Twelve Months

Twelve Months

            The idea for twelve months came pretty randomly. I had been looking at an Avon book and in the jewelry section I kept looking at the birthstone rings. An idea formed rather quickly. There are twelve months in a year, right? What if in 1980 twelve children had been born? Six girls, six boys. They were raised together and named for their birthstones. Easy right? Garnet (January), Amethyst (February), Aquamarine (March), Diamond (April), Emerald (May), Pearl (June), Ruby (July), Peridot (August), Sapphire (September), Zircon (October), Topaz (November), and Tanzanite (December). What if they dated? There was enough of them. Garnet (female) & Tanzanite (male), Amethyst (female) & Peridot (male), Aquamarine (male) & Pearl (female), Diamond (female) & Topaz (male), Emerald (female) & Zircon (male), and Ruby (male) & Sapphire (female).

            After that was decided there had to be something big going to happen. A wedding! That’s not the only thing. They’re all pregnant and going to have the babies around the same time. Then some really BIG has to happen. The end of the world, perhaps?

            Well there you have it. Twelve Months in a nutshell.

Tragedy Abounds, a poem

Tragedy Abounds

Today I went to school

It was like any other

Until

A man came

Looking for his mother

He came in

Saying she wasn’t any good

Then he started

Shooting us with his gun

So many of us gone

We were so young

We ranged in ages

From 5-10

Those were just the kids

He took 18 of us

Today with only

11 days until Christams

We won’t see another

We won’t be a mother

Nor will we be a father

We won’t live to see

Grandchildren

Great-grandchildren

And so on

This man killed us

Today on 12-14-12

The world mourned

The worst school shooting at

An elementary school in the country

They say

On this day

Let us not forget Columbine

And Thurston High School

On this great day of tragedy

Let us all be reminded of

Not only this day

But others as well

We won’t be the first

But we will be the youngest

Rest in Peace all you little angels

12-14-12

Work Stuff

          I’ve been rather absent for awhile now with the blogs. There hasn’t been much time. I took time off in November for National Novel Writing Month (I needed 17,000+ more words to complete the novel) and working on the magazine was put on hold as well. There will be a double issue coming up at the first of the year for that.

          The reason I’m decided to finally write something for the blog is that I’m frustrated with things at work at the moment. Now I know that I shouldn’t write things about work because it could cost me my job. As far as I know no one from work reads my blog or even knows I have one. If they do read it, well, I can’t help that. I can’t keep things inside.

          There have been a lot of changes at work and not all of them are good. The old General Manager was fired and the temporary isn’t very good. I’m hoping that a former employee gets the job because then one of my good friends won’t be leaving.

          People aren’t doing their work during the morning and swing shifts and its left to me to do them. They aren’t checking CLC (Corporate Lodging: It’s for drivers and certain business owners. They give us their card we swipe it and charge it like a credit card). They don’t make sure the card is current, don’t get a current one, and if they don’t have a current one they don’t call the tech support to get a fax authorization THEN they don’t put it with the registration card!

          They don’t make sure that the server is on or hasn’t frozen. I do my best to check it at least once or twice a shift because I can’t do my work if it’s not working. Things get lost or don’t get done properly if that isn’t working.

          I know that people aren’t happy with what’s going on around here and everyone is pretending that it is. It can’t keep going if the business is going to survive. I won’t leave, I can’t. I need the job and I like the people I work with. I just don’t understand a lot of what goes on around here. People who haven’t been here long get pushed ahead of people that have been here longer.

          More later.

Update

Seems like just about every amateur writer around is doing a novel for National Novel Writing Month and I’m no exception. Unfortunately I started four days late and I can only write five days out of seven. With all of this stacked against me, I’m going to do my best.

I know that I’ve been lax in blog entries for every blog I’m doing. I do apologize. This month isn’t going to be much better.

So that’s it for now. More later.

2030 Sneak Peek

I headed as fast as I could without getting stopped to the interstate. I had no trouble spotting a van, it was the only one there. I slowly approached the van and was ready for anything. I had disguised my car, myself, and Akania. No one would be able to tell that it was us.

          I looked for any sign of life from the van and saw Ella. I smiled. Thank God, I thought. Thank God.

