Author Christine d’Abo

Okay, I know everyone told me that I would really like this show…but OMG this ROCKS!! My husband and I finished watching the first season of House last night. I can’t wait to get into season two tonight and I need to find out when season three is going to come out of DVD so I can buy it too. Wow!

Now, I’m a sucker for the wounded hero (I think that’s why I identify with Dr. Cameron so much) and House is a perfect blend of Alpha male, lost soul, and jerk. Yes, I love the jerk part of him too. Also might explain why I love Rodney in Stargate: Atlantis so much. A character who speaks his (or her) mind is a great foil for conflict in a show. It also makes you wonder what is going on underneath their armor to make them that way.

I want to learn more…

Yesterday, I didn’t get as much writing done as I’d hoped. I managed four pages on my wizard’s story, about half way through chapter five. Not sure where this is going yet, but I’m about to introduce the external conflict so it should be fun.

First off I want to congratulate my friend Amy on her first sale to Ellora’s Cave!!! I’m so excited for her, and having read the story I can say you’re all going to love it. It will be a part of the Halloween Quickie series.

Second I have to say that I’m totally hooked on House. We’re just about done season one and so far I’m loving it. Not loving the blood, my husband tells me to duck, but the characters in the show totally rock. Hugh Laurie is amazing in the role, and the rest of the cast are perfect foils for him. I love his relationship with Cameron too. The sexual tension is played perfectly in season one, I hope they keep it up (shhh don’t tell me).

It got me thinking about writing sexual tension scenes. I’m a sucker for them in books and on TV shows. I think that’s one of the major things that will put a book on my keeper shelf, or a DVD box set on my shelf. I love to see strong characters struggle with their feelings for one another amidst chaos. The constant push-pull of wanting to give in but knowing they can’t. I think it was one of the major reasons I loved Stargate as much as I did (and they damn well better stick Jack and Sam together somehow or I’m going to scream!). The higher the tension, the more I’m loving it.

Currently I’m working on a story that really has me excited (and the main reason the Brava story I was working on got shoved to the back burner). In it I have my hero struggling with his need to be with a woman he barely knows and the circumstances that are forcing them together. I just finished a love scene where the tension was so thick I almost aborted them sleeping together. In the end they worked it out, but it was touch and go. I hope it comes across well because I really love the scene.

So what about you? What is it about sexual tension that keeps you reading? What are some of your favourite examples of books or movies?

As an author who also works full time at a day job, it can be challenging to fit everything I want to do into my writing schedule. I see various calls for submission and contests, a way of getting me in with a NY publisher and I want to jump on them all. The end result is me getting so focused on my writing I’m forgetting to come up for air. A lot of this came as a result of the Brava contest. I want to get something written and entered so badly I’m freaking myself into writer’s block.

So, I’ve decided to take a step back, take a deep breath, and relax. I’ve come to the realization that I’ve been putting too much pressure on myself. I want to be able to make writing a full time job, but that takes time. And we all know the limits of my patience…okay maybe not. But you’ll have to trust me on this one, I’m impatient.

So far this year I’ve written two novels (70k + words), a Quickie (15k), co-authored a novel (25k for my half), and started four more novels having written three chapters for each. When I sit back and look at what I’ve accomplished I’m impressed with myself. But there’s that little voice in the back of my head nattering away saying I should be doing more.

*takes the nattering little voice and squishes it*

I’m here to say I’m only going to write stories this summer that I want to write. If I happen to get the Brava one done, then great. If I don’t, well I’ll have a few other stories done that I’ve been itching to write.

There, now I feel better.

(Note: Removed the stupid e at the end of breath. *sigh*)

First off I want to say Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. This morning, my DH got breakfast in bed and got to open his presents from me and the girls. He is now the proud owner of a homemade place mat, a poem, and a new espresso bean grinder!

I did fairly well with me writing this week…just not on the story I was hoping for. I wanted to work on my Brava novella, but it didn’t work out. I am having a major block with the story and needed to take a step back. So instead I wrote two chapters in a erotic fantasy I’m working on. I really love this story and it helped get me out of my writing jam. Plus it’s really hot.

This week I also got back into some TV. I bought season one and two of House from Costco and so far my husband and I have watched the first disk. Not bad considering I got it Friday. So far I’m really enjoying it. Hugh Laurie is awesome in the role, and the supporting cast is excellent. We’re now past the “let’s set the premise and pattern for the show” episodes and are starting to get into the meat. I can’t wait until they start expanding the characters more.

So, my writing goals this week are to:

• Write a chapter in the erotic fantasy book
• Try to write a chapter in the Brava story

I really want to start to make some headway with the Brava one so it will be ready for August 1. I may need a consult call on the plot.

What are you up to this week?

Hello everyone! Today I have an interview up over at Marketing With Mandy. Please stop by and say hello. This is my first official interview and I’m really excited about it!

Red tagged me for this meme. It was a lot of fun to do. If I didn’t tag you and you want to play along, please leave me a comment so I can stop by your blog and check it out! 

INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

TeaTime Ramblings
SusieJ
Wylie’s Words
Red’s Red Pages
Christine d’Abo

Next select five people to tag:

Kelly Boyce
Julia - Mind Over Matter
Angela - SciFi Chick
Sparky Duck
Anyone else who wants to play!

