Don't Be Quick To Quit Your Day Job

On The Dilettante's blog I read the article "For God's Sake, Don't Become A Writer".

I don't agree with everything the blogger says about being a writer, but I certainly agree with "don't quit your day job" to become a writer. Not unless someone else is supporting the household or you have enough money in the bank to live on.

By all means, write if the fire to write boils in your veins.

By all means if you reach Stephen King's, Nora Robert's or the writer of New Moon's level and your income is sufficient on a regular basis, quit the day job and write full time.

However, if you're just starting or even if you've just received your first book contract, don't quit your day job yet. Some books sell well. Others don't. A lot of books may sell decently when they first come out but not forever. Unless you have books published on a regular basis, the income probably won't be sufficient to live on for long.

Of course there's always an exception and hopefully you'll be the one.

I have children at home to support and I crave security. As much as I would love to quit the day job and write full time, I won't be doing it yet. Several people who left comments on The Dilettante's blog agree with me. Several published authors I know keep their day jobs.

Recent posts you might like to read:

When Do You Write?

Nanowrimo Thoughts 

To Nano Or Not To Nano - That Is The Question

Why You Should Consider Library Booksignings

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Are You Writing Me Into Your Book?

Dont Give Up Too Early

Must Write Must Write Must Write!!!

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

How Do You Protect Your Books?

My brain is still fried since working day and night most of December so I had to surf the web to find ideas for a blog post today. Hopefully I'll recover soon.

On Tess Hilmo's blog I read an interesting post about backing up our important documents, in particular books for us writers. She recommended an online data backup site Mozy.com.

I mozied on over (excuse the pun) to Mozy.com and nosed around. It looks to be quite helpful. And no, I'm not affiliated with the site and I'm not endorsing it as I've not used it. But perhaps I will.

If you're a writer you've probably lost at least part of a book some time during your writing career. Then we learn to back up our work. But how?

There are many ways: thumb drives, CDs, emailing books to a friend or relative, creating a Yahoo loop to save it, keeping print outs, and now Mozy.com

My recommendation? Do all or at least several of the above. No one is foolproof.

In the beginning of my career, I backed up my books to CDs and paper copies. One day the other half of my duplex went up in flames. Our side almost caught fire, too. If the fire department had been five minutes later, my computer and my backed up CDs and paper would have been gone with the wind.

After that I began emailing copies of my books to my father. I thought that was working well. Then when I visited last and looked for my books on his computer they were gone. He'd forgotten about them when he changed computers and threw out my books when he threw out his computer. Luckily I had other copies.

I bought a thumb drive after that. Guess what? It went bad. Another one dropped off my key chain.

I also created a Yahoo group so I could save my work in their files. First, you need to have a group of five. You could get around that by banding together with other authors, family and friends to keep the loop active. However, someone in the group also has to visit at least once every two months or guess what? Yahoo will delete the group and poof! Your files disappear. I forgot...

I also printed out some of my earliest books. Once I lost my computer file and had to retype the whole damn thing. Nightmare! Plus, the almost fire would have wiped that out.

If I sound pessimistic I don't mean to be. I merely mean to point out it's not safe to rely on only one form of backup. We pour our life's blood into our books so we need to safeguard them. What's a few extra minutes to make several backups in different places for books that we spent weeks, months, and maybe even years to produce? It's pretty cheap insurance.

How do you safeguard your books? Do you have another good place to back them up?

Recent posts you might like to read:

When Do You Write?

Nanowrimo Thoughts 

To Nano Or Not To Nano - That Is The Question

Why You Should Consider Library Booksignings

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Are You Writing Me Into Your Book?

Dont Give Up Too Early

Must Write Must Write Must Write!!!

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Saturday Snippets: Horror

http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-4775-99-blessed-be.aspxI bet you knew the theme of today's Saturday Snippet before arriving (and I don't mean from another Saturday Snippet). You're psychic, right? Or your Ouija board told you? Or the sayonce you held last night? Maybe it was in your crystal ball?

How could we not post a Halloween type post on Halloween? Of course we have to. Although I admit I wrote two posts today - the other (scroll down for it) is about NaNoWriMo which starts tomorrow - a huge month for us writers.


