| Monday, February 8, 2010 |
| Goodbye Potatos |
Or is it Potatoes? I never get that one right, to my shame.
Anyway, my DH and I have decided to embark upon a journey of healthier eating. I ask the age old question: Why is it that everything that I love to eat is so bad??? I think I need to go to a hypnotist to convince me that pizza and sausage tastes like cat litter and tofu is the nectar of the gods. Something to help!!
My brother in law is in the National Guard and he's on a military diet. He's going to give DH the details and that's what DH is going to do. I don't know if I'll join in, but I'll do better.
So buh-bye pasta. Buh-bye potato(e)s, buh-bye things that have no nutritional value.
No word yet from The Wild Rose Press regarding That Kind Of Magic. By Friday I hope. The editor said I should hear by Friday. In the meantime I'm hacking away at Forever Home, thanks in large part to Denise's help. And when I'm not doing that I'm working on a Blaze-worthy wip and thinking about my young adult book.
So, I'm not slacking off!Labels: goodbye good food |
posted by Ceri Hebert @ 4:26 AM  |
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| Monday, January 25, 2010 |
| Unacceptable! |
I can't believe I haven't posted here in nearly 2 months!! I'm a bad bad bad blogger. But for what it's worth, I have been posting over at JanNoWriMo and of course I'm at my Facebook on a daily basis. Sure, I've been spending much too much time on Farmville, but I need something mindless at least once in a while.
Editing began at the beginning of January. I had grand plans to chop out 30k from the manuscript but it didn't happen. I've gotten rid of just under 3k and I have another scene or two to dump, but nothing that will get me within the Harlequin word count range. So I'm looking at other options. Kensington is a place I haven't tried, so that's my next, um, target. Then The Wild Rose Press.
I really want to see this one in print.
Currently I have another submission in with TWRP. I should hear back in the next few weeks. Fingers are crossed!!! Yet again.
So many projects on the stove. Gets hard to prioritize. One major decision I've made is to take back the rights to Finally Home which has been with Whiskey Creek Press. I'm planning on doing a little work on it and submit it elsewhere. It's a leap, but I think it'll work out in the end.
And now it's time to get ready for work. Booooooo.Labels: I'm back, writing projects |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 2:42 AM |
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| Saturday, December 5, 2009 |
| Character Development, Careers and Contests |
Welcome to Day #5 of Denise Robbins Connect The Dots book launch! I was thrilled that Denise asked me to be involved in the fun. There are prizes galore every day! I hope you've enjoyed the tour.
The last few days I've been stewing about character development. I tend to like to put a lot of details into my writing, lots of narrative, maybe too much narrative and I've discovered that sometimes I spend so much time on my surroundings that I forgot to develop my characters just as much. So I pulled out a book on writing and stared at it.
And stared.
And looked at one of my manuscripts and then back at the book. When I first started out I had a book on getting published. I read that thing cover to cover and back again. Since then I haven't been much for books, but I wonder, are they a resource that should be tapped in times of trouble? Will they show me the err of my ways, or am I better off figuring it out on my own.
I've looked back at past characters that people have liked, and wonder why them? The sweet, the romantic and the troubled. As a writer is it a good idea to stick with "what I know" or branch out into the unknown? I'm all for branching out.
Turns out I didn't read the book. It's still on my desk. I may read it, but I feel better with coming up with a solution on my own. Besides, I had other things to worry about, like researching a few things about one of my latest characters careers. He's a small town police chief but he's just returned from war. Since I don't know too many people personally who've been there, it was a little more challenging. But again, it all comes down to character development. The more I know, the more defined my hero will be.
Of course he doesn't have to be a vet. Maybe he could be an encyclopedia salesman. Out on the road for weeks at a time. How important is the job the character holds down anyway? Can he get away with holding down a mundane job, like the owner of a environmental safety equipment company and still be dashing, dangerous and sexy?
If you want excitement I highly recommend Denise Robbins books. She has a flair for writing fast paced, suspenseful and thorougly romantic stories.
Here's a glimpse into her latest, Connect The Dots, which comes out December 15th.
