R.A. Gates's Blog, page 3

Update on Lip Smacked

Hey everyone,

Sorry for my long absence but life has decided to throw a couple curveballs my way. I am currently working on the second book to Pucker Up which is titled Lip Smacked. It’s the continuation of Ivy, Garren, Thane, and Athena’s journey after they woke up the cursed prince and have to travel back to Salmagundi to fix the wards.Sounds easy enough, right? But since when has anything gone according to plan for these guys. I’m hoping to have it published by the end of the year.

As I’m writing I have also been reading the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead, my favorite author. I’m just started the last book and man has this been an excited ride for Sydney and Adrien. I’m conflicted about book simply because I want to just plow through it and read the hopefully happy ending yet IT IS THE LAST BOOK IN THE SERIES. I also want to take my time and enjoy being with these characters as long as possible. But I guess that’s the great thing about books- you can always go back and live the world again with a simple turn of a page.

I’m also excited to meet Richelle Mead again when I see her at the RT Convention in Dallas next month, and all the other fabulous YA authors.

Is there a book or series that you love reading over and over again? Let me know.

Alan Rickman strikes again

My apologies for taking so long to post again. My life has been a bit of a roller coaster lately because, apparently, I’m going through a midlife crisis, though I don’t understand why some people see it that way. But that’s for another post. Now, I want to talk about the movie I saw this weekend, The Butler.

Now, the only reason I even went to see this movie is because of the cast; more specifically, Alan Rickman. This will come as no surprise to those who know me or have read this blog. To say I love him would be an understatement. Although his part was brief in this movie, it was still my favorite part. He was superb and really did justice to the persona of Ronald Reagan. As soon as he appeared, a huge grin adorned my face that didn’t fade until the ending credits rolled.

I was a little iffy on seeing Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan. I’ve never liked her after learning of her actions in Hanoi, and a heavy influence from my Vietnam vet father, judging her as a traitor to her fellow Americans. I don’t pretend to know why she did what she did and at this point, I don’t care. But as I realize that we are all one and that everyone deserves love, I am putting the past behind me. Holding on to that grudge doesn’t prove my loyalty for my father, it merely burdens my heart with unnecessary hate. And hate has no part in my life.

The movie was good, not great. At the end it seemed way too political for my taste. It was more like Obama propaganda than a serious movie about the relationship between a hard-working father and a son who is ashamed of his father’s profession but still yearns for his approval. I found it interesting that each man affected change for the better but in very different ways.  The characters were well played, interesting and earned my empathy. The main message I got from watching the movie was that you are never too old to change the way you see the world around you and to take action to do what you feel is right.

And of course, Alan Rickman rocked! Now I can’t wait until October when Gambit finally comes out in America. I don’t know why it took so long but Halleluiah it’s a comin’!

 

Writers of the Future book signing

One of my favorite aspects of being a writer is all the creative and talented people I’ve been smart enough to surround myself with. Andrea Stewart is one of those people. She truly is gifted in imagination and the craft of writing speculative fiction. She is a recent first place winner of the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest and had her short story published in the annual anthology. And yesterday, she and a few other winners—Stephan Sottong,Tina Gower, and Timothy Black— had a book signing at the local Barnes & Noble.

I read her short story, Dreameater, as soon as I got home last night. Wow! It’s about the relationship between a young daughter and her dysfunctional, supernatural mother. Of course after reading her other work I wasn’t surprised at how good it was. To read a review of Dreameater, check out Kody Kline’s blog. 

Andrea is one of those people that when you meet her, you just know she’s going to make it big in this industry. Her stories are unique and fantastical and totally gripping. Plus, she’s also one of the most humble and thoughtful people I’ve ever met.

You’ll also love her book, Dragon Maiden: A Short Story. Andrea Stewart, remember her name. She will be big one day!

Who am I?

That is the question I’ve been asking myself all year. Well, all my life really but more so since my mother passed away just after Christmas. A very good friend of mine introduced me to a series of books, Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch. By reading the books, discussing the more complex points with my friend, and sitting quietly with myself, who I am is slowly coming into focus.

