Christine Rains - Guest Post

When Christine Rains suggested a post on being a writer mom, my first thought was--yes, please! As a mom of four sons, I wanted any advice I could to help me in this writing venture.

Thanks, Christine, for guest posting! Take it away... 

BEING A WRITER MOM By Christine Rains

I just sat down in my office chair to write and something crunched. Standing up, I stared down at the Cheerios. A few of them were soggy. When? How? I don't know. I went into the kitchen to fetch a dishtowel and almost walked into the open cupboards. All the cupboards were open, and in each one, there were more Cheerios. Writing would have to wait.

This is the life of a writer mom. Things have a way of popping up to prevent you from writing. The characters in your head aren't patient either. They demand attention in the same way a toddler does: by talking really loud or leaving messes in your mind which keep you from focusing on anything else.

Being a writer and a mom requires strict time management. You need to grab what little free time you have and make the most of it. This includes a few minutes here and a few minutes there. It might also mean staying up later after the children are in bed or waking up before they do. Yet for those of you who don't like to miss any precious sleep time like me, you need to find alternative ways to gain time to write.

If you're lucky to have an understanding partner and/or family available to watch the kids, don't feel guilty for taking advantage of them. You can return the favor later on. Letting yourself indulge in some writing time allows you to find some level of sanity, and you're able to better cope with everything else.

Make a schedule and stick to it. I realize sometimes this is impossible, but having a schedule will allow you to focus on one thing at a time rather than having your mind scattered. For example, the morning is spent with the kids running errands and a play-date. After lunch, maybe the little ones go down for a nap and the older kids can watch a favorite show. That's your time to write. Just knowing that hour is coming up really helps get you through the day.

The best piece of advice I've been given by other parents is to carry around a notebook. I didn't think this would work for me. I'm not a note-taking kind of gal. I was certain I'd remember all my brilliant ideas and write about them later. Nope. Children will suck your brain clean. I'm lucky to remember which day it is sometimes.

Remember, you're not alone as a parent nor as a writer. Connect with other writers and find out what works for them. You can write a book even if you're chasing after a toddler all day. Good luck with your writing and finding all the Cheerios.

Title: 1301 – The Marquis

Author: Christine Rains

Genre: paranormal romance

Release date: December 13^th, 2012

Blurb:

Life after Hell isn't more exciting than watching football and fixing a busted pipe. Once a powerful demon, Marc enjoys his quiet existence and a good cup of coffee. With big ambitions to gain his master's favor, a trickster demon named Vetis shatters Marc's peace and vows to deliver Marc's head to the fires of Hell. Not before he destroys everything Marc cares about, of course.

Marc's power has diminished over the years. Heaven will never grant him absolution, and he refuses to return to Hell. Running isn't an option. The city of Carmine is his territory. It's also home to his favorite cafe owner, Mae Hopkins. The dame has a lovely smile, but it's her heart and soul that shine bright.

While his city burns and his love is captured, Marc must decide to surrender or let hate and anger fuel him to become the fearsome beast he so loathes: The Marquis. If the Marquis rises, Vetis can be defeated and Mae saved, but Marc would be lost to his demon forever.

Author Bio:

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of S.C.I.F.I. The 13^th Floor series is her first self-published series. She also has two novellas and sixteen short stories published.

Sites to find Christine lurking about

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Purchase Links for 1301 The Marquis
Amazon

Smashwords
Kobo
B&N

Express Yourself - Favorite Holiday Songs

The question Dani and I came up with for this week's Express Yourself Meme is....


What are a few of your favorite holiday songs?








I love music so this was hard for me to keep it under control. In no particular order, some of my fav holiday songs are:

Little Drummer Boy

We Three Kings

Silent Night

Jingle Bell Rock


What are some of your special songs you love to listen to during the holidays?

Cover Reveal - The Devil's Triangle

Toni De Palma's cover reveal for The Devil's Triangle is here! Take a look at it, and the book blurb. Amazing. I can't wait to get my hands on this!

The Devil's Triangle

by Toni De Palma

When 17 year old Cooper dies in an attempt to burn down his school, he finds himself in the afterlife. Lucy, the Devil's sister who has crossed party lines, decides to give Cooper another shot at heaven. The deal? Cooper returns to Earth and has to find a girl named Grace. The rest is up to him.

