Countdown to Release Day, Part 1: Characters Behaving Badly

I’m taking over this blog.

Yeah, that’s right. You heard me.  Jack Norris here, looking to tear down the walls of this Living Dead…wait, what? Man, that’s lame. Living Dead World? It’s like a Rob Zombie rip-off. This is the deal, internet people. The author claims that she’s busy and doesn’t have time to blog. Well, you know what? I call bullshit. Anyone with a couple of brain cells to rub together can type some words in Blogger. I think she’s just fuckin’ lazy. I think--

“Jack, that’s really rude. You’re not actually going to publish that, are you?” My girl Jen is leaning over my shoulder, reading what I just wrote. And looking like she’s gonna smack me right now. I slouch back in my chair and grin at her.

“Hey beautiful.”

She rolls her eyes. “I thought you were going to take this seriously.”

“Babe, I am taking this so fucking seriously you would not even believe it.”

“I,” she kisses me, “call bullshit.” 

I grab her hand and pull her onto my lap. “Don’t you find it just a little creepy this writer chick seems to know everything about us?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. That’s just what they do.”

“I guess.” I try to distract Jen with a whole lot of other kisses, but she breaks away from me, laughs and stands up.

“Come on, get to work. We can do that later.”

“Man, I don’t even remember what she wanted me to write about. I kinda tuned her out after a while.”

“The book,” she says.

“What book?” I love giving her a hard time.

“Living Dead Girl.” Jen is trying not to laugh. I know she thinks she’s hiding it, but she always gets this little smirk on her face. Totally gives it away.

“Dude, that’s a pretty cool fuckin’ tune.”

“Jack.” She’s giving me the look again. You know, the one that means I’m pushing my luck?

“Fine,” I say with an exaggerated sigh. “The book.” I crack my knuckles.

This book is real fucking good. It’s the best book I ever—

“Ow!” I rub the back of my head where Jen just whacked me.

“Be serious,” she says.

“I am.” Well, sort of. I stare at the screen for a while. Crack my knuckles. Where do I begin?

What is LIVING DEAD GIRL about? Find out in the next installment...

Happy Almost Holidays!

I'm noticing a pattern with my blog posts--namely, a lack of them and then a post apologizing for my lack of attention to this blog, or some other nonsense. So here it is: I admit, I'm a terrible blogger, and you know what? I'm okay with that. ANYWAY...

I just wanted to update where Living Dead Girl is at: She is DONE. As in edits, copy edits, formatting and all that good stuff. She's cued up and waiting for her debut. I've received the final files and I'm look at them thinking man, what a long journey this has been! I'm getting excited...and nervous...all at the same time. I can't wait to unleash Jen & Jack on the world, and this crazy story that lived inside my head for so long.

Please, everyone--have a wonderful, safe & happy holiday season!

Random Stufff

So has anyone else read the Walking Dead comics? I'm about eight volumes in and I can't decide whether I like it or not. See, I started out watching the show first, so I've already got an idea of who the characters are,  and how the story progresses. In the comics, many of the characters are much different than in the show, and the story moves at a much different pace. I like that the comic is a little darker and edgier than the show; the characters much more flawed. That said, the character development (IMO) is much better in the show. The Governor, for example? Much more creepy in the show (though what Michonne does to him in the comics, is well...much more extreme.) Carol, also is completely different. Maybe I'd like it a little more if I hadn't seen the show first?

Halloween Seduction Blog Hop!

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Welcome to my post for Renea & Val's blog hop! Thanks for stopping by. I've decided to post a short story...zombie themed! Now, off to business...

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Enjoy the story!

When you're done, check out the other blogs!

LIVING DEAD GIRL has a Date...

LIVING DEAD GIRL will be released January 17th 2014. Yay! A little scary and exciting at the same time. It feels like this project has been in the works for so long. I'm also super psyched to show off the gorgeous cover. What do you think?

