S.J. Reisner's Blog, page 104
January 21, 2011
Temple of DOOM Friday
I had so much fun with that last "Temple of Doom Friday" post + video that I've decided to make it a regular blog feature for as long as it holds my interest.
This week I've decided the bane of my existence is the raw vegetable.... mwahahaha! I am destined to a DOOM of eating the damn things five times a day. It's good for me - I know it is. But couldn't nature make us crave vegetables instead of nommy stuff like pizza, burgers, chocolate, french fries, and bacon? ::sigh::
I hate you, raw vegetables. I want you cooked with cheese sauce and bacon. Maybe a splash of butter. No really - I do like veggies, I'm just tired of them. When you're eating five servings a day it gets a little boring. I try to mix it up, I really do.
I am DOOMED to eat them anyway...
This week I've decided the bane of my existence is the raw vegetable.... mwahahaha! I am destined to a DOOM of eating the damn things five times a day. It's good for me - I know it is. But couldn't nature make us crave vegetables instead of nommy stuff like pizza, burgers, chocolate, french fries, and bacon? ::sigh::
I hate you, raw vegetables. I want you cooked with cheese sauce and bacon. Maybe a splash of butter. No really - I do like veggies, I'm just tired of them. When you're eating five servings a day it gets a little boring. I try to mix it up, I really do.
I am DOOMED to eat them anyway...
January 20, 2011
Thursday Observations
You know, I always come up with these silly little names for my posts as if I regularly post under the heading or something. ::shakes head:: Anyway, that's what today's post is. Thursday Observations.
Far too many movies these days try to make it on visual effects alone. Avatar - totally over-rated. And why is everything suddenly in 3D?
Readers love sequels. My editor and I have already been discussing me writing Brad and Kali's story as an offshoot of *Amy* and the betas are confirming that this might be a good idea. (There are covers and back cover blurbs on Anne's FB Fan Page!)
Barak Obama is a great talking head. ::shrug:: I have nothing to really add to that. He gives great speeches. I'm almost convinced he could announce what he ate for the past week and it would sound quite stately and important. Don't get me wrong - I don't hate Obama. It's actually a compliment. At least he can pronounce the word 'nuclear'.
Adults should get nap time. Funny how we only think the very young and the very old should get afternoon naps. I think naps would make things run smoother overall and fewer adults would be assholes. Just an observation...
Folks in the UK seem to bulk at the idea of priests having illicit love affairs with members of their parish. Probably because they've never met a hot, Dom priest. ::squeals like a schoolgirl:: Again, just an observation based on sales of SINcerely, Megan.
Weather man - it's the only job where you can make a six figure salary and be completely wrong every day and no one will hold it against you. If you disagree with this, then you've never lived in Colorado. I take the "I'll believe it when I see it!" approach to weather. I look outside, see it, and say, "Yup. It's snowing." Or, "Nope, sun's still shining." Really. All of us should have such jobs.
That's enough for today. Join me tomorrow for this week's TEMPLE OF DOOM!!!!
Far too many movies these days try to make it on visual effects alone. Avatar - totally over-rated. And why is everything suddenly in 3D?
Readers love sequels. My editor and I have already been discussing me writing Brad and Kali's story as an offshoot of *Amy* and the betas are confirming that this might be a good idea. (There are covers and back cover blurbs on Anne's FB Fan Page!)
Barak Obama is a great talking head. ::shrug:: I have nothing to really add to that. He gives great speeches. I'm almost convinced he could announce what he ate for the past week and it would sound quite stately and important. Don't get me wrong - I don't hate Obama. It's actually a compliment. At least he can pronounce the word 'nuclear'.
Adults should get nap time. Funny how we only think the very young and the very old should get afternoon naps. I think naps would make things run smoother overall and fewer adults would be assholes. Just an observation...
Folks in the UK seem to bulk at the idea of priests having illicit love affairs with members of their parish. Probably because they've never met a hot, Dom priest. ::squeals like a schoolgirl:: Again, just an observation based on sales of SINcerely, Megan.
