Doing Something New with Wendi Zwaduk and Megan Slayer

When I do interviews, there is always a question that comes up.

What have you wanted to write but haven't done so yet? And which genre do you want to write in but haven't?

It would seem pretty simple. I haven't written in __________. But it's not.  There are a lot of things I'd like to do, worlds I'd love to write in and places I'd like to visit. Some are good Wendi ideas and some fit better with my Megan titles. And that's cool. But to keep them straight, I keep a list. It goes something like this:

* Write a merman
(I'd love to, but I know nothing about them save for the Little Mermaid and I don't think that cuts it)
* Write a wolf shifter
(Now this I did as Megan finally. I wasn't really aiming to do it, but he just sort of showed up. I couldn't tell him no)
* Write a story set somewhere exotic
(To be honest, I tend to write about places I've actually been. I figure it makes the scene feel that much more realistic. But hey, I'd love to visit London)
* I'd love to try my hand at a purely SFF romance.
(Would help if I knew something about SFF and didn't have to fall back on my knowledge of Star Trek the Next Generation as my sole SFF experience)

The list isn't too long at the moment. Give me time and a chance to talk with the muses and my BFF and I'll come up with more, I"m sure.

What are some things you'd like to do? Things you haven't done before or genres you haven't written in? I'd love to know. Come on over and share! I won't bite. Much.



~

Want to know more about Wendi Zwaduk? Here you go:

I always dreamt of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favorites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line. I earned a BA in education at Kent State University and currently hold a Masters in Education with Nova Southeastern University.

I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals. I also write under the pen name of Megan Slayer. I’m published with Total-E-Bound, Changeling Press, Liquid Silver Books, Turquoise Morning Press, Decadent Publishing and The Wild Rose Press. Come join me for this fantastic journey!

If you like my work, tell your friends and email me. I love hearing from readers!

Site, Blog, Twitter, Facebook Fan Page, Amazon 

~

Now here's a little bit more about my take on The Phantom of the Opera: The Phantom of the Opera

Gaston Leroux and Wendi Zwaduk
Total-E-Bound
Novel
historical
m/f, bdsm, spanking, multiple partners
Available here!

The Classics Exposed…

A chance sighting at the Opera, fated love, and three lives in turmoil.

One man pledges to own her, while another wants her heart. The Opera sets the stage for romance and intrigue. In the catacombs below the building lives a man rife with sorrow and passion. The Phantom. But he’s not content to live alone. He wants to possess the one woman who can set him free.

His Christine.

Viscount Raoul de Chagny doesn’t believe the rumours of a Ghost living below the Opera. He only has eyes for Christine, his childhood friend and first love. Together they embark on a sensual journey of discovery and fiery desire.

But she can only have one man. Will love raise her up or tear their world apart?

A Hero Ménage

Good day! It's close to the end of the month, and I'm coming down off the buzz of having two releases this month. Two on the same day. Accidental Romance is a new adult contemporary western romance that is part of Decadent Publishing's new The Challenge series, and Made For Her is a science fiction military erotic romance. The two stories couldn't be more opposite. And the same goes for the heroes. Here's a bit about them:

Made For Her


Character Name - D32
Nickname / Alias - Dare
Place of Birth - clone labs in Geneva

Role in the Story - hero
Key Relationships - None. Clones aren't allowed to have "relationships" with anyone
Education - Everything he learned was transferred in terabytes per second at the clone labs.
Work History - Training to be a space pilot for the military
Phobias / Fears - That he is like every other "Daniel clone". That there is nothing different about him.
Quirks - He taps his foot when he's impatient.
Best Quality - His determination.
Worst Quality - When he wants something, he will stop at nothing to get it. (Determination.)

After terrorists murder the love of her life, Colonel Mikayla Jones trains squadron after squadron of the clones he brought to life, to take to the skies. When she discovers a young clone of her husband in her newest class, her world spins out of control. How can she command the look-a-like when she can’t help but yearn for him to fill an ache in her heart?

Dare was created to be the best. As the first Daniel clone to leave Onatria labs, he needs to prove he is more than just a DNA copy. To do that, he must rely on the wife of the man who donated his genes. But when she refuses to train him, Dare faces discharge and returning to the labs. Can he convince Colonel Jones to finish his training and find a way into her bed? Or will long kept secrets unhinge the entire clone project?

