Happy New Year

Almost 2006. Did you all have a good year? What are your goals for next year? Writing-wise, my goals are outlined, the first few months' worth of writing time scheduled, and I can't wait to get started on Tuesday when the kids go back to school. My newsletter and website updates are going to be a day or two late this month due to the holidays, but after that they'll be back to the end of the month again. Congrats to Cathie, the winner of last month's contest for a download of Nothing Personal. The contest for January will be announced in my newsletter and posted to my website in the next couple of days, so be sure to watch for it. I have a bunch of prizes planned to celebrate the new year.

Ack!

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. Things are always crazy around here this time of year. I'll have some more to post later, but I just wanted to touch base for now. I'm headed out the door in a few minutes to take my son to his tap class. Oh, some quick and exciting news (for me at least *g*) I was shopping in Borders the other day and I found a copy of Dirty Pictures on the shelf! It's the first time I've seen any of my print books in the store, and it was a pretty cool moment. Of course, I had to pry the copy out of the SO's hands before he made a big deal out of it. lol Have a great holiday, everyone! I'll be back to my regular schedule on Monday.

Same Time Next Year is now available

From Changeling Press. This one was so much fun to write. It's a paranormal, and very short. Just enough for an hour or two of reading. Here's the blurb: A love stronger than time... Something draws Cayden back to the same place every year on Christmas Eve. That something is Lilith -- the woman he's always wanted -- the woman he could never keep. Lilith can't live with seeing Cayden for a fleeting time each year, but she doesn't have a choice. It's a cycle that was set in motion long ago -- a cycle dictated by a past that can't be changed. Still, no amount of time or distance can keep them apart forever.

Baking cookies...

The next few weeks might be a little quiet around here. *g* This time of year I bake and sell Christmas cookies, so I'll be spending most of my daytime hours baking and icing while I have the house to myself. I love baking and cooking, so I'm looking forward to it.

Snow Day

I haven't gotten much accomplished today, though it's technically a work day. The storm that was supposed to leave us with 6 inches of snow has now dumped about 14 and it's still going. lol The kids are home, and I've been trying to keep up with them and all the shoveling. At least I know I'm getting a good workout. What is everyone up to this weekend? Have anything fun planned?

Website

I started out making a banner, and it all snowballed from there. lol I've revised my website, and my blog to match. If you get a chance, stop by and take a look and let me know what you think. I'm really anxious for opinions on the new design.

A Christmas Story

One of my editors recently told me he was really surprised that I'd never seen It's A Wonderful Life. Growing up, we didn't watch that movie every year like a lot of families do. We watched A Christmas Story. I still love that movie. *g* I've you've ever seen the movie, check this out. It's hilarious.

Almost finished

The novella I've been working on is almost done. 9060 words out of a projected 10k, though I have a feeling I might run over by 1-2k. Now I just have to come up with a title. I guess I'm not really a title person. *g* For the writers, when do you title your wips? Do you give them a title before you start? Somewhere during the writing process or at the end? Do you have a title in mind before you even start writing?

I have a cover...

And it's awesome. *g* Thanks to Scott Carpenter for doing such a great job with it.

Variety in fiction

I was going to title this post Narrow-Minded Literary Snobs, but I decided that would be a tiny bit too snarky. *g* And this really isn't a rant, just a small observation about an article that made me laugh. Not every writer wants to be the next Jane Austen. *g* Some of us write just for the sake of writing, and some of us read just for the sake of reading an enjoyable story. And what makes a story enjoyable is different for all of us. That's the beauty of having so many books and authors to choose from. There are good books in every genre. There are bad books in every genre. Get over it already. :) Everything in moderation, ladies.

Half day off

I'd planned on writing all day to finish my novella, but the SO, who was supposed to work, took the afternoon off and we took the kids to see Harry Potter. It was good--though I have to admit I'm a fan of the books and usually would prefer not to see a movie if I've read the book. I did enjoy it, though, and the kids loved it, so all in all it was a fun afternoon. I'm going to write for a little while now, before they go to bed and I settle in for one of my 3 hours of TV a week. *g* But I don't plan on getting much done. I have a sex scene to write, and those always seem to take me a while to get right. Have a great night, everyone!

Newsletter

The new edition of my newsletter is available online. There's a new contest this month, and an excerpt from a holiday story, SAME TIME NEXT YEAR. Be sure to take a look.

Holiday shopping (AKA why I like the Internet)

So I set off on my shopping trip this morning, along with the SO. Silly me thought we'd be able to get everything on the kids' lists, plus buy for everyone else, too. It did not go as easily as planned. First, let me say that I'm not really much of a shopper. I don't care for big crowds. I like to go in with a list, get what I need, and get out as quickly as possible. *g* The SO, for some strange reason, seems to thrive on the chaos of holiday shopping. When we left the stores--in 2 cars because of the ton (literally) of stove pellets we had to pick up to heat the house for the winter--he got into his car with a big smile on his face. So I guess you could say our shopping personalities really don't mesh. LOL We did get most of the kids' stuff, and I will be sitting in my nice warm house this weekend ordering everything else online. That's my kind of shopping. And it's usually done the week before Christmas.*g*

It's all good...

