Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Eureka! I think I've done it... maybe.

So, in order to make the blog more smart phone-friendly, I've added tabs at the top of the pages, which will (should) produce a drop-down menu for smart phone users. It looks kinda blech on the web version, but I had to do something.

I'm still working on this, so if it doesn't work, please let me know! Thanks.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Switching gears...

Hey there.

For a variety of reasons, I've decided to concentrate on editing "Remember Him" and my mainstream novel, which has been sadly neglected. This means shelving "The Adored One" indefinitely. Reaction to the story was luke-warm anyway, so I'm not that concerned.

I'm sorry to disappoint anyone who was particularly taken with "Adored." Maybe sometime down the road, I'll pick it up again.

Thank you all for following my sporadic progress. Crossing my fingers and hoping "Remember Him" will be accepted by someone and "Not Human Enough" will follow. I'll keep you updated.





Friday, August 30, 2013

Chapter 3 is up!

Hey, everyone.

No, I haven't vanished. I've posted chapter three of The Adored One and hope you enjoy it. Please forgive typos, as I have injured my left arm and am relying on a lot of "hunt and peck" with my right hand until I'm recovered. Thanks for hanging in there. Hopefully there won't be so much of a delay with the next chapter.


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Making some changes...

So, I've decided to get "Remember Him" ready to submit to publishers. For this reason, I'm going to take it down off the blog. Who knows. If everyone rejects it, which is a distinct possibility, maybe I'll put it back up.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Adored One update...

Evening all,

Now that summer is winding down and school is starting soon, I'm finding some time here and there to get chapter 3 of "The Adored One" up on the blog. I appreciate those of you who've stuck with it. I'll keep you up to date when I have a better idea of when I'll post.

Thanks!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Children are bored. I am not.

Ah, summer! That magical time of year during which children lose all interest in every toy they own.

I know it's been a long time since I've posted a new chapter, but I beg patience. My children are driving me insane. I am working on the next installment of Adored One. Don't give up hope! Trace's mother still has many more ideas of how to embarrass her son.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Chatper 2 of The Adored One is up!

I've just posted the second chapter of the new story. Hope you like it! Thanks for reading.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Happy 4th!

I trust everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July. I've been working on Chapter 2 of Adored and will hopefully be posting it within the next few days.

Enjoy the weekend!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Chapter 1 of The Adored One is now up!

I've finally put the a new chapter of TAO up. Sorry it's taken a while. I hope you like it.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Working on The Adored One

The next installment of the new story is coming along well. I hoped you liked the Prologue. Timeline's still not definite for posting Chapter 1, since this is the last week of school for both kids, and it's going to be busy!! Pride Day is also coming up this weekend and I can't wait for it. The weather forecast is great, so it should be an awesome time.


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

New story sneak peek!


Here's the first look at the my new story. Let me know what you think!


THE ADORED ONE

Prologue

—DEADLY CRASH ON RTE 16—

Early this morning, on Rt. 16 near Wakefield, a car driven by Mark Habowitz spun out of control and struck an oncoming motorcycle. Habowitz, 19, is in critical condition. The other driver, Trace Worthy, 46, of Portsmouth, was pronounced dead at the scene. State police confirmed this afternoon that Habowitz was legally intoxicated at the time of the accident, and speed was also a factor…

********************

I put down the paper and leaned back in the chair. Looking at the two men sitting across the table, I asked, "Is this some sick joke?"

The taller of the men took the paper from the table and folded it under his arm. His bright blond hair glowed garishly in the overhead light and made his pale skin look nearly white. Narrowing his silver eyes, he said, "This is not a joke."

"Bullshit!" I yelled.

"Please don't use vulgar language in here," the other man said. His looks were as opposite to his crony as possible. Dark hair, skin and eyes lent him a sinister appearance, but for some reason I was more at ease when I focused on him.

His gentle scolding had a strong effect on me. I cleared my throat and said, "I apologize, but this is insane. Why have you brought me in here to fool with my head like this?"

The black-haired man leaned over the table and said, "We're not fooling with your head, Trace."

"But this says I'm dead! And it's dated yesterday!"

"Yes. You died yester—"

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"Michael," the blond replied.

"Philip," his cohort said. "We're angels."

"Ha! Of course. God, please make me wake up from this nightmare!"

"God has other plans for you," Philip said with a wide smile.

