Yesterday I promised you I would come back and tell you all the reasons why you might not like me, which could translate into you not buying my books one day when they are published. So, let's just jump right in:
1. I'm an Atheist.
2. I don't believe abortion is an acceptable method of birth control.
3. Except for rare occasion, I don't care much about politics.
4. I don't care about the starving children in any country but my own.
5. I think parents, not the media or video game industry, are the ONLY ones responsible for the behavior of their children.
6. I'm all for a good swat on the Heathen's ass if the offense is severe or potentially harmful to the aforementioned Heathen.
7. I'm not afraid to use the f-word, or the infamous c-word.
8. I believe whole-heartedly in the death penalty.
9. I have absolutely no problem with same sex marriages.
10. There are two people who were once a part of my life (for a short period of time), that I will celebrate the death of. And when I say celebrate, I mean pop open a bottle of champagne and set off a glorious display of fireworks.
Okay, I think those are the main belief-type things someone could dislike me for.
Now, I'll venture on to things I've done in my life that could instill someone with the same feeling of discontent with me.
1. I got pregnant before even thinking about marriage (at the age of newly 20.)
2. My husband, the beloved Chad, was only 17 at the time. (FYI - the sticky web of lies he and his friends wove about his age (which was reputed to be 20 at the time) was absolutely spectacular! :) BTW - to this day, from appearance alone, everyone assumes he's at least a few years older than I am.
3. I have thrown pennies at hookers from a moving car.
4. I have 6 tattoos. My body is my temple, and I shall decorate it as I damn well see fit. :)
5. I have berated a complete stranger, to the point of flowing tears (theirs, not mine), in the middle of a supermarket.
6. I often, when in a public venue such as a store or supermarket, see young children running wild and think to myself...What the hell is wrong with their parents?
7. Sometimes, I do judge a book by it's cover. Living or paperback. :)
8. I have sat in a church while attending a family function and wondered if I was going to be struck by lightning. And if so, what color the lightning would be.
9. I don't even bat an eye anymore when I turn on the news and hear of some gruesome action one human has committed against another.
10. I have a strong aversion to being touched by people I don't know and having people I don't know in my home.
And last but not least, I have an obsession with straight lines that makes my husband crazy. To which he regularly retaliates by tilting the pictures on our walls until they hang crooked. And he wonders why there are times he wakes up at night feeling like someones been holding a pillow over his face. :)
So there you have it, every reason I can think of that you wouldn't like me.
See you on Monday, if you're still here. :)
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Clearing the air...
Okay...so my plan to blog everyday hasn't exactly been executed well. However, I have a good reason as to why: My daughter started school this week. Yes, my 9 year old Heathen is back to driving someone else nuts from the hours of 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (give or take a half an hour).
My other excuse: I've been deciding just how personal I want to be in my blog. It probably doesn't sound like a good reason, but it is. I've been surfing other author/blogger websites, and there seems to be only 2 roads to take.
1. Tell your entire life story to the world, Avenue.
and...
2. Keep it strictly professional, Boulevard.
Apparently, those drivers of the Boulevard believe that if you make comments about something going on in your life/the world, your readers might take offense and stop reading your books, which translates to less sales and less moolah in your pocket.
I'm not sure what I think, but I've decided I can't be a Boulevard driver. I wanted to be, I really did. I wanted to keep this blog strictly professional and write only about my journey to be published, but then Monday happened...and I realized that my journey to be published has a large place in my personal life. Therefore, I don't feel I can share one without venturing into the other.
Monday, I received my first rejection on the first full manuscript request I've ever had. Chad (my husband) was on the phone with a friend at the time, and I sat there, reading the rejection over and over, waiting until he was finished with his phone call before I handed my laptop over to him.
His words upon reading the rejection were, "Damn, Jen. I'm sorry."
I smiled and said. "It's okay, it's not like you rejected it."
To which he smiled and said, "Who are you sending it to next?"
I shrugged and said, "I'm not sure. We'll see."
