Remember, it's first draft.

Abraham slung his backpack over his tired shoulders and headed down the dusty road leading to town. His father asked to take him. Begged, nearly. But Abe didn’t want his goodbye, which could be his final goodbye, to be at the train depot. He wanted it at home, on their farm, where he should be helping with chores. His father would manage. He always had. Even through the rough years of watching Abraham’s mother slowly leave them through the mind-dissolving dementia and then finally leave them for good, his father had managed.

Abraham hoped with every part of him he would return to the farm, to his father, and be there to help him manage during his own aging days. It would be soon. Father was showing signs of slowing. It hurt Abe to see it. It would hurt him more to have to watch his father watch him leave on that train, standing on the platform managing to control his sadness, his fear.

Kicking a rock out of his path, he figured the long walk into town would do him good, help prepare for what was to come. Not that he wasn’t prepared already. Constant farm chores without machinery to make them easier had built his strength and stamina well. Days of rising before the sun and sometimes before the roosters to take care of the crops, move lines in bitter cold air and in the hottest times of the summer, made him sturdy. He didn’t figure war would be much harder, physically. What he wasn’t sure about was how hard it would be to his mind. He didn’t mind fighting as needed. He was raised to stand up for himself and for those around him and would do so without hesitation. And now he was proud to do it for his country, as well. He’d never actually taken a life, though. He know how to stop before that risk.

Father told him to be someone else out there, to tell himself he was doing good and sometimes evil was necessary to prevent worse evil. His father told him never to let it feel bad about who he was, since his heart was in the right place and that’s what mattered. The heart. Protect the heart, he’d said.

---------
as of Nov.3: 6,063 words
 

Here's the first stop of my blog tour for anyone who wants to come in and say hello:
http://judahraine.com/romancewriteup/?p=673&cpage=1#comment-1063
Today is an introduction to my work in general and details about what you can win for taking the time to read and comment.

Tuesday I'll be talking about Artistic Vision and Creative Doubt with Jane Richardson!
http://janerichardsonhomethoughts.blogspot.com/

I took a quick break from touring, etc. and spent an hour and a half to jot down my main characters and my general plot in OneNote where I can refer to it while writing easily, and then got my word count in for today! The story just started to roll out and I'm enamored with it. Of course I know that'll change through the month.

I'll post the first bit of it here in the next couple of days, but today, I thought I'd post a small excerpt of Off The Moon in celebration of the first day of tour.

From Off The Moon:

“Do you want to shower before bed? It might help you unwind.”

She shook her head against him.

“Katie…” Ryan stopped, with no idea what he planned to say.

After a few minutes of quiet while she stood and held him, she met his eyes. “I’m sorry I scared you. I … seeing him … I’ve tried to forget…”

“That’s understandable. And I should have told you what we were doing. But I didn’t want your hopes up if…”

“You didn’t want to find him.”

Choking on his guilt, Ryan wished to hell he had never admitted that. “I uh … I only meant … I know, I’m a selfish ass. I always have been. But I can’t….” With a deep breath, he figured he might as well say it all and quit trying to pretend he was more than he was. “I don’t want him to take you away from me. I don’t want anyone to take you away from me. I … I have never felt as alive as I have since I met you and … I feel more for you than I wanted, than I should, and I’m trying very hard not to. I know I’m not … you need something better than this. I can’t….”

Her hands slid around from his lower back to his stomach, up, nearly to his chest. Her eyes were on his. “It’s okay.”

Okay. Ryan wanted to ask her exactly what was okay. That he felt the way he did or that he could kiss her the way he wanted to kiss her? Which did she mean? Why was so much of what she said in code?

When he didn’t answer or react, Katie pulled away.

He caught her hand. She didn’t look at him when he moved back in front of her, when he raised the other hand to her hair, again brushed it out of his way. And she didn’t stop him when he found her lips.

