Tickled...Blue?

Yes, I am. Tickled "blue", that is. Romance Junkies posted a review of my first ever book release of The Deciding Factor, and gave it an amazing 4.5 blue ribbons! Yea!

Click here to read the beautiful review and click here to head over to Total E-Bound to pick up a copy for yourself!

Now, onto the Author Blog Hop!

Have a happy, happy Monday!

On Writing

If you are never satisfied with what you write, that is a good sign. It means your vision can see so far that it is hard to come up to it. Again I say, the only unfortunate people are the glib ones, immediately satisfied with their work. To them the ocean is only knee-deep.
~Brenda Ueland (If You Want to Write, Graywolf Press, 2007)


I love this quote. This gives me confidence to continue to write, as I know the more I write, the better I'll become. The potential to grow is endless, as long as I continue to strive toward the deep. 

Mired

Here I sit in front of my computer, my fingers poised over the keyboard, my mind a whirl of ideas. Ideas of romance, love, relationships, endurance, obstacles. Hot sex and happy endings. You know, the good stuff.

I find and jot down notes for a little story about a fairy tale that blows up in the heroine's face.

I come up with an new idea about the classic bit of being blinded by what's right in front of you.

I toss around words and scenes for my wip. Organizing and categorizing and putting it all together.

I read over what I'm writing, and I want to simply hit "delete."

Ever had one of those days?

For me, I know it's because I've been going nine-to-nothing the past couple of weeks. Several new events have practically taken over my life, and I'm adjusting and rearranging and resorting my day-to-day experience of living. It'll sort out soon.

In the meantime, I will resist the compelling urge to delete and instead, save the words to their own files. To be re-read on another day when I'm in a better frame of mind. If there is one thing I've learned from others, is that you should never trash your craft just because you might be having a bad day. Look at it another time, with fresh eyes. 

Then delete the crap.

lol. 

Have a Happy Friday!

Writing Tips

Want some humorous picks at writing? Check out these 100 writing tips. See if you can "get" the clever way the author makes his point within each sentence he writes. 

Enjoy your Sunday. It's glorious here with cool, brisk weather to enjoy out-of-doors.

Release Day With A CONTEST

Yeah! It's finally here. The Deciding Factor is released today at Total E-Bound. Link over to get your copy!

Click on my New Release Page for an excerpt.

Interested in getting a copy for free? Just leave me a note, via comment here or email, and tomorrow, Tuesday, I'll randomly pick one lucky winner to receive a pdf copy of the book! That's it!

Have a safe and happy Monday!

Blog Hopping Today

Hi! Come visit with me today on Marie Harte's blog, Bibliophily, where I'll be talking about the power of three and about my upcoming release from Total E-Bound. 

Have a great day!

Smokin' Hot

Hi out there in the big, bad world! I love this picture. Not anything to condone smoking (been there, done that), but because of what the artist did to the smoke. Take a closer look. Do you see it, too? Is that cool or what?

The count down continues. Two more days until the release of my e-book, The Deciding Factor, from Total E-Bound. *Excitement is in the air*

To get yourself in the mood, I strongly suggest you rent or look up and watch the 1994 movie, Threesome, with Lara Flynn Boyle, Steven Baldwin and Josh Charles. If you've seen it before, indulge yourself and watch it again. If you haven't, give it a try. It received mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it. It's a great way to spend a couple of hours. Be warned, however, that this movie does not reflect my book specifically, but it does tackle the ups and downs of initiating and dealing with a relationship involving three people. And more specifically, two males and one female. 

Here is a link to see the trailer:   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111418/

Have a terrific Saturday!

It's Coming Together!

Okay, so now my cold has become manageable, the bad weather has passed, for now (for those of you still in the literal thick of things, I feel for you), and the tax paperwork is coming together I can jump up and really start celebrating that IN THREE DAYS MY FIRST EVER STORY WILL BE PUBLISHED!!!!

Yep, this Monday hallmarks the release of The Deciding Factor. I've worked on this story for quite awhile and to finally see it out there is very exciting.

More posts will be forthcoming as the time for release approaches. Perhaps even a contest...

Check back often to see what will be in store!

A Picture Tells A Thousand Words

This time, I'll let you imagine the story. Man, it's gonna be good, anyway you turn it.

Let's Play a Game of "What If..."

Imagine, if you will, that you're single (if you aren’t already). Now, picture your old high school. Good memories or bad, it doesn’t matter. What I want you to think about is him. You know about whom I’m referring. The one guy you had a crush on. The one person you could – or did – fall madly in love with. The male specimen you would have done anything  - or you did do anything, naughty you – to be with.

Now, flash forward to the pretend-you’re-single-present. What do you think he’s doing now? What would you like to happen on this first meeting? Would you stammer? Would you ignore him? Play hard to get? Would you saunter up to him, lose yourself in his gorgeous eyes and wrap yourself around him when he murmurs, “let’s go back to my place to…catch up”?    

