closet optimist

First, Merry Freakin' Christmas everyone!

It's been a strange year. For those of you who know my current situation - complete with the two extra roommates and the nearly three year relationship slowly coming to its inevitable end - I'm sure you understand why I'm a little blue this Christmas.

I've stayed much longer in Las Vegas than I initially planned, but life happens and priorities change. There are things I wanted to be, to do, to have done by this time in my 31 (sigh) years. But....I hate to complain. Especially when I see all the homeless on the streets and the people who can't afford gifts for their children during the holiday season. I have a job, a roof over my head, clothes to wear, and the ability to pay my bills. Thems' the basics. And I'm glad about all that.

I'm also the proud writer of two novels (sorry, its still hard to believe myself).

Most people see me as a realist with pessimistic tendencies. But those people don't really know me. I portray that image to help me deal with the crap in the world. Because if you expect the worst you are pleasantly surprised when you get the opposite! Ta Da! It makes it easier to take all the heartache, grief, and pain that life can dish out.

I guess I think I'm special...in some strange way. As a kid, I didn't mind sleeping near the door or window at a sleepover when my friends were afraid of the boogeyman getting them. Because when that crazy killer would come in ready to murder me, he'd take one look at my young self and fall in love and whisk me away to his castle. (You see he was actually a prince under a nasty spell and I broke it with my aura). And you all wonder why I decided to write romance????? ;-)

I always believed I had something different, something unique. Alas, I grew up and realized the truth, but there is still a hint of that belief that refuses to be squashed by real life. That special something defines me as a closet optimist. Behind everything that goes awry in my life, there is hope. Hope that things will take a turn for the best rather than the worse.

Still, I have a soft spot for the worse. I mean, it builds character, it gives you comedic material, and it makes for a much better story. The writer in me just can't be denied.

So the next time things look shitty, know the book of your life needed some conflict, and in the end its going to fly off the shelves the more drama it entails. I firmly disagree with saving the drama for your mama. Share it with your readers. They'll thank you for it! Just keep your fingers crossed for a happy ending.

Quote of the day: Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it. ~Hannah Arendt

the morning after

Beautiful, isn't it? The morning after our big snow day (ok big for us at 8" in the southern parts of Las Vegas) you would think we lived in the mountains or something. The day was altogether eerie with sludge piles of snow in the streets and in peoples' yards and the sun illuminating the mountains and hills surrounding us, showing off their thick shiny new coats of bright white snow.

This is what my house looked like in the morning.....

I know, nothing major, but an unusual sight for me.

My boyfriend covered the West side on his way to work and I took a couple of pics on my way down south into Henderson. Then I snapped a few from Sunset Station's garage out into the valley.

Here is what I came up with. Enjoy!

The Day After the Big Snow in Las Vegas 2008

Quote of the Day: I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top. ~English Professor (Name Unknown), Ohio University

the city of sin has frozen over....

I've finally had a couple days to get over it, but it still is amazing. It snowed in Vegas. And I don't mean some measely little flakes (although that's what it began as). I'm talking blizzard, baby!

Las Vegans don't really take snow too seriously. Because when we hear that it's a possibility we think a few chunks of ice and rain for an hour max and that's it. But no, that's not what we got on Wednesday.

Let me break down my day.

Wednesday morning: Butt cold, but I layered up and wore a nice scarf and gloves.

Wednesday afternoon 1pm: Snow begins to fall. People at work are freaking out. But there really isn't much snow sticking to the ground just yet. I'm not worried.

2pm: The snow continues to fall and starts to get thicker. I hear it's supposed to stop by 4pm when I leave, so I'm still not worried.

3pm: The snow is coming down hard and fast and blanketing the ground. For some reason, I'm still not worried, just amazed. I take this picture outside the employee entrance with my phone.

4pm: The snow has covered most of Sunset Station and it's already dark. I get in my VW bug and realize I have to get gas before I make the 26 mile drive home. Doh!

4:15pm: Upon leaving Sunset Station's garage the streets are covered in snow and slush. I'm driving super slow and head to the gas station across the street. At one point I press the brakes and they lock. Freaking out begins.

4:30pm: I wonder if the snow has made me super sensitive and maybe it was a one time deal and that the brakes are adjusting. I decide to get gas regardless and take it easy.

4:45pm: Find out the gas station's satellite has gone out and it is cash only. After sludging my way to the register it's a Christmas miracle that I have ten dollars on me in this electronic day and age. I snap more pictures for those who don't believe that I am truly trapped in a Thomas Kinkade painting.
4:46pm: Try to leave the parking lot and press the brakes. They lock and I slide. I commence with more freaking out and decide to park at Best Buy and go in to get warm, and possibly buy a DVD. Ya never know.

5pm: Call the boyfriend and act scared and helpless so that he'll come pick me up. It works and I wait, secretly hoping my car might be busted and I won't have to go to work tomorrow.

6pm: Boyfriend arrives and plays around with my car, seeming to have more fun skidding around a snowy parking lot with limited brakes that I would. I don't understand men. He can't figure out what's wrong but says he'll be able to drive it home in the slow lane and I'll follow in his car. I'm worried, but take some pictures to calm me down.
7pm: We arrive home after driving through three sections of greater Las Vegas. Each one has different inclement weather. South-blizzard, West/Downtown-rainstorm, North-snowstorm... My back is in knots, but I'm home and relieved. Our neighborhood looks like we should have horse-drawn sleighs and snowball wars, rather than cars and errant teenagers. I take a couple pics of our front and back yard (which reminds me of some lost land).
That was the bulk of my day. Henderson (where I work) received 8" of snow and the rest received 2". They declared a snow day for schools the following day and I took more pictures in the morning, but here is the Luxor. Who ever thought we'd see the pyramids covered in snow? I know I probably sound like I'm overreacting, especially considering many of my friends live back East and laugh at me for freaking out, but hey, this is Vegas, the last time we got this much snow was in 1974!
I'll post the day after pictures tomorrow.

Anyway, I'm off to recoup. I think the weather made me sick. Ugh.

Quote of the Day: A writer and nothing else: a man alone in a room with the English language, trying to get human feelings right. ~John K. Hutchens, New York Herald Tribune, 10 September 1961

the wrap up

Christmas isn't quite here yet, but on the horizon of a new year I thought I would get a head start on wrapping up 2008.

October - finished the first draft of my FIRST (yes, I said FIRST) novel and did a dance of joy, survived layoffs at the casino I work for, had my boyfriend's ex wife and daughter move in with us, had dinner with an ex-boyfriend who told me I was one of the smartest women he ever went out with (you know it!), spent Halloween preparing for NaNoWriMo.

November - began writing my SECOND novel for NaNoWriMo, continued to write like fiend, went to visit my family in Southern CA for Thanksgiving (got fat), survived more layoffs at the casino I work for, finished my SECOND novel for NaNoWriMo with 8,000 words on the last day.

