Asphodel Contest

Hey everyone--details to the right on my Asphodel release contest! Enter today!

Writing what you read, and reading what you write

What to think, what to think...

I sat down over the last couple of days and read the Asphodel series from beginning to end. It started when I went over my line edits for book one with a fine-toothed comb. Once I'd done that, I thought, "Hmm....I wonder how the rest of the story reads now that I've been away from it so long?

(A little background--although I'm well into book seven, I've taken about a year and half away from the whole project so I could concentrate on other things)

At any rate, so I read. And not wishing to toot my own horn, but I enjoyed it. Sure, there were boo-boos that really drove me nuts (my favorite at the moment is trying to "clam a horse". I'm not sure that's possible...) but for the most part I was able to put aside my writer's eye and view it from a reader's eye.

I was pleased. J.K. Rowling it ain't, but it worked for me.

I then started to think seriously about that. Why is it that I could read my own work and enjoy it? I should be horrified every time I pick up one of my stories. Other authors are. And, granted, nothing I write is ever *good enough*. Even in my published stuff, I'll run across phrases and cringe or get into a storyline and think to myself, "Where in the hell did that come from?" This was different. I actually was pulled in by the story. Lately, reading my own work has been a chore because of all of the little editing comments in the margins.

But that's work. That's polishing and refining in order to make the story better. Just reading for the fun of it should be different, right? Right?

Maybe it all boils down to this: I write what I like to read. The type of story I craft is instinctively the sort of story that, if I read the blurb on a book jacket in the bookstore, I would buy. Yes, so I'm sort of plebian in my tastes but what difference does that make? If the story is good, the cliches of the genre don't bother me. When you get right down to it, I actually embrace the cliches. After all, I was raised on Greek mythology--and that's where the cliches originated. I'm not out to impress the reader (and by proxy, myself) with my brilliance and my intellectual standards, although I daresay if I wanted to I could. I'm out to tell a story, a story that I find entertaining and hope that other people are entertained by as well. I'm not saying this is some sort of writing epiphany, but it does sort of box in my opinions about it.

Perhaps we should consider that the Celina Words Of Wisdom Du Jour.

And in other news, rereading Asphodel has reinspired me. Yesterday, I wrote 11k on Book 7. Another 30k should finish it, and then it's on to Book 8 for the grand finale.

And yes. nothing is as it seems.

And Then....There's This

I've been dealing with a lot of duality lately--not on purpose. It just happens that way. After the whole pissing off an atheist excursion, I received a lovely email from a reader in the UK who just read my first erotica book "Goddess' Revenge."

In the 18 months I've been buying ebooks, this is the first intelligent erotica I've read. The vast majority have too much sex and too little character development and plot, and while I enjoy reading a good sex scene, if it's not connected to the story then I get bored very quickly. In Goddess' Revenge, the love scenes are exquisite and very hot, each one different and each one building seamlessly into the plot.

Your characterisation is fantastic. Aphrodite comes off as a bitter old shrew, Eros is a lot more mature than Apuleius' version (this is a good thing, I thought he was a brat in Apuleius), and Psyche's naivety is very sweet. I loved the conversation between Eros and Pan, particularly when Eros threatens to make Pan fall in love with a slug or a sea urchin!

This story really does have it all. Great writing (you have a wonderful, eminently readable style), hot sex, an understanding of the myth and context, humour, and above all, it's intelligent. You don't talk down to your readers and this is something that I really appreciate. I appreciate it all the more with a mythological story because I used to teach Ancient History and Classical Studies at university. I'm sure my students would have preferred your version of the Eros and Psyche myth!

I saw on your website that you've had Bible-bashing hate mail from some idiots. Your replies gave me a good laugh (especially reply #1). In light of such ridiculous negative comments, I wanted to let you know that you have a very happy reader in the UK who appreciates what you've done with this classic tale and the way you did it.

Goddess' Revenge is an excellent story - this is the way I wish all erotic novellas were written.

Thanks for writing it. I'll definitely be buying the sequel.

Wow! What am I supposed to say to that? Gee golly gosh jeepers, after the whole atheist thing to get a lovely commendation like that? Wow, I'm in a good mood!

Offending an Atheist

Oh yippee.

How in the hell do I manage to get myself into these situations? Seriously.

