A-Z Blog challenge 'B'

The way I'm going, I'll only be able to do a letter every three months or so. To say I've been a little busy is like saying a honeybee is lazy. Now that school is out for another week and we all survived Christmas, now I have time to blog a bit.

I'm on "B", so I guess I'd better look through my MS and see what B word I can pull out of there.

Barn.

That is a place where part of the first chapter takes place. There's an introduction of a few characters and the main one and their horses. They gather in the barn to talk about some things and you get to know them a little.

I grew up riding and even though I don't have horses now, I always wish I did. I miss riding and wish my kids could've experienced riding like I did growing up.

I rode from the time I was little until I was in college. I guess since I missed riding so much and had so much fun during that time in my life, I decided to have my main character ride like I did. She has a lot of me in her. I guess most first characters do, just because you don't know what else to write about. So you write about what you know, and then your imagination fills in the blanks or makes new ones.

I've looked around for pictures of barns that look like the barn in my head, but I have yet to find one that really is exactly like what I'm thinking of.

Here's a picture of two barns that have features of the one in my head.

The first one:

This is the shape of the barn that I have in my head. The middle is big, like most barns. The wood is not as new looking. It's more aged without looking like it's about to fall down. Still functional. Open on both sides instead of closed up.

The second picture:

This one has the breeze way and the stalls on the left side, like in Andy's barn. The only difference is that there is a wall about three-quarters of the way up from the ground between the posts. So you still get some light, but if it's raining, you can stand in there without getting wet. Unless the wind is blowing really hard. There are about two more stalls, so it's a little longer and there's only one stall door split with a top and bottom half instead of two that slide to the sides.

So attach the left side of this barn to the one at the top and open up the right side to park the tractor under and you've got Andy's Barn. :)

A-Z Challenge-tweaked a little

So....haven't been on here in  a while. Trying to remedy that now. I was looking back at some of my blogposts and some of my favorite ones are when I did the A-Z blog challenge. It's so hard to blog EVERY day. I'm lucky if I can get to it every six months, but it helped me quite a bit.

I'm not sure when they'll be doing that again, but I would love to do it. Met some really great bloggers while I participated in it. So for now, I had an idea I'm going to try. Don't know how far I'll get, but I wanted to see if it would keep me from forgetting to post something.

I'm going to pick one of my WIP's and blog about them using the A-Z theme. Don't even know if this will work, but I thought I'd try it. :)

Here goes.....My first post from the "Tweaked A-Z challenge" The manuscript I'm going to be using is "Never Alone." It's the first book in the trilogy I'm working on, but it's not the first book I wrote. I actually wrote this book second. Kinda weird...I know...but that's me. I've said it before, my brain bounces like a Tigger.




Image from www.disneyclips.com

So here's A:   

A is for Andy Akers

I created his name from a friend of mine from high school and a co-worker's last name and put them together. He's not really based on anyone I know. He's a nice guy and he's had a crush on my main girl character since middle school. When the story starts, he's still in the 'friend zone' with her, but he wants to make sure she knows that he's ready to go to the next level.
The opening scene takes place at Andy's family farm.

This picture is pretty close to what it looks like. I need to take pictures of the real place, but for now, this will work. Green grass, trees and a hill....this looks like it could've been taken in Tennessee, so I liked it.

perfectanimals5.blogspot.com

That's all for now. Have a great day!

Sam doesn't disappoint as Jamie Fraser

So, two episodes into the fall season of 'Outlander' and I'm already in need of an intervention. I record the episodes and watch them.....over and over.

It reminds me of when my oldest daughter was about 2 and a half. She's twenty now and would DIE if she knew I was outing her Barney addiction over the planet. But you know how parents are. We live to embarrass our children.

Barney the purple dinosaur invaded our home without any prior warning around 1996. We found 1 Barney videotape (when VHS tapes were all the rage, lol) and she watched it...over and over. I knew and can probably still sing every song on the Imagination Island video. I challenge anyone who may think I can't. Those songs have been, not burned, but CAUTERIZED into my memory. "Just imagine....just imagine..imagine all the places we can go....and see...Imagination's fun for you and me..."

I know you're impressed....anyway.....

Now, back to 'Outlander', which only has one song with any words so far. And I almost know all of them, not quite, but I'm close. That's without even trying. That's just from watching the episodes *cough* numerous times. "Sing me a song of a lass that is gone.." You know it...;)

This picture of Sam being Jamie makes me happy....very happy. :D Look how cute he is....EEEK!

And this one too....happy am I. Happy, Happy girl!

