How I Write-- What books would you put in a time capsule?

If you could put the books you've read this year in a time capsule, what would you put? The accountabililty group decided to tackle this question this week. I've been pretty good at updating my Goodreads this year, which has helped me immensely. I read about a book a week so it helps to keep me in the loop of what I read. In no particular order, I'd put in the time capsule:

1. The Legend Hunters by Robyn DeHart (Seduce Me, Desire Me and Treasure Me). I love this trilogy and am sad it's over. What I loved the most about it was that it combined two of my loves: historical romances and paranormal mythology. If you are interested in Pandora's Box, Atlantis and whatnot, then check out this series. I heart it so bad. --Historical

2. When the Duke Returns, The Duchess of Mine and A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James. I really enjoyed all three and couldn't get enough of the stories. Simeon (the explorer who returns, a virgin hero!), Jemma and Villiers really captured my attention. --Historical

3. New to me was Courtney Milan. I read Unveiled and Unclaimed (another virgin hero!) and was sucked in to the stories of both of these. --Historical

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I loved the premise and the characters. I can't wait for the movie to come out. --YA, post-apocalyptic

5. Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison. One of the few paranormals I've read this year. I loved how the hero was portrayed. He was a dragon in every sense of the word. --Paranormal

6. The Care and Taming of a Rogue by Suzanne Enoch. Hero is an explorer who was thought dead and returns. I believe, but don't quote me, he's another virgin hero (notice a trend going on?) -- Historical

7. Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake by Sarah Maclean. Another new to me author. I'll definitely read others from her. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. --Historical

8. A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl. It was the first time I read a book by her and since then, I've bought a few more.-- Historical

9. Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March. I really liked the heroine and how strong she was...and how the hero changed.-- Historical

10. What a Gentleman Wants by Caroline Linden. I think I've enjoyed pretty much every Caroline book so far. -- Historical

11. The Perfect Mistress by Victoria Alexander. I loved the main conflict between the heroine and hero.-- Historical

12. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. I LOVED Ian so much. I agonized over getting this book. I tried to buy through Amazon and Barnes and Noble and both had no copies. I can't recall where I got this used copy but it was well worth it. Am definitely going to read the others.-- Historical

What would you put in a time capsule? What have you read that you'd recommend to anyone? Check out my friends' sites to see what books they'd put in a time capsule: Danie Ford Emma G. Delaney Kimberly Farris Kristen Koster

How I Write-- What's in your toolbox?

While last week was a bit of fun, this week's How I Write has to do with writing tools and resources. What do you use? What are your favourites?

Resources:
- Flip Dictionary- I could not live without this. It's, yes, technically just a thesaurus but it has so much in there that isn't in a normal thesaurus that I'm in love. It's designed to help you find a word if you have an idea what you want. Like a certain type a tree...you'd look up tree and it'll list all the different kinds. This is my one book that is so ratty because I use it constantly.
- Websites- I don't frequent a lot anymore, but some that I can't live without are Savvy Authors (great workshops hosted there) and Kiss of Death (again, awesome workshops that aren't found elsewhere really)
- Books- Let's face it, to be a writer you need to read as well. I try to read at least one romance (historical or paranormal lately) a week. I also have tons of research books on the paranormal and science that I consult with.

Tools (this one I had a bit of trouble because I don't use any programs to write):
- my computer- I need my computer. There's no doubt about that. While I can write pen and paper or a type writer (started out like this), I prefer not to. That and the fact I'm too OCD. I can't stand a marked up page (like if I'm doing edits). If the page has been ruined with a mark, I get twitchy wanting to print out a new one.
- I'm going to put sprints here. They may be considered more a resource, not sure, but for me, sprints are the tools I use to get my words done.
- This will sound odd but my tv. I need background noise. I can't concentrate when it's quiet. Usually I put on the food network or shows I've already watched before. Something that doesn't distract me too much so that I'm paying more attention to it. If I don't have the tv on, then I need music on. Sometimes both on at the same time.

Check out my friends' sites to see what tools and resources they use: Danie Ford Emma G. Delaney Kimberly Farris Kristen Koster

How I Write-- What do your bookshelves look like?

