Sunday, November 30, 2008

How do you handle rejection?

Have you heard authors say, “Aww…rejected. Cool.”? No, I don’t know anyone who treated an “R” as something cool. :) How about you? Did you ever scrawl, “I hate you, Editor” across your rejection letter, imagining it was his face? Or have you done a gross thing like splattering your gooey spit on the computer screen (hard to wipe that off if you have an LCD screen) when you opened your email and found a sorry rejected from the editor? Or you just shrug your shoulders, hit the delete button, sigh, shake your head then move on?

I don’t.

Each rejection letter is hard to swallow and I don’t take it easily. I consider my rejection letter as a challenge, a guide, a nudge (real hard one). Never—since I started writing—have I considered an R as a sign of failure. After all, I received one because I accomplished something—finished a story.

Now, this is my way of handling rejections and I’m not saying you should to or this is the right way to handle it. But it would be neat if you share yours. ;)

Anyway, here is what I do when I receive a heart-stopping rejection. After reading the letter (online since I haven’t submitted stories through snail mail yet), I save it on my Publications folder. Next, I’ll open my One Note, click on the Manuscript tab and add R on the note column.

On my desktop, I also have a WIP tab. I’ll put the rejected story back there. Now the rework begins. I’ll read the R letter and start picking it—especially the ones where an editor took his/her time pointing out the stories strengths, weaknesses and the holes on the story. How to improve it and why I shouldn’t give up on the story.

Here’s an example. My favorite. I used it as my screen saver.

“I know rejection is hard on an author, but just so you know, you do have a snappy, edgy style of writing quite suited to mainstream novels.
The dialogue, although crisp and flirty, was sandwiched between the internal conflict of the hero hating the cold weather. Your descriptive narrative was dead-on.”

Not bad, huh?

Here is another one:

“Just because we aren’t interested in acquiring your manuscript right now doesn’t mean we never will be, or that your work lacks merit. We hope you will continue to work on your story to improve its voice and structure, and perhaps add some depth and complexity to the characters.”

With the positive comments from the editors, I’ll rewrite the story and turn it into a brand new submission.
Under the Submissions tab, I’ll type the name of the “newly polished” story alongside the publications name where I intend to send it next.

Do we share the same way of handling rejection?


Tierney O’Malley, an author who changed her title from unpublished to published because she didn’t let a rejection letter stop her from writing and submitting.


To Trust a Wicked ManThree Christmas KissesEmerald Envisage

Saturday, November 29, 2008

WEEKLY CONTEST

Welcome to our weekly contest on The Deadly Vixens' blog! This week we are trying something new and different. We are offering a review and/or critique to one lucky winner. The review of your book will be posted directly here for all to read. Hopefully this will help increase your sales. The critique (consisting of no more than two chapters) can be done privately through e-mails to help the author determine the strength and weaknesses of their published (this includes e-books and traditional publishing) or non-published book. It's the winner's pick whether you receive a review or critique.

So, for all of you interested, please post here with the title of the book you want reviewed and/or critiqued and one lucky winner will be drawn on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008! Be sure to check back and see if you have won.

If your name is drawn as the winner, the e-book will need to be e-mailed to us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com. For a traditional book, please contact us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com for further instructions.

Please note: The content of the winner's book (erotica, traditional romance, etc.) will depend upon which Deadly Vixen reads your book. For instance, Sierra and Sarah write more traditional romances, whereas, Gracen and Tierney write more erotica type books. If the winner has a particular Deadly Vixen they want to revivew their novel, please note that in the winning e-mail.

This contest is open to published and non-published authors and to e-book and traditional books.

Best of luck!

Friday, November 28, 2008

Nano November Hell!!!!

Awesome Friday! I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving. Who besides me ate too much? ;-)

Nano--@#$%! It ends Sunday, November 30th. I’m not sure if I’m happy or depressed by that fact. I need another week. I have just over 38,000 words, but I’m not sure I’ll make my word count by Sunday. *breaks down and weeps from the pressure*

Seriously, what was I thinking when I signed up for Nano? Did I really think I needed more pressure? More obligations on my plate? My Novembers are always busy to begin with from my youngest son’s birthday, karate testing, football/basketball games and practices and then this year I added a surgery, Nano and my husband out of work the entire week of Thanksgiving! @#$%! As if Thanksgiving travel didn’t make writing challenging enough, he is off and at home with me the entire week. Joy, joy, not another word is wrote! lol That line has the ring of some sick joke or twisted song!

So, here’s to all you Nano exhausted participants. *raises my glass of wine at you* Whether we achieve our 50K goal or not, we are all winners because we at least wrote something during our 30 day writing-psycho-sprint. Without Nano I probably wouldn’t have managed a single word, except in the vast void of my brain cells and then it would have been dumped after a few days just like my computer trash bin. Of course, it’s pure speculation at this point that the writing isn’t pure crap or that the crappy parts are even fixable for that matter. ;-)

I hope everyone has an awesome and safe weekend. If you’re cramming for Nano, the best of luck to you! I won't keep you reading because you SHOULD be writing and not reading my blog!!!! =)

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving Myths


Hi, everyone! I hope you’re having a Happy Thanksgiving with your family and maybe your closest friends. Since we do not have a guest blogger for this week, I thought I would bring you some Thanksgiving myths. Let me start out by saying, all of the research for this post came from the internet. I am not a historian, so I cannot guarantee the accuracy or inaccuracy of any of these myths, but ALL of the articles I located on the internet did agree on ALL of these myths:

Myth One: The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Indians and was celebrated every year thereafter.

Fact: Incorrect. The first Thanksgiving can be attributed to the Texans in 1958 in San Elizario, which is located near El Paso, Texas. This was twenty-three years before the Pilgrims. The Texans staged a reenactment of the arrival of the Spanish traveler Juan de Onate, which was the occasion that started the Thanksgiving. After guiding hundreds of settlers through 350 miles of Mexican desert, Juan de Onate reportedly held a Thanksgiving festival.

Or, Virginians also claim that they were the first to hold the first Thanksgiving feast at Berkeley Plantation on the James River on December 4, 1619, a whole two years before the Pilgrims. To the Virginians we should remember the ship named Margaret that transported 38 English settlers in 1619 to the plantation. According to legend, the London Company that sponsored the Margaret passengers ordered them to honor the arrival of the ship with a Thanksgiving festival annually. President Kennedy officially recognized Berkeley plantations Thanksgiving claim in 1963.

Myth Two: The Pilgrims dressed in black with pointed hats and buckles on their shoes.

Fact: It was tradition for the Pilgrims to dress in black on Sundays, but most of the time they wore white, beige, green, blue, violet, brown and black clothing. It was also speculated that the Indians would have likely been fully clothed as well to ward off the chill of the Massachusetts in November. It is further believed that this popular image came about because buckles were a symbol of quaintness. Also, the blunderbuss rifle that is identified as a weapon of the Pilgrims was historically used to control crowds, not for hunting.

Myth Three: Pilgrim’s ate turkey, corn on the cob and cranberries.

Fact: We do not know if they had turkey, but the Pilgrims did not have apples, potatoes, pears, corn on the cob or cranberries. They did have deer. They did not eat with forks because they did not have forks back then. Mostly they ate with their fingers. Sometimes they would use a napkin when the food was too hot. Also, the Pilgrims did not sit down at tables with the Indians, bless the food and pass serving dishes. Most likely the food was set on flat surfaces (any that were available, from tree stumps to benches to tables) and the meal would have been consumed over three days without the historical pomp we were taught in school.

We conceive of the Pilgrims eating turkey and all the fixings because that’s the way the Victorians prepared Thanksgiving and they made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. It was Abe Lincoln that issued that presidential proclamation…two proclamations actually. We were to celebrate Thanksgiving in August and November. Americans did not celebrate Thanksgiving outside of New England before then. Incidentally, the Pilgrims did not even become the icon of the holiday until the nineteenth century. Thanksgiving was a day of thanks before that. It certainly was not a day when the Pilgrims were remembered.

Myth Four: Log cabins were the homes of Pilgrims.

Fact: Log cabins were introduced to Americans by Germans and Swedes and did not appear in the States until late in the seventeenth century. If one were to visit Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts, one would be able to see the types of homes Pilgrims lived in—wood clapboard houses, which were made from sawed lumber.