LIVING DEAD GIRL is the story of Jen MacLellan, a straight-laced twenty-one-year-old who finds love in an unlikely place: in the arms of crass, outspoken punk rocker Jack Norris. Their passionate relationship ends tragically with Jen's death, and as a ghost, she's heartbroken as she watches Jack's life unravel. Caught between the need to save her lover from a tragic fate and the desire to exact revenge on the woman who stole her life, Jen convinces the reaper to bring her back so she can set things right. It never occurs to her that she could be putting Jack in more danger...as well as risking her own passage to the afterlife.

Hello my internet friends!

It's been a while since I gave an update, so here I am! Living Dead Girl is still in edits, but finally almost finished. I have a beautiful cover that I can't wait to share and will let you know once the official release date is squared away. For now, while I'm waiting on the edits to be finished, I'm working on a new story using Jack, the male lead from Living Dead Girl. It's a story I actually completed (or thought I did!) a while ago, but when LDG went into edits, I changed a few things in that story which would affect this one. So I went back to square one and came up with something that I think is even better...and it has put poor Jack into a very unusual situation. Almost done with the rough draft and looking forward to going back in and cleaning it up.

REAL Books

Since the big move a few weeks ago, I haven't yet been able to manage getting an internet connection at my new home. I won't lie...this really sucks. It's inconvenient, especially when I've come to rely on having internet for so many things. Unfortunately, until I get my finances squared away, it's a luxury I'll have to go without. The plus side to this is that I've rediscovered the library...er, the real 'physical' library, not the virtual one I check Kindle books out from. I go, set up my laptop and get my work done, and when I leave, I have a stack of books I can't possibly have enough time to read. It's a beautiful thing.

Interview Time: Weighing in on Paranormal Romance

You may not have noticed this about me, but I enjoy a good supernatural story every now and then. I know—hard to believe, right? From vampires to zombies to ghosts to demons, it seems there’s no shortage of books and movies out there. I’ll admit, I like the scary stuff most. The twisted stories that screw with your head or the creepy ones that make you want to leave on the lights. That said, it doesn’t have to be scary for me to like it. I like anything that stretches the imagination, and there are plenty of other types of stories out there that I’ve found interesting.

So this got me thinking about paranormal romance as a story genre. I’m not a huge romance reader by any stretch—I generally like stories that are less formulaic—still, I’ve read a few titles and enjoyed them. It’s popular enough to have its own spot in the romance section at the bookstore, and I think after Twilight’s popularity, it really exploded. There’s just something about love with a supernatural being that keeps readers coming back. So what is it? What is it about these stories that is so enticing?

I dragged in—er—invited a couple of the Coffee Talk authors to give their insight. Valerie? Renea? 

Why do you think paranormal romance has gained such a huge following?

Valerie: We all love the bad boys. Men who are strong and not afraid of anything. They are also loyal and when they love, they love hard. These guys will do anything to get their woman. And of course the sex is always steamy.

Renea: It’s the modern fairy tale.  Only now the Princess is the ordinary woman.  She’s not going to the ball; she’s having hot, and passionate encounters with men that make human princes look ordinary. 

So, what are the elements of a good paranormal romance?

Valerie: I think the same as any romance. Strong characters are a must, you can’t have a vampire or shape shifter be a sissy. Simply will not work.

Renea: For me it’s hot chemistry between the characters, an interesting mythos and brilliant dialogue. And if the author can make me laugh then that’s a big plus.

With those things in mind, which authors do you think really nailed it with this genre?

Valerie: Lara Adrian, Laura Wright, Jeaniene Frost, Gena Showalter, Sherrilyn Kenyon,  Kresley Cole to name a few.

Renea: Jeaniene Frost, J.R. Ward, Nalini Singh, Kerrelyn Sparks, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Karen Marie Moning just to name a few. 

What are some of the most memorable characters you’ve read and why?

