Thoughts by Lilah Pierce

Another Re-Post

2012-02-01T13:38:00.001-07:00

I thought this story & link was worth a re-post as well...

Jennifer Crusie's Sunday blog post: Random Sunday, Drama Queen Edition

"We have a new pet, sort of: Walter, the dumbest squirrel in the forest. He got his name after we watched him speed around the deck with five barking dogs after him, never thinking to jump onto one of the zillion trees around the deck. Or as Lani said, “Poor Walter. Never was the same after he got hit with that walnut.” (This place gets bombarded by walnuts in the fall; sounds like the house is being shelled.) My introduction to Walter came when I was crocheting in the living room and saw this squirrel leap for a branch, miss, and plummet to the deck. Did I mention, a zillion trees? You’d have to work hard to miss them all, but Walter managed it. Then the dogs went crazy (“SQUIRREL!”) and Walter jumped up on a table where they couldn’t get him, and the dogs surrounded him. Now Walter has some options. He can run along the wide railing and jump on a tree. He can jump off the table and onto the narrow decking under the window that the dogs can’t get to. He can leap for one of the zillion branches that are right beside him. Or he can leap down into the middle of the dogs. Guess which one Walter picked? It was such an astoundingly stupid move that the dogs just looked at him and then at each other, like “This isn’t it right, must be a trick.” Then Walter staggered over and fell through the railing. I’d say his days are numbered, but clearly God loves the little rat. Either that or he does it on purpose because he loves the drama. We get a lot of that around here."

Poor Walter...

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Becoming a Better Writer 101

2012-02-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

I was going through my previous posts and came across this one. It made me smile just as it did before, so I thought I'd share it again. Happy reading & writing!

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer
by Brian Clark

1. Write.
2. Write more.
3. Write even more.
4. Write even more than that.
5. Write when you don't want to.
6. Write when you do.
7. Write when you have something to say.
8. Write when you don't.
9. Write everyday.
10. Keep writing.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

2011 Commercials

2012-01-01T21:14:00.003-07:00

I'm not usually one to make a "Best of.." list at the end of the year, but in 2011 I found quite a few commercials I never got tired of. No matter how many times I saw them, they made me smile, giggle, or even cry. Here is my list (in no particular order):

1. Kia Soul with the hamsters:

2. Chrysler with Detroit and Eminem (there's multiple, this is just one):

3. September 11th, Budweiser Clydesdales:

4. NyQuil with Drew Brees:

5. Verizon smartphone app with Clay Matthews & Drew Brees:

6. GE employees meet cancer survivors:

7. All State's Mayhem GPS:

8. Jennifer Lopez returns home with Fiat:

9. Corona - from the plane to the beach, and the city to the beach:

10. Family road trip with Honda Pilot:

11. Pop's old Chevy Impala:

12. Marriage proposal with the Chevy Cruze Eco:

13. The Oregon Duck and WI's Bucky Badger works for ESPN:

16. Coors: The Banquet Beer

15. American Airlines appreciates the military:

Hope some of them made you smile! Have a great 2012!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Superhero Clichés

2011-12-29T01:24:00.003-07:00

B. McKenzie over at Superhero Nation posted a list of 38 Superhero clichés and I want to share the basic ideas with everyone. Many are very interesting and could prove helpful with any genre of story.

1. A superhero or supervillain's emotional drive comes from the murder of a loved one. I can think of at least 3 superheroes where this is true: Batman, Daredevil, and Spider-Man.

2. Superpowers are gained through a scientific accident or exposure to a scientific element. Again, I can think of several where this is true: Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Dare Devil, even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles :)

3. Superheroes and supervillains gain their powers from the same source or in the same manner. This one seems like it would be true, but I can only think of Fantastic Four and X-Men...

4. Superheroes and supervillains share a personal connection. This isn't limited to just superhero stories. This is a true cliché for the relationship between a protagonist and antagonist in general. Most commonly, a familial connection is used. (I swear if I read one more story where the antagonist turns out to be the protagonist's father, my brain is going to fall out of my head. The phrase "I am your father" didn't work when the protagonist was Luke Skywalker, it certainly doesn't work 35 years later. Good grief.)

5. Supervillains cannot die from nuclear weapons, but a superhero can kill a supervillain in hand-to-hand combat. Of course! The idea of a superhero overtaking a villain in a one-on-one battle is the classic portrayal of Good beating Evil. There's a reason this idea is so popular - people like the hope these stories inspire.

6. Nobody stays dead. There's no arguing with this one - its just true.

7. Women are more likely to be killed. I don't know about killed, but it is depressing to see the number of female characters who make amazingly stupid mistakes and end up in the hands of the antagonist. Those are always Good Grief! moments - its like: Really? We, as a society, haven't moved past the 'damsel in distress' idea?

8. New York City is the most over-used setting. For comics, this is definitely true! Even Batman's Gotham City is an obvious knockoff of NYC.

9. Someone always has super-strength. This one is definitely true, but I've never lingered on the fact because personally, I would love to be super-strong. Most people would - that's why the idea is so popular.

10. Superpowers rarely come with difficulty or inconvenience. Tell that to the Fantastic Four and the X-Men! I dare you.

11. Superpowers skew toward specific genders. I'll be honest, I don't know how true this one is in the comic book world, but in the publishing and movie industries as a whole, I feel the different powers are distributed pretty evenly.

12. Superheroes learn to use their powers quickly. I absolutely agree. In fact, I agree so much, the plot of my first novel is heavily driven by this idea.

13. Everyone who gains superpowers becomes a superhero or supervillain. This one gets a big, fat DUH! Lets face it, one of the biggest reasons why people love a superhero is because they use their powers for Good. What kind of a story would it be otherwise? Would we read about the person's use of the powers to clean their house?...I don't think so. There has to be more to it. And there has to be a supervillain, because every story needs an antagonist - I mean that's Writing Class 101 - and if the superhero has powers, but the villain doesn't, what kind of a climax would that be? Plus, going back to the first statement, we've already established most superheroes and villains are driven by the murder of a loved one. I mean, if you see a family member die in front of you, especially because of some type of injustice, and later you end up with life altering superpowers - what are you going to do? Seriously, can we say 'vengance' and 'vigilante'?

14. When a secret identity needs to be kept, characters suddenly become amazingly stupid. How many times have we seen a superhero's identity get blown away because he or she made a stupid mistake? And how many times have supporting characters remained completely oblivious to situations that are otherwise completely obvious? The perfect example is Lois Lane: she's supposed to be a brilliant investigative reporter, but Clark Kent's glasses and hair gel can really keep her from seeing his alter ego? Again, my response is - seriously?

15. Women protagonists are hot. This is another statement that is not limited to comics. Its also another idea that is cliché for a reason - men want gorgeous, sexy women, so the women in their stories are gorgeous and sexy. Likewise, women want to feel gorgeous and sexy and we can feel this way when we read about these types of women. These reasons are also true for hot male characters - they are the type men want to be, and the type women want. We can complain about this cliché as much as we want, but this one will never change.

16. Superhero-scientists know everything there is to know about science, but they can't take the time to cure cancer and other illnesses. Enough said.

17. Super-scientists (heroes and villains) use themselves as test subjects. It never goes well! If they're so smart, they should know this by now!

18. Scientific experiments can never be replicated. Yeah, that's gotten a bit old.

19. Characters forget things because its convenient for the plot. That's not cliché, that's just bad writing.

20. No matter how catastrophic a battle is, civilian casualties are zero. With all the buildings that have been blown up or demolished in the NYC placed comics, I have a hard time believing the city's population would still be at 8 million.

21. Supervillains never get the death penalty. ...there's a thinker.

22. Supervillains never stay in prison, and superheroes always break free when they are held captive by the villain. This one gets old, too.

23. Non-humans are like humans, but better. We're a species that dreams of being better than we are - this is news to you?

24. Supervillains commit their crimes in a city that has a superhero. I always think of this when I watch the old Batman episodes - if Penguin, Joker, Riddler, and all those guys know that Batman lives in Gotham City...why don't they go somewhere else? B. McKenzie of Superhero Nation put it best this way: Houston - over 200 banks, 3300 ATMs, 0 superheroes. Just saying.

25. Characters with superpowers are wealthy. They have to be rich to pay for all the buildings they demolish during their battles.

Hope everyone enjoyed these ideas and found them helpful!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

22 Adult Truths

2011-11-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

I Just had to share these! They're great!

1 Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday/Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

22. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

I'm Mad, and You Should Be, Too!

2011-10-31T18:48:00.000-06:00

I just watched this story on ESPN, and I'm so mad I could cry!

This kid loses both of his parents in the Joplin tornado, he breaks his back, fractures the orbital bone near his left eye, blows out a muscle in his left leg, he has skin graphite covering both his knees - basically, this kid has lost everything and physically gone through hell while he was at it.

After all that, a local church works to get him a truck, and a DRUNK DRIVER TOTALS THE TRUCK DURING HOMECOMING!!

Are you kidding me?! I mean, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

I'm one of the least violet people there are, but I honestly think if I lived in that area, I'd track that driver down.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Very Excited...

2011-05-22T17:46:00.000-06:00

I'm a third of the way through my WIP!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Long Time, No Blog...

2011-04-23T17:08:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone,

Its been awhile since I blogged - a lot has happened since last fall - and today seems like a great day to end my silence...actually I'm just procrastinating. I've come to a small road block in my story and I'm avoiding going over it by just sitting in front of it for awhile.

My writing has been going great this year. Its much more consistent and structured, and I'm making a lot of great progress. It started January 1st, when I came up with a complete outline for a story, and on January 2nd I started writing. I've altered the outline a few times, but I expected that, and even though I don't write every day, my progress still makes me feel great.

When I think about the reasons behind my progress this time around, I come up with 2 possibilities: I'm much more driven and I've found my best writing style.

When I say I've found my style, I mean I've found the POV that works best for me: first person, present tense. I know some people are touchy about the style - it has to be used just right to get the proper flow - but it works really well for me. Its a lot more natural, and makes the writing much easier.

The other reason for my progress is my drive - I'm much more driven to finish. I have this whole new life now and I've been introduced to a world of people that have worked hard and achieved their dreams, regardless of what people told them. It might sound corny, but I've really never had such inspiration before. These people aren't writers, but their focus and dedication inspires me to achieve the life that I want...no matter the odds.

Hope everyone else is making great progress! Happy Easter!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Duncan the Packer Fan

2010-10-26T10:03:00.000-06:00

This is how dedicated my family is to the Green Bay Packers:

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

The Nook

2010-09-15T23:15:00.000-06:00

Has anyone made the transition to eReaders, yet? I did, and personally it is one of the best investments I have ever made. I am a loyal Barnes and Noble person, so I went the Nook route, and I LOVE it!

I know a lot of people don't like the idea of eReaders for many reasons (I like holding a book, I like seeing my books lined up on the shelf, I like looking at all the covers, etc, etc). I will admit that I felt the same way in the beginning, and the day I went to get my Nook, I was actually nervous! (It was a big step!) But I'm glad I made the decision.

The Nook is about the size of a trademark paperback. It has some weight to it (but not as much as some of the bigger books). It also has the screen that looks just like a page (and there is no backlight, like some eReaders have). There is also a setting that allows you to view all the covers of your library, so you can still see all your little conquests.

I love the space it saves me, both in my room and in my daily bag, and I like that I can actually carry around more than one book! It will hold up to 1,500 books (more if you add a card!), plus you don't have to keep all of them saved to the machine - barnesandnoble.com will hold all of them for you, no matter what. (FYI, Barnes and Noble ebooks aren't the only ones the Nook holds. As long as the file is .epub, you can just manually hook the Nook up to your computer and transfer the file to the eReader.)

And, there's the added bonus that ebooks don't use any natural resources!

Now, here's a not-so-secret secret: Barnes and Noble also has a setup where they put up twelve free ebooks every week. They are only free for a week, then a new set is put up. They're all classics (Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock Holmes, etc.), and you can download them all as soon as they are available on Sundays. I had over 80 ebooks before I even bought the Nook, now I have over 120, and out of all those I have paid for maybe 12!

In case its not clear - I like, support, and recommend the Nook! :)

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Yeah!

2010-08-29T14:42:00.000-06:00

I did it! I read 14 books in 28 days! Here they are:

I read some great ones this month! Adventurer's Wanted was so fun that I actually like it better than Harry Potter (which is saying a lot). Vampirates and Fablehaven are both two of the most creative series I have ever read. The Marigold books were cute little fairy tales that will be fun to pull out again when I just want a classically good ending. Any of Jennifer Crusie's stories are always hysterical - the three above are just a few of my favorites of hers. Metro Girl was my first Janet Evanovich, and let me tell you, I was bawling through half the book because it was so funny. She really comes up with the most random things to have happen to her characters, and then she makes them work flawlessly for the story.

