Major DeLurk Event with Destiny Blaine

Okay, like you cannot miss this one, folks. Tomorrow, May 8, is the major delurking event of the year. Perhaps the decade. My goodness, maybe the century. Who knows?

A huge Cata Delurk party is happening on cataromance with one goal in mind -- drawing you, the readers, and us, the authors, out of our hidy places and putting our faces (or our books) right up front for one and all to see. We're drawing out the lurkers once and for all, and goodness, they are already coming in droves!

The brainchild of author Destiny Blaine, I'm excited to join her in this event. I've got excerpts. I've got books to give away. And guess what? It's not just me folks. Last count was something like over 200 books being given away. Yes, you heard that right. Over 200!

So, if you're not a member of Cata, go sign up for the Cata Delurk party right now. Expect lots of email tomorrow. HUGE amounts of email. But it will be worth it. I promise you.

You want books? We got 'em. Come and get 'em, baby.

maddie

Allow me to introduce you to Mia Jae...

Hi folks. Please meet Mia Jae. She writes what she calls Sophisterotica Romance ~ sophisticated romance with erotica elegance. She's a new author to be published next fall by my publisher, Resplendence Publishing. She's in the process of building her website and MySpace and I wanted to help her start gaining a presence.

By way of introduction, here is her video:

Mia Jae, Sophisterotica Author


You can find Mia here on MySpace.


Best,

Maddie

I've been letting the chatter quiet down...

It is interesting what turns of phrase or sayings call out and stay with you. You can find them almost anywhere and for whatever reason, significance can be found in the words. Maybe that is why I am a writer. Words mean something to me. They can be boring, exciting, indifferent, moody, whatever...depends on how I spin them and perhaps also, how I (or anyone) interprets them.

Thus so, a framed picture I picked up a Target several years ago that now hangs in my hall bathroom. I've held onto it because the words under the picture speak to me. Oh, they don't shout out at me on a regular basis but at times, they've wormed their way into my being. So, I've kept them and placed them where I occasionally see them. It's odd, but when I need to see them, that's usually when they make themselves known to me again.

It was the picture, however, that first caught my eye first, and the reason I was drawn to the item. It was a sepia toned photograph of two young children, a boy and a girl, standing on the beach. The boy had put a shell to the little girl's ear. It brought back memories of my own grandmother doing the same thing for me when I was little. She would place this large conch shell to my ear and say, "Can you hear the ocean?" Oh, I so could hear it. I didn't know until much later than she would blow through a small hole on the other side of the conch. But it was magic and yes, I believed.

I remember the day well that I bought the picture with the saying. I was with a good friend and we were shopping for Christmas presents. This item that caught my eye had nothing to do with Christmas but still, I took hold of it, looked at the picture, read the saying, and quietly put it in my cart. I had no clue then that the words would become so meaningful time and again over the years.

You see, we all have days we feel like our heads are going to explode with the stuff of life. We get overwhelmed and need a break. Downtime. Move into our caves. And when that happens, we have to allow time for the chatter to quiet down....

Listening to your heart, finding out who you are, is not simple. It takes time for the chatter to quiet down. In the silence of "not doing" we begin to know what we feel. If we listen and hear what is being offered, then anything in life can be our guide. Listen.

I don't know who wrote these words or where they came from so I can't give anyone credit. All I know is that I've learned there are times in our lives when we simply have to stop for a while, listen, and pay attention to what we don't hear as much as what we do.

That's what I've been doing lately, letting the chatter quiet down. Those who know me well realize and understand this. They accept and smile and comprehend. They recognize the importance of just being, listening...

Most of all, I understand and know and accept. The next move is up to me.

maddie

The Caged Bird

I took a walk this evening around my neighborhood and realized that on this May 4, 2008, it has been since late last fall that I have taken this walk. Shameful. I love my walks and because of way too much travel and cold weather and excuses I have simply not forced myself out of my house. Weather be damned, most of the time in Kentucky it's not severe enough to keep me from walking at least once or twice a week. Oh, of course there can be snow in the winter and days of rain in the spring, but honestly, it's a crutch and I know it.

I will allow myself the excuse of not actually being present in my neighborhood when I travel for work. I mean, it's certainly understandable that I cannot be walking around my block when I'm living out of a hotel room in Phoenix, correct? (We won't even mention that I could be walking on a treadmill while watching Jeopardy in that hotel, okay?) This isn't about exercise. This is about being present in my life. About living in my neighborhood. About having the opportunity to take the walk around the block.

Am I present in my life? Sometimes I'm not sure. Often, life goes by so quickly I'm not sure whether I'm present or doing a drive-by. And I'm getting to the place in life where I'm pretty certain I don't like it. Maybe that's why I picked up The New Earth, the other day. If it's good enough for Oprah...

