Pitch Day

It's quite odd, really, how things right now are so bittersweet.

A week ago today, Hannah died. Only a few hours after, I got the editor list and final draft notes from my agent. Bittersweet.

Today, a week after Hannah left us, my agent will begin pitching my novel to editors. Bittersweet.

But I suppose a lot of things will be that way. At least, until we finally move out of this damned apartment. She's everywhere. On my bed, in the closet, on the back of the sofa, scratching at the bathroom door. Moving Days are tentatively August 14 and 15, which is one month from now. So much to do, so little time.

I'm someone who doesn't handle big changes well, at first. All of these crazy things happening at once (Hannah, my book, moving, changing jobs) is driving me nuts. Adding on the stress. Making me freak out.

Chocolate. Need chocolate....

The Steampunk Archetype Test

I admit, the most steampunk I've been exposed to was in the film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I found the link to this test in an AW post and found the results quite amusing.

I am an Aetherist Bodger.

The aether carries the information, the aether is information. You are one of the few who know the ins and outs of Aether Terminals. You can access information across the Aethersphere, tapping into the Aetherpipes of anyone you want and stealing the information stored in their datatanks. Some think of you as a myth, a legend created to scare people. You are no myth or legend, you are quite real and you are currently reading the Queen’s AetherMissives.

Having a Foundation

Once again, Shore Leave 30 has come and gone. I'm always a little melancholy afterward. It's a trip I look forward to every year, it lasts two and a half days, and then it's over for a whole year. But I had a great time. Listened to some very entertaining actors, sat in on a few good panels. Attending a few about writing, as well. I'll post some pictures of the actors as soon as I get them from my roommate (my digital camera does well with close-ups, but sucks at taking good distance shots).

I wanted to mention something else, though, from the con. I was in a writing panel Saturday afternoon, and one of the writer panelists (Howard Weinstein, FYI) was discussing discipline, which led one of the attendees to mention "inspiration." At which point author Michael Jan Friedman made the following comment (and I'm paraphrasing from memory here):

"Many people liken inspiration to a lightning bolt from on high. Something that comes down and strikes you. But what most people forget is that lightning comes from the ground, not the sky. The ground is a solid foundation. Instead of waiting for inspiration to drop down on you, start with a good foundation."

He went on, illustrating his point that a foundation in discipline, mechanics of writing and storytelling trumped waiting for that inspirational strike from above. And I happen to agree with him.

Inspiration is awesome, but it can also be used as a crutch and an excuse. "Oh, sorry, the Muse is on vacation, so no writing got done today." "I don't know how to get Max out of the Dungeon of Doom, so I'm going to drink a latte and wait for inspiration to strike." Um, yeah. You could be waiting for a week or more. This is where the discipline part of that foundation comes in handy. By putting your Butt In Chair, no matter what, and writing something, no matter how dreadful or delete-worthy, you are giving yourself the discipline to finish something.

Rewriting is okay. Revising is always necessary. But you can't finish a first draft if you let yourself off the hook with, "I'm waiting for inspiration." Discipline yourself to write through the trouble spots, and you won't have to wait for inspiration. I'll be there waiting for you when you sit down to write.

Some Much Needed Shore Leave

It's that time of year again. Time to pack up and head out to Hunt Valley for Shore Leave 30. Adam Baldwin was this year's big draw for me, but he had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict. Still, we've got George Takei, Malcolm McDowell, David Hewlett, and Jewel Staite on the menu, plus whatever programming comes out way.

I'm mostly looking forward to a few days away from this apartment. I hear a rustle of paper, turn around, and expect to see Hannah beneath my chair. Or leaping onto my bed. Or jumping onto my desk to block my monitor from sight. *sigh*

Anywho....

Death in the Family

My baby girl passed away this morning. They couldn't keep her BP up, her red blood cells stayed too low. They had to go in and drain fluid from the surgical site (enough from one side to be notably bad). The seizures were lessened by Valium, but they couldn't be sure there was no underlying neurological problem. Even if they continued transfusing her, kept her on the BP meds, and started new therapies, there was no guarantee she'd had a full recovery.

We sat with her when she passed at 9:30 am, so quietly. So unlike her. But with her trademark scowl on her pretty face.

I stayed with her for nearly an hour after as we finished the paperwork and made "burial" decisions. Her ashes will be spread in an apple orchard in Maryland, and I love that idea. It sounds peaceful. Serene. A nice place to rest.

It was so hard to walk out that door. To kiss her ears for the last time. To pat her back and touch her paws. But I did.

It seems so unfair. So much money, so much effort, and my baby died anyway.

An Unhappy Holiday Weekend

So the actual 4th of July was fine. I worked all day (time and a half, so no biggie), came home to yummy chicken kabobs, and watched a movie. No, it started Saturday afternoon, and it hasn't stopped.

I got the call that anyone who's ever been owned by a cat fears: "There's something wrong with Hannah."

This is Hannah:

My roommate had rushed her to the Emergency Animal Clinic down the street after Hannah walked into the kitchen, flopped down panting, and mewled in a way she never wants to hear again. The vet was with her, but she didn't know anything else. Being at work when I got the call, I naturally rushed off the sales floor and started to cry

The second call came maybe fifteen minutes later. Hannah had a hernia in her lower abdomen, which was smooshing her kidneys, liver and intestines up into her chest, thereby compressing her lungs and heart. She was using about 20% of one lung. The injury, the vet said, was consistent with animals hit by cars, but Hannah's an indoor cat. The only explanation was that she had jumped from a great height and lost her balance. She needed major surgery to repair the damage done and put her organs back into place.

Then the really bad news fell: it would cost between five and eight thousand dollars, and her chances of survival were 50/50. One thought ran through my mind and fled from my mouth: "We can't afford that." Without it, though, she was going to die. Good thing I was in the back office, because I lost it. Completely. I was convinced I'd just lost my baby.

Once I got to the ER, I was able to talk to the vet. They had credit plans. We were shown her X-rays (which were scary). With moving in August, the added expense was daunting. It made me hate rich people, who never had to let a pet's life come down to money. But in the end, we had to give that little girl a chance. We applied and were approved for the credit, so we agreed on the surgery. We saw her for a few minutes, and then went home to wait.

The surgeon called us around 8:30pm and told us she was going in. Called back a little after 11pm when they were done. Seems Hannah had two hernias. One was older, maybe from an injury as a kitten (she's six now). The new one was what was causing her problems. They fixed a broken blood vessel in her spleen, put her organs back in the proper places. Turned out she hadn't been using her left lung at all, so it was miniscule and they worried about profusion injuries as it re-expanded. But she survived surgery, which was a major hurdle. The surgeon was very friendly, answered every question in great detail, and even said we could feel free to call the clinic for updates at any hour (they're open 24 hours a day).

Which roommate did at 4 am. We visited her around 9:30 Sunday morning. She was awake, but not moving (and very, very stoned on pain meds). By mid-afternoon, they had weaned her down to about fifty percent of her blood pressure medication. She was still on potassium and fluids to get her electrolytes back to normal. She was raising her head.

We saw her again this afternoon around lunchtime. Not good news. While they had successfully removed her chest tube, she was back on her BP meds. Her calcium was low. She'd had another transfusion to keep her red blood cells up. She was oozing from the incision site. She had developed a jerky twitch, which the vet said could have been the result of a mini-stroke (though she had no other symptoms of one). Her potassium still wasn't up. She wasn't where she should have been. We agreed to an EKG of her heart, to check for problems there. Specifically undiagnosed cardio-myopathy--a complication she did not need.

Needless to say, it was a long afternoon spent crying and wandering aimlessly. We called for an update at 6pm. Her heart was fine (yay!). Her potassium and electrolytes were finally normal (yay!). Dr. Barnes had asked a neurologist to stop by for an unofficial consult, but that doc didn't think the jerking was indicative of a stroke. It could have been her way of dealing with the pain, or reaction to the noisy, unfamiliar environment (another yay!). Dr. Barnes had a plan for adjusting her pain management meds, and was also going to try another combination of blood pressure meds, to see if her BP would stabilize.

Unless there's a problem overnight, we were told to call again between 6-7 am for another update. So here's hoping the phone stays quiet, and there's more yay-ness in the morning.

She's a stubborn kitty. I have to believe she'll pull through this.

Don S. Davis 1942-2008

He had one of the funniest bit scenes in Con Air, but he's probably best known for saving the world from disaster time and again as General George Hammond, on Stargate: SG1. Actor Don S. Davis passed away yesterday from a heart attack.

A full article, including a message from his wife to fans, can be found at GateWorld.

I'm a casual fan of SG1, but Don's supporting role was as integral to the show as the lead cast. Hammond was a father figure and a born leader, and Don gave him that strength. The character left the show several seasons ago, and they lost something when he did. Hammond couldn't be replaced, even by someone as experienced as Beau Bridges.

The SF community has lost someone special.

Review: Funny Games

I found this film at Blockbuster yesterday and picked it up, because I recalled reading a short article on the film. It uses a similar concept as the recently released The Strangers (the Liv Tyler movie), only this one doesn't tout itself as being based on a true story. Rather, it's based on a 1997 Austrian version of the same movie, filmed by the same director.