I think out of all fourteen, though, my favorite is Sprinkle with Murder. It was fun, short and to the point, creative, and had a touch of love. Anyone who likes fun little mysteries, go with Jenn McKinlay.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Just An Update

2010-08-03T00:59:00.004-06:00

There are just a few things I wanted to share with everyone. The first of which is my complete and utter happiness for the progress of my WIP. For the past five or six days I have written between 600 to 1600 words per day! There were three days in a row that I broke a thousand, and I know that might not be such a big deal for some, but that is HUGE for me!

The process is really becoming fun, too. It was always fun, of course, but now I'm far enough into the story that the plot is really taking off, and man oh man has it changed from my original visions. Its so exciting, and so fun to watch it take shape.

The second thing on my mind is my reading...I am absolutely in LOVE with the Vampirates series! I have never been much for vampires, but this series puts such a different spin on them, that I find it intriguing. Plus, there's the cute boy that cares about the sweet girl. Always a plus in my views.

Also - and this is just a random shout out - I restocked my TBR shelf with the funnest Young Reader books, and I am SO stinking excited to read them. Right now I am diving into the Adventurer's Wanted set, but I am anxious to get to the skeleton detective series - Skulduggery Pleasant - and the secret life of London statues - Stoneheart. So many to read, so little time. :)

Lastly, I am SOOOOOO sorry I have been such an awful blogger buddy the past couple months! I really feel awful, but I'm just so deep into my WIP that if I'm not working on it when I have the opportunity, I worry that I will stop working on it altogether. Just so you guys know, I'm going to try to take a small break at the end of the month, and catch up with everyone before ~~my blogfest~~. (Blogfest has been cancelled!) Hope all is well! (Feel free to drop me a comment on how you guys are doing.) :)

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Milestones Blogfest

2010-07-31T01:41:00.003-06:00

Below is my entry for Donna's Milestones Blogfest. The goal of this fest is to post a moment in which a character accomplishes a goal he or she has been striving toward. Now, the problem is: I don't have a scene, yet, where this happens.

However, I reached a bit of a milestone in my writing today (I hit 33% finished!), and I was hoping that I could post an excerpt from Vitus (yeah, the name changed, again), and it could be a sort of celebration combined with a show of support for the fest.

So...here is my first preview of Vitus since I started writing it! (And FYI, its not really edited, so read it slowly.)

“You are out of control, Moros,” I attempt to say without wheezing. “Why are you doing this?”
He slashes at me, again, and I can feel a desperation in his atmosphere. He moves with a swiftness I have never seen before, and the blade of his dagger sinks into my good shoulder. Now, in twice as much pain as before, I crumple to the ground. Blood trickles down my chest, my head is suddenly heavy for my neck, and everything around seems to be swimming under water.
I am barely able to keep a grasp on the situation, but I see Moros smile at my near-unconscious state and turn away from me. The battle around us seems to slow down in motion, and it is as if he is walking casually.
In the direction of Cato.
Cassia is now focused on two of the remaining eight Greeks, and does not see Moros approach the downed recruit. At a glance, it is clear that Valerian and the other two archers have joined the fight on ground level, but they are engaged just as Cassia and the rest are.
I see Moros lift Cato and survey the chaos around. It is clear from his expression that whatever he and his comrades are attempting, we are - however difficultly - preventing it. The desperation in his atmosphere increases, and his hand holding the dagger twitches. Without thinking, I draw every vestige of strength I have, use my left hand to release my own dagger, and it sinks deep into his chest cavity.
It is half a second too late, as he has just drawn his dagger across Cato’s throat.

Don't forget to sign up for The Funniest Blogfest Ever!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Hey, Guess What!

2010-07-25T03:21:00.000-06:00

I just hit 12,521 words, and that puts me at 25% finished!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

What Is...?

2010-07-19T22:24:00.002-06:00

Here's a random thought:

If you were a cartoon character, who would you be?

There's so many I would like to be, but I think I would end up as Wile E. Coyote. I've just always thought of my cartoon self as the kind to get a piano dropped on her head, blown up by dynamite, or pushed off a cliff. Plus birds hate me.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Blogfest of Death

2010-07-18T11:18:00.004-06:00

Today is Tessa's Blogfest of Death. I don't have a scene in my WIP where someone gets killed (and I didn't have time to write one), but I still wanted to support the blogfest, so here are two entries from previous blogfests that you can pick from. :)

The tinkle of the bell on his too-small tricycle, the honk of the bulbous red ball on his nose, the too-scary smile painted on his face; Radish shuddered at the sight of her current nightmare, standing in her living room.
He turned to face her and she tried not to shrink back in fear. He came toward her, waddling and hopping around like the time Billy Berger put a worm in Kenny Neuman's pants.
"Why hello little girl!" the orange-haired freak spouted. He thrust a wadded up purple balloon in her face. "How about a princess crown for the birthday girl?"
Purple? Seriously?
"Ahhh, what's the matter?" He frowned, even though the painted smile never faltered. He tilted his head at a funny angle, then flung his arms out. "Do you want a hug?"
That was it.
Radish screamed at the top of her little five-year-old lungs. "Waaaahhhhhh!!!!!!! Mooooommyyyyyy!!!!"
She tried to run to the kitchen, but the clown already had his arms around her. He was trying to give her a hug, so she did the only thing she could think of.
She grabbed her trusty carrot, a pillow as big as she was, and whacked him with it as hard as she could on the head.
Stunned, Bobo let her go and fell backward on his butt. For a moment, Radish thought she'd stopped him. Boy was she wrong.
Bobo smiled and started to laugh. He jumped up, grabbed a pillow from the couch, and shouted, "Pillow Fiiiiight!!!"
Oh, no.
Radish screamed and ran.
She ran behind the couch, past the TV, under a table, across the stone seat in front of the fireplace, and the entire time - he chased her. She turned just as Bobo wrapped his arms around her, again, and lifted her off the ground.
He laughed like a maniac and she whacked him with her carrot. "Put," whack- "me," whack, whack- "DOWN!!" Whack, whack, whack!!!
Her carrot bumped something heavy on the fireplace mantel and caused it to fall…right on Bobo's head. The laughter stopped, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell backward.
Radish fell with him and climbed out of his arms. She stood still and stared at the body of Bobo the Clown.
She poked him with her carrot and he didn't move.
Oh, no! She'd killed the clown!

********

He was being stalked; he had sensed the presence earlier in the evening, but it wasn't until he saw the hooded figure turn the corner that he knew for sure.
Dozer made his way down the street, listening intently for any sound. He had taken three and a half steps when he heard the chamber of a round in a 9mm Beretta Cougar semi-automatic handgun. He dropped to the ground as a shot rang out, and the wood of a nearby fence splintered.
"Mother-fuckin'-son-of-a-bitch!"
He rolled off the sidewalk, onto a patch of dirt, and concealed himself behind a cluster of metal garbage cans. Another shot skittered past his left ear, and he dove into a small opening in the fence.
Dozer settled himself next to the opening and listened as his little friend crept close. A shroud of black appeared in the opening and he grabbed hold of it. With all his might, he flung the guy across the lot, and watched with satisfaction as he crashed into a heap of old car parts.
Expecting to hear grunts or groans of pain, Dozer was slightly irked when the guy effortlessly stood, and...
Chuckled?
His stalker lifted the Cougar, and leveled it right at Dozer's head.
"Oh, shit."
Dozer did the only thing he could think of, and ran straight for the guy. He tackled him, but they did not fall backward onto the ground. Instead the stalker drifted to the right, pulling Dozer and slamming him into the side of a heap that had once been a 1968 Chevy Camaro.
With some luck, though, Dozer was able to grab hold of the Cougar, and tear it out of his assailants hand. He aimed it at the guy and was about to squeeze the trigger when a large boot swung up, and kicked the gun out of his hold. It went flying and he lost sight of it when another boot connected with his jaw, throwing him backward with pain coursing through his body.
Dozer scrambled back until he hit something solid, leaving him nowhere to run. The guy stepped forward, darkness hugging him like a cloak, and Dozer realized his mistake. It had all been a plan, and he was the fool that fell for it.
He had been driven into a secluded location, and trapped.
“You have been judged,” the figure whispered. A hand flicked so quickly, the dagger it released was barely visible.
The last thing Dozer saw was the mercenary lower his hood, and show his true identity.

Blaze pulled the dagger from the corpse’s throat and wiped it clean.
She walked away without ever looking back.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Best Advice to New Writers Blogfest

2010-07-15T01:46:00.003-06:00

Today, as many of you know, is the Best Advice to New Writers Blogfest hosted by Carrie Bailey. My entry has 3 parts, all from different people that I found helpful. (Well, the last one is really just funny and I couldn't help posting it.)

Tip One: This comes from James Rollins, and I have discovered that I use it a lot more than I realize. It is part of his FAQs page, and is about writer's block:

Tip Two: This is from one of Jennifer Crusie's posts back in December, and #s 2, 4, 6, and 7 really stood out to me. (Though, #2 was for a more personal reason.) Oh, and please feel free to do #10. :)

1. Get a support group.
Local RWA groups are good for this. You need people who understand the particular insanity that is writing, people who are willing to talk about conflict and character arc and book covers, people who understand that dark night of the soul where it’s always three o’clock in the morning and everything you’re writing is garbage. But . . .

2. Avoid toxic people.
If you have a friend you can’t tell your good news to because it will make her feel bad, if you have a friend who constantly criticizes you and makes you feel like you’re nothing, sif you have a friend who depresses the hell out of you, she’s not your friend. It’s okay to kick her to the curb. God did not put you here to be her emotional punching bag. You’ll still be a good person if you block her e-mails. Plus, you’ll be happy.

3. Know your story.
Before your support group gets a crack at your story, make sure you know what it is. It doesn’t have to be finished, but it does have to be firm in your mind, or your people, with the best intentions in the world, will screw it up for you.

4. Avoid trends and marketing tips.
People love to ask for marketing trends and other people love to give them and they’re completely worthless. Even if they’re right about spotting a trend, by the time you write the book, rewrite it, sell it, and have it edited and published, the trend will be over and you’ll have wasted all that time writing a story that isn’t even yours. If the workshop name is “Marketing Trends and Tips,” you have my permission to go to the bar instead.

5. Evaluate your worth as writer on your work, not on your ability to publish.
You have no control over publishing. Most of the time people in publishing don’t have any control over publishing. Pegging your self worth to something that nobody has any control over is suicidally stupid. Stop doing that. Evaluate yourself instead on the quality of your writing. It may still be depressing–it’s always depressing for me–but at least there’s something you can do about it.

6. Once you’re published (you poor baby) evaluate your worth as writer on your work, not on your sales.
A lot of good writers have stopped writing because the business made them feel like hell. Innoculate yourself by repeating this very true mantra: “I have no control over sales.” You write the book; you’re responsible for the reviews within reason (see below). Your publisher publishes the book; it’s responsible for the sales. Do not take on the responsibilities of the publishing house; you’re not its mother.

7. Read reviews and reader comments with a pound of salt.
Especially anything on Amazon where any whackjob can post, but really anywhere. There is no standard for critics; anybody can review a book. Repeat, ANYBODY CAN REVIEW A BOOK. Most of those people, you wouldn’t have lunch with. If a review is thoughtfully written by an intelligent person, you may learn something from it, but usually the only thing you learn from reviews is what kind of person the reviewer is.

8. Don’t take responsibility for the bestseller lists.
Best seller lists are about velocity, not sales. They should be called Fastest Selling Lists. And sales are about marketing and distribution over which you have no control. Therefore short term bestsellers have little or nothing to do with the actual book. Long term bestsellers are about the book–long term meaning over a month–because at that point, you’re dealing with word of mouth. But long term bestsellers are extremely rare, so don’t worry about them. Bestseller lists are industry crack, not reality.

9. Remember: Nobody knows nothing.
Whatever was true yesterday in publishing is not true today, which is why everybody is Guessing. If I were you, I’d ignore publishing entirely until you’re ready to sell your book. Then just sell your book, remembering the other smart thing somebody said about publishing: It’s not a business, it’s a casino.