          I slowly approached the van with my car and I hoped that Ella could see me. I made one of your hand signals that would let her know that I was me. I think I saw her nod.

          The back of the van opened, slowly. Three heads poked out. They were all safe. Three pairs of feet hit the ground, but Arthur had to carry James. They ran for all they were worth. I had the doors open and the engine revved and ready to go. “Get in! Get In!” I called.

          “Are you really her?” Ella asked.

          “At this moment, does it matter as long as you’re getting away from the people holding you captive?”

          “Good point. Move!”

          “Come on baby, let’s move!” Arthur said.

          I nodded and the doors closed. We raced off, hopefully before they realized what had happened.

Once Upon a Time (Yes Again)

Once Upon A Time (Yes Again!)

The second season premiere is still 13 days away and I was stupid and went to the message boards on IMDB.com. It has only fueled my need for this show! How dorky and childish is that? Not only are they, at some point, adding my favorite Disney character, but we’ll be getting the long awaited Charming family reunion!

I’ve seen stills and the actual promo from the first episode. I’ve also read spoilers for the first SIX EPISODES! *breathes in and out slowly* Unless you’ve ever been a fanatic about any show, you won’t understand. The creators of this show are the same people that brought us Lost. I only hope that that doesn’t mean that Once Upon a Time is a limited run series, because that would suck. It never sat well with me on how they ended Lost.

        I loved Lost and I know why: because I couldn’t figure things out! It’s also why I stopped watching; however, I don’t see that happening with OUAT simply because there is so much MORE going on! It’s not set just on island (though some could argue that Storybrooke is like the island) and it doesn’t take place in the past (though, again that can be debated withFairytale Land). The differences are that its  about fairytales and believing.

        Lost was all about the big bad and were they ever going to get home. OUAT is about that and so much more. It’s about the costumes and the little details that you need to watch out for or you’ll miss something. I usually do! I’m so into what’s happening on the screen at the moment that I don’t care about what’s going on in the background, even after I’ve watched the episode a million times!

        There are many questions about this show. Like who is Baelfire (Rumplestilskin’s son)? Who is Henry’s father? How will Emma react to the fact she’s finally found her birthparents? How will she handle it when she remembers they’re her age? Can Henry accept that he was right the whole time? What was his andRegina’s life like before Emma came into the picture? How did he know he was adopted

        There are also many theories about the show as well. Like that Bae is Henry’s father. That Rumplestilskin is Regina’s father. That her mother is the miller’s daughter. These are just to name a few!

        Please keep an eye out for my review on the second season premiere.

A Birthday and an Anniversary

A Birthday and an Anniversary

Carlos and I two years ago on our wedding day.
We're just as happy now as we were that day; only less tired.

     Today not only marks my 31^st birthday it also marks my 2^nd wedding anniversary. I will be celebrating both with the day off and a quiet evening of pizza and movies with my husband. Not a bad way to celebrate if you ask me. I’ve told my husband, Carlos, that if we ever do end up pregnant, our luck is that it will be born on this day. Hopefully in the afternoon so he or she will sleep at night! Though I’m hoping that when the time comes the baby won’t be born in September. We have plenty of birthdays this month! Maybe October or you know, in the spring. That would be completely different!

     That’s all for this blog. Post more soon!

At It Again...

At it Again…

Well the girl of multiple personalities is at it again! This time her male personality is trying to say he is all that. Not! This woman is so delusional and is so narcissistic that she needs to create fake profiles of celebrities and uses them to help her up her following! Then she wonders why she has no friends.

        She thinks that she’s all that. The personalities all seem to act the same. They like the same things, they eat the same, dress the same. It’s odd and the only people that buy it are the ones that don’t really know her. I knew the woman for four years before I finally began to see how it was.

        The male personality seems to be in love with said person. The personality has pictures and odes to her everywhere on the page. It’s kind of gross, to be honest, and a little weird; even for her.

Mock up of the Suicide Killer cover

        My husband decided to see if the male personality was really who they said it was and turned out I was right. She proved it. I asked for something back and then they came back with not understanding what it was I was asking. *shrugs* I made it clear, but whatever. I decided not to worry about it.

