Five Tips On Being Naked In Front of an Audience

You know those dreams where you show up for your first day of school or to give a presentation at work and you look down and realize you're naked? Yeah, those suck. But guess what?

Welcome to being an author.

Writing can be a pretty solitary career. We sit in our little writing caves and type up the stories we can't get out of our minds any other way. We drag out all of our life experiences, our vulnerabilities, our fears, our quirks and pepper our pages with it--whether we realize what we're doing or not. Our voice is us. Even if the story is about someone who is nothing like us or about something we've never experienced. We are naked on those pages.

And unlike most other careers, our goal is to expose that nakedness to others and subject ourselves to public judgment and ridicule.

That's a pretty brutal position to put yourself in. We know we have to have tough skin. And we do have it. We've been through the gauntlet of critique partners, query rejections and editor feedback. We know how to take constructive criticism.

However, once your writing is OUT THERE. Like for the general public to read and comment on, it's a whole different kind of naked. And I don't think any writer can be completely impervious to others commenting negatively about his or her work. Agents, editors, crit partners--we can deal with their opinion because we know they are coming from an informed viewpoint.

But when your story is out in the world--ANYONE can share their opinion. I can't tell you how many times I've seen reviews on Amazon where people have rated an erotic romance one star because "this book had graphic sex in it." Hello. Their are half-naked people on the cover. It's called EROTIC romance. By definition, the sex scenes are fully described using all the fun words.

Or someone will give a bad rating because the bookseller didn't ship their book on time--like that should have any bearing on the book itself. And on Goodreads, people can rate a book before there are even ARCs printed. They can rate the book when the manuscript is still scattered on the author's floor! (You can learn more about that here on Adventures in Children's Publishing.)

And as authors, there isn't much we can do about it. People can do what they want. They can tear down your book in mean-spirited, completely non-constructive way. They can post spoilers that give away the twists of your book. They can give completely inaccurate information. They can basically tell you that you look awful naked and that you should never take your clothes off with the lights on again.

And you have no control over that.

All you have control over is how you react. That's where you need to put your focus. I know that's what I'm going to try to concentrate on once my book it out. I've already suffered a mini-anxiety attack just putting up the first chapter of CRASH INTO YOU on my website. The reactions have all been positive so far, but it still felt like I was stripping in front of everyone, lol. That's the longest piece of my writing I've ever made public.

But anyway, here are a few tips once you've taken off your clothes in front of the world...

Tips on Being Naked In Front of an Audience AKA Being Published:

 

1. NEVER respond to negative reviews. Ever.

Okay? Don't do it. It makes you look petty and oversensitive. Just don't say anything at all. Or if you have to say something, say thank you for reviewing my book, sorry it wasn't for you.

2. Do not let a bad review ruin your day.

Most of the big reviewers will tell you that a bad review often sells as many books as a good one because people think--ooh, that sounds awful! I must see how awful it is for myself. (Then hopefully you surprise them.) It's the "Eww, this stinks. Smell this!" mentality.

3. If you find yourself being distracted or personally wounded by bad reviews, stop reading them.

This will be the hardest for me because I'm one of those people who wants to know--even if it's bad news. But if I ever feel like I'm getting brought down by the negativity, I will step away. 

4. Repeat after me: You can't please everybody.

This is the one I constantly have to remind myself of. Someone will hate your book, probably many someones. But others are going to love it! Your story is going to be some person's favorite book of the year. Think about those Oscar winning movies--how many times has something won a buttload of awards but you totally thought it sucked? Every story is not meant for everyone.

5. There's no such thing as bad press.

Okay, that's not true 100% of the time. If you make a jackass out of yourself publicly, that's not going to be good. But, in general, you'd rather people be talking about your book than not. Think how many people tear down Twilight. I bet many, many of those Twi-haters are first in line when each new movie comes out, if nothing else but to go in and laugh. Buzz is buzz.

So what do you think? How do you react to negative reviews or how do you think you will react? Will you have to read them or will you avoid reading reviews? What other tips would you add to this list? 

