Purple Prose [Search results for Inspiration] 

Today's post in the series, "How I find time to write" is from an awesome writerly lady :) Her name is Christi Corbett. Here's how Christi finds time to write

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When I was young I pictured the location where authors/writers did their work. It was always some variation of the following…

The recently showered and fully dressed writer pads down a long hallway and opens a door to their own private writing space. Clutching a mug of tea/coffee, the writer sits down at a comfortable chair located behind a highly polished, very organized mahogany desk. There is a wall of books on one wall and a window with a completely astounding view of a lake, a mountain, or a field of wildflowers. Selecting a full pen from a drawer, the writer/author thinks for a long moment and at the precise moment inspiration hits, leans over a clean piece of paper and the words begin to flow. Then I became a writer. Here is the reality. On a typical day, when I’ve begged and pleaded for time to write, I can count on a minimum of five interruptions per hour. Last time I reserved a block of time to write I kept track of said interruptions for my own amusement (and for this blog) 6:30am Hubby wants to know where the flea powder–dog is scratching 6:41am Hubby comes in room for some clothes 7:01am Hubby brings me breakfast (OK-this one is great! Love him!) 7:09am Powdered, yet still scratching, dog is let into the room 7:25am Kids come in to see if I have any bacon left and can they have it 7:36am Boy twin comes in for a hug 7:42am Hubby needs toilet paper….where are extra rolls kept? 8:08 am Girl twin needs me to fix her hair 8:25am Knock at window reveals family showing ripened tomatoes 8:26am Boy twin can’t find toy army men…do I know where they are? 8:50 am Girl twin wants to weigh herself 9:01am Hubby needs jersey to watch upcoming football game 9:17 am Hubby wants to know if he can pull bread from freezer And so on…. So, that is a typical block of “writing time” for me. Now, lets move on to the instruments for said writing. My computer is ten years old, shuts off at will (usually when I haven’t saved in a while or I’m in the middle of a fantastic run of words), and is located in a peeling wood veneer cabinet that is shoved in the corner of my bedroom. My kids find everything in the cabinet fascinating and things disappear at will. (4-year-old twins find calculators, screen cleaners, coasters, my drafts, and notecards to be much fun to play with). Sometimes I don’t use the computer. When inspiration strikes I use anything that is at hand. Some examples… Sticky notes (they paste so nicely to the computer monitor don’t they?) Backs of envelopes Any kind of paper with a blank space on it anywhere. You get the drift. As for writing utensils… Our pens never have ink in them (my fault since I leave them clicked open all the time) so I’ve had to improvise at times. Crayons Lipstick Dry erase markers And my personal favorite–using the tip of an empty pen to gouge the words into the paper. Trust me, if you’ve got a great flow of words coming to you this will work! It is during these times that I try to remember it all comes down to this… How you write doesn’t matter, as long as you’re writing!

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You can find Christi, here: http://christicorbett.wordpress.com/

Christi Corbett is a Historical Romance author with Astraea Press. (Her debut novel, Along the Way Home, will be available summer of 2013)
Addicted to coffee, hanging with my characters late at night, and the Oxford Co mma.

On the last Wednesday of each month, I’ll be showing off the covers of new releases belonging to my blog followers. And with each book, I’ve asked the author to share a short writing quote to inspire you. (Yeah, I realize it's now May 1st. I kind of screwed up when I checked the calendar).

Before I introduce you to the upcoming New Adult thriller Bitter Angel by Megan Hand, I want to tell those of you who are planning to query soon that I wrote about Agent Stalking this week on the Querytracker blog. It’s a valuable lesson as to why you should filter your thoughts when using social media sites.

***

I guess for inspiration I would say: It's Numero Uno about the writing. If you don't love your characters, others won't either. Spend time with them, get to know them, become their best friend. When that's finished, find where you fit, dig your hole nice and deep, and prepare to grow roots. Those roots will keep you through the toughest storms. And the publishing world is stormy for sure, so pack an umbrella! :)

Torn between two realities.

A choice that will mean life or death.
But she won’t know anything… until she wakes up.

College sophomore, Lila Spencer lived Friday night twice. She doesn’t know how or why, just that she did. As if she split in half and went in two different directions.

Out clubbing with her friends, Heather and Nilah, the girls rock it out and party hard. What begins as an innocent night will lead to a deadly fight for their lives, and Lila might be their only chance for survival.

In bed with her boyfriend, Jay, Lila is safe and warm as she drifts to sleep in the arms of the man she loves. Until she is sucked into a horrifying nightmare of her friends' deaths.

As the sunlight warms her face on Saturday morning, the two scenarios collide. But there can be only one outcome. Will she wake up in her warm bed with Jay by her side, devastated and grieving for her friends? Or was she there to save them?

The answer is just the beginning.

This week, Elana Johnson is hosting the Never Surrender Blogfest. All you have to do is blog about a time you didn’t surrender. It can be about anything. It’s not too late to participate and you might even win a prize.

<<<3

During my senior year of high school, my guidance counselor told not to bother with university. I would never succeed. Granted, he was partly correct on that assumption. One of my finest achievements was skipping Social Studies 30 and not getting into trouble. Okay, almost not getting into trouble. My grades reflected my lack of enthusiasm in the course. And even though I never skipped English and Math, those grades weren’t looking too hot, either. My strengths definitely lay in the sciences.

