The Gab Wagon: Dear CBS and DirecTV

The Gab Wagon: Dear CBS and DirecTV: "You suck. Three times during the 2010 football season, my team, the New England Patriots, have been on regular TV (i.e. the local CBS affil..."

Guest Blogger Jenny Schwartz

Hi Natalie! I'm so pleased to be here. Sure, it was a long swim from Australia, but I had my waterwings and—apart from the odd collision with a cargo ship—I made it easily. The exercise was a great way to work off some of my excitement that Angel Thief is releasing Monday. Monday! Happy, happy, happy.

Like me, Angel Thief has an Australian background, so I thought I'd use this post to share with the world three things that they mightn't know about Australia.

One. We put all our politicians in jail as soon as they're elected. It saves time.

Two. We smear a concentrated mush of veggies boiled in beer on our toast.

Three. We drink BEER.

Oh wait. That's Terry Pratchett's The Lost Continent. Australia is nothing at all like that. Nope, never drink beer, never eat Vegemite, never elect crooked politicians. Boring, really. Just stunning landscapes, unique animals, friendly people, sunshine, beaches and barbeques.

So, how about three facts about me as a writer?

One. My earliest reading obsession was with the work of Enid Blyton before I graduated to Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon and the Asterix comics. After that, there was no holding me back. I read and read, and that led naturally to writing.

Two. I'm a caffeine addict. Coffee in the morning. Tea in the afternoon. I can't imagine the writing life without caffeine. Actually, I can't imagine life without caffeine!

Three. Becoming a writer has increased my respect for all authors. I know now how tough the journey is and how inescapable. The other day I was wondering why the hell the Rolling Stones are still touring when they're wealthy enough to do absolutely nothing. Then I imagined (and it was a stretch) being a millionaire author, and I realised I'd still be writing. It's not about the money (though we need it to live). It's about an addiction to creativity. Once your brain has learned the thrill of storytelling, there's no going back.

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Angel Thief releases November 29 from Carina Presshttp://bit.ly/AngThief

She’s breaking the rules. Again.


An archivist in the heavenly library, Sara must follow protocol when it comes to curating the knowledge of the universe. But "liberating" an ancient text from the collection of a human—an Australian drug lord—could save a boy’s life. Sara has no way of knowing that one of the man’s other treasures is a sexy-as-sin djinni, bound by a wish to guard the estate.


He’s only following orders.


Filip is compelled to turn over intruders, even celestial ones, to his master. When he catches Sara in the library, he isn’t above indulging in some sensual kisses with her, or using her to trick the mobster into wasting a wish. It’s what he must do to preserve his facade of freedom and protect his heart.


But the kidnapping of the drug lord’s daughter forces Sara and Filip to work together—bringing out the hero that lurks within the soul of the djinni, and the passion within the angel.

***
You can find Jenny:
at her website
blogging
or on Twitter @Jenny_Schwartz

Coming Friday: Guest Blogger Jenny Schwartz!

On Friday, I'll be hosting guest blogger and Carina Press author Jenny Schwartz right here!

A little about Jenny, from her website:
I live in Western Australia where the Indian Ocean is bluer than heaven. Not that I live beside the sea -- I wish. Seaside prices are astronomical. Fortunately, I'm a big fan of suburban living -- friendly neighbours, backyard visitors (birds, lizards and ladybugs) and room for a straggly herb garden.

Confession (because every bio requires a deep, dark secret): Perhaps the best thing about being a writer is that you can read and read and read -- and call it research!

Jenny's Carina Press release Angel Thief releases on Monday, November 29. But join us here THIS Friday (in your post-Thanksgiving or post-shopping stupor) to laugh and learn. See you then!

First Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I

No spoilers! :)

I took Number One to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter Thursday night. Yes, it was a school night for her and a work night for me. She was dying to go, so a couple of weeks before, I told her that if she could get all her teachers to certify that she had no tests or quizzes and would not suffer academic deficits, I'd take her.