Dude. *hides*

I love horror films. Have since I was a kid. So it's hard to find a horror film in today's market that does anything for me. Most are your typical slasher film (Jason X), others try to be psychological with their torture (Saw franchise). But other than some queasy, cover-my-eyes gore, I tend to watch them with mild amusement.

Not this one. The villains are so....calm. The setting so ordinary. It started with four eggs.

Naomi Watts and Tim Roth played the average married couple, with a young son, who are taken hostage in their own home by a pair of sociopathic affluent twentysomethings. They both give outstanding performances. Very subtle, but effective.

There was no on-camera gore, but I found myself clutching the remote and barely breathing for the last forty minutes of the movie. It was not your typical Hollywood ending (which makes sense, since the source material is from Austria), and I liked the unpredictability of the deaths. Even the odd to-the-camera comments were interesting.

My only real complaint were the overuse of wide, static shots. The characters were so small on screen at certain times I couldn't see what they were doing. Rather than creating suspense, I was frustrated and bored. But beyond that, wow. First really good horror film I've seen in a while.

Dr. Horrible's Teaser

I really couldn't tell you what Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is, but it's got Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, and Neil Patrick Harris. What's not to...um...like?

The teaser trailer of this little webseries had me laughing out loud. Of course, I love anything Joss does. He could write a movie about people reading the phone book, and it would be hysterical.

I don't know how he does it.

Birthday Goodness

Round Two is now back with Agent. He said he may wait until the weekend to read, so he has more perspective. Must be patient. Must be patient. Not that I don't have a bazillion things to keep me busy until I hear back. Packing to do. Decisions on a job. Lots of housecleaning. Plus three WIP's and more revisions on Warden's Trance.

My birthday was pretty low-key, but that happens once you pass twenty-one (as I did many years ago). Celebrating just isn't what it used to be. My boss's daughters baked me chocolate cupcakes, which were awesome. Beloved Roommate bought a Black Forest cake and brought Coldstone Creamery home (Peanut Butter Lovers is bliss on a spoon, I swear). I gorged on sugar, but slept amazingly well. I'm super-excited about seeing "Rent" this weekend. First time seeing it performed live, so woohoo!

I think the leftover birthday cake is calling me....

Early Birthday Present

In the form of comments/line edits from my agent. He loved the changes, and I've already gone through and read his comments. Good stuff.

I need to write up short summaries for the next two potential books, so I can send that along with the revised draft.

Yay, fun stuff.

Agent Interview

No, I'm not interviewing anyone. Over the weekend, my agent, Jonathan Lyons, was interviewed on the League of Reluctant Adults blog. It's a good interview, plus there's a picture. It's always cool to put a face to a voice.

In other news, I had two amazing dreams last night. Complete narratives, both completed between the hours of 4:15 am (I know, because I woke up scratching at gnat bites on my wrist) and 8:45 am (alarm). One of them was definitely inspired by the ten minutes of Troy I watched yesterday, since it featured Bloom and Bana (drool). The other I've completely forgotten; oh well.

Two Years Later

I woke up this morning, and I knew I'd forgotten something. Not literally, as in left behind or not done. Just something important about today. Couldn't figure it out. It wasn't until the middle of the afternoon, while I was eating a slice of pepperoni pizza (Joe's, yum....) for lunch, that it occurred to me.

Today is the anniversary of my grandmother's passing.

I sat in the break room for a minute, unable to believe it had been two years. Her voice is still so clear in my head. The scent of her apartment, the color of her sofa, the way her house used to look before she moved. So many memories, still sharp and focused. I can't think of any better way to honor her than to think of her often today, and link to last year's tribute.

Peanut Butter Lover's Delight

Just in case you didn't know, margaritas from a bucket? Yummy!

I have also found my new favorite candy. I've always loved Reese's. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs/Trees/whatever-the-shape-of-the-season. The new Reese's Peanut Butter Cups with White Chocolate (OMG!). Reese's Pieces.

But now...they've gone and made a Whopper.....

Try them, if you love peanut butter.

Let the Panic Begin

Because we're moving. From Leesburg, VA to Berlin, MD.

ACK!!!!

Overheard at the Stoplight

Apparently, my voice travels. This afternoon I was in a left turn lane with two other cars in front of me. The lights change. I wait for our turn. We get a green arrow. First car goes. Second car sits there; the driver is looking down, seeming to search for something.

"Lady!" I shout, as I hit my horn. Obviously, she can't hear me shout, but the horn doesn't seem to get her attention either.

The light changes from green to yellow to red. I'm annoyed, because it's a long light to sit through again, so I once again shout something. This time it's "Bitch!" Which is somewhat unlike me.

She finally notices she's missed the light when the cars next to us start to move again. A red pick-up truck passes me, at which point I realize my window is six inches open, because the pick-up driver shouts at me, "You tell her!"

I was both amused and horrified. I laughed about it until the light changed (me waiting with hand on horn, just in case the other driver wasn't watching).

Random Elements

So what do Dan Futterman, the TV show "Oz," my elementary school cafeteria, and a floral-scented reed diffuser have in common? Not much. Unless they are all elements of one of my dreams. A really interesting, three-part dream, probably stemming from watching five hours of "Oz" yesterday.

The remarkable thing is I was able to take bits of those dreams and discover some backstory for one of my books. I haven't written a lot of Evy Stone's backstory (the star of the book currently with my agent), but now I have a connection to a present-day character I never would have considered if not for the dream.

I love it when stuff like this comes together.

Thankful

I have so much to be thankful for today, and I don't just mean my wonderful agent.

On Tuesday, my store was robbed. Okay, so it's not as dramatic as all that. I was in the stockroom at the time, so these are the events as I was told: Store Manager (SM) was up at the cashstand, facing away from the front doors. Less than a week ago, we finally installed a doorbell. Doorbell rings. SM turns around. She seems the front door still swinging shut and a man, carrying a small wood end table that had been standing less than a foot inside the front door, booking it toward the parking lot.

She yells, rushes outside. Yells at him some more as he fast-walks across the street toward a waiting car. He doesn't look back, just gets in. Two women in SUV's (God bless them), try to cut him off. One gets the (incorrect, it turns out) license plate number. Vague description of the car. Bastard got away with the table. It was quite the experience. We even had a cute sheriff's deputy show up to file the official report. We didn't have much to give him and the cost of the table was a petty larceny charge, anyway. But still, to walk into a store and do that in broad daylight?!?!


The other thing I'm thankful for is electricity. Yesterday, a tornado touched down one county over from here (Northern Virginia, people!!! We don't get tornadoes!!!). 350,000 homes were without power today, with a high of ninety degrees. Two people I work with were without power last night and this morning. So yes, I'm thankful for refrigeration, my fans, and cold, running water. Also the power to write this, since my laptop needs to be charged.

Drum Roll, Please....

Okay, so here's the news I hinted at yesterday: I have an agent.

An honest-to-God literary agent.

Excuse me while I squee like a girl: SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Ahem. I feel better now.

Summer Movie Report - Part One

This is the first summer in a long time that has me excited to go to the movies. I mean, really excited. Too many, too little money; but I've promised myself I get to see most of them. Just 'cuz I don't want to wait for DVD release.



First in line: Iron Man. Awesome film. One of the best superhero movies that's come along in a while. I've loved Robert Downey, Jr. for quite some time, and he is one of those actors who truly gets better with age. He was amazing as Tony Stark. Hotness personified. I couldn't think of a better movie with which to start the summer season. Score: 9.5



Second so far: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Dang, the title is a mouthful. So is the convoluted plot. I love Indie. I love Spielberg. I am starting to hate George Lucas (I mean, look what he did to the Star Wars prequels!). So I'm going to blame Lucas for all the bad stuff in Crystal Skull. Like the collapsing-sucking pyramid thing that was a total rip-off of The Mummy remake. But hot damn, Shia LeBouf is now on my Hollywood Hottie list. His character, Mutt, was fantastic. Best part of the film, in my opinion. I'd watch him in his own spin-off film. Score: 7

Things Are About to Get Busier Here

I can't share the good news yet, because nothing's official. But let's just say the long, slow process toward publication has just taken a huge shot forward. More news on that in a couple of days.

On the homefront, I've made the oddest personal connection. On the AW Watercooler, a random conversation with another member led to a series of PM's (private messages), in which we discovered we both graduated the same high school. One year apart. How funny is that? 21,000 members, and we lived in the same town, same high school.

My best bud Serenity (who has a new blog: http://serenemoments.wordpress.com/ ) turned in her Master's thesis! Yay, Melissa!!! You go, girl! I'm so proud of her. Two years of online classes, stress and lack of "fun writing" has paid off. We celebrated on Monday by grilling turkey burgers, making onion dip, and watching five hours of "Oz" episodes. She's finally, officially hooked. My work there is done.

We have had a new store manager since April 30th, and things are working out well. We're finally hitting our stride as a management team, so things are looking up. Good thing, too, because I'm getting sick of Virginia. I'm ready to move back to the Eastern Shore, so who knows? Maybe by the end of the summer, I'll be posting from a new apartment closer to home.

More later...

