End Of The Year Wrap-Up

When I was stitching more, one of my sisters every so often posted a State of the Stitching Address where she updated everyone on her progress of her various stitching projects through out the year, which was nice since she lives in California and it's not like I could just drop by and every couple of weeks or weekly and do a stitch-in and see how she was doing. Well I could, but I don't have the money for that. Yet.

So, in the same vein I want to do an end of the year wrap-up in preparation for posting my new years goals.

It's been a busy year - I sold my first book, Finding Love, to Total-e-Bound, which came out in September, found out a friend of mine was doing his 7th tour in Iraq, and two more will be going there next summer, sold my second book, Knight of Pleasure, the first in the Smuggler's Cove series, to Total-e-Bound, which comes out in March 2010, sent Bug to school camp for a week, launched my website, moved out of my tiny apartment after three years, finally graduated from college with a bachelor of science, and finished a total of 3 books. Temporarily we are staying with one of my brothers and his family (they have 5 kids) while the new place gets prepped.

This coming year means trying to find a regular job, getting into grad school, and writing. Lots of writing. My goals and resolutions for 2010 will be posted soon and I'll be holding myself accountable on my blog daily or weekly at least.

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!

Knight Of Pleasure

Knight of Pleasure is the first book in a series from Total-e-Bound and it centers around a microbrewery in an average size midwest city. It's due for release in March 2010.

A few songs will invariably find there way into every book, but I'm not completely sure.

Soundtrack - Knight of Pleasure
1. Some Gave All - Billy Ray Cyrus
2. Tears of Joy - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)- Free Play Music
3. Journey - Robyn Wyldwood
4. Oak, Ash, Thorn - Robyn Wyldwood
5. Final Sacrifice - Composed by:Patrick James Slattery, BMI - Free Play Music
6. Warriors and Knights - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%) - Free Play Music
7. In Rememberance - Free Play Music
8. Sacred Shabbat - Loreena McKennitt
9. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad - Meatloaf
10. Legion - Composed by:Paul Andrews, ASCAP- Free Play Music
11. Dawn Mist - Composed by:D. DiFonzo, BMI, Scott P. Schreer, BMI - Free Play Music
12. Kamande - Cirque Du Soleil
13. Bring Me To Life - Evanescence
14. If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins
15. Bumper Of My SUV - Chely Wright
16. God Bless America - Martina McBride
17. Leader Of The Pack - Twisted Sister
18. I Remember - Wood Land
19. Health To The Company - Robyn Wyldwood
20. 'Til The Last Shots Fired - Trace Adkins


Enjoy the music!!!!!!!!!!!

Holiday Traditions

We are talking about our favorite holiday traditions over at Writers Evolution all this week. Learn about our favorite traditions and share some of your own.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with all of your friends and family!!!!

Tuesdays at Writers Evolution

It's Tuesday and I'm over at Writer's Evolution...

This week in celebration of Thanksgiving, we're talking about what Thanksgiving is to us and what we're thankful for.

To Love Again

I always have a soundtrack for every book I write. No matter how short or long. Here is the soundtrack for To Love Again

1. The Pict Song - Emerald Rose
2. Evita/Lament - Andrew Lloyd Webber
3. Romantic Nights - Composed by:Pete Calandra, BMI, Scott P. Schreer, BMI - Freeplaymusic.com
4. Camille's Story - Quantum of Solace
5. Cats/Memory - Andrew Lloyd Webber
6. Aspects of Love/Anything But Lonely - Andrew Lloyd Webber
7. Can't Buy Me Love - Michael Buble
8. Save The Last Dance For Me - Michael Buble
9. Call Me When You're Sober - Evanescence
10. Lithium - Evanescence
11. Like You - Evanescence
12. All That I'm Living For - Evanescence
13. Good Enough - Evanescence
14. Gotta Be Somebody - Nickelback
15. I'd Come For You - Nickelback
16. Just To Get High - Nickelback
17. Never Gonna Be Alone - Nickelback
18. You Don't Belong - Daughtry
19. Life After You - Daughtry
20. What I Meant To Say - Daughtry
21. Every Time You Turn Around - Daughtry
22. Home - Daughtry
23. Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That - Dolly Parton
24. Useless - Cavo
25. New Divide - Linkin Park
26. Morgana Moon - Wood land

Catching Up!!!!

I know, I've been a bad blogger lately. It's been nuts in my house. Midterms and papers had to be done. Bug went to school camp with her class and two other schools and while I missed her something awful, I wasn't bored. Tired, though.

A bunch of my friends and I got together and decorated plain white baseball caps with ribbon, buttons, pompoms, paint, markers and glitter then we stitched fleece on the inside to line it and gave them to children's cancer center near our school.

Then the school had a military appreciation hockey team and we collected items to put in care packages to send to the troops overseas. There were people in uniform representing all the branches and kids from the local youth auxiliaries. And an honor guard.

On November 10th, the US Marine Corps turned 234th. Wish your favorite Marine a late happy birthday!

On Veterans Day we relayed the flag from our school to the national cemetery 17ish miles away. Fun but tiring, because there was a pig roast afterward and a late dinner at Applebees.

