First Guest Blog Gig!

This week the League of Reluctant Adults is hosting a Halloween extravaganza, complete with guest bloggers, videos, recipes, prizes, and other shenanigans. Agency sib Jaye Wells invited me to contribute, and my entry is now live!

Go, read, comment! Maybe you'll win. :)

Saw V

I have a confession to make: I hated the first Saw film. I thought it was boring and confusing, and barely remembered it being in theaters (I rented). The major twist about the "dead body" in the bathroom was cool, but overall? Didn't like it. So the only reason I rented the second one was because of Donnie Wahlberg. And I really liked Saw II. I liked the characters and twists, and the way it connected to the first movie.

So I rented the third movie, because of spoilers that Donnie was in this one, too. Liked that one, was well. Not as much as the second, of course. So I went back and watched the first movie again, sure I'd missed something the first time around. And I think I had, because on second viewing, I liked it much more. And no, I don't like these movies for the gore. I like them for the growing mythology and puzzle that builds with each installment.

Anyway, finally hooked on the series, I actually spent money to see Saw IV in the theaters. And I was a little angry about that. I found it terribly confusing, with too many parallel story lines flowing into each other, out of each other, around each other, and bleeding into other stories. It was a gamble to put so much information and so many timelines into one film, and I think it could have been done better. It took two DVD viewings to figure it all out.

I was iffy when I first saw previews for the fifth film. But I treated myself to it anyway.


SPOILERS!


Even with black hair, I look at Julie Benz and all I see is Darla (from "Angel"). And Carlo Rota will forever be Chloe's ex from "24." She so would have sicced Jack Bauer on Hoffman's ass for blowing up her hubby like that. *g*

But the story wasn't bad. I like how the movies go backward and fill in details and gaps from previous films, and show how everything and everyone is connected. This time the main story was more about the cat-n-mouse with Hoffman and Strohm (and boy wow, that little fistfight at the end was kinda hot) and how Hoffman was recruited by Jigsaw, than about the people in the Jigsaw traps. Which was cool. Less gore, more story.

Best lines were near the end, when the two trap survivors realized what they had done wrong since the beginning of the ordeal.

Mallick: Whoops.
Brit: Yeah, big fucking whoops.

And I can't help but love that music. Once the first few chords of the closing theme start, you know it's time for the dramatic wrap-up (and usually something quite painful for the "hero"). Poor Strohm. OUCH.

Mutton Bustin'

I don't watch the news very often, because, let's face it, if it isn't about the election or the economy, it's about someone getting murdered/raped/beaten/robbed. Life is depressing enough.

Once in a while, though, there's a story featured that makes me bust a gut laughing. And last night was one of those rare times.

I present... Mutton Bustin'.



Children that weight under fifty pounds, riding a sheep like a cowboy. These kids are adorable.

Apparently...

...I'm doing my part in furthering the disintegration of traditional family values. And I had no idea.

It seems I'm doing this by supporting and loving a close family member who chose to live (unmarried) with a man and have his baby.

Someone punish me. I'm a terrible person.

I also forgot that Narrow-mindedness was the new color for fall.

*rolls eyes*

The Subconcious Vampire Influence

Thanks to the book I finished reading last night, I dreamed about vampires. Oddly, though, I dreamed about vampires in a beach resort town. Not quite like Lost Boys, though. The beaches I dream in are more like the ones I grew up around, not the Pacific Northwest.

Anyway, in my dream, these vamps had a pretty sweet set-up: rent a furnished cottage to an unsuspecting family, complete with clothes and accessories they can use (ha! Where did all this stuff come from, you stupid Human Appetizers?). Fortunately, I was the Smart One in my family and decided to investigate. I was ambushed, but somehow developed the super-cool ability to completely kick vampire ass (yay for book influence!). So I kicked some ass, then went to save my family.

My cat woke me up somewhere around there, so I have no idea if we won or if we became vamp kibble, but it was a fun dream.

And the book that influenced it all: Halfway to the Grave, by Jeaniene Frost. It was another from my "started, but never finished" pile, and I have no idea why I waited so long to get back to it. I put off reading the last few chapters for a couple of days, because I didn't want the story to end. But last night I gave in and, ss some friends from AW would say: Awesomesauce! I finally know what her other fans already know--Cat rocks. Bones rocks. The sequel's going on my Christmas list.

Good news is the pile of "started, but never finished" books had now been cut in half. Three left, and then I can begin relieving my overstressed bookshelves of other novels begging for attention.

Isn't It Ironic?

Alanis Morissette has nothing on this.

Everyone knows the economy isn't great, and those of us whose Evil Day Job is in the retail world feel it every single day. We see traffic counts lowering, customer conversion slumping, and the average retail ticket splatting to the ground. Markdowns are sought after, while higher price furniture sits and stares at us like mushrooms on a log.

Where's the irony?

A customer came in today, all smiles and sunshine. She shopped around for a bit. On her way to the front doors, she looks over her shoulder with another smile and says, "I love this store, you guys are my favorite." And then she leaves without buying anything. If you love something, then show your support, people! Even if it's a two dollar hand soap, buy something.

And no, not one of the 75% off bargains--those don't help us at all, because we don't make anything off such a deep discount. Often we don't profit off something that's 50% off. I'd rather you spend five dollars on a full-price candle than fifty bucks on chair that used to retail for $250. At least the five bucks will shoot us some profitability. We can't stay in business off of "I love your store."

