Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tuesday Touchup

I started my Monday blah blah post and forgot to post it! My excuse is that I'm one chapter away from finishing the new story! Whooo hooo!

I hope to submit soon.

RT is in three weeks!! Eek! So much to do. And Spring Break is next week.

The week before RT is going to be insane. Dentist appointment, Egypt fair for youngest, possibly chaperoning two field trips, have to pick up trash for Earth Day with the youngest, oldest goes camping for two nights and comes back early for a church choir performance. Oh my.

Dollhouse was pretty good last Friday. I find myself more and more intrigued.

My youngest made a vinegar cleaner for Girl Scouts and I'm finding myself using it more and more. I like it. It does a good job cleaning. And those "Kills 99.9% of germs" products scare me. We are making so many bacteria drug resistant.

I'm off to finish that chapter!

May the muses have bacteria
Mechele

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Friday, March 27, 2009

Friday Five

1. I blogged at TRS Blue about Women's History Month and the right of women to vote.

2. Is anyone else watching Dollhouse? I had been intrigued but not wowed. Last night, I watched last Friday's DVRed episode. Now...I'm wowed. Holy cow what a good episode. It had several twists that while I may have seen them coming, they were executed in a way that left me breathless. Yes, Joss Whedon still rocks.

3. I either have allergies or a code. I'm leaning toward allergies because the youngest had a bad bout and because my eyes are leaking. One eye wants to cry all the time *sigh*. I took allergy medicine and it made me so sleepy I could barely function. Course sniffling and tearing all the time isn't doing much for action either.

4. Have you ever heard Jeanne Robertson's comedy? I've heard a couple of routines by her on the radio comedy channel and wound up hearing one this week about her trip to Hawaii with her husband. He didn't want to pay a cab and took the city bus LOL to the hotel with all their luggage. It had me cracking up!

5. I'm in the home strectches of the new story. I hope to finish it early next week. It's not a long one, definitely a novella. It will probably be around 25 K. I'm over 18 K in.

May the muses have weekends
Mechele

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Thursday Thirteen

I blogged at Loose Ends on Women in History, too. "Well-behaved women rarely make history."--Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Thirteen women I admire and/or am fascinated by.

1. Mary Magdalene I once took a Women in Religion class in college that said if Jesus had wanted to be believed, he couldn't have found less believable witnesses to his resurrection. I seem to remember it took two women to equal the word of one man. Mary Magdalene was the first person to see the resurrected Jesus. She fascinates me for many reasons. I've read a couple of books on the little we know of her life and I've also ready her gospel (part of the gnostic gospels and not part of the Bible).

2. Virginia Dare The first English child born on American soil, she disappeared with the rest of the Roanoke colony. That whole mystery has intrigued me since I first heard about it.

3. Harriet Tubman A woman who escaped slavery in the South and continued to go back and bring others to freedom on the Underground Railroad. She never lost a passenger, despite blackouts/seizures that plagued her, probably caused by a blow to the head by an overseer.

4. Juliette Gordon Lowe Yes, I owe a debt to this woman. I was a Girl Scout for my entire childhood. Now my girls are beginning on that path. Lowe started Girl Scouts. She was good friends with Lord Baton Powell who started Boy Scouts. Lowe also started the Girl Scouts selling cookies...LOL. I took a tour of her house when I was in Savannah.

5. Susan B. Anthony She's one of the more famous suffragettes, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and more. She fought for a woman's right to vote, finally achieved with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. But Anthony was never able to excercise that right legally. She died before the Amendment was passed. She stood up for what she believed in and fought for it, despite criticism.

6. Amelia Earhart She's one of the more famous aviators, who broke new ground for women pilots. It's also a great mystery as to what happened to her when she disappeared flying over the Pacific.

7. Marie Curie A woman scientist who was ahead of her time. She overcame barriers placed against her because she was a woman. She discovered polonium and radium. Worked with radiactivity. Won the Nobel Prize twice. Ultimately her research killed her because at that time, they didn't know the dangers of radiation.

