It's Blogging Men...What's Your Type?

Ok~ so that was a shameless snatching of the song "It's Raining Men" but hey, it got your attention right? lol  So I am here to blog about men in writing/reading books.  What is your type?  And you KNOW, we all have types. There is always that one that, every time we read about him, it curls our blood... makes us almost take care of business just by reading the book ( or writing about it... depending on what you're doing)!
Is he the Nordic type? Blonde, blue -eyed with muscles that ripple like a wrestler?  Or maybe the dark and silent type?  With his dark eyes that seem to follow you in your imagination with a burning desire to trap you in his gaze.
Mine is the dark and silent type for the most part. You know the one. He has great strength BUT doesn't look like he took a year of steriods and stayed 24/7 in the gym. Not lanky but not the young Arnold Schwarzenegger either. (That's just WAY too much for me). Got to be tall too (I'm 5 foot 8 so ya know... he's got to top at least 6 foot lol).  Now, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the blondes and even the light brown, blue-eyed cuties... but the dark and silent always get me.  I suppose I am a sucker for the broody types that always end up showing a wicked sense of humor... among other things. 
I started going through all of my books and realized that I really do have a type. Not all of them BUT most of the books I have bought have the same type of hero. I didn't realize that I had been collecting them until this weekend. So, go through your books.  Look at the man and tell me... what is your type? lol.... Betcha that you have one!  And I will even leave you with a picture of  my  man eye candy for the day .... Hope you enjoy him!

                                           

Fall Leaves & chocolate thoughts

It's officially FALL here. In Mississippi, our leaves tend to take a little bit longer to change since we have such a warmer climate in the South. They are finally changing though. This means that, for our family anyway, it is hunting season and chocolate season.

Now, some people have issues with the hunting part, and that's fine. We don't do the vanity hunting but we put it all in our freezer. I normally don't buy hamburger meat until August or September.  But I digress... this is really about the chocolate.  I'm not talking regular chocolate. Oh no, I am talking about homemade hot chocolate mix.

Yeah, I said it. The addictive...calorie-infused.... awesomeness that we LOVE to have nightly. Or put in our coffee for extra wonderfulness.  Now, mine isn't a true "homemade" recipe. I normally do make most of my stuff from scratch but this just is GREAT. Seriously... I'm talking gain 5 lbs if you don't ration it awesomeness. lol~~~~~ So here's the recipe!

2 lb box   Nestle Quik
1 lb box   Confectioners Sugar
11 oz jar  CoffeeMate (PLAIN)
8 qt box   powdered milk

Mix all of this, sifting constantly. I can't tell you how important it is to get it completely sifted together. (you will need a BIG BOWL and a BIG container). 
That's it for directions. Super easy!  To use for hot chocolate, simply put 1/2 cup in your mug, fill with boiling water, stir and add marshmallows.   For coffee, simply add 1 teaspoon (or 2 or 3) to your coffee.

This makes Fall (and Winter) perfect for us. I have sat in my chair, laptop in my lap, just drinking this while I thought of different things to write. In fact, this is usually how you find me... but be warned!!! It is so good, it is addictive... and trust me, I wasn't joking about the calories! We're talking cappuccino calories peeps~ 

Enjoy!!!!

Works In Progress & RESEARCH

So many people have asked me how I think of things to write. Okay, so it's mostly family who ask this... since I have only self-published one novella, but still, it counts! lol~  My kids say that I am just super smart. My husband says I have a severely twisted mind. Personally, I like my kids' answer better!  But my answer?  Creativity and research.

Yeah, I know. The dreaded, horrible R-word. RESEARCH. The word that gives many of us writers horrible nightmares both night and day, making us break out into a sweat as we bravely sit down to write our latest masterpiece. You know the one... the one that is gonna put us on the MAP. Put our name out into the world where people will love us for our brilliance. Uh huh... I can feel the poo starting to rise and I am in open-toed shoes at the moment so I'm gonna stop now. 
Seriously, research is the best and (if we are being honest with ourselves) ONLY way to write well.  I would love to say that everything I have thought about was my own thought but it isn't. I research everything that I am working on. I make calls, I write emails, I WORK HARD at finding out the correct answer to something before I write it.  That way, I know that when I write something... I don't sound like an idiot. lol.... and it doesn't take much sometimes.  The point is, always research what you are writing. Especially the technical stuff. Otherwise, you are going to have a book that isn't your best and every reviewer, every reader, WILL call you on it.

