Nano update

Two days and 5K to go. I can see the finish line. Now if only the day job will calm down so I can push on through.

For all you Nano participants, here's a little quote from The Devil and Ms. Prym by Paulo Coelho:

Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is that you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.

See it. Focus on it. Want it. Achieve it.

Macy.

Another Tuesday Ten

I’m feeling completely uncreative tonight, so my Tuesday Ten will be 10 things besides Nanowrimo that I love which start with the letter “n”.

1) New clothes. Especially if they are a size smaller than I thought I'd buy. Okay, that never happens, but it would be great if it did.
2) New shoes
3) Nutella (Just discovered this. Doesn’t help with #1.)
4) A day to do Nothing
5) Naps
6) NOVELS
7) Norepinephrine. (Seriously. Have I mentioned I have 2 degrees in science?)
8) My Nieces
9) My Nephews
10) Our amazing Nation

Yes, yes. That was all very lame, but at least I blogged.

Three nano days left and 6k to go.

Macy

I need a title

I'm horrible with titles. I think every title I come up with sounds stupid. However, at 36k into my Nano novel, I need a better name for it than TBA or "the first circle book". (Yep, there will be more -- 2 which I see pretty well, 2 for which I have basic ideas, 1 about which I'm still clueless.)

There are six heros, six heroines, one ruling table with twelve seats for these "arc angels" of the light. All twelve seats must be filled by the right people with the right gifts in order to defeat the dark and maintain balance.

The first book is about the demon slayer -- the one on whom the final battle will hinge. Funny, though, she's fallen for a half demon who doesn't know about that half just yet. Oh, just when they get together, he gets sent off to spy on the dark. He is 1/2 demon afterall, so who would be a better spy?

Anyway. I have no title and no good ideas.

But I have no time now to throw my lame ideas out there. I've got another couple thousand words to compose tonight.

Gotta run. Maybe we'll just go with In the Circle of the Slayer for now.

Macy

Thanksgiving

So, I missed my Tuesday Ten.

No big deal. I’ll do a Thursday Thirteen instead.

And, since it’s Thanksgiving, I’ll do thirteen things for which I’m thankful.

1. I’m thankful I live in a free country. I know that freedom isn’t free – the winning of it or the keeping of it. I’m thankful for the freedom to both disagree and agree with the government because I have a choice. I’m thankful for the men and women who aren’t home with their families tonight, but who rather guard our fence, watch our back, and protect our freedom.

2. I’m thankful for my husband. As a kid, I wasn’t able to watch good examples of couples in love. I didn’t know if it was possible to be in love ten years later, but it is. I have an amazing husband who loves me despite my quirks and who wants me to reach my dreams just as much as I do.

3. I’m thankful for my step-kids. If I could have chosen children for myself from all those in the world, I would have picked M and J as my own. I’m so happy to be watching them grow up and have them in my life.

4. I’m thankful for by mom, dad, and brother. We don’t always agree and we haven’t always had smooth sailing, but I am who I am because of all we endured because of, in spite of, and along with each other. I love them.

5. I’m thankful for four furry canines that give me pure joy – Cipy, Alice, Maggy, and Rex.

6. I’m thankful for the bill-paying job. I get to work at a place I love with people I love – who are more like family than co-workers. Most people aren’t so lucky. I never want to take for granted that I am.

7. I’m thankful for a great home with peaceful and relaxing scenery in a safe area where I’m part of a strong community.

8. I’m thankful for my little church – Summit Church. I looked for a long time to find a place where I was comfortable worshipping the God I love. I’m so glad I found it.

9. I’m thankful for a wonderful savior and a graceful God. I need both.

10. I’m thankful for my talents. I never want to waste them. I want to always be mindful that God gave me gifts for a reason. Whenever my bill-paying job or this writing gig seem hard or too much to bear, I want to remember I have something important to offer and something important to say. I’m glad I’m able to do both.

11. I’m thankful for the abundant family and friends that gathered in my home today. I’m thankful I have a home where we can gather and the abundant means to do so. I know I am rich beyond measure compared to most of the word. The bible says to him to whom much has been given, much will be expected (Luke 12:48). I have a responsibility to a world in need. I’m grateful for that knowledge and for the means to help.

12. I am thankful for AotP and my very dear friends there.

13. I am thankful for my health and that of my family.

Tag: What are you thankful for?

Update and stuff

I decided I need to update my blog. I’m trying to blog at least once a week during Nano, but that’s been difficult lately. Perhaps, the hopefulness of the Thanksgiving holiday looming just around the corner has given me new energy. Perhaps, I’m finally settling into my new role at work. Who knows? However, I’ve experienced a good writing weekend. On Friday, when I woke up, I had a measly 17k of the nearly 26.5K I should have had at that point. Today, I have 26K. (I should have 30K, but being 4k behind is alot different than being almost 10k behind.) I’m up over the 100 page mark in my new WIP.

Woohoo!

I’m still in love with my new WIP. I’m writing it all over the place – I have the prologue, the beginning, some middle, and the resolution. Very cool stuff.

