Like driving at night

website updates

2012-02-25T00:11:00.001-07:00

The ongoing quest for organization continues. I have updated the minisite for the City by the Bay series, Gallaghers Bakery, and put together a free reads minisite at Freereads.jennajones.com.

Apples & Gin: the minisite

2012-02-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

In my never-ending quest for organization, I've put together a mini-site for the Apples & Gin series, which can be found here. It's intended for information and links about the series, and to be a home for the little drabble-type stories about Noah and Sawyer that I intend to eventually write. (The keyword being "eventually.")

the 11 p.m. epiphany

2012-02-15T13:08:00.002-07:00

The Moleskine etc. portion of my notebook collection.

(No disrespect meant to Brian Kiteley's wonderful book.)

One of the side effects I've noticed from trying to be prolific every day, all year, is that ideas rather bombard you. I'm constantly scribbling down snippets and fragments and possibilities. Most of them won't become stories but some will, and they all need to be recorded. And while I love gadgets, thumbing a stray idea into my phone's memo program (actually I do have a document program and it's pretty spiffy) is not the same as scribbling it into whatever patient notebook is keeping my company these days.

For me, the question isn't "How do you get your ideas?" but "How do you keep your ideas under control?"

My notebook bookcase.

The journals are a part of the process. A few years ago I found that if I stopped writing for the day but wrote what I wanted to happen next by hand, that helped me get started the next day. (It doesn't always work, but it certainly never hurts.) And since I am back at a day job (technically a night job, but anyway) and have eight hours where there is no time or mental energy to write (believe me, I've tried--see above about the document program on my phone) I need to have a way to make notes when I need them, since ideas don't stop coming whether it's convenient or not. It's a bit like how all your best ideas always come when you're driving or in the shower or about to fall asleep. When your mind wanders, it tends to find things.

More notebooks,
plus the Neil Gaiman section
of my personal library.

For instance, last night between one training activity and another, I realized something about a character whose novel I've been writing since 2008, off and on, and first wrote about in 2005. That's right, an 11 p.m. epiphany.

And now this novel that's felt like an uphill struggle for almost four years makes a lot more sense, and I know how to make the ending what it deserves to be, and I expect to scribble down a few more things before the night is through.

I love it when that happens.

I know a lot of people feel they can only write when they feel inspired, and if that works for you, okay. But for me, the more open and ready for inspiration you are, the sooner it becomes a daily companion.

Today I bought two more blank journals. There is no more room for them on the bookcases that contain my blank journals.

My only response to this is to laugh.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T09:56:00.001-07:00

Even after all this time
The sun never says to the earth,
"You owe Me."

Look what happens with
A love like that,
It lights the Whole Sky.

- Hafiz

hosting the Torquere blog; romancelandia shenanigans

2012-02-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm hosting Torquere blogspot today, and talking about angels in current pop culture and my latest release, Ebony Angel.

Less cheery news: a regional chapter of Romance Writers of America has closed one of their contests to same sex couples. This has sparked a lot of discussion on Twitter and the blogosphere in general. I've nothing to contribute beyond a snort of disgust and a link to a petition that will be sent to the RWA once it's collected the required number of signatures.

(I'm not a member of the RWA. I'm certainly not inclined to become one as long as this sort of nonsense is tolerated.)

Some good writeups about it at Heidi Cullinan, Smart Bitches Read Trashy Books and where I first about it, JM Cartwright's blog.

website revamp

2012-01-28T14:37:00.003-07:00

I've treated myself to a new website design over at JennaJones.com. I think it's kinda pretty. Feel free to stop by.

New: Ebony Angel

2012-01-25T08:23:00.001-07:00

When Austin Archer was eighteen, he was attacked by an unknown assailant and rescued by a dark figure who wore ebony armor. Now thirty and a police detective, Austin faces a mystery that is connected to his own attack in ways he never thought possible.

Someone is murdering teenagers in Austin's city. At first Austin suspects a mysterious man named Jude, but Jude is far more than he appears to be, and knows more about Austin than a stranger should. Austin is drawn to Jude and wants to trust him, but Jude's claims about the identity of the murderer and even his own are too fantastic to be believed.

When Austin was a child, his mother sang to him that angels were watching over him. Austin is about to learn that this is more than a lullaby.

Buy at Torquere Books

Torquere blogpost

2012-01-24T08:26:00.002-07:00

I'm hosting the Torquere blogspot today, and talking about ideas and where they come from.

Six sentence Sunday

2012-01-22T14:23:00.002-07:00

"Do you think people deserve love?"

"Ithink everybody deserves love --well, nearly everybody."

"Imean, do you think people get the love that they deserve?"

Francessaid, "I think ... I think we get the love we believe we deserve."Leo stared out the nearest window, watching it go blurry, and Frances said,"Leo, sweetheart, look, I know it's been rough for you, but believe me,there is someone out there for you, someone wonderful, who will get you andlove you and never leave you. I believe this with all my heart."

Coming soon: Ebony Angel

2012-01-16T08:14:00.001-07:00

As a teenager, Austin Archer was attacked on the street by an unknown assailant, and then saved by a being equally mysterious. Now a police detective, Austin is searching for the murderer of teenagers in his city. He's about to receive help from a familiar source ...

Ebony Angel will be released January 25.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

I feel like I should say something profound, but profundity is not my area. Instead, I will say I hope you had a lovely holiday season, and I hope the new year is everything you want it to be.

My tradition around New Year's is to do a writing roundup type of thing, so:

2012 word count

This is my word count spreadsheet for 2011. I've been keeping these for just a few years now, ever since I started participating in Get Your Words Out on Livejournal. There's something inspirational about watching those numbers add up.

Besides the sheets for each month (I tried doing one per story but that didn't work at all), the 2012 spreadsheet has my submissions goal list: themes, expected word counts, due dates, and fields for submitted dates and whether the story was accepted or not. I will be organized! Someday!

Total words written: 288,788

Average words per month: 24,066

Best month: June (36,205)

Worst month: December (6851)

Stories I posted/published: 5 fanfic, 4 profic, plus various little drabbles and one-sentence fic type things.

Number of unfinished stories (that will likely stay that way): 5

Number of unfinished stories (that will be finished in 2012, knock wood): 6

Stories written this year to be published in 2012: One.

Biggest distraction: Real life. I don't think I was distracted this year so much as indecisive. I restarted and rebooted a lot of stories, and then ended up not finishing them.