I hope you enjoyed the history lesson. ;-) There was a ton of myths and urban legends on the net about Thanksgiving. Don’t take my word for it. Do the research yourself…or read the sources I found:

http://hnn.us/articles/406.html

http://hnn.us/articles/1126.html

http://encarta.msn.com/column_thanksgivingmyths_marthahome/The_Pilgrims_watched_football_(and_other_Thanksgiving_myths).html

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=874&display_order=5&mini_id=1083


Happy Thanksgiving to all of you that are celebrating the holiday with us fellow Americans. I hope all of you have a happy and safe weekend!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Week four of Nanowrimo

Hello everyone! This is the final week of National Novel Writing Month and November in general. Happy early Thanksgiving!

As you can see from my word count meter, I'm not doing too hot. While I'm at 40,023, and that's great, it's not where I want to be as I'm technically behind now for the first week. I'm climbing in snail crawls, but that just means that the next five days will have to be ones that I use wisely and really start climbing the ladder quick. No more of finding ways to slack off or not get my necessary writing done. I have to "win" and make it to at least 50,000 words. I will, I'm sure, but I'm actually starting to get a little concerned. That's probably a good thing though.

Anyways, I wish everyone the best on the holidays! What are you going to be doing for Thanksgiving? Also, how are your novels coming along?

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Saturday's Contest Winner

Congratulations to our winner from Saturday's contest...the winner of Terry Spear's book, Heart of the Wolf.

The names were entered into Random.org's list randomizer and it picked the winner. So, the winner is: DEBBY!!!

Congratulations, Debby!!!! We hope you enjoy your free book from Terry Spear. To receive your prize, please email us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com with your e-mail address. Thanks for participating in our blog and congratulations again! Don't forget to check back each Saturday for a new contest!

Please note: New winners will be chosen from the remaining entries if prizes are not claimed within one (1) week from today's drawing. No exceptions are made.

*Sorry this was posted so late. I am preparing my family for travel during the holidays and just now realized that today WAS Tuesday and that a winner needed to be announced. So sorry for the delay!*

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

The Deadly Vixens

Book of the Week: Acacia I: Abducting Aeron by L. Shannon

Acacia I: Abducting Aeron I love this book!!! Abducting Aeron is a fast read with exceptional character development. The story is a page turner. I didn't even want it to end.

Here is my favorite part:

She shoved Bridget hard again, and then backed out of the water. “I said, you betrayed our father. Dr. Kaven was our father, back here to watch over us!”


Bridget sagged and gasped, “No… it’s not possible.”


“Oh yes! He was our father and he was too afraid to even tell us who he was. He was probably afraid you would hate him for what he was and it turns out he was right. I found the pictures and letters with his things after you turned him over to those butchers.”


The pale shaking pitiful excuse for a sister appeared to finally get just how significantly she’d botched their lives. For a moment Helia even felt sorry for her. “If you want to see his things I have them hidden under my bunk.”


Tears mingled with the water. “I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know. He was a vampire, and a threat.”


I hightly recommend this book. And here's an exciting part. You can now buy Acacia II: Blindsided.

Links for this book:


L. Shannon

Changeling Press



Tierney O'Malley
The Deadly Vixens

Monday, November 24, 2008

Do You Believe in Signs?

I've been doing a lot of research lately on old wives tales and superstitions. I find them fascinating. I've had experiences with one that has been freakily accurate. So, I wanted to find out more, learn others to put to the test. Of course, some are so far fetched, that I'd never be able to test them out, but there are a few that I've tried to see if they are for real. 


The one that I've done many times involves holding a piece of string with a pin on the end over someone's wrist. You hold it over the wrist and watch the movement. It tells you how many and what sex of the children that person is supposed to have/has had. You have to have a steady hand to do it, but it's been amazingly accurate for me. Anyway, I've done this one quite a few times and as I said, it's been nearly 100% accurate. 

Lately, my daughter has been looking for signs. She has her heart set on marrying a certain person. So, I've been searching to see if there is a way to determine who you are going to marry by using an old wives tale or superstition. There are several that I've found, but many of them are just too ridiculous to even try. But we've tried a few and they seemed to come up with the first letter of this boys name. So, who knows. She'd really freak out if we found more to test out and they pointed in his direction, too. LOL

Anyway, I got to thinking about signs and if they are real. I really do believe in them, but you have to look out for them. They can be anywhere. And they can be so subtle, you can miss them easily. This is my opinion and I don't know if I'm right or wrong, but that's what I choose to believe. 

So, what do you think? Are there really signs to point us in the right direction? Do you think it's possible to discover things about your future using old wives tales or superstitions? Let me know what you think. 

P.S. If you have some old wives tales to share, I'd love to hear them. Leave me a comment and let me know. Have you tried any out? Have they come true? 

P.S.S. Gracen, she wants you to dream about it so it will come true, LOL.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Hi! This is Tierney. I'm the new Deadly Vixen

Hello everyone,

How are you? Thanks for stopping by. My name is Tierney O’Malley, a new member of The Deadly Vixens. *grinning* Yeah, Sarah, Sierra, and Gracen gave me this great opportunity to join them. Thanks ladies. You’re all awesome.

An hour ago, I wrote a formal letter of introduction. Today is my first time to post as a deadly vixen. I reread the letter about three times looking for grammatical errors, misplaced punctuation or wrong tense. After the fourth edit, I thought, nah, just bag this. Why write a sterling letter of introduction. I’m not applying for a job or trying to impress academicians, schoolmarms, grammarians, and the general public who are obsessed with conceptions of right and wrong in the English language. I thought you ‘d give me a warmer welcome if I introduce myself the way I would if we met at the grocery store, school, or anywhere. Nothing wrong with being casual, right? People respond with ease this way.

In all of my school years, too much emphasis has been placed on the discipline of learning and using the rules of English when speaking and writing. My teachers bombarded us with rules, usages, and taxing supplements of books on grammar to the point that I became inhibited. I delivered speeches, participated in debates without being conscious of any rules at all. Because of that, I missed the thrill of expressing myself freely, of conquering the audience. Luckily, I was able to squash my inferiority complex. How? I told myself to speak up, to write anything naturally. I blasted the mental block (I’m horrible in tenses, bad in grammar, etc.) and started writing. And I succeeded, too. I wouldn’t be blogging right now if I let fear of writing win.

There is magic in words if you can say them exactly the way you want them delivered. I am not saying that you write with absolute disregard of the correct grammar usage. Of course, there should be time for a rewrite. But like my English professor once told me, “Write first. Perfection comes later.” She was right. If you want to write, pen your draft. Don’t be afraid. Unless you learn to say and write what you want, you won’t be able to say anything that is worth saying, or worth reading. If I didn’t overcome the fear of making mistakes, my first story, To Trust A Wicked Man, is probably still languishing in my story folder.

So, Tierney O’Malley here everyone. Waving hi from the Pacific Northwest. I am a published author. My second book, Three Christmas Kisses, will be available for purchase on December 15, 2008 from eXtasy Books. You can find more about my upcoming releases on my website at http://tierneyomalley.com/

I like meeting people and I am so glad you came for a visit. Whether you are a reader or writer, I‘d like to hear from you. :o)

Tierney O’Malley

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Whipped Cream Best Book Honor Poll Nomination

My book, The Devil's Den, has been nominated for the Best Book Honor over at Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews! Voting for the contest runs only this weekend from Saturday, 11/22, through Sunday, 11/23. Here's the link if you're interested in checking it out:

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/recentrev.htm

Yikes! That's two contests I've been nominated for now. The first one is over at Night Owl Romance and it runs through the end of December. Here's the link if you're interested in checking it out:

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/NORAwards/fall2008norawardseroticebooks.asp

I'm not winning either of the contests, but I'm just excited to be nominated! It's a HUGE honor!!!

WEEKLY CONTEST

Welcome to our weekly contest on The Deadly Vixens blog! The winner will receive a copy of Heart of the Wolf by Thursday's guest author, Terry Spear!

To enter, read Terry's blog from Thursday and share your thoughts or comments either in this post or in Terry's Thursday's post! The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 25, 2008. Be sure to check back and see if you have won.

