I've Been Tagged!!

Okay, so I kinda freaked out at first when I got the notice from the very lovely J.A.Belfield that I'd been tagged in this little blogging game.  I've never done this before!  The recipient is supposed to answer the sender's 11 questions, then come up with 11 questions to send to 11 bloggers.  They in turn answer the questions and link back to this original post. Turns out, I actually had a lot of fun with the questions.

So here are J's questions to me along with my responses:

You’re stranded on a snowy mountain after the aircraft transporting you to [wherever the heck you like] makes a crash landing. Out of the 6 passengers and 2 pilots, only 2 have survived. You … and some dude who looks shockingly like your number 1 book boyfriend. But … you’ve now been stranded for close to 89 hours, and the closest you’ve seen to a food source is staring right back at you. So … which part of him do you plan to eat first?

Haha!  Hmmmmm.  Damn.  I guess I’d consider a liquid diet and pray it’s enough to keep me going until rescue. 

So … you have an evening of glitz and glamour ahead. But being the super secret spy you are, you already foresee the night ending in a run for your life (or to protect your anonymity). Which means the all important decision of footwear becomes a little complicated. Do you go for your favourite pair of freakishly awesome Jimmy Choos and hope you don’t end up on a cobblestone street? Or do you say to heck with it, and wear a skirt long enough to cover your battered Nikes?

Are you kidding?!  Nothing is more important than sexy footwear.  I’d go for the Choos and endure the healthy burn baby!

If a global law was instated that each and every citizen of every country could only ever eat ONE type of cake for the duration of their lives and they each had to sign a contract binding them to their decision, what cake would you choose as your ‘can’t live without’?

Oh man…if I’m going to eat one kind of cake for life, it better be good…no, no…it should be Better than Sex cake.

If you could choose ANY book (no matter how impossible the graphics required might seem) to be made into a film (movie for the U.S.ers), what book would you choose?

Oy.  One book?!  So it shouldn’t be a part of a series because YA KNOW I’m gonna be begging for the next one.  Most of the stuff I read is part of a series though.  So, because I think I’d be satisfied with just the one book, I’d pick Fallen by Erin McCarthy.

Okay, seeing as I brought it up above in the stranded question I have to know: who’s your No 1 (ONLY1!) book boyfriend? The. Ultimate. Fictional Male. Of your dreams!?

No doubt.  Hands down.  Rydstrom Woede.  Smexy rage demon.

And still with the book boyfriend, we’ll presume you didn’t eat all of him before the two of you were rescued, and he’s a forgiving kind of guy. So now he’s agreed to a date that doesn’t have him on the menu (at least not as the starter, anyway, if you get my gist). What’s the date? Where, what, why, how?

Oooh!  Well, we’d agree to meet up in North Carolina and spend the whole day swimming and building the most kickass sand castle on the beach.  Then we’d have dinner and wine (also on the beach).  And cap off the night with yummy Sex on the Beach. 

The drink!!!  Sheesh!

The government are clamping down on the atrocity otherwise known as social networking. Every social networker is permitted only one platform. So … which one can’t you live without? Choose your poison.

I’d have to say Twitter.  It’s my networking crack.

The hot girl always used to pick on you at school. She had all the boys flocking round her. All the cool kids following behind like sniffer dogs after crack (no pun intended … honestly). And some years have passed since you walked out of those school gates for the last time and thanked the heavens you’d never have to deal with her again. But then you walk into your local burger bar … and get served … by Miss Popular. Except she most certainly ain’t looking quite so pretty any more. To add to that, the server next to her is asking how she got on with finding a baby sitter for her rambunctious triplets. Tell me: is she worth your scorn? Or can you not resist the impulse to wallow in your better life?

I’m all set.  Hehe

Okay, an easier one for you as I’ve been pretty hard: what is your EARLIEST childhood memory? Is it even from this lifetime?

Jeez!  An easy one?!  Let’s see….my earliest childhood memory was chasing bees in the back garden of my aunt’s house with my cousin because we thought they carried honey in their bellies. 

If you could travel through time, which year would you travel back to and why?