To my amazement, they all signed. Most with laughter. One said he was proud of me. (I think the same one who ended up giving her a quiz anyway, but at least they could use their notes.)

So we left the house at 10:30 and headed over.

Tron

So, I'm annoyed.

The Gab Wagon

I'm blogging today at The Gab Wagon about what's making this week such a good one for me. Check it out! :)

Look! Twice in One Day!

I'm writing a new book for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and doing so in the full spirit of the event. In other words, I'm writing crap, ignoring that it's crap, and focusing on moving forward. Every few lines, I have to give myself permission to leave it alone, but I'm not comfortable with putting out crap. It seems as if the less I focus on quality-first, the less quality comes out.

At the same time (well, alternately, not at the exact same time, that would be impossible), I'm reading a book that's just amazing. The richness of each sentence, the clarity of description and action—but perfectly chosen, so it's not getting bogged down in detail. I'm in awe. And it drives me nuts.

Because I can't do it. That's how I feel right now. It's ridiculous. I know for a fact that it doesn't come out that way for her, she's said so. First drafts aren't supposed to be polished. I've written books I'm very proud of, and all of them took many, many passes before they became that way. Still, as the words flow from my brain to my fingers onto the screen, other words join mentally join them:

Boring.

Common.

You used that word six times already.

Vary your sentence structure.

Stop using "then."

You'll never be as good as her.

I'm well aware of the dangers of comparison, and I generally avoid it. But this is a special case. I mean, she's a Patriots fan. We both write romantic adventure, so I feel we have a similar audience. When a book is nothing like mine, I'm not as humbled by its awesomeness (like, say, anything by Megan Hart).

So I have a couple of choices. I can let it get to me, and lament my apparently diminishing skills. Or I can finish reading her book before I go back to writing.

I think I'll go with plan B.

Taking a Breath...Again

I'm sure this blog has been abandoned by readers, since I've been going for longer and longer stretches between posts. Things have eased back a little again, though, yay!

My line edits for Fight or Flight are done, turned in, and accepted.

Soccer is over, so no more practices and games taking up five days a week.

The fall play is this week, so paint crew is over, so no more daily pickups at school.

Freelance work has evened out, mostly. *knock wood so it doesn't dump on me again!* I like it spread out, of course.

In Which I Ramble On (and on and on) about Supernatural

I just read Mo Ryan's review of "You Can't Handle the Truth," and that inspired me to finally(!) post here about Supernatural, despite the boatload of work waiting for me and the fact that my husband is about to arrive home after several days out of town.


Caution: There is a spoiler in this rambling based on the preview shown at the end of the episode.

Guest Blogger Toni Anderson, on Imagination

Natalie very generously invited me here to blog today. Thanks so much, Natalie.

I was thinking about what to blog about when I was struck by the concept of imagination.

IMAGINATION—power to create in one's mind

I have 3 full-length novels published. The first one is set on a ranch in Montana, the next two in Scotland. I’ve written other books set in South Dakota, Ireland, Northern Labrador, NYC, and England. Sometimes I use locations or jobs I’m familiar with but no matter how familiar I am with one aspect of a book there are still myriad details to research.

RESEARCH—examination, study

So I research like crazy, everything from location details to historical fact, witchcraft, psychic powers, police procedures, medical conditions, flying helicopters, and the psychology of everything from serial killers to phobias to growing up without a father. The first story I ever wrote was called Her Sanctuary and is published by The Wild Rose Press. I love this story, but at the time I wrote it there was no information on how the FBI dealt with art fraud so I made it up—I had to. But after Her Sanctuary was published there was a whole TV series on how the FBI dealt with art fraud and counterfeits. I was so mad. :) I’m still mad because I hate getting facts wrong, and yet it is impossible to know everything about everything. And although there is such thing as poetic licence, I’ve noticed that nowadays people like much more fact with their fiction.

