P.J. Schnyder's Blog, page 12
July 6, 2012
Novels Take Longer
One might read the title of this post and say, “Duh.”
And really, it seems easily recognized that writing a novel would take longer based on word count alone, as opposed to a flash fiction or short stories or novellas.
Beyond the obvious word count, though, I personally require more time for my stories. The longer length gives me the opportunity to weave in extra sub plots and give fun nods or make potentially obscure references. My secondary characters get to have more time devoted to them in terms of back story and character building. There might even be the seeds planted for stories of their own, maybe.
But to be honest, the true issue for me with novels is that they’re similar to a long distance run. I’ve got to pace myself. If I sprint too hard, too often as I write the story, I’m in danger of gassing myself out. I suddenly find myself drawing a blank and too tired to focus on what was supposed to happen next. My scenes become flat and lifeless, a whole lot of telling and not any kind of living the story. It wouldn’t do any story justice to leave it in such a condition.
And then there’s outside variables. This past year and a half, I had a whole lot of Real Life drop on my head like a ton of bricks. Yes, there was a whole lot of emotion there that could be funneled into my writing and my characters, but at the same time…there was a whole lot of challenge. Yes, I could blame Real Life, list it out for all to sympathize. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
But the accountability still lies with me.
The stories I write need me in order to come into being and they’ve been delayed. It’s time to finish them, polish them and share them for those who might enjoy them. It’s not anyone else’s fault they’re not finished yet and it’s not because Life isn’t fair. Life is what it is. I’m working on it, my friends, and thank you for hanging with me through the long dry spell.
The happy aspect of it all is this: Fighting Kat (working title) is a full length novel, approximately three times the length of Hunting Kat and packed with action. 
July 1, 2012
Ricotta Gnocchi
(adapted from theKitchn blog)
A coworker from the day job sent me this recipe, raving about how easy it was and how delicious the gnocchi turned out. She was so right!
Ingredients:
16oz whole-milk ricotta, drained
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon sea salt (for boiling)
Directions:
Mix the ricotta and egg until incorporated. Add grated cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 cup of the flour and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Check the dough by rolling a bit in your hand. It should be a bit tacky, but if it clings to your fingers like bubble gum, incorporate more flour one tablespoon at a time until you reach a tacky, workable consistency. Depending on ambient humidity, the amount of flour required will vary.
Refrigerate for another 15 minutes.
While waiting, bring a large pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil.
Sprinkle a baking sheet or large plate with flour and set it close to your work space.
Dust your hands and work surface with a little flour. Break off a tennis-ball sized piece of the dough and place the rest back in the refrigerator. Roll the dough in had into a log about 3/4-inch thick. Using a pastry blade or sharp knife, cut the log into 3/4″ pieces.
Transfer this batch to the baking sheet and toss with flour to prevent sticking. Repeat rolling process with the remaining dough.
Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water and the gnocchi. Gently stir the gnocchi to make sure they don’t stick. Once they bob to the surface, let them cook an additional 2 minutes. Drain using a colander.
Toss the gnocchi with sauce of your choice and serve immediately.
June 29, 2012
My Focus, It Needs More Focus
Lots of shenanigans have been going on over the last several months. From conventions to photo shoots, I’ve been all over the map and back again. That’s not even taking into consideration the travel I do weekly for the day job!
And let’s be honest, I’ve been a long time in writing the next books in two of my series: the Triton Experiment series and Terra’s Guardians.
As you can see by the status graphics on the side bar of my blog, I’m working on them. And one might think I should be working on them faster. But that’s not where I want my focus to be, at least not as the primary goal. I want quality in my writing. After all, if the quality isn’t good enough, they might not be accepted on submission. No. First and foremost, I want to share good stories with my readers. I want to create stories that are well written with strong plots and memorable characters. As a secondary goal, I want to learn to do this at a faster pace than what I’ve been managing over the last year.
I’m buckling down to really finish the draft of Fighting Kat in the coming weeks. I’m not looking beyond it, not planning other stories or running off to conventions or photo shoots. I won’t be working on any other projects. Fighting Kat has my full attention until the draft is done. That’s my promise and I’m making myself accountable right here.
June 22, 2012
PJ Tips for Author Photos
Writing craft is the core of an author’s skill set. And yet, once published, an author has so many other things to juggle. There’s all the mechanics of revisions and edits, the need to promote and market, and manage social media. Heck, getting out there and meeting readers, new and established, is high on the list too.
When I’m doing any sort of guest post or interview, planning to attend a con or otherwise get out there, I want to help my readers find me. That means they probably want to know what I look like. Names on badges helps for cons, but at a book signing event or similar situation, a reader might not know they’ve bumped into me at all.
Thus, the author photo.
