A Nano post

I found this cartoon at Inkygirl: Daily Diversions for Writers by Debbie Ridpath Ohi.

(Ahem, I deny being diverted.)

This certainly applies to my Nano WIP? How about yours? (Click on the cartoon to see a bigger version.)

A couple of things and a hiatus

At AotP, we are all doing Nano. At eight days in, we're having varying levels of progress, but all of us feel pretty good about our potential success.

That said, our blog, will be on a hiatus until December. If one of us is inspired with blog material, you might find a random post here now and then, but for the most part, we're turning all creative juices on Nano full force.

We're still reading, too. This month's book club selection is a young adult smash and a Rita Winner. We're reading Adios to my Old Life by Caridad Ferrer. I bought the book this weekend at a book signing. Caridad is super delightful. Go buy the book and read it with us!

See ya in December.

Macy and gang

Lights, Camera . . .

This week's question is which book would we love to see made into a movie. There's so many! In romance alone, by subgenre--

Historical:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.
Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase
Lord of the Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Paranormal/YA:
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
(Is this slotted for a movie already? Never mind. I just checked. It is.)

YA/Coming of Age Women's Fiction:
the Jessica Darling Series by Megan McCafferty
(I'm not sure how they'd do this, because I'm not sure the four books would make four movies, but I'd love to see Jessica and Marcus on the big screen somehow-- or maybe in a mini-series for TV and DVD like the Anne of Green Gables & Avonlea series)

Contemporary:
Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Okay, okay. Any book by SEP would work for me, but these two are my very favorite of my many faves by her.

Urban Fantasy:
something from early on in the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton, probably the first book, Guilty Pleasures.

Or a fun, magical romp, a fairy tale for modern times, like those provided by Shanna Swendson in her Enchanted, Inc. series. I consider that urban fantasy, too.

Like a twist of mystery with your screwball comedy or vice versa?
Then All About Evie by Beth Ciotta would be a fantastic choice. Or, one of my new raves, Agnes & the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer. And, of course, there's always Stephanie Plum and company-- pick a book, any book, although I kinda (ahem) like the triangle. I like the heat Ranger projects. LOL.

I was going to mention my fave "chick lit" book, Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes, but lo and behold, it looks like it's going to be a movie.

Anyway . . . I could go on. But, I'm cheating on this question. I'm supposed to pick one, explain why it would make a great movie and pick a few actors to play the characters. So, I'm going to pick Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase. Why? Duh. Because it has everything! A super smart heroine, a hunky hero, an Egyptian adventure, mystery, humor, heat, love. It's very, very fun, feel-good, say awww. And Hollywood would go bananas with all the chases and scrapes and danger around every Egyptian corner.

If you haven't read the book, (why in the heck haven't you read the book??!!?) here's a description from Publisher's Weekly:

Set in Egypt in 1821, Chase's romp of a romance possesses a fine sense of time and place. Solving the mystery of Egyptian hieroglyphics has been Daphne Pembroke's lifelong passion, one she has kept secret from everyone except her brother, Miles, who fronts as the hieroglyphics expert of the family. (Daphne's disapproving late husband believed that "intellectual endeavors put too great a strain on the inferior female brain.") When robbers steal a papyrus from her Cairo home that may lead to a vast fortune and kidnap Miles as well, Daphne knows the crooks have taken her brother so he can decipher the hieroglyphics. To find Miles before his captors realize he's clueless, she needs muscle in the form of hunky Rupert Carsington (a secondary character from Miss Wonderful, the previous book in the series), whom she springs from a local jail. Tracking the kidnappers takes Daphne, Rupert and their entourage down the Nile, where they face sandstorms, snakes and other perils. Comic relief comes in the form of a mongoose named Marigold. Though the book offers a fascinating glimpse into the workings of ancient Egypt, Rupert and Daphne's relationship, and the trials and errors thereof, remain the heart of the story.

So,
Rupert:Hmmm. I need someone, tall, hunky, athletic looking with a broad, broad chest, lots of muscles, dark hair, dark eyes, but still very English. Someone who could come across as the Brawn only in a Brawn & Brains situation, although he's not quite as dense as Daphne believes. A supersized Colin Farrell type? A darker, more English Jake Gyllenhaal? A younger, more English Goran Visnjic? Olivier Martinez? Brendan Fraser? The Rock? Oh dear, I'm really not that good at this . . . OH! Hugh Jackman, beefed up for the role, although I'm not sure he could come across as a lunkhead. Eric Bana?No, we'll stick with Hugh.

Daphne: Green,green eyes. Heart shaped face. Red, silky hair. Able to portray someone brilliant. The obvious choice is Nicole Kidman. Another interesting choice would be Kate Walsh from Grey's Anatomy and, now, Private Practice. She does romance well. Or, to make Hugh look really huge, maybe someone little like Reese Witherspoon with red hair? Just a thought. I'm actually thinking Nic or Kate.

Lord Noxley: Daniel Craig, or in a twist, Hugh Grant as a bad guy.
Monsier Duval:Vincent Cassell
Miles, Daphne's brother: a regular kind of guy, Toby Maguire?

Well, that's quite enough stream of consciousness on this topic. LOL. Thank goodness there are casting directors!

Cheers and happy Nanowrimo,
C. Alyson

The book/movie connection

In trying to come up with a blog topic this week that would be fun and not interfere with NanoWriMo’s impending start, I thought of movies I love and how many of them are based on books I love.

And, of course, that very thought immediately led to this week’s questions: What book or books would you most like to see turned into a movie and why and who would you want to play the main characters.

This is tough. A few books that I’ve always loved have movie adaptations soon to be released or in the works. Examples include The Golden Compass and A Great and Terrible Beauty.

So what other book would I choose?

I love romantic comedies and love stories. I recently read Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas. It’s a delightful story and full of all the stuff that makes romances fun.

(Plug for her contemporary romances: I just went to her website and saw that Blue-Eyed Devil, her new contemporary, comes out in March. I may have to pre-order. Characters from Sugar Daddy resurface -- one that I particularly liked – but I won’t tell you who in case you haven’t read Sugar Daddy. I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. SPOILER alert if you read the excerpt from Blue-Eyed Devil on her website without reading Sugar Daddy first.)

Anyway, I won’t create a synopsis of Sugar Daddy from scratch. Here’s one from Booklist that was posted at Amazon: “Money is tight while Liberty Jones is growing up in Welcome, Texas, but somehow she and her mother Diana manage. Having good friends like Miss Marva, Lucy Reyes, and especially Hardy Cates, on whom Liberty has a crush, helps. Then tragedy strikes and Liberty must take care of her younger sister and find a way to support them. Hard work and determination get Liberty through cosmetology school, then, while working in a Houston salon, she meets wealthy older businessman Churchill Travis, who offers her a job as his personal assistant. At first Liberty is reluctant to accept, especially since Churchill's son, Gage, seems to think she's a gold digger. Then, just as Liberty is settling into her new life and her initially frosty relationship with Gage is heating up and turning romantic, Hardy Cates, her first unrequited love, reappears.”

So, why this book? I won’t go into every reason, just a few important ones. First, the book is grand enough to support a 2 to 3 hour movie. A lot happens. Second, the characters are rich and intriguing. Third, I grew up in Texas. To some Lisa’s portrayal may seem over the top, but if you’ve ever lived there, you know it’s right on.

Cast of important characters:
Liberty Jones -- adult (1/2 hispanic, ½ white): Jessica Alba
Carrington – anyone know any cute blonde child actors?
Hardy Cates – Matthew McConaughey
Gage Travis – Christian Bale
Churchill Travis -- Probably not the best choice, but for now – Sam Elliot


Macy

Katrina's Top TBR Picks

Going through my TBR pile to choose my top 5 for today is no small feat. I’ve already split my TBR library into two shelves, one of which holds 35 yet-to-be-read books, which I want to read before I move over to the overflow shelf which currently hosts another 20.

I must clarify that the top of the top at any given moment is influenced by mood, the moon and often the last book I read. Sometimes I want more of the same, and sometimes I need something entirely different.