Buy Links: 

Amazon (Canada/US/UK) | Decadent Publishing | All Romance | Barnes&Noble | more

Accidental Romance

Character Name - Jake
Nickname / Alias - Ass, Jake-a-roo
Age - 22

Role in the Story - hero
Key Relationships - Brother to four older sisters. Son to parents who are good friends with Leanne's parents. Farmhand at Leanne's parents's farm. Has never had a steady girlfriend as he's always had his sights on Leanne.
Work History - Continues to work as a farmhand.
Phobias / Fears - That the one he wants will never see him as more than a friend.
Goals and Motivations - Plans to stay on as farmhand when Leanne takes over the farm, so he can continue to work side-by-side with her.
Best Quality - A hard worker.
Worst Quality - Can't always voice how he feels.

At twenty-two, Leanne Declan has graduated from college and hopes to take over the family farm until a tragic accident changes her life forever. Unable to do the simplest everyday chores, she must depend on her family and friends as she learns to face life’s challenges. But when her fears threaten to destroy her future, can an unexpected love be strong enough to help her dreams come true?

Buy Links:

Amazon (Canada/US/UK) | Decadent Publishing | All Romance | Barnes&Noble | more

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from her readers.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

Bunnysmacked

Funny thing about being a writer. Sometimes you can be sitting there, minding your own business, and out of nowhere, a plot bunny comes up and smacks you silly. No, seriously. You don't have to think or strain or plot, because that furry little mofo knocks you over the head so hard you can't do anything but write what it tells you.

I was attacked by a rogue rabbit just before Christmas. It was vicious. It was historical. It was lesbians.

I'd been in the middle of another book, so I really didn't want to touch it, but it was tiny and cute, so I bent down for a closer look and ...

WHAM!

That little sucker got me. I was mortally wounded. I'd fight to get away and it would coo at me, say things like, "I already have the perfect title."

WHAM!

It got me again. I'd pull away only to have it suck me back in with beautiful promises. All the while, it was beating me to a bloody pulp.

And then, all those beautiful promises were fulfilled. The damn story was written. It was nothing I'd ever really planned on writing and everything I never thought I could manage. Selling her Sin is almost ready for a publisher.

So now, I'm putting the final touches on my first historical and my first F/F. It's a wonderful bunny, and  I hope you all like it. Just be careful. It bites.

Footprints in the Snow

We are having snow days in the UK, which isn't all that common. Let's face it, two inches of snow, and everyone freaks out and panics. :)
Of course, I just wrecked the steering on the car after putting it in a ditch. The slide into it probably didn't do anything. It was one of those gentle, slow motion type slides. What did it was very likely the pulling out of the ditch, courtesy of our friendly farmer, who came to my rescue with his tractor. I was back on the road -- but I knew something was wrong the second I pulled away. Yay. *cough*
It got me to thinking though.
Imagine being stranded, your car in a deep ditch, and having to trudge through the woods to civilization.
That's all very well in my neck of the woods, but what if you were in a remote area...and you found footprints in the snow.
Footprints that are far too large to be human.
We've all heard of a Yeti. Maybe you call them Sasquatch, or Bigfoot. I wondered what would happen if your rescuer weren't a man with a tractor -- but Bigfoot.
And what if Bigfoot took you somewhere safe for the night, keeping you warm?
Would you tell when you got back to civilization? Would you give away Bigfoot's hideout, if you owe the creature your life?
I think I'd keep quiet, but it would be hard.
I also know I'd go back there to see if I've imagined it. :)

What would you do?

Of Traditions and Things

It's my birthday today. I think the day is going to just pass by with no fuss, but every year I'm surprised by the well wishes from all. It's heartwarming and makes my day awesome.

My husband and I have meshed our traditions together to create a fun day. There are some I've had to adapt or let go and likewise with him. This is true for every holiday. We've compromised. Wouldn't paranormal characters have to do the same? 

How does an older vampire feel about the lack of handwritten correspondence? Does he miss the intimacy of flowing script and the scratch of pen to paper? Is he thankful for modern conveniences? Is it refreshing to send an email? 

I like my vampires long in the tooth, cunning, and full of idiosyncrasies. Let him wear a cross and rock a pair of low slung jeans with the grace and power of a man commanding an army. Make him push the boundaries and limits of his life.  

Does he give you roses or a flower from his homeland? Will he dance with you under the stars or in a club to house music? 

What does he do for your birthday? Is it flower petals and candles or whisking you away to the forest for a chase through the moss covered pathways? ;) 

I'm in the mood to write a sexy vampire. 