In fact, I’m preparing for a photoshoot with the talented and awesome J.R. Blackwell tomorrow. She’s a great photographer as well as a fellow author, so she knows what I need when it comes to photos for an author media kit. And after having discussed with her about our plans for the shoot, I thought it might be handy to share some of the considerations I keep in mind when preparing for one of these.
PJ Tips to Prepare for the Shoot:
Professional polish is key. Go with a professional photographer if at all possible. Shop around, get recommendations and find a photographer who understands your needs and how much writers (don’t always) make. It’s okay to interview before you make a choice.
Prepare weeks in advance by being healthy. No drop diets, no stressful beauty makeovers. Just drink lots of water, maybe start eating a bit healthier leading up to the shoot and get plenty of rest. No amount of makeup can take the place of a healthy you.
Try on all your outfits a week in advance. Try everything on to be sure it fits exactly the way you want it to and if it doesn’t, you have time to rectify the situation.
Plan to wear make up. Even if you don’t usually wear make up, realize that a camera lens does not see the same detail as the human eye and a camera flash can wash out your face. That said, don’t over do it – minimal, natural make up is best.
Stop off at your hair dresser the week before and get a fresh trim. Your hair should look healthy and fall nicely – and if you feel good about your hair, you’re likely to be more relaxed in your pictures.
Do your nails. A nice, clean French manicure goes with every outfit and will look super nice if your hands end up in the photo.
PJ Tips for the Big Day:
Relax. If you’re nervous, let the photographer know and they should be able to help you. Otherwise, look around you, deep breaths, think happy thoughts.
It’s okay to smile. No fake smiles though. Real you smiles. Be you. If you isn’t happy shiny smiley, then it’s also okay not to smile.
Keep your hands Down. Don’t touch your face at all. Hands distract from your face and it’s too easy to cover without realizing how much of your face you’re hiding. If you want to rest your chin on your hands, don’t actually rest it – hover so it looks like it without squishing your chin.
Posture is key. Every couple of pics, roll your shoulders and sit up straight. Lift your rib cage and suck your belly in just a bit. It will make you hold your head higher, lengthen your neck and get the kinks out.
And a note here: your photos should look like you so your readers can recognize you. But they should also reflect your author brand. I write romance. Some of it is sweet, some has an edgier sci-fi or paranormal theme to it. All of it is saucy. I also write steampunk, which has a completely different clothing aesthetic and wow but wait till you see the photos we’ll have for that. I have photos for each of these depending on the con, event or blog it will be posted for.
PJ confessions:
I make funny faces in between poses. I squish up my face or puff out my cheeks and I cross my eyes. Anything to make the stiff, ahmahgawd I’ve been smiling till I ache feeling go away.
I’m really clumsy. Sometimes I pose and immediately fall off whatever I was sitting or standing on.
The PJ mommy asked me to model in high school for fear I was becoming too much of a tomboy with all the sports. Thus, I have a modeling background to draw from when I take my author media photos. It didn’t come naturally for me, folks.
June 17, 2012
Lucky 7: Another sneak peek at Fighting Kat
I’ve been tagged by Danielle La Paglia this time via Facebook. It’s a meme, I know, but it’s a fun one.
The rules:
Go to page 7 or 77 of your current WiP. (This was a bit new compared to the first one I did so I went for page 7)
Go to line 7.
Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences, and post them as they’re written. No cheating.
Tag 7 other sadists, I mean writers.
Here’s the lines from Fighting Kat, book 2 of the Triton Experiment series:
The smile Skuld gave her dazzled, and then it was suddenly replaced by an uncharacteristic somber expression as delicate eyebrows drew together. “My last couple of choices haven’t been stellar. You’ll tell me if my hormones overlook jackass warning flags in favor of muscular prowess, won’t you?”
It took a minute to sink in. “Seriously? You’re going to rely on my opinion of the male side of the species?”
And now to Tag (though I’ve no idea if they’ll play):
June 14, 2012
LOVESTRUCK GIVEAWAY HOP
There are just a couple series I go back to again and again to enjoy, savor, sigh over. They leave me dreamy eyed and lovestruck, I guess you could say.
The first is the Black Jewels trilogy and related books by Anne Bishop. There’s something about the dark heroes she creates that draws me in every so often. The books make me cry, bite me lip with tension and laugh out loud. Honestly, how can anyone resist Daemon?
Another such series is the Psy/Changeling series by Nalini Singh. I can’t help but come back to Clay and Tally or Mercy and Riley. I love their stories. They strike a chord in me. And as my readers know, I do have a thing for shapeshifters.
And here we are on the Lovestruck Giveaway Hop. 
I’m offering a whole box of goodies as my giveaway. To win, please leave a comment and share with me your favorite series.