Valerie: Bones, from Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. While he is a strong character, he had no problems telling the heroin that he loved her. It’s hard to explain, there is just something about him that makes women swoon.

Renea: Bones and Cat from the Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost.  The chemistry is scorching and the characters drive the story.

Damn, two hits for Bones! Now, if I remember correctly, Bones is vampire, which brings me to my next topic…vampires and wolves. There are so many stories based on these ‘creatures’ that they’ve earned a collective eye-roll. Is there really any more material left?

Valerie: Absolutely! Not every vampire is created equal. In the romance they can be anything, not your typical walking dead that can’t be in the sunlight. There are also many other creatures that live in the paranormal world. Demons, witches, fey, and shape shifters of all sorts. The list goes on forever.

Renea: I think so. It’s fiction. Anything is possible.

Okay, with that in mind—as a writer in the genre, how do you keep it fresh?

Valerie: I have created a world that I think is different from any I’ve read. My vampires are also different, I have put a twist in my story that you simply have to read. I’ve also mixed two of my favorite creatures, vampires and dragons. Rather than the typical wolf, I’ve created the Draki, a shape shifting dragon.

Renea: I strayed away from vampires and werewolves and created a unique mythos.  Vampire lovers will enjoy my story even though it’s anything but traditional vampire or werewolf lore.

What types of paranormal elements are you drawn to write about in your stories?

Valerie: That’s a hard one. I have this thing about fangs, seems most of my character have them in some form or another. I also like to have a mix of characters, I don’t stick to just one species per say.

Renea: I love writing alpha males and paranormal lets you take this to the extreme and still come back from the edge.  You can easily explain away a bad boy’s naughty behavior and make him the hero in the end.

Good points! I do think the key to a good story is a certain amount of believability, no matter how far-fetched the idea is. How do you make a creature that doesn’t exist fit into the real world in a believable way?

Valerie: I think it’s easy really. People are so used to the paranormal genre that we can pretty much do anything without question. The thing is, you have to do it well.

Renea: Suspension of disbelief and compassion.  You have to feel some level of compassion or they must act compassionate in some way. So, careful personification.

So it’s all about the execution. Now, it’s not always the case, but it seems like more often than not the male lead is some kind of supernatural being, while the female is just a regular human girl. Do you think this plays into a fantasy for readers? Do you think we’ll ever see more supernatural heroines?

Valerie: Of course women want to dream about being with these sexy men and I think that is why the female is usually a human, we can relate. However, there are some that have successful female characters that are not human. Jeaniene Frost and Kresley Cole have females that are not human in their books. In book two of my series my heroin is not human, but a demon.

Renea: There are some but they tend to be more urban fantasy based and a lot of those stories explore the heroine’s discovery of her abilities.  So over the course of the story she discovers what she is.  I think it makes for a very entertaining story but since supernatural usually equates to strength, I think it’s difficult to portray the romance women want to read when the balance of power is weighted toward the female.  I’ve read stories like this and enjoyed them but then again, I’m not always one for formula.

And there you have it—some insight from a couple paranormal romance writers/readers. Thanks so much, ladies! Ladies? Oh, right—sorry! Let me remove that duct tape. Now don’t look at me like that, it wasn’t all bad, right? (*winks*) Hey, wait! Come back! (*slamming door*) Sigh. Well, I had fun anyway…

Looking for a hot new paranormalicious (is that even a word?) read? Check out Valerie Twombly and Renea Mason!

I'm not Dead to the World. Really.

Lots of big things going on, so I've been on the internet sparingly, but I haven't forgotten about this lovely blog. I've got some big plans coming up... please stay tuned ^.^

I WANT YOUR SKULL!!!

