Elizabeth Lynx's Blog, page 11

THE Letter...

I feel sick as in I-shouldn't-have-had-the-last-half-of-the-eggnog-latte sick. Have you ever read something that isn't quite right, so you read it several times before the words actually sink in? That is my reaction to Mr. Payne’s letter. It’s...odd. I still have no idea if I got the job. You can read it and be the judge (and let me know I’m not crazy!).

Dear Ms. Drake:
Thank you for your time today. Our meeting was quite informative.

I’m going to stop right here for a moment. These first two lines are standard. He most likely uses these sentences on every business correspondence he has and probably some personal ones. Imagine him sending an email to a girlfriend: Dear Bimbo (because I imagine that is the type of woman he dates...what? Stop looking at me like that!); Thank you for the blow job today. It was very relaxing.

Anyway, back to the letter...

You need to be here at 8:15 am sharp tomorrow. Please meet with Mr. Greg Shapiro the manager in the mail room located in the basement. He will dictate what you are to do over the course of the week.

I will stop here too because...what...is...that! Why is the manager of the mail room overseeing my week? I didn't interview to be his assistant only to wind up a mail room clerk. At this point I keep reading those two lines over and over again believing I have gone temporarily insane. Finally giving up, I move on.

Head to HR to handle your paperwork. I like my coffee black.
Sincerely,
Mr. Henrik Payne
Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Mimir

That last line: I like my coffee black...okay? See, this is what I am talking about. Confusing, right? That’s what I thought, so I take the elevator back upstairs to the 28th floor. I march over to Mr. Payne’s office door, closed, so I knock.

“Who is it?”

His deep voice rumbles through the door. I choose to be bold, not wait for permission to open the door, and march in demanding that he explain himself.

So I crack open the door just enough to pop my head through and say, “Mr. Payne?” In a voice so weak if I had strep throat he would have a better chance at hearing me.

“Who are...Ms. Drake?”

I open the door further and step just inside, leaving the door ajar in case I need to bolt. So much for my boldness .

“Mr. Payne, I have a question with the letter you left me.”

He groans and moves his attention back to his computer, clicking away with his mouse.

“It should be self-explanatory Ms. Drake. You need to start work tomorrow at 8:15. What about that confuses you? You did just interview for the job did you not?”

My heart is pounding in my ears as I feel a bead of sweat slowly trickle down the side of my face. I am glad Mr. Payne isn't looking at me because now he can’t witness a woman melting into a gooey mess of fear. I clear my throat before continuing, willing my voice to sound strong even if my body refuses to cooperate.

“Yes, I interviewed to be your assistant, not a mail room clerk.”

He stills mid type. I watch as his fists clench and he carefully swivels his chair to face me. My mind is screaming at me right now. It’s telling me, “Why did you poke that hornets’ nest with a stick?”

“Ms. Drake. I am not in the habit of explaining my orders to anyone, least of all my assistant. But, if you must insist in harassing me I will explain a few things, so you can leave me in peace. I have rules, for myself anyone who works for me. The number one rule is know this company from the ground up. In order to understand this business and the people who run it, you will have to get to know them and what they do. So, each week I will have you working in a different department until I feel you understand enough to assist me in helping it function. Are we clear?”

I nod my head as my voice has packed her bags and left the building. Traitor!

“Now leave before I regret my decision in hiring you. Oh, and everything in that letter is a part of your duties for this week, even getting my coffee in the morning. I arrive by 8:30 and expect it then. Goodbye Ms. Drake.”

I clear my throat and bribe my voice to return with thoughts of warm tea.

“Thank you Mr. Payne.”

I leave, closing the door behind me. I take two steps and collapse to the ground. My body giving out from the stress of the day and the dueling feelings of joy and fear racking my insides. I sit on the grey carpet looking at the wool pills in the floor trying to gather my thoughts when I hear a different male voice from above.

“Are you alright? Here let me help you.”

