and there were people milling around like zombies in the dark wearing hats with little lights atop the bill while they stare into the water as if waiting for gators or krakens or whatever those crazy people were waiting for. (I was just glad they didn't mumble, "Brains, brains," and weren't carrying pitchforks.) And then, as we came to the end of that road, certain that it couldn't get worse, Garmin directed us onto a road named CEMETERY ROAD and we knew then that Garmin was indeed palm-sized evil incarnate.

COOL THINGS!

2009-03-24T07:56:00.006-04:00

Lori Devoti is doing 'A Full Moon of Werewolves' on her blog--daily blogs for a full cycle of the moon!!! There will be all kinds of werewolfy stuff, prizes, and excerpts from books! I'm very pleased to be a part of it later in the month. Go check it out at:

http://loridevoti.com/blog/

I have to admit, I'm a day late getting the news of Lori's blog up here, (sorry Lori!) but I did celebrate the kick off by sharing an evening with my honey and my 15-year old son watching An American Werewolf in London. The boy had never seen in. For us old fogies--I mean 30-somethings--who were re-living a moment from our past...wow. That movie was so hi-tech back then. The lenghtening hand, feet, face. The honey and I were discussing that and how far technology had come in 28 years while on our way yesterday to have lunch with some fascinating rock-n-roll big-wigs at a sushi bar--see pic below--

that's Curran Murphy {brilliant guitarist formerly of Nevermore and Annihilator, of Shatter Messiah, and now of Legacy Uprising} doing his obligatory chopstick-walrus impression. Very convincing. {And yeah, for the metalheads out there, that's the famous Kelly Conlon of Death and of Monstrosity beside him...}

So, that's why I didn't get this posted yesterday. I was just in awe of the musical talent at the table-did I mention that Legacy Uprising is the band centered around a soon-to-be 14 year old shredding guitarist who can keep up with these legends? Joey (not pictured) is an endorsee of my honey's guitar biz, Strictly 7.

Back to book stuff though...later in the month I get to post an excert from VICIOUS CIRCLE! (Thanks Lori!) So go check it out and keep checking back to see what new daily! Did I mention PRIZES???

Book Cover!

2009-03-19T20:23:00.002-04:00

I love this cover! Don Sipley is the artist, you can see more of his work at my website:

http://www.wolfsbaneandabsinthe.com/

And Tanya Huff, author of the Blood Books (love Henry, the romance writing vampire!) gave me a fabulous blurb. Thank you Tanya!!!!

LAUNCHED MY WEBSITE

2009-03-06T09:09:00.004-05:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
Last Samurai/Hans Zimmer
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
Tanzanian Peaberry w/
chocolate and peppermint syrups
MOON PHASE:
Waxing Gibbous...
only a few days til Full Moon.
TAROT of the DAY: (drumroll please....as I launch the website this is a telling day...)

KNIGHT OF WANDS

The Knight of Wands Tarot card meaning is a double barrel of fire and enthusiasm.

Meaning excerpted from /www.tarotteachings.com/ : Knight of Wands has his own ideas about how creative and spiritual ideas should be handled. If you want to do things the dinosaur way (traditional, old-fashioned) then this Knight is going to blaze a trail without you. He's fearless too, and will confront anyone with either the tip of his lance, or his sparkly smile depending on which side he needs to play.

So, where can you find this site I'm so excited about?

http://www.wolfsbaneandabsinthe.com/

Go figure, huh? My name DOT com was taken. So, I went with the name of the blog.

I have links to many of the authors whose work I enjoy, the artist who's doing the cover work for VICIOUS CIRCLE, (his name is Don Sipley, and there is a link to a page with his other fascinating artworks, go check him out!) of course Strictly 7 is linked there AGAIN.

Just a note...

2009-03-05T07:46:00.004-05:00

I've been busy wrapping up things with Vicious Circle, and wrapping up Hallowed Circle so my wonderful beta readers can have at it. I've also been building my website (will announce it's launching soon), and working on some web pages for Strictly 7 Guitars, as well as scheduling a vacation and a convention visit. I even fired up the old guitar this morning and let the fingers warm up. More, and a Tarot-of-the-day soon!

WISHES CAN COME TRUE

2009-02-19T13:23:00.004-05:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:

Conan the Barbarian/Basil Poledoris

JAVA PRESCRIPTION:

Tanzanian Peaberry w/

chocolate and peppermint syrups

MOON PHASE:

Waning Cresent...

only a few days til New Moon.

TAROT of the DAY:

NINE of CUPS the WISH CARD

Again, I pull the Wish Card in a random draw. Can I tell you how happy I am? I'm REALLY happy. This card came up on Oct. 13th and I scanned back, thinking it was in there again somewhere...but alas, I don't find it. Regardless, this is a great card, it speaks of wish fulfillment, and of happiness in general.

My books are being published and I'm sitting here with a cup of the best coffee ever. Of course I'm happy. And yeah...for me, happiness can be as simple as a good cup of java. Not to slight the massive glee that any wannabe author experiences during the publishing process. However, I have blogged about my books, and will remark on updates...but first let me tell you about this coffee.

Tanzanian Peaberry (we call it Tasmanian Devil-berry around here because that is much more fun to say) is my ultimate favorite coffee. I get it at Crown Tower in Mansfield Ohio. Go there. Buy a pound or two. You'll be sooo glad you did. (No this is not a paid endorsement of any kind. However, if the kind folks at Crown Tower ever read this...)

I'm also thinking about going to a few conventions, and wondering which ones I should try to attend. There are soooo many cool author's out there I want to meet. Most have blogs I read, and they sound so funny.

I am hoping soon to be able to post the image of the book cover here, on FFF, and get some standard promo stuff like bookmarks.

If anyone out there has any suggestions on conventions, promo items, etc., I'd be delighted to read your opinions! Do tell!