10. Own your greatness.
You are responsible for your own mental health. The world will line up to tell you you’re worthless, you’re talentless, you’re tasteless, whatever. Don’t do its work for it. A good rule of thumb is that if the voices in your head are saying something you’d never let another person say to you, then that voice is out of line and should be evicted from your brain. Therefore, every day, at least once a day, you must look in the mirror or go over to the Cherry Forums and say, “I am a great writer.” Don’t snicker or blush, just do it, damn it. Self-fulfilling prophecy. Do I do this? No, I don’t have to. I know I’m a great writer. See, I said it. Your turn. In fact, do it now, down in the comments. Yes, now. Suck it up, own your greatness.

Tip Three: I came across this bit of writing advice back in March. It cracked me up!

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer
by Brian Clark

Write.
Write more.
Write even more.
Write even more than that.
Write when you don't want to.
Write when you do.
Write when you have something to say.
Write when you don't.
Write everyday.
Keep writing.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

2010-07-12T00:53:00.001-06:00

Forewarned is forewarned: this is a rant.

Why do people feel the need to dumb-up their main characters? I just read one of my murder mysteries, and I love the main character but she can be so stinking stupid sometimes! If you watch someone take a picture of your license plate, receive a phone call telling you to stop "digging around", and see that someone is following you...you don't sit on your ass and say, "oh, its just a coincidence"!! You call the stinkin' cops you idiot!

Note to self: Allow my characters to be smart!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Writing In Bits

2010-07-08T21:49:00.000-06:00

I've been making a lot of process on my WIP. Most of it has come in small increments of 300 to 600 words a day, and sometimes it's broken into even smaller chunks if I have to go to work. Basically, its getting done in amounts of 200 to 300 whenever I can fit it in. Honestly, I have no problem with the numbers - I'm just happy to be working on it consistently! - but, its kind of messing with my sanity!

I like my stories fast paced, and when I've been working on a scene for four days it just feels like its been going on forever! I start to go, "Ew! This would drive the reader crazy!" But, then I go back and read it all together and think, "Hey! This is actually really good!" So, I continue on...and do it all over again a couple days later! Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.
Sign up for The Funniest Blogfest Ever!

Waiting

2010-07-06T14:58:00.000-06:00

I am waiting for the day that I don't have to work anymore. I just need 263 more words to hit another even thousand mark, but I have to leave for work. I'm not on a roll or anything, so its not breaking something spectacular, but I'm sure if I had another two hours, I would be able to hit my mark. Its so frustrating to have to walk away when I feel that I need to be writing. (sigh) The life of a writer.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

All Praise!

2010-07-05T02:21:00.000-06:00

I want to take a quick minute to say: I just finished one of the best books I have ever read in my entire life!

Read this! It has an excellent balance of everything in it - complete with an ending that had me in tears! John Flanagan is officially a genius in my opinion!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Happy...!

2010-07-04T12:33:00.001-06:00

Happy Fourth of July!

Hope everyone has a good one and stay safe!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Sad :(

2010-07-01T23:18:00.000-06:00

All that spiffy progress I was making on my WIP seems to have come to a screeching halt. Its really annoying because I can see the next scene in my head, I just can't get myself to type it up. What gives?!

This has happened before, too. Its like, as soon as I start getting to the point in the story where the plot should really start to take off, I get jammed. I think it has something to do with not knowing all the details. I think its that I'm a little nervous about it or something.

Really, for whatever reason this keeps happening, I need to get over it because I am determined to write this story. (Insert determined blond growl here.)

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Bickering, "Secret", Share Your Darlings Blogfest

2010-06-30T02:35:00.005-06:00

I didn't really have anything for Kristen's Bickering Blogfest, Tara's "Secret" Blogfest, or Michelle's Share Your Darlings Blogfest, but I still wanted to submit something anyway. Call me a cheater, but I thought I'd just re-post my Lets Talk entry, just in case there's anyone that hasn't read it yet. (I think it covers a bit of both 'fests.) Oh, and don't forget about The Funniest Blogfest Ever.

League answered the front door before the person on the other side brought it down with their furious pounding.
He caught a glimpse of an extremely-pissed-off Radish, right before she slugged him square in the jaw.
She hit him so hard, he fell back on to the floor. "What the hell Radish?"
She put her hands on her hips and glared down. "Did you go on a date with Lucinda Thompson?!"
Uh, oh.
He rubbed his jaw and tried to stand up, but she pushed him back down with her foot. He looked up at her – all soft looking with big, fluffy, black hair, freckles all over her nose, fire in her eyes…he forgot to breath.
"Uh...what?"
She crossed her arms. "Kerry Collins said that Tina Tyler told her that Toni Mulligan went on a date with Harley Hawkins and saw you at the movies with Lucinda Thompson." She narrowed her eyes and leaned down further. "Is it true?"
"That Toni Mulligan went on a date with Harley Hawkins?"
"Radish, dear, how are you?"
League heaved a sigh of relief as his mother stood at the top of the steps, and, unknowingly, provided him with a few extra minutes to live.
Radish smiled, cheerfully – a complete contrast to her expression less than ten seconds ago. "Hi, Mrs. Johnson."
"How did your mother like those cookies?"
"She loved them. She asked me to get the recipe from you."
His mother nodded. "I already have it written down, just come get it from me before you leave." She looked at League, as if just noticing his seat on the floor, then added to Radish, "Don't kill him before dinner, dear, its his turn to do the dishes."
"Yes, ma'am." As soon as his mother was gone, Radish reverted back to her pissed-off demeanor and picked up as if there had been no interruption. "Don't be cute, Johnson. Did you go out with Lucinda or not?"
"...You think I'm cute?"
Radish turned so pink, she was actually the same color as the vegetable she shared a name with.
"Ya know, you're really cute when you're all red like that," he told her.
She made some girlie ugh! sound and started toward him. Thankfully, his dad came up the basement stairs and caught her around the waste.
"Thanks, Dad," League said as he pushed himself up, off the ground.
His dad grunted. "I just didn't want to get hit." He let her go, walked around them, and went up the stairs leading to the living room. He called over his shoulder, "Make sure he takes the garbage out before you kill him, Radish."
"Yes, Mr. Johnson."
When his dad was gone, League tried for the diplomatic approach. "What if I did go out with Lucinda Thompson?! You went out with Bernie Baker!"
"So?!"
"So, what are you mad at me for?!"
"I only went out with that dumbass, Baker, because you wouldn't ask me!"
"I only went out with that cow, Thompson, because you went out with that dumbass, Baker!"
"I WAS TRYING TO MAKE YOU JEALOUS!" they both screamed at the same time.
They glared at each other for a minute, then realized Energy was standing there. His older brother just looked at them with his eyebrows raised, and gave a low whistle. "Wow," he said, then looked at League, smugly. "I told you not to go out with that other girl, you idiot." He looked at Radish, and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't kill him until I collect the five bucks he owes me."
"Got it,” she nodded, and Energy continued up the stairs to join the rest of their loving family.
When his brother was gone, they just stood there; awkward and silent.
"Well?" she said, finally.
"Well, what?"
"Aren't you going to say something?!"
"What do you want me to say?!"
"ASK HER OUT!" his house yelled at him.
He dug his hands in his pockets, slumped a bit, and looked anywhere but at her. Finally, he mumbled, "You wanna go out Saturday?"
She blushed, hugged the carrot-shaped purse she'd made out of a favorite childhood pillow, and looked anywhere but at him. "Sure," she shrugged.
He was about to sigh in relief when she punched him in the shoulder. "And don't even think about going out with anyone else!" she shouted.
Then she kissed him on the mouth, and left.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

So Much Work!

2010-06-29T14:33:00.003-06:00

I had the mother of all plot epiphanies last night! It even beats the one I had last week! The Stealcian's core premise has now changed, and it is officially the first in a trilogy! (The funniest part is: the idea that started this story - you guys remember that bar scene of mine? - it won't even show up until the second book, and that's if it does at all!)

And last week's epiphany? Well, I won't go into the details of that one - it gets confusing - but, lets just say I now have to restructure my entire Divine Wars series, right down to the names!

*sigh* So much work to do.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Oh! It looks like this is post #50! Wahoo!
Also, don't forget to sign up for The Funniest Blogfest Ever!

Yikes!

2010-06-28T21:11:00.000-06:00

I read a book yesterday that turned out to be one of those where I sit back and think, "Really? This seriously got published?" I couldn't believe it. It was the first in a series and it was as if every character she planned to write about was not only introduced, but their histories and troubles were focused on to the point that they each had a section from their POVs. In one section, it was easily 40 pages before she got back to one of the two main characters. And then, she didn't even start the plot and the conflicts until page 300!!

When I read books like this, all I can think is, "If they're publishing stuff like this, there has got to be hope for me!"

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Progress Report

2010-06-27T03:45:00.000-06:00

I broke a thousand words for the day! I just can't believe it. I usually aim for 250 to 400 words and get 300 to 600, but today I blew that pattern to pieces!

I really hope everyone else is achieving their writing goals and feeling success with their WIPs, because I am on Cloud 9 with mine. When I put my first post up about taking a hiatus, I was at about 1,500 words.

I am now at 6,000 words!!!

Clearly, my hiatus isn't going the way I intended, but if this is the result, then I will take it! :)

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Announcing!...

2010-06-26T01:43:00.005-06:00

I apologize, but due to recent events in my personal life (don't worry, they're good), I am unable to host this blogfest. I will reschedule later in the year, when I have more time to devote to it, and blogging.

I have decided to host my second blogfest! We shall call it: The Funniest Blogfest Ever, and it will be held on: ~~September 1st~~. CANCELLED!!

It will be very simple, just post the funniest scene you have ever written. The first fifteen people to sign up will get a handmade bookmark by yours truly, and I even made a button for this one! So, sign up, take the button, pass it around, and we'll see you then!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Oh, yeah. Rules. There should probably be some. Um...just don't make it too long. :)

Twitter hashtag for this fest: #funniestfest

My Top Ten

2010-06-25T01:01:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I asked what everyone's top ten favorite books are and promised to post mine today. Here they are:

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
The Black Order by James Rollins
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Amazonia by James Rollins
All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz
Mums the Word by Kate Collins
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie

Now, the thing about this list is that it really depends on my mood at the moment I'm making the list, and my mood at the time of reading the book. I'm sure everyone knows what I'm talking about. :)

Also, I only received one reply for yesterday's post. If anyone wants to jot down their top ten and send it my way, I'm still interested. I would still like to see if there are any recurring titles, so by all means, share with me.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

What Is...

2010-06-24T00:29:00.001-06:00

What Are Your Top Ten Favorite Books?

I am just curious as to what everyone would list as their top ten favorite books. If you would care to share them, please leave a comment with the list of titles and authors.

I will think about my top ten and in the next day or two I will post them along with the title of the books that appear the most. Thanks for participating.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Oh, and I have decided to host another blogfest! I will be back with the details. :)

Oops!

2010-06-18T19:38:00.001-06:00

One of my goals while on my hiatus was to lighten my TBR shelf. Well, that didn't happen. Today was payday and I went and bought three more series to read. Oops!

Oh well. I got the first three books of three new series I found in the Young Reader sections, because yes, I still visit that section even though I have no kids. And I am so excited! They all sound so fun interesting and creative!

I am definitely going through a little Young Reader phase right now. I just finished Fablehaven, which was awesome, and now I've started Incarceron, which is AWESOME, and now I have four whole series to keep me a well-fed little reader! SO AWESOME!

Here's my new YR books (and I'm going to include Fablehaven and Incarceron just to show my whole little collection):

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Hey, Thanks!

2010-06-15T22:27:00.000-06:00

Thanks for coming to the new site, everyone! I appreciate it. I am still taking a break from the writing world...sort of. I kinda sorta may have written 2,000 words of The Stealcian, but that SO doesn't count! (looks up at the ceiling and whistles innocently) What can I say, when the story strikes, you gotta role with it. :) Hope everyone likes the new layout - that new design tool is awesome isn't it?! Catch you guys later.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Oh, and if anyone has ever considered reading the Fablehaven series, you definitely should. Its awesome! (At least so far.)

Next Top Title Blogfest

2010-06-12T00:05:00.004-06:00

Here is my entry for the Slushpile Slut's Next Top Title Blogfest. We're supposed to submit a few different titles for our work in progress, but I only have one name I like for each of my WIPs. So, I'm just posting all the titles I have, whether its a current project or not.

Current WIP #1

The Divine Wars: A Heritage Revealed

Current WIP #2

The Stealcian

Future Project

Surviving in Sanity

Future Project

Tales of Collumbard

Future Project

The Divine Wars: Search and Rescue

Future Project

The Divine Wars: The Phoenix and the Dragon

Future Project

The Divine Wars: A Cheshire Cat Moon

And now I continue my hiatus. :) Have a good one.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

28 Days

2010-06-05T00:05:00.004-06:00

I have decided to take a hiatus from the writing world. My "plate" has become too full, and right now there are a few other things in my life that I want to focus on. I feel guilty to do this, but...

