Summer Vacation? What's That?

Hello readers! I’m posting a quick update while I have a chance.

The Romance Studio – Featured Member!

I am now a Featured Member at The Romance Studio! I joined last week, joining the ranks of fellow eXtasy Books authors Taryn Jameson and Maggie Blackbird, who are also Featured Members.

I was even welcomed in their “This Week at TRS” video this week! That was really sweet, and so exciting! Thanks everyone at TRS! ♥

Away to Me

Update: I’m still in the quiet before the storm of red marks shows up in my email inbox from my editor, Trish. If I’m correct, the earliest I’ll hear from her is next weekend, but I’m not expecting anything until August 1^st at the earliest. Once she gets in touch, I’ll be up to my eyeballs in edits and revisions, so don’t expect much other than the visits from Silver Dagger Book Tours showing up here for a week or two. (If you have a book coming out, or want to promote any book of yours – any genre – contact Maia, she’s awesome. Link to Silver Dagger is in my links area!)

Don’t forget, the cover reveal is on August 5, 2019! Be there!

Book 2 of the Tri-Town Series

In the meantime, I’m going crazy working on another book in the Tri-Town series. It’s a rewrite of one I wrote two years ago. It’s not a bad story overall, but it needs work – think deeper POVs, more descriptions of things like people and places, and putting where the scenes happen. OOPS. I gave this one to Maggie, but in an overly edited state. I think I would have gotten higher marks if I had sent her one of the previous drafts. It looked worse than a first draft, that’s how bad it was. Hopefully between the old draft and the new ideas I have rattling around in my old brain, I’ll get this one up to spec in no time. I’d love to have draft one finished ASAP, so I can finish getting it up to House Rules and off to our amazing Acquisitions Editor before the end of the year.

This story will be set in MAHONE BAY, Nova Scotia, which is another one of the three towns here (hence the name “Tri-Town” series) – Bridgewater, Mahone Bay, and Lunenburg. Most of my friends – local and otherwise – voted for Mahone Bay… Even though the original draft was set in Bridgewater. I agree. It’s best to feature a different town in this new one. So I’m changing things over from King Street in Bridgewater to Main Street in Mahone Bay. It’s a tourist town, and home to two of my favorite shops – The Tea Brewery, and Bluestone Magick. (I need to get over there and get updated photos for my website…)

The name has been changed to line up with the rest of the series, and like the other two books, it will fit in with a submission call, like Away to Me had been.

I started the rewrite today and I’m up over 1800 words already. Some of it is copy/paste from an older draft… The dialogue worked great in spots, I won’t chuck out something that works. Same with any descriptions that worked well, or other parts.  

I decided to do this because I’m having problems getting the fictional book shop story off the ground… I’ll work on that after this one is finished… Or I get “For Zia” out of the way (that one’s nagging at me again, I have part of what leads to the ending figured out!).

I’ll figure it out. Thank heavens for my pals at eX/DD… If I ever need to brainstorm, or if I have questions, I can always talk to any of them. It’s awesome being included in such an amazing family. ♥

Hopefully all of you have a fantastic weekend… I leave you with “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer.

Back to work I go!...

Cooking!

Yes, I have been cooking lately, healthier things for myself. I really went off course with eating right over the holidays, so I decided to stick to a very strict regime of eating right and no junk food, not even in moderation. Whole grains, no more than 50 carbs per meal, 10 carbs in a snack, lots of liquids - coffee does count as a liquid, right? - and no added sugar, sugar alcohols or anything that may up the glucose or the A1C glucose. Very little processed foods, they have a lot of added sugars, salt, and other things that will mess with a person's system. Whole foods are best. I work from home, so I can take the extra time to prepare healthy meals, and if I can purchase locally grown and raised foods, I will. 

I'm 12 days in to it, and I'm feeling a lot better. My mind is much clearer, and although I would love a bowl of my favorite cheese chips once in a while, I can't do it. It's either all or nothing. I admit I will treat myself to a diabetic friendly dessert once in a while - I have a few amazing recipes thanks to various diabetes sites and friends who do low carb! - or even a mug of sugar free hot chocolate (cocoa, milk, sweetener and real cream), but nothing that will make my glucose or weight go skyward. 

THANK YOU to my husband... Although he is still purchasing junk food for himself, he is buying stuff I do NOT like, which means I will not want any. Brilliant on his part. I didn't even ask him to do it. He's a wonderful man, I'm so lucky to be his wife...

It's been so cold the last few days, so I'm not walking outside at the moment. The cold and the wind make my trigeminal neuralgia go bonkers, which means I'm in constant agony while outside. I've been using the stairs in our house as an exercise machine. Walking up and down them a few times in a row burns a few calories, and helps my body's endurance. They're there, they are free to use, and I can do it at any time of day or night. Why not? Plus, I haven't felt like going to the track, which I should be doing too... So the stairs is a good compromise.

Writing wise, there's been a few changes...

Work on "Something About Alexis" is done until further notice. For the time being, I will not be posting public updates. For updates on it, you must join ROMANCING THE MARITIMES. 

