First, for the pet lovers. Isn't this a cute little pillow for your pooch?

 (I think this is a good clue that we aren't at Walmart.)

Maybe you're a foodie? How does this look. (Yes, I am a chocoholic.)


Has anyone guessed yet? Still in the food department. One of these chefs actually does sing Italian opera while working. We did purchase food while listening to him, so maybe it is an effective sales method.

Okay, none of these clues is a dead giveaway. So I'll give you some actual shots of the store itself.

First, one of the sales floors. Beneath it, the Egyptian Stairway.

Some interesting facts about this store: They have a dress code to enter. (Yes, they are willing to be picky about taking your money.) You can't wear spaghetti straps. You can't wear a backpack on your back. And you can't shop in groups of more than four (which ruled out our family shopping together). Also, there are places in the store where you aren't allowed to take photos.

So, who knows what store this is?

Edits are TERRIFIC! I love editing. It means that the book is nearly, nearly done. And that's the exciting part!

I just finished and turned in and had The SEAL in Wolf's Clothing approved!!! Final line edits will come later. But the big part is done. And I just finished and turned in final line edits for DREAMING OF THE WOLF!!!




And now I'm working on the long synopsis for marketing for The SEAL in Wolf's Clothing and will turn that in today. I can't wait to see the cover for the SEAL book either. They're still working on it!

And I'm working on final edits on A GHOST OF A CHANCE AT LOVE for the first half of the book.


And I've got to get the newsletter ready to go.

And I have to write my blog posts for today.

But back to edits--it's so much fun reading the book one last time after working for months on it, and then turning it in, then editing it after receiving editorial notes, getting approval, and then working on the final line edits. At that point, there's nothing major to do. Just minor--I used the same word twice in a sentence, or Jake called to tell the lingerie store owner he needed her to open up her shop late that night so he could buy some items, and later I have where she's surprised to see him there.

So little things like that. Are you wondering why Jake Silver would be in one of those sexy lingerie shops in the middle of the night in DREAMING OF THE WOLF???

The wonderful thing about final line edits is that the book is essentially done. And it's beautiful. I'm not rewriting, adding to it...it's just fun to read at this point. And it's the last time I will before the book is published.

Oh sure, I'll read it again before that time as I work on Tom's story to ensure that everything fits with the rest of the pack and Silver Town politics, etc. But it's more of a read bits and pieces, not read from beginning to end just like a reader would who gets to enjoy the story.

Okay, I'll give you a clue about what Jake bought in the store--red lingerie. Does she wear red? He's never seen her in it, but he knows she'll look great in red. What does the owner of the shop think? The werewolf is highly amused. Jake's never even been in her store before.

So you see why I missed posting yesterday? I've been working nonstop before and after work and during lunch hour and just haven't had the time.

I was talking to one of my coworkers about a couple of books we've read and I mentioned how I was interested in writing a YA werewolf series too. I've written about a few werewolf teens in some of my stories and I've had several ask that I write more about them. So I've been thinking. Particularly since the fae YA have done so well. And so has The Shadow Elf, and Kiss of the Vampire, and Courtly Masquerade.

But I'm still working on The Winged Fae....that has to have priority. Still, I'm thinking....

And that's what is the most fun. Is having all these story ideas, finally coming up with a book, or two, or three, or ten, and having a blast!

So I'm off to finish writing the synopsis for SEAL, and then it's time to fall into the past in the ghostly time travel A Ghost of a Chance at Love. :)

Have a super Saturday!!! I'm having fun, but my work's cut out for me too! :) What about you? Still wondering what's going on with Jake?

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male."
www.terryspear.com

I realize that I'm veering into creepy territory because spiders can make some readers squeamish. However, bear with me, as my Spiderville update will morph back into a short discussion on setting before the end of this post. I just like to include spider updates because, well, they inspire me and get my imagination going, as you'll soon see.