Okay, okay, some of you may have been following the theme here of late. I'm in a crux. I'm doing a balancing act and wondering when all the balls are going to fall. I'm a Libra, okay? And when the balance gets out of whack for me weird things happen. Not to mention that Mercury goes retro in a couple of weeks again. Don't even want to go there and need to be prepared for that uphill state of being. I'm at a point where I need more from one part of my life and less from the other. I'm trying to figure it all out.

At any rate, back to the walk. It felt good to be walking, stretching my muscles, nodding hello to people (actual people live in my neighborhood!) and listen to birds and watch a hot air balloon float over my head. I noticed houses that have gone up over the winter and people have already moved in. I didn't know they were there. I've been absent in my neighborhood and I sorta don't like it.

For some reason, the phrase I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings kept rattling around in my head while walking. So, I found the poem by Maya Angelou and re-read it. It seemed apropos for the mood. Here you go.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

Maya Angelou

Hope your Sunday evening is going well. I think I'll sit out on my patio with a glass of tea and watch the birds.

maddie

The Writer Must Earn His Living Writing

"Writing while holding down a forty-hour-a-week job is possible. Thousands have done it. But in time, exhaustion sets in, concentration wanders, creativity crumbles, and you're tempted to quit. Before you do, you must find a way to earn your living from your writing."

This is a quote from Robert McKee's STORY, sub-title Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. I bought the book after attending RT in April and heard Randall Toye of Harlequin talk about their editors taking McKee's workshop. I figured it wouldn't hurt for me to work through the book, as well.

Turns out there are wonderful insights to story structure in the book and I'm, of course, still working my way through its 450-some pages. There are a few snippets of text, several turns of phrase in the book, however, that interested me almost as much as his take on story structure.

The above quote is one that jumped out at me and hit me full in the face.

When I turned 50, I made a goal for myself. That goal was to write full-time by the time I'm 55. I felt then, and still feel, that having that sense of freedom to write and support myself with my writing, without the constraints of the day job, would be pure bliss. Honestly, I'm not kidding myself here, I know this will be hard work. I know there will also be hurdles. And I fully understand that in this business there is no guaranteed paycheck -- no guaranteed contracts, print runs, sell-throughs, advances, royalties, etc... I understand the pitfalls and have taken them all into consideration. Still, this is my goal. And a particularly lofty one since I am my sole support. There is no one else to supplement income or provide insurance. And still, I strive to reach this goal.

McKee's statement made me really stop and think. I'm not a newby at this writing thing. I seriously started working my way toward publication over 20 years ago. I start publishing non-fiction not long after. I published my first novel 11 years ago. Five more books followed. And then I quit. Why? Because of a new day job. Because of being a single parent with two teenagers and no time. Because of life. Because I was exhausted.

I have vowed that no day job will now put me asunder. I will not give up my writing again, particularly since I've worked diligently the past few years to build back the career. I have a great start on my goal. I'm 1 1/2 years into it. And I will make it. Sooner rather than later, is my hope.

McKee is right. Concentration is comprised, creativity flies out the door, and exhaustion just takes over your body. You can't write...or perhaps I should say, I can't write and do it well. Can't write and be satisfied with what I do.

I wrote a couple of days ago about taking a vacation day. I did. I slept. Deep. Hard. Weird dreams. I always do that when I'm very tired. Most importantly, I feel somewhat rested. And in the past day, I've added a few thousand words to my current wip. And damn, yes, they feel good.

McKee makes it sound easy -- find a way to make it happen is basically what he is saying. Easier said than done, however, it can happen. I will do it. As have others.

Perseverance can be a beautiful thing.

Happy Derby Day,

maddie

Ah...Reading!

I stumbled upon this recently. The Brits have got it right, haven't they? Wonder when we'll get our own Year of Reading in the US?

Take a look.



Here are some of the events for the National Year of Reading in the UK.

Activities in the National Year of Reading will include the following themes:

• April: Read all about it! Links to newspapers and magazines; library membership campaign.

• May: Mind and Body. Reading and learning at work. The knock-on benefits of reading.

• June: Reading escapes. Holiday and summer reads.

• July: Rhythm and Rhyme. Poems, poetry and lyrics.

• August: Read the Game. The influence of sport and how this can help promote reading.

• September: You are what you read. Cultural, personal and local identity.

• October: Word of Mouth. Storytelling, reading out loud, reading together, reading aloud, live literature.

• November: Screen reads. Exploring the diversity of reading and writing; scripts, TV and films.

• December: Write the future. Writing, texting, blogging etc.