For the next 28 days I will not write, blog, or pay attention to any publishing news whatsoever. I want to become published. I want to say "That's my writing." But my life is so topsy-turvy right now, and writing just isn't happening. And because of this, I feel horrible about myself, and I shouldn't. I'm not someone to be consumed by my writing. I'm amazed to being saying this, but I actually have a few priorities right now, and I'm actually achieving them!

My parents have just moved to Wisconsin, and I have planned to join them there for the past year. I'm not usually someone that actually goes out and gets what I want, but over the past month I have done everything I can in working toward moving. And you know what? Its paying off! I've paid off some debts, I went through my books (which equated to about half my possessions), and now everything is just rolling so fast that I can't keep up.

I know there are some people out there saying, "I don't let anything stand in the way of my writing," but this is a situation that affects my family, and quite frankly the sustainability of my mental health. (I am so ready to be done with this current city, and everything that my life is in it.)

So, my plan is this: for the next 28 days, I will focus on working and my finances. Now, since this is not something that will have me busy every waking minute, I will take the time to narrow down my to-be-read shelf. (This is where the 14 books in 28 days thing I mentioned last week comes in to play.) I will basically be taking a month all to myself, and just focusing on my life. Then, I will come back in July, and I might even try a NoWriMo of my own. (This is a huge maybe.)

I already miss all of you, and I thank everyone in advance for their patience and support. Best wishes to you guys, and I will see you in July.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Dream Sequence Blogfest

2010-06-04T00:05:00.004-06:00

Here is my entry for Amalia T.'s Dream Sequence Blogfest. Its from the Fire and Ice, partial-draft I wrote eons ago. (The story is now, A Heritage Revealed.) There is actually four sections to the sequence, but the first was explicit, and I just couldn't bring myself to post it. :) This took place after Aubrey and her friends stumbled on to a way to jump start their divine powers, and it was supposed to foreshadow a little how her life will be now.

A large purple silhouette stood in front of a moving gray haze. Aubrey watched the silhouette define into a woman. She had blond hair that swept down to her waist, her skin was marbled a deep purple, and her eyes were swirling silver.
She wore only three pieces of clothing, each one a gleaming white. Sleeves made from several yards of fabric cuffed her biceps and flowed down to her calves. Covering her nipples were small pieces of cloth held in place by simple strings that tied around her neck and back. Her shoes, three-inch high heeled, open toed sandals, were white with small bows above the toes.
The woman’s facial expression was soft as she looked at Aubrey. She seemed to contemplate her, then her mouth lifted into a gentle, miniscule smile. She looked friendly, like she knew Aubrey. Without gesturing, just a mere feeling, the woman bid her goodbye and began to retreat into a silhouette again. Whether the mist consumed her or she became the mist, Aubrey could not tell.

The gray mist receded away from Aubrey leaving a hallway. She stepped forward and cautiously made her way down the passage. There was no color except shades of black, white, and gray. She stopped halfway down the passage, in front of a small table with several pictures hanging on the wall above it. Six framed, black-and-white photographs hung in a circle around a seventh photograph.
The center picture showed a group of seven men and women. Two of the women caught Aubrey’s eye and she lost her breath for a moment. She searched the outer six photographs and when she came to the one in the northeast section of the circle she stopped. It was a picture of an older man holding a little girl with eyes like white-gray crystals. Aubrey watched as the man holding the girl turned and the background of the photograph became the same hall she was standing in. It had the same table with a single flower in a vase and the same black and light-gray striped wallpaper behind the cluster of black-and-white pictures.
The older man and little girl leaned forward to look at one of the pictures on their wall and Aubrey did the same. They were looking at the top most picture. The man turned slightly to look at Aubrey while the little girl continued to look at the photograph. When he turned away again, Aubrey studied the top most picture. It was focused on two women. The same two women she had thought she’d seen in the center photograph. The same two women she knew; the ones that brought a pain to her heart and a tear to her eye.

The hall around Aubrey flashed past her in a blur of gray, black, and white. She wobbled from sickening dizziness and almost fell to her knees when it stopped. She was in a park now. It looked like one she’d been to when she was younger. It was night and she was in a field surrounded by tall trees.
There was a commotion at the far end of the field, close to the line of trees. Several people were moving quickly, yelling to each other. There were seven people and they were all looking toward the western side of the field. They scattered in a way that looked logistical. They were spread apart but still close enough to create a vague, united line. They appeared to be braced against something, waiting.
Before she could notice anything else, something large and smoldering shot out of the trees. Aubrey took a step back and fell as she looked up at the horror. The thing had to be eleven feet tall and gave a low, deep snarl, illustrating its feral anger. It was a wispy gray steam or mist mixed with darker solid ash. It wasn’t so much a cloud, as it was a body. Legs, defined arms, shoulders, and a head with solid black eyes were all visible.
One of the people in the line shouted something to the others and they moved to surround the thing. It gave a mutinous cry and lunged for the people standing on the eastern side of the circle. Aubrey, still on the ground, leaned forward as she saw who it was the thing was aiming for. It was the two women from the pictures.
Aubrey’s body tensed as she saw one of the women throw a fist full of fire at the thing. She threw two more to no avail. The thing continued toward her and the other woman. The women backed in the direction of the trees and Aubrey realized the non-fire-thrower was chanting something. The other five people in the group closed in on the thing, keeping the circle intact.
The woman continued chanting, becoming louder and sounding fiercer. Aubrey saw the woman never took her focus off the thing. The thing’s image began to lighten, dissolving. It was at a light gray, only a vague image, when Aubrey began to hear angry drum-like pulses. Just then something shot out from the eastern line of trees and collided with the fire-thrower.
There was a scream.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

I'm In Love

2010-06-02T23:28:00.002-06:00

I am in such a loving mood right now! I just finished a new book (happy blond noise), and its extra exciting because its the first one I've fully gotten through in over a month. I started Imperium by Robert Harris, but its very dry, and I'm a girl that needs action, so I set it aside to read later. Then I started The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, and I couldn't even finish that one. Good grief, it was like the never ending Alice In Wonderland (complete with a cat that loved to annoy the mc) except it was with faeries and A Midsummer's Night's Dream characters. Personally, I think AIW is brilliant, but apparently I like it better as a movie than a book.

So, back to my latest read, it was one of my fun little mysteries that I've become addicted to. It was the first in the Flower Shop Mysteries, by Kate Collins. The title was Mum's the Word, and it was just so fun. The mc is my age, which is fabulous bc I'm 26 and rarely is there someone that writes for my age group. Plus, she's feisty as all hell, which is always a plus. The plot was interesting because it was basic and you pretty much knew what was going to happen at the end, but the in-between stuff I never saw coming in a million years. Oh, and of course there was a little romance thrown in. (Yeah, I'm like that, give me a little love with my action and I'm a happy little blond.)

I am just so in love with these fun mysteries, I can't even explain it. I have a whole shelf full of first in series like the Flower Shop Mysteries. I have one that is a beauty salon series, and one that is a jam and festival series, and a new one with candy. Plus, the two I already had that are about a baker and a bibliophile. I'm so excited to read them all!

What about all of you? What genre are you guys (and gals) into right now? Are you reading a series? Do you hop from genre to genre or do you like one specifically?

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Progress

2010-06-01T00:03:00.002-06:00

How is everyone doing on their WIPs? Sadly, I have been working on the first 1500 words of my newest story for longer than I care to admit. I've rewritten the scene three or four times and every time I think, "Yeah, that's it," then I go back the next day and I don't like it at all. Or, I will have some huge epiphany that alters the plot, or a better way to explain something, or I just don't even have time to write at all!

Its very sad. I'm starting to hit that point where I'm asking myself, "Why am I doing this again?" And the point, "Really? You really think you can write?" Then there's that nice little voice (who sounds a lot like my mother) that cackles, "You are never going to get published!"

But, alas, I cannot give up, no matter what the voices say, because writing is just something I have to do now. I am determined to finish one story. I am determined to have a manuscript. I determined to finally say I achieved something I wanted.

Plus, ya know, I'm kinda attached to the characters and I just wanna see what happens to 'em. :) Hope everyone else is progressing at their WIPs. Happy Tuesday!
Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

The Blog of Silence

2010-05-23T15:01:00.002-06:00

I'm not quite sure how much I will be around in the near future. I'm working 50+ hours again, while focusing on The Stealcian, and I'm trying this new thing where I read 14 books in 28 days. Plus, I've re-discovered the TV show Friends. I will try to stick around as much as I can, and I would still like to do my feature on the Turtles, so hopefully I will be able to keep up. Love and miss everyone!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Logline/Hook Line Blogfest

2010-05-22T00:05:00.003-06:00

Today is Bryan's Logline/Hook Line Blogfest! I have three entries, one line a piece.

Entry #1: The Divine Wars: A Heritage Revealed

Pasts unknown, futures untold.

(Heritage is a general fiction that covers fantasy, romance, and hopefully a lot of action.)

Entry #2: The Stealcian

A curse of life, love, and choices.

(The Stealcian, so far, has a strong historical background with a portion of fantasy, and a big dose of romance and mystery.)

Entry #3: Surviving in Sanity

Sometimes, the best remedy for life is baking.

(Surviving in Sanity is a romantic comedy that actually covers just the one genre.)

Honestly, the only one I'm attached to is #3. Of course, its also the story with the simplest plot, while the other 2 give me problems daily, and I know that no matter what I pick now, it will probably change in 2 weeks. :) But I tried.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Let's Talk Blogfest

2010-05-18T12:05:00.005-06:00

My entry for Roni's Lets Talk Blogfest came about like this:

Charity made a comment about my Body Language entry that I liked so much, I sat right down, and wrote a scene that same hour. The comment said she wanted to see my characters in ten years. So...

Here's Radish and her boy in ten years.

League answered the front door before the person on the other side brought it down with their furious pounding.
He caught a glimpse of an extremely-pissed-off Radish, right before she slugged him square in the jaw.
She hit him so hard, he fell back on to the floor. "What the hell Radish?"
She put her hands on her hips and glared down. "Did you go on a date with Lucinda Thompson?!"
Uh, oh.
He rubbed his jaw and tried to stand up, but she pushed him back down with her foot. He looked up at her – all soft looking with big, fluffy, black hair, freckles all over her nose, fire in her eyes…he forgot to breath.
"Uh...what?"
She crossed her arms. "Kerry Collins said that Tina Tyler told her that Toni Mulligan went on a date with Harley Hawkins and saw you at the movies with Lucinda Thompson." She narrowed her eyes and leaned down further. "Is it true?"
"That Toni Mulligan went on a date with Harley Hawkins?"
"Radish, dear, how are you?"
League heaved a sigh of relief as his mother stood at the top of the steps, and, unknowingly, provided him with a few extra minutes to live.
Radish smiled, cheerfully – a complete contrast to her expression less than ten seconds ago. "Hi, Mrs. Johnson."
"How did your mother like those cookies?"
"She loved them. She asked me to get the recipe from you."
His mother nodded. "I already have it written down, just come get it from me before you leave." She looked at League, as if just noticing his seat on the floor, then added to Radish, "Don't kill him before dinner, dear, its his turn to do the dishes."
"Yes, ma'am." As soon as his mother was gone, Radish reverted back to her pissed-off demeanor and picked up as if there had been no interruption. "Don't be cute, Johnson. Did you go out with Lucinda or not?"
"...You think I'm cute?"
Radish turned so pink, she was actually the same color as the vegetable she shared a name with.
"Ya know, you're really cute when you're all red like that," he told her.
She made some girlie ugh! sound and started toward him. Thankfully, his dad came up the basement stairs and caught her around the waste.
"Thanks, Dad," League said as he pushed himself up, off the ground.
His dad grunted. "I just didn't want to get hit." He let her go, walked around them, and went up the stairs leading to the living room. He called over his shoulder, "Make sure he takes the garbage out before you kill him, Radish."
"Yes, Mr. Johnson."
When his dad was gone, League tried for the diplomatic approach. "What if I did go out with Lucinda Thompson?! You went out with Bernie Baker!"
"So?!"
"So, what are you mad at me for?!"
"I only went out with that dumbass, Baker, because you wouldn't ask me!"
"I only went out with that cow, Thompson, because you went out with that dumbass, Baker!"
"I WAS TRYING TO MAKE YOU JEALOUS!" they both screamed at the same time.
They glared at each other for a minute, then realized Energy was standing there. His older brother just looked at them with his eyebrows raised, and gave a low whistle. "Wow," he said, then looked at League, smugly. "I told you not to go out with that other girl, you idiot." He looked at Radish, and kissed her on the cheek. "Don't kill him until I collect the five bucks he owes me."
"Got it,” she nodded, and Energy continued up the stairs to join the rest of their loving family.
When his brother was gone, they just stood there; awkward and silent.
"Well?" she said, finally.
"Well, what?"
"Aren't you going to say something?!"
"What do you want me to say?!"
"ASK HER OUT!" his house yelled at him.
He dug his hands in his pockets, slumped a bit, and looked anywhere but at her. Finally, he mumbled, "You wanna go out Saturday?"
She blushed, hugged the carrot-shaped purse she'd made out of a favorite childhood pillow, and looked anywhere but at him. "Sure," she shrugged.
He was about to sigh in relief when she punched him in the shoulder. "And don't even think about going out with anyone else!" she shouted.
Then she kissed him on the mouth, and left.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Flirt Fest

2010-05-16T00:10:00.004-06:00

Here is my entry for Flirt Fest. Its from my WIP, A Heritage Revealed. (I think its really kinda cute, too!)