December - went back to revising my FIRST novel and getting prepared for Christmas.

I won't be going home for Christmas Eve or Day, but we'll be heading to Southern CA the weekend after.

Let me take a minute though to talk about my experience with NaNoWriMo. I didn't think I'd be able to do it. I mean, it took me over three months to write just over 80,000 on the first novel, but then I didn't really give myself a deadline and I knew I would take my sweet time. I've finally decided to call myself a writer and you know what? We procrastinate. It's inevitable. Armed with that information, NaNoWriMo got me to understand that giving yourself an end all deadline would kick that procrastination in the butt, at least for a few days. It also showed that if need be, I can write 8000 words in a day. I don't recommend that and it's not fun by any means, but it's doable. My comfort zone seemed to be 1000 to 2000 a day. But what helped was the support from others in the same boat. Fellow Nanoers, Maura, Shae, and Noreen, helped push me onward. Being able to see what they were doing gave me the necessary shove to get my words up and if any of them were behind, I made sure to let them know they were doing great and to keep it up. I was proud of them all and I was so happy we all could make it there together.

I can now say I have officially written TWO novels in the year of 2008. My biggest accomplishment yet. OK, maybe second to my four year degree in History, but damn close.

I'll save my New Years Resolutions for a later post, but you'll be sure to find more writing on the top of it.

Quote of the Day: To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it's about, but the inner music the words make. ~Truman Capote, McCall's, November 1967

can I sleep now?

I've pillaged. I've plundered. And I'm done.

I'm not sure how. I think I've lost feeling in my left pinky finger and rubbed the "n" permanently off my keyboard. But I've finished with a grand total of 50406 words.

I'm dead tired and I have to work tomorrow. Can I sleep now?

Quote of the Day: Writing, I think, is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences everything twice. Once in reality and once in that mirror which waits always before or behind. ~Catherine Drinker Bowen, Atlantic, December 1957

knee deep in NANOness

I apologize to the three, possible four people that follow my blog. The end of October and the beginning of November have been massive months for everything, including a conglomeration of projects.

Halloween marked a scary day. I began the initial read through of the first draft of my novel. It was tough to let it sit for about a month without looking at it and changing bits and pieces. I thought about my story a lot though, and kept an "After Notes" document open for things that popped into my head that I wanted to add, take away, or research. After I finished my NANO words for the day on 10/31 (because I knew Nov. 1 I would be working all day for EOM) I printed out my newly formatted manuscript, all 390 pages of it, and snapped open a fresh red pen. And so it began.. I'm only about 60 pages into it and let's just say there is probably more red on the page than black. Needless to say, I made copious notes, and lines and comments and questions and stars and underlines. It's actually kind of fun. I feel like a teacher, giving the student tons of feedback. It's overwhelming to know what I will come back to once the first read-through is complete, but I'm just trying to take it one step at a time.

I bought two books, From First Draft to Finished Novel, by Karen Wiesner, a sequel to her first book, First Draft in 30 Days, and Revision & Self-Editing by James Scott Bell. Karen's books are wonderful. I even have a novel outlined with her program, ready to be written, but I held off on that one because it's a time-travel and I wanted to begin with a more contemporary romantic suspense for my debut. See, I've got this all planned out! ;-P Anyway, I know Karen, with her more anal style and organization techniques, will get me to a final product. And Mr. Bell, I loved his book on Plot & Structure, so I could only assume anything he did for the Write Great Fiction series would be top notch.

Other than that, I'm about 11,000 words into my NANOWRIMO project. For those of you who've never heard of such a thing, it's National Novel Writing Month. Which happens to be November. Chris Baty began this thing a while back in San Francisco, where people get together and write like crazy to say they have written a 50,000 word novel. I'm sure there's a lot more to it. You can check it out a the website and maybe participate next year! I had heard of it before, but it seems to be gaining more and more popularity. I say power to everyone who is willing to try! And for those who succeed, you are one step ahead of many people who call themselves writers! Keep it going!

I'm working on my mechanic/financial analyst category romance and it's coming along nicely. I already had the plot set to go, but NANO really helps get your characters and creative license moving. It'll be tough in a couple weeks when Thanksgiving comes around and then EOM AGAIN for me. But I'm gonna try my darndest to make that 50,000 mark. Shae is already calling for a write-a-thon. I'm always game.

So let's do this!

Quote of the Day: A critic can only review the book he has read, not the one which the writer wrote. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

two mormons walk into a bar....

I wanted to applaud my friend Shae for a fine performance last Saturday night at the Looney Bin. Shae completely held her own wedged between the funny, yet geriatric host and the ever so eloquent headliner, Bill Tucker.

The crowd may have been sparse, but they were quite the handful. I guess 10 o'clock shows in Summerlin bring out the meager drunks. From the old cackling New Yorker, who I swore could have been my boyfriend's mom, to the young African American guy convinced he was a victim of racial profiling, the night was anything but dull.

The hecklers seemed to give Shae a break during her set (Thank God!) Though it would have been fun to see Shae give it back to them.

All in all even without my whiskey sour with a beer chaser the night would have been a success. Each comedian had some great material and a positive presence. Shae was hip, witty, and funny. What more could you ask for?

.....and one asks the bartender, "Where's my wife?" And the bartender says, "Which one?"

Quote of the Day: 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

disappointment reigns at the p.o.

It is my firm belief that the Post Office is where the dregs of society gather to discuss their plan to annoy the world....and all while talking on their bluetooth headsets.

I had to make a trip to the Post Office the other day to pick up the new mailbox keys and I remembered why I do all I can to avoid the place entirely. And it's not because of the people that work at the Post Office, though I've heard those horror stories, it's the people that I am fortunate enough to wait in line with while there:

The chatty housewife - who has to tell me and everyone else everything that is going on with their five children (who happen to be running around the place causing mayhem), their best friend's cheating husband, and their mother who is recuperating from a broken hip. And no, she's not talking directly to me or anyone in the room; she's talking to whoever on her bluetooth headset, looking like an absolute lunatic, because she's just sooo busy that this conversation couldn't wait the five minutes she has to stand in line. Oh, and did I mention, that she couldn't possibly stop her conversation even while the mail clerk was helping her mail a letter. Is it me, or is there nothing more rude than talking to someone on the cell phone and ignoring the person right in front of you, there to do a service for you? Are people that inconsiderate and self-absorbed that they can't stop for two minutes and give ONE person their undivided attention?

The go go go business man - who grumbles and sighs over every person that takes more than ten seconds to be helped or asks a question of the mail clerk, pushing his wait time out a whole extra five seconds. Oh and he's on his bluetooth, too, yelling expletives to the other person on the line, who hasn't sold his stock in time, or isn't giving him the price he wants on one-of-a-kind glass blown figurine. He's mega important and he wants everyone else to know.

