The Malkuth of Me : Blog of S. J. Reisner | S. Connolly | Audrey Brice | Anne O'Connell

I've Moved!

2011-03-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

The new website and blog are up and running! As of last week, this blog is closed. After this, I will no longer be posting here. Remember a few months back how I said I wanted one website - one blog - all at the same place? Well - I have that now (happened a little sooner than I expected). So if you haven't already - run on over to http://www.sjreisner.com/ (or any of my other domains - they all point to the same site these days) and bookmark it. I'll get a networked blog widget over there as soon as possible (once I figure it out). :) Thanks for reading!

New Site!

2011-02-24T20:29:00.000-08:00

As of today I moved my blogs and everything back to my main website.

http://www.sjreisner.com/

More URLs will soon point right to that page as well. There's you'll find all my blogs, information about all my books, etc...

Going Back to My Roots

2011-02-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

It's been nice delving back into the OTS mystery. It gets me back to my roots and I get to write from where I'm extremely comfortable, about a subject I know a great deal about. No - no - not murder. That part is fictitious (obviously), but about the ins and outs and ups and downs of helping to run a large underground occult organization, and all about Demonolatry, magick etc...

I've also been alternating that with the NF projects I'm working on right now. I'm in my "zone".

Don't get me wrong - I enjoy writing the erotica, but I definitely needed a break from it. I still have three more contracted stories to put out this year (one might not go out until next year) in that genre. I'm glad I agreed to do it and step outside my comfort zone. For the record, this OTS mystery has a bdsm element to it and this book, is in part, what sparked the whole experimental jump into erotica anyway.

But my real home, where I belong is in esoteric writing and occult fiction. I'm also very comfortable writing fantasy novels. That doesn't mean Anne is retiring after the next three books. Who knows what the future will bring for 'her'? I love writing the erotica (the sub-genre I write in is something I know - minus the whole club scene) and I might stick around there for awhile. Like with many things - if I get bored, I'll move on.

I don't write anything just because I think I'm going to make money at it. Gods no! LOL! I wrote two erotica stories that didn't do all that great before the third one really took off. Any writer who writes thinking they're going to cash-in on a specific genre is an idiot. Not to mention I know other writers who tried that and failed miserably. So the fact that I didn't fail says something. Certainly not everyone likes my erotica (usually because it's not real enough for them and some of it does require you to have a rich imagination) but there are a good number of people who do. I actually write what I enjoy reading. The minute I stop enjoying what I'm writing is the minute the reader stops enjoying reading it, IMHO.

So we'll see. I make no promises for Anne, or Audrey, or S. J. or even S.. Love my work or hate it - it is what it is. I make no apologies.

Now back to working on the OTS mystery. Liz is at the police station in an interview room. I wonder why?

Reality Shows: The Decline of 21st Century America

2011-02-23T07:10:00.000-08:00

I expect that will someday be a chapter in a history book.

When will the phenomena of reality shows go away? I really dislike them. MTV no longer shows music videos or music anything (unless it's hip-hop videos in the middle of the night). Even Cartoon Network and SyFy have started showing reality shows instead of cartoons and Science Fiction, respectively. Also, I'm tired of cooking shows and television series where there's some big secret that's never explained. "Lost", "The Event"... I mean seriously? Does no one know how to write a story anymore? They have beginnings, middles and ends, folks! Another annoying trend... how Hollywood is just doing remake after remake and the remakes suck.

It seems the entertainment industry is out of ideas (bringing in new blood threatens the "good old boy's club) and as my husband says, "There's a new genre of music called 'Suck'". The IQ of the average American is under 100. I think we're witnessing the fall of Western Civilization. ::sigh::

Either that or I'm just getting old and curmudgeon -y.

Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles...

2011-02-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

Upon cleaning out a cupboard in my house the other day I came across a 2005 Donatello Happy Meal Toy. I decided to toss it in the keep pile to see if it was worth anything figuring maybe I can sell it on eBay or something. While Donatello isn't worth much (about $5), I learned a great deal about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This, in turn, caused me to take a glimpse at similar things people collect. The things people collect crack me up. Of course I shouldn't laugh. My husband collect micronaughts, Star Wars and Star Trek memerobilia. I collect old books, swords and daggers. We all collect something (even if it's just dust).

Of course it made me think about collections. What purpose does it really serve to possess them? Things, after all, are merely things. You can't take them with you. Collections are merely to look at. It's kind of bizarre outside the context of a museum. Even if we like said things. Of course a collection of things one might actually use rather than just look at seems more practical.

I have a writer friend who collects fountain pens that she actually uses. I have another friend who collects thimbles (that she doesn't use).

So what do you collect?

What I'm Currently Reading

2011-02-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't done a post on what I'm reading lately. Shame on me.

First things first. I recently started Greenhouse Gardener's Companion, Revised: Growing Food & Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace. So far it's a highly entertaining and informative read. The author has a great, interactive writing style that is keeping me interested and engaged, even through the boring bits. I had NO idea how different light bulbs have different light spectrums that effect plants differently.

I'm also reading Alchemy. A practical look at the alchemical process. I don't really have a review yet since admittedly I am not that far into this one.

And right now I'm just not reading any fiction. However I have considered starting If Walls Could Talk: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery - my splurge for the month. What can I say? I really like Juliet Blackwell.

I need to quit following so many series. I can't keep up with them all.

I still want to read:

Home for a Spell

Interesting Decisions

2011-02-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

I'm on the eve of making a decision about something really huge in my writing life. It could be a few months before the clock runs out. The question keeps coming up and pretty soon I'm going to have no choice but to make the decision...

There are a lot of factors that are going to weigh into the decision like the contractual terms, what I'm really gaining as the author, and what I'm willing to give up for what I gain.

This could be the worst or best decision I ultimately make in my writing career. It's not so black and white. In previous posts I've talked about what I'd turn down and what I wouldn't and why - and a lot of those things still stand.

I see where it's going though. It's a bizarre twist of events (if you knew me you'd know just how bizarre) that has the potential to toss me into the big leagues publishing-wise. I'm both scared and excited. I'm also both confused and still in shock (in a good way). We'll see what happens.

Sometimes It Is What It Is...

2011-02-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Some of the recent success of one of my novels and a novella have prompted other writers to ask me the question, "What did you do differently that other people didn't?"

I sat and brainstormed this. I talked it over with my sister, my husband, and several writer friends. We couldn't come to any conclusions except the following:

1. The novel and novella that are popular are good for what they are within their genre. (People consistently recommend them to their friends and write good reviews.)
2. The price is right in a bad economy.

Both of these factors seem to have spurred word-of-mouth recommendation for Training Amy (BDSM Erotica) and Weekend Captive (BDSM Erotica). Another of my friends suggested perhaps it was the cover art. Let's face it, the cover art on both books is simple and very elegant rather than trashy or tawdry. I think some covers in the genre are in really poor taste, or they look like everything else out there. Gavin, my designer, does a really beautiful job on my covers. I specifically asked for no nude bodies on my covers. It's passé in my opinion.

Now how *Amy* made it into the top 75 romance novels on Amazon is beyond me. I'm still reeling from that revelation. Evidently I have a talent for writing decent erotic romance. Who knew?

For what it's worth - it could also be dumb luck. But we kind of struck that idea after we discovered numerous reviews on various sites where readers were sharing how much they enjoyed these books. The biggest complaint seems to be people think the novella is too short.

I think it's a combination of factors that make a novel successful or not. First - is there a market for it? Second - is it well written and does it engage the reader (i.e. does it get good reviews)? Third - is it eye-catching or grabbing? Fourth - is the price affordable?

Advertising is a plus, but really -- nothing beats word-of-mouth advertising. If your readers start a storm of chatter about your book and other readers pick up on it - it's going to translate into book sales. I wish I had a sure-fire formula for success for you struggling writers out there, but I don't. ::sad face::

Garden Blog

2011-02-18T14:43:00.000-08:00

For anyone wanting to follow this year's garden in more depth than what I'll post here, jump on over to The Magician's Garden - my garden blog, which will be active between February and September or October every year. (Or that's the hope).

Enjoy!

Temple of DOOM Friday!

2011-02-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, it was bound to happen. I'm starting to get bored with my Temple of DOOM, probably because it's just not DOOMy enough. So this week I didn't make a video. Instead, I thought I'd just make a list of all the things I'm DOOMed to in this life.

Dealing with annoying people
Wanting tasty treats and goodies that I can only have in moderation
Being loved by the people who love me (this can sometimes be DOOMy)
Loving those I love too much (also occasionally DOOMy)
Pulling weeds
Domestic Chores
Writing - Editing - Editing - Editing - Writing some more (not really DOOM, but it is a lot of work)
Infamous to some, Famous to others. (Where's the Paparazzi?) LOL! ::rolls eyes::

Oh screw it. I'm not DOOMed at all! There are millions of people not as fortunate as I have been and I'm grateful for what I have - big time. Obviously the whole Temple of DOOM posts were nothing more than facetious snark on my part. Sure, every person's life has problems. Mine is no different. I'm not perfect and neither is my life. I just don't dwell on the imperfections and if something in my life is broken - I almost always have a means to "fix it" by changing what isn't working. Imagine that. I'm happy with where I'm at and all the fortune I've had. I'm also grateful for every day I have with those I love. I am grateful I'm able to do what I love. That's all most of us can hope for.

So goodbye Temple of DOOM! You amused my readers and me for about a month. We had fun.

10 Reasons Why I'll Never Buy An iPad

2011-02-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

1. $500+ ??? Really Apple? I can buy an entire desktop system and some laptops for that kind of money, replete with all the software I need.

2. It's just a giant iPhone without the phone.

3. It's mostly just a toy. I played with my brother-in-law's when I was in NY this past November. Played is the keyword there.

4. A writer friend of mine bought one because she thought she could do line editing to her MS on the go. As I'm also a writer, that would be my only use for it, too. When she found out it wouldn't do what she wanted - she gave it to her kids. That's an awfully expensive kids toy.

5. If I watch movies I'm either in a theatre or in front of the television at home. I'm not on the road enough to need a small device to watch movies on.

6. If I need or want to listen to music on the go I have an MP3 player ($20).

7. If I need to surf the web on the go - my Blackberry does that already (free with service plan).

8. My BlackBerry also keeps me organized, keeps my grocery lists, watches all my bank accounts for me, etc...

9. I have a dedicated eReader. (under $150).

10. If I need or want to work - I have my laptop. What I need for work, the iPad can't do.

Finally - for what I could reasonably use the iPad for - I already got for $170. Why would I spend upwards of $500???

Not to mention I watched my brother-in-law try to sync all his Apple stuff (iPhone, iPad, iPod) to his apple computer and laughed my ass off when he lost his pictures, lost applications that he had to reload several times, and it took him 20 minutes longer to do anything than it took me to sync any of my devices.

I'm not really an Apple hater. Really, I'm not. I just don't see the practicality of designer, idiot-proof electronics, especially when they're more for show and status rather than actual practical, functional use.

From the Greenhouse & Other Stuff

2011-02-17T08:02:00.000-08:00

I think I've just found the new title for my gardening posts. This post will also explain the title. DH and I are talking about building a PVC greenhouse in the backyard this year to extend the growing season. We're still weighing pros and cons. Went and looked at some supplies last night. It would be cheaper than buying a commercial one. Heck why spend a few thousand when I can get a larger greenhouse for a few hundred. I need something functional and movable at the moment. Something I can fit my existing "greenhouse" shelf into and still have room to place pots along the walls and back. Maybe even put in a few movable raised beds.

Ideally, down the road, I'd like something bigger than what I need so I can grow into it. Something more permanent. Something with solar fans for temp control and a small ceramic heater for the colder months. Maybe even work in a drip irrigation system. A longer growing season would be heaven for the vegetables and me. Not to mention my herbs would likely thrive in that environment. So in the meantime I'm going to read up on greenhouses to learn what we need to know. But like I said -- at the moment, I'd like something bigger than what I have just because I've got SO much going on with plants in the summer months (usually - I took the 2 deck building summers off).

On that note - the writing is coming along slowly but surely. The problem with this second OTS mystery is it's coming out in scenes. Grafting them together has been tougher than expected. ::groan:: But that's the way it goes sometimes. The scenes themselves flow beautifully. Go figure. I still have a lot of story to tell. I should probably get off the net and get busy writing. Deadlines are creeping up and I'm daydreaming. ::sigh::

Spring Projects

2011-02-16T08:04:00.000-08:00

So every year I grow new stuff in the garden. Sometimes magickal plants - most of it common or stuff that's native (sage and mullein both do beautiful in a mountain desert). This year I'm actually trying magickal plants that are a bit harder to grow, one of them being mandrake. I'm wary because it's reminding me of the pennyroyal experiment some years back. lol The wonky Colorado climate and short growing season makes gardening an adventure, trust me.
I'm also growing Lemon Balm from seed to replace the plant that was destroyed by the backyard construction. Should be an interesting experiment alongside the heirloom veggies I'm growing this year.

So I did my seed inventory last night and it made me realize last year was a BAD, BAD year for veggies. The weather was freaky. The climate in the greenhouse sucked. At some point I want to put in a real greenhouse. Who knows, maybe after the more important projects around the house are done I can set aside a few thousand and get myself a small greenhouse. Something where the climate is easier to control. As it now stands I need a new cover for the greenhouse frame. I'm going to need it to harden off my seedlings and transplants.

I'm also going to need some seedling starter soil and some of my pots from outside. Mandrake can take up to a year to germinate and the issue I'm having is out of five seeds being cold stratified in the fridge right now, four are floaters. Eh. A friend suggested I try a compost spray to mist the seedlings. On that note the basil garden is started. Nothing like fresh pesto on salad or pasta.

The calamus should prove interesting, too. I've never grown it before. It requires 4 weeks cold stratification before sowing. Then it can take awhile to germinate. If anything, my garden (on top of writing) is going to keep me really busy this summer and I'm looking forward to it.

Terrific Tuesday!

2011-02-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

Spent a half hour this morning talking to the anti-cyber stalking advocate (victims assistance) working on my case. Sadly, being a writer (even if I am B List - yeah, I've graduated from D List - lol!) you still tend to attract loons.

So how's life? Awesome actually. I can't complain. I have a loving husband and family. I have great friends. My life is spiritually rich. I live in a nice house, drive a new car, and am currently doing well financially. ::shrug:: If I complained or said my life was shit I'd be completely lying to you. Just because I have to deal with an occasional whiner or stalker - eh, goes with the territory. I spent an hour this weekend dealing with someone crying about Selinda's father's private journals (including 6 minutes on a YouTube video addressing the issue - 2 minutes to read Selin's statement, 2 minutes to upload, 2 minutes to share with friends) and I spent a half hour this morning with my advocate updating my file. If that's the worst thing going on in my life (which it is) then I'm doing pretty darn good. ::smile::

Meanwhile, Liz has been a busy woman. Today she is hiding in allys and snooping around a warehouse...

Enough rambling from me today. I have a lot of writing to do and the OTS mystery is calling me. Have a terrific Tuesday!

The Problem With...

2011-02-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

...Having too many projects is that sometimes you flutter off to work on something whose deadline is open as opposed to stuff that has a more immediate deadline. So I'm feeling guilty that I worked on another book (since I got some material for it over the weekend) as opposed to working on "Into Darkness". ::sigh:: I guess the key thing is that I did actually work so I shouldn't feel that bad. I also got some organizing done. I finally (after two years of telling myself I would) put my holiday dishes and silverware into the china cabinet. Before, I was keeping excess kitchen stuff in there. ::rolls eyes::

The thing is I'm a stasher. We have such limited storage space in our house that I shove stuff where it fits, then my husband gets upset because he opens a cupboard and has to unload the cupboard to get what he wants. What we really need to do is de-clutter by getting rid of stuff. We have a lot of crap. Stuff we'll likely never use in a million years. While I make several trips to GoodWill every year - I should probably make more this year. Either that or have a garage sale this spring (I'm not sure I'm that ambitious). I found a few collectible doodads, I should put them on eBay. Maybe Craigslist for some of the other crap.

Temple of DOOM Friday!

2011-02-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

This week I've decided I'm DOOMED to be covered in cats. I don't know what it is about me, but cats LOVE me! I can go to a friend's house and their cats immediately make a home on my lap.

I figured I'm destined to a DOOM of cats forever. Oh - ::back of hand across forehead, ready fainting couch:: the sheer terror of kitties!

Busy Slacker's Guide to Being a Writer

2011-02-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

Yeah - the header post is an oxymoron, but what the heck? It sounds like a good book title. ::smile:: Don't give me any ideas! I haven't had the opportunity to really explore my Temple of DOOM Friday this week. Perhaps I'll contemplate it on the tree of woe. ::grins::

First - good news - I have two books in serious process right now, one being the next OTS mystery obviously. The other is a surprise. Very few and select folks know the details. I was given cover art earlier (for the new NF) and I love it. I'm already many thousands of words into that book. I've been writing it here and there over the years, it's just that it hasn't come to fruition until now. I never lack for ideas and I have a few more projects on the back burner like this. Sometimes it's a paragraph here. Other times it's a paper there. Then I begin to realize I have enough material to start building a book. So all these orphaned tidbits I write (usually in passion for the subject matter and because the ideas won't leave me alone until I put them on paper) can end up sewn together. In this particular instance, I've been collecting information about the subject matter (and writing about it) for years. While cleaning up computer files this past December I realized just how many there were about this particular topic and said, "Hey - that's a book waiting to happen." Then I ran the idea by my editors and loyal betas and they loved it.

Certainly it's another labor of love because I doubt it's going to be a popular book. Merely another special interest book. This time not Demonolatry related, believe it or not. Of course I never write a book with the intention or expectation of it being popular. Especially since I write a great deal of niche NF and niche fiction as well. When you write for specialized interests you're targeting a very specific, limited audience. It's the nature of the beast.

To be honest, I'm surprised Honoring Death: The Arte of Daemonolatry Necromancy has been as popular it has been since its January release. Of course I'm not selling thousands of copies, but enough to realize it was long overdue and highly anticipated by a lot of people.

On the OTS front, this was a slow week. Sometimes a story comes out a paragraph at a time. Other times it comes out chapters at a time. I hope I move from paragraphs to chapters soon. It will happen, I have no doubts. I just hate the slow parts.

Now the bad news. I've been SO busy at the day job (due to the weather) that I've been having to take work home and that's why I'm so behind on e-mail etc... And that's probably why I'm only getting books written a paragraph or two at a time. LOL! I'm hoping I'll have this weekend off. What I really want to do is clean up the house and set up my distillation apparatus.

