Vixenwriter

I tell you, some days just trying to find clothes can he a pain in the butt. First of all, since when did “Sandals” become a synonym for “matronly and ugly”? I have been looking for a simple pair of white sandals that aren’t flip flops, don’t have gold on them and aren’t something from my mom’s closet. You’d think I was asking for cold fusion or something. Good lord. How hard is it to find a pair of cute white sandals? Nearly impossible. Also? Who the hell pays a hundred bucks for flip flops?

And then there’s the “One Size” phenomenon. One size for say, ponchos? Sure. One size for a dress? Not so much. Don’t tell me my size ten booty will fit into the same dress a size two will without looking like a sausage or ripping a seam. It’s not gonna happen. Panties that are one size! Seriously, the person who decided on that sizing should be whacked upside the head with a rolled up newspaper and forced to wear underwear so small it cuts into his gut and his junk all day long. And you know it’s a dude who decided on that classification. Because any woman who’s lived long enough to have the back of the drawer panties for those “plump” days, knows those cute little thong underwear she has on her thinnest days will cut off her circulation other times.

I did however, grab myself the cutest vintage dress! I can’t wait to wear it in vegas. Now I just need to find the right shoes. *hear Lauren sigh* I love shoes, I am an unashamed shoe whore. But finding the right pair of shoes for a certain outfit can be painful. First because I find all sorts of things I don’t need but want nonetheless (and my husband looks at the floor of the closet and says, “how many pairs of black shoes do you need?” and I say, “I don’t know, I’ll let you know when I get there”)

Oh and by the way, check out the Write Attitude. I surfed around a bit, especially on the stories section. Writing is so solitary sometimes it’s hard to keep going when you get to feeling down so it’s heartening to hear how other authors kept at it before finally breaking.

Oh that Megan Hart, I just lurve her to pieces…

I’m not as nice as Megan is. But you know, the high road isn’t a bad plan most of the time.

A bit of an image. 18 and over only please – Mildly F/F

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Okay – this week I did mostly editing and revising and some plotting on Sisters Of Mercy but here’s where I stand overall:

11,678 / 30,000 (38.9%)

Celebration for the Dead (novella in the Witches Knot universe)

2,800 / 90,000 (3.1%)

Sisters of Mercy (I took this one apart and re-wrote it from scratch to change the beginning after some intensive plotting)

SO: Overall, since July 8 I’ve written a total of 48,881 new words (after I subtracted out the first draft of Sisters of Mercy)

48,881 / 75,000 (65.2%)

The weekend is finally here, thank goodness! The last few weeks have been insanely busy so it’s nice to finally see a bit of time to relax. I finished two books in July and got one off to my editor and I’ll get the next off soon too. I started a new book but while i’m plotting, I’m working on a novella about Minx and Connor (you met them in Vengeance Due). I’m already about halfway finished so that’s nice. This story has been in my head for some time now so it’s great to finally be able to finish it.

Got a few books read – Harry Potter and Ice Blue (love me some Anne Stuart!). I’m about halfway finished with Joey Hill’s Vampire Queen’s Servant and I’ve got some really tasty ebooks to read as well as a stack of paper books to work through.

I’m planning a vacation with my husband, our second annual no kids in Vegas vacation and I can’t wait! Every time I go to Las Vegas I come back with a new book idea plus it’s so nice to go and have couple time, go to dinner in restaurants without paper and crayons at the table and cloth napkins. Ahhh. Dawdling over a cocktail, walks after midnight, sleeping until noon if we want.

I can’t believe it’s August already. The summer is flying by and the kids will be back in school in a month. Two of my brood have birthdays coming up in August as well as my nephew and sister in law too. It’s a busy time around here!

Oh and YIPPEEEEE! Tuesday is 300 day. There’s a DVD I’ll be watching a few times, heh. LOTS of inspiration there. it’s abtastic, that movie.

Whew, oh how I love Gerard Butler….

How is everyone’s summer so far? What are people up to? Anything exciting? What vacations have you all taken or have planned?

Slower this week because I’ve been editing/revising and haven’t felt exceptionally well. But I finished two books.

Anne Stuart’s Ice Blue

love Anne Stuart. I love her arrogant, control freak heroes and most of the time I love her heroines.

When we caught a glimpse of Taka O’Brian in Cold As Ice I had a feeling he’d be next and I wasn’t disappointed to hear he’d be taking center stage in Ice Blue.

In fact, I wasn’t disappointed in anything about Ice Blue. This is classic Stuart, a hero who isn’t typical by any stretch. Flawed, damaged, hard as nails and you wonder if there’s even a heart in there sometimes. But there is and slowly, Taka’s character unfurls even as Summer’s own does too.

I haven’t ever read a Stuart novel where it felt comfortable and Ice Blue is no exception. Her books aren’t for the faint of heart or if you’re in the mood for a softer love story. From the first page, she will shove you to the edge and keep you there the whole time. It’s a powerful, exhausting way to write and I admire her skill greatly.