I made it another ten minutes before I went to our bedroom to change my shirt (because Chad's phone call with his friend Roger, who will now be known as De' Roge' ('cause that's what I call him) resulted in De' Roge' deciding to come over and visit) and promptly broke down crying in the middle of pulling said shirt over my head.
Why? I'm not exactly sure. All I can say was the feelings swirling around inside me at that moment sucked. I know, as a writer I should be able to come up with a better description, but I can't. It sucked. It sucked so hard and in so many ways, every hooker in Vegas would be jealous. :)
A few minutes went by with me sprawled across the bed, my head burried in a pillow, before Chad came in. He didn't really say anything at that moment, he just knelt down on the side of the bed my head was on and threw his arms over mine. "Don't worry," he whispered. "You're a damn fine writer and we'll get there. It just takes time."
And that was it, that was the moment I realized I can't write this blog and be myself without there being some accounts of my personal life and/or opinions involved. At the end of the day, I'm not walking this road by myself...I'm walking it because some loveable guy is working a standard 48 hour week to allow me a chance to stay home and put my walking shoes on. :)
Okay, no more lovey-dovey crap, because really, it's not my style. :) But anyway, in an effort to not shock anyone later with some opinion or thought, I've decided to air all my dirty laundry upfront...in the next post. :)
Sorry, the Heathen NEEDS...not wants...NEEDS to go to the pool. If she can't get in the water today and perfect floating (which she has a seriously difficult time with - it's hillarious!) SHE WILL DIE! I know this, because those were her exact words.
Have a good one!
My other excuse: I've been deciding just how personal I want to be in my blog. It probably doesn't sound like a good reason, but it is. I've been surfing other author/blogger websites, and there seems to be only 2 roads to take.
1. Tell your entire life story to the world, Avenue.
and...
2. Keep it strictly professional, Boulevard.
Apparently, those drivers of the Boulevard believe that if you make comments about something going on in your life/the world, your readers might take offense and stop reading your books, which translates to less sales and less moolah in your pocket.
I'm not sure what I think, but I've decided I can't be a Boulevard driver. I wanted to be, I really did. I wanted to keep this blog strictly professional and write only about my journey to be published, but then Monday happened...and I realized that my journey to be published has a large place in my personal life. Therefore, I don't feel I can share one without venturing into the other.
Monday, I received my first rejection on the first full manuscript request I've ever had. Chad (my husband) was on the phone with a friend at the time, and I sat there, reading the rejection over and over, waiting until he was finished with his phone call before I handed my laptop over to him.
His words upon reading the rejection were, "Damn, Jen. I'm sorry."
I smiled and said. "It's okay, it's not like you rejected it."
To which he smiled and said, "Who are you sending it to next?"
I shrugged and said, "I'm not sure. We'll see."
I made it another ten minutes before I went to our bedroom to change my shirt (because Chad's phone call with his friend Roger, who will now be known as De' Roge' ('cause that's what I call him) resulted in De' Roge' deciding to come over and visit) and promptly broke down crying in the middle of pulling said shirt over my head.
Why? I'm not exactly sure. All I can say was the feelings swirling around inside me at that moment sucked. I know, as a writer I should be able to come up with a better description, but I can't. It sucked. It sucked so hard and in so many ways, every hooker in Vegas would be jealous. :)
A few minutes went by with me sprawled across the bed, my head burried in a pillow, before Chad came in. He didn't really say anything at that moment, he just knelt down on the side of the bed my head was on and threw his arms over mine. "Don't worry," he whispered. "You're a damn fine writer and we'll get there. It just takes time."
And that was it, that was the moment I realized I can't write this blog and be myself without there being some accounts of my personal life and/or opinions involved. At the end of the day, I'm not walking this road by myself...I'm walking it because some loveable guy is working a standard 48 hour week to allow me a chance to stay home and put my walking shoes on. :)
Okay, no more lovey-dovey crap, because really, it's not my style. :) But anyway, in an effort to not shock anyone later with some opinion or thought, I've decided to air all my dirty laundry upfront...in the next post. :)
Sorry, the Heathen NEEDS...not wants...NEEDS to go to the pool. If she can't get in the water today and perfect floating (which she has a seriously difficult time with - it's hillarious!) SHE WILL DIE! I know this, because those were her exact words.
