RT 2009…………

The topic of conversation this week is RT 2009.

Yes, I admit I was a virgin to RT and I was totally blown away with the energy at this convention. Fairy Balls, vampires and hot men…Oh My!

I got to meet friends I talked to on-line and there is always that moment, of OMG will they like me, will they be the same on-line. And let me tell you – they weren’t…THEY WERE BETTER!!!

We were like the four musketeers. Very seldom did you see LKap without Vicki, Munk and Sue, and I loved every minute of it. And I can’t wait to do it again. Once I catch up on my sleep that is.

There was a special breakfast for Wicked Writers and the energy was so charged – even at that time of the morning. So to name drop just a little , our breakfast consisted of sharing a meal with Shayla Black, Sasha White, Sylvia Day, Cathryn Fox, Mackenzie McKade, and Karin Tabke. Talk about being star struck. Authors are my rock stars, so I was in heaven. Even though I have talked to almost all of these authors on line it is so not the same as sitting next to them and sharing a meal, or two. Let me tell you, if you don't know them - shame on you, because they all rock really hard as people and authors - run and get their books - I'll wait. *whistle, whistle, whistle*

Okay one more thing about RT, 'cause it was cool ....

Smart Bitches twittered about V and I – How cool is that! All because we gave her a pen when she needed it. Sarah was so cool too.

I now completely believe in this rule: Don’t stress.

Why you say.

Because I went to this convention for a girls weekend away, to have breakfast and to go to a book signing. That’s all, nothing else. I came away with wonderful memories, awesome new friends – some authors, some not, and memories that will stick with me forever. There is some other stuff, but that’s for a later date ;-)

Hugs
Xoxo

LKap

RT Pics On Romantic Reads and Two, Count Them Two Releases

Two favorite author's books are releasing today.

Sylvia Day


and Angie Fox.

Very excited for both of these books and yep, I've already have them. Woot!!!

Since I haven't put my pics up yet, you can check out the ones on Romantic Reads

My camera takes huge pictures. Which means I have to edit them before I can put them on the blog. Have you noticed that editing seems to be a way of life for those of us who write. :)

I'll have them up soon my pretties, soon.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

RT09 Was A Blast

Sleep deprived, voice is going, laundry is piled up (again), and the cupboards are bare, but it was worth it all. RT09 ROCKED!

I promise, picture by the end of the week. ;)

Those of you I spent time with or saw for just a moment…I already miss you and can’t wait till the next time we’re together.

More this week…

WW’s and PD’s,
Vicki

Heading to RT....

So, as V said, we are heading to RT tonight. And can I tell you as of right this minute I have yet to pack one thing. My toes need to be painted. I need to find the 3 books I want to take to be signed and oh yeah, I need to put gas in the car. WHEW.

Where did the time go?!

I get it we live in FL and Orlando is less than 2 hours away, but really…not packed. Personally I’m of the belief that going away for a weekend is worse than going away for a week to a far away destination.

Not sure why that is and if someone wants to give me their theories I will certainly listen with very open ears.

Oh and another thing – the house is a mess. And I feel very compelled to clean it—which, is so not going to happen. HHB and princess will be home, but there is a part of me that knows they won’t do anything. I had to start a list of items they had to get at the store because they won’t think about T-P if I don’t tell them we are out.

Goodness will we even make it in time?

Got any suggestions to help my anxiety level go down? Le me know.

Have a great weekend and we’ll talk to you next week.

Xoxo
L

Getting Ready for RT

L and I are leaving tomorrow night for RT. We're not actually attending the conference this year, but going for the signing on Saturday and meeting up online friends that we never get to spend face time with, as well as those who we see at chapter meetings.

Then there are the guys. You can check them out here on Leah Hultenschmidt's, Romantic Reads blog.

Trust me on this one, go check them out. :)

A fun relaxing weekend and I can't wait.

So, are any of you going? Let us know and we'll try to catch up with each other.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Elissa Wilds - X-Posted

We’ve got Elissa Wilds in the house today. Woot!!! I’m really excited to have her with us and to be giving away Between Light and Dark (you can read the excerpt on the link) as this months must read.