        Now, all of the sudden, this person wants to talk to me. They wrote my husband back and then forwarded the email not only to my personal email, but my fanpage email as well. I blocked them from my email and banned them from my fanpage. I don’t need the drama. Things are going well right now. I’ve got book 7 and Weird in full swing. I’m working on covers for all my unfinished novels in hopes that they will get finished. I think at the end of book 7 there will be a short story or novella for Trea-Bella Donna to finish up that story. I’ve got the magazine in the works and I’m thinking of creating a contest to look for a featured poet and short story writer.

        Then I have to work 5 days a week, 8 eight hours a night. Not to mention that I have my friend’s website and doing the editing that Shep and Lane want done. Not that I Lane needs the help; it’s already been through 4 people! She’s lucky to have so many people willing to read it.

        I think that’s it, for now.

I've Decided...

I’ve Decided…

Before I left for work, for some reason, an idea for a new short story or novella or even a novel, popped into my head. I decided to leave it alone because I can’t take on anymore books at the moment. See the table below.

Novels In Progress	Novels Completed
Weird	Espionage Garden
Suicide Killer	The Scorned American
Twelve Months	Bored and Bleeding
Endless Soul	Dew
A Perfectly Secret Affair	DF 1 – The Hotel Slayings
Egotistical Mama	DF 2 – The Masked Killer
Sai	DF 3 – Ballerina
Life and Death	DF 4 – Recreational Murder
Dreamland Theater	DF 5 – Fake
	DF 6 – Trea Bella-Donna

That’s nine in progress and ten completed and so many more in my head that want to be written, but they’ll have to wait. I want to get Suicide Killer and Weird done. A Perfectly Secret Affair and Egotistical Mama are going to be ongoing projects for awhile. Sai and Life & Death as well as Dreamland Theater are ones that I’d like to finish soon also.

I think this is a good place to stop for now.

More later

So the point in this blog is that this new story or novel, whatever it is, needs not only more time to stew, but it also needs research.

GZine?!

GZine?

Okay, someone asked me if I was a publisher and I’m not, but it got me to thinking about an idea I had a long time ago. A magazine. Not too long ago I was a part of a different magazine and as far as I know it didn’t do well, I’m more than willing to try something like that again.

What I’d like is a magazine that has a bit of everything. A featured short story, feature poems, featured authors. I also want to include recipes, editorials, letters to the editor; all sorts of things. Artwork and everything in between.

I know there will be a Q & A section where the series I’ve been working on can be featured. I know there will be a poetry section, a short story section, a recipe section. There will, hopefully, also be a section for reviews: movies, novels, and music.

I’d like your thoughts and ideas.

Please comment and let me know what you think.

Fall TV Preview

Fall TV

I’m sure I’m not the only one who looks through and gets their DVR/Tivo set up for their fall shows. Below I’ll have a link to the full lineup, premiere dates, and my thoughts and questions for the shows I will be watching.

Bones – It premieres on September 17 at 8 pm on FOX. When this show closed its doors last season, Brennan had taken Christine and with the help of her father, Max, ran off leaving Seeley hurting in many ways. I have no doubts that not only will Booth be pissed off at Max for helping his girls to escape, but he’ll be upset with Bones that she didn’t take him with her. I’m sure that she has a reason, and I’m looking forward to how that all plays out. Check it 9/17 at 8 pm on FOX.

How I Met Your Mother – It premieres on September 24 at 8 pm on CBS. When the show faded to black back in May/June, Ted was headed to talk to Barney’s bride, Robin! You were left wondering if she was having second thoughts. Did she want to be with Ted after all? At the same time you you’d just witnessed Ted drive off into the sunset with Victoria. If I had been Ted I never would have given the woman the time of day. She was getting married! He’d already been stood up by Stella, why would he do that to Klaus? I mean, we already know she’s not the mother! Though it could be misleading, but I doubt it. With those writers, who knows? Lily and Marshall are now parents and they’re going to have to navigate that while they remain a part of the group. Will Robin and Barney marry? Will Ted and Victoria have their happily ever after? Tune in 9/24 at 8pm on CBS.

2 Broke Girls – It also premieres on September 24 at 9 pm on CBS. I didn’t get to see the season finale, but I really like this show, so I’ll be tuning in. Catch it 9/24 at 9 pm on CBS.

