2014 LAS Contest!

2014 Launching A Star Contest 

Enter for a chance to win our $250 Grand Prize!

Deadline: September 29th, 2014

Click HERE for contest rules and get your entries submitted asap!

The Prodigal Writer Returns

STAR (Space Coast Authors of Romance) has been a part of my life since 2008.  Being away due to career and personal changes, I've noticed the lack of motivation in my fiction writing.  About a month ago I dusted off my works-in-progress (WIP) and red-inked them until a few bled to death.  Only one or two survived.     

Looking at the lifeless manuscripts I knew it was time to get back to what challenged and motivated me.  I found my muse, but didn't realize it until I started plotting and reinventing characters. Today, I returned to the monthly STAR meetings and just in speaking with a few members about my current WIP I was able to scratch out 2700 words towards another chapter.  

Just like any good relationship, with your family or friends and with God, it takes daily work to keep it strong.  Thanks to my STARs I can build a better relationship with my writing.  The critique groups, Deep Dish reads, guest speakers, online forums, conferences, and contests are a few things that help keep me on track.  

A good romance never hurt any book, so regardless of your writing genre you should attend a STAR meeting as a guest.  Go ahead...I dare you!  

www.authorsofromance.com

 

Blog Title Origins

In recent weeks I've been asked about the title of my blog and what my "theme" is.  Simply put, it's a light-hearted view of my life's chaos and a way for me to share a humble passion for writing.  I had it brought to my attention that other blogs on different social sites are using my title as well as two publishing companies; all started after my original date.  "I'd be pissed!" is the common statement I hear when they see the knockoffs.  Frankly, I'm flattered.  I get the point.  I just don't work that way.  I blog when I feel like it, and I share my writing/books in bits and pieces.  If I wanted the masses to see my work I'd give in to the revision letters and pile of queries that are sitting on my desk.  It's just not time. 

As for the title, it is a play on words for the type of books I like to write.  I'm a romantic hopelessly.  No, I said it correctly.  I'm also a Columbo of the female variety that likes to solve matters...and murders, of the heart. One day as I tapped the ink from my calligraphy pen I looked at the etching on the end of it:  Stiletto.  It's a certain model of pen, not just a fountain pen, but also ballpoint.   Then came the feminine touch.  The stiletto heel was named from the style of dagger/knife that had a slim blade often used for concealment.  Hence, Stilettos and Ink was born. 

stilettos, plural of sti·let·to (Noun)Noun:
1.A short dagger with a tapering blade.
2.A sharp-pointed tool for making eyelet holes.

It's okay.  It makes sense in my mind and that's really all that matters.  :)

Monday Motivational Poster

Word(s) Count

In my journey to write a best seller, or even just a seller, I have found that it's as much about the number of words you can type as it is the quality of the words. My latest manuscript has relateable characters, a good confrontation, a plot "to die for", very good pacing (I've worked hard to get this), and it's loooooong. Seriously, I am just past the halfway point and already have 75k+ words. I figure my new goal (old one was 95k-ish) is 120k+. It's certainly doable.

The big issue for me is editing the current chapters in order to keep my momentum. I have easy conversations, sexy scenes, and need to find synonyms for some of the more...er, crass words. It's important to keep the voice of the writing but quiet some of the tone; that makes sense in my head so just go with it.

Need is the mother of invention, as the old saying goes; however, in this instance words are the mother of a great book. Words count. They count in the use and format, and they count in the amount. I have to go make them count now as I have two contests to enter by week's end!

Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend and Happy Writing!

Off kilter, and sideways

Ever have one of those days? What about one of those weeks? Yeah, well it's been a month of "those" for me. Besides the recession kicking our rear, we've had one sick child after another only to be followed by a sick hubs. My writing group--the one day of sanity I get a month--met on the weekend that hubs ended up having to work the launch...that still hasn't launched after nine days. Not to mention I have been a single mom for those days as he is working 12's and sleeping 5's, if that, only to turn around and head back to work.

My classes started which gives me homework--no, I am not smarter than a 5th grader--which takes up my writing time (both are becoming a labor of love). Hubs wrecked the truck which ate a hole in our funds with the deductible in order to get it fixed. Work took a left turn on Stupid Street and is now heading south on Huh Drive.

My youngest son was up most of the night running a fever--here we go with the sickness again. To top it all off, my oldest son is turning 11 this weekend which means not only are we dealing with raging hormones and girls, but we are also getting old! I have three other obligations to complete by the 31st (today is the 28th).

So much more is going on, but believe it or not I do keep a great deal private. In the midst of all of our chaos and off kilter days, I am very thankful. I have a wonderful family, home, friends (that I wish lived closer!), and opportunities that so many others don't. Instead of getting knocked down when we take a step forward, we are now getting knocked sideways, which I suppose is better.