SATURDAY

2009-02-07T08:07:00.005-05:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
Highlander/Stewart Copeland
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
vanilla biscotti with chocolate syrup
MOON PHASE: waxing gibbous
(FULL on the 9th!)
TAROT of the DAY: STRENGTH
In this card we see sunny skies and a woman taming the lion. The infinity loop above her head points to the infinite inner strength within each one of us. We don't always have control of outer circumstances, the lion shows us that potential for difficulty, however we do have a choice of how we deal with our circumstances. When we make conscious efforts to let go of negativity with acts of forgiveness, release, etc. We tame the beast, and regain a sense of empowerment. Letting go of what no longer serves our highest good allows us to have strength and sustenance regardless of our circumstances. (From /www.spiritualguidancetarot.com )

An interesting card…one I can readily apply to the main character of my WIP. (that means work in progress, Jason.) As for applying it to my own life...hmmm will have to ponder. It's early and my java presciption is only half-consumed.

Writers, you must read Stacia Kane’s live journal. Previously here I have raved about her Sex-Writing Strumpet series. Now, a shorter course, A Novel in Three Acts. She’s on the 2nd act already so you may have to go back a few days to find part one. If you’re a writer, this is one of those things that if you don’t actively do it already, it’s a take a step back and see the forest AND the trees thing. Go read it at: http://stacia-kane.livejournal.com/

In case anyone noticed…I changed my live journal username. In Vicious Circle, my heroine’s “hero title” was changed from Lustrara to Lustrata. The former being my live journal identity, I see now that the character hero-title idea was silly (especially since it has changed). So, I coughed up the $15.oo to change my username. linda_robertston is now my live-journal username. I guess I should’ve known that author name recognition was a better idea, but I guess I was thinking personal anonymity was better in this ID swiping age.

So go read Stacia's blog!

HAPPY DANCE! GOOD NEWS!!

2009-01-28T11:10:00.004-05:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
David Arkenstone/Avalon
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
vanilla biscotti with raspberry syrup, mmmmm
MOON PHASE: New Moon!
(yesterday was the Lunar New Year!)
TAROT of the DAY:
KNIGHT OF PENTACLES:
dedicated, doggedly persistent, driven

First, allow me to say…I love JUNO BOOKS! I love POCKET BOOKS! I love SIMON & SCHUSTER! Yes, you should all go (when the weather clears and the roads are safe) to your nearest bookstore and purchase something they published. You will like it. Its okay if you’re not a regular reader, you will be fine…just turn off the TV and READ something. Let your imagination out for a change. Be empowered by your own brain, be mystified by the power of words and the magic of the story unfolding in your mind… not on the shiny light box that imagines for you.

I just received my contract—a three book deal! Official! Yay!

I always said I wouldn’t self-publish or go through vanity press because if I didn’t get a real New York publisher, it didn’t count. This counts!!!! Celebration time! Margarita’s anyone?

More seriously, or—more accurately—soberly (as 1: its early, and 2: I actually have no margaritas in the house -gasp- and there’s eight inches of snow since last evening and five-to-eight inches more expected…so I’m not going out to get any), getting the contract is only part of the job—albeit the hard part a writer actually has some control over. The next hard part is completely out of my control. Sales.

Will those dear people who read Urban Fantasy pick up my book and make that decision to purchase? Will they enjoy the story and the characters so much they will await book two and purchase it as well? And book three? Will I get a shot at more?

For twenty years I have dreamed of the real, solid, tangible contract, of those specific words, my name, my title, inked on legal-size paper sent to me from someone in New York who believes in me. For twenty years I have written and written and written… written poorly, stupidly, the wrong thing for the market, the usual tropes already overdone. Each time, I learned a little. In the last few months I learned so much MORE. There aren’t really teachers for this. Twenty years ago I sat in a senior year creative writing class…and a teacher took notice. He talked to me about what I was writing. He offered to take my story home and read it on his time. I still have that copy where he wrote on the top of the page that he was astounded by some of the imagery a high school senior had created. I’m still inspired by that feeling, that moment when a stranger said, ‘wow’ about something I wrote. That spark inside me has burned for twenty years because he encouraged me. A daunting amount of time, but a real New York publisher is taking a chance on me.

I’ve shown I am dedicated, persistent and driven like the Knight of Pentacles; now I will endeavor to remain reliable and hardworking. I cannot express how grateful I am, or how deep I will reach to prove worthy of it.

ANNOUNCEMENT from my Publisher

2009-01-22T20:01:00.002-05:00

YAY!!!!!!! This is really good news!!!!

A New Era for Juno
POCKET BOOKS IN CO-PUBLISHING AGREEMENT WITH JUNO BOOKSTO PUBLISH CONTEMPORARY FANTASY FICTION
New York, New York (January 19, 2009) – Louise Burke, Executive Vice President and Publisher of Pocket Books, has announced a new co-publishing agreement with Juno Books, best known for contemporary fantasy novels that emphasize strong female protagonists in richly imagined contexts. Juno will become an imprint of Pocket Books, publishing one title per month with the first release, AMAZON INK by Lori Devoti, slated for June 2009.
Juno Books began its publishing program in Fall 2006 and quickly became noted in the fantasy fiction genre for such breakout successes as Carole Nelson Douglas and Stacia Kane and garnering critical acclaim for many of their titles.
“Pocket Books and Juno Books are a great fit,” said Louise Burke. “We’ve seen great growth in this category, are delighted to now have a dedicated line, and look forward to helping to cultivate a wider audience for Juno’s terrific roster of authors.”
Juno Books Editor Paula Guran said: “I’m tremendously excited about the opportunity to help take Juno to the next level through our association with Pocket Books. Both Juno and fantasy readers in general will gain immensely by sales and marketing reach of Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster, while still getting the best of our editorial sensibility.”
Pocket Books Senior Editor Jennifer Heddle will work in concert with Juno Books Editor Paula Guran.

My book, VICIOUS CIRCLE will be the #2 release, slated for July 2009.

My blog put out an A.P.B. on me...