It was a soft kiss, wary, questioning, all on his part. Until she returned her hands to his waist, sliding them around to his back, pulling herself in closer. And he let go of shoulds, of Daws’s voice in his mind telling him to be careful, she was too young, it was too dangerous for his career, of Will referring to him as a big brother, of his mom accepting her as family, as a daughter, of his own misgivings. His hand wrapped around the back of her head, holding her into him, kissing her more deeply, watching for signs she wanted him to stop. He didn’t get any. No hesitation, no drawing back, no pushing away. She allowed him as close as he wanted to get.

Realizing he was starting to want way too much, he broke off the kiss and moved his lips to the side of her head, to just above her ear, to her ear lobe that she’d kept hidden from him for so long. Her head tilted back, fingers digging deeper into his skin, her breath becoming more rapid, raising her chest against his at regular, quick intervals. Her eyes were closed, trusting him. Wanting him.

Ryan studied her face while he moved his fingers against it, touched her closed eyelids, her cheek, her lips. And he realized how blind he’d been. She wanted him. Possibly more than any girl he’d ever known, Katie wanted him honestly.


ElucidatePublishing.net
release date: November 27, 2009

 

still no pumpkins.

It's on the to-do list today, along with 50 other things.

So, Happy Halloween!

And if you have free time and want to see what I've been doing off the site:

Off The Moon is part of a book cover contest that ends today. If you go to http://www.classicromancerevival.com and click on "classic cover contest" you'll find it.

I have a 500 word flash fiction piece included as part of a Halloween celebration today with several other authors:
http://lindsaysromantics.blogspot.com

And my book blog tour schedule is up at Elucidate Publishing (which belongs to me, although I didn't design/create the site - my incredible business partner did that):
http://www.elucidatepublishing.net/events.html

Updates for the tour will be on my site blog, and I'll try to put them here, too.
http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com
It will also feature interviews relating to Off The Moon, the first by Vicki Blankenship who let me use her song lyrics for the music epilogue. She's also president of IndieGrrl.com and founder of Indie Music for Life, helping cancer victims.

Now back to writing blog content for the 15 different blogs hosting my tour! I have two done.

Hm, I might want to get my newsletter out, also.

 

Maybe not officially. I haven't gone in for diagnosis.

My son was up in time to get ready for school this morning, but instead of getting ready for school, he was busy leaning over the toilet.

I went to the library book club Monday night, barely able to finally control my cough just enough to go sit within a group of people, and when someone sneezed, I nearly jumped to my feet and ran out. Yep, paranoid.

But see, I still have a touch of congestion from the cold I caught two weeks ago. I wasn't over my 4 week tonsilitis well enough by that point and so a cold that should be a minor thing brought back my fever spikes. So, I've rarely been out. I'm a bit wary of being around people. Everyone's sick. The flu is all over the place here (whether or not it's THE flu is a moot point since the flu is the flu). I hear from friends online that they've had it for a week when generally they have a flu for two days.

Ah, I generally keep a two day flu for 2-3 weeks. I'd even considered a flu shot since my immune system is pretty crashed by now, but I figure it'll just give it to me as I've heard so many others say. No thanks. If I'm going to get it anyway, I'd rather not go get a needle stuck in my arm to get it. Anyway, I've been careful: hand-washing, carrying sanitizer, eating oranges and apples and taking vitamins, shucking off and washing my clothes after being out.. and now it's in my house.

I'm still behind. Hey! I have a release date! November 27th! Now let's hope I can finish edits and redo the cover and get it turned in on time so I can actually hold that date and have books available then. I'm pushing it already. Twenty pages of edits left, and since my "final edit" that was supposed to be just watching for typos and such became a bigger edit with additions, I really have to go through again for the actual final edit and read-through. All 162,000 words. But I'm happier with it after this edit. I got some really great advice from a couple of really great people (both on this site and both will be thanked in the novel) and ... I stopped restricting myself so much on the word count. I was trying hard to keep it under 150,000 words to help it be an easier sell, but too much was left out -- too much of my "artsy thoughts stuff" for lack of a better thing to call it. So yes, I've added about 10,000 words during this "final edit" .

