Just another Wednesday...

It's been a long week with lots of annoying drama at work. At one point it was so bad that I was seriously considering going back to my old department - even though I've been in IT for over a year, I'm still a part of  customer service technically, so I could do that with relative ease (all they'd have to do is get me a new computer since I wouldn't be able to keep the work laptop I have currently). However, before I could have a sit down with the customer service manager, one of the managers in our company pulled my coworker aside to tell us that we were being transitioned to help her with her project for the next three months (So we'd be on loan from customer service to IT, and then IT would be loaning us over to this new project - very inception-like...).

The new manager is much, much more mellow than our current manager and the project means we would have a set schedule and responsibilities (our current responsibilities seem to come and go based on our current manager's moods) so there would be less stress for everybody all around... well... aside from the stress of trying to get this project finished by it's due date. 

I was able to write some more this week;

I started work on the next chapter of Descendants even though this current chapter isn't done yet (the last scene simply says *insert awkward proposal scene here when finished*). It's amazing how I wouldn't have let that slide in the past - I would have agonized over that scene until it drove me mad!

The idea I had for The Undying Ones last week wasn't working at all, but I came up with something different that may be even better. I haven't visited Mattie's father in quite awhile, so it's time to let him shine again and maybe get his side of things. And in writing from his POV I've discovered that Mattie's father isn't just the toymaker - he's also related to someone very important. I love it when things like that reveal themselves!

In addition to all that I've also been been toying around with one of the adult stories I was going to publish under my other name. I had abandoned it after a friend read it and gave me some advice on it that was pretty upsetting. It really hurt my ego and made me think that I should just give up on writing romance. After several months of letting it lay around, I realized that my story was okay. Yes, it's a first draft and needs some polish, but it's a perfectly solid first draft. It was actually my friends advice that was totally wrong - she wanted me to change the story into something completely different, something that she came up with, if that makes any sense. So, now that I've come to that realization and have decided to ignore her advice (aside from the grammar and spelling errors she caught) the story is flowing a hell of a lot better.

And now for WIPpet wednesday!

WIPpet Wednesday is run by the lovely K L Schwengel. To participate just share a snippet from your work in progress that correlates to the date. For example, since today is 3/5/14 you could share 3 paragraphs from chapter 5, or 5 sentences from chapter 14, or you can add the date together and share 22 sentences or paragraphs or words from whatever. The more creative the WIPpet math, the better!

My apologies for those who couldn't read the WIPpet last week. When I just copy and paste the snippet over from my document, the formatting gets all wonky, so I tried pasting it into notepad first to remove the formatting, then pasting it into the blog. After that I made the font a little smaller to differentiate between the blog and the snippet. Lesson learned! I will never do that again!

Today I'll be sharing 29 sentences (3X5=15+14=29) from chapter 4 of The Descendants. Again it's mostly dialogue; Vivian finally found her boyfriend, but before she could talk to him, he proposed. She said no and now she's having to deal with the aftermath of that.

“I spent most of my savings on that ring!”
“I’m sorry.” Vivian murmured, knowing that her apology was not nearly enough. She watched Josh pace the length of the kitchen they had retreated to after he had proposed and she turned him down. 
“I thought you wanted to get married!” 
“Maybe someday, but just not now. We’re way too young -”
“Too young!” He cut her off with a bitter laugh that echoed sharply throughout the space. “You’re twenty three, I’m twenty six. We both have good jobs. My parents were only twenty when they got married and they had nothing and they made it!”
“No they didn’t; they’re divorced...” She fell silent as he turned and glared at her, his brown eyes smoldering under the track lighting overhead.
“I can’t believe this. We talked about about getting married and getting out of here so many times...” He ran a hand through his blonde hair, making it even spikier and messier than usual. 
Vivian sighed, “Actually you were the one doing most of the talking -”
“Why the sudden change? It’s not because of him is it?” He cut her off again, spitting out the word ‘him’ like it was venom.
“Him?”
“Don’t play dumb. You know who I’m talking about.”
“No, no I obviously don’t.” 
“That asshole that hangs around the garage.”
“That doesn’t really help me.” 
“Matthew.” Josh snapped his fingers as he finally came up with the name. “That guy has had his eye on you for years.” 
Vivian snorted. “Now you’re being ridiculous.”
“Well, Lara said you two were being all cozy in the upstairs bathroom a few minutes ago.”
“He was calming me down.”
“Sure he was.”
“Bree sent him to keep an eye on me - you know how protective she can be.”
“That woman has never liked me.” He reached the other side of the kitchen again and turned back around. “Did she talk you out of it?”
“Nobody talked me out of anything!” Vivian growled, finally returning his glare. Why couldn’t he understand that she had never wanted this? “I’m sorry I hurt you, but I don’t want to get married! If you had paid attention, you would have figured that out ages ago and this would have never happened!”
“Well, maybe if you hadn’t led me on -”
Now it was Vivian’s turn to cut him off. “I never led you on! I still love you and want to be with you I just don’t want to get...”
“Married.” Josh finished for her. “Yeah, I get that now.” He leaned against the countertop and stared at the tiled floor underneath their feet, a deep scowl marring his otherwise handsome face. 
An uneasy silence fell over the kitchen, broken only by the sounds of the party beyond. The DJ had finally turned the music down, but the noise and the stress of the evening had already done it’s damage - a headache was building behind Vivian’s temples, throbbing in time with her heartbeat. She grit her teeth against the pain, promising herself that as soon as this was over, she would go home and lock herself in her room.
“You know, I bought a ticket to go to England too. Guess that’s not gonna happen now.” He spoke first, grabbing a nearby towel and wringing it in his fists. “Good thing I bought insurance so I can at least get some of my money back.” 
“I’m sorry.” Vivian murmured again.
“Stop saying that!” He roared and threw the towel in her direction. Despite his vehemence, it didn’t go far, falling a few feet short of his target. “You’re not sorry. You don’t care. You never did.”

