Saturday, July 14, 2012

Word Counts


Word Counts and Such

The Hotel Slayings
Format: 6x9
Words:  27,981
Pages: 293
The Masked Killer
Format: 6x9
Words: 19,790
Pages: 199
Ballerina
Format: 6x9
Words: 23,286
Pages: 240
Recreational Murder
Format: 6x9
Words: 16,152
Pages: 228
Fake
Format: 6x9
Words: 27,239
Pages: 354
Trea Bella-Donna
Format: 6x9
Words: 10,563
Pages: 137
Espionage Garden
Format: 6x9
Words: 31.464
Pages: 203
Dew
Format: 6x9
Words: 16,488
Pages: 186
Bored and Bleeding
Format: 6x9
Words: 3,315
Pages: 110
The Scorned American
Format: 6x9
Words: 26,899
Pages: 197
Weird (so far)
Format: 6x9
Words: 10,729
Pages: 85
Life and Death (so far)
Format: 6x9
Words: 4,336
Pages: 39
Dreamland Theater (so far)
Format: 6x9
Words: 6,780
Pages: 61
Egotistical Mama (so far)
Format: 6x9
Words: 3,967
Pages: 60
A Perfectly Secret Affair (so far)
Format: 6x9
Words: 16,258
Pages: 122
Sai (so far)
Format: 6x9
Words: 4,617
Pages: 55
Twelve Months (so far)
Format: 6x9
Words: 3,038
Pages: 49
The Flame (so far)
Format: 6x9
Words: 5,345
Pages: 46
Endless Soul (so far)
Format: 6x9
Words: 251
Pages: 5

Pulling No Punches


Pulling No Punches

I’ve been thinking about people, lately. All kinds, really. Today I was nearly rear ended as this bright cherry red Ford Mustang came barreling up the freeway on SR 500 near my home. I barely managed to switch lanes and so I flipped him off. I know this isn’t kosher, but I can’t afford to be rear ended especially as fast as he was going. At 70 on a 50 mile an hour highway. I glanced over to his car after I successfully managed to switch lanes and get the hell out of his way. He was cursing and shaking his fists at me. I made my husband laugh when I told him that I’d already flipped him off and there was no need for him to do so.
A couple of days ago I was headed to Wal-Mart an exit up from my house on I-205. It was quicker to take the freeway and save a little on gas then to deal with the stop and go I would have had to deal with going up Andresen. As I was merging, because I was running out of road, from SR 500 onto I-205 this big fucking black truck wasn’t going to let me over. I had my pregnant sister-in-law in the car with me PLUS my almost 2 year old niece. She (my sister-in-law) asked if she could flip them off and I said that she could. Again, I know this isn’t proper, but that jerk could have hurt my niece and nephew. Not on my watch buddy!
A month ago I accidentally backed into my cousin’s rented car. She’s a disaster when it comes to driving. There was only paint transfer on each car and a small dent (so small you could BARELY see it) in her car. My driveway is shaped like an L and she could have pulled up closer where she was parked at. I had to park on the side of the house and I hate parking there because I can’t keep an eye on my car. So to make a long story short, she called her insurance company (I know this is standard procedure) but she could have claimed she was in the store and didn’t notice. It wouldn’t have been the first time, but I guess because I don’t have a dick then she isn’t going to help me out.
People are constantly complaining and I try to keep my complaining to a minimum or none at all. Even at work when almost (at least it seems that way) everyone else’s work seems to fall my shoulders because they don’t want to make a phone call or double check something. I’m sure to the co-workers that I do complain to that it seems like I complain all the time, but I don’t think I do. I only complain when I feel that something needs to be said. The only time I say anything to my boss is when I’m asked.
Working late at night as I do gives me time to do much of my writing and I’m glad that I have that opportunity. Even if I never make any money from the writing that I do, at least, I know that I’ve tried. That’s good enough for me. The things that I could do without are the perverts who have nothing better to do than call and masturbate while I’m trying to help them make a reservation. It’s usually the same guy and sometimes I can get him to hang up the phone before it becomes really gross. Other times it takes a few minutes before I can get him to hang up. It’s usually a polite Sir if you’re not going to make a reservation then I’m afraid I’m going to have to let you go. The perv is usually the one that hangs up first.
There’s the people I deal with on Writers’ Café. For the most part they are a friendly group of people. Fellow writers who just want some help perfecting there craft. A few of them thrive on getting critiques and are pretty decent in how they ask. Then there are the people that are just plain rude. The expect you to review because the send you something or just because they wrote it. I like to read what I like to read. If someone has something posted that catches my eye due to the description or title then I’ll go peruse. I don’t like feeling like I’m being forced to read something. There are two writers on the site that I just love to read: Janelle Walden and Shep. They both have a unique way of writing that gets their point across. Janelle writes for herself and just hopes that others will partake in the thing that makes her happy. Shep writes truthfully and from the heart.
Others on that site are just rude for other reasons. There are the spammers who keep sending out creepy letters about meeting only OFF the site. It’s always an email on the site and always the same wording. Here is a sample:
Hello dear,
My name is Samira,am a decent girl with love and honest,please i will like you to contact me through my email address(samiraluv22@hotmail.com)so that i can tell you more about me with pictures of me, thanks
yours
love,
Samira,

samiraluv22@hotmail.com
Creepy. You can’t even go into the forum on the site and get help because they’ve filled the pages with trash! Ignorant.
That’s all for now. I may add another blog after this that shows the page counts and what not for my books. Probably. In between working on Life and Death & Weird.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Craziness and then SOME!!


