C. Margery Kempe's Blog: Lady Smut, page 161

The Walking Dead Season 3 Premiere Recap by Leia Shaw

Season 3 of The Walking Dead started Sunday night. My best friend’s husband (curse him!) got me hooked while I was out visiting last year. After watching season 1 with them, I went home and bought season 2. Then I spent a week watching a couple episodes a night by myself in the dark, in my haunted house. I have mentioned my house is haunted, right? Anyway, after a killer season finale and kick ass trailer for season 3, I’ve been counting down the days till the premier. So here’s my recap and review.

Just as I sat down to watch with my delicious hot apple cider and bag of pretzels, we open the scene with a zombie eyeball. Of course! What ever made me think I could eat and watch The Walking Dead at the same time? So Rick and his gang have barely survived the winter. It’s been rough. They’ve been surviving by going house to house in search of food and supplies, killing zombies left and right then zooming off before they’re overrun. But they’re tiring. And Lori is ready to pop out a baby. And they’re hungry. So hungry that little Carl is about to eat a can of dog food before Rick takes it and throws it across the room in a fit of frustration. “I’d rather you die than eat a can of dog food!” is what his eyes said.

In a stroke of good luck, while hunting with Daryl, Rick spots his saving grace. A prison. Yeah there’s a hoarde of zombie convicts (the worse kind of zombies!) but it’s gated and he sees a secure place to raise his growing family. You may be grimacing but this is the kind of world it’s become. Where a prison yard looks like a happy little baby play pen. So the group breaks through the fence into the prison yard then kills off the zombie hoarde. Ah growling rotting zombie flesh, how I missed you. After clearing out the yard, they have a delightful camp fire meal and sing Kumbaya. Even the zombies join in. Beautiful.

Then Rick explains that in side the prison could be a gold mine. Medical supplies, a cafeteria, an armory. They could be safe and well-supplied there for a long time. He, of course, is thinking about his baby – or maybe Shane’s. Yeah, remember him? I was pissed when they killed him off cause I thought he brought a lot of balance to the show. Ironic since he was the least balanced character but still, I was sad to see him zombified then shot in the head. Anyway, medical supplies are a huge incentive. So even though it’s dangerous and overrun with zombies, they have to risk it.

So the next day, Glen, Rick, T-dog, Daryl, and Maggie go into the prison hand-to-hand so they don’t waste ammo, and bust a few zombie skulls. Many zombie skulls. With as much gruesome, gory detail as last season. Maggie is one tough chick and is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. Daryl was at the top of the list last season. The man is a survivor. I’d stick to him like bubblegum on a shoe if I was there. He’s got crazy in his eyes. Plus, a crossbow is a damn smart weapon.

Anyway, like all good Walking Dead episodes, they run into more trouble than they thought with the local zombie population. Prison guard zombies wearing helmets and full protection gear come out of the guard tower. Indestructable zombies! Now you’re screwed. The poor motley crew has to get even more up close and personal and slice through the neck of the armor in an upward motion to get at their brain. Way to make the gross even grosser directors. Bravo. *gags*

After they clear out one prison cell block, everyone piles in for the night, smiling and hopeful for the first time in a long time. Now I get that this is a big deal. Sleeping without being afraid to be eaten alive must be pretty fucking nice after what they’ve been through. But there’s just something wrong with smiling about picking out a cell with the least amount of blood on the walls and zombie goo on the sheets. “Go get yourself a nice comfy bunk there, tiger. Mind the stray zombie head.”


Do you guys remember the end of last season? Where Andrea was about to get eaten by a zombie but a hooded figure with two zombies on chains saved her? Yeah. So we meet that chick. And she’s a total bad ass with her zombie-slicing Samurai sword. She still has two arm-less, jaw-less zombies on chains for no reason than I can discern - unless they’re some kind of zombie repellant? Or maybe like a souvenir or hood ornament? Hunters do it all the time. Of course their trophies tend to be fully dead but maybe the principle stands. Anyway, her and Andrea have been close friends since that day, we assume. But Andrea is very sick. Coughing and fever and she thinks she’s going to die. But kick ass chick – who doesn’t have a name yet – won’t give up on her.

