As The Decade Ends

Normally I'd have a picture of fireworks but this year I'm boycotting them, due to the number of bushfires we still have raging in our country. So I thought I'd give you something else pretty to look at.

I can't believe another decade has come and gone. So the question is did we get done what needed to get done? And you know by my post yesterday that I almost made it but not quite━there was only one on my list I didn't finish. Though, in saying that, I did accomplish a lot.

I managed to write and tweak a few formerly written books to resubmit them for rehousing and so far this year this is what I have accomplished:

1> Admetus Gaea 1: The Gaean Prophecy>>> Formerly Silver Publishing ~ now MLRPress.

2> The Lines of Marsden 4: The Trail of Red Roses

3> Hidden Hearts 1: Harder & Harder to Breathe>>> Formerly Fireborn Publishing

4> Hidden Hearts 2: One Last Kiss Goodbye>>> Formerly Fireborn Publishing

5> Moon Runners 1: Heart-mate Mine!>>> Formerly Fireborn Publishing

6> Moon Runners 2: I Won't Let You Go

7> Sons of Evenmore 3: Fear the Scarlet Moon
8> Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings

Did I make it???

My writing Plan...

That would be a big fat no... I would have if I didn't get sick for the last part of November and the first half of December I'm still not feeling 100% but I can't wait for 2020 to get here so I can put this year behind me.

I know by February I should have caught up on what I've missed out on while sick for the past month and a half. I know I can do it because I have faith in myself. Yes, it might sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but someone has to and mose well be me.

For the end of 2019 by my calculations, I'll have still have about 45,000 words to do to catch up on, but it's doable to be caught up by the end of February before The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You is finished. I want to start off 2020 right. So playing a little catch up is okay. Luckily for me, I'd only allotted 2 K a day for actual writing and 2 K a day for other things like editing or catch up. 

So I need you all out there to keep me on track over the next year. Drop me a line. Ask me questions. Anything to keep me motivated.

All the best 

See you all in 2020

NJ & Vlad

My Health

You know, I realised I started this year just as I finished it━sick. I had bronchitis at the beginning of the year and I have the flu now. And I've had a whole lot of crap happen in between.

I'm not looking for sympathy... Because I already have a plan in place for what needs to be done. In the last year, I have lost 16kg (35.4lbs) which because I have a major thyroid problem is near impossible to do. I have to still lose more weight. 

Not because I get the flu/bronchitis but because I have something wrong with the lower part of my spine. I also have some exercises that I need to be able to strengthen the muscles in and around my spine━so I won't need surgery. This is probably why I have so many damn headaches, but at least they seem to be under control.

Other than that I'm doing okay. I'm still saying 2020 will be a way better year for us all... and I can't wait to see you all there.

PS: I should also mention Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings is finished and has been submitted.

Cotter's Girls

Someone sent me this picture a few years ago now, and it always made me think of my story TASH. Even though the two main characters in my story are a little older than this pair.

Really, they don't even look like the mains, but a couple of the secondaries who'll eventually get their own story.

I don't even know what it was about this story that made me want to keep it, but I have for years now. The truth is I don't even remember who sent it to me, but I'll be forever thankful to them.

This is one of the series in my next years writing plan... fair warning it is M/F. But I don't mind, and if you don't like that, then don't read it. I need to get these stories out of my head to make room for the gazillion others... so there you go. Vlad thinks the story is awesome... but he could be a tad bias when it comes to my writing.

What's Cooking...

I'm really into cooking at home... mainly because I know exactly what goes into each meal. I'm not talking about calorie counting or anything like that. I think I've mentioned before I have a thyroid problem and some food groups don't always agree with me. The good thing about cooking for myself is I can usually avoid those food groups. Though I have a bad habit of occasionally sneaking one into my diet and then suffering for it later.

The other good thing about cooking at home is, personally I think it's a hell of a lot cheaper than eating out. And if you're with other people not everyone can always agree on where to eat, and when we have fussy eaters (yes, I'm that person) it's just not worth the hassle.

My biggest problem at the moment is learning to cook a meal for just two people without having an abundance of leftovers. After having cooked for a family for so many years it's hard to cut back on the cooking styles. 