Have a good one!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
A little about me...
I figure the best way to start this new blog out is to tell you a little about my writer self:
What do I write? Dark Paranormal Romance
How long have I been writing? Since 2004, but with a 2 year break from late 2005 - late 2007.
Why do I write? I'm not going to claim that I have some inborn "need" to put words on paper (or screen as the case may be). However, I will say that I have a complex supernatural world revolving/evolving in my brain, and I very much enjoy telling the stories that happen there.
Am I published? Not yet. :)
Do I have any success stories? I have a website that's been around since 2004, and have a great base of readers who didn't know me when they first started reading my books and commenting on them. Those readers are still around and are always full of positive comments for me, so I have to believe if people are taking time out of their day/night to read my words...that's a success by any standards!
Am I actively seeking publication? Yes. At the moment I have a full MS out with a top Agent, and am currently waiting to hear back from her. Keep your fingers crossed. :)
Why Dark Paranormal Romance instead of just Paranormal Romance? Hehehe. Because although my world is fantasy...I treat it like it isn't. Do you really think a 12,000 year old vampire is going to have a warm and fuzzy outlook on the world? I can't imagine they would... of course, one or two of them do, but they are exceptions to the rule.
You might be thinking, "Isn't the current market flooded with vampire novels? What makes yours different?" - Allow me to wax poetic for a moment:
The Darkness Within series is more than just a place where immortal things go bump in the night. It’s a world darker and sexier than anything you know, filled with more mystery and intrigue than you’ve ever dreamed of. Why should a vampire sit in the dark, brooding over his cursed condition, when he can live in the lap of luxury by manipulating the humans around him? Why should a vampiress settle for seducing the CEO of a major company, when she can have the Governor and control the entire state?
The denizens of this world don’t want your pity – they want your blood.
And those are just the Fledglings…
Jaded from watching history repeat itself for thousands of years, it’s the Ancients who move the Fledglings as pawns, building empires, deepening age old rivalries and crushing opponents with moves centuries in the making. Fingering the strings of everyone around them, you won’t find these vampires at high society functions or standing outside a popular nightclub. These are the creatures who already have your face etched in stone, and had you well before you swallowed life’s first breath.
But Fledgling to Ancient, only one thing lightens the darkness and calms the beast that rages within. Even more for the damned – love – is the highest prize. With it, anything is possible and even the darkest of monsters can be redeemed. Without it, their connection to humanity severs and everyone becomes nothing more than an avenue for personal gain.
Everything is sacred and nothing is forgotten when immortality lies at your feet…
To sum my series up - very rarely will you hear one of my vampires whining about what they are. Most of them revel in their undead condition and wouldn't change it for the world. They aren't angst driven, they aren't emo...they're cold and calculating, they're dark and seductive, they've earned enemies and taunt new ones on regular occasion. Some enjoy the company of humans, some would rather spend their nights locked inside a torchlit castle hidden from human eyes.
At the end of the night, they've been cursed with immortality...and they live it on their own terms.
That's why my series is different. :)
What do I write? Dark Paranormal Romance
How long have I been writing? Since 2004, but with a 2 year break from late 2005 - late 2007.
Why do I write? I'm not going to claim that I have some inborn "need" to put words on paper (or screen as the case may be). However, I will say that I have a complex supernatural world revolving/evolving in my brain, and I very much enjoy telling the stories that happen there.
Am I published? Not yet. :)
Do I have any success stories? I have a website that's been around since 2004, and have a great base of readers who didn't know me when they first started reading my books and commenting on them. Those readers are still around and are always full of positive comments for me, so I have to believe if people are taking time out of their day/night to read my words...that's a success by any standards!