I decided to prove my guidance counselor wrong. I did end up going to university (after I repeated Social Studies and English), and studied like I had never studied before. Okay, I still skipped some of my boring courses, but I worked super hard on the courses that meant more to me. Yep, the science-based ones. Not only did I graduate with a Bachelor of Physical Education (now known as Kinesiology), I went on to do my Master’s of Science degree in exercise physiology, with a focus on energy metabolism. I spent a semester at the University of Jyväskylä (central Finland) and was invited to do my PhD in the department of sport sciences. I decided not to pursue the degree for numerous reasons. My education also resulted in a summer research position with the Defense and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine (Toronto), where I studied the effect of various drugs on anaerobic performance.

In the end, I decided I’d rather write novels than research grants (I became a drug rep instead), but I’m so glad I never surrendered when my guidance counselor told me not to bother with university. I would have missed out on so many awesome opportunities, and my educational and research background has been an inspiration for some of my stories.

Is there a time that you never surrendered(e.g. trained for a marathon, queried agents, studied for an entrance exam)?

Last week, I had the opportunity to take author photos for my friend, Janet Gutler (Weight of Bones, Spring 2011). It was the inspiration behind this post. But even if you aren’t planning to have author photos taken anytime soon, the same suggestions work for regular portraits.

Most people hate having their picture taken (yours truly included). Here're some pointers to make it less painful, and to help ensure you end up with photos you’ll love:

• See if you have a talented photographer friend who would be thrilled to take them for you. The advantage of this is you already have a great relationship. You’ll end up looking relaxed in the photos, instead of looking like you’d rather be anywhere but there. Take it from someone who had her wedding photos taken by a person more annoying than a mosquito (This was before I knew anything about photography.). It’s not a good sign when your adorable four-year-old ring bearer wishes the photographer would fall off the ledge, and the rest of the wedding party agrees with him. Believe me, it shows in the photos.

• Weather permitted, see if the photographer can take the photos outside (or a place you feel comfortable). People tend to feel (and look) more uptight in a studio setting. The added benefit is there’re more interesting things to look at than in a studio. This, too, will cause you to relax.

• Let the photographer know if there’s anything you feel self-conscious about. They may be able to pose you a certain way to overcome that. But remember, chances are great only you notice whatever’s bugging you.

• If there’s a picture you love (e.g. pose), bring it with you to show the photographer. Most will welcome suggestions. For Janet’s photos, I showed her pictures I cut out of magazines. It gave her a visual so she understood what I was after, and we worked from there, going beyond what was seen in the picture.

• Dress comfortably and for the weather. I seriously don’t know how Janet survived the photo shoot in just her t-shirt. I was wearing a thick hoodie and windbreaker, and I was still cold.

• Bring several items of clothing or props with you. Janet also wanted photos of herself in her jacket and scarf. It gave the picture a more sophisticated look. My favorites, though, are the ones where she’s freezing her butt off wearing just her t-shirt (and pants).

• Expect the photographer to take a lot of shoots. Even if you’re friends with her, it usually takes a few minutes before you feel more relaxed in front of the lens.

Does anyone have anything other suggestions?

See how a little creativity can take a picture to the next level?

This photo hasn’t been altered in Photoshop Elements. I found the flower in the florist department of the grocery store, and was hit with the idea of pretending I was Mother Nature.

Next time you see something that catches your eye, see if there’s a way to make the shot unique. And keep your eyes open for cool pictures in magazines and books. They’re a great source of inspiration.

I'm so excited to have Jennifer Comeaux here today and learn about the second in her Edge novels, Edge of the Past (Astraea Press, Nov. 2012)
Edge of the Past is the sequel to Life on the Edge-- I'll give you the book covers to see if you can figure out what these books are about...

BUY LINKS FOR EDGE OF THE PAST:
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
SMASHWORDS

Hmmm... do you sense the theme?

(And aren't these AWESOME book covers! Seriously, gorgeous!)

Life on the Edge and Edge of the Past are New Adult novels, a very big upcoming genre in literature between young adult (12ish-18ish) and adult (over college age... ish).

And do you have to like skating to like these books? Well, did you have to know how to do surgery to watch ER or drink blood to watch the Vampire Diaries (ewwww)?

So, what is Edge of the Past about...

Emily’s skating career and personal life have never been more golden. She and her partner Chris have won every competition they’ve entered this season, and she’s found the man of her dreams in her coach Sergei. But when one of the biggest competitions of the year takes Emily and Sergei to Russia, Sergei’s past explodes into the present and makes Emily doubt everything in their future.

And what's reading the second book before you read the first one? It's like watching The Bourne Legacy without seeing the Bourne Identity or Return of the Jedi before they ever went away...
FREE BOOK ALERT!!!!
Jennifer wants to help you with that. She has agreed to give away 1 ebook copy of LIFE ON THE EDGE (Edge, #1) to a reader of this blog (You my friends... you! And is there anything better than free??????)
All you have to do to win is leave a blog comment telling me which book cover you like the best: Life on the the Edge or Edge of the Past.

Personally, I'm all about the second one because purple is my favorite color... I need to make this blog purple (but I digress)

THE WINNER WILL BE RANDOMLY CHOSEN FROM THE BLOG COMMENT PARTICIPANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. CONTEST ENDS AT 7 AM MONDAY, FEB. 18th.

GOOD LUCK!!! This is definitely a book you want to win!

Wanna know what book 1 is about????

Nineteen-year-old Emily is new to pairs skating, but she and her partner Chris have a big dream–to be the first American team to win Olympic gold. Their young coach Sergei, who left Russia after a mysterious end to his skating career, believes they can break through and make history. Emily and Chris are on track to be top contenders at the 2002 Winter Games. But when forbidden feelings spark between Emily and Sergei, broken trust and an unexpected enemy threaten to derail Emily’s dreams of gold.

And here is an excerpt from EDGE OF THE PAST...