Plans for 2012 include 2 novels edited and submitted, 1 more novel written, edited and submitted; at least 2 screenplays, and several anthology submissions/novellas. I only published 4 professional pieces last year, and I'm hoping to increase that. (I did 6 in 2010. That was nice.) At the very least, I hope to reach 20 stories total in print by the end of the year.

New: Thyme: Brave and True

2011-12-20T22:36:00.004-07:00

Thyme is the herb for courage, something Patrick has been lacking ever since he was publicly humiliated on a national cooking competition. For the past sixteen years, he's been content to be the personal assistant to celebrity chef Dix and love him in silence.

Between the end of Dix's long-running television show and accusations of fraud within Dix's charity, Dix's world is changing and Patrick doesn't know his place in it anymore. As secrets come to light, can Patrick find the courage to trust Dix as he once did, and to believe that he deserves it?

Buy it at Torquere Books.

hosting Romance for the Rest of Us

2011-12-18T12:33:00.001-07:00

I'm hosting my publisher's blog today: Romance for the Rest of Us. We're talking about the new kid, Thyme: Brave and True.

Saturday 9: a meme post

2011-12-17T12:37:00.001-07:00

1. What in the 2011 has proved to you that you are a survivor?

I've had a lot of health issues but managed to pull through them okay. I lost my day job but I'm not out on the street. I've even managed to pass my word count goal for the year.

2. Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone?
A few hours.

3. Are REALLY ready for the holidays?
Not even remotely. Christmas is next week, right? Eek.

4. Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid?
Oh, yes...sometimes that was the only friend I had.

5. What niche network do you watch the most?
The Cartoon Network. (The Food Network and BBC America are close seconds.)

6. Have you ever seen the ocean?
Yes, both the Atlantic and the Pacific. I've swum in the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico, too.

7. Have you ever been hospitalized?
As a surgery day-patient, yeah.

8. What do you think of the US Republican candidates for president?
I think a bag of marshmallows would do a better job of running this country than any of these clowns.

9. Could you imagine life without a computer?

Yes, since personal computers didn't become common until I was a young teenager and I remember what it was like, but I'd have a very hard time living the life I want without on. The sheer convenience of things that used to take hours or days is staggering.

Coming soon: Thyme

2011-12-11T18:56:00.001-07:00

Got the cover. Hee.

Thyme will be out December 21, 2011.

Excerpt? I think so.

"Keep me company tomorrow night, too?" Dix asked quietly.

"Of course."

Dix was silent for a while, his thumb brushing Patrick's shoulder. "And the night before
they send me to prison?" he whispered. "Keep me company that night, too?"

"You're not going to prison."

"I don't know how to prove my innocence, Patrick."

"Nicky wants to see the accounts. He'll find a way. And if he doesn't -- we'll find
something else. But you can account for all your income, you pay your full taxes, you
report every gift -- you're an honest man. They'll see that. They've got to."

Read more »

a little bit of navel-gazing

2011-11-27T11:32:00.001-07:00

Fiction, I once read in an old issue of Writer's Digest, is one damn thing after another. Things have to happen in order for the reader to stay engaged and interested. (I have read, as I'm sure we all have, novels that are mostly people thinking about things, but they're not ones that I've reread over and over.) In genre fiction, at least, you want more than just the narrator wondering if he should have called Rachel or waited for Rachel to call him, and oh doesn't Rachel's eyes remind him of that time in the park when he dropped his ice cream, and why didn't his father buy him more ice cream...

You get the idea.

The reason for all this dithering is to say this: Nanowrimo has again not worked for me. While I got 13,000 words into the rough draft, I've still got an incomplete rough draft and not enough umph to finish it, because I don't know what should happen next. I mean, I have an outline, and there's a plot point at the juncture, but I don't know how to show it. I can't think of the damn things that should happen one after another.

This is problematic.

Sometimes I can sit down and just write and whatever those damn things should be just pop into mind, no struggle on my part. But sometimes--and this mostly happens with my intended-for-publication stories--I just can't. It's like a very specific form of writer's block.

(Worst of all, when I look at my list of things I want to have finished in the next two months, it makes me want to just crawl under the blankets and play Plants vs. Zombies until the end of days.)

I am writing. I'm just not writing the things I need to be writing.

Happy Birthday, Doctor Who!

2011-11-23T07:06:00.001-07:00

You've changed my life in oh so many ways.

You're brilliant and funny and touching. You've introduced me to amazing people. You gave the world Captain Jack.

I love you like the Master loves a tasty snack.

(I've had a rather demoralizing morning, so what better thing to do than a pants off dance off by animated .gif to celebrate one of my favorite shows?)

Nanowrimo, release date, et cetera

2011-11-08T17:07:00.001-07:00

Ye Old Day Job is now Ye Ex Job. This has made for an interesting month, but my friends and family are buoying me up quite well (and even complete strangers at times) and I will, as the saying goes, survive. (I have been listening to "This Year" by the Mountain Goats a lot. "I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me." I can relate. A lot.)

(Of course, if you want to contribute to said survival, have a gander at my books and purchase one or two. Or more. I ain't fussy.)

As I'm sure you can imagine, this has affected my Nanowrimo goals somewhat, but not as much as you'd think. I've actually written a lot this month, now that I have all this unexpected free time, but not on the Nanowrimo novel. This particular project is a fandom thing (really, I haven't written that much fanfic this year, it only feels that way sometimes) which will be posted on the 10th. After that, it's back to the paying gigs and the continuing story of Ben and Jamie from Chiaroscuro. (It is currently titled Cornucopia. Subject to change, of course, but I really like it so I'm thinking it'll stick.)

Best news! Herbs de Provence has a sequel called Thyme: Brave and True, and it has a release date: December 21, 2011. Because I love shared universes, this is about two minor characters from the first story, Dix and Patrick. My guiding theme was Thyme is for courage, and I'm quite pleased with the result.

Excerpt!

Read more »

30 days of literary abandon

2011-10-28T09:18:00.002-06:00

Nanowrimo starts in a few days. I'm more excited about this than I am about Halloween, Christmas and my birthday put together.

The first time I participated was 2003, when I hit the 50,000 word goal (and then some) but never actually finished the story. Which is for the best. I played along again in 2005 and 2006, two novels that went on to become Chiaroscuro and Something Beautiful. I didn't write anything novel length for a long time after that--until 2009, when I wrote a 60,000 word piece of fanfiction. (There's a challenge in fandom called the Big Bang, where you are to write a long piece, usually 20,000 words. There are dozens of these in the various fandoms, and mulit-fandom ones, too, focusing on various themes.) Even after that, most of my stuff has topped out at 40,000 words or so lately. It's like the long haul of a novel has been more than my stamina can take.

