Jami Gray's Blog, page 12

A Life Truly Lived #teacher #writer #friend

I’m veering into the personal with today’s post. Earlier this week I found out that a dear friend passed away unexpectedly, and while my heart breaks for his family, I’m still reeling from the news. Death is not a stranger, I wish I could say it was, but it has dropped by with uncomfortable regularity in the last few years. This time, when it departed, it took with it a life well lived.

Bob Hamm had two unending passions: his wife and three girls, and education.

If you knew him, you were left in no doubt of his love for his wife of 37 years and his three beautiful girls. He was a beaming poppa every time his girls conquered another challenge or captured a goal. He was an unending well of optimism and quick to share a laugh. He was someone I could talk endlessly with about story structure and English grammar, and not ever worry that his attention would wander. I did have to keep my use of exclamation marks in check, and was always careful to double, and triple, check comma placement or verify the correct verb tense usage.

The man was the epitome of a teacher. Not just because he taught high school English in such a way that it left lasting impressions (we’re talking years and years later impressions) on the minds under his tutelage, but because he believed in forever being a student of the world we live in. He traveled the globe, he picked up pieces of art that spoke to him and lovingly collected maps that told our history in lines and wiggles (at least to my untrained eye). He recently shared that love in his book, “Becoming Oregon”. In his downtime he played in the earth, intent on nurturing Mother Nature’s leafy children, was an avid environmentalist, and remained an untiring champion of education.

While Bob and I met through work, it wasn’t long before I counted him as a friend. Even though my heart breaks at his departure, I treasure the example he unknowingly set of living a life well lived, and loving every minute of it. While it is always difficult to say good-bye to those who leave such lasting impressions, it is our responsibility to share their legacy.

Our loss is heaven’s gain.

Until the next journey, Bob.

–Jami

Cutting the Cord #budgeting #writerslife #tv

I can remember the joy of watching a TV that weighed as much as a Mini-Cooper with a screen the size of a normal Amazon box while chowing down on my fried chicken TV dinner nestled in a foil tray (because microwaves didn’t exist in every kitchen). Changing the channel required leaving your cross-legged stance on the floor, walking five or six steps, clicking the actual channel knob (no remotes!), until everyone agreed to a show, then resuming your spot. At home stereo sound wasn’t even an option unless one of your parents figured out how to jerry-rig their hi-fi speakers from the turntable. Hi-def pictures wasn’t even a sparkle in someone’s eye (I think), and 3-D was only available if you were lucky enough to be part of Star Trek and their holo-deck.

Yeah, I’m that old peeps.

So, when in the process of stream-lining our familial budget, we began to pinpoint areas where we could cut back, imagine our surprise when we realized that one of our higher bills was our DirectTV.  There was a time, years removed from the TV dinners and rabbit ears, when I considered a cell phone an exorbitant luxury, because I had to pay my rent (which included basic cable) and landline phone bills. Oh have the times changed, because I no longer have a landline, my cell bill is arrogantly sitting in the number one spot on our “to-be-budgeted” list, and right under it, wearing a gleeful smile, is our cable bill.  Both of those little buggers are about to have a come to Jami moment.

Always work from the bottom up, and when Knight and I began to re-evaluate our expenditures, we noticed something new. We don’t watch live TV any more, not really. Granted, I’m a news junkie so yeah, in the mornings before I brave the Mad Max freeways, I’ll get my hit on the morning news reports, but other than that, nope, we were watching shows we recorded earlier. Not only were we watching recorded show that are easily accessed via such helpful things like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Fire, which we already have, our teenagers were consistently enthralled with their phones. In fact, they tend to watch those inanimate objects as if they’ll disappear the minute they looked away. When asked what has them so captivated, it was no shocker to hear “videos of our shows”.

Right then, so why shell out money if no one in the house is paying any damn attention?  Our DirectTV is a silent leech attached to our house, chuckling to itself at our expense. It makes decision to cut the cord much easier. So, we’re in the process of replacing the mini-satellite dish with a good, old-fashion over the air antenna (yep, they still exist).

Granted, I won’t be able to watch the latest episodes of the shows I love, but really, I wasn’t doing that already. Besides anticipation does a body good, right? There’s also the side benefit here that by removing the temptation to veg out in front of the idiot tube perhaps other things will happen, say more writing getting done, or perhaps we might regularly interact as a family, complete with actual conversations and everything!  Oh, imagine!

