How much do I love Michael Sheen?

Guest Desks: A Look Back

In Feb and March 2006 I did Guest Desks. Those were fun! I love to pour over the details in a person's office and what they keep on their desks. Hey, so I'm snoopy! Here's a link to the desks, which if you page down, you find the first was Alexandre Dumas' cottage in France (this was posted after my trip to Paris). The order of desks is backwards. And at the end of February I had a few desks to start. And if you want to see pics from my Paris trip keep paging down.

Come back on Monday to start viewing the Guest TBR piles!
M

Guest Toes: A Look Back

Yep, I actually had guest toes in 2008. Here's a look back. Page down a few posts to start seeing the toes. And do come back on Monday for Guest TBR piles!

M

Guest Gardens: A look back

In the summer of 2006 I did guest gardens. Here's a link to the archives. I don't know how to bring you right to the point in the month of July where the gardens start, so it brings you to beginning of July. Page down about halfway to start viewing the gardens. Or scan the posts and check out the cool pics 0f hawks visiting my birdbath that summer.

Remember to stop by next week to view the Guest TBR piles!
M

To Be Read (but not as fast as I wish)

If you're a reader or a writer you own a To Be Read (TBR) pile. No way to get around it. It is simply a fact of life. We love books. We adore books. We hoard books. When a new book comes out we want to read, we buy it. But it doesn't always get read right away because, well, we are reading other books! So it goes on the TBR pile. We adore our TBR piles. They are a symbol of our riches. We loathe our TBR piles. They are a symbol of all the ignored stories we haven't had a chance to get to.

In August I'm going to be featuring Guest TBR Piles. I've got some great guests lined up, including: Patti O'Shea, Karen Whiddon, Dorrana Durgin, Rachel Vincent, Mary-Theresa Hussey, Kathleen Eagle, and many more.

Usually every summer I'll feature some guest spots from your favorite authors. I've done guest desks, gardens, pets, toes even. Now I'm on to TBRs. Why? Because I don't know if you're like me, but I'm just super curious. Whenever I see a shot of a library in a home magazine, or behind an author in a photo, I like to skim the spines to see what titles they own. Even if it's just a few books stacked on a coffee table, I'm reading those spines. Weird, I know. Does anyone else do that?

So to satisfy my curiosity, we'll start on Monday August 3rd with Luna editor, Mary-Theresa Hussey's TBR pile. And I'll feature a new TBR pile every weekday until I run out! It's going to be fun. You won't believe some of these TBR piles. Some are so large they're even alphabetized! Some are screenshots of Kindles. Some are small and neat.

So to start us off, here's my TBR pile. I moved my bedroom around a few months ago and decided the TBR pile I'd had in the corner, piled three-quarters of the way to the ceiling and stuffed inside my nightstand had to move. I removed about a third of the books that I knew I would just never get around to reading, or those I'd lost interest in. (If you've had a book for over four years, that can happen.) I decided to stack them on top of my dresser as a means to shame myself into reading faster. It's just RIGHT THERE every morning, not hidden in the corner. Alas, the shame tactic has not worked. I can only read so fast. But I have been pretty good about not adding books (ok, mostly good). The first pile on the left is hardcovers I must read RIGHT NOW! Sigh... You may notice Kim Harrison's latest is on there (but by latest that was, I believe, way last fall). The second stack is hardcovers that are not urgent. Uh-huh. The third pile is trade paperbacks, and of course that's the one that keeps growing. I had to start a fourth pile (naughty, me). I've got mass market paperbacks still stashed in my nightstand.


Now, the dirty little secret of some of us who own electronic book readers, is that no one really knows how big our TBR piles are because half our books are neatly stashed in a reader the size of one book. Here's the first page of my Kindle books. I don't know if you can see, but there are 9 pages of books. I also emailed myself one of my Nocturne Bites I'm writing. I like to read my shorter stuff on the Kindle when editing because if reads differently. And of course the cool thing about the Kindle is you can have a sample of a story sent to you to read, and decide if you want to buy the rest of the book. (Just ordered The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo sample this morning.)

So remember to stop by all during the month of August to check out all the TBR piles! And until then, I'll be featuring links to some of my past guest spots all week.
M

Nope, your eyes are not fooling you. This is the cover for one of my three September releases. Seriously! I have been known to do down-home, feel-good, funny stuff on occasion. This is the seventh in the Mossy Creek series and features pets. I was invited to write a short story in the collection a few years ago, and it's finally coming out! My story is about a cat. And yes, I did cringe when I saw a dog on the cover. :-)

M

No, I really don't have time to blog, but taking a few minutes breather here, and what better way to do it than to search Google Images of Johnny?
It's just been confirmed at Comic Con (Oh, how I wish I was there!) that Tim Burton is doing Dark Shadows and speculation is that Johnny will play Barnabas. And what a fine choice to play a vampire, but the man who only gets better looking, and does not appear to age all that much. Eternally handsome. Sigh...