LOL...The goals are set--and number 1 on my list is to make sure, each month as I write out my schedule, that the goals are realistic. I love writing. I think I have the best job in the world. But every once in a while I tend to get a little ahead of myself. Tonight I'm caught up. Well, almost. I have one more short crit to do for a crit partner, but that won't take long. Then I can sit down, watch TV for a little while, and go to bed knowing I've finished all I set out to do today. Tomorrow I start Christmas shopping for the kids. I have all day while they're in school, and I'm hoping to get it all done. Being someone who's generally still shopping on Christmas Eve, this would be a major accomplishment. *g*

Setting goals part 2

I've been giving a lot of thought lately to my longterm goals--probably more thought than I should given that I've never really been much of a planner. *g* It's not so much about the number of books I want to have published, or the number of manuscripts I want to have out for consideration. It's more about where I want to go, as a writer. One of my critique partners writes romantic suspense. Another writes contemporaries. Another writer friend writes cool paranormals. And what do I write? Um...just about everything. I haven't been able to nail my writing down to one or two things yet. For small press publishing, this isn't too much of a problem, but I'm currently looking for an agent and, for that kind of stuff, I'd probably want to stick with one genre. So part of my goal for the next year (along with a way-too-long list of books I want to write) is to really think about where I want my writing to go, and nail this whole thing down to one or two genres. Mind you, this isn't a New Year's resolution--I can never keep them so I don't bother to make them anymore. *g* I'm starting in December. For the writers out there, what are your goals for the coming year? For the readers, I'm really curious to hear from you. What do you think about authors who write in multiple genres with the same pen name? Does it bug you or do you like it? Would you rather they used different pen names for each genre?

Same Time Next Year...

Is the title for my new super hot, super short story recently contracted with Changeling Press. Thanks to my amazing, wonderful editor *g* who came up with the title. Since it's a Christmas story, she's aiming at having it released in December. Same Time Next Year is about a man and woman who love each other, but are separated by forces beyond their control. Every year, at Christmastime, they get one night together. It was a fun story to write, and I hope everyone enjoys it. I'll post a blurb on my website soon and I'll have an excerpt in my November newsletter.

NaNoWriMo update and setting goals

First: My interview with Sharon Cullen is up on my website. Sharon is a really talented romantic suspense author. Be sure to check it out. As for NaNo...haven't written a word on that book all week. I've been working on a contemporary novella and a super hot, super short story. I'm still hoping to get the NaNo book finished by the end of the month, and I'm still on target for the 50k word count. We'll see what happens. I sat down over the weekend and wrote up my list of daily, weekly, and monthly writing goals to carry me through until February. I find that it helps keep me organized and on target if I treat it like a work schedule. Every day, 6 days a week (or 7 if I have a hard deadline), I have a list of things I need to accomplish before I go to bed. Anything writing-related goes on my goal sheet--usually 2 chapters per day, critiques for my critique partners, organizing files and updating my website. It keeps me on task--and also gives me a reminder of what I've accomplished each month. That way if I feel I haven't had a productive month I can go back and see what I've done and make the necessary changes for the next month. Probably overkill *g*, but it works for me. For the writers out there, do you set goals? If so, how do you do it?

The sagging middle...

I hit page 50 in my current wip--a contemporary novella that will finish at about 100 pages, and couldn't go any further. I tried a few different directions, but ended up deleting the pages. So today, instead of sitting at the computer, staring at the blinking curser and hoping something will come to me, I've decided to start reading through the wip from the beginning to see where I hit the snag, and see if I could fix it. This turned out to be a good thing, since I think at least some of the problems have come from not having a good enough grasp on my heroine. Also, I tried to work the story around the title I'd picked out, rather than titling it after the story was done, and I think that led to problems as well. Although I like the title, it doesn't really match the story, so as I go I'll be making those changes, and hopefully that'll jumpstart the flow again. On the writing front, I've had some good news over the past few weeks. My editor at Cerridwen Press wants a chick lit novel, Lost in Suburbia, I submitted a month or so ago, and Ellora's Cave has offered me a contract for my story, Blind Date, for the Ellora's Cavemen: Dreams of the Oasis anthologies. I've also started submitting a YA chick lit novel to agents, so wish me luck. *g* Lis