I don’t know which particular influence was strongest last night when I pulled these five from the shelf, but I did notice it’s quite a well-rounded list.

In no particular order (I just didn’t want to go there), here’s what I grabbed…or at least what grabbed me:

The Naked Marquis by Sally MacKenzie. While hunting for a book for our AOTP book club I ran across the Naked royal guy series at Barnes & Noble. The covers are so colorful and the idea of a Naked Duke, Earl or just about anything, peaked my interest. I flipped through it, liked the writing style, loved the comments from other writers and saw that it was $4.99. Under $5?! Done! It’s a light-hearted historical and looks to be a fun read. In fact I skimmed through it last night, just to be sure it merited the “in the next five” pile and the next thing I new I was crawling into bed two hours later. Not good for my Monday at work, but a good sign for the book.

It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I’ve read several of SEP’s book and have loved them all, so I’m always happy to throw one of hers in the mix. This particular copy is signed by SEP herself, and while in line to obtain that very signature, wanting to snag another favorite, I asked my fellow liner-standers which ones they recommended. They all loved this one. SEP did too. It’s contemporary.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I love historical novels set it Scotland. I love Scotland. I took a tour there once and fantasized about living back in the day, in what I perceive were more romantic, less complicated times. Had I really lived then, I’d probably have been a maid or cook or something though, so it would likely not have been as romantic. Anyway, I love time travel too, so this has the best of both. I’ve also heard amazing things about this novel, and Gabaldon won a RITA for it in 1991. I just need to set aside a chunk of time to read it, as it’s 600 pages in what looks to be a tiny font.

Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann. I read two different articles (one on POV and the other on character introduction) that quoted excerpts from this novel. Although I may not have picked up what I was supposed to from the instruction, I did pick up the book. One of those excerpts turns out to be from the prologue. Seriously. The prologue! She had me by the end of the first page of the prologue. That’s pretty damned good I’d say. So I have to read this book. Maybe next, since I just reread page one the prologue and am rehooked all over again. It has adventure, loyalty, a hot tough guy with a witty sense of humor. Wit always gets me.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig. The lively Miss Willig spoke at our local (NYC) RWA chapter brunch last Spring and I bought her book on the spot. I thought, if her crisp wit and charming personality come across on the page, it will be a great read. The gist of the story is a grad school student plagued with bad luck and a dismal love life goes to London to do research on the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian and somehow discovers the secret history of the Pink Carnation. From what I understand the story skips between the grad student’s present day life and the exploits of the Pink Carnation in the past. Love and intrigue abound. Honestly, Lauren is hilarious in person and I’m sure her book won’t disappoint.

That’s it for now. I think we’ll have to do a second blog about these TBR choices after we’ve read them. Then I’ll really tell you how great they are. ;)

So, what’s in your to-be-read pile?

Katrina

Macy's TBR Pile

This week we’re blogging about our TBR pile.

Hmm.. I have a to-be-read book case, but I do have it sort of narrowed down to some books I REALLY want to read next.

Of course, like Alyson, I continuously shuffle the books and replace and reposition the ones I’m most eager to read. That means as I read books and add them to my list on Random Ravings, you may or may not see these books being changed from TBR to read.

I’m currently reading two – The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin and The Devil and Miss Prym by Paolo Coelho. I keep setting aside Devil to read leisurely, but I’m going to just dive in and get it finished over the next week. Also, the AotP book club is about to tackle Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer. I haven’t bought it yet, but I’ll be starting it soon.

However, these are the five I’m eager to dive into:

Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey. First, it’s one of five nominees for a Horn Award. Big stuff. It’s the only fantasy book on the short list of Horn nominees. The cover is compelling, the premise is exciting.

Here’s a blurb from Amazon: "This double-narrative fantasy begins slowly but deepens into a potent and affecting story of struggle. First, a small farm boy begs a magician (healer) to help his mother through childbirth, but the magician's corrupt and leaves the baby on the floor and the mother dead. The baby is Sadima. Sadima grows up able to read animals' minds and eventually seeks the city, where she joins two intense young men: tempestuously abusive Somiss, madly trying to capture ancient languages of magic, and Franklin, serving Somiss with odd devotion. Somiss claims his work will restore banned magic and help the poor. In a second story line, a boy named Hahp is sent to a magician's academy where he's starved, abused and taught meditation. Only one boy will live to graduate as a wizard, and they're forbidden to help each other survive the filth and hunger. Some painful connections between the two narratives emerge, though key details-and the fates of Sadima and Hahp-wait for the sequel. Darkly resonant."

So what is it that strikes me? Maybe it’s the “darkly resonant” part. I could tell it would be dark just by the blurbs. And, well, I like dark stories. I like them to end well, but I don’t mind a good dose of dark on the way to the happier ending. I also thought it might be interesting to note that it’s a YA book.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. Okay, first, I have a thing for the Fae. I love stories about the Sidhe or fairies. I love the lore that surrounds them. I love the concept that they’ve been around forever and are very powerful, sexual beings. In Wicked Lovely, a royal fairy believes the female protagonist (a high school girl) is the one he’s supposed to marry in order to fulfill his power. But she can see him and she knows what he is and she’s been taught to be very afraid of the Fae. And as you can see, it sounds like a great deal of conflict ensues.

Here is a blurb about Wicked Lovely from Amazon: "Melissa Marr adds elegantly to the sub-genre of Urban Faery with this enticing, well-researched fantasy for teens … The romantic scenes are delicious. The fantasy of being pursued by two young men is alluring in itself, but when one is a pierced and tattooed sexy outsider and the other is a blindingly beautiful King of Faery, how much better can it get? Halfway through the book, I knew which characters I wanted to end up together, and that made me read greedily on. Readers will beg for a sequel."

….. Again, it’s YA.

The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose. This book grabbed me with its title. This is not a YA book. From a combo of various blurbs: “Rose delves into religious myth and past-life discovery. In present-day Rome, a terrorist bomb explosion triggers flashbacks of pre-Christian Italy in photographer Josh Ryder. Josh experiences the memories as Julius, a pagan priest defending the sacrosanct monuments of his gods and the life of his vestal virgin lover. Convinced these episodes aren't figments of his imagination, he enlists the aid of the Phoenix Foundation, a group that specializes in past-life research. Later, when he becomes involved in the unearthing of an ancient tomb—and experiences a connection with its long-buried resident—Josh realizes he has a chance to right a wrong that happened a millennium and a half ago.”

I’ve been looking for some new, good, not YA, Urban Fantasy since I’ve given up Anita Blake. (Frown.) I’m going to try Rachel Caine’s Weather Warden series. The first book in it is Ill Wind. The protagonist can control the weather, but she’s on the run for murder and doesn’t know who to trust. The book has gotten good reviews, so I’m adding it to the TBR pile and putting it pretty high on the list. It’s waiting for me now on my bed-side table.

This last one is the tough one. What to add in the fifth spot?

I'm going to go with one my neice recommended. It's Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, first of his Alex Rider series. Yep, this is YA. Fourteen year-old Alex is reluctantly and forcibly recruited to be a spy when his guardian (also a spy) is killed. Then, he's off on his first mission to thwart a Middle-Eastern terrorist who's targeted schools in a cold and calculating way.

Oh, wow. I've spent way too long on this. I need to go write so that I can go get started on this pile. Do you think there is any way I can tackle them all by Christmas?

Macy

Alyson's TBR Pile

This week we're sharing the top five books on our TBR pile. Shouldn't be hard, but it is because I tend to reshuffle the top books daily. So, I'll start with this--I'm currently reading Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin, a great book which has triggered surprisingly emotional remembrances of old weights or albatrosses. Things like fear, anger and overresponsibility for the well being of your siblings.

I'm short on time this weekend, so, for now, I'm just going to list the rest and I'll try to come back to tell you more about them.

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Nick & Nora's Infinite Play List by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan
Diva by Alex Flinn ( following a quick reread of Breathing Underwater)

I'm thinking of writing a Young Adult novel for Nano. Or a Young Adult type book geared toward college age kids. We'll see how it goes. Four scenes keep begging for a story in my overactive imagination:)

Cheers and happy reading,
Alyson

Writer Envy

Sheer Playfulness and Deadly Seriousness are my closest friends.
– Philip Roth

# # #

I wish I was her, or him-- what current writer do you envy and why?

