Gabi Stevens's Blog, page 20
April 27, 2011
Just a quick note....
AS YOU WISH came out yesterday. Thank you so much for all the support, the reviews, the visits, the cajoling, the cheers, the woots, the opportunities, the shoulders, the friendly ears, and the love. For all that writing is a solitary endeavor, it really can't be done without, well, you.
So, thank you.
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
So, thank you.
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
April 22, 2011
Brenda Novak's Auction
I know I've mentioned my book's tie in with Best Buddies International, but I couldn't let May go by without mentioning the granddaddy of all romance related do-gooding. Brenda Noval holds and annual auction for Juvenile Diabetes. This year she has over 2000 items for sale and bidding. Go check it out today.
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com
--Gabi
P.S. AS YOU WISH comes out next week, April 26 !!!!
Books I'm reading now:
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
Lord of Scundrels by Loretta Chase
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com
--Gabi
P.S. AS YOU WISH comes out next week, April 26 !!!!
Books I'm reading now:
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
Lord of Scundrels by Loretta Chase
April 16, 2011
The Glom
Today I went out to get the latest Harry Potter movie on DVD, and then I watched it. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed it when I saw it in the theaters when it came out. The only problem was that it ended and I have to wait until July for the continuation of the story.
I have never been one to glom a series. I end up watching or reading all the ones I'm interested in, but order or immediacy never mattered to me. Good thing too, because my book that comes out in ten days (AS YOU WISH) is only the second in a trilogy. The first came out in April of last year (THE WISH LIST), and the last doesn't come out until March of 2012 (WISHFUL THINKING). I enjoyed the frustration and growing anticipation of waiting for each Harry Potter book to come out and to a (much) lesser degree, the movies (Let's face it--the books are so much better than the movies, although the movies are good). But lately I've been on a glom kick.
I started watching Bones over spring break (March), and I've now finished watching all five completed seasons. I've enjoyed the characters arcs that grow and become apparent as you follow the seasons. But on the other hand, the errors become more glaring as well. Nevertheless, it was fun to have something to concentrate on. I also picked up the Twelve Houses series by Sharon Shin. What fun to be able to read one after the other of these books. But these two gloms have pointed out the major drawbacks of a glom.
When you find something you like and then finish them all, you're setting yourself up for a letdown. When no more is left to a series, you have to leave it after you've become used to a certain style, humor, story, etc. And suddenly you need to find something new, but you've become so accustomed to whatever it was that you've become accustomed to that the new can be difficult to enjoy. At least that's my experience.
So I'm hoping that you won't mind that there's been a bit of a break between THE WISH LIST and AS YOU WISH, and that there will be another between AS YOU WISH and WISHFUL THINKING. Sometimes too much of a good thing isn't a good thing.
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Taken by the Prince by Christina Dodd
I have never been one to glom a series. I end up watching or reading all the ones I'm interested in, but order or immediacy never mattered to me. Good thing too, because my book that comes out in ten days (AS YOU WISH) is only the second in a trilogy. The first came out in April of last year (THE WISH LIST), and the last doesn't come out until March of 2012 (WISHFUL THINKING). I enjoyed the frustration and growing anticipation of waiting for each Harry Potter book to come out and to a (much) lesser degree, the movies (Let's face it--the books are so much better than the movies, although the movies are good). But lately I've been on a glom kick.
I started watching Bones over spring break (March), and I've now finished watching all five completed seasons. I've enjoyed the characters arcs that grow and become apparent as you follow the seasons. But on the other hand, the errors become more glaring as well. Nevertheless, it was fun to have something to concentrate on. I also picked up the Twelve Houses series by Sharon Shin. What fun to be able to read one after the other of these books. But these two gloms have pointed out the major drawbacks of a glom.
When you find something you like and then finish them all, you're setting yourself up for a letdown. When no more is left to a series, you have to leave it after you've become used to a certain style, humor, story, etc. And suddenly you need to find something new, but you've become so accustomed to whatever it was that you've become accustomed to that the new can be difficult to enjoy. At least that's my experience.