Weather man - it's the only job where you can make a six figure salary and be completely wrong every day and no one will hold it against you. If you disagree with this, then you've never lived in Colorado. I take the "I'll believe it when I see it!" approach to weather. I look outside, see it, and say, "Yup. It's snowing." Or, "Nope, sun's still shining." Really. All of us should have such jobs.
That's enough for today. Join me tomorrow for this week's TEMPLE OF DOOM!!!!
January 19, 2011
A Whole Lotta Writin' Goin' On!
Yes, I'm bouncy. Yes, I'm happy. This week I finished two books, after all. One being the aforementioned (a few posts ago) Honoring Death: The Arte of Daemonolatry Necromancy
which readers have been waiting on for over three years. Thanks for being so patient on that. Sometimes a book can only happen in its own time. I think that was most certainly the case for this one. The second finished book is Training Amy! It's currently in beta. Then this weekend it goes back to my editor at MFP and, if all goes well - it will be available in eBook within the next week or two.
And - drumroll.... Training Amy is going to be released in paperback! Yep! My publisher decided I sell enough eBooks that it's worth putting the new book into paperback even though we really don't know how it's going to be received yet. Of course Surrender: Tales of Submission (which is a printing of the first three novellas and possibly the next one titled My Neighbor Enslaved) is coming out in paperback this spring, too. Very excited about that as well. This way those who don't have eReaders can also partake of my novellas. Yay!
::contented sigh:: Next I'm off to work on the second OTS Mystery which is due out late spring or early summer. And then, of course, the stand alone occult thriller comes after that. All I really want to do is settle in with the latest Cherise Sinclair novel and escape to the Shadowlands...
which readers have been waiting on for over three years. Thanks for being so patient on that. Sometimes a book can only happen in its own time. I think that was most certainly the case for this one. The second finished book is Training Amy! It's currently in beta. Then this weekend it goes back to my editor at MFP and, if all goes well - it will be available in eBook within the next week or two. And - drumroll.... Training Amy is going to be released in paperback! Yep! My publisher decided I sell enough eBooks that it's worth putting the new book into paperback even though we really don't know how it's going to be received yet. Of course Surrender: Tales of Submission (which is a printing of the first three novellas and possibly the next one titled My Neighbor Enslaved) is coming out in paperback this spring, too. Very excited about that as well. This way those who don't have eReaders can also partake of my novellas. Yay!
::contented sigh:: Next I'm off to work on the second OTS Mystery which is due out late spring or early summer. And then, of course, the stand alone occult thriller comes after that. All I really want to do is settle in with the latest Cherise Sinclair novel and escape to the Shadowlands...
January 18, 2011
Self-Absorbed Writers?
I actually overheard a conversation earlier where someone was saying that writers are terribly self-absorbed. I really thought about this. Then I visited the websites of numerous writer friends. Then I went back to the person who made this comment and asked how many writers he knew in person because I was curious how he came to the conclusion that writers are all absolutely stuck on themselves.
"Well, all they ever do is talk about themselves and what they're doing," he told me.
So I asked, "Where are they talking about themselves?"
He shrugged and said, "Facebook, blogs and twitters. All over the web."
Ah! The self-promotion conundrum! So I asked him, "Well, what do you talk about on your facebook?"
He looked at me with a blank stare.
"What you're doing?"
"Well, yeah."
"And do you keep a blog or website?"
"Why would I? I'm not self-absorbed," he actually said.
"So you think writers shouldn't self promote their work or keep their fans abreast of what they're doing?"
"They think they have all these fans..." he started.
"Well do they have fans? I bet Stephen King thinks he has fans. I bet Nora Roberts thinks she has fans, too. Especially since they sell millions of copies of their work. So is it really hard to believe other writers who are less popular still have fans?"
"I guess so," he admitted.
"So just because someone has fans and has some books that are popular and has to self-promote by virtue of their career, does that really mean they're a meglomaniacal asshole?" I asked. "Or does it just mean that in order to get a career and keep it a writer has to self-promote?"
