Today marks the day I finished the first draft of Calm before the Storm Evan's Sins.
To most people it's another Friday but to me it's special. I reached a new pinnacle in my career as a writer. The Ruthless Storm Trilogy was born from Volume 1 Eye of the Storm Eilida's Tragedy. I wrote it for fun. When I got to the end I felt hollow inside and followed my instinct, giving birth to a trilogy.
What makes this piece of work special to me is difficult to put into words. With Baby Girl Cleo lives inside me. There are untold sections of her story that one day I may publish. Whether I do or not is beside the point. She lives and breathes inside me. Her life flashes through my head. If or when I write more Baby Girl books they are already there.
Calm before the Storm was a challenge. A different kind of challenge. For starters the entire book is written in third person. Second I started with a blank slate. The story didn't tarry away in my mind before writing. My prompt, the many clues my mind slipped into Eilida's Tragedy and the epilogue - its crucial to Evan's Sins. I had an ending of sorts and a beginning but had no clue as to the cast of characters and events that would follow. Each page I typed led to another bone, another chapter.
My mind pieced the book together out of order. When I wrote the ending today I smiled out of satisfaction. And not because, Oh my gosh the first draft is done! I smiled out of pure ingenuity, a more than clever ending that I never saw coming. There is a host of characters encompassing over a thirty year time period and my mind made all the characters and their experiences come to one single point.
All my novels end with surprises that are somewhat anticlimactic - that's me. At the same time they leave the reader pondering. In Calm before the Storm Evan's Sins the message is clear, don't let strangers into your life. At the same time strangers are my characters best friends. Maybe a better moral would be don't trust strangers. But some strangers in the book are good. I guess there is no moral.
Anyhow it is a major accomplishment that has left my brain spinning in the dust. And the hamster brain in my mind is turning. I'm not ready for volume 3 but when I start who knows where it will end!
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Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Monday, February 2, 2015
How do you drown your sorrows?
Life isn't always easy nor is it fair. At times life is nearly unbearable.
When my best friend passed away 2 years ago I was a wreck and spent two weeks locked in my apartment. I went out only to rent movies or check them out free from the public library. I watched movie after movie, an activity we enjoyed doing together, and I looked for him. I could feel and hear him I just couldn't see him. I have always been a believer in the paranormal but wished at the time to be "Ghost Whisperer" and see and talk with him once again.
When I wasn't watching movies I was reading As Snow Falls. The night he passed away I popped open my computer folder containing all the many rough drafts and nearly finished books I had written, Writing is an old friend in my sorrow- filled life. As Snow Falls spoke to me in a sense. I popped it open and read, my eyes already filled with tears. I read the story several times that night and found what I was looking for. A solace and outlet to my sadness. I made the decision then to publish the book. To me it was the most fitting story to publish first- you have to read it to get that.
With renewed purpose, although still locked in my apartment I spent every morning into the late hours of the afternoon drinking Italian blend Starbucks coffee and researching ways to publish books.
I made a lot of decisions that night and have worked hard over the past two years to make them a reality. Sometimes possibly I work too hard.
After my two week hiatus on life I realized he would always be with me and those he loved. So I returned to the land of the living with not just single goal of publishing As Snow Falls but a list of goals to work towards. They have been the fuel that burns throughout my soul and edges me closer and closer to attainment.
As mentioned earlier sorrow is an old friend to me. Like an old pair of shoes that are worn out but hard to part with. My sorrow tonight is nothing as intense as losing my friend and I won't be locked away for two weeks. Instead I turn to my familiar comforts. A soft pair of sweats and T-shirt, pizza with pepperoni, black olives and tons of cheese, a super-infused margarita, and writing.
When sad write. I find my mind is most focused when I'm sad. My brain and body slow down allowing me to gather my thoughts and let out my emotion. In moments of happiness my mind races with a million thoughts coalescing all at one time and I have a difficult time focusing on any one of them.
Instead of sorrow I take the opportunity to focus, eat pizza, and write the next few chapters of my next novel.
