Blogger isn't letting me upload pictures right now. So I'll just refer you here and here to take a look-see. You should go there anyway.
So this year a friend encouraged me to keep track of all the books I'm reading, or attempting to read, this year. So far I've completed 18 novels and 2 novellas, and attempted 8 that I didn't complete. I rate them all, 1-10, and the average is 7.14 (higher than I expected!). I have one 1, and until this past week, I had one 10.
Now I've added two more!
These two books are very different. The Gate to Eden is a historical western, not my usual choice of reading. Don't Look Down is a romantic adventure, my preferred genre. Both have stuck in my head.
I'm not great at reviewing books. They're like art to me. I read them and like them, or not.
Analyzing them, breaking them down and telling what I like, is difficult. But these two deserve it, so I'll try.
(No blurbs. I can't summarize my own books, never mind someone else's, so go to those links I posted above to get the gist of the stories.)
The Gate to Eden
I like modern heroines, which is probably why I don't read a lot of historicals anymore. I hear many of them now contain willful, independent heroines, generating complaint that they are anachronistic. I'm happy to say, TGTE contains an independent heroine who fits perfectly in her time period. Maddie and hundreds of other women and children have been thrown into a terrible situation, and she will stop at nothing to improve it. Everything she does is well-motivated and believable, and I found myself rooting for her to marry Scott and make her life easier. Scott's backstory is well structured to feed the conflict yet make the outcome inevitable. It's a well-crafted story that will make you surprised to see modern conveniences when you finally look up from the page, and emerge from their world.
Don't Look Down
This book had a lot to live up to. I've been a fan of Jenny Crusie's for a long time, and jumped on her blog the minute she opened it. I've been following the evolution of the Crusie/Mayer collaboration almost since it started. Those two share a brain, I swear. They are the funniest couple who isn't a couple, and a pair of talented writers. But when you "live" with them every day, peering through the portal of their blog into the portion of their lives they share, it can be easy to have high expectations. And mine were light-years high. But the book definitely lived up to them. I laughed out loud often enough to exasperate my coworker, my kids, and my husband. I told my father-in-law, who will love this book, all about it. I also told my mother-in-law, who never reads anything more than People magazine. The worst part is that I have to wait a whole year before the next one. At least I have their blog.
So go now. Check out these two books, and buy them. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
Super Fears
I just got the new issue of Entertainment Weekly. The cover features Brandon Routh as Superman, and I gotta tell you, the image has me afraid. Very afraid.
It's not that he doesn't look the part. He's fine. I have no idea of his acting ability so obviously that judgment will wait until the movie comes out.
I saw some of the first images from the movie, and I thought, "Ugh. Did they have to give him the CHEESIEST COSTUME EVER???!!!" I mean, he looks WORSE than the 1970s Superman, and that's not what updating a classic is supposed to be about.
This cover does nothing to dispel that. It heightens my fears. My first thought on seeing it was "Christopher Reeve." That in itself isn't bad, of course. Nothing against Christopher Reeve. But evoking images of Superman IV? That's bad.
The plastic-looking curl on his forehead is bad. I only occasionally read the comics when I was a kid, but I'm pretty sure Superman didn't whip out the hair gel and curling iron when he was in the phone booth.
The rosy cheeks and glossy lips are bad. There's a reason X-Men the movie skipped the spandex. Some things don't translate well from page to screen. I'm hoping this is simply cover artist overenthusiasm and Superman won't need an hour in hair and makeup before each urgent rescue.
Put it all together, and I'm ready for the worst. In my adulthood, we've had two Clark Kents who are competent, interesting men, not stumbling, bumbling fools. I flipped to the inside article, and the image of Routh as Clark Kent doesn't ease my concerns any.
Add to that Kevin Spacey's lack of menace (or the right kind of menace, anyway) and Kate Bosworth's overwhelming sweetness, and this is not the movie I'm holding my breath for this summer.
I've been surprised before. Maybe I will be again. I am not giving up hope.
It's not that he doesn't look the part. He's fine. I have no idea of his acting ability so obviously that judgment will wait until the movie comes out.
I saw some of the first images from the movie, and I thought, "Ugh. Did they have to give him the CHEESIEST COSTUME EVER???!!!" I mean, he looks WORSE than the 1970s Superman, and that's not what updating a classic is supposed to be about.
This cover does nothing to dispel that. It heightens my fears. My first thought on seeing it was "Christopher Reeve." That in itself isn't bad, of course. Nothing against Christopher Reeve. But evoking images of Superman IV? That's bad.
The plastic-looking curl on his forehead is bad. I only occasionally read the comics when I was a kid, but I'm pretty sure Superman didn't whip out the hair gel and curling iron when he was in the phone booth.
The rosy cheeks and glossy lips are bad. There's a reason X-Men the movie skipped the spandex. Some things don't translate well from page to screen. I'm hoping this is simply cover artist overenthusiasm and Superman won't need an hour in hair and makeup before each urgent rescue.
Put it all together, and I'm ready for the worst. In my adulthood, we've had two Clark Kents who are competent, interesting men, not stumbling, bumbling fools. I flipped to the inside article, and the image of Routh as Clark Kent doesn't ease my concerns any.
Add to that Kevin Spacey's lack of menace (or the right kind of menace, anyway) and Kate Bosworth's overwhelming sweetness, and this is not the movie I'm holding my breath for this summer.
I've been surprised before. Maybe I will be again. I am not giving up hope.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Flashes of Lightning
I think one of the hardest parts of being a parent is knowing the right thing to say at the right time...or avoiding the wrong thing.
My mother once asked me to stop singing in the car. I learned years later that she'd only meant not to sing then, but "don't sing" has given me a phobia for life. I won't do it if the music isn't loud enough to drown me out.
My parents divorced when I was seven. When I told my father I was getting married, he didn't expect to walk me down the aisle. His easy acceptance of our relationship as adults made it possible for us to have one.
