Monday, 30 April 2007
Mulder... my first YouTube
This is my first ever YouTube. It's not very good because my camera is cheap and old, but you can get an impression of my little baby puddycat frollicking in the back garden.
Sunday, 29 April 2007
my mood
I was going to do so much today... even allowing for Snooker and World Superbikes. I had my list all sorted out, and my productive head on... and then stuff happened. Stuff that makes me want to get out into the garage, fire up himself's chainsaw... and go on the rampage!!!
--
Telly: World Superbikes
Choc/Yummy: Frys Turkish Delight
Mood: beyond belief
Writing: sod all
Reading: Passion
RSI/FMS: a bit sore
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
--
Telly: World Superbikes
Choc/Yummy: Frys Turkish Delight
Mood: beyond belief
Writing: sod all
Reading: Passion
RSI/FMS: a bit sore
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Saturday, 28 April 2007
snookered
Okay, I admit it, I'm not getting nearly as much done as I should at the moment because I'm addicted to the World Snooker Tournament from The Crucible, in Sheffield. Above is a pic of Ali Carter, currently doing well against one of the long time champs of the game, Stephen Hendry.
I can't play snooker, obviously, as I have virtually no hand to eye coordination of any kind. But I do so love to watch it, and I love the commentaries and the punditry and the fun little asides of the BBC coverage. The cats seem to like the game too, and I often see them watching the run of the coloured balls on the table... I wonder if they think that they're mice?
When the snooker is over, I'm making a serious pact with myself to really buckle down and write. I don't have a strict deadline as such yet, but there's a strong possibility that I may have one soon... And once I've got that deadline, I'll need to meet it. I do feel it's one of the things that's an absolute given if you're to conduct yourself professionally in this game, and make life easier for your editor. I think the only time I ever had to ask for an extension was when I had a major operation! And even then, I got the MS on the editor's desk before my extra tranche of allotted time was over...
--
Telly: snooker, obviously
Choc/Yummy: turkish delight, lemon cake slice
Mood: okay, although wish I had more discipline
Writing: nothing today so far
Reading: Passion
RSI/FMS: wrists a bit sore
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
I can't play snooker, obviously, as I have virtually no hand to eye coordination of any kind. But I do so love to watch it, and I love the commentaries and the punditry and the fun little asides of the BBC coverage. The cats seem to like the game too, and I often see them watching the run of the coloured balls on the table... I wonder if they think that they're mice?
When the snooker is over, I'm making a serious pact with myself to really buckle down and write. I don't have a strict deadline as such yet, but there's a strong possibility that I may have one soon... And once I've got that deadline, I'll need to meet it. I do feel it's one of the things that's an absolute given if you're to conduct yourself professionally in this game, and make life easier for your editor. I think the only time I ever had to ask for an extension was when I had a major operation! And even then, I got the MS on the editor's desk before my extra tranche of allotted time was over...
--
Telly: snooker, obviously
Choc/Yummy: turkish delight, lemon cake slice
Mood: okay, although wish I had more discipline
Writing: nothing today so far
Reading: Passion
RSI/FMS: wrists a bit sore
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Friday, 27 April 2007
Gothic Heat thoughts
I'm finally working on it... but I'm not sure how it's working out. There doesn't seem to be any sex in it yet and I've already written about 2K words. Usually in a PDC, the protagonists have got down to it by this time, but I think there's going to be more 'story' in this one than is usual for me. Not that it's all *that* hugely complicated a story, perish the thought. At the moment, it's more like a paranormal fic with sensual and psychological elements than an erotic novel, although are some mildly sexy bits in it. And things are about to get hot and heavy any minute. :)
I'm also still thrashing out the details of the heroine, Paula's 'predicament'... She's sort of possessed by a demon, but not quite. She's more 'influenced' than possessed, and I have to get the balance of that influence correct... She's still basically in control, but keeps sort of getting nudged into doing foolhardy and dangerous things... I still haven't really nailed down her story yet, I suppose... I also have to work out just *how* bad my bad boy type hero is...
Everything is pretty fluid at the moment...
--
Telly: NCIS
Choc/Yummy: mostly cupcakes today
Mood: okay
Writing: 1K Gothic Heat
Reading: Passion/Lisa Valdez
RSI/FMS: so so
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
I'm also still thrashing out the details of the heroine, Paula's 'predicament'... She's sort of possessed by a demon, but not quite. She's more 'influenced' than possessed, and I have to get the balance of that influence correct... She's still basically in control, but keeps sort of getting nudged into doing foolhardy and dangerous things... I still haven't really nailed down her story yet, I suppose... I also have to work out just *how* bad my bad boy type hero is...