When my best friend passed away 2 years ago I was a wreck and spent two weeks locked in my apartment. I went out only to rent movies or check them out free from the public library. I watched movie after movie, an activity we enjoyed doing together, and I looked for him. I could feel and hear him I just couldn't see him. I have always been a believer in the paranormal but wished at the time to be "Ghost Whisperer" and see and talk with him once again.
When I wasn't watching movies I was reading As Snow Falls. The night he passed away I popped open my computer folder containing all the many rough drafts and nearly finished books I had written, Writing is an old friend in my sorrow- filled life. As Snow Falls spoke to me in a sense. I popped it open and read, my eyes already filled with tears. I read the story several times that night and found what I was looking for. A solace and outlet to my sadness. I made the decision then to publish the book. To me it was the most fitting story to publish first- you have to read it to get that.
With renewed purpose, although still locked in my apartment I spent every morning into the late hours of the afternoon drinking Italian blend Starbucks coffee and researching ways to publish books.
I made a lot of decisions that night and have worked hard over the past two years to make them a reality. Sometimes possibly I work too hard.
After my two week hiatus on life I realized he would always be with me and those he loved. So I returned to the land of the living with not just single goal of publishing As Snow Falls but a list of goals to work towards. They have been the fuel that burns throughout my soul and edges me closer and closer to attainment.
As mentioned earlier sorrow is an old friend to me. Like an old pair of shoes that are worn out but hard to part with. My sorrow tonight is nothing as intense as losing my friend and I won't be locked away for two weeks. Instead I turn to my familiar comforts. A soft pair of sweats and T-shirt, pizza with pepperoni, black olives and tons of cheese, a super-infused margarita, and writing.
When sad write. I find my mind is most focused when I'm sad. My brain and body slow down allowing me to gather my thoughts and let out my emotion. In moments of happiness my mind races with a million thoughts coalescing all at one time and I have a difficult time focusing on any one of them.
Instead of sorrow I take the opportunity to focus, eat pizza, and write the next few chapters of my next novel.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Ultimate Book Tag
Thank you KayCee K. from Wonder Struck for tagging me.
I tag Marcha Fox and Susanne Leist.
Here we go!
1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
Nope, in fact I used to read during family road trips as a child. Now I spend more time flying and bring my tablet on the plane with me or anywhere else I go. Gotta have my books!
2. Which author's writing style is completely unique to you and why?
I'm gonna say Clarissa Lee Moon. She has a way of telling a few seconds worth of action in several pages that keep me on the edge of my seat.
3. Harry Potter or Twilight Series? Give 3 points to support your answer.
This is a difficult one for me but I'm gonna go with Twilight.
1. I love vampires and the series is unique.
2. I actually own all the books (from my junior high teaching days)
3. I can't imagine the challenge as an author in keeping a vampire series PG-13. Mine would be R!
4. Do you carry a book bag? If so what's in it besides books...
No, I don't carry a book bag instead I have a large purse that contains my tablet, 2 flashdrives, lipgloss, keys, and wallet.
5. Do you smell your books?
When they are fresh and new, yes. There is nothing like the untarnished pages of a brand new book.
6. Books with or without illustrations?
I like illustrations in my mind and if the author is talented enough the story unfolds as a movie inside my head. An illustration in the beginning such as the map of middle Earth in the Hobit can be helpful but that's about it.
7. What book did you love reading and later realized it wasn't quality writing?
I can't remember the name because it has been so many years ago but I read a teen romance novel about a chunky girl who loses weight, moves to the beach and suddenly has a hunky boyfriend. At 12 I thought it was amazing! I never read the next book in the series because I discovered V.C. Andrews and it paled in comparison to My Sweet Audrina.
8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share.
When I was really small I loved Dr. Suess. I still do! My younger sister, 6 years my junior, loved Green Eggs and Ham which we all read to her over and over and over. My mom blames me and my older sis for having the Green Eggs and Ham obsession but it wasn't us but I still had fun reading the book!
9.What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
I have two that have about the same amount of thinness. Where the Wild Things are and The House that Drac built. Love that story to this day!