I'm Too Sexy For Your Forum...

2011-02-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

On one of the forums I frequent I often post to a board for BBW (big, beautiful women). Now I'm not super large, but I'm no longer a skinny little thing either. I'm about 55 pounds overweight. And yes, it's causing me some health issues the older I get, so I am actively trying to lose weight even though my two full time jobs are quite sedentary. Mind you I'll also be turning 39 this year and me and my metabolism aren't getting any younger, so it's been a bit of a struggle.

So along come a few teen-aged and twenty-something skinny girls, who seem to feel they need to tell all of us on the board that not only are we are significantly overweight, but that we *shouldn't* be overweight at all. Then they act as if it's as easy as pie to lose 50 pounds and we're just lazy. Well that's great to say when you've never had a weight problem. During my teens and twenties I was a tiny little thing, too. Sure - I've always been quite voluptuous (hourglass shaped), but I was always healthy. I didn't start gaining my weight until I was around 33-years-old. That extra 55 pounds didn't hit me overnight either. It crept up on me slowly.

It seems none of these tiny little things (the ones posting the snark) understand things like BMI, bone structure, or metabolism vs. age. But I have news for them. Many of them *will* eventually learn what it means to struggle with their weight. Most women go through that struggle at some point in their lives, even if they were skinny in their younger years. As cruel as it sounds, I find a lot of satisfaction in knowing this. I sometimes wish I could be a fly on the wall when all these girls making the inconsiderate and thoughtless comments about bigger women find themselves 20-50 pounds larger 10-20 years from now.

I'm here to tell those ladies - I was tiny, too. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and not gain a single pound. But it eventually catches up to you. You can't eat fast food or processed food every other meal for years and years and never expect to gain an ounce (no matter how active you are). Especially if a woman considers herself "curvy" now (which is why these young girls are hanging out on the BBW board to begin with). Perhaps instead of being snotty toward the bigger women, they should be kind and supportive - lest they find themselves in the same position and have a bunch of young skinny girls harping on their weight later on down the road.

The Art of Submission

2011-02-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

I am seriously contemplating, at the moment, the meaning of surrender and submission. In the novel I'm working on, my MC, who is a strong, independent woman, is faced with the challenge of having to completely submit to the man she loves and trust in him enough that he won't abuse that power. Why? Not necessarily because she wants to, but rather to get out from underneath a murder charge. It's given me pause to consider other novels I've written about women who choose to surrender to their partners and who have a need so great, that they crave submission. I've also considered this same surrender in my own life. The things we do, sacrificing the self, for those we deeply cherish. Submission can be a fickle thing. The strong among us may refuse to submit until life forces it on us. On that same token, the strongest among us may fall to our knees at the mere request of someone we deeply love. And believe you me -- there is a point in a person's life where everyone is forced to submit to something - even if it's death. It's what keeps us humble and grounded in reality.

Submitting because you have no choice, and submitting because you want to are two different things, indeed. So, putting myself in a position to feel submission from my character's point of view is actually proving to be quite an educational experience.

History as a Judge

2011-02-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

I was researching and enjoying the beauty of Anglo Saxon metrical charms earlier and it got me wondering. What will future generations think of what our current era has left behind? After all, I see the Anglo Saxon material and I think it contributes a great deal to how we, as a species, have evolved intellectually. It's a part of human history and says a great deal about our psychology. It also contributes to the sociological picture of the time period in which it was written. This led me to ask, what do Justin Beiber's memoirs say to someone a thousand years from now? Two thousand? Will future generations look back and say Lady Gaga contributed a great deal to human civilization as we know it? In one hundred or two hundred years will our modern magickal gurus like Lon Milo Duquette, Donald Tyson and yes, even Konstantinos be revered in the same way modern magicians revere Aleister Crowley or John Dee? What will history of say of them or will they even have a place in the historical record? (Provided man doesn't destroy himself or our species isn't annihilated by natural means.)

It's an interesting thing to ponder. It makes me look at those things I enjoy doing or those things I hold sacred in my every day life and ask, "What does this contribute to society and the human race as a whole?"

Temple of DOOM Friday

2011-02-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

Ah - as promised I will now introduce to you my Mentor of DOOM! He makes all DOOM possible.

He is my exalted Master and a dear friend. Please give a warm welcome to the Mentor of DOOM!

Want more Dr. Orpheus (Grand Wizard, Master Magician)? Watch Venture Brothers on Cartoon Network!

Fantabulous February

2011-02-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Again - the month started out with really good numbers. Waiting to find out who won the drawing for a copy of *Outer Darkness* on A Moment With Mystee. Also - be watching her blog for my guest blog!

I am currently working on the latest OTS Mystery. There is something wonderful about the hidden world I'm writing about. Few regular folks get to see what actually happens in the occult "underground". Not that it's so exciting for those of us who are really into it, but it seems to be for others. And if you've never had the joy of visiting a genuine, working sex magick cult this next book is going to be a treat.

Now granted I do amp up my novels with some hair raising sensationalism and murder. Hollywood and novel sensationalism aside, the real arm raising, wind in your hair magick is rather fantastical visually speaking but I think it's an apt metaphor for the feeling one can sometimes get from an act of magick. That internal evocation of strength, the confidence... and for that moment you are the most powerful magus out there. Then reality hits and we realize the most powerful magus in the world left the stove on, forgot to pay a bill, or needs to get to the DMV to pay his parking tickets. Just sayin... Magus or not, humans are imperfect by our very nature. Hence the reason the characters in my books aren't all knowing or all wise or all powerful. Because I prefer the realistic view of magick to the fantastical and I think my readers do, too. Character flaws are innate within everyone and the beauty of creating characters means not only do you get to create the good stuff about them, but the bad stuff, too.

Almost Forgot to Post!

2011-02-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

Got so busy today I almost forgot to post. My hard drive on the work computer decided to warn me today that it's getting ready to crash. Had enough advanced warning to backup all my files, contact Dell for a replacement drive, and all that good stuff. So nothing is lost. The payroll got done, the end-of-month billing is underway! There's no problem too big for me to handle today. Go for it, universe! Throw me some more. I'm on top of the world.

So tonight I might take home some work instead of writing, but hey - it's all good. There's only a few times a month I have to take work home and I'm fine with that. I can do it in front of the TV and watch Vicar of Dibley. It'll probably be warmer at home, too. The office has been a bit chilly lately. Brrr.

"You're still keeping the day job?" you ask? Well, yes I am. For various reasons including health insurance, guaranteed income, my family needs the help, and quite frankly I enjoy my job. If the tax liability gets too scary, I might have to consider going part time, but we'll see. Who knows what the future holds?

Shaping Our Own Realities : Rejection

2011-02-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

We're all quite expert at creating our own realities. Some of us realize this, others do not. The self fulfilled prophesy is as old as humanity itself. It's amazing the power we really have over our lives.

Some of us are brought up to believe that life is something that happens TO US. Or that we have no control over our situation. This is absolute crap.

I first realized the power of our own minds to make things a reality when my seventeen-year-old self declared loudly, "I'm going to have my own column by the time I'm 30." At that point I knew I wanted to be a writer, but figured journalism was the practical route to that goal. I was actually only 25-years-old when I was able to check that goal (having my own column) off my goal list.

So how did I do it? First, I made a declaration of what I wanted. Second, I followed through and worked hard and as a result, ended up with a column in a national trade magazine. I can think of a hundred things in my life (both writing related and not) that I did the same thing with.

Ah, but it's a double edged sword, this self-fulfilled-prophesy thing. You can also destroy your own reality. Obsessing on the past or something negative can just as easily destruct your reality as obsessing on the future and working toward a goal can create a more positive reality. I don't care what it is whether it be relationships, education, career, or whatever.

So lately I've run across a few people in a writing group to which I belong who are constantly lamenting about their rejections. Believe it or not - as writers - we can choose to be rejected or we can choose not to be.

No matter how badly you hate and obsess over the editor who rejected your manuscript - it's not going to change the fact that your MS is still sitting in the drawer un-sold. Rejection is one of those things you have to get over. Life is full of rejection. Perhaps we've been rejected by old friends or we've been rejected by ex-lovers. And yes, that manuscript in your drawer, the one you've labored over for months or even years will also be rejected. Or will it?

If one editor rejects your work, that doesn't mean others will. MOVE ON! Take the MS and send it to another editor. Don't sit and obsess about the one, or two, or five editors before that who rejected it. Meanwhile - with one MS done, start writing the next one. Hey - it's a good possibility you may not sell that rejected manuscript (now). It may be the next one (but you can't find out if you don't write it).

People who do well in life, and their writing careers, are the ones who take rejection in stride. They revise their goals as they go, constantly reshaping their reality with the way they approach life. They don't stop and obsess over the lives of others. They don't obsess about critics or editors. They don't spend all their time minding someone else's business. They mind their own. If you approach rejection with, "Oh well, their loss. Next!" you have a higher probability of success (because you move on from it) than if you sit there and cuss the editor who rejected you to anyone who will listen. Not all editors are going to like what you write just like you're not going to like everyone you meet or every person you date. Even the publishing company who wanted your MS before may not want your future MS. Sometimes it's best for the author and publisher to sever ties and go their separate ways. You can't even let something like the latter stop you from shaping your own reality.

We ALL have our spirits broken via rejection. We ALL feel someone else has fucked us over whether it be a bad publisher, friend, or ex-lover. You're not special or different. So get off the cross already and join the rest of us in the adult world and learn to move forward from your rejection letters. If you allow rejection, in any form, to hold you back - the only person you hurt is YOU and you just set yourself up for *more* rejection.

Not to mention if you run around badmouthing all the editors who reject you, eventually people are going to reject you just because you have a bad reputation for whining and being a pain in the arse to begin with. No one likes a whiner. Just like when you run around crying about your ex, eventually your friends are going to tell you they're tired of listening to you whine about it. At some point you have to let it go or you're just digging a deeper hole for yourself.

Don't believe me? Try it. Try creating your own reality. Quit living life with the expectation that your MS will experience nothing but rejection and start living with the expectation of acceptance. Then, when rejected, shrug it off and move on. I'm willing to bet you're going to get more acceptances and that acceptance will filter into other parts of your life as well. Just a thought.

I could just be full of shit, too. ::shrug:: All I know is I'm a successful author and I didn't get where I am by dwelling on rejection letters.

Good News!

2011-01-31T10:01:00.000-08:00

The contracts have been finalized and signed for the third OTS book, and I've signed the contracts for the sequel to Amy, which is Brad and Kali's story. When I first embarked into the new genre I had no idea it would progress to longer works of fiction, let alone series work. I have an awesome plan for Switched. But first things first -- I have other books that come first. I have two more major novel releases this year and one novella. So I need to work on them in the order of their release. So right now I'm working on the second OTS book. Lots of great stuff in that book (which was the catalyst for stepping into a new genre anyway).

Writing - it's an organic process.

There really isn't much else going on in the moment. After Outer Darkness was listed in PW, my agent got a phone call from a publisher, but there isn't an offer on the table yet. So rumors of the OTS series being bought up by one of the big six are premature. Not that I know how I feel about that option if it becomes a realistic offer. It would greatly depend on what's being offered. I know that sounds stupid on my part, but quite frankly I really like the freedom I have in the small press and I think ultimately I have a good contract where I am. The only selling point for me there would be distribution and advertising. ::shrug:: No sense counting chickens.

Back to work with me. Have a fantastic Monday!

Temple of DOOM Friday!

2011-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was actually going to lovingly declare the vino my Temple of DOOM this week. There's a gorgeous bottle of white wine sitting on my counter at home right now and the temptation has been great. But instead - I thought I would share one of my greatest LOVES! If anything surely is my DOOM this would be it...

Sometimes you feel like a nut...sometimes you don't. Almond Joy's got nuts, Mounds don't... And it's not just chocolate and coconut. NO! Pina Colada's baby!

Prepare for this week's Temple of DOOM!

Next week - meet my mentor. The MENTOR of DOOM! I SO wish I was just like him. ::sigh::

The Thursday Report

2011-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Amy will be back to my editor for a second final review by tomorrow morning. That's a wonderful thing. My agent wants to talk to me this afternoon. Evidently she has some offers she wants to run by me. So that's also good news! For my friends -- the personal project - going swimmingly! It's awesome - wait until you see! Went to convocation and looking forward to the ECI rite next month. Prep for that underway!

What else can I say? I'm loving my life and everyone in it! Love you guys! Thanks for reading! Gotta run. Busy, busy, busy! :)

P.S. I have a very special Temple of DOOM Friday tomorrow.... Mwahahaha

Link-A-Dink

2011-01-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

Amazon Honoring Death links:

Paperback: Honoring Death: The Arte of Daemonolatry Necromancy

Kindle: Honoring Death: The Arte of Daemonolatry Necromancy

In other news - I have a printed copy of *Amy* ready for the red pen. With any luck I'll have another final draft to my editor by Friday first thing. Then we'll see if it's approved. If so - it will be available in ebook first week of February and in paperback by the end of February.

The Most Frustrating Thing About My Job

2011-01-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

The most frustrating thing about my job as a writer is when I've put a lot of work into a MS, I hand it in for final edits, the machine stops turning, and the MS is bounced back to me covered in virtual red pen and editorial marks. I was so sure I had it nailed.

No, really. I was sure.

No... okay, fine, I knew there was an issue with some of the story and I just didn't know to what extent until it was pointed out to me. ::sigh::

There was a lot of stuff that I didn't explain that would leave the uninformed reader scratching their heads and the reader who has experience with the subject matter asking really good questions. The main question being (since this whole novel happens in such a short time frame) how well Amy and Eric really know one another especially after the arson incident, another question being does Paul really get what he deserves? Which I think I'm going to argue this point with my editor because I really don't think Paul is stupid enough to take on two guys bigger than him and both Brad and Eric aren't brawling types - they have self control. One of my beta's brought up a really good point that Emily's back story is lacking as well. When I wrote the book I probably should have extended the time frame (I don't know if that can be fixed without a complete rewrite).

There are also questions about Brad and Eric's experience that crop up (I've fixed that), questions about Eric's psyche and why he's so willing to accept Amy into his life (all I can think is he's finally ready to embark on another relationship). There are even missing pieces to Amy's puzzle that my editor brought up like, "Don't women who shut down like that have a history of it? How did it manifest before? What caused it to begin with?" All questions I should have answered in the course of telling the story and I didn't because of the length constraint (I was thinking in my mind novella when clearly this story is bordering short novel at this point).

Of course at the moment I don't think length is any longer an issue, so there's really no reason for me not to go through and at least try to answer all these questions to give the reader more background and hence more understanding of the events and the character reactions to them.

I may even see if I can extend the time frame a little and stretch it out more without doing a complete rewrite. We'll see. I'm going to add in five interesting conversations I wrote to see how far they go in fixing the issues and then I'll decide where to go from there. My editor is still really excited about the story and dying to get it into print. He's also really excited about the next book that tells the story of Eric and Amy's friends Brad and Kali. The first readers have given it a very positive response so far (minus some caveats).

Who knows - maybe this one will be my best novella (or novel?) yet. Already started on MNE (the next novella) and I really am working on the next OTS mystery.

Oh, Amy, why did you insist on surpassing 45K? Why? ::sigh::

KISS - Keep it Simple Steph.

2011-01-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

You've probably heard me ranting about my website recently. Right now I have a haphazard html site and a Flash site that covers all my pen names. The problem is the Flash site is usually updated more frequently and quite frankly the html site says a lot in terms of my own inability for graphic design or creating cool, professional looking author sites. While my Flash site looks wonderful (thanks to the Wix team), not everyone has Flash on their computers (especially Mac folks or people web surfing on their mobile devices) and Flash is notorious for crashing IE 8.

Hence my dilemma. The reality is I need a new website. After talking with some friends I've decided I'm going to do a Wordpress site on my server. So eventually, all the other sites will disappear and this blog will direct everyone to the new site and the new blog(s).

Some thoughts about the new site - things I want it to do (and really this list is more for my benefit than anyone else's):

-I want separate blogs for each pen-name (or rather same blog but separate posts to different pages labeled by author - something like that).
-I want people to be able to subscribe to the blog(s) of their choice (or maybe just the site?).
-I want to move my spiritual blog to the new site (it would still be private for signed up folks only).
-I still want to have the book information pages currently on my existing Flash site (Bio, Fantasy, Mystery, NF Esoteric, Erotica, Events, Free Stuff)
-I'll definitely want Amazon widgets so I can link to my books.
-I'll definitely want YouTube widgets to link to my video blogs.
-I think I may want to display the moon phases and astrological information for each day.

I think the hardest part is actually going to be designing the template and coming up with a new header graphic. I am seriously thinking it should be called Sephira Alchemy or The Quadrant. Each pen name represents an element within myself. The NF Esoterica is Mercurial Air. The Erotica is Venus and Fire. The fantasy is Watery Neptune, and perhaps the Mystery is Saturn and Earth. It's kind of a fun approach to a more complex Word Press site.

There are a lot of reasons I decided to do this. First - I need a site I can update quickly with little hassle (meaning I don't have to constantly dick with coding things) no matter where I am in the U.S. or abroad - as long as I have an Internet connection. Being in NY for two weeks late last year showed me just how important it is to be able to access things from wherever you are. Second - I only want to have to go to ONE site to update everything. As it now stands I have to go to three (here, Wix, and my domain host) if you don't count YouTube, Twitter or FB - and hell - I might be able to import a twitter feed and links to my FB so it's easy to friend me personally or LIKE the pen-names.

So I'm really excited about the new Sephira Alchemy site and hope my readers will be, too. Of course it may take me a few months to get it up and running so don't expect it until summer... I've got "my people" (i.e. friends who have graciously offered their help and support) on it.

For Real!

2011-01-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am actually working on the next OTS book right now! Yay! I've got all my ducks (and editors) in a huddle. For those who are wondering, *Amy* is in final edits right now and (provided things go right) will be available in paperback next month and will hopefully be available on Nook and Kindle at the end of this month. This is probably the fastest I've ever written a novel and seen it go through the publication process like this. It helps that I'm the only MFP author on the schedule right now. I guess I'm wicked prolific or something. Or maybe it's what M said, "You can totally do it though, because yer Stephanie effing Connolly Reisner!" Okay - so he said that about one of my other goals, but I think it's still applicable. LOL!

Speaking of which - I'm doing great with health goals this year. Yay me! Yay veggies (you know I was kidding about them being my DOOM!, right?).

Other beautiful things - reconnected with an old acquaintance to thank her for a tip she gave me back in 2008 (one that resulted in me being where I am now).