I saw this topic over at The Longstockings a week or so ago and I thought it sounded like so much fun. I wasn't sure which writers I'd choose as "the current writers I most envy" because I love so many authors for so many different reasons.-- Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Crusie, Janet Evanovich, Diana Gabaldon, Loretta Chase, Barbara Kingsolver, Toni Morrison, Isabel Allende, Marian Keyes, Rebecca Wells, Elizabeth Gilbert, Megan McCafferty, Lois Lowry, JK Rowling, Judy Blume, Laurie Halse Anderson, Phillip Pullman, and so on and so forth. . . so many amazing writers to choose from. And then, there's the people like Nora Roberts, who I may not consider my personal faves, but who are so dang successful, such icons, it makes my head turn.

I didn't over think the question because it's been a busy week and I've been preoccupied with other things. Plus, I like to be spontaneous, to keep things "fresh. " So, when I sat down this morning, I was surprised-- the first writer that popped into my head was Philip Roth.

Philip Roth?

I mean no disrespect. Quite the opposite. He's a brilliant, celebrated, prolific writer, so, in that respect, it's not "odd." I've read three or four of his books and I've loved, loved, loved each one. However, it wasn't what I expected. I write nothing like him! He's brilliant and literary and , and, and . . .

I'm not.

But maybe, deep down, I want to be. Or maybe, there's something else to take away from this.

Philip Roth first achieved fame with GOODBYE, COLUMBUS (1959), a novella and five-story collection describing the life of a of Jewish middle-class family. Ten years later PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT was published. The book became a great, great international success. I remember being blown away by it. I'd never read anything like it. It's a "masturbation story" in which Roth yokes wild comedy, guilt and rage together as the narrator searches for freedom by using sex as his way of escape. Wow.

Roth says, "In 1969, I wrote Portnoy. Not only did I write it - that was easy - I also became the author of Portnoy's Complaint and what I faced publicly was the trivialisation of everything."

According to Aaron Ascher, Roth's dear friend and editor, "the attacks were horrible and disheartening, especially from the Jews. He had to cope with the nightmare of a smash hit. It made him angry and defensive, so he closed up. But maybe it did him good. The setback of great success changed and improved him as a writer. Without it, he'd have been different."

He continued publishing outrageous novels in the vein of his commercial breakthrough, eventually introducing Nathan Zuckerman, his literary altar ego, in My Life as a Man. The well received Zuckerman Trilogy (The Ghost Writer, Zuckerman Unbound, and The Counterlife) parallels Roth's career, unfolding with characteristic poignancy and unforgiving humor.

As this article in the Guardian points out, for the last decade, at an age when most writers are beginning to lose interest, Roth has produced a series of books more powerful and accomplished than any he has written before. And he shows no signs of slowing down. Maybe that's what I find the MOST amazing. It gives me hope that it's not too late, that the ship hasn't necessarily passed me by.

"Even now, he doesn't relent," says Aaron Ascher. "This is a 70-something-year-old writer who is still going uphill and keeps getting better. He has back problems which give him great pain, yet he's always working. He never stops, even in his worst periods."

I love this about Roth--

"He works standing up, paces around while he's thinking and has said he walks half a mile for every page he writes. Even now, when his joints are beginning to creak and fail, energy still comes off him like a heat haze, but it is all driven by the intellect. It comes out as argument, mimicry, wild comic riffs on whatever happens to turn up in the conversation. His concentration is fierce, and the sharp black eyes under their thick brows miss nothing. The pleasure of his company is immense, but you need to be at your best not to disappoint him."

He's one of the mad ones, no? In a way? Despite his monklike privacy? Other books by him that I love are The Zuckerman Trilogy, American Pastoral and Human Stain.

Since Macy picked three, I was going to be a copy cat and pick three as well, but I can't choose. However, I can say this-- what I noticed amongst the authors jockeying for position is that they are all successful, they all win awards, they all entertain me immensely and write page-turning series with characters I just can't get enough of. . .

Hmmm. Is there a series in my future?

Cheers and happy writing,
Alyson

Writers I Envy

We’ve decided to blog this week about what current writer we envy and why.

Um… any published writer.

Even though that was my first reaction, I realized almost immediately I don’t envy just any or every published writer. I don’t even envy a great many successful published writers.

Who do I envy?
1) Libba Bray. I’m not sure I even looked forward to the final installment of the Harry Potter series with the zeal with which I await Libba’s The Sweet Far Thing. What is it I envy of Libba so much? I envy the extraordinary, imaginative concepts in her books. I envy her subtle use of theme, how suddenly the theme of her books are staring you in the face. I envy her aching portrayal of an innocent teen with all the angst that is universal, all the desire that bubbles below the surface, all the terror that you will and won’t experience all life has to offer. I’d love to write great YA fantasy. I’d love to write like Libba Bray.

2) J.R. Ward. Envelope-pushing, world-building genius J.R. Ward. Her Black Dagger Brotherhood series is a masterpiece. Her characters, especially the big, bad vampires of the brotherhood are well developed. She breaks rules that make you gasp and sets up story line and arcs that tie book after book together. She knows her characters as if they were real people. She knows her world like I know my hometown. Spectacular. I’d love to write great urban fantasy like J.R. Ward.

3) J.K. Rowling. This one woman made reading cool. She made science fiction and fantasy cool. She spurred a new trend in YA books. Her works have people getting in line to buy books six hours before they go on sale. That’s the stuff of rock bands and arena concerts. And did I say she’s a cagillionaire? I’d love to write like J.K. Rowling. Actually, I’d just love her bank account.

Perhaps this is a bit of an irreverent view, but it was very eye-opening to write it. As I struggle with what I should write after voice class, I find little clues everywhere. All three of the writers I selected write fantasy of some sort. All create vivid worlds that I’d step into if I could. All at least dabble in romance with love interests and hormones and crushes and first kisses. Two of the three are YA with wide adult appeal. All have a distinctly dark aspect. All deal with themes which land squarely in gray, rather than black and white.

I didn’t have any idea this little exercise would continue to give me voice clues.

Sigh.

I guess what I SHOULD write for NaNoWriMo is becoming clearer and clearer.

What current writer(s) to you envy and why?

Macy

I missed Blog Action Day!

I told Macy and my other friends at Affairs of the Pen that I was going to blog on the environment both here and at my individual blog yesterday for blog action day. I never got around to it (lazy blogger, lazy activist . . . I fell asleep after Dancing with the Stars!) BUT Macy did her part. Check out her post here, and read about Al Gore's recent Nobel Peace Prize win here and here. Yes, it's related to the environment:) For the record, I praise and support his win.

Need more environmental stuff? Check out Green TV.

And thanks Macy. You rock!

Cheers,
C. Alyson

November/December Book Club Recs

Both Macy and I have mentioned at our individual blogs that Affairs of the Pen has an online book club. We started it in September with one of Barbara's Samuel's books, A Piece of Heaven, since five of us were taking her voice class. ( You may have "heard" us mention that voice class once or twice. Grin.) This month we're reading and discussing A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. It was a Rita winner this year. We're also in the process of deciding what we'll read next. Here are some of the books we're considering, for your perusing pleasure.

1. Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer (YA)
2. The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin (YA)
3. Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer
4. Hard Day's Knight by Katie MacAlister (Contemporary)
5. Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell (Historical)
6. Green Angel by Alice Hoffman (YA)

7. The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff (Historical)

8. The Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer (Historical)

9. Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas (Contemporary)

10. Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann (Suspense)

11. Angels Fall by Nora Roberts ( Suspense)

If you know anything about these books and would like to sway our vote, feel free to chime in.

Also, when I tinkered a bit with the web site, I removed Jacqueline's favorite recent reads by Ann Gracie. Be sure to check out The Perfect Rake, The Perfect Waltz, The Perfect Stranger, and The Perfect Kiss.

Cheers and happy reading,

C. Alyson

Autumn

Autumn is always a subtle endeavor in Florida. You must pay careful attention to notice its arrival, so I’ve learned to heed the signs of its advent.

