K.C. Burn's Blog, page 24

Tools of the Trade

Pens and pencils – are they completely defunct tools for a writer? I use a computer and netbook (although I've yet to get a multimedia phone) but I have to say, I'm still a little old school. Editing on the computer is almost impossible or me. I try to make the font and margins really small so I use less paper, but I NEED the paper.

I use a pencil to edit. One that needs sharpening. It just feels right in my hand, in a way that a mechanical pencil never does. Is that an echo of the...

Sites that make me laugh

I've been a little down in the dumps lately – probably because I haven't had any time to write. It's amazing how radically that can affect my mood. Because of it, though, I thought I'd share some of my "go-to" sites for when I really need a laugh.

Candyboots' Weight Watchers Cards from 1974 and James Lileks' Gallery of Regrettable Food have a similar theme. They take old recipes, cookbooks or other food-related images and add biting, sarcastic and highly amusing commentary. For...

Fun with Expletives

WARNING: Content may be explicit, sexual or offensive. Read the below at your own risk, and only if you are over 18.

For my final blog entry for vocabulary month, I'm going to discuss one of my favourite topics – expletives. Swear words, curse words – I love them. They're littered in my writing and when I'm driving, I'm either singing or swearing.

Most expletives are often terms related to anatomy, bodily functions or religion.  Despite that, or maybe because of it, I do like them. And I...

Review – The Assignment – 2010 DIK Reading Challenge

Here's my April review for the Desert Island Keepers reading challenge – The Assignment by Evangeline Anderson.

Sean O'Brian and Nick Valenti are cops, long time partners. They're close friends and spend a lot of time together. Neither of them are gay, but after O'Brian gets stabbed, Nick begins to realize his feelings for O'Brian are deeper and more sexual than he'd ever expected. When they're assigned to go undercover as lovers in a gay resort to break up a drug trafficking ring...

Have a "natural" Earth Day! Er… maybe…

Depends on your definition. In honour of Earth Day (and my very own vocabulary month), I'm going to put my own spin on one of my husband's favourite soapbox topics. That would be the "natural" debate. When I say debate, it's mostly my husband debating with others. Not that I don't agree with him, because I do, but I'm not sure the rest of the world is aware there's a debate.

A lot of marketing touts "natural" as a benefit of… well… whatever product or process being sold....

Canadian-isms

Today, for vocabulary month, I'm going to give a few snippets of Canadian-isms. One thing of the few things I've learned since I moved from Canada to Florida is that there are more differences in terminology and expressions than I realized. Now, it's a little more than just using "eh". Sure, I say "eh", and I've noticed American writers sometimes aren't quite sure how to use it properly. It's not a filler word, its purpose is primarily to turn a statement into a question, and is most...

Wanna-be Vocabulary-Defiler…

I had intended to write a blog about Mad Libs for vocabulary month. I love Mad Libs, especially when I can get together with a group of friends, open a couple bottles of wine, and compete to come up with the dirtiest, raunchiest options to fill in the blanks. But, you gotta take inspiration where you can get it, and I got it tonight, so – slight change in plans.

Hubby was watching Stanley Cup Playoffs (Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh), while I was writing. There was a huge collision between...

Urban Dictionary and the Erotic Romance Author

What's on tap for the vocabulary post today? Naughty words. I'm saving the expletives post for later, so not that naughty. But let's just say my mind is always in the gutter. That doesn't mean that I know all the various terms, slang and colloquialisms to express myself. Or more specifically, my dirty thoughts. I have heard LOTS of inappropriate words (I'm friends with a large number of boys) but I don't always remember what the darn expressions mean when I'm writing. Or reading.

I...

Great Reviews for Wolfsbane!

So, this has nothing to do with my month long celebration of vocabulary (at least not directly), but MIA Case Files: Wolfsbane has received some really nice reviews, and I wanted to highlight them.  They're my first reviews & I'm giddy about them.  Check them out if you're so inclined…

Received 4 Cups review from Coffee Time Romance!

Received 5 Nymphs rating at Literary Nymphs Reviews!

Reviewed at Ebook Addict!

I miss playing Boggle…

I am the Boggle Master! Okay, I can't back that up. But I'm pretty good. And I love to play. Lets me stretch the vocab muscles while beating others into submission. What could be better than that? Of course, no one wants to play with me now, which kinda sucks. But it's a perfect game to celebrate my vocabulary month.

Why Boggle over Scrabble? I don't know, I guess because with Boggle, you've got at least a fighting chance to get a word. Besides, after getting "vizier" in Scrabble, I d...