1. I am a creator. I create fantastical stories in my head and transfer them into books. In college I did some drawing but writing is really where my passion lies. The thrill I get when someone has an emotional reaction to my words, whether they laughed or cried or were merely entertained, is like no other feeling in the world.

a pointillism picture I did in college

I have also created three wonderful human beings—with the help of my husband, of course— which I take create care and delight into guiding them to become happy and independent adults. I help them find the answers to their questions instead of giving it to them, I encourage them to make mistakes and try new things, but I don’t push. I let them make their own decisions about their lives, to a degree. Dropping out of the fourth grade to play video games all day isn’t an option.

I also create the events in my life, whether pleasant or not, intentional or not. Because I know my thoughts manifest my reality, I focus on the positive and what I desire rather than what I don’t want. Occasionally I have to remind myself to stop worrying but the more I practice just living in the moment and being grateful for all that is in my life, the more I have to be grateful for. I know everything will work out because it always has, one way or another.

My mom’s favorite flower, the iris

2. I am love. I love everyone. I may not like certain people, but that does not exclude them from my loving them. How could it when we are all one? And that also means that I love myself. I’ve always liked myself—I’m funny and kind and the most loyal friend you’ll ever find—but I’ve realized that for the past decade or so I’ve haven’t been a loving person to myself. I put my happiness and desires behind everyone else. That’s what I thought a wife and mother was supposed to do. But how can I tell my children to go for their dreams and be happy when I wasn’t following my own advice. And not just in my career, but all aspects of my life. A lot of changes are coming, but if I listen to my gut and focus on my goals, it will all work out for the best.

I drew this during my Garth Brooks period

3. I am a loyal friend. I was never part of a clique but I’ve always had one or two close friends at a time. For those I call a friend there is almost nothing I wouldn’t do to help out if I could, from carpooling to lending money to giving them a place to stay for a few days. I love helping those I care about. Now, a couple times my generous nature has been taken advantage of and those friends have faded from my life. But there are a few that could show up at my door, dragging a dead body behind them, and I would grab my big shovel without question a second thought. I’m pretty sure “Holy shit! What the hell happened?” would be my first reaction as I help shove the body into the trunk.

On another note, my goal for the summer is to complete The Count of Monte Cristo. A couple friends swear it’s the best book ever. It’s a very thick book but I figure if I read a couple chapters a day, I should get it done before fall. Wish me luck. What are your summer reading goals?

RT Convention 2013 – the workshops

As I mentioned in my last post, I attended the RT Convention at the beginning of the month and had a fabulous time. Not only were the parties spectacular in the evenings, but the afternoon was filled with wonderful workshops, and not just for writers, but readers and booksellers as well.

This is Len, the cover model I’ve been stalking since my first RT convention

One workshop I attended mainly out of curiosity was one about writing realistic BDSM. Now, I never read past the first few chapters of 50 Shades of Grey( I was beginning to wonder if the character had a real medical condition with all the blushing she did) but I thoroughly enjoyed a BDSM Snape/Hermione fanfic story, For the Potion Master’s Amusement. It’s a long but gripping story and if you also ship this couple – 50 points to Slytherin! The presenters of the workshop debunked a lot of myths society has about this lifestyle that some books have perpetrated.

Speaking of 50 Shades of Grey, the author E. L. James was at the RT Convention to support a friend and I heard from the Twitter rumor mill that she stood up during one of the workshops and demanded the panel to stop trashing her book. I wasn’t there and have no idea what was said, but I applaud her for standing up for herself. She could’ve sat back and smiled, counting in her head all the millions of dollars in her bank account now because of her books and just ignored the obvious petty jealousy of the others. That’s probably what I would’ve done.