In the midst of all that I was working on a Valentine's Book - To Love Again - but it didn't turn out as light as I wanted it too. The guys told me their story and refused to budge on it. Ugh. But it's done. And I finished my edits for the first Smugglers' Cove Book - Knight of Pleasure. YEAH!!!!

Now, so I don't get bored again before it's time for finals and graduation and applying to grad school, I've started on another book. Well two of them - The second Smugglers' Cove Book and the first in another series.

PIrates and Piracy

All this week at Writers Evolution we are talking about a topic that is near and dear to all of us. Piracy - not the sword-swinging-rescuing-distressed-damsel kind but the act of illegally downloading books kind.

Downloading a book for free instead of paying the $3 or $4 the book is STEALING! Just as walking into Barnes and Noble and steal a book is wrong, so is this.

Authors work hard to create stories that people enjoy, but the fact remains, you expect to get paid at your job, we expect to get paid too. This is our job.

Whips, Chains, & Hearts?

I decided that I was going to write a book for Valentine's Day. I got an idea, found out what the guys looked like and started writing. Within two pages I was told in no uncertain terms that this book was not going to go how I wanted it too. I fought and lost. The story I'm telling, Aaron's story, is decidedly darker than I had wanted or anticipated. But, there is a Happily Ever After.

Ethan Day's Gay Day!!!!

Sunday, October 25^th is Gay Day at the Ethan Day Yahoo Group. Gay Day is the one day a month when the best authors in GLBT Romance stop by to post excerpts of their new and upcoming releases.

You’ll have a shot at winning one of the following e-books generously provided by the following authors this month!

Muse by Clare London

A Pint Light by Devon Rhodes available October 26th

A.J. Llewellyn’s newest release, Deeper Blue - available for purchase on Gay Day, October 25th

Jaime Samms will be giving away the winners choice of either Apron Strings or WindBlown

Amanda Young will be giving away an Autographed copy of Pyromancer

ePistols at Dawn by Z.A Maxfield

Timeless by Nix Winter

Love Me Dead – The newest release from Lex Valentine, an antho with William Maltese & AM Riley

Finding Love – Simone Anderson

Jambrea Jo Jones is giving winners choice of either Heart Song or Runaway Man

Dash & Dingo: In Search of the Tasmanian Tiger by Sean Kennedy

Pull by Bryl Tyne

In addition, these and many other amazing Authors will be popping in and out to post excerpts of their latest books and chat:

P.A. Brown – Memory of Darkness

AKM Miles – Take It EASY - Coming November 25th

S.J. Frost – Conquest

Lynn Lorenz – My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys – Coming November 15th

Bryl Tyne – Coin Operated Boy

Adrianne Brennan – Dawn of the Seraphs

Andrew Grey – Love Means…Courage

Barbara Sheridan – Such A Good Boy

The day will begin from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST in the Ethan Day Yahoo Group where we’ll be posting excerpts, running contests for free books, and chatting about all the new and upcoming releases from your favorite authors.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. CST we’ll be hosting another LIVE Chat which is pretty much a free for all, anything-goes-chat that’ll inevitably have you uttering the phrase, “What the f**k?” : ) (The link to the LIVE CHAT will be posted in the Yahoo Group.)

Stop by to catch up with your favorite authors and join in all the fun!

I Enjoy Walks On The Beaches and...

Whiskers on kittens, rain drops on roses, and blue satin sashes....

Over at Writer's Evolution this week we are talking about our favorite things and if they make it into our books. Mia and I have each taken a different approach on this topic, which is infinitely interesting because then you can say - OMG! I totally forgot about that! or Now, I see it!

Bug is getting ready to go to camp. Her school does an weeklong outdoor camp during the school year for her grade - it'll be her first camp - away or day - ever. Thankfully not her first time away from me, because then I'd be really nervous. Anyway, I'm wandering off topic - oh well.

So, in the spirit of my favorite things, let me share a few of mine...in no particular order - maybe

1. Hot men
2. Tattoos on hot men
3. Favorite mode of transportation - motorcycle or plane - sadly, I don't own either of them - yet
4. Favorite dessert - thick and rich homemade cheesecake (should maybe make it for an upcoming retreat)
5. Favorite food - my mom's homemade beef bbq (now to get her recipe)
6. Favorite music - Enya, Tori Amos, Elvendrums
7. Favorite Sci-Fi Movie - Dune with William Hurt
8. Favorite Movie - The Princess Bride
9. Favorite Book to Ground Me - The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott
10. Favorite Hobby - Sewing


So, there are a few of my favorite things, which are not actually on my post at Writers Evolution.

I promise to blog more often. However, now I'm heading back to my cave and work on the soundtrack for my newest book which while still being m/m takes me into the paranormal realm. THat should be a fun trip. Then to write it. I'd like to finish it by the second week of NaNoWriMo.

So, tell me, what are a few of your favorite things???

WINNERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a Saturday, the sun is finally shinning, and I'm meeting up with other writer's today. I finished the edits on Knight of Pleasure last night and it is off to a beta reader before I send it to my editor.

Oh, and there are winners. Yes, plural. Bug wanted to help with the drawing and she drew two names. She did turn the prettiest shade of red. So, we have two winners. Email me at simone@simoneanderson.com with your format choice.

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Ali
Jeanne

THANK YOU for everyone who answered.

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

It's Friday!

