The Next Big Thing...

Good evening all!

Last week Misty Massey tagged me on her blog, as part of a chain of authors (or creative people) recommendations called THE NEXT BIG THING. Today it's my turn to reciprocate and to pass on the torch. I'm going to answer questions about my new project Ella Hawke & the Missing Courier Bag. Then I'm going to tag four wonderful authors who will tell you about their Next Big Thing on Wednesday January 2^nd (or thereabouts).

What is the working title of your next book?

Ella Hawke & the Missing Courier Bag

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I do a little bit of costuming and Steampunk has taken over Pirating for me as a favorite genre.   The first character idea I came up with for Steampunk was that of a Steampunk Courier.

What genre does your book fall under?

Mystery w/ a bit of Steampunk flavor

If you found yourself in an elevator with a movie director you admire and had the chance to pitch your book to them, what would you say?

It's the Three Musketeers meets Sherlock Holmes only Sherlock is female and Nicola Tesla plays Watson.

Every writer dreams of their book being turned in a movie or a TV show like Game of Thrones. If this happened to your work, which actors would you choose to play your characters?

Jonah Knight (named after the filker, Jonah Knight), is a young detective - I so see him as Nick Jonas.

Ella Hawke, the main character, would be Anne Hathaway.

Nicola Tesla is the hardest. I'd love to see Jonathan Young who played Nicola Tesla on Sanctuary cast in the role but the Nicola in my head has also got a bit of Nate Ford/Timothy Hutton in him.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Oh goodness, my inspiration list is miles long:  Weis & Hickman, McCaffrey, Bradbury, Zahn, Stackpole & Allston, the crew at Magical Words, my husband and family, the gaming group...

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

Oy...that's a loaded question.  3 years or so.  I started when my daughter was still a baby and finally finished just before she turned 5.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

That's a tough one.  It’s a traditional mystery so it’s in the same styles as those written by Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie.  But it’s got a bit of Steampunk flavor…sort of Warehouse 13ish.

Where do you plan to submit your book, or will you self publish it?

to be determined.  It still needs a lot of work including editing before I even begin to talk to a publisher/agent.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

There are airships and Tesla guns and a chase scene in the middle of London.

 And here are four authors I'd like to introduce, and who you can follow, when they answer the Next Big Thing questions...

Cindy Hutchins was raised in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina in the town of Morganton. She grew up surrounded by the oral tradition of the South and the supernatural.

www.sketchyminds.com/

Janine K. Spendlove is a KC-130 pilot in the United States Marine Corps. Her bestselling first novel, War of the Seasons, Book One: The Human, was published in June 2011 and her next novel, War of the Seasons, Book Two: The Half-blood, was released in June 2012.

WarOfTheSeasons.Com

Like her main character, Cathy Wiley has achieved her childhood goal of writing mysteries. She's happiest when plotting stories in her head or on the computer, or when she's delving into research, be it hands-on or in books.

http://www.cathywiley.com

Cheralyn Lambeth is a costumer, puppeteer, actress, writer, ghostbuster and a published author.  Her first book, Haunted Theaters of the Carolinas has achieved great success and she is currently working on her second book,Ghosts of Greater Charlotte.

https://www.facebook.com/cheralyn.lambeth

Enjoy!

A quick update

Wow!  I really need to find a better way to blog more often...but...I did do much better at the writing regularly...so much so that I finished the First Draft!  

All praise to Nanowrimo!   Now it's time for editing, filling in blanks and making sure the story makes sense.  Then it's off to the first reader and any other friends willing to read it!

On a positive note, I've been asked to participate in a Blog Meme called the Next Big Thing.  I'll answer 10 questions next week, and then suggest 4-5 other authors who will do same thing.

Misty Massey tagged me!  

I do wish that work didn't block blogs, I'd be much more likely to post something during lunch if they didn't!  But maybe I'll try writing the blog post in word and coming home and copy/paste?

Anyway, I'm also working on another Short Story for an Anthology called Black Apples by Belladonna.  The deadline is Jan 15th so I'm under a bit of a time crunch but I've got this idea that calling me so I'm trying to get it down.

