HOT WHEELS

Yesterday when we went to Phoenix we cruised the luxury car lots. I never knew research for a book could be so much fun! Makes me jealous of my heroine. At first I was sure I wanted her to drive a Mercedes SLK 280, just like this one:

(I know, I know, a Price is Right girl I am not, but that’s not the point.)

Because my husband used to sell cars, he told me to make sure whoever came out to help me knew up front that I had no intention of buying. So this guy comes out and tries to put the schmooze on, and I say, “Let me tell you up front that I’m not buying.”

“Oh, really?” he says.

“I’m writing a book, and this is what my heroine drives, so I’m doing a little research.”

Disgruntled, he walks away shaking his head saying, “It’s a slow month, and this is the best excuse yet….research.”

At least I found out that no Mercedes have standard transmissions…crucial info for my book. (Doesn’t it make you wonder how?)

Next we went to BMW, where I met a nice lady who gave me a few brochures, and let me sit in my heroine’s car. A BMW Z4. I love this little car, not that I would ever own one with three children. But it’s a darling car! I can’t wait to do the rest of the research for my book, which involves visiting more fun places, which I cannot disclose:) What kind of research have you done for your fiction?

WAKING LAZARUS

Last week I would have laughed at you if you’d told me I’d be touting a supernatural thriller. Me? I’m a chick-lit kind of girl….until now. T.L. Hines has created an awesome read, inspired by events in his own life.

Jude Allman died and came back to life three times, earning him unwanted notoriety. He slips away and becomes Ron Gress, an unknown janitor. When children start disappearing, only he holds the key to what’s happening through the mystery of his death experiences.

Waking Lazarus is peopled with flawed characters involved in complicated relationships with one another. This story is light on syrup, rich in story, so rich in fact that a man repeatedly dying and coming back was entirely believable. I bought into it all the way. Not only is it original and entertaining, it creeped me out, and I think that’s way fun. And the twist at the end? I didn’t see it coming. I thought I did, but I was wrong.

For a supernaturally good read CLICK HERE

To find out more about T.L. Hines, swing by his blog.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH??

Reckless overindulgence. Everything I do, I do to the max. I wish that included good things like exercise. Lately, my list mostly includes eating and surfing the net. You should see my oldest daughter and I fighting for computer time…not pretty. So how much is too much when it comes to time on the internet? Here are 3 things that made me take notice:

1. Mousehand. My hand gets frozen to the mouse to the point of pain. I don’t stop until I can’t scroll any longer. Maybe I need a new mousepad?

2. Eye ache. My eyes hurt from scrolling through message boards, e-mails, blogs, etc. I wish this made me stop.

3. Hunchback. At least I feel like I have a hunchback by the end of the day. I think it’s from leaning my head in toward the computer. Maybe it’s just poor posture. Either way it needs fixin.

It’s quite possible I need to get out more. I’d like to think that most of my time on the computer is spent writing, but I’m starting to wonder. If I’m honest I’d have to say I spend 1.5-2 hours a day online, not writing. Please tell me I’m not alone.

WHAT’S THAT SMELL???

Sorry to say, it’s my prose. It downright stinks, like mothballs or old wet socks at the bottom of the laundry basket….not that I would actually know, mind you. I blame the time I spent as a journalism major, even though that’s not the degree I earned in the end. I still spent too long writing the facts, and keeping the story to the 5 W’s and the H, with the most important points at the top. Everything I write is clipped, seriously lacking anything beyond the basics. Yep, I’m guilty of telling instead of showing. I’m working on it, though, but this whole editing thing may take longer than I thought. **insert heavy sigh**

On a lighter (and less smelly) note, my middle child turned two yesterday. She’s brilliant, and wonderful, and really, I’m not prone to bragging. I’m married to Super-Husband, and God has blessed us with three awesome kids. Life is good.

P.S. See, even my posts are short.

YOU KNOW YOU’RE ADDICTED TO BOOKS WHEN…..

