News

Both of my books are available on CreateSpace.com as paperbacks. I just received an email from them stating that Zombie War: The Beginning is now available for greater distribution- to online book retailers!! I'm SO excited!!!! I have absolutely no friggin idea what this means, but in 6 weeks or less, I'm thinking Zombies could be available in paperback on Borders, B&N, and other bookseller websites. I'll definitely keep you posted on the happenings! This is so exciting!!
In other news, Changed is progressing slower than I want, but still progressing. I'm completely in awe of how much I've improved as a writer this past year. Re-reading Choice then following it with Changed makes me want to go back and do another round of edits and clean-up with Choice. I'm not sure if I should though. I kinda like being able to see the growth and progression of my writing, although if doing another round of edits would make Choice more attractive, then....
Changed has been so much fun to write. The challenges to create a culture within cultures, define the origins of myth and mystery, adding historical and relevant facts to make my fiction believable, has been a challenge that I'm absolutely loving. I seriously can't wait to share this book with you! I think it's my best so far. =D
In my personal life, my hives are finally starting to go away. YES!! I still itch, but it's not as distracting and all-consuming as it has been. Three months of hives are three months too long. Work has been adding  unnecessary stress to my life, but it's my Friday, and I can write and play this weekend. I look forward to the days when I get to scribe the life of my characters.
I love writing.

allergies

I have awful allergies that have been kicking my tail for three months now. I've had my first case of hives in 24 years. They were the worst case that the nurses I work with had ever seen. Joy. Finally, after three months of itching, bitching and basically begging for someone to skin me, I have some relief. Steroids can be wonderful things. :)
I've been able to write more, not be so exhausted, have a ton of energy, and function like normal-for me. It's bliss! If I wasn't so busy, I think I may actually be able to reach my target publish date for October, but as it stands, I don't know when I'm going to have time to write in the next month. Grr. Hopefully things will work out. I'll hear back from the songwriter's attorney in a positive manor, find time to write, get edits back, format, and have it out before Halloween. Oh yah- and stay relatively healthy for the remainder of this year! I hope I hope!!!!

hmmm...

I wonder how many authors actually take the time to get permission to quote or use things in their books. While writing Choice I ran across a couple of blips as I wanted to have the reader get a feel for the time period while not infringing on any copy writes. You may have noticed references to Janice Kansas, or Bite- those are my little creative twists on two very important things of their time. They were important to me in developing my character's personalities and little foibles. I've read some books where the references to things are blatantly obvious, and some have their entire books based on an idea of some famous movie/series/thing. To me as a reader, depending on how much the writer bases their books on that particular thing, it can be really cool or really irritating. A series I read about 8 months ago mostly irritated the crap out of me with all of it's references to something else. It was like the author didn't have a unique thought in her head, she just based her entire series on a combination of something else, and then told the reader about it. It got me wondering if she thought to get permission to use all those references/quotes, or if she just wrote it and said "To hell with it- writers prerogative."
It also got me into thinking about my own writing. What have I based my writing on? Do I sound similar to others, or are my thoughts truly unique? I know my stories are my own, that I didn't use anyone else's storyline to create mine. However, I have noticed a similarity to mine and another Atlantean writer. I love this author, and I hope that while our subject is very similar, people notice the obvious differences. It has also made me rethink wording and structure of certain scenes in this series. I hope to be unique, interesting, exciting and moving with my writing.
This whole thought process started because I desperately want to use a portion of a song in Changed. I could do this scene without it, but it dramatically pulls the emotion I want out of the reader. Every time I read it I'm overwhelmed. So, I emailed the artist and sent in a request to quote her. I was actually kind of excited to do this, it made me feel like a real professional. And now I feel like a dork. :) I'm currently waiting on her response, but it got me to thinking, how many authors actually take the time to get permission to quote something or state the title of something in their books? Is it even necessary with the vast amounts of media out there? How would the artist ever know their information was used, unless by some random act they read the book?
I think I think too much. ;)

ramblings of a frustrated author

Oh dear muse! Why do you torture me so? I have perfected a scene that brings tears to my eyes, yet cannot get from where we are to there. It is SO frustrating!!! I know what happens, I know how I want to get there, but we keep getting sidetracked in things that aren't ready to be explored and developed yet. Natasha doesn't want to feel what she has to in order to appreciate where she's going. She want's to be numb to it all. I understand, I really do, but sometimes we have to take the good with the bad in life and in stories in order for growth to be complete. I'm amazed daily at how much I love this book and how much I've learned since writing Choice.
I've been so crazy busy with work and home life I've barely been able to find time to write. It's been beyond irritating, but I'm working on it. I want to get this book out in October. I don't have to, but I really want to. Badly. It needs to be finished, I need to be off this roller coaster of emotions.
I think after this I may do another short for the Zombies and then focus on something dark and twisty. I'm starting to feel dark and twisty and need to put it on paper.