Now I don't usually post on Sundays but I am today just because I had a blog post dying to get out. I've got some grocery shopping to do, some carpets to vacuum and clean, some addresses to collect, some data entry to do, a little research on websites to do (yes - the website is going to be changing again eventually), cat boxes to clean, and Daemons only know what else. So much to do - so little time to do it.

Oh - and in other great news - PubIt reports are updating slowly but surely. At first I was disappointed to see the numbers, but then I looked at December and realized they're STILL playing catch up there because that report updated again, which means the January report is short and likely incorrect as well and my numbers are higher. Not to mention it's only updated through the 15th or so. So this makes me tremendously happy.

There's so much I want to write about here and so much I won't just because it doesn't seem to fit here. I'm hoping the eventual new website (that won't be Flash!) will allow me more flexibility for that.

Temple of DOOM Friday

2011-01-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun with that last "Temple of Doom Friday" post + video that I've decided to make it a regular blog feature for as long as it holds my interest.

This week I've decided the bane of my existence is the raw vegetable.... mwahahaha! I am destined to a DOOM of eating the damn things five times a day. It's good for me - I know it is. But couldn't nature make us crave vegetables instead of nommy stuff like pizza, burgers, chocolate, french fries, and bacon? ::sigh::

I hate you, raw vegetables. I want you cooked with cheese sauce and bacon. Maybe a splash of butter. No really - I do like veggies, I'm just tired of them. When you're eating five servings a day it gets a little boring. I try to mix it up, I really do.

I am DOOMED to eat them anyway...

Thursday Observations

2011-01-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

You know, I always come up with these silly little names for my posts as if I regularly post under the heading or something. ::shakes head:: Anyway, that's what today's post is. Thursday Observations.

Far too many movies these days try to make it on visual effects alone. Avatar - totally over-rated. And why is everything suddenly in 3D?

Readers love sequels. My editor and I have already been discussing me writing Brad and Kali's story as an offshoot of *Amy* and the betas are confirming that this might be a good idea. (There are covers and back cover blurbs on Anne's FB Fan Page!)

Barak Obama is a great talking head. ::shrug:: I have nothing to really add to that. He gives great speeches. I'm almost convinced he could announce what he ate for the past week and it would sound quite stately and important. Don't get me wrong - I don't hate Obama. It's actually a compliment. At least he can pronounce the word 'nuclear'.

Adults should get nap time. Funny how we only think the very young and the very old should get afternoon naps. I think naps would make things run smoother overall and fewer adults would be assholes. Just an observation...

Folks in the UK seem to bulk at the idea of priests having illicit love affairs with members of their parish. Probably because they've never met a hot, Dom priest. ::squeals like a schoolgirl:: Again, just an observation based on sales of SINcerely, Megan.

Weather man - it's the only job where you can make a six figure salary and be completely wrong every day and no one will hold it against you. If you disagree with this, then you've never lived in Colorado. I take the "I'll believe it when I see it!" approach to weather. I look outside, see it, and say, "Yup. It's snowing." Or, "Nope, sun's still shining." Really. All of us should have such jobs.

That's enough for today. Join me tomorrow for this week's TEMPLE OF DOOM!!!!

A Whole Lotta Writin' Goin' On!

2011-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm bouncy. Yes, I'm happy. This week I finished two books, after all. One being the aforementioned (a few posts ago) Honoring Death: The Arte of Daemonolatry Necromancywhich readers have been waiting on for over three years. Thanks for being so patient on that. Sometimes a book can only happen in its own time. I think that was most certainly the case for this one. The second finished book is Training Amy! It's currently in beta. Then this weekend it goes back to my editor at MFP and, if all goes well - it will be available in eBook within the next week or two.

And - drumroll.... Training Amy is going to be released in paperback! Yep! My publisher decided I sell enough eBooks that it's worth putting the new book into paperback even though we really don't know how it's going to be received yet. Of course Surrender: Tales of Submission (which is a printing of the first three novellas and possibly the next one titled My Neighbor Enslaved) is coming out in paperback this spring, too. Very excited about that as well. This way those who don't have eReaders can also partake of my novellas. Yay!

::contented sigh:: Next I'm off to work on the second OTS Mystery which is due out late spring or early summer. And then, of course, the stand alone occult thriller comes after that. All I really want to do is settle in with the latest Cherise Sinclair novel and escape to the Shadowlands...

Self-Absorbed Writers?

2011-01-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

I actually overheard a conversation earlier where someone was saying that writers are terribly self-absorbed. I really thought about this. Then I visited the websites of numerous writer friends. Then I went back to the person who made this comment and asked how many writers he knew in person because I was curious how he came to the conclusion that writers are all absolutely stuck on themselves.

"Well, all they ever do is talk about themselves and what they're doing," he told me.

So I asked, "Where are they talking about themselves?"

He shrugged and said, "Facebook, blogs and twitters. All over the web."

Ah! The self-promotion conundrum! So I asked him, "Well, what do you talk about on your facebook?"

He looked at me with a blank stare.

"What you're doing?"

"Well, yeah."

"And do you keep a blog or website?"

"Why would I? I'm not self-absorbed," he actually said.

"So you think writers shouldn't self promote their work or keep their fans abreast of what they're doing?"

"They think they have all these fans..." he started.

"Well do they have fans? I bet Stephen King thinks he has fans. I bet Nora Roberts thinks she has fans, too. Especially since they sell millions of copies of their work. So is it really hard to believe other writers who are less popular still have fans?"

"I guess so," he admitted.

"So just because someone has fans and has some books that are popular and has to self-promote by virtue of their career, does that really mean they're a megalomaniacal asshole?" I asked. "Or does it just mean that in order to get a career and keep it a writer has to self-promote?"

"But they're just so arrogant in the way they do it!" he said.

"Like how?" I asked.

"Like they're always talking about great reviews they got or how their book is loved or whatever."

"Well would you want to read books by someone who was always crying about their personal problems all over the web?" I asked, then added, "Writer's want to be positive in what they post and what they're doing. Personal life is personal. Career is business. Positive, upbeat notes sell books and keep fans up to date on what's happening. Negative, downbeat notes make most people want to run in the opposite direction. It's bad for business when what you're selling is a product because that's what a book and author name is. A product."

He just looked at me dumbfounded.

"You know I'm a writer, right?"

"No sir." He laughed.

"Yep. Over 16 books and counting and four pseudonyms," I told him.

"How come you never said anything?" He asked. "Because you're not like that at all."

I grinned. "I'm saving my self-absorbed megalomania for the interwebs."

All the Frauds and Impostors are... Not?

2011-01-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

It seems everywhere I look there's a writer somewhere blogging about how (s)he's an impostor, a fraud. Hell, I don't recollect but it's very possible I've written a similar post in the past.

I was reading another one earlier and it occurred to me that it's silly to feel that way. First of all, all the writers who write posts like this are actually published authors and they write constantly. The "I'm a fraud" posts are often the result of popularity for what you write. Most writers are their own toughest critics so we see every glaring flaw in everything we write. So when something we write becomes popular we immediately detach with that feeling, "This is surreal, it can't be true." Then, many writers start nitpicking their work to death trying to find all the reasons it shouldn't be popular and all the reasons the masses should hate it instead of love it. I think that way of thinking is often the case with creative types.

So here's to my writing brethren out there:

1. If you're writing and writing is like breathing to you - you're not a fraud or impostor.
2. If you're completing projects continually and actively submitting them - you're not a fraud or impostor.
3. If you're published and have more stories, books, etc... on the back burner -- you're not a fraud or impostor.

Hell, I don't know that we can say anyone who writes is a fraud or impostor. If you're writing, you're technically a writer. Though there's a difference between a professional writer and a hobbyist. Hobbyists write for fun or passion, or they self publish a book or two (simply because that's all they have in them) but they don't have what it takes to be a professional writer. This probably describes 85 percent of the writers out there. The other 15 percent are people who actually make a livable, taxable income writing and who are so prolific that they're never short of a project. The funny thing is it's always the people in the latter category who I see writing the "I'm a fraud..." posts.

You guys are funny.

After Three Years!

2011-01-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

Honoring Death, the Daemonolatry Necromancy book that I've been promising everyone for over three years now, is finally out. It's now available on Lulu and will be on Nook and Kindle by Wednesday. It probably won't be available on Amazon until February (it takes some time for it to filter into Amazon's database from the printer).

So for those of you who have been patiently waiting and who want it right away you can CLICK HERE to get the book from Lulu.

From the Temple of Doom

2011-01-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

Header just sounded dramatic. I couldn't resist.

Today's pondering -- am I supposed to eventually crave nothing *but* vegetables? Because right now I'm thinking *a* yogurt covered pretzel (yes - only one), but it doesn't really fit into my healthy eating regimen right now. The whole four vegetable/two fruit thing is easy to keep up with, but I still crave sugar and chocolate even after all this time.

No, no - I haven't gone vegan. I'd miss chicken and fish too much. I'm just trying to eat whole foods more than processed ones. I could do without pork and beef (I mostly do that already). But I also love cheese and milk and yogurt. Which brings me back to yogurt pretzels.

That's what my Temple of Doom is. A bag of yogurt pretzels. Ugh.

Guilty by Association?

2011-01-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

An issue presented itself this morning where I was forced to scrutinize my association with other occultists. Evidently one of my publisher friends publishes books by members of organizations who are renowned for having questionable beliefs and ethics. It made me wonder how much we're really judged by association.

I mean really - it would take an irrational person to judge one by casual associations. After all, I have casual acquaintances from all walks of life (and from all political and spiritual spectrums). I can think of far more damning associations than the one mentioned above.

Of course for me the only associations that matter are those of a personal nature, as in -- who are you hanging out with in the real world? Or who do you personally correspond with on a regular basis online? For a writer like me - my Facebook associations span far and wide. I have thousands of folks on my friends list - many of them just fans of my work. At what point does my association (even by a mere Facebook friending) become a liability to me (or to anyone for that matter).

As an author, if someone who "LIKES" your fan page or who friends you goes out and commits an illegal act - at what point are you guilty by association in the eyes of those watching? If a fan is a member of a terrorist group or hate group or drug ring, for example - are you automatically deemed a part of that circle by the media or pundits or onlookers? Perhaps if someone is conducting a witch hunt. But for most rational folks - the answer is no.

Of course I normally delete anyone who condones violence or has a lot of hate speech on their wall. I'm just not a hateful person. I'm not a violent person either and I don't condone it - even in casual association. My friends, my real friends, number around ten, but they're good people. They're law abiding, hard working, fun loving folks who are secure in themselves, mentally healthy, and fun to be around. They don't drag me down. I'd rather be judged on those associations long before I was judged by a casual Internet acquaintance or even some semi-opaque Internet relationship with no footing in the real world.

After all - real friends know more about you than the aesthetics. So if I'm guilty by my mere association with G, then by aesthetics it could be said that we're all guilty by a few degrees of separation. At least in this day and age of social networking anyway. It's food for thought.

Happy Hump-Day

2011-01-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

Ah, it's Wednesday. Amidst the freezing ass cold and snow and the big spider I just eradicated, it's been an interesting day. Got the second half of edits back on one book from my editor. Still waiting on some beta's to weigh in, then it's a second revision, resubmit to the editor and hopefully only tweaks after that. Then there's another MS going off to beta this weekend. If all goes well with it, it might be done, too! Then I can get back to the highly anticipated (by me!) "Into Darkness" and "Thirteen Covens".

There's something really satisfying about finishing a project despite the fact that another one moves up immediately to fill its place. It's gratifying to know there are readers who are going to enjoy your stories and who anticipate them as much as you enjoy writing them. Not to mention, as a writer, after the third draft you start getting bored with what you're working on. It's a long road from first draft to done.

My editors have been very patient and helpful and gave me a lot of leeway over the holidays. It's nice to work with such wonderful folks.

On that note - maybe tonight I'll take the evening off and get some domestic stuff done. My kitchen could use a good cleaning, I could do some laundry, and then maybe I'll go to bed early and finish the book I'm reading. When I'm in the final stages of completing manuscripts it's the domestic things that suffer...

Updated

2011-01-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

I finally updated my blog with my fourth pseudonym now that the cat is out of the bag. Really, there's no reason people shouldn't know I write erotica. The only reason I kept it secret to begin with was because at first I had an opportunity presented to me and it was just an experiment. Close friends knew. But I didn't want my family to know because I wasn't sure how they'd react. Of course being that I'm pretty close to my family, that didn't last long. I eventually gave in and spilled my guts to my sisters and mom, my SiL told my brother, my brother told my dad, my husband told his sister and brother. Once that happened, everyone whose opinion mattered to me knew. ::shrug::

Regardless, I still think it's prudent to keep all the pseudonyms to differentiate between genres since none of the genres overlap. And I don't want an incident where a kid who reads my fantasy novels accidentally picks up an R rated mystery or an X rated erotica. It's just safer for readers this way (so they get what they want).

I know this may be confusing and a pain to keep up with for my hardcore fans (yes, I actually do have fans who own everything I've ever written, which is cool!). For this reason I've posted a bibliography listing all my published books and novels on my FB. Or you can drop me a note here with your e-mail address and I'll e-mail you the list.

For those of you who want to read my erotica but don't own an e-reader and aren't into eBooks, never fear. That situation will be rectified soon. I can tell you that Surrender: Tales of Submission is due out this spring and includes my bestsellers "Nice Girls Don't", "Weekend Captive" and the highly acclaimed (by readers anyway) "SINcerely, Megan". It may even include the forthcoming MNE, depending if that particular work is out in time for inclusion. If not, it may show up in next year's anthology. I told you I had contracts. ;)

So that's enough from me. I'm so glad I decided to combine my blogs and websites. It really does make my life that much easier. With everything going on writing-wise right now I wouldn't be able to keep up with four blogs and four websites. Thanks for reading!

A Love-Hate Relationship

2011-01-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

This morning I decided that I have a love-hate relationship with my writing. This coming after a long weekend in editing on one MS and the slow progression of the resolution of another. Thank the Daemons for my editors and betas. They make the process easier, but at the same time I really busted my arse yesterday. Got a lot done though! I'm very pleased with my progress.

I should be back on track with the new OTS novel after this coming weekend, which I'm really excited about. Though not as excited as I am to get TA to beta and get an overall reader impression before the final edits.

In other news, WC is still on Amazon's top 20 list. I'm stunned speechless. I'm hoping TA will be just as well-received. Crazy how NGD was a hit on B&N and on their top 20 list for November, but WC didn't do as well over there. Surprising is all. What's funny is SM is the highest rated of the three and while it sells steadily, it hasn't made any top twenty lists (and it doesn't sell in the UK). Ha! Go figure. The good news is my publisher loves my work and I still have two more contracted pieces to write for him. The brainstorming for MNE is already underway and I have already discovered my pivotal plot point. HDL will be a longer work that I'm saving for down the road.

Enough from me. ::the whip cracks:: Back to work!

Super Secret Excitement

2011-01-09T02:17:00.000-08:00

There is no one on this planet right now who could rain on my parade. I have been dying to share some really good news with people, but my contract keeps me from it. I can say there are some really exciting developments happening in my writing life right now (on the fiction front) that have me bouncing with glee. I really hate not being able to share but my publisher doesn't want to spoil the surprise. ::sigh::

I can't believe it. I'm really excited. I LOVE my new job writing in my new genre. I love my fans and my life is awesome. A girl couldn't ask for anything more. Now back to work with me. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines.

Aghhhh! I SO badly want to spill the beans, you have no idea. I'm so loving life right now. Hail Leviathan. Hail Ptah!

Mid-Week Breaks - Off to the Opera

2011-01-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

Took a few days off of writing to get some other stuff done around the house. The holidays this past year were tremendously busy with family, which is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately on the domestic front it also leaves a lot of after-clutter that I've been sporadically dealing with since the calendar changed over to the new year. Not to mention the new year always brings a lot of little things to get done that sometimes end up being overlooked until you actually need it. Like getting a new calendar for the fridge. Contacting the trash company for the new recycling schedule and so on.

Also during this transition period the day job is terribly hectic since I work in a bustling accounting office. End of year and end of month. Of course I have managed writing work amongst all of this, including a great deal of work on Amy and Into Darkness (including book trailers). Which brings me to my next topic - opera. How I got from being busy, domestic stuff, writing stuff to opera? Well, I used a beautiful aria piece (license free open content) called Lamento della ninfa on the Into Darkness book trailer. It's performed by a woman named Anna Simboli. So I've spent some time looking for this particular performer and this particular version of the opera and sadly -- it does not exist (out of print now). Now don't get me wrong - I've found other versions of the opera, but the performers were miserable. Opera is either hit or miss with me. I really do love Carl Orf's Carmina Burana, and really, Lamento della ninfa was a wonderful find. But it is true that a performer can make or break a piece.

Anyway - I do have a point to this. I'm actually looking for baroque period operas where there are a great deal of darker pieces with the same feel as Lamento della ninfa and I'm not having any luck. I've been searching and listening and searching some more and while the pieces themselves are lovely - many of the performers don't have that extra something where I can actually *feel* the mood of the piece just through listening. I am welcome to any suggestions (and I really hope someone who loves opera is reading this).

Odds and Ends

2011-01-04T12:23:00.000-08:00

I am currently enjoying Lon Milo DuQuette's Low Magick: It's All In Your Head ... You Just Have No Idea How Big Your Head Is . Good stuff. If you're into DuQuette and you liked My Life With The Spirits: The Adventures of a Modern Magician, you might like this book. I don't always agree with Lon, but I have a great deal of respect for him and sometimes what he says cracks me up. He is truly one of our century's greatest living magicians.

On another note, check out my friend Deana Stanley's latest release For His Wife's Pleasure...Of Course. Yes, it's erotica. Short erotica. Actually, it seems, most erotica is shorter than your standard novel. ::shrug:: I have no idea why that is.

Yes, I realize today's post is a bit short and unrelated, but I'm a busy girl. I've got deadlines, baby! So back to work with me.

A Good Start

2011-01-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

The year started out on a prolific and productive note. I worked on both *Amy* and *Honoring Death* (both of which will be done this month). Then I can get back to work on "Into Darkness" (about 30K already done). After that it's off to see if I can get into and salvage *Eagle's Talon Gray* and then I want to finish *Thirteen Covens*, both of which are already 30K + written already. I don't know what it is with me and having all these manuscripts in various stages closer to finished.

It's a bit chaotic, yes, but it's how I work and it's how I work best. And before the end of the year is out you can bet there will be other manuscripts. After all, I already have general outlines for two more novellas and the third OTS book whose working title is currently Ba'alberith Rising.