Read more »

New - Tryst, an Apples & Gin story

2011-09-17T06:11:00.000-06:00

Noah Kingston and Sawyer Shaw from the Apples & Gin series adore their friend David. He's been a good friend to them for decades, he's directing one of Sawyer's videos, he'll be the best man at their wedding, and they want to make him as happy as they can in return. They're devoted to each other, but is there room in their relationship for one more?

Buy

Getting Better

In 2008, Torquere Press' fantastic authors decided to support a charity with an annual short story collection called our Charity Sip blitz. In the past three years, we've donated more than $13,000.00 to charitable organizations that support GLBT causes.

For 2011, Torquere's authors have chosen the theme "Getting Better" in honor of the It Gets Better project, which helps LGBT youth understand that life as an openly queer adult is not only possible, but happening for millions of people, worldwide. More than thirty authors have written short fiction pieces and have agreed to donate all proceeds of the sales of these stories to this year's charitable organization. Torquere Press Inc. will match the authors' donations completely.

This year, we're also pleased to announce that our distribution partner, Rainbow eBooks, has agreed to be the title sponsor of our Sip collection, and will be our sole distributor outside of the Torquere Books website. Please support our sponsor by visiting them at www.rainbowebooks.com.

Torquere Press and our authors truly believe we can make a difference by donating to organizations that promote awareness and equality. If you'd like to help, please support the Charity Sip Blitz and enjoy some great romance today!

Available at www.torquerebooks.com and www.rainbowebooks.com

Happy 8th Anniversary Sale!

2011-09-16T11:18:00.000-06:00

Here at Torquere Press we're celebrating our 8th Anniversary! So we're offering 15% off your purchases from now through the end of day Monday so you can celebrate with us! Just put '8thanniv' in the coupon code box any time you check out at Torquere Books (www.torquerebooks.com) before Monday at midnight to get 15% off your order.

Sale good now through Monday September 19 at Midnight (est).

Celebrate our 8th Anniversary with us; buy a book from Torquere Press today!

Torquere Press, Inc.
http://www.torquerepress.com/
http://www.torquerebooks.com/

Discount codes are provided as a courtesy to our customers. Torquere PressInc. cannot be responsible for discounting purchases made before coupons/sales are announced, and cannot issue discounts to customers who fail to use the coupon or discount code during the purchase process.

Getting Better - Go With the Flow by Jane Davitt

2011-09-12T22:46:00.000-06:00

As part of this year's Charity Sip Blitz, participating Torquere Press authors are reviewing the Sips. I had the pleasure of reading Go With the Flow by Jane Davitt.

Review:

Paul can't sleep. His sister suggests yoga, which has worked wonders for her. Paul approaches the class skeptically, but when he sees the instructor, Rob, he's willing to give the class a chance -- and when the class relaxes him to the point of falling asleep on his yoga mat, he's willing to give Rob a chance, too.

I was moved by the incredible tenderness in this story, and by scenes contrasting the intimacy of watching someone sleep with how bullying can follow a gay man even into his adult life--from the little remarks of how he doesn't "act gay" to being told he would be "prayed for."

Paul is a man looking for a place to rest, and he finds the promise of it in the nurturing Rob. Rob guides him not only through the yoga practice--a gentle, sexy scene that made me want to sit up straighter and breathe deeper--but to a place of bravery where he can make a decision about his future and finally start sleeping again.

Author bio:

Jane Davitt is English, and has been living in Canada with her husband, two children, and two cats, since 1997. Writing and reading are her main occupations but if she ever had any spare time she might spend it gardening, walking, or doing cross stitch. She's recently taken up yoga and loves discovering her ability to bend.

Jane has been writing since 2002 and wishes she'd started earlier. She is a huge fan of SF, fantasy, erotica, and mystery novels and has a tendency to get addicted to TV shows that get cancelled all too soon.

She owns over 4,000 books, rarely gives any away, but is happy to loan them, and is of the firm opinion that there is no such thing as 'too many books'.

http://www.janedavitt.com

Read Jane's review of The Book of Wisdom by JM Cartwright.

Reviewer bio:
Jenna Jones is the author of m/m romance such as the EPPIE-nominated Chiaroscuro, Something Beautiful and the Apples & Gin series. She lives in a small town in the Wasatch Mountains, where by day she works with software engineers and by night she reads, writes and watches a lot of movies. She enjoys her imaginary worlds.

http://jennajones.com

Getting Better

2011-09-08T07:28:00.000-06:00

I am far geekier than you may suspect

2011-09-06T12:41:00.000-06:00

I just got back from my first ever Dragon*Con. I had three goals for this convention:

Get my picture taken with Misha Collins
Get another autograph from Gareth David-Lloyd
Get an Eleventh Doctor-era sonic screwdriver

I am pleased to report I did all three.


Misha Collins, or as fandom calls him, "God."

I took neither of these pictures (the only camera I currently have is my cell phone camera--next convention I'm getting a good one) but I think they illustrate well why I experienced such a large amount of squee. (Looking your crush object in the face is, ah, interesting.)

I also spent quite a bit of time working on the current WIP, which was supposed to be a simple rewrite finished by the 31st and has turned into a complete plot restructuring that's still not done. Oh, me. Oh, life. (Working holiday! Yeah, that's what we'll call it.)

There was much people-watching and panel-going, and I got to meet some online friends in person for the first time or for the first time in a few years (Teleporters. I'm just saying.) which was enough of a reason to go in itself.

Gareth David-Lloyd, or as I think of him, "Hello gorgeous"

If you're into any kind of genre fandom, if you can handle large crowds (seriously--my university was not as big as the D*C attendees) and Atlanta-in-summer weather, and/or if you've ever wanted to dress up as a TARDIS, an anime character or an X-Man (just to name a few), I can highly recommend Dragon*Con.

newsy things

2011-08-30T21:50:00.000-06:00

I have overhauled the mothership, Jennajones.com. There are still a few things I want to add, once I figure out how to do the structure and still keep it streamlined. I do rather loved streamlined.

I will also have a story in this years Charity Sip Blitz from Torquere Press, benefitting It Gets Better. More on that as it develops.

To make up for my continuing silences and lack of other news, have a picture of Robert Downy, jr. He's only gotten more interesting as he's gotten older. I love his laugh lines.

Six sentence Sunday

2011-08-21T09:26:00.000-06:00

"What's your number?"

