Monthly Archives: October 2010

Oct31

PIMPS AND HOS- A Short Story

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Just got the email that my short story, Pimps and Hos, is available for order. It’s part of an anthology called Dreamspell Mysteries, Vol. 1. 

My story is a murder mystery that takes place in a bar that’s having a themed costume party. That theme is Pimps and Hos.  It was a fun story to write and I hope people like it.  The order page has an excerpt if you care to read it.  http://www.allromanceebooks.com:80/product-dreamspellmysteryvolume1-477918-152.html  

This anthology is published by L&L Dreamspell, a great small publisher that puts out a lot of good books. I’m thrilled to be a part of their family of authors in even such a small way.

http://www.lldreamspell.com/DreamspellMysteryVol1.htm

Oct31

Proof By Seduction by Courtney Milan

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Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan was a pretty good read. I like a story that makes me weep in a few spots and Courtney succeeded in two places for me in this story.  This was her first book and she did an excellent job. I quite enjoyed both the hero and the heroine. The hero was very much someone that I could fall for. The intelligence he displayed was sexy. He’s a scientist.  I love a smart man.  Way to go on this story, Courtney- it was a home run.

One thing about this story that hit home for me was that I need to give up any thought I have to write for HQN. My friend, Cynthia Eden, has told me that I do not have the voice for Harlequin and this book brought that home to me.  That’s not a bad thing. I really like my voice and I’m ok with not having the voice that Harlequin wants. It’s just different and that’s all right by me. I’m happy with where I’m going with my stories.  I have 7 sold short stories under this name and I have 2 shorts and 2 novels under my pen name- I learned I need to forget targeting Harlequin. I initially  hit there as I thought I couldn’t write an 80,000 word book but I’ve done 2 over 80,000 and one at 75,000 so I think I’ll do all right.

Anyway, back to Proof by Seduction– I recommend it. Read it, enjoy it, love it.

Oct28

Suspiria- The Movie

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Just watched a horrendous horror  movie called Suspiria. AND I do  mean horrendous.  I say watched but I really wasn’t watching. I was finishing the edits on a book I have coming out in January, 2011 and adding an additional love scene at the recommendation of my editor.  The movie was on in the background and oh. dear. God.  It was awful! Horrible. The music was like damn Chinese water torture. My head still hurts from it.  The gore was so badly faked and the wolf? Let’s not even go there on the fakeness (is that a word? If not, it should be just for purposes of this wolf) of the canine. It was atrocious. 

The funny thing (and I mean the only funny thing)  is that the movie was directed by a dude named Dario and the hero in the book  I was editing is named Dario. 

Never, never, never watch this flick. As Nancy Reagan used to say, “just say no.”  Really, trust me on this one.

Oct27

Vincent Price

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I’ve had Vincent Price on my mind the last few days. I loved that man. He was such a great actor and his voice was awesomely wicked.  I’ve been hearing Thriller on the radio a  lot the last few days and I just adore the part where Vincent recites the poem. When he says, “the foulest stench is in the air, the funk of 40,00o years…” I can almost smell of whence he speaks. 

I was watching Laura the other day and was surprised to see him. It had been so long since I’d seen  it, I forgot he played one of the characters. It’s a great story. A cop falls in love with a murder victim. 

Vincent in "Laura"

Who could forget him in House of Wax? If you never saw that one, it is particularly creepy. Check it out. He was also a great villain- Professor Ratigan- in The Great Mouse Detective– my Number One son’s second favorite animated movie (right behind The Sword and the Stone).

Betcha didn’t know this- Vincent Price was a gourmet cook and wrote several cook books. He also appeared on television cooking shows.  I think  that’s pretty cool.

Vincent as chef? Or serial killer? Or both?

Oct25

All Hallow’s Eve

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Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts

I love Halloween. I always have liked the freedom of the holiday. Dressing up as someone else one night a year and acting silly is something I enjoy. I usually keep a tight rein on myself and like to be in control so that one night a year of being different is always fun.

I used to have a party every year but stopped about four years ago. Attendance started to drop and I got tired of all the work (in the south, we COOK for parties). So, I stopped doing it. We do still decorate and we have a full size coffin, smoke machine and tombstones. I miss having kids young enough to celebrate with so I usually watch scary movies or haunted live shows.

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Oct24

John Sandford Does It Again

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Just rewarded myself for finishing my WIP and submitting it to an agent and a publishing house by reading the latest in the Prey series of books by John Sandford. This one is called Storm Prey and is the 20th in the series. The best thing about this one was that we got Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers both in this one. I love both of these characters.  I was thrilled when Sandford started to write novels with Virgil as the protagonist, but I do like them together. They play off each other in a witty manner which sometimes makes me laugh out loud.

One thing that I catch in all of these books released in the last few years is a passage where someone is either called by the wrong name or the wrong character is in the “said” tag (see bottom page 213). It’s weird. Almost like the Amish custom of making a mistake on the quilts they sew because only God is perfect. Is John Sandford a member of the Amish sect?  I would guess not based on the language his books contain (which fits cops and works for the type books he writes). The real question is why doesn’t his copy editor catch it?

I love these books and this one was no different. It has a great plot, a good group of cops, bad guys that are believeable and lots of fast paced action.  There were a couple of deaths that bothered me in this one, but I recommend the read. Enjoy these and if you haven’t read any of them, start. You won’t regret it.

Oct21

Optimist or Pessimist?

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I am a realist. For sure. I definitely try to look on the bright side and I try to laugh at the world and myself at least twice a day but I also tend to fret and worry needlessly. I think it’s human nature to have a little of both, right?

Truth be known, though, I’m a realist. I call ’em like I see ’em. That doesn’t make me less hopeful for the future, though.

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Oct20

Sherlock Holmes Part II

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I follow Stephen Fry on Twitter. Or, I should say, my alter ego does.  Love him- he is so witty. Have loved him since his Jeeves and Wooster days with Hugh Laurie.  He’s been tweeting today about filming part two of the new Sherlock Holmes movies by Guy Ritchie. It’s the first day of filming and they’re working at night – he’s cold.  So, we know there’s a night scene and it’s cold. What does that get us? Nothing.

Seems Mr. Fry is playing Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft.  AND Robert Downey, Jr and Jude Law are reprising their roles. 

I loved the first one, except for the chick that played Irene Adler- let’s hope they re-cast her or that she can tone down her modernism for the role better than she did before.  Or maybe Irene won’t be in this one.

Can’t wait. Adore the charming Robert Downey, Jr. and the first movie was a fun romp.

Oct20

If I Could Go Back in Time

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Back Stabbers Beware

Knife 1

I would change the way I handled a situation in high school with a former friend. I wouldn’t stand for the way this person treated me and I would clear the air between us and let the chips fall where they may. I trusted this person and was stabbed in the back. I wouldn’t let it unfold the way it did in the past this time around.

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