In Literal Limbo

Poetic Serendipity

2009-02-21T23:03:00.001-05:00

A while back, I had one of those out-of-mind creative moments where I created a mostly complete poem in a matter of seconds, as if the Great Literati in the Sky had placed the words inside my mediocre cerebellum. Smart as I am, I quickly jotted it down and then let it fester for, oh, two or three years.

Then I saw that the online literary journal put out by BellaOnline was taking submissions for its publication Mused. Most of my fiction is not Pollyanna enough for the general public, but some of my poems are, so I sent in the aformentioned Manna-from-Heaven and what do you know? It was accepted. Here's the link to my poem "Fall on Your Knees"...

And remember, never look a Gift Poem in the mouth :-)

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death

2009-02-05T20:43:00.005-05:00

So I was browsing Amazon from my beloved Kindle, whilst soaking in a deliciously warm tub of water, and I happened upon this book, as a link from a Chelsea Handler book. You know those "customers who bought this book also bought..." type of deal. So I hopped on over and realized that I could download this book absolutely FREE.

I should point out that me passing up a free book is like a crack head forcing a dealer to take all of his money. Ain't gonna happen in this lifetime.

So I got the book and I loved it. It's quirky, off-beat and self-deprecating. What fun!

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death by Laurie Notaro is the glimpse in the mirror that we all must face one day, so we might as well find ourselves laughing hysterically. Beats crying, right?

It's one of those books you can read while sitting at the doctor's office, while waiting for the repair guy to show up, or even while sitting in the back of a comparative religion class (guilty. It's just that entertaining!)

Don't believe me? Well who cares what you think. :-)

2009-01-10T22:07:00.004-05:00

I've fallen in love with my coffee cup. That is, I've fallen in love with what is in my coffee cup, and no, this time I'm not talking of breakfast blend mixed with Kahlua. I'm talking something Terriffic, with a capital Tea.

Since I've started trying to get Greener, and since I've discovered that naturally grown, fresh ingredients taste better, and have soooo much more nutritional value than those over-processed grocery store goods, I took my Tea-time to a whole new level. And of course I had to share!

You may be asking, "what's this got to do with Writing?"
Well, you've got to sip something while pounding away at the keyboard, and milkshakes will only expand your backside. Tea can be uplifting, complex, or nostalgic-- a perfect accompaniment to writing.

So, these are a few of my favorite teas: (Oh, no. Now I've got the Sound of Music in my head!)

And of course, with any loose tea, you have to have something to steep it in, either a package of loose tea bags thrown into a pot or cup of water, or you can get a handy little gadget that will strain the loose tea and let the liquid flow through.

My personal setup is an infuser/ cup combo. Loose tea in the infuser, infuser in cup . Add water. Wait. Enjoy.

Finding loose tea is becoming more and more popular as people realize that the taste is so much better, and the range of varieties is a great deal greater than your standard grocery store selection. You can browse around, or you can just visit Adagio Teas and save yourself some time.

I'd love to hear from tea lovers and the brands/ teaware that they use. Just leave a comment :-)

The Writers Journal

2009-01-10T12:35:00.000-05:00

All great writers absorb the particles of life and re-present them to readers in a unique way. One way to improve the quality of your fiction is to create a Writing Journal.

This is not our average “I had soup and read a book today” journal. No. This is so much more. For starters, this journal is actually organized into sections. You can take a notebook or a binder with built in dividers, but I prefer a smallish writing journal to which I just add adhesive tabs. Small is good, because the journal needs to go wherever you go.

Why the dividers? Because you are going to have different sections that you will constantly be adding to. You should be able to quickly locate a given heading and add to it, or use it for inspiration, like when doing timed writing prompt exercises. These sections will read like lists and include:

- A list of sensory observations. Great novelists remember to encompass sensory information in their writings, because it grounds the fiction in reality, and can also be used to trigger memories within the reader. For this list, you should break it down into sub-sections, allotting a page or two for each of the individual senses: smells, sights, tastes, sounds, tactile sensations (touch). You don’t have to write down everything you see or hear, just jot down the ones that make an impression, particularly if you think of an interesting way to say it. Under sounds you could put “tires crunching gravel” or under smells you could put “dog coming in out of the rain.”

- A list of overheard items. You can further subdivide this list into sub-categories like snippets of overheard conversations, odd expressions of speech, weird proclivities, and odd stories. I once heard someone say, “She’s a nice as pie” with a long “I” in pie, and I wrote it down immediately. I saw a young couple goofing around on the beach, he apparently trying to get her forcefully in the water, finally proclaimed, “I’ve got more body parts than you can fight off!”