"But they're just so arrogant in the way they do it!" he said.
"Like how?" I asked.
"Like they're always talking about great reviews they got or how their book is loved or whatever."
"Well would you want to read books by someone who was always crying about their personal problems all over the web?" I asked, then added, "Writer's want to be positive in what they post and what they're doing. Personal life is personal. Career is business. Positive, upbeat notes sell books and keep fans up to date on what's happening. Negative, downbeat notes make most people want to run in the opposite direction. It's bad for business when what you're selling is a product because that's what a book and author name is. A product."
He just looked at me dumbfoundedly.
"You know I'm a writer, right?"
"No sir." He laughed.
"Yep. Over 16 books and counting and four pseudonyms," I told him.
"How come you never said anything?" He asked. "Because you're not like that at all."
I grinned. "I'm saving my self-absorbed meglomania for the interwebs."
"Well, all they ever do is talk about themselves and what they're doing," he told me.
So I asked, "Where are they talking about themselves?"
He shrugged and said, "Facebook, blogs and twitters. All over the web."
Ah! The self-promotion conundrum! So I asked him, "Well, what do you talk about on your facebook?"
He looked at me with a blank stare.
"What you're doing?"
"Well, yeah."
"And do you keep a blog or website?"
"Why would I? I'm not self-absorbed," he actually said.
"So you think writers shouldn't self promote their work or keep their fans abreast of what they're doing?"
"They think they have all these fans..." he started.
"Well do they have fans? I bet Stephen King thinks he has fans. I bet Nora Roberts thinks she has fans, too. Especially since they sell millions of copies of their work. So is it really hard to believe other writers who are less popular still have fans?"
"I guess so," he admitted.
"So just because someone has fans and has some books that are popular and has to self-promote by virtue of their career, does that really mean they're a meglomaniacal asshole?" I asked. "Or does it just mean that in order to get a career and keep it a writer has to self-promote?"
"But they're just so arrogant in the way they do it!" he said.
"Like how?" I asked.
"Like they're always talking about great reviews they got or how their book is loved or whatever."
"Well would you want to read books by someone who was always crying about their personal problems all over the web?" I asked, then added, "Writer's want to be positive in what they post and what they're doing. Personal life is personal. Career is business. Positive, upbeat notes sell books and keep fans up to date on what's happening. Negative, downbeat notes make most people want to run in the opposite direction. It's bad for business when what you're selling is a product because that's what a book and author name is. A product."
He just looked at me dumbfoundedly.
"You know I'm a writer, right?"
"No sir." He laughed.
"Yep. Over 16 books and counting and four pseudonyms," I told him.
"How come you never said anything?" He asked. "Because you're not like that at all."
I grinned. "I'm saving my self-absorbed meglomania for the interwebs."
January 17, 2011
All the Frauds and Impostors are... Not?
It seems everywhere I look there's a writer somewhere blogging about how (s)he's an impostor, a fraud. Hell, I don't recollect but it's very possible I've written a similar post in the past.
I was reading another one earlier and it occurred to me that it's silly to feel that way. First of all, all the writers who write posts like this are actually published authors and they write constantly. The "I'm a fraud" posts are often the result of popularity for what you write. Most writers are their own toughest critics so we see every glaring flaw in everything we write. So when something we write becomes popular we immediately detach with that feeling, "This is surreal, it can't be true." Then, many writers start nitpicking their work to death trying to find all the reasons it shouldn't be popular and all the reasons the masses should hate it instead of love it. I think that way of thinking is often the case with creative types.
So here's to my writing brethren out there:
1. If you're writing and writing is like breathing to you - you're not a fraud or impostor.
2. If you're completing projects continually and actively submitting them - you're not a fraud or impostor.
3. If you're published and have more stories, books, etc... on the back burner -- you're not a fraud or impostor.
Hell, I don't know that we can say anyone who writes is a fraud or impostor. If you're writing, you're technically a writer. Though there's a difference between a professional writer and a hobbyist. Hobbyists write for fun or passion, or they self publish a book or two (simply because that's all they have in them) but they don't have what it takes to be a professional writer. This probably describes 85 percent of the writers out there. The other 15 percent are people who actually make a livable, taxable income writing and who are so prolific that they're never short of a project. The funny thing is it's always the people in the latter category who I see writing the "I'm a fraud..." posts.