And if you'd like to see me "naked", you can go here and read my Chapter 1. Feel free to tell me what you think. I'm pretty tough. Mostly. ;) (Over 18 only, por favor.)

PG Love Scene Blogfest

 


So Simon over at Constant Revision is hosting a PG Love Scene blogfest today.  The challenge requires you to post a love scene that is PG, but where you know that loving is a-happening, lol.  And no fade to black allowed.  I'm not sure this fits the bill.  I had to dig up something from my buried YA (Shadow Falls) because my romances are decidedly not PG.  Even this one is probably a bit much for truly PG, but I figured I'd post it anyway.  I'm trying not to obsess that this is not my best work, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.  And be sure to stop by the other blogs that are participating.

 

 

Pierce kissed me back, cuppingmy face as if he were afraid I would disappear if he let go.  My muscles turned liquid, and I reclinedagainst the doorjamb to prevent from sinking into a puddle on the floor.  We had kissed before, but there was a newcurrent of connection flowing between us now. My palms flattened against his t-shirt, and he slipped his hands into myhair, tilting my head back to gain access to my neck.  With a pace that belied the frantic thumpingof his heartbeat beneath my fingertips, he trailed kisses down the arch of mythroat to my collarbone. 
Electric desire sparkedalong my nerve endings, and a little sigh of pleasure snuck past my lips.  Apparently taking it as encouragement, he traceda path up the other side, ending back on my mouth.  Without letting myself think toomuch, I moved my hands under his shirt and ran my fingers across his feverishskin. 
He put his hand on topof mine. 
“Willow,” he whispered,his voice ragged.  “We should slow down.”
            Wasn’tthat supposed to be my line?  Exceptthat’s not what I wanted to say.  Iglanced at my bed.   “Do you want to stay?”
            Hepressed his forehead against mine and ran a hand down the back of my hair.  “If you’re worried about being alone, I don’tmind staying.  Buford and I can keepwatch out front.” 
            Idrew away and shook my head. “No, I want you to stay…with me.” 
I swallowed hard,bracing for his reaction.  Even I couldn’tbelieve what I was suggesting. Two months ago, I had exactly two kissingexperiences and one awkward groping session to my name.  Now I was inviting a guy to spend thenight.  Things had changed fast.
            “Will.”  His expression darkened and he raked hisfingers through his hair.  “I didn’t saywhat I said to try to get a sleepover invitation.”
            “Shh,”I said, putting my finger over his lips. “I know that.  And I’m making any promises.  I just know I’m not ready to stop yet.”
Epileptic butterflies tookup residence in my belly, so before I could lose my nerve, I grabbed his hand and ledhim inside my room.  I sat on the edge ofmy bed, tucking my knees beneath me, but he remained standing, his posturerigid.  “You’re not making it easy for meto walk away and do the right thing, you know.”
I smiled.  “So don’t.” 
He didn’t move.  Didn’t walk out.  I took a deep breath, not sure what to donext.  It’s not like Seventeen magazine gave instructions on things like this, and momdidn’t have enough money to subscribe to HBO.  I was going to have to wing it.  I reached out, trying to keep my hands fromshaking, and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He helped me pull it over his head. His chest was smooth and hard as I traced my fingers up from his stomachto his shoulders. 
His body shuddered, buthis eyes never broke contact with mine. “Will, I don’t want to do anything because you’re drunk.”
