NaNoWriMo: The end is just the beginning!

Happy November, everyone! For many people November equals NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. It's a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. I want to take this opportunity to go through NaNo with you, and to look at the writing process in great detail.

It's the end of the month, so it's time to look at the end of NaNo and where we go from here.

The end on NaNo is not the end of your story. In fact, it's just the beginning.

                                           

We've talked about quantity and quality, and the importance of editing and polishing your piece. The end of NaNo marks the beginning of that.

But I don't want to beat a dead horse. I'm just as sick of the repetition and redundancy as you are.

Let's look at the other beginning the end of NaNo brings us.

Having accomplished NaNo, we can say that we have written a novel. It doesn't matter if we're seasoned or not. We've done it. That's an accomplishment in and of itself. It's the beginning of feeling pride in our work and our victory.

It opens the door for us to write more. Novels, short stories, poems, whatever we want! NaNo opens up our creative channels to write and write and write.

If you discover that writing isn't your thing, it still opens up those creative channels. It encourages us to try new artistic endeavors - to begin other challenges and begin learning other art forms.

The end of NaNo is not the end. Not even close. The end of NaNo marks the beginning of many wonderful things!

Thanksgiving

Good Turkey Day Thursday to one and all! I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving.

I just want to take a minute to discuss what I most thankful for:

YOU! :)



Without my readers, my books and I would be nowhere.

Without my readers, I wouldn't be able to write for as many periodicals and publications as I do.

Without my readers, there's no way I could have taken 2nd place in the P & E Poll this year.

So, thank you! Thank you for buying my work, thank you for supporting my work, thank you for being a reader. Believe it or not, just reading my stories alone means more than words could ever describe.


THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!  :)

Has every story already been told?

Happy Thursday, campers!


Today's topic: has every story already been told?



I've talked about this before, and as time has gone by, my perspective has changed. I think now is a good time to revisit this topic.


I've seen, heard, and read writers and non-writers alike say that every story has already been told. I used to argue vehemently that was not the case. Now, I somewhat retract my statement.



SOMEWHAT.



If you look at the bare bones of a story, yes it's been told before.



A person is placed in an unfamiliar situation, and they suddenly have to do things they've never done before in order to survive and grow.


Boy/girl meets boy/girl love comes along swimmingly and then a family member or life event tests their relationship. They either live happily ever after or they part ways.


Yeah, we've all seen and read them before. Yes, those basic premises run through every book - and even every movie. No one can deny that.


However, what changes are the details. You could give the same story line to 5 different writers, and you will get 5 different stories. THAT is what makes writing great. We all have different voices, different stories, different forms of creativity. That's what I love about being an author. There are so many of us. We each have our own voices, our own history, and our own takes on stories. There is a place for each and every one of us in the literary world. We may all be given the same blank canvas, but each final masterpiece is something completely unique and beautiful.



So sure, you can say that every story has been told. To some extent, you would be right. You'd also be right if you said they haven't. So if you're looking for a fresh, new story, take a look at my books!

Check-in

Happy Thursday, all!


I have a lot going on, so let's just do a quick check-in, shall we?


You officially have 7 of the 8 Loving Her stories available at your disposal.


Book 8, The Vet Student (Katie's story), will be coming out soon. Stay tuned for more info on that! :)




I currently have a WIP which is slated for release later this year.



In 9 day, on Saturday, June 14 @ 2 pm, I will be at Books, Etc. in Macedon, NY for a reading/signing event. I would love to see you there!


On the 18th, I will actually be speaking at a local class about Spanish, and the importance of linguistics.


I will also be making an appearance at the NJ Book Fair later this summer. Details to follow.


And I still have my usual articles for Keystone Gay Alliance/Gay Life Newsletter, CNY Latino, and Curve Magazine.


As you can see, I am a busy little bee! :) But it's ok. It keeps me out of trouble. ;)


So that's it for now.


Don't forget to pick up your copies of my books for your weekend reading this weekend! ;)




Happy reading!!!

A to Z '14 - Printing

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.



P is for Printing.


My grandfather was a many of many trades. His life experiences were innumerable and nothing short of amazing.

One of his biggest trades was printing and lithography. Cigar labels was a passion of his. They are beautiful works of art. He left us all his legacy in this gorgeous images.




Today, I am letting the images speak for themselves.