Hmm...I've used Johnny twice as a hero in my books. The changling warrior, Dominique, in Seraphim, and the suicidal vintner, Louis in My Lady Madness. I think it's time he became hero material again! (Oh! Almost forgot, he was Oscar in Once A Thief, as well.) Hee.
M

ps - Just got boxes of MOON KISSED from UPS. Also got a box of VAMPIRE chocolate bars. :-) Disappointed by both. The cover art for MK is dark, very dreary compared to the jpg which is bright, colorful. You can't make out the defintion on the hero's face at all, and their hair is a dark blob. What's up with that? It's as if the press was adjusted to 'dark' when they printed the covers.
Also, not to pleased with the quality of packaging of the candy bars. Some broken, loose in the box, not packed tightly, and packaging is also too dark and unimpressive. Are my expectations too high? Sigh...

The MIDNIGHT CRAVINGS anthology will be rereleased in October in mass market size. In the US it'll have the original cover. In the UK it'll look like above. Nice, eh?

M

Deep in the muck of the desuckification process these next two weeks. The manuscript is written. I've gone over the grammar (but haven't yet done a spell check; makes note to self). My desk is covered with random notes. Fix this. Add that. Delete that. Check that. I'm currently reading the story out loud because it sounds very different that way and I pick up a lot of stuff I missed. And also, I'm adding a character facet to my heroine to make her more interesting. I'm worried it'll either really screw her up, or just be boring. At this point I don't have time to dawdle. Need to be handed in August 1st, which means I have to get it in the mail two days before that to arrive on time. (I never send in stuff late. In fact, it's usually a few weeks early. One week early? That feels late to me.) So this will feel very late this time around.

Anyway, nose to grindstone. Only allowed a few stops into FB during the day. But Tweeting is easy. It's just...right there. RIght? :-) Meanwhile, I also have a proposal for story #2 in the trilogy due Aug 2nd. Do I have any idea what I'm doing in that story? Nope. That's not good.

M

Interview with Emma Holly today at VampChix.  Stop by and find out what she's working on next!  And leaves comment in the other posts for what you want to see at the blog.  And don't forget the poll!

M

VampChix (not just for girls)

So I've started yet another blog.  (I know, am I addicted to blogs, or what?)  Anyway, this one is cool.  It's for those who love vampires, in movies and books.  I'm hoping the blog will become a more intimate place to share and learn more about the vamps we love.  I've already scheduled an interview with Emma Holly sometime next week, and I think Susan Sizemore will guest post one day as well.  I'd like to nab some of the vampire authors we don't often see blogging at all the sites.  If you have someone in mind you'd like to guest post, let me know.  Also, if you want to participate in the blog I'm looking for ideas on topics, posts, columns, whatever.  Drop me a note at the blog.  And vote at the poll currently up regarding whether or not you like your vamps Dark or Light (no, not like the chicken).  

This blog is tied to the VampChix Twibe, which you can join here, and you'll get the messages for the Twibe if you Follow me on Twitter.

Spread the word! Let's build up readership at the VampChix blog!

M

Bright colors make me happy

I've mentioned here a time or two that I like to color. A lot. It's a different focus for creativity that I need when the words don't always come easily. I've got a Coloring Addicts page that lists all the coloring books you could possibly want, and not those silly kiddie books. And I've got the Color Me Happy blog where I've been posting colored pages from my various books. Check it out. Then dare to try it yourself. ;-)
M

Faery wonder

For those of us left behind....(from the RWA conf.), and everyone else, I’ve a creative diversion for you. Guest posting today at Riding With The Top Down is an environmental artist that will put whimsy and wonder into your heart. She makes faery houses! How cool is that? You must stop by and marvel over the pictures of her amazing creations. And she’s giving away a calendar featuring her work.

http://ridingwiththetopdown.blogspot.com

Michele

So, what do you think? This one will be out in September, the same month as Moon Kissed. It's a followup story that features the same hero and heroine. And the cool thing? They used the same models on this cover as they did Moon Kissed. Nice.


M

Just jumping in

Just had an idea this morning to try and expand the Twibe I started a month ago. If you're on Twitter, you can make groups called Twibes. I have one called VampChix, for lovers of vampires. (Boyz can join, but the name stays.) Anyway, there must be more I can do with it. Promotion ways. Networking ways. Gathering lovers and readers of movies and books about vampires together to become this HUGE twibe.

