Cindy Sutherland's Blog, page 6

Life is full of disappointment…well no shit…

Sigh, got my very first rejection and while I’m not exactly happy about it, I figured it was coming. I submitted a story to my publisher for their Valentine Anthology but as they were only taking 7 stories, I wasn’t holding out much hope. I am extremely happy that my friend Ashavan Doyon will have his story included however, so please think about picking it up and checking it out when it arrives in February. I know I will.

Then I had to decide what to do with the story because I really like it. It’s called Breaking Cupid’s Curse (I’m terrible at coming up with titles) and after some debate, I submitted it to another publisher for their love day collection. I don’t know if I will have any more luck with them but at least I tried. And if they don’t take it, I will post it as a free story here or something.

I’m also happy that my shifter-fic is coming along nicely. It’s not flowing as quickly as I’d like but I’m putting it down to feeling a lot of pressure because I want it to be the best thing I’ve ever written. Most of that pressure is coming from me and sometimes that’s the worst kind of all.

I’ve found myself wanting to write little fandom one-shots lately. This happens when I’m struggling with something big I’m working on. It gives my brain a little break and stops me from focusing so hard on something that is driving me slowly out of my mind.

I’m seriously considering trying to save for GRL next year. That’s the GayRomLit retreat specifically for writers in the LGBT genre. There are workshops and fundraisers and it seems like a great time is had by all. It’s a great way for writers to meet one another and there is also functions for readers and fans to come and hang out with their favorite authors. It’s in Chicago next year and I would love the chance to go. The chance to learn from writers I admire would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

My health kick came to a screaming halt for the last few weeks because I managed to catch the horrible cold that’s been going around and for the first time in years, it decided to kick my asthma into high gear. It’s very difficult to get any kind of exercise when crossing the room causes you to almost hack up a lung. After being stubborn for the better part of a week, I finally had no choice but to go the hospital around 4am last Friday. It’s really quiet in my small town hospital at that of day, by the way.

20 minutes later, I had a shiny new inhaler and an oxygen high and I was on my way home. It’s funny how I didn’t realize how much I couldn’t breathe until I finally could.

And now of course, we have snow…and ice. I hate ice. Fortunately, a very generous family member (thanks Joanne) has offered me a treadmill so I will be able to get back on my exercise kick. Plus, one of my day home kids has a mom who’s a fitness trainer and has offered to show me some resistance exercises that I can do at home so I think I will take her up on that when she gets back from their vacation next week.

Oh, and to add to my stress, I’ve spent all week waiting for my dad to go up for knee surgery. He’s been in the hospital since Monday when he went to see a specialist and they decided to keep him. He finally went up this morning and trust me when I say it’s a good thing for everyone involved.

So, now I have a fic rec.

Dex in Blue by Amy Lane is the story of young men who work in the porn industry. It’s book 2 in her Johnnies series but it stands alone quite well.

David used to have a different future until fate came along and changed everything. Now he’s Dex, a top porn model and making a different, lonely life far from where…and who he used to be.

Then along comes his co-worker who needs a place to stay and David decides to help him out…and changes his whole life once again.

I like this story because of what it doesn’t do. It doesn’t vilify or put down people who work in porn. It shows them as human…real people who are mostly doing the best they can to get through life. It talks about second chances and forgiving yourself and it takes you on a hell of a ride along the way.

Give Dex and Kane a chance and they will make you smile.

Get it here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3250 and here: http://www.amazon.com/Dex-Blue-Johnnies-Amy-Lane-ebook/dp/B009KB4YIY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1383923870&sr=1-1&keywords=dex+in+blue

And hey, while you’re at it, check out my stuff: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cindy%20Sutherland&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

and here too: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_454

I’m about to do something incredibly stupid….

So I went to the chiropractor yesterday and he and I got into this big discussion. It happens ever since he found out I’m a writer and he told me that he was an English major. He likes to tell me that he is very conservative money wise but that he’s a Libertarian at heart. This should have set off the warning bells right there.

What started out as a discussion about equal rights for everyone (which he is in full support of) ended up in a heated discussion about guns.

Now anyone who knows me is aware fully aware of my feelings on the subject, but because I consider myself to be an open-minded person, I tried very hard to see things from his point of view but I really couldn’t.

I know this is opening up a can of worms because feelings on this subject run deep on both sides and it is one of those topics that shouldn’t be brought up in polite conversation…like politics and religion…because its like treading a mine field.

But after a long night of trying to go figure out how to explain myself to him the next time I see him I realized something.

I don’t have to explain myself to him and it’s a useless effort anyway. Nothing I say to him will ever change his mind and nothing he says will change mine. I hate guns…with a passion. The only redeeming quality a gun has is that it can fire itself. It is an object created by man with no purpose but to end life. That’s all it can do. Whenever someone picks up a gun of any kind, their sole purpose is to hurt or kill something.

People who own guns and believe that it is their right have all sorts of arguments as to why it’s necessary and they will always feel this way. The NRA believes so deeply in their right to have a gun in their hands that to them, any innocent person killed by one is a sad remind as to why they need one.