So maybe now I kinda get why my daughter wanted to watch Barney so much. If a tv show or a movie evokes happiness or laughter, why wouldn't you want to watch it a million times? Makes sense to me. Just like my two year old drove me insane watching Barney, I'm sure I'm driving my husband insane watching 'Jamie Fraser on 'Outlander'. :)

If you haven't joined in the addiction, you should give it a whirl. Outlander comes on Saturday night on the STARZ channel (in the U.S.) Not sure how you can find it in other countries. I know it's on in Australia on Foxtel. That's all I can remember right now.

I'm giving them a free plug...they should be paying me. Oh well..:P

Gotta go be a mom before it's time for bed!

Night all!

Chicago Goat Convention

Well....I did it.

I survived a trip in a plane, by myself. It was pretty awesome.
I saved my money for a year dog-sitting and saving 5.00 bills every time I thought about it and had enough money to pay for my hotel, food and cabs in the big city. I had no idea Chicago was such a beautiful city. Along with the huge skyscrapers like this:

This was our view out our hotel window, by the way. I couldn't believe all the trees and flowers planted everywhere. Very nice, Chicago...I hope to come back one day.

The main reason I went was to meet some members of my 'nationwide writers group' as we've been dubbed. We just call ourselves, 'The Goat Posse'.

I've talked about these people before, but I've never actually been in the same room with any of them. We all live in different states all across the country. So having 8 of us in one spot was a new record.
Here's us before tackling the Navy Pier. We walked the whole thing, so we don't look as tired as we were when we were done...lol.

Here we are at the end of the pier. I didn't know there was a giant anchor there. Well kept secret. 

I love this picture so much. Several of us said the lake and sky look like a background that we photoshopped in because it's so perfect. We even have a token seagull...that couldn't be real...but it is. I guess that summed up our trip. The weather was perfect...sunny and 75 every day. What is that??? In July??? yep. The company was perfect. We loved being around each other and listening to each other's WIP's at night after supper. It was perfect.

We're all so different. Our personalities, writing styles, genres... it would be so easy for us to have creative differences and not be able to get along...but that was SO not the case. Everyone is beyond supportive. One of the reasons we were there was to go to a book signing in a Chicago suburb to support three of the published goats. We were so proud of them as we stood in the back of the room, as the place was FULL! Here are pictures of Anita talking about 'Unhinged', Amy talking about 'Of Breakable Things', and Bethany talking about 'Summer on the Short Bus'. You can see their awesome book covers as they're talking. Yes, I tried to do that on purpose. ;) You can also see the rows of people...standing room only is an awesome thing for a book signing. 

We got to ride in a limo there and back which was SO fun and we ate Chicago style pizza on the way back at Giordano's, which was FABULOUS. But there were so many people at the book signing it ran way over, so we had to eat it in the limo. Definitely a good problem to have. 

Being with all these talented writers made me appreciate them so much more than I already did. We definitely bonded. Bethany was the first person I saw in O'Hare airport, I almost cried when I hugged her because I was so glad to see her. To be able to see all these fabulous ladies in person...to be able to hug them and talk to them without an electronic device was the coolest thing ever. 

This was the last picture we took together in the lobby of our hotel before we hugged one more time and said goodbye til next year. Anita had to leave out early and didn't get to take this one with us. Appropriately, there's a hole where she should be standing. 

 

Bethany was the last person I saw before we had to go to our separate gates. I almost cried again because then I knew it really was over and I had to head back to reality. 

I'm proud of myself for having the courage to actually say, "Yes. I'm going to a place I've never been before to see people I know, but have never met in person." Most people wouldn't think that was a big deal, but for me, it was huge. 

My friends from home said I was going on an adventure. 

An adventure, indeed. 

My first ever AUTHOR INTERVIEW!

It's summer and you'll be hearing from me a little more often. Now, this is exciting stuff!  My first author interview with:  Dun, da-da dah! (Insert trumpet fanfare here)
T. Michelle Nelson 

I'm am SO excited to share this author with you! She was one of my first critique partners and remains a good writer friend. I'm SO glad we found each other. She is one of the first writers that read my MS and liked it. A few years later her third book is coming out. Her third installment of the Lily Drake series is called 'Death Warmed Over'. It's a paranormal romance, which is one of my favorite genres to read and to write. If this lady is a new discovery to you, you definitely need to go back and read the first and second books in this series. Book 1 is titled, "The Life and Death of Lily Drake" and book 2 is "Til Death do us Part."
Here's her awesome cover for Death Warmed Over:



Here's the plot description:

In the conclusion of the Lily Drake series, Lily must choose not only what is best for herself and her son, but for her people. Her sword will be stained with blood through her efforts to preserve the lives of the people she loves, but she won’t be able to save them all. When a devastating loss crushes her will to live, can Lily go on and be the leader she has to be? What is she willing to sacrifice to save others? Death comes to everyone...even the Queen’s house... What doesn't kill you will make you wish it did...


So let's get to know this awesome writer a little better.