I have a Misfits song stuck in my head. I just drank lemonade that's only 3% juice (mmm...high fructose corn syrup...). And I'm currently sitting at my laptop, trying to edit my novel. I'm at a crucial point in the narrative where the normal world and the supernatural have finally crossed paths. This was an area I struggled--that transition, the identity of the novel, the place where it turns from contemporary romance to my MC's twisted path towards the afterlife. I think I finally have things in place. I've shaved the excess, laid the foundation and we're slowly plodding along. The pieces seem to fit together better, now that I've figured out which ones needed to go. I guess this is where I have a moment of reflection, because this is so different from the piece I originally showed to my critique group a year ago. In a good way.

New Adult Books: Part One

When I first heard about New Adult as a book category I was excited. I'd been having a tough time classifying my own work--which has a young, casual voice similar to YA, but clearly isn't meant for younger readers--and to me, this felt like a perfect fit. So what is NA? Basically it covers that transitional time right after high school. Characters are facing 'new' firsts--new job, living away from home, going to college, serious relationships, maybe even getting married. (Rather than regurgitate an entire definition of what New Adult is, I'll refer you to http://www.naalley.com/p/about.html -- they've got a great collection of resources and info on the subject.)

So needless to say, I've been keeping tabs on the whole movement. It's funny the amount of resistance I've noticed from skeptics, particularly with regards to whether or not this should be a legit category. I've seen it referred to as a fad, or a niche group that will only appeal to a really small audience. I've seen the excuse thrown around that twenty-somethings don't read, therefore this is a pointless endeavor. Or that it's just YA with sex added to it so that it'll appeal to an older audience.

It seems to me (and maybe I'm just more attuned to it now) that NA continues to grow steadily. There are book clubs, groups, and blogs cropping up that cater to NA readers and writers. I mean, look at some of the top selling NA authors--take Jamie McGuire for example-- it's pretty clear there is an audience for these types of books.

I see so many possibilities, and think we're really just hitting the tip of the iceberg as far as what NA can be. So is it a fad? I don't think so. NA is finding an audience, so it must be resonating with readers on some level...obviously these books wouldn't be selling if it didn't. I think it is still evolving and growing, particularly as authors in different genres jump into the mix, and I will be interested to see which direction it takes.

Reading it all, ranting at some

I talk a lot about writing, but I'm also a voracious reader. Sometimes I'll down 2-3 books per week. To me, the ebook was the BEST INVENTION EVER. Seriously. You can carry a whole library on one little device. You can find virtually any book online, purchase it, and have it in seconds. And if you read a lot, that's convenient. 

As a soon to be author with a small press, I understand a little about the challenges a new writer faces in getting their work out there. I try to support new, small press and indie authors by buying their books, and I've discovered some great stories that way. That being said, I've also read a fair amount that was just plain awful. This is where the rant comes in. I have read so many stories lately that were littered with grammatical errors, riddled with cliches, tense and POV shifts, underdeveloped characters and just plain shoddy storytelling. These were books that were aggressively marketed by other writers that I've seen. People with thousands of Facebook likes and Twitter followers who have really impressive media platforms that make me say WOW--this person has their shit together. Then I read their work and I'm like...um, what?  

I don't want to come across as a snarky bitch. I'm not a snob. I don't claim to know everything there is about writing. I'll read most any genre, I'll try anything new, I'll give anything a chance...and as long as it's a reasonably well-written book with good characters and an interesting story, I'm entertained.

Authors, please please PLEASE do yourselves a favor and:

a) Learn your craft. Seriously. Grammar, sentence structure, plot...all of it. KEEP learning it. Even if you've published, you should be constantly finding ways to improve. Good writing has a certain flow to it. Good storytelling is an art form. I know that feeling you get when you complete a novel length work--it's like a writer's high. It is a huge accomplishment you should be proud of. BUT...it's not finished, not even close. 