I laughed.  “I had one glass of champagne.  I’m as sober as Dr. Drew.  But if you really don’t want to do anything,that’s al—”
Before I could finish,he bent down and covered my mouth with his, erasing any doubt he wasn’t awilling participant.  As we kissed, Iscooted backward, allowing space for him to climb onto the bed with me.  I leaned back on my pillows, staring up athim, my heart crashing so hard against my ribs I was sure it would to pop outof my chest. 
He slid hot palmsbeneath the hem of my shirt, moving so slowly, I forgot to breathe.  When they finally reached their destination, aquiver coursed through me, and I bit my lip. In one fluid motion, he pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it tothe floor.  His gaze traced over my skinand ivory bra.  “God, you’re beautiful.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,”I said, my voice shaking. 
He smiled and I closedmy eyes for a moment, trying to reign in the swirl of nerves and excitementcoursing through me.   Am I really going to do this?  What if I mess up?  What if I suck at this?  Then finally, I don’t care, I want him . . . I love him. 
I took one more steadyingbreath, and then met his gaze.  “Comehere.”
All resistance seemedto drain from his face as he stretched out and sank onto me—hard meeting soft.  He nuzzled my bare shoulder, the fresh smellof his tea tree shampoo filling my head. I trailed my hands down his sides, relishing the feel of his skin, andstopped at the waistband of his track pants. Okay, I can do this.  I want to do this.
When I finally musteredup the courage to move my hands lower, he grabbed my wrists preventing me fromreaching my intended target.  “Will, holdon.” 
 “What? What’s the matter?”  Insecuritysurged through me.  “Did I do somethingwrong?” 
He lifted himself off meand rolled onto his back with a groan.  “No,definitely not.  You’re doing everythingright.  Believe me.”
“Then why are youstopping?”  I lifted myself onto my elbowto look down at him.
            Heclosed his eyes.  “I can’t do this.”
            “Okay…why?”
            Hesat up and swung his feet to the floor, putting his back to me.  “Before we do this, there’s something youshould know.”
            Alump lodged in my throat.  No goodconversations ever started with those words. I sat up and wrapped my blanket around my shoulders, my mind racing withpossibilities.  Did he not love me?  Or maybe he had some secret girlfriend…orboyfriend.  No, no way he was gay.  Or maybe he just didn’t haveprotection.  That’d be a logical reason tostop.  The moment before had been soperfect, why ruin it?  I sighed.  “Alright, talk.”
            Hedidn’t turn around.  “Rivers accused metonight of doing magic outside of the coven.”           
            Iscrunched my eyebrows together.  “Whywould he think that?”
            “Becausehe saw how strongly you felt about me in such a short amount of time,” he said,his voice flat.
            “Yeah,but he doesn’t know that we were seeing each other behind his back from thebeginning.”  It probably did seem strangethat I was so into Pierce right after breaking it off with Rivers.
            Piercebowed his head.  “Problem is, he’sright.”
            Mytongue grew thick in my mouth, and I pulled the blanket tighter around me. “What do you mean?”
            Hestood and faced me, strain cutting lines into his face.  “The afternoon I brought you home fromschool, the day we got stuck in the rain . . .” 
I nodded, anxiety marchinglike ants up my spine.
He sighed and droppedhis gaze.   “I put a love spell on you.”