"Here." Sam took his phone and typed in his name and number. He said as he handed it back, "You'd better call me."

"I will." With a mischievous smile he pressed a button and held the phone to his ear, and the phone in Sam's jacket began to ring.

monthly accounts

2011-08-03T19:54:00.000-06:00

A little random prettiness.

July total: 25,532
Yearly total: 148,810
Projects:

1 novella edited and submitted
1 novella rough draft written
3 short stories begun or continued

Lots of editing this month. It cuts into word count.

I've also been making plans for next year, which is weird for me: I'm not used to planning things this far in advance. But it seems that the only way I really get things done is to schedule them. so I'm making schedules of writing, editing and submitting. I keep saying "if things go according to plan," and the strange thing is, things keep going according to plan.

eye candy: Jared Padaleki

2011-07-21T21:06:00.000-06:00

In my fandom, this is the nerd.

My final total for 80K in 80 Days is 83,675. Those stories will be appearing in the next eight/ten months, knock wood.

Not much to add, as I'm rewriting things and that's about as exciting as watching paint dry, so have a picture of a hot man looking hot.

(His face is kind of an odd one: it's one of those faces where the pieces taken separately don't work--his noise is too pointy, his forehead is HUGE--but altogether it's not a bad face.)

80k in 80 days: DONE

2011-07-14T20:42:00.002-06:00

As of today, I have hit the word count goal for 80k in 80 days, otherwise known as May Your Write Your Novel. Everything I write between now and the 19th is just gravy. (And there will be more writing. Oh yes. I have things to finish.)

Prettying things up around here

For this challenge I completed:

a rough draft of Novel #3
a rough draft of a short story, and the edits for same (now submitted, will know if it's been accepted after the 25th)
a rough draft of a novella and edits for same (submitted and I think accepted)
a rough draft of another novella (due in August--rewrites ahoy!)

a few bits of fanfic

for a total of 80,360 words. In two and a half months.

Boo, as they say, rah.

Saturday 9: Take Me Back

2011-07-02T22:47:00.001-06:00

Saturday 9

1. Think of all your exes. Would you take any of them back?
No. There are reasons why they're "ex."

Read more »

if it's the first, that must mean wordcount time

2011-07-01T08:16:00.000-06:00

June total: 36,205
Yearly total: 123,278
Projects:

*1 short story completed, edited and submitted
*1 novella rough draft completed
*1 novella rough draft begun
*several little things started but currently unfinished

Overall, I'm quite pleased.

eye candy: Rupert Graves and James Wilby

2011-06-22T21:03:00.002-06:00

I have a thoughtful post brewing about Maurice and Brokeback Mountain (compare and contrast, just like back in school!), but I had to work late tonight and have no thinkies left. So have these lovely boys instead.

six sentence Sunday

2011-06-19T18:49:00.000-06:00

Six sentences from the current WIP.

"Not everybody gets a love of their life."

"This isn't about us," Noah said. "This is for you. You need something -- you need someone to make you happy. We're your friends and want to see you happy."

"No blind dates," said David.

eye candy: Arthur Darvill

2011-06-15T09:19:00.001-06:00

Continuing the theme of the everyman-who-is-more-than-he-seems, Arthur Darvill as Rory. This is what you're missing if you're not watching the current series of Doctor Who. (On hiatus until September.)

Things that are awesome about Rory:

One more to grow on.

He's a nurse.
He lets Amy be exactly who she is.
He cried the first time he held his daughter.
He guarded Amy while she was locked in a box for 2000 years. (It's science fiction. Just go with it.)
He and Amy have a remarkably active, varied and healthy sex life for a married couple on a family show.
A lot of romantic couples will say "I'll do anything for you." With Rory, you can actually believe it.
When Amy thinks of delight, she thinks of him.

I don't know much about Arthur Darvill himself, but the fact that he embodies Rory so perfectly is enough to start with.

Six sentence Sunday

2011-06-12T18:59:00.000-06:00

Six sentences from the current WIP.

"About this morning," Austin began, shifting closer to him. It occurred to him they were in the same positions as the boy and girl earlier -- the difference was Jude was holding him, and Austin wasn't touching him at all. "What was that about, you kissing me in the alley?"

"You looked like you needed it," Jude said softly.

"Yeah, I did," Austin said, leaning forward to taste that oddly soft mouth in that impossibly angular face. What the hell, right?

Saturday 9: the remedy

2011-06-11T06:59:00.001-06:00

I've been following Saturday 9 for a while, it's high time I participate, don't you think?

1. What's the remedy for you to stop worrying?
Usually, getting up. Most of my worrying tends to take place in the wee hours of the morning when I wake up too early and have nothing to do but lie there and think. Activity makes the worry dissipate.

Read more »

checking in

2011-06-08T20:11:00.000-06:00

The curve.

I participate in a few writing communities during the year to encourage my word count and have a goal to work toward. One of them is May You Write Your Novel, with the goal of writing 80,000 words in 80 days. (It began on May 1st and runs through July. I believe it's still open to sign up, though you'll have a lot of catching up to do.)

It's going swimmingly for me. I hit 32,000 words in May and I've managed 1000 words a day so far in June. This finished two long-standing WIPs (one long, one short) and started two novella-length stories that are due in August.

Writing, writing, writing. People say, "How can you write every day?" and all I can say is, "How can you not?"

eye candy: Martin Freeman

2011-06-01T20:41:00.000-06:00

A new month, new resolve, and new visual inspiration.

Martin Freeman is another of those actors who was just there for me, part of the furniture (even though I liked him in The Hitchhiker's Guide the Galaxy, and yes I have read the books, seen the miniseries and heard the radio program) in things like Love Actually and Hot Fuzz. And then came Sherlock, which opened my eyes to quite a few actors--and then because I liked him in Sherlock I saw Nightwatch, in which he plays Rembrandt.

It was a Hold the phone!!! kind of moment for me. Martin is amazing in that movie, fierce and earthy and hotter than you'd think for a guy in one of those dinnerplate collars. It's an astonishing story--art as accusation, to put it simply, and you can see more about that in the companion documentary Rembrandt's J'accuse--and Martin is astonishing in it.

And then he was cast as Bilbo Baggins, a character I've loved since I was a wee thing still sounding out the hard words, and lo, I was lost, fair reader.

I do this thing I call fantasy-casting for all of my stories, and most of the eye candy I've posted here have had or will have a role to play in some story or another. Martin does, too. He inspires me.

torquere_social at Livejournal

2011-05-31T08:34:00.002-06:00

I'm hosting the Torquere Social happy hour at Livejournal today. Come over, come over!

