New Orleans!

Last Friday I was in New Orleans cheering on my football team. I’m sad to say, my team lost….poorly. It was an awful upset. *shrugs* Oh, well, life goes on and my paycheck isn’t any different. But, as a family, we had an awesome time in New Orleans. Truthfully, I was more excited about going to New Orleans than I was getting to watch the football and I LOVE football. But this city is so gritty and raw, it appeals to me in some strange way, like it’s calling me home. Even stranger still, I feel at home in New Orleans.

We rode a horse drawn buggy. My sons thought that was awesome, being their first adventure and all. We got to see Johnny White's Bar, the one that refused to close even during Hurricane Katrina.

We watched juggling, men doing flips, standing on their hands, and men covered in gold paint standing like bronzed statutes. The human statutes amazed me how well and how long they could hold their pose. I'm sure my ear or armpit would need itching within 30 seconds if I tried to strike a pose for long. lol


Some of the artwork was amazing. But most of the pictures that I liked well enough to photograph had signs posted asking that you not snap any photos of their artwork. That’s cool and I understand it, but that just means you didn’t get to share in the visual pleasure with me.

Our first night there, we came across what I would call a Jazz singer—but what do I know she could have been Blues or something else—and I recorded it. Here’s a YouTube link if you’re interested in listening to her:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvH7BCfLhNA

Dragon Blood, the current book I’m writing is set in New Orleans, so I was able to get a good layout of the French Quarter, along with visual details, in my head. All the maps I stole from the hotel were in the name of research. ;-) They’ll assist me as I continue to write and my memory fades.

Tell me your favorite vacation. Have you ever made it the setting of one of your books?

I completed Bloodlines!!!!!!

Happy 2009!

I hope everyone had an awesome New Year’s Day and aren’t suffering too much from all the partying New Year’s Eve. ;-) I’m in New Orleans. Arrived yesterday (Thursday) and have both of my boys with me, so not much partying going on my end. We’re planning to browse the Flea Market today, eat some beignets and just sight see until tonight. Tonight we’ll be cheering our favorite college football to victory—I hope! =)

So, like Sarah, I’ve got to scream and shout my excitement at finishing my novelette, Bloodlines! Finishing a WIP (a work in progress for the non-authors) is like winning the lottery. Or at least how I imagine it would be like to win the lottery because I haven’t been so lucky yet. I guess I need to purchase a ticket to have a chance to win. ;-) I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. Sunday, December 28th—or maybe that was 3:00 a.m. Monday, December 29th—until the novel was complete. Either way, it was late, late for me. And when that last word was written I threw my hands in the air and squealed like a schoolgirl! Yes, I really did!

Julija and Landau are complete, their story written, but the work has only begun. Now I have to edit, revise and then edit and revise some more. I haven’t gotten motivated to start the editing process yet. I love to write, but editing is tedious for me.

I’m going to give myself about a week, reboot my brain so to speak while I’m working on Dragon Blood, and then start edits. I wish I could just write it perfect the first time around. Anyone else out there agree with that? lol Probably ALL authors, right?

I’ve made New Year’s resolutions. I’m sending Wytch Blood to an agent and crossing my fingers that they will like it. Either way, I’ll keep sending it until I’ve exhausted my list of agents…which is pretty long. My next resolution, write more in 2009, to actually carve out time everyday to write. I find it’s easier to write when I’m doing it on a regular basis. Every month, I’ll set new goals for myself to meet by the end of the month. January’s goals: Finish edits on Bloodlines and write 10-20K words on Dragon Blood, both to be completed no later than midnight January 31st! I didn’t want to set my goals too high, so I’m hoping I exceed them both. I have other resolutions, but all personal like exercise more, be a better mother and wife, keep one step ahead of the housework …yeah, I know, the typical song and dance.

Any of you have any writing goals you want to share? Or share any New Year’s resolutions that are non-writing related?

Please Welcome Cozy Griffith

Hello, I'm Cozy Griffith and this is my first blog although I am already a member of this wicked bunch. I have responded to several of the posted questions, so you guys know a little about me. First I'll tell you some things that you don't know about me and then I'll try my best to thrill you and chill you with a ghost story. I am an aspiring writer and mother of three children. I am fortunate to have a very flexible work schedule, but nonetheless, I usually stay extremely busy. I am a long time friend of Gracen's (since we were 11) and have spent many years writing both my own stories and shared stories with her. I think I was about 6 when I wrote my first book, which was mostly illustrations with crayons and very simple words. I still have it and believe it or not my 6-year-old daughter just started writing her own books. All through junior high and high school, Gracen and I used to write stories back and forth to each other first in letterform and then in story form. Our stories eventually turned into sagas that spanned several generations of our characters. I think it was good practice and helped us both develop our skills as writers. I am currently working on a novel that I have been trying to bring to life for so many years. It started out with a simple idea and for so many years it wouldn't go anywhere. I had a beginning and an ending and that was it. No matter how hard I tried to force the words to come, they wouldn't. I finally set it aside and didn't think about it again for several years. During those years my life was quite chaotic and I didn't have time to even think about my novel. There was no reason to anyway; it had no substance. I just picked it back up this February and have been blazing through it. You see, I met inspiration in human form and finally found a purpose for the novel I had begun. I can't give too many details about my novel, but I will tell you it is a vampire love story that is full of intrigue, deception, awareness and of course, sex. It will be a few more months before its completed, but hopefully soon.

Now that you know a little about me, let me tell you about the picture that I am sending in with this blog. My friend and I spent a wonderful weekend in New Orleans this February. Walking around the French Quarter this time was like seeing it with new eyes. I heard things and felt things that I had never experienced before. I have already alluded to the incident in the bar where a stranger who apparently knew my friend from a former life approached us. Creepy... We visited a tarot reader on Jackson Square who knew things about us that there is no way she could have known. The door of the restaurant in the lobby of our hotel opened and closed on its own. Freaky... On our last morning there we were walking around the Quarter, finishing up last minute shopping and taking pictures. As we walked down Ursilines, we passed a building with a sign that said 'Haunted Hotel on Ursilines'. Just for fun we took 2 pictures. That evening when we got home I uploaded the pictures to my computer so we could all look at them. When we got to those pictures, I zoomed in on the window and behold we could all see a ghost! Thought that was pretty cool. Take a look at the picture and see if you see what we did.

I also took a picture of Marie Leveau's Voodoo Shop and it turned out blurry except for the Bourbon Street sign in the middle of it. I thought this was strange, too.

I’d love for you to come friend me at my myspace page here.

Well, that's about all the time I have right now. Hope I did all right, G.

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

Also, don't forget to join Sarah and I at The Literary Nymphs TODAY for a chat from 12pm-6pm EST.