Considering some Alex Sumner (sp?) novels. Anyone ever read them? They're also occult-crime thrillers. I love the genre. To be completely honest - I am loving writing occult fiction more than I enjoy writing the fantasy fiction. ::shrug:: You know what they say - write what you know.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

Yearly Reading

2010-12-31T11:17:00.000-08:00

Got a reading from Amy (not the story I'm working on, the person). She's quite an accomplished seeress. I am really excited about 2011! For years I've been being told something big is going to happen to me in 2011 (writing career wise) and she has just confirmed this. Evidently it's going to be the year that really establishes my writing career. I've already seen the beginning of this manifest in small ways here in the last half of 2010, so I'm really looking forward to 2011. I hope all of you have a safe and happy new year's eve and wish you and yours all the best in the coming year!

Thanks for reading and I hope you'll stick with me. If Amy (and so many others) are right - 2011 is going to be a wild ride.

Into Darkness Trailer

2010-12-30T13:44:00.001-08:00

Some Important Dates

2010-12-30T11:52:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2011 at 12:01 AM a copy of my novel Outer Darkness will be given away on the blog A Moment With Mystee.

January 7, 2011 - you can read Mystee's interview with me at A Moment with Mystee!

February 5, 2011 - I'll be guest blogger on A Moment with Mystee.

Just CLICK HERE to visit her blog!

On that note -- I'd like to offer guest blog spots on "Malkuth of Me", too. So if you're an author and you're doing a book tour, write me at swordarkeereon at gmail dot com (remove spaces and put in appropriate symbols). I don't care what genre you write in as I read and review everything and write just about everything, too.

Mailbag!

2010-12-29T12:12:00.000-08:00

I've noticed you use "ly" adverbs in your writing. As a writer myself I was always told this was not allowed because "ly" verbs are weak.

Yeah, and I start sentences with "and" sometimes, too. Certainly I try to stay away from words ending in ly, but it doesn't always work that way. As a writer, I fight the urge to use them, but as a reader (as long as they're not used in excess) I rarely notice them. So there you go. It's okay to break the rules sometimes so long as you know you're breaking them.

I'm thinking of moving into the erotica genre because I hear you can make a living as a writer by writing it.

I was actually under this impression myself a few short months ago, but judging by the experiments of friends it's not necessarily true. It's true that erotica and romance (as far as genre fiction goes) are the better sellers, however there's no guarantee you're going to make money writing erotica. I've had friends who ventured into the erotica genre after my success only to discover it's not easy to write and it's also not guaranteed to sell. Erotica readers can be discriminating and believe it or not, not all the people who read my erotica like it. It's true that some of my erotica novellas actually made it onto Amazon and Barnes and Noble's bestseller top 20 lists, but none of my friends' have (yet). And it may never go there. Like any genre - if you make decent sales it's because you write stories people want to read. Not to mention we're pretty sure my erotica is being recommended word-of-mouth in certain circles (to which I don't belong, but I know people who do), which would account for my thousands of readers.

What made you switch from fantasy to mystery? That's a huge leap.

Well, technically my mystery novels could also be (and have been by some readers) classified as urban fantasy. Having been a lifelong avid reader I've always read across genres. My favorite genres have always been fantasy, supernatural, mystery, and horror. But I also read romance, erotica, westerns, etc... So for my readers it may seem like a huge leap, but for me, not so much.

Don't you ever get confused with all the different pen names?

Nope. I use them because I do write in so many different genres and I don't want someone to accidentally pick up a book about demonolatry or an erotica or NC 17 mystery novel for their 11-year-old who only wanted a fantasy novel. Likewise, I don't want mystery readers to accidentally get books about fantasy or demonolatry or an erotic story if they were expecting a mystery, etc... A lot of prolific writers have more than one pseudonym they write under. They just try to keep them separate and don't tell anyone. So I'm not the only one doing this. I'm just very open about being who I am. Not to mention I don't feel like keeping four separate blogs and websites. This is why so many writers end up with abandoned blogs and websites - they're using more than one pen name and they can't keep up.

I'd just as soon make my online presence easy on myself and be able to keep up with the websites and blogs. The only thing my pseudonyms all have is their own facebook fan pages. Feel free to join each of them or just your favorite(s)!

How do you find the time to write so much?

I am constantly writing. I write during breaks at the day job (which I only keep because I like the stability of a regular paycheck). I write while I watch TV at night. I sacrifice sleep. I am constantly thinking about what I'm working on. I didn't really ask to become a prolific writer, I've just always been one. Some weeks I only put out a few thousand words a day. Others I produce 30K or so. It's just how I am. And yes - I do take down time. Sometimes for a few weeks at a time. On rare occasions - a month of down time. But then in 2010 I had four books and three novella's published, too, and I started three more books and two more novellas.

Do you ever have friends who try to compete with the fact that you're a writer? Or do they treat you differently because you're famous?

LOL! Well I don't know how "famous" I am. My opinion is you're not famous unless you're a household name. I'm not a household name. ::grin:: Actually most of my friends were my friends before I was published, so they treat me like they always have. On rare occasions they introduce me as their "prolific writer friend who's published". But that's about it. As far as friends who competed with the fact that I'm a writer - only one and that was back in high school/college. Needless to say our friendship didn't survive past the mid-nineties because we really had nothing in common other than our desire to compete with one another in everything (including writing).

Do you belong to any writers groups online? If so, which ones do you recommend and why?

I do. Sadly I don't always have time to get involved or hang out in writer's groups. Try FM Writers just because they're all about writers building professional careers. Just look it up in a search engine. My only caveat with FM is they do tend to think there's only one way to have a writing career and indie-publishing is frowned on there. Even if you are making $80K a year selling your fiction (directly to readers) and you have droves of readers, if you're independently published, they won't consider you legitimate or professional. ::shrug:: I don't really care for that line of thinking since I'm a successful Indie and I hang out with a lot of successful self-published folks who do have professional (which is defined as being paid for something) careers who are making at least $10K+ every quarter from their writing (that's a $40K a year salary folks!). But the people there are very nice, helpful, and they have challenge and goal boards that make the site worthwhile to me.

Do you still belong to a critique group now that you're published? If so, which one?

I do. All writers need feedback - even published ones. The group I belong to is private. We're five published novelists who get together monthly to rip apart each others work, drink coffee, and gossip.

Do you ever need beta readers and can I volunteer to be one?

I do utilize beta-readers. Sometimes I'll put out a call for a beta-reader on my FB pages. For the most part I have a small, loyal band of beta-readers whose talents I gratefully utilize as the need arises.

How do you come up with your stories?

I have an overactive imagination. Always have. I can't remember a time where there weren't characters running around in my head with stories to tell. Sometimes I'll just see something, like an acorn on the ground, and an entire scene will spring from it.

More next time. I'm off to get some other stuff done.

New Year Goals

2010-12-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

I don't call them resolutions simply because a resolution is merely an intention. Intentions can be good, but aren't always followed through on. And I feel like such a jerk when I don't follow through with an intention. However - goals are more concrete and they're something I can work toward knowing they're just goals. So if I don't complete all of them I'm not nearly as rough on myself when I don't complete them fully.

So this year's goals include:

3 Novella's
3 Novels
2 NF titles

I suspect of the five books, only three will make it to publication this year. The other two will be held for 2012, but they will get started. Of the five books only one hasn't been started at all. The rest are in different stages of completion. Two of the novellas haven't been started either.

Lofty goals, I know, but I'm usually really good about meeting writing goals.

Now for "other" goals. I still haven't quite reached my exercise goals from last year. I have been consistent with my inconsistency and that's about it. So what I really need to do is continue working on this goal. More than an hour a week exercise (which is all I ever managed with any honesty in 2010) is what I'm shooting for. Being active when all I really want to do with my free time is write books, sucks.

I don't have any family or friend related goals this year because I'm comfortable with where I'm at there. I'm also comfortable with myself (minus my lack of exercise) so there's nothing there. Spiritually I'm still on PoP (and working to make it a permanent thing) and have no intentions of rushing my LoKIR. It will happen when I'm ready. Right now I'm not.

That's about it for the coming year. I'm sure those goals are subject to change based on contracts, whim, and general interest.

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things...

2010-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Since this is the season for giving, I thought I'd share with my readers some of my favorite types of charities and why.

I decided long ago that sometimes I like people, but for the most part I really love animals. In particular, horses, donkeys, and cats. Two of my favorite charities most recently have been local no-kill animal shelters and rescues that take care of donkeys and cats. I like these particular charities because I know my money will be used to actually help the animals - not solicit more money. So if you love animals - consider helping out your local animal shelters and rescues first.

For national charities that I feel comfortable supporting (because you can actually see where they're doing something) my picks are:

American Cancer Society - because we all know someone who's been affected by cancer.

American Red Cross - because you always see them responding in disaster situations.

There are a lot of wonderful charities to support the men and women of the armed services as well. This year my pick is an organization that sends care packages to soldiers called Give2TheTroops, Inc.

Local food banks are ALWAYS a good decision whether you're donating your time to pass out food, donating canned goods, or donating money. I like donating to the local food banks because I can see them in action AND I don't think anyone should starve (not in a nation where so many of us are obese). Not to mention they don't send me bi-monthly letters (which probably cost more to mail than what I donated) asking for donations like some of the local homeless shelter/soup kitchens do. Not that I don't want to help the homeless - but I'd rather the money I send go to actually HELP them rather than send me tons of mail.

And finally - there are numerous groups and organizations out there who will collect your unwanted clothing, shoes, coats, old appliances, housewares etc... to help others. So consider cleaning out your closets and storage rooms/spaces (at any time of the year) and drop off your donations at a collection center. Some organizations will even send a truck by to pick stuff up if you give them a call.

Some final thoughts: With the smaller, local charities servicing your community, your money, time, and other donations will probably go further and you'll be able to see how your donation helps others. I encourage people to donate locally when they can, but to not dismiss the bigger charitable organizations that do a lot of good, too. Happy donating!

Excerpts

2010-12-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from "Thirteen Covens" by Audrey Brice

The blackened ritual chamber loomed before him in its grandeur. The high ceilings and intricate moldings were lost to the darkness. Upon the altar the temple incense bellowed from the thurible in thick tendrils of gray smoke, twisting and twining upward into a hazy plume that hung above the altar. The gates had been open now for well over forty-eight hours and he could feel 'them' congregating there. The 'Others', the 'Devils'. Their malevolence filled the room with a palpable energy that made all of his instincts scream run. But he didn't. He forced himself to approach the triangle that bound them. If the barrier was broken, even for a second... Fear overwhelmed him. He didn't want to think about the 'what if'. Plunging the world into a black abyss was the last thing he wanted. No, he merely wanted power and was willing to do anything to get it. He was too powerful a magus for them to escape anyway. They were his minions now, bound to him and willing to work for their ultimate release back to the astral plane. In the meantime, they would do his bidding, here, now. Before him, the swirling mass of entities bulged outward in a brilliant blueish glow of energetic fervor. All that power, his.

He couldn't help but smile. It had taken him years to figure out how to open the gates. Months spent experimenting with summoning and charging the entities with menial tasks just to see how it all worked. So far he'd gotten the new job with a much higher salary. He had the big house and the new car. He even had the beautiful girls willing to do his every bidding and satiate his every carnal desire. Power, however, real power didn't come from making a simple six figure salary. No, it came from millions and a prestigious position. It could take a few years, but he was fairly certain the entities had gotten him this far and they could certainly get him further. Perhaps a senate seat, and later, the presidency. The chosen one, the anti-Christ of the Christians. A new world order - a single world government, and if he had anything to do with it, he would be the one standing at the helm.

A sharp pain pierced his jaw. That's when he realized he'd been grinding his teeth. He stopped and regarded the mass of writhing etheric creatures hovering inside the triangle before him, then without further thought turned his heel and left the ritual chamber, closing and locking the heavy oak door behind him.

Coming October 2011

When to Laugh

2010-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

In my last post I mentioned that there were times to take criticism seriously and when to laugh at it. A reader asked me via private e-mail how I personally choose between what I take seriously and what I don't.

There are some people whose criticism I'll immediately disregard and others' whose criticism is gold.

First, let's talk about whose criticism I take to heart because I know it will make my work better.

1. My first readers and crit group. My first readers are a hand-selected group of folks who I trust to give me fair and balanced criticism. My crit group is composed of other writers at the same level I'm at (all professional and published). They point out specifics regarding what's wrong with the story and they offer suggestions for improvement. I don't always agree with them, nor do I always make the change. But many times I'll at least consider what they're saying. Sometimes it results in a change, sometimes not.

2. My editor. We don't always agree either and again - I don't always make the change, but more often than not we can discuss the change and come to an agreement we both can live with. Or one of us has a good argument for or against the change and it either stays or goes based on that. This includes the editors I hire for my Indie stuff!

3. My readers (i.e. people I don't know who have actually paid for my work and read it) when they have valid points backed up by solid evidence.

Next, let's talk about what I immediately disregard:

1. Criticism that attacks me personally. Example: "I don't think the writer knows what she's talking about and probably wouldn't know a lion if it attacked her ass."

2. Criticism that makes broad, sweeping statements with no specifics to back it up. For example, "Your main character is too naive."

3. Criticisms that are obviously based on the personal ethics, politics, beliefs, or opinion of the reader. You can't please everyone so don't bother trying. Example: "This story is too dark!"

4. Criticisms by ex-friends, ex-boyfriends, or people who I know don't care for my ideas, views or who don't like me as a person. Usually these criticisms are based in anger and jealousy and sour grapes.

5. Criticisms by people who think I should listen to them just because they're also published writers, but when you look up their work you find one or two 40-100 page booklets published on Lulu or a solitary self published novel that probably hasn't sold more than 10 copies to people who aren't friends or family. This is often the case when it comes to "fellow occult authors". Sorry - if a person wants to use their status as a "fellow author" as a reason for why I should take their writing advice or criticism seriously they have to meet several criteria. First and foremost, they should at least be a person I respect and trust they actually have some experience to draw on.

Now when it comes to writing advice and not necessarily criticism on your work - that's a different animal. I often get aspiring occult authors coming to me not only to get advice, but also to give it. Usually the advice they give merely shows how little they understand about the publishing business (Indie or other) or what they have to say is absolute nonsense. The general rule of thumb there is don't take writing career advice from anyone who is less experienced than you. That's generally how I work it. As I've said, not only have I been a writer forever, I went to school for writing and I've spent years and years developing my own voice and honing my creative writing skills. This does not mean I write perfect prose, nor does it mean I spell everything correctly the first time, nor does it mean I know everything, but it does mean I have paid my dues and I've been around the block a few times. I've been at the writing game long enough to know which end is up and find it laughable when the "fellow occult author" who wrote a 110 page chapbook on Lulu, thinks he's going to give me helpful advice about my writing career.

I generally won't take writing career advice from anyone who:

A. Hasn't written more than one or two books over 200 pages. I also don't take advice from people who've only written a few 40-100 page chapbooks. Seems every occultist these days has written a 40-100 page chapbook that they publish on Lulu (myself included). That doesn't necessarily make these people writers or authors anymore than it makes them experts in the occult. The reason my books stand out above the onslaught of occult authors is because I've been writing books about Demonolatry since the late 90's and I've earned a solid readership over the years through word-of-mouth endorsement. Readers are earned. They don't just flock to a person just because they have a book published.

B. Hasn't had their work contracted by a traditional publisher. And by traditional publisher I don't mean a publishing company they created themselves to publish their own work (only some of my stuff is Indie, folks!). Part of the reason I went Indie is because I HAVE dealt with traditional publishers. Not because the traditional publishers won't publish me. I still get offers from traditional publishers on my occult writing and I continually turn them down. There's a reason for this. So as you can imagine I find it laughable when "fellow occult authors" tell me they're doing things "the proper way" by starting a traditional publishing house to publish their own books (as they chastise me for using Lulu for the Demonolatry books not realizing Lulu is only one outlet I utilize to distribute my books) as if it makes them more legitimate than me (yes, you know who you are). What's funny about that is I will bet these people that I still sell just as many, if not more, books every month.

C. Hasn't sold at least 1000 copies of a single title. It's great that they have a novel or two published, or a couple of non-fiction books, or their occult chapbooks are on Lulu. But have they sold any? Most small press and indie titles rarely sell over 200 copies. I'd be lying if I told you all my books have sold over 200 copies - some haven't, but a good number of them have. Not just non-fiction either. Some of my fiction is really popular, too. As a matter of fact it used to be the bulk of my writing income came from non-fiction, but that's changed in the past year.

D. Doesn't make a living as a writer. In this last quarter I've made around $20K in writing income. Most of the people trying to give me advice don't even pull down $200 a month from their writing, as a matter of fact, I'd be willing to bet most of them don't even clear $100 a month. I am in the small percentage of indie and small press authors who actually make a livable, taxable income from writing (and most of it from fiction, no less).

As someone who has a B.A. in English, who has been writing since she was a child, and who has over 16 published books to her credit (at least six of them well over 200 pages) both Indie and Small Press, and whose books have sold thousands of copies, and as someone who actually makes an annual salary from her writing -- I consider myself a professional author. I can reasonably only take career advice from other professional writers. It would be crazy to do otherwise.

So that's my advice to you - don't take writing career advice from anyone who hasn't reached the stage you're at.

On Being Selfish & Dealing With Critics

2010-12-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

All successful writers have one thing in common, I've noticed. And perhaps this carries on to other careers as well. Successful writers are selfish. Now before you flip out and start shaking your fist at me whilst screaming, "I'm not selfish!", hear me out. I don't mean selfish in that we never think of others or think of ourselves to the detriment of those around us. No - I mean when it comes to our writing we worry about ourselves and what we're doing.

In this I mean that when I'm writing a book I don't sit around obsessively wondering what my friends in my critique group are writing. I don't worry what other people will think. I initially don't stop to think what readers are going to think either. Or my enemies, or my family, or the guy down the street. When I'm writing fiction it's about me telling a story coming from my imagination. When I'm writing the spirituality stuff it's about sharing experiences and ideas in a coherent manner. It has nothing to do with anyone else - not during the initial writing process anyway.

It becomes more about the reader during the editing process. Will the reader understand the message I'm trying to convey? Will the reader be pulled into the story? Is the plot solid? Even then, I'm still not thinking whether or not Aunt Frannie will approve of my next book or if my enemies will criticize it by virtue of its mere existence. Why? Because I don't care. I don't write for the people don't approve of my subject matter or who will hate everything I write because they hate me as a person. I don't write for the people who disagree with my subject matter by mere virtue of their opinion or who might disagree with the manner in which I present it. I don't write for people who vehemently disagree with my ideas either.