I'll be back...

Holding on to ambitions

So I finally knocked out the revised short story and have sent it to my dear husband, aka Beta Reader 1, for review before it goes back out to the editor!   Nothing like starting a new job, even if it is temporary to throw you off your routine.

But the good news is I’m back. 

I am, of course, Nanowrimo-ing this year.  I hope to get my currently at 45000 word novel finished…I’m aiming for about 60,-70,000 given that it’s a cozy mystery with a historical fiction twist.  Thankfully, I don’t have to aim for the 100,000+ fantasy novel length. 

https://store.lettersandlight.org/merchandise/your-nano-novel-2-gb-usb-bracelet - Oh and I want this.

(And yes, I realize that working on my current novel breaks the rules of the Nano, but it works for me and I don’t ever plan to claim I “won” Nano!)  I love the energy and drive that comes out of Nanowrimo.  Seeing everyone else’s creative ideas and posts seem to help drive my own.  

I so wish there was a good on-line writing group around here. Schedule is such that the local one which has a really good reputation, I just can’t make the meetings.  But an online group…that I could do. 

Anyway, I’m so much of a pantser when it comes to writing that finishing out the novel should be a bit interesting.  I’m adding a POV to help fill out some things that happen outside of the main POV.  And I’m working on the red herrings that are needed to help distract our reader from the real culprit.  So I’m actually trying to plot out what I’m writing before I write. 

I’m also going to try to get back into blogging a bit more regularly.   (I realize I promised that last blog post…but that was before the whole real life jobs changing mess.)  I’m trying something new.  I’m writing the goals down, publishing them…ie on the blog.  And tracking them.  Either here or facebook. 

I would put it on my calendar and block the time but things change so much that I can’t guarantee I’d get the same hour each day.  So I’m just going to aim for the goals and track them as I get them.

Anyway, so my first goal is to work on the novel for at least 1 hour per day.  Either lunch at work or 1 hour at home.  It means giving up reading some but I really want to finish the novel be the end of the year so…sacrifices must be made.

And related to that goal is writing one blog post per week.  Both to update on the Nanowrimo/Novel status but also to talk about some aspect of writing that I’ve been working on that week.   This is probably the harder goal.  Not so much the updating part but to make the blog post about something other than me and my writing. 

So…luck to all those nano-ing with me!

How many times/Do we swallow our ambitions
Long to give up the same old way/Find another road to take

Keep holding on so long/'Cause there's a chance
That we might not be so wrong/We could be down and gone
But we hold on

~We Hold On - Rush

New challenges

So I really need to practice this whole blogging thing a bit more.  I know it's supposed to be one of the ways to increase my web presence but as a fairly new author I'm so not sure what all to talk about each week.

In professional news, I got feedback from my editor for the next Fortannis anthology.  He seems to like the overall story but there are couple aspect I really need to work on.

Pacing...which of course is always a bit of challenge for me.  And related to that, a fight scene which seems to drag.

There is also not enough conflict in the story but he gave me some good advice regarding that and since that got my brain churning, I have another scene in my head that increases the conflict so together those changes that should improve the story.

In terms of the Steampunk Mystery...I'm struggling a bit with the steampunk aspect.  A lot of what I have going on that is "steampunk"ish is also alternate history so I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to increase the steampunkiness of the story.  

Neil Peart and Kevin Anderson's "Clockwork Angels: The Novel" releases in two days which means we'll have it for the beach!  The good news is that it's not a mystery so I think I should be able to read it for inspiration and more "steampunk"ness ideas without changing too much of my own story.

The other thing I'm trying to figure out...is that I kind of want to add a urban fantasy twist to it.  The story is built for having a supernatural aspect but I'm not sure if making it a "Steampunk Urban Fantasy Mystery" is a bit much.   If I don't "steampunk" as much and add more supernatural, then it just becomes a Victorian Urban Fantasy.

