Erin Grady's Blogs

New blog...

2008-06-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

Hey, check out my new blog, Quinn's Essentials at http://quinnessentials.blogspot.com/.

The new me....Erin Quinn

2008-06-04T12:50:00.002-07:00

Well I officially have a new pen name: Erin Quinn. Short and sweet and best of all, easy to spell. I also have a tentative publication date on BENEATH THE RUINS. It should be hitting bookshelves in August 2009. Yay! Words cannot express how excited I am about this book, my new identity and all that goes with both.

I've spend much of the morning getting urls reserved for the new me. Soon I will have a site up for erinquinnbooks.com (which will also be mirrored at erinquinnauthor.com.) I'm also pulling together a new blog. More to come on that.

Now, however, I need to write some pages! I want to get the next book written an in the mail. :-)

May...survived

2008-06-01T09:52:00.003-07:00

It was a crazy and fun month for me. As I've mentioned, I had company 3 of the 4 weekends which kept me very busy. This morning I have been playing catch up on a lot of things. I haven't been able to much writing but I am ready to get down to it now.

Things that are going on:

I have a new book coming out. Actually, two new books! Yay! I will be writing these under a new name which I am in the process of choosing. You think naming your kids was hard? Try naming yourself. I will be sure to post when I have a publication date and the new name figured out
The working title of my new book is BENEATH THE RUINS. If you'd like to read the first chapter, you can find it on my website or by clicking here.
I've got a BUNCH of exciting contests planned to work in conjunction with this new name. Make sure to check out my website over the next few months for details.
I'll be at RWA Nationals in San Francisco in July. Anyone else going?

That's about all for now. I am determined to get going on some pages for the next book which will follow BENEATH THE RUINS.

Happy June 1st! Hope the month brings you much joy!

Erin

The Merry Month of May...

2008-05-16T11:06:00.003-07:00

It's been a crazy one, let me tell you. We started the month with a party for a good friend who once a year has a bunch of great guys come in town for a golfing weekend. My husband is part of the golfing party so they all come over Saturday night, loaded with beer and we do a huge Mexican fiesta. It's always a good time, but Sunday morning sometimes arrives with a wee bit of a hangover.

We'd barely recovered from that when my dad turned 70 and family came to town to celebrate. It was wonderful and so good to get together with all my family members--not everyone could make it, unfortunately, but there was a good group. (pictured)

This weekend my oldest daughter turns 17 (!!!) so there will be some celebrations there no doubt and then next weekend some of our best friends from San Diego will be caravan-ing (or piling in an RV) and driving across the desert to visit for a few days. Whew, we will need a vacation from the fun when the month is over, but what a great time.

Today is quiet and I'm settling into some writing, though. The new book is coming along nicely. It's good to lose myself in that world for awhile.

What an amazing week!

2008-05-04T09:49:00.004-07:00

Wow, I have had the most amazing week ever. I sold my next two books to Berkley and signed with a fabulous new agent. If that's not enough, what made this week so extradorinary--so much better than just a GREAT week, the editor (editors are the people who work in the publishing house, buy the books that will be published and help the authors make their books the best they can be) who bought my books absolutely loved BENEATH THE RUINS. Many times authors work with editors who like their writing and think they've written a good book they want to see published. But to have someone love the book, excited about working on it with the author--that's like magic. I feel as though someone has waved a magic wand over me. Yay! Life is good.

Hey, I've added some stuff to my website at www.eringrady.com including a guest book and a message board. Stop by and leave me a comment if you have the time...

Of course...

2008-04-18T07:51:00.002-07:00

As soon as I'm back to work with limited time I can't shut off the flow of ideas on the new book. LOL. I think I need my head examined because obviously there's something missing in mine--like a brain maybe, *g* I guess I'm just one of those people that needs to go at 100 mph to go at 100 mph if that makes any sense.

At least it's Friday, yes?

Alas...

2008-04-15T10:25:00.002-07:00

My sabbatical is coming to an end. I go back to work on Thursday. Trying not to feel too depressed about it, but sheesh. It's been grand being off and totally unplugging from the grind of the day job.

I didn't accomplish all the things I wanted to on my time off, but I did a lot that I hadn't planned on which was great. But back to reality has a very harsh ring to it. :-(

Lighting my candles and doing some writing this morning....

Sisters, sisters....

2008-03-26T20:49:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow I'm off to Denver to visit my sister. She's called an emergency "First Thursday" meeting (emergency cuz it's actually the 4th Thursday). She has some wonderful girlfriends that get together once a month and I got to meet them last summer. Looking forward to seeing them again. I also get to see one of my oldest and bestest friends, Annie. We've known each other since we were 16. Actually, I was 16, she was 15 1/2. (I remember because once she stole her brothers 280z and drove it over to my house and got in trouble cuz she didn't even have her license yet). Now we're both married with kids and jobs and respectable lives. Go figure.

I've got great books to read (Taking Kathryne Kennedy's Beneath Thirteen Moons which I'm very excited to read.) Thanks for the autographed copy, Kathryne! If you haven't read Kathryne yet, you must run out and buy Enchanting the Lady. It's a wonderful fantasy and yours truly was honored to be asked to preview it and quote for the cover.

Sabbatical Brain

2008-03-25T11:20:00.002-07:00

There's no other term for it. I have been busy as can be, but so much less productive than I'd imagined. I think this sabbatical has been filled with soul searching and that is time consuming to say the least. The good news is I think I found it (my soul, that is *g*). Last week we were off to San Diego and had a wonderful time there. We went to Knotts Berry farm and rode some awesome roller coasters. I love roller coasters. Something about getting on a ride where you can scream your brains out without anyone staring that appeals to me.

Anyway, my last few weeks are here and I'm very sad. It's been such a great and unique experience to do things like cook dinner, be here when the kids go to school and when they get home. Have a life. Sigh.

Alas, I think I enjoyed it too much...

Busy girl

2008-03-03T11:43:00.002-07:00

I have 7 weeks left of sabbatical and I can finally spell the word without having to be corrected by spell check, lol. This weekend I am off to Utah to visit my good friend Lynn Coulter. We do a writers retreat that is the best. I'm really looking forward to the escape and time with Lynn.

Next weekend starts spring break for my kids. We are going to San Diego for a few days to visit family and then we're going to Knotts Berry Farm for some thrills and fun.

Back for a week and then I'm off to see my sister in Colorado. Colorado used to be home for me, but I've been gone for along time. I haven't actually been back since my class reunion in 2001.

Back from that and then Desert Dreams conference is the next weekend. Don't know about the conference? Want some more info? Go to: http://www.desertroserwa.org/conference.htm

After that it's my birthday and then the final week until I go back to work. Unless, of course, I sign that million dollar book deal and top it off with a movie deal, lol.

Back to the writing. I didn't hit my page count yesterday, by I did make some serious progress so I'm okay with that. I need to get some pages out today though!

Rain, interrupted

2008-03-02T08:17:00.002-07:00

So if you've read any of my posts, you'll know that my favorite thing is rain. I love the mood, the smell, the sound, the feel--everything about it. Ironic that I live in the land of never ending sunshine when I love rain so much (or maybe that's the simple reason why I love it). Anyway, have a rain sound track playing on the pc to hold me over until the next big storm, my candles are burning, my scented oil wafting, and I'm getting down to work. Today's goal, 30 pages.

What a week....

2008-02-29T11:40:00.002-07:00

It's been a week of ups and downs. Having gone a million miles an hour for the last month, it took me most of the week to settle down and get into a groove. Things finally starting clicking on the new book yesterday and now I'm on a roll.

Hey, I also did an interview this week at Luree & Tracy's blog: On The Road To Publication A blog dedicated to aspiring authors and the journey 'On the Road to Publication.' The blog link is
http://tagates-lureevanderpool.com/blog/

Stop by and say hi. I'd love to hear your comments.

Erin

Coffee, quiet, candles and ADD

2008-02-25T10:16:00.003-07:00

So my official first Monday of sabbatical. Kids are at school, husband away on a business trip, dogs sleeping at my feet. The only thing that could make it better is rain. :-)

Free...for a few weeks

2008-02-23T08:59:00.002-07:00

I am officially on sabbatical. I've been off since Wednesday but the last few days have been spent running all the errand I'd been putting off for months. Today the real deal starts. Yeah!

I have a set goal of finishing IOL (Isle of Lore) by the end of March, so I better get busy.

Hope life is good for you.

Remember to count your blessings!
Erin

Introspection...

2008-02-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm on the count down until my sabbatical begins. 2 1/2 weeks. Woo woo.

I have great things planned. I will be writing my next book and I can't wait for the opportunity to completly focus on my story and not have the J-O-B to pull me in other directions. It will be a great test for me to see if I could ever just write full time. I don't mean if I am able--I know I am capable of it. I want to see if I'd be happy without the interaction of an office.

I've had my thoughts turned inward this year and it's been a good thing for me. Sometimes slowing down enough to define what you want is as important as driving to get those things. Last weekend I was at the SDSU writers conference and it was a wonderful--exhausting--weekend.

I'm going to go see my friend Lynn again when I start my sabbatical. The last weekend we spent together we had intense INTENSE brainstorming. It was grueling but wonderful. I am so blessed to have such great friends. Lynn is an amazing writer. I've never met anyone who has such great instincts about a story. (Remember to comment on her Amazon Breakthrough Novel Shattered REmains. She has about 40+ 5 star reviews so far.)

Speaking of great friends. I want to send a thanks out to Kallie Owens and Calista Fox. They are two of the most amazing women I've ever met and they've been so supportive. Calista has books coming out every other minute and they are all terrific. Kallie is cooking several stories that are going to be sensational--DaVinci Code sensational--when she pulls them out of the oven.

Hope you all have as much to be thankful for.

Erin

Good news in the air?

2008-01-31T21:50:00.001-07:00

I recieved an email that made me jump for joy today. I can't say too much about it because I'm just superstitious enough not to want to jinx myself, but in my heart I feel like things are about to turn around for me and head in the right direction. I've been on an emotional high of late, and I just know everything is going to work out like it should.

Hope the new year is treating you just as good. :-)

It's not to late....

2008-01-31T06:42:00.001-07:00

Hey, if you haven't already checked out Lynn Coulter's SHATTERED REMAINS on Amazon.com, stop by and give it a read. It's free. If you like it, write a review. :-) Just click on the title or here http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00122GTQE

Where is my head?

2008-01-19T09:55:00.001-07:00

I almost forgot some really important news! One of my bestest best friends and also my CP, Lynn Coulter, made the semi-finals in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest. BIG Deal. Way to go Lynn. Check out here entry here. Her hero, Nick, is one of the sexiest men I've ever met. :-) I've read the whole book and it's wonderful. If you like what you read, be sure to post a comment on Amazon.

Sad, but it is what it is

2008-01-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

One of my optimistic New Year's resolutions was to blog on more frequent and regular basis. I made it with the idea that it would be no problem to do. But lately my life is just spiraling out of control. My day Jay Oh Bee is sucking the life out of me--in a good way, if there is such a thing as a good way to have the life sucked out of you. I'm working on a huge and exciting project. If you know me, you know I work at Intel--probably the most competitive environment in the world. Competitive in that it's filled with over achievers and we're all trying to do something amazing and competing for our personal best.

Now the following may sound like an Intel plug, but it's not intended to. The group I work for manages the part of Intel that most people don't know about--the Corporate Social Responsibility part. Intel gives a ton of money away each year to help communities around the world--which is great, but there's so much more than just writing a check. This year Intel will be 40 and as part of the celebration, we are driving a volunteer program with a goal of 1 million community service hours by our employees to our world wide communities. So we'll all be out in droves in our Intel Involved t-shirts helping charitable organizations with our time AND for every hour we work, Intel will pay that non-profit charity some bucks. Cool, huh?