Everything is pretty fluid at the moment...
--
Telly: NCIS
Choc/Yummy: mostly cupcakes today
Mood: okay
Writing: 1K Gothic Heat
Reading: Passion/Lisa Valdez
RSI/FMS: so so
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Thursday, 26 April 2007
motivational speaker...
Had a bit of a downer today... a book proposal rejected. Wasn't something I was expecting anything of anyway, but the news was still a bit of a bummer.
However, I find that this motivational speaker helps me to stop feeling sorry for myself!
However, I find that this motivational speaker helps me to stop feeling sorry for myself!
better?
Am feeling marginally less croney today, although still malevolently inclined towards certain issues and people... But that's perfectly normal for me! :)
The big news is that I've finally made a start on Gothic Heat! Just a modest 500 words, but at least the thing is under way. It's like any book, any project... I'm scared of it. I'm always scared that this time, I just won't be able to do it. That I've run out of mojo or whatever, and have written everything I'm capable of writing... But then, I have this with every single book, and I've had it since I wrote Return to the Pleasure Zoneback in 1992! I fear that every book is the last I'll be able to manage... but I've kept on managing.
Gothic Heat may be a tricky one though, as there are a few different things going on, and I've a feeling that for me, it's going to be unusually story orientated, rather than just the usual plotless wonder of a few sex scenes slung together and casually linked by a bit of characterisation and 'lurrrve'... There's got to be some magic stuff and paranormal stuff, and that's scary because it means so much more work... and me being the most rampantly bone idle writer on the face of the earth, it's a tough call when I have to work these plotty things out. Eek! And agh!
When I started thinking about the idea for this, the heroine, Paula, was foremost in my mind... but now, it seems to be all about Rafe, the hero/anti-hero... I seem to want to focus on him, and be in his mind. He interests me more than Paula... For this reason, I'm choosing to do this book in third person. I did a couple of novels [Entertaining Mr Stone and Suite Seventeen] in first, and I've often written shorts in first, but even though it's fun, I'm not permanently switching to that voice because I do enjoy the freedom of third, in terms of getting in the heads of more characters. So I think that for a book with a proper story, I need third... I'll miss the intimacy and momentum of first, but I'm hoping I'll still get those qualities if I do my third right!
--
Telly: CSI
Choc/Yummy: Fabulous Bakin' Boys Strawberry Cupcake
Mood: better
Writing: Gothic Heat 500 words
Reading: Passion/Lisa Valdez
RSI/FMS: so so
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
The big news is that I've finally made a start on Gothic Heat! Just a modest 500 words, but at least the thing is under way. It's like any book, any project... I'm scared of it. I'm always scared that this time, I just won't be able to do it. That I've run out of mojo or whatever, and have written everything I'm capable of writing... But then, I have this with every single book, and I've had it since I wrote Return to the Pleasure Zoneback in 1992! I fear that every book is the last I'll be able to manage... but I've kept on managing.
Gothic Heat may be a tricky one though, as there are a few different things going on, and I've a feeling that for me, it's going to be unusually story orientated, rather than just the usual plotless wonder of a few sex scenes slung together and casually linked by a bit of characterisation and 'lurrrve'... There's got to be some magic stuff and paranormal stuff, and that's scary because it means so much more work... and me being the most rampantly bone idle writer on the face of the earth, it's a tough call when I have to work these plotty things out. Eek! And agh!
When I started thinking about the idea for this, the heroine, Paula, was foremost in my mind... but now, it seems to be all about Rafe, the hero/anti-hero... I seem to want to focus on him, and be in his mind. He interests me more than Paula... For this reason, I'm choosing to do this book in third person. I did a couple of novels [Entertaining Mr Stone and Suite Seventeen] in first, and I've often written shorts in first, but even though it's fun, I'm not permanently switching to that voice because I do enjoy the freedom of third, in terms of getting in the heads of more characters. So I think that for a book with a proper story, I need third... I'll miss the intimacy and momentum of first, but I'm hoping I'll still get those qualities if I do my third right!
--
Telly: CSI
Choc/Yummy: Fabulous Bakin' Boys Strawberry Cupcake
Mood: better
Writing: Gothic Heat 500 words
Reading: Passion/Lisa Valdez
RSI/FMS: so so
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Wednesday, 25 April 2007
images...
Yesterday was a crap day, for various reasons, and above is an illustration of my self image at the moment... Today hasn't started well either, for a whole bunch of other reasons.
