Sunday, June 30, 2013

Roundng the Final Bend.




Happy smiling Sun courtsey of Picsburg http://www.freeclipartof.com

Last night, I ended my writing session with 72,036 words completed with 211 pages. That makes me only 7,964 words to the length of book I want. The story is not complete. But, I have to start at the beginning and add the embellishments. The descriptions and stuff that I don't put in when I am writing as fast as I can. I think I write too sparse. Wordy, perhaps, but descriptive sparse. For example: what color is the woman's hair? The manuscript leaves that up to you right now. She has a general body shape and that is it. Poor girl, having to go through this much story and not have anything but a body.  Then I must leave some words for when I edit the works, hate something and give it a good toss out of play.  Of course, if I go over the 80,000 words that is okay, too. I just have to have a goal somewhere. I mean, if I didn't have a pre-set stopping point I would go on and on. Which is precisely what happened to this short story that is now a full blown novel.
Next on the agenda:
 Write descriptives and surroundings.
Write the finale.
Copy edit.
Content edit.
Copy edit.
Someone else copy edit.
Cover art x 2 or 3. Book simmers on the back burner.
Final cover approval.
I will copy edit and story edit. Read it backwards. Start at end and move to beginning.

I do have a Final Title. It is now "Love Arrives." Unless someone has used that one, or someone comes up with something better.this is the third title. It started out as "1864", then "Love Arrives on Horseback", now" Love Arrives". I still kind of like the Horseback one better.
.
I don't think this is going to be ready to go by the 14th of July. Today, I will get on the word processor and start the fun part. I have nothing else planned to do, except to stay out of the excessive heat. Forecasters say another 117F.
Bring on the ice tea and watermelon.
Have a terrific Sunday, you guys.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

It Must Be in the Water.







I went to school in a small town in California. Livermore was a cow town then, now it is a vineyard town, a national laboratory town and nothing like when I was a kid.
Jack London lived there before I was a little kid, before he went to Alaska and before I read his books at about 10 years of age. I remember clearly, lying out in the cow pasture looking at the clear blue sky and watching an airplane fly over. I said to myself.
                              "Someday I'm going to Alaska."
And I did go to Alaska, and lived there for 21 wonderful years. I consider it my home. Jack didn't stay that long.
At the time I went to High School, the little town had maybe 15,000 to 20,000 people. There are now 4 published authors from that little town, I went to school with two of them. Judy Yuskus and Judy Merkle Riley. I haven't read anything by Judy Yuskus (I don't know her married name), but Judy Merkle Rily wrote wonderfully detailed historical romances.

I am certainly not comparing my writing to London or Riley, but isn't it interesting that such a tiny town would produce so many writers. Three of those in two adjacent High School classes.
It brings to mind Truman Capote and Margaret Mitchell.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Hot Time in the Big Town Tonight & Colder than a Brass Monkey's Knuckles.




Images thank you to : www.tracker.cztorrent.net for cool snowflakes and
our blazing sun thank you to www.clipartpal.com.

Just in case, you didn't know. I live in the Mojave Desert. Once a person is used to the way it looks, you discover that the desert is ever changing and really beautiful in a thousand ways. I am always amazed at the lovely flowers produced by the such heat and little water.

Probably not today and this weekend. We are catching the heat coming in from the east with the high pressure. June here is usually fairly warm, sometimes hot but not awful. But awful is as awful does for the now and the weekend. Today the temp. will be 115F or 46.1 C., possibly a record for us. Saturday and Sunday we are going to be enjoying 117F or 47.2 C. Definite record breaking temps. for those dates in June. Twice in the past 70 years it has been that hot. Death Valley, practically just over the mountain ridge, will be 127F. I have never been in 117F, so of course, I will go outside for a few minutes and catch some rays. For about 2 minutes.

I have been in the other extreme in weather. When I lived in Alaska, I was outside working in an airplane, when the temp was -70F or 56.7C. I was in the interior of the plane, checking on some dogs that were flying through to New York. They were toasty warm and sleeping. I never ever want to be outside in -70F again. Your nose freezes shut and your eyeballs feel really strange and your lids want to freeze up or down. My earrings froze in my ear lobes and my lipstick wasn't that nice smooth stuff any more. Do not stick out your tongue. Never, ever.

Just because I am a weather freak I want that experience of temperature extremes. Believe me, if I could get to Death Valley for 127F, I would be there in a New York minute. The humidity here will be under 15%. There won't be our usually gusty wind.

I do wish I were at my son's apartment. There is a lovely swimming pool that hardly anyone uses and I have a new swimming suit.

Met. report finished. Back to our regular programing.


Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Everlasting Earth Worm.

I got the steamships going in the right direction last night. The right direction being off into the sunset somewhere out of the darned story.

For a novella in the original concept and the way I blocked it out on paper, it should have ended precisely 38,302 words ago. I write about 380 words per page, doing the math that is 100.79 pages ago. Talk about your basic long winded writer. Maybe this book wants to be serial. I've always wanted to write a serial.

