Sample Cover

This is a sample cover I designed for fun. I might add it to my portfolio.....

Starting is the Hardest Part...

Where's the beef??? Thought I'd share a pic that I came across as I was looking for ahem..."inspiration" for my male character in the book I'm starting. I know I promised a blurb and a little info about it, but I'm still hacking away at it.

But, here's a few words that have been included in my hashing out of this new story.....(prepare yourself, lol)....slave, shades, shadows, vampire, harbinger, Tyr, Mythology, Norse, witch and Creole. Stunning, isn't it? And that covers maybe half of the descriptive words I could use, lol.

Now, I know (or hope) that when I finally work up the nerve to get past the second page and to give the plotting a rest, I'll be good to go. I finished Bayou Summons (which was 75,000 words) in a week. Because that's how it goes for me....if it takes me too long to write, I move on to something else, because I feel that if the concept doesn't grab me enough for me to obsess until I finish it, well, then I think it might not be such a great concept. If I, as the writer, am not completely engaged by it, then the reader won't be either.

I do think I have a pretty good concept and as long as I can flow the romance and antagonist in there smoothly, it might be something I'm quite proud of when I'm done. Fingers crossed, toes crossed and praying.................

A Book by it's Cover

I have to admit, I judge books by their covers. I never noticed it before, although I am a cover artist and visually-inspired person, I never thought that the cover was what made me pick a book from the shelf. But, today as I wandered through the aisles of romance books at Barnes and Noble, I caught myself scannning, not really paying attention to what the books were, but waiting for a cover to leap out at me!!


The cover above is one of my favorites that I've designed, and I think because even though it's simple, it hits home. There's something very striking about it. What is it that you look for in a cover? Beef and bronze? Sexy silhouettes? Clean and sophisticated?

Mythology and Research........

Most of my research starts with a myth or legend that I read about from one of the many magic, myth and legend books that I have. It's so much fun reading through the myths and finding a wonderful story hidden beneath almost every page. Last night, I got down to business and just poured over them. I came up with at least five good starts to plots. But I always have trouble with the antagonizer and what the "ultimate struggle" will be, especially if it's something I want to turn into a multiple book query.

I'll give a hint of the one plot I'm seriously considering pursuing for my first query to the "big time"..... TYR. I hate to leave you hanging like that, but I haven't worked everything out yet!! I will share a short blurb once I get the plot fixed up and bandaged together. Tyr is a god from Norse mythology and I can't wait to use him for all he's worth, lol!

So, what do you do when you're stuck in a plot rut?

A Few Pics from My Weekend....

That is my six year old son who jumped his heart out on the trampoline....actually, we both did. I haven't had so much fun or laughed so much in a long time.

My boy exploring.....................

and, yes, that is me...being flipped and tossed about by my loving (so he says) fiance. You should have seen us....we made quite a scene. Such fun......and awesome memories, they'll stay with me always.

Geared Up

I have so many different interests all across the board....from digital design to painting to mixed media to sewing to crochet to jewelry making and writing that I have a hard time understanding what my true "purpose" is. For the past week, I've thought very hard about it. I would ask myself every night before I went to bed....."What is it that will satisfy you emotionally?"...."Is there one craft that pulls at you more than the others?", The only solution I could come up with is that I love all these things equally, but my desire to write has been with me the longest.

Even though I created as a child and was more than mildly interested in art, I coveted books. They were held in high regard, where the best memories were made being lost inside the worlds the books created. I can remember the feel, the smell of them as I flipped the pages. Just as art is a form of an emotional outlet, books for me have always been my greatest escape. So, here I am making an affirmation to write. My goal is to be published by Harlequin's Silhouette Nocturne line, but for now, I will settle for just writing. It's good to be back.