ANNOUNCEMENTS

VIRTUALLY HERS came out Oct. 2009. Get it at SAMHAIN Publishing. VIRTUALLY ONE coming soon.
VIRTUALLY HERS OUT IN PRINT AUG 2010.

I've also made available at Amazon BIG BAD WOLF a COS Commando book, an earlier manuscript about Killian Nicholas Langley. You can sample the first five chapters right here. EBOOK now available for KINDLE, NOOK, and at SMASHWORDS for $4.99.

I appreciate all your emails. If you'd like to buy Virtually His NEW, please contact me. Thank you.



CLICK:

Big Bad Wolf Author's Note/CH. 1

Big Bad Wolf CH. 2

Big Bad Wolf Ch. 3

(more chapters on left side bar below)



To read excerpts of VIRTUALLY HERS, scroll down & click on the links on the right.



EMAIL ME AT JENN AT GENNITA-LOW DOT COM


VIRTUALLY HERS UPDATE

VIRTUALLY HERS OUT IN PRINT AUG 2010! Discounted at Amazon!

To read & comment on the poll (left column), click HERE. Thank you for all the wonderful posts there!

UPDATE: I SOLD THE SERIES TO SAMHAIN!

Here's your UBER VIRTUALLY HERS YAK THREAD!


GLow Twitter

Follow The Glow

Some readers having browser problems with the Google Followers Widget still. For now, you can still follow me through your Blogger Dashboard.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Post #2--Dollhouse: Aha Moment

Okay, I'm still watching, mainly because of the little furtive awareness that Echo is displaying.

But I have the most interesting lightbulb moment:

What if Detective Paul Hotbod was a doll? He served his five years and had his mind wiped but like Alpha and released, but now he's getting some flashbacks (even that boxing scene could be one of them)? That would explain how he took down the three Mafiaso guys like such a hot assassin, yes?

Just my mind clicking along....

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

It's That Time Of Year Again

Ladies,

Our kind of football is here.



Yowsa. Happy Weekend! I'm off to have some Biker Fun during Bike Week. Yay, no cement mixers in sight!

They're going nekkid for breast cancer. Which one of these Aussies is your month, eh?

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Thursday, February 26, 2009

All These Characters In My Head

Here's some cool news--I sold #300 of Big Bad Wolf today. Woohoo! I'm going to keep saying it: thank you, thank you, thank you so much!

Bike Week is coming up and I'll be doing a signing then too, so hopefully I'll have some more good sales news to share with you by next weekend. This is really giving me the incentive to put out the anthology I told you about, of short stories of familiar characters from past books. I've already decided on two of the novellas:

1) The STAR SEALs ragging on Reed (Joker) about his wealth the night before Jazz's and Vivi's wedding. I've started writing the story, actually, but being a pantser, it's sort of veered off into bachelor party territory with some off-colored jokes. I'm trying to tone that down, heh. You can imagine how rowdy it could get for this particular group of males the night before one of their own's wedding. Poor Jazz. He really doesn't want THAT kind of wild night. Really, it's the evil roofers influencing the very bad things these SEALs are saying in my draft. So, I'm going to have to try to direct things back to my original story idea--Reed talking to his team about his background.

2) Rick and Nikki. The happy couple. Nikki is glowing because you know, she's pregnant. The timeline is during Sleeping With The Agent, when she's guiding Reed. Remember she went to Skopje to assist Reed? Well, this novella is set just before, when she's telling Rick her decision to go. Can you imagine Rick's reaction? I have a good outline started too. Let's hope I don't go too off-course.

I need two more story ideas and am looking at all the suggestions y'all have given me in the past. Some of Lady Z.'s were very good! I know you're wanting more Jed, but if I do, it'll have to be set way in the past before Hell because, as you know, anything showing Jed in action means there'd probably be a woman around. He could be in "Stefan" mode, you know. But are you, the reader, ready to read about Jed being with another woman? One thing cool about this anthology is that it's possible to do something like this, catching a glimpse of scenes in the GlowWorld "past" that you could read alone, if you aren't familiar with it, and yet, if you have read the other books, you'd know where to insert these incidences.

I think it'll be another fun project (something different to learn to craft) while struggling through Viking Dude and patiently waiting for news about my proposals on editors' desks. You do remember that I have T's and Alex's story as one of my proposals, right? Think positive thoughts for a sale when you have a few minutes to spare, 'kay? To be honest, I'd much, much prefer to work on their story ;-).

The current plan is to get this anthology out in three or four months, depending on how the writing goes and whether I'll have good news from my agent about the proposals. Yes, I wish I could write super-fast too. This is one skill I'm still learning to master.

Anyway, I hope you're as excited about my newest project/plan as I am. I think I'll post a few of pages of the SEALs get-together as soon as I wrestle back some control of the story and let these alpha dudes know who's in charge of the story. ***giving them the Clint Eastwood squint***

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Jane Austen Goes Paranormal

It's bound to happen.