Fall in many places is heralded with showy force. The temperature dips so that sweaters and jackets are returned to places of prominence in closets and wardrobe drawers. Hot chocolate supersedes lemonade on grocery lists as football fans fill thermoses full of the rich liquid to drink as they settle beneath blankets at evening games. The canopy of green that marks summer transforms into brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow.

I miss the transfiguration of the world in autumn.

However, I’ve learned an equinox and calendar cannot proclaim the arrival of fall in Florida. Autumn arrives here, not with a proclamation of trumpets, but rather with the subtlety of a softly plucked guitar.

One morning you wake to greet a soft breeze rather than the driving humid heat. The hue of blue in the sky shifts to a softer shade, an almost imperceptible abatement of harsh light. You sleep through the night without the whir of an air conditioner and eventually crack your windows, letting in the pleasant breeze sans mosquitoes.

Autumn arrives, not with the grandiose intensity I’ve always associated with my favorite season, but with attenuated clues.

My ongoing discoveries about my voice are like autumn in Florida. I’ve had to learn to pay careful attention to subtleties. I wouldn’t mind if voice insights hit me with the full force of a northeast autumn, but I’ve learned to look for minute changes instead.

Careful scrutiny is all that allows one to witness the arrival of fall here. Careful scrutiny is all that allows me to garner those important voice clues which are so valuable.

I’d like to be slammed with the revelation that I should write this or that, that my voice is perfect for a particular genre, or that my gift is to write story X.

Instead I settle for subtle clues I’m learning to recognize. These clues are everywhere when you discover what to notice.

For example, Alyson says my voice deals with allegory. My scientific mind needs proof. Just as I can’t read the words “fall begins” on a calendar and buy into the statement, neither can I just say, “Great. I write with an allegorical voice.” So I decide to look for clues. I start by trying to understand just what an allegorical voice means. My best interpretation? Representing something abstract, spiritual or other in a concrete way, using one thing as a symbol for something altogether other.

I finally agree. Where did I find my clues? My favorite books. I never assumed for a minute that Watership Down really had anything to do with rabbits. I always knew Jonathan Livingston Seagull was about more than a bird. I’ve gleaned all along that the ultimate theme of the Harry Potter series was not so much about good vs. evil, but rather about the power of every decision to influence the course of one’s soul.

Another example: My voice is more about emotion than almost anything else. My clues: I mark passages in my favorite books that evoke that surprising change in the rhythm of your heart – not a change due to suspense, but rather due to an emotional discovery. Examples: J.R. Ward’s powerful portrayal of grief in Lover Awakened or Gemma’s discovery of the roots of why women were so long oppressed in Libba Bray’s novel A Great and Terrible Beauty. Another clue: The way a song I haven’t heard in years will change the rhythm of my heart and the way the memory of why it does so slides in afterward. My first concern when I write my own stories is not with a believable romance or compelling suspense. Rather, it’s with the emotional journey and whether I can apply some deeper understanding through it.

Of course, none of this helps me know what to write or where I fit as a writer. It does, however, remind me that sometimes a box is too small or too confined. A Florida fall doesn’t fit in the autumn box. It’s something other, and yet it’s wonderful and awe-inspiring.

Maybe I just have to be content that I don’t fit in a box.

If it’s good enough for a Florida fall, it’s good enough for me.

Macy

Fire me up!

My novel writing career began a year and a half ago, in April 2006. I've always written--poetry, newsletters, articles, creative nonfiction, academic type papers, short stories, vignettes, acts in plays, journal entries-- but I'd never attempted a novel before. Couldn't figure out how. So, in April 2006, finding myself going mind-numb at home with my amazing son and adorable nephew (sorry, kiddos!), I decided it was time to figure out how, and, can I just say--boy, what a long, strange, winding road it's been! I say this because, like Jacqueline and Macy, I'm going to write about how the voice class has changed my writing-- sorta, kinda. I don't think it's changed my writing exactly. A voice is a voice is a voice, is it not? I think my writing remains my writing, and my voice remains my voice, but the voice class and the revelations it triggered have provided me with much-needed validation and all of the following have been altered: my goals, my WIPs, my determination, my inner fire, my material, and my willingness to follow my out-of-the-box ideas. I also picked up two new muses, which I may blog about this weekend over at my Throw Another Blog on the Fire blog. Oh, and there's another thing that's been altered-- my blog!

Anyway, a bit more history . . .

Before signing up for the online Romancing Writing class at Gotham where I met my fellow AoTP-ers, I had written a handful of short stories-- two featuring tweens, one featuring a teen, three featuring chick-lit type characters, all of them coming of age type stories with romantic elements. I read mostly mainstream or literary fiction, chick lit, young adult and intermediate fiction, a bit of romance, a bit of suspense and, once in a great while, a fantasy, sci fi, paranormal or horror genre novel. I also read lots of nonfiction. I wasn't big on genre fiction. At all. However, I read a lot of intermediate and young adult fiction across subgenres because (a) I was in charge of the kids department (amongst other things) when I worked at Borders, and (b) I was in grad school, working on my teacher certification and a master's degree in teaching language arts.

The point of all this is that I started out writing chick lit when I entered that Romance writing class. I really had no interest in writing romance genre novels. Heck, the only romance genre novels I had read were the novels in the Outlander series, a couple of books by Kathleen Woodiwiss back in the seventies, Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake series, which isn't exactly romance genre-- and I think that's it. I loved love stories, but I discovered that those I loved weren't strictly romance.

When chick lit was pronounced DEAD following the 2006 RWA national conference, I did some research and discovered I loved, loved, loved SEP, Julia Quinn and Loretta Chase as well as Beth Ciotta and Jennifer Crusie. The thing these writers have in common is that many of their books contain romantic comedy elements. I found something about their books that I thought was akin to chick lit. So, I started converting my chick lit novel into a romance novel. A romantic comedy. A darkish, irreverent, snarky, romantic comedy. Which turned out all screwed up. Blech, blech, blech!

I've had ideas for other novels. I've started them. I've tinkered around with WIP #1, but I haven't really had that fire in my belly that I started out with. I haven't really given my muses enough room to roam wild and free. Until . . .

The voice class!!!!

Why? Because the very first week, Macy sent me an email, just to me, that said something like, I think you could write Young Adult novels. The edgy kind that get banned.

So there you have it-- it all started with Macy.

She was right. I knew instantly because it scared the shit out of me. And excited me. The fire was ignited. The engines zoomed. The wheels all started turning at once. Every time I think about it, still, I get a bit wired and trembly. Perhaps, I think, I could be like one of my heroes who means so very much to kids-- like JK Rowling, Judy Blume, Gary Paulsen, Phillip Pullman, Laurie Halse Anderson, Chris Crutcher, Jerry Spinelli, or others.

I also could write the coming of age, less edgy, chick lit kind,too. I could write series like the Cyd Charisse and Jessica Darling series by Rachel Cohn and Megan McCafferty respectively. I LOVE them.

I briefly thought, well everyone would want to write those kinds of books-- popular, respected YA books-- but that doesn't mean everybody can. But then I realized, no, not everyone wants to write those kinds of books as much as I do. Not everyone would be sitting on the edge of their seat saying, "Oh, wow. I've finally, finally found my true blue calling." ( Do I hear a "hallelujah" in the house? Ah yes, there's one from my mom and dad, lol.)

For three weeks, I've been going nuts checking out YA authors' web sites. Reading, reading, reading. And I'm excited. Ideas are flying. It all ties in to what I wanted to teach before I realized I'd rather write than teach, or maybe, both. Heck, I can't wait to start subbing again as research. Suddenly, the possibilities seem endless.

One of my new muses is a teenager. She said, "It's about time you started listening to me. I'm the one with the tales to spin. Trust me." She also said, "Make sure you thank Macy every day because I've barely begun to mine the very tippy tip of this iceberg , girlfriend. We've got STUFF. All kinds of gloriously screwed up, angsty stuff."

She's right. Thank you, Macy.

