Tag Archives: RWA

Sep13

The Summoning

Posted on by
Standard

The Summoning is a Young Adult novel by Kelley Armstrong.  I got it at RWA National conference in Orlando. I started it last night when I was too tired to work anymore on edits on my own manuscript.  I read a bit more at lunch today. I am enjoying the heck out of it. Very lightly written even though it’s categorized as horror. The protagonist is a 15 year old girl who sees ghosts AND they see her.

She freaks out at school when she sees a dead janitor and is taken to a group home for teens with “issues”- she is told she is schizophrenic and that almost freaks her out as  much as seeing ghosts.

Something  is amiss at this group home- I’ve just gotten past the part where one of the residents is taken away and something happens to her. Will be interesting to see where this goes. 

So far, I’m hooked.

Aug11

The Summer of You

Posted on by
Standard

The Summer of You is another book I got at RWA conference. It was pretty good, too.  Seemed to be a second book in a series. It wouldn’t be necessary to read the first one to enjoy this one. There was really only one thing that bothered me. As those of you who know me well, a curse word doesn’t bother me in the least and I’ve been known to use them -sometimes very often.  Well, in this story, the writer used very lovely prose. She seems to have a calm, easygoing voice. But twice in the course of the book, she uses the word “ass” in such a way that it jerks me right out of the prose. The use of the word “buttocks” or something like that seemed more in line with the voice of the writer. The word “ass” seemed too modern for the tenor of the story. I didn’t like it. But other than that, it was a good read.

The hero was likeable. He’d been a spy and was  injured in the war with France. He had an injury to his leg that affected him.  I enjoyed the fact that he was a hero with a weakness. Doesn’t happen with this era of historicals usually.

Aug4

Dying for a Date: Cindy Sample

Posted on by
Standard

One of the wicked awesome things about being accepted as an L&L Dreamspell writer is to be a part of the yahoo loop for those writers. I have discovered some really amazing  people and a whole new world of stories. I bought the book Dying for a Date by Cindy Sample because it just sounded so great.  I read it on the way to RWA National conference in Orlando last week.  It was a fun read. I love a sassy heroine and this gal rocked!  It is a story of a woman re-entering the dating game after a long absence when she gets divorced.  Her first date is murdered the same night she goes out with him and she becomes suspect number one.  Complete with hot cop, this story is a pleaser and I recommend it as a quick read- a beach read- an anytime read. 

Cindy’s next book is Dying for a Dance and I’ll be in line to get it as soon as it comes out. It has to do with ballroom dancing. I’m sure my friend Emmy, the ballroom dancer, would love it, too and I’ll  be recommending it to her.

http://www.lldreamspell.com/CindySample.htm  check out her author page.

Jul30

RWA Conference

Posted on by
Standard

The conference is going great. Having a nice time but serious lack of sleep may do me in.  I’m going to want to crash when I get home on Sunday but I gotta return to the real job on Mon and I know it will be chaos as I have not had time to check my personal email very much and haven’t checked the work at all.  So, feeling the impending doom!  LOL! 

Have found two agents that I was impressed with on the agent panel for the PRO retreat. Gonna query them when I get home. One of them is the partner of my friend Katie’s agent so I’m gonna talk to Katie and get some opinions. I know Katie loves her agent. 

Have made some pictures but forgot my little device that hooks to the computer so I can’t post pics til I get home.  Adieu!

Jul27

Not really have much to say

Posted on by
Standard

Just that I’m leaving with my alter-ego, Jillian Chantal, in the morning for the National Romance Writer’s of America conference in Orlando.  I’m chained to my desk at the moment trying to put  out all the fires here at the day job.  I have gotten several stupid emails from other attorneys and answering them is bogging me down.  Just FYI, if you email me about a case, give me the dang case  number so I can find it AND another FYI- don’t ask me to sign documents on a closed case.  DUH!  It’s closed for a reason.  IT’S OVER!!!  No way to file the document even if I had the authority after case closing to sign the dang thing.  If you’re gonna play ball in my ball field, learn the rules!

Ok. rant over. Back to my regularly scheduled work.  Gotta get it done so I can get out of here and not fret too much.

ball field

FIRE!

shackled to my desk

Jul13

The Best Advice I Ever Received

Posted on by
Standard

Trying to change is sometimes not worth it

books in a stack (a stack of books)

The best advice I ever received was to stay true to myself, especially as relates to my writing process. I’ve tried two different times to change the way I work based on advice from friends that are also writers. Friends who think the way I write is crazy- I usually write 4-5 chapters in order, then the ending comes to me and I write the last chapter, then the second to last chapter. AND, I might even write a scene that comes to me and insert it somewhere in the middle. I do not do an outline. I let the story lead me. New characters pop up and cause some havoc with the protagonist. If I planned ahead, I’d never have the fluidity to have the story “happen.” 

The first time I tried to change, the joy was completely sucked out of my writing. I took an online class from a member of my RWA chapter. All the rules and instructions tied my brain in knots, so I had to let go of the teacher’s lessons and go back to my way. The other time I tried to change was very recently on the advice of another RWA chapter mate. She edits each chapter as she goes and then moves on. Tried that. Got bogged down at Chapter Two. Couldn’t move on. Edited the hell out of Chapter One.

That’s when I finally took that advice. Be true to your own process. So, I’m back to my wonky, wild, weird, writing style (How was that for alliteration?) and I am humming along again on my newest manuscript. Next time I’m tempted to change, someone please remind me that it probably isn’t worth it.