Why Being Independent #ROCKS

If you've kept up with this blog since the beginning, you know I'm a crazy movie-buff.

My maternal grandmother, who we called "Bobie," loved movies, and she got me started watching them with the old noir detective films.

These old movie posters are amazing.

My best memory is of watching The Big Sleep with her, and I've seen it so many times since, I can practically quote the whole thing.

It's also cool that William Faulkner was one of the screenwriters. (Yes, that William Faulkner.)

It's a crazy, twisty super-fun movie with fantastic, unforgettable characters doing unexpected things.


And you really have to watch it about five times to understand what all's happening...

After watching it several times, you might get more insight into my own characterization and plot twists. (JRM points to Footloose as being, "everything you ever write"--LOL! That's not so true anymore.)

So what does all this have to do with being an Independent Author? I'll tell ya!

I was reading an article about Roger Ebert in Entertainment Weekly (link), and it had a listing of his "Movies of the Year," going all the way back to 1967's Bonnie & Clyde. (I totally agree with his assessment of that film, btw.)

In the listing were JFK, Malcolm X, and Schindler's List. About Schindler's List, Ebert says, "The movie is 184 minutes long, and like all great films, it feels too short." Spot on.

That got me thinking about the battle Spike Lee had over the length of Malcolm X was, and how the Big Studios wanted him to cut it.

Oliver Stone had managed to get away with 188 minutes for JFK the year before, and as expected, Lee had some choice words about that. But at the time the Controlling Powers had established "norms" about "what audiences wanted," and long films about controversial black icons were not it.

The next year, Big Fish Steven Spielberg made a 184-minute, black and white film, no sweat.

Flash Forward many years, and I'm thinking about how all of this relates to Independent Publishing v. Traditional Publishing.

Film, like music, and now books, went through a revolutionary "independent" period that played out differently in each medium. (I should say "is playing out" with regard to books.)

Personally, I just wrapped a series of books that I can't even imagine trying to get through the Traditional process.

The Dragonfly Series starts with Book 1, Dragonfly, which is written in the standard mature-YA manner: first-person, female POV. (It's how you wrote books like this in 2009.)

The next book Undertow takes a completely different turn. The bulk of the story is told through three journals, but regular journal-style felt inhibiting to my process... so I didn't follow the rules. I wrote it like a narrative, but unfolding it epistolary-style.

It's told in three different POVs--Meg, Lexy, and Bill's--and it's the story of an affair that led to a birth and a death. It does not have a happy ending... and most readers seem to love it.

It's a layer to the series that goes to the heart of everything happening, of Anna and Julian's relationship, of all the secrets and lies, and readers really, really need to know that story. The style fits into the overall series arc, and it was how I chose to write it.

The content of Undertow is also decidedly New Adult to Adult--one of my beta readers even said, "This reads more like women's fiction." Another said, "You should write more adult fiction."--LOL!

It makes sense, and I think my readers of all ages get it. I trusted them to get it.

Watercolor (#3) is back to the present, it's Anna and Julian's love story, first-person POV, female lead and more strict NA, a'la Jessica Sorensen, Colleen Hoover, or Katja Millay books. (I.e., the main characters are seniors in high school.)

Then we get to Mosaic... 

It's the end of the series, and I really wanted to tie the whole thing together both from a story perspective and a stylistic one. So right slap in the middle of that book, sandwiched between the present--which is 20 years after Watercolor ends--is Anna's "private blog."

It's her journal (told Undertow-style), and it follows her and the gang through college all the way to the break... where it stops, and we see what happens next.

When I started writing this series in 2009, there was no "Independent Publishing." Amazon hadn't truly launched the Kindle yet, and at that time, self-publishing meant Vanity Publishing.

Vanity Publishing is bad, reader-friends. It means you pay thousands of dollars to jerks like Author Solutions (now owned by Random-Penguin) and they take you for a ride that ends with them dumping a pile of paperbacks on your doorstep for you to figure out how to sell.

It isn't legitimate in any sense of the word. It's a racket that many well-meaning authors got sucked into because they didn't want their stories to die in a drawer. (And they didn't have Thelma Toole, Walker Percy, or LSU Press, link. Geaux, Tigers.)

Of course, I'm sure Traditional Publishing doesn't consider Independent Publishing legitimate to this day--unless you start banking Amanda Hocking, Hugh Howey, E.L. James, Colleen Hoover, Jasinda Wilder, Abbi Glines... the list goes on... dollars. Then suddenly you're very legitimate.

(I hope you're catching my sarcasm. I drank the "not legitimate" Kool-Aid for way too long before I jumped off that merry-go-round.)

I feel like I'm losing my point--my point is, to me, the greatest thing about being an independent author is I can write my books the way I want to write them, the way that makes sense to me. I don't have to worry about established norms or "what readers want" when I sit down to write.

Okay, being a smart businesswoman, I do consider "what readers want" when I'm looking at which projects to focus the most time and energy on. (Hint: The ones that are selling!)

But take for example a book I've been sitting on since 2012. It's another NA contemporary romance, but it's an action-adventure story set in the woods of south Mississippi.

I loved this movie when I was a kid.

Since it's written by me, it's fer sure a romance, but the focus is on the transformation of this incredible character I love named Prentiss Puckett from everyday-country girl to a Red-Dawn-meets-L O S T-style action-hero.

Being trapped in a prison camp during what seems (to her) to be a Russian invasion of the U.S. will do that to a person.

This book, which is currently titled 21 Days, was with a literary agent for a year. He shopped it around, and we got the usual compliments on my "strong writing" followed by the reasons it "wouldn't work."

First, I was told it was "too dated." The problem is Prentiss fears it's the Russians holding them captive. It made sense to me in 2012, given where she lives and the persistent fear of "Russians" in certain pockets of the deep south.

I was told "nobody cares about Russia anymore" and given the "how very 1950s of you" treatment. (Oops! Ukraine just called.)

Second, after being kidnapped, *something* is happening to Prentiss, and it's causing her to have very vivid flashback-style dreams, which taper off as the plot unfolds. I won't spoil it here, but I was told "readers won't like that"--jumping back and forth.