- A list of What-If’s. This should include random musings of the what-if variety. What if you woke up one morning deaf? What if you witness a man beating a woman? What if the sun failed to rise one morning? What if you stated writing a book and everything you wrote began to come true? This list alone will come to inspire many a story.

- A list of titles. Have you every heard a phrase, or thought of a song, and with a little rearranging it would make a killer title for a story? Write these ideas here. They may one day become the basis for a story or the perfect title for a story already written. Examples from my titles list include, When the Wind Blows, Tickle-Me Ellie, Dawn’s Early Light, and so on. Come up with your own.

- A list of first lines. Like the titles, these may come to you at any time, attached or not to a story. “The shack is cupped in a hollow by the surrounding land, where frogs rise up from the earth, born of its bog” and “Love me or hate me, console me or ostracize me, but please believe me when I say that I never meant to hurt anyone” are both opening lines that went into my Writing Journal.

Why is all this important? Well, like I’ve said before, great writers take the fragments of their lives and mould them into something original. The purpose of creating a Writing Journal is to train your brain to think creatively, and to become more cognizant of the tiny sensory details that enliven life and fiction.

So what are you waiting for? Go get started!

Luvin my Kindle

2009-01-08T19:22:00.003-05:00

I just put up a post over at my other blog One Quirky Gurl regarding my newest way to read, which is great for the environment, saves me tons of cash and gives me time to read instead of wasting my time driving to the bookstore or digging through the library for something, anything that I haven't read yet. It's the Kindle, and electronic reading device from Amazon.

Here's a teaser from my blog:

I'm a self-proclaimed bibliophile. Of course, I don't have to proclaim it, one just need to see my house-- baskets, bookshelves and cardboard boxes full of box nestled in various corners of my humble abode speak volumes on my Literal addiction all on their own. And like any addiction, loving to read does have it's down falls...Needless to say, I wasn't surprised in the least when Oprah recently was quoted as saying how much she loved the Kindle device. But I had to smile, because I loved it first :-)

Read more on my other blog

Giving. Its the New Getting.

2009-01-08T00:07:00.002-05:00

(eCo)nscious Market is a self-proclaimed "For-Benefit" online commerce site based in Boulder, Colorado. They tout that their products are the finest ecologically and socially responsible products available, and the company donates a minimum of 10% of every purchase to a non-profit organizations. The even go so far as to let the buyer "hand-pick" the program that receives the donation funded by their purchase.

A sampling of organizations that are listed on the eConscious Market include:

-Urban Sprouts: uses school gardens to help youth engage in school, eat better, and connect with the environment and each other.

-The Jane Goodall Institutes works to protect chimpanzees and their habitats, supports community-centered development projects in ecologically-significant areas, and engages youth in making a positive difference.

-The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.

-Global Culture of Women Project, Celebrating the global voice of women ~ a beautiful revolution.

-Bead for Life, eradicates extreme poverty by creating bridges - Ugandan women make jewelry out of recycled paper and Americans open their homes and hearts to buy and sell the beads.

And that's just a tidbit of the charities benefiting every time someone shops. And the best part of it all? You won't feel bad for shopping, and the merchandise on this site is amazing.

I fell in love with sooo many things here, that if it weren't for the money of mine making its way to charity right now, I just might be feeling the lightness in my wallet :-)

Like:

This Large Stingray cuff, made of 100% recycled materials.

Or this Vy & Elle Portfolio crafted from Recycled billboards.

Or their cool line of 100% recycled notebooks. I AM a sucker for office supplies, I know.

So if you have a few minutes and are feeling charitable-- buy yourself a gift that gives to others too!
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NaNoWriMo is almost here!

2007-10-15T19:58:00.001-05:00

Well, I've gone and done it now. I've lost every bit of common sense that I had left after two children and a myriad of life-difficulties. I've registered for NaNoWriMo -- which for you not-in-the-know is the National Novel Writing Month's kick in the pants to would-be novelists. During the whole month of November, I will toil along side of several, several thousand other Novelists as I attempt to do the near-impossible. I will write a novel in one month.

Well, more like a novella, as the word count limit set by NaNoWriMo is a minimum of 50,000 words in 30 days. Whew. Im tired from just saying that! So go on, check it out, maybe there's a novel lurking in you!

Lean Mean Thirteen

2007-07-17T18:13:00.002-05:00

I just read Janet Evanovich's latest Bestseller "Lean Mean Thirteen" and I was as pleased as I usually am after reading a book from the Stephanie Plum Series. I mean, what's not to love? A klutzy bailbondsman with multiple issues, both romantic and personal. Evanovich has a spot-on sense of humor, which I can relate to as well. So check it out if you get a chance!