I look up to see a man who could easily pass for a Nordic god if he wasn't wearing a navy suit with a red tie. If Thor meet Brad Pitt, defied the laws of reality and biology, had a three way with David Beckham which then produces the man reaching down for me. I stare at his hand unable to handle two hot men in suits in one day. Is it a requirement that all the male employees be studly? If so, thank god I got this job!

Regaining my senses I take his hand and come to standing.

“Thank you. I just tripped on the carpet.” I lie trying to save face.

The Thor/Pitt/Beckham love sandwich chuckles and gives me the sweetest, heart arresting smile.

“I keep telling my brother to replace the carpets, but it’s the one area he is cheap about. Oh, and the coffee here is crap, he’s cheap with that too.”

“So...so...you’re Mr. Jacob Mimir’s brother?”

He holds out a hand for me to take.

“Yes, Edgar Mimir at your service me’ lady. And I don’t think I have had the pleasure of being introduced?”

He takes my hand, gives a light tip while bowing in jest. I stutter my responses in shock by the days event, first the job and the boss attached to the job and now meeting the owner of the company’s brother.

“I’m...I, uh...I mean I’m Morgana Drake, Mr. Payne’s new assistant.”

He winces after I say Mr. Payne’s name and sucks in a breath.

“Oh...No!”  The gorgeous one exclaims.

THE After Effects...

It’s been three days since THE interview and as I mentioned in my previous post Mr. Henrik Payne is known to be a ball buster/vagina smasher and a very handsome one at that. I am starting to think that’s not the correct phrasing when describing the man. A more appropriate analysis is silent but deadly. To get a full understanding of what I am explaining, I’ll take you back to the beginning. It all starts on a beautiful autumn day, the year 1985. A young couple named Annette and James Drake...oh wait that is WAY too far back. Let me start again.

When I last left you I happen to be sitting in a sticky fog of hormonal hyperventilation. It takes a few minutes for that to clear and me to come back to my senses. At one point Mr. Payne becomes so alarmed at my state he directs me to lie on his couch until I feel well enough to continue with the interview. To say I am mortified greatly underwhelms the situation. At this moment, as color returns to my face, I start to plan my suicide. Death by pints of ice cream, candy bars and hours of 30 Rock reruns.

Eventually I do complete the interview which isn’t at all how I imagined it to be. Mr. Payne stares at his phone, computer or my resume the whole time. Every few minutes the interview is interrupted with phone calls or emails he “just has to deal with.” I take it as a sign of his typical working day and adjust my answers accordingly. Even his rapid fire questioning I accept with ease, despite my earlier mishap. What I am not prepared for is his robotic like expression.

I will let you in on a little secret. Something that has allowed me to work my way up the corporate ladder so quickly. I can read people. There are tiny little ticks and facial expressions people give off without realizing it that can tell me everything I need to know. I learned this trick from my roommate, Jan, in college. She was a psychology major. Apparently there is a whole field of study in the area of body language.

Anyway, like the desperate woman I am I try to read this man’s face. Nothing. Not even a flush of his cheeks. So, I have to just give my answers as best I can and pray to the mighty god THE, ruler of all things THE, that he/she will see fit to make Mr. Payne like my answers.

This is when the silent part enters the story. The interview ends, only I have no idea it is finished because he never tells me. I just sit there like an idiot smiling at him, trying not to fantasize about his strong arms as he continues typing away at his computer. Finally he stands and leaves the room. I remain seated for another fifteen minutes until the blond woman who originally showed me into the room comes back.

“Ms. Drake. The interview is over. Mr. Payne left this for you.”

She walks over to where I am still seated, handing me an envelope and then exits. Stunned, I pick up my bag and make my way out to the lobby elevators. One opens and I step into the barren box. I must have really pissed him off if he left without a word. Perhaps he became aware of my leering. As I make a mental list of all the possible things that could have ruined the interview, almost fainting topping the list, I glance down at the envelope and decide to open it. My shaking hands rip the paper and pull out the white letter with the black Arial typeface. My eyes widen and my brain takes a few seconds to comprehend the words spaced neatly on the page.