 2) Hire a competent editor...or at least some critiquers & beta readers who are both sharp and honest. This kind of goes with the above. After reading your own story over and over again, you're not likely to catch errors. And you are not going to recognize areas that a potential reader might find confusing or unclear because you already know what happens and why. You need honest feedback and to keep an open mind when receiving it. Join a critique group, take some courses, workshop the fuck out of your story--and I'm not talking friends and family who will tell you house awesome it is, I'm talking about people who are willing to rip your work to shreds--point out any possible plot whole, flat character, cliche, error that they can find. 

c) Find a cover artist with graphic design knowledge. Even if you go with a pre-made cover because that's all your budget allows. It's all about being a professional and presenting a professional looking product. Speaking as someone who has an artistic background, I will say I'm very turned off by poorly done covers, and unless I know the person, I will not buy it.  

 This is YOUR product. Indie should not equal amateur. Don't be so blinded by your desire to see your name in print (or ebook) that you rush to get it out there when it's not ready.  /rant.

 

Checking in...

I'm attempting to post from my Kindle Fire (my laptop has been hijacked...) so if you hear any swearing, I apologize. ^·^

So I posted last month how my first novel has been accepted for publication. I've spent the past few weeks working on some revisions. It has been scary and exciting at the same time. This piece was workshopped to death with my critique group before i submitted it anywhere, but I knew going in that no matter where it found a home, changes would still need to be made. Overall I have a good feeling with the initial revisions I've turned in and think we're headed in the right direction. More to come soon...

Writing...Revising...In the Mood

I'm trying to nail the feeling of this scene. Writing has not come easily today, so I needed a playlist with some balls. It makes no sense, it doesn't really fit together, but, hey...it makes me happy ;)

Skulls The Misfits
Bloodshed The Bruisers
Nihilism Rancid
False Hope The Unseen
Borstal Breakout Sham 69
The Crowd Operation Ivy
Sick Boys Social Distortion
Die,Die My Darling The Misfits
No Feelings Sex Pistols
Intimidation The Bruisers
The Kids Will Have No Say Kings of Nuthin'
Dead Generation Cockney Rejects
Cold Feelings Social Distortion
Timebomb Rancid
Shit out of Luck Kings of Nuthin'
Bodies Sex Pistols
Caution Operation Ivy
I am the One Rancid
Backstreet Girl Social Distortion

Now, to get to work...

Evil Dead...

I'm not sure what to think of this, but since I haven't actually seen the new movie yet, well, take this with a grain of salt. From the trailer it looks like they're going for shock and gore. These things have their place in horror movies, of course, but my fear is that if you remove them, all that's left behind is a weak ass story. Is this the case here? I don't know, obviously, because I haven't seen it yet (yes, I just repeated myself!)

http://www.evildead-movie.com/?hs308=EVD6186

The original was, let's face it--bad and unintentionally cheesy ...yet it spawned Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, which have become cult horror movie classics. How can you top Bruce Campbell spouting bad one liners while he wields a chainsaw where his hand used to be? You can't. So that was why I had mixed feelings when I first heard of this remake. I will, however, watch it, and reserve full judgement until then.

Doing a Little Happy Dance

Okay, maybe not literally, because that would just be silly. My novel 'Living Dead Girl' (working title) now has a home with Etopia press. Thanks to everyone who gave their feedback on this project. Details to come!

Saturday, I missed you

I had multiple dreams about work last night. I mean, it's super annoying because I have to spend so much time there as it is, I don't even want to think about it on MY time. It seems I just can't shut it off. To make things worse, around four AM, one of the cats decided to start knocking things off my bureau to get my attention. When I didn't respond, he started scratching the side of my bed. Then he jumped up on the bed and stuck his face in mine. Did I mention it was four AM? I mean, really? I would love to have just one uninterrupted night of sleep, but to be honest, I can't remember the last time I had one. Sigh.

Anyway, it's Saturday! Which means catching up on my housework, running errands and finally settling in to get some writing done. I think of that as my reward for getting something accomplished. Now, I just have to get off my butt and get to it...

Speaking of Panties...

I'm kidding. I'm not sure he's actually wearing any. ANYWAY, I bought the original Eurythmics song on MP3, because I was feeling nostalgic, and yes, as I child I owned the LP (!)  Shut up, I'm not old. As far as remakes go, however, I always liked this one, even if I'm not a huge Marilyn Manson fan.





