One Misconstrued word: One Big Embarrassment

WINNER!! Rebekah E. You are the winner of the Hotter In Texas fan. With no rubber!!!!! LOL. Rebekah, email me at christie(at)christie-craig.com and give me your address. Thanks.

Also guys, please join me tomorrow for another funny blog and contest at: http://www.romancewritersrevenge.com/

See ya!!!

CC

Hey...I'm also over at B&N. Pop over and see a link to another contest. http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Teen-Reads/A-Special-Message-from-author-C-C-Hunter/m-p/903826#M81981

Then I'm giving away prizes over at: http://writebybethany.blogspot.com/2011/03/spotlight-on-author-cc-hunter.html

Contest! Contest! Contest!

Want to win a free copy of my short story, Turned at Dark, along with the first three chapters of Born at Midnight, my Shadow Falls novel that releases March 29th, under my pen name C.C. Hunter? Do you want it really badly? Okay…You win! That’s right. Everyone wins. Turned at Dark is a free download at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and where ever e-books are available. You can also read it at Macmillan.

Turned at Dark





Borders
Barnes and Noble
Amazon



Independent and strong-willed Della Tsang hadn’t believed in ghosts until she saw her dead cousin darting into the shadows of an alley. She hadn’t believed in vampires until in the dark of that same night she is turned into one. Introduced to a strange world of supernaturals, she struggles to accept this new reality. Unfortunately, the boy she loves senses something different about her and can’t accept her. Should she follow her vampire cousin’s lead–walk away from everything she’s knows and loves—and fake her own death? Or should she set her pride aside and ask for help from the camp leader of Shadow Falls—a camp where supernaturals go to learn how to cope with their powers. Either way, her life as she knows it, will never be the same.

And now for my blog:





Last week, I had one of those experiences that reminded me how one misconstrued word and one wrong assumption can totally throw off a conversation and lead a person to making an idiot out of herself. Here’s what happened.

Okay…some of you know that my new series, Hotter In Texas, is set to release August 23rd. Yup, between writing two series, short stories, and guest blogs out the kazoot, I’ve been a busy, busy girl. So busy that I’ve started scheduling regular massages to help me relax. And that afternoon was my appointment to get my massage. Hey…it’s my reward for working so hard. But before I go to get my massage, I have chores to do. Some of you know that I’m basically a promo slut. I love finding perfect giveaways to offer as little prizes to my readers and booksellers. So after some brainstorming, my agent and I came up with the idea to buy some mini fans. Get it? Hotter in Texas and a mini fan? So . . . part of my morning chore was ordering said fans from the Internet. With that accomplished, I stepped out to do my daily hour walk, another thing that helps me relax.

When I returned, I went into my office to start producing pages. My email dinged and I saw I’d gotten a confirmation on my order of the fans. Right then Hubby stepped in the office and said, “Oh, you got a call. They can’t get the rubber you wanted.”

I look at the screen. I didn’t even know the fans had rubber in them, and then I look back at my husband. “But they confirmed everything.”

“Then I guess that’s why they called,” he said.

Mentally, I chewed on that for a few seconds and stared at the screen, then I stared back at hubby.

In a no-big deal tone he said, “They want you to call them back.”

I sat there, my brows pinched, trying to understand. “I didn’t ask for a special kind of rubber.”

“Then call them and tell them that,” he said.

“I don’t even know their phone number,” I said, feeling frustrated.

“Then get it off the caller ID,” he said and walked out.

I stared at the email for a few more seconds and decided to forego the call and just shoot them an email. I type out a quick message. “Did I miss something? I didn’t see where I was supposed to ask for a certain type of rubber? But any rubber will do as long it’s red. And not poison or something, just in case someone accidentally puts it in their mouth.”

With that taken care of I started to work on my pages. A little later, Hubby walked back in. “Did you get the number?”

“No,” I said. “I just shot them an email.” The puzzlement that I felt from before bubbled back up. “I still don’t understand what they want.”

He shrugged. “All they said was that you were going to get a different rubber. Your rubber is sick.”

“What?” I said. “My rubber is sick? What the hell does that mean?”

He shrugs again. “They didn’t say what was wrong with her.”

“Her?” I asked. My rubber has a gender?

He shrugged. “Yeah, the person you get to rub on you. She’s sick.”

“My masseuse?” I dropped my head on the desk. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I still haven’t gotten an answer from the fan people.

So . . . have you ever made an idiot out of yourself? Leave a post and I’ll send one person a red, Hotter in Texas fan. And don’t forget all of you are a winner today, so go download or read my short story and the first three chapters of Born at Midnight.

I Hear Voices! by Diane Kelly

On Tuesday, March 15th at 7:00 pm, I’ll be the featured guest on romance author Chanta Rand’s radio show. Chanta’s show is all about romance and is both informative and fun. Check out Chanta Rand and her great romance novels at: http://www.fishbowlradionetwork.com/crs.html and www.chantarand.com.