Last night was insane!
I’ve been working on two new novels (Life & Death and Weird) not to mention Dreamland Theater. It’s been difficult to give each novel the time that it deserves because they all feel the need to be written now! To top it all off I’m taking on another new novel that I plan to start next week. I have a lot of the ground work done on that, it’s just the matter of filling in the blanks, so to speak.
ON TOP OF THAT! I started work on the new Delta Files novel. I just couldn’t stay away. Next up for Addyson and her crew is Suicide Killer. The first chapter goes back three months to when they find the first victim hanging from the banister of his home. Then it will continue in the past for a couple of chapters. Doing the interviews with the help and family. When it finally comes back to the present there will be a fresh victim.
*wipes forehead* PHEW!
Now I just have to keep it all straight.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Weird (Sneak Peek)


          My name is Weird laStrange, really, and my parents must have hated me when I was born. I hear they are really big in the underworld. Not the literal underworld, of course, you know like hell, but the supernatural underworld. They abandoned me when I was a toddler. I don’t know why they didn’t just kill me at birth. You have no idea how many times I’ve been picked on and beaten up because of my name.
Temporary Cover
          I suppose I should tell you a little bit of my background. I am twenty years old, in college, and recently found out that I was a vampire. I know! It came as a shock to me too. I can walk around in the sunlight, I don’t have to sleep in a coffin, and I can eat human food (it has no value except that it protects me from vampire hunters and overzealous humans). I have to drink blood with every meal, but I don’t need it to be human blood (I hate to admit it, but I prefer human blood).
          From what my adopted family tells me (they must hate me too because they never changed my name) is that they knew what I was almost instantly. I had been a cheap adoption because of my ‘behavioral issues’ at the orphanage. I had been attacking the other children and biting them. It makes sense considering I was a vampire.
          The people at the orphanage were known for taking in known abandoned supernatural beings and making sure they were placed in the proper homes. I suppose I should also mention that even though we have a secret society humans know about us. Most consider us like the mob. They know we’re there and they are taking appropriate measures to be wary and take care of what is said around us.
          Back to my adopted family. The orphanage didn’t know what I was, because I hadn’t shown any signs of being a vampire when I first arrived there. So I wasn’t placed with one of the live in guardian/counselors that they have for the young vampires, werewolves, ghosts (yes ghosts), and witches. The counselors are to help the youngest of us adjust and learn basic control. True control takes years to learn.
          I was advanced at that and after I was placed with my family I learned to adapt pretty quickly. I begged them not to tell the school so that I wouldn’t be treated any differently. Maybe that’s why they kept my name the same, so that I would know was different. I can’t really hate them, no I can’t do that, because they took me in and cared for me. My family, this family, loves me for who I am and they know I would never do anything to hurt them or anyone else.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Odd Day & Current Novels


Odd Day and Current Novels

Odd Day—
I guess, really, there’s nothing odd about the other day. Tuesday my sister dropped off my nephew, Mathew, as always. She likes to have one day for herself so she can hang out with her friends and then clean before Mathew can ruin it for the rest of the week.
I was getting ready to take my husband to a job interview and she asked me to walk with her to her car. Her exact words were “I have a proposition for you.” I was a little, not horrified, but intrigued, I guess. Not something you hear everyday from your sister. I nodded and followed her over while Carlos was finishing getting ready.
She got into her car and pulled out a folder. “Can you turn this into a book?” I looked at her and waited for the punch line. There wasn’t one.
The folder was a journal that she had to keep for her English class. The journal details her relationship with her friend/boyfriend/ex-boyfriend. She said that I could keep everything but expand on it. All she wants is a percentage of the royalties (if it sells), and a signed copy from the author.
I smiled and said that I could do that. There is more that she has to add, so I’m just waiting for the email. I told her that I have a lot of stuff in front of it and she said that was fine. I’m also waiting on a reply to a text I sent her. I need to make notes and want to know if I can do it on the papers she gave me or if I should make copies.
I have an idea as to how I want to it and I have Amelia Jade of the Writer’s Café for that. I’ll keep it as journal. I’ll show action during the day and then at night have her writing in the journal. Of course, I’ll need to change the wording a bit and things like that, but this could be interesting.
I’ll keep you posted.