Oh, and did I mention that I aquired "Lean Mean Thirteen" through my favorite bookclub/home-based business-- Bookwise. Check out more about Bookwise HERE

Winning in the Margins

2007-05-26T13:42:00.001-05:00

I wanted to introduce you all to a new feauture from Bookwise. It's called Winning in the Margins, and is rolled into one compelling presentation on the website www.WinningInTheMargins.com. Richard Paul Evans, the New York Times Bestselling Author, and self-made millionaire discusses his family's financial turmoil as he was growing up, and how meeting a millionaire at age 12 changed his life for the better. From nothing, he made a life and a legacy, and now, Richard Paul Evans is sharing his methods with the world.

I was skeptical at first about this new Winning in the Margins site, but honestly, I am impressed. And if I wasn't already a President of my own Bookwise Company, I'd join all over again. If anything, this presentation just reiterates that I did a very smart thing when I became a part of the Bookwise Revolution. And I have no doubt that many others will feel the same way!

So, why don't you pop on over to Winning in the Margins and check it out. You'll be asked for a passkey to enter the presentation, so just enter *bookwise4u* and you will be set. It's free and there is no risk involved, just a few minute of your precious time that could change your life, if you let it!

Great Books from Bookwise

2007-05-23T19:50:00.001-05:00

I wanted to give you all a sample of the great books that can be purchased via Bookwise for considerable discounts, so I plan to post mini-book reviews here.

I just finished reading I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark. This was a typically good little mystery, more of what MHC is known for. There is murder, infedelity, long-unsolved crimes, gambling debts and a sweet, yet naive woman in the center of it all. I read this book in one sitting, which means that I was hooked fairly easily into the plot. Take this one along to the beach, or for lazing in a hammock one vacation day.

I read Mitch Albom's For One More Day while sitting in Concourse B, Gate 10 waiting for my departure flight in Chicago. It is poignant, witty, and at times a little off-beat, but overall a deep read. I recommend this one for times when you are feeling a little bit more serious and introspective.

Short Story Published on The Chick Lit Review!

2007-03-07T13:46:00.001-05:00

Hi again... I had to share...

My short story "Still-Life Paintings" had been published by The Chick Lit Reveiw. I was kind of surprised that they wanted it in the first place, because the story is not very Chick-Lit-y.

In the story, Sari is still reeling from a break-up when she is forced by her boss to go to an Art Gallery opening, where the guest of honor is her ex. But what she finds there is not at all what she expected...

Check it out, if you have second-- Still Life Paintings

The Chick Lit review is a great site for short and saucy reads, especially when your time is valuable and you need your fiction fix in baby bites. Def worth book marking. :-)

XOXO

K.

Amazon Shorts for the Hottest Short Stories

2007-02-21T23:06:00.000-05:00

Do you need your fiction in short bits, available when you want? Are you too overwhelmed to commit to reading a full-length novel? If you don’t have the time for a book, but still need you fiction-fix, consider checking out the wealth of short stories by your favorite authors on Amazon Shorts. These stories are in digital format, but you can print them out to read if you’d like. Once purchased, the story you choose from Amazon shorts will stay in your library on Amazon indefinitely.

Like literary journals and web-zines, Amazon shorts is very selective about the short stories that they except, and to even be considered, an author must have at least one book length work in print and available on Amazon. This weeds out those that are mediocre, or haven’t honed their writing enough to catch the eye of a publisher. So you know the quality has to be good. And buying Shorts off of Amazon is relatively inexpensive too! At an average of $0.49 each, you can read exclusive stories from some of your favorite authors. That brings me to another cool feature about Amazon Shorts—since these stories are exclusive, you will not see these stories in print or online anywhere else.

Here are some of my favorite authors and their Shorts available on Amazon:

Grant Jarrett
Gas’n Snack
The King of Retail

Richard Neal Huffman
Confessions of a Serial Killer’s Son
Bad Frank

Louis E. Catron
The Good Stuff

Elizabeth P. Glixman
Oneness and the Dog
Good Girls Don’t Get Sick

Robert Freese
The Thing in the Jar

And if you want to browse, the Amazon Shorts page is here at theAmazon Shorts Link

Amazon Shorts boasts every genre of literature and non-fiction you could possibly want, delivered in an easy format at an economical price.

Types of Amazon Shorts that You Can Browse Include:
Biography & Memoir, Business & Investing, Children’s & Teens, Entertainment, Gay & Lesbian, Health, Mind & Body, History, Horror, Humor, Literature & Fiction, Military Fiction. Nonfiction & Essays, Parenting & Families, Religion, Romance, Science, SF & Fantasy, Serials, Sports, Travel, and Westerns.

I’d like to hear from you. Do you read Amazon Shorts? Do you have any favorite stories that you’d like to recommend?

