Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Hasn't left me yet...

Atonement just went to 30,260 words.
Reaching that first 30,000 seems to be one of those "happy to be over the hump" things for me. It's more than a quarter, if shy of a third of the way through my usual length with these. So thirds, yeah, those sound really good. I'm thinking that hitting this number in some way eases my brain. My brains says: Yes. We have a novel going, here. You'll finish it.

Deepest fears is at 21,126. I didn't go back to it today, but it's sitting in a place that I can pick it up. I know what's next. Where it's heading. So I feel...safe, as it were. There's no feeling that if I don't keep pounding at it even when I'm tired, it'll fly out of my head forever.

Good stuff.

Back to work tomorrow. Ah, well. It never lasts, this time off. But I don't detest the idea of being there, like some other jobs I've had. You know, the ones where you are nearly ill just thinking about going. Last work week went by pretty fast, really. It's not like my hours are horrible.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Some joy?

Last night I had a small bout of writing. In the wee hours, really. About 3,000 words. I've had larger surges, but I'm not complaining, because I started to feel some excitement again.

Just now I added another 1,000 or so, and have lots of little flashes on what else goes into the novel, Deepest Fears.

I dabbled a bit with a couple scenes in Atonement as well. Didn't add a lot, but I'm happy with the results.

Yippee!

Just taking a break now because I have some around the house chores to get back to while things percolate. I think I've hit the time of day where I feel least like writing. I've been thinking on it and it seems to go in segments—its own schedule. I'm sure as we drift towards night, the next segment will arrive. Gotta have that time away, you know, so it doesn't seem like work, and so I don't feel like I've let everything else go to hell, including some other type of fun time. Or heck, studying some more French.

Thanks all, for the encourgement and such the other day. It's deeply appreciated.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

In which Michel states: Joy? Did I hear that you were in need of joy?

For those who've not met him, I would like to present one Michel Lecureaux, who, in-between doing serious vampire business (he has to rule a country of vampires, after all), eviscerating those who deserve it (which all depends on his point of view), and seducing whomever takes his fancy (all the while never actually cheating on his beloved), also has a host of other hobbies.

One of them is turning up just when I need him, which is why I forgive him when he drives me crazy for his own amusement. Well, I forgive him for other reasons as well, but we'll stop there. (He knows I love him, the imp.)

He has graciously offered to write some essays of a sort. I say of a sort, as with him, they could go anywhere, and often do. I hope you find him charming, amusing, and please do humor him. He does love praise. He's a bit more relaxed, shall I say, here than in the books. For good reason.

Alright, the floor is yours, Michel:


Greetings, my beautiful children, and those soon to be my beautiful children. The infamous Michel Lecureaux, at your service. I was asked if I might like to share my views on vampires in cinema, to which I replied I might indeed. Thus, here I am.

I pondered many ways in which I might begin such an article; with a bit of history, perhaps? With comparisons to the real and the imagined? Should I attempt a time line of some sort?

As often there is little resemblance betwixt the real and the imagined—what's that you say? You believe that with all of the literature and movies in existence, that surely there must be some truth swimming about in the soup of legends?

Very well, I'll leave off pretense. Mais oui, there are some truths in your literature. One reason for this, is that even vampires take pen names. We are everywhere, darlings. You may now find yourself asking Michel, my dear Michel; which, then, are pure fantasy, and which, then, are accurate?

This is no simple matter, darlings. Not all vampires are created equal, this is your first lesson. In fact, even I find some of them so repulsive that I destroy them on sight, afterward desperately wishing to bleach my eyes and nostrils. Unfortunately, I can't stand the scent of bleach, not that it would matter. By the gods, you humans are obsessed with germs, aren't you? Do you not realize that for a healthy immune system, one must build the immunity, which means, one needs a certain bit of exposure to germs?

Ah, I do beg pardon. I am digressing quite a bit. As I tend to do things my own way, I should inform you now, that this will be a common occurrence, as I am in a rather capricious mood. What this means when I am writing, is that I shall begin with a thought, and allow it to run at will. If you are game, do please continue reading.

