Thought you might like a peek at the cover of the anthology I’ll be in. This one comes out sometime this summer. My offering is a short story featuring one of the MIK characters.

Short Story for British Anthology

Obsessed for Zane

As you can see from the wordmeters above, I finished the project for Mammoth Books yesterday (yay!), and am getting ready to plow through the next project, a novella for Zane. Yes, the same folks who will be releasing Purple Panties in May, which includes a short story by yours truly. Amazingly, the book is already making #1 lists at Amazon last time I checked, and it won’t be out for months!

Still, today’s the day I stare at a blank page and try to dream the first scene of a new story. It’s a little frightening. I love and hate new starts. Trying to find that perfect first line can really get to me. I play with it, turn it sideways, brainstorm a dozen alternatives. When I get beyond frustrated, I force myself to push on past and write the rest of the opening scene. But I really do have a process, and I hate to break with it. First, I have to have the right title. Then I have to have that perfect first line. The rest flows naturally from that start.

The Zane book is already pretty intimidating. The Purple Panties short was actually my first non-romance piece, but it was only 5000 measly words. This one will be 35,000, and I know I’ll be sweating every one of them to get the emotional intensity I need. I can usually count on the romance developing between a hero and heroine to provide that spice. Not this time.

I’m sure I’ll fly through this week and look back and wonder what the heck I was worried about, but for now, I get to whine and angst. Poor little insecure author me.

I saw something like this over at the Avon Romance Blog, and thought it would be fun to tag some of my “sister” writers. Be sure to check out the blogs of Sasha White and Cathryn Fox to see how they respond and who’s next!

Four jobs I’ve had in my life:
1. Car Hop at a Dairy Queen
2. U.S. Army Officer
3. Social Studies Teacher
4. Writer

Four movies I’ve watched more than once:
1. Die Hard
2. The 13th Warrior
3. 28 Days More
4. Timeline

Four favorite places I’ve lived:
1. Zweibrueken, Germany
2. Heilbronn, Germany
3. Portrane, Ireland
4. Hill Country, Texas

Four favorite places I’ve travelled:
1. Greek Islands
2. Paris, France
3. Rothenburg, Germany
4. The Florida Keys

Four places I most want to see before I die:
1. Nepal
2. China
3. Venice, Italy
4. Scandanavia

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Menudo (Mexican soup with tripe–yum!)
2. Lamb with Greek tsasiki
3. Korean Kimchi
4. Fajita tacos

If you’d like to join the fun, leave your answers here or a blog URL where we can read your posting!

First, thanks to everyone who joined me at Access Romance’s All-A-Blog where I talked about my upcoming road trip, and the Avon Romance Blog where so many of us talked about dreaming and where our inspiration comes from. As a way of thanking you for being there for me, I drew a name. Rasha Hamdi will receive a signed copy of SEDUCED BY DARKNESS if she’ll Email Me!

I made a little poll, including my favorite hotties. Let’s see if we agree.

Who would you prefer to spend a night with? Poll Results
Scott Elrod, Men in Trees – 6 votes
Josh Holloway, Lost – 7 votes
Naveen Andrews, Lost – 3 votes
Dule Hill, Psych – 3 votes

I admit, I’m a TV junkie. Only I really don’t have time to watch a lot of shows. I TIVO everything I love, then watch them like a woman who eats chocolate–all in one luscious gobble.

I have my favorites: Psych, Monk, Men in Trees, Lost. If Eureka and Blood Ties ever come back, they’ll go to the top of my list again. So, I was wondering why I love these particular shows and figured out I really, really love the men.

In PSYCH you have two wonderful comedians, but I lean toward wanting Dule Hill more because he’s so put upon, and so very, very fine. If you ever saw the movie HOLES, you’d fall in love with him.

Tony Shaloub’s MONK would make me want to commit murder, so I’m not the least attracted to him, but I have to watch him out of morbid fascination. I love his quirks, cringe right through them, and I love the “And this is what happened” summation moment in every show. But he doesn’t make my hottie list.

