Nano 2012

I did it! I really did! I signed up for Nano 2012!

Nano stands for National Novel Writing Month and the goal is to write a 50K novel (of course you can do more!) in 30 days.



Here's a link in case you would like to join me in such a crazy endeavour: National Novel Writing Month. Oh yes, I know it's crazy. Specially with our schedule. But I'm looking forward to the experience and the craziness and the results.


I've been reading quite a bit on how to prepare for it. There is tons of advice out there for newbies and even experienced Nano participants. From what I've gathered, between the dire predictions of 30 sleepless nights and completely alienating one's family, it's a good thing to have as loose an outline as one is comfortable with, some character development and all the provisions required to hunker down for 30 days of absolute madness. Sounds like a jolly good time, doesn't it?

So how about it? Are you planning to participate? Why or why not? And if you are, are you a newbie? Do you have any tips to share with us?

I love hearing from you guys!

The Look Challenge

The Look Challenge

I've been tagged in The Look Challenge by fellow author and friend Noree Cosper. Here's the way it works: You take your current manuscript and find the first instance of the word "look". Then you post the surrounding paragraphs as an excerpt of the book on your blog. Lastly, you tag five more blogging authors who you think might be a good choice for the game.

I'm working on the first draft of Dangerous Masquerade, a historical set in England, and this is what came up:

The desk was a disarray of papers and other odd objects. Holding a hand close to the flame,she leaned over to take a better look at the papers. Notes, cargo manifests, lists and moreblank papers than anything else, all strewn in a careless manner as if to denote a busy person.

She chewed on her lower lip for a moment. It had been a long shot to think that Carter would keep any incriminating documents around, but it had been worth a try. She could only hope that John had better luck.

A squeaking door and loud voices sent her heart racing and she gasped in surprise. Instinct had her closing her hand over the candle to extinguish the flame and fanning the air with her hands to disperse the resulting smoke. She hurried to the curtains and touched along the window edges to find the latch. She mouthed a silent thank you as she pushed the window open without a sound and slipped out.

Anyway, my chosen five authors are:

Karen Einsel

Katherine Bone

CC MacKenzie

Charity Parkerson

Blue Remy

Hope you guys have a wonderful week!

Zombie Apocalypse

Thought about it, have you?



Zombie from Crestock.com



The dead walking. Towards you. With only one purpose, which is to tear at you and eat you. Creepy, right? Scary? Mmmmm… Now, don’t smirk, but there are people out there totally prepared for a catastrophe of this type. There are even Zombie kits for sale on the internet. Not to mention the people that actually dress up as zombies and take drugs to enhance the zombie experience.

I’m a fan of The Walking Dead, a show about, you got it, zombies. Last week we got the second season and watched it. Loved it. Can hardly wait for the third season that starts in October. That got me thinking. Yes, I know, that’s plain dangerous in itself.



Cartoon Zombies chasing terrified young woman from Crestock.com



I thought: what if? What if it actually happened? Where would we go? What would we do if suddenly there were hundreds, thousands of zombies milling around looking for someone to much on? And we can’t forget those great examples of human nature that would scavenge and steal and probably kill you for a can of beans. That’s even scarier.

 

Zombie scout muching on human ear from Crestock.com



Weather can get crazy sometimes. Ice storms, blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, you name it. In the truck we carry bug out bags full of goodies to keep us alive for 5 to 6 days should we get stranded or stuck somewhere due to extreme weather or a natural disaster. We figure that is enough time for help to arrive.

 

Lightning by Melissa Bowersock





Bug out bag



My husband kinda looked at me funny when I brought it up. I just wanted to know the small details like where to meet if separated and have an action map to act as a guide. So the roof of the school nearby is our first choice. We go from there. It’s a start, right?

 

Zombie aftermath from Crestock.com



What about you? Whether it’s a natural disaster, some disease epidemic or a zombie attack, are you prepared to survive? If so, what have you done so far? What would you do?

I’d love to hear from you!

Angels & Fallen Angels

Hi, everyone! As I began my driving shift the other evening, there were ominous clouds across the horizon in the direction we were heading. I figured it was going to be an interesting night what with the rain, lightning and thunder. 

I said a little prayer for safety and this got me thinking about angels. I’m always calling on angels for help. Everyone has their own Guardian Angel, the one who looks after your soul. That little voice you hear sometimes when you’re at a crossroads or making a tough decision –some call it conscience-, that gut feeling you get about something being not quite right. Hmmm…I have to admit suddenly becoming deaf  every now and then, if you know what I mean.

And do you remember that cartoon Tom & Jerry, where Tom, the cat, would have a good angel on one shoulder and a bad angel (usually a red little devil) on the other shoulder, giving him opposite advice? Talk about the internal battles about doing the right thing or taking a pass at not doing anything, or actually doing a deed we know is not right. 

A very good friend of mine who knows a lot about angels, told me that there were also angels with other purposes: white angels for peace (we knew that!), green angels for health, yellow angels for clear thinking and inspiration, orange angels for mechanical stuff and so on. I believe this speaks highly of delegation, don’t you think? 

And then we have those Fallen Angels we read so much about, the really bad ones, that behave like demons but are not; and the not so bad ones that have some redeeming quality and whose soul might be saved by self-sacrifice or some quest. Sound familiar? There are so many books out there that use this premise.

What about you? Do you believe in angels? Do you have any interesting stories about them? I’d love to hear about them!