Excerpt
Sergei pressed me up into the star lift, and I noticed some of the other skaters idling and watching us. We sped past them, and Sergei set me down, preparing for the closing seconds of the program.
In time with the final piano notes, I edged away from Sergei, and he rushed toward me, trapping me in his arms for the ending pose. I gasped at the passion with which he grabbed me. His eyes held my gaze then slowly drifted down to my mouth, and my body hummed from the fiery energy between us. I leaned into his chest and squeezed my fingers harder around his biceps.
A few of my training mates erupted with applause and whistles, and Sergei jerked backward. He didn’t say anything as he took off to cool down, leaving me alone in the middle of the ice with more than my muscles burning.

About the Author
Jennifer Comeaux earned a Master of Accounting from Tulane University and is a Certified Public Accountant in south Louisiana. While working in the corporate world, she sought a creative outlet and decided to put on paper a story that had played in her head for years. That story became Life on the Edge, her first published novel. When not working or writing, she is an avid follower of the sport of figure skating, travelling to competitions around the country. Those experiences allow her to see a different side of the sport and serve as an inspiration for her writing. Jennifer is blessed with a wonderful family and friends who have encouraged her to pursue her dream of being a published author.
Author social media links:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Remember in high school when your reputation meant everything? Maybe you had a reputation you didn’t know about or one you didn’t deserve. Like the teen everyone is calling a slut, because some guy spread a rumor that she’s easy (How can you tell I read Anna and the French Kiss this weekend???)

In high school, I was incredibly shy. If a guy spoke to me, I’d come close to fainting (sad, huh?). It wasn’t until I was in university that I discovered people thought I was cold and self-absorbed in high school (I think that’s what the guy told me, right before he ask me out on a date!!!!).

These days our reputation means everything to us writers. Thanks to social networking, you do something and the news of it spreads faster than a grass fire in a strong wind. And like what happened to me in high school, you might not even be aware your reputation is tanking. Last year I wrote a post about a nameless individual. It was amazing how many people knew who I was talking about. Not good news for that individual.

I’m currently in an online writing course that was the inspiration for my post on broken promises last week. Turns out, even beyond the class, the instructor has a bad reputation. Wish I had known about that. After what happened in her first course, I gave her a second chance. I thought she was going to improve. *tattoos naïve on forehead* She didn’t.

While some people don’t seem to give a damn about their reputation (or don’t try to do anything to improve it), there are some writers who do what they can to make the world a shiny place. They don’t do things to benefit themselves. They do it to benefit charities, teens, kids, or other writers. They love to pay it forward.

So, what can you do about your reputation? Now’s the time to determine how you want people to perceive you, then make sure you do what you need to do to gain (or maintain) that reputation. It’s a lot easier to build a good reputation than it is to repair a damaged one. Just ask Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Lindsay Lohan.

Which kind of reputation do you want? Have you given much thought to how other people perceive you?

(I wanted to list all the wonderful writers/authors/bloggers that deserved their awesome reputation, but that made for one very long post, I’m happy to say. But if you know someone you would love to mention, please do so in the comments). :)

Magazines are an incredible source of information. Look beyond the makeup and hairstyle tips, the cool friendship quizzes, the latest fashion-must-haves, and find the poses that really call to you.

These pictures are a great way to show your friend what you’re looking for, but don’t let her dwell too long on the pose, trying to get it just so. You want to give her the general ideal then let her play around with it and have fun. The best part is, you can use the pose with another friend, and she’ll have a completely different take on it.

So start now, and make a file of all the pictures that inspire you. Your photos will look better for it. Trust me.

After doing all the hard work yesterday with a 13 blog tour for my new book, SAINT SLOAN. I decided to take it easy today and let someone else write for me ;) And you guys are in for a treat. Lynn Spangler is here to talk about her new book! Here she is:

First of all, I'd like to thank Kelly for having me as a guest on her blog today.

How do I fit writing into my day? I don't work which is a major plus when one chooses writing as a profession. I generally write in the mornings after I've had a cup or two of coffee running through my system. I have two places I write. My office and my comfy recliner. When writing in the recliner, I often have my furry canine daughter as my co-pilot (she's next to me as I write this post.) As a housewife, I also do such things as laundry while I'm writing. I simply take a break to change the wash around or fold the dried laundry. Then I pick up where I left off, usually without skipping a beat.
I generally do not write over the weekend or in the evenings unless I have edits due. This allows me to spend time with my husband and daughter who are either working or in school when I write in the morning. I feel this schedule is an excellent balance between writing and what is truly most important to me -- my family.

While this writing process is not overly prolific, it works for me. It took me about a month to write my recently released story, Whiskey Whispers of the Past. I'm no speed demon by any stretch of the imagination but I'm comfortable with my writing situation.

If inspiration strikes me in the afternoon or evening, I have a notebook I keep next to my trusty recliner (can you tell it's my favorite seat in the house?) I'll jot down plot ideas or even continue the storyline. I'll add whatever I wrote in my notebook to the story the following day. I also use my iPad to do research and the like. It may sound like a quirky system but it makes my journey as a writer much easier.

I hope you enjoyed hearing a little about my writing schedule today. I'd also like to thank Kelly again for having me. Have a great weekend everyone!



Blurb:

Kendra thought her life was her store; Chance thought his revolved around his addiction. What if they’re both wrong?