In the last year, two of our major competitors have gone out of business. We are surviving, but it's difficult.

So if you have five bucks laying around, spend it at your favorite store. Buy something at full price. I don't care if it's Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Del Taco, Linens'N Things, or Tiffany's (although I doubt five dollars will get you anything here, except a few snide looks).

Overheard at Wal-Mart

I can't be the only person who runs in for a bag of cat food and walks out with forty dollars worth of stuff I really don't need (although in my defense, one of the purchases was a novel by one of the author's of my editor, so I'm filing that purchase away under Market Research).

Still, as I was browsing the book aisle, four women flocked in around me, nattering away. Two were adult women, two were teenaged girls. Their conversation went like this:

Woman One -- What's that book I was looking for?
Girl One -- Which book?
Woman One -- You know that book I said I wanted to get. Do you see it?
Girl Two -- I don't know, Mom. All those vampire books are the same.

I was try hard not to snicker as I walked away, book in hand. I was also wondering, for a brief moment, if any of those women would wind up buying my book next year.

I'm also loving Wal-Mart's policy of age restriction on R-rated movies. After scanning my purchase (two-disk, special edition L.A. Confidential!), the checker's register squealed.

Her -- How old are you?
Me -- Er...twenty-eight.
Her -- Can I see your ID?
Me -- Sure.
Her -- (after checking my license) Thanks. You look good for your age.
Old Man Behind Me -- Hey, you going to card me, too?

Um...when did twenty-eight become old? Or maybe I just looked a lot younger than usual with my jeans, sweats and ponytail? It was just...odd.

"Eli Stone" Returns

Okay, so I friggin' adore this show. And it's not just because Johnny Lee Miller is adorable and sympathetic and endearingly funny. Or because the relationship between Eli and his brother Nate is one of my favorite on TV right now ('cuz I'm also loving on the father/son duo of Walter/Peter on "Fringe"). It's just a damn good show. It's hopeful when so many shows are cynical.

I'm so glad this show got a second season. And so far, it's off to a good start.

October AW Blog Chain

It's once again time for the AW Blog Chain. I haven't participated in one of these in a while, so I was glad to climb on board this month. The theme is writing, and over at FreshHell's blog (how cool of a name is that, by the way?), she wrote about discipline and creating deadlines.

Very cool, says I, because discipline has been my big thing lately.

We say it over and over again: writing takes discipline. And as I'm finding out, writing professionally takes discipline to a whole other level, because with it comes deadlines. No more, "I'll write as often as I can, and it's finished when it's finished." Oh no. Now it's, "I have to write every day, so I can finish it by __." Which isn't usually a problem for me, because I'm a fast typer and I tend to think out the next scene while at work/driving/showering/cooking/etc…, so I don't have to stare at a blank screen and figure out what the hell I'm saying next.

There are certainly times I don't want to write. I'd rather catch up on two hours of "Bones" episodes I've missed, or spend a few hours knocking around the Blogosphere, in search of something fun to read. I write anyway, and use the other stuff as rewards. After all, don't we all perform better when there's a reward involved?

Speaking of which, I've only got a few hours until "Heroes" is on, and haven't written a thing (blog posts don't count, HA!).

Next on the chain is razibahmed .

Me (Ralph Pines)
Unfocused Me
Sassee
Feathers
colbymarshall1
FreshHell
ChaosTitan
razibahmed
harri3tspy
mbroadway
rosemerry

Half Moon Rising

Today has been somewhat surreal.

It began with a mission to get our cars inspected (mine and Roommate Melissa's). We knew it was a little pricey, so we called around and found a reasonable place. Thinking we could drop them off, hang for a bit, and then take them home, we went armed with coffee and notebooks. HA! Apparently, the state of Maryland requires extremely thorough inspections that take about 2.5 hours EACH. Yep. And there were already two cars ahead of us.

So we left mine and went home in hers.

Which began a long, slightly schizo day at my computer. I alternated between surfing the 'Net and working on ALTD. Got about twelve pages done. Watched TV. Read some. Looked at the clock and it was six pm. Still no word about my car. Hmmm...

I called. They said the inspection was fine, but they had to take a screw out of the rear right tire. Promised it would be done that night (they close at 9pm). Seven-thirty rolls around. We haven't eaten dinner yet, so we decide screw it. It's a half hour drive to get the car anyway (yes, we now live in a town far from many things). We get there a little after 8. Car's done. Yay, dinner time!

We end up at Olive Garden. Sit down at our table. I'm facing into the dining room and across from me is a round table of five. Three kids and parents. Dad is sitting in the chair, his back to the dining room. Er, I should say, his backside to the dining room. Yes, I was treated to a crescent moon during my entire salad, breadsticks, and entree.

And it just kept getting bigger as the night wore on.

As we were waiting for the check, we have this entertaining conversation:

Melissa - Where's your character Evy when we need her? She'd go over there and say something to him.

Me - *giggling* She wouldn't even bother going over. She'd just shout across the room, "Hey, dude, pull your fucking pants up!"

*more giggling*

*sigh*

I mean, seriously? Could he not feel the breeze?

10-09-08 and Other Random Things

Yes, tomorrow's date amuses me.