That means school is out! I have tests to study for, but this week is done!

So what are everyone's plans for the weekend?

Me - there are two home Hockey games this weekend at school, so girls night out - is Hockey! There will be cookie and bread making. And Lots of studying - primarily in mythology and physiology. That'll be fun. Other than that, I think I'm going to work on a quilt and work on my newest book.

Inspiration From Pictures

Inspiration can come from anywhere - places I've been or from a photo I've seen. This can be one of my hero's retreats or maybe he is drawn here by an unknown force or maybe he is trapped here by magic or because his spirit can't leave the final resting spot of his body.









OR





Maybe this comes wrapped in that photo and our hero has to figure out why he was sent it and who is behind? Is it a past lover wanting to get back with him? To get back AT him? Is it a plea for help? Or was it delivered to him by mistake? Oh, better yet - is it some combination of both?











Remember tomorrow is the last day to enter to win a free copy of Finding Love!

Bread and Cookies

It's fall, so therefore is time to bake and cook, which I love to do. This week I made chocolate chip cookies and Zucchini Bread. Next week, it'll be apple butter, more cookies, and probably a sweet bread or two. I know I'm making Bannock for a retreat I'm going to in a couple of weeks.



The cookies I made were from the back of the Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chips bag, and while they tasted good, they were a little crispy and way too flat. But there aren't any left, so they couldn't have been too bad.








The Zucchini Bread recipe was from Allrecipes.com - love that site - and it turned out really well. I made 3 loves and none of them lasted more than a couple of days.







Zucchini Bread

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Add oil, brown sugar, zucchini, and vanilla; stir well. Blend in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
2. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour. Cool.

If you don't use the 9 x 5 pans, it makes more. I didn't add the raisins or the nuts, and it tasted perfectly fine. The only hard part was grating the zucchini. I want to make it again, but they said the s-word on the news this morning - repeatedly - so, I don't know if it'll be around anymore. At least not for a reasonable price. Should've gotten more from the farmers market and frozen it after I grated it.

The Way We Write

When it comes to how a book is written, writer's generally fall into two camps - plotters or pantsers. Over at Writer's Evolution this week, we are tackling the issue of plotter vs. pantser and who is right.






Pantser: A writer who does little to no plotting and writes whatever flys into their head - writing by the seat of their pants.












Plotter: A writer who plots the entire story before writing down the first word. Can be either a simple out line or an extremely detailed, 100 page outline.

Enter to Win!

To celebrate the fact that I'm going to be a great aunt soon, I'm giving away a free copy of Finding Love in the format of your choice this week. Anyone who leaves a comment on my blog between now and Friday will be entered to win. I'll announce the winner on Saturday!

Finding Love Blurb:

When Nick Jackson finds out that Tristan McTavish, his submissive ex-boyfriend, is missing, he rushes back to Harbour Springs, Michigan to look for him and to find out who has been leaving the mysterious packages with threatening notes, bloodied shirts, and bondage equipment on his doorstep. Along the way they learn to deal with past issues, unrealistic expectations, and how to go through the future together. They find love and each other.

The Game Writers' Play

I live in an area that while not exactly founded by the Dutch, it is heavily influenced by the conservative Dutch Christian Reformed Church separatists seeking religious tolerance or freedom anyway. There is a church about every block - mostly Protestant with a good number of Catholic thrown in for good measure and with an increasing number of other religions and their places of worship popping up. Given this heritage, religion is a hot button topic here, in any class and situation. Why does this matter? Because I'm taking a mythology class - which has done wonders for my muse's attitude and my imagination - and this week we got to watch The DaVinci Code. Excellent movie. We were supposed to have a discussion about it afterward, however, the entire class practiced restraint and said very little except to answer the prof's questions. The reason - no one really wanted to start that war. Though it was tempting. The question was asked - amid a bunch of other babble, why Dan Brown wrote that book. The rest of the questions were answered, that was not. But I have a guess.

To answer a question.

But what question? The question - well game - most writers - at least the ones I know ask themselves and makes our significant others and non-writing friends and family run in fear or turn around offer inane suggestions that might really work.

What if -- ?

What if the sky were red instead of blue? What if Earth had two moons? What if that box in that you saw in that store that sells trinkets, statues of faeries and dragons, and incense wasn't bought from a store, but was bought at a garage or estate sale in the bottom of a box of junk for a 1.00 and it contained the first evidence that the modern civilization is actually part of some sort of human ant farm, and we're actually in a class room or museum. Or it was unearthed during construction by a bulldozer along with a set of human bones. In the middle of an Ancient American Indian Burial Ground.

What if --?

My friend Caley played that game after reading an article and got a book about elves and world destruction and a diary that ended up in someone's hands. I played it and ended up with a bar. I played it again and got a new world creation myth that has/is/was lost to the fabric of time and a new series idea.

Writers, I think, are by nature a curious lot. We see things that aren't there, we rework a myth and cross it with a legend, secret societies, and a man who thought outside the box and just might have thought he was smarter than ruling people and you get a book that makes people think and creates dialogue among the arguing. For a book I wrote, I created a mythology and a history to go with it. Why? Because it added depth to the story. Because all cultures have myths, legends, and stories.

