Clover Autrey

More than Just Pizza

2012-01-26T15:16:00.000-08:00

A Wish with Wings granted my Chase's wish about 6 months prior to his death. Here's another wish granted. They are a fantastic organization.

More than Just Pizza

In this case Domino's delivered More than Just Pizza ... thanks to kind-hearted Pete Ybarra, a Dallas-area Domino's franchisee who heard 18-year-old Byron's story and wanted to help grant his Magical Wish!

The initial call came from Children's Medical Center of Dallas, requesting that we consider granting an "emergency wish" for 18-year-old Byron, whose Osteosarcoma had spread to seven tumors in his brain. Sadly, Byron hadn't long to live. Byron's Wish was simple: an Xbox 360 to play games with his friends while on home hospice.

When we met with Byron at his East Dallas home, we realized that for the Xbox to work properly, he would also need a more current TV. Byron also hinted that he might enjoy a mini-fridge for his bedroom, so that he could keep his snacks and drinks close by. That's when Byron also mentioned that he loved Domino's Pineapple Pizza!

So, doing what we do best, we quickly set to work to grant Byron's Wish. A call to Ed Kellum & Son in Dallas resulted in a 51" flat screen TV, with stand and blue-ray DVD player. Our call to the closest Domino's Pizza put us in touch with Pete, who, sensing our urgency, readily agreed to provide pizza for Byron his friends and family. Not just for delivery day ... but whenever Byron, his friends and family wanted ... all they had to do was call and the pizza would be on its way. Free of charge!

Pete didn't stop there. He met us at Byron's home on delivery day and stayed for the entire afternoon. He also brought along an upgrade for the Xbox, as well as a few more games, and pizza for everyone to enjoy!

The mini-fridge we purchased for Byron's room was quickly installed and stocked with all his favorite snacks and drinks. What didn't fit in his fridge was loaded into the family refrigerator!

Soon after, Ed Kellum & Son's delivery truck arrived and began to unload the TV, stand and DVD player. Everyone pitched in assembling, installing and making sure that everything was hooked up and functioning so that Byron did not have to waste a minute before joining his friends for some Xbox fun!

Byron made several new friends that day. And each of us feels blessed to have been part of making his Wish come true! Byron was all smiles that day and the following days, his family reported.

However, as too frequently happens, Byron's courageous battle with the unforgiving cancer ended peacefully a mere five days after his Wish was granted. We will cherish the memories of his sweet smile, his gentle spirt, and his loving hugs.

Rest in peace, Byron.

May the wings of the butterflies

carry you swiftly to Heaven.

If you would like to help grant a Magical Wish for a special child facing an uncertain future, please visit our website at www.awishwithwings.org.

Seaborn Free today

2012-01-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

Today through Thursday Jan 19th, Seaborn is free at amazon for the kindle.

So if you like mermen in epic fantasy sagas with romance where the entire gang must ~~destroy the one ring~~, er, save the world in some other way...while swimming. Under water. Holding their breaths.

This tale might just be for you.

Download it for free to your kindle or kindle app here.
Or if you're into QR links, this is esp. for you:

2012-01-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

I love this idea of promoting other writers that I adore. I know just which two writers I want to showcase so I'll be contacting them to see about giveaways from their stuff. See you in the Spring with my picks . . .

Romancing the Genres: New Year - New Adult

2012-01-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

Romancing the Genres: New Year - New Adult

B.A. Binns discusses the new book category between YA and Adult called New Adult. It's interesting.

2012-01-09T10:30:00.001-08:00

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This makes me heartsick. I should have known since the last several books in the series were a complete letdown, but I had hopes. I've waited for this book for nearly thirty years.

My girlfriends and I poured over Clan of the Cave Bear in high school. It was so different from anything we'd ever read, then we fell in love with Jondalar as young women.

I bawled--literally had to stop because I couldn't see--through the Mammoth Hunters when Rydag died.

Then my friends and I anxiously waited for the next book since they only came out every four years. They went downhill from there. It was as though with Ms. Auel's fame and money, now she could go on expeditions to research the caves and landscape she was writing about. Unfortunately, the books started reading like a research thesis instead of continuing with the characters growth. "Look at the interesting fauna here and the cave painting there" as the characters do little more than travel across the continent. Really?

Okay, I could forgive one or two books because there were hints of Ayla's half-clan son and a son of Jondalar's meeting in battle at the end. That should be good, right? Worth the wait, right? All will be forgiven. I can understand getting excited and wanting to throw in all your hard-earned research into a book.

Except, except . . . she should have just written a non-fiction Painted Caves of France book, because that's all this was with Ayla traipsing through them so we could see them.

I read the entire weighty tome, hoping for something. There were maybe forty pages of small actions and dreams that brought up the whole Clan son vs. Jondalar's son in a vision to put it to rest. A vision! Talk about broken promises.

It hurts to say how disappointing this is, esp. when I consider the first three books my all time outstanding favorites that amaze me with the awesome characterization. I wish Ms. Auel hadn't lost that somewhere along the way.

View all my reviews

My cutie pie

2012-01-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

Just putting up my fourteen year old's pic cuz he's just so darn cute.

No Stockings Were Hung

2011-12-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

That's all of us two years ago in front of our stockinged fireplace.

Last year Christmas came only 3 months after Chase's death. We didn't put up a tree or stockings or any kind of decorations. We didn't even stay home, but left Dodge and had a different kind of Christmas in Galveston at the Marriott.

This year at the insistence of my youngest, we put up a tree, put out our nativity, and a few sparse decorations. I went to hang the stockings, but froze.

I know some people hang stockings for those who have passed away, but I couldn't. I couldn't bear seeing that hanging Christmas morning unfilled and hanging loose next to the others, nor could I not place Chase's there while I hung the rest.

So I left the stockings in the box, closed it up, and put them all back in the garage.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

This is, in fact, our living room.

Fun at Six Flags

2011-12-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

T on the carousel. Had to make sure he got one that went up and down.

My boys, K, T, S and K again

Me and my Mom in a spinning Bull (This is Texas)

Pat and I

Welcome author PJ Sharon

2011-11-29T04:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks for having me, Clover. Today’s post kicks off my blog tour for December. I’m very excited about the line-up of wonderful guest stops I’ve got coming up. Your readers can check the calendar page of my website for details. Also, I’d like to remind folks that my first contemporary YA romance, Heaven Is For Heroes, is on sale for .99 from now until the end of December. It makes a great Christmas gift for anyone who has a Kindle or Nook on their wish list. Click on the links to buy this sweet contemporary military romance for you or your teen’s cyber bookshelf.

As a bonus, I’d like to offer your readers a chance to win an advanced reader’s copy of ON THIN ICE. Just leave a comment or question for Penny below, and I’ll ask her to pick a lucky winner based on how interesting the question or comment is. Good luck! Contest ends midnight on Friday, December 2^nd.

One of the fun parts of creating my characters is getting to know them by doing a character interview. I thought I would share a little bit about Penny Trudeau, my main character from my upcoming release, ON THIN ICE, due out December 15th.

Meet Penny

How would your friends describe you?

Hopefully, they would say I’m loyal and that I’m kind of fun to hang out with…when my life isn’t all drama and tragedy, that is. (Shrugs and looks down, face looking strained).

Your teen life has been pretty traumatic. How do you deal with all the challenges?

(Sighs). I don’t think I’m that different from anyone else. I just take things as they come and do the best I can. I mean everybody has problems, right? People make choices that can make life harder sometimes, that’s all. (Face softens and takes on a grin). Like my guidance counselor, Mr. Barstow says, “Everybody makes mistakes. Most people just spread them out a little more.” (Smile disappears, face grows serious again). I guess it helps to have family and friends that care. I’ve realized that no matter what happens, I’m not alone. It took me a while to get that.

You’ve been figure skating since you were ten years old. What do you love about skating and what do you hate?

Wow, that’s a hard question. (Furrows brow and chews cuticle. Then a small smile appears and eyes brighten). I think I love the freedom I feel when I’m skating fast and the wind is in my face. It kind of takes my breath away and makes me feel like I’m flying…like I can do anything. Being good at something gives me a feeling of accomplishment. It’s a lot of hard work, but when I center a spin or land a jump I’ve tried a million times, it all seems worth it. (Smile dims, voice grows soft). As far as what I hate, it’s hands down got to be competing. There is always someone who is better, faster, and stronger. I don’t like the idea of being judged or compared to other people and told I’m better or worse than anyone else. It never makes me feel good to win because I know that someone else has to lose. It doesn’t mean they deserve it less than I do or that they haven’t worked just as hard. It just doesn’t feel right to me.

So Penny, tell us about Carter. You two seem meant for each other.

(Blushes furiously and lets bangs fall over eyes). I like to think so. He’s pretty special.

What is it that makes him special?

Carter is ridiculously honest. Trust and honesty are really important to him on account of his dad ditching him and his mom when he was a kid. Carter wants to see the best in people. If he trusts you, he’ll be a totally loyal friend. But if you betray him, well…let me tell you from experience, he can make some dumb choices if he feels betrayed. But in time, he can be very forgiving…at least he is after he’s had a chance to cool down. (Twists mouth into a smile and cheeks turn pink). I think the best thing about Carter is that when he really cares about someone, he will do anything for them. He’s a really good person to have in your corner, you know?

He sounds like a good guy. Tell us something about yourself that you’ve never told anyone before.

A. You’re kidding, right? Like I’m going to spill my guts to the world. Not that there aren’t a lot of secrets in my life, but why would I tell you guys if I won’t even tell my friends? (Folds arms and looks at me hard. Can’t seem to hold back a smirk…) Okay, so I’ll let you in on a few secrets about what I’ve learned.

Red Bull and chocolate are not basic food groups, school is never as hard as I make it out to be if I set my mind to it, and people lie for one of two reasons—either to gain approval, or avoid disapproval. I’ve lied for both reasons, and neither is worth it.

Excellent advice, Penny. Thanks for hanging out with us. Okay, readers. Feel free to ask Penny any questions you might have about her story or her life. Or leave a comment and be entered to win an advanced copy of ON THIN ICE. Read an excerpt here.

ON THIN ICE is about a 17 yo figure skater dealing with her mother’s cancer while trying to live up to the expectations of her family. Penny has to face issues like anorexia, a teenage pregnancy, and family secrets that threaten to change her life forever. The story is a complex, richly woven tale that deals with the consequences of hiding the truth of who we are, and making sacrifices for the ones we love.

About PJ

PJ Sharon is author of contemporary young adult novels, including HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES, a finalist in the Denver Heart of Romance Molly contest. Her stories have garnered several contest finals, including two awards for ON THIN ICE, and a place in the prestigious Valley Forge Romance writer’s contest for SAVAGE CINDERELLA coming out in the spring of 2012.

On the road to publication, PJ decided that indie-publishing was the best fit for her books. Although the themes are mature, evoking plenty of drama and teen angst, PJ writes with a positive outlook and promises a hopefully ever after end to all of her books. She believes in strong heroines empowered by learning valuable life lessons. Because of this, readers of all ages will be captivated by the emotional and romantic journeys of her characters.

Writing romantic fiction for the past six years, and following her destiny to write Extraordinary stories of an average teenage life, PJ has been a member of Romance Writers of America since 2007 and is an active member of the Young Adult chapter of RWA. She is mother to two grown sons and lives with her husband and her dog in the Berkshire Hills of Western MA.

Book Trailer for Heaven is for Heroes: http://www.youtube.com/pjsharon64

On her Website: http://www.pjsharon.com

Follow PJ on Twitter: @pjsharon

Follow PJ on Facebook: PJ Sharon Author Fan Page

Follow PJ’s Tuesday blog on http://secretsof7scribes.wordpress.com

Thanks so much PJ for stopping by!

Heaven is for Heroes

2011-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

The summer before Jordan's senior year, her brother is killed in action and his best friend, Alex--the boy Jordan has crushed on since she was six--comes back from Iraq, wounded and unable to remember the details of what got his friend killed.

Heaven is for Heroes is not a fluffy coming-of-age tale. It deals with grief, guilt, self-harm and forgiveness in a realistic, yet gentle manner.

Jordan and Alex are great characters who I found myself rooting for. They are both instilled with a can-do/must-do attitude under tough circumstances as they deal with what they've lost and learn to appreciate what they've gained.

Join me tomorrow as the author PJ Sharon stops by.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Smart and athletic seventeen year-old Jordie Dunn has a bright future planned, but when tragedy turns her life upside down, she begins to question not only her future, but the facts surrounding her brother’s death in Iraq. The military’s account that his best friend and fellow Marine, Alex Cooper, is at fault, is a notion she refuses to believe. Alex was the careful one--the shy, protective, computer geek she’s had a crush on since the ninth grade, and she knows better than anyone that her troubled brother had a dark and reckless side—a secret she’s kept for far too long.

With no memory of the incident that killed his best friend, nineteen year-old Alex Cooper returns home, shattered and facing a difficult recovery. Determined to go it alone, he pushes Jordie away. No longer the freckle-faced tom-boy who followed him and Levi around as a kid, she has become a beautiful and stubborn young woman who believes in him far more than he deserves.

