Annette Mori's Blog, page 38

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Published on April 21, 2017 06:58

April 14, 2017

Oh no you didn’t…Oh yes, I did…Lonestar Recap

After Lonestar, I hit the ground running. Work was crazy and I didn’t give it another thought as I delved into the many balls that were flying around in the air. I’d been joking that those balls were bouncing on the ground and smacking me in the head.

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Like my character, Codee, in The Termination, what occurred on Friday made me

question whether one of those balls had smacked me so hard in the head that it was all just a bad dream. It wasn’t. So now I think I owe everyone a recap of Lonestar instead of the dribble I posted last week. Better late than never!

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I can’t claim losing my virginity again because that already happened last year when I did my first reading and sat on my first panel. You’d think I would be old hat at these things by now, but you’d be wrong.

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Right before I had to do my reading, I got so nervous I had to leave a panel I was very interested in to use the washroom and avoid an embarrassing accident. I won’t go into any gory details. Use your imagination or not. I recommend not. Sorry Elle, but you wonderful turnover…went right through my system, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

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So…I was third in line and everything as going along swimmingly. The two previous readers did an amazing job and now I was up. I’d decided to do something a little different. Yup…me…something different. Big surprise, huh? Not! I’d just posted an emotional blog about the inspiration for my latest book, Captivated and I decided to read that as a preface to my selection instead of trying to explain what I was about to read.

[image error]Captivated by Annette Mori

My wife encouraged me after hearing me read her the blog. She thought it was a good idea. Thanks honey. She agreed to video the reading and she did. While I was doing the reading, I thought things were going okay, but I had this niggling feeling that maybe the reading was a tad bit too long. It was. Eight minutes too long to be exact. I think we were supposed to read for ten minutes and my wife whispered to me after the reading that she had videotaped the whole thing and it was eighteen minutes long. I groaned. She laughed and said she might have seen someone rolling their eyes. I was mortified.

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Lesson learned: Don’t be a pantster at a reading. Practice and time your reading before actually doing it.

After my reading, I was part of a panel with Melissa Brayden and when she presented my book, Locked Inside for a signature, was I gracious and smooth…oh hell no. I actually asked if she was serious. I wanted to look around for the hidden camera and see if I was being punked or something. I don’t even know what I wrote, something entirely fangirlish and incredibly stupid I suspect, but I was shocked to the core.

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Any yet, it didn’t stop there. During the panel when asked how we set up the chemistry between characters, I said I had no idea and I hoped that it occurred because when I write about love it usually happens organically for me. I actually said I didn’t believe in love at first sight but preferred a slow burn. I emphasized that real love was about people embracing or even celebrating a person’s imperfections versus merely accepting them like it was their lot in life. I called out my poor wife’s incessant vacuuming because I find it endearing (and it keeps our condo very tidy). Note to self: calling her out did not make it to her endearing list.

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I do hope I will be asked back next year because I adore this festival. The people who plan it are fabulous and I get to see my Affinity pals. Everyone is nice to me, even the cool kids. I feel like I belong and that is a nice feeling.

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I also have a wonderful feeling regarding my latest book, Captivated, that sold out in paperback at Lonestar and is staying in the top 20 thanks to all the supportive readers who bought it. If you want to check out Captivated or any of my other books, you know the drill…click the links below.

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Published on April 14, 2017 06:56

April 7, 2017

Is that opportunity knocking?

Warning: This will be a serious blog unlike the vast majority that I usually compose on Friday. Yet, I do try to see the humor and silver lining in just about everything, even a life-changing event.

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I was prepared to do a blog on a re-cap of Lonestar and or a blog to joke about my ineptness once again with social media, but I find myself needing to write on a completely different topic. As of today after nearly 30 years in healthcare, I am retired. A little earlier than expected, but hey the possibilities are endless now.

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I am wondering, could I actually become a full-time writer and make a go of it? Should I traipse around the country and do interim work? Become a housewife? Sex slave (I kinda like that option)? Or….

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Life just got a whole lot more interesting for me today. I’ve been pondering early retirement for some time now and I do believe that when a door closes, a window opens. I’m just not quite sure which window will open and if that open window will let in the wind and rain from a thunderstorm or a tornado! I’d like to think I’m made up of solid stock to “weather” the storm.

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Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful, supportive wife and we’ve already been talking about options around retirement. I always planned on doing a lot more writing when I retired, so now I have no excuse.

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As painful as this experience is for me at this point in my career, I feel a great deal of relief. I wasn’t used to being considered anything less than a top performer, but sometimes you mesh with your boss and other times not so much.

