Closing Shop

I'm closing the blog. As evident as it is, I simply have not been keeping up with it. The novel writing and dayjob have taken up quite a bit of my time. Oh, I'm also told there is something like a life, or something that I should be having some part in, but that's still pretty elusive.
So, for the time being at least, I'm shutting down the blog. Feel free to reach me via facebook, twitter (JM_Diaz) and Tumblr (http://jm-diaz.tumblr.com).
I hope to see you there friends... I do, indeed.

Cheers and Chao...

JMD

I'm Pissed. Why Aren't You?

Here is something that pisses me off: Britney Spears is in the news? Really? If missing children and unsolved crimes got the air and print time Britney’s cellulite and Lindsey’s crack [head] get, the world would be a happier place. News outlets need a serious reshuffling of their priorities.

Here is another thing that pisses me off: Considering that all Muslims are terrorists. That is idiotic. That’s like considering all Christians as pedophiles because of what a few priests did. Next time I see somebody wearing a crucifix, I’m going to pull my kids away and shove them behind me. And no more churches near schoolyards.

And another thing that pisses me off: Burning the Qur'an. You know who burns books? The Nazi’s, that’s who. That’s all I’m saying.

Another thing that pisses me off: Iran to release one of the three American’s that have been arrested for over a year. ONE of the THREE? What the hell is this? Human roulette? That’s not a sign of good faith, that is insult added to injury. Those three are as much spies as I am a member of the Green Lantern corps (Yay, movie coming! – sorry, ADD moment). At best, the 3 Americans can be charged with walking over the Iranian border illegally. That little foot trick earned them over a year in an Iranian jail! And people complain about OUR treatment of illegals.

And the last thing that has pissed me off today (it’s only 9am): Where the F*CK is the white iPhone 4?? Huh?

The week in WTF News

- 500 Million Eggs Tainted With Salmonella
Here’s the skinny: A bunch of chickens were fed rat-crapped-on food that made them [the chickens] produce salmonella’ed eggs. I know 500 million sounds like a lot, but when compared to the 80 billion eggs the US produces every year, it does put things in perspective. It’s like you have a better chance of being sodomized on a bus than to get one of the contaminated eggs. I’m just sayin’. But you should stop eating runny eggs. Not only is it gross, but now, potentially dangerous.

- 56 Pound Tumor Removed
Here’s the skinny: An Argentine woman went in to have a lump the size of an orange removed, but Doctors ended up finding a 56 pound tumor stashed inside there, instead. So, here’s my thing, how fat was this woman, or how blind were these doctors to miss a 56 lbs tumor? I mean, I know that it would’ve been easier to detect if we had some kind of “magnetic resonance imaging” device, or a something like a “Computer Tomography scan” appliance, or something… oh, wait. The best part, however, was their answer: “Well, it’s not the biggest tumor we found”. I can’t, I just…. I’m moving on.

- Katrina’s anniversary
Here’s the skinny: Really? Are we celebrating a hurricane? I know it was bad. I really do, but let’s not make an event out of everything. Next thing you know, we will be “remembering” the day that traffic wasn’t so bad. I know a lot of you have those “We will always remember” bumper stickers, and for those of you, I ask you this: Can you remember the Pythagorean Theorem, and a common application for it? Yeah, try remembering stuff like that next time. It’s NOT about remembering as much as it is about learning the lessons.

- Glenn Beck at the Lincoln Memorial
Here’s the skinny: Glenn Beck is planning some major rally at the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of the “I have a Dream” speech by Dr. King. He claims it will be a revival of the civil rights movement. And here’s my thing: WTF??? Why are we still paying attention to this ass-clown. Why doesn’t his show get cancelled and his books used as foot-stools in bookstores? MLK’s ideals are a polar opposite to what this douche is preaching. People like him and the other “unmentionable gal” are giving republicans a bad rep (and I’m not a republican). I know he is claiming that it’s not a “political thing,” and that just makes me feel inclined to throw back a shot, and call “Bullshit”.

Current Perspective

Why do today, the things I can pay someone to do tomorrow?

That's all.

Time is NOT of the Essence

Being an unpub (unpublished author) has its advantages. Okay, all right; it has A [single] advantage. I can take my time with my story. I don’t have to work under the pressure of a deadline to be met, or to keep a timeline in order to produce a series at the right time. Not that one shouldn’t be disciplined with the craft, but we do have a certain leeway.