Work on the unnamed MSIP continues. I've hit a few snags, but I'm hoping to get this latest one untangled soon. I have an idea of where to go with it, thanks to my longtime pal and fellow eXtasy Author, Maggie Blackbird, so with a little luck, I'll be zipping along in that one in no time. 

That's all for now... I leave you with "Right Through You" by Alanis Morissette.  

"You scan the credits for your name, and wonder why it's not there..."

Have a great day everyone!

Happy 2019!

Happy New Year everyone!

2018 saw a lot of changes in my life, and except for the last three months of it, it was a rough year.

Marnie says "2018 can kiss my fluffy grey pantaloons, Mama!", which sums up how I felt about most of the year.

We all know the horrible things that happened last year in my end of the world, so I'm not going to rehash it. I am still crying over Amber's passing, a lot. She left a huge hole behind, one that Marnie is helping to heal.

2019 is starting off with a bang... A huge one! I am still working on the four projects I've mentioned in other blogs - an unnamed MSIP, a short story, revising a finished draft, and getting "Something About Alexis" ready for submission - and they are priority unless something comes up. Lewen has joined the team of beta readers, which is greatly appreciated. 

I have gotten the first round of critiques for "Something About Alexis" from Sara, and it's not as bad as I thought it would be. A few typos here and there, and a small plot hole that can easily be fixed. I gave everyone the deadline of January 30th to get back to me, so I have a couple of weeks to wait on that one. 

Last night, I did something spontaneous... I started a Facebook Group attached to my author page!

It's called "Romancing the Maritimes", and although it's brand new, I'm starting to get a few people interested in it. Certain things like early excerpts from works in progress, the first sneak peeks at upcoming releases and a few draws will be EXCLUSIVE to members.

You can find Romancing the Maritmes HERE... Thank you for joining everyone! ♥
My goals for 2019 include:

WRITING:

1. Submit "Something About Alexis", and if I'm lucky, see it published.
2. Finish the unnamed MSIP.
3. Finish the short story.
4. Start a new story.

PERSONAL:

1. Get back to the track on a regular basis, and go swimming once in a while at the Lifestyle Centre.
2. Lower my A1C hemoglobin glucose.
3. Remind myself that it is okay to reject toxic people, no matter who is demanding I talk to them.
4. Avoid drama at all costs - it makes my neuralgia flare up, and knocks me off the writing mojo.
5. Stay positive!

Thanks again for sticking with me everyone... Have a fantastic 2019!

What Holiday Break?

Schools are done for the holidays in my district, but that doesn't mean all of us are on vacation.

For authors like myself, we never really take a "vacation". We're always promoting, networking, writing, editing, thinking about writing, or revising even when we're doing our regular every day routine - housework for example. I get a lot of ideas for scenes or stories while I'm scrubbing the toilet, doing the dishes, or even tossing a load of clothing into the washer.

The last two months have been crazy for me, ever since Maggie [Blackbird] yanked me out of my shell and encouraged me to talk to more authors at eXtasy Books. It's been such a fun whirlwind of talking, networking, exchanging ideas, and promoting each other that I haven't had much time to think! 

I am adoring every single second of it, and I would not change a bit of it for all of the money in the world. I've met some amazing, talented people who have become dear friends in such a short time!

This entire year has been a roller coaster. I went from being extremely depressed and spaced out due to medications, to upbeat and alert. 

I am back to being MYSELF, and it feels great!

What's been going on in my writing world, other than having guests post on my blog?

I've been busy. I'm still writing the yet unnamed MSIP and the sports short story, as well as revising one I wrote a few years ago. (NO, not the ABOMINATION, that is so awful that it will NEVER see the light of day - it's so bad I don't even have it on my hard drive!) 

The big news is I sent a story to be critiqued for the first time since STRICKEN - over 2 years. "Something About Alexis" was read over, edited and revised (the stuff I could see), and it went to six special people yesterday afternoon for their enjoyment.  

Yes, I am nervous. Stricken has amazing reviews, but not all of my work was liked. The Abomination for example... It was touted as me "trying to write like someone else", and it didn't work - at all. 

This is why I insist on having someone else read my work, whether it's a voracious reader like myself, or another author who knows what to look for as well as industry standards. I tend to miss something or go on a zillion tangents if I am not kept in line. 

A huge thank you to my betas for "Something About Alexis" - Gordon, Amy, Erin, Erica, Heather, and Sara. It's really appreciated, I hope you like it!

I wish all of you a happy whatever your reason for the season, and may all of you have a lovely holiday season! 

I will be back at least one more time between now and 2019, I have another guest blogger appearing on FRIDAY December 28th! 

I leave all of you with something different. "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" heavy metal style, care of TWISTED SISTER.

Heat

Yes, I've changed the look of my blog again. Purple and black together is my favorite color combination, and they've become my signature colors as an author. I wear mostly those two colors too, I even have purple laces and black sneakers, as well as the black hoodie with my pen name embroidered on it - which was a gift from my husband's mother and youngest brother.