As many of you may remember, we've been renovating a bathroom in our house for about a million years. We don't use it much, and so consequently we sometimes have spiders decide to take up residence in the sink. I typically name them, because...well, why not? I thought this season we were going to be spiderless and then suddenly, Rigel appeared. He seemed a bit tiny, but over the last few weeks he's come into his own and grown. Another little bitty spider appeared, and I thought Rigel might eat him. So did he apparently, and so he made his home in a roll of toilet paper I had forgotten to put on the spindle (spiders are a lot like cats--leave anything out for five minutes and they claim it). I named him Spot, because that's what he looks like when I peer into his little home, which seems to get more elaborate every day. A snack here, an entree there. Next he'll be doing cooking shows in there ala Rachel Ray, at which point I will definitely put my foot down. One must draw the line somewhere, you know?

Then there's Lester, the hopping spider who's taken residence above the medicine cabinet. He rushes down every time I enter the bathroom, as if he honestly thinks I'm going to be his next meal. Good luck with that, Tiny. I swear his multiple little shoulders sag when he realizes it's just me, and I can hear itty bitty expletives as he trudges all the way back up the mirror, although whether those expressions of disgust are meant for me or just because the mirror makes his butt look big, I'm honestly not sure.

Obviously, my imagination runs overtime, a hazard of the writing trade, I'm sure. However, it's helped me tremendously, especially in trying paint a picture of the setting of a story. I have to narrow down the details before I can get them across to readers. Sure, my bathroom looks like an average almost-remodeled bathroom with some spiders hanging out in it on the surface, but what if when I close the door those little guys have conversations? Maybe they play poker on Friday nights, or hang out on the window sill and scope birds. Do they get together to have little Spiderville city council meetings? What about mayoral elections? Does the biggest spider eat the rest and that's it,or do they go to the polls like we do? It's these kinds of thoughts that help me create the worlds in which my characters dwell.

Setting can be a very important element in a story, especially dystopian ones or those that are set in the future. I usually try to keep my settings simple; however, in my fantasy and paranormals, that can be difficult to do. Some readers actually read stories more for the world created than anything else. In my Dragon Song series, to develop the Time Before I had to imagine a place where humans and the Dragon Kind lived together but rarely interacted until the story dictated they needed to. There are villages among the mountains and valleys, but also forests, and in my latest Dragon Song entry, a cave will play a pivotal role.

One of the most fun settings I have had the pleasure of creating is the village of damned souls in Seducing Gracie. It appears once every five years out of a fog so that a suitable sacrifice can be found for its mayor. It's filled with bloodthirsty townspeople that appear absolutely normal on the surface. No one, including Gracie, who stumbles upon the town while searching for clues to a kidnapping, realizes the town's deadly secret. The fun part was trying to capture the right blend of the outwardly normal appearance of the town with the menacing undercurrent of the evil that lurked there.

For my latest story, I'm going all out setting-wise and having a blast! It's going to be a whole new world for the humans that inhabit planet earth in a near future...literally. I'm still working out the details, but suffice it to say, I'm really digging creating lush desert oases and industrial wastelands and the tribes of people who live there.

What about you? What kinds of settings do you like to read about or create? What inspires these settings? Does the setting come first or the story?

Feel free to share in the comments section. In the meantime, I have to go answer the door. It looks like someone in Spiderville ordered pizza!

I’m so pleased to introduce Maggie Van Well, one of my awesome critique partners. She made her debut in April with The Wild Rose Press with The Chase is On. So proud of her!

Thanks for stopping by Maggie! Tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks for having me! I’m a native Islander. For those who don’t follow hockey, an Islander is someone born and raised on Long Island in NY. I’ve been married to the same man for 24 years and we have 4 awesome children who think I rock. They also think I’m crazy, so I have to wonder if they’re afraid to say I don’t rock. They sure freak out if I start counting to 3. I don’t know what they think I’ll do if I ever get to 3. It’s never happened. We have three rescued Italian greyhounds that creep me out because they constantly stare at me. Sometimes they whine when they stare. I don’t know why.