My livelihood is not dependent on my book getting published before (insert whatever BS holiday season) in order to maximize its sales potential. Instead, I can afford to read and re-read, and tweak, and flat out redo my story as I see fit. I mean, after all, that is why we write, is it not? If there is a writer out there that got into this business seeking fame and fortune, well, you may want to reconsider your motivation.

All King, Patterson and Brown aside, writing has not been the most lucrative of the arts. One can make a living off it, but not likely to the level of millionaire status that some other artists enjoy. I’m not discouraging, but simply stating my opinion. I count myself lucky to have a day job that allows me to pursue my love, with the passion it deserves. When I do seek publication for my work, it will be because I have taken it as far as I possibly can on my own. It will not be a “good enough” or a “It’ll have to do” kind of situation. For the time being, time is not of the essence.

I do wonder how my pace of writing will be once I do reach the elusive holly grail of publication. What is your experience with the process? Are you a strict scheduler? Or a write by inspiration person?

Noveling and other half-ass accomplishments

Well hello bloggers and readers. In slim chance that somebody will still actually ready my blog (after my extended hiatus) I announce my writing return here, and in this manner: I am back.

How very anticlimactic, I know.

So, updates. Let’s see… I watched, cried, loved and laughed the World Cup. Spain won, as I hoped they would. All is right in the world. And for clarifications sake, it was the US soccer team that brought on the tears. I really wanted to them in the finals. But we all know how that worked out.

I moved. New house, still Atlanta. Actually, I’m IN Atlanta, not a suburb anymore, so there. That is and will be an ongoing project for the next, oh I don’t know, two or three decades?

Writing: That front is now being tackled. I have left my MS alone for a solid seven weeks, and am now in the process of going through it one more time. I hope it will not take more than 2 weeks to do this part, and after that, “Mend” will be ready for the query slaughter house. I’d like a catchy way to open my query letter. I’ve seen some great ones over at slushpile hell, but I need something memorable. Something along the lines of “Who needs Oprah when you have talent like this. See below for evidence…” What do you all think? It’s a sure shot winner, don’t you?

Glad to be back. I Will pick up the posting pace, I promise. I’d love to know what you all have been up to.

Ta-ta

World Cup, baby!

That's it, really. Between Soccer games and moving to a new house, you can probably not expect another post until after July 11th.

Cheers, and best of luck kiddos.

Man threatens to kill 9-year-old daughter unless she drinks alcohol

I'm not kidding. I wish I was. These are the kind of people that should never be allowed to procreate. Read the story HERE

Oh, and the ever classic "Man tries to trade baby for beer and drugs" located in the site page as above. Of just click HERE

It makes me ill. I'm a parent and news like this make me want hurt my knuckles against somebody's face. I was feeling guilty for letting my kids watch "The Fly" and "The Matrix" and introducing them to "Terminator". Suddenly, I'm feeling pretty good about my parenting skills... and that's a stretch.

Why is THIS news?

First off, I’d like to take my hat off and give a giant bow of respect to the FBI and the NYPD. They went from abandoned, smoking vehicle in Times Square to a viable suspect in custody in a little over 48 hours. THAT, is police work. THAT was news.

Ok then, back to the matter at hand. I’ve been annoyed (more so than usual) by the things I hear in the news that make me go: “Why is THIS news?”

1. People coming out of the closet.
I honestly cannot give a flying fuck something that flies, if you’ve spent the last decades closeted. Really, Ricky Martin, I don’t give a shit. That’s like hearing: “Ending years of speculation, Angelina Jolie has issued a press release confirming, that she is in fact, a Gemini.”
Or “Hugh Hefner is straight.” Let’s be honest here, does it really make a difference? There is some country singer girl that came out this week, and honestly, I left NPR because I just didn’t want to hear it.

2. China.
This is not a joke. I am so tired of hearing in the news about every time China farts. Don’t misunderstand me; I am not one of those crazy isolationists that think “America don’t need nobody.” Far from it. I’ll show you my passport for proof. I love learning and hearing about other cultures, but NPR reports more on china than on our stuff (or so it seems). There was new report about some Chinese man that died. He knew how to make bird noises with his throat. I heard about it on NPR. I. shit. you. not. He wasn’t somebody that helped mankind in some way, nor a civil servant dying to save another, or something else that should merit mention. If this is how the rest of the world reports or reported on the U.S. in their own countries, I can see why American’s don’t tend to bode well in international circles.