I write for
A. Myself and
B. The people who enjoy my stories and who have found my spiritual titles inspiring for their own spiritual paths and growth.

Nothing more, nothing less. Even if I never made a single red cent writing, I'd still write because it's who I am.

Some writers, it's true, write for money. As a matter of fact I know a lot of writers who write because they think it's a quick buck. They meet a writer and they say, "Hey, that person is making money hand over fist and I can write a book, too!" Both often erroneous assumptions (and the reason why some people who have a book out aren't selling any). Some people don't start writing until they're adults. I'm one of those writers who was penning stories at age seven and who wrote her first novel at age ten. I wanted to be a writer all throughout my school career, including college. I even got a degree in it. I'm a writer because I always have been. For me, writing is like breathing. It's my nervous tick, my escape, my passion. I write for myself first, and my readers second. I'm selfish when it comes to my writing but I think that's why I am able to finish what I write and get it published. It's also the reason I am able to make a living doing what I love to do.

Writers who stop to worry about what other people will think (if you're writing controversial stuff) or who are worried about what their friends are writing get locked in a stalemate of forever-editing and/or never finishing anything. They let criticism from those who disagree with their ideas or criticism from those who don't like their books dictate what they write and how they write it. In this I'm not saying you can't take criticism to heart when writing, after all, some criticism is constructive and can improve your work. I'm also not saying you shouldn't accept editorial input because ALL writers need editors. We do - even Nora Roberts and Stephen King.

I'm just saying don't allow unfounded criticism (the adage *consider the source* is key here) to keep you from writing, editing, finishing or submitting a piece of writing. For example - if your best friend tells you that your latest short story is crap is she saying it because she really finds problems with it? Or is she just jealous and does she have a habit of discouraging or criticising you? If it's the latter, that's criticism you disregard. If the criticism is from someone who doesn't like you, disregard. If someone's biggest pet peeve about your work is your ideas don't agree with theirs - disregard. If someone criticizes you as a person (especially if you've never met them), disregard. If someone criticises a huge plot hole and provides supporting evidence (i.e. an in depth discussion of the story including page numbers) listen up!

Some critics are constructive and can give you point by point reasons (with page numbers) and possible ideas to fix said problems. The rest of the critics, chances are, are untalented hacks who couldn't write their way out of a bag. Again - I recommend the movie Heckler for authors who are having trouble with their critics. Remember that you always have the choice to take criticism or leave it. How criticism effects you is a choice. Selfish, successful writers know when to swallow their pride and take the criticism to heart, and when to laugh and take it with a grain of salt.

Let's Talk About Death

2010-12-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Morbid, I know. But considering I've been writing a book about the subject and my grandmother (who was like a second mom to me) recently passed, made me realize just how much I have to say about the subject of death.

About two weeks after her funeral and a week after the burial of her ashes I had "the dream" I'd been waiting for. But instead of passing into the white light or having the final conversation, Grandma was shouting something at me and I couldn't hear her because there was too much going on in the foreground of the dream. Then, around the end of November I had another dream insisting I visit her grave. I think I'll be going this weekend. That was a strong, "Come visit my final resting place!" if I've ever heard one. My grandma always liked our visits.

I don't really get the sense she's passed through to the other side yet. She may not. She had unfinished business. She had promised my nephew that she would see him graduate High School. She only had 7 months to go, but alas, her frail aging body just couldn't hang on. She was ninety-nine years-old after all. She was also very ill and in a lot of pain. It's amazing just how quickly the elderly can get sick and fall off health-wise. Of course none of us is guaranteed another day (despite age or health), which is why it's so important to tell those you love how much you love them as often as you can, and make sure you have no regrets. Life is too damn short.

This hit home all too well when, on December 1, my sister's boyfriend (who is only 32) was hospitalized for pneumonia and next thing we know he's in ICU on a respirator standing on death's doorstep. Luckily (after two weeks of being in a coma) he is just now starting to come out of it and they're hoping to have him off the ventilator and in rehabilitation before the holidays. Thank the gods my niece and nephews didn't have to lose someone they were starting to get attached to (after they'd just been through the divorce of their parents and the death of their great grandma).

Of course we're all brought up to believe death is something unnatural and wrong. Again I say, death is the natural conclusion to life. There's nothing unnatural about it. It's the great equalizer in this game we call life. We're all going to experience it, and we're all going to have someone close to us die at some point (and it's going to be painful because nothing can really prepare you for the loss of a loved one - not even poor health or advanced age).

Like I said, grandma and I were close. She was like a second mom to me. When my parents were having problems when I was just a baby, my grandmother was the one who took care of me. I remember going to her house to stay the night and going with her to church. For me it was "story time and doughnuts" (I was only six or seven). When I was eleven, she moved in with us and she lived with us until I went off to college at the age of eighteen. Shortly after that she moved into an apartment to be closer to her friends (since my parents live out of the way). Once she moved, I'd go see her one or two Friday nights a month and we'd play cards and have dinner. This went on until I was twenty-eight. Admittedly when I got married I didn't spend as much time as I could with Grandma until she was in her early 90's. That's when her health started going. I started going to see her one Friday night a month again. This switched to every Wednesday night and one or two Saturdays a month so she could get her hair done after she stopped driving. The last three years of her life she was in and out of nursing homes and finally put into assisted living where she spent her final days. I spent those last three years spending at least a few hours a week with her.

I think what I'm most thankful for are the hours we spent talking about her life growing up. My grandma was quite the "wild" independent woman in her day. She didn't marry and have kids until she was in her thirties (which made you an old maid back then). She was actually pretty cool and she is missed every Wednesday and Saturday. For the first month after she died I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I haven't had a Wednesday or Saturday for a few years now. ::laugh:: But I'm slowly adjusting, even though there's still that sense that I've forgotten to do something, or something is not quite right. Or I'll catch myself thinking, "I should get that for grandma." Or "I have to tell grandma about this!"

What I have are wonderful and happy memories of the time I spent with her (even if she annoyed me at times - I'm sure I annoyed her at times, too) and I will cherish those and share the stories of her life with her great grandchildren. I've even been considering writing a memory book and publishing copies for all the grand kids so they'll always know their great grandma and can share her life with their children as well. It might take me a few years to get the project done, but I do plan on doing it.

People's bodies may die, but their memory lives on in those who knew and loved them and even if the soul crosses the veil to the other side and combines with all that is, the essence of who they were lives on in the lives they touched. RIP Grandma. I love you.

And what does this mean for Honoring Death? It means I've discovered I had a lot more to say, which is why the deadline was shoved up and why the January release date is only tentative. I know a lot of people have been waiting for that book and it is coming. Just know that I haven't forgotten or abandoned it and I hope the extra time I'm taking to add the new material will enhance the book further and give you something to truly look forward to. Necromancy has been a secret passion of mine. I've never really bragged on my experience with necromancy since that's always been a more private aspect of my life. It was initially necromancy (along with divination and supernatural experiences) that sparked my interest in the occult to begin with. Long before I knew there were other-than-Christian religions there was the matter of me seeing "supernatural spirits" and the spirits of dead animals and birds. Not to mention the family tales of the women of the family (along the matriarchal line) having the ability to see and communicate with the dead.

This is most likely why death doesn't scare me or upset me as much as it seems to scare and upset others. Natural mediums (i.e. technically necromancers) know the dead are never truly gone forever because we can communicate with them. We know there is life after death. No - we don't speculate. We know. That doesn't mean we don't mourn for our dead. We do. It's just that we are better equipped to handle that loss. For normal folks, they don't have that secure knowledge of what really happens after death. It's a mystery to them and the unknown is a scary thing.

Now I'm just rambling and if you've read this far, thank you. Now go enjoy the rest of your day and tell someone you care about how much you love them!

A Confession

2010-12-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

Was looking over all my sales reports this morning and discovered one of my O'Connell novellas is in the top 20 on Amazon Kindle Erotica. Another is in the top 100. On Nook, all three novellas saw the top ten chart for about three weeks before falling off to make way for other authors and their books. I have to say - it's been nice being in the top 20 of a category - especially with the fierce competition because there are so many wonderful writers in the genre. Not that I haven't seen it before. Several of my occult books have made Amazon's top lists in Magick and Demonology over the years.

I guess the difference is this time it's with fiction and I was always told that fiction is a hard sell, and that has been the case with my fantasy novels (though they sell really well in eBook strangely!) and the mystery novel, which seems to sell moderately. The novellas, however, have been a welcome surprise in the sheer number of sales. None of my fiction has seen such support in a short span of time like my erotic fiction has, and I'm thankful for that.

It's the positive reader response (in reviews and letters) that has made me decide to continue writing a few stories a year for this genre (and publisher) among all my other projects. So I guess we can say the cat's out of the bag. I am officially an erotica author and I'm proud of it.

If you want to read my erotica you can check out:

SINcerely Megan (BDSM Erotica)

Weekend Captive (BDSM Erotica)

Nice Girls Don't (BDSM Erotica)

Also available on Nook and at Smashwords.

The Most Useful Advice

2010-12-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

I am often asked for advice on how to become a published writer and the answer is always the same. I don't have any platitudes to hand you. I don't have any formulas I follow. This is what I do:

1. I read voraciously (and not just one genre!). Writers have to read. If you don't read like crazy you have no business trying to write. Sorry.

2. I write. Even if it's absolute crap - I write. For the most part I write something every day. When I don't write every day, I write something every few days. Except for vacations. Then and only then I'll take a week off and not write anything.

3. Finish what you write. Stories have beginnings, middles and ends. If you can write something from the beginning to the middle to the end, that's half the battle right there. Many would be writers just never finish anything.

4. Edit what you write. No author, no matter how good or how famous, ever got away without editing. We all need editors and we all need to revise our work (sometimes several passes are necessary). Accept that and you'll learn to love the revision/editing process. For most authors - this is where we do our best work. (Yes, I just said first drafts are crap - even Stephen King's.)

5. Once you've done numbers 2-4 above, find a market and submit it. If it gets rejected, find a new market and submit it again. Continue this until you run out of markets, then throw it into inventory (just in case a new market shows up) and move on.

6. Start writing the next thing. No author ever made a living on selling one thing and chances are you won't sell the first few novels or stories you write anyway.

7. Lather, rinse, repeat.

It's really that simple. You want to be successful you'll follow steps 1-7 religiously, you'll be persistent, and you'll eventually find yourself published.

Now if you want advice on how to sustain a writing career, find an audience, go indie and other such things - those are different balls of wax.

It seems to me a lot of people are writers who don't write. Or they only have one or two books in them. Or they write all the time, but never finish anything. Or they write a great deal but never submit anything. Sometimes you just have to piss or get off the pot. Your choice.

Good luck!

Amazon Censorships

2010-12-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

I was understanding when Amazon made the business decision to pull the pedaphile's book. After all - protecting children is important. I was even somewhat understanding when they chose to remove Wikileaks. Probably a good business decision, too.

However, more recently, Amazon has started to remove Erotica with incest themes (fiction portraying incest themes between consensual adults - not children) and reviews of GLBT fiction. Okay - first, let me point out that I'm not a fan of incest stories. I find nothing erotic about them. But I champion a reader's right to read them and purchase them. At the same time Amazon can distribute what it wants.

They are just a distrubutor after all, right?

The problem with this is that Amazon is deleting titles that have been in their catalogue for years, and deleting already purchased books from people's Kindles and NOT refunding readers for their now lost titles.

One book in particular was Selena Kitt's "Under Mr. Nolans Bed", which I myself Kindled at one point and have now lost forever unless I backup my Kindle, which I might do tonight just so I don't lose MY BOOKS that I paid for. What's laughable is "Under Mr. Nolan's Bed" wasn't gratuitous or all about incest. It's just that was the catcher at the end. This young woman (who is over the age of 18) and the older man find out after the fact that he's her father (unbeknownst to both of them). It was like a shocker - twilight zone kind of ending. Nothing I'd call nasty or in poor taste.

What's next, Amazon? Are you going to tell me all the books I bought about alternative religions and magick, or other erotica novels I have are no longer in my library just because you no longer want to sell a particular book?

I guess I need to start shopping elsewhere for my eBooks or risk losing them and the money I've spent on them to Amazon's crazy censorship guidelines (which are so vague most authors can't make heads or tails of them). It also means I need to backup my Kindle, because like so many Kindle owners we've allowed Amazon to archive our books on their site for us.

No more. I think Smashwords is going to get a lot more of my business.

What I don't get is they pull benign stories like "Under Mr. Nolan's Bed" but they keep up the really raunchy incest stuff (which didn't go unnoticed by me!). Amazon confuses me.

As a writer this concerns me, too. With my recent foray into the erotica genre and some of the other controversial content I've published with them (including my latest mystery novel) - I do have to wonder how long it's safe before it, too, is censored and pulled off their site and out of my reader's electronic libraries.

I guess the lesson here is buy an eBook reader not specific to a retailer and back your eReader up often. Luckily plenty of other websites will still distribute the work of Selena Kitt and other popular authors whose fictional books dared break a societal taboo. I guess if I want to read Kitt I'll buy her "banned by Amazon" books from another retailer.

10 Tips/Thoughts On Love, Sex, and Finding a Mate

2010-12-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

Okay - so I'm not an expert in human behavior or love and sex, but I am happily married (together for 13 years and married 11), which says a lot these days. So I'm going to give the single folks out there some advice on love and marriage. With the rise of "Abstinence Only" education and the "Prize" and exaltation of virginity - I really think young women and men need some practical advice on this.

So here you go - 10 Tips/Thoughts on Love, Sex, and Finding a Mate:

1. Virginity is over-rated. I know this from experience as I was once a virgin. Sure, don't sleep with everything that moves and definitely practice SAFE sex with a person you LOVE (using condoms + birth control pills are a good combination), but staying virginal until marriage is a REALLY BAD idea. Why? Because firstly, nothing is worse than two virgins trying to please each other (not to mention male virginity is not as prized as a woman's and most men won't be virgins anyway) and secondly - if your mate is bad in bed, you're stuck with him/her or you'll end up divorced over it.

2. Married sex is no better than unmarried sex. A hard core Christian once told my husband (before we got married) that once he and I were married our sex would be better. We decided to test that theory. Nope - it was just as good as it was before we got married as it was after. Imagine that.

3. Living with your intended mate before you get married is a REALLY GOOD idea. And yes - this also means I encourage pre-marital sex. The reason for all of this? Better to find out you can't live with someone or they're bad in bed BEFORE you spend all that money on a wedding and subsequently have to spend all that money on a divorce. Just sayin'... it's practical, common-sense advice folks!

4. Pick and choose your battles wisely. Some battles just aren't worth it. The underlying point here being that you can't change anyone and don't think just because they love you, they'll change. It's never going to happen. If they do something that drives you absolutely crazy, you've told them about it and they refuse to change it, and you can't just let it go and accept it -- break off the relationship and move on. Really.

5. Once a cheater always a cheater. Men and women who can't be faithful should NEVER get married to begin with. It's not fair to the other person. Why? Because once again - people are who they are and usually they won't change. I can't begin to tell you how many people I've known who cheated on a boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse and who've continued the pattern with every relationship after that.

6. Like the above - if someone is abusive or has an addiction - they won't change. Some people seem addicted to being abused and walk straight into abusive relationship after abusive relationship. If this describes you - stop all relationships immediately and seek help for your low self-esteem. Then, once you know that you can do better and that you deserve better - THEN go back to seeking a relationship.

7. There's no such thing as the perfect man/woman and if you're looking for the relationship that will always have that "brand new" relationship feeling and smell -- never going to happen. It doesn't exist. Likewise, romance will usually run dry at some point (especially when it comes to men). When they're wooing you it's all flowers and constant affection but that often goes away once they have the girl/guy they want. There may be exceptions to this rule and if you have one - congratulations. Count your blessings.

8. Love will find you when you're least expecting it or when you've stopped looking. I don't know why this is, but it seems to be a general rule of thumb. Basically - quit trying so hard and just be yourself.

9. Be picky and have standards. Yes - it will take you longer to find a mate and you may have to kiss a lot of frogs to find the prince(princess), but it will be worth it.

10. Really the key to finding a mate (as my husband puts it) is to find a person whose crap you'll put up with and who will put up with your crap. I know that's unromantic, but it's true.

Oh sure - the above aren't the beginning and end all to relationships. As a matter of fact there are exceptions to all of this and you could very well be one. If you are an exception - good for you! Just realize that your situation is an exception and be thankful for that.

Yule Writing

2010-12-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

Watching Christmas movies and working on a novella. Of course after this novella it's seriously back to work on "Into Darkness" and "Honoring Death". So a cup of coffee (with cocoa in it) and maybe a warm blanket and I'm going to work on finishing this last novella of the year. Yeah - I have a few novellas scheduled for next year, too, but I can work on them in-between the bigger stuff and I haven't been given any deadlines on those yet.

Still a few small holiday shopping things to finish up and the decorating to do, but I'll work on that tomorrow (maybe). I'm thinking my decorating soundtrack will be Jaiya and Misfits.

Really - Get Back to Work!

2010-12-09T10:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, body. I think it's time you and I had a little talk. You've been sick for almost three weeks now and I've been patient with you. You've stressed out over the holidays and given me a few anxiety attacks. You've gotten a head cold, a chest cold, and the stomach flu. But here's the thing - we have a lot of stuff to do. That's right - I have a list. We still need to finish doing the prep for the family holiday dinner. You still need to clean and decorate the house. You have a novella that you need to finish and get to your editor. You have two books with deadlines fast approaching! You still have some holiday shopping to finish up. You have gifts to wrap.

There are a million reasons you need to get your crap together and get back to work. Vacation is over. A lot of people are counting on you to get all this stuff done.

Don't give me that look. Now get back to work!

Sincerely,

Steph's Brain.

The Holiday Crunch

2010-12-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to feel overwhelmed, rushed, and a bit anxious. This is the time of year I hate shopping (too many people). It's the time of year I never have enough time. I have yet to put up the yule decorations or finish the gift shopping. I'm biding my time before buying fixin's for the secular family xmas feast, which I was fortunate enough to draw this year. Luckily I did order the ham, but I need to remind myself that I need to get my grocery shopping done the weekend of the 18th or risk not having cinnamon rolls Xmas morning (I know this from experience). I also need to find substitutions for what my sis was going to bring since her boyfriend is still in the ICU and will be over the holidays. That leaves us without a green bean casserole or a pumpkin pie. Both things I can manage (I think).

This hasn't been an ideal holiday. On top of my sister's boyfriend being deathly ill and them not knowing if he's going to make it or not, another friend is having surgery. So amidst all the already anxious holiday planning I have to take time to spend some time with my sister, who needs emotional support right now, and I want to visit my friend who is having the surgery as well. It's people who are important, after all.

