Thursday 29 August 2013

Chris Daughtry - Need I Say More


Chris Daughtry is my inspiration for Kerr Rooney
in The Lines of Marsden series
Just in looks though - because Kerr can't sing.

Updates...

Firstly: this picture is here just because I think It's awesome. and I'll add it to my file of inspirational pictures.

Now for the updates:
  • I've finished 1st round edits on The Connelly Chronicles: Family Connections. I sent them back to Jamie D R.
  • Sent Then Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows back to my beta James A. He's doing one last run through.
  • I just participated in a Silver Publishing featured author interview which will be coming out in the future - I'll let you all know when.
  • Finding a new book keeper is harder than I thought because once they start talking techno I have no clue what's going on... but hopefully Christine D will sort everything out.
  • I'll be away tomorrow as I have to take Em to her chiropractor session, and my mum is tagging along to buy some more books... I can't deny buying books is a good thing.
  • Typing up all the long hand notes on The Lines of Marsden: You Make Me Die In Pieces.

Wednesday 28 August 2013

New Names...

Just letting you all know the book formally known as:
Windblown Kisses 
My Knight in Tarnished Armour. 

Has been given a new series and book name:
The Connelly Chronicles
Family Connections.

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Filling In The Blanks...

Today I'm still doing first round edits on Windblown Kisses: My Knight In Tarnished Armour which may or may not be about to have a name and series name change - My editor Jamie R and I talked and we're both in agreeance that this title may give people the impression that is a historical book when in fact it is modern day - I'll have to let you know what we decide.

I'm still trying my hardest to keep up with everything else... failing a little... but nothing I can't make up the ground in between editing rounds. I have a plan and I just need to stick to it... How hard can it be?

Sunday 25 August 2013

Crazy Busy...

Got first round of edits on Windblown Kisses: My Knight In Tarnished Armour... scary but I'll try and get them done right. (This picture of Jonathan Rhys Meyers is how I picture Ray Connelly). Hopefully I may have cover artwork to share with you soon.

Still no news on the next round of edits for Experimentals: Blessed With A Curse from Steve L - last communication was we're nearly to the next step in the editing phase which is exciting - hopefully have cover artwork for this soon as well.

I'm still doing the last read-through of The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows. I'm not changing much just mainly taking out the unnecessary words and checking time lines.

Also trying to keep up with the tree other current projects (The Lines of Marsden: You Make Me Die In Pieces - Lancaster's Way: A Different Way Of Seeing - Preternatural High: Welcome To My World) though, they'll be placed on hold until my edits go back to Jamie R.

Thursday 22 August 2013

Just A Quicky.

Somebody slap me now - Why is it when I do the final read-through before submitting I always have the incessant need to change things? Because I'm a dumbarse that's why.

The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows is the one I'm doing one final read-through... I should have just left it alone. Now I'll have to put off subbing for the the next week or so...

Hopefully I won't change the story in doing so. I was trying to make the characters come to life just a little more. Make the Characters three dimensional instead of two... Let's hope everyone else agrees with the changes I've made.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Rambling On Writing.

Sometimes I have to wonder about my own mind...  when the lines between the stories in my head and the real world sometimes blur... and why my family still put up with me. I've been with my hubs for over ten years. Yet, in the last 5 years since I started taking my writing seriously the poor guy very rarely gets called by his own name. while writing the first Lines of Marsden book he became Christian and in the current one he's answering to Doyle. All I can say is thank God the guy loves me.