Last night we had a serious thunderstorm, and my daughter, who will be seven in a few weeks, was frightened. It's instinctive for us, as parents, to reassure our kids, to try to soothe their fears by telling them they are unnecessary. But that wasn't working, and I felt I was making things worse by making her feel bad for being afraid.
So I told her it was reasonable to be afraid of lightning, it can be dangerous. I talked about why, and why it's unlikely to harm us, as dangerous as it is. I talked about my father getting me out of bed when I was little so we could watch the storms, and watching them in the record-setting heat of the summer of 88, when I lived next to a farm and had wide sky to watch the lightning. A sharp cloud-to-cloud bolt streaked in front of us, and I awwwed at it.
Within seconds, my daughter was doing the same. By the time we got home, she was begging me to let her stay up late so she could watch.
So what part worked? Was it my reassurances? My endorsement of her fear? My stories, or the beauty of the lightning itself? Or was I incidental to the whole change? Was is my daughter's own ability to adjust, or even the natural adaption to the circumstances, i.e. comfort grows as exposure continues?
I'll never know for sure, but whatever it was, it made me proud to watch.
My mother once asked me to stop singing in the car. I learned years later that she'd only meant not to sing then, but "don't sing" has given me a phobia for life. I won't do it if the music isn't loud enough to drown me out.
My parents divorced when I was seven. When I told my father I was getting married, he didn't expect to walk me down the aisle. His easy acceptance of our relationship as adults made it possible for us to have one.
Last night we had a serious thunderstorm, and my daughter, who will be seven in a few weeks, was frightened. It's instinctive for us, as parents, to reassure our kids, to try to soothe their fears by telling them they are unnecessary. But that wasn't working, and I felt I was making things worse by making her feel bad for being afraid.
So I told her it was reasonable to be afraid of lightning, it can be dangerous. I talked about why, and why it's unlikely to harm us, as dangerous as it is. I talked about my father getting me out of bed when I was little so we could watch the storms, and watching them in the record-setting heat of the summer of 88, when I lived next to a farm and had wide sky to watch the lightning. A sharp cloud-to-cloud bolt streaked in front of us, and I awwwed at it.
Within seconds, my daughter was doing the same. By the time we got home, she was begging me to let her stay up late so she could watch.
So what part worked? Was it my reassurances? My endorsement of her fear? My stories, or the beauty of the lightning itself? Or was I incidental to the whole change? Was is my daughter's own ability to adjust, or even the natural adaption to the circumstances, i.e. comfort grows as exposure continues?
I'll never know for sure, but whatever it was, it made me proud to watch.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Dream
I tend to dream in features. You know, very detailed, intense, full-color, full-emotion, full-sound dreams. High production values.
Unfortunately, it's usually in the few hours (hour?) before I wake up, and I end up feeling more tired than when I went to bed, even if I got eight and a half hours of sleep, like last night.
But it's no wonder. I mean, take this morning's dream. Megan was in it. A lot. She was about to celebrate her 10th anniversary by renewing her wedding vows. In her house. Which meant cleaning. And I noticed a spot on the wall and cleaned it. Which made--you've got it. A clean spot. So I spent half the dream cleaning her wall. Spraying and scrubbing. And trying not to mention the huge water stain in the wallpaper that meant her roof was leaking. She had enough to worry about.
There was a lot more going on, but the only other thing I remember is the male MS claimant. I never meet the claimants I do short term disability management for. And I can remember ONE male MS claimant in four years. But he was right there, in his wheelchair, demanding my time. And when he wasn't there, his paperwork was, staring me in the face, taunting me. Even after my alarm went off, I dreamed his paperwork was on my nightstand under my alarm clock.
Gotta go to work now. Pray there's no new claim on my fax machine for a male MS patient.
Unfortunately, it's usually in the few hours (hour?) before I wake up, and I end up feeling more tired than when I went to bed, even if I got eight and a half hours of sleep, like last night.
But it's no wonder. I mean, take this morning's dream. Megan was in it. A lot. She was about to celebrate her 10th anniversary by renewing her wedding vows. In her house. Which meant cleaning. And I noticed a spot on the wall and cleaned it. Which made--you've got it. A clean spot. So I spent half the dream cleaning her wall. Spraying and scrubbing. And trying not to mention the huge water stain in the wallpaper that meant her roof was leaking. She had enough to worry about.
There was a lot more going on, but the only other thing I remember is the male MS claimant. I never meet the claimants I do short term disability management for. And I can remember ONE male MS claimant in four years. But he was right there, in his wheelchair, demanding my time. And when he wasn't there, his paperwork was, staring me in the face, taunting me. Even after my alarm went off, I dreamed his paperwork was on my nightstand under my alarm clock.
Gotta go to work now. Pray there's no new claim on my fax machine for a male MS patient.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
It's the Characters, Stupid
I was reading this morning, while I dried my hair, a TIME magazine article about the way Hollywood makes movies (i.e. film versus digital).
One aspect of the discussion was that directors think the audience wants more technically advanced movies, and the best way to deliver that experience is by making all the theaters convert to digital, and making all the filmmakers switch to digital, and using better and better special effects so we want to see their movies on the big screen.
I don't know how the purported geniuses of the industry can be so damned blind. If you look at the top-grossing movies in history, there are two common elements. The moviemakers are apparently seeing that the top-grossing movies of all time have award-winning special effects. What they fail to understand is that we didn't shell out record amounts of money because of the sinking ship (Titanic), exploding volcano (Return of the King) or flying dragon (Goblet of Fire). We spent that money because of Jack and Rose, and Frodo and his friends, and HARRY. Because of their relationships, and their flaws, and their journeys.
If it was all about special effects, movies like Fantastic Four and The Island would be in the top 100. They're not. Forrest Gump, a movie with the kind of special effects you don't notice and a much, much higher weep quotient, would not be well above War of the Worlds.
2005 was a bad box office year, yet they're still talking about creating better images when what we really want are better stories.