So I started a blog linked to the Twibe. Not sure what I'm going to do there exactly, but I'm open for suggestions. I think it would be great to feature current vamp books. But also to let readers and writers post about vampires. Something that is intimate but wide-reaching. I don't want to copy Vampire Wire; that is pure awesomeness. I want to keep it strictly vampires.

So go take a look at the blog, join the Twibe, and send me suggestions for what we could do with the whole thing.

http://vampchix.blogspot.com

http://www.twibes.com/group/vampchix

M

Blogging over at Harlequin's Paranormal Romance Blog today.

I've joined a group of authors who have come together to promote one another and share the great stories we all have to offer. We currently have a Yahoo discussion group that's very fun and we talk about more than just our books, so check us out if you're interested!

M

Buckling down for the rest of the month. I just realized I have a little over three weeks to finish Angel Slayer. And right now, the story is NOT working for me. Or the characters. How's that for a task? Oy. I have pulled reference books off the shelf, such as A Writer's Guide to Character Traits and A Fire In Fiction, and I need to find my Writing The Breakthrough Novel. And much driving is required! When I drive I get ideas. So back to the grindstone, or screen, as it is.
M

For a chance to win The Highwayman visit Dottie's blog today!

Recycled Real Estate

It occurs to me that I use a lot of the same apartments and floorplan layouts from book to book. It's not because I'm too lazy to come up with something new, it's that I like certain floorplans, and sometimes the stories come to me with the characters already inhabiting a familiar place. I don't think any reader would ever pick up on this. I change things, decorations, flooring, add in stairs or windows and doors. I do like a nice clean layout though, and most of my homes are not populated with a lot of furniture.

A few examples:

In my current WIP, ANGEL SLAYER, the heroine is a trust-fund baby living in a Manhattan penthouse. I first used this penthouse in FLAWLESS. It was all done in natural woods and stone. Very high-class, trendy. After seeing the movie Cheri, I came home and redecorated it in Art Nouveau style, and my current heroine fits very nicely in it. I've also used this penthouse in THE BONE CONJURER, my next Rogue Angel (due out next May, I believe) as a place for Garin Braden. A Manhattan residence was never previously mentioned for him in any of the RAs, but I got approval from the editor to give him another home. Heck, for all the traveling he does, he needs it.

I have a favorite apartment in Paris that I use a lot. First time was in ONCE A THIEF. I believe it was Jason, the master safe cracker's place, though if memory serves right, I used the same layout for the heroine's Paris apartment in that one too. The villain in GETAWAY GIRL had the same apartment, though I redesigned the bathroom to be ugly yellow (the heroine hated it). The next time this place shows up is actually in THE HIGHWAYMAN; it's the vampire Gina's place. It's got a great view of the Eiffel Tower in all the stories. My dream place.

I have a fondness for lofts, vast and open and two stories high with open ceilings. Ravin's loft in KISS ME DEADLY is as big as two basketball courts with very little furniture. That place was also Rachel's loft in ONCE A THIEF, again, with sparse furniture.

In THE HIGHWAYMAN, Aby lives in a sort of walkup duplex thingie that's set on the side of a hill. You walk up a story or two (can't recall if I put her on the second or third floor) and enter her place, yet you can walk out the patio doors to the yard in the back because it's on a hill. It's got a pool out there too. Nice. It's another open floorplan, and I loved it so much I used it again in MOON KISSED as the heroine's place, except I used long white sheers down the center of the place to separate it into rooms.

And in HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND I resurrected an old mansion I'd once used in WICKED ANGELS (a vamp lived there as well). Love the place. I think it was built in the 70s. It's vast and has lots of furniture, but I love the curving red staircase that leads up to the second floor. And the theater room!

I know, this is very weird. I mean, original much? But seriously, each time I use the place it's very different to me, because I believe the house reflects the owner. What about you? Do you have favorite homes/floorplans you use in your writing/daydreams?

M

Have you read the prologue and first chapter for THE HIGHWAYMAN? Read it here.

I just put up the first chapter for the second book in the Wicked Games series, MOON KISSED. Read it here.

If you're in Spain you can now find His Forgotten Forever. Does anyone know what the Spanish title, Maldicion Eterna means? I'm guessing Forgotten Forever.

Note: SciFiGuy says it mean "Eternal Curse" I hate it when vampirism is referred to as a 'curse', but whatever.

M

Here's a picture of Aby, the heroine of THE HIGHWAYMAN. In cat shape, of course.

M