Boo!! The Night of Tricks or Treats

Yesterday, L talked about not really liking this month so much anymore and I have to say I’m with her for the most part. I’m not a horror flick girl either. I saw the first Jason movie way back in the day and still it haunts me. Really, it does.

And Scream? Yeah, no way. I tried to watch it. After about 10 minutes I had to stop it. At the time I worked in a high school and the kids there told me the entire movie (once they stopped laughing at how scared it had made me), so I could go back and watch it. Nothing should scare me since I knew what was coming. Again, not so much. It was in the middle of the day and I was only about 20 minutes in when the scene where the parents come home to find the popcorn burning on the stove and the mother hears her daughter’s voice on the end of the phone. I won’t go any further, if you’ve seen the movie you know what happens and if not then you might be like me and not really need the visual in your head.

What I do like about Halloween is dressing up. Right now (I know it’s Friday, but we can dress up at work), I’m wearing a wicked shirt, black fingernails, black lipstick, lot’s of makeup, skull shoes, and a skull necklace. It’ not my best costume, but it’s fun. Here’s a pick of one of my favorites. Of course it’s pretty much just my face, but I loved the makeup.

The kids dressing up and trick or treating is always fun. Unfortunately it’s not quite the same as it was back in the day, but it’s still fun.

Here’s one of my favorite memories:

When I was a little girl one of the radio stations in my area always picked a house to be the spook house. No one knew where the house was other than the clues they’d give on the radio. The first person to actually identify the house as the spook house won a big prize.

Well, we were chosen when I was six. Instead of going out trick or treating that year I stayed at the house to help hand out fists full of candy to the people coming. The station provided us with the candy and of course the DJ’s were there as well. It was so cool. They had someone come and decorate the house to make it really spooky looking and even though I didn’t go out I had a blast.
Back then the adults went T&Ting as well, just to find the house and win. But it was different than today’s times. You didn’t worry if a bunch of adult came to your house dressed in costumes complete with mask.

And I got to be a fairy princess with my very own tiara. The flowing pink dress and ballet shoes were beautiful. Of course for those who know me, I had to be at the door and I wanted to be called Princess V. Heehee, yeah, my mom didn’t think so. I was and always will be Vicki, but I guess when you’re hyped up on loads of chocolate it’s okay.

So what about you? Any fun Halloween memories?

Hope everyone has a great weekend and finds many treats. And the pumpkin craving wouldn't be complete with out this one. :)

Bahhhahahha,
Vicki

Interesting Realization…….. Oh and a Halloween Treat

So as I sit here and try to think of something other than my book to write that you might be interested in reading. I’ve realized that I really do not like October. Yes as a whole. And yes that includes Halloween.

How is that you ask?

Well even though I love paranormal. I loathe scary. Which if you watch any amount of cable network programming there is nothing but scare the pants off you movies. Can’t do it—I’m way to visual. Okay so I can’t read it either—again with the visual mind games that I do to myself.

I used to love the Halloween parties, the dressing up, the taking my daughter trick or treating. But now I stay at home—so no dress up, no parties, no trick or treating. You don't have to think it, I'll say it - yes, I'm quite boring these days
:-)

So since it’s so close to Halloween and most of us are too old to go out and get goodies – I’m bringing them to you. And how fitting is it that it's a paranormal romance and one of my favorite series out there.

It just so happens that a close friend of mine, Shayla Black, released book 3 of the Brethren series, Possess Me at Midnight, this week and to show my support I’m giving away her book in my bag o’ treats.

Here’s what you’ll win:

Read the exerpt: here



Now here are the rules:
For your treat, I need a trick. Okay get your head out of the gutter (oh was it just me). Seriously, I want to know your favorite Brethren brother, and why (what is it that pulls you to that character).

Mine? Oh so hard to choose. Ice - which PMAM happens to be about (Yum-O), then there's Shock (good/bad, I don't know either, but boy can he do them both well). Then there's Duke - hummm...I seem to be indecisive.

Well since I can't make up my mind have fun learning about them on Shayla's site and let me know yours.

11/1 Contest is now closed!!!

Winner of the Surprise Box O’ Books is….Oh yeah, and a really cool contest

The winner for last week’s contest, who will win a surprise books of books (at least 4, maybe more), is….Liza!!! Email me your snail mail addy at vickilanewrites @yahoo.com. Please put in the subject line Blog Winner.

I’ll get the books out to you on Saturday. If I don’t hear from you by Friday, I’ll choose another winner.

Also, could Violet please contact me at the same email address above? :) Sometimes, a second type of surprise is in order. Heehee, it is the month of treats, right.

There’s a really cool contest happening this Wednesday over on Lori Brighton’s blog.

To enter you’ll leave your first chapter of your finished (or very close to finished) manuscript in the comments. After that 20 people will be chosen to continue on and they be sending their first pages. There’s more but you can find the rules (in case I’ve said anything incorrect) over on Lori’s blog

And the ultimate winner will have their first 3 chapters read by Megan Records of Kensington Publishing! How freakin’ cook is that!!!

You must be unpublished in print form to enter, so epubs, get your stuff in this contest.

So, what are you waiting for? Go check it out and come back and let us know if you think you’re going to enter it?

Me? Ummm…yes. This is a great way to get in front of an editor.

xoxoxo,
Vicki

Tessa Dare is Blogging and Giving Away A Book

I'll be back some time this weekend to choose the winner of our surprise book giveaway, but in the mean time, check this out.

Tessa Dare is over at the group blog I'm on and she's talking about lying...can you? Can you do with a poker face?