Am I actively seeking publication? Yes. At the moment I have a full MS out with a top Agent, and am currently waiting to hear back from her. Keep your fingers crossed. :)
Why Dark Paranormal Romance instead of just Paranormal Romance? Hehehe. Because although my world is fantasy...I treat it like it isn't. Do you really think a 12,000 year old vampire is going to have a warm and fuzzy outlook on the world? I can't imagine they would... of course, one or two of them do, but they are exceptions to the rule.
You might be thinking, "Isn't the current market flooded with vampire novels? What makes yours different?" - Allow me to wax poetic for a moment:
The Darkness Within series is more than just a place where immortal things go bump in the night. It’s a world darker and sexier than anything you know, filled with more mystery and intrigue than you’ve ever dreamed of. Why should a vampire sit in the dark, brooding over his cursed condition, when he can live in the lap of luxury by manipulating the humans around him? Why should a vampiress settle for seducing the CEO of a major company, when she can have the Governor and control the entire state?
The denizens of this world don’t want your pity – they want your blood.
And those are just the Fledglings…
Jaded from watching history repeat itself for thousands of years, it’s the Ancients who move the Fledglings as pawns, building empires, deepening age old rivalries and crushing opponents with moves centuries in the making. Fingering the strings of everyone around them, you won’t find these vampires at high society functions or standing outside a popular nightclub. These are the creatures who already have your face etched in stone, and had you well before you swallowed life’s first breath.
But Fledgling to Ancient, only one thing lightens the darkness and calms the beast that rages within. Even more for the damned – love – is the highest prize. With it, anything is possible and even the darkest of monsters can be redeemed. Without it, their connection to humanity severs and everyone becomes nothing more than an avenue for personal gain.
Everything is sacred and nothing is forgotten when immortality lies at your feet…
To sum my series up - very rarely will you hear one of my vampires whining about what they are. Most of them revel in their undead condition and wouldn't change it for the world. They aren't angst driven, they aren't emo...they're cold and calculating, they're dark and seductive, they've earned enemies and taunt new ones on regular occasion. Some enjoy the company of humans, some would rather spend their nights locked inside a torchlit castle hidden from human eyes.
At the end of the night, they've been cursed with immortality...and they live it on their own terms.
That's why my series is different. :)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Going to try...
I'm now on a mission to blog every single day. About what, I'm not exactly sure. I know a lot of my forthcoming content will probably be, within professional reason, about my experiences on the road to becoming a published author. I hope to point you to other good blogs in reference to the writing industry, make you laugh, and take you on the journey with me.
Now, professional reason means I won't be divulging the names of the agents or publishers I query, but I will be sharing my interactions with them. If nothing else, I hope I help another newbie author out there, who dreams of walking into a bookstore and seeing their book on the shelf.
Today, I'm sharing the most valuable piece of information I can offer to anyone who loves to write and wants to be published...
Don't stop writing, and don't stop reading.
The more you read, the better writer you'll become. I say this because there have been so many times when I'm reading for pleasure that I learn something new about the craft of writing. Reading a well written sentence can help you construct a sentence better in your own novel. Absorb the atmosphere of what you're reading, then go back and pick out what about the scene, the words, construction, instills that feeling in you. Once you've done that, you'll start finding the right way to enhance your own work.
That's all I have for today. :)
Now, professional reason means I won't be divulging the names of the agents or publishers I query, but I will be sharing my interactions with them. If nothing else, I hope I help another newbie author out there, who dreams of walking into a bookstore and seeing their book on the shelf.
Today, I'm sharing the most valuable piece of information I can offer to anyone who loves to write and wants to be published...
Don't stop writing, and don't stop reading.
The more you read, the better writer you'll become. I say this because there have been so many times when I'm reading for pleasure that I learn something new about the craft of writing. Reading a well written sentence can help you construct a sentence better in your own novel. Absorb the atmosphere of what you're reading, then go back and pick out what about the scene, the words, construction, instills that feeling in you. Once you've done that, you'll start finding the right way to enhance your own work.
That's all I have for today. :)
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