I was posting on a writer's board yesterday, following a thread where a new writer is trying to figure out if his magic system works. I was genuinely trying to be helpful. See what you think:

The trick to writing magic is to make it believable...and I'm talking about YOU have to believe it. It's a pain in the wazoo to come up with every conceivable point and counterpoint about a magical system. Trust me; I feel your pain. Although you've proposed your system here and ther people say that it works for
them, if it completely worked for you, you wouldn't have posted the original
post. So........that being said.....For me, any time I've developed a magical
system I started off with a religious/mythological system. I (as the writer)
needed to know who the gods were, what they did, what they required, what their worship was blah blah blah. Your magical system may not have anything to do with the religious setup of your world. however, mages are considered *mystics* and that has religious conotations, as do the concepts of good and evil.

As you can see, I related what worked FOR ME. Thinking, in my ignorance, that this tidbit of personal experience might set off the eureka bells. Well, surprise, surprise. Someone else interjected the following as a response to my post:

As for the other point, as an atheist, I find the implication that good and evil only exist within a religious context quite insulting.


Uh, what? Did I just read that correctly? Did someone whom I have never interacted before actually just say that my worldbuilding techniques offend him? I don't mind the disagreement part; that's healthy and his point is valid. But the insult? Trust me, if I want to insult somebody I don't have a problem with that at all. I'm just usually MUCH more overt about it.



Hmmm. Interesting. If techniques I use for myself offend him, just imagine how offended he'll be by my response. This one might go on the Wall of Shame, actually.

It's a sad day when atheists are as touchy as fundamentalists. Since when did I have to be politically correct around an ATHEIST? Jesus Christ! Oh, excuse me...I mentioned a deity. Sorry about that. Don't want to offend.

*sigh*

Okay. I know you want to see it. I know you guys live for my explosions of temper.

Fair enough. However, if we're talking in a traditional epic fantasy context, then we're talking about worlds with gods and religions and other various hocus pocus. I'm an atheist as well, but that doesn't dilute my sense of what works. In your world, perhaps, the scientific method is the basis for your magical system. That's all fine and good and appropriate for you. However, in the worlds of Tolkien, Eddings, Carey, Lewis, Springer, McKillip, et cetera and so forth, that isn't the case. By the way, *name removed*, perhaps this will help from dictionary.com:
Quote:
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source mys·tic /ˈmɪstɪk/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mis-tik] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –adjective 1.involving or characterized by esoteric, otherworldly, or symbolic practices or content, as certain religious ceremonies and art; spiritually significant; ethereal. 2.of the nature of or pertaining to mysteries known only to the initiated: mystic rites. 3.of occult character, power, or significance: a mystic formula. 4.of obscure or mysterious character or significance. 5.of or pertaining to mystics or mysticism. –noun 6.a person who claims to attain, or believes in the possibility of attaining, insight into mysteries transcending ordinary human knowledge, as by direct communication with the divine or immediate intuition in a state of spiritual ecstasy. 7.a person initiated into religious mysteries. [Origin: 1275–1325; ME mystik <>

Seeing as my original quote was "mages are considered *mystics*" perhaps you wouldn't have been quite so insulted if you'd taken my post in context. I was, after all, discussing what works for ME when developing a magical system. I don't think that my personal experiences with world-building should be a basis for your sense of affront.

I love dictionary.com!

Yes, I know. Remarkably restrained for me. Still, I'm kind of peeved. I've managed to offend lots of different kinds of people throughout my life. Some of them I offended on purpose and really enjoyed doing it. Others I've offended by being to liberal. The march on the capitol protesting sodomy laws comes to mind. Hell, I've even offended through honesty before...okay MANY times before. But this? Am I missing a cog here? Is there any reason to find offense in my original post????

Well, the sun will soon stop shining. The tides will stop churning in. Up is now down, in is now out, and reality has fled to new universes. I am too politically incorrect to prevent myself from offending atheists. What's next, I ask you? Am I going to offend the SPCA for saving animals? No, wait! I know! I'll offend a fromagier because I have a thing of Velveeta in my fridge. No wait! I have a better one! I'll offend the entire state of Ohio because I said from the beginning that the Cavs would lose the finals badly. (okay so that one's true.)