Fall has definitely settled in here on the Eastern Shore. The leaves are falling, the sweaters are coming out, and the porch plants are coming in. I broke down and turned on the heat last night. I've never had to heat a two-story house in winter, but our landlord offered us a kerosene heater to use downstairs. We may take him up on that.

In writing news, I turned in the first round of edits for TDTD on Monday. I had to tell myself to stop picking at it and send. I could tweak for hours. Yesterday I managed to get back into writing mode (Yay!) and added 9 pages to the sequel. Right now, I'm calling it AS LIE THE DEAD, but I'm waffling. I picked it out of a poem that I liked and was applicable to the story. It's just not as snappy as I'd like. Oh well. TDTD could change, too, before the process is done.

And for complete universal randomness, here's a funny story from this past Saturday. This gets filed away under "if I wrote it into a story, everyone would scream easy coincidence!"

I attended a regional meeting for my management position, in a store in Crofton, MD. Other managers were there from about twelve different stores, including the first store I ever worked for in Rehoboth Beach (it's been five and a half years). We were all taking seats and chit-chatting, and the two managers from Reho sat across from us Salisbury girls. We all said hi, and it occurred to me that the one lady seemed familiar. I just didn't ponder it.

We went around and introduced ourselves. I remember hearing her say her first name, Lisa, but again, not really paying attention. I was the final person to intro. Lisa looks at me and says she thinks she knows me or my sister, and asks what my last name is. I tell her. Now I'm starting to realize yes, I think I know this woman, too. She says she thinks her ex-husband worked with my mother.

I stare, then ask what her last name is. She tells me. Holy crap!

I used to babysit her kids when I was in high school. I remembered their names. I remembered their house. The very last night I sat for them was the night Princess Diana died (I was watching news footage in their kitchen when they came home). She showed me pictures. Her oldest is a senior at Temple, on a full academic scholarship! I couldn't believe it.

Small, small world.

Greywalker, by Kat Richardson

This one was sent to me by a good friend, after she read and enjoyed. It took me a while to get to it, but I finally finished reading it last night.

The concept was pretty cool: after being dead for two minutes, spunky PI Harper Blaine becomes the titular Greywalker. Someone who can go in and out of another plane where ghosts and creepy things live. Only she doesn't want to.

It was the first private-investigator-as-lead urban fantasy I've finished (I'm about forty percent into the first Dresden book, which is why I say finished), so it was a little different than expected. But still a great read.

I liked so many of the supporting characters. Quinton was the most interesting to me, because I have a weakness for clever, male sidekicks. And we were given just enough hints about him to make me want to know more. The Danzingers were a realistic couple, especially their argument at the end of the novel. And Cameron amused me.

Plus who doesn't love a ferret named Chaos?

I definitely wanted to know more about Harper by the end. There isn't a lot revealed about her throughout the novel--her past, her likes and dislikes, or her goals beyond solving her latest case. I wanted to know something else personal about her to help me root harder for her to win. Hopefully there will be more tidbits in the subsequent books.

I truly enjoyed many of the twists that came in the last seventy-odd pages, and the final "showdown" was pretty cool. I don't want to say more, because it'll spoil stuff, but it's definitely not a "villain" I've seen before.

Free Stuff

Who doesn't like free stuff?

I'm not giving anything away, but here are a few cool people who are:

Kelly Link. The editor of "Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet" has offered up a collection of her short stories via web download.

Donald Maass. Literary agent and author Maass is offering free downloads of his nonfiction book, "The Career Novelist."

Hollywood On Demand

According to Publishers Weekly, Patricia Briggs' novels have been optioned by Hollywood. More good news for us paranormal authors, especially after the success of HBO's adaptation of Charlaine Harris' novels.

Although I'm mad at both HBO and Comcast. Why in the world would my On Demand service list premium channels and their programs, if I can't friggin' access them? Is it some hellish method of teasing us hapless, basic package user? A way to trick us into subscribing by taunting us with programs we can't watch?

I was all excited to sit down and watch "True Blood" last weekend via On Demand, and then the screen told me I didn't have permission. Grrr!!!! So not cool.

*sigh*

I think the last time I cried this hard over an episode of E.R. is when Mark Greene died.

RIP, Dr. Pratt.

Happy October!

Now's probably a good time to change my calendar over. *sigh* This is my second year in a row with a "Grey's Anatomy" calendar, and while staring at Meredith all September wasn't awful, now I'm stuck with a mopey picture of O'Malley for the next thirty-one days. Why can't they do a 16-month McDreamy calendar? Why???

I've finally worked my way through my TDTD manuscript and entered the edits into the digital file. Time for another printing and read-through (I adore my laser printer. Have I said that lately?) . I added quite a few words in order to clarify some points and add dimension to some supporting players, but now I feel like I should chop some. Which is entirely possible, because I think I accidentally repeated a few points too many times. Hence the read-through. I just can't catch those things on my screen as well as I can on paper (plus, I love using my purple pen).

Icicle Impalements and Other Acts of Karmic Violence

"Yeah, and I was karmically impaled by an icicle for saying it."
-Cristina Yang

The best line in Thursday's season premiere of "Grey's Anatomy." Seriously.

After a rocky season last year, the show is showing some promise. The Chief's "you're on notice" speech at the end had better pay off. In some ways, it felt like creator Shonda Rhimes talking to both the cast/crew and her viewing audience, saying that things will only get better (and really, can they get much lower that Gizzie?).