ANYWAY...............

Summer is officially here! The lupines and lilacs are in bloom, the black flies are fading into mosquitoes, and the humidity is through the roof. The air conditioner in the bedroom has been running all night too, and the fans around the house are set up and running full time.

Despite the heat and humidity, I've been plodding along in the first round of edits in "Dream On". It's not going that well. It needs a *lot* of work, from areas that are too wordy, to others that are so bare bones, one doesn't know what's really going on. My writing itself is inconsistent, it's all over the place. I know I can do better than this - think Stricken - so it's really annoying me.

It may need a full overhaul before my betas even see it.

If they ever see it. I have to finish this once over, and see how I feel after the next round of edits later this summer.

Fourteen is still on the "shelf" right now. I haven't opened that one in a couple of weeks, it's been determined that I am still burned out somewhat. I'm not allowed writing until I either figure out how to fix that one, or I have a new idea hit me. Hopefully I'll be able to start making notes in a couple of weeks.

We have this week and next week of regular classes for my son. This is the last year he'll be going every day right up till the end. Next year is the start of exams... Which I am not looking forward to. He hates tests, and does better if the questions are given to him one at a time unless it's math. Then he excels and really shows off.

I'm still going to the track, although things kind of went sideways for a bit. I wound up in the ER recently, due to food poisoning. I don't remember much of the first three hours or so after the intake and getting an IV put in (I was dehydrated) but the last two and a half hours are clearer. It was the sickest I had ever been in my life. Not even chicken pox topped that, and I had a horrible case of it when I was twelve.

I am back to my normal, silly self, after a full week of recovering. I wound up sleeping the entire day after coming home from the hospital (they didn't admit me) and rested a lot after that.

I am still doing a full kilometre (2/3 mile - four laps of 250 each) when I go to the track. I will be upping the distance slowly over time, once I don't get winded from what I'm doing now, or any weight loss has become noticeable. My clothing is starting to loosen a bit, but that could be me losing a lot of water weight too. I've cut out a lot of salt again, and that's always a huge help.

I'm also on a new medication for my lifelong condition. It's helping so far! I'm feeling a lot more like my old self on it, which is awesome... And things are finally starting to balance out again. I love that stuff.

My plans for the summer? I hope to get "Dream On" completely cleaned up at some point, and maybe with a little luck, figure out how to fix Fourteen. There is a solution to both, I haven't found them yet, that's all.

I will also be going to the track at least two or three times a week, either with the guys or on my own, and with a little luck, Son and I may go swimming at the lifestyle centre's pool a few times. Swimming is a great cardio exercise, but for me it's also fun. If I had a choice, it would be all swimming or bowling for an exercise regime. Since I can't do it all of the time, walking at the track it is.

Have a lovely week everyone!

I leave you with one of my favorite songs by LIVE, "I Alone". Enjoy!

Journeys

It's been a weird couple of weeks at the Allison residence...

Saturday was "ROAD TRIP!" day... Hubby, Son and I drove along the shore toward the more westerly parts of the province, and finally wound up in Barrington Passage, and Cape Sable Island - one of the most southern parts of Nova Scotia, and therefore Canada, second only to Ontario's peninsula that is nestled between Lakes Ontario and Erie to the east and Lake Huron to the west.

I got a lot of great pictures, including the new profile photo here... That one was taken at Hunt's Point Beach in Queens County. I'll share a few in a bit.

I've been getting out of the house more. A lot more. I've started going to the local lifestyle centre, to use their walk track. I've been doing a full four laps of 250 metres - 1 full kilometre (2/3 mile) - in one session. It goes around the top of the skating/hockey arena in the complex, which is awesome. It's climate controlled, and cool even in the summertime. Best of all? NO BUGS. I can do as many laps as I please without getting bitten or stung by some bug that decided I was in their way. I can do my kilometre in about 13 minutes walking normally, 11 if I really rush it.

Since I sprained my ankle last Tuesday, I'm not allowed doing my laps around the track until it's better, and that's taking a while. *SIGH* So the alternative is swimming, which involves the whole body, not just the legs. It won't bother my ankle either - it will probably strengthen it, if memory serves.

I'm just going nuts not being able to go. I'm starting to enjoy it and seeing if I can beat my record. Blah.

At least the ankle isn't broken. That's a silver lining.

As for the writing, I've been given strict orders to take a break from it. I've been told I'm starting to burn out... Plus I'm also agitated that it's not being written as fast as I want it to be, so it's either take a break or lose it completely.

I didn't even open Word the last two Fridays. I went to the track one writing day, spent part of the day in town, and spent last Friday upstairs reading in front of the air conditioner with my foot propped up with ice packs.

I'm over halfway through my goal of reading 25 books this year. At this rate, I may have that beaten by the time August rolls around......

Since I want to keep my brain into writing somewhat, I've been looking through the rough draft I finished back in February. I'm thinking I can get a jump on getting that one's revisions started so I can get it to the betas sooner rather than later.

Photos from our trip to Barrington Passage...

