Tag: Ghosts Don’t Wear Silk Stockings

GUTGAA Meet and Greet

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First of all, thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. Please make yourself at home and enjoy your stay. I’m looking forward to meeting all of the participants of this year’s ‘Gearing Up To Get An Agent’ event hosted by Deana Barnhart. Deana has done an amazing job of putting together what promises to be a fun-filled event and although, I found out about it at the last minute and am still struggling to find my feet, I know I’m bound to have a good time.

So, to start it all off, I’m posting my meet and greet questions and brief bio to help others get to know a little about me. Here goes…

Questions for the Meet and Greet
-Where do you write?
     Nine times out of ten, you’ll find me on the living room couch sitting in a lotus position with the laptop balanced on my lap. If I’m not there, I’ll be somewhere in the house. I rarely venture outside to write unless it’s with paper and pen to brainstorm.
-Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?
     Hey, guess what? I am already there! (Turning head to the left) I see a lamp, a family photo, and a big stack of magazines, books, and papers that one of these days I should get around to organizing. lol There might be a bit of dust there too but I’ll never admit to it… Nope, don’t see it. Don’t know what you’re talking about.
-Favorite time to write?
     If I had a preference, it would be mornings when I’m most ready to tackle the day. In reality, it’s whenever I’m able to sneak in a few minutes.
-Drink of choice while writing?
     Water is what I normally drink during the day but I have been known to indulge in a glass of wine or enjoy a rum or coke (or two… or three?) when I write in the evenings. All depends on how much fun I’m having or how much I need to unwind after the kids go to bed. ha ha
-When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?
     I go both ways. I enjoy listening to music while I write and will often find that it helps put me in the write mood to get the words out but I’m just as happy listening to silence. Usually music is the catalyst to visualizing a particular scene and if I need to re-trigger those feelings, I’ll play it while I’m writing. Otherwise, whatever is on works.
-What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?
     You know, I’m not even sure anymore. I wanted to write a story about a woman involved with a man that she finds out is dangerous so that she’s torn between hanging on or letting him go. I didn’t want this to be an easy choice for her and if he was simply human, well, that would be too booorrring. (ha) I sat down to write, gave up on it like I usually do about ten pages into it, and forgot about it. I stumbled across it one day and thought hey, I really like that. I changed it around a bit and voila, the story was born. I often wonder about the inspiration for my stories though (not to mention, some of those crazy dreams I have!) and since I’m a paranormal writer, I have a few odd ideas about that too. As a matter of fact, one of these ideas is currently begging to transform into one of my next books. We shall see…
-What’s your most valuable writing tip?
      Just do it. Seriously. It’s the one and only tip that truly gets me from Point A to Point B. Otherwise, I sit and worry and wonder so long that I never type a single word. Even if it’s crap, I need to just do it and tell myself I’ll fix it later. So far, I haven’t found any other way to finish a book than to actually put one word after another. Crazy!
And who am I?  I’m wife to one and mom to three. I have one self-published novel under my belt titled The Between World and I’m determined to follow a traditional path with my recently completed second novel currently titled Ghosts Don’t Wear Silk Stockings. Sitting down to start my third book over the next few days. (ooooohhh, I always get so excited to start something new!) I live in Pittsburgh and when I’m not writing or reading, you’ll find me doing yoga, camping, or spending time with my family. My stories often have a paranormal flavor to them and ghosts are a personal favorite. I’m an Aries, an INFP, and my favorite color is red. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, or come back to visit me again here on the blog. The doors are always open! Feel free to say hello.
Anything else you want to know? Just ask! I’m a friendly person.

Big Day, Happy News

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I couldn’t let the day pass without a quick post to the blog just to say … Guess What? Today I finished the final edits on my current work-in-progress. Oh yes! Care to join me in the happy dance of joy? Of course you do!

70, 674 words. 29 chapters. I’m still calling it Ghosts Don’t Wear Silk Stockings for now but this title is subject to change. Although a part of me is a little sad that I won’t be self-publishing this book in early September as I’d originally intended, I do hope to find a happy home for the book where everyone can read it soon.

Next step? Rest! Recharge! Eat some ice cream!

I’ll start writing a rough draft of the synopsis tomorrow. I’m a little terrified of the next unknown steps but I feel compelled to give my book a chance.

More news to come!

LOOK (another challenge)!

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Hey, LOOK! It’s another fun challenge…

Thank you, L.J. Kentowski for tagging me in this challenge. Don’t know L.J.? She’s the author of Guardian of Fate, an urban fantasy novel that I read and personally loved. Definitely check it out and do it soon because she’s getting ready to release the next book in the series, which proves to be just as hard to put down as the first!

Now, the rules of the challenge are as follows:

* Find the first usage of the word “look” in your WIP and post the surrounding paragraph into your blog.

* Tag as many people as you want to take part in the challenge with you

Easy as pie, right? So, let’s get to it. Here is the first instance of “look” that I could find in my WIP Ghosts Don’t Wear Silk Stockings.

***

He lit a cigarette and gave her a sultry stare. He was still sitting in her bed, a sheet pulled just high enough to cover a perfect set of toned legs. His chiseled chest sprouted dark hair mingled with the occasional grey sprout that gave him an air of distinction. His dark Mediterranean skin echoed memories of pictures she’d seen in a magazine of gods. He was handsome; there was little doubt of that. He was more than handsome, he was drop dead gorgeous. Looking at him was enough to get her going again and if she wasn’t careful, she’d be back in bed and lost in erotic oblivion for the rest of the morning.

