Z=Zone

The writing zone of course! I generally have a hard time getting into the writing zone. It'll take me at least a good 10 minutes to truly fall into it. How do I make it happen? Either I'll doodle next to my notes as I read them over and over (it'll click) or I'll play the What If game with the next scene (even if I have the scene preplanned) or I'll just start typing crazy nonsense until that scene starts to take shape. In the event none of these work, I jump on my treadmill or do some cleaning and vaguely think about the upcoming scene. This usually works when all else fails.

Staying in the Zone comes easy for me once I'm there. I usually have to force myself to stop, otherwise I'd go all night!

What helps get you in 'The Zone"?

And a quick Congrats to all of us who participated in the A-Z Challenge! It was fun and glad to have met such awesome peeps!!!

Y=Yummy

As in yummy treats! These should make your mouth water!!

X=X names for boys and girls

I had a hard time coming up with one for the letter X. Yup, could have gone with X rays. That would have been way too simple. This one is pretty simple too, but more original :)

Boys:
Xander (man's defender)
Xanthus (golden haired)
Xavier (bright, splendid)
Xenos (hospitality)
Ximenes (listening intently)

Girls:
Xandra (variant of Alexandra)
Xenia (quest, stranger)
Xanthe (yellow, blonde)
Xylia (woodland)

There are more, but I thought these were the best out of the bunch.

Weaknesses and Waterfalls

I'll start with the waterfalls as this one is quite simple. I love them ;) Here's a pic. I can just picture my house right here. Life would be tranquil!

On to weaknesses. Mine in particular when it comes to writing.
1) I'm a huge procrastinator. Some of the time, I'm just so tired from working all day, then coming home and making supper, cleaning, dealing with the motorcycle shop that all I want to do is crash! Other times, I find stupid reasons for putting it off. I'm getting better about it though.

2) When I'm in the beginning stages of sketching a story out, I forget to play the "What If" game and have severe tunnel vision. I forget this is fiction and some things don't have to be conformed to exact reality. Once the game begins, however, the tunnel vision is gone and my mind is wide open!

3) This is probably my absolute worse weakness. I over edit. Yup, I keep cutting and changing my mind until the essence of my story is transformed. Thankfully, I learned this lesson early- the first WIP-and I catch myself quick enough to not totally screw up my story!

Truth time! What are your weaknesses?

V=Veterans

I think our Veterans need to be thanked and blessed every single day, not just on Memorial Day or Veterans Day. They put their lives on the line for our freedom every moment of every single day all over the world. I think we take way too much for granted in this country. Go and research other countries where you may think it's better than here. It's not. If not telling you where you can go or how you can dress, it's lower wages than the minimum wage here (and not all things are cheaper either).

Back to my favorite heroes/heroines, our men and women, fighting for our country-for us-for our children-and their children-and their children and so forth.

Toby Keith's song 'American Soldier' describes it all best. Here are the lyrics:

I’m just tryin’ to be a father, raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother, everythin’ to everyone
Up and at ‘em bright and early, I’m all business in my suit
Yeah I’m dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots
I don’t do it for money, there’s bills that I can’t pay
I don’t do it for the glory, I just do it anyway
Providing for our future’s, my responsibility
Yeah I’m real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can’t call in sick on Mondays when the weekend’s been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door
Hey I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey I’m true down to the core.

And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.

I’m an American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right

I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m and American, Soldier.

An American Soldier an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand
When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right
I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
American Soldier, I’m an American, an American, an American, Soldier.


For those of you who've never heard the song, look it up on Youtube. It's indeed the best song!

For all of our soldiers near and far, I sincerely thank you for protecting us against all harm. I know what you have to sacrifice to do your job. Hugs and Kisses always :)

U=Unconditional Love

As in unconditional love for your main characters-even the ones who think they can win an argument with me. Ha! Well, okay sometimes they make valid points, but still. I have a couple of cocky ones. You may think it's my heroes, but you'd be wrong. My girls are more aggressive on how the story should shape up. I still love them spunk and all.