My ultimate goal, besides winning the lottery and chasing down my sanity, is to remember my purpose, my priorities, and why I am so darn blessed. Don't forget to be thankful and humble for what you do have, and stop whining for what you don't...instead get off your butt and go get it ;-)

Blast from the Writing Past

WOW! I'm cleaning out my computer files to separate my newer writings from some that have been on the back burner for quite some time. This is an excerpt from one of my first attempts at historical romance...it's pretty self explanatory why I now write chick lit and paranormal!

This one was called Provocation:

The castle doors swung open as if the mighty hand of God had done so himself. The sheer force of the battering ram easily toppled the five clergy men that held fast against it with their shoulders.

“Run, Lady Malina,” she hears Father Markus yell as the doors give way, knocking them to the floor. His voice wrought with pain, Malina knows she can’t leave him and his brethren. A dusty steed stormed past the battering crew, past the trodden priests and into the grand foyer just below the stairs. Malina was almost to the top of the stairwell when she heard the beast nay, whirled around with fiercely clenched fists and nearly fainted at what—or who—she saw.

Sitting atop the brown warrior horse was the most gorgeous male being she had ever laid eyes upon. His slick black hair hung loosely at the broad ridge of his shoulders; chiseled features encircled the fiercest black eyes the devil himself could claim; and his bare chest heaved against the taught muscles that seemed to grow with every breath. He eyed her with such intensity that Malina almost fell, weak kneed and blushing.

Oh, no, no, no, what was she thinking?! Run, turn around and run, dammit! Her feet and legs betrayed her. She was frozen in place, but not out of fear; it was much deeper, grappling at her insides.

Yeah...it was 2001 when I wrote this according to the date stamp on the file. Again WOW! Luckily my writing has improved a bit since then. I have one completed manuscript, two partials, and a million ideas for more. My first submission is getting positive feedback and I am waiting for that magic phone call to say 'YES'.

There are some fantastic contests coming up (ahem, Launching a STAR!) that I am getting ready to enter, and hoping to get as much writing time in as possible now that school is back in session and my house is back on a routine!

What was some of your first writings like? or if not a writer, some of your other firsts?

Finding Balance

Life gets away from us sometimes when we pile on work, school, and family obligations. We forget the small things that use to make us happy, and fret about the ones that we have no control over. It's often too late when we realize this leaving an empty feeling or regret.

Vacations become a last priority and you end up missing your kid's game or practice because you had to work overtime so you could bring home extra money. It becomes a routine and we get complacent with not having the happiness, instead we settle for contentment (or a resemblance of just being okay).

We still have our dreams of what we want for our lives, but seem to forget how to make those dreams a reality. My dreams of finding a job where I can use my degree (and make my student loans worth the monthly payment), getting one of my books published, and making sure my kids have every opportunity I had and more are still very much alive in my heart.

What I know now is that it doesn't take one to make the other happen. I don't have to work at a job that consumes me in order to provide a wonderful life for my boys, or have a best seller on the NY Times list (any seller will do!) to prove I am a good writer. Finding balance put my priorities back where they belong. My family may not be sporting the newest gadgets and clothes, or drive the fanciest cars (although my Jeep is pretty damn cool), or have the most interesting jobs...but we have each other.

Friends and family deal with the same issues just in different ways. We are not alone in these hard times anymore than the good times. It just seems that way because we lose our balance. Finding balance can make a world of difference even in the toughest of times.

Have you found yours?

Writing Again

I wrote THE END on one book, and now have to get started on my other WIP that was interrupted by Angel at Dusk. How do I go back to writing the suspense when I just finished with paranormal?

I sat down in my little hole in the back room, lights off, TV muted (for the purpose of ambient light and a distraction for my youngin as he fell asleep), my glass of wine and keg of water, and my mini to type. I read over the first 36 pages I had written to catch up on where I had left off, and started brainstorming on how to move forward.

“Let’s recap what exactly did happen,” she said as she eased up from the couch. She was standing rigid in front of him with fire in her eyes. “I was on my way to walk down the aisle to a man that loved and cherished me. A man who did not second-guess his feelings for me.” She started pacing, “I recall being stopped at the foot of the church steps by you professing your undying love for me after you had all but walked out of my life the year before stating you could not be with someone like me.”

Connor started to fidget at her version of what happened. She continued.
“Then out of nowhere this crazy son of a bitch comes at us with a gun, shoots at you as I’m being tossed into a truck! On my wedding day! Why exactly was I kidnapped? Oh let’s see, someone had the hair brained idea that they could get what they wanted from you by hurting what they thought was important to you. Ha!” She became louder as the story continued. “Little did they know you were a coward who didn’t know what love meant and couldn’t fathom what my soon-to-be husband, who did love me, was going through!”
“Mel,” he tried to interrupt.