And, she's giving a copy of her latest book. You can click here and read the post, then leave a comment to win. Also, the comments left all week, including today still count towards the surprise giveaway.

Hugs,
Vicki

Surprise Book(s) Giveaway

Before I begin today's actual post, I'd like to say thank you for all of the well wishes and prayers for Science Guy. And for those who might not have known and wondered where I was all last week, well Science Guy gave us quite a scare last Friday. He ended being in the hospital for four days and after many test and x-rays they determined that he had a TIA (mini stroke).

He was very fortunate and this was a wake up call to take better care of his health. Now we're going for walk, and watching that dreaded salt in take and yes first child, he's quiting smoking. Or at least he's working very hard on it.

Okay, now for today's post. Since I've been extremely busy with SG and being back to work, I've decided to a contest this week for a box of books. There'll be no less than 4, but it could be up to 10. All you have to do is leave a comment to be entered.

Well, maybe that's not all you have to do. How about you tell L and I about something that's your favorite. It can be a seasonal thing, a back in the day the thing, a vacation thing...you get the picture.

xoxoxo,
Vicki

Is It Thursday Already....

As I sit here, I know it is. But I've been so busy and have barely accomplished anything that I can't believe it's almost the weekend yet again.

I've been fighting a migraine for the past week now, so it seems at times things stand still. Except when it's time to work on my book edits. Then time flies and nothing much gets accomplished.

Where does the time go?

And it's October - hello, when did that happen?

It's so hard to tell with the Florida heat what month it is, because we don't have the usual fall (which ironically is my favorite time of the year), we have hot, hotter and hottest months of the year. Not seasons.

So since I'm on the subject of time - tell me what is your favorite day of the week and your favorite time of year.

Mine: well I really like Friday's usually and of course as I said Fall is my favorite season.

Now it's your turn.

XOXOXO
LKAP

Uglies Series - Late But Loving It

Yep, I’m late to the party. Again. This time, I’m not even fashionably late. You know, like with the clean up crew who are sweeping up confetti and there’s nothing left to nibble on. Not even peanuts. Yeah, that’s where I am.

When Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies, the first book in
the series came out, I didn’t think I wanted to read it. Do not throw things. It’s hard on the computer screen and even with an interface ring you won’t make it all the way to me.

I’d read all the raving reviews, but still, I just didn’t think this was a book for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love YA books, but this was a little SciFi and, well…I don’t know other than that. Very bogus excuse. I get it.

But, before you start feeling all sorry for me, (you were going to feel sorry for me, right?), don’t. I may be late, but guess what? I found out the party is still going on. In fact, from what I can tell, the party is still totally bubbly. (If you haven’t read the book, that makes no sense, I get it).

So there I was in Borders and not only where the books in plain sight, but they had great real estate in the bookstore. My hands trembled as I reached for the first book. Here I’d said I didn’t want to read them, but my fingers where itching to pick up the book.

Here’s what I read on the backcover for Uglies:

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

Sitting next to it was Pretties and here’s the backcover blurb:

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.
But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important.

Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.

Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.

Yeah, I was hooked. Still, I only picked up the first two. You know, just in case. Silly me. So not a bubbly thing to do.

I read Uglies in four days. And Pretties? Two days. The books are amazing. You figured I’d say that much, I’m sure. His world building is fabulous and I totally feel I’m there. The characters are alive and although they don’t overshadow Tally, the main character, they’re still very much on the forefront and you care about them as well.

So what’s the problem? Hello, did you read the above? I only bought the first two. I even thought, somewhere around the middle of Pretties that it was okay. I love the books, but I don’t really have to read the third one, Specials. Yeah right.

I can't wait to open this book and find myself in the world of the Uglies, Pretties, Crims, Cutters, Smokes, N Smokes, and oh yeah, the Specials.

Here’s the thing, if you haven’t read them then you don’t totally understand, but the author has amazing hooks. Sure he ends each book, the major conflict of that particular plot is resolved, but it’s the last line. Always the last line that leads you hanging. Just enough that you can’t wait to open page one of the next book.

Yep, he’s real good. And he has a new book Leviathan releasing today.

So, what about you? Have you read them already? What did you think? If not, what’s your favorite YA book? Go ahead and recommend.

Writing Wishes and Plotting Dreams,
Vicki

Out of Retrograde……

This is a very important statement to a lot of people, me included. I had no idea we were in retrograde in the beginning, but it was pretty obvious by the amount of jerks I was encountering. Now I can handle most jerks, most times but Mercury was in retrograde for almost the entire month of September – even I can’t take that much. Funny thing is – I can’t tell the difference if we’re in or out these days. And by the four (4) different horoscopes I found for myself it’s no wonder.

1) Your willingness to trust a friend or partner can land you in trouble today. It's not that anyone will purposefully mislead you or give you bad advice. It's just that everything might seem better than it is in reality. Accepting that your judgment might be slightly hampered now can be exactly what you need in order to regain a proper perspective.

2) Your friends will sustain you through a difficult time. You'd do the same for them. Expect some stress today -- but mostly coming from other people! Their moods are not in sync with yours, and they are likely to overreact to the smallest disagreements. Let them roil.

3) Your actions are spurred on today by a strong desire to bring more of the fantasy realm into your own reality, dear Leo. You may discover that there is an intense nagging for you to bring a sense of the obscure to the normal, everyday realm in order to illustrate to people that life is really just one big comedy act. Encourage others not to take it so seriously, and be creative in your approach to helping people lighten up.

4) Time for a state of the soul check.

How much stock do you take in horoscopes? Read everyday? Have to hear it on the radio every day? Could care less? Let me know.

Have a great day!
XOXOXO
LKAP