Hippity Hop....

No, I didn't miss Easter. Thanks today to Agy Wilson, an artist (in more ways than one!) who tagged me for this blog hop. Agy's work includes writing, illustrating, crafts, and great political discussions on Facebook. We don't always agree, but that doesn't stop us from being friends. Please try to stop by her blog, see her work and offer her a comment. She'd love to have you in for a visit. Go here for a fascinating and fun peek at her numerous works.

Agy tagged me to answer some questions, and since I've done those before, I'm going to throw a twist in and answer slightly different ones to keep your interest:

Q. What's your favorite part of your new release, Blonde OPS?
A. Writing about wild Vespa/car chases, having the Secret Service tailing Bec, breaking into warehouses by picking digital locks, and having two swoony guys interested in me-- all happening in Rome. It's a fantasy I can never live except through Bec and Blonde OPS.

Q. How do you write one character when you have two authors?
A. Natalie and I adapt our writing process to the project. For the Sirenz series, we each had a character to develop as we wished (as long as it fit into the agreed upon storyline). For Blonde OPS, since it's a work-for-hire (editors came up with the premise, basic plot), we had certain characteristics and events that had to happen, so we drafted first a synopsis, then a detailed outline, getting to 'know' Bec Jackson in the process. Some things one of us would write, and the other disagreed with, and if we couldn't compromise, the editors made their preferences known when it was reviewed.

Q. Since Blonde OPS releases May 6th, what will you do next? Any other projects?
A. Nat and I each have our own projects, so while we cross our fingers (and toes, and legs, etc.) waiting to hear if there will be a sequel, we work on those. I'm finishing up the edits (again!) on my sci fi, Lethal Dose; ghost story, Cold Water, and my time-hop (slightly different than time travel) The Meaning of Time. And I have tons of ideas....

Q. Which do you prefer, writing with a co-author, or writing alone?
A. That's like asking if you like ice cream or cupcakes! I like both; each has their advantages and disadvantages. Writing with Nat can get zany--we come up with outrageous scenarios that even though we know they won't be used, it's fun to create them. Working solo, I make all the decisions of what goes into the manuscript--until my agent or an editor says "Cut!" Plus, it's a dream-waiting-to-happen to have a book writing all by little me.

Now I tag...

Cyn Balog!

I know Cyn from my early days at the annual conference for the NJ Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She was on a panel talking about getting that first book published. Oh, how I envied her! I admire her now- she writes under several pseudonyms and has a number of books out. Her latest is Drowned. (My husband's name is Nicola... funny fate!)

Check out her blog (and follow the hop) here to see her blog

And then there's Cesya McRae Cuono! I just met this Facebook friend at YA Fest in Easton, PA only 2 weeks ago. (And her name is pronounced "Ses-ya" which I didn't know...) I have her book, Elemental Reality, which I'm saving so I can read it poolside, with no deadlines to interrupt me.

See her other books and check out her blog with reviews, here.

Next up is Alexandrea Weis.

Alexandrea is a Facebook friend. We haven't met (yet!) but we've connected over author chit chat, life musings, and book talk (you know how that is). She is the author of 10 (so far!) romance novels. I will be reading them on hot summer nights...

Go here to see them.

These authors will hop from here to their blogs, and then tag others. So jump along!

Char

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

The final day! "Z"

And to wrap up the blog challenge - ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Or, books that bore me. Put me to sleep. Z me into a coma.

Now I know some of these choices will annoy some (probably English teachers). Here they are:

- Anything by D.H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, William Faulkner.
- Most Japanese novels (except the Vampire D series)
- most of the Pulitzer and Nobel winners
- any literary criticism
- political satire
- any economics books

Of course, I've been bored by vampire, sci fi, dystopian, fantasy, romance, etc. It depends on the writer, of course.

Hopefully I haven't bored you over the month.

Char

YA Don't Say...

YA, YA, YA.

Or, young adult, young adult, young adult.

