BREAKING DAWN

I have to say that I love this cover. This one and the first one are my favourite. I love the symbolism. Very cool. :)

So. I stayed up until about 2am on Sunday morning because I really, really wanted to know how everything was going to turn out. Okay. Now, I'm back to that one word: Wow! I have to say, I'm very excited to have read these four books in a row, and in under 2 weeks. I know I got into them a bit late, but I preferred to get stuck into them this way.

What's the verdict? I LOVED the Saga. There were so many strange, bizarre and unexpected things that happened in this installment, but they were all great. Every piece of the puzzle fit together and ensured everyone got their HEA. The many questions that came up during the series were answered too.

I can't wait to watch the movie and experience everything all over again. I sure hope they make the whole lot of the books into movies. That would be awesome! ;)

Inpiration & Planning

My mind keeps wandering... what's wrong with her? The pic's called Trapped, and that she is. But why, and by who? Okay, I gotta stop now because my muse wants me to take notes. I've already got a bunch of those to add. Things I thought about during my walk.

We're going to go watch WALL-E on Sunday. It's an early morning showing. We can't wait. My hubby, daughter and I have been (impatiently) waiting to watch this one since we saw the teaser online. Wow. That was a while ago.

Well, I've been pretty busy the last few days. Been taking a lot of notes and finishing up on the research that I want to have stored in my head before the actual writing starts. Of course, there are certain things that will be ongoing, and some which will change and expand as I go along, but for now everything's starting to fit together. I'm really into the groove of these characters.

Although I didn't really sit down to organise the rest of the year in writing terms, I do know exactly what I want to achieve during two out of the four months left. During September - next week, lol - I will be writing the first draft of a new urban fantasy series idea I have. So far, I know the main plotline for three books, but I know there'll be more. Still, I'm just going to focus on the first one for now. I'm aiming for 80k, but will like it to be more around the 85k mark after it's revised and ready to sub.

In November, I will be taking part in NaNoWriMo again. This'll be my third year. I know which story I'm going to write, too. It's the follow-up to last year's story. Different heroine, different hero, but still in the same world. Both characters were introduced in the first one, so I can't wait to get into their tale.

Well, there you have it. There are still two other months that I haven't actually allocated anything specific for, but I have an idea of what I'd like to do. I think October will probably end up being another odds & ends month. I've got the 30k novella to finalise, and a few other things too. Anyway. No point in worrying about that now. I can't wait to get stuck into my newest project.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

ECLIPSE

Wow. You know, I seem to be saying that a lot with this series. But man, tell me each book doesn't have a Wow! moment.

It's amazing. Just when I thought the story couldn't get more complicated and Bella had finally sorted out the state of her heart, I read this book. Yikes! She's still got a lot to get through and I can't wait to see what she chooses, how everything ends in a HEA, and just what's going to happen in BREAKING DAWN... which I intend to start reading today, btw. :D

Loki, reading & stuff

I realised the other day that I haven't posted any photos of Loki for a while. I have to admit, I don't follow him around the house anymore (I used to do this when my daughter was a toddler too) with camera in hand. He doesn't like the camera, and goes out of his way to look away.

Actually, I was pretty lucky to get this gorgeous pic of him. He's looking directly into the camera. That's a rare thing. So, there you go. This is what he looks like now. The cutie is about 20 months old now. Not long until he's two. He's my little buddy. :D

So, how was everyone's weekend? Mine was great. I love the weekends. The hubby's home, and that's always awesome. We did a few things and even picked up another three books. I know, gee, do I ever stop buying books? The answer is obviously no.

Well, as you can tell from the post below, I finished the second book in the Twilight Series. I'm now halfway through the third one. Wow. I'm still lovin' it. Things are heating up, I can tell. What's gonna happen next? My gosh, I'm so excited about getting to the final book. Although, I know I'll miss it when I'm done. :(

Today I got stuck into the second draft of the 30k novella I wrote earlier this month. I'm up to 30/131. That's not too bad, I'm hoping to do another 30 pages tonight. It would be awesome to finish this by the end of tomorrow. I don't have too many goals this week. Just two:

• Finish the second draft of this novella, and
• Finish up research, put together playlist, and take notes for the new urban fantasy novel I want to write next month.

Let's hope I can get through these two things. :D

I hope you all have a great week!

