I have my freaky traditions with writing. I would say superstitions but there is usually logic behind them. For example, I can't talk about a writing project while I'm working on it. If I tell the story or even the idea of the story, the desire to write it goes away. Also, the whole thing about facing west...which turns out is not about the direction but about getting good doses of sunlight into the room where I'm writing. There are very good reasons for that too.
But I'm baffled by this one. I have a terrible time writing, full out writing, long hand or on anything other than my computer. I write on my computer, a laptop in the morning, on whatever project I'm working on. Once, before The Silver Spoon was published and I was working on yet another draft and feeling very frustrated, I started writing at night in bed on my AlphaSmart (a portable word processor). I felt like I was really sneaking too, as I'd never worked on two projects simultaneously before. [total sidenote: I thought I was being really sneaky, waiting until my husband came to bed and went to sleep before I even started typing. He never said anything about it. Until one night he woke up while I was still at it and said, "Oh, no, not the typing again!" So much for sneaky!] The weird thing was, it helped me concentrate because I wouldn't get so freaked out about one or the other. I'd worry alternately about one or the other instead of concentrating all that worry power on one project. I wrote the entire first draft of Bitter Pill at night on the AlphaSmart in like a month. No joke.
But here's the thing -- every time since that I've tried to use the AlphaSmart for writing (instead of just keeping notes), I bottom out miserably. I hate everything that I write, not that I always love it any other time, but it seems worse than usual. But I really WANT to use the AlphaSmart to write. It's light, sturdy and can go with me anywhere without all the equipment that a laptop seems to require. Plus, it's pretty inexpensive so I don't freak out every time I bang the carrying case into the wall accidentally (yes, I am a klutz) as I do when it's the laptop.
Lately, based on some advice from one of my online writing groups, I've started taking it to work with me so I can squeeze in writing time over lunch and on breaks. So, I really, really want to write with it. I mean, really write so I can use my time more efficiently. Since joining one of the online writing groups, I've found out that people who truly want to write will find time to do it. They won't make excuses about not having the right equipment or peace and quiet or even a desk. So many of them write at kids' soccer practices or waiting the doctor's office for an appointment. I want to be one of those writers. I mean, I take notes all the time. Jot down bits of dialogue here and there. But I want to be able to make progress on a project, regardless of circumstances. Otherwise, it's going to take me forever to get to the place I want to be (an author first, then whatever else I do to support myself financially). Plus, I worry that if I can't do this now with relatively minimal distractions, how will I ever do this when/if I have kids?
Maybe it's just one of those things that you can't do until you have to. Maybe my subconscious is sabotaging me because it knows that I don't *have* to squeeze in extra writing time, I just want to. Maybe NaNoWriMo would be good for curing this ill. Maybe not.
Sometimes I just do not understand myself at all : ) But I want to be clear. I'm not complaining. I love writing and I will take it anyway I can get it. And there are far worse things than not being to use a laptop word processor to be more effective. I'm just confused. And wondering if I'm doing it to myself or if I should just accept it and let it go...
Talk to you tomorrow.
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
What's going on?
I love my ipod. It's like being able to escape some place else...where they only play the music I like! I'm listening to it as I ponder what to write about today.
- The Silver Spoon has been out for almost two months already, hard to believe! So far, reviews have been really good and I'm unbelievably thrilled. Plus, I just got word of a promotional opportunity that I am both excited and nervous about. It's not final yet, by any means, so I don't want to share it until I know for sure. Next up...entering contests. Yep, published books are entered into a variety of contests so that they can gain, what else?, the attention of potential readers. I've got a few in mind, but I need to get organized so I can get the books in the mail.
- As readers of my newsletter, GalaxSHE, already know (and they already know the working title -- see? Incentive to sign up for the newsletter, right?), I've finished a second draft of book two. I had a first draft done before I sold The Silver Spoon. The second draft is very different, perhaps too different, so I need to work on pulling it all together. Once I've got a rough idea of how the drafts will come together (what parts stay and which parts go), I'll be able to put together an outline for book two, which RuneStone has been so patiently waiting for : )
- I have a project that I'm working on, specifically for all of you out there who come here to read this blog on a regular basis. But it's taking longer than I thought it would. Which is fine, except that means my original plan of posting it here in a month or so is definitely going to have to change. It's a longer project than I anticipated, which is sort of interesting for me. Usually, when I write, I'm always worried about it being too short!
- NaNoWriMo: I still haven't made up my mind whether I'm participating or not. But I've got an idea tumbling around in the back of my brain that I want to start on. This is the one with slightly pushy (she prefers "pleasantly determined") character I mentioned last week or so. But that would mean working on two new projects at the same time and revising book two. I've never done that much all at once. But it might be kind of fun...as some of you know, I always end up with way too much to do at once. It's difficult sometimes, but for whatever reason, that tends to be my standard mode of operation.
Okay, that's enough for now, I'd say : )
Talk to you tomorrow!
Contest!
I forgot to mention...I'm giving away an ebook copy of The Silver Spoon in a contest. If you know the answer to the following question:
"What is unique about the Observers' eye color?"
email me at sklemstein@msn.com with the answer by 10/28 and you'll be entered in a drawing to win the ebook of The Silver Spoon. An ebook, for those who might not know, is basically an electronic version of the book that can be emailed to you. It can be read on your computer, palm pilot or ebook reader.
If you need help answering the question, you can read the excerpt that's posted on my site, www.staceyklemstein.com for help (hint: the answer is actually in the excerpt, so check it out!)
Sorry for the short notice! I posted the info elsewhere but forgot to mention it here : ) Yeah, I'm having one of those weeks...
more later...
"What is unique about the Observers' eye color?"
email me at sklemstein@msn.com with the answer by 10/28 and you'll be entered in a drawing to win the ebook of The Silver Spoon. An ebook, for those who might not know, is basically an electronic version of the book that can be emailed to you. It can be read on your computer, palm pilot or ebook reader.
If you need help answering the question, you can read the excerpt that's posted on my site, www.staceyklemstein.com for help (hint: the answer is actually in the excerpt, so check it out!)
Sorry for the short notice! I posted the info elsewhere but forgot to mention it here : ) Yeah, I'm having one of those weeks...
more later...
Monday, October 25, 2004
Next year...
Do you ever wonder about where you'll be this time next year? I could never have imagined at this point last year that I'd have a book out there. Kind of makes me wonder what will be going on at this time next year. All good things, I hope! Sometimes I get this huge urge to go and shake things up a bit. And that's actually kind of weird thing for me. As most people who know me will tell you, I like things to stay the same. I used to blame that on moving so much as a kid. But now, I think I would have been like that anyway. I like routine, sameness. It's comforting to me. Heck, I order the same meals at the same restaurants every time we go. But sometimes I do get this almost irresistable urge to change things up.
For example...a few months ago, a family member brought to my husband's attention that a bed and breakfast that the family member had stayed in was for sale. The B&B is in Hawaii. I LOVE Hawaii (though I protested intensely the vacation there last year -- I am so not good with change, even the really wonderful kind that I enjoyed once I let myself). Though we didn't seriously consider it at the time, I've often wondered what that would be like. To pick up and move and start a new life some place where you've always wanted to live, instead of where your job or life demands. I'm sure that running a b&b is a LOT of hard work. But can you imagine? Waking up every morning to tropical birds sqwauking. The sound of the ocean nearby. 75 degrees and sunny all year round. The worst you'd have to do is deal with cranky customers. Couldn't be any worse than some of the other people I've dealt with in the years I've been working. But can you just imagine...trading it all in, not for a perfect life, but a different life? I can see myself sitting in a cabana (spelling?), writing on my AlphaSmart...*sigh*.
But we'll never do it. At least not that way. If we move someplace far away, it will be both a planned and measured move. Which is the best way to to do it. I'd probably hate the change anyway, at least until I got used to it. Real life is never as perfect as fantasy. And moving sucks, no matter how cool the location you're going to. But still...can you imagine? The freedom of doing something just because you want to. And it's not a completely foolish idea, but not an entirely practical one either. Sometimes I think we fill our lives so full with the practical and pragmatic, we slowly edge the fun out of our lives. It's all about being responsible adults. Shoot, I'd rather be a B&B owner in Hawaii, I think. : )
Talk to you tomorrow!
For example...a few months ago, a family member brought to my husband's attention that a bed and breakfast that the family member had stayed in was for sale. The B&B is in Hawaii. I LOVE Hawaii (though I protested intensely the vacation there last year -- I am so not good with change, even the really wonderful kind that I enjoyed once I let myself). Though we didn't seriously consider it at the time, I've often wondered what that would be like. To pick up and move and start a new life some place where you've always wanted to live, instead of where your job or life demands. I'm sure that running a b&b is a LOT of hard work. But can you imagine? Waking up every morning to tropical birds sqwauking. The sound of the ocean nearby. 75 degrees and sunny all year round. The worst you'd have to do is deal with cranky customers. Couldn't be any worse than some of the other people I've dealt with in the years I've been working. But can you just imagine...trading it all in, not for a perfect life, but a different life? I can see myself sitting in a cabana (spelling?), writing on my AlphaSmart...*sigh*.