The Chase is On is your current release, tell us about the story.

Here’s a blurb: Midwife Kayla Morgan decides to fulfill her dream of becoming a mother. However, there is a slight snag. She is newly divorced and has no desire to take the marriage path again. What’s a gal to do? Why, ask her childhood friend, Chase McBride, to help her, of course. No intimacy, no strings, and with today’s technology the former Wall Street tycoon can be vacationing in Maui when she conceives. It sounds simple, except for one small detail. Chase, who has harbored a secret love for Kayla for years, sees an opportunity he can’t pass up. If there was ever a way to get Kayla to see him as a man and not the boy she grew up with, this is it. He just hopes he doesn’t wind up losing her in the process.

*I can personally say Chase is yummy hero material. I love friends to lover romances, and The Chase is On is so gooood.*

What inspired you to write Kayla and Chase’s story?

The short answer is, I have no idea J I just picked up a pen one day, grabbed one of my kids’ marble composition notebooks and started writing this story in my head. But over the years I’ve discovered it’s more than that. I always wanted to be an OB/GYN, so it was no shock to anyone who knew me my very first book was about a midwife.

What was the submission process like for you?

This is a tough question, because I first submitted The Chase is On twelve years ago, but having never gone to college or taken any sort of writing class, I think I broke every writing rule in the book. It took me 12 years and eight books later to learn my craft enough to go back and fix the original draft. Even then, and Esmerelda will tell you, I still had to overhaul the second half of the book. But I love the way it turned out. I think in total I submitted The Chase is On eight times.

*A perfect example of perseverance prevailing. Go you!*

What are a few favorite lines from the book?

I love the opening line: Panic spread through her like an allergic reaction, so Kayla Morgan did the only thing a sensible woman in her position could do. She tackled Chase McBride. *I loved this opening line too.*

And this one was always one of my favorites: she wore a strapless red gown, which Kayla swore was held up by sheer willpower alone. *Another awesome line!*

What is your favorite scene?

I have two actually. The first being when Chase takes Kayla out to a fancy restaurant in NYC. It’s funny (well, I think so anyway) sweet with a little bit of spice thrown in. But I also love the scene where Kayla helps a fourteen year old girl delivery her baby.

What was the editing process like?

The editing process was surprisingly easy, but I hear that’s not always the case, so I think I got off easy with this one.

Let’s dive into you as a writer a little. Are you a plotter, pantser or a bit of both?

I’m a pantser, all the way. I do sometimes write out plot points (basically a word or two) just so I don’t lose track or forget something, but that’s about it.

Can you give us a hint into your current project?

Right now I’m very excited to be working on a small town series set on Eastern Long Island in NY. The first book of the series, Heart in a Sling, a humorous contemporary with a little bit of spice to it.

* Nanabooboo! I’ve read some of this, and it is fantastic!*

What is the best and worst part of writing?

The best part is finally being able to get the voices out of my head. I love the feeling I get when I’m on a roll and a scene or chapter is going so well it scares me. The worst is writer’s block. I suffered an almost 8 year bout and it was awful. When I finally got back into writing, I felt whole again.

Where do you like to write?

Anyplace where it’s quiet with a beautiful view. I rarely listen to music while I write, although songs have inspired me. I tend to stare out into space and looking at something pleasing to the eye helps me focus. Squirrels are especially entertaining.

What novel (any genre) do you wish you would have written? (I know what mine is, lol)

Hmm, I wonder if I can guess J I wish I had the imagination J.K. Rowlings had with the Harry Potter books. I think I’ve read all seven books at least five times each.

*Tee hee. You took the words right out of my mouth.*

How many hours do you try to write a week?