My heart skipped. It took a moment for my mouth to obey my mind. "P-pardon?" I stuttered.

Michael stood up and explained. "You died before your time, Trace. It was an accident."

"God doesn't make mistakes," I shot back with a sneer.

"Exactly," Philip said. "He planned this so that he might give you a wonderful opportunity. A quest of sorts."

I stood up and paced around the room. "Wait a minute! You're telling me that a teenager got drunk and plowed into my bike just so the almighty can give me a job? I liked the job I had, thank you very much! I slaved my ass—"

"Language, please," Philip reminded me.

I scowled and continued, "I slaved my backside off to earn that job and now you're telling me that all of that work was for nothing?"

"Of course it wasn't for nothing!" Michael said sharply. "Your life has touched hundreds of people in ways you'll never know."

"Exactly. I'll never know 'cause I'm dead." I ran out of energy and fell down into my chair. When I bounced on a soft cushion, I gasped. My hard, wooden office chair had become a plush sofa.

Philip motioned for me to lay down. "Relax," he said calmly. I rolled my eyes but did as he asked. I stretched out on the soft fabric and looked at the dark angel. He took my hand and said, "You are truly special, Trace. God doesn't grant everyone this chance at becoming one of The Adored."

"I thought God adores everyone," I said.

Michael chuckled and said, "You're right. He loves everyone, but there are a group of his flock which are referred to as The Adored Ones."

"You mean angels?" I asked incredulously. "God wants me to be an angel?"

"That is His plan, yes," Michael answered. "But you must first do what He asks of you."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what does He ask?"

Philip produced a folder out of thin air and removed a photo. He handed it to me and asked, "Do you know this child?"

It was a school portrait of a young man. The features were familiar: deep blue eyes a little too close together, mousy brown hair, slightly scarred complexion. Thin lips attempted to cover teeth held tight by braces, but failed and gave the youth a forlorn appearance. I went back to the eyes and thought for a moment before I said, "Oh, yeah! Max. This is Max Holton."

"Holbrook," Philip corrected. "That was his seventh grade yearbook photo."

"Wow. I haven't seen him since high school. I wonder what became of him."

Michael took the picture from me and said, "In three weeks' time, Max is going to commit suicide. It's your job to save him."


To be continued...


Sunday, June 2, 2013

New story...

I'm developing a new story, and will hopefully post the first chapter in the next few weeks. Unless, of course, I die from this heat. Time to break out the air conditioners!

Monday, May 13, 2013

Chapter 11 is up!

I've posted the eleventh chapter of Not Human Enough. Yes, it is the last chapter, but at just over 10,000 words, it's a looooong chapter. Please excuse the mistakes I know I made in the German conversation toward the end of the chapter. I've yet to find someone to run through it and check it out. If one of you out there can do that, let me know!!

I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did writing it. I love all of my characters and I always miss them once "THE END" appears. Thanks for all of your support and wonderful encouragement.



Friday, May 10, 2013

Update on next chapter...

Hello, patient readers!

I'm making great progress on the next (and I think last, but I'm not quite sure yet) chapter. In this next intallment, I've included a little giftie of Stefan's backstory, which I hope you'll like. I'm hoping to get the chapter posted this weekend, since I'm leaving for vacation (yay!!!) and will be gone until the last week of May. So, fingers crossed...

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Update

Hey, all.

Nope. Haven't disappeared. Just juggling 9,000 things right now and coming up short for writing time. I'm working on the last chapter of Not Human Enough, but I can't give you a time frame yet. I appreciate your hanging in there while I get my ass in gear.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Chapter 10 is up!

Hey, there.

I've just posted Chapter 10 of Not Human Enough. I'm excited to continue the story, but I'm sad, too.

As many of you know, our friend and amazing author Cliffgirl passed away recently. It was unexpected and hit me hard. I was surprised that it affected me so much. I kept telling myself, "You don't even know her, so don't be so upset," but she had really become a presence on my blog. Every time I posted something, she'd read it right away and always left wonderful, supportive comments. She always said her favorite story of mine was Exposure Time, but she was very supportive of my Amsel Clan stories, too.

It's hard to know that she won't get the end of the story, but we still have her stories. We can still hear her voice. Thanks for your words, Cliff.


Wednesday, April 10, 2013

New chapter is coming soon!

Hey, all.

I'm shooting for Thursday afternoon or early Friday to get chapter 10 posted. Can't wait to get reactions!

