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Monday, March 1st, 2010
My favorite part: “I will happily pick up other works by this gifted author. She is definitely someone to keep an eye out for.” How exciting! I’ve also been offered an opportunity to guest blog. Yay! You can read the entire review at You Gotta Read Reviews. Sunday, February 14th, 2010
The Broads over at Broad Universe are launching their “Rapid Fire Readings” into the PodVerse for your listening pleasure. A “rapid fire reading” or “RFR” is a session of five-to-seven authors each reading a five-minute section of a story they’ve written…just a little “taste” of what they’re up to. The Broads have a full line-up of podcasts they’ll be doing this year, starting off with this one. Of course, the theme is romance. Here’s the link to BroadProd. Saturday, January 9th, 2010
The series is a modern-day paranormal, taking place in Los Angeles, and chronicles the lives of five high-school aged girls: Vanessa, Serena, Jimena, Catty, and Tiana. Each of them has a special power, bestowed upon them as a “daughter of the moon.” Young Adult is not usually my cup of tea, but I was looking for something different and the first book really caught my interest. The series is based on the Pandora myth, but each book includes some parts of Greek mythology. I’ve always been a sucker for the Greek myths, so picking up the first book was a no-brainer for me. (And yeah, I know I’m late coming to the table on this series, but I’ve already explained: YA is not my usual good-time read.) But the writing just sucked me in. And, now, a few short weeks later, I’m up to book 10. (That’s the great part about reaching a series late in the game: all the books are available at once. No waiting for the sequel!) But I’m having a problem with this one, The Talisman. It’s about Penelope…not one of the original five girls, or even a peripheral character in any of the first nine books. It takes place in Athens, Greece in 431 B.C. I’m halfway through the book and I can’t figure out how it relates to the others. The mythology is the same, and the “evil” the girls are fighting is the same…but Athens 431 B.C. is about as far away from present day L.A. as you can get. I’m afraid the “aha” moment of how this is all connected is going to be revealed very close to the end of the book, if not on the final few pages. “Disappointing” doesn’t even cover the range of emotions I’m feeling about this book. It just doesn’t belong in the series. I could be wrong, but I have a hunch that anything revealed in the final few pages of this book could just have well taken place in the first few pages of the next. It’s a neat story, but I’d have published it as a “related” book, or even just offered it for free on my Web site. So that leads me to my questions: has anyone else read the series? Or have you read a similar series where one book takes a sharp turn away from the main story line? How did you feel? Did it make you stop reading the series? Would you take another chance with the author? Hit me up in the comments. An inquiring mind wants to know. Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Susan Adrian posted a great essay on her Web site a few days ago that really got me thinking. It’s called, “How Not to Act,” and she describes two writers she’s following through the course of their careers. One writer takes the time to comment on blog posts and to reply to comments on her own blog as well as to any tweets she receives, etc. The other doesn’t. Guess which one sets the better example, according to Susan? Susan tells it better. Go read her essay and then come back. I’ll wait. I know her post is about many facets of Web etiquette, but it really got me thinking about commenting on blogs. I read a lot of blogs but rarely comment – especially if I have nothing new to add to the conversation. After all, why should I comment if my point has already been made? I get tired of reading, “Me, too!” comments on blogs…so why should I inflict them on others? Why, to build a community, of course. (And there are much nicer ways to say, “Me, too!” without actually saying it.) Susan really hit the nail on the head. If I’m not commenting, how do you know I’m even reading your blog? How do you know I’m out here listening to what you have to say? How do you know I care? The thing is…you don’t. So, I think I’m going to change my personal comment policy… I’m going to try to comment a bit more on the blogs I read…even if someone else beat me to my point. At the very least, it will have me considering how can I say, “Me, too!” without using those words? Writers love these kind of exercises, you know… Thanks, Susan!