But in an effort to fight the forces of darkness, today, I will be mainly concentrating on...
This!
This!
--
Telly: thing about alchemy
Chocolate: as much as I can get my hands on
Mood: bloody
Writing: hope to be doing some...
Reading: Passion by Lisa Valdez
RSI/FMS: loads of it
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Monday, 23 April 2007
****! Torturing myself with my bad reviews....
In the course of foofing about with setting up some Amazon aStores, I came across some scathingly abysmal reviews of one of my slightly older books... and needless to say, it wasn't a pleasant experience. Now, I freely admit that I'd defend a person's right to express their opinion with the last fibre of my being *and* I also freely admit that the book in question isn't one of my best... in fact, it's probably pretty much a pile of pooh. If it were me though, I'd just turn away and not bother to review... but as an author, putting my work out in the market place, I've just got to suck it up and smile if others do choose to review unfavourably. One has to accept that reader reviewers are providing a service to other readers - by preventing them wasting their money on substandard books.
Note to self...
Must.do.better.
Must.raise.my.game
Ah... chocoate beckons...
--
Telly: snooker
Chocolate: Frys Turkish Delight
Mood: fine until I went to Amazon
Writing: brainstorming Gothic Heat
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: sore
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Note to self...
Must.do.better.
Must.raise.my.game
Ah... chocoate beckons...
--
Telly: snooker
Chocolate: Frys Turkish Delight
Mood: fine until I went to Amazon
Writing: brainstorming Gothic Heat
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: sore
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Sunday, 22 April 2007
foofing with my camera again...
Been foofing around with my camera again, trying to get a decent headshot... and out of around a hundred snaps, this was probably the only where I look like a human being rather than a mutant alien with a retrograde IQ... You might notice that, as ever, my glasses seem to be on a bit skew whiff... This always seems to happen, and I think it's because my ears are attached to my head at different heights! They're wonky! The thing is, though, that I don't actually wear my specs all the time, just for working... but I can't see the swingout LCD screen on my camera without them, so all my self taken piccies tend to be bespectacled ones!
Saturday, 21 April 2007
ack, now they've done it... the snooker is on!
The World Snooker Championship is being held now, at the Crucible in Sheffield, and I'm going to have a hard time not letting it take over my life for the next couple of weeks! I'll be particularly interested in the progress of the unexpected contender shown above. More information about his prowess at The Man Who Fell Asleep.
Although I haven't actually laid down any text of Gothic Heat, I have been having some good plot and character ideas for it over the last couple of days, including a couple of lightbulbs at around 1.30am this morning, just after we turned out the light for the night. Luckily himself was fast asleep, because at least twice, I had to put the light back on and scribble down some notes. There's no way I would have remembered my bright ideas without writing them down...
--
Telly: snooker
Chocolate: lemon drizzle cake
Mood: okay
Writing: brainstorming Gothic Heat/proof checking Watching The Detective
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: general soreness
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Thursday, 19 April 2007
last day of the 'holidays'...
Well, I've been moaning and whining about having no focus and not knowing what project to work on next, haven't I? Well, now I know... and am going to have to extract the old digit and get my enormous posterior into gear!
Received an unexpected phonecall from my editor this morning, for a chat about various book ideas my agent had sent to him. We batted various plot bits to and fro, and the upshot is that it looks like I'll be doing a sequel, or linked book, to GOTHIC BLUE! Now, please remember, nothing's set in stone yet, but the new title is provisionally called GOTHIC HEAT and will be out next year...
In GB, one of the supporting players, Paula, has a brush with the baddie, the sorceress Isidora Katori... and some time after the action of the first book, Paula discovers this incident had a more lasting effect on her than she's realised. In deep trouble, she seeks help from bad boy professional mystic and sometime new age con artist Rafe Hathaway and together they go in search of answers at the mysterious Sedgewick Priory... which seems to have disappeared into a kind of English Bermuda Triangle. I only have these bare bones of a plot, as yet, but one or two v. interesting titbits are already beginning to bubble...
Editor and I also talked about a fun and very naughty contemporary, to do after GH is in the bag... and this one will be the escapades of a librarian who drawn into a web of sexual gameplaying by an enigmatic admirer who sends her lots of outrageous notes and emails and text messages... My idea is that this book is loosely set in my Stoneworld universe, and familiar settings and characters may well pop up in the course of the story...
So, in honour of finding out what to do next... I've done absolutely nothing at all today!!! But, like I say, this is the last day of doing nothing, as I can no longer afford to fritter my time away...