Nip/Tuck Finale

It's a rare show that gets away with a line like: "I can't believe I have to say this, but you can't sleep with your sister again."

After five years of attracting all manner of sociopaths and psychopaths, you'd think Sean and Christian would have learned a simple lessoon: Don't taunt the lunatic.

What happens when you do? The lunatic snaps. Simple. Little. Equation.

And is it just me, or should Matt take a vow of celibacy? He sleeps with all the oddballs, from Ava to Nazi-chick to Kimber. Like father, like son, indeed.

I Confuddled Gaius Baltar

I don't make as big a deal out of attending Farpoint as I do Shore Leave. For one, Farpoint is a smaller con. There is less programming, fewer attendees, and usually ice or snow on the ground. We tried a full weekend, but decided it wasn't worth the money. So now we try and just go up on Saturday (we = me, Melissa aka Serenity, and my sister Dawn). We've been the Three Musketeers of Hunt Valley Cons for about eight years, give or take.

I was almost sad we didn't have Sunday membership. There were a couple of panels I'd have liked to attend (one on Paranormal and Fantasy Romance novels!). And listening to James Callis (Battlestar Galactica) was a hoot. He is a great public speaker, and I'd have loved to hear him again. One hour of that voice just wasn't enough.

He spoke last, after Marina Sirtis. This is my second con in which Marina has appeared (she was at Shore Leave two summers ago), and my third time listening to her. She is brilliant, funny, vulgar, outspoken, and refreshing. She told a particularly funny story about her guest appearance on Stargate SG-1, right around the time Michael Shanks was trying to get off the show (season five?). She, he and Amanda Tapping were filming in an enclosed space (the submarine set) and it was pretty hot. Apparently Michael got angry, pitched a fit, and said, "Who do I have have to f**k to get off this show?" To which Marine promptly replied, "The same person you f**ked to get on it." Said Amanda fell out of her chair.

I love stories like this. It's one of the reasons I love attending cons and listening to actors talk about their jobs. That one so many of them (James Callis, Jamie Bamber) have sexy accents, or are just plain easy on the eyes (Connor Trinneer, James Marsters). I don't mind staring at them for an hour.

And once in a while, as my post title suggests, I have a sincere moment that just makes my day.

We were at the end of the autograph line (high badge numbers), and it was the end of the day, so James was pretty tired by the time we got to his table. He was still (bless him) personalizing the autographs, and asked my name. I said, "Kelly." Cuz that's my name. He starts writing "Kell..." and then stops to look up at my badge (to check for the correct ending). I said "two l's, one y."

He paused, sort of stared at the photo, and then laughed about completely losing track of what he was doing. I laughed, too, because he was so adorable about it. He said it had been a long day and apologized. I agreed and thanked him. So sweet.

The final inscription on the photo is: "Dear Kelly, It's been a long day. Lots of love, James Callis."

*happy sigh*

I also have a photo of the three of us with Marina Sirtis. She ran down the line to take photos with anyone who wanted them, so she didn't have to keep getting up and down at the table. It was really generous of her to stand for those photos anyway, since the con usually frowns on it (holds up the line).

I'd upload photos, but I'm one of those folks still in love with her film camera. So I need to get them developed first, and then scanned in. All in all, it was a good day.

February Blog Chain: Balance

Yes, I'm back on the AW Blog Chain Wagon. February's theme is Balance, and today I have the daunting task of following an amazing post from Ava Jarvis at Spontaneous Derivation. I kid you not. If you aren't following the chain and just happened upon this post, go read it.

Right now.

*taps foot*

Done? Yes? Good.

So balance. My handy-dandy Webster's Dictionary and Thesauras (Basic English Words for Daily Use) only gives two definitions. One: device for determining the weight of something. Duh, and not quite what I'm going for here. Two: agreement of totals in the debt and credit of an account. Close, but not quite. It's interesting that the only two definitions are both related to numbers.

The thesaurus half provides more useful synonyms: poise, stability, composure, equilibrium, equalize.

I'll add harmony to the list.

In her blog chain post, Ava mentioned being a Leo and some traits that go along with it. I don't read my horoscope or really know what it means to be a Cancer, so I checked it out. In particular, this line stood out for me: "When your level of security is undermined, particularly by domestic disturbances, you can lose your equilibrium, becoming irritable, hypersensitive, snappy, unforgiving, self-pitying and brooding."

Holy beans, that describes me so well. Especially over the last couple of months. I've been riding the ups and downs of the Query Train, attempting to land a literary agent. Family problems (snooze, snore, we all have them, I know) keep cropping up and sapping my energy. And let's not even talk about The Job From Hell right now, in which I can't seem to find any sort of firm footing.

So where am I? Emotionally exhausted, crabby all the time (no astrology-pun intended), snappy at my roommate and employees, avoiding phone calls to my parents, very down on my writing ability, and in moderate amounts of physical pain (did I mention my job is also physically strenuous?).

I've fallen so far away from my center I don't quite know how to find it again. How to strike the balance in my life that was there just three months ago. Unless it was never there to begin with, and I just never realized how far off-center I'd become. I don't know. Maybe I'll never know.

But my horoscope says that change is coming (of course, they all say that, because change is quite inevitable). It's nice, though, to believe in a positive change on the horizon. Something to nudge me back toward the center of things. Something to weigh down the opposite side of the scale and give me back my balance.

Next up is The Writer's Round-About.


The Unfocused Life
Auria Cortes
Spontaneous Derivation
Organized Chaos
The Writer's Round-About
Spynotes
Williebee
Even in a Little Thing
Spittin' (out words) Like a Llama
A Thoughtful Life
Life in Scribbletown
My Path to Publication
For the First Time
Green Diva
Polenth's Quill

God Speed, Captain

For me, he'll always be Captain Nathan Bridger.

I was fourteen when seaQuest, DSV debuted, and I admit the real draw was (the late) Jonathan Brandis. After enjoying films like Ladybugs and Sidekicks, I determined he was the most adorable thing under the sun. It also helped that Don Franklin (of The Young Riders fame) was one of his co-stars. I only knew the actor playing the captain as "that guy from Jaws."

But Roy Scheider was, and will always be, the heart of that series. Even though he left after season two (good move, in my opinion, as the abbreviated season three was a huge blunder), his absence was felt. It was an ensemble, but the series was about Bridger and the ship he helped build. I bought the first season on DVD a few months back, and it's been great fun to relive those old adventures. I'll be adding season two to my collection very soon.

No matter the role, Mr. Scheider had a humanity that he instilled in his characters. His guest arc on Third Watch, as a homicidal Russian mafia honcho, blew me away. His small part in The Punisher had an intensity of love that made Frank's desire for vengeance that much more realistic. His quiet heroism in Jaws is something I'll never forget.

R.I.P., Roy Scheider. 1932-2008.

On Demand or Out of Service?

I refuse the feel guilty about spending the entire day in sweats, alternating between the TV and the computer, doing a whole lot of nothing. It's the first whole day I've had to myself in weeks. I watched an Alien Nation movie, an episode of Nash Bridges, a behind-the-scenes featurette for Wild Hogs, and part of a movie on OnDemand called Reeker. Was Reeker any good? The bits I saw weren't bad, but what exactly is the point of OnDemand if the system goes down forty minutes into a movie?

Further proof that Comcast sucks wild turkey toes? I thought so...

Anyway, I finally vegged enough to sit down and get some writing done. I'm closing in on 15k words on the WIP. I'm back in Micah's POV, and the story just took a turn that I wasn't expecting quite so soon. I just love it when the story surprises me. I've become confident enough in my writing to go with those flows, and they always work out well.

I also started a pretty interesting discussion on the AbsoluteWrite forums, stemming from some comments made in Share Your Work (yes, I showed my work, I'm so proud of myself). It's been great fun to follow, and it's helping me understand a few things about that particular book (Dark City, aka Marionette).

77 Hours

Seventy-seven hours don't explain why I've been MIA since August. I can't even explain that one; maybe I just thought I'd posted here a few times in the interim. Wow.

*dusts the place off*

No, seventy-seven hours are how many I've worked in the last nine straight days. Way back in December, I was "temporarily" promoted to Interim Store Manager. My manager was promoted to a new store, so three weeks before Christmas, I'm in the hot seat. Two months later, I'm still there. I'm exhausted. My legs ache, my arms ache, even my fingers ache.

But I still manage to write a few words, in between ten hour shifts. Writing a novella set in the Watchman-Universe helped keep me sane over Christmas. I wrote it with the intention of submitting to an anthology, but missed the deadline. Oh well. It'll keep, and it was fun to write.

The WIP is tentatively titled "Alchemy 101." It will make sense one day, I swear. I love the concept, and adore one of my protags (I love his brother, too, but there's something about Micah...). One knows when people are about to die; the other is taunted by the ghost of his dead cousin. What the frell does alchemy have to do with it all? Therein lies the mystery....

Review: Broken

I've read romance, but hadn't tried a erotica until a friend handed me a copy of Megan Hart's Broken. It's part of Harlequin's new Spice line of erotic novels.