My heroine for Boneknapper is a wild one. Wants to swear all the time. Big time cursing, but I got her calmed down on that one. She likes her knockdown drag out fights too. I'm the one who had to compromise on that one. No one's going to mess with her protective detail (my H), and she's finding out how much she loves him, despite his arrogance. No one's going to mess with this ferociously protective cop and her man! And, for all of her good intentions, I love her unconditionally (even though there are times I wish I could kick her in the arse!!)

Do you have an untamed character driving you nutty?

Happy Easter!!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter or Happy Sunday for those that don't celebrate Easter. I wish I could say it's a day off, but realistically there's cooking and coloring eggs and the cleaning up afterward. I'll have my day soon enough!

The A-Z challenge is winding down with this being the last week. And, for me, it's definitely been a challenge in keeping up. One of the things I've learned-blog ahead of time. Last week's blog were all done the Sunday before. Made this past week for me easier. It's all about discipline and fighting the procrastinator within! I have loved reading everyone's blogs. I learned lots of new info and met some really great people!

Over at www.savvyauthors.com where I help mod writing workshops (y'all truly need to check this site out. For anyone looking for lots of info on writing, this is a great place. NO, this isn't an advertisement.) I will be attending their May Bootcamp. This is a all writing, no editing challenge to complete a book in the month of May (If you already have a completed book, you can use the time to do the edits and prep it for submitting). So, I may be posting about my challenging writing timeframe during this coming month. I think I'll stick with one of my WIPs, Boneknapper, and get it finished. It's about halfway through and with lots of luck and strict time usage, I may be able to edit it too! Wish me luck!

T=Tattoos

Tribute to Tattoos.

Mine isn't the greatest quality of a picture, but you can see the jist of it. Do you have any? If so, feel free to post a pic of it!

S=strength

As in having the inner strength to keep pushing forward with your writing no matter what.

That's what I do. The shove! Lots of frustration, questioning myself as a writer, telling myself to push forward, happy the next moment that the words are effortlessly being written. And when one is written, the great sense of accomplishment. The roller coaster ride.

In order to be a writer, besides physically sitting at the computer or notebook in hand, takes guts. Because truly you are putting yourself out there. I'm sure I'm not the only one who will have slight panic attacks after sending off the query letter, synopsis, and/or manuscript, questioning myself about the quality of my own work. That's where the inner strength comes in. Because even amongst a rejection, you move on. You either try another editor or agent or if there were suggestions, you may revise it.

My point is in order to write, you need that inner strength to get through all the crazy thoughts and times along the way.

R=Revisions

I'm in the process of revising my first manuscript and am now wondering if I shouldn't just put it down before I rip it all to hell.

When I was finished writing it, I set it aside for about two months. Upon pulling it out, I realized it needed some serious reworking. But I think now I'm overdoing it. When do you know when this is happening?

I feel as though I'm making it stronger definitely. But, at the same time, I feel as though I'm killing it.

Is this how revisions really work? I'm sure all writers go through the same thing. I have three more chapters to go to where I think it will be set.

Is revisions this torturous to you?

Q=quotations

Today will be a few famous writing quotes. Feel free to add to the list below! I hope maybe they will inspire you.

If the weak hand, that has recorded this tale, has, by its scenes, beguiled the mourner of one hour of sorrow, or, by its moral, taught him to sustain it - the effort, however humble, has not been vain, nor is the writer unrewarded Ann Radcliffe

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. C.S. Lewis

A classic is classic not because it conforms to certain structural rules, or fits certain definitions (of which its author had quite probably never heard). It is classic because of a certain eternal and irrepressible freshness. Edith Wharton

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. ~Mark Twain

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes. ~Agatha Christie

P=Penguins

My favorite animal is a penguin. It's their tuxedo look and their waddle. They're absolutely adorable. And Happy Feet is a great movie!