Waiting for the book to release seemed like forever, and then once I had it in my hot little hands I couldn’t put it down. :)

Needless to say I’m chomping at the bit for Darkness Rising (again, you can read the excerpt by clicking the link).

Okay, if you’re ready, here goes:

Me: How did you get started writing and have you always written paranormal?

Elissa: Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved to read. The library was my favorite place. (now it’s a toss up between the library and bookstores!) I always had my nose in a book. When I was around eight or nine, I started to think about how I would change a particular story I read. Or how I would continue the story if I were the author. So, I began to write stories of my own. When I was a teenager, I penned ongoing sagas with my friends as the main characters. Each week, they’d get another installment and I knew better than to be late, or they’d be very angry with me! Of course, in addition to traveling to exotic locales, meeting famous people, and buying cool stuff, my fictional friends also got to date different guys. I had a ball pairing them up with the hottest guy in school, or making them get back together with their (real life) exes, or even better – hooking them up with the geekiest guy in class. So, romance was part of my writing early on.

And as for paranormal, the first couple books I wrote (now gathering dust under my bed) were not paranormal but straight contemporary romance. It wasn’t until I began to work on my third book that – duh – it occurred to me that what was missing was something magickal. After all, I spent my free time reading either romance or metaphysical non-fiction books. It suddenly dawned on me to combine the two. And now, I don’t have any desire to write anything that doesn’t have a magickal slant!

Me: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Elissa: I’m more of a plotter. First, I decide the theme of the book. In the Hidden Circle Coven books the theme is a tried and true: good vs. evil – in this case, witches (on Earth) and gods (in the Light Realm) working together to save both mankind and the gods. There is also an ongoing secondary theme having to do with the balance between the light and dark in all living things. Sort of the ying/yang theory. Once I have a theme down, I decide the overarching plot – who are the bad guys, what is their motivation, who are the good guys, their motivation, why are my hero and heroine integral to the fight, what do they bring to the table, etc. I then determine the hero and heroine’s own personal growth arc – what are their strengths, weaknesses, and how are they going to grow as people through the battle - and most importantly, through their relationship with each other. I then determine the major plot points – you know, the inciting incident, the black moment, etc. Now, when your publisher asks for a synopsis, you do have to fill in the blanks a bit more than that. So, I do come up with some ideas for how to get from point a to point b while working the synopsis. However, my final product, aside from the major plot points, does often evolve a bit by the end of the book. I enjoy seeing what happens in each scene, and how my characters reveal themselves to me as I go. I have a general idea of who my characters are when I begin, but their quirks, their personal style and such appear as I write them. For example, in Darkness Rising, I didn’t plan for Aurora to have artistic talent, but she does.

I hear of writers who sell based on an idea alone. In theory, I would love that because it would mean I could already be under contract when I start writing the book, rather than having to go through the proposal process. (My time is limited and I’d much rather be writing under contract always!) However, being forced to pen those first few chapters and a synopsis from the get go has made it easier for me to jump right in to the book and make it happen once I’m on a deadline.

To finish reading the interview click here. This is one interview you don't want to miss a single word of.

I know I've already thanked you Elissa, but thanks again and I can't wait for the next release.

Leave your comments and/or questions over on the other blog post for Elissa. And if you come back and leave a comment here as well there's a little surprise for someone. :) heehee

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Time...Where Does It Go

Am I the only one that feels like time is not my friend? Lately there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done. And that's not even counting my writing. Okay, or visiting the blogs I love to visit.

It's like something has taken over the twenty four hours and sucked half of it into a vortex.

Each day I make my list of must do's and before this was no problem accomplishing all of them. Now I'm making a list of must do's and try to get to do's. It's crazy.

Yes, I'm writing. Not as much as I want or need to right now. My emails are piling up and I find myself hitting delete more often since they're outdated and thank god L keeps me up to date with what's happening on the loops we're both on. With the exception of TARA, our chapter loop. That one I stay current on.