2009-01-17T19:48:00.004-05:00

My blog has certainly been neglected. I haven't seen my blog in 3 weeks. I am ashamed and have been duly scolded. I'll tell Jim to spank me...

Aside from having my birthday, a generous amount of snowfall in recent days and some frigid temperatures that have caused snow days for the kids and left me wanting to do nothing but hide under my electric blanket...I'm in the midst of edits for Vicious Circle (VC) and working on book two--Hallowed Circle (HC). That's my non-blog excuse and I'm sticking to it. Trust me, I have not been researching a smut scene involving flavored oils. (Though my writing group did have an entertaining discussion on chocolate thongs.) I have not been skiing. (Because sliding across the kitchen floor in snow-damp hiking boots does not count.) I have not been consuming dangerous numbers of margaritas. (Though I have considered how that might help my thought process...) What I have done is visit my mother--and her water pipes promptly froze and we had no hot water.

However, the direction shift, from VC for edits, and back to HC for its first draft, is very strenuous--hence the idea that margaritas may be helpful. But I am learning a TON! As I see what is questioned (and why) in VC, I endeavor to not repeat that mistake in HC. My editor is awesome. My editor is awesome. My editor is awesome. My editor is awesome. (new mantra) She makes me think about the hard things (and margaritas do help THAT). She keeps me focused. And somehow, where other writers may have been pissed or may have fought against the sage wisdom she is imparting, I still want to take her out and share a pitcher of margaritas.
Ain't I sweet?

HOME for the HOLIDAYS

2008-12-20T18:59:00.002-05:00

You guessed it, you wild bunch of 'ne'er-do-comments' readers...I'm outta here. So sneak in and leave me a note while I'm out. Surprise me for Yule! It'll be a hoot. Tell me: should I add something (and name what) to the headers section toppin' every post except this one? Or should I kill the whole header thing? Dunno.

I've baked about 10 dozen cookies (2 different kinds) and dipped 2 bags of pretzels which were then decorated with festive little red and green trees or snowflakes. Will decorate cookies tomorrow. I'm tired.

As I was saying, tho, I'm going to head home for the holidays so I won't be able to do a post for a few days...or read any comments. "Not that I foresee this as being a problem," she said, wiping cobwebs from the comment box. (HINT, HINT.)

So, my wish for you: may you spend time with loved ones, and celebrate and smile.

CHEERS! Here's a giggle to end on...

BIG NEWS!

2008-12-09T08:34:00.004-05:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
Sympathy for the Devil, Rolling Stones
I’m in a groovy mood, what can I say?
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
Seditious, as usual.
LAST NIGHT’S BLISS POSITION:
OMG!! Standy-Uppy!
MOON PHASE: Waxing Gibbous. Full 12/12
TAROT of the DAY: MAGICIAN When the Magician appears, it points to the talents, capabilities and resources at the querent’s disposal. The message is to tap into one’s full potential rather than holding back, especially when there is a need to transform something. There are choices and directions to take. Guidance can arrive through one’s own intuition or in the form of someone who brings about change or transformation.

I’m telling you, that is just CREEPY! I love how the tarot can be soooo right on! That’s exactly what my BIG NEWS is about. See, I’m not only the author of Vicious Circle, due from Juno Books in 2009. I’m not only the webmistress of www.strictly7.com (where my honey sells fabulous seven string guitars and employs the marketing that sometimes springs from my mind…) (oooo since we’re already off on a tangent here…checkout the WHY 7 STRINGS page, and see at the top right a girl with an apple and a snake wrapped around a v-guitar? You see, I had this idea… One of my characters says “If Eve had been a little more gutsy, they’d have had snake for dinner instead of apples.” That led to a decision…if you’re going to be tempted between two evils…the apple or the bad-ass guitar…which one? I did not take the photos of the girl or the snake, but I put them together using my artistic skill and a computer program and I think it looks awesome.)

Anyway…the point? I’m also a guitar player. And it seems that I might be back in a band! YAY! Now, I don’t want to give details, as it’s not all set and such, but we’ll be doing classic rock (no crazy hair-metal, no finger-blistering arpeggios) just shake-your-ass groovy rock-n-roll. I’m hyped. It’ll be covers AND originals…may throw in some keyboard stuff here and there if need be. Sounds like a great group of people are getting together to do their thing and I can’t wait to be a part of it. *As this progresses and the hope of gigs becomes a reality, I will post such dates here. Look for it in February or March. These things take time…

So, as the card points to ‘talents, capabilities and resources,’ I WILL tap into mine—around writing/editing duties of course.

What is YOUR favorite classic rock song? And while you’re at it, since ‘classic rock’ means different things to different folks, tell me your definition!
I promise to post something witty and humorous and (very likely) smutty soon!

STILL HERE...

2008-12-02T09:27:00.003-05:00

Well, I've been remiss, and the season promises more of my remissiveness. (HEE!)
Jim's Launch Party for STRICTLY 7 GUITARS was awesome and fun... (memo to me...always bring earplugs to shows...you'd think I'd know that by now.) Yeah, it was LOUD. Yeah we gave away a $1200.oo guitar...the pretty blue Rattler one.

I will endeavor to maintain my tarot of the day, on days I'm here. I will post for sure when there is something of import to say. Absense means only one thing: not enough java to get the work all done!

Be merry!
Let it snow!
Linda

PARTY HOUSE REUNION!

2008-11-16T07:32:00.002-05:00

*For anyone visiting here because of the Party House Reunion…you MUST go and read the first entry of this blog first. It is a rule; it must be obeyed. Go ahead. I’ll wait here.
** Really, go read the first entry. It will explain the headers here, and actually, the first few posts are pretty funny. I talk about smut. You’ll like it. Go read.

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: The Black Halo/Kamelot
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: The SEDITIOUS (see 11.06.08)
MOON PHASE: Waning Gibbous
TAROT of the DAY: EMPEROR. Today is a day of movement. There can be changes in your daily work/career or in your communication with your father/authority figures. Be a pioneer or visionary to finish this day with success. Move all that you have longed wanted to set in motion.