Looking for a new start, Chance Daniels moves from hectic, big city living to a small town in South Central Pennsylvania. He decides opening his own music store on Main Street will help him beat the demons of his alcoholism. He discovers the beautiful business owner from across the street may be the lift he needs to beat his addiction. But little does he know that parts of his past unbeknownst to him are about to come to light. Chance receives strange objects in the mail and the woman he falls in love with is nearly run down by a crazed driver.
Kendra Strafford, owner of Strafford’s Candle Creations, finds herself drawn to the tall, handsome man from Los Angeles after starting a standing weekday coffee date with him. She can’t help but fall in love with him, despite his addiction and the strange happenings that seem to surround him. Her own brush with death only draws her closer to Chance.
Was her accident just an accident or was it part of a more devious scheme arising from Chance’s hidden past and will they overcome the bizarre occurrences besieging them to explore their developing love?

Excerpt:
"I hear someone is looking at the old Donaldson's building."
Kendra peered out the front window of her candle shop, Strafford's Candle Creations, toward the brick façade of the adjacent building. She saw the local real estate agent and her good friend, Nancy Lewis, walking toward the old structure. The converted row house had once contained Donaldson's Hardware Store, which had been a fixture of Main Street, right across from Kendra's establishment.
"Oh, yeah? I wonder what business someone would put in there," her assistant Deanna commented.
Kendra frowned as she sipped the now lukewarm coffee then set the cup on the glass shelf beside her. "I don't know. Rumor has it it's someone new to the area. A guy looking to make a fresh start, from what Nancy told me. She said the buyer told her he needed a change of pace and a new locale. Why he'd end up in such a place as Jonerstown is beyond me. This area isn't known as a hotbed of business like York or Harrisburg."
"I don't know. Jonerstown is a nice town. Perhaps its charm won him over."
Kendra nibbled her lip — a habit of hers when deep in thought. "Maybe." A quick glance at her watch indicated it was nearly time to open the shop. "How's our merchandise looking? Do we need to restock anything?"
"No, we're good. I took care of that chore last night while you were in the dungeon replenishing our inventory."
Kendra stepped to the counter, which was tucked in the back corner of the sales floor. "Really? A dungeon? Where I come from it’s commonly called a basement. Hand me the duster. It's time to open and I haven't completed the dusting yet."
Glancing around her shop, she surveyed the three rows of gleaming glass shelves filling two walls of the sales floor. Floor units graced the center of her shop, reflecting the brilliance of the morning sun against the ceiling of the store. The shelves were stocked with candles in a vast array of sizes, shapes, colors, and scents. She inhaled, marveling at the combination. Oh, how she loved the fruits of her labor. Every day her wares brought a feeling of warmth and pride.
She strode to the storefront, unlocked the door, flipped the Closed sign to Open, and went about dusting the shelves while rearranging a candle or two along the way.
"Wow. You've got to see the guy meeting up with Nancy."
Kendra spun around, gazed out the window again, and was greeted by a pleasant surprise. The man shaking Nancy's hand stood about six feet tall at a guess. He was dressed in well-worn blue jeans and a black t-shirt that fit snugly over his arms and chest. "Hmm. At least we'll have some eye candy to stare at. He reminds me of a boxer with the trim, muscular build."
"I like the spiky hair sticking out in every which direction. Too bad we couldn't see his face."
Yeah, too bad. The body is killer.

Buy Links:
Astraea Press: http://www.astraeapress.com/#!/~/product/category=662245&id=21793303
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Whiskey-Whispers-Past-ebook/dp/B00C2IT036/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1364466003&sr=8-2&keywords=Lynn+spangler Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whiskey-whispers-of-the-past-lynn-spangler/1046342284?ean=2940016543536

Belief in oneself is one of the most important bricks in building any successful venture.
(Lydia M. Child)

As anyone who has queried knows, sending out queries is akin to ripping a knife through your vein. You bleed. You hurt. You wonder if you have the strength to keep going.

You start with great optimism, and end up with anything but hope.

At least until your next book is finished, and the process starts again.

The next time you get feedback from your critique partner or beta reader, even if it’s just an email or DM on Twitter telling you how much they love your book so far, save those comments. Copy them onto a Word document and post them by your computer. And when you’re ready to query, read those comments. They’ll remind you during those darkest days that there are people who loved your book even if it wasn’t quite right for the agents you queried.

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
(Sir Winston Churchill)

Do you refer back to your betas’ and CPs’ positive comments when you’re querying? Do you let rejections get your down or do you find a positive to them?

(All photos on this page are ©Stina Lindenblatt)

If you’re looking to spice up your writing, check out today’s QueryTracker.net blog post on rhetorical devices. They’re my new best friend. You’ll be surprised at how many you already know.

And now for my guest blogger, Marie Rose Dufour. Drum roll please . . . .

<<<3

Contract! Yes! Whoo-hoo! Open the champagne, baby, because someone liked your work enough to offer you a contract. Week, months, and sometimes years of work is now going to be validated in print. My husband and I celebrated on the waterfront, toasting to my hard work for this book over.

Not! What I didn’t realize at the time was that writing the actual book was the easy part. The hard part came afterwards and it’s called promo, promo, promo. In this economy, more and more publishing houses are relying on the author to promote their own books.

So here are some tips on promoting your book:

• Create a budget (I know this sounds unreal but real advertising costs money. If you are a first time author, it’s all about getting your name out there.)

• Create a “promo folder” on your computer with a jpeg of your book cover, blurb, excerpt, head shot, and purchase links. (Having everything in one folder is a timesaving in case someone last minute asks you to blog, or interview you. You just pull up the file.)

• Make sure you are “social networking” (Facebook, My Space, Twitter). You want to use these for some free advertising.

• Design promotional items (A big thing in the romance circles right now is trading cards. I hear they are big at conferences. Think of these as your business cards.) (Yes. I love using these as bookmarks.)