It's funny because all six of my beta readers--all six of them--said that was their favorite part. One even wanted more!

Guess what I'm going to do?

I'm going to polish that baby up, add a few ideas that I've had since I finished it 2.5 years ago, and put it out there for you all.

And that's why I love being an Independent Author.

Now, I'm not going to go all *banging my fist on the table* insisting I'll "never go traditional." There are very legitimate reasons for plugging in and using that established book-selling machine--for example, none of my indie books will ever be reviewed in Entertainment Weekly.

I have managed to get into some high school libraries through NetGalley, which is amazing. But I won't be in any Scholastic Book Fairs at schools. (Scholastic is a traditional publisher, fyi. Those are all their books.)

It's incredibly difficult for independently published authors to get into places like Target or Sam's Club or Costco. (I won't say impossible b/c my indie-author friend Cindy Hogan does it all the time.)

This post has gotten very long. I apologize. I haven't blogged in a while...

One last thing that I love about being an Independent Author: As my one-degree-of-separation buddy Hugh Howey explains in detail here (link), being independent means for the first time in history, authors can make a living--an actual living that includes paying bills, feeding children, buying clothes, paying for college--through writing books alone.

Many, many authors are doing just that, and it has never been the case in all of book publishing recorded time... until now. Only a handful of "stars" have ever been able to make that claim.

So yanno. Vive la Revolution... or whatever.

I'm just so lucky and blessed to be living in this time. I'm not knocking anybody's choice or the path they follow. Whatever path you chose, traditional or independent, whatever books you read, do it because you love it. Otherwise, what's the point?

Thanks for being such FAB reader-friends. Love you guys~ 

Where's My Pirate Costume?

Most of you know I have two little girls. This morning I woke up singing songs from Dora's Pirate Adventure.

Sing with me...

Parents of small children, if you missed this one (featuring John Leguizamo), I highly recommend it. You will be singing these songs for the rest of your life.

To this day, we still finish Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star with "how I wonder what you ate for breakfast."

That led me to wishing I could have a REAL sing-along blog like Dr. Horrible (link)!

Would that rule or what?

I have always loved to sing.

But I tend to suffer from singing stage-fright, so you will rarely catch me onstage singing anywhere. (Unless I've had too much "medicine.")

When I lived in Baldwin County, I worked up the courage to join our small church's choir. A few friends made fun of me for being a "choir girl," but the truth was, I got more out of church being in that choir than from anything else I did.

Get me!

Not sure what that means.

What does all this have to do with anything?

Well, there's a lot of serious stuff going on in the world this week. I for one am a little weirded out by how much history seems to be repeating itself. (Great Depression followed by WWII, the majority of the country not wanting to get involved...)

Some people believe you can't be serious and lighthearted at the same time. But I have a tendency to get too serious, reader-friends.

I have to throw in some lightness in the mix so I don't lose it.

That thought gave me an idea for a scene in a book I'm working on. It's about looking ahead to how things will be once the bad thing has passed...

My hero tells our heroine a game he liked to play as a child. He would think of his favorite thing to do, and then he would tell himself that was what he'd do when whatever he was afraid of was over.

I confess, the idea grew from that part in L O S T where Jack tells Kate about allowing the fear in for five seconds. Really being afraid for those five seconds, and then letting it go and getting the job done.

Powerful thing, the mind...

It's going to be in the 90s here this week, but then the 70s by Friday. I think we should all imagine dressing up and doing a big Dora's Pirate Adventure sing-along on Saturday. Or Teen Beach Movie. Whatever floats your ship... or surfboard.

Quick Reminders:

**You can still enter to #WIN one of TEN amazing prizes including signed copies, audiobooks, etc., in the Happy Birthday The Truth About Faking giveaway! Go here (link)~

**Watercolor is coming Oct. 3! Look at this gorgeous paperback cover my incredibly talented writer-friend Jolene Perry made...

On Goodreads

I am SO in love with that cover. And it is SO perfect for Anna & Julian's love story... You've got time to catch up--grab your copy of Dragonfly and/or Undertow today!

Have a super week, reader-friends! Cooler weather is on the way~

Napoleon Dynamite & One Direction

So I'm getting ready to release my second book ROUGE in a little more than a month, and I've been thinking about author branding and readers knowing what to expect from me.

The Truth About Faking is selling well, and a HUGE Thank You! To everyone who's bought a copy and taken the time to leave a review. I love hearing from readers, so if you liked it, shoot me a note (link)!

Anyway, ROUGE is not like TTAF.

TTAF is very classic young adult. It's sweet, relatively clean. There's romance, some humor, a little message tucked inside. You finish the book smiling and with a warm feeling inside. I love that book.

ROUGE is what you might call "edgy" or "mature" YA. It's not sweet. The main character's struggling to escape some pretty terrible things, she falls in love with someone who's impossible for her to be with, and then it just gets worse. It features more than one adult situation, and I'm not sure how readers will walk away.

And I love that book, too.

But it makes me worry about how shifting gears is going to impact my readership.

There's still a message tucked inside ROUGE. And I wrote it, so you'll still hear my voice. It's just my voice isn't telling you such a happy story this time.

It's a good story. At times, I wonder if it might be the best story I've written. (How can anyone ever know that?)

Will it hurt me that I've set readers up with TTAF to expect one thing, and then I'm going to give them something very different in ROUGE?

Luckeee!

I was thinking about John Heder (a.k.a., Napoleon Dynamite). He did that movie, and then he did the movie Blades of Glory, and then he sort of disappeared. Maybe sometimes doing the same thing, only going in one direction, can hurt you.

But what hurts more?

I guess I'm going to find out.

Have any of my other writer-friends gone through this? What has your experience been like?

In the meantime, I'm formatting, preparing, working. Thinking about how blessed I am to have such great reader- and writer-friends. 

Have a great week, guys~ <3

In Interesting Times

The cool thing about having a new book out and obsessively checking my Amazon numbers (LOL!) is I've discovered so many interesting, new indie books!

Seriously, go to Amazon and peruse the Top 100 lists for "Coming of Age" (link) or "Love and Romance" (link), and you'll find a virtual explosion of exciting, new indie authors creating a variety of books on the list.