 

Alright, let me know what you think?  And what kind of love scenes do you write--none, PG, PG-13, R, or NC-17?

 
 
 
 
 
 

*Today's Theme Song**
"I Put a Spell On You" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)


 

Love at First Sight Blogfest! My Excerpt

 


Happy Valentine's Day!  And welcome to my Love at First Sight Blogfest entry!  So, I know the rules say you're supposed to put when your characters first meet, but I already posted that scene a while back.  And really, in my books there is no love at first sight--only lust at first sight--love comes much later.  :)  So I'm using a scene where my two characters realize that no matter how hard they're trying to ignore it, the attraction between them is something they are going to have to deal with.

 

Setup: Quinn is a school social worker assigned to help with the school's Battle of the Bands competition.  Sean is the lead guitarist of a rock band, volunteering (well sort of, but that's another story) his musical expertise to help with the kids.  Alright, here it is in it's rough draft glory...

 

 

The students gathered their thingsfilling the room with a cacophony of conversations and chairs scraping acrossthe floor.  As the kids exited, Quinnputtered around, picking up stray papers and pencils and straighteningfurniture.  She was always amazed at howquickly teenagers could turn a place upside down.  She wandered to the back of the classroom to grab an acoustic guitar one of the students had forgotten to put back in thecase.  She picked it up and threw thestrap over her arm, letting the instrument swing slightly while she headed backtoward the stage.  A loud bang erupted asshe accidentally knocked the guitar against a desk.
            “Theydon’t like it when you treat them rough,” Sean said, causing her to jump.
            Quinnwhirled around.  “What?”
            Heshut the door behind him and nodded at the guitar. 
            Shecringed.  “Sorry, yeah, I probablyshouldn’t be entrusted with the equipment. My musical skills are relegated to loading up songs on my ipod.”
            Henarrowed his eyes as if considering her, then placed the two cans of cola he'd been holding on a desk.  “Here, if you’regoing to be running a battle of bands, you need to at least know how to handle aguitar.”
            Quinn chewed her lip as Sean strode across the room, his gait smooth andconfident—all man.  Her gaze flicked tothe closed door of the room.  Crap.  Being alone with the sexy musician was not part of the plan.  He stopped in front of her andwrapped his hand around the neck of the instrument, easing it away from her.  He pointed to the stage.  “Sit.”
            Shehoisted herself onto the edge of the platform, her feet dangling. 
            “Areyou right or left handed?” he asked, twisting a few knobs on the top end of theguitar.
            “Right.”
            “Okay,good.”  He put a foot on the edge of thestage and in one easy stride, lifted himself onto it, then stepped behind her.  Before she could look over her shoulder to seewhat he was doing, he lowered the guitar in front of her, his muscular armsframing her torso.  “Now, you want thebody of the guitar against your stomach or chest depending on what’scomfortable for you.”
            Theguitar rested on her leg, the edge of the instrument's body barely skimming her breasts, hyper aware of every sensation now that Sean’s arms were so close.  She took a steadying breath.  “What do I do with my hands?”
            Hisfingers circled her right wrist and brought her hand to the long part of the guitar.  “Keep your thumb on the back of the neck andthen curl your fingers around the front. This is your fretting hand.”
            Sheclosed her eyes, relishing the warmth of his touch on her fingers.  “And the other one?”
            Therewas a rasping sound as he apparently dug in the pocket of his jeans.  He dropped a piece of plastic in her lefthand.  “This is your picking hand, so youuse this on the strings.  Hold itbetween your thumb and forefinger.”
            Shelaughed as she positioned the little triangle. “You always carry a pick in your pocket?”
            “Always,”he said and released her hand.  “Now,you’re all ready to bust out a little Stairway to Heaven.”
            Shedragged the pick across the strings, and an awful sound escaped.  She cringed and peeked up at him.  “Oh yeah, I’m ready for the big time.”
            Hechuckled and squatted down.  “Here.” 
            Her breath caught as his thighs slid along the outside of hers and his body curled around her back.  His scent, a heady mixture of sandalwood and sunshine, cocooned her.  She gripped the guitar tighter and tried to focus on staying relaxed, on being cool--professional.  But alarm bells screamed in her head, alerting everynerve ending that there was a delicious man pressed against her.  Traitorous goosebumps marched across her skin.  Great.  Maybe she should just put up a billboard announcing how much this guy affected her.
            His breath brushed her ear. “Press your fingers down on this spot,” he said, guiding her right handon the neck.  “And then I’ll help youwith your picking hand.”
            Words stuck in her throat.  Shenodded.  
           His hand covered her left one, andhe led it down the strings, creating a perfect sounding note.  “There you go, your first chord.  You’re on your way.”
            Sheswallowed hard and wet her lips.  “Playsomething, Sean.  Let me see a professional do it.”
            Shefigured he would take the guitar from her and strap it onto himself, giving her some much needed breathing room, but hedidn’t move.  His hands replaced hers, andwith her sandwiched between his muscular chest and the instrument, he startedplaying.  His fingers moved effortlesslyalong the neck, the other hand strumming. The opening to The Eagles “Hotel California” drifted through the empty dramaroom.  She closed her eyes, absorbing thesound, his smell, and the caress of his breath on her neck.  She had to bite back a sigh when his voice, low and coarse, started singing the lyrics into her ear.  Her insides melted into fiery lava.
            Without thinking,she relaxed her spine and leaned into him, releasing a tiny gasp when...