Books in Print

I'm in the process of updating my website to reflect this, but here's what I have available in print now: Dark Promises: Midnight Dark Promises: Demonic Obsession Dark Promises: Shift of Fate Dirty Pictures And here's what's coming soon in print: In Moonlight, an anthology with JC Wilder and Liddy Midnight--December 2005 Dark Promises: Flesh and Blood--January 2006 Nothing Personal--March 2006 Grave Silence--May 2006 Dark Promises: Tarnished--May 2006 And in June 2006 my quickie, Dream Stalker, will be part of an as-of-yet untitled print anthology. Lis

A cool link

It isn't writing related, but it's an excellent resource for anyone with curly hair. Naturallycurly.com. The forum is an excellent place for product recommendations and advice. And be sure to check out Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey. Excellent advice and a great program to follow for those of us who have curls. Also, I've recently sold a contemporary/chick lit novella to Samhain Publishing. I'll post info about the story to my website soon. Lis

I'm such a dork sometimes

The things I get excited about... I went out today and splurged on a new coffee maker, and a new vacuum--a Dyson. I'm amazed at how much dog hair that thing picked up, and after I'd used the old vacuum yesterday. NaNoWriMo isn't going for me at the moment. lol I didn't get anything done over the weekend. I'll be making up for it later this week. *g* Lis

NaNoWriMo...

Well, I started a day late, but at least I started. *g* It should prove to be an interesting month. I've got 3400 words in so far today--not a lot so I'm really going to have to push it if I want to make the 50k goal. Lis

Newsletter is out!

The latest issue of my newsletter is available tonight. The new format matches my website, and looks a lot nicer than the plain text. To subscribe, click on the link to the left. In other news, I've started a chat group for readers to get together and talk about reading, writing, life...whatever they feel like chatting about at the moment. *g* To join, click here. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone. Happy Halloween!! Lis

What I've learned from writing a series...

1. That quite a few reviewers will pick up a book in the middle of the series, without having read any of the previous books, and give the book a so-so rating based on the fact that they missed out on backstory since they hadn't read the other books. I really, really appreciate the time they took to read the book and write reviews, but IMO it's hard to offer an objective opinion when you don't know the whole story. 2. That I need to keep more detailed character description sheets. Going through books 1 and 2 to get descriptions for characters in book 5 can waste a lot of time that could be spent writing. *bg* 3. That they're really hard to write. Keeping all the little details straight was tough for me, being a pantser. LOL All in all, it was a fun experience. I plan on doing it again--with a series connecting to Dark Promises--but after that I'd like to take a break and write single stories for a while. *g* Lis

The blinking curser...

Blogger's block--I think I still have it. Not much has been happening lately on the writing front, so I don't have much to write about here. Writing has taken a backseat since family life has been on the hectic side. My oldest son is going to his first school dance tomorrow night. I swear I'm not ready for this. And soon he leaves on a field trip--and will be gone for 4 days! He's really excited, but mom's having a little bit of a hard time with the whole thing. *g* Being a typical middle-schooler, he can't wait to get away with his friends for a while, even if it is in an educational setting. Lis

Blog slacker

That's me. *g* I guess I've had blogger's block--haven't been able to think about what to write. I'll have a long post later today or tomorrow, just wanted to check in and let everyone know I'm still around. Lis

Question for readers

Okay, I know there are some of you out there. *g* I'm going to be revamping my newsletter soon, and I'm curious what kinds of things you like to see in an author newsletter. What makes you keep reading? What features do you want to see? Thanks in advance! Lis

Website updates

I just finished doing a bunch of them. Tarnished and Grave Silence are listed on the bookshelf page, this month's contest is posted, and the blurb of Divine Intervention is up on the coming soon page. October newsletter number 1 is going out tonight, with a special Halloween contest announcement in it. If you aren't a member and want to join my newsletter list, click on the link to the right or see the sign-up box on my website. Lis :)

Divine Intervention

I've been offered a contract with Loose Id for Divine Intervention, a paranormal ms I've been working on off and on for a year or two. I'll be getting a blurb up on my website and in my newsletter soon. Lis

What kind of novel?

I saw the link for this quiz on Maria Brown's blog and I couldn't resist taking it. EROTICA! - Wet, salty and delicious You are driven to excite the reader into a literal froth with your literary talents! You are a connoisseur of the carnal side of humanity from Kink to high-speed BJs in the front seat of a speeding jag! Sex is GOOD. Penthouse and the Internet after dark are your inspirations! What Kind of Novel Should I Write? brought to you by Quizilla

More on story writing

The post about outlining has me thinking. How do you write your stories? Do you write them from beginning to end without editing? A chapter, written and edited at a time? Do you write the scenes out of order and string them together? Myself, I write the book in order, unedited, up until the second to last chapter. Then I go back and do the revisions, write the last chapter once I know the story is going the way I want it to go, and then give the book a final pass to check for the ever-present spelling and consistency errors. Every once in a while a scene jumps out at me and needs to be written out of order, but usually I go from start to near-finish without stopping to revise. Lis