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A few weeks back, I was bold enough to ask whether our struggles had anything to do with my sexual preference, not because I wanted to raise a fuss, I genuinely wanted to know. People have their deep beliefs and they sneak into the workplace whether we want them to or not. I think it is hard to pinpoint discrimination in the workplace. It isn’t something a person can definitively prove, but you can recognize it when it happens. I do.

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I’ve just started a new chapter in my life and I think it will involve a lot more writing. If you’d like to sample my writing, I sure would love it, especially now. You know the drill…just click the links below. I’m getting a lot of positive feedback already on Captivated, maybe you’d like to give that book a try!

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Kitty Kat's Book Review Blog

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Published on April 07, 2017 15:12

April 2, 2017

Review of ‘Captivated’ by Annette Mori

Just had to share this!

Captivated

I adored ‘Captivated’, as it was a brilliant combination of humour, mystery and romance. Juliet Lewis was a quirky snooper who found herself in big trouble when her little hobby leads to her seeing something she shouldn’t have. Tanner Sullivan, a cop with something to hide becomes connected to Juliet in a way she didn’t expect. The story was surprising at times and as always Annette Mori made me reconsider my preconceptions. She has the unique gift of writing very unusual characters and allowing the reader to see their humanity. The romantic element of the story was beautifully done. It was funny, very sexy and left me swooning. Another 5 Star story from one of my favourite authors.

I was given this ARC by Affinity eBook Press in return for an honest review.

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Published on April 02, 2017 06:14

March 31, 2017

Captivated…

Tomorrow, my book, Captivated comes out and it has special meaning to me because the character, Juliet, is based loosely on my mother who had a mild case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. To some degree, I recognize a few of those traits in myself and granted a lot of people have their own obsessions, but I do believe my mother may have pushed the envelope.

[image error]Captivated by Annette Mori

I remember watching the movie, As Good As It Gets, and seeing certain aspects of my mother in the lead character. I thought how sad that people judge certain quirks so harshly. I wanted to create a protagonist that was loveable because of her uniqueness, not despite it. I didn’t wish for her love interest to simply tolerate the obsessiveness, but rather embrace it as a fundamental part of who Juliet was and to love her for that distinctiveness.

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I remember my mother not wanting us to come inside because she’d just vacuumed the apartment and that would ruin her neat lines in the carpet. As a kid, that was fine and dandy with me because I got to spend more time outside playing. When we moved into a house everything had a place and that made it easy not to lose anything. I’m not nearly as organized as my mother and I am constantly losing shit, even more so as I age.

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In high school, I learned that my mother would use a washcloth to clean herself after going to the bathroom. That is when I first realized that she had a mild case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I wondered if she struggled, or it somehow negatively impacted her life. Before I discovered that about her, I never considered her behavior out of the ordinary.

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Despite my father’s faults, he loved my mother and truly appreciated her compulsiveness. They say opposites attract and I don’t believe there was a couple more contrary than my father and mother. Think Felix Unger as my mother, and Oscar Maddison as my father. In case you don’t know that reference, they are the two main characters in the Odd Couple, a famous movie and television sitcom. My father would think it was perfectly acceptable to blow his snotty nose on his undershirt and leave it on for the entire day. After a day of fishing, he would be covered in fish guts, blood, and whatever he’d had for lunch. I should have bought stock in Resolve.

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Most children can’t fathom their parents having sex, but I really wondered how they managed to cross the great divide given their massive differences in grooming standards. My mother used to order my father to strip just inside the mudroom and she would toss his clothes directly into the washing machine, adding copious amounts of bleach. Maybe that was their foreplay?

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Six months before my mother died, I knew she was dying. I knew this because all of her persnickety habits that made her my loveable mother disappeared. I helped her clip and file her nails. My father took over the household chores and she let him, never complaining once about the piss poor job he was doing. I gained a new respect for how much my father loved my mother as he did everything for her with love, and without complaint. He did an admirable job. My mother’s frail body simply did not have the energy to enable her to do the things she used to do to ensure the house was spotless⸻-literally. It broke my heart to see this. My mother was no longer my mother. So yes, I loved her for exactly who she was. Besides being the cleanest person I ever knew, she was so much more than that. She was generous and funny, kind and loving, and above all self-sacrificing.

I hope you will love Juliet as much as I loved my mother. Feel free to check out Captivated or any other book I’ve written. Embrace individuality and love people for their quirks, not despite them.

