Karilyn Bentley's Blog, page 15

Working through Writer's Block @sloanebcollins PlottingPrincesses #Nanowrimo #amwriting @OneStop4Writers #MFRWorg

Last month I wrote about doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in November, in which authors write a 50,000 novel. In a month. Thirty days. Yes, a whole book, or at least the start of a bigger novel.
All over the world, writers gathered up their notes, laptops, research, and set out on November 1 to begin their newest endeavors. And I was right alongside them. I had just attended a workshop on Scrivener the weekend before (if you haven’t heard of it, Scrivener is an AMAZING software program for writing. I’m hooked on it now!), so I was raring to go. I can set a target word count for the whole project – 50,000 words – and also a smaller target for sprinting (writing as much as you can in a timed interval).
Oops, got off on a side tangent. Back to NaNo. I did great writing for a week. I had a general idea of the scenes I wanted, who the characters are, what the goals, motivation, and conflict are for my hero and heroine.  Then this past weekend, I stalled. 
Every word was a struggle.
So I went back to the basics.  What’s my hero’s greatest fear?  I used the Characters Fears worksheet template on One Stop for Writers and dug deep into Nash, my hero.  And I came away with something golden.  A big fear he has, way down deep.   (Thank you, Angela, Becca, and Lee from OSFW!)
Then I had another inspiration.  What is the worst thing that can happen to Nash when he finally thinks he’s by himself, and can let down his barriers?  Yup, it happened.  I made it bad for him.  Then another kernel of an idea, and I made it even worse. 
I ended up working my way through that block and wrote over 3,000 words.  In one sitting!  I was so happy.
I’m also participating in a NaNo Boot Camp on Savvy Authors, which is a community for authors.  I’m on a ten person team, and we write every day to achieve the daily goal of 1,667 words toward our goal.  I love boot camp, because we’re all in this month together, and we support each other, encourage, brainstorm.   And there’s a daily challenge we complete for points.  I think that’s my favorite part of the boot camp.  It gives me things to think about, and even if I don’t use it in the book, it still gives me insight into the characters.  A couple of years ago, I had an inspiration for one day’s challenge, and it turned into a key element for the book. 
Last week I was given a great piece of advice.  You can know all about your characters, even what their favorite food is, or what their shoe size is, but you want to dig deeper and figure out how they react in a situation.  To find out what they are really like, write the most boring, clichéd situation, and figure out how they react to it.  Do they get caught in the rain?  How do they handle it?  And it’s true.  Last night on the way home from work, the trains were delayed, so by the time my line finally came, it was standing room only.  I think I got the last seat.  The guy in the seat opposite to mine starting complaining, yet everywhere else, strangers were talking and laughing, sharing their stories about the ice storm last year, and how long it took to get home using the train and bus system.  So dig deep, see how characters react, and WHY they react the way they do.
Authors, what techniques do you have for getting through writer’s block? Readers, what do you think about this NaNo challenge that authors put themselves through every year?

Release Day! IRON DEFIANCE, By Kelly L Lee

IRON DEFIANCE…. A sexy new release in the Four Realms Series  How far would you go for love? Would you defy your family? Your loyalties? Your sworn allegiance to your Queen?    Get it today!  Amazon | Kobo | All Romance E-Books  | Barnes & Noble Nook | Bookstrand Amelee, a princess of the Seelie Court, is engaged to one man out of duty, but desperately loves another. She’s accepted her fate, willing to deny the deepest longings of her heart in service to her queen. Arganos has secretly loved Amelee since the beginning of time, but she is Fey royalty and he is a hardened warrior, reviled by her kind for the sins committed by the God of War he serves. Though Arganos is prepared to sacrifice his own happiness to ensure Amelee’s, he refuses to intervene even though he knows her fiancé isn’t what he seems. But when tragedy strikes, Amelee turns to Arganos, the forbidden war captain, instead of her fiancé for help. Fueled by Faery Court politics and a treacherous Queen’s rule, will the secrets they discover drive Amelee and Arganos apart forever, or will they defy everything for love? Excerpt:

“Amelee. Stop.”

She stilled under his hand. Her manic searching dissolved into violent trembling as sobs wracked her whole body. Arganos pulled her up from the floor, enveloping her slight frame in his arms. She collapsed against him.