So what's been keeping me busy is I am working to get the database which will track all this volunteering in place. Not an easy task. to complicate matters, I'm scheduled for a sabbatical -- which means I get 8 weeks off work -- starting in February. So I've got so much to get done before, it's crazy.

Thus, my lack of posting. I've been doing Intel stuff Monday thru Sunday of late, but today I had to stop the bus and get back to my writing--and part of that means finally posting here to my blog. :-)

Next week I'll be in San Diego helping with the SDSU Writers Conference. I'm meeting with editors and agents while I'm there and hoping something good will come of it. Wish me luck!

Hope the new year has been good to all of you so far.

Erin

New year, new goals, new possibilities

2007-12-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

Like everyone else in the world, I'm reflecting on the past year, what I did write, what I did absolutely wrong, what I will do differently. It was a tough year for me in a lot of ways. I made some major changes in my life. I'm one of those people who hate conflict and will generally take the path of least resistance when given a choice. I used to be the girl that would stay with her boyfriend until he dumped her because I was more afraid of what life "without" would be than I was of how miserable life "with" was.

This year I had to face conflict head on and rethink who I am and what I want. From that came some difficult decisions and some positive moves forward in the evolution of Erin. My goals for next year are much different than they were last year and I feel like there is more balance and reality in them.

Hope your reflections and aspirations are in balance as well.

Happy New Year!
Erin

The final hours...

2007-12-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

Wow--I just can't believe the year has come to an end. It has been a roller coaster ride for me and a year of soul searching and discovery. I've learned that I have a lot more grit than I ever thought I did and that I can bend...and bend...and bend without snapping. I've learned that I've been burning the candle at both ends for too long and that I need a break. I desperately need a break. Lucky for me one is coming. I'll be on sabbatical beginning in late February for 8 weeks. I've learned that sooner or later, you just gotta take that nap. :-)

Next month is the sdsu writers conference. It's always an exciting time for me and I'm looking forward to it this year more than I have in a long time.

One of my new year's resolutions it to be more regular with my blog. I hope to have more time for all of the little things in 2008.

Hope the holidays were grand and the new year even grander. :-)

Erin

Yarg!

2007-12-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

So I spent the ENTIRE weekend stressing over a rewrite I wanted to do before I ship my manuscript off to another agent who has asked for it. I wanted to get out asap, but I also want it to be so amazing that there's no choice in the matter but to love it.

So what do I do? I start ripping the damned thing apart, burned up 30 hours rewriting something only to decide it was better the first way. Now I have to put it back together again. Yes, I am an idiot sometimes. sigh.

Well actually, I did discover one thing that I needed to be fixed and I so it is better for the effort.
Anyway, kids are saying, MOM, c'mon!

Gotta run.

endings and beginnings

2007-11-28T13:33:00.001-07:00

As I think I've mentioned before, I've been in a really good place mentally of late. It's not that anything great has been happening for me, but I think I've finally stepped beyond what ever negative funk has been hanging over me for the past year. I feel like good things are in store and I feel positive that I'm ready for them. :-)

Last night Deidre Knight spoke to our local chapter and she was just amazing. I felt like she was talking to me personally instead of a room full of people. Everything she had to say, all of the questions she answered, were all exactly what I wanted to hear. She comes across not only as a smart business woman but a very sensitive person. I was so impressed.

I'm counting the days until my sabbatical when I can have the time to write full time. I've never done that before and I'm excited to embrace the opportunity.

Until next time...

Post holiday blahs...

2007-11-24T09:36:00.001-07:00

I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner and I love having company to the house. What I hate is the day after when I feel like I've been through a battle. I was exhausted the entire day and didn't do anything but lay around. Not that it's such a bad thing. I'm usually so busy that I meet myself coming and going, so laying around is a nice change of pace. Still, I actually had some time alone yesterday--which is rare--and instead of using it to some productive purpose, I sat like a lump in front of the TV and watched a 90s movie that I'd already seen three times and didn't like in the first place. Go figure.

On another note, I've been stewing over the book I just finished. I've had that "something still isn't' right" feeling about the story and I finally had my aha moment. I knew it was coming--just didn't know how long I'd have to wait for it. That said, I now have to work up some enthusiasm to get in there and get to work.

BTW, just finished CC Harrison's new book "Running From Strangers." I had the honor of blurbing for it. It's a great story and I'll keep you posted when it's out.

Now...to work.

Wow, busy month...

2007-11-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a little crazy and only 7 days have passed! I went to Utah to see my friend Lynn for the weekend. She has an incredible place in Park City and visiting is like going to a resort. We spent about 8 hours of the weekend in the hot tub brainstorming our books, 8 hours drinking way more than anyone should, and 8 hours sitting in front of a toasty fire...still brainstorming our books. It was an intense weekend but when it was all said and done, we both have a lot of the plotting nailed down. It's a good feeling.

I got back form Utah and had to turn around and leave the next day for San Francisco for a work meeting. It was a quick trip, but very interesting. Of course being in San Francisco alone wasn't that much fun. I'm not one of those people who can just take myself down to the bar or a restaurant and not feel awkward. Thank God for room service.

Hey, if anyone lives in Southeast Arizona and is available on Saturday afternoon, please come visit the library:

Maricopa County Library District
Southeast Regional Library
775 North Greenfield Road
Gilbert, AZ 85234
602. 652.3000
www.mcldaz.org

On Saturday, November 10, 2007, the Southeast Regional Library’ will be hosting a Romance Panel event. The event is scheduled from 1-4pm on Saturday, November 10th in the Assembly Room.

They will be serving refreshments during the breaks in-between the panel discussions. Their Friends group will have a volunteer at the event to run a cash till for selling books.

Here are the directions to the library:

Take the 60 East and exit on Greenfield Road. Make a right onto Greenfield Road (heading south) and drive until you get to Guadalupe Road. Make a left onto Guadalupe (east). Turn right into the library parking lot. The library is on the southeast corner of Greenfield and Guadalupe, set back a little from the road.

The Assembly Room is located in the lobby of the library. When you come in through the main doors of the building, turn to your left and head all the way down the hallway to the large room at the end.

Hope to see you there!

Research...

2007-10-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

I love to research...and I hate to research. It's incredibly fascinating and the feeling I get when I unearth some new fact that hasn't been written into a thousand other novels is amazing. I love having my facts straight--of knowing that if some expert somewhere down the road picks up my book and reads it, s/he will know at the end that I did my homework. I may not know everything about my subject matter, but what makes it into my books I have researched.

So where does the hate come in? When you write on a tight schedule--as I do--every hour is precious and when Sunday morning is suddenly gone because I got to a sentence where I didn't know whether to say tunic, kirtle or cotehardie and it's frustrating. In the end, I'll probably know more about all of them then I'll ever need to know, but that's the nature of the game I suppose.

My kids are pestering me to get off the computer and take them to Target. Ah the woes of a working mother.

What am I reading? The Last Kingdom, Bernard Cromwell, Pre-Christian Ireland from First Settlers to Early Celts, Peter Harbison and The Witchcraft Sourcebook, Brian P. Levak. In the CD player, The Book of Fate, Brian Meltzer. Still thinking about The Kite Runner.

How do I keep them all straight? Dunno.

Okay, off to do the Mommy Thing. :-)

How cool is that?

2007-10-26T07:45:00.001-07:00

I got a package in the mail yesterday when I was home sick, feeling like crapola. Guess what it was? The Korean version of Echoes! Check it out:

I'm thinking, very cool.

So the week has been busy. Got my A list of queries out to new agents and had several bites. Yay! I'd forgotten how much "fun" it is to go through this. Ah well, for every career step forward there is fear and pain, right? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?

Okay, very trite but I'm only on coffee cup @2.

The disappearing blog

2007-10-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I just discovered that my last two posts never actually posted--make that three. That makes me a little nuts. I'm sure I said something incredibly witty in both, but couldn't tell you what it was now. Sheesh.

Ah well, I know I probably yammered about being busy. (yada yada yada) Aren't we all busy? I'm thinking, yes.

I thought things would slow down once I got Beneath the Ruins out to my pre-readers, but guess what? No such luck. I'm just as busy now as I was then. I'm looking for a new agent, which is hard work, but exciting at the same time.

Also setting up my new identity--Roxanne Alcaraz (that's Alcatraz without the "t"). Roxanne is actually my middle name and Alcaraz my married name. (Erin Grady is my maiden name). But what's in a name, right?

Anyway, had a wonderful note from a reader (and future published author) Debra Maher. She launched her new website and as an author she's likes, has added my site to her links. Thank you Debra. You made my day. Check out her site: http://www.debramaher.com/ It's very nice.

Anyway, hopefully this post willl actually post.

Back to work with me...

It hurts to be beautiful

2007-10-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

Did anyone else ever hear their mom say this one? Mine would throw it out when she was brushing my hair (translate--releasing her frustrations by ripping my hair out at the roots with a comb that was never meant for hair under the age of 10).

I've been thinking having my manuscript critiqued is a lot like the hair experience. My CP is wonderful--she always manages to get to the core of what is right--and what is wrong. I just got back a stack of bleeding pages and I'm thinking, I don't care if I'm beautiful. I'm just tired of the pain. But in truth, I do care and it's totally worth the pain.

I'm one of those writers that gets too close to my story and I often can't see the pages for the paragraphs...or is that the paragraphs for the words? I'm always a little stunned when my CP points out something that should have been obvious...but wasn't until she put up the flashing red light for me.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my pain. :-)

A month...gone in a snap

2007-09-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Well at least I can say I've been busy. I've gotten my final edits (except for last 50 pages) back from my CP and am almost through them. Yay! And the next book is forming up in my head so fast that I have to open a screen and speed-type to get it out. Can't wait to put this book to bed and start my affair with the next one. :-0

BTW, did you get a notice from Amazon.com about my new release--well if you did, don't. The book is In the Chill of the Night and it's an anthology that I was invited to do with 3 other terrific authors. Unfortunately, the publisher went belly up before the book could be released. Now all the rights are tied up in bankruptcy court so it will be awhile before the dust settles on that. I'll keep you posted.

Now that the first of my trilogy is finished, I'll be posting more regularly. The psychics say I'm moving into an exciting and positive trend of the future. Let's hope they're right. :-)

The process

2007-08-26T08:13:00.001-07:00

My friend asked me how I go about writing/finishing a book (after the first draft is complete). I think the question was, do you do it all at once or a go through it a stage at a time and concentrate on dialog, and then prose, and then characters, etc. My first answer was no, I just go through it and do it all.

But now that I'm going through it and doing it all, I've changed my answer. The first draft is a dump of my ideas, arranged in the order I think they should happen--written toward a goal I hope to achieve. (ie, happily ever after, good triumphing evil, only the good die young)

The second draft (for me) is more "connect the dots" than anything. During the download of ideas I often (translate ALWAYS) stumble on other ideas that I'd never dreamed of in my original plan. Most of the time, I have to really adjust the beginning to match the end and foreshadow some of those ideas earlier in the story so it flows from one scene (dot) to the next.

The third draft I do in hard copy because it reads different. It always has, it always will. End of story. Something about the relationship between black words on white paper transforms the story. In this draft I'm looking for holes, weak areas and things that don't add up. I'm also flipping back and forth between scenes adding one sentence clues or thoughts to scenes either before or after. These are those little details that take it from ordinary to Ooh. I'm also looking at my prose, my settings and my characters and especially the continuity of my story. Is it Monday on one page and Saturday on the next? Raining and then sunny? Morning and then night?

