Thursday, March 30, 2006

Kim Possible

So we've been under the weather here, and we always wind up watching more TV than usual. One thing we've been watching is Kim Possible.

*blinks* and I think I'm becoming a fan.

Why do I like Kim? Besides her red hair (I have two red haired kidlets), she's funny, a teenage girl out to save the world, and very very smart. I like the mix of the cheerleader who's also a brain. I love her insecurities. She's not very confident when it comes to boys.

But the main reason I'm finding myself becoming a fan?

In one Kim Possible movie, she goes to the dance with...Ron Stoppable. He's her geeky, quirky, best friend from preK. *grins* they KISS. I love that they'd been friends so long, he's helped her out with other boys, but when it came down to her getting serious with another boy, they admitted something was there between them. I love Ron! He makes me laugh. And he does one thing that endears him to me. He sticks by Kim no matter what. He's always got her back, even when Kim has to rescue him.

I'm happy the girls are enjoying this show. That way I can quietly enjoy it too.

May the muses have quirky heroes
Mechele

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Come chat with me

Tonight, there will be a chat with Night Whisper Authors at Novel Talk starting at 9 PM EST. Lauren Dane (who just got a 4.5 star review by RT Magazine), Jeanne Barrack, Jory Strong, Shelley Munro, and I will be chatting it up and awarding door prizes from the Night Whisper Authors' grand opening contest. Here is the link, come on out and join us: http://www.noveltalk.com/chat/chat.htm

May the muses have people to play with
Mechele

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Going Going...gone


They are out of here. No more casts!!!

The kidlet is so happy and so is her Mommy.

And the first person who says, "Unless she does it again" or "until the next time," gets a dirty look from me.




May the muses have happy dances
Mechele


Dinah's Dark Desire
Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
11,835 / 25,000
(47.3%)


Thursday, March 23, 2006

Little Friday

I think the critter has been evicted from the attic. Finally. The squirrel chewed a hole in our roof, trying to get back in. I also figured out, he's been nibbling on our siding. They really are little pests!

I found the neatest thing. Noveltalk pets! LOL http://www.noveltalk.com/pets.htm Isn't that neat? Beth Ciotta's pets and Mary Stella's pooch have pictures along with others.

I polished off the next installment to The Knight in a Cowboy Hat yesterday. I'm having such fun writing about Tessa and Keith. It's off to the critique partners and hopefully will be ready to post next week. The first installments can be found on my website, www.mechelearmstrong.com

May the muses have no pests
Mechele

Solstice Spell


Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
9,080 / 20,000
(45.4%)

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

What I woke up to this fine spring morning

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Time after time

I'm trying to write and am jumping back and forth on a couple of projects.

And the one I most need to start seems to be the hardest to get going.

Why? Fear and angst. Plain and simple.

The next vampire project is to be a prequel and the story of Henri and Nathan. Henri has pretty much insisted on it *blinks*. Now I've spent three books flirting with these two characters, getting to know them. I want to do them so much justice because I've lived with them a while now.

And there in lies the crux of the matter. Their romance will be a male/male romance. Which I've never written before. I started dabbling in it in fanfiction before I slowed down my writing there. But I never got to the sex or romance part. So this is a whole new ballgame. (Take that as you will...LOL I didn't intend any innuendo.)

Henri is losing patience with me. I think once I get into it, I'll be fine. But it's writing the first part, the jumping off the cliff into the unknown that's the hardest.

Oddly enough, as I was writing this, about to say I'm finally biting the bullet and starting it, someone sent me a link to Sherrilyn Kenyon's blog. Most of the time her characters do the entries, but this one is a version of a podcast about rejection: http://acheronp.livejournal.com/

I've had the definite pleasure of meeting Sherri a few times and listened to her podcasts, before so I do hear her voice reading this. It's about never giving up.