My treat for you this very special day is BLESSED BE prequel to TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE VAMPIRE WAY. And it won't give you cavities or calories. :)

Pssst ~ These are on sale for Halloween for $4.42 instead of the normal $5.20.

Shortly before her wedding, Chloe questions her choice of future husband. Lately, her sexy dreams about Luke—her beloved fiancé who disappeared seven year earlier—seem so real. Their scorching union cannot be shaken.

Although Luke's investigation of a Ft. Lauderdale vampire clan changed his life forever, he never forgot his feelings for Chloe. His astral projecting into Chloe's dreams has angered Anika, the Alpha vampire set on Luke as a lifemate. Now he must convince Chloe their love deserves one last chance, and protect her—at all costs.

An Excerpt From: BLESSED BE

© Copyright ASHLEY LADD, 2004.

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave, Inc.

 

“I see you’ve let that mangy cat inside now. I should call the Health Department. Or maybe I should just take him to animal control.” The sneer on Gerald’s lips leapt to his eyes. He snatched the cat and sprinted for the door.

The tomcat screeched and clawed frantically at Gerald’s face, drawing blood, forcing Gerald to drop him in a heap at his feet. Then it tore off across the room, its eyes glowing oddly silver in the dim light.

A look of utter amazement etched comically across the doctor’s countenance as blood clung to his fingers after he touched his torn cheek. “That does it. He’s going to the pound tonight. Or maybe I’ll just tie an anchor around his neck and sink him to the bottom of the ocean.”

“No! Don’t you dare touch my cat.” Chloe dove for the cat.

The vile Gerald scooped up the struggling, spitting creature first.

The door burst open, and the vampire from Chloe’s dream stamped inside. A legion of wicked-looking dwarfs hobbled closely behind, big ears sticking out, long hair billowing behind them. The raven-haired woman pointed a talon-like finger at Chloe and leered. “Take her back to the manor. Alive.”

Chloe gasped, her heart ready to burst from her chest and her respiration became shallow. She faced off against the trespasser, planting her feet wide apart. “You can’t be real.”

One of the hunch-backed ogres batted Chloe’s feet out from under her, so that she fell to the floor and thumped her head. Intense pain slashed through her, stealing her breath.

The cat let out a horrible screech and before her eyes, transformed into Luke, just as he always looked in her dreams.

Blinking, Chloe couldn’t believe her eyes. She had to be dreaming. Cats didn’t transform into humans. Luke was dead. The vampire was a figment of her dreams. Yet Gerald and Shawanda also stared open-mouthed at the ensemble.

“Who are you?” Chloe finally found her voice and gouged the fiend in his eyes, making him howl as he retreated.

“I know karate!” Shawanda threatened, shrieking and swinging her leg in a high kick.

The vampire merely chuckled and flew into the air, avoiding the blow easily. Hissing, her fangs burst from her gums. She punched the nurse, reeling her backward into Gerald who was cowering in the corner.

Furious, Chloe threw the phone at the cackling vampire who ducked so that the phone smashed through the window. “What do you want from us?”

“I want you to leave Lukas alone. He’ll never be mine as long as you’re alive.” The vampire swooped down on her, scooping Chloe into her strong arms.

Luke delivered a deadly chop to the attacker, making her drop Chloe. Cursing loudly, he caught Chloe just before she hit the floor. “Are you okay, darlin’?”

Confused, dazed, Chloe shook her head. “Yes. No. You were a cat…you flew in the air…”

“Shhhh. I’ll explain everything as soon as I take care of Anika. Will you be okay for a moment?”

“Long as one of those things doesn’t try to devour me.” Chloe couldn’t stop staring at Luke. He couldn’t really be here. Or maybe she was dead. If so, this obviously wasn’t heaven. And yet, what could be more heavenly than to be held in Luke’s arms one more time?

“You’ll be okay for a few moments? You’re not going to faint on me?”

She touched her fingertips to her spinning head, feeling like she was being sucked into a force five tornado. It felt heavy but she wasn’t in danger of passing out. “Yeah. I think so.”

Luke brushed a kiss across her lips shooting volts of electricity through her and laid her back gently. “I’ll return shortly.”