2011 Charity sip blitz

2011-05-13T12:25:00.005-06:00

For the 2011 "Getting Better" Charity Sip Blitz, Torquere Press' beneficiary is the It Gets Better Project. We're looking for positive, romantic stories that depict GLBT people in functional, adult relationships (m/m, f/f, m/m/f, and transgender or transsexual protagonists). Stories should have a well-developed plot, strong characters, and a fully realized conclusion, with a strong preference for a happy ending. All heat levels and genres are welcome!

Manuscripts should be original works of 3,000 to 8,000 words; no reprints, please. Authors will sign a one-year agreement to donate all royalties to the It Gets Better Project, with the understanding that Torquere Press will match all donations 100%.

This year, Torquere authors have created a support Yahoo!Group for the Charity Sip Blitz, so please come join the discussion for the latest info, brainstorming sessions, and a good time! Curious? You can find us at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/torquere_charity

Deadline for submission is July 25, 2011. Torquere Press general writing guidelines apply: see Torquere Press submissions guidelines for details. Please submit your story in .rtf format, along with a synopsis, your contact information, and author biography, to submissions@torquerepress.com with "Charity Sip" in the subject line.

The Charity Sip Blitz will be published in September.

We're trying to get a lot of participation this year so we've been asked to repost the call wherever we can.

eye candy: Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins

2011-05-11T14:41:00.000-06:00

I'm in "head down, must write" mode all month. To make up for the lack of content, have the moment that broke my heart in last week's Supernatural.

publisher news

2011-05-07T11:32:00.003-06:00

My publisher Torquere Press has overhauled the bookstore at Torquere Books. It's darn near gorgeous.

excerpt from the current WIP

2011-04-29T09:16:00.000-06:00

Leo raised his glass, but it was empty. He set it down again, and his hand tensed when Rupert covered it with his own.

"Leo," Rupert said quietly and leaned close. His lips were soft and warm, and nudged against Leo's to encourage them to part. Leo's hand remained tensed under Rupert's, and finally Rupert pulled back enough to whisper, "It's all right, mate. They're used to blokes like us, snogging in the dark corners."

"I know." He looked out at the other patrons again -- as Rupert had said, no one was paying them any attention, too absorbed in their own affairs, dancing and laughing and kissing. "It's not that."

"Then what?" Rupert leaned close again and brushed his fingers over Leo's hair. Leo closed his eyes. He'd wanted this, hadn't he, to kiss someone other than on the forehead, to kiss someone just like this, someone earthy-smelling and handsome, with bright eyes and lovely hands …

"I'm sorry." He pushed himself up from the little table. "I'm just not ready for this."

"Leo," Rupert said, "come back, Leo, talk to me," but Leo only made his way through the crowd again, out to the street. He grasped against the railing that separated the pub patio from the sidewalk and concentrated on breathing, staving off the rising feeling of wrongness that was heavy and sour in his stomach.

He fumbled for his cell phone and pressed the button for Stuart, relief flooding him when he heard Stuart's calm, "Stuart Huntsman."

"Come get me," Leo said and clenched his hand to keep it from trembling. "Come get me, Stuart."

"I'll be right there," Stuart said and hung up.

Cartography For Beginners is currently in progress.

eye candy: Matt Smith and Alexander Doetsch

2011-04-27T11:42:00.001-06:00

This movie, "Christopher and His Kind," is my Kryptonite. It takes place in a time period I'm interested in but don't know well, involving a culture I find fascinating, is about people I've been researching, and stars someone whose work I enjoy.

And there's lovely boys kissing.

Kryptonite. I'm flattened.

free fiction at jennajones.com

2011-04-25T09:46:00.000-06:00

Every now and again I write little vignette-type things. They're collected at the free fiction page, and I've just updated with the latest batch.

writing excercises: five characters

2011-04-21T21:48:00.000-06:00

I treated myself recently to Tarot for Writers by Corinne Kenner, a book recommended by one of my writer friends. I've been fascinated by Tarot cards since I was about nine and made friends with an older girl in my neighborhood who had a deck that she'd let me look at sometimes. I learned to read them a few years ago through a friend from work, and I've got a few decks that I keep around to help me clear my head.

One of the first excercises to draw five cards to give yourself an protagonist, an antagonist, a protagonist's foil, an antagonist's foil, and a supporting character. I drew:

the three of swords
the sun
the nine of pentacles
the seven of wands
the fool

when you cannot speak and you cannot stay silent

2011-04-13T20:21:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago when I was hosting the torquere_social blog on Livejournal, I talked a bit about how I find music to be such an inspiration to my writing, and someone commented how she envied people who have a passionate relationship with music. I've been thinking about that a lot since.

I grew up in a musical household: we were one of those families who sing together for fun. We were encouraged to play instruments (I play two, piano and saxophone, neither very well), and my sisters and I were in performance groups for years--I was in one or another almost constantly from the time I was five until I was fourteen. I was primed, once might say, for the discover of pop music when I was a teenager and the invention of things like CDs (I could listen to my favorite song over and over! And not break the cassette! Raptures!) and mp3s.

For a year in college I worked as announcer at the campus radio station--best job ever, after writing--and after college I interviewed for the music department of my local Barnes & Noble. During the interview (which was on the department floor, since there wasn't anyone to cover the department while the manager interviewed me) a customer came to ask for some "Satchmo." "Satchmo?" said the manager. "Louis Armstrong," I said. "He should be under jazz."

I got the job.

I also liked it when someone would say, "Oh, you're too young to know who I'm talking about," and I'd say "Try me," and they'd name someone from my childhood or earlier, and I'd know exactly who they were talking about. Not just because it was my job to know things like that, but because I like knowing things like that.

I think a lot about entertainment, about why we enjoy other people's talents, and what it is in our brains that says, "I will get pleasure from this person's voice and that person's movement." There's a reason why I own so many DVDs and CDs, and why I'll gobble up as much of their work as I can find when I discover a new actor or writer. We want to feel something new or intense or unfamiliar, and somehow songs and dancing and plays and all these other media that we consume do that. They make us feel.

Music has always been a part of me, mostly because it's something that brings me so much joy.

eye candy: John Barrowman

2011-04-11T20:07:00.000-06:00

ASLDKFJAFJK LEGS.

Ever get used to someone, get used to their face, and then see them (or in this case, a picture of them) that makes you sit back and go, "...damn. Wow."

Yeah.