When her crying subsided to small, snuffling sounds, he realized he’d never put his arms around her before. She felt so small, as if he could snap her lithe body like a twig. The thought provoked a primal, protective instinct. He wanted to protect Amelee and safeguard the small haven she and Zoey shared from harm. Even if he never called the women, or their home, his own, Arganos knew he would fight to his death to defend them.

Amelee lifted her head once she calmed down, but she didn’t move away. Neither did he. Arganos had no intention of letting her slip out of his embrace. She looked up at him through watery eyes.

“Zoey didn’t run away, did she?”

“No.”

Fresh tears welled up, threatening to spill over again. She valiantly blinked them back, but a single tear escaped. Arganos brushed it away with the back of his forefinger.

“Who took her, Arganos?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I’m going to bring her back to you, Amelee.”

  Want to know more, or check out my other books?  Find me at:  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelly-L-Lee-Author/280502515297151Twitter: @kellyleefictionGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2539862.Kelly_L_LeePinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kellyleefiction/ 

Michelle Miles: From Halloween to Christmas in 2.3 Seconds

It’s hard to believe it’s November already.

You know what else is hard to believe? That Christmas decorations were in the stores in September. At Hobby Lobby, they started putting them up in JUNE. Really, Hobby Lobby? School hadn’t even started, for gosh sakes.

Hubby, kid and I were in the mall this past weekend – ON Halloween, mind you – and we noticed they were starting to put up Santa’s workshop. You know, where all the kids can sit on his lap and tell him what they dream of for Christmas.

You know what I dream of? No Christmas before Halloween.

The mall also started putting up Christmas decorations, too. There was garland and big red bows hanging from the ceiling. Can’t we get past Halloween before we start the panic for Christmas?


I really feel like Thanksgiving gets shafted on the holiday front. Even Columbus Day gets a nod in the sales circulars. I mean, we start thinking about Christmas way too soon, in my opinion. Best Buy started running Christmas ads about a week before Halloween. Seriously, Best Buy? You’re already starting our buying frenzy and it’s not even November 1?

And I’ve been hearing that Black Friday for some stores has already started. Online shopping at its finest. I’m all for online shopping—stepping foot in the mall this weekend was a painful reminder of WHY I hate the mall—but then I think of all the stores that it could potentially hurt by shopping online. I’d rather pump my money into the local economy, anyway, than feed the Amazon beast. Of course, I say that now, but I know I’ll likely be buying online at Amazon for the simple fact that I’m suckered by their Prime shipping. Damn you, Amazon.

Anyway, back to Thanksgiving. I’m going to ignore the fact that there are Christmas things going on around me while I take a moment to think about Thanksgiving, why we have it and what I’m truly thankful for.

I’m truly thankful for my family, my friends, chocolate and wine.

What are you thankful for this year?

Michelle Miles wants holidays to go in consecutive order according to the calendar. Find out more about her and her books at her website.

#SherlockHolmes' #French Connection @lsfabre #MFRWORG #Vernet

In The Greek Interpreter, Sherlock Holmes gives two clues of his past. In addition to noting his ancestors were country squires, he also shares that art was in his blood, given his grandmother was the sister of Vernet, the French artist.
Some speculation exists as to whichVernet. Three generations of Vernets garnered patronage from both the French monarchy and Napoleon: Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714 – 1789); Antoine Charles Horace Vernet, known as Carle Vernet (1758 – 1836); and Émile Jean-Horace Vernet, known as Horace Vernet (1789 – 1863) (1). Simple mathematics suggests the most logical choice would be the youngest Vernet. For Sherlock and Mycroft’s mother to be between twenty and twenty-five at marriage, she would have to have been born between 1821-1826. Taking another twenty to twenty-five years or so for Sherlock’s grandmother to be born, means a birth date of about 1795 - 1800 or earlier, clearly putting her as a contemporary of Horace.
In reality, Horace Vernet had one sister: Camille Françoise Joséphine (1788-1858) who married the French painter Hippolyte Lecomte (1781-1857) and whose son, Charles Emile Hippolyte Lecomte-Vernet, was also a painter (2).
Obviously, Doyle could not have selected a better family than the Vernet dynasty to provide Sherlock his inherited artistic tendencies. Claude-Joseph was known for his landscapes and seascapes (3); Carle for his realistic horses, based on his own knowledge as an expert horseman (4); and Horace for portraits and realistic battle scenes (5). A little research also supplies some interesting facts for additional color in Sherlock’s “ancestry.” Horace Vernet was born in the Louvre, and his father, fleeing with his wife and children, barely escaped being shot during the French Revolution. Horace was also known for having an incredible memory, able to sketch a scene or face seen only once with total recall (6).