The elderly woman - who complains about the price of a stamp, or a mailing box, telling everyone how much it was when she was our age and how the quality of services and items has diminished to a mere nothing. She usually takes about a half an hour to get a letter to her grandson mailed, while the grandson probably won't even read the letter, shaking the envelope out to see if she sent any money. Oh and she's not on a bluetooth, only because she refuses to try any of the new fangled technology available to make peoples' lives easier. She's important and she wants everyone else to know, but at least she tells you directly to your face.

The oblivious twenty-something guy - who's wearing his "Fuck You You Fucking Fuck" t-shirt in a public place, that's not a biker bar or Mardi Gra. He's wearing his bluetooth headset, but no one's calling him, but soon. He's passing the time in line listening to EVERY ring tone on his cell phone at full volume, including rap songs with explicit lyrics almost as bad, but more descriptive than the ones on his t-shirt. He's got a tatoo on his neck that says "Mom" and I wonder how proud she really is of him and his uncaring attitude.

Anyway, these are the dregs...I'm sure there are many more I'm forgetting, but none of these are made up, though I wish they were.

I'm hoping I'm not alone in the thinking that some people need a class in self-awareness or an attitude adjustment. I think we all should be required to take at least a refresher course once a year. Cell phone and bluetooth headsets prohibited.

Quote of the Day: I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork. ~Peter De Vries

moving blues

My boyfriend bought a home in Northern Las Vegas and we just moved in last weekend. Personally, I don't own tons of stuff - mostly books and lots of them (much to the chagrin of my boyfriend, his brother, and friends who had to carry bin after bin of them). But, be damned if we filled a whole 24 foot truck and still had to make a couple trips in our cars to get the remaining junk.

It's been a trying week to say the least. We have two cats and the trip in the car was hellacious. Then when we arrived, everyone and their mothers, AND their mass of screaming kids came over. The house was in shambles and my kitten was traumatized. I may have been a little traumatized, too. The rest of the week we spent unpacking. I had end of month woes at work and was dead tired, so unpacking was not exactly what I wanted to do when I came home. And since we hadn't gone shopping yet, we had nothing to eat in the house. If I have to eat another taco from Taco Bell, I may expire.

Oh and did I forget to mention my parents are in town and want to come over. No pressure or anything! They are coming by tomorrow, so today was spent cleaning and continuing to unpack. At least the fridge is finally full and there's beer. That makes me happy.

We had some artists come by before we moved in and draw these lovely pictures on the window. This one probably looks just like a grimey window but I tried to get up closer.

Look real close. It's hard to tell. Follow the black outline.

Yep. It's a big humongous dick. And it's really not drawn very well or to any flattering scale.

How ironic, that whoever drew this was trying to deter people from buying this house (if it was the original owners because it was happened to be a forclosed property). If it was done by random vandals, they must have hoped they would offend someone.

Offend me? A romance novelist. One who tends towards the more erotic in her love scenes. Nice try! I believe I convinced my boyfriend to keep it around longer than I should have. But I found it comical and oddly comforting. :-) When we finally went to clean it off, it was disappointing to know that it was done in dry erase marker. Pitiful!

Anyway, I have to get back to making this place look presentable. And of course, in a week and a half we get our new roommates. Sigh.

Where's that beer??!

Quote of the Day: If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster. ~Isaac Asimov

i'm done!

I've finished the first draft of my novel! I'm about ready to scream! I might scare the new neighbors though, so I'll just use a profuse amount of exclamation points. That's how real writers scream.

I wrote the words THE END last night, 10/02/08, at 11:36pm. My final word count came in at 88,101. I was initially hoping for 100,000 words, but this is just how the plot flowed. I'm sure, with revisions and additional scenes that will be added, I'll be closer to that number.

So now that I've completed the first BIG step, I feel good. But to tell you the truth, I'm feeling a little awkward. I'm all out of whack! I had to remind myself when I came home from work today that I don't need to open up my first draft and write. My hands automatically guided the cursor to that file, ready to click and begin. It's strange.

I guess I'm still in a state of disbelief. I'm anxious to move forward, now that it's done, but I know I have to sit on it for a while before I jump in to revisions. This is harder than I thought it would be. Now, I see what you meant, Maura!

I'm early on finishing this draft according to my goal sheet, but I am behind on the category romance I should be writing. This helps that "need to write" habit. And blogging does, too. I want to get back to more blogs, but with everything that's been going on this last week, I've been beat. I'll begin that saga in my next blog.

Oh and maybe I can get some reading done! If anything, I'm sure I'll sleep well tonight :-)

grand total: 88101 AND COMPLETE!

Quote of the Day: I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. ~James Michener

jerry springer here I come!

Isn't it funny how just when your life begins to get into a nice groove, something comes along and throws it right off track? Actually, it's only funny if you have the ability to stand back and look at it from behind. For those knee deep in it, it's a whole different story.

Here's the deal. My boyfriend's ex-wife and daughter are moving in with us. Yes, they will be living in our small two bedroom home. This situation may have worked on TV shows like Friends, but for me it just screams Jerry Springer. Granted, we all still have our teeth, none of us are strippers, and my boyfriend's daughter (who's 12) isn't pregnant, but who knows what could happen in the three months we gave his ex to stay here. My boyfriend is extremely generous at times, and in this case, he is a saint. But mostly, he's concerned about his daughter living in a dangerous environment back in CA with his ex and her pyschotic mother, so I understand his decision.

And I'm proud of myself. Because the first thing that came to mind when I was informed of this was not "Holy Crap, this is absolute insanity and I'm going to kill myself," but "Where will I write?" I'm used to coming home after work to an empty, quiet house with three hours to rest, relax, and write like a fiend. A recent RWA Chapter meeting at a local library got me thinkin' if there is one thing I've come to admire about Las Vegas it's the fantastic library system. There are at least ten libraries here that are amazing. After some research, I was able to locate one right on my route home from work. So, I know where I'll be with my laptop when the work day is over. I think it will be good for, too. Sure, there will be tons of books to distract me, but at least I won't be lured by TV, food, or heaven forbid....chores.

Anyway, I'm kinda looking forward to this new writing environment. And I'm glad I immediately looked for ways to get around this curve-ball that life threw at me in order to keep writing. It's proof that I'm committed and that I'm not letting go of my dreams no matter how many twists and turns life chooses to send me on.

I'm holding on tight, baby!

grand total: 80007

Quote of the Day: When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. But if you have not a pen, I suppose you must scratch any way you can. ~Samuel Lover, Handy Andy, 1842

layin' down some phat words

For those of you who are my Facebook buddies, this title will resonate, for those of you who aren't, I've been writing like a fiend for the last two weeks, trying to keep up with my goal of 30,000 words by the end of September. This goal is for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Unleash Your Story project from my last post. Also, I've been plotting a category romance that I relayed to you all in an earlier post as well (the one with the sexy mechanic). I've been keeping busy to say the least.