photo credit: http://isferea.jrc.ec.europa.eu/Communities/Pages/default.aspx
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
I can’t wait to hand out goodies and see all the costumes. I’m a big fan of scary for Halloween, so anyone in a scary outfit scores more points in my book. Hope everyone has a (safe and) frightening holiday! Sunday, September 20th, 2009
I got the confirmation card in the mail yesterday, reserving my room at the Holy Cross Abbey. All I need to do to firm up the reservation is send a postcard back, letting them know when I’ll be arriving. Will it be for dinner, or not? I can’t wait to go. Two other members of my face-to-face critique group will be going as well. We’ll each have a private room, but we’ll be able to meet at any time to hold critique sessions (if we want). This is a retreat of our making, not one set up by the abbey, and we’ll be the ones to set the rules. The only thing we’ll not be able to do is chat over dinner. Dinner at the abbey is a silent affair. No talking aloud. (In fact, this edict may mean no communication at all throughout the meal. I intend to find out: I’m going to use that time for studying how a silent meal is undertaken by monks…the experience will prove invaluable…for perhaps my next work-in-progress.) Another thing I want to do is attend Vigils, a mass at 3:30 a.m. In fact, I’d like to spend an entire day attending all masses: Vigils, Lauds (7:00 a.m.), Mid-Day Prayer (2:00 p.m.) Vespers (5:30 p.m.) and Compline (7:00 p.m.) — just to have done it, of course. (Imagine the experience gained for writing!) But I think my writing will suffer…or at the very least, accomplishing my goals for the week may suffer. My 2009 goals including finishing everything I had started. I believe it was around March that I realized I wouldn’t reach that goal…not while continuing to start several new projects this year. And although I’m already mulling over a piece I want to write once I arrive at the Abbey, I’m going to see how much of a dent I can put into my 2009 goals. More about goals later. I’ve got a post card to fill out and return…and decisions to make: what shall I take? When shall I leave? What do I hope to accomplish? Saturday, September 12th, 2009 I have a book trailer! I don’t know why, but YouTube appears to have turned down the volume. You may need to turn it up when you view it. The cover art (from which I stole the skull for the video) was done by Amanda Kelsey. The music, entitled, “Exciting Trailer,” was composed by Kevin McLeod. Please let me know what you think! Friday, June 26th, 2009 My novella, Blood Soup, is being published by Eternal Press in September. I’ve been working on the edits for about a week now, and I hope to get them finished either late tonight or early tomorrow. It’s slow going. There are only 85 typed pages, and more than 100 comments from the editor. Most of the edits are a matter of style, IMHO. Mostly, she wants me to add more commas. I started out in the journalism business where the Oxford comma–that pesky comma which appears before the word “and” in a list–is anathema. It’s my unflattering opinion that folk in the literary world waste commas. They shove them into every sentence they can and space be damned. But I know that if I omit a few here and there, I can write another word…and that might just be the perfect word. The literary folk put in all the commas and add the extra words, too. I’m trying to be accepting of that fact, and that’s what’s taking so long. I read the draft, accept a comma here or there, and then start over. (See how I slipped that Oxford comma in there?) The next time I read, I accept another comma or two and then begin again. I suppose I could just accept all the commas at once, but that would be like giving in. I need to put up a fight in order to accept this whole Oxford comma deal. The other items (it’s not all commas, after all…) are (mostly) more of the same: the editor suggesting additional verbiage. It’s liberating, in a way, to be told, “Yes! You can write more here…” and yet, it goes against all my training. :: sigh :: Time to go accept a few more commas… Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 I’m always on the lookout for additional bookshelves. I’ve filled the ones I have and I’m (more likely than not) unable to cull enough books to keep status quo in the house. I think I’ve found my next purchase….and the beauty of these is that it’s hard to see the underlying structure when you’re looking at the shelves…I love the inherent cleverness here.   More information at the Bookshelf Blog (my new favorite hangout, I think.) |
Writers - Maryland Writer's Assn. |
…according to 
How would you like a little romance with your science fiction, fantasy and horror?
I’m reading this fabulous series of books called Daughters of the Moon by 
Halloween is my favorite holiday! 
I’m going on a writing retreat in October.