According to this article, these are real movies and real books:

1) Pride and Predator, a costume drama, produced by Elton John's Rocket Pictures, "juxtaposes brooding aristocrats with a brutal alien (me: I have a feeling I know what the monster looks like)."

2) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a book published by Quirk Books, featuring "bone-crunching zombies action." (me: Will Jane's mother be eating brains?)
3) Jane Bites Back, a novel by Michael Thomas Ford, with our favorite heroine, Jane Austen, as a frustrated vampire. (me: I wonder whether she would have beautiful sparkling eyes?)

As you can see, Jane Austen is HOT. I think I'll put in a proposal for a Jane Austen time travel--looking for a fabulously wealthy husband in the future. Or maybe Jane Austen in an urban fantasy--killing demons in post-apocalytic London while trying to save sister from marrying one! ;-)

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

I'm Too Rustic For My Shirt

I've been wiped out by the Oscars. Truly. My energy level has not been the same since those four lost hours. It's had some weird effect on other people as well. Going through news, I came across the report that Simon Cowell has announced that he's made plans to have his body frozen after his death. You know, cryogenics.



Wow, what a cool way to spend gobs of money right now.


I'm too tired to really understand the whole concept, but I do get the human fascination with coming back to life, but my question is, if you die at 80, would you really want to be frozen and brought back to life at that* age? What if, in the future, everyone looks like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and now, you, small, wrinkled, and cranky? Would you be happy staring at Ted Williams' head?

Nononononono. I don't want to come back as Gramma Jenn, all cranky and athritic, and possibly unable to climb on roofs any longer. What fun would that be? ;-P

See, I think that's the difference between men and women. We women want eternal life PLUS all the trappings of youth, hence our paranormal romances always make sure the hero and heroine stay young even when their lifespans are in the hundreds or thousands of years. Our vampire hero may be the oldest soul on earth, but dammit, he better have abs of steel and look preternaturally beautiful. Forever.

We'd need that assurance before we commit our body to the science of cryogenics, you know? Me, I'd also throw in chocolate. Make sure the future has chocolate and hmm.... But men, they just simply say, "Hey! Frozen after death till someone finds a way to bring me back to life! Yeah, let's do it!" (pumps fist). Have they never read Frankenstein? That poor dude was considered a monster and ended badly. Oh, wait, a woman wrote that book ;-).

So, anyway. Simon Cowell, just give me some of that money you're going spend on this cryogenic project. I promise to spend it a bit more wisely.

What about you? Would you like to wake up in the future like that? Or would just prefer to be a vampire? LOL. Hey, it's 1 am and I've to go to work in 4 1/2 hours. The people who own the house I'm on is so wealthy they want the roofers to make their roof broken down and "rustic"-looking (break some of the tiles, lop-sided rows, paint "moss" to make everything old and un-cared-for) so their mansion would look different from the others in the neighborhood. Yes, I'm bitter and "rustic." Bite me.



Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Sunday, February 22, 2009

It's the 2009 NOSCARS (Oscars and Nascar to you noobs)

Oh My God.

I just saw Hugh Jackman giving Barbara Walters a lap dance. Yeah! That's the way to start the Oscars!

I'm not here yet. I'm flipping back from NASCAR racing (hence, NOSCARS, and MY BOY IS LEADING) and saw THAT. I think I might start pouring out the wine early.

Unlike last year, when I wore my white gown, I'm dressing down too....I'm in my sweat pants, still damp from my carpet cleaning chores. Yes, my carpets are spotless now and I deserve a few hours of channel surfing and yakking about fast cars and bling bling. Are you ready? What are you wearing and what's the drink? Wine's my poison for the NOSCARS.

Just looking at some of the fashion as they walk down the red carpet. Stars ARE dressing down, in fact, doing the Scarlett O'Hara.

*Meryl Streep is wearing Martha Stewart's latest curtain.
*Penelope Cruz is wearing curtains from the old gangster theatres from Chicago.
*Marisa Tomei is wearing leftover satin napkins (folded to perfection, though!) from last year's party.

And Jimmie Johnson is getting his chassis adjusted. Okay, I'm going to pull down one of my lace curtains and wear it like a toga. Yes, I'll leave the curtain rod on ala Carol Burnett, although that might make typing a bit difficult....

HUGH JACKMAN walks on the stage. He isn't naked. Damn it.

See? "Downsized because of the recession." I told you. No dancing, no singing, no elaborate stage. I say Hugh should just give everyone a lap dance. No, he has to sing about wanting to be a millionaire. Like we all don't?

The show is so downsized, they hired kids from the streets to do the dancing. And the stage decor is done by the stagehands' kids for extra pay. And the costume is leftover bodysuits from the disco era.