So far, I'm keepin' it real with 72243 words (my total words for my main wip), just shy of the mark I should be by this Monday. I'm proud of that and of the fact that I'm rounding the corner to the last stretch of my first draft. I mean, this is where it gets exciting, because I know exactly what is going to happen and what I need to do and write to make it to the end.

I've definitely had some help along the way, thanks to the support of Maura and Shae, and some great workshops and books. Most recently, I'm in the midst of another KOD (Kiss of Death) chapter class on plotting a romantic suspense with Tracy Montoya. It's been great, and Tracy is awesome.

Plus, one of the books on my current reading list is Page After Page by Heather Sellers. Heather is wonderful with motivation and has really helped me whenever I'm just not in the mood to write. She's witty, unique and refreshingly down to earth for an English professor. Some of my favorite chapters are titled: Sleeping With Books; Butt in Chair; Blank and Cranky; and the best one of them all - Dare to Suck. I can't wait to finish this novel and begin Chapter After Chapter, her second book in this series.

And what better way to end this than with some humor. What kind of romance novelists are we if we can't make fun of ourselves and what we write about. PLEASE, check out this link and click on "Who's Sebastian" on the left of the site it takes you to laugh out loud at the Airborne commercial. You won't regret it!

grand total: 72243

Quote of the Day: A prose writer gets tired of writing prose, and wants to be a poet. So he begins every line with a capital letter, and keeps on writing prose. ~Samuel McChord Crothers, "Every Man's Natural Desire to Be Somebody Else," The Dame School of Experience, 1920

unleash your story

For all you writers out there who need a little more motivation to get your word goals in, I suggest participating in Unleash Your Story for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For the month of September you set a word count goal (or book goal, if you'd just like to read) and if possible, put down some money for a good cause. There are also prizes, like critiques from agents and editors! So not only are you getting your story written, you've got incentive once you reach your goal! I see it as a win win situation here.

Debbie Macomber is the pace-setter at 30K words for the month and I'm going to join her in that goal. It's starts tomorrow, so click on the link and register right away. You can join a team or do it individually. I'm going solo on this one, but I hope some of you decide to write right along with me! If you don't want to register, donate to my cause through the same link below. Every little bit helps!




Support my efforts!

grand total: 61244

Quote of the Day: A writer is someone who can make a riddle out of an answer. ~Karl Kraus

we have a winner

May I have the envelope please?..And the winner is ::::drumroll:::::

John Corbett (insert conglomeration of sighs and shivers)

If you recall from my last post when I revealed my idea for a CR with a down on her luck finance exec and her childhood friend turned sexy mechanic, I hoped to find a more accurate depiction of my hero.

Not saying that the man below, in all his grease laden nakedness, isn't the stuff dreams are made of, male or female dreams that is, but he wasn't exactly what I picture in my head.

John Corbett is.

Prompted by catching John on My Big Fat Greek Wedding the other night, my hero materialized before my eyes. Mr. Corbett appears down to earth, rugged and easy-going with the ability to clean up, throw on a suit or tux, and still ooze sexiness.

He's cute, with a hint of mischievousness in his eyes and smile. He's not overly (or underly) built, and well, I'm a sucker for a guy with longer, shaggy locks.

So enjoy these images. And know he's the one I have in mind as I write my next novel.

grand total: 59089

Quote of the Day: Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. ~Author Unknown

back in business

Turning 31 wasn't nearly as bad as 30, but aging still sucks in my book. So I took this week to re-group and re-energize; get myself prepped and ready to head back out into the world and "git r done."

I took a free online workshop entitled "How to Write 50 Books in a Year." I know it sounds absolutely insane and a little unbelievable, but its not really the number that's important here, it's how you go about it. What these two sisters, Elle James and Delilah Devlin, (both romance novelists), teach is mostly organization, time management, and motivation. And really, everyone needs some of that, while I need a lot of it. And not just once. I need to kick myself into gear at least four times a year, with mini-kicks in between. One of the big lessons taught was to make clear and detailed goals for yourself, starting huge and funneling down into specifics. That's what I did.

My main goal is to have 10 books written by the end of 2009, five single-title novels of roughly 100,000 words each, and five category romance novels of roughly 50,000 words each. I'm sure it sounds like a massive goal, but it's doable. I planned it all out, even giving myself some leeway in between. And the trick is, even if I only get 9 books by the end of 2009. That's still 9 more than I have now!

For my current novel, I'm back to the 1000 words a day goal until I reach 100,000 words. And I began the planning stages for my first category romance as well. I've already began fleshing out the characters with Holly Lisle's Create a Character Clinic. She's absolutely amazing. Check her out through the link on my Favorite Shops link on the right. I bought her Clinic bundle which includes, Create a Language, Create a Character, Create a Culture, and Create a Plot. They really are detailed and inexpensive for all you get.

Do you remember I mentioned that when I went home last weekend, I had an idea for a new novel? Well, I decided to formulate this idea as a category romance that I'd like to push toward the Harlequin Blaze line (though I've heard rumors that Blaze may be on the chopping block soon). Blaze is basically contemporary with more steamy love scenes than a typical category.

The gist of my CR (category romance) pertains to a woman who has it all; a successful career in finance; a wealthy and respected fiance; a beautiful home; and a busy social calendar. That is until she turns down a scandalous proposition from a sought after investor, and is promptly fired. Her fiance is mortified by the news of her unemployment and dumps her, leaving her without a place to live, or any real friends. Blacklisted by her former company, she has no choice but to go back to her home town and stay with her parents until she can figure out what she wants to do. But going home means she's thrust back into the neighborhood where everyone knows your name...and your business. And then there's the boy next door, who's all grown up and more man than she ever hoped to handle. Soon, she begins to wonder why she ever left at all.

Whatcha think? The picture is the best I could find of a sexy mechanic, which is the profession of my hero, but he doesn't really resemble the dude in the picture at all. If any of my readers can find a nice hot mechanic pic, I'd be grateful.

Have a wonderful weekend and catch you next time.

grand total: 56029

Quote of the Day: The story I am writing exists, written in absolutely perfect fashion, some place, in the air. All I must do is find it, and copy it. ~Jules Renard, "Diary," February 1895

home coming

I spent this last weekend in California; attending a 50th birthday party for one of my cousins. Since it was held at my parents' place and my birthday is - ack - in a day, they did a lot of celebrating for all involved.

Now this is my Dad's side of the family - definitely the more crazy of the two sides. Which is why I like them so much. Even though they all claim I'm not related to them because I'm tall and thin - while they are short and stocky - they still have the ability to remind me why family rocks.

1) They can drink like fishes, or at least they used to. Being of Scottish decent, we have no choice but to drink. But unfortunately, they ended up letting the drinking get the better of them and now more than half are in AA. Sigh.

2) They are natural comedians. This is where I get the bulk of my sense of humor. I've never met such a group of wise guys and smart asses in my life. And I've hung out backstage at comedy clubs!

3) They are mostly liberal and opinionated. I'm used to hearing the conservative side from the curmudgeons at work that blast Fox news and talk about their church functions. It's refreshing to hear educated people talk smack about the right-wingers.