To read more ROW 80 updates - go here
To read more WIPpet Wednesday posts - go here.

A Very Important WIPpet...

So it's been about a month since I last updated this blog. I am really very sorry for staying away for so long, but I have a really good excuse...

You ready for it?

You sure?

It turns out I'm pregnant.

(I took three different tests to make sure it wasn't a fluke)

My husband and I are overjoyed but still very much in shock. We had been told we couldn't get pregnant until after my medical issues were fixed, but, apparently, God and Mother Nature had another plan.

So that's why I haven't been blogging lately; I haven't had any energy, the morning sickness has been oh so lovely, and there's been other annoying first trimester symptoms that like to pop up now and then. Like Pregnancy Brain for example; I asked my husband the same question three different times the other day, and I still don't remember what the answer was. I finally gave up because he kept giving me this amused look that was annoying the crap out of me.

But in the end it'll all be worth it :)

Anywho, today is one of those days were I feel a little more with it (for now) so I decided to take advantage of that and blog while I can!

Unfortunately I haven't been able to keep up with my writing goals for this round of ROW 80, but I have  been able to write here and there.

The Undying Ones is still stuck in a rut. I can see where I need to go, I just can't see how to get there, and I don't want to pull another one of those 'a few days later' tricks. It occurred to me that I could switch to Liam's viewpoint, but I think it may be too soon to do that. We just visited him last chapter, and I'm trying to keep him to every couple of chapters for right now.

I've made some progress on the serial, believe it or not. Just as I was ready to abandon it, an idea for the ending popped into my head so I ran with it. Now I just have to figure out how to fill in the rest of the story.

The Descendants is progressing quickly, but I know I'm going to be in trouble soon. I had an idea about how I wanted the first book to play out, but then I saw a movie about Pompeii is coming out and now I'm not so sure I want to go there any more. I'm tempted to send the characters to a different world instead since book two takes place in a world similar to ours that's also different (if that makes any sense... I'm afraid of saying more and giving too much away). It's funny how this story started off being about time travel and has now turned into world hopping. I think I've been reading too much The Dark Tower...

And now for WIPpet Wednesday!

WIPpet Wednesday is ran by KL Schwengel. To participate just post a part of the project that you are working on that some how correlates with the date, and then share the link to your blog on the linkie thingee over here.

Since today is 2/12 I'll be sharing 14 paragraphs from Chapter 2 of Descendants (2+12=14... I'm keeping it simple to give my poor brain a break!) Vivian sees her boyfriend shortly after entering the party, and immediately panics and takes refuge in a bathroom upstairs:

Before Vivian was aware of what she was doing, she had crossed the bathroom and hopped up on the toilet to peer out of the window. Yes, just like she had thought, it would be big enough for her to crawl through! She eased it open only to be faced with a new obstacle - a thin mesh screen separated her from her freedom.

Behind her the door handle rattled. 

“Somebody’s in here!” She called out, but however it was was persistent. The door knob continued to rattle until it finally swung open and bounced against the wall. “Look I said someone was in...” She turned, glaring at the person who wouldn’t take no for an answer only to freeze when she found Matthew staring at her. “Who invited you?”

He ignored her question. Instead he raised his eyebrows as he took in her precarious position on top of the toilet. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” She lied.

“Are you trying to escape?”

“No.” Beyond him she could see movement down at the end of the hall. She held her breath, praying it washing Josh or her best friend. “Get out and shut the door.”

“You are, aren’t you?” The short burst of laughter that escaped his lips was oddly bitter. “Why am I not surprised?”

Thankfully the ominous shadow turned out to be just another guest who had apparently been told to use the bathroom upstairs by Audra. Still, the last thing she needed was them interrupting. Vivian jumped down from the toilet and grabbed Matthew’s arm, pulling him inside the bathroom. As soon as he was clear of the door jamb, she swung the door shut and locked it once more. 

“Sorry!” She apologized to the disappointed party goer on the other side. “There’s another bathroom in the master suite!”

Once more she sagged against the door and rubbed at her eyes. So much for her plan to escape! She sighed feeling frustrated and trapped. But then, if she was honest with herself, it had been a horrible idea anyways; both Josh and Audra would have been pissed at her, and, seeing as her luck was running today, she probably would’ve ended up breaking a leg or an arm if she had attempted it. She opened her eyes to find Matthew staring at her, his long legs stretched out in front of him, and his arms crossed over his chest. 

“What?”

He shrugged. “I’m just amazed that you were so desperate to get out of here that you were actually going to climb out of a bathroom window.”

“I just needed a breath of fresh air.” She lied again. 

To see more ROW 80 updates, go here
To see more WIPpet Wednesday updates, go here

What To Do With a Serial After You've Gotten Tired Of It...

So last Friday Kathi posted my WIPpeteer Interview at her blog. I've never done anything like that before, so that was cool!

Back in October I released the first part of what I had planned to become a 5 part serial. I figured I would give it a month then publish the next part, and so on and so forth. Except, when it was time to start working on the next part, we were in the middle of the holidays and work had cracked down on using the internet for personal reasons - which I understand - except they didn't even want us using it on breaks or lunches - which I don't understand.