I am supposed to be writing more each day now that I'm not working but I can't seem to find the balance between writing and house-cleaning/decluttering.  Although the decluttering/cleaning is going well, I haven't gotten nearly as much writing in as I'd like over the last month.  (Though I have been exercising more, which is positive!)

Anyway, I'll try to come up with more regular post topics but I'm going to go back and work on the novel!  44,000 words (exactly! and counting).

Clockwork angels, spread their arms and sing Synchronized and graceful, they move like living things Goddesses of Light, of Sea and Sky and Land Clockwork angels, the people raise their hands — As if to fly
~Clockwork Angels, Rush

Chasing something new...

So i've been incredibly non-posty lately, but I have a good excuse...

I found out in June that my day job was being eliminated so I have spend the last 6 weeks job hunting and working on transitioning my current responsibilities to my boss and other team members.  (Insert lots of weeping/whining here.  Okay, done.).  But I've got about 2 weeks left at work so I'm starting to look at August.

James and I had already decided that if I didn't have a day job by the end of July that I would spend the entire month of August writing.  Finishing my novel, writing short stories, etc.  And as it is now mid-July and with no sign of a job...I think that is going to be a very likely scenario.

So my newest challenge is how do you write for long hours every day and not get distracted by the house and/or the internet?

Of course, I do plan to still job hunt and I am GOING to declutter the study if it kills me...but mainly because I'd like to turn that room into someplace I can actually write...which right now I can't.   But I want to be able to spend at least 5-6 hours a day writing...Butt in Chair to quote the MW crew.  But I've never written for that long in one sitting...most of my writing has been done in 1-2 bursts in between cons, daughter, work, house, etc. 

A good friend, Steve Long, introduced me to Duotrope, a few weeks ago, which I think will come in very, very handy as I try to find other sources of publication.  I like that it lists anthologies and since I tend to do well with short stories that have themes, I'm hoping I can write up a few short stories to submit in between the novel.


"Playing with fire
Chasing something new to believe in
Looking for love
The way the big wheel spins"
~Rush, The Big Wheel, Roll the Bones

RIP Ray Bradbury

First Anne McCaffrey and now Ray Bradbury, if I ever finish my novel it will be dedicated to some of the greatest writers in the genre.

I had the honor and privledge of meeting Ray many years ago at a DragonCon.  He was incredibly nice and so personable.  To this day, that memory is one of my favorites.

RIP, Mr. Bradbury and thank you for the inspiration.

Guest post over at Janine K Spendlove's site

http://www.ailionora.com/

So at Ravencon, Amazon best-selling author, Janine K Spendlove, asked me to guest post for her.

I finally finished the post and it's up on her website.

Check it out!

So...my regular job has been so incredibly busy I haven't had a chance to even look at writing let along blogging! 

And so I am really late at mentioning that I am at ConCarolinas this weekend.  I am not a guest this year rather the family decided the CC was going to be the con we go to have fun and relax.  I managed to get to one panel on opening chapters and had planned to get to two more yesterday but got sidetracked by costuming and hanging out with folks.

Today is, of course, packing up, last minute shopping and visiting with folks.  James has a panel on Nerdiquette late this afternoon and then it's back to home.

I'm not sure why but I've been really blocked on writing.  I usually can get several hundred words written over a con weekend and I don't think I've gotten even a hundred written this weekend. 

I think part of the problem is that I am overly committed outside of writing again.  Real work is utterly slammed and by the time I get home, play with the Geeklet, etc.  I'm wiped.  Plus between starting ConGregate, needing to get the Cornerstone Award/Infinity Productions, and trying to declutter the house, I've not had nearly enough time to write. 

I did get my copies of Spells & Swashbucklers....they're big.  And look very good.  So now I've officially been published 3x!!  I still need to follow up with Mike Ventrella on the second Fortannis short story.   I also really need to do some research and find some other short story markets w/ themes that I can write for.  I might be able to gather some inspiration if i work on some short stories.

Although, I may take a page from David Coe's book and write some short stories in the Ella-verse and see if that gets my brain going!

Well, it's time to get packed up and head for breakfast! 