Why do we incorporate things, people, and places we know, see, hear, feel, and think about into our work? The answer on the exam that the lit teacher asks is something like - to make a point that maybe which only the author knows or because it offers the readers a means to ground themselves and a point of reference. The true answer is because everything and everyone we come in contact with is book fodder - meaning its stored for later use.

So the reason why Dan Brown wrote the books he did? FOr his answer - ask him - he may say I'm full of crap - eh...

It answers a question.

More than that - its what writers do - they tell stories. Occasionally they make you think. Occasionally they elicit a strong emotional reaction. But writers write, because 9 times out of 10, they have no choice.

Mistakes for Writers

Over at Writers Evolution we're talking about mistakes writers make this week. Well, the topic is mistakes, I concentrated on writing type mistakes, because no one wants to read about how bad pumpkin pie tastes when you don't add enough sugar to it.

Music to Write By

For every book I write, I have a soundtrack that I listen to while writing.

Here is the Soundtrack for Knight of Pleasure the first book in my new series - Smuggler's Cove

1. Some Gave All - Billy Ray Cyrus
2. Tears of Joy - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)
3. Journey - Robyn Wyldwood
4. Oak, Ash, and Thorn - Robyn Wyldwood
5. Final Sacrifice - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Patrick James Slattery, BMI
6. Warriors and Knights - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)
7. In Rememberance - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Patrick James Slattery, BMI
8. Sacred Shabbat - Loreena McKennitt
9. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad - Meatloaf
10. Legion - Freeplay Music - Composed by:Paul Andrews, ASCAP
11. Dawn Mist - Freeplay Music - Composed by:D. DiFonzo, BMI, Scott P. Schreer, BMI
12. Kamande - Violaine Corradi
13. Bring Me To Life - Evanescence
14. Haunted - Evanescence
15. If You're Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins
16. The Bumber of My SUV - Chely Wright
17. God Bless America - Martina McBride
18. Leader Of The Pack - Twisted Sister
19. I Remember - Woodland
20. Health To The Company - Robyn Wyldwood
21. Til The Last Shots Fired - Trace Adkins

Distractions!

Over at Writers Evolution we are discussing distractions all week, and how we write and work with them. I'm not easily distractable, but I can be distracted with emails, the new addition to the family, eye candy, eye candy at school. Come and see how we deal with distractions.

Rest In Peace

Eye Candy And Title

Today's eye candy.

I'm editing the first book in a new series - Smuggler's Cove although I'm still wavering if it should be Smugglers' Cove. Oh well, probably too late for that debate. But since I can't edit in class, I write. And I started on the second book for Smuggler's Cove, although I do have characters for a couple of non-series books running around, so we'll see what happens. The new Smuggler's Cove book has a title and characters. Now it just needs a backstory and a soundtrack and really good time line.

On Sale Today

Finding Love is on sale today through Total-e-Bound!

Finding Love

My debut release Finding Love comes out Monday, September 7th from Total-e-Bound Books, here is a sneak peak:




Excerpt:

A shrill ring sang out from the cell phone tucked in Nick Jackson’s pocket, echoing loudly in his Lieutenant’s cramped office.

Nick yanked the phone out of his pocket, intent on silencing it before asking his boss to let him come back to duty early from medical leave. While he didn’t relish pushing papers, it beat sitting at home alone. Glancing at the display, he swore. Scowling, he flipped open the phone.

“Sheriff Daniels, to what do I owe this surprise? And how in the hell did you get this number?” Craig Daniels was the sheriff in his hometown of Harbour Springs and a friend from high school. One of the few straight friends Nick had retained from that time.

“Nick, the dojo was broken into a couple hours ago—”

“So call why are you calling me?” Nick demanded.

“We can’t find Tristan. He isn’t answering either of his phones, and you’re still on the lease,” Craig stated flatly, his voice giving away his regret, one cop to another.

Nick’s heart stopped, and he dropped into the seat behind him. “What do you mean you can’t find him?”

“Just that, Nick. He’s not at the house, not at the dojo, and not answering his phone. And his sister wants to file a missing persons report. She claims he hasn’t been answering his phone for a couple days.”

“Amberlee’s involved? I’ll be there tonight.”

“There’s storm coming in.”

“It’s winter. There usually is.” Nick snapped shut the phone and ran his hands through his hair. Unadulterated fear coursed through his veins, demanding he return to Harbour Springs immediately. His mind raced with myriad details that had to be accomplished if he wanted to leave within the hour.

“What happened?”

Nick looked up, stunned to see Lieutenant Tony Simmons sitting on the corner of his desk, the door closed, concern etched in the hard edges of his eyes. It was a look Nick had seen before, the look of a concerned father when one of his kids screwed up or was in trouble.

“Um, Tristan, my ex, is missing. I need to go home,” Nick answered, stumbling through the words.

“In that case, take the time you need, keep us posted and your request to return to work early has been denied,” Tony answered easily. “Go home and find him.”

* * * *

Had it been a week since that call? Nick looked from the Glock in his lap to the sleeping form on the bed. They’d found Tristan McTavish, his boyfriend—no his ex-boyfriend—that night in an abandoned one-room shack seven hundred metres behind the log cabin Nick and Tristan had once shared. Tristan had been disoriented and shaking, his body over-sensitised.
Nick rubbed a hand over his face, trying to scrub away the memory. Tristan had been chained naked to a wall, his face encased in a leather hood, a wool blanket thrown over him. A space heater had been turned on, but it hadn’t been enough to warm the shack, and hypothermia had set in.