While Cooper figures out his mission, he's thrown into the life he's always wanted. Great parents, a spot on the Varsity football team and a real future are all within reach. But what he really wants is Grace, a feisty girl with an abusive boyfriend that can pound Cooper into pulp if he doesn't watch out.

While Lucy plays demonic-puppeteer, clues to an unknown past between Cooper and Grace start to unravel. Cooper discovers that what's keeping he and Grace apart is far more sinister than anything this bad boy could have ever imagined.

ISBNs

978-1-939173-03-4Devil’s Triangle print

978-1-939173-04-1Devil’s triangle Ebook

You can find Toni and The Devil's Triangle by clicking on the following sites:

Goodreads Website Twitter Facebook

Fraction of Stone - character interviews and cover reveal

It's time for Kelley Lynn's reveal for FRACTION OF STONE. I'm so excited for her! 

But first, a few words from Kelley and a fun interview with her characters....

Thanks for helping me out with my cover reveal Jackie! Hopefully you'll all like getting to know Rydan and Akara better, since Jackie was able to get them to stop for a few minutes on their journey. Jackie, take it away!

Jackie: Who's your celebrity crush?

Rydan: Hmm, this is a great question, Jackie. *winks*. In Casden there are quite a few celebrities. I would have to say one of my favorite is Siveen. She is one of the most talented gypsies I have ever seen.

Akara: *roles her eyes*

Rydan: *laughs* Why are you rolling your eyes?

Akara: No doubt her talent is beauty.

Rydan: *laughs* You know me so well. *nudges Akara and gets no reaction. Looks back at Jackie.* Siveen is quite talented too though.

Jackie: Do you have a favorite superhero?

Rydan: *Looks at Akara* She's not really that talkative. I'll go first again. I guess my favorite superhero would have to be the leader of my people, Hermiscus. He's a strong and determined man, always looking out for us. We had a little misunderstanding but after we iron out some things everything will be right again.

Akara: A little misunderstanding? He's trying to kill us.

Rydan: *nervously laughs* Akara, you're exaggerating. He is not.

Akara: ....

Rydan: How about the next question? 

Jackie: Of the two, would you rather snow ski or water ski?

Rydan: I have never heard of these. What is snow? I do like water. So perhaps I would like that better. What about you Akara?

Akara: *shrugs* I would rather just be left alone so we can continue on.

Rydan: Well... *smiles at Jackie* Sorry about her. Next question?

Jackie: What's your favorite Girl Scout cookie?

Rydan: *looks at Akara and shakes head after she doesn't answer* I have never heard of this particular kind of cookie, but the palace cooks make the best food. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite but they have to be warm. *smiles widely and gives Akara a friendly shake* Come now Akara, you must have a favorite cookie.

Akara: *Looks at Rydan, then at Jackie* I've never eaten what you two are talking about. 

Rydan: No way? You've never had a cookie? Well, we'll have to fix that later tonight.

Jackie: If you could, for one day, be a rock star or a doctor, which would you choose?

Rydan: A... rock star? I have never heard of this. *belly laughs* That is one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Is there a star inside a rock? Or a rock in the shape of a star? Do people do this as a profession? I am so confused *laughs, eyes sparkling*

Akara: *Shrugs at Jackie* Rydan actually makes a pretty good doctor.

Rydan: *laughing immediately stops* Thanks Akara. I think that might be the first compliment I've ever gotten from you.

Akara: We've only known each other three days.

Rydan: True. *laughs*

Jackie: Word association time! What's the first thought that comes to mind when I say the following:

**Hot air balloon

Rydan: What?

Akara: *Shakes head*

**Waffles

Rydan: Oh, how I wish I could have a good palace breakfast. Someday soon. *rubs stomach*

Akara: What are those?

**Romeo & Juliet

Rydan: I have never heard of these two. Are they your people, Akara?

Akara: *shakes head* Not that I ever heard.

**Christmas lights

Rydan: Hmm, must admit. I've never heard of this one either.

Akara: *shrugs*

**Canteen

Rydan: Water. *takes his off his horse* Would you like some?