The Vernet family had an English connection as well. Claude-Joseph married an English woman, Virginia Parker, during his time in Italy, and British visitors on the Grand Tour were his most loyal patrons (7). It might have this British link that provided the basis for selecting the Vernet family for Sherlock’s artistic inheritance, but his great-uncle’s ability to remember a location years later seems quite Holmesian as well.
Did Sherlock's French heritage surprise you?
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_J... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippolyt... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_J... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carle_Ve... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_V... David Bartlet, Paris with Pen and Pencil (7) http://www.philamuseum.org/collection...
Liese Sherwood-Fabre offers more about The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes and other works on her Website.

Who is ready for great holiday reads? Try the Season of Surprises #MFRWorg #RssosSisters #holidaybooks #historicalromance

There’s nothing like the
*Season of Surprises* Princess Vicki here: I'm thrilled to be part of the Season of Surprises holiday anthology. Last year's Season of Magic was fabulous and now, we're back for more. I asked my fellow authors to share a holiday memory with me. Let's take a peek into their lives?

Merry Holly:Growing up in a large family is fun. Though it is like two different families--considering the oldest is twenty years older than the youngest. And her son is a year older than his uncle. I’m in the second half of the family.
Every Christmas, we waited for the one dollar our parents gave us to buy gifts for each other. They’d take us to the five & dime to buy presents. I remember the excitement and glee in choosing each one. One year, I found a pink whistle for my oldest sister, not realizing at eighteen years of age, it wasn’t what she needed.

The week before I went shopping for gifts, my sister asked me to teach her how to whistle with my fingers.  She wasn’t getting it. So as any eight year-old would do, I reasoned it out and bought her a pink whistle. Florence took it with grace and thanked me profusely.



“Noelle’s Surprise” by Merry Holly: A couple living on a tropical island has a secret that might tear them apart.
Jane Gale: The old-style Santa stood sentinel in the window, holding the electric candle while swaying side to side as he has done for as long as I can remember while the family celebrated Christmas.  My dad's gift to my mom on that glorious night was a Siberian husky puppy who brought warmth with laughter and joy. The puppy observed the gift giving and the excitement
everyone was having; so he decided he, too, would present my mom with a gift. He ran up the back of the couch, gently placed his tiny puppy teeth on old Santa's white hair, and gave it a yank. He proceeded to present the 'gift' of Santa's head to my mom at her feet. We will all remember the moment when the puppy gazed up at my mom hoping for her approval. She clapped, laughed and gave the puppy a giant hug.
 “A Day for Destiny” by Jane Gale:  A court summons and arrival of a sexy, mysterious man throws Destiny’s mundane life into chaos. Not knowing who to trust, she could lose everything, including her heart.

Bobbi Lerman: I have always felt deprived because we didn't have a Christmas Tree. As beautiful as my mom's menorah with the eight blazing candles were, it just didn't quite have the appeal of the tree decorated with ornaments, lights, and feathery strings of glittering tinsel. Mr. & Mrs. Macrimmon, who lived a couple of streets over from my family, invited me over to help decorate their tree every Christmas Eve, and they never seemed to mind me drowning the green branches with the silvery tinsel. After the tree was done, we would sit in their living room where we ate homemade sugar cookies (she made the absolute best ones), while admiring our handiwork and drink tea out of china cups. 

“Providence” by Bobbi Lerman: An accident sends 21st century fugitive Amy Beale back in time into the arms of a beguiling artist for one last chance to clear her name and find her fate in a love that transcends time and space. 