When did you decide to start writing and why?

I'm not sure I just decided to start writing.  I think I've always goofed off and written stories.  When I actually finished the first Lily Drake novel and realized I had a complete manuscript I started getting serious about having it published, but publishing was never really a goal until that point.

 Was there a particular book that inspired you or one that inspires you now?

Gone with the Wind.  I guess it's the Southern gal in me that makes me love that book so much, but creating a character like Scarlett O'Hara that is so flawed that you still root for blew me away. I literally laughed and cried when I read that, and at times I would only allow myself to read one chapter per night because I didn't want to rush through it and it be over!

Tell us your pub story. 

I wrote a book.  I found a FABULOUS critique partner (ahem).  I decided to send it out to publishers. Within two weeks I had a contract in my hand.  I know - crazy, right? It was, and I am so lucky.  I did receive some rejection letters after the fact, but having already have a contract in hand sure makes those sting a little less!

Was it hard to write a sequel and then another?

Originally I had no designs to write a sequel.  The second book was going to focus on another character.  My publisher wanted more of Lily, so I thought about it for a couple weeks and began writing.  Her story had seemingly ended to me, so I had to mix things up a bit, but that's life, right?  No one gets a happy ever after without something happening!  The third book was maybe the most difficult.  Saying goodbye to Lily after throwing myself into her life for so long was hard.

Do you have to be in a certain mood or a certain place before you can write?

Absolutely.  I don't ever force it.  I've found when I try, the story suffers.  I think all the time, and eventually I will come up with some crazy storyline and I get excited about writing it.  Until that time comes i leave it alone!

Now for some random questions, because my ADD brain is also nosy:

Favorite season and why? 

Summer and Fall.  I love getting out and doing things.  I despise winter now that I live in the frozen north. Driving on snow and having to get out with all that white just depresses me.  Spring would be okay, but my allergies are a nightmare, so I therefore don't care for Spring either!

Favorite drink-can be anything

COFFEE.  The stronger the better.

Favorite color

Green, although I almost always wear black.  it's slimming, ya know?

Favorite author-past or present or both

Margaret Mitchell (see above question) and Edith Wharton.  I love me a good tragic love story.

Favorite vacation spot

New Orleans.  I hope someday it is my favorite spot to live in, not just a vacation spot!

Coolest moment as a writer or published author-can be anything, meeting some one you wouldn't have if you weren't an 'author' or anything like that. 

Too many to count.  Getting a contract, then seeing my book cover for the first time, signing the first book, etc.  However, the coolest moment was probably in Florence, Kentucky.  I was doing a book singing at barnes and Noble and met this amazing little girl who I talked to for some time.  She wanted to be an author when she grew up.  She was sharp as a tack too.  I have a feeling she will do great things and probably look back on the moment she met me and think"what a silly hack!" but it meant the world to me.  Someday I will say that I met her long before the movies came out!

Thanks for hanging out here and for all the great answers, friend! 

If you like strong female characters that are fun to read, you need to pick up this series!
Good luck friend! I hop you sell a ton of books! 
Here are some of T. Michelle Nelson's social media hook ups:

Facebook at:  T.Michelle Nelson

On twitter @TMichelleNelson

On her website at : www.tmichellenelson.com

On goodreads at:  T. Michelle Nelson

Vampires, Dracula and Jamie Fraser

Okay....It's been a LLLLLOOONNNNGGGG time since I posted anything on here. By now, you guys are used to it, I think. So I won't bore you with why I'm just now posting something new on my blog.
I was checking on the traffic and what people were looking at. I keep seeing some of the same things that people are using for keywords...vampires, Dracula  and Jamie Fraser.
I have to laugh a little at that because using both of those words in one sentence is just kinda funny to me. Jamie wouldn't like it, I can tell you that for sure. ;)
So.....
As I was reading the post I wrote about Jamie Fraser, I had a picture posted of this actor guy, Gabriel ..something..I'm not sure of his last name and it's too late at night for me to go look it up. Since I wrote that post at least a year ago, a lot of things have changed.
First of all...We actually have a REAL Jamie now.

Stand by for major amounts of fangirling.....don't say I didn't warn you....

If you haven't seen a picture of him, you've probably been under a rock. But just in case, his name is Sam Heughan...and let me tell you. He is Jamie. Perfection. OMG. Complete fan girl here.

This guy is just Jamie...you can pick this or that apart about him, but I will respectfully disagree with you. His voice, his expressions, his size....he's 6'4"...he's freakin' Scottish....how could he NOT be Jamie???

Here's another great example of why he rocks at being Jamie

See?? See?? That LOOK! Do you see what I'm talking about now???


Here's one more just in case you're still not sure.