8. Elizabeth the 1st The whole Tudor family is quite fascinating. Imagine your father had six wives in the search for the elusive boy. Alas, the only boy is sickly and dies. Your sister comes to the throne and comes after you. She also divides the country, persecuting people on a religious basis. She's known as Bloody Mary. You come to the throne after her death. Elizabeth the 1st ruled for over 50 years. And her time on the throne is remembered well.

9. Emily Dickinson Only 10 of her poems were published in her lifetime. The rest were either bound into small volumes or written in her letters. The only reason her poems came to light was because her sister and two long time friends brought them to the public eye after her death. What a hidden talent.

10. Irena Sendler This woman formed a group of other women to help and saved some 2500 children from the Nazis. She wrote their true names on scraps of paper and buried them in a jar in the hopes of one day reuniting children with their families. She was captured and tortured but refused to tell them anything. In one torture session, her feet and legs were broken. She still refused to talk. After that, she managed to escape but she continued to help people escape the Nazis, as many as 500 more. After the Nazis had been brought down, she unearthed her jars of names and tried to help reunite what families were left.

11. Lynn Johnston I'm a "For Better or For Worse" long time fan. I started reading it when it started. I have a collection of books. I cried when Farley died, agonized over Gordon's home life, cheered when Lawrence came out. She was close friends with Charles Schultz, who actually threatened to kill off Snoopy if she carried through with Farley's death.

12. Alice Walker "The Color Purple" is probably one of her most famous works but I enjoyed "In search of our Mother's Gardens Womanist prose" as well. She has done a lot to bring interest to Zora Neale Hurston as well as writing her own works. I may not agree with all of her politics but she's quite a powerhouse in fighting for what she believes in.

13. Sherrilyn Kenyon When I list what authors I admire, Sherri always makes the list. To look ather career is to see a meteor in flight. She once had to come up with change to mail a proposal and had trouble doing it! Now, she's got her own convention and people clamor for her next book or book signing.

I could list so many more woman. Clara Barton. Molly Pitcher. The Bronte Sisters. Jane Austen. George Sand. Margaret Mitchell. Joan of Arc. Cleopatra. Calamity Jane. Annie Oakley. Madeleine L'Engle. Dian Fossey. Jane Goodall. Ella Fitzgerald. Aretha Franklin. Ruby Bridges. Rosa Parks. Wilma Rudolph. Catherine the Great.

The list goes on and on.

Mechele

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Monday, March 23, 2009

Monday blah blah

I survived my weekend with two cookie booths, gymnastics, volleyball, Girl Scouts (with an award ceremony), and a PJ party.

The little one is home today with a really bad cough. I think she's experiencing allergies. The main reason she stayed home is that she got almost no sleep and coughing is wearing her down. I think we are going to try some kidlet allergy medicine. Good news is her lungs are clear.

Did I mention I got no sleep? Neither did the hubby. And I'm sure oldest will be dragging around due to the coughing disrupting her sleep.

It's rather hard to write a sexy scene with Phineas and Ferb blaring and a coughing kidlet so not much progress today. Maybe 800 words so far.

I did clip the spaz kitty's nails and clean out the litter box. Yeah, the exciting life of an author who works from home.

My mother in law came by with my faery dress to try on. OMG it's going to be gorgeous! I'm so so exited.

Well, I'm being paged by Typhoid youngest (LOL she's not really sick I don't think. Just worn out from coughing).

May the muses have progress
Mechele

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Thursday, March 19, 2009

Friday Five

1. Nearing the half way point on the new story. Hope the last half goes fast.

2. One of the kidlets has a book fair going on at school. I'm so so so dangerous at a book fair. LOL. My oldest bought the first book in the series, 39 Clues. It looks really good. I might have to read that one. My youngest LOVES the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I think she's going to get into comic books or manga or graphic novels. She doesn't want to give up artwork in books.

3. I know I keep posting on RT but I'm so excited! Unfortunately Melissa's not going *sniffle* but Mari is and I'm looking forward to hanging out with her. I have pens and post-its and a new dress and fairy wings. And hopefully *crosses fingers* I'll be signing my own stock at the Wed ebook fair (CD's) plus signing Torc's Salvation as Melany and signing for both Mechele and Melany at the Sat book fair.