Another workshop I attended was American Idol – Writers Edition. It’s a contest held by the Seymour Agency that awards the winner a one year contract/mentorship with literary agents Nicole Resciniti and Louise Fury of the L Perkins Agency. Before the convention, I sent in my first 3 chapters of my current WIP, What the Fae?. The contest is about finding a unique writing voice. Out of over 80 entries, I made the top 20. And after reading the first pages of all the finalists and being scored by a panel of judges(agents and editors) and votes from the audience members,  I was awarded the prize, and a bouquet of flowers. So exciting!!

Me being an author

Then, if that wasn’t exciting enough, I was able to sign and sell my book Pucker Up at the Giant Book Fair along some amazing authors like Richelle Mead. I totally talked to her and got her autograph, too. It was a surreal experience to autograph my book for readers. I also autographed a few shirts, tote bags and even someone’s Kindle. One person wanted to get her picture taken with me, too. You’d think people actually knew who I was. So much fun.

I know this is just the beginning. Soon I’ll have a mile long line of fans waiting to see me and have their own fangirl(or boy) moments. So now, I am busy writing away to get What the Fae? finished and in the hands of my two new agent mentors and hopefully have it ready by the next convention. Life is good!

 

 

RT Convention 2013 – The Parties

Me, René and Amanda

Last week I embarked on my yearly pilgrimage to the RT (Romantic Times) Convention held in Kansas City. I attended with my friends, René and Amanda. It’s 4 days of being submersed in books and romance and people who “get” you. Writers, readers, booksellers, librarians, agents, and publishers get together to celebrate the written word and have a great time. During the day we attend workshops, but at night, we party!

Amanda, Me and the Cave Men

The first night’s party is always hosted by publisher Ellora’s Cave. Considering they are known for their hot erotic romance books, they know how to throw a party. The tables are full of SWAG (Stuff We All Get) based on the party’s theme. This year was disco. This year, some of their cover models, or Cave Men, danced the Hustle on stage. Many attendees wear costumes and everyone has a blast when the DJ cranks it up!

René and me in our pretty dresses

Night 2 is always the Fairy Ball. This year it was combined with RT’s 30th Anniversary. Everyone wore formal attire and a presentation of Romance Author Legends took precedent. It always amazing me at the elaborate and beautiful costumes people show off.

The third night belongs to Heather Graham and the vampire ball. The night starts off with a skit performed by Heather and friends and then the dancing starts. Of course, more costumes and great times. There were a lot of zombies this year too.

Heather Graham

The final night belongs to Harlequine. It’s a little tamer than the others, most likely because by this point, everyone is partied out. But, the bags of books they give away is pretty cool. René won a bag this year, only to worry later about how she was going to get her stash home. Don’t worry, she managed.

Amanda getting her groove on.

Next year my friends and I plan on dressing up in costume for each party. We said that last year, too, but we really mean it this time. RT Convention 2014 is going to be in New Orleans. I’m so excited because I’ve always wanted to go and now I have a good excuse. So, if you want to go to a convention to learn about writing or party with some fabulous authors, RT is the place to be.

Next post I’ll talk about the wonderful workshops I attended, what I learned, and what I won.

Another Alan Rickman movie watched

A friend of mine likes to recommend movies for me to watch and last night he told me that Valkyrie is a must watch. Well, I logged on to Netflix this morning to see if it was available, and to my non-surprise, it wasn’t. Very few of the movies I want are on instant streaming. But since I was there, I checked to see if any Alan Rickman movies I hadn’t seen were on and that’s when I saw it: Blow Dry.

Now, this movie was on Netflix some time last year but when I went to watch it, it had disappeared. So I was super excited to see it available again. I instantly hit play, not willing to let it slip through my fingers a second time.

The movie is about family at its core, and putting aside old hurts and grudges to remember what’s really important in this life. Blow Dry is set around the British Hairdressing Championship. I never knew there was such an event but it did look like fun. It wasn’t the funniest movie but it had its moments. I especially liked seeing all the colorful sheep one of the characters used to practice hair coloring on. They looked like they belonged at a Grateful Dead concert. The characters were charming and had me rooting for them till the end. I could even forgive Josh Hartnett’s abysmal British accent. And, of course, Rickman was sexy as hell. Heidi Klum was even in the movie, playing a model, naturally. I just love her. Not only is she hot, but funny too.