After the gig … I rolled in about midnight, two tired people in tow. I’m very happy and excited about the whole thing. There were WAY more people than I expected to be there. I guess I was thinking it would be like the old days at the bar…kind of quiet and slow until 9 pm-ish. But no, it was packed when I arrived at 5:30. (I was able to obtain rock-n-roll parking due to someone leaving to get dinner elsewhere….)

Saw many folks I hadn’t seen in years; it was good. I probably saw people I should have known but didn’t recognize. I know I walked right past people I was looking for, so I guess there will be no future in the spy-world for me.

I’ll post pictures here sometime…maybe later today when I’ve had a chance to see some of them. I’ll add them to the end of this post, which I intend to let stand for a few days so anyone passing through sees the * and ** above.

IF you’ve duly read the first post, and this one, ad if you are looking to email me, I’m at lindarobertson01@yahoo. IF you haven’t checked out the guitars, that’s http://www.strictly7.com/. I did the website, be proud of me. ***and just so you know, that awesome Venom 7-string guitar I was supposed to play….damn it…had been tuned to 440 to practice with the cds here at the house. I had not taken it to practice as it was being built…so when we get to the gig, me being the 20-years no-playing-on-stage novice again, I didn’t realize it would be so hard get the thing to hold a tuning to 430, at which we play live. My bad. Not having the 7th string messed me up in the way most guitarist say having it messes them up. I’m used to that upper string being there, and I played the wrong string a few times (a measure here or there) because I place my fingers wrong forgetting I was substituting Ronnie’s guitar. Sigh. That’s my only down-side to the evening…but then I haven’t seen the pictures of me yet. I’m sure I’ll be making faces at those when I see them. Check back. I’ll share. WAIT! Go to www.myspace.com/drellex and view the picture album for playing guitar. As I get pics from others who were at the gig, I will put more pics in there (so it's not just ME, ME, ME.)

TODAY'S THE DAY!

2008-11-15T08:28:00.003-05:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
Pirates of the Caribbean/Klaus Badelt & Hans Zimmer
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
SEDITIOUS (see 11.06.08)
MOON PHASE:
Full, sliding into Waning Gibbous
TAROT of the DAY: The Hermit. Listen today to your own wisdom and experiences. Take your perceptions and emotions serious, they may be right, even if they conflict with other people's opinion. Finish what you have started. Inspire others with your insight.
What a card for today!! The gig is tonight. My first time on stage in 20 years. It is a big deal, but I feel great about it, confident. My honey says he’ll take pics….I’ll post a few here, but don’t look for me to post tomorrow. I will surely be too tired and perhaps a little achy from margaritas or some delicious brown beer (doubt the liederkranz will have Great Lakes Brewery’s Black Out Stout.)

Wish me luck!

TOMORROW'S THE DAY!

2008-11-14T07:48:00.004-05:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Last Samurai/Hans Zimmer
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Millstone's Holiday Peppermint. With chocolate, of course.
MOON PHASE: FULL!!
TAROT of the DAY:JUDGEMENT. Today is a determination to break through judgment, criticism and evaluation associated with three aspects of self, associated with work and creativity, and toward important family members and relationships. Learn to handle judgments coming from others or within self. See clear which are your responsibilities and which are not.

Wow. I just keep getting Major Arcana cards. This one, I know if about me not beating myself up mentally, or making too much seriousness of the gig tomorrow. JUST HAVE FUN. I know the songs, the solos. I can play it, I can get up there and not have stage fright. I can. And I will. I'll have pictures to prove it soon.

And I have heard that I will have big news book-wise to officially announce soon. So check back...

STIRRING COCKS

2008-11-07T11:48:00.011-05:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Evanescence; The Open Door
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: The SEDITIOUS (see 11-06-08.)
MOON PHASE: Waxing Crescent
TAROT of the DAY: THE CHARIOT This is a day of movement for you. Generate new ideas or solutions, motivate yourself or others to bring it forth to realization or bring a new project into motion. Change what doesn't fit into your reality.

Isn't that just freaky how the tarot does that? Guess what I did today? I launched the website (http://www.strictly7.com/ ) I told you about yesterday. The 'vehicle' of the guitar company, i.e. it's CHARIOT, is live and rolling. Gotta love that tarot.

Okay, so yesterday, I promised stirring cocks. You saw the top picture, there you go. Introducing...PERVY. He is the mascot of my writing group. Ain't he cute? Tell me what you think.

A WEBSITE, but not mine

2008-11-06T10:57:00.007-05:00

*Note...I'm making some changes.

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:

MY BANDS PLAYLIST FOR THE SHOW ON THE 15th
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:

THE USUAL...nope... my coffee with chocolate syrup and peppermint deserves a better name than pep/mocha. Better than boring old 'usual'. Something that sounds slightly, or, *grinning mischeiviously* more than slightly perverse....hmmm....how about THE SEDITIOUS. Because drinking coffee with chocolate and peppermint gives me the cocoa-beans and pep to feel like I could rebel over any authority.
MOON PHASE: First Quarter. Hey, that means it is time to think about what you want to bring into your life...the good things.

TAROT of the DAY: OOOO! THE LOVERS! Major Arcana card.

Yup, I am adding webmistress to my list of talents learned the 'hands-on way'. Nope, it won't give me college credit, or earn me a degree or raise my wage, but I know something new. Groovy. Eventually I will do a website for the books...at least I do so hope that the response to the books warrants such a thing. Anywho, go check out http://www.strictly7.com/ when you're able. It should be live in a day or so --I know, I'm premature in announcing the spot, but I'm a girl and that's okay for me-- so go and check it out. For some reason, you publish a site and it takes a while for it to appear, but a blog is instant.

For my W.I.P. I've been working on a smut scene. On the ways to be 'real' in writing about relationships, which are big mighty things of steel that can float, as opposed to relationdingys, which are small, made only of wood, and you better hope there's a life preserver around because it WILL sink. For the males among you dear readers, I'm sure the symbolism of the analogy is not lost on you. But you are males so I'll reiterate: I said WOOD, did you get it?

