My Muse has said that my entire book must be scrapped unless each characters' names are super symbolic, which is good because if she'd said that I should use plain names I'd have to scrap my book for sure.
Here's a run-down of who all is in When Winter Comes by Spinny Tupper:
Angelica Snow is the sweet girl stuck in the small town of Littleton, Dom Masters is the Mayor who is attracted to her pale good looks and is determined to teach Angelica all about what she wants.
Sybil Mercury is Dom's manic depressive wife who is jealous, but is she jealous of Angelica, or is she jealous of Dom?
Jack Winter is the new guy in town, and he just might be cold enough to show Angelica what she really needs.
Torn in three directions, Angelica needs to decide who will show her heart if it should stay in or get out of Littleton.
And don't forget about Tom. He's watching Angelica all the time, so he'll know what happens When Winter Comes.
Monday, 29 September 2014
Monday, 22 September 2014
I Have a New Muse!
The Worst Muse@WorstMuse
A seasoned warrior wearing plate armor that protects none of her vital organs or major blood vessels.
The Worst Muse@WorstMuseI mean really, how could you possibly go wrong with this advice?
Janet Brockwood had had enough. She was done. Done with this whole war. She was never going to fight with another enemy again. Mostly because an arrow speared her delicious bosom about three inches above her armoured bustier, and she was bleeding out, but hey, she was sexy as hell.
Nope, not wrong at all!
Sunday, 21 September 2014
Feeling Bad About Your Body?
I needed to read this today.
I'm blaming my hormones 99% on this one, but I've been feeling really fat and ugly these past few days. Been believing my own bullshit, as it were.
It's been tough of late because of a broken bone in the bottom of my foot that's been taking forever to heal, but I think that it's finally on the mend, but it's been two and a half years!
So what does 2-1/2 years of minimal exercise get you?
Well, if you take your almost-2yo to Parent and Tot Gymnastics and spend 45 minutes trying to keep your kid with his group, it makes you feel like you ran a marathon (and it makes you cry. In front of all the other parents), that's what.
The good thing that came out of yesterday?
I've realized that I need to relax just a little more in gymnastics. You know, let your kid do what he wants to so that it's fun, but at the same time keep him from interfering with the other classes going on around you, and you have to do that without touching or blocking the kid because that makes him cry and then you cry and you feel like a fucking failure as a parent, but hey, you are aware that you need to just calm the fuck down, Mommy!
The better thing that came out of yesterday?
My foot's not that sore!!
The rest of my body feels like it wants to die, but whatever. I can start (carefully) exercising again. Which is good, because the kids can run faster now, and some of the stores are pretty big around here.
The best thing that came out of yesterday?
Bedtime.
Because that's when my Confident Believer put the Scared Little Bitch to sleep.
I'm blaming my hormones 99% on this one, but I've been feeling really fat and ugly these past few days. Been believing my own bullshit, as it were.
It's been tough of late because of a broken bone in the bottom of my foot that's been taking forever to heal, but I think that it's finally on the mend, but it's been two and a half years!
So what does 2-1/2 years of minimal exercise get you?
Well, if you take your almost-2yo to Parent and Tot Gymnastics and spend 45 minutes trying to keep your kid with his group, it makes you feel like you ran a marathon (and it makes you cry. In front of all the other parents), that's what.
The good thing that came out of yesterday?
I've realized that I need to relax just a little more in gymnastics. You know, let your kid do what he wants to so that it's fun, but at the same time keep him from interfering with the other classes going on around you, and you have to do that without touching or blocking the kid because that makes him cry and then you cry and you feel like a fucking failure as a parent, but hey, you are aware that you need to just calm the fuck down, Mommy!
The better thing that came out of yesterday?
My foot's not that sore!!
The rest of my body feels like it wants to die, but whatever. I can start (carefully) exercising again. Which is good, because the kids can run faster now, and some of the stores are pretty big around here.
The best thing that came out of yesterday?
Bedtime.
Because that's when my Confident Believer put the Scared Little Bitch to sleep.
Monday, 15 September 2014
Positive Thinking Day
Saturday was Positive Thinking Day.
Seeing that got me thinking about all of the Gratitude Challenge postings that are popping up all over Facebook. Since when is it a Challenge to be grateful? It's called having good manners, people, and it's as simple as saying "please" and "thank-you".
You know how you teach manners to your kids? You model the behaviour, that's how. You can tell them and explain to them what good manners are until you're blue in the face, but they're kids, so they're not listening to you. But they are watching you. Every move you make. Even when you're sleeping.
So, if you're modeling good manners, you're being grateful everyday, and that's pretty darn simple.
As far as positive thinking goes, if you're telling me that my kid is a glass-is-half-empty kind of guy and that we need to change that outlook in him, you might want to take a look at your own Glass Theory outlook on life!
Modeling. It's all about the modeling.
Seeing that got me thinking about all of the Gratitude Challenge postings that are popping up all over Facebook. Since when is it a Challenge to be grateful? It's called having good manners, people, and it's as simple as saying "please" and "thank-you".
You know how you teach manners to your kids? You model the behaviour, that's how. You can tell them and explain to them what good manners are until you're blue in the face, but they're kids, so they're not listening to you. But they are watching you. Every move you make. Even when you're sleeping.
So, if you're modeling good manners, you're being grateful everyday, and that's pretty darn simple.
As far as positive thinking goes, if you're telling me that my kid is a glass-is-half-empty kind of guy and that we need to change that outlook in him, you might want to take a look at your own Glass Theory outlook on life!