You guys are funny.
I was reading another one earlier and it occurred to me that it's silly to feel that way. First of all, all the writers who write posts like this are actually published authors and they write constantly. The "I'm a fraud" posts are often the result of popularity for what you write. Most writers are their own toughest critics so we see every glaring flaw in everything we write. So when something we write becomes popular we immediately detach with that feeling, "This is surreal, it can't be true." Then, many writers start nitpicking their work to death trying to find all the reasons it shouldn't be popular and all the reasons the masses should hate it instead of love it. I think that way of thinking is often the case with creative types.
So here's to my writing brethren out there:
1. If you're writing and writing is like breathing to you - you're not a fraud or impostor.
2. If you're completing projects continually and actively submitting them - you're not a fraud or impostor.
3. If you're published and have more stories, books, etc... on the back burner -- you're not a fraud or impostor.
Hell, I don't know that we can say anyone who writes is a fraud or impostor. If you're writing, you're technically a writer. Though there's a difference between a professional writer and a hobbyist. Hobbyists write for fun or passion, or they self publish a book or two (simply because that's all they have in them) but they don't have what it takes to be a professional writer. This probably describes 85 percent of the writers out there. The other 15 percent are people who actually make a livable, taxable income writing and who are so prolific that they're never short of a project. The funny thing is it's always the people in the latter category who I see writing the "I'm a fraud..." posts.
You guys are funny.
January 16, 2011
After Three Years!
Honoring Death
, the Daemonolatry Necromancy book that I've been promising everyone for over three years now, is finally out. It's now available on Lulu and will be on Nook and Kindle by Wednesday. It probably won't be available on Amazon until February (it takes some time for it to filter into Amazon's database from the printer).
So for those of you who have been patiently waiting and who want it right away you can CLICK HERE to get the book from Lulu.
So for those of you who have been patiently waiting and who want it right away you can CLICK HERE to get the book from Lulu.
January 14, 2011
From the Temple of Doom
Header just sounded dramatic. I couldn't resist.
Today's pondering -- am I supposed to eventually crave nothing *but* vegetables? Because right now I'm thinking *a* yogurt covered pretzel (yes - only one), but it doesn't really fit into my healthy eating regimen right now. The whole four vegetable/two fruit thing is easy to keep up with, but I still crave sugar and chocolate even after all this time.
No, no - I haven't gone vegan. I'd miss chicken and fish too much. I'm just trying to eat whole foods more than processed ones. I could do without pork and beef (I mostly do that already). But I also love cheese and milk and yogurt. Which brings me back to yogurt pretzels.
That's what my Temple of Doom is. A bag of yogurt pretzels. Ugh.
Today's pondering -- am I supposed to eventually crave nothing *but* vegetables? Because right now I'm thinking *a* yogurt covered pretzel (yes - only one), but it doesn't really fit into my healthy eating regimen right now. The whole four vegetable/two fruit thing is easy to keep up with, but I still crave sugar and chocolate even after all this time.
No, no - I haven't gone vegan. I'd miss chicken and fish too much. I'm just trying to eat whole foods more than processed ones. I could do without pork and beef (I mostly do that already). But I also love cheese and milk and yogurt. Which brings me back to yogurt pretzels.
That's what my Temple of Doom is. A bag of yogurt pretzels. Ugh.
January 13, 2011
Guilty by Association?
An issue presented itself this morning where I was forced to scrutinize my association with other occultists. Evidently one of my publisher friends publishes books by members of organizations who are renowned for having questionable beliefs and ethics. It made me wonder how much we're really judged by association.
