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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Wait- NaNo starts in HOW MANY days?!?



It happens every year- I start getting e-mails from NaNoWriMo or my local ML and I think "Yeah, yeah- you guys are suuuuper early with this.  I've got other things on my plate."  And I go back to life, blissfully unaware of the rapidly passing days and how precious little time there really is before November 1st.

Then at some point I take a look at the calendar- usually because I'm trying to figure out how many awesome Halloween-esque activities I can fit in before my favorite holiday- and I realize: November 1st is the day after Halloween!  And then, inevitably, panic sets in.

I think: "But all I have is an idea!  A vague idea- one that's as amorphous as the weird and quickly forgotten dream that it came from!  I can't get 50,000 words out of that!"

Or: "What about the characters- I don't know who they are!  Even my MC is just a blob of random thoughts and plot points, how am I going to flesh her out?"

And: "My setting is too complicated!  I can't build an entire world in 30 days!  I don't know the rules, I don't know how anything works, I don't even know what it's called!"

And, of course: "What the heck makes me think I can write an entire novel in a month, anyway?  That's insane!"

The bulk of these will plague me throughout the entire month and I will beat them down with the awesome power of pep talks, NaNo videos and sheer stubborn will.  But that last one- that I have an answer for.  It is insane, absolutely.  And I know I can do it because I've done it before.  Four times, actually. 

And yeah, maybe I've never done anything with those fledgling novels (unlike so many bloggers I know who have gone on to publish theirs) and maybe I still don't know if I ever will- doesn't matter.  Every November has been the absolute time of my life.  So yeah, of course I'm doing it again!

But, I'm always looking to make the experience even better for myself.  Do more research ahead of time, plan my schedule better so it's less insanely anxiety-provoking, come up with better rewards to keep me trudging along and the like.  And this year, I want to link up with all the awesome bloggy friends I've made. 

My writing buddies list is absurdly small and there's no good reason for that given that so many of you do NaNo.  I want to be your writing buddy.  I want to engage in word wars with you.  I want your rapidly growing word count widget to make me green with envy and drive me to race to 50k. 
To Be My Writing Buddy!

What do you say?  Will you be my writing buddy?  I promise it will be extra fun and awesome for you if you do!  I'll cheer you on when you feel like quitting, celebrate it when you figure out how to kill off your villain (or your lovely characters, even if I really like them) and throw a virtual party with you when you cross 50K. 

Seriously- it'll be great.  Just leave me your NaNo username in your comment and I will find you and friend you!  Or, just find me on NaNoWriMo: my NaNo name is Bevimus.  *Smiles*

Talk to you awesome novelists soon!

Monday, October 21, 2013

October Writers 4 Writers



It's time for another fabulous edition of Writers 4 Writers.  Please take a minute to stop by our awesome hosts M. Pax, Stephen Tremp, Christine Rains and C.M. Brown to say thanks!

Today we are featuring the trully inspiring Ninja Captain himself, Mr. Alex J. Cavanaugh and the wonderfully creative Isis Rushdan!  Click on their links to visit them and get your tweets/facebook posts for today!

First up, the Ninja Captain whose final book in the Cassa trilogy is getting rave reviews from everyone who reads it!
For fans of Heinlein and Star Wars – space opera with a heart! CassaStorm concludes the Amazon Best Selling series by Alex J. Cavanaugh. http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/ Available in print and eBook at Amazon http://tinyurl.com/n9hrssx, B&N, iTunes, and others. #W4WS

Anyone who has been around the intarwebs for any period of time knows the awesome power of the Ninja Captain- there's not a one of us who hasn't been supported, encouraged and boosted by his spirit.  So let's take the time today to tweet, post and shout out the awesome Alex!

Next up: the fantastic Isis Rushdan is featuring the second book in her Kindred Chronicles series, Protector of the Flame!

“He was her love, her life, and he had the power to tear her apart with his bare hands.” Protector of the Flame, win copy http://bit.ly/H665Gd
#W4WS
In their bleakest hour, the price of redemption could be the death of their love.

