Warrior and the Sparrow has a home

I signed the contract on Warrior and the Sparrow last night. *smile* I'll let everyone know the publishing date as soon as it's given to me.
One less thing to worry about. *grins*
Now time to embrace the next series I'm researching right now. A five book series with a strong thread that will tie the five together. Plus several other plots and subplots to thread together. Yes. A lot of work. But well worth it.
Creativity sparks a part of people that lights up their soul.
As for Warrior and the Sparrow...I'll wait for a publishing date. But I'll have to fill out forms for ideas on artwork and whatnot. Title information. And then *sigh* editing. This being my longest venture up until this point in time, 90,000 words or so, and I'm dreading the editing.
I love my people. There's no doubt. But after you sit with the same folks for days on end and fine-tune everything about them and everything around them, you're rather ready for them to stand on their own.
It would be like having your best friends stay with you for two or three weeks and spending every waking second with them.
Oye. Yeah. Like that.
At least I can take a break from that with my other people.
Grins*

Lisbeth Salander

Fractured but not broken.
I love this character. Love. Her.
Sure. She's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." But she's also so damn complex. She's brilliant but socially inept. Her mind is amazing. She's been abused repeatedly but always maintains who she is. Never deviating from her own personal code.
I envy Stieg Larsson for breathing life into her. For shaping an incredible character who breaks stereotypes and survives on her terms.
I read somewhere that Stieg had planned a lengthy set of books for this series but passed before they could be completed. So I'll console myself with his works left behind and a character that has left an indelible mark on me.
Grins*

What Middle Chicken and I IM about

----- Our chat on Mon, 7/26/10 4:50 PM -----

MIDDLE CHICKEN (4:47 PM): Wanna know what i just realized? >.> the rudolph the red nosed reindeer song doesn't make sense.you know how when you drive and your lights are on you can't MIDDLE CHICKEN (4:47 PM): See because it bounces off the fog? The 'rudolph with your nose so bright won't you drive my sleigh tonight? ' part is just like that >.>his nose wouldn't help
MIDDLE CHICKEN (4:47 PM): Santa at all <.< so kids are being told lies all over north america O.O
CHRYS (4:47 PM): lol
CHRYS (4:47 PM): but....rudolph's nose is red. it would cut down on the glare immensely. wouldn't be like putting your brights on in the fog. >.>
MIDDLE CHICKEN (4:50 PM): Not the point.<.<
CHRYS (4:50 PM): so noted

What a wondrous weekend

I didn't work Friday since I had to work Saturday. And let me tell you, I wasn't much looking forward to it. But Saturday, even occupationally, turned out to be a good day. A lovely gentleman, regular customer, brought me fresh tomatoes from his garden. And my ex-coworker chickie brought me a Cranberry Limeade from Sonic, and we caught up for quite some time and laughed until my stomach hurt.
Then I packed up my stuff and headed for the Honey's as I am wont to do on the weekends. Dinner was made. Impossible cheeseburger pie and shells and cheese. And guess what??? As soon as I arrived, there was a beanie baby gecko! He looks JUST like the Geico Gecko. *grins*
His birth certificate said his name was "Gus", but I reject that. So I've renamed him Giles. Actually, Giles Geoffrey Gecko. Or Triple G for his homies. *grins*
Then after dinner, I was told to close my eyes and go sit on the couch. Which I did. Apparently it was Christmas in July. Who knew? Because the Honey bought me a laptop. *tear*
Let me tell you...I've had my other laptop for almost three years. The cord was starting to trip out and not want to stay in the laptop to charge which was stressful when I hit full writing Mode and didn't want to dick with it. Or keep looking down to see if I was charging to break my concentration.
So I have a wicked beautiful new laptop, and Giles, the Gecko who would rule the world.
No wonder I'm able to tolerate this Monday so well.
Grins*

In the stylings of...

...others.
Here's the website du jour for writers: http://iwl.me/
Click on that. Submit a sample of your writing. Ta da! You get a comparison of the work you submitted likened to a famous author. My regular blogs are similar to Stephen King. My blog about Warrior and the Sparrow compared me to Margaret Atwood. And my diatribe about Dr. Who? That would be Douglas Adams. My concise review of Undead and Unfinished? I'm the next Stephenie Meyer.
I'll admit. I was EXCITED at first. Wow. Who do I write like? What can I find out?
Um, that would be nothing. I found out nothing.
This site takes keywords and subjects and then matches you up with a writer who is similar.
Who do I REALLY write like?
Myself.
Grins*

Fair Trade

Hello lovely readers!!!

