Maria Lima's Blog, page 17

Weekends are for lots of things

It's weird finishing a book & turning in revisions without another contract waiting in the wings. I feel a bit adrift. That said, I've been noodling through notes & such on quite a few ideas that I need to put together in some sort of coherent format to send to Mr. Agent.

I spent yesterday and today reading & catching up on TV. Finished watching Downton Abbey (thumbs up) and caught up on Fringe. Very glad the hellatus is over for Supernatural, though I'm a bit peeved that they didn't [spoiler redacted] sooner. I mean, really? We had to wait until we're halfway through the whole season?

I just finished reading Allison Pang's debut book: A BRUSH OF DARKNESS. Enjoyed it muchly. It's got a hot incubus, Fae, all sorts of nifty characters including Bonus!SnarkyUnicorn named Phineas (he's about the size of a small dog and likes to hump legs). Really fun debut book from my own house, Pocket. Next up: Karen Mahoney's debut: THE IRON WITCH. After that, will be Jaye Wells' GREEN-EYED DEMON.

Been riding the exercise bike 6 days a week. Today, rode it twice – mostly b/c I woke up from very short nap coughing (thanks to sinus drainage) and chilled (thanks to no sun). Have crossed the halfway point to my initial goal of 400 miles by riding 20 miles today. Now at 208 miles ridden since 1/1/11.

Hoping our weather doesn't get nasty (a possibility mid-week) and that you all are safe & cozy @ home!

Making lemons

When life hands you a ginormous bowl of rotten lemons (hey, I *like* lemons, so just being handed one isn't cause for despair!) – sometimes you just have to bow to the inevitable and coast along for the ride until its over.

And boy, howdy, did we all get handed rotten lemons this past week! First there was the Thundersneet*, followed by rain, followed by an all too brief respite, followed by heavy wet snow. Followed by, you guessed it, power outage for more than 400,000 people in the DC metro area. Yup, I was one of those people.



It doesn't take long after an unexpected power outage to make a person thankful and thoughtful.

Thoughtful first:

* I really, really am an internet/tech junkie.

* I really, really need to buy matches.**

* I really, really HATE being cold.

Thankful:

* I really, really LOVE my iPad & iPhone & NookColor.***

* Down comforters are awesome.

* DeerPark water dispenser systems: also awesome.

* Wild Planet sustainably caught tinned tuna: very, very good out of the can.

* Beef jerky: also good (great source of lean protein)

* My UPS driver is AWESOME & delivered much needed cat litter in the middle of the outage.

All in all, a bummer of two full days (45 hours) without power in less than freezing temps. I couldn't do what I'd intended to do which was (a) work for my office job on Thursday and (b) work Wednesday night & all day Friday on revisions for BLOOD SACRIFICE. That said, the 2 days away from the computer made me think some things through and I've worked that into my revisions.

Work continues apace with the book and it shall be turned back in to Mme. Editrix soonest. Then, I can work on the really awesome sparkly shiny idea that came to me early this morning…basically, where to take the series next. Not that I have a contract or anything, but before I can get that I need a proposal.

Hoping that you all keep warm (or cool if you're in the lower half of the globe) and that Mother Nature is kinder to you than she's been to our area this past 12 months or more.

TTFN!

* Thundersneet: aka wintry mix, aka sleet snowy rain

** Matches: those things you used to be able to pick up for free that come in real handy to say, light a candle or perhaps even the gas stove/oven when said stove/oven has electric starter and there's no electricity.

*** I survived by reading, tweeting, emailing on the iPad & iPhone and being able to read real books on the NookColor was priceless.

Reflections in the wee hours

…of 4:56 a.m.

Woke up sick yesterday – some sort of intestinal bug compounded with sinus issues. Did a lot of sleeping. I woke up about 3:30 this morning, my brain brimming with scenes and dialogue for a short story. My belly seems to have subsided a bit, but my head is still pounding with sinuses that are very unhappy. Normally, I would've just rolled over and gone back to sleep, but I knew that if I didn't get up and write down my thoughts, I'd lose them forever.

So that's what I've been doing in between bouts of sneezing & coughing: writing down the bare bones of what's becoming a short story. So far, I like the premise. It's something different, more noir than fantasy, though with definite paranormal elements.

Diana P. Francis talks about the "shinies" – all those story/plot/novel ideas that dangle themselves in front of you like so many diamond encrusted baubles, begging you to touch, feel, grab. Like her, I've got my own set of shinies–a list on my white board. Six story/plot/novel ideas that continue to whirl in my brain. This morning, it was Idea 1 that forced its way forward (I've numbered them on the board, though they are in no actual priority order. This is just how I jotted them down).

At some point, I need to stop whirling and grab on to one of them, writing up a formal proposal for my agent. Not for the short story, but for at least one of the other four that could become novels. The final listing is for a short piece, as well. As Di said, there's all that shiny, all that glitter and temptation. I love them all. I want to do them all. Only right now, my brain is only capable of holding a jotting of notes, especially as it's soon to be muddled with sinus meds.

HOW TO CHOOSE?