So I'm hoping that you won't mind that there's been a bit of a break between THE WISH LIST and AS YOU WISH, and that there will be another between AS YOU WISH and WISHFUL THINKING. Sometimes too much of a good thing isn't a good thing.
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Taken by the Prince by Christina Dodd
April 9, 2011
Trading Cards
The newest thing in romance are trading cards. If you're at the RT convention (and, no, I will not mention how jealous I am), you've probably seen them. If you're attending the RWA conference in New York this June, you'll see them there, and if you're going to RomCon in Denver in August, you'll find them there also. While I'll only be attending RomCon (and the Moonlight and Magnolias Conference in Atlanta at the end of September), I have trading cards.
Isn't he delectable?
And this is the back...with the stats:
So if you aren't going to RomCon or Moonlight and Magnolias and want one of my cards, you can send an SASE to me, Gabi Stevens, P.O. Box 20958, Albuquerque, NM 87154-0958, and I'll be happy to send you one. Just be warned. I don't get to my box daily, but I will check for your envelope more than my usual once a month. :)
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
The Perfect Murder by Brenda Novak
The Man who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton
Isn't he delectable?
And this is the back...with the stats:
So if you aren't going to RomCon or Moonlight and Magnolias and want one of my cards, you can send an SASE to me, Gabi Stevens, P.O. Box 20958, Albuquerque, NM 87154-0958, and I'll be happy to send you one. Just be warned. I don't get to my box daily, but I will check for your envelope more than my usual once a month. :)
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
The Perfect Murder by Brenda Novak
The Man who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton
April 3, 2011
A Very Special Post
We are less than a month away to the release of AS YOU WISH. I'm sure by now, if you follow me, you've heard me talk about the magic, the hero and heroine; I've shown you the cover, the arcs, told you about the contests, and pretty much have shared my excitement about the upcoming release. Now I want to tell you about my author's note.
In AS YOU WISH, I have two special characters, Tommy and Joy. They are bakers. And Tommy has Down syndrome, and Joy has...well, Joy is just Joy. My heroine, Reggie, has set up a bakery for her two friends. Reggie runs the business aspect of the endeavor and supervises her friends. And they are her friends first and foremost. Tommy and Joy have a real talent for baking. It doesn't hurt that they have magic too, but I strove to keep them realistic. I came to love these two characters. Good thing too, because, you see, my daughter was the inspiration for them.
Like Joy, my daughter doesn't have a specific diagnosis, but it wouldn't matter anyway. She is who she is. We celebrate her accomplishments, fight for her rights, and simply enjoy her for who she is. I don't want to make us seem like some ideal family—we fight, and she has those terrible teenage hormones and can give us attitude like any other kid. In fact she is more normal than not in many ways. And that's what we focus on—all the many things she can do. She thrives on her independence, loves to sing (horribly off key—she inherited my husband's singing voice), plays a wicked Wii game, makes her own lunches for school, and bakes the family brownies. Give her rules and instruction, and she can do almost anything. The hardest part of her life is getting other kids to accept her for who she is.
Did you know that fifty-four percent of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) never receive a phone call from a friend in their lifetimes?
When I first heard this stat, it shocked me, but didn't surprise me. I know the loneliness my own daughter suffers from. Until she hit high school There she joined a group dedicated to breaking down the barriers society sees for people with IDD.
Best Buddies International is a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing one-on-one friendships for people with IDD. They have groups in schools, colleges, communities, and even in the business world. You can find out more about them at www.BestBuddies.org. Because of Best Buddies™, my daughter receives texts on her cell phone, attends dances, goes out to eat, and has made friends who don't judge her or look to help her. They are just friends.