While Jordie’s unique approach to rehab pushes Alex to extremes, the two discover that their childhood friendship has grown into more. The attraction has Jordie’s head spinning and her heart soaring, but Alex struggles to deal with his guilt, his loss, and the nightmares that continue to haunt him. Even though Jordie is determined to help him heal, and even more determined to find the truth, what she doesn’t expect, is to find love.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

I'm have many things to be thankful for. My family, my husband and children. They mean everything to me. We're all in relative good health so I'm grateful for that. For my husband's employment and my own little job. For the ability to follow my dreams even when it's hard and doesn't seem worth it.

I'm grateful for my friends--I have some good ones, old and new. For getting to hang out with people who have nothing in common with me and also to hang with people who enjoy the same interests.

I'm grateful for my parents and my siblings and some wonderful kind in-laws. I'm grateful for my beliefs. I'm grateful to have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food in my belly, and medication to help my body from completely falling apart. I'm grateful to live in America, though I know I take what we have here for granted most of the time.

Yeah, I have a lot to be grateful for. Have a wonderful Holiday everyone.

Droopy Boob Effect

2011-11-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

Does your cover suffer from the droopy boob effect? Why yes, it does.

I adore this cover. The ghost has just the right expression and creepy level for the ghost in my newest book.

However ...

No, that is not a droopy boob, it's actually a ruffle on her dress. See the pretty lace? But when viewed in thumbnail size ~~ droopy boob alert. Sigh.

Fortunately, I'm on good terms with my cover designer and instantly the db issue is whisked away.

Writers Retreat

2011-11-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

The North Texas Chapter of Romance Writers of America has an annual writers retreat every November. For the past two years since I've been a member I haven't been able to go for various reasons, so I was real excited to be able to attend, hoping to get lots of writing done.

So how'd I do? Uh, let's skip over that part for a minute.

Around 10 of us converged upon the Jefferson Street Bed and Breakfast Inn in remote Irving, Texas. I'm joking. Irving is smack dab between Fort Worth and Dallas (which reminds me of a joke: If Fort Worth is where the West began, that makes Dallas where the East petered out.) approximately about a pig and poke from the old Dallas Cowboy Stadium before it was torn down. Not remote. But it was in the Historic Downtown Irving District and was real quiet and pleasant. There is even a horse painted on the side to inspire a remote atmosphere.

Great times were had by all. We enjoyed two workshops. One with a former secret service dude who waltzed in all innocent looking with several hidden weapons on his body and yes, we all now know how to make a homemade silencer with a baby's pacifier and which guns will go off if accidentally dropped and which won't.

We also ~~enjoyed~~ cringed as Nikki got thrown around the cottage by the multiple Martial Arts instructor and listened to our mild-mannered chapter president exclaim "damn!" each time a body smacked the floor.

(Excuse the blurriness. They were in motion. Also I kinda can't take a good picture. Hubby keeps sending me how to take good picture links, but, well, here ya go.)


Just hangin out and plotting. That's Marsha, Nikki, and Chrissy's back.	Marsha wrote approximately 7000 new words.

Chrissy and Michelle aka Lavender.

Jen got a new premise worked out for her T/T WIP. Most frequent question overheard: Does your story have a secret baby?

Gina reworked three scenes.

This is what the Hill Country Suite looks like without 10 writers hangin out in it and also in focus.

Everyone together, even the two dark heads who wished to remain unphotographed. Vampires or something. Oh, and me, I'm behind the lens. Raquel (blonde in the back) wrote a truckload of words, but she's prolific any day of the week anyway so I don't know her final count. The Dark head writing team who shall remain unphotographed plotted the weekend away.

Wow, looks like a grumpy group. It's morning and I just hadn't warned them to smile yet.


The bathrooms rocked. Three words: Heated tile floors.

And me? The group as a whole helped me figure out my villian's motivation. It only took the entire Saturday, but after that I was able to write a pivotal scene that pretty much the entire WIP hinges on. Only about 800 words total, but some very vital-better-get-it-right 800 words so I'm happy.

YA Halloween Trick-or-Treat Party

2011-10-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

How do I play:
Visit each participating author's virtual "home" between October 24th-31st. Search her site for this Halloween Trick-or-Treat icon:

(Search carefully! It may be well hidden!)

What are the treats?
Each participating author will be giving out different treats on her website! Some examples are free reads, stickers, bookmarks, trading cards, and more! Go look through my other pages to find the above icon and see what you win from me! (Hint: I'm not a very good hider)

Can adults play too?
Yes! The party is for everyone who enjoys reading young adult books!

Find other participating authors here

September 25

2011-09-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen ~ I miss you

September, September

2011-09-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

September 1st came and went. One friend sent flowers. My mom called a few days ahead, my sister a few days afterward, but both know me well enough to not call on that day. My daughter facebook chat asked.

My husband and sons didn't speak of it, I guess taking their clues from me. I just wanted to crawl in a hole and cry or ignore that this day even exists.

The rest of the month hasn't gotten any better--like a large inhalation, waiting to release.

Our son died a year ago on September 1st. He'd turn 16 September 25th, excited to get his driver's license that he'd never have. All his tomorrows gone~~

All I know is that time doesn't heal. It really doesn't. It just seems to get worse. Maybe we just had to get over this month. I don't know. For me, September will always be hard.

Banshee's Cry Sample

2011-09-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

"I don't know, Jake." Cal stepped over the broken glass. Every window in the run-down house had been shattered. "Something's off. It just doesn't seem like a demon."

Jake wrinkled his nose at the pungent smell of decay overtaking the dusty parlor. Moonlight stole inside, illuminating white sheets thrown over chairs and tables. "All the signs point to it. Even the thermal images we nicked off the satellite cameras showed a straight line of heat from a demon passing, and then there's reports of locals suddenly going insane—six to date—all bat shit crazy enough to hara-kiri themselves. Come on, sounds like a demon getting his jollies off around here to me. Six, Cal. Tell me how six people in one little town all kill themselves in the space of two weeks if a demon hasn't been hanging around influencing them?"

"Yeah, okay. You're right." Cal pumped his splitter, the specialized shotgun that housed ice bullets in its chamber, best defense against demons in any dimension.
He didn't look convinced.

"Tell you what." Jake tapped the end of his own splitter. He loved the feel of Gertrude in his hands. Similar to a short barreled shotgun, the weapons master to the Anointed, Paps, designed the splitters with a smoother palm action trigger rather than a finger pull, and Gert had one of the cleanest pulls of any splitter Jake had used. "I'll keep my dagger unsheathed in case it's something besides a demon. Which it isn't."

"Guess we'll know soon enough," Cal replied. "Up or down?"

"I'll take the cellar. You search upstairs, then meet back here and we'll sweep the main floor together." Jake glanced at Cal's back as the young tracker headed toward the stairway. "Call out if you find anything."

Without looking back, Cal flicked out an exaggerated salute. Jake grinned. Bossing the kid around never got old.

He tried several doors off the kitchen before he found the cellar. Why a demon would want to hang out here was beyond him, but they'd pieced together that at least four of the suicide victims had come here sometime during the month—one as a realtor, two as potential buyers, and another stopped by to give an estimate for refurbishing. So far visiting this house was the only thing any of the vics had in common.

Slipping out his penlight, Jake flicked it on. The little beam barely penetrated the darkness down into the slender stairwell. His first step down squeaked across the old wood and footsteps rustled below. Yep, something was definitely down there.
Jake pumped Gerty and descended the stairs that squeaked and squealed beneath each step, which didn't matter since the demon or whatever was in the cellar already heard him. His light bounced around spiderwebs and shelves that held dust-coated jars of preserves or something before shooting across a face.

Jolting, Jake dragged the light back to the figure and the identical business end of the splitter pointed at him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled out.

"Tracking a demon. What else?" Kiene tipped her head, making her long ponytail fall to the side."Nasty one by the looks of it."

Of course she'd be tracking a demon. Her kind, the narrow-visioned Anointed, had long given up tracking anything besides demons, leaving humankind unprotected against all the other supernatural monsters and beasts that went bump in the night.
"Well, leave. We got here first."

"I don't think so."

Jake lowered his gun. "You don't think you're gonna leave or don't think we got here ahead of you?"

"Neither." The girl's shotgun lowered.

A frown pulled at Jake's mouth. She looked good. Long legs snug in black pants. Tight blue T-shirt beneath a short-cropped leather jacket. She could give catwoman a run for the money any day. "Who let you out of Karavel anyway?"

Blue eyes narrowed. "How else am I supposed to gain any experience? I'm tracking demons. Same as you."

"On your own?"

No, I brought my baby sitter along. Geez."

Jake did not like her tracking alone. Not one little bit. Sure he knew she'd graduate from the Academy one day and join the ranks of demon trackers, but…hell, he just didn't like it. That's all.

"You're not ready. You need to go home."

"Says who? You?" One hip cocked out almost in defiance and Jake couldn't help staring at the curve of it.

"Someone has to say it."

"Pluuh…eease. You and Cal track on your own and you're not even—" Her features wilted. At least she had the decency to look mortified at what she'd almost blurted.

Of course Jake being Jake, he didn't let it go. "Not what, Kiene? Full-blooded?" Coming from her, it felt like a punch to the stomach. "I didn't expect that from you."

"You know I don't care about that." Her tone was quiet.

"What then? If I can track without superhuman abilities, it must be a piece of cake? It isn't. It's still hard, it's still dangerous, even for you over hopped up Anointeds."

"Stop it. You know that's not what I meant." Her temper was back, which was fine with him. Much more comfortable to deal with anyway. She headed toward a darker part of the cellar. "You can be such a jerk, you know that?"

Whatever." Jake followed after her. "Cal and I are tracking this demon so you need to back off."

"I am not backing off."

"Yes. You are."

"Look." Kiene spun around. "I put a lot of effort into tracking all the signs. It's my first solo and I'm not returning without even trying."

"Meaning you don't want to be humiliated in front of your friends."

"Fine. Yes. Whatever." She tossed her head back. "Call me shallow. Call me a suck-up. I don't care, but I am tracking this demon."

Jake swung the shotgun up to rest over his shoulder. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Kiene any embarrassment among the other Anointeds, though he wasn't sure why he even cared about that. "Fine, you can stay. But, sweetheart, we're doing this together." Where he could keep an eye on her. "I'm in charge. You do everything I say." Oh her eyes flared wide at that. Maybe this could be fun after all. "Deal?"

She glared at him. He could practically see the cogs of her mind weighing options. Finally her gaze met his. "Deal."

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Release Day for Sea Born

2011-08-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Finally! This has been a book of my heart for years and has gone through many transformations. There's just something about mermaids that have always fascinated me. In fact, waaaaay back when Barbies were the end-all for my sister and I, we use to wrap scarves around Barbie's waist and down her legs and knot the ends so the ends trailed like a tail. We'd then take them in the pool and swim our "mermaids" around. (This was all before Disney's Little Mermaid and the Little Mermaid dolls flew off the shelves.)

Anyway this is my take on a race of Mer people. No ~~scarves~~ tails though so it's more like Man from Atlantis or even Aquaman, but hey--the dude can swim~~

One of the Ocean's Children, Daire Tiernan was raised far from the sea, hidden from his cursed destiny and those who would use him.

Paedra Breen has always loved Daire, in spite of his strange underwater abilities. When strangers come to their village, claiming Daire is the long lost Champion of the Sea—cursed to unleash the angered god of Ruin upon the world—Paedra is determined to make sure Daire gets to the ocean in one piece.

Kindle All other aps

Fellow Rose Author ~ Vonnie Davis

2011-08-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks for having me here on your lovely blog today, Clover. Although I don’t write paranormal, I’ve been told that my mind is “out there,” so one never knows. I must admit the whole shapeshifter thing interests me, and I’m reading more about that phenomenon and werewolves. Maybe soon I’ll try my hand at writing something in that vein. One should never limit themselves to one thing.

So, Clover dear, I’m stoked and ready to share.

I love stories that are rich with supportive characters. A few family members or close friends can tell us a lot about the main characters. Take the growing friendship between the heroine in Storm’s Interlude, Rachel and Sunny her patient, for example. Sunny, our hero’s twin sister, is a single mother with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her first round of chemo failed, leaving her bald, thin and weak. Initially, Rachel is focused on Sunny’s health, but she also opens herself up to friendship as the two grow closer.

Rachel turned to her patient. “Sunny, let’s take a short walk before your nap. Just one trip around the house.”

Sunny followed Rachel outside, and the two started strolling through the yard. “What Noella said was right, you know. My brother’s definitely interested in you. You keep him on his toes. He needs that. He must have been attracted to you at first sight to kiss you out on Longhorn Road. You mustn’t forget that first kiss.”

No, she’d never forget that kiss as long as she lived. How could one forget that firestorm of feelings he ignited? The things that man did in the space of one kiss. She took a ragged breath and pretended to admire Noella’s flowerbeds.

Storm’s fiancée was back from her trip. She sounded exotic. Pilar was probably beautiful and sexy, while she was short and top heavy and plain. Mousy. A stab of new feeling pierced her, twisting her stomach. She took it for what it was: jealousy.