Yikes.  Assuming everything else in my life remained the same (hubby, kids), I’d go back to college, when I was hell-bent on getting degrees in science, and slap some sense into myself.

And finally: we’ve suddenly discovered an anonymous donor is willing to pay for us all to get together but we only have 24 hours to argue and fight discuss rationally the destination. Which city’s corner are you fighting for?

I say we skip the arguing/discussion, get on a plane and meet up at a resort in Jamaica. 

 And....here are my 11 questions:

1.  Your day has been riddled with one crappy event after the next, starting with the mounds of laundry your lazy-ass stepmom & sisters left for you, and ending with a phone call from prince charming that he’s canceling dinner plans…for the fifth time in a row.  It’s enough to make you cry.  In the thick of your pity party, a petite woman, looking like she’s had one too many face lifts, appears claiming to be your fairy godmother.  Figuring you’ve had a day from hell, she offers to let you have 1 day as the MC in any book of your choice.  What character and book would you choose to cast yourself in for a day?

2.  You decide to have a little fun and enter yourself in the Paranormal Dating Game show coming to town.  Here are the three bachelors you have to choose from:

Bachelor #1 is a brawny guy who loves the outdoors.  His favorite pastime is snuggling beside a campfire and running naked through the woods on a full-moon.  He’s looking for an adventurous girl who doesn’t mind a bit of shedding from time to time.  An incredibly loyal companion who loves a good petting.

Bachelor #2 is a lean and charming guy who lives for the night life.  You’ll never have to slave over a hot stove for this one, his diet is simple.  He volunteers regularly at the local Red Cross and is looking for a woman who won’t blow a gasket when it comes to sleeping in a casket.

Bachelor #3 is smokin’ hot and will show you one hell of a good time on the town. One night with him and you’ll sell your soul for more!  He bakes a sinfully good lasagna and is looking for a sexy little angel who’s not opposed to relocating to a warm climate.

Who’s it gonna be??

3.  As an added bonus, the game show offers you an all-expense paid date to anywhere you’d like (I did say all-expense paid…feel free to book a flight).  Where will you go with your smexy bachelor and what will you do?

4.  You take a once-in-a-lifetime cruise across the globe.  And wouldn’t ya know it?  The damn boat sinks and you’re left stranded on a deserted island.  An enormous travel chest washes up on shore and you recognize it as the one that belonged to the old rich lady with the yapping Pomeranian who boarded in front of you at the port.  You open it and gasp.  What’s inside?

5.  You’re given the opportunity to go back in time and redo any embarrassing moment in your life (without the consequence of affecting major events like marriage and birth).  What moment would you go back and change?

6.  In an effort to reduce obesity in the country, the government has decided to ban all junk food and candy from being sold in stores except for ONE single item to be voted on.  What junk food would you vote to keep?

7.  Your spaceship, that’s been wandering black holes for God knows how long, finally lands on a strange planet in the middle of some undiscovered galaxy.  It’s a gorgeous landscape that makes Earth’s paradises look like post-apocalyptic disasters.  Waterfalls, tropical breezes and sexy alien clones that think you’re their long-awaited gift from the gods.  Funny, they all look strangely like a famous actor you’ve seen before…who?

8.  If you could sit and collaborate with any famous author from any time period, who would you pick?

9.  The world is struck by some unseen force that manages to wipe out the internet for the day.  What would you do to keep yourself from going insane?

10.  Your slave-driving boss just claimed your last weekend off with a Monday deadline for a major project.  Because you’re a writer, you decide to vent the only way you know how…you type up a nasty email to your BFF about all the twenty ways you hope he kicks the bucket over the weekend.  But instead of selecting 'Frannie' from your list of contacts, you accidentally select 'Frank'…your boss.  Do you fess up right away and chalk it up to a brief moment of insanity?  Or do you pack up your desktop pictures and decide not to come in on Monday?

11.  If you were paid big money to do nothing but follow your favorite band around on tour, what band would you follow?

Tag! You’re It recipients. If you participate, please make sure you leave a link back to where you answered my questions.