10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?
An Alfred Hitchcock book of shorts. It has a variety of authors and is great fun to take off the shelf and read a story or two before bed.
11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
Yes, I write and have published two of my stories into novels, As Snow Falls and Eye of The Storm Eilida's Tragedy and one of my stories I have released as shorts the Baby Girl series. I love writing as much or more than reading; creating my own sense of reality inside the pages of a book.
12. When did you get into reading?
I can't really remember. I was small. My mom always read to us and when my older sis started reading I would bring her books to read to me. After awhile I started reading myself and haven't stopped.
13. What is your favorite classic book?
I would have to say Huck Finn. I loved the element of mystery I felt reading it. It has been a couple decades since I read it but I couldn't put it down and spent a few days with it attached to my hands- my eyes glued to the pages.
14. In school was your favorite subject language arts/ English?
No, I hated all the formalities of written language and the physical act of writing. I still do but I can type a mean story! I spent 12 years teaching junior high science!
15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated... what would you do?
I would thank the person for the gift; its the thought that counts then I would give it to a friend who was interested or to a used book store. Something like that happened to me. It was an unread book by an author I didn't know. A chapter in I couldn't stand it so I gave it to goodwill.
16. What is a lesser known series that you know is similar to Harry Potter and Hunger Games?
I would say Order of the Seers. It is an excellent read involving a group of youngsters who have special abilities. They use their abilities to fight the good fight and take down the Guild. Fantastic read!
17. What is a bad habit you always do besides rambling while blogging?
Besides rambling? Posting too frequently or not frequently enough. I also think I post too much about my own books. I get excited when someone leaves a good review or blog post about one of my books, or one of my books hits the top 100. I have to share! It's an addiction. See I'm doing it again! Next question.
18. What is your favorite word?
My favorite word is exsanguinate. I learned it while reading a book and discovered it meant to drain of blood. Love the way the word rolls off my tongue.
19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb or all of the above?
I'd have to say all of the above. I graduated Summa cum laude I think that puts me in the nerd category. I'm a klutz and make strange jokes nobody gets so I think that puts me in the dweeb and dork categories.
20. Vampire or Fairies, why?
I love vamps but I'm going to abandon them here. I think of a fairy as the ultimate bad guy that humans see as beautiful. In reality they have jagged teeth dripping in drool, bad dead flesh breath, and fingernails so long they curl.
21. Shapeshifters or angels, why?
Shapeshifters because they can change into another form and fool others.
22. Spirits or werewolves, why?
Spirits because they do exist.What's creepier than doors slamming on their own, your items in the house always disappearing and turning up somewhere you didn't leave them and hearing voices in another room when you live alone. Spooky!
23. Zombies or vampires, why?
I'm going with vamps here. I love zombies but vamps are sexy. Damon- Vampire Diaries, need I say more?
24. Love triangle or forbidden love?
I'm a hopeless romantic so I'm gonna say forbidden love. I had a taste of it once. It was awesome but sucked too... Heck, that's why its forbidden.
25. And finally: Romance books or action packed with a few loves scenes mixed in?
Action packed with scattered love scenes mixed in. Too much romance and I'm lost as a reader. I like action, intrigue, mystery but I also enjoy scattered love scenes or heat I can feel between two characters who never actually get it on. The tease.
I tag Marcha Fox and Susanne Leist.
Here we go!
1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
Nope, in fact I used to read during family road trips as a child. Now I spend more time flying and bring my tablet on the plane with me or anywhere else I go. Gotta have my books!
2. Which author's writing style is completely unique to you and why?
I'm gonna say Clarissa Lee Moon. She has a way of telling a few seconds worth of action in several pages that keep me on the edge of my seat.
3. Harry Potter or Twilight Series? Give 3 points to support your answer.
This is a difficult one for me but I'm gonna go with Twilight.
1. I love vampires and the series is unique.
2. I actually own all the books (from my junior high teaching days)
3. I can't imagine the challenge as an author in keeping a vampire series PG-13. Mine would be R!
4. Do you carry a book bag? If so what's in it besides books...
No, I don't carry a book bag instead I have a large purse that contains my tablet, 2 flashdrives, lipgloss, keys, and wallet.