It's one of the hottest trends. Think Hunger Games, Divergent, Twilight, 13 Reasons Why. The 100, Starcrossed, Vampire Diaries, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Whether it's book, TV, or movie, everyone is reading or watching or talking about young adult stories. This is good for me, as a writer of YA, but some people think "I can't read/watch YA, I'm too old, I'm an adult with a job/kids/responsibilities...." yada yada. Since when is anyone too old to read a good story? By that logic, I'm too young to read anything with people older than me.

Ridiculous.

A good story can transport you back, make you feel younger again.

But don't go too far.

Those moms with Edward Cullen tattooed on their backs is just a little creepy...

So enjoy a good YA story.

Let me tell you about Blonde OPS...

Char

One of These Is Not Like The Other...

You know how that phrase works on the children's TV program, or on their schoolwork, where they're asked to pick out what doesn't fit?

What if I don't think another culture, another ethnicity, another custom doesn't 'fit?'

Then that would make me a xenophobe, noun, a person who fears or hates foreigners, strange customs, etc.[Definition quoted from Dictionary.com]

It's an ugly word.

Char

Word!

Words. I love the sound of them, the look of them, the sense of them, the power of them, the allure of them...

I love words.

Abominable.
Blunder.
Conformation.
Denouement.
Embellishment.
Frivolity.
Grumble.
Hullabaloo.
Ignominy.
Juxtapose.
Knave.
Loiter.
Mishmash.
Nimble.
Obtuse.
Paroxysm.
Quaff.
Rampage.
Scion.
Tenacity.
Undercurrent.
Vagabond.
Waft.
Xenophobe.
Yokel.
Zealotry.

Awesome!

Char

If We Know This To Be True...

V is for verify.

I hate when I read a book and something jumps out that is blatantly false. I'm not talking about fantasy worlds (but even the laws of physics has to apply), but I read and something I know is not true. Kind of like saying the main highway through my town is Route 66. Wrong. In central New Jersey, there are several main routes depending on where you live: routes 287, 22, 78, 80. Even in fiction, you have to verify certain aspects in order for the story to be believed.

One of the criticisms about Blonde OPS was that one person found parts unbelievable. Natalie and I researched--and all of the hacks are possible. Like TV shows and responsible writers, we're not going to give you the exact information to hack into someone's life and steal their identity or disable their car. (If you want to do that, do your own research, we're not aiding and abetting you.)

It's the same with the security around the First Lady. In Blonde OPS, there's a threat against her. I did extensive research on what types of guns the Secret Service carries, special precautions they take, even about the cars they drive. Not all of it shows up, but I've done enough so that the scenario is possible, but most likely not probable. (Because vampires, werewolves, and magic are sooooo real...) As a matter of fact, I've gotten little messages saying my browser was closed for security reasons (courtesy of the FBI. Not only was I researching the Secret Service, protection of the First Lady, firearms, and how to pick digital locks, I was also doing some research for a middle grade book on bomb detection dogs. See how this looks?).

We know (and I think history will side with me on this even though I don't have concrete evidence) that Abraham Lincoln was not a vampire hunter. But--his mother died, he was president, there was a Civil War, etc. So, even if you make it a fictional town, scenario, or alternate history, some basic things have to be true.

Or I'm just not believing it.

Char

Ugly Is As Ugly Does...

Do you love 'ugly' characters? Maybe they are/aren't physically ugly, but are unattractive in their personalities?

Sometimes I love those.

I thought Severus Snape (Harry Potter series by J K Rowling) was an ugly (mean) character- but deliciously so because Dumbledore was so nice and thoughtful and helpful.... yada. It's nice to have a contrast because humanity is a sea of contrasts. (And in the end he proved himself a beautiful person.)

Ever watch the TV show Hannibal? He's a refined, well groomed, attractive doctor who hides a horrific penchant for murder and cannibalism. Outside = pretty, inside = nightmares. I do not find him attractive in any way because he really scares me.

I think it's the hidden 'ugly' that is the most terrifying...

Char