Vampires in cinema, this was the subject, oui?
(Tut. Did you really believe that I would share the secrets of vampiredom with the free world? My, how sorely mistaken you find yourself now. Very well, as I'm feeling generous at the moment, I will share this. There are truths, there are lies, and there are grey areas in your fictions. Discuss this amongst yourselves as you will.)

Fright Night! Yes, I shall begin here. How deliciously campy this movie is. I shall also give Chris Sarandon full marks for being rather sexy—even with that deformed mouth as he shifts. However, if there are vampires who turn into bats, I daresay they do it with much more style, and are far more convincing, though it was an improvement over rubber bats on fishing poles, ala Legosi's era. Yes, darlings, I know. They worked with what was available to them at the time. This does not make it any less ridiculous, do we agree?

Now then, where was I? Fright Night. On the viscera scale, one must appreciate, I think, a minion who expires in a gush of green slime whilst his flesh melts from his bones. Rather inventive, though personally I prefer my minions to be filled with far tastier fluids, and prefer them far less zombie-like.

What's this? You're surprised that I opt to begin my musings with a nineteen eighties B flick? Why, it has achieved cult status! It pays homage to many other films!

What's this? What of Dracula, you say?

I say, what of him. But Michel, I hear you thinking. He is the grandfather of all vampires!

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, children, but this is a load of tripe. Blood thirsty he was. Immortal he was not. Furthermore, he was not the first fictional Immortal. Pity, however. I should like to have met him.

I hear you yet again. I hear very well, you must realize. Michel, if you discuss movies, they're all fictional, are they not? Therefore, why not discuss Dracula?

I grant you this. But this is my essay, and quite frankly, I tire of Dracula this, Dracula that, the mighty Dracula. Pssh. I would have snapped him like a cigarette between my fingers. Furthermore, I am aware that some of you expected me to begin with Vlad. This may be an opportune time to inform you that I do not like to be what's expected.

This is not to say I haven't enjoyed Dracula in film. Some more than others, certainly. If I am feeling generous the next time we meet, I may discuss one of my favorites.

Ah, but I must now take my leave, as I am in the mood for a blood letting. Mine, that is. Ponder this as you will. Certain of you will undoubtedly guess the source of this particular shift in mood.

I shall return with more thoughts another time.

Ciao for now.

The philosophy of...

This morning as I was easing into the idea of work before having to open the shop (the day job), I had a discussion with myself— yes I do this often, as well as talking with my characters—about why it is I haven't been writing the way I did with the first and second novels. (We won't talk about the third, in which I drove myself crazy before finishing it. But I survived it having learned something.) Why it is that for days on end, I might not touch the two novels I'm to be working on right now. Especially the stand alone novel, as I was so gung ho when I got the idea and started it.

I listed all kinds of things, and I agreed with myself that there are some valid points. But I'm not going to list them here, because in the last hour, I've come to the realization that perhaps the biggest problem at the moment (and the constant listing of things in my head and starting to worry over it certainly contribute to this) is that I've lost some of the fun of writing. The process. I'm dangerously close to making this seem like work. It already is skirting work at times. This was never supposed to be work, and you know what I mean, as of course, I'm not saying that writing doesn't take work.

Where is my joy? It seems awfully soon to have lost it.

I need it back. I need that rush of a good scene that makes me giddy and makes me keep going. Stop analyzing and just keep going. I had it in the opening of book four for the Paris Immortal series. I had it when I started Deepest Fears. But so soon it fled, with me nagging myself over details and oh shit, what comes next worries.

This morning, I'd given myself ideas for getting back to writing, and felt very inclined to get to it once I got off work. But then I got off work, and here I sit, not feeling so gung ho. Feeling a bit mentally drained.

I'm sure this won't last forever. I know we all have the "oh god I'm spent, I'll never have another idea" sorts of times. I just wish I could truly shut off the one voice in my head that's not helping matters—my little voice. Just for a while. Then perhaps I could pay more attenion to my characters who are likely just as present as they always were, but can't get through the MUCK in my brain.

