NaNo is over...

So I made it through NaNoWriMo yet again as a winner! Woot Woot! I wrote over 54K words, and I finished with time to spare. I'm excited about this new book, it was a great challenge to write and I feel good about how it ends. Endings are the hardest part to me of writing a book. But I did it. Whew!

I've been outside burning leaves. Boy, do we have a lot of really big trees in our yard! The burning is kind of satisfying though, so it wasn't all hard work. I do think I might have melted my running shoe a little bit because I stomped out a fire that was coming up the bank of the ditch. Oh, well!

Getting geared up for Xmas! We got our tree yesterday (thank you, Mel!) which was the earliest we've ever gotten a tree. I think Mel knew that I was down in the dumps and wanted to cheer me up. The tree looks great today and I think we'll be decorating later this afternoon. Hanukah presents from Aunt Geneva are by the tree already, but no Xmas presents. We'll see if we get anything from Santa this year. I haven't been especially good...

I did get a FitBit as an early Xmas present, and it's great. It's basically a pedometer on steroids, showing you how active you've been, how many steps, how many flights of stairs you've walked up, etc. I like it a lot, it is encouraging me to go for walks, which my body is in desperate need of.

Well, that's all for now. Trying to get done with Book 2, Eyes That Bind, of the Eyes of the Witch series. Almost done, and Book 3 will follow shortly after. It'll be called Eyes of the Witch. Catchy, huh? Off to the races!

On my way to 50K!

NaNoWriMo is kicking my butt! But I'm kicking right back. I had a dark night of the soul in which I got stuck and thought that my story was really dead, but I just took a turn and kept writing. Writing. Writing. I'm almost to 50K and I've still got more than a week to go! Woot woot!

My story is about two healers in the In Your Eyes universe. They leave the military compound to get away from classes and teaching and to get more hands on training, which they get multitudes of. Then of course they fall in love. That's what all my stories are about. Falling in love, and staying in love, too. Luce and Kaylah are my main characters, and I love them. I just wrote my first real sex scene, so this book isn't going to be for young adults so much. Writing it was a lot of fun and a real exercise in patience. Sex scenes are hard to write! But I pushed through and came out in the end with a great scene and a lot of pent up energy! If you like to read erotica, you'll love this book even more than In Your Eyes, which I kept the sex scenes very mild and vague. This one is straight out sex with lots of detail. I'm so proud of it! I maybe a little embarrassed when others read it, but you gotta let your creative (and other) juices flow to make a good story a great story. Sex between two women is like nothing else in the world, let me tell you.

So now we've got to tell the parents that they're lovers now, after assuring them for weeks that they were just friends. Then the sparks will fly! The parents aren't going to be supportive and might even kick them out of the house, I'm not sure about that yet. Anyway, I'm enjoying my adventure into novel writing and have NaNoWriMo to thank for the push to get this thing written!

NaNoWriMo Week 2, Abscess Day 7

Well, we're into the second week of Nano and it seems to be going well. I'm two days ahead of schedule in the word count department, so I feel pretty good. My story is coming along, thanks to the long sessions of brainstorming I've been doing with Mel, my partner. She's been an incredible help. She reads almost constantly and has lots of ideas for conflicts to keep things spicy. I get on a roll and just write, and it helps me to get input from her to keep me from just writing boring old love stories. ;-)

The bad news is that I've got a tooth abscess that won't heal. I've been on antibiotics for 5 days and the swelling is still so bad that they can't do anything for the tooth. It's quite terrible. I've seen the dentist and will see him again for a check-back today, but I know there will be nothing he can do. Except send me to a specialist, which I CAN'T AFFORD. Ugh. This tooth has been the worst pain of my life and I know it has eaten into my writing time. I'd planned to be really far ahead of schedule by now, but life has interceded.

More later. I've got a dentist appt to keep. Wish me luck!

6 Days to NaNoWriMo!

I can't believe it's almost here! I've been waiting, so patiently (not). I actually started outlining a story and creating characters ahead of time--something I've never done before. It's been a good practice and has gotten me excited about my storyline. I'm afraid I've got too much back story, but it's all good. I'll give it a good shot once November rolls around.

So how is the world out there? I'd love to hear your comments, about my writing, your life, your writing, your not writing, whatever! And remember there's still that chance you could win a copy of my book In Your Eyes, or it's sequel Eyes That Bind. Just leave a comment and you could win.

Love to all my readers. Thanks for visiting my blog!!

The Blank Page

Having a hard time writing these days. Went 16 days without a cigarette, and then started smoking again. I just couldn't help it. And I've got the worst case of writer's block you can't even imagine. I'm looking at two half finished stories and don't know where to go with either one of them. I'm not a writer who outlines her stories. Maybe I should be. But I'm a "pantser" - someone who flies by the seat of their pants. NaNoWriMo starts in less than a month, and I'm not sure what to do about it. Should I finish one of my ongoing stories or start something new? What would I write? Who knows?!