If your name is drawn as the winner, you will need to e-mail us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com with your e-mail address to claim your prize.

*WARNING* Some books may contain explicit material and are for persons 18 years of age or older. If you are not at least 18, please do not enter the contest, as we have no way of knowing your actual age. By entering this contest, you are accepting these terms and are stating that you are at least 18 years of age or older. Thank you. *WARNING*

Please note: New winners will be chosen from the remaining entries if prizes are not claimed within one week of drawing. There are no exceptions.

Best of luck!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Hunting and Free Radicals...

Awesome Friday everyone! *waves* Well, my little one survived his surgery last Friday without tons of drama. *scratches head* This is my drama king child. So, this doesn’t make much sense. *scratches head some more* O-kay…I decided not to look a gift horse in its mouth—I think that’s the way the saying goes anyway…I’m horrible at sayings—and went with the flow and enjoyed his less than stellar drama.

NaNo…eh…it’s going okay for me. I’m proud of the word count I’ve accomplished, especially with all the family distractions I’ve had of late. Currently, I’ve become point man—or point woman as it relates to me—for purchasing the necessary supplies for my husband and son’s deer hunting enterprise. Let me just say, I am NOT a hunter. I’m still too traumatized by watching Bambi as a child to even think of shooting a deer. I do not eat the meat—YUCK!—but I do cook it for my family to eat. None of the supplies they have requested have been difficult; they’ve just not come all at once. *glares at husband and oldest seed* On Monday I was requested to purchase food supplies and take my son’s gun to be sited. They gave me the list and gun and I did the shopping and dropping off. Not a big deal, right? Well, on Tuesday, they decided they forgot the hot hands to keep their hands hot while they sit in the tree stands. (If they actually “hunted” something, scouted it out rather than sit and waited on it—not my idea of “hunting”—their hands might not get cold…just a thought…) So, with a sigh, I grumped about having to go to Wal-Mart to purchase them. I hate going to Wal-Mart…I go for two items and end up buying fifteen. So, on Wednesday, I purchased the hot hands and a bunch of makeup I didn’t need, but couldn’t resist. ;-) Then Wednesday night, they have forgotten to tell me that my son needs a bigger size of thermal underwear. Instead of glaring at them this time, I’m shooting daggers at them with my eyes. Seriously, this is getting ridiculous and they need to get their freaking act together. But, I went yesterday and bought him a new pair and then listened to him grump about the top and bottoms being two different colors. Like anyone’s going to see his thermal underwear! They’re not going into the woods trying to make a fashion statement anyway! I nearly strangled him, then nearly strangled his father when he said, “I forgot B needs a new hunting jacket too.”

At that point I was envisioning with glee slicing, dicing and carving him into tiny, tiny pieces. I think I could easily provide a valid defense. Yeah, needless to say, I informed him immediately they were on their own this time because I wasn’t shopping for any more hunting supplies. I’ll pick up the rifle today, but otherwise, I’m thinking of divorcing the two of them. Anyone know the name of a good divorce lawyer? ;-)

My Word of the Week: Free Radicals

I see the word everywhere. It was even on the new makeup I purchased this week at Wal-Mart. So, that got me to thinking…What is a Free Radical? I figured if I didn’t know some of you might not know either. So, a brief definition, provided to us by: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-free-radicals.htm


“Free radicals are organic molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some diseases. These molecules are very unstable, therefore they look to bond with other molecules, destroying their vigor and perpetuating the detrimental process. Some molecules are unstable. They do not have an even number of electrons, so they are always searching for an extra electron they can ‘steal’ to become stable. Out in the world, this is a normal process, but in the body, it can result in unnecessary damage. Free radicals are ‘free’ because they float around until they stabilize, and ‘radical’ in the sense that there are a wide variety of molecules from which they can take an electron. However, the damage doesn't stop there, as the new molecule, say a piece of a cell wall, is now also missing an electron and has become another free radical. This snowball effect can wreak havoc on healthy tissue.”

I’ve never been awesome at science, so that definition left me scratching my head again just a little. I could understand the basic idea, but it didn’t really tell me much as to how it relates to my life.

I looked for more articles and got some of the same basic definitions and then some that were so detailed and so confusing, I would have needed a professor to explain it. What I did get from all the articles I read was that the antioxidants found in foods prevent free radicals from harming the healthy tissue in our bodies. But, we can counteract free radicals by eating foods rich in Vitamins A, E and beta-carotene, which is found in fresh vegetables and fruits. Antioxidants are like a security systems in the path of a criminal, stopping the free radical from causing a myriad of damage. If you’re thinking a multi-supplement can give you all the antioxidants you need, well, think again. The multi-vitamin might help, but it is better for us to get the antioxidants we need from a balanced diet because our body absorbs the vitamins from foods more easily. I thought that fact was interesting because I’m a multi-vitamin fiend! I’m a one-day multi-supplement girl, along with green tea extract, vitamin C, Cod Liver Oil and Calcium with vitamin D.

While some free radicals are inevitable, aging for instance, clogging of arteries and DNA destruction can be prevented. Causes of free radicals are found in our everyday life…pollution, cigarette smoking, cleaning supplies, herbicides, etc.

Hope that helps some of you that might have been as confused as me. =)

Don’t forget to check back this coming Sunday and welcome our newest Deadly Vixen, Tierney O’Malley!

And don’t forget to check out our Saturday Contest, as our guest blogger Terry Spear will be giving away a copy of Heart of the Wolf to one lucky winner!

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! Anyone have any plans? Stay safe and be naughty at least once. =)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Please Welcome Author...Terry Spear!!

Victorian Sex for Werewolves?

Sex Tips for Husbands and Wives was penned by Ruth Smythers, a vicar's wife, in 1894. In this work, she talked about how a wife should limit sex to two brief encounters during the week. Sex should be given reluctantly or the husband would expect a sexual orgy too often. Unclothed bodies should not be seen, and lights should always be turned off. And the best, the wife should be perfectly still or her husband might think she was excited to participate and was encouraging the encounter. Fight with your husband before bedtime to discourage sex.

Ah, I’m so glad my werewolves, though the first story starts in the 1800’s, were not prudish Victorians, who listened to vicar’s wives. :) The fewer clothes, the better. Speaking of werewolves, HEART OF THE WOLF made Publishers Weekly’s BEST OF BOOKS OF THE YEAR for mass category, one of five books listed!!!

And the next three wolf tales will be out next year also! None of the characters in these books believe in Ruth Smythers’s concept of how a husband and wife should behave toward each in the bedroom.

Brief sexual encounters are discouraged. The more, the longer, the better. Movement in bed is encouraged. Lights on or off don’t matter since werewolves can see in the dark. Unclothed bodies are the rule. Sexual orgies with their mates are heartily expected.. Fighting with a mate is to occur AFTER sex, not before, so that by the time they’re ready for the act again, they’re really ready.

So what do you think? Do we have it better???

Terry Spear
Heart of the Wolf, PW’s BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

*****
Don't forget to check back on Saturday for your chance to win Terry's e-book, Heart of the Wolf!!
Disclaimer (because we don't have a choice): The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

We have a new Vixen!!

I'd like to let you all know that we have a new deadly vixen joining us next week. Her name is Tierney O'Malley and she's going to be posting on Sunday's! Tierney is already published with contemporary romance, and now she's decided to start writing paranormal, too. Be sure to stop by her website and check out her current books. Please, join us in welcoming her to our blog. 

Week three of Nanowrimo

Wow, it seems like just yesterday that we got started on this journey. Isn't it crazy? As of now, I'm at 36,074 words. Time has flown, and I've written quite a bit in that period of time, but in some ways I'd love to be at a higher word count. Although, to be honest, I've written more and had more dedication this year than years in the past. It's nice to know that I'm growing from the experience. I hope to not make the mistake of stopping this experience of dedicated writing after this time has passed. I really stand firm with Sierra on sending off a manuscript to NY early next year.