Whale Season by NM Kelby Book Review

2007-02-16T19:41:00.001-05:00

I just reviewed Whale Season, a darkly-comedic novel by NM Kelby over on the Reading Site at BellaOnline. Check it out, but here's a little bit to wet your literary appetite...

What do you get when you take a flailing RV salesman with a penchant for gambling, a card-shark Jesus who happens to kill people in his spare time, a female Strip club owner grieving the loss of her son, a cop who is always pining for women he can’t have, an aging blues musician with a secret, and a one-legged football has-been itching to make a comeback—then you throw them all into a floundering coastal town that once thrived on it’s namesake as a tourist draw, despite the fact that it doesn’t have whales, and never has?

What you get is Whale Season, a heck-of-a-good novel and an adventure in your armchair.

Discount Books!

2007-02-12T23:25:00.000-05:00

I've just discovered a wonderful place to buy current Best-Selling books (fiction, non-fiction, children's & more) at a huge discount! In the past, I've paid a membership to Barnes & Noble ($25 I think it was) to get 20-30% off of select titles. It seemed worth it at the time. However, Bookwise has an annual membership for Preferred Customers that is only $15 a year. Additionally, they will donate $1 for each book you buy towards Children's charities and Literacy programs. Cool. Cheap books, huge savings and philanthropy-- what more could you ask for?

Check out Discounted Best-Sellers at Bookwise

I am BOOKWISE. Are you?

The Killing Sea Book Review

2007-02-11T14:28:00.003-05:00

Hello again! I want to share with you a terrific YA book that I just reviewed on BellaOnline. Don't let the YA fool you though, this book is worthy of adult attention too! Check it out! (click on the photo)

The whole world watched when the footage of the tsunami rolled over the airwaves the day after Christmas in 2004, but how much could any one person really understand what it was like to live through it by video alone? In The Killing Sea, novelist Richard Lewis does more than show us the tsunami, he makes it real, he makes us live through it, swimming, fighting, struggling to hold on to life. (see the rest on Bella)

Oh, and Mr. Lewis was kind enough to mention my review on his personal blog, Novelist in Paradise!

Three Days in New York City: Book Review

2007-02-10T22:10:00.001-05:00

I recently read two great Chick-lit/ women's erotica novels, and reviewed them for my Reading Site at BellaOnline.

Check them out!

Three writing gigs in one week!

2007-01-28T23:42:00.001-05:00

Well, I've had a hell of a week! First, I was offered the Feature Writer position for Suite.101's topic Writing Fiction.

Then, I was offered the postion of Editor for BellaOnline's Reading topic.

And last but certainly not least, one of my short-stories was accepted for publication over at The Chick Lit Review (I'll update the link to my actual piece as soon as it's published.

Wow, the Literary Gods are smiling at me now!

Pen on fire : a busy woman's guide to igniting the writer within by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

2007-01-20T20:37:00.001-05:00

This book, Pen on Fire: a Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within, is one of the most refreshing books that I've read about the craft of writing in a good long while. Like many women who have small beings underfoot, I seem to lack enough hours in the day, and when I do find that illusive moment to write, my (creative) mind just doesn't feel up to it. I don't know, maybe it's the long hours filled with accounting tasks, the eons spent trying to help my kindergartener with his homework, or the house-drudgery that invades my every line of sight, but at the end of the day, my creativity is at a almost-non-existent low. But, ye gods, this book practically lept off of the shelf and into my arms (Praise be to B&N)...

Other than helping me refocus my desires and understand my procrastination, Pen on Fire is a bottom-less cup of joe-- giving me infinite ways to trick my inner muse and dive headlong back into what I am-- a writer. See, it's already helping me blog.

I knew there was a reason that I'm keeping it on the nightstand by my bed!

Judge & Jury - James Patterson & Andrew Gross

2007-01-15T20:42:00.001-05:00

Okay, so despite my obviously sarcastic blog a while back about Patterson cashing in on co-writing as a way to mass produce literature and thus multiply his earnings, I must say that there is one benefit to Patterson being able to churn out multiple books per year:

I DON'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG BETWEEN RELEASES!

Yes, I am impatient. I can think of a half-a-dozen authors that I am not-so-patiently awaiting the next book from, and with Patterson I just don't have to wait. It's instant gratification of the literary kind. Love it!

I finished this book, Judge & Jury a few days ago and, as usual, Patterson has delivered a rather good bit of suspense here. This book involves a two trials for the same crimes, a butt-load of witness intimidation and silencing, and a couple of characters that just won't give up. At the crux of this story is one twisted bastard, a cop with a load of guilt on his shoulders, and one ferociously determined woman. Compelling, fast-paced, worth the time to read!