I discovered in voice that I predominantly write about finding yourself in hell, and getting out. I tend to like stories about strong, quirky, independent female protagonists and their quests for redemption. My personal hells? Grief/loss, alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence, depression/post traumatic stress, stifling boredom and high school, high school, high school. Perhaps, someday I'll expand my repertoire to research other kinds of hell-- environmental devastation, war, Wal Mart. Okay, I'm grinning about that last one. Teenage Muse has already reminded me, a few times now, about stalker hell so we'll see what happens with that seed she keeps blowing at me. I'll be giving her free rein during NaNoWriMo. Till then, my very first WIP has been reripped open and given new life. Everything I learned about how to write a romance novel has been chucked. Not because I think the information wasn't worth learning (it was!), but because I'm not a romance writer. I never was. I know now. I bring a slightly different set of tricks to the equation.

I found this quote by Zadie Smith that I find highly relevant to the voice discussions.

“Fictional truth is a question of perspective, not autobiography. It is what you can't help tell if you write well; it is the watermark of self that runs through everything you do.”

If anything has changed about my writing per se, it's that I've given myself permission to leave my watermark without apology or regret. Without toning it down to appease gentler, less warrior-like souls. I've been called to write, over and over again in my lifetime, because I have something to say. I think it's about time I said it in as many different ways as I possibly can. Who knows? Perhaps, if I don't, no one else will. At least not the same way I would.

And that reminds me of an awesome quote by Martha Graham:

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”

Cheers and happy writing,
C. Alyson

So, does all this voice stuff really make a difference?

Yes.

Actually, Katrina said she’d know the answer to this in a few weeks now that she’s diving back into the WIP. I understand that.

Perhaps, the correct answer to the above question is “I hope so.”

If that’s the case, what exactly is it that I hope?

First, I hope I’m brave enough to write THE book, the one book that I’d write if I could only write one. I can’t imagine this. One book? Only one? Ever? However, this is a difficult question: What is that one book?

I think maybe my answer has changed from the very specific book I wrote about in voice class to a more general description. I might not write that book yet for many reasons. However, the ONE book I’d write would tell a similar story. It would be a journey about losing yourself to find someone else and then realizing you don’t have a clue who you are. It would be about redemption and second chances and discovering who you are. It would be about a world where people do the wrong things for all the right reasons. It would be about learning to listen to your heart and trust it as much as you do your head.

So, when asked if voice class and the revelations from it have changed my writing, I really have to say I hope so. Before I wrote stories; now I weave an intricate tale of muted souls, wrong turns, and figuring out how to fix it all.

I could write pages about how I hope my writing changes, but I think this one thing is really important, and maybe I’ll just leave it with this one thing: My writing is changing because I know my themes. I know what my ONE book and the one after that and the one after that are supposed to say about the world -- Hope is important. Redemption comes in the strangest places. And you're only lost if you don’t know where you are now.

Go write.

Macy

More Voice Class Revelations

I’m still processing what I learned from Barbara Samuel's voice class.

Seriously.

I can list twenty things I discovered about my voice or about writing voice in general but when one says “discuss three revelations you had about your own voice” and everyone digs deep (see Macy's post, Katrina's post and Jackie's post to see what I mean), I automatically think I need to come up with something deep, and meaningful, too. Three major insights. As our classmate, Mel, pointed out, Barbara is good muse food. My muses, including two new ones I met courtesy of Barbara's phenomenal voice class, are still hand weaving together the weft and warp threads of the tapestry.

Hmm. The tapestry thing works here. Let's incorporate that.

What I've come to realize is "voice" is complicated, intricate, complex, like a tapestry. It comprises everything you are, who you are, and how you came to be that way. I do truly get that now. It’s your vibe, rhythm, world view, word choice, design, cadence, speed, pulse, personal truth, way of seeing, way of being, senses and sensibilities, landscape, personal and cultural history, likes and dislikes, theme songs and more. It’s not your genre or writing style, although your voice may be better suited to one genre or subgenre over another, and one style over another. No wonder it’s a source of puzzlement, a topic debated, difficult to define.

After listing 25 loves, describing a favorite place, listing favorite movies and books at different ages, examining dialects and who taught us to speak, discussing cultures we’re attracted to and that surrounded us when we were growing up, doing timed writings on photos we selected and that were selected for us, exploring themes, describing the book we’d write if we could only write one (yikes!), talking about primary senses and sensibilities, describing our favorite outfit, writing fan letters to ourselves from our ideal reader, describing our 80^th birthday parties complete with advice from our 80 year old selves for our current selves, and choosing what type of artist we’d be if we couldn’t be writers, our culminating exercise as part of a final worksheet was to come up with a “voice statement.” I’ll start there.

My original voice statement went like this, “My voice is hip, bold, edgy, bright, darkly witty, passionate and soulful. It will rock you!”

I knew it wasn’t exactly right but it was close and I liked it. By then, I had discovered a couple of things. First when I described my favorite outfit the words I used to describe it were hip, mod, bohemian, rock chic but in an age appropriate urban minimalist type way. I asked Barbara about the significance of the outfit and she said something like your favorite outfit represents your inner self. Your true self. After completing that exercise, I found myself thinking things like I wanted to be the Sheryl Crow of women’s fiction or romance, or possibly, young adult romance or fiction (I’ll get back to the latter later.) I wasn’t sure what that meant. Barbara said she thought of Sheryl Crow as hip, independent and soulful. My insides thrummed and sang, “Perfect.” I’m hip, independent and soulful, too.

Given these early clues, it wasn’t surprising that for my artist other than a writer, I chose rock star, although movie director and dancer were close behind. The more I thought about it, the more perfect the idea of being a rock star seemed, given that talent wasn’t a limiting factor. In my imagination, I AM a rock star. I like to dance, sing, live out loud, rock the masses, support good causes. And in my imagination I look like Peggy Lipton of the Mod Squad. Or Kate Moss. Or Kate Hudson in Almost Famous. Or Sheryl Crow. You get the idea. Since the class ended, I’ve gone out and gotten myself some rock star hair and I absolutely love it. I’m a rock star writer. And I’m tired of pretending that I’m not.

Here’s what I mean by that. For as long as I can remember, and as long as I’ve been writing, I’ve had people tell me that either I or my writing are: bold, passionate, edgy, raw, “out loud,” intense, in your face, kick ass, bawdy, lusty, unedited, not subtle or mainstream, irreverent, rebellious, like bright, bright lights turned on too high, hip, cool, and so on. I’ve sometimes tried to tone myself down, and I’ve sometimes tried to do that with my writing, too. It’s freeing to say, hell, I’m a rock star, baby, and that’s that. I’m not the subdued soccer mom or even the romance writer next door ( not that all soccer moms or romance writers are the same). My novels will be fast, bold, intense, edgy, out loud, bawdy, lusty, rebellious and rocking. Not lush, rich, emotional opera. Not smooth jazz. Not sultry blues. Not pop, although some stories may have pop-like hooks, especially in the chorus. Not down home country. Not classical for brainiacs either. Not goth or punk or pared down, moody alternative grunge. Not techno. Rock, baby. Classic rock. Hip, independent, soulful, and perhaps, a bit old school cuz I have a thing for all things late sixties and seventies. I can own that. I even have the hair now to prove it. LOL.

In her final comments to me, Barbara mentioned that I might face some desires to "polish" my work into something more "mainstream," and I shouldn't let that happen. She said, “What's vibrant and true about your voice is the fact that you are able to tell the truth, tell it intelligently, and don't wince away from the dark places.”

I liked that. I suspected it and appreciated the confirmation. I’ve already tried polishing one novel into something more mainstream and I ended up hating it. Blech! My story lost all its oomph. I think there’s a reason that I started out writing chick lit, toyed with mainstream, and then changed my chick lit novel to an irreverent romantic comedy. I’m not classical romance. Heck, my husband says although I’m passionate and soulful, I don’t have a classically romantic bone in my body. (Sad, but true.) I'm also rebellious so the moment someone shows me a list of conventions, or a contest score sheet, or tells me there are rules, or forces craft down my throat (although I actually do believe craft is important), I start thinking about all the ways I can buck the system. It might make getting published tricky, but the bottom line is I need to follow my true north. I have to be who I am. I have to write in my voice. I have no other choice. As for publishing, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Since my voice statement wasn’t spot on, I’ve been thinking about it some more. Barbara said there was another angle to my writing, my work, which was that it was both intelligent and street smart. I want to work that in.