Everyone would be better off if she ignored the man and focused all of her being on her patient’s recovery. Both Sunny and a darling child depended on her to extend their time together. She wouldn’t fail.

She linked her arm in Sunny’s as they walked around the end of the house. “Let’s get two things straight. One, you’re not going to die just yet. You’ve got too much orneriness in you.”

“True.” Sunny tilted her head and nodded. “Although I never realized it until you came.”

“Second, your brother’s engaged. Perhaps your illness sped up their wedding date, but I doubt even his love for you would make him marry a woman he didn’t love. I have a feeling no one makes him do anything he doesn’t want to do. Now, you and I are going to forget about that kiss and the others. We’ll both be better off if we do.”

“Rachel, you’re so full of it.”

She batted her eyes at Sunny. “Of what, girlfriend?”

Sunny chuckled. “You mentioned earlier you had rotten luck with men. What did you mean?”

“I was engaged for a while.” In many ways her engagement seemed ages ago. So much had happened since she’d received that first e-mail from Sunny.

“Was?”

“Yes. He was my best friend’s cousin, so I knew of him. Just not about him, if you know what I mean.” She glanced at Sunny, and Sunny nodded. “After my father died suddenly in an awful car crash, Phillip started coming by the house. You know, just to see how I was doing.”

“You mean he made his move when you were most vulnerable.”

“Gee, you’re beautiful and astute. Before long, Phillip asked me out on a date. He started doing things around the house, making himself indispensable. I was floundering without my dad. Losing him was extremely hard. I was also busy starting my business, taking extra classes and studying for certification.” She shrugged. “Too much turmoil and pain at one time. Before I knew it, the man—and I use that term loosely—had ingratiated himself. ”

“I hear that. We lost Dad a few days before Sawyer was born. I lost my father, left my cheating husband and gained a son all in the span of five days.”

Rachel stopped and turned to face Sunny. “No! How...how did you survive?” She pointed to the front porch steps. “You need to rest. Your breathing’s labored.”

Sunny nodded and sat on the nearest step. She placed her elbows on the step behind her and leaned back to watch a golden butterfly flit from flower to flower. “I haven’t a clue how I survived. Storm willed me to, I guess. He passed some of his strength and toughness on to me. Of course, there was the wonder of my new baby. He was so beautiful.”

Rachel sat down next to her, took her wrist and checked her pulse. “He still is.”

“Yes, that child’s my whole world. Enough about me. Tell me more about you and Phillip.”

Rachel looked away for a beat, tamping down the pain of the memories. “Once we were engaged, the putdowns started. When I’d object, he’d say I was paranoid or neurotic.”

Sunny sat up straight and stared at Rachel for a beat. “Paranoid? Neurotic? Girlfriend, you have got to be kidding me! You’re so not any of those things.”

She swiped at a tear. “No, but I was in such an emotional state over losing Daddy...the suddenness of his death.” She looked down at her clasped hands. “Some teen texting and driving hit him head on. Daddy and I were so close.” She cleared her throat, trying to regain control. “Initially, when Phillip’s insults started, they didn’t register. Guess I was in a kind of emotional fog. Every time I didn’t see things his way, he accused me of being paranoid or neurotic.”

Sunny took Rachel’s hand and squeezed it. “That’s so cruel. The manipulating bastard.”

She squeezed Sunny’s hand in return, their emotional bond strengthening. “That’s how the abuse started. With his undermining my mental stability, I actually started to doubt myself. Can you believe it? Long story short: he wore me down emotionally so the remaining steps of the abuse seemed normal.” She shrugged again. “Like I deserved it or something. The temper rages started. He beat me several times, broke my wrist. I got scared and ended the engagement. Took me a while, but I finally came to my senses.”

“Smart girl.” She pointed her finger at Rachel. “Now I understand. That’s why you reacted the way you did earlier when Storm was rough with you, isn’t it? Oh, honey, if Storm knew…”

“There’s no reason for him to know. He has Pilar to think of, not me. You ready to go the rest of the way?” Sunny nodded and stood. They started walking again, arms linked.

Sunny patted Rachel’s hand. “Honey, I think the two of you are kidding yourselves about the way you feel. If you could only see how you look at each other, hear the sound of your voice when you address one another…” She wiggled her fingertips in the air. “…see the sparks between you two, then you’d know what I know.”

Rachel shrugged. “I’ve accepted how I feel. I’ve also accepted the man I care for is engaged to another woman. I refuse to bemoan how much it hurts, ’cause frankly, it hurts like hell.”

“What am I going to do with you two?” Sunny stopped and looked at Rachel, who crossed her arms and regarded her with one eyebrow cocked in defiance. “Okay, okay, I can see you don’t want to talk about it. So, tell me what your ex-fiancé did when you broke off the engagement.”

They started walking again. “He slashed my tires.”

“Bastard.”

“I replaced them. He slashed them again.”

“Oh, a determined bastard.”

She looked away. “Yes. Next he smashed a window in my SUV and slashed the seats. When that didn’t make me come crawling back to him, he broke in my house and cut up all my clothes.”

“Oh, see, now we’re gonna have to kill him. A man doesn’t mess with a woman’s wardrobe and live to tell about it.”

Buy links: http://amzn.to/pkkcLq -- Amazon.

http://bit.ly/pb9DQd -- Nook only.

http://bit.ly/rcCIMa -- The Wild Rose Press

I’d love for you to come visit my blog, Vintage Vonnie http://www.vintagevonnie.blogspot.com

Or my website: http://www.vonniedavis.com

Review

2011-07-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Reviews are starting to trickle in for The Anointed, book one of The Demon Trackers. This is a great one and makes me smile ear to ear:

An Action Packed Ride--Not to be missed!

Demon Trackers: The Annointed by CC James is an action packed read. You barely have time to catch your breath from one traumatic event before you're hit with the next heart stopping situation. An incredibly fine roller coaster ride from page one to the end.
While the book is aimed at the YA audience, this "very grown up" person found it a super read. Girls are going to go crazy over Cal and Jake, and older females will develop a "thing" for Henry, their father. Young men will see themselves in Cal and Jake, fighting the demons.
The relationship between the brothers is well drawn, and any parent can empathize with the angst Henry experiences when his children's lives are in peril.
CC James has developed a world "peopled" with dreadful, ugly, scary beings. You won't be able to put this one down, and this reviewer can't wait for the next book in the series, Banshee's Cry.
LeeWest

Resources for Twitter

2011-07-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Hoot Suite ~ http://www.hootsuite.com/
Have more than one twitter account? This tool lets you manage several accounts from the same place. It also compresses links, schedules your tweets, and tracks your stats.

Tweetdeck ~ http://www.tweetdeck.com/
Twitter organizer. Use the Tweetdeck Dashboard to manage your followers, put them in group, see your conversations, and watch your favorite conversations through your specified search queries.

Bit.ly ~ http://bit.ly
Compresses links and tracks click through stats.

Tiny url ~ http://tinyurl.com
Similar to bit.ly

Tweet Stats ~ http://tweetstats.com
Get the stats. See who you and also your followers' tweet and reply to most and at what time.Trending stats.

TwitPic ~ http://www.twitpic.com
Like to use photos with your twitter? Use your Twitter user name and password to log in and upload photos directly to your feed or with a link.

In Honor of the Final Harry Potter Movie

2011-07-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

This vid has been around for a while, but we love it. My kids take parts and try to recreate it to annoyance ~ but it's not often they play nicely together in a way that results into giggle fits so, watch, enjoy, sing-along!

Harry Potter ~ action hero

2011-07-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

Fun vid of the week

The Sweetheart Tree excerpt

2011-07-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

One life turned the battle ...

The Sweetheart Tree excerpt

"Oh, sugar," a solider-reenactor-a tall, slender one cooed at her."Did you think ye'd be safer dressin like a lad? Is that why you cut your hair?"

"Did a poor job of it, if you ask me,"another said. "There's no mistakin she's a woman. You need something much baggier, miss, if you don't mind me pointing out" All eyes seemed to be taking in her jeans and T-shirt, which gleamed in the darkness.

The young lieutenant frowned down at her. "Ma'am, I can't let a woman wander around out here alone. It's not safe. Sheridan's army is burning everything. Don't you know what could happen to you?

"Gee, let me think. You mean like being dragged into the bushes by several filthy men? Something like that?"

Travel in Time to the Civil War nook kindle other devices

Gabbing it up At Manga Maniac Cafe

2011-07-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

I'm over at Manga Maniac Cafe today giving out 3 ebooks of Demon Trackers! Come on over!

It's a Twitter thing

2011-07-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

Next Weds July 13th the Wild Rose Press authors are taking it to the Twitterverse.
A full fun day of tweeting our blurbs, favorite lines and whatever.

So fellow Roses, here's how it works:

1st, post your blurb or longer favorite lines or whatever to your blog or website.

2nd, decide what line you want to tweet. Can't be longer than 140 characters, but I'd go even shorter like 120 in case someone wants to add something like: gr8 cover! or luv this one!

3rd, make sure you add the #TWRP hashtag within the message so we can all find each other and readers will also see it and hopefully join in and look for others.

(Other hashtags you can use are #favlines #blurbs #makeupyourown or use your specific genre hashtags. I might use #fantasy #romance #ya #youngadult or #paranormal

Here's an example of mine:
#TWRP #favlines "Cal. Don't move." Cal glanced up and into the barrel of his older brother's shotgun. ~C the pretty boy cover http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Trackers-Anointed-ebook/dp/B0057PHJQ6/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_4

Except, wait a minute. That tweet is long and clunky once I added the url to amazon. So I need to shorten that.

Here's how to shorten long urls. Highlight the url. Control C to copy it.
Next go to bitly.com or tinyurl.com and paste (Control V) the long url into the "shorten links" box. Press "shorten" and voila, the long url link is now a short url link. Copy and paste that into your message line.

Now here's how my tweet message will look:

#TWRP #favlines. "Cal. Don't move." Cal glanced up and into the barrel of his older brother's shotgun.~ C the pretty boy cover http://amzn.to/oLvK2L

If you click on both the long and short links, you'll see they both take you to the same place. (And while you're there if you want to like and tag my new book I'll be thrilled--did I just do an advertisement? Yes, I believe I did.)

4rd, now you're ready to tweet. On the 13th, send your message out into the T-verse. Make sure to add your #TWRP hashtag. Then type that hashtag into your twitter searchbar or you can also hover over that hashtag on your own message or anyone else's, press enter, and it will take you to an entire list of tweeters using our #TWRP hashtag.

5th, On Weds, Retweet any of the messages that catch your eye. (Hover the mouse over the message and the reply and retweet boxes will appear) If there's room add a message of your own along with. Also if you feel like it, follow their links and comment on their blogs, or like and tag their amazon pages, or whatever. Generally, just spread the love.

It's gonna be a great day.
Leave any questions you have in the comment box and feel free to reblog this and get the word out. I'll even make an "addtoany" share button to make it easy.

Humpback Valentia

2011-07-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

This is pretty amazing!

Texas Spiders

2011-07-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'm on the phone with some cable tech, since, well, our cable was out. It was a minor fix of having to reset the battery of the router box. Just unplug the power cord, take out the battery, wait two minutes and plug everything back in.

No big deal. Except the box is in the garage behind a shelf with a bunch of Christmas decoration boxes and the electrical outlet is on the ceiling by the garage opener mechanisms.

And a freakin spider as big as my palm--no exaggeration--is on the floor between the two!

I'm moving boxes and ladders and hopping back and forth between the two with a cell phone on speaker with tech guy explaining what I'm to do while I'm explaining to him how freaked out I am by this monstrosity of a spider eyeballing me.

Battery recharged and cable guy asks me to go inside and check the reception. I politely ask him to hold on a minute and grab the closest baseball. It happens to be aluminum.

I can only imagine tech dude grinning as he hears clang after clang of aluminum striking cement while me and superspider head off. Man that thing was quick, but I had a longer reach.

Not going into the garage barefoot anymore . . .

#SampleSunday

2011-07-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

Chapter One of The Demon Trackers: The Anointed by CC James

"Cal. Don't move."

Cal glanced up and into the barrel of his older brother's shotgun. Jaw set tight, Jake stood near the other end of the empty parking lot they were searching. Cal's flashlight beam cast his lean face into angular shadows.

Knowing Jake would never shoot him, Cal turned his head to see what was behind him, but his brother's call stopped him.

"Don't look. Don't even breathe." Jake edged closer, trying for a better angle where Cal wouldn't be at risk, specialized shotgun—the splitter—steady, feeling each placement of his sneaker on the uneven ground. "It will be on you before you can take a step."

Cal swallowed, listening. A rough exhalation grated behind his back. The heat of it blew across his elbow. "Hellhound?"

"Yep. Be quiet."

At sixteen, this wasn't the first hellhound Cal had tracked, but it was the nearest any of the beasts had gotten to him. They were big, fast, and mean and were pretty much the only inhabitants of Hell that could dig themselves out of the vast fiery down-under at will. It was Cal and Jake's job to stop that from happening, plug up any holes in the Hades dyke with little more than their thumbs. Which was why they were here, all the signs of an erupting hole alerting them to this very spot. Guess they were a little late to the party though.