Akara: We need that Rydan. 

Rydan: *brows scrunch* We'll find more Akara. She looks thirsty. *brushes hair out of his face and winks at Jackie*

Akara: *waits for Jackie to finish* Okay, now we really should go. Who knows who's looking for us.

Rydan: *nods* Good point. Well it was nice meeting you Jackie. Hopefully we'll have more time to talk after everything settles down a bit!

Fraction of Stone by Kelley Lynn

Release Date: March 21st, 2013 

by Sapphire Star Publishing
Genre: YA Fantasy

Book Description:

Wind tunnels, torrential rains and earthquakes tear apart Casden. The cause of the world’s imbalance is unknown, but the mounting occurrences suggest there’s little time before life ceases to exist.

Rydan Gale and Akara Nazreth are the only humans with the ability to wield magic. The tattoo on their necks and the discovery of an ancient book, dictate they are the key to the world’s survival.

But the greatest obstacle for saving mankind isn’t the bizarre creatures, extreme betrayals and magic-fearing men hunting them.

It’s that Akara doesn’t believe the world is worth saving. 

Goodreads

Book Trailer:

To embed in blog post paste this into your html:

About the Author:

Eventually the day came when the voices in Kelley Lynn’s head were more insistent then her engineering professor’s. So instead of turning to her Thermodynamics book, Kelley brought up a blank page on her computer screen and wrote. Somewhere along the way she became a Young Adult author.

Kelley was born and raised a Midwestern girl. She’s not afraid to sweat and fills her free time with softball, soccer and volleyball. (Though you probably don’t want her on your volleyball team.) She occasionally makes guest appearances as a female vocalist for area bands.

You can find Kelley hanging out at her blog, titled in her name, as well as the group blog she shares with her fellow critique partners, Falling for Fiction. Kelley is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

Kelley Lynn's Links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Express Yourself - Dream Winter Getaway

The Express Yourself question of the week that Dani and I came up with is....

What would your dream winter getaway be?

This one is easy. A tropical island.

Yep, you read that right.

I don't want to go where there's snow, though I have been skiing long ago and it was fun. And, sure, romance surrounding a cabin and fire with hot cocoa sounds divine
But....

...warm weather is where it's at for me.

Beaches. Swimming. Sunrises and sunsets over the ocean. Tropical drinks. The smell of sunscreen mixed with the salty air. Warm, tingling skin.

I'm in heaven already.


  
(Photos courtesy of my wonderful beta. Aren't her pics gorgeous? The 1st one is in the Cayman Islands and the 2nd is in Curacao. Thanks so much, Kimmy, for letting me display them!)


How about you? What's your dream winter getaway?

IWSG - Dec Post #9

It's IWSG time. Its purpose is to encourage each other and share things that we're dealing with in our writing ventures, whether they be joys and struggles.
Alex J. Cavanaugh, the ninja host, states it best... IWSG is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. To join, click on the pic below and post on your blog the first Wed of every month.

Last week, I'd planned to get my query polished and sent out, but I was sick. No, really. For days, I tossed my cookies, and my head throbbed, like something was sitting on the back of my skull and neck. I have no idea what was wrong, but even after that, it's taken me a few days to get back into things. It's so frustrating, because I had goals and time frames and now I'm behind, but I am thankful that I'm feeling better.

What do you do to get caught back up when you've fallen behind? Do you have any suggestions? I've been drinking lots of coffee and staying up late, going on four hours of sleep a night. This is so dumb because I'm afraid I'll have a setback and get sick again. So any ideas are more than welcome. Thanks, blogging friends!

~ Happy writing!

Character interview with Ian Hollister for The Truths About Dating and Mating Blog Tour

Congrats to Jaycee DeLorenzo, and her book release, The Truths About Dating and Mating!!!

I've been so excited to ask Ian Hollister some questions. Many thanks to Jaycee for letting him visit my blog so that I could drool...er, I mean, interview him. 

*What languages can you speak?

English and bad English.  Although, I have picked up some Italian here and there while hanging out at Ivy’s house.  Nothing I can really repeat, though.

*On a girl, do you prefer jeans or skirts?

