Hello!

This is another picture my daughter made on her iPad. It's lovely! Love it. I told her I would post it over here this week, so... here it is! ;)

Well, as I mentioned the other day, I'm mostly going to spend this week catching up on stuff and updating stuff. That's what I've been doing since Monday, and there really is a lot to catch up on.

Hubby's first week at the new job seems to be going good too. When he comes home, he smells like coffee. Which is totally a great thing.

I updated my website yesterday and noticed a few things:

(1). Satin Beauty: An Erotic Anthology is now available on paperback from The Book Depository, Amazon, and Amazon UK. It's a Static Movement anthology edited by Brianna Stoddard. Not sure why I missed it, but I ordered myself a copy.

(2). Split at the Seams is now available for pre-order on Kindle. Plus, you can pre-order it from the Samhain website for $3.85! And an excerpt has been posted there too.

(3). Although A Patch of Darkness doesn't come out in print until April 2, 2013, it's already on pre-order at The Book Depository, Amazon, and Amazon UK. This is so exciting! I can't wait to see a copy of it. :)

(4). My Coming Soon Page features only Sierra Fox books at the moment!

Yeah, the above are just a few things I've noticed. :D

At the moment, I'm reading THE LAST ECHO by Kimberly Derting. It's the third book in her Body Finder series. I really enjoyed the first two, and this one's pretty good so far as well. Not reading it as quickly as I would like, but I'm squeezing in reading time whenever I can.

I've also been taking photos and making icons to post on my blog from now on. It's actually a lot of fun, and I can't help but wonder why I didn't just make my own stuff from the very beginning. *scratches head* Anyway, I'm enjoying it.

Today, I'd like to put away some stationery I've got lying around. In the last week my daughter & I bought a bunch of very cute & cool notebooks that now need a home, LOL.

Have a great day!

Still writing...

Yes, I am. And I have to admit that I'm really excited about how this story is going. So far, I've written almost 8,000 words and the world, characters, and situations are still flooding my brain. It feels so good when that happens.

After losing the spark for the YA/UF story I started last week--yeah, that really got me down--I thought I'd stay in the (writing) dumps for a while. So it's awesome to have re-ignited that spark of enthusiasm for a different story. :)

Also, I had two more stories accepted into two different Static Movement anthologies. I had one accepted into the Satin Beauty anthology, and the other into the Wicked Witchery anthology. So I'm very excited about my three previously published stories getting a second chance at life. In print, this time.

Well, better get back to it. Speak to you later.

Hello, it's Friday!

And another whirlwind of a week is almost over. Phew.

Usually, at the end of the week I'd either be frantically trying to finish up my current project, taking it easy after finishing a current project, or thinking about which one to tackle next. But y'know, I won't be doing that today because I'm expecting several edits to drop into my Inbox any day now.

That means there's no real point in throwing myself into anything new just yet. It's best to just catch up on some online stuff, and maybe writing a short story or two. Or at least think about them. I'm not feeling especially motivated today. It could be that spring's in the air. Or it could just be that I'm impatiently waiting for the window screens-and-blinds guy to drop in so he can instal them into the kitchen and bedrooms.

Yesterday afternoon, I received my copy of the Ghosts and Demons anthology, and I have to say that's absolutely gorgeous! I love the way the Static Movement Anthologies look. I just need to conjure up some extra hours in the day to sit down and read the stories.

There's never enough time in the day, is there? lol.

Last night I started reading another book. It's called Crossing Over by Anna Kendall. What a nice cover, huh?

Anyway, I think it's time I tackled... something. ;)

Have a great weekend!

Well, hello!

I can't believe it's Thursday already. My gosh, where have the last few days gone? Well, they've been packed with stuff. 

Firstly, I had my daughter home from school because she wasn't participating in something that was going on at school. And of course, that meant she was here 24/7. But that's okay, I made sure she got a balanced dose of online schoolwork, homework, and relaxation time. I even took her on an excursion to the the post office. Where she learned that the online postage calculator gives the wrong amounts. :/

It's time to go back to school today. She'll probably wake up at any minute now.

