Brain Candy Friday: Web Comics & An Announcement

Web comics can be a lot of fun. I personally love Kevin and Kell, Orderof the Stick, and Two Lumps. I also try to support the comic artists by ordering their merchandise because let’s face it, a free comic on the net takes a LOT of time and energy to produce. I know—because the Moon Daughters Comic was so labor intensive the way JL Anderson and I were doing it that we had to take a break.

But…it gives me great pleasure to announce that we will be bringing the Moon Daughters Comic back starting the end of August. We’ll be doing it different this time, so don’t necessarily expect a comic every single week of the year. Instead, we’ll be posting several “issues” each year of the comic. Or we hope to. We’re starting with one that will run through September and October. And in between issues, we hope to have profile pages of characters doing what they normally do.

The first issue will be called “A Ghost in the House”…and yes, it will star your favorite baby calico gargoyle. ;)

So yes, the Moon Daughters will return, this time, on Tuesdays. Keep watch on my blog for more news, and in my newsletter (sign up on the sidebar of the blog or the front page of my website). Don’t ask about it on Twitter or Facebook, please—I don’t really have time to answer the same questions over and over.

AND...you can LIKE the Moon Daughters Facebook Page now.

So, what web comics do you like?

Yasmine

The Vampires In My World

Blogging Over At Between Fire and Ice today about the Vampires in My World.

Writer Wednesdays: Character Theme Songs

You know that I use playlists for my characters, but some of the characters—not all, but some—have their own theme songs, and every now and then, I discover a new one. And both series have their own theme songs. When I’m listening to music, every now and then I’ll hit on a song that perfectly encapsulates how I feel about a character—so much so that I instantly identify them with it. On rare occasion there will be two songs that remind me equally of the character.

Since I’m so intimately connected with the characters, most suggestions to me from others don’t work out—there’s almost always a disconnect. Although one friend of mine suggested one song for Lannan, and while it didn’t quite fit him—another on the same CD totally did! And another friend suggested the song Hands on Us for Leo—and that DID fit.

So here’s a list of the character theme songs I’ve got so far. For my other characters, I have lists of songs that I relate to them, but not ‘theme’ songs yet.

Otherworld Series: Believe, by the Bravery
Camille: The Angel Wars, by Gary Numan, and Gorrlaus, by Hedningarna
Menolly: Lithium Flower, by Yoko Kanno
Smoky: Don’t You, by Simple Minds
Trillian: The Gap, by Thompson Twins, and I Will Possess Your Heart, by Death Cab for Cutie)

The Indigo Court Series: Half Light, by Low and tomandandy
Cicely: Half-Light, by Low and tomandandy, and Social Enemies, by Orgy
Lannan: Meet the Wolf, by A Pale Horse Named Death
Leo: Hands on Us, by the Notwist

As time goes on, I know other songs for characters will come up—that’s part of the fun in searching new music.

Yasmine

Monday Misc: Autumn & House Thoughts

Today I’m rambling along, thinking about autumn, about the coming season of harvest. I’ve not been in a summery mood this year and have been grateful for the cool days and the rain showers we’ve been having. For a long time, autumn was my favorite season—and then I went through so much trauma and personal tragedy in my life that I couldn’t bear to think about the fallow season of the earth. Samhain became a dreaded holiday as I wondered who else I’d have to be remembering during our rituals. But now, even with the stress I’ve been under the past few years, it’s been a different kind and my love for autumn has returned.

I’m working on Night Seeker—the third Indigo Court book—and the darkness of that series is sweeping up to carry me under again. And after that, it will be Menolly’s book—Shadow Rising—and hers always take place at night. So yes, I’m not going to go so far as to say I hope it stays this way all through August because I know that there are a lot of people who would really love a little more summer, but for me—I would not be discontent if we continued the mild summer all the way through.