By the end of the fourth draft, I'm ready to send it out to readers. I pick two or three, and ask them to read it for enjoyment--not for mistakes or typos. I don't want them to be editors because I've already done that work. I wanted them to be readers. I ask them to give feedback on a select number of things that are above and beyond the "is it good?" question.

I want to know if they were confused at any part of the story? Did they find themselves skimming anywhere? At any time while they were reading did they catch themselves "checking out" to think about what they needed at the grocery? Did anything make them mad? (we've all read books we want to launch across the room because the characters or premise is so inane.) Does it pass the "would she really" test? (You know this one, heroine in the dark house all alone because everyone else has disappeared or been found dead. She hears a sound. It's coming from the basement. She thinks, I should take this butter knife and go investigate.... And in the audience we are shouting, YOU IDIOT. Come on...would she really?)

The last, and one of the most important questions I ask is, did you want another outcome? Did you think I was leading you to one ending only to find yourself at another? This one always brings a jackpot. If the answer is no, the ending was satisfying and I loved how it wrapped up--ah, it's a wonderful thing. But if the answer is yes, I wanted it to end like... Well, sometimes you discover that you've laid the groundwork for something even better than you'd imagined. It's also a wonderful thing.

This is how I do it, anyway. It's a lot of drafts, but when I'm striving for the best book I can write, that's what I need to do. :-)

Whassup?

2007-08-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

I've been blogging over at Romantic Inks this week and it's been so much fun. They are so nice over there and I always feel as if I come away with way more than I put in.

One of my big "take-aways" was reconnecting to the blog. I was very diligent for awhile about posting but then the summer was so busy and I was so absorbed in my book that I slacked off. Now I'm realizing what a mistake that was. Writing these blogs helps me stay focused.

This morning I'm working on the first hard copy read of my new book. I have to get it out to my readers and I'm anxious to get through it. At the same time, I know my tendency is to rush the process and I don't want to do that. I want this book to be as perfect as my vision for it is.

Putting some of my thoughts out in the blogs I did this week helped me hone in on some of the issues I have with the book. I cut out a big chunk that was weighing it down and now I have to find a fast-paced bridge to put in its place. Rewriting is my favorite part of the process, so I'm up to the challenge.

I only have a couple more hours before my family begins to wake and my solitude is shattered, so I'm off to get at it. Hope you all are having a great day. :-)

This week...

2007-08-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

I'm a guest blogger on Romantic Inks stop by and chat with me there. It's such a nice group of people and they ask great questions.

Romantic weekends and other stories from the zone...

2007-08-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

My husband took me away for a romantic weekend. We've been married 19 years and just celebrated our anniversary on the 6th. Actually, celebrate is a strong word, since we both had to work late and then run kids around for their various commitments. We did manage to say Happy Anniversary in passing and we knew we'd have time to slow down when the weekend rolled around.

We had a wonderful time and it made me realize just why I've stayed with my husband for so many years. He's a good man and I love him very much. We still find things to laugh about. I think humor has been our most important success factor. It's never a bad thing to laugh with the one you love.

Hope you find the time to smile today. :-)

The Gothic...

2007-08-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

My good friend Lynn and I were talking about the gothic novel yesterday and what we love about them. If you've read my books, you know that I love that gothic feel. I love the dark, turbulent storms, the shadowed corners in the rooms, the gardens that flourish with violent blood red flowers. What I am for when I'm writing is to hit that chill down the spine level of suspense, while making you fall in love. Yes, I am twisted. :-)

I actually didn't know what gothic was until my books were reviewed and they called me a fresh gothic voice. In fact, I wasn't entirely certain I hadn't been insulted. I associated gothic with the 70s and 80s and not in a good way. But then a reader sent me a definition of the gothic and the light went on in my head. Yep, that's me. I love every element of it:

The Gothic novel flourished through the early nineteenth century. Authors of such novels set their stories in the medieval period, often in a gloomy castle replete with dungeons, subterranean passages, and sliding panels, and made plentiful use of ghosts, mysterious disappearances, and other sensational and supernatural occurrences; their principal aim was to evoke chilling terror by exploiting mystery, cruelty, and a variety of horrors. The term "gothic" has also been extended to denote a type of fiction which lacks the medieval setting but develops a brooding atmosphere of gloom or terror, represents events which are uncanny, or macabre, or melodramatically violent, and often deals with aberrant psychological states.

(adapted from A Glossary of Literary Terms)

What's not to love about that? Anyway, my new book is probably my most gothic. I am having such a great time writing it. Actually, it's finished now. I'm sending it out to my readers--with, I might add, the same anxiety I had when I sent my first book out to readers--and I hope to be submitting it for publication within the month.

Wish me luck. :-)

Where's Erin?

2007-07-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging lately because I've been too dang busy with the WIP. I'm on revisions now and they are going great--but heaven help me there just aren't enough hours in the day.

I'll be back at it soon though and I'll be more faithful to the posts. BTW--I'm looking for 1988 trivia for my book. What do you remember about that year?

Long time, no blog

2007-07-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

(pictured left to right, fellow authors Kallie Owens, Calista Fox (aka Ava McKnight), Erin Grady, Rick Watkins (aka Terry Watkins) and Mary Leo at Thrillerfest in NYC.

I haven't posted in too long, but it's not because I haven't had alot to say, it's just that there hasn't been the time.

Last week I was at Thrillerfest--great time, although the conference wasn't what I'd hoped for. Being in NYC, I'd hoped to network with publishing professionals as well as with other writers. Unfortunately, the set up wasn't conducive to networking. Published authors were identified on their badges, but agents and editors were not. Perhaps they wished to remain disguised, but in the past when I've spoken to them at conferences they usually say the opposite--they are there to meet people and network too.

Anyway, I'm in the heated revisions of my book so I have been very focused and hording every free moment. Translate: no blogging, no talking on the phone, no updating website, minimal email--you get the picture. Speaking of pictures...here's one from NYC. We're in a bar that made the most incredible raspberry and pomegranate martinis. I think I was drunk every night and hung over ever morning. But it was a grand time. :-)

progress, progress, progress

2007-07-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

So have I mentioned I work at Intel for my day job? I do and although I harbor the dreams that most writers do of working in my jammies and eating bon bons while my books compete with each other for the #1 slot on the NYT bestseller list, the reality of it is, I'll probably be working there for many moons to come. It's not a bad place, I like my job and it's a great company.

Why I bring it up now is because I've been thinking of how Intel has changed me. Intel is one of those data driven establishments. You want to make a point, show me the data to support it or get the hell out of the conference room. So I decided to apply that thinking to my writing. I took my creative process and put it on a spreadsheet. That's right. I began to track my productivity. How many pages in how many hours? What projections can I make from the average of a month's worth of writing? How can I match my goals to my output for success?

And guess what? It's working. I've had myself on a timeline for two months now and I am (drum roll please) one scene shy of THE END. Actually, I hit the end this morning and then realized it was a screeching stop that needed a bit more build and alot more wind down so I'm doing that. But wow, I wrote it in record time and I'm here to tell you, IMHO, it's my best work yet. Time will tell if anyone else thinks so, but I'm very pleased with it.

Anyway, it's late and I have an early morning appt with my laptop, WIP and my spreadsheet.

Wednesday I'm off to NYC for Thrillerfest and 4 days of solitude for rewrites. Sick woman that I am, I can't wait.

Saturday, up at at'm

2007-06-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Characters. For me a character is built by his or her actions. I don't do drawn out character sketches, I don't draw up story boards on their lives. I start with a sense of who they are and then I start moving them around in my story. Maybe it's not the most efficient way, but it works for me. I have tried the other methods and I end up burning thousands of calories on the outlining only to discard it later when I begin writing.

I just stumbled over an article in RWR (from a back issue) titled "Are you writing your novel backwards." It was really good information and it made me think. My past two novels have definitely been written backwards and the problem with it isn't the end product--it's the fact that at the end, I have no idea how I wrote the book. That means I'm also baffled when it comes to duplicating the process and writing another. I took a hard look at this when I started my new book and decided to try another method.

I'll never be the kind of writer who has detailed outlines and knows every aspect down to how their characters like their beef cooked. But I have taken that instinctive process that got me through my first 3 books and identified steps that I can duplicate. I use a loose version of the Hero's journey and it gets me from point A to point Z and tells me which points I need to hit in between. I still don't know the exact details that will occur at every point--but I don't want to know those details until I get there. That's where the magic comes in and that's where my love of craft is firmly rooted. Writing a book has to be as exciting and unpredictable as reading a book is. Without the surprises, where is the joy?

So yes, I've changed my ways and use a structure and roadmap now. There are landmarks in my plan that will keep me moving in the right direction. I have a process I will use for each book I write. So is it still backwards? Maybe, but I don't care. It works and in the end, that's all a writer can really hope for.

By the way, I have a Myspace now. Of course I still don't know how to use it, but I have one. :-) Come visit me and be my friend: ttp://www.myspace.com/erin_grady

Long time, no blog

2007-06-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't been ignoring my blog, I've just been very, very busy. First there was the weekend in Colorado. It was a celebration honoring my mother, who just turned 70, my sister who will be 50 this year and my eldest niece who will be 30. But it was also a celebration of all the women in my family. We are female heavy (not to be mistaken with heavy females) and so there are many of us. All but 3 (my brother's wife and two oldest girls) were able to make it. We called ourselves the Generation Sensation and had a wonderful time.

Then, my girls and I came home for two days and we left for Mexico. We went to Rocky Point which is one of my favorite places and lounged on the beach for 4 days. It was paradise. I read like crazy and didn't even bring my computer.

But now I'm back at work. I can't wait to finish my book. No, I can't wait to introduce my readers to Sean Ballagh, my new hero. I am really loving this guy..

NYC is around the corner for Thrillerfest. Exciting, exciting.

Cool stuff

2007-05-26T07:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a cool day. I heard from fellow author Kathryne Kennedy who just received the cover on her knew book ENCHANTING THE LADY. I was lucky enough to be an advanced reader of it and I loved it. She's done something unique and wonderful with her story so be sure to look for it in January 08 when it's released. And guess what? My quote made her cover. I think it's quite an honor.

Then, I heard from the conference coordinator of Thrillerfest where I plan to be in July. It's in NY this year and the line up of authors is enough to humble even the big names. I expected to quietly attend and lurk in the corner--possibly spill something on my blouse during the welcome reception--that's kind of my MO. But wait, I've been asked to be on a panel. Wow. On the panel are: Deborah LeBlanc, Laura Benedict, Dianne Emley, yours truly, Erin Grady AND Rebecca York, who in addition to being a terrific bestselling author, also blurbed for the cover WHISPERS. I've never met her in person so I've very excited about it. The panel is called: The Devil's Alternative, Protagonists who hover at the edges of humanity. If you're going to Thrillerfest, it will be Friday, 3:00-3:50 pm. Please stop by and say hi. :-)

And to make it all that much better, I'm literally channeling the new book. I've said it before but have to say it again--I think this will be my best to date.

Fun and news

2007-05-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

Well the week has been a fun one. My daughter turned 16 on Thursday and we had a great day with her. We bought a car for her -- actually, as much for us as for her because we didn't want to share our own cars. It's not a new car but it runs and is in decent shape and she was thrilled to get it.

Monday (not telling this in chronological order, obviously) I picked up a message on my voice mail letting me know Whispers was a Book Buyers Best finalist in the paranormal category. Whispers was also a finalist for the Award of Excellence and the USA Booknews Best Books. It's always so exciting and rewarding to have my books recognized like this.