This huge novella is reminding me of the story my Uncle Erle used to tell us kids. It was The Everlasting Earth Worm. No matter what happened to the worm it always grew back and longer. Uncle Erle in all his creative genius could come up with the most horrendous adventures to happen to the earth worm. Every time he told the story, it changed. Uncle was a physican, but he should have been a children's story writer. He was right up there with Maurice Sendak.

No photos or drawings today I couldn't find an earthworm growing, or steamships steaming into a sunset. I'll try to do better tomorrow.

Someday I hope to tell you this epic novella is finished. Right now you can look at my other finished books at Amazon.
 
http://amzn.to/18iFi4i    Ms. Got Rocks.

http://amzn.to/122EIzh  Star Hunter - Bounty Hunters in Space.

http://amzn.to/1aQOdt8  Fablous Forty- short story romance about an author finding romance again after she is bit over 40. Also a bit on the erotic side. Also pretty funny, if I do say so myself.

http://amzn.to/126ekFE  Bangles and Bright Lights. Short story. A erotic romance set in Las Vegas. Featured backscenes of Las Vegas shows and the people who make my home city the destination for fun, and maybe some sin, in the nation. I love the dog in this one. Newton the Corgi.

All of these are for e-readers only. Fire up your Kindles, come and get them.


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The Story Goes Where it Wants to Go.

The story I am writing now is a romance in the setting of the Civil War. Now at 190 pages, I feel as though I am writing an engineering thesis. How did I get myself into deciding that Polly needed to convert all her ships powered by sail into steam powered vessels? I know, who cares?

I'm presently asking myself, couldn't I have left well enough alone and gone with the hugs and kisses and frolicking in the moonlight. I now possess the exact date the first steam ship crossed the Atlantic, I'm certain you are
thrilled.
U.S. Pacific Mail Ship California.
Courtesy of www.mtdemocrat.com
 
 
I know that steam ships sailed all over the East Coast rivers, canals and more into Canada through the St. Lawrence River, before venturing into the oceans. Are you still there, or just yawning?

I'm going to dig myself out of this today. What was it again, that I majored in at college. It wasn't steam shipping, I remember that much. Bring on the romance.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

They are engaged.

The characters in the latest book are engaged. Keith finally got around to asking Polly to marry him.He waited until Chapter 25. She surprised me by saying yes. Then, I started writing about what to wear to the wedding. I found some bridal veils that I like. Which one do you like?

 The first is The Bel Aire by Advantage Bridal.com. I like this one very much.

 
The next one is what I would have chosen for my wedding. This is the Mantilla Bridal Lace from www.weddingveil.com
 
This next one below is so stunning I can barely look at it without getting all teary eyed.
It is the Quixotic Cap from www.supply.com.
 
I could not resist this lovely fascinator hat and veil. This would be lovely on anyone, but especially Polly with her dark hair, This is the "Be the Headstrong Bride at www.blg.lover.ly.
 
 
This one is more traditional. It reminds me of Letecia's veil. She had such a beautiful wedding. She and Ray are still married, the veil must have done the trick.This is the Sims 2 veil from www.deckss.com.
 
 

 This veil is all about the cap. I think it is the modern version of the Juliet Cap. It is from a website about crochet, take a peek even if you do not want a Juliet Cap. That would be so special to crochet your own cap. Please enjoy looking at this beauty. It is from http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2012/07/crochet-wedding-veils/

 
 
This was most fun. Tell me which one you like.
 



 











Monday, June 24, 2013

I Forgot to Remember

I am ready to make the Watermelon Pico de Gallo using the recipe that I got from Pioneer Woman's blog, www.pioneerwoman.com. I went shopping and left the list at home. I guessed at what really is a jalepeno pepper, they were next to the Habeneras and they were mixed up the the stack. I didn't get the cilentro, the green,red nor the yellow bell peppers. Instead of Pico de Gallo with my Gallo tonight I am having watermelon chunks and green salad.

Sometimes I think I am the clone of I Love Lucy.
I shall get that shopping list tacked to me for Tuesday and start over. Please note, I did not forget the nail polish, a girl has to do, what a girl has to do.

When does Downton Abbey begin the new season? I'm withering away without Downton.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

It is Barely Spring.

It is spring for a little while longer. I was thinking this morning about the things I miss about seasons and places I have lived. Spring is wild Dogwood blooming along the Klamath River in California. Winter is Birch and Aspen trees covered in ice after a big storm in Anchorage, Alaska. Trees looking for all the world to see God's frosting job. Autumn is the smell of I don't know what that smell is, but I think you know what I mean. It just smells different. Then the crunch of dried fallen leaves. And then tomorrow we arrive at Blazo season in the Mojave Desert, actually starting tonight. I love the soft warm or hot night air, I love the chuckling song of some bird that lives in the palm trees. They merrily laugh to each other as dusk falls. Other than that summer pretty much sucks in the desert. The other seasons make up for it.
Have a wonderful, safe summer were you are. I'm enjoying the air conditioning,and iced tea.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

R.I.P. Mr. Flynn

Vince Flynn passed away today at age 48. Prostate cancer took this most talented writer.
If you have not read any of the Mitch Rapp books by Mr. Flynn, get off your rusty-dusty and go get them.
All you men reading this get that PSA test done, don't delay.