I’ve heard arguments about that horrible day in Aurora, Colorado when a madman started shooting up a theater. “If someone else in there had a gun, maybe so many people wouldn’t have died.” Or maybe more would have because they would have ended up in the middle of a firefight, trapped between two (or more) people with guns.

“The only way to stop bad people with guns is good people with guns.” I heard that a lot too after Sandyhook and all those children who would never go home to their parents again. The people who said it were not the parents who said their final goodbye to their children that morning on their way to school.

“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Absolutely true and therein lies the problem. Guns are inanimate objects that don’t have any feelings while people are made up of nothing but feelings. Human beings are never going to be perfect. They are flawed and make many mistakes. When someone is despondent and suicidal, having a gun around is a ticking time bomb. It’s an instant, permanent solution to what maybe very well be a temporary problem. But once they pull the trigger, there’s no going back or changing your mind.

Anyway, I could sit here and list my reasons for my feelings all day long and it still wouldn’t change anyone’s mind. And I’m sure gun advocates have a list of their own and it won’t change my mind either. In the end, for me, my right to not be shot by anyone trumps your right to have a gun every time and that is how I will always feel.

So, my final point of this little rant is this. There are things that I think I can help change…like my helping to fight for equal rights, and things that I know I can’t…like people’s views on gun control. I don’t have to justify my feelings to anyone. I can explain things to people and hope they can see where I’m coming from and maybe gain a little understanding, but in the end, they will believe what they want because it’s their choice.

As for my chiropractor, well, he’s a nice guy for the most part and I guess on this particular subject, we are going to have to agree to disagree.

I look forward to hearing any opinions you might want to share with me, but please, do it kindly?

Now, I do have a fic rec. Out of the Fire by Ariel Tachna was a story that broke my heart before putting it back together again. Evan and Rhys are the best of friends. When Evan gets a call for help from Rhys, there’s really no question. He will help if he can. Evan is a Dom, one of the best and Rhys asks him to help rehabilitate a broken sub. Evan goes to do his best and along the way, as he watches his friend and the sub fall in love, he figures things out about himself. Self-truths aren’t always easy to come by, but sometimes they’re just what you need.

You can find this amazing story here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1650 and here: http://www.amazon.com/Out-of-the-Fire-ebook/dp/B003TLMIKW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1383140649&sr=1-1&keywords=out+of+the+fire+Ariel+Tachna

And as always, I’m here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cindy%20Sutherland&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank and here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_454

I am a bad, bad blogger….

I haven’t posted since my birthday and I keep meaning to but then I starting thinking about what I want to talk about and I get stuck. Anyone who knows me knows that I am never at a loss for words…until I have to write something witty and charming and generally not look like an idiot. Not my best subject.

My writing is coming slowly and I’m a little disappointed about how hard it’s being. I thought that once I got the acceptance from Dreamspinner my nerves would go away and I would write like the wind.

Yah, not so much. I have a very specific place I want this story to go and you’d think that would make it easier but it really doesn’t. This is the first thing I’ve written for publishing that isn’t fandom related in some way and I think therein lies the problem. When you write something fannish, you have a definite idea of your characters in your head and how they should act and what they should look like. They have a world that they live in and all I have to do is write them in that world.

This one doesn’t have that set of rules. I have to make it up as I go along and that’s a lot harder. You would think that not having rules would make it easier, but it doesn’t.

Plus the fact that this store is a shifter story makes it more difficult. The genre does come with rules that have to be addressed and I’m worried about not getting that part right.

That being said, however, I can’t imagine it as anything else. The picture I saw that gave me the inspiration just won’t let me go and to me it says wolf-shifter.

I am aware that there are several people who are waiting for me to finish this and are more than willing to kick my ass to do it. My brother, my mother and my Aunt have all been cajoling me to get this finished and I have to say, that make’s me so happy.

I am still working on my getting healthy thing, although that would be a whole lot easier without this cold I’ve developed. I’m hoping it won’t last long because it’s very difficult to walk very far when you’re coughing up a lung.

And I’m hoping that my Dr’s appointment on Tuesday can shed some light on why I’m so freakin tired all the time. I suspect I’m low on iron (again) and my blood sugar could be a little elevated. Also, maybe my body is just getting tired of carrying around all this extra weight and the diet and exercise are the only things that can help with that.

Deanna and Ty are some newer friends of mine who have been so instrumental in helping me stay motivated and I thank them so much for not giving up. My family are all cautiously optimistic that I’m going to be able to keep this up and my husband has gotten on board and been helpful too. My daughter is not really thrilled about the whole healthy eating thing, but hey, it’s for her own good so she can suck it up.

Friday night I attended my niece’s 18th birthday party and when I stand back and look at her I’m so damned proud and amazed by her. She’s grown into the beautiful, kindhearted, smart, funny woman and I know that she is going to go far in life. I’m so glad I get to watch that happen. I think it’s kind of funny that she celebrated in the same dive bar I first drank and so did her mom. It’s like passing on a legacy, lol.

Over on FB my dearest friend Mike just celebrated his 62nd birthday. Now I wouldn’t normally announce his age but he had serious heart surgery a few years back and until he got it, we weren’t sure he was going to make it to his next birthday. I can only hope that I get to celebrate a lot more with him now. If you ask him, he has two birthdays…the day of his birth in October and the day of his re-birth in July. I love to celebrate both days.