CIA Human Intelligence Operator, Charley Duston gets the shock of her life when she opens her freezer to find the picture of her murdered ex-lover. Worse is the implied message: She is next. Not one to give into intimidation tactics, Charley is determined to uncover the truth behind her ex’s death and bring the culprits to justice. Not knowing whom she can trust, she moves to an undisclosed location where she can covertly investigate the death threats. Here she meets her new neighbor Jake Frisbie at gunpoint when she mistakes him for a carjacker. Attracted to the handsome, easy-going hunk, Charley knows her relationship with Jake would only put him in danger. She tries to fight off her feelings but finally gives in just before her world crashes and she is kidnapped
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The beautiful, new neighbor entrances Jake but he can make no sense of her secretive nocturnal disappearances. As a Special Agent, he investigates her and is shocked to learn she is at the center of an international crisis. Despite common sense, he becomes involved with the young woman and when she disappears, he vows to find her. Risking his life, Jake ventures into the world of black sites and international intrigue to save the woman he loves and expose the responsible criminals. No matter how high up in the government they sit.
I know, you've been dying to know the answer to yesterdays question. So here you go.... Human Intelligence Officer (wow, that does sound very cool).
And your question of the day is.......... Who is the hero of Connect the Dots? Give his first and last name. How did Denise come up with the hero’s last name?
Remember to go to Denises blog at http://deniserobbins.blogspot.com/ and leave the answer on her blog to win great prizes.
And for the answer to today's question please head over to http://thebookjournal.com/blog/ on Sunday morning.
Enjoy!!
Labels: contests and characters |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 2:04 AM |
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| Sunday, November 29, 2009 |
| What Sells Better? |
HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
Hope everyone had a marvelous holiday. Mine was good as always. My sister in law puts on a spread to die for. I don't know she does it.
So, I've been very short on inspiration the last few days. Maybe it's the commotion of having everyone home. They're restless and therefore make me the same way. Could be that work has got me in a tizzy. Spent a half hour with my supervisor and the CEO at my desk the other day. Not fun. But whatever the reason, I just haven't had the desire to do my editing. Or any other writing for that matter. I hate to say it, but Sims had more of a draw than my characters.
Then yesterday my daughter and I saw New Moon. Seeing Robert Pattison (or should I say Edward) made me want to check back in with my young adult fantasy that I started last year. It got me thinking, as I read it, about what is a better seller, a young adult fantasy or an "adult" fantasy (I'm not talking about erotica-that kind of fantasy, but the witches and dragons sort). I'm only about 22 pages into the story and I could go back and modify it to make it more for grown ups or I can take the path I'm on now and write it for teens.
What is the teen e-publishing market like? Sure I'd rather have it published in book form, but I like to keep my options open.
Sometimes I have a strong desire to be the next Stephanie Meyer instead of Nora.
Har har har.
Okay the troops are awakening. Time to get down to business.Labels: Thanksgiving, young adult story |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 4:09 AM |
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| Sunday, November 15, 2009 |
| Moving On |
I've made the decision to stop doing NaNo this year. Though I think I have a plot I can work with, it's just not coming together the way I want. I'm less than a quarter of the way through when I should be well past half way through. I don't think I get that much writing done on a daily basis to reach the goal anyway.
So I've decided to A)Get the edits finished for No Going Back. B)Write the query and synopsis for NGB. C)Work on edits for Forever Home. I wonder if I can resubmit it to Samhain after the rewrites are done. Must ask my editor. D)Work on rewrites for Dreamer's Sea.
That's the plan unless I get this awesome idea in the meantime.
What a rainy day we had yesterday. And I had to choose yesterday to track all over NH. From home up to Concord and then down to Nashua then home. It poured all the way. Not fun.
Today is all about laundry, putting new tires on my van and fabric shopping. Million thrills a minute.Labels: Calling it a day and lots of rain |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 3:56 AM |
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| Sunday, November 1, 2009 |
| My NaNo Collage |
Yeah, I whipped one up for a little inspiration.
Labels: NaNo collage |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 9:06 AM |
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| It's Time! |
Yes, November 1st is here. It's 4:04am (though it feels like 5:04am) I should be sleeping but couldn't. So here I am, ready to start one of the toughest months of the year when it comes to writing.
NaNoWriMo
That stands for National Novel Writers Month although I'm sure everyone here knows that.
I've decided to go with the new fresh idea instead of the rewrite. I hope I've made the right choice. It feels right, but only time will tell if I'll be able to get it done. Unlike the other story I don't know everything about what's going to happen (except the happily ever after and some details in between), but that's what makes this fun, right?
I need to do 1666 words a day to finish by November 30th. I'll be posting my progress over at JaNoWriMo Fingers are crossed! No, they're not. Makes it very difficult to type.
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!Labels: It's time |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 1:03 AM |
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