This last week was a roller coaster of health issues, so that is as deep as it's going to get, folks.

Thousand Word Thursday at Cryselle's Craziness

2011-04-05T09:05:00.000-06:00

Every Thursday Cryselle posts a picture prompt to inspire authors to write a 100-1000 word story. Last week she posted a pair of gymnasts, and I wrote Stop and Stare.

Enjoy.

plotting: the 9-sentence outline

2011-04-04T11:13:00.001-06:00

I like Joseph Campbell. I like studies of mythology and patterns in stories, and I like the Hero's Journey. I've used it to help me plot more than once.

Of course, there are elements to The Hero's Journey that don't fit into every story (What if you don't have Shapeshifters? What does Return With The Elixir mean, exactly?) and while on the one hand it can force you to think about your story in new ways, sometimes...sometimes you just want to get to the meat 'n' potatoes.

Like I've said before, for me plot is conflict, and the story is the resolution of those conflicts. I was going through old notes this weekend (trying to consolidate 10 years' worth of notebooks into a single computer program--you may laugh at my ambition, I certainly do) when I came across this very simple plot outline:

Who is the hero/heroine?
What does the hero want?
The door opens.
The hero takes control.
A monkey wrench is thrown.
Things fall apart.
The hero hits bottom.
The hero risks all.
What does the hero get?

It's like a stripped-down version of the Hero's Journey, focusing on your protagonists and his/her goals.

Read more »

works-in-progress meme

2011-04-01T20:29:00.000-06:00

I did this meme not long ago, but then while looking through my documents I found a folder of beginnings I'd completely forgotten about. Thus, I'm doing it again. (With the caveat, as ever, that these may not be so much "in progress" as "stalled.)

Post a line (or two) from as many of your WIPs as you want, with no explanation attached.

eye candy: Benedict Cumberbatch

2011-03-30T22:07:00.002-06:00


I have a type. Do I ever have a type.

I'm constantly fascinated by the human face. Basically, we all look the same: eyes, noses, mouths, cheekbones, chins. And yet the way every face fits together is different, and while so many faces are beautiful, they're all beautiful in a unique way.

This actor fascinates me because in every movie I've seen of his so far he somehow manages to have a different demeanor or carry himself in a different way, while still looking utterly like himself. He's not conventionally handsome, but I like looking at him anyway. The way his face fits together pleases me.

(Sometimes I think my fascination with English boys is my DNA wanting to go home.)

New! Learning to Waltz

2011-03-26T13:30:00.000-06:00

Conor was hired by the Todd family to keep Gabriel safe and sober. Conor has done his job so well that Gabriel no longer needs a caretaker, but they can’t bring themselves to part ways.

Gabriel and Conor live in a comfortable rhythm, pushing and pulling each other in a cautious dance. Conor doesn't think he's Gabriel's perfect partner, but Gabriel may have other ideas…

Buy it at Torquere Books.

An excerpt is below.

Read more »

and they all lived happily ever after

2011-03-23T20:29:00.002-06:00

One of my writing communities is having an "End it" challenge this week, and ever since I read the announcement I've been thinking about endings. Most of the time, when I begin I only vaguely know how a story is going to end--I know where I want the characters to be, as it were, but not exactly how they get there. It's one of those things I like to discover in the writing. Sometimes the germ of the story is born from the end, but that's another issue altogether.

Read more »

eye candy: Chris Colfer and Darren Criss

2011-03-21T11:56:00.000-06:00

I have a more thoughtful post brewing, but meantime, have the kiss that made me do victory arms in joy.

six sentence Sunday

2011-03-13T11:37:00.001-06:00

I felt his breath on my mouth before his full lips touched mine.

I stopped dancing. I'd daydreamed about Gabriel's mouth many times before this, wondered if he would taste like water or an apple or something else entirely, if he'd learned anything from all those kisses he so recklessly gave away -- but it's one thing to daydream, another to have your employer, your responsibility, kissing you with his hands in your hair.

He pulled away far too soon. "For luck," he said, and left the chill-out room.

"That's New Year's Eve," I said stupidly and followed.

Learning to Waltz will be published March 26, 2011, by Torquere Press.

music! "End of the World" by Matt Alber

2011-03-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous, haunting song, a lovely voice, and an ending to the video that you don't see coming.

happy, joyful and whole

2011-03-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

The radio station I listen to most mornings has a feature every other Friday called The Painful Circle, where people can call in with their relationship problems for some unsentimental advice. Aside from the three DJs, there are two alternating special guests who help out with the Painful Circle, one of whom is a professional Tarot reader. She is constantly advising callers that they must become "happy, joyful, whole" people in order to have a happy, joyful whole relationship.

It's occurred to me that getting published is a lot like finding true love. While a lot of it is down to timing--maybe your theme is one already glutting the market, maybe the editor assigned to your MS just doesn't like your genre, maybe any number of other factors could play into your story being rejected--the rest of it has to do with you, the writer. Are you happy, joyful and whole? Or in writing terms, is your manuscript well-written, well-plotted and polished until it shines?

Read more »

links and things

2011-03-04T19:49:00.001-07:00

Because it's lonely: Ask me anything http://www.formspring.me/misslucyjane

Because it's important: helpfordelight

Because it's delicious: Gonzo Bread Company

Because it looks interesting: The Good Men Project

Because I'm insatiably curious: What's in your bag?

Because it's adorable:

I miss this show.

February accounts

2011-02-28T10:15:00.001-07:00

Koala points:
33,000 words edited - 6 points
7000 words written - 2 points

February projects:

the next City by the Bay novel (mostly editing--lots of ideas, not much progress)
fanfic (not much of that)
Blog entries
Learning to Waltz editing (to be published March 26)

February total:

7112 / 20000 words. 36% done!

Yearly total:

28135 / 250000 words. 11% done!

On tap for March: a novella for an anthology. I decided to set it where I live, or rather near where I live, though I don't know if I'll have time for a research trip. It's a long drive. I've figured out most of the plot, named the characters and given it a working title, and I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing.

Wish me luck. February was a rough month. March can only get better.

eye candy: John Barrowman and Gareth David-Lloyd

2011-02-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday felt like Let's Kick Jenna While She's Down day, so I asked for happy-making things. My friends obliged with pictures of kittens, animated gifs and Eddie Izzard on Youtube, but my favorite was this picture--a screencap that never fails to cheer me up. Two lovely men, kissing with such desperation and passion. Never gets old.

because I need more projects like I need a hole in the head.