Outlining

I started outlining a year or so ago, when my editor asked for a synopsis of what I was working on next. Having an outline worked well for that book, and I was able to finish it in less than a month. A former pantster who never outlined anything before writing, I decided to start outlining everything I wrote in hopes of making the story easier to write. But lately I've noticed a flaw in that system--when I outline, I don't want to finish the book. My critique parter described this perfectly--with the outline written, it's like the story has been told and there's no real urgency to write the book. I know outlining works really well for a lot of people, but I'm not one of them. As much as I tried to make myself more organized by plotting the story before I start, I generally find myself unable to write the story once I know what's going to happen at the end. So, I'm back to my original system of just writing and seeing what happens as I go along. I still envy the people who are organized enough to be able to write an outline, though. *g* For all you writers out there, do you outline first or write as you go? Have you ever tried it the other way? Lis

Recommended read and my new baby

Night Creatures was selected as a Recommended Read at The Road To Romance. Thanks Tracey!! This afternoon the kids and I bought our new baby. Brady, a green cheek conure. We have to get the cage set up, and then we'll be picking him up next weekend. Lis

Tarnished

I got a peek at the cover. It's *exactly* what I asked for--my favorite scene in the story. I don't have a large version yet, but you can see what it looks like here. It's the first one in the third row. The book will be available in a couple of weeks. Lis

Quiet today

Not much happening around here. I got a little bit of writing done, but now that I've had time to sit down and think about it, I'm probably going to scrap the whole thing and start over. I just wasn't getting anywhere with it, and I think I know why. It's going to be a novella, and the way it was going would have made it too long and meandering. I think I've come up with a really interesting plot twist, so we'll see what happens. The kids and I are leaving in a little while to go pick up their instruments for school band. One clarinet and one trumpet. I think this might be the last afternoon we have peace and quiet for a good long while. *g* Lis

New Look

Being the Gemini that I am, I have a hard time sticking to one website design for too long, so I've done some work on my site and revamped my blog to match. I'd love to hear your opinions on it. Lis :)

The glamorous life...

Not! *g* Ants have invaded my kids' cereal boxes in my pantry. They haven't touched anything else, but my son poured himself a bowl of Cheerios this morning and found ants in the bowl along with the cereal. Gross. The box tops were closed and the bags rolled down, but I found ants in 5 cereal boxes. I had to go out today and replace all the cereal, plus buy plastic containers to keep the cereal in, in hopes of keeping the little creatures out. My very picky middle child had Ritz crackers for breakfast since there was nothing else in the house he liked. *g* Lis

Website updates

I've posted this month's contest on my website. This month one reader will win a download of Dark Promises: Midnight. Since the last book in the series will be out next month, I thought it was fitting to give the first book in the series away as a prize. Also, the new Featured Author spot is up. This month I grilled... er, interviewed, Phyllis Marie Campbell. Lis

The cover for Grave Silence

Here's the cover for my next release from Cerridwen Press. What do you think? I'd really love to hear your opinions on it, good or bad. Lis :)

To critique, or not to critique...

This is a very controversial subject in certain writing circles. *g* The good thing about critique groups, and critiques in general, is that it helps you polish your work before you send it out into tbe big, bad world of publishing. The bad thing about critiques is that they're very subjective and can be harmful to the story you're telling. Critique groups can be an invaluable resource for learning the mechanics of writing. But inexperienced critiquers can over-critique, changing your voice to their own and making the story lose its heart. There has to be a balance between negative comments and positive ones, and the critiquer's style has to mesh with your own or else you won't be gaining anything much from the critiques. Support is so important in this career. There are too many letdowns--and high points non-writers don't understand--to go it alone. I have a terrific group of authors that I work with now for my mainstream manuscripts. (I still have yet to find someone brave enough to read my erotic stuff LOL) We critique each other's work for plot holes and inconsistencies, and we brainstorm when someone needs a little help. We also cheer for each other when things are looking up, provide a shoulder to cry on when someone gets bad news, and give a kick in the rear when someone starts to get down on themselves. For me, this works. I get the advice I need from people I trust, people who get my voice and my style. If they tell me that my ms needs work, I know it probably does. Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox now. *g* I'm a little behind on website updates, but the featured author page for this month will be up in the next few days. Lis

Auction to help Larissa Ione

There's still time to bid on items to help author Larissa Ione, who lost everything to hurricane Katrina. I've donated a critique, and one of my critique partners, Marjorie Jones, has donated her designing services for a 10 page website. The entire list of what's available can be viewed here. Lis

Supernatural

I watched the show in Tuesday night and loved it. That's exactly my kind of show. I love anything paranormal, the darker the better. Rescue Me just ended for the season, so it'll be nice to have something else to watch on Tuesday nights. I don't watch a lot of TV, maybe 2 or 3 shows every season, but this one will be on my Must Watch list along with Desperate Housewives and maybe Reunion, if the next few episodes are as interesting as the first. Lis