3. The World’s Fair.
See China. But also, it’s irrelevant now. The World’s fair had its place in a time when countries needed a means to exchange ideas and impress upon other nations their technological knowhow. And it was a great idea and successful way of doing so. And then came telecommunications, and ultimately the internet. What the hell do I need a world’s fair when I can teleconference and see, SEE your demo from miles away? Call it another conference and move on. Dragon Con needs some competition, maybe the “World’s Con” is up to the challenge. Oh, and don’t let me go without saying that the amount of money spent on this thing is an absurdity the size of the cosmos itself. I mean, dear God (atheist, remember?) there are people literally DYING in Haiti, Chile, Nashville, and many other places. There is giant fucking oil leak just off the coast of Louisiana, but let’s put on a show measured in billions of dollars so that the world notices us. It’s like a little girl whining “pay attention to meeee”… Good job, we noticed.

Sorry for the long post. I know it’s out of character, but just felt bitchy for some reason. I know, try to contain the gasp. Let’s see if the media reports on this as well. Where is Chuck Norris when you need him to roundhouse kick some people?

Granny, 72, Having A Baby With Her Grandson

Yeah. Munch on that for a second or two.

It just says so much and brings so many ideas - all extremely unpleasant - about what went on in that household. Kind of the same way that "baby shoes for sale, never worn" does. Only in a more demonic way (and I'm an atheist).

The irony is that people are worried about same sex couples having children. This news just goes to show that fucked up people come in all kinds and sizes and in no larger quantity in one group or the other.

Whole story HERE

I apologize if I've induced a gag reflex with my writing. That's not what I aimed for, as inevitable as it may seem.



 

Kill me, Because I'm Dying.

When I die and I am to be interred
I want it to be with one of your pictures
So that I’m not frightened down there
So that I don’t forget your face
So that I can imagine I’m with you
And feel a little bit alive

When I die and I have to be interred
I want it to be in flowers and not stones
So that I can give them to you
So that I am not eternally distant
So that I can give a thousand stars
And feel little bit alive
With your face by my side.

I can't take credit for the above. I just thought I'd share these lyrics by Samuel Hernandez.These are amongst my favorite, though some of the soul behind them might have been lost in translation.

Awesome, is made of Chuck Norris:

I'm having the kind of day that needs a little sunshine. And who better to provide it, than Chuck Norris. Bow, infidels!

Chuck Norris kicked Neo out of Zion , now Neo is "The Two"

Chuck Norris is what Willis was talking about

Chuck Norris sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled martial arts ability. Shortly after the transaction was finalized, Chuck roundhouse kicked the devil in the face and took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month.

Chuck Norris is 1/8th Cherokee. This has nothing to do with ancestry, the man ate a fucking Indian.

The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.

Chuck Norris once ate an entire ream of rice paper and shat out origami swans and Mister Miyagi from Karate Kid.

When Chuck Norris had surgery, the anesthesia was applied to the doctors.

Once a grizzly bear threatened to eat Chuck Norris. Chuck showed the bear his fist and the bear proceeded to eat himself, because it would be the less painful way to die.


These are only a small sample.. feel free to add.

Hit the Wall

I've hit the first wall on my new WIP. You know the one (if you've ever attempted to write). Since I decided to forgo the outline, I started out with characters, and then proceeded to create a mock synopsis or quick timeline of events, rather. I soon found myself writing entire paragraphs until I hit the point when I asked myself "and then what happens..." and I'm stuck.

No rush. Really.

Engineering can be very endearing, rewarding and time consuming affair. But like all affairs, it must end before the wife finds out. And writing is a very jealous wife.

I'm uncertain whether it is an an advantage or a handicap for my writing, but knowing that my paycheck is not co-relational to my publication means that I can take my time. Not that I've stopped thinking about it. By no means. In fact, the wip has been on my mind, and a few possible scenarios are circling the plot like a pack of hungry sharks (even though I've never seen Nat Geo show sharks hunting in packs). I just don't know what direction to take the story in, you know? Of course you don't.. I've not given even an inkling as to what the story is about.

How do you all deal with these situations? Do you feel that having a full-time, wage earning job helps or takes from your writing?

Awesomer Contest

Check it out.. its a must! Click here, or here, or HERE.

You can also click here, and here AND Finally THERE.

All Over Again: Starting Anew

Short post, because - contrary to popular belief - I am writing. I've started working on my new novel. I've put MEND, it's queries and evil, EVIL, synopsis to rest for a bit. Let it marinate, if you will. I'll pick it up again later, and decide if \ when I'll start querying for it.