Oh, and congrats to New Jersey for becoming the 14 state in the union to recognize same-sex marriage. One day this will be an issue that isn’t one anymore. Until then, I will celebrate every new stride that’s taken in the right direction.

Of course, to get me through this terrible drought with my writing, I have been reading. And of course, I have to share. I know some folks wonder why I recommend books that aren’t mine. I’ve been told that all I’m doing is creating more competition for myself.

The truth is, I love to read. I’ve mentioned that before. It takes me away to places I’ve never been and will probably never get to. And when I read a story that makes me smile, or cry, or get angry or all three, I have to share it with someone. I want every writer who’s trying hard to get the recognition they deserve.

Also, I’m hoping for (but not counting on) good karma. I keep hoping that if I’m kind to others they will be kind to me. After all, isn’t the Golden Rule really how we should live our lives? I try to treat people the way I want to be treated. I’m not always successful, but it doesn’t stop me from trying.

On that note, I have a fic rec for you. My Only Sunshine by Rowan McAllister is a heartwarming story set on a ranch. Tanner is lost and broken and needs help desperately. He’s willing to work hard to get it. Mason is a man who gave up the life he made in the city to come home and help out at home…the home his father kicked him out of when he found out his son was gay.

Coming back to take care of the man who despises you tends to drain the life out of your heart but then Mason finds Tanner. Tanner is sweet, caring and everything Mason ever dreamed of but he’d not sure how to mesh the two lives he’s living together.

This story had me hoping and cheering for these two men who needed each other so desperately and I will be looking for more from this author.

Find it here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4239

And here: http://www.amazon.com/My-Only-Sunshine-Rowan-McAllister-ebook/dp/B00FMJYE6A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1382411159&sr=1-1&keywords=my+only+sunshine

And as always, you can find my stuff here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cindy%20Sutherland&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

And here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_454

Hey, its my birthday!!!

Today I turn 44 and I’m not sure how the hell that happened. I don’t feel 44 most of the time. I don’t think I look 44 (most of the time) and I’m still waiting to feel like a grownup and I’m starting to have a sneaking suspicion that may never happen. Honestly? I hope not.

There are still so many things I’ve never done that I am still figuring out how to do. Like travel. The place I want to go are varied and all of them reflect a part of my personality. Ireland…I think I lived there in another life. I’ve only seen it in pictures and on TV but it looks like home to me. Italy…especially the Tuscany region. I want to sit on a beach and drink Lemoncello and watch all the beautiful Italians go by. New Orleans, the Netherlands, England, Memphis and Maryland and South Carolina and Atlanta…all places I want to go that contain people I want to meet. And of course California and Seattle, where I’ve made some new and supportive friends.

And New York! Broadway, Time’s Square and Central Park. And FAO Schwarz, the worlds biggest toy store. Skating and the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Centre. I could spend months exploring NY and never get bored.

I still want to be a best-selling author. I want to write a story that gets everyone’s attention and I want to do it with two men as the main characters.

I want to learn to cook things I’ve only ever heard about and I’d like to learn to sew. I’d like to get my driver’s license (maybe) and buy and old car and cruise around in the summer with the windows down and tunes cranking out of the radio. My daughter says we need a ’67 Impala like Sam and Dean Winchester. If you don’t know who they are, I feel sorry for you, lol. Google them and find out.

My daughter asked me some questions for school today. She wanted to know some “life lessons” I’ve learned. I struggled for a few minutes but then came up with this.

First of all, family, whether you’re born into it or find it along the way is the thing that makes life worth living. I’m including friends in there as well because they are as much a part of your family as the people who are related by blood.

Second of all, never just assume it’s too late to learn something new. Take the chance when it comes because as the saying goes, you can’t win if you don’t play. Take advantage of every opportunity you can because it may never come along again in your lifetime.

And thirdly (and hardest of all to do) don’t let fear control your life. Being afraid is normal but it shouldn’t stop you from trying. Whether it’s fear of what people might think (I’ve almost completely let that one go in the last few years) or fear of failure, it won’t do anything but stop you from achieving the things you want most in life. A friend of mine has a bracelet that says “the only thing standing in my way is me” and I think that’s true for most of us. I’m doing my best to work through that one too. I might need more practice, but I’m gonna keep trying.

So this is some of the stuff I’ve learned in my 44 years. It might not mean anything to anyone but me, but in this case, I’m the most important person.

Also coming up for me is Thanksgiving. Us crazy Canadians. We’re rebellious that way and celebrate in October just to be different. I can’t wait to be sitting around the picnic table down at the campground, surrounded by family and my sister and I will be waiting for my dad to look around the table and see all the food and love ones and get a little misty eyed. Then he will say “I wonder what the poor people are doing” and we’ll all pretend we don’t have tears in our eyes, but my sister or I might sob just a little. It’s as much a part of our family tradition as the turkey itself. For my dad, having everyone there makes him a rich man. He’s a smart guy. We should all be a little more like him.

