To A Friend and Mentor

The world lost a woman who in my mind was a premier writer of science fiction romance. Her name was Barbara Karmazin and she was a critique partner of mine at one time. Barbara passed away on July 6, 2010 after many years of being a cancer survivor. She died in her home. Here is her obituary. http://tiny.cc/BarbaraKarmazinObit

She was only 58 years old and is survived by her two sons, Aria and Carlos. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Humane Society of Lebanon County, 150 N. Ramona Road, Myerstown, PA 17067. Visit rohlandfh.com for more information.

Barbara was an inspiration and really taught me the value of POV along with other writing musts. True, she was a hard crit partner but fair and always had a kind word with the bad. She taught me well and I use items she taught me daily. She poured over ever manuscript I ever gave her to critique. She was methodical and gave me insights no one has to this day. Her own work was legendary and if you haven't read something of hers, you need to do so, especially if you are in the sci-fi/futuristic field. Her Huntress is one I pull out often to read. I have included a few covers of her work for you to see at the beginning of this post. Her two main publishers were Loose Id and Liquid Silver books.

She will be missed. I leave you with a bit of a Melissa Etheridge song that I feel is very appropriate for me in her passing:
I must go away
Wait for me here, silently stay
And don’t ask me why,
Only believe this is not goodbye.

Good journey, my friend, Beannachd Dia dhuit.

Join me in celebrating her life and her works. Purchase something of hers as I will be getting any books of hers I don’t have. Thanks everyone!

Have a great day and see you tomorrow!

Lynn

A Day in the Life

When trying to think about what I wanted to talk on today, I have to admit, my mind was blank. As I’m writing this, I realize my mind is mush because I’ve been writing so much. See, today alone, I’ve written on two shorts I’m doing, started the awesome letter to an agent, tweeted a few times as well as answered friend who are at various places as well as figured out I’ve lost over ten pounds on the current diet I’m using. Add this to the fact I had to take my youngest to his class because he doesn’t have his driver’s license yet and a visit to the grandsons who cried because I wasn’t Mommy today.

If those things all together weren’t enough to make one’s head spin, I don’t know what is. So in light of that, I thought I would actually write down how it is for me. Here’s what I usually do in a typical day...or not so typical...you decide.

7:30 am – My puppy Jasper has decided it is time for me to get up. Sometimes he barks at me, sometimes he licks my face but he just loves sitting on the couch watching TV with me. Today I just want to sleep.

7:35 am – Start coffee and turn on TV for mutt. Cut my breakfast apple. The dog is sleeping soundly on the couch with the TV on. Darn mutt.

7:40 am – Open email and start reading one of the nearly a thousand emails I’ve received over the day. I belong to 167 yahoogroups, a few Google groups, Twitter and Facebook as well as MySpace and a few other things.

9:00 am – Another round of coffee because now the work begins. Start writing.

10:00 am – Dog wants out so this is a good time to get up and walk around for a stretch fest. More coffee.

10:15 am – Back at desk. Have to put out one fire before I continue on my new story.

12:00 noon – Geez, didn’t realize I hadn’t moved in almost two hours. Another fire to put out and only about 1K so far as I’m tired and groggy for some reason today.

12:05 pm – Get youngest up to take shower for his chiropractic appointment. Realize I haven’t showered either and do so once he’s out.

1:00 pm – Shuttle him to Dr. while I stay and write in the car with the dog. Get quite a bit done considering Jasper wants to be in my lap.

1:30 pm – Done with Dr. so head home with minor stop for food for Kyle. Oh, yeah, I am hungry. Have to cook when I get home.

1:45 pm – Whip up a fantastic Asian inspired style soup that I let cool to room temp. Lots of broccoli, egg and chicken. This is great!

2:00 pm – Back to writing. Youngest keeps interrupting me and I just want to find him his own place.

4:15 pm – Another long writing stretch broken by Kyle needing me to take him to class. Thank goodness, it’s at a place only ten miles away.

4:45 pm – Traffic horrible. Drop Kyle off, watch him a little then head to my oldest’s to see the babies.

5:00 pm – Grandsons smile at me since they recognize me but it’s short lived as they want Mommy more.

6:00 pm – Leave older son’s place, head to pharmacy to get youngest one’s diabetic test strips. Need moisturizer so look for new brand since this one is breaking me out. Yeah, such a crappy thing at 52 too.

7:00 pm – Pull into driveway to hear the chorus, ‘what’s for dinner?’ more than once. I want stir-fry, they want sandwiches. I fix my own then watch the DH burn the pan I’m planning to do stir-fry in. He says it’s an accident but I think he put too much oil in it myself.

8:00 pm – Have to watch the DVR of Warehouse 13 premiere since I missed it for critique. Fantastic! Watch a couple of House Hunters as well then ready for my walk.