“Promise?” On second thought, she wasn’t at all fine. She was talking to a ghost and envisioning vampires and all manners of monsters. It was probably all a bizarre dream, but it had a very real quality to it that alarmed her.

“Promise.” His eyes glowed silver and he lifted his head and howled, an earsplitting, inhuman sound that sent chills through her.

“Damn you to hell, Anika! I will have your head for this.” The vigor in Luke’s voice made Chloe blink and shrink back from him.

Anika hovered high overhead, her eyes glittering darkly. “As you are so fond of telling me, Lukas, we’re already in hell. Your threats mean little to me.” She dissipated into mist and shimmered away.

Luke swore under his breath and turned to Gerald and Shawanda. He approached them furtively but non-threateningly. He waved a hand over their eyes, which instantly glazed over. “You need to sleep now. When you awaken, you will think this was a dream.”

Chloe absorbed his words, turning them over in her mind. Luke controlled dreams? So, maybe she hadn’t been hallucinating. Maybe all her fantasies had been real, cloaked in the auspices of dreams. Struggling to her feet gingerly, her head still reeled and her heart raced. A jumble of emotions threatened to tear her up. “You promised me an explanation. Am I dreaming? Was I dreaming all those other times? Are you real?”

Luke rejoined her, supporting her to the couch in her private office. “Let me settle those two and I’ll be right back.”

Fear that he wouldn’t return grasped her and she grabbed at his hand that felt very durable and not the least bit transient. She let her hand slip to his warm wrist and felt for a pulse. To her dismay, she didn’t detect a single beat. “Don’t leave. Explain first. I don’t understand. If you’re real, why have you pretended you were dead? Why did you leave me?”

BLESSED BE is available at: Ellora's Cave

Anya Bast
Eliza Gayle
Juliana Stone
Michelle Pillow
Lauren Dane
Moira Rogers 
TJ Michaels
Jody Wallace 
Kelly Maher
Shelli Stevens
Shelley Munro
Mandy Roth
Mark Henry
Savannah Foley 

Recent posts you might like to read:

Why Writers Should Be Like Zombies

Ghost Hunting at a Haunted Hotel

Welcome to the Spookiest Month of the Year (+ don't burn your Ouija Board!)

People Don't Fall Out of Trees - Without Reason 

I'm Part of a Tribe 

Big Brother Is Watching You - This Means You BLOGGERS!

Are You Writing Me Into Your Book?

Dont Give Up Too Early

Must Write Must Write Must Write!!!


You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Why Writers Should Be Like Zombies

If you want to read a great October article for writers that will make you laugh out loud several times check out Why Good Writers Are Kinda like Zombies by Gabriel Gadfly

Being October, I had to check out this post - I couldn't resist such a great title. Plus one of my favorite movies is "Night of the Comet" which hinges on lots of scary zombies.


Also, I heard somewhere that zombies may be the in-thing this year - for romance writers? Vampires are passe. Werewolves are getting old. It's time for new trend. What's left?


Hey, zombies worked in "Night of the Comet". At least it worked for me as long as the zombies were the bad guys and there was a cute, sexy hero like Hector (Robert Beltran aka Chakotay from Voyager).


But I digress.


Zombies are tenacious creatures. They single-mindedly go after what they want. Even though we might find it yucky, you have to admire their determination, in a gruesome sort of way.


Writers need to be tenacious, too. Even if you've written the best story in the world, it won't get published unless you send it to agents and publishers. After that you must promote the hell out of it.


Zombies don't care if you like them. They don't get put off because you run from them. They're going to do their best to get you. They don't give up. They'll claw their way through a wall to get what they want.



Writers need to be more like zombies. They need to grow a thick skin and not take it personally when an editor rejects their work. They need to get over poor reviews. They need to keep writing, keep submitting, keep promoting even if their last book had poor sales, even if they're wracking up rejections.


I never thought I'd say I want to be a zombie - or even like a zombie - but I could use some of these traits.


Recent posts you might like to read:

How to Make the Most of Twitter By A Regular Person

Take A Break From Writing To Write Better Stories

Ghost Hunting at a Haunted Hotel

Welcome to the Spookiest Month of the Year (+ don't burn your Ouija Board!)