Hahahahaha. Okay, I'm sure any male reading this is nothing like a relationdingy. But I have a character who might be, so I'm having a lot of fun at his fictional expense.

Tune in tomorrow(or whenever I get back to this page and away from the website...).

I'm talking about stirring cocks and I'll have pictures.

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!

2008-10-31T10:20:00.005-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:

Circle Song of the North/Wendy Rule

JAVA PRESCRIPTION:

Kahluah Coffee w/ choc & peppermint

MOON PHASE: Waxing Cresent

TAROT of the DAY: Eight of Wands

(Speedy and Successful Completion of a Goal)

All Hallow's Eve. Samhain. Hallowe'en. More than costumes and candy. More than Jack-O-Lanterns. This is the time of harvest, of abundance, and of seeing the fruition of all the hard work that has been done. The veil between the worlds is at it's thinnest, so I will be honoring those who have passed out of my life by passing from this world into the next.

May you honor your loved ones who have passed on. May you be open enough to feel them when they are near you, and accept the love and guidance they offer.

Blessed Be.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BAR?

2008-10-28T16:48:00.006-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
Control/Puddle of Mud
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
Vanilla Biscotti + chocolate
MOON PHASE: Waxing Crescent –NEW MOON TOMORROW!
TAROT of the DAY: QUEEN of SWORDS: Faces the truth, even unpleasant truths, and plays by the rules. Has a sense of humor and tells it like it is. (Can't get the picture to load?????)

Rock N Roll.

What does it mean to you? Hey DJ…what does it mean to YOU!?? Is it something on the radio? Something at the dance club? Something at the end of cool movies? The stereo at that party in the dorm….

Let’s go to another level: BARS.

I know the scene, the smell of a bar, the colors and layout. The furniture is different depending on type of bar. Seedy bars are rich in description and texture and layers of clientele. (Martini bars are totally different.) Add the band…but not just any band…add a rock band. They effect the bar. I bet the beverages making up the tabs differ greatly too. An oldies rock band has a different effect than a country band, than a punk rock band, that a top-40 band. And these all assume they are cover-bands. What about the original band? Not only are they different, but the folks they draw in—or drive out—will change according to the band/venue.

Guess I’m thinking about the research I’m about to be able to do with the reunion gig. I know I’ll be paying more attention than usual. At least until the set is over. Then I get to order a beverage. (Can’t play buzzed.)

Soooo…tell me about your favorite bar, your least favorite bar, and why that is so. What makes it great? Location? Music? DJ? Band? Waiter/waitress? Something else/aesthetic like the view, the nostalgia, the other patrons? The availability of a certain brewery? What? What? What?

I AM SOOO JAZZED!

2008-10-27T08:26:00.005-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
Star Trek VI: Undiscovered Country/Cliff Eidelman
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
Custom blend + chocolate
MOON PHASE: Waning Cresent
TAROT of the DAY: (again...) THE SUN (Success; pleasure/happiness; creativity; action oriented. And for an additional meaning, since this is a 2nd draw of this card...Today is a movement into wholeness through team work. Work together with other people or groups. A relationship can become an art form. Allow yourself and others to be what they really are.)

What am I so jazzed about? …the upcoming reunion gig. I can’t wait to do this show. Not only have I duly practiced, not only do I feel good about my various guitar solos, but I get to play a Strictly 7 Guitar!!! The honey said I could take any of them I wanted. Woo-hoo! I played the Baby Boa yesterday…15% smaller body size, strat-shape, specifically designed with female players in mind. Yeah. It rocks. EMG pick-ups. The fretboard is blank, as in no dots between frets. At first, it threw me…I guess I visually cued on those dots more than I thought, but I’m good now.

As for the card draw... I'm off to deliver promotional material about the guitar company so I'll keep it's counsel in mind. I have a busy week ahead. Will check in here as I can. Drop me a line, if you’re stopping by. Say hi. Tell me what music you’re listening to!

KNIGHT of SWORDS

2008-10-23T08:32:00.006-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
Before I’m Dead/Kidney Thieves
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
Caramel Drizzle + chocolate
MOON PHASE: Waning Crescent
TAROT of the DAY: Knight of Swords - This day card is an indication for you, that there are passionate thoughts concerning the accomplishment of some goal the whole being is desiring at a deep level, and on all levels, particularly the mental, to move forward and succeed at a particular task. Mental drive, ambition, determination from a place of emotional reinforcement.

So...is Conan the Barbarian gonna show up? Please, please? Or even Talon from that old movie The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) or the Rock from The Scorpion King (2002) or...well, okay, I could ramble on and on about loin-clothed heroes with swords...tell me your favorite! Aside from all that, for me, the card fits the books and the rock and roll!

So, as you can tell by my ‘anti-silence solution,’ I’m in a rockin’ mood and the movie scores will have to wait. I’ve been jammin’ on my guitar and I must be getting comfy with it again because I’m just goofing through the boring parts of the songs. That’s a good sign.

Gotta get writing though. Drop me a line if you’re out there!

O-BLOG-ATIONS

2008-10-20T10:07:00.003-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
Tomb Raider/Graeme Revell
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
Maxwell House with choc. & peppermint
MOON PHASE: Waning—Last Quarter tomorrow!
TAROT of the DAY: 3 of CUPS (Marriage/Birth; also joining a group of like-minded individuals; good luck; fulfillment of something long awaited.)

Yes…oblogations. And obligations. Tarot has become my oBLOGation…since I’ve no pertinent news to report on the book (though I expect there will be much coming shortly.) So today as I drew the 13th card for this ‘new addition’ to the blog, I decided to look back over what’s been drawn and analyze if there is anything unusual there. 5 Major Arcana, 4 Cups, 2 Wands, and 1 each of Swords and Pentacles. There are 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 (14 each) of the four suits, totaling 78 cards. How cool is it that, though less than a third of the total cards are considered Major Arcana, the greatest number of the randomly drawn cards are from that group? (I mean sure, that means that 8 are of the Minor Arcana group, but if you multiply that ratio out, it doesn’t equal out…along that math I could draw every Major A card and only have drawn half the Minor A cards…) Next is 4 cards from Cups (the suit of emotions)—less than a fifth of the cards are of that suit, yet a third of the drawn cards are Cups.