This will be our second autumn in this house—we closed on the house on the Autumn Equinox last year. In fact, Lughnasadh will be our one-year anniversary of finding the house—the first time we drove by it—quite by accident (we got lost and were trying to find our way out of the general neighborhood) and saw it. I remember sitting in the car, looking in the drive, thinking “Wow, that’s a gorgeous yard and a pretty house. I wonder how pricey it is, though.” But finding out wasn’t all that easy. I grabbed a flier but they didn’t even have an MLS number on it. I ended up going on Google, typing in the description off the flier exactly, and pulling it up that way. And then I saw the pictures of the inside. Now, I had learned the hard way that pictures of the inside don’t always MATCH the inside. Boy, did we learn that in house hunting. But something told me we had to see the house and I called our real estate agent. And the next day we walked in, and within two minutes, I turned to her and said, “I want this house. This is MY house.”

So yes, our 1-year house anniversary is coming up. And moving in here will always be linked to the autumn months for me. So in a sense, this house is linked to the harvest in my mind. And that, just seems appropriate.

Yasmine

Brain Candy Friday: The Joys of Our Furbles

So, you all hear plenty about my cats and how much I love them and now, you can start seeing their pictures on my Tumblr. Meerclar’s my 18 year old goober, who I love with all my heart. She’s doing pretty good with the exception of the continual kitty ulcer. Calypso and Brighid are turning three this next week (no, they aren’t from the same litter—and Caly’s birthday is a guestimate, but a close one—she was a feral baby found when she was very teeny). Morgana’s a little over two years old, and she’s still the clueless wonder who rides a special bus all her own (and whom we love very much).
They’re a million laughs, cuddles, and sometimes inspiration for me to yell things like “Don’t eat fuzz!” “Brighid, stop closing my office door!” “What WERE you thinking?” “What do you think you’re doing?” “GET DOWN!” “Don’t walk on my keyboard!” But they’re always and forever family.

So, now it’s your turn. Tell me all about your pets—what kind do you have (if you have them)? What are their names? What’s the silliest thing one of your pets has ever done?

Yasmine

Writer Wednesdays: Writing Novellas

A short story is usually defined as a work of fiction below 15-20,000 words. A novella runs between 20,000—40,000 words. Novels are usually 60,000 words or over, with a few exceptions. (I’m talking adult fiction here, not young adult or children’s). Some category novels—especially romance—run about 55,000 words. To give you an idea of word count, most of my Otherworld and Indigo Court novels run around 95,000—105,000 words. My mysteries were 80,000-85,000 words. And yes, word count is stipulated in my contracts. I can’t go over a certain length, and can’t really go under a certain length.

I really believe that all writers have a form that is easiest for them. Some of us write all lengths, but generally, we’ll have one form that we are better at. For me—my strength lies in writing a full novel. Writing a novella is harder for me. We’re talking 25,000 words versus 100,000 words, but those 25K words are far more fraught with potential mistakes than the longer novel.

For one thing, I love writing subplots—but that goes out the window in a novella. I have found the best way to write a short is to focus on one story line only. Which means, when writing a novella I have to pare away at it—discard anything extraneous to the story. I strip it down to the bone—a single story line, with only hints of other aspects of the series coming into play.  And if I am writing from one of the secondary character’s points of view, I have to remember that they don’t know the inner feelings of the main characters—and that it’s THEIR story. For example—when writing Ice Shards, while there were hints about Hyto lurking, while there were hints about the Vanzir/Camille episode from Blood Wyne, I had to remember: Ice Shards was Iris’s story—it was her time to shine.

To be honest, I really prefer writing long, but the novellas are a great way to explore side characters that I really can’t get to in the novels. And there are a lot of side-stories I’d love to tell—so as my publisher allows, I’ll probably still be writing the occasional short story/novella.