Easing his hand toward his hip, Cal snapped open the sheath hanging on his belt. His fingers slid onto the cool opal of his kremloc dagger.

Jake's gaze ticked to Cal's hand. "Don't be a hero. Just drop when I say drop."

Cal nodded imperceptibly. Hot stinky breath washed across the back of his neck, ruffling the ends of his hair. Low otherworldly growls vibrated across his senses. The urge to run beat like a warning cadence through his chest, but Cal remained still, trusting his brother.

"Drop! Now!"

Cal obeyed, falling out of the way of the first concussion of light that streaked over his head and hit the glossy black beast in the chest. Yelping, the hellhound scrabbled to the side. Heavy paws clipped Cal, tossing him across the pavement. Jake's next round flashed, exploding into white lightning that shot straight into the mutt's ear. The hound's front legs folded and it thudded to its knees, giant head dropping in a cloud of dirt. A solid ice bullet straight into the brain never failed to bring the thermal based beasts of Hell down.

"Cal? Cal? You okay?"

Instantly, Jake was by his side, pulling Cal over onto his back.

Cal winced at being jerked around. "I'm fine. Stop. I'm fine."

"Yeah?" Jake's features scrunched with concern. "I kinda lost you under the big guy's feet for a moment there."

"I'm fine, really. I got out from underneath." Okay he'd been rolled and tossed and he'd have a few bruises come tomorrow, but Jake didn't need to know that.

Offering his hand, Jake pulled Cal to his feet, gaze flitting over the younger tracker. Cal rolled his eyes at the scrutiny before letting his own gaze settle onto the steaming hellhound.

They were actually beautiful creatures, sleek and powerful. Destructive. It was almost laughable that such a small thing as ice could take them down. Its fur-covered hide was splitting open, little curls of heated vapor escaping from gashes that glowed red-hot. Soon the hellhound would ooze apart and melt back into the depths of Hell where…Cal frowned. They didn't really know what happened then. As immortal creatures the hounds might very well just regenerate, like the demons did, to claw and dig their way out of Hell another day.

"All right then." Jake nudged the overlarge dog with the toe of his shoe, sending sparks in the air. "While the bug guy here is percolating, let's find and plug up the hole it dug. Quick, before anyone comes." Grinning, Jake pushed dark bangs out of his eyes, nearly bouncing on his toes from the keyed up energy of taking the hellhound out.

Scooping his backpack off the ground, Cal followed after his exuberant brother in the direction the Hades mutt had come from. It didn't take long to find the hole near the edge of the parking lot at the rear of a graffiti covered apartment building. The hole was at least six-feet across with dirt and sheared off chunks of cement scattered outward like a giant fist had punched through the pavement.

"Damn." Jake peered over the edge. "I knew that hound was larger than most, but look at the size of this thing. It's gonna take all the omthrodite we got left to seal it."

Cal's head jerked up at that. There was only one place to restock on the precious crystal. "Not like we have a choice." Crouching near the edge of the gaping hole, Cal pulled out the large blue crystals from his pack. He only had three left, which normally would seal off at least two or three more Hell-holes.

Jake kicked a rock into the depths, which clattered as it hit the walls on the way down until they couldn't hear it anymore. They both knew it would never hit bottom. Resigned, Jake shrugged out of his own pack and pulled out another two omthrodite crystals "This bites."

Cal grinned and began placing the blue stones around the edges of the Hell-hole. He had the last one in place when a sudden niggling sensation blossomed in his gut. "Wait. Do you feel that?"

Jake cocked his head to the side. Pebbles started vibrating across the ground. A low tremor passed through the air.

"Crap!" Jake stumbled back. "We gotta close this thing up now!"

Cal rocked to his feet, threw his hand out to unleash the flow of his energy into the crystals. They had to ignite them fast because where a hellhound breaks loose, demons follow.

He felt his energy building, swirling, expanding inside him, filling his chest even as he felt his brother's energy settle upon the air, a cool steady force, burrowing out toward the crystals. With this much omthrodite it would take both of them to ignite the power in the blue stones.

Beads of sweat broke out across Cal's forehead. He stared at his brother across the small chasm. Jake shook with effort. Cal's outstretched arm throbbed where the energy pulsed through him. The crystals began glowing. They hummed. Tangled webs of light clawed outward over the empty space, pulling, reforming the edges of earth and stone over the dark hole. The ground groaned beneath them.

Cal swayed, but quickly righted himself, digging in.

The newly forming stone pushed close together nearly complete, cast in shiny blue light from the crystals' glow. The center of the newly formed stone almost touched, almost sealed together, when shards of rock blew upward.

"Look out!" Cal shouted, throwing his arms over his head, rolling away from the blast. Demon after demon leapt out of the center, latching onto electrical poles and the back wall of the apartment building like spiders.

To the mortal eye, they looked like regular people—well, okay, maybe not while they were skittering upside down across power cables and apartment balconies—but Cal and Jake could see straight through into a demon's aura, could see the oily slick residue of Hell whirl around them like water droplets shooting out of a sprinkler in slow motion.

"Jake!"

He couldn't see his brother through the crackling light of the crystals and the demons leaping out. How many had gotten through?

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" The exodus was slowing to a trickle, most of the demons scurrying away, but this one jumped down from the building, cracked its bent joints into place while it straightened and was now striding toward Cal. "And I just happen to be starving."

Except for the swirling sprinkler effect and being completely nude, the demon looked like any clean-cut regular Joe. The blue glow from the crystals instantly snuffed out.

Cal let him approach, close enough to see the pinkish tint to his irises. Crap, he really was hungry. Don't they feed these guys in Hell?

Determined not to become a demon snack, in one fluid movement, Cal slid out the kremloc dagger and stabbed.

"Watch it! Hey!" the demon clapped a hand over his chest, slapping out with the other that sent Cal tumbling through the air, landing with a jolt against a parked car, then bouncing to the pavement.

Disoriented, Cal shook his head, seeing two of the demon running at him. Cal rolled, not certain which way to go since he was seeing everything doubled, just hoping to get out of the demon's path enough to grab up a rock or something for defense when his brother shouted, a dark blur that jumped in front of Cal and took the brunt of the demon's supercharged momentum. Bodies slammed against the car behind Cal, legs tangled around him, feet stomping around him.

His breath gushed out in a whoosh when a bare foot clomped down on his belly.

Jake hit the ground hard beside him, the demon easily holding him down with one arm while Jake struggled, trying to pry the hand away from his neck.

Blinking hard against his wavering vision, Cal pulled himself up to do...something. The demon stretched out his other arm and a wall of air slammed into Cal, pinning him to the ground.

"You're up next, cupcake." The demon smiled at him, and then leaned closer to Jake, sniffing. "Mmmmm-mmmm, delicious." Cal's pulse kicked into high gear. Not good, not good. Not all demons had a penchant for human flesh, but some…some really hungered for it.

Cal's vision finally focused. The demon edged back and looked from Jake to Cal.

"Wait a minute. I've heard of you." Hot fingers feathered along Cal's cheek. Grunting, he tried to turn away, but the pressure of air held him fast. The demon's hand slipped into Cal's hair. "One light as gold…" He looked at Jake. "And the other dark as a raven. You're the little half-breed brothers who have been making our get-out-of-Hell free cards not so easy to cash in. Word gets around down there you know. You're Celalundria's little bastard whelps."

"Not bastards," Jake ground out, his feet gouging across cement.

"Your mortal husk of a dad must have been a good ride for the rebellious princess to go back for seconds." The demon flicked at glance over to Cal. "Ah, well, you know how the Anointed are, all high and mighty, yet horny as Hell."

"You don't talk about our mother," Jake growled.

"Your mother." The demon snorted. "Noble of you to defend her when she tossed you two halflings out on your ears."

"She didn't have a choice."

Cal flinched at the venom in Jake's voice. Several of the lights in the apartment building windows went on.

"Didn't have a choice," the demon sing-songed. "Here you are, the two sons of the great Celalundria, taking on gigs that are beneath the true Anointed. Plugging up the little holes made by the hellhounds—terrific job on that by the way—or taking out a few evil spirits here and there. Maybe a zombie or two on a good day? Clean up work at best. It's kind of like you guys are the Anointeds' janitorial service." He laughed. "You're nothing more than garbage men."

"Yeah?" Jake's dark brow rose. "Guess that makes you…" And there it came, that full out smirking smile that was pure unadulterated defiant Jake "…garbage."

It scared the crap out of Cal because he knew what his sibling was doing. Jake was keeping the demon's focus on himself. And it was working.

The demon's nostrils flared like a snorting bull's. The pink of his irises dilated. "Say that again."

The green of Jake's eyes darkened. "Gar...bage."

The demon lost it. Enraged, his neck craned back. A grinding, crackling noise reverberated across the demon's skull as wicked sharp teeth extended, breaking through his gums.

No! No! Cal pushed against the bonds of air. The demon was going to eat Jake! Cal fought with everything he had, surging upward, the veins in his neck throbbing with effort.

The demon dived onto Jake, bloody strings of saliva flinging off his bleeding gums. Jake screamed, thrashing.

And the bands of air around Cal loosened.

He flung himself at the demon, knocking him off Jake. They pitched across the rock-strewn ground. Adrenaline roared through Cal's veins. He kicked, gouged, and punched the much stronger creature. "You…do not…get to eat…my brother!"

His head snapped back, vision blurring at the lucky punch from the demon. Hands shot out to push him away, but Cal hung on like a dog to a bone, fighting wild and sloppy, nothing like he was trained for, yet the unpredictable jabs actually seemed to be throwing the demon off.

Suddenly Jake was there, shoving at the demon like a football player at a blocking sled. "Into the hole!"

Cal changed tactics, twisting over the demon to get to the other side and pushed with his brother before the evil thing could get up off its back. Together, they slid it to the edge. The demon howled, clawing, swiping at them, but the brothers were determined and working together.

The demon teetered, eyes flared wide. Cal kicked. Jake shoved. The demon fell past the jagged up-heaved cement. He latched onto Jake's arm, determined to climb back up.

"Now Cal!"

Jake's free hand slammed onto the demon's head, holding him down. The crystals flared bright as Jake's energy poured from him, into the omthrodite, over the demon's stringy hair.

Cal let his energy stream out, anger and fear unleashing it in a wild uncontrolled rush. The ground groaned, splintered and moved beneath them.

Cal yelled, his voice blending with Jake's as the force leaked around them, stronger than he'd ever felt it, built on rampant emotion. The demon scrabbled at the earth folding over him. Jake snapped his hand back just as the stone sealed over the demon's head, severing the demon's hand still clamped onto Jake's other wrist.

With a resounding crack, the crystals went dark and Jake and Cal sank to the ground. Where the hole had been, there was a smooth layer of unbreakable stone surrounded by broken upturned pavement and dirt. Whoever owned the parking lot was going to have a hard time figuring this one out.

Their ragged breathing huffed across the silence.

Grimacing, Jake shook the demon's hand still dangling from his wrist. When it didn't give, he pried the fingers off and flung it away. "Gross."

Cal looked blearily over at him. His head throbbed and his sight was gray around the edges.

Jake scooted closer. "You're bleeding."

"So are you." Cal pointed to the red stain at Jake's shoulder.

Jake moved Cal's head to the side to get a better look. "Blood's pouring down that light as gold hair of yours."

"Shut up." He batted Jake's hand away. "Raven."

Something in Cal's tone must have alerted Jake. His brows lowered. "Hey."

"I'm fine. Let's just clean up and go." Cal stared at the demon's hand.

"In a minute. I don't want you bleeding all over the Jeep. Ut." Jake pressed Cal down when he started to get up. "Stay put. I mean it, don't move."

Cal frowned, but remained still. His head pounded with every movement anyway.

Jake was back with his backpack in moments, sitting once again in front of Cal, and pulled the little first aid kit they always carried out of the bottom. He handed Cal a folded square of gauze. "Hold this against your cut for a second. Headache?"

Cal nodded, wincing at the movement and accepted the two little pills and water bottle Jake handed him next. He watched his brother as he pulled the collar of his own torn T-shirt across his shoulder and pressed another square of gauze to it. "How bad?"

"Not too deep." Jake pulled the gauze away. "Not even bleeding anymore."

Cal leaned forward to get a better look anyway. It really wasn't that deep, just purpling around each little puncture, a perfect little half-moon pattern. Stupid demons and their stupid pointy teeth. A wave of nausea bubbled inside Cal's belly. It could have been so much worse. The demon could have ripped through Jake in seconds. The ground tilted. Cal's hand fell away from his head, the bloody gauze dropped.

"Whoa, you okay?" Jake held Cal's arms, steadying him.

Cal nodded, miserable.

"Ah, Cal." Jake stared at him, forehead crinkled. "You didn't pay attention to anything that hell spawn said, right?"

Cal shrugged.