The phone on the nightstand next to Nick began to vibrate, pulling him from the memory.

“What’s up, Craig?” Nick asked, peering at his watch.

“Gamma Hydroxybutric Acid.”

“GHB? That’s what was in the baggie?” Nick jumped to his feet and padded out of the master bedroom not wanting to wake Tristan. “Are they sure?”

“Yes. There weren’t any traces in Tristan’s blood or urine, but it only lasts about twelve hours in the system.”

“Well, that explains the amnesia. What about the rape kit?” Nick asked, checking all of the locks on the doors and windows.

“Nothing.”

“I don’t think rape was the intention. It would have been easier to rape him at the house,” Nick said, returning to Tristan’s bedroom. “We know he put up a fight once chained. They might have used the drugs to get him to come along peacefully.”

“Makes sense. There weren’t any prints in the cabin or on the cuffs. Which means the attacker either used gloves or—”

“Or doesn’t sweat enough to leave them,” Nick finished, returning to the wingback chair he and Craig had moved into the bedroom when Tristan returned home from the hospital. “Probably gloves. Maybe thick winter ones. It would add to the confusion, especially if Tristan were to remember anything from then.”

“Yup.”

“Plenty to think about. Thanks.”

Nick hung up the phone and propped his feet up on the ottoman.

The results confirmed what he’d suspected, someone was terrorising Tristan. The question was why. The quick search he and Craig had done of the house when he’d first arrived in town had yielded a box containing several photos and a bloodstained shirt. The shirt was Nick’s, but he knew the blood wasn’t. He’d been in uniform when he’d been shot, but Tristan wouldn’t have known that. Everything had been sent to the lab in Grand Rapids for analysis, priority had been given, but there was no guarantee when they would get back the results, or if there were anything useable.

The photos were more than a little disturbing. They were of his apartment, him in the hospital, leaving the building when he’d been shot, and at the station some time beforehand. For that one, someone had had drawn a bulls-eye target around his head. The notes he and Craig had found ranged from a simple demand to leave town to more graphic promises of torment and torture. Logically, he knew everyone was a suspect. The first to enter his mind were Tristan’s father and three of his brothers – Paul, Mike, and John Jr. He couldn’t dismiss a jealous lover or jilted one. He still wasn’t sure if Tristan had a boyfriend or lover, but he felt certain he did. Of course, it could be Amberlee, also, using the missing person routine as a ruse. He still couldn’t pinpoint a reason. If someone were trying to win Tristan’s affections, there were much easier ways, ones that didn’t include Nick. Why bring an ex-lover back into the picture, even if they were after him, it didn’t make sense for Tristan to be a target.

Insert Cool Blog Title Here

I had this great blog post planned out and was writing it in my head on the way up to the hospital, but as soon as I got to my destination I found myself surrounded by cute male docs and nurses and now I can't remember what I was going to post, but I'm sure it was brilliant.

It's been one of those weeks - school starts next week, I need to finish the edits for my WIP so I can start the next one - which might be a Christmas type one, I haven't decided yet. But the characters for the second book in my new series are screaming at me to hurry up - oh well, I'm not complaining.

Lesson I learned this week - there are no inconsequential details in your books.

And in other news Finding Love comes out next Monday - watch for an excerpt.

Tuesday and Such

I know it's Tuesday, so I'm over at Writers Evolution discussing heroine's, which should be interesting because I currently don't write heroines - I write m/m erotic romance. Hmmm.

Anyway, welcome Stephanie Michaels to the line up.

And it's only 7 days until Finding Love is here. Excerpt coming soon!

I Need A Hero

We're talking about heroes, over at Writer's Evolution

Done!

Finished my work in progress.

Monday - 3384 words
Tuesday - 2741 words
Wednesday - 270 words
Thursday - 4195 words
Friday - 4864 words

What I find personally interesting is that both yesterday and today it took me less time to write more words. Motivation is a factor, but I think it's also the fact that I knew what was happening and I was dying to give the guys their happily ever after.

Too Much Sex?

Is there such thing as too much sex in a book? Find out what my fellow authors and I have to say about it this week at Writers Evolution.

Weekender

Friday is here at last! I know it comes the same time every week, but this Friday also means the end of my summer semester. And that is totally worth celebrating! I took two classes - one in Literature and one in Biology - interesting classes, but devoid of ideas for books or interesting ways to endlessly complicate the lives of the people living in my head.

I was trying to decide how best to celebrate my new found freedom from the tedium of studying and came to the conclusion that the celebration has to wait until next weekend, after I finish my current book. It needs to be done and to a beta reader this weekend. And then I can celebrate.

I was going to go to the Black Rose Pub with some friends to celebrate, but the fiends closed down! Rumor has it that they'll reopen, but it'll be different. I did hear about another restaurant/pub to go check out next time I get north, so that'll be fun. I do need to find a good Indian restaurant here, and I really need to find a traditional Japanese restaurant that serves something beside sushi, sashimi, and whatever can be cooked on a Hibachi grille. When I lived in Japan there was this little hole in the wall place that served the best yakisoba, which isn't what you get in the stores and I've been dying for some for about five years now.