Well, I'll stop there.  We're supposed to keep this PG people.  :)  Let me know what you think.
Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!
 

**Today's Theme Song**
"Hotel California" - The Eagles
(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)

 

No Kiss Blogfest

 


Alright, so for the Kissing Blogfest, I posted an almost kiss scene, so I don't have another one of those readily available.  However, I think this scene from my current WIP (Constant Craving) fits the bill of having sexual tension with no kiss.  Let me know what you think.  I will put the disclaimer that this is in the very rough draft phase, I only have 13k words of the manuscript hammered out.  So here's my contribution to the No Kissing Blogfest:

Heput his finger against her lips.  “Stop,no more apologies.  I know you didn’t doit on purpose.  But I’d like to know why thehell you would go after someone breaking into your car instead of just runningback inside to get someone.”
Helowered his hand, and she wondered if she’d be able to find words again.  His touch had made her throat go dry.  She swallowed hard.  “I don’t know, I just acted on instinct.”
“Well,that was stupid.  What if you tried to getthe jump on someone and missed with the pepper spray?” he asked in a sharp toneusually reserved for angry fathers.
Shenarrowed her eyes.  “Well, seems like Ihave pretty good aim.”
Hesmirked.  “No sh**.  But I’m serious.  If you misfire, a guy would overpower you ina second.”
Shebit her lip.  Yeah, she knew allabout.  “Look, I can take care of myself,alright?”
“Ohyeah?”  Before she could open her mouthto respond, he grabbed her shoulder, whirling her around in the process, andhauled her back against his solid chest, his forearm in a loose hold around hercollarbone.  The finger of his other handwhispered against the hollow of her throat. “Half a second, Quinn, and a guy could have a knife on you.  Don’t be a hero—it’s stupid.”
Quinnbraced for the panic attack, knowing one would come.  Being held against her will fired off allkinds of fear responses within her.  Shecouldn’t even sit still at the dentist anymore if the doctor leaned over tooclose.  But besides her hammeringheartbeat, no other symptoms came. Instead of the icy claws of panic slicing through her, Sean’s headyscent and warmth enveloped her in a protective cocoon, providing her with along forgotten sensation—safety.
Secondsticked by, making her acutely aware of every hard edge of his body moldedagainst her softer ones.  He should have let her go by now.  If hewas trying to prove a point, she had gotten it.  But his arm remainedaround her, his nose tickling her hair.  Part of her wondered if he wasgoing to spin her around and kiss her.  But of course, that wasridiculous.  He had worn his lack of interest in her like a billboard. Sheopened her mouth to tell him to let her go, but the pressure on her backincreased as his chest rose with a deep breath, and she stilled.  Sean wasinhaling her scent.

 

 

Alright, that's all for now.  Enjoy the No Kiss Blogfest!  I look forward to reading the other posts!

 

 

**Today's Theme Song**
"These Arms of Mine" - Otis Redding
(player in sidebar, take a listen)

 

Tagged: Writing Q & A

 

 



This will be my last post for the week (unless I just think of something I HAVE to share) because of the holiday.  This week has been a "light" blogging week for me since I didn't do any of my "how to" type posts, which usually require some researching time and such.  So I appreciate you all reading and commenting even though I've wandered a bit from my normal repertoire. 


Alright, so Gavin over at Insanity's Musings has tagged me with a few questions on writing and I figured today would be a great time to answer them.  If you haven't stopped by his blog to check out his writing, you're missing out, so go say hi.


Alright, so here goes:


1) What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?

 


The last thing I wrote was part of chapter one on my new WIP Constant Craving.  As for the first thing, I still have the first novel I wrote (which was when I was 14).  It's a cringe-worthy love story, but I'm still proud of the fact that I finished 60k words of anything at that age.
2) Write poetry? 

Not anymore, but I have in the past.  And what I did write was pretty awful.  I've always been terrible at writing and interpreting poetry.  I've gotten a bit better after reading How To Read Literature Like a Professor (which I think every high school kid should read because it's like symbolism cliff's notes--plus it's fun to read) but I definitely still end up with a "huh?" expression after reading a lot of poetry.
3) Angsty poetry? 

