Welcome to my domain...if you dare...

Welcome to my blog about life as a writer and the craziness it involves with struggles of daily life. Make yourself at home but only if you don't mind a little messiness from time to time. This isn't the Home and Garden blog or Martha Stewart so don't expect cute little crafts with homemade goodies. That's not happening in the world of vamps, weres, and other things that go bump in the night...well...maybe homemade blood cakes topped with 'scream a la cream' sweetness along with the sexy alpha males who serve it up.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Writer's Wednesday....Kasey...

Author Kasey...
Today's special guest is fellow Ass Cheek Angel blogger, Kasey.  With this being her first interview and a little shy about it, she asked me to use her first name only at this time.  Sounds fine with me.  In fact, I think it adds a whole mysterious element to her persona.  Don't you think?  Yeah, I believe so, too!  Well, I don't want to embarrass her any further so let's give her a warm welcome.  Hello, Kasey!  *waves and grins*

I'm curious to find out if you have a certain area or place you like to create stories.  I have learned that most writers do in fact.  Where is your favorite place to write?

My favorite place to write is in my apartment, with my iTunes playing in the background.

What is the most difficult for you to write: Characters, conflict, emotions?

The most difficult for me is emotions. I know how my characters are feeling, but sometimes I forget to convey that in my writing.

I find that difficult at times, too.  Do you have critique partners?

Not at the moment, but I would like to find some nearby.

Good luck with finding the perfect critique partner(s) for you.  It's important for a writer to have a compatible critique partner and it's a definite plus when he/she lives in close proximity to you. 

If you were going to cast the hero of your book, what actor would get the part?


I actually do pick pictures of actors to represent my characters. For my work in progress, I have a young Orlando Bloom. My book is a YA novel that takes place in high school, so I try to find pictures of the actor around a certain age so they look like they could still be in high school.

Ohhh, Orlando Bloom!  Now we're definitely curious about this YA novel of yours.  Please tell us a little about your WIP.

My work in progress is a young adult novel that takes place in a high school in Minnesota. Right now I have a trilogy planned and each book will have its own fairy tale them without magical elements. The first one is a Cinderella story.

Now that we know that a certain actor could portray your hero.  How likely are people you meet out in everyday life to end up in your next book?

Somewhat likely. A lot of stuff that happens to me or to people I know may end up in my writing in one form or another, but it usually has changed in meaning when I am done with it. People always tell me to write what I know, so if I know about it, it may show up in my writing.

Good point, Kasey.  So if you could switch places with one of your characters would you?

As of right now, I would not switch places with them. I am not sure if I want to go back to high school.

LOL!  No, I suppose I wouldn't either.  Been there.  Done that.  And have the therapy bills to prove it...uh...sorry.  Ok, moving on now...

Is there a particular fable/tale you would love to write your own version or spin on it?

Beauty and the Beast, but if all goes well with the first book, that is the second one that I have planned.

I'm even more intrigued about your trilogy now!  I look forward to reading your stories when the books are published and released. 

What is your favorite romance movie?

Love Actually.

That's a great movie!  Love it.  How about a favorite actor/actress/both?

Colin Firth and Hugh Grant have been favorites of mine consistently over the past 10 years. As for actresses, I like Kiera Knightly.

They're all in 'Love Actually', too.  Wow!  I don't think that's a coincidence at all, huh?  No wonder you love that movie.  It's filled with a phenomenal cast.

Well, since you've mentioned Colin, Hugh, and Orlando, that leads me to wonder what qualities do you admire most about a man?

Someone who is honest and can make me smile.

I absolutely agree with you, Kasey.  I believe those attributes are quite important in a man.  Well, do you believe in love at first sight or just lust at first sight?

I do believe in both at first sight. I have had lust at first sight, but while I have never been in love at first sight, that does not mean it can't happen. Usually, I am a person that takes a little longer to build deeper relationships with people, so while I am not sure if I am a person that could fall in love at first sight, that does not mean other people can't.

What is your favorite time of year?

Spring. I love when everything begins to turn green again and it starts to warm up.

I also love spring and the different smells that come with it; fresh cut grass, spring rains, and the beautiful flowers.  Do you have a preference when traveling; such as a tropical or European vacation?

Both have their advantages, but I enjoy traipsing around Europe and visiting all these old places where so much history took place.

Well since you mentioned history, if you could time travel would you go forward or backward?

Backward. I think it would be easier to go to a time and place where you know what to expect than to go into the future where all the variables are unknown.

That's definitely one way to look at it for sure.  We're at the close of our time together.  One more question for you, Kasey.  What is your favorite writing conference to attend?