And the box? As much fun as it would be to have the winner surprised when they open it, I figure it’d be more fun to share with you all what you’re entering to win.
Included in this giveaway is the first in the Terra’s Guardians: HEART’S SENTINEL, assorted signed cover flats for my books, a PJ Schnyder tote bag, as well as various books by awesome authors including Leanna Renee Hieber and many others. This giveaway is open to international entrants (if the winner is international, it may take a bit longer to send).
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And check out the other sites on the blog hop for other great posts and prizes.
June 4, 2012
Lori Foster’s RAGT 2012
Whew. Back from my very first Lori Foster Reader and Author Get Together. Thank you so much to Lori Foster and staff for organizing such an enjoyable event!
The weekend began with an ambitious road trip. Dana Marie Bell, Stephanie Flash Burke and Joyfully Reviewed piled into a rental van thanks to the L33t packing skills of Dana’s hubby.
Upon arrival, we found the hotel lovely and people already mingling a bit in the lobby. Being short of sleep and having had a day job commitment in the morning, I have to admit I didn’t make it down to socialize until lunch time. However, actual registration went fairly quickly and I nabbed my swag bag plus t shirt. After that, it was a bit more relaxed chatting and hanging out with various people both of old and new acquaintance.
Later in the afternoon, I sat with the ladies for the Friday afternoon book signing. It was so great to meet new readers, say Hi to familiar faces and generally have a good time. All of the copies of HEART’S SENTINEL I’d brought were sold and several copies of GIMME SHELTER, the anthology. Thank you to the readers who decided to give me a try!
Later in the evening, I pitched in to help with the Carina Press Pictionary event. That was incredible fun! Many of the authors of Carina Press were there to help with the game and giveaway prizes. Laughter, shouts and general hilarity ensued. We closed out the night in the lobby again, having been a mission to polish off a couple of bottles of wine. Keri Stevens and Dana joined me to meet the challenge.
Saturday began bright and early. I was told to hit the breakfast in my jammies, and that I did. Bagels, Krispy Creme Doughnuts and juice turned out to be a carb loaded, sugar rush of a start to my day. Congrats to Mimmi on winning the basket I donated for the charity raffle. I hope you enjoy the Almond Champagne. It’s one of my favorites!
Meal times stick out the most in my mind for Saturday. And while those who know me wouldn’t be surprised considering my love for food, it was really the awesome company. The Carina Press authors made lunch very pleasant with conversation covering everything from writerly views and deep thoughts to zany stories about stalkers and mayonnaise. Also, gotta say, it was a life-changing event going to dinner with Monica Burns and many other authors. My abs still ache from all the laughter and my voice is going to take days to recover. Besides, I not only got to witness but also captured on video, an impromptu reading by Monica from her book, KISMET. How cool is that? Big shout out to waiter Larry and bartender Wally for being so much fun.
Late night at the bar saw me checking in with so many cool people. Really, this event was fantastic for hanging out and chatting, making new friends and meeting new readers. I loved it! Not to mention playing Dirty Mad Libs with Linnea Sinclair and several others. Oh the insanity. LOL
After all of that, Sunday was a tired but cheerful cluster of good-byes and packing the van. The majority of the day was beautiful and I napped through quite a bit of it.
To leave you all with a peek into just how fun the weekend was, here’s the video of Monica’s impromptu reading. Enjoy!
May 27, 2012
Thai Chicken Curry (Red Curry)
This is an often requested recipe of mine. I haven’t made it in a while, but I figured I’d share it since I’m thinking I’ll be making it soon.
Ingredients:
approx. 2 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
2 (4 oz.) cans red curry paste
2 (13.5 oz.) cans coconut milk
1 (20 oz.) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
fish sauce to taste (approx 1/4 cup)
3 to 4 sprigs fresh basil, wash and strip off leaves, discard stems
1 Tablespoon white suger
Thai red peppers for garnish
(Note: Thai cooking is not an exact type of cooking style. EVERYTHING is give or take a bit depending on preference and taste. It turns out a bit different every time.)
Prepare chicken breasts by slicing into thin slices approximately 2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick.
Spoon two to three tablespoons of coconut milk into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the two cans of red curry paste (less if you prefer curry less spicy). Use a wooden spoon to stir the curry paste into the small amount of coconut milk until smooth and bubbly and continue to cook until curry paste changes color and becomes very pungent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add chicken. Stir to ensure that all chicken slices are seperate and coated in curry paste. Cook until all chicken is white and firm, no longer pink.
Add the remaining coconut milk. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower to medium low heat and add drained sliced bamboo shoots, basil leaves and sugar. Allow to simmer for 1/2 hour. Add fish sauce in Tablespoon increments, stirring thoroughly and tasting each time until the curry is salted to taste.