Being a literacy specialist myself (day job) I think I'll do a bit more investigation....

madz

p.s. Here is the official website. http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/

Shshsh. I'm on Vacation

It's 11:23 a.m. on a Thursday morning and I'm home. Not at my day job office. Not on a plane flying somewhere for work. Shshsh. Don't tell anyone, okay? I'm taking a much needed vacation day today from the day job. Oh yes, much needed. Even my horoscope says as much. Even though I had planned this vacation day far in advance (I wanted a four-day weekend, tomorrow, Friday, is a holiday for our office) the stars confirm my need for time off. See, here is what they wrote this morning for those of us of the Libra persuasion:

May 01, 2008

1. Libra (9/23-10/22)

   You have been doing too many things on the go lately, and this reckless pace has to stop. Sure, you've been promising yourself for days that you were going to cut back and get some downtime, but when are you going to come through on that promise? Make that day today. Cancel or postpone whatever you can and give yourself a few hours of nothing to do. Being productive or busy is not the same thing as being happy. You need to reconnect with yourself and just chill out.

Chill out. A very good friend said something similar to me this morning in email. Actually, his words were "calm down." Of course, I had ranted about a situation I'm finding myself in and was tossing about all sorts of things I should do, but in the end, "calm down" and "chill out" are probably the best item on the agenda for me today.

After all, I have been on the run lately. I just took a long hard look at my calendar. In the past 24 days, I have slept in my own bed only 9 times and spent 15 nights in hotels. I have taken 16 flights and lived in 4 different time zones. I have been to Denver, Farmington, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Louisville, Greenup, and Bismarck. I have attended two writer conferences.
And that's just April. Would you like to hear March? Nooooo....

Yes, a much deserved and much needed break in the action today. So how has today gone so far?

I slept until nearly 9 a.m. A very unusual thing for me.

I had a cup of tea on my patio. I closed my eyes and listened to the birds for a few minutes, letting the breeze lift my hair and caress away some of the stress.

I started to read the paper and a magazine and put it away for later.

I thought about what I might have for lunch.

I decided to blog. An act that has not happened of late. Wonder why?

Today is for me. I'll probably wander through it. A good thing. I need to just wander though it. I may not even get out of my jammies. I dunno.

One thing I do know is this -- it's hell trying to write and be creative when your brain and body are exhausted. I may ponder just what the heck I'm going to do about all that. I can't have my brain exhausted.

maddie

Okay, okay...so I didn't blog from RT

But oh...what a week!

Apologies for not blogging, it truly was out of my control. I had no Internet available in my room for half of my time there. The other half, the signal was so weak it reminded me of my dial-up days in the mid-nineties. Emails took forever to load and send and getting a website loaded was nearly impossible. So, I decided to forgot about the blogging thing.

I'll attempt to provide some highlights as they come to me in the next few days. Here are a few:

• Sadly, the hotel was a mess. Currently under construction, we tripped down service stairs with rolls of carpet and buckets of spackle and other stuff, dodged power outages, tolerated surly servers, etc. However, most of the staff were pleasant and accommodating, even though they were all probably very tired of hearing complaints. To be honest, I'm happy with simple things--like a clean bed to sleep in and a Do Not Disturb sign on my doorknob. We all muddled through. (still, would have loved to have had reliable Internet but oh well, I survived that addiction, too!)
  
• In the category romance session with Harlequin/Silhouette authors and Randall Toye, the conversation turned largely to ebooks rather than print at one point. Not sure that was expected but kind of nice to hear the responses.
• Also in that session, Mr. Toye spoke of Robert McKee's story structure seminars and said all Harlequin editors go through the seminar. Guess who bought McKee's Story book off Amazon this afternoon?
  
• On to more fun things...the hottest cover model of the week, in my opinion, was John Fish from Houston. I left early on Saturday after the booksigning so have not heard who won the Mr. Romance contest yet. Let me know, okay, if you find out before I do? John certainly got my vote. Perhaps I'll look for a pic and post in later in the week...
  
• I sold out of all copies of my book THE CURSE at the booksigning. Yay!
  
• My friends and authors Aleka Nakis and James Goodman happened to step on the elevator with the fabulous Fabio. I believe Aleka has a picture somewhere. Wonder if she will share?
• Author Catherine Chernow and I were invited to join the stage during the one-of-a kind Heather Graham dinner theatre production -- a whodunit featuring fairy tale characters with a paranormal twist. Loved the rendition of Hotel California..er...Transylvania sung by F. Paul Wilson.
  
• I had a wonderful time meeting readers, like Anne and Patricia from Philadelphia. I hope you guys enjoy THE CURSE and LADIES OF LEGEND: FINDING HOME!
  

Wishing everyone safe travels home today and tomorrow. I'm off to Arizona tomorrow for the day job. Tomorrow night you can find me in my normal haunt on www.nowlive.com on the Romantic Dialogue show. Come see us! Author Karen Kendall is being interviewed.

Talk soon.

maddie