In other news, I think next week I'll be making apple butter, and later this summer my mom and I are going to canning - jellies, tomatoes, and pickles! I'm looking forward to the pickles - my mom's are the best and it's been years since she's made any. Her garden is doing great this year - she planted marigolds around the whole veggie patch and it keeps all of the critters away. Her cherry tomatoes are about a third of the size of the store bought tomatoes - or half depending on the location and season. Fruit and veggies in the snowbound north are imported at least 6 months out of the year.

This weekend along with finishing my book, I'm going to try my hand at zucchini bread and maybe some homemade white bread and possibly some cookies.

The photo is from the tank of a bike at a rally I went to three weeks ago - maybe four. I can't remember anymore, which reminded me that I still need to get the pics I took from Carol Lynne's weekend up.

Have a great weekend! I'm off to write!

Author Under the Influence

of a whole lot of other authors and friends. Check out just a few of the authors that have an influence on me at Writer's Evolution.

It's Here!!!!

I got the cover for Finding Love! -- YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time would heal their wounds but not their hearts.

If It's Tuesday It Must Be....

time for Writer's Evolution and this week we're talking about betrayal.

Oops

It's been a couple of weeks since I did little more than pop in and out. Oops.

I don't know who said this first or if there is anyone that you can attribute this remark to but really - thanks! I was in class and we were discussing the education, roles, and rights of women in early US history. And some brillant teenager brought up the fact that as more women go to college, the higher the divorce rate. Yup, it's that easy. The prof, bless him, said it's not the simple, its more complex than that. And I said something equally brilliant like "well, duh" which apparently my prof has eagle ears because I didn't say real loud, not even in a loud whisper, but a true whisper. And he says care to explain. So I said yeah, I'm divorced. Then he asked if it was possible for me to give the reasons for my divorce. That is a topic I don't generally go into but I did come up with the best answer:

"Aside from the fact that he thought he was God and I disagreed -" which brought much laughing from the teens and prof in the class "he thought women should be barefoot and pregnant and not as well educated as women. I disagreed."

Divorce - any divorce - is rarely that simple, but it worked for the situation covering a wide array of topics that I didn't really want to go into - so whoever should get the credit for

"He thought he was God and I disagreed" - thank you. Perfect timing there.

In other news:

I got the cover for Finding Love and will share that with you soon and I joined Dakota Rebel and Brynn Paulin at Carol Lynne's Reader's Weekend in Kansas City.

Tuesday!

I've been busy writing and editing. But I'm taking a break today and am over Writers Evolution to talk about what I would be doing if I wasn't writing. The horror.

Thursday!

It's Thursday, which means tomorrow is Friday and then the weekend is here! Yeah!

This is one of the inspirational photos I have of Nick, one of my heroes from Finding Love.

I'm writing steadily again between papers and tests for school. I wrote 1400 words the other day and hoped to match it tonight.

Never!

I'm over at Writer's Evolution about the types of books I will never write. Anything with a sad ending is tops on that list!

Holiday

I live in the U.S. so I celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July. Hopefully, everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July.

Thank the veterans and military members that you see, know, or meet for your freedom.

Freedom isn't and has never been free. It is bought and paid for in the blood, sacrifice, and innocence of the military.

Thank you to the men and women of the US military who are serving and have served. Thank you to their families for your sacrifice.

Accountability ---

School is definitely good for the writing. I managed 810 words yesterday in a matter of a couple hours. Yeah. I did write more today, and now that my headache is mostly gone, it's time to get back to my writing. I left my heroes in a precarious position, and I'm sure they would appreciate it if I got back to them.

Rookie!

I'm the new rookie blogger over at Writer's Evolution today, talking a little bit about myself and about movies that influence me. Stop over and say hello.

Weekend

The weekend is here. It means another day at the faire. There is a wedding this weekend, I'll probably end up shooting some of it. There will be swords and kilts, Welsh cookies, music, dancers, and music. It will be much fun.

I was able to finally start writing again Friday and what was blocking me (yeah). It was during Microbiology class, which I figure is fine because I couldn't understand 3/4 of what the professor said anyway. Again, good things came out of it. Wow, considering what I was writing during class ......

Anyway, I did write. And I will write and study today.

Friday - 150 words (hand written because I was taking notes - really, I was.)

Bad Writer!

It's Friday and I didn't write Wednesday or Thursday. Nope, I read. Most of both days. Well, in between work, school, phone calls, and going through like 200+ email.

I read Brotherly Bonds by Brynn Paulin - about the 4 Cress Brothers. Excellent book - well books.

So, no, I didn't get any writing done. I did have a couple of interesting discussions on such diverse topics as genetics, mythos, and Japanese history. And now, yet another class and work this weekend. December is graduation. Yeah. And just for fun, I'm thinking about going to Kansas City in July for Carol Lynne's Author/Reader Weekend. And I need to try and hit 1K words today. Should be hitting more. Deadline approaches.



Wednesday - 0 words
Thursday - 0 words

Soundtrack

The photograph (DoodleDoll Productions) is the pier that Nick walks down and watches the waves crash on it.

I have a soundtrack for every book I write. It's the music that either invokes the emotion I need or want to capture or speaks to me about the main characters and story lines involved in the book.