It varies. I have a pretty awesome life for a writer. I work at home and the work I do usually doesn’t take more than an hour or two a day. I do have four kids, but for the most part they’re old enough to take care of themselves. So I can write anywhere from 3 – 8 hours a day if I wanted.

*That is awesome! I’m waiting for my kids to go back to school, lol.*

Now let’s get personal, lol. Bring it! lol

Favorite TV show?

I don’t watch much TV, but I never miss an episode of Bones. At one point in my life I wanted to be a doctor. Well, that clearly didn’t work out (damn you chemistry class!) so I like the medical side of it. Plus, it’s funny. I like funny.

*Lurve me some Booth!*

Favorite movie?

Hmm, I’m not a movie buff, but if I had to pick one, I’d say The Princess Bride with Roxanne and Groundhog’s Day as runners up.

*Who doesn’t know where the words ‘As you wish’ comes from the moment it’s spoken? Dreamy sigh. Now I have to dig out my DVD. Thanks Maggie.*

Other than romance, what other genres do you read?

Is Harry Potter its own genre yet? J I like mysteries and thrillers.

*Actually according to On Demand, Harry Potter is its own genre, lol. Under genre it says Harry Potter.*

Ocean or Mountains?

Ocean. I love the shore, so living on an island is awesome for me.

*I’m an ocean gal myself.*

Do you like to cook?

I hate to cook lol But I’m good at it, damn it, so they make me do it. Looking back, I should’ve burned everything. I do love to bake though. No wonder my kids love me, but my scale doesn’t.

*I hate to cook too. Burning everything sounds like a plan to me, lol*

Favorite dish?

Is chocolate a dish? No, I suppose not. Okay, I’m going to be graphic here because I’m hungry and haven’t cooked dinner yet. Filet Mignon, smothered in mushrooms and onions with steamed asparagus and chicken (yes, I know, gauche) flavored rice.

*Not only do I have to dig out my copy of The Princess Bride, but now I’m hungry. You’re killing me here!*

Most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?

I can tell you the time I was most horrified. When hubby and I made a ‘home video’ and then watched it. It was promptly erased. That’s all I’m saying J

*Bahahahaha!! OMG. I just spit out my drink. Freaking priceless.*

Thanks so much for stopping by, Maggie! It was great having you here.

Thanks so much for having me Esmerelda. You’ve been awesome. If I ever lose you as a critique partner I will die!! And if that puts undue pressure on you to keep me, well…I’m okay with that J

*You know the sentiment is returned, my dear. Smooches.*

Want to win a copy of The Chase is On?? Yes, you say. Leave a comment to be entered in one of two random drawings. Maggie has generously offered one commenter a signed print copy of The Chase is On and one e-book version to another.

You can buy a The Chase is On at: The Wild Rose Press, Amazon (Print), Amazon (ebook), and Barnes and Noble

I had read John Milton’s Paradise Lost in university, but I read it again when the ideas for this book started to percolate. I think I must have forgotten how difficult it had been to read the first time around, but I did love how Milton made Satan’s character seem appealing and almost heroic in the beginning, proving how seductive evil can be. I knew the hero of my book would be tempted by Lucifer as well, and Milton’s characterizations helped me to visualize the path that Gabriel would have to walk.

My favorite movies by far, weren’t any of the movies which showed angels as pure, glowing creatures filled with the light of holy love and sporting a lot of ruffling white chiffon. The movies I liked best were the ones where the angels were totally bad-ass. I like angels who pick up a sword, swear like a sailor, and are about as far from angelic as you can imagine.

In Constantine, angels conspire to bring hell to earth in order to make humans suffer for their sins. The Prophecy is about angels getting humans caught up in their heavenly war (and how great is Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer?). These were great examples for me while I was writing my own book.

But the very best was Dogma. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as disgruntled angels who are tired of being banished to earth as punishment for disagreeing with God, Alan Rickman as “The Voice of God”, Jason Lee as the demon “Azazel”, George Carlin as “Cardinal Glick” and “Jay and Silent Bob” helping Linda Fiorentino and Chris Rock get to church on time to meet God—played by Alanis Morissette!

