I've mentioned it before but it's worth bringing up again - there has to be a balance between writing and staying fit.
That may be a no brainer for many, but it's tough for me. I tend to gain weight if I plant my butt in the chair to write a lot. The more I write, the more I gain.
I need to find balance as I don't want to stop writing. I have a lot of writing goals. But I also want to lose about ten sizes. Maybe twelve.
I spied a dieting mention by a commenter on one of the blogs I frequent. So I checked out the blogger and found two very interesting things: 100 Mile Fitness Challenge and the Game On! Diet.
I just signed up to join the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge. The challenge is from January 1, 2010 through March 31, 2010 to walk at least 100 miles. It can be on a treadmill inside or outside at a park or around your neighborhood. Other forms of exercise can add into the calculations, too.
I emailed my daughters and also my friends at work who say they want to get serious and diet this year about doing the Game On! Diet. I have to look into it deeper but it looks interesting.
For me, challenges and games make things fun and when something's fun, it's always easier to do.
I bought a new set of New Balance gym shoes last weekend and I got the mini trampoline with the bar. Ingredients for spaghetti squash, cabbage soup and smoothies are in the fridge. So I'm ready to go.
I'd be perfect if only I could come up with a cat shifter story. I've made three false starts.
Please welcome my friend and fellow author, Kenzie Michaels. I had fun asking lots of weird questions which she graciously answered.
If you leave her lots of comments and questions, a good fairy will bestow your fondest wish.
Kenzie will be at the Reader's Retreat on Coffee Time Romance until Sept 20th. Don't miss it. Mark your calendars. Here's the link:
Oh! That's a fairy tale. But it will make Kenzie and I very happy.
Now for my interview with Kenzie:
If you could be any shape-shifter you wanted to be, which one would you pick and why? (Only one)
Since my favorite scene in Disney’s Sword in the Stone is the Wizard’s Duel, can’t I simply be a shifter who can morph into any animal, like Anny Cook’s Ardent Angels series?
If you could go anywhere in the world you wanted tand do anything you wanted to (pretend you have money, time, and health enough) where and what would it be?
I’ve always wanted to travel to Greece and Italy, to see the historic sites.Also Paris, to see the artwork and taste the food.After travelling, I’d retire to a beach house where I could enjoy the warm weather all year round.
If you were all-powerful, what would you do with that power?
Restore common sense and courtesy to people.
If you could interview God, what would you ask?
Hahahaha…why do allergies exist?Which denomination of Christianity comes close to ‘getting it right’?Seriously, I think once I meet Him, all questions will instantly be answered.
If you could live in any time period, when would that be? Why?
Although I love the Civil War era, I’m too fond of modern conveniences.
When you were a kid, what did you want to grow up to be?
A nurse, an archaeologist, an entertainer.In college, I was going to save all the abused children in my little corner of the world.But as an author, I get to be anyone I want.
What annoys you most about stories you read? Have you ever thrown a book against the wall? Why?
The only time I’ve come close to throwing a book against the wall is when the main characters refuse to listen or talk to each other.Sometimes I want to insert myself into the story, lock both characters in a room together, and not let them out until they’ve resolved their misunderstanding.
What is your favorite type story to read?
I’ll read anything which catches my attention.Contemporary, historicals, Regency, medical thrillers.It just depends on my mood.
What does your family think of your writing?
My mom is proud of my writing ability, though she’s not cracked up about the language I’ve used.My kids refer to my books as ‘Mom’s Porn’, and my husband can’t wait until my royalties allow him to get a new truck.On some level, they’re proud of me.
What do you do to promote your books? Do you find promoting easy or difficult?
I promote on chat loops; I’ve done blog interviews, and been interviewed on blog talk radio.And when my alter-ego does book signings, she very nicely hands out my bookmarks and excerpts of All She Ever Wanted.
The most time consuming part is the chats, so I try to pick times when I’m not having family issues.And sometimes my husband gripes about the booth rental fees at the festivals, plus the long hours.But I enjoy meeting people and talking about my work, as well as encouraging other writers.