I'm also wondering which Region I should be a part of as a NaNoWriMo-er. Should I be a part of the NC:elsewhere group that doesn't have a region, or should I join with Raleigh-Durham or maybe Chapel Hill? They're both very close by and I'd have more of a chance to meet other writers if I joined one of those. I'm thinking Durham...

So how do you get over writer's block? You just write, they say, so that's what I'm doing now. Here I am! I hope ya'll enjoy what I write. I want to finish those two half-done books so that I'll have a real series of books going, but part of me wants to just ditch them and start fresh. There are only a few of you who've shown any interest in a series...maybe if you left me a comment on what you'd prefer?

I'm still trying to give away a free copy of IN YOUR EYES (or the sequel) to one of 10 people who leaves me a comment but I'm not getting comments. Maybe if I changed the way I write, like that would ever happen. Well, off to the drawing board (blank!) Have a happy day!

FREE BOOK!

I'm battling headaches again, but marketing away! Win a free copy of IN YOUR EYES just by leaving a comment - random drawing from the first 10 comments will win! And if you've already read IN YOUR EYES, you'll be up for a copy of the next book in the series, EYES THAT BIND! Available as an e-book or paperback. The second book is in editing stages so it should be published in the next month or so.

My headaches are a real battle right now. I can't take anything for them, so I suffer through them with an icepack and a prayer! And lots of coffee, too. :-) Had an iced mocha this morning, it was sooo good! Now I'm getting ready to work on my third book in the series, as yet unnamed. The series is called EYES OF THE WITCH, so that may be the third book's title, not sure yet.

I've been told that erotica is the way to go these days. I'm not so sure I could write erotica but I might give it a shot with NANOWRIMO this year. It's creeping up fast! NANOWRIMO is National Novel Writers Month, November, and the website has a contest every year, really challenging novel writers to write at least 50,000 words in the month of November. I've done it for three years running and have won each time. This year will be a challenge again, I'm sure. Especially if I try my hand at erotica...I can write the sex scenes just fine, I think, but the storylines are harder. Storylines, in erotica? Well, we'll have to wait and see! If I write erotica, it'll be available around Feb or March of next year, I expect.

Well, back to writing! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a comment under any of my posts to get your name entered into my drawing for a free book! Ciao for now!

Dreaming is Free

Took a nap after I got up this morning, so I had another cigarette (yes, I'm smoking again, but just for a few days-then I'll quit for real, lol). Nice long rain in the night and into the a.m. Now I need to write but I need some inspiration.

Woke up singing Blondie's "Dreamin." Which beats the songs I've been waking up to lately. Does everyone wake up with a song looping around in their mind? I always seem to have a song in my head, forcing me to sing along even if I don't want to. Blondie was my first favorite band when I was in the fourth grade, which tells you something about my age and about my state of mind, even as a young kid. I used to lie to the other kids and tell them that I knew the band Blondie and would tell them stories about their visits. I was messed up. I lived in my dreams. Then I had the realization that I could be writing down my day dreams instead of just lying in my bed making them up, and that's how I started writing. I wrote all kinds of romances on a huge heavy loud IBM typewriter, all about being the perfect young woman and having everyone being in love with me. One I remember was about John McEnroe. I'd read his biography and knew a lot about him, so I wrote about us as a couple. Him with his pancakes and Log Cabin syrup, and we'd go snowmobiling on his parents property in the winter. John McEnroe was one of my first crushes. But my first crush was Kristy McNichol. She was awesome, wasn't she? I wonder if she's ever come out as a lesbian. I had a "driver's license" that I'd made for riding my bicycle and put her picture in the corner instead of mine. A nice neighbor told me that I looked just like her and that he'd thought the picture was of me. Oh, he was a nice guy! Indulging me like that. I didn't write any romances about girls together because I had no idea at that point in my life that that was an option. But my life has changed in so many ways, as ours all have, since those young bike-riding days. We used to ride down alleys and look for rhubarb that we could steal out of people's gardens. It was one of my favorite treats - I loved sour stuff.

Anyway, I should get on with my writing. Just thought that I'd do a little reminiscing this morning. I hope you all have a wonderful day. Happy reading -- and dreaming!!

Mmmm Coffee!

Having a lovely cup 'a' joe to try to fend off another headache. I've been having headaches almost every day and it's getting old. I've tried every drug you could think of, plus caffeine, and nothing works. Oh, well! It hasn't kept me from writing! I'm working on an exciting story about Renna and Cass, and I'm loving it. Well, not really loving it. It's hard work, writing is, and I get stuck about every six or seven pages, so no, not really loving it. But loving the story! You see, there are these... nah, I can't tell you. Can't give anything away.