Yasmine

Monday Misc: Preliminary Playlist for Night Seeker

So I have the preliminary playlist for NIGHT SEEKER here for you to see. I'll be making changes to it as I go, but here's what I'm starting with:

Adam Lambert: Mad World
Air: Napalm Love; Playground Love; Surfing on a Rocket; Another Day;
Cemetary Party
Android Lust: Dragonfly; Stained; Sex and Mutilation
Awolnation: Sail
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Shuffle Your Feet; Fault Line
Bobbie Gentry: Ode to Billie Joe
Buffalo Springfield: For What it's Worth
Cat Power: Werewolf; I Don't Blame You
Cat Stevens: Katmandu
Chester Bennington: System
Chris Isaak: Wicked Game
Corvus Corax: Filii Neidhardi; Milli Anni Passi Sunt; Ballade de
Mercy
David Bowie: Sister Midnight
David Draimen: Forsaken
Death Cab For Cutie: I Will Possess Your Heart
Depeche Mode: Personal Jesus; Dream On
Disturbed: Stupify
Faun: Deva; Sieben; Punagra
Foster hte People: Pumped Up Kicks
Gary Numan: Walking With Shadows;Prophecy; The Angel Wars; Melt; A
Child With the Ghost;
Heart: Magic Man
Hedningarna: Gorrlaus; Juopolle Joutunut
Hugo: 99 Problems
In Strict Confidence: Promised Land, Forbidden Fruit; Silver Bullets
Jace Everett: Bad Things
Jay Gordon: Slept So Long
King Black Acid: Rolling Under
Lacuna Coil: Our Truth; Our Truth; Swamped; Fragile
Lady Gaga: I Like It Rough; Paparazzi
Little Big Town: Bones
Low and tomandandy: Half-Light
Marilyn Manson: Tainted Love, Aram-Goddamn-Motherfucking-Geddon;
Godeatgod
Nine Inch Nails: Sin; Get Down, Make Love;Deep
Nirvana: You Know You're Right; Heart Shaped Box
Notwist: Hands on Us
Orgy: Social Enemies; Blue Monday
A Pale Horse Named Death: Meet the Wolf, Cracks in the Walls
PJ Harvey: let England Shake; The Words That Maketh Murder; In the
Dark Places
Puddle of Mudd: Psycho
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californication
REM: Drive
Ringo Starr: It Don't Come Easy
Rob Zombie: Mars Needs Women.
Roison Murphy: Ramalama (Bang Bang)
Sarah McLachlan: Possession
Saliva: Ladies and Gentlemen
Seether: Remedy
Sully Erna: Avalon
Susan Enan: Bring on the Wonder
Tina Turner: One of the Living
Toadies: Possum Kingdom
Warchild: Ash
Woodland: Morgana Moon; The Dragon; Blood of the Moon
Wumpscut: March of the Dead
Yoko Kanno: Lithium Flower
Zero 7: In the Waiting Line

Body and Spirit Saturday: Three Months In...

It’s been awhile since I’ve had time to update my progress. So it’s been almost 3 months since I started my low-carb diet. And it’s 1.75 years since I first started exercising with my workout partner—we started (very slowly) in late September of 2009. Now, we do two hardcore workouts a week, and more on our own. I try for three days of biking a week, plus the two DVD workouts we do. I’m going to add back in an arm weight session (which we were doing with one of the DVDs but now I can’t really do it on the same day as my DVD workouts—too much for my muscles to handle. So I think I’ll add the weights in on one of the biking days, because my body seems to need two full days off per week—the days after the DVD workouts.

The working out has been helping my back, definitely, and slowly been working on other muscles, but now that I’ve been on the diet I’m really seeing results. I’m noticing my body shape shifting, which—for someone who’s been rather ‘round’ in places she’d rather not be—is exciting. The down side to it, is that you can’t pick the places you lose weight in. It will come off as it will, not necessarily how you want it too. But I’m starting to show signs of an actual waist again. I’ve dropped nearly two sizes in three months. And the best thing is: as I lose more weight on the diet, the exercise will help keep my skin from getting too loose. Actually, I take that back. The best thing is the exercise and diet are helping my chronic pain. I’m not in nearly as much pain as I was and I’m moving around better. The back spasms are still around, but not quite so much. Which is nirvana.