TRY- Lily Burana

2006-12-22T20:57:00.001-05:00

Now, normally, I wouldn't even take home a book that seems to live a good bit of its life in and around the rodeo circuit, but what can I say, I was having one of those "TRY something new days".

And it's a good thing I was.

I could have missed this engaging, fresh novel, but I'm the better for having read it. All I really want to say about it is this: this book, this kind of writing that is so fluent that you don't feel like your reading a story but rather watching it unfold, is the reason why I write. I want to write like this! And I'd hazard that other would-be authors are thinking the same thing. I'll bet again in saying that this debut novel won't be the last one we get from Ms. Burana.

Bon appetite!

How I Write, By Janet Evanovich

2006-12-09T14:45:00.001-05:00

I read this all in one sitting last night, so it was a quick interesting read. As far as information on how to become a best-selling author, I don' think that there was any tips or hints that I haven't seen before. The best parts of this book occured when Evanovich's humor shined through. It did give a good deal of insight into "how" she writes and "why", as well as why she changed genre's midway through her career.
Overall, this book was an interesting little look into the mind of a writer, cheez doodles and all!

Sexy Series with Bite!

2006-12-09T14:32:00.001-05:00

I can't even begin to tell you how enamored I am with Laurell K. Hamilton's series of books involving Anita Blake, Vampire executioner and Necromancer extroidonaire.

I started reading smack in the middle of the series, which is more the pity, because then I had to hit rewind and find all the books that came before. Still, even as a series, all the books read independently and it wasn't too hard to keep up.

And I never take more than two sittings too finish a book. (In fact, I've devised a way to sneek my book into work, and pretend like I'm doing research or something. Don't tell!) Her books are heavy on suspense, eroticism and horror, but she combines them so well that even the person that says "I don't read books about vampires!" would be hard pressed not to become engulfed by these books.

So go ahead, have a taste. I'm almost certain you'll develop an appetite right away!

How Did I Forget That?

2006-09-26T20:52:00.001-05:00

Imagine my surprise, when searching for this very blog on blogger, I happened upon an essay of mine (written under my given name) that was published the end of August-- without my knowledge.

I should volunteer that the very reason I was searching for my own blog to begin with involved a horrific computer crash, a total re-install and extesive problems with my DSL server (rhymes with horizon, thank you very much!)

I am assuming that I, at some point submitted this article for their perusal, since it is accompanied by a bio that I have used in the past (or some variation therof)...and since my computer was dead, it is very reasonable to assume that they tried to contact me about the publication...

Check it out and tell me what you think!

The Imperfect Parent

Progress, sort of...

2006-07-05T19:17:00.001-05:00

(WARNING: Artist at Work)

Well, I stayed home this past Friday due to a severe case of female-problems (sorry if TMI, but I don't want the powers that be to think I was playing hooky) and I managed to make some real progress on a short story I started eons ago.

Quick question: Have you ever written something so totally out-of character that it freaks you, the writer, out completely? I'm talking the kind of writing that could have only come out of the deepest recesses of my mind, the kind that makes me wonder if I have repressed childhood trauma that justifies immediate, intensive therapy.

Seriously, I'm scared to submit the polished version of my story to any literary magnate for perusal, for fear that they will A) think I'm am certifiable insane B) pull out a can of weirdo-repellant or C) think that I am the secret love-child of Steven King, or D) Love the story so much that it must be published with copies sent to all my living friends and relatives, who will in turn, have me committed.

See, I'm sounding nuerotic enough already.

I wish Miss Snark would weigh in on the issue: Is writing that is a bit odd, that raises one's hackles and hits a nerve ultimately a good or a bad thing? Is it one or the other on the merit of the story itself, or is quality writing what matters, regardless of the subject matter?

Please, give me your prozaic thoughts...

Black & Blue-- Anna Quindlen

2006-07-05T18:22:00.001-05:00

First, let me qualify that I'm blonde (which means that I tend to forget certain tidbits of information-- nevermind that I might suddlenly remember the names for every segment of spine in a mammal, but I digress) and that I read ALOT. Usually, like 5-7 books per week.

And occasionally, it does happen that I check-out a book that I've already read. With living in a rural area, the local library cannot be expected to sustain my biblio-habit, sadly.

Thus, I adopted the read-and-initial attitude, which has saved me quite a bit of time. I read a book, I initial it somewhere on the inside of the cover. While this seems to be working, I failed to realize that it would not prevent me from getting books that I'd read prior to devoloping my system.

Such is the case with this book, Black and Blue, by Anna Quindlen. I checked it out last week and was dismayed to find, two chapters into the book, that it seems quite familiar. I think what irritates me the most about my addled brain is that I really liked this book. It resonated with me because I am a mother and the crux of the story hits a little too close to home.