One aspect of the discussion was that directors think the audience wants more technically advanced movies, and the best way to deliver that experience is by making all the theaters convert to digital, and making all the filmmakers switch to digital, and using better and better special effects so we want to see their movies on the big screen.
I don't know how the purported geniuses of the industry can be so damned blind. If you look at the top-grossing movies in history, there are two common elements. The moviemakers are apparently seeing that the top-grossing movies of all time have award-winning special effects. What they fail to understand is that we didn't shell out record amounts of money because of the sinking ship (Titanic), exploding volcano (Return of the King) or flying dragon (Goblet of Fire). We spent that money because of Jack and Rose, and Frodo and his friends, and HARRY. Because of their relationships, and their flaws, and their journeys.
If it was all about special effects, movies like Fantastic Four and The Island would be in the top 100. They're not. Forrest Gump, a movie with the kind of special effects you don't notice and a much, much higher weep quotient, would not be well above War of the Worlds.
2005 was a bad box office year, yet they're still talking about creating better images when what we really want are better stories.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Yes, That's Me You Hear Screaming
In total contrast to the happiness of the previous post, I am in total meltdown. Depression layered over anxiety with disgust and confusion mixed in. Life as I know it will never be the same.
Adam Vinatieri signed with the Colts.
Never mind that his 10-year career has been "berry berry good to [him]" (you have to be old enough to remember "Rodney Dangerfield Host the 9th Annual Young Comedians Special" on HBO to get that reference).
Never mind that he was making top money for a kicker in the entire NFL already.
Never mind the loyal fans who ADORE him.
Jerk.
Adam Vinatieri signed with the Colts.
Never mind that his 10-year career has been "berry berry good to [him]" (you have to be old enough to remember "Rodney Dangerfield Host the 9th Annual Young Comedians Special" on HBO to get that reference).
Never mind that he was making top money for a kicker in the entire NFL already.
Never mind the loyal fans who ADORE him.
Jerk.
Dirty Cheater
FINALLY. The incomparable Megan Hart has done it.
Not that she hadn't already done quite a bit. I mean, take a look at this. That's nearly three dozen somethings. (This one is my favorite. But maybe that's just 'cause I'm in it. {g})
But now she's gone a step above--a three-book deal with Harlequin Spice!
The first book is currently called Dirty, and it's really really good. Megan has a rich, lyrical style that's totally made for this imprint.
Cheater is the second book, and I haven't gotten to read any of it yet, but the premise is very intriguing.
I like my erotica with hefty plot, and these books epitomize the ideal. If this is the kind of stuff Spice is buying, they are going to do well.
Not that she hadn't already done quite a bit. I mean, take a look at this. That's nearly three dozen somethings. (This one is my favorite. But maybe that's just 'cause I'm in it. {g})
But now she's gone a step above--a three-book deal with Harlequin Spice!
The first book is currently called Dirty, and it's really really good. Megan has a rich, lyrical style that's totally made for this imprint.
Cheater is the second book, and I haven't gotten to read any of it yet, but the premise is very intriguing.
I like my erotica with hefty plot, and these books epitomize the ideal. If this is the kind of stuff Spice is buying, they are going to do well.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Harry's World
One of the things I think is coolest about the Harry Potter Phenomenon is the wide range of people who read and love the books. Ten-year-old girls to 16-year-0ld boys to 35-year-old married couples to 70-year-old grandfathers.
I was listening to Pottercast this morning, and they were interviewing the aforementioned 16-year-old boys who do Mugglecast and help run Mugglenet. When asked about book 6 and what he expected out of book 7, Ben Schoen's first comment was that he liked how the characters matured and that Harry started thinking about what would happen if Ron and Hermione got together and the kissing scene with Ginny...
Yes, one of the first things a teenage boy admitted to liking was the ROMANCE. I love it.
Gotta set one thing straight, though. I'm a writer, so words are important. And no matter WHAT happens, Severus Snape is not good. At most, he is working on the side of good. There's a huge difference.
Yes, I happen to believe he is working for the Order of the Phoenix and honestly trying to stop Voldemort. But that alone doesn't make him a good person. The reason he is able to do such a thing is because he is NOT good. He can be believably evil because he embraces the part of himself that is evil. But take away all the Voldemort stuff, look at just his everyday treatment of the kids in the school and the adults he dislikes (pretty much all of them, actually), and he is not a good person. I think that makes him one of the most interesting characters in the series, actually. But I won't be sorry when he dies.
I was listening to Pottercast this morning, and they were interviewing the aforementioned 16-year-old boys who do Mugglecast and help run Mugglenet. When asked about book 6 and what he expected out of book 7, Ben Schoen's first comment was that he liked how the characters matured and that Harry started thinking about what would happen if Ron and Hermione got together and the kissing scene with Ginny...
Yes, one of the first things a teenage boy admitted to liking was the ROMANCE. I love it.
Gotta set one thing straight, though. I'm a writer, so words are important. And no matter WHAT happens, Severus Snape is not good. At most, he is working on the side of good. There's a huge difference.
Yes, I happen to believe he is working for the Order of the Phoenix and honestly trying to stop Voldemort. But that alone doesn't make him a good person. The reason he is able to do such a thing is because he is NOT good. He can be believably evil because he embraces the part of himself that is evil. But take away all the Voldemort stuff, look at just his everyday treatment of the kids in the school and the adults he dislikes (pretty much all of them, actually), and he is not a good person. I think that makes him one of the most interesting characters in the series, actually. But I won't be sorry when he dies.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Wild Weekend
Yesterday, my plan went from:
9:40 D's soccer game
10:45 Brunch with family
12:00 Husband take D and M shopping, while I write all afternoon
5:00 Dinner and a movie with sister-in-law
To:
9:40 soccer game starts
9:59 we are winning 3-2
10:00 D collides and falls with an opponent. Gets ball away from her goal anyway.