Oh, that's the only kind I wrote, lol. 

4) Favorite genre of writing?

Romance.  Even when I writing another type of story, romance always sneaks in.  I know, I'm not breaking any female stereotypes, but oh well.

5) Most annoying character you've ever created?

The drummer in Wanderlust can be pretty annoying--he's usually trying to involve my hero in trouble and he says dude a lot.  But I actually find him kind of endearing in his own way because he has good intentions.

6) Best plot you've ever created?

My plot to overtake the world???  Wait, you mean in a book.  Hmm, I'm most proud of Wanderlust.  I started it as a "fun" story, then ended up adding some threads that I think deepened the plot  adding shades of sadness, loss, and forgiveness.

 7) Coolest plot twist you've ever created?

My YA has a number of twists I'm proud of. 
8) How often do you get writer's block?

I try not to call it writer's block because that stresses me out.  I think when I'm struggling to write, it's usually because I haven't had enough quiet time to think through my story problem.  Once I do, I usually can figure out what I need to do and move forward.

9) Write fan fiction?

I honestly had never even heard of fan fic until about a year ago.  I've never written it, but I think the concept is pretty cool.  There are books I've read that I'd definitely be interested in seeing taken further or in a new direction.  And apparently there are a good number of people looking for it.  When I go to Google Analytics for my blog and look at the keywords people search to find me, one that has come up more than once is "Jace and Clary NC-17 fan fiction", lol.  Those are the characters from the Mortal Instruments YA series I reviewed a while back.  (Tina Lynn, my fellow Jace groupie, are you leaving my blog to go google that now?)  


Of course, I also got "ian sommerhalder full frontal nudity" (Damon on The Vampire Diaries) as a search term this week too.  Those people must be so disappointed when they come here and I have no naked men pics, lol.  Okay and now that I just typed those terms, I'm going to get more people coming here for that.  Oh well!

10) Do you type or write by hand?

I outline and sketch out my characters in a notebook, but I always type the actual story.  I'm overwhelmed at the thought of writing out a novel longhand.  My fingers hurt just thinking about it.
11) Do you save everything you write?

I usually save most of it on my computer.  And I've learned the hard way to save scenes I've cut because you never know when you might need them back or need them in a different place.
12) Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?

Yes, I have an idea notebook that I sometimes pull from.
13) What's your favorite thing you've ever written?

I really like my romance.  It's the first time I've written something that even though I know what's going to happen, I still get wrapped up when I'm reading through the story.  And I love my characters.
   
 14) What's everyone else's favorite story you've written?

Based on beta reader/critique group feedback and occasional swooning, they agree with my favorite, Wanderlust. 

15) Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?

Romance is my genre and I would say that novel I wrote in high school was DEFINITELY angsty teen drama.
16) What's your favorite setting for your characters?

The bedroom?  Kidding.  ;)  I don't really have a favorite setting.  My romance takes place in New Orleans (where I'm from) and I enjoyed writing that setting.  My YA was in the mountains of North Carolina and that was a good mysterious setting that I enjoyed.

17) How many writing projects are you working on right now?

I'm focusing on Constant Craving right now, but I have Exposure Therapy simmering on the back burner.

18) Have you ever won an award for your writing?

Nothing official, but I did have to win a contest (based on excerpts) to get into my crit group.

19) What are your five favorite words?

Based on Wordle's analysis of my manuscripts, these are my word addictions...
 Eyes
 Just
 Back
 Hands
Looked
20) What character have you created that is most like yourself?

Hmm, probably my MC in Wanderlust.  She handles a rockstar way better than I would.  I'd be a bumbling mess.  And she looks nothing like me.  However, her snarky sense of humor and view on the world is very similar to mine.
21) Where do you get your ideas for your characters?

Everywhere, people I know, clients I've worked with, songs, celebrities (in the case of my romance), and sometimes just out of the ether.

22) Do you ever write based on your dreams?