I’m still working on my exercise and healthy eating. I haven’t had a Coke Zero in almost three weeks and let me tell you, for a Coke addict like me, that’s a miracle. Hubby might be getting tired of salads and stir-fries for lunch but until I can figure out some new recipes, this is the best way for me to get all the veggies in I need. Well, that and the awesome fat-free smoothies I’ve been making for myself.

The walking is getting easier and I’m pretty sure that means that it’s almost time to kick things up a notch. I’ll have to go looking for more hills to climb to make the workouts harder. I am also going to be looking for a second-hand treadmill so I can continue to walk when the snow makes things…difficult. I’m sure my ever-supportive workout friends will think of some other things I can do to get some exercise, even as they keep poking and prodding me along.

And of course, we have the fic rec. I’m gonna do two today because it’s my birthday and that’s just what I feel like doing.

The first one is The Stand by Stephen King. It is still one of my all-time favorite novels and I love reading it when I get a chance. It’s your basic good versus evil story with an apocalypse thrown in for good measure. Mother Abigail is the leader of the good guys and she will make you smile even when she’s making you crazy. And then there’s Randall Flagg, the dark man. He’s an incarnation of evil that has walked his way through numerous King novels and he’s unabashedly heartless. It was also turned into my favorite mini-series of all time and if you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and see if it’s on Netflix. It’s an adventure worth taking. Find the novel at your local library or here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Stand-Stephen-King/dp/0307947300/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381211670&sr=8-1&keywords=the+stand+stephen+king

And I’m also going to rec Puzzle Me This by Eli Easton. It’s a sweet love story about two men who fall for each other and then have to figure out how to make it work. It made me smile and left me wanting to know more about their lives. Find it here at Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4232

Or here at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Puzzle-Me-This-ebook/dp/B00FKNQF92/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381212153&sr=8-1&keywords=Puzzle+me+this

And as always, find me here at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cindy%20Sutherland&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

Or here at Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_454

Trying to be a healthier writer is killing me…and a fic rec.

So, I’ve decided that it’s time to get off my ass and do something about the weight I’ve gained back in the last year. I was doing so well and had lost almost 100 lbs but then along came real life and money issues so I quit the gym and Weight Watchers on-line to save money, convinced I could keep it up on my own.

Uh huh…not so much.

It all went to hell in a handbasket and I gained about half back. Now I’m determine to do much better. With the encouragement from my family and from a few friends on Facebook and Twitter, I’ve started a better choices routine that involves eating healthier things and going for long walks. Really long walks. I’m up to almost 4 miles now and I’m trying to go every second day. I’m feeling better than I have for a while and I’m trying to focus more on getting healthy and less on weight loss. I figure that the first one will eventually lead to the second.

The added bonus is that my daughter wants to join me on these walks and seeing as how I would prefer that she didn’t join her father and I in the severely over-weight category, I’m glad to have her along. Diabetes runs in both of our families so it’s I decided it would be better to not tempt fate.

Besides, if I drop dead over my computer, you would never get to read my new masterpiece, right?

It’s a good thing I like walking though. What I’m going to do once the snow flies, I don’t know, but I figure slogging through ass-deep snow (it’s not hard to come by, I’m really short) has got to be a good, hard workout, right? Good thing I’m a tough Canadian girl who knows how to weather the winters we get around here.

Any ideas for healthy recipes or indoor exercises I can do without a ton of equipment would be greatly appreciated BTW.

So, speaking of writing…my WIP didn’t work out from the other POV and so I just have to accept that the characters want different things than I do so, I will let them chose the way for now. Damned pushy characters…how dare they take on a life of their own!

I’m still waiting to hear back from Dreamspinner about the Valentine story I wrote. If they don’t take it, I will publish it here on my blog in two or three parts.

Let me tell you, balancing the exercise and the writing is not an easy job. When I get back from exercising the last thing my brain wants to do is think. In fact, it mostly is trying to convince me that I want to die. Dramatic? Yes, but it’s how I feel, lol.

Oh, I almost forgot. Went to Edmonton Expo this past weekend. It was amazing but I was completely overwhelmed. My daughter and I got autographs from John Barrowman who was absolutely hilarious. Then she got her picture taken with Karl Urban and he was so sweet to her.

Then came my turn. I not only go my pic taken with JB but I got to hug him as well. I have no words to describe how kind he was and let me tell you, his energy level would put the Energizer Bunny to shame.

Now for a fic rec.

The Strongest Shape by Tessa Cardenas is a wonderful story about a young man who finds out that the love of his life is in fact two men. When Caleb breaks up with his boyfriend, he finds a new friend who takes him under his wing and introduces him to his other friends. Caleb isn’t sure what to think when he find himself attracted to a couple who seem to have an amazing relationship. When he finds out that they want him as well, he finds himself on a journey to discover his self-worth so that he can finally accept that these two men really do love him and want him to be an equal partner. The men are all adorable and oddly familiar for some reason and I think people who don’t normally like threesome stories will enjoy the sweetness and heat the author delivers.

Find it here at Dreamspinners:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1635&cPath=55_195

And here at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Strongest-Shape-ebook/dp/B003TO5GEE/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1380830931&sr=1-2&keywords=the+strongest+shape

And as always, you can check me out here! http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cindy%20Sutherland&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

And here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_454

Wow, RL is keeping me busy…but here I am!