              Candice Bundy

              Angela Addams

              Tammy E. A. Crosby

              Krista Walsh

              Raelyn Barclay

              Narcisse Navarre

              Kelly Said

              Andris Bear

              Allie Burke

              Marni Mann

              Ciara Ballintyne

'What If' Game! #2 #whatifgame

It's that time again!  As I detailed in the last 'What If' post, I’m going to give you a brief scenario.  You imagine that you are the character in the scene and write what you would do as the MC of the story. You do NOT have to be a writer to participate! 

So come on and give it a shot.  It’s simple and fun!

 Here’s your scenario:   

 The blaring of car alarms yanks you from sleep.  Your eyes open.  The room is dark, aside from beams of light crawling along the ceiling from the traffic outside your window.  A glance over at the clock reveals it’s still much too early to be awake – just after three.  The alarms continue to make a racket from below.  That’s Detroit for ya.  You cover your ears with a pillow and squeeze your eyes shut in hopes of miraculously falling back to sleep.  Problem is, you’re a writer.  You know that once you’re awake, there’s no going back. 

After a few minutes and a good effort, you kick your feet against the mattress in frustration then sit up.  Curses from two men arguing outside echo through the skinny side street and compete against those obnoxious horns and sirens.  Not again.  You don’t bother to peek out because the last time you did, you were met with a glare and a threat.  And since you’re single, living alone, there’s no point in making every night a sleepless one by stepping in to save the day.  The dueling alarms and the bickering have at it while you saunter toward the kitchen. 

With a yawn, you flip on the light, rub your eyes then reach for the coffee tin to make a pot.  The ideas are already swirling in your mind; the dialogue of your characters battling the noise outside.  “Better make it extra strong,” you murmur.  Coffee’s percolating as you make your way to the living room.  Would someone please turn off the damn alarms?!  It’s hard to believe they’re still going.  The culprit who set them off must be long gone by now.  You flip on the TV, not bothering to watch the news report.  It’s only meant to be background noise to hopefully drown out the incessant ruckus in the streets. 

Grabbing your iPod, you plop into your desk chair and power up the computer.  When the screen flickers bright, you plug in the earbuds, pull up the Word doc and prepare to go to town.  A series of thuds, like bowling balls falling onto the ceiling can be heard through the percussion solo of the White Rabbits.  You look up and frown.  Friggin vampires. 

They haven’t been part of society long.  Only in the last few years has anyone actually seen one.  They’re night hunters, feeding mostly on the blood of animals.  A ruling of the courts recently made it possible for them to integrate into society.  Warmies, they call you, of course referring to your blood.  This social acceptance of them bothers you for some reason.

For the most part, the vampires are quiet.  They keep to themselves.  But there’s something odd about the noises you hear upstairs.  Naturally they happen at night, and usually you’re asleep.  But sometimes they’re so loud they rip you from your dreams.  If you had to compare the noises to something, they sound like bodies being dragged across the floor. 

You pull your earbuds out.  The alarms have silenced.  The men have stopped bickering.  Only the chatter of the news remains.

Then the sound of a yelp sends you flipping out of your chair. 

You crash to the floor, momentarily dumbstruck, and look around for the source.   Your eyes settle on the TV screen across the room.  The news report.  A banner flashes across the screen.  In large block letters, a bold contrast to the fearful expression on the news reporter’s face, it reads:  VAMPIRE REBELLION.

The small screen floating to the right of the reporter’s head broadcasts a grisly scene.  Vampires attacking Warmies in the streets of Los Angeles.  Rebellion?  You rise to your feet and glance back in the direction of your bedroom window.  Swallowing a gulp, you turn and tiptoe toward it.  Will the bickering men be dead; lying in a pool of half-sopped blood?  Worse, yet...will there be a brood of vampires feeding on them?  Your ears strain to listen for sounds from above.  Halfway there, a pounding at the door freezes you in your tracks. 

Your hand flies up to your mouth and a scream dies in your throat.  Thump, thump, thump. Your pulse is racing.  You pivot on your heel and glide against the hardwood floors, sneaking toward the door to look through the peephole.  Thump thump thump.  With your nose pressed against the door, you squint one eye and peer through the hole with the other.  Oh no…       

 

I Have an Announcement...

   

December 16, 2011. 