Fact of the matter is, in this day and age pretty much anything you say is going to offend someone. All of you who know me are well aware of my thoughts on organized religion of the Judeo-Christian variety. To be set up as a defender of the faith is so ludicrous that I can't help but scratch my head.

Grow some skin, people, and make sure it's tough. For a long time, I always held those ideologies on the fringe in a great deal of esteem because they DIDN'T TELL ME HOW TO THINK OR ACT OR PORTRAY MYSELF. Apparently, those days are over.

The Bitch IS Back

I feel like an Elton John song. Not one of the oh-so-cheesy ones. One of the older ones. The good ones.

*hums to self*

I'm a bitch,
I'm a bitch,
Oh the bitch is back
Stone cold sober as a matter of fact...

Yep. Feeling just a little pleased. Not only are my WIPs cranking along nicely thank you (I can hit a completion today if I keep up at this pace) BUT I got another five heart review for the Shequanti from Love Romances and More (that's THREE for the three book series....excuse me while I call a doctor. I threw my spine out patting myself on the back) AND I entered the best first line contest at Samhainand made it to the second round. Not bad for a line that reads as follows: The only thing that could have brought her back to Vienna from her self-imposed exile was Mozart's death.

Yes, that's the first line of Requiem.

In other news, I am once again caught up on my edits for Asphodel, am lacking only two stories to get the Dragon's Den anthology to the editor for much-needed criticism, managed to send a slew of short stories out to be rejected, and went back to *gasp!* Darkshifters. At the moment, I thought I'd take a second to blog while eating popcorn and watching the Cavaliers play in the NBA Finals before getting back to the grind.

Oh, but how I love the grind!

Sometimes, life is good. I must admit, despite all of the potshots I take at my Muse, every once in a while she comes through for me. Now, if she can come through for me to the tune of about 10k more, I can get Apocalypse done and get cranking on something that interests me more. If I'm REALLY lucky, maybe I can take a day off and go to the lake...?

Nah.

Speculative Trends

Okay. I succumbed. I created a social network on Ning. It could be interesting, if nothing else, just to see what happens with it. Besides, I seriously doubt my daughter knows about it so maybe I won't be trapped in a Myspace war. *grin*

So I'm in the process of building the network, but it's functional. You can check it out at http://speculativetrends.ning.com/

Don't be shy! Go ahead and join! I'm sure there won't be any arguments on it at all.

Nooooo.

Asphodel Update and Character Notes

All righty then! As per some questioning emails I have received, I'm going to toss out some background information. Let's get down to brass tacks here.

The Asphodel series (both of them--snort!) has a very strong basis in Greco-Roman mythology, with some additional roots in Celtic, Egyptian, Summerian, and Phoenician lore. Whew! Now that I've established my academic bona fides, let's REALLY talk about it.

Asphodel is epic fantasy, pure and simple. I use many of the fantastical archetypes (see Joseph Campbell's work for examples and I promise that's the last brainy thing I'll say) but....and you knew there was a but....I, er, change them.

*grin*

In a nutshell, here's the series premise: what would happen IF you took the prissiest race in standard fantasy (Elves), warped their patriarchal society to suit your feminist needs, gave them a Greco-Roman pantheon at war and many mythological critters to fight (as well as making up some pretty cool new ones if I do say so myself), give them a magic system that's elemental (and kills them eventually) and then force them to refight the Trojan War? Oh but wait--here's the good part! The protagonist is a female...half-breed...very smartass sort of gal who single-handedly manages to revamp the political systems of both the Elven and human kingdoms, learns to lead men to war, and manages to be a dominant personality while surrounded by alpha males?

*bigger grin*

There are lots of fights, I must admit. Hence the title of this blog. After working on this project for five years, my elf-killing is, of necessity, becoming very, very creative. Still fun though.

Tamsen Ka'antira de Asphodel, my MC, is a life's work. My biggest problem with her is that I know her so well sometimes I forget that you guys don't. Hence this note from my editor:

This might be an area to share with the reader the limits of her
abilities...since she can make fire which isn't weather related (strictly) why
can't she make something else would run through a reader's mind.