Here’s the “Featured Guest” info on the show’s site: http://www.thechantarandshow.com/Featured_Guests.html

To listen to the show:
1. Logon to www.fishbowlradionetwork.com.
2. Click on the RED BOWL.

You can call in with questions by dialing (214) 717-4678.

All of this leads me to the subject of my blog for today, which is VOICE.

As you can tell by listening to Chanta on the radio, the woman has a smooth and intelligent voice that just begs to be heard. What’s more, that voice carries over into her books. I’m reading her book “The Highest Bidder” right now, and enjoying every delicious minute of it.

A writer’s voice, just like a radio personality’s voice, is incredibly important. For me, it has been a defining factor of my work. Invariably when I entered writing contests before selling my first novel, the judges would comment on my “funny voice,” “humorous voice,” or “LOL voice.” One told me I’d nearly made her wet her pants. To know I’d almost made someone lose bladder control was extremely – though perhaps oddly – flattering.

Voice can be an elusive concept. It’s a combination of tone, outlook, word choices, rhythm, and theme. A voice can be soothing, edgy, humorous, or poignant. But, in the end, it’s a reflection of the person behind the words and what that person wants to offer to their readers.

Me? I want to make people laugh. Life can be tough. Life can be hard. Life can be heart-breaking. But a little bit of laughter can lighten the load.

Admittedly, writing funny things lightens my own load, too. When I write, I can escape the harsh realities of the world and go into a crazy world of my own creation where zany things happen. Sometimes I find myself laughing out loud as I write. I honestly don’t know where some of the humorous bits come from. They just seem to flow out of my subconscious and onto the page. I’m guessing it’s the same for my fellow Killer Fiction writers, who are recognized for their voices as well.

Whether a voice is spoken or written, the effect is the same. Some voices will appeal to you and others will not. As far as the spoken (or sung) voice, I’ve always admired the voices of Kate Pierson of The B-52s and Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. Their voices are unique, both strong and feminine. On paper, I like the funny, southern voice of humor writers Jill Conner Browne (of Sweet Potato Queens fame) and Celia Rivenbark. Their voices, too, are strong, yet feminine. They make it clear that, while they are capable of good manners and perfect etiquette, they are not going to take any crap. I respect that.

Who are some of your favorite voices in music and books, and why?

New Cover Art!

What do we think?

This is for my first venture into the young adult world, DEADLY COOL, which will be coming out from Harper Teen on Oct. 11, 2011. I am SO in love with this cover. It totally conveys the feeling of the book, plus it’s just equal parts beautiful and creepy. Here’s the book blurb:

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

This boost of cover-love could not have come at a better time for me. I am crunching hard to get the second book in the series (SOCIAL SUICIDE) done… so hard that I’ve got tendonitis. Ugh! Which means I’m wearing this ugly wrist brace everywhere, my hand aches, and it hurts to type. Not a good combo when I have a deadline! So, I hope you all forgive me if this is short and sweet today, as I’m off to ice my wrist and try to pump out a few more pages.

And as soon as this sucker is turned in, I’ve booked a suite in San Diego for a nice long week at the beach. I cannot wait!


~Trigger (and cover!) Happy Halliday

Life as a Juggling Act

I need an assistant.

Or a secretary.

Or, maybe, a long vacation.

I'm so behind, I despair of ever getting caught up--much less make headway.

The last week has been a doozy--and, at times, a bit of a blur. My dad spent the week in the hospital after a prolonged virus dehydrated him, causing him to sustain a rather nasty fall at home, followed by a bout of pneumonia. He's now recovering at home, thank goodness,but looks like he went ten rounds with Ali in his prime.

I got nailed by the same bug that originally put him down for the count, and while I didn't keel over from the nasty virus, that's only because I didn't feel like venturing from my bed. The up-side? I lost six pounds.

Now I've run into a snag getting my fourth Calamity Jayne Mystery e:book, CALAMITY JAYNE GOES TO COLLEGE, up for sale. You see. I really don't care for the cover art I selected. It conveys the premise of the book, but the gal in the photo doesn't trip my 'Tressa Trigger'. I'm just not feeling her. Originally, I thought we could obscure the gal's face with text but that won't work because of where her face appears in the picture. So. I'm posting the stock art photo I purchased for CALAMITY JAYNE GOES TO COLLEGE with my son, Erick's, attempts to...er, let the reader imagine what he/she thinks Tressa looks like. Here it is:

Now, I'm gonna ask your opinion. Should I use this cover or find another one? You can vote now.

~Bullet Hole Bacus who wishes she could go somewhere warm for Spring Break~

The blank page

I was reading Robin's blog yesterday about right brained vs left brained people and I thought for sure I'd be left brained. I took the test knowing, just wanting to figure out how far I tipped. And then the results came back split. I'm exactly half and half. Who knew?