It's truly a revolutionary time to be a writer.

I was telling a good friend of mine it feels like for the first time writers have the same opportunity as musicians or film makers. Now we can come out with new books in a fraction of the time it used to take, and it's up to the readers to decide if our product is entertaining or thought provoking enough to share.

The example I used was The Blair Witch Project. Remember that? (Just in time for Halloween!)

A group of kids made it with a camcorder then used the Internet to spread the word pre-release in all sorts of creative ways, and Bam! Indie blockbuster.

I don't remember if it was a blessing or a curse when someone used to say, "May you live in interesting times," but for writers, I'd argue it's a blessing.

Nowadays, if you follow the formula (great story + investment in quality), you really can find success. The only thing stopping you is you.

Will you invest the time to write a compelling story--your story? To hire an editor and copyeditor? To make the revisions needed? To create an eye-catching cover? To do the legwork it takes to get the word out?

If you will, it's completely possible these days for writing to be a true, sustainable career for any writer--not just the very lucky few.

How amazing. How blessed we are!

This week, I'm absolutely bursting with news... which has to wait (LOL!). But I can say, I'm working on Rouge again--cleaning out added content I didn't like, restoring it to my original vision (mature YA), sifting through cover images--and by November, I can't wait to share it with you!

In the meantime, I hope you guys are doing fantastic. What's new with you? How do you see this revolution and our changing times?

I'm telling you, writer-friends, there is absolutely zero reason now to give up. Whatever you do, keep swimming.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Big Thing Backwards

Last week I was tagged by Hart (link) and Stina (link) for the "Next Big Thing" blogfest. I'm to tell you what I'm working on and end by promoting something.

So I'm doing it backwards because I've got to tell you about a book I just finished: Never Gone by good bloggy friend Laurel Garver (link).

It is so good. The writing is gorgeous, the story is haunting (literally!) and it ends just perfectly. (*BIG sigh*) It's the perfect fall-into-winter book.

Get it!

Main character Danielle "Dani" has just lost her father in a horrible car accident. His body's been cremated, and she and his remains are being shipped off to England to stay with her paternal grandparents while her mother stays in the U.S. for work.

The problem is Dani keeps seeing her dad. 

Her memories and her desperate longing to catch him, which leads to some risky behavior choices, will have you in tears. But also, her strained relationship with her mother, and all the things Dani discovers about her family just peel away like layers of the most delicious cake. (Yep, I wrote that--LOL!)

And the ending with Theo, and what he writes on her cast... (*swoon*)

OK, I'm stopping, but it's an impressive debut. Only a few times I was a little confused or concerned with how situations were handled, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment.

There's a good dose of theology in the book courtesy Dani's grandfather, who's a clergyman. But also Theo, Dani's love interest is struggling with his own spirituality. I don't mind such things, and Laurel and I are planning a cross-post on how both of us incorporated religious themes in our books on Oct. 29. It should be interesting!

The English setting is the perfect backdrop for all the good stuff inside. Run get it on Amazon today (link)!

Now for the NBT blogfest questions! (I'll answer these lightening-round style.)

What is the working title of your book?

Violet. I know that's cheesy, but it's the sequel to Rouge, and for now, I'm trying to get the story right. I'll worry about titles later. (I have to do this; I'm hopeless when it comes to titles.)

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It's the sequel to Rouge, and Rouge is Oliver! meets Moulin Rouge meets My Fair Lady. (I know!)

What genre does your book fall under?

It's light historical/theater romance. Rouge was written as YA, but S&S asked if I'd make it adult. I said yes, but the characters are still 19 & 20 years old. So it's light-historical New Adult romance. Set in a theater. (*squee*!)

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Beau

When I started writing in fall 2010, I had this whole cast of characters in mind, including Henry Cavill. But that was two years ago, and they've all aged and changed.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Rouge: Hale's trying to secure a proposal from Freddie so she can get Teeny (and herself) out of their cabaret-home that's growing more dangerous by the day; then she meets Beau.

(I can't talk about Violet without spoiling Rouge.)

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? 

This book is part of a three-book deal w/Simon & Schuster's Pocket Books.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I'm hoping it won't take me as long as Rouge, which took me three months. (*freaks out*)

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Not sure yet.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I got super-selfish with this series. This is just the kind of lush escapism I love love love; so I wrote it for me. And I hope you all LOVE it, too--LOL!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I thought it was really cool that the television show Smash started after I finished Rouge, because that show (like my book) is all about what happens when the actors are off stage. The drama of real life, and how it bleeds into their performances.

What are you currently PROMOTING?

(see above)

Everybody's been so fantastic in helping me get my debut YA The Truth About Faking off the ground, I'm trying to pay it forward as much as possible. Love you guys!

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! I'm going to be everywhere with guest posts and reviews. I'm trying to tweet and Facebook updates as I get them. Please don't get sick of me! <3

BIG P.S.!
OMG, I almost forgot! The whip-smart and super awesome Dr. Susan Kaye Quinn (link) has sold 10,000 copies of her book Open Minds (wow!) And to celebrate, she's giving away a Kindle Paperwhite and Free Books (WOW!), including The Truth About Faking!

Be sure and stop by her blog (link) tomorrow through Thurs. to enter, and good luck! <3

Catching My Breath

Shew! A lot changes post book release.

For one, my visits to Goodreads have spiked like crazypants. How many people are reading it; how many people want to read it; is there a new review or rating... I've got to know! (Haha!)

And those reviews. So far they've all been pretty positive, which is super encouraging, but yanno. I'm bracing for the "not everyone's going to like your book" portion of the show. Talk about scary!

Up until now, I've been in the safe zone here with you all--where we always support each other and cheer each other on. Lift each other up when we're feeling down. 

Post book release, though, I've had to leave the nest. I mean, if I'm serious about turning the writing hobby into a career.

As Dr. Q says, "You have to fish outside your backyard." (Awesome post on marketing, link.)

So for the last few weeks, I've been emailing, introducing myself to total strangers, and asking them if they'd like to read my book for review. It's pretty nerve-wracking.

But so far everyone's been really cool. Book bloggers really are the nicest folks.