Writing and working. It’s a never-ending circle for me. So, here’s what’s going on.

First of all, Dreamspinner Press has picked up Wrapped up in Chains. I am so excited and I can’t wait to see it in paperback. I have a few ideas that I’m exploring for the cover and now it’s just the long wait till I begin edits. Look for it coming in March or April!

Second of all, I’ve decided it’s time to get a little more healthy. I need to do it for me. I don’t like how I’m feeling these days and I know most of it is because of the weight I’ve put back on. I’m more than a little ashamed of how far off the wagon I’ve fallen but I’m determined to get back on and ride it to the end this time. I have some twitter buds that are encouraging me alone and I think it will help a lot.

So, the plan is healthier eating and more exercise. Joining the gym isn’t an option for me at this point so all I can do is walk my ass off (hopefully) and go from there.

I love fruits and veggies and I don’t know how I ever got out of the habit of having them make up most of my diet. It’s really hard to kick your own ass, so I will settle for facepalming and leave it at that.

And writing? Well, I wrote a story for the Dreamspinner Valentine Anthology and submitted it, but I won’t hear back about that one until after the deadline passes in October.

Also, my shifter story took a left turn somewhere and I’ve had to go back and do some re-writing. I’m confident that I’m on the right track for now and it’s seems to be flowing right along.

I also have a couple of fandom things on the go I need to get caught up on if I ever find five minutes.

So, there you have it. Two jobs, 7 days a week plus my family, writing, editing and exercising. If going around in circles in my mind burned calories I’d weight a hundred pounds soaking wet. Alas, it doesn’t and I’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way.

And of course, I still need time to read if I want to retain my sanity. No, really, reading is still my first love and my life would be so empty without it.

I also have my brother’s engagement party coming up this weekend. He has managed to find himself a wonderful woman and the way she makes him smile is amazing. I’m so proud and happy to be welcoming her to our family I don’t even know how to say it. Why she wants my dorky little brother who smells, I have no idea but she seems fairly determined to have him, so I wish her all the luck! Just hope she realizes that she’s stuck with the rest of us too!

Oh, also this weekend, I’m going to Edmonton Expo. It’s a sort of comic-con and I am going to get my picture taken with Captain Jack Harkness himself, John Barrowman…if I don’t faint first.

Seriously though, I want to shake the hand of the person who is one of the reasons I finally decided to give writing a real chance. If I don’t cry it will be a miracle and I’m sure he’ll think I am nuts!

And my daughter is going to get her picture taken with Karl Urban. I’ll let you all know if he’s as ridiculously gorgeous in person as he is on the screen.

So, that’s catching everyone up with me. Maybe next time I will tease you with an excerpt from Wrapped up in Chains.

And now for the fic rec!

Wolf Moon by Ethan Stone is a wonderful shifter story about coming to terms with yourself so that you can be who you need to be. Heat pounding action and a house fill of shifters make for a compelling read. Check it out here at Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2289

and here at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Moon-ebook/dp/B004ZN2B46/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1379971878&sr=1-2&keywords=Wolf+Moon

Of course, you can always find my stuff here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cindy%20Sutherland&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

and here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_454

Guest Author: Ashavan Doyon

Reblogged from The Land Of Make Believe:

I 'met' today's guest during my Facebook chat for the release of Purpose. Unlike most of the other visitor, Ashavan really peppered me with questions - he basically asked me to justify why he should plunk down his money on my book - politely of course. In the end I managed to convince him to read the book, which made me feel good because he clearly was/is picky about what he reads.

Read more… 3,577 more words

A wonderful interview with two of my favorite authors...

It's Coming Soon!

Reblogged from Theo Fenraven:

Blue River is on Dreamspinner's Coming Soon page and available for pre-order for those of you who just can't wait! :)

Note: this is a second edition. First edition was published through MRL Press over two years ago. I got my rights back, and I expanded this version to almost double the original length; it also tells Quinn's side of the encounter with Ethan.

Read more… 534 more words

Writing myself out of my mind…..and a sneak peak at my WIP

I think I’m insane. No really, I do. I have so much going on, it’s unbelievable and on top of 2 jobs involving kids and customers, a husband, a daughter, and a family in the throes of living their lives, I’m trying to write.

And not just one story or even two. I have six on the go. Four stories in two different fandoms and my WIP. At the top of the heap is the short story I decided I had to write for the Valentine Anthology for my wonderful publisher. They’re only accepting seven stories for it so my chances of getting picked are very slim, but I had to try anyway. Because I am a glutton for punishment.

And to top everything off, I am not sleeping well. I’m starting to feel like Ralph from Stephen Kings “Insomnia” and I’m afraid to look out the window in case I see the little bald doctors coming down the street. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read the damned book. Stephen King is a genius and his twisted mind holds me in awe. Except for Hearts of Atlantis. I never did figure that book out. You can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Insomnia-ebook/dp/B002SR2Q0A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378340936&sr=1-1&keywords=insomnia or at your local library. Go ahead, try something new, I dare you.

Excuse my, my mind is wandering these days.