You see, I figured I was more creative because I don't wear a watch, am not a big detail person and can't decide anything with a degree of confidence until I "feel" the answer. You can use all the logic you want, but you still have to wait for the gut. At least that's how it's always worked for me.

Sometimes the instinct works quickly, other times it doesn't. Like this morning. It's the first day of Lent, a time when Catholics like me choose to give up something or do something special/extra. And I have no idea what I'm going to pledge to do. I thought I'd get an instinct before now. Apparently not.

My daughter is the same way, only she had a school project due today where she had to illustrate what she was doing for Lent. Ha. She was trapped. She sat at the kitchen table last night, staring at the blank page, saying, "I just don't know. It hasn't come to me."

I totally understood. And I had no solutions other than what I tell myself when I stare at a blank page. Just start writing. It'll come to you.

It did. She's giving up soda.

Maybe I need to give myself a project today, or a deadline. Or perhaps just pull out a blank page.

The Right Brained Writer

By Robin "Red Hot" Kaye


I love taking courses and just began re-taking one of my all-time favorites. It’s called Empowering Characters’ Emotions and is given by Margie Lawson. It’s not a new class for me—this is the third time I’m taking it. You might wonder why I would take the same class three times. I tried explaining it to my husband and he just didn’t understand. The class forces me to look at my words under a microscope, and after writing five books, I fear falling into rut. I worry that I’m just going through the motions. Every time I take it I feel as if my writing gets fresher.

Today I took a test to see if I’m left brained or right brained. I found out I’m incredibly right brained. I guess that’s not too unusual for a writer. As a “strong right brainer,” I look at the whole of something before examining the details. I go with my gut instead of going with something that makes perfect sense. I realize now why my husband, a “strong left brainer,” can’t figure out why I feel it necessary to take the same class three times.

A writer who is left brained tends to be a plotter. Left brainers know where they are going and how everything works in the story before they write the first word. Me, I’m like a fart in a windstorm—I have a general story line and an idea of the internal and external conflicts, and then I jump in with both feet and see where it takes me. It’s exciting. It keeps me guessing and forces me to keep looking over my shoulder, wondering what else is going to happen. I do envy those lefties though. I think that knowing what I’m going to write every day would take a lot of the guesswork out of my so-called writing schedule. Still, I can’t imagine writing a book and knowing how it’s going to end before I even begin. What keeps the left brainers interested?

I’m in the process of sharpening my writing, making it fresher, testing my imagination, giving it a much-needed workout and I love the process. My next book is due in September, and as usual, I have no clue as to what it’s about. Sure, I know the hero, sort of…definitely not well enough. The heroine is a mystery and as for the story… Yeah, well, let’s not get into that. I’m sure you get the picture. I’ve learned after five books that my right brain will eventually elbow me in the ribs with an idea (hopefully sooner rather than later) and I’ll jump in and get caught up in characters, the story, and the writing. The resulting story will be a more imaginative book than had I not taken the same class three times with a fabulous teacher like Margie Lawson.

If you'd like to test your brain, here's a link to one of the many available. Here is one of my favorite left brain right brain tests and only takes a second. It's the dancer. Have fun!

All Kinds of Exciting

Today is all kinds of exciting Monday. Why, you ask? Well, we can start with the official release of my first Harlequin Intrigue, THE SECRET OF CYPRIERE BAYOU! I cannot tell you how happy I am at all the great reviews and publicity that SECRET is garnering. I simply couldn't ask for a better launch.

My blog post in heroine Olivia's point of view went up on the Romantic Times Book Reviews website last week, so check that out if you're interested in hearing Olivia's take on her unique method of writing.

I'm guest blogging at Romance Bandits today and giving away a copy of THE SECRET OF CYPRIERE BAYOU to one lucky poster, so hop over there and answer the question for a chance to win.

I finally wrangled some print copies of my Dorchester books out of one of the distributors and have made a limited number available for sale on my website. You can order as few or as many as you'd like and get them personally autographed. Click here for more information.

Smashwords is having a ebook blast week where authors are offering discounted and free books, including some of your Killer Fiction ladies. Check out Sunday's Killer Fiction blog post for information and links to freebies!

Barbara Vey, Publisher's Weekly blogger, is having a week-long party on her blog with tons of great give-aways. The ladies of Killer Fiction are sponsoring a Kindle giveaway tomorrow, so be sure to visit Barbara's blog for a chance to win!

The cold weather snap has finally left Texas and we are returning to a semblance of normal, with days in the 50-70s. Time for a pedicure.

And in big news (drumroll please) - I am wearing normal shoes for the first time since surgery! Granted, I still only manage lace-up shoes at the moment since I can control the width, but being as I scored a pair of Coach tennis shoes at Marshall's for $35, I'm pretty darn excited.

Deadly (Happy-for-a-Monday) DeLeon