If the future's looking dark, we're the ones who have to shine. If there's no one in control, we're the ones who draw the line. - Rush, Everyday Glory

Ignorance and prejudice/And fear walk hand in hand...

People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote - a very different thing.

~William H. Judd

So...normally I'd post something writing related, but in NC, my home state, tomorrow is Voting Day.  I encourage everyone to get out and vote.  And for the most part, I try to keep politics very separate from my writing but tomorrow's Amendment One is something I do not support so strongly that I feel I have to actually say something here.  As someone who firmly believes that we should allow civil unions and domestic partnerships for everyone including LGBT couples, this law goes beyond just gay rights to take away human rights.  And that's wrong.  No law, in this day and age, should take away someone's rights.  It's bad enough that we use a religious text to justify bigotry and hatred, but now we're trying to force the government to make that bigotry legal.
From Ballotopedia: The measure would define marriage in the state constitution as between one man and one woman, and would ban any other type of "domestic legal union" such as civil unions and domestic partnerships.^[1][2]
Same-sex marriage is already illegal in the state of North Carolina. The proposed measure, however, would add the ban to the state constitution.^[3]

From the NC Democratic Party:
Reasons to vote No:
This amendment could make it impossible for parents in committed, but unmarried relationships, to provide health care benefits to children in their household. In tough times like this we should not make it harder to raise a family and protect children.
Many older people who have previously lost spouses, but find love later in life never remarry, even though they are committed to their new partner. They do this to protect the benefits their previous spouse earned including health care, pensions, and Social Security, and Amendment One puts those benefits at jeopardy.
Domestic violence protections for unmarried women could be declared unconstitutional because Amendment One legally recognizes only married couples as a family. Women deserve protections from domestic violence whether they are married or not.

From the ACLU of NC:
Reasons to Vote No:
Same-sex marriage is already prohibited by North Carolina law, and in reality, this amendment has little to do with “marriage.” Rather, the amendment could ban ALL legal recognition of committed but unmarried couples, both gay and straight.
Voting “for” this proposal would ban ALL civil unions and domestic partnerships throughout the state. It would take away the ability of committed couples to take care of one another when making medical, financial, and other important life decisions.
We are all North Carolinians, and like the majority of North Carolinians polled in February, March, April, and September, we do not support this amendment. This amendment was the work of 105 people in the state legislature. As the only southeastern state currently without such an amendment in our state constitution, we should send a message to the rest of the country that North Carolina supports committed couples and does not want to limit their ability to take care of one another.
Passage of the amendment would send a signal both within and outside the state that North Carolina is an intolerant, unwelcoming place. Our Constitution should be used to protect the rights and interests of all North Carolinians, not just the majority. This amendment turns that principle on its head by prohibiting any recognition of a commitment between two people because of who they love.

They say there are strangers who threaten us/In our immigrants and infidels
They say there is strangeness too dangerous/In our theaters and bookstore shelves
That those who know what's best for us/Must rise and save us from ourselves
Quick to judge/Quick to anger
Slow to understand
Ignorance and prejudice/And fear walk hand in hand...
~Rush, Witch Hunt

Stoking the Fires...

Good evening all!

So it's been kind of a busy month since Ravencon and I've barely had time to sleep, let along write.   I did get nearly 2000 words written over Ravencon weekend which I love!  But as I've been writing I'm reaching a stuck point.  I can't decide if I need to add another POV, switch to first person or just go through the novel and fill in the holes. 

My challenge is that so many mysteries are written in first person, that I really wanted to write from close third but I'm afraid if I add a second POV it'll get lost in the story.

I am also challenged in that I am exhausted.  I don't know if it's the combination of work and life or what, but it's a miracle if I'm up past 9pm or 10pm at all.  And even as I write this...I just remembered I still need to write a blog post for Janine Spendlove's blog!

I'm hoping that since tomorrow is Sunday and an at home Sunday, I'll be able to get some writing done!  Wish me luck!

In positive news...my newest short story is out.  The anthology, Spells and Swashbucklers, is out on Amazon!  So go buy!