1. You burn more calories turning pages than you do during your 30 minute walk.

2. You have to visit the book section everywhere you go, even the grocery store.

3. You buy more books because you can use it as a tax deduction.

4. Every time your husband/wife/significant other sees you with a new book, you pretend it’s from the library.

5. You spend more money on books every month than on your phone/electric/Visa bill. You know you’ve got a problem if you spend more on books than you do on gas.

P.S. My husband knows how much I spend. Really

Wren tagged me a week or so ago with the meme. So here it is, me in a nutshell. Ooo, bad cliche. And who of you haven’t meme’d yet? Jennifer???

Accent: I wish, but nope. Unless you count my daughter and I faking a British one.
Best personality trait: Humor, maybe.
Chore I hate: the kitchen floor!%. Especially when someone insists on wearing shoes inside!%$#
Dad’s name: George. Big surprise.
Essential make-up/skin care products: lotion, and mascara since I don’t have eyelashes
Favorite perfume/cologne: NOA, or Amore Amore (my MIL works for Armani! Yippee!!)
Gold or silver?: Silver.
Hometown: Flagstaff
Interesting fact: I was second runner-up Miss Arctic Circle 1990
Job title: See my profileJ
Kids: YES
Living arrangements: squeezed in like Vienna wieners
Mom’s birthplace: same place as my 3rd child
Number of apples eaten in the last week: 1?
Overnight hospital stays: 3
Phobia: Spiders (just like Wren)
Question you ask yourself a lot: When can I nap?
Religion: Christian
Siblings: 1 sister, 8 years younger
Time I wake up: 7, which is WAY too early. I look forward to the day I can sleep in, because I haven’t done so in 2 years.
Unnatural hair color: the white ones I keep pulling out
Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: mushrooms. They remind me of giant snotballs. Eww…
Worst habit: Caffeine addict, and cracking my knuckles isn’t so hot either
X-rays?: teeth only
Yummy food I make: chicken tacos, or mashed potatoes slathered with cream cheese and butter.
Zingers: Yes, the chocolate ones, or the pink ones, mmmm….the lemon are good too

3 THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE ….

The more I edit, the more I see certain things cropping up over and over again throughout my book:

A. The use of food to describe people. (You’ll have to read my book to find out how!)

B. The phrase “He/she tossed his/her head back in laughter.”

C. The use of the grand cliché, “my heart sank.”

If I hadn’t read my book in one (drawn-out) stretch, I would never have caught this. I certainly didn’t write with the intention of repeating myself. After catching these redundancies, I realized:

A. I’m having issues with food.

B. Either me, or my characters, needs a chiropractor.

C. I’m having a buoyancy problem.

Here’s to editing, and all the fun that it can be!

WOW, WHAT A VIEW!

Today we went to the top of the mountain in the name of research. This is a view of our town, from about 9000 ft. You can see where the trees are all burnt out from a massive fire in the 70’s. The top of the mountain provides the setting for an important scene in my book. I wanted to make sure I got everything right, so up to the top we went. Too bad our brakes busted out on the way back down.

In any case, I still can’t decide whether to use the real name of our town in my book, or not. Do you make up your settings, or do you stick with a real place? Inquiring minds want to know.

EATING AN ELEPHANT

After six long days of reading my book for the first time, I’ve come to the conclusion that writing/editing a book is a huge undertaking. (Like, DUH!) And I’ve learned more over the last six days than in all of the other years I’ve spent writing.

*I learned that my book wasn’t as good as I thought it was. Nor was it as bad.

*I need more than one red pen.

*I really should have waited longer before starting to edit, because while I hadn’t seen the beginning in a couple of months, the ending was oddly familiar. Or maybe it was just odd.

*I must be a novice, because I could literally see the improvement in my writing from beginning to end. If you’re an experienced writer, your skills are likely as good at the start as they are at the finish.

*God gave me the fortitude to get to the end of a longer work than I’ve ever done before. Now I just need to fix the fuddy-duds.

What has your writing taught you?

A FUNNY MOMENT
This is so funny, I had to share. Some of my more conservative friends: beware. (But mostly it’s just funny:))