He's gone by many names... Christian, Doyle, Kayne, Ren, Knox, Dalar, Liam, Charlie, Damon, Kylfa, Jericho, and so on and so forth - that I thought maybe I should pay him homage and say - that in fact his real name is Steve. In the beginning some people thought I was having an affair, and my dear sweet Hubs says, "Nah, she writes gay porn." I'd just like to point out that I do not, nor have I ever written porn - I write M/M Romance.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way I will talk about what my plans are... 
  1. The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows is on the final read through before I submit it to MLR... 
  2. I'm up to date on my writing time lines for - The Lines of Marsden: You Make Me Die In Pieces - Lancaster's Way: A Different Way Of Seeing - Preternatural High: Welcome To My World. (Still trying to get as much done as possible before I get more edits on Experimentals: Blessed With A Curse - Windblown Kisses: My Knight In Tarnished Armour - By The Way).
  3. Decided that for NaNoWriMo this year I will work on two novella's instead of one story. I'm thinking they'll be - Toowoomba Boys: Dancing With Demons - The Soul Guardians: Loving Callum McKenzie. So I have set them aside so I don't work on them until November.
  4. I've just ordered swag for OzmmMeet in Sydney this year - I think Em's picking it up today from the post office.
  5. Also planning on not letting people use the office for a dumping ground for what gets left on the kitchen bench... I've set up a tray for the stuff and if no one claims the stuff within a week then Mr Wheelie Bin gets to keep it. I finally have the place set up how I want it, and I don't need no bad cluttered mojo in my space. It's bad enough I own a cluttered mind let alone it spilling over into my office.
The only thing I need for all this to work is coffee and lots of it... I'm also trying to stick to my - shut down the computer by 2pm each day... so far in the last 6 months I've only broken that rule twice... and I'm also sticking to having - one day each weekend where I don't get on the computer at all... that one's harder to stick to.

Tuesday 20 August 2013

So It Begins...Again.

Well, I ended one story and started right into the next three... there's a method to my madness - I swear. I'm merely trying to get as much writing done as I can before I get hit with edits on the three I've already subbed and got contracts for.

Yeah, I'll probably be running on lack of sleep for awhile... So I may be rambling on here a lot. But hey, I figure it's my blog so I can. I know, I know, you already know I've a tendency to ramble & rant - Gives a whole new meaning to R & R now doesn't it?

Next three in the writing line.

The Lines of Marsden: You Make Me Die In Pieces
Lancaster's Way: A Different Way Of Seeing
Preternatural High: Welcome To My World (YA)

Monday 19 August 2013

Done!!!

Today I finished and sent the last 5 chapters of The Lines of Marsden: Living In Shadows to James A my beta reader. To work his magic and fix all my punctuation fuck-ups... and we all know how much I suck at punctuation. Strangely, now that it's done I feel empty.

I'm not sure what to do next, though, I think I promised Deb I'd finish Lancaster's Way: A Different Way Of Seeing... So I've pulled out all my notes to see where I'm at where that story is concerned.

And I'll also continue writing in long hand the next in The Lines Of Marsden series You Make Me Die In Pieces. While the story line is still fresh in my mind, I want to get some of it down on paper.

Sunday 18 August 2013

Feeling Sick... & Other News.

Well, it has been one of those weeks where everything just seemed to go own the crapper. My dull and incessant headache turned into a full blown migraine... So that ruled out working on the computer because I couldn't stand looking at the backlit screen.

Then my hubs comes home after being away for a week to tell me he is going to be heading out again tomorrow for a 3 week stint out at Roma & Chinchilla. which thinking about it is kind of a good thing because he has a cold and I definitely don't want that. But this morning he did build me a book stand/holder so I can read my long hand notes as I type them up... It is rough as guts but it is awesome...Now I know why I love the guy so much.

Thursday 15 August 2013

Brain Farts...

Today has been one of those days... where all by brain does is fart, and I can't get anything substantial done. I had so much to do, and yet the day is half over, and I'm nowhere near finishing the list of jobs I have to do. I'm blaming it on the stupid headache I have that just won't quit.

The only thing I've done that can even been considered good, is worked on The Lines Of Marsden: Living in Shadows. though I still have the last scene to write in the book, but I'm typing it all up as fast as I can. I am hoping to get it done before I get hit with edits from Windblown Kisses: My Knight In Tarnished Armour and Experimentals: Blessed With A Curse.

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Chaotic Confusion...

 Have you ever wished for a better filing system in your head? I swear-to-God some days my brain gets set on overload and does slow down for weeks at a time. 

What set this topic off ? well I spent the better part of yesterday trying to figure out a guys last name in The Lines Of Marsden series only to realise the guy was in a completely different series. I think I may have to do up a character list and what story they belong to so I don't waste all that time again. In case you're wondering it was Ian O'Hare from Experimentals: Blessed With A Curse

For the last couple of days I've had a bitch of a headache that just won't go away and is driving me insane. I feel like I have the hangover from hell, and I don't even drink. Or, I should say I haven't in years, but that's a whole other story, and we just won't go there.