I keep waiting for those Wolverine knives to show up, don't you?

Whoopie should host again. I love Whoopie's humor. Whoopie and Goldie together = WIN. You notice almost everyone's dress is part of that giant brown curtain?

After a religious ceremony with five grand dames of the arts blessing the nominees, Penelope Cruz wins Best Supporting Actress because she is wearing the biggest curtain of them all, that's why. She reminds me of Audrey Hepburn, except La Audrey would never wear curtains.

Okay, I'm done with my first glass of wine. Refill? Where are my napkins? Never mind, I can use my lace curtain to wipe. Meanwhile Earnhart Jr. is having a nightmare, oh goodie. Popping out of gear is not a good thing at 120mph.

Okay, bathroom emergency--the curtain got in the way. I must have missed something really important. Not.

Hey, it's Adapted Screenplay. More wine? I'm getting hungry. It's going to really be messy, trying to open the fridge with a curtain rod across my shoulder blades.

Hey, it's Brad's ex. And she's not naked either. Where's that necktie, Jen? Oooh, the camera panned to Angelina having a good laugh that Jen is presenting animation. Okay, bored now. Can we have a cat fight?

ZzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Not even a crash at the races. WTF? Most boring Noscars evah. I think the Oscars should have a caution period, in which everybody just rotate chairs.

Did the Japanese dude just thank his pencil? Did he also say "Domo Aligato, Mr. Robota?" LOL. Okayyyy. If I ever win a Rita, I'm going to thank my Bic. And Vaio. And electricity. All very important. And oh, my wine glass.

Sarah Jessica Parker just came on with Daniel Bond Craig for Art Direction. Jessica looks lovely in some frothy thing that has a skirt about a mile wide.

Only 60 laps to go. Whee.

Craig is not doing good with his lines. Like me, he's dying too. He's probably wishing he's driving one of the race cars right now. And killing some bad people. Like whoever designed the warehouse set in the background.

OMG. It's the Sparkly One. You know, Edward, talking about romance in movies. I feel old. I don't feel the sexay. Followed by a long montage of love and sex and kiss scenes from a variety of movies. Romance sells, yo.

Oh good, Ben Stiller ought to liven things up a bit. Heehee, he comes out pretending to be Joaquin Phoenix, who has, if you've seen him on David Letterman, gone utterly insane. Just find that clip on Youtube. Hilarious. Best presenter of the night.

In fact, I think if I ever win the Rita, I'll get on stage looking like Phoenix with that scruffy beard and sunglasses and mumble my thanks to my Bic while chewing gum, whaddya say? Think RWA will let me on?

Oh look, a giant satin napkin just walked on stage. I think that was Jessica Biehl but I was totally distracted by the sophisticated tuck the size of an elephant's trunk down her chest. Any moment now it's going lift up and spray the audience. Can you tell my wine is kicking in? :D

Looking at the clock here. Unlike the movie, I ain't getting any younger. OMG. It's only 9.43. Argh. Why do I do this to myself?!

Seth Rogen and James Franco try to entertain us with comic clips from movies. You know, this is so Wayne's World, and you kids don't even know those comic geniuses.

Come on, Jeff Gordon, I need a Big Win here. Don't let Kenseth win, dammit!

BTW, all the expenses of the show went into those thousands of Swarozski crystals hanging around the stage, all stolen from Cher's old costumes. Just so you know, that downsizing thing is a lie, even if everyone's wearing expensive table cloths and cushion covers. Look at them as the pork hidden in the cost-cutting political bills.

Because no one is going to Broadway and many shows have shut down, they've come to the Noscars! Hugh looks good in a top hat, btw. So they have Beyonce singing with Hugh. The running around with different musical bits is a bit frenetic and batshit crazy, if you ask me. Now, if Hugh would just do that lap dance....

I think I'm getting the theme of this show. Last year was all about going green. This year is all about trying to get the musicals back into the limelight. Right? I guess anything is better than the penguin throwing thing from a few years back. That. Was weird.

Damn, Jeff ain't gonna win the race. I'm mad now.

It's Best Supporting Actor's Award. Now five men in magical robes come forth to give their blessings to the nominees, who are trying to stay awake in their seats. Blah, blah, blah, ACTING, blah blah blah Wow! blah blah blah Taking Risk! blah blah blah Getting into character blah blah blah. More cowbell! How many crystals that Ledger is going to win?

So I'm not allowed to say anything snarky about the Ledger family's brownish skirts, of course. Bad form and all that. Loved Heath as the Joker.

Bill Mayer wearing smug. Documentary time. ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZzzz. It's the piano music. And the freaking screens zap back and forth. I'm going to go feed my doggies now. They're whining. And this show is like watching an embalming, only less interesting.