What’s so special about this date??

Is it my birthday? 

Nope.

My wedding anniversary?

Nope.

A due date?

Yep.  Wait.  WHAT?!?!!!!!!!!!

 

Settle down.  I’m not expecting another mini-me on this date.  No, no.  This is something that took much longer than nine months to produce.  And I’m hoping the delivery is far less painful…

It is the date that I’ll be releasing my debut novel.  The first in the HALOS Series, titled Somnium.

That’s right.  You’ll soon be able to purchase your very own copy!  Whoooohoooo!!!!  Mark your calendars!  Keep an eye on the blog!  In the next few weeks, I’ll be revealing cover art and giving away some goodies. 

Spread the word.  Tell your family.  Tell your friends.

 

DECEMBER 16TH, 2011.

 

ALL HELL IS GOING TO BREAK LOOSE…

'What If' Game! #1 #whatifgame

Well, after having participated in two ‘What If’ games found on the lovely J.A. Belfield’s blog, I decided to follow suit and host one of my own.  So here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to give you a brief scenario and RESIST the urge to finish it myself. 

You imagine that you are the character in the scene and write what you would do as the MC of the story.

You do NOT have to be a writer to participate! 

So come on and give it a shot :)  It’s simple and fun…and I’m dying to see what y’all come up with as an ending. 

Here’s your scenario:   

 

Your eyes fly open.  Darkness has fallen.  Twisted curls of branches loom above you against the blackness of the night.  What happened?  As you sit up, a throbbing ache in your skull forces you to wince.  Clutching the back of your head, you attempt to scour your brain for some recollection of how you wound up lying on the leafy forest bed.  A pleasant evening walk through the State park.  There was a chase.  Your eyes dart in all directions, looking for whatever had been after you.  But the only movement is the light shudder of leaves through the treetops. 

While studying your surroundings, your eyes finally settle on the large object before you; a rather peculiar-looking tree.  How odd.  It’s much larger than the others, with corkscrew boughs and dark black bark.  Snarled roots protrude from the earth at its base.  It doesn’t belong in this forest of maples, birch and oak trees.  In fact, it looks like something straight out of a Tim Burton movie. 

The snap of twigs echoes from behind.  Your head whips back; you grimace at the abrupt movement.  As you scramble to turn your body, a sharp stab of pain shoots through your ankle.  You’ve sprained it. 

A shadow moves on the edge of moonlight shining down into the forest.  Your breath hitches and your heart begins to pound a steady gallop toward frantic.  Swallowing a gulp, you back up against the tree, nestling into the crook of a thick exposed root.  Something tickles your palm and you gasp.  With recoil, you tuck your hand under the opposite arm and strain in the darkness to see what it is.  A piece of fabric is lodged half in and out of the bark, as though a permanent part of the tree.  How?  The strangeness of it manages to divert your attention from whatever lurks in the shadows. 

You tug on the fabric and it pulls easily from the trunk; a ragged scrap of burlap.  With a trembling hand, your fingertips graze the rough bark and move beyond it, disappearing into the ridges of the tree.  Amazing.  Like a…portal.  You allow your wrist, forearm and elbow to vanish into the trunk, then quickly withdraw and examine your limb; completely intact. 

Another crackle.  This one closer than the one before it.  A scan of the forest reveals nothing.

You look back at the mysterious tree.  Reaching inside the bark, you pat around.  Is there something on the other side?  Nothing but open air.  A low, guttural sound rumbles just beyond the clearing behind you.  Your eyes slowly trail back in the direction of the noise.  Silver glowing orbs move closer.  You cautiously scoot over the large root and lean back, allowing your shoulder and chest to merge with the bark. 

The erratic drumming of your heart makes it difficult to breathe evenly.  There is a numbness affecting half of your body; frightening.  But as you consider removing your arm from the tree, you catch sight of a gaping maw housing rows of sharp teeth.  The beast edges toward you.  Glistening strings of saliva dangle from its jaws.  Another growl, more ferocious than the first, has your pulse racing.  The creature lowers its upper body, raising its haunches, as if to pounce.  Your eyes widen.  You take a deep breath and…