Sheralyn Pratt's Blog, page 19

I WON-I WON-I WON-I WON-I WON!

This post is devoted solely to celebration. In truth, writers probably don't celebrate enough--always focusing on the next hurdle.
Well, SCREW THAT! I'm stoked. The current incarnation of a book I have been working on for YEARS (which has undergone such massive overhauls so as to be completely unrecognizable from its predecessors) just won 1st Place at the League of Utah Writers' Annual Roundup. And since I entered the contest with the hope and desire to win 1st place, how can I do anything...

Someone ACTUALLY Read a Book I Recommended!

I rarely recommend books. And even on the rare occasion that I do, the looks of doubt people flash my direction usually keep me from repeating the behavior. But seriously, I don't have sucky taste in books. I promise. In fact, I might say that I'm a bit more discriminating than the average person--except when it comes to classics. I have no appreciation for Little Women and other books of historical brilliance. I like my fiction to stay in the here and now and my nonfiction as ancient as poss...

Proof That I Cooked This Year

So, I have a bit of a reputation for being the girl who doesn't cook. Whenever there's a party, I'm the one who's asked to bring drinks. I don't mind. When you're single cooking a whole mean just doesn't seem worth it. There are other things I'd rather do. But today I needed an excuse not to write. So what did I do?
I cooked lecso.
Lecso (leh-cho) is a Hungarian dish made largely up of onions, peppers, and tomatoes. There's more to it than that (mostly oil, garlic, paprika, salt & pepper), but ...

A Little More Le Parkour

I spent the past few hours looking through videos trying to find something worthy of a Rhea trailer. The thing is, I have pretty high standards when it comes to action sequences or any kind of portrayal of Rhea because I know exactly what I'm looking for. It's the curse of teaching sport karate for 10 years: I know what's out there, and I know what's good.

This, for example, is great!



This is AMAZING!!! (Although I recommend turning the song down. Meh.)




No ropes or wires. No tricks or cheese...

No Excuses!

For those of you who have met my dog and think she's pretty great, I have to concede that the dog in this vid is infinitely more amazing. There are parts where I seriously wonder if it's a human in a dog suit. Never mind that it is proportionately impossible, but I have never, EVER seen a dog this happy to dance. She clearly loves it just as much as my dog loves catching a frisbee.

Enjoy!

Anyone Got a Whip?

I need some help staying on task. I'm writing, all right, but I'm not writing what I should be writing. Kay'sVille is so close to done. In fact, I have to cut about 40 pages of content to get to word count, but my brain just isn't there. It's in YA Fantasy land. It's outplaying with Hex and my other muses (in the story that's going to win an award of some sort on September 18th. YAY!!!).
That's the thing about muses. You can't always dictate which ones are going to want to talk to you and...

Writing, Writing, Writing...

So, I'm trying to be productive. I really am, even though it's hard to feel productive when you sit in the same seat all day--which really isn't a chair, but a trunk you've been using as a chair because you gave your other real chair away when you moved and it didn't fit in your new space.
Yeah, I totally need a chair. One of those ergonomic ones. That would rock!
Anyway, Kay'sVille is due in 4 weeks and I want to have my YA fantasy book finished in 2 weeks.
Yes, you heard right. YA Fantasy...

Both Bizarre & Impressive

So... based on this vid, it isn't lack of athleticism that leaves India out of the winner's circle at the Olympics in gymnastics. It's... well... I contend that it very well may be something I've just decided to call the "Flinch Factor." Totally impressive routines, though:



Is it just me, or do they look like crocodiles and constrictors on that thing? I'm pretty sure that second guy could choke out any living thing in record time... just sayin'.

Review from Jennie Hansen

Quoted from Meridian Magazine

Rhea Jensen isn't your typical twenty-something Mormon young woman. She's into skydiving, racecar driving, and mountain climbing. She's also a private investigator with a shed full of investigative tools, not all of which are quite legal. Her methods skirt pretty close to the line as well and raise a few questions of conscience in this recent convert's mind. Stalk Lake City is the second volume in the Rhea Jensen Series by Sheralyn Pratt.

Rhea, pronounced Ray, joi...

Why I'm Never Asked to Babysit...

The reasons I'm never asked to babysit may not be many, but I understand why I'm not chosen. After all, the last time I was given guardianship over a group of children, half of them ended up on a school roof because I was teaching them to do this:



Most parents don't need much more of a reason to choose someone else to watch their child while they're away...