I will also explain who is related to who (...whom?): Admiral and A-Dub are Gabriel's parents - Aubrey and Embry are twins who's parents died and Gabriel's parents have practically adopted them - and lastly, Gabriel, Embry, Connell, and Kaine are roomates.

Oh, and the incident that is referenced "what happened" to Aubrey, that would be my First Page entry. This should also give all those curious minds an idea of how Aubrey reacts to Gabriel's kiss in my Last Line entry. (Good grief! I might as well put the whole story up here!)

“Explain it again.”
Aubrey sat on the edge of Gabriel’s bed, with her arms crossed, watching him pack. The experience was delightfully educational; she was learning all kinds of fun things about him. She especially liked the discovery that he had numerous pairs of silk boxers. She couldn’t decide if her favorite was the pair with the big doofy fish on the front and the words “Bubba Bass” written on the butt – she’d almost died of laughter when he’d pulled those out – or the shiny black ones with little Playboy Bunny logos all over them – those gave her kinky thoughts. It was amusing, to say the least, that he wore such extravagant underwear.
Gabriel sighed as he folded a shirt into his duffel bag. “Admiral just said we were going to the Park this weekend. We haven’t been in awhile, and he thinks the others and I have been sick because it’s been such a crazy month. He thinks that with finals, graduation, and finding jobs, we’ve stressed ourselves out.” He went to the closet and pulled a big, comfy-looking, hooded sweatshirt from a hanger. He brought it back to the bed and she plucked it out of his hands before he could pack it. He turned and went back to the closet without even blinking.
She pulled the sweatshirt on over her head, inhaling deeply and smiling at the effect his scent had on her. “So they just want to have a spur-of-the-moment family vacation?” she asked, still confused.
He came back with another sweatshirt, this one made it successfully into the duffel, and continued, “What happened to you really freaked them out and I think what happened to Connell was just the last straw. Their parental instincts are in high gear and they just want to get us away from here for awhile.”
She loved that he said this last part without any harshness in his voice. “And who’s going, again?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Everyone. You, me, Embry, my parents, Connell, Kaine, and their families.”
She nodded, accepting his answer for the moment, then crossed her arms, again, and grumbled, “I still don’t get why I couldn’t go to work today.”
He gave her a warning look. “Don’t start again, Aubrey.”
She looked away, knowing full well she was pouting like a five-year-old, but she couldn’t help it. They hadn’t let her go to work, they wouldn’t let her go swimming, and she hadn’t even been allowed to go back to her apartment building and get her car. The only highlight of her overprotective confinement was that Connell had stayed home, too, and they’d watched movies all day.
“Can’t I at least go swimming?” she pleaded.
“I already told you I would take you when I was done packing.” She started to argue, but he didn’t let her get it out. “You’re not going alone, Aubrey.” He dropped something into the bag then looked at her. “We already told you that. If you don’t want me to go, fine, but someone’s going with you.”
She continued to pout, then after a minute she sighed in defeat and finally said, “Are you just going to watch or are you at least going to swim with me?”

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Happy...!

2010-05-13T19:37:00.004-06:00

(Yes, I'm Serious)

In honor of this auspicious occasion I think we should all go out and play...

Tell me you guys remember Frogger. It was only the best game EVER! Although, I always really liked that game where you shoot the ducks, too. The one where the dog popped up and laughed at you if you missed? (sigh) They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Here are five facts about Frogger to re-jog our memories about this rocking game:

1.) Frogger is a classic arcade game that was introduced in 1981, developed by Konami, and distributed by Sega.

2.) The goal of Frogger is to navigate a frog across a highway without getting him hit by a truck. (Splat-ed frog, gross!) And once you've done that, you have to hop him across a river using logs that float by and make sure he doesn't get eaten by a crocodile, or a turtle. (Frog legs anyone?)

3.) The highest recorded score was set by Pat Laffaye of Westport, Connecticut, on December 22, 2009. It is a world record score of 896,980 points. (I don't think I ever broke double digits on my scores!)

4.) Does anyone watch Seinfeld? In 1998, an episode was aired named "The Frogger". Jerry and George visit a restaurant they used to frequent as teenagers, and come across a beloved Frogger machine that still holds George's record score on it. The restaurant is going to be torn down, so George buys the machine and straps some batteries to it so it won't lose his score. (Really? The restaurant never lost power in 20 years?) In their attempt to get the machine home, they must traverse a busy NY street, and end up in an exact parody of the game. (Apparently, the game doesn't make it.)

5.) In 2006, a group of people in Austin, Texas dressed a Roomba (a little robot vacuum) up like Frogger, and proceeded to play a real-life version of the game. They used a Bluetooth remote control handset to direct the little vacuum across a busy 4-lane highway, and surprisingly (even to them) succeeded in making 10 laps. (The little guy was smooshed by an SUV after that.)

So, there's a little bit of fun for your day. Hope everyone has a great one!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

I Challenge You

2010-05-12T09:59:00.005-06:00

I was going to wait to post this tomorrow, but...I decided not to. (shrug)

Has anyone else noticed there are more and more people blogging about writing one page a day? I have several blogger buddies that have signed up for the page-a-day challenges that are floating around out there (and some who have always aimed for that amount), and while I think that writing a page-a-day is great, I'm more interested in how everyone feels about writing that page.

I know that most writers like to put out over a 1,000 words a day, and that it can be frustrating to have to make do with 250. But I personally believe that writing is writing, and no matter how much you get out, you should be proud of that bit that you do. (I just want everyone to be happy!)

So, I'm proposing a new challenge to everyone:

I challenge YOU to be proud of your writing.

This challenge is for anyone that writes. Whether you aim for a page-a-day, or ten pages a day, you're eligible. I don't care what genre you write, whether you're working on a challenge, or even if you can get out several thousand in one sitting. What I care is that you are happy with your progress, and proud of your efforts.

Now, I made this little button that I'm going to display in my sidebar:

Anyone that wants to be proud of their writing may take it and put it up on their site if they wish. Also, I think I will add a sign-up list below - I'm such a list junkie! - for those who want to join me, and in a few months I will check back with each of you to make sure you're happy. :)

There is one last thing I wanted to show everyone. When I was starting my graphics, I googled for images under the search "proud" and found this:

He's SO cute! And FUZZY!

Thank you for your time. Now go be happy!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Deleted Scene and Internal Conflict Blogfest

2010-05-12T00:05:00.004-06:00

Here's my entry for the Deleted Scene and Internal Conflict Blogfests. I had to make do with a deleted scene from one of my own stories. Its a scene from the first version (many eons ago) of my WIP, A Heritage Revealed. (At the time it was called, Fire and Ice.) And I didn't edit before I posted it, just to add to the affect of "deleted scene". :)

Images of Aubrey flashed through Gabriel’s mind as he stretched out on the couch. He’d known Embry and Aubrey since high school, when their father had taken a position at the Boeing Company and the family moved to Everett. Their parents had been good friends with his parents and their families were frequently together. They took vacations together, had dinners together, went to movies together. Every camping trip, basketball game, swim meet, soccer match was done together. Gabriel had very few high school memories that didn’t include Embry and Aubrey.
When they were seniors, two months before graduation, the Bellingham parents were killed in a car accident and Embry and Aubrey, understandably, took it hard. Gabriel’s parents had done the best they could to help, and they’d seemed to help Embry, but Aubrey had become fiercely independent since then.
Embry accepted Admiral and A-Dub’s offer to move in, and he stayed until their first college semester started. Aubrey spent only a few nights; just long enough for her to decide to drop out of high school and move. She found a place to stay, got her G.E.D., and started a program to become a licensed mechanic. Shortly into her program, she met Angelo and started working at his garage, where she quickly became his most valued worker. Then she met his sister, Anna Maria, and began renting an apartment in her building.
Aubrey had made her own way in the world with a courageous swiftness that slightly intimidated Gabriel. She’d found a steady job she loved and excelled at, a solid apartment, and people who loved and cared for her. Though she threw herself into her work and rarely made time for anything else, she had created a life for herself, and she did it with very little help from anyone.
Connell was right when he said Aubrey didn’t open up easily. She had a knack for keeping things in and shielded from others. She was strong willed, strong minded, and Gabriel couldn’t help appreciating she was strong bodied, too. The image of Aubrey, half asleep, with her hair piled on her head, and her pajamas low on her hips slid into Gabriel’s mind.
Very strong bodied.
There was no doubt he was attracted to her, but she worked in waves of hot and cold with him. Most times, she seemed annoyed or pissed at him, and, of course, he never knew why. She rarely came near him, looked at him, or even acknowledged him. Then there were moments when her expression softened, and she looked at him as if she wanted...something.
The woman was nothing but fire, ice, and a lot of work.
Gabriel thought of Aubrey with his parents and how much they loved her. He thought of Embry and wondered what he would really do if he started going after his sister. He thought of how much work she would be and he cringed slightly.
Then he remembered her in the kitchen, with his friends, in his world.
He let out a loud breath in defeat.
Connell was right; he wanted her.
He had to have Aubrey.
Well, this is going to be interesting.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Tag!

2010-05-11T13:39:00.003-06:00

Wow! I got tagged into the game the blogosphere has been playing for a few weeks now. The lovely Amalia T. tagged me, and here are the questions and my answers:

Question 1 - Where were you five years ago?

Having one of the best years of my life!
I read the DaVinci Code, and multiple other history and science based action-thrillers that broadened my horizons and struck so many creative chords in my mind, its amazing I didn't go insane! (Okay, maybe I did go insane a little. But that just between us.)
Took a creative writing class. Best decision I've ever made. This and number two caused me to...
Decide to write a novel. I had always loved writing in school, and I was pretty decent at it, so I decided to see if I could write an entire book. (Funny enough, I still have written that first novel I came up with - but that's a whole other story.)
I visited my parents while they were stationed in Germany. I fell in love with the scenery and the food, and my mother took me to Paris (yeah, I may have gotten all teary-eyed when I saw the Eiffel Tower), and made sure I got to see the Mona Lisa. She's so pretty!

Question 2 - Where would you like to be in five years?

Published (was that a trick question?)
Living in Madison, WI
Working on a degree in English.
Uh...one through three is pretty much it, so lets go with...Have my own apartment, and...
Have 2 dogs. (My current breed phase is the Siberian Husky. They're so cute, and funny!)

Question 3 - What is on your to-do list today?

Check on my site. (Done.)
Reply to Amalia's Tag. (Done.)
Eat. (Just as soon I post this.)
Work out some kinks in The Stalker. (Here ideas! *whistle* Come on, come back to mama! *whistle, whistle*)
Work. (Yuck...remind me why we do this?)

Question 4 - What snacks do you enjoy?

Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate
Um...hmm...chocolate! (What can I say? I'm the stereotypical girl.)

Question 5 - What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?

Keep 5 million
Give 5 million to each of my family members. (I have 3, 2 if you count the parents as one unit.)
Give the rest away. (I do NOT want that much money, it scares the crap out of me.)

And there you have it. You guys, and girls, now know more about me, than I have ever expressed before. :) My blogger buddy tags are:

Harley D. Palmer (I don't think she's been tagged, yet), Amie McCracken, Abby Annis, (I don't think she's been tagged, yet, either), and Sarahjayne Smythe (Really? We haven't tagged her, yet?)