Character rundown:

Meredith - The real character deserving of icicle impalement. Her back and forth on moving in with Derek was getting annoying, so Yay! on Cristina for telling her to just shut up. Mer has grown a lot since the beginning of last season, but she's still annoying for a narrator.

Derek/Rose - Anyone else was to smack her for stabbing him with a scalpel? And how hot was Derek when he was yelling at the Chief?

Izzie/Alex - While I love to see the softer side of Alex, I also love to see him in his full-on asshole gear. But his conversation with Sarabeth, about why her husband may not have wanted to show weakness to her, was awesome. He's awesome, when he's not busy being an ass.

George/Lexie - I'm going to gouge out her puppy-dog eyes in a minute. Seriously.

Callie/Erica - I like those two. The "virgins" conversation was so cute. Although I can just see the George-moping when he finds out his ex-wife is with a woman....

Sarabeth - Can I just say how much I adored seeing Bernadette Peters in this role? She always plays outspoken, brassy characters. But she knocked this part out of the friggin park, with her quiet desperation and slow breakdown. Just wow.

Cristina/Sergeant Badass - HOT! HOT! So glad he's around for more than one episode....

Reading Round-Up

When I logged on this morning, I realized it had been a couple of days since I'd made the rounds of my favorite sites and blogs (usually an everyday thing, but I've been so busy with edits this week....). So I thought I'd link to all of the things I found amusing, education, and just plain bizarre.

Half-Pint on Twitter. I grew up reading the "Little House on the Prairie" series, so this little feed is beyond giggle-worthy. I like the one about the corn cob doll that won't stop staring. Hehe.

Asking the Right Questions. I don't write YA, but best-selling author Ally Carter does. And she's blogged a list of the right questions YA authors should be asking. It's informative and a good read for any aspiring author.

Updated Want-List. Agent Jessica Faust (BookEnds, LLC) blogged about what she's currently looking for. Query her, if your book fits. She's awesome!

Lindsay Lohan has a girlfriend. I don't know why this amuses (or surprises) me, but it does.

And last, but not least, a thread on AW pointed me toward a blog I'd never heard of and a post that just made me laugh out loud/scratch my head/roll my eyes. I'm not linking to it, because this poor delusional soul doesn't need anymore blog traffic. I'll summarize by saying 1) Don't ever try and trick an editor into thinking they know you, because it won't work; 2) Advance checks don't come with unsigned contracts; 3) Editors don't send contracts without first offering a deal, be it by phone or email or other apparatus; 4) Beware bloggers who say they want you to help them write their second contracted novel as a "group project."

Shiny Pretty Thing

So I was all set to post some pix of the Pretty Thing I received via FedEx Overnight. Only I seem to have killed the cord that connects my digital camera to my computer (apparently my iced Dunkin' Donuts coffee sweated all over and around the coaster, and then leaked into the tip of the cord, causing malfunction). Hopefully Wal-Mart has a replacement, because the nearest Circuit City (where I bought it in the first place) is a half-hour away. Blah.

Anywho, onto the Pretty Thing.

It's a printed copy of my manuscript, complete with penciled notes and my very first editorial letter. *bounces* I received a copy of the letter on Friday, via email, so I've had plenty of time to mull over the notes and changes. Now I can sit down and really comb through it, page by page.

For me, editing is a challenge. It's a way of saying, "What can I do to make this story BETTER?" Because no story is ever perfect, but as authors, it's our job to make it the very best we possibly can before sharing it with others.

I just wish I didn't have to go to work in four hours. *sigh*

Two Books Sold to Bantam Dell

You have no idea how hard it's been to keep this quiet until the contracts were finalized, but now they are. And now I can share!

From Publisher's Marketplace, August 20th:

Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Kelly Meding's THREE DAYS TO DEAD, about a supernatural bounty hunter who wakes up in a morgue in someone else's body, with only three days to stop an impending war between humans and paranormals before she dies again, to Anne Groell at Bantam Dell, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Jonathan Lyons at Lyons Literary (World English).

I'm not being fake-modest when I say I probably couldn't have gotten here without AW. I discovered the world of Query Hell, innumerable agent and author blogs, and threads on writing and editing and editing some more. I've had several terrific folks here beta for me, on this project and others, and I owe them so much.

TDTD is my seventh finished novel. After three years of querying three projects, dozens of rejections, dozens more no-responses, twenty-or-so partials, and a dozen fulls, the right manuscript landed with the right agent, who read it over Memorial Weekend and offered representation that Tuesday. After a month of revisions, we pitched to six editors the second week in July. By August 15, we had three rejections, two offers, and one more pending, so we went to auction.

On August 20th, the results were in, and we accepted an offer. In the middle of an excitement fraught call to my dad, the Call Waiting beeped in. The ID said "Random House." Not something I ever thought I'd see on my telephone. I spoke briefly with Anne Groell, who wanted to welcome me to RH and complimented my book.

Did I mention I probably babbled a little?

With contracts ready, all that's left is to tackle this Editorial Letter.

*dances around the room*

Ocean City in the Storm

While the rest of the Md-Atlantic was getting pelted by Tropical Storm Hanna, we were only getting her fringes. A few hours of heavy rain and wind, followed by a mild night (Sunday, by contrast, was gorgeous). So what are two storm-prepared women to do when the squall they've prepared for turns out to be a small throat-clearing?

