By the letters

Alot of my friends are doing an A-Z blogfest where each day of the month's post is based on one letter. While the idea is intriguing and their posts are great. I didn't have time to go through over 200 participants posts every day. I barely have time to get online with all this new baby demands. So using their idea, (shamelessly) I will do a little alphabet of my own and call it good unless I see the necessity to do more.

The writers ABC'S

A is for Aspire. So you want to be a writer, you have these great ideas and think they'd make a great book heck maybe even a movie. So you sit your butt in a chair and start writing. By page 50 you hate it and think its blather. A should be for ambition and application. Learn your craft. Realize every writer gets tired and sick of their writing were a huge bunch of chickens. The diference between a writer and a published author is the time spent working your BUTT off to not only finish the bloody manuscript, but to go back again X 10 and revise.

B is for Butt. Get a comfy chair a snack and a large glass of what ever you fancy and write. Don't get up to answer the phone, don't get on the internet, don't turn on the TV. Just write. The surprise success of so very few authors is an accident. Those that go on to be successful time and time again work. Writing is their career, their first or second job.

C is for Craft. Learn how to write. Learn how to edit. Learn how to revise. Learn how to critique and take critiques. Learn how to get a THICK skin. Then learn how to write synopsis' and querys and send it out.

D should be for Determination but I think you get the point all ready. D is for details and dialogue. Learn the ins and outs of both and apply them.

Last but definitely not least on this post.

E is for Enjoy. Learn to enjoy all the parts of being an author even revising and writing things like querys. I love editing, I know it sounds strange but I love making my work really sing. :)

Hope you enjoyed my little soapbox post here. Now its time for me to follow my own advice. I need to get my MS out and work.

Blogfest! (even if its late.)

Of course I sign up for a blog fest and my baby gets the tummy flu and I have spent the day taking care of him.

So without any more delay here is my Christmas decorations!

My tree:













My house. (note this is the first house where we have had outdoor lights so we are building our supply)













Lastly a favorite Christmas dessert. Sugar Cookies:

1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup shortening or butter*
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs, extract, and milk. In a medium bowl mix the dry ingredients with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl. Mix with mixer until well combined. With hands, shape dough into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Roll half or 1/3 dough at a time, keep the rest refrigerated. For crisp cookies, roll dough, paper thin. For softer cookies, roll 1/8 " to 1/4" thick. With floured cookie cutter, cut into shapes. Re-roll trimmings and cut.

Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on cookie sheets. Decorate Bake 8 minutes or until very light brown. With pancake turner, remove cookies to racks; cool. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Sorry about the lateness of the hour enjoy. :)

character interview blogfest

I saw this on the 700blankpages blog who got it from Elizabeth's blog who signed up on Sangu's blog.

The idea is to interview a character and post it on your blog. While Wyan's interview with his author went swimingly well. Teehee! I don't know if an interview with my character Noble would be any better. While Wyan is stubborn and rebellious, Noble is more of the silent type. And to be honest, he isn't the main character of the first book. The main character of Emergence which is the first book is Antony Danic. I wonder which one would give me more info. Probably neither. Hmmmmmmm Sounds like I should flip a coin.

No coins down here in my dungeon of an office. This might be interesting. . . . .

Maybe I should go alphabetically. Antony starts with A. Besides, Antony is the first character you'll meet in Emergence you don't even meet Noble untill the second book Latent. Maybe I'll catch Noble later this afternoon and add him later.

So here we go. I Michelle (M) will be interviewing Antony Danic (AD) the main character of the Emergence the first book in the Prophecy Rising Series.

M Good monring. How are you this morning?

AD I was asleep. And I'm hungry. Got any food? (Rummages through my cupboards.)

M Sorry, I was inspired.

AD Your inspiration gets you in trouble especially when you talk to your trouble making friend. What good is toast if you don't have any butter?

M I have cereal and milk.

AD Bleh, cereal isn't breakfast it's a snack. Elite would have woken me up with a plate of scrambled eggs and waffles.

M I'm not Elite.

AD I know. (Grins.)

M So anyway. . . The purpose for this interview is to let my blog readers get to know you better.

AD I'm invisible. (He raises an eyebrow.) Remember?

M This is just for the blog. So where you work, and what do you do?

AD So straight to the heavy hitters. Well lemmese. My Name is Antony Danic. I am a Human Resourses director for a company called Hurst Enterprises. I travel all over the world training employees. (Hides the glock .357 in his waitband.)

M Human Resourses. Right. (I roll my eyes.)

Ad (Stares at me unflinching.)

M Moving on, tell me a little about yourself.

AD My name is Antony Danic. I am a human--

M We allready know that. What about your past?

AD What about it? (He folds his arms and leans back in the chair next to me.)

M Where were you born?

AD Donno, I was found in a basket on the steps of a church in Dunedin New Zealand. Probably Dundein?

M Grew up?

AD We moved to Auckland when I was little. My parents owned a sheep ranch and I lived there untill I moved to Asutralia and joined the Austrtalian Defence Force.

M When was that?

AD When I was 17.

M What were your parents and childhood like?

AD No comment.

M (Silence.)

AD (Smirks.)

M Moving on. What do you like to do in your free time?

AD Free time? Whats that? I help Elite do what she needs to do. We go places and do things. Just took a trip to Tahiti. (Touches the gun in his waistband again.)

M (changing subjects) Speaking of Elite, what do you like most about her?

AD You're kidding. I love everything about her. There's nothing to dislike. Well except that church argument we have on Sunday mornings.

M Church? Please explain.

AD Nothing to it. I am an atheist. (chin reaises defiantly)

M I see. Well I can see we're going to get some deep thoughtful answers today. Favorite color?

AD Black

M Favorite music?

AD As if you dont know it. You chose it for me. Alternative music from the 1980's on.

M More specif--?

AD Ultravox. Period.

M Favorite clothes?

AD Loose shirts, (pulls the back of his shirt over the butt of the Glock.) Jeans. cowboy boots.

M Favorite food?

AD Asian.

M Favorite car?

AD Dont drive a car. Or a shuttle for that matter. Too expensive and Elite gets car sick. Although I did see this sweet Dodge Prowler a few weeks ago.

M Favorite weapon?

AD No comment. (Folds arms again.)

M Any Tattoos?

AD Birthmark. Maybe. Why?

M Nevermind. (Grins.)

AD (Raises an eyebrow.)

M Anything else, you'd like to say?

AD Um. . . . You have something on your shirt. (Points at me.)

M I do? (Looks down)

AD (Smacks my forehead before disapearing.) PSYCH! (He laughs)