10:01 D gets subbed and comes off the field
10:01.5 I start to head toward D to tease her for nailing the ref in the gut with the ball
10:01.6 D looks at right hand, notices pinky sticking out to the side, starts crying
10:20 Arrive at emergency room with D and her broken pinky
1:50 Leave ER with D and her newly set and splinted pinky
The cool thing about this? D said, as we lingered in the unusually quiet ER waiting to get an x-ray, that she's glad she at least got hurt doing something she loves.
'Cept now she's in a splint and can't play soccer for several weeks. Or clarinet. Or cello.
At least her team won the game for her, 6-3
I still got to do the dinner/movie, and Failure to Launch was cute enough to be worth seeing (mainly for the secondary characters, though we got plenty of Mr. McConaughey's chest {g}). I really enjoyed seeing my sister-in-law, sister of my heart, who's far too busy for me now. It took me, like, six months to nail her down to go out.
So okay, that was yesterday. Today, J (husband) went out shopping. He's driving through a nearby downtown and sees a car parked askew on the side of the road, and some guy is trying to force a woman into the car. She clearly doesn't want to go. J pulls over and honks, and the guy sees him and takes off. J notes the license plate and make and model. He offers the woman a ride, and of course she won't take it, but did ask him to follow her home.
Damned if the guy doesn't come back four times. The second time, he almost hit the woman with his car, trying to block her. J called the police, who were there in moments, just as the guy came back the fourth time. He spent an hour giving his statement to the police, who arrested the guy for aggravated assault.
My husband is a hero.
9:40 D's soccer game
10:45 Brunch with family
12:00 Husband take D and M shopping, while I write all afternoon
5:00 Dinner and a movie with sister-in-law
To:
9:40 soccer game starts
9:59 we are winning 3-2
10:00 D collides and falls with an opponent. Gets ball away from her goal anyway.
10:01 D gets subbed and comes off the field
10:01.5 I start to head toward D to tease her for nailing the ref in the gut with the ball
10:01.6 D looks at right hand, notices pinky sticking out to the side, starts crying
10:20 Arrive at emergency room with D and her broken pinky
1:50 Leave ER with D and her newly set and splinted pinky
The cool thing about this? D said, as we lingered in the unusually quiet ER waiting to get an x-ray, that she's glad she at least got hurt doing something she loves.
'Cept now she's in a splint and can't play soccer for several weeks. Or clarinet. Or cello.
At least her team won the game for her, 6-3
I still got to do the dinner/movie, and Failure to Launch was cute enough to be worth seeing (mainly for the secondary characters, though we got plenty of Mr. McConaughey's chest {g}). I really enjoyed seeing my sister-in-law, sister of my heart, who's far too busy for me now. It took me, like, six months to nail her down to go out.
So okay, that was yesterday. Today, J (husband) went out shopping. He's driving through a nearby downtown and sees a car parked askew on the side of the road, and some guy is trying to force a woman into the car. She clearly doesn't want to go. J pulls over and honks, and the guy sees him and takes off. J notes the license plate and make and model. He offers the woman a ride, and of course she won't take it, but did ask him to follow her home.
Damned if the guy doesn't come back four times. The second time, he almost hit the woman with his car, trying to block her. J called the police, who were there in moments, just as the guy came back the fourth time. He spent an hour giving his statement to the police, who arrested the guy for aggravated assault.
My husband is a hero.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Now They've Done It
I never really feel old. Certain moments--like realizing my nephew is about to turn 15--highlight the passage of time, but that doesn't translate into recognition that I'm "old."
I feel the same way I felt when I was 20 and an intern at National Geographic; 24 and a pregnant new employee at my current job; 30 and the mother of a kindergartener. I always feel like other people are older. Sometimes a lot older, sometimes a little, but rarely just my age or younger.
I'm not sure why that is. Maybe because I was 4 when I started kindergarten and didn't turn 5 until halfway through the school year, so until I graduated from college (a semester early and therefore not yet 21), I was always the youngest of my peers. It startles me when I learn the parent of a child in my kids' class is much younger than I am. But it never made me feel old.
So now I just learned that these two guys are turning 35 this month:
Alan Tudyk's birthday was yesterday, and Nathan Fillion's is March 27. They both turn 35 about three months after I did. I thought they were both much older than me..."much" meaning one to five years. But they're YOUNGER.
And for some reason, that bothers me much more than knowing my youngest is about to turn 7, or that my husband is nearly 40, or that I'm two years from my 20th high school reunion.
I feel the same way I felt when I was 20 and an intern at National Geographic; 24 and a pregnant new employee at my current job; 30 and the mother of a kindergartener. I always feel like other people are older. Sometimes a lot older, sometimes a little, but rarely just my age or younger.
I'm not sure why that is. Maybe because I was 4 when I started kindergarten and didn't turn 5 until halfway through the school year, so until I graduated from college (a semester early and therefore not yet 21), I was always the youngest of my peers. It startles me when I learn the parent of a child in my kids' class is much younger than I am. But it never made me feel old.
So now I just learned that these two guys are turning 35 this month:
Alan Tudyk's birthday was yesterday, and Nathan Fillion's is March 27. They both turn 35 about three months after I did. I thought they were both much older than me..."much" meaning one to five years. But they're YOUNGER.
And for some reason, that bothers me much more than knowing my youngest is about to turn 7, or that my husband is nearly 40, or that I'm two years from my 20th high school reunion.
Friday, March 10, 2006
View of an Office
Inspired by Michelle Hauf, I thought I'd share my work space with you.
Let's start with my crazy obsessions. This is my Lord of the Rings collection.
Amazingly, they are all standing. Maya hasn't gotten to them again yet. She conquers them regularly.
Yes, that is a Gandalf bobblehead on the second shelf. He was free.
Next to the Obsession Shelf is the fancy bookshelf I treated myself to after my office flooded the third time. I got rid of a bunch of mismatched, overpacked smaller shelves in favor of this:
You can see some of my Lord of the Rings posters, too. The one hidden to the right of the bookshelf is Orlando Bloom back when he was jailbait. A friend gave me that poster, I had nothing to do with it.
More obsession. The standee was a Mother's Day gift.
