Saturday Pics

A collection from the week.

 

 

 

 

 

Eleven-Twenty-Seven

My winter boots have holes in them, and I'm really wishing I'd already bought a new pair because I woke up to this today:

It's just a dusting, but snow in Georgia before Thanksgiving is a rare, rare thing. And I'm a sucker for snow. Logistically, I hate it. It's no fun taking care of a barn - or doing anything - with snow on the ground. But aesthetically, I adore it.

 

 

 

The wind has been wicked; it's blowing so hard, the snow stuck to the faces of the fence boards.

 

 

 

 

 

It's one of those things I feel thankful for - even as I curse it; I'm thankful for the beauty of snow, for watching it sift over pastures and collect on leadlines. It's a season of counting blessings and shoving aside the small worries to allow room for the bright spots in our lives - to give them a chance to shine unimpeded. I don't ever put much thought into Thanksgiving; all the cooking and cleaning and prepping gets in the way. So I should take a minute to be nothing besides thankful.

 

I'm thankful, most of all, for my family. Especially my immediate family - for the lifetime of love and support. For my dad - for understanding that animals would always be a part of the equation; for inspiring my childhood love of literature; for being sarcastic when he shouldn't. For my mom - for running a farm shoulder-to-shoulder with me for all these years and being my cheering section; for knowing I was always a tiny adult in a kid's body and allowing me to make painful decisions. For my brother - for being the person I can talk Shakespeare, and Austen, and Tolkien, and Martin, and Marvel, and philosophy, and history, and politics, and movies with. For the animals who've proved to me that hard work pays off. And for the chance to make a play for this insane dream of mine. I'm in that "gap" between dreaming and being realized by others, and it feels like a no man's land of doubt and worry, but having a chance to work through that, and hopefully, one day, get to the other side, is an opportunity I wasn't sure I'd ever have. Here's to more stories, more books, and writing something worthy of my imagination one of these days.

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of food and the people they love.

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Boring Update Stuff

This is the time of year when writing gets difficult. The crush of the holidays and all their social obligations take their toll. I've been talking about a December release date for God Love Her, and I really want that to happen...but realistically, I'm not sure if I can make that happen. I'd rather take my time and put out a book that people will want to read, rather than rush it. And I'm hoping to get some more beta readers on this one. I just want more feedback in general. So I'll keep everyone updated as I go; it'll be discounted for one day only before it goes to full price.

Rosewood I feel sure will be ready by Christmas. (But don't hold me to that). I want to finish the vacation storyline that's going now, and have something Jo and Tam planned to add.

Speaking of the Walkers, all four of the original novels are just $3.99 a piece at the Kindle store right now. (In fact, all my books are $3.99 or less at the Kindle store). Just an FYI.

Rosewood - Part 19

 

            When she returned to the cabin’s main room, Chris was feeding kindling into the grate, nervous yellow flames licking at the paper towel he’d used to start the fire. She set her bags on the floor at her feet – God knew where she was supposed to put them at this point – and proceeded onto the kitchen with her groceries.

            It was a man’s kitchen: outdated everything, folding card table and chairs, old beer in the fridge, TV set up on the counter. The window above the sink overlooked a pebble-floored patch of yard that was littered with leaves and pine cones, thick hardwood branches crowding against one another. It was the picture of serenity.

            She unwrapped her candy bar while she stood at the counter, broke off a chunk and popped it in her mouth. I’m making the best of this, she told herself. At least Jo…

            Oh, who was she kidding? Jo had probably rendered the inn to ashes by now. She had her phone in hand and was dialing when she heard Chris’s boots coming up behind her.

            “Calling for backup already?” he asked.

            Her thumb froze above the call button. “I was just gonna check on Jo.”

            He joined her at the counter and reached to break off a square of chocolate for himself. He had that look – the grumpy, dejected one that always made her feel guilty.

            Jess slipped her phone back in her coat pocket. “I’ll call her later.”

            He brightened immediately. “You wanna come see the shed? Dad’s got an old chainsaw – I’m gonna see if it’ll crank and get to work on the tree.”

            She blinked. “You mean, you’re going to try to remove it?”

Friday Listening

Happy Friday, all. My ponies had their feet trimmed/shod this morning, so I'm scarfing down some lunch before I write. Thought I'd share what I'll be listening to as I work on God Love Her today.