And along the way, I've had these little pop-up shout-outs from you guys (Hart, Carolyn, Janet, Kari, Katie, Clarissa, Lydia, Angela, Mary, etc.) Those are the best surprises. It makes me feel like no matter what, we're still getting there. Figuring it out. Keeping each other going. ((hugs))

Get it

While I'm sharing the love, oh, man. Have I got an awesome love story to share with you guys. I actually read this book about two weeks ago--literally in two sittings. It was just that amazing.

My Heart For Yours, by Steph Campbell and Jolene Perry. (link)

First, I love the dual point of view--each chapter is either Tobin or Delia talking or remembering. (I love those names.) And I love the whole setup of the funeral bringing these two kids back together after a pretty harsh split.

Their resistance to seeing each other, to letting any feelings try and creep back in... They totally lose that battle, of course. And how they do is so great to read. You'll just be... *sigh*

Mr. Original #1 Hottie

It's New Adult, so yanno. Age 17+. And--best part--it's all set in south Louisiana. (Yeah, it is!) So I got my home fix.

I highly recommend this one. It's so good.

Y'all know I'm a classic movie buff. It reminded me of an old Paul Newman movie, Sweet Bird of Youth.

Oh, man. I watched that movie with my BFF Dara in HS, and my Paul Newman love affair began. (The movie's awesome, too.) So read MHFY and then go watch SBOY, and have a hottie fest.

Thank you guys so much for always being a safe place. Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! <3

Mission: Imperfection

Happy New Year, bleeps! Here's to a fantastic 2012, and may all your resolutions and dreams come true.

Over the holiday, JRM and I sneaked in a few date nights, and on one, we saw the new Mission: Impossible film. It was very entertaining!

It reminded me of a chat I had with Dr. Q (link) recently about watching movies like a novelist.

Mission: Impossible, 2011

She and I agreed that it's hard not to study character development, pacing, plotlines, etc., while watching films these days, and usually we're disappointed by the too-fast pacing, plot-holes, and undercooked characters.

In the case of MI: Ghost Protocol, it was the opposite. J.J. Abrams is a great storyteller, and he did a wonderful job rebooting the franchise.

What stood out to me the most was the unimaginative premise: A madman is on a mission to steal a nuclear warhead--a Soviet warhead, no less--and destroy the world.

Wow. That premise is so old, it was the basis for a spoof movie that's also 20 years old.

Not only that, it opens with an agent getting assinated in the field, a prison break, and the whole IMF team getting disavowed. (Meaning, they're now rogue agents classified as terrorists.)

I sat in the theater and thought, "Seriously? This again?"

But I tell you, it was the best MI film I think I've seen since the first one. Naturally, I launched into study mode. Why did this work?

The tension stayed high because the story kept me guessing. (OK, maybe some of you out there saw the twists coming a mile away, but I didn't.)

Wasn't this the suit he wore in Rainman?

All the high-tech devices malfunctioned, Cruise did not save the world again and again--in fact, he failed on all but one occasion--and the Americans and the Russians worked together to fight the bad guys.

It was a nice twist. It was also a great writing rule-reminder: take the expected and flip it around.

Yes, there's nothing new under the sun, but I'm starting to believe audiences and readers like the familiar. That's why it keeps working over and over again--only with a twist.

Maybe that's the classic secret: Human experience is common, but if you can take a few common experiences that don't normally go together and mix them up, you come up with something uncommon. And maybe, sometimes, it's something even better.

What do you guys think? Seen any good examples of this lately?

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends! Til next time~ <3

Another reason to tell your story

So I was catching up on my Entertainment Weekly reading, and it was that "reunions" issue. I'm sure most of you've seen the pictures.

They reunited the cast of Family Ties, Romey and Michelle, Glen Close and Michael Douglass for Fatal Attraction, and of course The Princess Bride.

I never knew the backstory of Princess Bride. That it had once had Robert Redford attached as director. That it almost didn't get made.

That Rob Reiner had to cut everyone's salaries, had to cut all the expenses for sets, basically had five guys portray the "army of Guilder."

And it didn't fare very well at the box office.

But it became a cult classic. Who under 40 can't quote at least five lines from that film?

The starter, "As you wish," to the ender, "You'd make a great Dread Pirate Roberts." Or my favorite... Heck, I don't know if I can single out a favorite!

Anyway, it got me to thinking about movies that "shouldn't" have done well, for whatever reason. Or the movies that no one would get behind that everyone ended up loving.

Since we're getting close to Halloween, I'll toss out two scary ones: Blair Witch Project and Halloween.

I mean, seriously. Nobody believed those movies would be hits? Nobody? How does that happen?

Then my thoughts went down a different path. Can you imagine how different Princess Bride would've been if Robert Redford had directed it?

I doubt it would've been as silly-funny as it is, and I'm not sure it would've become the cult-classic it is today.

I feel like there's a lesson here. See what you think about this: We've talked about telling your story before. What if these examples illustrate why you're given the stories you're given.

Other writers might be just as good as you, possibly better. But no one else can tell your story the way you can.

What do you guys think?

Pondering.

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer- friends! Til Monday~ <3

Don't argue with Yosemite Sam

So Anne Kenny (link) and I were swapping Zombieland quotes last week, and since it's almost Halloween, I had to rent the movie.

Upon rewatching, I remembered Cardio and the Double Tap and Avoiding Bathrooms... You know, The Rules to survive in Zombieland.

JRM asked me if he'd laughed as hard the first time Woody Harrelson asks Jesse Eisenberg if he wanted to see how hard Harrelson could punch.

That got me to thinking about characters and character development.

When I was a little kid, I didn't talk a lot. I'm making up for it now. (insert laugh-track)

Anyway, as a child, I spent a lot of time watching and listening to the adults around me.

I try to impart this wisdom to my two young daughters, who like to ignore the adults in their lives. You can learn a lot by just watching and listening.

One of my relatives is a lot like the Woody Harrelson character in Zombieland. Heck, I'm from south Louisiana. I have several relatives who are like that character.

My point is, when I was a kid, he might've been a bit... intimidating.

Don't get me wrong. He's sweet and loyal and would give you the shirt off his back. But this character-type is not the Scarlett O'Hara, swoon, "dropped mah hankey" sort of gentlemen.