So that's where I've been. Editing (sometimes playing with one small paragraph for a good five minutes before it's just right). Creating the cover. Making the trailer that still needs to be finished. Doing some minor promo. Trying to keep up with Facebook and Myspace enough friends don't think I've fallen off the earth, as maybe some of you here do unless you're also there. Still have to do bookmarks and if I can do it this week, I can take advantage of a discount I'd like to use. Also..

I hired CRR to arrange a book tour for me for next month. So far, there are 13 blogs lined up and I have to have different content for all 13. How many do I have yet? Uhh.. (crickets chirping here)

Anyone want to help interview? I can interview myself (as well as interviewing my characters) but I already know things about me. What should I ask myself? What do readers want to know about my book that I can write blog posts about? I do have a few notes taken on ideas.

And, I must be crazy but of course I'm doing Nanowrimo again. I'll try not to feel too bad if I don't make 50, especially since I only have a very bare idea of what I'm going to write. Always before, I knew the story and the characters very well before November 1st. It was a matter of getting it down, filling it in. I kind of have an idea where it starts and where it ends, but I barely even know my characters yet. That's a scary thought. I never novel that way. This could be interesting. Or it could be a disaster. And I shouldn't be starting a new project with so many already on the burner waiting for me. I'd even considered "cheating" and working on one already in progress, but that's not the point of Nanowrimo and I have a guilt complex that would badger me if I did. I'm thinking this one will be a novella, though, and pretty much complete after 50,000 words. Maybe fewer.

Guess I better get the business stuff for the household done, also. Especially since my stomach is a tad touchy this morning and my deadlines are coming up fast. Maybe it's only paranoia, though. I can only hope.
 

I owe lots of return emails and such, so in case anyone checks in here ... I'm still here, kind of.

4 weeks of tonsilitis/fever/exhaustion
1 trip to the ER from an antibiotic reaction
+ a chest cold setting in on the verge of recovery from above
= WAY far behind

I'm trying to work through it, finish editing for next month's release -- I hope I can still pull it off next month, creating the book trailer, revamping the cover, trying to find back cover review blurbs from "names" in the writing and music business (looking unlikely at this point), getting pre-publish reviews (also looking unlikely, *sigh*), lining up permission for my prologue lyrics (got that!), lining up interviews for promo for related fields as the story line...

In between was my son's first Homecoming dance, and the parade and the football game (actually felt good that night, down with the cold the next day). Tonight a band concert I'm hoping I won't cough through. No one is invited over right now since housework is kinda barely getting done just enough.

Anyway, I have managed to start a short story for the Writer's Digest contest deadline Dec 1. And I have a thought about my Nano novel, which I probably shouldn't even attempt next month. I will, anyway. Whether or not I think I can get to 50. And apparently, I get to have about 13 visitors overnight sometime in December. Hmm...

As Arnold would say, "I'll be back."

 

So far the only difference here is the falling leaves.

It's fall now. But here in western PA, as in many other states, summer never fully arrived, blending spring into fall without much change. A few warm days that couldn't quite be called HOT sneaked through. It made a lot of us ask just where our local warming was, never mind global.

But these things revolve. They have through the centuries. Climate change is one of the few constants and nothing we do will change that.

And so the G20 is here in Pittsburgh.

Can I say I'm glad I'm not closer to it than I am? The city's been closed, to all extent. Windows are boarded by businesses afraid of protestors. No one except the "authorized" will be getting in or out for the next couple of days. I don't at all blame them. I'm also a bit concerned about the events of the next two days again being so close to home. There is too much anger here right now. I think a country that is more happy with us because of our ... lower world leadership stance of the moment ... would have been a better call for this summit. Pittsburgh? Does anyone realize how small Pittsburgh is? We couldn't even find an open hotel after a rock concert recently. Of course DC isn't big, either, but they are set up for this kind of thing. I just moved away from all that a couple of years ago and now they're bringing it here. Guess you can run but...

