Posts from — September 2009

Despite the idea of taking off today after my little scare this morning, I ended up coming up with an idea for a scene. I’m actually wondering if it would work on a real investigation. It would be interesting to find out sometime.

I don’t think it is possible for a writer to fully disconnect from the process of writing. I know I am constantly thinking, twisting, reworking things in my head. Sort of that earlier complaint of a writer not looking busy, when in reality, the hamster is in the wheel running and running and running. (In my case, this is sometimes a literal hamster as there is one in my office. I’m serious.)

Anyway, I can’t turn off the thoughts sometimes. Like the other day when I finished another chapter, I thought about the ending to that several times. Ugh. Nothing was working. I am very happy I didn’t settle for the original idea. It works out so much better now.

I’m beginning to wonder if my van has a target sign somewhere on it…  Seriously. No, I did not get in an accident, but it was a very close call. I am leaving Walmart this morning when this huge 18 wheeler comes barrelling around the corner. I am already there at the intersection. He turns, and I swear, he doesn’t see me and he doesn’t slow down. I start backing up, but he curves around so much, if I go back far, I’ll hit him. But if I don’t go back a little, he’ll run me over. I think he got past me with like a half of inch clearing. It all happened so fast…I hardly had time to think.

After he passed, the guy in the pickup truck behind him looked at me and was laughing. Somehow, I didn’t find it all that amusing. My accident from last year crashed into me in that fleeting moment. Took me 30 minutes to stop shaking.

Last year, I was lucky. I don’t want to keep testing that luck. But I would like to know where the target sign is on my van. The dude from last year plowed into me without slowing down…right through the stop sign. Only my swerving saved me from ending up getting hit square on the driver side door.

You know, in thinking about it. I have more close calls here in Georgia than I EVER had when living in NJ or in Philly. I also lived at one time up in Rutherford and drove in NYC traffic where an inch is enough room to merge…

I still get leery of driving by TMH down in Tallahassee. There is a “H” hospital sign on the road that winds around the front of the building…I’ve hit that with my old van’s mirror once. Damn thing was leaning into the street (probably someone else hit it) and then I hit it. No avoiding it. The window was open, so I was showered with glass. Luckily, I had jeans on.

Kripe, maybe I am the target.

Nahhh.

Relax, AM. We women all know.

Read a banned book. It’s Banned Books Week. I’m going to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Great book. I have a fond memory of the book from high school. We had to do a group book report and I wanted to do something different than read a boring narrative in front of the class. So I got my group members to act out some of the courtroom scenes. I played 2 parts in 2 separate scenes. Is anyone really surprised I organized this and played the major parts?

What I find amusing in the video below is the mention of James Joyce’s Ulysses. Dear God… I read it (or maybe I should say I seriously skimmed it) in college as part of a required course. I remember I had to compare it to another book. Total bull shit on my part. I grasped at straws on it. Somehow (somehow!) I passed the class with an A. Let me tell you, I did NOT earn that A. The teacher gave everyone an A. It was one of those sure things. I do not know why. I don’t think he really cared if we read or did the reports. He just liked the audience to talk to. LOL

Edited to add:
I posted at The Writer Chicks—the funniest commercial ever.

Had a good writing day. Finished a scene that was going one way but then I decided the heroine needed to be a bit more sexually frustrated and kept her from getting what she wanted. Damn hero just walks off. LOL Fun stuff. It leads to the next scene of her complaining internally. But you know, what does she expect? It’s her own fault. Ahhh, love that conflict. At least the muse juice is flowing.

A WORD ABOUT FACEBOOK IMs: If we have NOT spoke before in an email, on the phone or in person, don’t IM me on Facebook. Honestly, I never know how to work the damn pop ups on FB (or GoogleTalk). Recently I had some guy writing French to me in an IM. I have no idea what he said to me… If it is like the English messages I get from time to time, I can guess. I don’t like FB IMs, so please don’t IM me. Drop me an email instead.

I needed a few laughs tonight. I absolutely love this movie. I don’t know if I have a sick sense of humor or what…

I was so sorry to hear of this sad news. I met Kate at RT a few years ago. I also exchanged a few emails with her, asking her to judge contest or two for RWA chapter contests. She was always so generous to help authors. She donated a lot of time and knowledge over at Lori Foster’s forums as well. A lot of authors got their break by dazzling her. She will be sadly missed.

Not Captain Fredrick Thorne. Nope, not even Captain Jason Flint. This type of pirate is worse.

Ebook pirates!  The scurge of the internet. Every author’s nightmare.

Yeah, I got a GoogleAlert for a new pirate copy of one of my books, The Gladiator. It is a shame. To be honest, I’d give a copy away to any reader that asked. Seriously. It is one of my hostage NCP books, so the less money they get, the better. Geez, this pirate site even posted the cover that I made for the book.

Am I going to send a complaint letter? No. I am hearing there is some sort of loophole these assholes are using to snag copyrights. It is just not worth my time. Now if it was an EC book, I can just report it to their pirate site watchdog. (And I have done that for a few other books of mine in the past.) But for an NCP book? Not so much. NCP owners are in it for themselves. They are too busy buying up real estate in Valdosta and Lake Park and building their “compound”. Quite creepy IMHO. Someday I will drive over there to see… Eh maybe not. Madris may have guard dogs protecting her in her tower…

Ahem.

Got to love GoogleAlert. I get notices very quickly of crap like this. Every time someone posts my name on the internet, I get an alert about it with a link. Nice, huh? Very handy tool.