I’m wishing for fall. That would totally help my sleeping situation. I can’t sleep because it’s too freaking hot and I have no AC. I love my room to be really cool so I can snuggle under the covers with just my nose sticking out for fresh air. The heat makes me cranky. I know all you summer-lovers are screaming at me about now, but I am not hoping for winter, just a long, crisp fall. Days warm enough to play outside and cool nights to go walking in. It’s my absolute most favorite time of year.

Of course, I’m still wishing to win the lottery too. At least I know I will get fall eventually.

I’m gonna keep writing though. It feels like such a part of me now, I wouldn’t know what to do without it. It’s one of those times that I can admit that I should have listened to my mom when I was younger and tried harder to get something down on paper. You know what though? I’m not sure it would have worked. I think I was meant to find this genre and make it my own. It’s all wrapped up in how I feel about equality and how the bravery of every LGBTQ person I’ve met on the journey has inspired me to put how I feel into words.

Now on to the fic rec I always do. Sand and Water by Shae Connor is a story about two emotionally damaged men who find their way to each other and figure out how to move on from the previous tragedies in their lives. They have help from John’s beloved daughter and other friends and family who love them. It’s a long journey to get them where they need to go but it’s worth every painful step.

Get it here at Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2453&cPath=55_325

Or here at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sand-Water-ebook/dp/B005HFK81E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378343304&sr=8-1&keywords=Sand+and+Water+in+kindle

And now, here’s a sneak-peak at the prologue for my WIP. I hope you like it, just remember, hasn’t been edited by anyone but me and I can’t edit my own stuff worth a damn. Doesn’t even have a name yet.

Prologue

Ty sighed and looked up from his coffee to see his ex-wife and his son walk into the McDonalds they’d chosen for the custody exchange. It would be so much easier if he could just pick Jesse up and drop him off at Jeanine’s, but ever since her asshole of a boyfriend had decided that he didn’t like Ty and tried to hit him with a shovel, she’d insisted that they meet here instead.

Like it was Ty’s fault that the guy ended up with a broken nose and his two buddies ended up in the hospital with concussions. They attacked him but apparently that was his fault too, like everything else that went wrong in their marriage. He’d been grateful when the cops had seen things from his point of view.

Ty smiled when Jesse spotted him and whooped before running across the room and jumping into his arms. Six years old and already a handful but Ty loved him more than his own life.

“Daddy! I’m so glad you’re here. David said you’d probably flake out and forget but I told him you wouldn’t and I was right! You’re always here!” Jesse wrapped his small arms around Ty’s neck and squeezed tightly.

“You’re right, baby. I’m always here and I’m always gonna be.” Ty ignored the irritated huff from his ex.

“Daddy?” Jesse pulled back to look at him. “What did you lose at?”

Ty shook his head, confused. “What are you talking about?”

He looked up at Jeanine for clarification in time to see understanding and panic cross her face. “Jesse, you need to…”

Ty cut her off. “Did someone say I lost at something Squirt?”

Jesse grabbed Ty’s face with both hands and looked into his eyes. “David said you were a loser who couldn’t get a real job.” Jesse’s adorable face scrunched up in confusion. “Why isn’t your job with Mr. Mike a real job?”

Ty looked up at his ex. “Really? That’s how you let him talk about me around our kid?”

She looked uncomfortable for a moment before regaining her icy composure. “He’s only saying the truth. If you’d given up that crappy mechanic’s job and gone back to being a lawyer, we’d still be married.”

“No we wouldn’t.” It took everything Ty had to not growl at her. He looked back at his son. “I didn’t lose at anything, Jesse. And I love my job with Mr. Mike. It’s as real as it can be. David was just being a dickhead as usual.”

Jesse giggled and not for the first time, Ty was struck with how much he loved his child. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for him.

“You can’t talk about David that way.” Jeanine’s shrill voice was like a hammer to his head and he could feel the pain starting to build behind his eyes. “He’s taking good care of us, better than you ever did. I have nice stuff now and I can go shopping whenever I feel like it.”

Ty snorted. “I don’t know where he’s getting all his money, but it’s nothing legit. If I find out he’s into anything dangerous…”

Jeanine cut him off. “He’s not stupid like you. David is a businessman. He works for his dad’s car dealership and he’s one of his best salesmen.”

Ty opened his mouth to cut her off when David came running into the restaurant and grabbed her arm. “We gotta go babe. Now!” He started pulling her toward the door on the opposite side of the room and Jeanine was bitching at him the whole way.

With Jesse still in his arms, he started after them to find out what was going on when he noticed two men coming in the door they were heading for. They had guns in their hands and were looking around. One smiled when he spotted David and headed toward him.

Without thinking, Ty detoured behind the counter and quickly walked to the back of the kitchen. He spotted a walk-in freezer and headed towards it. There were a couple of teenagers standing inside and they opened their mouths to protest as Ty shut the door.

“Shut the fuck up. There are bad guys with guns out there. You don’t want them to come back here, trust me.” Whatever they saw in his face convinced them not to argue. They all sat quietly in the dark and waited.

“Daddy, I’m scared.” Jesse whispered in his ear.

“It’s okay baby. I got you.” He pulled off his hoodie and wrapped it around Jesse to keep him warm.