Now, to the writing. A too-dark, too-close shot of my fabulous 19-inch monitor. The better to upload photos to my blog with. I mean, the better to view multiple pages of my manuscript with. :)
My muses. Merlin rules my paranormal romances, and Fred my contemporary, or "normal" stuff, though he's gotten kinda crazy with the action-adventure.
Fred was a Christmas gift from the same husband who gave me the Legolas standee. Does he rock or what? The husband. Though Fred does, too. The photo is me kissing my brother on his wedding day. He has a similar shot, reversed, taken on my wedding day.
The rune stone says "breakthrough."
This is my office's usual state:
And here is Inspiration Central, where my stories take me away on an adventure that...oh, forget that crap. It's where I write.
And spend far too much time reading e-mail and writer and agent blogs.
Note the talking Legolas on the windowsill, the requisite box of chocolate (Whitman's Sampler, the dark chocolate variety), and what appears to be Entertainment Weekly, for when pages are slow to load.
And finally, what office would be complete without the requisite cute kitty? This is Maya, Fellowship Conqueror (when she's tired of Army Guys).
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Conversation with my Hero
I'm working on revisions of a book I wrote a while ago, after some constructive comments from an agent. It's kicking my a$$. I didn't know the hero very well, so increasing the romance in the book has been a struggle. So the other night I started working on Rogan St. James, actor and target. I started with a magazine-style profile, added comments from colleagues and ex-girlfriends, and morphed into an interview between him-the-character and me-the-author. Here's a tidbit:
Poor me syndrome? Maybe I should never have been born...
No, not anymore. I felt that sometimes, sure. I have an adult’s understanding now, and I am who I am. But I don’t want that for my kids. I don’t want to make the sacrifices my dad made, and I definitely don’t want my kids to.
Do you want kids?
I don’t know. It’s not the kind of profession that goes well with parenting. So I don't think so.
The conflict would be easier if you wanted kids.
So? My job is not to make your job easier.
I thought you just said it was.
Yeah, if you could watch my movies. But you can’t. So let Tom Welling entertain you, and keep trying to figure me out. There are no shortcuts, Natalie.
Pouts.
Silence.
Poor me syndrome? Maybe I should never have been born...
No, not anymore. I felt that sometimes, sure. I have an adult’s understanding now, and I am who I am. But I don’t want that for my kids. I don’t want to make the sacrifices my dad made, and I definitely don’t want my kids to.
Do you want kids?
I don’t know. It’s not the kind of profession that goes well with parenting. So I don't think so.
The conflict would be easier if you wanted kids.
So? My job is not to make your job easier.
I thought you just said it was.
Yeah, if you could watch my movies. But you can’t. So let Tom Welling entertain you, and keep trying to figure me out. There are no shortcuts, Natalie.
Pouts.
Silence.
One of Those Moments
Thursday night Dakota and I were standing outside the school, waiting for her father. Her swimming lesson had just finished, and as we waited, a group of kindergarteners and first-graders came out. (Note: D goes to bed at 8:30 when activities don't prohibit; her little sister, who is 6, goes to bed at 8:00)
Dakota: "They're going bowling."
Me: "Now?"
Dakota: "Yeah. That's what they said. They were all excited."
Me: "It's 7:15 on a school night!" (It would take 15 minutes to get to the bowling alley, figure half an hour MINIMUM to bowl, home well after 8...)
Dakota: "Yeah, I know." Pause. "I'm so glad I was raised right."
Me, stunned and pleased: "What a great kid you are. Thank you." Kiss on the head. "I'm proud of you."
Dakota, after the hug. "Is this one of those moments that makes parenting worthwhile?"
Me: "Honey, with the rare exception of the times you're saying you hate each other [which they had been scolded for just that afternoon], you make every parenting moment worthwhile."
Dakota: "They're going bowling."
Me: "Now?"
Dakota: "Yeah. That's what they said. They were all excited."
Me: "It's 7:15 on a school night!" (It would take 15 minutes to get to the bowling alley, figure half an hour MINIMUM to bowl, home well after 8...)
Dakota: "Yeah, I know." Pause. "I'm so glad I was raised right."
Me, stunned and pleased: "What a great kid you are. Thank you." Kiss on the head. "I'm proud of you."
Dakota, after the hug. "Is this one of those moments that makes parenting worthwhile?"
Me: "Honey, with the rare exception of the times you're saying you hate each other [which they had been scolded for just that afternoon], you make every parenting moment worthwhile."
Monday, February 20, 2006
SMALL thoughts
My blog readers know by now that I can become obsessive about my entertainments. Reference:
Lord of the Rings
Orlando Bloom
Alias
Lost
New England Patriots
Firefly
My latest is Smallville. We didn't have a local affiliate of WB so I never could find the show, though I thought it might be interesting to watch. So I finally got around to it on my Netflix list, and yesterday I set a new record of 6 episodes in a row.
My kids were away for the weekend, so here's kind of how it went:
Saturday I was supposed to get Season 1 Disk 3, and it did not arrive. Monday was going to be a holiday, with no delivery, and my kidless-weekend plans were ruined. So I did what any sane woman with disposable income and a driving need to watch TV shows would do: I rented disk three at Blockbuster.
I got some writing done Saturday afternoon and then tried to go to dinner with my hubby. It was a very nice non-date, as we went to Red Lobster, he decided he didn't want to wait an hour (seven o'clock on a Saturday and he couldn't guess there'd be a long wait?). I didn't want Mexican and he didn't want anything else, so he got a sub to go from the Philly Cheese Steak place and we went home, where I proceeded to watch all four episodes on disk 3.
Sunday we did get to Red Lobster for lunch (to use a gift card we got for Christmas) and then did some grocery shopping. I returned Disk 3 and rented Disk 4...then went back and grabbed Disk 5, too. Just in case.
My writing went pretty well Sunday afternoon, so I started watching at about 6:30, interrupting to switch laundry from washer to drier and throw in new loads (see, it doesn't interfere with my regular life!).