The day job is busy. Busier than normal, but that's cool. I'd rather be very busy at work than not.

And of course as you know I have become a Twilight junkie (late in the game). I started New Moon on Friday night and finished it on Saturday night. So yes, that took some of my time. But that doesn't count. Or at least to me it doesn't. As writer's we have to refill the creative well and reading is the best way to do so. Not taking anything from the books we read, but by spending time reading it's amazing how your own creative juices start to flow.

Or your cp's characters decide to tell you something in the middle of reading. Totally different type of book and yet there they where, in my head, showing me a scene to give to L. Well, that's not totally true. She already had the scene, they just added a couple of things to it.

Anyway, back to time. Am I the only one who's feeling it right now, or are you going through the same thing? And how do we pull it back out of the vortex? Any ideas?

WW's and PD's,

Vicki

Are You Part Demon Slayer? Angie Fox's Quiz has your answers

74%

Angie's book release on April 28th and this quiz is great. Check it out on her site. You never know what can happen when you're visiting there.

Of course we'll be spreading the love for her newest release next week.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Thursday Thirteen….and also Friday... ;-)

Thanks V for the idea, cause my mind is mush these days.

Lines from my WIP’s (work in progress) – hope you like them. BTW, these are in no particular order of my favorites. ;-)


1.
He sniffed the air, keeping his dark eyes on her. “Smells like you’re in heat. I can help you out with that before you leave.”
2.
Damn egotistical, arrogant, self centered…cowboy.
3.
Come on in. The beer’s cold and the men and women are the hottest in town.
4.
“Danny, once we’re married I can tell you all my secrets.”
5.
Legs flopping over the side of the bed, she wished just once to wake up, and not feel like she'd been thoroughly laid and still so unsatisfied.
6.
So why did I feel like I was slowly dying from the inside out?
7.
He was the reason why she couldn’t look at a man in a cowboy hat without panting. Damn him.
8.
Oh save me from self-righteous humans, Fiona thought.
9.
“So you’re having porn dreams, everybody does. What’s the big deal?”
10.
“I don’t understand why you insist on doing tasks like a human. We’re Gods for crying out loud."
11.
The flash of a camera caught her coyly smiling at him.
“What was that for?”
He stuck his hand towards her. “I’m Leroy Cavendish. I want to remember exactly what you looked like the night I finally met you.”
12.
I need to get laid.
13.
“The hell you didn’t just do that to me? Cat, I suggest you change back before I tranquilize your ass and have you neutered.

Let me know if you have a favorite ;-)

HUGS!!!
Laurie

Danger – That’s What Spring Means to Me

Don’t get me wrong. I love spring. Living in Florida, we still have green most the year round, but I still love seeing the flowers blooming and going to Lowes to buy new flowers for planting. Science Guy will tell you I don’t have much of a green thumb, but I like to try.

But what about the danger?

My mom was/is Mrs. Clean incarnate. I could give you examples but that’s another post entirely. I’ll just leave it at the house was always spotless. Cleaning over clean was/is her motto.

Me, I love a clean house. I love things to be where they belong, I love…okay, who am I kidding? I really do love all of the above and try to keep it that way, until life decides I’m too busy.

So what about the danger? I’m almost there.

Things pile up, dusting needs to be done, and closets need to be straightened. I’m going crazy since I want it to be magazine perfect, but don’t have time or energy right now.

All of a sudden Spring hits the air and it’s like my mom takes over my body. I’m ready to clean everything, everywhere. And what is the easiest way to clean? Throw it out. Oh yeah, throw it away.

Many a time, there have been fingers looking through the jumbo black garbage bags carefully to not let catch them pulling out the things they know we need.

My motto? Click here to find out over on Everybody Needs A Little Romance.

Then let us know what spring is like for you.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Chocolate Bunny Highs and the Newsletter Contest Winner

It’s time for a ramble from V. Way busy weekend and sitting down to write the blog, vision of…well, read on, you’ll get it. :)

Oh yeah, chocolate bunny’s galore for Easter. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some drive little sporty cars, while others smile demurely, holding a painted flower bouquet.