At the moment I'm in love with lentils... I prefer them to meat on most days. If you have any great lentil recipes send them my way... just remember I can't have cream in my food (that whole thyroid thing). Not even coconut cream.

Boxing Day

So this is what my day will consist of. Cricket... cricket ... and more cricket. We'll be playing New Zealand and even though they have a pretty good team I hope we kick their arses. Sorry to all my Kiwi friends, but I cannot lie, and I hope we do. We beat Pakistan and I cheered them on even though I have a huge soft spot for the Paki's. They are one of my favourite teams.

I suppose the next thing I'll be doing today is eating leftovers, that's if the kids haven't taken them all home. I'm writing this post in advance so I'm not sure about that one yet.

The last thing I'll be doing today is to pack away any and all decorations I have out as I do every year on boxing day. It's just the tradition in my family. It's the way it's always been done, and probably the way it'll always be done.

Plus, I need to pop downtown and buy some cat food for my furbabies. It was the only thing I forgot when I went shopping on Tuesday.

Em's Turn

Christmas has come once again

Where has the year gone?

12 of my favourites 

For old time sake

Enjoy!

Christmas Eve

It was the night before Christmas and all through my house. Not a creature was stirring━except for Robson, who thinks it's his god-given right to run around like a mad man and keep us all awake.

Actually this Christmas eve. I'm was planning on making sure most of the prep work is done for lunch tomorrow. I really don't want to be rushed off my feet. I just have a little bit more to do.

I also have to make sure all the presents are wrapped and have the correct name tags on them. Not that we went overboard on presents this year. Too much other stuff to contend with.

Also, there will be Christmas carols on TV I'll have to watch. I do love me some good carols. Grace borrowed my Michael Buble Christmas CD and never gave it back. She just loves his voice. The other week she watched the David Campbell Christmas Special with me and loved him as well. Though, if I'm totally honest the Country Christmas Special hosted by Trisha Yearwood that followed it she probably liked more.

Thank You...

I want to thank all the wonderful authors out there whose books have kept me sane throughout the year. There are too many for me to give you all individual thanks, but there are a few who have been re-reads for me this year when I needed them the most and they are:

JR Ward━Black Dagger Brotherhood & Black Dagger Legacy

Stormy Glenn━Basically for all her work, but especially Cade Creek

Kylie Scott━Stage Dive & Dive Bar 

J M Dabney━Twirled World Universe

Lynsay Sands━Argeneau Vampires

Jenny Woods━Kennedy Ink & Unlikely Heroes

David Eddings━Sparhawks Universe

AKM Miles━Scarcity Sanctuary

RE Butler━The Wolf's Mate & Hyena Heat

TJ Klune━Bear, Otter, & the Kids Universe

John Marsden━Tomorrow When the War Began 

ZA Maxfield━The Cat's Meow & Drawn Together

Alexis Morgan━Paladins of Darkness

Lynn Hagen━Brac Pack Universe

Sherrilyn Kenyon━Dark Hunters

RJ Scott━Montanna Series

Kresley Cole━Immortals After Dark

Can't get this out of my head.

The damn thing is stuck on repeat and is starting to drive me a little nuts. I love the song though, I really do. I don't want to start hating it because I can't stop singing it. I suppose it's better than the last one that got stuck in my head.

Yes, as you can tell I've been spending way too much time with my granddaughter, Grace... the shit I have to put up with to make her happy. Lucky I love her so damn much. I suppose as she gets older I'll have to listen to a whole heap pf different music, just like I did when her mother was growing up.

I'm in a bad mood.

I can't tell you what's going on with me, except to say I woke up this way this morning. I don't even know why I'm in such a foul mood. I can't even blame it on lack of coffee, because I haven't had a cup in over three years.

Could be I'm still not quite over this damn flu bug. I'm getting better every day. I just wish I was done with it. Could even be that I had fuck all sleep last night. I dozed in fits and farts, and I can't even blame it on the cats. they were mainly outside in their enclosure all night.

I have two ear infections, that are driving me nuts at the moment. As I can't hear anything properly. They feel so damn swollen all the time

I have a freaking headache that just won't quit, and it's annoying the hell out of me. There are only so many pain killers I'm allowed to take in any given day. So today is not a good freaking day. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

The Name Game

Character's names are sometimes the hardest things to come by in any given story... It's sometimes even harder trying to find their perfect counter match in the love interest.