Lori expresses to Hirshel that she’s worried she lost the baby. She hasn’t felt it move in days. She’s afraid it’ll turn into a zombie and tear her apart. Valid fear. I’m with you there, Mama. She makes Hirshel promise to kill her or the baby right away if there’s any sign either of them are becoming undead.

The same crew from earlier (Glen, Daryl, Rick, T-dog, and Maggie, and Hirshel too this time) go in search of supplies. This is where the show resembles more of a horror movie. Investigating the dark tunnels of a zombie-filled prison with flashlights makes for some heart-stopping moments. But at least I watched it during the day. I did cover my eyes at one point. Don’t judge me.

The episode ended in true Walking Dead fashion, with me murmuring “oh fuck” then calling everyone I know who watched it. But this time, I’m not telling the ending. Mwuahahaha!!!!

No, seriously. It would ruin it for people who read this but haven’t seen it yet.

Overall, cause it does say “review” in the post title, I give the series premiere a biiiig thumbs up!!!! Can’t wait for next week!

Filed under: romance

Weekly Paranormal-Scope

While I’m not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets, I am intimately linked with the paranormal in the world.  In many ways, so are you.

The week ahead for:

Aries

Ravens will win the field.  Duck, and stay on good terms with everyone.

Taurus

Ewoks prefer the trees.  It gives them another view.  Consider looking at matters in a different way.

Gemini

Listen for whale song.  Good news is coming your way.

Cancer

Eagles love their young.  Put your attention on helping others this week.

Leo

One hobbit is a clean house.  Two hobbits mean an adventure stirring.  More than three and you have a party.  Don’t fight it.  Go with the flow.

Virgo

Werewolves are not keen on stuff.  They travel light and want nothing to weigh them down.  Think about lightening your load.

Libra

One Vampire thinks the stars get their light from your eyes.  This could be very bad.  Of very exciting.  Your choice.

Scorpio

The Scorpion King stretches out on the warm sand to rejuvenate.  Consider doing something to rejuvenate yourself.

Sagittarius

Hell hounds have passed you by.  Whew!  You’ve had a narrow escape. Rejoice!

Capricorn

One elf wants to give you a gift that will ease pain. Take it.  There is not harm and no strings attached. 

Aquarius

Pixies are everywhere, even under the fallen leaves.  Be careful where you step for lots of reasons.

Pieces

The Faery Queen gifts you with wisdom this week.  You’re going to know a lot of things. 

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Filed under: romance, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope

Reading at Albacon: Oct 18-21

by C. Margery Kempe

Our fearless leader, Susan Hanniford Crowley, and I will be heading to Albacon this week. We’ll be taking part in a lot of panels about writing and reading, trends in speculative fiction and the overlaps with romance.

And then there’s be the sexy midnight reading, too! I love doing readings. I don’t get to do them often enough. There’s just something wonderful about having an immediate reaction to your words. So often we just type away and hear the words in our head and wonder how people will react. People might buy our books and we never hear another peep.

So we beg you to leave reviews and ratings in hope of finding out.

The truth is a lot of writing is on faith: faith that you’ll find a publisher, that you’ll find an audience, that it will sound as good in their heads as it does in your own. More often than not, we’ll never know. That’s just part of the game.

And the bigger truth is that we’d do it anyway. There’s a weird gene that makes a writer; all artists are strange I suppose (and I do believe we are all artists, though many people don’t ever use the magic they have inside). But writing is a peculiar art. You can sing a song and get a reaction; you can hang a picture and people will respond to it. I suppose you could hand out novels on a street corner, but it would still take people time to read them.

If you’re in the eastern upstate NY area, drop by Albacon. You’ll find plenty to amuse and inform you. If you see me, say hello. Most writers are kind of quiet, so you may have to start the conversation. I know people have sometimes interpreted my quiet as aloofness; I’m just not good at starting conversations. If you’re also the retiring kind of person, a good way to start a conversation is to bring up something said at a panel (whether I said it or someone else). I tend to use questions to get other people talking.

And for those of you who miss my travel photos, here’s one of the beautiful places I stay now that I’ve gone back to my gypsy ways. Beautiful, ain’t it?