This was never supposed to be a chore. Normally it isn't. But at the moment, I realize I've been avoiding it like it's a chore.

I need a good mental slap.

And...that is all. I'm going to drink the wine I didn't end up guzzling the other night, and see if I can relax this mental grip. This isn't really "classic" writer's block (whatever that is), as I worried and wondered a couple of weeks ago. No, I believe this is me blocking myself.

I'm off now to see if I can find my joy. It's around here somewhere, I've just misplaced it.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

One of the reasons I voted Obama.

I wanted to share this.

Team Obama wasted no time sweeping out the digital filth of the Bush Admin. Take a look. Here is the LGBT section in the civil rights directory:

Support for the LGBT Community

"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." 
-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

-Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.

-Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

-Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.

-Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.

-Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.

-Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The President will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. The President also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS.

-Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Writing or something like it.

The return of the day job, already? Yes, today I'm back to the day job. (Well, in another couple of hours.) 


Last night I had a bout of writing, which is good, because for nearly two weeks I haven't. I can't decide whether it's just that I've been feeling lazy, didn't really know which part to write next, or...some combination of these and other things. I was beginning to feel very guilty about it, though, this week.

So, Paris Immortal: Atonement, got a boost to 26,122 words, from sitting at 20,000 for a time. Much was floating scenes, though I ended up finding a place for the last one I set down, getting some forward, linear progress. I thought I would do more this morning, but I, ah, slept in. I will blame female issues. Yeah. Besides. Every scene I wrote last night had no real comedy relief, and I was drained, drained I say. Oi.

Deepest fears still hovers around 19,000 after a 7,000 word binge a week and a half ago, or so. I really should get back on that one, now that I feel better about having progress on the PI series.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Pimpage

But I am pimping someone else; namely, my husband's band.

From their blog:

Our song "Show me the way" will be featured in a major international movie starring Ving Rhames called Evil Angel! www.evilangelmovie.com (type in eangel2008 on the bottom of that page to see a rough trailer.)

Rather fitting it's a horror film, considering my fondness for horror.

Give WINDOWPANE a look by clicking on their name!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Losing my blogger virginity. Again.

My, my. First post. I have other locations, but decided what the heck, let's try this blogger thing.

I am the author of Paris Immortal, released all over Europe in May, 2008. Its sequel, Paris Immortal: Awakenings, was released in Europe October, 2008. The third, Paris Immortal: Absolutions, comes your way in hard cover this month. You can find me in Waterstone's, WHSmith, Blackwell's, and a host of other fine locations in Britain, France, even Japan, you name it. Not to mention sites such as amazon. Yee haw!

My 'official' North American release of the series begins June 1, 2009. That's right, you'll see me in Barnes and Noble. It's been a bit over a year since I snagged a publishing deal, and some days it still blows my mind.

I'm currently working on book four in this series, as well as a stand alone novel within the true horror genre. Or rather, I should say, my idea of horror, when I think of horror. I consider the Paris Immortal series first and foremost, character driven stories in which some of the characters happen to be vampires. Is there a bit of horror as it goes along? Yes, why yes there is. Who can resist with vampires? I like my vampires to BE vampires, though don't expect 30 Days of Night or the like. This is not to say I don't like a gross out every now again,  and there's some of those as it goes along. Don't we all like that? ;-) My vamps just don't happen to be monstrous looking...well. Most of them. I prefer not sticking to...'one type.'

In any case, my plans are to update this blog with writing matters, perhaps talk of books and movies I like and would recommend, and likely whatever else comes to mind, as with my other journals. I may import some pieces concerning writing that I had posted elsewhere.

Every once in a while it might just be a free for all, but we'll see.

If you're interested, then hey. Nice to meet you. I could be considered a bit of a whackjob, but then again, define normal, eh? I'll wait while you do that. ;-)

One thing. I'm not interested in trolling and flame wars. Do it, you're gone. There, now that's out of the way.