What have I learned this week? Pretty much that I don't have the turbo battery that the energizer bunny does and that if I don't make time for writing, or if I decide to goof off while I have the time of writing, then nothing gets done and I just beat myself up over the "failure." I have to stay focused on my story and not let myself think of all of the other stories that are beginning to pull on my mind. Also, even though my story is starting to drag and I want to throw things because the proverbial waters of my plot are getting muddied so I can't tell where in the world my story is going, I have to keep pushing forward. I can't just laze around and complain about it. That doesn't get anything done. It keeps me away from the manuscript and probably makes things worse.

So! How are you guys doing with Nano? Have you been going strong or wanting to give up? Has it become hard for you as well? Or are you speeding through it? Let me know. *smiles*

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Saturday's Contest Winner

Congratulations to our winner from Saturday's contest...the winner of Elizbeth Black's e-book.

The names were entered into Random.org's list randomizer and it picked the winner. So, the winner is: KAREN JOHNSON!!!

Congratulations, Karen!!!! We hope you enjoy your free e-book from Elizabeth Black. To receive your prize, please email us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com with your e-mail address. Thanks for participating in our blog and congratulations again! Don't forget to check back each Saturday for a new contest!

Please note: New winners will be chosen from the remaining entries if prizes are not claimed within one (1) week from today's drawing. No exceptions are made.

The Deadly Vixens

Monday, November 17, 2008

Building a website

Stupid, stupid me. I used to have my website all built up and running. I forgot about it and let it the hosting lapse, now I have to rebuild it again. I'm not that great at creating websites, so I've been making mistakes and having to start over again. Well, it's my own fault and I have no one to blame but myself, so I guess I'll just have to deal with it. 


Websites are important for authors to have, in my opinion. They provide information to your readers and let them know when new books are coming out. Once you build a readership, this information can be good for promotion. As writers, we are always looking for new ways to get our name out there. We want more people to know about our books and we hope that they will want to read them. After all, this is how we make our living, or hope someday to do. 

As I said, I'm not good with creating sites on my own. So, I've been using the Wordpress blog to create my site. The downside to this is that I have to use whatever themes I can find to make my site. There are tons of themes out to choose from, but most of them are not what I'm looking for. If you've ever created a myspace page, you understand what I'm talking about. There can be thousands of themes, but nothing that really catches your eye. Everyone is different, so it makes sense that not everyone will like the same thing. 

One of these days, I'm going to learn html so I can design my site the way I like it, but for now, I have to rely on others to create a theme I like. I've found one that I'm using for now. Unfortunately, the author of the theme was french and some of the html (what I can understand of it, anyway) is filled with the language. That makes it even harder to understand. But, it will do for now.

Do you think authors should have a website? Do you have one? What tools did you use to create it? Are you html illiterate like me? I'd love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment and let me know.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Awesome Review from Whipped Cream!!!

I received an awesome review from Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews and I had to share it!!!

Review by Amaranth 5 out of 5 Whipped Cream & Cherries. Here's the direct link: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/1108/TheDevilsDen-GM.htm


♥ ♥ ♥

"The Devil’s Den is an excellent read, from beginning to end. Author Gracen Miller has created a great vampire story with a complex plot and unbelievably strong characters. Serena is a strong, beautiful woman. She lives life on her own terms and no one tells her what to do. Six is a very old and powerful vampire, who enjoys his evil ways and does not apologize to anyone or care how anyone else feels. That is until he meets Serena. She is so powerful, in not only her beauty and physical strength, but also her mental strength. Ms. Miller did such a wonderful job of describing the setting, which I felt as though I were watching a movie, rather than reading a book. Her talent with words and descriptions continually impressed me.

The Devil’s Den has a very strong and intriguing story line, but also has a few smaller storylines interwoven into the main plot. When they were introduced, it was a bit confusing and unexpected, but the characters and story were so good, I didn’t give it much of a second thought. That was the only thing that threw me about this book. I truly enjoyed everything about this book and can not give it higher praise.

I highly recommend this book for anyone, especially if you enjoy hot vampire romance! Bravo, Ms. Miller!"

Thank you so much for this awesome review!!! I am practically happy dancing all over the house! ;-)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

WEEKLY CONTEST

Welcome to our weekly contest on The Deadly Vixens blog! The winner will receive a copy of one of Elizabeth Black's e-books.

To enter, post a comment here--ideas, thoughts, opinions (just keep it nice)--about either Elizabeth Black's Thursday blog or Gracen Miller's Friday blog. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 18, 2008. Be sure to check back and see if you have won.

If your name is drawn as the winner, you will need to e-mail us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com with your e-mail address to claim your prize.

*WARNING* Some books may contain explicit material and are for persons 18 years of age or older. If you are not at least 18, please do not enter the contest, as we have no way of knowing your actual age. By entering this contest, you are accepting these terms and are stating that you are at least 18 years of age or older. Thank you. *WARNING*

Please note: New winners will be chosen from the remaining entries if prizes are not claimed within one week of drawing. There are no exceptions.

Best of luck!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Strange Coincidence or Demonic Influence?

Awesome Friday! I'm out of my depression, so I won't send you into the weekend with a meloncholy blog. So, so, terribly sorry, everyone, for posting my misery for you to read. :-(

A week or so ago I watched the television show, Paranormal State, which airs on Monday nights on A&E. In this particular episode the girl was possessed by a demonic entity. Whether I believe in demonic possession is not the point of my post today. This entire family came across as victimized and mentally tormented. Needless to say, they were terrified. The demon force had written words on the daughter’s body, tried to drown her while soaking in the bathtub and other various occurrences had happened to her and her parents.

When the psychic medium arrived to give the Paranormal State team his physic take on the situation, he immediately began channeling the demon’s hatred toward the religious artifacts in the home. At one point the psychic cautioned that the demon declared he would “kill the bitch”. Yikes! Those were strong evil words. I’m not saying this was real, but in the dead of the night with the possibility that demonic possession could be real swimming around in my head, it was enough to unsettle me.

So, the investigation gets underway and the demon starts writing again on this poor girl’s body, drawing six diagonal lines down her back. They almost looked like strange claw or scratch marks to me. They call in a holy man who thinks an exorcism should be performed. The family agrees to an exorcism and one begins. During the course of the exorcism, the demonic entity begins to speak through the girl. It says its name is the number 6. Something kept me from spelling that word out like it was a name, as if writing it like a name would give a real demon—if there is one—with that name power somehow. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but just in case…well, anyway, I’ll tarry on with my thinking.

The demon’s name is spoken and my eyes go wide and round. My heart is suddenly racing and my hands are sweaty. Like an echo in my mind is “Holy Freaking Crap!” Why am I thinking this, you’re wondering?

Well, I may have mentioned that my book, The Devil’s Den, started out as a dream. My character’s names are Serena and, you guessed it, Six. For those that have read it, the dance scene where they meet for the first time, that was the actual dream. I spent a lot of time on this one chapter, trying to get the seductive charm of Six just right, while also hoping I could make the reader feel the latent menace, evil, and power at his core. In my dream, this scene was all of that and so much more.

In the dream that spawned the book, Six was a demon. I grew up hardcore Christian, so sometimes I have a hard time adjusting what I was taught to work it into my writing as a non-evil entity. I’m working on this and getting better at it, but for the book I took some creative license and morphed Six into a vampire rather than a demon.



He gripped her firmly, molding her backside snugly against his frame. He felt large and strong and she stiffened at the unexpected quiver that raced through her. She didn’t like the solid feel of him, and she didn’t like the quiet, dangerous strength that he emitted. There was nothing about this predicament that she did like.

Before she could protest he strategically guided her onto the dance floor without allowing her to even catch a glimpse of his face. Then slowly, his body began to move, taking hers with his. Her buttocks cupped against his groin. The intimacy of it had her face flaming.

He swayed and ground his pelvis against her bottom again. One large hand stroked her left arm, while his other hand had mysteriously found its way underneath her shirt and was flexing possessively against the middle of her waist.

“I hear you’re looking for someone,” he crooned, rocking against her in the timeless suggestion of the act of love as the hand on her waist slipped a notch and his fingers nestled to his knuckles inside the waistband of her jeans.

Nodding her head, she croaked, “Yes.” Her throat closed tight in fear and it was the loudest voice she could make. Fire was spreading through her body and her limbs felt languid from its blaze as the hand rubbing her arm lowered to her hip. His fingers flexed, gripped her hips, and pumped her bottom against him. Serena choked on the breath that lodged in her throat.