Anyway, as you can tell, I loved the book and I’ll definitely be back for more. She’s setting the stage for Isobel to get a story and that little bit between Reno and Jilly was telling too. I can’t wait.

And JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

There’s not a lot I can say without spoilers so I’ll be general. I loved it. I loved the epilogue. I disagree most vehemently with people who assert Hermione was dumbed down when it was Hermione who saved the trio several times through the book. It’s her quick thinking and spine that really frame the story. In fact, I have to say of all the characters in the book, it’s hers I liked the most this time out.

Rowling tied up the loose story threads quite adeptly. Yes, there’s a lot of death and it’s a dark, dark story. She’s said all along that the books are generally written for the age Harry is in each book and I think for any kids under 15 or so, it might be a bit much although my ten year old is excited to read it and after his father does, I’m sure he will. This is war. This is the end of the world type stuff and Voldemort is a bad dude. It’s no surprise he has people killed, it’s why harry is ready to sacrifice everything to stop him. So for me, it would have been pulling punches to not have it be as violent and dark as it was.

I wish I’d seen more Ginny. The middle lagged a bit and stuff happened off the page that would have been better told on the page while a bunch of stuff told on the page could have been better saved off. But that’s minor compared to the way Rowling tied up 10 years of this story. I’ll miss Harry and his friends very much.

Thirteen Romance Novel Moments I Love

1. Every time Roarke touches the button he nicked from Eve’s ratty suit jacket from the funeral when they first met. It’s a small thing but it speaks very loudly of the tenderness between them.

2. The dock scene in Welcome to Temptation – it’s hot, funny and sort of cringeworthy all at once.

3. Sookie and Eric making out on the hood of his car outside the party in Living Dead in Dallas

4. When Claire walks into Jamie’s print shop after she’d been gone for twenty years in Dragonfly in Amber

5. When Clay and Elena come back together in such a beautifully tormented way in Bitten (I wouldn’t say Bitten is a traditional romance though, it’s got strong romantic elements and Kelley Armstrong is a fabulous author)

6. Jaine looking out her window and seeing a very nekkid Sam in his kitchen next door and saying “sweet baby jesus” in Linda Howard’s Mr. Perfect. Sam, mmmm one of La Linda’s hottest alpha dudes.

7. Bea in the under the desk scene in Emma Holly’s Personal Assets. It’s a prime example of why I love Emma Holly’s sex writing so much. There’s a lot of emotion as well as heat packed into just a few pages.

8. When Shannon meets Murphy for the first time in Born in Shame – I love how sure he is that they’re right for each other.

9. The first time we meet Daegus in Dark Highlander, in his apartment, listening to the Nine Inch Nails – oh and closely followed by the first sex scene between Daegus and Chloe. I love love love this book.

10. Derek and Sara’s first meeting in Lisa Kleypas’ Dreaming of You. Derek is a fabulous hero and the interaction between Sarah, a smart and very sassy woman and this former thug is really engaging.

11. The porch scene in After The Fire – seriously, Linda Howard can really walk the edge with some dark heroes and Grey is one of those. This is one of those books you either love or hate, I love it.

12. Every single time Ranger shows up and looks at Stephanie and says, “babe” and shakes his head. Janet, can we just have like, a solid book of Ranger/Stephanie lovin?

13. Sam falling on Rick in Flirting with Danger. Enoch gives a rather unconventional start to a wonderful and yet totally unconventional couple.

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This is a spin off of my Witches Knot series and a standalone. You’ll see some familiar faces but meet a new cast of characters! It’s now available from Ellora’s Cave.
Blurb: Mei NiaAine spent a three thousand years in a demon prison in the outer circle of hell. Escaping with her life, it’s taken another two thousand years to get her life back together with the help and love of her husband and mate, Card.

Mei is a Warrior For the Balance. She stands between good and evil. So when her boss tells her she’s got to head to Tir na nOg to help the Fae, she is most displeased. Mei’s mother, Aine, the queen of the Fae betrayed and exiled her those millennia ago. Or so she’s been led to believe.

But it was a lie. Aine was mislead by her own sister, Mei’s aunt and suddenly, everything Mei has thought was true for thousands of years falls down around her ears as she looks up to see the face of her husband. Her first husband, a man she’d thought was dead.

Jayce MacTavish is surprised to find that not only is his wife, thought millennia dead, is alive, but his joy is tempered by the
realization that she’s got another mate.

Mei, Card and Jayce must find a way to be together as three while the threat from the Dark Fae and a new enemy darkens the horizon.

THREAT OF DARKNESS BY LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2007, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave
Now Available!
Excerpt for those 18 and older behind the cut…

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The winner of the blog contest is… Christine!

Congratulations, Christine! Email me your format preference and as soon as I get my author copies I’ll send one your way!!

I planned to post a contest yesterday but had a headache of epic proportions and was pretty well debilitated until the early evening when I could move without blinding pain or nausea.

So I’ll do one today anyway.

Post here. Tell me your favorite couples in books and why you like em. Easy. I’ll choose a winner at 6:30 pm pacific so keep an eye if you enter and if I’ve got my author copies by then, I’ll send it right away.