Have a great rest of your week, all! I'm off to write with Ditter. :) 

Dawn Montgomery

http://www.ditterndawn.com

Greetings and an introduction!

Greetings all!

I'm the new kid on the block here, having been honored with a spot on this blog just recently so I thought I'd take a few minutes to introduce myself:

I got my start in writing when I was very young with an eco-friendly story about recycling called "Be Kinder to Your Binder" when I was in 5th Grade.

Yeah, I know.

I ended up cutting my writing chops in fanfiction with most of my work in the X-Files fandom where I not only wrote the mandatory million words but also found a mate - my sweet Wookie who first fell in love with me as a fan and moved it to the next stage, stalking seducing me to come to the US from my homeland of Canada to marry him and start writing full-time.

And now here I am with a successful superhero romance series with Samhain Publishing (Blaze of Glory) and an ongoing paranormal romance shifter series with Carina Press!

"Blood of the Pride" came out in February 2012 and began the story of Rebecca Desjardin, a cat shifter who... can't.

When a severed rabbit's paw is delivered to her office, outcast cat shifter Rebecca Desjardin recognizes the summons home. One of their own has been murdered--and a shocking photo published in a local tabloid--and her Pride needs Rebecca, now a private investigator, to track down the killer.
Investigative reporter Brandon Hanover wants to find out who slipped the photo of the half-shifted cat-woman under his door, marking him as a suspect in her death. Determined to stay one step ahead of the sexy journalist, Rebecca reluctantly agrees to partner with him to find the real murderer. But as their mutual attraction heats up, Rebecca finds it harder and harder to keep Brandon from discovering the existence of the shifter society--and her own true nature.
When the search leads them back to the Pride, Rebecca must attempt to Change for the first time in years to face the killer, and save the man she loves...

"Claws Bared", coming out on January 21 2013 from Carina Press, continues the adventures of Reb and Bran as they continue exploring their relationship and the two worlds they must live in.

Rebecca Desjardin, a P.I. and cat shifter, doesn't normally find herself in strip clubs. But a popular male dancer has been murdered in Pennsylvania, and it looks like the work of a shifter from the local Pride. Rebecca has a duty to help protect her kind--and she needs to find justice for the dead.
Her impromptu trip leaves her boyfriend, reporter Brandon Hanover, unhappy. He's only just come to terms with the fact that she's a Felis, and their relationship is still so new... Rebecca is determined to deal with the murder first, then deal with their future.
As her investigation unfolds, she's met with grudging cooperation and half-truths. Does the Pride want her to find justice, or help them hide a killer? Frustrated and unable to shake the sexy local shifter who says he's on her side, Rebecca can't seem to scratch out the truth--at least not on her own. But when Brandon shows up, is he there to help or to mark his territory?

The third book, "Family Pride", is tentatively scheduled for release in June and a fourth one is in the works right now!

I hope you'll decide to come along for the ride with Bran and Rebecca as they make their way in a world neither one of them is totally comfortable in!

Baby it's Cold Outside

I live in the great state of Minnesota. Ten thousand lakes, Minnesota-nice, moose, bobcats, hockey--and of course, seasons that mean business. Winter has hit with full force, a week of temperatures promised in the -40 degrees range. I'm not complaining, not really. I know what to expect living here, but sometimes, well, its sucky.

When new people come to Minnesota, especially ones who have never dealt with cold, I find it is the simple things they don't anticipate.



Frozen Pipes--You wouldn't think it would be an issue with the advances in heating and insulation, but Minnesota is full of old houses. Pipes in older houses are especially susceptible. So think very hard before you leave your Minnesota home in mid-winter. It might make sense to turn off the heat since you won't be home, but you might return to busted pipes--cute.


Travel--Cold is hard on vehicles. Always leave enough time to warm up your car before you have to leave. And also--make sure you have at least half a tank of gas at all times. All that car warming up time can be a necessary suck on the tank.


Dress--Layers are your friend. You can always take off a sweatshirt or scarf if you get too warm once you're at your destination, but if your car breaks down, you're stuck with what you have on to keep warm until help arrives. And fashionistas out there who don't enjoy matching snow boots to their outfits, wear your darn boots! Get a cute tote large enough to house your boots and use that for your day shoes as well.


There are for sure more cold weather tips (like carry hand sanitizer with you since everyone and their brother has a cold this time of year) and if you're traveling to Minnesota or Wisconsin or any other state that sports the cold, take the time to look into it first. Better safe than freezing your buns off!