Gerri Brousseau: My most vivid memory of Christmas is something that my father started doing when I was about five years old, which I, in turn, did for my son, and now do for my granddaughter. Shortly after Thanksgiving (never before), my father would tell me that Santa’s elves were out and about watching me to make sure I was being a good girl. Being the Renaissance man he was, Dad always helped Mom by doing the dishes, and even though I was so small I had to stand on the step stool to reach the sink, I helped him dry. Every night while doing dishes, Dad would pretend he saw an elf peeking at me from around the chimney on the roof of the house next door, or peeking at me from the branch of the pine tree in the yard. “Did you see him?” My dad would ask. “Yes, I see him, Daddy,” I would say, and in my child’s mind I suppose I did. My parents didn’t always have money, but they never scrimped on Christmas. They made the holiday a very special and magical time of year for me, and when I had a family, I did the same thing. 
“Enticed by a Laird” by Gerri Brousseau:  A Scottish Laird captured the heart of a titled Englishwoman from the first moment she laid eyes on him, but would his clan and her family ever approve of their forbidden love?

How about you? Do you have a favorite holiday memory to share?

Perhaps reading is your big thing and if so, try Season of Surprises. Find Season of Surprises at: 
Find Season of Surprises at:  Facebook
Amazon    Barnes & Noble     Kobo     iTunes 

Tales from the Crate: #CrazyDog kills dog agility by Karilyn Bentley

The cutest puppy in the worldHave you been wondering what happened to our adorable puppy, aka The Kraken? It dawned on me the other day I hadn't written about her in a year. (Want to read about my puppy adventures? Try Here, Here and Here)  She's grown now, all 45 pounds of her. Still likes to eat the garden (currently asparagus, okra and tomatoes are her faves, but the poor kale plant is moving up on her list), snuggle with The Hubster, and catch bugs, toads, geckos, and the occasional baby bird. <shivers to think of that one> But her new skill is dog agility.

For those of you unfamiliar with agility, this is an obstacle course for dogs. They fly over jumps and through standing tires, run across dog walks, A-frames and teeter-totters, dart through tunnels and chutes, all in the name of fun. (Never seen it? Check this video out on YouTube ***disclaimer: I have no idea who this dog is, and am in no way affiliated with this particular competition***)

My first experience with agility was back in the '90s with my first dog. It was a lot of fun, so when we got another dog, I put her in a class. Bad idea. Why? (1) She hated car rides and would hurl. Nothing more awesome than cleaning up dog puke. (2) Everything on the field (aka the other classes, dogs, birds in the sky) held more interest than whatever I wanted her to do. This meant I'd say jump and she'd jump. I'd say come back, and she'd run around the two acres, through the other agility classes, until she tired out, me giving chase hollering, 'come back, come back.' Do you know how long a shepherd mix can run? For-freaking-ever. Yeah. Not happening. If I wanted to run, I'd stick her on a leash and go for a jog. But when we got The Kraken last year, I decided to make another try. Third time's a charm, right?

After some research, I found a school fairly close to my house. Classes were held outdoors next to a horse field. The atmosphere was relaxed. The Kraken was 11 months when we started class, which meant she was still in the hyper phase of absentmindedness. Classes were at night in February. Remember, I'm in Texas. February is practically spring. At any rate, agility is supposed to burn energy and calm down an over-exuberant dog. In theory.

When we arrived for our first night of class, bright lights on tall poles illuminated the field with a radiance not seen this side of the sun. The temp was mid-fifties, perfect for a night of dog training. I opened the back door of the car. The Kraken refused to get out. I coaxed. She gave me a no-way glare. I picked her up and sat her on the ground. She took a sniff of air and took off toward the gated field. As we made our way to the class, her ears perked up. Then she ran to the end of her leash, almost pulling me over. Why? Bugs! Loads of bugs! And scents! Enough scents to entice a dog for hours. And did I mention the horses? (Who the heck puts a dog school next to a horse pasture?) We lined up with three other dog/human teams and were the only ones there who just wanted to play around. Everyone else was SERIOUS. They wanted to compete. Their dogs sat at attention, even the six month old. My dog? Well, The Kraken chased bugs. Did I mention the abundance of bugs? She suddenly forgot how to walk on leash and perfected her military crawl. Toward the horses. And the bugs. NOT the equipment.