So what does this tell me? Hmmm. I’ll have to ponder it. If you’re out there, what do you think of this?

FIAT LUX

2008-10-17T10:47:00.003-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
First Knight/Jerry Goldsmith
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
Custom Blend with peppermint
MOON PHASE: Waning Gibbous
TAROT of the DAY: 8 of CUPS (See below.)

This is an interesting card in SOOO many ways. I think many people see it as a ‘let-down in the love department’ and let it go at that. But that’s just the surface of this card… it can mean MANY deeper things. It can mean recognizing people, places, things/situations that no are longer serving you spiritually, and walking away from them (a topic my main character deals with in a subplot). These ‘bad-for-you’ emotional ties are being cut; that’s a good thing that may hurt nonetheless. It may mean adopting new habits in place of old ones, you may struggle to create the new habit, but with determination—and knowing its good for you—will keep you on target and successful. If you’re seeking spirituality on a higher level, this card is golden: it means you’re doing it, you’re taking the painful steps to get there.

I had the opportunity to hang with some like-minded individuals last evening. For me, this card is meaning I need to be more social with like-minded folk to keep growing, to have friendships outside work or kids or family, friendships for me—not in a selfish needy way, but in an ‘I’m-inspired-by-them’ fulfilling way. After a meditation with said group, my mind was brimming with ideas and imagery, with phrases and ‘fiat lux’ (Latin for ‘let light be made’)…the light-bulb over my head was soooo undeniably ON and the illumination it was emanating was heading towards super-nova.

I said to them that I would blog about my oBLOGations, but I’ll save that for another day. I’m gonna bask in this warm light and ruminate.

I LOVE MY BOOK!

2008-10-16T12:46:00.004-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION:
The Phantom/David Newman
JAVA PRESCRIPTION:
Caramel Drizzle + chocolate syrup
MOON PHASE: Waning Gibbous
TAROT of the DAY: ACE of WANDS (New venture, idea, project. Creativity/Imagination. Ideas to Action.)

Well, of course I do! But going through it after having put it aside for several months, waiting for the publishing process to do what it does…it’s all fresh and, after addressing the issues of the position of the moon in the sky (taking creative license in some areas is acceptable, but I can’t really alter where an astral body of such significance is going to be…) I’m back in the thick of things and man, I love this story. I’m halfway through and just got all jazzed up again! I can’t wait to share it!

I’d like to think that the TAROT card of the DAY, in the midst of my edits, my writing of BOOK 2, and all the other awesome things going on in my life, means that my ideas are moving into action, and into fruition. YAY! As for this card and how it heralds its meaning to you…hooray! I hope your ideas and projects are positive and creative! May your project bring you as much happiness as mine brings me! :-)

THIS -n- THAT

2008-10-15T12:49:00.004-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: The Crow/Graeme Revell
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Vanilla Biscotti w/choc. & peppermint
MOON PHASE: FULL!!!!
TAROT of the DAY: The SUN (Success; pleasure/happiness; creativity; action oriented.)

Instead of drawing the card from my deck today, I pulled one ‘online’ from a site that just gives you a card at random. It came up the Sun. And boy was it right…I was very action-oriented this morning, getting a LOT done before 9 a.m. And I’ve been very diligent about my editing so far.

Yes, I am still editing…and I should be doing that, not this, but a momentary break from the creativity of that for the creativity of this will be good. I’ve had to go back and shift the character’s home from being South-facing to being west facing, flip the floor plan, and add skylights to her bedroom…why? All to be assured that the moon CAN shine into her bedroom so-many days after the full moon, at a certain time, and therefore keep the rest of the plot going. I’ve checked the phase, rise time, set time, etc., all to keep the line true. I even talked to Realtor friends about the accuracy of having the old farmhouse’s storm cellar on the east side of the house. (They concurred that most Ohio storms are from the southwest, so an eastern cellar entrance made sense…)

Betcha never knew writing a book meant that once it was done (hard part) and sold (even harder than finishing a novel) you then had soooo many details to be confirmed. Even down to the coffee shop in chapter 2, the time it takes to drive to the hospital in chapter 7. Not to mention the details of the social/political alternate earth I’ve created where werewolves and vampire and fairy’s all exist with public lives, though the law enforcement are feeling overwhelmed by the publics expectations of them against super-human strength and powers….
Not easy, but what fun! There’s my Sun card, and my world making me all happy because I get to play like this in my writing. I hope everyone out there (you are out there, right? You just lurk and rarely chime in here…) has a stupendously fabulous day.

GUILT TRIPS & WISH FULFILLMENT

2008-10-13T10:10:00.007-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Return of the King;LOTR/Howard Shore
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Chocolate Velvet w/ peppermint and chocolate
MOON PHASE: Waxing Gibbous; ALMOST FULL!
TAROT of the DAY: 9 of CUPS (Wish Card; satisfaction and fulfillment of an emotional dream)

I’ve been called out on my absence! Guilt Trip! *Grinning*

THE EXCUSES: 1.) I’ve been up to eyeballs in editing, 2.) guitar playing in prep for upcoming reunion show, 3.) delivering promotional posters for Strictly 7 Guitars contest, 4.) helping the kids with homework, cooking, cleaning, and sewing scout badges on uniforms, and 5.) the honey had a birthday...that means his favorite dinner cooked up right, a cake decorated right, and...ahem...lengthy presents.