But we'll never do it. At least not that way. If we move someplace far away, it will be both a planned and measured move. Which is the best way to to do it. I'd probably hate the change anyway, at least until I got used to it. Real life is never as perfect as fantasy. And moving sucks, no matter how cool the location you're going to. But still...can you imagine? The freedom of doing something just because you want to. And it's not a completely foolish idea, but not an entirely practical one either. Sometimes I think we fill our lives so full with the practical and pragmatic, we slowly edge the fun out of our lives. It's all about being responsible adults. Shoot, I'd rather be a B&B owner in Hawaii, I think. : )
Talk to you tomorrow!
Thursday, October 21, 2004
I'm a big giant hypocrite...maybe
Okay, I have to be fair and tell the truth. I'm encouraging everyone to participate in NaNoWriMo (see yesterday's blog). But I'm still trying to make up my mind whether it's something I'm going to do. I'll still write during November, definitely, but whether I'll actually sign up for NaNoWriMo is what I'm wrestling with. See, I'm not sure that I'm one of those people who functions well under pressure. I get writing done, usually, because I've forced myself to sit down every day and do it. Sometimes I get a page, sometimes I get a paragraph, sometimes on a really good Saturday or Sunday I get more like seven pages, yea!!! But part of the reason I can do that is I tell myself that there are no expectations for sitting down in that chair, although I have a goal of at least (!) one page a day on weekdays before work. So, I'm worried that if I put the expectation of 1,500 or so words a day on my shoulders, I'll work myself into a tizzy stressing over it. On other hand, I think I sometimes lose a lot of time because I allow myself to digress or worry about what's already been written instead of moving forward and making progress, which is what NaNoWriMo is all about.
Plus, and I know this sounds stupid, if I get all freaked out and frustrated because I can't meet the deadline (I am so a Type A, if there's a deadline, I MUST meet it. Except when it comes to being anywhere on time. That I can never do as many of you will testify), I won't be able to enjoy writing. Enjoying it, even when it's hard work, is essential for me. I'm thinking of all those college papers that I had to write on deadline and hated them intensely while I was writing them.
So, while I still think NaNoWriMo is an excellent event, especially for those who need a kick in the pants *grin* to start writing or keep writing, I'm not sure I'm going to do it. I'm still thinking about it...
Okay, whew, now that I've got that off my chest...complete and bizarre conversation change. How about that show Lost? Best hour on television in my opinion. Fabulous character development, intriguing backstory. It's one of the few shows where I'm actively wishing for more at the end. I wish they'd put television shows out like they do DVDs, all the episodes at once, so you can watch them all when you have time or want to. This week to week thing is killing me.
Also, Veronica Mars? Close second to Lost for best new show. If you haven't seen it, you are truly missing out. Again, excellent character development. I heard that Veronica was originally developed as a character for a novel, which helps explain some of her depth. If that's the case, then all tv characters should be book characters first!!!
Okay, I'm done now. : )
Talk to you tomorrow!
Plus, and I know this sounds stupid, if I get all freaked out and frustrated because I can't meet the deadline (I am so a Type A, if there's a deadline, I MUST meet it. Except when it comes to being anywhere on time. That I can never do as many of you will testify), I won't be able to enjoy writing. Enjoying it, even when it's hard work, is essential for me. I'm thinking of all those college papers that I had to write on deadline and hated them intensely while I was writing them.
So, while I still think NaNoWriMo is an excellent event, especially for those who need a kick in the pants *grin* to start writing or keep writing, I'm not sure I'm going to do it. I'm still thinking about it...
Okay, whew, now that I've got that off my chest...complete and bizarre conversation change. How about that show Lost? Best hour on television in my opinion. Fabulous character development, intriguing backstory. It's one of the few shows where I'm actively wishing for more at the end. I wish they'd put television shows out like they do DVDs, all the episodes at once, so you can watch them all when you have time or want to. This week to week thing is killing me.
Also, Veronica Mars? Close second to Lost for best new show. If you haven't seen it, you are truly missing out. Again, excellent character development. I heard that Veronica was originally developed as a character for a novel, which helps explain some of her depth. If that's the case, then all tv characters should be book characters first!!!
Okay, I'm done now. : )
Talk to you tomorrow!
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
NaNoWriMo...and no, that's not gibberish.
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I kid you not, it is an actual celebrated thing. And it's a cool thing on top of it. Basically, the idea behind NaNoWriMo is that a lot of people have the dream of writing a book. But the problem is life interferes. Everyone has jobs, family commitments, school, soccer games, dinners to cook, laundry to wash, etc. (Just as a quick aside -- even once you've written a book, that stuff still pops up. I think before I got published I thought if I could just get my book out there then somehow all this other stuff would fall into place and make writing the next one so much easier. It doesn't. And a good thing too. As Stephen King points out, art should revolve around life, not the other way around. Or he says something like that. I'm wildly paraphrasing again. Basically that writing should be a reflection of life, so life has to come first. And he's right.)
So, the good folks at NaNoWriMo have come up with a solution. You want to write a book? Give yourself thirty days. Starting November 1 at midnight, join thousands of other writers in writing their novels. The goal? 50,000 words by November 30 at midnight.
Frankly, what stops most writers is fear. Fear that it won't be good enough, fear that it's a waste of time or energy because you won't be able to accomplish the goal of an entire book. NaNoWriMo doesn't allow time for fear. You have a deadline to meet!
No assertions of quality are made. You don't have to write a great book in 30 days, just a book. Actually, more likely a draft. I believe that this program ascribes to Anne Lamott's theory of "Write a shitty first draft." Which basically means, don't let fear stop you. Put it all down on the page, revel in the crappiness of it. Because it's only once you've got it all down there that you can see what you have and what's worth keeping and what's not. (Read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. I love it. It is quite simply the most helpful book on writing that I have ever read.)
And once you have 50,000 words on the page, are you going to put it aside? Heck no, that's a lot of effort. And 50,000 is technically long enough to be a novel and if you find you still have more story to tell when you reach that point, all the better. Participants can register at NaNoWriMo and if they reach their goal, they will be put in some kind of Hall of Fame, I believe. But here's my thought -- even if you don't quite reach 50,000, it's still probably more progress on your novel in a month that you normally would have made, right?
Blogger is adding a new twist this year by encouraging participants to set up novel blogs, where they can post progress on their novels. There's an article about it here. If you can't read it (I'm not sure if it's for registered blog owners only or not), let me know. You don't have to use Blogger to participate in NaNoWriMo. I couldn't because I'm uncomfortable with sharing my writing before it reaches a certain stage. I like being able to wallow in the mess of it until I can figure out what's going on. But with NaNoWriMo, you don't have to show your writing to anyone. Progress is updated on the honor system. And if you reach the goal of 50,000, they have some kind of method to check without reading your stuff.
I think NaNoWriMo is a great program. Sometimes all you need is a reason to start and keep going. Anybody out there who's thinking about or has thought about writing a book, consider NaNoWriMo. It's just one month out of your life to achieve a huge, wonderful goal. Think about it : ) By the way, you are allowed to create notes and outlines ahead of time, just no actual writing on the book until November 1 at midnight, for those who were wondering...
Talk to you tomorrow!
So, the good folks at NaNoWriMo have come up with a solution. You want to write a book? Give yourself thirty days. Starting November 1 at midnight, join thousands of other writers in writing their novels. The goal? 50,000 words by November 30 at midnight.
Frankly, what stops most writers is fear. Fear that it won't be good enough, fear that it's a waste of time or energy because you won't be able to accomplish the goal of an entire book. NaNoWriMo doesn't allow time for fear. You have a deadline to meet!
No assertions of quality are made. You don't have to write a great book in 30 days, just a book. Actually, more likely a draft. I believe that this program ascribes to Anne Lamott's theory of "Write a shitty first draft." Which basically means, don't let fear stop you. Put it all down on the page, revel in the crappiness of it. Because it's only once you've got it all down there that you can see what you have and what's worth keeping and what's not. (Read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. I love it. It is quite simply the most helpful book on writing that I have ever read.)
And once you have 50,000 words on the page, are you going to put it aside? Heck no, that's a lot of effort. And 50,000 is technically long enough to be a novel and if you find you still have more story to tell when you reach that point, all the better. Participants can register at NaNoWriMo and if they reach their goal, they will be put in some kind of Hall of Fame, I believe. But here's my thought -- even if you don't quite reach 50,000, it's still probably more progress on your novel in a month that you normally would have made, right?
Blogger is adding a new twist this year by encouraging participants to set up novel blogs, where they can post progress on their novels. There's an article about it here. If you can't read it (I'm not sure if it's for registered blog owners only or not), let me know. You don't have to use Blogger to participate in NaNoWriMo. I couldn't because I'm uncomfortable with sharing my writing before it reaches a certain stage. I like being able to wallow in the mess of it until I can figure out what's going on. But with NaNoWriMo, you don't have to show your writing to anyone. Progress is updated on the honor system. And if you reach the goal of 50,000, they have some kind of method to check without reading your stuff.