When it was our turn on the equipment, I tugged on the leash. She laid down and rolled onto her back. I scratched her tummy. She flipped over and tried to exhibit her landscaping talent (aka digging for bugs). I picked her up and carried her to the piece of equipment. She freaked out and rolled over. I shrugged, picked her up and went to the back of the line. As soon as her feet hit the ground she crawled after a moth. Embarrassing. But her military crawl looked great and garnered tons of comments and accolades.

The second class she seemed to like a couple of pieces of equipment (probably because they had moths flitting above them. Low fat treats). Then came the first round of rains/sleet/snow and we didn't have class for five weeks. By the time we returned, one of the teams had dropped out. Another one forgot to show up. Which left two teams. That's when The Kraken started liking class.

By the end of the third class, she LOVED the dog walk and A-frame and would actively dart over them whether or not they were the correct obstacle. Then more rains came and class was hit or miss. Sometimes the instructor would hold a class and only The Kraken and I would show. So we got a lot of private lessons for the cost of group ones. Awesome!!

Now, The Kraken is one of the top dogs in our intermediate class. She HATES the teeter totter because it moves but loves the other equipment. She gets so excited when we go to class, once she sees the place, she starts whining. And she refuses to leave, which means I have to carry her back to the car after dead-lifting her from a military crawl (she tries to crawl away from the gate, go figure).

Agility rocks. If you've never seen it, go to YouTube or look at #dogagility on Twitter. Lots of fun!!!

What kind of activities do you like to do with your pets? Has anyone else out there tried doggy agility?

Karilyn Bentley
DEMON KISSED coming soon to an online store near you!
www.karilynbentley.com
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@SloaneBCollins What's in my Writer Toolbox for NaNo? #NaNoWriMo #amwriting @onestop4writers #MFRWorg

Authors everywhere are gearing up for NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month – which takes place annually in November.  We are battening down the hatches, preparing meals ahead of time (unless you’re lucky enough to have a hubby like mine who does 99% of the cooking!), letting friends and family know we won’t be answering phones, and scheduling the DVR…all of this to get 50,000 words written in one month.  That’s right, a whole complete novel in one month!

For an author like me who is time-challenged with a crazy-busy day job, an editing job, and four cats, this is the month where I really push to spend every minute writing.  I’m a pantser by nature when it comes to writing – meaning I literally sit down in front of the computer and write by the seat of my pants.  It keeps the story fresh for me, instead of getting bogged down in research.
BUT…when it comes to NaNo, I need to have a pretty good idea of my characters, the plot, scenes I want to write, and that all important Goal, Motivation, and Conflict for my characters.  Now is when I use all the tools available to authors to get me prepped in time for November 1, so I can hit the ground running.
As a reader, I want to be immersed in a book, and feel as if I’m part of the story, seeing and living the story as if I’m the heroine.  As an author, I want readers to be immersed in the world I create, so I’m constantly taking classes, honing my craft.  This also means reading books about writing, filling out character questionnaires, filling out worksheets.  And searching for that One. Big. Secret.  The one that will make everything click, turn on that light bulb over my head, and make the words literally flow from my brain, out my fingertips, and onto the page. 
Last week a new website launched for authors called One Stop for Writers.  This description is straight from their website: One Stop For Writers is a powerhouse online library like no other, supplying writers with inspiration, education and unique description resources. If anything I’ve ever found has come close to that One Big Secret, this is it.  The creators of the Emotion Thesaurus Collection and the creator of Scrivener joined forces to create one of the BEST tools for authors I’ve ever seen.  Not only are the Emotion Thesauruses included in one place, but they have a Setting Thesaurus, one for colors, shapes, patterns!  I think my favorite one is the Setting thesaurus.  I’ve never been on a ranch, so this is the perfect place for me to go to find things I may not have ever thought of including in a book. 
I admit I’m a geek – I love filling out worksheets, charts, spreadsheets, and questionnaires.  If it helps me dig deeper into my character’s psyche, then I’m all over it.  And the One Stop website has several, from character descriptions, to their greatest fears, to emotional progression, and so many more.  I was lucky enough to be a beta tester for the website, and it was like Christmas morning, my birthday, and winning the lottery, all rolled into one the first time I accessed the site.  It’s amazing, and it’s all for ME!  Well, not really.  It’s for authors everywhere to deepen their stories and make them the best they can, all for the reader.  While it is a subscription based website, authors can also sign up for a free account and be able to access some of the features. Here’s the link if you want to try it out: One Stop For Writers
So as I begin prep work for NaNo, and all through the month of November (and, really, forevermore) I’ll be using One Stop for Writers, all my favorite character sketches, Pinterest (awesome for inspiration!), and pushing to get 50,000 words on the page.  Wish me luck!
As an author, what are your favorite writing tools?  Are you gearing up for NaNo? 
Readers, what questions do you have for the Princesses when it comes to writing, or their writing process?