I'm back. Did I miss anything? //grin

I did grin at Tina Fey and Steve Martin presenting together. Awesome partners. They should be given hosting duties. And for the musical bits, Steve Martin can play the banjo.

Will Smith is here for action movies. Will always looks good. Benjamin Button is getting the "early" wins. Does that mean good things to come? Or, oh-oh? I didn't see the movie. How does one age backwards, anyway? Probably has a sad ending, right?

I was in Bombay a few times. The traffic there was scary. It was scorching hot and a dancing bear kept begging me for money. I felt sorry for him and his handler because it was 200 freaking degrees.

Where was I? Oh yah, film editing. Sigh. Slum Dog Millionaire won. Yay. Go Bombay and dancing bear. You know what I was thinking? How come they didn't give a musical tribute to Rocky Horror Show? Now, that would have been awesome, especially if they can have the audience stand up and do the Time Warp, which is probably what all of them are wishing for right not, anyway.

Eddie Murphy gives Jerry Lewis the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award. A truly good dude. Did I spy Sophia Loren in the audience? And Seal!

Good Lord, it's 10 till 11pm. We're almost there! This cheapo version of the Noscars is almost over. Hugh Jackman was under-utilized, imho. And I still think he should be naked. Or at least in a loincloth. And without my GEORGE CLOONEY present, it's just not the same boring show.

Okay, while they waste more airtime with music, I'm going to put down my bets now for the three main winners. KATE WINSLET and MICKEY ROURKE. Oh, an SLUM DOG MILLIONAIRE.

Alicia Keyes looks gorgeous in fuchsia. Oh look, they are doing Bollywood with Korean drums. You know, when the lights are down, the front small "intimate" stage gives a very nightcluby feel. The whole So You Think You Can Dance cast is on the stage. Jai Ho indeed.

What can I say? I thought they were going to end at 11pm. They aren't. The embalming continues. //me staring at my toenails. So, ummm, how many times did you yawn already? My Bad Puppy is asleep on my curtained lap. He's done chewing with the rod, btw.

I can hear you now. Jenn, why do you do this to yourself every year? Is it the wine? Wouldn't you prefer to read a book? My answer--well, I need to remind myself that there are worse things than my day job. I don't have to suffer live embalmation at the Oscars ;-P. When I am pounding on the cement mixer, trying to break the hardened concrete, I'll remember this moment of suffering and smile. And work harder.

Aww, they put Paul Newman as last on the In Memoriam montages. Me loved him so. And Charlton Heston. They both were in some great beloved movies.

Reese Witherspoon presented Best Director. Lovely blue gown with strange black bandaids hanging across the chest. Reese's dress, I mean, not the best director's, who is Boyle, for Slum Dog Millionaire. Seeing a pattern? ;-) Lovely line in his thank you speech: "You dwarf even the sky."

Best Actress. Scenes of past actresses crying, of course. Here come Sophia Loren, Halle Berry, Nichol Kidman, Shirley MacLaine and Marianne Coutiard as high priestesses giving their blessings. This is a very strange set-up. It's like, even if you don't win, hey, you get Sophia Loren personally telling you how great you are! Why does Sophia has her hand on her hip? Strange. I think they should have Jennifer Aniston give praise to Angelina Jolie. AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.

Okay, betting 33 percent. Come on. Poor Meryl. Really. Someone give her another Oscar, please.

Robert de Niro, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley, Michael Douglas and Adrian Brody sing praises like Gregorian chants to the nominees for Best Actor. Yawn. It's 11.40pm, dudes, keep them short. What happened to the good old two people just calling out names? Do I really want Mickey Rourke to win? Not really, but he needs redemption, I think. Besides, I can't stand Sean Penn. Bah. At least he acknowledges that he's a jerk.

You know you're old when Sean Penn needs reading glasses. And even he knows he robbed Mickey Rourke, hah!

Okay, final Grand PoohBah Award. Toldja. Slumdogmination! It's that darn song, I tell you. They like them yellow scarfs.

It's finally over, the longest boringest embalment evah. Rest in peace. I finish my wine. Take off my curtain and rod. Sigh a sigh of relief. Tomorrow, I face that cement mixer with a smile.

Nighty night!