(Tossing away the cut cable cord and dusting off my hands) Now that I can cross that one off our list, what’s next? (Gives evil grin to cell carrier) Oh yes, this shall be fun….

When Your Imagination Kicks Into Overdrive #family #writerslife #parenting

I ran across this little article some time in the last week that took a brief ride through a mom’s mind as she tried to sleep one night from one of my favorite blogs, Scary Mommy. While it was completely relatable if you’re a mom, if you are a mom AND a writer, that trek turns into a journey of epic proportions.

I did my best to find a meme that captures this whole concept, but I kept getting swept into the torrent of memes. It’s a madhouse out there. If anyone finds it, holler at me. It’s the one that shows an unlocked door with the caption: What a normal person sees….gee, I left the door unlocked.  What I see…oh my god, did a serial killer sneak in while I was parking the car?

I’m not sure how many other parents who double as writers go through this, but my imagination can be a twisted, unhelpful demon of panic if I’m not careful. Let’s take an example from a few months ago.

Prankster Duo #1 ends up staying after school to complete whatever project/paper/assignment he has missed due to teenage brain fart, over-scheduled activity interference, or whatever that week’s excuse was.

Okay, not a problem, however since the parental units have command performances at other, distant locations with individuals who supply the funds necessary for keeping the bill collectors at bay, Prankster Duo #1’s ride options are limited to a specific timeframe.

What is a teenage boy to do with the free two hours this gives him when he has no access to a motorized vehicle? That’s the beauty of having a public library attached to the high school. Go forth to the hallowed book-lined halls and do that pesky thing called homework or (gasp) read something.

So I take my bow and exit day-job stage left, and begin my journey to gather up Prankster Duo #1. In preparation, I send a text. “I’m heading your way, should be there in 45 minutes. Love you, mom.”

I’m cruising (okay, doing the stop-n-go that’s the norm for any freeway around here) my way down to my son. My phone stays strangely silent. Not even a “K” comes back. The paranoid writer-mama mind begins to perk up. I beat it back while playing frogger on the freeway.

As I pull into the school parking lot, the familiar messy mop of hair complete with headphones is no where to be found. Panic knocks on the door.

Now, I know that a white panel van doesn’t cruise around the block near the high school. As a matter of fact, I’m fairly certain our neighborhood is fairly safe, which is why we moved there. But even though the logical half of my brain reminds me of all the reasons why we choose this area, there is another part that dwells in the wicked world of what-ifs and it isn’t playing nice.

As a matter of fact, as the minutes tick by and pile on to one another and my texts go unanswered, it’s getting down right mean. Scenarios of all the things that could happen to my precious teenager start to play in my mind, totally ignoring my attempts to shut it down. In the meantime, I’ve reached out to his younger brother to make sure he didn’t end up going home. Nope, Prankster Duo #2 is home doing homework, his only company the Fur Minxes. I check with my Knight in case of possible updates. Nada.

Locking down my trusty motorized steed, I began to hike into the library, and as I step up to the doors, the familiar tangle of curls and headphones appear, and the tauntingly cruel grip of “what-ifs” disappears. The explanation: the cell battery is dead, sorry! Once my heart resumes normal speed, we’re back to our regular programming sans commercial interuptions. Yet, that nasty bugger Panic sticks around, making sure to leave an impression before completely abandoning the scene.

This is what it’s like for me. Maybe because I have the dual whammy of being a parent who writes in darker genres, but man alive, sometimes it’s a real stress inducer having an over-active imagination.

Still, I figure if I can survive the teenage years, the remaining won’t be quite so bad.

Right?

The Wild Wierdness is Coming #roundrobin #UF #western

Every now and again I like to mix things up on my website. I spent a year and half hosting various authors and peppering them with thought provoking questions (well, thought provoking to me) and sharing them with you, my readers.  Early in the blog’s creation I touched on the various concepts I learned under the sharp eyed tutelage of editors. Bits and pieces of my family life find their way into posts, and get mixed in with cover reveals, blog hops, and excerpt shares.