Must Write Must Write Must Write!!!

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook,
Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch,
Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape
are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Author Interview: Claire Ashgrove

Please welcome my guest author today, Claire Ashgrove. She has several upcoming romances and one just released for your reading enjoyment.

Please ask questions and leave comments so she'll feel welcome.

Ashley

1) First, please tell us what you do when you're not writing.

I have two small sons who occupy a great deal of my free time. I work as a web designer and I own a small horse farm. I raise and train horses for jumping and dressage, primarily Oldenburg Warmbloods and Arabians. I’m also very active in my RWA chapters -- Heartland Romance Authors, Mid-America Romance Authors and Midwest Romance Writers.




2) Have you always been a writer? If not, how has writing changed your life?

I’ve written for as long as I can remember. As a very young girl I wrote poems, as an early teen I wrote story after story after story about life in a rock band and girls who fell in love with prominent rock heroes of the 80s. I wrote my first true romance novel at 17, revised it several times until I was 22, and then put it aside where it’s still sitting under the bed. As an adult, I found writing did change my life. It helped me grow up in many ways.


3) Please share with other writers at least two of your best promoting tips.


As a new author, I’m still learning what works and what doesn’t work in promotion. I think the number one way to sell yourself is through word-of-mouth, which means getting out and networking. On the same vein, I think Twitter is pretty beneficial. You may not make the kind of friends that last a lifetime, but your exposure is there and you can pick up a lot of little, important things from a very vast pool of informative sources.


4) Please share with other writers at least two of your best writing tips.



The first – write every day. A paragraph, a page, a chapter a sentence – whatever it is, write for fifteen minutes. It’s a very small amount of time but it is continual progress.

The second – get your ideas down. Don’t get bogged down in the revisions as you go along. Learn how to turn off your editor and just get the ideas down. You can always go back and revise.



5) Please share with your readers why it is so important you share your stories with them.



I am by no means preaching to my audience or readers. However, within my contemporaries there’s always a hidden lesson or message. There’s something I want to teach, something I want people to learn that I’ve woven into the story somewhere. I like to make people think. I want my readers to take knowledge away from my books not just leave with a happily ever after ending. For instance, in Seduction’s Stakes there are some breeding principles that are addressed that conflict with the common thought of how things are approached. They break the perceived status-quo. It’s very veiled, but anyone who’s bred horses seriously would appreciate the remarks and the characters’ handling of the issues at hand. People who’ve never been exposed to that lifestyle will learn a best-practice approach. At least, I hope!



6) Besides being a writer, what other dreams do you have that are not fulfilled yet?

I want to spend some extensive time in Ireland. At least a year or two. I’d also like to do some traveling in Europe when my children are old enough to appreciate the history that the continent provides.




7) What fictional character would you most like to be if you could and why?


Off the top of my head – I’d like to be a female Autobot so I can justify my crush on Optimus Prime. On a serious note, however, it would have to be one of the following three: Jo March, Scarlett O’Hara, or Melanie Hamilton. Why? Well Jo challenged the principles of her day. She was a strong woman who still managed to be true to her roots and respectable in the process of standing up for her beliefs. She was never afraid to go after what she wanted, and she overcame a lot of hardship to obtain them. Scarlett, on the other hand, is such a well of strength. I’d love to have that backbone over everything. She made her mistakes, paid for them, and yes she was headstrong. But she rose above everything. Melanie on the other hand, had quiet strength. She always found the good in people and her heart was larger than life. I don’t think I could overlook some of the things she went through, and I wish I had that sort of ability.


8) What is your favorite genre to read? To write? Why?



My favorite genre to read is non-fiction. I don’t have a lot of time to do a lot of reading, so when I do have time I feel that I need to learn something. I absolutely love to learn and I am a sucker for history, especially ancient civilizations. My favorite genre to write is actually paranormal. While I am published in contemporary and do love to write contemporaries, paranormal allows me to stretch some perceptions and create worlds. As my career develops, I hope to be able to maintain both genres.



9) What time period would you most like to live? If now, what would be your second choice? Why? (We all enjoy indoor plumbing and AC. :) so that is why I ask for your second choice as well).