Books... love them, but seriously, where to put them all? It was asked in my accountability group what our bookshelves look like. At one point, my bookshelves were organized. Then my cats got to them and knocked them all down. I seriously don't know what it is with these cats, but they are obsessed about the book shelf and knocking them all out on the floor.

I own way too many books and only one bookshelf. While my parents have boxes and boxes of those I'd packed up during various moves, I have over 500 here in this apartment. During my purge at the beginning of the year, I boxed up a lot of them and set them aside. The ones I kept for the shelves are those that are keepers...those I read more than once. Still, there isn't enough room.

While I did the purge, I sorted my books out in piles: historicals, contemporaries, paranormals/urban fantasies, and then those I had yet to read. As I set them back on the shelves, I started out with the historicals, working my way then to paranormals and then contemporaries. But, I didn't stop there. Not only are they separated by genre, they are separated by alphabetical order of author last names and then by series or standalone. All those books I had yet to read went on top of the shelf in their own little piles.

I still dream to have my own room that is wall to wall filled with books. And a cozy little reading chair. However, I have been buying a lot of ebooks lately. I think my parents would be happy about that, considering they are the ones who help me move. lol. Not only would I want a secret little hide-away that leads to the "library", I love the cubbyhole little reading area in the picture on the right. My only concern would be if an earthquake hit. LOL. Not that we get a lot of those, but I would be a bit paranoid it might all fall on top of me. Death by books?

My bedroom would not be without some as well. Can you imagine having a bed like this? I think I would store all the books I had yet to read under that bed. And for the office (when I get an office), I love the look of this "desk". All my research books would look awesome in there. Everything from anthropology to biology to psychology and history and whatnot. And of course, you can't forget about the livingroom. I really like what they did here, using bookshelves and setting them around the couch. It gives it an interesting look. Of course, you would need an open concept room, to set the couch in the middle like that, but still. It would totally work in my apartment. Well, if I got rid of the kitchen table. Who needs one? lol. These are just a few ideas of what would make my dream home. I love featuring books and showcasing them for others to check out. Maybe one day...

For more on personal libraries, check out the bookcases of my friends!
Danie Ford Emma G. Delaney Kimberly Farris Kristen Koster

How I Write-- What inspires you to start/keep writing?

Books can be hard to start at times. All those blank pages can be overwhelming at times. ESPECIALLY, if you're starting with action. I don't know about you, but fighting scenes are the hardest for me to write.

So how do I get started?

I listen to music. A lot of it. I play it loud so that it blocks out the world and focus on my chars. Sometimes the first sentence will pop up, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes a line for the lyrics will snag something from my brain.

However, before this whole process starts, I usually will surf the net (a lot) or go on Pinterest and look at the images, hoping they'll spark ideas. I look for ideas of clothing, of objects the characters may have or use, of what their room may look like, etc. I pool it all together to get a better impression of the main characters and their life.

Sometimes random scenes will jump out at me. Usually these are highly charged and exciting. Scenes I can't WAIT to write. So I jot them down and usually some lines, if I remember them so that I don't forget. I'm bad, especially at night, if I get an idea, not jotting it down. I can guarantee by morning I'll forget. But during the day while the computer is open, I can easily go into the World Bible and jot those notes down. Because I write a series, I don't have tons of World Bibles. The whole world exists in one file so it's easy to find.

Getting to the end of a project is harder than starting. Yes, some ideas will flow as I write but there are times I'll get stuck. This is where I bug someone and pester them with questions or brainstorm with them. Sometimes, you just need that other person's thoughts. I'm lucky to be surrounded by a lot of great writers and friends. I'm not a first draft plotter. I'm more of a second draft plotter, so writing that first draft is a writing as I go process. However, music will always revive my inspiration.

For more on what inspires writers to get into their stories, check out these blogs:

Danie Ford
Emma G. Delaney
Kimberly Farris
Kristen Koster

Research- When Paranormal Meets Science

I do a lot of research while I write. Yes, with paranormal, the lines blur and I do take that tactic when I can't explain some things, but, a lot of the times, I'm trying to combine the supernatural with science. Maybe it's because of my biology degree, but I can't just not try to explain why something may occur.

Sometimes, you just can't explain something.