I think NaNoWriMo is a great program. Sometimes all you need is a reason to start and keep going. Anybody out there who's thinking about or has thought about writing a book, consider NaNoWriMo. It's just one month out of your life to achieve a huge, wonderful goal. Think about it : ) By the way, you are allowed to create notes and outlines ahead of time, just no actual writing on the book until November 1 at midnight, for those who were wondering...
Talk to you tomorrow!
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Classes...
Forgot to mention, my website is now updated (thanks, Ed!). I wanted to point out a new section on my site dedicated to creative writing classes. I have a couple classes that I'd like to teach if enough people are interested. The Fiction Workshop is more of a writing group but online. Creative Writing is more of an overview of the necessary elements for a short story or novel, also online.
If you think you might be interested, please email me, sklemstein@msn.com or feel free to forward the link or information to someone else who might be interested. Also, if you have class ideas for writing or publishing topics that you' d like to learn about, let me know. If I don't know enough about it to teach a class on it, maybe I can refer you to someone who does!
If you think you might be interested, please email me, sklemstein@msn.com or feel free to forward the link or information to someone else who might be interested. Also, if you have class ideas for writing or publishing topics that you' d like to learn about, let me know. If I don't know enough about it to teach a class on it, maybe I can refer you to someone who does!
I bet you didn't know this about me...
I got to do one of my very favorite things at my day job today...fix the copier. I'm probably the only person who likes it when we get paper jams. I just love to take apart all the different sections and search out that little bit of crumpled paper that's gumming up the whole works. It's just that inside a copy machine everything looks complicated but it isn't. There are diagrams and little numbers on all the equipment to tell you how it all comes apart and goes back together again. There's really no subjectivity about it, no right or wrong -- there's paper stuck in there somewhere and to make the machine work again, you have to get it out. Period. I find most people just give up too soon, thinking the machine is just freaking out, that there really isn't paper stuck in there. I like the challenge of trying to find it, taking all the different sections out and then figuring out how it all goes back together again.
Plus, I think there's something close to magic the way that blank paper goes in and pages full of ideas, thoughts, and words come out the other side. The inside of the machine always looks far too complicated for the purpose of it (there's a name for machines like that, Rube Goldberg or something like that? Named, I think, after this guy who would create this huge gigantic machine that took up a whole room just to do something simple, staple two pages together or something. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?) A complicated mass of levers, rollers, twist knobs, pullouts, belts and the smell of overheated paper and metal. The fixing it of it appeals to the logical side of my brain, "try this one. If's not here, then maybe it's over there." Keep trying and you will find the piece of paper, hiding away in some little nook or underneath one of the rollers. Such fun!!! But I honestly haven't a clue why I like it so much and others hate it.
What odd things do you guys like to do that other people probably hate to do? Let me phrase, for all those who might spin this right into the gutter *grin*, what odd tasks do you enjoy doing that other people might not? Doesn't have to be at work, either. Just curious -- I'm pretty sure I'm not the only strange one out there, I probably just have my own brand of strange, that's all!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Plus, I think there's something close to magic the way that blank paper goes in and pages full of ideas, thoughts, and words come out the other side. The inside of the machine always looks far too complicated for the purpose of it (there's a name for machines like that, Rube Goldberg or something like that? Named, I think, after this guy who would create this huge gigantic machine that took up a whole room just to do something simple, staple two pages together or something. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?) A complicated mass of levers, rollers, twist knobs, pullouts, belts and the smell of overheated paper and metal. The fixing it of it appeals to the logical side of my brain, "try this one. If's not here, then maybe it's over there." Keep trying and you will find the piece of paper, hiding away in some little nook or underneath one of the rollers. Such fun!!! But I honestly haven't a clue why I like it so much and others hate it.
What odd things do you guys like to do that other people probably hate to do? Let me phrase, for all those who might spin this right into the gutter *grin*, what odd tasks do you enjoy doing that other people might not? Doesn't have to be at work, either. Just curious -- I'm pretty sure I'm not the only strange one out there, I probably just have my own brand of strange, that's all!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Monday, October 18, 2004
Website update/Weird stuff
Just a quick note...This weekend I updated the files for my website but it wouldn't load properly, so my friend and tech advisor, Ed, is coming over tonight to try to fix it. So, you may see an updated site tomorrow or, with no reflection on Ed's skills but my own, the whole thing may be completely fouled up! So just a warning...
You know, other writers talk about characters coming to the front and protesting to have their time in the spotlight. I've never really experienced that phenomenon. Most of mine are bit passive agressive in that if I'm not doing it right, they get annoyed and just refuse to talk further. But someone new has cropped up this time. And she's rather impatient and not above influencing others to get them moving on with things in their story so I'll have time to hear her. I'm not supposed to get to her until after I've finished my current project, something shorter than normal, which may be why she's pushing so hard. I may have to start writing both at the same time, something I've never really done before. I'm kind of worried about doing that because when I'm writing something new, I like to work on it every day. And there's only so much time in the day. So, we'll have to see...but I must confess it's a fun and fascinating phenomenon. I can see why other writers are both delighted and baffled by it. Like right now, I'm listening to music (my IPod!) and thinking about how crazy this sounds and she says something very sarcastic, like, "And here I thought listening to music was supposed make the voices go away." Hee. That probably doesn't make sense without knowing her, which I hope you will soon. And she's pushing for much sooner rather than later!
Talk to you tomorrow!
You know, other writers talk about characters coming to the front and protesting to have their time in the spotlight. I've never really experienced that phenomenon. Most of mine are bit passive agressive in that if I'm not doing it right, they get annoyed and just refuse to talk further. But someone new has cropped up this time. And she's rather impatient and not above influencing others to get them moving on with things in their story so I'll have time to hear her. I'm not supposed to get to her until after I've finished my current project, something shorter than normal, which may be why she's pushing so hard. I may have to start writing both at the same time, something I've never really done before. I'm kind of worried about doing that because when I'm writing something new, I like to work on it every day. And there's only so much time in the day. So, we'll have to see...but I must confess it's a fun and fascinating phenomenon. I can see why other writers are both delighted and baffled by it. Like right now, I'm listening to music (my IPod!) and thinking about how crazy this sounds and she says something very sarcastic, like, "And here I thought listening to music was supposed make the voices go away." Hee. That probably doesn't make sense without knowing her, which I hope you will soon. And she's pushing for much sooner rather than later!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Friday, October 15, 2004
And finally...
Whew, it only took me until Friday this week to catch up. So, here, as I've been promising is the fantastic review that Kathy Samuels of Romance Reviews Today wrote for The Silver Spoon. I love it! I was especially thrilled the reference to "V" as I have begun to suspect that it may have had more influence over me than I realized, watching it obssessively as I did in childhood. Stacy G. just gave me the complete series on DVD for my birthday, so I'm planning to check it out again, perhaps this weekend!
I have permission to reprint the review in full, so here goes...
THE SILVER SPOON - Stacey Klemstein
RuneStone Publishing - www.runestonepublishing.com
ISBN: 1-59648-000-9
September 2004
Science Fiction Romance
Texas and Wisconsin, Present Day
Zara Mitchell hasn't had a good night's sleep since the arrival of the Observers, an alien race of beings who look like humans except for their extraordinary height, silver eyes and hair. From that first night a few years ago to now, Zara's dreams have been filled with nightmares involving these entities. She's sought the expertise of doctors and psychiatrists, but nothing, no drug or therapy, has been able to stop the dreams. Unfortunately, since she usually ends up outside her house screaming on the street after an episode, in the eyes of the townspeople Zara is crazy. When the sheriff brings one of the Observers into her diner just to see what she will do, Zara is unprepared for her reaction and for the aliens.
Caelan has been searching for the human woman who will satisfy the prophecy -- the one who will save his people from a known enemy. An image of her has been running through his mind ever since he was released from his stasis pod. Picked up by the police for loitering while searching the town, Caelan decides to act meek until he sees an opportunity to escape. But while he is devising his plans, the sheriff takes him directly to the woman he has been looking for.
Within minutes of Zara and Caelan's first encounter, someone detonates a bomb in the diner, and only with Caelan's help does Zara survive the blast. But there is no time to spare, for one of the Council, the leading group of Observers, is after Zara, and if she doesn't accompany Caelan, she will die. Unwilling to believe one of the beings who have plagued her dreams for years, Zara decides she wants nothing to do with Caelan and his prophecy. But her life has taken a turn for the adventurous and downright dangerous. Zara soon learns that someone actually is after her, and she makes the instantaneous decision that maybe working with Caelan is the lesser of two evils. Can Zara trust this alien, who, while he pushes all of her heretofore sleeping sexual buttons, has his own agenda? Is Caelan the key to unraveling the mystery of her dreams?