P is for Printing.

Only 15 days Left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thursday, gang!

If you haven't already noticed, I am very much a count-down type of person. I like to plan things. I like to think ahead. Good, bad or different, that's just me.

So, you can imagine how excited I must be that we have something WONDERFUL happening on Aug. 23.

August 23 is my grandfather's birthday. He passed in April. I know full well that I am incredibly blessed to have had him all this time. He was 93, he would be turning 94 on Aug. 23. I know people who have lost parents, siblings and children...all fairly recently. I hate talking about my loss with/around them because I feel that their pain & losses are far greater than mine.



My grandfather is the most important person in my life. Always has been, always will. You don't need to know my family history, all of our deep, dark secrets, etc. Really, the only important thing right now is my grandfather.



So, being the person that I am, I did not want his birthday to come and go as an ordinary day. So it won't! I am getting the most wonderful, amazing way to pay him tribute on his birthday!

What is it? Ah patience, grasshopper. For that, you will need to wait.

That is what brings us back to the count-down concept. I am counting down the number of days till 8/23. I hope you will count down with me. Because for as special as that day will be for me, it will be ten times better for you! :)


Happy reading!!!! :)

You wanted it, you got it!

The one thing I heard repeatedly after people read Loving Her was that they wanted more. They wanted to know the characters better, they wanted more of their stories.

Since Loving Her came out, I have been talking about writing prequels. I worked on them whenever the mood would strike. In all honesty, I loved the characters and I wanted to revisit them. I only got into it seriously this year, though.

I don't know why that is. Especially since these women are all so near and dear to my heart. But for whatever reason, NOW is the time for them.

What I had originally anticipated to be a set of prequels flowing into the book of Loving Her has become something different, but definitely something better.



Each woman now has her own novella. You will get the prequels mixed in with the original short stories and end in different ways. You will still see the connections and impacts they all have on each other, but now you will also see each woman for the person she really is.


I am so very excited about this! I can't even begin to tell you how I feel about this project as a whole, or the enjoyment I'm getting for writing each and every one of these stories.

It has been an amazing journey and I cannot wait to show you the final products.

We are starting with the first release in August! Details will come as we approach the release date. For now, I will tell you that the first story is Liz, the ballerina.

I hope you enjoy finding out more about her.

I hope you like these stories better than the originals! :)
I certainly had a wonderful time writing them, and I cannot wait for you to get your own copies of these books!!

Happy reading!

Washing the Dishes

Hey gang! It's Thursday, so you know what that means.

It's blog time!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)



Do you watch TV? More importantly, do you ever watch the commercials? Yes? Good!




Let's be honest, most of the commercials on TV today are ridiculously over dramatized. The slightest problem (opening a jar, blow drying your hair - you name it) suddenly becomes a huge fiasco. But for $19.95, they have the remedy. There is even a man who says there is nothing worse than having to wait in line at the post office. Really? So, you'd rather have cancer than wait in line at the post office? Thankfully, sir, they have a remedy for your worst nightmare.



Another one that gets me are the dish detergent commercials. Are you serious? Who washes their dishes like Vanna White?!


On a good day, I'm just rinsing off the debris and putting them into the dishwasher. On a bad day, I actually use a bit of elbow grease. Like a normal person!


Why the tirade, you ask. Simple. It's not real. For as much as I have been talking about the freedom of fiction, there is something to be said for being realistic.


When I write my stories, I want my characters to be real; to be people you can relate to. If I write about someone who unrealistically handles even the most mundane of activities, I am going to lose you as a reader. You will lose interest in the characters, the story, the book. I want to write stories that you want to read! I want to tell you stories that grip you, that you can relate to, that touch you. To me, it would be pointless to tell a story that is just beyond belief.




Now, I'm not talking about fantasy or sci fi or anything like that. I give TREMENDOUS credit to authors who write those stories. Their imaginations are amazing and their stories are wonderful. I am talking about contemporary fiction, contemporary romance novels, etc. The stories that are in the here and now.


Call me crazy, but I live in a world where I work up a sweat vacuuming; I actually scrub when washing the dishes; and I actually have to do laundry. I live in reality and I'm assuming you do as well. Hence the reason for my REAL stories.




I hope you can relate to them and that you enjoy the realistic settings for my stories.

Happy reading, guys! :)