9:50 pm – Walk with DH and dog. Don’t know which is worse, the one who walks to fast or the one who wants to smell everything including the evil cat from next door’s butt.

10:20 pm – Back at my desk and realized I missed placing a call today. Yuck, have to kiss some ass tomorrow. Check email once again then start writing.

11:48 pm – Finishing this blog so I can post it before I go to bed. Wow...I’ve been up sixteen hours...no wonder I’m ready to drop. Sigh. I did manage to get 2K done today. Hope tomorrow is even better.

How does your day shape up? Anything special you all do besides work? How do you fit it all in?

See you tomorrow! Have a great day!

Lynn

From Celia Jade

Help me today to welcome good friend and fellow writer, Celia Jade. We’ve known each other since we met online at eXtasy’s reader yahoogroup. She has some great books and here’s a little about her latest release.

BLURB

 
Cheryl Parker has come to accept her reserved nature. Her tight ponytail and glasses are not eye candy for the average man, but that’s fine by her. Therefore, she’s taken aback when Matthew Cooper, a hunk of a man, shamelessly propositions her for a no-strings, intimate relationship. What in the world does he see in her?—and more to the point—what can she possibly offer him when he can practically have any beautiful, experienced woman? But she’s tempted beyond reason, and without much thought, she’s swapping her glasses for a pair of contacts…
 

Excerpt

 
He came closer and her body stirred in response. “I want to have you over for dinner tomorrow evening. I’ll cook.”
 
Her eyebrows arched. “You mean, like a date?”
 
“Yes…and a little more than that.” When she continued staring at him, he added, “An intimate date.”
 
Several confusing emotions slammed through her. Finally, she leaned forward. “Are you asking me to sleep with you?” she whispered.
 
“Yes.”
 
Warm tension curled in the base of her belly and spread to her sex. She pulled her gaze away from him, but he caught her chin, leaving her no choice but to look at him.
 
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
 
She hesitated. “I don’t sleep around,” she replied flatly, with a stab of disappointment.
 
“I’m not implying that. I’m asking you to share something special with me.”
 
She frowned. “But we’re not dating…”
 
Understanding seemed to dawn on him. “Relationships complicate things, Cheryl. Two people can share pleasure without the drama. It’s much easier, trust me.”
 
“So, just sex?”
 
His thumb caressed her cheek, sending frissons of pleasure over her skin. “No, because we like each other, too. It’s a bonus.” He traced the line of her bottom lip. “Think about it—no headaches or heartaches. We do as we please without the pressure of rules. Just pure, simple pleasure.”
 
Her knees went weak and she placed a hand on the book spines. Oh, how tempting…with him…the man who’d invaded her thoughts day and night for so long. Tears of uncertainty pricked her eyes. She made to speak, but he silenced her with his finger on her mouth.
 
“Don’t respond now. Think about it. Tomorrow, at seven.” He lowered his mouth to her ear. “You know my address.” And he turned around and left without another word.
 
Cheryl raised a shaky hand to her cheek. Oh my…She glanced around, hoping no one had witnessed this, and started back toward the desk. It was unexpected. Shocking. Wonderful. Naughty. Exciting. Yes, definitely exciting.
 

http://tiny.cc/TheChasteLibrarian

 
Again, I will be checking comments as the monthly blog contest is going on until the end of the month. If anyone sees Author Guy, send him our way as he hasn’t picked up his prize yet.

I'm off to do more writing and editing and submitting!
 
You all have a great day, see you tomorrow!
 
Lynn

Where I Need To Be

I’m copping out a little bit today as I need a couple of days to write. Today’s quote goes exactly along with my need:

Writing is my time machine, takes me to the precise time and place I belong. ~Jeb Dickerson

There are days where all writers need to do nothing but write. I’m in that mode right now and I don’t want to sell you all short so I’ll give you a little insight to what’s going on right now.

I just completed a new book for eXtasy books. Again, the subject is hush-hush but the fact I have it done is a tremendous weight off my shoulder. In all, I have about five more books to complete for them before the end of August. But the book I just completed needs edits as it came back from the crit group with some red on it. Heaven forbid! LOL! I actually love getting my work cleaned and prepared for the publisher. It is a good time to make sure I know everything about the book and that the characters haven’t pulled another fast one on me.

The other item I am completing is a book targeted for Harlequin Spice Bites or Carina Press, I’m not sure which. This book is also almost complete but out of the nine chapters, there are two which are skeletal and need more fleshing out. Then it too will go to the critique group and by now I’ll be praying I haven’t overwhelmed them. I write incredibly fast and I know it. Can’t be helped as the stories want out of me quickly. LOL!