Hunt's Point Beach, Queens County, NS.

Summerville Beach Provincial Park, Queens County, NS.

Lockeport Beach, Shelburne County, NS.

Path along the dunes at North East Point Beach, Cape Sable Island, NS.

Cape Islander fishing boat on its way toward Barrington Passage, NS.
Taken on the Causeway between Barrigton Passage and Cape Sable Island.

White sand glistens in the sun on North East Point Beach, Cape Sable Island, NS.

Barrington Passage, Shelburne County, NS.

The crazy, vertically challenged geeky rocker chick with a dirty mind.
Taken on Hunt's Point Beach, Queens County, NS.

As you can see, we had a great trip. I was exhausted by the time we were on the highway for home, and slept most of the way, but it was worth it. I had forgotten just how gorgeous the scenery is along that part of our amazing little province, and I can't wait to go that way again.

I hope everyone has a great week... I leave y'all with one of my favorite Aerosmith songs of all time, "DREAM ON". Enjoy!

The Best Thing With Fries?

I used the title because it's something that's currently happening on my Facebook author profile right now - we're discussing what's best on French fries. I'm seeing a lot of the regular stuff - ketchup, mayonnaise, gravy, salt, pepper, and vinegar - but I'm also seeing a few things like honey-garlic sauce, sweet and sour sauce (my son loves that), ranch dressing and mustard, to name a few of the more exotic condiments. I'm considering trying a few of them sometime. I can have some fries, just not a lot. Too many carbs in them... Moderation is the key. ;)

I've been busy again - writing, editing, debating revisions, and promoting STRICKEN - so that's why I didn't post a blog entry last week. No new banners were created, although I'm starting to think I should make a few more, both with the paperback version and the e-book version visible... Possible photo shoot? I'm not sure.

Fourteen is coming along, even if the progress slowed down a bit. I think I have to do a few more revisions, like stretch out the time between things again... It's moving too fast, and I think I did something a little too EARLY... If y'all know what I mean. So I'll be looking at that this week or next week.

Things are going good. Word about Stricken is getting around, and people are showing more and more interest. I've noticed a lot of my local pals are getting the print on demand paperback version of it, and that makes me feel good... Even if they never read it. Just buying a copy to show their support is more than I can ask for... Thank you everyone!

Since Stricken is showing up on Goodreads, I finally broke down and signed up - as an author. I thought I may as well do it, it's another way to be more accessible to my readers and possible readers, plus it also helps promote the book, and any more I get published in the future. 

If you want to follow me on Goodreads, my author profile is here:

V.J. Allison on Gooodreads.

I've already answered a few of the general questions asked to all authors, but I'm also open to new questions from fans and followers at the moment... So if you're on there, feel free to ask me a question related to Stricken or one of my future books. 

I hope everyone's having a great May, and not getting eaten alive by bugs... It's not exactly nice out there in my area of Canada right now despite the sunshine and warm temps. Too many bugs in my opinion!

I leave y'all with "IMMORTALIZED", the title track from Disturbed's 2015 album... Enjoy!

Have a great week everyone! 

The Promise of Spring

Another week has passed... And it was a pretty good one.

I reread the "updated" version of the parts where I removed the flotsam and it looks great for a rough draft. So much better with things cleaned up and back to focusing on the mains instead of that bloody tangent.

I've more than made up for that 6K of flotsam that was removed from it too... This week saw me hitting 3700 words, and that was in less than four hours of writing on one day. 

I'm now back in the middle of chapter eight, and we're seeing another huge turning point for the mains. Several have happened in the last half chapter or so... More than I anticipated. That's what happens when I write by the seat of my jeans instead of plan... 

But that's when some of the best scenes come out too. Stricken has one particular character that was written in on a whim, and they turned out to be a huge catalyst for the mains in that story... I'm not saying who it is publicly. Anyone who wants to know will just have to purchase a copy of Stricken to find out... And then guess which supporting character I'm talking about. 

I know, I'm evil. 

I've given up on setting word count goals for now... If I get any writing done in a week, I'm happy. My best friend thinks I'm pushing myself again, which is making me sick and she's worried I'll burn out if I keep pushing myself to get this manuscript's first draft done by the end of June. 

So even though I do not like it, I'm not setting a deadline to have it finished. That way I don't panic and stress myself out if I don't have it done by the time school gets out for the summer. It'll be done when it gets done. I'd prefer to have it finished so I can set it aside all summer and not worry about it while I look over "Fugitive Dreams", and see if that one is okay as is with a ton of edits, or I need to do a full rewrite on it. (I hate rewrites for the record!)

It's either do that or get hit with a virtual frying pan. I'd rather not be knocked silly, thanks... 

I hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend... Don't overdose on chocolate!

I leave you with "She May Be Evil" by Whom Gods Destroy, which is going to be on their upcoming album, "FAR REACHES", due out later this year. 

Promoting, Ice Storms and More...

It's been a wild week. We had not one but *two* ice storms this week - everything was covered in ice for a couple of days, photos to follow - three days worth of power outages, schools canceled for two days in a row, and so many other wacky things happening... I honestly thought I wouldn't get much work done on anything writing or promotional wise this week.