The RWA in Orlando two years ago. I meet some amazing people there (my fellow AssCheekAngel bloggers) and some author's who gave me a lot of encouragement.

Oh, yes indeed!  That was a favorite one of mine as well.  We gathered some wonderful memories and insightful information from NRWA in Orlando that year.  I can't wait to attend another one and see you and the other angels. 

Thank you for being my guest, Kasey.  I really enjoyed you taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us.  I look forward to your return visit.

Tempting Tuesday...Need To Come Clean?



Sometimes, you have to get clean to get a little dirty. Right?  Yeah, that's what I thought as well.  Enjoy, everyone!  :)

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Writer's Wednesday...Angela Blount


Author Angela Blount
My special guest for today is author Angela Blount.  Angela and I met through our local RWA chapter (Heart of Dixie) and I quickly learned how much we both love science fiction and paranormal.  I'm really excited that she's sharing a piece of her writing process and her personal interests with us.  So without waiting any longer, let's give a warm welcome to her. 

Hello, Angela! *waves*  Thank you for spending time with us today!  Please sit and relax....I promise I won't bite.  Lol.

Seriously though, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on writing.  Let's begin with:
What is the most difficult for you to write: Characters, conflict, emotions?

For me, it's emotions. I like to think I'm a pretty even-keel, well controlled sort of person. But to convey intense emotions properly, I've found that I need to make myself feel them. Whatever emotion I'm writing about, I try to reach back through my memory and let myself relive a moment when I experienced that same feeling--dredging up the physical sensations and thoughts that came with it. Sometimes it's a pleasant experience. Other times, it's a bit like self-induced Post Traumatic Stress. >.<

I absolutely agree with you.  Dealing with emotions can be mentally and physically exhausting as a writer.  Tell us a bit about your process for selecting a character in your book.  How likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?

No one is safe. I'm incredibly guilty of borrowing small pieces from people I come across and stowing certain quirks away for future use. I hope they can consider it a compliment. If not, then I hope it's not recognizable enough to be proven in a liable lawsuit. ^_^

I always love hearing about a person's real life romance.  We would love to hear about yours.  Please tell us about it.

Mine is actually a pretty long and unusual story, which is why it ultimately became my first book--a coming-of-age memoir titled 'Once Upon A Road Trip.'

As a naive 18-year-old fresh out of high school, I decided to go on a 2-month road trip all around the eastern U.S. and Canada--visiting landmarks I'd only read about in books while staying with the generous families of friends who, up until that point, I'd only known over the internet. (Sounds a little crazy, I know. You should have seen my poor mother's reaction. >.<)

I'll skip over all of the intrepid details and just say that the last person I met on that trip is now my husband. I mistakenly thought that he couldn't get too attached to me in 4 days time. I'd never had a boyfriend before, and a long-distance thing sounded like a hopeless way to start out my first relationship--so when he asked to keep me, I turned him down. I left thinking I'd had a sort of abbreviated summer romance, and that was the end of it. Wrong again. Never underestimate the sweet tenacity of a love-struck southern boy.

Our 10-year anniversary is coming up this summer. ^_^

Wow!  Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!  I love stories like that.  Thank you for sharing it with us.  I actually got goose bumps from hearing it. 

Here's a safe question for you.  If you could time travel would you go forward or backward?

Forward. I'm a bit of a speculative sci-fi junkie--I can't wait to see what happens next. ^_^

While I respect history, it never held a lot of appeal for me. History involves dates...which are really just numbers...and numbers remind me of math. *shudder*

Math. UGH!  *shudders*  Yeah, not my strong suit either.  I guess that's why we love to write, huh?  Heehee.

Tell us a little about your WIP.

My current book is a dark, contemporary YA romance. I say dark only because it touches issues like depression and self-injury. I never imagined I'd be writing about modern day high school dynamics (without throwing in a were-badger or mutant superpowers), but this story just won't go away quietly. So hopefully I can do it justice.

Those are definitely some serious issues in our society today, especially with our youth.  I applaud you for taking on such strong topics.  I'm sure this story will be a great read as well as a instrumental tool to help troubled youngsters. 

Ok one last question for you, Angela.  What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Get connected. If you can't find a knowledgeable writing group that meets near you, join one online. Your skills will advance much faster within a support group that can offer you workshops and feedback. I didn't know how much I didn't know until I joined the RWA. And honestly, that's probably for the best! If I'd realized the learning curve I was about to scale, I might have been intimidated into having second thoughts.