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Facebook Party on March 25th Link

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Published on March 31, 2017 07:24

March 24, 2017

Speed Dating

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Speed dating? What? I’ll bet you are wondering what this blog could possibly be about since most of you know I am an old happily married woman who left the dating scene over thirteen years ago. No…I am not idiotic enough to lose my beautiful, wonderful, wife to some trolling lesbian!

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This post is actually about a new sensation (well new to me)…Facebook parties. So why did I title the blog, Speed Dating? Well…I got to thinking (I know, very dangerous, especially since my tangential thoughts tend to be so bizarre sometimes) about my experience with the first Facebook party and it felt a lot like speed dating to me. How? Let me outline the reasons.

I spent a whole lot of time preparing for the occasion like I used to do when I had a first date. I would imagine people try to prepare themselves for speed dating in an attempt to anticipate the kinds of questions that will be asked and to think up your own clever questions.
All my preparations were for naught because the party went in a completely new direction. I’ve never speed dated, but I’ll bet those quick conversations go in all sorts of directions not anticipated.
Rapid fire questions dominated the session, a lot like speed dating (at least the concept I have of speed dating).
There is absolutely no time to censor your responses or try to be witty and charming. At least for me, it ends up being unedited, verbal meandering, that may or may not appeal to the masses. I suspect it is hard to prepare for speed dating either.
Based on those responses, people may decide, I’d like to learn more about this author/person. In speed dating, I suspect you move to the next round, in a Facebook party, they check out your books or Facebook page.
After you advance to the next round and maybe have that date, the person may buy a book. After speed dating, the person may buy me dinner, take me to the theater or a movie. Wow, I just realized how much of a femme I really am as I assume the other party would do take the lead on the date!
If that book is enjoyable, they buy more books. Post speed dating…after that first date, I get a second or third date.
The reader might choose to gobble up every single book I’ve written. We are now dating.
Readers start sending private messages, e-mails or write reviews about my books. My new dating partner sends me love notes, texts, or calls me at all hours of the day or night telling me how much fun they’ve been having dating me or that…gasp…they are falling in love.
Finally, I develop a loyal relationship with a reader who decides to continue to buy every single book I put out in the future. This is the point where perhaps speed dating and Facebook parties deviate…because I don’t have a monogamous relationship with readers, nor should I. I love reading many different books and would never only stick to one author. Yet, I do have my favorites, who I am very much in love with!

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I’m doing another Facebook party this weekend and I sure hope I get a few more dates out of it! I hope those who I’ve not speed dated with in the past will join the party because it should be as much fun as speed dating! Wanna go on a date with me…you know the drill…just click one of the links below!

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Published on March 24, 2017 16:21

March 17, 2017

The New Lesbian Author’s Handbook

This past week I’ve been collecting information on a topic that I never even knew was controversial. Quite by mistake, I learned that for some people it is considered a violation of etiquette to thank a reader who posts a review on Amazon or Goodreads. I was moving along fat and happy thinking that I was following proper etiquette by thanking people who take the time to post a review. Gasp…I never knew it actually creeps some people out.

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Soooo…I love to do research and posted the question in my favorite Facebook group. Here is what the data suggests based on the responses at the time I wrote this blog: Most were either comfortable with a thank you or the gratitude provided actually boosted their positive view of the author. There were a few who were uncomfortable and honestly that gave me pause, because I don’t ever wish to make people uncomfortable. I’ve taken note of those individuals and will try very hard to not cause discomfort with my thanks as long as my soggy brain remembers.

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I did some research on this topic through Google and guess what? Yup, opinions vary widely. I believe that since I write in a niche market where authors and readers tend to communicate with one another much more than famous authors, I believe the rule might be different for us. Perhaps it is more acceptable to thank our readers since the lesbian market is considerably smaller.

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In a meeting I was in this morning our Development and Communications Department shared how they respond to every single review posted on our Hospital’s Facebook page. That got me to thinking, what is the difference between Facebook reviews for organizations versus Amazon reviews. It is an interesting dichotomy. Somehow it is acceptable for organizations to respond, but not authors. I wonder why? I don’t think those reviews on Facebook are intended for the hospital any more than how some reviewers state their reviews are not intended for the author, but rather the reader. And yet it is different. Interesting…..

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That led me to my final tangent, when is someone going to write a damn handbook for the new lesbian fiction author? But then, we would all have to agree and apparently, that’s not happening. So I guess I’ll continue to step in shit with one foot and a field of flowers in another. Besides, I’m the type of person that won’t read the handbook from cover to cover anyway and will probably miss all the salient points. I suppose I could give it to my wife to read and have her provide me with the cliff notes. She reads every single word of an instruction manual.