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Tough Weekend...

well Sunday and Monday were my official weekend this week; and Sunday I finally managed to get the books all transferred to the library. I even got most of them up on the shelves. Plus I have all the CDs in place..

Monday, I finished putting up the print books. I can't wait for the rest of the shelves to go up so I can put up all the DVDs that will free up more space in my house.

Well, I also have one scene to write on The Lines Of Marsden: Living In Shadows. The final scene... I should have finished it yesterday but I was preoccupied with print books and having a stupid migraine all afternoon.

On a positive note the people at Sanity Music gave me a Bernard Fanning poster. He was the lead singer of the Australian band - Powderfinger, but now he is solo... but I have always liked them.

Saturday 10 August 2013

Rambling About What To Do Next...

Okay, I'm almost at the end of writing The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows. and as sad as I am to see it end - I'm also breathing a sigh of relief.

I have decided hat I'll finish Lancaster's Way: A Different Way of Seeing next for Deb... because she asked so nicely. 

I'll also pull out and dust off both Blog stories for Cinders O. I know I was slack and I shouldn't have just stopped them cold - Bad NJ!!!

Then to top that off NaNoWriMo is coming up and I have to try and think of what I want to write... should it be one 50K piece, or should I try and get out two of my Novella's at 25K each? I'm leaning more to the two novella's, but if I do that then which ones should they be? 

My mind is so full of stories that I'm just not sure where to start. Vlad keeps telling me to hurry the hell up because it's getting crowded inside my head.

Friday 9 August 2013

I Got A Weird Feeling...& Other Stuff.

Today I have that feeling that I have forgotten to do something very important. I have no clue what is that I have forgotten - so I can't actually go check if I did it or not...Does that make sense?

Okay now it's onto other stuff. Today I also received/did/returned to Steve L, the 2nd round of edits on Experimentals: Blessed With A Curse. Hopefully there won't be too many more before it heads off to line edits or what is next in the editing line.

I'm dragging me feet on the end of The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows. I think I'm at that point where I know it has to end, but I don't want it to because I like this part of the story. Even though I'm basically going to start straight away onto writing You Make Me Die In Pieces.

If I don't update over the weekend it's because I'm more that likely sorting through and stacking all my books into the correct shelves in the office library. I'm trying to decide should I alphabetise them by author...genre...orientation...etc. as well as the four categories I already have. I suppose I'll figure it out in the end.

Thursday 8 August 2013

Alone...Well, Kind Of.

Today I have the house to myself... Can you even be alone when you have so many character's inside your head wanting to be heard? Or when they're all wanting you to pay attention to what they need?

I don't know what the answer is, because today Vlad my every trusting ghost of a muse, is determined I'll write the end of The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows.

Though to be honest I'll be glad to finish the story line as well. The next one: You Make Me Die In Pieces is just around the corner and I have a plan of how to get it done before Christmas. just hope I can stick to it.

I heard from my Silver editor Jamie R, and she tells me she will be starting on Windblown Kisses: My Knight In Tarnished Armour soon. I can't wait, because I love this story. One of my beta readers (Yoda) is patiently waiting for book 4: Jamie's Bear.

MY GOAL: I set myself a Goal of having 6 books out/subbed in 2013 and so far I am one off the final count.
  1. Boys from the Bush: Bush Bashin'. [Out MLR]
  2. Sons of Evenmore: The Crimson Grimoire. [Out MLR]
  3. Experimentals: Blessed With A Curse. [Edits MLR]
  4. Windblown Kisses: My Knight in Tarnished Armour. [Edits Silver]
  5. By The Way. [Edits OzmmMeet]
  6. The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows. [Will be subbed by next month MLR]
So next on the agenda is the next in these series or something new... any wants or needs-story wise that is-will be listened to. Or maybe there is another story on my WIPS lists that you might be yearning to read.
  1. Lancaster's Way: A Different Way Of Seeing. [Book 2]
  2. Toowoomba Boys: Dancing With Demons. [Book 3]
  3. Sons of Evenmore: Blood to Blood. [Book 2]
  4. The Soul Guardians: Loving Callum McKenzie. [Book 1 ]
  5. Taking Chances: Lie To Me. [Book 1]
  6. The Diamond Rose: Undiscovered Hearts. [Book 1]

Wednesday 7 August 2013

The Dreaming State & Renovations.