I mean really - it would take an irrational person to judge one by casual associations. After all, I have casual acquaintances from all walks of life (and from all political and spiritual spectrum's). I can think of far more damning associations than the one mentioned above.
Of course for me the only associations that matter are those of a personal nature, as in -- who are you hanging out with in the real world? Or who do you personally correspond with on a regular basis online? For a writer like me - my Facebook associations span far and wide. I have thousands of folks on my friends list - many of them just fans of my work. At what point does my association (even by a mere Facebook friending) become a liability to me (or to anyone for that matter).
As an author, if someone who "LIKES" your fan page or who friends you goes out and commits an illegal act - at what point are you guilty by association in the eyes of those watching? If a fan is a member of a terrorist group or hate group or drug ring, for example - are you automatically deemed a part of that circle by the media or pundits or onlookers? Perhaps if someone is conducting a witch hunt. But for most rational folks - the answer is no.
Of course I normally delete anyone who condones violence or has a lot of hate speech on their wall. I'm just not a hateful person. I'm not a violent person either and I don't condone it - even in casual association. My friends, my real friends, number around ten, but they're good people. They're law abiding, hard working, fun loving folks who are secure in themselves, mentally healthy, and fun to be around. They don't drag me down. I'd rather be judged on those associations long before I was judged by a casual Internet acquaintance or even some semi-opaque Internet relationship with no footing in the real world.
After all - real friends know more about you than the aesthetics. So if I'm guilty by my mere association with G, then by aesthetics it could be said that we're all guilty by a few degrees of separation. At least in this day and age of social networking anyway. It's food for thought.
I mean really - it would take an irrational person to judge one by casual associations. After all, I have casual acquaintances from all walks of life (and from all political and spiritual spectrum's). I can think of far more damning associations than the one mentioned above.
Of course for me the only associations that matter are those of a personal nature, as in -- who are you hanging out with in the real world? Or who do you personally correspond with on a regular basis online? For a writer like me - my Facebook associations span far and wide. I have thousands of folks on my friends list - many of them just fans of my work. At what point does my association (even by a mere Facebook friending) become a liability to me (or to anyone for that matter).
As an author, if someone who "LIKES" your fan page or who friends you goes out and commits an illegal act - at what point are you guilty by association in the eyes of those watching? If a fan is a member of a terrorist group or hate group or drug ring, for example - are you automatically deemed a part of that circle by the media or pundits or onlookers? Perhaps if someone is conducting a witch hunt. But for most rational folks - the answer is no.
Of course I normally delete anyone who condones violence or has a lot of hate speech on their wall. I'm just not a hateful person. I'm not a violent person either and I don't condone it - even in casual association. My friends, my real friends, number around ten, but they're good people. They're law abiding, hard working, fun loving folks who are secure in themselves, mentally healthy, and fun to be around. They don't drag me down. I'd rather be judged on those associations long before I was judged by a casual Internet acquaintance or even some semi-opaque Internet relationship with no footing in the real world.
After all - real friends know more about you than the aesthetics. So if I'm guilty by my mere association with G, then by aesthetics it could be said that we're all guilty by a few degrees of separation. At least in this day and age of social networking anyway. It's food for thought.
January 12, 2011
Happy Hump-Day
Ah, it's Wednesday. Amidst the freezing ass cold and snow and the big spider I just eradicated, it's been an interesting day. Got the second half of edits back on one book from my editor. Still waiting on some beta's to weigh in, then it's a second revision, resubmit to the editor and hopefully only tweaks after that. Then there's another MS going off to beta this weekend. If all goes well with it, it might be done, too! Then I can get back to the highly anticipated (by me!) "Into Darkness" and "Thirteen Covens".
There's something really satisfying about finishing a project despite the fact that another one moves up immediately to fill its place. It's gratifying to know there are readers who are going to enjoy your stories and who anticipate them as much as you enjoy writing them. Not to mention, as a writer, after the third draft you start getting bored with what you're working on. It's a long road from first draft to done.
My editors have been very patient and helpful and gave me a lot of leeway over the holidays. It's nice to work with such wonderful folks.