I'm now into the third week of being published, and word has gotten around a little. So far, a few friends of mine have read Stricken, and they loved it. I haven't had any public reviews yet but I'm hoping that will change now that it's out on Amazon.

I'm still going crazy promoting it. In fact, I decided to make some banners for Stricken - something I should have done a month ago. Better late than never I suppose, lesson learned! I've also run a few Facebook ads, and they have really gotten the word out. One ad got over 1500 views, which isn't bad!

Even with everything going crazy, I managed to squeeze in a full day of writing on Friday, and I more than made up for missing work earlier that week. I finished Chapter Seven of the MS in progress, and started Chapter Eight... I'm in the buildup to a *huge* key scene - not a sex scene, but a mammoth breakthrough for the main characters.

I hope to get more written this week. I have maybe six or seven days left before the end of the school year, and I want it done ASAP so I don't have to worry about it over the summer.

I'm happy this one is almost writing itself, when my brain is working.

Here's two of the promotional banners I've created for Stricken. One is a quote from the book.

Banner with quote from Stricken.

Banner for Facebook author page.

Here's a couple of shots from the ice storm. Note how heavy the trees were with it....

I leave y'all with a photo of Amber. She was showing me what she thought of a scene that wasn't exactly well written...

Cats do have a wacky way of showing their humans when they're disgusted, I swear.

Have a great week everyone!

Setting the Stage...

Happy Monday everyone!

Husband is on vacation right now, and it's March Break in my son's school district. 

I'm currently in "promotional mode", trying to get the word out about Stricken as much as I can before it's finally released on eXtasy Books' site this coming FRIDAY MARCH 17th. 

Excerpt on my website: www.vjallison.com

I'll share the blurb again in a bit. 

WRITING UPDATE:

Friday was a really crazy day writing wise. I went offline before 11 my time and jumped into it. 

The next thing I knew, it was after 3 PM, I had gone nuts pounding on the keyboard, and I had just about finished Chapter 3. I had a 4500 word day in those short hours.

My brain wouldn't stop buzzing though.... It's bad when I consider skipping an episode of MacGyver, the only show I'm watching at the moment. (I adore George Eads!)... I went back on the computer after Son went to bed at 10 PM. This story is not letting go of me. 

I feel like I did when I was writing Stricken's current incarnation. Stunned to the max, including the walking into walls business and being so spaced out that I have to remind myself what I'm doing before I hurt myself. 

I stayed up till 3 AM Saturday morning, and added another 2300 words. I'm in the middle of Chapter 4, just after a huge event for the mains. 

With the little bit I added on Monday, it was a 6K week. Not bad. 

This story is progressing nicely. I can only hope it turns out as good as my best friend thinks it's going to. I'm glad I have most of this one mapped out now. When I first came up with the idea last November, I wasn't sure what route to take with it. Maybe waiting a few months helped me a little.

All I can do now is wait and see how things go. If it turns out to be a good one, and I hope it does, my betas will probably see it sometime in the fall. If I have to do a lot of work on it - editing and revisions - so be it. Stricken wasn't written and polished to a nice shine in less than six months after all, it took me years to get that story up to submission standards...

I haven't set any writing goals for the week, because I'm unsure of what I'll have for writing time, and I'm going to be promoting the daylights out of Stricken between now and next weekend.

I'm still stunned the work on that particular manuscript - now book! - is done, and it's finally going to be seen by the world in four short days. 

My dream of having one book published in my lifetime has been achieved.

Have a fantastic week everyone!

I leave you with the blurb for STRICKEN, available now on preorder at eXtasy Books... Release date is MARCH 17 2017. 

STRICKEN...

Ewan Campbell once thought he had it all – he was a rising star in the real estate field, popular with his peers, and engaged to his employer’s cousin, the shy and quiet little Marti Marlowe.

A heartbeat later, he was alone – shattered, confused and suicidal. Why had Marti walked away from him?

Years later, in another place, and a new chapter of Ewan’s life, fate brings them face to face again. 

They start building a friendship, but Ewan wants more. He wants Marti as his wife, and she seems to prefer their current status as friends.

Can he convince her that taking another chance at their failed future will be the start of the best part of their lives?

Getting Ready!

Eight days to go until Stricken hits the virtual shelves at my publisher, eXtasy Books, on MARCH 17th!!!

Want to read an excerpt? I have one on my website! www.vjallison.com

I'm also going cuckoo promoting Stricken in Facebook, on Twitter and even around my writing forums. The cover has gotten a lot of good reviews, people seem to love it a lot. I've been told that although some of my pals don't read erotic romance as a rule, they're going to read Stricken, because it's my work.

That is a huge compliment in my opinion... I just hope everyone who reads it likes it.... 

WRITING UPDATE: 

Between promoting Stricken, and going nuts in real life with prepping for March Break next week, doctor's appointments, and other health related things for me, I am still writing.