Kindred Chronicles, Book 2
Before Serenity and Cyrus can embark on a romantic honeymoon, one of their gifts from an immortal comes to life and unleashes a devastating series of events that forces them to make an unthinkable sacrifice. To undo the evil of dark magic, Serenity must travel to the immortals’ hold in Iceland. Alone.
Her journey leads to an island shrouded in mystery, where secrets from her past come to light…and she forms an inexplicable connection with a handsome, tempting healer who may pose the greatest risk of all.
Cyrus comes close to unraveling without his mate, but refuses to let honor or duty keep them apart, even if it means the bloodshed of his own kinsmen.
As the Great Council prepares to convene to determine their fate, friends become enemies, enemies become allies, and soul mates are pushed right to the edge—where love and faith is their only hope of survival.

Warning: Contains soul mates put through the grinder, dark magic drama that will leave you reeling, angry sex that crumbles concrete, an alpha hero pushed over the edge, and a roller coaster full of twists.
Be sure to stop by both Alex's and Isis' blogs to get all your tweets and facebook posts for today.  Let's give these authors the attention they deserve!

Friday, October 18, 2013

Celebrate the Small Things

Hosted by Viklit.  Click here to sign up/learn more.


So I had all these pretty pictures from my travels/adventures this past week and I posted them.  Then I clicked the "Publish" button and Blogger went "uh... no?"  So I tried again.  "Uh... No.  Yeah- definitely NO."  So I tried again, and again.  "No."  Very firm, very final.  Blogger would not publish my pictures.

So this is take 2- still celebrating, but in a much less pretty way.

Sleepy Hollow V. 2.0  My dear friend from college got married this past Sunday up in Croton-on-harmon, New York.  The Blaze is in the same town.  I couldn't NOT go if I was gonna be there anyway.  So Saturday night, we drove up to Sleepy Hollow where I got to see a story teller tell the tale of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in the Old Dutch Church.  It was great.  Then we drove up Croton and saw the Blaze for the second time.  It was just as great as last year and I absoltuely loved it.

All You Need Is Love  Then on Sunday I got to watch my friend exchange self-written vows with her new husband.  Everything about it was beautiful- it was a gorgeous day outside in one of the nicest parks I've been in, everyone was having fun and the whole thing was just perfect.  I'm excstatic to have been able to share her day with her.

Me: The Rabid Fan Girl  Last Wednesday was our 8th anniversary and Dave surprised me with tickets to see my favorite dancers from So You Think You Can Dance live on tour!  So this Wednesday we made the short drive up to Bethlehem so see Amy, Fik-shun, Jasmine, Aaron and all the rest dance their hearts out.  I was screaming so loud I almost lost my voice.  Seriously- I'm surprised I didn't just explode with excitment.  It was so, so great.

I apologize for the lack of pictures (they were really pretty, too! *pout*)  Perhaps later when Blogger is done having a hissy fit I'll be able to post some but fornow, let's just keep the celebration going, shall we?

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

A Special Day


8 years ago today I met my boyfriend face to face for the first time.  It was a Sunday and we met at a local outdoor mall.  We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant and then walked around the parking lot.  A barn- apparently a historic building- was still standing in the field and the streetlights made the whole scene rather nice.

We talked about our pasts, our interests, what huge geeks we both are.  And then, because we were hitting it off so well and didn't want the date to end, we went to see a movie.  It was Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were Rabbit and it featured, among other things, some of the most adorable claymation bunnies I've ever seen in my life.  I worried that me squealing like a five year-old girl at the overwhelming adorableness might be a turn-off to him but I just couldn't help myself.  Every time a cute little bunny hopped across the screen I gasped and lit up like a Christmas tree.

He told me later on that that was his favorite part of our first date because he thought that I was adorable.

8 years later and I still squeal at cute things.  And he still thinks I’m adorable. 