One of the kids had his cell phone out and was typing away frantically. He looked up at Ty when he was done and whispered to him. “I didn’t think I’d get a message out of here, but I did. The cops are on their way.”

Ty thought back to the two men’s faces. He’d never forget the crazed looks he’d seen on them and he knew that everyone who had been left out there was probably dead, including Jesse’s mother. If the boy hadn’t been there, he would have tried to do something to help, but as it was, all he could do was to try and keep his son safe.

Ty never really thought much about his extraordinary abilities. Being a wolf shifter was just a part of what he was. It meant he was stronger and faster than most people, among other things. It was also why he could hear his ex-wife pleading for her life before being cut off by the roar of a gun. It made him flinch and Jesse responded by rubbing his shoulder and snuggling closer. Ty hoped that his son’s abilities weren’t strong enough yet for him to have heard it.

Jeanine had turned out to be a greedy bitch after they were married but she’d known he was a shifter and never once gave away his secret. They’d never really loved each other but he’d stepped up when she turned up pregnant after they’d dated for a few months and he’d never regretted it. The simple fact was that she’d given him the best gift he’d ever get; his amazing son.

There had been a lot of people who’d called him crazy for taking her word for it when she’d claimed he was Jesse’s father, but he’d known as soon as the kid was born that Jesse was his. He could smell it on him.

He listened to see if he could hear anything else, but the gunfire and screams were deafening and the only other sounds he could make out were the police sirens approaching the restaurant.

Ty shivered but it wasn’t from the cold. Shifter’s bodies ran hot and it would take a whole lot longer for him to feel the effects of being stuck in the freezer. Jesse was being kept warm by Ty’s hoodie and the fact that he was cuddled up to his father’s warm body.

The other two boys weren’t as lucky. Both of them were in t-shirts and uniform pants and he knew it wouldn’t take long for them to start suffering from the cold.

Ty had shivered from fear and rage and he hated being scared.

Keeping his ears open, he snuck closer to the door. There were no more shots being fired but he wasn’t sure if it was because the men had left or because there was no one left to shoot.

After a few more minutes of silence, he was just about to open the door when it was pulled violently from the outside.

“Police! Hands where I can see ‘em!” Ty had never been so glad to see a man in uniform in his whole life. He didn’t move, just held still and let them sweep the room until they were sure there were no more threats inside. “Clear! We have civilians in here.”

The two shivering boys were escorted out into the arms of victim services and he stood to one side with Jesse, unsure of what to do next.

When someone tried to take Jesse from his arms, the boy cried out in terror and clung to him. Ty couldn’t help the low growl in his throat. “He’s my son. Don’t touch him.”

The social worker gulped but tried again. “Sir we just need to see if he’s okay.” When she touched him again, Jesse began to scream.

“He’s not hurt, he’s just terrified. Leave him the fuck alone!” He tucked Jesse’s face into his neck and sung the song he’d used to sing to get Jesse to go sleep when he was a baby.

“She was just sixteen and all alone, when I came to be…”

One of the female cops turned and smiled at him. “Is that Rock and Roll Lullaby?”

He nodded and kept singing. His voice was not made for singing but it always made Jesse quiet when he was upset or anxious.

“I love that song. Sang it to my own kids when they were little.” She nodded at Jesse. “I think we need to get him out of here. Can you cover his eyes with the hoodie?”

He could see the horror in her eyes and knew that whatever had happened out front was bad. “Yeah, I will. Can we go please?” Ty needed out desperately. The smell of blood and gunpowder was thick in the air making his already aching head even worse.

The cop waited until she was sure that Jesse’s face was completely covered before leading him back to the eating area of the restaurant. “I’d take you out the back way, but the gunmen parked a car in front of the door. They wanted to make sure that whoever they were after couldn’t get away.”

Ty knew exactly who they’d been after.

“Did you get them?” Ty hoped so, for everyone’s sake.

“No, they got away. I’m sorry, I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.” She pulled him by the arm, trying to move quickly and he knew she was trying to spare him from seeing too much of the carnage but he had to know.

Looking around he spotted Jeanine’s body a few feet away. She’d been shot in the chest, leaving the rest of her unmarked. Her face was splattered with her own blood and it took everything he had to not give in to his body’s demands to vomit.

“Daddy, where’s my mommy?” Jesse’s scared voice coming from under the hoodie got him going again.

“Shhh baby. It’s okay.” He hurried out the door before Jesse could start to squirm and hurried over to the other side of the parking lot. The cop didn’t leave his side.

“Was one of those women your wife?”

“Ex. We were here so I could pick up Jesse for my week.” He pulled the hoodie off Jesse’s face and looked at him. “Oh baby.”

“Daddy, are you okay?” Ty was amazed at Jesse’s ability to block everything else out and focus on the one thing that was most important to him.

“I’m fine Jesse.” It wasn’t totally true, but it was close enough for his son.

“Sir, do you have any idea what happened? Do you know why they were there?” He knew she had to ask the questions but Ty knew that once he answered them his life as he knew it was over. He had to tell the truth and once he did, he and Jesse were going to be caught in the middle of a shit-storm.

“Yeah, I know why they were there and I’ll tell you once I get a hold of someone to come and hang out with Jesse while I talk to you.” He wasn’t asking her permission, he was telling her how it was gonna be.