Well, duh. You don't remember the two-sentence explanation of that in Chapter Two? *grumble, grumble*

Tamsen was designed to be complex. She's neither a stereotypical wringing-her-hands-and-waiting-to-be-rescued sort of fantasy heroine or a Xena wannabe. She's a fairly normal person save for the extraordinary power she's inherited, and she hasn't got a clue what she should do with that power. That's the crux of her character conflict. For the most part, Asphodel is Tamsen's story, and that story is full of duality. For every point there is a counterpoint, a different path, a completely new destiny with all of the ramifications of that.

She does have a sword...eventually. It's not a *magic* sword though, it's just a very pretty sword. She does have a lot of magical ability, a cross between human and Elven magic, but she can't control it and at times it seems to control her. She has an epic quest that she must follow, but that quest is more along the nature of Heracles and his labors than taking the ring to Mount Doom. The duality of her nature, determined by her two heritages, dictates the paths she must follow on her journey. She is essentially human, which infuriates the Elves around her, but as she evolves she must either accept or amend the strictures of the Elven society.

She's also a smartass who can take care of herself--except those occasions when she needs a little help.

I spent a lot of time developing the political and military situations. I will admit right here to swiping some of Caesar's maneuvers in both areas. The mythology and religion was fairly easy for me (thank you National Junior Classical League for appealing enough to my competitive nature to make me retain all of that information!) and after blending my classical knowledge with the rest of my world, the realms of Ansienne, Leselle, and Spesialle are fully developed and have histories of their own.

Go to my website Shoot The Muse! and check out the excerpt from the prologue. Let me know what you think.

More tomorrow.

So I had to shave the cat

For any cat fanciers out there, I'm sure you can feel my pain. I have a 23 pound long haired black cat named Dante. Dante is a sweetheart. He's affectionate without being pushy, which is difficult in this house, and he treats the little cats well. He's one of the two cats I bought. He was a kitten on sale because he was sick :( so we bought him and made him all better.

Hold on. Let me reiterate my main thought. TWENTY THREE POUNDS. LONG HAIR.

Get the picture?

At any rate, Dante's only drawback is that he isn't the cleanest cat in the world. I mean heck! That's a lot of hair to groom. So, every once in a while, for his health and my sanity (not to mention the preservation of my carpets) I have to shave the cat. Dante HATES being shaved. Hell, I hate shaving him. Thank god he's declawed. So today, after he leaves me a little present right in front of the cat box (thank you, you bastard) I took it upon myself to restrain the squirming, completely frantic feline and shave him down.

To the skin.

He has his ruff and a pouf on his tail (after all, it is summer and there are flies) and looks absolutely retarded. For those of you who don't know, a black cat does not have black skin. He looks like an Andy Warhol silkscreen. Then I had to bathe him. Imagine if you will popping a completely traumatized half-bald cat into a tub of soapy water (with skin agents, natch) and scrubbing him down. If nothing else, he does feel better now--at the moment he's running around with a toy mouse in his mouth.

I, on the other hand, am exhausted.

Oh, and the total word count last night? *grin* 9,430 words. Looks like the bitch is back.

Motivation Schmotivation

*winces*

Boy, that was a bad pun.

At any rate, as much as I preach about writing something every day, i find myself staring helplessly at the computer screen for hours at a time. Granted, lately I've been so involved with things outside of my writing and inarguably more important (life issues suck) but what in the HECK happened to my ability to block everything else out and just write?

Part of it may have disintegrated when I discovered that a hospital waiting room is not the best place to write erotica--particularly when the asshole sitting behind you is reading over your shoulder (pig) and THEN gets offended. Talk about a mood killer. Needless to say, I mad sure to sit in a corner with my back to the wall after that.

Part of it may have to do with the fact that I'd initially said I would not write on deadline this summer in an attempt to get my "real" writing rhythm back--then collapsed morally and agreed to do not one but two contracted stories. Sometimes I have the backbone of a wet lasagna noodle.

Part of it may have to do with the fact that I am pissed Nora Roberts has bobbleheads and I don't. *pout*

Most of it, I think, has to do with the fact that I inevitably have something else that HAS to be done: house cleaning, taking the brat to the doctor, weeding my garden, DOING ENDLESS EDITS, working on promo or websites.....almost ANYTHING that will keep me from sitting down and applying my brain to a particularly nasty plot snag or character development.