NEW MOON

Okay, I just finished reading the second book in the Twilight Series.

I've just got one thing to say: WOW!

Honestly, this story is just getting better and better. I loved the bleak and desperate air about Bella in this one as she struggles to overcome the sadness of losing the one thing she loved more than life itself. It was also great to find out more about Jacob and what he really is. Awesome!

I can't wait to read the next one, and I constantly find myself wondering just how this is all going to end. I guess I'll find out soon enough, though.

Man, I don't know why it's taken me so long to get stuck into this series. What an amazing experience.

It's shitty outside...

But that's okay, I suppose it's perfect reading weather. Especially when the story is set in the town of Forks, where it hardly ever stops raining. :D

Yep. You guessed it. I've already gotten stuck into the second book in the Twilight Series. My husband got home the other night and surprised me with the rest of the books, so I'm super excited and eager to get stuck into them. He's so awesome! :)

Anyway, I started it yesterday and am now up to page 278. I know. I'm serious when I say that I could easily curl up on the couch and spend ALL day just reading these books. My gosh. They're amazing. You know... after someone (don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read them yet, so I won't mention any names) left, I thought the story might fade in intensity a little, but it didn't. It's still awesome, although I do miss that certain someone when he's not on the page. Oh, and I do believe my Jacob Black suspicions might be right, too.

So, last night I decided to finish off that quirky, little tale I started the other day. The final word count is 4,310. It's only a shortie, but I think it's fun. And weird. Yeah, definitely weird, but in an offbeat way. I'm glad I wrote it, and also glad it's done.

Now I just gotta get things straight in my head so I can figure out what to work on next. I'm kinda freaking out a little because there are only four months left in the year. At least I know what I'll be working on during November. I'll be taking part in NaNoWriMo, and will write the sequel to the story I wrote last year. But the other three months, I'm not so sure about. Do I start the new novel that's scraping away at my brain, next month? Or do I concentrate on finalising the handful of half-finished projects I have? I'll have to talk it out with the hubby. He usually helps me put things in perspective.

Okay, the weekend's just around the corner and I can't wait. This one's been a weird week. Have a great one!

TWILIGHT

WOW! I got totally and utterly consumed by this book, and read it in a few days. I finished it last night and am still thinking about it today. Of course, the fact that I'm now 137 pages into NEW MOON might have something to do with it. Lol. :D

This story was wonderful, full of emotion. It also had a haunting quality to it. I loved Bella's narration and every time Edward was on the page, I got even more involved in the story. So much happens, it's an amazing ride and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Can't wait to find out more about Jacob, too. I've got some suspicions about him. ;)

If you want to read a little more of what I thought, you can here.

Now it's time to consume the other three...

Some news!

Well, the novella I was working on the other day is now finished. I got through reading it (one last time) on Monday night. Of course, by the time I was done, the word count had gone up again. It's now sitting @ 29,180. I emailed it to my editor as soon as I was done...

And guess what? I got a reply about it this morning.

*drumroll please*

It was accepted! The story that once upon a time was called The Basement, and has now evolved into a much longer and more involved story, will be part of the Tease Tarot. The Devil card to be precise. Isn't the cover image wicked? I love it! I'm SO excited.

Oh, yeah, and it's now called DAMAGED. I knew that the old title just didn't fit the new look. ;)

I'm reading TWILIGHT at the moment. *cough* Okay, let me be honest. I need to rephrase what I just said to: I'm totally intoxicated by the book TWILIGHT. I got stuck into it yesterday and am now at page 300-and-something. Can't wait to get back to it.

Also, last night I sat down behind the computer and wrote a pretty short, twisted, quirky and very odd zombie tale. I know, what's with the zombies lately? Lol. Anyway, it came in @ 2,912 words. This morning, I figured out what the title's going to be, and even how to break-up the sections so they're not really chapters. I mean, who needs chapters with a tale so small? :D

Have a good one!

Hey!

How was everyone's weekend? :) We had such a great three days. On Friday we went shopping. We hadn't been to the shops for a long while because of the hubby's hours. It was great. I picked up several new books.

<--- Isn't this pic gorgeous? Talk about inspiration. I love looking at pictures and getting ideas. Speaking of which, I got a few more over the weekend. Just a few littler tales this time. I hope to get the chance to write them this week sometime.