“I could have one of the other officers…”

Ty cut her off. “No deal. He needs to be with someone he knows and trusts. No offense, but another stranger isn’t going to cut it. I have a friend I can call.”

She looked him over and he stared back are her defiantly. “Okay, make your call.”

Ty pulled out his phone and called his boss and best friend. “Mike, I need your help.”

A little of this…a pinch of that…some family and a fic rec!

Yeah, I know, I haven’t blogged for a while. Been really busy writing (and reading) and RL is as busy as ever! Man I could use a week of with nothing to do but clean my house and yard (and read).

My WIP is coming along and I’m proud to say its like nothing I’ve ever written before, starting with the fact that it’s a wolf-shifter story. Let me tell you, that makes me all kinds of nervous because there are some amazing writers out there who excel at shifter stories. M.D. Grimm and C. Cardeno come to mind as does Mary Calmes and Kim Fielding. Throw in M.A. Church, Poppy Dennison and Chris T. Kat and there is a whole lot of excellence to strtive for.

Then I had a friend remind me that there are certain rules for shifter stories that the author usually has to set for themselves. And the author that breaks their own rules is in for a hard time. Plus there seems to be set ideals within the genre the writers seem to fall back on. I’ve always been a rule breaker though.

I will post the prologue soon, just to give you all a taste.

Other than that, we are almost done with the Summerfest for my favorite fandom. I’m still involved in it and will probably continue to write fanfiction for it for as long as people will keep reading it. The wonderful friends I made there led me to submitting my first story for publication and I would never want to turn my back on them or let them down.

I’m still waiting to hear from Dreamspinner about my latest submission. God I hate this part so much. I’ve considered self-pubbing, like some of my amazing friends do, but I’ve come to realize that I count on the support of my publisher. And it’s not just the fact that they do my covers or that their edits always make my story better in every way.

I love my publisher. They make me feel like I’m part of something wonderful. I know I shouldn’t be writing this. It’s just asking for fate to kick me in the teeth and have them reject my manuscript, but it’s true. I never could have done this on my own and I think they totally earn their share of the profits from my writing.

The other Dreamspinner authors make me smile and I feel like part of a big family. Of course, they can be intimidating with their talent and their larger than life personalities, but they also give me something to aspire to, even if I’m not sure I can ever get there.

I would love to attend one of the author events. It looks like so much fun and I would give anything to put faces and voices (yes, I’m weird that way) to the names I see every day. Of course, I would be ridiculous. I’d fangirl all over them and they would probably question my sanity.

That’s okay, I do it all the time.

Attending a conference is one of those things that’s on my “someday, come hell or high water” list.

What else is going on? My sister is moving away. She’s found herself a wonderful man and is moving forward in her life and I’m really happy for her.

But I’m sad too. She is my best friend and one of my biggest supporters. I can’t imagine not being able to walk down the street and knock on her door. Dinner at least once a week is going to be a thing of the past and I’m honestly not sure how to deal with it.

She’s never lived more than 15 minutes away from me in almost 43 years and this is going to be hard as hell to deal with. Adding to my sadness is that her oldest girl is going with her. My nieces and nephews have always been bright shining stars in my life and this girl always makes me smile.

She’s funny and beautiful and smarter than she ever gives herself credit for. Her mouth is almost as big as her heart and I love it when she’s snarky and full of wit. She’s her mother’s daughter with all the confidence that my sister never had in herself but should have.

They are amazing, wonderful people whom I’m going to miss like crazy. I will miss movies and drinks with my sister and my nieces surprise drop in visits and I will probably cry a lot when they are gone. It’s only three hours away, but right now it feels like the other side of the world.

Luckily, I still have her son and other daughter here. My nephew has been a source of joy since I found out my sister was pregnant with him and I hope he knows that my door is always open whenever he needs it.

My other niece, well, it’s been amazing watching her grow and that last few years she seems to be really coming into her own. It’s true transformation that has been inspiring to watch.

And of course, my folks and my brother are still here and I’m incredibly lucky for that. I’m hoping to spend more time with my parents now that mom is retired and dad is semi-retired.

And my (way taller than me) little brother is my hero. Smart, wicked funny and good-hearted and he never lets me down. And his girlfriend is a fantastic person who’s become a really awesome friend and it makes me happy that she makes him smile. Her kids are pretty cool too, lol.

And I have my amazing daughter and my supportive husband so, while I will be sad, I also have things to be happy about.

Anyway, I guess I had more to say than I thought. This whole getting to know the author through her blog just got a little “in-depth” I guess. I hope you don’t mind.

And now for the fic rec portion of our program….

Phoenix Rising by Theo Fenraven is a wonderfully crafted fantasy story. The picture he managed to paint took my breath away and I fell hard for his characters. Artemis is a cop who is just starting to realize that he needs more in his life than just his job. When he meets Talis, he feels a pull like nothing he’s ever experienced before. Watching these two men find their way is nothing short of amazing.

Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Rising-ebook/dp/B008JQQCOK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1377300374&sr=1-1&keywords=phoenix+rising+theo

And as always, you can find me here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cindy%20Sutherland&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

and at Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=454