Good luck and remember, research doesn't have to be a bad word. An aggravating one, yes, but not necessarily a bad one.

How Goats Are Promoting My WIP~

Yep... I did say goats. I even said the word promote.  They are great at promoting your work.  They are great at helping you work harder on your Work In Progress (wip for all those who didn't know what that was).  If I had known how much they would help me, I would have gotten one sooner. Wait a minute, I feel a Dr. Seuss moment coming on.... whew! It passed~

How do goats help you? It's really easy. Once you have a goat, you will decide after the first day or two that you will promise to do your own work, you will worker harder at your manuscipt, ANYTHING to not have to work with the said goat ever.. ever... ever.. again.  How do I know this? lol~ My husband and I have brought two goats to our growing "farm" to live.  We officially have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 fish, 16 chickens.. and now, 2 goats.  No, the number 2 is actually not a requirement.  It just keeps happening to us. (I swear there is NO ARK in the making!)  So far, they have managed to get tangled into every vine, weed, grass & limb that they refuse to eat, which means I am the one who has to untangle them from all the wonderul things they find to get into.  Let's not forget the water buckets that the youngest goat watches you fill with it's head turned just soooo.  Then butts it over with her horned head so she can watch you refill it - 3 more times.

The best part though? When I let the chickens loose from their pen. You would have thought we were having the end of the world, goat style. REM's "It's  The End OF The World" (I think is the name of the song~ someone tell me if I am wrong!)  goes through my head everytime I let the chickens out. It is the funniest thing!  The goats running in circles ~ the chickens flapping & crowing at the goats. The goats baaaaiiinng back in defense. I'm telling you, Russia and the US had nothing on these guys! 

So now, I am working hard on my manuscript, eyeing my hubby to see how I can talk him into watering the goats today. Cause I enjoy a good show... just sayin'  ....  ; )

Cars Are Easier Than Manuscripts

No, you didn't misread the title, I promise.  I have realized that cars are actually easier to fix than a manuscript.  I have just helped my husband change out the spark plugs in our car (he pulled his lower back so he "coached" me on how to change them). Now, that was definitely an experience but I'm not finished.  He has changed out the thermostat, the water pump and put on a new tire...okay, so walmart put on the new tire, but I paid them to do it. lol
I have yet to work on my WIP though.  With Jamie's back being pulled (I have to take him for an MRI today), 3 children with school work, trying to keep the house clean, bills paid & everybody happy... yeah, I haven't even looked at it.  Granted, I have been swamped with family issues & car issues, but still, I should have at least LOOKED at it, right?  It's not that I am stuck with writer's block... I just don't want to work on it right now.
So what do you do when this happens to you? Or does this happen to you? Do you continue to work on it, hoping that you aren't making it worse or do you walk away from your wip for a while, just to give yourself breathing room or a break?  I suppose it depends on whether you are a traditional writer or self-publishing one.  Since I have only written one book that is self-published, I am very much still new at this.  I am going to finish up a blanket & then look at it again with a fresh eye. That way, I can see if I still like the way it's going. 

Now for the fun part:

Tell me what you do when you are tired of writing.  On Friday, I will pick a winner from random.org who will recieve a free ebook copy of my book, A Fire Within. (And be sure to share it with your friends!) 

Cover Art Is Like Chocolate...

Okay, so cover art isn't exactly like chocolate but it's close.  You don't think so? Hmmm... I'm thinking we are gonna have to have a lesson then. lol   Here we go!