Then of course throw a day job and the contracted writing on top of all that and bad, bad things happen to my poor stomach. Not to mention my poor husband who has to put up with me and my anxious ranting. lol. Talk about stress. I'd just cancel the holiday, but that's not really fair to everyone else (those who aren't stressed).

I think I'm going back on vacation...

A Childless Life

2010-12-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

Once again today my husband got the, "Oh, you should become a parent, then you'd understand...." nonsense from someone with children.

As a childless couple we run across this kind of discrimination a lot. People are constantly telling you that you won't or can't understand this or that until you have kids. They treat you as if you're naive and stupid. As if you haven't grown up yet, or like you're defective or selfish (the "selfish" bit is my favorite). They offhandedly make snotty comments or assumptions without realizing how hurtful and annoying said comments are.

Why? Because we live in a society that glorifies parenthood. We're a society of child-worshipers. It is assumed that in this life we'll all pair off, have a few children, then grow old and die and the cycle will repeat. For some people that's all they offer society- their children. They serve no other function beyond being a parent and working. Their children are their crowning achievement. Having kids is the only thing worthwhile they've ever contributed to society. These are usually the types who really get down on those of us without children.

Imagine how it is to live in our society as someone who doesn't want kids, can't have them, or who can't afford to adopt them. (Many who hear you can't have kids always throw out there: "Well just adopt," as if it's easy and affordable. It costs tens of thousands of dollars folks!).

Those of you who know me know how hard it was for us when we found out we couldn't have kids. You know the pain we went through going through the infertility treatments. You also know how extensively we discussed and looked into adoption and that we ultimately decided it was up to fate.

Don't get me wrong - we're not anti-child. Never have been. If we end up with a kid or two, great. But if not - our world isn't going to end. We came to terms with our situation many years ago.

What I AM against is being treated like we're inferior because we don't have children. I'm tired of being singled out to work late and on weekends because "You don't have a family!" Umm, yes, actually I DO have a family. I have a husband, nieces and nephews, siblings, parents, etc... Not having children does not equal not having a family. Nor does it equal no life.

Because I don't have children does not mean I don't understand things (and I'm pretty sure my husband would agree here).

A. I was a child myself once.
B. I observe human behavior.
C. I have nieces and nephews.
D. I have deductive reasoning skills.
E. I have empathy (the ability to put myself in someone else's position)
F. I have siblings and friends who are parents who share their experiences with me.

Please tell me. What don't I understand? How to put others before myself? If that's your answer - wrong. I often put others before myself. Were I put into a position where my nieces and nephews are concerned - I would absolutely put them before myself.

The only part of child rearing I haven't experienced for myself is getting up every two hours to feed and change a baby. However - I have had the trots really bad and had to get up every 15-20 minutes to use the bathroom. I imagine it's something like that, only less dehydrating and probably not as crampy. Oh - and I haven't had a child wedged up my ass 24/7 with no break. I imagine that can sometimes suck. I can imagine it though - even without having experienced it.

Because we don't have children does not mean we have no reason to live or no life to lead. I've learned that many women who have children do have to put aside their own identities and interests long enough to raise their kids, then resume their interests and such after their kids are grown. The difference between me and a mother - my circumstances have not made me set aside my own interests. That's not being selfish on my part (as some have insisted) -- it's simply the lot in life I was dealt. Which means I've had more time to concentrate my efforts in my interests and career because that's what I've had to do. It wasn't really my choice. And no - while a career is no substitute for having children, with my career I am the mother of all I create. Like a mother leaves behind her legacy in her children - I leave my legacy for future generations in the books I write. I think it's a fair comparison.

My husband will leave behind the music he creates (among other things).

Because we don't have children we do reserve the right to lament over our pets. Yes, they are kind of like children in that I haven't been to the bathroom alone in over 10 years and they're constantly under foot and wanting our attention. Hey - we have to listen to your child stories, you have to listen to our cat stories. Fair is fair.

We also get annoyed when people "feel sorry" for us or try to pawn their kids off on us as if that will make up for our infertility.

Please don't.

We've learned to accept and live our childless life on our own terms and we've learned to be happy where we are. You feeling sorry for us only makes us feel sorry for you for being so naive to think our sun rises and falls around the children we'll never have. I'm happy your children have brought joy to your life and you can't imagine your life without them. But for you to assume we're missing something and you shoving your kids on us only annoys us. When we want to be around your kids, we'll let you know.

Besides, the fact that we have money to burn, time to kill, and have been able to follow our bliss more than makes up for our inability to conceive children. ::shrug:: It is what it is and we've accepted it. Perhaps those who choose to judge us should, too.

I'm Here...

2010-12-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, still basking in the glow of a long vacation. I did get some writing done - at first. But then the vacation part took over and forced me to relax and give in to the mind-numbing do-nothingness. Despite the fact that I had a bit of a cold (seems everyone's been sick) that I'm still fending off, I had a really nice time. Went to Maine and Massachusetts, visited friends, and we took a day and went down to NYC. Had Thanksgiving with my SiL and her husband and my BiL. Quite enjoyable.

So now it's back to work on writing projects. Yes - Into Darkness and Honoring Death are still priorities. Of course TA is also a priority as I need to have it to my editor before Yule. In the meantime, still working on the Audrey Brice stand alone birthed during NaNo. TC will become a reality just because it's too fun a story not to. Not to mention I really like the characters and the little town I've built for them.

As for ETG - we'll see. Now off to work with me. Hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Fun Things

2010-11-23T20:47:00.000-08:00

So relaxing doesn't necessarily mean not working for me. Yes, I'm on vacation and I'm still working - I wouldn't have it any other way. Worked on one of the novellas and the NaNo (even if it was just thinking about it) this week. Have also been running around getting pics for the cover of TC. Lots of inspiration here in New England. I can see why Stephen King lives in Maine. If I could acquire myself an old Victorian or nice carriage house that didn't need a lot of work - I think I'd move here in a heartbeat provided I could stay indoors where it's warm in Winter and have air conditioning in Summer.

So Thursday we head down to Massachusetts for some family time and food then I think Friday we're heading into Rhode Island to see Harry Potter (maybe). Monday, for the first time, I'm going to NYC. We'll probably be hanging in Manhattan for the afternoon. Should be fun and interesting in the very least. For the most part we're just enjoying the time off.

Oh - and some GOOD NEWS - Barnes & Noble dropped the "Self Published" warning label off of my small press stuff. Thank you B&N. Funny how sales resumed. Those two words really do seem to slow book sales considerably. Just saying...

Cords and Other Anxiety

2010-11-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

Packing list:
Laptop + Cord
Kindle + Cord
BlackBerry + Cord
Camera + Cord
MP3 Player + Cord
Flash Drive

All of which will be carried on my person through security check. ::sigh:: What a pain in the arse. At the same time - I need reading material, writing material, listening material, video/pictures, a backup device, and my friggin' phone.

Twelve years ago I went to Europe without any of this stuff (except an old fashioned film camera). It makes me realize that at one time we lived without all our gadgets. Without having to be plugged in 24/7 and how much simpler it was to travel without all this crap.

At the same time - I'm absolutely addicted and I *want* all this crap. I *want* numerous books at my disposal on the plane without having to pick just one paperback. I want the computer just in case I have a brilliant idea to write down. Not to mention I plan on using some of my vacation time to write. We don't need no stinkin' pen and paper. I also don't want to be subjected to lousy airplane music channels with the poppy crap and their version of rock by bands no one except fourteen-year-old girls know. And I'd like to be able to listen to music I enjoy during long car drives. Cameras are just essential, as is my damn phone, not to mention the flash drive so I can back up all those glorious words I plan to write.

So the question now is -- what will all of us hopelessly "plugged in" folks do if there was ever a power grid meltdown or the Internet exploded. What would we do if our 3G networks crumbled to dust and there was no longer WiFi?

Slacking

2010-11-17T09:38:00.000-08:00

The vacation twitch has settled in my left eye. The idea of leaving town for two weeks for New York is welcome, but at the same time I think of all the things at the office I'm leaving behind and the disaster I'm going to come back to. My niece is house and cat-sitting. So this week I've been busy.

I'm currently working on the latest MFP title. Of course since it's secret identity stuff I can't really elaborate here. I have other internet hang outs for that. I can say that being open to experimenting with a new genre is working out really well so far. I don't know how long the momentum will hold out, but at the moment I'm not complaining.

On that note the work on contracted projects meanders along. I've went ahead and sent the first half of Into Darkness to my editor. I figure by the time I'm done with the second half she'll have the first half looked over and we'll be that much further ahead of the game.

As for HD - still working on it. I know a lot of you have been patiently waiting for this book and I promise it's coming along. I've just found I have a lot more to say at this point. It's coming. Just hold out at least another six months and it will be yours.

And YES - I will be working during my vacation. I'm bringing the laptop. I'm in the middle of so many projects right now that I can't afford to NOT work a little during my vacation. Besides, I've pretty much been slacking this week getting ready to get the hell out of dodge.

Maybe I'll get lucky and the TSA will give me a good groping Friday. It would be the highlight of my week.

Catch you all on the flipside!

A Confession

2010-11-13T12:33:00.000-08:00

I'm really debating buying George W. Bush's book, Decision Points. And Meghan McCain's Dirty Sexy Politics just because I want to read both of them. I want to get into the minds of the people who really think the Republican Party is on the right track.

This makes me feel dirty.

It's a conundrum because I really don't want to give these people a damn cent just because they scare me. At the same time I am so curious I can't even tell you...

Too Much Excitement

2010-11-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking November has just been too exciting for the publishing end of the game for me. I am SO ready for a vacation. Between contracted stories, the huge Barnes and Noble glitch, being further stamped "Self Published", and other fun things I just want to hide from my writing for awhile. I've been working hard and not so much on the NaNo. I think I might set the NaNo aside in the idea file and just go back to the contracted pile because my muse wants to work on her paying gigs evidently. I've written about 20K on paying gigs already and only about 12K on the Nano. Who knows. While I'm on vacation maybe I'll give my muse permission to not work on paying work for two weeks so she can write what she wants. Maybe I'll throw everything I've written together into a file and upload it for NaNo. Some people think it's the word count that matters.

I think NaNo was like Roto-Rooter. It cleared out my creative pipes and now all those ideas for the contracted work are running freely again. Who knows what next week will bring. Maybe I'll be lamenting over my NaNo next week. Only time will tell. In the meantime, off to bed with me. I'm bouncing off the walls and completely spazzed out. Maybe even a little cranky. I need booze.

It's all Path of Ptah's fault anyway. But that's neither here nor there. ::wink:: :)

Foiled Again!

2010-11-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

The BandN PubIt website is glitchy. I knew this when after my accumulated royalties due hit over $1,000, the total disappeared off the page. Clearly an issue of not enough room on the report field to handle a number over 3 digits.

Well imagine my shock, dismay and devastation when I opened my sales reports on Barnes and Noble PubIt this morning to discover all of my sales MIA. You got it! Almost 3000 books sold and over $5000 in sales VANISHED - right into thin air.

No - I have no physical record of my actual sales because I don't have a printer at home. Just at work and to be honest I didn't think to print the sales page on company time and ink. Not to mention I trusted B and N would never screw me over. After all, they're a huge corporation and wouldn't screw the little guy. For someone like me - 5K in sales is *substantial*.

I sent the e-mail to B and N PubIt staff at 9:30am this morning and have not heard anything back yet. There is a possibility this is a system-wide glitch so they could be buried in e-mail. So far I haven't been able to get ahold of friends or publishers who also have access to their PubIt reports. Right now it's a "wait-and-see" kind of thing.

If I haven't gotten a response by the end of the day I will likely take all my books offline at Barnes and Noble until the issue is resolved. If the issue is not resolved - well, I'll cross that bridge when we get there. I am still hopeful it's just a glitch and Barnes and Noble is honest and has integrity and will resolve the issue as quickly as they can.

I hate taking the books offline at all, but if there's even a remote chance I'm not getting paid for sales - then I don't want to risk it. There's just too much money involved.

UPDATE: Evidently it's a system wide glitch, it won't affect sales, and it should be resolved by the end of the day. We'll see. Some guy at B&N actually said today and yesterday's sales should be showing up. Umm, nope! Which is impossible since one of the novellas has been rising in the ranks since last night so I KNOW it's selling copies. So we'll see. Yes - I'm having a paranoid knee jerk reaction. But do you blame me? The amount of money involved amounts to almost 2 months take home pay for me. So yeah - I'm freaking out.

NOON UPDATE: So it seems B&N got yesterday and today's sales back up on my report page. But it's still missing October 31-November 9 which was around 3000 books. So let's hope - for their sake - those 3000 books I sold during that time are showing back up by the end of the day or in the very least - by tomorrow.

2:00PM UPDATE: Nothing new yet. It's 4PM EST, coming up on the end of the day here and I'm still waiting for a resolution. Of course the report is pulling all my sales from an undisclosed time yesterday until today -- over 300 copies and $544 in just that short time alone.

FINAL OUTCOME:
The issue was finally resolved at 5:30 pm MST and all my sales look to be there and intact. I've printed copies of the reports. Now the real test is seeing if I start getting regular paychecks starting end of December.

Don't get me wrong - I don't necessarily think Barnes and Noble is dishonest or anything like that. I just know that their system is really glitchy at the moment and I didn't want to be the one taking that kind of risk with my work if there were no guarantees I'd be getting paid - after all - *they* have already gotten paid. It was just too much money to gamble like that. So yeah - I was freaking out. But does anyone blame me? Probably not. :)

International Author

2010-11-10T09:52:00.000-08:00

Found out today all my books are available through both Amazon Canada (paperbacks only so far) and Amazon UK (paperbacks and Kindle). This means you don't have to place an overseas order to get my books! Woohoo! Enjoy them!

Yeah - I knew my Kindle books were available in the UK, just not the paperbacks. I'm hoping the Kindle books will be available to Canada soon, too.

The Argument FOR Indie Authors

2010-11-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

A lot of folks on the Kindle user boards and other places are touting the "Self Published is Evil!" banner. Probably because the small press and indie authors over there are constantly promoting themselves. Again, someone is trying to promote the idea that all self-published work is bad (and trying to throw the small press in with that crowd).

This really isn't always the case. First - Kindle has a neat feature called "SAMPLE". Nook Readers also have this option. Reading a sample of a book or finding an excerpt online is really the smart way to research a book BEFORE you buy it. Even books put out by big publishers should be sampled first! Just because it's put out by a publisher whose name you recognize is no guarantee it's good or that you'll like it. At the most, you can expect 1-4 funky typos per book whereas some self-published stuff may have more errors than that. Depends on the indie author and how (s)he is.

I've kind of stepped away from reading nothing but big publishers lately and have moved into reading almost exclusively small press and Indie (minus a few series I'm following). Why? Because the small presses and indies are oftentimes willing to tread into new or taboo territory. They aren't afraid to take chances on new authors or stories with themes or topics the main stream won't touch with a ten-foot-pole.

Basically - I've noticed a lot of what's being put out by the big presses these days is really cookie-cutter and formulaic and to be honest with you, I'm bored with reading the same books over and over again. I've found that in small presses and Indie authors, this doesn't seem to happen as frequently until the author falls into a pattern (i.e. they find a book that sells well and then they write that same book over and over again).

Okay - let's be honest. YES, there probably are a higher number of lemons in the Indie market. The small press at least provides some sort of barrier (i.e. editorial input). But really I've read a lot of crap in the mainstream press, too. A good book is a subjective thing. Now granted tons of spelling errors and really poor writing has no place in the publishing world regardless the size of the publisher (or lack thereof). However, you can usually weed those books out by using the SAMPLE feature. SAMPLE is your friend.

I guess my point is don't discount self-published books or even small presses (a lot of people erroneously think that just because a small press isn't well known that it's a self-publishing front) because you're going to miss out on a lot of good, unique, and interesting work by writers who don't suck.

The truth of the matter is that good writers are a dime a dozen (there are a lot of us out here), but big publishers only have so many books they can put out each year by new authors. This means a lot of good books are passed over in favor of celebrity authors (guaranteed income for the publisher), or authors who are already known and have a following. Some of those good, yet rejected-by-a-big-publisher books end up with a home at a small press, and others are self-published. Just sayin'...

Oh - and on that note as someone who has a whole slew of self-published non-fiction - I'd say my thousands of copies sold and hundreds of fans really say otherwise about how "horrible" self published writers are. Not to mention that I have fans with all my small press fiction as well (in three different genres). Now sure - none of it's self published and it all goes through an editor and editorial process, but I put my self-pubbed stuff through a similar process and very rarely do I get some anal retentive reader who complains about my split infinitives, how I used a comma on page 93, or whatnot. Most readers judge on content. I didn't become a bestselling indie (i.e. Small Press because we did brand it) non-fiction author by sucking. ;)

More Novellas & Dreams

2010-11-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

My secret identity has been really busy. I've got two more novella's contracted. My publisher was thrilled that I was able to get the next story to him so quickly. Yay. Yeah, I have some bestselling eBooks and I'm proud of them. They were a lot of work. There's also been talk of a paperback anthology sometime next year, which I'm super excited about. I would like a physical paperback copy of a collection of my novellas.

Now onto other things. I actually dreamed about the NaNo novel. I am kicking myself because in the dream there was a solution to where I'm stuck at the moment. I didn't write it down. This just lends more credence to the practice of keeping a dream journal at the side of the bed and writing down everything from my dreams into the journal. Now sometimes I'll do this, I'm just not consistent. Consistency is everything there.

On that note, an e-mail from a FB friend sparked more work on HD, which is nice. I think I feel a bit more confident writing about the topic now that I've more fully experienced the subject matter. I'm finding I have a great deal to say, which is a good thing when you're writing an entire book. This also means HD isn't coming out this year unless I get a wild hair. But it is coming. I'm still talking to fellow necromancers about their experiences as well.

I also feel the urge to work on Into Darkness. Good things are happening and at this point if I don't finish the NaNo I don't care because the contracted work is going well and I'm enjoying the work. I'm also getting a real paycheck for fiction now, which I'm happy about. I don't know how long it will last, but I'm going to enjoy it while I have it and thank the Gods every day for the readers who enjoy my work. Without them it wouldn't be possible and I am humbled by the fact that they are buying it, recommending it, and talking about it.

Monday Meanderings

2010-11-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

I want to thank Mystee from A Moment with Mystee for giving me the opportunity to participate in her January book giveaway. I'll also be doing an interview on her blog in January and I have a guest blog spot over there in February. Watch here for more details!

