Blah

Feeling utterly ill; head hurts, nose is getting stuffy, and my neck... oh, don't get me started! I hate being sick!! Sounds about right, though. NaNoWriMo is in4 days and I am not even remotely ready. Well, perhaps remotely. The desk is clean, my messenger bag is stuffed with notebooks, pens, and pencils. All I need now is a re-fillable coffee mug, my tea kettle cleaned, some QUIET TIME, and motivation.

That last one... boy, I'm going to need help with that one.

If you plan on joining NaNo, feel free to let me know! I can always use more friends!

Happy writing,
Amber

Day of S

Ok, so today is Sunday, a day for rest and relaxation, right? Wrong! The site is way behind, the house is a pigsty, and I have so many books that need to be read it's making me dizzy. Well, perhaps it's not the books that are making me dizzy, but this bug I caught. I know it's a bug, most everyone in the house has already had it. Blah! I HATE being sick. I know I should just go to bed and sleep it off, but I can't do that. I don't. I never do. I've downed enough vitamin C to kill a horse, though (can vitamin C kill a horse?) and am drinking water like crazy. That should help, right? *sigh* yah, right. I doubt it.

Today is also the first ever Sunday Salon (boy I hope this doesn't get indexed to the feed) and I really don't feel like reading. I honestly have a stack of books 150+ deep that need to be read, and I can't get up the urge to read a single one of them. As of right now SECRETS OF A PROPER LADY by Victoria Alexander, SUSPECT by Jasmine Cresswell, SEALED WITH A KISS by Carly Phillips, and SEDUCTION'S SPELL by Lynn LaFleur are telling me to read them. We'll see, dear books, we'll see.

Since I don't feel up to doing more than point and click (it took me more than an hour to write this post) I've been hanging around DeviantART. DA is the best place to mindlessly click and get novel inspiration. We'll net mention that looking at artwork created by a 15 year old high-school kid that could put a photograph to shame makes you unbearably jealous. I'm not quiting my day job anytime soon.

Day of S = Sick, Sunday, Sunday Salon, Starving, Sleepy, Sucks.

Time and Me

Damn, I'm running so far behind. I'm 3 books behind schedule and still have the updates of the site to do. Damn, no time for actual writing for me. The person who said they'll wait for a free weekend to write their novel should be slapped upside the head with a shovel.

I currently have 1862 pages of standard book print that need to be read by the end of the month. That calculates to approximately 46 hours and 33 mins of reading (I read 2 pages in 3 mins.) And with 8 days left this month, that's roughly 6 hours reading each day. Yah. No sleeping for me this week! I suppose I can neglect the web site and any graphic design that's requested, but I need to work to make money to pay the rent and my electricity, without which I will get no reading done. I've done the reading by candlelight thing, and it's no fun. I can always try skipping food and sleep, but I'm sure passing out in the middle of, well, anything wouldn't be to good. I guess I better learn to become a faster reader or get some more reviewers added to the site.

In other news, it's ever so slowly inching in to fall here. The leaves are changing and when it's raining, its definitely fall. But other times, such as now, you'd think it was still September. Yesterday was a whopping 84F. and I'm sure today is competing, if not besting, that reading. Ha! and people say there is no such thing as global warming (or cooling). Those disputing that there is a problem should also be slapped upside the head with a shovel.

Closing In

NaNoWriMo is closing in, and I am so not ready! The office is, to put it quite simple, scary (is that a can I just kicked?) The lap top is old, needs to be reformatted, and needs a new battery ($40+) so I don't think I'll be taking IT to the coffee shop anytime soon. That leaves good old pen and paper, though, honestly, how am I suppose to be green when I use up all that paper? Oh, what a conundrum!

As of right now, I'm writing a paranormal romance. I know the market is big for them now but will more than likely drop by the time I have this published, but I believe I have a unique twist that will at least get me acknowledged. And besides, after watching Blood Ties, I want to write this!

Happy writing!

Goodies The Way I Hate Them

I hate my post office. I just HATE it! Why do they have to stuff it full of junk mail--stuff everybody throws away or pushes back out--and ruin the stuff you actually want to keep? Are they too lazy to make sure things don't get munched or do they find some sort of sick pleasure in folding long envelopes and tearing corners?

The wonderful Jeri Smith-Ready sent me a little package with cover-flats of her two books EYES OF CROW and VOICE OF CROW. She also sent an original cover-flat for VOICE OF CROW (image 3) which I like better the the one they chose (and the bro thinks it just creepy. But what does he know?) Well, the damn post office folded the covers in half and stuffed them in my mail box. Completely munched them. I'm hopping a few days of sitting squished between two tea trays under a 5+lb cast-iron tea pot will help flatten them and smooth the kinks out. I am so filing a complaint!

I also received a copy of CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT by Helen Dickson and Michelle Styles which will be released in the UK as a two story novel from Mills and Boon. Michelle had asked me to review her story A CHRISTMAS WEDDING WAGER, a novel to be released December from Harlequin Historicals. I only have 1 novel of holiday significance to review so of course I jumped on this one. I may not be a Christian, but I still enjoy Christmas stories.

I've put SIN AND SCANDAL IN ENGLAND by Melody Thomas aside. Sorry, I just can't read it! I really don't know why, I just cant. A book shouldn't take me more than a week to read, and this one has taken nearly 10 days. When I have over 150 books that need reviewing, a min of 9 per month, I don't have time dragging one I can't finish in 4 days around with me. Nope, sorry. Have to move on. Don't worry, though, the book has been passed down the line. What am I going to read next? Hum...