And after all this time I cannot imagine my life without him.  I am so lucky.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Escalation Cover Reveal

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones” - Albert Einstein
 
In Escalation, the final installment to Stephen Tremp’s Breakthrough Trilogy, a seemingly innocent discovery in Einstein-Rosen Bridges, or wormholes, becomes a Pandora’s Box—opening doors to other unexpected and unpredictable realities such as parallel universes, time/space travel, and an evil hitchhiker from another dimension.
 
Chase Manhattan has survived attempts on his life from numerous sources in his effort to destroy the technology. But he is far from safe. Now Chase and his comrades must not only break world renowned physicist Professor Nicholas Fischer out of prison a second time, but also smuggle him across hostile borders in Europe and the Middle East to prevent events threatening to spiral into World War III.
 
At stake: an end to Western civilization as we know it. The result: an epic clash where science and the supernatural take center stage, vying for mankind’s destiny. The setting is global as the world divides into an East vs. West climactic battle. The action is swift, adrenaline-charged, and non-stop. Unending twists and turns will keep the reader turning pages and wanting more.
 
Together, Breakthrough, Opening, and Escalation follow the lives of the unlikely participants from innocence to a coming of age through sacrifice, betrayal, passion, lust, unconditional love, and hope. Escalation will appeal to fans of modern-day science fiction, action, and horror.  
Stephen Tremp, author of the BREAKTHROUGH series, is a suspense thriller writer. His novels are enhanced by current events at CERN and other scientific research facilities around the world. Theoretical physicists are searching for evidence of a wide spectrum of potential discoveries that were once considered fodder for science fiction, including: parallel universes and higher dimensions of space, dark energy, dark matter, anti-matter, and the Higgs boson particle--The God Particle--among other exciting concepts. These potential advances have the ability to change the way we perceive our universe and our place in it!
 
Stephen is also developing an animated children's series featuring a brother and sister who have a unique way of exploring their world--using a wormhole--in order to finish school projects for science, history, and social studies.

And, as you all know, Stephen is one of the masterminds behind Writers for writers so he deserves all the attention to his works that he helps to provide to other writers.  Let's give it to him!

You can find him here: http://authorstephentremp.blogspot.com/
Stop by today to say "Congrats!" and "Oh my gosh- your book looks sounds so cool I can't wait to read it!" and any other enthusiastic (because this book derserves nothing less) response your heart desires.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Memories of Murder Release Day!

Decades ago, the seeds were planted …
Today, dark, fathomless eyes rake the image before him. One final task and the transformation is complete. Steady fingers screw intricately carved horns on each side of a stiff brow, and a gargoyle suitable for Notre Dame scowls from the smokey mirror in satisfaction.
A jagged smile rips through his smooth, hairless face, and inked, reptilian scales caress his naked body.
A laugh of hideous resonance emanates from his gut as the demons of hell welcome Lucifer into their fold.
In a dungeon-like chamber, his Lilith awaits. The kidnapped daughter of a nun, groomed to fit the final piece in the complex puzzle for world domination. Will Lucifer marry his bride, on the summer solstice?
Only two things stand in his way ...
His greed ...
And ...
Detective Steven Quaid.
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~ Memories of Murder is now available! ~
You can pick it up here:
Amazon Kindle

You can find Renée here:

Celebrate the Small Things- It's October!



TGIF everybody!  And time once again to Celebrate the Small Things with our host Viklit!  

I am so excited.  Fall is my favorite season.  October is my favorite month.  And Halloween is my favorite holiday.  I am beyond giddy!

image.jpeg   Oh, the fall foliage...

  Oh, the decorations!  photo.JPG 

photo.JPG  Both at home...

And at work.photo.JPG

I'm in heaven.  And for the next few weeks I'll be filling my free time with horror movies, fall activities and all things Halloween.  Joy.

And, as if all that weren't enough, my BFF Kelly just gave birth to a BEAUTIFUL baby girl on Tuesday.  I got to hold her and hang out with mom and ad in the hospital for a bit and she is an absolute darling!  What could be better than that?

What about you all?  Are you guys loving the leaves, the pumpkins and mums, the scarier side of things?  Let's find out...


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