Yes, I have another story on the go. It was started less than a week after Fugitive Dreams (working title) had its first draft finished. This story seemed to grab me by the throat even before I was typed "THE END" in FG.

It was either write it or lose the mind. Since I lost my mind years ago... I'm writing it. lol 

It's going pretty well at the moment. I'm into Chapter 2 already and I'm hoping to get that done before the end of the month. I've been squeezing in as much writing time on it as I can, between Husband's shifts and everything else. I have tomorrow left before March Break starts but Husband said that he and Son will be disappearing at least one day next week so I can work. 

That is the greatest gift they can give me when they know I'm deep into a story. I love it when Husband does that. Ever since I finished the original incarnation of this story a couple of years ago, he's clued in that I *am* serious about writing and being published, and has been my rock through all of the upsets from rejections, to the last while when I was going crazy with talking to the gang at eXtasy Books trying to get Stricken up to their high standards for published works.

I would love to have this one's first draft finished by the time school gets out in June, that way I'm not hanging over the summer again. That way it can "perk" all summer long, while I talk to the Betas about Fugitive Dreams, and see if it's up to eXtasy's standards. If not, it'll be classed as a "practice" story, to get my feet wet again after a long break, and set aside. I won't delete it, that's not my way. I keep everything I write, even the horrid stuff. Call me a "story hoarder" if you want. lol 

As for other projects, I have plenty of ideas. I just have to see which one grabs me first after this WIP is finished. 

Other than that, not much happening in my end of the world. Still no word from WHOM GODS DESTROY on when "Far Reaches" is going to be released, nor is there word on when their first gig of 2017 is happening. I'll keep y'all posted. 

I leave you with a photo of some potted tulips one of my longtime pals, Anna H., gave me as a congratulatory gift for getting published. They're not quite open yet, and are supposed to be a really, really dark purple when they fully bloom... I'm fanatical about purple, it's my favorite color next to black, and I wear both together a lot. 

They are so pretty!

Have a lovely weekend everyone! 

Ahead of Schedule?

This past week has been very interesting.

Today, Whom Gods Destroy released their first vlog of 2017... It's less than 13 minutes long, so I decided to burn some bandwidth and watch the entire thing. Let's just say it's nuts. There's never a dull moment with the guys. However the last thing I wanted to see was Tim's butt crack. Thanks for imprinting that onto my memory for good, guys. *GAG!!!* 

It's shared on my author page, for anyone who wants to see it. Link to that is in the Links list in the left hand column. WARNING: Foul language! May not be suitable for all viewers!

On the writing front............

I didn't think I'd do it due to lack of writing time, but I have another rough draft finished. Husband took Son grocery shopping yesterday and I had the entire house to myself for the whole afternoon. I typed in "THE END" at 4:57 PM Atlantic Time yesterday. Finally. 

It's shorter than I expected, only about 90 pages, maybe 92. Less than 50K... BUT that's subject to change as things get edited and rewritten. It needs a *lot* of work before even my editor, Peapod, sees it. 

Right now, it looks like a bomb went off in the middle of an ink factory. The basics are there... I use Draft 1 to build the foundation and subsequent drafts (or incarnations) to erect the rest of it.

I do have a working title for it, but that's subject to change too... "Fugitive Dreams". 

It went into Draft 2 mode earlier today, and I will be cleaning it up a bit this week, when I'm not working on the next project that is... 

Or beta reading...

I think that as an aspiring author, being a beta at least a few times is essential for growth. You learn a lot by reading the rougher drafts of other people's stuff... And it trains your eyes to see similar mistakes in your own work. 

I took this morning off from my own stuff to do a beta read for one of my betas... Gang, this gent is *good*. It was a rougher draft, but the principle of the story was still there, and he has a solid foundation for this particular story. 

I'm hoping to do another round of beta reading for him or someone else soon. Sometimes you need to take a break from your own work and read someone else's for a change. 

Back to working on a blurb for the newly finished first draft. Hopefully I can come up with something coherent that won't give away the full story.

Have a great weekend everyone... I leave you with "Sea of Tears" by Whom Gods Destroy, from their 2007 Demo CD.

Nearing THE END... Of Draft One

It's true folks.

I'm almost done another rough draft. 

Now this story is about as messy as it can get - think nuclear bomb going off in the middle of an ink factory messy. There's a lot of wordy areas, and spots where I need to make it less choppy - it needs to flow a little better.

Work on a manuscript does *not* stop when one types "THE END" after all. It's a constant process to get it refined... From the wording, to the way the story itself flows, and everything else has to be tweaked to as close as perfect as you can get it before your betas even get a whiff of it. 

I have at least two betas from another project lined up for this one already. When asked, both Peapod and a sweet lady I met in one of my old Creed haunts jumped at the chance to help me with this one too. So proud to have them both on the Beta Team, they're like family to me.

I'm down another chapter, and today, I wrote the anticlimax. It was tough to do considering everything, but it's done. 

I'm now mulling over how to arrange the lead in to the grand finale. I already know what's going to happen then, so I'm okay. 