Now the holidays are over, we're back from vacation, and I should get started on this next part, because it's been over three months since the first part was published...

Except I'm finding that I suddenly have no interest in continuing this series whatsoever.

I don't know if it's because it's so different from the original series, or if the bad reviews and low ratings I received because it was so short (even though I warned readers it was short and the first part in a series) have affected me more than I thought they did, or maybe I just have writers block on this series.

Not that I have much time to write right now - my Etsy store has been doing really well lately, so I've been sewing my fingers off the past couple of days. And it's probably only going to get busier because Faire season is getting closer and closer.

Anywho... it's time for WIPpet Wednesday!

Since today is January 15th 2014, I'll be sharing 10 lines from an upcoming chapter of Between Two Worlds (1+4=5, 5-15=10). In this snippet, Domick and Norah get a little... closer.

Marcus was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. His excited chatter about everything that they had seen at the midsummer party died off mid sentence and was replaced by soft snores as Norah tucked him in. His mother smiled to herself, kissed him on the forehead, and turned off the light. She shut the door behind her, but froze as soon as she saw the figure waiting for her in the hallway. Domick leaned against the wall nearby, watching her. “You left so quickly. Is everything all right?”
She bit her cheek to stop the scream of frustration that threatened to escape her lips. Why was everyone asking her that? “Yes, I’m fine. Marcus... was tired. He’s never stayed up this late before. Not even for New Years.”
He glanced at the door behind her. “Ah. I take it he’s asleep.”  
“Yeah, yeah.” She nodded. “He’s out like a light. And I think I’m going to do the same.” She faked a yawn for added effect. However to get to her bedroom, she had to pass by him, and the hallway was narrow. Her stomach started doing somersaults at the prospect of being so close to him again. 
“It has been a long day.” He agreed. As he said it, his manner seemed to change just a little, the tension holding disappearing with an almost audible snap. His shoulders slumped and he ran a hand through his hair. “Good night.”
“Good night.” She tried to hurry past him, but he surprised her by reaching out and grabbing her hand, stopping her. She stared down at their joined hands, watching at he shifted his grip and entwined his fingers with hers. “Domick?”
“Norah... I...” He sighed, at a loss for words. “Oh, shard it all.” With one tug of his hand, he pulled her body against his, and his mouth easily found hers in the darkness.
His lips were gentle against hers, soft and satiny, and tasting faintly of sweet honey mead. For a moment she was quite literally breathless; even though she had refused to fall for him, she realized that this had been what she had dreamed of ever since she saw him teaching guitar to her son. Or perhaps she had wanted it ever since he given her that fake stage kiss. 
Thankfully there was nothing fake about this kiss.

To see more ROW 80 updates, go here
To see more WIPpet Wednesday updates, go here.

A New Year, A New Round...

Between the holidays, work, and our vacation, it's been a very busy couple of weeks. So busy that I just gave up on posting any WIPpets, or anything else really. 

Now the holiday's are over, work has calmed down a bit, and we're back from our vacation (though we didn't want to leave...) It's a new year, and a new round of ROW 80, so it's time for some new goals!

This round I want to:

• Write either 100 or 1000 words a day. 100 if I'm jotting them down in a notebook, 1000 if I'm using a computer. 
• Keep plugging away at The Undying Ones and The Descendants
• Try to figure out what to do about the serial. 
• Add more stuff to the Etsy store

In addition to that I also want to get healthy. I don't plan on dieting, but I do plan on eating better. Also, a Planet Fitness is supposed to be opening up near us soon, so I plan on signing up as soon as I can and working out more. In addition to that, I want to get my health issues resolved. I was diagnosed with PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and fibroids last May, but the first doctor I saw wouldn't help. My new doctor is amazing though, and we've already started the process of getting these two issues taken care of. 

And now on to the fun stuff! WIPpet Wednesday!

WIPpet Wednesday is run by KL Schwengel. To participate, just share a portion of what you are working on that some how relates to the date and add it to the linkie thing below. For example, since today is 1/8/14, I'll be sharing 8 sentences from The Undying Ones. This is from a flashback from a character that may or may not have been introduced in previous snippets. 

Her wish to die was not to be: she woke to a room bathed in firelight, still struggling to breath and burning up with fever.

Her room was strangely quiet for once. She looked around with bleary eyes, expecting someone to be sitting with her, but no priests or physicians or maids lurked in the shadows and the incense that had irritated her so much was finally gone. Had they fallen victim to the plague as well? No, there were still people nearby; she could hear boots ringing on the stone courtyard outside her window and hear voices speaking on the other side of her door.

“We found her hiding in the old miller’s house. She tried to make a run for it.” A man said, and there was a thump as something was tossed or fell to the ground.

To see more ROW 80 updates, go here. 

To see more WIPpet Wednesdays, go here. 

And be sure to check back here later this week for pictures (and possibly some video!) from our vacation to Washington!!!

Top 10 Books...

There was a meme going around Facebook last week were you would list 10 books that had stayed with you in some way in your status line. The rules were to not think too hard about it, and not take more than a few minutes, and they didn't have to be 'great works' - just books that had touched you in some way. Then you had to tag 10 friends and the person who originally tagged you so they could see your list.

Anywho, here's my 10 books:

1. The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

2. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

3. Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

4. The Dark Tower by Steven King

5. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

7. The Once and Future King by TH White

8. Harry Potter by JK Rowling

9. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

10. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

What are your ten books? Go ahead and include them in the comments or in your own blog for me to see.