Jake wasn't going to let it go. "You know they spin things to get under your skin. They're demons. Talking crap is kind of in their job description. Just…don't listen to them, alright. What we do is important. You know what would have happened if that Hellhound had gotten past the parking lot."

"Yeah, I know. It would have killed people. Anyone unfortunate to be in its path."

"People are worth saving."

Cal's gaze snapped up at that. "The Anointed don't seem to think so."

"The Anointed are self-righteous dickwads who can't see beyond their own holy crusade." Jake frowned. "War's been going on for so long everyone's lost count of which side is actually winning. Mortals, Cal. Like Dad. They're the ones that need our help and we're the only ones who can do it."

"The Anointed could. The histories say they were once guardians, saviors of mankind."

"That was a long time ago, Cal."

"I know, but isn't that what the Anointed were, well, anointed to do?"

Jake shrugged. "I don't know. If they were, they've clearly forgotten."

"Or don't care."

"Or don't care," Jake agreed.

Sirens echoed at a distance, getting closer. Someone in the apartment building must have called the police.

Jake started shoving things back in the backpack. "Let's just take care of this mess and get out of here."

Cal pulled to his feet. "How many demons do you think got past us?"

"Too many." Jake blew dark bangs out of his eyes. "Gonna have to track every last one of them down."

"Yeah, okay, but you know where we have to go first, right?"

Jake looked at the spent and gray omthrodite crystals. "Yep, gotta restock. Looks like we're going to go see Mom."

Hunt monsters w/ the teens. 1st ch of "The Anointed" at http://bit.ly/k2Yt4P #SampleSunday #ss #ya #paranormal— please RT!

Where am I today?

2011-07-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

I'm over at Jo Ramsey's blog today, talking about Demon Trackers.

Let's talk Blogs

2011-06-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

Starting a blog? How do you know which format is right for you? Good question. There are tons of different places to set up and blog, but I'm only familiar with four of them so that's what I'll talk about.

I use blogspot, wordpress, live journal, and tumblr. All for different reasons.

Blogspot: This was the first blogging journal I set up. I choose it because it was easy to navigate. I use this for my main writing persona for both readers and other writers, and yes, I have also sometimes put personal posts on it.

I've noticed that the majority of writers I know also use blogspot.

Wordpress: I use this blog for my pen name CC James. I'm fairly new to it, but have found that it is as easy to navigate and set up as blogspot was. It's another favorite for writers. The appearance--fonts and layouts--is a little more cooler than blogspot.

Tumblr.: I also use this blog for my pen name CC James. I opened a tumblr., mainly because that's where all the hip cool young people hang out and since the CC James books are targeted for the younger crowd it was the place to be. It took a bit of a learning curve for me to figure out, but once I did it's easy. Also I'm no techno geek, so if I can do it, anyone can. What I love about tumblr. is the interaction ability. Once I subscribe to another person's post, their posts show up on my dashboard so I don't have to go hunt them down and vice-versa if someone subscribes to my tumblr, they don't have to hunt me down either. It is so much more interactive than wordpress or blogspot, which is why I think the younger crowd loves it. Kind of like an expanded twitter that you can load pictures or gifs and ~~retweet~~ reblog other's cool stuff at the click of a button. You do have to put in the time to gain a following by interacting with others, which is part of the fun. But you have to do that with any blog anyway.

Live Journal: This is by far my favorite. I use it for an entirely different purpose besides my writing. The interaction is the same as with tumblr. I love that I can go to my "friend's page" and all my friend's posts are right there (under cuts) so I only see the first line unless I choose to see more. I don't have to go hunting all over the web to find them. It takes minutes to scroll through and see what everyone's up to and make a few comments. Also, there are livejournal communities that you can subscribe to and anyone who posts to the community shows up on my friends page as well, so I also don't have to search for people with the same interests as me. They are all right there. I can then decide whether to comment or friend them. Also on the flip-side, everything I post goes automatically to those who have friended me so I'm getting much more exposure than with blogspot or wordpress.

All of these sites are free. Livejournal does show ads, which is annoying, but you can opt to become a paid user for $15 a year and the ads won't show on yours or your friend's pages when you go to theirs. It's well worth it.

Example of Wordpress Tumblr Livejournal example of a community

Beauty Secret your Avon Lady won't tell you

2011-06-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

A month ago, a friendly neighborhood esthetician shared this information:

Vitamin C face lotion. Any brand. Any price.

This past month I've been putting it on my face every day in the mornings and in the evenings when ~~I'm not so tired I drag myself to bed~~ I remember.

The results are amazing. Okay I don't all of a sudden have the flawless skin of Jennifer Lopez—I can't sing or dance either—but the redness I've been camouflaging for years with foundation has dramatically lessened. I don't even wear foundation anymore. Yes, even on days when my hermit self leaves the house.

Also, the fine wrinkles and shadows near my eyes have smoothed out quite a bit as well. Not totally, but I'm not exactly in my 30s anymore either.

Her other skin tips:

Rub Brown sugar on lips to exfoliate.

Don't leave the house without sunscreen.

Wash your face twice a day.

New Release ~ New Pen Name

2011-06-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

I've begun a new series for the young adult paranormal crowd. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. If you spy the woman hyperventilating in the corner over giddiness, that's me . . .

Title: The Anointed book one of the Demon Trackers series

Being half human isn't so bad for demon tracker brothers Jake and Cal, especially when their job is keeping unknowing humans safe from every evil thing that crawls out of Hell. So what if the full-blooded Anointed don't think they're up for the task? Jake and Cal have lives to save and beasties to kill and lack of sleep, lack of weapons, and lack of trust from the haughty Anointed demon slayers won't keep them from it.

find it for the nook kindle pdf & other apps
Clover Autrey writing as CC James

Writing Past Grief: Punching Through

2011-06-25T03:01:00.000-07:00

It's been 9 months.

My son had cystic fibrosis and he passed away 9 months ago. This is the first time I've even lightly posted about it. It's still much too raw and painful. He was 14.

I understand grief, understand the 7 steps of mourning and the myriad of emotions that crashes through you. What I didn't realize was how that would affect my writing.

I had no idea grief would sabotage my writing confidence.

Everything I've worked so hard for over ~~decades~~ years is shattered. Poof. Gone.

No one wants to read this.

Your characters are too sad.

I thought you knew how to string together a sentence.

No wonder your agent can't sell your work.

You don't deserve to succeed.

Give up. You don't have the energy for this.

I feel like screaming at those inner voices as George Hamiliton did in Love at First Bite "Children of the Night…Shut up!"

So, my new mantra: I'm not a quitter, not a quitter, not a quitter.

I sit down and just start writing, giving myself permission to write badly, if I should punch through and get it done and something surprising happens.

My normal teenage heroine all of a sudden has a sibling who died in her back story and she is screaming at her love interest about how he doesn't understand…what tragedy has he ever experienced in his life that gives him the right to tell her how to feel?

I bang my head against the table. Is this all I can produce now? Angsty grief-driven characters? I just want to write stories, not go through therapy while doing it.

Then again, maybe that's all there is left. Pushing through. I'll let the characters grieve, let them flow however they will and maybe I'll come through the end of it with a little healing on my own. Who can say? I'll let you know how it goes as I continue these posts on writing past grief.

Inside the Writers Room -- for TV Scripts

2011-04-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

I attended Dreamin' In Dallas, DARA's Writer's Conference this weekend. It was really a lot of fun. Anyway there was this workshop on TV script writing by Dean Lorey . That's not something I aspire to, but curiosity won out. Here's the rundown on what happens in the writer's room, which is always referred to as just: The Room. Some terms first: Showrunner: Person in charge of everything. Even the director defers to the Showrunner. The SR is 99.9 times a writer, often the creator of the show (whoever writes the pilot). The Showrunner makes the final pass on all the scripts.

Half-Hours: These are the sitcom type shows that are acted out like a stage play in front of live audiences with at least four cameras on them.

One-Hours: Shot with one camera like little movies at different set locations. Has long season arcs, almost like a soap opera. Supernatural is a One-Hour.

This is how the writers map out a One-Hour show's season:

The Showrunner is in charge. It's called "running a room".

Four to Twelve writers sit around a large conference table for about twelve to sixteen hours, pitching out ideas.

The Showrunner picks out the ideas she likes and together the writing staff lays out broadstroke beats for each episode. They make an outline for the season arc.

Then the Showrunner pitches the ideas to the executives. They approve them. Or not.

The Showrunner assigns writers to each episode. (Usually in teams. The entire team is paid as a team, so they split up whatever each episode is worth. Like paying two writers for the price of one. Heh.) Basic episode outlines are handed out to the teams.

Each writing team writes a full outline of their episode and presents it to the Showrunner.

Showrunner takes and gives note. A lot of back and forth goes on.

Writing team then writes the draft for the episode and presents it to the Showrunner, and gets notes until she is satisfied.

The Showrunner gives approval for the final draft and hands it off to the director and the episode gets shot.

While the episode is shooting, the writing team and Showrunner watch the dailies each morning.

Dailies are what was shot the previous day. The team and Showrunner decide if something needs to be re-shot.

Also, the Writer's Guild of America mandates that two scripts per season must be writen by freelance writers. That's why sometimes we'll see an episode od our favorite shows are written by writers we've never heard of before.

Now for a Half-Hour show, the room runs a little differently. Instead of plotting out the entire season arc, they hash out episode by episode at a time collaboratively while the Showrunner's assistant types the script then and there, and is on a screen that the writers watch. These are also the shows that the actors come in to the room and do a run-through with the writers.

So, that's the process of how your favorite show comes into being.

Embarrassment is Power by Clover Autrey

2011-03-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

Embarrassment is Power by Clover Autrey Yep, I'm a bad mommy over at the 4badmommies blog. Fun group of gals.

Fallen Warrior

2011-03-22T19:00:00.001-07:00

My short--very short--about 8 pages long, story introducing the Eaglekins is ready for download on the Nook. I'm crazy about the cover and I love that it has a low price of .99 cents. About the price of downloading an iTune song.

'Star Wars (John Williams Is The Man)' a cappella tribute medley - Corey...

2010-11-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

What's in a title?

2010-07-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

So apparently the title of my latest and greatest book is hardly original. Here's a few of the other books I found with the same title. Oh well.

Awesome Video

2010-07-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

I love Supernatural. This video actually made me tear up.

Chase the Wind

2010-04-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

It's out early! Chase the Wind, the second novel in my Eaglekin series is out today at The Wild Rose Press.

This book follows Santil, shunned by her people when her bonded eagle was killed. But Santil is determined to help stop more of her people from being captured and turned into assassins with their special ability to share minds with eagles, so she goes to the esteemed Wind Riders to offer her help, unknowing that she will be drawn further away from her life as an Eaglekin.

Excerpt:

His gaze landed on the slight woman crouching low on the packed dirt ground. The hem of her plain russet gown puffed up around her, obscuring whatever it was that held her attention. Sensing his gaze, her head lifted. The fact that she wore a gown was unusual among her kind, but there was no mistaking the golden eyes.

“Why in the Maiden’s Teeth is an Eaglekin in here?” It was bad enough that they had been allowed in the camp at all. But here in the command tent, as well?

The Eaglekin in question instantly stiffened. Her hand strayed to her waist where, if she wore a belt, a knife would be held. She met his stare full on, but he’d wager his best saddle she knew everyone’s position in the tent at all times. Light brown hair slipped forward as she turned back to whatever it was she knelt over, shielding most of her face from view.

“Kinalan. Stop that.” Tobyn leaned forward in the chair, which seemed to alarm the little Eaglekin as much as it did Kin. She rose with a fluid grace. She was not as short as he’d assumed, merely small-boned, giving her a delicate air. Yet there was strength in the quiet way she held herself, full pink lips tightened in resolve.

“I’m afraid—” Both the Mystic and Martol laid restraining hands on Tobyn’s chest and shoulder, gently keeping him in his seat. Tobyn shook his head. “You can let go. Kin, keep your hostility in check. That Eaglekin is the only reason I’m alive. Her quick intervention kept the bird from ripping out my throat.”

Amazing Universe

2010-04-03T11:30:00.001-07:00

Sombero Galaxy - 28 million lightyears from Earth.
800 billion suns and 50,000 lightyears across.

Cone Nebula - 2.5 lightyears in length.
(like taking 23 million trips to the moon)

Looks like a painting, doesn't it?
Small region of the Swan Nebula
5,500 lightyears away
bubbling ocean of hydrogen,

Swirling cores of two galaxies merging in Canus Major constellation.

We live in an amazing universe.

Lord of the Rings TO Star Wars TO Lost

2010-03-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

I won’t deny it. I’m a fantasy gal from head to toe. But one thing I’ve noticed is that those ensemble adventure sagas have one thing in common: a cast of characters that generations have loved for hundreds of years. Yes, I said hundreds of years because even Tolkien based his cast on types from Norse legends. And these same character types keep reappearing. Why? Because somewhere in our human core, we all resonate with them, or hate them when they are the betrayer or nemesis. We knew them, relate to them, love them, so we keep coming back to see them put in a different story.