Monday, April 8, 2013

Supporting Cast

More photo inspiration for the Amsel Clan:

Click here to check out my picks for Stefan, Sam, Greta, Kirner, Lowner and–of course–Quincy.

Update and new pics!

Hey, all.

Chapter 10 is coming soon! Thanks for hanging in there. I've put up some new "muse" photos, including a new picture of "Jake" and my inspiration for Will Hayden. Click here to see them.

I'm also working on some pics of secondary characters. I love having them to look at while I write.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Public Domain or The Net: Is there a difference?

The internet and the public domain are not the same thing.

Many bloggers post photos on their sites with a disclaimer that they found the images in "the public domain." Unfortunately for them, they are probably wrong. Just because an image is circulating around the internet doesn't mean it isn't protected under copyright laws.

An easy-to-understand definition of PUBLIC DOMAIN: creative or original works not protected under intellectual property laws. They are images whose copyrights have expired, or were never copyrighted. In other words, a public domain image assumes that the creator of the work has relinquished his work to the public or can no longer claim exclusive rights over it. The work is now owned by the public. Once an image enters the public domain, anyone can copy, manipulate, distribute, display or simply use it anyway he wants without legal encumbrances. To put it plainly, granting an image to the public domain is a total unconditional abandonment of all rights to the image.

Images of models and actors are almost always protected under copyright laws. Even if the photographer posts the photo online, no one has the right to reproduce the image without the photographer's consent. Posting a disclaimer that you don't own the images on your blog is pretty much useless. Unless you have specific permission from the owner to use a photo, you are violating copyright law and there may be legal consequences. In other words: you could be sued.

Many photographers allow you to use their images if you credit them and provide links to the photographers' websites. The easiest way to get permission is to contact them. Most photographers' sites have contact info. If you'd like to use a photo, send an email and ask for permission. If they allow you to use their work, great. If they say no, it's important that you remove the photos immediately.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Still plugging away...

Hey, all.

Sorry for the hold-up on Chapter 10. We got news a few days ago that my husband's cousin has pancreatic cancer. With that news, plus my father-in-law moving across the country for treatment for prostate cancer, things have been crazy. Writing is my outlet, though. Usually my stress manifests itself in epic vampire battles, but right now, I'm in the mood to kill some Slayers. I'll check in soon.

Those of you who celebrate Easter or Passover, have a happy holiday.

Stay safe.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Canine etymology added

Afternoon, all.

I've added a few fun facts about the dogs' names on the Who's Who page. You can click here to find out why on earth I chose the names I did. Sometimes I'm baffled at how my mind works.

I also had someone ask me how to pronounce Lowner and Kirner's names. They should be pronouced Loh-ner and Keer-ner.

Chapter 10's coming along, but slowly. Sorry about the delay. Life gets in the way, doesn't it?

Friday, March 15, 2013

New Soundtrack for NHE

I've composed a playlist for Not Human Enough. The list is available on Spotify, if you have an account. If you use Spotify, click here to listen. If not, here are my picks for Jake and Will. Track 20, "Teenage Witch," by Eels, was such a find, 'cause I think it's time for Maz to kick some ass. Don't you?

SICK OF GOODBYES
|
Sparklehorse
LOVE OF THE LOVELESS
|
Eels
SCREAM
|
Ima Robot
THAT LOOK YOU GIVE THAT GUY
|
Eels
ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS
|
Eels
YOU ARE MY JOY
|
Reindeer Section
WE'RE ON OUR WAY
|
Radical Face
WEAPON*
|
Matthew Good
TURN ME ON
|
The Shins
GOD MADE MAN
|
Young the Giants
SOME BOYS
|
Death Cab for Cutie
LOVERS IN CAPTIVITY
|
Ima Robot
PUSH
|
Diskotek
LOVER'S SPIT*
|
Broken Social Scene
MISS YOU SO BAD
|
Buddha Hotel Bar Music DJ
INVISIBLE LIGHT
|
Scissor Sisters
STROBE'S NANFUSHI
|
Kodo
FRESH BLOOD
|
Eels
HARDCORE MUTHA FUCKA
|
DV Roxx
TEENAGE WITCH
|
Eels
END TIMES
|
Eels
RETURN TO ME
|
Sparklehorse
ALWAYS GOLD
|
Radical Face
*DANCEFLOOR KILLA MIX



Thursday, March 14, 2013

"Second Chances" by T.A. Webb

Second ChancesSecond Chances by T.A. Webb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've just finished 'Second Chances' for the third time. It will always be a favorite. Every time I read it, it gets better. Even though I know the ending, I'm just as engrossed as the first time I devoured T.A. Webb's words. Highly recommended to anyone with a heart.