The last item is the agent thing. I queried two at the end of April and one had said then she would want to see the whole manuscript. Not a word from either. Sigh. In this fast paced, epublishing/print world one can’t wait months for people to get back to you. By the time I have the next submission prepared, the above mentioned book for Harlequin or Carina, another two weeks will have gone by. I personally think that then weeks is sufficient time to know whether you’re going to ask for a complete manuscript or not.

So I’ve decided a different tact with searching for an agent and unfortunately it will depend upon how busy my schedule is. My thought is to send something out every six to eight weeks regardless if I’ve heard something or not. The reason for this is simple. I have read more than once these past two months if you don’t hear from an agent or editor in a certain amount of time, they are passing on the project without a written notice. Weird huh? I always thought it good form to just say a simple yes or no so everyone involved can move on.

Sure, you will get those who insist you give them reasons but profession people don’t need to know reasons as they know to move on. I consider myself professional and I’ll be moving on as their website states I should be.

So, now you know where I need to be. I need to be writing and editing and getting an agent. LOL! My writing will transport me to the exact spot...I just know it! I’ll be posting an excerpt tomorrow from a good friend of mine Celia Jade. You’ll see these pop up now and then when I need a day off from blogging to write or finish a project. Hope you won’t mind. I will be checking daily for comments.

See you all tomorrow!

Lynn

A Mirror To The Past

Yesterday, I talked about a fountain my friend and I had seen on our trip to Phoenix. Now, I need to tell you about what we saw on the way back from there.

First, we decided to go to Sedona. She had never been there before so we went a scenic route I ‘d never taken. Both of us were pleasantly surprised to find it nice even though their seemed to be a lot of traffic. Once we had gotten into Sedona though I was floored.

When I had originally gone there, it was a sleepy bedroom community where one could communicated with the beauty of nature. Who was I kidding? This place was a hubbub of activity. There were no places to park and no way did we even want to do so as people were everywhere. It was no longer serene or peaceful and we went straight through very downtrodden as we couldn’t even get out and take in the beauty of the place.

As we went up Oak Creek, a winding road which takes us to the top of the mountain, she could at least see what I was talking about. We climbed and climbed for what seemed like hours. The traffic this way wasn’t as bad. At the top, there is a place where Native American artisans sell their wares and I was excited it was still there. I had first been to the place in the ‘90s coming home from the same conference. I was amazed it was still there and a stable of the area. It was wonderful and magnificant. I even managed to pick up some new, well priced pottery for my collection.

By coming this way, we made it so that we went through Flagstaff, one of my favorite places in the world. Flagstaff is one of only three places, other than Scotland, I’ve ever wanted to live. The other two are anywhere in Montana where the mountains are and Los Alamos, New Mexico. Those two will be left for later blogs as I have plenty to say about them. LOL!

Now we decided that we were going to eat in Flagstaff and take a break from the drive. We didn’t necessarily want to do it in the new section of town because they have a wonderful old section with lots of cool things. It took us a while to get the lay of the land as we drove around the many one way streets in old downtown but finally we found a parking spot close to where we wanted to eat. We visited a candle shop where we purchased various little aromatherapy items for home then moved on to a place called Charly’s Grill in the Weatherford Hotel.

Wow is the first word that comes to mind when we entered the hotel. It was built in 1899 and opened its doors to the public in 1900. It’s had its share of trials and tribulations but is now owned by a family who lovingly restores it bit by bit. When we went in, my friend and I just looked at each other. See, both of us get feelings I guess is the best way to describe it for lack of a better description. We could just feel the history ebb through and around us as we sat there eating our meal in the comfortable surroundings.

While we sat there, we noticed the mirror at our backs and I kept staring at it. Out of the blue, she tells me she’s seen that mirror before. My heart clutches as I tell her I feel the same but can’t put my finger on it. It is an ornate, top to bottom, mirror from the early 1900s and is beautiful. It reminded me of a lot of the antiques I’ve received of my grandmother’s. But as we sat there we both had a sudden urge to leave yet something wanted us to stay. We’d have loved to stay in one of the restored rooms to better explore those feelings but alas, we were on our way home and needed to be on our way.

We both had to go to the bathroom before we left and as we went through the bar and stage area, both realtively unchanged since they were built, we kept feeling the pull of the place. Here’s the website so you can explore http://www.weatherfordhotel.com/ nd a couple of pictures of the mirror we saw at the top of the blog.

What does it say to you? Have you ever been in a place where you felt deja vu or something else? What were those experiences like for you?

See you tomorrow!

Lynn

When The Celebration’s Over

Wow! What a celebration! It was the best this town has ever seen...they will be talking about this one for months...I know we all talked and visited till well over 1 am. Hence, this later than normal blog. LOL!