I've taken to every time I think of a name I'd like to use on a character or future character. I write them in down in a book. and then when I'm stuck for a name I can always come back to my name book and see if I have anything that fits the situation. Usually, I do.

I think the name has to really suit the character... Or be so opposite their nature that it's ironic in a way. But It's not just character names that have to be perfect. it could be anything in the story... The name of a bar... The name of the corner store... The name of a country inn... the name of a space station... Or maybe even just a beloved pet. I like to keep lots of possibilities marked down for such occasions as they might be needed.

The inspiration can come from anywhere things going on in my life... E.G: Louella's Family Restuarant in the Toowoomba Boys series is named after one of my nieces. I've named a lot of my characters after my family members. But that's okay, they don't seem to mind.

Beautiful According to Me

I'd really like to hear this story━ What happened here?

Who lives here━What is their story?

There's got to be a story here━What is it?

Just makes me think demon hiding in the shadows━what do you think?

I love abandoned buildings━who doesn't want to hear their story?

Insomnia

Sometimes it sucks not being able to sleep, but other times it's when I get all my best story ideas.

I usually have to keep a spiral notebook handy, so I can jot down anything I think of. When I get up the next morning I have to try and make sense of all my notes. Sometimes it isn't always possible. Other times I'm thinking I'm the most brilliant person in the world. Until I realise how many WIPS I already have in the works and then grumble a bit and type up the notes and put them safely away in my back-burner file.

The weird thing is the longer I go without sleep the less tired I seem to be. And the more intricate my story ideas become. Hence the reason I have been keeping better records of all my characters. Keeping track of all the important things in the stories. 

The bad thing about insomnia is, eventually I'm going to have to crash. And when I do, it's going to be ugly. I'll end up with the mother of all headaches. Damn, I'm really not looking forward to this, but as a famous bushranger (Ned Kelly) once said━such  is life.

Getting older sucks.

Life is catching up with me, and I think my poor old body is shutting down on me. I'll be turning 51 in 47 days. But I have promised myself that I'm only allowing myself to down and out for the rest of 2019... Once 2020 starts, I have to be on my A-game again.

I'm going to be far too busy to get worn out again. Well hopefully I'll take better care of myself and I won't get run down again. I've been out of it for so long, I'm just grateful I have the energy and need to write again.

Let's make a deal. If I start to slack off. you can let me know and I'll up my game and get back on track... and I'll promise to give regular updates on what's going on... both in my writing and my health.

I have to believe 2020 is going to be a better year, it's gotta be better than the year just gone. I think there will be a lot of people out there who are hoping for the very same thing.

Looking into the future

Okay, so maybe it's just the future inside my head or cleaning up the clutter in there. Since being sick, the abundance of new story ideas has multiplied. I really think Vlad is trying to lead me down the garden path where they are concerned and hiding the series I should be busy working on. He thinks he's hilarious when he does crap like that to me.

This year I meant to finish two more stories:

• The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You
• Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings

The next couple of weeks will be telling of how much I can catch up as I think I actually have 87, 474 words left to write. If I crackdown I could probably still make it I'd at least 5.4K a day until the end of the month. That's with taking Christmas day off to spend with family. I think I'll give it a shot. If I don't make it then I'll let you know on December 31st and tell you how much time I'll need to play catch up next year. Because I'm due to start edits on The Lines of Marsden 4: The Trail of Red Roses soon.

Happy Birthday, Max.

Leigh 'Max' Walker

Happy birthday you old fart.

I hope the kids spoil you rotten.

I can't believe it━where did it go?

I can't believe how fast this year has flown by in the blink of an eye. It seems like only yesterday we were all telling each other Merry Christmas/ Happy Hanukkah/ Seasons Greetings (however you want to say it) & Happy New Year, and here it rolling around again... 

Q> Where the hell did the year go, and how did I miss so much of it?

It's like I only woke up and it was already November. I'm not happy about it. I know it's my own damn fault. I know I was sick at the beginning of the year.

Q> But what the hell was my excuse for somehow missing the whole middle of the year?

I can't even seem to recall what was so damn interesting that it kept me so preoccupied and away from my computer. Hence the reason I need to sort out the schedule for next year.