View all my reviews

Monday, March 11, 2013

Chapter 9 is up!

Chapter 9 of Not Human Enough has been posted. Sorry for the delay and I appreciate the kind words of support. I hope you'll enjoy this installment. Damn, I love Quincy!

Click here for the new chapter!



Sunday, March 10, 2013

Update for Chapter 9...

Yay!

It's coming Monday! It's long, though, so it's hopefully worth the wait. Thanks for you patience!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Now that things have settled...

Okay.

Things are calming down. I can breathe now. I've been working on chapter 9 like a fiend, making great progress. Hopefully by Friday--fingers crossed.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Update...

Hey, all.

The story's going to be delayed a little bit. We just got news that my father-in-law has prostate cancer. Very early stages, which makes it much easier to bear, but he's going out to California for treatment, so we'll need to get everything squared away. And a few days ago, my mother-in-law broke her ankle. It's been hard for my husband, who's an only child, since his parents have never been sick before. He's not quite sure how to be a care-giver.

Writing is a stress relief though, as I'm sure you all know. Some days it's all I want to do.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Quick Update...

School vacation is almost over! I'll be able to spend more time writing once my children are out of the house. Sorry to keep you hanging.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Still recovering...

Morning, all.

I'm still trying to get over this thing. Thinking is just not possible. In the meantime, If you'd like a couple new book suggestions, I highly recommend Social Skills, by Sarah Alva, and Plan B by SJD Peterson. They're incredible, can't-put-down books. Check them out!

Thanks for your patience.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

NHE Update

Afternoon, all.

I'm working on the next chapter, but have been stricken with the stomach flu. Sometimes it sucks having school-age children. I've sequestered myself and am sleeping and writing on an off. I hope I'll have more for you next week. Sorry for the delay, but I don't want to push myself.

I also wasn't sure how the last chapter went over. I'm always second-guessing myself, and now I wonder if I should have gone in a different direction. Oh well. This is just me being sick and irritable.

Have a good week. While you're waiitng check out my blogroll. There are so many awesome stories floating around and new releases to keep one busy for years.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Remember Him reposted

Evening all,

I've reformatted Remember Him and reposted it this afternoon. It should be much easier to navigate (and hopefully look better!). As with Exposure Time, I've fiddled a lot with the html codes, so please let me know if something goes wonky.

Thanks!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Exposure's back up!

Exposure Time is all set. The link on the right sidebar will take you to the reformatted page. If for some reason I missed a section or something's off, let me know. Thanks!

Exposure Time Rework

I'm cleaning up the formatting on Exposure Time and collapsing it onto one page. I'm learning how to streamline! Hopefully, it works. So, if it's down for a little bit, it'll be back up soon!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Chapter 8 is up!

Chapter 8 of Not Human Enough is posted!

You can click here or use the link on the right side bar.

This chapter contains some fairly graphic violence, which I don't do often, but is important here. If you're offended, which I highly doubt my readers are, I apologize.

Next chapter's coming soon!

This one is a doozy to write, but it's progressing nicely. It'll be here soon, I promise.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Facebook is down? Noooooo!

Kidding. It's actually a good thing that Facebook is down. I might actually get some writing done.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Chapter 7 is up!

Evening all. Actually it's 12:05. Morning, all.
Chapter 7 is up for your enjoyment (I hope). Happy reading!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Progress on 7, kinda.

I once told my daughter once that the song "Ring Around the Rosie" was about the Black Plague. (Why did I tell a 7-year-old about the plague? Because I had finished with the Oxford Library of Greek Mythology and was desperate.) Now that I have contracted this weird cold/body-ache/stupor thing that everyone and their Aunt Lillian has had for the past two months, my daughter asked me if she should stand by my bed and sing "Ring Around the Rosie" to me. I told her to find the dictionary and look up the meaning of the word "macabre."

Even though I feel like I've been hit by a bus, I have been working steadily on Chapter 7. Of course, it may be complete drivel, considering I fell asleep in my chair last night and keeled over sideways. I'll have to read it through several times to make sure it makes sense. I asked my husband to read it and he opened the door and looked up to the sky. He then turned to me and said, "Sorry. There aren't any pigs out there."