I just want to mention that today I'm over at Author Talk to Linda Sole. It's just a little blog post about me and the things I like to write. :) Feel free to pop in, it's a litle lonely at the moment. lol.

A few things have been going on... I signed two more contracts with Evernight Publishing. Yay. It's for two Christmas-themed novellas that feature an imp, a human, and the demonic. Lots of fun. Can't wait to see the covers for these ones. Yay. I also had two more stories accepted into two Static Movement Anthologies--Darkest Secrets and Oh, the Horror! Which means that I now have three stories in DS, and two in OtH! How awesome is that? And, it looks like they're both closing in a few days, too.

Thanks to hubby, I also found out that not only is there a http://www.thebookdepository.com/, but that the prices are several dollars cheaper than http://www.thebookdepository.co.uk/. Doesn't sound like much, but when you buy anywhere between two-five books/month, it adds up. I ordered my copy of Were-What and Madness of the Mind, as well as the US paperback version of Dead and Gone. Awesome!

Well, today I've got a bunch of smaller things to do: proofread and post my latest book review, revise and email another guest blog post (this time for Borders True Romance, where I'll be a guest on 30/9), finish writing a 1k shortie that I want to sub here before it's too late, type up another short story that's half-finished, and sort out what I'd like to finalise--writing wise--by the end of this year. Although, that's going to be a little wonky because I'm expecting a whole bunch of edits during the next few months and have no idea when they'll hit.

Okay, time to get stuck into one of the things I mentioned. Have a great day!

Cloudy Monday

*taking a deep breath*

It's the start of another week. I'm pretty sure I'm ready for it.

Anyway. I've put together a new to-do list, but have been taking care of a few last-minute things I had on my list for last week. The Sci-Fi rewrite/revision has been emailed in. All I can do now is cross my fingers. And toes, too. Oh, and try not to think about it too much. Otherwise I'll drive myself nuts and start second-guessing myself. :/

On Saturday I found out that another of the Static Movement Anthologies I've got a story in is now available from Amazon. It's the Were-What antho. So that's cool! Still a few more to go.

Well, I guess I should get stuck into the other things I'd like to get done this week. I've got my daughter home tomorrow and the day after that. Don't ask. I'm not impressed with what the school has organised instead of normal classes. At least if she stays home I can get her to read and/or work on some maths on the computer. Like I said, not impressed.

Have a great week!

My gosh!

This week is slipping away from me so quickly. I mean, don't get me wrong I've been super busy and that's why it's going so fast, but still.

So, I've been working really hard at getting the Sci-Fi rewrite done. I'd like to have it finished and submitted to my editor by early next week. Fingers crossed. There's a bit of work to be done. Several changes, additions, things to delete, others to ponder. But overall, there's been a lot of chopping and moving things around. I hope I'm not taking things in the wrong direction. The changes I'm making feel good so far.

I've reached pg 47/109. I've fallen a little behind, but that's okay. I'll be spending all day on it today.

I finally did what I've been thinking about doing for several weeks now. I cut most of the length off my hair. Well, hubby actually chopped the length and I've been cutting in some layers with my trusty razor comb (which is awesome!). I really like it! I think I needed the change. Now my hair sits just above my shoulders. Very cool.

Here are a few new things that have been going on... the Static Movement Anthology GHOSTS AND DEMONS is now available from The Book Depository. I ordered my copy the other day, can't wait to get it. And the MADNESS OF THE MIND Anthology is now available at Amazon. Also very cool!

And because I've become addicted to subbing stories to Static Movement anthos, I've had a trilogy of stories accepted into FAERIES - An Anthology of Magical Short Stories. These stories have been available before as eBooks, but never in print. And I changed a few details too. I did the same for the story I subbed to DARK ROMANCE - From the Far Side. I also had a horror shorty accepted into Oh, The Horror. Actually, my story kinda matches the cover. :) 

Yeah, like I said: addicted. lol

Well. I guess that's it for this morning. I'm hoping to squeeze in at least one chapter before my daughter wakes up. So, catch'a later!

Got some updates & news!

<---See this?

It's my copy of the Static Movement CAUGHT BY DARKNESS Anthology. I received it late last week and it's so lovely. The cover's colorful, and my little story, Shoreline, is inside. Yay! It's very excting.