Meantime, I am writing. I've started with the character profiles and thus far I am very pleased with the people I will be spending the next few months (years?) with. They're an amalgamation of my family and friends. The story will take place partially in my beloved Atlanta, but mostly in the place my family came from.

I wish you all best of luck with your various WIPs and I'll keep you posted of the frustrations and elations of writing this new book. Chat soon kiddies.

Thrown at The Shark

I have thrown myself at the shark. Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions on my query. Let’s see if the shark takes the bait, and rips my little prose love to shreds. I hope. If I’m gonna get ripped apart, let it be done as fabulously as only the Shark can.

In other news, spring is here. If you’ve been hiding under a rock (with your laptop, albeit) then you’ve been missing out on some fantastic weather. Not that it’s without its mandatory douchebags, but one must take the good with the bad, and the idiotic. For example, why are you walking around in your bikini top with ripped jeans and flip flops? It’s spring, not pool-side summer, idiot. You may think you’re hot, you’re momma may think you are pretty, but that’s where the kind thoughts end. And to Mr. Badass who insists on wearing the wife beater tank top just so you can show off your scabbing shoulder tattoo, let me tell you sir, you are an ass, ass!

Regardless, the sun is out, and while the morons are out too, I still find it to be an opportune time to peel away from the keyboard and soak up some golden rays. Even if I have to stare (and I do stare) at your God’s evidence that he does, in fact, have a sense of humor.

Ass Kickin' Query (as in my ass, getting kicked)

If youread this in the back of a book, would you buy it?


He attacks. He springs upon his victims with hatred and blind fury, slashing their bodies and shredding the peace of The City Too Busy to Hate. He kills. With no evidence left behind, four Atlanta families have fallen in his wake, and he is not finished.

Fifteen years have passed since the day Jacob Santos opened his eyes and found his mother brutally murdered. For years he has been tormented by an unattainable desire for revenge. Unattainable, until now. Following a murder in a downtown Atlanta neighborhood, a murder that mirrors his mother’s, Jacob receives a message:

“Got another for you.”

It is an invitation from the man Jacob has spent his entire adult life envisioning killing; a provocation to come out and play a deadly game of cat and mouse. And Jacob does just that. The only help the self-proclaimed investigator receives comes from an unorthodox source; the ghost of a childhood friend that haunts both him and the killer alike. Hidden behind the specter’s cryptic messages lays the true link between the hunter and the hunted, and the only means to decipher which is which.

However, unveiling the secret might come at too high a price for the lone investigator’s fragile mind, since the killer he so desperately seeks has never been further than a mere glimpse in the mirror. Now Jacob must find a way to mend his fractured psyche, before the police catch up to him, before another family is slaughtered, before his mind and his soul are lost forever. He cannot fail. Doing so will turn him from the best hope to stop the killings, and into the catalyst of an unprecedented murderous rampage.

Thanks,

If you have a query you need an opnion on, let me know. I can be very opnionated. My wife tells me so all the time.

Sin.Op.Sis

I sat at my desk tonight fully intending to write my synopsis. Instead I ended up going through my blogfriendies stuff, delighted with all the magnificent posts, and burned through an hour of (what would’ve been) writing time. So much for “intentions,” eh?

It’s not that I’m lazy or procrastinating my synopsis writing. No, not at all. The root of my delay is much more feral and intrinsic than that: I am scared shitless of it. Not that I fear the haunting of my keyboard or the strange noises that are produced in my house after everyone has gone to bed and the lights are dim (and autonomously twinkling) here in the room. I should probably have that looked at by an electrician, or a priest. Whatever. Instead, what I do fear is that I will be unable to capture the essence of my story in those pages. There, I said it. It's really that simple.

I know I will. I know I have to. I know you all will tell me to quit my bitching, and probably offer some cheese with my whine… so thank you (in advance). I simply felt the need to put this in writing, and send it out into the unforgetting and unforgiving internet and not feel that my evening was a total waste. At least I got caught up with my neglected fellow bloggies, found some new folks to follow on twitter and scoured facebook. Yeah, I’m totally on top of my synopsis game, aren’t I?

Curse you novel. I love you, but you are so much damn work.

Just had a Dorkgasm

TRON: Legacy
and
The Last Airbender

'nough said.

How You Doin'?

In the lifetime of WIP's, mine is entering its summer. I have completed a sturdy, hefty round of edits and shall begin to transcribe them to my digital copy.