I am still debating what to blog about. I'm thinking paranormal, things that go bump in the night just because that's always a fun topic. We'll see. I'll know more in a few days what I'm going to do.

Another contracted novella out the door and I'm now 3 days behind on the NaNo, but I'm cool with that. I did write over 7K this weekend anyway.

I did get some fun "fan mail" over the weekend that I'm considering, too. I get some strange ones, that's for sure. Ask me about the time some guy wrote to me to tell me Stevie Wonder's brother was possessed by demons, I dare you. ::giggles:: Or the time the guy wrote to me to tell me he was possessed by a squirrel and needed to know what to do. And of course the infamous, "How do I summon a demon to XXX" fill in the blank. I've gotten everything from questions about summoning demons for penis enlargement, to money, women, fame, and power. Love it! Of course it's not generally mail I answer either. I don't see any reason to encourage or validate stuff like that because it always turns out strange for me.

Some people just want to talk and ask me how my day was or tell me about their day. I guess that's pretty cool, too. I just don't always have time to respond.

Wow, this really is a meander. Now back to business. I'm at work, have a lot to do, and at some point I need to make it over to FM to update, but I want to have a word count for the day before I even go there.

Stupid is the New Smart

2010-11-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else noticed this trend? Stupid is the new smart. We pay people millions just because they look good, or look good and sound good, or because they sucked someones dick on video or showed their hootchie to the paparazzi. We pay people millions because they can play a game. We exalt the beautiful and often brainless. We even elect the stupid to public office.

It's unfortunate we no longer reward or hold in high esteem real talent or intelligence. Okay - so maybe some of us do, but a vast majority of people don't.

Even in publishing real authors with real talent are being passed over for the easy money makers. I was watching CNN the other morning and some little starlet (don't know who she was, just that she was blond and cute - probably something Disney) was talking about the new novel she ::wink:: wrote. When asked about her writing process she said, in a 'duh' way, "Well, like, I had these ideas and I wrote them down."

When asked how she got published she said, "Well, I met the right people and got a contract." Which is likely code for, "I sucked someones penis and they had an 'in'."

Yeah, I know, it sounds like I have sour grapes and truthfully - umm, yeah. I mean I know a lot of talented writers out there. But they're not pretty, and they don't already have a teeny bop audience who will buy whatever they're selling either. It's sad because real storytelling talent is left unrewarded while marginal, or even completely brainless hacks can write a book about anything and sell it just by virtue of their celebrity regardless. To add insult to injury - most of them don't even write their own stuff. A ghost writer does it. So if there is any talent behind it - it's the ghost writer's, not the person whose name is on the cover.

Whether most people realize it or not, the recording and publishing, television and movie making corporate moguls dictate what we read and what we like and what is popular. They're the ones who reward the incredibly stupid. This is in part why I've really gone to reading and listening to stuff on the Indie side of the fence recently. To prove I'm not just supporting or enjoying whatever New York or California tells me to. Not saying there aren't talented authors or musicians in traditional venues - there are - but their books are often cookie cutter and they all start sounding alike after awhile.

No child left behind rewards the incredibly stupid by saying, "It's okay to be average and everyone is the same, and you're all entitled to the same rewards as someone who's worked their ass off and actually has some talent. Bullshit. Hard work, contribution, and talent should be rewarded. Those who have nothing but looks, or a voice, or whatever - should be encouraged to use their brains. (Not saying all pretty people are stupid, just that sometimes when they get what they want by virtue of their looks alone, some don't exercise their brains anymore - Paris Hilton asking that farmer's wife what a well was used for comes to mind. Seriously, if you're that dumb that you don't know what a well is, we should throw you into one.)

As a result we've got a generation of selfish people who are entitlement minded and think they deserve something just because they're pretty or popular or because they did a sex tape. Or they think they deserve what everyone else has just because they exist.

I think of what that says about our culture and I am saddened that the true role-models worthy of our respect and admiration -- and our money, the scientists, authors, inventors and musicians (the ones who actually have the talent but who aren't necessarily the loudest or the prettiest) are often the ones who get the shaft and the least respect of all.

Super Secret Writer

2010-11-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I went to the dentist. As usual, my dental hygienist started asking me how things were and what was new with me and I found myself saying, "Not much. Same old thing. Working." Then we talked about me and DH's trip later this month and how she was going to her parents' in Nebraska for thanksgiving. And not once did I say, "Oh, I just had a third novel come out!"

When it comes to face-to-face self promotion when it's not in the appropriate atmosphere - I suck. I know some authors who tell everyone about their books. Their hairdresser, their dental hygienist, the plumber, their mechanic and his wife, their butcher, their bank - everyone. For some reason, IMHO, it almost seems bad manners to me to A. Talk about myself to excess and B. Find a way to turn every opportunity for conversation into a talk about my books.

Okay - yeah - here I talk about myself all the time. On my Facebook I talk about myself all the time. But that's different. I use this blog and my Facebook for self-promotion. When I'm hanging out with friends in the real world I want to talk about stuff other than my writing. When I'm talking to my dental hygienist, I guess I want to talk about my teeth. Or maybe her going to visit her parents in Nebraska. Not my books.

Perhaps it's to my detriment. Or not. Not sure. It just seems uncomfortable and strange to me to tell everyone about my books. In fact I'd say a good number of people in my life have no idea I'm a published author. And you know what? I think I may actually like it that way.

NaNo November

2010-11-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

So this year I decided to break down and write a NaNo novel. I've had this idea running through my mind for about three years now. Or at least the characters and the backstory. So this year I've decided to write about them. Now, whether or not I'll put it through editing and see it if will make a viable novel at some point remains to be seen. But for now it is what it is, an idea that I fully intend on putting into a novel. I'm already at 4K. Haven't started writing for today yet.

So if posts to this blog end up sporadic this month, that would be why. I'll be furiously typing my eyes off to hit 50K before the end of the month and if all goes well, I could easily have the bulk of that banged out by the 20th or so. We'll see. :)

Experiment Month One

2010-10-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

Background:
A writer friend and I were discussing what kinds of books sold. Then she confided in me that she'd been writing a certain type of book incognito. I was shocked. Flabbergasted in fact since she has books with major publishers as well as small press. I mean, I'm not a prude, but I'm not without my Puritan upbringing like so many other Americans. I even blushed. I said aloud, "I could never write that."

Then she told me how much of her writing income came from this. I was floored. Surely she was making it up. So I started doing some research. I began reading the books and watching their eBook sales numbers. Finally, I threw my Puritan upbringing to the wolves and sat down and penned a Novelette. I'm a pretty decent writer with a strong writing resume, so it wasn't too tough for me. I finished the story the beginning of September and it was edited and released as an eBook October 1. During the month of October I worked on a second. The second was a true Novella coming in at over 14K. It was released October 25.

I've labeled them Novella #1 and Novella #2 to share the detailed results of this experiment with my writer friends. If you want very specific details (titles, pseudonym, genre specifics) you'll need to contact me at swordarkeereon@gmail.com and we can talk about it. Or you can PM me on Facebook. I don't want to compromise my secret identity here.

Novella #1 (8,400 words)
Released October 1, 2010 on Kindle
Released October 2, 2010 on Nook

Price: $2.99
Author Royalty Kindle: 2.00
Author Royalty Nook: 1.94

Kindle Copies Sold: 51
Breakdown - US: 50 UK: 1

Nook Copies Sold: 103

Kindle Profit: $102.00
Nook Profit: $ 200.18
Total Made on Novella #1 Month 1: $302.18

Novella #2 (14,000words)
Released October 25, 2010 on Kindle
Released October 26, 2010 on Nook

Price: $2.99
Author Royalty Kindle: 2.00
Author Royalty Nook: 1.94

Kindle Copies Sold: 20
Breakdown- US: 17 UK: 3

Nook Copies Sold: 460

Kindle Profit: $40.00
Nook Profit: $ 894.01
Total Made on Novella #2 Month 1: $934.01
(actually this is really only one week!!!)

Total Month 1 Income on Experiment: $1,236.19

Some observations:

Nook users seem to buy more of this particular genre and I wonder if it's because once the book is live, so are the covers and descriptions whereas Amazon can take up to a week to import the description. Once Amazon imports the description, your book is no longer in front of readers and your opportunity to lure a reading audience is gone.

I first thought the first 72 hours were the most pivotal and I had to go into several Amazon Kindle user groups to let them know the books were available. I did it incognito as if I were a reader recommending it. Yes, I know that's underhanded, but I don't have an Amazon account as my secret identity and quite frankly don't want everyone knowing about my secret identity because what I'm writing isn't just mainstream, vanilla you-know-what. I've always taken to the taboo in almost everything I do, after all. So upon dropping little recommendations here and there, that's when the most sales were generated on Amazon. Otherwise, sales trickle in at 1-3 copies per day. Most sales seem to happen in the evening hours on Amazon.

This did not hold true for Nook. On Novella #2 the Nook sales spurt started 4 days after the initial release. Something amazing happened and in the space of 24 hours I went from 24 books sold to 100 books sold in 24 hours. The book ended up #143 on BandN's bestsellers in Nook and #5 in Erotica sales on Nook. Don't ask me how it happened. It just did. I've also heard that certain types of stories sell really well, and this particular story has that in it.

I woke up 10/30/2010 to find that Novella #2 was at #138 and #2 on the bestseller list. Still don't know how it happened. I only have a few handfuls of friends and writer friends and a couple editors who know who I am and what I'm writing. They have promised to keep my secret identity secret.

Different types of books generate different types of sales (obviously). Mixing the sacred with the profane... eh, not so much as "experience" type stories.

To really make any substantial money doing this you'd have to generate at least one new story per week and include as many elements that may sell well as possible. My current plan is to release 1-4 of these stories per quarter with no commitment. However, the allure is there. It would be tempting but I would have to give up writing the things I love to write and my readers love to read and I'm not quite willing to do that. Instead, I'll be content throwing a few of these out every few months as an exercise in writing shorts (if anything). Not to mention I clearly have readers in this genre now. I may even play in various sub-genres there with additional pen-names. We'll see. I'm just dabbling.

You may also have to assume that there is a possibility that Nook will eventually be drowning in these stories. So those who got into BandN Nook early with their books will have good sales until everyone is doing it, at which point your sales may be similar to Amazon's. About 10 copies per week per title on average.

I'll post another report at the end of November to track where these stories and their sales are. I fully expect sales to slowly taper off to maybe 20 copies a month or something like that. I have two more of these stories in the works right now. They'll probably be released December/January.

Secret Identity

2010-10-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

My secret identity now has a #2 bestselling novella. (If I say anything more my secret identity will be compromised.) LOL! Wow! I realize the whole thing is an experiment, but I have to admit I'm REALLY surprised by the results and almost instantaneous sales boom (more of which you'll learn about tomorrow). What is even more impressive is to see people rating it between 4-5 stars. Of course I still wonder about the state of our culture when *this* is what they choose to read in such volume. Of course I shouldn't be surprised and just so you know - I'm NOT complaining. I really enjoyed writing it. The editor has been very helpful and workable with my personal life this month AND they want more.

So I'm donning my secret identity cape again and I'll be working on another one in December. :-)

Number Five...

2010-10-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

Calling number five? Number five, please.

Please take a bow, number five.

::bows then straightens, addressing the audience::

"I'd like to thank all of you, my fans. Without all of you, I would not be number five."

::applause::

TGIF People!

2010-10-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

So I have really been thinking about a lot this week. It's been busier than hell. Not only with my grandmother's burial (finally - long story), but prep for Eury, and an avalanche of writing work. My helpful editor at MFP (the experiment) wants another novella by December. I have a 10K start on one that I wrote this past weekend (NOW). So I'm on it! I wrote the story to its natural conclusion but I need a strong ending and it needs a lot of clean-up and editing. By the time I'm done with it, it will be a 15-20K novella.

But alas - November is NaNoWriMo. Yes, I'm a published author and I'm still doing NaNo DESPITE my contracted work. I am supposed to have first drafts of ID to my editor by February 15, 2010. I am pleased with my progress enough to know that I'll probably have the damn thing finished a month in advance.

I was telling my editor at DWP about my NaNo novel and she was like, "Can I see it when you're done?"
I'm not promising anything though, or counting chickens. Right now it is what it is. An idea. Whether or not it becomes a saleable novel is another story that remains to be seen.

Anyway - with all this going on -- DH is busy scheduling all my vacation time with lunches and dinners and time with his friends when all I really want to do is spend my vacation time doing what I love to do. Since I don't get real vacations to places I've never been, I'd at least like to be able to spend SOME time doing what I want since it's my only time off for the year, too. That one thing is writing. Not all the time, mind you, because I want to spend time with him, too. But at least some of it. I really have no interest in seeing his friends. Don't get me wrong - they're nice people, but people I have nothing in common with except him. I usually just sit there quietly, hands in my lap, bored out of my mind listening to them reminisce. And if females are involved and they have kids, that's ALL they yammer on and on about. And if they have kids - the kids are usually there being obnoxious and annoying. If I brought the laptop that might be considered rude...

Suffice to say I'm starting to get worried I won't have any writing time at all the last half of the month.

Then there's the DB title - HD. That one has a January 30th deadline and I'm close to being done there, too. A lot of that is in the formatting.

This leaves the one project I'm dragging my feet on. Eagle's Talon Gray.

I need to finish writing the story. It's half done. It needs a complete rewrite. I can't get myself into it. It has a June 15 deadline. I really need an attitude adjustment on that book and I'm not sure where to get it. Ideas welcome.
That's enough ranting for the day. Now back to work with me.

www.SJREISNER.com

2010-10-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to visit http://www.sjreisner.com/ to learn more about my books and order a few! Outer Darkness (an urban fantasy/paranormal mystery by me as Audrey Brice) on Kindle and on Nook only $3.99! It's gotten rave reviews and it's perfect cold weather reading. A cup of coffee, tea or cocoa, a blanket and a copy of Outer Darkness and I have no doubt you'll enjoy yourself. Trade paperbacks are currently running about $8 a copy, about the same price as a mass market paperback. Get a copy today.

Mysteries not your thing? Check out my adventure fantasy series (S.J. Reisner) , Sorcerers' Twilight starting with Left Horse Black and moving into Warrior's Blood Red. On Kindle and Nook only $1.99. Trade paperbacks of these book are under $12 a copy!

If you like romantic erotica with some kink and bite, you'd like ebooks by my secret identity/identities. Write me at swordarkeereon@gmail.com for author name(s) and book titles. Not a single one is over $3.00 on Kindle or Nook, with more on the way by additional secret identities (for experimental reasons).

Don't forget that you can get both Kindle and Nook reading software for FREE for a wide variety of devices including iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, PC, Android etc... Yes, having a dedicated e-Reader is ideal, but sometimes you make do with what you've got. Before I got my Kindle I used Kindle for BlackBerry and loved it. You'd think it would be a bitch reading on that small screen, but it honestly didn't bother me that much.

For those of you who don't care for fiction I have non-fiction, too. Some in general spirituality, but most of it in Daemonolatry. The website has more information there, too.

Most of my books (ones with an ISBN) that you can find in papback are orderable through your local independent bookstore or large chain, and definitely available via online booksellers. Clearly Nook and Kindle editions are only available via barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com.

Thanks for looking and reading!

I Really Am Going to Read My Backlog!

2010-10-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

So I finished Dear Sir, I'm Yours last night. It made me realize I'm at a place where I need to start working on my backlog of books BEFORE I buy more. I still have about 5 brand new books on my Kindle that I haven't read. Actually one I'm right in the middle of. I should finish it. I also have a stash of paperbacks on the headboard of the bed that I should finish, too. Get them out of the bedroom and onto the bookshelves where they belong.

Goes to show you how sidetracked I get. So until everything I have on the Kindle is marked READ, no more books. I know - famous last words. Let's see how much of the backlog I can actually get through. I have a few romance, some urban fantasy, some contemporary magic realism, a paranormal mystery and a bunch of samples for other books I wanted to try.

I guess we'll see. I read a ton more now that I have a Kindle (like 4 books a month vs. 8 books a month difference - so basically I'm reading twice as much now). I'm realize what kept me from reading more before wasn't lack of money. It was lack of time or want to stop at the bookstore and sift through books. Now - people can recommend books to me, I'll write them down, then, when I'm sitting down at night winding down from my day I can kick back, look up the books that were recommended, click buy, download them and read them right there! No annoying searching shelves for titles (that may not be in stock!). No more annoying lines or sales clerks. It's just more convenient to buy novel to read now.

It's also nice for reading novellas and short stories by authors you like. I never bought short fiction magazines because it always turned out there was only one story per issue I really liked. Sadly this is why print magazines are likely dying. I think more short fiction authors should publish short story collections so we could find writers we like and enjoy their stories in one lump.

Okay - enough of my blabbing. Catch you on the flip side...

Writing Styles

2010-10-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

So I'm reading Dear Sir, I'm Yours and I find myself thinking, I have such a different writing style than this.

Some writers are naturally really descriptive. They literally evoke emotions from their readers by mere word choice. A good erotica writer can do this in such a way that you can actually imagine each deliberate step of seduction. Each kiss. Each caress.

My writing is nothing like that. I don't take five pages to describe what my characters are wearing, nor do I draw out seductions (in those few books where I've written romantic interludes). I have a more straight forward, in-the-reader's-face style and always have.

I've often wished I was more the descriptive/literary type. I've tried my hand at it - I really have, but that's not me. To be honest I tend to shy away from reading authors who are overly descriptive (because it's usually really annoying for someone like me). With some authors it can distract from the story enough to make me not care. Especially when you can tell the description was likely just drawn out to meet a word count quota.

Yet other times it can entice me and make me beg for more.

Joely Sue Burkhart (author of Dear Sir, I'm Yours) is one of the writers who can suck me into a story and make me want it bad. Her description is varied enough to not bore me and her writing style has seduced me into her story.

As a result I've found that I really do like descriptive writing when it's done well. I also have to admit I'm a bit envious my own writing style isn't similar to hers. When I grow up I want to be able to write like Joely Sue Burkhart. ::sigh::

Trends

2010-10-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

Book buying is down this month. It seems that paperback book sales seem to peak in spring, then again at mid-summer, but then drop the last quarter of the year. All the while my e-book sales are up, but most of that is due to the experiment.

I find this somewhat disconcerting. It's put me at a barrier I can't seem to jump over. Without experimental titles I'm down this month. It's all in the numbers as they say.