Who are you looking for?” His voice was silky and made her feel almost languorous.

The hand that had been rubbing her arm lifted and dove into the hair on the back of her head. He pushed her head forward and pumped against her buttocks again. Serena gasped at the erotic contact. He smiled, but if she could have seen him she would have known that no warmth entered his colorless eyes. He leaned forward and brushed his lips across her bare shoulders. Serena tried to stiffen, but her body failed to respond.

Excerpt from The Devil’s Den Copyright © 2007 Gracen Miller


That’s not all the chapter, but it’s enough for you to get the idea. When that dream-demon grasped me from behind and did the sexy dance with me—just like he did to Serena in the book—his thick, husky whisper purred into my ear, “I am Six.” It felt like a sweet wicked caress across my entire body. That’s when I woke, aroused and already half in love with him.

I admit I’m a unique—or “normalcy challenged” as a friend of mine would say—individual. Often I use my nightmares to create stories. I do find it strange that instead of waking from that particular dream in a cold sweat with fear clawing at my mind and a paralyzed need to hide beneath the blankets, I was obsessed with the need to put the demonic sexiness of my dream-demon into words. After waking, I knew Six had to be immortalized. Typically the lure of a dream wears off after a couple of hours, but not this one. The memory of Six had me obsessed for weeks, all throughout the writing of the book. And when I was finished writing his life, I was a smidgen sad because our relationship was over.

So, yeah, while watching Paranormal State, I was sitting here thinking, “Holy Freaking Crap!” as they tried to expel this demon with the same name as my character from her body. It had me thinking if demons are real, was that a demon that spawned the dream rather than my imagination? That thought sends shivers all over my body. And it’s not those wickedly pleasurable shivers that my dream inspired.

Holy freaking crap what might I have actually immortalized? A dream? A demon? Was it simply a matter of strange coincidence? Yeah, probably. Even most likely. But what if…

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for a chance to win a copy of one of Elizabeth Black’s books!

My youngest son is having adenoid surgery today, so I won't be around much this weekend. I hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Please Welcome Author...Elizabeth Black!!

The Entity Pictures, Images and Photos

Ghosts And Sex – The Ultimate Paranormal Bliss

By Elizabeth Black

Here's something you don't read every day. The headline was surreal: Two Women Report Ghost Has Been Having Sex With Them.

Yes, you read that right.

Two women in Washington State in the U. S. claimed that a ghost "has been placing sensors on their bodies and visiting them in their house […] They said that the ghost has been having sexual intercourse with them."

I swear I'm not making this up.

I had heard of women claiming to have been attacked by ghosts, but it was surreal to see such a matter-of-fact article about it in a local, modern newspaper. Have you ever seen the movie "The Entity"? It's a 1981 flick about a woman who was repeatedly raped by a ghost in front of her husband and children. The movie was slammed by critics when it first came out because it was rather explicit, but it became a cult favorite. It was supposedly based on the real life astral rapes of Carla Moran. Whether Moran actually exists has been up for debate for years. I've seen a reality show that supposedly interviewed her and had shown pictures of the ghost that had raped her, but the jury is still out on whether or not the woman actually exists. The movie was remade in Japan, and it is slated to be released in 2009. I'm curious to see it, especially since I saw the original years ago. Can't wait until it comes out on DVD.

Photobucket

I am always interested in ghosts and sex because lots of my erotic short stories have ghosts and sex in them. Ghosts are very versatile. They're perfect for tales of voyeurism. In one of my short stories for Scarlet Magazine, "The Party Crasher", I include a male ghost fingering his widow's breast while she is sitting at a séance, in full view of everyone. Of course, the ghost is invisible, so her comments to him to stop pawing at her are amusing to those sitting around her.

I have a special penchant for ornery ghosts. My new novel, "The Haunting of the Sandpiper Inn", has several ghosts in it, including one very ornery and horny ghost. That book has just been accepted by Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, and it will be released sometime in 2009.

It would probably be exciting to have consensual sex with a ghost, but being raped by a ghost would be horrifying. First off, you can't see the attack coming. Ghosts tend to be invisible, but not always. My erotic horror story "Sweet Spot", published in the Halloween short story collection "Monster Mash" by Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, is based on an Irish myth called "The Fatal Phantom of Eringle Traugh". This "ghost" – or demon, it's hard to tell exactly what it really was – appears to mourners in a cemetery in the form of the type of man or woman they are most attracted to. In my story "Sweet Spot", it appears to Derek in the form of a luscious woman who had used him up and dumped him five years earlier. He knows the story of "the hag" who haunts the cemetery, but ignores it so that he can get his revenge. The otherworldy sex they have is very rough and steaming hot, and once you finish the story, you realize that Derek would have been better off if he had left the cemetery with the rest of the mourners.

At the same time, a playful ghost could make otherworldly sex lots of fun. I wrote a short story for Scarlet Magazine called "Things That Go Hump In The Night" that involved a sexy spanking ghost. The fun thing about this playful ghost was that, since she was invisible, you couldn't tell when she was going to spank the woman who booked the motel room for the night. When she did, it was very arousing. People who like to be blindfolded while engaging in a little fetish play probably know how exciting it can be to not know when the spanking is coming. That's what gave me the idea for my story in the first place.

So, not only do ghosts make great characters for sexy fiction, they really do like to have sex with humans, if that Washington State case is any indication. Bored with your very human partner? Find a horny ghost! You'd be in good company.

Monster Mash Front/Icon

Monster Mash
Buy it at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=344

For more information about "The Party Crasher" and "Things That Go Hump In The Night', contact Elizabeth Black at trishcwilson@comcast.net.

Where you may find Elizabeth Black on the web:

Elizabeth Black - Blog
Elizabeth Black - RomanceWiki
Elizabeth Black – Yahoo Group
Lizzie's Sexy Newsletter
Elizabeth Black - MySpace

*****

Don't forget to check back on Saturday for your chance to win one of Elizabeth's books!!

Disclaimer (because we don't have a choice): The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.

*All ghostly images provided by Elizabeth Black and were reportedly taken from Photobucket. No copyright infringement is intended.*

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Week two of Nanowrimo

Well, it's week two, and boy, I am feeling it. Every other day, I've been actually craving going to bed early (midnight). Or even been feeling like my body isn't as well prepared to deal with staying up and writing or mustering up the courage to face life, nano, and the weather change (or whatever else is going on at the moment). I can't let that get in the way of my victory though. I am with Sierra on the pact we made (hooray for submitting to NY at the beginning of next year!), since that is something we really want to happen. (I'm so glad you joined it with us, Gracen! We're the Deadly trio of Vixens. ;)) You don't have to change your name to have an "S" beginning, we love you as you are!)

Anyways, this week with Nano is all about pushing through even when you don't feel like it, and I've really had to do that as much as I've been too sleepy and worn down. On Monday, I could only muster 137 words, then I had to get to bed. Tonight seemed to be going well, but then it took a turn and life got in the way. I'm having to push it back in its boundaries, which it doesn't really like. But I managed to get a decent word count down. As of right now, I have 23,470 words written. Tomorrow will be another day, and I'll get more writing done. Hopefully, I can start climbing out of the pit with a victorious roar and show my word count who is boss. *smiles*

So! The moral of today's story is that you can accomplish your word count goals, or at least, get some writing done each day, even if you're not satisfied with how high that number is. One of my main goals this is, besides from winning with a special number I have in mind, is to write each and every day, which I haven't always done in past Nanos. Also, when life pushes and tries to get in the way, you have to stand up and push back. You can win Nano, you can be a published author, and you can be a multi-published author. It's all about keeping your goals in mind and your priorities set. You can do anything you set your mind to!

So, how are you doing with Nano? Or life in general? What are things you're learning in regards to week two of Nano? I'd love to hear from you! *smiles*

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Saturday's Contest Winner

Congratulations to our winner from Saturday's contest...the winner of Linda Ambrosia's e-book, Gulliver's Children.

The winner is: PHEEBLES

Congratulations, Pheebles!!!! We hope you enjoy your free e-book from Linda Ambrosia. To receive your prize, please email us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com with your e-mail address. Thanks for participating in our blog and congratulations again! Don't forget to check back each Saturday for a new contest!