So here it is, and oldie, but goodie...check it out (from your library or not) at My Library (at the right).

Bon chance!

The Last Time They Met - Anita Shreve

2006-06-20T22:01:00.001-05:00

Ms. Shreve keeps getting better and better. This lyrical novel of love and loss left me speechless. My only though upon reading the last paragraph was, "wow".

I read her very first novel, The Pilot's Wife, which was showcased on Oprah, and thought the author pretty talented. Some time later, I read through her next few novels, including Eden Close and The Weight of Water, and thought, my, she is evolving as an author.

Now, I'd have to say, with the birth of The Last Time They Met, Ms. Shreve has, most assuredly, arrived within the literary elite. Enjoy!

(Link to book on right in My Library)

Co-Authoring Trend

2006-06-19T12:45:00.001-05:00

I noticed, while preparing to read the James Patterson book reviewed below, that he had a co-author for this book. This triggered the standard domino chain of synapses firing, and I remembered other Patterson books that were also co-authored.

I had to ask myself, why in the world would this commercially successful author needed someone to help him write books? This was a question that I had to answer.

After some searching on the net, a little bit of Partypoker, and 1/2 of a blueberry bagel, I found what I was looking for.

POP-QUIZ:

--Is Patterson so benevolent that he grabs an aspiring author up by the shirtcollars, effectively saying, "Here my child! Hitch your wagon to my Star!" while posing for the photogs?

--Has Patterson written so many dang-blasted books that he can no longer grasp that illusive *unique* idea?

--Has Patterson fallen into a deep coma, prompting a greedy agent/ publisher to hire someone to churn out more money makers?

THE ANSWER: none of the above.

Publicity and Money seem to be the key to this mystery.

You see, shrewd Patterson has decided to use his notoriety in conjunction with a struggling writers time. It seems dear Patterson makes the outline, and co-A drafts the first full novel. A round of "change this" or "try something different here" ensues, then out pops a blue-faced spanking new novel a la' Patterson.

Ingenious really. With co-authors, Patterson can mass produce original books (kind-of) that don't suck, while reaping in the extrapolated royalties.

Patterson is a man with his eyes on the prize!

Beach Road by Patterson

2006-06-12T22:50:00.001-05:00

I just finished the book, Beach Road, by James Patterson-- all in one sitting-- which says something about the book.

I am dumbstruck.

Boy, I never saw that ending coming one bit. I don't want to say too much, for fear of giving it away. This might be the best Patterson I've read yet.

Seriously. Check it out!

(Link in My Library to the right...)

Clearing the Cobwebs

2006-06-10T23:07:00.001-05:00

I can't say that I got anything worthwhile done today, but what we did do was very helpful in airing out my dusty cranium. A nature walk!

Yes, she who has come to hate the thought of being hot, sweaty and outdoorsey, actually gave in and went with the kiddies to Assateaugue Wildlife Refuge and hoofed it. (No pun intended, though I did get some good shots of the wild ponies!)

All in all, the heightened level of oxygen did my brain some good. And the oppritunity to flex my creative muscles in another way turned out to be a perk. I got some other good shots of the wildlife, some of which I'm very proud of. I can't wait until I get my dream camera with a zoom lens, so I can get even better shots. Enjoy!

Brown vs. Brown

2006-06-09T22:44:00.001-05:00

This is to those of you who have read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and have also read Angels & Demons:

Am I alone in thinking that Angels & Demons was the far better book?

Da Vinci has illict cover-ups involving the mother of all births (no pun intended) but I felt vaguely let down by the ending. I mean, there seemed to be no big finale. The supposition and art history was fun, but it was like sex without the big finish.

Angels and Demons, on the other hand, had far better plotting, the suspense was top-notch, and I reveled in the art history again. And there was a definitive story arc. This book left me satisfied, unlike The Code.

While The Code recieved more press because of it's controversial nature, I whole-heartedly feel that Angels & Demons is the better read.

Anybody agree?

Latest Read - Aria

2006-06-09T16:20:00.002-05:00

I just finished the book ARIA by Susan Segal.

Lemme tell you, it was an excellent way to pass the work week . The MC Eve is recovering from a horrible boating accident in which she lost her husband and two children. Can you imagine?

Enough said.

Segal uses situations that I normally wouldn't have considered to bring out the suffering of poor Eve. The first time she goes grocery shopping, Eve ends up with a basket full of food fit for four people. All she has to feed is herself, and she barely manages to do that, not that I blame her. The paparazzi follows, and her new-found friends may or may not have her best interests in mind... just read it!

(Amazon link in My Library section to the left.)

I HEART GUMP!