So I've decided to support Best Buddies™ with more than just the words here. For the next five years, I pledge ten percent of my royalties from AS YOU WISH to Best Buddies™. That's what my author's note says. It explains my reasons, and talks about Tommy and Joy, and my own joy, my daughter. I hope you will support me in my endeavor, and besides, you'll get a good read in the meantime. At least I think so.
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Destined for an Early Grave by JeanieneFrost
In AS YOU WISH, I have two special characters, Tommy and Joy. They are bakers. And Tommy has Down syndrome, and Joy has...well, Joy is just Joy. My heroine, Reggie, has set up a bakery for her two friends. Reggie runs the business aspect of the endeavor and supervises her friends. And they are her friends first and foremost. Tommy and Joy have a real talent for baking. It doesn't hurt that they have magic too, but I strove to keep them realistic. I came to love these two characters. Good thing too, because, you see, my daughter was the inspiration for them.
Like Joy, my daughter doesn't have a specific diagnosis, but it wouldn't matter anyway. She is who she is. We celebrate her accomplishments, fight for her rights, and simply enjoy her for who she is. I don't want to make us seem like some ideal family—we fight, and she has those terrible teenage hormones and can give us attitude like any other kid. In fact she is more normal than not in many ways. And that's what we focus on—all the many things she can do. She thrives on her independence, loves to sing (horribly off key—she inherited my husband's singing voice), plays a wicked Wii game, makes her own lunches for school, and bakes the family brownies. Give her rules and instruction, and she can do almost anything. The hardest part of her life is getting other kids to accept her for who she is.
Did you know that fifty-four percent of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) never receive a phone call from a friend in their lifetimes?
When I first heard this stat, it shocked me, but didn't surprise me. I know the loneliness my own daughter suffers from. Until she hit high school There she joined a group dedicated to breaking down the barriers society sees for people with IDD.
Best Buddies International is a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing one-on-one friendships for people with IDD. They have groups in schools, colleges, communities, and even in the business world. You can find out more about them at www.BestBuddies.org. Because of Best Buddies™, my daughter receives texts on her cell phone, attends dances, goes out to eat, and has made friends who don't judge her or look to help her. They are just friends.So I've decided to support Best Buddies™ with more than just the words here. For the next five years, I pledge ten percent of my royalties from AS YOU WISH to Best Buddies™. That's what my author's note says. It explains my reasons, and talks about Tommy and Joy, and my own joy, my daughter. I hope you will support me in my endeavor, and besides, you'll get a good read in the meantime. At least I think so.
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Destined for an Early Grave by JeanieneFrost
Giveaway!!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
As You Wish
by Gabi Stevens
Giveaway ends April 13, 2011.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter to win
Approval coming soon, I think.
April 2, 2011
Giveaway!!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
As You Wish
by Gabi Stevens
Giveaway ends April 13, 2011.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter to win
March 27, 2011
Wanted: Magic
The magic has gone missing (Please, no grammar lectures here. I know what I wrote.)
[image error]
My weekend was filled with grand plans of rewriting, editing, creating, and producing. Instead, I did nothing. Nothing of value anyway (Video games don't count--I'm sorry, they don't). I can't even remember how I spent Saturday (don't tell me I'm old--I know), and I can tell you how I spent today, but I don't want to (it involved hours playing a mindless game on the computer). Really, I wasted TIME--time that should always be handled as if it were precious, because it is.
I could try to justify my time squandering as a needed break from the day job or that my mind needed to disengage for a moment, but the truth is I was lazy. And honestly, I was scared. I have a major edit to do on a proposal that was difficult to write in the first place, and now I've learned it really doesn't work as it is. And so I'm afraid. I'm afraid that when I look at it, I won't know how to fix it. I won't know what to do. The Magic wasn't with me when I wrote it and I'm afraid it won't be there when I try again.
The stupid part is that I KNOW the Magic comes the more you use it. Just doing it (Thanks, Nike) actually works. No good comes from finding excuses or avoiding the work or "waiting for the muse." The muse comes when you show her that you respect her and do the freaking work.
