Thursday! And I Have a New Book For You! Plus a Grammar Grappler. Ready?

It's Paranormal. It's Romantic! And you can win one.









I stuck my neck out and interviewed Rena. She's the main gal in Carrie's book and one tough cookie. Want to see what she says? Read on.




Rena, you are a petite blonde who seems to be very active. Besides working out with that punching bag, what's your favorite exercise?

I used to be in gymnastics, and then I was on a martial arts kick, but the only exercise I'll have time for is running between classes this semester. Seriously. I scheduled a couple back to back, and they're on opposite ends of campus. Bleh!




You'll be buffed by end of term!




Can you tell us how you met that hunk, Wallace Edwin Blake?

Oh God. Are you going to lecture me, too? We ran into each other—as in, a face meets chest collision. Everyone thinks I had this dangerous run-in with the madman, but it wasn't that big of deal at all.




No lecture from me! But I've heard "madman" bandied about. Just . . . well onward.




What is there about him, not including the fact that he's gorgeous, that attracts you to him?

Attracts me? Easy there, lady. We just met yesterday morning. I mean, he seems pretty considerate, and he wears this tortured expression that makes me want to jump his bones, but I wouldn't say I'm attracted to him. I hardly know the guy!




Er, sorry. But... well... jumping bone.... Never mind. Let me move on to another touchy question. I'm fearless, you see.




I notice a few bruises on your arm, and I hate to be nosey (not in the least), but how did you get those?

Ugh. Don't remind me. I swear, I'm vitamin deficient or something. Wallace grabbed me once, and I'm still wearing his handprints. Isn't that ridiculous?




Aha! I mean, of course. Ridiculous. Absolutely.




There's a rumor that this guy Wallace Blake is kind of a . . . how should I put this . . .wild guy. What do you know about that?

So help me, if I hear one more person bring up those stupid rumors. Yes, there are screams and growls and... God knows what else coming from his room every night, but that doesn't mean Wallace is crazy. We let those stupid rumors get out of control, and now looked at what's happened. The guy is a freakin' pariah. I'm sick of it.




You got a little defense just then. I'm sorry, but my readers really like to know what goes on behind those closed doors on campus. Hope you don't mind if I ask one more rather personal question.

*Sigh* It's okay. I'm just... never mind. Let's continue.




Do you have any reservations about being up close and personal with Wallace? Is there any hope for a relationship? I've heard rumors, just so you know. 

I'll say this: I don't know what goes on in that room every night, but I refuse to write him off because of it.




Well, there you have it. I need a drink. Not water.





What people are saying:






“Carrie Butler is now on my must read list.” ~Lynn Rush, author of Violet Midnight




"I carried Strength with me everywhere. Grocery shopping, the dinner table, you name it. The storyline was addictive, and the characters were hilarious. I couldn't put it down." ~Jessica Therrien, author of Oppression









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Her Grammarness Grapples with Gerunds . . . sort of.














Here's a riddle: What looks like a verb, but acts like a noun?

Ans:  (Surprise!) A gerund.




Writing can be hell. Editing can be tedious. Re-writing is the pits!




See? Each underlined word looks like an -ing verb, doesn't it? But they're subjects in sentences, so they're nouns. So what's the big deal?  *Ho hum. *Yawn.




Well, here are two reasons to know about this versatile (aka tricky) grammar bit.







1) Create sentence variety. Use a gerund form once in a while to vary your sentence structure.







2) To be grammatically correct, use the possessive form with the gerund. Instead of writing, 




"Dear Editor, I appreciate you making all those red ink marks on my manuscript." 

You'll write (and correctly so), 

"Dear Editor, I appreciate your making all those red ink marks on my manuscript."




Ta! Off to find some red ink.










Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12