• Arrange to do guest blogs! (Just what I’m doing now. And I’d like to thank Stina from the bottom of my heart for hosting me today.)

I hope someone finds these tips helpful. It was wonderful guest blogging here today. Please leave a comment and e-mail address and I will pick a person to win a copy of Fated Mates. Enjoy!

Book Blurb: We know that we are no longer alone in the universe. Descendants of Earthly ancestors have returned to find the other halves of themselves, their destined mates.

Dragon, a scarred Serralian warrior drawn to the planet of his ancestors, never believed the Goddess had a mate for him but no matter what he believes, he’s unable to resist the pull of the planet deep within in soul.

Liz, a curvy teacher who escaped an abusive marriage three years earlier is afraid to take another chance on love. Tired of being a
bystander in her own love life, she participates in an ancient ritual to identify Serralian mates. Taking that chance changes her life forever. Can these two people overcome their pasts to become each other’s true Fated Mates?

Author blurb: Marie Rose Dufour is a first time (and hopefully not the last time) author. She writes erotica for Secret Cravings Publishing. Her first book, Fated Mates was released last month. She lives in Rhode Island, USA with two very curious cats and a husband who swears he’s the inspiration for all of her heroes. Her book is available through her publisher and Amazon.

Inspiration can hit anytime. Many of my writing ideas come while I’m running. From time to time, they’ve find me in the shower (very embarrassing, I might add). What’s a writer to do when this happens?

AquaNotes

Not only is this nifty notepad close at hand when that amazing idea strikes, you don’t have to worry about the paper going soggy. It’s waterproof! What a brilliant idea.

Have you ever had an idea while in the shower? What did you do? When do most of your ideas stalk you?

<<<3

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
Margie Lawson’s awesome lecture notes.

(Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not quite the same as the original song. I never claimed to be a song writer or poet. *grins*)

Happy Dec. 21st, Friends!! I've been working on content edits for my new book, SAINT SLOAN, and thought I'd give you a sneak peek at it. I've given you snippets before, but not this one...

By the way, any General Hospital fans here? The 'inspiration' for Aaron in the book came from Brandon Barash, aka Johnny Zacchara. Only younger (he's 19 in the book).

(from abc.com... YOU'RE WELCOME WORLD! ;) )
“Then why did you tell me to stay away from him?” “That’s a good question.” Aaron’s voice boomed from the kitchen entryway. Sloan jumped when she heard it. Ray said he slept until ten and it was barely eight. Friday night she had been so appreciative of him. Now, thanks to the testimonies of others, she was nervous to see him. He looked tired with messy hair, wrinkled navy blue work pants, and a day old beard. Despite herself, she couldn’t take her eyes off of him, specifically his lack of a shirt. Aaron had his arms crossed over his well-built chest and leaned on the door facing. “Why did you tell Miss Sloan to stay away from me, brother?” Sloan tore her eyes away from Aaron’s biceps in time to see Ray lean back in his chair and cross his arms as well, almost as if accepting a challenge. “Because, brother, for all of your good qualities, you can still be a jerk sometimes.” “Runs in the family.” Aaron smirked as he walked into the room and grabbed a paper plate. He piled the last remaining pieces of pizza on it and got a coke from the fridge. He turned a seat around and sat at the head of the table next to Sloan, putting her smack dab in the middle of them. “What ya working on?” Sloan forced her eyes to stay on his and not venture down his very long, very muscular, very nibble-able…“Biology," she said quickly. “We’re studying Biology.” Don’t look at his neck… don’t look at his neck. “Biology. Not Chemistry.” He winked at his brother, who glared. “What are you doing up so early?” “Why? Have a special evening planned with your lady friend, here?” Aaron grinned at Sloan. “Not if you count homework as fun.” “I don’t. That’s why I dropped out.” “You dropped out?” Sloan asked before she could stop herself. Aaron wiped his mouth with a paper towel and narrowed his eyes. “Kinda had to after Ma left. Got my GED and never looked back. I guess Ray told you the whole sordid affair.” “A lot of it, I guess. I’m sorry she left you like that.” “Don’t be. It was the best thing she’d ever done for us, right Ray? To answer your question, brother, I have to go into work early tonight: nine instead of eleven. At least it’s overtime. Money.” “I didn’t know,” Ray said. Aaron shrugged. “I didn’t tell. But it worked out well. I got to spend time with my little brother and his new woman.” “I’m not his woman,” Sloan said, then tried to backtrack. “I mean, I don’t mean that I wouldn’t like to be or there is something wrong with him… but we just… met… again… and….” Aaron laughed and fell back in his chair. “I’m kidding, girl. Don’t read so much into it.” Her phone vibrated on the table, and Sloan panicked. “Oh no!” Everything ok??? It was her mom! She’d forgotten to text her. Sloan prayed with everything she had that her mom hadn’t already called the police. Fine mom. Sorry. Got carried away talking. Be home soon. “Your mom didn’t call the cops I hope,” Ray said. “The cops? You use the same line on him that you did on me?” Aaron scoffed with is mouth full of pizza. “Man, you’re brutal.” “Safety first,” Sloan said before her phone vibrated again. Ok. If you’re sure. She let out a calming breath and put the phone back on the table. “Phew. Mom’s ok with all of this, but I really need to get home. Ray, we got everything finished we intended to do tonight, right?” “Right. We got the outline done. Now all we have to do is finish writing the blasted thing.” “Fun times.” Sloan smiled and put her book back into her backpack. Once that was done, she grabbed her phone to text her mom again. “I’ll tell my mom to come pick me up on her way home. It shouldn’t be too much longer.” “Why? I’m going that way,” Aaron spoke up as he walked to the trashcan with his plate. “I have to be at work at nine anyway. Why don’t I drop you off?” “I can drive her.” Ray sounded almost defensive. “That would be silly, Ray. Her house is on my way to work. It only makes sense for me to take her… home.” Aaron glared at Ray, and Ray did the same, with Sloan stuck between them. “It’s fine, Ray. Really. It’s not like he hasn’t driven me home before.” Sloan said to break the tension. Truthfully, she’d rather ride home with Ray but didn’t want to be a burden to him. “You’re sure?” “She’s sure. Come on, my dear.” Aaron stood behind her seat and helped her up. The gesture would have been gentlemanly, even romantic if he wasn’t doing it just to aggravate Ray. “Don’t stay up too late, little brother. Remember, it’s a school night.” Aaron ruffled Ray’s hair and Ray smacked his hand away. “Be careful.” Ray said slowly. “I will,” he said helping Sloan get her backpack on. “Precious cargo and all.” “Thanks for everything, Ray.” Sloan smiled and hoped he understood how much she meant it. “Supper was delicious.” “You should see what he can do with spaghetti,” Aaron said from behind her. “Aaron…” “I’m not lying. It’s really good. Maybe you can come back and try it sometime.” “I’d like that,” Sloan said, and she meant it. Except for a few awkward moments, she’d had a good time. “Tomorrow at school we’ll pick another day for you to come over, if you want,” Ray said as he cleaned up his and Sloan’s plates. “It’s a date then,” Aaron clapped from the hallway. “Come on, princess. I’ve got to get a shirt on. Let’s get you home.” Sloan followed Aaron to the hall and tuned around to Ray. He was watching her from the sink and looked sad to see her go. She wondered if it was more because she was going home or because she was going with Aaron. Sibling rivalry didn’t seem fun, not that she would know anything about it. She was an only child. Taking a deep breath, she walked back to Ray, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for supper.” When she leaned away, he smiled and peeked over her head toward the hallway. She didn’t have to look to know Aaron was there. Aaron may have won round one (taking her home), but Ray won round two (the first kiss). “You’re welcome. See ya at school tomorrow.”