Jeans.  I prefer seeing curves rather than skin. 

*Any hidden talents you'd like to share?

I’m told I give great massages.  Does that count?

*I hear you have some ink...

Quite a bit, actually.  It hides the scars.

*Right now, I'm totally diggin' Assassin's Creed 3. Are you a gamer?

No, I’m not a huge gamer. I’ll play Far Cry Vengeance with my roommate, Matt, but he tends to get a little possessive of the game controller. I have plenty of other things to keep me busy.

*Is there a movie you love so much so that you know it line for line?

The Boondock Saints.  Best movie ever.  Period.

*What's your "go to" snack at the movie theater?

Can’t watch a movie without some Red Vines. 

*What was your Halloween costume this year?

Sid.  Ivy was Nancy. 

*Of the three, would you rather be bitten by a vamp, a zombie, or a werewolf? Why?

Well, a zombie would eat my brains and I would die. A vamp would suck my blood and I’d either die or get turned into one, and I have no interest in living forever.  So I guess I’d have to go with werewolf.  Sure, it would make me a little harrier, and I’d probably have a change in diet, but at least I’d still get to be me most of the time. 

*What are your thoughts on PDA?

A little kissing and hugging, fine.  Making out?  Get a room.  No one wants to see that.

*Name something Ivy does that drives you crazy.

Man, the number one thing that drives me crazy about Ivy is that she has the hardest time admitting she’s wrong.  You can present all the facts to her, proving how wrong she is, and she will still insist she’s right. 

What's the first thought that comes to mind when I say the following ...

Strawberry – whip cream.

Tiara – Uh…well…yeah, I’ve got nothing.

Rubber ducky – You’re the one.     

Maroon 5 – Ah! No, no, no…la-la-la…too late.  Now I’m gonna be singing Moves Like Jagger for the rest of the day.  Thanks a lot. 

Ninja – Way cooler than pirates.  

Thanks for stopping by Ian, and thank you to Jaycee for writing such a great character!

The Truths about Dating and Mating
Author:  Jaycee DeLorenzo
Release Date:  November 21, 2012

Spunky Italian coed Ivy Rossini likes to talk and push the boundaries. She gets to do both as she co-hosts Riordan College’s radio program, The Truths about Dating and Mating, alongside her lifelong best friend, Ian Hollister.

Being the only girl who cares to see beyond Ian’s bad boy reputation has its advantages, especially when he’s scaring off the jerks who just want to nail the campus sex-guru. It’s when he’s “protecting” her from the advances she welcomes that she wants to lob him over the head and tell him to butt out. But Ivy feels like she’s the one who’s taken a hit when Ian almost kisses her at a party. She knows she should feel relieved when he pulls away, so why is she disappointed instead?

What’s worse, Ivy’s now getting aroused by Ian’s slightest touch and can’t stop entertaining thoughts of a romantic future. But Ian doesn’t do relationships, and she’s not interested in anything casual. In the end, Ivy decides it’s best to keep her growing feelings a secret and hope they’ll pass. However, when Ian begins hinting at wanting to take things to the next level, she’s forced to decide if a chance at something more is worth risking everything they’ve built.

With their friendship and her heart hanging in the balance, can Ivy follow the advice she and Ian give their listeners - to communicate, be honest, and trust in themselves - or will insecurity, stubbornness, and pride ruin any chance of their relationship getting off the ground?

About The Author:

Jaycee DeLorenzo hails from Tucson, Arizona, on the outskirts of the Saguaro National Park – which she believes to be the most beautiful spread of desert in the world.  By day, Jaycee is an English language teacher to elementary students. By night, she’s a wife, mother, writer, cover artist, website designer, and blogger.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, singing (very poorly), catching up on her favorite T.V. shows, and researching.

The Truths about Dating and Mating is Jaycee's debut novel, and the first in a series centering around students of the fictitious Riordan College.

Find Jaycee DeLorenzo on the web:

Website  |  Blog  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  | Goodreads

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Along with her tour, she's doing a rafflecopter giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Express Yourself - Most Memorable Holiday Gift

Express Yourself is a weekly meme. Its goal is to help our fellow bloggers get to know each other better, and even help motivate one another. What makes you, you? What inspires you to write? How’s the outside world influencing you? Whether it be a quote, a list of favorite things, a question, a song, and so on, Dani and I will find something different to post about. It'll correlate with writing, blogging, or just life in general. Then, we hope, you’ll follow suit and post, too.

