On A Quick Update

I realized the other day I'd fallen behind on my blogging, and in fact on my social networking altogether.

Someone should give me thirty lashes with a wet noodle.

Or something.

If you're familiar with NCIS (the show, not the actual federal agency), you're familiar with the 'Gibbs Smack'. Let's just say, reality has been known to do that to me a lot recently. Between the Marine's absence, the Munchkin's unhappiness at said absence, the 'day job', and school things have been one hectic day after another.

Did I mention I gave myself a personal 90 day yoga challenge that began on January 1?

I haven't missed a single day, and I'm feeling amazing. I'm not sure it's going to be enough to get me completely swim suit ready before my trip to Maui in April, but I've got hope. I'm already noticing a difference and don't see myself quitting even once my 90 days are up. It's become an integral part of my life.

Anyway, lots of things have been taking up my time, and I've slacked.

It wasn't intentional, I swear.

I'll be better. I will.

Writing is my outlet, it makes me happy and it's my dream future. I'm going to succeed, and in order to do that, I can't forget my networking.

Even when it feels hopeless.

Which it does feel like. A lot.

Especially when I'm never sure I'm reaching my audience. Or anyone at all for that matter. Then sometimes an amazing thing happens, and I get an email from a reader telling me how much they enjoy my blog. I got one of those yesterday. I smiled all day afterwards. Thanks to you, dear reader.

As for writing, I'm half way finished with the first edit of my short story that is still unnamed. On deck is the editing of my YA novel, and the completion of the novel I'm currently working on. Not to mention about a million short story ideas that are sitting in my magick notebook waiting for their chance to be told.

What are you guys up to recently? Anything exciting in your life?

I'd love to hear from you.

R.S.

On Hitting Thirty

Last week I hit the big 3-0.

A lot of people worry about leaving their twenties and growing older.

Amazingly, I don't.

Being thirty doesn't feel any different than being twenty-nine did, and twenty-nine didn't feel any different than twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

In fact, being 'older' hasn't meant much to me since I hit 21, and even that didn't have a huge affect on me.

This decade though, is going to be different.

I have great plans for my thirties.

* Publish the wonderful stories running through my head.
* Watch, participate, and enjoy my daughter as she grows up.
* Graduate from college.
* Read amazing novels, both YA and Adult.
* Live life to the fullest and love with all of my heart.
* Take each day as it comes and know if the day didn't go the way I planned there is always another day.
* Be young at heart and always learn from the youth around me.

The people I love and hold dear to me, celebrated in my tiny home in the middle of the desert, and it was great. We played Clue, drank rum and coke, and laughed.

We laughed a lot.

That's what turning thirty is to me.

It's life.

It's experiences.

It's beautiful and wonderful.

And it's me.

I am thirty, and I am happy with that.

What age are you looking forward to or dreading? What was your favorite age? I'd love to know.

R.S.

On My Favorite Day of the Year

Happy Halloween, to all my wonderful readers and followers. I love All Hallows Eve as much as I love chocolate, but not as much as I love chocolate ON Halloween. :)

In celebration of this wonderful day, the munchkin dressed up as a pirate princess, the niece went as an 80's flash dancer, the Marine got creative  as a civilian and I channeled my inner dark Muse.

All went well with friends nearby, the munchkin and her best friend Dylan made out on the candy front, and were adorable together. He of course was dressed as a mini- Marine.

As a family we celebrated the wiccan new year tonight, and as I prepare for bed I say a prayer to the spirits on the otherside of the thin veil.

This is a wonderfully magickal night that I look forward to every year. The traditions my family builds each year will be another memory for the niece and munchkin.

As one year ends and another begins I am excited to begin new projects, and make changes.

What did you do for Halloween?

R.S.

On the Secret Circle

Back in 1992 L.J. Smith wrote the first novel in the Secret Circle series. I only read the first book recently when I rediscovered the series because of the new show on the CW.

I read all four of the novels in two days, and loved every minute of it. About the time Diana was introduced with her sunlight and moonlight hair, I realized I'd read it before.

Then again, I've read so many books I can't remember half the titles, and the descriptions are so generic most of the time I couldn't tell from them either.

Now, am I the only one surprised a series written in the 90's is just now becoming a television series?

Granted, aside from the title, the names and the fact the characters are witches, the show is nothing like the books. (In fact, half of the characters aren't even in the show).

I've come to expect this from Hollywood.

Shows and movies are rarely like the amazing novels they were adapted from.


Okay, those fans of Janet Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum series might point out that the movie rights for One for the Money were purchased in the 90's when the novel first came out, and the movie is just now-- kind of-- coming into 'life'.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know.

R.S, why should it be any different with television shows?

Uh, maybe because it's television?

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the show for what it is.

A teen drama full of angst, stupidity, and sex. It is the CW after all. It's like Buffy without the Vampires or the kickass slayer abilities.

** Side note** If you've seen the show, did you notice each episode seems to begin with the same two people in bed together? 