2006-06-08T15:43:00.001-05:00

Love is like a box of chocolates....Or rather, being in Love is like being a box of chocolates.

Someone comes along bedazzled by your sinfully sweet goodness, they begin to lick their lips with anticipation. In a Pavlovian response, their mouths water at the prospect of tasting your creamy insides... slowly they nibble, getting more vigiorous with each taste...

Then they stop. They look at you like they just realized that they don't like caramel, spit you out on the floor to get stepped on my some big fat guy drenched in eu'de chicken-grease, and saunter over to the ice cream aisle for some Gelato.

Gotta love an ego boost!

2006-06-07T22:20:00.001-05:00

My day job appears to be, at first glance, the mirror image of the creative sloth that is sitting here, at eleven pm, trying to type one handed because the other hand is holding a Marlboro.

But now I realize that my daily bread-earning compliments my muse-seeking side. Accounting has become my yen to my yang. My black to my white. My classical to my heavy-metal.

And today, those two sort-of met in the middle.

You see, I am a Purchaser by trade. Yes, read 'em and weep ladies-- I SHOP for a living. Mind you, I'm not out perusing Prada. I work for a fairly small but elite Marble Mosaics company. Anything that is needed for the company or it's workers, I buy it. From saw blades to copy paper.

Recently, I was asked to get quotes for employee t-shirts. I fired back that I couldn't get accurate quotes without the full t-shirt design. I was emailed the t-shirt design, which turned out to be nothing more than 1 graphic that they wanted to use on the back of the shirts. I was told to figure out the rest. So I did.

And after corresponding all morning with the Marketing and Promotions guy via long-distance email. He said that I did a really good job, and had I ever considered Graphic Design. Yippie!

I repeat, YIPPIE!

Did I mention the company has a design center. A loft high above production where David Bowie is inclined to follow Enya on the CD changer. A place where CAD (computer aided drafting) and watercolor renderings co-mingle. A place where all the desktops are beautiful marble slabs.

Yes, I've considered it. I would love it. I wonder, though, if my creative juices would run even drier after a full days worth of being artistic. I might loose my Yen. or whatever.

~K.

Crap, the guilt cometh!

2006-06-06T21:51:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I felt a little guilty blaming my kids for becoming such a boring, unimaganitive mom, that I had to give them some air time.

Owen will be 5 next month, and he has really grown up in the last few months. Mind you, he can still throw a 3 year-olds temper tantrum like it was nobody's business, but I can plainly see that my first baby is no longer a baby.

He has his Preschool graduation last week, and I was startled to see the fruit of my loins actually behaving like a little man, all dressed up in his shirt and tie. I will not go into how I felt to see him don the ceremonial cap and gown.

(Don't blame me for the Bambi-killing...that one's all on his redneck father, bless his heart)

And Emma, what can I say about her except that she is most assuredly my daughter, sent from heaven to remind me how stubborn, opinionated, and demanding a child that I was.

And boy does she do a bang-up job of it. Sometimes I say she's all girl, like when she waltzes in after preschool and announces that she is changing her clothes, which usually results in a large ambigous pile of clothes that I have no choice but to wash.

Other times, though, she is the reincarnated tomboy of my childhood, giving the goods back to her brother before he has time to realize, literally, what hit him.

While at the beach the other day, Owen kept close company near me, not trusting the water to stay in the ocean. Emma, on the other hand, walked right down to the water's edge, plopped down and dug a hole (repeatedly, I might add, becasue the waves kept erasing her handiwork.

Night and day, those two. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Good night, and good luck!

Oh Where, Oh Where Can She Be?

2006-06-06T21:22:00.001-05:00

I just don't get it, this inability to take action. Those last ten words add up to more than I have written in a month, if you don't count snappy emails and terse business memos.

I used to be such a creative person. I handpainted my children's dressers, not because I couldn't afford new ones, but because I wanted to! I blogged, I plotted, I tinkered, I painted, I edited, I mused....

(I wrote and designed the ebook & cover you see at left)

And for the last six months, nothing. Nada. Zip.

My most creative thought today was, well shit! I forgot that too! I am seriously worried that I have lost "the essense of me". Before I had kids, or at least the second kid, I was a much more interesting person. But now that I have a 4 and a 5 year old, I feel so much duller.

Maybe it's because I've always been a solitary person, and now I have nothing to myself. I don't mean to imply that I sat home reading a dusty tome while others where out tapping a keggar. I enjoyed binge drinking until I passed out, fell down concrete steps and awoke sitting in the passenger seat of my white camero covered in vomitus-- for example-- just as much as the next gal. But I digress...

