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Wednesday 30 January 2008

Today was the day!

Can you hear the very long sigh of relief? Yeah, that's me. Oh, and the kitty. We both had a quiet, relaxing day together. Man, it's good to be back into the swing of (writing) things.

*sigh*

So, what did I do today? I've been itching to start that dark urban fantasy/cyberpunkish novel. The first chapter is already inside my head. I just have to write it. And you know what? A few other things I hadn't expected kinda popped in as I was writing. I love it when that happens. But you know, it's why it makes it so hard for me to plot a tale from start-to-finish.

Of course I've always got a beginning, and sometimes even an end. Or at least an idea of what the end might be. Bits and pieces of the plot are also there. Sometimes more solid than others. This tale's pretty solid inside my head. I know exactly what's motivating the characters, and what drives them together and apart too. There's going to be some emotional damage here. A little betrayal and selfish motives. Many bleak moments and a bizarre revelation.

Anyway, here's how the progress meter's looking after today's efforts:

Lol. Still got a looooong way to go. But I don't mind. Hopefully I can add another 1k to the story after my daughter goes to bed. Or get the first chapter finished. Whatever comes first. If I do 3-4k every single day, I'll be happy. :D
As you know, Australia likes to fall behind on American TV shows. Or at least, play them way late. :/ There's this new show on one of our channels called Burn Notice. Y'know, I like watching/reading stuff with spies in 'em. So I was kinda interested when I saw the trailer. Then I found out Bruce Campbell was in it. So, of course that was the hook for the hubby and I.
Anyway. Here's a trailer I found on YouTube:
I have to admit, I was a little skeptical. Thinking it might end up being crappy... well, a few minutes into the first episode, I was laughing my head off. The main character, Michael, is so smooth and he has this cheeky little smile and a laugh that's contagious. Lol. I love the voice-over comments too. His ex is a tough chick, his friend's a rat and his mother's a drag. Gotta love it. Can't wait to meet his psycho brother.
In the end, we watched the first two eps and loved them! It's so cool when that happens. I'm looking forward to finding out why he got a burn notice in the first place, and who was responsible. Looks like the plot is going to thicken. And Bruce Campbell's so awesome. He's a legend. ;)
Okay, I better go now. Got some thinking to do about my story. I'm just so excited to be writing again. It felt as if something was missing from my life during the last few weeks.

Tuesday 29 January 2008

ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY

I’m Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that’s ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best—assassination. And I help. You could say I’m an Assistant Assassin. But then I’d have to kick your ass.

Our current assignment seemed easy. Get close to a Miami plastic surgeon named Assan, a charmer with ties to terrorism that run deeper than a buried body. Find out what he’s meeting with that can help him and his comrades bring America to her knees. And then close his beady little eyes forever. Why is it that nothing’s ever as easy as it seems?

I'd heard some great things about this new series, so of course, I had to check it out. There are vampires. And did I mention that Jaz is a spy? How awesome is that? The poor thing gets into a whole bunch of nasty things in this first book. And although I felt sorry for her several times, man, this was such a fun book!

The second one's already waiting for me at the bookstore. So I can't wait.

This Raptor guy's got me all intrigued.

Loved it! This is another series I'm definitely gonna keep reading.

Friday 25 January 2008

Stayed up way too late!

Okay. Just finished the first edits for my Vampire Oracle: Death novella this morning. Man, it always feels so good when I finish and email it to my editor.

And you know what, I still love this story very much. This was something that happened from the time I put the proposal together. I don't know, there was just something about it. It continued while I wrote the first draft, and even during the revision. So I'm not surprised to still be excited about it.

Ah, feels good. I'm actually looking forward to the next round. I know, I'm insane. ;)

Man, I'm a little slow today. Definitely very tired. The hubby got home from work pretty late last night and we happened to find the first few episodes of the The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Wow! I'm totally hooked. I mean, I've always loved the Terminator movies. Um, no, hold on. I'm a huge fan of the first two Terminator movies. I like to pretend the third one never took place. And with this show, it's very easy to do. :D

I'm really loving the story so far. Don't you feel sorry for Sarah? Gosh, always running and knowing that someone is around the corner ready to kill her son. What about John? It can't be easy to hear he's supposed to become some messiah in the future. Man, talk about pressure! Can't wait to see what else is ahead... I wish Aussie TV would stop stalling and just play it! What is their problem? I get so sick of hearing the 'non-rating season' excuse. If they played it, people would definitely watch it. No matter what time of the year, or what the season. :/

Today's my daughter's last swimming lesson for the holidays. She went up another level yesterday. They've got her swimming without any floaties at all. That's cool. I'll also be booking in some more lessons for Feb. I think this'll be a great idea.

Speaking of ideas, I got a spicy idea last night while driving to pick the hubby up from work.

Well, the weekend is almost here and I'm definitely looking forward to it. The hubby's got three days off because it's the Australia Day long weekend. Cool! Have a good one.

A RUSH OF WINGS


HIS NAME IS DANTE.

Dark. Talented. Beautiful. Star of the rock band Inferno. Rumored owner of the hot New Orleans nightspot Club Hell. Born of the Blood, then broken by an evil beyond imagination.

HIS PAST IS A MYSTERY.

F.B.I. Special Agent Heather Wallace has been tracking a sadistic serial murderer known as the Cross Country Killer, and the trail has led her to New Orleans, Club Hell, and Dante. But the dangerously attractive musician not only resists her investigation, he claims to be "nightkind": in other words, a vampire. Digging into his past for answers reveals little. A juvenile record a mile long. No social security number. No known birth date. In and out of foster homes for most of his life before being taken in by a man named Lucien DeNoir, who appears to guard mysteries of his own.

HIS FUTURE IS CHAOS.

What Heather does know about Dante is that something links him to the killer -- and she's pretty sure that link makes him the CCK's next target. Heather must unravel the truth about this sensual, complicated, vulnerable young man -- who, she begins to believe, may indeed be a vampire -- in order to finally bring a killer to justice. But Dante's past holds a shocking, dangerous secret, and once it is revealed not even Heather will be able to protect him from his destiny....

I absolutely LOVED this book. It's packed with just about everything. So many genres are mixed into this book, that once you get started, you just can't put it down. It happened to me. I just wanted to know how everything would turn out in the end, and I wasn't disappointed.

It's told in multiple POV, and boy does Adrian pull it off. The cast of characters is amazing, so I can wait to read more books about the world of the Nightkind. Not only is the story excellent, but I was pulled into the story so deeply because of the way Adrian writes. She's got this wonderful style that's unique and lyrical. And Dante? Oh yeah, you'll be hooked.

Okay, I won't go into the story because knowing me, I'll probably give something vital away. But honestly, this book is well-worth reading. Awesome! Check it out. :)

Wednesday 23 January 2008

The non-writing saga continues...


You know, I keep complaining about how much of a drag it is to not be able to sit down and write when I feel like it. It's been a constant thing during the last four weeks. I feel like all I do lately is whine. But you know who's also keen on school starting? Loki. Yep. The poor kitty's all over the place. He loves routine and there hasn't been much of one lately. Besides, my daughter won't leave the poor boy alone. :/

Not long now. Wednesday. I can make it. Three more days of swimming. Three-day weekend. Then one more day of just the two of us. Yeah, I can do it.

Yesterday I decided to spend the morning doing stuff with my daughter and didn't sit down with the novel revision until late afternoon. I got 15 pages in and adjusted the Word doc to reflect all the changes. The word count's going up. The story sounds so much better, but I still don't have enough time to devote to it. I haven't gotten past the first chapter yet.

When my daughter starts school, I want to get stuck into the first draft of an 80-90k novel. Nothing's going to stop me from writing something new during February! Which means I have four days to get through 250 pages of revision. It's not gonna happen. So what do I do? Put it aside and concentrate on little bits and pieces (like I've been doing all month) or keep going and get as far as I can. It's just so hard to concentrate when I'm being interrupted every few minutes.

The hubby thinks I'm being too hard on myself. And I guess he's right, but I can't help it. I like to set a deadline and stick to it. And when I don't... well, this is the result. Edgy, whiny me. Very unlike-me behaviour. ;)

Okay, better decide what to do while I clean the litter box. Catch'a later!

Tuesday 22 January 2008

Research, revision and reading

I'm reading some very interesting research material at the moment. All about how easy it is to plant false memories into people's brains, and how we all go into an average of three trances per day. It's interesting stuff, and all relevant to the novel I wrote during NaNo last year.

Yesterday I picked up the first chapter and started marking it with a red pen. Yikes! After the second page, I decided that I didn't like the beginning. So I rewrote it.

Now I've gotten through eight pages and they look like they're bleeding all over the place. This is going to be a messy type-in. My eyes are going to cross and blur when it's time. Maybe because I've made so many changes, I should put them in after getting through each chapter. Maybe.

I wanted to get through the entire chapter, but with so many changes it wasn't possible. See, it was written fine to start with but I wanted to layer the atmosphere a little thicker. Get the reader sucked into the story so they need to know why a serene situation turns into a dangerous situation. If that makes any sense...

Anyway, my daughter went up another swimming level. She's now B2, which means she can swim without arm floaties and with a very thin floatie on her back. She's very proud of herself and even asked if she could continue the lessons past this week. It's something worth thinking about. Swimming is important. Trust me, I know because I suck at it. :/

Well, that's it for today. I need to answer a few emails, get the dishes done and watch an episode of Kid Nation we taped last week. Have a good one!

Friday 18 January 2008

Thank the gods, it's Friday!

Phew. I'm so looking forward to the weekend. I just want to take it easy. Maybe watch a few movies, keep reading the book I'm so engrossed in at the moment. Relax a bit. Last weekend was just too hectic.

So, we're past the halfway point this month. Already. It sure is going fast, isn't it?

Still no new words, but that's okay. The notebooks are getting a workout, and so is my brain. The muse keeps pouring bits and pieces of conversation and snippets. I'm also itching to get started on the second draft of my NaNoWriMo novel.

But this morning I received the first round of edits for SELKIE SKIN, so I'll probably get started on that later on. Don't think I'll get it finished because it's going to be another in-and-out kinda day. Still, it's better to get started on it.

My daughter's swimming is going well. It feels a little slow, but her confidence seems to get better each day. I don't want to push her. So, whatever her pace, that's fine. She's booked in for next week as well.

Okay, nothing exciting to share today. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday 16 January 2008

The sun's back...


And that makes me happy. :) Yeah. Though we've decided it's best for me to have the car every single day this week. It makes it easier to get to the pools and back. Before it was the rain, now it's the heat. Lol. It's just easier this way.

I'm also going to try and book next week for swimming lessons too. My daughter's doing well in the pool, but I don't think one week will be enough time. Of course, two weeks probably won't be either, but it'll give her more time in the pool with the instructors.

Sure is boring sitting around waiting for her, but the time goes by real quick. And she's having fun in the water. I'm really happy about that.

I finished reading the third book for 2008, so I'm on track for the read-one-book-a-week. Another excellent book, btw. What will I read next? It's back to the bookshelf...

Got up for yoga this morning, so I feel a bit better. It really does give you more energy. Today I need to do a few home duties before heading out. The kitty litter box needs to be changed, before he starts giving me dirty looks. He's a funny little boy, our Loki.

I've also decided that I will not aim to do any new writing this week. My muse is having a great time jumping from one novel idea to the other. Giving me a whole bunch of new things which enhance the story and characters. I like that. Can't complain. Sure, it would be good to be doing actual writing, but this is cool too. It'll make it much smoother when it's time to sit down and pump those words out.

Anyway, better get to that litter box. ;)

Tuesday 15 January 2008

DARKLING

The D'Artigo sisters, Camille, Delilah, and Menolly, are half-human, half- Fae operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. When humans begin to go missing, then turn up as newly born vampires, Menolly- an acrobat extraordinaire-turned-vampire- must face the demons haunting her memories.

Wow! Another awesome book. This is the third The Sisters on the Moon book by Yasmine Galenorn, and it doesn't disappoint. It's packed with new problems for the sisters, and a lot of action. I loved every minute of it. Menolly intrigued me from the moment she was introduced in Witchling, so I couldn't wait to meet her and get into her head.

The constant pain she relives because of her physical and mental scars is heartbreaking. As if it isn't enough to have to deal with the fact that she's a vampire. Her sire, Dredge is evil. And intent on not leaving her alone.

Man, this was another excellent installment. And Yasmine's got three more coming. I can't wait to see how this series develops. As things get solved and sorted, new things pop up. The next one is in Camille's POV and has Smoky in it. Yikes! Can't wait. ;)

Tired

Yeah, I'm still very tired. Didn't feel like getting up this morning, and I pretty much collapsed into bed last night. Lol. It was a long day yesterday. It went quick, but still long. Maybe it was because there was so much to do.

The swimming lesson went well. My daughter's a beginner, but she looked like she was having fun in the water. And she's definitely not scared of it. I think that's a big chunk of the battle when learning how to swim. We're going back this afternoon. We'll see how she goes today. :)

No new words yesterday. Between being so tired, having to leave every few hours to get something done and my daughter being home, my productivity has come to a halt. But I refuse to get bogged down with worrying about it. It'll only make me feel worse and put me in a foul mood. The best thing to do is ride the wave. School is about two weeks away. I'm looking forward to it. My tolerance threshold is close to breaking point. :/

At least my mind's churning over these two ideas that want to leave my head. They're both very exciting and I can't wait to get started on them, but collecting pics and taking notes is just helping expand the world and its characters. I'm enjoying the process.

Also hoping to finish the book I'm reading at the moment. Love this series!

So, how's everyone else's writing going? Are you getting stuck into it, or still not in the groove? ;)

Monday 14 January 2008

My mood matches the weather today

After an awesome weekend of really warm weather, it's cooled down a lot. And it's dark, raining.

Had to be on the day when my daughter starts swimming lessons. Of course. Luckily, the pool's indoors. We planned to walk there. It takes about an hour. Instead, we had to drive the hubby to work so we can drive down there later on. I don't mind getting caught in the rain, but not with my daughter.


The weather can really suck sometimes.

Anyway. That cleaning bug that I mentioned last week, yeah, it got a tight hold of the hubby and I over the weekend. Last week was our daughter's stuff, this week ours.

I'm so tired. We stayed up until almost 4AM on Saturday, sorting through everything. Man, I didn't realise just how much paper, stationery, and other stuff I was keeping for no apparent reason. So, we got a whole bunch out of the house. We're almost done now. Just gotta go down to the garage one of these days. But I'd like to have next weekend off. No cleaning and sorting. :/

Speaking of sorting, I got a new idea late on Friday night. Once again, we're talking dark Urban Fantasy. Got myself a heroine with a lot of attitude - she has reason for it - and two irresistable guys for her to deal with. I think they're going to be a handful. I also think this idea is going to be a lot of fun, with many dark things as well. Can't expect me to drop the darkness. ;) Lol.

With the hubby's help, I've managed to cast the main characters and have their names. I've also printed out some pics and have pretty much written the first chapter in a notebook. I was supposed to just be taking notes, but it kept going and going. Gotta love that. Just need it to percolate in my head a little more. That'll be fun. There are all sorts of things already in there.

Now I've got two main novel ideas that want to be written ASAP. Another paranormal novel trilogy idea... and a bunch of novellas. Yeah, uh, how the hell am I going to fit everything in? I think I better start a schedule of some sort one of these days.

We watched I Am Legend the other day. I really liked it, thought it was good. Nothing spectacular, but Will Smith's performance was awesome. Some of the things that happened gave me goosebumps, and they were mostly to do with his isolation and loneliness, not the monsters hiding in the dark. Loved the dog. Gorgeous. And I didn't mind the changes made from the book, either. I read it about five years ago and loved it. Thought the movie captured the essence, but not the nitty-gritty. Still, it was cool. Emma Thompson's cameo was great too.

Anyway, happy Monday!

Thursday 10 January 2008

IRON KISSED

When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to shapeshifting car mechanic Mercy Thompson to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not. And she'll have to choose between the two werewolves in her life-whether she wants to or not.

Man, I'm starting out the year with excellent reads. I finished reading this book this morning because I was so caught up in it I couldn't wait until tonight. Just couldn't put it down. This was awesome! Fantastic. I love this series. I can't wait to see what happens with Mercy in the next book, especially after the shocking events of this one.

Honestly, I thought it would just stick to the fae and how they handle things in order to keep humans away from their secrets. The many monsters they have and how they hide themselves under their glamour, but it was about so much more. In a world with werewolves, vampires and fae, I loved how the human ones weren't forgotten. Humans can be so much meaner/evil than supernatural creatures because of their greed and search for strength and power. This book totally captured that.