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Post #2: If You Could Help

My fellow author, Dee Tenorio, had a family tragedy recently. Her sister passed away unexpectedly, leaving four children behind. Dee's own words:


Now, normally, I’m not the type to lay my problems out on a platter for folks to look at or pick over, but…well, we’re in a situation. As you can imagine, unexpected funerals are hard on the families they happen to and we’re no exception. The kids have hit their myspaces and we’re using every network and option we can to raise money to help bury my sister. From jars in grocery stores, yard sales, car washes in the rain and bake sales. We know it’s tight everywhere and I swear, I’m not asking for someone to pay for it all. But I can say that every bit helps and if anyone has even five dollars to spare, that would mean the world to me, my family and especially her children.
You can read the full post by clicking on Dee's name above. Her sister was only 34 years old. My heart goes out to her four children who have to deal with the reality of losing a parent and funeral arrangements. If any of you could spare a few dollars, here is Dee's paypal account:

laideebug @ gmail.com (no spaces)

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

It's That Time Of Year


Barring an emergency, I'll be here tonight, doing the annual OSCAR Live Running Commentary on Hair and Hairiness. I heard that everyone is going to dress "down" (does it mean they're going to put on Walmart prom dresses?) this year so as to reflect the state of the economy. You know, that sounds so depressing. But Hugh Jackman (whom I call Jack Hughman when I'm drunk, so please ignore that typo as the evening progresses and the wine gets to me) is the host and I've heard he's good at the emcee stuff. If not, let's hope he'll consider ripping off his tux and letting us see some, ah, hair.


Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Tell Me

Why do you like Twitter?

What exactly does it do? LOL.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Friday, February 20, 2009

Dollhouse: Uber Icky?

So any of you watching Joss Whedon's newest baby, Dollhouse, on Fox? I worship at the Whedon altar. The pilot last week left me a bit uncomfortable, using imprintment (hey, familiar concept!) on blank minds to create whatever the customer wants. The first situation suggests that the "active" from the Dollhouse, Echo (Eliza Dushku), has been paid to be a pleasure fun- and fast-loving weekend companion. Umm...yeah, I was thinking high class prostitute.

Tonight's episode was action-packed but it still reminded me of the same thing--girl bought by a client to be imprinted to please him, even though it isn't about pleasure, more of a hunt-or-be-hunted game. Wonder what the Great Josh has in mind to make the characters more sympathetic to me.

I'm sticking to this show for a few more episodes. The premise, like I said, isn't very appealing and might be a hot button issue for many women, but this is Joss Whedon, the creator of kick-ass females who are ultimately special as they find their place in the world. So I'm going to trust him a bit longer.

If you caught the pilot and this week's episode, your thoughts?

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Trying To Amuse Myself

You know when you have one of those days when everything goes wrong and you just can't win no matter what?

My day was like that. And it ended with me on my back, an inch deep in stucco-slippery mud from head to foot. I stared up at the bright blue sky, feeling the wet mud slowly seeping through the back of my clothes.

The sky darkened. It was the contractor. Unlike the snickerers around me, he was as solemn as a grandfather clock.

"You know," he opined, "very few roofers can get away with pink sweatpants."

I shook my head and it felt strange. Actually, it was quite a difficult thing to do when my hair is embedded with quickly hardening cement/mud. When in a bad position being snarked at, snark back.

"Very few roofers can get away with pink underwear too," I said, looking up at him.

Did. Not. Crack a smile. He walked away, leaving me to my misery. One day, I'll get a grin out of that man. It's a bet with myself.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Awesome BBW Review

I'm happy to have a second review for Big Bad Wolf. Riley blogs about books she reads and I'm happy to see that she gave me four stars out of five.

Thank you, Riley, for taking the time to write a review for Big Bad Wolf. It means a lot because unlike previous books, no ARCs were sent out to review sites and I hadn't expected too many people knowing about this particular book.

Here's the LINK to the review. Check out all of Riley's recommendations too!

Yay! Now I can put review links under the Big Bad Wolf cover! Mrs. Giggles wrote the first one.

P/S To be honest, I didn't rewrite BBW too much. I mostly updated the technology. For example, there were very few people with cell phones or laptops when I wrote the story. Some of the lingo was also too 90s, so I edited and revised that.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Post #2: I'm Dusted

So I'm watching American Idol to air my tired brain out. Does the new format SUCK or what? Geez, talk about stretching the time to meaninglessness. Why would they put the parents there and then yak yak about nothing after their performances, especially when some of them were clearly out of depth? Or maybe I'm just in a tired bad mood. I'm also growling because Bad Puppy stole my ice-cream cone and wolfed it down. No one gets between me and my ice-cream. Grrr.

Book Updates

1) No news about Virtually Hers or any of my proposals yet. Told you this is a slow, slow process. I'm really hoping Diamond and T's story get sold this time because I love them so much.

2) Big Bad Wolf's sales numbers, including this past week, is now at 263. Yeeha! I have a feeling many readers who went to Amazon looking for Virtually Hers picked it up when they saw BBW there instead of VHers. The sale has been very steady since its debut on Dec. 24, 2009 seven weeks ago. Thank you for helping me by posing on other forums, everyone. Deeply appreciated.

Of course, 263 is not quite anywhere near these authors' sales numbers. LOL. Check out this list of top guns and see whether you can spot your favorite romance authors. I...uh...have a long way to go. Heh.

3) Still haven't made up my mind about what stories to pick for the anthology. For sure, there will be a novella about Rick and Nikki. Methinks there are some important fears to face still for both of them.