Here is the soundtrack for Finding Love.
1. Lose Control - Evanescence - The Open Door -
2. Weight of the World - Evanescence - The Open Door
3. Sweet Sacrifice - Evanescence - The Open Door
4.Toast - Tori Amos - The Beekeeper
5. Original Sinsuality - Tori Amos - The Beekeeper
6. We're Not Going to Take It - Twisted Sister - We're Not Going To Take It
7. Evacuee - Enya - Shepard's Moon
8. The Hunter - Clannad - Sirius
9. I Will Find You - Clannad - Banba
10. Bring Me to Life - Evanescence - Fallen
11. Going Under - Evanescence - Fallen
12. Pain - Composed by:Larry Buksbaum, BMI, Scott P. Schreer, BMI - Freeplaymusic.com
13. Thunderization - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%) - Freeplaymusic.com
14. Tears of Joy - Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%) - Freeplaymusic.com
15. Eagle's Path - Ah*Nee*Mah - Ancient Voices
16. Broken Pieces - Clannad - Lore



It's an eclectic mixing of music to say the least.


Word Count:
Monday - 132
Tuesday - 222

Accountability

I've been working on a new book and I had hoped to finish it by this past Friday. Alas, I didn't get it done. Now, I have to get it done by mid-July. I promised it would be done by then.

It's a contemporary m/m. I'm not sure how much BDSM there will be in it. The guys have taken on a life of their own, as they are want to do, and I'm not sure what will happen with them. We'll just have to wait and see. I'm in the middle of a difficult scene, it pulls my emotions in any number of directions.

So, in order to keep me on the track, I need to make a deal with myself - see the first book was easier to write, because it wasn't due to anyone until I sent it out - so that I get at least 1000 words done each day on my WIP.

Today's word count - 0 (so not good!) :(

First Love

Discussion on a loop dredged up the memory of my first love. Nope, that isn't him, that's Casper Van Dien - actor - pretty to look at. No, I don't know if I have any photos of my first love. I know I used to. I just don't know if they survived my ex. No, my ex wasn't my first love. I'm not even sure I loved him.

No, I met him while I was in Colorado, during training in Denver, a year or so before they shut the base down. We met in the snow at one in the morning, because some idiot pulled the fire alarm. I was amazingly dressed in combat boots, pj's, and a drab green wool blanket - military issued. It was bloody cold. We started talking. A few days later I met him again. He'd been there longer than I had been. We talked, hung out, when we could leave the base, we dated off base.

He was a great guy, had a beautiful singing voice. He didn't have that bad-boy look to him, he's actually the type that would have surprised you. The bad guy would think he was a wimp, because he wasn't big and bulky. He was a martial artist. There were times we sit, not saying a lot, and he'd sing. I loved to hear him sing. While we were dating he found he was a dad, we weathered it, and tried to find out how she was doing. What we couldn't weather was our friends saying that he had cheated on me with one of them. He never denied, so I believed him. He left, and I refused to talk to him. Years later I found him again, we talked a lot and found out it was a huge lie. Out of jealousy, I guess. By that time we were both married. Time passes, bases change, and we dropped out of contact. I found him again once, he was divorced and in school and I was dealing with a sick child and trying to get out of an abusive situation. I lost contact with him again. I'd given my friends some of things I'd kept of his to hold onto for me, because of my ex and I only heard from them once after they left. I couldn't take the stuff back because I wasn't free yet.

I didn't tell him, couldn't, wouldn't is more like it I suppose tell him, it was memories of us together that had helped me through my marriage. And its some of the same qualities I saw in him, that I look for in guys now. And that is a lot for a guy to bear.

I miss him still. I knew where his parents lived at one point, though I'd never met them. I hope he's found someone who makes him profoundly happy.

New Home and Other News

I have a new home - well a new virtual one - my website (www.simoneanderson.com) is almost ready for launch. Well, it's up now, with a huge - coming soon sticker on it. But it's being built and I'm thrilled.

I'm plugging away at my next M/M erotic romance, which is actually the first book in a series surrounding the characters in a boutique brewery and tavern. I'm making good head way on it, and would like to have it finished by next Friday, but we'll see. I have been able to get about 1000 words a day for the most part.

And That's 3

There was a time not so long ago that my mom would have hesitated to call me and deliver the news that she did today. A time when jealousy and anger would have tried to rear their ugly heads at it. Today, I laughed and I cried and I couldn't be happier.

I have a single biological child, just one. I went through the same drugs these sextuplets and septulets were born on and I got one. There will be no more biological children for me. And now, I'm okay with it, but that time a few years ago when my sister, sister-in-law, and my aunt were all pregnant at the same time - I wasn't. I was still adjusting and accepting.

The news my mom told me today - I'm going to be a GREAT aunt. Yeah, a great aunt - first I'm not really sure I'm old enough for that, but I'm not the grandma so it's better. And that rounds out the pregnancies to a nice even three. THe rule of three. A couple of months ago we found out that my cousin is pregnant by her fiancee (her mom flipped her lid), and I have a really good friend and her husband that are expecting their first.

So, laugh and cry and celebrate with me for the new babies to grace my life!