This is the cast of Lord of the Rings who reappeared as the cast of the first Star Wars.
They have come back in the last couple of years as the main characters of Lost. In fact, we’re not even sure if Lost has a plot or what it is. There’s tons of loops and sites devoted to finding clues and trying to figure out what the thing is about. Why waste the energy? Why keep watching? Because if you managed to stay tuned for a couple of episodes you subconsciously recognized these characters. They’ve been around, you instinctively are drawn to them.

Let’s define each character within these ensembles so you can see how they might fit in your romance novel or possibly they’re already there.

MAIN CHARACTERS

**First, the IDEALISTIC GOOD GUY – This is Frodo Baggins, Luke Skywalker, and from Lost, Jack Shephard.

In romance he would be called a Beta. He’s motivated by what he believes is the right thing to do and has tunnel vision toward that end. He begins his journey on pure faith, gets knocked down and demoralized at some point, and has to rebuild his belief or support system. Secondary characters will always come into play with this.

**Next, the BAD BOY ROUGE – Prince Aragorn, Han Solo, and Sawyer.

He’s an alpha male & nearly always painfully good looking. He will always show up ornery and mouthing off and working in a questionable occupation that he’s very good at and possibly has an alias, as is the case with both Aragorn/Strider & Sawyer/James. He is wounded, damaged by the past and does not believe that he is a nice person, but he is loyal and strong and good inside and by the end of the novel, he is the king, literally with Aragorn. He has become the hero he was inside. (And if both the idealistic guy and the rouge are in a novel together, the girl will always choose the Rouge, because, well the good guy is simply too good –( Frodo being a hobbit doesn’t count in the love triangle.)

**So on to the PRINCESS – This is the Arwen /Eowyn combination in LOTR, more so Eowyn as she dressed like a man to go to battle. Princess Leia of course, and Kate Austen.

She is feisty and hard to impress and intelligent. If she ever has to be saved, she’s not a weeping willow about it and just gets down to business and will fight right alongside the men. She’s able to hold her own with the rogue and show moments of tenderness with all the other characters. Her motivation is to help other people.

SECONDARY CHARACTERS
**WIZARD/MENTOR – Gandalf, Obi Wan, John Locke. The main hero needs a mentor of some sorts. In romance, this character can take many forms. In sagas, he’s the guy that usually points the good guy hero on his path, stays around long enough to teach him a bit and then leaves or is killed or has a falling out so that the hero has to finish the journey with his own wits. The mentor always has a failing in his past that makes him doubt his ability to teach or trust the good guy. Sauramon turns from Gandalf, we all know Obi Wan’s history with Anikan Skywalker, and John Locke gets his first little apprentice Boone killed.

**LOYAL MONSTER – Gimli the Dwarf, Chewbacca the Wookie, Sayid. This character is the epitome of what the other characters deem monstrous, ugly. It wasn’t an accident that Princess Leia said, “I’d rather kiss a wookie.” That was to clue us in that their universe thought wookies were yuck. And when Lost first came out, who was more ugly to our society than a torturer of the Republican Guard? Yet as the story progresses, this character shows how loyal, how honest, how true and tender he is. We love him. If anything happens to this character we would be upset.

**THE BETRAYER – Boromir, Lando Calrissian, Michael – If there is going to be a betrayer, he has to be close to the group. Even though Lando wasn’t in the first Star Wars, they got away with it by having him be a close friend to Han. The betrayer will always have a strong motivation to do what he/she does that still makes him sympathetic. Many times he will be able to redeem himself or at least seek forgiveness. We can’t really blame Michael for choosing his son over the group.

**PROTECTED Characters – Samwell Gamgee & Legolas, R2D2 & C3PO, Hurley & Charlie.

These are the characters that see things the way they are. Even though they aren’t necessarily adolescents, they almost seem childlike in the straightforward way they tell the main characters the reality of how things are when the hero loses his way and also in the way all the other characters feel very protective of them. They are reflective characters. They are the ones who are the greatest help to the heroes and sometimes the greatest annoyance as they’ll be the ones to say, “what are you doing?” “This isn’t like you?” Within the books that have both the good guy hero and rouge, each hero will have their own Protected Character. Frodo had Sam while Legolas was completely loyal to Aragorn. Luke relied on R2D2, while C3PO generally annoyed Han, stating things that Han didn’t want stated. And though Hurley & Charlie interchange between Sawyer & Jack, both heroes would lay aside their differences to protect these characters. To a degree Merry & Pippin are another pair of Protected Characters within the LOTRs ensemble.

**COMIC RELIEF ODD COUPLE – Legolas & Gimli, R2D2 & C3PO, Hurley & Charlie. Did you notice that some of these characters are the same as the Protected Character? Dynamics within groups can vary and change. Though Legolas is Aragorn’s loyal supporter and friend, he bickers relentlessly with Gimli. Elves & Dwarves have little in common, yet they become best of friends, the kind that compete and argue with each other, but won’t let anyone else mess with the other. These characters will be opposites, if not in physical appearance, then in personality. R2 & C3PO are both droids, but one’s annoying and the other loveable. Likewise, Hurley is unpretentious, childlike and innocent, seeing possibilities, while Charlie is a junkie with a more callus eye on the world.

**NEMESIS – Sarumon, Darth Vader, Ben and the Others. Even though many romances don’t have a bad guy, I’m going to discuss the nemesis character to round it out. In the fantasy sagas, the bad guy out front has usually been seduced by an EVEN GREATER EVIL, who is so evil, frightening and mysterious that we barely get to glimpse a giant glowing eyeball, a weathered chin beneath a low cowl, or sparking black smoke.

The NEMESIS has willingly given up good to pursue evil. Even though they have willingly set themselves on this course, there will be moments of doubt, just be careful to not confuse a doubtful moment with the Betrayer’s regret. The Nemesis always made the choice on their own without coercion or a belief that they are doing what is right for the majority.
In a modern romance, if you have a bad guy, decide if he/she is a nemesis, seduced by a better job position or affluent marriage, or jealously-- or the betrayer, betraying for what they believe is a worthy cause, or is the baddie a greater evil who is evil simply for the sake of being evil--and then stay true to that trait without flipping back or forth.

So what does this all have to do with writing Romance characters? Do you need to fill your book with an entire cast of this same group. Of course not, that would be overkill with a romance. But like the old saying goes, you have to know a rule in order to break it. These are the basic characters that humans have loved. Understand them and then make them your own. Just like most people would never guess that the Lost cast is the same cast from Star Wars redone, know their basics and remake them. Does the Rouge alpha even have to be a man? Make that character your heroine. Pair her up with a guy that gets along with everybody else, showing his tender side, but butts head with her. In other words he’s the feisty princess, but nobody knows that but you. Pick and choose what secondary characters you want. You possibly might only want one. Is it the mentor or betrayer or protective character? Or does the tone and rhythm of your book call for odd couple friends?

Then switch it up. Can you start out with a character with mentor attributes and then give him or her a strong enough motivation to become the betrayer. You can layer all the characteristics you want into one character as long as you understand what attributes you are layering in.
If your book is complete or nearly complete, can you identify which of these character types best fits each of your characters? Knowing that, can you pull more out of the attributes? For example, if you see that a secondary character is the betrayer, ask yourself if her motivation is strong enough to be sympathetic. If her reason isn’t a good cause, but a purely selfish or evil motivation, then they aren’t the Betrayer at all, but the Nemesis.

If you have a loyal friend character, decide if they are the Loyal Monster or the childlike protected loyal friend. If they are the monster, then make sure you’ve amped up the reasons why all the other characters would normally think they are ugly or monster like. Lawyer maybe? Kidding. If they are the innocent protected character, then you need to make things they say, even how they say it more pure and straight on, just like kids who say things how they are.

Going with the two odd couple characters? Decide how exactly you want to make them opposites and then show that throughout. Make us wonder why they are even friends. Make us laugh at them, with them, and make us fall in love with them.

Barnes & Noble Book Fair

2010-03-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

Multi-author booksignings are definitely the way to go! It was entirely too much fun socializing. The time flew by far too fast. I checked my cell phone which also passes as my watch what I thought was 30 minutes in and it had already been 2 hours.

Barnes & Noble was a great host. We all did really well in book sales . . . I hope to be able to do this every year.

To the left is Mary Malcolm, myself, and Leanna Ellis.

Below are Marsha West & Jerrie Alexander

Carolyn Williamson (above) with Shayla Black, Nikki Duncan, and Heather Long (below).

Marty Tidwell came to visit with Delores Schafer.

Writers Wendy Watson, Misa Ramirez and Beth Shiver snagged the front table!

Gina Lee Nelson and Sheniqua Waters speak with readers.

Author Profile: Clover Autrey

2010-02-26T19:29:00.001-08:00

Author Profile: Clover Autrey

Posted using ShareThis

Deep in the Heart of Texas

2010-02-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

At the 3rd Grader assembly last evening the kiddos sang Deep in the Heart of Texas. Cute, right?

Everybody knows that first line. It's usually sung like this:

The stars at night so big and bright. Clap, clap, clap, clap. Deep in the Heart of Texas.

Duh--duh-duh-duh, Duh--duh-duh-duh Clap, clap, clap, clap. Deep in the Heart of Texas.

When the kids sang all the words I tried to remember them. Of course my memory sparks out and I promptly forgot them, but no worries Tate knows them -- yet when I asked him that devil grin came out and and the little heathen child basically hijacked the words from me because that's the kind of contrary little Texan I'm raising out here. Geesch.

Fortunately I have a friend who is a conpendium of vast knowledge and she supplied the words.

So, for ya'll who'd like to know how the rest of the song goes:

The stars at night so big and bright clap clap clap clap Deep in the Heart of Texas

The prairie sky is wide and high clap clap clap clap Deep in the heart of Texas

The sage in bloom is like perfume clap clap clap clap Deep in the heart of Texas

Reminds me of the one I love clap clap clap clap Deep in the heart of Texas.

Can you tell what this picture is made out of?

2010-01-28T09:23:00.001-08:00

Chase the Wind book trailer

2010-01-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

My talented neice Jessica created these pictures for me. I just love it. The book comes out in June!

The Call

2009-12-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

My 14-yr-old son has cystic fibrosis so one day from another we plan for the unexpected. A few days before Thanksgiving his oxygen level decreased dramatically. I have monitors and tanks at home so I could keep him stable, but I instinctively knew something different than usual was going on. So I called our pulmonologist Dr. H's office and started packing our hospital bags.

I glanced at my laptop, thinking I'd just leave it home because it was going to be a big day of checking in and tests, etc., but on an impulse I just grabbed it.

It was a long day of checking in and lab work, getting into a room, etc. That morning Dr. H pulled me aside to discuss putting in place an advanced directive for every following hospital visit. We'd spoken about it before so it wasn't a shock and I understood that it didn't mean my son was so bad that he was going to die right away, but it did mean that at his stage, anything can happen suddenly and if I happened not to be there, even if I had just stepped down to the cafeteria, our wishes on what actions are taken would be respected. It's basically like a menu. Would you like chest compressions administered? Oxygen? Intubation? Medicines for pain? Be wheeled to the ICU or remain in your familiar room? I won't share here what treatments I did choose or didn't because that is personal not only to our family, but my son as well.

Regardless that I knew it was coming, it was heart-wrenching to actually put into place. I had to go into a treatment room for about 10 minutes to sob alone before getting my composure back enough to go face my son.

That evening, I finally went out to the parking garage to get our bags from the minivan and just left them untouched in the room. Around 9 pm, emotionally exhausted, I glanced at my bag and thought about checking emails, but decided to go to bed. Couldn't sleep so pulled the laptop out for a distraction.

There it was. The email. I'd like to discuss representation. When is a good time for me to call you sometime today or tomorrow? Well, today was gone, but Holy Crap! Talk about emotional leaps. I allowed myself a little jump and squeal, but my son was sleeping and it'd been a heckofa day already. I wanted to be a little more excited, you know, have that euphoria that writers describe when they get their call, but I couldn't quite get there under the circumstances. What kind of karma is that? Advance directive in the morning and the dream I'd been working toward for years and years and years come true the same evening?

For the past month and a half, off my emailed query, I'd been dutifully and happily sending her first my partial, then the full, then the synopsis to the next 2 books (which I'd scribbled out in about an hour--the synopses, not the books).

I emailed her back and set a time for the following day. Which I'm grateful I had another day to actually speak with her because I had had that time to settle in my emotions that even though we'd put things in place, they were just a precaution for what ifs and scenerios later down the road. I was much more ready to be estatic.

Several nurses and a respirtory therapist were in the room. The child life specialist was just walking in with her hand out to clasp mine when my cell phone rang. With one glance at the area code, I lifted my hand, apologizing that I really needed to take this call and walked out.

So right there, pacing the medical center hallway in front of the elevators, I accepted representation with Naomi Hackenberg of the Elaine English Agency.

And jumping up and down, calling my husband, and then my sister--ensued. It was a great beginning to the Holidays.

I have an agent! A great agent!

Silver Linings

2009-11-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

I thought this picture was appropriate because I am experiencing just that. Within several hours of each other I had a darkest dreadful moment and then the moment of joy that I had been waiting 18 years to have. I can't go into details yet.