I bring my hand to my mouth to stifle the scream that fights to break free while tears run down my face. How is this even possible?

THE Interview...

Have you ever thought, “I can leave, no one will know? I can just go live in the woods, preferably warm like down south, and just spend my days living off the land.”

This is what is running through my brain as I sit in an office building in downtown Chicago awaiting my fate. Everything is glass and wood and white and gray. It’s a modern architect’s wet dream and I’m wet too, but in all the wrong places.

Today I have an interview. Not just any interview for any job, but THE interview for THE job. I will be (fingers crossed!!!) Mr. Henrik Payne’s assistant. He is VP of Sales and Marketing at Mimir, the third largest online retailer in the world and from what I hear a ball buster or vagina smasher, depending on what you have.

Preparation for this interview started eight years ago when I graduated college. Every job I have taken since I walked off that University stage with a diploma in my hand I sought for the sole purpose that it will impress a man like Mr. Payne. I imagine the interview will go something like this:

“So, Ms. Darke I see you worked as a Sales Manager at VonCroy Department Store and Assistant Secretary to the Dean at University of Chicago. Impressive. I know the Dean personally, what would he say about your work?”

I of course will wax poetic about how the Dean loves me and I am like a daughter to him. Well, maybe not a daughter, but third niece twice removed. After I will mention about how both jobs gave me the valuable experience to not only handle a multitude of personalities but also think on my feet. Employers love that!

“Ms. Drake!”

The feminine voice rips me from my fantasy and I turn my head to see a tall blond about my age and built like a model. She gives me a sweet if not sympathetic smile as she motions towards THE door.

“Ms. Darke, Mr. Payne will see you now.”

I gather my bag and follow her as she leads me to THE door. One knock.

“Enter.”

A man’s deep voice echoes through the door. Here’s my chance, fight or flight. Perhaps living off the land isn’t that bad. Who needs modern medicine or dentistry or hamburgers? Oh god, I do. I need all those things. As the blond who told me her name when I first arrived but due to massive nerves her name is nowhere to be found in my brain, enters the room I too follow.

“Mr. Payne, this is Morgana Drake, she is interviewing to be your assistant.”

I step out from behind her and see a man at a large modern wood desk with his head down tapping at his phone. His arm lifts and he points to a chair in front of his desk. Squaring my shoulders I stride in a confident manner to the appointed chair, lower myself and plaster the most syrupy sweet smile on my face. Here goes nothing!

Mr. Drake’s head lifts and in that moment the years of planning, research, petty jobs that caused blisters where the sun doesn’t shine, and good old fashioned hard work dissolve into a cloud of fog. A thick, stifling fog that is blurring my vision and making it hard to breath. I can’t think. The only notion that keeps entering my brain is...hot damn he’s gorgeous.

My fingers curl at my side to prevent them from molesting his thick brown hair. They want to do silly things like play hairdresser. I try to turn my attention away from his hair to his eyes which just makes it worse. They are piercing light blue and I think I can hear the faint sounds of a seagull in the distant. Okay, Morgana focus on his strong nose or chiseled jaw or his...oh god I can’t stop myself. Now I am wet in all the right places.

This. Is. Not. Good.

My book came out...YAY! But it made me crazy...boo!

I came out with a book today. Not really a book, but a Boxed Set of my Him Her Them series. It does contain an extra story about Luna and Corbin. So, there is more to it than just cutting and pasting my previous work together.

The stupid thing about it is that I really believed it was going to be super easy compiling this set together. What was I thinking? It has been the most technically challenging published book of mine to date. Not only did I need to re-edit the previous three novellas (Grading Him, Reaching Her & Becoming Them), but I also had to write another story, edit it, send it off to my editor (who wanted revisions, which then had to be edited again), and then compile all this together into a book.

And that was the easy part! When I made it one file to upload to Amazon and Smashwords for publication all sorts of glitches happened. At one point one chapter had completely different formatting than the other 48 other chapters. So, I had to go into each chapter and format everything again to make sure it all matched.