Photos from Pittsburgh residents in ready for the summit:
http://kdka.com/slideshows/Pittsburghers.G20.Summit.20.1205240.html

Pittsburgh was chosen because its economy has remained one of the best in the nation in recent times, and because of their "green" technology. I can't help thinking it's more green now because most of the steel mills it's known for have closed. But that's just a common person's outlook and doesn't matter much. Never mind we have the capability right here of producing steel instead of importing it. Never mind the reasons we aren't doing that. But the G20 is in Pittsburgh because it's greener.

Yes, well...

The economy has remained stable because it became flexible. It moved on to technology oriented business. Our tech pres is happy with that. Of course, tech business requires workers with education more than workers with labor skill and the willingness for hard physical work. I'm curious. Where did they go? What are they doing now? Sure, Pittsburgh is still grooving in tech, but what was the payoff?

I don't know. I've been sick for more than 2 weeks and feverish so maybe none of this is pertinent enough to blog about. But I don't value tech more than labor. I don't see how replacing one with the other is so good for us. Truth be told, I'm more attracted to and inspired by those who work with their hands in combination with their minds, who aren't glorified in business suits and briefcases but who wear real work clothes and keep more running than computers.

I guess I am a true romantic at heart. A man who looks like a man and works like a man geared in jeans and workshirt and sporting muscles earned from labor instead of a gym is incredibly appealing. A guy in a business suit clean cut coming out of a health club? Not so much.

This romantic realism writer would much rather go cruise Pittsburgh on a normal day when people are at their best doing normal everyday things than now with the "rich and powerful world leaders" cluttering up the city and barricading it.

*sigh*

Don't let them get to you, Pittsburgh. Let it blow over and move along.

 

"For fiction writers and poets, blog should exercise your creative muscles and let you write in an unpressured way. Sometimes it can help you stumble on insights, as well as new friendships. However, for an aspiring writer, you have to be careful it doesn't detract or replace the "real" work of writing the book or the manuscript."

http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2009/09/14/ShouldYouBlogAndIfSoWhatAreBest...
 

Abraham Lincoln: "You can't make a weak man strong by making a strong man weak."

Anyone up for a flash fiction contest?

It's my birthday as well as WDC's birthday and I'm giving the gift -- a merit badge for a well-thought-out and well-written mini story or essay relating to the quote and to longevity. Post the item link here in my comments. 1,000 words max. No higher than 18+

Runs through WDC time Sunday, midnight. Extended to Monday midnight since it's Labor Day weekend!
 

I had an hour the other day between where I'd been and where I was going, and no book with me. Not even a notebook. So I parked in front of one building and walked down to the next, a craft store, browsing for something to fill my time. With a brand new blank sketch pad and two hardnesses of charcoal pencils (and a box of erasable colored pencils that turned out to be unsharpened and therefore unusable on this adventure), I returned to the other building, ordered a Cafe Mocha, and sat in the front corner, by the window, at a little round table, and unwrapped my goodies.

I had no idea what to put in it, what to sketch or write to keep my hands and brain busy for an hour -- nearly an hour with some of the time being used in the store -- and it didn't matter. I started with one of the pencils and wrote what I was thinking. The page filled with seemingly useless thoughts, possible story ideas or character sketches (incomplete). And I flipped the page to the next.

This time I sketched. What started as a small sailboat didn't look like that so it become some type of castle. Why? No idea. And then a piece of a dream from the night before burst into my thoughts and I wrote down a quote it reminded me of:

Dancing With The Stars announced their new celeb lineup for season 9. Anyone who has followed me long knows I'm a fan of the show. The hype is getting more than I appreciate, but I love the idea of taking non-dancers, pairing them with pro dancers, and seeing what they can do when they're willing to work at it. I also love ballroom dancing.

I'm really glad to see Donny Osmond will be there and I was hoping so after Marie was. [I do have a feeling having her on it before she lost all that weight on that diet plan was a setup, but then I'm sure they all are a set up.] What I don't appreciate (besides having that Madonna vid dancer included since she's already a dancer) is Tom DeLay being one of the "stars" for the show.

Tom DeLay... Former Republican Majority Leader

When we turn our politicians into celebrities, it's time to take a huge step backwards and change that.