Speaking of books--wow, it's amazing what focus will do for a girl's writing. I've really cranked up the discipline factor and have been writing on a very rigorous schedule. I want to have my first draft of my new book completed by July 1 and I am tracking on schedule. Amazing what a spreadsheet and unlimited supply of coffee can do--even for someone like me. :-)

Hey, thanks to everyone who played tag with me last week. That was so much fun and I learned quite a bit about people who I thought I knew. Check out the Tag, your it post if you missed it.

I've been tagged

2007-05-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't even know I could be tagged, but Cheyenne McCray just tagged me so I guess it's possible. :-) So what does it mean? Apparently I'm supposed to tell 8 things that no one knows about me. hmmm.... 8 things? and then I'm supposed to tag 8 people.

Okay, here we go:

I sat in the gas chamber at Florence penitentiary and lived to tell about. I was on a tour of the prison and when they asked who wanted to, I was one of the only people to raise my hand. I thought, how many people can say they sat here (after they sat there?). It was a weird, creepy experience but it comes in handy for things like this.
I was born in Independence Missouri, home of Harry S. Truman. Small town girl to my heart, even though we moved when i was young and I've never lived in a small town. I always have that yearning.
I started my first book when I was twelve. I stumbled across the hundred pages I'd typed (yes TYPED on an electric typewriter that never made a decent "e") and I thought, huh, not bad for a 12 year old who couldn't spell.
I almost didn't graduate from HS because I never went to class. I still have nightmares about walking into Math and realizing there's a test that day and I haven't been for weeks so I don't know any of the answers. I actually thought I wasn't very smart for a long time after high school. It took me years to get up the nerve to try college. I'm doing that now and have discovered that if you go to class, you usually know the answers to the questions on the test. I take great pride in my 3.9 gpa.
I don't write everyday. I envy those who do, but I have a full time job so I have to cram my writing into three days that I have off. My life with my kids and hubby are just too busy to try to do it after work. Plus my job is very stressful and I don't have the brain power by the end of the day.
Hmmm.... I met my husband at work right after I moved from Denver to San Diego. I was a receptionist at an electronic rental company and he worked in the lab. (They rented test equipment). He pulled up in a white convertible and I thought, Damn who is that sexy Spanish guy in the porche? It turned out he was a Mexican in a VW karman gia, (sp?) but the sexy part was for real. We still laugh about that. We've been married for 19 years!
Uhh...this is getting harder. I discovered recently that I'm an introvert. I say discovered because I never new it. Sure I knew that in social situations I'm the person who stands in the corner wishing I had something to say but talking to no one. Usually I end up spilling something on my blouse and slinking home embarrassed and frustrated. But it wasn't until I had a personality test done that the word introvert came into play. Realizing that I was an introvert was a big revelation. Somehow it makes me feel better about being so uncomfortable in those settings. I'm married to the biggest extrovert in the world. We always joke that he makes the friends we have, but I'm the one who keeps them--because sooner or later my extrovert husband is going to say something to piss you off. It's a given.
I have a total "older woman" crush on Leonardo DiCaprio. I think I would be tempted to be his love slave if he should ever start desiring overweight 40+ women. :-)

Okay, here's who I'm tagging:

me so boring...

2007-05-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a ton of stuff to say here, but I've been just plain boring lately. the only exciting thing to happen is our new puppy. Her name is Nala and she's a doll. Here's a picture of her.

If you've read any of my books, you know that I love animals and they frequently make guest appearances in my stories. I'm sure Nala is going to find a place in one soon.

Other than puppies and such, life is going along in a very predictable way. Writing, working, living. I've nothing to complain about (which is good). But I've nothing to report here either, which isn't so good.

What can I say? I'd rather be boring then stressed out.

Summer is here

2007-04-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

The temps are rising and the mornings are coming earlier and earlier. In Arizona, Summer is officially on us.

I have company this weekend--my sister and her husband from Colorado. I don't get to see her enough so it should be a wonderful visit.

Day job has been extremely busy and some days I feel like sending up the "I surrender" flag, but at least I'm not bored, right? :-)

ESWF (work in progress) is going great.

That's all....

Stuff I'm learning...

2007-04-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

First, I can't drink like I used to. I had 3 drinks last night that made me feel like I was using someone else's lips to talk and gave me a nasty headache this morning. Ugh. Now all I want to do is lay down and read. But I refuse to give in. I've got writing to do. :-)

Second, I'm learning to LOVE my new hero above all others. In the world that is in my head, he is king. His name is Sean and he looks a lot like Clive Owen.

Third, I'm learning to not just think outside the box, I'm learning that there is no box where my new book is concerned.

Fourth, see the first again. :-)

It's all good....

2007-04-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

Well I've been negligent in my posts of late, but I can't say I'm sorry about it only because I've been working so hard on my new book. Friends, I have to tell you, I haven't been this excited about something I'm writing in a long time. I am absolutely in love with my hero, Sean, who I'm sleeping with quite a bit these days. (don't tell my husband, okay). And the research I'm doing is so interesting.

I've been wrapped around the business end of writing for about a year now and I finally managed to push back from that table and return to the part I love. There's nothing quite like that feeling of capturing an image or an emotion and find the exact words to convey it. I feel like I'm channeling the characters in Everything She Wished For and it's the most amazing experience.

The only thing slowing me down is a new addition to our family...no, I didn't have a baby. But we did bring home a puppy the other night. She's a doll, but oh does she demand a lot of attention. Sigh.

I've come to accept that life is never going to slow down in my house.

Why is it?

2007-04-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

that my husband thinks the time I'm most irresistible is the time I've set aside for me? I'll never understand it. If I'm in the office, door closed, hard at work, that's when he has to ask me burning questions--like, where is the syrup? Or pester me with chores like, did you get your tax stuff ready?--even though we never have our tax stuff ready until months late (yes, we do file an extension). Or, the classic, do you want to do it?

yes dear, nothing makes me want to jump in the sack more than being totally focused on my writing, child-free for another 6 hours, and still in my jammies, unshowered.

Urhg!!!!

Okay, enough venting. So where have I been the past month? Feverishly finishing the story I wrote for the IN THE CHILL OF THE NIGHT anthology coming out in October. Other contributors to this Halloween collection are Melanie Atkins--whose suspenseful BLOOD RITE has a great review in RT this month--Lynne Connolly who writes dark, suspenseful urban Gothics and Shawna Moore--who writes steamy hot books. I feel very honored to be in this collection with such talented writers!

I will be hosting interviews with them later this summer and I'm really looking forward to that.

Anyway, could someone give my house a call and tell my husband he's needed, um, somewhere other than here?

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2007-03-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

The luck of the Irish is a dubious thing, but today I'm feeling very lucky. I'm in San Diego with my family on a mini-vacation for spring break. Of course, since we're from Arizona, we are freezing to death. Isn't that a riot? 60 degrees is like sub-zero to my thin blood.

We haven't done too much--we went to Universal Studios, and that was fun, but not as wiz-bang as we expected. Plus we all live at a million miles an hour, so honestly we were tired--from my youngest child to me. Yesterday we lounged a bit, watched a movie, ate too much, went to see my husband's father who is in a nursing facility (and none too happy about it, poor guy). Today my husband plans to visit him again and then we will head over to Coronado Island. I lived in San Diego for 12 years but never made it to the Hotel Del. I've always wanted to see it so we're going to skip on over and visit.

My kids have been wonderful and this is why I feel so lucky this morning. I don't know what I've done in life to be so fortunate as to have the family I do, but I surely don't deserve them. I am blessed, to say the least.

On another note, trying to get my "In the Chill of the Night" story completed. My CP had some great ideas and I'm working them in.

Happy St. Patrick's Day one and all. May the luck of the Irish touch you in a good way today!

The departed, and other Tales from Erin's World

2007-03-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? Well, as usual, moving so fast I can hardly breathe. My class at ASU is taking a lot of time. I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but it's Eng 102. That's right, freshman English. Should be a breeze for someone who's multi-published, right? Ah, think again. It's actually argumentative writing and I just really suck at it. I've never enjoyed structured writing. I don't like writing articles or essays. I suppose it's a skill I should learn because I know it's the structure I dislike so much. I wish I had more structure when I write my novels too. My good friend and cp, Lynn, plots down to the detail. Me--I get this general idea of what I want to write. With luck, I get it honed to a vision. Then I start writing.

What else? Well, I've got the deadline for IN THE CHILL OF THE NIGHT. And I'm still working on my ST and wishing I had a real life where I could dive in and write my heart out from dawn to dusk. Unfortunately--or rather fortunately, because I couldn't live without it--I have my day job. I'm fortunate that I enjoy my work, but it is hard sometimes when I'm spread so thin.

Then I have my daughter's book that I'm trying to get read so we can submit. I feel awful because it's taking me a long time to clear a space to fit that in.

Then (and this one really doesn't belong on my to do list because I'm enjoying it so much) I have Kathryne Kennedy's new book to read. She asked me to write a blurb for it and I'm so honored. It's really wonderful. I'll be posting when it comes out because you'll want to read it.

So I just realized I hadn't updated my contest page on my website. Yikes, I need to do that.

Oh, and Departed reference? I've decided I have an "older woman wife" crush on Leonardo DiCaprio. It took him awhile to go from lanky boy to MAN, but wow, was it worth the wait. If you haven't seen The Departed, go forth and watch. I loved it. Very violent, but wonderful. He's extraordinary in it.

Okay, that's all. It's a beautiful sunny day out. Hope I can keep myself focused.

Because I don't worry enough....

2007-02-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've decided to worry about my blog. I know. I'm a nut.

Really, I wonder how I can make it more interesting. I look at other blogs and they have all kinds of fun and interesting stuff going on. I just can't figure out how to be that fun and interesting. I mean, I could talk about my jello shooter incident, and i could tell you how I write with two doggie beds (filled with dogs) at my feet. But is that more interesting than anything else I do? I don't think so.

I will tell you about a great author I just discovered. I read my first Beatrice Small book recently. I can't believe she's been writing since the 70s and I never heard of her. Sometimes I feel like I've been living in a cave. Anyway, I read her latest release and really enjoyed it. If you've been living somewhere dark too, you might want to give her a read.

Speaking of reading, my dear friend Mackenzie McKade just told me that her steamy hot novel (co written with Cheyenne McCray) is an ecataromance reviewers choice winner. Yay! Mackenzie and Cheyenne!

all for now. Back to my boring life.,

What's going on in Erin's World?

2007-02-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, if I knew, I'd tell you. Normally my life is in overdrive, but the past few months it's hit supersonic speeds. Last month was the SDSU Writers Conference which is so much work--a labor of love, but a lot of work. This month it's trying to get my proposal ready AND my anthology story written. I got the proposal finalized and in the mail on Wednesday and now back to the story. I'm almost done with the first draft and then the polishing and tweaking begins. I've never written short like this before and I'm learning a lot about the process by seeing it condensed. I think I'd like to do more of these if my first efforts are received well. Oh, and school has been sucking up a lot of time in there. I'm used to the schedule of U of P where there are 5 weeks of class and intense assignments and then 5 weeks off. But now I'm at ASU where it's a whole semester and I'm really feeling the wear and tear of it. Is it summer yet?

I'm on the last of 5 RITA books. Last year I did Golden Heart and RITA and my GH submissions were amazing, RITA not so much. This year I didn't have such great GHs, but I had three really great RITAs.