And that reminds me... the next Static Movement anthology that I'm in is now available from Amazon. It's called GHOSTS AND DEMONS, and it includes five of my stories: Umbrella, Mr. Stanley, A Matter of Faith (Before Blaze, Story 1), Ovher’s Belief (Before Blaze, Story 2), Carlee's Spirit (Before Blaze, Story 3). And if you read the last three stories, you'll meet some human characters that actually appear in a novel that I've just added to my website as a FREE READ. It's called HELLBLAZE, and you can check it out here.

Also, yesterday I signed two new contracts for two of my homeless stories. They were both available once upon a time but haven't been available for months now, so I decided to resubmit them. And thanks to a new publisher called Evernight Publishing, they'll be getting a second chance at publication. Yay! They're called The Soul Dealer: Deception, and The Soul Dealer: Redemption. I'll keep you posted on the progress, as well as the grand opening of the publisher. :)

I did a lot of stuff today, but none of it is what I was supposed to be working on. Still, it means that I've cleared a lot of stuff off my to-do list. Including my latest newsletter, which I just finished doing. There's a new cover in there that I'll be sharing here later this week.

Well, hope you're having a great day!

Just, y'know, stuff...

You know what I keep forgetting to mention? That I now have an Author Page at Amazon. Yay! :)

My gosh, I've been listening to Adam Lambert a lot lately. A lot.

Thanks to Michele Hauf, who posts one of his pics every Tuesday, I started getting curious. And now I can't stop listening to his album. It's so catchy, so very cool, and even inspiring. Yep. His song Sleepwalker has already helped add more spark to a WIP. It was a story that I happened to be thinking about when that song started on my MP3 player. And when I started listening, it just helped with other facets of the story. So very cool.

Yesterday turned out to be a very productive day: I finished the second round of edits for my upcoming novella, DAMAGED. Then I subbed three connected short stories to the Static Movement Ghosts and Demons Anthology. And they all got accepted. So very excited about this.

They're all set in the same world as a novel I wrote several years ago, and now intend to add to my website as a FREE READ. Actually, this morning I've been formatting it so that when the Ghosts and Demons antho is released I can add it. It's an idea that struck me while I was walking yesterday morning. Man, I love going for walks. I've had some pretty cool things strike out of nowhere while I'm walking.

I think I'll just take it easy today. My daughter's school's got an open classroom thing going on this afternoon and she wants me to pop in. That means I need to leave a little earlier than I usually do. That's okay.

Well, have a nice day!

I have a huge headache

Yeah, I do. I woke up with it and it just won't go away.

Maybe I just need some fresh air, which I'll get later on when I go for a walk near the river. :) I've taken a few headache tablets too, hopefully that'll help.

So, how's everyone today? We're getting very close to the end of another week, aren't we? And tomorrow's the concert. Yay.

Anyway. I'm hoping to get back into my daily routine of writing today. Yesterday was a very long day and it rained way too much. Though at the same time, I think it matched the mood of the day. It was sad and tiring, but at least he's now been laid to rest. RIP Jim.

Okay, I'm going to get going now. But before I do, look what I found! That's right, one of the Static Movement anthologies I'm in is now available! Yay. It's called Caught by Darkness: An Anthology of Dark Tales. I've got a creepy short story called, Shoreline, in this one. :) 

Pulpo = win!

The other day, I mentioned Octopus Paul--aka Pulpo Paul--and I have to mention him again today. You see, he's quite the champ. Here he is with his latest prediction:

He clearly picked Spain over the Netherlands. And you know what? He was right, right, right! Yes. Spain won the World Cup. We got up at 4am this morning to watch the match, but gosh, the real action didn't happen until almost the end of extra time. By then, hubby had already left for work. lol. Still, it was worth watching. :)

And, that's it for another four years. It was fun while it lasted, but it'll be great to get some proper sleep now.

You know, late last week, I thought I knew what I was going to tackle this week... but over the weekend, I changed my mind. This month has been a lot about rewriting/reviving stories that I think deserve a second chance of life. So far, that adventure has proven to be quite successful, and I'm going to take it again. This week, I'm going to read over (I don't expect any real rewriting, just tweaks) a novella that I'm going to sub into an anthology. I plan to get it read by the end of the week, so I can sub it in by Friday. Fingers crossed.