4) They like to eat. A lot.

5) Half are homosexual. I can live any of my burgeoning alternative lifestyles vicariously through them if need be.

6) They're huggers. There is just something to be said about people who gotta hug. It's warm. It's cuddly. It's nice.

I had a great time seeing them all and I hope we can get together again soon. I even got an idea for a story out of it, but I'll save that for next time.

grand total: 55080

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

muse online writers conference and more....

Meandering through my list of online groups I came across something I thought I'd share with all the writers out there.

The Muse Online Writers Conference will be the one of the first of its kind: an online conference for writers that is absolutely free! I want to say upfront that I have no affiliation with this conference, I just stumbled upon it and thought it was a wonderful idea, especially for writers who cannot attend the rather expensive and distant conferences around the U.S.

Beginning October 13 and running through October 19, participants will have access to a whole slew of workshops, lectures and information, from a ton of presenters. The presenters range from authors of all genres, to specialists, motivational speakers and people from the publishing industry. Even Las Vegas' own Lynn Crain, member of our local RWA Chapter, Cactus Rose, is presenting. Her lectures on erotic romance are loads of fun and helpful.

I recommend registering for this conference, even if there is just ONE piece of information you get from it. I mean, it's free. I wandered through their site and was really impressed with everything they have there. Registration ends September 1, so get moving to the link provided.

With that said, I also wanted to give you a glimpse of a dream I had that turned into a novel idea. I was watching Fear Itself the other day (kind of a neat show, a combination of Amazing Stories & Twilight Zone, with a little Stephen King thrown in), and the protagonist was a young dark haired guy that looked somewhat familiar. He had a very Christopher Reeves-esque look. Then I thought, "Hey maybe he played Superman in one of the series?" Come to find out he played Superman in Superman Returns.

That night I had a dream about Superman, aka Brandon Routh. The details of the dream were sketchy, but let me just say, it was a romance novella in itself. Heh Heh... Upon waking, I began tweaking the dream into a workable idea for a novel.

What if a young man meets the woman of his dreams, sharing an amazing, fun-filled evening with her and finds out the next day that she died three days prior?

I'm sure something similar has been done before, but I am anything if not unique when it comes to twisting the norm. That's a different story for a different time. It's early enough that I can do some writing on my wip today.

grand total: 51587

Quote of the Day: A metaphor is like a simile. ~Author Unknown

an evening with suzanne enoch and teresa medeiros

Yestereve, I had the pleasure of listening to two remarkable and amazingly down to earth writers share some advice and insight about the maddening world of authorship. The small, intimate event took place at the Clark County Library…a rather huge place closer to the East side of Vegas, an area I rarely venture out to. Just so you all know, locals hardly ever cross the Strip…except when you have out of town guests. Suzanne and Teresa have written loads of books, including historical, contemporary, paranormal and one western thrown in. I’d actually never read anything by either of them until fellow writer and blogger, Shae, invited me to the event a few weeks prior. I immediately picked up Suzanne Enoch’s After the Kiss and took it on vacation with me. So far it’s great. It’s a historical done in the Regency period and very well written; tons of detail and fun dialogue. I’m almost finished with it as we speak. I wanted to get Teresa Medeiros' most current novel, Some Like It Wicked, but it wasn’t coming out until July 29, so I just waited to purchase it at the event. I can’t wait to get started on that one, too.

These ladies were extremely polite and funny to boot. They began with their reasons for becoming writers and staying writers, then progressed into chit chat about their traveling adventures, most notably their time in Las Vegas. The floor was then opened for questions from the fans. They were gracious enough to answer everything we could think of, from their research and writing habits, to the specifics of certain books. It was an interesting, informational and enjoyable night. We were all invited to chat one on one with each author and get our books signed. I’m proud to say my books are now signed and that much more special!

It gives me support in my own writing to hear these women talk openly about their writing experiences, especially when they jokingly offered their rough drafts for perusal to make us feel better about ours. That makes me feel good. It gives me hope, that even seasoned writers rough drafts are, as Nora Roberts so eloquently put it, basically vomit on paper. I want to thank Suzanne Enoch and Theresa Medeiros for sharing their time with us and Clark County Library for putting them on their schedule.

And a special thanks to Shae for the invite!

grand total: 50653

Quote of the Day: Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space. ~Orson Scott Card

rhodey for a week

I’d like to say I’m glad to be back in the city of desert and debauchery….but I can’t. If you’ve been a loyal follower of my blog you might have noticed my absence, if not, I’ve been away….frolicking in a far, foreign land..called Rhode Island. My best friend, Ariana, moved there a while ago (maybe 7 years?) to go to law school at Roger Williams. Not only is it a great school, but she got a scholarship. You simply cannot refuse free money for education.

So I spent roughly 7 days enjoying a couple of the finest parts of the East coast. Ariana lives in Newport, RI, an island of lush greenery and beautiful harbors. She's an attorney for the state's legal services devision and can literally walk to work. If she has a case, she hops next door to the court. Isn't that amazing!? As a guest there in mid-summer, I was part of a larger crowd of tourists who flock from all over to enjoy the warmth and sunshine amidst the salty ocean air. Of course, my first couple of days there it rained cats and dogs, but I didn't mind. Living in a desert, I hadn't felt rain in ages.

Ariana and I packed in a hell of a lot of stuff in my seven days, despite her working in the mornings. Most of my days began waking up late, getting dressed and sauntering along the main street, Thames. Here were a throng of shops selling everything from souvenirs to ship parts. Admiring the colonial architecture and the homey feel of the beach town, I'd eventually hit the corner Starbucks for a soy latte before I'd meet Ariana at her office in Washington Square. How quaint.

Then we'd plan our day depending on the weather. We were able to drive through along the ostentatious Ocean Drive, breath in the sea air along Cliff Walk, tour two historic and magnificent mansions along Bellevue, visit the informational Newport Historical Museum, explore Rose Island and its cute lighthouse, go boating with friends at dusk in the harbor, take a road trip to Cape Cod's city of glass, Sandwich, watch the fireworks at Mashpee, ponder at Edward Gorey's house, and tromp around General Nathaniel Greene's homestead in Coventry. Are you tired yet?

It was beyond fun and I realized how much I missed my best friend! I love the area and am seriously thinking of moving there next year. I could live there for a year and then go for my Master's Degree in History at the University of Rhode Island. Then, I could study for a couple months at a time in England, since my concentration would be Regency England.

Anyway, that's one dream. The other is finishing my novel ASAP! I'm getting there and plan to kick it into gear this month. I'm officially aging this month and I hate it. Finishing my novel would be a great birthday gift to myself. It's back to business as usual.

I also started an online class this month through the KOD, RWA's suspense/thriller chapter that I joined. The class is taught by Angela Knight (a great writer) and is how to put the heat into your romantic suspense. It's a subject I'd like to know more about and I think Angela is just the person to help me out.