New featured author coming up

On my website. This month the featured author is Phyllis Campbell. If you haven't had a chance to check out my interview with Rayka Mennen yet, it'll only be up for a little while longer so hop on over and take a look. Also, the new issue of the Sirens newsletter will be going out tomorrow. If you're not a member and would like to join, click here to join the Sensual Romances Yahoo group. Lis :)

The stories that just flow

I started a short story last night (A quickie for Ellora's Cave that will probably end up at about 12k) not expecting much. Within two hours I'd written 3,000 words. Now, this morning, I'm almost up to 5,000. It's been a long time since anything has flowed this well, and I'm kind of excited about it. I love when this sort of thing happens. I'd set my goal completion date for Tuesday but I may actually have this done tonight, freeing up a couple of extra days for the next project, a rewrite of a women's fiction/chick lit book I'll be submitting to Cerridwen Press. I don't usually work weekends, but the hubby is in New Orleans right now doing morgue duty and I really, really need the distraction. Have a great weekend everyone! Lis

Night Creatures is now available

From Changeling Press. For most of her life, nightmares have plagued Juliana McGovern. Twisted, erotic dreams where monsters urge her to join them in their terrifying rituals. When she moves back to the small New England town she grew up in, the nightmares get worse. Stranger still is the sudden appearance in the dreams of Max Parker, the man she left behind when she moved out of Davenport ten years earlier. Every night, the nightmare creatures get closer. It’s only a matter of time before they pull her into their world. And Max, the one man she thinks she can trust, has a few deadly secrets of his own. Click here to see the cover, done by Bryan Keller, and read an excerpt. I've also done a few updates to my website. There are only two more days left to enter this month's contest, so if you haven't entered already be sure to drop me an email. Lis

A few ways to help

The devastation from Katrina is just horrible. So many lives ruined and lost. So many people with nothing left. My husband is in Mississippi doing what he can to help, and the stories he's telling me are heartbreaking. Here's a short list of links. If anyone has others, feel free to email them to me at elisa@elisaadams.com and I'll add them to the list. Author JC Wilder is in Houma, LA to help with the relief efforts. She's in need of funds to buy clothing and other items needed for the victims. For more information and to find out how to contribute, visit her website. Visit The Red Cross online to make a donation. The Network for Good is also taking donations to help the victims. Noah's Wish is an organization that helps animals during disasters. They've set up a distaster animal shelter in Slidell, LA. Visit their Katrina page for information on how to donate. Code 3 Associates is another organization that helps animals during times of disaster. Author Nora Roberts is matching funds donated to Habitat for Humanity for victims. Author Charlene Teglia is offering her romantic comedy, Catalyst, for $2.00 directly from her website and is donating 100% of the profits to the relief efforts. Help for author Charlotte Dillon Help for author Larissa Ione Lis

Peaceful night

Lately those have been few and far between. The kids are watching TV for a little while before bedtime, I've finished up my writing a little early tonight, and I'm just enjoying the quiet while it lasts. I hope everyone has a good weekend. Lis :)

The last day of summer vacation

And I'm a little sad. The kids and I always have a great time over the summer, and I wish they had a little more time at home. The past couple of weeks have been spent researching birds, visiting pet stores for hours on end as we search for our new pet. After a lot of deliberation, it looks like we'll be getting a cockatiel next month. Now I just hope the bird can get along with our dog. Lis

I'm Back...

From vacation and I'm missing it already. Now it's time to dive back into writing full time. I have my September projects lined up--trying to get a few loose ends tied up so I can work on something completely new in October. Lis

Rejection and Breeding Negativity

Writing is a tough business. Rejections are part of the game. They're not always nice. Sometimes they sting, sometimes they're insulting, and sometimes they can make us want to give up. Growing a thick skin is a must--if you don't, you're going to get hurt. It's tough, but you have to learn not to take rejection personally. The agent/editor in most cases has never met you. They aren't rejecting you. They're rejecting one particular project they don't feel is right for them for any number of reasons. But you have to learn not to dwell on them. Personal rejections can be difficult to accept, but keep in mind it's just one person's opinion. I like to think of them as a critique, of sorts. If I agree with the assessment made, I change what needs to be fixed in my manuscript. If I don't agree, I don't make the changes and realize that, for whatever reason, my writing doesn't appeal to that one particular person. If I receive a few rejections that state the same thing, I know I need to take a second look at my writing and fix whatever problem they're finding. If you're submitting a lot, you're bound to get a lot of rejections. Think of it as going for a job interview. For every open spot, there are hundreds of applicants. Your work may have been terrific, but someone else's fit perfectly with what the editor was looking for. So we have to just keep applying, knowing that someday we'll find an agent or a publishing house that's a perfect fit. It's when we let the rejections get to us that the problems start. Negativity can be crippling to a writer's career, and it's also contagious. Writers' groups are wonderful places to vent about the downsides of the business, but it's easy to get carried away. Too much venting without any positive comments can be harmful not just to the one venting, but to the entire group. If nothing positive is being said, odds are no one is getting much work done. We're in this together. We need to support each other through the good times as well as the bad, but when negativity takes hold the good news tends to get lost in the shuffle. Then the jealousy can start, and that's never a good thing. I've seen more than a few writers' groups fall apart that way. Remember this: You wouldn't be writing if you didn't think you had a chance at publication. When you get a rejection, don't question that you aren't good enough. The book market is very competetive and there aren't enough slots for everyone at once. Be patient, keep trying, and remember that positive thinking breeds more positive thinking. I'm off on vacation for the next week, so there won't be any new posts until I get back. Have a great week everyone! Lis:)

