Convince Me

Does this cover rock or what??

I love this book! In fact, I love the world I've created in this book. I love the characters and the setting and the dialogue. I had so much fun writing this book, now I just hope other people like it as much as I did!

Release day for me is usually spent running around from group to group doing the happy butt wiggle dance and enjoying myself. Unfortunately, instead I'm running around the house and the town. I've had appointments, play dates, pre-school, errands and all sorts of other stuff that has kept me from my beloved computer. I still have to run children to dance class and home from the play date AND go to work, plus I'm meeting people after work.

Where's the author time I ask you?????

I think I'll print my cover and drool over it while I'm running all over the place. I may be annoyed, but I'll have eye candy to console me, hahahaha

Ari

Blurg

You ever have one of those days when you don't want to do ANYTHING?
Today is a gray day, I'm bloated and crampy and I have zero motivation.

Less than zero.

I have negative motivation today. There are a million things I have to do, laundry, Christmas cards, housework, write a book, promote another book, you know, little things.

I'm doing things, grudgingly. The laundry is getting done, the house isn't quite the mess it was, and I managed to write 1000 words.

But none of it has been done with my usually energy level. Quite honestly, I'd really like to lay in bed with a hot water bottle and a good book. and chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate with a side of salt. But, I digress. . .

Writing and motherhood are like any other job, even when your enthusiasm is in the basement, you still have to go to work. Lunches aren't going to get made by someone else just because I feel yucky. And books need to get written even if I feel less than sexy at the moment.

Sure, I could take the day off and laze around in my jammies, but that wouldn't be very professional and honestly, I'd feel too guilty to enjoy it anyway.

So I cleaned, and hauled laundry, and wrote because I WANT to be a professional writer, and the only way I'm going to accomplish that is to work hard at it.

Even if I am bloated and crabby, hahahaha

Humbled

I just got done watching a movie with my girls. As most of my friends know, I'm not a big TV watcher, I really don't enjoy watching TV and have a hard time sitting still for an entire show. Tonight, I watched Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront.

For those of you who don't know about the money machine that is The American Girl phenom. these are dolls based on historical times and they are typical of young girls of their particular time period.

This movie was based on the doll Molly who was a child in 1944, during WWII and it goes through Molly's trials as her father goes off to war. Unlike many kid movies, it didn't sugarcoat the war, there were characters in the movie that died and Molly's mother had to go to work. As silly as it seems, there were several times I found myself crying while watching the movie.

My grandfather went overseas during WWII while my mother and aunt were very young. I couldn't help but put myself in the character's place and my heart about broke thinking of the worry they were going through.

That brought me to thoughts about the families who have loved ones overseas now. I talked to the girls about saying prayers for the families of our armed service members. I am absolutely humbled by what they go through day after day. The agony of not knowing has to be akin to Chinese water torture.

So once again, I ask all of you to say a prayer, light a candle or put good thoughts into the universe for those overseas and their families and loved ones. Let's hope they come home safely and soon.

And for all of the people who have lost loved ones, my God bless and keep you.

No ho ho ho

I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I decorate my house from top to bottom, and we have so many Christmas lights my front yard looks like a landing strip.

All that being said, I SHOULD NOT BE HEARING CHRISTMAS MUSIC UNTIL AFTER THANKSGIVING!!!!

It annoyed me to see the Christmas ornaments out before Halloween, but hearing Christmas Carols before Thanksgiving IS JUST WRONG!!!!

What is worse, is that it's making me feel guilty for not being ready yet. I haven't started my Christmas cards or done one iota of shopping. I should not feel badly because I haven't started Christmas preparations BEFORE THANKSGIVING!!!!!

I'm going to enjoy Turkey day with my family and feel NO PRESSURE WHATSOEVER until the next day. Darn it.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!!!
Ari

Ridiculous!

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I live in Connecticut. I just read today where someone was shot while waiting in line for the new Sony Playstation.

THAT'S JUST RIDICULOUS!!!

I can't even think of a piece of jewelry that I'd want that badly where I'd have to shoot someone while waiting in line for it. Now, just in case you think this was in a big city, I have to tell you, it was in a tiny, mill town in the armpit of Connecticut. No offense to anyone who lives there, but I was born there and have to travel through this particular town to visit my paternal relatives and I know how bad it is.

Has society gone insane? Are we such lunatics now that we have to kill each other for a TOY????
I vaguely remember people going nuts during the Cabbage Patch Kids craze, but I don't remember anyone getting shot over them.

How sad that this is only the start of the Christmas season?

SWEEEET!

I am most excited!!!
I brought one of my author copies of DARK HEAT to my local library and donated it for circulation. I waited and waited to see if they'd even shelve it, and one day during my search for new books I found it filed in NEW FICTION.