On other fronts, I haven't done much writing. We've just been so busy at work (I know... I know... I'm beginning to sound like a broken record about work) that I barely have time to go on breaks or eat lunch, and I racked up about 14 hours of overtime during the last pay period - most of which happened during the weekend - and I already have six hours of OT this week!

I did manage to jot down some scenes for the Descendents in the notebook, but that's about it. And of course they were all scenes for book two.

And now, time for WIPpet Wednesday!

WIPpet Wednesday is led by KL Schwengel. To participate, just post a part of what you're working on that somehow relates to the date. For example it could be twenty lines from chapter eleven, or eleven paragraphs from chapter twenty. Then just enter the url to your blog at this linkie.

Since today is 12/18, here is 15 lines (1+2-18=15) from an upcoming scene in my fanfic, Between Two Worlds. It's a rough draft, but I thought it might be appropriate because it takes place during the summer solstice, at a party celebrating the solstice at the Faire, and the winter solstice is coming up in a couple of days. Domick has asked Norah for a dance...

She placed her hands on his shoulders and started to sway to the music - however she quickly stopped after realizing that Domick was not moving. He stood there, stiff as a board, looking at her with a confused expression on his face. “What?”

“What are you doing?”

“Dancing.”

“You call this dancing?”

“Well, yeah. It’s what we did at all our formals and proms. I mean there’s also the bump and grind you see at the clubs, but this isn’t really the music for it.”

He made a sound that was part frustrated growl and part disbelief. “This is not dancing.”

“Okay. What were you expecting? A country dance like what the nobles did earlier today?”

“No.” He reached up and took one of her hands in his. Norah stepped back, assuming that the dance was over, but he wrapped his arm about her waist, pulling her closer to him. “Follow my lead.”

“What?”

He stepped backwards and then to one side. Norah stumbled in her attempts to follow him, and stared at the ground between them to make sure she didn’t trod on his feet. She was also aware that everyone was now watching them as he led her through what she assumed was a waltz. He brought the hand holding hers over and bumped it under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “My eyes are up here.”

“Sorry. I’ve never done this before.”

“It’s easy.” He smiled down at her, counting as he led her through the steps. “One, two, three. One, two, three.”

She glanced down again and he made a tsking sound.

“Sorry.”

“Just trust me.”

To read more WIPpet Wednesday updates, go here
To read more ROW80 updates, go here.

Exhaustion...

It's been a ridiculously busy couple of weeks. Between work, the holiday, a couple of custom rush Etsy orders, doctors visits, and two demanding cats, there hasn't been much time to write, blog (which I feel very depressed about) or even respond to comments lately (which I feel a bit rude for not doing).

But I swear I haven't forgotten you all, dear readers, fellow ROWers, and WIPpeteers! I don't have the time or the energy to say much at the moment (maybe next week will be better) but I can at least share a snippet. So, since today is the 11th, here's 11 paragraphs from The Descendants. We're going back to the first book here; Vivian has just shown up at a going away party that is being thrown for her and Audra by their friend's. However, rumor is that something big may happen at said party, and Vivian isn't looking forward to it one bit. Oh, and those strange porta's from Maya's introductory prologue make an appearance again...

“Just a small get together, she said.” Vivian murmured to herself as she climbed out of her el camino. “It’ll be just a few friends who want to have dinner before with us before we leave, they said.”

However, judging from the amount of cars lining the driveway and the street, it appeared that her worst fears were correct - everyone and their mother had shown up to see them off. She could see people milling around inside the large log cabin and could hear voices and music drifting from the deck overlooking the lake in the back of the house.

And somewhere in that mess was her boyfriend.

The boyfriend who was planning on proposing to her tonight.

The boyfriend whose heart she would break when she told him ‘no’.

The boyfriend who would probably never forgive her.

Vivian groaned and rubbed at her temples. She was being foolish. After all, just because Josh had been acting suspicious earlier today, asked to speak to her dad, and might be carrying a ring box in his pocket did not mean that he was going to pop the question. It could be some other totally innocuous piece of jewelry without any strings attached. Or maybe it was something he had bought for his mother. Or...

The Valet - one of many Audra had been hired for this little get together - standing by her car cleared his throat, reminding her of his presence. Vivian longed to hop back in her car and drive home, but she forced herself to hand her keys to him and step away from the el camino so he could drive away. Then, after taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she crossed the short distance to the front door.

Even though there were people already inside, and she knew she could walk right in, Vivian knocked on the door anyways. She waited patiently for someone to open it, pausing to study the stone under her feet.

It was an odd piece - a large round disc that Audra said her father had imported from Europe or some other far off place when the cabin was being built. Designs that looked faintly like celtic knotwork had been carved into its surface; an outer ring that consisted of two bands twining around each other, and, inside the rings border, two overlapping trilliums. Three stones had been set around it’s outer perimeter, equidistant from each other and it appeared there might have been a fourth stone in the center, but it had been chipped away at some point.

Vivian had commented on its strange design when it had first arrived, but hadn’t paid any attention to it since then. However, tonight, the stone’s surface seemed to gleam and sparkle in the light of the moon. She shrugged it off; the stone probably had mica or something else in it.

To check out more ROW 80 updates, head over here.
For more WIPpet Wednesday posts, click here.

Forever Plotting...

In the midst of writing last week, it occurred to me that I was clueless about the first book of the Descendants. I mean, I knew what point A was, and I knew what point B was, but I had only the vaguest idea of how to get from point A to point B.

A long time ago, I had an idea for it, but then that was replaced by a slightly different idea. I've since realized that neither idea was going to cut it, so I've spent most of the past couple of days trying to figure out where my characters need to go and what needs to happen. And I think I've finally figured it out. 