*********************
I'm still at that labor job with the long, long commute. Today was interesting. I learned how to tile. And yes, my lungs are now caked with the dust. I think I'm trying to die young.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Reading Thread

Running late this morning. Will post more later, my dears.

Finished Briggs' MOON CROSSED. Loved it. Wants to have Briggs' babies.

What are you reading right now?

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Post #2: Absolutely Too Uber Romantic

50 Years: LOVE EVER AFTER

The recollections brought smiles to my face. Gave me a good, gushy feeling in the tummy too.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

What Did You Get?

...for Valentine's Day?

Soooo happy with my mate ;-).

I've been looking at the book longingly at Amazon's but have resigned myself to the fact that I probably wouldn't be reading it till it comes out in paperback, which is the only way I can afford my reading expenses right now.

Then, at my signing, guess what arrived in a nice pretty heart-shaped box with a bow? ;-) I thought, chocolate, but it's Patricia Briggs' BONE CROSSED! You should have heard my squeee of delight. Ah, the perfect gift to capture a romance reader!

My signing went quite well too. There was a steady stream of customers looking for weekend reading and romantic gifts. The UBS owner put me next to her erotica section, which was sweet, because there were many ladies wandering there and they stopped to browse my books and talked to me. Some of them bought my older books to try out and I sold a number of Big Bad Wolfs too.

So, all in all, it was mostly a fantastic day (with only one worrisome news about my furbaby from my vet).

I'll update y'all on the BBW weekly sales count in another post tonight.

Hope your Valentine's Weekend was fun too. Did you get a good present?



Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Saturday, February 14, 2009

GLow For Romance

I'm doing my BBW signing today so maybe there'll be lots of shoppers picking it up as a Valentine's Day gift. It's supposed to be lovely and sunny out today but right now it's overcast. Wish me luck!

Are you doing anything special for/with your loved one today?

I have a friend who's hoping a pair of sexy furry handcuffs will respark the romance and fun in her and her man's sex life. She joked, sort of embarrased, that he'd probably have a heart attack when he sees the present because he knows that she reads lots of romances and would be expecting hours of pleasure. LOL. I tried to ease her mind by telling her to first hint to him that HE would be the one getting hours of pleasure ;-).

It's kind of sad how sometimes we put our sex lives on the shelf while we try to pay the bills. Even a day like Valentine's Day becomes part of a series of chores, you know? Romance doesn't have to be about expensive chocolate and hearts. Sometimes a nice breakfast in bed, or a morning massage, even going out on a date, can make a day special.

For myself, I'll be sitting at a table with romance books all around me, trying to munch cookies professionally. I'm just happy to be away from strapping lumber and screwing in tile for the day, although my Alpha Male tells me that my writing does involve lots of wood and screwing, so what's the difference. Hmmmph. Smart asses should be banned on Valentine's Day. Just for that I think I'll give him a sexy vege tonight.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Friday, February 13, 2009

The Real Thing Is Better



It's Valentine's Day coming up. This calendar would make a nice gift but you know, I wouldn't mind the Real Thing comin' over and taking care of some housework ;-).
Chocolate, anyone?


Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

The End Is Near

Starbucks is selling instant coffee.

Discuss.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Talking Of A Slow Load...

Gah, don't know why my blog is loading so slow, like a turtle with four broken legs today. The left column appears and the whole thing just hangs there for five to ten seconds, and then the rest of the blog appears. Huh. Strange, too, that it doesn't do that when I'm using Mozilla Firefox browser. No idea why. I hope visitors using IE haven't been having this problem all day.

Maybe the manty-hose pictures scared the blogger gods and they're punishing me for spreading this fashion trend? ;-) Hopefully, this is just a one-day glitch and things will be back to normal by tomorrow.

**********************

Midweek Question

This came up at a private forum and I found the replies/discussion very interesting. So I'm bringing it over here as my blog topic to see what my readers have to say.

The poster wrote that she loved to read scenes that show the hero pleasuring himself. Actually, she asked the question better than me: "does anyone else like a little up close and personal man-loving?" She cited her love of Victoria Dahl's "A Rake's Guide to Pleasure" and how she wished there were more romances out there featuring this type of erotic scene over the now saturated trend of vanilla butt secks.

What say you? Do you enjoy scenes of the hero showing some self-loving, whether alone or in front of the heroine?

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Remember Manorexia? Close Your Eyes, Ladies...

Because MANTYHOSE is here.

They are E-MANCIPATED. They love their garters. And they're trying to show you their mandles.

Please, someone, bleach my eyes out.





And no, you won't be seeing any of my SEALs or commandos trying any mantyhose out. Not even Heath.
Wanna buy something interesting for your significant other? Heh heh heh.



Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

And The Woman Won...For Now

Just so you know.