4. This is women's history month. Five women from history that I admire or am curious about:

1. Mary Magdalene from the Bible.
2. Juliette Gordon Low
3. Rosa Parks
4. Madame Curie
5. Amelia Earhart

5. Today is the first day of spring! Bring on the warmer weather (though LOL it's not as cold here as in some places).

May the muses have spring
Mechele

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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Living on the Edge

I'm chatting in roughly 25 minutes with Melissa Lopez and Mari of Marissa Alwin. Yeah, I'm living on the edge with that. My oldest came home from school and collapsed on the couch. I think she's fighting some virus but that left little time to do my planned afternoon blog announcing chat. Chat starts at 9 PM EST. Come on in.

Also I posted at Bookworm Bags on Facebook.

And I'm heartily writing. I'm over 10 K in.

May the muses have stories
Mechele

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy birthday Mari!


Mari, may you find your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I hope the day is wonderful and kind to ya. You know you're in my Irish prayers! LOL ((((((((((((((((Mari))))))))))))))))
Mechele

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Monday, March 16, 2009

Monday blah blah

It was a really yucky weekend. Rain and clouds. Yesterday was very chilly (especially sitting at a Girl Scout cookie booth).

I've finished chapter 2 on the new story and have started chapter 3. All three characters are loud and I know where I'm heading. Just have to plant butt in chair *plop* and write.

The Wolf was reviewed in RT! 4 stars. I'm pretty happy about that.

I'm trying to start thinking about RT and what I need to do to get ready. It's coming up fast.

May the muses have spring.
Mechele

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Friday, March 13, 2009

Friday Five

1. The new story is plodding along. I can't write fast enough to satisfy myself. Or my noisy characters. The first chapter is done, and I like the direction it's going in.

2. March is Women's History Month. I'm going to have to do some posts on women and well, history. So many women are just utterly fascinating from Amelia Earhart to Madame Curie. I'm also encouraging (read making) my girls earn a Girl Scout patch on Women in History to celebrate the month. We'll see how that goes.

3. On Saturday, my youngest and hubby will be going to their first father/daughter dance together. It shoud be fun. They have to dress up like favorite storybook characters. LOL I'd tell you who but I think my hubby might kill me *G*. Let's just say the youngest gets to be a cat, her favorite animal.

4. I find myself singing "Long Black Train" by Josh Turner. I love his voice *sigh*. I also heard the new John Rich song, "Shutting down Detroit." :( Sad but it's spot on. "Already Gone" by Sugarland is another fave right now. And "Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickelback.

5. I'm really starting to look forward to RT. It always motivates me to want that fabled more. It's fun and I get to meet readers and writers. I get to be a fan and also have a couple of my own (which just makes me sqeal). I'm going to be seeing several friends there and hope to make a few new ones. My editor will be there, along with several other of her authors that I talk to via email a lot. I can't wait!

May the muses have Fridays
Mechele

PS it's snowing again here! Not supposed to amount to anything and only sticking on the grass. LOL it was 80 plus at the beginning of the week.

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Monday, March 09, 2009

Monday blah blah

I'm excited. I started a new story. I need to finish it quicky so that I can move onto the next project that has to be in by summer. I also fleshed out an idea on paper that I hope to get to later this year. So much writing. *G*.

I blogged at Ladies of the Club on Heroes.

May the muses have new stories
Mechele

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Friday, March 06, 2009

Friday Five

1. The snow is melting. Today, it will be in the 50's with 70's over the weekend. I'm glad it came. We needed a good snow. LOL now bring on spring!

2. The youngest is much, much better. Now the oldest is sick. I'm not sure what it is...but I don't want it.

3. I submitted to my editor and sit biting my nails to hear back on Settler's Mine: The Man. I need to get cracking on a new story.

4. I met my friend, Ann, went to the used bookstore and had a yummy lunch. I also met Larissa Ione, who just hit the USA Today Best seller list. Big congrats to her. I had a good time with Ann, as usual and enjoyed getting to know Larissa.