THE SILVER SPOON is one hell of a science fiction ride reminiscent of the 1980s TV miniseries 'V'. Aliens have landed on earth and extended the hand of peace...or have they? Zara is happy with her life, except, of course, for the debilitating nightmares. The introduction of Observers into her personal sphere is daunting at best to her mental health. As for the prophecy, well, that she has to classify as the worst addition to her future. A mouthy heroine with a heart of gold, readers will root for Zara even as they laugh at her witty internal monologues. Caelan is searching for an identity and the means by which to solve the mystery of his origins as well as to save his friends from the Council. He finds the key to all three in Zara, along with an attraction that can't be denied. The secondary characters, including Caelan's Observer team, Zara's brother Scott, and, of course, the villain, Nevan, provide background and initiate the major events in the plot, although the story is definitely Zara's. While the plot threads are tied off at the end of the tale, the author hints strongly of a sequel.
If you're looking for a book with a bit of everything -- action, adventure, and romance -- pick up a copy of THE SILVER SPOON today.
Kathy Samuels
Romance Reviews Today
I have permission to reprint the review in full, so here goes...
THE SILVER SPOON - Stacey Klemstein
RuneStone Publishing - www.runestonepublishing.com
ISBN: 1-59648-000-9
September 2004
Science Fiction Romance
Texas and Wisconsin, Present Day
Zara Mitchell hasn't had a good night's sleep since the arrival of the Observers, an alien race of beings who look like humans except for their extraordinary height, silver eyes and hair. From that first night a few years ago to now, Zara's dreams have been filled with nightmares involving these entities. She's sought the expertise of doctors and psychiatrists, but nothing, no drug or therapy, has been able to stop the dreams. Unfortunately, since she usually ends up outside her house screaming on the street after an episode, in the eyes of the townspeople Zara is crazy. When the sheriff brings one of the Observers into her diner just to see what she will do, Zara is unprepared for her reaction and for the aliens.
Caelan has been searching for the human woman who will satisfy the prophecy -- the one who will save his people from a known enemy. An image of her has been running through his mind ever since he was released from his stasis pod. Picked up by the police for loitering while searching the town, Caelan decides to act meek until he sees an opportunity to escape. But while he is devising his plans, the sheriff takes him directly to the woman he has been looking for.
Within minutes of Zara and Caelan's first encounter, someone detonates a bomb in the diner, and only with Caelan's help does Zara survive the blast. But there is no time to spare, for one of the Council, the leading group of Observers, is after Zara, and if she doesn't accompany Caelan, she will die. Unwilling to believe one of the beings who have plagued her dreams for years, Zara decides she wants nothing to do with Caelan and his prophecy. But her life has taken a turn for the adventurous and downright dangerous. Zara soon learns that someone actually is after her, and she makes the instantaneous decision that maybe working with Caelan is the lesser of two evils. Can Zara trust this alien, who, while he pushes all of her heretofore sleeping sexual buttons, has his own agenda? Is Caelan the key to unraveling the mystery of her dreams?
THE SILVER SPOON is one hell of a science fiction ride reminiscent of the 1980s TV miniseries 'V'. Aliens have landed on earth and extended the hand of peace...or have they? Zara is happy with her life, except, of course, for the debilitating nightmares. The introduction of Observers into her personal sphere is daunting at best to her mental health. As for the prophecy, well, that she has to classify as the worst addition to her future. A mouthy heroine with a heart of gold, readers will root for Zara even as they laugh at her witty internal monologues. Caelan is searching for an identity and the means by which to solve the mystery of his origins as well as to save his friends from the Council. He finds the key to all three in Zara, along with an attraction that can't be denied. The secondary characters, including Caelan's Observer team, Zara's brother Scott, and, of course, the villain, Nevan, provide background and initiate the major events in the plot, although the story is definitely Zara's. While the plot threads are tied off at the end of the tale, the author hints strongly of a sequel.
If you're looking for a book with a bit of everything -- action, adventure, and romance -- pick up a copy of THE SILVER SPOON today.
Kathy Samuels
Romance Reviews Today
Thursday, October 14, 2004
I'm back, part three
Can I just say how much I love bookstores? And I'm saying that as a reader, not a writer (well, okay, both, but I've loved bookstores a lot longer than I've had opportunity to say so and have it miscontrued as major suck uppage, which it isn't). There's just this wonderful feeling when you walk in the door...I imagine it's similar to the start of some big exciting adventure (being a homebody, I actually don't like traveling, so the analogy doesn't really apply to yours truly, but whatever) with old and new friends. The smell of paper, ink, glue and coffee all blending together in this happy mix that never fails to lighten my mood. Bookstores, just like libraries and churches, have a unique smell that I love. Makes me feel safe, happy, anticipatory, all at once. Hee.
Okay, enough of that. The Peoria Borders is a new store (yea, the smell of new construction too, can it get any better?!?), so it was, of course, beautiful on the inside. They'd set up a table right inside the door for me. My mom had come along with me on this one to help me set up (thanks Mom!), but my whole family was to be following shortly. I got all my stuff set up on the table and my mom got me a glass of water from the cafe and then I settled into the huge comfy leather reading chair they'd provided. Wasn't too long before people started approaching. It's interesting how people react to someone behind the table. Some of them aren't sure who you are. Are you a Borders employee? Some random customer who's decided to sit down at the table? A surveyer or some other annoying telemarketer-type personality? An author? People never seem to be quite sure and it shows in the way they either approach or don't approach the table. Some people make quick eye contact and when you try to speak, they look away immediately (they fear I may hand them a survey of some kind). Others in that same situation take it as a cue to approach and say hello. I had some fun learning and experimenting with what approach worked best to get people's attention, but I'll save that for the "lessons learned" part of this blog.
We weren't there very long before a couple approached the table and asked me to sign a book. Cool. But then they threw me for a loop when they told me to sign it for my aunt. I was kind of like, huh? And then I realized that these were people who knew me but I didn't recognize them. Eeesh. I always feel bad in that situation and it happens a lot because of my dad's job (lots of church members, only a few pastor's daughters!). So, in that moment, I'm trying to decide, do I confess that I don't recognize them or do I somehow try to deduce by some mystical means which aunt they're referring to? (I have four, and as it turns out, it was none of them but rather my great-aunt.) Finally, I have to apologize and say that I don't recognize them. They don't seem to be offended, even chuckling a bit. They are friends of my grandparents, used to live next door to them when they wintered in Arizona. And as soon as they said their names, I remembered them -- of course. That's how it always works. : ) (Hi Gene and Hazel, if you're reading this!). Then, another member of my dad's church came by, one of the few that I know by name and face instantly because he was on the call committee that had asked my dad to come to Peoria 11 years ago. I was a senior in high school and used to take phone messages for my dad from him. Feels like so long ago!
But those were the only two I knew. I sold five more after that, bringing it up to a total of 7!!! Woohoo, I beat the average at the Peoria store!!! And it was wonderful having my whole family there, including my husband. I'm so glad they all came.
Okay, so here we go..."Lessons Learned"
1. Even though it feels safer and less vulnerable to be set up in a nook with favored books, it's better for book sales to be near the door or at least, in the main aisle.
2. People do not know that you are the author just because you are sitting at a table of only one book. They think you are a sales person, Borders staff or just some generally weird customer hanging out.
3. If you sit at the table and smile, a few people might approach. If you try to engage them in conversation, more people come over.
4. Based on point above, "Hi" works okay. "Do you like sci-fi?" makes people feel like you're trying to pressure them into a sale. "Do you want to enter to win a t-shirt or mousepad?" works okay, except it doesn't really get them to be interested in your book. "Hi, this is my book, a mix of sci-fi and romance, and I'm here signing today" seems to work the best. Gets across that you are the author (not random weird customer), what your book is about, and why you're telling them about it. Plus it's not a question that they can blow past with a "No." Most people, if they're not interested, just say "Thanks" and keep walking. And those who might not normally be interested in your kind of book might stop to talk just because of the whole writer/author thing.
5. Make sure to have some beverage, water is best for me, available at all times. One, because if you do any talking at all, which you should -- see #4 -- your mouth will get dry. Plus it gives you something to do with your hands if your nervous and it gives you something to do (drink it) when people are reading the back cover or the first couple of pages, so you don't stare at them, trying to gauge their reaction or work too hard at not looking desperate.
6. It helps to have a book signing buddy. Fortunately, I've had great friends and family to come with me and the one time, I didn't, the Borders staff was awesome. But if you're alone, you have no one to watch your stuff (purse, etc.) while you go to the bathroom and no one to help out by grabbing you a water refill if needed. Plus, the whole conversation with someone other than in your head thing is a benefit : )
7. Talking to your book signing buddy is good, but make sure the book signing buddy knows that you can't look too engaged or else people won't stop to talk to you, afraid to interrupt.
8. Write down the names of the staff people who help you so you can write them personalized thank you notes (I'm working on mine still!) It should go without saying but just in case...always be nice to the staff, regardless of how many people stop by or don't stop by your table. They are your best ally in getting people to know about your book.