My voice is hip, bold, edgy, fast, rockin', irreverent, streetwise, smart, fun, passionate and soulful.

Closer. I also happen to think I’m funny, but I don’t know that anyone else does (grin.)

Since this post is so long already, I’ll continue it over at my individual blog to give you a breather. And I’ll get back to the Young Adult thing over there.

Cheers and happy writing,

Alyson

Observations on Voice

I came to know myself and my voice better in Barbara Samuel’s wonderful Voice Workshop and I am taking up Macy’s challenge to name the top three things I discovered. Actually, I’m not sure she said to name the top three, but I’m sure she meant to select an important three.

It’s such an intriguing concept. Voice. The sound of our speaking voice is unique to each of us. If you shut your eyes and listen to ten people speaking in a room, you’d detect differences in pitch, cadence, word choice, volume, and so much more. Even those family members who tend to sound so similar on the phone wouldn’t be identical.

It’s the same with the written voice too. It’s the same with our voices. We’re all unique. And this uniqueness is what agents and editors say they’re looking for. Actually, they say they want a fresh, new voice, but underneath it all, I think what they’re really looking for is honesty.

Not George Washington’s “I cannot tell a lie” sort of honesty, but fearless emotional honesty that will reach out and grip the reader by the heart. That’s one of the things I learned and that’s one of the things that I’ve avoided in the past. During the workshop I noticed that when I wrote from the heart, letting myself show the depth of pain and longing I’ve felt, as well as those rich moments of joy, the reaction from readers was stronger than when I felt I was writing in my most clever style. Honesty is what readers connect with, and isn’t that really what we long for when we pick up a novel? To feel an emotional connection to the characters? To the story?

Personal truth also seems to be a huge part of voice as well and to me this is linked to emotional honesty. Every moment we’ve lived has led us to what we believe about the world and our place in it, which is our own personal truth, and it’s as unique to each of us as a fingerprint. These views of the world naturally flow into our writing and are expressed as part of our voice.

As we worked our way through the weekly exercises, I also discovered that we all had themes. You know how books have themes? Well it seems that we, as individuals seem to have life themes too, or at least themes that surface in our writing. My primary theme was all wrapped up in journeys. Journeys to freedom, to hope, to understanding, to love. It’s all about the journey with me. I hadn’t realized that before. It’s so funny that I never put that together. I love adventure movies (preferably with romance) and even love to travel, and have often described the thrill of arriving in a new place with all that possibility before me. Yep, journeys are huge with me.

Lastly (for purposes of this blog only), I learned that touch is one of my stronger senses. It never occurred to me that any sense would be stronger than another. Stronger might not be the right word here, but what surfaced was that my observations and descriptions often focus on how things feel physically, both through touch and inner physical feelings. I didn’t notice this myself, but Barbara and other workshop members pointed it out to me. The more I thought about it the more I realized they were correct. This too is a part of my voice.

I don’t think this means that I have to go around describing how everything feels physically, but if that’s a strength for me, I should use that fully in my writing. As a side note, I realized that the writers I love focus a lot on physical sensations in their writing too. Those who skim the physical reactions and focused more on the emotional or sight or some other sense, leave me feeling unsatisfied. Like I need more and they’re not giving it to me. I wonder if readers are not only drawn to writers because of their style and stories, but because they speak to those senses the readers are in tune with.

So, I’m at three here. I learned quite a bit more and I’m still processing it all, but these three give you a glimpse into what surfaced for me during this class.

I guess now I need to get back to the novel about the heroine who’s on the journey of her life…

Katrina

Macy's Voice Revelations

Recently, five of the six of us at AotP finished Barbara Samuel’s voice class. The experience was worth every penny I spent and every minute I committed to the class. I wish it could go on for another six weeks. Perhaps in the future, Barbara will create Voice Revisited or Voice 202. If she does, I want to be part of the inaugural class.

Why was this experience worth so much to me?

I learned more than I ever dreamed I would about my voice.

Voice is such an elusive thing. It’s hard to define, yet it’s what almost every editor and agent want most – a strong, new, different, unique, or fresh voice.

Barbara says, “Your voice is a deep-level chord that is largely unchangeable, made up of the cultural, intellectual, and emotional landscape of your life.”

That’s pretty heady stuff, especially if you aren’t too keen on some of your emotional landscape. Know what I mean?

Anyway, the plan is for AotP to spend some blog time discussing our revelations about voice in general and voice in specific.

This week’s topic is revelations about our own voices. Voice is highly personal, so no judgments here, just sharing.

Macy’s voice revelation #1:
Barbara astutely identified my biggest revelation. She said, “What I do see is a sense of the particular, a sense of things being a certain way and you relating to them as they are or should be. The proper way to make a margarita. Specific questions triggered by music. Putting things down in a way that is particular to you. It isn't all fussy or even really orderly. Just precise. Just so.” Barbara made this comment in regards to my list of 25 things I love. At first I translated “just so” as anal. But it isn’t. I chuckle about it now. Yesterday, I was thinking about a shade of red to which I’ve become particularly attracted. I was thinking of how I’d describe it in my head and realized that I was working pretty hard at it. I wanted it to be just right – that one particular shade of red which is deeper and richer and more poetic than the others. It’s a blue red – deep, rich, oxygenated, royal. See. Just so.

Macy’s voice revelation #2:
I evoke mood. I went back to look at all the times someone said I evoke mood and finally gave up counting them. It’s true. I evoke mood. Mood is very important to me. It’s almost a sense. Perhaps mood could be added to my primary senses. How do I evoke it? With subtle clues rather than slow pages of description. I evoke it with withered leaves carried on a gust of wind. With candle flames flickering on the window sills of a darkened room. With the slow slither of a brown snake past a massive oak door open to the Gregorian chants coming from inside weathered rock walls. Mood. Subtle. Emotional. Atmospheric.

Macy’s voice revelation #3:
My final voice revelation for today (not my final one, period) is about POV. I wrote 2 pieces in first person. I don’t normally write in first person. I didn’t realize I’d written in first person until I was finished. However, it was easy. Seamless. One was a fantasy piece about nomadic woman with a dark secret. The other was about a woman grieving. Many readers thought the one about that grieving woman was me. It wasn’t – at least not in that sense. Barbara said I might find a lot of power experimenting in first person because there was so much power for me in what I wrote. And, funny, I’ve been thinking about a new story, and it’s unraveling for me in first person. Hmmm…

These are big revelations. They may seem insignificant, but each profoundly alters my perception of me as a writer – in wonderful ways.

What revelations do you have about your voice?

macy

Macy's 25

To meet my own challenge, here are the 25 things I put in my list. There were alot of other things I could have included, too.

1. Rain. Rain that darkens the sky and rolls in dark waves to the clap of loud thunder and under the dance of lightening. I like rain to last all day and keep the sky gray and low and heavy.

2. The way music triggers memories. I love the way any early Red Hot Chili Pepper's song makes me remember one decadent, wild weekend in San Diego or the way MLK by U2 makes me recall all the bittersweetness tied to the one who got away. Or the way Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses by U2 takes me back to a specific question in a specific moment from a specific guy.

3. High heels. All kinds, all colors. Well, not 5-inch platforms. Classy elegant high heels. I love the way I feel in them – tall, beautiful, powerful, elegant, sexy.

4. My dogs. Maggie, Alice, Rex, and Cipy. I love laying in a big puppy pile in the floor with them – part of them touching part of me so that we're connect as pack.

5. Margaritas. They should be made with Patron or Cuervo Gold. They really need Cointrea, Grand Marnier, and a splash of OJ. They should be shaken until frothy and served in a salt-rimmed glass over ice with a slice of lime. (I mean, if you're going to have one, do it up right.)

6. Saturday mornings. Early. When the rest of the family are still sleeping and the sun is just rising and I have the whole pot of coffee to myself to enjoy in the silence without having to rush to go anywhere.