Since I've mentioned the guitar contest...go check it out at: http://www.strictly7.com/

If you can jam, shred, solo…pony up and enter!!!! I cannot enter as I am considered an 'employee' and/or family of the owner…but alas, there are a few females who have entered already so I feel my gender will be represented. (YAY!) And if you go there...no that's not me in the pic, but a model. I prefer being behind cameras, not in front of them.

So...in keeping with the theme of the card of the day...wishes granted, care to share any dreams come true? (Please don't share anything that should 'stay in Vegas' and if you simply must publish something naughty--which I don't think is really the point of wish fulfillment--, then please follow the lead of my terminology and euphemism discretions and mind your language or I'll nix it from the blog.)

Absent again... and CONTEXT REPORT

2008-10-07T10:17:00.005-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Pirates:World’s End/Hans Zimmer
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Vanilla Biscotii w/ peppermint and chocolate
MOON PHASE: Waxing; FIRST QUARTER, yay!
TAROT of the DAY: MAGICIAN (Represents the potential of a new adventure…but he also brings things out of the darkness and into the light.)

I’ve been MIA. (If we go with the card, I've been inthe dark and am back...hee hee.) My absense has been on purpose, I assure you. I wanted to see if anyone from Context popped over. I felt a disclaimer about the post headers was in order and I didn’t want that post to be shifted down too quickly. But alas, I fear I am here in cyberspace alone, babbling to myself. (SAY HELLO!!!) Well, that never bothered me before so...on with it.

CONTEXT REPORT:
Tanya Huff, Guest of Honor, is very gracious and personable. (‘She has far to many books to list here but may be best known for her Victoria Nelson Blood Books Series.) It was an honor to be on a panel with her. Paula Guran, Editor Guest of Honor, is my editor so, of course, I think she’s awesome. Context is a smaller con, but it was very accessible, the people are friendly and even someone as shy as myself found some interesting folks to chat with, such as Elizabeth Vaughn (Warprize series, Dagger Star) and Josef Matulich of Dalmation Alley…he and his family are costumers/special-effects make-up artists/sculptors/writers… there’s a lot of talent in there. I learned about the social metaphors of zombies (How did I NOT catch that before?), and I got to share thoughts on music with other fans of movie scores. It was a great time, without the hurried atmosphere of larger cons. I certainly hope to go back.

IF YOU ATTENDED CONTEXT….

2008-09-29T08:26:00.005-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Gladiator/Hans Zimmer
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Custom blend with crème de minthe
MOON PHASE: New Moon
TAROT of the DAY: SIX of CUPS: Nostalgia, serenity, an old love returns or an old dream now seems possible.

Of the panels I attended, the ‘strong female characters’ panel seemed to have a great in flux of people asking where is the heroine who is a mother? A wife? Who is older? Where are the tough wise-women? And Vicious Circle has a tough Nana, and a child that the main character is looking out for. So, I am hoping it will be found by those looking for something 'more'.

I also learned about the social metaphor that zombies represent, and though I meant to attend Tobias Bucknell’s Effective Blogging panel, things came up that interfered with that plan.

I did intend to do the ‘1 day to go’, and ‘day of’ blog countdowns, but heck, I was freaking BUSY.

As it turns out, the con was great fun! Being on panels was not as overwhelmingly stressful as I feared. In fact, the only thing that bit me was the elevator. The first, I sat on with my editor Paula Guran of Juno Books, and Tanya Huff who was the Author Guest of Honor. She’s the author of the Blood Books, showing on Lifetime as Blood Ties. (tanyahuff.net). She was also very gracious and turned a bit of the conversation to me, as did Paula, so I felt included. They both are much more knowledgeable than I and the attendees wanted to hear them more than an unknown, but Paula and Tanya both asked me questions so I was able to chime in. ;-)

My second panel, on Movie Soundtracks, I was able to talk much more. The other panelists were fans of the music. One was an author, one had an on-line ‘zine, one was just a fan. I was the only musician among them (or the only one who said so) and I think I brought a little something to the discussion that they could not. Of course I was geeky and let it be known that I adore Hans Zimmer’s musical works.

CONTEXT COUNTDOWN: 2 DAYS!

2008-09-24T12:09:00.004-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Last Samurai/Hans Zimmer
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Custom blend w/ choc and Crème de Menthe
MOON PHASE: Waning
TAROT of the DAY: The HIGH PRIESTESS (heightening intuition, an enchounter with the hidden world, an uncanny sense that ‘something’ is at work in one’s life.)

Okay…the High Priestess today. Hmmm. On my deck’s card (not the Rider-Waite deck pics I use to post) I have Persephone, on the steps to/from the underworld, pomegranate in hand. The main character in VICIOUS CIRCLE is named Persephone ‘Seph’ and I wasn’t very aware of the details of her myth when I wrote it, but I have come to know some since. I like this card.

I’m ready to go, except for packing. And I’m looking forward to chatting with my editor who is the Editor Guest of Honor at Context, PAULA GURAN, and meeting a fellow Juno author, Matthew Cook, link to his blog: http://bloodmagicbooks.blogspot.com/ , his book, Nights of Sin, and sequel to Blood Magic was just released. http://www.juno-books.com/nights-of-sin.html It's also an opportunity for some ladies from my writing group to get together and I'm eager to see them again as well! It'll be a good trip!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE MUSIC?

2008-09-19T12:26:00.006-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Last of the Mohicans/ Randy Edelman & Trevor Jones
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Vanilla Biscotti w/ Raspberry
MOON PHASE: WANING GIBBOUS
TAROT of the DAY: TWO of WANDS (New aim, goal or creative project...has potential, have the courage to proceed.)

I'm ecstatic to be included in a panel at Context that's called Great Movie Soundtracks. Aside from the last names of the other panelists, Johnson and Sandridge, I know nothing about this little panel…but I am sooo excited to get to share on a musical subject in addition to writing!! So, I’m wondering…as research data, of course, what is YOUR favorite? Do you even pay attention? What do you listen to when you write, if anything, and do you endeavor to create a ‘mood’—and if so, always, or just for certain scenes?