Great review for Nothing Personal

Thanks to Glenda K. Bauerle of The Romance Studio!! Here's a little sample of the review: "A delightful older woman younger man story and well written with all the misgivings and feelings of uncertainty one might imagine having in the same situation. Definitely a recommended read for all those romantics enjoying a good relationship story." Rated 4 hearts Read the rest of the review here. Lis

Two more days until vacation!

I can't wait. Sitting on a private beach on the lake all day, relaxing on an island with dirt roads where people drive golf carts around more than cars. Taking long walks with the kids and just enjoying the peace and quiet. I'm not going to be working. Well, not much. I'm bringing the laptop, but I have some critiques I promised one of my critique partners I'd work on for her. Other than that, it's all about the relaxing. This weekend is pretty much total chaos in preparation, though. Shoe shopping for my daughter this morning, lunch with my mother, putting the finishing touches on DI, a cover art request, and the first round of edits for Tarnished. I'm sure there's more, I just don't have my list in front of me right now. Usually I thrive on chaos, so this is a good thing. Between writing full time, housework, grocery shopping, and the kids' activities (which this fall will be Monday-Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings) I'm continually being pulled in all directions. A little craziness is never a bad thing, though. Writing-wise, it looks like Night Creatures might be released from Changeling Press in September. I'll know more after my vacation. I'm going to try to post again before I leave, but if I don't, have a great week everyone! Lis

What I'm reading, what I'm writing, and my interview with Rayka Mennen (In other words, random thoughts tossed together in one post )

I just finished For Love or Honor by Melissa Schroeder. Short, but a very enjoyable read. Now it's on to Blind Alley by Iris Johansen. I always like her work. She has a tight, clean writing style I'm in awe of. Suspense is one of my favorite genres to read. I'm looking for a few new suspense books. Any suggestions? What are some of your favorites? Writing-wise, I'm putting the finishing touches on DI before moving on to the finishing touches of DBM. After that...well, I haven't decided yet. I have a few different things that are begging to be written, so I guess it depends on which characters scream the loudest. Here's a small sample of my interview with Rayka: EA: Where do your story ideas come from? RM: Everywhere! I travel quite a bit and I listen to snippets of conversations at the airport and start spinning a story from it. Or I may see a book or a movie and it triggers an idea for a story. And of course since I became published, any number of friends are constantly offering what they call “literary ideas”. EA: Every author has favorite characters, ones that won't let them go even after the book is written. What are some of yours and why? RM: That’s easy – Paul from Operation Playboy. I think at the time I was going through a rough time personally and invested him with some of the characteristics I really wanted in my own companion. I keep thinking of ways to give Paul a cameo in the other Operation books even though he isn’t a secret agent. EA: What's your writing process like? What steps do you go through when completing a story? RM: I start by writing the synopsis. Of course it changes about 20 times before the book is done, but I find that without that basic structure I digress a lot from the primary plot. Once the synopsis is done, I make a big ceremony of typing up the cover page with the title, my name and address. From there, it’s how much I can get written in a day given the constraints of my other job or how inspired I am to write. To read the rest, check out the Featured Author page on my website. Lis:)

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it's been 4 days since I've last posted. It's been so busy here that I've barely been online at all in the past 4 days. Life is nuts right now, but should slow right down around the first week of September. lol I watched a great movie last night--The Upside of Anger. It was recommended to me, and I wasn't sure if I'd like it since it isn't the type of movie I normally watch, but I really enjoyed it. As far as writing goes, the Featured Author page is now live on my website, and my newsletter will be going out later today. Have a great day! Lis :)

School shopping and cleaning this weekend

I'm headed off this morning for round 2 of school shopping with the kids. We hit Old Navy last week and grabbed a bunch of sale stuff for Meg, so she's just about done. The boys need pants, and about $40 worth of school supplies each. Should be a fun morning. Writing isn't going to happen this weekend. I started out deep cleaning the bathroom and it snowballed from there. lol So I'm going to take the rest of the weekend to finish up the house and then get back to the writing on Monday. One more week until vacation. I can't wait for a little time away. Lis:)