This year, I’m slapping on a cowboy hat, strapping on a pair of six-irons, and plopping my butt in the creative saddle as I meander through a uniquely magical version of the old west with two very talented writers, Dave Benneman and Camille Douglass. Now before you shake your head and wander off, our motley trio has never shied away from the wild and strange. This collective serial we plan to share will be no different. Tentatively titled: CONJURING MISERY, so far we have a mysteriously grim gunslinger, a master swordsman-slash-card shark, and a mysterious femme fatale of the sorcery bent in search of a talisman.

We’re still nailing down the operational aspect, but we do plan on pulling back the curtain on our story in March, so gather round the campfire and plan on making routine trips to follow along!

(I picked this image because it rocks, but it’s courtesy of: Cowboy Assassin by ~AzraelLaVolpe on deviantART)

Step into the Shadows with Print combo of #KynKronicles #uf #pnr

For those bibliophiles who need to conserve shelf space, I present:

THE KYN KRONICLES: BOOKS 1-4 

Now available in PRINT only!

 “… a well written, realistic story which made me forget that I wasn’t reading a classic thriller or spy novel. Suspense and plot twists saturate every page.” –Carole Avila, author of Eve’s Amulet, Goodreads review (4/5 stars)

“…fantastic paranormal action novel is quite possibly the best book I’ve read this year. I could not put it down, and had to exercise serious self-control to keep from staying up all night to finish it.” –Victoria Lane, Reviewer for The Romance Reviews (5/5 stars)

“…a great work of the Paranormal Romance genre. Jami Gray has no trouble weaving an enticing cast of characters and a whole different world.” –Chrissie, Amazon Reviewer (4/5 stars)

“…so incredibly well-written that the world and the characters seem to come to life before your very eyes.” –Crystal, Amazon Reviewer (4/5 stars)

“Shadow’s Moon is an excellent addition to the Kyn Kronicles series. Gray is really coming into her own…I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up. It held my interest from beginning to end.” – Taylor Jones, Black Opal Reviewer

“Shadow’s Moon is riveting. I was caught up in it from the very first word, and I simply could not put it down. I read right through to the end, finishing at 4 in the morning. I can’t wait for the next one in the series. Gray has turned into a first class author of paranormal thrillers.” – Regan Murphy, Black Opal Reviewer

THE KYN KRONICLES: BOOKS 1-4

Available in Print only!

SHADOW’S EDGE, Book 1

When the supernatural lurks in the shadows of the mundane, hunting monsters requires unique skills, like those of Raine McCord. A series of deaths threatens to reveal the Kyn community and forces her to partner with the sexy Gavin Durand.

As the trail leads to the foundation haunting Raine’s childhood, she and Gavin must unravel lies and betrayals to discover not only each other, but the emerging threat to them and the entire magical community.

SHADOW’S SOUL, Book 2

A simple assignment turns into a nightmare when Raine McCord follows Cheveyo to the Southwest on a consulting gig. When the most feared beings of the Kyn kidnaps Cheveyo and leaves Raine for dead, her ability to heal her mind and spirit hinges on the one man who can touch her soul, Gavin Durand.  

Unraveling the Southwest Kyn’s web of secrets and hidden vendettas will either bring them together or tear them apart forever.

SHADOW’S MOON, Book 3

Tracker, Xander Cade, confronts an enraged Shifter in a crowded human nightclub, fraying the thin secrecy shielding the supernatural community from public scrutiny. Danger stalks the pack and she must protect her alpha and mate, Warrick Vidis, even if he doesn’t want it.

If they don’t find a way to trust each other and accept their rare bond they risk losing everything-their pack, their friends and each other.

SHADOW’S CURSE, Book 4

After tragedy strikes the Northwest Kyn, leaving the houses in chaos and the Wraiths hungry for blood, the fallout threatens Natasha Bertoi’s carefully laid plans. When the Council sends Darius Abazi, the one man guaranteed to skew the odds, she faces her toughest opponent yet.

As death stalks the Northwest Kyn, can Natasha trust Darius, a man well versed in subterfuge, to uncover the truth before treachery destroys them all? 

If that’s not enough to keep you snared in the shadows, don’t miss out on TANGLED IN SHADOWS, a Kyn Kronicles short-story collection 

Now available in ebook/Print at:  AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / KOBO / SMASHWORDS / iBOOKS

 

Jami Gray is the award winning, multi-published author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Kyn Kronicles, and the Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, PSY-IV Teams. Her latest release, SHADOW’S MOON  was a Golden Claddaugh Finalist, and the first in her newest series, HUNTED BY THE PAST, hits shelves in July 2014. She is surrounded by Star Wars obsessed males and a male lab, who masquerades as a floor rug as she plays with the voices in her head.

Come stalk Jami at any of these fine locations:

Website  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Goodreads  /  Google+  /  Amazon

 

Heat Up Your Valentine’s Day: New Erotic PNR Release THE WATCHMAN by Arla Dahl #newrelease #erotic #pnr

“The Watchman (Immoral Virtue Book 3)”

by Arla Dahl

Published: November 20, 2015

Genre: Historical Erotica

Blurb:

Evil is found when evil is sought.

“For when those in authority neglect to reprove sin, then very often the good are punished with the wicked.” – Heinrick Kramer, 1486, The Malleus Maleficarum

For yielding to the proud tears of an accused witch, The Watchman’s soul may have been blackened by evil. To prove himself unmarked, his body free of the witch’s branding, he must stand naked before all and submit to the governor’s thorough and shameful examination.

Though Giles Scott would resist the governor’s practiced and patient touch, only complete abandon might prove his innocence. And since the witch cannot feel, only Giles’ arousal can spare his neck from the noose. And so, he surrenders.

Yet screams from another chamber – perhaps pained, perhaps pleasured – awaken memories from Giles’ dark, torturous past, and the governor’s touch no longer teases but stings…much like the punishing bite of a whip against the flesh of THE WATCHMAN.

From the Author:

THE WATCHMAN , Book 3 in the Immoral Virtue Trilogy is a dark erotic twist of an already twisted period in American History, the Salem witch trials. Due to its explicit sexual nature, with forced consent, M/m, M/f/f and other BDSM concepts, THE WATCHMAN is intended for audiences 18 and over.

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

What readers are saying…

“Fifty Shades-meets-Shakespeare in this eloquent, erotic tale.” – Debra Druzy, Contemporary Romance Author

“A well-crafted, wickedly erotic romp through witch trial hysteria. Arla Dahl will whet your appetite for more.” –- Candy Caine, author of contemporary interracial erotica

“The Watchman was so hot and satisfying, the perfect conclusion to this trilogy.” – Chloe and Sabine’s Smart Mouth Smut

“Erotic and immensely satisfying.” — D.B.Shuster, author of the Neurotica Series

Come help celebrate multi-published, bestselling author Arla Dahl’s latest addition to her “Immoral Virtue” series, “Watchman” Thursday, February 4th, 7-9 PM EST. Prizes, games, chats, the unveiling of secrets, and various and sundry shenanigans await!!

Join

 

Don’t miss out on books 1 and 2 of this sizzling series!

 

“The Mark (Immoral Virtue)”

Blurb:

Be this a witch?

In 1600’s New England, it was decreed thus:

“Whoever lies with the beast will bear a mark that is insensible and in their most secret parts, and may be located only through diligent and careful search.”

Accused of witchcraft, Abigail Prescott must strip for the masses and submit to the Governor’s inspection. She is ill-prepared for this shameful, grueling probe as it permits him to see and test her every inch and every hollow.

Governor Jameson Foster has examined many before, but Abigail enchants him like no other. Before he succumbs to her sweet charms, he must uncover the dark truth of this bewitching.

Should she feel his prodding and respond to his touch, her innocence will be proven. And this night he will claim her. Should she resist, fail to cry out in pain or in pleasure, then all will know she is a witch who bears The Mark.

“I defy you not to squirm and moan right along with Abigail as you read The Mark. Rejoice, erotic-fiction fans. Arla Dahl has arrived!” –best-selling author, Pam McKenna

From the Author:

THE MARK, Book 1 in the Immoral Virtue Trilogy is a highly erotic, non-romantic tale of sexual awakening and abandon, of the duty to submit vs. the desire to resist. Due to its explicit sexual nature, with elements of BDSM and dubious consent, THE MARK is intended for audiences 18 and over.

Goodreads Amazon

“The Accused (Immoral Virtue Book 2)”

Blurb:

There is no shame in pleasure.

“Wherefore for the sake of fulfilling their lusts (women) consort even with devils.” -Heinrich Kramer, 1486 “Malleus Maleficarum” (The Hammer of Witches)

To clear their names and save their souls the accused are stripped and bound before all as they await their governor’s examination.

At the governor’s direction, Abigail Prescott, herself accused as a witch a mere hour past, will help test the women’s responses, for a witch marked by the devil cannot feel, no matter how gently caressed, no matter how deeply probed. Under the governor’s scrutiny Abigail is to thoroughly examine their naked flesh for the black mark of the beast.

But the prideful Elizabeth Hobbs withdraws consent. And her fate is sealed. Taken deep into the forest by the watchman, she will remain naked and open to the elements to await her punishment.

Stirred by her proud tears, the watchman touches her. Soothes her. But when a man succumbs to a witch’s charms, he too stands among THE ACCUSED.

“Explosively erotic with unexpected twists and surprises that keep the pages turning.” – 2013 RITA Finalist, Pamela Hearon

From the Author:

THE ACCUSED, Book 2 in the Immoral Virtue Trilogy continues the highly erotic, non-romantic, tale of resistance and of submission. Due to its explicit sexual nature, with elements of BDSM and dubious consent, THE ACCUSED is intended for audiences 18 and over.

Goodreads Amazon

About the Author

Arla Dahl is a lover and avid reader of all things sexy and suspenseful. She gets her inspiration from daily headlines, and is often surprised by how today’s issues mirror those from the distant past. When Arla’s muse goes stealth, she spends her time trying recipes from exotic locales, with rich flavors and provocative scents that tempt and tease and satisfy.

A New Yorker, born and bred, Arla is forever fascinated by the varied cultures of her city. Beyond the rich diversity, the close and heady feel of a moody late night jazz club is her favorite part of living in the Big Apple.

In her current work, the Immoral Virtue trilogy, which is set during the witch hysteria of the 17th Century, Arla twists an already twisted history into a daring erotic work of passion and pleasure.

Follow Arla around the ‘Net!

| Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Blog | Website | Goodreads |

“The Watchman” (Immoral Virtue series) by Arla Dahl

Tour schedule

Feb. 1 – Nesie’s Place – https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/book-blitz-the-watchman-immoral-virtue-book-3/

Feb. 2 – Dark Paranormal Romance Series – http://darkparanormalromanceseries.com/?p=425

Feb. 3 – Ocean 2 Ocean Book Promotions – http://o2obookpromotions.blogspot.com/2016/02/new-release-party-and-book-tour.html

Feb. 4 – Facebook Party – https://www.facebook.com/events/1623365141261190/

Feb. 5 – Tory Richards – http://www.toryrichards.com

Feb. 6 – Jacklynn Loves Reading – http://www.jacklynnlovesreading.blogspot.com

Feb. 7 – Pam Ace Eve’s Book Blog – https://pamaceeve.wordpress.com/

Feb. 8 – Romanceaholics – http://www.romanceaholicblog.com

Feb. 9 – Musings Of An Independent Artist – http://www.pendarielraye.blogspot.com

Feb. 10 – The Fine Print Book Blog – https://thefineprintsr.wordpress.com/

Feb. 11 – Paranormal Magic and Mischief – https://dabeko77.wordpress.com/

Feb. 12 – Nadene’s Totally Addicted To Reading – http://totallyaddictedtoreading.blogspot.com/p/reviews.html

Tricia Schneider – http://www.triciaschneider.com

Feb. 13 – A Writer’s Mind – http://www.skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com/

Feb. 14 –Jami Gray – https://jamigray.com/

Ocean 2 Ocean Book Promotions – http://www.o2obookpromotions.blogspot.com

 

 

Getting Out of My Own Way–Sabotaging Your Creativity #writing #creating

A couple weeks back as I began to really work on my newest book project, I found myself struggling to get the story on the page. It’s not a new challenge, hell, it’s not even unexpected. Every time I start a new book, I spend the first few weeks stumbling around, bouncing off of weak character motivations, lame plot devices, boring world setting, or any number of things. It’s gotten to a point I expect a rough start to any book. The problem this time? I honestly thought I’d bypass all this gut-wrenching, stress-inducing madness since I actually plotted the series and the world. (See previous post at end of January)

But nope, all that planning was great. For the series arc. For the actual first book? Not so much. In the end, do you know what I realized? While the series has a fascinating, comprehensive plot arc, filled with all my twisty turny things I like to do, the first book was lacking a….

PLOT.

*hanging head* I know, I know. How on earth does this happen, you ask? My answer: I was too focused on the big picture to realize the first book was too general, more of a hastily sketched picture versus a detailed collection of lines. And this realization didn’t hit me until after I spent days struggling with the following:

My Hero had no reason to give a damn about anything happening around him. There was nothing for him to be vested in.
My Heroine needed a reason to be in the picture at the same time as our Hero, so they can do what they do best and takes us for a heart-pounding journey.
My world was leaning too far into the weeds of details. Details readers don’t really want, but as the author I needed, just not in my actual pages going before readers.
My world details were so precise they were becoming bigger than the story, which meant I was getting frustrated because I could barely get my characters across a scene without wanting to scream.

Frustrated, heart-broken, and worried I’d made a huge mistake taking this story idea on, I whined to sought out my fellow writer and bestie for help. In fact, I was so inside my head, I came up with a completely different story idea and got all excited about it, claiming it would be my next project.

And like the true friend and writer she is, after kicking my ass around, she (with all the love in her heart) told me, “This new idea? Yeah, no, change the names, change the setting, and it’s just like your other series. Stop being a scaredy-cat and get back to your project.”

Oh the agony, and the resulting shame because she was spot on. Seems when I’m cornered creatively I revert back to what I consider “safe”, and that’s a big no-no for me. With every book, every series I create, I try to stretch my skills, try things that scare the ever-living crap out of me. This new series is no different. There is no paranormal or magic to fall back on and the world is harsh and brutal, but exactly what the story must have to be.

I swallowed back a couple of whimpers, then pulled up my big girl panties and went back to work. Strangely, as if her reality slap had knocked my creative problem solving out of the rut and I got out of my own way, the first book’s plot came together and my initial excitement for the series returned with it.

So my lesson for the week: When fear and self-doubts start to shove you around, step back and out of your own way. Don’t worry about trying something new and failing, because that tumble will show what not to do next time. Get back up, knock the dust and mud off, and look around. You might discover a new path or two to take. You never know what’s waiting down the road.

 

Me, My Husband, and His Invisible Friends–A Writer’s Domestic Life with a Gamer #writerlife #gaming #humor

Today’s post has nothing to do with writing. Correction–it flutters around the edges of my writing life, but the star of this post is my Knight in Slightly Muddy Armor and his Invisible Gang of Game Domination.  As I write this, I have my headphones on and music pouring in, but it still does nothing to drown out the harsh battle cries behind me.

Those who’ve trailed along my blog for any length of time, understand that I am outnumbered in my humble abode. To the point I had to bring in the Fur Minxes to even the gender scales. With my beautiful, female labs at my side, we manage to hold off the tide of testosterone. For the most part.

Except for the Digital Arena of Epic Battles.

My Prankster Duo has graduated from the dignified world of architectural design known as MineCraft, and have joined my Knight on the bloodied sands of battlefields that stretch from fantastic worlds where cries of “Gank him! I’m going mid! Where the hell are you?” ring through the air, and more modern urban settings where abrupt calls of “He’s got a mini-gun, RUN!” echo off bullet-ridden structures.

This has become the soundtrack to what writing time I manage to carve out during the week after returning from the trenches of my day-job. Most of the time, I can drown them out. Then there are those times when I’m trying to gain the attention of one of the three males in my home, only to realize I’d have an easier time trapping a leprechaun at the end of the damn rainbow and mugging him for his pot of gold.

Those times are when Knight’s Invisible Gang of Game Domination get the most fun of eavesdropping into my life.

For years, I’ve teased my Knight that he has invisible friends, and he has no idea if the voices he’s conversing with really belong to a group over the age of eighteen. According to my Knight and the tinny cries coming from his headphones, they hold paying jobs, are above the age of twenty-five, and at least three (could be four) of the five have significant others. (I maintain the right to my skepticism until I see a real flesh and blood bodies attached to said tinny voices.) Which means, that the conversations they are getting the privilege of listening too, should not be a big surprise, right? Right. Because I can’t be the only frustrated significant other out there.

The Invisible Gang have played audience to such fascinating conversations as:

Me-Knight? *crickets, which requires I up my volume of delivery* KNIGHT?

Knight-I’m in the middle of this.

Me-Are you going to die? Because if death isn’t imminent, I want an answer.

Knight-*fiercely focused on dual screens, while a bunch of small figures rush around on something straight out of Lord of the Rings*

Me–*waving hand two millimeters in front of his face, as he dodges to continue chasing unicorns or whatever* Seriously? Do you want to sleep on the couch tonight, because I could strip and dance naked in front of you and it wouldn’t matter would it?

Knight- *quick glance to me with cheeky ass grin, then right back to chasing evil, demon infested unicorns, or maybe they’re apes riding unicorns? Who the hell knows.* You do know the mic’s open and they’re all listening in?

Me-*sighing heavily, because I’m well aware after years of this that there is an entire invisible horde in my house* Hey guys, hurry the hell up, I need Knight to empty the garbage.

Or our most current scenario regarding the importance of logging receipts.

Me-*growling in frustration as another undocumented charge appears not to have been logged in our financial tally sheet* Knight, where the hell is the receipt for your mid-day meal consumption?

Knight-*holding back an invading horde of trolls in dresses* What?

Me-*trying hard not to wrap my hands around his neck and shake him* Where…is…the…f*&^ing receipt for (insert local eatery name here)?

Knight-*swears under his breath, then curses at the screens before finally saying–* I don’t know.

Me-*knowing the Invisible Gang is listening* Perhaps you might want to WRITE DOWN what you spend, dear? *add in heavily edged sarcasm*

Fast-foward to later that day as Knight and I are getting ready to head out to dinner with friends.

Knight-*taking leave of Invisible Gang* I’m heading out guys! * a pause, followed by a guilty look my way* Um, yeah, I will.

As we head to our chose transportation, I ask, “You will, what?”

Knight *muttering* “The guys told me I’d better make sure I get the f*&^%ing receipt.”

My response–a very satisfied smile. Lesson learned achievement-UNLOCKED. Next step-Mastering.

Those are a few of the milder versions of conversations. There have been heated exchanges between Knight and I while the Invisible Gang adds their two cents. Most of the time their two cents comes along with teasing digs and sly humor. It’s one of the reasons they’re still breathing (if they are alive). A quick, sharp wit is appreciated in my household, whether you’re on this side of the headphones and mic, or the other. And because I have yet to figure out how to reach through the internet and strangle those on the other end.

There’s one particular Gang member who loves to taunt the writer about reading her books. Yes, I see by the horror on your face you understand the depth of his crime. He’s yet to learn it’s a dangerous to tempt someone who could put you in a book and inflict more dps than anything he’s faced on screen. (Dps=damage per second, not Dept. of Public Services, I know, I know.)  Or maybe our author’ll bypass the book and go straight for the weekly blog! I did warn you!

All in all, as much grief as I give the Knight and his crew, I’ve seen the memes and texts they exchange, and must admit there has to be something more than AI on the other end, and they’re pretty frickin’ hilarious most times. If there were closer than say the other side of the country, we might even get together in a  real world environment (gasp)! As a writer who can live in an entire universe in my head, I really have no room to toss pebbles at the glowing computer monitors, but it’s fun to do. Of course, they don’t even notice because they’re too busy chasing unicorn riding apes, dominating dress-wearing trolls and speaking in tongues to notice the house burning to ash around them. At least until it interferes with their internet connection, then the world shall truly end.

 

 

Setting it in Stone #plans #goals

As I am wont to do each new year, I sat down to figure out just what will I be doing during this year of 2016.  Granted, I’ve discussed (ad nauseam) my book plans–work on new project through April and probably into May, break for a month, start on the fifth Kyn novel, then fourth PSY-IV Team installment. Yet, outside of writing, what happens next?

For those who follow along, you were there for my Summer of Marketing experiment in 2015. It was a blast and worked really well for hooking new readers on the Kyn series. However, for all that went into it, bottom line, the return on investment (outside of new readers) was minimal. With that lesson under my belt, the old adage of “if you want to succeed as a writer, write” gained even more weight.