I do have a working title for it, for the record. I wound up figuring one out the day after I wrote up the previous entry about hating coming up with even a working title. So far it's liked by my Facebook pals. Peapod thinks it's awesome and more catchy than the original one I had planned. 

Hopefully I'll be able to type "THE END" into that next week or the week after, and put it in stasis while I go through my ideas list and see which one hooks me next.

*****************

I'm also seeing a chapter end in my life. One that's been going on for a few years.

I'm finally saying "THE END" to work on one of my stories, for good.

You see, I finally found a publisher, one that's giving this little unknown a chance.

My first book is coming out later this year.

I've been going nuts working with the editors at my publisher trying to get this story perfected - from the editing to the proofing and even getting things just so with the way things line up for chapter breaks and so on.

I have also seen the cover proof for it. It's GORGEOUS! The artist who did it pretty much depicts how I pictured the leads since day one. (I cried when I saw it, it's so pretty, and I can't stop looking at it!)

I am seriously in love with that cover. *happy sigh!* 

I can't say much else right now. I will post things when I'm given the okay to share everything. I promise!

Not hard to tell I'm excited, huh? *looks innocent* 

Have a great weekend, folks. I leave you with my favorite Disturbed song... "STRICKEN". 

Brainstorming...

I hate choosing a title for a story. 

I never seem to choose one that suits the story and has a lot of punch at the same time. My title choices tend to be boring, really boring.

Hearts Remembering. Yeah, it says what the story is about but it doesn't have pizzazz in my opinion. I'm so glad I changed it at the last minute, it did turn out to be *gold* after all. (Long story!)

In case anyone's wondering, I'm trying to think of a one or two word title for the current WIP, one with a lot of punch yet gives a hint to what the story is about - a modern day romance. 

So far a number of ideas have gone through my mind, but none really suit the story, the characters or me, and some of them are already in use.

I was thinking "Smitten" but Husband and Peapod both said it's too close to my upcoming book's title, Stricken. So that idea is out, for now at least.

I put things out there for my Facebook friends to help me brainstorm, after a short rant about how much I hate settling on a title, especially one that feels blah. Maybe with a little luck, talking things out with them will result in a good idea. 

It did when I was trying to come up with a good, solid name for the leading man in Stricken years ago. Lightening may strike again, in a different area.

One can hope at least. 

Anyway, I did manage to get some work done on the WIP, the one I'm trying to find a title for. Thursday was it, and it was only 2 hours of work time before the bus arrived.

It was still productive, a 2200 word day. I managed to wrap up a chapter and put in a huge key scene, along with finish two smaller ones. I was so deep into it that I even wrote after Son was home from school, a rarity considering how noisy he is when he's home. I wanted that scene *done* dang it, so I could continue on in a fresh chapter and scene next week.

I'm pretty close to 3/4 of the way finished this one's rough draft, or possibly more. I'm almost at the anti climax so that's good, I think. 

Who knows, I may actually get this one done before my deadline of March 10th. The rate I'm going it's quite possible. 

Have a lovely weekend everyone. I'm hoping to get more done this week, and I'll update when I can. 

Once again, I leave you with a photo of Amber from Thursday, doing her "Writing Su-purr-visor Impreshun". Silly furball. LOL 

Production, At Last!

Back to school, and back to writing.

Or so I thought. 

Last week, I had two writing days... Thursday and Friday. Thursday, things went a little cuckoo with my lifelong condition in the morning again (like it has been for the last couple of weeks), so I decided to start narrowing things down to see what was causing it.

I changed up my routine a little by changing some of the things I eat in the mornings. That didn't work. Since I feel icky and don't want to write when things are going crazy with it, I decided to take the day off from writing and do something I should be doing at least twice a week anyway.

I zipped up to the local Lifestyle Centre, and used their walking track, which is around the top part of the ice arena, above the seats. Four laps of 250 metres each, or a full kilometre, and about 10 minutes. I wasn't even going that fast, and I still made great time. I wasn't happy with myself because I had forgotten the ear buds for my phone (I have all of my music on there for walking, etc), but it wasn't that bad. They have music playing there for all of the areas - arena, cafe, upstairs conference rooms and yoga studios, and of course, the indoor pool. It was mostly pop music out of the 1980s, but it was still a lot better than it could have been.... Even if it wasn't Disturbed, Creed or Whom Gods Destroy.

Things with the condition were evening out by that time, so I decided to pick up a few more things to help it... Fresh and frozen veggies, some cream for the coffee over milk (I use less, so I don't get as many carbs or sugars in the cream), whole grain crackers, and so on. 

By the time I stopped in to say hi to Husband at his workplace, I was tired but feeling a lot better. His boss was there, and she and I talked about some awesome news that happened to me last year - some of you know about it, but until things are confirmed with dates, etc, I'd rather not share it here... I will share when I can, I promise! She's really excited for me, and can't wait for things to really start. I'm too tired and busy writing to be excited right now. I'll save that for when things really take off. 