7. Red wine. Specifically Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Sangiovese that feels dry and warm on my tongue and that's enjoyed glass after glass by old friends who feel more like family than those with whom I'm connected by blood.

8. The movie trailer of a long anticipated movie. One that causes my heart to flip with excitement as the music and clips tease my imagination. Most recently – The Golden Compass and The Jane Austen Book Club.

9. Turquoise. I love all its shades and faults. I love it in big chunks set in sterling silver.

10. Coffee. Deep, bold, rich coffee with the perfect amount of sugar and cream (the real stuff) ready before you get up in the morning so that its smell rather than the alarm wakes you.

11. The Technicolor blues and greens of the world around me just before a thunderstorm hits. The greens of the trees and grass against the vivid blue of the sky are almost blinding.

12. French fries. The kind made from real potatoes with the skins still on, fried up in long strips with lots of salt and free-flowing ketchup. Oh, and they have to be hot out of the fryer.

13. The way the Kindergarten, first, and second grade choir at the prep school where I work sing the theme song from each of the five branches of the U.S. armed services every year at the school's Veterans' Day production. Veterans from all over Central Florida attend and they are asked to stand when the song from their branch is sung. Stooped old men, who fought to preserve freedom, tremble as they lean on canes to remain standing tall and straight and proud of their service. The audience claps and cheers and many of the men and audience tear up. It is beautiful and sobering and awe-inspiring.

14. My birth family – the mom and dad and brother I grew up with. I love them even though they don't get me and I don't get them. I just wished we did sometimes.

15. My family – husband and step kids. I love that I found enough of my own wisdom to trust my heart, not my head, and to follow my heart into my husband's arms – instant family and all.

16. My kitchen. I slaved for over a year on it, meticulously drawing, measuring, and redrawing, carefully choosing materials, searching for the pieces of it that I imagined until I found them just as I'd seen them in my dreams.

17. The view from my backyard. The small lake and lots of conservation area where birds and otters and bats and rabbits live.

18. Mountains. The majesty of looking up into them, the grandeur of scenes from the top of them, the joy of hiking or skiing in them.

19. Books. All books. Their smell, the feel of their covers, the words on their pages, the sweat and tears poured into them by their authors.

20. Fine dining in a swank restaurant with my husband or friends over great wine, delicious food, and amazing service.

21. My writing group. They are so much more than that.

22. Writing. Putting words to paper in a cadence that is particular to me.

23. My house in all its finished and unfinished glory. I love that from the back yard, it almost seems as if I have no neighbors. I love to lock it up and leave for awhile to travel. And I love coming home to it.

24. Paint. Particularly Ralph Lauren Paint in all its beautiful, bold colors and all its subtle, nuanced colors. I love to pick the perfect color for a wall and watch it transform a room.

25. Love stories and tear jerkers and romantic comedies. I love to cry and laugh and feel the deep emotions of love found and love lost. I love so many – The Notebook, The Bridges of Madison County, Sweet Home Alabama, Hope Floats……

Katrina Loves...

Rising to Macy's Challenge, here is my list of 25 things I love. These are in the order they came to me, but not necessarily how I'd rank them.

1 - Rain outside my window when I'm curled up in my warm bed with no place I need to be, or when I'm cozy on the couch with a good book. Rain soothes my soul.

2 - My mom's hot crispy fried chicken and her German potato salad with a hint of vinegar, pieces of bacon and huge chunks of warm potato. They must be served together. Yum.

3 - My black Alfani fluttery skirt. It hangs like silk and hugs the curves just right, and when I walk it flips a little in a flirty way.

4 - Books. New books especially. I love the smell of the crisp pages and all that promise before me of a good story or interesting philosophy or just something to learn. I buy them when I know I already have too many to read, but resistance is futile. I must have them for my own.

5 - The painting I bought of a canal and gondola when in Venice last year. The buildings are done in rich burgundy tones, colorful pink flowers hang in window boxes, and the light glistens off the water in a hazy green hue. I had it set in a thick mahogany frame and it's hanging over my defunct fireplace like a window back to Italy.

6 - See's luscious melt-in-your-mouth-it's-so-wonderful peanut brittle. The buttery taste and creamy texture always make me want to eat the whole box, but I ration it instead to avoid the sugar crash that would result from bingeing.

7 - Music. Sexy Latin beats that get my heart and hips moving. Snappy Jazz that wakes up my senses. And sultry seductive R&B that makes me want to dance slow and close in the strong arms of a good man. I love the stories songs tell and a beautiful melody can reach deep inside past all my defenses.

8 - Feminine nightgowns with elegant accents, soft pajamas in blacks and pinks, and flirty sexy babydoll lingerie, even if I'm the only one who sees me in it. A roommate once accused me of having a pajama fetish, but a fetish would mean I'm turned on by pajamas wouldn't it? And I'm not. I mean, some women love shoes. I love sleep wear. Hmm. I'm not sure that proves my point. :)

9 - Cold, smooth, Haagen Daaz vanilla malts so thick you can barely suck them through the straw.

10 - Snowflakes drifting down in heavy clumps, blanketing the city in a heavenly cloud of silence.

11 - Sunsets that paint the sky in deep shades of lavender, pink and orange.

12 - A crisp dark night out in the country where I can sit back and get lost in a starry sky that stretches on to forever.

13 - The clumsiness, exuberance, playfulness and unabashed friendliness of large-footed retriever puppies.

14 - The cool, sparkly citrus taste of Orangina.

15 - A good deep massage by someone with great hands who knows what they're doing, finds the tight spots and works on them until I feel limp, relaxed and satisfied. (Sigh. I think I feel some muscles that need some attention.)

16 - A crisp British accent on the tongue of a clever British guy. He could wax on about anything from auto parts to complex mathematical equations and I'd hang on every word, putty for the shaping. It's really very comical.

17 - Traveling near and far. I love discovering new places. Exotic, ancient, scenic or big city. It fuels my imagination and excites my soul.

18 - Water. The crash of ocean surf as it rushes to shore only to wash gently over my bare feet. The sight and sound of a creek hurrying over stones on its way to somewhere. The glassy surface of a lake in the early morning before the world awakes.

19 - The lush green landscapes of a thick forest of tall pine, damp, cool and quiet, except for the rustling of a breeze through the trees and the cheerful birds overhead.

20 - Eggs Benedict. With the english muffins toasted golden and perfect, a slice of warm ham, eggs poached just right, all drowned in tangy buttery hollandaise sauce. My mouth is watering.

21 - Pedicures. I love the pampering. The buffing. The foot rub. The off with the old, on with the new. I especially love my toenails freshly painted in Malaga Wine and topped with the sparkly shade of Ruby Pumps. Think Dorothy's shoes only on your toes.

22 - The wit and brashness of Jennifer Crusie novels. The characters are wounded and funny and she can deliver a line that cuts right to the heart. And not necessarily in an emotional way. I just love how she turns a phrase.

23 - My family. My mother for realizing who I am and encouraging me in my dreams. My sister for making family a priority, even if she doesn't call much. My nephew, Nick, for giving me hugs even though he's 15 now and too cool for that. My nephew, Alex, for his sense of humor and for knowing the right thing to say. My niece, Holly, for the mutual delight that exists when we see one another. Oh, and my brother-in-law, Greg, for his sharp wit and kindness.

24 - Being creative. Whether it be creating characters or stories that move people, designing a bright flower arrangement, taking photographs that capture a mood, or trying my hand at oil painting. I love having a creative outlet. Although the writing is the most fun, and the most work.

25 - The freedom to pursue what I dream in my heart or what I can't even imagine yet. The freedom to change if I can figure out how. The freedom to explore the world. The freedom to believe what my heart dictates when it comes to religion. The freedom to express myself. Funny, but with all this talk of freedom, I still feel restricted by old nagging voices from the past. To be truly free would be to live as I wish in spite of those influences. I'm hoping that day is coming.

Alyson loves . . .

Yesterday, Macy issued a challenge and basically volunteered me to go first, ha, so here's my list of loves. I'm not really so worried about whether anyone will love the same things or think I'm odd, but I do like to remind people that this was stream-of-consciousness listing with no editing.