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Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, erotic romance, Helping Other Writers, Kit Marlowe, Marketing, Promotion, Readers Conference, Readers Conferences, romance, Romance News, science fiction romance, science fiction with romantic elements, Susan Hanniford Crowley, What A Writer Needs, Writer Workshops, Writer's Life, Writers Conferences

World Creation: Building Brand New Ones

A lot is happening and I mistakenly forgot to finish talking about World Creation:Building Brand New Ones.  It is a huge topic that could fill volumes, so I’m only give you some brief but important pointers here to get you started in the right direction.  Since you don’t want to do a parallel world like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series, or throw our current world into the future like Blade Runner or do an alternate history, which all use aspects of a world we’re familiar with, you need to create rules for your world.

Creating laws for a new world is sort of like discovering your own laws of physics.  How does matter work in your world.  What forms of matter are there?  What form is your creature/hero/heroine? How are things created?  How are things destroyed?  What does a natural ending consist of?  What are the interactions between beings?  Magnetic?  Repellent?  What do they subsist on?

In creating this new world, you have to make these decisions and keep them consistent throughout the story.  You will have to decide what moral code if any that they live by.  What are their rituals?  Their belief system?  How do they react to outsiders?

The movie that most comes to mind when building a new world is an early French science fiction animated film called “Fantastic Planet.”  According to the historical account of toplessrobot.com, “this surreal animated film from René Laloux won the special jury prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival and was distributed in the U.S. by Mr. Roger Corman. The film is set on the planet of the Draags; a giant humanoid race that keep humans (called “Oms) as pets. They attach pseudo-magnetic collars to their Oms that have the capability of literally dragging them back home. For fun they make them fight or create miniature storm clouds to chase them around. The story revolves around a pet Om named Terr, who acquires forbidden knowledge via his owner’s educational headset. Terr escapes and takes the headset with him back to the wild Oms. Some of the Oms refuse the knowledge the high-technology of the headset offers, and the debate of science vs. religion begins.”

It is a riviting tale, and if you are fortunate enough to see this film, you will get an excellent idea of what you have to do to create a brave new world.

I’ve shared quite a lot in one sitting.  Be sure to ask questions.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

 

Filed under: A Writing Sirloin Tip, Helping Other Writers, Settings, Susan Hanniford Crowley, What A Writer Needs, What are you watching?, What inspires you?, Writer's Life

Author Mandi Casey Joins me today by Marian Lanouette

The Bizarre life of Sydney Sedrick is one of my favorite books. I want to thank author Mandi Casey for stepping in for me today as my family grieves the lost of Brian Allen, beloved husband, father, son, brother and nephew.  May you walk into the light.

Sydney Sedrick interview:

Interviewer: In a nutshell, how would you describe yourself?

Sydney: Well, I’m 27 years old, and I was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. My parents moved down to Chicago, but I’ve recently moved back to Kenosha to help my Aunt Judith with her store, Morning Sun. Since then, my life has been turned upside down.

Interviewer: What makes you say that?

Sydney: A few nights ago, I was attacked by a werewolf and he bit me in the neck. Ever since, I’ve learned that I’m the new Selected.

Interviewer: Selected? What does that mean?

Sydney: I’ve only recently found out that werewolves and vampires exist, obviously, as I was bitten by a werewolf. According to some dusty old prophecies, the Selected is destined to save the world, somehow.

Interviewer: Are you dating anyone? How do they feel about your new found position?

(Note: Sydney’s cheeks blush and she averts her eyes before answering.)

Sydney: No, my pool of would-be boyfriends is pretty barren right now.

Interviewer: Really? That surprises me.

Sydney: Well, there is Blake. He’s the heir to the Midwestern Werewolf Pack. He’s pretty sure I’m his true-mate, but that’s not possible.

Interviewer: If you both like each other, why not go for it?

Sydney: Ha! Yeah, you sound just like my sister, Brianna. No, we weren’t meant to be together, Blake and I. You see, if I date him, the vampires will get all ticked, and then they’d attack the werewolves. I just couldn’t stand to have that kind of bloodshed on my hands.