They still melt in your mouth and give you that close your eyes, mmmm sigh.

Being writer’s its only natural for us to gravitate toward to the chocolate bunnies. We really do eat chocolate. :) No matter how hard we try, we find ourselves winding through the isle with thoughts of, I’ll just look real quick. Or I’ve got to make the baskets, why not pick up one extra bunny. Have you seen the one with the really really long ears? Chocolate goodness to savor for days.

Which made me think about our hero’s. They come from different walks of life, some drive sporty cars, some ride horses, some are surgeons…Okay, sounds like doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief, from back in the childhood days.

The thing is no matter what they look like, what they drive, or what they do for a living, there is one common thread.

They’re all yummy. Maybe he’s not in the beginning or maybe he is right from the start. Either way, by the time you finish the book, you’ve hopefully had lots of mmmm and sigh moments with your hero. He’s the yummy.

Now, for the winner of the first quarterly VLN newsletter contest. The one that’s only for those subscribed to the newsletter.

Munk!! Please choose your choice of any one of the books on the list from the contest. The delivery is subject to release date. Email you’re info to vickilanewrites@yahoo.com and/or LaurieKap@yahoo.com

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki

Happy Easter

Everything

I Need to Know,

I Learned

from the Easter Bunny...

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Walk softly and carry a big carrot.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

There's no such thing as too much candy.

All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day..

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans.

Good things come in small-sugarcoated packages.

The grass is greener in someone else's basket.

An Easter bonnet can cover the wildest hare.


To show your true colors, you have to come out of your shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, finds lot's of eggs (filled with chocolate and/or the Golden Egg), and enjoys time with family and friends.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Soundtracks….

This was a subject of conversation the other day between myself and Tara, my Beta reader (she reads my WIP’s for consistency and plot holes).

She believes our lives have soundtracks – just like movies do. In a sense I agree with her, because music is HUGE for me. I use music for everything. It will trigger an idea for a new book, it will keep me attached to a movie (yes, right now it’s Twilight and Rob Pattinson’s song (Never Think)-I Love IT!).

Okay I'm drooling and digressing…

Want to know how to tell my mood?

Hyper good mood = Hard Rock, Alternative
Party mood = Rock, Rap or R&B
Sexy mood = Jazz, slow R&B
Nostalgic = Country, Southern Rock, 80’s & 90’s rock
Calm or need to be Calm = Opera, Classical

Sounds like I have multiple personalities doesn’t it…I’m extremely eclectic when it comes to music.

So when we were discussing a new idea I have for a book – or rather a book I’ve already written, but changing the genre on it, she mentioned that I needed to have a soundtrack for it. She believes books should have soundtracks too – No stealing, this is Tara’s idea, so she should get royalties – LOL. So anyway, she was giving me ideas, which were all good. But I can’t hear it yet – she can obviously.

There are a lot of writers I know that write and listen to music. I’m not one of them. Hell I can barely walk and chew gum – LOL.

Typically I need complete quiet. A song can spur an idea and I’ll listen to the song often to get the thought/feeling back, but I can’t write to it. She on the other hand listens to music doing everything and I’m sure she has the soundtrack to my book already in her iPod.

So this got me to thinking about life and if I had to make a soundtrack for my life what would it look like. I’ve compiled a few songs that I still love to this day even if I don’t always listen to that artist much, but hold great memories for me.

What would the soundtrack for my life look like?

Sister Christian (Night Ranger), Jessie’s Girl (Rick Springfield), Give me Three Steps (Lynard Skynard), Sara Smiles (Hall & Oats), Living on a Prayer (Bon Jovi), Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne), Paradise by the Dashboard Light (Meat Loaf), The Prayer – Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion, There’s Only One Way to Rock (Sammy Hagar), Memory (Cat’s Soundtrack).

This by the way would only be Vol. #1 ;-)

What does your life soundtrack look like?

