Today is hump day. Hope everyone is having a nice week. It’s cold where I live and this morning I woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground. Yeah….white stuff already. Me thinks it’s going to be a long cold winter people. Me thinks Jamaica sounds just lovely come February thanks.

Anyway, a few things that have been rattling around in my brain. The first one I’ve already blogged about but it still rankles and astounds me. Yeah, I’m talking about the number of rude, arrogant and self involved authors who like to comment on various blogs. They just dont’ know when to shut up. They are not respectful and they really don’t give a shit who they trample over, all in the name of getting their opinion heard. I just find it funny, that usually their opinion goes against the grain…kinda like, I say white and you say black. How do they ever, evah….get through life is beyond me. To attack another author,yeah..that’s bad but when you start slinging piles of shit at readers…potential readers that might buy your book? Just tacky. K…nuff about that.

I heard from my lovely editor Esi on Monday and my revisions are coming my way next week. Yikes….scary…but I’m totally pumped and looking forward to it. It seemed like I sold and then everything came to a standstill. But with revisions…well, hell…now I feel like a real writer. squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! So right now I’m reading Dark Revenge again. I haven’t read the first 3/4 of the book since I queried for agents in early June. I have to say it’s kind of fun and I’m totally getting my head back into these characters and the world that they live in. Exciting times! I have my crit partners reading it and I’m a little nervous about that…..only one person has read the entire book…well, save for my agent and editor…will they like it? I sure as heck hope so!

And finally….a shout out to a fellow scribe who had a heartbreaking pass on a ms this week. It made me ponder why exactly we do this? Why do we continually put ourselves out there with something as personal as our thoughts and desires and fantasies? Our stories mean so much to us, and it’s hard to put them in someone elses hands…and yeah, sometimes we get lucky and that someone else loves our work….but all of us have had the big fat R. And they hurt. Like being the last one picked for Red Rover.
So why do we keep at it? Because we’re gluttons for punishment? I don’t know. If I hadn’t sold to Avon and my ms was passed over by all the houses that had it, would I still be working on something else?

You bet your a$$ I would! I love it too much….I love the friends I’ve made out here in the cyber world too much. Or maybe I just love the challenge….whatever the reason I’m still here and totally pumped about the endless possibilites in front of me.

What about you? what keeps you doing the things that you’re passionate about? Be it writing, cooking, baking (ick) or being the resident workout nut? What keeps you coming back for more?

Hey Everyone!

Silhouette Nocturne author, Vivi Ana is interviewing me on Saturday October 25th over at the Bradford Bunch blog! Please stop by and spread the love!!!!

www.thebradfordbunch.com

thanks a lot!

Juliana

Yeah, the title says it all. Taking. Some. Time. For. Myself.

Lately I’ve been run ragged with a whole host of things. Nothing related to writing, but that only added to the amount of stuff that I needed to deal with. Weddings, stag and does, parties, weddings, girlfriends, showers, dog, kids, husband, hockey, Thanksgiving, office work, housework, laundry, dog, weddings, um, I think you get my drift.

I really felt like I was all over the place and as I look at what I just typed, I guess I freaking was! Now, a lot of it is my fault,that I can freely admit to. I spent a lot of time writing and let some things slide. Was it worth it? Totally! I can now say I’ve sold and in a year and a half strangers will (hopefully) be buying my book. So worth it! But I’m thankful that I did sell…nothing felt worse than thinking I was wasting my time on a dream that was not going to become a reality!

So, I’m at a new phase in this journey. It’s called the catch up so my house doesn’t fall apart phase! And it’s been time consuming….but I’ve managed to check off a lot of things on my to do list, and while there is still a ton of stuff that needs my attention, today I realized I needed attention.

So even though I was gonna be writing, doing some laudry and maybe getting into the office, I took the time to lounge in the jet tub, do my hair, put on some makeup and get dressed in some funky clothes. It felt good. I was getting way to used to hanging home in my jammies! I even got a few compliments when I ran a couple errands around town.

So, the soup in on the stove I feel good about myself and I’m going to get my 3k done!!!!

Take time for recharging the batteries people! Get a massage, read a book….or just do your hair! Whatever it takes to make you feel like you want to take on the world!

I’m curious…what do you do when you’re feeling a little overwhelmed???

All right. It’s friday, and I’m going to take a page from a fellow Bradford Babe, miss Lauren Dane and use this day to blog about a book I just finished reading.