Explicit sex abounds (hello! Erotica, remember?), but the miracle is that it never grows tiresome. And part of that is the hook of the novel. Once a month, married therapist Sadie has lunch with Joe, a man she met quite by accident. And every month, Joe tells her a story about one of his sexual conquests. Sadie imagines herself as the star of each of Joe's stories, but not because she secretly wants Joe.

Sadie's husband Adam is a quadriplegic, the result of a skiing accident four years ago. While half of the book consists of Joe's erotic tales, the other half is a tender, tough, terrible, loving and heartbreaking portrait of a married couple, once wildly in love, now just struggling to survive. They alternately love each other and hate each other. The author does a wonderful job of showing Sadie's internal and external struggles, both with her husband, her job, her family, and ultimately, her lunches with Joe. Is mental infidelity still cheating?

The ending is, in a way, predicatable, but never trite or contrived. It hit me hard, and while the book might not appeal to traditional romance readers, it's a love story worth experiencing.

The Great Word Chopping Challenge

Boy, what a month it's been. Craziness at work. Nuttiness at home. Ups and downs with the writing. Summer is almost over, which means Christmas is around the corner. And we all know what that means. Christmas Eve dinner with my extended family, wherein I will deflect questions about my lack of love life and my continuing status as an unagented, unpublished writer. But that little drama is still four months away, so no use worrying about it quite yet.

What have I been up to, you ask? And what the hell does my blog post title mean?

Frequently on AbsoluteWrite, a thread will pop up (very often from an overzealous newbie) asking about word counts. The common theme: "I've written a 200,000 word fantasy/thriller/mystery/whatever, but agents say they won't take anything over 120,000. I can't possible cut anything, because my baby is perfect the way she is. Since my book is so awesome, do you think the agent will make an exception?"

**headdesk**

Once a month. Seriously.

It got me to thinking about editing and cutting and making a story stronger. I pondered two books that I wrote several years ago. They were originally one long novel, but it kept growing in scope, so I split it into two average length books. Together, their word count was approximately 170,000.

I love those books. I love the characters and the world and their unique powers. It's been part of my life since the year 2000. I had queried the first novel as a standalone, unsuccessfully, for nearly two years before my final rejection arrived this summer. I had planned to simply stick it in a drawer for a while and move onward with other projects. And I did. For about a month.

Then I started thinking about editing and word count trimming. Did it really need to be two books? Were all of those subplots necessary? Could I trim it down to a manageable 120k words without losing the overall story?

No. No. We'll see.

So I opened up Word and pasted both documents into it, and thus began the Great Word Chopping Challenge. I excised an entire subplot that, while fun and research-heavy during the first draft, wasn't absolutely needed for the story to work. I chopped out whole scenes. I cut two beloved flashbacks. I removed extraneous details, excessive dialogue tags, and about a hundred "nods, smiles, and grins." The words melted off, leaving a tighter, leaner story behind. I finished with a word count of 119,890.

Was it painful to cut away favorite scenes/moments? Hell, yes. Was I proud of myself once I hit the delete key? Definitely. Do I think this single novel is an improvement over the duology? Yes. Why? Dunno.

My point is that it can be done. Words can be trimmed. Often, getting rid of that extra fat will make the overall novel healthier and happier. Is this true in all instances? No. Some stories are just long. I'd love to see the original duology in print, but if the combined version is what sells, then I'll be satisfied. It's a story I want to share with others, whether it's the Theatrical Release, or the Extended Director's Cut.

Either way, the challenge was worth it.

Happy Chopping!

Next time, I'm taking the whole day off.

Never work half a day when you're trying to arrive someplace on time. It just makes for an unpleasant day. Or an unpleasant half-day, as the case may be.

Last weekend was Shore Leave 29, my annual SFF convention experience. We like to arrive around 4pm, get settled into the hotel, and have a leisurely dinner at a nearby Baja Fresh before activities begin. The hotel is roughly an hour-thirty from my apartment. So on Friday, I agreed to work until 2pm. It would get us on the road by 2:45, if all went well.

All didn't go well.

My fellow manager (the one who is relieving me at 2 so I can hit the road) calls and says she forgot she had an 11 am dentist appointment. She may be a few minutes late. A few I can handle. To me, a few is five, ten minutes. Whatever.

My sister calls around noon. She's at the hotel, but they need a credit card that can hold the room bill until Sunday (we always pay cash, since three people split it). She doesn't have one with a large enough balance. I do. The hotel faxes over a sheet for me to fill out. I wait. No fax. I call back (on my cell, since the office phone at work had been on the fritz for a week by that point). They refax. I get it. A customer issue at work delays me returning it. Sister calls back. It didn't go through.

What? I panic, because I knew I had a large enough balance. Our third roommate didn't have a card. So sis calls her boyfriend, hoping he has one. Meanwhile, I get on the phone with Capital One, hoping to get a customer service rep and figure out what the hell went wrong (I was planning on using a cash advance from this card to pay for my share of the hotel expense). I am on hold for thirty-five minutes. "Please stay on the line, and you, too, will receive our personal attention."

Yeah, right.

I hang up, frustrated beyond words that I've wasted so much time (but I was in the stock room, opening new merchandise with one hand, so at least it wasn't a complete waste). Sister calls back; boyfriend had a card that held us the room. Phew.

Two o'clock rolls around, and I'm raring to go. I want to hit the ground running, because I have to stop by the post office and mail another full manuscript request (yay!) before we leave. 2:10 now. *taps foot* *checks watch* Okay, this is more than a few minutes. My associates are watching me with trepidation, afraid my head will spin off my shoulders. My relief finally arrives at almost 2:40 (!!!). I get out the door five minutes later, because I had to talk her in (store slang for explain what's happened, where we are with sales, if there are any problems that need to be addressed).

I zip in and out of the post office. I try to use my Capital One card to pay for shipping, but it comes back with an "over balance" message. WTF? Okay, fine, I use my debit card. My frustration level is so high that I'm swearing a blue streak at traffic all the way home. I finally get there and storm into my room to plug in my dying cell phone, and I call Capital One again.

"We are currently experience high call traffic...."

I burst into tears.

I'm one of those people who cries when I get really, really frustrated. It's my body's way of venting, I suppose. I felt a little better afterward. My roommate calmed me down, and we figured out a solution to my hotel money woes. After a few minutes, we were packed up and ready to go. Finally hit the road at 3:40 pm.

Made it to the hotel by 5pm on the dot. As soon as I got there, the day's frustration melted away. It was my weekend to geek out, have fun, and just revel in science fiction and fantasy. I had a great time, laughed loads, and discovered a new favorite saying:

YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF YOUR OWN (WRITING) CAREER.

Truer words were never spoken.

Grabby Hands

Random observation of the day:

SciFi Channel is airing Final Destination 2. Not a great film, but it gets points for starring Michael Landes (*pants*). I left it on in the background and look up from time to time. Tonight it occurs to me that Michael grabs AJ Cook an awful lot in this film.

He knocks her down and away from the speeding car.
He grabs her so she doesn't run after her now-mowed-down friends.
He grabs her so she doesn't run toward a piece of glass that is about to smush a kid.
He grips her arms during one of her visions.
He hugs her (twice) after Isabella has the baby.
He knocks her down again, this time as a hospital room explodes.
He grabs her to keep her away from Clear's roasted body (the girl likes to race toward dead people, I don't get it).
He holds onto her again when she starts talking about self-sacrifice.

You know you've watched a movie too many times when these are the things you notice...

One Year Later

One year ago today, Anna Eva Meding passed away at the wonderful age of 88 years old. I spent the day thinking of her, trying to come up with a post that showed how much she meant to me. To describe what a wonderful, complex, loving woman she was. The funny thing is, I couldn't think of a thing to write, because what she meant to me is so ingrained in who I am that it's impossible to put it into a few hundred words.

Instead of an essay, I've decided on a word collage. Things that, while they may seem random to you, mean something to me.

TINKER TOYS

MAPLE TREE

SCREENED PORCH

CRACKER DRESSING

WHITE JEWELRY BOX

ANGELS

FIREBIRD

LEMON DROPS

Every story she ever told ended with the same phrase, so it seemed appropriate to sign off with it: That's the way it goes.

I love you, Grandma. I miss you.

It's Not Rocket Science

I love that grocery stores have those Self Checkout lines. Yes, I know it means fewer cashiers, but even before they became popular, I rarely saw more than a third of the available registers at use. The number hasn't seemed to change much with the installation of Self Checkouts in grocery stores across the country.

I like using the Self Checkout because it's more peaceful. I don't have to smile at a discontented cashier who looks about as happy as a constipated gorilla (especially if I've had a bad day, and I look as happy as said gorilla). I can scan my club card, scan my groceries, pay, bag and go.

At least, I used to bag my own groceries and go. Now some stories have wandering baggers, who toddle from line to line and bag the groceries.

Grocery baggers are nothing new. Larger chains used to have them all the time. And bagging groceries does not take a degree. Just common sense. Don't put a jar of spagetti sauce on top of the bread. Don't put canned goods on top of the eggs. Double-bag heavy stuff so the handles don't break.

Every bagger who's bagged my groceries has managed to follow all of these simple guidelines. However, one exists that is never followed. Given that it's summer and very hot, this one should be first and foremost in every bagger's mind: put cold stuff together!