9. If your book is not stocked, make sure to tell the staff how much the book costs. Otherwise you'll have someone waiting at the cash register while they hunt you down for a price check. (This happened to me repeatedly and I kept forgetting to tell the people at each new Borders -- total duh! on my part)
10. Your mother told you this when you were little and it's still a good piece of advice -- go to the bathroom before your event starts. First, because there's nothing worse than having to cut off a good conversation with someone to dash off to the bathroom. And second, because darn it all, hair gets messed up to resemble bird feathers, food gets stuck in teeth and lipstick ends up halfway to your chin. Not that this happened to me or anything...
Okay, I think I'll save the good review for another entry because this one is already too long. So, stay tuned tomorrow for that bit of excellent news!
Talk to you tomorrow.
Okay, enough of that. The Peoria Borders is a new store (yea, the smell of new construction too, can it get any better?!?), so it was, of course, beautiful on the inside. They'd set up a table right inside the door for me. My mom had come along with me on this one to help me set up (thanks Mom!), but my whole family was to be following shortly. I got all my stuff set up on the table and my mom got me a glass of water from the cafe and then I settled into the huge comfy leather reading chair they'd provided. Wasn't too long before people started approaching. It's interesting how people react to someone behind the table. Some of them aren't sure who you are. Are you a Borders employee? Some random customer who's decided to sit down at the table? A surveyer or some other annoying telemarketer-type personality? An author? People never seem to be quite sure and it shows in the way they either approach or don't approach the table. Some people make quick eye contact and when you try to speak, they look away immediately (they fear I may hand them a survey of some kind). Others in that same situation take it as a cue to approach and say hello. I had some fun learning and experimenting with what approach worked best to get people's attention, but I'll save that for the "lessons learned" part of this blog.
We weren't there very long before a couple approached the table and asked me to sign a book. Cool. But then they threw me for a loop when they told me to sign it for my aunt. I was kind of like, huh? And then I realized that these were people who knew me but I didn't recognize them. Eeesh. I always feel bad in that situation and it happens a lot because of my dad's job (lots of church members, only a few pastor's daughters!). So, in that moment, I'm trying to decide, do I confess that I don't recognize them or do I somehow try to deduce by some mystical means which aunt they're referring to? (I have four, and as it turns out, it was none of them but rather my great-aunt.) Finally, I have to apologize and say that I don't recognize them. They don't seem to be offended, even chuckling a bit. They are friends of my grandparents, used to live next door to them when they wintered in Arizona. And as soon as they said their names, I remembered them -- of course. That's how it always works. : ) (Hi Gene and Hazel, if you're reading this!). Then, another member of my dad's church came by, one of the few that I know by name and face instantly because he was on the call committee that had asked my dad to come to Peoria 11 years ago. I was a senior in high school and used to take phone messages for my dad from him. Feels like so long ago!
But those were the only two I knew. I sold five more after that, bringing it up to a total of 7!!! Woohoo, I beat the average at the Peoria store!!! And it was wonderful having my whole family there, including my husband. I'm so glad they all came.
Okay, so here we go..."Lessons Learned"
1. Even though it feels safer and less vulnerable to be set up in a nook with favored books, it's better for book sales to be near the door or at least, in the main aisle.
2. People do not know that you are the author just because you are sitting at a table of only one book. They think you are a sales person, Borders staff or just some generally weird customer hanging out.
3. If you sit at the table and smile, a few people might approach. If you try to engage them in conversation, more people come over.
4. Based on point above, "Hi" works okay. "Do you like sci-fi?" makes people feel like you're trying to pressure them into a sale. "Do you want to enter to win a t-shirt or mousepad?" works okay, except it doesn't really get them to be interested in your book. "Hi, this is my book, a mix of sci-fi and romance, and I'm here signing today" seems to work the best. Gets across that you are the author (not random weird customer), what your book is about, and why you're telling them about it. Plus it's not a question that they can blow past with a "No." Most people, if they're not interested, just say "Thanks" and keep walking. And those who might not normally be interested in your kind of book might stop to talk just because of the whole writer/author thing.
5. Make sure to have some beverage, water is best for me, available at all times. One, because if you do any talking at all, which you should -- see #4 -- your mouth will get dry. Plus it gives you something to do with your hands if your nervous and it gives you something to do (drink it) when people are reading the back cover or the first couple of pages, so you don't stare at them, trying to gauge their reaction or work too hard at not looking desperate.
6. It helps to have a book signing buddy. Fortunately, I've had great friends and family to come with me and the one time, I didn't, the Borders staff was awesome. But if you're alone, you have no one to watch your stuff (purse, etc.) while you go to the bathroom and no one to help out by grabbing you a water refill if needed. Plus, the whole conversation with someone other than in your head thing is a benefit : )
7. Talking to your book signing buddy is good, but make sure the book signing buddy knows that you can't look too engaged or else people won't stop to talk to you, afraid to interrupt.
8. Write down the names of the staff people who help you so you can write them personalized thank you notes (I'm working on mine still!) It should go without saying but just in case...always be nice to the staff, regardless of how many people stop by or don't stop by your table. They are your best ally in getting people to know about your book.
9. If your book is not stocked, make sure to tell the staff how much the book costs. Otherwise you'll have someone waiting at the cash register while they hunt you down for a price check. (This happened to me repeatedly and I kept forgetting to tell the people at each new Borders -- total duh! on my part)
10. Your mother told you this when you were little and it's still a good piece of advice -- go to the bathroom before your event starts. First, because there's nothing worse than having to cut off a good conversation with someone to dash off to the bathroom. And second, because darn it all, hair gets messed up to resemble bird feathers, food gets stuck in teeth and lipstick ends up halfway to your chin. Not that this happened to me or anything...
Okay, I think I'll save the good review for another entry because this one is already too long. So, stay tuned tomorrow for that bit of excellent news!
Talk to you tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
I'm back, part two
After finishing the event in Champaign, we headed out to dinner (Monical's pizza, which you cannot get here in Chicago, a darn shame too! It's the best pizza, with crust so thin and crispy it could probably hurt you if you didn't chew it properly...) with family friends. After dinner, which was actually probably more like linner or dunch, given that it was between the two meals, (total sidenote: I use dinner and supper interchangeably, but I vaguely recall a conversation in college where this is not the case with everyone -- what do you guys say?), we headed over to Bloomington for my second event. My brother and Mom came to help me set up. This time, I was tucked away in the literary fiction nook, which was kind of cool. I loved being surrounded by books that I've read (their definition of literary fiction is a little looser than most, I'd say, as I'd actually read a number of the books near me and I don't really care for literary fiction usually. But Maeve Binchy, one of my favorite authors, was shelved there. Her books...not her, personally. Though that would be interesting, wouldn't it?). I've told people it was like being surrounded by old friends -- that's usually how I think of books that I've already read and enjoyed. Huge thanks to Josh, one of the managers, who helped make sure I was set up properly, brought me water and gave me chocolate!!!
At this point, having gained a little confidence from my earlier signing, I started trying to talk to people as they walked by. Toward the end of the evening, I saw a young woman with LKH's latest book and nearly knocked my chair over to tell her that LKH's book was excellent and if she liked LKH, perhaps she would like The Silver Spoon, also a strong first-person heroine. I've never been so bold in my whole life. But I'm really glad I was this time. Marissa, the young woman, was superbly nice and we had a great conversation about writing later in the evening (If you're reading this...Hi Marissa!)
I packed everything up and left Borders around 10:15. Another cool thing about Borders? They let me stay however long I wanted. I'm sure that would vary depending on the store and the events scheduled but everywhere I went this weekend, I was so impressed by their flexibilitya and general willingness to help. : )
On Sunday, after church, we opened birthday presents. I think my sister was excited by one of the presents I brought for her. A copy of Incubus Dreams by LKH, signed by her and wishing my sister a happy birthday. I got another season of Stargate, yea!!!, my favorite lotion, BN bookstore gift certificates and a couple of really cute porch decorations. Almost immediately afterward, it was time to get changed and head off to my final stop of my tour, the Borders in Peoria.
But alas, that will have to wait until tomorrow. I've been typing with my eyes closed, no kidding, for about the last five minutes. I used to do this a lot when I was writing at night. I'm not bad at it, but thank goodness for spell check is all I have to say.
Talk to you tomorrow!
At this point, having gained a little confidence from my earlier signing, I started trying to talk to people as they walked by. Toward the end of the evening, I saw a young woman with LKH's latest book and nearly knocked my chair over to tell her that LKH's book was excellent and if she liked LKH, perhaps she would like The Silver Spoon, also a strong first-person heroine. I've never been so bold in my whole life. But I'm really glad I was this time. Marissa, the young woman, was superbly nice and we had a great conversation about writing later in the evening (If you're reading this...Hi Marissa!)