I have to confess I’d never heard about Jeaniene Frost or her night huntress novels. She first came to my attention after my ms was pitched around and a few editors had commented to my agent and compared our books. One of them being, Esi Sogah who is now my agent at Avon books. (shamless plug!!)
Intrigued, and because I love a great read I went out and bought Halfway to the Grave, and One Foot in the Grave. (Very cool names for books btw)

Halfway, introduces us to Cat. Her mother was raped by a newly turned vamp and since, well, his boys could still swim and weren’t “dead” yet, she was conceived. She’s an anomoly…human, but with vamp strength. She uses her wiles and strengths to hunt down vamps and to kill them. Her mother has ingrained this into her brain that all vamps are bad.

Of course this isnt’ the case. And as the book begins she meets up with Bones. He is one cool dude. They become partners…he’s a vamp and kills for money, and together they seek out to destroy and kill Hennnesey, who is a really bad vamp. They fall in love, but as is the case, especially where sequels are concerned all isn’t a bed of roses.

this is a great introduction to these characters and their world. I’m so looking forward to reading the second in this series and the third will be out sometime next year. Jeaniene writes in first person, and I find it really takes talent to do this well. She does. Her characters are well written. I really came to care about Cat and hope that someday she gets her HEA.

Buy the book, you won’t be dissapointed!

A few things happened in the last few weeks and I’m going to adress them today. First up, authors and websites that promote nastinesss and negativity.

It happened to me recently. Yep, I had someone poke fun at my website and then I was called stupid. STUPID? Yeah, stupid…by a grown woman ( well, that I’m assuming) a fellow author and really, obviously a biatch…all because I happened to disagree with what was being discussed in that particular forum. It was a discussion on contracts, options and clauses. And it really spiralled out of control and fell into the shitter. I was appalled at the lack of professionalism, pettiness and downright nastiness. I mean, come on…name calling? What are we, teenagers in highschool?

but, it taught me a few lessons. 1) avoid said website in future, and any like it 2) be careful when you put yourself out there because you will invite all the nasties to come after you 3) listen to the Bradford Babes with all their words of wisdom because they’ve all been there and done that 4) shake it off

I also realized that I’ve been lucky so far. I started posting on eharlequin two years ago and have met so many wonderful authors….all supportive and celebratory of anyone’s success. Oh, we might secretly be jealous when someone else got the sale…that’s human nature, but we still were genuinely happy for them….so yeah, guess it was naive of me to think that all authors are so wonderful. Because a lot of them aren’t. Some are just bitter nasty globs of bitchiness and…..ok you get the picture!

My point? Lets celebrate all of our successes and promote a positive attitude. I don’t even know how these people can write when they’re in that frame of mind. Watch what you’re saying when you’re posting in a public forum, because it will come back to bite you in the ass. If you come across as a phsyco….I’m not gonna buy your book, and you know what? I’ll tell others not to buy your book…really I will.

Spam:
Hate it. With a passion. I want to scream at the amount of spam that fills my inbox some days….how can I get rid of it? can I trace it back to the originator and sick some secret government spam agency on them? huh? What can I do? any ideas? Is it because i’m on facebook? dunno……hate it though…..with a passion

so…that’s it chicklets…it’s a beautiful fall day here in sw Ontario and I’m gonna walk the dog and continue to write my YA
not going to think about the economy….nope, just gonna smile and find my inner peace and have a lovely day! I hope you all do as well!!!!

And if you’ve ever been involved in a snaffu over the internet, how did you deal with it?

I am a Canuk and here in Canada it’s our long weekend. Thanksgiving long weekend. A time for reflection, family and giving thanks. No…actually, it’s a time of overeating, over drinking and just plain pigging out. And I am guilty of that. I had my fair share of bird yesterday, a couple glasses of wine, and yeah…even had some apple pie. I passed on the pumpkin….don’t much care for it.
But, I do have a lot to be grateful for. Let’s be serious…for me it’s been an amazing year. I have a lot to be thankful for….
1. Two kids that are amazing, healthy and don’t talk back to me ( well at least to my face)
2. A husband who is wholly supportive of my dream to write and doesn’t complain too much (again, at least not to my face)
3. The best girlfriends on the planet. They support me, laugh with me and “get” me.
4. The best parents in the world.
5. A wonderful town to call home, full of interesting characters
6. An amazing circle of writing buddies and critique parters…The Sirens and Scribes
7. The Bradford Bunch
8. Laura Bradford who made selling my first book look so freaking easy
9. Avon Publishing for buying my book, and that means you Esi!
10. And lastly I’m thankful for all the wonderful authors who write incredible stories, the ones that allow me to leave planet earth for a few hours and travel to exotic places where vampires and shifters really do exist.

So yeah, I am happy to be me…wouldn’t trade my life for anyone elses…..what about you? What are you most thankful for?