We went to SeaWorld a few years ago, and when we reached the Penguin exhibit, I didn't want to leave.


What's your favorite animal?

O=openings

The open scenes-the beginning-the 'hook'- to every book needs to grab the reader's attention immediately or they are liable to close the book for good.

Here are a couple of fantastic openings:

1) Listen to me. We don't have much time.
My name is Whit Allgood. I guess you've heard of me and my sister, Wisty, and of the crazy stuff that's happened, but here's the thing: it's so much worse than you think it is. James Patterson, The Gift.

2) The man with the rubber boots stepped into the elevator behind me, but I didn't see him at first. I smelled him though-the pungent odor of smoke and cheap wine and life on the street without soap. We were alone as we moved upward, and when I finally glanced over I saw the boots, black and dirty and much too large. A frayed and tattered trench coat fell to his knees. Under it, layers of foul clothing bunched around his midsection, so that he appeared stocky, almost fat. But it wasn't from being well fed; in the wintertime in D.C., the street people wear everything they own, or so it seems. John Grisham, The Street Lawyer.

3) No amount of booze could wipe a conscience clean. Not that Mike Lawson hadn't given it one hell of a shot tonight. Ann Voss Peterson, Special Assignment.

4) "Somebody please help me! Somebody please! Can anybody hear me?"
Max's screams pierced the clear mountain air. Her throat and lungs were beginning to hurt, to burn.
The eleven year old girl was running as fast as she could from the hateful, despicable School. She was strong, but she was beginning to tire. As she ran, her long blond hair flared behind her like a beautiful silk scarf. She wa pretty, even though there were dark, plum-colored circles under her eyes.
She knew the men were coming to kill her. She could hear them hurrying through the woods behind her. James Patterson, When the Wind Blows.

These are a few of my favorite books. Do you have a favorite book with a fantastic opening?

N=Notes

While I'm writing, I have notes strewn from one end of the table to the other. Notes on the characters, notes on the setting, notes even on the furniture. Sticky notes, lined notebook paper notes, index card notes. All types of notes.

I've been attempting to organize, but that's a hard chore for me. It seems I work better amongst the chaos of my dining room table.

Any suggestions would be great. I'm thinking I need my own space with some type of organization that'll make it easier among my snowfall of notes.

What works best for you?

M=Magical

I just finished reading James Patterson's 'The Gift'. This is a switch from his normal crime mysteries, which I'm completely in love with. He is just such a fantastic writer.

'The Gift' is about this world in which this girl, a witch, is being hunted for her magical powers-her fire powers. The villian after her and her brother's powers has taken over the world and has banned music, art, books, and imagination of any sort. These kids are fighting for everyone's freedoms.

James Patterson creates such a unique world in this book and it is so well written, I felt I was right there along with them for the ride. I never usually scream at the books while I'm reading but this is one in which I did.

What type of magical book do you like? Or maybe it's a magical creature?

L=Lost

The TV show "Lost" had quite the following while on the tube, but I really never got a chance to watch it. So, I've begun renting the show from Blockbuster to see what the hype was/is all about. Now, I know. I'm hooked and I'm not even through the first season yet.

For those who don't know, Lost is about these people on an airplane headed from Australia to Los Angeles, and their plane crashes on a remote island full of some kind of mojo or something supernatural. (I haven't quite got there yet to figure out exactly what's up, but I do have my suspicions!) And through the first season, you learn about each of their backgrounds and how they came to be on this fateful flight. You can't help but want to watch the next episode because 1) you want to know what the heck is going on and 2) they haven't fully told you about one of the survivors so you have to keep watching. It's truly an interesting show.

Anyone else currently watching or have watched it?

k=Kiss

As in the 'First Kiss'. My very first kiss was in second grade out on the playground inside the tire dragon. Just a peck on my cheek, and then he ran off. I forget the boy's name. That's pretty bad, I know, but I think he moved away that following summer. My first memorable kiss was with my best friend's brother. The first true open mouth, sloppy, wonderful yet awkward kiss. I can say I'll never forget that one!