That's especially true when it's a politician who was indicted on campaign finance charges, or other charges. Not only is he a politician, but he's a criminal politician (maybe that's redundant). Why is he considered celebrity enough to be billed as one?

When our politicans become celebrities, the whole focus changes. It is not about the issues. It is not about what's best for our country. It's about who can manage the most limelight. Of course we saw that during this last election. Celebrity worship of politicians had been leading up to that moment for a long time and now we're seeing the results of that folly large scale. We started with George Washington, commander of troops and hard-working real leader type, worked up to Abraham Lincoln who has so far been the biggest fighter for equality and a brilliant thinker, to Kennedy who brought in the charm and celebrity appearance to make people want to follow him, along with his hidden mafia ties (somewhat hidden - people knew but it stayed repressed), and now we have the technology president, media skilled, blackberry in hand.

And we have 'disgraced' politicians being stars on reality shows.

In statistics, there is a graph that starts on a baseline, rises to a high point, then returns to baseline. I have a feeling we are pretty close now to that return baseline. Let's hope we can keep it from hitting the line and instead, pull back up again.

 

This was posted to the BookSpa list (linked to the left) today and I thought I'd share it. Of course, I had to add my own thoughts (in italics).


It is impossible for you to read a book without a red pen in hand, so you can edit the already published and edited book. I use a pencil, since it IS already published.

You go to set the table and you find ideas you had jotted down on a napkin -- a cloth napkin. No, but never mind the sticky notes and paper scraps here and there around my house if you visit. I don't own cloth napkins.

You dread facing the blank computer screen so much that you you'd rather pick the grime out of your stove with a toothpick, then sit down and start writing. Ohh.. but I love blank screens/pages. They're full of possibility! And who says I have grime in my stove?

You get a SASE in the mailbox and you either rip it open right then and there to get the good/bad news or you let it sit on your desk for a week because you are afraid to see what is inside. I ripped it open. Might as well go into sulking mode now instead of later.

You find yourself saying, "Gee Beth, I'm sorry your dog died, can I write a story about it?"

You move your bed into the dining room and your computer into your bedroom, so you can claim your bedroom as a home office on your taxes. Uh, I put a daybed in my den and filled the walls with my personal stuff because I live here! No write off. If I ever need it I may reconsider.

You eagerly anticipate the release of the new Writer's Market and then when you do get it, you reverently place it next to the family Bible. When you're indie, you don't need Writer's Market. You need the internet and LOTS of time to put your name out there, 'cause no one else is going to!

You become so engrossed in your writing that you constantly embarrass your children because you're still in your pajamas when you pick them up from school. Luckily for my school-aged child, the bus brings him home, but the mailman does his best not to laugh when he brings packages to the door.

Your fictional characters become so real that you start adding them to your prayer list.

You walk into your bedroom at night and your spouse has set the mood with candles, flower, and music, all for a romantic evening and you say, "Not tonight honey, I've got to keep writing." Hm, a romance writer would be crazy to give up the ... uh, research opportunity.

Kerrie Flanagan is a freelance writer and the director of Northern Colorado Writers.

 

There’s something about waking up to Quarterflash’s “Harden My Heart” and then moving on to The Fray’s “You Found Me” that makes you stop and think.

Harden My Heart:

"All of my life I’ve been waitin’ in the rain. I’ve been waitin’ for a feeling that never, ever came. It came so close but always disappeared. Darlin’ in my wildest dreams I never thought I’d go, but it’s time to let you know … I’m gonna harden my heart. I’m gonna swallow my tears. I’m gonna turn and leave you here.”

You Found Me:

"And I’ve been calling for years and years and years and years, And you never left me no messages, You never sent me no letters, You got some kind of nerve taking all I want! .. Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me, Lying on the floor, where were you? Where were you? Just a little late, you found me, you found me!"

Think about this a minute…

For those who aren’t pop music buffs, Harden My Heart came out in the Eighties. It’s fairly typical of Eighties pop. The music is “simpler” in that you hear the different parts of the music clearly and it all blends together. There’s a sharpness about it and the lead singer stands out from the music while still working with it.