When researching Sea of Suspicion (Carina Press) I contacted a Fife police officer and swung a tour of the St. Andrews’s Police Station. I’d lived in the town for years but never had reason to visit the local nick. I set the story in the Marine Lab where I’d done my graduate studies so there was no need to do endless research on the location—it’s in my bones :). But I didn’t know anything about octopods (the heroine’s area of expertise) and found myself immersed in research on a subject that probably only takes up a few sentences in the book. I now know a lot about octopods.

Storm Warning (Carina Press) is also set in Fife, although down the coast in a town called Anstruther where I lived for 6 wonderful years. But although I knew the area, I still had to spend a solid week reading books about psychics. I interrogated spoke to a psychic lady in my writing chapter (Kiss of Death) who answered all my questions about what it felt like to be psychic. The main problem writing that book was that my heroine is as ignorant as I am and didn’t understand the sensations she was experiencing at the start of this book. I also gave my hero hydrophobia (not rabies, which is what the copyeditor suggested) from a childhood incident with a couple of bullies in the local swimming pool. I know a bit about phobias but needed to see how I could make the story work with an alpha hero who is scared of water and surrounded by the stuff (my previous agent told me never to use the word fear in association with a hero—any thoughts on that?).

Research and Imagination go hand-in-hand when creating a story. I like to think of the research as the structure and the imagination as the flow of a story. I’m about to dive into another story and hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

So my question to you is how important is it to get the facts right in fiction?

Toni Anderson is a former Marine Biologist whose first Romantic Suspense novel, Her Sanctuary, was released in 2009, and her Scottish novels Sea of Suspicion & Storm Warning are available from Carina Press. She writes about her life and travels on her blog, Facebook and Twitter. Readers can sign up for her occasional newsletter and check up on her latest releases on her website and Facebook Fan Page.

Check Out Toni Anderson Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I'm delighted to host guest blogger Toni Anderson, who will talk about Imagination and getting details right.

Toni Anderson is a former Marine Biologist whose first Romantic Suspense novel, Her Sanctuary, was released in 2009, and her Scottish novels Sea of Suspicion & Storm Warning are available from Carina Press. She writes about her life and travels on her blog, Facebook and Twitter. Readers can sign up for her occasional newsletter and check up on her latest releases on her website and Facebook Fan Page.

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Note: I'll have to post her blog after work tomorrow, so check it out in the afternoon! :)

Thoughts on TV and E-Book Reading

I did not see the draw of Alex O'Loughlin until I started watching Hawaii 5-0. Now I do, though I prefer Danno/Scott Caan, myself. :) Last week, I thought, "It would be nice to have a Kono-centric episode." And then I saw the preview for this week! Cool when writers anticipate my desires. :)

I'm not enjoying The Mentalist much this season. I think we're still two episodes behind, and if it wasn't nearly midnight, I would have wanted to watch another episode last night. But that's party because I'm eager to get to the Jim Beaver episode. Jane's been too much of a downer, and hasn't been involved enough with cases to really do much of his "thing." The cases have been kind of mundane, the guest stars flat, and way too little focus on the team (Grace, Rigsby, and Cho). I have to say, though, the actress playing Christina was fantastic in her "I'm dead" episode. SO creepy, and her catatonia and uneven eyes... *shudder*

I shall post a Supernatural post soon. I know, it's kind of shocking I haven't yet done it. I guess I've been spending all my thoughts in the comments at Supernatural Sisters. I will say I love this season, and I can't wait until the next episode each week. I will also say that my passion has matured and doesn't burn so hot, which is probably inevitable in the sixth year, and that Friday messes me up because I always forget that it's on! Not forget to watch it, but I don't have that excited anticipation I used to have all day Thursday. But that's okay. It's still the show I would most miss.