So I wasted my weekend, and tomorrow is Monday and I'm back at work. Maybe I've learned my lesson. I'll let you know next weekend. In the meantime, if you have any magic to spare, send some my way.
(By the way, if my editor or agent reads this, don't take it so seriously.)
--Gabi
P.S. My contest ends March 31 at Fresh Fiction. Be sure to check it out.
Books I'm reading now:
Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn
My weekend was filled with grand plans of rewriting, editing, creating, and producing. Instead, I did nothing. Nothing of value anyway (Video games don't count--I'm sorry, they don't). I can't even remember how I spent Saturday (don't tell me I'm old--I know), and I can tell you how I spent today, but I don't want to (it involved hours playing a mindless game on the computer). Really, I wasted TIME--time that should always be handled as if it were precious, because it is.
I could try to justify my time squandering as a needed break from the day job or that my mind needed to disengage for a moment, but the truth is I was lazy. And honestly, I was scared. I have a major edit to do on a proposal that was difficult to write in the first place, and now I've learned it really doesn't work as it is. And so I'm afraid. I'm afraid that when I look at it, I won't know how to fix it. I won't know what to do. The Magic wasn't with me when I wrote it and I'm afraid it won't be there when I try again.
The stupid part is that I KNOW the Magic comes the more you use it. Just doing it (Thanks, Nike) actually works. No good comes from finding excuses or avoiding the work or "waiting for the muse." The muse comes when you show her that you respect her and do the freaking work.
So I wasted my weekend, and tomorrow is Monday and I'm back at work. Maybe I've learned my lesson. I'll let you know next weekend. In the meantime, if you have any magic to spare, send some my way.
(By the way, if my editor or agent reads this, don't take it so seriously.)
--Gabi
P.S. My contest ends March 31 at Fresh Fiction. Be sure to check it out.
Books I'm reading now:
Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn
March 22, 2011
Comfort...uh,...things
I just finished spring break. I had a list of things to do, finished most of them, and still had time to just have fun. (Gotta love a vacation) I read, watched TV and DVD's, and enjoyed great weather. I even wrote a lot. Overall I had a lovely, relaxing week.
So I got to thinking, what are the things I turn to to find comfort? First foods. If I didn't dislike cooking so much, I'd make comfort foods all the time. This past week I did make one of my favorites--veggie lasagna. But the other ones (which I didn't make): clam linguini, rakott krumpli (a Hungarian potato and sausage dish), spaghetti carbonara (are you getting the hint I like carbs?)...okay, now I'm just getting hungry.
I watched "Bones" on Netflix on the Wii this week too. I hadn't seen the shoe before, but had heard good things, so I tried it. And liked it. I'm in the second season now and enjoying the brainiac characters and the sparring of the two main characters. I really don't watch a lot of TV. I havn't seen (No angry letters please) Buffy, Firefly, only a few of Monk. Heck I don't even have cable channels unless I'm in a hotel. Here are some of my other TV show favorites: Glee, Amazing Race, House, The Mentalist
Movies? When I want to laugh: Notting Hill. When I want to sing: Sound of Music. When I want to cheer: Star Wars. Others: Indiana Jones (I know that's not one movie, but you get the idea), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, LadyHawke, Casablanca, To Catch a Thief, Bringing Up Baby, The Shawshank Redemption, Disney (pretty much every one) and so many more.
Books: Bewitching, Dandelion Wine, To Kill a Mockingbird, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, And Then There Were None; I, Robot; Phantom Tollbooth, and so many more. Yes, I left out romance novels on purpose, except for the one listed first. That one has a special place in my heart.
I didn't even begin to list drinks, candy, places, clothes, or people. This blog was already getting too self-centered.
So what are your comfort items?