What I’ve noticed after watching this film was that Rickman plays very similar characters, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’d really love to see him do something totally unique and different from the understated, soft spoken, dignified man. I think the Sheriff of Nottingham was probably his most wild role. Will this stop me from seeing every possible movie he’s made? Do I even need to answer that?

So, I definitely recommend Blow Dry to anyone who loves a heartwarming story. And to anyone who loves to drool over Alan Rickman, which I suspect is most of the population.

The great experiment

My love for writing began a few years ago when I had immersed myself in Vampire Academy fanfiction. I read hundreds of stories, always subconsciously searching for one story that I could never quite find, at least not in one submission. That’s when it occurred to me to write the story myself. Writing and posting that first chapter was one of the most nerve-wracking and exhilarating experiences of my life. Would anyone read it? Would anyone like it?

Well, people did read it and even thought it good. The encouragement and feedback I received spurred me on. Every night I cranked out another chapter, eager to know what my readers—I had readers!—would think of the latest installment. As I wrote the story, I incorporated some of the suggestions left by the readers and, of course, let the characters lead the way. What a wild ride that was.

So, I decided to try that again only using my world, completely new characters, and different storyline. I posted the first chapter of What the Fae? on Wattpad. Each Monday I’ll post a new chapter. The goal is reader collaboration to help mold the story. I know where I want the characters to end up, but there are a million different ways to get there and I hope readers will suggest different routes to take.

I figure this experiment will be a great success or an epic fail, but that’s the point. I’m trying something different and that’s what counts. Of course, I’m still working on the sequel to Pucker Up, tentatively titled Lip Smacked, and my short adult story, The Collector.

So, go check out What the Fae? and tell me what you think.

Mr. Whiskers is FREE today!

Over at Amazon, The Tenth Life of Mr. Whiskers is free today. Whoo hoo! So click on over and download it now. You know you want to.

Quidditch—Not just for wizards anymore

And yes, I do mean that game from Harry Potter. Did you know that there are hundreds of quidditch teams throughout the United States and around the world?  I didn’t either until a friend told me that the International Quidditch Association Western Cup IV was playing in our area this weekend. Because my family just loves Harry Potter—at least my teenage daughter and I are fanatics—we decided to go watch the tournament.

Let me tell you, we had a ball. I never really paid much attention to the rules of the game while reading the books or watching the movies, so I was a little worried I’d be totally lost. But after a few minutes watching a match, I had no problem following along. And yes, the players rode brooms, or broomsticks at least. It was very exciting, like soccer meets dodgeball meets flag football. There was always something going on.

I expected to see fans all decked out in their best Hogwarts garb but it wasn’t like that at all. Many of the teams are from universities like UCLA and Berkley. This is a serious and legitimate sport, though still a lot of fun. Men and woman played with and against each other and no one was shy about tackling an opponent no matter the gender. All part of Title 9  3/4.

The snitch was my favorite part. In the books, the snitch is a small golden ball with wings, flying all over the pitch and beyond, out of reach of the seekers. In the muggle version, the snitch was a person with a tennis ball in a pouch hanging off the back of their shorts, much like a flag in flag football. In the beginning of the game, all players had to look down and close their eyes while the snitch ran off to hide. When the snitch returned to the pitch some time later and the ball was snatched from a seeker, the game ended and points added up.

My younger kids, Paul – 10 and Angela – 5, got to play a few games too. They had a great time running up and down the pitch on their brooms. The best part was watching as over half the kids chased the poor snitch all over the fields, trying to win the game.

Always competitive, Monica and I would choose sides and gloat when our team scored. My teams won 2 out of 3 times. Now Monica wants to start a quidditch club at her high school. It also wouldn’t surprise me if she chose a college based on the standing of the quidditch team.

I hope to see more quidditch games in the future. Maybe I’ll be sitting in the stands cheering on one of my kids at the World Cup one day.