Thanks for the tag Amalia, and have fun the rest of you! Can't wait to see what you write!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Come Back, Again

2010-05-10T00:05:00.001-06:00

Yeah, I did it, again. I have an entry for Mia's Deleted Scene Blogfest, but its a double entry for The Alliterative Allomorph's Internal Conflict Blogfest, as well. So, once again, can everyone come back in two days? That'd be great, thanks. :)

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Announcing: The Week of the Turtle

2010-05-09T00:05:00.003-06:00

Hello, my name is Lilah, I'm 26, and I have the mind of a five-year-old.

I am finally to a point where I can start working on the features I have been planning! The first will be a week long special, and will begin, Monday, June 7th. What's the topic, you ask? Well, it will be...

That's right, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Everyone excited yet? I am!

I will spend the first day on the group, then one day on each of the turtles, and by the end of the week...we will know more about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than we ever cared to!

Cowabunga, dudes!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Primal Scream and Bad Girl Blogfest

2010-05-07T00:05:00.004-06:00

This is my entry for the Primal Scream and Bad Girl Blogfests. I wrote it in a couple hours, a few days ago, and haven't looked at it since. Its not from a WIP but it did give me a few ideas for my Stalker story. Also, I know I've said that I hate to make excuses for my writing before its read, but this time I have to say: I'm really sorry if its crap. (At least, since this is me, its guaranteed to be craptastic.) Action-packed stories are, above any other, my favorite kind, but sadly, I cannot write them to save my life.

He was being stalked; he had sensed the presence earlier in the evening, but it wasn't until he saw the hooded figure turn the corner that he knew for sure.
Dozer made his way down the street, listening intently for any sound. He had taken three and a half steps when he heard the chamber of a round in a 9mm Beretta Cougar semi-automatic handgun. He dropped to the ground as a shot rang out, and the wood of a nearby fence splintered.
"Mother-fuckin'-son-of-a-bitch!"
He rolled off the sidewalk, onto a patch of dirt, and concealed himself behind a cluster of metal garbage cans. Another shot skittered past his left ear, and he dove into a small opening in the fence.
Dozer settled himself next to the opening and listened as his little friend crept close. A shroud of black appeared in the opening and he grabbed hold of it. With all his might, he flung the guy across the lot, and watched with satisfaction as he crashed into a heap of old car parts.
Expecting to hear grunts or groans of pain, Dozer was slightly irked when the guy effortlessly stood, and...
Chuckled?
His stalker lifted the Cougar, and leveled it right at Dozer's head.
"Oh, shit."
Dozer did the only thing he could think of, and ran straight for the guy. He tackled him, but they did not fall backward onto the ground. Instead the stalker drifted to the right, pulling Dozer and slamming him into the side of a heap that had once been a 1968 Chevy Camaro.
With some luck, though, Dozer was able to grab hold of the Cougar, and tear it out of his assailants hand. He aimed it at the guy and was about to squeeze the trigger when a large boot swung up, and kicked the gun out of his hold. It went flying and he lost sight of it when another boot connected with his jaw, throwing him backward with pain coursing through his body.
Dozer scrambled back until he hit something solid, leaving him nowhere to run. The guy stepped forward, darkness hugging him like a cloak, and Dozer realized his mistake. It had all been a plan, and he was the fool that fell for it.
He had been driven into a secluded location, and trapped.
“You have been judged,” the figure whispered. A hand flicked so quickly, the dagger it released was barely visible.
The last thing Dozer saw was the mercenary lower his hood, and show his true identity.

Blaze pulled the dagger from the corpse’s throat and wiped it clean.
She walked away without ever looking back.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Come Back...Twice

2010-05-05T00:10:00.001-06:00

I know I entered Raquel's Primal Scream Blogfest, and I do have an entry, its just that its a sort of dual entry for Andrew's Bad Girl Blogfest. So...Could everyone come back in 2 days? That'd be great, thanks. :)

Oh, and I think its time I held a contest, so come back for those details, too. I will announce it very soon, but for now I will say that it involves getting to 200 followers. (My followers box is to the left, I'm just sayin'.)

Happy Wednesday and Happy Reading!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Hosting A Blogfest

2010-05-03T00:05:00.004-06:00

Call me an enabler, but I thought I'd give a few tips on hosting a blogfest. (Updates are in light green.) Last Line was really quite successful, and I noticed a few people seemed interested in hosting a 'fest of their own, but had some questions. I know many will laugh, the Blogosphere has gone Blogfest crazy right now and adding more into the mix will only continue that, but in all honesty, this 'fest craze has done more for my writing than anything else I have tried. So, in short, I support them.

Hosting a blogfest is really quite easy. Easy enough that I think I will break it down into a few simple steps. (Saying that sentence makes me feel like a dance teacher: Lets break it down now! That's it! You're doing great!) Anyway...

Step One: Pick a theme.

The first thing you should do when hosting a 'fest, is pick a theme. Really, it can be anything you like, but there are a few things you might consider when choosing. I think the biggest is that if you want a large turnout, don't narrow your theme too much. For example, we have a lot of bloggers in our network that write for children and probably aren't going to participate in a Best-Sex-Position Scene 'fest.

Also, I personally enjoy writing specific scenes (murder scene, bar scene, etc.) but, choosing a spot in a story in general (first page, last line, etc.) gives more people an opportunity to join in, because, well, lets face it, its not possible to have a bit of writing without a beginning or end. Also, choosing a topic that may not be a specific spot in a story, but is still something every story has (body language, dialogue, etc.) will still allow more to join. (Oh, good grief. Now, I'm encouraging everyone to be "joiners". *she shakes her head at herself*)

I'd say the last thing to remember is that we are all writers, and have priorities with our works in progress. If it comes down to writing a Blogfest entry or working on a WIP, we'll choose the WIP. So, by choosing a theme that people will probably already have written, it becomes a win-win situation. The host gets more sign-ups, and the other writers can participate AND receive feedback on their works in progress. And really, wasn't that the original point of a Blogfest? Have fun, share your writing, and gain feedback?

Oh, and this probably goes without saying, since we are all writers and creativity is in our blood, but uniqueness will of course get more attention.

Step Two: Pick a date.

Just pick a date you want everyone to post their entries on. Pick your birthday, your anniversary, or the third Saturday after your liposuction appointment, whatever you like. You don't have to sit, glued to your computer the whole day, so any day will do really.

In all honesty, I didn't even open my laptop until ten o'clock at night when I hosted mine. I just wrote up my post, added the sign up list, attached my entry, and scheduled it to post automatically. Then, that night, I read all the lovely comments I received throughout the day, and skipped along to everyone else's entries.

I do have one suggestion, though. Anyone who has a list or page of the upcoming Blogfests probably saw this, too, but I wouldn't recommend scheduling anymore during May. We already have a 'fest every two to three days for the whole month! (I think the soonest break we have is mid-June.) June 5th is also taken, just so everyone knows!

You might also consider researching when the other 'fests are. Mine and Charity's were on the same day because I was a bonehead and didn't pay attention. Honestly, I felt quite lucky she didn't cyber-kick my trash across the blogosphere. :)

Update: Iapetus999 has pointed out that it is a good idea to pick a date at least a month away. This way, we (and by "we", I mean all of us Blogfest junkies out there) have plenty of time to prepare for the 'fest, and give it 100% effort.

Step Three: Make your rules.

You can make up some rules if you like. I did. Then I didn't even follow them. Many people were worried because they went over my stupid "25 lines" rule, and honestly, I didn't even count my own entry. The thing about rules is that most of us are veteran 'festers by now, and will post whatever we want as long as it follows the theme :) Sorry, but I've noticed its true.

Step Four: Make a sign-up list.

The two most popular ways to create a sign-up list are: Mr. Linky and Simply Linked. I prefer Simply Linked, its free, and you can copy & paste the list to many different posts. I don't think I need to elaborate too much on how to sign up for these, if you're blogging, then you're smart enough to figure it out. :)

Update: Charity has also pointed out that leaving the list up for a few days after the 'fest would be appreciated. Many participants are unable to check all the entries right away, so by leaving the list for others to access a little longer, all entries can be enjoyed to the full extent.

Step Five: Make your announcement post.

Write up your post announcing your 'fest and all the specifics, and attach your sign-up list! (When you sign up for your list at one of the above links, you'll get the html code for your list.)

Its also a good idea to make an actual post announcing your 'fest bc those of us that are compulsive, will no doubt link the post to our Blogfest lists, which ends up helping with Step Six.

Step Six: Marketing and Promotion

If you're hosting a blogfest, people will know, trust me. The biggest way for others to find out about your blogfest is word of mouth, and once you make that announcement post, it will happen!

You also want to make sure you have an easy way for others to sign-up after you've put up other posts. Some people like to add their list to their sidebar. Others like to add a link at the top of their site that leads to their announcement post. Either way, just make sure the link or list is easy to see.

Update: Iapetus999 also pointed out that participating in other blogfests will increase your sign-ups. By participating and commenting on other entries, you will get your name out there, and inevitably more people will checkout your site and see your 'fest.

Step Seven: The day of your 'fest.

Just put up a post with your entry and the list of sign-ups, or a link that leads to the list of sign-ups - because everyone will, of course, want to read the other entries.

Step Eight: Your entry.

Post one. :)

Step Nine: All the entries.

Read them. :)

Step Ten: The most important step.

HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!

Hosting really is a blast, and honestly, there's just no point in doing anything if you're not going to have fun with it. Some of the positives of hosting that I'll throw out there for you to consider is that you share your writing, learn a few things, meet some new people, and if you care how many followers you have, your number will most definitely increase.

So, there you have it, a ten step guide to hosting a blogfest. These are really just some observations and experiences I thought I'd share, its not a law or anything. Either way, thanks for reading!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

P.S. For those of you that read my Last Line entry and wanted to know how Aubrey reacts to Gabriel's kiss, stay tuned. You just might find the next scene for a Teaser Tuesday one of these days!

P.S.S. Read Simon's Last Line Entry.

Thank You!!

2010-05-02T00:05:00.003-06:00

To all that participated in my Last Line Blogfest yesterday, thank you so much. It was definitely a success and all the support made the event a blast. (I think the fact that it ended up paired with Charity's 'fest made it even better, too.)

Now, I shall start my work for Primal Scream and Bad Girl. I'm SO excited for these two! I have a great double entry in mind, and I hope it works out! See...I mean, READ everyone there!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Today's the Day!!

2010-05-01T00:05:00.005-06:00

Hello, everyone! Today is my Last Line Blogfest and Charity Bradford's 50 Followers Blogfest. The list of sign-ups for Last Line is below, as is my entry for this double blogfest. My scene doesn't have baking in it, I had to make do with a scene I had already written that just takes place in a kitchen. I hope I live up to my Last Line-ness with this entry, and if not, well, let me direct you back to my Bar Scene entry. :) Happy reading, and thank you, again, to all the participants.

Gabriel’s head spun as he steered Aubrey toward the kitchen. For the past twenty minutes she’d scoured the Great Room, looking for a hidden passage. It just seems like the kind of place that would have one, she had said. Personally, the only thing he noticed about the room was what her jeans did each time she bent over. He’d had to end her search when she started to jiggle the bookcases; his brain just couldn’t take it.
With his hands on her hips, he guided her down a small tunnel to the left of the stairs. She grumbled something about the lack of intelligence men had when they interrupted a woman’s fun, and then something about the feminist movement, but he noticed she kept her hands on top of his the entire time.
“Do you think we should be worried?” she asked.
“About the feminist movement? I think its a bit late for that.”
He laughed as she elbowed him in the stomach.
“About this place," she said. "Its weird, don't you think?”
“Yeah, but its not like its the first weird place they've taken us to. And, I thought you were enjoying it.” She looked at him over her shoulder, surprised. He explained, "Ever since we got here, you've had that this-is-bliss look you get when you're working on an engine with over four-hundred horse power." She lifted an eyebrow and continued to look at him. He shrugged, hoping he looked nonchalant, and said, “I noticed." It came out as a grunt and killed the affect.
They entered the kitchen and Gabriel dropped his hands from her waist. Aubrey turned and smiled, no doubt at his fool behavior. She took a step forward and surprised him by saying softly, "I've noticed a few things about you, too."
His mind went blank and all he could think was, Uh. Then she said, "You've been a lot more tense than usual. Something's wrong isn't it?"
He shook his head to get his mind back, and cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah...I mean no! No."
"No?"
He stammered, "Well, I, uh...its - " He looked up at the ceiling and growled in frustration. "Someone attacked you, Aubrey - "
She shook her head. "No, Gabriel. There's more than that." She added very softly, "I can tell."
Oh hell, he thought. "Its just a project I've been having problems with at work. Its no big deal."
Aubrey nodded and her expression softened. “Tell me.”
He didn’t want to unload his professional problems on her, but he could tell she wasn’t going to let it go. He explained the samples they’d taken of their blood, the tests he’d been running, and the results he’d gotten. “I was going to put the samples through a new wave of tests yesterday, but they were part of the batch that got stolen.”
“What was so impossible about the results?” she asked.
“They had…” He tried to think of a word fitting for what he’d found. “An anomaly,” he finally said.
“Okay, what’s impossible about it?”
“Well…if I would have been looking at the blood without knowing where it came from…I would have said it wasn’t human.”
She blinked. “Not human?”
“Not human.”
“Oh,” she said, calmly. “Is it possible they got mixed-up with other samples?”
“No.”
“And all four of your samples came back this way?”
“Yup.”
She looked thoughtful, and suggested, “Equipment malfunction.”
“Nope.”
“Practical joke.”
“It’s a hell of a joke if it is.”
She bit her lip, something she did when she was worried, and asked quietly, “Should we be concerned?”
“No,” he said immediately and stepped closer. “I shouldn’t have told you. Forget I said anything.” She continued to bite her lip and without thinking he reached up and ran his thumb along her jaw. “I don’t want you to worry about this. Trust me.”
Aubrey nodded. “You don't have to tell me to trust you, Gabriel. I already do.”
She looked into his eyes and he had to take a deep breath. The room grew hot and his head started to spin. Damn it, he thought. Aubrey’s crystal blue eyes clouded with something he thought might be need and his pulse kicked up faster. They were standing only inches apart, their personal spaces merged into one, and the moment was more intimate than any they’d ever shared before.
“Um,” she said in a husky voice. She was about to pull away and he couldn’t let her.
Finally, Gabriel threw aside every excuse he had ever used to stay away from Aubrey. He backed her up, lifted her onto the counter, and took the kiss he’d been needing for eight years.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