I love . . .

1. Church choirs and gospel music, all kinds of both, BUT if you want me to feel chills from the tip of my head all the way down to my tapping toes; if you want me to jump up and sway to the music, swing my hips and shimmy, shout an Amen as the Holy Spirit does the funky chicken and my soul leaps from my body to shake, rattle and roll with everyone else’s; if you want tears to stream down my face while my heart bursts with lovely things like joy, peace and goodwill to all, then you take me to the south side of Chicago, to an African American church with a huge, community-building congregation, where the choir is at least 250 members strong and the funky choir director does the butterfly while the sax plays a sound so sweet, so pure that birds appear in sunny, cerulean skies, where the band includes two pianos, two organs and a full brass section that moonlights in the blues clubs, where the soloist makes Aretha Franklin look like just another kid on the block as she belts out her song from some well deep inside and the song birds outside whisper, “listen.” Amen, baby, Amen. Amen.

2. Outdoor rock concerts, especially at Soldier Field down by Lake Michigan on starry summer nights when the band plays songs that everyone knows the words to, and the mood is just right so everyone feels uninhibited enough to joyously rock out, dance, sing, become best buds with peeps they’ve never seen before and likely will never see again, but for that moment, everyone is in it together and it’s possible to believe that music could change the world, that everyone could dance and laugh and sing together, be united, if only there was a venue and sound system big enough.

3. Dancing. Not a big surprise after the first two. It’s been years since I’ve taken a dance class – but I have three equal loves here. The first is when you’ve learned a dance step or piece, and you’ve been practicing and practicing, and you finally have it down technically, so now you’ve started to make it your own. The second is when there’s no format, no steps, just you and the music and it carries you away—you could be in a crowded room but you wouldn’t know it, or you could be in your living room but in your mind your on your own dance floor. The third is watching a phenomenal dancer do his/her thing. It can inspire me, move me to tears—it’s an art form that really gets to me.

4. The look. There will be a moment when I see my son and my husband off doing something together – building a birdhouse, playing catch or soccer, watering the plants, walking down the block, whatever. My heart gets very full; I feel a soulful thrum, sweet and lowdown; I want to capture the moment in a photograph in my memory forever. The world feels almost perfect. Then, they look at me and both of their faces light up, their smiles in their eyes and the almost disappears.

5. Long, deep, lively, interesting conversation covering anything and everything from the personal to the public and the political, from the spiritual to huge scandal, as long as it’s not tedious surface chit chat. If possible, I’d love to be at a great outdoor café, maybe on a piazza.

6. Movies, movies, movies. All kinds of movies. Preferably at the theater, with a big bucket of popcorn and a cushy seat that allows for some personal space. My favorite date? My husband., or if it’s a “chick flick”, my sisters. My favorite movies? Too many to name but the first two that popped into my head were Life is Beautiful and Braveheart. I like it best when all my emotions are roused and there’s catharsis.

7. Books! Not just books I read or love individually. All books. When I was a manager at Border, my pulse would jump, and my eyes would twinkle when a new shipment came in. I love the smell. I love the weight. I love the smooth, pretty covers. I love sorting them, shelving them, setting up displays, making recommendations, buying them, seeing what other people buy, finding a place for them in my library, reading them (of course), doing children’s story hours with them, book clubs. Books!

8. Classes. Liberal arts classes. Yoga classes. Dance classes. Writing classes. I prefer a setting with a window, a progressive, “cool” teacher, and subjects that challenge me on multiple levels. I like a good give and take, and lots of collaboration with room for independence and creativity. Lots of creativity. In the end, I like to be able to say I've grown, I've learned, I've discovered.

9. Hand crafted wood furniture—cherry, oak, pine, French country style, Neopolitan, Mission, shaker, Amish. Simple, ornate—doesn’t matter. I’m into the craft of it. I’m partial to desks and bookshelves, but I’d love to just fill mansions and mansions with cool wood furniture—even thought I have no desire for mansions.

10. Huge, old trees especially in autumn when the leaves turn color or after the first snow, which is sorta funny given my love of wood furniture and books. Around here, I’m partial to oaks and willows. In the south, I love live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. I’m in awe of majestic redwoods.

11. Tulips. Multi-colored fields of them. Red, Yellow, Purple, Blue, Pink, White.

12. Kissing. (Too funny,--tulips made me think of kissing). Long, lingering, deep, wet, slow kissing that gets increasingly passionate but isn’t overlooked in a hurry to get to something else.

13. New Orleans, Florence, San Remo, Venice Beach and Sedona. I love to travel, but of the places I’ve visited these call to me, “Come back . . . soon.”

14. Bodies of water—oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, waterfalls. Water.

15. Sandy beaches with balmy breezes and a good book in hand. I love a good trek along the beach, too, walking right along the shore, footprints being washed away by the waves.

16. Funky cross necklaces, especially handmade.

17. Large, centuries-old catholic churches with stained glass windows and amazing art, especially in Italy.

18. Bright, colorful sixties and seventies clothes and memorabilia.

19. Aha moments.

20. A good adrenalin rush – I’ve mellowed on this but I still love fast, loopy roller coasters, skydiving (my memories since it's been awhile) and taking risks.

21. The feeling after a good work out, especially yoga but anything that releases tons of toxins works.

22. A good cause, which for me usually means it’s a cause that promotes social justice, freedom, children’s rights, women’s rights, human rights, access to quality education, literacy, animal rights, PEACE and/or protects the environment.

23. Animals, especially dogs, deer and horses. Imperial stags with 14 point antlers take my breath away.

24. Okay, I just can’t NOT include my family. My immediate family, including my dogs, who are lovable, loyal mutts and my larger crazy, lovable, extended family. And in general, I love families because they provide roots and wings and these little microcosms of the world, which is good, bad, easy, difficult and everything in-between.

25. Breaking bread together with family and friends, especially warm, artisan breads fresh out of the oven, so warm the butter melts as soon as you spread it on, and especially around a big round table so everyone can see each other and talk.

Of course, as soon as I sent the list in, I realized I forgot writing-- writing! But that's not as bad as forgetting storytelling. My entire life I've been called a storyteller. And, I forgot massages. I'm a freak about massages. Oh well. It's not supposed to be the 25 things we love the most, it's the 25 things we thought of first.

Cheers and happy writing and list making--
Alyson

Voice challenge

It may look as if we've been on hiatus lately. We haven't. Not really. Well, maybe a bit on the blogging end of things. However, on the writing front, we've been moving along.

Between the voice class that 5 of the 6 of us are in, the famous author mentor one of us has, the kids 4 of us have, the bill-paying jobs 4 of us have, the home-schooling one of us does, the research work one of us does, the MIPs we're all working on, and one Oregon trail trip, we've been a tad bit busy.

Of everything listed, I think voice -- learning about it, discovering it, developing it, claiming it, accepting it -- is what's demanding our time now. Voice is a hard-to-define quality that is crucial to be a successful novelist. We're in week 2 of a 6 week exploration.

The article Voyage to Voice contains some tips for finding your voice. One that validated the exercises in which we are currently engaged said that "stream-of-consciousness writing is a necessary exercise for any author who wishes to fully comprehend their voice. When we write without concern for the mechanics, we free the voice locked within us. As with a toddler, these first steps will be awkward, shaky, and we may land on our derrieres, but as with a child, the more often we use those muscles, the stronger we become."

Writing with the internal editor turned off, pen to paper, is what we are doing now. As a matter of fact, one of the exercises for this week is to list 25 things we love -- to really describe them.

But sometimes we sensor ourselves. What if everyone thinks I'm a freak because of something I love? And that, of course, is the other big area to overcome -- fear.

So, here's what I propose, over the next week I'm challenging the authors of this blog to post a blog. Make it your list of 25 things you love. Put it out there and don't be afraid.

If you're a reader of this blog, post your 25 things in a comment.

Do it.

I'll post mine as soon as I'm done. I know Alyson is done already. Maybe she'll go first.

Be brave. Find your cadence. Embrace your destiny. Own your voice.

Macy