Please note: New winners will be chosen from the remaining entries if prizes are not claimed within one (1) week from today's drawing. No exceptions are made.

The Deadly Vixens

Big Yahoo!

I'm so excited, I had to share with you all. I received the contract today for my first book!! It's going to be published with the Wild Rose Press!! I can't tell you what a great feeling it is.


Wooohoooo!!!!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Time for a celebration!

I've finally finished those edits. Woohoo! Two manuscripts. I was getting pretty tired of reading the same stuff over and over, let me tell you. But now, it's done and I can celebrate an accomplishment. Yay!!!


As most of you know, I haven't done NaNo because I had all those edits to finish. But, I finished them and now I can move on. I started writing again last night. Got a little over 200 words written. Not much, but at least it was something. I'm happy about that. I've been in a pretty big slump with my writing since June. I probably haven't written 3000 words since then. But, I can feel things changing for the better. I feel like writing again. I'm so happy. I was getting worried. 

I have to work 12 hour shifts for at least the next 3 days, maybe 4. So, I won't be getting much done this week, unfortunately. I hate that I'm just starting to get back into my writing and then I have to pause it because my time is so limited. But, that is life and we just have to face our roadblocks head on. 

I've decided it's time to get more serious with my writing. There for a while, I was feeling like Gracen and not sure my writing was worth the effort I put into it. Finally, I'm feeling a little better about it and it's time to step it up a notch. So, I've made a goal. I'm going to sub to NY next year. Period. I can put it off forever, but then I'll never get anywhere. 

I'm very proud of myself for meeting my goals for this year. I've subbed to online pubs. Twice! I'm happy to say that I have two things under consideration with The Wild Rose Press at this time. It's more than I ever expected from myself. I've always wanted to be a published writer, but I never thought I'd get up the courage to actually submit anything. So, my goal for 2008 was to sub. I'm thrilled that I did it. Thanks to the encouragement of my two wonderful blog partners! I'd never have done it if it wasn't for their help and support. If they hadn't pushed me, I would still be sitting here on my hands. Thank you girls, you're the best!!

So, having met my goal for this year, I've made my new goal for next year. I want to sub early in the year if possible. Since NY has such a long response time, I figured the sooner the better. If I sub early enough, hopefully I'll get lucky and hear back by the end of the year. Fingers crossed. So, I have to get busy and get a story written. :D

I'm thinking of doing a fast draft or trying to do a NaNo in half the time. If I can finish a story by the end of this year, then hopefully I can have it revised well enough that by the end of February I can sub it out to NY. Maybe sooner than that, if I can get my behind in gear.  

Gracen, I've already talked Sarah into joining me. It's your turn! Since I haven't been lucky enough to catch you online lately, I'm afraid I'm going to have to use my powers of persuasion on you here, LOL. I want you to agree to sub to NY in 2009 too. You're writing is definitely good enough. It's better than many NY writers I've already read. So, no excuses. You deserve it. You're stories deserve it. What do you say? *You can say no, but I'm not going to quit hounding you, so you might as well agree ;) *

This is our time! And the time is right to make our goals and get busy on them. The year is nearly over and the new one is coming in fast. Too fast, but that's beside the point. 

Okay, I'll quit my rambling for today. I'd love to hear what you all think. Have you made goals that you're working on? Have you met a goal that you're proud of? Share it with me. Can't wait to hear from you.

P.S. For those of you interested, Romance Divas is holding a Workshop for Historical Romance. It's free!! Here's the info...


Sunday, November 9, 2008

Please Welcome Author...E. Jamie!!

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us! E. Jamie’s newest release by Amira Press is Redemption. Her erotic novella will be available in ebook on November 21st, 2008! You can visit her at her website http://ejamie.net

1. When/how did you know you wanted to write?

I was very lucky in that I've always known what I wanted to do. I was never one of those kids in school who was taking different subjects trying to figure out what my career would be. I've always loved to read and to be able to create these worlds and characters like those I was reading seemed like the best possible thing to do for a living.

2. Is writing your full time job or do you have another job also?

I made the transition this year to writing fulltime from home. I work as a freelance non-fiction writer and that gives me the freedom to devote my time to my true love: writing romance.

3. Who are some of your favorite authors?

My two absolute favorite authors are Paullina Simons and Diana Gabaldon. They write the two series I just adore. Paullina writes the Bronze Horseman series which is a romance set in WW2 Russia. Very Dr Zhivago. Diana writes the Outlander series which is a time travel romance featuring the hunky scot Jamie Fraser. I try and read both series every year but since my own writing has taken off I haven't had the time. It's a good problem to have!

4. How long does it usually take for you to research a book?

I tend to write the first draft and then go back and do the research and work stuff in as I edit draft 2. Hopefully no more than a month.

5. Some authors start out with a plot in mind, others with characters whom they’ll follow to reveal the theme. What works best for you and why?

I'm very much a plot driven writer. I'm in awe of those writers who can start off with a character and just follow them along. I have to know going in who that character is and what her journey will be. Now as I write, twists and surprises happen but for the most part, the plot remains how I planned it.

6. Many authors are doing strictly e-books, do you think this is just a trend, or does it spell the end of real books?

I think if it does happen it will be because print books are getting so expensive! Thirty dollars for a hardcover! That will have to change if print books want to remain an option for book buyers. I think readers love the tactile feeling of holding a print book though so assuming the price does come down, I don't see print books disappearing anytime soon.

7. How long does it take for you to write books?


It obviously depends on the length. My first two published shorts were a couple of weeks start to finish. My new novella Redemption took about a month and a half. Novel length works usually take me a couple of months for a first draft if I'm not being lazy and procrastinating.

8. Do you see yourself writing in the same genre in 10 years? If not then what?

I think I'll always write erotic romance but I'd love to be published in mainstream romance as well. I also have a lot of ideas in the supernatural/religious thriller genre and have had a work in progress in that genre that I've had to shelve many times as my erotica has taken off! I love reading those kinds of books ala Dan Brown. I'm also getting into reading paranormal romances and those are giving me some ideas as well. I don't want to be pigeon holed into one genre.

9. What advice do you give to those who are just starting out or trying to become published?

I know alot of people tout the Butt In Chair method, being disciplined and plugging away at it and I cetainly agree with that, but I think just as important is the 'Move Your Ass' method. Writing is all good and fine but nothing is going to happen if you don't get out there and submit and keep submitting!

10. Getting back to your books coming out soon. Tell us a little about what to expect from them?

Redemption is a steamy historical/western novella that is being published by Amira Press and is coming out this November 21st. It's a marriage of convenience story between a young innocent Katie Beaumont and outlaw Ben Cready. Katie witnesses her mother's murder at the hands of her uncle and she meets Ben Cready the day before he's supposed to hang. They marry so that she can claim his homestead as her own and hide there. They share one night of explosive passion. Unbeknowest to Katie at the last minute Ben is given a reprieve by the Sherriff who wants him to track down his nephew's killer. Six months later, Ben returns a free man, to claim the bride he's never been able to forget.

11. Do you have any projects you are currently working on?

I'm currently working on a contemporary full length novel called 'Till Death Do Us Part' which is an erotic romance. It's a rich girl/poor boy story. Connor Nolan and Sara Hawthorne elope and her father has him murdered, or so Sara thinks. Grief stricken and pregnant, she marries Connor's best friend Aaron to avoid an arranged marriage and when Connor returns, Sara must choose between her new found love and her first love.

12. When and where can we purchase your books?

You can purchase my books through my website www.ejamie.net, www.amirapress.com and through Fictionwise and Amazon Kindle.

13. How do you feel about fans doing fan fiction and/or roleplaying on the web based on your or other author's works?

I really have no problem with it and I don't understand authors that do. I mean, fan fiction by it's very nature lets you know that they are not trying to steal your work but simply playing with it as fans. As long as they're not claiming to be you and trying to sell it, I say have at it. Personally, I know A LOT of famous authors who got their start in fanfiction. It's a wonderful training ground.