Tell me something about yourself. Right now you're just a lovely number on my sitemeter. What do you do? What do you like? To read? To eat? To do in your spare time? Do you have pets? You gotta have at least one quirk--share it with me. *grins* I have several.
How did you find me? Were you looking for me or "takes her clothes off for money" chickie? What state are you from?
What do you want to read on here?
And for my part in all this:
I'm just me. Voracious reader. The smartass gene is dominant. Writing another series of books. I dream big. I work hard. I'm the person who will look in your medicine cabinet. I'm in major advertising lust with the Geico Gekko. I know. I have issues. He's just so damn cute!!! I want to take him and set him on the table and have discussions with him. But I digress.
I think I'm like a butterfly.
Hold me too tight, and you'll crush my wings or smother me. Hold me softly, and some of my color may rub off on you.
Grins*

Five Book Series

Well. I did it.
I reopened the literary floodgates. *grins*
And I am well pleased.
Not only did I work on the first book in the series, but I researched some of the others, too. I have dialogue and scenes. Plots and subplots. Some of it is just pouring out of me. And I love it!
So that's what I did on my "vacation" days Thursday and Friday.
Just a fantastic feeling to be creating stories again, my friends. Fantastic. I hope to finish Book 1 by October 1st.
We shall see.
Grins*

Literary Utopia

I've missed it terribly.
The freedom to open a document and type to my heart's content and feel good about what I've written.
But I'm back!!!
OMG...and I'm feeling freakin' fantastic!
Wrote for four and a half hours today. Took notes. In fact, I still have my notes and document open because bits and pieces are still coming to me.
Working on another four-book series. Well, actually five since the fifth is the Epilogue.
I love my characters. I think the stories are brilliant. I absolutely am enjoying every word I'm typing and every scene I'm creating.
It's been too damn long.
But the literary drought is over.
I'm hard at it and feeling on top of the world!
Grins*

Indecision

I am not, by nature, an indecisive person. I see what I want/what must be done, and I do. Period.
So why, for the love of all that's good in the world, do I not know which story I want to work on at the end of this week when I have two precious/sacred days off? (And yes, the answer to your unspoken question is: The backslash is my friend. K?)
I have MT which is the last story I worked on. But there are SIGNS. No...keep the tinfoil off your head. I'm just saying...I feel like I'm being pushed in another direction. And *deep breath* it's another four-book series.
Is that why I just want to shrivel up like a raisin in the hot sun of my literary dilemma? Am I drawing odd fruit comparisons??? YES to both!
There is so much research involved with the four-book series. And while I embrace the theory, *grins* the practice makes my eye twitch sometimes. I want to WRITE!
But with so many threads, I have to sort before I sew. Ya know?
Oye. And the sorting--it is a large and daunting prospect.
But if not now, when? I feel like THIS is the time to take this on. And I always go with my gut.
SO...*massive hyperventilating sigh*...I suppose I'll break out the books that I need to make notes and start culling information to weave into my stories.
Oh, and did I mention that there's actually five total with the fifth being a lengthy epilogue-type piece?
Grins*

I have a new toy

And no...it isn't one of those. Though if I DID get a new toy (one of those), I doubt I would advertise said toy on my blog. Unless I was feeling frisky. But really...when am I NOT feeling frisky? So now I must ponder. If I DO get a new toy (which implies I have at least one or more old toys--heh)...would I share with the masses?
But I digress. For now. Breathe deeply, people.
I'm referring to my new technological toy...Microsoft OneNote.
Holy shit. I'm in Microsoft lust.
It comes in Microsoft 2010 suite, and it's freakin' awesome!!!
I can title a page and then open up tabs and import stuff from the Internet, and I LOVE IT!!!
Normally I take my notes down in notebooks, post-it notes (I LOVE post-it notes), and sticky things on pages of books I need.
And while I still may do some of that, I cannot tell you how happy I am to have all my info at my fingertips with a click of the tab.
*trying not to hyperventilate here*
How fantastic is it going to be to be able to refer back to my notes without digging? Sure, I color-coordinated my post-it notes per hero/heroine/book.
Shup.
But now I can just click and voila! I'm all up in it.
Love. It.
It will make my multi-tasking that much easier. And isn't that what the ol' laptop is for?
Well, that and keeping up with my friends on FB.
Grins*