What else? This week is going to be a little nuts. Tuesday I have school and then our Desert Rose meeting. Wednesday I'll be prepping for my turn to host the Bunco group (which comes Friday night). And then on Saturday my girlfriend from Denver and her family are coming for a visit. It will be the first time she's been to my house in Arizona and the first time I've seen her in 5 years. We went to High School together, were in each other's weddings and have a long, long history. Looking forward to that.

And then it's into March! Crazy year so far!

Good morning!

2007-02-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

And what makes it such a good morning, you might ask? First, it's Saturday of a three day weekend. (Yay!) Second, I got my proposal off for my ST. (Double Yay!) Third, my husband came home from a long week out of town. Four, see one, two and three.

It's been a very stressful week--too many deadlines and too few hours. Last night I had this weird dream--I was trying to get home (on foot) with my daughter, two pairs of scooba diving flippers (and no, I don't dive) two dogs and an unknown baby in a an unknown stroller. We start off and are suddenly in rush hour like traffic and I'm dodging all these cars coming right after me--while managing the kids, the dogs and the flippers. I'd look ahead and see traffic flowing in a normal pattern and I could see that I was in the right lane to go with traffic but at the place I stood, everything was on coming. I finally make it past this busy intersection but when I looked around, I'd lost my daughter. I started calling for her, and inside I knew I'd find her, but there were thousands of people trying to get through the intersection and my daughter is little.

That's when I woke up in with a gasp.

So I've been analyzing it all morning because it felt so very symbolic.

Traffic--where I want to go, of course. If I could just get through this freakin' knot I'm stuck in, I know I can get there.

Daughter--everything I love and the sacrifices I have to make to get where I want to be. I've lost sight of what I value, but now I am getting my priorities straight--thus the feeling that I would find her but I had to look harder

Unknown baby and stroller--all the responsibilities that keep getting heaped on me until I feel like I'm responsible for everything

Dogs--what I will always have and accept me unconditionally

Flippers--well what's a dream without flippers?

Today, no writing. Gardening as the sun is bright, the temps are predicted to be in the 80s and I need to work through my "knot."

Hope you all have a good morning as well.

Early to rise...

2007-02-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

I am up at at'em this morning, determined to crank out some pages. I'm not far from being through them and I feel like I'm hitting the right note. I hope, I hope...

Tonight my husband is taking me out for a fancy schmancy dinner date. I really love that guy.

Later, my friends.

Loss of a friend

2007-02-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

It was a rough week for many reasons, but the hardest part was losing a dear friend. Her name was Nicole and I met her 7 years ago when I started working at Intel. We became friends right away. Nicole was very smart, had a sarcastic sense of humor that I loved, and she was giving. Her one big fault--she didn't take care of herself.

A few months before we met, Nicole had an irregular pap smear and she ignored it. At the time, she was unemployed and probably didn't have insurance and so she just pretended the test was wrong and went on. Then about 2 1/2 years ago she started having pains and went to the doctor where it was discovered that she had cervical cancer. It had already spread to the point where she couldn't have surgery to remove it and her only choice was radiation. She went through excruciating months of procedures, but the cancer continued to spread and no treatment would stop it. At 36, she was robust, volunteering at animal shelters, fostering orphaned pets and taking care of others to a whithered and frail woman who could no longer care for herself at 38.

During the years I knew Nicole, she was the first one to volunteer to help anytime someone asked. She gave her time freely and worked with rescue places to save animals that had been abandoned or unloved. She was a beautiful person and my heart is heavy and sick with the loss of her life.

She died this morning at 10 am. The world is a much colder place without her.

Monday, Monday

2007-02-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Goals for the week:

finish the proposal for my new book. It was finished, but then I made a major change to the beginning which is pretty much my MO. I never know where I want to start when I start. The more writers I talk to, the more I learn this isn't so uncommon. It's still vexing though. I'm loving this book, though, and wish I could turn off the editor and keep my creator going to the end. It's frustrating editing and polishing words that I know will be changed before it's all said and done. Ah well, the trials and tribulations. :-)
Get back to In the Chill of the Night anthology. I'm 12k into my 20k, but had to step away to go back to ST. It's probably a good thing because distance always helps. This story is really coming together and I'm excited to see where it ends up. It's my first anthology and I think I'm liking it. :-)
Finish my paper for my class at ASU. It's a bear, but it has to be done.
Finish the paper I'm writing for work. This has been a MAJOR challenge. I think I finally have it close.
At some point before next Monday, I want a nap.
Figure out what the hell happened to all my links. I lost them when I switched over to the new template. If I linked to you before and you happen to stop by, will you leave me URL? Hey, if I didn't link to you before and you want me to, leave it URL too. :-0

February Report

2007-02-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, there's hope of me having a life again. Maybe. I'm still going a thousand miles an hour, but the writers conference is over and that is a relief. It was an incredible conference this year on many levels. First, I had good friends who came so there was a social time that was very much fun. There have been years when I've worked and then gone straight to my room without ever talking or meeting anyone.

Second, I took my daughter with me this year. She's 15 and has already written a YA novel. Yes, I am serious, no, I didn't help her with it, yes, she's amazing. Even more amazing (although I wasn't surprised at all by it) was the reaction she got in her meetings with editors and agents. Two of the editors who had read her first chapter before coming to the conference gave her their top award and asked to see it. And the agents were all over her. It was incredible. Now she's getting it polished up to send off and we'll see what happens from there. I'll keep you posted.

Then I met with Valerie Gray of Mira Books and had one of those incredible meetings that I never imagined would happen. She read the first chapter of my new book and said, "I love this. I really love this." I almost passed out. Very exciting. I'm getting my pages polished for her too.

Came home to a horrible cold and exhaustion. I started school again a couple of weeks ago so that's keeping me busy. But the writing is going great and I really can't complain too much.

Well I could...but what would be the point?

BTW, I know we're not supposed to talk about them in detail, but I have to say this year the batch of books I got to judge for the RITA are terrific. I'm only on #2, but I've loved both. It's a beautiful thing.

Until the next post, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later... Erin

San Diego

2007-01-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

I'm in San Diego right now at the SDSU Writers Conference. It starts tonight and should be a terrific one. I help with the conference by scheduling all of the appointments for editors and agents. It's fun and I love it when participants talk to me afterwards and tell me that they had a great meeting.

My daughter is coming this year for her first ever conference. She's 15 and has written a novella which is really good. I'm sure she's going to get a billion dollar book deal, appear on Oprah and all that and I will forever be known as Hailey's mom, who writes too. :-) There are worse things, right? :-)

Anyway, I will check in later. Happy Friday.

Where the hell is Erin Grady

2007-01-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Good Lord, has life been busy. Mostly I've been working on the SDSU Writers Conferece and working on my day job AND doing that writing thing. I'm 10k into my 20k for the anthology and liking what I have so far. Stewing on my Ireland story at the same time. Looking forward to getting past this month.

Oh, and reading GH and rita entries. No wonder I'm so busy.

Anyway, I'll try to be more regular and entertaining as soon as I can.

Take care!

Things to do

2007-01-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

The list is too long, but I'll do what I can.

Write. I have about 5k of the 20 needed for the Chill of the Night anthology. It's been fun writing.
Redesign my website. It's been too long. I haven't even updated with January contest.
Find a way to fit about 10 more hours in my day
Spend some quality time with my husband and kiddies. (#4 on the list today because they've been #1 for the past month, which is why I'm so behind on everything else)
Send back stuff I ordered for Christmas that was wrong size, color, etc.
Try to get 8 hours of sleep sometime in the not too distant future.

2007--May it bring only the best

2007-01-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

I feel very excited about this new year. 2006 was a rough one in so many ways that 2007 has to be better. I was a little blue last night--was invited to a neighborhood party that I really wanted to go to, but my hubbie was sick and I didn't want to leave him alone on New Year's Eve so I stayed home and watched TV with him. Then he fell asleep at 11:45. Yes, 15 minutes before. Sigh. But my girls were here to wish me happy new year and that was a beautiful thing.

The upside is that I feel good this moring--no hangover. Repentent husband made breakfast and cleaned the kitchen. My day is going to be filled with movies, books and writing.

Hope yours is equally wonderful. :-)

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve

2006-12-31T08:35:00.000-07:00

The end of the year... I alwasy feel both excited and sad at the end of the year. 2006 has been filled with unbelievable highs and really sucky lows for me, but I have to say, it was never boring.

For 2007, I hope for less of a roller coaster and more of the steady climb up. I also hope that I become better at organizing my life and I'm able to balance my personal and professional responsibilities better. I felt the grind in 2006. I know there was a better way to do it.

I had some great news just before Christmas--I've been asked to be part of an anthology which will be released by Triskelion Publising. It will be my first with an epublisher and I'm excited about it. I have a lot of friends who write for epublishers and they say it's a great experience. Tina Gerow--a fantastic writer and friend from my local chapter of RWA--recommended me to them and she thinks they are great.

I'll keep you posted as more details surface.

Happy New Year! May 2007 bring only good to you and yours!

Erin

On sale

2006-12-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hey...if you've been thinking about buying my April release Whispers, amazon is running a special right now--$2.99! Woo woo. You can find it here....

What's new?

2006-12-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Haven't written in a while--mainly because life is so busy this time of year. I help with the SDSU Writers Conference every year--it's a labor of love that I've done for 18 years! Man I'm old. Anyway, I used to work at SDSU when I was way younger--10 years I was there until we moved to Arizona. After my move, they asked me to continue part of my role as conference facilitator--so I schedule all the appointments between editors and agents. I really enjoy it because it's the best feeling in the world to have people talk to me after their appointments and tell me that it went well. Makes me feel like a stepping stone on their roads to success.

On top of that there is work at the real job. Oh, and that Christmas thing. :-) I'm down to the last few things to exchange and buy today. That's good. I haven't done ANY baking this year though. Not so good. :-(

Okay--so here's my big news. I've been asked to be part of an anthology that Triskelion is doing. It will be released next year in October--In the Chill of the Night is the title. I'm to write a spooky story. I love that.

Hope you all are having a great one....

Count down

2006-12-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am almost done with my Christmas shopping! Isn't that unbelievable? I know there are a lot of you out there who are organized and get it all done in October or something like that. But me--I'm always down to the wire.

But this year, not a problem. My girls give me detailed lists, complete with product numbers and web sites so I order a lot of my stuff online. My hubands is a sports fan and his favorite teams are the Chargers and Padres (San Diego, where we used to live and where he was born and raised). Websites again.

The only one who is stumping me is my mom. She is so hard to buy for, probably because she has everything. No, wait. She has two of everything. It's crazy.

Anyway, I'm happy with my progress. Now if I could just write the dreaded Christmas letter. I always put it to a song and this year I'm out of tunes and out of ideas. Sigh.

On a happier note, I'm reading a fabulous book. The Thirteenth Tale. Love it. It has the richness and texture that I love in a book. I am about 3/4 through and I'm praying she resolves it with as much finesse as she'd told it with so far. I read The Historian earlier this year and was engrossed in it and thought it deserved all the hype it got right up until Dracula's library. Sigh. How did that happen.

For anyone out there like me who listens to audio books, 13th tale has awesome readers.

Ending of an era

2006-12-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

For the last year I've been vp of my local RWA chapter, Desert Rose. It was such a rewarding experience. Really, it was the first time I've ever volunteered for something so big. It was more than I'd expected in so many ways. More time, but more reward too. Not only did I make great friends, but I felt really good about my contributions. Anyway, if any of you out there have thought about volunteering for something, I recommend it.

That said, last night brought the end of my reign and the beginning of the new board's rule. I handed over my wheeled crate, manual and all other goodies to the new vp who will do an awesome job and now I am a free agent again. yay! I live a pretty busy life, and though I'm sad to say goodbye to the job, I'm also relieved to have some time freed up.