It's making me want to get back to that little south-Mississippi sci-fi I've got sitting in the drawer.

I've written two books involving gentlemen. And trust me, I love the gentlemen.

But sometimes it's fun to hang out with Yosemite Sam. You know, the guy who just needs a Hummer and some hollow-point ammo on a quest for a dang Twinkie.

Characters. All sorts. Just keepin' it rill.

Til Thursday. Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

When the Revolution Starts

Over the weekend, I chatted with a friend about the "Occupy Wall Street" protests, and we both agreed it reminded us of the French Revolution.

I proposed the question: Who do you think will say, "Let them eat cake"? (You know, Marie Antoinette's infamous response when she was told, "The people have no bread"?)

Source

Supposedly that's a journalistic cliche, and the beheaded French queen never actually said those words. 

As for who'll demonstrate his/her cluelessness today, I like to think it'll be one of those Kardashians. 

But perhaps that's the writer in me.

My guy friends have always played the "when The Revolution starts" game whenever another of our friends does anything militia-ish (like purchases a big truck or moves to a remote location or mentions owning a gun).

Example: "We'll all be in so-in-so's barn with the gun collection when The Revolution starts." (laughs)

I don't actually know anyone with a gun collection, but I have been pondering my lack of fire-starting skills. The last time I thought of it when I watched that Tom Hanks movie where he was trapped on that island. 

You know, in Castaway. I'dve never got that fire going.

To bring all this nervous laughter around to writing, I was also thinking this weekend about how popular dystopain fiction has become.

How did everyone know to start writing about the end of the world as we know it about two years ago?

I've never been one of those writers who tries to capture "Our Times," but here's my question: Is it possible our writing is always marked by what's going on around us? 

Like, even if we're spinning tales of romantic comedy, are they still laced with the meltdown of the global economy? Or something else?

I do know when the Revolution starts I'll be headed South. Those country boys can survive, and they all seem to know how to get a good fire going.

Have a great week, reader- and writer-friends. Stay safe. Til Thursday~ <3

If I Could Be Anybody Else...

In honor of the release of our good bloggy friend Talli's brand new book, Watching Willow Watts (link), we've all been asked to write about who we'd like to be and why. Other than ourselves, of course.

I confess. This was hard for me! I'm too analytical. I know everybody's got their own set of problems, even if it looks like they've got it made in the shade.

We all have our unique challenges and insecurities to round out the good things in our lives, so it's best to be thankful for who we are, enjoy our blessings, and learn from our hard times.

But that's boring! And I like games, so I sat down and thought about it.

Who would I want to be... Who looked like they'd done the most interesting stuff, who had the coolest setup, who I'd like to emulate... hmm...

It was a tie.

My first choice: Frank Lloyd Wright. Remember my post about starting my very first novel? Back in 2009, when I decided I was also possessed by the spirit of FLW in the creepy Indian artifact museum during the freak hailstorm in Sedona, Az.? (link)

Me as FLW

In follow-ups, I told someone I thought it was so cool that FLW was able to live his life doing what he loved, that he got recognition in his lifetime, and that he was able to do it until he died at 91 (at his drafting table, sketching). And his creations still live on, admired and preserved...

Yep, that's what I want.

My second choice: Rosalind Russell. (The actress for you youngsters.)

I was about nine when my grandmother introduced me to the fabulous world of classic movies. She rented The Big Sleep for me, and we watched together. I was instantly hooked, and I spent the next 31 years watching, rewatching, and loving old movies.

Me as RR (that's JRM as Carey Grant)

Of all the actresses, Rosalind Russell is my favorite. At least onscreen. She was tough and sassy. She was hilarious and full of heart. Think about it. From her early films The Women to His Girl Friday, to musicals Auntie Mame and Gypsy, all the way to The Trouble With Angels. She was just fantastic.

She created unforgettable characters, worked with amazing people, and she always looked like she was having a blast doing it.

That's the other thing I want.

So there you have it. And now you all need to get Talli's new book! Take it from me, I read (and reviewed!) Talli's first book, The Hating Game (link), so I can only imagine this one's even more fun. It sure looks that way.

Here's the link to the ebook version of W3 on Amazon (link). The paperback's coming in November, but you Kindle kids, at $2.99, there's no excuse not to grab it and spend the weekend happily reading.

Have a great week-end, reader- and writer-friends! Til Monday~ <3

Twenty-to-One Shots

So I started watching the Derby with my Dad when I was a kid. My mom'd had a horse when she was young, and she'd always spoken of it as being this sort of magical playmate.

I was scared of horses back then, but I liked looking at them. Then at camp one summer I was assigned to the stables, and ultimately got over my fear.

In my 20s, I fell in with this group of guys about 15 to 20 years older than me. They were old bachelor curmudgeons who I met because I worked with one of them. I was his boss. He was my senior editor.

That arrangement was ridiculous, but he was very cool about it and a huge help to me in that difficult workplace.

One afternoon I met up with them at a local LSU hangout The Chimes (link). They were smoking stogies and arguing the best performance by Orson Welles. The Mars radio show was tossed out as was Citizen Kane. I weighed in with The Stranger and instantly upped my cred.

They started tolerating my presence, and before long they were including me in their rituals, one of which was juleps and the Derby on race day.

Before it was all over they'd even invited me to their annual Christmas Eve day-long "dinner" at Galatoire's in New Orleans (link). I never could go because my mom's birthday is Christmas Eve, but it was nice to be invited.

I miss those guys.

Anyway, my daughters are finally old enough to care, and on Saturday, we sat down about ten minutes before race time and I explained it all to them. It was fun. They were into it, and as we talked, I realized how much like anything involving hard work, skill, persistence, and a little bit of luck it was.

Like getting a book published, for instance.

We work hard, train, hone our skills, then we pass our horse off to an agent and hope for the best. We're advised to put our heads down, not obsess, write while you wait (or as I like to say, "just keep swimming").

Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and before long (the hope is), you'll look up and you're there. You've made it.

Right?

Who knows. You might even be the 20-1 shot, and on your 13th try, on a horse you weren't even supposed to ride, you win.