OMG. First off, it was just completely hilarious. And secondly, I loved the idea that the angels were sick of answering to God. They were tired of being his flunkies and were ready to take matters into their own hands and make their own destiny. This notion formed the basis for a major conflict in Falling Hard, and all of a sudden I had a cast of angels who were on the verge of all-out war and only two people standing in their way.

Not that I’ve sold the movie rights to Falling Hard just yet, but with the last Harry Potter movie being recently released, and the Hunger Games movie being in production (I’m SO excited!), tell me what movies (from books) you’ve liked the best, and why.

J.K. Coi
website: www.jkcoi.com
twitter: www.twitter.com/jkcoi
facebook: www.facebook.com/JKCoiAuthor

Excerpt from Falling Hard ©JK Coi 2011

At first nothing happened. He opened his mouth, but then a golden light lit the room, a glow coming from Amelia herself. He stepped back as it unfolded from her like a great mantle of warmth, revealing a beautiful pair of nebulous, willowy wings that seemed to have formed from the light itself.

“Holy shit,” he muttered.

As her true form was revealed, the bright glow intensified, creating a deep aura that surrounded her, pulsing in time with her even breaths. Then it faded again.

Gabriel let out his breath in a low groan. This couldn’t be happening. There couldn’t be an angel standing in front of him in this dingy, run-down motel room. And yet part of him wasn’t really surprised. The truth had always been within his reach, tucked in the back of his mind. Some semi-conscious part of him had known all along, or at least suspected. Ever since that first night. As he’d lain on the floor of that alley, Gabriel had seen her—the real her—but he’d let his rational mind dismiss it as impossible.

Rising from the chair, unable to take his eyes from her, Gabriel reached out. He couldn’t quite bring himself to touch the downy proof of her claims. He glanced into her face. “They don’t look…real.”

She obligingly spread the wings out behind her. Stretching from one end of the room to the other, they looked formidable and dramatic, but also ethereal, like insubstantial clouds that you could never really catch in your hand. The tips of each wing just brushed the wall on either side of the room.

She nodded her assent. “Go ahead.”

With an open hand, he gently stroked, feeling the rounded—and very real—edge of one wing, then the other. The feathers were so delicate and fine, like the softest down or the fluffiest kitten fur, but there was strength beneath them. “How did you hide these from me all this time—from everyone?”

“It isn’t all that difficult to hide things from humans that they aren’t prepared to see.” Her smile was a little sad. “A little bit of magic, a little bit of your own powers of mental rejection, and ta da. No more angels.”

“But why? Why are you here to begin with? What do you want?”

“I just want to keep you safe, Gabriel. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“Keep me safe from what? Does everyone have someone like you to watch over them? A guardian angel?”

She paused. “No.”

“Why not?” Reluctantly, he dropped his hand, which had still been caressing the softness of one wing.

“Contrary to popular belief, that’s not really what we do.”

“And yet, you’re saying that’s exactly what you’ve been doing with me. Why? Why would someone like me warrant his own personal guardian angel?” Gabriel folded his hand together into a tight fist. “Where were the angels when my baby sister was choked to death? And Leanne? Why didn’t angels do something to stop her from shooting so much coke into her body that her veins disintegrated before she’d even hit the floor?”

Why hadn’t anyone been watching out for them?

Because that was your job, the voice inside him said.

Gabriel had never avoided the truth. He knew those deaths rested squarely on his shoulders and he wasn’t about to shift the blame to anyone else—but he was angry. Goddamn. He’d been angry his entire life. The familiar rage had eaten away at his insides for so long he didn’t think there was anything left of him worth saving.

I've written over twenty manuscripts. Most have had a contemporary setting. It's what I'm most comfortable with, what I love to read and write. However, I love to read paranormal romances too, and I've decided to try writing one. (And for those of you who would argue that Quinn's Curse is a paranormal romance, you would be correct. But I don't consider that story dark.)