Anyway, good luck to the new board.

I'm am off to write now. Hope something big and wonderful drops in your lap, and something else drops off so you have the room to enjoy.

BTW, Clive above. I have a thing for him, I guess. :-)

Back at it...

2006-11-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'm guest blogger at Romantically Inclined again. Yay, they asked me back. We're talking about heroes today so pop on over.... http://romantically-inclined.blogspot.com/

Up early

2006-11-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ready to do that cooking thing. I can remember that my mom used to get up at the crack of dawn and start cooking dinner. She'd have the turkey in the oven at 8 in the morning. Why did she do that? I'm going to have to ask her one of these days.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Holidays and friends

2006-11-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

I've been doing quite a bit of writing. Got the next scene in my new book off to my agent who wanted to see what happens next. She thought the pages were--and I quote--"amazing." Of course she then asked how I come up with this stuff. (subtext, you are so twisted, Erin, where does this stuff come from???) But it was a positive reaction.

I'm cooking tomorrow for my family and friends. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays so I don't mind. I enjoy the baking and the good smells in the kitchen and all that. I just wish it would get cold enough to have a fire, but I fear it's more likely that Santa will make an early visit than it is our weather will turn. Right now they're predicting a blustering 80 degrees. Sheesh.

Anyway, happy holidays!!!

Zen Palace and other words from the zone

2006-11-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

So I've been on this "kick" to simplify my life and especially clear my writing space of unwanted negativity. I learned some of the steps from my good friend Sherri. First, I cleaned my office. It had become so much clutter that I would come in, get on my PC and try to squeeze a spot out between stacks of books, papers, magazines, etc. Not a pretty picture.

So once I got everything clean and looking like a "real" writer ought to be working here, I lit some sage and went through every room in my house with the little smoking bundle and did some positive affirmations. After that my house smelled like pot, but I felt better. Then I brought in candles and incense. Now I write by candlelight.

The best time for me to write is early in the morning--early being a relative term of course. I know early for me is not the same as early for the rest of the world. But before my family is awake, I come into my office, light my candles and incense, and I write. So far it's been working for me. I think the ritual of lighting the candles settles my mind into the idea that it's time to get to work. The time before I really come awake, when I'm still groggy in fact, is when I am most creative. Apparently, my personal editor slash critic sleeps in (the bitch) so I get a lot done.

Which reminds me...It's time to get to work. :-)

Anyone out there have other "how to make a perfect environment" tips?

Recovering

2006-11-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a good week inspite of the fact that I've been sick. I spoke at the VOS (RWA Valley of the Sun) chapter meeting on Tuesday. I was nervous, probably boring, but the people were nice and asked questions so it was fun...for me anyway. Sorry to those I put to sleep. Hope my drone didn't give you nightmares.

My new book continues to be fun and challenging to write. I'm very excited about it.

Glad tomorrow is Friday though!

Thoughts from an overworked writer

2006-11-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

I am up to the challenge. I am up to the challenge. I am....

...trying to convince myself of this. The Holidays are upon us, I have the cold from hell, AND I'm thoroughly inspired to write, but don't have time or the health to do it. Why do things always work out that way?

Anyway, I was a guest blogger last month on the Romantically Inclined blog and I left some thoughts on what unpublished writers can do to get noticed, get read, get represented, get published. I won't lie, this isn't a magic formula or anything, just steps I used when I was trying to break in.

Unfortunately for all of us aspiring writers (aspiring to be published, aspiring to be read, aspiring to make it to the next level of our careers), Writers are kind of like starlets in Hollywood. One of us gets hit by a bus, there are 20 more standing right behind waiting to take our place. So why do we continue to do it? Well, quite simply, because there's nothing like the feeling you get when someone says to you, "I read your book and I loved it."

That said, here is my list. Hope at least one thing on it will help you!

If you can't write a synopsis, trying writing a book cover copy. Make it one page, pack it with mysterious teasers. Make it as intriguing as you want and don't worry if you've been told "you have to tell how it ends." You really don't--especially if you have a completed manuscript. Your goal is to intrigue. That's it. Line up all of your favorite books, cover side down, study the cover copy and try to design your in the same format. Note: If you use this method, make it one page and one page only, single spaced. If you go over one page, it loses it's punch.
When you send a query letter to an agent or editor, always include the first two pages of your novel. End the query with, I have enclosed the first two pages of my novel to give you a feel for my voice and style. If they read two and want three, you've accomplished your goal. Only 2 pages though. Any more will make the envelope too fat or the reading a task to be procrastinated.
Always do multiple submissions. Of course they're going to tell you not to, but what is the worst thing that might happen? You have two agents or editors vying to sign you? Trust me, you'll survive that scenario. :-)
If you do--for some unfathomable reason--give an agent exclusive rights, state in the cover letter: As agreed, I am giving you exclusive rights for two weeks. After that I will be submitting to the others who have requested my novel. Then, at least, you are not waiting 2 years to hear back plus you let them know that they are not the only ones who thought your query was interesting.
If an agent/editor is at a conference and you missed the chance to meet them, open your query with that. "I wanted to meet you at the RWA Nationals, but your appointments were booked and when I saw you there was a crowd. I didn't want to be rude and interrupt, but I was disappointed not to have the opportunity to speak with you in person." By doing this you establish that you are savvy enough to attend conferences, you didn't just decide to query this person by covering your eyes and picking their name with your finger. You flatter them by pointing out how popular they are, and you show that you are not one of those rude and pushy writers who would have barged in on any conversation rather than miss a chance to talk to them.
If you can, coin a phrase that goes with your book. (Ex, with Echoes I used, A past she shouldn't remember, a life she shouldn't be living, a man she can't stop loving. With Whispers, A haunted hotel, a century old curse and a love to last forever). These little phrases will help you in marketing and also help your agent/editor when pitching the book. These are also great to use in your one-page synopsis. (Ex: A past she shouldn't remember... Tess Carson isn't the kind of person who sees things, but when....)
Before you start hunting for an agent, make some decisions within yourself about what you want. Do you want someone who is going to be nurturing? Or do you want someone who is known for making the biggest deals? Is it important to hear from your agent about who they are submitting to, who has passed, what the next step will be? Or do you just want them to call you when a check is in the mail? Do you want a partner or a business associate. It would be wonderful to have an agent who could do it all but chances are that you'll have one or another. If you know your priorities going in, you'll have a better chance of making a successful match. The big name agents at the big name agencies have a lot of big name authors and big deals they are working and probably aren't going to be as willing to hold your hand and keep you sane through the agonizing wait. Is it better to be a big fish in a little pond or visa versa? I don't know the answer to this question, but it is one you should consider.
If you are writing a genre that is currently being published in eBook form, consider submitting to an epublisher. Authors that are starting in ebook and building a readership there are doing great things when they hit mass market. To a bookstore, a first traditionally published book is a debut and if you debut with 20k readers in your pocket, you are going to make a great first impression.
I heard Bob Mayer speak at the SDSU conference (pre-Jennifer Cruisie fame) and he said something that has always resonated with me. He said, "People will tell you to write what you know. But really, you should write what you WANT to know because that's what excites you." Amen.
Don't ever, ever, EVER listen to the evil critic who sits on your shoulder. She's a bitch and she only wants to make you feel bad. If she was your neighbor, you'd send your dog over to poop in her yard so don't give her any power just because she's managed to get in your head.

And that concludes my post for the day. :-)

Still alive...

2006-11-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

For someone who has a lot to say, I've been very quiet lately. Maybe I'm drainbamaged from my perm. I would report that I no longer look like Shirley Temple on steroids, but then I'd have to add that my resemblance to a mad scientist doesn't make that an improvement.

High points of the week? Still slogging through so much research that I'm starting to feel overwhelmed. But that's not so bad. I've found that I usually have that feeling just before I have a breakthrough.

Really high point? A friend from high school who I've wanted to get in touch with for about 15 years but didn't know how, googled me, found my website and sent me an email. How cool is that? Amy Adrian--have another memory for you--"na, na, na na na, Angel in the Centerfold..." yes, we were eighties be-boppers.

Check out these pictures. Do you think we should have used a little more eyeliner??? OMG, what were we thinking??? The picture with three of us is me, (red dress), Ann Korth (middle) and Amy Adrian in black. Then the one with two is Amy and me. We're all respectable mothers with jobs and less make up now. :-)

Kendall Hall, if you are out there, we're all looking for you.

Boy did we ever have fun, too much makeup and all. :-) Glad to be in touch with you again, Amy and Annie, glad we never lost touch in the first place. :-)

My own worst enemy

2006-10-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

I had my cards read last night. It was very cool, very interesting and very fun.

I've had my cards read before and it always amazes me when they hit on something that really makes sense. (Don't ask me why it amazes me--that's what I'm there for , right?)

Anyway, she said I was my own worst enemy. That I'm so caught up in the business worries and woes, that I'm hurting my own creativity. I knew this. Even as she was saying it, I was nodding my head. I've opening talked about how I hurt myself during the writing of WHISPERS with all my needless worrying. But sometimes I need to hear a thing before it really sinks past the curly hair, the skull and into that thing I call a brain.

So my "Two Days Before Halloween" resultion? No more worrying. I'm going to write my books the best I can and focus on what I can control. She told me to do mirror work. My family is going to think I'm nutso-but I am going to do it.

Twisted

2006-10-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

I gave myself a perm today and now I look like Shirley Temple on steroids. I don't know why I decided to do this--I went to the dentist, the post office and then just drove over to the beauty supply store and bought a perm. I wasn't even thinking of doing it until I had the box in my hand. What's up with that?

The jury is still out on whether or not it looks good. I'll keep you posted.

Round Robin--Late but what's new

2006-10-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's my turn again. And of course I'm late. I'm always late. My only excuse is that I've been guest blogger at Romantically Inclined this week. It's been so much fun, but it's used up a LOT of brain cells. Anyway, here we go. Two weeks ago April Harvey, our Round Robin contest winner, took us back to Fat Frank's Tooney Salooney on Calista Fox's blog. Then last week Kaia James gave us front row seats to a mud wrestling match. So here I go.

*************
As Frank and Glory made their way back to Frank's office, the PA system let out a filling-rattling whine and an unfamiliar voice came on.

"Ladies and gentlemen . . . tonight we have a special treat for you all."

Frank paused and Glory nearly ran into him. He turned and looked back at the mud ring. There stood a man he'd never seen before beside a naked woman with a white plastic bag over her head. The bag was loose and not formed to her face, so she could still breathe, but the man held a roll of duct tape in his hands and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he intented to do with it.

Frank frowned as he looked for his men. Where were there? As he glanced from the doorway to the bar, he realized not one of them was at his post. Frank looked back to the woman in the ring. She was tiny, with pale white skin and small high breasts. Exposed and defenseless she shivered in the cold mud.

The guy with the mike was saying, "We'll let her have a word before the fun begins."

He thrust the microphone in front of her face and twisted her arm. She let out a cry and Frank made three simulataneous realizations.

He knew the woman with the bag over her face .

Someone had just stepped behind him and there was suddenly the unmistakeable feel of a gun at his back.

And he and Glory were screwed.

"Christ. It's Suzy up there," he said just before all hell broke loose.

****

"Are you sure about this?" Leann asked Aaron as they pulled into Fat Frank's parking lot.

"Oh, I'm sure. Everything leads back to Frank."

