Twilight Is Amazing...

I love it when a new author hits the scene with an amazing story...
Actually, when I first heard Stephenie Meyers success story, I wept, then I threw things, then I ripped up some printed pages that were safely stored on my hard drive and so I really wasn't completely destroying my current WIP but it felt good shredding while I was ranting and raving about the unfairness of it all...

Then I calmed down, became rational, and went out and bought the book to find out what the hoopla was about...and then I bought book 2 and 3 and 4...it was a marathon weekend...

I couldn't read the series fast enough.
And then I sat down and read the series a second time.

Because damn it, as much as I hated to admit it...it was that good...and simple...
I had come to think that great literature had to have a higher level of difficulty in reading and understanding...but here was the second young adult drama that was heading their authors to mega-fortunes...and audiences to the movie theaters...

Young Adult...
Again.
Harry Potter for a slightly older crowd...

Am I going to write a young adult story now in search of fame and fortune?
No.
But I know a lot of would be authors and e-book authors who feel that YA is now the only way to break into the "real market"...

Maybe it is...
Maybe those other writer's are correct...and we should all write a young adult novel.

I'm not throwing in my erotica towel yet.

What I am going to do, is read the series again...
Then I am going to reread all of my favorite series...Gabaldon, King, Hamilton, Harrison...and I am going to study the rhythm...and try to figure out what I can do better to weave my stories...

In the meantime...I'm going to watch Twilight again tonight...because last night, if they would have offered back to back screenings, we would have stayed...they didn't, so I'm going back tonight...because I'll admit it...

I'm a Twilighter...
I love the series...

And I'm absolutely thrilled that Stephenie Meyers is having the mega-success she is getting to experience...because it gives me hope...and it should give every other relatively unknown writer out there hope...

Success is merely finding the right words for the right moment in time...
The next big star is currently shaping the story, writing the words...they just haven't been discovered yet...

Plans With Beautiful Girl Tonight...

We're going to see Twilight at 12:01am...
Anyone else going?

Voyuer is my latest release and explores the difficulty of being part of the BDSM scene as a climically diagnosed sadist...it also explores romance against a really kinky halloween party. Did I mention that the heroine is falling in love with two men? Or that they both just happen to be at the same party?
Buy Voyeur now...

Not The Snows of Kilimanjaro

I wonder if not for Hemingway's short piece would we even know the place, Kilimanjaro? Or that Kilimanjaro should be covered in snow?

I'm not a big news watcher, especially morning news...but when I heard about the Today's show new segment titled "To The Ends of the Earth" wherein the program's four chief personalities will embark on lengthy road trips to illustrate environmental stories...I wanted to know more. Premiering this morning, it was announced that Ann Curry would be climbing Kikimanjaro, her summit planned for during Friday's episode...if all goes well...and if she summits at all.

I'm not disputing that Kilimanjaro is a hard climb, or that Ann is 52, a woman...and so on...merely that I can only take hype in small doses...

Personally, I would watch anyway because the show is highlighting a concern...the Kilimanjaro glaciers are shrinking...rapidly. Is there anything we can do about it?
Isn't that this centuries debate? I say no, but I'm no scientist...

If you are curious, here is more from National Geographic...

Anyway, here's a clip from Friday...

Makes Me Want To Kick Ass...

I was raised by a pacifist father...loud voices were not only unacceptable but soft voices approaching whispers were the expected conversation level in the house. I remember watching black and white footage of the Vietnam War every night and learning that war was wrong. As a child, creating War protest signs was an afternoon art craft.

As an adult, I've considered any war an unacceptable reaction to the social wrongs in any given country...

But then I read news like this...and I just want to go kick ass.

Facing The Longest Twenty-Four Hours...

Clearly, by the slowness of my blog updates, I am not worth the price of a pound of shit on a good day... (ok, I have no idea who said that but it is a nonetheless a quote stuck in my head)

Sir Hotness gets on a plane to come home tomorrow...thank goddess...
Does anyone besides me know the date that he originally flew out (hint: it was still summer)...and as far as the weekend here or there he was home...not enough...and the week of vaca he took so that I wouldn't have to celebrate Samhain alone...just a mind-fuck...

