Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 72
February 5, 2019
Revisiting the Ugly Window
Back in October, I blogged about the ugly window in my master bathroom. I'd debated what to do with it for a while and finally decided on some kind of valance. Since a curtain valance is easier than one of those cornice-type valances, that's what I decided to do.
Finding the right one, though, proved to be difficult. I paged through Amazon, Overstock, Wayfair, JC Penney, and on and on and on. My problem is that I love bright colors, but I'm not 6 years old. All the adult valances I stumbled across were so conservative. I like my colors bright and wild, and if I have a choice, I want pink.
I finally ended up doing an image search on Google and paging through that. This is how I ended up on eBay.
I found several valances I thought would work for me, all from the same seller. Making a decision was hard. Did I go with the solid or a pattern? Which accent color if I did the solid? Did I go for the size that fit across my window with no gathers or did I go for a little poof?
Ultimately, I chose the pattern and a size wide enough for poof. I love the valance! But the window is still ugly with a pretty valance over the top of it.
Finding the right one, though, proved to be difficult. I paged through Amazon, Overstock, Wayfair, JC Penney, and on and on and on. My problem is that I love bright colors, but I'm not 6 years old. All the adult valances I stumbled across were so conservative. I like my colors bright and wild, and if I have a choice, I want pink.
I finally ended up doing an image search on Google and paging through that. This is how I ended up on eBay.
I found several valances I thought would work for me, all from the same seller. Making a decision was hard. Did I go with the solid or a pattern? Which accent color if I did the solid? Did I go for the size that fit across my window with no gathers or did I go for a little poof?
Ultimately, I chose the pattern and a size wide enough for poof. I love the valance! But the window is still ugly with a pretty valance over the top of it.
January 31, 2019
Cover Reveal: Wicked Intention
If you're a member of my newsletter or if you've read Wicked Obsession, you've seen the cover for Wicked Intention already. For the rest of you, here's the cover for my next story.
***SPOILER ALERT: Don't go past the cover image if you haven't read Wicked Obsession yet and don't want a minor spoiler.***
This hero and heroine were originally supposed to be the first couple in the Paladin League series, but Ryder and Langley jumped in front of them.
Special Forces Sergeant Finn Rowland is undercover as a mercenary and part-time gunrunner by the name of Tom Finley when he meets Zofia Parker in the South American country of Puerto Jardin. Finn is immediately attracted to her (and vice versa), but she's up to something and Finn needs to figure out what that is before she blows up his mission.
***SPOILER ALERT: Don't go past the cover image if you haven't read Wicked Obsession yet and don't want a minor spoiler.***
This hero and heroine were originally supposed to be the first couple in the Paladin League series, but Ryder and Langley jumped in front of them.
Special Forces Sergeant Finn Rowland is undercover as a mercenary and part-time gunrunner by the name of Tom Finley when he meets Zofia Parker in the South American country of Puerto Jardin. Finn is immediately attracted to her (and vice versa), but she's up to something and Finn needs to figure out what that is before she blows up his mission.
January 29, 2019
Smoke From a Distant Fire
Last week, on Wicked Obsession's book birthday, I was at work. Late in the afternoon, about 35 minutes before I'm supposed to go home, I'm in the next aisle of cubes talking to a couple of my guys. I jumped when the fire alarm went off. It's a shrill, obnoxious sound and some lights start flashing as well.
I head to my desk and grab a jacket and my purse. Not my car keys. (This is important later.) I also don't take my laptop, but it's just a fire drill. I should have time to logoff and put the computer in my bag to take home.
We evacuate and stand around outside waiting for the signal to return to work. In the morning, it had been freezing when I got to work, but now it's cool, but relatively comfortable.
I start getting antsy as it gets close to my time to go home. Traffic will be hideous if I'm stuck. Then the all-clear horn blows. Finally! This should give me enough time to use the restroom, logoff the laptop, and get out the door before gridlock.
As we're heading for the building, the fire alarm goes off again. Everyone freezes in place.
I'll save you the play-by-play here and cut to what was going on. We were completely uniformed until about the last ten minutes, so misinformation was rife.
The engine shop had a fire and a leak (we heard hydrogen) and the fire department was trying to remove the canister from the building. The fire department was concerned that a spark would make the thing explode and they wanted everyone out of the building in case it happened. Luckily, they were able to remove the thing without it blowing up.