NOTHING PERSONAL is now available

From Cerridwen Press. To purchase--and to check out the really hot cover -- click here. I'm having a contest to celebrate. 2 readers will win a download of either Nothing Personal or one of my Ellora's Cave titles in their format of choice. The drawing will be held on September 10th. To enter, send an email to elisa@elisaadams.com with 'contest' in the subject line. Lis :)

More auctions for Marianne

The Literary Chicks have posted lots more auctions to benefit Marianne Mancusi. There are a bunch of great critiques, signed books, and other items available here. One of the items is a critique from me. Be sure to take a look. It's for a great cause. Lis :)

As if the blender incident wasn't bad enough...

My neighbor's car rolled out of her driveway and slammed into the side of my van. Looks like the whole side slider door is going to have to be replaced. Luckily no one was in either car at the time so no one got hurt. Tomorrow is the release day for Nothing Personal from Cerridwen Press. I'm really excited and nervous about this one since it'll be my first non-erotic romance in a couple of years. Lis :)

Definitely not a morning person...

If I was, I would have noticed the bottom of the blender wasn't screwed on tight before I turned it on. I've just spent the past fifteen minutes cleaning chai tea smoothie off my counters. Today I have to put all my focus on finishing DI. I'm a few days behind and I'd really like to get this, my edits on Tarnished, and one other nearly completed project finished before I go on vacation in a couple of weeks. We'll see if it actually happens. Lis:)

Busy weekend

As some of you know, my daughter dances with a ballet company. Yesterday was the summer performance of Alice in Wonderland. It was great, but I'm glad that's over for a little while. Now we get a month off from rehearsals before they start up again for the Nutcracker. I got the edits on Grave Silence yesterday, and I'm expecting edits on two more books in the next week or so and have the print galley to check for my story in In Moonlight, so things are going to be hectic for a little while. It's a good kind of hectic, though. Have a great week everyone. Lis:)

Fire Fund for Marianne

The first 10 auctions are up, with more due to be added in the next few days. View what's available here. Lis

Marianne Mancusi--terrible news

From the Literary Chicks blog: "Author Marianne Mancusi returned home from conference to find that lightning had struck her home while she was gone, and it burned to the ground. She lost everything." When you get a chance, head on over to the blog to see what you can do to help Marianne. They're organizing an auction for her. She's a former critique partner of mine and a truly nice person--she didn't have renter's insurance so she's basically starting over. Lis

A great review

For Eden's Curse. 4 1/2 roses. Big thanks to Vikky from A Romance Review! Here's a sample of the review: "At just 51 pages Eden’s Curse doesn’t feel like a short story. It was so well rounded with a bit of suspense, sex, and finally love that it felt more like a full-length book. This is truly a sign of a great author. Trent and Eden’s stories unravel at such a nice pace that there is no feeling of dragging or rushing the story line. Both our main characters have such strong emotions of great sorrow that I was nearly dragged into despair. However, Trent’s ability to keep an open mind, mainly due to his profession, lifted the mood . . . as does the great sex! For a well written book with a paranormal flair, you will most definitely enjoy Eden’s Curse." Read the whole review here. I'm considering the possibility of another book or two with Trent and Eden, so check this space for more info soon. Lis:)

Happy August!

One more full month left of summer. Almost time to start school shopping, and almost time to return to my regular writing schedule. I'm looking forward to this mainly because I'll have a quiet house to start plotting my futuristic series come September. I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot of peace and quiet to figure that one out. Right now I'm working on finishing the rough draft for DI, a paranormal that has a different feel than what I've been writing usually. It's not particularly dark, or exceptionally funny, but I think it has potential to be good. It's short, probably about 35-45k total, so I'm aiming at having it finished by the end of the week. I've had a request for the full, so with any luck I'll have some good news on that front soon. In other news, Nothing Personal will be out this month from Cerridwen Press. Though it's not an erotic romance, it's sensual and similar to what I write for Ellora's Cave. In other cool news, I'm starting a new feature on my website this month--Featured Author. I'll be featuring a different author every month with an interview and some cool excerpts. Around the middle of the month the new feature will go live with my first victim, Rayka Mennen. I had the opportunity to read her August release from Champagne Books, Operation Playboy, and it's a great read. Be sure to check my website in a couple of weeks to read her interview. Lis :) Page total yesterday--DI: 10 Not nearly enough

Motivation...