I highly recommend printing out your MS. After three or four rounds of edits on your digital copy, a hard copy will help you catch those retarded evasive mistakes that eluded you in the past.

I'm not saying that mine is ready to go, but I feel much closer now.

On a macabre side note, there was a crime today in my city that eerily resembled the murder scenes of my WIP. It was reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution here. I couldn't help but notice the similarities, and develop a morbid professional interest in the details.

I know. If there is a hell, y'all make sure to send me a postcard.

A Very Weary Query

Let's see a show of hands now:

How many of you are ready to query?
How many of you have edited your MS as much as you possibly can? 

Do you all send out the queries before your MS is fully polished, or not really, since you know that it will likely get re-edited once an agent accepts it. Notice "once" not "if". 

I've been pondering on this for some time now, eventhough I'm not quite there yet. My musings were, I don't want to say interrupted, but rather complimeted by an idea for my WIP. A way of tying up all my murders and my protagonist with a nice silk thread. More on this later. 

Anyway, lemme know your thoughts, kiddies. Gotta go 'cause my flight is about to board. 

Sent from my iPhone. 

Send Hate Mail here, but:

When your way of conducting business makes people think that flying an airplane into your building is better than dealing with you, it may be time to reconsider your business practices. That said, it was an absolutely senseless loss of life, for all involved.

Psychosomatically Busy

I'm not just trying to be fansy schmancy with the titles... it trully has been an insane time for me. My for realz life is invading my virtual one, and started rape, pilage and plunder. I don;t know where this all came from, but I am hoping that I can create my own little Hannibal the barbarian, fight back this intruding force.

I miss my blogging buds, and their great posts.

Personally, I blame you.

$9.99 for an e-book is an outrage. A flat out crime. There is a lot of talk in the media of how publishers are pulling away from the internet behemoth (AKA: Amazon) in favor of the sales model Apple is offering. And why wouldn’t they? After all, everyone knows that Apple corp. is the Mecca of user friendly prices and consumer driven affordability. In fact, their new tablet generated more buzz then the tablet Moses introduced. Even though Moses’ tablet was wireless and buttonless, and even came with its own set detailed instructions, it didn’t generate this much noise. Never mind that the instructions were supposed to be handed down from a higher power.
PFFT.
Apple’s [tablet] comes from a way, way higher authority. The Immortal omnipresence of Steve Jobs. Moreover, it has an app store. Take that, burning bushes.

But I digress.

Instead of letting the market dictate the price of an electronic reproduction (which in reality costs close to nothing to digitize) they are pulling away and opting for the pricier sales model? Perfect.

Way to alienate readers. Great work guys.

That has about as much brains behind it as the recording industry and their struggle to keep CD’s alive. Holding on to the old ways is only chasing away the customers who want information now, and accessible. It’s simple. I’d rather sell 30000 copies of something at $6.99 then 8000 at $14.99. A broader audience is reached, which creates talk and talk beckons more sales. I’m not even going to get into the illegal downloading that is heading our way.

I’m not an e-book reader, having a strong preference for the feel and smell of paper when I read, but I do know more and more people are. The price of things should go down (and not up) to keep customers coming back. If my book comes out as an e-book, I’d want it to be a cheap as humanly possible. I’d rather have people clicking and downloading instead of thinking “gosh, I don’t know if I wanna spend $14.99 for a writer I don’t know.” But people will go out, and buy it, and support the few books that already have an audience, while torpedoing the entire next generation of authors and their books.

Amazon Contest

If ever a time to get your panties in a bunch was there, this be it!

Well, no, not really. It's just a contest, but hey, if you feel your stuff has the stuff to win, and get stuff in return. Then I say, send your stuff.

Click here for the link and best of luck.

The contest if for any Genre fiction and Young Adult. So good luck kiddies, and go on and shine.

You Like to Write? No Kiddin'

I’m damn near certain that I am going to piss off some people here and even lose some followers, but I feel this must be said (or written, rather).
I am a blogger, but more than that, I am a reader. I thoroughly enjoy learning what others in the blogsphere are thinking and committing to the internet. That said, I can tell you that on most occasions, I get turned off by the overly lengthy posts. I understand that sometimes we go off on rants, and our fingers take over our reason and pound away paragraph after paragraph. I know I’ve been guilty of that as much as anybody else.