What I mean to say is that I've always cherish time to myself. Stretches of time where my brain mixes and molds the silly putty of creativity, finally sputtering out a perfect Mr. Potato Head replica. Now, I don't have time to ferment the grains. I am not a machine, dammit. I can't just spew creative juices all over the paper at will. I cannot gleek.

Great, now I'm not only aging and dull, but apparently somewhat touched in the head.

I'm off to the bizarro sleep world that I thrive in, because, in my dreams, it is weird NOT to be weird.

~K.

At last! my weary bussom heaves...

2006-02-19T15:44:00.001-05:00

Good News! I am having a poetry chapbook published by Blue Bay Books. It is going through the process now, but I should get the galley any day now to review. I'll be posting a link and cover soon, so check back! Tentatively, this chapbook is titled Unrequited: A Poetry Collection.

unrequited >adjective: (of a feeling, especially love) not returned or rewarded.

Here is a sample poem, consisting of the last few lines of the poem "Slideshow":

Could someone take my
Memories of him–
Display them on a screen,
Store them on a disk,
Make me a video to watch
At the witching hour
When my heart can’t seem
to forget
And my mind can’t seem
to remember.

Also I am compiling other collections. These books will contain essays, fiction and poetry by moi' and also offer up the occasional odd-ball quote. More on that soon too!

Until next time-- Ciao'

Oh, my Achin' Noggin!

2006-01-19T22:54:00.001-05:00

Forgive the dramatics, but my temporal lobe is making this wierd ticking noise and I swear I can feel my hair pulsing to the rythem of my heart. A is for Aneurysm-- the next popular Sue Grafton novel, available in September 2009! Reserve your copies today!

Not much new on the writing front today. I managed to review a few novel chapters on The Next Big Writer. I'm the middle of two great novels right now-- NANCY BOY and FEELS LIKE HOME. The first is literary, the second mainstream romance/suspense. Both are very well executed and the kind that keep you turning the page (or link). If you get a chance, drop in and check them out!

Other than that, all I've managed to write today is this miserable blog-drivel, that is sure to come back and haunt me some day when I hit the best-seller list and head out to tour Italy.

Some American tourist (evidenced by the fanny-pack, bottled water, and sensible shoes) will approach me while I stare at the Sistine Chapel and blurt, "Aren't you that writer woman? What is it that you wrote...Something that I tried to read but couldn't get past the first page?"

And I'll reply, "Oh, you mean (insert stellar book title)?"

And the shriveled up old hag will say, no that nonsensical rambling on the web-internet thingy...whatcha call it? A frog.. log...dog...cog?"

Enough said. I'm heading to bed while I still have a modicum of dignity left.

What Does it All Mean?

2006-01-18T22:59:00.001-05:00

So, ye of expansive cyber-space... you may be wondering, what is the meaning behind this blog?

First, and assuredly most important, I am trying to motivate my sloth-ridden tail into writing again (more). You see, I've hit upon a case of acedia (ahh-see-dee-ahh: creative sloth, otherwise known as a "block".) And from where I sit, the natives in my noggin are getting restless.

Then there is my other reason, which is still self serving, though may offer up a bit of help to others out there like me-- I want to cronical my way to Writer-dom.

You probably need some back-story. In a nutshell, I've always been a closet writer-- making up stories in my head, tinkering with a poem here, a short-story there. You know, you have done it too.

A few years ago, I set about finding my writing niche. I wrote columns for several local papers, one of which made it to a pretty big state paper. I became the non-fiction editor of a writer-ly website. I became an editor of three sites on a Women-geared master site.

Column writing is good for me, and to be honest, blogging pretty much feels the same way. Cathartic.

Then I dabbled in fiction and poetry. I workshopped a good bit of my work, got some decent feedback and submitted a pitiful number of works to small lit mags and such. Suprisingly, I made my first sale ($10) without ever knowing how. One day I got a check in the mail for a pitiful erotic short story that I conjured up after too much tequila. What the hell, I cashed it, effectively selling my baby to a stranger.

My biggest accomplishment to date has been selling a story to a national magazine. Now, before you offer up congratulatory praise, I must tell you, the mag was a CONFESSIONAL type of mag. You know, the one with attention-grabbing headlines like: I sold my baby for $40, or I Ran My Husband Over with My Buick.

Kidding aside, I am proud of that sale. I got a decent little chunk of change and my story hit grocery stores everywhere. I know, it's no Pulitzer, but I've got to think of it as a baby step toward my goal of BEING a WRITER.

Thus, this blog has commenced. Somewhere between wanting to be a writer and being able to say I AM A WRITER (where you inevitably have to answer the question, "What have you published?" with something more substantial than saying "A few things.") there is a middle ground, a Literal Limbo.

I am there. Follow me while I weave my way from the depths of my creative purgatory!