I also figured out a couple of plot twists I did not see coming about Gwalchmei - who I introduced last week - but sadly they probably won't make it into the books. Or if they do, it'll be in a side story. 

Other than that there hasn't been much writing done lately. Work is just so chaotic right now! We finished switching systems and testing everything - only to find out that another issue has cropped up where some items aren't taxing properly in certain regions. In trying to figure out what the cause of this issue is, we have placed so many orders, and gone through the taxes of said orders so many times, that I have a near constant headache from the math. 

Since I'm all mathed out, I'm going to keep WIPpet Wednesday simple this week. Since today's date is 11/27/2013, I'm going to share 16 paragraphs (27-11=16... See! Simple!) from my fanfic, Between Two Worlds.

This is a scene from the fanfic that won't happen for another chapter or two. The woman who is helping Domick adapt to our world, Norah, has a son, Marcus. They and Domick have gone to a local pizza joint to get dinner, and Marcus takes the opportunity to introduce the man from Pern to video games...

Here there were several wooden or plastic cabinets with screens built into them. The screens glowed as moving pictures of animated characters attacking each other, or some strange monster, crossed their surfaces. The music- if the tiny tinny sounds pouring out of the cabinets could be called that - for each game varied, and it clashed together into one annoying cacophony that set Domick's teeth on edge. He longed to return to the Faire where it was quieter and even if he didn't recognize the music being played at least he recognized the instruments playing it. Unfortunately he didn't have much of a choice as Marcus proceeded to drag Domick from one cabinet to the next, calling them games, and showed him how to play each one. Some either had little stands built into the front, and others had objects that resembled the firearms some of the members of the military guilds carried around at the Faire site. One or two even had boxy apparatuses that you could sit in with an object that reminded Domick of the steering wheel on the cart Mudd had tried to teach him to operate. Remembering how well that had turned out, Domick gave those a wide berth... much to Norah's amusement. 

Eventually Marcus introduced him to a game called Guitar Hero. Here, Domick was positive, was something he could finally excel at. Even though the so called guitar with it's colored plastic keys barely resembled a real instrument, the game still involved music, so how hard could it be? He stubbornly chose the hardest song available, despite Marcus's advice, and was promptly booed at by an artificial crowd after only two bars of music. He frowned, and tried again, only to be kicked off the stage once more. 

He heard a chuckle behind him and turned to find Norah leaning against another machine while she watched them. "Enjoying yourself?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, "What does it look like to you?"

"Like you're about ready to beat the screen in."

"It doesn't make any sense. The notes its playing shouldn't be associated with the keys that I'm hitting."

"That's because its not a real guitar."

"I can see that." She snorted at his tone, pressing a hand against her mouth to smother the laughter that threatened to spill forth. "Can you do better?"

"Here, why don't I show you how it works before we run out of quarters." However, instead of taking the guitar he offered her, she came up behind him and stood so that her chest pressed into his back and her chin rested lightly on his shoulder. Her smell, that flowery yet spicy sent, flowed around him, reminding him of the incense the moors burned in their tents, and the image of her dancing on stage, her body undulating to those weird rhythms the drummers beat out, came unbidden to his mind. He stiffened at the memory and she backed away. "Sorry."

"No... I'm... It's... Please, continue." He gestured helplessly, and she gave him a smile, and covered his hands with hers again - but thankfully didn't stand nearly as close this time.

"You're thinking like a musician and you can't really do that here..."

"This coming from the girl who can't sing a note or play an instrument..."

She raised her eyebrows. "Do you want my help or not?"

"My apologies."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes at him, but continued with guiding him through the the song Marcus had chosen. "See - you hit the keys on the guitar when the colors come up, then you move this bar up and down to get the game to recognize that you're playing the 'notes'.” This time the crowd didn't boo, but cheered. “Not that hard, is it?”

It wasn't now that she explained it, but, despite his years of playing on all manner of musical instruments, he still couldn't quite do it. He found himself gritting his teeth in frustration, especially when he saw the level Marcus was playing on and how easily he handled it. How, could a boy who had never played a musical instrument before be so much better at this than him, a master harper? He gave up, resting the controller in it's cradle. Thankfully Marcus was too enthralled to notice that Domick was no longer there to whine or beg the man to return to the game. Instead he continued to strum away, biting his lip in concentration. Now, Domick thought, if there was only a way to direct that energy towards the real thing.

To read more Between Two Worlds, go here
To see more WIPpet Wednesday posts, go here.
To see more ROW 80 updates, go here. 

Going Old School...

It's been a rough week at work.

We're in the middle of switching from the old systems we used to report bugs and test updates to a new system where everything is in one location. It's a lot nicer, neater, and smoother, but it's taking some getting used to and getting everything switched over has been a pain in the butt. Not only is it tedious, but, as per usual, people are forgetting to communicate, so there's been issues with duplicates and other things.

As a result, I haven't gotten much writing done.

Even if I had the free time to, I couldn't. It has recently come to the company's attention that some employees are using the internet to do personal things instead of working like they should be. As a result, they've blocked it. No more writing on my breaks and lunches - which is when I seem to get most of my ideas. I could write when I get home, but, honestly, the last thing I want to do after being on a computer all day is spend more time on the computer.

The only solutions I can come up with is to either write on my tablet, take it all in on a thumb drive, or go back to doing it old school style.

Writing on the tablet is awkward, but it can be done. However, I don't want to bring my tablet to work and be accused of playing around on it instead of working (there are others who do that, and I swear after cutting the internet, that'll be the next thing to go!).