Maybe I should go back to bed and start to drift off…After all, that's usually when the ideas hit. Only–the cable guy is coming as early as 8 a.m. to disconnect cable TV. Just my luck, I'll fall back asleep just in time for him/her to arrive.

Maybe I'll just take the sinus meds and hope for the best. ::g::

Miles to Cardiff – or – There and back again…

Part of my get-healthy plan is riding the exercise bike more regularly. So far, I've ridden every day this year.

To track this, I'm tracking miles from Edinburgh to Cardiff–part of the postponed Whisky & Wales trip that my sis, BIL, Q & I intend to take next year.

Progress: 12.8 miles

Miles to go: 387.2 miles

When I've reached Cardiff, I'll go back north to Hogwarts. (Which I've decided is bordering the Cairngorm National Forest. 539 miles)

Then I'll ride back from Hogwarts to Tintagel. (171 miles)

Can I do it? Yeah, I believe I can.

(xposted to Facebook)

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2010: Revelations & contemplations of the year ahead

I sit here eating homemade vegan chili for breakfast at 10:20 a.m. (thank goodness for staycation & sleeping in!) contemplating 2010 and imagining what's to come in 2011.

I don't do New Year's resolutions because as one astute blogger puts it, it's a promise to fail. Instead, I try to theme my years; a practice learned from my esteemed boss, Joanna Pineda. For me, 2010 was a year of change–the good kind–and a year of new experiences. Things I'd always wanted to happen, happened. I spent a great deal of the year saying things like OMG! and WOW! because, you know, it actually was pretty much full of that.

In 2010, I:

was asked to be in 2 short story anthologies (something I'd been wanting to happen)
sold 2 more essays to SmartPop Books (A TASTE OF TRUE BLOOD; FILLED WITH GLEE)
was asked to guest blog at several places (always awesome!)
was asked to participate in Whedonistas, an anthology by the same folks who brought us Chicks Who Dig Time Lords ! (so very cool!)
went to Comic-Con as a pro!! (this was on my bucket list!)
got asked to be on a committee that I can't actually talk about* (another thing I'd wanted)
finished book 5, Blood Sacrifice (OMG, BOOK FIVE???!!!)

On the personal front, I:

moved to a new apartment, closer to my job and twice the size of my old place for only $135 a month more in rent
got a great cat
got my red couch (something I'd wanted since I read Jenny Crusie's

Crazy for You)

got TiVo (on my wish list for years)
set up a nifty home office
began my get-healthy plan (I'm down 43 lbs & feel great!)

So much good happened in 2010, what's in store for 2011?

Since I can't tell the future, I can only tell you the things I know and the things I wish.

What I know for 2011:

Whedonistas: A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon by the Women Who Love Them will be out in March
San Diego Noir will be out in June
Blood Sacrifice will be out in late August (it's a September release – 2 months earlier than normal)
I'm scheduled to go to Boskone in February; to VA Festival of the Book in March; to Bouchercon in September

Currently, I have no new book contracts, nor story contracts, but I am working on a couple of proposals to send to my amazing agent and perhaps a short story for an anthology contest. Will there be a Blood Lines 6? I don't know yet. Will there be more stuff from me after 2011? I darned well hope so!

What I hope for 2011:

To complete and sell at least one or more of the proposals I'm working on
To complete and sell the short story I'm pondering
To continue my get-healthy plan and convert to stay-healthy
To conquer finances/debt/income vs. outgo

My theme for 2011? Efficiency. Declutterization of my life, my spaces and my brain. As much as 2010 was a great year for new things, places and ideas, it's time for me to streamline stuff. I have a lot of it. Less than I did before I moved, but still, a LOT. I've begun during this week-long staycation, by beginning the sort & purge. It's down to the nitty gritty now. A ton of stuff got purged this spring when I moved, now I'm hitting this hard-core and purging things I don't need, rarely use and could perhaps garner a little $$ via eBay. That, plus I have managed to go down nearly 3 sizes in my get-healthy plan, so I'm sorting through the closet and packing up the too-big clothing to donate.

It's tough being this tough. I want to keep All The Things! But frankly, there are too many darned things. I have art that is still in a box–more than 10 years after I moved to the east coast. Tons and tons of stuff that is good, but in boxes and bins. The art isn't doing anyone good just sitting in a box or on a shelf. The DVDs aren't getting played. The books–well, that's a whole other story. Some I am keeping because they are signed to me. Some I'm keeping because they are brilliant and don't exist in e-format. Research books I keep because I prefer print for those, hard to put a post-it in an e-file!

Overall, I'd like 2011 to be a year of getting to the root of happy, steady, content and healthy Maria. I don't need all the stuff, nor am I planning to get rid of it all, just the extraneous. I want to be house proud and life proud. To be able to say, 2011 was an awesome year, just like I can for 2010.

I'd love to hear from you all…what are your goals for the next year? What amazing things happened to you in 2010?

Happy Yule, y'all!Catch you all on the flip side!

Happy Yule, y'all!

Catch you all on the flip side!

Gifts that keep on giving

Today, I bought a goat…and books & school supplies for kids.