I finally found a copy of HEART-SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill. I've been wanting to get this one for a while. Also picked up a copy of ODD HOURS by Dean Koontz. I guess it's about time I start reading the ODD books.

Oh, and after looking in several stores, my hubby found a copy of TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer. Picked it up, of course. I've read a little of it already. Looks like I'll be going back to pick up the other three as well. Just like the hubby said I would. Lol. It's the same thing I did when I started reading the Harry Potter books.

We went to watch THE CLONE WARS on Friday night, and we all enjoyed it heaps. I thought it was great! I'm loving these little side stories. I wonder how many more they'll make? Asides from the TV show, I mean. Next, I can't wait to watch WALL-E and HELLBOY 2. We've already purchased tickets to watch WALL-E at the end of the month. It looks so cute. I know, the US already has these two movies, but we have to wait until the end of this month. :/

On Thursday, I finished the re-write. I added 10,356 words, which raised the word count to 28,740. Today, I'm hoping to read through it one last time, before I send it into my editor. I really hope she likes what I've done with it. I think it's a much better, stronger tale now. I've got a new name for it, too. So that's super cool. I'm about halfway through already. Hoping to finish it later tonight.

Okay, that's it for me today. I hope you all have a great day!

PS. HELLBLAZE is out now! I'm so excited. :D

CRY WOLF

Anna never knew werewolves existed until the night she survived a violent attack…and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she’d learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But Anna is that rarest kind of werewolf: an Omega. And one of the most powerful werewolves in the country will recognize her value as a pack member—and as his mate.

This is the first in Patricia Briggs' new series, Alpha and Omega. I love Patricia's Mercy Thompson series, and really enjoyed the story in the On The Prowl anthology, so I was looking forward to getting stuck into this book. The short story in the anthology introduced Anna's situation, and I think it's important to read it before reading CRY WOLF.

I liked Anna instantly. She's a very vulnerable character who was mistreated by her old pack, and as a result has been beaten and damaged. Yet, she has a hidden strength within her that I know will totally transform her throughout this series. I can't wait to see what type of adventures Charles and her get caught up in, after this one.

Now, onto this book! It was awesome. I loved every minute of it. I mean, we get to meet the Marrok's pack in Mercy's novels, but this takes us deep into the workings and individual members of the pack. Man, I thought it was brilliantly written, and the rogue werewolf situation totally surprised me.

Also, Patricia's characters always feel so real. I've only got great things to say about this novel! :)

Did I buy more books? :/

Okay, before I talk about anything else, how about I post my updated progress bar? Yeah, that sounds good.

Here it is:

Like I mentioned the other day, I was hoping to have it finished by today, but I don't think that's going to happen. I would like to add at least another 3k, though. But Fridays are so hard to be productive. I drive the hubby to work, drive back home, and by the time I get back I have less than an hour before it's time to head out again to pick my daughter up from school.

Then, by the time we get home after our walk and settle into the afternoon, it's already dinnertime. Tonight, I'm really going to try to add some words, even if I have to duck into the bedroom with my lappy. Not sure how it'll go, but I would like to. I'm so close to the end at the moment, though I stopped in a pretty heated situation. *cough* It won't be hard to pick up from where I left off, that's for sure.

Next week, I've got plans for another tale, so I'd love to be done with this first draft sometime during Monday. We'll see.

Today, I went by my fave bookstore again and picked up another four books. Lol. What can I say? I'm totally addicted. Anyway, these are the books I got today:

• COUNTDOWN: Michelle Maddox
• GALE FORCE: Rachel Caine
• NIGHTWALKER: Jocelynn Drake
• THE LAST ANGEL: Natasha Rhodes

I can't wait to get stuck into these ones, too. My gosh, the TBR pile just keeps getting bigger and bigger. What will I read next, after I've finished CRY WOLF? I'm about halfway through at the moment. I would probably have finished it already if it wasn't for me being SO caught up in my own story writing. :)

Anyway, have a nice weekend!

Halfway through...

You know, the first half of the day was pretty cool. The hubby has been working really long hours the last few days, so he went in a little later today. We hung out together and went for a lovely, long walk and even picked up a lovely cup of vanilla coffee from Gloria Jean's.