Hywela Lyn

2009-10-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

A fellow Wild Rose author, Hywela Lyn is a truly gracious and welcoming lady. Fine writer as well. It was my pleasure to interview her for the Examiner, and as always I like to replicate some of those interviews here.

Hywela, can you tell us about your latest book Children of the Mist?

The story takes place about six years after the events in Starquest. In that book the heroine visits Niflheim, planet of telepaths, in her search for the man she loves, and becomes friendly with one of its inhabitants, the beautiful Tamarith. This world takes up only a small part of the original story, but I became fond of the mist shrouded planet and her people. I wanted to find out more about them and the history of Niflheim. I also felt Tamarith deserved her own happy ending. Several of the characters from Starquest are also in this story, but it is Tamarith and Vidarh who hold centre stage

When Children Of The Mist opens, their world is in danger from a deadly virus, but the inhabitants don't realise how close they are to losing their freedom and their whole way of life. Vidarh, son of a hardworking farmer, journeys to Gladsheim, the main settlement, to join other telepaths there, to unite in sending a message into space to try to reach the only person who may be able to help them. During the course of the story, Tamarith and Vidarh find themselves facing far more than the elements and are in danger of losing their very lives. Vidarh discovers things about himself, and about Tamarith, and there is a dramatic revelation about the origins of their planet, before they are able to confront and admit their feelings for one another..

What drew you to writing futuristic romance?

I've always been fascinated by the beauty and mystery of the stars and the idea of space exploration. I like to think that one day we'll be advanced enough to colonize uninhabited planets and learn to live with nature instead of causing devastation and global warming through our greed and exploitation. I love nature and wild, lonely landscapes. I get a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction creating new worlds and drawing on the scenery and legends of my native Wales. For me, the challenges and unknown dangers of space exploration are similar to those facing the pioneers of the old west. In my stories it's those very dangers and challengers that bond my hero and heroine together, and draw them inevitably toward their eventual 'happy ever after'.

What is something most people don't know about you?

As well as writing, I also enjoy oil painting. I rarely get time for that now, unfortunately, although I still do the occasional pencil sketch and now and then paint horseshoes with 'canal boat roses' for friends,.

Anything you'd like to add?

I think that's it, except that I love to hear from fellow writers, and readers who can email me at
Hywelalyn@hywelalyn.co.uk or leave a message on my website or blog. I'm also collaborating with Mary Ricksen and Sharon Donovan on a new 'fun' blog which runs on Fridays only, called 'The Author Roast and Toast.' It's only been going a few weeks but already we're 'booked' until the middle of the New Year. I'm also writing an historical western, as a bit of a departure from my futuristic and fantasy stories, and have entered excerpts in the Classic Romance Revival excerpt contest.

My Blog: http://www.hywelalyn.blogspot.com/
My website: http://www.hywelalyn.co.uk/
Facebook:: http://www.facebook.com/HywelaLyn
My Space: www.myspace.com/hywelalyn
WRDF: http://romancewriterandreader.ning.com/profile/Hywelalyn

Winner

2009-10-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

And the winner of the necklace is: (drum roll please) Opal Campbell. Hope you enjoy it. I personally love it!

Long overdo contest

2009-10-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

Lisa Aaron of Jeweled Ambrosia hand-crafted a specially designed necklace for my book Upon Eagle's Light. All the jewels match the book cover with a beautiful eagle's wing at the center point. I love it and wish I could enter myself and keep it, but that would defeat the purpose of a honest contest so I'll just have to have her make another similiar, though not exact.

Anyway, this contest is fairly simple. All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter and let me know that you did so by leaving a comment. You can either click on the newsletter sign up box below or email me privately at cloverautrey@gmail.com with your email or leave your email in the comments. However you'd like. The contest will end on Oct. 20th.

Click to join cloverautreynewsletter

Book Signing

2009-10-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm having my first booksigning tomorrow. It's a large group signing sponsered by the Friends of The Colony Public Library so the pressure of being a lonesome writer is off me solely.

I think I'm fairly well prepared. I have post-its for people to write their own names so I won't misspell.

I have bookmarks and little booklets with a free Eaglekin short story to sample my writing.

And, yes, I have candy to draw folks to my table.

Oh yes, I have my books, marked with the price so no one will have to feel stupid by asking me the price. People really don't like doing that.

As long as I remember my lunch, water bottle, smile and confidence, it should be a good day.

I'll let you know tomorrow.

And definitely if you're in the area, stop by, I'd love to see a friendly face.

FOTCPL PRESENTS!
Meet the Authors & Illustrators
Book signings and free programs
featuring local authors and illustrators.
Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
6800 Main St.The Colony, TX 75056-1133

Wendy Watson

2009-09-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

I've interviewed another NTRWA pal for the Examiner. Wendy Watson. She is great. She gave a workshop for us once called "writing naked" which was very fun and extremely informative, but then she is a professor by day so she should be able to keep a bunch of students, fellow writers in this case, engaged.

Wendy's book Ice Scream, You Scream (love the title--though it makes me hungry) is out this week.

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM is the first in a series of cozy mysteries featuring
Tallulah Jones, proprietor of Remember the A-la-mode, who solves murders in
between scooping sundaes. In I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, Tally's got a
struggling business, a crumbling historic house, a two-timing ex, and a big ol'
mountain of debt. She's forced to swallow her pride and cater dessert for
a company picnic thrown by her ex Wayne and his new girlfriend Brittanie.
What's more, Tally's high school beau, Finn Harper, returns to town just in time
to witness Tally's disgrace. Then Brittanie drops dead, and everyone in
Dalliance, Texas, starts placing bets on whether Tally or Wayne killed
her. It's up to Tally to find the killer before she gets fitted for an
orange jumpsuit.

What is something most people don't know about you?

I'm an enormous geek. In high school, I hit the nerd trifecta: Quiz Bowl
team, competitive computer programming, and math summer camp. I'm
not ashamed of that, mind you, but given that I'm now in a more right-brained
field, my inner mathlete surprises some people.

Wendy Watson's next book in the series, SCOOP TO KILL, is due out next July (National Ice Cream Month!).I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM Launch Party, Denton Barnes & Noble - October 20, 7:30 p.m.Death By Decadence: A Chocolate Tasting and Book Signing (with Misa Ramirez), The Book Carriage in Roanoke - October 23

"Murder By Numbers: Plotting the Mystery Novel," (part of Mansfield Writes!), Mansfield Public Library - November 6, 7-9 p.m.

My pal Mary Malcolm

2009-09-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Mary is one of my NTRWA chapter mates and she is so sweet and funny. She's just one of those people that everyone likes to be around because she makes them feel great. Anyway she was generous enough to let me do an interview with her for my Examiner column, which I always like to reprint here.

Diner Girl has only been out a few short weeks yet it is already your publishers #1 Bestseller. How does that make you feel?

I don’t think back flips translate on paper very well, but that’s how I feel. I feel like a back flip. *grin* No, truly I am surprised/ecstatic/thrilled/terrified and have wet myself at least twice. Don’t judge me.

Tell us a little about Diner Girl.

Diner Girl is such a sweet little story. You can absolutely read the back cover blurb anywhere, so instead I’ll tell you about the behind the scenes story. I took a creative writing class with Von Jocks and wanted to write a romance novel. I’d been thinking about a situation for weeks, the idea of having to whether out a storm with a total stranger and how that would go. So, my thought was, what if this stranger turns out to be your perfect kindred soul but you’re so busy living your life that you don’t see it right away? That’s what Diner Girl was born from.

Jennifer is this busy-living-her-life waitress who wants to succeed on her own terms. Mark has more resources than he knows what to do with, yet can’t see his own passion past his believed obligations. When they come together, it is obvious to the reader pretty much from the beginning that these two were meant to be together, but they have to make it past their own pain, and reset their priorities before either can realize they are meant to fall in love. I love this concept. I think a lot of people can relate to that. Perhaps they’d met their perfect kindred soul but were so busy living their lives they forgot to “live” in their lives. I want Diner Girl to reflect the idea that life is short and you should embrace love when you find it. That’s my only goal for this book.

What's something most people don't know about you?

I can write backwards, in cursive, readably. I Love that about me. *grin*

Anything else you'd like to talk about?

Let’s talk about ducks. No, kidding. Mostly, I want to encourage people to follow their passions. When I started that creative writing class, I’d actually been on track to go to medical school. Math and science are easy for me and I’m naturally curious, so I had always wanted to be a doctor. Thing was, when I started writing, I found it consumed me. If there is something in your life that you Love, something that you would spend every spare moment doing if you could, then do it. Don’t be responsible. Forget about what others think or getting that bigger television or that cup-o’-java once a day. Follow your passion and believe that your love for it will make others love it, too.

Where can readers find you?

Well, of course my website. I’ll be attending the North Texas Two Step conference on November 6th and 7th. Um....Every third Saturday of the month, you’ll find me curled up with thirty of my closest friends at La Hacienda Ranch in Colleyville for the NTRWA meeting. When work permits, I attend the DFW Writers Workshop in Euless on Wednesday nights at 7:00 PM. Oh! I love this little coffee shop in Burleson, called J.J. Mocha’s. If anyone wants to e-mail me at: marymalcolm@yahoo.com, I’d love to set up a time when I’m not working to meet you there for a cup of coffee, or tea, and definitely a cup of their soup or a cinnamon roll. Mmm, love that place. Also, I practically Live at Central Market in Fort Worth. Truly. It is my Mecca and where I go to breathe. If you ever are in the area and want to breathe with me, I’d Love to meet you there!

Thank you, Mary, you are such a sweetie!

Saoirse Redgrave: A Tale of Werewolves

2009-09-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Saoirse Redgrave’s cell phone novel 13 to Life: A Werewolf’s Tale was picked up by St. Martin’s Press in a 3 book deal after taking first place in the 2008 Textnovel contest.

Teenage love, loss and--oh, yeah--Werewolves. Monsters are everywhere and what if the most frightening isn't a werewolf at all? Jessica's life seemed tragic enough since the loss of her mother, but meeting Pietr turns her world upside down again. The newest member of Junction High, Pietr has secrets to hide--secrets including dramatic changes he is undergoing that will surely end his life early.

Saoirse, you wrote 13 to Life in 5 weeks. Did you do several installments per day? How long did this novel end up being? I've heard the norm for Japanese cell phone novels are around 6000 characters. For St. Martin's to pick it up I imagine it would have to be longer. Beside any expected revisions and edits, did you have to change alot from text novel to traditional novel?

Because I was experimenting with the medium, I thought a lot about how I wanted to present things. I thought about limited time, schedules and readibility. I did a lot of odd jobs back in college (factory stuff and tour guiding mainly) and I thought about the schedules we kept on the line. Break time was freakishly short. So I decided to post 2 (occasionally 3-4 as we approached the contest's end) segments every day. One before work and one sometime in the afternoon. It kept me on the site's main page because I was updating relatively frequently. [I wanted bite-size chapters with a hook in the beginning and a cliffhanger at the end to keep it fresh in readers' minds. And I wanted readers to feel they'd contributed. I built a blog about the characters, added playlists, brief bios about the primaries, snippets of info about werewolves and the paranormal. And I posted a number of polls related directly to the action. The trick was posting the polls, getting the answers and then writing according to public opinion (and almost immediately). It kept me on my toes. The polls helped determine what both Derek and Pietr looked like, who the werewolves were, how Pietr's family wound up, who Jess went to Homecoming with and what the first dance was she and Pietr danced together to. It was fun!

The main things that changed in 13 to Life from the abbreviated TN version and what will release next year from SMP relate to subplots, description (I had more room to build the world and describe my characters), some important twists and a totally--totally--different ending that lines things up for book 2. Essentially I went from 50 pages to 350 pages--79,000 words, but the heart of the novel remained the same.

More with Saoirse Redgrave...

Rosemary Clement-Moore

2009-09-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Rosemary Clement-Moore is one of my RWA chapter mates and is also one of the sweetest people you'll meet. She helped me out with the first interview I did for Examiner.com but I wanted to leave a longer version of it here. She is also the 2009 Romance Writers of America’s Rita Heart winner in the Young Adult Category.

A lot of exciting things are happening for you recently. Hell Week took this year’s RWA RITA for YA and you also have a new book The Splendor Falls coming out this week. Tell us a little bit about Hell Week.

In Hell Week, aspiring investigative journalist Maggie Quinn gets around her colleges rule against freshman on the newspaper staff, by writing a story only a freshman can--she goes undercover during Sorority rush. She’s stunned to get a bid from the most exclusive, successful house on campus--but there’s more to the Sigma Alpha Xi’s than fraternity mixers and study parties. There’s something supernatural going on, and while Maggie’s targeting them with her girl detective mojo, something truly fiendish just might be targeting her.

I once saw a mother have to prod and practically pull her daughter over to speak with you because the 13-year-old was completely star-struck. You were so sweet to her. Is that a typical reaction from your fans?