And for good measure:




 

Sail

This one is still in the rotation

Songs that get stuck in my head part 2

The video is a tad suspect, but I likes the song. I'm not sure how I feel about the video still being all female-butt-crack-see-through-underpants, though, lol.

Purty Pictures

I've been fiddling around with Pinterest lately. Under the guise of 'story inspiration', I can now hoard hundreds and hundreds of pictures in my own neat little internet albums. I can borrow pictures from other people's albums and stick them into my own, and we can share and like the heck out of them. It's a great way to look up at your clock and realize that three hours have whisked by while you've done nothing but flip through pictures that may or may not be worthy of a pin, while simultaneously realizing that you've gotten nothing productive accomplished. Yet, strangely...I like it.

Navigating Uncertainty

There's so much talk these days about writers establishing a social media platform and putting yourself and work out there, even if you're not published yet. Obviously self promotion is essential. Finding a niche, standing out from the crowd, branding, creating a unique persona--these are all aspects of creating a successful platform. The idea is to draw people in and hopefully create interest in you and your work. Right?

So what do you do if your plan has no focus? No certainty? I've created this persona with an oddball stand out name, because in a way, it fits my vision of my writing self: that is, someone who does not fit in neatly to any category. I write love stories, but not romance. I can be dark and twisted at times and venture into lighthearted and silly at others. There's drama but it's portrayed with a a sense of humor. So what exactly is my platform?

I'm drawn to oddball things, whether it's art, or movies or books. I love horror movies. I love reading. Music is almost as essential as breathing. Does talking about these things constitute a  social media platform?Basically, I'm trying to find my place.

And what about that name? It started just as a screen name. It may end up being just a screen name, as I'm still not sure I'd want it on a book cover. That said, it stands out, doesn't it?

In conclusion, I'm still finding my way; I'm still unsure. They say write what you love, what you'd want to read, and I believe I'm doing that. The question is, does the same thing apply to social media?

Writing stuff

I told myself I wasn't going to write blog posts about writing, but heck, I'm going to break my own rules. From now on, my only rule is that I post about whatever's on my mind, writing included. There. Now that that's out of the way: Fellow writers, do you ever just feel bad about what you're doing to your characters? I'm currently working on Drew's story (the brother of my MC in Living Dead Girl) and I'm thinking, man, this poor guy. He's had to cope with the loss of his sister and best friend, his dad's illness, and now that he's starting to find happiness, THIS has to happen and mess it all up. I suppose if these things didn't happen to him, I wouldn't have much of a story, but still...

Songs that get stuck in my head

I'm not sure what it is about this one, but it's infectious, and not in an annoying 'OMG I can't believe I know the lyrics to that song' way, either. Plus, the video has...muppet fighting. And Lou Diamond Phillips (although, because of Family Guy, I will forever refer to him as 'Chief Diamond Phillips'). Not that this has anything to do with anything. Anyway...

I so went there

I'm a sucker for fairy tale remakes. It makes me giddy when some creative genius out there comes up with an entertaining new twist on an old story. Or Hollywood comes in with its glittery magic wand and makes the flavor of the day into a pretty princess (okay, I just gagged a little when I wrote that) So last night, my boyfriend {Jack Daniels :P } and I settled in to watch Snow White and the Hunstman. Don't laugh! Okay, you can laugh, because it was every bit as bad as I expected. Still, there was a part of me, a teeny tiny microscopic part that held out hope: hey, maybe this will actually be good. Yeah.