3 Days Left!

2010-04-28T13:41:00.004-06:00

I wanted to remind everyone that there is only three days (including today) until Last Line Blogfest. For those of you that haven't signed up yet, well, let me say: JUST DO IT!!!!! We just need one more person to hit 40 sign-ups, and 11 more to hit 50! What do you think? Can we get there?

For those of you that have signed up, I wish everyone luck and look forward to your entries. Thanks for participating, and see you Saturday.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Body Language Blogfest

2010-04-24T00:28:00.004-06:00

This is my entry for the lovely Harley D. Palmer's Body Language Blogfest. I brought back Radish, from my Murder Scene Blogfest entry, so you might consider reading that scene if you haven't already. Enjoy!

Radish glared at her current nightmare from where she sat on the edge of the sandbox.
He was three and a feet of annoying six-year-old boy, and she wanted to throw-up every time she saw him. He wasn’t the biggest bully in school – that was Noogie Nancy, the really fat girl by the swing set, hanging the little boy upside down by his ankles – but he was still really mean!
He pulled her ponytails, he pinched her arms, he smooshed her sandwiches at lunch; one time he even stole her carrot!
He hadn’t done anything yet today, so she suspected he was going to kick her sandcastle that she’d spent all recess building. If he did, the big jerk was gonna get a bruised shin.
She waited as he stepped into the sandbox and came towards her. When he stopped directly in front of her sandcastle, she stood up and readied herself to stand her ground. He looked at her without a trace of emotion, looked down at her sandcastle, then back at her.
And with one swift woosh, his foot went right through the middle of her sandcastle.
Radish looked at the heap that had been her long, hard work. The big, dumb meanie was waiting to see what she would do, and she didn’t want to do anything that would make him happy. She simply gave one last look of farewell to her castle, gave a little sniffle so she wouldn’t cry, and walked away.
For the rest of the day she tried to ignore the castle-kicking, ponytail-pulling, sandwich-smooshing jerk, but it didn’t work. Every time she snuck a peek at him, he was looking at her.
Finally, at the end of the day, when he started walking toward her again, she dug her heels in the ground, crossed her arms, and prepared for battle. He was definitely gonna get a shin full of her shoe this time.
When he stopped a foot away, she glared and waited for his next move. It was something she never, ever would have expected.
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
She blinked, completely shocked, and tried to think of something to do. Really, there was only one thing to do. She kissed him on the cheek, too.
Then she punched him in the stomach and ran away.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Happy...!

2010-04-22T00:01:00.004-06:00

Happy Jelly Bean Day!

This is the one I have been waiting for all month! Seriously, who doesn't LOVE Jelly Beans?! Who ever came up with National Jelly Bean Day is a genius. I hope everyone will join me in celebrating this wonderful holiday.

Here is a picture of how someone chose to support the Jelly Bean:

Really? Does the word "Yummy" even cover it?

(Of course, "Wow, that person had a lot time on their hands" does, too.)

Hope everyone has a wonderful Jelly Bean Day!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Bryan's Hosting A Blogfest!

2010-04-20T21:56:00.001-06:00

Bryan Sabol is hosting a blogfest and I am SO excited!

First, Bryan is the author of The Time Guardian Saga, a series that I am thoroughly anxious for a publishing home to be found. The saga sounds brilliant, intriguing, and full of adventure and mystery - really, who doesn't love that combo?!

Second, he is a quarter-finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest with the first novel in his saga, The Time Guardian of the Anasazi. The results will be out April 27th (which, by the way is the same day as Rachel Bateman's birthday and First Contest) and I will be keeping my fingers crossed for Bryan!

Third, the blogfest! It is Logline/Hook Line Blogfest and sounds like a blast! Its May 22nd, see his site for all the sorted details, and sign up!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

New Look

2010-04-19T15:30:00.004-06:00

Last night, I decided to go with a new look for my site, and I LOVE how it ended up! I was so excited that I decided to do a post about it, and when I Googled for images I came across one that I just had to share. This is Dora the Explorer's new look:

I've never been a Dora fan, I kind of missed that craze, by what? Ten years? But I absolutely love what they've done with her. They did a really good job and the creators get major kudos for keeping her so tasteful!

Here's to mine and Dora's new looks!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Celebrate!

2010-04-18T21:17:00.003-06:00

I hit that great number of 50 followers today. So, in honor of this lovely occasion, let's all...Do a little dance! Make a little love! Get down tonight!

Oh, and to all of you that haven't signed up for Last Line, just click the link above this post. We're doing great with the number of sign ups, but lets see if we can't keep getting more!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Happy...!

2010-04-17T00:46:00.004-06:00

Happy Cheeseball Day! ...now go eat a cheeseball.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

A Tip

2010-04-15T15:45:00.004-06:00

When picking a pen name, you might take into consideration who your neighbors on the shelf will be. For example, I will be right next to Jodi Picoult; an excellent author, and a neighbor that will inadvertently increase the chances of my work getting randomly noticed!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Double Blogfest Follow-Up

2010-04-12T00:05:00.001-06:00

First, thank you everyone for your comments. I'm glad everyone enjoyed my pieces. I will start through everyone's entries tomorrow, and I will definitely make sure to leave a comment. :)

Second, I love that everyone got such a kick out of my "Murder" scene. I'm glad that so many of you liked the break from the tense and grisly feelings. (I hadn't even thought of that when I wrote it!)

Third, I have made my decision about my bar scene. I am going to pursue it as a full-blown story. My goal, as of now, is to make it a novella. The details have come to me so quickly, that I am going to attempt to keep it as an immediate WIP. Wish me luck!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Bar Scene Blogfest

2010-04-11T00:04:00.005-06:00

I wasn't sure if I was going to have something to submit for this one, but, lightning struck, and I have an entry!

I have a possible future project, too! I really like the story that formed in my head as I wrote this, and I think I want to expand it someday.

This was all written in the past few hours, and the voice sort of waivers in spots, but once I go back and do some serious edits, I think this could be good...

Oh, good grief! I'm making excuses for my writing! I had a teacher once say, "Never try to prepare your reader," - my mind adds a little, "Just let them read the damn thing", because, well, my mind is a smart-ass like that - so...

Enough chatter. Here's my entry. Read it.

From a small table in the darkest corner of the pub, he watched her.
Each time she leaned forward and her dark hair slid over her shoulders, he thought of soft, elegant silk. She wore a smile that was nothing less than genuine as she listened to her friends’ chatter; the slightest dimple was barely visible on her right cheek. Her striking, brown eyes were a vast chasm of excitement and a great love of life. She laughed at something that was said, and her lovely body vibrated with enthusiasm.
She was definitely a pleasurable vision to spend his time watching.
At least, when she was happy. It gnawed at his gut to have to watch her suffer through situations that drained her of all that wonderful sunshine.
Like the dinner they had been subjected to three nights before. If there was ever a mother that fit the term Dragon Lady, it was her mother. She was an awful piece of human flesh that had spent the evening talking down to her daughter.
It had taken everything in him not to say anything. There were rules he had to follow, and one of the highest was Low-pro. As in, always keep a low-profile.
Damn rules.
A slight shadow altered the light around his table and he looked up to see her standing there. Petite and beautiful, delicate and lovely, he forgot to breath for a moment.
This wasn’t good, not only had she crept up on him and inadvertently proved his failure to keep a vigilant eye, but she was beginning to have a serious affect on his head…and various other parts of his anatomy.
“Hi,” she said, lightly. She was standing just far enough away that it was clear she was afraid to approach any further. She also held her arms in a nervous position, not quite crossed in front of her chest, but a little lower, over her stomach. The moment was most certainly awkward for her; her damn mother’s actions at that dinner had left her embarrassed around him.
He kept his voice as soft and encouraging as he could, and asked, “How are you?”
She smiled, and something in her eyes sparked with a slight happiness, but her skin took on a slight shade of pink. That was bad. It was his experience that once a woman began to blush, she became even more emotionally scared. The brave woman that she was, though, answered in a firm voice. “I’m great…How are you?”
“I’m well,” he replied. “Would you care to join me?”
She turned slightly more pink. “Oh, well, that would be great,” she looked down, nervously, when she spoke, “but I probably shouldn’t ignore my friends.”
He nodded and replied, honestly, “I understand.”
Her slight pink was beginning to skim the crimson segment on the light spectrum, now. “I just wanted to say hi…I saw you sitting over here…” She tucked a piece of that beautiful hair of hers behind her left ear, and glanced down, again. “Well, I should get back to my friends I guess…” She hesitated, then gave a small, resigned wave and turned to leave.
He watched silently as she wavered and made it clear she was having one of those “internal debates”. She turned back toward him, looking slightly more confident. Apparently, she had won the debate.
“Look, that dinner sucked the other night, and part of me wants to apologize for my mother’s behavior, and another part wants me to tell you that my mother’s just a bitch, another part wants you to know that I’m not like she made it seem, and another part hopes you’re just smart enough to not pay any attention to her at all.” She finished, slightly breathless, and he had to admit that he was slightly amused; she had said all of that in one sentence.
He cleared his throat, hoping to wash away the note of his amusement. “That’s a lot of parts,” he said.
She smiled and her blush turned into an undeniable red, but she gave a small sigh of relief and eventually laughed. There was a moment of silence that hung in the air, then she said, quietly, “No one was really given a great first impression that night, huh?”
“Not everyone gave inaccurate initial impressions.” She met his eyes and he saw the depth of hope he had sparked. “I am certain that the impression you left on me is perfectly precise.”
He watched as his words set in her mind and she smiled, shyly. “Well, maybe if we have a second dinner, it will be better.”
He nodded, and held his tongue. His parents had dined with hers for one reason alone, and there would not be a second happening.
One of her friends called her name, beckoning her to return, and something dimmed in those bright eyes of hers. “Well, I guess I should go.”
She hesitated, and as she began to turn, he said, “Have a safe evening.”
She gave him a minute, last smile, and left him with a single thought.
Killing her was going to be the hardest task he would have to carry out, in the whole of his existence.

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Murder Scene Blogfest

2010-04-10T01:51:00.004-06:00

My murder scene is not from a WIP or even something I plan to turn into a bigger/longer story. It is something I wrote specifically for this fest and just so you know (forewarned is forewarned) it is EXTREMELY goofy. If you've never thought Oh, good grief, you will now. Have fun, I'm off to bed...