I realized that this year, my budget was too tight to do my usual special design holiday cards with attendant gift items for family, friends and associates.

Instead, I decided to take my money and put it to better use. Thus the goat & stuff for the kids. I figured that my measly $111 would go further by donating to Oxfam, than in buying cards, gifts and paying for postage.

In celebration of the giving season, I'd like to extend a challenge to my readers: if you donate a minimum of $25 to one of my favorite charities (listed below), I'll send a copy of one of my books to you (or to your local library for their collection), autographed appropriately.

Simply email me a copy of your donation receipt (or a photo of it), the snail mail address where I should send the book, and how it should be inscribed. It's that easy!



Please feel free to let other folks know!

Charity list:

The Trevor Project

Oxfam

Doctors Without Borders

Kids Need to Read

Organization for Transformative Works

The most beautiful words

The most beautiful, gorgeous, wonderful words in the world….(at least for right now): THE. END.

Yes, friends and fans, I typed those words at about 11:45 p.m. last night EST. BLOOD SACRIFICE draft is DONE* after a Power!Writing day consisting of peanut butter sandwiches, lots of water, diet coke, veggie pizza, 16 hours at a hot keyboard and a grand total net for the day of 18,834 words.

My brain, though not broken is rather numb right now. On a good day, most writers get about 1000-2000 words accomplished. Me? I'm a freak. I tend to write in small spurts at the beginning, then when I get about halfway or a bit more, then I have these insane marathon sessions where the words that have been forming in my brain just force their way out and onto the electronic page. That's how I roll. (though, frankly, I'd be a lot less crazed if I could do the steady 1k-2k daily, but my brain just doesn't seem to process fiction that way).

Today, I am going to rest.

I'm going to ignore the clutter in my apartment.

I'm going to ignore the wee voice in my head that wants to go back and tweak the book right nao.

I'm going to lay on the couch, watch my recorded episodes of Supernatural and whatever else I've missed, then watch some more of season 2 West Wing.

I'm going to read something that I did not write. Fiction, not research.

I'm going to nap.

I'm also going to give thanks to the powers that be for all you fans, who allow me to indulge in my insanity and get paid to do so. Thank you.

*Done: all values of done which equal complete story delivered to nitpicky beta for review. Final tweaks to be done at the end of this week before delivery to editor.

I am Joss Whedon's Bitch

At least, that's the title of my essay in…

Whedonistas:

A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon By The Women Who Love Them

Release date March 15, 2011

ISBN: 978-1935234104

Full Table of Contents:

Edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Deborah Stanish

Introduction – Lynne M. Thomas and Deborah Stanish
The Girls Next Door: Learning to Live with the Living Dead and Never Even Break a Nail – Seanan McGuire
Ramping Up for a Decade with Joss Whedon – Nancy Holder
Outlaws & Desperadoes – Sharon Shinn
An Interview with Jane Espenson
My (Fantasy) Encounter with Joss Whedon (And What I've Learned from the Master) – Jeanne C. Stein.
The Ages of Dollhouse: Autobiography through Whedon – Sigrid Ellis
A Couch Potato's Guide to Demon Slaying: Turning Strangers into Family, Buffy-Style – Heather Shaw
Smart Is Sexy: An Appreciation of Firefly's Kaylee – Laurel Brown
Teething Troubles and Growing Up – Caroline Symcox
Transgressing with Spike and Buffy – NancyKay Shapiro
Brand New Day: The Evolution of the Doctor Horrible Fandom – Priscilla Spenser
"We're Here to Save You" – Elizabeth Bear
Imperfectly Perfect: Why I Really Love Buffy For Being a Pill Sometimes – Mariah Huehner
My European Vacation – Kelly Hale
Romancing the Vampire and Other Shiny Bits – Lyda Morehouse/Tate Hallaway
An Interview with Juliet Landau
I Am Joss Whedon's Bitch – Maria Lima
Going Dark – Jackie Kessler
Joss Giveth – Jaala Robinson
The Kindness of Monsters – Sarah Monette
Shelve Under Television, Young Adult – Jody Wurl
The Browncoat Connection – Dae Low
Late to the Party: What Buffy Never Taught Me about Being a Girl – Racheline Maltese
How an Atheist and His Demons Created a Shepherd – Meredith McGrath
Older and Far Away – Jamie Craig
Why Joss Is More Important Than His 'Verse – Teresa Jusino
Let's Go to Work – Catherynne M. Valente
Something to Sing About – Jenn Reese
Malcolm Reynolds, the Myth of the West, and Me – Emma Bull

DUDES!! I'm in the same book as JANE ESPENSON!!

Thanks!! From the bottom of my heart.

There are soooo many things to be thankful for this year.

The opportunity to contribute to various anthologies.
Great reviews for Blood Heat
The fact that Blood Heat debuted in the top fifty mass market paperbacks on Bookscan.

But most of all, I want to thank you. That's right…you. My family, my friends, my fans, my editors & agents, my fellow authors. Without you, there'd be no Blood Lines series, no writing career. You are all awesome beyond the telling of it! So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I wish every single one of you a fabulous day, week, month, rest of the year, life!!