The Wonder Web

I just love the internet sometimes. Ok, most of the time, but I digress. A TV show had been mentioned at a forum I frequent (Shush, Sapphire! I TRY to frequent it!) and of course it's a show that runs on cable [Blood Ties - Lifetime]. Cheepscate that I am *cough-BROKE-cough* I don't have cable or dish. I'm lucky I even have DSL. Boy, am I lucky I have DSL! A quick search of said show led me to a listing of all episodes aired so far. Free! Yay, an option for tight-fisted little ol' me! So what if each episode is broken into 5 parts; I still get to watch it.

Don't ask me how it was. I didn't get to watch it. There is this little game that is gaining popularity much the way recycling is. And some times it can be incredibly addicting. Second Life is a game you would get if The Sims and an instant messenger mated and produced offspring. Well, sort of. If you're looking for sex, drugs, and virtual depravity, you've found it in Second Life. Ok, so it's not all like that, just the majority (like 85%).

Honestly though, they are becoming a fantastic marketing device. Many *cough-LESS THAN 15- cough* authors have already promoted their books through SL. Bantam Dell has a bookshop there, author M. J. Rose promoted her book The Reincarnationist there, and author Diana Gabaldon just promoted hers. I just love the concept even if it hasn't been promoted very well. It's edgy, fun, and a wonderful addition to an authors web 2.0 promotion arsenal. I'm attempting to open up a small theater for TGP for authors to promote themselves, but I gata tell you it can get expensive. If you want it to look right you have to shell out the dough. And one thing a little place TGP doesn't have is enough money. Or luck.

I've had to re-think The Gilded Pen's teen sub. Turns out some sick freak registered TGPTeen.com to be some sort of teen pornographic site. Ug! Ug, ug, ug, ug, ug! What the **** is wrong with people?! Honestly! So the site is now going to be TGP YA. I don't like the flow of it as well, but the last thing I need is some 13 year old doing a web search and coming up with THAT. Sickos.

Eh...

Posted on my other blog, Bits of Amber, and feel much too lazy to post something meaningful here. Sorry folks! Er... GET TO WRITING! I want you all ready for NaNoWriMo before the moth's over!

Happy writing!
Amber

The Universe

The universe loves to mess with me. At least that's the conclusion I came to today as I slipped into a tank top and walking shoes then headed out the door for a mid-day walk (I don't run, it's bad for your knees and causes your cheeks to sag. Yuck.) only to have the sky open up and spit pea sized droplets at me. Just great. To top it off the little burger shack at the end of the road is having their (some year) anniversary. Just what I need, free Sundays to tempt me when I'm exercising to loose weight. Come on, universe! There has to be a sliver lining here somewhere! Er, no pun intend.

Are two packages sitting on my desk considered as a sliver lining? ONE BITE STAND by Nina Bangs (a paranormal romance about a vampire --again-- and a harpy --that's a first one!-- who have to keep their hands off each other long enough to stop a universal catastrophe) and EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN by Jess Michaels (an historical erotica that I'm hopping does not involve cheating, 3-soms, and one-night-stands--unless, of course, it's with the same guy.) No mangas, though, and I haven't yet received the package from Harlequin with Robin D. Owen's books. I should be receiving an ARC of book 4 (I think) of her series any day now, but I want books 1-3 NOW!

As If I don't have enough books I need to read as it is. The darn things are taking up more space than I have right now. But do you hear me complaining? Oh, shut up! I can hear you! I'm thinking of accepting applications for reviewers then putting them on a one or two month probation reading e-books. Hey, it's just a thought, let me know what you think.

I've been reading SIN AND SCANDAL IN ENGLAND by Melody Thomas. It's not to bad so far. Of course I'm only on page 76, so ask me again in the morning. But I've gata say, there are two things that are buggin' me about this one. First, the cover is a bit... eh. Yah, he's hot, she's gorgeous, and they both just gata hit the sack. So why are they both half naked IN THE SNOW? Men, let me tell you being half naked in the snow is no turn on. Parts start to shrivel in on them selves while other parts tend to turn an unappealing purple. Romp in the snow all you want, but keep the action someplace warm! Secondly, why does EVERY THING have to be mirrored/portrayed/reflected/etc through the eyes? Ug! Authors and perspective authors, come up with other ways to show attraction, emotion, and longing other than eyes and the neither regions and I'll love you forever!

Belated Post. Again.

Wow, it's been nearly forever since I last posted. I know, I'm just terrible at posting on a regular basis. My only excuse is that I've been busy. For starters, The Gilded Pen is picking up speed! I'm utterly excited at the amount of good feedback I've been receiving so far. Makes me darn near proud (and perhaps a bit cocky). Of course the forces-that-be saw it in my best interest to knock me down a peg by messing with my hard drive. No, no, not mess with. Destroy. That's the mildest word I can come up with. The darn think is shot; wiped clean. So I'm back to the old 10 gig until the company sees to have the larger one replaced.

Other than all this trouble, life is (relatively) good. I haven't written like I've planned, but I've lost 15 pounds and I'm ubber happy about it. Besides saving me money on gas and the environment from harmful pollutants, it's good to know that those long walks to the post office and back are paying off! And what with the rainy season upon us, the opportunity to snap a couple of rain and water shots beckons.

And, oh! NaNoWriMo is just around the corner! Are you game? You know I am. I've already started preparing the office (I honestly don't know how it could get so cluttered!) and my mind for the long hours ahead of me. I'm not afraid, though. Okay, perhaps a little bit. I haven't been able to stick to my current schedule of 4k words/week, what makes me think I'll be able to handle 7k+? I can do this though. Deep breath. Yah, right.

Happy writing,
Amber