Today starts a series where different authors share how they find time to write. Some are mothers, some are wives, some have jobs outside of writing-- so I was curious, how do they find the time to write? Enjoy. ~Kelly

Making the Time by J.F. Jenkins (author of LEGEND OF THE FORBIDDEN-- And, oh about a dozen more books! :))
A lot of people ask me: how do you write, be a mom, a wife, and work a part time job? They call me super woman, but I can promise you it is not a super power.
You want to know my secret? I make the time. It sounds simple, but it's far from the truth. I stop making excuses, schedule my writing time like it's another job, and work my kid, my part time job, my wifely duties, around that writing schedule.
Some days are more successful than others. And of course there is always the person who looks at me like I'm crazy because I write even when I don't have inspiration. To me, if I don't make it happen, I'll find reasons why I shouldn't be doing it. My muse is just as good at procrastinating as I am. I need to work him hard and keep him in a job. He'll groan at me a lot, but in the end, it's good for the both of us.

I have a to do list. It's gratifying checking things off of that list on my piece of paper. I get a reward too when I check everything off my list.
All of this can be applied to any kind of passion. In the end, if we don't make our lives happen, we'll just watch it drift by in a blur.
~*~*~

Check out LEGEND OF THE FORBIDDEN along with the rest of J.F's books at her Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/J.F.-Jenkins/e/B004P3HB6O/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
J.F. Jenkins Bio: J.F. Jenkins lives in Minneapolis Minnesota with her husband, son, and two cats. She graduated from Bethel University in 2006 with a degree in Media Communication with minors in both writing and film. When she is not busy writing, she spends her free time playing games, reading, and spending time with her family.

My seven-year-old son’s teacher asked me if I could talk to his class about writing and the publishing industry. Hey, why not? I thought. Now this is something I definitely know about.

But then she asked if I would discuss where my story ideas come from. Whoa, I can’t do that. My current book deals with rape, not something that I want to discuss with second graders. So as you can imagine, I won’t be discussing with the class exactly where I found some of my ideas for Lost in a Heartbeat, but I can share some of those moments that triggered an idea.

Basically, anything that gets me thinking can lead to a story idea. For Lost in a Heartbeat, an element of the plot comes from a horrific event that occurred in a city not far from my own. The news story spurred an idea for something that happens in my novel (sorry, no plot spoilers here).

Another idea came from reading Saving Zoë by Alyson Noël. In it, the protagonist learns about the events leading up to her sister’s murder by reading her diary. This, to me, was a brilliant way to reveal something about the sister of one of my characters (again, no plot spoilers). Because of the diary, I was able to built suspense into the revelation.

Ideas also come to me while I’m running. My mind is free to wander (and wonder), allowing all kinds of ideas to flow. Unfortunately, I don’t usually carry pen and paper with me, so I have to repeat the idea in my mind the entire way home or else it will vanish.

So as you can see, anything can encourage ideas to visit you—a news story, book, song, movie, TV show. The main thing is to turn it around and make the idea your own. Use it as a stepping stone to something new.

My suggestion to you is to have a notebook with you at all times so you can jot down those moments of inspiration. You’ll be thankful you did.

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community.

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.

So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!

To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!

I am picking Laura Paulingfor so many reasons:

• Laura has an amazing blog. My favorite posts are when she analyzes books and movies using Save the Cat by Blake Synder.

• She’s a great beta reader. When she suggested a better way to restructure my WIP, I had one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments. And then she offered to reread it.