NCIS – Returns on September 25 at 8 pm on CBS. The finale not only ended with a bang, but a whimper as well. We watched our favorite Navy crew get blown up as Jimmy decided on a quiet wedding so he could return home and be with his family. But our friends in the NCIS building weren’t the only ones who were in trouble, our dear Ducky, was lying facedown in the ocean. After hearing about what happened at the Naval yard, he had a heart attack! I will be turning into find out who lives, who dies, and if my favorite Naval Medical Examiner survives. My only hope is that Mr. Palmer finds Ducky quickly. Tune in 9/25 at 8 pm on CBS.

Private Practice – Premieres September 25 at 10 pm on CBS. I don’t recall the season finale much, but I do know that there was a lot going on for these doctors. Addyson got her baby, but does she get her man? Charlotte and Cooper were raising his son after the boy’s mother passed away. Sam and Jake were contemplating futures with Addyson. Violet and Peter were divorcing, but thinking to reconcile. Plus Derek’s little sister got back on drugs and found out she was pregnant. This woman was strong enough to give birth to a child with no brain so that other babies may live. Sheldon didn’t know what to do. I’ve heard, as sure many of you have, that Pete and Addyson will not be staying. What does that mean for the future of this show? Will there still be a Private Practice next year? Tune in beginning 9/25 at 10 pm on CBS to find out.

Grey’s Anatomy – Begins September 27 at 9 pm on ABC. The last thing we knew was the six of Seattle Grace’s doctors were stranded after the plane they were on crashed. The survivors included Derek, Meredith, Cristina, Arizona, and Mark. Sweet little Grey, Lexie, didn’t make it after the plane fell on top her. Mark was with her the whole time and they finally told each other that they loved each other. We know by now that Kate Capshaw (Arizona) won’t be returning, but we don’t know if she perishes in the woods. We also know that Eric Dane (Mark Sloane) will not be returning either, again, we don’t know if he perishes in the woods. I hope that Shonda Rhimes doesn’t do that do us. I’ve heard that she plans on starting three months into the future and then going back in the second or third episode to what happened. I am interested in seeing how they write off Mark and Arizona. Tune in 9/27 at 9 pm on ABC to find out.

Scandal – Returns September 27 at 10 pm on ABC. When we last left Olivia Pope and her crew, the truth about Quinn was about to be revealed. I only hope we don’t have to wait until the season finale of season two to find out what it is! This is the only reason I’ll be tuning in. For now. Get scandalous beginning 9/27 at 10 pm on ABC.

Once Upon A Time – The story resumes on September 30 at 8 pm on ABC. This is the show that I have been waiting on all summer! In the first season finale Henry dies, but Emma brings him back by giving him true love’s kiss. She broke the curse, but no one has returned to where they were supposed to go. I don’t recall if its mentioned that they’ll all return to fairytale land or if they’ll just remember both lives, but I’m ready to find out! Sucks I still have to wait a month to find out. I do know that the reunion of a lifetime will be taking place at some point (hopefully in the beginning!) Prince Charming and Snow White will be reunited with their baby, Emma. Not only that but they’ll learn they’re grandparents! I doubt that Regina aka the Evil Queen will go down without a fight, especially with magic being returned, but I’m going to be tuning in 9/30 at 8 pm on ABC to find out!

Revenge – Begins again on September 30 at 9 pm on ABC. When we left Emily, she had just learned that Faux Amanda was pregnant and that her mother was still alive! Not only that but her half-sister had taken a bottle of pills and her ex-soon to be mother in law was presumed dead in a plane crash. I’ll be tuning into find out how the real Amanda deals with all of this and so much more on 9/30 at 9 pm on ABC.

Full premiere dates

Finally! Progress...

     I've finally been able to get some work done on Suicide Killer, book 7 in the Delta Files series. Book 7 takes place three months after the events of Fake, book 5. It begins as they discover the first victim, Dan O'Connor and then continues three months later after this nasty killer claims three more victims.

     I am excited because I've been working on so many other things: editing for EJ Shepherd, working, writing Weird, and as many poems and short stories as I can. I've even started work on chapter two of Twelve Months which covers Amethyst as she prepares for company. 