Think about it like this: you have many different kinds of chocolate to choose from: sweet, semi-sweet & dark. You have the option of having it hard-edged like a candy bar or soft and sweet like a marshmallow. Or maybe even the kind that coats all the fun, edible stuff like strawberries, Oreo cookies w/ cream cheese or peanut butter.  So many choices to choose from! lol (I won't get into toppings because that is a WHOLE other topic in itself!)
Cover art is the same way. What do YOU want as the cover of your book? It depends on the book itself and your own personal taste. Does it have a hard edge to it? Or is it soft & gooey to make you all warm inside? Is it spine-tingling or is it so hot that you need a cold shower after you are finished reading it?
Regardless, your cover needs to draw attention to itself.. in a GOOD way. Obviously, it needs to catch the eye of a potential buyer- that's a given.  But it also has to match the feel of the book. And please... PLEASE remember that if you use people on your cover art, please try to match them with your characters in the book.  Honestly, I can't say how many times I have been turned off by a book just because the cover has a different people than what is mentioned in it. You know what I'm talking about...

The hero with his striking black hair and green eyes glared down at his beautiful, yet stubborn, captive. She shook her head in denial and promised retaliation, even as her blond hair seemed to wrap itself around his hand on its own.

And the cover art on the front is a brown-haired woman with a man with blond hair. That is annoying. That is unprofessional... That does NOT get you any chocolate.
The point is, make sure that your cover art is everything YOU want it to be. Don't let others decide for you. Instead, make sure everything matches the characters of the book.  Make sure you are 100% happy with it before you are ready to release it to the world. Why?  Because we are watching... we are waiting... we want to read your book~ if you can capture our attention.
Now, I am off to make homemade cookies because all I can think of is ...well... you know.

Telling People You Wrote A Book In Your Hometown

Today, I have two children sick. Nothing serious; one has a sinus issue & the smaller one is throwing up due to quick stomach virus. Yay ME~   Now, you are probably wondering what the CRAP that has to do with the title right now.... it has everything to do with it. Here's why....
I'm out of medication for the child with the sinus issue. NP!! I got this! Hubby gets up early (he works at night) and volunteers to watch both children so I can run into town for a few groceries & the medicine. Wow... that made my day better, especially since I went to bed at 10:30 last night & woke up at 1:30 in the morning with our 5 yr old... puking her eyeballs out.  I go to the big chain store that I suppose I shouldn't mention due to legal reasons... but we all know who I am talking about. Uncle Sam isn't the only one we all know~ lol. I stopped by the book section (we all do~ none of us can pass up a chance to look at what we are trying to make our living at) & there is one woman standing in the section, looking at Christian romance books.
She was aimlessly walking her fingers through the pile while I was looking in the paranormal romance section but I could see her glance at me once in a while. No big deal. Everybody is curious about people in their "circle". Until she opens her mouth...
"Do you like reading those devil books?"
I looked at her with what must have been a really funny face because she repeated the question. To me. A stranger.... so I answered that yes, I do like reading them, I like to read different types of books, period.
"Hmmphf" was the answer I received for that.  At that point, I don't know why, but I couldn't just LET IT GO... I mean, really, I wanted to. I tried to stay quiet. My mouth wouldn't stay SHUT.
"I write those kind of books so I tend to buy these more than any other kind."
sigh.... I knew better... I know this.
"You're gonna go to hell & take all those people with you that you are deceiving," and she stomped off.. pushing her buggy, muttering something about that store selling stuff not fit for young people to read.
OKAY, obviously that type of book wasn't her cup of tea. I get it. Many people in a smaller town where religion is not about faith, it's about a way of life in general, you are going to have that. I have tough skin so I can deal with it.
Until I check out and see the EXACT same woman in front of me, putting the last of her groceries on the belt line. And the 3 books she is buying.
Harlequin Blaze... all 3 of them were Harlequin Blaze!  OH COME ON, Really??? I didn't say anything because it would have looked like I was harrassing a woman for no reason but I wanted to .. Oh, I really, really wanted to. Which brings me to my question. So far, most of my followers are writers...

What is the worst thing you have heard or have been told when you admitted you were an author? 

Let me know~