You Found Me came out in 2007 and was recorded in 2008. It’s also fairly typical of today’s music. There’s a “mush” feel where all the sounds seem to run together and it’s hard to differentiate one from the other, including the lead’s voice. We hear the words because they’re louder but it’s still part of the mush. The instruments are less sharp. There’s more “extra” stuff that jumbles it all together. Okay, I’m not a music critic and am not qualified to be, but Youtube these two songs and you’ll get what I mean.

The lyrics are my focus for this entry. I am a word critic. That’s part of my job. So yes, I analyze songs for their lyrics. The differences here are amazing. Harden My Heart: things are tough for her, she’s been hurt and betrayed and feels lost. So what will she do about it? Get together. Deal with it. Move on. It’s part of life and it’s her job to handle it as she needs. You Found Me: things are tough, he’s feeling lost and betrayed. So what will he do about it? Find God (smoking on a street corner, btw) and rant to him about why He’s letting bad things happen to him and those he cares about.

Yes, huge difference here in lyrics, and in attitude. But then, they reflect the times from when they were written. Song lyrics from the late Sixties to early Seventies tend to be pretty similar in attitude as You Found Me. In truth, there was a lot of whining about the lack of fairness of things. It’s all over the music, set in its history. The late Seventies and early Eighties pushed that aside and took command. Whining was suddenly for wimps, and the Eighties weren’t going to be wimps. They’d stand up and take care of things that went wrong and move on.

I’m also not a political science expert, but I can tell you I sure appreciate the Eighties attitude of “can do” that we had naturally. We didn’t have to be told we could, or persuaded to maybe think we could. We could. And we did. Sure, times change. Things are hard. But then, things are always hard. That will never change. It’s our attitude about it that makes the difference.

Me, I’m a harden my heart and move along kind of gal. That’s the kind of music I listen to by choice, also. Yes, I’m an Eighties girl. I graduated high school in 1984 listening to Quarterflash and Huey Lewis and the News (It’s Alright) and Sawyer Brown (Shakin’) and Joan Jett (I Love Rock and Roll) and Michael Jackson.

I keep wanting to ask the guy asking where God was when things were tough, “What were you doing about it?”

First posted on my site blog: http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com 13 Aug 09
 

10 days of travel
+ 3 weeks of company
+ 3 weeks of hubby's vacation
-------------------------------------------
= almost no blogging!


But things are normalizing now so be warned, I'm back, and I intend to kick this blog in its hiney and get it moving again.

In the meantime, I notice Blogville is echoing. I hear some of our bloggers have moved to different pastures and hey, that's okay; we all have to do what's right for us.

As for me, I'm staying. I'm at home here. Yes, I have other blogs -- one on Myspace and an Official Site Blog where I stay truer to the course and more professional. This is home. It's where I ramble as I please. Anyone interested in only the "professional" posts are free to avoid this one and jump over there. Hm, I don't see it listed under my Personal Links. I guess I better add it.

Anyway, I'm back to a running start. In order to unwind after all that commotion, I've spent the last three days writing. Well, I tried to do yard work yesterday since we finally had sun and HEAT (it's been cold here for summer) but it was a bit too much heat -- 90 when I'm used to 70 -- and I gave up on that after a half an hour. There will plenty of cooler days for gardening. Yeah, I'm picky, what can I say?

So, three days of writing, back on my series again (Rehearsal Book 3), added 17,000 words to it. Seems I've missed my characters and their story. My fingers are feeling it but the glucosomine is keeping them going. I've hesitated on ordering the ARCs of Off the Moon, wondering if I should go back and fix a few things first -- but it IS an ARC, not a final copy. So I think I'll make myself bite the bullet and go ahead and order them. If you haven't checked the cover yet, scroll to the post below. I'm proud of this one. And I'm loving the comments I've received from its debut on another blog I'm part of. "STUNNING" was nice. It's composed of 3 different photos, 2 are mine and 1 is courtesy a friend, owner of http://www.inescreations.com, plus a bit of musical artwork. I also changed the title font from the last version because of those nice people here who said it was hard to read. Better now?