5. Do you smell your books?
When they are fresh and new, yes. There is nothing like the untarnished pages of a brand new book.
6. Books with or without illustrations?
I like illustrations in my mind and if the author is talented enough the story unfolds as a movie inside my head. An illustration in the beginning such as the map of middle Earth in the Hobit can be helpful but that's about it.
7. What book did you love reading and later realized it wasn't quality writing?
I can't remember the name because it has been so many years ago but I read a teen romance novel about a chunky girl who loses weight, moves to the beach and suddenly has a hunky boyfriend. At 12 I thought it was amazing! I never read the next book in the series because I discovered V.C. Andrews and it paled in comparison to My Sweet Audrina.
8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share.
When I was really small I loved Dr. Suess. I still do! My younger sister, 6 years my junior, loved Green Eggs and Ham which we all read to her over and over and over. My mom blames me and my older sis for having the Green Eggs and Ham obsession but it wasn't us but I still had fun reading the book!
9.What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
I have two that have about the same amount of thinness. Where the Wild Things are and The House that Drac built. Love that story to this day!
10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?
An Alfred Hitchcock book of shorts. It has a variety of authors and is great fun to take off the shelf and read a story or two before bed.
11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
Yes, I write and have published two of my stories into novels, As Snow Falls and Eye of The Storm Eilida's Tragedy and one of my stories I have released as shorts the Baby Girl series. I love writing as much or more than reading; creating my own sense of reality inside the pages of a book.
12. When did you get into reading?
I can't really remember. I was small. My mom always read to us and when my older sis started reading I would bring her books to read to me. After awhile I started reading myself and haven't stopped.
13. What is your favorite classic book?
I would have to say Huck Finn. I loved the element of mystery I felt reading it. It has been a couple decades since I read it but I couldn't put it down and spent a few days with it attached to my hands- my eyes glued to the pages.
14. In school was your favorite subject language arts/ English?
No, I hated all the formalities of written language and the physical act of writing. I still do but I can type a mean story! I spent 12 years teaching junior high science!
15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated... what would you do?
I would thank the person for the gift; its the thought that counts then I would give it to a friend who was interested or to a used book store. Something like that happened to me. It was an unread book by an author I didn't know. A chapter in I couldn't stand it so I gave it to goodwill.
16. What is a lesser known series that you know is similar to Harry Potter and Hunger Games?
I would say Order of the Seers. It is an excellent read involving a group of youngsters who have special abilities. They use their abilities to fight the good fight and take down the Guild. Fantastic read!
17. What is a bad habit you always do besides rambling while blogging?
Besides rambling? Posting too frequently or not frequently enough. I also think I post too much about my own books. I get excited when someone leaves a good review or blog post about one of my books, or one of my books hits the top 100. I have to share! It's an addiction. See I'm doing it again! Next question.
18. What is your favorite word?
My favorite word is exsanguinate. I learned it while reading a book and discovered it meant to drain of blood. Love the way the word rolls off my tongue.
19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb or all of the above?
I'd have to say all of the above. I graduated Summa cum laude I think that puts me in the nerd category. I'm a klutz and make strange jokes nobody gets so I think that puts me in the dweeb and dork categories.
20. Vampire or Fairies, why?
I love vamps but I'm going to abandon them here. I think of a fairy as the ultimate bad guy that humans see as beautiful. In reality they have jagged teeth dripping in drool, bad dead flesh breath, and fingernails so long they curl.
21. Shapeshifters or angels, why?
Shapeshifters because they can change into another form and fool others.
22. Spirits or werewolves, why?
Spirits because they do exist.What's creepier than doors slamming on their own, your items in the house always disappearing and turning up somewhere you didn't leave them and hearing voices in another room when you live alone. Spooky!
23. Zombies or vampires, why?
I'm going with vamps here. I love zombies but vamps are sexy. Damon- Vampire Diaries, need I say more?