The woman was asked by some dudes to be back because the Other Guy Who Didn't Own Tools were slowing everyone down too much.

Let's just say that I've a feeling that this is round one. ;-)

Want to strap some stringers, anyone? You know I'd much MUCH prefer to string some strapplings, if you know what I mean....

But GLow Moonlight Mojo works! You see? Now you better report in your Mojo Hopes while the moon is still big and round up there.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Sunday, February 08, 2009

General Writing Ketchup

YAY I FINISHED VIKING DUDE'S PROPOSAL. //doing Calvin and Hobbes Happy Dance. You guys don't know how hard I've been wrestling this particular project. Now that it is done, I can concentrate on writing while waiting for word from editors:

1) continuing Viking Dude
2) starting the novellas for Rick/Nikki, or the SEAL team haranguing their buddy Reed's wealth, or one of the many excellent suggestions in past posts for another print project (poll coming)

Update on the sales of Big Bad Wolf Project:

30 orders the first week of Feb., so in six weeks, 220 books have been sold. Race fans are in town this week and I'm going to be doing a signing, so hopefully, I'll have good sales numbers next weekend!

I'm still keeping the poll up because reader emails are still coming asking about Virtually Hers, so I just direct them to this blog. It says that 500 people have voted (plus/minus 5 percent of repeat voters) and I'm still amaze that the percentage is staying the same--93 percent voting "yes" over 6 percent voting "no." I'm thinking, generally, readers who want to read the story don't care who publishes it, only that it gets published. The only issue for most readers is that they get a good quality book, both inside and outside (meaning, comparable to the books they buy at Amazon or any bookstore). Am I right?

I think I did a pretty good job with Big Bad Wolf. I haven't heard any complaints from readers yet (fingers crossed) about the story or the print quality. Anyway, it was a good test and I enjoyed the experiment. It gave me confidence that I can keep my promise of getting Virtually Hers and Virtually One out, one way or another ;-).

So, starting the coming week in good spirits. What about you--any positive news/plans to share? Maybe we can make a good vibes bubble around us and be such teh bouncy shiny happy peeps all week that others would grab us by the shoulders and ask, "What's got into you? You're just grinning all damn week. Are you pregnant or something?!"

That's the plan, anyway. So...tell me your positive plans, no matter how small--writing plans, silly ideas, crazy work load--and we'll put the GLow Mojo on them tonight!

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

What Kind Of Reader Are You?

Alison Morris from Publishers Weekly had this interesting question on her blog, asking her readers whether they are:

1. The Whimsical Polygamist: you dip in and out of multiple books at once -- whichever strikes your fancy or fits your whim anytime, anyplace.

2. The Placebound Polygamist: you read multiple books simultaneously but each in its own locale -- say, you've always got one book you're reading at home, one you reserve for your workplace lunch break, and another that's the sole domain of your subway ride.

3. The Noncompetitive Polygamist: at any one time you are reading one fiction book and one non-fiction book, or some similar combination of multiple books that does not involve reading two books of the same type at the same time.

I'm mostly #2. I have a few books in the bathroom (which makes me a bi-polygamist?!), one near the computer, one in the truck, one in my bag, and Lord knows where else.

If the book is unputdownable, I do carry it with me to bed and finish it.

What about you? Maybe you're a true Monogamist and can only read one book at a time. Or perhaps you're a variation not mentioned above?

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Friday, February 06, 2009

Uber T-Shirt!

Got a present! It's so cool and I'm going to wear it to my girlfriend's teenage daughter's party, heh heh heh.

If you want one, order it HERE.

Think I'll make it out of that party alive? *Big Evil Grin*



Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Thursday, February 05, 2009

What A Woman Is Up Against

Task: Prepare aluminum straps by cutting strips from prepared length. 25 pieces of lumber, 12 foot long each. Mark at 18 inch intervals and "strap" each one on these marks by using nail gun. Two nails on top. Bend each side of metal, three nails on each side. The gauge of the strap is thick enough that you need some strength to bend it. The next step is time consuming: you bend each of the sides 90 degrees and use a flat bar to chip at its angles to make sure the bend is "tight." The end result of each strap over the lumber looks something like this:
****_
__[* ]__

So, each piece of lumber has about nine to ten straps. Got it?

Last task--when above task is completed, carry each length, weighing about 30-40 lbs, to the side of the roof and heave it up to the waiting roofer.

Got that?

WOMAN
Qualifications: certified state license, very experienced
Pay scale: a few dollars higher but the company doesn't need to pay for her liability insurance and workman's compensation.
Own all the required tools: nail gun, hose, tape measure, hammer, marking pen, flat bar, utility blade
Finished strapping 25 pieces of lumber in approximately 7 hours

MAN
Qualifications: roofing labor
Pay scale: labor rate, company has to pay for liability and WC
Doesn't own any tools: no nail gun, not even a tool belt. Has to borrow hammer and tape measure.
Finished strapping 6 pieces of lumber in approximately 6 hours

The roof needs 2000 pieces of lumber strapped this way.