Also, take the time to review books you're reading. Even if it's just for your own archival reasons on a site like Amazon or Goodreads, reviewing will help you analyze what you do and don't like about books and why. It has a lot of potential to give you a new insights into your own writing.

Wonderful advise, Angela!  Thank you again, Angela, for being my guest on the blog.  I can't wait to have you back and discuss your book releases which I truly believe will be in the near future!  

To learn more about Angela and her work, please feel free to visit the following sites:

http://perilous1.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/Perilous1

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4269099-angela-blount


Monday, April 9, 2012

Tempting Tuesday...Summer Ready?


Ok, here's a little inspiration for us all to get summer ready.  WOW!!!  It's definitely time to hit the gym. :)



Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Writer's Wednesday...Elke Feuer



Author Elke Feuer


Today I like to welcome good friend and fellow Ass Cheek Angel, Elke Feuer, to the blog.  I had the privilege to meet Elke about three years ago at the NRWA conference in Orlando, Florida.  I am so thrilled she's sharing a bit about herself to all of us!  Thank you, Elke, for being here.  *waves*

So let's jump on in, shall we?  Good.  What music are you listening to lately?

Usually I listen to salsa or jazz when I’m writing, but lately it’s been a mishmash of what’s on my playlist. My new WIP is still making up its mind what it likes better.

Ohhh, salsa and jazz. I love it!  Sounds very intriguing and sexual...ahem..but let me get my head back in the interview now.  Sorry about that.  Anyway, how likely are people you meet to end up in your next book?

Very. I love studying people whether it’s while talking to them or watching them interact. I make up stories about them and soon I’m scribbling their imagined lives in my journal.

That's a great idea for writers!  However, I must make a mental note to watch what I say and do the next time I'm around you. LOL.  If you could time travel would you go forward or backward?

Definitely backwards. History fascinates me, especially how people lived and survived with the challenges they faced during their time.

I agree.  I believe we can all learn so much from the past.  What is your favorite time of year?

There’s no winter on island only rainy and dry season, but from October to February the temperature drops to the seventies and we get lovely cool breezes. Coupled with the friendliness that comes with Christmas and it’s my favorite time.

Tell us a little about your WIP.

My latest project is called For the Love of Jazz:

To launch her restoration architecture company, Josie Fagan must convince Patrick Pullman she’s the only one who can restore his unique 1940s bungalow. She gets more than she bargains for when a condition of the contract is that she stays at the house with him, and what Patrick Pullman wants, Patrick Pullman gets…


She feels an immediate connection not only to Patrick and his house, but to the previous tenants, Patrick’s uncle and his lover, Lola, who disappeared fifty years ago. Is the attraction between Patrick and Josie real, are Lola and William still acting out their unfinished lives or is the house just haunted?

Patrick Pullman doesn’t believe in ghosts or that his house is haunted, but when he starts having visions of Lola, maybe Josie isn’t crazy after all. Will they find out the truth before she disappears too?

Excerpt:

“I want you to stay at the house during the renovations and not take on other clients until my job is done.”

“What?” He couldn’t be serious. She searched his face. He was. “Why do I need to stay at the house?”

“I need this project finished in ten months and that will mean having you close to discuss design and restoration changes. Living at the house is the best option and also eliminates the risk of theft.” He leaned back in his chair. “Room and board is free. You don’t want to waste money your business needs, do you?”

Damn! He knew about her finances and was going to play hard ball. She had no intention of letting him use it against her or backing down. She was the best candidate and they both knew it. “I want a flattering personal reference,” she countered.

A cocky grin curved his lips. “Then I want guarantees.”

She held his gaze.

“You’ll get your reference if you meet my ten month deadline, if I’m satisfied with the quality of the work, and if the job comes within budget.” He moved his chair back into the upright position.

“That will not include changes you make to my original estimate or if you select inferior products,” she added quickly.

His smile broadened and a boyish dimple winked at her.

Was he enjoying this?

Damn him, he was!

She didn’t like it one bit. He was taking away the control she wanted, needed to have. The excitement she felt when he agreed to hire her vanished. The masculine atmosphere that had floated in the air like cheap cologne when she arrived squeezed around her to uncomfortable.

“Do we have a deal?”

               *********************************************

I can't wait to get my hands on "For The Love of Jazz" when it's released. I look forward to seeing it on the bookshelves soon.  Thank you again for being my guest, Elke.  I hope to have you return soon.

Thanks for having me, Kellie/JD. For more information about me check out my blog and author page on Facebook at:










Monday, April 2, 2012

Tempting Tuesday...Feeling Cheeky?


Feeling a little cheeky, aren't ya?  Well then, go on and take a bite but heed to some warning...he bites back.