Formatting a manuscript for publication usually takes me half a day, sometimes up to a full day depending how busy I am with the kids or how big the book is. This took three days. I wanted to have the book available for pre-order last week, which obviously didn't happen.

The cherry on the Boxed Set cake is that Smashwords keeps coming up with problems as to why they can’t send it off to other retailers to sell (I don’t have a particular word capitalized that isn’t even in the book but on my book webpage -Really? My image is 3D for the book cover instead of 2D which is required – impossible as I don’t know how to make a 3D image and I created the book cover). At least Amazon knows the difference between a 2D image and 3D image and has published my book right in time.

Sorry that this post is a rant, but it’s been a crazy week.  At least you learn (if you are an indie author or thinking of becoming one) what can go wrong and try to prepare well in advance. Basically, learn from my mistakes.

Day 25 & 26: NaNoWriMo & BookBlogWriMo...I write again!

BookBlogWriMo :  Combining Day 25: How do I deal with book hangovers & Day 26: Cheating on books – TV & Movies.

Day 25: I don’t really have book hangovers. I suspect it has to do with the fact that I write. If I become so inspired by a book or the opposite (sick of the terrible characters or storylines I have read) then I just make up my own story. So most of the times I am writing and can get burnt out from that easily. That’s when the reading takes over. I need a few days or even a week to walk away from my writing and look at words through some else’s eyes.

Day 26: I learned this lesson when I was a teenager. Having mentioned before that due to my anxiety to reading it is really hard for me to pick up a book voluntarily and start reading (not so hard now, but back when I was young, rarely happened). So, one summer I got a job at a hotel gift shop. It was boring. I sat there with not much to do. The gift shop was tiny (I think my bedroom was bigger), so not much merchandise to deal with or cleaning. The hotel was small and in my home town (about a 30 minute drive from any big city). As you can imagine I had a lot of time on my hands, so I grabbed a book from the best seller shelf (having already read all the magazines in an hour). I picked up Jurassic Park. My cousin had raved about it, so I figured I would give it a gander. I loved that book.

Then I heard they were making it into a movie. I thought it was the perfect book for a movie as it left a chance for a sequel at the end (SPOILER ALERT: some dinosaurs getting off the island). Long story short I saw the movie and was pissed. Characters had been changed, the bad guy was made good and the perfect sequel ending was changed.

I hated the movie and learned a valuable lesson, never read a book and then watch the movie. When everyone told me to read Harry Potter I refused, wanting to wait until after I saw the movies to read the books.

Recently, a TV show (though I think it got canceled) has been made out of one of my favorite books Forever A Novel by Pete Hamill. I watched the pilot and everything has been changed. The only thing that is the same is that the character has been living in New York for two hundred years. The main character of the book is Irish, born in the mid 1700 in what is modern day Belfast (just outside on a farm). The character in the show is English. Why-o-why did they change him to English? Even that tiny detail is just stupid, makes no sense.
NaNoWriMo :  I wrote some of the story today! Yay! My plotting is almost complete, but the first third of the book is completely plotted. So I figured I could get to writing again. About 1000 words written today, perhaps more tonight. I’ll see how much energy I have after I put the boys to bed. Short post – need to get back to writing.

Day 24: NaNoWriMo & BookBlogWriMo...Caves and thoughts, oh my!

BookBlogWriMo :  Today’s challenge is Reading Cave Fantasies. I started looking for pictures for reading caves which morphed into writing caves which morphed into caves in general. My criteria: Comfortable furniture (chair, couch, etc.), big enough to stretch when needed and not damp and drafty looking (like real caves are). So, I used a lot of pictures for this post. Some are what I would have loved as a kid (I made a cave sometimes out of my closet when I was little), as a reader, as a writer and stuff I just thought looked awesome!

NaNoWriM o:  More plotting. I did take a break and started to read funny books written by funny women. Currently, Amy Poehler’s Yes Please. So, expect a post or two about that. I’m trying to broaden my horizons by picking non-romantic funny books. What I find is the more I read (well written books) the better of an author I become. I recently stumbled upon an author’s post about how they never read (anything)! Um, what? All I thought was, how do you grow as a writer? It just makes no sense to me. Even little old me, with a learning disability that causes me to have mini panic attacks when I first pick up a book, reads.