All the best,
Stephanie Beck
www.stephaniebeck.net

MLK Day Thoughts

For most of the United States it's Martin Luther King Jr. day today.

Some of my students, those who aren't just reveling in the day off, ask why we still make such a big deal about it. While I take the time to explain to them how he crusaded for equality, and I usually clue them in to other figures in the struggle for equality, like Rosa Parks and Malcolm X, deep inside some part of me is cheering a little.

Before you fire up the lynch mobs, it's not what it sounds like. I'm cheering because in a very important way, he's won. People tend to forget that those born in a world see it as normal, and especially when they're young, don't see how difficult it was for those who came before to make the world they live in. They ask 'why do we celebrate this, isn't this how it's always been?'

There is still prejudice. As long as we have diversity, there will be prejudice. What Martin Luther King gave us was something more subtle, something that paves the way for prejudice to become a marginal thing rather than the center of our lives. What my students don't understand is that prior to King, a vast number of people in the country didn't understand what prejudice meant, didn't really understand why it was wrong, or even that it was wrong. My students today, even the ones that are blatantly prejudiced against others from even a slightly different ethnic background, know in their bones that prejudice is wrong, even when they don't quite realize they're doing it. When you point it out, they're ashamed of themselves.

The foundation has been poured and set. Ours is the struggle of keeping the weeds from overgrowing it, our children's to build something meaningful on it, and their children's to celebrate that success, but the foundation is there, and before King it wasn't. So that's why I cheer when young people don't understand what King did; he laid something so deep it's a 'forever been this way' part of their world. It will take generations for the final score to be tallied, but at this point, he's won.

That said, equality and celebration of diversity weren't King's only message. I saw a quote today that summed up what might be a longer lasting legacy, because if we ever get to a point where people really do rejoice in all diversity, we'll all still need each other. I leave you with that quote and the question: what do YOU do for others?

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

A Summoner's Tale VALENTINE'S RELEASE

Valentine's Day Release

Black Swan 3

A SUMMONER'S TALE: The Vampire's Confessor

 

READING THIS SERIAL SAGA IN ORDER IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DESCRIPTION: A secret society, a witch, a psychic, vampires, modern day knights, heroes, elves, fae, assassins from another dimension, and fairytales come together where emotions intersect. Two souls, joined by a mystical bond, separated by distance, must simultaneously struggle through pain and darkness in an ultimate confrontation with character and an ultimate struggle for life proving that true love waits patiently through lifetimes and finds courage to survive. Even in the strangest places. Even when you're least expecting it. Even when you're far, far from home.

 

Also to be released Feb 14, 2013, The Order of the Black Swan COLLECTED TALES, BOOKS 1-3. 

 

INCLUDES:

 

Black Swan 1. My Familiar Stranger: Romancing The Vampire Hunters. NOMINATED FOR BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE OF 2012 by REVIEWERS' CHOICE AWARDS.

Black Swan 2. The Witch's Dream: A Love Letter to Paranormal Romance 

 

Black Swan 3. A Summoner's Tale: The Vampire's Confessor  

 

The Witch's Dream and A Summoner's Tale are available exclusively on Amazon.com as single titles, but you can read them as the COLLECTED TALES in e-book. Amazon, B&N, iTunes, Smashwords, and KOBO. 330,000 words. $6.99. 

 

Victoria Danann

WEBSITE: http://www.VictoriaDanann.com

BLOG: http://VictoriaDanann.me

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/vdanann  

TWITTER: @vdanann

 

 

 

The Fine Line of Promotion

Before I start my post today I want to preface this with the disclaimer that this is simply my opinion in regards to this topic, don't take it as rule.

Last week (I think) I sent out a long string of messages on Twitter/Facebook about promotion in regards to books. Mostly because no one has yet to convince me that posting streams and streams of promotional tweets and/or Facebook works in regards to sales. IMHO, it's actually off-putting and would seem as if an author would lose sales. And I'm looking at it from a reader's perspective because, let's face it, I don't write books solely because I love to write. My love of books started at a very young age and grows almost daily.

Social media is designed to be just that: social. It's supposed to be for social interaction. Not constantpimpingofmybooks media. The only thing that you have to talk about as an author can't be your books. Don't get me wrong, I understand privacy. I have certain things I absolutely refuse to talk about in a public forum (seriously, you really don't need to know my teenage daughter's name unless you know me personally). But I can still chat about daily things completely unrelated to writing without compromising my ideals on those things.