Have a great week, reader-friends!

Quick reminder: Our "Laughter is the Best Medicine" blogfest is next Monday (link). I'll post another reminder Thursday--should be a laughing good time.

Til Thursday~ <3

The Ugly Ones

I come from a family of witty people. In my Scotch-Irish (Jewish-German-British-hello, this is America), south-Mississippi-native family, I'm probably the least clever verbally of the bunch.

It was either my Bobie or my older brother who liked to say beauty was skin deep, but ugly was to the bone.

I'm thinking it was my Bobie, but my brother liked repeating it. He also called one of my sorority sisters "mascara Sara," so don't think he ever used kid-gloves. Least of all with me.

There was a deeper meaning to that adage, but that's not why I'm repeating it today. I did a post last week (or a few weeks ago--it's all running together these days, kids) about Aaron Spelling and The Beautiful Ones.

My premise was that people just want to read and watch stories about bad stuff happening to beautiful, rich people.

Never more was my suspicion confirmed than when I read Lisa Schwarzbaum's review in Entertainment Weekly of the movie Rango (link).

Can I just say, until I read her review, I had zero desire to see that movie? But then they did this whole thing about all the old Westerns it borrowed from, and well, I hate Westerns.

But I love my dad.

My dad knows the name of every horse of every cowboy that ever graced the silver screen or the small screen from the years 1950 to 1965. I am so not kidding.

He also shares my love of movies. When I was about 12, we got cable and he urged me to sit and watch two movies with him I'll never forget. One was Scaramouche with Stewart Granger and the other was Stalking Moon with Eve Marie Saint and Gregory Peck.

In Liberty, Miss., the small town where he grew up, they had a dime theater that he would go to as a little kid and watch movies.

He told me one time about how he'd stayed late to watch something and then ended up having to walk home alone, in the pitch darkness, the two to five-mile distance to my Mammaw and Pappaw's house.

 I still find that hard to believe. He was like 12 himself.

He also told me a story about taking a date to see Gone With the Wind there, and when they arrived, she looked so pretty. By the time they left, he said her eyes were so swollen and smeared with mascara from crying, she looked terrible.

I've met that woman. She still has an enormous crush on my dad.

Anyway, so Schwarzbaum wrote the following: "The biggest strike against Rango, though--for both the movie and the hero--is that the lizard is so damn ugly."

It got me to thinking about my post. And about my dad. My dad because now I want to see Rango because of his love of Westerns. You can't grow up with someone like that without a little of it sticking.

My other thought was this: If beauty sells, does ugly kill?

For me, the answer is Yes. I'm sorry, kids, but if a work of literature is just gross, gross, gross, I can't keep reading. I just can't. (OK, except for The Hunger Games series. But I had one eye closed the whole time.)

But What say you bloggie friends? And have any of you seen Rango? Think I'd like it?

Have a great weekend. I'm actually headed to south Mississippi where I'll see my older brother (in town from Key West), my dad, and several other of my witty relatives. I expect it to be a hilarious time.

Til Monday~ <3

Random

I wanted to give you something inspiring today, but it's been crazy over here. I'm sorry. (I always feel like I should stockpile posts for days like this.) Or I should've done Alex's blogfest...

Of course, the minute I post this, I'm going to think of all the things that have been rattling around in my brain the last few days.

Like how the cover of Entertainment Weekly is about gay teens on television (my finger = on the pulse), and how my good friend, a single dad in his early 30s, told me there's a new show on SciFi starring a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost all living together. He said it's really good, and I should watch it. I dunno...

He also said (just like JRM did!) that Black Swan is just a remake of Showgirls. I never saw Showgirls, but I did see Black Swan and really liked it.

I thought it was an interesting, artistic portrayal of an obsessed dancer's descent into madness.

I also had this lady sitting behind me in the theater LAUGHING (loudly) at every (supposed to be) creepy or disturbing scene. No joke.

The part where she's *a'hem* on a journey of self-discovery and she sees her mother in the room? BWA-HAHAHA!!!

The part where she hallucinates a friend in her bedroom--BAH!!! The part ... well, I won't spoil the movie. You get the idea.

Naturally, I snorted and started giggling along with her. I'm like Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias: Nobody laughs or cries alone in my presence.

Over the weekend, I was again thinking about how much I enjoy writing for sheer entertainment value. And if I were to characterize myself the way they characterize musicians, I'd say I was a Pop Writer. (You?)

My ultimate goal is to make readers laugh, cry, scream, and beg for more--all with multiple exclamation points.

In conclusion, I feel like my silly cold's back. And yesterday I was feeling so overwhelmed, I had to run down and stare at the waves until I finally relaxed. Decisions, man...

Have a great week, reader-friends! I'll try to be more thought-provoking on Thursday~ <3

Second guessing and Once

So I've been rockin' along on WIP3. I like the characters, I feel like they're developing really well, the scenes feel strong. And then over the weekend, I started feeling... anxious.

I don't know if it's the Truth, or if it's a function of not going completely in the cave, blocking out the world, and writing straight through this time. But I'm getting a feeling of "maybe this isn't so good, and I'm really just wasting my time."

WIP3 is somewhat different from what I've previously written and from what I've been seeing around. And while I like it very much, I feel like what the heck do I know? And what if it just totally falls flat.

splat.

Has this ever happened to you guys? If so, what to do? Just push through, keep writing and see how it turns out? Try to rethink it?

Maybe I really do need to get buried and bang it out then go back and see what I did. Urkel.

In other news, I heard the song "Falling Slowly" a week or so ago, and I got to thinking about the movie Once. Remember that film? 2006?

That was the year No Country For Old Men, Atonement, Michael Clayton and There Will Be Blood dominated entertainment news.

Along came this quirky little independent musical set in Dublin about a heartbroken vacuum cleaner repair man and a Croatian single mom, and it captured everyone's attention. It even won an Oscar for best original song.

It didn't star any of the "beautiful people," but it was so genuine and had so much heart. I feel like there's a message there. Yes?

Til next time. Love~ <3

A Kidseye View

It's one of those mornings where the sky's a bit overcast and the bugs--I think they're cicadas--make that sound that starts soft and then grows very loud, then tapers off and goes soft again. The air's all hot and heavy. It's like living in one of those jungle movies--Papillon or Bridge on the River Kwai.