There's an app for that

Numbers vary per electronic device, but there are tens of thousands of apps out there.
Some are useful and timely. Some are useless and time-consuming. Let's have a look, shall we?
Stupid/Worthless/Why the HELL did I buy this apps:
1. Rate a Fart 2.0: Not only can you enjoy the sound of over 700 melodious flatulent individuals, you can upload your own and share with friends!
2. ipickuplines: For example--Your eyes are as blue as my toilet water back home.
3. igirl she obeys: for the repressed male user. (I hope there's a screen protector on your electronic device. ick)
4. Wooo! Button: Yeah. That's what it does. Says "Wooo!" (What? Now our vocal cords are incapable?)
The examples are numerous and, quite honestly, revolting.
But the flipside?
There is also a world of apps that will rock your socks. Apps for documents and reading. Making music and storing a whole classroom of information.
So where's the line? And how fine a line is it???
I started thinking about this while reading CNN and finding an app that tells users when to reapply sunscreen. Something people have, obviously, been doing for decades.
Have we reached that point? Honestly? A place where an app should tell us when to apply sunscreen? Wash our hair? Feed the cat? Hug our children?
How many pieces of minutiae throughout our day must be spoon fed to us? And when will we begin to choke on it or, God forbid, welcome it?
Independence and individualism are priceless. Listening to people fart and sharing your own? That'll be ninety-nine cents.
Grins*

Relationship Chameleons

I have a couple people I know who are pulling this right now. Morphing into something the person that they're seeing wants. Forsaking sense of self for someone else's pleasure/opinion.
This bothers me.
First of all, let's take into consideration that if you don't know who YOU are...then how in the hell can you offer anything to someone else?
Second of all, if you DO know who you are...then why in the hell are you forsaking that for someone else?
Third of all, if you're forsaking pieces of yourself to make another happy...then you're selling yourself supremely short. And if you sell yourself short, my friends, you'll always find a buyer.
Compromise is one thing. Full-blown martyrdom is bullshit.
A relationship is two whole beings fitting together to make something beautiful while still retaining self.
It's not puzzle pieces from two different puzzles mashed together to try and fit when it obviously doesn't.
I'm reminded of the Runaway Bride with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. (They should have stuck with Pretty Woman...just saying).
Julia Robert's character lost herself so completely when she was with her partner du jour that she hadn't a clue who she really was. If they liked scrambled eggs, then so did she. Whether she really did or not.
That's overwhelmingly sad.
Each person has an infinite value unto his/herself. This value should magnify when with the one he/she professes to love. It shouldn't diminish.
No one said it was easy.
But, damn it, it's worth it. And so are you.
Grins*

Undead and Unfinished

I couldn't have been more pleased when I discovered MaryJanice Davidson and the Undead series.
But then enthusiasm waned a bit. I didn't much care for her Mermaid series. Read two of those and didn't bother with the third.
So, with a bit of trepidation, I picked up Undead and Unfinished.
Let me say that this is, by far, one of the best--if not THE best, book in the series. Pick it up. Wallow in its cleverness, snarkiness, and all that is Betsy The Vampire Queen.
And now that I've indulged myself with a worthwhile book, I'm off to work on some of my own.
Have a fantastic and safe holiday weekend!
Grins*

Can you hear me now?

Writing is subjective. Reading is subjective.
We, as readers and writers, know what we like. It's there in every purchase we make or consider making.
But my likes are not your likes. They can criss and cross, intersect on occasion, but tastes are as individual as, well, individuals.
As a writer, I take this in stride. If I didn't, I would assume and retain the fetal position on a daily basis. My feelings would be hurt to the point of incapacitating me. I would simply give up.
That's not me.
You can like what I write. You can hate what I write. Point is: I LOVE what I write. *grins*
It comes from a creative part of me that is connected to every cell I have.
I could try and borrow someone else's voice or writing pattern. I could mimic bestselling authors on the NY Times list. I could...change.
But I refuse. My voice is my own. My ideas are my own. My mistakes...MINE ALL MINE!!! LOL
A writer is only truly a writer when he/she creates the story of his/her heart and soul. No matter the packaging. No matter the opinions of others. No matter...no matter. *smile*
So let me clear my throat and prepare to breathe life into the dozen or so stories I've started but have yet to finish because I was trying to be someone I'm not, and in the process, blocked off my creativity.
But I'm back.
Grins*