If you decided not to write any more, what would you do in its place? Why?
If I had the money, I’d open a bookstore/coffee shop.And I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing; my head threatens to explode when I don’t get a chance to write down my thoughts or ideas for stories.
What was the most difficult thing you ever found about writing?
The waiting.Waiting for the acceptance/rejection.Waiting for sales info.Waiting for feedback.Waiting for inspiration to return.
How do you come up with names for your characters?
Most of the time the characters tell me their names.But I’ve been known to use the phone book or HS yearbook for a random name.
How long did it take you to get published?
LOL…from the time I sent off the first submission letter to acceptance letter…five months.Which is rare.My alter-ego tried for ten years before going the self-publishing route, and now she’s been trying for two years on the electronic publishers.She’s getting close, and it’s a friendly rivalry that my first one was snapped up so quickly.
What type of music do you like to listen to? When you're writing? Reading? Relaxing?
Musically, I’m all over the place.I mainly listen to Top 40 or soft rock, but occasionally I’ll get into the mood for heavy metal, alternative, or thanks to my father’s influence, classical.So I’ll listen to Def Leppard, Journey, Neil Diamond, Mozart, Amy Grant, or even Frank Sinatra in any given day.And my son also got me hooked on Disturbed and Six Days Grace.
What is your biggest obstacle to writing (if any)?
I have a tendency to wait for the mood to strike before I’ll sit down to write.
Where can your readers find you online? In person?
I have a blog http://kenziemichaels.blogspot.com and am posting at least once a week; I share a website with my alter-ego www.mollydaniels.com (it’s currently under construction, and will hopefully be up and running soon) as well as Face book www.facebook.com/mollyjdaniels and MySpace www.myspace.com/mollyjdaniels.Molly also posts daily on her blog www.mollyjdaniels.blogspot.com and shares my news with her readers.In person, they can catch me at hopefully the RomantiCon Convention in October, or at any festival here in southern Indiana.Read my newsletter; watch my blogs for details.
If you could sum up yourself in one word, what would it be? (mom and writer excluded) Why?
Creative.Work in progress is three words.If I don’t write, I get crabby.I also like to cross stitch, sing and dance to music, and I’ve even been known to be happy with a coloring book and crayons or paint when my kids were little..I can’t draw, but I used to love paint-by-number sets.
About how much do you write in a typical week?
My goal is at least 500-1000 words a day, but I’m happy with whatever amount comes out of my fingers!
What is your favorite activity (besides writing and reading)? Your favorite color? Your favorite food? Your favorite animal?
Watching TV or going out to eat.My favorite color is yellow; favorite food is a tie between pasta and chocolate; I’m a cat and dog lover.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell your readers?
I welcome feedback!Let me know what you like and don’t like about my stories.And if you’ve been bitten by the writing bug, go for it!Don’t let anything or anyone get in the way of your dream.I’m living proof that perseverance pays off.
Blurb:
When Amber Johnson agrees to fill in as a last-minute chef of a dinner party, she is surprised to learn the client is none other than her ex-boyfriend, Marc Denton.The kitchen sizzles with their unfinished business; will the flames of love reignite, or will Marc’s scheming father succeed in keeping them apart?
Marc and Amber are furious when they discover lies that have kept them apart for three years.With Amber by his side again, will Marc find the courage to stand up to his father and hold on to his true love?
Excerpt (R rated):
“Shhh….” She bent down to kiss him. “Morning.”
“Morning,” he yawned. “What the hell?” He tugged his left hand.
She intercepted his right hand as he reached for her breast and bound it to the
end of the blue belt. “I’m holding you hostage for a few moments. Is it okay?”
Marc grinned warily, shifting onto his back. “What are you doing?”
Amber pushed the blankets aside and straddled him. “Just relax.” She kissed
him lightly, the tips of her breasts grazing his chest. She nipped at his jaw line
and rubbed her cheek against his morning stubble. “You always have that dark
and dangerous look in the morning.”