This is so true... This morning I woke up with the end of book 6 in The lines of Marsden series running through me head. The Kingdom Of No Regrets...  is screaming at me for attention. Don't the voices inside my head know I still have to redo 3, 4, & 5 first before I can do 6? But at least now I know how it ends so I can work at filling in all the events that happen before I arrive at that destination.

Fricken hell, I'm still on the tail end of Book 2 Living in Shadows and one of my characters has just thrown me for a loop. Let's just say Gypsy certainly like to get her own way.

The renovations in the office/library are going well. I have two lots of shelves up and I've already moved a heap of my print books in. Though now I have to go through and sectionalise them.. I've got 4 main groups.
  1. Young Adult Fiction.
  2. Adult fiction.
  3. Research.
  4. Music and Bios.
Em is refusing to help me because she thinks I'll only screw it all up. But I say. "What's the use in having print books if I'm not allowed to read them?"

Tuesday 6 August 2013

Bob The Computer Guy Is A Fricken Genius!

Okay, Bob the computer guy at Save on Computers in Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia, is a fricken genius when it comes to fixing the shit I do to my computer. He managed to find what I did with my bigpond email - It just disappeared I swear. but after talking me through some stuff, he took over and found where it had gone to. I hope I never lose it again.

Other than that I read a book last night, the first time in yonks I've found the time to read... Any way the book was called Love Comes Silently by Andrew Grey... All I can say is I couldn't put it down I read it from start to finish and loved the whole thing. I can't wait for book two to become available Love Comes in Darkness looks like it is going to be just as good.

Yesterday I sent Chapters 13 & 14 of The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows off to my beta reader James A... and I heard back from Cinders O on 11 & 12 so all is looking good there I am typing up 15 & 16 today and will hopefully send them out by the end of the week. I have about 7K to write until I reach my goal count... So I'm all about closing up loose ends and making sure everything is answered.

I even heard back from Alison T on By The Way and she will have everything done by the end of the week. so all in all I'm feeling on track.

Monday 5 August 2013

Just Ranting! It's My Blog So I'm Allowed


It's official, my computer hates me... I changed my user name for tracking edit purposes and in the process I lost my bigpond access... I change everything back and still have no access... I am so screwed.

Sunday 4 August 2013

Updates Galore ( Okay, so there's only Four)

Well this week I have been keeping very busy... I have completed two lots of edits on By The Way - the free short story for Oz mm Meet in Sydney this October. I wasn't feeling this story all the way through I started it three times and had a name change and now it is finally done and the wonderful Alison T is working her editing magic.

I will be trying to finish the long hand on The Lines of Marsden: Living in Shadows... I have already gotten the spiral binder book to start straight on #3: You Make Me Die In Pieces. I will continue on in this fashion as it seems to be working for me especially for this series.

I have a new editor for Silver Publishing, someone named Jamie, and I am looking forward to working with her. This is for Windblown Kisses: My Knight In Tarnished Armour... This book is very close to my heart as it is one of the first MM books I began writing. I put it aside to do the first TLOM book and now it is finally going to see the light of day and I hope at least a few people enjoy Ray and Viv's tale as much as I did while writing it. I have already started on #2: His Damsel in Disgrace and I think I should WARN everyone ahead of schedule that #2 is a HFN the main couple they don't end up staying together but each person does get the HEA eventually in future books.

I should also have the next round of edits from Steve L over at MLRPress next week for Experimentals: Blessed With A Curse... I can't wait to see this one out for you all to see. I really like this storyline and can't wait to see what happens next.

Saturday 3 August 2013

Em's Turn.



After having dental surgery yesterday
Em wanted to play some songs 
So here they are
Enjoy!









Thursday 1 August 2013

What's The Goss?




Okay, I was looking at picture on Face Book yesterday morning, and found some that immediately had me searching out more... As In The Shadow Of The Dragon... pushed it's way to the forefront of my mind.... so I thought I would share what captured my interest.








I'm not sure exactly what the story is about yet, but it's slowly formulating, and one day Vlad will just tell me to get cracking.













Even though some of these pictures are obviously female - I just want to assure you they aren't inside my mind.














Whatever the story turns out to be, you can rest assured that there will be character who look like these four. Below I will add some scenery pictures which also caught my eye.