Still to come this month is the continuation of my gothic reviews and some reviews on romance websites.

Yay! It's great to be back blogging!

grand total: 50653

Quote of the Day: Ink and paper are sometimes passionate lovers, oftentimes brother and sister, and occasionally mortal enemies. ~Emme Woodhull-Bäche

call of the wild

There's nothing like three days of camping to make one appreciate the finer things in life -mainly refrigerators, air conditioning, hot showers, and flushing toilets.

We made it back from Mt. Charleston a couple hours ago and it feels good. Two nights roughing it in the wilderness, with tents, five kids, and tons of junk food may sound like a dream, but it can get rather exhausting. ;-)

I enjoy camping more than the typical OC grown Cali girl and not only to prevent me from taking certain things like the ones mentioned above for granted, but because I really do like nature. It's humbling. It's beautiful. And it's simple...in a mysteriously complex way. It has the ability to clear my mind and fill it with wonder in one awe-inspiring moment. And it's more real than anything else in the universe.

So as a salute to camping, I've written a list inspired by this most recent experience.

TEN THINGS I LEARNED WHILE CAMPING

1) Bug spray is a scam.

2) Hamburgers and hot dogs are best charred to a crisp.

3) Just because there are flushing toilets, doesn't mean they will.

4) If you want kids to learn to respect and love nature, leave the video games and TV at home.

5) Showers are for sissies.

6) Rain is only bad when your tent has a leak or you have to go to the bathroom.

7) Firewood at a campground works like cigarettes at prison.

8) Smores are worth every negative moment.

9) Cell phones are useless.

10) Reading a book is 10 times better lounging at the top of a sunny, green mountain.

On that note, I finished MacKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard yesterday. I heard from the die-hard romance afficionados over at RomanticTimes.com that Wolf MacKenzie had won for readers' favorite hero. I had to check it out anyway because Wolf is half Celt and half Comanche; a half-breed similar to the hero in my WIP. It was a great story, a quick read, and very well done. I highly recommend it. It also heavily inspired me to keep moving forward with my current novel. If readers loved Wolf, wait until they get a load of my guy..He he....

grand total: 50160

Quote of the Day: Easy reading is damn hard writing. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

long weekend

It's been a long and tiring weekend filled with fireworks, charred burgers, and swimming pool incidents. I'm both sad and happy to see it end. We've got the boyfriend's 12 year old here who always seems to be bored. I can't remember the last time I was bored. It must be nice.

I tried to get past 50000 on my word count, but I fell a couple hundred short. It just wasn't going to happen tonight. I'm betting on tomorrow though, when I've got a fresher outlook and more sleep.

I came across this video the other day and it made me laugh. The guy who programs the pizza band has done at least five other songs too. These mechanical characters usually frightened me as a kid, but now they only frighten me a little.



grand total: 49671

Quote of the Day: Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov

i'm in love

For those of you who know me.....you're saying.....in love? What's new?

So when I fall...I fall hard. Sue me. :::sticks tongue out:::

I just finished Stephenie Meyer's Twilight... :::sigh, batting eyelashes up at some unseen shining star:::

Twilight is what all young adult romance should be; sigh inspiring, sweet, fun, humorous, smart, and well-written.

And Stephenie Meyer goes one step further by revolving the story around a stud-muffin vampire!

I had heard all the hype about this novel and still tried to go into it unbiased. Soooo many people raved about it; but I didn't know any of them from Adam, so I told myself not to expect much. I figured I couldn't lose, since the story had gothic elements and vamp love. I actually worried that since it was a young adult novel, it would be more urban fantasy than romance. Oh boy was I wrong.

I gave it a try and finished this 500 page masterpiece in three days! It's no Harry Potter...my former lover, but it's a different genre in my mind. All romance....

It's the story of Bella Swan, a teenager, who in order to give her mother the chance to be happy with her traveling ball player boyfriend decides to go live with her father in a small town in northern Washington. Bella is instantly the talk of the small close-knit town. She makes a few friends, but is curious about the group of pale, model-esque kids that sit together in the cafeteria.

From there she meets Edward Cullens, the youngest and sexiest of the group, and her life will never be the same.

I don't want to give away any more because I'm mean that way :-) Read it. There are three more novels in the series and I plan to get through them. I wanted to get this one read because the movie comes out in December and honestly, if I see the movie first, I hardly ever get into the book.

Twilight is filled with romance, suspense, vampires, action, emotion, humor, and romance...Oh wait, I already said that. Growing up I had fantasies similar to the premise of Twilight and I think many teen girls did, too. Ok, maybe just the geeky ones. Still, give it a try and tell me what you think!

grand total: 48153

Quote of the Day: The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible. ~Vladimir Nabakov

the gothic novel part tres

Continuing with my quest to find deliciously decadent gothic novels, I came across an author who began writing contemporary romances in the early 80s and transitioned into gothic romances in the late 80s and 90s.

Beverly C. Warren wrote around the same time as Anne Knoll - my last gothic author reviewed. Both of them shared success in a rather obscure genre. Of Beverly's eight gothics, I've read one and own three. My review will be on Lost Ladies of the Windswept Moor, the cover of which is not to your left considering I couldn't find an image.

LLWM is a novel about a very young restorer of old paintings, Janet Clarke. Desperate for employment after the death of her famous painting restorer father, she secures a position at Cheviot Chase (insert Funny Farm reference here), home of Lord John Rathbone. Of course Janet neglected to inform Lord Rathbone of the fact that she was a woman until she arrives, a popular plot device I've seen in gothics before. I guess you had to do what you had to do as a woman back then.

Cheviot Chase (insert Caddy Shack reference here) is dark and dreary with depressed and bitter servants. But wait there's more!... Rathbone's first wife committed suicide and the second, a raving madwoman, went missing after burning down the East Si-eede of the manor. Then we have the usual mouchers living off Rathbone; a gout-ridden peer and his greed-driven ditz of a daughter, who, what do ya know, has her sights set on Rathbone, and a charming, yet devious gentleman with a fancy for Janet.

The drama and action are ripe, while the sex scale reads about a 7, with passionate kisses and long, drawn out tension that makes yours truly scream with frustration. But I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. Janet is smart, strong, and has a knack for disobeying Lord Rathbone's rules - qualities I find endearing at this time in history. The mystery thread had me stumped, always a good thing. I hate guessing the culprit too early on. The plot had a nice flow, with enough twists to keep it exciting.

My only qualms would be the extent of Janet's intelligence at a meager 19 years of age. She could rival women in their 3os today! Also, the dialogue and romantic scenes tended toward cheesy, for lack of a better word, but sometimes the build-up for those scenes overpowers those moments of mush.

As far as Beverly's other novels. I could only find one site - http://www.thepaperbackstash.com/search?q=beverly+c+warren -
that reviewed more than one of her novels in depth. Feel free to check them out at your leisure.
According to the review, LLWM is tame compared to those two. More death, debauchery and darkness, complete with rape and other cruelties fills the remainder. As long as they end happily, I'm game.