The question this week - What's your most memorable holiday gift? 

Update: For this meme, Dani and I didn't list our children. Or our husbands. Or even the gift of life. Those things, above all, are the best gifts ever. 
But for this question, we're wanting to know what present someone gave you that you remember most.

On Christmas morning, when I was a little girl, I walked downstairs to a doll house with a red bow on top of its roof. It wasn't just any doll house. It was custom made by my parents. My dad had built the wooden house with four rooms--two on top and two on bottom, and the floors had beige shag carpet. My mom had made curtains for the windows and pasted wallpaper on the walls. I remember the "dining room" had a tiny, sparkly chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and the wallpaper matched the paper from our own dining room--muted greens and blues. 
I don't know who was more excited, me or my parents. But it was perfect!

What's a holiday gift that you remember most, that was special to you and/or your loved ones?


The EYM Banner for December....

Guest post - Kyra Lennon - Christmas Traditions

Special thanks to Kyra Lennon for guest posting on my blog today. If you don't know who Kyra is, then you're missing out, and if you do know who she is, you're a lucky soul! She's super sweet, and an amazing author.

Take it away Kyra ....

Christmas Traditions

Blindsided is set during the lead-up to Christmas, and one of the things Jesse learns while staying with the Mills family, is that they have a lot of Christmas traditions. We all have them, don’t we? Certain things we do every year, at roughly the same time to get us in the festive mood.

One of the things I took from my own family’s traditions and wrote into the story is putting up the Christmas decorations on the first weekend of December. I don’t know if any of you have guessed this about me yet, but I am a big kid at heart! Once December hits, Christmas mode flicks on in my brain, and I NEED to immerse myself in all the seasonal goodness. The tree comes out (we have to have an artificial one, there isn’t really enough room for a real one, plus those suckers make so much mess!) along with tinsel, lights, garlands, etc. My mum and I always put on Christmas music while we decorate, and quite often, we’ll dance around a bit while we’re hanging things up!

Traditions have changed in my house since I was a kid, mainly because there are less people in the house. When I was a kid, there were more of us, and we did things differently. We still had traditions, but they’ve evolved over the years.

My newest tradition is Christmas baking. I LOVE making cupcakes, and while I am far from being a genius at it, I always like to make Christmas cupcakes, and biscuits. Last year, I had a slight crisis when I ruined a batch of shortbread. Well, I call it a crisis, it wasn’t really. It was just too ugly, misshaped, and crumbly to serve to visitors. I had to eat it all myself! :D

What are your Christmas traditions? Have they changed over the years? Have you taken traditions you had when you were younger, and introduced them to your own family? I wanna hear all about it!

Blindsided Synopsis:
After a successful first soccer season in L.A, Jesse Shaw heads to London with his best buddy, Hunter, but his world is turned upside down when a dangerous prank threatens his career and his blossoming relationship with Hunter’s cousin, Isabelle. 

Isabelle Mills lives in Notting Hill with her parents and her twin sister, Georgia. When she finds out her cousin is coming to stay, along with his famous soccer player friend, her first instinct is to hibernate until they’ve gone. However, once she meets Jesse, everything changes. He’s everything she ever wanted, but with so many obstacles in their path, can she really risk putting her heart on the line?


Author Bio:
Kyra Lennon was born on the South coast of England, and to this day, still lives by the sea. After years spent working in retail, where she met enough versatile characters to write hundreds of books, she finally took the plunge and quit her day job. Kyra's debut novel, Game On, was released in July 2012. While fiction writing has always been her passion, she also has numerous articles on a variety of topics published on prolific websites. 


Buy Links: 
Kyra Lennon on Amazon.com
Kyra Lennon on Amazon.co.uk

Find Kyra online
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads


Thanks to Kyra Lennon for posting on my blog today, and thanks to you wonderful bloggers who stopped by!

Have a great day!