Put me in the middle ages and I would absolutely be at home. While it was by no means an easy period, I admire the hardships people faced and overcame. There was no place for couch-potatoes. No place for people who weren’t willing to work for the things they wanted, or simply had to do. There’s a certain amount of allure for me, with the physical work required of the era. And frankly, when not at war, despite all the physical labors, no matter where one fell in the feudal tiers, there was a sense of community. As within every society and every culture, there were extremes on either end. Overall, however, I’d rather have a drafty old stone house and a pot over a hearth than air-conditioning and automobiles.



10) What most surprised you about writing or the romance writing community? Why?



There is a sense of community amongst romance writers. I expected some sort of divide between published authors and pre-published authors when I originally joined RWA and the chapters I’m with. It was a delightful surprise to learn that is uncommon, and that even the “biggest” names are more than willing to provide information and guidance when their schedules allow. This is vastly different than any other profession I’ve been exposed too, and an entire world different than the corporate attitudes post-college exposed me to.



11) Do you interact much with other writers and readers? Why or why not? If yes, how?



All the time. I’m active with two official critique groups and critique on an individual basis with many other authors across the nation and overseas. I’ve already mentioned my involvement with three RWA chapters locally and I’m more than willing to speak to authors’ groups as well. I also actively judge contests. Almost every author is a reader, and at least once a day, (more often usually) I’m doing interacting with authors and readers. Brainstorming, support after a round of rejections, gushing over accomplishments, cheerleading my critique partners, chatting about a book we’ve read… This is a profession to me. It’s one I love taking home from the office. I love to talk writing and I love to write.



12) Where do you most like to hang out on the web? Why?



Chuckle. I hang out in my email. I also almost always have my Twitter open.



13) If you have a pet peeve(s) about books or writing or the writing community, what would it (they) be? Why?



A generalization would be accuracy. One thing that bothers me in books I read is if an author doesn’t do his or her research appropriately and (especially in historicals) the facts presented aren’t accurate. I run into this when people put horses in their stories. There’s so much myth, so much Hollywood that the facts get skewed, or what’s possible gets skewed beyond proportion. That’s very small, very specific, but it makes me cringe when I am reviewing work or reading a novel.



14) What is your greatest strength as a writer? Your greatest weakness?



My greatest strength is that I constantly want to improve. I want to be challenged with my work, and harsh critiques don’t get under my skin. I don’t believe that any author reaches a point where they can’t get better, so I’m constantly striving to achieve that. My greatest weakness… rushing. On every book, I always have to address this in revisions.



15) What is your best childhood memory? (If you don't mind sharing. If you mind, please skip this.)



I was very, very young. I had a stuffed animal, a donkey, named Donk. And Donk had some grievous injury, perhaps a leg that was falling off or a tail. I remember sitting by my grandmother at the foot of her recliner/rocker watching her sew Donk back together. I still have Donk. He’s missing a leg again. Fixing him just isn’t quite the same as it was back then.



16) What animal (fictional or real) is most like you? Why?



Have you ever watched a cat stalk a mouse in hiding? I’d have to say cat. When there’s something I want, I throw myself into it 110%. There’s nothing I do, that I enjoy doing, that I don’t do with all of me. Like the cat who’s content to wait until it’s absolutely necessary to leave the hidey-hole, I don’t give up. Sometimes this intimidates people and that can be frustrating, depending on the environment or setting. Also, cats are very independent creatures. I am as well. Cats are smarter than people give them credit for, and they don’t put up with the stupid human antics like dogs do. If you’ve offended a cat, they are going to let you know and scold you in some fashion. In the end, they forgive. Though they never really forget. They just choose whether the offense is important enough to retain or not.



17) What do you and your husband like to do for a date? Is it the same things your heroes and heroines like to do? (I’m getting divorced and currently not dating.)

18) Please tell us about your current book(s) including a blurb, excerpt, cover, release date, and link where we can purchase them.



My first book, Seduction’s Stakes became available on October 2, 2009.



I have two others coming out in the next few months as well: All I Want For Christmas… Is Big Blue Eyes on December 4, 2009 and Timeless Valentine on January 6, 2010.



(Feel free to steal anything you want off my website on these.)



19) Do you have any appearances coming up soon where we can meet you online or in person? If so, where? Also, where can we find you on the web?