Current Novels—
Life and Death
Egotisitcal Mama (on going) This is a collection of poetry, so it will take time to get it where I want to be. The perfect book to work on when I get stuck.
A Perfectly Secret Affair (on going) This is a collection of short stories. I can take my time and work on this when I can’t work on one of my novels.
Dreamland Theater

There’s really not much else to say.

I would like to thank all of my new readers. You guys, as writers, know how important and awesome it is to have people reading your work.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Excited


Excited

I know this is a stupid thing to write about, but I did promise another blog.
I am excited about the new seasons of Scandal, Once Upon a Time, and Revenge.
After the season finale of Once Upon a Time there were so many questions and a few answers.
  1. Once Upon a Time
    1. Questions:
                                                               i.      Will Mary Margaret/Snow White, David/Prince Charming, and Emma be reunited as a family?
                                                             ii.      How will Emma deal with knowing for certain, now, that her best friend is really her mother?
                                                            iii.      What lengths will Regina/The Evil Queen go through to get Henry back?
How will all of the characters deal with being in the real world?
                                                           iv.      What does that purple cloud mean? Magic? Will it take them back to Fairytale land?
                                                             v.      Will Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin every find his son, Baelfire.
    1. Answers:
                                                               i.      The curse was real.
                                                             ii.      Emma is totally ready to be a mother
                                                            iii.      Regina lost, for now
                                                           iv.      Once magic returns, everyone is going to be in trouble because Regina is going to be POWERFUL
                                                             v.      Mr. Gold got his happily ever after back, Belle, she remembered who she was and he was very happy

For Scandal the biggest question is: Who is Quinn, really?

Again, stupid, but had to write something!

Monday, July 2, 2012

Peeved


Peeved

NOTE: A lot of these are articles that can be found on E! or OMG!

John Travolta & Kelly Preston --
Okay, I know I do this to myself, and I shouldn’t read them, but people who comment on news stories are way harsh!
I read an article on E! Online about John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, and my mouth dropped open. They were berating, not only him, but his wife, too! They put them both down for doing charity work in their hometown of Ocala, Florida. Saying that it was just a PR move.
If you don’t know what’s going on with John Travolta you’ve been living under a ROCK! Just kidding. Seriously though, Mr. Travolta is once again (though I don’t know if they ever really died down) victim to gay rumors. This time he is being sued by several men who allege that the actor had tried to get them to have sex with him and that Mr. Travolta was just very inappropriate with them. Supposedly there’s even a tape.
There’s even a rumor that John and his late Grease co-star Jeff Conway had a fling way back when.
Now I don’t know if the rumors are true. If they are, well, that’s his business. There’s also no reason to be mean towards Ms. Preston and saying that their marriage is a sham. They’ve been happy and weathered so much more than this already. Especially with the loss of their son, Jett a couple years ago.
For crying out loud people, they maybe stars but that’s no reason to be so rude! Get a life and move on. If it bothers you that much THEN DON’T READ THE ARTICLE YOU DUMBA$$!

Courtney Stodden & Doug Hutchinson --
I’m sorry, but that is disgusting! I know that olden days that women were married off at this age or even younger and sometimes to men even older! But this is 2012 and getting married to a 57 year old man in this day and age means one thing: GOLD DIGGER!
There’s a chance that everyone on the planet could be wrong and that they really do love each other, but she acts older than 17 and what husband in his right mind would let his wife parade around in those clothes! To say nothing of her parents in the first place. That girl should be in a convent or something.
She wears sky high stilettos (even to the beach and to walk her dog) and tiny bikinis and everyday clothing. I know this sounds like I’m jealous, but honestly I just feel sorry for the girl. Obviously she has such low self esteem that she doesn’t think she will ever get married so she has to settle for the first creep who comes along and flashes money and the possibility of fame at her.
Her parents, who just love their new son-in-law, are completely on board with it. I wonder if he had to pay a dowry?
I understand that love knows no bounds, but maybe in this case it should.
Courtney Stodden is going to be forever known as the Teen Bride while her husband, will always be thought of as a pedophile!

Beyonce & Jay-Z & Blue Ivy –
What peeves me off about this is that everyone thinks she faked it. Why would she?! What’s more, who cares if she did? The lady has a ton of money and her husband even more!
I get the suspicions, but that doesn’t mean that the accusations are true. On the flip side is doesn’t mean they aren’t either. If I had her kind of money and I wanted a child, well, who knows?
I think if they had a surrogate, then good for them. If they lied about Beyonce being pregnant, so what. At least they’re happy and that baby is adorable! If I was in Beyonce’s shoes, I would carry a fake baby around too. She is so famous that Blue Ivy could get hurt. Everyone wants to get that picture of her out and about. We all know that the paparazzi can be dangerous.

I don’t know where I was going with that last one, but I had to get my two cents in.

I’ll do another blog tonight on something different.

Much love.
Thanks.
SM Garcia