Allow to simmer for a total of 2 hours so that chicken is very tender. Meanwhile, slice Thai red peppers in half and clean out seeds, this is where the majority of the hot flavor is. Slice the red halves in thin slivers and sprinkle across the top as garnish. Serve with Thai white rice.
Tips:
If too much fish sauce is added, additional coconut milk can reduce the salty taste or add a peeled and quartered potato to absorb the salt which can be left in or removed at the end of cooking.
If too much sugar is added, additional fresh basil can reduce the sweetness.
May 17, 2012
On Writing Steampunk and Being Part of the Steampunk Community
Corset by Brute Force Studios
Of late, there is much to do about the definition of steampunk and debate within the steampunk community.
As an author of steampunk and, in particular, steampunk romance, the fascinating characteristic of this genre is of course the steampunk aesthetic. When I write steampunk, I endeavor to capture the aesthetic of steampunk, the feel and the culture. It’s not just about nifty steam driven gadgets or clockworks, airships and submersibles. It’s a distinctly Victorian influence in combination with the creative technology of this alternate history in my worlds.
But the fun of steampunk goes beyond a literary genre. There are craftsmen and artisans creating fine works of steampunk design and inspiration. There’s an entire fashion movement. All of these developed in parallel to the literature, perhaps inspired by but mostly growing and taking on a life of their own.
Recently, I was asked to play a part in upcoming book trailer for The Janus Affair, a Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novel. It was two days of intense filming for me. For my first acting experience, I was told my performance in conjunction with the talented Lady Clankington would make or break the trailer. Without us there would be no trailer. No pressure.
And so I arrived at Brute Force Studios’ Grimlore Manor a prompt 15 minutes early, wide eyed and with much trepidation. I walked into a beautiful Victorian home with workshops on every floor down to the very basement, all full of wondrous items made with excellent craftsmanship. My wallet would have trembled in fear if I hadn’t forgotten it at home. I got into makeup and costume alongside the exceedingly beautiful Lady Clankington and she proved to be both helpful and very cool. Trust me, when two ladies share a makeup mirror you either find you can work well together or blood will be shed.
And then I stepped into the incredible lighting and filming talent of Link Williams. Tee Morris took us through the read-throughs and provided direction throughout the weekend. And I watched a book trailer come together. Hell, I was a part of making the book trailer come together. Just wow.
The trailer is targeted to release at the Steampunk World’s Fair with extras, interviews and behind the scenes tidbits to follow.
I value every chance I get to spend time with my friends in the steampunk community, take pride in the projects I’ve helped to see completed and have incredible experiences from working side by side with so many different people of such wide range in talent and skills. My writing is the better for it. My steampunk stories are better for being a born within the steampunk community.
This weekend, I’ll be at Steampunk World’s Fair, having fun scampering around a portion of the steampunk community. Come play find the PJ. I’ll make it easy for you:
PJ’s Schedule at Steampunk World’s Fair***All activities located in Boardroom B in The Raddison ”The Literary Salon”
Friday:
830pm: Author Reading: PJ Schnyder
9pm: Friday Night Book signing
10pm: Sex and Steampunk
Saturday:
1pm: Steam tea and Booksigning Event
5pm: Steampunk and Social media
630pm: Steampunk goes Global
Sunday:
1pm: Light or Dark: How do you take your steampunk
May 14, 2012
Adventures in Sourdough: Pancakes
Lately, I’ve been looking for ways to eat a bit healthier. These pancakes are one of my favorite comfort foods and cutting back the carbs in the recipe as well as adding more protein actually made these even tastier to me. They’re not carb-free, but they contain less carbs than the original recipe.
Serve them with fresh or frozen berries instead of syrup.
Recipe:
1 cup sourdough starter, room temperature
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 large egg
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup flour (or less depending on humidity)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
small amt water or milk
Note: an active starter works best for this recipe, so you may want to feed or double your starter the night before you make these.
Into a medium size, clean mixing bowl pour one cup of room temperature sourdough starter. Add two tablespoons of cooking oil and stir well.
Note: I tend to use a big whisk, but a wooden spoon or spatula would work just fine.
Beat one egg and stir in to the starter along with two tablespoons of sugar. Add cottage cheese. Mix well.
Slowly, stir in half cup of flour.
In a separate cup, mix one teaspoon of baking soda with one-quarter teaspoon salt in a small amount of water or milk to dissolve and quickly stir into the batter. The sourdough batter will now begin to foam and rise in the bowl. (It lives!)
Let the batter stand for about 5 to 10 minutes (while breakfast meat is being cooked, for example).
Stir batter and fry up the pancakes in a skillet or on a griddle.
Note: The amount of flour added to the batter will determine its thickness. For thinner cakes add less flour.