But what struck me is a phrase a friend gave her, "Digmus Sum, Digmus Sum. Perdigmus Sum. I’m worthy, I’m worthy. I’ve very worthy." The next sentence says to "Believe in yourself and in your worlds."

Believing that I can write a m/m romance, that I've researched enough, that I have the characters directing me, that's just the impetus to dig in. I can do it. I will do it. Digmus Sum, Digmus Sum. Perdigmus Sum.

May the muses have belief
Mechele




Dinah's Dark Desire

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
10,679 / 25,000
(42.7%)

Friday, March 17, 2006

Women's History Month

This month is Women's History month.

It absolutely amazes me when I think about it, women in the United States didn't have the right to vote until 1920. 1920!! My grandmother and grandfather were born before women had the right to vote in elections.

If you ever have the time, read about the women who pioneered the suffrage movement. It sprung out of the Abolitionists' movement. There was an interesting collection of ladies, from Elizabeth Cady Stantoin to Lucretia Mott to Susan B. Anthony.

My oldest loves a song called "Girls Who Rock the World." It mentions quite a few young ladies who made history with their activities.

So who's your favorite woman in history?

May the muses have favorites
Mechele

Dinah's Dark Desire:
Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
7,500 / 25,000
(30.0%)

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Progress

Near to where I live, about 15 years ago, it was a big joke to say "Downtown XX." Because except for Wal-mart, it was all farmland and woods.

Devlopment has come. There's now a huge mall, a big movie theater, and many many many strip malls. It now really is "Downtown XX."

There was one last farm, a holdout. It was neat to go shopping at Target and see cows grazing across the street.

No more.

I knew the farm had been sold. I read today they want to put a couple of 18 story buildings on the property.

*sigh*

From cows to concrete and glass.

I know things change, nothing ever stays the same. And I love being near "Stuff" don't get me wrong. I grew up in a place that is still pretty rural. But it's the next county over. It's changing and I anticipate, one day it will have its own "Downtown." It's just sometimes sad when they do.


Solstice Spell (hee hee)
Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
8,500 / 20,000
(42.5%)



May the muses have changes
Mechele

Monday, March 13, 2006

Tonight Tonight Tonight...whoaaa....

Come chat with Jeanne Barracks and me at Romance Junkies from 9-10 PM EST at Romance Junkies. There will be fun and prizes!


http://www.romancejunkies.com/chat.html


May the muses have fun
Mechele

Friday, March 10, 2006

Gone gone gone

In the squeeeing of the book release, I forgot to post about the kidlet.

They took them both off! The wrists are healing nicely. She now has two black temporary casts with velcro.

They can come off!! Whooo hooo she can at least take baths without having to worry. She's still on restriction until the 27th. When we go back, if everything looks good, she can become her climbing, jumping, digging in sand, swimming, painting self.

May the muses be able to take baths
Mechele

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Blood Lines: Conduit is out!!!!!




So a few minutes ago, I’m sure you heard the squeal, from the West Coast of the U.S., from Finland to New Zealand, it was the squeeeee heard round the world.



http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=214

Yes, I’m doing the happy dance right now.




Think all blood is the same? Think again.

Copper has always been in her twin sister's shadow. But now her sister's been kidnapped, and only Copper can save her. Trouble is, she'll need help -- from a domineering vampire who knows just how special Copper truly is.

Bastian knows Copper is a rare woman, and not just because of the mind-bending passion she makes him feel. Copper is a Conduit -- a rare human whose blood can magnify a vampire's powers. Now he has to protect her, claim her for his own...and somehow keep his vampire brethren from discovering her secret.

Copper has what she’s always wanted, to be unique and special. But being the Conduit isn't a bed of roses. She could be used by Bastian's vampire enemies for all eternity -- or killed to prevent it. And how can Bastian himself resist the urge to taste blood so rare?

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Male-female relations


are apparently the same in the animal kingdom.

At a local wildlife facility, the peacock you see to your right was in full fan mode At one point, the pea hen was on the ground, he turned to her, fan outstretched and he twitched, shaking the fan so it rattled.