But, just because something can't be explained now doesn't mean it won't ever be explained. Some things, we just don't have the knowledge or technology to use. Every day science and technology is growing. For example in January, scientists came closer to creating a cloak of invisibility. We're constantly hearing about medical discoveries like creating blood from stem cells.

So to close our minds off from things that don't make sense at the moment doesn't make sense. We may not understand it now, but we may in the future. I love thinking outside the figurative box. I like exploring the unknown and seeing what can be done. And it's this that influences my books, Fatal Visions in particular.

Dreams in books

Last week I talked a bit about dreams because well, they're something everyone experiences. Dreams are also something that play a lot of part in novels. Why?

Dreams are an insight into a character's mind, but just like anything, there's a line. It doesn't matter how great the dream is written, there's a time and place for them. They need to move the plot or else they are just there to drag the story down. But, when used effectively, the reader gets to know the character on a whole new level.

When it comes to Paranormal, often times, the dream becomes part of the plot. Psychic characters may be able to slip into the dreams of others or even control that of the sleeper. They may be prophetic dreams or something else entirely. This can be because dreams (along with meditation and various shaman practices) enhance and relax the conscious, directing brain activity from the left hemisphere to stimulate the limbic system to be more active than the cortex, allowing for a breeding ground of psychic abilities. A few of these abilities could be, for instance, clairvoyance (i.e. a psychic chasing down a serial killer), precognition (i.e. Harry Potter dreaming of Voldemort) or even out-of-body experiences (i.e. where the dreamer may not know it, but they are in an altered state of mind and wandering outside in the real world unknown to anyone else).

There are a lot of things that writers can do. So many possibilities. Can you thin of more instances where dreams are used in plots? What are your favourites?

There are a lot of options.

A new breed of monsters

Monsters don't always hide in the closet or under beds.

Where in the past we used to see creatures of the night as villains such as Dracula, now, these beings are often being seen as heroes and heroines of their own story. Take a walk through the paranormal romance shelves for instance. You'll find vampires who although they need blood to survive also are looking for acceptance and love. Or were-creatures who turn furry (whether it's only by full moon or at at will is another post), needing the company of a mate. This doesn't even include faeries and ghosts and all other supernaturals. Sometimes, it's the HUMANS who are the monsters.

From dark monsters who kill ruthlessly, we've seen a rapid progression of the new times. And it's not just books. If you turn on the tv, you'll find shows as well that are following suit. Just look at Being Human. The show closely follows the lives of the ghost of a woman who was murdered by her ex-fiance, a vampire who although he may or may not have killed his family fights the urges constantly, and a werewolf afraid of what he's capable of doing on full moons.

Do you like this new wave of supernaturals or would you prefer your monsters dark and blood thirsty?

Why I Write Paranormal

So the paranormal... well what does that mean? Coined ca. 1915-1920, the paranormal are the experiences that don't fall under range of normal or cannot be explained by science. Many things can fall under the range of paranormal, particularly: ghosts and cryptids (a creature or plant unrecognized by a scientifically such as vampires, werewolves, Bigfoot, etc). There are many shows I watch, so many I've become hooked on (in no particular order):

1. Paranormal State
2. Psychic Kids
3. Fact or Faked Paranormal Files
4. Destination Truth
5. In the past: Animal X

And many more. These are just some shows I enjoy watching that explore the unexplained. Really, we're just skimming what can be described as paranormal. There's so much out there we don't know about, so many things that maybe we don't even want to acknowledge. There are those who close their mind to it all and refuse to even give the possibilities a chance.

It's these possibilities that I love. The unknown. The 'what-if' factor. And it's why I write paranormal/urban fantasy. There's nothing wrong with contemporaries but I love the extra wow factor the supernatural can add. Historical romance with paranormal aspects, yes please! There aren't too many of these that I know about but I would love to hear about them.

Do you like the paranormal? Why or why not? What about it pulls you in?

Kill Your Darlings...

… these were the words spoken by Eve Silver at a TRW workshop I’d intended earlier this month. Meaning? Sometimes, even those most precious, hard-worked gorgeous sentences need to be killed. This doesn’t just extend to wordplay but to characters and particularly, to scenes. Sometimes, they just don’t fit in the story or do anything to move the plot along.