"Tighten Up" - The Black Keys

"Boy Like Me" - Jessica Harp

"Guinevere" - Eli Young Band

"Crosstown Traffic" - Jimi Hendrix

"Layla" - Eric Clapton (Derek and the Dominos)

Random Appreciation of November Sunsets Post

 

 

 

 

Things to Be a Nerd About This Week - 11/19

Listening to:

"Vegas" by Sara Bareilles. Her Little Voice album is one that I always go back to. I love everything about it: her voice, her piano skillz, the mix of cynicism and hope and "boy, don't tell me what to do" in every song. "Vegas" is a favorite.

source: wikipedia

Excited for:

New footage from The Hobbit:TDOS. Is it December yet?



source: fansided

Pinning:

Classic denim and white tee with a destroyed twist as part of my Russell Visuals. It helps she's brunette - could be Lisa.

source: pinterest

And this gorgeous shot of an ice-coated wood as part of a Slight of Hand-inspired short I submitted to a lit mag. I can't wait to share that piece with everyone, and incorporate it into the rest of the story.

source: pinterest

 

"The woods smelled of…woods, the way all forests do. Of living and dying things, and the sharp, crystal punch of ice."

Writing, writing, writing...

"Everyone’s going to have to stop treating me like I’m made out of glass. This is my family. And I’m not going to curl up in the corner and cry.”

~God Love Her

 

 

Rainy Day at the Movies

I should have been writing yesterday, curled up and listening to the rain, but instead, I went to the movies. Finally got to see Thor: The Dark World, and loved it. Spoiler-free thoughts under the cut.

Someone Take it Away From Me

Pinterest. Please, someone, slap my hands away from the keyboard and tell me to write! I can resist Facebook and Twitter and all those other social media outlets, but Pinterest...lethal time-waster. It'd be one thing if I was spending all my time on there pinning relevant stuff. But I'm not. I won't lie. I'm just looking at quirky pictures and nerdy quotes. *Facepalm* I've succumbed like everyone else.

I do find cool stuff, though.

source: pinterest

 

"The house was awash with shadow, deep, black shadows that seemed corporeal in the corners." ~God Love Her

 

source: pinterest

 

"She had been, was, would always be, the best thing that had ever happened to him."

~God Love Her

 

And I get to add my own photos.

 

 

"The evening was all in grays and purples, the ancient oaks throwing lace shadows across the silver stretch of lawn...She wandered in the shelter of the shadows, and finally found a bench beside a koi pond. It was the loveliest thing she’d seen in over a year. The peace of it was drugging."

~God Love Her

 

Here's hoping you all have more productive Fridays than me!

In-Store Option

I finally have all of my books available at Barnes & Noble. They're actually more competitively priced there versus on Amazon. They can be ordered online here, or, if you inquire in-store, they can be sent to any local B&N and picked up for anyone who prefers to pay cash.

 

 

I hate having to talk about the cut-and-dry stuff like this; it's so boring and commercial. But I've been Googling my books - just for the heck of it - and have found them in some pretty far-flung places. They're available almost everywhere at this point, and that's exciting! Most indie bookstores (non-chain) have my books in their catalogues, and can order them for in-store pickup as well. You can find a list of local sellers on IndieBound. And a Google search for my name and book title will give a range of options.

Okay, sorry. This ends today's promotion.

Things to be a Nerd About This Week

Listening to:

This song, on endless repeat. "Stay the Night" by Zedd with vocals by Hayley Williams of Paramore.

 

"I am a fire, gasoline, come pour yourself all over me."

I've been on a bit of an electronica kick lately, plus I love Hayley's voice, so what's not to love about this song?






                                                                                                          Adding to my Reading List:

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. When someone tells you she loves your books, and asks you if you've read Pat Conroy, and says that he was the author she thought of while reading your books, you must immediately read Pat Conroy.

So Excited to See: Thor: The Dark World.

Apparently, there's a version of the poster with Thor on it. Huh. Go figure.

All Loki-fangirling aside, I love what Marvel's been doing lately. The blend of visual spectacle, human story, character development and the right touch of humor (thank you, Joss Whedon, for making The Avengers what it was) has been a delight. I was a big fan of Thor, and the sequel promises to be even better. After seeing the video of that awesome thing that happened at Comic Con this year, I stumbled across some movie spoilers, and they only left me wanting to see it even more. As a writer, I feel like I should be blogging about movies of a different sort, but I'm a dork, and a fan, and I can't control what feeds the muse.