Tomorrow's to do list includes:
--
Telly: Sea of Souls
Chocolate: lemon drizzle cake instead
Mood: good
Writing: thinking about Gothic Heat
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not too bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Received an unexpected phonecall from my editor this morning, for a chat about various book ideas my agent had sent to him. We batted various plot bits to and fro, and the upshot is that it looks like I'll be doing a sequel, or linked book, to GOTHIC BLUE! Now, please remember, nothing's set in stone yet, but the new title is provisionally called GOTHIC HEAT and will be out next year...
In GB, one of the supporting players, Paula, has a brush with the baddie, the sorceress Isidora Katori... and some time after the action of the first book, Paula discovers this incident had a more lasting effect on her than she's realised. In deep trouble, she seeks help from bad boy professional mystic and sometime new age con artist Rafe Hathaway and together they go in search of answers at the mysterious Sedgewick Priory... which seems to have disappeared into a kind of English Bermuda Triangle. I only have these bare bones of a plot, as yet, but one or two v. interesting titbits are already beginning to bubble...
Editor and I also talked about a fun and very naughty contemporary, to do after GH is in the bag... and this one will be the escapades of a librarian who drawn into a web of sexual gameplaying by an enigmatic admirer who sends her lots of outrageous notes and emails and text messages... My idea is that this book is loosely set in my Stoneworld universe, and familiar settings and characters may well pop up in the course of the story...
So, in honour of finding out what to do next... I've done absolutely nothing at all today!!! But, like I say, this is the last day of doing nothing, as I can no longer afford to fritter my time away...
Tomorrow's to do list includes:
- check proofs of my story Watching the Detective
- web design for a client
- couple of invoices
- send parcel to a prize draw winner
- develop proper outline of Gothic Heat
- read stuff on mysticism, tantra
- begin rereading Gothic Blue so I know what I wrote in it
- try not to panic and run around waving my arms about!
--
Telly: Sea of Souls
Chocolate: lemon drizzle cake instead
Mood: good
Writing: thinking about Gothic Heat
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not too bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
something else to worry about
Well, Mulder is continuing to do well... no probs with her. She's eating well, her stitches don't seem to be bothering her and she's quite her normal self! What a relief!
I, on the other hand, am doing terribly... as usual... My to do list is a mile long, I'm achieving v. little to nil, I have no idea what I'm supposed to be writing next... same old same old...
And this morning I hear news of yet another damning report about a medicine I've been taking for a long time. More cancer scares... sigh... Sometimes you really just don't know what to do, do you? To fix one problem, you create another... health is just one great series of knock-on effects... the entire human constitution is like a plate balancing act. You move to correct a wobbling platter, and somewhere else, another starts to teeter or drops off the pole entirely.... At least that's the way it feels to me, and I know that I'm far from the only person who's struggling to keep everything spinning! Not by a long chalk... There must be millions... billions of us out there trying to stay on an even health keel against the odds.
--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: not yet
Mood: peed off
Writing: not yet
Reading: not yet
RSI/FMS: aching all over
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
I, on the other hand, am doing terribly... as usual... My to do list is a mile long, I'm achieving v. little to nil, I have no idea what I'm supposed to be writing next... same old same old...
And this morning I hear news of yet another damning report about a medicine I've been taking for a long time. More cancer scares... sigh... Sometimes you really just don't know what to do, do you? To fix one problem, you create another... health is just one great series of knock-on effects... the entire human constitution is like a plate balancing act. You move to correct a wobbling platter, and somewhere else, another starts to teeter or drops off the pole entirely.... At least that's the way it feels to me, and I know that I'm far from the only person who's struggling to keep everything spinning! Not by a long chalk... There must be millions... billions of us out there trying to stay on an even health keel against the odds.
--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: not yet
Mood: peed off
Writing: not yet
Reading: not yet
RSI/FMS: aching all over
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
She's home!
Everything went smoothly. No problems. Nothing sinister in the little cyst they removed. She's supposed to take it easy and have just a light meal tonight... and the photo above is of her having her fifth light meal since she got home!!! She has three little stitches that have to come out in ten days, but as she doesn't seem to be paying much attention to them, the vet says she doesn't need one of those giant collars... Which is super, because she's such a tiny thing that a whopping great collar would be quite an encumbrance for her.
It's so lovely to have Mulder back... she's only been away since 8am this morning, but I still missed her!
--
Telly: documentary about Herod the Great
Chocolate: Tesco Belgian Milk
Mood: okay
Writing: none
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: bit sore
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Please have a good thought for....
My little baby has just been taken to the vet for an operation... It's routine, to remove a small cyst on her chin that has been gradually growing for several years. But I still worry and I hate that she has to undergo an ordeal. She's such a character and a precious little mite, and it's been particularly hard to have to starve her overnight, because as you can see from the above she really, really loves her food! Hopefully, though, the op will be relatively minor and go smoothly and she'll quickly be back on top form, eating everything in sight, and possessed of an elegant super sleek chinline again!
Monday, 16 April 2007
I'm guesting again...
Read an interview with me today at:
Dark Ice Goddess' Musings
Many thanks to Nicole for inviting me to her blog. :)
--
Telly: CSI:NY
Chocolate: Tesco Belgian Milk
Mood: out of sorts
Writing: nothing
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: quite grim
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Dark Ice Goddess' Musings
Many thanks to Nicole for inviting me to her blog. :)
--
Telly: CSI:NY
Chocolate: Tesco Belgian Milk
Mood: out of sorts
Writing: nothing
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: quite grim
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Saturday, 14 April 2007
The name's Gump... Forrest Gump
I'm really on a Casino Royale tip at the moment... am watching it over again. I'm loving Daniel Craig in the role too, but here's a Bond I would quite like to have seen...
Friday, 13 April 2007
The name's Da Costa... Portia Da Costa
Well, I've finally watched the new James Bond movie... months and months after most people, of course, but I can't remember the last time I actually went to the pictures. I always wait until the DVDs come out...
I am very impressed with Daniel Craig as Bond. Which isn't what I expected. I was quite fond of Pierce... I thought he was the best bond since Sean and I really wanted to see him continue in the role. When I heard he was passing on it, I must admit that I then wanted it to be Clive Owen, because he's got the 007 look somehow... I was shocked when I heard it was DC... and I just didn't see him as Bond, because of the hair, I suppose, although I'd seen him on the telly and in films and rated him as an actor. But he's great! He's a rough, craggy, rambunctious Bond, forever getting bloody and battered... and really very, very cold at times, in a totally appropriate and very ruthlessly sexy way. I like it that he's a universe away from the burlesque Bond of Roger Moore, although I enjoyed the Moore Bond movies in a comedy relief sort of way. There was nothing of the Bond books in those movies, but there is in the new version of Casino Royale in an updated sort of way. Although I think there's slightly more humour in the books somehow... Book Bond can be quite droll at times, but DC's Bond is more sardonically humorous in a very hardcase and bitter way. I also liked the judicious and relevant use of modern technology. It's utilised in a very real world sort of way, a bit like it is in the Bourne movies. [I do love Bourne... and Matt Damon is faberooney... but he's just that bit too pretty for a deadly killer... although maybe that makes him a more effective deadly killer, 'cos you don't expect it!]
What I'd like to see sometime is a remake of On Her Majesty's Secret Service with Daniel Craig as Bond. Sorry, George L. but you were never Bond for me [and for a lot of folk, I guess] and that's a shame, because the story was very good, with more scope for exploring the emotional side of Bond.
ps. don't forget to slide over to Lustbites and comment, eh?
pps. lisaf... where are you? There's a prize with your name on it if you send me your snail mail addie!!!
--
Telly: Casino Royale
Chocolate: Tesco Hazelnut
Mood: okay
Writing: not today...
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: sore
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
posting at LUSTBITES again today
I'm here!
Sweeter Than Wine
Please nip over, read and leave a comment if you feel so inclined. There's a chance to win an ebook download for the commenter picked out of the hat!
I may be back here later in the day... with some thoughts on Casino Royale - the movie rather than the book. Am watching it in teabreaks... and am v. impressed!
--
Telly: Casino Royale
Chocolate: last of my easter egg
Mood: goodish
Writing: thinking about a contemp idea
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not too bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Sweeter Than Wine
Please nip over, read and leave a comment if you feel so inclined. There's a chance to win an ebook download for the commenter picked out of the hat!
I may be back here later in the day... with some thoughts on Casino Royale - the movie rather than the book. Am watching it in teabreaks... and am v. impressed!
--
Telly: Casino Royale
Chocolate: last of my easter egg
Mood: goodish
Writing: thinking about a contemp idea
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not too bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Thursday, 12 April 2007
direction... sort of...