I get reactions across the board. Some girls are flustered, some talk a mile a minute. I have to admit, whenever I hear a squeal of excitement, I always turn around to see who’s standing behind me. I suspect some of the shyness isn’t just star-struck-ness, but also that I’m a grown up, and they may think I don’t have time to talk to them. The secret is, I don’t feel much like a grown up, and I love to talk to readers, especially teens. One of the things I love best is when a girl tells me she feels like she’s found a friend in my character, or that she identifies with Maggie because she loves books, or because she’s a bit of a nerd, but still very happy with who she is. That’s the more rewarding than anything.

The Splendor Falls has been described as a modern gothic romance. Can you tell us more?

In the classic gothic novel, there are elements of horror and suspense in a gloomy old castle or ruin full of buried secrets and lurking dangers. The Splendor Falls follows the traditions of Daphne du Maurier and Mary Stewart, but with a thoroughly modern heroine. Sylvie is grieving the end of her dance career when she’s shuttled off to stay with her late father’s cousin in Alabama, in a ramshackle antebellum mansion where the past is a little too alive. When she starts seeing things that aren’t there--a girl in the woods, a watcher at a window--are these really ghosts, or is she losing her mind along with everything else?

You've been the driving force to get a Young Adult chapter of RWA established. What kind of benefits will this specialty chapter offer to authors?

The Romance Writers of America has a lot of practical advice and resources for published and unpublished writers of all sort of fiction--not just of what you think of as a Romance Novel (i.e., the clichéd couple in a clinch on the cover). A romantic subplot, after all, is hardly limited to one section of the bookstore, and the principles of writing apply across genres.

The purpose behind the YA chapter is to share information that’s more specific to authors of books aimed at the teens and young adults, considerations both in craft and in marketing. The YA genre is extremely strong right now, not just with teens, but adults, too.

Anything else you'd like to add?

If you’ve never read anything from the teen or YA shelves in the bookstore, you might be surprised by what’s there. It’s not all teen vampire romances. (Not that there’s anything wrong with those!) But “Grown ups” often dismiss something because it has “teen” on the spine. A young protagonist doesn’t mean it’s a “kid’s book.” The best novels are those that offer something to readers of every background and age. I got a letter recently from a woman who said she, her mother and her daughter all loved my books. What’s more awesome than three generations of fans!

Thank you so much, Rosemary. Rosemary can be found on Sept. 18th-20th at FenCon VI in Dallas.
--

Boot Hill

2009-06-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

Boot Hill in Tombstone is one of those places you gotta see at least once, even though it is very small. If you didn't want to linger, you could probably walk through the area within 5 minutes. It is well tended with a quiet somber atmosphere, even with a multitude of tourists strolling the ground with their cameras--it is the final resting place for several larger than life people after all. The graves are similarly marked with painted white wooden gravemarkers and black lettering, obviously not the orginal markers, which was a little disapointing. Most of the graves are piled high with stones, a few with gates around them. There are no brilliantly colored flowers, just the scrub brush and small cacti that are natural to the dusty desert region. Boot Hill really is a hill at the far edge of town, not a towering one but more of a sloping rise that has a great view of the plain beyond. In fact all the feet were planted facing the direction of the best view on the downward slope.

Evermore by Alyson Noel

2009-05-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine advised me to read Evermore because it had some eerily similar things in it to the manuscript I completed. Okay, my mouth was hanging open, unattractively at that, after reading the first couple of pages because Evermore's couple meets in the back of a high school classroom as the heroine takes a seat after being taunted by the popular girls. My couple meets in the back of a high school classroom as the heroine takes a seat after being taunted by the popular girls. Crrr-aaap!

Then I read on and the similarities ended, thank you very much, cuz I was literally dying and thinking I was going to have to rewrite everything. Ugh!

But the two stories have nothing in common so we are all good. Not that Ms. Noel had anything to worry about, it was all me, but you know...

Anyway, Evermore is a fantastic read with surprises. I like that. At first it seemed a lot like Twilight, you know, girl meets incredible looking boy who is mysterious and we think he is a vampire, only the actual writing is far tighter and better. Then just when I thought I had the plot pigeon-holed--BAM--it's not what I thought at all. I totally love being caught by surprise like that. Well done, well done. I can see why this book is so popular.

Trip to see my sisters

2009-05-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

My sister Bekie is the best. She flew myself and my younger sister Heather out to visit her in Arizona simply because she knew we needed it and wanted to see us. I can't begin to describe how much fun we have and how little sleep. You'd think we would have exhausted our topics after a few hours, but not us, we gabbed so much hours at a time flew by. It was heaven. No kids, no husband, no responsibilites. Here's some of the highlights:

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Newest Cover

2009-01-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

I love my newest cover. I think it captures the whole essense of the story with the horseman racing across the plains. Kimberlee Mendoza did the cover and I think she got it right on. What do you think?

Mum's the Word

2008-12-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

The first time I saw a true Southern mum, I grabbed my husband's arm and said, "What. Is. That?" This lithe teenage girl walked across the parking lot with a monstrosity of ribbons and jangling streamers and flowers and teddy bears exploding off her chest. I'd never seen anything like it and couldn't comprehend the purpose in torturing this poor young child.

Dear Heart glanced over. "Oh, yeah. It's Homecoming Week." As if that explained everything. Now, a few states up north where I was raised, we did corsages, dainty little flowers with baby's breath that we went to great pains to make sure our dates matched to our dresses. The wrist corsage was in favor as it didn't take away from our dresses.

However, the phrase "Everything is bigger in Texas" takes on legendary proportions when it comes to Homecoming mums. If it doesn't cover your entire chest, make you need a back brace and is so heavy it is held up by ribbons worn like a necklace, then it just doesn't cut it. There are one mum mums, two mum mums and then the whopper three mum mums. And do not believe for one minute that they are not a status symbol. People will spend $500 or more to have an outstanding mum. The more ribbons stacked upon each other the better. Said ribbons are stylized with writing of sports and grade level and school and whatever. The teddy bears are dressed in sports or cheerleading or whatever uniforms. Boas, mediallions, cow bells, whistles, bubble blowers hang down with the ribbons.

And don't think that boys are spared from these torture devices or the "your girlfriend doesn't love you so much" if their mums are not very big vibe. They wear mums strapped to their forearms with garters. Then the mums are worn all day at school, to the football game and then to the dance. Pity the students walking the halls with no mums or smaller $50 versions. Sheesh.

As my Texan born and bred children (I'm the only non-Texan in our family) are sprouting into teenagehood, I've come to terms with the fact that like many parents here who aren't about to fork over hundreds of dollars for these superflucous flowers, I'm going to need to learn how to make them and the gawdier the better. Fortunately, the craft stores have everything on hand to create the busiest, heaviest mums that will make any teenagers chest look like it just threw up a stomachful of ribbons. Here's my first mum creations, completely white and silver since that is the color signifying Seniors. We went for the gawdy three mum mum. I have to admit I enjoyed turning the little bear into Drill team bear with the little hat and boots. Everything else I just rolled my eyes at as A kept saying, "more, more, more ribbons, mom."

2008-12-05T15:12:00.000-08:00

Playin around with a banner maker. This is a free one from Bannersketch I made for my Dear Heart's band. Not bad for someone who's never made a banner before.

Legend of the Seeker (now that I've seen it)

2008-11-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

(picture from
Legend of the Seeker website)

So, did I love it or hate it? Well, neither. But I did enjoy it. My expectations were low because I knew they would have to take liberties with the script. I doubt it's possible to put everything from the book into play. So all in all, they did a fairly nice job and it was better than I'd hoped. That said, there were two things that really did bother me.

First: Richard's personality. Okay, I get that for TV, growth of a character has to be quickly shown, but I'm sorry, the Richard I know would never be that whiny and scream for Kahlan and Zedd to get away from him. Would never happen. He loved Kahlan from the moment he saw her and he already had the curiousity and fundamental nature of a Seeker. Remember, a Seeker chooses himself. Okay, so now that I said that bugged me, I also will say that towards the end of the second episode, his personality was settling in better so if he continues on that route, all is forgiven. I completely loved the fight scene at the end by the boundary and could really envision the Dance with Death. Well done. I have to wonder if viewers who haven't read Wizard's First Rule would have liked the fight scene as well.

Second: He didn't already have the Book of Counted Shadows? What? The fact that Richard already had it and had it memorized and burned it years before is a huge part of not only the first book, but also the last in the series. Wow. I can't believe he didn't memorize it. What, is his latent magic going to grant him the ability to all of a sudden know it from looking at one page? It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Those were the two things that had me shaking my head. The other little things like Richard not knowing Zedd and no scene of the heart hounds and Adie having both feet and not saying anything about the bones or Chase's daughter being kidnapped, well, minor changes, whatever. Changes were expected.

Now for what I did liked. Well, just the enjoyment of revisiting these characters and a world I'm crazy about. The casting was all well done, they all look and act the part, except some minor details in eye color. Brown is not gray and blue is not green. The beautiful scenery. So beautiful and so right for this world. I would have liked the People's Palace in D'Hara to be less dark and I really would have liked to have seen some Mord-siths in red leather just out of the corner of my eye, but that will come. I also really appreciated the little attention to detail by the actors playing Kahlan and Darken Rahl. Did you see Darken Rahl lick his fingertips and then place them on his lips? Excellent! And just after the battle scene when Richard helps Kahlan up after he saved her, she gives him that tight little closed mouth smile that he always says is her special smile she gives only to him. Melt my heart perfect.

And the last thing I'm enjoying is that the series has gotten me to take Wizard's First Rule off of the shelve and re-read it. I glanced at the copyright day and was floored to see it came out in 1994. Fourteen years ago. That's crazy. I read it shortly after it came out (one of my better hmm-guess-I'll-try-this-author-out choices). For some dumb reason it felt like I'd only started the series a couple of years ago because it is one of those stories that I remembered so well, or at least I thought I had. I'm halfway through it and I'm amazed at how many little things I did remember, but also at how many things I'd forgotten as well, like the blood flies and Kahlan's sister and trying to kill herself, but I'm also loving all the clues that were dropped by Zedd that I didn't catch the first time.

So, am I gonna keep watching? Well, duh, Tivo's set. And for anyone who has never picked up the Sword of Truth series. You have missed out, my friend, or not, because books are immortal. Go buy it. I'd loan you mine, but you'll want your own copy.

Eat Right 4 Your Type

2008-10-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

The Sword of Truth

2008-10-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth Series. While I was watching Supernatural last night (yes, another of my sappy indulgences) this commercial came on promoting a new Sci Fi channel series called Legend of the Seeker. I didn't catch on that it was the beloved characters of Richard Cypher Rahl and Kahlan Amnell until he said her name. I hit rewind on my Tivo control and watched it several more times to be sure. Holy crap. I never would have imagined that The Sword of Truth would, or could, be made into a series. It's too good, too involved. I hope, I hope, I hope that it doesn't bite. The books are so so so so good.
Check out the Legend of the Seeker page

Unleash your Story

2008-08-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

My son Chase has cystic fibrosis so when I found out that there was a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation that involved writing and reading, I was in.

My goal is to write at least 15,000 words through the month of September. If you would like to join me and write your own goal of words written or words read for you readers, join in the fun.

I've also decided to donate my book proceeds for this month to the Foundation. I won't get a statement on how many books sold for several months though so you'll need to comment or email me if you buy one of my books so I can get the money in to the fundraiser faster.

Support my efforts!
Thank you for your support. Chase wouldn't have the quality of life he has without kind people like you.

2008-06-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

As an Officer on her drill team this year, Alannah got to choreograph and teach the little girls one of the dances for their junior dance camp. She had a great time teaching them. Here's the dance.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Take a Front Row Seat to Suspense

2008-06-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

That's Jordan Dane's slogan and last month I did just that. I had a front row seat to one of her workshops hosted by The North Texas Chapter of RWA.

First let me say, I was already a fan of her writing. As a reviewer for PNR reviews, I got access to her "No One" series. Excellent, excellent books that span several genres, mytery and suspense for sure, and romance with that happily ever after we want for the tortured couple. She writes gritty and funny and romantic all at the same time.

What I didn't already know was that Jordan Dane's personality is just as hysterical and out there as her writing, okay maybe without real life murder or crime bosses surrounding her, but you know what I mean. I really enjoyed her workshop and got alot out of it.

Although I took copious notes, I'm not going to re-write them here because that would just be rude. You can get the gist of them from her website though, which is one of the better ones I've seen. I emailed her once saying I was jealous of her newsletter layout to which she emailed back with, "newsletter envy, not pretty".

My favorite advice that I got from her was that she likes to start her story with the reader rooting for the wrong people. She'll identify them in a nutshell that doesn't portray them as very likeable. For example, one of her heroines is writing a letter to blackmail her boss when we first meet her--not endearing at all, until layer upon layer we find out her reasons are for the right reason and by the end of the first chapter, we love her.

It these little nuggets that makes Jordan Dane one of my new favorite writers. Check out her fab website here.
My review of No One Heard Her Scream

New Layout

2008-06-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

Do you like the new layout of the blog? I adore it. The Cutest Blogs on the Block has great designs that are easy to use. You ought to go check them out.