Now for the hard part — the questions:

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago? I had just graduated from university with my B.Ed. I was working the summer at a place called King’s Landing as an actor. I played a character in the village (a painter) and was part of the wandering minstrels. Yes, I wore full 19th century costumes…in the heat. It was by far the best job I ever had.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
This time last year I was getting ready to move my family. We were trying to wrap everything up, sell our house, prep the kids. On top of that I was waiting to hear back from EC on if they were going to buy The Bond That Ties Us. Amazing the difference a year can make.

Five snacks you enjoy:
Popcorn
Salt and vinegar chips
Junior Mints
Fruit bars
Wagon Wheels (yes I steal them from the kids)

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
Living on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Take On Me - Ah-Ha
U and Your Hand - Pink
Prayer - Disturbed
Gray Street - Dave Matthews Band

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
Travel
Set up education funds for all the kids in my family
Quit my EDJ and write full time
Send my parents to Europe
Set up a scholarships for my alumi schools

Five bad habits:
OCD with my email
Repeat myself…all the time
Bite my nails (not as much anymore)
…I can’t think of anymore. My doctor made me give them all up!

Five things you like doing:
Writing
Reading
Gardening/working outside in my yard
Spending time with my family
Sleeping

Five things you would never wear again:
Legwarmers
Stirup Pants
Lace Gloves
BIG glasses
Banana Clips

Hello everyone! I love bunnies. Specifically, I love the bunnies of 30 Second Bunny Theatre. Not familiar with who they are?? Well, here are thirteen of my favourite bunny theatre shows!

 1. Star Wars
2. The Shining
3. Brokeback Mountain
4. Office Space
5. A Christmas Story
6. Resivor Dogs (unbleeped)
7. Raiders of the Lost Ark
8. Spiderman 1 & 2
9. Pirates of the Caribbean 1 & 2
10. Die Hard
11. Jaws
12. Titanic
13. Fight Club

I’m doing a victory lap here at work this morning because I just heard back from my editor at EC. She’s agreed to buy my Quickie, Chasing Phoenix!!! I’m grinning like a fool here.

Here’s a quick synopsis for you to wet your whistles today.

Abbey has a secret. Not only is she the mysterious Lady Phoenix, sensual storyteller, but she’s in lust with her co-worker and friend Michael Quinn. The night he shows up unexpectedly at one of her performances she decided to take advantage of his blindfolded state and have a little fun. But when Michael becomes determined to uncover the truth about Phoenix, will they cast their friendship aside for a chance at something more?

Wylie tagged me for the recycled post meme. So I dipped back into my original blogspot blog and pulled this one from January.  I hope you enjoy it! I’m also going to tag Amy, Kelly and Red for this meme.

We had our RWA chapter meeting today, and I have to say it was wonderful. One of our members gave an excellent talk on how to over come self defeating behaviours and attitudes. Now, I’ve been known on occasion to have some negative self talk and start to wonder what the hell I’m doing try to get myself published. Thankfully, I have a very supportive husband who keeps me going on those days.

Writing is not an easy career to break into. It’s hard, really hard. Anyone who has ever written or tried to write will attest to this. Though if you listen to some people anyone can write a book. Especially a romance novel. Silly people.

So why do it? Why go through all the heartache and headaches trying to get published? Personally, it’s because I have stories that I want to tell. Some of these have been bouncing around my head for a long time. Others pop out of nowhere. Every writer writes for different reasons. The key is to have the courage to ignore the negative self talk, ignore the doubt, and try to look on the positive side of rejection.

The most important thing I took away from the talk was to stop comparing myself to other authors and writers. I work different from others. I have different commitments, different abilities, and different stresses. The key is learning how to deal with them. Learn my limitations and then learn how to work around them.

I also need to learn patient! I’m a terribly impatient person and I need to learn to deal with waiting in a much more productive manner.

Thanks to Anne for a wonderful talk today!

Yesterday was a crazy day for me. My youngest had a Girl Guide event at a local farm from 2:30-5:00. Of course this is the same day she had her first soccer game…starting at 5:00! These two events were naturally at the opposite end of a very long road. Somehow I managed to get her from one to the other, changed and out onto the field and was only a few minutes late. She was really excited because she got a purple soccer jersey this year, and still got her number. She loves purple and apparently the number 10.

Once we got home at 6:00, we finally got to eat, I gave both the girls a quick bath and threw them into bed. In between loads of laundry I grabbed my laptop, sat down and attacked my new WIP. Surprisingly, thinks seemed to click. I managed to write a little over a thousand words before I collapsed from exhaustion.

So today I’m pumped, ready to dive back into the story. I don’t have a title for it yet, which is bothering me, but I’m not going to let that hold me back. I plan on getting some writing done today at lunch, and then later tonight. My goal is to get between 1500-2000 words a day until it’s finished. That would mean I’d have the whole story written in ten to twelve days. Then I can start tearing it apart and cleaning it up, giving me plently of time before the Brava contest.

I’m also going to start reading Rises The Night tonight! I know it’s going to suck me in so I’ll only allow myself the treat of reading if I’ve reached my writing goal for the day. It’s my reward.