He stepped out of the car and Leann followed, eyeing the packed parking lot with misgiving. During business hours, the strange, cavorting characters took on a new persona. They shivered and jumped in the animated neon lighting. The rabbit in the hot dog bun made a continuous hand movement. At first she thought he was taking a bite of a carrot--like he always did before he said, "What's up, Doc?" But at second glance she realized it wasn't a vegetable he had in hand and he certainly wasn't biting it.

Aaron led her through the lot without even glancing at the porn-tunes. "I think we've been wrong all along. I don't think Suzy has what they want. I think it's Frank."

"Then why would they have Suzy?"

"Because Frank cares enough about her to give whatever it is up for her."

Frank and Suzy? The visual was more than Leann could take.

"Wait," she said, pulling his arm. "When did you figure this out?"

"About five minutes ago."

Suddenly Aaron stopped and he put out an arm, pushing Leann behind him. The doors to Fat Franks were closed. "These doors are always open," he said.

From inside a woman screamed, her voice coming over a PA system and carrying outside. And then a gun fired. In a flash Aaron was racing for the doors. From the corner of her eye, she saw his men rushing from different points in the lot. He hit the doors with his shoulder and they flew open.

Inside were wall to wall people, a layer of smoke that sat like a roof over their heads, and the smell of excited fear. Leann followed Aaron in but no one seemed to notice them. Aaron pushed to the front of the crowd and there was a woman with a bag pulled tight around her neck, the air already sucked out of it so that it formed to her face. Her hands had been bound behind her. The crowd watched in mounting horror as she flailed in the mud under the watchful eyes of armed me.

It was Suzy.

Check Kallie Owen's blog next week for the next installment. :-)

A Mistake I haven't made...

2006-10-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

I found this link on publishers lunch and I've been reading this blog in an addictive, probably unhealthy manner. Then I hit this post and realized there was a reason--at last a career mistake I haven't made. LOL.

The question was: Why You Don't Want a Big Advance
The answer is understanding that accepting a six figure deal is one of the biggest career mistakes a first time author can make.

The comments are a riot (and mean)

Enter at your own risk and only if you don't have a deadline to make. If you're like me, you'll not be able to leave without reading more.

http://gawker.com/news/unsolicited/unsolicited-why-you-dont-want-a-big-advance-203569.php

Guest Blogger

2006-10-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well today I have the pleasure of being guest blogger at Romantically Inclined. Check it out: http://romantically-inclined.blogspot.com/

Cool...

2006-10-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hey, just found out WHISPERS by yours truly is a finalist in the Best Books 2006 National Book Awards. Yay!

Guilt

2006-10-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

I feel guilty for not blogging, but honestly, I haven't really had a darned thing to say. I'm in a holding pattern with life, I guess. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing--just not a very newsworthy thing. September was a big push for me--got a new proposal off and the Desert Rose membership dinner plus my trip to Utah. The month was basically a blur and now I just don't have umph to report anything.

We did have a winner for our Fat Frank and Tooney Salooney contest. April Harvey did an amazing job--read her part of our Round Robin on Calista Fox's blog here: http://calistafox.blogspot.com/2006/10/destined-to-be-one-of-my-favorite.html

Way to go, April!!!

It's just scary!

2006-10-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

October 10--almost 11. Where is this month going? Writing it going very well, but brain cells are taking a hit. Too much thinking, I tihnk. Scary stuff. :-)

October? Really?

2006-10-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's October!! I'm not complaining or anything, but wow. Crazy. This whole month has been a little insane for me. I've been hard at work on the proposal for my new book, Everything She Wished For. I think I've mentioned before that it's going to be different than the others in setting and in other ways too. I'm really excited about this book and I feel it's the best writing I've ever done. (At least today I feel that way, tomorrow I'll be convinced it's drivel that should never see the light of day. I'm psychotic that way.)

Also been busy putting on the Desert Rose RWA membership dinner. It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. I was very stressed that it wouldn't turn out--and very relieved when it appeared to be a success. Plus I won an entry into the RITA contest which was very cool. Last year's winner, Carrie Weaver, was a finalist. I made her rub some luck on me. :-) Pictures attached of the dinner.

Anyway, I'm hoping things will slow a little. I feel like I've been at jet speed for too long.

Round Robin--AKA Pandora's box continued

2006-09-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

I'm up for the next installment of the story. See Kaia's post from last week to catch up or read the whole thing (or at least most of it) from start to finish here.

And don't forget about the contests we have running--they are all still open! You'll find all the details at the bottom of this post!

Pandora's Box...continued.....

"The way it looks right now," Aaron said, "We're both bait." He sat down next to her on the floor. "There are two dead guys out there that shouldn't be here. The fact that they are means Marchasi knows where we are. And I have to assume he knows who I am."

"Well glad someone does."

Aaron smiled. "You're pretty cute when you're pissed off."

"Give me a minute. I'm about to become breathtaking."

He threw back his head and laughed. It should have made her madder, but damned if it didn't make her smile.

"Do you know what you're doing?" she asked him. "I mean, really. You're not some yahoo who's going to get us both killed, are you?"

He sobered quickly and Leanne almost wished she could retract the question. Did she really want an answer?

"I know what I'm doing," he said.

But the look in his eyes added a subtext that frightened her.

"But you can't guarantee you're not going to get us both killed, can you?"

"No. I thought Marchasi was just playing with us. But I don't think so anymore. I think he wants us dead, no matter what we do now. What I know could ruin him. And now you know it too."

"So what do we do?"

"Well first we find Fat Frank. And then we make him sorry he ever fucked with us."

*******************
Contest News:
Bunny Ears and Mud Wrestling Ain’t All He’s Up To…There’s just no telling what Fat Frank, owner of the Tooney Salooney, has been up to since Leanne and Aaron discovered his fetish for wild and wicked mud wrestling with a mysterious red-headed Amazon who could give Hulk Hogan a run for his money.

Is Fat Frank friend or foe? Club owner or two-bit hustler? Does he know who’s hunting Leanne and Aaron or who’s kidnapped Suzy? Exactly WHAT is Fat Frank up to?

We sure as hell don’t know! Here’s your chance to unravel the mystery. In an upcoming installment of Pandora’s Box, we’ll include Fat Frank’s story… who he is, what he’s up to, and how he might impact the outcome of the mystery Leanne, Aaron and Suzy are embroiled in is up to… YOU!

In 700 words or less, craft Fat Frank’s backstory and what his involvement is with the disappearance of Leanne’s sister. The Four Chicks will choose the best entry and post it – with due credit for the author – in a future installment of Pandora’s Box.In addition, we’ll send the winner the following prize package:

An autographed copy of Erin Grady’s Echoes
A $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble
A copy of Ava McKnight/Calista Fox’s newest ebook release, Shameless
A copy of Ava McKnight/Calista Fox’s ebook, A Subtle Seduction

Send your entry to: entertowin111@yahoo.com by September 30.Good luck – and thanks for being a part of our round robin!

The Four Chicks: Erin Grady, Kallie Owens, Calista Fox/Ava McKnight and Kaia James

And don't forget the other contests we have running:

*****************************************

Enter Calista Fox's Hook 'Em from the Get-Go contest by going to her website at http://www.calistafox.com/This is a fun and easy way to win free books and a Barnes & Noble gift card! Plus, a $25 Victoria’s Secret gift card will be awarded randomly!*****************************************

And, Finally... The third contest is a chance to win registration to the San Diego State University Writer’s Conference. This scholarship is sponsored by Erin Grady, author of romantic suspense novels. Visit her website at http://www.eringrady.com/ for all the details. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to attend this awesome conference FOR FREE!

The perfect weekend

2006-09-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

I could say the pictures say it all, yet they can't possibly depict a weekend of brainstorming, thinking about new and fresh ideas to tell a story, being with good friends and feeling welcome. But the pictures are pretty good on their own. :-)

It's late and I should be in bed

2006-09-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

My kids have been sick and I've been running around trying to juggle day job, doc visits and life. Not doing such a great job of it though. Going to visit my good friend Lynn this weekend, though. I've never been to her new house and haven't seen her in months, so looking forward to it.

And that's all have to say. :-)

Pandora's Box

2006-09-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

By the way, don't forget to check out the next installment of Pandora's Box. Even with multiple book deadlines, Calista Fox has up'ed the stakes. http://calistafox.blogspot.com/2006/09/pandoras-box.html And don't forget about the contests we're running for a chance to write an installment on this story: http://eringrady.blogspot.com/2006/09/as-mud-thickens.html

Positive frame of mind

2006-09-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm up and ready to a final review on my pages before shipping them off to my editor. Very excited about them and have a good feeling that she will be too. Either that or I'm not awake yet and I'm dreaming.

Got some great news today--a friend and neighbor wrote me with a contact her in AZ who is willing to answer all my Ireland questions!!! I am so happy and can't wait to get in touch with her. Thank you Elaine!!!

I called Good Housekeeping (which I didn't think of at first) and ordered an issue of the magazine I was looking for. I think it's a July issue--I did end up finding an August in the doc's office, but it didn't feature romance so I'm hoping I ordered the correct issue.

Anyway, here's to positive thoughts and great Sundays.... Or intelligent thoughts and tasty sundaes. :-) I'll take whichever.

Perspective

2006-09-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

There are some days when I can't even SPELL the word perspective. I hate when I lose it, though. I've got this scene that I know is good--somewhere deep down, I know it. I got those, yes, I nailed it! chills when I was writing the scene. The first time I re-read it, I felt that glow of confirmation. Exactly! Last night, damned if it didn't read like the back of a cornflakes box--a generic brand at that. Sigh.

Hopefully the morning will make it better. If not, I going to drink. All day. And I'm not talking water.

As the mud thickens

2006-09-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, you gotta check out the next entry in the RR. Kallie did an incredible job: http://kallieo.bravejournal.com/index.php

And remember our contest news:

Bunny Ears and Mud Wrestling Ain’t All He’s Up To…

There’s just no telling what Fat Frank, owner of the Tooney Salooney, has been up to since Leanne and Aaron discovered his fetish for wild and wicked mud wrestling with a mysterious red-headed Amazon who could give Hulk Hogan a run for his money.

Is Fat Frank friend or foe? Club owner or two-bit hustler? Does he know who’s hunting Leanne and Aaron or who’s kidnapped Suzy? Exactly WHAT is Fat Frank up to?

We sure as hell don’t know! Here’s your chance to unravel the mystery. In an upcoming installment of Pandora’s Box, we’ll include Fat Frank’s story… who he is, what he’s up to, and how he might impact the outcome of the mystery Leanne, Aaron and Suzy are embroiled in is up to… YOU!

In 700 words or less, craft Fat Frank’s backstory and what his involvement is with the disappearance of Leanne’s sister. The Four Chicks will choose the best entry and post it – with due credit for the author – in a future installment of Pandora’s Box.

In addition, we’ll send the winner the following prize package:

An autographed copy of Erin Grady’s Echoes
A $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble
A copy of Ava McKnight/Calista Fox’s newest ebook release, Shameless
A copy of Ava McKnight/Calista Fox’s ebook, A Subtle Seduction

Send your entry to: entertowin111@yahoo.com by September 30.Good luck – and thanks for being a part of our round robin!

The Four Chicks
Erin Grady
Kallie Owens
Calista Fox/Ava McKnight
Kaia James

And don't forget the other contests we have running:
*****************************************
Enter Calista Fox's Hook 'Em from the Get-Go contest by going to her website at www.calistafox.com This is a fun and easy way to win free books and a Barnes & Noble gift card! Plus, a $25 Victoria’s Secret gift card will be awarded randomly!*****************************************

And, Finally... The third contest is a chance to win registration to the San Diego State University Writer’s Conference. This scholarship is sponsored by Erin Grady, author of romantic suspense novels. Visit her website at www.eringrady.com for all the details. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to attend this awesome conference FOR FREE!