MEN IN TREES is my new favorite. Anne Heche is great. The ensemble cast loveable. I want to move to Elmo, Alaska! Even if the concept of a New York writer settling in a small Alaskan town doesn’t appeal to you, glimpses of Scott Elrod will make it totally worthwhile.

Then, of course, there is LOST. The show totally exhausts me. I’m ready for it to end. I’m dying to find out what the ultimate mystery is, because I’ve guessed my way through so many scenarios, I want to know if ANY of them was right. One thing the show has in spades is hot men. Daniel Dae Kim, Josh Holloway, Naveen Andrews. All drool-worthy.

Short Story for British Anthology

As you can tell from my little wordmeter, I’ve made dismal progress on the story I HAVE to turn in by Sunday.

I spent Wednesday with the daughter shopping. *shudder* But have to admit, I’m glad I went. I let her choose everything, and she picked some cute clothes. Not what I would have bought (sweat pants and tee shirts), but she has me just about ready for conference. Now if I can find that pirate shirt and corset, ooh, and a pair of little black fairy wings, I’ll be set.

Yesterday, we went to Little Rock for eye exams. I found out I have a blind spot in my vision. Might explain why I never see cars in the right lane until I hear them honk. Guess that means I need to schedule time with an opthamologist (did I even spell that right?).

Anyway, today, my butt is planted in the chair. I will write, and blog, and write some more. Be sure to join me at the Avon Romance Blog today. I’m going to be talking about dreaming and how it helps me write. You’ll get just one more clue about the fact I may not be wrapped too tight.

Short Story for British anthology
The “word meter” is just to keep me honest, and embarassed, if I don’t make great progress over the next few days.

My email is still down. And I’m frustrated about it, but today I have a handle on that. I blogged at several of my favorite author’s blogs to assuage my NEED to connect with friends. I wish I could say I’m ready to knuckle under and write for the rest of the day, but my daughter has the day off, and she insists I need new clothes for a couple of upcoming conferences, so I’m going to put myself in her hands today.

I HATE shopping. Especially, for clothes. I get hot and frustrated and hate the lighting and the way everything fits (or more precisely DOESN’T fit). Plus, I like really bright colors and she reins me in with “You look dead” comments when I try to go for yellow or a neon green. Thankfully, she loves me in red, so I know she’ll let me have at least one bright blouse while she steers me toward the blues, which she says make me look pretty.

I’d love to be able to do all my shopping online, but unless I’m ordering something loose-fitting the fit is never quite right, so I have to actually try the clothes on. Blech. I have lost a little weight since the last time I went shopping, so I’m hoping for miracles–something that isn’t in the Women’s section or with a stretchy waist.

Next weekend, Shayla Kersten and I are heading to Memphis for a research trip. I want something really sexy to wear to the clubs I know she’ll want to hit (for research, of course!). I have this awesomely wicked idea for a new story. It came to me when I was trying to fall asleep the other night. I got so creeped out I had to get up and turn on all the lights then play with my computer until I was tired enough to go back to bed. The story will be set in downtown Memphis (no Elvis sightings, I promise–that’s for another book!).

So, there’s another reason I need something new to wear. I wonder if she’ll let me buy some Naturalizer shoes. Probably not. She’s young enough to still believe fashion trumps comfort.

I admit I’m an addict.

I have to have my email. The whole day I’ve been struggling with yanking my email down from the satellite. I’m absolutely certain something really, really important is coming my way and I CAN’T READ IT!! I NEED that spam from the penis-enhancement guys and the diet druggies. I can’t cope without hearing from by buddies.

Now, if I were a bit more focused, a lot more disciplined, I would have cut the umbilicil cord and simply worked on the short story I have to get out the door by the weekend, but I admit I’m weak. I need my fix! So, if you’ve been wondering where I was all day, I’m here, cursing and slamming my keyboard around my desk.

I promise tomorrow I’ll act like a real writer.