We ended up standing outside for about 90 minutes. If I'd had my keys and laptop, I could have left on time because that was about the same time we were told we could go home. Of course, my keys were in my desk, and as I was working from home the next day, I needed my laptop. I couldn't leave.
By the time I got back to my desk, used the restroom, and got ready to leave, so had everyone else that was supposed to go home. Namely a full shift of mechanics. Waze showed red on the road in front of Tech Ops and people even tagged traffic at a standstill in our parking lot. I decided there was no point in sitting in my car, so I hung around work until the roads cleared. I ended up leaving about an hour and a half past my usual time. :-(
At least no one was hurt (as far as I know).
I head to my desk and grab a jacket and my purse. Not my car keys. (This is important later.) I also don't take my laptop, but it's just a fire drill. I should have time to logoff and put the computer in my bag to take home.
We evacuate and stand around outside waiting for the signal to return to work. In the morning, it had been freezing when I got to work, but now it's cool, but relatively comfortable.
I start getting antsy as it gets close to my time to go home. Traffic will be hideous if I'm stuck. Then the all-clear horn blows. Finally! This should give me enough time to use the restroom, logoff the laptop, and get out the door before gridlock.
As we're heading for the building, the fire alarm goes off again. Everyone freezes in place.
I'll save you the play-by-play here and cut to what was going on. We were completely uniformed until about the last ten minutes, so misinformation was rife.
The engine shop had a fire and a leak (we heard hydrogen) and the fire department was trying to remove the canister from the building. The fire department was concerned that a spark would make the thing explode and they wanted everyone out of the building in case it happened. Luckily, they were able to remove the thing without it blowing up.
We ended up standing outside for about 90 minutes. If I'd had my keys and laptop, I could have left on time because that was about the same time we were told we could go home. Of course, my keys were in my desk, and as I was working from home the next day, I needed my laptop. I couldn't leave.
By the time I got back to my desk, used the restroom, and got ready to leave, so had everyone else that was supposed to go home. Namely a full shift of mechanics. Waze showed red on the road in front of Tech Ops and people even tagged traffic at a standstill in our parking lot. I decided there was no point in sitting in my car, so I hung around work until the roads cleared. I ended up leaving about an hour and a half past my usual time. :-(
At least no one was hurt (as far as I know).
January 28, 2019
Last Day to Save 25%
Today is the final day of fan pricing for Wicked Obsession!Pick up your copy today and save 25%. Tomorrow, the price will be higher so don't miss out!
The link goes to my website where you can read an excerpt, find out more, and if you'd like, click to buy. Currently, the story is only available on Amazon. I do plan to go wide later, but that will be at full price.
For those of you who've purchased Wicked Obsession, thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
January 25, 2019
Find Your New Favorite Series!
NOOK Book Bash — Find Your New Favorite Series! Hundreds of FREE first-in-series books!
Choose a series at http://littl.ink/BookBash, then use code NOOKBASHFREE to get the first book free and code NOOKBASH25 to get the second book for 25% off!
Ravyn's Flight and Eternal Nights are part of this promotion! With the coupon code, you can get Ravyn's Flight for free and Eternal Nights for 25% off.
Don’t have a NOOK? Download the *free* NOOK reading app for your smartphone or tablet at http://littl.ink/NookApp.
Happy reading!
(PLEASE NOTE: Books must be purchased on the BN.com online store, not in an app. Coupon codes don’t work inside apps.)
Choose a series at http://littl.ink/BookBash, then use code NOOKBASHFREE to get the first book free and code NOOKBASH25 to get the second book for 25% off!
Ravyn's Flight and Eternal Nights are part of this promotion! With the coupon code, you can get Ravyn's Flight for free and Eternal Nights for 25% off.
Don’t have a NOOK? Download the *free* NOOK reading app for your smartphone or tablet at http://littl.ink/NookApp.
Happy reading!
(PLEASE NOTE: Books must be purchased on the BN.com online store, not in an app. Coupon codes don’t work inside apps.)
January 24, 2019
Behind the Scenes: Wicked Obsession
I thought I'd share some behind the scenes stories about writing Wicked Obsession. Some books don't lend themselves to a look at the process because they're straightforward. WO wasn't and maybe you'll be interested in what changed and/or how this book became a book.
