Liz Flaherty's Blog, page 197

A Nothing Day

Today I am a bum. At least for the next hour and then I report to work where I'll have to rustle up some energy to get through eight hours of retail. But for now, I am a bum.

Okay, so the picture is a zombie. That's my nephew who Jordan zombified. And an example of one of the things that I am procrastinating. I really need to get her website up and going so she can start earning her way through her artwork. Yes, you too, can be zombified or ferrified, or any other number of animated styles tha...

Writing and Whacking

Nope, I'm not talking about whacking that first draft of a WIP apart...I'm talking about writing that first draft by weed whacking. Seriously.

I hate yard work. Immensly. Let me plant flowers and I'm happy. Make me mow or weed whack and I'm a pistol. Just don't like it at all. Sweaty, sticky and lots of wasted time. Seriously, wasted because usually my brain function while wackin' the weeds goes something like this: "The sky is blue. It's frikkin' hot. The grass is green. I can't feel my arms....

Cover me!

Before you think this is just another shameless plug for my book, it's not! 

It's a post about book covers.  I didn't initially like mine when I first saw it. This guy doesn't depict Derrick at all. But, after a time, I grew to like it, then even love it.

Imagine my surprise when, after I posted it on my author page on Facebook, another author told me we had the same cover guy.

I didn't realize we had the same picture. Hers is on the right, but otherwise it's the same guy, same pose....

When a story goes silent...

[image error]           I love the book I’m working on. I love its characters—ones I hated to leave behind when I left ONE MORE SUMMER. I love its setting—Peacock, Tennessee is small-town America at its bucolic best. The first half of the book went smoothly in spite of the fact that I had no idea where it was going. Research has been as much fun as it always is. (D’Ann and I are polar opposites on this—she hates research and I want her to write a Western historical. Join me in...

Should They or Shouldn't They?

 I notice I always reach the same dilemma in most of my stories. When should the characters get it on? It's inevitable that at some point in the story they will. After all I write adult paranormals. No, not erotic paranormal romance (though some of my friends would argue that point) but the bedroom door stays wide open. But when do the characters hit the sheets?
Sex scenes are not easy for me to write. But if the timing is off, they're impossible. There's a little voice going off in the b...

Pruning Day

<!--[if gte mso 9]>

Show Me Your Hook!

Courtesy Derek GaveyNo, this is not a post about fishing, actual fish hook over there aside. I don't like fishing. Okay, that isn't quite true. The actual act of sitting on a river bank (or in a boat), relaxing, waiting, thinking...daydreaming? Yeah, I like that part.

The baiting of the hook? Makes me queasy.

The catching of the actual fish? Makes me teary.

The cleaning of the fish? I have never and will never do that. Can you say quease all over again? And with sound effects? Yeah, that would b...

What's in a Name?

Soooo...yesterday my friend, CP and blogmate, Liz, talked about titles on her post. She had to change some of hers. So far, I've been really lucky. I've been able to keep almost all of mine. I was honestly kind of amazed when Jennifer Lawler said Crimson liked Wild Horses, my first release. I had expected to have to change the name.

Like most writers, I get pretty attached to my titles.

This book, Vaquero, was originally called Branded. In this story, Cordero Ybarra is branded on his shoul...

A book by any other name...

Before I get started here, this picture has nothing to do with the subject of the blog post, but I've gotten really paranoid about using things when I don't know their source. This is my 16-year-old granddaughter Tierney, and I'm pretty sure she won't sue me for using her picture. Isn't she pretty?
How are you with titles? Yeah, I’m stretching today—I couldn’t think of a single thing to write. But, in truth, it’s kind of an interesting question. I’ve had five books published, a number that wil...

Those Nameless Faceless Characters

   Do you like horror movies? How about comedies, or cartoons? As a matter a fact, pick a movie or television show. Any one you want.


     Now, imagine if there were no background noise, no music, sound affects, or extra characters
milling in the background. Just the main and secondary characters. There's nothing different about their acting abilities, but no one else is ever in the room. Does the movie lose some of it's appeal?


     I saw a mov...