“Oh, no,” she snapped as she stopped pacing to face him, “let me finish. I wouldn't want to bury these feelings again.” She continued pacing, “so here I am, trying to keep the horrible visions of my death from clouding my current predicament. The bastards knock me around a few times until I pretend to be unconscious, and as I’m lying there with the heel of a boot on my throat, I hear them discussing the next step in their plot for revenge.” In her ranting she never considered that her son and his friends might hear what was going on. Again Connor tried to interrupt, “Mel, please just…”

“Let me finish,” she said through gritted teeth. “They put me in a wooden box, dropped me into that dam mine and I was left for dead.” She was trembling. “I know why they wanted to come after you. I know whom they were working for. You lied to them to do what you thought was right and I was hurt because of it. I had told you before what was going to happen and you ran from me. All you cared about was your precious story, and you ended up dragging me into it anyway.” “Mel,” he stood up this time and grabbed her to make her stand still. “I’m sorry.”

And that's as far as I got...*sigh*

Burning Up

Today I am burning up the keyboard with writing. AD is coming along great and I have had some wonderful feedback. My goal count (pages) for today was 5, but I'm bumping it to ten. Watch out 'cause I am on fire!

When To Kill A Character

Ever have a character you don't know what to do with after a certain chapter? Maybe they were an integral part of the beginning, but lost their purpose as the story evolved. You can't go back and delete them without having to change too many details that are necessary, but you can't move forward with them either. What do you do?

So far I've come up with the following:

1. Have something traumatic happen to them to increase the conflict of the story (i.e. accident/coma/terminal illness).
2. Have them move (make up a short back story of a long lost relative that needs them).
3. Kill them off.

I write characters. I should know how to delete them. How do you get rid of your characters when they can no longer be written?

Writing Goals for 2009

I am a member of the best RWA chapter on the planet, Space Coast Authors of Romance. The group is full of fantastic writers and fun new friends. One of the things that has become tradition is making a list of goals for the following year and sending them to one of our successful chapter members to hold. At the end of the year, our annual Christmas party, we recap those goals to see how many we achieved--not to mention, we receive a neat little prize for accomplishing at least one of them.

My writing goals for 2009 are:

1. make my list of goals and submit them! (done)
2. enter at least 3 writing contests (1 down, 2 to go!)
3. complete my current WIP by March (ahead of schedule on this one!)
4. submit my manuscript
5. judge a contest
6. become PRO if not PAN qualified
7. finish my office (writing in the nursery is getting old)
8. make writing time a priority
9. ask for help when i don't know what to do next with my writing
10. accomplish ALL of these goals!

I'm off to a good start and will keep these posted as a list on my sidebar for a constant reminder of my goals. Do you write? If so what are your goals for 2009?

Any Ideas?

How often are you side tracked with daily life and you forget to write down that idea for the next chapter, or remember to set aside time to organize those ideas so you can meet deadlines? I'm in that "side tracked" moment and can't remember my last thought for the next stage of my book. It was really fantastic and made perfect sense when I thought of it, but doesn't seem so fantastic after I wrote it down. So now I'm scheduling time to get organized. I have two contests I want to enter and need to remember the crucial statement or action or whatever it was that made the idea so great.

What do you do to get those flash of genius? Any ideas?

New Year, New Changes

This is just a quick post to wish everyone a Happy New Year and if...IF you are the type to make New Year Resolutions, then please comment on what those will be.


I'm making a few changes, namely with my writing. I'm not going to use a non de plume until I get this manuscript off my table and on an editors desk. I'm not going to limit myself with the genre of writing; romance is my passion, but adventure and mayhem are my specialty. I'm not going to shy away from criticism (ahem, that means I'm taking you up on your offer, Kristen!). Best of all, I haven't had a cigarette since Christmas Eve--I'm not going to make smoking a part of my writing.


Those are my resolutions. Nothing fancy, just keeping it simple and seeing where it takes me. I'm also anxiously awaiting my new toy that will keep my writing mobile--everywhere I go--my hubster bought me the new Dell Mini 9. I'm as much a tech geek as I am a hopeless romantic. He had me at Dell :o)

When I Write

Lately, I have less and less time for "me". When I say "me time", I'm not referring to getting my nails done, or hitting the tanning salon. Hell, I haven't done anything like that in quite a while. The "me time" I'm referring to is my writing. It seems every time I turn around we are running our oldest son here and there, or my husband is working late, or has made plans to hang with friends, or I'm working late, or the little one just wants me! I've typed one-handed many a time, but it's not easy when your thoughts are going faster than your hands. My husband has tried sitting with the boys to give me quiet time, but I get irritated easily when all I hear is the sliding door opening and closing, or my oldest yelling at a video game, and the dogs start rough-housing while the youngest yells for me. When do I have time to write?!

Come to find out I have Chronic Onset Insomnia-meaning I have a very hard time falling asleep, if I sleep at all. This has been ongoing since my childhood according to my mother, but back then we called it another name...the boogie monster. Now that I'm older with children of my own I find that the 'boogie monster' is indeed real. Just not in the form of a scary monster hiding under my bed or in my closet. No, my monsters are in my head. They stem from experiences I've had and from everyday life. They have names: Bills, Health, Kids, Marriage, Work, Inflation, Clowns, etc. These monsters aren't always scary, but they are always on my mind and often the cause of it racing late into the night. The only way to get my mind to slow down is to put my thoughts on paper...or screen I should say.