Adam Lambert - The Song Most of Us Didn't See

In case you didn't get to see this last night, since most of us Tivo and the time ran out.

Adam Lambert's Mad World. He is amazing!!!

Okay, so apparently YouTube doesn't have the video now, so here's the link to see it on American Idol's site.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Twitter Fun X-Posted

Yep, My name is Vicki and I’m a twitter junkie. Okay, that isn’t totally the truth. But I’m well on my way.

I started late in the game (about a month ago), and like most things computer related, I decided to figure it out as I went along. Thankfully it isn’t that hard. Except I wasn’t sure when I responded to someone, if it would be on their Twitter page or mine. It’s theirs.

At first I didn’t get it. So you put a sentence or two about what you’re doing or about nothing really at all. My first thoughts were why would we do this and why would we read it? But we do. A lot.

You can read the rest of this at Everybody Needs A Little Romance

And wow, already several people have emailed their answers for the contest in the newsletter. Way cool. :) If you haven't signed up for it, you can on the sidebar at the top left. L and I even interviewed each other. Heehee...that was fun.

So, what about you? Do you Twitter? Do you get it or are you like I was?

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki

Twilight – Late into the Game, But I’m Hooked

I guess you can tell by the title of the blog what I’m going to talk about. Twilight. Yep, most of you have seen the movie and devoured the books, clamoring for the next.

Me, I have the first book (and I’ve order the others), but I hadn’t read it yet. I know, you’re wondering what is wrong with me and have I been living on another planet.

Yeah, well, now that I’ve seen the movie, I’m thinking you may be right. Stephenie Meyer has wonderful twist in the Vampire world. Even down to being or not being in the sun. And then there’s this baseball game. OMG, that was amazing.

I’m reading the book and though some may think I’m doing it in the wrong order, it worked for me. I have them in my head. And yes, there will still be surprises. Like what was actually going through their thoughts when they lay on the grass just looking at each other.

This is a movie and I’m sure a book I’ll want to see/read again.

What about you? Have you read the book(s)? Seen the movie? Are you hooked like me?

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,

Vicki

It's Out

Just sent out the newsletter. The contest is sweet and there's a treat.

Seriously, Yahoo is having hiccups today or so it would seem, so if you're subscribed and don't receive it, email me at vickilanewrites@yahoo.com and I'll send it directly to you. I don't want anyone on the group to miss out on the contest. It's only for you guys. :)

See ya tomorrow,

Vicki

VLN Goes Out Tomorrow

The first quarterly newsletter goes out tomorrow to everyone who's subscribed. There's an interview with L and V, upcoming releases of some of your fav authors and perhaps a few you might not know about.

And there's a fun contest inside. What does the winner receive? Sign up today and find out tomorrow. Heehee...

Happy Saturday everyone.

WW's and PD's,
Vicki

Economy….

I promise I won’t get on my high horse...too much. But this economy is sucking the life out of me. And I’m sure everyone else as well.

It’s not just the U.S. that is seeing this downfall – it’s around the world. I have talked to friends all over the world and the unemployment rate is astronomical. In fact one of the oldest jewelry factories in Italy closed this week – now that’s huge. A large commodity based business—closed!

This hit home to me when I went to purchase an item that has a “Sin” tax now. What was once almost $40 is now almost $60. This increase happened all in the matter of a month. And will ultimately cause me to no longer buy this product – I can’t afford it! So this “Sin” tax that is applied to a product, is ridiculous in my mind, because that’s like saying there should be a "food sin tax" for anorexics – to them eating is a sin right?

Really, I’m not making light of that disorder – I’m a survivor of it myself and have obviously overcome my fear of food (to some degree), but come on, a sin tax – next thing you know they’ll be charging me to have sex with my HHB. Not that it wouldn’t be worth it mind you, but let’s be realistic, don't I already put up with enough....LOL

Huh....? I wonder if prostitutes will have to charge tax now? Makes you think huh?!?!

So I’m throwing my leg over the butt end and down from my high horse.

Tell me, have you changed the way you spend, or given up something you didn't want to?