Question: Who would you hire for this specific task after Day One?

The person hired: the man

This happens more than you think. That's why we are stronger. Faster. Better. (cue in Bionic Woman music)

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Absolutely Fun

Someone sent me this really cool link. You type your favortie author's name into the box and a map shows up with names of other authors who are similar in style. I typed Linda Howard. You can type Shakespeare!

But, so sad, that Gennita Low chick is nowhere to be found.

//hanging head, feeling lost and unloved

Who's Who Literature Map

Anyway, what author name did you try out?

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Another Orlando Gig

Okay, Canada! I'm warning you! STOP sending cold air down here!!! This is beyond ridiculous; we're freezing our butts off here in Florida. I usually turn my heater on once during our "winter," but tonight and this week will mark the THIRD time I'm doing this. Knock it off!

Grrr. This prolonged frigid weather is really making my mornings miserable. You can always tell the "snowbirds" from the natives. They're the chirpy people walking around in shorts saying, "I'm loving this!" to everyone nearby. The answering growls are from the bundled-up natives who know better. Warning: the next person who comes up to me all bright-eye and bushy-tail to merrily point out that "at least there's no humidity" is going to get seriously hurt.

It gets really cold at the labor compound while I wait for a job for the day. Basically, a bunch of us stand around and stamp our feet a lot to try to keep warm (why would stamping feet create body heat, I have no idea). Me, I try to read a book sometimes but my chattering teeth and shaking hands make it tough. It was kind of funny this morning, trying to get into a vampire story while my body was as cold as the undead. It made the idea of gnawing on a poor sod's neck and sucking up some hot blood quite tempting, quite actually....

Talking about doing normal things in different places, remember the SF Convention, Oasis 22, that I attended last year so I could meet favorite authors John Scalzi and C.L. Wilson? Well, I received an email inviting me to be guest panelist for this year's affair. I was quite shocked. Didn't think anyone knew me there. But I had a lot of fun meeting with readers and fans of the SF genre and certainly enjoyed a number of the panels. It's a good way to promote cross-genre books such as Virtually His to new readers, right? And my Viking Dude is urban/alternative fantasy, so I can talk about that too. So...any of you going to be in Orlando around May 22? I promise the weather here should be much warmer by then.

Here's the website to check out the details of CON:

http://oasfis.org/oasis/index.php

One more incentive to go: JOHN RINGO will be there. I need to put on my OH JOHN RINGO NO! teeshirt for him to sign.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Writer's Blues

I'm struggling. I've never written a proposal for an urban fantasy/fantasy before. Talk about info-dumping from hell. It's like the never-ending back-to-the-past stuck-in-the-future story, but I don't think that description is going to be "the hook." Argh.

Why can't I just say, "Here is Viking Dude and he's stuck in the future, hiding from bad guys from the past"? No, I have to explain the past, the world-building part, and that's where everything gets convoluted. Usually, in a proposal for a romantic suspense, I don't need to explain the world of spies too much, since everyone understands what black ops. mean and the time-line is usually in the present. But with fantasy, I have to explain the world I built, and with a time-traveling element that goes back to way, way in the past, to Greek mythology even, I get tied up in details that have nothing to do with the plot. Argh.

I hate writing proposals. I actually prefer to talk about it one-on-one with the editor. For some reason I don't feel lost when I'm explaining my vision in person.

******************

Been trying to set up Big Bad Wolf for Amazon's Kindle. It doesn't take PDF files! It wants the files to be set up in HTML. I suck at HTML. So...another week without BBW for Kindle people, so sorry.

******************

My book count this month is pathetic. Here's what I read:

The Host by Faith Hunter (Engrossing; I loved it. Read it twice. Just cannot believe there's no fourth book!)

Dark Matter by Cameron Cruise (evil twin story with a psychic twist that turns into full-blown mind-sucking out-of-body visit to Atlantis for the ultimate power. Lost me a bit in the middle. Not enough romance for me.)

Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann (Totally heartbroken. Just imagine if Alex Diamond and T end up with other people in one book. Yes, I'm bitter, heartbrokenly bitter.)

Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner (Interesting beginning; strong first three chapters. A bit of an odd vampire book that can't decide whether it's dark or funny (a ten thousand year-old vampire calling a thirty thousand year-old vampire "dad" cracked me up) with very little happening in the middle chapters while the heroine goes through her "change," but the characters kept my interest.)

So, what's your book count?

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
NO NEED TO CLICK TILL I TELL YA: RESERVED FOR NOT SAFE FOR WORK STUFF

DAILY DOSE OF CUTE PUPPINESS

Send My Publisher A Nudge