Samantha MacLeod's Blog, page 38

Flags at Half-Mast

I live in a fairly conservative, blue collar town. This is the kind of town where people wear Guns N’ Roses T-shirts and sport mullets, and they aren’t being ironic. (Tonawanda, NY, in case you’re wondering.)

Today and yesterday, all the flags in my town were flying at half-mast. At City Hall. At the grocery store. At the elementary school.

I’m sickened and horrified by the recent shooting in Orlando, and words seem like such a poor defense against hatred, ignorance, and blind, bloody violence.

But I’m heartened to see the flags in my blue collar, New York town flying at half-mast. That symbol, more than anything else I’ve seen or read, shows that an attack on the LGBT community is an attack on all Americans, and on our values of freedom and diversity.

Orlando, you’re not alone.

Editing: What Did I Learn?

Way back in March, I wrote a post about my plans to line edit The Trickster’s Lover, my paranormal romance/urban fantasy novel with Norse gods. (Check out a preview here.)

Wow, did I ever have no freaking clue what I was getting myself into.

Actual footage of Samantha MacLeod

Since that time I’ve gotten a cover, one of my erotic short stories has been accepted for publication, I’ve re-written the novel’s blurb about 500 times… And I’ve still been editing.

And editing.

Every page looks like this. Every. Page.

My novel is over 100,000 words, which is almost 400 pages of double-spaced, Times New Roman manuscript. And I seriously underestimated the amount of time it would take take for me to comb through 400 pages (and also, you know, keep my day job).

Actual footage of Samantha MacLeod

So what exactly did I learn during this long, painful process?

Well, to start with: Typos.

So. Many. Typos.

This is especially embarrassing, because I TEACH COLLEGE COMPOSITION!

And I found inconsistencies – a window that was open during a February scene, or a meal that started as ribs and ended up as smoked fish. A student who had two different names in the space of three paragraphs.

I also read the fabulous and very helpful book Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon, and I incorporated much of her advice. (Yes, I’m the type of person who believes you can read a book to find the answer to any and every question in life.)

I used riff writing to expand on my character’s emotional reactions. I changed my vocabulary to be more reflective of my neurotic, overeducated protagonist, Caroline Capello.

Basically, I spent the last three months obsessing over every word. And I mean Every. Word.

This was me. But without the slinky.

And then, one sunny morning at a cute, local coffee shop, I finished editing the printed manuscript. A few days later, I finished making those changes to the electronic version.

Then the hard part: Calling it done.

DONE!

Sending the manuscript off to my wonderful and very patient graphic designer, Kit Foster, means It. Is. Done.

I can’t keep obsessing over that one scene. I can’t wake up at 3 in the morning and change two lines of dialog.

 

It’s time for me to just…

So what am I going to obsess about now?

Oh yeah, the sequel…

More Sweet, Sweet Rejection

Got another rejection email today for a short story I submitted under my real name. (I hesitate to say “serious story” because it’s about aliens and taking over the world… but there’s no sex. At least, no erotica.)

This was the first time, in my history of ~40 rejections, that the letter actually included some personal feedback.

All this time, I’ve been saying, “Wow, I wish the editors would just tell me what they didn’t like about my story!”

Well, this editor did.

Basically, he didn’t like everything. The beginning. The middle. The end. And all the other bits, too.

And, from now on, maybe I don’t want to know what they didn’t like about my story…

NOPE!

Also, the editor said: “Perhaps too much reliance on swearing to convey the conversation tone.”

Fuck.

Ah well, at least I get to color in one more swirl!

 Curious about my writing? Check out this excerpt from my paranormal romance/urban fantasy novel, or my flash fiction.

Novel Update: DONE!!!

100,500 words.

35 chapters.

3 months of line-editing.

And I’m calling it. The Trickster’s Lover is DONE!

I’ll write an actual post about the editing process, and my plans for the future, when it’s not 3 in the g*****n morning.

The Ballad of Tam Lin ~ Coming This Summer!

My short, erotic fairy tale,”The Ballad of Tam Lin,” about a trip to Scotland, a crumbling castle, and a mysterious stranger, is going to be published this summer in Two Dame Production‘s anthology Lustily Ever After.