Because of the World Cup, I got off to a pretty bad start. :( Just got the first chapter done, and want to read it again because my head just wasn't in the right place. Hopefully I can do that sometime later, although I doubt it because daughter and I have to walk down to the bank to sort something out. I hate it when people make errors that should've been clear from the start. Incompetence is a pet peeve of mine.

Well, better get my daughter's brekky ready because I want to head out as early as I can. Better to get to the bank early. See ya!

PS. I got a new Static Movement Anthology acceptance this morning! For the Ghosts and Demons antho, this time. Got my eye on the Darkest Secrets one, too. :D

Oracle Talk

Even if you haven't been watching the World Cup, I'm pretty sure you've heard about the octopus called Paul--aka the German Octopus Oracle. Well, if you haven't, here he is with his latest pick:

Isn't he cute? As you can see in the pic, he actually picked Spain to win. And he was right! He's been right every single time. Which is awesome. In so many ways. Of course, the Germans were a little disappointed by his latest choice, but damn it, he got it right again. I think he's totally awesome, and just had to post a pic on my blog. :)

Well, what have you been up to? I've been busy trying to get the word out about my latest release. Yay! It's amazing how many places need to be updated whenever a new book comes out. It's a lot of fun, but I always find that I forget somewhere and then have to rush around a day or two later. lol. Still, I think I've got the word out as best as I can. Just gotta send it out to a few review places now. Looking forward to hearing what readers think of Gypsy and Calvin's story.

It should be out in print soon too, which is great! Can't wait to have a copy in my hands. :D

My gosh, it's Friday. I can't believe how quickly this week's gone! Yikes. I probably won't get a chance to do anything too involved today, but at least I'll be able to tie up a few things. I've managed to cross stuff off my to-do list, but still have a few other things left to do. Some which will probably take a while--like reading REBEL to my daughter. We're up to page 50-something at the moment. We're aiming to get through it by the end of her school holidays. I think we can do it.

Oh, and on another positive note, I've had another short story accepted into a Static Movement Anthology. This antho is called, Madness of the Mind. And I had a story which I thought was perfect for it. It's called Shocked. And actually happens to be one of those stories I mentioned the other day. Y'know, the ones that deserve a second chance at life. I opened it, rewrote it, and subbed it. So glad it got accepted. These anthologies are addictive. lol.

I guess that's it for today. Have a great weekend!

Back to the dreary...

After a gorgeous weekend, once daylight hit this morning (I actually get up before the sun comes up, lol) I noticed how dark it was still out there. And of course, no sun means that the temperature drops quite a bit. :(

Anyway. I'm so tired today. We've been watching the soccer over the weekend, which means going to bed after 2AM. At least I'm glad that the matches were good. And guess what? Spain's gone through to the next round! Yay. Let's hope they make it all the way to the end, huh?

Yesterday, I had three different short stories accepted into three different Static Movement Anthologies. They are for: Creepy Things, Were-What? and Caught By Darkness. That was very cool news, indeed! I'm very excited to have found a home for my little stories. It's better than just having them sit on my hard drive.

This year, I've been going through short stories that I've written throughout the years, and I've put aside the ones that I think deserve to be looked at and revised/rewritten. My writing has evolved, and some of those shorties deserve a second chance at life. So after doing just that to a handful of them, being included in the above anthologies is great!

Okay. Another cool thing: I believe that the Sci-Fi novel (yes, I can now call it a novel) is done. I finished reading everything that I rewrote on Friday, and added/deleted a few last-minute things. I'm very excited about how it's turned out, and hope to sub it in tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed. It ended up being 60,829 words. How cool is that? And it's so different that it's virtually a new story. ;)

Darn it! I was hoping to go for a walk today, but it looks like we won't be going anywhere. It's raining. :( Now, I have no problem walking in the rain when I'm by myself, but dragging my daughter with me is a different story. So, let's hope it clears up soon.

Two days until SoG is released...