Modeling. It's all about the modeling.
Saturday, 30 August 2014
Sleeping Beauty. The movie.
I'm watching Sleeping Beauty. And it's not the Disney version. It's not even for kids.
I can see why it's only 2.25 stars.
TV period shows have better makeup and costuming. And better writing and acting.
TV shows even have a bigger horseflesh budget; this poor prince has a cute, but shaggy posse of ponies.
Any adherence to the laws of physics is pretty questionable, too. I mean, just how likely is it that paper scraps would survive in a bird's nest for 100 years and still be legible?
Okay maybe it is magic. It is a fairytale after all.
The best two things about the movie?
Surprisingly decent CGI/special effects.
And Olivia D'Abo.
Worth watching? No, but I did. That's what a fairytale fetish gets you I guess.
BMBR: Mary Balogh, Everything
No, there isn't a book titled Everything by Mary Balogh (as far as I know). I'm talking about almost every book she's written. Rough estimate: I've read 95% of her books, and mostly from the library, thank goodness, because she's written a lot of books.
What they are: Regency-era romance.
Why I like them: I had to think about this one because until recently I couldn't put my finger on it. I mean, they aren't necessarily spectacular (but they are really good) and the writing has never struck me as being awesome (but they are well-written, and some are better than others). But I finally figured out what it is. But I'm going to tell you what it is later on.
I love that a lot of her characters are so different. Oh sure, there are some stereotypes and some common character themes, but I have no memory of ever thinking that any character was the same person with a different name in another book. I also love that a lot of the characters are wonderfully flawed. I'm not talking hey-she's-absolutely-perfect-in-every-way-but-she's-a-little-clutzy. I'm talking they've been in wars, been emotionally or physically abused, physically damaged, not necessarily beautiful or perfect or socially adept or even rich (although somebody usually is). Oh sure, the overcoming of social conventions to make a relationship work is sometimes a little hard to believe, but I didn't live back then, so what would I know about how things really worked, and the ending is almost always happy and perfect, but you did catch the part about these being romances, right?
I also like that the writing isn't always exactly the same. Most of the time it's "normal" with lots of good conversation, but there was the one novel (sorry, I can't remember the title) where it was mostly he was thinking this while she was thinking that kind of thing, and it was actually kind of frustrating because you just want to shake the characters (and a bit boring), but it probably fit with the characters and with who they were.
Anyway, I've enjoyed every one that I've read, and I'm so glad that the library has them. I did find one of the newer ones at the local second-hand book store, but they're rare there, and there are so many that I could never afford to buy them new (although a lot of them come as two novels in one book), and holy cow they're $9 bucks a pop as ebooks!
I really hope that your library has them; if they do, please take advantage of your card! If money isn't an issue, you may find the price to be worth it. On principle I can't spend full price on an e-book, but if they were $5, or maybe even $6 per e-book, I'd probably consider downloading them all for about a minute before doing so.
Bottom line: I'd say that they're worth a good $5 a pop.
Oh, yeah. The solution as to why I like them so, so very much: they're soothing. I've had some emotional stuff going on lately, and I read The Arrangement. I felt soothed and relaxed the whole time I was reading it. And when I really think about it, I'll binge-read Mary Balogh when I have a lot of stress going on.
I'm going to the library tomorrow, I think. ;)
What they are: Regency-era romance.
Why I like them: I had to think about this one because until recently I couldn't put my finger on it. I mean, they aren't necessarily spectacular (but they are really good) and the writing has never struck me as being awesome (but they are well-written, and some are better than others). But I finally figured out what it is. But I'm going to tell you what it is later on.
I love that a lot of her characters are so different. Oh sure, there are some stereotypes and some common character themes, but I have no memory of ever thinking that any character was the same person with a different name in another book. I also love that a lot of the characters are wonderfully flawed. I'm not talking hey-she's-absolutely-perfect-in-every-way-but-she's-a-little-clutzy. I'm talking they've been in wars, been emotionally or physically abused, physically damaged, not necessarily beautiful or perfect or socially adept or even rich (although somebody usually is). Oh sure, the overcoming of social conventions to make a relationship work is sometimes a little hard to believe, but I didn't live back then, so what would I know about how things really worked, and the ending is almost always happy and perfect, but you did catch the part about these being romances, right?
I also like that the writing isn't always exactly the same. Most of the time it's "normal" with lots of good conversation, but there was the one novel (sorry, I can't remember the title) where it was mostly he was thinking this while she was thinking that kind of thing, and it was actually kind of frustrating because you just want to shake the characters (and a bit boring), but it probably fit with the characters and with who they were.
Anyway, I've enjoyed every one that I've read, and I'm so glad that the library has them. I did find one of the newer ones at the local second-hand book store, but they're rare there, and there are so many that I could never afford to buy them new (although a lot of them come as two novels in one book), and holy cow they're $9 bucks a pop as ebooks!
I really hope that your library has them; if they do, please take advantage of your card! If money isn't an issue, you may find the price to be worth it. On principle I can't spend full price on an e-book, but if they were $5, or maybe even $6 per e-book, I'd probably consider downloading them all for about a minute before doing so.
Bottom line: I'd say that they're worth a good $5 a pop.
Oh, yeah. The solution as to why I like them so, so very much: they're soothing. I've had some emotional stuff going on lately, and I read The Arrangement. I felt soothed and relaxed the whole time I was reading it. And when I really think about it, I'll binge-read Mary Balogh when I have a lot of stress going on.
I'm going to the library tomorrow, I think. ;)
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
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