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Maybe there are some hard and fast rules to go by, but I sure haven’t found them yet. We can’t even agree on whether a happily ever after is a must or what kind of lesbian sex scene, if any, is preferred. I suppose I’ll just have to do what I’ve always done…write what I want and thank my lucky stars I get any reviews at all, and thankfully they are mostly positive.

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Want to read my books and leave a review where I may or may not thank you depending upon your preference…you know the drill, just click one of the links below!

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Published on March 17, 2017 20:00

March 10, 2017

Lesbian Grooming Rituals…

After joking around on Facebook again, I promised to write on a topic that I am readily admitting I know absolutely nothing about. The fact that I thought self-identified butches might have grooming rituals gives everyone a clue about how little I know. In my defense, someone suggested that duct tape might be a butch’s answer to hair removal. I thought that was funny, so it sent me on my usual tangent.

I took that tiny thread and pulled and pulled on it. I posted on my page for some assistance, because even though I want to be considered just a little bit butch, apparently, I’m not. Today that notion really resonated when I was lamenting about possibly not being able to go over the mountain pass this weekend for my hair appointment. That would be a complete disaster because I am definitely in that, “my hair looks like shit” stage. The looks of incredulity from my co-workers at our leadership huddle was enough to finally push me to admit that I’m soooo not butch. I travel 3 hours to get my hair cut. Enough said.

I was supposed to do some physical research on if duct tape really would cleanly remove hair around my panty lines, but I could not find the roll of duct tape (yes, I know likely excuse). Most of the butches who responded were appalled at the notion of using duct tape for hair removal and some even suggested that hair removal wasn’t a given. I tried to argue that a razor doesn’t do as thorough a job as hot wax, so maybe they could try an alternative method that fits their tough character. I don’t think they took me seriously. However, I did convince one person to do the research for me. Thanks, Danna. Apparently, duct tape is not an adequate alternative to hot wax because she reported it only removed two individual hairs. That is certainly not enough to achieve a Brazilian.

The duct tape got me to think of other tools that might work in a pinch. What about a buck knife for attending to your nails? Or those rest stop hand dryers instead of a blow dryer? I don’t suppose twine is used for putting your hair up in a ponytail because I suspect most butches don’t put their hair in ponytails. That buck knife might have a dual purpose and could also be used in lieu of scissors to cut hair, but then I suppose clippers might be the preferred choice, or even a razor. Of course, if a razor is available, who needs duct tape. Now we’ve come full circle to the benefits of duct tape….

My wife is very fond of her Swiss Army Knife which has both a nail file and a pair of tiny scissors. She carries that thing everywhere, almost like a religious icon. Some people have rosary beads, my wife has her Swiss Army knife.

I guess I liked the idea of having a gadget with all those fancy tools more than the reality of carrying it with me at all times. My wife bought me one and I was very excited for the gift, but then I promptly stuffed it into the center console of my car and it’s lived there ever since with my old iPhone, candy wrappers, pens and basically items that are common in the car version of a junk drawer. I liked the idea of a single tool that was so versatile, so I incorporated the granddaddy of Swiss Army knives into my new book, Captivated, that comes out in April.

[image error] Captivated by Annette Mori

Let’s go back to that nail file on the Swiss Army knife. When one of the Facebook butches mentioned using a nail file on occasion, another one scoffed. So, I wondered if using the nail file on that Swiss Army knife might be an acceptable way to care for your nails if you’re a butch. The tool seems relatively butch to me. Of course, I deviate from my pseudo femme tendencies because I don’t use a nail file at all. I simply rip off my nails when they get too long or maybe nibble a little on the ends.

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So, there you have it…all my visions of that totally badass, cool butch are shattered. Duct tape, buck knives, twine, and Swiss Army knives are not butch grooming tools after all. Oh well, it was fun to imagine and maybe I’ll stretch the suspension of belief concept in my next novel and weave a scene in where my version of a badass butch removes her underarm hair with duct tape. Speaking of books, you know the drill…click the links below….please….puppy dog eyes. By the way….as a special treat tonight…I read this blog and click this link for the Vlog (Video blog): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZb002YO1RQ

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Published on March 10, 2017 18:34

March 3, 2017

Becoming Toni….

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Once again, I found myself not having any flippin’ idea what to write about and one of my Facebook pals suggested a blog on people who become my characters. It was intriguing enough for me to let my mind wander and consider the topic.