“That’s me; dark and dangerous,” he echoed. “Is that why you tied me up?”
“Every time you touch me, I melt,” she complained good-naturedly. “So, I
made sure you couldn’t touch me until I had my way with you.”
“You begged me to touch you last night,” he reminded her, groaning when she
sucked lightly on his neck. “Am, no hickies—”
“Don’t worry. I won’t leave any marks.” She moved lower, scraping her teeth
over his flat nipples, hearing him gasp. “Like that?”
“Yes,” he groaned.
Amber felt his member swelling against her inner thigh and smiled to herself.
But this was her show; she wasn’t going to let him rush her. She moved to his
other nipple, giving it the same attention as the first. Her hands passed lovingly
over his ribs, stroking the light fur tapering off from his navel to his groin area.
Marc flexed his arms as she repositioned her body lower. “Am…my arms are
going numb.”
“Just keep doing finger flicks,” she instructed, and licked her way to the base
of his swollen cock, beads of pre-cum bubbling to its surface. She gave it a
perfunctory kiss, dipping her finger into the moisture and tasting him. “Hmmm,”
she said playfully. “Someone had chicken, rice, and whiskey last night.”
“Very funny,” he said testily. “You fed me. Now hurry up!”
“Naughty, naughty,” she scolded, sliding a finger between his balls and
watching his cock twitch. “Impatient, are we?”
“I didn’t inflict this much torture on you last night,” he panted. “I believe you
said ‘Fuck me’? So put your mouth on me.”
“Say ‘please’.”
Marc swore under his breath. “Please.”
She turned her head and licked his inner thigh from groin to knee.
“Amber!” he bellowed.
Thanks so much for being my special guest Kenzie This was a lot of fun.
Thank you for having me Ashley!You’ve asked some unique questions.
If you're a writer or hang out with a writer, you'll probably recognize a lot of these. Writing isn't only about writing. It's also about networking, promoting, and marketing.
1.... If you're a writer, you probably check your Fictionwise and Amazon (and probably Barnes & Nobles and other booksellers) rankings at least once a day. Probably more like several times a day. My most recent release "Wild Fantasies" was number 5 for my publisher (Total-e-Bound) earlier tonight.
2.... If you're a writer, you are probably on several readers and writers loops.
3.... If you're a writer, you probably have at least one of your books in your signature line.
4.... If you're a writer, you either went to the RT conference last week - or wish you did. You're most likely going to at least one writer's conference this year.
5.... If you're a writer, you most likely have your own blog and post excerpts and reviews of your books to your blog.
6.... If you're a writer, you Google yourself a lot.
7.... If you're a writer, you probably have several people talking to you in your mind.
8.... If you're a writer, you probably keep a notebook by your bed and in your car so you can write down ideas the minute they strike you.
9.... If you're a writer, you probably spend between 30-60% of your "writing" time promoting rather than writing.
10... If you're a writer, your family is well acquainted with hot dogs and cold sandwiches when you're deep in edits.
11... If you're a writer, you have dreams of quitting the day job and writing full time (if you're not already doing it full time).
12... If you're a writer, you probably have critique partners in several different countries, or at least different states, and you talk to them several times a day, maybe more than you speak to your spouse.
13... If you're a writer, you go into meltdown if your computer melts down or you lose Internet access.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
I really don't think I'm the only author who's obsessed with checking my book rankings. Or my website traffic count. Fess up, y'all. How many of you do it?
Do you Google yourself? Ooh, I just love to Google myself - except for the time I found a pirating sight selling my books.
Can I kill my hubby? I was watching the American Idol news and he changed the channel in the middle of it! Can you believe the nerve? I think this is definite grounds for divorce. He never asks me if it's okay with me before changing the channel or if the station he lands on is okay with me. I'm so SICK of it!!! This is definitely NOT a happily ever after. No wonder I live in a fantasy world and write romance so I can make up happily ever afters. No wonder we don't fantasize about 27 years into marriage. They'd all be like the beginning of the Kathleen Turner/Michael Douglas movie "Jewel of the Nile". Oy!
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