I have stoked the fire on the big steel wheels
Steer the airship right across the stars
I learned to fight, I learned to love, I learned to feel
Oh I wish that I could live it all again

~Headlong Flight by Rush

Can I tell you how much I want this album!!!??  I have no doubt that it will be come the soundtrack to writing the novel!  Already I love Headlong Flight and Caravan.  I can't wait to hear the rest.

Updates and Ravencon

So...due to conflicting schedules, I will not be a guest at Ravencon this year...but I will be there.  There were a lot more panels for my husband (read his blog) than me.  So I will not be a guest but I will be there to hang out/visit...and attend panels!

Actually, there turned out to be quite a few panels/workshops that I'm hoping to attend.   And anytime I'm not in the panels, I'm hoping to be writing and finishing the novel! 

I got some good advice from Faith Hunter over at Magical Words.  I'm taking it to heart and so really tweaking some aspects of the story to tie them in better.  Misty Massey (also at MW) gave some good advice on using the 7 sins/virtues as examples of flaws.  I think I've kind of got Ella's main flaw as "fear."  She is terrified of losing her sister and the courier business.  She's also still dealing with the loss of her parents (who died somehow??).

Anyway, that's the news from the writing end. 

Like the willows in the wind
Or the cliffs along the ocean
I will quietly resist
~Rush, Faithless

At Stellarcon this weekend

So I've been meaning to write this all week...

I, along with the husband, are the Fan Guests of Honor this weekend at Stellarcon 36 in High Point.  When I'm not on a panel, I'm going to try to be writing.  I really want to get some work done on the novel. 

Anyway, if you get a chance, stop by and say hi!

Shevacon and Inspiration Strikes!

So...as always, I return from a convention excited and energized about writing.   Of course, it would be helpful if I had my thumbdrive with me...but I'm sending myself emails so I suppose that is close enough.

I attended Shevacon in Roanoke, VA as a guest this past weekend.  James has a good review of the con at his blog here.  The only addition I'd have is that if you only have 1 guest on the panel...cancel it and put something else in its place.

For example, I was scheduled to be the only person on a panel about Steampunk costuming at 3pm on Saturday.  The room was quite full and I would have been in a full panic if not for the wonderful Janine Spendlove, who was kind enough to not only step in and help me talk about costuming but also distracted the Geeklet who wanted to be part of the panel too.   (Note to self: if Geeklet wants to be part of a panel - need to get her better costuming!) However, I would have been utterly terrified to speak in front of such a crowd if she hadn't been there.  Particularly on a subject that I am only passingly familiar with.

I also sat on a very good panel about new authors with Betty Cross and Robin Sullivan. Robin, as a small press publisher, gave lots of good advice on contracts and the pros/cons of traditional vs Self vs Small Press publishing. I will eventually have to make that decision but I'm not quite there yet.

Otherwise, the con was quite fun.  Didn't know a lot of people other than Janine, the Zahns, Allen Wold and Todd Lacey of the 501st/Mercs but still managed to have a pretty good time.  The programming/guest staff were all very nice and incredibly understanding when we had to run out early Sunday morning to beat the snow!   The Geeklet had a blast coloring in the art room.  I wish every con did that!  Though next time, I'll carry my laptop and let her color while I write!

Con being over, I've got about 2 weeks before Stellarcon where James & I will be Fan GOH's.  I'm not sure how much "writing" panels I will be on but I'm still hoping to get some writing inspiration from the con.   I'd also like to get to 50,000 words over the next two weeks so I'm putting that as my goal for before Stellarcon. 

I also got some good ideas/thoughts on promotion...though I don't know if I'm brave enough to start using twitter!  ::shivers::

In other news...beautiful new book cover for Spells and Swashbucklers is up on my website.

Of course, outside of a chance to promote my stories, the best thing about cons is feeling energized and creative about writing.  I've already got more questions and ideas around the Mystery and have some thoughts on a prequel/2 sequels.  So now it's a matter of getting my Butt in Chair! 