For crying out loud!

Don't put my non-dairy creamer and deli meat in with the box of rice. Don't put two frozen dinners in with my bread. Put the creamer, meat and frozen dinners in one bag; put the rice and bread in another. I don't want my room temp stuff getting damp or accumulating moisture. And I like my cold stuff to stay cold on the way home, thank you very much.

It's not rocket science! Like things together! Which one of these does not belong?

*sigh*

A Couple of Throw Pillows, A TV News Reporter....

Whaddaya think?

Who knew changing the look of my blog was so easy? Probably thousands of other Blogger users who've already done it. *snicker*

I love the new digs, and hope to add a few more features over the next couple of days.

100th Post

I hadn't given much thought to what my 100th blog post would be about, so imagine my surprise when I decided to blog about a great rejection.

Some folks will say that there is no such thing as a great rejection. A rejection is just a rejection. Period.

Whatever.

I submitted a full manuscript two weeks ago. This morning I received an email rejection from the agent, and while the "no" stung a little, the message contained enough hope to soothe the wound. She said I had a lot of strong prose, stronger than a lot of writing that passed her desk. She also felt I had a sympathetic heroine.

The major downfall for her was some of the plot turns. Some didn't feel natural, and those reservations prevented her from taking on the novel. It definitely gives me something to look harder at tomorrow (day off = editing day).

She closed the letter by inviting me to submit future projects, if I find myself without representation and another book available. *swoon*

So there it is: the good, the bad, and the hopeful.

AW Blog Chain 9

I haven't participated in an AW blog chain for quite a while, and I'm ecstatic to be back. I neglected the poor thing for a few months (the blog, not AW, heaven knows I spend too much time there).

If may be so bold as to quote from A View From the Waterfront (the lovely blog that preceded mine), Alan writes: What will Kelly at Organized Chaos do with this thread?

What, indeed?

Alan blogged about food security in Alaska. I have to be honest here--I never pondered the notion that food would be a problem to get in Alaska. Why? Well, I admit to a somewhat limited worldview, since my life has been spent in Southern Delaware and Northern Virginia (with a brief stopover in Los Angeles and Pennsylvania for college). I know Alaska is snowy and cold, and most of its major cities are along the coast. Dummy me never really understood why until I read his post: food.

My roommate is a huge fan of "Deadliest Catch," and she could probably write me an essay on the importance of seafood to Alaskan survival. Or on the sound a grown man makes when a crab pinches his nethers. I imagine it contains swear words.

Living here in the continental US, it's hard to imagine not having immediate access to all sorts of groceries. If I want steak, I go buy steak. If I want shrimp, I go buy shrimp. If I want peaches, I go buy peaches (although ripeness is negotiable, depending on the time of year). The idea of subsistence foods being provided by the Federal Government just astounds me. It sounds like something we do to villages in South America, not to our fellow Americans in the great white north.

It truly instills a sense of respect. Respect for the folks who carve out a life and a living up there in Alaska. A place that is fifty degrees in the summer and can have upwards of six months of constant sunlight in certain areas is not a state I'd want to live in. But my hat is off to those that do. It's a beautiful state, and you have been blessed with its wonders.

*rereads*

Well, not the post I thought I'd create for this chain (I just watched The Guardian, which takes place in Alaska, and was prepared to go off on a tangent about films set in Alaska....alas...).

Next up is Williebee.

awchain

It's the small things in life that tickle me most.

Like walking into a bookstore with no intention of purchasing anything (yeah, right) and walking out with a book you had forgotten about. I loved Star Trek: Enterprise, and watched all four seasons during its abbreviated run on UPN. I'd gladly buy the DVD's if I could afford them (I do accept gifts!).

I've picked up a handful of the tie-in novels that Pocket Books publishes. Some, like the Daedalus duology, are excellent. Others, like *Deleted By Nice-O-Matic*, sucked eggs. Still, I first heard about "The Good That Men Do" during last year's Shore Leave convention, when editor Marco Palmieri gave a preview of upcoming Trek books.

Needless to say, a book that explains Trip's "death" in the show's series finale and revealed he did not, in fact, die at all, was immediately added to my Wish List. I adore the character of Trip Tucker (can you tell by the avatar?), and Connor Trinneer is such a sweetheart in person. Sick as a dog, he still shows up to do his scheduled talks and sign hundreds of autographs. *sigh*

Anywho, I haven't read it yet (come on, I've only owned it for about eight hours), but look forward to it. Once I finish this one, I will finally (finally!) read the next one in the Crimson City series. Dunno why I haven't yet. Yeesh.

Forgetful much?

'The Return' Should Go Away

It is a rare movie that makes me want to stalk up to the clerk at Blockbuster and demand my rental fee back. The Return, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, is one more film on that rather short list (which includes The Grudge, Wolf Creek, and Starsky & Hutch, among others).

Don't bother. Really.

It's billed as a psychological thriller, but the trailer makes it look like a haunted house/horror flick, so imagine my surprise when nothing remotely scary happens for the first...oh...what's the running time of the film?

Anyway, it did explain itself by the end, but I was so thoroughly confused during the first hour of the movie that I just didn't care. I was too excited to realize it was over to really care how it ended. Don't get me wrong. I love a good psychological thriller (The Usual Suspects and Unknown come immediately to mind), but this one was just bad. The script was schizophrenic, the characters bland, and the overall look of the film unimpressive.

Unless you are a die-hard SMG fan, skip it.

I wish I had.

Back on the Chain

It's been a while since I've participated in one of the AW Blog Chain's. Number 9 just started, and I'm near the bottom (as usual, I'm so slow at joining these wonderful chains). It'll be a bit before it's my turn, but I wanted to post the entire chain. A few familiar blogs and a couple of new ones, too.

I've got some reading to do.

Virginia Lee: I Ain't Dead Yet!
writing@cathsmith.com
hunt & peck
Life, Writing, and Other Things
periodically.org
Food History
A View From the Waterfront
Organized Chaos
Willibee
The Road Less Traveled
awchain

I Should But A Lottery Ticket

It's been that kind of day. :)

#1:

I checked my email this afternoon, and found a reply to an agent email query I just sent on Sunday evening. Expecting a rejection (hey, it was fast turnaround!), I found a request to read the entire manuscript. Woot! <---I don't know what that means, except to convey excitement.

I spent the next hour bouncing around my apartment, startling the cats, and hoping I had enough toner in my printer for the job.


#2:

My roommate, who has been actively seeking a new job, has a phone interview set up for tomorrow. She also received a call from another place with comparable pay to her current position, responding to a resume she sent them a while ago. I've got my fingers crossed for her.


#3:

My sister finally received the results from her Maryland Certification Exam. She passed, and is a licensed therapist! Yay, sis! More money for her, which is a great thing.

*happy sigh*

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

I'm glad that I've reached a point in the agent-querying process where a rejection doesn't feel like a personal slight. Maybe a year ago, but not now. It's part of the game. Maybe it's because I've had nothing but rejections so far, but eh. It is what it is.

I received my SASE back from Curtis Brown, LTD. A partial request for Warden's Trance that I mailed five weeks ago. Great turnaround time. It was a rejection, but a nice one. I didn't mind. I've only sent out five queries so far. One other rejection, two no replies, and an email request for the first twenty pages (sent!). I don't consider the two no replies as rejections yet (after a few more months, then yes).

Time to start sending out some revised queries (thanks to the wonderful folks at the Fangs, Fur and Fey hook contest, I've tweaked it a tad).

Cross your fingers for me.

"Momma took my eyebrows."

Anyone who saw last night's "Grey's Anatomy" should recognize the title of my post. Poor Cristina. No one deserves to have their eyebrows stolen on their almost-wedding day, and it gave way to one of the best lines of the show. The one best (I can't remember word for word) was delivered by Derek to Burke, about being the best man and sleeping with his wife in ten years. Dratted bad memory!

An otherwise stellar episode was, once again, ruined by yet another "I'm in love with you" declaration from Izzie. Is it me, or does her affection fluctuate by season? I mean, if we're to believe that the first fifty-odd episodes of this show cover one year, then in that amount of time, she's been in lust with Alex, in love with Denny, and now in love with George. That's pretty special. (<---please don't miss the sarcasm, it's dripping down the sides here)

Callie's request to have a baby was hilarious. I knew the wedding wouldn't happen, but I admit I was surprised that Burke called it off (for the right reasons, of course). I was just shocked that he left town like that (poor Cristina!). Alex once again deserves to be smacked for not asking Ava to stay (not that Jason London is a bad fall-back). I have adored their storyline, and hoped to see the actress stick around. She brought out Alex's human side.

Meredith needs to have her head removed from her keister. Why, oh why does that woman have to put all of her romantic hopes and dreams into the success of other people's relationships? It's annoying, and it makes her out to be queen bitch. Derek's "Let me off the hook" speech was heartbreaking, because she couldn't even respond to it. Other than to insist that she get Cristina down the aisle. As if making sure Cristina and Burke get married (two people who shouldn't be!) will somehow make everything right with the universe. *headdesk*

It's amusing that the narrator has become the least likeable character on the show (only one tier down from Izzie and her issues).

