Autumnal Equinox

Fall is officially here. It started around 4:21 AM in my part of the world. Today we're supposed to have equal parts day and night or very close to it. The days have been getting shorter and very soon, they'll be much shorter. I don't like the colder temperatures on their way, but I do get more writing done when the sun isn't calling me to go outside. Want to know how much daylight you're losing? Check out this chart.

September's birthstone, the sapphire, was once thought to protect the wearer from snakes. I know snakes are a common fear for lots of people so think about getting a pretty sapphire ring or bracelet maybe. Or better, an ankle bracelet.

The first episodes of Blindspot and Minority Report intrigued me so I'll be watching them again. And Limitless deserves a chance too. Notice how many of the shows I like have supernatural or science fiction elements? Add to Doctor Who, Grimm, and Once Upon a Time to the list and you'll see I have a favorite theme.

Hopefully, all of my fellow Americans are braced for the next fourteen months of election overload. This quote is something to keep in mind when listening to politicians.

"Man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that the sometimes has to eat them." 
Adlai Stevenson

I hope you're working on your short story for inclusion in the IWSG anthology. Deadline is November 1st. Read the guidelines.

My publisher has made another of my space opera romance series into a boxed set available on Amazon.  All three Warriors of Gaviron books are at one reasonable price so I'm hoping it kicks up some sales.

Any new shows catch your eye this week? Dreading the shorter days? Bracing for endless political ads?

Another Warrior Rises

Today the second book in my Warriors of Gaviron science fiction romance series is available on Amazon and all other major retailers. The Warrior and the Governor has been having pretty good pre-sales so I can't help but hope it takes off like the first book did.

Gaviron Warrior Liam lost the love of his life when his planet fell to the alien monsters twelve years ago. All he wants in life is a chance to take the murdering raynid creatures with him in death. Governor Siva Handel will make any bargain to save what's left of her desperate colony even take in a suicidal warrior. Liam's warrior skills give Siva hope as he throws his body between her people and the raynids. But can she keep him alive long enough for them to win and for him to find a reason to survive?

Every time I have a new book release, I think of how much I appreciate the readers who take the time to write a review. It's so helpful for us 'not so famous' writers to have those honest evaluations of our books out there.

I wanted to thank a new blogging friend, Dumcho Wangdi. Last week he honored me with The Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Since I received this award before, I won't be passing it on but I would like thank Dumcho for thinking of me. I hope you'll visit his blog and say hello.

Along the home front, Monday started out with a bit of snow. My oldest son is a teacher and coach. I've missed him since he's moved out to his own home but whenever we get together, we usually talk about our favorite books. We both needed our cars inspected this month so it was his idea that we meet at the car dealer and then wait for the service to be done at Starbucks and the nearby bookstore together. It was a lovely mom/son time and the best part was that it was his idea. Like me, he loves his alone time so it was precious that he elected to spend some with me.

After that comforting time, I had to remind my daughter living in Boston to charge her phone, get some food into her room and stay in touch for the next two days. The three blocks to the dining hall would be a tough trek in three feet of snow and a blizzard. Mom's work is never done.

I hope lots of you signed up for Blogging From A to Z Challenge. Last year I served as a minion to Alex J. Cavanaugh. This year as one of the leaders. I need my own helpers. Please let me know by email or in the comments if you'd like to be my helper. Jeremy is making me the most incredible minion badge, I promise you will want it for on your blog sidebar.

Did you get stuck in the blizzard? Do you write reviews after enjoying a book? Joining A to Z? Willing to help me out?

First Drafts

I'm well into the first draft of the last book in my Warriors of Gaviron science fiction romance series. Like most first drafts I write, I think it's terrible. And this time I'm right.

It seems every sentence needs fixed. Every scene needs rewritten or deleted. Half of them don't move the story forward or add any layers of depth to my characters. My heroine come across as shallow and  not as the tough, smart person I meant her to be. Yes, lots of work to be done on this one.

"Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right or better."
John Updike

But even with that work looming over me, I've managed to read for a short while each day. Usually right before I go to bed at night, I read for at least 30 minutes, sometimes longer. Most writers agree that being a regular consumer of books makes you a better writer. So I'm actually reading to improve my craft and not for simple enjoyment or procrastination purposes. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

"Read in order to live."
Gustave Flaubert

One week from today is one of the most exciting days of the blogging year. The sign up list for this year's A to Z Blogging Challenge will open. It's never too early to think about your theme for this mega-networking opportunity and all the new blogging friends you'll make. Mark the date, January 26th, on your to-do list. Maybe we'll set a record for first day sign ups.

And to remember why so many have work off today, a quote.

"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Don't forget to visit IWSG for a new post of encouragement.

So for me this week is hot tea, an hour workout every day and redoing that awful first draft.

Do you have the day off or are you self-employed like me and work on holidays? What things do you usually have to fix in a first draft? Thinking about A to Z yet? Did any of the quotes I used speak to you?

The Rat of 2015

Welcome to 2015, the year of the Rat according to the Chinese Zodiac. Since you weren't born this year, perhaps you don't know if you were born in the year of the rat. 1936, 48, 60, 72,84,96, 08, every twelve years the animal designation for the year changes. If one of those is your birth year, you're ambitious and sincere and can be generous with your money. If you believe in things like Zodiac signs.

I expect 2015 to be another big year for speculative fiction in all media genre. Books, movies, TV and on social media. I like the term, speculative fiction. It's broad and covers so much including most of what I write. Super heroes are big on TV and in the movies. Fantasy continues to edge in and create more generations of lovers of Tolkien and the fantasy genre along with help from Game of Thrones on HBO. Arrow, The Flash and Shield, Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, TV is filled with speculative fiction. Keep it going fans.

In the new year, I will be hosting guests on Fridays most weeks. January is already filled and I'm very excited about it. Tomorrow is the meeting of my local writing group where we'll talk about what's coming in the next year. For this group it means things like online classes, guest speakers, goal setting, the annual retreat(I've never attended that, yet) and the introduction of new officers. Fun times.

Hope you all had a safe and happy holiday but now it's back to work. Well, on Monday for most people. I'll be back to work on my WIP, the third book in my Warriors of Gaviron series. It's been fun to write, but I'll be glad to stop thinking about giant insect-like aliens who are smart and vicious. It's a joke in our family that I'm not afraid of anything, snakes, charging bulls or strangers, but bugs and spiders freak me out. How's that for using your fears in your books.

Some wisdom today from The Old Farmer's Almanac:
Humans have unique tongue prints just as they do fingerprints.
Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting (The Red Vineyard) during his lifetime.
January was named for the Roman god, Janus, protector of gates and doorways.

And don't forget to watch for the Quadrantid meteor shower in the northern sky before dawn on Sunday. And Sunday is the full wolf moon. I think we're getting snow and rain on Saturday so once again clouds will destroy my chance to witness a celestial event.

There are forty kinds of lunacy but only one kind of common sense.  African Proverb

Are you ready to get back to work in 2015? Did you know that about tongue prints? Are you watching too much police procedural TV if you did? Do like the popularity of speculative fiction across the media world? Were you born in the year of the rat?