My mind is already on Nanowrimo, with contrasting thoughts. I can't not do it; it's become part of my writing life. On the other hand, I have Book 3 to work on and 5 others in progress already. The last thing I need is to start another. But maybe I'll start Book 4 for it. By November, I plan to have the first draft of Book 3 done so I can smoothly keep on truckin' into the next. At least for a month. For next year's Nano, I may have to cheat just a bit and continue with Book 4. Would that be wrong? Hey, with these series books running just under 300,000 words each, they're really like 3 books together anyway. [side note here: Off The Moon is only 160,000]

Never mind all the cliches in this post. I don't novel with them. But as I said, here I ramble as I wish.

Oh, and for those feeling neglected because I haven't been to your blogs ... that may not change much. I simply don't have time to read everyone just because they read me. I know how arrogant that sounds, but then, John Irving doesn't read every author who reads him, either. When would he have time to write if he tried? Yes I'm aware I may lose readers with that statement, but to me, writing is a business. It's also a love and obsession and a need, but it's now also a business and I have to keep my head where it needs to be. My writing time is precious. I do still read a lot, but it has to be worth my time. Other writers here can take that as a challenge, if they wish, although most of my views are coming from off the site anyway. I love the comaraderie and chatting and such, but at some point it's time to channel the energy, and I don't want anyone wasting their time reading my blog or work if they're not truly interested in my words. I'm liable to check your blog out if you leave me a comment but I may or may not keep up with it afterwards. A writer's job is to make it worth the reader's time.

Just a thought: it's much too early in the year for leaves to be falling already, but I'm thinking a rake will be needed before much longer.
 

The blurb may still be reworked, but here's the cover and info for my fourth book, Off The Moon, mainstream fiction with strong romantic elements, due in November 2009.

"Riveting" Ryan Reynauld has immersed himself in a world of music, parties, and acquaintances who ask nothing of him. Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern is objecting to the way his music is produced, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of everyone he trusts, and through media attacks and fan threats, Ryan
determines to care for her himself, making a promise that threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery begins by first allowing your world to implode.

 

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Arresting a man for looking like he's breaking into a house is not nearly as big a deal as giving out a victim's home address to criminals who threatened him along the highway with a gun. Why is one in the news and the other pushed under the carpet?

Who are we supposed to be protecting? If you look like you're breaking and entering and you get aggressive with policemen who show up, you're asking for trouble. Why is this surprising? Do we not want our police to stop burglaries at all in fear of possibly questioning someone who is maybe trying to get into his own house? Can't they all say that? Why was it a big deal? Show some ID with your home address and get on with things. I don't care how well known you are or how wealthy you are. You live here, you play by the rules. It wasn't about race. It was about the law. Breaking and entering is illegal. He would've wanted police to stop someone else from breaking into his house, wouldn't he?

Did you know about 30% of people believe if the Health Care "reform" goes through, they believe they'll end up paying more, not less, for their insurance? They're probably right. It's nothing more than another "take from the rich to give handouts" scheme. That 50 million uninsured Americans number they throw around? 20 million of them make over 70,000 a year and don't have it either because they don't want it or waste the money elsewhere. A bunch more of them are illegal and shouldn't be getting free health care, anyway. The poor of the country already get free medical care. The only ones who truly NEED health care insurance reform are the lower middle class families who make too much to get free assistance and not enough to pay $300-500 a month for insurance. They're trying to support themselves unlike most of the free aid people and they get nothing. On the other hand, many who "can't afford health care" do manage to afford big screen TVs and twice-weekly meals out. Much of it is individual choice. Do we really want our government taking away our individual choice? All we truly need is to stop insurance/doctor/abuser greed and lower rates. We have the best health care in the world. That will change if it turns into socialized medicine. How about not covering care for common colds so those with insurance who go in at the drop of a hat will stop kicking up premiums? How about we start taking care of ourselves better, eat right and exercise and stop smoking, so health care is less expensive? Be proactive if this issue matters to you. Are we really such babies by now we have to have our government do everything for us?