Express Yourself - Quirky Quirks

List 5 imperfections about yourself that might bug others, but it's what makes you, well, you. :D

1. I twirl my hair A LOT. It's a habit I've done since I was a little girl, and for some reason, it tends to drive some people crazy... which I don't know why since I'm not bothering them any. :/

2. When we have company over, I have little cleaning spurts, and sometimes I don't even realize it. Someone will be talking, and I'll grab Clorox wipes and clean the counter-tops that are already clean, and they'll ask me what I'm doing. Er... cleaning? 

3. To some, I get my left and right mixed up. But to me, it makes sense. When someone says, "It's on the left" I question which left because I tend to look at something like I'm actually in it, so it seems backwards to others. Confused? 

4. Certain words come out odd sounding.... coffee, car, are, ground, etc. Like my R's are borderline pirate without the long drug out version of the R. Does that make sense? Probably not. *sigh* I get made fun of for my weird sounding words. :D 

5. I'm late, no matter how much I plan ahead. I know it's rude and believe me, I TRY to be on time, but gosh darnit, I have to round up four boys and my hubby, so I think I have somewhat of a pass, right?

What are some of your quirks that drive people batty?

Express Yourself - Inspirational quotes

This week's Express Yourself.....

What are a few inspirational quotes you'd like to pass to others?

Here are some favorites of mine I'd like to share...

I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. 
- W.B Yeats

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa a lion wakes up. It know it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up you'd better be running.
- Christopher McDougall

Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
-E.L. Doctorow

It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.
- William Faulkner

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
- Wayne Grestky

You should never be ashamed of your struggle because you standing here is a sign of victory.
- Christopher Toler

Each of us requires a spur of insecurity to force us to do our best. 
- Harold W. Dodds

What are some quotes that inspire you and keep you motivated?

Express Yourself - Pic of work/writing area

It's Express Yourself time!

This week's subject... 
post a pic of your work area, writing, cubicle, craft, etc. Then explain what it is that you do.







Besides writing and raising four sons with my hubby, I also work in the family business. 
No, it's not the mob, and we don't go around "offing" people. O_o 
I work at a floral shop. :)

This is my work area. It might not look like it, but out of those who work here, I'm notoriously clean. I do not like to have a messy place to work at. The others will be standing on piles of stems, petals, and greenery while I try to get my mess into the trashcan.

Designing flower arrangements isn't all that's required of me. Other things I do on a daily basis at the flower shop:  
customer service, process flowers, counsel grieving families, shoulder to cry on for said family, advice giver, poet (when someone wants a creative message on their card), computer work, window display designer, detective (when someone doesn't give a correct address or doesn't know where a funeral is located, etc.) and a keeper of secrets. You'd be surprised at the things people confess, but I've been sworn to secrecy. :D

The next photo shows one of the places I write.

I use two laptops. One for research, emails, and blogging while the other I save for actual writing and beta stuff.

On the pink laptop, my youngest put a Toy Story sticker on it for me. He "sticker-fies" everything. :) I heart my sweet boy!
Oh, and my favorite coffee mug is on the table, too... Grumpy. 


Where do you work and/or write at? 

As always, happy writing!

IWSG - Nov Post #8

I'm late for IWSG. My apologies to Alex J. Cavanaugh,  the host, and to all my fellow IWSG blogging buddies. Wednesday was a terrible day. And Thursday? Well, I was still reeling from Wednesday. So, here we are. On Friday. *sigh*
I won't drone on about what happened on Wednesday, because it's depressing, and I have good news to share, so hopefully that will trample over the sucky week!

The news... I'm finished! Yes, it took a long time. Almost a whole year. Well, minus three sporadic months that I didn't write, so really it took nine months. Do I think it will take me that long again? No, because I'm getting better at plotting and time management! :D

What am I even referring to? My MS, Wishful Thinking, is finished. I'd discussed with Kimmy (one of my CP's) about blogging the news, but decided to wait to share it for IWSG. I presented the idea to my CP's back in October of 2011 and took off from there!

The past year, my patient CP's have helped me through this process with their critiques, cheerleading, laughter, tears, phone calls, texts, emails... their help is endless. And for that, I'm grateful.
So, thanks Kimmy, Kim, and Laura! (And yes my lovely girls, I'll be sending the final round to you this weekend/next week for your wonderful eyes to peruse one last time.)