Not yet.  My dreams are usually too screwy to work with.  But I'm still hoping for a Stephenie Meyer-like dream epiphany.
23) Do you favor happy endings?

Yes, I'm a sucker for happy endings.  I read to escape, not to be depressed.  However, if a story calls for a not happy ending and is done well, I'm okay with it.  

24) Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

Yes, although it's mostly second nature now so doesn't slow me down.  And thank God for spellchecker.
25) Does music help you write?

Music is very inspiring to me, especially in my romance since it's about a musician.  I have the whole soundtrack for the book picked out, lol.  And that's also why I put a song at the bottom of every blog post.

26) Quote something you've written. Whatever pops in your head.
I wrote this yesterday for my new WIP (it's very very rough draft, mind you, and see I told you hands were one of my favorite words):



The musician stopped in front of her, and she had to tilt her head up to see his face.  He gave her an easy smile, one that said he expected her to turn into a driveling mess—which was probably standard operating procedure for most of the women who met him.  “Derrick told me you’re going to be my partner in crime.”
Quinn attempted to match his smile and put her hand out, amazed that it didn’t shake.  “Quinn Jeffries, I’m the social worker for the upper classmen.”
His warm hand grasped hers, his skin a bit rough—no doubt from years of strumming guitar strings.  Quinn imagined what those course fingers would feel like if he brushed them across her face, her mouth.  Stop. Stop. Stop.
“Sean North, here to corrupt young minds,” he said.
Quinn smirked, thinking of her earlier meeting with Gabe.  “The young minds here are already corrupt enough, I’m afraid.”
He pushed a wisp of blond hair off his forehead, and his eyes twinkled with amusement.  “Guess I’ll just have to settle for corrupting yours then.”
A rush of heat flooded Quinn’s cheeks, and she dropped her hand from his.  Had her illicit thoughts been evident on her face?  Was he teasing her?  She cleared her throat.  “Right, uh, well, I guess we should work out a time to get together.”
His eyebrow arched.
 “I mean to talk about the project.  Not to corrupt me.”  She cringed inwardly.  Staggering flirting skills, Quinn.  Gold star.
That's all for now!


Alright, now I'm supposed to tag three people, but I'm going to be lazy and say that anyone who reads this and wants to do a blog post on it, consider yourself tagged!


Also, I have now added the widgety facebook thing in my sidebar, so if anyone wants to befriend me over there, just click on over.


So, feel free to answer any of the above questions in the comments below.  I'd love to know more about you guys as writers.  And I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!




**Today's Theme Song**
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Vince Vance & The Valients
(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)





 

My Kissing Scene--A Day Late

 

Alright, so yesterday was Kissing Day Blogfest, which I participated in by posting my favorite TV kisses.  I chose not to put something from my romance because I've entered it in a few contests that require that it not be published online.  However, idiot that I am, I forgot that I could post one from my YA since it is now buried under my bed and will no longer be submitted anywhere.  I am going to resist editing this excerpt, although, I'm itching too.  So without further ado , here's my contribution...

 

Setup:  Willow, my MC, has just found out that she has a supernatural talent (aura reading) and that the boy she's interested in also has some special gift.  They each want to find out what the other has.  They are sitting on the couch at her house.

 