There is a fine line when it comes to promotion and its hard to tell sometimes what is too much or too little. I will, from time to time, tweet or post a Facebook message about a book release. Pretty much always on a release day, 'cause let's face it, its release day. But, really, I'm a firm believer that the best bit of promotion you can do for yourself is writing a good book. And then another good book. And another good book. And, wait for it...wait for it!...write another good book. Word of mouth is still one of the best promotional tools out there. And it's free free free. Yippee!

So, do you agree or disagree? What do you think is the most valuable tool in the promotional arsenal?

Zombies, My New Crush... ~Deena Remiel

I loved the  movie, Zombieland, so much that we have the DVD at home. I've watched a few Walking Dead episodes. But it wasn't until I saw a screening of WARM BODIES last night that my heart fell hard for one of them. What an amazing movie! Jonathan Levine presents us with an adorable romantic comedy/horror story that says so much about the human condition. 
So, the hero, R, is played by Nicholas Hoult, and all I can say is, he does ZOMBIE so well. I fear my lusting over angels, vampires, and shifters has been eclipsed by this alluring, shoulder-shrugging zombie! Could it be his sense of humor? Maybe. How about his mesmerizing eyes, dark hair, and pale skin? Strong possibility. But I think what draws me to R is the charming, poignant way he navigates through his deadened life. 
Here's the link to the IMDb movie page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588173/ The movie releases on February 1, and I highly recommend seeing it, even if you're not a fan of zombies at the moment. WARM BODIES will change your mind.

Story Boarding

I'm new to the idea of story boarding. Heck, I'm still sure I'm doing it right, but what I am doing is helping.

Normally, I begin my stories with images in my head. They work themselves into scenes and I take notes. Once those are done, I string them together into a story synopsis so I can start the writing process.

Story boarding, from what I understand, is using images to do the above.

I think a lot of writers use pictures to help form imagery in their stories. Characters, scenery, etc...

And I have a pinterest account...

So I started placing my pictures in folders and when I saw them collected together the it helped me focus better on what I was trying to write. I placed these folders on pinterest to share.


Do you use story boards? What do you  do?

Would You Have Dreamed of Being A Priestess of the Nile?

One year ago this month, my first book was published – a novella entitled PRIESTESS OF THE NILE from Carina Press. It was a dream come true for me and Carina has bought my next Ancient Egyptian paranormal romance, WARRIOR OF THE NILE (out in September 2013) and I’ve got the third novel submitted for consideration.  I thought in today’s post here at Paranormal Romantics I’d talk a little about Egyptian temples and share an excerpt from PRIESTESS, in honor of the anniversary.

Here’s the book’s blurb:

Egypt, 1500 BCE

Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile God is even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.

Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.

Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. When he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?

In my story Sobek’s temple has been abandoned by the local populace, usurped by the worship of other gods. Merys alone tries to keep the traditions alive, singing the songs and observing the rituals as best she can, in between her daily duties as a member of her father’s household. While a priest or priestess could have served part-time in Egypt, generally the job was a fulltime position with very involved daily duties.

Egyptian temples of the time had a statue of the deity in a sanctuary at the heart of the building. One couldn’t simply walk in and behold the god, but rather would have to pass through a series of ever smaller rooms and courtyards. The innermost sanctuary was typically sealed and dark but three times a day the priests would break the seal, bring candles into the room and go through a complicated series of rituals cleaning the statue, anointing it with precious oils, dressing it in fine garments and adding appropriate jewelry. Offerings of food and drink were also made.

These rituals allowed the priests to communicate with their deity through the senses, especially touch and smell. The incense in particular was felt to reach the god and appeal to him or her in ways that a human couldn’t, since scent is invisible.  Many of the ingredients used in Egyptian incense were believed to have come from the gods in the first place. Chanting and singing accompanied this three-times daily ritual, which is where I made the connection with Merys and her beautiful voice, trying to preserve at least part of the duty she felt was owed to Sobek as the region’s original godly protector.

Here’s an abridged fragment of such a chant:

The incense comes…the scent is over thee…the perfume of the goddess…it cleanses thee, it adorns thee, it makes its place upon thy two hands…

Here’s an excerpt from PRIESTESS OF THE NILE as Merys is explaining to the handsome stranger she’s just met about the abandoned temple. She has no idea the stranger is actually Sobek the Crocodile God.