I had to physically restrain myself from doing the happy dance right in the middle of the aisles. It was so cool to see my book on the same shelves as Heather Graham, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Robert Parker.

Okay, they were on the "Rapid Reader" shelf and mine was on the "New Fiction" shelf, but they were right across from each other!!!

When I went back to the library yesterday SOMEONE HAD TAKEN MY BOOK OUT!!!! Woot Woot Woot!!!

I mean, realistically, I know people have read my books, but someone picked this up at the library among all the other books and took a chance on me! Yippee!!!!

Of course, since I'm in the closet and no one in my town knows I write, I can't celebrate the way I want to and scream at the top of my lungs that someone picked up MY BOOK, but I can shout inside!

WA HOOO!!!

Celebrating Vicariously

My friend Christyne just sold a book today. Not just any book. Her first book. A book I learned to critique on. Christyne and I were critique partners when we both first started writing romantic suspense together. And her book sold despite my input, hahahaha. I never said I was a good critique partner, hahaha.

I drifted towards erotic romance and romantic suspense, and she kept going with romantic suspense. I couldn't be more thrilled to see this book go to a great publisher.

As I danced around my living room in my Life is Good jammie pants, screaming and yelling and diving for the phone so I could call her, I realized I couldn't be happier if I sold a book of my own.

So today I'm celebrating vicariously through my friend and first ever critique partner. I'm going to be giddy and happy all day long. Even though it's rainy outside, my friend just gave me my own personal summer day.

SOLD has to be one of the best four letter words in the language!
Congrats CB!!!!

Hug a Vet

As I've mentioned before, I come from a family with several members who have served in the armed forces. Basically, I can account for every branch of the armed forces with someone I'm related to. Thankfully, with only one exception, all of them have come home safely from their tours of duty.

Many families aren't so lucky.

I know I'm a day late with this, but I still wanted to share my thoughts. Whether you believe in war or are a card carrying pacifist, you should make sure you take the time to thank a vet. Whether you agree with their actions or not, they have put their lives on the line so that you can have the freedom to share those beliefs. Many of them have lost their families, friends, or even their livlihoods in order to serve their country.

Please show your support for the veterans of all wars and just say thank you.

And to my sister SFC in the First Army, THANK YOU for serving our country in a way I never could.
I love you.
Ari

Doing my duty

I voted today. I feel like it's a right that many countries don't have and therefore it's something I should do. Even though dealing with politics and the toadies that accompany politics make me ill.
Seriously ill.

As I walked into the polls today I was accosted by toadies from both sides of the aisles. I didn't make eye contact with them other than to make sure I didn't vote for the candidate they were pushing. I felt like I was avoiding pan handlers.

I am so happy that today is election day. Thrilled even. I'm praying all these talking heads will finally SHUT UP. The mud slinging and whining and outright lying makes my head spin. At this point, I honestly don't care who wins, I just don't want to hear them any more!

I'll never understand politics nor will I enjoy the seemingly endless, pointless arguements politicos thrive upon. I'm just happy it's over.

I think I'll go back to my rose colored glasses now and enjoy seeing all the lawn signs and billboards come down.

Good, bad, and just plain ugly

I've been reading a lot lately. I think as the weather gets colder I start to hunker down and prepare for hibernation. My favorite winter activity is sitting by the fire and reading. Preferably with a glass of wine in hand, but I digress.

Because of my rather limited budget, I've been raiding the library every week. This can be a frustrating experience. I've long since read out all my favorite authors and am trying to discover new ones. (I'm almost done reading everything Meg Cabot has written. LOVE HER!) When I do a lot of times the library only has one or two out of a trilogy or something like that. It's TERRIBLY frustrating as a reader.

While roaming through the library looking desperately for something new to read, I've realized what a big part the cover art plays in my book making decisions. If the cover doesn't capture my attention, I don't even stop to read the back of the book. And even if it does, if I read the book blurb and it doesn't suck me in, forget it, back on the shelf it goes.

It got me to thinking that our careers as authors are VERY dependant on the cover artists that bring our vision to life. If the cover isn't attractive, we're hosed.

And I have to tell you, there are A LOT of really bad covers out there. I will not name names as I don't want to open myself up to that, especially since I've had a few covers that have REALLY SUCKED. But sometimes I wonder if the powers that be have any idea what goes on in a book buyers mind. I mean, I've been looking at a lot of books that are from New York publishers and even if the book was fantastic, I wouldn't know becuase the cover put me off so much.

Very scary.

Sometimes I wonder if everyone had plain white covers with just the title printed on the front, how many books would get picked up?

I think I'll go thank my cover artist today. . .
Ari