I'm eager to read Beverly's seven other novels based on LLWM. She knows what lies at the heart of gothic romance and exploits it with expertise.

The next gothic review will focus on Karen White's, Whispers of Goodbye. Until then...keep those roots dyed black ;-)

grand total: 48021

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

goodbye, my lover

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!! Can you hear the chorus sing?!

:::warning, spoilers within:::

It took me a while, ok, one year to be exact, and honestly, I don't know how I avoided hearing what happens throughout the book since my best friend finished wayyyy before me and heck, everyone finished it wayyyyy before me...But I did it! I completed the entire Harry Potter series - ending with the final chapter, this afternoon, 12:25 pm.

And guess what? I'm a wreck.

I have a theory (do I say that often?) that I languished over the final book, spreading it out as long as possible, because I knew it would be painful to see HP come to an end. I sensed this empty feeling would come, filling my soul with a resounding heap of rigid, cold, nothingness.

J.K. Rowling published the first novel in 1997 and I believe I was hooked about a year or two later, making HP part of my life for roughly ten years, like a behind the scenes lover - always there when you need him, ready to provide you with the escape and satisfaction you so desire.

We've been through a lot, HP and I; from envying Hermione for her brains and magical abilities, to the excitement of Harry's first kiss with Cho, to the crush I developed for Severus Snape and his dark and mysterious relationship with Dumbledore, Harry and Draco (most of that crush probably came about from Alan Rickman's portrayal of Snape in the movies, but still...). I cried when Dumbledore died. I cried when Harry came to the realization that he had to die to defeat Voldemort and I cried when Dumbledore cried reliving his misguided youth and the death of his sister. But I cried most of all when Harry won and we knew he would live, because that meant the story had come to a close.

HP took me everywhere I wanted to go, through every emotion and every action and reaction. Toward the end I began looking for holes, or discrepancies in the writing, only to find nothing. Rowling is a master and I applaud her for it. She is an absolutely amazing writer.

So it's the end of an era. I thought it would be similar to how I felt when Friends ended, because I grew up with the show. And I know you can't compare film, TV and books, but they are all just stories, done in different media. But HP took me places Friends could never and I think that has something to do with the written word allowing you to use your own imagination, creating the characters within yourself, so much so, that they become part of you. Like Voldemort being part of Harry. It made his ultimate goal of snuffing out Voldemort akin to killing a part of himself...and who really wants to do that? I mean, would who you are change? How complex? How...brilliant? And in a young adult novel.... I'm blown away.

You would think it would depress me when it comes to my own writing, but I've found that it has made me hopeful. Hopeful that I might write something as wonderful as HP in my lifetime. It may be a different story, but even if I capture an ounce of Rowling's ability to breath such life into my characters, I'd be content.

At least there are three more movies to savor. Again, they aren't books....but anything to satisfy my HP fix.

Goodbye, my lover.....

grand total: 47001

Quote of the Day: Don't be too harsh to these poems until they're typed. I always think typescript lends some sort of certainty: at least, if the things are bad then, they appear to be bad with conviction. ~Dylan Thomas, letter to Vernon Watkins, March 1938

quick note

I just wanted to post some totals today, since yes, I have been writing. No, not blogging. And I apologize. I will continue the gothic reviews tomorrow.

I didn't make my goal of 60,000 words by tomorrow's RWA Chapter meeting, but hey, it was a mighty hefty goal.

I'll live and move forward.

grand total: 44207

Quote of the Day: The wastebasket is a writer's best friend. ~Isaac Bashevis Singer

crime scene break

I promise to resume the gothic reviews soon, but I felt the need to interject a post regarding my novel and some helpful tips.

I recall mentioning my lack of knowledge when it comes to police procedure and crime scene investigation in a previous post. This topic is important in my current wip as well as the next two in the series, especially the last novel, which features the Detective from this story as the hero! I bought Lee Lofland's book from Writer's Digest, Police Procedure and Investigation, and it has helped immensely, but as usual, I'm a stickler for detail and I have questions that are incredibly specific.

I peruse the Romantic Times website message boards (www.romantictimes.com) and thought I'd ask if any of the writers new of anything that might help me with specific law enforcement questions. A lovely lady gave me a nice list of websites and message boards to check out.

Here is the list:

This is the yahoo group everyone always recommends: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/crimescenewriter/

Also the ask a cop forum
http://forums.realpolice.net/forumdisplay.php?f=112

Lots of good crime/mystery links here: http://inreferencetomurder.com/index.html

Various other crime related links
http://omi.unm.edu/ExternalOrgs.htm
http://www.firearmsid.com/
http://www.theboxotruth.com/index.htm

All of you who are writers that need this kind of technical help, I suggest you use these links.

I joined the Yahoo group CrimeSceneWriter and I must say I was impressed. I asked a question there are had great responses from a retired crime scene analyst and another writer. Also Lee Lofland posts there frequently. I bookmarked and recommend his blog, The Graveyard Shift (www.leelofland.com/wordpress/). He's entertaining and knowledgeable.

I ventured into the Ask a Cop site and read some posts. They weren't very kind to the writer who asked a question about murder investigation procedure, but maybe that's just one dude. They have a ton of people asking everything from how to deal with a restraining order to the three strikes law. Fascinating stuff.

Seriously, these sites are a perfect for the nerd like me, who needs real answers , fast.

It did throw me off a little in my writing because I need to rewrite a scene that wouldn't happen. But I'm going to move forward and take note of it so I don't ruin any momentum.

Anyway, enjoy the sites. Hope they help.

grand total: 41178

Quote of the Day: The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is you really want to say. ~Mark Twain

the gothic novel part deux

In my last post I mentioned a few authors I’ve come across that have kept the gothic novel alive and well….

After doing an extensive search under Gothic on Amazon, I was amazed at the mass of books I found. Slowly, I narrowed it down, reading descriptions, reviews and Googling authors.

Anne Knoll caught my attention immediately with her most recent novel, The House in Thornton Wood (2002). And the clincher wasn’t the blurb or reviews, but the cover. (Yes, I have been known to take a chance on a book based on its cover. Is it so wrong?) Something about the look of the woman in the cloak, decaying stone castle behind, dark ominous clouds overhead in a deep red purple made me want to jump right in. And I’m glad I did.

HTW is the story of Olivia St. Claire, daughter of a housekeeper who passes on, and leaves her in the typical fashion of the gothic genre - desperate, alone, and penniless. Of course, this isn’t what a young woman desires in a class-driven, money-hungry, man’s world. Ahh, 19^th century England! Yet, unlike most gothic heroines, Olivia is a strong woman and she has a secret past that even she isn’t aware of. To top it off she has a hideous birthmark on the top of her hand that frightens children and the help. This should keep it interesting.