Wish me luck━I'm going to need it.

Beautiful according to me

Again I haven't got a clue who these people are, but to me, they just have something about them that makes me sit up and take notice... Enjoy!

I liked his beard.

I thought she'd make a great wolf or a vampire.

I thought they would make great characters.

I thought she'd make a great demon or wolf.

I think this would make a great scene━Who are they?

I just love her hair.

Who doesn't want to hear his story?

I've always loved this one.

Today I am...

Today, even though I'd much rather be staying at home. I'm braving the shopping malls to pay some of my Christmas layby's━ all stuff for my granddaughter... but she's worth it. Thank the be-all and end-all there is only one or it would have cost me a small fortune. Next year I'll be better prepared I think. I'm going to try and buy my presents throughout the year so it's not all a rush at the end. Aside from baby dolls, my granddaughter is tomboy through and through. 

I have a freaking major headache today━but what else is new with me. I always seem to have a damn headache lately. The best thing I can say is, at least it isn' a damn migraine. I'm feeling much better than I was, but I'm not 100% yet.  I still can't seem to shake my cough, and It's driving me nuts. My throat and ears are so irritated from coughing. Mum is in the same boat, but at least she is also on the mend.

Today I am also doing my grocery shop for the fortnight. Picking up all the things we've run out of. I have my trusty shopping list on hand so I only buy what we need. Or else I'd buy a ton of stuff that would end up getting thrown out before it got used. Though I do need to stock up on cookie making stuff to make Grace and Elliot's Christmas biscuits. And this year I'm making my brother some herbed butter (not for Christmas) he grew the herbs. It's just something I saw on a cooking show and thought I'd give it a try.

I've got questions...

Okay, this is what's been playing on my mind.

1> I had a book published once already━The Freedomers 1: Zephania's Chance━and before I find a new home for it. I'm wondering a couple of things.

Q> Is it okay to change the sex of some of the key players (at least 3). I would like to change the three female siblings to male.

2> In The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You, I've hit a roadblock. This is my problem.

Q> How badly would you freak out if you found out you were kidnapped as a baby?

3> In Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings I actually have two questions I need answered.

Q1> Is Heartstrings meant to be one word or two (Heart Strings)?

Q2> Daven is old and set in his ways━I mean he really likes things done his way because Eric used to pander to his needs when Eric was his day warden. now Gabe has the job. Gabe has just spent a couple of centuries trying to kill his first two charges. he and Dav clash often because in Dav's eyes Gabe is nothing like Eric. What one good thing Gabe could do (not sexual━even though he and DAV end up as mates) to change Dav's mind?

Example Character Profile

Series Title: The Lines of Marsden.

Books: Fist line.

Name: Michael Alexander Marsden.

Age: 22 (at time of turning).

Species: Vampire (King).

Realm: SE Queensland, Australia.

Hair Colour/Type/Length: Dark brown almost black (in book one it is just past his shoulders in book 2 onward it is cropped short like in this picture except the fringe is a lot shorter like he has it shorn close to his scalp).

Eye Colour/Shape: Purple (shade varies depending on his moods).

Skin colour Type Pale, never was prone to tanning.

Scars/Blemishes: Facial scars - small one between the nose and the top lip and one that runs the length of his jaw on his left side, (due to his cousin Geoffrey tripping him into a barbwire fence when in high School – they hate each other).

Height: 5 feet 9.

Weight: 90 Kg.

Clothing preferred: Jeans, dress shirts. Though after meeting pack and the English vampires he does start wearing t-shirts.  He does have a lot of clothing with Dragons on (bought by Gypsy mostly black).

Mannerisms: At first Michael’s kind of shy and unsure of himself. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Michael once comfortable, with who he is, makes the best damn leader (He’s destined to be king). Michael’s a jump in there all or nothing type of person. Not really an over-thinker, and gets frustrated when the others need to talk and think through everything. Probably why he ends up in trouble so much of the time. Once he sets his mind to something there’s no way he’ll give up until he has completed/mastered what he has set out to do. He’s compassionate up to a point. Hurt him, or who he claims as his, and your life isn’t worth living.

Favourite Colour: All shades of blue.