          So not only have I made myself EJ’s editor, but I’ve also taken on the task of creating a website for my friend, Lane Craver, and have become her publisher and editor as well. I will have to make time for my own work, because I can’t not do that. Both EJ and Lane would kick my ass. Well, EJ would try, but he’s a little faraway. I’d have to be more afraid of Lane because she’s nearby and would do it too.

          I've also decided to keep doing interviews and am looking for athletes of any flavor, actors/actresses, comedians/comediennes, and others. If you are interested, just comment on the blog.

          I can and will make it work. There are seven days in a week, I work five of them. If I write for two days, work on the website one, work on editing for EJ one, and Lane the last; it’ll work.

          I think that’s all for now as I want to get more work done on chapter two of Suicide Killer.

Come on Hollywood!

Come on Hollywood!

I just looked up ‘remakes’ on Google and I couldn’t believe what I saw! There are at least FIFTY movies they are going to remake. That is outrageous.  There are so many talented writers out there that would be more than happy to let Hollywood have a crack at their novels and short stories. I can think of three amateur writers right now that would kill to have Hollywood knocking on their doors (not including me) and would probably be happy with writing credit and merchandizing.

Just offhand they are remaking: Dirty Dancing, Dredd, Birds, Romancing the Stone, The Bodyguard, Scarface, Short Circuit, and that’s just to name a few[1]!

Is there not an original brain left in Hollywood? Is this what our children and grandchildren have to look forward to? Seeing the same movies that we grew up on? They can already do that with DVDs, Netflix, and any movie channel on TV right now. It doesn’t seem fair to the future generations[2] that they have to watch our old recycled movies.

It seems to me that while there is an endless supply of novels and screenplays already waiting to be written or that have been written; there are no takers. Why is that[3]? Just because Dirty Dancing or The Birds was good the first time doesn’t mean it will be a second. The main reason those movies and others like it were such hits were because of the casts they had. The setting and the script.

I’ve even heard that there are plans to remake I Love Lucy and many of our favorite classics. Again, Hollywood, it was the circumstances surrounding the original casts, crews, and writers that made the shows what they were. You’ll never find another Lucy! I mean, Hawaii 5-0 has done well, you lucked out there. Then there’s the Charlie’s Angel’s remake. It TANKED! Doesn’t that give you some indication? The movies were great, but they weren’t trying to BE the original. They were their own Angels.

Please leave our classics where they belong and let sleeping dogs lie. Come up with something original and new. Fresh. It doesn’t even need to be cutting edge. You know that not everything has to be 3D, don’t you?

That is all.

---

[1] http://www.nextmovie.com/blog/upcoming-movie-remakes/

[2] http://www.movie-moron.com/?page_id=611

[3] http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror_14469.html

Q & A -- Session Twenty-Five w/ Lane Craver

Question and Answer Series

Session Twenty-Five – Lane Craver, author of Dark Prophecy

Author, Lane Craver

Q            As a writer do you prefer using a pen name or real name? Why?

A    Partially both. It has a nice ring to it and I like using a name people will remember.

Q            Which genre do you normally write? Are you comfortable going out of your comfort zone?

A   Fantasy/adventure is what I normally write, though I have been known to write in other genres with the same suspense. I love keeping my reader on the edge of their seat.

Q            How old are you? Male or female?

A    41 and female

Q            Do you like cats or dogs?

A    Both, if they are well mannered and good character

Q            Tell me something about you that no one else knows.

A    I went to an alternative high school with no grades and went to college I got mostly A’s and B’s; graduating with honors.

Q            Are you married, dating, or single? If you’re married or dating; have you ever cheated on your spouse or significant other? If you’re single; do you like to play the field?

A    Recently divorced and have dated a few times, but I’m not ready to jump into another relationship yet. During my twenty year marriage, no, I didn’t cheat.

Q            Have you ever contemplated suicide? If so, why did you feel that was your only option?

A    Yes; before I had kids and after high school I was in a bad relationship and I felt really unloved, and with no job or hobby; no kids, I felt like a waste of life. I know now that I was suffering from depression.

Q            Have you ever been in trouble in school? At work? At home?

A    Yes, at school; especially in middle and high school. I tended to push the limits of my liberal school, i.e. wearing swim suits with Daisy Dukes to class. At home, my Mom, considered me her ‘wild child’ and at work, I took work very seriously, though I still like to make people smile and laugh.