On another medical show front, I've been hit-and-miss the last two or three years with "E.R." It hasn't been the same show since Noah Wyle left, and I just can't see John Stamos as anyone but Uncle Jesse. But I've tuned in for the last handful of episodes (yay for Abby and Luka tying the knot!), mostly because I kept hearing that Goran Visjinc and Shane West wouldn't be back next year. And I love Stanley Tucci; his new character is a trip!

First, kudos for not killing anyone off. As soon as they mentioned a high alert level and Luka flying to Croatia, I had images of a fiery plane crash. So glad they didn't go that route. Abby needs some happiness. But the Literal Jaw-Drop Moment of the Year Award goes to Ray's hospital reveal. Oh. My. God. If you haven't seen it, I won't ruin it here, but wow. Did not expect that.

And is it sad that I was laughing while Neela was getting trampled by that fleeing mob? I dunno, I just don't like her right now. Maybe I have a natural inclination to dislike whichever female the hot guys are fighting over. Oh well.

How did the medical finales score?

Grey's: A- for emotional trauma
ER: B+ for shock value and Stanley Tucci

Close But...Eh, Who Wants Cigars, Anyway?

The ballots are in and the judges have decided. The winner of the Fangs, Fur and Fey contest has been announced, and it's....

Not me. Ah well, there was stiff competition from some of the entries. Congrats to the winner. On a somewhat comforting note, I did unofficially tie with another author for second place. That's the kind of thing that makes me smile.

Onwards and upwards.

Another One Down

If anyone wondered where I've been for the last three weeks, here it is: writing like a mad demon.

I never realized how intently focused I could get on a novel until I started writing the latest. Exactly seven weeks ago. And now it's finished, at 104k words. I have never written so much, so fast. I thought writing the last one (Warden's Trance) was special, but boy howdy! This one (Ace's Wild) takes the prize. It's a sequel to the story I finished in March. Now that they are both done, I can go back and rip through the first novel with my editorial hat on.

I entered the query hook for Warden's Trance in the contest run by the lovely authors at the Fangs, Fur and Fey livejournal. I was asked to send in pages, and the crit is posted here. The notes I received are fantastic. Very helpful. Definitely stop by, especially if you are a fan of paranormal and urban fantasy. It's a great blog.

I get to start paying on the new car next week. Joy of joys.

Saw Spiderman 3 on Sunday. Okay, so it wasn't the greatest movie ever, or even better than the first two (and let's face it, what third films ever are?), but it wasn't terrible. So many people are trashing it, and I just don't get it. I really don't. And I suppose I don't want to get it. I went to see a high-octane, entertaining movie. I was entertained. I laughed. I even jumped once. I got to see James Franco in his undewear. Do I really need more in a film?

Progress on One Front

I've been a bad little blogger. I told myself that I would get my butt in here and write at least once a week. *smacks wrist with a ruler* I should pick a day, make it a new habit to write an entry on that day.

Wednesdays makes sense, for now. Why? Because it's my week-marker for the Work-in-Progress. I started writing the novel on a Wednesay, and it's the day I check for my 10k-words a week goal. Four weeks into it, I've surpassed the 60k word mark. I think I'm making my goal, and then some. Two more weeks at this rate, and one of two things will happen: 1) I'll finish it, or 2) my wrists will fall off. Both events are likely.

However, the pain is worth it. I am enjoying this novel immensely. The heroine, Dahlia, is a supporting character from another novel who popped into my head before the other was finished and demanded center stage. Writing in first person is an amazing exercise in creativity, because the entire plot has to center around one character. Getting events to intersect with her life is challenging, but I love a good challenge. She's exciting, persistant, curious, and falling in love for the first time (send your sympathy in the form of cyber-chocolate).

Back in the real world, I finally got a new car. New-to-me, at any rate. It's an '06 Ford Focus SE. Cute little four-door sedan, pretty silver color. I'd post a pic, but I don't have a digital camera or a camera phone (I'm not a technophobe, just poor, and poorer still once the car payments begin). I love driving her, though. She handles much better than my old Jelly Bean ( '96 Taurus).

I also emailed that idiot Amazon Used Seller about my books (still not here as of today, 4/17). I got an email back saying that there was a postage error, they received the books back on Saturday, and reshipped. Uh huh. Anyone ever hear of a freaking courtesy email? Seven dollars shipping on two paperbacks that are three weeks late, and they can't even bother to let me know my books are on the way? *has finger poised above the feedback button*

I WANT MY BOOKS!

Ahem. Sorry about that.

As you were...

Nothing Especially Wonderful

Nothing huge to blather on about right now, I just wanted to check in.

I hit the two week mark on my latest WIP (second in a series to the paranormal romance I finished last month), and am sitting pretty at 29,000 words. I gave myself a 10k/week word count goal and have certainly surpassed it. I predict that I'll either burn out next week, or finish this one in record time (it doesn't hurt that this is one of the coolest plots I've ever done).

Finished reading Gena Showalter's latest, The Nymph King. Loved it. Wasn't sure I would, but I did. I'll do up a review for it at a later date. Right now I'm waiting on the next two books in the Crimson City series. I am so annoyed and will never buy from this bookseller on Amazon again. I purchased both from them, hoping for a shipping combo. Nope. I choose standard shipping. Seems this yahoo uses parcel post (I paid seven freaking dollars!) because my expected arrival (for books bought 3/25) is 4/3--4/17!?!?! Excuse me, but what?

Those books had better be wrapped in silk for seven bucks and three weeks to get here.

Holy Frak!

The third season of Battlestar Galactica has drawn to an end. After the nailbiting cliffhanger of season one, and the "uh oh" ending of season two, it's nice to watch the closing credits with a sense of mild closure. Even though I wanted to throw things at the screen when I saw the little "Returns in 2008" script, it won't be a long, crazy wait. There are even rumors of a TV movie in the fall, so that should feed my Jamie Bamber cravings.

Ah, now, where to begin?

The opening scene with Adama shaving and Roslin in bed gave me giggles. I hope they keep any romance notions on the back burner, because the friendship they have is priceless.

Baltar's trial. With no rumors of the terrific James Callis leaving the show, I knew that Baltar had to either get off, or escape prior to execution. I like that he was found not guilty, because the look of utter abandonment on his face when Lee and the Lawyer left him was priceless. Lee's witness stand speech was one of the most compelling monologues I've heard in ages, and every single point he made was true. Especially his own shortcomings and involment in leaving the settlers behind on New Caprica. Great turn when the elder Adama voted in favor of acquittal and pissed off Roslin. I wonder if she's so intent on Baltar's blood, because she can't stand to admit that she has failed at something along the way. That she's not a saint, either.

The Four. I still don't know if I believe that Tighe, Tori, Tyrol and Sam (doesn't that sound like a blues band?) are really four of the final five Cylon models. It seems too obvious, too easy. But I've heard rumors that one of next season's themes is exploring what it means to be human. Hmm... Either way, we still have one model left.

I so called Starbuck's reappearance. I just couldn't believe that my girl was dead, and that her big destiny was to explode in a ball of light. The look on Lee's face was adorable, when he realized who was in the bogey ship. Although I forsee a less than joyous reunion once she gets back on board the Galactica. They believed her head; she shows up not dead. Um, Cylon, anyone? Even if she's not (and I truly hope she isn't), they'll question it for a while.

Overall, I enjoyed this season more than last season (some of those episodes were very scattershot, like the writers weren't reading each other's scripts from week to week). There was a moment or two this year that made me scratch my head, but many moments that had me either cheering or thinking. It's not a perfect show (if it was, they would have let Dee die a few eps ago), but no show is perfect.

It does, however, continue to entertain me. It also continues to be one of the best written, best acted shows on television. Now if only we could get the Emmy voters to figure that out.

Ides of March

Okay, so I'm a day late. I just wanted to complain for a moment about the month of March. Two days ago, we threw open the windows and patio doors and allowed a little bit of warm, seventy-degree air into the apartment. It was wonderful.

Today, I keep glancing out the window to see how much more snow is on the ground. Yep, snow. First it was rain, then sleet, now friggin' snow! It's cold, it's snowy, and it's the middle of March.

Allergy sufferers will be happy (and I work with several, so trust me), but I hate this. It feels like a big tease. Give us warm weather, then give us snow and ice.

Damn you, Mother Nature!

Oh yeah, and a Happy Birthday to my sister, Dawn. Just remember, my dear, no matter how old you get....I'll always be younger. *rimshot*

To Boldly Go Where We've Already Been Before

The Star Trek rumor mill is once again bustling with word of the new feature film. Looks like they've decided to shoot themselves in the foot and go for a Kirk-era prequel. I'm sure that TOS lovers are salivating over the thought, but this is one recovering-Trekker who is less than enthusiastic. In fact, I would say I'm a bit sad. Unless they blow me away with trailers and advance footage well before release day, I will rent that one from the cheap counter in about three years (or whenever it lands there). I'm sorry, but they tried the prequel route with "Enterprise," and nitpicky, er…dedicated fans everywhere screamed foul.

Why would they do that again? Prequels are tricky, tricky, tricky.