• She loves to help other writers.

• She has answered my questions about self publishing, and continues to support the self-publishing community.

Laura, my RAOK gift to you is a Amazon gift card. I know you will use it well.

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge? Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)

Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness? Let me know in the comments!

I’ve seen this question a lot on the internet lately: Why do you write [fill in the blank] novels? Good question. What is it that calls to you to write a certain genre?

I could answer this like many YA writers do by saying I love writing about the Firsts. First kiss. First boyfriend. First taste of freedom. But this is the real reason I write it . . . .

You go to the hiding place in your room where you’ve stashed the knife, its blade seductively sharp. No one will notice, it reminds you. You’re perfectly safe.

You pull up the sleeve of your long-sleeved t-shirt, and find an empty spot. Or maybe, like a diabetic readying herself for her insulin shot, you search for another site. One less used. Maybe your thigh.

With pressure, you draw the blade across your skin, relishing the stinging bite. The physical pain is welcomed. Wanted. Craved. Anything to numb the other pain. The one you’ve cleverly hidden from your friends and family. They don’t know. So easily fooled.

Your heart sinks. There’s nothing more than a deep impression. Not enough to draw blood. You try again, this time a little harder. By the time you’ve finished, pinprick-sized drops of blood peak from the first attempt. Oh, well, guess you didn’t have to do it twice after all. Now you have two cuts to deal with.

Deep down you know what you’re doing is wrong, but you can’t help yourself. The release you feel afterwards is worth it. And sure, writing GUYS ARE ASSHOLES in permanent ink might be a more effective reminder. But that would be harder to explain than the cuts. At least with the cuts you can lie. You can tell people a branch scratched you. The thicker ones you can explain happened while canoeing. But better yet, you don’t let people see them in the first place. Especially while they’re healing.

I wasn’t a teen when this became a bitter part of my reality, but I was pretty close to it. I was in university at the time. I thought I was the only person who did this. I had no idea until a few years ago that there was even a name for it. No one talked about it. It was never mentioned in any of the books I read. Sure, there were books that talked about suicide, but these were adult novels. And cutting is NOT the same as entertaining suicidal thoughts and acting on them. Not even close.

Back when I was a teen, there were no YA stories about cutting, rape, suicide, depression, eating disorders, drugs. There were no novels that reached out to give hope to those going through these realities, to show them that there was help available, that they weren’t alone. That there were other teens dealing with the same issues.

Some people think these topics (including sex) should be excluded from YA novels. If we don’t talk about them, teens won’t do them. But that’s not true. When I was a teen, books didn’t talk about these things, but teens still did them. To me, the role of a YA writer is to reach out to a teen who’s struggling with an issue in her life (or knows someone who is going through the same thing). Maybe not necessarily these big issues. There are many smaller ones that most teens face that are no less important to them and that make great stories, including the first kiss, first boyfriend, betrayal by the best friend.

So, why do I write and read YA? For the firsts. For the raw honesty and emotion. And let’s face it, for the hot guys (the ones who are sweet and endearing).

Question:

Why do you write the genre(s) that you’re writing?

Or

How do you feel about these tougher issues being deal with in YA novels?

(Notes: 1. Okay, before you all freak out on me. That dark point in my life is over. Fortunately, I was eventually able to heal, and have since learned different coping mechanisms to deal with stress and emotional pain. 2. Thank you, Sarah Fine, for blogging about cutting and the YA novel, Willow, both which were the inspiration for this post. )

First of all...

How flippin cool is this???
(PHOTO REMOVED)
My friend, Charlotte, surprized me with this tonight. She blogged about my little blog at http://rebelheart.squarespace.com/charlottes-blog/2011/5/23/what-would-kelly-clean-some-cleaning-inspiration.html?lastPage=true&postSubmitted=true (I don't know how to do that cool 'click' thing and it goes to the site... I'm not computer literate lol... I do good to type).

(Charlotte is a fellow July '10 mommy. We met on the website http://www.twoweekwait.com/ on the mommyboards)

Charlotte, thanks so much for the shout out! I love the buttons and when I get the time, I'll make them my button. LOVE THEM! And I'm so glad you are inspired by this. If anyone, ANYONE, in my real life reads this... YES, Kelly had a cleaning blog... and no, as far as I know, Hades hasn't frozen over...

And as it turns out, today has been my lucky day!!! Another of my internet buddies, Kathi-Ann, has been nice enough to recommend this blog on hers as well!!! Kathi-Ann and I met over our love for The Mentalist (the internet is a strange... strange place lol). Anyway, her rather awesome blog is http://studentmamacook.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/summer-cleaning-yes-please/

Please check both of these ladies out. They are awesome girls and obviously have good taste ;)

I now have 10 followers... wonder how many I have to have to be considered a cult? Hmmmmm.. Just wondering...

Again, ladies, thank you SO much. It means the world to me that you would take time to recommend this site (and my friend Jennifer did too a few weeks ago around mother's day.) I truly have some great internet friends :)

In honor of these wonderful girls, make sure to do one task tomorrow that's not on your daily list (Its not work if you WANT to do it!!). Remember, even one task a day will keep the clutter away. ALSO, don't forget our weekly Quest. Its time to organize the shoes (I'm going to blog about this Friday... and I *may* have had an unfair advantage... *whistles innocently*... stay tuned)

Much love and happy cleaning :)

Kelly

Okay, so yeah, I know this blog has gone though a lot of changes and a lot of names in the past few years. It started as a:

*mommy blog

*cleaning blog

*Christian blog

*homemaking blog

Now it's an *author blog... with everything else thrown in too.*

I've never wanted this blog to just be one thing. I always wanted to have it change (and it has :) ). The original name of the blog was "oh that mom again" (I still love that name... but it didn't fit the blog any more... booooo).