Favourite Food: Chicken Kiev and Salad

Favourite Drink: Coke/ Bourbon (even though Booze really has no effect on them—he just likes the taste)/ and Christian gets him hooked on green tea.

Favourite Band: He likes it all he’s pretty eclectic in his tastes

Favourite Book: David Eddings the Elenium series

Favourite Movie: Chronicles of Riddick.

NOTES: Siblings are Gypsy his twin sister in this lifetime and Benj from their original lifetime. He has three children with Doyle who was originally known by another name (Carleah)—children are Raphael who has been kidnapped by Venetia, and still missing, or rather hidden away are Michaela and Vladimir who will be introduced in future books. Michael always only ever wanted to live his life. But soon realised that words said in haste to piss someone off often have a way of coming back to bite him in the arse, and turning him into the king of a whole legion of beings, all looking to him for the answers.

Character Inspiration

Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings

Gabriel Gillis━Human/Day Warden

Daven Banks━Vampire/Guild Member

Artemis Kohen━Fey 

The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You

Nathan 'Nate' Burkhart━Girly's brother

Daniel Marshal━Viv's brother

Sons of Evenmore 3: Fear the Scarlet Moon

Phoenix Lunos━Vampire/Challus Coven Leader

Linkin━Arctic Wolf/Ollun

Cooper Norton━Human

Finished and Submitted

 Sons of Evenmore 3
Fear the Scarlet Moon

➤The story is finished.

➤The blurb is done.

➤The synopsis has been written.

➤The story has been submitted. 

➤Where: MLRPress.

It's all in the details...

Eye Colour & Shape

Advice>

Choose your eye colour for characters and make a note of what it is. I can't count the number of times I've chosen one colour and then forgotten and had to fix it up in edits... Or worse had a reader tell me I'd switch halfway through a story. Nothing more embarrassing I can tell you. But, at least I'm getting better. I also remember to take the same time to take write out the shape of the eyes... so when I'm describing family traits I can look back at my notes for reference.

Lip Shape

Choose the lips your character is likely to have. Because the shape of the lips determines the way they smile. The way they kiss. I think the Lips on some people are extremely beautiful. Especially, when a character is described as having kissable lips. But honestly, what's kissable to me, might be completely different to someone else. My character Grayson from Admetus Gaea has Wide lips━because that is how I have always seen him. There was never a doubt in my mind.  I'll have to find the picture my niece and I drew of Grayson when we were younger and you'll be able to see what I mean.

Face Shape

The shape of your face will determine the shape of some of their other facial features. I'm a bad one for forgetting the shape of a person's face when I write a book. Even when I do take notes. I just really suck at the face shape part of it. I'll quite often change the jawline. I must admit that once I did forget one of my characters had a beard until I got right to the end of the story and had to go back through and put it in. A little snippet here, and a little snippet there. A lot harder than you would think.

Nose Shape

A character's nose is probably one of their defining qualities. Is it straight, is it broken? Is it long, short, bent, flat? My nose has never been broken, so it's pretty straight. Though in saying that my family has a tendency to have rounder bottom. My daughter has the same nose. Where we differ is she has had her nose broken at birth, so she has the tell-tale bump in her nose. My son-in-law has a hooked nose so my poor granddaughter has a mixture of both of them. I think she's beautiful anyway.

Hand Shape

I love a person's hands. because most often than not they tell how a person lives their lives. People with roughened hands, you could surmise might work outdoors. Like cowboys, construction, landscaping. They say people with long thing fingers are usually artistic. I don't know whether that's true or not. But it makes you wonder. I have large hands... but I have long fingers and I'm pretty talented.

Body Shape

Everything all needs to go together and that's where you need the body shape. I don't know why the same shapes are different for men and women but they are. I must admit this is the hardest thing for me to choose. Because I don't tink all the people in my books have to be necessarily perfect. I don't mind if they have a bit of extra weight around the middle. I know the pain of a woman having big boobs. I can relate. I'm also a big believer the characters should dress comfortably, and for their body shape. I've read  one too many books where the character's just dress like sluts because their skinny, twinkish, and gay. Though I have had character's change dress styles during a book series. Chris does that in The Lines of Marsden, but it was done intentionally━but I digress.  We are talking about body shape... My best advice is to take notes. Notes will save your arse in the long run.