14. What are you reading right now?

Right now I'm reading The Darkest Joy by Dahlia Rose who is a fellow Amira author. It's a gorgeous paranormal romance about a fallen angel named Caim who is sort of like a soul collector and he falls in love with a mortal. If I were to try writing in the paranormal romance genre it would probably be a 'fallen angel' type of premise.

15. Give us three "Good to Know" facts about you?

Ah let's see. I love to cook but can't make soup. Seriously, I can make a roast dinner to feed ten people but soup never comes out right for me! I either screw up the water rationing or I don't let it cook long enough. It's frustrating as hell! Number 2, I can't write in silence. I need noise to write. If it's too quiet, my mind wanders but for some reason, having music or TV on in the background helps me focus. Number 3 My brain has no off switch. Seriously. I can make a plot out of anything. I can look at a pencil and it will inspire this whole story about maybe school girls who witness a murder or a writer being haunted by some hunky demon!

16. How do you structure your day for writing?

While I was working at my day job, I would write in the late afternoon into the evening and now that I'm working from home I still find that schedule to be my most productive. I am sooooo not a morning person so I usually leave mornings and early afternoon for e-mail, research and promotion then from four to midnight is when my brain becomes alert enough to be creative. I'm trying to change that so I can be more productive but so far that's the shedule.

*****

Redemption Blurb: On the run from a murderous uncle, Katie married outlaw Ben Cready the day before he was supposed to hang. They shared one night of explosive passion and for six months, she'd believed herself a widow. Now Ben is back to claim what's his, and that includes the sweet bride he'd never been able to forget.

Forbidden Blurb: Alexandra is suffering from anxiety about her upcoming wedding. She loves her fiance but wonders if she'll ever feel real passion. Max has been in love with Alexandra for months but keeps his feelings hidden as she prepares to marry his best friend. When she comes to him one night, will loyalty be enough to deny his heart's desire?

*****

CONTEST:


E. Jamie is holding a contest, so be sure to participate!!!

The first person to e-mail her at
nancy777ca@yahoo.ca letting her know they found her through our blog will get a free copy of her ebook, Forbidden.




*WARNING* Some books may contain explicit material and are for persons 18 years of age or older. If you are not at least 18, please do not enter the contest, as we have no way of knowing your actual age. By entering this contest, you are accepting these terms and are stating that you are at least 18 years of age or older. Thank you. *WARNING*


Please note: Winners will be chosen by E. Jamie and not The Deadly Vixens.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

WEEKLY CONTEST

Welcome to our weekly contest on The Deadly Vixens blog! The winner will receive a copy of Gulliver's Children by Linda Ambrosia!

To enter, read Linda's blog from Thursday and share your thoughts or comments either in this post or in Linda's Thursday's post! The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 11, 2008. Be sure to check back and see if you have won.

If your name is drawn as the winner, you will need to e-mail us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com with your e-mail address to claim your prize.

*WARNING* Some books may contain explicit material and are for persons 18 years of age or older. If you are not at least 18, please do not enter the contest, as we have no way of knowing your actual age. By entering this contest, you are accepting these terms and are stating that you are at least 18 years of age or older. Thank you. *WARNING*

Please note: New winners will be chosen from the remaining entries if prizes are not claimed within one week of drawing. There are no exceptions.

Best of luck!

Friday, November 7, 2008

Warning: My Depressed Rant About Nothing

Awesome Friday! Yesterday was my youngest son’s seventh birthday. My oldest turned eleven in August. Where have all the years gone? *shakes head* I don’t feel any older. A littler fatter maybe, but definitely not older, and yet they are proof that I’m older than I feel. Time didn’t go this fast when I was their age. Now it feels like I’m rolling down a hill gaining speed with absolutely no brakes. And in all the years I’ve been writing, since middle school, I’ve got one book published, but only because I decided I was going to try and chase my dream for a change instead of helping my husband chase his. It seriously does not help that he's not on board with my dreams.

So, maybe you guessed it…I’m a tad melancholy today. Not only are my boys growing up, but I’m frustrated with my writing. I joined Nano and I’ve typed a little over 13,000 words since Saturday, which I think is pretty good. Hopefully, I’ll get more written this weekend. But, I was reading over some of it yesterday and it was complete drivel! I’d have scraped it if I didn’t need the word count. That alone makes me frustrated. I want perfection, I expect perfection from myself…so, yeah, I’m a perfectionist in a lot of ways.

That led me to thinking how do I know my stuff is good enough to be published? Am I chasing a hopeless dream? How can I know they’re worth chasing? My friends like my stuff, but they’re prejudiced and they’d like anything I wrote. My mother won’t read it because it has the dreaded stuff in it…S-E-X. Shh…don’t tell anyone. She just told me last week that she has almost worked up the nerve to read my book. What? I am so rolling my eyes right now. Really, if she needs to work up her nerve to read it, then I wish she just would not read it! I don’t need the extra drama in my life right now, thank you very much. My mother-in-law thinks I’m going to hell for writing about vampires. If she read any of my stuff, her theory would be confirmed and the flames of hell would be nipping at my heels. I might need to take my socks off and make sure the soles of my feet aren't blistering as I write this rant.

So, I have no true critique group. It’s hard for me to trust folks to give me an honest opinion. One, they’re either going to try and spare my feelings and not give me the cold hard truth. Which does not help me hone any of my writing one little bit. Or, two, they’re going to give advice that is so far out in left field that it’s going to take every hope I ever had and crush it. I’ve seen that happen to someone, had them questioning their ability to write and that person now has a contract for the book that was severely slashed apart. Seriously, sometimes I wonder if folks intentionally want to crush other people’s dreams.

Sorry for the rant, the melancholy, the gibberish above that makes no sense whatsoever. Maybe I’m already cracking under the pressure of Nano. Maybe I’m just cracking under the pressure of a husband that is working too much, children that are involved in anything that involves a ball, a kick or a punch, and I’ve been zooming about like a single parent entirely too much lately. I don’t even know what a home cooked meal is any more. Anyway, I’m shutting up because I’ve dragged you all down entirely too much today. Rah! Rah! What a way to start the weekend off Gracen!

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend. If you care to share, I’d love some advice on how you know your writing is worth placing your hopes and dreams in it? How you battle the husband who doesn't support your writing? How do you stay upbeat without letting your doubts wear your down?

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for your chance to win a copy of Linda Ambrosia’s book, Gulliver’s Children!

I've decided this post is proof that I can write a lot about nothing!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Please Welcome Author...Linda Ambrosia!!

Violence in Romance Fiction

by Linda Ambrosia

Knowing this is a hot-button topic, I certainly hope I don't offend anyone. Please keep in mind I'm still technically a "nobody." I'm just a little granny with no more than two e-books and a short story to my name thus far, so I'm scarcely an "authority" on this matter. My views are from the heart, but not meant to be considered "dogma." (And I'd like to thank Ms. Gracen for allowing me the opportunity to express myself here.)

Now, I hide behind a pen name for a number of reasons. Among them is that romance fiction as a whole still has a bad reputation among "non-believers." Many people think it's because of all the sex in romantic books. But as my Husband has pointed out to me, that's ludicrous, because our whole society is overloaded with sex, even in TV commercials.

What really scares people about romance books is that they often appear to advocate violence toward women. This more true of the romance novels of the 1970s and 1980s than now, but there are still some romances published today that include such violence, ranging from slaps to gunplay to rapes.

Let me put one thing right on the line: All three of my published works (including "Gulliver's Children," a book written with Husband) contain violence. My short story, for example, concludes with two women trying to kill each other on a sinking ship in the middle of a storm. Yet not a single review I've had so far has even mentioned the violent content of my work.

So why haven't any of my reviewers been upset? I strongly suspect because me and Husband use "stylized violence," which doesn't have the same impact on the human brain that more graphic material does. Also, both my novels have strong themes that are against the abuse of women, so it's very clear where I stand on this matter. I'd like to share this technique with you by going down the elements that tend to upset readers of romance books--and show how they could be written differently.

The number one culprits in romance's bad reputation are the old "bodice ripper" rapist-as-hero novels. (Such books were especially prevalent in the 1970s.) Now, I'm not at all sure if books like this are still being published. Husband tells me the majority of publishing houses forbid such storylines these days, but there may still be some places that publish them. I must confess ignorance here.