The first thing is that Ryder and Langley's story was supposed to be a novella. It grew into a novel and I didn't rein it in. I figured I'd write the first draft and cut it down later. It ended up staying as a novel.
This is the first book in the Paladin League series. Now. Originally, one of Ryder's buddies was book 1. I had three chapters written about eight years ago for his friend, but it needed revision and then I had to put it aside to work on Enemy Embrace and then I moved 1100 miles from Minnesota to Georgia. But Ryder going first explained a few things about the hero of book 3 and why the hero in book 4 is who he is.
In the first draft of Wicked Obsession, chapter 6 was originally chapter 1. I had to backup and begin the story earlier. I frequently start the story in the wrong place and it's 50/50 whether I need to start earlier or later.
I had Ryder's name (first and last) right away. I had Langley's first name immediately, but her last name changed multiple times. Her last name always started with the letter C, but it took a while to settle at Canfield.
From Ryder's last name, I knew he was Polish. I didn't realize he was half Italian until I found the picture of "him." This is one of the reasons why I always look for pictures of my h/h--it always gives me insights into who they are. Most of the time it's personality, but in this case it was ethnicity.
I filled about half a notebook with notes about this story. I always make notes for every story because something about writing them out by hand sparks creativity.
Head to my website to read an excerpt!
The first thing is that Ryder and Langley's story was supposed to be a novella. It grew into a novel and I didn't rein it in. I figured I'd write the first draft and cut it down later. It ended up staying as a novel.This is the first book in the Paladin League series. Now. Originally, one of Ryder's buddies was book 1. I had three chapters written about eight years ago for his friend, but it needed revision and then I had to put it aside to work on Enemy Embrace and then I moved 1100 miles from Minnesota to Georgia. But Ryder going first explained a few things about the hero of book 3 and why the hero in book 4 is who he is.
In the first draft of Wicked Obsession, chapter 6 was originally chapter 1. I had to backup and begin the story earlier. I frequently start the story in the wrong place and it's 50/50 whether I need to start earlier or later.
I had Ryder's name (first and last) right away. I had Langley's first name immediately, but her last name changed multiple times. Her last name always started with the letter C, but it took a while to settle at Canfield.
From Ryder's last name, I knew he was Polish. I didn't realize he was half Italian until I found the picture of "him." This is one of the reasons why I always look for pictures of my h/h--it always gives me insights into who they are. Most of the time it's personality, but in this case it was ethnicity.
I filled about half a notebook with notes about this story. I always make notes for every story because something about writing them out by hand sparks creativity.
Head to my website to read an excerpt!
January 22, 2019
Wicked Obsession is Live!
It's release day!
Wicked Obsession
is officially available! For the first week, it will be $2.99 and then the price will go up to $3.99, so if you want a copy, now is the time!
Blue-Blooded Woman
As an ambassador's daughter, Langley Canfield has lived all over the world, but she's never fit in—not abroad and not at home. She thought she found a man who loved her for who she is, but when it becomes obvious that she's the only one with deep feelings, Langley breaks up with him and heads across the country for a friend's wedding.
Blue-Collar Guy
Special Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski knew that he'd never be able to hold on to Langley Canfield, that she was completely out of his league, but it still stuns him when she ends things between them. He's trying to get her out of his head when her father arrives and tells Ryder there's a death threat directed at her. Without hesitation, Ryder hops on a plane and flies out to protect Langley. She might not want him anymore, but he's not letting anyone hurt her.
I know it's been such a long time since I've had a book out and I'm so excited to finally have a new release! I appreciate all of you for hanging in there with me!
Wicked Obsession kicks off The Paladin League series. I'm writing book 2 right now and the hero is one of Ryder's friends. I have four books planned out (as much as a seat of the pants writer plans!) with an arc that will finish in book 4 and after that, we'll see what happens. For now, though, I want to focus on Ryder and Langley.
***This post contains affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.***
This is the first story I've written since my mom died and I'll admit that it was difficult to focus, especially when I began writing it. There are some writers who can write through anything, no matter how difficult it is, but my brain shuts down and I turn inward when I need to heal or deal with something super stressful. But the more I wrote and the more time I spent with Langley and Ryder, the more fun I had and this couple helped me find my joy again in creating stories. I hope you enjoy reading them as much I did writing them!