~T

I'm old enough not to care too much /About what you think of me
But I'm young enough to remember the future/And the way things ought to be
~Rush, Cut to the Chase

PS:  Did anyone catch the Kevin J Anderson is writing the story to go with Rush's Clockwork Angels?  So can't wait!

Back to about Writing

So I am faced with an interesting conundrum in my novel.  As I wrote the story, the medical examiner was a women.  Then I started reading and doing my research.  First off, it would have been a coroner in the Victorian time period.  Second, women were just beginning to come into their own as nurses and certainly were rare as doctors.

So...now I am trying to decide do I go the "easy way out" and make the coroner a man?  Or do I keep my female and explain/show somewhere that she is rare, frequently challenged and has to fight for respect? 

On one hand, I certainly like the idea of a strong woman coroner (being a huge fan of Rizzoli and Isles), however, I don't know that I want to add the complication of another woman in a typically male dominated field.   The Heroine is a courier and owns her own business, which is definitely unusual enough.

On the third hand (!?), it's alternate history, I've already made tweaks to history and had things created earlier than they really were...so would it break the "suspension of disbelief" if I had a woman in a typically male dominated field for that time period?

It's an interesting challenge that I'll have to play with.   If I keep her, it could provide an interesting subplot within the overall story.

It's not as if this barricade/Blocks the only road
It's not as if you're all alone/In wanting to explode
~Rush, The Pass

Musical Influences

So this is technically not a writing post...but I have been thinking recently about Music and how it influences us and by default our writing.

Houston by the Gatlin Brothers - "Houston, Houston means that I'm one day closer to you."  My dad was in the Air Force and travelled a lot.  My mom always started her letters to my dad with "Houston."   It was a reference to the song and how they were always "one day closer."  When I was a kid, I thought it was incredibly romantic. Older, I still think it's romantic but I think it also spoke a lot about my parents relationship and their willingess to wait for each other. 

Presto by Rush - "If I could wave a my magic wand..." These were the first words I ever heard from Rush.  I was a sophomore in High School.  The bassist in our marching band introduced the band to me, and I was hooked from the first moment.  The drummer, Neil Peart, has a way with words that I wish I had so I'm influenced in that as well.   Rush has been one of the bands whose music and lyrics have inspired me, kept me going through difficult times.  Other songs by Rush...

Coldfire - "I'll be around if you don't push me down."  My license plate!
Totem - "I believe that what I'm feeling changes how the world appears."  Reminds me that we all see the world through our own perceptions.
Time Stand Still - "I'm not looking back but I want to look around me now." Being in the present moment.  Enjoying the time and friends we have now.
Ghost of a Chance - But I believe there's a ghost of a chance we can find someone to love and make it last." - There is so a romance novel in this song!!
....and the list goes on.

Story of my life by Bonjovi -"This is the story of my life and I write it everyday."  This is kind of my writing theme song.  I tend to use it  as inspiration when I'm struggling to write. 

Bonjovi is also my "Screw you" go to band. Whenever I reach my limit of negativity or people who don't like how I do things...Bonjovi is the band whose music I go to.
Have nice day. - "Standing on the ledge, show the wind how to fly."
Bounce - "Call it karma, call it luck, me I just don't give a ...bounce, bounce nothings going to keep me down."

Sing for the Day by Styx - "Hannah you're my inspiration, my fountain of youth."  Obvious here....it's where my daughter got her name.  To me it's also a song about enjoying youth and again...being in the present moment. 

Other Styx songs...
These are the times - "These are the times we find out who we really are."  The theme song for one of the best D&D games/characaters/groups ever.  I've been playing D&D for a while and no group has ever epitomized that song better than Del, Ian, Raven and Rozhena.  And though we try, capturing that feeling has never quite happened again for me either.  At some point, I want to write a short story using those characters that captures the feeling of that song. 
Boat on the River - "And all roads lead to Tranquility Base." - My one attempt at SF is based on this line.  Tranquility Base being a moonbase set in the middle of the Tranquility Bay on the moon.