I packed everything up and left Borders around 10:15. Another cool thing about Borders? They let me stay however long I wanted. I'm sure that would vary depending on the store and the events scheduled but everywhere I went this weekend, I was so impressed by their flexibilitya and general willingness to help. : )
On Sunday, after church, we opened birthday presents. I think my sister was excited by one of the presents I brought for her. A copy of Incubus Dreams by LKH, signed by her and wishing my sister a happy birthday. I got another season of Stargate, yea!!!, my favorite lotion, BN bookstore gift certificates and a couple of really cute porch decorations. Almost immediately afterward, it was time to get changed and head off to my final stop of my tour, the Borders in Peoria.
But alas, that will have to wait until tomorrow. I've been typing with my eyes closed, no kidding, for about the last five minutes. I used to do this a lot when I was writing at night. I'm not bad at it, but thank goodness for spell check is all I have to say.
Talk to you tomorrow!
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
I'm back!
Okay, a typo in my title originally made it say "I'm gack!" which I find particularly amusing right now. It could be because I'm tired : )
This weekend was fabulous, very busy, but fabulous. I drove down Friday night to stay at my parents' house in Peoria to be able to visit with them between book signings, which was great. Saturday started off bright and early with another road trip to Champaign. Amazing how much more nervous I was this time than with Stacy G. along for the ride : ) But I found the Borders with no trouble. Once inside, I hauled in all my stuff and found that the Borders staff was expecting me, had a table ready and everything! They were so nice to me. Helping me set up, making sure I had everything I needed. It was truly wonderful. I sold three books, which is pretty good, considering the average number of sales during a book signing (by a new, unknown author) is 4! A huge thank you to Daniel, Marci and Linda and all the other great staff members of Borders Champaign.
All right, I feel like I'm trying to race through this, which is not what I want to do. I'm tired and it's been a long day at Corporate America. So, I will finish tomorrow with the details of the other two signings, another good review for The Silver Spoon, and lessons learned from this mini-tour which will help me (and possibly anyone else thinking of doing this same thing) the next time.
I'll talk to you tomorrow!
This weekend was fabulous, very busy, but fabulous. I drove down Friday night to stay at my parents' house in Peoria to be able to visit with them between book signings, which was great. Saturday started off bright and early with another road trip to Champaign. Amazing how much more nervous I was this time than with Stacy G. along for the ride : ) But I found the Borders with no trouble. Once inside, I hauled in all my stuff and found that the Borders staff was expecting me, had a table ready and everything! They were so nice to me. Helping me set up, making sure I had everything I needed. It was truly wonderful. I sold three books, which is pretty good, considering the average number of sales during a book signing (by a new, unknown author) is 4! A huge thank you to Daniel, Marci and Linda and all the other great staff members of Borders Champaign.
All right, I feel like I'm trying to race through this, which is not what I want to do. I'm tired and it's been a long day at Corporate America. So, I will finish tomorrow with the details of the other two signings, another good review for The Silver Spoon, and lessons learned from this mini-tour which will help me (and possibly anyone else thinking of doing this same thing) the next time.
I'll talk to you tomorrow!
Friday, October 08, 2004
On the tour : )
Just a quick reminder...I'm on book tour this weekend (okay, it's tour of my own making, but still a tour, right?) Please stop by for a visit, if you have time. Here's my schedule:
10/9, Borders, Champaign, IL: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
10/9, Borders, Normal, IL: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
10/10, Borders, Peoria, IL: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Look for "tour" updates early next week, most likely Tuesday. Have a great weekend!
Talk to you Tuesday (maybe Monday, but probably Tuesday)!
10/9, Borders, Champaign, IL: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
10/9, Borders, Normal, IL: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
10/10, Borders, Peoria, IL: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Look for "tour" updates early next week, most likely Tuesday. Have a great weekend!
Talk to you Tuesday (maybe Monday, but probably Tuesday)!
Thursday, October 07, 2004
I got an IPod, I got an IPod!!!!!
Today is my birthday -- the last one of this decade for me. Eeek. But my husband, Greg, got me an awesome gift. A brand new IPod!!!! And I'm so glad he got it for me this year...next year I will be too depressed to be excited about anything, I think (I'm actually struggling with it a little bit this year. I know it's a cliche but I've always argued that cliches, like stereotypes, often have some little grain of truth in them, otherwise they wouldn't be cliches. )
Finally, my IPod lust has been sated : ) I'm so excited! I'm actually loading songs on it right now (The Very Best of Sheryl Crow, at the moment). I'm thrilled with the idea of being able to carry all my music with me at once. I'm always in the car thinking, Oh, I wish I'd have remembered to bring that CD. I'm also one of those people who likes one or two songs off an album, but not the whole thing. So this is perfect for me!!!
I also use music to help me with writing. I listen to certain songs or albums to help me get in the right frame of mind for whatever project I'm working on. For example, I listened to the Evanenscence album incessantly when I was working on the last draft of The Silver Spoon. I still love a few of the songs on there, but I've completely burned myself out on most of them, even though it's an excellent disc. So, I'm really excited to be able to create playlists, soundtracks, in effect, for all my projects. I always try to collect songs that remind me of certain characters or settings or ideas. So this is great!
(Thanks, honey : ) I love it!)
Finally, my IPod lust has been sated : ) I'm so excited! I'm actually loading songs on it right now (The Very Best of Sheryl Crow, at the moment). I'm thrilled with the idea of being able to carry all my music with me at once. I'm always in the car thinking, Oh, I wish I'd have remembered to bring that CD. I'm also one of those people who likes one or two songs off an album, but not the whole thing. So this is perfect for me!!!
I also use music to help me with writing. I listen to certain songs or albums to help me get in the right frame of mind for whatever project I'm working on. For example, I listened to the Evanenscence album incessantly when I was working on the last draft of The Silver Spoon. I still love a few of the songs on there, but I've completely burned myself out on most of them, even though it's an excellent disc. So, I'm really excited to be able to create playlists, soundtracks, in effect, for all my projects. I always try to collect songs that remind me of certain characters or settings or ideas. So this is great!
(Thanks, honey : ) I love it!)
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Another review/Way too much good television
Got an email yesterday from Enchanted in Romance. The Silver Spoon is rated 4 unicorns (which, for those of you, who are unfamiliar with this rating system, unicorns are like stars *grin*)!!! Here's an excerpt from Maitresse's review:
"Stacey Klemstein's very interesting, Aliens-on-earth story has some unexpected twists. It's written in crazy Zara's first person, only from the very beginning it is clear that it isn't Zara who is crazy but the whole situation that's out of hand. The question is not only who exactly are the bad guys, but also who is Zara? For readers, Zara is a strong heroine, and Caelan is not your ordinary silver-eyed alien hero. This is a whole new take on world building, with earth as the starter. "
Very cool, right? : ) I'm so excited! Click here to read the rest of the review. I need to update my website to reflect all of this. This is my second review and I still don't have the information on my site about the first one. I'm working on it, though!
_________________________________
Way too much good television...
I tell you guys about good books that I've read (LKH's latest, by the way, Incubus Dreams, was fabulous. I think she's transcending the mystery genre into something else, but I couldn't put the book down and it was close to 1,000 pages!) so I feel obligated *grin* to tell you about other good "stories" in other mediums -- just to be fair : )
I watch too much television. I freely admit it. It's a comfort thing for me, something I put on in the background just to keep me company. But I may also have a slightly addictive personality in that every year I swear I can't take time to watch any more new shows and yet...I always do. Have I mentioned that I love TiVo? TiVo is now my gauge as to how much I like the show. If it's on season pass (records all episodes without being told each time), then it's too late, I'm addicted.
So Season Pass Manager has the following new shows listed for me:
Lost: Seriously, if there's a better, more intriguing show on television right now, I don't know about it. Plane crash in the first episode lands forty some people on a deserted tropical island. But then strange things start to happen, some kind of weird animal/monster thing living on the island or something far more Twilight Zone-y? And every single one of the castaways has a secret. Plenty of clues are planted for you to begin figuring out what their secrets are. It's great fun to try to outwit the other castaways! The writing is smart, the chemistry between the male and female lead is almost palpable, and the character development is intriguing...damn, I wish I'd thought of this idea first : )
Cold Case: Not a new show, but a darn good one, nonetheless, that not many people are watching. The series (the CBS version, not A&E or whatever) follows the detectives on the cold case team as they try to solve cases that have lingered for months or even years. The best part about it, though, are the flashbacks where you get to go back in time to when the murder ocurred (usually the period is identified by music from that age) and you get to see the "victim" interacting with those people in their lives, one of whom is likely the killer. Great, great stories and again, a brain teaser. Can you figure it out before Lily Rush and her team?
Jack and Bobby: A touching show about brothers, one of whom will be president. And it has nothing to do with the Kennedy's. However, I must admit that despite the sharp dialogue and the intriguing role reversal (J&B's mom is an annoying infant of an adult while J is the only one with the maturity to handle any form of a crisis), I have recently taken it off my TiVo list. It's still a good show, but I think the writers are still trying to find their bearings and it's become an "issue" show. Racism, plagiarism, sexism, etc. All pounded into our brains by these fifteen minute soliloquoys by J&B's mom, who can be very grating. But still, worth checking it out. Particularly for the actor playing "Jack" -- what a very nice looking young man (ha! he's playing a 16 year old and he's only five years younger than me. Is it okay then to say that he's hot *grin*?)