Lately, it's been a little hard to come by. I took a week off not long ago to do some things with the kids. I should have known better--If I don't stick to a steady writing schedule, I fall behind and it takes me weeks to start writing again. It isn't that I don't want to be writing. I do. It isn't that my characters have stopped talking to me. They haven't. It's just that I've suddenly found so many more things I'd rather be doing. Like vegging on the couch watching horror movies with the boys. I have a few projects that need to be finished in the next couple of weeks--maybe that's part of the problem. Does anyone else ever go through this? If so, how do you deal with it? How do you get your motivation back again? Anyway...I'm plugging along on my paranormal chick lit, slower than usual but the pace is steady. Though I usually prefer to write darker, I'm having a lot of fun with this one. Hopefully I'll have some good news to share soon. Lis:)

Series spinoffs and new (to me) genres

For the past 2 1/2 years, I'd always said that the Dark Promises series would be over with book 5. Once Wil's story was told, I would be able to put the characters aside and move on to something else. But apparently that isn't so. Wil's book is finished and in the hands of my wonderful editor, but the stories are not. So in the fall I'll be working on a spinoff series--and get this--it'll be futuristic. Something I've never written before, and I'm finding the whole idea to be a bit daunting. Intriguing, but daunting all the same. On the publishing front, I've recently sold to Changeling Press--Night Creatures, erotic horror. I'm really excited about this one, since I wrote horror for ten years before I moved on to romance. Combining the two genres was a lot of fun, and I already have a couple ideas for some new stories. Next month, Nothing Personal is being released from Cerridwen Press. I just posted the awesome cover on my website. I'll be posting some excerpts from all my upcoming books in my newsletter. That's all for now. Until next time... Lis:)

Silencing the inner critic

Anyone who's a writer knows what I'm talking about. Once you've learned to edit your own work, it's hard to turn that part of your brain off when you pick up someone else's. There's hardly been a time in the past few years that I haven't had the urge to take my red pen to the paperback in my hand. Not necessarily because I found a glaring error (though there have been more than a few of those) but because I would have written it differently. For a long time it took the fun out of reading for me, until I learned to stuff that inner critic into a mental box and enjoy reading like I used to before I started writing. The same thing can hold true for our own writing--if we let it, that critic can lead to slowed progress, self-doubt, and the dreaded writer's block. We have to learn to turn off the critical thinking and do what we set out to do from the beginning. Just write. The first draft doesn't have to be perfect. Neither does the second draft, or the third, or however many come in between the conception and the finished product. The only one that needs to be spit-shined and polished is the one that's being submitted to editors and agents. You have to give yourself permission to write less-than-perfect paragraphs the first time around. The draft is just a roadmap. When you revise, you follow the course you set for yourself, and this is where your ideas become a story. Lis:)

Print books, upcoming books, and the aging process

The sun is finally shining after a few days of cool, drizzly weather...again. I spent the whole morning reorganizing my office space, but I got outside with the kids this afternoon to play a little football. Now it's back to work for a couple hours. And then I have to wash the floor and give the dog a bath. It never ends. I turned 30 last week. It doesn't bother me, not in the traditional sense of being afraid to age, but the older I get the older my kids get. Sometimes I'd just like to freeze them at the age they are now--or even turn back time to when they were a little younger. My oldest starts middle school in the fall, and my baby is going to be 9 in November. It won't be long before they're moving out of the house and heading off to college. I guess I just want a little more time with them before they realize mom isn't as cool as they thought. Some exciting news~~Two of my books are now available in print. Dark Promises book 1: Midnight, and Dirty Pictures. Make sure to check for them at Borders and Waldenbooks, and also at Amazon.com, Bn.com, and Ellora's Cave's eBay web store. Dark Promises book 2: Demonic Obsession should be available in print sometime in August. Some more exciting news~~I just finished writing the 5th (and final, finally ) book in the Dark Promises series. I don't have a release date for Tarnished yet, but I'll post as soon as I know anything. Also upcoming are two books from Cerridwen Press. Grave Silence is a dark romantic suspense and Nothing Personal is a chick lit/romantic comedy. Both of them are pretty special to me--Grave Silence is a book I've been working on polishing for 2 years, and Nothing Personal was a finalist in Lori Foster's novella contest a few years back. That's it for now. Have a great week, everyone! Elisa

A little about me...

Welcome to my little corner of cyberspace (AKA my latest distraction when I really should be writing). I'm going to use this blog for a variety of things~news, tips for writers, and idle banter. Who I am~Well, that depends on who you ask. I'm a mother, wife, author, homemaker...and many other things. I'm a Gemini, so I have a definite split personality, at least when it comes to my writing. I write comedy, and I write very dark paranormals. I signed my first publishing contract--with Ellora's Cave--three years ago, and haven't slowed down since. I have 2 wips going right now: a vampire book for Ellora's Cave (the last in my Dark Promises series, finally ) and a paranormal women's fiction book--a style fairly new to me and I'm having a blast with it so far. I've been getting some positive responses on that one, so hopefully I'll have some good news to report soon. Elisa