--Gabi
Don't forget my contest: http://freshfiction.com/contest.php?id=3261
Books I'm reading now:
Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn
Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn
So I got to thinking, what are the things I turn to to find comfort? First foods. If I didn't dislike cooking so much, I'd make comfort foods all the time. This past week I did make one of my favorites--veggie lasagna. But the other ones (which I didn't make): clam linguini, rakott krumpli (a Hungarian potato and sausage dish), spaghetti carbonara (are you getting the hint I like carbs?)...okay, now I'm just getting hungry.
I watched "Bones" on Netflix on the Wii this week too. I hadn't seen the shoe before, but had heard good things, so I tried it. And liked it. I'm in the second season now and enjoying the brainiac characters and the sparring of the two main characters. I really don't watch a lot of TV. I havn't seen (No angry letters please) Buffy, Firefly, only a few of Monk. Heck I don't even have cable channels unless I'm in a hotel. Here are some of my other TV show favorites: Glee, Amazing Race, House, The Mentalist
Movies? When I want to laugh: Notting Hill. When I want to sing: Sound of Music. When I want to cheer: Star Wars. Others: Indiana Jones (I know that's not one movie, but you get the idea), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, LadyHawke, Casablanca, To Catch a Thief, Bringing Up Baby, The Shawshank Redemption, Disney (pretty much every one) and so many more.
Books: Bewitching, Dandelion Wine, To Kill a Mockingbird, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, And Then There Were None; I, Robot; Phantom Tollbooth, and so many more. Yes, I left out romance novels on purpose, except for the one listed first. That one has a special place in my heart.
I didn't even begin to list drinks, candy, places, clothes, or people. This blog was already getting too self-centered.
So what are your comfort items?
--Gabi
Don't forget my contest: http://freshfiction.com/contest.php?id=3261
Books I'm reading now:
Reader and Raelynx by Sharon Shinn
Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn
March 13, 2011
The Indomitable Spirit
If you're anything like me, sometimes you feel like the world is against you and that nothing you do seems to get anywhere or have any value. So and so's books are better placed than mine; my current manuscript is giving me trouble, I didn't earn enough money. I complain because I have to get up early, or it's too cold outside, or, damn it, we don't have any good snacks at home.
Then something happens that puts it all into perspective: the earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami.
I'd like to think I would maintain my dignity in the face of such catastrophe, but how do I know? I've been through earthquakes when I lived in California. Nothing like the one they experienced in Japan. I've never been hit with snow enough to bury me for days, no tornadoes, no wars (that I've personally been in--not talking about the one that we're in now that no one is expected to sacrifice for except those actually fighting).
My parents escaped from Hungary after the revolution there. They lived through the bombings of WWII. Me? My life is cushy. And I am grateful for that.
Someone has found my work worthy--I have been published. I have a job. I have a bed to sleep in that my early alarm clock disturbs me from. I have a warm house to escape the cold, and frankly, I don't need those snacks (Twenty-five pounds more to go).
I like cushy and I am grateful for it.
To those suffering right now, those we hear about and don't: well, I doubt you're reading this right now, but my heart and sympathy are with you.
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn
Bridge to Happiness by Jill Barnett
Then something happens that puts it all into perspective: the earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami.
I'd like to think I would maintain my dignity in the face of such catastrophe, but how do I know? I've been through earthquakes when I lived in California. Nothing like the one they experienced in Japan. I've never been hit with snow enough to bury me for days, no tornadoes, no wars (that I've personally been in--not talking about the one that we're in now that no one is expected to sacrifice for except those actually fighting).
My parents escaped from Hungary after the revolution there. They lived through the bombings of WWII. Me? My life is cushy. And I am grateful for that.
Someone has found my work worthy--I have been published. I have a job. I have a bed to sleep in that my early alarm clock disturbs me from. I have a warm house to escape the cold, and frankly, I don't need those snacks (Twenty-five pounds more to go).
I like cushy and I am grateful for it.
To those suffering right now, those we hear about and don't: well, I doubt you're reading this right now, but my heart and sympathy are with you.
--Gabi
Books I'm reading now:
Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn
Bridge to Happiness by Jill Barnett