Bit of a breakout, yesterday, from this directionless lethargy I've been wallowing around in since before Easter. Himself got home early from work, and deposited himself in the living room, to catch a bit of telly. Not wanting to be unsocial, but not wanting to abandon the old lappie, I lugged it into the living room and plugged in there, to potter about a bit with it whilst keeping himself company... and managed to write rough outlines for two potential projects!
Don't get too excited... when I say rough, I mean fragmentary to the point of barely existing. But at least, it's started me thinking. At last. And there's something to build on... and something to show agent and editor... so they don't think I'm doing absolutely nothing! Even though I am doing almost nothing... ;)
While I'm hear, I'm still waiting to hear from lisa f... please contact me about the prize you won in my Gothic Blue publication day comment draw!
--
Telly: CSI/end of Life On Mars [again!]
Chocolate: G&B Dark Almond
Mood: better
Writing: thinking about GB sequel/outlines
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not too bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Don't get too excited... when I say rough, I mean fragmentary to the point of barely existing. But at least, it's started me thinking. At last. And there's something to build on... and something to show agent and editor... so they don't think I'm doing absolutely nothing! Even though I am doing almost nothing... ;)
While I'm hear, I'm still waiting to hear from lisa f... please contact me about the prize you won in my Gothic Blue publication day comment draw!
--
Telly: CSI/end of Life On Mars [again!]
Chocolate: G&B Dark Almond
Mood: better
Writing: thinking about GB sequel/outlines
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not too bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Gosh, I'm sorry...
... that there's been this gap. I haven't been really ill or anything, and nothing particularly drastic has happened. It's just that the Easter Holidays and this occasional 'disconnect' thing of mine has really shaken me out of my usual routine of writing and posting and whatnot. I think all that promo stuff really freaked me out... I've done some of it, and prepped some of the rest of it, but it really really drags me out of my writing 'place' and I'm finding it bloody tough trying to get back into it!
Well, a lot of Easter was spent watching Agatha Christie stuff on ITV3... lots of Poirot, Marple and stuff about Christie herself. I'm not a crime writer, and I never shall be, but some of the insights into what makes her writing so compelling were quite interesting, with possible applications to other kinds of writing.
I haven't read any Christie recently, in fact I probably only read one or two way back when I was in my early teens, but I'm tempted to try some, just to see how they read nowadays... I have a copy of Evil Under The Sun somewhere in my TBR pile, which I bought because I was interested in its setting The Burgh Island Hotel, but so far I haven't really dipped into it.
On the subject of investigations and crime fiction... I enjoyed the last ever Life On Mars last night, and have even found myself snivelling a bit today over the ending. Of course, it's still open to interpretation, but I thought it was beautiful how Sam finally realised exactly where/when he really felt happiest and most alive... and made his choice.
LOM has been a very rare and unusual television event, and I think it will be a while before somebody comes up with something as novel again. Puts me in awe of the creative mind that can have such an audacious fiction idea and then flesh it out in such a coherent yet enigmatic way.
Amongst many of the virtuoso procrastination techniques I've been employing is fiddling with Blogger again... Please note the new header for this blog! It's just a first attempt, but at least I've worked out how to do it, with the help of the Testing Blogger Beta Blog, which has lots and lots of useful information! If you're wanting to fiddle with Blogger and 'do stuff' to it, check it out!
--
Telly: watching Animal Park, thinking about Life On Mars
Chocolate: Hotel Chocolat Happy Face Egg
Mood: unsettled
Writing: nothing
Reading: Madelynne Ellis - Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: achy, disorientated, weepy
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Well, a lot of Easter was spent watching Agatha Christie stuff on ITV3... lots of Poirot, Marple and stuff about Christie herself. I'm not a crime writer, and I never shall be, but some of the insights into what makes her writing so compelling were quite interesting, with possible applications to other kinds of writing.
I haven't read any Christie recently, in fact I probably only read one or two way back when I was in my early teens, but I'm tempted to try some, just to see how they read nowadays... I have a copy of Evil Under The Sun somewhere in my TBR pile, which I bought because I was interested in its setting The Burgh Island Hotel, but so far I haven't really dipped into it.
On the subject of investigations and crime fiction... I enjoyed the last ever Life On Mars last night, and have even found myself snivelling a bit today over the ending. Of course, it's still open to interpretation, but I thought it was beautiful how Sam finally realised exactly where/when he really felt happiest and most alive... and made his choice.
LOM has been a very rare and unusual television event, and I think it will be a while before somebody comes up with something as novel again. Puts me in awe of the creative mind that can have such an audacious fiction idea and then flesh it out in such a coherent yet enigmatic way.
Amongst many of the virtuoso procrastination techniques I've been employing is fiddling with Blogger again... Please note the new header for this blog! It's just a first attempt, but at least I've worked out how to do it, with the help of the Testing Blogger Beta Blog, which has lots and lots of useful information! If you're wanting to fiddle with Blogger and 'do stuff' to it, check it out!
--
Telly: watching Animal Park, thinking about Life On Mars
Chocolate: Hotel Chocolat Happy Face Egg
Mood: unsettled
Writing: nothing
Reading: Madelynne Ellis - Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: achy, disorientated, weepy
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Saturday, 7 April 2007
Agh! B*llocks! Promo activities messing with my head!
For the last few days, I have mainly been doing promo wotsit type stuff to do with Gothic Blue...
Promo is a necessary thing when you're a writer, and can be enormous fun... but sometimes when you get involved with a fair bit of it, all at the same time, you get this disquieting feeling that it's sort of taken over your writing life and expelled all your writing mojo from your grey matter! There must be a harmonious balance between the two... because some authors do manage to be both prolific *and* entertaining and effective at promo as well! Me, I think I have a bit of work to do yet in order to find that equilibrium. At the moment, I have this list of jobs:
So, I'd better stop foofing about and get on with something... no Easter Holiday Break for me!
--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: not yet, but I think that egg is gonna get raided before tomorrow
Mood: slightly desperate
Writing: wot is writing?
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: very, very achey, probably stress related
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Promo is a necessary thing when you're a writer, and can be enormous fun... but sometimes when you get involved with a fair bit of it, all at the same time, you get this disquieting feeling that it's sort of taken over your writing life and expelled all your writing mojo from your grey matter! There must be a harmonious balance between the two... because some authors do manage to be both prolific *and* entertaining and effective at promo as well! Me, I think I have a bit of work to do yet in order to find that equilibrium. At the moment, I have this list of jobs:
- select extract and write accompanying piece for promo blog #1
- answer some questions, compose a short bio and select a promo piece for blog #2
- write short contribution for blog #3
- send out books to various prizewinners
- think about promo angles for Suite Seventeen
So, I'd better stop foofing about and get on with something... no Easter Holiday Break for me!
--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: not yet, but I think that egg is gonna get raided before tomorrow
Mood: slightly desperate
Writing: wot is writing?
Reading: Passion of Isis
RSI/FMS: very, very achey, probably stress related
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Friday, 6 April 2007
Happy Easter!
--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: guess what?
Mood: okay
Writing: not yet
Reading: not yet
RSI/FMS: so so
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Thursday, 5 April 2007
And the winners are....
lisa f
and
readingissomuchfun
Congratulations! Can you two lovely ladies contact me via the email link on the left with your snail mail addresses and let me know which of my books you've already read, so I can send you something different!
And sorry to everybody the pin on the page didn't hit... :( But it's not all that long until June, when Suite Seventeen comes out in the UK, and I'll be running another blog draw then. And who knows, there may even be other reasons to celebrate before then... so keep dropping in and watching this space!!!
and
readingissomuchfun
Congratulations! Can you two lovely ladies contact me via the email link on the left with your snail mail addresses and let me know which of my books you've already read, so I can send you something different!
And sorry to everybody the pin on the page didn't hit... :( But it's not all that long until June, when Suite Seventeen comes out in the UK, and I'll be running another blog draw then. And who knows, there may even be other reasons to celebrate before then... so keep dropping in and watching this space!!!
Wednesday, 4 April 2007
Out and about... plus something to make you giggle!
Nip over to Lustbites today and read a v. naughty encounter between two of the boys from Gothic Blue...
There's another giveaway too... :)
But before you go, just take a butchers at this... It was brought to my attention by the wonderful Diva Lisa over at Romance Divas. Don't you just love Bernard's healthy reaction to being rejected?
NB. You can also still comment on yesterday's post in order to be in for the chance of a prize!
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
There's another giveaway too... :)
But before you go, just take a butchers at this... It was brought to my attention by the wonderful Diva Lisa over at Romance Divas. Don't you just love Bernard's healthy reaction to being rejected?
NB. You can also still comment on yesterday's post in order to be in for the chance of a prize!
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
Gothic Blue reprint out today in the US!!!
Well, US chums, it's out today, so I hope you're racing to the shops to get it!