Interviewer: Thanks for your time, Sydney. Maybe we’ll talk more about the Bizarre Life of Sydney Sedrick soon.

Sydney: Um, thanks for having me.

End of Interview.

Author Bio

At age ten, Mandi Casey bought her first paranormal romance. Since then, she’s been bitten with a passion for vampires, werewolves, life-mates, and all matters relating to love and romantic stories of success against all odds. Her writing style draws the reader in with emotionally charged connections, conflict, adventure, and dark, snarky humor.

When she’s not writing, Mandi enjoys Frisbee golfing and researching and writing about urban paranormal romance.

She is a member of Rockin’ Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America and Savvy Authors.

Connect with her on Facebook or follow her blog at http://whoareyoucallingavampire.blogspot.com

Bizarre Life of Sydney Sedrick can be purchased at:

www.soulmatepublishing.com; www.amazon.com; or www.barnesandnoble.com

Please check out the book trailer for Bizarre Life of Sydney Sedrick at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4PjSYAEsMU

Filed under: romance

Author, Mimi Barbour Introduces Her Characters by Gerri Brousseau

Hi there…I’m Mimi, author of the new romantic suspense Vegas series, I’d like to thank my friend Gerri for kindly having me visit her blog today. It’s great being able to meet new people and share my characters with you.

***Do you make a composite of your characters before you start writing your story? Here are mine for the characters you’ll find in Book 1- Partners & Book 2 – Roll the Dice.   

Aurora Morelli – Heroine

- Sapphire blue eyes, long dark hair, compact body. Looks feminine but hates it.

- Has always tried to overcome her size by the strength of her personality. There’s a chip on her shoulder that she nourishes. It’s her protection from getting hurt—that and sarcasm, many times humorous.

- She wears high-heeled boots and walks tall, with her head up and shoulders back to add height because she hates feeling inadequate for being so short.

- Concealed under those boots, she has ankle bracelets and painted toenails.

- She hates her bitch of a mother because the woman killed herself in a drunken rage and never, ever gave her daughter any inkling that she mattered. Therefore the little girl hiding inside Aurora still craves those missing hugs.

- She’s a secret romantic, loves the happy endings and hides her romance books all around her apartment.

- She’s a little Miss Homemaker, has recipes books and bottles of fancy oils in her kitchen. There are homemade quilted pillows on her sofa and herb plants on her windowsill.

- Born and raised in Casa Grande, loves the Coyotes and has a favorite souvenir coffee mug. Her lieutenant grew up near her and they know each other’s backgrounds, and therefore they have a special attachment.

- Las Vegas detective for 5 years and has worked with a female partner, Debbie, who she loves more than anyone else. They’ve formed an attachment closer than sisters, and Debbie is the only person who she’s let inside her protective armor. From the night Debbie gets assaulted, Aurora has a mission. Find the serial rapist who hurt the person she loves most. Then put the animal away.

- When Debbie becomes pregnant, takes leave, and gets married to none other than the lieutenant, knitted within Aurora’s happiness, feelings of envy emerge. One day, she wants to get married and have her own baby.

- She’s had lovers, but never anyone who matters enough for her to change. The men she’s actually attracted to aren’t the men she chooses to date. It’s the hotshot, sexy, cowboy type that sets her heart beating faster, especially if they have the charisma of a lover and the looks to back it up.

***Do you make a detailed analysis or a short, spotlight into each person? A kind of profile to give you an idea of what drives each person to act the way they do under any situation.

  Kai Larson – Hero

- This man is a Bruce Willis lookalike, has a bald head and his eyes are deep and blue.

- He’s a natural tease, a bit of a smartass, and sharp as a whip. Likes to take control.

- He carries a computer case that looks like a purse and wears tight blue jeans, cowboy boots, and favors t-shirts.

- Being that he’s from L.A., it isn’t hard to believe that his favorite hockey team is the L.A. Kings.

- In L.A. he’s a sergeant and has turned down multiple chances at moving up the ladder. He likes working the streets and is good at it.

- He was in the army with Aurora’s lieutenant, and after their stints were up, they went to the same police academy. When Kai needs to move to Las Vegas to find and kill the man who’d raped his sister, he places a call and the move is on.