Musicians often do with melodic phrases, things that we cannot do with words, but mirrors and enhances the words. For instance…take Gladiator. When Maximus arrives and is to fight in the great Coliseum, there is little to be said, the visual is daunting. The composer (my favorite, Hans Zimmer) took a Waltz…a lovely 3-beat dance, and turned it into a monster of a song rather emulating the whole Gladiator idea, entertain and die…pretty monstrous. And yeah, I’m totally geeking out right now.

Sometimes, when I’m stuck, I find a piece of music that fits the mood of what I want to write, (or write a song that fits), and then sit back in the cinema of my mind and watch the movie…I just try to envision the action and/or the drama. Yeah yeah, it’s daydreaming with a soundtrack, but that’s what I do. What about you? Is music in your process at all?

MY IDIOSYNCRASY

2008-09-18T10:05:00.004-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Twister/Mark Mancina
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Custom Blend w/ chocolate mint
MOON PHASE: Waning
TAROT of the DAY: QUEEN of PENTACLES
She is nurturing, down-to-earth, trustworthy and resourceful.

Or should I say psychosis, or neurosis?

Today I am forcing myself to push onward with a work-in-progress (WIP). I have been struggling with a hurdle scene and I discovered that if I play a game with myself it’s easier. That’s how psycho I really am; I can play a game with my brain as if the idea didn’t really form there, and as if my brain doesn’t really know what I’m doing…but somehow it freaking works. Because I, like the Queen of Pentacles, am resourceful. When something isn't working, I'll adapt, I can back up and change my approach if I need to. (Recognizing that I need to is another matter, that isn't always so clear...)

I was non committal about writing the scene. It wasn’t there. I was struggling. So, I opened a fresh clean new document. No looming word count already there. No greatness to match. (HA!) No nothing. I was just going to type it out, what tidbits I had, and at least put them down, even if jumbled and incoherent…because this wasn’t really the scene anyway. Not the REAL file. It was just a blank slate and I could delete it and no one would be the wiser.

But the scene got written. And, rough, today it gets a spit shine. Ah, progress. Some of the steps are harder to take for whatever reason. Just take it. Keep going. It’s in stopping that the problem lies.

NEW FEATURE!

2008-09-17T13:11:00.006-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Star Trek 6, The Undiscovered Country; Cliff Eidelman
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Caramel Drizzle w/ Raspberry and Chocolate
MOON PHASE: Waning Gibbous
TAROT of the DAY: read on...

To the header of each post, we already have the Anti-silence Solution (because everyone else tells you what they are listening too), the Java Prescription (because I LOVE coffee) and the Moon Phase (because it’s important). You may have noticed I added a new one today.

Why? Because the Main Character of VICIOUS CIRCLE is a tarot reader, among other things. It’s fun, gives me something to say when I have nothing else to say (like that ever happens…) and can be informative. I’ll keep it short though, no soap box.

And our virgin draw of the card is…(Mister DJ, hit the drum roll pleeeease….)

the FOOL

First Card in the deck(Major Arcana), and no I amnot going in order, I just pulled that one at random after shuffling. It represents a new chapter in life, the beginning of the journey. What an apt card to start this new feature of my blog with! GROOVY!

Still looking for some questions/ideas/comments on the lines between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, c'mon! This is your chance to sound off and share!

YOUTH, REVISITED

2008-09-13T09:32:00.002-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Return of the King/Howard Shore
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Caramel Drizzle w/chocolate
MOON PHASE: Waxing Gibbous

My old band, back when I was just a young-un in the late 80's, was called CORSAIR. (See, I was into pirates LONG before pirates were cool...) We had a grand time…teenagers with keys to the bar—we had a practice room there, where we kept our band equipment. We did not abuse our privilege. Okay, well once…maybe. Anyway, we could jam as loud and as often as we wanted. No parents screaming to quiet down. It was fantastic.

So my old drummer calls and says the old bar (now torn down for some city building) is having a reunion at a rented hall. We, along with many other rockers of the time, are going back to play. We’ll do a 5-8 song set, nothing big. I’m sooooo freaking excited! There’s nothing like being on stage, rockin’ my guitar. About 8 weeks to prepare and get the old fingers zippin’ over the fretboard. I can’t wait!!!

COUNTDOWN TO CONTEXT

2008-09-12T08:45:00.006-04:00

ANTI-SILENCE SOLUTION: Pirates; At World’s End; Hans Zimmer
JAVA PRESCRIPTION: Custom blend (see previous post)
MOON PHASE: Waxing Gibbous

I am officially going to Context in Columbus, Ohio, Sept 26-28. I even get to sit on a couple of panels. GROOVY!! Hope I have something intelligent and witty to say… If not, I have a room and I’ll hide out.

I have asked to be in on the panel called “Writing Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy” with panelists: Editor Guest of Honor Paula Guran (my editor at Juno Books) and the Guest of Honor Tanya Huff, and Phoebe Wray. If I’m correct, Wray's first novel in genre fiction is newly out, with previous genre-shorts to her credit, and non-fiction. So that should be a great place to sit in, with two knowledgeable folks and two relative newbies.

The other panel I have requested to be on is Great Movie Soundtracks. Since the con is titled ‘We liked the movie but the book was better.’ I’m hoping they really mean movie scores (specifically from movies adapted from books...), not soundtracks(which can be rock-n-roll radio tunes or 'inspired by' tunes also for pop stations, etc). Because, as you may have noticed, I love scores and note what I'm listening to at my header and it's 95% movie scores... From books, I specifically LOVE Howard Shore’s for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I like the various composers (John Williams, Nicolas Hooper, Patrick Doyle, etc.) who have given their takes on the Harry Potter franchise. All those composers have done so much to capture the essence of and enhance and identify the characters and the movies. Who doesn’t recognize the tinkling Harry Potter opening? This panel has two names attached to it: Johnson and Sandridge. I am not able to find who they are to detail them nor to help me know if I’m going to be in over my head! :-)

I’m very excited and hope to be a part of both panels!