Details

I was recently reading something that made me want to pull my hair out one strand at a time.

For the love of all that is sacred to the binding gods I beseech everyone to please not put in details that don't matter. If they don't contribute to the depth of the heroine or the hero or the progression of the plot or their arc then leave it out.

I don't need to see her go to the bathroom unless her hero is the Tidibowl man.

This is just my personal opinion as a reader and I'm sure people would disagree. Sprinkling in a few quirky characteristics and mannerisms is a great way to enhance a character. Everyone does it. Or at least the authors with memorable characters do.

OMG! One More Week

*Squee*

One more week and I'm off for San Francisco. Okay, it's really 8 days, but I still can't believe it's just around the corner. Today I need to make a list of all the things that I need to pack (because I will invariably forget something), and a list of things I still need to do.

It's the small things that will get me - like testing the batteries in my camera, and packing extras in the bag just in case. And what about that tiny little lithium battery buried in the back of the camera? You know, the one I shoved in there like two years ago when I got the camera as a gift and haven't replaced. Yeah, little things like that will creep up on me.

Then there are all those things not conference related that have to be done. At the top of that list is cleaning. *sigh* I so wish that wasn't necessary.

Isn't This Cool?

I'm a sucker for interesting work environments. I stumbled across this one recently. Isn't this the coolest atrium area? My photography skills with my cell phone still need a bit of honing, but I thought this was one of the most calm and serene places I've run across so far.

The running water rushing down the rocks filters through the glass of the offices with windows facing into the atrium. The few days the pump went out and had to be replaced I could tell a difference in the people that worked there. They had grown used to it.

Now you add that atrium, expand it just a tad and the super, smoking hot guy I met in that building and it's screaming romance.

The Mind Is A Crazy Thing

The mind is an amazing tool. It can take you places that can thrill you. Or terrify.

One of my WIP that I'm working on right now is an erotic paranormal that features three ghost riders. They're good guys, but last night I'm going to bed and my mind is still in that world. I'm thinking about them and all the demons their battling when I hear the high pitched meeeewwwwwwlllll.

That's really the best that I, as a mere human, can do to impersonate it. Now I have two cats for those that didn't know that. One is very outgoing, vocal and quite demanding. The other one is very shy and soft spoken. She never wants anything except lots of love.

So when I hear the high pitched sound coming from the quiet one that is a bit freaky. At this point it's almost midnight. I assumed at first it was a bug and that she'd conquer and slay it without my help if that's the case. Unfortunately they sometimes infiltrate our humble abode, but both the furred queens of the household are quite good at dealing with them since I am a chicken.

About thirty seconds later I hear the vocal cat hiss. And growl. And do the high pitched noise. Er. That is not the bug radar going off. That's just freaky crazy nuts.

I have not a clue what it was. My brain was processing the fact that it was a ghost and it wasn't about to let me go in there. LOL. No way. No how.

That's my freaky story for the day. What about you? Anything strange happen that makes your brain shut you down?

Let's Talk Tea

As many of you know, I'm going to San Francisco. Yay!

*Interesting side note - my cat is already inside of my suitcase. I made the mistake of taking it down the other day. She knows something is up.*

While I'm there I may get the chance to experiment with some tea. Now I know it may come as a shock to some of you, so you may want to sit down for this. I'm a southerner. Specifically a Texan. I don't remember ever drinking tea while it was hot. Doing that sort of thing as a child got your hands spatted by my grandma with a small lecture on patience.

Iced tea ruled my household, and it still does. I remember when my grandmother's house burned down that my little brother was helping to remove some of the salvageable items. The first thing he carried out was her iced tea pitcher. He thought it had magical powers I think :)

I grew up thinking Lipton was it. Give me a packet of sweetener and lemon (although I'd prefer lime) and I'm done. But I'm always up for experimentation and adventure.


So, what are some good teas to try? Green teas, black teas, organic teas. Oh. My. Why so many choices?

What is your tea of choice?

Have a great day everyone!

One Of Those Awwwwww Moments

So I wandered into IHOP to have breakfast this morning. Have you ever been a restaurant that wasn't that crowded yet they still feel the need to stairstack people on top of each other like they're trying to play Jenga?

Okay, well now you know what I felt like when I sat down and ordered my drink. But after a few moments, the next layer got put right beside me and I got the opportunity to overhear one of the most touching moments ever.

I feel the need to warn you this is one of those times that after reading this you may look at your significant other and try to compare him...

So this small boy, I'd guess maybe about 9 at the oldest, comes in with a man that I assume at first is his father. They order their drinks.

Now, you have to understand they are practically in my lap so I can hear the guy's booming voice very clearly. In the first few moments, I figure out he isn't the boy's father.

He thanks the boy for coming out to breakfast with him because he wanted to get away from the womenfolk (I know let's just move past that one) and have a man to man talk.

Now at this point the boy sits up in his chair and pulls at his shirt.

The man tells the boy he wanted to get his feedback on how he thought things were going. Since he had been the man of the house before he married his mom.

Okay at this point I want to clone the man. How cool is this?

The boy fiddles for a while and then tells the man that he's been doing a good job. His mom smiles a lot more and she laughs and that makes him and his little sister really happy.

Oh. My. God. Where are the kleenex?
Then the boy says "And you treat us really good. Like you're our dad. And we're okay with that."

Okay I'm ashamed to report that I lost the conversation at that point. I'm only human. You set bacon and eggs in front of me and the entire world drifts away. It's me and my protein, people.

But doesn't that make you want to clone that guy?

After I finished my meal, I noticed that the boy had moved to sit right beside the man. And he was showing him how to play some game on a handheld player.

And the smile on his young face spoke a thousand words.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Summer Makeover

*looks around and smiles*

So, how do you like the new look? Hats off to the lovely and incredible talent of Rae Monet for crafting such a marvelous home for moi.

Getting a new face on my website has put me in the mood to do a bit of summer creative cleansing. What does that mean?

Well, as much as I'd love to think that I'm going to have time to write ALL the stories that I get ideas for, reality dictates that isn't going to be feasible. So, it's time for me to sit down and give all those sprawled notes and quickly jotted ideas serious consideration and move some of them into a "probably not" notebook.

It's going to hurt. But sometimes purging is needed, and getting rid of stale ideas that I probably won't get around to writing will leave room for new ones. *grin*

On a happy note, one of my single titles is officially complete - editing and all. And barring any huge issues, it will have two playmates very soon.

I guess this mean the great agent hunt is about to begin.

I hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July. Happy creative cleansing, and may your weekend be filled with books :)