Actual footage of Samantha MacLeod

I am beyond thrilled!

And you, dear reader, are going to love the anthology. Yes, you are.

If you just can’t wait until July to read some smokin’ hot erotica, then check out Two Dame Production’s first anthology,  A Slice of Sin.  This collection is super steamy, it includes a story with Viking sex (and you all know my weakness for Viking sex scenes), and it’s available now.

Yes, you could be reading a Viking sex scene. Right. Now.

Plus it’s a total steal at $3.99. I mean, you can’t even buy a latte for $3.99.

That’ll be $4.95, please

Stay tuned for more news about “The Ballad of Tam Lin” and Lustily Ever After!

Yay! Another Rejection!

Got another rejection email yesterday!

SCORE!

I get to color in another little swirly. Thanks, Buffalo Almanack!

While I’m totally going indy with my novel, I’m still trying to publish short stories under my real name. Which means rejection.

So. Much. Rejection.

But that’s cool. Because, just like Steve Rogers…

Bring on those rejection letters!

And coloring in the little swirls helps, too.

Those of you who are still wondering what the hell I’m talking about may wish to check out my Rejection Art post.

Marvel Movies & Drink Pairings: Civil War (Team Cap)

If you haven’t seen Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, then WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING READING THIS BLOG?!?

GET TO THE MOVIE THEATRE! NOW!!!

*ahem*

This post contains spoilers.

The Movie is Captain America: Civil War

Now, this is the movie that splits the Avengers.

That divides loyalties.

That pits friend against friend, brother against (sort of) brother. Or sister. Or sentient robot thing with an infinity stone in his forehead.

Anyway.

To properly match Civil War with an alcoholic drink, first you need to ask yourself: Whose Side Are You On?

Team Cap

Team Cap does pretty well in this movie. I mean, aside from abandoning his shield, having half his team turn against him, and almost killing his frenemy Tony Stark.

Plus having his bestie go back in the deep freeze.

But the point is, Steve Rogers stood by his principles, even when the whole world turned against him.

The Drink: Old Fashioned

So I’d make Team Cap an Old Fashioned.

Now, I know that Steve Rogers can’t get drunk. But you know who could really, really use a drink after this movie?

Bucky.

Raise your bionic silver arm if you want a drink!

And if he didn’t get an ice cold Old Fashioned before he went back into suspended animation, hell, I will personally travel to Wakanda, get my ass kicked by the female assassins/body guards, unfreeze Bucky, and give him this drink.

Plus anything else he wants.

Hey, tortured, long-haired villains are hot. (See: Loki. Also, Loki. And this Loki.)

Team Cap’s Old Fashioned

1 tsp. simple syrup

Angostura Bitters – just shake them into the glass twice

2 oz. – a scant shot glass – of rye whiskey. (Bucky likes Knob Creek’s)

1 orange slice

Combine simple syrup and bitters, then fill the glass about halfway with ice. Stir. A lot. Then squeeze the orange slice over the mixture, add the whiskey, and stir again. Lots.

You can garnish this with a cherry. If you must.

Enjoy, my Team Cap friends!

Team Iron Man coming soon, I promise.

 

Cover Reveal!

The cover is finished!

My paranormal romance/urban fantasy about surviving graduate school, falling in love, and preventing Ragnarök finally has a cover!

Drum roll please…

And here it is!

I worked with the amazing Kit Foster Designs for this cover, and I love it!

Actual footage of Samantha MacLeod

And here’s what’s going on the back:

Surviving Graduate School ~ Falling in Love ~ Preventing Ragnarök

Graduate student Caroline Capello has always been more comfortable with books than people. She’s just moved to the University of Chicago to become the world’s foremost authority on Norse mythology, making her the only member of her family to leave San Diego, and the family business.

But she’s wondering if she’s just made the biggest mistake of her life.

When Loki, the enigmatic and irresistibly sexy Norse god of lies, appears in her studio apartment, Caroline is forced to question everything she’s learned.

Do the gods exist? Are the legends about Ragnarök, the apocalyptic battle that destroys the gods and ends the Nine Realms, actually true?

Or is she losing her mind?

Sound intriguing? Read a preview here, and follow me for news about the release date!