Then, of course, I proceeded to have vague dreams about Clark and Chloe and Lex (my favorite characters) and woke up with "Saaavvvveee meeeee...." wailing through my head. The song is permanently stuck there, on a two-line loop. Damn menu music.
It's amazing how quickly an indulgence can become habit. I can't wait to get back to the TV, even though the show isn't as high in quality as past obsessions. It's comforting to me to curl up on the couch under my Pirates of the Carribbean blanket and hang out in Smallville for a while.
Some of the things I like best:
Clark's bearing of responsibility. He's close to "Mary Sue," though that's rarely something that bothers me about a character, but his major flaw is also his strength. He can save people, and feels he always should, and feels the burden when he can't. It's very similar to Harry Potter's "saving people thing."
Lex's complexity. I know, basically, what happens to Lex in the future. So when he displays his desire to be good, and do good, and help people, and love them, I know it won't survive his darker needs and desires. Flashes of his ruthlessness and power hunger make everything he says and does suspect, because there might be something in it for him that we're unaware of. In the meantime, he's a love, and also kinda sexy. :)
John Schneider turning on the radio to hear, "Just a good old boys, never meanin' no harm..." *Snicker*
Hints at the future. Lex saying he wants to be president. Clark's investigative drive. References to abilities he hasn't discovered yet.
Poignancy. Tom Welling freaks me out with his big grin. Like someone said, "smile...NOW!" But his natural smile is soft and lovely, and often tinged with sadness. The episode where his powers were transferred was the most poignant. He liked being normal, yet being vulnerable wasn't so good. Then the ep where Chloe was "persuaded" by Kyle-the-hermit to reveal her feelings and kiss Clark...and the one with the kid who could read minds who hero-worshipped Clark...there's an element of poignancy in all of those that is touching.
I liked as the season went on the "freak of the week" element faded under the ongoing storylines and the complexities of Lex and Clark's relationship. I like that Whitney is a fairly worthy opponent, someone who's three-dimensional and not a bad guy.
I'm told that I won't like seasons 3, 4, or 5, but I don't always have the same opinion as that person, so I'm glad I have four more seasons to plow through, though I'm probably going to have to wait for 5 and that won't make me happy. I KNOW I won't like that Jonathan dies (which I just read in EW's Must List). I don't like Martha at all, and I love Jonathan, so that sucks. Unless it's a one-episode back-from-the-dead kind of thing. That would be cheesy, but acceptable.
Now, commenters, don't spoil me! I'm still on disk 5 of season 1! Couch your comments carefully, please. :)
Lord of the Rings
Orlando Bloom
Alias
Lost
New England Patriots
Firefly
My latest is Smallville. We didn't have a local affiliate of WB so I never could find the show, though I thought it might be interesting to watch. So I finally got around to it on my Netflix list, and yesterday I set a new record of 6 episodes in a row.
My kids were away for the weekend, so here's kind of how it went:
Saturday I was supposed to get Season 1 Disk 3, and it did not arrive. Monday was going to be a holiday, with no delivery, and my kidless-weekend plans were ruined. So I did what any sane woman with disposable income and a driving need to watch TV shows would do: I rented disk three at Blockbuster.
I got some writing done Saturday afternoon and then tried to go to dinner with my hubby. It was a very nice non-date, as we went to Red Lobster, he decided he didn't want to wait an hour (seven o'clock on a Saturday and he couldn't guess there'd be a long wait?). I didn't want Mexican and he didn't want anything else, so he got a sub to go from the Philly Cheese Steak place and we went home, where I proceeded to watch all four episodes on disk 3.
Sunday we did get to Red Lobster for lunch (to use a gift card we got for Christmas) and then did some grocery shopping. I returned Disk 3 and rented Disk 4...then went back and grabbed Disk 5, too. Just in case.
My writing went pretty well Sunday afternoon, so I started watching at about 6:30, interrupting to switch laundry from washer to drier and throw in new loads (see, it doesn't interfere with my regular life!).
Then, of course, I proceeded to have vague dreams about Clark and Chloe and Lex (my favorite characters) and woke up with "Saaavvvveee meeeee...." wailing through my head. The song is permanently stuck there, on a two-line loop. Damn menu music.
It's amazing how quickly an indulgence can become habit. I can't wait to get back to the TV, even though the show isn't as high in quality as past obsessions. It's comforting to me to curl up on the couch under my Pirates of the Carribbean blanket and hang out in Smallville for a while.
Some of the things I like best:
Clark's bearing of responsibility. He's close to "Mary Sue," though that's rarely something that bothers me about a character, but his major flaw is also his strength. He can save people, and feels he always should, and feels the burden when he can't. It's very similar to Harry Potter's "saving people thing."
Lex's complexity. I know, basically, what happens to Lex in the future. So when he displays his desire to be good, and do good, and help people, and love them, I know it won't survive his darker needs and desires. Flashes of his ruthlessness and power hunger make everything he says and does suspect, because there might be something in it for him that we're unaware of. In the meantime, he's a love, and also kinda sexy. :)
John Schneider turning on the radio to hear, "Just a good old boys, never meanin' no harm..." *Snicker*
Hints at the future. Lex saying he wants to be president. Clark's investigative drive. References to abilities he hasn't discovered yet.
Poignancy. Tom Welling freaks me out with his big grin. Like someone said, "smile...NOW!" But his natural smile is soft and lovely, and often tinged with sadness. The episode where his powers were transferred was the most poignant. He liked being normal, yet being vulnerable wasn't so good. Then the ep where Chloe was "persuaded" by Kyle-the-hermit to reveal her feelings and kiss Clark...and the one with the kid who could read minds who hero-worshipped Clark...there's an element of poignancy in all of those that is touching.
I liked as the season went on the "freak of the week" element faded under the ongoing storylines and the complexities of Lex and Clark's relationship. I like that Whitney is a fairly worthy opponent, someone who's three-dimensional and not a bad guy.