I am seriously ready to have my husband back long term...
Yeah, yeah, I know...important man, important job...we asked for this...really we did...lit a candle, said a prayer, walked a circle, basically all the important ritual stuff...and honest I'm very happy he has this job because it makes him happy...I'm THANKFUL...I'm just really due some big time sex...

okay, now that all that is said...

I went climbing today. YAY!
I really ruined my diet...PIZZA, PEPSI, ICE CREAM...damn, it wasn't even my birthday

I think it is because Sir Hotness flies home tomorrow...and I am facing the longest 24 hours ever...

Gratitude for today:
1. Saw my granddaughters and they were a wonderful distraction
2. Climbed with my daughter...also a wonderful distraction
3. Talked to both of my grown daughters today...ditto...

Tired, Rainy, Grumpy Day...

Maybe it's because after a gorgeous (if dry) summer, fall has finally arrived with a vengeance...meaning dreary, damp, cold...

Maybe it's because I woke up to my period...

Maybe it's because hubby is still out of town...

Or, there's no excuse and I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I'm feeling kind of grumpy, which is highly unusual. Sigh.

I should really live where it is summer all of the time...

gratitude...
okay, here goes, even though I'm grumpy, I'm still thankful...
1. My health
2. My children are wonderful, loving, compassionate grown-women...
3. My grandchildren are a wonderful source of joy

Can Rock Climbing Be A Fetish?

As many of you know, I've always wanted to learn to rock climb...and I'm finally learning! Yay, me. Not only am I learning to climb, I righteously obsessed about all things climbing. I'm especially obsessed with women climbers...

Women climbers rock!
There is something about watching how a woman moves over rock that is completely different than how men do it...

Anyway, my obsession has led me to find some amazing climbing women...any of which I'd love to meet so that I could watch them climb. And this woman, Jennifer Meleana Hee, is witty and writes! How much do I love that? Read her article: Rock Climbing Lets Women Lord Over Less Adept Males;)

You do know I'm going to have to write an erotica about rock climbing right?

Oh yeah...it's in the works, baby.

So, I'll admit, I'm spending more time pouring through rock-climbing articles than any other endeavor at the moment. Around the house we've taken to calling it Rock Porn...

Honestly...I had no idea that "rock-climbing nudes as art" existed until I found the work of Dean Fidelman who has introduced "Stone Nudes"...women rock climbing completely naked to be exact...

Here's my two favs...but I'll leave you this disclaimer: "Please do not try this without adequate training."


They're my new inspiration as I think through plots and sexy rock scenarios...
It's a tough job, but someone has to write erotica for a living...hehe...the research is just murder somedays though...

Gratitude:
1. Urban Krag Climbing Gym
2. Found the climbing shoes I've been dreaming about in an online OUTLET sale and saved about $100!
3. Wrote 4K today on my climbing erotica

CONTROL Reviewed

Pricilla Petty from Night Owl Reviews rated Control a 4.5(a keeper) and had this to say:

"When Taylor Cooper literally runs into the very handsome, sexy and rich Stephen Barrington Taylor, III, she can’t believe her good fortune. Unfortunately, the man of her dreams has a problem with sex causing her to be extremely frustrated. Taylor loves him, but she’s beginning to wonder what to do about this monumental problem. Not wanting to break up an otherwise fulfilling relationship, she listens to her friend Cheyenne and gets the shock of her life at the Vortex. Once she visits, things will never be the same.

Roxy Harte is one of my favorite authors because she seems to really understand about the BDSM world and the ultimate exchange of power between two people. I was intrigued with the idea of this story as it put a different spin on saving a loving relationship. Taylor is fun, talented and willing to do whatever it takes to stay committed to her man. It took a while to warm up to Stephen as I felt he wasn’t taking ownership of the situation, but once he opened up and got into all the kinky things Taylor learned, he was much more exciting. The sex scenes were awe-inspiring and I enjoyed the interplay between all of the characters. I was particularly impressed with Mistress Minerva and found myself wanting to actually meet her. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out how things worked out for Taylor and Stephen, and their relationship. Be sure to pick this one up, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did."

Wow. Thanks Priscilla and Night Owl Reviews for this awesome review!