So Olivia takes a position as a governess for an exhaustingly evil little child at the Thornton house. Here we meet the odd, yet dashing Sir Evan Thornton and his crew. Another unexpected delight came with Sir Evan not being the main love interest! Who knew?? Olivia is more enthralled with the country doctor, Dr. Phillip McAllister, who’s a tad more down to earth and sexually charged than the imposing Sir Evan. There is a nice competition between the two men going and constant turmoil within Olivia. On the sex meter, I’d give it a 6, which is pretty high for an old school gothic. There’s nothing too graphic, but much more than chaste kisses. Way to go, Anne!

There are quite a few twists and turns that make the plot enjoyable. Pair that with complex characters and fascinating subplots featuring gypsies and home remedies and you’ve got a decent story on your hands.

Anne’s second to last novel, The Dark Secrets of the Villa Montelano (1993) seems like it could have been written by someone else. Not that it didn’t make the cut, but it is so radically different than HTW in style, character and format. It’s still a gothic, no doubt about that, but wow, what a difference nine years make.

DSVM tells the story of a poor English shop girl, Charlotte Stone, who finds out her dead father’s estranged and recently deceased mother has left her a grand villa in Maryland. She is told all of this by her so-called grandmother’s lawyer, a handsome man, by the name of Forrest. Forrest and Charlotte fall in love on the boat ride to the U.S. and get married all within the first few chapters. They even do the deed! This was slightly disappointing to me because I felt the romantic tension of the book was dead after that. And it kinda was. I mean, Charlotte and Forrest “get together” every so often when they finally settle in the new villa, but it’s ho-hum. Thus, the rest of the book centers around the mystery of the villa, the ghostly visions Charlotte sees and the cast of colorful inhabitants of the villa. Since Charlotte’s grandmother was a famous Italian opera singer she took in many aspiring singers, instructors and lovers….many of which still live there and for whatever reason Charlotte and Forrest don’t kick them all out. Most of them despise her for getting the villa and she’s convinced something more sinister is going on.

The characters are well done, even if they are minor ones, and I was impressed with how well she did with the sheer amount of them. I wasn’t all that into Forrest, who could be a jerk and rather condescending to Charlotte, who always forgave him. She does mistrust him and question him at times, but is so smitten she’d follow him to hell if it came to it. I’m not sure how I feel about that. We get to find out more about Charlotte’s past and get a lesson in Italian opera, which is nice. I enjoy lessons within fiction. It makes me feel like I’ve gotten something extra.

I have Anne’s other two novels, The Stolen Bride of Glengarra Castle (1990) and The Lost Lady of Hathaway Manor (1992) on my reading list. I’m sure she’ll surprise me again, because I honestly can’t find a similar theme besides a well written gothic. It could be worse…

Join me for my next post when I discuss the gothic works of Beverly C. Warren and Karen White.

grand total: 41178

Quote of the Day: I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter. ~James Michener

the gothic novel part I

For those of you who notice the changes on my blog reading list, you’ll see that I read quite often. I also enjoy a variety of genres, though I do go through phases where I tend to read one particular type of story, author, or theme, fast and furiously.

Lately, I’ve been on a gothic kick. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the term “gothic” unless it refers to (as my previous post mentioned)…black hair, vampires, and morbid obsessions with death and tragic romance, I’ll enlighten you.

Actually, I’ll let Wikipedia do a little enlightening for you:

Gothic fiction is an important genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. As a genre, it is generally believed to have been invented by the English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Otranto. The effect of Gothic fiction depends on a pleasing sort of terror, an extension of essentially Romantic literary pleasures that were relatively new at the time of Walpole's novel.

Prominent features of Gothic fiction include terror (both psychological and physical), mystery, the supernatural, ghosts, haunted houses and Gothic architecture, castles, darkness, death, decay, doubles, madness, secrets and hereditary curses.

The stock characters of Gothic fiction include tyrants, villains, bandits, maniacs, Byronic heroes, persecuted maidens, femmes fatales, madwomen, magicians, vampires, werewolves, monsters, demons, revenants, ghosts, perambulating skeletons, the Wandering Jew and the Devil himself.

Important ideas concerning and regarding the Gothic include: Anti-Catholicism, especially criticism of Roman Catholic excesses such as the Inquisition (in southern European countries such as Italy and Spain); romanticism of an ancient Medieval past; melodrama; and parody (including self-parody).

There is just something about a good old fashioned spooky gothic that gets me all hyped up. And I’m sure it’s the sense of danger, deceit and the Byronic hero, a.k.a. the tortured, sexually magnetized, mysterious man of the manor. Now, the original gothics weren’t really true “romances” in the commercial definition at all. I mean, they weren't required to have a happy ending and usually the endings were more tragic, like a combination of a bad horror movie and Romeo and Juliet. But as most things do, the gothic romance evolved with the times.

Enter Ann Radcliffe (late 18th century), the supposed creator of the gothic novel in its now-standard form, which I would even say has evolved from that, but I’ll hold off on that theory. She introduced the brooding villain, which turned into the tortured hero. I think one of the reasons I’m so fascinated by gothics is this fine line between the villain and hero, and eventually this line blurred within the hero alone. He must constantly struggle between the good and bad sides, the good usually (hopefully) winning in the end.

Anne Radcliffe’s books were best sellers, unlike previous gothic novels, though much of high society looked down upon the stories as “sensationalist women’s entertainment.” Sounds kinda familiar to what romance is today to some of the more ignorant types, don’t you think?

Anyway, as the Victorian period came about we had Poe, the Bronte sisters (Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre), Stoker (Dracula), Dickens, Stevenson (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), and Wilde (The Portrait of Dorian Gray). Yes, some of these author’s may not seem to be gothic, but the influence is there more than not.



With the arrival of the 20th century, Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca kept the gothic torch alive and ushered in the “woman in peril” concept that most gothics are associated with today.



In the 1950’s the gothic made a huge comeback in popularity, Victoria Holt leading the pack. Now, Victoria Holt is one of my all time favorite authors. I’d say after the young adult horror/romance novels I began my love of reading with, Victoria Holt was the first gothic author I fell in love with. After reading her first gothic work, Mistress of Mellyn, I cried. Basically for two reasons: 1) The narrator is looking back on her life and telling the story as an old woman. This tactic gives the story a timeless, more grandiose feel, and its makes me feel small and insignificant. Don’t ask me why, it just does. But I do love it, even though I cry :-) 2) Victoria Holt is a master storyteller and I fear that I’ll never be as amazing as she was! HA! She had written over 50 gothics AND more than 100 historical fiction and non-fiction novels. Talk about productive. She’s my hero!



I have a few other authors that do the gothic proud: Anne Knoll, Beverly C. Warren, Eve Silver, Lydia Joyce and Diane Tyrrel. I plan on continuing this post with a short review of what I’ve read of their work so far. So until next time….

grand total: 40015

Quote of the Day: Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very;" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain