C. Margery Kempe's Blog: Lady Smut, page 199

The Rat Race of Life

You ever wish life had a remote? I guess someone must have at one point since that is the premise behind Adam Sandler's 2006 flick called Click. I'm not going to discuss the movie as it wasn't one of my favorites of his, but I will say the idea of a life remote is ingenious.

Lately it seems that life is a rat race and I'm just barely keeping up. In some ways, there are things that can't move fast enough. I've got a big presentation coming up at work (one I'd rather be done with), we are planning to move and I can't wait to see my little boy in the next few months. In other ways, I wish life would slow down. I love the intimacy of pregnancy, I wish I had more time to write and even more so, I wish I could put my age on pause so I could learn a lot more about writing and then start back up again.

It just seems so amazing to me that I started seriously writing a little over two and a half years ago and I'm still learning so much. I always considered myself a quick study but writing takes it to a whole different level and at times, one just can't help feeling like they are trailing the pack. Oh, I know I'm not. I know the truth of it is that most of us writers feel this way quite a bit, but admit it, you're a glutton for punishment. We all are.

Writing in itself is a rat race. There is a hustle and bustle rhythm to it that is just quite addictive. Kind of an itch that won't go away. But alas, there is no remote for life. There are some things we can control and others we can't. So the moral of this story? Go with the flow but be an active participant whenever you can. Don't become a spectator of life as there are far too many of those out there. And enjoy the rat race.

Happy writing!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, What inspires you?, Writer's Life

Stories of Horror to Spark Fear This Halloween By Debralee Mede

ponsuwan; freedigitalphotos.net

It is that time of year again: time for nights of fright, the macabre and the ghostly.  Or is it time for a few ghostly authors?  How about reading a little Edgar Allan Poe this Halloween?   How about reading stories or poems written by a struggling author with a penchant for delving into and writing about morose and ghastly subjects; an author whose own life seemed not so dissimilar to the stories he wrote.

Edgar was the second of three children, born in Boston, his father who was educated for law and who married an English actress abandoned his law career, led a stage life wandering about until they both died within a short time of each other.  All three of their children, including the author middle child, were left destitute and were raised separately.  Poe was raised by foster parents, the Allans or Richmond Virginia who were by all accounts of wealth and means.  He was well-educated but after entering the University of Virginia became estranged from his foster parents and their wealth.  He later entered West Point briefly, requested a discharge, and was refused unless Allan, his foster father agreed.  Allan didn't until Poe visited the Allan home paying his respects to Mrs. Allan, whom he cared a great deal about, the day after her death.

Edgar then went to Baltimore where his grandmother lived and raised his elder brother Henry, and who lived with an aunt, Mrs. Clemm, and her daughter, and thirteen year old Virginia, his cousin whom twenty-seven year old he married secretly the same year.  The newlyweds moved to New York City where the author attempted to secure and work one of many jobs as a newspaper editor and manager but lost many of these jobs for one reason or other.

Poe continued to write, publish and win contests for his poems and short stories predominantly works of Gothic fiction and dark romanticism with recurrent themes dealing with questions of death, decomposition, premature burial and reanimation of the dead.  He also popularized satirically horrific tales using irony in order to satirize the genre.  Edgar also wrote some science fiction and since his work catered to the mass market pseudo-scientific elements such as phrenology which was popular at the time were also included.

In 1845, Virginia Clemm died of "consumption" or tuberculous after twelve years of marriage in their house in the Bronx, New York.  Still unstable after his wife's death Poe but unwilling to be alone he courted the poet Sarah Whitman.  After that relationship failed he returned to Baltimore, and began courting Sarah Royster, a childhood sweetheart who he never married because Poe was soon after dating Royster, was found on the streets of Baltimore in a state of delirium and distress and needing assistance.  He was taken to the hospital where he later died in October of 1849.  Although medical records including his death certificate had been destroyed, most report that his death was caused by cerebral inflammation commonly caused by alcoholism though many have speculated diseases such as syphilis, rabies and heart disease.  So more mystery surrounds this author's life and death.

Given his life it isn't any wonder why the writings of this author include frequent themes of the "death of a beautiful woman", as well as characters suffering from a gamut of physical and mental illnesses.  His own life marred by tragedy and lost loves seems to breathe the essential air of horror and loss into the being of his work.  Is it any wonder he writes about the tormented and obsessed who are preoccupied with death and violence? Thought this is the theme that predominates he work is it also any wonder why he is so quoted, why many of his collections have been adapted to television and movies, and why his writing is so passionate and so intense.  This All-Hallows Eve why not read a few of his stories and poems like: The Tell-Tale Heart, The Black Cat, The Raven, or even The Fall of the House of Usher and find a bit of literary macabre in your evening.  I know that I will.

Filed under: Debralee Mede, Horror Stories [image error]

Weekly Paranormal-Scope

While I'm not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planet, I am intimately linked with the paranormal in the world.

The week ahead for:

Aries

Things have started to lighten up.  The fairies have invited you to a party.

Taurus

A leprechaun's gold is not what it appears to be.  Be cautious regarding appearances.

Gemini

Dogs warn against the approach of vampires.  They are barking now.

Cancer

One vampire finds you delicious.  Tread slowly with this new friend.

Leo

Werewolves are howling about you, announcing your great qualities.

Virgo

Riding a hippogriff would do you some good. Take every opportunity to de-stress.

Libra

Werewolves and vampires are very different.  Keep your balance.

Scorpio

Gnomes know it's all about home and hearth.  Do a little decorating.

Sagittarius

Shapeshifters are showing the way with their flexible natures.

Capricorn

Elves have camped out behind your place.  Enjoy their sparkle.

Aquarius

Mermaids are calling you home.  It's your choice to go or stay.

Pieces

Your inner glow is coming to the surface.  Don't be afraid to shine.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope

Public Romance

[image error]

by C. Margery Kempe

I love this shop. Galway is full of little surprises around every corner. Away from the touristy strip along Shop Street there's a wide variety of interesting places. One of the best bakeries in my neighbourhood is called Sweetie Pie. They have a glorious variety of cupcakes that can be hard to resist with creamy chocolate icing swirling to unbelievable heights and just the right amount of sprinkles for contrast.

There's also the legendary Charley Byrne's Bookshop: back, tempter! I've already been to one reading there and yes, gave in and bought one book. But it was a Flann O'Brien collection of his Myles na gCopaleen columns, so I kind of had to buy it. He's an Irish legend.

Here's the weird thing: I live in a townhouse off Eyre Square — a place the rivals NYC for never sleeping, believe me. There are two exits from our little community. One goes down to an alley that lets on the square, the other goes into the multi-storey car park attached to Dunnes. Dunnes is like the Marks & Spencer of Ireland, a nice department store that includes a food hall (hallelujah — yes, it's where I do most of my shopping). But it's very odd to leave my little place, walk into the car park and right into Dunnes. I can also cross to the elevators and go out the alley on the opposite side, right into the heart of the pedestrian district.

It's exciting getting to know a new city — and having a bit of a public romance while I do so. If you follow the real me on Twitter, you may have already experienced that (well, there have been people implying or out right saying "get a room!"). I find it humbling that no matter how much I write about romance, I always find new surprises when it shows up at my door. Here's to keeping your heart open to the possibilities.

I will have a new 99¢ ebook any minute now! Check my website or Facebook or Twitter for the announcement, but here's the cover by the fabulous Queen of Everything, S. L. Johnson:

Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, contemporary romance, ebook readers, erotic romance, Flirting, inspiration, Kit Marlowe, New Release, romance, What inspires you?, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Different Loves in a Woman's Life by Gerri Brousseau

I have been thinking lately about the many different types of love I have experienced in my life.  Of course, being a woman I cannot speak of love experienced by men, so

if you, dear reader are of the male gender, please feel free to comment.

I recall experiencing great love for my parents and grandparents, who have long passed away now.  Even though I was only a kid, I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was very much loved by them too.  I also loved my aunts, uncles and cousins, but in a different way or at a different level.  When I was a young girl we had a dog named King.  I remember loving that old dog too and based on the way he followed me everywhere, even to school, I guess the feeling was mutual.

As I grew older there was the first crush and then the puppy love of an actual first boyfriend.  The first feelings of that flutter in my stomach when he looked at me … and the first kiss that made me melt.  I thought it couldn't possibly get better than this, yet that young infatuation soon faded and we ended up parting ways.

Moving onto adulthood there was the romantic love of the man who would become my husband with whom I shared the soulful experience of having a child.  This brings me to the love of my son which for me is the greatest love I have ever experienced.  Not romantic love, certainly, but I know without a doubt I would die for him if it were necessary.  My son has always been and remains the joy of my life.

Although after 18 years, my marriage ended, but that was not the end of romantic love for me.  A little later in life, I had a fiancé.  He was a romantic man who swept me completely off my feet.  Although we were engaged prior to the marriage, we ended up parting ways.  I read somewhere each person experiences one great love in their lifetime and I ask myself … was this the greatest love in my life?  God, I hope not.  I guess I am ever the hopeful romantic.  Do you think each person only gets one great love in their life?  Should a person then compromise and settle for something short of that?

So now, as I approach the autumn of my life I wonder if I will spend the remainder of my life alone.  If that should be the case, I'm okay with it because I have experienced

so many different types of love in my days on this earth.  I can't help but compare passing of the days of my life to the seasons and I'm excited to be in the autumn of my years.  After all, like the season, it will be the most colorful time of my life and I'm certain whether I am lucky enough to find another great sweep me off my feet romance again or not, I have yet to experience the greatest love of all …. that of loving a grandchild. (If you are reading this my son …. no pressure … I'm just sayin'.)

Filed under: romance [image error]

Contests, Challenges, and Enjoying Life

Welcome.  A lot has been happening.

I'm celebrating October with three contests on my personal blog http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com/apps/blog/   Be sure to drop in and enter.  All the details are there.  I'm giving away a hat, a tote bag, and an ebook.  Those contests end Oct. 15th midnight, Eastern Time and all entries must be made over there.   It's a bit of fun to get the celebrations going.

I've also been interviewed for the Fall edition of Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine.  It can be purchased at http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/dark-gothic-resurrected-magazine-fall-2011-issue/17583435  If you love vampires and the paranormal, this magazine may be for you.

As for challenges, I'm editing for a friend and I'm writing a new book.  I'm working with diminished capacity right now, as I've injured my right wrist and thumb.  I've been holding it out of the way at Thai Kickboxing class, which is a shame because normally I can break boards with my right hand.  Oh, well, I have to be patient.

I've also been working hard to put together a very special Halloween Bash for you.  Here's how it's going to work. Every day (fingers-crossed) there will be two posts, one from the regular contributor and one from a guest.  There will be games, stories, articles, recipes, contests, etc.  This will run from Oct. 24-31.  Be sure to put that on your calendar to join us.

Enough of challenges.  I know this is a very tough time for a lot of folks.  I'm glad you've dropped by Nights of Passion to visit.  Be aware that you're not alone.  When life gets hard, I try to keep at least one thing that I look forward too, an aspect of life that I enjoy.  Right now for me that's friends and family, drinking warm milk, and writing to you on Nights of Passion.

Until next time…

Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: contest, Helping Other Writers, inspiration, paranormal, paranormal romance, vampire books, vampires, Writer's Life

Tail Gate Party by Gerri Brousseau

Ah, October, the wonderful time of football games and tail gate parties.  We dress in our jeans, turtle-necks and sweaters and set out to enjoy a day with our friends and the spread at these parties.  Here is the recipe for one of my tail gate favorites.  Grab your thermos of coffee, the banner for your favorite team, and enjoy your tail gate.

Chili for a Crowd

4   lbs. of Ground Beef

4   28oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

4  15 oz. cans Kidney Beans

4  Medium Onions chopped

2  Cups Celery chopped

2 Cups Carrot chopped

12 Tablespoons Chili Powder

2  Bottles of BBQ Sauce

Preparation

Coat the bottom of a large sauce pan with olive oil.  Cook onion until transparent.  Add the ground beef and brown.  Add the celery carrot, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans and chili powder.  Simmer 1 ½ to 2 hours. 

Filed under: romance

Writing Takes Skill

This weekend, like the past few, was a weekend of football (at least if you've turned on your television you know what I'm talking about). My particular preference is college football. Could be because I went to a school with a lot of spirit but quite frankly, I love watching those guys play their hearts out. You'll find heart in pro ball as well but I it seems a bit harder of a search at times.

While the weekend was bittersweet (Virginia Tech lost but ASU won), I had to say I looked at football with different eyes this weekend. I was writing of course so the games were my background noise for the most part, but I couldn't help noticing the agility, quickness and flexibility of some of the players. I thought, wow, these guys have got skill. Many times when they are running with the ball, jumping, dodging and ducking, they probably aren't even thinking about how they are doing or what they look like. I'd imagine they are just on a one-tracked "get the ball down the field" mindset. Which brings me to my point, writing takes skill.

Okay, so you're probably wondering how I'm going to relate this one. Well, a week or so ago, I had my critique partner telling me to stop interjecting in my stories and inserting what I want to happen. Instead, I should let the story unfold and the conversations happen as they should.  I got what she was saying because I could see it in my writing. My conversations between my characters were coming off a bit stilted and scripted instead of natural. Still, I wasn't sure I completely knew how to fix it. Football this weekend helped me.

I'm serious, so think about it. If we would just write and not stop to think at each moment about everything that our characters say, our works might flow a bit better in both voice and story. We might just have that agility, quickness and flexibility to write the perfect scene. Now, I'm not saying the first draft is the end all and you should just turn those in, but sometimes there is such a thing as putting in too much thought. For one, it slows your writing down and two, sometimes the best scene, description, sentence, etc. is the one we spend less time on.

So the next time you are stuck or looking for the perfect part of your novel, just write it and move on. Unlike the football players, we writers can always come back to the play and change it. And the second time around, we just might realize that we've got skill instead of coming down so hard on ourselves.

Happy Writing this week!

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

The History All-Hallows-Eve by Debralee Mede

It's the beginning of October and boy it is certainly getting colder in New England where I live.  I'm readying myself by getting out my warm sweaters, long-legged jeans and winter coats and putting away the short sleeve tops and shorts that seem to mark my summer wardrobe.  Around here the apple orchards are buzzing with activity and freshly made apple cider is just about everywhere.  Farms that were covered with fresh tomatoes, corn and other vegetables are marked by rows of beautiful orange and creamy white pumpkins in all sizes.  The start of autumn at the end of September and beginning of October marks the end of summer and the beginning of a cooler season, a season of harvest.  It marks the warning of the cold, dark winter ahead.  The history of one of the festivities enjoyed this time of year is Halloween starting some 2000 years ago with the ancient Celtics on the European Continent.

The Celts marked this time of year with the feast of Samhain, pronounced sow-in, when the boundary of the worlds between the living and the dead became blurred on October 31st.   On this day it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth to damage to their crops.  Costumes of animal heads and skins were worn as the Celtic people danced around bonfires, and made sacrifices of crops and animals offered to their gods for favors of protection and priests made predictions that gave direction to people about their future in the coming long, cold and dark winter.  From the embers of their bonfires, a fire in their hearth at home would be lit in order to continue to pray for protection in the coming year.