Watermelon Pico de Gallo Salsa by Pioneer Woman.

You must see this Watermelon Pico de Gallo on The Pioneer Woman's blog. Love her sense of style and her recipes. Today is Watermelon Pico de Gallo Salsa. Here is the link. I will be making this over the weekend for son and me to gobble down during our weekly Scrabble battle against the computer. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

I did it. I made the goal yesterday of writing 5000 words. I even went over a bit. I did 5004 words. By 10:30 last night, I could think of nothing for them to do but hold hands and stare at each other. I gave up. This morning that will get erased and I will find them something more interesting to do. Maybe, they should make Watermelon Pico de Gallo. That could prove challenging, as the book is set in the mid 1860's in early spring in Massachusetts. No watermelon and definitely not cilantro or jalapeno peppers. Maybe they should parch corn or shell peas, well, that sounds as boring as staring at each other. I will think of something.
If I can actually write 5000 words in one day, there is not a reason for not scheduling myself to one day a week of 5000 words. Usually, I do at least 2000. I don't think I am capable of 5000 each and every day.That would make my output 17000 words a week. I always wonder how Nora Roberts manages her publishing schedule. She is a writing machine, and I mean that in the very best way. After all she created Roarke, I mean, come on!

Today's picture is from the area where the next book is set. This is the Klamath River, Siskiyou County,California. The next into the batter box is a mystery thriller.
Our cat Ranger, practicing what cats do best.




Tuesday, June 18, 2013

  I thought you might like to see the bridge over Hoover Dam near Boulder City, Nevada. I don't know how many feet it is in the air but that puppy is way off the ground. At the moment I took the picture we were even with the actual dam to the left of the picture. Notice the utility standards are on a diagonal, leaning out over the canyon the dam is constructed in. Lake Mead is right behind us. This is approximately 25 miles from where I live in Henderson.
  The Mojave desert looks pretty much like the background mountains. Anyway, if you get to Las Vegas and get bored with the city, take the bus tour out to the dam and don't miss Boulder City, it is very, very cute, but the Alpaca Store doesn't carry yarn. But is worth a visit, great buy on handbags and gloves.
  The new water park is now open in Las Vegas, so if you bring the kidlets, ask any Taxi driver to take you there. Wet and Wild is the name of it.
Okay, tour is over.
  I didn't even get close to the writing goal yesterday. Therefore, today it is get as close to 5000 words as I can. I have never written that many words on a manuscript ever. I'll let you know how close I get.
  I had my final pre-op Doctor appointment yesterday. Since the orthopedist re-sked my op date, I have to do all the durned tests again. Fortunately, my doctor comes equipped with good toys. Got the Ekg and the blood work done right there in the office. The blood tech, don't ask me to spell phlebotomist (I did not either look that up, so there) my Kindle dictionary doesn't have it.Anyway, I got diverted. She couldn't get the blood to come out of one arm. She wriggled the needle around, but no luck. The other arm was being as nasty but finally it went. If I had known that I was going to have blood tests I would have drunk a gallon of water before I went. The one hour bus ride would have proved difficult. LOL.
On to writing onto 1864.




Monday, June 17, 2013

Searching for a Title

That search had me listening to country music yesterday. I listened for about 4 hours. Normally, country music is not my hot spot for ears. But, if you are looking for inspiration for anything having to do with any and all phases of love country music is the go to spot. I love the tone of Blake Shelton's voice, though I must admit that his lyric "you make my speakers go boom boom" doesn't exactly fit the cover of my book. I do like that song alot. Every time I hear it, I chuckle.
Still there is no permanent title for the book. The working title is 1864. That screams book about the civil war.
The little green and red orchid opened three blooms yesterday. Total is now eight on it.
Today, I have to really stick to the word processor. I just made the writing goal yesterday. I will try for 1/3 more words added on to today's goal. So I had better get to it.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

HEY THERE, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

I'm re-opening the blog. It has been a long time and much has happened. One constant has been the need, not urge, physical need to write, I am blessing Amazon and Smash-words.com for making it possible to publish without waiting years and years going through the legacy process.

I am finishing all the manuscripts that I have holding in the wings and getting them published. That is mostly for my fun and enjoyment, but they are selling. There are just two left and then I can start writing on the new stuff in my head.

I am now living in the Las Vegas, Nevada area and very happy with the little city of Henderson.

My orchid above is my latest plant and it is a beauty. Since the picture was taken it has opened two more blooms.The background color doesn't really show here. It is yellow green and the red is cherry red. I have another orchid with the opposite coloration. I call them the Yin and Yang orchids.
Welcome back to the blog. I hope we can be friends.