Tuesday, I held a contest on my fb author page (you should 'like' it if you'd like to be 'in the know'. It is easier for me to write a short blurb than a post lol... anyway). The contest was for someone to pick out a new name for the blog... the winner would get a character named after them in one of my new books (attitude their choice).

There were SO many good choices. It was very hard to choose because they could have all fit. In the end, I chose INKspiration. Because it combined writing (ink) and God (inspiration for the writing).

There you have it... INKspiration! I love it.

Big thanks to contest winner ANGELA A. who will have a character named after her in a new book :)

~Kelly
"Went into this book with a preconceived notion that it would be ho-hum as I'm not a fan of many books that involve religion or prayer. But I was so pleasantly surprised and quickly fell in love with Rachel and Asher and Rachel's faith gave me something to think about. Wonderfully written and so enjoyable and NOT predictable. Hoping there is going to be a follow up and it becomes a series. Well done!"--- REVIEW from goodreads about CROSSING THE DEEP
Have you picked up your copy? I'd love to hear what you think.

BUY LINKS: Amazon Barnes and Noble Astraea Press

One of the most frequent complaints I hear from writers is that they don’t have enough time to write. My friend and time juggler extraordinaire, Tawny Stokes, has some suggestion as to how she does it.

<<<3
In the last six years, I have written close to 20 books, 10 novellas, several short stories, 5 scripts, 3 TV pilots and numerous blog posts. *grins* So I understand about time management. Often I hear writers say, oh if I only had the time, or if I could find some time I would do such and such. The fact of the matter is we all have the same amount of time in a day. 24 hrs. It’s how you schedule it that matters.

We also all have other responsibilities in our lives. Some of us have day time jobs, or night time jobs. We’re mothers with little ones, or with kids that play every imaginable sport possible and play every instrument ever built, so there are lessons and games we need to ferry them to. I get that. I understand that. Been there, done that, still doing it.

Before I became a full time writer, I had a night job, and I homeschooled my daughter and my niece during the day. During this time I also kept up the domestic chores, because I’m a single parent. And all the while I wrote. A lot. During this time I secured an agent and got my first book deal. So I definitely know what it’s like. I now write full time, but I still homeschool my daughter and am still a single parent who does all the domestic stuff around the house. Like feeding my child. Which I find is very important. I also serve on the board of my local writing chapter, serve on a screenwriting group, and once a month I host a TV writer’s chat on twitter. Oh and I attend monthly writing meetings and go to conferences. Oh and I also do all my marketing for my books myself. So believe me I understand busy.

Here are some of my tips to help you become better managers of your time and be able to produce work.

1. Write every day at the same time, it forms habit, it will train your brain to produce during that time

2. If you like to work on several things at once, like I do, set up time periods for each project, if you have 3 hrs. to write, set aside an hr. for each project, when that hour is up, go to the next project

3. Do all your prep work, like outlining, if you do, character sheets, research on non-writing time, like at night before you go to sleep, or that hour you have at lunch time, or during your commute to work or appointments, or when you are waiting for your child at their dance lesson, use writing time for WRITING

4. Carry a notebook with you wherever you go, for those instant moments of genius, or breakthroughs on plot problems, or to write down snippets of dialogue

5. If you are feeling blocked at the compute or at your laptop, get off it, and grab a pen and paper to write, sometimes the tactile feel of the pen on paper will help your creativity flow

6. Never wait for inspiration, or for your muse to sing out, that is a farce, to be a professional working writer you MUST learn discipline and train your brain into working for you

7. If something is not working for you, for whatever reason, get up and go for a walk, or better yet do some dishes or have a shower, that always helps me move forward, or work on something else

8. Use an egg timer and do writing sprints, or use write or die online, or challenge your friends on twitter to a sprint, you’d be surprised what you can get down in an hour without any distractions and without your internal editor banging on your skull

9. When you are writing, turn off your phone, your email, your internet, and your family, put a sign on your office door that says do not disturb, make sure you set the rules with your kids/spouse that when you are in your office you are working and not to be disturbed, unless there is at least a quart of blood

10. Have fun. If this isn’t fun, then what the heck are you doing it for?

About the author:

Tawny Stokes lives in Canada with her fantastical daughter, two cats, and spends most of her time creating new stories for teens. You can visit her at YA website or follow her on twitter @TawnyStokes. Tawny also writes adult paranormal romance and urban fantasy under the name Vivi Anna. You can find Vivi Anna on her other website or follower her on twitter @authorViviAnna.

Here's a blurb for her new YA paranormal novel, Static, which is on my TBR list. For more info check out her website.

During the summer before her senior year, 17 year old band groupie, Salem Vale, has been following her favorite punk rockers, Malice, from gig to gig hoping that one night she might get backstage and meet the sinisterly sexy guys. She’s been saving her virginity for the lead singer Thane. One fateful evening she gets her wish. It’s a dream come true.

Except the dream turns to a nightmare when she wakes up in a dumpster, tossed away like yesterday’s trash, with no memory of what happened the night before. She feels strange, different, as if something is trying to get out. Soon she realizes she’s changing…turning into something not quite human.

Now a hunger deep inside claws at her to feed, to siphon energy from those around her. Before she can do just that, Trevor, the band’s roadie shows up and stops her from killing. With his help she learns to control the hunger inside, because he’s just like her. And in return he wants her help to do one little thing…

Help him kill the members of Malice.

<<<3

Have a great week everyone!