- Except that when he arrives, he’s forced to take on a partner. A woman partner who’s fixated on getting the same man he wants, only she wants to put him in jail. A woman walking around with a huge chip on her shoulder, and he soon realizes that it turns him on.

- Blessed with good parents, a happy childhood and a gift of attracting the females, he grew up unconsciously feeling entitled.

- Then his sister was raped. From that day he’s changed. Made a vow of vengeance. She lost her life and so will the man who’d made her feel such despair that her only way out was to kill herself.

***Or like me, do you fill in these characteristics as the story grows? I find that it’s only by how they deal with each conflict I throw at them, that their personalities start becoming clear. And I do love conflicts!

I have a fairly good idea of their looks, because before I ever put any words on file, I’ve lived with the characters in my head for a few weeks. By then I can see them as clear as if I was remembering an old friend.

It’s how they react under different sets of circumstances that’s still a mystery which gets solved as I write their story.

***How do you deal with the people in your story? It’ll be interesting to see how many of us work in the same way.

Thanks for introducing us to your characters and sharing with us today, Mimi. Now readers, if like me, you are anxious to read these books … here are the purchase links:

Partners: http://www.amazon.com/Partners-Vegas-Series-ebook/dp/B008ZXDZTC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349508000&sr=8-1&keywords=partners

Roll the Dice: http://www.amazon.com/Roll-Dice-Vegas-Series-ebook/dp/B00925VCF6/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

 

Filed under: romance

The End of a Manuscript

It seems to me that one big thing writers struggle with is the end of a manuscript. I know that statement can mean a whole lot but what I’m talking about specifically is when a manuscript is done, not the last few pages of a story. I should know, I just finished one and it was inspiration for my roadblock blog a couple weeks ago. But seriously, how do we know when our manuscript is done? Well, I don’t know if I have the complete answer to that but I do have some tips:

1)      Step away from the manuscript. I had my critique partner tell me this as she was trying to do a beta. The reason I say trying is because I kept sending her updated versions from things I thought needed changing. It is important for you to give your manuscript a chance to breathe after you write it. It also gives you a chance to let your mind freshen up for another look later.

2)      Read your manuscript aloud. Okay, once you’ve let your manuscript breathe and you can tolerate going back to it (we all know that at some point you just can’t stand looking at it anymore), take the time to read it aloud. It is great for catching issues with flow, spelling, grammar and if you read it within a shorter period, plot issues.

3)      Have others beta read or skim through your manuscript. Many times, it is hard to determine (by the time we’ve spent so much time with our manuscript) whether it is too long or too short, whether it has too much plot or too little and whether our readers will understand what we writers are trying to convey. Another set of eyes or two can help you catch these key, deal-breaking issues.

4)      Read through the publisher’s submission guidelines and apply them to your manuscript. This is a huge area where writers mess up. Each publisher and/or agent may have very different guidelines or formats. Some don’t have any specifics at all. Either way, it is important for you to review them as it would be a pity to have your manuscript turned away for something other than your actually story/writing.

5)      Let it go. Last but not least on this list of tips is letting the manuscript go. Sometimes we have trouble admitting when something is done. The truth is that there were always be improvements we can make but at some point (especially as writing is a craft we constantly learn), you just have to let it go and trust that you’ve done the best you could.

Hope these tips help you get that manuscript off to a publisher so you can start a new one. If any of you all have some other tips, please feel free to share. Happy writing this week!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Pitch Perfect Movie Review by Leia Shaw

It’s been a while since I’ve done a movie review. Partly because I just don’t have time and money to see movies every week – the money situation could be solved if anyone cares to donate to the Leia’s Movie Reviews Fund.

But there also hasn’t been much I’ve been interested in seeing lately. That is, until I saw the preview for Perfect Pitch. This is another musical. I’m guessing the popularity of Glee has spurred producers to look for musical type movies. All the theater geeks are rejoicing in theatrical ways I’m sure. Dressing up, having sing-offs, and other stereotypical activities I can’t think of right now.