Catherine and I went to see Airbender last night. It wasn't so bad, but it was a let-down for me. My primary response was that I don't know how anyone who hasn't seen the show as many times as we have (the girls watch it constantly) has any idea what's going on or why.

My almost eight year-old daughter loved it. She was bouncing in her seat, calling out the names when her favorite characters appeared, and then she talked about it the whole way home. She would give it an A+++. THAT made it a great movie for me.

It also made me remember how I responded to movies at her age. I wasn't so judgmental about how skillfully the acting was done or how true it was to the original story or how real the special effects looked. If I saw characters I liked doing cool stuff, I was happy.

We walked out of the theater and the moon was that little crescent with Venus at two o'clock. It was gorgeous. Even Catherine exclaimed when she saw it.

As we drove back to our house, the sky flashed white with heat lightening the whole way. Catherine sat in the back gazing out the window at the sky. Every now and then she'd say, "Look, Mommy!" or "Did you see that?"

I wished I could pull the car over and just sit out somewhere and watch it with her. I also mentally noted that as small as our little town is, there's not a lot of places to pull off the road and just stare up at the heat lightening.

We were driving on U.S. 31. JRM told me once that you can take that road all the way to Indianapolis where it becomes Meridian Street.

I remembered driving on Meridian many times in Indy with her in a car seat less than a year old. She liked the Dixie Chicks, and she'd cry when I had to stop at red lights.

Time's passing fast, but so much never changes. Last night I glanced in the rearview mirror occasionally at her little strawberry head and remembered when I used to sit in the window staring at the heat lightening.

I always thought it was pretty cool, too.

***

Earlier this week, Katie (a.k.a., Creepy Query Girl) gave several bloggers and me awards at her BLOscars. I had two responses. The first from the Monkees: "I'm proud, and a little bit humbled..." the second from Sally Field: "You like me! You really like me!"

Since I'm the guerilla comment lady, I took the supportive commenter award:

And a big THANK YOU! to Katie. It was both unexpected and encouraging and I appreciate you very much~

Book Reviews - Caleb + Kate & Perfect Chemistry

What is it about the Romeo & Juliet premise that's just so darned appealing to us humans? Is it the forbidden love? The youth? The rapture of first love? The declarations? The defying of the parents?

Maybe I should say "to us female humans" because I know JRM declares R+J to be Shakespeare's weakest work. He much prefers Hamlet.

LTM: Whatever. Make up your mind already!

I actually saw West Side Story before I knew about R+J. I was about six years old, and we were on some beach vacation with friends of my parents. I remember my mom's girlfriend was so excited WSS was going to be on TV. She told me all about it and we were going to watch it together.

I must've been that kind of little kid, because I also remember my aunt being so excited about the two of us watching the Nutcracker on TV together one Christmas when I was around the same age. It was the old Balanchine version with Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland, and I think I liked it...

Anyway, I immediately loved WSS--the music, the dancing, the love story... (!) I don't know if I cried at the end then like I do now, but I do remember years later reading R+J and thinking, "Hey! This is just like West Side Story!"

So my reviews of Caleb + Kate by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma and Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles might be biased. They're both updated WSS stories, and both do a great job of keeping you going to find out if these kids are going to end up together or if one (or both) will end up ... dead--!

(Maybe THAT'S it...)

I'm pretty safe reviewing these guys together because seriously. They're almost the same book just written for different audiences. Both feature a misunderstood, Aryan female lead who falls for the dark, handsome bad boy.

But there are some differences. The covers might give you a clue:

Reow! Yep, C+K is written for the inspirational market, while PC is not.

I picked up C+K in Sam's one day because I'd been wanting to read more in the inspirational genre. It was part of my research in handling certain scenes, etc. I saw "updated R+J" and thought OK expecting it to be a very tame reimagining. And to a certain extent it was.

I did not expect characters to smoke, discuss drug use, drink, have tattoos, have chemistry... (!) I give it up. It's a well-written, believeable story that kept me engaged for an afternoon. It's very (very) romantic. The setting is the Pacific northwest, a private academy, wealthy kids. Caleb is the new "scholarship" student from Hawaii who's all smoldering.

I won't give too much away, but Coloma develops the romance very well. I felt like the characters were believeable and her resolution was solid and worked. There were a few times I felt like her dialogue was off. (LTM: "Do kids really say that?") But otherwise, good book--def. worth a read!  (B+)

As for PC, I expected it to be a lot racier than it actually was. There's plenty of language, mild violence, alcohol and drug use (moms), so it's Rated R. But there's more longing and angst than I expected--not a lot of sex scenes like I anticipated. It's more WSS in that the racism element is very pronounced. But there's still the family disapproval--Alex is a gang member, after all.

The conflicts felt real, and Elkeles didn't shy away from the character she'd created in Alex. He's forced to deal with being in a gang, so there's definite suspense there. Again, there were just a few times I didn't believe the characters would say/do some of the things they did, but those moments were easily overlooked. PC is another hard to put down page-turner. (B+)

On a technical note, I liked how both books went back and forth between the female lead and the male lead in telling the story. When the two (finally) get together, it heightens the impact because you're not having to wonder (through a sole, first-person narrator) how the other person's feeling.

Typically these books are written from the female perspective, so the device allowed the author to have their boys act like boys. (I.e., not spill their guts.)

In my experience, unless they're gay, guys don't deliver monologues about their deep, romantic longings. They just don't. The alternating-narrators trick overcame that problem nicely.

So yay! Now get out there and have a great, reading weekend!

Book Review - Secret Life of Prince Charming

First~

#1-Happy Memorial Day! Thanks to all the men and women who fight for me every day. I know several cool folks in the military, and I thank you all for your dedication to your jobs, for your heart, and for having the courage to risk your lives to keep our country and way of life secure.

#2-Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband! Eight years ago tomorrow a judge in Indianapolis allowed these two nerds to get married:

and life just hasn't been the same since.

Here's to eight-plus more~

Now for the blog! A few weeks back, a mom-friend complained to me that Glee was very racy and the language and situations were inappropriate for children.