Gratitude:
1. There are actually reviewers out there reading my books:)
2. There are readers buying my books
3. THere are fans praising my books
I am THANKFUL!

Not Too Late To Overturn Proposition 8

In CA as church goers went to church, they found protestors picketing outside their churches, as protests and picketing grew in strength over the weekend.

In support, Governor Schwarzenegger is quoted as saying, "I learned that you should never ever give up. . . . They should never give up. They should be on it and on it until they get it done," following the lessons he learned from body building. Read the entire article here.

Signs read, "No more Mr. Nice Gay," and "I am a victim of H8." Not all of the protests were orderly or friendly and arrests were made.

In light of Proposition 2 passing, some of the protestors carried signs that read, "I want what the chickens got!" and Samantha Ronson said in her myspace blog post titled, 2 steps forward...2 steps back, "...yup, miss piggy and chicken little may rest easy, but gay people in florida and california can no longer get married and gay couples in arkansas can't adopt children. g-d forbid a loving family (regardless of sexual orientation) give a needy child a home!"

I don't know if anyone else is following this as closely as I am...but since gay erotic romance seems to be leading sales in many publishing houses...I'm very upset by the message that gives. I mean, as a nation, are we saying, "It's okay if I want to read about two guys doing it like bunnies because it gets me all hot and freaky bothered...but that's just fiction...in real life that's sin. SIN. No marriage for those freaks cause that's just wrong."

Really? IS THAT THE ATTITUDE?
I certainly hope not. Gay and lesbian marriage should be legal in all 50 states, not just a few...and I implore you regardless of what state you live in...if you are reading gay and lesbian erotica behind closed doors, at least stand up for LGBT Rights when it comes knocking at your door.

I'm An Addict...

I never understood my dad's fascination with cigarettes...he was a hard core smoker and smoking advocate until his death (which was directly attributed to the cause of smoking.) Almost every photo of my dad has him holding a cigarette. I always said, "If I knew something was going to kill me...I'd be smart enough not to do it."

Wow...that was naive...

Older and wiser, I'm beginning to see that it isn't always that cut and dry.

No, I don't smoke, but I am trying to give up another habit that although not as bad for me, still annoys the crap out of me that I just can't let it go...

Pepsi.

I've been trying to give up Pepsi since last Spring (when I announced that I was going on a diet...which is now referred to as the "failed diet".) And I give myself credit...I used to be a case a day girl (don't roll your eyes...its true) and I've whittled down to one icy cold can of joy every morning. I just can't let go of that one can...

My day just can't begin until I feel that first burning fizz slide rapturously down my throat...

My failure is a mockery of all the times I gave my dad a hard time for cutting back to one cigarette a day but being unable to just QUIT. And then stress would flair up and he'd be right back to three packs a day...

I'm trying to make peace with my addiction.
It's only one Pepsi, right?

Don't Give Up! I'm Not...

I received a rejection letter today for one of my novels I'm currently peddling mainstream...it's actually a first rejection letter so I'm sure I have lots more to face until I find the right publisher...

I used to think (a decade ago) that a rejection letter meant that my writing wasn't good enough...then I realized that my writing was good enough that it just wasn't right for the audience at the time...

Which makes me wonder...who decides what the audience wants?
A too easy answer would be that answer is sales driven, which would explain the glut of vampire slowly turning to urban fantasy popularity...

Sigh...
Someday...

I read once that Stephen King's first horror novel was rejected 100 times before it was actually accepted. I'm not even near that number, so I'm not giving up...and if you are a writer...keep writing...

I'm hoping that I can get the revisions done to Pornstar soon...entirely too much family drama has been keeping me away from this important deadline (as well as others) but it is time for me to get this one done. So that is going to be my primary focus this week...

Wish me luck that post-revision I'll have a happy editor:)

Gratitude:
1. Jazzi makes me smile
2. Petey makes me laugh
3. The damn cats make me curse**
**It's a well rounded day at least

See My Post At The Femme's Guide

I'm running late on my Femme's Guide announcement, but it has been a crazy, exciting week! I still can't believe that we are soon to have a new president! How exciting for our country!

Please join me at the Femme's Guide and leave a comment or two!

Gratitude:
1. My life as it is, as it has been, as it will be...