Regardless, I cannot and never will write such a book. They go against my moral and religious beliefs.

So I really have nothing to advise the writers of such novels, except this: If you're promoting such material, please let readers know ahead of time what to expect. In the past, a frequent gripe I heard from Husband was how publishers would slip rape scenes into books that have sweet-looking covers. This was often done in the eighties and nineties. Sometimes books would be advertised as wholesome only to have a "bodice ripper" content.

How a book is marketed is a combined effort between writers and publishers. So I can only advise them in this regard: Be honest with your readers. My own publisher for Firedrakes Weyr, bless her heart, put a warning about the violence in my Young Adult science fiction novel "Gulliver's Children" on the buy page--and I'm careful in my promos to warn readers that my book contains violent material and occasional strong language.

Now, speaking of "Gulliver's Children," several times in the second half of the book, there's references made to both rape and cannibalism. There's a scene where the heroine foils a rape attempt by tossing a bucket of urine in a bad guy's face. Another bad guy boasts of how he raped a woman in the past. And it's strongly hinted that members of an evil clan in the book are cannibals.

However, there's not one page that shows either rape or cannibalism. These things are either kept "off-screen" or stopped by the resourceful heroine. What's more, all the "bad things" in the book are done only by the "bad guys," and they are clearly designated "bad things." By utilizing "stylized violence," you don't have to describe everything in detail, and it's clear who's "good" and who's "bad."

Which brings up another point: If a book says that "rape is bad," then what harm is there in describing it? Well, for one, you automatically hurt your credibility by going graphic. It makes it look like you threw the rape scene in just for entertainment value--which smarts of hypocrisy, regardless of the writer's intention. You can't always get away with things by saying "Well, the bad guy did it."

Key to "stylized violence" is that suggestion can be more effective than description. Say, for example, you show a man running out of an alleyway. Then some cop/hero/nurse (whatever) comes along and finds a bruised young lady with a ripped blouse sitting in the alley crying, and through her tears she reveals that she's just been raped, there's no need for description. It can be just as emotional without resorting to showing the deed--depending, of course, on the skills of the writer.

There are other forms of violence that, with a little work, can be handled with good taste. In "Gulliver's Children," we have a sequence in which the heroine is branded on the back. To take the sting out of this episode, we had the heroine (who's an alien from another planet) turn the tables on her captors by suddenly reverting to her true alien self. Eyes bugging, roaring and displaying her fangs, she so frightens her enemies that they cring from her in fear. Such a technique kept the excitement level high without making the heroine look like a "helpless victim."

Make no mistake, writing about violence of any sort, especially toward women, is a tricky business. It's hard to depict without being misunderstood or "crossing the line" into bad taste. But with a little extra effort, it can be done in such a way that women characters are treated respectfully.

Linda Ambrosia, Writer of Young Adult Fiction
http://www.myspace.com/liberationnovel
http://lindaambrosia.weebly.com/index.html
http://www.myspace.com/jungleearth

*****

Disclaimer (because we don't have a choice): The views expressed by the guest blogger do not necessarily reflect those of The Deadly Vixens.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Week one of Nanowrimo

Disclaimer: This blog was written after working on my novel, meaning it might not make too much sense at times, and there may be grammatical errors. *grins*

Well, as I discussed in last week's blog, I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month, which for those who haven't heard about it is a 50,000 word adventure to the depths of a writers imagination (meaning you write 50,000 words in one month). My journey thus far with Nano has been splendid. I've learned a lot about myself that I hadn't really known in previous years. Including the fact that I don't have to always be the underdog that catches up at the end. I can be on top of my writing the whole month long... or at least so far. *smiles* As of writing this blog, I'm 12,050 words in, and not planning on slowing up.

In the past, I did more slacking, at least this far in, and would always have to play catch up toward later in the month. Now I'm ahead of the game and wanting to reach a ridiculous amount of fairly clean pages. I've gone a little too much on the side of letting my fingers fly over the keyboard before that I'd keep in some spots that I knew probably would be edited out, which is a good thing to do to make the word count, but this year I've allowed myself to go back and correct some errors, especially after one year of going back into the novel to edit and scratching my head at a typo that I couldn't figure out what should have been there. Yikes! I ended up having to just delete that sentence when it had been pretty good except for that mysterious word. I love editing, but if I could take a little more time with the first draft, I think I wouldn't have to do so much!

I also find that with my current speed, it's easier to break through rough patches. So far I've gotten through two sticky scenes, one of which turned into my favorite as of now. This year has been a first since I have been kind of pantsing since I had a very, very rough outline, which was more of an idea than outline. And that idea has managed to change on me, for the good, mind you, but still... It's a wee bit exciting!

Anyways, I want to hear from you! How are you doing with your word counts? Has your journey been going well? What are you learning about yourself and your writing? =) Let me know!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Saturday's Contest Winner

Congratulations to our two winners from Saturday's contest...the winner of Lisa Hendrix's book, Immortal Warrior.

The winners are:

JUDI
MOLLY DANIELS

Congratulations, ladies!!!! We hope you enjoy your free book from Lisa Hendrix. To receive your prize, please email us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com with your mailing address. Thanks for participating in our blog and congratulations again! Don't forget to check back each Saturday for a new contest!

Please note: New winners will be chosen from the remaining entries if prizes are not claimed within one (1) week from today's drawing. No exceptions are made.

The Deadly Vixens

Monday, November 3, 2008

Sleep. What a beautiful concept.

Oh the joys of staying up all night. I'm so tired that I want to go to sleep right now and catch up on all the missed hours. Unfortunately, that's not a good idea. If I don't stay up tonight, I'll never sleep tomorrow day and work tomorrow night will be a bear. So, I'm sitting here trying to keep my eyes open, and hoping they don't just clamp shut on me. That is a real possibility. 


I think one of the things that makes it more difficult, is that very few people are awake at the same time as I am. It's quiet. Perfect sleeping condition. It's dark outside, which tells my body that it's time to go to bed. Even after years of working nights, I still have trouble with my sleeping schedule. I hate it.

One positive thing about it though, is that when I stay up all night, I usually can get a lot done. I don't have all the distractions to keep me from my work. I can sit at the computer and write away. That's always a nice thing. Who doesn't want hours of uninterrupted computer time? It's definitely a big plus! If I had time to do that NaNo this year, it would make things a lot easier. 

Unfortunately, I have too many edits to do to try writing a new story right now. I would love to do NaNo this year, but I've got two stories that desperately have to be revised/edited and I am so slow at that process. I may have to do a NaNo on my own in December :D

I am doing pretty good on my edits so far, yay. I'm halfway through with the first story already. I may have to go through it one more time though. I'm not sure yet. I'll finish it up before I decide that. Then I'll have to move on to my second story for revision. I'm on a bit of a timeline, so I don't have any time to spare. The first book is with TWRP and they want the edits back in a couple of weeks, so I've really been focusing on that one. It's my first submission, so I want to make sure I do a good job with it. 

My second story is one that a partial was requested. I want to go through it again just in case they request a full. I haven't had time to really work on it yet, but I figured it's not as high a priority as the first, since the edits are already requested on it.

So, that's my writing life right now. No actual writing going on, just a lot of editing. How many of you are doing the NaNo this month? How is it going so far? Let me know what you're up to with your writing. I hope to hear from you.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

WEEKLY CONTEST

Welcome to our weekly contest on The Deadly Vixens blog! The winners will receive a copy of Immortal Warrior by Lisa Hendrix!

To enter, read Lisa Hendrix's blog from Thursday and share your thoughts or comments either in this post or in Lisa's Thursday's post! There will be TWO winners this week. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. (Voting day here in the United States!) Be sure to check back and see if you have won.

If your name is drawn as the winner, you will need to e-mail us at thedeadlyvixens@yahoo.com with your e-mail address to claim your prize.

*WARNING* Some books may contain explicit material and are for persons 18 years of age or older. If you are not at least 18, please do not enter the contest, as we have no way of knowing your actual age. By entering this contest, you are accepting these terms and are stating that you are at least 18 years of age or older. Thank you. *WARNING*

Please note: New winners will be chosen from the remaining entries if prizes are not claimed within one week of drawing. There are no exceptions.

Best of luck!