Anyway…

Pitch Perfect. Here’s where a clever reviewer would come up with some pun having to do with the title of the movie and the critique. But I’m not clever. I’m lazy. So you get this. Pitch Perfect is funny.

The movie follows Beca (played by Anna Kendrick)  – a broody college freshman dubbed “alternative” because of her black nail polish and normal clothes. I’m confused. Do most college students wear skirt suits and high heels? Apparently in this part of the country (one of the Carolinas), having a few earrings and wearing skinny jeans makes you bad ass. Anyway, Beca is into DJ-ing and remixing songs from the nineties and generally being sullen. But Beca is also unique and funny and already the audience likes her.

Now this is sort of a musical – we know this by the acapella competition that opens the movie. But it’s not like a break-into-a-ballad-to-express-my-feelings kind of musical. It’s a movie with some musical numbers during appropriate times – like competitions and car rides and showers. To my husband’s delight, no spontaneous dancing.

So in this random Carolina college, there are two groups fighting for the glory and honor of being called the best “organized nerd singing” group. The Treble Tones – a bunch of odd-looking guys who act like frat boys but without the swagger to back it up. They’re like the rock stars of the nerd world. And the super perky Bellas, who look like flight attendant school and Bible study group had a baby then took uppers.

Aubrey (played by the same actress that played Reverand Steve’s wife in True Blood, season 2) is a sparkly blonde chick who’s about to become the leader of the Bellas after the performance in the opening number. This is her big moment to shine. And her solo is that obnoxious song by Ace of Base, I Saw the Sign, that was so overplayed when I was in high school I could just puke. Ironically, that’s exactly what Aubrey did. She puked. In the middle of the performance. All over the audience.

Three months later, it’s the next school year and nobody wants to join the Barfing Bellas. Little Miss Perfect Sunshine is out to recruit eight new singers for the group. They want Beca to join but she’s too angsty for such an upbeat hobby. Being a joiner isn’t cool. Neither is overachieving. Or any kind of achieving for that matter. But the leader’s assistant, Chloe (played by Brittany Snow), convinces Beca by extreme…um…enthusiasm, to try out for the group. Basically she pins her naked to the shower wall and forces her to sing.

To make a long review a little less long and a lot less boring (hopefully), Aubrey manages to assemble a rag tag bunch of freaks and geeks. One specific girl, brought in for comic relief, Fat Amy (played by Rebel Wilson from Bridemaids – best movie ever!), stole the spotlight. Maybe you’ve seen her in the commercials? She adds a great dimension to the film with her fun accent and   enter brilliant movie critic term here. Point is, she’s funny. And not just in the parts they put in the movie trailers either.

So despite the rigid rehearsal schedule set by Dictator Sunshine Face, the group sucks. They lack cohesion and teamwork and songs that don’t make me want to remove my own eardrums. But with hard work and practice, a dash of school spirit, and a lot of heart…they still suck. Seriously. Right up until the very end.

Oh, and we can’t forget the love interest – adorable, boy-next-door type, Jesse. Of course, he’s accepted into the Bella’s rivals, the Treble Tones. Jesse is a sweetheart with the voice of a…rockstar nerd and a love for movie scores. He and Beca have an angsty love because, well, Beca is like a less hot, more wimpy, less sparkly, more humany version of Edward Cullen. Funny cause the actress that plays Beca also played Jessica in the Twilight Saga. Wow. That just clicked in my head. Brilliant, Leia. Brilliant.

Best part of the movie. The commentary at the competitions by two acapella alumni. One played by Elizabeth Banks says, “Nothing makes a woman hotter than a man who sings like a boy.” Or something to that effect. Don’t quote me on that. I’m doing this from memory. And her counterpart, John Michael Higgins says, “Women are as good at acapella as they are at being doctors.”

And that brings me to my last point. Wait. There was a first and second point, right? Just go with it. It’s late and I’m on book deadline. Last point, the movie is hilarious. The songs and acapella performances are fun. The characters are somewhat cliché but still funny. And overall I’d say Pitch Perfect is…ready for it? Is…a bit “pitchy” but almost “perfect.” What do you think of that pun, huh? Did you like it?