5. I have seriously become a Big Bang Theory fan. LOL how many comedies joke about physics? We watched the whole first season and have started watching new ones. I also think My Name is Earl is having its best season yet.

May the muses have the laws of physics
Mechele

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Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Another Snow Day so I'm hosting Liz Jasper today



Are Vampires Green?



In addition to being a fiction writer I am, according to a yellowing diploma on my wall, a biologist. So when I see that it's that eco-awareness time of year again (Be Green, Read an E-Book Week is March 7-13), I can't help but pop out of my writer's fog to worry about things like global warming and my own carbon footprint.



One doesn't necessarily associate paranormal mystery writers with environmental consciousness. Or so my hairdresser tells me. Even though she's been cutting my not-black hair in a wash and wear style for the year I've known her, it turns out she always assumed I'm a Goth. Why else would I write about vampires? (That's a rhetorical question. In other words, I have no good answer for it. I can, however, tell you why I don't do things like sport vampire teeth. Long fangs are fun in books but in real life would surely get in the way of important things like eating chocolate.)



Which brings me to my original question: are vampires bad for the environment? I mean think about it. Unless they have the bad fortune to collide chest first with a sharp stake or (depending on a vampire's death possibilities) step out into the bright sunshine, they live forever. Longer than Styrofoam in a landfill. Or Twinkies. Which means they probably take up more than their fair share of resources, don't you think?



Well…



On the plus side -- and this is a big plus -- they don't eat human food. And if you ever read the statistics about what's trashing our environment, the resources we use to grow food is a big part. There's methane from cattle (a discreet way of saying cow farts) polluting our air, fertilizer polluting our streams, etc. etc. So well done Dracula for getting by on a little blood.



Also on the plus side, they don't commute. Not in cars anyways. Granted any vampire worth his sex symbol status will own a nice set of wheels, but it's not as if he's stuck in rush-hour traffic every day. No vampire with the least bit of brains would spend an hour or two a day battling road rage on the freeway when he could just turn into a bat and fly where he needs to go. (I assume any technology that would allow him to drive a car during daylight hours could also be used to protect his batty little wings.)



This is sounding pretty good for a vampire's carbon footprint, except for that small matter of sucking victims dry. Tsk. Tsk. Really, vampires of the world, haven't you heard of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? Why suck a victim dry when you can take a little and have them around for another day? Do you have any idea how much it takes to get a pretty young maiden to eighteen in this country? In purely financial terms, estimates range from $38,027 to $104,532. Can you imagine the carbon footprint for just one vampire meal? With the amount of McDonald's Happy Meals the average kid eats? Think of all the cow farts involved in producing one young maiden.



So I say to all the vampires out there, try to be a little more considerate of the environment when you stalk your next victim. And to all readers who like vampire stories, why not do a little to help the planet yourself and make your next vampire book an ebook!


Liz Jasper is an award-winning vampire mystery author and avid eBook reader, blogging this month for All Romance eBooks' Go Green/Read e Campaign. Find out more about the Go Green/Read e Campaign at http://www.gogreenreade.com/. To learn more about Liz Jasper and to read excerpts and reviews of her books, visit her website at http://www.lizjasper.com/.





You can find Liz Jasper's Underdead mysteries and thousands of other eBooks on-line at http://www.allromanceebooks.com/

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Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Snow!!


The snow coming down--taken Sunday night



View from the front door Monday morning.

More view from the front door, Monday morning.


View from the back door, Monday morning.


We have another snow day today! I think we probably got about 6-8 inches maybe. It's our biggest snow in 9 years.


It's also cold. 11 balmy degrees with a high only in the mid-30's today. LOL but in the 60's by the weekend.


The youngest is still sick but very determined. She kept going out yesterday but couldn't stay out long.

I'm off to play in the snow...later. LOL not when it's 11 degrees!


May the muses have snow days


Mechele

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Sunday, March 01, 2009

Let it snow

And boy, is it! 4-6 inches or more. School has already packed it in for tomorrow.

Now to get the youngest to stop running a fever so she can go play in it!

Mechele

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