2011-02-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

I was actually thinking about something else entirely when these words passed through my mind: Ketu and Damal, on vacation.

Oh, plot bunnies. Stop poking me. I bruise.

setting

2011-02-21T13:46:00.003-07:00

I have never set a story where I live.

I have set stories places I've been and loved, using memory where I could and research for everything else. I've set stories places I've never been and asked locals for advice. I've set stories places that don't exist and where I could create every last detail.

But where I live has never held any appeal to me as a setting. Partially it's that familiarity breeds contempt--I've lived here since 1993--partially that where I live comes with some socio-political difficulties that I just haven't wanted to deal with. What I write is escapism. Where I live doesn't lend itself easily to escape.

The view from my back door.

There are things I love about where I live, don't get me wrong. At certain times of the year it's breathtakingly beautiful. The people can be astoundingly kind, friendly and generous. (Of course, the opposite is also true.) There's a true desire to appreciate art and history and culture--there are two art museums within twenty minutes' drive from my living room, there's a symphony an hour away, there are numerous independent theaters dotted all over the valley, if I want a library I have half-a-dozen to choose from--and once a year we become Hollywood East. (The fact that an upcoming Doctor Who episode was filmed here makes me do a dance of fangirly joy.)

There's an anthology call that I'm interested in, asking for stories set on vacation. My first thoughts were my usual suspects, the places I like to go on vacation, but I've been thinking lately it would be an interesting challenge to set it here, on streets I've driven, mountains I've hiked, cities I know.

And maybe the accompanying tension will make for a richer story. There's more to setting than just the views and the scents, and those are often harder to capture unless you've been there.

meme meme

2011-02-18T12:20:00.002-07:00

Mm, pretty.

Snagged from my friend Ashie over on the Livejournal: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Feel free to ask about any of them.

Aardvarks
The Art Teacher
Baton Rouge
CforB rough draft
Cornucopia
Jude-Austin
Noah's hands project
Spencer-Dominic
The Sorcerer's Briefcase
Tryst
Wingnut

Some of these are less in-progress and more abandoned, but you get the idea. I'm actually rather boggled at how small my unfinished folder is: I finish nearly everything I start, lately. (Whether anybody aside from myself sees it is another matter.)

a love letter to my characters

2011-02-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

You might consider the below spoilers for the Apples & Gin series. Or just Jenna being odd.
Read more »

not for posies and potatoes

2011-02-11T20:58:00.001-07:00

It's a funny thing, plotting. There are reams books on plots, arguments about plots. Some people say there are over twenty plots (man vs. man, man vs. God, man vs. self, man vs. society--I'm not going to list them all but you get the idea), some say only two (somebody comes to town, somebody leaves town). E.M. Forster said,

The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen died of grief is a plot.


I only look innocent	.

I know this for certain: plot is conflict. Big conflict or small conflict, there has to be some sort of struggle in order for there to be a plot. My favorite kinds of stories have both an inner and outer struggle to deal with--inner and outer demons, as it were.

A few years ago I started Novel #3, but it stalled out after a while. While I had a basic idea of how it would end, the points between weren't coherent to me, and I think that's a large part of why the story stalled. But since I've been thinking about it and working on it again, those points are starting to connect.

Those points are the conflicts. More conflicts that I originally had, glorious conflicts, real conflicts that are hinted at in the first two novels, conflicts that need to be resolved in order to have a story.

The fog is clearing a bit.

Keep driving.

bullet points of the day

2011-02-09T16:49:00.002-07:00

I know how you feel,
arm-wavy guy.

Blog. I've been blogging since 2001 and I still have no idea what I'm doing sometimes. I've had a lot of blogs, and I still have a few others gathering dust. Mostly I just try to present myself honestly and possibly even entertainingly. (I entertain myself quite a bit, and isn't that the most important thing?)
Colors. I tried a dark layout but went back to the first one. So sue me: I like pink. As a pale blue-eyed blond, I have that right.
Feedback. *v.v.v.v. big grin*
Geekery. I have multiple computers, and I try to use one for writing and one for games etc., and then I have the Blackberry which is rapidly becoming my entire life in the palm of my hand. And today I saw that a word processing program I've been slavering over was way, way reduced in price, so I snagged it. And now I have three computers to keep the documents synced up on.
Holiday. I hope to spend the day before V-day with my new fella: my nephew Shepherd, who will be two weeks old on Friday.
TV. I feel like I have an embarrassment of riches with TV right now. Supernatural, White Collar, Raising Hope, Justified...my DVR is stuffed to the gills.
Writing. Figured out how a story I wasn't planning to work on yet is going to end. This is good, except for the "I wasn't planning to work on it yet" bit. I have a schedule! I've been terrible at sticking to it, but I have one!

New! Apples & Gin: Wedding Cake

2011-02-05T09:43:00.001-07:00

Noah Kingston and Sawyer Shaw agreed to get married on Valentine's Day in Boston, and the day has finally arrived. Noah wants to give Sawyer the wedding of his dreams, but it won't be perfect without Sawyer's family attending, too.

Sawyer has always had the most faith in their love. When Noah learns Sawyer's family doesn't intend to even see him again if the wedding takes place, Noah wonders if that faith will be enough to get Sawyer down the aisle

Buy it at Torquere Press.

Read more »

monthly accounts

2011-02-02T12:55:00.004-07:00

1 pt, introduction post
1 pt, 4000 words written
7 pts, additional
14,000 words written (and then I wrote a few more after reporting in, as you can see below)
1 pt, 7000 words edited

10 points total.

January projects:
3 pieces of Sherlock fanfiction (1 that's getting quite big)
1 story (begun, then deferred until summertime)
Apples & Gin: Wedding Cake editing (I couldn't stop tinkering with it!)
Blogspot blog entries (the only one I'm counting, and only certain entries)

21023 / 250000 words. 8% done!

I'm starting February with one sale (a short story called Learning to Waltz, which will be published March 26 by Torquere Press) and one publication that I believe I've mentioned a time or two.

My project for February is to finish a novel that's been stuck as 23,000 words for about three years now.

if it's Monday, this must be meme

2011-01-31T23:30:00.003-07:00

Post a line (or two) from as many of your WIPs as you want, with no explanation attached.

Read more »

unabashed nerdery

2011-01-28T10:07:00.001-07:00

I'm not a programmer or software engineer, though I work with them on a regular basis in Ye Olde DayJobbe. I have an interest in programming, though, and have created things like simple online training quizzes and a database and interface for customer contact information.