One of the things I took away from the recent Romance Writer's of America conference in New York City was that I need to venture out of my comfort zone. Writing what's easy for me is all well and good, but I should challenge myself. To be better. To try new things. To branch out. To reach out.

I love the term "darkly erotic". To me it conjures up steamy, sensual images and twisted, dangerous needs. A hero in doubt, perhaps. A heroine who's strong but may not realize it. A different tone, a different language even, than what I'm used to writing.

So here's my question. Okay, two questions.

Have you ever written in different sub-genres with different tones? Do you ever have a problem with your original tone slipping into your current manuscript? Can you tell I'm concerned with that happening?

And readers, do you mind if an author you like writes something different from what you're used to reading? Like light and dark? Like contemporary and paranormal? Would you rather the author used different pen names so you'd be more aware of the difference or wouldn't that matter?

I'm excited about trying something new. I'm going to start with a novella-length story to start with. And don't worry that I'm giving up my hot contemporary romances. I love them too much.

So any words of wisdom from writers or readers would be greatly appreciated as I delve into this darkly erotic tale.

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

Book Reading Gals just reviewed Heart of the Highland Wolf! She's asking what your favorite book of the series is since she just read this as her first book and enjoyed it! So if you have a chance drop by and comment!!!

I've got a MILLION things to do today. I'm so excited! But the time is already running out. Yep, like the sands in a bottle. It all started with waking up, and then that's all she wrote. Then the sands start pouring into the base of the glass bottle.

I need to go on a cruise. With a bunch of vampires. Hmmm....



I need to run errands today. But I'm always in town, always working, and I hate driving into town. So I want to stay home and just write.

I have blogs to post for next week I have to get done. Books to edit. Books to write. My willpower is dwindling. The fae are calling to me. The vampires are luring me. The Highland warriors are coming for me. The marriage in Las Vegas needs fixing. Should the couple stay together or not?

It's a really tough job but someone has got to do it.

And though I turned in jaguar to my editor and the edits on SEAL, I feel incomplete. I haven't uploaded a new book in what? 2 weeks?

That's a crime!!!

Anyone watch Castle? I love the series. Love how he only gets one book out a year. :) But I can't imagine living off one book a year. He must have a really great agent!

It's soooo hot out. I really don't want to run out in the heat. By the time things are open, I'll be so settled into writing mode, and the thermometer will be escalating into the red zone...maybe I should just stay home and write?

Do you do that with yourself? Fight yourself to put off stuff that doesn't HAVE to be done...maybe I should just wait until the fall when it's cooler.

Maybe. :)

Hope you have fun and have a truly decisive day!!! And make each sand count for all it's worth.

I'm off to check out the couple who got married in Las Vegas, then seeing what the winged fae is up to! And then...who knows??? There's this nymph in the woods....

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male."
www.terryspear.com

Hmmm, my last "Is it hot in here" post centered mostly around the images I have in my head of my hero from a current WIP. This time though, I'm here to tell you that I'm melting. Literally melting. Into a big puddle on the floor.

Yep, we've been having a heat wave, baby. With temperatures hovering around 100 degrees and heat indices even higher across most of the US, everyone's sweating their buns off, and not necessarily in a good way. I've been battling the hot weather by pretty much staying inside--which translates into me working, working, working. Okay, maybe just two of those workings! A girl needs to chill (no pun intended!) once in a while, right?

But relief is on the way--storms are 'a-rolling through. Let's hope they cool things off just a little. I'm not ready for fall just yet, but being able to actually breathe when I go outside would be a welcome change!

So, here's to cooling off -- however you choose to do it!




Stay cool, and be careful out there if you can't!