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My first reaction was, that would be so dangerous. Who in the world would want to become an obsessive-compulsive snoop, a person with Locked Inside syndrome, a paranoid vigilante, an HR Director with intimacy issues, a science geek who steals from the rich, a lesbian bigamist (who gets caught), a shy librarian with low self-esteem, a writer still grieving and struggling with writer’s block or a wild and cavalier new vampire? Yes, those are my characters.

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That got me to thinking, where in the world did I come up with unusual characters like that and can people relate to them. Certainly, there are bits and pieces that I plucked from my experiences with others and to a lesser degree (at least with some) there are parts of myself interspersed in the pages of each book. However, I do wonder if they are relatable and thus would a reader wish to emulate that character?

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That led me to a new tangent (I am very haphazard in my thought processes, come on y’all know that about me already). Even when a character is so different from who we are, when I am reading I can sometimes find something about that character I am able to relate to. Human emotions are often universal. We all feel grief, excitement, attraction, love, anger, disdain, and so much more that my tired brain can’t think of at this moment. So, could a person relate so strongly with any one or all of those emotions and decide to become that character? It is an interesting question.

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If I had a choice of becoming any one of my characters, it would be Toni from Asset Management. She is smart and sexy. The real bonus is her pseudo occupation (and boy would I love to steal from the rich and give back to people in need). I think I’ll pass on all the others. I just need someone to show me how to make that special camera and Robin Hood, lesbian style here I come…None of you would turn me into the authorities, would you?

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If you want to know about all the characters from my books that I listed so that you can choose from the motley bunch, by all means, click on the links below to choose a book, any book! Next week I promise to talk about “do it yourself” grooming, the lesbian way…thanks Darla for the idea.

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Published on March 03, 2017 16:45

February 24, 2017

Texting…The Perfect Exercise for Lesbians

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Last week I called upon my Facebook friends to give me topic ideas for my blog and the first one I chose was about vibrators. That was a hoot to write. This week, I scrolled back to the multiple posts with other excellent suggestions and landed on the topic of texting. As with most of the Facebook posts I get sucked into, it started as a suggestion to talk about why someone should have an e-reader and devolved into texting with your index finger.

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Well…that got me to thinking, for those of us who aren’t very skilled at texting with our thumbs (I happen to fall into that category), does using your index finger have some kind of side benefit. Could this be a lesbian thing? Should I try to use my middle finger too because that could use some strengthening? Sure, having thumbs that are in tip top shape is probably beneficial as well, but just think about it…index and middle fingers dripping in sweat as you use the hell out of them. I think I need to do a lot more texting to increase my sexual prowess.

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After realizing that I use the hunt and peck method of texting, I started to practice with my thumbs. I am serious about having a well-rounded skill set. I can’t just have a talented, in shape, index finger. I’ve got to expand my horizons.

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I encourage everyone to get in the groove and start texting like mad. Be like the Millennial generation and make texting your primary mode of communication. Don’t talk with your wife or girlfriend, text them. They’ll thank you for it later. Be sure to alter your method, kind of like when working out on the weight machines. You know legs one day, arms the next. Only when you exercise your hand, use your thumbs one day, index and middle fingers on alternate days. PSA: Don’t text and drive…it’s not worth it, even if it helps you be a sex Goddess.

[image error]‘Sorry, may bad. I thought you were texting.’

When I did a google search to pull up pictures to go along with my blog, I came across one that showed a woman texting with her tongue, theoretically avoiding the pitfalls of texting while driving. Hmmm…I kinda think this might be more distracting. And yet…just think of the possibilities there to get that tongue of yours in shape….

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Instead of dragging my lazy butt out of bed at 5:00a for a spinning class, I could be ogling lesbians in the newly formed texting class. Oh, my….just look at that woman’s bulging index finger. That’s enough to make any lesbian swoon.

I can see the headlines now…AT & T is reporting an upswing in the number of text messages in a certain demographic…yes, lesbians are sending a record-breaking thousand texts a day after obscure author Annette Mori writes a blog about the benefits of text messages to enhance a person’s skills in the bedroom.

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Okay, maybe that won’t happen…but it sure is fun to dream about. Here’s what I do dream about…that everyone who reads my blog buys at least one of my books and one day I’ll have a breakout book that boosts the sales of all the others. If you want to help me realize that dream….you know the drill click one of the links below.

Amazon link to The Termination: The Termination

Affinity link to The Termination: The Termination

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