The Roman Armies who conquered the Celtic peoples took the idea of Samhain and used it in combination to commemorate the passing of the dead with a celebration of the harvest.  The Roman feast to honor the passing of the dead was called Feralia and was celebrated in late October as was the feast of Pomona, who was the goddess of fruit and trees whose symbol was the apple.  Do you see any similarities to our current traditions yet?

Sometime later, like in 400 AD sometime, Catholic Popes blended feasts again as a way to honor their Christian martyrs settling on All Souls Day.  This day was celebrated with bonfires and parades of people wearing costumes of angels, saints and devils on November 2nd.   Then All Saints Day known as All-Hallowmas was celebrated on November 1st with prayers and alms given by the poor who went door-to-door asking for food in return for prayers for the dead on All-Hallows Eve or Halloween.

Traditions such as these continue as the child and child-like, the young and the old, celebrate Halloween with activities like costume parties, trick-or-treating door-to-door, the telling of ghost stories by bonfires, and games like bobbing for apples.  I have been known to attend and enjoy a costume party or two in honor of Halloween.  There has always been a feast of great food, drinks, music and a dance two sometimes by a bonfire.

So I guess that in addition to getting my "warm-woolies" out I should start doing some planning for a ghoulish and fun party.  I'm starting with my list, my invitations, my menu plan and music.  I'm getting my costume or in my case, a mask, and I'm looking forward to the fun ahead.

How about you?  What are the outrageous and exciting ideas that you have to celebrate this Halloween: A haunted house tour; a party, maybe a murder mystery party; or a fright-night at home with a game of Clue, a scary movie and a fireside ghost story or two?  Whatever you decide, I'm sure you can keep those visiting spirits at bay another year.  Enjoy the day and be safe and while you're at it, try this recipe and let me know what you think. "Be afraid. Be very afraid." (The Fly, 1986)… Be very

Pumpkin Fondue

Needed:

1 4 lb. pumpkin, washed and dried
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup dry white wine
8 oz. Swiss cheese shredded
8 oz. Gruyere cheese
4 slices of white bread toasted and crumbled
1 pt. half and half
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
French bread fingers for dipping

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With serrated knife, cut a two inch slice from the top of the pumpkin and reserve.
Remove seeds and fibers.
Pour boiling water into inside to clean out any remaining fibers.
Blend oil and garlic and rub on the inside of the pumpkin.
Place in a large roasting pan.
Alternate layers of toast crumbs and cheeses inside the pumpkin.
Combine half and half, salt, pepper and nutmeg and pour over layers.
Replace top and bake pumpkin 2 hours, gently stirring contents after 1 and 1/2 hours.
Accompany with French bread, buttered and toasted for dipping.

Salvatore Vuono;freedigitalphotos.net

Filed under: Debralee Mede, fondue, History All Hallows Eve, recipe, romance

Weekly Paranormal-Scope

While I'm not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planet, I am intimately linked with the paranormal in the world.

The week ahead for:

Aries

Vampires can do more than suck blood.  They see trouble in the dark. Turn on a light.

Taurus

The Minotaur is famous for his maze.  Life may seem that way, but don't get lost.

Gemini

Dragons roar but they also defend those they care about.  Is there a dragon you know roaring about you?

Cancer

An owl is a good listener.  It's time to share feelings with a friend.

Leo

Shapeshifters know how to be adaptable.  It's time to shift your view on things.

Virgo

A mermaid sings the song of remembrance for you.  Someone from the past remembers you fondly.

Libra

Fairies find you to be charming.  Lucky you.

Scorpio

Trolls love saving money.  Take a tip.

Sagittarius

Werewolves like to gather with friends and family.  This is a good time for you to seek out others.

Capricorn

The dormouse sang, "Twinkle, Twinkle."  You are a rising star.  Enjoy your life more.

Aquarius

A salamander is a fire element.  You are glowing.  Keep it up.

Pieces

A ghost from the past leaves you a gift.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope