Jennifer Anderson's Blog, page 20

Love and Book Nibbles!

To get you in the mood, here is a wonderful anthology for those who love love!  Be Mine, Valentine

A dozenshort stories of love…just as good as roses. Maybe even better! This short story collection celebrates love—young love and old, mended love, secret love, and love enduring. Twelve talented writers share stories to touch your heart and soul.
Amazon buy link.

Here are the list of authors included:

Krista Ames - http://www.kristaames.com Suzanne Barrett - http://www.suzannebarrett.com Elizabeth Chalkley - http://www.elizabethchalkley.com/ Marissa Dobson - http://www.marissadobson.com Janet Eaves - http://www.janeteaves.com Jennifer Johnson - http://www.booksbyjenniferjohnson.com Margaret Ethridge - http://www.margaretethridge.com Amy Le Blanc - http://amyleblancwrites.blogspot.com Tracy March - http://www.tracymarch.com Nancy Naigle - http://www.nancynaigle.com Cat Shaffer - http://www.catshaffer.comBobbye Terry -http://bobbyeterry.blogspot.com/
But the story I want to focus on today is Love Takes The Cake by Krista Ames.

First off how can you not like a story when on the first page a guys says, "Well no time like the present," he mumbled as he pushed away from the curb. "She probably hates me so what do I have to lose?"

I love it when a guy knows he's wrong!

This story was just the right amount of sweet. Short stories are always over too soon but Ames did a great job of tying up the loose ends and made me love Josh and Annie.  Check out this book!

I'm Over at Creek

Today, you can catch me and Suzanne Lilly talking about Cinder, by Marissa Meyer over at The Creek.

We are both lovers of YA and discovered after much chatting on Twitter that we were about to read the same book. Come check us out today and Friday.  Let us know if we've inspired a new book purchase.  Or if you've read Cinder, what did you think?  Are you into fairy tale retelling?

Do you eat while you write?

I've been asked if I listen to music while I write.  Yes.  I have a friend who's like no, she needs it so quiet she can hear herself think.  Me?  I don't even wanna know what is sounds like when I think.  My husband swears he can smell smoke.

But as I'm sitting here, trying to finish my latest YA, I have this weird need to have food around me.  For example, right this very second I have an empty cheese stick wrapper (still chewing), a bag of pistachios and a tall class of iced green tea.  Earlier, I had a handful of peanut butter M&Ms and a cup of coffee.

I don't think it's the type of food but food, or snacks, in general.

But I don't think I'd behave the same way if I were writing at a coffee shop.  Sure, I'd need a cup of coffee, but I think that's all I'd need. (And honestly, I'd bring my own but I don't think they'd let me just sit and write without buying anything.)

I think it's because I'm home and my mind is struggling to finish this MS and I'm giving myself reasons to step away.  Yes, I want to finish.  I've wanted to finish like weeks ago.  But here I am still chugging along and I only have a few thousand more words to go.  I guess eating beats doing the laundry.

But all of this brings up a good point.  Do you need food when you write?  Is there something you have to nosh on or drink to write?  I'd love to hear from you.  Please tell me I'm not the only one!

Book Nibbles

I know, I'm late.  But you have no idea...never mind. 

Up this week on Book Nibbles, I'm very excited to have on Purrfect Voyage by Ruth J. Hartman.

Blurb:Kitty Carter is used to getting into strange situations when she chases her cat, Arthur. But this latest escapade is just too much! When Arthur chases a mouse at the marina while she's doing research for her book, she follows him down the dock and onto a yacht. Not entirely her plan, since she falls down some stairs and hits her head, and wakes to find herself out to sea. And she and Arthur aren't the only ones on board!
Here's where you can check the book out on Amazon.
My two cents:  I have not read this book but it is on my list.  The author was asked to describe Purrfect Voyage and she said it was a sweet, funny, contemporary romance.  Well, that's right up my alley.
Some of you may not know but Ruth and I were in a book together.  Men in Uniform.  Yep, so we have this kinship.  You may also not know that Ruth is a dental hygienist and loves cats.  No?  Yes!  And she finds her inspirations from what she knows and you can't argue with that logic!
Check out Purrfect Voyage and let me know what you think. 


Characters not cooperating....

Have you ever read about an author stating something about their characters not cooperating and thought, what??  I mean, I read that once, pre-writer days, and couldn't understand the meaning.  Hello. You're the author, you control the characters. Right?
Not really.
I've learned even though we set out with great intentions of getting characters from point A to point B and have a defined, outlined, path, things happen.  A comment is made.  A move it made.  An ax murdered jumps out of nowhere derailing the MC from their journey.  And even though the author has the control, they really don't.  Our characters can take on a life of their own.  The author becomes the character, lives in their head, wears their clothes, and sleeps in their bed.  And once this happens, the character is alive.  They have different thoughts and emotions.  They cause chaos with our story lines because even though you want them to go to the left, they feel going to the right would be a better story.
And they may be right.  Or left.  *shrugs*
I'm running into this same scenerio.  I've been working on my latest YA and even though I now what I want to happen, my characters are not cooperating and letting me get there with an appropriate amount of words. They want to snuggle and make out while I just want the ax murderer to reveal themselves.
What do I do when this happens?
I step back, maybe start on something new and then when I get a nagging feeling in the back of my head telling me I need to finish and this is how, I let my fingers do the walking.  Creative juices take some time to ferment, unfortunately.  But I'm a writer.  I've got all the time I need.
Thanks.  Share below some thoughts you have about your characters or even what you've done in a similar situation.

Book Nibbles

Today's tasty treat is The Most Intimate Wish by F.L. Bicknell.


Blurb:
All she wants is a husband and family. All they need is for her to believe.
When Dinah and Jeff move in to be the Wheillercarts' companions, their lives change for the better and the worse. Dinah loves Jeff, but after five years together, he still refuses to marry her, and Dinah's dreams of starting a family begin to crumble. Regardless of their hot lovemaking sessions, she fears Jeff is cheating on her. Dinah will do anything to keep Jeff, even if it means sharing him with another woman.
However, strange occurrences and a seemingly psychic landlady keep Dinah guessing about her life and relationship with Jeff. And what about the bizarre statue in their landlady's atrium? Little does Dinah know it holds the key to her most intimate wish.
Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Most-Intimate-Wish-ebook/dp/B0046LVAG2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1327494727&sr=1-1 

About the Author:  F.L. Bicknell's work has appeared in a wide range of genres and publications such as: Would That It Were, Touch, GC, and Ohio Writer magazines as well as with publications in Canada and Turkey. Under her pseudonym, Molly Diamond, she was a regular contributor to Gent and Ruthie's Club and has had fiction published in Hustler's Busty Beauties, Penthouse Variations, and Twenty 1 Lashes. Published under alternate pen names, Ms. Bicknell is the author of several e-book and print titles, has served as co-editor and managing editor for three different publishing houses, and is the founder and writing instructor at Avoid Writers Hell, an online writer's workshop. She is represented by TriadaUS Literary Agency.

My 2 cents:I have not read this book yet.  But if your looking for something a little spicy and really hot, check out The Most Intimate Wish.  While this is an erotic free site, I'm here to support a fellow author.  
Happy reading!

Pay it Forward

Have you ever seen the movie Pay It Forward?  If you haven't, go rent it.  It's a great movie with a wonderful message.  Something that I think all writers can appreciate.
I'm not talking about just buying a fellow authors book but the advice and steps authors offer to those of use starting out.  Share what you've done that has been successful with others.
And that's what I'd like to do today.
When I started out, I was lost, completely, utterly lost.  I knew I needed to write but then what.  And at that time I purchased a book about book publishing and I think it was out of date because it mostly talked about snail mailing copies of your manuscript.
WHAT!  Did they have any idea how much that would cost me?  Where they crazy?
So I asked a HS friend who had mentioned something about getting a literary agent.  *light bulb on*  And here is what she offered (plus some of my own input):
1. Write everyday.  Starting a blog helps.  Keeps the mojo moving.
2. Get connected.  Start a twitter account and start following people.  Follow authors you like.  Follow newbie authors.
3. Research agents.  There are tons of list out there.  I started with Agent Query. Once you have some names, look at the agents' individual sites.  Follow them on twitter, Google+, stalk them.
4. Keep writing and finish your manuscript.  Authors don't want a partial.  When you start the query process, they want a finished product.
5. Stay educated.  Take an online query course.  I took CJ Redwine's query and synopsis writing course.  Both were short and convenient.  And the feedback was golden.