So, for right now my panic attacks will be non-romantic related but still funny in nature.

Day 23: NaNoWriMo & BookBlogWriMo...Feeling Strong!

BookBlogWriMo :  Today’s challenge is book boyfriend material. Obviously it made me look back on the books I liked the most, see previous post to get an idea. I have noticed I like men with a vulnerability to them. If they start out tough and it’s crazy hard to crack their shell, I tend to not fall in love with them. Even the Hero Alex in Penny Reid’s Love Hacked announced his love for Sandra long before she admitted it to him or herself. He is the most ‘self-protective’ male I like, but the deep purity of his love for her gets me every time (I am in the process of rereading it).

I like a Hero who isn't afraid to admit that he loves or needs the heroine. Even Matt in M. Pierce’s Night Owl, in all his assholishness, fell completely apart without Hannah. He tried to do everything to get her back.

So, no stoic men for me I want a Hero who has feeling, no matter how screwed up those emotions might be. To me real men cry, they feel joy as well as pain, and sometimes they fall apart.

NaNoWriMo :  I have fleshed out all the characters in the book, even the secondary characters (which brought to life the ideas for their future stories) and I plotted most of the book. I think in a few days I will finally be able to get back to the writing. Once the writing commences I know it will flow and be completely written within a few weeks’ time. Obviously, I won’t make the NaNoWriMo goal, but I’m not worried about that.

The more time I put into the ideas and outline to the book, the stronger it will be. The writing itself is minor. It is the before and after that is the important thing. The before: plotting and character sketch. The after: rewrites and edits. I have rewritten stories in the past that end up looking nothing like what I originally wrote. My goal is to have all the rewrites, beta readers’ feedback, changes and edits done by February. I think it’s a tight schedule, but doable (fingers crossed).

Day 20 & 22: NaNoWriMo & BookBlogWriMo...That's right no Day 21!

BookBlogWriMo: No, you read the title right, I am skipping challenge Day 21 because it has to do with my first reviews. You may have noticed by now I hate looking at my ‘first’ anything. My first book, won’t ever see my eyes again. My first boyfriend – worst boyfriend ever – even he apologized to me years later when we ran into each other at a club admitting he had been terrible to me. First menstruation cycle, does any woman reminisce about that? Anyway, no firsts.

Day 20: #TBT – Best Books of 2014

Hard Time by Cara McKenna – What I liked about this erotic romance is two things, the love letters and the hero. I have read books with love letters, but never have I been as excited and turned on by them as the heroine. This author does an amazing job at making even the slightest form of communication (a look, a piece of paper, etc.) enticing, exhilarating and erotic.

Then there is the Hero, Eric, a prisoner, in jail. She’s just a simple librarian doing an outreach program to the local prison. You would think he would be dominating, very alpha, but he isn't. He is surprisingly loving, tender and romantic.

Night Owl by M. Pierce – This is a well written sexy love story, that doesn't come across as a romantic love story at all. It has both the male and female perspective, but the Hero, Matt, is a bit of an asshole. Despite this, I grew to like him. He came across as a real person. Instead of the typical Hero who ends up being perfect at the end, Matt, is still full of faults and they are eating him alive. There were realistic elements to this story, like Matt cheating on his girlfriend and then lying to the heroine, Hannah, about it. I have noticed how cheating in romance books is almost taboo, yet in real life it happens all the time. I don’t condone it, but it does happen, especially to people with the amount of emotional baggage that make up romance characters. It is refreshing that this author took a risk not just making the Hero unlikable but also a cheater.

Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan – What can I say about this book that hasn't been said? I LOVED Archer. He wasn't the typical alpha male man-whore/asshole that dominates this genre. He is shy, a virgin and a mute. I feel like the alpha male Hero is a dime a dozen now and it’s so refreshing when I run across a Hero like this. Also, the secondary characters had real personality to them, another rare find in my opinion.