But it’s Monday morning and the dog tried to get us up at 5:30 for his usual morning run. If my back wasn’t so stiff (what the heck is that from?) I might have been inclined to take him myself. As it was, my DH has a bout with acid reflux from something he ate and was ups and down all night. As I sit here typing, I am yawning up a storm because I’m still tired.

Still, it’s better for me to be up trying to get a few things done than it is being in bed not quite nor quite asleep. So I decided to blog it for a few and maybe get a little ahead. This is important to me when I’m trying to plan a week worth’s of writing to know I’ve done what I’m supposed to be doing. What was that again? LOL!

Then the subject came up of ‘Whatever am I going to talk about?’ so I went looking at some pictures. Remember when I went to the Desert Dreams Conference back in April? It was the one where I was hoping to score big and I did with the contest win...my first ever actually...and boy was I happy. Well, while I was there I took a couple of pictures which made me sit up and take notice.

We were on the third floor and every morning we walked out and saw this fountain.

Now this fountain was wonderful and beautiful to look at with bubbling water. It made me smile every morning. On the second day that we were there we came out of our room and there was something in the fountain.

Well, that’s all it took for my writer’s mind to get going. What if it were an arm? How about a head? I went on and on. We talked and speculated just what could be in that fountain for two days. My girlfriend who is a budding writer herself actually figured out it was one of two things: a decoy duck to keep the birds away and or a balloon or something similar.

As it turned out, there was a decoy duck in there to keep out pidgeons who wanted to use it as a bird bath. The other thing was something we never decided just what it was. Gotta love a mystery.

But it kept us going on the way home as well. It was one of those interesting little details which make a writer’s mind come alive and whirl in possibilities like nothing else.

Now, the other pictures are just as interesting and I think I’ll talk about at least one of them tomorrow. LOL!

Have you all seen anything which peaks your interest or is a mystery? How did you feel? Did it give rise to a writing spree or a reading spree? What did it end up as? Or was it nothing?

Hope this gets you going. Have a great day...see ya tomorrow!

Lynn

Celebrating the 4th in My Home Town

Well, here in amazing Boulder City, we never celebrate the 4th on a Sunday except this year, they are doing the fireworks tonight.

However, everything else associated with the 4th happens yesterday. There is an annual parade that constantly has over one hundred entries every year. This year was no different but what was different is the fact they separated the water versus no-water portion of the parade. What that means is there is a section where chaos reigns and there is a section for the more dignified of the group. It seems that every year we had complaints about people getting wet who didn't want to and considering that at 10 am this place has been known to get a sweltering 100+ degrees, I don't know what their problem is as here wet clothes can be a lifesaver.

My DH and youngest went about twenty minutes before me because I had some last minute writing to do and once it was done, I was off and out of here. I arrived at the best part. It didn't take me long to find the DH as he's stood on the same corner almost every year for the last twenty. And I should have known. LOL! They were next to the people with the water cannons. So I walk over and he promptly tells me he can't get wet because he has his new work phone in his pocket. I quickly reminded him that he was standing in the wet zone, which he knew. The youngest also had something in his pocket, which he didn't get wet. I just laughed because if that were the case, they picked the worse corner ever.

Boy, was I ever right! LOL! The cart designating the two sections of the parade went by and chaos ensued as the water started to rain down on us from every direction. I can remember the fun we had as kids at the park with silly string and confetti eggs. All our friends gathered from school and we had a great time. Even today, all high school reunions are centered around the 4th. Each class will stake their claim in the park and have some sort of entry into the parade. All in all, it’s a great family time.

Tonight we have a bunch of firsts. My twin grandsons will be attending their first fireworks show. I’m hoping the noise won’t scare them too much. I know they will be interested in the actual show, as they always love to see what’s above them. It was discovered today that Joseph is teething so that might give us a little headache. Still, I can’t wait to see what fun we’ll have. The other first is for our puppy. We’ve only had him since September and while he has had a 4th before it wasn’t with us and he’s freaked about the firework noise. We might just take him with us so he won’t be so scared. We’re not sure yet.

One of the best 4th of July’s I’ve ever attended was in Scotland. Yes, Scotland, as we did our own special celebration. Our oldest called us during the fireworks and we celebrated with him. But we did the annual barbeque and sat on the porch at the farm looking out over the fields. It was a wonderful day especially when Henry came a shot off a few fireworks just for us. It was grand!

I also can’t forget what this day means. Two hundred and thirty four years ago, special men signed a piece of paper, which decreed we were free from the bonds placed upon by the king. We were free to make our own decision, free to live our lives as we deem fit. As we all know, freedom isn’t free and the cost is high. I send my heartfelt thanks to each and everyone insuring I get to participate in all the fun of the day. Know I am thinking about you all as I look up to see the red, white and blue of the flag and the fireworks.

I am hoping your 4th is as wonderful as ours has been so far. What do you all do special for the 4th?

See you all tomorrow!

Lynn