My rough pitch for Wishful Thinking:
When 17 yr old Kara McAdams discovers she's a genie, she freaks, but then her crush, Jagger Donnelly, becomes her master, making her think this genie stuff isn’t so bad.

That is, until Simone Spencer, a girl who wants Jagger for herself, gets a hold of Kara’s magic lamp and uses her wishes to make Kara’s life a total genie-living hell.

Like I said, it's a rough pitch, but you get the idea.
I'm working on a query to go out in the next couple weeks. YIKES! I'm terrified. I've done the query route before. The rejections.. sure they sting at first, but then it's ho-hum. But the rejections on the full requests? Those hurt worse. And then there's those no answer ones. I won't go there. I'm just scared. I want to share this book with the world, but what if I'm still not good enough? What if, after writing three books, my writing is still not book material?
Curse those damned "What if's" and their friends, "I can't's" .... *sigh*

Express Yourself Meme - Playlist Week

Express Yourself Meme - It's Playlist Week. Dani and I look forward to seeing your playlists... whether you're a writer and have one for your WIP/MS or if you're a non-writer, but would like to share songs that describe your life. Whatever the case, we want to listen and/or read about you!

So....what would your playlist sound like?

I have about a dozen songs on my playlist for my current MS, Wishful Thinking. I don't always listen to this when I'm writing. This is more of what would describe my book. A lot of times, I write at night when everyone is asleep. Other times, I write with chaos all around me. So I can listen to music or not when I write, but when I do listen, I usually choose this MS's playlist.

I’ll be sharing three songs from that list, and will talk more about my MS on Wednesday for IWSG, but for now I’ll say that it's a YA fantasy with romantic elements. Kara is my main girl and Jagger is my main guy. (And if you've been following my blog, you already KNOW that Maroon 5 songs will be on this playlist. :D )

***Woman by Maroon 5*** 

This song is two-fold. Not only does it describe Jagger's feelings for Kara, but also, it explains that she's something "different"... Jagger is the first to discover it.

Woman - Maroon 5

If I'd be so inclined to climb up beside you Would you tell me that the time just isn't right  And if I ever find the key you hide so well  Will you tell me that I can spend the night  Leaving your smell on my coat  Leaving your taste on my shoulder  I still fail to understand  What it is about this woman  If I could bottle up the chills that you give me  I would keep them in a jar next to my bed  And if I should ever draw a picture of a woman  It is you that would come flowing from my pen  Leaving your clothes on the floor  Making me walk out the door  And I still fail to understand   What it is about this woman  Helplessly melting As I stand next to the sun  And as she burns me I am screaming out for more  Drink every drop of liquid In the heat that I've become  Pop me open, spill me out onto the floor  Leaving your smell on my coat  Leaving your taste on my shoulder  I still fail to understand, fail to understand What it is about this woman

***Sad by Maroon 5***   This describes Kara's feelings for Jagger. She pushes him away for all the wrong--and right--reasons.

***You Give Me Something by James Morrison***

This song fits Kara and Jagger's relationship perfectly.

 

You Give Me Something - James Morrison

You won’t stay with me in the morning

You only hold me when I sleep

I was meant to tread the water

Now I've gotten in too deep

For every piece of me that wants you

Another piece backs away 'Cause you give me something

That makes me scared, all right

This could be nothing

But I'm willing to give it a try

Please give me something

'Cause someday I might know my heart You only waited up for hours

Just to spend a little time alone with me

And I can say I've never bought you flowers

I can't work out what they mean

I never thought that I'd love someone

That was someone elses dream 'Cause you give me something

That makes me scared, all right

This could be nothing

But I'm willing to give it a try

Please give me something

'Cause someday I might call you from my heart But it might be a second too late

And the words that I could never say

Gonna come out anyway 'Cause you give me something

That makes me scared, all right

This could be nothing

But I'm willing to give it a try

Please give me something ‘Cause someday I might know my heart.

What are your songs for your WIP OR MS? Not a writer? How about a few songs that you can pertain to your life in general? We want to learn more about you! So share away.