I don't have an agent but like I've said before, I'm not sure I want one.  However, I still follow a few just keep up on the info.  Agents can offer a lot of valuable information even if they aren't representing you.
Good luck and hit me up with some questions and I'll see if I can help.

Book Nibbles

Today on Book Nibbles, please welcome Secrets by Jan Scarbrough

Blurb:How was she going to keep her secret? It had been with her like a living thing for twenty-one years.

With her daughter all grown up and married, single mom Kelly Baron can start her new life, responsible only for herself. But first she must help her mother by returning to the small Indiana town she'd fled years ago.

Newly divorced lawyer, Rob Scott, seeks solace in his small-town roots. The last thing he's looking for is a relationship—until he runs into Kelly, and the secret she's been keeping.
Interested?  Check it out on Amazon.
At only 138 pages, how could I not pick this up.  I really enjoy Jan's other works and I have to say   the idea of long lost love harboring a secret makes me wanna buy this novella now.  It looks to be a good, quick read and all the ratings I've seen have been at least 4 1/2 stars.  That's pretty good in my book.
The book was re-released with a new title and cover. But the reviews from the first run are wonderful.  When you check out the Amazon link, scroll down and you can read a review from Carole @ The Romance Reviews.
Happy Reading! 

Change can be good....right?

I consider myself a flexible person who welcomes change.  Of course, I love my daily routine and knowing I'm supposed to be somewhere when but I like a surprise.  Well, about a week ago I was dealt a change.

By day, I work as a medical biller.  I didn't attend school to learn the trade instead I stumbled on the job and liked the flexibility the hours offered.  Plus, it seemed like it didn't use many brain cells and at the time I needed those to manage a family and start my writing career.  I started in fall of 2008.  Yeah, I know!

Lat week I was told I needed to cut my hours and work part-time.  Now, I knew this was coming and after several days of freaking out and crying my eyes out, I relaxed and my hubs and I said we'd figure it out.  The plus side, I now had more time to write and do my TMP PR work. 

What bothered me was being forced into part-time.  I've wanted to reduce my hours for a few years but knew financially I couldn't.  Plus, if I voluntarily went part-time, that meant my writing had picked up and I was making money at it and my part time work had increased. 

I will survive and live to write another day.  I may be wearing a pair of second shoes (*gasps*) but I'll still be here.

Tell me.  Have you been dealt a change that wanted to flip your world up side down but didn't let it?

Pinterest

Have you heard of this phenom hitting the social networking sites?  I have and man am I addicted. 

The gist is you have bulletin boards and "pin" stuff from around the web that you like.  Most of my friends use it for recipes and craft ideas.  Me, I like to pretend I'm shopping with unlimited income.  Although the recipes are good too.  I've done 2 so far with great results.

Which brings me to my point.  I have a friend who has decided to join the blogging world (yeah!) *throws confetti* and blog about her Pinterest recipe experience.  Although, she has a different take on the project.  Her two oldest children are picky eaters.  A fact she will not deny nor try to cover up.  To remedy the situation she is trying a new recipe everyday and then blogging about the experience.  Now she's not trying to feed her children creamed spinach and liver.  No, these are common items, yummy dishes and wonderful treats.  The best part is she's incorporated a points system with her kids if they try, eat and finish their food.  In the end they win a prize.  Easy enough.

Wrong.

She has shared on her blog some gut splitting stories about fighting with her son about trying new things.  And honestly, as a parent, if you are one, don't you feel the same sometimes.  Like you're beating your head against a wall and the little mini me just doesn't get it or won't play along. 

I love this blog.  Not only because she's a friend but she's trying to do something good and real and sharing true emotions with us.  She gets frustrated and often questions her methods because she's doing something she doesn't normally do.  Stepping from her comfort zone.  She expresses what most of us feel at any time.  Parenting is hard and we can learn from each other. 

After all, doesn't it take a village to raise a child.

Thanks Jenni for blogging.  You're doing a great job!

Here's her link.  Check her out.  Subscribe.  Do it!