Drive down to Ocean City, Maryland, and take pictures of the Inlet/Boardwalk. And from the pic below, you can see we weren't the only ones out and about.



Rain smacked us, sand pelted our legs, and we left thoroughly soaked and sticky, but it was quite fun. I've never seen that parking lot so deserted. A few brave businesses were still open, but most of the Boardwalk had shut down. There was even one idiot out in the water, trying to surf. Needless to say, he didn't succeed.

For all of the prep, Hanna stayed to our west and actually drenched NoVa. Right were we used to live. I joked with my roomie that "our Hannah went home."

Coffee's Perfect Mate

I love coffee. I need my morning fix, lest nasty things happen to those around me (not to mention the screeching headaches). I blame an old college roommate for this addiction. She introduced me to the wondrous thing that is Amaretto Coffee. It was all downhill from there.

I used to only buy flavored coffee (Hazelnut is still my favorite, as is a specialty blend from The Coffee Beanery called "Sinful Sundae). Now that International Delight and CoffeeMate are creating so many rich, yummy, addictive creamers, I can get away with plain old Folger's.

CoffeeMate has just come out with their "World Cafe" line: Italian Sweet Creme, Tiramisu, and Hazelnut Biscotti. Much drooling has ensued over these flavors. Italian Sweet Creme goes especially well with stronger blended coffees (it's fabulous with Ikea's blend). CM already sells so many drool-worthy flavors (Chocolate Raspberry, Vanilla Nut, Coconut Creme, Toffee Nut,Black Cherry Streusel, and Peppermint Mocha), that now I think they're just showing off.

We've already worked through two bottles of Tiramisu and one of Italian Sweet Creme. I went to the store yesterday for more. And to what my wonder eyes should appear? A bottle of International Delight's Mocha Almond Brownie creamer. And it really tastes like brownie batter!

I think I need to invest in some decaf coffee, so I can drink these decadent flavors more often.

Yum.

Viewer's Choice

All day today, SciFi Channel is airing a Star Trek: Enterprise "Viewer's Choice" marathon. I'm a fan, have been since day one. Sure, the show had its flaws (quite a few of them, actually) and its share of cringe-worthy moments (although nothing quite so cringe-inducing as Deanna Troi on the first two seasons of TNG). However, I love it.

I take that back: I love Trip Tucker. He's battled with Worf as my favorite Trek character, ever, and I finally decide to let them share the #1 spot.

Anyway, after perusing the list of episodes "chosen" for the marathon, I have a funny feeling there are a lot more Trip fans out there than I thought. While "Unexpected" is a glaring omission from the playlist (Funniest. Episode. Ever.), all of the other Trip-centric eps are listed: "Shuttlepod One," "Similitude," "Cogenitor," "Twilight," and "Terra Prime, Pt 2." Alas, "These Are the Voyages" also made the list, but no list is perfect.

Author Talk: Jackie Kessler

I'm a regular reader of Gena Showalter's blog, and last Friday the Author Talk segment was with AW member Jackie Kessler. I adored Jackie's debut, HELL'S BELLES, and am saving up for her other two novels. So go check out the segment, if you haven't seen it yet.

Rituals and Torture Porn

The topic of "How do you write?" comes up on AW time and again. And I don't mean the "computer v. paper" argument, or outline v. pantser. I mean in the sense of "What's your ritual?" I usually answer with some variation of: I sit down, boot up Word, and start typing.

Putting yourself into a ritual can be a dangerous thing, especially for new writers. It gives you the perfect excuse to not write. "I'm out of tea, I can't write." "The radio is broken, I can't write." "I only have five sharpened pencils, instead of six, I can't write." Chronic procrastinators know these tricks well.

I'm thinking hard about this today for two reasons.

First, a conversation I had yesterday with Serenity about procrastinating. She knows she can't read my next novel until she shows me pages of her own. Our conversation went something like this:

Her - Once my room is finished, I'll start writing again.
Me - Unpacking is a process that could take another week. Instead of saying 'I'll do this when this is done,' say 'I'll unpack an hour, and then write an hour.' Don't set yourself up to not write.
Her - I hate it when you make sense.

Don't worry, though; I don't make sense all that often. :)

The second reason I'm pondering the ritual thing is that I just put my DVD of Saw III into my player (don't judge me for liking torture porn, this series has Donnie Wahlberg!). I'm not sure why I picked this one, considering I own about a hundred and fifty movies. I wanted something on in the background for when I started writing. Doesn't matter what, because I won't really pay attention, anyway.

Actually, this particular movie might be inspirational. Evy's about to hit up a Halfie hideout and kick some ass for answers. Maybe it wasn't such a bad choice, after all.

Hari Puttar vs. Harry Potter

Seriously? Warner Bros. needs to find something better to do with their time. Suing an Indian film company because they used the character name "Hari Puttar" in the title? Yeesh.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7580941.stm

Maybe it's because I've been reading a thread on AW in which someone is super-paranoid about beta readers stealing their golden words, but wow. I don't get it.

So Much In a Week

Yes, the blog updates ended with two days left until the big move.

No, that doesn't mean the move didn't happen.