Then again, it may be that I spend so much time and effort right now on plot snags and character development that I just can't let myself go and just write. So, today I'm trying an experiment. The spousal unit is out of town on a business trip. I work this afternoon for four hours or so and get home around six. I think I'll ship the brat off for a night of frivolity and teeanged hedonism and take back my study. I have a goal today: I want to get 8k written before I go to bed. I've already set up all of my research materials and I'm going to head straight into work.

Eight thousand words. At my best, I could pull off 1500 words an hour; I'm being kind and saying only 1k per hour tonight...which will put me to bed at 2 a.m. *takes deep breath* I can do it. Stay tuned; I'll post results tomorrow.

Promo, Promo, Promo

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And now it's crunch time

After yet another emergency trip down south, I am now once again behind.

This really ticks me off. It's not like I TRY to get behind. I've had to be good in real life lately so that's made me bad in writing life. So I'm locking myself away until Saturday and getting everything done. *grin* Fortunately, I'm quick. That helps a lot.

So I have more edits due on Asphodel, which is looking like an end of June release, plus as much promo as I can drum up for it, plus another 28k due to Changeling inthe same amount of time, plus getting the anthology submission ready and forwarding it on to my editor, plus trying to get SOME new writing done just to be different. Nah, I'm not busy.

In other news, I watched a fascinating show on the History Channel last night about the legacy of Star Wars. (Yes, I take out two hours a day for shows I want to watch--so sue me) The show was an exploration of the mythic origins of the Star Wars story and how archetypal themes and characterizations make the story pertinent. I must admit, even with my background in mythology and folklore I was vastly unprepared to sit on my couch and say *Wow, I do that* for two hours. Granted, I haven't studied Joseph Campbell in a few years but the whole concept of the mythic journey of the hero must have remained subconciously in the back of my mind when I wrote the Asphodel books.

George Lucas watch out. *grin*

Just paint a target on my forehead....

Why is it that every time I express a strong opinion I get creamed for it? Is it illegal for me to be convinced of something to the point where I can be passionate about it without someone lobbing a dart at my head? Am I THAT intimidating?

For example, over the past week the health situation within my family has deteriorated significantly. I expressed ONE opinion about what should happen next when it comes time to make health care decisions and I was lambasted for it by an aunt I haven't seen in ten years. Do you know what it's like to get a phone call EARLY one morning with someone squawking words like *ungrateful* *unfeeling* and *unsympathetic* at you? I mean, Jesus H. Christ! Come off it lady! You're just pissed because I'm in a position where my opinion counts and you are shunted off to the side as irrelevant.

Get a clue.

The upside of hospital waiting room for days on end is IF you have all of your edits downloaded you can get them ALL done.

*smirk*

Although sitting in a waiting room with screaming kids and daytime talk shows isn't the ideal environment for doing rewrites, it sure beats the alternative. I never cared much for Reader's Digest Condensed books. Too short.

So, on my latest first day back, I think I'll work on some short stories that fell by the wayside over the last few months and get some new submissions out there. Anything would be better than letting my head be used as a dartboard. *sigh* Just wait until I turn away and then aim for my back.

Someone stop the world, please

Jesus. Has it really been that long? Yep, it has. I haven't written a WORD in three weeks. Naturally, that will change today, but for the moment it's kind of....refreshing.

Refreshed is a good word to use here. Today, I WANT to write. Oh sure, I was able to jot down some stuff while sitting in the ICU waiting room for endless days on end.

Ideas, mostly; a few snippets of conversation or character sketches. I amused myself one day for hours and developed a whole new world to play with---no characters yet, but I'm working on it. Or at least, I will....if I can ever get caught up with my edits.

*pauses for semi-hysterical laughter*

Yeah. Like that will happen. I'll never get caught up. Never. Yes, I realize that is negative. I thrive on negativity. It goads me. Leave me alone; I'll never change.

So anyway, I'm back. Spidey 3 is out (no I haven't seen it. do you think I have time for a movie?) and Pirates will be out soon and we're only a couple of months away from the last Harry Potter book. I've got my schedule cleared (barring any more family emergencies) and I'm getting ready to really settle into a hefty writing stretch. Then we'll see what happens.

Of course, it would be a lot easier if someone stopped the world and let my life catch up.