I love paranormals. Everything about them. I love to read them and I love writing them even more. There is one woman I can thank singlehandedly for this…and that’s Christine Feehan.

About three years ago I went to the local library and perused the paperback section. A title caught my eye. Dark Prince. I picked it up, read the back blurb and took it home. I read it in one day, I remember I just couldn’t put it down. Lucky for me it was the first in a series and over the next several weeks I went back to the library and checked out every single one that they had. the ones they didn’t have, I went out and bought until I was caught up to her latest. I also discovered her mind game series and the Drake sisters.

I love her writing. About a year and a half ago, when I decided to try the whole writing thing seriously, there was no question as to what I would write. Dark paranormals.

And now here I am, my own book deal in hand and yes, I can honestly say I’m not sure I would be here if I hadn’t picked up a copy of Dark Prince three years ago. Seriously.

So, it was my greatest pleasure to have been able to have dinner with Christine Feehan in SanFransisco, along with the lovely Brenda Novak. In fact, as luck would have it, I got to sit in between the two of them. (and all of this would not have happened if not for the lovley Lauren Hawkeye and the Brenda Novak diabetes auction)

Christine was a lovely woman. Funny, charming and very generous with her sage words of advice in regards to all things that go along with the craziness of publication.

So, yeah I’ve got a bit of girlcrush on her and yesterday when she emailed me, I had a “moment”…it was a simple email, a congrats on my recent sale and well wishes for continued success.

But it was from Christine Feehan!!!! I’ve printed it out….I keep looking at it…..and I will continue to have a girlcrush on this woman for many years to come!

so what about you? anyone you have a girlcrush on? or have you ever met someone who inspired you along the road to publication?

I have a book reccomendation for all you folks today. Vivi Ana is an author who writes for Silhouette Nocturne and her most recent release hit the book shelves last week.

She writes an exciting series called “The Valorian Chronicles” and it follows a team of forensic experts who deal with supernatural goings on in the town of Necropolis.

This month we’re treated to two different stories set in this world, Mahina’s Storm is in ebook form and can be dowloaded from the eHarlequin website. It focuses on Mahina, a wolf and Ren the man (wolf) that wants her all for himself. She’s almost shot in a take down involving a bad drug dude, and is in fact saved by Ren. What follows is his determination to make Mahina’s his. And boy does he!
totally recommend this short read. Hotness factor is high and the characters are well written.

this is the blurb for Veiled Truth,

“Five years ago, virginal Lyra Magice had fled powerful dhampir Theron LeNoir’s advances. But now an ancient text the dhampir possesses holds the key to solving murders that have plagued Necropolis. When another body is found and evidence points to the Mistress of the city, duty dictates that Lyra work with Theron—a man she regards as haughty, arrogant and immoral—to translate the symbols left at the crime scenes. But with their forced alliance comes darkly sensual dreams that leave her feeling wanton and achy…

Unwilling to reveal his dark past, the dhampir soon discovers that Lyra—a witch of great power—is to be the sacrificial virgin in a demonic scheme to open a portal to hell itself. Salvation will come only if Theron can win Lyra’s trust—and her heart.

This book rocked….I loved it…want more….Theron is delicious….

Veiled Truth can be picked up whereever paperbacks are sold!

One of the writing groups I belong to, Sirens and Scribes, has a post listing goals. So, I thought…what the heck I’m going to steal that idea and use it for my blog.

Setting goals is a wonderful way to see what you want to accomplish, and once they’re in black and white, you can look back and see if you’ve been totally lame, or if in fact, you’ve achieved your goals.

so, this is the month of October, and it happens to be my favourite month. (Well, after snagging my first sale ever in September, it’s gonna be hard to top that)…but, fall is here with all the colours that we so enjoy here in Ontario, it means fall fairs, hot apple cider, Waterford Pumpkinfest and Yins restaurant.

I love October and these are my goals in no particular order:

1. Keep dragging my ass out of bed at 6 in the morning to walk the dog. Even though it’s still night out when I leave and night out when I return at 7.
2. Work on my revisions when my editor sends them along.
3. Try to stay away from chips and wine.
4. Try to make it to the gym at least once. that would be great considering I haven’t been in almost a year.
5. Polish my YA proposal and send it to Laura
6. Rework Blind Awakening into a Nocturne Bite.
7. Try to keep ahead of my laundry situation before it gets the better of me and takes over the house.
8. Try to limit my time on email, facebook, blogs, myspace and yes, playing spider solitaire

That should just about do it…..I’ll have to have a look back at the beginning of November and see if I was able to stick to my goals…what about you? What kind of things would you like to accomplish in this lovely month of October?