With the thumb drive, I worry that my employers will still be able to see what I'm doing, and even though I'm doing so on breaks or lunches, they might still be upset about it. Plus, thumb drives can crash. I had it happen to it me once or twice while I was in college, and man did it suck.

As I explained in an earlier post I'm not really fond of writing with a pen or pencil and paper. My handwriting isn't the greatest, and when I get to exciting parts I tend to start dropping letters and words. In addition to that I like to go back and edit frequently as I write. And it adds an additional step, because once you get done writing everything down, you have to type it in.

However, pen and paper seems to be the only way to appease work at the moment. Maybe doing so will help my handwriting. The husband says he can transcribe everything for me. Also, if I don't write something soon I may go crazy! (Of course, because I can't write, a lot of ideas for current stories and new stories have been plaguing me lately and keeping me up at night) So I broke down and bought a notebook (college ruled) and some pencils (that way editing is easier) on Monday and I've been giving it a go ever since.

After writing on a computer for so long, it feels a little strange to go back to paper. I'm ashamed to admit that I had forgotten how to write certain letters in cursive. Like F. I kept wanting to write what is J instead. And then I was getting some of my Russian Cursive mixed up with English Cursive, which is strange because I don't really remember that much Russian anymore - but apparently I still remember some of the letters!

Writing in pencil and paper is also very nostalgic. It reminds me of the days when I was writing my fanfic during certain classes (like math) and passing it off to my best friends to read between periods or during lunch. There's been once or twice I've looked around expecting to see one of them standing nearby, waiting patiently.

But other than that, so far so good!

I took pictures of new items to add to the etsy store, but haven't uploaded them yet. I've also had an idea or two for new products to add eventually. One of which involves beetle wings from the jewel beetle. The husband says it gives him the creeps, but beetle wing jewelry and embroidery is pretty popular right now. And everything I've seen so far that uses wings from this particular beetle turns out beautifully!

See!

(This dress is probably the most famous use of beetle wings of all)

I've also started working on my Ravenclaw scarf again. The weather is turning colder, and my Husband reminded me we have a trip to Washington coming up in a month, so I'm rushing to get that done as soon as possible! I've only got 8 stripes left, so I should be able to do it, I think!

But now on to the good stuff! WIPpet Wednesday!

WIPpet Wednesday is led by KL Schwengel. To participate, just post a part of what you're working on that somehow relates to the date. For example it could be twenty lines from chapter eleven, or eleven paragraphs from chapter twenty. Then just enter the url to your blog at this linkie thingie (very technical term, that!)

Since I haven't been able to transcribe anything I've written in the notebook, I'm going to share this bit from The Descedants. It was one of those bits that demanded I write it right now a few months ago, and it doesn't take place until book two, so it's a bit rough. **Edit** I've also remove names of certain things to prevent spoilers. *End edit*

To set it up, Vivian and her friends have ended up in what they think is the past and have become separated. However, our heroine has run into a man, who, after hearing her story, offered to take her to the local King. Unfortunately they've run into a bit of trouble on the way.

So, since today is November 20th, here is 20 paragraphs:

“I told you to run.” Blood stained his lips as he coughed.

“I did - but they caught me. I escaped and came back for you.”

“Foolish girl.”

“You’d be dead if I hadn’t.”

“I’ll be dead shortly anyways.” They could hear horses in the distance, and the baying of hounds.

“She went this way!” A man called out, his voice echoing in the mists.

“I’ll have her hide for biting me.” Another shouted.

“Run.” Gwalchmei commanded her. “Go now.”

“I’m not leaving you.” She pressed her hands against his wounds. There was so much blood! It seeped between her fingers, running in red rivulets down the back of her hand and dripping off her wrists to stain the fabric of her dress.

The horses were closer now, close enough that she could hear the branches snapping under their feet.

“Go, I can distract them.”

“Like this? How?”

“We’re close... *safeplace* is only a few miles that way. You’re small and swift. You can...”

Vivian yelped as someone grabbed the back of her cloak and threw her to the side. The back of a hand caught her jaw, twisting her face to the side as the person slapped her. She fell to the ground and scrambled backwards as she stared up at the face of the man who's arm she had bit earlier. 

“A peasant does not strike a lord without paying the...” He growled down at her.

“*name*, stop!” Gwalchmei’s voice rang out through the clearing, suddenly strong despite his injuries. “She’s my *blank*. She didn’t know who you were.”

The man towering over Vivian paled. He turned slowly to find that Gwalchmei had forced himself to his feet, and was leaning heavily against the tree at his back.

“No.” The man murmured. “You died, at Christmastime, three years ago.”

“So I’ve heard.” Gwalchmei coughed again, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“*Horse'sName*came back to us with your armor, and no rider.” His voice gained strength and anger as he spoke. “If this is some jest...”

The baying of the hounds was growing louder around them. They burst into the clearing, a mass of sleek grey long haired beasts. To Vivian's surprise, instead of attacking Gwalchmei, they pressed about him and licked his hand, whining for his attention. He stroked their heads absently, leaving bloody streaks on their fur. “It’s no jest, brother.”

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Adjust and Adapt

Since last week I've managed to grow a bit of a thicker skin regarding negative reviews and they're not bothering me as much. Even though the reviews weren't very constructive, I am using some of the information to make changes in my writing.

First, I will never publish something that short again - unless it has something to do with a series that's already been established. 

Secondly, I've lowered the price for the short story even more than what I had it at. 

