Disappearing Act & Excerpts

I'm sorry for dropping off the face of the blog earth...again. Life got a bit hectic with the holidays, sicknesses, new home, and work. Spare time to blog has been a rare commodity. I've still tried to pop into your blogs periodically and hopefully that will continue.

I've started two new writing projects and am devoting my time to learning the craft (No, not witchcraft). So...I'll be away for a while still. I'll miss you all, and can't wait to catch up once things settle down a bit.

In the meantime...here are excerpts from my current WIPs.

Phoenix - Paranormal Romance:

Sera checked her reflection in the rearview mirror. She knew her makeup was flawless, she’d taken an extra twenty-minutes to make sure of it. She had opted for a black pencil skirt and turquoise peep-toe pumps that showed off her tanned legs nicely. She undid another button on her white blouse, letting the hint of white lacey bra show. Then she rebuttoned it.

She was going for sexy, not slutty, she reminded herself. She felt foolish, dressing up for a man just because the last time he’d seen her she’d been in a t-shirt, torn jeans, and mud. She didn’t need to prove that she was attractive. She knew she had that appeal to certain men.

But it was just one man she wanted to make drool today.

She stepped out of the van and opened the back doors. She grabbed the cake board and grunted as she lifted the heavy cake, careful to keep the black and red icing away from her shirt.

“Do you need a hand?”

The voice startled her. The cake slid and a black line of icing pressed against her breasts.

Great. Could she just once not jump out of her skin when she heard his voice?

Aidan walked over and grabbed the cake from her. She looked down and saw her perfectly pressed shirt ruined. She saw Aidan was looking at her breasts too. She arched her right eyebrow when his gaze raised to hers.

“Hey. It’s not my fault. I’m a man with a pulse, we can’t help but notice black smears.”

She smiled and tried not to laugh at herself. Why had she even bothered trying to impress this guy? Apparently anything with boobs would do.


Artless - Young Adult Romance

Alice figured she'd survived twelve first days of high school. And she was only a sophomore.

The worst part of first days, even worse than the stares and the muttering, was giving her introduction.

So here she stood in front of her Math class, deciding where she should be from this time.

Georgia?

No. Then she'd have to use an accent and that hadn't been fun three- no, four schools ago.

Hawaii?

Yeah right. Like anyone would believe her pale skin ever saw the sands of a beach.

"I'm from North Dakota," she heard herself say. Well, too late to take it back now. She'd just have to do some research on North Dakota, and fast.

Royalty Statements

Lynn Viehl is a truly remarkable person and writer.

If you don't believe me, check out this post she just put up on Genreality. What a brave woman, and what a wonderful snapshot for us aspiring authors to see how the business side of writing works.

Thank you for sharing this with us, Lynn!

NaNo Update

I decided to do it...50,000 words and non-stop craziness.

I started out strong the first two days (my days off) and started to slump since. I think I'm about 1,000 words behind.

Here was my plan -

• Wake up at 4:00 and write for one hour, then go to work.
• Write (and maybe eat some too) during my lunch break.
• Play with my daughter after work and then write some more after she goes to bed.

Here is what actually happened -

• Hit the snooze button repeatedly, then later in the week actually change the time to be later...much later.
• Write during my lunch break - okay...this one was done.
• Play with my daughter after work and then watch some of my favorite shows...then get a couple hundred words in.

Yep, not up to a fantastic start...but I keep thinking I'll make it up on my days off of work. I mean, I should be able to get about ten thousand words in on Monday. Right???

Here are some other ladies who have blogged about their experience much more eloquently.

• Natalie Bahm
• Karen Amanda Hooper
• Lynn Viehl

And I'm sure there are so many more...but I lost them after reading them in google reader. Yes, I've been a lurker this week.

Now, should I change my alarm back to it's original eye-blearing time?

Are you doing NaNo? How is your progress? What is your writing schedule?

Writing the Where

I visited Alcatraz last Thursday. It was a foggy morning, giving the island an eerie feeling as it appeared (not that Alcatraz needs any help to make it feel eerie).

I took pictures as we walked the path to the cell-block and other buildings of the island. I kept thinking how it was awful that I didn't have a book planned for this setting. I would've been able to use those pictures to create a detailed setting. I'd have been able to accurately describe the rusted and broken top of the water tower, the green moss climbing ten feet up a rock face, and the red roof of the guard tower.

The details in our settings ground us in the story, making us feel that the place (and so the characters) could exist.

Of course, it is much easier to create a vivid setting when you have been to that location. I struggle with real life locations and so prefer to create my own whenever possible. But I still have to make sure the details are right for what hints I want the reader to get about my characters and what emotions I want to evoke.

Do you prefer to write real or made up settings?

Good To Know You

Visit Give a Girl a Pen to see my Good To Know You post.

Nanowrimo

I've started thinking about Nanowrimo.

I didn't participate last year and I'm seriously thinking about doing it this year. I've started thinking about the characters I want to write about. Deciding on names and vocations, strengths and flaws. I'm getting more and more excited as it gets closer. And more and more scared at the daunting challenge of it.

Are you going to participate in Nanowrimo? What are you doing to prepare?

I'm Insane

I've decided I am insane. No, the voices in my head didn't tell me. I figured it out all on my own.

I'm insane because tomorrow I am flying with my one-year old. That's right, I will be trapped on a plane with my daughter and whatever snacks I bring along (good luck getting an extra bag of peanuts from the airline). And I paid money to have the experience!

I'm also insane because I decided to write a novel over a year ago. And it has stayed with me. The novel haunts me during meetings, in the shower, and just before I fall asleep. The characters act out in my mind, creating their world and beliefs and values. They develop into people I hate and love. And I also love the process of creating them.

What about writing your novel has been haunting you lately?