Good luck to all of you!

New interview on Romance Junkies

2006-09-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Romance Junkies just posted a new interview with me on their website. Brooke Wills did the interview and she asked some great questions. My answer were probably less brillant than the questions, but it was a lot of fun. Check it out: it.http://208.109.92.234/artman/publish/article_6522.shtml.

As for my hair...sigh, I went in with a picture even, but what I came out with...I don't know. It's cute, but I've had this hair style before and I didn't like it the first time, darn it. Oh well. Hair grows, right?

Probably not in the best frame of mind for it

2006-09-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

But I'm going to get all my hair cut off today. Moderation is not a word I know.

Friday, 4 day weekend for me so why am I sad

2006-09-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

Marriage sucks sometimes. I guess I could just leave it at that and be done with it. Those of you who have been married a long time like I have, know what I'm talking about. I've got 18 years under my belt but sometimes a fight still makes me feel like I'm in that first grueling year, when everything hurts.

Sigh.

Anyway, enough about that.

Topics for the day--I have some questions for everyone (if, in fact, there is anyone out there)

I am looking for a July or August issue of Good Housekeeping. The other night in my Desert Rose RWA meeting, someone came up to me and said she'd seen the Doubleday/Rhapsody advertisement for Echoes and Whispers in it. She tried to take it out for me but ripped it. I haven't seen it and would love to. Do you have the magazine? Would you look for the ad and maybe send it to me?
Next questions: the new book I'm working on has some very interesting and new characters in it. I'm setting it someplace new (Ireland) and I'm looking for people who are from Ireland who'd be willing to answer some questions for me. I won't get personal :-) But if you are Irish and willing (ha ha) would you contact me?
Also putting a call out to people who were adopted or found a fairly permanent foster home when they were 10 or older.
AND social workers who help place children in homes. Is this you? Would you be willing to answer some questions?

So I guess I'm not asking for MUCH am I?

On another note, this week Kallie Owens is up for the Round Robin. Let's see what she does with the unfolding story of Aaron and Leanne. You can find it here, probably sometime today: http://kallieo.bravejournal.com/

Also, scroll down for info on our contest news for the round robin: Bunny Ears and Mud Wrestling Ain’t All Fat Frank is Up To!

A great read...

2006-08-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

And by the way friends and fellow bloggers, if you're looking for something to read, our very own 4 chicks and a round robin member Calista Fox--aka Ava McKnight has a new release titled Shameless out this month from Venus Press. Check it out at: http://www.venuspress.com/catalog/books/shameless.htm)

Contest News!!

2006-08-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

Bunny Ears and Mud Wrestling Ain’t All He’s Up To…

There’s just no telling what Fat Frank, owner of the Tooney Salooney, has been up to since Leanne and Aaron discovered his fetish for wild and wicked mud wrestling with a mysterious red-headed Amazon who could give Hulk Hogan a run for his money.

Is Fat Frank friend or foe? Club owner or two-bit hustler? Does he know who’s hunting Leanne and Aaron or who’s kidnapped Suzy? Exactly WHAT is Fat Frank up to?

We sure as hell don’t know! Here’s your chance to unravel the mystery. In an upcoming installment of Pandora’s Box, we’ll include Fat Frank’s story… who he is, what he’s up to, and how he might impact the outcome of the mystery Leanne, Aaron and Suzy are embroiled in is up to… YOU!

In 700 words or less, craft Fat Frank’s backstory and what his involvement is with the disappearance of Leanne’s sister. The Four Chicks will choose the best entry and post it – with due credit for the author – in a future installment of Pandora’s Box.

In addition, we’ll send the winner the following prize package:
An autographed copy of Erin Grady’s Echoes
A $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble
A copy of Ava McKnight/Calista Fox’s newest ebook release, Shameless
A copy of Ava McKnight/Calista Fox’s ebook, A Subtle Seduction

Send your entry to: entertowin111@yahoo.com by September 30.

Good luck – and thanks for being a part of our round robin!

The Four Chicks
Erin Grady
Kallie Owens
Calista Fox/Ava McKnight
Kaia James

Round Robin

2006-08-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, first, as mentioned earlier, we are coming up with some very cool prizes to go with an even cooler contest. I don't have all the details yet, but we're going to be asking for audience participation in our Round Robin. First we're going to have readers suggest contribute a scene that brings Fat Frank back into the story. Remember Fat Frank of the Tooney Salooney? Bunny ears and mud? How could you forget. And then there will be another reader/writer contest to follow. Stay tuned for details.

That said, here is the next installment of Pandora's Box. If you're coming to the story late, you might want to start here. It has everything to date--EXCEPT the last installment before this one, which you'll find here.

So with no futher ado.....
__________________________________

Leann had always considered herself a well rounded person. She had a college education, a demanding career. She’d been in touch with her inner child and confronted her dysfunctional past. She’d thought she was a smart, sassy, together woman.

But in the past twenty-four hours she’d come to realize she didn’t know shit about herself.

Realization number one had come with the big O. Her first, not counting the ones she had alone. How could that be? Even worse -- how could it be that she’d never thought her life lacking when the best sex she’d had was in the bathtub by herself?

Realization number two had actually come before the orgasm, but it took that release to really face it. She was hell and gone from being well rounded. What would she be doing right now if it wasn’t for Aaron? Would she be home crying and ripping her hair out because she was too afraid to act? Most likely. Sadly. Absolutely.

Realization number three hit her when the men walked through the door. It was time to change. From head to toe, Leann needed to start fresh. As soon as they got out of here, she was going to make Aaron take her straight to Walmart where she could buy a pair of jeans, tennis shoes and sweatshirt. No more getting caught in a mud slide wearing pumps.

Mustering as much dignity as she could in her muddied, torn clothes, knowing that she had to look like she’d just had her first two-party orgasm, she leveled a look at Aaron.

“Let’s start over,” she said and her voice sounded firm and decisive. “Who the hell are you?”

The three men exchanged glances for a moment.

“Not a trick question,” Leann said. “Who. Are. You?”

Aaron stepped forward. “Maybe you should sit down.”

“I don’t want to sit down. I want answers.”

“Honey, I’m going to give them to you. But you’re going to fall over.”

It irked her that it was true, but she had no one but herself to blame on that account. She was the one who’d worn those ridiculous shoes and sprained her ankle.

Aaron helped her to the chair and squatted down in front of her. The position was identical to where he’d been an hour before and the memory of how that had unfolded hit them both at the same time. Aaron looked into her eyes and smiled. Some of the starch came out of her spine. God he was something. She wondered what else she might learn about herself if they went for round two?

“I’m not a school teacher,” he said softly. “I used to be, but I left five years ago when my best friend died. He was murdered.”

Leann’s mouth dropped open. She didn’t know what she’d expected from him, but this wasn’t it.

“I work for the government now.”
“In what capacity,” she asked, stunned at the coolness in her tone.

“I’m part of task force that investigates technology fraud.”

“WHAT? Like the CIA or something?”

“Not exactly. Actually, it’s the Department of Transportation.”

She shook her head, unable to process what he was saying. A technology task force from the department of transportation? What the hell?

She frowned. “What does that have to do with Suzy. . .or me?”

He glanced over his shoulder for a moment at the two men standing behind them. “Can you give me a minute?” he asked. The two men nodded and stepped outside.

“Leann,” he said, turning back to her. “What happened here, with us. . .that has nothing to do with anything but you—” He touched her chest. “And me.”

With that he lifted her hand and put it over his heart.

“I know my timing sucked, but it is what it is. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get you out of that silk shirt since you put it on. The place would have had to catch fire to stop me. You understand?”

She nodded, trying to look stern and unflappable, but unable to keep the pleased smile off her lips. He’d wanted her that bad? Had anyone ever wanted her that bad before? Uh, no. He was speaking again, so she tried to focus.

“When your sister was at Fat Franks last week, she hooked up with one of Marchasi’s men, a guy named Davy Slauter. Ever heard of him?”

She shook her head.

“Davy was talking about Golden Billy. About his fuel invention and how it was never going to see the light of day.”

“Of course it’s going to see the light of day,” Leann said.

“Well, I think Davy’s intention was to bury the invention with the inventor.”

“Oh.”

“But Suzy didn’t know who she was dealing with. She told him he was wrong because her sister knew all about it and it really worked. She’s pretty proud of you.”

“She is?” Leann whispered.

“But she shouldn’t have opened her mouth.”

“You mean that’s why these people have her?”

“Because they think you can get them Billy’s technology.”

“But I just write his speeches. And even then he doesn’t say them right.”

“Marchasi has investments in oil. Billy’s fuel replacement would put him out of business. He’s not going to let that happen and if it means torturing your sister until they convince you to steal what they want. . .”

“But she got away.”

Aaron looked down and shook his head.

“She got away, Aaron. We heard her. . .”

Aaron stood and opened the front door. The two men came back in.

“Tell her what you know,” Aaron said.

Speaking of contests....

2006-08-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to enter my Scholarship contest for the SDSU Writers Conference. It's a great conference and an excellent opportunity to meet editors and agents. I sold my first book after meeting an editor there. All you have to do is go to my website, click on the Enter to Win page and scroll down. You'll need to write 100 words or less on why you want to go. Don't worry, no one is going to judge the writing. I just want to make sure the award goes to a writer and not just someone who wants to go to San Diego. :-)

Chat on Novel Talk

2006-08-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

I just did a chat on Noveltalk and it was a lot of fun. I love doing those. Now I'm going to put my roller blades on and try to lose that fat a## that's been following me around for the past year. :0(

Check back in the morning because it's my turn to post for the RR I do with Calista Fox, Kalie Owens and Kaia James. I flaked out the last time it was my turn, but this time I already have it written. Also we are doing a contest.

Up and writing

2006-08-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very good about keeping up with my blog lately, but that's a good thing, I supposed, because I have been writing and quite a bit. My new story, Everything She Wished For, is really falling into place. I'm very pleased with it.

I just read a posting on Jennifer Ashley's site about how she writes. It's really interesting: http://www.jennifersromances.blogspot.com/

Long time, feels so good

2006-08-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

No this is not a porn entry I'm making, though it does have its merits.

What I'm talking about is what a long time it's been since I really enjoyed writing. For the past couple of years, the pressure has been the overriding emotion, but suddenly I seem to have hit that place where the words are coming easily and the pictures are forming in my head. I'm feeling connected with the people and the story I'm writing about.

The feels so good part...self explanatory.

Hope it lasts...long time. :-)

Back to school

2006-08-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Well hallelujah! It’s back to school for my little dearies. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but the first day of school is such a happy occasion. J Hopefully life will settle a little for me now. I’ve been so busy these past weeks that I feel a bit nuts.

So what’s new in my world? Well, I learned that Doubleday Book a month club has purchased BOTH Echoes and Whispers for their book club under their romance line, Rhapsody. Very exciting news, that! I don’t have a publish date, but I’m sure I’ll announce when I do.

And, as I said in my earlier post, I’m stepping away from my western trilogy and starting working on something new. I will go back to it, of course, but it’s time to get some perspective on it and so a break is a good thing.

As mentioned, the new book departs from the western trend and is set in Ireland. (Of course I'm loving the research.) Wow, what a fascinating history Ireland has. Along with the wonderful setting, this book will be paranormal, I’m hoping a little spooky, and more contemporary than historical. I say that now, of course, but once I’m knee deep in it I mean change my mind on the historical part. I do so love the history.

Anyway, to work with me!