As far as the diet goes, I’ve had a few days where I’ve reached 70-100 carbs—but not many. And since a lot of lower carb diets recommend 100 carbs a day average, I don’t feel so bad. But I’m definitely trying to stay under 50, preferably between 30-40 a day. I’m getting used to it. I doubt if I’ll ever be ‘thrilled’ with it, but I do feel better and my blood sugar’s far better and my body doesn’t hurt as much so it’s worth it for that. And it’s worth it for losing weight, because I’m still way above my physical and mental comfort zone. No—I don’t hate myself. But I’d be happier with my body/mobility if I were several more sizes smaller.

So some hints for staying on the diet (since I’ve been asked): really, the only hints I can give you are these: take it one day at a time. Knowing you have to do something for your health can be a great motivator. Miracles aren’t going to happen by just wishing for them. I will wait neither until I need medication or insulin to make a change. I have no desire to see my health deteriorate. And I’m tired of aching. Do I miss pasta and potatoes and cookies? Yes. I miss them. But I’d rather miss them and know I’m making myself healthier. I’d rather miss them and know that I’m losing the weight I wanted to lose. I guess you just have to be tough enough to grit your teeth through the bad days. You have to be ready to do it—ready to say “enough of this…” I was finally ready.

It’s a long road. It’s a long journey. I wish it would come faster, but it’s going to take time. There will be hard days and there will be easy ones. I won’t miraculously turn into a ‘beauty queen’ nor will I miraculously be 20 again. And that’s okay. I’m not trying to become Marilyn Monroe or 25 again. I’m trying to be the best I can now—after all I’ve been through. In time I may do a few things to boost the work I’m doing. I’m not against all ‘vanity’ surgery/procedures. But if I do them, it won’t be to change my life…it will be to enhance some of the work I’m doing on my body. Because frankly, for most of my life—I’m quite happy. I don’t want to be someone different. Just me—better.  

Yasmine

Brain Candy Friday: Idea Workspaces

Okay, getting back to regular blogging here. I reorganized my office and added another workspace and it feels so much better now—made an adequate room seem more spacious. There’s more room on my desk now to spread out my work (or for the cats to co-opt and sprawl out on, rather). I know some authors rent spaces to work in, but I like working out of my house—I couldn’t work in the living room, I simply will not have the rest of the house look like a big minefield of computers and paper, but I love having the ability to step out into the kitchen or the living room or outside when I need a break. I love having my cats running in and out of my office all day, even though they like to derail my concentration.

So I’m thinking about workspaces and wondering—what would be your ideal workspace for your job? If you’re a chef/cook—what would be the ideal kitchen for you—big? Small? Homey bistro feel or five-star restaurant? If you’re a nurse—would you rather work in a hospital or a small medical center?

Yasmine

SNIPPET MONDAYS #20: NIGHT VEIL

We’re counting down to NIGHT VEIL’s July release with a snippet from Chapter 2!

You can read the first chapter of NIGHT VEIL in the back of BLOOD WYNE, or up on Yasmine's site. So we'll be posting snippets from chapter 2 each Monday until the release date. If we find anybody reproducing this on other sites we'll stop and everybody loses out. That means: NO cutting/pasting/copying/sending through email.

Remember, you can pre-order NIGHT VEIL from Amazon.com or BN.com!

NIGHT VEIL
CHAPTER TWO
First Chapter
Excerpts Already Posted

"Damn you . . . damn you. I hate you. I hate your touch and your icy hands. If I could, I'd stake you right here." I knew I was playing on dangerous ground, but I couldn't help it.

But Lannan merely laughed. "I like it when you resist. I want you even more when you try to squirm away. It thrills me to know you've creamed your panties when you don't want to come. Anticipation is so good for the soul. I promise you this, Cicely: Next bloodletting, I'm going to fuck you so hard and long with my fangs that you'll beg for my cock. I'm going to have you down on your knees begging me to ream your wet little pussy."

And then, he shoved me back. I stumbled against the sofa as he turned away. "You can go now. Sleep well, and have sweet dreams, my pet."

I ran out of the house to find Rhia and Leo waiting for me. They took one look at my face and led me back to the car where Leo climbed behind the wheel. Rhia held me in the backseat as I cried all the way back home.