Marketing is necessary, but it’s a pain in the ass. However, at least now I have solid plans when it comes to releases. And yes, I’m still waiting on release dates for the next two books in the PSY-IV Teams for 2016. I promise to share once I have them.

While buckling down and writing is the key goal this year, I do have a couple of appearances I’ll be making:

Another GoodReads giveaway once HUNTED BY THE PAST is available in print (which should be soon)
The Tempe Book Festival in April
Attending RWA in SanDiego in July

Other plans include:

Revamping my website about mid year, which may mean a few less blog posts up to that point.
Kicking off a unique story with my compadres in the writing trenches featured solely on our three blogs (more info to come when the details have been fought over hammered out).
Writing
More writing
Stalking Acquiring an agent
My monthly stop in at the Writers Fun Zone with posts of varying natures

Now that I’ve set my plans down in written form, I am bound to complete it.

Just so I know I’m not alone out here, share the one big thing you want to accomplish this year. That way, you’ve put it in stone, too, and have eliminated any possible escape routes.

Learning the Write Lesson #amwriting #writingmistakes

When I sat down to write my first story, I thought I was ready. I had created an interesting world, complex characters, and had a plot. What more could a writer ask for?

Answer: A crap ton more prep work and advice.

Here’s what I’ve learned through the creation process of two series:

World building is more than location
Complex characters have more sides than a D&D die
Plots are not simple lines
Learning from the advice of other writers is invaluable
I feel damn lucky I got published in the first place

Yep, you read that right, I count myself extremely lucky to have my writing published, because from where I started to now, is worlds apart. As I work on my new project, I give much thanks and offer many sacrifices of chocolate, coffee, and alcohol on my Alters to Editors and other Writers, for they have ensured my writing skills are sharpened, and that I never again foolishly believe I know what the hell I’m doing. Because I don’t. I can’t.

Writing, like any skill, demands constant growth, and thanks to the lessons I’ve learned through eight books, this latest project is hopefully starting off on a better balanced foot than its predecessors.

When I first begin delving into this project a few months back, I had an idea of the world, a fairly nebulous grasp on the concept, and some sketchy details on my characters. In-between working on the third PSY-IV Team book and life in general, I began to tweak and re-tweak, and re-re-tweak, and re-re-re-tweak (you get the idea) the story.

I’m one of those writers who has to set up my world’s history before I even glance at page one. I have a historical account of how and why the Kyn existed that pre-dates Christianity, and I have a less intensive history for the PSY-IV Teams as they are a more modern creation. For our latest creation, the world building is a result of the history, which means my history is much more complex than my previous adventures. This is information readers may never see, but a writer must know to ensure they story works. Sometimes these writings look like research papers, sometimes they can be mistaken for journal entries, but no matter how they come about they exist. For me, what happened before impacts what happens now and in the future–to my characters and the world they live in.

When I began the Kyn Kronicles, I knew it was a series, but the series arc–the main plot that ties each book together–wasn’t fully formed. For the PSY-IV Teams, it was there, but the details remained a little blurry.  This time around, I shocked myself when I realized this series would be a set of seven stories, interrelated, each surrounding a different member of our designated cast, and their histories built upon each other until it was as complex and compelling as anything I’ve undertaken. The entire picture is there, fairly focused, strangely enough, since my characters have a tendency to wander off on their own. Of course, I can say that now, but I won’t take any bets on what the story is in a couple of a months.

Still, it’s the weirdest feeling for a reformed panster to find solid ground in *gasp* plotting. It almost feels like I’m cheating, but I’m not. Just because you do something one way, doesn’t mean it’s always going to work. You may find you need to approach things from a different path than before. Maybe you need stumble over a few rocks, take a couple of falls, skin up those knees, to appreciate what’s on the other side.

So as weird as I feel every time I get up and brush the dirt and grass from my hands and knees,  it’s strangely exciting. Even better, through conversations with other writers as they share their ups and downs, I’ve learned this is means I’m on the right path. Instead of freezing in the middle of the road much like my friends the deers, I keep moving forward.

So if you’re starting out on your writing journey or have wandering onto the path of new project, take heed from the lessons others have learned or that you’ve learned the hard way. Every time you think you’ve made a “mistake”, tell that snide little snot to shut the hell up. It’s not a “mistake”, it’s learning, and that is what will make you and your writing rise to the top.