What it does mean is that Verizon-MD are staffed by ijits. We called them to order our phone and DSL service way back on August 5th. Phone was working fine when we got here (I know, because I took a call from my agent on move-in day). DSL? Not so much. After a weekend of runarounds from Tech Support and the local business office, we were told to try a different number on Monday. So we did. After an hour and a half on the phone, we're told that Someone, for Some Reason, had cancelled our DSL service.

WTF???

We didn't cancel it. We certainly didn't receive any notification that it had been cancelled. So the guy on the phone set it up for Thursday (today). Out of the ashes, we did score six months free for their royal screw up. Obviously we have our 'Net back, but now my MSN and IE browsers are wonky, so I've bitten the bullet and downloaded Firefox. So far, my only real complaint is that Photobucket doesn't seem to work right. Grrrr....

But the move went well. I love the house and will be posting pictures soon (when I get this photo program thingie figured out). My new room is nice and cozy. Anya made the trip well, and she's adjusted to life in a two-story house. There's a window at the top of the stairs, facing the backyard, that she loves to sit in. The weather's been awesome, too. AC's been off since Saturday, and it gets downright chilly at night.

The new job is going well. So far, I like the staff and they seem to like me. Lots of visual stuff, which is fine by me. I'd rather reorganize a display, than design someone's table setting.

Stayed up way too late last night reading the end of a book. Good book, though. I'll review it here in the near future.

In personal writing news, the results of the auction are in. You'll just have to stay tuned. *eg*

Bittersweet and Super-Sweet

Countdown to the big move: 2 Days

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In about an hour, I'm leaving for my last day of work. It's bittersweet. I've longed for this day, and still, I find myself hoping I don't cry when I leave. I worked in that store for five years, five months, and six days. I've seen changes in staff and merchandise. The fixtures and floor plan has been altered numerous times. We've even gone through three property managers. It's been a second home, a place in which I spent at least forty hours a week, with people I saw more often than my own family. No more joking with my regular customers, or asking them how things worked out.

Bittersweet.

And mixed in with that is pure candy: I received a call from my agent yesterday, telling me that a second editor has offered on my book. Which means? Anyone?

Bueller?

Yes, boys and girls, my debut novel, THREE DAYS TO DEAD, is going to auction. I was actually jumping up and down when I got off the phone. I called my roommate, my sister, and my parents. It's all too surreal. Something I often dreamed about, but never entertained as an actual possibility.

Su-weet!!!!!!!

The Endless Prologue Debate

Countdown to the big move: 3 Days

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Prologues. Some books have 'em, some books don't. And until I joined AbsoluteWrite Watercooler, I never realized there was such a debate about them. That people could get so worked up over whether or not to include them, whether or not they read them, and if they really serve any purpose to the story being told.

I'm not going to argue pros and cons of prologues, reading or writing. They exist. Deal with it.

It just struck me hard today--a thread over on AW had to be moderated, because some of the members were getting...um...heated. And a little rude to each other. Over something as silly as whether or not to include a prologue.

Do what works for your story. If you think it needs a prologue, write it. You can always take it out later, if it turns out you don't. Worry about what readers might think after you've finished the novel, polished it to a shine, got an agent, and sold it to a publishing house.

TVGuide.com's Sexiest SciFi Stars

Countdown to the big move: 4 Days

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So TVGuide.com posted their Sexiest Sci-Fi Stars. Considering the simple fact that it was a reader-nominated and voted poll, the results shouldn't surprise me. But they do.

15. David Duchovny (The X-Files). Okay, this one I can agree with. In his heyday as Fox Mulder, the man was hot. He's still good-looking, but age has taken away a little of that puppy-dog adorableness I loved.

14. Eliza Dushku (Buffy, Tru Calling). Good choice.

13. Gillian Anderson (The X-Files). Meh.

12. Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica). Should have been higher on the list.

11. Ben Browder (Farscape, Stargate:SG1). Hot, but not top 15 for me.

10. Nathan Fillion (Firefly). Should have been in the Top Five.

9. John Barrowman (Torchwood). My first reaction was, "Who?" Then it was, "Really?"

8. Joe Flanigan (Stargate: Atlantis). Ummm....no.

7. David Tennant (Dr. Who). Hell no.

6. Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica). Number One Baby!

5. Alex O'Loughlin (Moonlight). Never saw it. He's cute, but not top fifteen.

4. Allison Mack (Smallville). Blah.

3. Tom Welling (Smallville). Too high on the list, but definitely belongs.

2. Jarod Padelecki (Supernatural). Blah.

1. Jensen Ackles (Supernatural). Blah.


Can you tell Supernatural and Smallville fans read a lot of TVGuide.com?

Missing folks I would have put on the list: David Boreanaz (Angel, Bones), Connor Trinneer (Enterprise), Richard Dean Anderson & Michael Shanks (Stargate: SG1), and Michael Landes (Special Unit 2).

De-Cluttering

Countdown to the big move: 6 Days

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Today the living room was tackled, and in doing so, a stack of magazines was delivered to my bed. Mostly copies of "Entertainment Weekly," plus a few assorted cooking magazines. The cooking ones went into a pile for recipe clipping. The EW's were divided between HaveRead, MustRead, and Save. It's kind of sad that the MustRead's outnumbered the Save's, and were about fifty percent the amount of HaveRead's (which went into the trash).

