Sex on the Page and Pacing - Workshops

Date: October 25, 2008

      Friday night I had promised to go to dinner with our speaker - Saturday was an all-day workshop ($65 for SVRWA members)

      Sex on the Page - Sexual Tension
      Pacing - creating page-turners

      So - since dinner was 6:30 --- and I left work at 5PM -- I went over the freeway to the McCarthy mall - and ----- went into a BOOKSTORE. Borders.

      I am not allowed in bookstores more than once a year but I had been having this itch -- must scratch it

      Well well well - I started wandering around in Romance. I wandered around into Mystery.

      I checked out magazines and new arrivals (William Shatner - the new movie's story. WHO BETTER?)
and I wandered back to the mystery aisle - looking for the new author whose list of books I wanted.

      I heard conversation --- about book donations - sales - etc.
I walked around - it was another member of my writing group (Silicon Valley Romance Writer's of America) and our speaker - Mary Buckham (MaryBuckham.com).

      Well - I got out with 12 books (buy 2 get 3) and with recommendations for the 4-5 I added after meeting up.
      During this - we discussed half-naked men on covers - I happened to say
"When I'm in a mood, I need half naked men with Guns." Something to do with cop novels, like the Bad Boys with Guns type novel. B.A.D. Big virile men with weapons. Studs. Whatever.
      And they have just RAISED my estrogen-------

      I have a pile spread out now on the kitchen counter - not even on the shelf-- "To Read" or the other bookcase, or the bookcase headboard, or the box by the third bookcase, actually a new pile --- ON THE COUNTER --- IN MY FACE --- like DO THIS!)

      We had a fun dinner.

Current "read in the next 3 weeks" book pile:

Julia Quinn Mr. Cavendish, I Presume - know her, have read others
Kerrelyn Sparks, The Undead Next Door - new to me - a vampire - OK
Tess Gerritsen, Body Double - I just discovered her - intend to read all of her stuff - mystery books
Laurell K. Hamilton, Guilty Pleasures (Vampire Hunter)
Georgette Heyer, Cotillion - I collect her - if I had been introduced to romance novels when I was a teenager - I could have met this woman! I regret that SO MUCH! I was told they were "that kind of book" that I shouldn't read. How about - you are the kind of person I should never, ever have listened to! (Yes - a parent.)
Stephanie Lawrence, The Edge of Desire - popcorn read (means I eat these books up like a bowl of popcorn - they relax me - they are fun - and I like them.)
William Shatner, Star Trek Academy, Collision Course - who else should write this? And why isn't he in the new movie?
Georgette Heyer, Regency Buck ($14??? won't pay that again!)
Patricia Cornwell, Book of the Dead - having trouble with this one - first pages freaked me out - maybe I should skip it - I've read everything else (nearly) that she's written
Tess Gerritsen, The Mephisto Club - part of the series I am reading
Judith Ivory, Angel in a Red Dress
Robert B. Parker, Now & Then - I used to watch the show - loved it - they need to rerun it!
Eloisa James, The Taming of the Duke - another popcorn read (I love them)
Intrigue Julie Miller, Private S.W.A.T. Takeover
Victoria Alexander, A Little Bit Wicked - popcorn read
Jordan Dane, No One Heard Her Scream
Charlaine Harris, Living Dead in Dallas - HBO show based on tis series
Liz Carlyne, Never Renounce a Rake - popcorn read
Tara Janzen, Crazy Hot - told this was a good series
Sherrilyn Kenyon, Night Embrace - popcorn read
Christine Feehan, Turbulent Sea - having trouble readin this one - thought he was a villian? (Series) I loved her initial vampire novels.

Eclectic.

This does not include all the authors whose next book I am waiting for - P.D. James (Dalglish) , Martha Grimes, Elizabeth George, Kathy Reichs (BONES TV Show loosely based on her books), Deborah Crombie (like PD James) , Caroline Grahm (Midsomer Murders). OK - British mysteries predominate. Classics.

      And add to this the annual re-read of Jane Austin. And the occasional re-read of Gerogette Heyer.

      Friday night I had insomnia (monthly event)--- so I got up at 4:AM - read over one of my works in process stories and then went back to bed - 20 minutes - and then got up and did 3/4 mile on the treadmill- fed all animals - loaded the truck (books - now gone - donated to the raffle and then to literacy place)

      Ready to bring up the next 4 boxes---- I go thru them, I saved one box out of 5 this last trip.
      But - on re-reading - I find the story snaps into my head (most of them) so they will go too.

      The dog had meds in scrambled eggs and canned food and dry food - she was not eating but that perked her up (she sometimes DEMANDS canned food - like Summer - spoiled rotten - both of them)

      All animals settled - I tore thru my own breakfast (3 eggs with cream, slices of whole wheat with flaxseed) (we were not having our rubber-egg breakfast) and pills and dressed and ran.

      I got off the freeway at the WRONG place --- then looped around and it took 15 minutes to get back on the freeway and I got there - early enough - signed in and dumped the books ----

      The seminar (16 hours in 5 minutes) was INTENSE - yes Mary - our ears were bleeding, my wrist still hurts, and I have a headache. The room was warm - I took copius notes, and by 3PM was thinking of a piece of work to apply things to. (Writer's itch)

      I need to take the on-line classes - NEED TO. Probably once a year!

      (OK - book out - but not all this!)

      I won a new "read out loud" slot - asked fellow writers - nice or scare you again?
      "SCARE US"

      Well --- I am going to read 20 pages of DARK EROS in December - but first - I am going to re-write it with the new stuff. (This is at the moment targeted for Red Sage - Short story - 30-35K words - erotic vampire story - but it may grow to be a novel.)

      I actually have re-read 20 pages --- and I wrote hooks unconsciously (Mary said I do that).

      We also call them - one liners
      - an't be around my kids and not have mastered that!

      I had also agreed on dinner - and hooked a ride.
      We went to Shana - Thai food - FABULOUS! and a bunch of us told stories and chatted until 8PM (A bunch of writer's is a great dinner party - we have such varies and ofen hysterical experiences - I have car wreck stories)

      Did you know this tidbit? IF the AUTHOR'S NAME IS BIGGER THAN THE TITLE - the publisher is pushing the AUTHOR.

      Interesting bit of trivia.

      I am - today - exhausted. My milk has turned (I have powdered) and I am suffering the draining eyes and sniffles. The contraxctor needs to come back and hook the toilet that sprays water on flushing and fix the cabinet where a new valve caused the flexipipe to be in the way of the drawer, Yikes! Will this repair ever get finished? And I need to do washing and vacum the house. OK OK I will get off my butt and do some pick-up.

      More Drixoral is required today to kick this sinus cough draining eyes thing.

      I hate peeling gunk off my eyeballs

      Disturbs my reading. OF course, Drixoral will knock my on my butt - where I can then read without guilt!