I'm not going to spend an entire blog post ragging on Kristen Stewart (who played Snow White), but I will say, as an actress, she's not particularly engaging. I felt no emotional attachment to her character, and watching, I found it hard to believe that she had supposedly been locked in a tower since she was a kid. Where are the deep seated emotional scars that would come with that? The physical ailments? Instead she seemed pretty healthy and well-balanced. And to me, that went over like a mowed lawn in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. I won't spoil the magic of her portrayal of Snow White  if you haven't watched the movie, but it did involve a lot of stumbling, mumbling, spacing out and tripping and possibly some falling as well. By Snow White, not me. Honest.

Charlize Theron's character (evil queen) was more palatable. I liked the twist they added where she's actually soul sucking young women to stay young. I didn't particularly like the character of her brother, who not only had really bad hair, but was also pretty creepy (not in a good way) and seemed kind of pointless to the story. Well, pointless aside from being a convenient way to get from plot point A to plot point B. Hmmm.

Then you had the huntsman, played by Chris Hemsworth, who was a decent character, if not a little bit cliched. At least he was nice to look at. And then there was Snow White's male childhood friend...really? Do  I need to go on? As you can probably tell, I'm already losing interest.

In a nutshell, these were my problems with this movie:
--unlikable heroine
--too many plot points presented but not fleshed out in any way
--questions left unanswered
--Too many O.o moments that left me scratching my head. (Faeries? Really? Um, why?)
--anticlimactic ending

CGI was decent, as was the cinematography, costumes, etc. So basically, it was your average Hollywood fluff job. My rating? 'Meh'.

Why hello there handsome...

...where have you been all my life?

You'd look pretty sweet sitting in my glass with a couple of ice cubes and some Coke. Wink, wink.

Super Duper Sunday

I'm just not feeling it this year--the Superbowl, that is. I mean, I like football and I enjoy watching it, but for some reason, this year, I just don't care. Is that wrong?

Anyway, on another completely unrelated topic, I've gotten my fingers tangled up in re-re-re-re-re-editing that novel I haven't touched in months and made some changes I'm quite happy with. Call it a creative epiphany. That said, I've also been playing the 'what if' game with the plot. It would involve taking one of the main characters out of one situation and putting him into a completely different one...which is just fricking super duper, except, it would mean completely rewriting a huge chunk. And to be honest? The more I think about it, the more I think it would be like pulling that piece of yarn that unravels the entire sweater. So maybe it's time to slowly back away.

Soooo....

...apparently evil spirits can be detected via MRI, Oh my. I'm trying to find some redeeming qualities in the movie The Possession, but, I'm sorry it's just plain stupid. And I so wanted to like it, what with the fingers crawling from the little girl's throat and the actor who played John Winchester. They even promised it was based on a true story (pfffffft!). Sigh. So yeah, that was a waste of 92 minutes of my life....

Total Concentration...

Hellloooo, where are you? The last week or so, my brain has not been kind to my writing. Usually they are best buds, but I don't know, it feels like something's been unplugged. How can I write 10,000+ words one weekend and suffer from a complete brain fart the next? *sigh*

Winter Blahs

Snow, it's time you and I had a talk. You're cold. I admit sometimes I like to watch you fall--it's peaceful and serene and yes, beautiful. It's fine on a Saturday night, but why, oh why do you drop by on  Tuesday morning? I grab my shovel and attack but you're falling so fast you've covered all my tracks.  My car does not like to drive on you, either; he's a beast, but when he's with you he loses control and then I am late for work. I think it's time we parted. It's been days and you're still here, turning gray and ugly but hanging around like an unwanted guest. Why won't you melt?

Lucky Thirteen?

Hello internets! It's been far too long and already it's a new year, so let's talk resolutions. Frankly, I don't believe in them. (HA!) To me, the word 'resolution' adds the burden of expectation, which inevitably will be followed by disappointment when I don't live up to it. Instead, I'm looking for a new beginning. New goals. The last couple years have been a personal trial, but if anything it's made my resolve stronger, it's changed my outlook, forced me to take stock of what I have and work with it. That's what happens if it doesn't kill you first, right?

Edit: With the new blog design, I am going back and publishing some saved yet unpublished posts