Mercy is still one of my favourite characters and I felt like I'd been on a rollercoaster of emotions as the story developed, and then ended. She's awesome. And you gotta love both Adam and Samuel. Two werewolves after the same gal. Wow, not a bad situation to be in. Except, it is. ;)

Anyway, just like Kitty, this is a must-read series which never disappoints. Man, urban fantasy kicks total butt. :D Patricia Briggs is an excellent writer, too.

Saturday 5 January 2008

KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET

Kitty's radio show is as popular as ever and she has a boyfriend who actually seems to understand her. Can she finally settle down to a normal life? Not if this is just the calm before the storm. When her mother falls ill, Kitty rushes back to Denver--and right back to the abusive pack of werewolves she escaped a year ago. To make matters worse, a war is brewing between the city's two oldest vampires, threatening the whole supernatural community. Though she wants to stay neutral, Kitty is again drawn into a world of politics and violence. To protect her family, her lover, and herself, she'll have to choose sides. And maybe become what she hates--a killer.

When I finished reading this book, I wanted more. Man, no wonder this is one of my favourite series. I love Kitty. Not just her voice, or what she does and the decisions she makes. I also love the world she lives in, and how she overcomes all the hard stuff in her life. And trust me, there's plenty in this one.

I also thought the title was an excellent fit. I read the excerpt for the next book, something I usually don't do because I hate to be teased and then left waiting for so long. But I couldn't help it. I can't wait to read the next book! Kitty rocks! And because Carrie Vaughn is the one who created this awesome world filled with wonderful characters, so does she. :)

This is a must-read series. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy.

Tuesday 1 January 2008

BOOKS READ IN 2007

MORTAL DANGER: Eileen Wilks

HELL TO PAY: Simon R. Green

POSSESSED: Stephanie Doyle

DAUGHTER OF THE BLOOD: Nancy Holder

MINION: LA Banks

NIGHT RISING: Chris Marie Green

DEFINITELY DEAD: Charlaine Harris

BLOOD BOUND: Patricia Briggs

KITTY TAKES A HOLIDAY: Carrie Vaughn

THE LAST OF THE RED-HOT VAMPIRES: Katie MacAlister

WATCHERS IN THE NIGHT: Jenna Black

CRYSTAL CLEAR: Ericka Scott

ROGUE ANGEL - THE SPIDER STONE: Alex Archer

BLOOD SECRETS: Vivi Anna

CHANGELING: Yasmine Galenorn

ROGUE ANGEL - THE CHOSEN: Alex Archer

UNTOUCHED: Samantha Hunter

THE BECOMING: Jeanne C Stein

TWELVE SHARP: Janet Evanovich

PLUM LOVIN': Janet Evanovich

BLOOD DRIVE: Jeanne C Stein

FAMILIAR STRANGER: Michele Hauf

WIRED: Liz Maverick

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: JK Rowling

UNDEAD AND UNRETURNABLE: MaryJanice Davidson

UNDEAD AND UNPOPULAR: MaryJanice Davidson

FANGED & FABULOUS: Michelle Rowen

THIN AIR: Rachel Caine

WITCH FIRE: Anya Bast

KILLER INSIGHT: Victoria Laurie

HELL KAT: Vivi Anna

RISING MOON: Lori Handeland

CALL ME WICKED: Jamie Sobrato

CARNALLY EVER AFTER: Jackie Barbosa

MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND: Lisa Shearin

DRIVEN: Eve Kenin

ISOSCELES TRIANGLE: Summer Alan

KISS ME DEADLY: Michele Hauf

POSTCARDS FROM THE DEAD: Ericka Scott

THE ULTIMATE BITE: Crystal Green

SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS: Jenna Black

DANIELO'S UNDOING: Emma Petersen

GRAVE SIGHT: Charlaine Harris

BENEATH THE SKIN: Savannah Russe

IN THE BLOOD: Savannah Russe

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE: Jeaniene Frost

MISTER B. GONE: Clive Barker

THE WATCHER: Jeanne C Stein

CRIME SEEN: Victoria Laurie

DOG DAYS: John Levitt

MOONGAZER: Marianne Mancusi

A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER: Kresley Cole

SHADOWS ON THE SOUL: Jenna Black

TINSEL TIME: Ericka Scott

SEDUCING ST. NIC: Emma Petersen
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