Final wrap-up. I won’t say this is the best movie of the year, and there’s some stiff competition when it comes to musicals – Rock of Ages was pretty amazing – but it was a fun night out and I highly recommend it.  If you could only see one music movie this year…like, you really really could only choose one…hmmm. Well, I guess if someone held me at gun point and said, “Tell me which movie is better, bitch! I’m gonna pay twelve dollars for this shit!” Then I would say, “Rock of Ages. Nothing beats Tom Cruise’s nipples. Will you please let me go now, crazy person?”

But hopefully you have it in your heart, and wallet, to see both.

Filed under: romance

Weekly Paranormal-Scope

While I’m not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets, I am intimately linked with the paranormal in the world.  In many ways, so are you.

The week ahead for:

Aries

Fairies can be messy.  Sorry.  Time for cleaning.

Taurus

Giants love football and new snacking ideas.  Buy a couple of magazines and try out new recipes.

Gemini

Werewolves are gathering for a reunion.  Enjoy yourself and visit with those you haven’t seen for awhile.

Cancer

Shapeshifters have keen fashion sense.  Add some more color to your wardrobe.

Leo

Gnomes are packing for an upcoming weekend break.  They know how to relax.

Virgo

Dragons love heights.  New adventures are in store.

Libra

Hobbits love comfort food, so stock up.

Scorpio

Vampires are to be avoided, as well as anyone else who sucks your energy.

Sagittarius

Fairies love the fall.  Leaves tumble to the ground, but somehow you will feel more free.

Capricorn

Dragons keep great caves.  Re-evaluate yours and make some changes.

Aquarius

Werepanters love yarn.  Indulge in a new hobby.

Pieces

Mermaids love trying out new dishes.  Now is the time to visit new places and experiment.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Filed under: Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope

Interview with J. S. Wayne

by C. Margery Kempe

First let me name the winners of copies of Chastity Flame: email katelaity at gmail with your preferred ebook format and she will send you copies: mammy4423, Mary Roya, Ann Q. 

Now let me introduce you to J.S. Wayne and Wail.

What inspired Wail?

Wail started life as a NaNovel in 2010. I’d just finished Kim Harrison’s White Witch, Black Curse, and I got very curious as to why more writers haven’t taken on the banshee legend. So I decided to give it a whirl for myself!

What started you writing romance?

I actually started writing romance as an accident. I wrote a short story, “Espiritu Sancti,” for a contest on Writing.com…and won! A few months later I entered the same contest with a short called “Angels Would Fall.” That story split first prize with a story about a mermaid, and my ex-wife told me I should think about publishing. I found a publisher, submitted “Angels,” and got accepted. And the rest, as they say, is history!

How did you develop your craft?

Many, many years of writing and figuring out what worked and what didn’t! It took me fifteen years to publish my first novel, and from the time I was eleven until I was thirty-two I read voraciously. Nothing beats sitting down and doing it to hone the writer’s craft, and I made a lot of missteps and mistakes along the way. Hell, I’m still making them today! But they’re getting fewer and fewer, so I suppose that’s something…

What makes a great heroine?

A great heroine is someone any woman can identify with and any man wants to be with. Tough and gutsy, but not afraid to be a woman, either. My personal favorite heroines are the ones who wear kick-ass leather pants and frilly lace panties…YUM!

What’s sexy?

The sexiest thing in the world to me is a woman who knows what she wants, isn’t afraid to explore, and can hold an intelligent conversation. I don’t do well with ditzes or airheads, but you show me a woman who can play chess and appreciates metal and I’ll show you a drooling guy!

What makes you laugh?

Oh, God…there are so many things! I love to watch stand-up comics, the antics of puppies, or cute little kids at the grocery store. All of them make me laugh for different reasons, and I adore a woman who can tell a good joke!

Do you ever incorporate real people/events into your stories?

*chuckles evilly* Actually, I do. Not as often as one might think, and I usually name them in the dedications of my stories when I do because they gave me permission to use their likenesses. But there’ve been a few people I used in my stories who I don’t care to name in real life because I wound up dropping a metaphorical house on them!

How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?