#Spooky #Halloween #Drinks and #Eats

PUMPKIN JUICE

4 cups apple juice

1- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (not pie filling!)

2 teaspoons ginger paste (or fresh grated ginger)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 nutmeg, freshly grated (about 1 tablespoon of ground spice)

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1- 12 ounce can lemon-line soda (like Sprite)

Whisk together apple juice, pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper in a large pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and hold for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Slowly stir lemon-lime soda into cooled mixture. Strain and serve. (Recipe from Word Up, Nerd Up Blog, Photo from MentalFloss.com)

MUMMY MEATLOAF


Wrap your favorite meatloaf recipe in wide noodles or lasagna noodles! Add green or black olives for the eyes! Boo! (Photo from Mentalfloss.com)


Tentacle Pot Pie

Add diced chicken, peas, carrots, chicken broth and cheddar cheese to individual bowls. Use homemade crust or store bought to shape out these cute little critters and use olives for the eyes! You can also make individual fruit pies and cobblers and serve them up to all your little ghosts and goblins! (Photo from mentalfloss.com)

Happy Haunting! ~ Alisha Paige

@sloanebcollins Nature to Soothe My Soul #backtonature #PlottingPrincesses #amwriting #MFRWorg

About twice a year, I start getting itchy, twitchy, and b…er, witchy, and I know it’s time to get away from the city of concrete and back into nature.  I’m a country girl at heart, and I need the trees, mountains, lakes, oceans, and wildlife to keep me going.  There is such beauty on God’s earth, and so much that we still haven’t explored.  I once wrote a book for the Scrapbooking industry, and it’s all about reflecting on God’s wonders.  Alas, the publisher folded before it was published, but I pull it out every so often to reread it and remember how important it is to me to be in nature.
Last week my husband and I packed up the car, left notes for the kitty-sitters, and headed to Colorado for a week.  We drove straight through and reached Colorado Springs about six a.m.  We started our vacation with a lovely breakfast with my author friend Jennie Marts <waving at Jennie> and her husband.  We had a great time, and I’m so glad we had the time with them.
After stuffing ourselves with toffee pancakes (!!), we headed toward Mount Evans.  We followed the winding curves, stopping along the way to snap pictures of bighorn sheep, small lakes, and anything that caught our eye.  If you’ve never been there, but plan to go, be warned of scary-narrow, winding roads that drop off into nothing except grass and rocks.  I think my heart was in my throat most of the way up…and back down.  We reached the top, but it was socked in with clouds and fog, snowing, very crowded, and I was dizzy from the altitude, so we stayed long enough to snap a picture to prove we had reached the top at 14,130 feet.

On the way back down, we spotted three mountain goats camped out among the rocks. One of them must be named Big Daddy, because he was HUGE.  One thing I haven’t mentioned before is that my husband and I much prefer vacations that take us back to nature. We don’t like big cities, crowds, or concrete, so we’ll take trees, rocks, and wildlife any day.  Oh, and food. We love finding unique local restaurants with really good food.  


We drove further north to spend the night, then got up early the next morning to hunt for moose.  We have seen a few over the last several years, but not a male with a full rack, so we were on the prowl.  But they must have known we were coming, because they packed up the bears and hid from us.  Although we did see a fox!  Actually, he headed for my husband while I was in the bakery getting us breakfast, but I did see the tail end of him.  