Makes me glad I cancelled my subscription. I liked finding a magazine to read every Friday evening (or every other when they published those annoying double issues). But I rarely sat down and read it the same day. Usually it was a few days later. Or they were forgotten, and now sit comfortably in my MustRead pile. And on top is the most recent issue, with the boys from Tropic Thunder (which looks hysterical!).

It's all about de-cluttering. I don't need the magazines. I can read most of the articles on their website. It'll save me money when my subscription is due (I'm even getting a small refund, since I cancelled early). All in all, a good thing.

Really.

Friday Blog Round-Up

Countdown to the big move: 7 Days

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I think I'm one box away from being completely finished with my room (sans computer and TV, two things that won't get packed until the very last). Now I just need to take all the screws out of the wall and putty them. Also take the big, honkin' "Enterprise" poster off my wall (another thing that will wait until last, because the wide, white walls freak me out). And take down the curtain rod. And pay my car insurance. And switch over all of my credit card billing statements.

Instead of doing all that, I'm going to do a quick blog round-up. Some of the fun things I've read this week.

If you don't already watch Author Talk, it's worth checking out. Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe post hilarious author interviews, and there's a new one up this week with Vicki Lewis Thompson and Special Guest.

The ladies at BookEnds always post some great advice, but this one (posted by Jessica Faust) is worth taking a look at. Especially if you're an aspiring author on the hunt for an agent.

Here's a video segment from Kristin Nelson's Pub Rants. It's a public talk with author Ally Carter, in which she tells the story of how her novel I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You came into being. I've not read any of Ally's books, but just listening to her connect with her fans makes me want to pick one up.

There's also a couple of new Author Introductions and Author Interviews posted at Fangs, Fur & Fey. Happy Reading!

:Insert Clever Title Here:

Countdown to the big move: 8 Days

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So there's been stupendously good movement in the Great Editor Hunt. I don't want to jinx anything by blabbing about it now, but I'm marking today (August 7th) as the day I realized that I *will* be published.

//runs around in circles and crashes into the wall//

Ahem.

Have I mentioned that Reese's Peanut Butter Cups with White Chocolate are amazing? Heaven in a little bite. I've become a huge fan of peanut butter and white chocolate. I think white is more complimentary to the peanut butter than milk chocolate.

I've promised myself I would finish packing my room tonight (everything but a few things on the desk and the girl-stuff I need on my dresser). Can't dally long. I cannot believe that a week from today we'll be loading the truck. Emptying out five years worth of stuff.

Kitty Valium

Countdown to the big move: 10 Days

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I had something in mind to blog about today, but it's completely flown from the reaches of my brains. Oh wait...I remember. I was going to brag about the cool cache of graphic novels/comics I'd just won off an eBay auction. Only I didn't win. It ended while I was at work, and some yahoo outbid me. *best Jack Bauer voice* "Damn it!" I hate that. Oh well. At least it saves me deciding where the seller should send it (here and hope it arrives before next Thursday, or the new address in MD).

I think my other cat, Anya is stressed out. She's been grooming a lot lately, losing small tufts of fur, and getting little scabs on her neck. The flea comb didn't find anything, so it has to be stress. Between losing Hannah last month, and all of the packing activity around the apartment, it's no wonder. I just wish I had some Kitty Valium for her.

I also wish she'd stop vomiting up hairballs in the middle of the night...on my bed....yuck.

Google-Fu and Patron Saints

Countdown to the BIG MOVE: 11 Days

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So I was playing with the sequel to my agented novel (yes, yes, don't do that until the first one is sold, I know), and I realized that in the three times I mention the city's hospital in Three Days to Dead, I never actually named it or said where it was. I had to go back and check both manuscripts to make sure. The only thing I did say was that it wasn't on the same side of the river as Parkside East.

Whipping out my trusty, hand-drawn map of the city, I decided on a location. Then I needed to name it. I liked the idea of naming it after a saint, but also a saint with some meaning. Not being Catholic, I hadn't a clue who to use. Enter Google. After a couple of clicks, I found St. Eustachius. He died as a martyr and is the patron saint of Hunters. Seems to fit (not necessarily the martyr part, but definitely the Hunter part).

I do wish I'd gotten more writing done this vacation, but I packing was the priority. There's still more to do. And oh my Lord, U-Haul trucks are expensive! *faints*

RITA Awards

Romance Writers of American have announced the RITA Award winners. When I read it, I stick to paranormal romance, but I'm excited to see Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely on the list of winners (for Young Adult Romance). It's in my TO BE READ pile (and stuck there for a while, since the box it's in is....uh...somewhere).

Yay! To all the winners.

Let's See What August Brings (and hope it's awesome)

Cuz July kinda sucked eggs.

So far we're off to a ho-hum start. We planned a white water rafting trip today, since Serenity's never been and we're moving far from any potential rafting sites. Day started with us getting lost. Friggin' Yahoo!Maps had us going in the exact wrong direction, so we got there fifteen minutes later than we should have (but we weren't dead last, so all was well).

It was a fun trip down the Potomac River, coming out where it meets the Shenandoah at Harper's Ferry, WV. Fun, but not exciting. We had one Class-3 rapid at the end of the trip. Most of them were Class-1 and 2. Two sections of just flat water that required lots of paddling. We were able to get out about halfway and swim down a section of the river. I swallowed some water on the second trip down. Hit my butt on a rock both times.