…Merys gave him a wide smile. “This is my own secret place. Most people don’t want to come anywhere near the abandoned temple. They fear the wrath of the Crocodile God. But the women of my family were priestesses here until the temple closed. I don’t fear him.”

Bek craned his head to study the ruins on the bluff across the beach from where he sat. He was mildly curious now that she’d raised the topic. “What led to the temple’s abandonment?”

“Two generations ago the headman of the village died with no heirs and no clear successor. The nomarch who rules this territory finally sent in his own man.” Merys regarded the temple ruins for a moment, then sighed. “The new official favored the gods of his home city and cut off the tribute and the support to this temple. The new headman’s brother was a priest of

Horus.” She tilted her head and winked broadly at Bek. “The village has an impressive temple to Horus now.”

Bek threw back his head and guffawed. “So the Crocodile has been replaced by the Falcon. As if they were one and the same. Interchangeable. The Falcon wouldn’t enjoy hearing such news.”

Merys moved toward him, still dancing. “But in my maternal line we passed down the songs and the incantations.” She swept a hand to gesture at her feet. “The sacred dances.” She went on tiptoe and executed a series of graceful twirls coming across to him at the end. “I light the lamps in the god’s honor on the altar, every year on his Name Day. I keep the main sanctuary as clean as I can.”

“I’m sure your efforts are appreciated.” He tried to keep the smile off his face, biting his cheek.

The girl frowned at him and shook one finger. “The god protects us even now.” Her tone was cold, her eyes narrowed. “We have had only one ox and two cows seized by crocodiles in the past year, and no small children.” She furrowed her brow as some memory surfaced. “Well, one man was taken, but he was suspected of being a thief so no one mourned him. And the flooding of the Nile has been generous in bringing us fertile fields.”

If you're fond of stories set in a paranormal version of Ancient Egypt, here are the buy links for the book:

Amazon Barnes & Noble Carina Press All Romance

 Whatever your dreams might be, wishing you a very successful 2013!

 

Holidays...

January 12 is a holiday - Feast of Fabulous Wild Men.

Now what kind of holiday is this? Well, I tried to find out because as I've mentioned before and all who know me can tell you I love chasing rabbits down trails. But as many of my rabbits trails do this one led to a dead end. On the website – Holiday Insights – they suggested surfing the net and feasting your eyes on fabulous wild men... And in the effort to be a good blogger, (cough, cough) I did so.

After an hour or so of that – I want all the readers here to know it was done for this blog not personal enjoyment (wink) – I decided I needed to finish writing this post. I'm happy to report there are in fact many fabulous wild men out there.  I've included a picture of one of  the wild men I really enjoyed feasting my eyes on:)

But what really started this stroll down the rabbit trail was research for my holiday romance suspense I'm currently working on. I know how my family celebrates, how my husband's family celebrates, and close friends but what about traditions I'm not familiar with. I want my characters to layered and my plot to have some interesting elements which may be achieved by including some lesser known holiday's or ways of celebrating those that are widely known.

Now I don't think my hero or heroine will be partaking in any Feast of Fabulous Wild Men but I did enjoy the eye candy the dead end supplied. I also did come across some very interesting things that I will incorporate into my WIP.

I'd love to hear what are some of the unique holidays or celebrates you've come across.

We're Still Here

Ahhh those crafty Mayans, but we're still here and I'm definitely glad for that!

Happy New Year! I hope your holiday was fantastic.

Mine was and it was busy too.

I did get my rush deadlines done and have started my writing goals for the year.

Sometimes I get a bit, uptight about making goals, because if something changes (which it always does in Publishing) I get a bit OCD that item is on my list still.

So with that, I thought I would just do a generalized list of things I want to accomplish.

1. Get back into my exercise routine. This is important. I was doing awesome, then I went on the insane road trip this summer, got some deadlines and went off track. BUT I noticed the change on the road trip. The exercising allowed me to climb buttes and mountains and walk without getting crazy winded.

2. Eat better. 2012 was challenging health wise. I have to adjust my eating so I don't get flareups and get really ill. Sadly, alcohol is off the list. *sigh* I miss my Long Island Iced Teas already, but alas alcohol makes me violently ill.

3. Write 100k. Not in a specific book, just over all. Write 100k.

And that's my list of three resolutions. I've already made a dent in the 100k. I've done about a 25k. YAY. Number 2, well I'm starting Weight Watchers and Number 1 will come when I get my energy back after eating right.

Do you have any goals? How's the New Year shaping up for you?