Heh. That’s a tough balancing act to be sure, between my college studies, my day job as a blogger, my position as CEO of Writing Out Child Abuse, and trying to find a little quiet time for me in all that! But the fact is, writing is my life and it’s what puts food on the table, keeps the roof over my head, and cigarettes in my pocket, so it has to be the priority. I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful girlfriend, Kierce Sevren, who understands my sometimes chaotic life because she’s doing the exact same thing!

What’s the most common mistake people make about you?

A lot of people wonder, when I tell them I write erotic romance and horror, if I’m gay. The horror doesn’t throw them, but the erotic romance always gets The Look. So I finally just started saying, “I write erotic romance and horror. No, I’m not gay.” Makes it easier and avoids the misconception altogether.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?

Right now I’m staring at the New York Times bestseller list. Once I get there, I’ll worry about the rest of it…although I wouldn’t be opposed to winning an Academy Award for Best Screenplay in the not-too-distant future!

What’s the best advice you ever received?

Oh, God…there’s been so much great advice I’ve received, writing and otherwise. I guess the one that sticks with me the most is, “Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Do what’s going to make you happy.” My dad is a very wise man.

If money were no object, what would be your ideal vacation?

I’d take Kierce and her son to Ireland for a month. I would love to actually visit Malin Head in Northern Ireland, one of the key settings in Wail, and get to see how the Irish party!

LOL, trust me they party with the best. What’s next for you?

Tonight I have a reading at Braun Books in Cedar City. Then I have a whole mess of studying to do to keep the old grade point average up. After that…well, November’s just around the corner, and that means NaNoWriMo!

Here’s an excerpt from Wail:

Heather laughed, half in relief, half in joy. “I could use a dancing partner,” she said.

“An’ what’ll yer husband say t’that?” Hugh asked shrewdly, narrowing his eyes through the veil of smoke cast by the fragrant tobacco in his pipe at her thin gold wedding band.

“Mike won’t mind,” she assured him. “He wants me to have fun while I’m here.”

“Does that include that lot ye came in wi’?”

Heather gave him a sharp look. “Not that it’s any of your business,” she retorted tartly, “but if I decided it should, that’s between me and my husband.” She stood as if to leave.

Hugh put his hand gently on her elbow. “I dinna mean t’offend,” he said quietly. “It’s just that I like those gells a great deal. But there’s those same gossips who’d be talkin’ from now to the Second Comin’ about yer family who say the most vile things about them. They’re perfectly kind, sweet, and as good a pair as ye’d hope t’meet. But because they don’t twig t’men as bed partners, there’s got ta be summat wrong wi’ ‘em. What ye do in yer own bed is yer own business, ‘less ye care t’make’t mine. I was simply curious, an’ I’m sorry again if I offended,” he said sincerely, dropping his hand from her arm.

Heather thought it over for a moment, looking at the situation as an outsider might. Someone who had no idea why she was here or what she was doing might very easily get all the wrong ideas about her. But then again, why did she care? What did it matter to her what these people thought of her? And if she did decide to get involved with Moira and Kathleen while she was here, what was the harm? Surely sex with other women was far safer, by comparison, than sex with any male.

Hugh looked quite crestfallen as he sat there, clearly torn between fear that he’d pushed too far and blown his chance to be her dancing partner and hope that she’d forgive him. The band filed back onto the stage and picked up their instruments. Heather let him stew for a moment, and then took his hand.

“Come on,” she said, leading him out onto the floor.

The woman leading the band began to play a mournful tune on her fiddle, and the band filled in behind her with a somber, melancholy but lovely air. As she played, she began to sing. Heather couldn’t understand a word of it, but the song was so wistful and sad that it tugged at her heart. She asked Hugh, who was keeping just enough distance for courtesy’s sake, “What is she singing?”

He listened for a moment. Clearly, he’d been paying more attention to the company than the music. He said, “It’s a traditional Irish love song, about a woman whose man’s called away t’war.”

“Does it have a happy ending?” she asked, even though from the doleful sound of the melody, she doubted it.

“Ah, ye’ve a lot t’learn about yer people, colleen,” Hugh chuckled. “It’s very few Irish songs worth the singin’ have happy endin’s.”

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Filed under: C. Margery Kempe