Heck, we even found time to lift some weights together. Very cool. Then, after he went to work, the sun totally disappeared, it got colder and even started raining. Yeah, the day went downhill after that.

Now, I'm totally irritated with both my daughter and kitty. Do they have to co-ordinate their 'let's be annoying' times? :/

Anyway, enough about that.

Let's move onto my writing progress:

This was the word count after I finished my session last night. I haven't added any new words today. At least, not yet. I'll be picking up my lappy and I'll get on with it later. I'm very excited with how the story's moving along. :)

We finally watched the BURN NOTICE season 1 finale. Awesome! And the best thing is that Aussie TV has decided to keep playing new eps, which means we're getting into season 2 next week. Yay!

Catch'a later!

Back into the writing swing of things

How was everyone's weekend? We had a great time. Of course, like every other week, it went way too fast! :( I wish the weekend went for more than two days. I know, what a strange thing to say, but I'm sure we all feel that way sometimes. Lol.

I popped into the Romance Divas and answered some questions about Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Worldbuilding. It was a lot of fun! The questions asked were great, and everyone's so nice over at the RD message board. It was great.

We also watched several movies, and went for some nice walks. Yesterday's was a little longer than usual because it was so beautiful out. A gorgeous bright and sunny day that felt more like autumn, than spring. Cool. :) One more month of winter to go. I can take it, I can take it. ;) Heeee.

If you want to know more about the movies I watched, pop into my LiveJournal later on, where I'll be chatting about them.

Oh, and I started writing a new novella on Friday. I didn't get much written at the start because Fridays are so unproductive and just breeze by, but I did get about 1,200 words written. But today, I sat down when my hubby went to work and got stuck into it. This is what it looks like now:

Pretty cool, and I'll be sitting down later tonight to see if I can add a little more. The coolest thing about this tale is that the more I write, the more it all becomes clearer. I know the world, now I just have a little more to learn about the two main characters. :D

I've also started reading this book. Very cool! Love this writer.

I'm doing a Q&A...

about Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Worldbuilding over at the Romance Divas.

Come on over and say HI! Hey, maybe you can even ask me a question or two. ;)

Have a great weekend!

TWIST

Abbey Shore never intended to be the savior of the world; it was just something that happened—like her father’s tragic death and the fact that she’s now poor and “flipping” houses in the Chicago suburbs to finish college. And there’s more: behind a crumbling wall in her current renovation, a swirling vortex hides. It’s a gate, a portal—and it will not only cast her into the arms and power of the enigmatic yet doomed Dr. Shane Maddox, but also into the clutches of Lucinda, the eerie, leather-clad beauty who shadowed his every move in the Sacred Heart ER. Abbey will soon be one hundred years in the future, in a dying land filled with roving bands of humans fighting for survival, and the “ticks” against whom they fight. Oh yes, Abbey’s life has had a…TWIST.

I finished this book this morning. If I wasn't so tired last night, I would've gotten through the last thirty pages then... but, I decided it would be better to read the end when I was fresh this morning. :) I think that was a good idea.

You know, I'm really not surprised that I enjoyed this book so much. This is the fifth SHOMI I've read, and so far, I'm totally lovin' this line. Awesome. This one involved time travel, ticks, and a post-apocalyptic future that grabbed me from the beginning.

Man, I'm totally loving these post-apoc books. This line is so cool.

SERVANT: THE AWAKENING

Gabrielle Cody has the ability to see the demons among us as they really are-and the responsibility to destroy them. She can't allow anyone to get in her way, even the magnetic Detective Luther Cross. Sensing a malevolent presence watching and stalking her, Gaby is drawn again and again to an abandoned hospital surrounded by an aura of sickness and suffering-and unimaginable evil.

OMG! This book was totally amazing. I LOVED every second of it. Honestly, it's a dark, gritty, filled-with-attitude ride. Gaby's got a few problems, one of which includes her being able to see demons among the humans. But she's still totally kick ass, and very interesting.

All the characters were so realistic and likeable, even with all their flaws.

Gaby and Luther's adventure isn't over. In fact, the next book is due out at the end of August. I, for one, can't wait until it comes out. This is another series I will be reading from now on. And aren't the covers gorgeous? If you want to check them both out, go here.

If you're into urban fantasy, this is definitely a book for your bookshelf. :D