It's a long time since I wrote it [1995] but I do remember that Gothic Blue was huge fun to write and the first time I'd forayed into a full length paranormal erotic novel. I'm not sure what else was around at the time, but my editor reckons this was a book ahead of its time, considering how popular paranormal romance is now... And it's definitely a romance. There are two main love relationships in it, and one's so enormous that it spans centuries! There're are also plenty of spooky goings on at mysterious Sedgewick Priory and loads and loads of sex of all persuasions! So I'm really hoping you'll take a visit there and meet sexy Count Andre, Belinda and Jonathan, and quite a cast - for me - of other fairly libidinous characters!
If you wanna try before you buy, there're excerpts here and here and tomorrow there'll be another one over at LustBites.
To celebrate US Gothic Blue Day, I'm going to do a prize draw here today. Just leave a comment on this post - doesn't have to be about GB... can just be a hello - and on Thursday, I'll pick a name at random and announce the winner here! The prize will be a couple of books from my backlist.
--
Telly: not yet
Chocolate: not yet
Mood: good
Writing: thinking about Smalltown
Reading: Passion of Isis - Madelynne Ellis
RSI/FMS: not bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Monday, 2 April 2007
where did the day go?
Busy busy busy... networking, networking, networking... as well as walking up into little town and running errands. Quite a bit achieved, really, for me...
And I've even managed to do a bit of writing, and have produced the princely amount of 1.2K words on Smalltown. I decided that I needed to go back and write a bit of a prologue... bringing Jay to the table first, so to speak. I'm not sure how this'll work in a romantic sense, because maybe I should have stuck with Sandy opening the show... but it just feels right to introduce my hero in the first scene, and he is actually thinking about Sandy. Well, more than thinking, if you get my drift... tee hee... It's all gonna haveta be pretty stringently edited though, 'cos not only have I missed out an angsty plot point that I was going to develop... I've also managed to swap the hero and heroine's surnames round! Doh!
While I'm here... Gothic Blue is out in the States again tomorrow! And if you drop by here, you might find something to your advantage... ;)
--
Telly: UK History
Chocolate: cake
Mood: okay
Writing: 1.2K Smalltown
Reading: Romantic Times
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not too bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
And I've even managed to do a bit of writing, and have produced the princely amount of 1.2K words on Smalltown. I decided that I needed to go back and write a bit of a prologue... bringing Jay to the table first, so to speak. I'm not sure how this'll work in a romantic sense, because maybe I should have stuck with Sandy opening the show... but it just feels right to introduce my hero in the first scene, and he is actually thinking about Sandy. Well, more than thinking, if you get my drift... tee hee... It's all gonna haveta be pretty stringently edited though, 'cos not only have I missed out an angsty plot point that I was going to develop... I've also managed to swap the hero and heroine's surnames round! Doh!
While I'm here... Gothic Blue is out in the States again tomorrow! And if you drop by here, you might find something to your advantage... ;)
--
Telly: UK History
Chocolate: cake
Mood: okay
Writing: 1.2K Smalltown
Reading: Romantic Times
RSI/FMS: bit sore, not too bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
Sunday, 1 April 2007
bloody good movie... and a mixed day...
Watched Master and Commander again last night when we got home from the pub... what a bloody good film that is, with a rip roaring full blooded performance from Mr Crowe. Must admit I like him, and he's pretty tasty as Lucky Jack Aubrey in his tight breeches! Wahey! It's a good film all round though - terrific cinematography, and a wonderful recreation of another time and another world. Very touching in places too.
It's been a weird day today. I seem to have been busy all day, but achieved very little. I've certainly done no writing at all... so far. Himself might be going out to meet his biker buddies a little later on, so I may try and do a tiny bit then. If I'm not too tired. I've mainly been doing promo bits and bobs, and grappling with various things that won't work properly. Have been trying to reformat the MS of Gothic Blue, but it's all out of shape somehow, as if there are Word codes under the bonnet that are cocking things up. Might have to export it to another program, but it's all a pain in the @rse to grapple with, and I've got fed up of it for the day. I've also been trying to work out why - on a Googlegroup I'm on - I never get back the messages I've sent to it. It's not a major problem, but stuff like this bugs me when I can't work out the reason for it. It niggles me, and I spend hours trying to work out the reason... when if I just accepted that certain things just can't be done... I'd have a lot more time at my disposal!
Have watched very little telly today, apart from the World Superbikes. Enjoyed that very much, especially the second race, when I was rooting for Nitro Nori Haga and he won! The first race was won by James Toseland, who's a Brit, and who I should support... but somehow, I'm just not sympatico with him... I don't know why.
--
Telly: WSB
Chocolate: cherry cake
Mood: okay
Writing: none yet
Reading: none
RSI/FMS: not too bad
Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!
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