I’m learning this more and more as I write and it never gets easier. Some scenes will be so awesome and shiny but they’ll do nothing. It’s a pain and often… a fight between wills- the stubborn ego and the practical plotter. Now, I’m not a plotter in the sense that I know where I’m going from point A to B to C. Heck no. My writing is utter chaos. If anyone were to read the rough drafts, they’d be lost because I write random scenes as they come to me and then string them up later to make some kind of a sense- a jigsaw puzzle. So for me, I’ll have a lot of scenes I’ll love or LOVE, but won’t be able to place. So out they go.

Characters… I’m not good with this. I’m not much of a kill off a character I like person and this also reflects what I watch or will read. I refuse, REFUSE, to watch/read something where the main character dies. For me, it’s a waste of my time. I don’t need a character to be doomed from the start. I want to see him/her struggle and get to their feet, to come out better for all that they’d gone through. So death to a main char is a sure way for me to put the book down.

And I’ll confess, because of this, I do often read the last page of a book. Or at least skim it to make sure that everyone is alive and in happily ever after. There’s too much ugliness in reality. I read to get away from it all. But I digress.

I’ve been editing my manuscript for a bit now. It had just gone through a critique so this past week I’ve been cleaning it up. I’ve realized two things: 1. Some of those nice pretty sentences? Aren’t needed because they are either redundant or confusing to the reader. 2. I have more clutch words than I expected and not just that… but actions as well. For instance, clutch words: just, simply. Action clutches?- certain lip movements, glaring or narrowing of the eyes.

So kill your darlings, because as hard as it is, your story will be better for it. Yes, those are words I took back with me from Eve Silver’s awesome workshop and it’s something that I’ll keep with me. Maybe I’ll even print it out in front of me while I write.


Speaking of Eve, I just finished her book Seduced by a Stranger and I highly recommend it. At first, I was a bit wary of the hero. He’s different. Darker. Harder. Colder. Just different from any other hero I’ve ever really read before. I wasn’t sure what to expect because his story is so… intense for a lack of a better word, and thought that it could have easily ended up to be one of those stories that I just didn’t feel the heat between the hero and heroine. I was wrong. It didn’t take long for him to grow on me. He has a past, a dark one that I found quite ensnaring and couldn’t wait to read more about. So yes, if you’re wanting to read a historical and are wanting something different this is definitely an edge of the seat read.

Where would you rather be...

Last night I watched Inkheart that a friend loaned me. It's an interesting concept to me, people going in or coming out of books and it made my imagination go... what book would you love to suddenly find yourself in?

For me, I think that I would love to go into Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series. Why? Hot Ramses... archaeology... and in the famous words of Abdullah- Every year, another dead body! I mean come on, the banter of Mrs Emerson and the other characters is often quite hilarious and the mysteries... and pyramids...and...oh there are just so many reasons to love the series.

In the paranormal realm, it'd be to slilp into Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series. Who doesn't love hot men and abilities beyond the normal?

What about you? Is there any world you'd particularly want to jump into? Which character would you like to meet the most?

Thursday Thirteen: 13 books I'm reading...

I'm at home at my parents for the week. I love it here-- the open fields, the surrounding bush, the lake... the fact that it takes 20-30 mins to walk to neighbours. Pictures will come once I'm back again and am not on dial up, but seriously, I love it here. But just because I'm home, doesn't mean that I wouldn't have books on me. Some are mere research books and it will be oh so clear what topic. LOL. Others are for pleasure reading...

1. Sylvia Browne- Past Lives, Future Healing (Ok I admit I didn't actually bring this with me. My aunt had it and it has to do with cell memory and because it's something my novel has to do with, I decided to borrow it).
2.The ESP Enigma by Diane Hennacy Powell
3. The Science of Heroes: The real life possibilities behind the hit show by Yvonne Carts-Powell
4. The Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios
5. PSIence: How New Discoveries in Quantum Physics and New Science May Explain the Existence of Paranormal Phenomena by Marie Jones
6. More than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement by Ramez Naam
7. Burning Alive by Shannon Butcher
8. Small Favor by Jim Butcher
9. Night Secrets by Cherry Adair
10. Bound by Honor by Colette Gale
11. A Drop of Red by Chris Marie Green
12. With Open Arms by Nora Roberts
13. A Perfect Darkness by Jaime Rush.