We do need mental health care reform, but no one's discussing that one. A very large percent of our homeless are actually mentally impaired and unable to hold jobs. THIS is something we need to deal with. We have people with bipolor, schizophrenia, paranoia, and such who could be helped with medicines and attention but even when doctors know this, they let them go to their own devices instead of pulling them in for help. Illinois is one of the worst states for doing so. Don't be mentally ill there, by all means! And don't turn in anyone who pulls a gun on you unless you plan on moving when the police give them your home address.

And by all means, let the Baldwin guy file bankruptcy so he doesn't have to pay off bills he piled up while making his millions. The Californians who actually work for a living will be happy to pay them for him, I'm sure. Baldwin: spokesman for the liberals.

 

Okay, so getting no comments about my excerpt below either means:

1) it stinks royally and I should dump the whole story
2) it stinks royally and I should change the whole beginning
3) it's incredibly sharp and vivid and everyone's in too much awe to comment

Yes, well, it could be that I'm nearly never here anymore and rarely reading anyone else's blog so they're no longer reading mine. Which is totally fair. *shrug* Likely, that won't change until mid August or so. And yet, on I go as I can.

I've spent much of today doing business-like stuff for my book. I'm taking a different indie publishing route with this one -- a route I've been researching that looks like it will have bigger potential for marketing. I'm bypassing the company I've been using to print and distribute my books so far and going directly to the source: Lightning Source.

I'll add details of the process in the market listings section of the On Our Own group, but basically, it's much more work on my part with the benefit of lower per-unit cost and no subsidy house name marking it as "vanity" (a- hem) publishing, a term I refuse to use for my own work. If you can handle the more work aspect, then so far I highly recommend it. We'll see how it goes over the long run.

If you want the details of the process, ask me to sign you up for the OOO group here or join the one at Myspace. It's linked to the left.

On a different note, how interested would anyone be in reading roadie interviews?

Knock, knock.... anyone still here?

 

A friend posted a pet peeve on her Facebook the other day: using it's and its incorrectly.

I agree. It bugs me to no small extent, especially when, unlike many English grammar rules, this one is easy enough to remember and use. So for the sake of other authors (as I've seen it misused by authors too often) as well as for anyone who cares about her grammar being correct and non-irritating, here's the rule:

When it's is a contraction, meaning it is, use the apostrophe: It's raining today.

When its shows possession, on the other hand, leave the apostrophe out: The rain made its leaves shiny.

Simple. Of course, it doesn't work that way with other contractions. For instance, "John's going to work" and "John's boat is orange" both use the apostrophe. So the only thing to remember is that if ITS shows possession, DON'T use an apostrophe. If you can change it to "it is" use it, but not otherwise.

Other apostrophes that mess people up are with plural possessives. A lady's dress is straightforward, but what about when there's more than one lady? If we have 3 ladies with 3 dresses, it would be: The ladies' dresses. However, if the one lady's name is Jess, it would be Jess's dress, just like it would be Joan's dress. Simple?

If the possessive is plural to begin with, don't add an S after the apostrophe (do add the apostrophe!). If the possessive is singular, as in there's only one Jess, then add the S after the apostrophe.

But please, don't apostrophe a plural! Trees are plural. NO apostrophe! One rabbit that multiplies becomes two rabbits, NOT two rabbit's. Rabbit's implies one rabbit owns (shows possession of) something, such as the rabbit's hole. Or if a group of rabbits own a hole together, it becomes the rabbits' hole (no S at the end because it's plural AND possessive).

Many new writers think they can rely on their editors (plural, no apostrophe) to catch these things. Unfortunately, I've seen many editors who didn't and the books go out with apostrophe mistakes. For those of you who write professionally, or plan to, don't rely on your editor for grammar knowledge. Learn it the way a mechanic has to learn how to build an engine, with all parts in the right places. That's your job.

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static item of this entry: "It's and Its and Other Contractions"