FYI, Wicked Obsession is currently only available on Amazon, but I plan a wider release in about three months.
Buy Wicked Obsession
Find out more about Wicked Obsession
Blue-Blooded Woman As an ambassador's daughter, Langley Canfield has lived all over the world, but she's never fit in—not abroad and not at home. She thought she found a man who loved her for who she is, but when it becomes obvious that she's the only one with deep feelings, Langley breaks up with him and heads across the country for a friend's wedding.
Blue-Collar Guy
Special Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski knew that he'd never be able to hold on to Langley Canfield, that she was completely out of his league, but it still stuns him when she ends things between them. He's trying to get her out of his head when her father arrives and tells Ryder there's a death threat directed at her. Without hesitation, Ryder hops on a plane and flies out to protect Langley. She might not want him anymore, but he's not letting anyone hurt her.
I know it's been such a long time since I've had a book out and I'm so excited to finally have a new release! I appreciate all of you for hanging in there with me!
Wicked Obsession kicks off The Paladin League series. I'm writing book 2 right now and the hero is one of Ryder's friends. I have four books planned out (as much as a seat of the pants writer plans!) with an arc that will finish in book 4 and after that, we'll see what happens. For now, though, I want to focus on Ryder and Langley.
***This post contains affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.***
This is the first story I've written since my mom died and I'll admit that it was difficult to focus, especially when I began writing it. There are some writers who can write through anything, no matter how difficult it is, but my brain shuts down and I turn inward when I need to heal or deal with something super stressful. But the more I wrote and the more time I spent with Langley and Ryder, the more fun I had and this couple helped me find my joy again in creating stories. I hope you enjoy reading them as much I did writing them!
FYI, Wicked Obsession is currently only available on Amazon, but I plan a wider release in about three months.
Buy Wicked Obsession
Find out more about Wicked Obsession
January 17, 2019
I Like Pink
Once upon a time, before I had my website professionally done, I had a lot of pink on the site. Maybe not the best choice since I was writing paranormal action/adventure/suspense romance at the time and pink isn't exactly the most kick-ass color in the world, but I liked it.
And then I saw some women making fun of my website for using the color pink. They weren't my readers, just some random women who somehow found my site and were mocking it.
Why do some people have such a violently negative reaction to pink?
There were no pastels on my site. I don't like pastels. I like bright, in-your-face colors, and if its a fluorescent color, so much the better. This pink was more of a fuchsia shade than anything girly.
I get crap at work from some of the guys for all the pink I have--clothes, tote bags, gym bag. This bright fuchsia shade is my favorite color, no question about it. And I like this pink paired with bright lime green, or a glow-in-the-dark orange (figuratively, not literally glow in the dark). The brighter the better. If you don't need sunglasses, the colors aren't bright enough for me. :-)
No one makes fun of people who are heavily into blue. If my site had been a bright aqua blue instead of pink, I bet no one would have said a word. So what's wrong with pink?
The only guesses I have for this reaction is 1: I'm a romance author and Barbara Cartland's over the top use of pastel pink ruined that color for all romance authors or 2: these women were reacting with unconscious sexism. Pink is a woman's color therefore it is less than other colors and totally mockable. Or 3: maybe both options?
I'm not sure what their deal was because they didn't cite why they didn't like my pink, they just made fun of it. Since I've had my website as it is today for years, you can tell how long this commentary has stuck with me. To paraphrase: All I'm saying is give pink a chance. :-)
And then I saw some women making fun of my website for using the color pink. They weren't my readers, just some random women who somehow found my site and were mocking it.
Why do some people have such a violently negative reaction to pink?
There were no pastels on my site. I don't like pastels. I like bright, in-your-face colors, and if its a fluorescent color, so much the better. This pink was more of a fuchsia shade than anything girly.
I get crap at work from some of the guys for all the pink I have--clothes, tote bags, gym bag. This bright fuchsia shade is my favorite color, no question about it. And I like this pink paired with bright lime green, or a glow-in-the-dark orange (figuratively, not literally glow in the dark). The brighter the better. If you don't need sunglasses, the colors aren't bright enough for me. :-)
No one makes fun of people who are heavily into blue. If my site had been a bright aqua blue instead of pink, I bet no one would have said a word. So what's wrong with pink?