However, I have a feeling that I am not alone in seeing these daunting reads, and either skimming through them, or skipping them all together. There are a few reasons for this. First and foremost, my severe ADD. But there is also the fact that I have several (well over 100) blogs that I follow and try to read at least every other day. If I have to spend 15 to 20 minutes reading just one post, I just don’t have enough time in the day to read them all. Its shame, I know. I’m an ass, I know that too, but some things just need to be said.

I try to keep my posting to no more than three (maybe four) paragraphs. Something that can be read in under three minutes. I’m sure there is a lot of good information in those long posts, but it’s probably been lost on me. Another thing, I don’t read excerpts of unpublished novels. And I always advise against posting them. For once, they tend to be long, and for twice, every agent blog I’ve read says DON’T DO IT. What do you all think? You like and read all the long posts? Or prefer the short and sweet ones?

NOTE: By long I mean the ones that have more than 6 paragraphs, or more than 1000 words.

Characterization

I know that we are all seasoned character builders and personality developers. We are, go ahead, try to argue against me. No? I didn’t think so. Well, since that’s already been established, I am going to teach you a lesson. Yes, you, oh master of characterization. Here is an example of how a character can be so well out of “character” and still ring absolutely true to the person:

Boy: (6 y/o): “Ugh, I hate that.”
Male CareTaker (30 y/o): “What’s that kiddo?”
Boy: “That, that show.”
MCT: “Why?”
“Because it’s full of girl stuff. I hate girls.”
“You can’t hate girls, kiddo.”
“But I do.”
“What are you gonna do when you grow up then? Marry a Boy?”
“Ugh. I said, I hate girls. NOT women.” Boy rolls eyes.

Not in a million years did I see that coming from a six year old, yet in hindsight, it is a totally appropriate response from THIS six year old boy. Needles to say, I lost my shit when he said it and could no longer remain in the room with a straight face. It was a few hours later that I was able to rationalize and see how it could be applied to my writing. As it turns out, I was handed a gem of a character trait, from a 6 year old. Awesome.

The Week in Review

Cough, sneeze, fever, strange mutant flegm, cough, headache, etc... And that was just my son. Now it's my turn. Perfect.

A Writer’s Marriage

I am married to writing. And like all marriages, we go through our up’s and down’s, our shimmies and our shakes. It isn’t perfect, but to throw some cheese out there, we were born to be together. From making up stories to entertain friends and family to the ubiquitous tale to get out of trouble, it’s always been there. I did manage to get out of some heat with my parents for my creative lie story telling alone.

Currently, it’s safe to say we are on a down slope. But even these times are helpful. They help in me create the appropriate mood for certain scenes that require a bit of a downer attitude or a bit of a tempered moment. In addition, it helps me appreciate those few precious moments when I it’s just me, my laptop and espresso. And yes, it’s okay to bring in props into the marriage. Some people use, well, I’m not going there, by espresso is our thing.

So, since you all are the closest to a writer’s marriage counselor(s) I know, I’d like to tell you that I have printed out my MS, and am reading it out loud and catching all kinds of little mistakes. Things that I should’ve seen before, as they were obvious enough in reading, that now I feel like an idiot and a half for not catching them earlier. Writing and I are trying to patch things up or mend them (pun intended), but these issues will have to be worked out before we can start honeymooning again.

The definite upside is that being married to writing, means that my actual wife is more like my adulteress lover. A title she may frown upon, so we shall keep this between us. It does, however, keep things interesting, fresh and exciting. Fireworks, baby. Fireworks.

Do you (or a beta reader) catch things in your writing that send your hand flying toward your forehead, with the thought of “How could I’ve been so careless?” Am I alone? Insert violin music….fade.

Sufferin' Subterfuge!

Where in the hell is time going? I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but my job is getting in the way of my love *sigh*.

No MS progress, still. I do have to give a special thanks to my beta readers, who have taken the time to look over, enjoy and suggest on my WIP. I thank you all and really do appreciate you.

Also, I need to post about my New Orleans trip while I still feel the crawfish heartburn rolling in my insides. Yeah, its gonna be like that! ;)

best wishes to you all, and hope to catch up soon.

A Quickie

I'm writing from Nawrlens' darlens'. Not that I have been a slacker, well, yeah.. I have. And it's been great. I've been on vacation for quite some time now, and I'm dreading the eventual return to the daily grind. However, I have all my blogger buddies, and this, the quick post. I hope y'all had a great time celebrating the end of the year and welcoming the new year. I wish the best of luck for the next year, but not a day more. ;)
Kidding.

Post more soon.

Chao.