She was right, but I hadn't really thought about it because my little ladies are too young to watch the show and they aren't really interested in it anyway. So it hasn't been an issue at my house.

But I felt bad because other friends and I (used to) discuss it on FB every Thurs., and us mommies have to stick together. Mommy solidarity!

At the start of this season, the music and the choreography were still engaging, but I kept with it (despite the flagging storyline) primarily because Jane Lynch (and all the cast members of those Christopher Guest mockumentaries) is/are the funniest human(s) on the planet.

I commented it had peaked with the Madonna bit, but I gotta confess. They sure showed me. The writers got together and pulled out some really strong and moving final episodes.

I actually got a little misty at the wheelchair rider dreaming of being a dancer and the mother-daughter setup they unfolded between Idina and little Rachel. And a fun dose of Lady Gaga theatricality always wins. That was a brilliant finale.

(Here, I always chalked up my high tolerance for theatricality as the result of growing up in such close proximity to New Orleans. I completely forgot artists such as Queen, Alice Cooper, Bowie, Kiss, Elton John, etc., who were cuttin up during my formative years.)

So there you go. My DVR's still set for Glee.

As for book reviews, finished The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti, and man, I wished I was still teaching high school for a few minutes so I could round up a group of YA girls and get their take on it.

Here's the cover, which bears no relation to the plot (never at any time does this scene occur in the book):

I gotta be honest with you guys. I found SLPC to be predominantly... Boring.

And I hate to say that because I really enjoyed the humor and heart of Honey, Baby, Sweetheart. So I wondered if it's because I'm a grown-up (no giggling). To me the story behind SL of PC isn't new, and frankly, it's tiresome.

I mean, Caletti had a lot of good messages and great instructive stories, but I found it hard to slog through 200 pages of dumb girls and even dumber women making dumb love decisions. And then hot musician boy who's really sweet doesn't show up until the last 100 pages of her 325-page book.

Where's the fun in that?

If I were re-structuring it, I'd have introduced hot musician boy who's really sweet much earlier and had the struggle with MC's "I'm waiting for you to turn into a monster" ongoing as they learn the mistakes of her mom and her dad's exes.

That would've added a little sugar to the medicine. As it is, there just wasn't enough reason to care, and I had to will myself to keep reading.

But I'm ready to be challenged! Someone who loved it, please chime in and straighten me out. Tell me I missed the point just as surely as Lisa Schwartzbaum did reviewing SATC2.

On that note, even JRM got it when I said if I buy him a vintage Rolex that I've had engraved with a little phrase that's meaningful to the two of us for an anniversary present, and he in return buys me a flatscreen TV for our bedroom... He's in trouble.

Have a great holiday, guys. Til Wednesday~

Awesomeness and fishing

Gotta take a break from the world. Catherine and I are beside ourselves about this (use your back button to return): The new trailer for The Last Airbender movie.

The first word out of both our mouths was "Appa!" The second out of Catherine's was, "It's in 3D?"

My children haven't embraced the whole 3D movie craze. As a result, I haven't seen a 3D movie yet either... Here's the deal: a few years back Monsters v. Aliens came out in 3D. (I think it was one of the first for kids.)

Well, a mommy friend of mine called and wanted us to do a girls movie date to see it. That was cool, I was onboard. I love, love, love the movies, right?

Laura dug her little heels in and said "NO!" She was literally offended at the suggestion. But not because it was in 3D. Laura's like me as a little kid--she likes to sleep. And it only took one scary movie for me/her to realize that hiding under the covers in the dark shivering for three weeks straight was no way to spend your nights.

I said Monsters v. Aliens to Laura, and she looked at me like I was a monster. Or an alien. So we agreed she'd stay home with Daddy and watch Kipper or Angelina Ballerina.

Catherine definitely wanted to go, but I can't remember why she didn't. She might've gotten sick--it was first grade. They still get sick a lot at that age. But the rest of the gang went, and after it was over, word got back that one of the little girls had left the theater and thrown up afterwards.

Her mom said it was because during the movie, this tiny six year-old (she really is the littlest of the girls) had consumed her popcorn, her neighbor's popcorn, a box of gummies, a whole Sprite... you get the picture.

Made no difference to Catherine. She lives her little life by a strict "no vomiting" philosophy. (I'm onboard with that, considering I'm the clean-up crew.)

No amount of reasoning would convince her that her buddy had just eaten too much junk food. Nope. It was the 3D. Catherine actually left another friend's birthday party because it culminated in watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in 3D.

I'm almost relieved M. Night gave us an out. Because while we LOVE the animated Nickelodeon TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender (upon which the movie's based) and we have every episode on DVD, I've said before it's one thing to see Koh, the face-stealing spirit, as a cartoon. It's a whole nother to see it in real life. And a whole nother to see it in 3D.

Still, for me July 2 can't get here fast enough. I might have to sneak off with Aunt Dara and the boys to see it... whee!

And what's all this about fishing? Well, let me tell you. It's about Brand New Novel.

There have been times in my agent search when I've been discouraged. I've said I wasn't doing it anymore, it was stupid, why was I wasting my time, I was tired of it, I didn't really care if I never got published, etc., etc., etc.

At the risk of driving away ALL my friends, I've tried to keep these moments to myself as much as possible. Only poor Richard has to hear it. Oh, and my mom.

My sweet mom has been so great. She listens and has no idea what I'm talking about half the time, but every time she says the following: "It's just like fishing. You've just gotta keep casting and one of these times you're going to catch a big fish."

Well, reader friends, I caught The Shark.
...

I'm trying to be philosophical about it. It doesn't matter if she comes back and says "no thanks." Now I know I have a query letter for BNN that will result in a full manuscript request from a veteran, top agent.

I'm also trying to apply Catherine's "no vomiting" philosophy. I've got 59 days to go.

My uncle Kelly's a welder. When he was in his late 20s-early 30s, he worked on offshore oil rigs in the Gulf, and they used to deepwater fish from the platform. He caught a shark once... It was delicious.

More soon~

P.S. Hey, Locals! The Hangout is donating all profits from this weekend's music/art festival to oil spill relief. Click here for more info.