On that note - maybe tonight I'll take the evening off and get some domestic stuff done. My kitchen could use a good cleaning, I could do some laundry, and then maybe I'll go to bed early and finish the book I'm reading. When I'm in the final stages of completing manuscripts it's the domestic things that suffer...
There's something really satisfying about finishing a project despite the fact that another one moves up immediately to fill its place. It's gratifying to know there are readers who are going to enjoy your stories and who anticipate them as much as you enjoy writing them. Not to mention, as a writer, after the third draft you start getting bored with what you're working on. It's a long road from first draft to done.
My editors have been very patient and helpful and gave me a lot of leeway over the holidays. It's nice to work with such wonderful folks.
On that note - maybe tonight I'll take the evening off and get some domestic stuff done. My kitchen could use a good cleaning, I could do some laundry, and then maybe I'll go to bed early and finish the book I'm reading. When I'm in the final stages of completing manuscripts it's the domestic things that suffer...
January 11, 2011
Updated
I finally updated my blog with my fourth pseudonym now that the cat is out of the bag. Really, there's no reason people shouldn't know I write erotica. The only reason I kept it secret to begin with was because at first I had an opportunity presented to me and it was just an experiment. Close friends knew. But I didn't want my family to know because I wasn't sure how they'd react. Of course being that I'm pretty close to my family, that didn't last long. I eventually gave in and spilled my guts to my sisters and mom, my SiL told my brother, my brother told my dad, my husband told his sister and brother. Once that happened, everyone whose opinion mattered to me knew. ::shrug::
Regardless, I still think it's prudent to keep all the pseudonyms to differentiate between genres since none of the genres overlap. And I don't want an incident where a kid who reads my fantasy novels accidentally picks up and R rated mystery or an X rated erotica. It's just safer for readers this way (so they get what they want).
I know this may be confusing and a pain to keep up with for my hardcore fans (yes, I actually do have fans who own everything I've ever written, which is cool!). For this reason I've posted a bibliography listing all my published books and novels on my FB. Or you can drop me a note here with your e-mail address and I'll e-mail you the list.
For those of you who want to read my erotica but don't own an e-reader and aren't into eBooks, never fear. That situation will be rectified soon. I can tell you that Surrender: Tales of Submission is due out this spring and includes my bestsellers "Nice Girls Don't", "Weekend Captive" and the highly acclaimed (by readers anyway) "SINcerely, Megan". It may even include the forthcoming MNE, depending if that particular work is out in time for inclusion. If not, it may show up in next year's anthology. I told you I had contracts. ;)
So that's enough from me. I'm so glad I decided to combine my blogs and websites. It really does make my life that much easier. With everything going on writing-wise right now I wouldn't be able to keep up with four blogs and four websites. Thanks for reading!
Regardless, I still think it's prudent to keep all the pseudonyms to differentiate between genres since none of the genres overlap. And I don't want an incident where a kid who reads my fantasy novels accidentally picks up and R rated mystery or an X rated erotica. It's just safer for readers this way (so they get what they want).
I know this may be confusing and a pain to keep up with for my hardcore fans (yes, I actually do have fans who own everything I've ever written, which is cool!). For this reason I've posted a bibliography listing all my published books and novels on my FB. Or you can drop me a note here with your e-mail address and I'll e-mail you the list.
For those of you who want to read my erotica but don't own an e-reader and aren't into eBooks, never fear. That situation will be rectified soon. I can tell you that Surrender: Tales of Submission is due out this spring and includes my bestsellers "Nice Girls Don't", "Weekend Captive" and the highly acclaimed (by readers anyway) "SINcerely, Megan". It may even include the forthcoming MNE, depending if that particular work is out in time for inclusion. If not, it may show up in next year's anthology. I told you I had contracts. ;)
So that's enough from me. I'm so glad I decided to combine my blogs and websites. It really does make my life that much easier. With everything going on writing-wise right now I wouldn't be able to keep up with four blogs and four websites. Thanks for reading!