Had she been a woman, she would have yawned. LOL she flew up on the fence and faced AWAY from him.

He was doing his best to impress her, *shakes head* kept that fan out a long time.

It reminded me of boys showing off, and girls pretending not to watch.

They are the only peacock and pea hen there, so he has time to wear her down LOL.

May the muses try to impress
Mechele

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Update & Night Whispers Authors Grand Opening Contest

Today or tomorrow is eviction day for the squirrel. The DH plans to go up in the attic, put down repellant, clean up the ewwww, and seal the screen where they got in. He had hoped cutting down the tree where the critter got up there would make him go away but we think we heard him the other night. Sites say they go out mid-day to forage so hopefully the critter will be gone and come home to a home he can't get in.



Night Whispers Authors Grand Opening Contest


How to Enter: Find the answers to the following questions on our websites.

Email answers to: Contests@nightwhispersauthors.com
Put Night Whispers Contest in the subject line.

Closing Date: 28 March – winner announced at Night Whispers Authors NovelTalk chat on 29 March 2006 9.00 pm EST

Prize A: Download of one of Maggie Casper’s books
An autographed print copy of Erin’s Fancy by NJ Walters
An autographed copy of Triad by Lauren Dane
Download of any of Kate Hill’s books
Download of any of Jeanne Barrack’s books
An Elementals charm bracelet from Liddy Midnight

Prize B: Autographed copy of one of Jory Strong’s print titles
Download of Out There in the Night by Laura Baumbach
$5 Venus Press Gift Certificate from Mary Winter
Download of any of Eve Vaughn’s books

Prize C: Download of any of Lena Matthews books
Download of Blood Kiss or Conduit by Mechele Armstrong

Prize D: Download of No Holes Barred: Stranded by Shelley Munro
Download of Peppermint Creek Inn by Jan Springer

All answers are available on the author’s websites. Links are available on the Night Whispers Authors site.

Every reader who joins our Night Whispers Author group will receive a second chance in the draw. Mention you are a member when you send in your answers to the scavenger hunt to get that second chance!

Join here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nightwhisperauthors/


Questions:
Jeanne Barrack: Name the three heroines mentioned in Jeanne’s Work in Progress manuscripts.

Kate Hill: What is the hero's name in Highland Stallion?

Eve Vaughn: How many siblings does Eve have?

Maggie Casper: Which two Maggie Casper books were EDNA Finalists in 2005?

Jory Strong: How many different series does Jory Strong have?

Liddy Midnight: What is the name of the heroine in Liddy Midnight’s story that appears in DREAMS OF THE OASIS I?

Lauren Dane: What is the name of Lauren’s February release and which publisher is releasing it?

Mechele Armstrong: What’s the series name of Mechele’s vampire books?

Lena Matthews: Which one of Lena’s titles rated 5 Blue Ribbons at Romance Junkies?

Laura Baumbach: What is the name of my March release, a werewolf novel from Loose-Id?

Shelley Munro: What is the name of Shelley’s June release from Medallion Press?

NJ Walters: Which brother does the heroine meet first in my latest Ellora's Cave release, BAKRA BRIDE?

Mary Winter: What series is the book Ghost Touch from?

Jan Springer: What is the first name of the heroine in Peppermint Creek Inn?

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

You've heard of bats in the belfrey

we have a squirrel in the attic. My DH cut down the tree near where said little rodent was going in. I somehow doubt that will stop him. We have repellent to put up there this weekend to try and keep him out too.

I only hope it's a him. I don't want more than one squirrel in my attic. Heck, I don't even want that one.

The DH did go into the attic. There's no food so he's not broken into any boxes. But squirrels apparently don't take it outside to go the bathroom. *sigh*

I told the kidlets about it. They are convinced he's going to come into the house. *shakes head* They keep hearing noises beside their bed.

May the muses not have squirrels
Mechele