We stayed the week with my aunt in Grand Junction, then took a trip with her up to Salt Lake City.  If you’ve never driven through the desert of Utah, it’s almost like you’ve landed on another planet.  There’s a beauty in the starkness of the rocks and mountains. In Salt Lake City, we took a tour of led by two of the Mormon Sisters, and I hadn’t realized how much my soul needed to be recharged, but talking with these two young ladies about their faith really gave me some peace.
The next day we took the long way back to Grand Junction, and drove through some incredible areas filled with the yellows and oranges of aspens.  They were so incredible, almost like bouquets of yellow flowers – I just wanted to gather them up and bury my face in the colors.  One of the highlights of that drive was spotting the Oscar Meyer Wiener-Mobile tucked away in the mountains!  Toward the end of the drive, we also spotted a cowboy rounding up calves on a remote hillside.  I snapped pictures as fast as I could…uh, it’s research, people!  I’m working on a ranching romance!  Honest!

We spent a couple of days with my aunt and cousins, and had a great time with them.  I learned so much about my family history from my aunt, who is a whiz at genealogy.  I knew I came from German and English blood, but found out I’m also Scottish, Irish, and Quaker!  It was great spending time with some of the family I don’t get to see very often.
We packed up the car again on Friday and decided to take the long way home, and while my sittin’ bones are still somewhat tender, I’m so glad we did.  There are some incredible mountain vistas between Silverton and Durango, Colorado.  Just gorgeous.  This trip definitely recharged me until the next time we can get back to nature.  And I was finally able to get some writing done!  I needed to clear out the cobwebs and all the angst of daily life, and I put pen to paper...or fingers to keyboard!
Oh!  I found out while on vacation my book, Love Redesigned, is finally in print!  
In total, we saw the following on our trip:897 cows327 horses15 bighorn sheep14 elk5 Blue Angels practicing for the air show3 mountain goats1 fox1 wiener-mobile1 cowboy
What about you? Where do you like to vacation?  Do you flock to the excitement of big cities, or trek back to nature?

.@Michelle Miles: I'm Back!

Hello, readers!

After a long hiatus, I’m finally back as a Princess. It’s nice to be back amongst the crown-wearing gals!

I took a long sabbatical from writing. I did a lot of soul-searching to figure out what I was doing and who I was as a writer. I now know what the root of my problem was—I was really depressed about the state of my books that are currently held hostage by a publisher. Getting a check for less than $10—or a check not at all—was a huge blow to my writer ego. Because I poured my heart and soul into those books and I felt like they were slighted. I also felt like they were being served a great injustice by not making any money when I was SURE they were better books than that. I’ve requested the rights back to almost all of them—and have received rights back to one of them. Now it’s just a waiting game to see what’s going to happen.

And it hurts. A lot.

So putting all that aside was difficult at best for me. It’s never an easy thing to see your books sit and not earn money. Any books—not just the ones with a publisher but the indie ones too. I had to come to terms with that because I can’t be everywhere I want to be—I’m not MasterCard, after all. I’m a mom with a husband and a full time job. I had to stop and decide where my time was best spent and that was writing, not spinning my wheels marketing. I’m sure there is some value in that—blogging, ads, tweeting, etc.—but it stressed me out to the point I mentally shut down.

So I let it go.



In February, I signed up for an intensive year-long workshop with Holly Lisle. If you follow me anywhere, then you’ve seen me talk about it. HOW TO THINK SIDEWAYS saved my writing life. I know that sounds crazy but it really did help me dig deep into my psyche and figure out what I want and where I want to be and what I want to write. I started writing a new book with a dual timeline that was fantasy with time travel and paranormal elements. And of course a love story or two. :)

By the time summer hit, I had my writing chi back. I had an idea for a contemporary romance series about a wedding consultant. I’ve wanted to write about weddings for a while now only because the stock art is so beautiful. LOL And then I got a wild hair to enter Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest. I had to finish the book by September 21 and post it on Wattpad to be entered. I had only written the first 5000 words (target was 55,000). My chosen line was Blaze and since it had been a while since I’d read one, I went into research mode. I downloaded samples and read first chapters. I binged on back cover copy. I downloaded a couple of Blaze books and read from start to end. I thought, “HEY. I can do this.”

So I plotted out the story (sort of) and started writing. At the height of my writing, I was doing 2000-4000 words a day. I hit the deadline with two days to spare and uploaded the entire story.

And now I wait. First round judging of pitch and first chapter is in progress then the top 50 are announced around October 6. I’m counting the days.

Michelle Miles loves castles, dragon, fairies and elves. For more about her, check out her website.