The only guesses I have for this reaction is 1: I'm a romance author and Barbara Cartland's over the top use of pastel pink ruined that color for all romance authors or 2: these women were reacting with unconscious sexism. Pink is a woman's color therefore it is less than other colors and totally mockable. Or 3: maybe both options?
I'm not sure what their deal was because they didn't cite why they didn't like my pink, they just made fun of it. Since I've had my website as it is today for years, you can tell how long this commentary has stuck with me. To paraphrase: All I'm saying is give pink a chance. :-)
January 15, 2019
Midnight Misadventures
Our handyman retired and moved to the other side of Atlanta, so we had to find a new handyman. My dad asked a friend of his and he gave us a name and phone number. We needed the smoke detector batteries changed and I had a list of other items that needed to be taken care of and we set up a visit.
Everything seemed to have gone really well. The valance I wanted up over the ugly window was perfectly positioned. The new shower head was good and not dripping. Everything was awesome.
Until around midnight.
Chirp.
I wake up out of a sound sleep.
Chirp.
I mutter a profanity. That damn smoke detector is bitching about its batteries. The one in my bedroom. Gah!
I hear another chirp from the other side of the house. Now I have dual smoke detectors going off every minute or so and--of course!--they're not synchronized. So one beeps there's a pause and the other beeps. All. Night. Long.
The ceilings in my house are high and I'm afraid of heights and there's no way I'm sending my dad up on a ladder. Especially not in the middle of the night when everyone is groggy. I go to my office and grab my noise cancelling headset. After plugging it into my phone, I choose some soothing meditation music, hoping it would help block the chirping.
Nope. That chirp penetrates. There is literally no way to avoid it.
When my dad got up around 7:30, the first thing I say to him is: You can't go back to bed. You have to call the handyman and get him back out here to fix this thing!
My dad agreed. He said he'd taken out his hearing aid and he still heard the chirping all night long.
So what was the problem?
The handyman's assistant didn't take off the film covering the battery and the contacts and points weren't touching because of this.
Seriously.
I mainlined coffee the next day because OMG! Like no sleep. My dad said the kid was embarrassed. As he should be. Even I know better than that.
Everything seemed to have gone really well. The valance I wanted up over the ugly window was perfectly positioned. The new shower head was good and not dripping. Everything was awesome.
Until around midnight.
Chirp.
I wake up out of a sound sleep.
Chirp.
I mutter a profanity. That damn smoke detector is bitching about its batteries. The one in my bedroom. Gah!
I hear another chirp from the other side of the house. Now I have dual smoke detectors going off every minute or so and--of course!--they're not synchronized. So one beeps there's a pause and the other beeps. All. Night. Long.
The ceilings in my house are high and I'm afraid of heights and there's no way I'm sending my dad up on a ladder. Especially not in the middle of the night when everyone is groggy. I go to my office and grab my noise cancelling headset. After plugging it into my phone, I choose some soothing meditation music, hoping it would help block the chirping.
Nope. That chirp penetrates. There is literally no way to avoid it.
When my dad got up around 7:30, the first thing I say to him is: You can't go back to bed. You have to call the handyman and get him back out here to fix this thing!
My dad agreed. He said he'd taken out his hearing aid and he still heard the chirping all night long.
So what was the problem?
The handyman's assistant didn't take off the film covering the battery and the contacts and points weren't touching because of this.
Seriously.
I mainlined coffee the next day because OMG! Like no sleep. My dad said the kid was embarrassed. As he should be. Even I know better than that.
January 10, 2019
The Paladin League
In 12 days, on Jan 22nd, Wicked Obsession will be released! Cue the happy dance music!
As I mentioned on Tuesday, it's the first book in The Paladin League series. The hero is Ryder Pienkowski. He's half Polish, half Italian, and (according to his heroine) all gorgeous. :-) He's US Army Special Forces and his team works undercover missions--largely in the civil-war torn country of Puerto Jardin.
His mission this time, though, is personal. There's a death threat against his woman and he'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
Langley Canfield is the daughter of a former US ambassador. She's fluent in half a dozen languages, passable in a few others, and lived all over the world until she returned to the United States to attend college. She volunteers as a fundraiser for The Paladin League.
The Paladin League is a nonprofit organization which issues grants to archaeologists around the world to excavate important sites. At least that's it's public face. :-) You'll find out more about their secret, hidden side in book 2 of the series.