Thirdly, I've made it very clear that the short story is just that, a short story, and a part of a serial. Granted, I already thought it was pretty clear to begin with. I had stated the word count in the description after all, but I made sure to mention it in the beginning as well. 

Now, since lowering the price of the short story, I've sold a few more copies and I may even earn a commission this month. Not a very large one, but hey, it's something (and I'll probably be a total dork and get a copy of the commission framed...)

Which brings me to something interesting I noticed - I seem to sell more copies on kindle than I do on nook. My husband and friends think this is probably because the kindle is way more popular than the nook. Even though I prefer the nook, I'm inclined to agree with them. For those that have published something, have you noticed a trend on which site sells more too?

Sadly I haven't done as much writing this week as I would have liked. I did get a start on the next part of the serial that the first short story was a part of. I also chipped away at the Descendants some more. However, I'm having a dilemma with a third story of mine (which is another one that will be eventually published under my pen name) I'm currently on the third draft, but I've been sorely tempted to go back to the second draft instead. There were changes between the second and third draft where the characters are a little older, and two side characters were cut out. Plus, it's set in a city that's closer to home, so I'm able to bring it to life a bit easier without doing a whole bunch of fact checking and staring at maps. I appealed to my beta readers to get their opinions, but they're not very helpful as they like both versions.

Cowrie hair falls are now available in my etsy shop! I'll also have more items up this weekend, including some men's clothing!

We're also having a sale for the Holidays! $10 off your order of $30 or more! Just use the code HOLIDAY13 when placing your order!

And now for WIPpet Wednesday!

Maya's prologue is still being stubborn. However, I do have a snippet from The Descendants that features the strange stone she saw in the ruins. This snippet also introduces Lucina* - who is another character that Vivian and Maya will travel with. Lucina comes from a very old and eccentric family. They're not exactly from our world, and they're very familiar with the story Bree told young Vivi in this snippet here. In fact, they believe they are descended from one of the girls in the legend.

This snippet is a very rough draft, so some dialogue may change later on. We'll see.

Here is 21 paragraphs from Chapter 3 of The Descendants. Since today is 11/13/13 I added 11 to 13, and came up with 24, then subtracted 3 from 2013, which added up to 21!

Lucina could remember running through the twisting maze of greenery with her cousins as a child. If she closed her eyes she could almost feel the warm summer sun from so long ago shining down upon her even though the evening air still held onto it’s spring chill. She trailed her hands along the leaves, terrifying the small animals that hid inside. The ran away from her, the branches crackling and bouncing against each other in the wake of their escape.

Grandmama tsked, and stopped her to wipe the dirt from her palms and tidy her hair as if she were a child. Even though Lucina was twenty two, she held still and put up with the old woman’s fussing - one did not argue with Grandmama unless one wanted to see the back of her hand.

Once Grandmama was pleased with her appearance - even though she lamented Lucina’s choice of clothing - she finally lead her around the final turn and into the center of the labyrinth.

Torches lit the large circular clearing, their flames snapping and dancing in the slight wind. Men and women dressed in ceremonial robes either sat on the marble benches sitting in a ring around the middle of the clearing, or stood around the perimeter in groups of two and three. They had been talking among themselves drinking wine from ornate goblets, their voices rising and falling in idle chatter.

In the middle of it all stood her father. Unlike everyone else, his robes were black as smoke, and decorated with crimson and yellow. His head bowed as if he was praying, and he held a heavy leather tome that Lucina had only seen twice before: the first time had been when her father had told her of her destiny to bring back the artifact, and the second time had been earlier that day when he had told her that tonight was the night.

“She is ready.” Grandmama said, her voice ringing with a confidence that Lucina didn’t entirely feel.

The men and women who had come to witness the ritual fell silent at the old woman’s announcement.

“Does she meet the requirements?” Her father asked, opening his eyes to stare at her. The pale blue irises were devoid of any expression or warmth, as if she were just one of his employees or a stranger he had passed on the street.

She resisted the urge to bolt, clenching her hands at her sides. Of course he was behaving coldly - he couldn’t show favoritism in such an important situation. He couldn’t show weakness, he had to remained focused on his task just like she needed to.

The guests in the clearing turned and studied her. Lucina lifted her chin up, suddenly defiant. She more than met the requirements; she had the purest blood of them all, and had been training for this task all her life.

As one the men and women nodded. They looked back at her father, murmuring their assent.

“Then step forward, chosen one.” He held out his hand towards her, beckoning for her to join him on the great stone disc that was set into the ground at the middle of the clearing.

Lucina did as he asked, quickly crossing the distance to where he stood. Some bowed their heads as she passed while others kissed their fingers. They grabbed at her clothing as she passed, whispering blessings and praying for her to have a successful journey. “You are our only hope,” some said. “The only chance to end our exile.”

Once Lucina reached her father, she kneeled before him, the carvings in the stone digging into the skin of her knee despite the thick denim separating the two. He touched her head, his fingers resting lightly against her thick black hair. “Daughter of Hestia, do you accept the spirit of *name* as he has accepted you as his own?”

“Yes, father.” She whispered.

“And you will follow his instructions and bring back the item as he has requested?”

“Yes.”

“Your hand please.”

Lucina held out her hand for him to take. He took it firmly with his own, as he drew a knife from the folds of his robes. She licked her lips nervously, and he raised an eyebrow in silent reprimand. Taking a breath, she bowed her head. The pain would only be for a moment, she told herself, and the wound would heal quickly. Still she hissed as he sliced her palm, the sharp blade parting her skin without any effort.

Dark, red, blood immediately welled to the surface. Her father dropped her hand and stepped off the porta. “You know what to do.”