Despite the wonderfully compassionate support I get from my family, Chapter 7 should be ready in a few days. Thanks for waiting.

A tiny excerpt to get you thinking:

Will and I followed Dad up to the third floor and he knocked on door. It opened and we were met by one of the most gorgeous vampires I'd ever seen. She had black wavy hair that sparkled with silvery streaks and sharp, classical features defined her pale face. What caught my attention most, however, were her eyes.

Her eyes were the same shade of purple as mine.



Sunday, January 27, 2013

The house has been exorcised.

I think our house is clear of the Black Death. I'm working on 7, but there are so many good books and chapters of other stories out this week that I'm completely distracted. Will everyone else just stop for a few days so I can work?

Thursday, January 24, 2013

The plague has struck my house.

My daughter now has the stomach flu and has enslaved me. I'm trying to take some me-time as I can. Sorry for the delay on chapter 7. Hang in there.



Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Check out this new author!

Morning all,

Wanted to pass on a link to author Violet Joicey-Cowen's site, The World of Whitmore. She's posted her first story, "Alpha Second," and I am definitely hooked. Who doesn't love shape-shifters?

The prologue and first chapters are available, so click here, read this wonderful shapeshifter tale and spread the news to support Violet.

If you know of another new author or story, get the word out there!



Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Chapter 6 is up!

Chapter 6 of Not Human Enough is now on the blog. Click here to read it or use the link on the right sidebar.

Hope you enjoy! Let me know.

Next chapter coming up soon.

The latest installment of Not Human Enough should be posted Tuesday or Wednesday. Have a great day!

Monday, January 14, 2013

I am such a dope sometimes.

While reading over chapter 5 (again) I realized that Merit and Kep's parents were siblings. Hmm... I'll rework it asap.

By the way, for anyone who hasn't read Not Human Enough, Merit and Kep are dogs.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Working, Reading, Working...

Evening all,

I'm making steady, but slow progress on chapter 6. I beg your patience!  In the meantime, I'd like to share the titles of a few books I've read (okay, devoured) in the past week. They were both hysterically funny, can't-put-it-down reads.

My Roommate's a Jock? Well, crap! by Wade Kelly.
Check out Wade's site here.

The Party Boy's Guide to Dating a Geek by Piper Vaughn & Xara X. Xanakas.
Check out the book's page here.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Chapter 5 is up!

Surprise! Chapter 5 of Not Human Enough has been posted! It's a shorter chapter, but I felt that it was the best point to split up the chapters. Since I did that, I'll try to get chapter 6 up soon.

I hope you enjoy the story!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Urgh, dumb oops.

Just realized that I changed the spelling of Jake's last name from the 1st to 2nd chapters. I'll fix it when I can without screwing up the html stuff that I just worked on forEVER. Sorry. The correct spelling is "Reinbach." Damn.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Model Inspirations - Kirner, Lowner, Quincy and Stefan

And here they are: my character inspirations! Follow my tumblr links below to check out how I see my guys.


I must also include a link to a TV spot for Lacoste that Ian Lawless did a few years back. The attitude and facial expressions are exactly how I'd expect Quincy to act. Check him out and tell me if you agree! Nudity warning, although, if you worry about a couple bum shots, you probably shouldn't read this blog. Just sayin'...




More inspiration!

I finally found excellent faces (and bodies) for more of my characters: Stefan, Lowner, Quincy and Kirner! They were so hard to picture! I'm working on getting the pics on tumblr.I might be able to post a few on this blog. Not sure. I'll let you know when you can check them out.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Chapter 4 is up!

Chapter 4 of Not Human Enough is up on the blog! Read it here, or use the link on the right side bar.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Coming soon - Chapter 4!

Hey all,

I'm steaming right ahead with chapter four and might even have it up by tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Shaking my head...oops.

I've made my character Quincy into the go to vamp when the others get injured. For those of you old enough to remember the TV show "Quincy M.E.," I swear I didn't think about it when I developed the character. That happens often in my stories, that I come up with a name and then find so many coincidences and connections between the actual name and my character!

For those of you who haven't checked out the Etymology of names in Remember Him, check it out here. You'll see other examples of my preternatural ability to play "Six Degrees of my Stories."

I'm working steadily on chapter 4. Glad you're liking it!