The tinkle of the bell on his too-small tricycle, the honk of the bulbous red ball on his nose, the too-scary smile painted on his face; Radish shuddered at the sight of her current nightmare, standing in her living room.
He turned to face her and she tried not to shrink back in fear. He came toward her, waddling and hopping around like the time Billy Berger put a worm in Kenny Neuman's pants.
"Why hello little girl!" the orange-haired freak spouted. He thrust a wadded up purple balloon in her face. "How about a princess crown for the birthday girl?"
Purple? Seriously?
"Ahhh, what's the matter?" He frowned, even though the painted smile never faltered. He tilted his head at a funny angle, then flung his arms out. "Do you want a hug?"
That was it.
Radish screamed at the top of her little five-year-old lungs. "Waaaahhhhhh!!!!!!! Mooooommyyyyyy!!!!"
She tried to run to the kitchen, but the clown already had his arms around her. He was trying to give her a hug, so she did the only thing she could think of.
She grabbed her trusty carrot, a pillow as big as she was, and whacked him with it as hard as she could on the head.
Stunned, Bobo let her go and fell backward on his butt. For a moment, Radish thought she'd stopped him. Boy was she wrong.
Bobo smiled and started to laugh. He jumped up, grabbed a pillow from the couch, and shouted, "Pillow Fiiiiight!!!"
Oh, no.
Radish screamed and ran.
She ran behind the couch, past the TV, under a table, across the stone seat in front of the fireplace, and the entire time - he chased her. She turned just as Bobo wrapped his arms around her, again, and lifted her off the ground.
He laughed like a maniac and she whacked him with her carrot. "Put," whack- "me," whack, whack- "DOWN!!" Whack, whack, whack!!!
Her carrot bumped something heavy on the fireplace mantel and caused it to fall…right on Bobo's head. The laughter stopped, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell backward.
Radish fell with him and climbed out of his arms. She stood still and stared at the body of Bobo the Clown.
She poked him with her carrot and he didn't move.
Oh, no! She'd killed the clown!

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Happy...!

2010-04-09T01:29:00.003-06:00

I checked my little list of HoliDAYS and found today is Safety Pin Day. Now, I'm not 100% positive what that is, but...Happy Safety Pin Day!!

...Maybe it means we should be sure to carry a safety pin with us, just in case.

...Maybe it means we have to wear a jacket made out of safety pins.

...Or maybe we are suppose to put a safety pin up on a sacrificial alter, poor some pigs blood on it, say a prayer, and worship it.

...Anyone else have a theory?

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

What Is...

2010-04-06T00:29:00.004-06:00

I am considering doing a feature on comic strips and I would like some feedback:

What Is Your Favorite Comic Strip Of All Time?

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T20:41:00.003-06:00

HAPPY EASTER!!

Bet they're thinking: "We had to have done something awful in a past life to be subjected to this."

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

My First Blogfest

2010-04-03T18:19:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I participated in my first blogfest, and there were two results. First, now I know that my main character, Aubrey, is very lovable (always a nice reassurance for a story's creator), and second, the last line of my first scene has a great kick to it.

This second result surprised me. I wasn't very surprised that Aubrey was well liked, because, really, who doesn't love an ass-kickin' chick? But having a few people point out my last line took me completely off guard. And it got me thinking...

Endings have always been very important to me. Whether its the end of a book, chapter, scene, or even a paragraph, I always try to make sure its a good one. I usually want something that baits the reader; something that has a good kick to it. I had never put that much thought into what I did for my endings, until people pointed it out.

So, now I'm curious to see how others write endings. Do you like to end things intense and serious? Or maybe light and funny? Are you a cliffhanger addict? Or do you not even think about it at all? Let's find out.

I have decided to host my first blogfest: Last Line Blogfest. That's right, we're going to show off our last lines.

Sign up below, pull out your favorite ending, and post it to your blog on May 1st. Entries do not have to be last lines only, it is understandable that a build-up may be necessary. I'd say that the previous 25 lines would be a reasonable length. It also does not matter if the last line is for a scene, chapter, or book, just as long as you wrote it. And lastly, don't forget to spread the word! The more people that participate, the more fun the blogfest is!

Now I just have to decide what I will post for my entry...maybe I will just put some in a hat and have a friend draw one. :) Good luck to everyone and thank you to all who participate.

Update: I've had a few people tell me they haven't been able to sign up. I'm not an expert, but I'd say just make sure you're not copy and pasting you're address from the address bar directly, because the http:// part is already in the box. Otherwise, just leave me a comment and I will get ya on the list. :)

Lotz of Love, Lilah P.

First Page Blogfest

2010-04-02T01:00:00.004-06:00

Kelly Lyman is hosting First Page Blogfest today. This is my entry. Its the first page of my work in progress, The Divine Wars: A Heritage Revealed.

          There was someone in her apartment.
          Aubrey had just returned from swimming and set her bag down by the door when she felt the difference in the atmosphere of her apartment. Before she could turn around, she was grabbed and thrown across the room. She wasn’t sure which wall she hit, but her lower back found the corner and pain exploded as she fell to the floor. An extremely large thug came at her, fast. She fought the pain in her back and tried to get up. Before she could fully scramble to her feet, the thug backhanded her, sending her into her bedroom. With her jaw throbbing, she crawled to the side of the bed that was out of view from the door. The room was in deep darkness but she knew exactly where the object was that she needed.
            She could hear the thug, aka Asshole-who-shall-die-if-her-jaw-was-broken, fumbling for the light switch by the door. The lights turned on just as her fingers brushed across the treasure she sought under the bed. This asshole so chose the wrong chick’s apartment. She wrapped her fingers around the handle just as a hand entwined in her hair and she was yanked to her feet.
            Slamming the handle of the baseball bat backward, Aubrey connected it with Asshole’s stomach. He grunted and faltered enough that she could swing the bat around, as hard as she could of course, and introduced it to his head. The crack sound was sickening, but he stumbled to the right, toward the door, dazed. She had the upper hand now. Poor bastard.
            Releasing a few swears that would make the most hardened of criminals blush, Aubrey hit a Grand Slam on Asshole’s ribs, and didn’t stop until he fell to the floor, groaning and breathing heavily. She hit him, again, in the back of the head. This time the sound was so bad it drained some of the fire from her. He fell to his knees, just outside her bedroom. She gave one final blow to his ribs, and he fell forward so that he was sprawled on his stomach.
            With her heart racing, Aubrey stepped over Asshole’s body to the phone. She dialed 911 and as she waited for them to pick up, she told him he better not bleed on her carpet.

Lilah-ites

2010-03-31T11:58:00.003-06:00

I've gotten a few extra followers in the past week and I just wanted to say Welcome! to them. (Does anyone else feel like they're imitating the leader of a cult when they refer to their followers?)

My site is still just a little baby site, and I'm still getting the hang of blogging (so expect a lot of "Oops, my bad!"). I will try to keep up with everyone's blog posts and leave comments as best as I can. I've got the attention span of a pea so I try to use any focus I have on my WIP. I'm sure everyone can understand that.

Thanks again for hanging out with me!

Word Cloud

2010-03-30T15:04:00.004-06:00

Every so often I like to put together a word cloud using the text from my work in progress. (I completely hijacked the idea from someone else.)

Since I have been sick over the past week, and wasn't able to do much of anything, I focused on two things: getting better, and my story. I have a nice little system now, and though I may not get out over a thousand words a day like most, I have steadily increased my word count. Every day I have gotten a solid four to six hundred words done and I really couldn't be happier.

With a story that is now four thousand words heavier, I wanted to make a new word cloud and compare it to the previous. I have three so far, and I thought I would share them. Just click on the pictures if you want to see them bigger. (Word clouds made at Wordle.)

This was the first.

This was the second.

This was the third.

Now, can anyone guess who the main characters are and who's POV I write in most?

Warning! Danger Will Robinson!

2010-03-25T22:37:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to warn everyone that I will most likely be incommunicado for a few more days. I promise I haven't forgotten anyone.

I've picked up a cold AND over twenty more hours of work. Between being sick, working, sleeping, and eating, I'd prefer to spend any extra time writing.

As soon as I'm well and have learned how to juggle my new hours with my writing, I will be able to catch up with everyone and their wonderful posts.

Happy writing to everyone! :)

I'm Sick. Make Me Happy.

2010-03-23T21:31:00.003-06:00

I woke up sick today. I HATE being sick. I have to work at 5 a.m. tomorrow, too. Needless to say, I could use a bit of cheering up. At the moment, I feel I will find a little bit of cheer in my own characters. So, today's post is a Teaser Tuesday. Enjoy.

“Okay, what did you do?”
Aubrey looked at the big empty space where a bookcase usually stood, then looked at Embry, Kaine, and Evan.
“Hey,” Embry crossed his arms. “Why do you automatically assume we did something? How do you know it wasn’t Connell or Quinn?”
“Is that a trick question?”
He glowered at her.
She glowered back.
He mumbled, “We were wrestling around, Kaine threw Evan into it, then it just…moved.”
“The bookcase?” Gabriel asked.
Everyone nodded and Connell said, “The entire thing was pushed back from Evan hitting it, then it slid behind the bookcase to the right.
They all looked at the black space again and Evan poked his head in. “It looks like it leads somewhere.”
Well, didn’t that just figure. She’d spent all afternoon searching the room for a secret passage and the Three Stooges find it by accident. No justice.
She sighed, “Well, lets find out where it goes.”
Six pairs of eyes stared at her.
“Are you serious?” Kaine asked. His voice pitched on the word serious.
“Hey, I’m up for it,” Evan said happily.
Connell looked at the entrance then at her and shrugged. “Sure. Me, too.”
She glanced at Gabriel. He sighed and looked resigned.
She looked at Quinn. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” she told him.
He looked at the hole, then said, “I think I saw a flashlight in the kitchen,” and headed toward the tunnel.
When she checked Embry’s expression he was eyeing the blackness warily. He didn’t say anything but, like Gabriel, she knew he wouldn’t let her go without him. It was some annoying protective thing.
She looked at Kaine, again, and tried to keep from laughing as the color drained from his face. He was six-foot-three, solid as a rock, and definitely someone you wanted on your side in a fight. He was also terrified of the dark.
And bugs.
And Jell-O.
And Cher.
He was, however, okay with clowns; the weirdo.
She patted him on the shoulder and said, “It’ll be okay. I promise.”
“We don’t even know where it leads,” he said.
“That would be the point of exploring it,” Evan told him sarcastically. “If you’re really that scared you can probably hold Aubrey’s hand. OW!”
Kaine punched Evan in the shoulder who then punched Kaine in the gut who then –
“Oh, for Karma’s sake! Knock it off you two.” She punched them both in the side and they winced.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
Quinn came back with an arm full of flashlights. “There were seven. Cool coincidence, huh?”
When they were each armed with a light, Aubrey took a breath and stepped toward the new passage. She hadn’t even made it to entrance when the room trembled, tilted, and she went sliding into the dark.

Hope everyone enjoyed this little teaser from The Divine Wars: A Heritage Revealed.

Walter the Squirrel

2010-03-22T14:37:00.003-06:00

I know I put a link up on my Twitter to this story, but I felt I needed to put up another post and truth be told, I'd rather work on my current story than a post. So here is a funny story that I think everyone should read. Its from Jennifer Crusie's Sunday blog post: Random Sunday, Drama Queen Edition

"We have a new pet, sort of: Walter, the dumbest squirrel in the forest. He got his name after we watched him speed around the deck with five barking dogs after him, never thinking to jump onto one of the zillion trees around the deck. Or as Lani said, “Poor Walter. Never was the same after he got hit with that walnut.” (This place gets bombarded by walnuts in the fall; sounds like the house is being shelled.) My introduction to Walter came when I was crocheting in the living room and saw this squirrel leap for a branch, miss, and plummet to the deck. Did I mention, a zillion trees? You’d have to work hard to miss them all, but Walter managed it. Then the dogs went crazy (“SQUIRREL!”) and Walter jumped up on a table where they couldn’t get him, and the dogs surrounded him. Now Walter has some options. He can run along the wide railing and jump on a tree. He can jump off the table and onto the narrow decking under the window that the dogs can’t get to. He can leap for one of the zillion branches that are right beside him. Or he can leap down into the middle of the dogs. Guess which one Walter picked? It was such an astoundingly stupid move that the dogs just looked at him and then at each other, like “This isn’t it right, must be a trick.” Then Walter staggered over and fell through the railing. I’d say his days are numbered, but clearly God loves the little rat. Either that or he does it on purpose because he loves the drama. We get a lot of that around here."

The first time I read that, I thought I was going to die of laughter (mostly because I got a fit of coughs at that moment, too.) I don't know what it is about Jennifer Crusie's storytelling abilities, but I could picture this squirrel perfectly! Hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

First Post

2010-03-19T00:06:00.004-06:00

I came across this bit of writing advice and had to post it. It cracked me up!

10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer
by Brian Clark

1. Write.
2. Write more.
3. Write even more.
4. Write even more than that.
5. Write when you don't want to.
6. Write when you do.
7. Write when you have something to say.
8. Write when you don't.
9. Write everyday.
10. Keep writing.

Now if I could just follow through! :)