What books or series of books have you read that you'd like turned into movies or shows, or wish hadn't been touched by the hands of Hollywood? When it comes to the screen play, where does creative license end and butchering begin?

R.S.

On Finding My Niche

The other day I posted about branding myself, and you can read that post here.

While branding myself is important, I realized that at some point in the near future I was going to need to decide who my target audience is. 

Would I write for young adults or for women in the 30+ range. 

I enjoy reading both types of novels, so obviously I couldn't make my decision based on what I read, but maybe I could decide to write both. Maybe in a few months or years I'll have an amazing story that needs to be written that won't work for YA. 

So I'll write it, and I'll use a different name, and I'll really be able to work on that multiple personality disorder. 

For right now though, I've come to a decision. 

I'm going to focus on YA, because that is what  I enjoy most. 

*sigh*

Now I feel better. :)

R.S.

On Learning the Art of Self-Promotion

I remember the first time I had to stand in front of a room full of my peers. It was kindergarten, and it was show-in-tell.

It sucked.

Embarrassment flamed through my body like it should have been a vintage race car a la Grease, and we were racing for pink slips.

I hate being in front of people, explaining something, talking about myself, or in other words, pretending to seem intelligent and interesting.

Most of the time I don't feel like I'm any of those things, and I especially never felt that way as a kid.

Now, I'm an adult, a mother, a wife, a photographer, and an author of two separate novels. One YA and one contemporary.

And I have to promote myself.

That means I have to put myself out there, stand up in front of the proverbial class and explain something, share something, and this time it's even more important and embarrassing than it was the first time all those years ago. Now it's done not just in person, but across dozens of different Social Network platforms. It's done via blog, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Email, LinkedIn, and others I can't even remember.

I'm not just sharing something I was given or bought. I'm sharing a part of myself. Hours of worry, sleepless nights, late dinners, and sweat. A part of my soul, my heart, my hopes and dreams, all combined into something a person could say, 'Eh, not interested. Not good enough."

 It's a terrifying prospect.

But, I have to do it, and do it well.

I don't want to push myself on people who won't be interested or will be turned off by the salesman's approach, but I don't want to be so lax nobody will take me seriously. There is such a fine line, and I'm not sure where it even begins, but I know I'll find it.

When I do, I'm going to rock that line like an Earthquake.

So where do I begin?

Any ideas? I'm open to suggestions.


R.S.

In Other Words Contest...

          Immortalis

           Genre: Y.A.

Word Count: Approx 40,000 words

          The baby's hair was a soft smattering of auburn silk. Her tiny hand wrapped around his finger; held it in its grip, and he knew that he would live and die for her. There was no question about whether or not he would shirk his duty. Power ran through him, warm and fluid.  

            "She's your responsibility now" The mother gently placed the child in the man's arms. She reflected, with a heart heavy with love, that the man before her was hardly older than a child, but he was the one who would walk through life with her daughter. His Destiny was to accompany her child through every stage of her life. He was the Guardian of the greatest thing she'd ever done.

            "She is mine." His eyes never left the child now sleeping in his arms. The connection was instantaneous. His power knew her, accepted her, covered her, and would protect her. It might be in him, but it belonged to the tiny child he held.  "I will keep her safe. I accept my Destiny." A bright aura of blue surrounded them, and power sizzled through the air, sealing the pact. His eyes never left the face of the child, as he lightly traced her mouth with his thumb. "What is her name?"

            "Deliah." The mother smiled, tired, but happy.

            "Hello, Deliah. My name is Cian, and I give my life to you." 

            The mother reached for her husband's hand, twinning their fingers together. With a smile she looked at

the Guardian in front of them and relaxed back against the pillows of her hospital bed.

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Immortals, and Mat Kearney

Some days just call for you to skip out on anything resembling healthy food, and go straight for things not likely found on the food pyramid.

Then again, my food pyramid is different than others'. 

Today is a chocolate chip cookie and sweet tea kind of day. The kind of day where you want to hide away in a dark cave--far, far, far away from everyone-- and listen to Mat Kearney on repeat. Especially his song, Closer to Love.

Closer to Love

I don't get to hide in a cave, but I have been hiding behind my laptop for most of the day. It could almost be the same thing. If you tip your head to the side and squint a little.

Immortals and their Guardians aren't known for being the patient sort so I haven't been left alone today either. Even while my dog, Caesar, and my daughter were napping.

My first YA novel is almost completed (which could explain why I'm being harassed), and it's coming along great. I'm excited about the series. It was originally planned to be a series of short stories (approx 10k), but it became apparent early on during the writing of this first novel that wasn't going to happen. They'll still be relatively short when it comes to novels, but they'll be closer to novel length than short story length.

Writing this first book has made me extremely happy, and I look forward to writing the rest of the series.

Well, there are some chocolate chip cookies and sweet tea calling my name...and I'm pretty sure I'm being paged by an Immortal and her Guardian...


R.S