I love this one because there's just a small hint of a smirk that he does SO well, while Claire is completely ticked off.
It's great!
I cannot wait for the Outlander series to hit the TV screen on August 9th. If you don't have Starz on your cable yet, you'd better get it quick! :D

So anyway, enough gushing...
I wanted to update my Jamie Fraser post so it would be accurate and truly show how much of a fan I am. I'm right in the middle of reading "Written in My Own Heart's Blood" which is the latest book in Diana Gabaldon's series. Absolutely love it so far. I hope she doesn't kill anybody I like, but you just never know..;)

In other news, I have an author friend I've done an interview with that will be going up soon. She has a book coming out at the end of the month(June). As soon as I find out the day, I will post the interview. :)

Until then, see ya later!

Videos bring us closer together

I'm not sure how you feel about videoing yourself, but I felt like a big goober when I did it.

Let me back up a minute and tell you why I'm talking about this. I have a group of writer friends. They are from EVERYWHERE, even Canada. We call ourselves the 'Goat Posse'. (That's a long, story that was funny at the time and you wouldn't get it, so we won't go into our sorted past...lol.) We cover every coast and a lot of states in between. They are some of the coolest, loving, most supportive people in the universe. But only a few of us have ever met each other in person. I've been fortunate enough for a group of them to Skype me when they got together in Vegas for the last two summers. So I've talked to a few, but not all of them.

So one of them....young and brave Ashlee, made a video so we could hear her sweet, squeaky voice. I just LOVED it. To be able to hear and see her was so great. I giggled and watched it about four times. Then I thought, I want everybody else to do this too. Well....I couldn't want everybody else to do it if I wasn't willing to do it.
So, with my trusty cell phone, I tried to talk to it....delete. I tried again...delete. I felt like an idiot talking to my phone, but then I remembered who it was for. My crew. The posse. The people that are so full of awesome, they're getting published left and right. Two of them posted a video from ALA this weekend in Philly, I think.
After about 4 more tries, I got mine posted on our page..finally. In all the cringe-worthiness of everything I saw wrong in that video, of course...they didn't care. They didn't care that I didn't have on any make up. They didn't care that I had on a sweatshirt and a jacket because it had been freezing cold ALL day. They didn't care that my hair wasn't fixed. I'm not even sure I'd washed it that day. They didn't care that I'm about 40 pounds overweight and hate how fat my face looks in pictures now. All they cared about was me. They love me--who I am as a person and a writer. They are the people who told me I was a writer, because before any of them said it, I didn't really believe I was. I just liked to hang out with them because they are so awesome and I loved their work and them as people. Now there are only a few of them that haven't posted videos yet. I've gone back and watched the ones that are up over and over to hear their voices so I can hear them in my head when I read what they've written on the screen.
I don't know about the rest of them, but I feel closer to them now more than ever. They're more than just a name, picture and comments...we can hear each other....I think this is going to be the beginning of an even closer knit group.
Love all of you!
Precy, Ashlee, Angela, Bethany, Mary, Lisa, JLo, Anita, Darke, Amy, Eric, Phreshy, Justin, Kalen, Michelle, Kerri, and Rioghnach.

Writing ideas....Are there ever too many?

Wanted to say 'Hey everybody!' Hope y'all are all doing well. I've been out of commission on my blog due to work and writing and family and everything else.
On my mind lately as been all the ideas that spin around in my head like one of those tops you push up and down and it spins on the floor. That's my brain trying to choose one of those bazillion ideas to make my writing good enough to release out into the world.
I don't want to sound like I'm complaining about writing ideas that bombard my brain.....because its much better than being stuck and unable to write anything creative, but sometimes I just get so
OVERWHELMED.
The best way I can describe it is walking into Barnes and Noble...all those books.
All those choices....
When I'm writing, I have trouble reining in my brain. I write the plot in a direction...then after I've gotten in it a little, I change my mind. Because in my brain, it's not good enough or because it's just not quite right. Every time I change it, it feels like it gets better, but at some point, you have to decide to let it go and see what happens.
I haven't gotten that far yet because letting it go also takes courage. Courage I have yet to really feel. I know I'm going to get all these novels that I'm working on published at some point. I may just be 80 before it gets done.
I'd like to thank a friend, one of my 'goat sisters' for helping rein in my brain this week. She really understands how to keep me focused on the main plot and what's going on. Talking face to face via facebook and just talking instead of typing helps me a lot. We did some brainstorming and she mentioned something that completely felt RIGHT. Like on  the nose, OMG, I can't believe I didn't think of that, right. So Thank YOU so much Angela Cook for helping me screw my brain back on and get me pointed in the right direction to get my MS published.
Also, I'm SO proud and excited for her! She accepted a contract on her MS that I've read and LOVED!
Can't wait to hear what the title will be. She'll have to come visit and do an interview.

See y'all later!