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” Pierce said. 
            “What?” I asked, my mind plummeting into the gutter. 
            He laughed.  “I don’t mean it that way.  Although, now that I think about it…”  He waggled his eyebrows.
            I smacked him with a throw pillow.
            “Hey!” he said, raising an arm to fend off my attack.  “I meant, I’ll show you my talent, if you show me yours.  I know you must have one.”
            “You first,” I insisted
            He groaned.  “Okay, fine.  But I need you to promise to be quiet during my demonstration.” He pulled his face into feigned sternness.
            “Promise,” I said, crossing my heart with my finger. 
My mind raced with the possibilities, thinking of all the weird questions from the test.  What skill did he have?  I hoped he wasn’t going to channel the dead or something.  That would be a little too much for me.  I didn’t care how cute he was.  If he started talking like my Grandma Betty, I was bailing.
             The couch cushion dipped as he scooted closer and tucked a leg underneath him.  I met his eyes, expecting to find the normal glint of mischief in them, but a stormy seriousness resided there instead.  He reached up and cupped my face with cool hands.  My body stilled underneath his touch, afraid to even take a breath.  What the heck was he doing?
He leaned in until his mouth was mere inches from mine.  I tried to drag my gaze away from his, but his eyes were drowning pools pulling me further in.  What had we been talking about again?  I no longer cared what his talent was.  I wanted his lips on mine.  I wanted him to lay me down on the couch and kiss me so hard I developed a lisp.  He moved in even further, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs, sending tingles racing from my head to my toes.  Warm breath caressed my face.  My fingers flexed, yearning to reach out for his solid chest, to pull him to me, to know what he felt like, but I was scared to move.  I closed my eyes, relishing the body heat wafting off him, preparing for the taste of his kiss. 
Then, all the warmth disappeared.  The couch shifted, and his hands dropped from my face.  A sense of loss rushed through me.  I blinked my eyes open to find him grinning broadly. 
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded. 
His smile turned downright wicked.  “That was better than I could have imagined."
“What was?”
“You so want me,” he said.  “You would let me throw you down on the couch and put my hands all over you.  That’s pretty hot.” 
Oh. My. God.  I needed a hole to open up in the floor, so it could swallow me.  All the blood in my body rushed to my cheeks.  My fists clenched.  “What the hell did you just do?”
“I’m an empath.  I have the ability to sense feelings, especially strong ones like lust.  Something that you clearly have a lot of.”  He stuck his thumb to his chest.  “For me.”
 “Ugh!  You, you--"
"What?"
"You knew that would happen!  You set me up.”  My voice sounded shrill even to my own ears.  
He held up a finger.  “Correction--I didn’t know that would happen.  I can only read you when I’m touching you.  So, I had no clue what I would get until I tried.  You could’ve been repulsed by me, for all I knew.  I was hoping for a positive reaction, but I didn’t realize I was going to get that kind of reaction.  Although, I understand, I am awesome and all.”
I ran my hands over my face.  “God, stop teasing me.  I’m mortified enough.”
“Don’t be,” he said, leaning back and draping his arm across the back of the couch.  “So you want me.  No biggie.  I get that a lot.”
I smacked him with the pillow again, which sent him into a fit of laughter.  
“You're such as ass.  This isn't fair, you have all the advantage.  You know exactly how I feel, and I have no clue what's going on in that evil brain of yours.”
He gave a solemn nod.  “Yeah, that must suck for you.”
I attempted to hit him a third time, but he caught my arm mid-swing.  Before I could pull away, he brought it to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on the inside of my wrist.  He lifted his gaze to meet mine.  “I told you I’m not that subtle, so I’m sure you have some idea what I’m feeling.”
His lips left a seared patch of skin in their wake, and my insides turned all fluttery.  My body was such a trader.
“You’re still a jerk ,” I muttered, then yanked my hand out of his grasp before my feelings could reveal that I didn’t really mean my words.


Alright, there's my late contribution to kissing day.  Hope you enjoyed.  Now the novel goes back with the dust bunnies.  :)

 

 

**Today's Theme Song**
"Kiss" - Prince
(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

 

Work In Progress Wednesday #1

 

 

 

So I've noticed that a number of my bloggy friends participate in WIP Wednesday, where they report on their writing status. I enjoy reading others updates, so I thought I may give it a shot as well. This week has not been productive in word count. I've managed to get 2000 words done, which is less than I had hoped. However, I had been stuck at one point in the book for a while, and was not sure how I wanted to proceed for the final five chapters. (This is the plight of my pantser plan instead of the well organized plotter way. I know where my characters need to get to, but not sure how I want them to get there.) But luckily, yesterday, I had a breakthrough and finally know what I want to do with them. Woo-hoo! So, I'm going to count this week as a success.

Here is an excerpt from my very rough draft:

(redacted)--oops you missed it! Only posted temporarily.

That's it for now. How's your WIP going?