Of course I really shouldn't be bitching at all as I've sold over 250 books this month which is a record for me. I was hoping the added distribution with Barnes and Noble would increase e-book sales and it has, just not as much as I'd hoped. Some books are doing better on Nook, but then Kindle is kicking Nook's ass - especially in Fantasy and Mystery fiction. These trends could change. I'd almost need about 2 years of data to effectively chart the highs and lows and how well a book is doing. Like at this point I'm pretty sure LHB has sold upwards of 400 copies (hardcover/paperback/eBook combined). WBR - maybe around 100 at this point, but then it's only been out for a little over a year now with no marketing whatsoever. LHB has three years on WBR. Not to mention fantasy novel sales are slowly increasing bit by bit. It's like taking the long way round to get to your audience.

On Sunday I'll post a complete First Month Report on the experiment. Writer friends are welcome to then contact me to discuss specifics if they're interested in conducting their own experiments.

An Interesting Development

2010-10-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

One thing I dislike about e-book distribution through certain distributors is they put your content on hold and port it slowly into their databases. Right now my experiment is showing great progress on B&N Pubit, but I've hit a snag with phase two. It seems B&N is holding "experiment part 2" captive and not making it live on the site. Then I got a strange little message from the B&N folks when we wrote to inquire about the status of experiment part 2.

"Please allow at least 72 hours for your titles to complete the upload process. If your wait is longer, please check your emails for an Account Review notice."

First - why would we be getting an account "review notice" unless the book violates their terms of service? This could be the case because one man's literature could be another's pornography and vice versa. However - I worked hard on these stories. They went through a real editing process and everything. They have real cover art, none of it lurid or sick. There is a genuine story there. It's not pornographic for the sake of being pornographic. Just sayin'. Not to mention the one prior to it didn't even raise a red flag and IMHO, the one they're holding is far tamer than its predecessor.

So that said - my little experiment may just cause me to loose my entire PubIt account. We'll see. If it does I'll be heralding their censorship policies all over the web. Especially if they refuse to remove ALL stories that have similar content (not just mine).

10/26/2010 UPDATE: Well as it turns out I'm merely impatient. Big surprise there. I also have to tell you -- the results of phase two have me a bit baffled so far. I need to think on this a little. Phase three is underway and phase four is only in the 'idea' stage. Eventually I'm going to have to set the experiment aside to get some real work done. ;)

The Kindest Beast

2010-10-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

"I'm setting twenty-two tables for the funeral feast, Satan is by far the kindest beast..." Spiritual Cramp; Christian Death

Funerals. The ritual of death we all partake in at which time we say farewell to our dearly departed loved ones. Let's face it, they're just depressing as hell. Even worse is when you're not a religious person and the funeral is at a church. Also uncomfortable if you're not of the same faith of the person who passed.

And no - it's not about religion, but I'm pretty sure the fact that my family didn't know when to stand or sit during grandma's funeral gave us away as the heathens we are. The religious rituals of death are fascinating. I suppose for many they offer comfort and closure. My personal experience is that the ritual itself did nothing for me. Pretending she's gone to some city in the sky does not comfort me and make my grandmother's death any less painful or any less a loss. She's gone back to all that is. Period. Now I have, in the past, seen evidence that the consciousness of the dead live on long after the shell ceases to function. But none of it suggests to me "heaven" per se. Merely returning to the source. I have yet to really see grandma off on her journey.

I saw Joe and my aunt Karen after they passed (in dreams mind you). I've even seen dead pets pass over. I have yet to see grandma pass. She was the type who would have wanted to make sure everyone was okay before she went for good. She would want to make sure her final wishes were carried out. My guess is that by this time next week I'll have had the dream. I told her, a few weeks before she passed, that she was welcome to visit me anytime she wanted after she passed and I'd be expecting it. She kind of laughed at me. I kind of wonder just how "religious" she really was at the end. Just some private conversations we shared about life and death and the afterlife.

I regret nothing. I spent a great deal of time with my grandmother. I visited her religiously every Wednesday night (unless I was sick or the weather was horrible). And I took her to get her hair done every other Saturday (unless she was sick, I had a prior engagement, or the weather was bad). The last thing I ever said to her was, "I love you." So I don't have that "Should have..." "Could have..." "Would have..." running through my mind at all. I had closure. I'd seen her only three days before she passed and talked to her the afternoon before she passed and she was in a lot of pain. I remember both times praying to Eury to take her soon so she wouldn't be in pain anymore. It was an answered prayer.

We still have to go to the cremation/burial later next week (long story). So R.I.P. Grandma and I suppose I'll talk to you one last time before you go.

Thursday's Thoughts

2010-10-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited today because I have a fix for NGD. For my AOC fans (I know a few of you know who I am), I think you'll like this one. BTW and for the record - it's really bizarre having a really secret identity and it's even more bizarre having people rate the work of the secret identity highly. Especially considering what it is. Complete strangers gave SM five stars over on Barnes and Noble. On that front (the experiment front), I'll fill you all in with my first month results on the 31st.

What's on my reading list? Dear Sir, I'm Yours. I'm in the Kindle Smut book club over on Goodreads and I'm proud of it. LOL! I'll probably read it while on vacation.

On that note - vacation is next month and quite frankly I need one.

Not much else going on. My grandmother's funeral is tomorrow so don't expect my daily post until late. Perhaps I'll talk about funerals and that heathen-O-licious occasional church-going experience. I haven't been to a full Catholic mass since my dad's cousin got married in Wisconsin back in 1989. Now mind you I do attend temple regularly. Just not a church/temple of the Abrahamic variety. ::wink::

No Stereotypes Here

2010-10-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not your average woman. I hate clothes shopping and try to get away with only doing it once every three years or so. This is not always a good thing. First, I'm short. Finding anything to fit the bottom half of me is a colossal pain in the arse. I have to take up almost everything I buy. I've had this problem since the dawn of time.

Second - women's clothing is a freaky thing. In one designer's label I'm up to 4 sizes smaller than another designers. And I have to wear different sizes on the top and bottom since the top is a bit, umm, large. By genetics - not surgery I assure you.

Not to mention the only place I can reasonably shop to find what I'm looking for (especially in formal wear), has the smallest selection. Whatever. I'm pretty sure I'm destined to HATE clothes shopping no matter what. It always makes me feel miserable about myself.

Travels

2010-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Those who know me know I love to travel when I can. My husband and I have gone on some great trips. Three years ago it was Bahamas and then the New England states (we spend a lot of our vacations in New England since he has family there). We've also been to Southern England, and to the Western Slope of Colorado. Not nearly as much traveling as I'd like, but we do what we can. Before I got married I took a trip to Ireland by myself. Well, we're talking of possibly going to Ireland together next year. I'd be so excited to go back. I had a great time last time I was there.

I'd really like to hit the rest of Western Europe, Northern England and Scotland at some point, too.

Egypt would be lovely, but they're Muslim there and quite frankly, I'm a Western world kinda girl. I don't take kindly to men telling what to do or telling me what I have to wear. So any Muslim country is pretty much "out" for me. I've always been the defiant, outspoken female. I can't change who I am.

This year we're heading to New England again. Not for sight seeing or anything this time. Just rest. Well needed rest I might add. I'm looking forward to spending some long, luxurious days writing and relaxing.

A Few Things That Fascinate Me

2010-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

So I've been watching with some trepidation the show, Sister Wives. I find it very chauvinistic. It's like watching a train wreck. You can't look away. I mean, plural marriage, one guy, 3+ women? So why can't the women take more husbands? Not to mention the guy on the show is a bit of a control-freak alpha-male doofus. You can tell it's a macho thing for him to control all these women. I'm pretty sure this is a televised version of the ultimate Dom/sub relationship(s). How all these women submit to his authority is fascinating to watch. Bizarre.

Another object of my fascination lately are hoarders (there are several hoarding shows on now). I don't really understand the hoarding thing. I think what fascinates me most are how these people attach value to totally worthless shit. Or - how they'll allow their houses to fall down around them and end up having to defecate in bags or cans or buckets because their bathroom has either been buried or stopped working long ago. I mean, yeah, I feel bad for these guys, but sheesh. Really? No bathroom?

I don't know - I'd throw crap out long before I buried myself in it. Things are just things and you can only use so many things before you discover you have too many things you aren't using. My general rule of thumb is that if I haven't done anything with it in a year it needs to be stored (depending what it is), given to good will, sold, or thrown out.

So that's my Monday pondering. Enjoy!

I Love You Except...

2010-10-17T22:47:00.000-07:00

I do love my readers. You keep me going. I wouldn't be producing stories or informational books if it weren't for all of you.

However - I do find it frustrating when readers of my non-fiction tell me they've read my books then ask me very generalized questions that were pretty clearly explained in "The Complete..." book. Be sure to read carefully and ask very specific or pointed questions to ensure I respond to your questions. Otherwise my standard response will be a page number for your review. Remember that I wrote "The Complete..." book so I didn't have to keep answering the same basic questions over and over again. For the most part it usually works. But not always. I don't have time to keep typing the same answers over and over again.

Thanks for reading, but could you please read a little more carefully? :)

Ponderings

2010-10-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

My grandmother died this morning. Her passing has me thinking a great deal about reactions and how people behave. How much of our behavior is about being socially acceptable or behaving in the way others expect us to behave for the simple reason that we don't want to appear cold or uncaring.

I only say this because I'm not the blubbering type. Sure, I have broken down and cried a few times since I learned of her passing, but I'm not a complete wreck and I'm not going to be a somber sod for weeks on end, and for some reason I feel a social pressure that suggests I should be. Instead, I prefer to remember my grandmother as she was 7+ years ago when she was still vibrant and independent. Hell, she drove until she was 92 (she was 99 when she passed). We should all hope we're as vibrant if we're going to live that long. I don't think I'll go to the viewing just because I went to my father-in-law's and my last memory of him is in that casket. I don't want that memory of my grandmother.

So today my mood is pensive, but not completely void of joy or happiness. I am happy she is no longer suffering. At the end she was immobile, going deaf and blind, and in constant pain. I have a lot of wonderful memories of her even if sometimes dealing with her was a test of my patience. I'm not really the sentimental type and at the same time Grandma will be missed and I'll always carry her in my heart even if I'm not a blubbering, depressed wreck.

After all, death is the natural conclusion to life and if anything - she lived a very long and full life and my grief is not so much for her, but for the fact that she will be missed and the fact that I'll have a hard time watching other family members who maybe didn't have as much closure as I did deal with the pain of that loss.

Things on My Mind

2010-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Tea Party: Yikes. These people are scary and stupid and if they get elected into government this country will turn into Idiocracy. If you haven't seen the movie - please do. (It's got electrolytes! It's what plants crave!)
Decorating the front stoop for Halloween. I'm a little late this year. Mr. Bones and Sparky the Jack-O-Lantern are patiently down in the laundry room waiting to be brought up (along with all my other snazzy Halloween decorations).
The Dentist. I'm having problems with a molar. So my husband is making me an appointment (he doesn't think I'll take care of it before next month's vacation).
Vacation - I'm actually taking off the second half of November. I have mixed feelings about this. I need the vacation and it will be fun to get the hell out of dodge and visit his family, but this also means traveling across the country with the laptop (concerned about theft and damage) and spending half my Nano time writing in stolen moments on the go. It also means leaving the cats for two weeks and while my SiL and nephew will be watching them, I just know they're going to shit on the carpet. Ugh.
Edits on NGD - the entire ending needs to be re-written. My editor said it's too rushed and I'm not so sure I feel it's as realistic as it could be. Hmm. But the story needs to get done and I'm on a tight deadline. It needs to be done by this weekend!
Religion - Some zealot left their religious literature taped on our front security door. I really wish they wouldn't waste the paper or my time. Not to mention I'm constantly having to clean scotch tape off the front door. I really need a sign that says: "No Solicitation - Religious or Other. If you're here to sell me something it better be your soul."
The Office - Not the show, the place I work (the whole day job thing). We spend the last day and half re-decorating with new desks and moving stuff around. That's a huge chore. Now I'm behind on data entry and so on. I will be playing catch-up today and possibly taking work home this weekend to get back on track.

Never Split Up - Never Go Check it Out

2010-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed the people in horror films all suffer from a serious lack of judgement and common sense?

The first rule of horror movie survival is never split up. It's a well known fact that ghosts, demons, serial killers, and monsters of all ilk enjoy splitting up the herd and picking their victims off one or two at a time.

The second rule of horror movie survival is keep your thing in your pants. If you're ever in a spooky situation - like partying at the abandoned mortuary with the creepy goth girl from your Geometry class - don't go off into another room to get nasty with the person you're dating. You're just asking to die.

The final rule of horror movie survival is NEVER, EVER go check out the noise, voice that called your name, dark shadow, etc... Why? Because you're going to die.

What you should do if you ever find yourself in any horror movie type situation is run like hell and don't look back. We have a flight response for a reason. Use it.

Oh - and have you ever noticed that no one can ever get their car started in a horror film either? Never enter a horror film situation with a piece-of-shit car.

That's all I have to say at the moment. Enjoy pondering.

October Horror Movie Picks - Part 1?

2010-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my posts lately have been a bit too serious. Time to lighten things up.

How about a movie review? I'm a huge fan of B horror films. I watched a freebie on FearNet last night called The Slaughter. I highly recommend it. It's like a horror-comedy (replete with brain eating zombies and semi-chaos feminine Cthulu type mythos), though the comedy doesn't really come in until later in the movie. Of course the dialogue is bad enough to make you laugh throughout. And the special effects are deliciously cheesy. Worth the 90 minutes it runs for. Or just put it on for background noise.

Another B Horror Classic must is Satan's Cheerleaders. If you haven't seen Satan's Cheerleaders then you haven't seen a beautiful 70's occult B horror flick.

If you want some real creepy stuff that's kinda out of the ordinary, check out Suspiria. Also worth checking out Spellbinder [VHS] (I don't even know if this one is on DVD except for in Australia). Now of course there are always the old classics, like The Omen, The Exorcist, and Amittyville Horror (none of that remake shit). I really do wish they'd make more occult horror films. They're my favorite (if you couldn't tell). I even liked Satan's School for Girls. Give me young adults, Hollywood style Satanic cults and I'm a happy camper. I'm also a huge fan of haunted house movies. There aren't enough good haunted house movies.

Oh - and The Wicker Man (not the new one - the classic one!) is always a good choice, too. And surprise, surprise - most of these are not overly gory IMHO. If you want splatter-gore just get a slasher movie. I prefer psychological horror to splatter-gore any day. There might be a part 2 to this post. We'll see. If the mood strikes...

So what are your favorite horror films? If you have any to suggest I'm all ears. Especially haunted houses or Demons or Satanic Cults and Hell Mouths. Bring it!

Survival of the Fittest

2010-10-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Edits on the novella NGD, have me seriously considering how people can survive as writers with the ebb and flow of book buying being what it is. As I've said before, sales numbers fluctuate so much you'll never know one month to the next what your income will be.

Survival is an interesting thing. It causes humans to do some interesting things. It brings out our instinctive competitive nature and gives us a glimpse of the beast within. You can see the instinct of survival in everything the average human does. In the workplace it takes on the form of office politics. In social circles it rears its ugly head under the guise of "cliques".

Sure, we're not talking about survival in its most basic sense, like some guy going out and killing dinner for his family. But rather fighting to keep his job and throwing other people under the bus so they're laid off before him, or getting a promotion by sabotaging a co-worker also up for the same position. After all, job = money = food/clothing/roof.

Socially the clique serves the purpose matching males to females for breeding. Once you're paired off and your social clique becomes other couples you'll often notice the competition and drama tends to drop drastically. That isn't to say there isn't drama in any group situation (there's always the power struggle for who's top dog or who gets to hang out with the top dog), it's just that older people who've already found a mate no longer need to give a shit about what Mary said about the clothes they were wearing unless Mary has been making goo-goo eyes at their mate and there's a direct threat to one's security.

In writing there's survival of the fittest, too. The people who want to survive, to make a writing income to help their family survive, will oftentimes sacrifice writing what they *want* to write in favor of writing what will sell or make the most money. The writers who don't compromise on their "art" are most likely destined to be destitute, poor, and without a reading audience whereas the authors willing to compromise and willing to feed the machine will do well and make money. I always wondered why so many people were willing to change their entire book just to get a publishing contract and now I know. Survival.

There's something to be said about working on the project that you know will guarantee you $100 before the month is out vs. the book that you have no idea how it's going to do when it's finally done. There's more motivation there. Just a thought anyway.

My Fan Club in PA

2010-10-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Like many writers, I have a *fan club*. No, not that kind of fan club. That kind of fan club. That's right - a selective groups of stalker(s) in the great state of Pennsylvania. To be honest, I'm not even sure it's more than one stalker, or if it's just one person with a multitude of personalities. I've been vaguely introduced to three so far (people or personalities, not sure which).

Now the interesting bit about stalkers is they first start out by courting a relationship with you. Basically, in the first person's case, by attempting to impose communication and a "relationship" with me. Not a romantic relationship mind you. No - just friendship. When I didn't completely open myself up and let this person into my life, he became verbally abusive by insisting I'd cursed him. That was an outright paranoid, delusional fantasy. Not to mention offensive as hell. At that point I insisted we cut off all communication.

Then I received an e-mail from said person's "brother" who apologized for the first person's behavior and asked if I'd reconsider contact with the first person. I thanked the "brother" for the apology, but again stated no interest in further contact. And finally, I was contacted by a "woman" in PA who didn't get an order from Lulu. So I went ahead and took care of Lulu's screw up and sent the woman a couple books free of charge (which she had sent to Maryland). Next thing I know she's complimenting my work (in a way that sounds strangely like the first guy and his initial complimentary e-mails) and in the next breath she's suddenly making pot shots at me much like the first guy.

I guess having obsessive fans is all part of being a writer, but that's messed up. So far I've started a file on this craziness and if it escalates or continues, I'll turn it over to the proper authorities and at least make a report. And if it gets worse and conventional means don't work I will take additional measures as necessary. Of course that's never my first resort. I do have methods of distraction and deflection at my disposal that I can try first. ;)

Indie Author: The Writing Life When You've Gone Rogue

2010-10-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Indie Author: The Writing Life When You've Gone Rogue (a 20K word eBook) is available as a free pdf download on the free stuff page at sjreisner.com, and will be available for Kindle and Nook probably by tomorrow or Tuesday.

Here is a description: A collection of short essays written by a bestselling non-fiction indie author who also writes fantasy and mystery novels. Topics include going indie, the reading audience, taking criticism, giving good critiques, the importance of editing, learning to take rejection, improving your writing, and other personal observations about the writing life.

The Kindle and Nook versions will cost $1.99 each. (Hey, a girl's gotta eat.)

Enjoy!