Pinning:

This jacket. I love Pinterest, but have you ever searched for men's leather jackets on there? Oh my God. (and that's a bad Oh my God). Most of the jackets can be dismissed right off. But when I found one I liked, nine times out of ten, there was a blank-faced male model wearing it, and he had leather pants on too. Or was shirtless underneath. Or was pouting at the camera. Or he looked like Jake Gyllenhaal. Or he was Jake Gyllenhaal.  I really didn't want to put a face to the name; I want to preserve the mental images I have of the characters. And then I found this jacket, and all is now right in the Walker Visuals world. It's very Tam.

A Houseful of People

We celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday yesterday afternoon. In retrospect, having everyone stare directly into the sun wasn't the best idea. But I'm so glad that so many of us were able to attend to help her celebrate. Eighty is one of those landmarks, and I don't look at it in respect to physical age, but in the amount of life lived. It's a big deal when you think of it in those terms. She had her three children, both her brothers, her grandchildren, and great grandchildren in attendance. Even missing a few nephews and my brother (he had to work; big weekend at the theater) we had a houseful of people! The weather was gorgeous; the horses were happy to come visit for carrots; except for the swarms of yellow jackets, it was the perfect afternoon for a party.

 

 

We had pork tenderloin with rosemary and thyme. Green beans (with bacon). Cinnamon apples. And my very favorite twice baked potatoes. There were pictures of my grandmother spread throughout the house; the one in the background below is the photo my grandfather carried with him while he was in Korea. It made it all the way back from the war. 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I don't have any idea what the rest of my life will look like, but if I get to be eighty, and look back, I hope I can be proud of the trip getting there. 

Rosewood - Part 18

Short one today. I'm helping with a party tomorrow, so even this much was pushing it. Hope everyone has a lovely rest of their Saturday.

            “So this is the living room,” Chris said, dropping their bags to the hand-braided rope rug beneath their feet. “Real wood burning fireplace,” he said, tossing her a smile over his shoulder.

            Jess’s returning smile was thin at best. “It’s nice,” she said flatly.

Rosewood - Part 17

 

 

“There you are.”

            Tam had grown up knowing the importance of reading the pitch of voices, the hidden meanings beneath them. A school principal could smile while she insulted your balls off. A boss could cut you to shreds when he said, “You understand,” and handed over your last check. The sound of his father’s voice had made him hate his own name. His mother had turned “I love you” into a curse.

            He knew Jo’s voice better than anyone’s, better than his own. And as he let himself into the kitchen of the main house, he knew his wife wasn’t so much glad to see him, as desperate.

Irons in the Fire

If we're talking about fire, I have to mention this song. It's one that I always seem to circle back around to, constantly finding inspiration in it. The acoustic version's great too: "Into the Fire" by Thirteen Senses. Just love it.

Also, note, the fire in the picture is a camp fire, not a forge fire. Please forget I felt the need to point that out. Having a Frasier Crane moment.

Irons in the fire: I've got too many. And it's strange, because I keep expecting the panic to set it, but it doesn't come. I don't like to juggle projects most of the time, but right now I have two solid ones, and several nebulous ideas sitting at the edges, nestled down in the ash, waiting. I want to hunker down, surround myself with good music, and put every last bit of it on paper. I'm 74k words into God Love Her and really excited about getting more work done on Rosewood. It's invigorating to be in a positive place creatively. I can feel myself growing as a writer and being aware of that, applying it, is so rewarding. And though blogging isn't my forte, I enjoy having this space where I can talk about writing feelings - that's not really something anyone wants to hear about in polite conversation. So I thank you all for listening.

Saturday Pics: A Rare Moment of Sibling Bonding

Rosewood - Part 16

This takes place during the baby shower sequence. It's something I've been kicking around in my head. I know I want to do another spin-off mystery at some point, so playing around with the idea.

Trey and Paige

            He’d been to Rosewood a handful of times at this point, but Trey always forgot where the first floor bathroom was. It was tucked in a hard-to-spot corner, in an alcove between the guest dining room and the entrance to the staff quarters where Ben’s sister-in-law lived with her family.

            After he’d dealt with the problem his three beers had created, he paused in the hallway, scratching absently at his hair. Except for a single bowl of salsa, the guys in the game room hadn’t been fed. Well, that wasn’t true, but the main buffet was set up in the great room, where all the present-opening, baby-oohing-and-awing was going on.

            Not anything he wanted to get tangled up with.

Eleven One