In the month of October I will be doing a booksigning at Hastings in Warrensburg, Missouri and Borders Books in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. The dates are not yet confirmed as of the time of this interview.



On the web, I’m at www.claireashgrove.com I’m also on Twitter as ClaireAshgrove, and maintain a blog on Blogspot – which is linked through my website.



20) Who is your publisher(s).



I am published with The Wild Rose Press in the Champagne line.



21) Is there anything else you'd like to share with your readers and/or fellow writers?


Absolutely do not give up. Publishing, in any fashion, is a difficult and frustrating road. You can’t become published if you quit. Be open to hearing criticism on your story. Know when it’s absolutely necessary to not bend and be true to your writing, and when it is more advantageous to your career goals to modify your work. There’s a true difference between compromising your ethics, and improving your manuscript. We all fall in love with our stories. But in the end, they are just words on the page – from an author’s perspective. Don’t love them to your detriment, as you would not (in a healthy situation) a human being. You can always find a new place for words you have to remove from one story. If you want to succeed you must be flexible, and while rejection stings, you have to be able to move beyond it. Be that with the same project or with a brand new one.

Thank you so much Claire for being my guest. I've so enjoyed having you with us today and hope you visit again often.

Recent posts you might like to read:


Ghost Hunting at a Haunted Hotel

Welcome to the Spookiest Month of the Year (+ don't burn your Ouija Board!)


People Don't Fall Out of Trees - Without Reason 

I'm Part of a Tribe 

Big Brother Is Watching You - This Means You BLOGGERS!

Are You Writing Me Into Your Book?

Dont Give Up Too Early

Must Write Must Write Must Write!!!

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook,
Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch,
Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape
are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Erotic Asphyxia

Erotic Asphyxia.

Until June 3, 2009 I never heard of "erotic asphyxia" and then in a very sad way. Perhaps I should be ashamed I haven't heard of it since I'm an erotic romance writer or perhaps I should be glad I haven't.

My condolences go out to David Carradine's family. Whatever the method and reason for his death, it is sad and regrettable.

According to SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES of ABC news, erotic asphyxia is "Also known as hypoxyphilia, the practice is a sub-category of sexual masochism that involves reducing the oxygen supply to the brain while masturbating to achieve a heightened orgasm."

She also mentioned that it is approximated that 500-1,000 people die just in the United States from this annually. "Approximated" because it is difficult to tell whether it was intended suicided, homicide, or an accident. The majority are most likely accidental.

In erotic asphyxia the airway is restricted with a noose, plastic bag, or even gas. Euphoria induced by lack of oxygen intensifies orgasm. Often men tie their penises with rope or a cord to prolong erection. There are mechanisms in place (such as a fail safe slip knot) to release the practitioner, but sometimes, they malfunction. When being practiced alone, this can be fatal.

Other names for this are "breath play" and the "choking game". Many practitioners start in childhood. It's a sexual taboo usually left unspoken.

It's extremely dangerous even when a partner is present. Partners and even the person may be unaware of other medical problems that increase the danger.

Writers have responsibilities to our readers and one is safety. When our characters engage in sex, we are often reminded by our diligent editors to make the characters use condoms. Unprotected sex is not something our industry promotes. Just the opposite.

I've just added erotic asphyxia and auto erotic asphyxiation (AEA) to my list of what not to write about. Should I choose to write about it, I shall do so with great care. I hope never to hear of another person dying from this or unsafe sex of any kind.

I didn't know when I became a writer of romance and particularly of erotic romance that I would also become a teacher. However, it is my duty to educate about associated dangers should I choose to write about inherently dangerous practices. Although we presume our readers are mature adults who will conduct further research before practicing BDSM or erotic asphyxiation, we cannot be 100% certain. Authorities fear the news of David Carradine's death will increase, not decrease, the occurence of death by erotic asphyxia.

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Does having a day job help or hurt writers?