Love Hacked by Penny Reid – If you have read my blog you know I am a HUGE fan of Penny Reid. She is an inspiration to me. With that said, I love this book the most from her. I think it’s her funniest and I could relate to the heroine, Sandra. I love that her heroines have such great, distinct personalities as well as the Hero’s. Here is my full review here to find out more.

Day 22: #ShowMeYourShelves – This is just about impossible as I have a 2 year old and 3 year old, my bookshelves are nonexistent. All my books are packed away in boxes, only to be broken out when the boys are older and stop destroying EVERYTHING. I will give you a link to my Goodreads page, but I can tell you I update that sporadically. I did just purchase a book, a signed copy of Love Hacked for my birthday which I watch like a hawk to make sure my boys do not touch it. It was the first book I have bought in years due to my children. All other stories I read are ebooks on my kindle app on my phone. There is a mix of books I have read, read a bit and lost interest, and books I have yet to read on this app.

NaNoWriMo :  I have written a little, about a page worth of stuff. An idea for a scene came to me and I had to write it down. Of course it was right around dinner time and the boys were being a chaotic mess. So, most of the idea got forgotten and I wrote what I could.

I have done a lot of plotting. Due to this I have figured out the basic ideas for the next four books in the series. It’s amazing how once I create (really discover) the characters their story just comes to me. One of the books is going to be darker than the rest, but I feel it needs to be. But, another book is going to be wackier than the others so I think everything will balance out in the end.

I can’t remember if I mentioned this before but if for some reason no agent takes my book (fingers crossed that never happens) I will self-publish these stories, so either way you will see them one day.

Day 18 & 19: NaNoWriMo & BookBlogWriMo...It's my birthday ya'll!!!

BookBlogWriMo : I missed another day, so I am combining again. Day 18 (favorite subgenres) and Day 19 (#WaitingOnWednesday – TBR Book). I will warn ahead of time for this entire post, it’s my birthday so I may go totally off track and write what I want to write about...because it’s my birthday!

Favorite Subgenre: I like historical fiction. Anything that tells an interesting story about fictional main characters during history. With that stated, I don’t like historical romance. Historical romance tends to have things happen in the story that would never have actually occurred in history. For example, the wench, whom the Earl had been wooing, gets mad at the Earl as she knows nothing will come of their affair and she has standards. So, he breaks with tradition and marries her anyway...um...no. Would. Never. Have. Happened. Ever! No man of good standing (especially aristocracy) would marry a wench. He may have fooled around with her, even knocked her up and kept her for a long term affair, but would never have married her.

I am a bit of a stickler when it comes to history and, especially, how society acts at the time. I once asked my husband for a lecture on tape about medieval society given by a Harvard Professor for my birthday present. I have listened to it many times. I know it’s super nerdy of me, but I love history.

So, books by Edward Rutherfurd or Forever by Pete Hamill are perfect examples of what I love. They weave accurate history, make it come alive and believable, but at the same time make the reader fall in love with the characters (fictional or real).

Obviously the other subgenre I love is romantic comedy. I feel I have written endlessly in my posts about it, so I won’t go into detail here. All I can say is if you can’t laugh at what life throws at you then you will just end up a depressed mess. I choose to laugh.

TBR Books: When it comes to reading I am a mess. Much like the clothes scattered on my bathroom floor (that I don’t pick up until laundry day) it is a collection of new and old, good and bad. There is no one book I am dying to read. I have books I have preordered that most likely will fit into that category, but I can’t say I am over the moon waiting to read them. I’m just not built that way.

Let me explain. I have to force myself to start a book. I need a book to have an interesting start, eye catching or hook. If it doesn’t, I will not keep reading. You are probably thinking a lot of people are that way. Well, yes and no.

Yes, people have short attention spans (it’s science baby!) and therefore, need the first page or two of a book (unless they already know and love the author) to keep their interest.