Scrubs: Again, not a new show, but I've recently discovered it. I haven't laughed this hard at a television show in I don't know how long. The writing is absolutely phenomenal -- the dialogue is so crisp and witty, the best on television, in my humble opinion : )
Veronica Mars: I've heard it being called the new "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." It's not. But it still has the potential to be a good show. Notice that I say "potential." It's an interesting situation/concept. V's best friend is killed. V's father is the "bumbling" sheriff who seems to have screwed up the investigation by accusing the girl's father of murder. V's father is removed from office and V is ostracized from her rich-kid friends, but she still has to live near and go to school with them. V's father becomes a private investigator and V helps out where she can. Turns out though that her father has never given up his suspicion that the girl's father is the one responsible for her death. V no longer knows who is right or wrong.
The writers are also not afraid of making the characters real with real problems. V has no friends (except for one she gains at the beginning of the first ep) because of what her father is done and how she stood by him, so they don't try to sugar coat high school, thank goodness. V also tells us at one point that her first sexual encounter resulted from being date raped while she was drugged. So, they don't shy away from the harsh stuff either. V is a strong character who is sharp and funny, but also clearly wounded and struggling with everything that has happened to her (her mother left after all the scandal and now it looks like V's mom may also somehow be involved in the murder case).
The one problem that the show has is that it doesn't give its viewers enough credit, doesn't believe we're quite smart enough. For example, V does surveillance on a hotel. In her convertible with the top down, right across the street from the hotel, camera hanging out right in the open. Um, I think I could even be more sneaky than that. Another example...she does a favor for the leader of a motorcycle gang and at the same time she busts one of the rich snotty kids. When one of the rich snotty kids comes calling to take it out on her, the motorcycle gang leader and his friends just happen to show up and save her. If the writers start to realize that even though this is a "teen" show, teen doesn't mean stupid, they have the opportunity to make this a really great story!
Okay, I think that's all...ooh, except Joan of Arcadia, which isn't a new show, but a good one nonetheless. I'll save that for another time maybe : )
What other new shows are you watching? What ones should I be watching instead? Which ones of my favorites do you disagree with? Let me know!
Talk to you tomorrow!
"Stacey Klemstein's very interesting, Aliens-on-earth story has some unexpected twists. It's written in crazy Zara's first person, only from the very beginning it is clear that it isn't Zara who is crazy but the whole situation that's out of hand. The question is not only who exactly are the bad guys, but also who is Zara? For readers, Zara is a strong heroine, and Caelan is not your ordinary silver-eyed alien hero. This is a whole new take on world building, with earth as the starter. "
Very cool, right? : ) I'm so excited! Click here to read the rest of the review. I need to update my website to reflect all of this. This is my second review and I still don't have the information on my site about the first one. I'm working on it, though!
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Way too much good television...
I tell you guys about good books that I've read (LKH's latest, by the way, Incubus Dreams, was fabulous. I think she's transcending the mystery genre into something else, but I couldn't put the book down and it was close to 1,000 pages!) so I feel obligated *grin* to tell you about other good "stories" in other mediums -- just to be fair : )
I watch too much television. I freely admit it. It's a comfort thing for me, something I put on in the background just to keep me company. But I may also have a slightly addictive personality in that every year I swear I can't take time to watch any more new shows and yet...I always do. Have I mentioned that I love TiVo? TiVo is now my gauge as to how much I like the show. If it's on season pass (records all episodes without being told each time), then it's too late, I'm addicted.
So Season Pass Manager has the following new shows listed for me:
Lost: Seriously, if there's a better, more intriguing show on television right now, I don't know about it. Plane crash in the first episode lands forty some people on a deserted tropical island. But then strange things start to happen, some kind of weird animal/monster thing living on the island or something far more Twilight Zone-y? And every single one of the castaways has a secret. Plenty of clues are planted for you to begin figuring out what their secrets are. It's great fun to try to outwit the other castaways! The writing is smart, the chemistry between the male and female lead is almost palpable, and the character development is intriguing...damn, I wish I'd thought of this idea first : )
Cold Case: Not a new show, but a darn good one, nonetheless, that not many people are watching. The series (the CBS version, not A&E or whatever) follows the detectives on the cold case team as they try to solve cases that have lingered for months or even years. The best part about it, though, are the flashbacks where you get to go back in time to when the murder ocurred (usually the period is identified by music from that age) and you get to see the "victim" interacting with those people in their lives, one of whom is likely the killer. Great, great stories and again, a brain teaser. Can you figure it out before Lily Rush and her team?
Jack and Bobby: A touching show about brothers, one of whom will be president. And it has nothing to do with the Kennedy's. However, I must admit that despite the sharp dialogue and the intriguing role reversal (J&B's mom is an annoying infant of an adult while J is the only one with the maturity to handle any form of a crisis), I have recently taken it off my TiVo list. It's still a good show, but I think the writers are still trying to find their bearings and it's become an "issue" show. Racism, plagiarism, sexism, etc. All pounded into our brains by these fifteen minute soliloquoys by J&B's mom, who can be very grating. But still, worth checking it out. Particularly for the actor playing "Jack" -- what a very nice looking young man (ha! he's playing a 16 year old and he's only five years younger than me. Is it okay then to say that he's hot *grin*?)
Scrubs: Again, not a new show, but I've recently discovered it. I haven't laughed this hard at a television show in I don't know how long. The writing is absolutely phenomenal -- the dialogue is so crisp and witty, the best on television, in my humble opinion : )
Veronica Mars: I've heard it being called the new "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." It's not. But it still has the potential to be a good show. Notice that I say "potential." It's an interesting situation/concept. V's best friend is killed. V's father is the "bumbling" sheriff who seems to have screwed up the investigation by accusing the girl's father of murder. V's father is removed from office and V is ostracized from her rich-kid friends, but she still has to live near and go to school with them. V's father becomes a private investigator and V helps out where she can. Turns out though that her father has never given up his suspicion that the girl's father is the one responsible for her death. V no longer knows who is right or wrong.
The writers are also not afraid of making the characters real with real problems. V has no friends (except for one she gains at the beginning of the first ep) because of what her father is done and how she stood by him, so they don't try to sugar coat high school, thank goodness. V also tells us at one point that her first sexual encounter resulted from being date raped while she was drugged. So, they don't shy away from the harsh stuff either. V is a strong character who is sharp and funny, but also clearly wounded and struggling with everything that has happened to her (her mother left after all the scandal and now it looks like V's mom may also somehow be involved in the murder case).
The one problem that the show has is that it doesn't give its viewers enough credit, doesn't believe we're quite smart enough. For example, V does surveillance on a hotel. In her convertible with the top down, right across the street from the hotel, camera hanging out right in the open. Um, I think I could even be more sneaky than that. Another example...she does a favor for the leader of a motorcycle gang and at the same time she busts one of the rich snotty kids. When one of the rich snotty kids comes calling to take it out on her, the motorcycle gang leader and his friends just happen to show up and save her. If the writers start to realize that even though this is a "teen" show, teen doesn't mean stupid, they have the opportunity to make this a really great story!
Okay, I think that's all...ooh, except Joan of Arcadia, which isn't a new show, but a good one nonetheless. I'll save that for another time maybe : )
What other new shows are you watching? What ones should I be watching instead? Which ones of my favorites do you disagree with? Let me know!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Thank you!
Huge thank you to the Deer Park Barnes and Noble for including me in Local Author Night. There were at least ten authors there and a LOT of people coming in and checking out the books. Thanks so much to Heather and Rob, Ed and Deb (and baby to be), Jeanine and Lauren, my husband and, of course, Stacy G. for stopping by to visit! Everyone who came by was super nice and several people had great compliments for my book cover. Oddly enough though something about it must trigger the idea that it's a mystery because that's usually the first thing people say when they pick it up. "So is this a mystery or...?" *grin*
I also got another good review for The Silver Spoon -- yea!!! I'll post more about that tomorrow. Time for me to head for bed : ) I'm tired. And I still need to watch Veronica Mars, one of my new television obsessions, but more about that another time...
Talk to you tomorrow!
I also got another good review for The Silver Spoon -- yea!!! I'll post more about that tomorrow. Time for me to head for bed : ) I'm tired. And I still need to watch Veronica Mars, one of my new television obsessions, but more about that another time...
Talk to you tomorrow!
The internet ate my blog...
I wrote an entry last night...but as I tried to publish it, something went kaplooey and it didn't save or publish. Oh, well.