I just read a post that asks the question, "does having a day job help or hurt writers?" The author had recently read another post asking the same thing so I'm jumping into the fray. Like anything else, it depends. It depends on what the day job is. It depends on the writer's other commitments. It depends on the writer's age and energy. When I was younger and when my job was less stressful, I wrote all the time. I'd come home from the day job and stay up till midnight and after to write. I'd do that night after night, week in, week out. I thought (maybe wrongfully so) that anybody could write if they wanted to badly enough. That was before I gained more responsibility at work, before I had such an exacting task master at work, before I had 13 other women to supervise and be a good example to. That was when I was younger. It was also before my daughter was on three softball teams concurrently and my home became the softball field. I still believe that we can find time to write (or do anything we want to) if we want to badly enough, but can we mass produce? Will our day job necessarily give us story fodder? Maybe. Maybe not. Most of our employers and co-workers would kill us, or at least fire us, if we based stories on them. Many employers would dismiss someone if they learned they were a writer, especially an erotic romance writer. Personally, a steady pay check keeps my stress level down which allows my artistic side to come out and play. When I'm not too tired. I also write a lot more in summer than the other months of the year. Why? Because in my case, DD#2 takes a break in the summer from her sports. Summer is very hot in South Florida so we play our outdoor sports during the other three seasons of the year. You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

What are you always writing?

“What are you always writing?”

I get asked this question a lot. About as much as people who ask me what my Alpha Smart is.

When I answer that I write books or romance novels, the next question is, “Are you published?” Usually I see it in their eyes that they expect a “no”. Maybe I don’t fit the image of a writer, at least not a published one. Or maybe they’ve met a lot of writers who are pre-published.

When I tell them yes, I get a number of different reactions. The one I just got was “Oh”, like she didn’t really believe me or take it seriously. This is usually when I whip out my business card and hand it to them. I suppose I should have but I didn’t this time. I think I’m going to have bookmarks made and pass them out instead of a business card with personal info. Of course that’s one more item to stuff into my purse and I have to get a container so they don’t get ruined. Bookmarks aren’t cheap, at least not ones that look professional.

The last two times I got this question my response was met with a lot more enthusiasm. One asked how many books I have published and the other asked me to teach her how to get published.

Other times the response has been, “I have a great idea for you. If you write it we’ll split the royalties 50-50.” Or “I’m going to write a book.”

I have to get over my shyness and wedge my foot into that open door and toot my horn. But I’m a writer not a talker. Now I know the best combination is to be both. My day job boss wonders how I can get tongue-tied but be able to write. There’s another writer at the day job who is even quieter than me and people have mused how she can be so good with the written word but not the spoken one. At least in my case, I’m not shy to say words in silence. By the time someone reads them I’ve had a chance to edit them until they’re perfect. Neither do I have to watch their reaction if I’ve flubbed up.

But I digress, or do I?

Once a writer becomes published, we’re suddenly thrust into the dual job of being a marketer. The more eloquent we are in the spoken word as well as the written word, the better the chance we have to succeed. At least IMHO.

Unfortunately, being pretty doesn’t count. Look at Sarah Palin. Once she opened her mouth she became a liability. Come on! Even my 13 year old knows Africa is a continent not a country.

My day job boss is big on scripts or as he calls them “talk tracts”. The more I think about this, the more I know I have to develop my own talk tracts to handle these situations even though it means stepping outside my comfort zone. Nobody else is going to sell your books but you. Not really. Not unless you have thousands of dollars to hire a good publicist (which I don’t – yet).

As a reader would you mind if a writer told you about her books if you met them unexpectedly?

As a writer, how do you handle these situations? Do you have any suggestions how to overcome shyness?

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Blogging - does it scratch the writing itch?