The appeal of a prequel is to understand why something came to pass, how a character turned out the way that they did. What exactly don't we already know about Kirk and Spock from previous films, episodes, and books? The Kobayashi Maru was handled perfectly in Wrath of Khan, so why mess with it again? We know Spock and Sarek had a rough relationship. Why retread that? The first Enterprise mission was under Captain April, so we can't do that with Kirk.

We know so much about the back stories of Kirk and Spock that it would be like watching a two hour rerun. *Snore*

Some prequels work. Many don't. Just ask George "I'm Making Three More Movies Because Now I Can Afford To Screw It Up Anyway I Want" Lucas. I have yet to subject myself to watching Attack of the Clones a second time, and it's not just because of the cheesy Roger Corman title.Now just to offer some hope, a recent prequel that worked for me was the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Sure, we know that Thomas Hewitt becomes a psychopathic murderer/fillet master/skin wearer, but the fun of that movie was seeing how it all started. Who was his first victim? How did Holtz become the sheriff? How'd he loose his front teeth? How did Uncle Monty loose his legs? It was entertaining, in a gory kind of way, but it worked.

Why? Because the first TCM film (the recent remake, starring Jessica Biel) focused on the five teenagers. The Hewitt family and their creepy neighbors were secondary. We knew very little about them, or their motivations. The Beginning gives the spotlight to the Hewitts, and we begin to understand them. They're still psychopathic and demented, but at least now we know why.

Kirk and Spock have always been the focus of the original Trek. There is very little we can go back to learn that we don't already know. We know where they came from, we know were they end up.

Batman Begins (another successful prequel) worked for a different reason. Over the years Batman comics have given us a few different origin stories. They all feature common elements (young Bruce witnesses the murder of his parents and is raised by Alfred), but his journey from that moment to the various incarnation of Batman that have appeared in comics for sixty years, is often changed or not specified. It leaves room for interpretation.

Tim Burton touched on it in Batman, making the Joker responsible. Christopher Nolan touched on it in his prequel, making thugs responsible. There is no singular origin that all fans scream for as being The One.

If someone tried to do that with Trek (say, make Kirk from Michigan, instead of Iowa), fans would throw tomatoes at the director. If the writers chose to give Kirk a childhood friend who died tragically during a space mission, fans would be furious (we all know Kirk doesn't face death until Spock "dies" in Wrath of Khan). They'd revolt, cry foul, write letters of protest. We all saw what happened with small inconsistencies in "Enterprise." There isn't the same wiggle room for a Trek prequel that exists in other franchises.

Star Trek has always been about looking toward the future. So why the hell is Abrams so keen on digging up the past? If he can pull it off successfully, my hat is off to them. If not...well, I'll be silently thinking "I told you so....when's my 'Deep Space Nine' movie coming out?"

The Weather Man

Now I know why people threw stuff at Nicolas Cage in that particular movie. They just never know, do they?

The forecast for my town: Clear.

What's it doing: Snow Flurries.

Um, hello?

Sheesh.

Back from the Abyss

Wow.

I am surprised and ashamed to see I haven't updated this blog in almost three months. Life got a bit hectic around Thanksgiving. Serenity and I finished co-authoring a novel in about six weeks (we missed our NaNoWriMo goal, but hey! We still finished.). Then came Christmas in Retail, and all the joys that go with it (she says with the appropriate amounts of sarcasm).

Oh well, no real excuses. But I hope to become more prolific on the blog, perhaps participate in the blog chains like I used to.

It's funny that I had forgotten about this blog until this morning. Remember the reason I first created it? To vent about being unjustly kicked off an RPG site? Well, late last night, Serenity got an IM from one of the players (completely out of the blue), asking if she had trouble getting onto the website. Obviously this player forgot that we had both been kicked out, and no longer tried to access the site (um, HELLO???). She wrote back and said so. Funny thing was, this whole thing is so far out of our minds right now that neither of us could remember exactly which player sent the PM. Didn't recognize her YIM handle.

Turns out the guy who owned and maintained their website forgot to pay for it. Sayonara.

It felt terrible to laugh over something like that. I know how painful it is to lose game posts, but I couldn't help a small sense of justice. This isn'g gloating, exactly. But that news reminded me of my poor, neglected little blog.

I've missed you, Blog. Let's be friends again.

Five Little Known Facts

I always wanted to be part of the "cool kids" gang, especially in high school. It mattered less in college, but wherever large groups of people gather, I want to fit in. I want to be accepted as part of the gang.

So imagine my delight when I received a meme tag from Dawno! I grinned, I laughed, I clicked on the link. As I read the meme, I realized I had seen this before. On Kristin Nelson's blog! A literary agent! It feels like some sort of strange "six degrees" game, and I'm excited to play.

I'm supposed to write five things about myself that few people know, and then tag five others to do the same. I wonder how long it will take me to come up with these five things….

1. I attended a taping of The Price is Right in April of 2001. I think the episode aired in July of that year (I have the video tape somewhere). During the spring of '01 I attended classes in Los Angeles (filmmaking, screenwriting, interned), and one of the last things our small class did as a group was attend the taping. There is a secret to getting picked for Contestant's Row, by the way.

Audience members are interviewed by producers in groups of five. They ask you about the show, how often you watch, what you're memories are. I can a few canned responses, but one of my friends put on a show. She said she used to pretend to be sick in order to stay home from school and watch. She explained her favorite games, how much the show meant to her.
She was called down to Contestant's Row. I was sitting next to her, and for that brief three seconds it took the camera to find her in the audience, I was on TV! Woot!


2. I own seventeen foreign language phrasebooks (plus Spanish, Italian, German and French dictionaries). I bought the phrasebooks years ago while participating in a PBEM RPG game. My character was a linguist, and she spoke many languages, so I bought them for research. Most of them are Lonely Planet books, and besides the basics, I have Nepali, Hindi & Urdi, Quechua, Ethiopian Amharic, Hungarian, and Thai.


3. I collected Beanie Babies. Yes, those small, plastic-bean filled toys that TY mass-produced for years. I received my first in 1995 as a birthday present. It was a Goldie the Goldfish. I thought it was cute and immediately packed it away in a box. Fast-forward four years. Beanies are hot. My sister collects them, so I decide to collect them. We troll the Sea Shell Shop, Hallmark, Mizzen Mast, and several other small shops along Rehoboth Avenue. We check for the new releases, the rare ones, the cute ones, and especially the bears. We spend too much money and have way too many Beanies.

On the upside, my Goldie is worth about two hundred dollars. On the downside, I don't sell her, and now she's not. Most of the other Beanies have since been sold for about a dollar each at various flea markets. I hang onto a few of them.

One is a skunk. I bought her the night of a scary car accident, had her in the car at the time, and squeezed her tight for hours afterward. I kept a wolf and panther, in honor of The Sentinel (an old favorite show and TV fandom). I also still have Goldie, my birthday cat, and a few others given as gifts over the years. Haven't bought a new one in a while, though.


4. I am a Wing Nut. I adore The West Wing, and have faithfully watched all seven seasons. My roommate owns all but the last season on DVD, and we have had marathons. We even invented a drinking game. Almost everything I know about politics is from watching it (okay, so I do remember a few things from high school). That show introduced me to Bradley Whitford, for which I am forever grateful. The man has the cutest smirk in Hollywood. It also gave me an appreciation for Matthew Perry as a serious actor (something I never thought possible until his two-episode appearance that culminated in the Vice-President resigning).

I may not have always agreed with their politics, Will Bailey annoyed me in every scene he appeared, and we didn't get the series finale I was hoping for (where was the Josh/Donna wedding, folks?), but The West Wing will always be one of my top ten shows.


5. I can sing every song in the Buffy, the Vampire Slayer musical episode, "Once More With Feeling," and quote the lines verbatim. I can even do this while insanely drunk (and have done, at least once that I recall). It's quite scary. Or humorous, depending on your point of view.

Well, those are five things. Now I need to tag five other bloggers.

Sounds of Serenity in Chaos
Webb Pages
Zonked Out
MidnightMuse
Life, Writing, and Other Things

Ups and Downs

Yesterday was strange. Just an overall strange day.

Maybe strange isn't the correct word. Exhausting is good, or even emotional. I started the day super-excited, because next week's work schedule allows me time to travel home for Thanksgiving. I had feared I couldn't manage the trip, but now I can be with my sister and parents, and my sister's three dogs. We're having dinner in her apartment (with those dogs), so it's going to be an experience.

Then I got cramps. So the day turned rather sour. Got home and discovered that two items I ordered online the day before had already arrived (!!!!). Yay! for Christmas presents. I took a long, hot shower to counteract the cramps (no dice), and then channeled my energy into the nerve to post a short story to the Share Your Work section of the AW Watercooler (I've gotten some very helpful crits, so Yay! for nerve). Got sleepy, made coffee.

Started another co-writing session with Serenity, and joined the StarChat. Always fun. Then I watched Grey's Anatomy.

Normally I love this show, but tonight I was angry. They gave George's dad cancer. I love George. He's the sweetest character on TV, and TR Knight (actor) is just an adorable person. And maybe I reacted this way because in September I found out that my own father has cancer, but I was furious. I spent half the episode crying, and could barely watch the rest of the George scenes. I mean, I know he's a fictional character, but I wanted to call him and say "I know how you feel." I barely paid attention to the other storylines (something to do with a nanny, Meredith's mom, and McDreamy in a bathtub).