I'm told that I won't like seasons 3, 4, or 5, but I don't always have the same opinion as that person, so I'm glad I have four more seasons to plow through, though I'm probably going to have to wait for 5 and that won't make me happy. I KNOW I won't like that Jonathan dies (which I just read in EW's Must List). I don't like Martha at all, and I love Jonathan, so that sucks. Unless it's a one-episode back-from-the-dead kind of thing. That would be cheesy, but acceptable.
Now, commenters, don't spoil me! I'm still on disk 5 of season 1! Couch your comments carefully, please. :)
Friday, February 17, 2006
Elements of Success
This has been a pretty decent week for me.
It's official: I've contracted a new book, Black Widow, to Inara Press, a great new publisher of speculative romance (paranormal, fantasy, time travel, and science fiction). They are launching this spring with 12-episode serials, an innovative return to fiction's past. :) My book will be published under their Inara Fiends imprint, even though there are no fiends in the book. My paranormal element is the heroine's ability to collect and conduct electricity, gained after her small plane was struck by lightning.
I'm really excited to be part of Inara Press, and not just because, in addition to meaning "ray of light" in Arabic, it's the name of a character in my most recent obsession, Firefly. It is a class outfit putting out what look to be great stories.
In addition to that, I have learned several of my titles have hit the publisher bestseller lists:
Pirate of the Stars was #1 for January at Echelon Press
Elf Lord was #10 for January at Echelon Press
Those two are amazing because they're old titles, released at least two years ago. Both are available at Fictionwise, as well.
Elemental Passion was #6 for the 4th Quarter of 2005 at Amber Quill Press
Cat's Claw was #10 for the 4th Quarter of 2005 at Amber Quill Press
Kira's Best Friend was #2 for the 3rd Quarter of 2005 at Amber Quill Press
I also got some great reviews for my newest releases:
4 Stars Stacey Landers
Just Erotic Romance Reviews
Yes, a very good week!
It's official: I've contracted a new book, Black Widow, to Inara Press, a great new publisher of speculative romance (paranormal, fantasy, time travel, and science fiction). They are launching this spring with 12-episode serials, an innovative return to fiction's past. :) My book will be published under their Inara Fiends imprint, even though there are no fiends in the book. My paranormal element is the heroine's ability to collect and conduct electricity, gained after her small plane was struck by lightning.
I'm really excited to be part of Inara Press, and not just because, in addition to meaning "ray of light" in Arabic, it's the name of a character in my most recent obsession, Firefly. It is a class outfit putting out what look to be great stories.
In addition to that, I have learned several of my titles have hit the publisher bestseller lists:
Pirate of the Stars was #1 for January at Echelon PressElf Lord was #10 for January at Echelon Press
Those two are amazing because they're old titles, released at least two years ago. Both are available at Fictionwise, as well.
Elemental Passion was #6 for the 4th Quarter of 2005 at Amber Quill Press
Cat's Claw was #10 for the 4th Quarter of 2005 at Amber Quill Press
Kira's Best Friend was #2 for the 3rd Quarter of 2005 at Amber Quill Press
I also got some great reviews for my newest releases:
"Institutional Sex was absolutely thrilling to read! Erotic and explicit in all the right places, this story is a must have...This story is fast paced, it gets to the point right away and keeps you turning the page as you go through the challenge with them...Very exciting and well written, it leaves you rooting for these two to find out how they really feel. Written with imagery that is very arousing without being vulgar, this story leaves the reader very satisfied from beginning to end."
4 Stars
Just Erotic Romance Reviews
"I absolutely adore the way Parker and Sophie bounce off each other throughout the novel. The sexual tension is evident on nearly every page, making me want to cheer them on to a happy ending. I only had one minor issue with the book. The situation that burdens both Parker and Sophie are presented early enough in the story but tend to be rehashed a few too many times. However, the sweet and funny culmination at the end more than makes up the reiteration."
Four Cups!
Charissa
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
"If you have read “Kira’s Best Friend” you will not want to miss the sequel SOPHIE’S PLAYBOY. Even though I have not read Kira’s story, it has become a must read on my list. Natalie J. Damschroder gives her readers a wonderful entertaining story of Sophie’s quest to find the man who will fulfill all of her dreams. She is in for the surprise of her life when she realizes her playboy; Parker yearns to take care of a wife and children all of his own."
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4.5
Brianna Burress
Yes, a very good week!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
There Goes the Rest of My Free Time
I recently read Chad Darnell's blog wherein he talks about pilots he is casting for next season. Some of these shows sound FANTASTIC. You know, on paper. It's all in the execution, of course.
There's even a show that sounds exactly (in concept) like a book I started and can't get to for a few months. That makes me excited. :)
But if half these pilots get picked up, my TiVo will be in full use, and my "free time" will be sucked up, all in the name of research. Right. Research.
There's even a show that sounds exactly (in concept) like a book I started and can't get to for a few months. That makes me excited. :)
But if half these pilots get picked up, my TiVo will be in full use, and my "free time" will be sucked up, all in the name of research. Right. Research.
While We're Complaining About E-mails...
Has everyone seen the e-mail going around about the supposed Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's "house"? The e-mail contains pictures of an incredible building, exterior and interior, and claims the "former president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu-Dhabi" can afford all this because we're paying $2.55 a gallon for gas.
Well, as I am wont to do, I checked it out on Snopes and guess what? It IS a hotel, not a private residence.
Also, it may be a long time since I obtained my geography degree, but if Abu-Dhabi is a city in UAE, why is the Sheikh named as president of the country and ruler of the city? That's like saying Bush is ruler of Washington, D.C. Or the principal of a school is also the ruler of her office.
My final point is in regard to the oil profits. I'm sure some blame for elevated prices can be placed on the Middle East, but the recently announced record profits based on high prices belong to a Texas-based oil company. Yes, that's an AMERICAN oil company.
I am inspired to invoke that old adage, "when you point a finger, you have three fingers pointing back at you."