Kristin
www.kristindaniels.com
www.facebook.com/authorkristindaniels
http://twitter.com/Kristin_Daniels

Today’s post is actually about two ideas. I was inspired by my research for my next book, which has an element involving dreams in it, after I’d already decided to try to get some input from readers about their dreams.

Dream input—that’s my first goal today. By dreams I mean those you have when asleep, not daydreams or life aspirations even though I think those would be really interesting, too. I’m interested in whatever readers would like to share, especially about prophetic (or predictive) dreams or about dream symbols/interpretation. Anything, really, about dreams would add to my research.

Speaking of which, I was reading through one of several books on dreams I’ve amassed for this project, captivated by the meanings attributed to some symbols. I was just glancing through, noting the cryptic, mystical tone of some of the explanations when I got to yogurt. Yes, yogurt. Here is a paraphrase of what it means if you dream of yogurt:

You will lead a happy and healthy life like in the XYZ yogurt commercials.

I couldn’t believe it. It actually mentioned the name of a popular brand of yogurt I eat (not XYZ), as if that somehow fit in with all the other mysterious meanings. At this point I thought that maybe the writer of this guide was either eating lunch as he wrote or got nearly to the end of the book and decided to throw in some wacky description of a dream symbol just to see if anyone was paying attention. I was, and it is inspired me, which leads me to the second part of today's post.

You know how Yahoo! always has those articles about 10 things your nanny/waiter/dry cleaner/cheating spouse/dog-sitter won’t tell you? Well, today I thought I’d do something similar. Here we go…

Ten Things a Writer Won’t Tell You

1. 1. Writing is hard, but we love it or we wouldn’t do it.

2. 2. Sometimes we insert something a little silly or clever into our books just for fun, kind of like the programmers at Microsoft and their Easter eggs. Or like that one dream book author and his shameless XYZ yogurt plug.

3. 3. Many writers have familiars, like cats or dogs or spouses, whom we keep around to inspire us and keep us on track when we decide to surf http://icanhascheezburger.com/ instead of trying to re-write the mess we wrote our heroine into with the magician, the construction worker, and the firefighter without it turning out just plain sleazy.

4. 4. If you saw the average writer’s work area, you would probably shudder and run. In my work space, besides my eclectic mix of desk stuff including cat grooming tools, there are all kinds of research-related items that separately could be called odd but together would definitely fall into the WTH? category.

5. 5. Yes, we writers occasionally base a character on a person we know or have met, and sometimes not in a good way. Not that the skanky blonde bimbo at our friend’s birthday party last night who flirted mercilessly with my hubby has anything to worry about.*evil grin*

6. 6. We also include in our spicy texts some of our deepest, wildest fantasies for all the world to see, probably hoping they’ll someday come true. Notably, even though I’ve included this several times in my books, I’ve yet to have a random hunk show up at my door and offer to program my DVD player so it will quit blinking.

7. 7. Writers are born this way. Words are our blood. Under our microscope, pathologists don’t see cells, but letters. Sometimes they see stuff like “pregnant” or “low iron.” Once when I was PMSing and had a blood draw, the phrase “What are you looking at, bozo?” apparently appeared. Hazard of the trade.

8. 8. Many writers have been writing since we were mere children, crafting stories in our heads or acting them out with our dolls, to the extent some relatives may have thought we were possessed, though we were not…we don’t think. That doesn’t necessarily mean our stories are good, just that we’ve been making up stuff up for a very long time and should probably, based solely on this skill, run for political office.

9. 9. As children, few of us ever daydreamed about growing up to consistently invent new ways to describe body parts or use words for said parts that are not typically used in polite conversation except with gynecologists or urologists, such as…well, I certainly can’t post them here, can I?

10. 10. Some writers, like me, are so old that they can remember typing stories on manual typewriters Typewriters. You know…T-Y-P-E-W-R-I-T-E-R-S. Oh hell, go look it up on Wikipedia.

Did I forget any? Please feel free to add yours in the comments, and thanks in advance for your input on dreams. Have pleasant ones!