Recently I got a Blackberry and I'm trying to use it as an organizer as well as a phone/text/email/web tool. In particular I wanted to find a way to use it in helping me keep track of all my submission and writing goals for the year. The closest application I found to what I was looking for is called My Tasks, a little freebie app for tracking various projects. It took a few tries to figure out the structure in a useful way, but I've got it down now and I'm quite pleased with it so far.

But I've also been thinking about what I would include in an application of my own, were I to write one. (I don't know that I will--it involves Java, a programming languages I've never gotten a handle on, but there are also some development environments available. So...I'm thinking about it.)

Read more »

I can't think of a title, either

2011-01-26T09:32:00.001-07:00

This is me right now.

As far as blocks go, it's not the worst I've ever had. (That would be the Bad Nasty Evil Writer's Block of 1999, when for six months I wrote absolutely nothing. It was so bad that when I finally did start writing again, people noticed because I was so much happier.) Still, it's worrisome. I have a lot of goals for this year: finishing novel number 3, finishing a screenplay, many anthology submissions, and at least two stand-alone novellas. Last year I published six stories, the most I ever have; if I publish everything I plan to this year, it'll be nine. But I won't be publishing anything if I don't write anything. (Aside from the stuff already written, submitted and accepted, of course. Having written is such a wonderful feeling.)

Read more »

in which I walk the walk

2011-01-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Apples & Gin: Wedding Cake will be published February 5. You can read more about the Apples & Gin stories on My Books.

Have an excerpt. I like excerpts.

Read more »

summing up: the synopsis and blurb

2011-01-22T14:27:00.001-07:00

One of the most difficult steps in publishing for me is writing the blurb. (When you're playing with the big boys, I'm sure there's a staff to do just that. With a small press, it's up to the authors.) I found a good article on synopsis writing years ago that I still refer to: How I Eat - er, write - a Synopsis by Victoria J. Coe. (Unfortunately the domain has expired or I'd link to the article. I have a copy stashed away in my OneNote files for reference.)
The main points are these:

The first thing I do when writing a synopsis is sum up the whole story in one paragraph.

* Begin by telling the entire plot in one sentence.
* Next, explain the main character’s motivation in one or two sentences.
* Then summarize the “middle” of the story and climax in one or two sentences.
* Finally, tell how the main character grows or what he learns as a result of his experiences.
* Of course, if you can combine any of these points, by all means do!

Skip a line, and dive right in to the plot outline. Think of your story in three major sections:
* Beginning - Main character’s motivation is established and basic plot is set up
* Middle - Main character faces obstacles, which build to a climax
* End - Climax is resolved.

The beginning, climax and ending will take up most of the synopsis, with less weight given to the middle:
* Reveal your beginning in two or three paragraphs, leaving off with your plot clearly set.
* For the middle, lead with an introductory sentence, then encapsulate your major plot points as bullets, leading up to the climax. Take two or three paragraphs to describe the climax and twists.
* Finally, tell how the story is resolved in one or two paragraphs.

A blurb is similar, but you don't want to reveal the entire plot! I use the synopsis as a jumping-off point for the blurb, but it takes some judicious editing to tell the story without spoiling the ending or giving away too much. The blurb is supposed to make the reader want to see how it ends, so you don't want to tip your hand. (Even if, due to genre, the reader has a general idea of how it will end: with the killer caught, the lovers united, or the dragon slain.)

The hard part, for me, is finding the balance between selling the story and revealing too much. Since this story is part of a series, I want to tell long-time readers that they're about to get what they've been waiting for, but I don't want to alienate new readers, of course. And I want to hint at the climax without spelling it out.

So, the structure of a blurb should be something like:

* The characters
* The circumstances
* The conflict

Oh, hey. The three Cs of blurb-writing. How about that.

release date

2011-01-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

My next story, Apples & Gin: Wedding Cake, will be published February 5.

I've been trying to think of something deep and meaningful to say about editing or writing a series or trying to make an established relationship interesting, but I got nothin'. (It's been a stressful week at the day job, yo.)

Instead, have a drawing my friend Emily did for me of Sawyer. (I think it looks like Sawyer in about 15 years, but I get what she was going for.)

the sum of my wisdom

2011-01-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

Quite often, when aspiring writers find out I've been published, they want to know the secret -- the short cut, the magic trick.

Okay. Here's the magic trick.

Read more »

meme Friday: snow day

2011-01-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'm looking for a good meme to follow for Fridays. I will take recommendations.

Writer's Digest writing prompts
Write about a day during your elementary school years where school was cancelled due to snow. Remember waking up to the "good" news? How you filled your newfound free time?
I grew up in California. This apparently universal experience was not part of my universe. I was six years old before I saw snow, and nine the first time I actually saw it falling--we lived in Texas then, and we got ice storms in the winter time. I remember them only happening on the weekend, too, so school was never canceled due to ice.

Even when I went to school somewhere it did snow, school was never canceled on account of it, even when it got to forty below plus windchill. Idahoans are tough. (And campus was within walking distance to most of the student population.)

True story: I came home for Christmas from one of those forty-below winters to the balmy Bay Area, where we were having a cold spell of *gasp* forty degrees! "Take a sweater!" said my mother when I went out at night.

"It's eighty degrees warmer than where I just was!" I told her. And I didn't bring a sweater.

Where I live now, the roads are occasionally closed due to snow. I usually don't find this out until I've made the white-knuckled drive into work.

eye candy: Rupert Graves

2011-01-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

I am completely in love with this screencap.

I'd recommend some movies but I've only seen a few. Maurice first brought Rupert to my attention, but for a long time he was one of those, "Hey! It's...that guy!" actors for me. (You know: you know the face but can never quite remember the name...until one day, hello.)

My hello was the new BBC series Sherlock, where Rupert plays Inspector Lestrade, and he's perfection. Silver-haired, authoritative, paternal, perfection.

So I'm adding movies to my Netflix queue like mad, because beauty like this deserves some appreciation.

Whoever gets to wake up to this every day is very, very lucky indeed.

(What, you may ask, does this have to do with writing? Pfft, where do you suppose inspiration comes from?)

in the big inning

2011-01-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Appropriately enough, I'm thinking about beginnings this morning. What I've got to introduce myself I've put in the About me page, so let's talk about story beginnings instead.

I like to start where everything changes. Sometimes it's a big change, like a death; sometimes it's a small change, like a promise, but it's still a change. Whether this change happens in the first sentence or later depends on the length of the story: in a novel that change had better at least be hinted at within the first ten pages or the reader will get bored.

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