Again, fun, just not a river I'd do again unless the water was up to more Class-3 and 4 rapids. Definitely the mildest of the four river trips I've been on (elsewhere in WV, PA, and NC).

Now that I have my Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee, I'm starting to wake up. Maybe get some writing done.

The Week in Review

Once in a while, we all do really dumb things. Like just a few minutes ago. I decided it was time to finish cleaning/packing my bedroom closet. So I open the door and start taking out a few things. Pick up a bag of bubble wrap without looking at what may be resting on top of it. And a glass plate falls smack on the top of my foot.

Much cursing ensued.

So now I'm back to sitting at my desk with ice on my foot, hoping it's just really, really sore. And I'm sure it is just really, really sore. And eventually, really, really frozen.

Sometimes I wonder if moving closer to my parents is really such a good thing. Instead of 3.5 hours of travel, I'll only be 45 minutes away. Good in some ways. Bad in that they are having some...uh, issues, and my mom seems determined to put my sister and I right in the middle. But Sister had a good point the other day: they are the parents, and parents don't put their problems on their children. (Sister is a therapist, dontcha know?)

I saw the house we're moving into. The downstairs is frickin' huge! I mean, the dining room is as big as half our apartment. Berlin, MD is a cute little town. Very small, very old. We're literally right off Main Street. Lots of quaint little shops and restaurants. The drive to Salisbury (where my current job is waiting) isn't too bad. It's a straight shot up the highway, just sort of flat and boring. The sort of drive made for books-on-tape, only my mind tends to wander and I miss stuff, so that's out.

Also got to see The Dark Knight again. Loved it just as much the second time. It was fun to pick out all of the hints and foreshadowing this time around. I also realized just how amazing the musical score is. But when two giants like Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard team up, you can't get anything short of amazing. I'm listening to it right now, and loving it all over again.

On the book front, we've heard back from one editor so far. She liked it (yay!), but wasn't sure it would find a home in today's market (boo!). Still, liking it is encouraging, even if it is a pass. Jonathan's awesome, in that he emails even to say he's got no news.

Well, the good news is the foot isn't swelling. Only a tiny bruise so far. I gotta be more careful.

But at least I didn't drop this one on my head! As is my tendency to do. Sofa, table leg, iron skillet....yeah, I have a hard head.

Updates and Downers

So my novel's officially been out to five editors for nine days. Nine days. The funny thing is, my life is so chaotic and topsy-turvy right now, I haven't had a chance to sit down and fret. No fingernail biting, no worrying. I have a whole slew of other things to deal with right now, so why spend energy stressing over something I cannot, in the long run, affect?

I'm almost ready for Saturday's yard sale. Four of us are doing it together, so it's going to be huge and fun. I'll drop a load of stuff off at the house tomorrow, and then bring the rest (melty things like candles and makeup) on Saturday morning. I hope I can unload some stuff and put some money away. A good friend coined a new phrase I've become fond of: The Hannah Debt Relief Fund. My pretty kitty would be so proud.

I still can't believe I'll be out of here in twenty days. I've lived in this apartment for five years and four months. It's familiar and comfortable. But it's time for a change. Even if the change isn't what it was supposed to be (sordid story involving some of those aforementioned stresses), and not all parties are participating as they agreed. We'll muddle through. For the last two years or so, Mel and I have been *talking* about moving. Well, no more talking now. Circumstances are different, but we're still moving, dammit.

Yeah.

So say we all.

The Dark Knight

If you haven't seen it, then don't read this entry. SPOILERS ABOUND.

WOW. Just wow.

I had all kinds of expectations for this movie, and it met every single one of them (and even blew a few of them out of the water!). The movie was how long? Didn't feel like it, and that's always a bonus in my book. I didn't want it to end!

Sterling performances from the entire cast. Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine were top notch, as always. Gary Oldman was excellent, especially in the last scene with his family. Heath Ledger was, of course, genius as the Joker. Posthumous awards are definitely due, and it's a terrible tragedy we lost such an amazing talent. And I why, oh why couldn't they have had Maggie Gyllenhaal in the first movie? Sooooo much more believable as a lawyer than Katie Holmes.

But the most underrated member of the cast was definitely Aaron Eckhart. I've been a fan of his since Erin Brockovich, and he just nailed his role as the tarnished White Knight. I don't know much about the comic character of Harvey Dent/Two-Face, but the symbolism of this character was, in many ways, the heart of the movie and its core themes. In my opinion, Eckhart deserves a few more accolades than he's gotten for such a great balance of good and evil.

The supporting cast was like a who's who of TV genre character actors! Holy cow! We had Nestor Carbonell (Lost), Eric Roberts (Heroes), Ron Dean (what hasn't he been in?), Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone), Keith Szarabajka (The Equalizer, Angel, Profit, etc...), William Fichtner (Invasion, Prison Break), and Tommy "Tiny" Lister (The Fifth Element, former wrestler named Zeus).

Kudos to the writers for killing Rachel, too. I always liked Batman more than Superman, because Batman didn't always win. The people in his life die (Robin II) or get seriously injured (Barbara Gordon). Batman loses once in a while (Hello, Bane!). It shows the human side of the character. You can throw bullets and cars and thugs in clown masks at him, and he keeps pushing through. You start killing the people he cares about, and you really hurt him.

I liked Batman Begins, but I love The Dark Knight. I think this one's going to bump its way up into my Top Ten Favorite Films list.

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!