I don't remember who said it but I was lurking on literary agent Nathan Bransford's blog when I read it, but one editor/agent type said that they are not impressed when unpublished writers start promoting themselves pre-publication (I think he meant before they'd secured a contract). Of course, he may have been being as snarky as hell. It's a pretty snarky blog at times which is why I'm falling in love with it. Anyway, this guy said that he thinks blogging scratches the writer's itch. Another response that surprised me regarding blogging is that some of the commentors thought it would satisfy the readers' itches so that they would no longer want to buy the writers' books. (Yes, I think they mean writers in the plural). Eek! Are we writers sabotaging ourselves blogging? I don't mean writers who post most or all of their book free online and then wonder why they have low sales. Yes, I have seen a few authors do this which makes me go "huh?" and scratch my head in wonder. I have to admit I do spend time daily reading blogs - my bloggie friends as well as general blog hopping. I suppose you could say this cuts into my other reading time, time I would read a book I actually paid for. Also, although I wouldn't say that blogging "scratches my itch to write" I'm often too tired after blogging to do any of my other writing. So are blogs undermining book sales? I suppose you could say free Internet articles and stories also get in the way of sales. My teenage daughter spends hours on free fiction story sites. Hmm... Soooooooooo, while I've been blogging to attract new readers as well as new friends, have I sabotaged myself? Am I helping readers to be delinquent in buying books to read? I rather thought when I started my blog that it was a really cool way to get to know new people, to be part of the blogging community, to whet my readers' appetite for knowledge of superly stupendous exciting me. That is, before the movie of my life comes out on the big silver screen in Technicolor. So, what do you think about all this? Goody! The dogs are going bananas. That means our Chinese take out is here. Gotta run. Chinese beats blogging. :) You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Google Keyword Tool - What the hell???

I'm blog hopping tonight, one of my favorite past times. Shush, don't tell my editor as I should be writing. I'll write in a few minutes. Promise. Anyway, I surfed to Tiffany Dow's blog about Basic Good Old Traffic Advice and read an article about Ad words at Google:

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

As I'm always interested in learning new things and in growing my blog, I checked it out. First, I entered the keyword "writer" and came up with at least 40 related keywords that sound reasonable. Second, I entered the keyword "mom", which I am, too. This time, I was in for a shock. Now, as an erotic romance writer, I didn't think I shocked that easily, but I wasn't prepared for the keywords that popped up. Here's fair warning about bad language, and some downright sick phrases, so if you don't want to read bad words, don't read on. Here are some that came up: "i fucked your mom" "mom gets fucked" "mom getting fucked" "moms fucking boys" "moms fucking teens" "moms teaching teens how to fuck" "hot moms fucking" "drunk mom" "mom fucks son" "mom fucks daughter" "granny fuck" "slutty mom" It goes on and on like this. I put in the keyword "mom", not "fuck" but you'd think it was the other way around. And NO, I did not select any of those weird or sick key words or phrases. Am I the only one that thinks this is weird? I'm still trying to make sense of what is a "lens", "hub", "knol", and how to link them to my domain. Obviously, I have some study and reading time to put in. That's if I want to use my time doing this or do I prefer to do it writing stories? I guess I'll save this blog study for days my muse won't come out to play. Can it ever hurt to self-educate? I tell you what - a lot of things I learned being a writer and promoting my work - has helped me in the day job. A lot of the things we do daily as writers - blogging, editing, writing, using Word, using spreadsheets to track sales/etc., research, designing and maintaining websites, and even surfing online and shopping online, come in handy. You'd be surprised how many people I know who don't know how to save a file as a different name. Worse, many don't know how to find a file, can't remember where they saved a file (I don't mean just every now and then, but all the time), delete a file, or email a file, much less know how to do more complicated things like add, sort, merge, format, or construct a formula or a form. Even if I never sold a single book, even if I didn't derive tons of pleasure writing, I'd still be way ahead because of my writing, both personally and professionally. Here's a joke to make you laugh. It's a groaner and on the raunchy side, but funny. Never Choke in a restaurant in the South Two hillbillies walk into a bar. While having a shot of whisky, they talk about their moonshine operation. Suddenly, a woman at a nearby table, who is eating a sandwich, begins to cough. And, after a minute or so, it becomes apparent that she is in real distress. One of the hillbillies looks at her and says, 'Kin ya swallar?' The woman shakes her head no. Then he asks, 'Kin ya breathe?' The woman begins to turn blue and shakes her head no. The hillbilly walks over to the woman, lifts up her dress, yanks down her drawers and quickly gives her right butt cheek a lick with his tongue. The woman is so shocked that she has a violent spasm and the obstruction flies out of her mouth. As she begins to breathe again, the Hillbilly walks slowly back to the bar. His partner says, 'Ya know, I'd heerd of that there 'Hind Lick Maneuver' but I ain't niver seed nobody do it!' You'll want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, and Sandra Cox are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)