So fresh off that downer, I start chatting with another AW member. He really liked my short story and agreed to help me fine tune it! We're meeting in the chat room on Sunday to go over it!!! I was just on Cloud Nine. He really thinks that - after some work - it's publishable. Woo Hoo!

Then I made the calcuated error of expressing this joy to my roomie, who had already had a bad day. Oops. But we talked it over later, and all is well now.

Tired as I was, it took a while to fall asleep. And then I dreamed about...something weird. I remember tracking someone through a series of island sandbars or something. With train tracks connecting them, and an SUV with split tires so you could drive it on the railroad tracks. Very odd.

But I woke up to find my kitty purring by my side. So that made me smile.

What made you smile today?

"Vibrating Moonlight" -- Available Now

I was going to blog about tonight's solicitation experience (no hookers were involved, I swear!), but have found a more worthy topic. Jason Tudor, a long-time member of the AbsoluteWrite.com forums has published his first book of poetry through Lulu. I was head-over-heels for him just from that, because Jason is a pretty great guy. Then I went all gooey inside when I realized he had thanked me (chaostitan), along with many other members of AW, in his Author's Notes.

I tell ya, there's just no feeling like it. That all of the hours I've logged on AW learning and (hopefully) teaching have paid off in some way. That someone found a nugget of gold in all the tailies that I've tossed out into the literary community.

So to say thank you, I'm posting Jason's press release and encouraging all to please check it out. I'll be ordering my copy soon.




Georgia author releases first book of poems

ATLANTA -- Real people whose lives succumb to fear, disgrace, joy and revenge are the subjects of a new book of poetry by author Jason Tudor, available now.

“Vibrating Moonlight,” a full-color, 64-page book, was released Nov. 7. The book is published by Lulu.com. “Vibrating Moonlight” includes 48 poems written during 2006 and while Jason was stationed in the Middle East.

The poems in “Vibrating Moonlight” include Jason’s full collection of “Blue Rock” works. These poems were included in the AbsoluteWrite.com collection of the same name. Readers will also delve into works about faith, women, life & death and more.

Other poems include:

• Looloo Lemon -- The story of a seemingly innocent girl whose wanton self emerges.

• Only Once a God -- A work that reflects on the mortality of everything.

• Last Minutes of an LA Stripper -- The tough life of a woman who tells people she’s working her way through medical school.

• Surgery on Aisle 5 -- What it means to be caught up in the vanity of a 21st Century society.

“Almost all of these works emanated from time spent writing the ‘Blue Rock’ poetry collection, an amazing collaboration of people and work, which I am most proud of,” Jason said. “This book wouldn’t have been possible without the spurning and motivation of people all over the world who brought ‘Blue Rock’ to life.”

In a book that Jason designed and oversaw the choice of illustrations, “Vibrating Moonlight” is available from Lulu.com by clicking this link:http://www.lulu.com/content/505096

For more information, visit Jason’s Web site at www.jasontudor.com.

Another Nanite Joins the Fray

I am very excited about participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this year. I attempted the exercise last year, and fell on my face. My creative energies were just not in my chosen project, so I quit after about 15,000 words written (that WIP has since passed the 55k mark, so Yay, me!).

This year, it's a different story (literally and figuratively).

Serenity and I finished the first draft of our co-written, 114k word novel, The Third Side: Trinity, just a few weeks ago. I have never had so much fun writing a story, and we spend the two weeks leading up to NaNo plotting out Book Two. The characters are exciting, the world intriguing, and the storyline engaging (okay, so maybe I can't give an unbiased opinion here). I'm so glad I can spend the month in the minds of these folks, telling another story about them.

Plus the chemistry between Jeremiah and Alannah is positively explosive.

As of right now, we are 6160 words into the novel, with twenty more minutes of writing time until Grey's Anatomy. Not bad for two days work.

Review: Playing With Fire

Sometimes it doesn't matter that a book's title is an overused euphemism. "Playing With Fire: Tales of an Extraordinary Girl" by Gena Showalter easily overcame that small handicap and was an enjoyable over-too-soon read.

I've begun dabbling in the Paranormal Romance genre, and Gena's book is the second that I've finished so far (meaning yes, I picked up another by a different P.R. author and couldn't get past sixty pages of stilted, head-hopping prose by a well-known author of this growing genre). "Play With Fire" tells the tale of Belle Jamison, a girl who just wants to keep a full-time job, take care of her dad, and maybe get a boyfriend. When a mysterious man dumps a secret formula in her latte, Belle wakes up a week later with powers of control over the four elements.

And as hokey as the premise could be, Gena pulled it off brilliantly. Belle's powers are controlled by her emotions (fire from anger, ice from cold, etc…), which provide some amusing scenes early on. The handsome hero is Rome Masters, an agent who tracks down paranormal disasters and neutralizes them. It's love at first sight (and first singeing, apparently) as Rome decides to go against orders and help Belle, rather than turn her in. But he does have a secret power of his own (which I picked up on almost right away, so it wasn't any sort of shock when Rome finally reveals it to Belle) and an ulterior motive (and it's not just sex, which was refreshing).

Speaking of sex, holy cow, does this book sizzle! But with the promise of eroticism, of teasing, taunting lovers who can't consummate their intense emotions without Belle burning down the house (or car, or cabin, or wherever they are at the time). And the fun is in how they deal with their searing attraction, while helping Belle learn to control her newfound powers.

I've already picked up another of Gena's books ("Awaken Me Darkly") and definitely recommend the author to anyone who likes stories of the paranormal. The romance is just a perk.

Rummage Sale!

They are just the best thing ever. Like a huge, chaotic yard sale, but cheaper and with more people.

My town is hosting one this weekend at the local equestrian center to benefit a local hospital. I drove down this morning and spent almost four hours walking around the two huge rooms of donated stuff. The two sections I scoured the hardest were Books and Women's Clothing.

Dozens of tables and boxes of books. Hardbacks for $1, paperbacks for fifty cents (even the large trade!), kids book for a quarter. After a full hour poking and pilfering, I had nine new books for my collection (a modest number when many people were filling up boxes!), including One Hundred Years of Solitude, A Canticle for Leibowitz, Stranger Than Fiction, and a collection of JD Salinger stories. I found a kids book called The Empty Grave that I remembered by the cover alone, but have no idea what it's about. Plus a copy of the film Sheena. All for six bucks.

Then I wandered some more before entering the fray around the Women's clothing. Talk about a free for all. In boxes, under tables, on top of tables. This is from where the term RUMMAGE sale was taken. I ended up at the T-shirt/blouse table for over an hour, sorting through tops from Old Navy, Gap, Abercrombie, Aeropostale, JCrew, Nine West, Liz Clairborne, and more. Name brands. I bought nine new shirts for three bucks. Three dollars!!!

Ecstatic over that one I kept going, ignoring my lunchtime hunger. I browsed other sections, such as Linens, Collectibles, Framed Art, Lamps, Holiday Items, and Toys with no luck. On my way out, I poked into a few boxes in the Housewares section and landed some new Tupperware containers for fifty cents each (sandwich size, small bowls, and butter stick holder). Another four bucks.

Not a bad haul for four hours and thirteen dollars. I'm tempted to go back tomorrow morning, since it's only a two day event. And my wallet definitely isn't cringing.

Deep Core Armageddon Day

Time for another round of the AW Chain. Number seven, to be precise. Previously, on Peregrinas, quidscribis wrote moving from Quebec to Sri Lanka. The differences in language, culture, landscape, and tradition. Things that make one human being seem so different from another, even though beneath those surface items, we are all the same.

The irony of writing this now is that while I read the previous post, the film Armageddon was playing on the TV behind me. The specific sequence of events was the launch of the shuttles into space, when the President gives a voice-over about saving ourselves from extinction, over half a dozen shots of men and women around the world, listening to translations of the speech. The eyes of the world are on the drillers, and we are all in it together.

Ever notice that it's always America that saves the world? We did it in The Core, Deep Impact (with a little Russian help), Armageddon (another token crazy Russian), and Independence Day (no Russians). Granted these films are made with an American audience in mind, but talk about self-aggrandizing. I want to see a movie where Tibet saves the world. Just because they haven't yet.

Let's share the wealth. Make someone else a hero for once. After all, every one of these movies make a point of showing just how similar Americans, French, Russian, Dutch, Japanese, and Egyptians are to each other. Prove it, Hollywood. Let Denmark save us all from a nuclear winter, or show how China blows the Boston-sized asteroid out of space.

I have only one request: no Ben Affleck.

Next up is Oswann at BCOM.

awchain

And the rest of the chain:

TaliaMana
Simran
Gillian
Bk_30
Peggy
Madderblue
Atomic Bear
Asorum
XThe NavigatorX
Cath
cesarcarlos
quidscribis
chaostitan
Oswann
razibahmed

In For It Now

It had to happen sooner or later.

I didn't want to, but felt I had no choice.

I turned on the heater. It's just too darn cold without it.

Oh the joys of autumn.