Q            Did you have siblings growing up? If so, how many?   

A    4; an older brother from my Dad (he didn’t live with us), an older brother and sister (they did live with us), and a younger brother from my Mom (he lived with us as well).

Q            Did you have siblings later in life? If so, how many and at what age did you get them? Were they adopted?

A    When I was 14 my Dad remarried and I had two stepbrothers and a stepsister.

Q            Where do you get your inspiration?

A   I write what I want to read; I also used to play Dungeons and Dragons, so I was creating scenes for the game.

Q            How do your approach your writing? Are more OCD? Plan everything out with outlines and what amounts to storyboards? Or do you just fly by the seat of your pants and work everything out as it comes?

A    With my book, Dark Prophecy, I wrote the first sixteen chapters by the seat of my pants, but I had to loosely outline a sentence per chapter to reach my goal before it got too big. I surprising myself with my writing by going by the seat of my pants; it takes on a life of its own and I enjoy every minute of it!

Q            Do you like horror movies? Comedy? Pick your poison.

A     Horror with comedic moments, usually. Suspense is my thing and my poison, if you will.

Q            Do you enjoy certain types of books, but like to write in another genre? If so, why?

A    I read many; horror, fantasy/adventure, sci-fi, and suspense/mystery books. I try to mimic the things I liked within my favorite genre, adventure.

Q            What are you currently working on? Do you have any novels?

A   My book is a Sagovel (saga/novel). I’m currently working on book 2 of Dark Prophecy.

Q            Anything else that you would like to say before we end? 

A   I love to entertain my reader. It gives me great joy to hear how people can relate to my characters and want to read more. Thank you for this unique opportunity to share with readers, SM Garcia. You have really outdone yourself with these interviews, kudos to you!

Q & A -- Session Twenty-Four w/ Stedman

Question and Answer Series

Session Twenty-Four – Stedman, author of Revenge

Q            As a writer do you prefer using a pen name or real name? Why?

A    I like a pen name sometimes. But I usually go by my regular name because in the end you are the characters.

Author, Stedman

Q            Which genre do you normally write? Are you comfortable going out of your comfort zone?

A   Moat of my writing is morbid. There is usually a dead man character or it has a sad tone to it some where. I'm no good at poems but I’m willing to try any kind of short story or book topic.

Q            How old are you? Male or female?

A   Male

Q            Do you like cats or dogs?

A   Dog lover

Q            Tell me something about you that no one else knows.

A    Impossible to answer when I’m an honest person

Q            Are you married, dating, or single? If you’re married or dating; have you ever cheated on your spouse or significant other? If you’re single; do you like to play the field?

A   Dating; i have cheated before. I no longer do so. I've found my guts to make a full commitment

Q            Have you ever contemplated suicide? If so, why did you feel that was your only option?

A   I have but never seen it as a solution. I was just a little stressful period in my life.

Q            Have you ever been in trouble in school? At work? At home?

A   loads of times at home. Most of the times for accidents though. School once and it was an accident

Q            Did you have siblings growing up? If so, how many?   

A    I don't know what you're asking as in growing up.

Q            Did you have siblings later in life? If so, how many and at what age did you get them? Were they adopted?

A   Yes (i guess). I have two siblings from my father and step mother and one from my mother and step father.

Q            Where do you get your inspiration?

A   My inspiration comes to me from thoughts, other authors, movies, or simply having too much time to toss ideas around. I am also a big fan of psychology so if i can add twists and events to make the reader think hard.

Q            How do your approach your writing? Are more OCD? Plan everything out with outlines and what amounts to storyboards? Or do you just fly by the seat of your pants and work everything out as it comes?

A   I write word by word. Nothing pre-planned or pre-determined other than a developed main character.

Q            Do you like horror movies? Comedy? Pick your poison.

A     I like both. I find some horror to be comedy.

Q            Do you enjoy certain types of books, but like to write in another genre? If so, why?

A    

Q            What are you currently working on? Do you have any novels?

A   I have one I completed (on the site) and I have about three in working progress.

Q            Anything else that you would like to say before we end? 

A   Not unless you have more questions.