To Do List

I don't generally make to do lists because I can't seem to stick with them. But, I'm tired and procrastinating. I'm still not happy with the first chapter, but right now there isn't anything I can do about it.

It's not that I don't have plenty to do, I do. I'm just not motivated. And that is a bad thing. I should be writing, or at the very least packing and sorting to get ready to move. My daughter's last day of school is next week. Sometime in the next couple of weeks I need to uncover my scrapbooking stuff so that I can actually finish the Book of Wonder pages for Finding Love and Knight of Pleasure. The soundtrack is done, and has been playing almost non-stop, and I know more about my characters. There are a few things that I'm still playing with, but that should work out allright.

The photo is one of the Lighthouses on Lake Michigan (from Juli at Doodle Doll Productions) that is similar to the one Nick vists.

So my to do list:

1. Call on apartments

2. Follow up calls to jobs

3. Apply to at least one new job

4. Write one new chapter in KOP

5. Go through three boxes of stuff.

Memorial Day

THANK YOU MILITARY AND VETERANS!!!!!!

Today is Memorial Day, a day of barbecues, parades, and time with friends and family. As you spend the day with your family and friends enjoying whatever it is that interests you, ren faires, surfing, or the like, thank a service member.

While you play, they are working, hundreds of miles from home. Many are in the middle of the war, fighting, but others are in the middle of the ocean or under it, others are in different countries doing as their country has asked them to do.

Thank the military and veterans for their duty and sacrifice.

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

OMG!!! I'm still in shock, but Total-e-Bound bought Bound By Love, which had to be renamed because they have another book with the same title, so the new name is Finding Love. But AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm still bouncing off the walls.
It comes out in September. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Website

Waiting patiently and quietly is not my strong suit, not even close. And I've been trying, waiting for my website to be up and finally it's almost there. A few things need to be tweaked and I need to go through everything, but hopefully soon - like within the next week or two soon - days would be better, but I don't see that happening - it will be up. I can't wait!

A New WIP

I sent off a finished BBL and started a new project within a day or so. The snapshot of an idea came in pieces and parts - more pieces and parts than usual, not even giving me clues about the main characters, who are a little bit on the important side. :)

So after brainstorming for a few days I have a workable story line, and I'm about half-way through the first chapter. Yeah! This one, is set at a Renaissance Faire well, part of the time it is, and is a contemporary m/m. I gave it a working title of Knights of Pleasure and I'm thinking it will be the first in a series of books based around a microbrewery that one of the guys co-owns. Before I go spilling the name of the brewery though, I need to do a bit more research on a few things. It's coming along great, with a few things to work out, but I'm working on it. I love writing!

Reasons for My Writer's Life

Over at Writer's Evolution this week, they are talking about why they became writer's. I'm finding it interesting to see the progression each one made, learning that the journey to recognizing the writer in one's self is different for each writer.

For me, I've always been a writer. I never doubted that I would be published or that I was any good -- well never any lasting, serious doubts. Doubts on whether a story or character is any good is, I think, part of being a writer, most likely required. I believe that I will be published, I know there is always something to learn, someone better or different, and that writing is what I am passionate about. And while I was born a story teller, querying an editor when I was 11, and I'm sure that book (250 hand written pages in preteen girly scrawl) is around here somewhere, buried hopefully forever, life often pulls us in different directions. My family discouraged writing and anything creative, and are only now learning to accept that I'm creative and a writer and I'm not changing, so I chose routes that seemed appropriately acceptable to them while not limiting me, and along the way have found a writer's life greatly enriched because of my experiences and the people I've met along the way.

I'm in my senior year of college as a non-traditional student and am looking at grad school and weighing my options and wondering now, if my job goal will work with the fact that I am, have always been, and will always be a writer. And I wonder if it's possible to combine the two very different paths or shift between them, because right now, they aren't going the same way.

I have friends who hesitate to call themselves writers because they don't find it acceptable, grew up knowing that pursuing any form of art was unacceptable, or because they don't necessarily want to be published. If you have characters who won't stop bothering you, scenes or ideas that will not move from your mind, more often than not it means you are a writer. Its who are, it's not bad, evil, or unacceptable, it just is. Writer's are different and you don't have to be published or want to be published to be a writer, you just need to be a storyteller.

I write to tell stories, to provide a bit of escape and entertainment, to make someone forget about the problems they are facing for a little while and in the end, hopefully, maybe, give hope. Lofty goals I'm sure. Especially since I'm not rich, and my life experiences aren't the worse by any means, I am just a storyteller. My job, my goal, my life is that of a storyteller. I tell a story, you divine the meaning.

I Did It!

I did it. I finished the edits for Bound By Love and submitted them. I'm excited. Nervous. -- Nervous.

I do have an idea for another m/m. So, I'm off to play with that.

All Things New?

Eh, maybe. I do have a new look for my blog, more of a transitional look, but it's new nonetheless. I have started a new semester, with some interesting classes. It's very weird to be in a class of mostly juniors and seniors and be the only med major. Not that it's a bad thing - just different. The coolest thing about this particular class - for my final assignment I have to do a project on my family history. Darn the bad luck I have to do genealogy research, where you really can find the skeletons in the familial closet. :)

Spring break is coming up = yeah - and my goal is to finish the edits and rewrite of Bound By Love. Needs more sex.