Friday was much better. Despite things still going crazy with the lifelong condition, I knuckled down and opened TEN. My goal for this week was 1500 words. I got 2252 in only 3 hours, and had a lot happen between the mains. 

Not bad considering things are still acting up... Although I am pretty sure I have figured out what's going on... Tomorrow I'll be trying something new and keeping everything else the same. If the condition goes crazy even with the switch, that wasn't it... If not, I was right, as weird as it sounds. 

I have a few writing days coming up, and if possible, I'd like for this one's first draft finished and in stasis before March Break rolls around. That's two months away. I've written a full first draft in less time, surely I can finish a partially written one.............

I hope all of you have a fantastic week!

I leave you with a quote from "Whom Gods Destroy" by Whom Gods Destroy off of their 2011 album, Signs of Life (used with permission from the band):

"Inside, you've got it all
But fear can cheat the brave
And destroy your heart and soul
To believe gives endless power
The darkness of the mind
The spell that binds

So tip the scales, but understand
Whom gods destroy, they first make mad
An angel's face, the devil's hand
Whom gods destroy, they first make mad."

~Copyright 2011, Whom Gods Destroy

(Mad as in "insane" for the record!) 

Snowy Cars, Snowy Cars....

Have I ever mentioned how much I despise winter weather? 

We received our first snowstorm of the season yesterday, and it was not fun at all. The snow started around 7:30 AM yesterday, and it was coming down so fast that the little car was covered before 8 AM, as were the roads.

Schools were going to be closing 3 hours early yesterday, meaning Son's school was getting out at NOON... But after seeing how fast the snow was falling, and how slippery things were at 8 AM,  I made the executive decision to keep him home. 

I'm glad I did. Our road hadn't been plowed at noontime, and I didn't see any plows go by until after 3 PM, it was actually closer to 4 by the time the first one went by. I didn't see it go the other way until after 6 PM, when I was on the phone with my best friend - two hours on the phone with her and that's a *short* conversation! We've gone SIX HOURS before, and probably will again sometime soon. Living across the continent means we become chatterboxes when we get talking over the phone. 

The roads were still nasty this morning, but Son was kept home for another reason. He's sick again, but not as bad as he could be. I think it's just his dust allergy acting up a touch. He's fine, and going back tomorrow even if he doesn't like it....

Things are better with the anemia, but not perfect. My ferritin level (iron stores) came up a couple of notches, but it's not high enough to stop taking the iron supplements. I'm still slightly anemic too. I'm not impressed, but if I want to get better and keep feeling like myself, they are a necessary evil. So... I'm still popping them, and will be until my next check up in March. 

Oh, it's really fun, being sick. /sarcasm

Other than that things are looking up. My lifelong condition has evened out, I'm eating much better, feeling much better, and best of all, I lost a little weight! 

Husband said I'm back to being sunny and positive spirited again. For a while, I was really down in the dumps about certain things, and since they have improved by a thousandfold, I'm feeling more and more like my old self, and I hope this continues. 

There *is* a reason for it, and I will let y'all know when I'm allowed to do so. It's freaking awesome is what it is. ;) 

So.....................

My best friend said something last week that got me thinking. It made me conclude that I've been expecting perfection in my writing in a rough draft, and therefore throwing me way off, which is the probable cause of me skipping from one story to the next instead of just focusing on one only... I should just *write* and worry about getting it perfect in a *later* draft. 

I'm nowhere near the level of some of my favorite authors, and I should stop thinking I have to have a perfectly polished draft from the get go.

So.... Friday, I decided that I should try writing again, and thought that TEN needs to be fully revised, from the start. It was stalling me a lot, and I could not get past certain things with it, and some of it was illogical for a contemporary, Earth bound romance story. 

I started writing it as just a regular story of a small town boy that meets his match on the desire battlefield... The next thing I knew it was after 2 PM, and I had two whole scenes written in rough draft. Over 1500 words.

Dang, that was easy, once I let go of the notion I have to be perfect in a rough draft. 

I keep forgetting exactly *how* much work went into one of my manuscripts, and how long it took me to get it from its initial draft/incarnation to what it is today. 

It took me over five years to get that particular manuscript up to the highly polished work it is today. Five years of writing the initial draft/incarnation, edits, revisions, more edits, rereads, critiques, more revisions, and a full rewrite, and more revisions, edits, critiques, and so on.

That said, it was worth it. Every single minute of it was a lesson on what to do, and what to avoid.

I'm still learning, and thank heavens I am able to talk to others with more experience, and who know what they're doing. Not just in my genre, but others too. 

It's because of their guidance, honesty and experience that I am the writer I am today. I am so grateful for everything they have taught me, and what they will teach me in the future. 

On a final note, WHOM GODS DESTROY has started re-releasing their songs from their 2007 Demo and their 2011 album "Signs Of Life" as videos with lyrics in them on YouTube. It makes it so much easier to learn the songs, or it is for me. *laughs* 

In closing, I give you one of my favorite songs, "Sea of Tears", from their 2007 4 track Demo CD.

Enjoy. 

Namaste, and until next time, dear friends.