No, most people don’t have a learning disability. A disability that causes them to subconsciously dread reading. There is a psychological reason I need that book to keep me going, to suck me in. I rarely pre-order books because I can’t download the sample. If I have pre-ordered your book you better believe I think you are a kick-ass writer and will beat back any subconscious fear I have in order to have your book.

TBR books are varied, some good, some bad and some on pre-order. I can’t state I am excited to read any of them because I would be lying. I’m afraid, that’s it.

NaNoWriMo :  I am in the restructuring phase. I have written a few chapters and know I won’t come close to hitting 50,000 words by November 30th, but that doesn’t bother me.

I started this challenge to inspire me, help me become organized and a better writer. I have succeeded. Perhaps according to the guidelines of the challenge I have not won, but I believe I have with my own rules I set upon myself. I have a good feeling about this book. Sure I have days of doubt, but as I started the re-plotting a sense of calm washed over me and I knew I was headed in the right direction. My career, my writing isn’t about adhering to another’s standards. It’s about doing what is best for the story and for me.

Therefore I won’t write just to write, knowing if I do that I will just have to back track and rewrite a lot, if not the whole thing. I need to organize my thoughts and especially plan out the series before I continue with this book.

I can’t say how long the plotting will take, a week, a month, longer? But I can say I will continue this daily (maybe every other day) updates on my thoughts and progress. I have to get back to planning, so I will bid farewell for now. 

Day 16 & 17: NaNoWriMo & BookBlogWriMo...We fear change!

BookBlogWriMo : So, I missed yesterday’s challenge. I took the day off, from just about everything (except being a mom – that would be impossible). Therefore I will combine yesterday’s challenge (least favorite blogging things) and today’s challenge (favorite book tropes).

Least Favorite Blogging things:

-The time it takes to create a post. I always think it’s going to be quick, but it never is. Plus, my kids usually interrupt me at various points, so what I start in the morning, sometimes doesn’t get posted until the evening (or next day).

-I also don’t care for the technical glitches. I am sure every blogger out there is saying the same thing, but my blog host just ‘updated’ their look and I am not a fan of change (ask my husband). I had to relearn where everything is, just so I could post something. I’m a bit of a curmudgeon that way.

Favorite Book Tropes:

I had to ask my husband what this is, luckily the walking encyclopedia that he is explained it to me. It’s something that is used a lot in books (HEA, Alpha male, etc.).

-I like HEA’s. If I am reading something I want to be happy by the end.

-I like my male hero’s to be real. What I mean by this is I want a Hero to be able to show emotion and not be a total Alpha male. Like the hero from Archer’s Voice or The Story Guy, if I were single and met those men in real life I wouldn’t be writing this stuff because I would be living it! I have dated men who were emotionally guarded, it’s the worst! So, I can’t escape into a book with an H who is closed off from the world emotionally(been there, done that, won’t EVER do that again).

-I like my female heroine’s to be strong, intelligent and flawed. I REFUSE to read another book about a ‘supposedly’ strong, intelligent h that is a virgin, never masturbated and is worried and embarrassed about everything in life. No, that ain’t strong and that ain’t smart, that’s called being 12 years old.

NaNoWriMo : I have been busy rewriting my novella, so I haven’t been able to add words to my new book. Which is okay because I have made even more decisions about this book. Not only will it be about 80,000 words (instead of 50,000) and eventually sent to a literary agent, but I want to make a series. The book is about a maid of honor, so obviously there are bridesmaids in this book. I want each book in the series to be about one of the bridesmaids. I have already come up with an idea for one of the bridesmaids. I told my husband this morning and he laughed out loud at my ideas. He never laughs, usually gives me a smile and nods his head. So, I know this idea is good.

Due to all these changes I want to go back to plotting, so I can plot out the series ahead of time to make sure everything fits together and it doesn’t look like I just slapped it together. So, as far as the writing challenge goes, it will be put on hold for now. I want to dedicate my time to getting the outline right, make sure the scenes and ideas flow, and the characters work together. If I write just to write, I will feel like I wasted time I could have spent getting this to work.