“Yes, father.” She closed her hand around the cut, squeezing it into a tight fist. The blood dripped between her fingers, falling onto the carvings at her feet as she began to chant.

To read more WIPpet Wednesday posts, go here.
To read more ROW 80 updates, go here.

*Lucina's name may change in later drafts.

Reviews; the good, the bad, and the ugly...

The first reviews for my short story are in. Originally I wasn't going to pay attention to the reviews; you can't please everyone after all, and in a world where 50 Shades of Grey and the Crossfire Series are popular, who would want a normal boy meets girl story that has minor angst and no BDSM? However, after I saw that I had sold a few copies, my curiosity quickly got the better of me and I decided to see what people were saying about my story online.

I should have stuck to my guns.

The reviews aren't good. They complain that the story is too short, that 'it's meh' and 'a mess'. I've gotten mostly one and two stars, though there is a person who gave it five (and I strongly suspect that that person was a friend who took pity on me).

I'm surprised and at the same time I'm not really surprised. I knew that the short story wasn't my best, but I still thought it was pretty fun read. My betas agreed and said they enjoyed it - and they're not the type of people to lie just to appease my ego. The complaints that it's too short really astound me though - I gave multiple warnings that it wasn't very long and was the first in a series. I also made sure to price it appropriately for the length.

I won't deny that I'm very tempted to just throw in the towel and give upon writing adult contemporary romance for the moment. I mean, if this story got this review, who's to say that the next one will do any better? But these stories have been plaguing me so long (though not nearly as long as TUO or the Descendants) that I can't just give up on them. And just because a couple of people don't like the story doesn't mean that everyone's going to hate it. Maybe it's just not their cup of tea.

How do you handle bad reviews, oh dear and wise readers who have probably published way more than I have?

Despite all this negativity, there has been some really bright spots this week. The Husband got a job (Yay!) and started work on Monday. Unfortunately, his shift starts at 6:00 am (ugh) and in order to spend more time with him I've changed my hours at work so now my shift starts at 6:00 am too. It turns out hi job is just down the street from a farmer's market! I look forward to stocking up on fresh veggies on a regular basis.

We also had a really enjoyable Halloween hanging out with some friends and going trick-or-treating with our god kids. This was followed up with an amazing after Halloween Halloween Party, where we were able to spend time with some people we haven't seen since July. Another guest at the party had one of these:

I kinda want one now.

In addition to that I finally found a dress form that doesn't cost an arm and a leg - so I don't have to keep borrowing my friends. I also have a couple of sewing commissions coming up and I should have new items posted in the store this weekend.

And even if my romantic short story flopped horribly, at least TUO and The Descendants seem to be thriving quite well. And Mary the practical prostitute is keeping me on my toes with her adventures. Also, now I know how to format an ebook properly (copying and pasting from google docs into the nook press manuscript editor is not a good idea) and how to design a decent looking ebook cover (which I'm tempted to start doing for others...)

And now for WIPpet Wednesday!

WIPpet Wednesday is run by KL Schwengel. To participate, just share a portion of the story you're working on that some how correlates with the date, and then add your blog to the link thingamabob here.

I was originally going to share more of Maya's prologue, but the scene I'm currently on isn't flowing as well as I'd like. I've rewritten it three times and I'm still not happy with it. So, for this week I'll share more of Mary's story, and hopefully we can return to Maya next week :)

Since today is 11/6/13, here is 6 paragraphs from Mary's untitled story.

Evandora Mince was not what one expected when they thought of a brothel owner. A prim matron of sixty, she wore her steel grey hair in a tight chignon, and preferred to dress in somber black dresses instead of some of the more flamboyant gowns other Madams in Partridge wore. Appearances were deceiving however -- rumor was that she had been quite a stunning beauty in her youth. Supposedly she had had the King wrapped around her pinky at one time, and they had danced, naked, in the royal gardens beneath the moonlight many a time.

Eventually she had grown older. While some women remained handsome in their later years, that had not been the case for Madam Mince; her face was lined with wrinkles and age spots dotted her skinny hands. The gossips said that the King had set her aside in favor of marrying a princess from the continent and soon her other clients quickly followed suit. However, she had been given several gifts during their time as a lady, and, being a smart woman, Evandora had sold them and opened her own house.

Mary hoped to do the same thing one day, but as she didn’t have a royal client, she was forced to scrimp and save every penny she earned in order to make her dream a reality. This most recent fantasy of the judge’s would put her very close to her goal though . . .

“His honor was very pleased with you last night.”

She had assumed as much when she had seen the coins he had left on her bedside table as a gift, but she smiled anyways. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“He wanted to book you for a weekend appointment during All Hallows.” Madam Mince continued to flip through the letters, occasionally tossing one or two onto the fire.

“Yes, I was thinking we might use the country house for it.”

“I talked him into having the encounter here.”  

“The country house would really be more appropriate . . .”

“I am not opening it up just for one man. It’s too late in the season, and it’ll cost too much to heat.”

“Yes ma’am.” Mary bowed her head.

“And it’ll only be a day.”

Her heart sank at the thought of all the crowns she would be missing out on as a result of the change. “Madam . . .”

“The Masquerade will be that weekend. Our guest list is quite considerable, and I will need all my girls available.” She glanced over her glasses at Mary. “Do you understand Marie?”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Good.” Madam Mince finally sat the approved mail down in a dish for a servant to remove and disperse among the girls. “Now about Hannah. I have a gentleman interested in booking an appointment for her.”

“What?” Mary gasped in surprise. “She’s not finished training yet!”

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