Oh, so many ways this scenario can go.

Aly Delaney, the heroine in my upcoming story, The Deciding Factor, finds herself face-to-face with men from her past. One of the men is her high school love. Ten years have passed. She’s teaching at a night school and has long since moved on from old crushes…or has she? Too bad he steps into her life at such an inconvenient time…

She froze and stared in shocked disbelief. Her heart tripped.

Her startled eyes met a ghost from her past. A ghost in the very physical form of Luke Coldwell. Her first love from high school and the one that got away, as the saying went. She hadn’t seen him since graduation. He’d been handsome as a teenager. As the man coming into her class now, his looks were devastatingly stunning.

His eyes caught hers. Recognition flashed in their dark depths and his lips curved into a wicked smile.

“Sorry I’m late,” he offered as an apology.

Luke sauntered into the room, his stride purposeful but easy. He didn’t just walk, he moved. The very air around him seemed to part. His hair, thicker and blacker than hers, complimented his permanent, deep tan—which was courtesy, he’d once told her, of Shoshone blood from somewhere in his ancestry.

He slid, gracefully for his large, well muscled size, into a chair next to Ms. Arbuckle, who had earlier introduced herself with pride as a young sixty-year old, one of the oldest students in the class. To Aly’s astonishment, Ms. Arbuckle tried to pinch Luke on the thigh. He must have expected the move because he easily avoided her and sent the older woman a devilish grin.

“That’s Alycia Delaney.” Aly watched mutely as Ms. Arbuckle filled him in. “She’s new here.”

Luke turned his hooded gaze to Aly. “Hi.”

She didn’t know what to say.  

“Alycia?” a student asked, drawing Aly’s attention.

“Um, yes, Derrick?” As Aly tried to concentrate on his question, she couldn’t get Luke out of her mind. Or her eyesight. He sat right in front of her, decked out in designer slacks and a deep blue silk shirt, the top two buttons undone, sleeves rolled up. She bit her tongue to keep from licking her lips. She wanted to taste that exposed part of his neck so badly she hurt. This man radiated sin like it was free for the taking.  

This is not right. I should not be feeling like this.

Then again, Luke had always been sexually devastating. Why she never slept with him when they’d dated in high school, she couldn’t fathom.

Yes, she could. Stupidity on her part. Only sixteen, she’d been stupid in love and had wanted forever with him. Yet even as a teen she’d known that he didn’t love her in the same endless way she did him.

Luke caught her eye and winked. Her heart jumped. Nah, she couldn’t still feel that love for him, could she?

Oh, please let the class end soon.

Aly did her best to ignore Luke, even though his stare made her feel like she taught naked. He never said a word, but simply sat in his chair, making various notes in his notebook and giving her dark, intense looks that made her constantly lose her train of thought.

When his long, thick fingers idly stroked the pen in his hand, she had to fight the imagery of him caressing her skin. When she caught him giving her a slow bodily once-over, finishing with an open smile of promise, her throat dried up and the words she’d been speaking died on her tongue, embarrassing her when one of the students asked if she was okay. 

No, I’m not okay, she’d wanted to shout. My skin is burning and my insides are melting and if Luke doesn’t leave this classroom right now I’m going to straddle his lap and lay to rest all the curiosities I’ve always had about having his body inside mine!

To find out what happens with Aly and Luke, 

make sure to grab a copy of

The Deciding Factor 

when it releases from Total E-Bound on 

January 17, 2010!  

Keeping Those Resolutions Yet?

Ho! It's three days into the New Year. How ya holding up? 

If not too well, and maybe I'm wrong, but I think this guy can give anyone inspiration and motivation.

 

I myself don't usually "do" resolutions, but this year I decided to go ahead and give it a try. My resolutions: to get into shape and to submit x-number of manuscripts this year.

As for the getting in shape aspect, I'm trying a different tactic. Not gyms, not aerobic tapes, not any kind of miracle drink. I'm dancing. Solo, anonymously, but dancing nonetheless. I like to dance - the rock-n-roll type, not ballroom type (although if I had a partner I'd be so into this, too) - so motivation is not an issue. I've found when I want to do a particular something, that's most of the motivation right there. I don't groan over having to drink nasty stuff. There is no excuse for going social to work out. I don't have to worry about old VHS tapes running ragged. Dancing. Easy. Just my iPod and me. Still hard work, but hopefully worth the effort.

As for the manuscripts, I'm really off to a great start. I have one in hand that'll be submitted out this month. I have another wip I hope to finish in another two or so months, then I have a few ideas, some based on the short story I have in hand now, that'll carry through 2011. 

I count on life being good, if not great, this year. 

So what about you? Have any new goals? And are you still with them at this early, early date?

Happy 2011!

I hope this year turns out to be everything you want it to be!