Basically all I said was something like this:
A friend referred me to the A9 search engine and told me that she'd found some stuff under my name. So I did the search and found out that the this blog, the one you're reading right now, is listed on a website called: www.authorsblogs.com. I don't know how they found me, but how cool is that?!? So, you can check out the link above to find out authors who are blogging about their writing/publishing experiences. I just think it so weird how everything is connected on the internet. My book is listed on sites that I've never been to, my blog is now on this webpage, etc. It's like the ripple effect...except with computers and the internet instead of...well, rocks and water. You get the idea : )
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Also, don't forget...tonight is Local Author Night at the Deerpark Barnes and Noble from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Please stop by if you have time. It's free and open to the public and you don't have to buy any books...unless you want to : )
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In the eaten blog, I also talked about writing a teen novel. Some of my favorite books are in that genre, almost all the Meg Cabot books, the Harry Potter series, and one of my favorite books that I reread about once a year, The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle. It actually has nothing to do with aliens, suprising given the title and my interests. But it has a very engaging first-person female narrator and I love the story. Most libraries probably have it or you can order it online if you're interested.
Just something I'm thinking about, I guess...It would be nice to write a book I could share with some of the kids I've talked to in the schools, something age appropriate. But we'll see...
Talk to you tomorrow (or perhaps later today!)
Basically all I said was something like this:
A friend referred me to the A9 search engine and told me that she'd found some stuff under my name. So I did the search and found out that the this blog, the one you're reading right now, is listed on a website called: www.authorsblogs.com. I don't know how they found me, but how cool is that?!? So, you can check out the link above to find out authors who are blogging about their writing/publishing experiences. I just think it so weird how everything is connected on the internet. My book is listed on sites that I've never been to, my blog is now on this webpage, etc. It's like the ripple effect...except with computers and the internet instead of...well, rocks and water. You get the idea : )
___________________________________
Also, don't forget...tonight is Local Author Night at the Deerpark Barnes and Noble from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Please stop by if you have time. It's free and open to the public and you don't have to buy any books...unless you want to : )
______________________________________
In the eaten blog, I also talked about writing a teen novel. Some of my favorite books are in that genre, almost all the Meg Cabot books, the Harry Potter series, and one of my favorite books that I reread about once a year, The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle. It actually has nothing to do with aliens, suprising given the title and my interests. But it has a very engaging first-person female narrator and I love the story. Most libraries probably have it or you can order it online if you're interested.
Just something I'm thinking about, I guess...It would be nice to write a book I could share with some of the kids I've talked to in the schools, something age appropriate. But we'll see...
Talk to you tomorrow (or perhaps later today!)
Friday, October 01, 2004
This has nothing to do with writing, but I wanted to write it and post it anyway
The sad and scary thing about pets is that by having one and loving one, you're pretty much guaranteeing yourself heartbreak at some point. They don't live as long as we do...and that totally sucks. Before anyone who knows me panics, NOTHING is wrong with my babies. I just wanted to take this moment to appreciate one of them in writing...Always try to appreciate what you have while you still have it...that's my motto. : )
Snostorm is my baby. She's my first dog. She's all white with little brown spots on her fur and skin. That's pretty rare for a greyhound. She's getting even more spots now that she's getting older. Here are just a few of the things I love about her:
1) She prefers me to my husband (yep, I know that's selfish, but Joe, our other baby, prefers my husband, so it works out okay)
2) Her fur is the softest I've ever felt on a dog, like a rabbit's fur, ironically (greyhounds chase rabbits, that's their job.)
3) Her fur smells sort of sweet, like old pancake syrup or something.
4) She's smart enough to understand what I'm saying most of the time. I'm not exaggerating. She gets it when I say "upstairs" or "wait" or many of the other words that other dogs (poor Joe!) just don't understand no many how times they're repeated.
5) She's smart enough to know that stepping on my foot hurts me, so she is very careful when she comes to stand next to me. If she accidentally does it, she moves off very quickly before I can even say anything to her about it.
6) When the leash gets tangled around her front foot, she's figured out that lifting her foot from the ground will free her from the loop of leash.
7) She sits in the doorway of the bathroom to watch me getting ready in the morning.
8) Unbidden, she comes and lays down in my office in the big square of sunshine that comes through my windows.
9) Her fur feels like silk when she brushes up against me and I'm wearing shorts and have just shaved my legs (I know, too much information!)
10) If I'm writing and she wants attention, she comes around to the side of my chair and plop her head in my lap.
11) She leans forward when you're standing and she wants to be petted, putting her head between your thighs (but she's not sniffing or anything, that's just how she asks to be petted).
12) She snuggles with me on the big bed when my husband is not there.
13) She can open doors by pushing them open with her snout.
14) She loves people and is very patient with new people, including children.
15) She tilts her head to one side in this very funny "huh" way, when I say something that catches her attention. Once when I was describing the condition of the roads to my mom over the phone, I called them "Snowy," her nickname, which baffled her to no end. She knew I wasn't calling her, but she couldn't figure out why I kept saying her name.
There's lots more than this, but that's all I've got for now. I may add to it in the future...we'll see. Snostorm (whose full name is actually Emerald Snostorm) is the inspiration for Fritzy, the greyhound for my mystery, Bitter Pill, another reason I'd really love to see that book in print. The dedication will be all hers!
Talk to you Monday!
Snostorm is my baby. She's my first dog. She's all white with little brown spots on her fur and skin. That's pretty rare for a greyhound. She's getting even more spots now that she's getting older. Here are just a few of the things I love about her:
1) She prefers me to my husband (yep, I know that's selfish, but Joe, our other baby, prefers my husband, so it works out okay)
2) Her fur is the softest I've ever felt on a dog, like a rabbit's fur, ironically (greyhounds chase rabbits, that's their job.)
3) Her fur smells sort of sweet, like old pancake syrup or something.
4) She's smart enough to understand what I'm saying most of the time. I'm not exaggerating. She gets it when I say "upstairs" or "wait" or many of the other words that other dogs (poor Joe!) just don't understand no many how times they're repeated.
5) She's smart enough to know that stepping on my foot hurts me, so she is very careful when she comes to stand next to me. If she accidentally does it, she moves off very quickly before I can even say anything to her about it.
6) When the leash gets tangled around her front foot, she's figured out that lifting her foot from the ground will free her from the loop of leash.
7) She sits in the doorway of the bathroom to watch me getting ready in the morning.
8) Unbidden, she comes and lays down in my office in the big square of sunshine that comes through my windows.
9) Her fur feels like silk when she brushes up against me and I'm wearing shorts and have just shaved my legs (I know, too much information!)
10) If I'm writing and she wants attention, she comes around to the side of my chair and plop her head in my lap.
11) She leans forward when you're standing and she wants to be petted, putting her head between your thighs (but she's not sniffing or anything, that's just how she asks to be petted).
12) She snuggles with me on the big bed when my husband is not there.
13) She can open doors by pushing them open with her snout.
14) She loves people and is very patient with new people, including children.
15) She tilts her head to one side in this very funny "huh" way, when I say something that catches her attention. Once when I was describing the condition of the roads to my mom over the phone, I called them "Snowy," her nickname, which baffled her to no end. She knew I wasn't calling her, but she couldn't figure out why I kept saying her name.
There's lots more than this, but that's all I've got for now. I may add to it in the future...we'll see. Snostorm (whose full name is actually Emerald Snostorm) is the inspiration for Fritzy, the greyhound for my mystery, Bitter Pill, another reason I'd really love to see that book in print. The dedication will be all hers!
Talk to you Monday!
My late nights are catching up to me...
So I'm fading fast here in the late Friday afternoon. But I have some very good news to share! This very morning I completed the second draft of my current project. Yea!!! That does not mean it's done, by any means, and by crazy Stacey rules, I still can't talk about it, but I'm so glad to have finally reached this point *doing the happy dance* Well, not really, but you get the idea, even if it is a disturbing mental image! ("Numfar, do the dance of joy!" Huge, gigantic bonus points if anyone can tell me what this is from. It may not be an exact quote and my spelling of the name could be off, but it's close enough that you should be able to get it if you're familiar with this television show...)
Next up...clean the draft up (make chapter breaks cleaner, number the chapters, etc.) and print it out. Then I have to put it aside for awhile to give my brain some space to be able to make some rational judgments about it (or so I hope!) So, I'll be starting on something new in the next couple of days. Hee! I love this part!!!! First readers, you're not on deck yet...but you may be in the parking lot of the baseball stadium now, if that metaphor makes sense. We'll have to see when I do the read through in a few weeks : )
Okay, my sinus medicine, which I took to relieve my headache, is making me seriously sleepy. I think it's time to get out of here. : )
Have a great weekend everyone! Talk to you on Monday!
Next up...clean the draft up (make chapter breaks cleaner, number the chapters, etc.) and print it out. Then I have to put it aside for awhile to give my brain some space to be able to make some rational judgments about it (or so I hope!) So, I'll be starting on something new in the next couple of days. Hee! I love this part!!!! First readers, you're not on deck yet...but you may be in the parking lot of the baseball stadium now, if that metaphor makes sense. We'll have to see when I do the read through in a few weeks : )
Okay, my sinus medicine, which I took to relieve my headache, is making me seriously sleepy. I think it's time to get out of here. : )
Have a great weekend everyone! Talk to you on Monday!
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