Well, as I am wont to do, I checked it out on Snopes and guess what? It IS a hotel, not a private residence.
Also, it may be a long time since I obtained my geography degree, but if Abu-Dhabi is a city in UAE, why is the Sheikh named as president of the country and ruler of the city? That's like saying Bush is ruler of Washington, D.C. Or the principal of a school is also the ruler of her office.
My final point is in regard to the oil profits. I'm sure some blame for elevated prices can be placed on the Middle East, but the recently announced record profits based on high prices belong to a Texas-based oil company. Yes, that's an AMERICAN oil company.
I am inspired to invoke that old adage, "when you point a finger, you have three fingers pointing back at you."
Yeah, but...
People keep sending this to me, and I hate it.
To All The Kids Who Were Born in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
Yeah, if you consider birth defects and mental retardation “survival.” How can anyone encourage a return to ignorance?
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
People still take aspirin for things it won’t harm you for, eat blue cheese dressing and tuna from a can (I really don’t get those mentions), and get tested for diabetes because maybe there wasn’t an epidemic, but there is now.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
Yep, and they stopped doing that because of the BRAIN DAMAGE.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
Do you not realize all those things stopped because PEOPLE DIED?
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
I had no seatbelt once when someone rear-ended my mother’s car, and I smashed my face into the seat in front of me. Explains a lot, doesn’t it?
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
Ah, yes, the good old days when people drove 25 miles an hour and there were only two cars on the road at any given time.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
Yuck, I never drank water from the garden hose. And any time you taste something better, it’s hard to go back to the yucky stuff. I almost never drink tap water, and there’s a REASON for that.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
Another one I don’t get. Who died from sharing a soft drink with four friends?
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
I didn’t eat much of those things as a kid, and I wasn't overweight. I do now, and I'm fat. What’s your point?
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
And now, if you cut through a car wash lot on the way home from a friend’s house, you may get kidnapped, raped, and murdered.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
I would bet my house that 90% of those parents would take a cell phone if it were an option for them.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
A boy in my kids’ day care a few years ago sledded down a hill and hit a light pole. Shattered his leg in six places and he was in a full-leg cast for several months. Not getting hurt doing something 10 times doesn't cancel out the one time you do.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
I have more friends now than I did then, AND I have Playstation, 500 channels on my satellite dish, DVDs, surround sound, cell phones, several household computers, and high-speed Internet access. And you know what? My kids have all those things, too, and MORE friends than I had at their age.
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
Wow, something I actually agree with. {g} I put the blame on a lot of today’s societal ills on too-many-lawyers syndrome.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
How do you know? Has someone cut you open to check?
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
I never had guns, but yes, was told I’d put an eye out—usually with rubber bands flying around the room—and never met anyone it happened to. Which is why saying "someone's going to put out an eye" is a joke nowadays.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
We had sidewalks. My neighborhood has no sidewalks, and my kids would have to cross two major roads to get to friends’ houses. Not gonna happen.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
This is another sentiment I agree with in principle, except that it’s wrong. Anyone who wanted to play in Little League played, and it wasn’t until school teams that tryouts occurred. Also, tryouts happen now, and disappointment is part of life, and in my part of the world, anyway, that’s still a reality.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
Yeah, right.*I* never broke the law, nor did my friends, but those who did quite often got bailed out and covered up by their parents. I know someone who went “shopping” in parked cars a few years ago, and not only did he have to do community service, so did his parents, and they didn’t break the law.
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
This is not the only circulating e-mail with this attitude. Every generation feels that the way things were done “back then” was superior to the way things are done now. But we can’t apply the circumstances of the past to the actions of the present, and as soon as you do and something bad happens, you get castigated.
And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!
I deserve no credit or accolades for growing up. It’s just what we’re supposed to do, the best we can, with what we’re given.
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.
This is really the stupidest part. Lawyers and government are preventing my kids from eating white bread and playing with a stick and tennis ball?
and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
You can’t be brave if you don’t know what there is to be afraid of. Also, whoever wrote this OBVIOUSLY isn’t a parent. You don’t tell your kids what an idiot you used to be. That just encourages THEM to be idiots!
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!
I take it back. THIS is the stupidest part.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
What's Bugging Me This Week
1. People who claim they will never be able to return to work and seek full disability benefits based on a statement by their internist, who has nothing to do with the broken leg they're having surgery on. Especially when their orthopedic surgeon releases them to full duty work with no restrictions.
2. People who put their infant in critical danger out of laziness and then blame paparazzi who, while possibly aggressive, are less of a risk than a CAR CRASH to an unrestrained infant. Also, people with "bodyguards" who buy coffee instead of guarding bodies.
3. News teams who camp out ALL DAY on the elementary school campus packed with kids dealing with the aftermath of a kindergarten classmate getting run over by a school bus. Stupid vultures.
4. The overwhelming guilt that I don't tie my child to my wrist and hover over her 24 hours a day so freak accidents like #3 won't happen.
5. People who ask you to fax them something, then turn around and fax it back to you. Never mind that THEY asked ME for it, or that the header says it CAME from me in the first place. They even do it when I put a COVER SHEET that says DO NOT FAX BACK TO ME. They even do it when I write that right on the damned form.
2. People who put their infant in critical danger out of laziness and then blame paparazzi who, while possibly aggressive, are less of a risk than a CAR CRASH to an unrestrained infant. Also, people with "bodyguards" who buy coffee instead of guarding bodies.
3. News teams who camp out ALL DAY on the elementary school campus packed with kids dealing with the aftermath of a kindergarten classmate getting run over by a school bus. Stupid vultures.
4. The overwhelming guilt that I don't tie my child to my wrist and hover over her 24 hours a day so freak accidents like #3 won't happen.
5. People who ask you to fax them something, then turn around and fax it back to you. Never mind that THEY asked ME for it, or that the header says it CAME from me in the first place. They even do it when I put a COVER SHEET that says DO NOT FAX BACK TO ME. They even do it when I write that right on the damned form.
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