Sunglasses as Hair Accessories and Other Shopping Thoughts

I like the way my hair looks best when I shove my sunglasses up on my head. This mostly happens when I'm shopping, and in and out of stores, because that's the most convenient, safest place to put them (I don't carry a purse). Headbands don't replicate the look--I've tried. They're curved, and sunglasses, of course, are squared off. They don't make squared-off hair accessories, and even if they did, that would look stupid.
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Catching Breath and Catching Up

I finally feel like I'm back to a normal schedule. I don't know if that means I'll be able to post here more often, or keep tabs on Twitter or Facebook, but I'll try. Here's some of the stuff I've been wanting to talk about but didn't have time:

Things I'm Behind On

1. Client Work
I have a very laid-back, understanding, no-rush client who fell by the wayside for deadline work. I'm struggling to get caught up—he should be rewarded for his patience!

2. Blogging
I don't know if this counts as "behind," since it's clear I haven't followed any regular schedule here lately. Blogging other places takes away some potential topics.

Overheard on the Soccer Field

Some guy standing behind me at the soccer field today said, "She's three-quarters Lhasapoo..." I didn't hear the rest, but it doesn't really matter. I'm still puzzling over that part.

How can that be possible?

A Lhasa Poo is already a mixed breed. Half Lhasa Apso, half Poodle. So if that was one parent, then the pup is one quarter lhasa, one quarter poodle, and half whatever the other parent was. If the other parent was a Lhasa Poo, then the pup is also a Lhasa Poo. If they're a Lhasa-something-else, then the pup is three-quarters Lhasa, but then only one quarter poodle and one quarter something-else.

Gah. Let me start over.

Let's say one parent was Lhasa Poo, half and half. The other parent was half Lhasa Poo and half, I dunno, retriever, which means one quarter Lhasa, one quarter Poo, and one half retriever...

1/4L + 1/4P + 1/8L + 1/8P + 1/4R

Got it! The pup would be THREE-EIGHTHS Lhasa Poo!

Is there another scenario I'm missing that could add up to 3/4 of a mixed breed?

Guest Blogging!

I'm over at Keri Ford's blog today! Come see what I have to say about the Evolution of an Idea!

Found on the NEO

I wrote this post on September 2nd, then every time I saw it on the Neo, I was like, "I posted that, didn't I? Yeah, I'm sure I posted that." Then I forgot to check.

I never posted that. But I like it, so I'm posting it now, even though stuff that's a month old is hardly relevant. Some of it is, though! So...

Because It's Important Enough to Say Twice

Afterlife will be releasing this weekend, and I'm participating in the release party thrown by The Romance Studio tonight. If you've got a few minutes, check it out. There are several authors celebrating new releases, so there should be something for everyone! The party runs 6:00 p.m. to midnight Eastern time.

In the Midst of Insanity

Today's Friday, right?

My week has been so crazy, with thinking I had to work, then not having to work, then getting more work from the freelance job, and canceling obligations, rescheduling activities, fretting about things that weren't going right. It all worked out in the end, which is kind of a lesson about not worrying about things until absolutely necessary. I always advocate for that, but it's hard to do.

I even managed to watch some TV this week, though nothing new yet. All the old favorites are off to a good start. On Bones, though, I think it would have been cool if they'd opened their own agency or something. I thought that might be where they were going, when Booth asked why they only investigate when there's a body.

This weekend is going to be a working weekend, but hopefully I'll make a little progress toward getting Soul of the Dragon published. Oh! And speaking of books, Afterlife will be releasing this weekend, and I'm participating in the release party thrown by The Romance Studio tonight. If you've got a few minutes, check it out. There are several authors celebrating new releases, so there should be something for everyone! The party runs 6:00 p.m. to midnight Eastern time.

I'll also be blogging tonight at Supernatural Sisters. Supernatural returns! I admit, I've been too busy to get excited, but that slow buzz of anticipation is starting. Tune in to Supernatural Sisters a couple of hours after the show to see what I thought and share your own feelings about the start of season six!

I'm heading now into another soccer- and football-focused weekend, with bursts of intense work. What have you got going on?