What’s it about? Well, I’ve finally decided to write that book – the one that’s been calling me for awhile, the one with my true themes.

What’s the theme, you ask?

It’s about the epic fight between good and evil, between the dark and the light. At the story’s core is the concept that everyone has some darkness in them, but what’s important is what you do with the light that’s there, too. It’s about the battle to overcome the darkness within so that light can prevail. It all starts with just one person’s light.

I got some good chills today. I found someone else who thinks like me. I was already starting to fall in love with Anthony Horowitz’s series about Alex Rider – a teen spy. In a little reward trek to the bookstore today, I picked up the first in another of his series – the Gatekeepers series.

The series sounds right up my alley. The series is “a thrilling, chilling tale of world-changing secrets, terrifying truths, and a full-power fight between good and evil.”

I love that stuff!! (See themes above.)

The first book is called Raven’s Gate. It has a bonus ‘after words’ at the end which includes an interview with Anthony. Of course, I read the interview.

Here’s an excerpt:
Q: What’s the story behind the origins of Raven’s Gate and The Gatekeepers? What made you return to the idea after all this time?
A: Raven’s Gate is based on a series of books that I began – but never finished – almost twenty years ago. I’d always had the idea that it might be possible to write a story like The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia that took place here, in the real world. I love the idea of demons and devils, monsters and ghosts battling it out in a modern-day London or New York … but always round the corner, just out of eyesight.
Why return to it now? Part of the answer lies in 9/11 and the Iraq war. It seems to me that if ever a battle of good versus evil was taking place in the real world, it is happening now.

I think I might love this man in a total author-hero-worship sort of way!

For those of you who know me well, you know that LotR and Narnia are two of my all time favorite stories. Why? Epic battles of good versus evil resonate with me. You may also know my paranormal/fantasy fixation, but not with vampires and werewolves. No, my fixation is more with demons and devils and creatures that symbolize evil and the warriors that fight for the light. (Have I mentioned that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my all time favorite TV show?)

Anyway, I think I found an author with a similar sense. I might have to go order the rest of his books at Amazon tonight. (I could wait for Christmas, but waiting is so not my virtue.)

Anyway….

Off to see if I can knock out some more words tonight. Good luck fellow Nano-ers. See you on Tuesday with a new Ten.

Tuesday Ten: Ten author sites I love

This week’s Tuesday Ten is ten author sites I love. I won’t even bother to state why. Check them out and see what you think.

1. Anthony Horowitz: I love the Alex Rider series and can't wait to dive in the Power of Five series.
2. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter. Seriously. Need I say more.
3. Cherry Adair: I haven't read her books, but I do have one in the to be read pile, but her website is great.
4. Libba Bray: Love the Great and Terrible books.
5. J.R. Ward: I just love diving into the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.
6. Sherrilyn Kenyon: Talk about a comprehensive site. Wow.
7. Stephanie Meyer: Intriguing series of books.
8. Roxanne St. Claire: She's adorable and so are her books.
9. Barbara Samuel: Love her. Love her. Love her.
10. Alison Kent: So much helpful stuff for writers there.

macy

A TV Tuesday Ten

What I'm Reading: The Devil and Miss Prym by Paolo Coelho

I don't watch much TV. I have immersed myself in NanoWriMo and have an impending trip to sea camp with more 13 year olds than I care to count, so my minimal TV watching will probably dwindle even more.

That said, I do love to escape in a really great show. I love getting addicted to one with such great storytelling that I'm helpless to pull myself away. I love that ones that make me want to do anything to make it home in time to see it.

I recently stumbled across a Tuesday Ten of Ten TV shows you'd like to have or already have on DVD. I thought it would be interesting to see if a girl who is hit or miss with TV could come up with ten.

Here goes:
1) Buff the Vampire Slayer. I'm a huge Buffy fan. I announced the other night at dinner that I'd like the first three seasons on DVD for Christmas. My husband chuckled. My teenager was agast.
2) Heroes. I've seen this enough to really want to see it more, but I'm so far outside the story now I won't be able to catch up without the first season DVD's.
3) Angel. As far as all-time favorite TV shows, it ranks just a little under Buffy (which is #1).
4) Felicity. Another show that I used to watch pretty regularly back in the day when I watched TV. I LOVED it.
5) Grey's Anatomy. Never seen it, but I've heard such great things I'm sure I could become a complete addict. (And Patrick Dempsey is a total hottie.)

So far, so good.....

6) Supernatural. It looks really interesting. I like fantasy. My husband has seen it a few times and likes it, so why not?
7) The Dead Zone (with Anthony Michael Hall). I did watch this back when I watched. Great premise and conflicts. Very sci-fi/fantasy.
8) Veronica Mars
9) My So-Called Life
10) Lost. Everyone who started with it seems to be continuing. That's a good sign.

I did it. Ten.

I'm tagging others, too. At least this will give you all an easy blog topic during Nano.
Dara, Alyson, Jacqueline, Julie and Mimidish -- you've been tagged.

Happy writing,
Macy