***

Yep, it’s our first glimpse of Dan in Chapter One. Sure didn’t take me long to take a good, long ‘look’ at him, did it? Can you blame me? 😉

Your turn!

Megan Trennett

Christina McKnight

Jami Gray

Six Sentence Sunday – Is My Sister an Alien or What?

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Oh my, is that the time?

Anyone mind telling me how summer managed to slip through my fingers? This is it. The last weekend before we jump back into the school routine. This is a exciting year for us because my second oldest is starting kindergarten. He can’t wait. Me, well, it’s tough letting go and having all that time to myself during the day. Oh, wait … what’s that? Time to myself? Hmmm…

Anyway, it’s Six Sentence Sunday and you know what that means, right? Yep, it’s time to cut a smidgen from my soon-to-be-released novel Ghosts Don’t Wear Silk Stockings and stick up here on the blog for your reading enjoyment. Six sentences not enough for you? If you haven’t already read Chapter One in its entirety then be sure to click HERE and check it out. Best of all, if you want the chance to win an autographed copy of the paperback then hop over HERE to Goodreads and enter the giveaway where I have five copies up for grabs. There will be opportunities to win digital copies soon too so make sure you follow the blog or connect with me on Facebook and/or Twitter so you don’t miss the announcements.

Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget to check out the other wonderful authors participating in Six Sentence Sunday. You can find a list of blogs HERE.

Right … on to the meaty stuff… I struggled to find the six that I would share this week but finally settled on this. Greer’s gone missing and Brianna knows she needs to put space between herself and Dan. She takes a gamble and shows up unexpected at her older sister’s house. Last time she saw Kate, they hadn’t parted on friendly terms so she isn’t expecting a warm reception.

***

“I don’t want to impose, really,” Brianna said putting a little more distance between herself and Kate. There was something about Kate that she just couldn’t quite put her finger on but it was very different. She was entirely too happy. Perhaps aliens had landed during the night and kidnapped the sister she knew and replaced her with this all too perky alien replica? She tried to get a glimpse of nearby crop circles as Kate hauled her through the front door, calling out for Ken to set an extra place at the table.

“He’ll be thrilled to see you,” Kate said turning back to Brianna.

***

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Walking the Plank

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Over the course of the week, I’ve inevitably hit a high and a low and gone back and forth a few times. The problem? The edits on my current work-in-progress are nearly complete and I’m faced with putting it in the hands of readers (or not) by blog posts, self-publishing, traditional publishing, or smoke signals. Which one will be most effective? Which path ultimately steers me in the right direction?

Not sure. That’s pretty much what it all boils down to. I’m so close to setting the story free that I’m getting cold feet on committing to any direction at all.

It’s been an entire year since I self-published The Between World and a lot has changed in my world since then. I didn’t have a plan when I finished that first book. I didn’t have a fancy smancy “platform”. I didn’t bother with blogs or meeting new friends on Twitter. I didn’t even have an official author page on Facebook. (I did have a book page though.) I really had no idea what I was getting myself into and I paid a price for it. I’ve been trying to work it out ever since and hopefully (fingers crossed), I’m in a better place than I was on the publication date of book #1. I still have so much to learn and so much to do … but maybe I’m starting to find my feet.

Ghosts Don’t Wear Silk Stockings is very different from The Between World. It’s quirky and (hopefully) fun. It deals with demons and ghosts but it doesn’t take the subject too seriously. I don’t wallow in spectulations of the after-life. Not that I really did that with The Between World either but still, Nina and Yalen were a different cup of tea with literally the entire universe hanging in the balance. If they didn’t work things out by ‘the end’ then the world could have ended as we knew it. Yalen and Nina rarely found themselves in a light-hearted situation.

Different is good and I’ve had a lot of fun writing something that I hope is suspenseful but still fun at the same time. I hope I’ve offered the reader a few good laugh-out-loud moments that will stick with him/her. But now I’m starting to worry too… what if I’ve tried too hard to make it fun and in the process just turned it into something silly? What if the readers just roll their eyes and put the book down to move on to something better? What if anyone that dares to read this story makes a mental note to never pick up another book I write thinking that I obviously must not take my craft seriously?

What if the men in white coats come knocking and lock me in the rubber room?

GASP! It’s a gamble. If I self-publish this thing, I’m putting myself out there on the pirate’s plank, blindfold and all, holding my breath, waiting, and just hoping. Do I sink or do I swim? When I put chapter one out there and had little response, I guess I hit the panic button even harder and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take the risk that this would be the end as I know it.

I’ve strongly considered the possibility of submitted the story to a traditional publish and run the risk of it not seeing readers’ hands until a year from now or longer and that’s assuming I have any hope in the traditional realm at all. (I like to believe I do with a little effort.)

Problem is that I’ve gotten quite comfortable with the Indie publishing world and being that I like to control, it suits me. (I am an Aries, after all.) Someone has been kind enough to tell me that I don’t necessarily have to have it one way or the other. In this case, I could have my cake and eat it too. But really, what it boils down to is being afraid of the story hitting rock bottom and not being able to take it back and I’m going to have that fear no matter which path I walk.

So, bottom line? Ignore me. I’m moving full speed ahead as originally planned. Edits are going very well and with the husband out of town all week, I’ve had plenty of time to get ahead of the game. How the book will be received by the world, does it really matter? I am sharing a story that I love and I’m bound to find one or two who share my unusual sense of humor and that’s what makes the writing all worthwhile.

I’m back on track and ready to take the plunge…

Thanks for sailing the stormy seas with me. It’s a pleasure to have you on board. 🙂