Of course, there are other memorable kisses, but it's that first one with the first love that really counts.

Who was your first kiss?

J=Jellybeans

With Easter coming next weekend, I figured Jellybeans were in order.

My fave? Jelly Belly! With 50 official flavors, there's bound to be one that everyone will like. Licorice, Mango, A&W root beer, crushed pineapple,cotton candy, cinnamon, chocolate pudding, etc.

Then, of course, there's the Harry Potter jelly beans. Now for those who haven't tried these, truly you need to. No they aren't really yummy but it's pretty funny to watch your kids gross out on them. They have the normal such as chocolate, almond, cherry, banana, etc, but then they have the less flavorables such as spinach, sprouts, liver, sausage, tripe. And the really yucky ones: vomit, troll bogie, earwax, farm dirt, earthworm, and of course the dirty sock. You don't know what you're eating unless you have the guide on the bag or box.

What are you favorite flavors?

I=Information Overload

When I'm researching for one of my books, naturally I go straight to the Internet. Why go anywhere else when it's all at your fingertips?

But, you can easily get swept into the sea of information overload. Unlike a library, anyone can put anything on the internet, which makes getting the correct information a trick in itself. Of course, I go straight to the trusted sources.

Here's my problem. I have a tendency to click on the next link, and then the next one and then, I'll read a line that has absolutely nothing to do with what I'm looking for and follow that link. Now, I'm off the beaten path. The next thing I know, it's been well over an hour. Wasted. I have to kick myself and get back on the path where I was to begin with.

The library seems the better choice for me. How about you?

H=Hero/Heroine

My favorite hero is Noah Calhoun from The Notebook. What a courageous man who truly loves his wife. He reads her their story day after day after day to help her remember their life together as she has Alzheimer's. And he never gives up, even at the end when he comes to her and crawls into her bed, holding hands as they slip away peacefully together. Who wouldn't want a man that devoted to his wife? He's number one in my book.

My favorite heroine, even though she has her flaws and lost her hero in the end, is Scarlett O'Hara. She's sassy, she knows what she wants and goes for it, even though not quite in the right way. You can't help continuing root for her.

Who are you favorites?

G=Ghosts

The first word that crossed my mind was gorgeous. But, of course, that would have led to more eye candy. And that would have been the easy way out. Not to mention I already did it once with D.

So, the next one was ghosts. Not everyone believes there could be spiritual beings around us. I'm not here to convince anyone, just to simply share my experiences with you. There are quite a few, so I'll only mention a couple.

When I was a teenager, my best friend was spending the night along with my niece (she is two years younger than me-we just should have been sisters!) and her best friend. All of us in my bedroom with a Ouija board. Not too smart, but we were kids after all. Everything was going great until one of us (I don't remember who) asked a spirit a question that apparently pissed him off (I think the question was an attempt to prove we were being answered from the spirit and not one of us forcing the doohickey around the board). My bible which sat on my nightstand flew across the room, hitting the wall pretty darn hard and then my light in the bedroom went out. My door was closed, but you could see the hall light still on under the door. Only my room went out. To say the least, none of us slept in my room that night!

My brother passed away suddenly over six years ago. I went to CT. and brought back a pair of his black shoes he had given my mom the year before. We had a pit bull puppy and when I got back home, I unpacked the car. The entire time Benji was happily wagging his tail, running under my feet. The last thing I brought into the house were those shoes and I set them near the fireplace. As soon as they were set down, Benji went ballistic, barking, snarling, and growling-directly at the shoes. He'd run away and then come flying back to the shoes. This lasted for about ten minutes and he wasn't letting up. I had to put them away in the closet, and he sat in front of that door growling for another five minutes before I finally locked him out of my bedroom. I believe my brother's spirit was around.

Do you have any good stories to tell?

F=fragrance

I'm talking about the good ones, of course. My favorite is lavender. And for those of you who haven't ever had the pleasure of a lavender scented bath, you don't know what you're missing. Lavender truly relaxes you. Or at least it works with me-including lighting a lavender candle. I would be in heaven if I had that lavender field in the pic.

And there are others: Fresh cut grass, the 'baby' smell, and fresh cut roses from my garden. And there is one smell that reminds me of home (as in my Mom's up in CT.) (Not fresh baked cookies, lol. Although that ranks up there pretty high!) This is really strange, but it's the smell of a storm coming. It's when the air is charged and I get a whiff of an earthy mixture-dirt, grass, trees. It takes me back to CT. It's one of those triggers. You smell something, or taste a certain food, or see something in particular that reminds you of something or someone in your past. I love that earthy smell, almost like a cleansing of sorts.

Those are mine. What are yours??

E=Endings

As in happy endings, of course!

I love happy endings. Especially after the gut wrenching roller coaster ride that's an absolute requirement in romance. I know it's a great book when I'm so into the story that I can feel the hero and heroine's pain. Harlequin books do this well.

Nicholas Sparks' books sometimes don't have the happy ever after. But, The Lucky One does. And it's such a great romantic read with lots of tender moments. The climax is heart wrenching but leads to a wonderful HEA. A must read!

Do you have a favorite happy ending?

D=Diversion!!

Okay. So I figured maybe we all need a little bit of a diversion. That's what I picked for Tuesday's D.

Some more eye candy, ladies. Enjoy.

C=Critique Partners

I started a new job on Monday, and have neglected by blog. So, it's time for a little catch up.

Monday's was C. I've picked critique partners. I have the ultimate group of critique sisters there ever could be. They don't butter up their comments. They tell it like it is, just the way it should be.
They have helped me grow as a writer pointing out little things I would have never noticed or giving me suggestions to improve on my stories. I truly believe we have evolved from critique partners to friends. So, for my Twinkies, I thank you for everything so far and putting up with me-even while I've been dragging butt! Love you guys. :)

So, do you all have a/some critique partner(s)?

B=Beaches

With the warm weather finally breaking here in the south, I want the beach! I love walking the shore with the sand between my toes. Not to mention the awesome workout to my legs, lol! The sunrises and sunsets are usually amazing no matter what beach you are on

My favorite beach? Why Playa del Carmen in Mexico of course! But then again, we've only been to Mexico and Jamaica ( out of the country that is). Florida's okay, but the water in Mexico is so beautiful as you can see from the picture. It was taken three years ago (our last vacation. Can I possibly be overdue for another???)

What is your favorite beach?

A=Adjectives

I'm taking the A-Z blogging challenge! For the month of April, the challenge is to blog every day, not including Sundays, using the next letter in the alphabet. Since I just discovered the challenge this morning and am one day behind, I'm blogging A today and B tomorrow. If you'd like to join, click on the link over on the right hand side of my blog.

For today's blog, I've decided on adjectives. Those wonderful descriptive words! I'm by no means an expert on adjectives, but I'm sure you can agree that overusing adjectives in your writing will over saturate your book, quite possibly yanking your reader out of the H/h's story.

But, with some sprinkling here and there, your story comes to life in the reader's mind. Instead of a blurry outline, you form a clearer picture-whether it's 'seeing' the heroine for the first time or the H/h barely getting out of a near death situation.

I've posted below a paragraph from my WIP, Secrets of Jenkins Bridge, as an example. I'm sure you may have a better descriptive passage in your own. I would love to read your favorite sentence or paragraph, whether it's from your own writing or a great book you've read. So, feel free to post yours in the comments section!

The soft butterfly kisses to her cheek stirred Katherine. Part of her was still inside the heart gripping dream and yet, it seemed so real. The coolness of the sterile hospital room impeded her warm dream surroundings of sunshine. Aidan was smack dab in front of her planting tender pecks. He stepped back and turned away. Where was he going? She gripped his forearm, but he was slipping away.