24. Love triangle or forbidden love?
I'm a hopeless romantic so I'm gonna say forbidden love. I had a taste of it once. It was awesome but sucked too... Heck, that's why its forbidden.
25. And finally: Romance books or action packed with a few loves scenes mixed in?
Action packed with scattered love scenes mixed in. Too much romance and I'm lost as a reader. I like action, intrigue, mystery but I also enjoy scattered love scenes or heat I can feel between two characters who never actually get it on. The tease.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Liebster Award
Thank you Jai & K for nominating me for the Liebster Award, an award given in recognition to new blogs. I'm very honored.
The rules are:
Link back and thank the blogger who nominated you in your post.
List 11 facts about yourself.
Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.
Pick 5-10 new bloggers (must have less than 200 followers) to nominate and ask them 11 new questions. Do not renominate the blogger that nominated you.
Go to each new blogger’s site and inform them of their nomination.
Here Goes:
11 facts about me...
1. I have 2 daughters.
2. I was born in Redwood City, Ca.
3. I have 1 published novel, As Snow Falls.
4. I love pizza.
5. My parents had three girls, I'm in the middle.
6. One of my all time favorite movies is Pitch Perfect.
7. I love pink, the color any shade.
8. I have taught junior high scienc for 11 years.
9. I live with my best friend.
10.I lived in California, near San Francisco during the 1989 quake.
11.My nickname is Margarita Lisa.
The rules are:
Link back and thank the blogger who nominated you in your post.
List 11 facts about yourself.
Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.
Pick 5-10 new bloggers (must have less than 200 followers) to nominate and ask them 11 new questions. Do not renominate the blogger that nominated you.
Go to each new blogger’s site and inform them of their nomination.
Here Goes:
11 facts about me...
1. I have 2 daughters.
2. I was born in Redwood City, Ca.
3. I have 1 published novel, As Snow Falls.
4. I love pizza.
5. My parents had three girls, I'm in the middle.
6. One of my all time favorite movies is Pitch Perfect.
7. I love pink, the color any shade.
8. I have taught junior high scienc for 11 years.
9. I live with my best friend.
10.I lived in California, near San Francisco during the 1989 quake.
11.My nickname is Margarita Lisa.
11 Questions asked to me and my responses...
1. If I could live inside a book for a week I think it would be Dead Until Dark because I have lived in the South for 14 years now and would love to see the looks on the people's faces when vampires come out of the closet so to speak.
2.Three songs I can't live without Van Halen You Really Got Me, Aerosmith Angel, and Journey When The Lights Go Down in The City.
3.Yes, I believe in ghosts. People are bundles of energy when we die our energy goes somewhere.
4. If I could choose to spend a day with an author I would choose Stephen King because I would love to get a glimpse at how his mind works.
5. I would rather have dreadlocks over tattoos because I can undo the dreads if I don't like them a tattoo is forever.
6. I prefer a book over a movie, although I almost equally enjoy a good movie, depends on my mood.
7. My dream job would be to blog, write, and publish full time.
8. I like "just keep swimming," from Dorie in Finding Nemo. We all keep swimming to get through life. If you stop you sink.
9. Something I like that might surprise people is I love horror, bloody, gory, suspense ridden horror movies. The bloodier the better.
10.My favorite blog is my own but I don't think that is what the question is really asking. I have a few blogs I follow that I really like and I find it too difficult to choose one as my favorite.
11.My favorite book this is a tough question as well. If a fiction book I would have to say My Sweet Audrina because it had such a huge effect on me the first time I read it.
My 11 questions for the bloggers I nominate...
1. What are three verbs that describe you?
2. What is your favorite book gone big screen movie?
3. Did you read the above book first or watch the movie?
4. What is a silly personality quirk about you?
5. What is your worst pet peeve?
6. If you won a billion dollars what would you do with it?
7. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
8. What do you consider the worst job is, that someone could have?
9. How did you get into blogging?
10. Are you a morning person or night owl?
11. What is the strangest color you have died your hair?
Blogs I nominated
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