The men in my little girls life by Tex Ritter - If my dad danced, this would have been our father/daughter song...It's a storytelling song about a little girl and her boyfriends from the boy next door to her prom date, from the man she marries, to the grandson.  It's incredibly touching and I thought somewhat prophetic given the final boy in the song is "Jim" and I married James.  :)

In high school, I don't know that there were "iconic songs" but there are songs that I hear now and they remind me of high school?

Billy Joel's We didn't start the Fire came out in 1989, sophomore year in HS.  And while I realize it's more geared toward my parents generation, I think it became kind of the "song" for our generation because "we didn't start the fires" and so many of us wanted to do things to end them.
(Speaking of Billy Joel, I can no longer hear In a NY minute without thinking of 9/11.)
Wilson Phillips - Hold on in 1990 - So loved this band. The songs were simple and catchy and just seemed right for a 16 year old girl.
U2's Mysterious Ways came out in 91. So wanted this to be my theme song.  Never really was but I still love it.
For some reason, Jake Owen's Barefoot Blue Jean Night reminds me of High School..."Never gonna grow up/Never gonna slow down/We were shining like lighters in the dark in the middle of a rock show." Everytime I hear that I flash back to hanging outside my window talking with friends in the middle of the night. 

Bowling for Soup's 1985 is another fun one.  And the irony (?) there is that I was 10 in 1985 but I can completely relate to most of the lyrics. I was a U2 and Madonna fan.  I am not a Nirvana or Limp Bizkit fan.  And of course '85 is still my defining year of "me."  Came out of shell - got introduced to Shakespeare and theatre, starting reading the Dragonlance Chronicles, got introduced to music that wasn't country (Prince, Michael Jackson), Dad was in Korea, Mom slipped disks in her back, moved into our first real house (ie, not base housing), walked to school, learned to cook, clean, take care of my little brother.  That year kind of became my defining year so I think that's another reason I relate to the song.  Even if my kid is not in HS!

James and I have three songs...
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Deep Blue Something, All for you by Sister Hazel, and I'll Stand by You by the Pretenders.    The Pretenders song was our weddding song.  The other two kind of just became us while we were dating.  Breakfast came out in 96 and All for you came out in 97.   One of my favorite new memories is going to Disney when the Geeklet was 2 and Sister Hazel was playing Epcot.  We heard that song and ran forward and she started dancing to it.  Loved that moment.

In 2006, George Straight's I Saw God Today came out.  For whatever reason, the first time I heard the song...was the day in 2007 when I found out that we were having a little girl.  So that is and will always be the Geeklet's song for me.

When writing, I've found that TSO's Christmas music and their two non-xmas albums provide the high energy and drive of music that I really need to write to.  I also enjoy Celtic music from bagpipes to Celtic Women for music to soothe my soul or settle me down when work is getting crazy.

So...what music influences you?  How?

Plays that song that's so elusive/
And the magic music makes your morning mood.
Rush, The Spirit of Radio

Short Story Away!

So thanks to the wonderful first reader that is my husband, I sent off my submission to the second Fortannis anthology last night.   It's the story of knight coming to terms with a world that isn't shades of gray.  I hated to miss Illogicon but I really needed to finish the story...and I did!

I don't know if it will be accepted into the Anthology but I'm still pretty proud of the story itself.  Writing in a world w/o religion is a bit of a challenge but I think I'm getting the hang of it.

I also got the contract for Anne Bonny's Child over the holidays so that is signed and ready to go.  Publication date is more likely April than March now, but still Spells and Swashbucklers should be out soon!

Time to dive back into my novel.  I need to finish adding the red herrings and the second POV. Then its off to the husband for first reading.  By the time I'm done with his suggestions and changes, it should be close to needing a copyeditor/editor.   I'm trying to have it finished by Stellarcon so I can start submitting it to agents/publishing houses in April.

Ambitious goal, I know with work starting to ramp up.  I've got a massive training session to plan and then the internship program to start and run.

We don't have to talk/We don't even have to touch
I can feel your prescence/In the silence that we share
~Rush, Speed of Love

Happy New Year

May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!

Happy New Year!

PS - I'll try to get up a real post later today!