But I can give away copies of my first book. For those who leave a comment here on my blog page, I'm going to choose a random person to receive a free copy of IN YOUR EYES. So leave comments! If you've read IN YOUR EYES already, I'll give you a free copy of book 2, EYES THAT BIND! Now how's that for incentive? I need your input. Tell me what you thought of the first book, or what you think of this blog. It doesn't have to be long. Just give me something to work with, folks. That's all I ask.

EYES THAT BIND is a sequel to IN YOUR EYES, and it's another romping adventure for our heroine, Renna, and the love of her life, Cass. They get into some trouble along the way, but that's what  stories are all about, right? Fall in love, get in trouble. So that's the story. Or an extremely short version of it. I need to write a small synopsis of the new book for the publisher and haven't done that yet, so maybe that's what's next for me. And then back to writing book 3 (as yet unnamed).

Don't be a stranger! Check in with me and leave your comments. Don't forget my giveaway! Love to you all!

Angela

Writing, writing!

Well! Had to get up early (and hungry) and go get some labs done. Finally, all finished with the doctor stuff. Going to be looking for a new shrink because mine is going into research for a while. Dammit! Anyway, things are looking good as my partner is on vacation all this week and Monday, too. Yea!

I'm writing away on BOOK 3 of my Eyes of the Witch series. I hope everyone has enjoyed (or will enjoy) the first book, In Your Eyes. The second book will be out within the month of Sept I'm hoping. Editing is a bitch! But it'll get done, and then there will be a whole new novel out there for you to read about Cass and Renna. They're having adventures and trials like never before, and it's great.

Third book is a bit more of a challenge. Coming up with new adventures that don't just sound like the same old stuff. But it'll be GREAT. I've got some excellent ideas, if I do say so myself, and it's coming along nicely. Still just one chapter down, but with this time off I'll get lots done in the next week.

If you're reading this, please leave me some comments. I'm going to give away a signed copy (or e-copy of you'd prefer) to a random commenter so post your comments now! Book giveaway will happen when I've got at least 10 different folks to choose from, so make your mark and win a free book!

Thanks for reading!!

Hope Returns! New Book!

So I'm back at the keyboard and hope has returned! Well, at least a little bit. I'm writing like crazy and have finally finished book two of my IN YOUR EYES series. The first book is available as noted on the left of this page. Book two is yet unnamed, but I think it'll be EYES THAT BIND. I'm having some trouble writing a synopsis for this second book, so I'm taking a little break from it. Anyone out there who is a writer (or wants to be) and has suggestions as to how to write a synopsis, please comment! I'll work on my synopsis here to keep ya'll in the loop, to be sure.

In the mean time, I've been playing Skyrim and Sims3, cuddling my new kitten, and being taken care of by my dear partner, Mel. She's something else. She can read a book in one day, does math to make her sleepy at night, and puts up with my bullsh!t every day.

I'm still smoking, and guess I will be for a while. Every time I try to quit I realize that it is something that I'm just not ready to do. It's SO HARD. And right now I'm going through some depression that does not help matters. I'm not working out, but I am writing, so that's something. It may lead to more healthy habits returning to my life. Let's all hope so.

Take care and write comments if you would. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Hope

So my problem is now that I have no hope. I just realized that's what's been wrong these past few months. No job, and no pretensions for getting one. I've gained a lot of weight which I'm slowly getting used to since I can't seem to get myself to exercise. I have a lot of headaches and I'm smoking a lot which is not where I want to be. I can't sit still long enough to read or watch movies or TV.

Recently (within the past few days) I started working on my second book again. Trying to rewrite the ending because I wasn't happy with the old one. But I've got tendinitis in my right elbow so I can only write about two pages at a time. At least I'm writing.

I'd like to work on my sculpture since I seemed to have a knack for that, but again, the elbow.

Anyone else lost hope and actually found it again? I feel so lost and alone, and this blog is the only way I can work it out. Because I can't afford a therapist, lol. It all looks down from here.

This is one of the sculptures I did years ago. I don't know what has become of it but I'm sure I'll find it if we ever move! We're still trying to sell the house and move into a smaller place, but times are tough.  I'm on day 26 of my latest quit (smoking) and I'm going strong this time! Fewer cravings and urges, so maybe this one will stick!  My writing has dwindled to nothing as I attempt to quit smoking, or at least that's what I'm blaming it on. Hopefully I'll get inspired and will sit down and "just write" as we're instructed to by NANOWRIMO. So all that in one short paragraph. I hope all my readers are happy and healthy and I'll post again sooner rather than later, I promise!!

Still not smoking, woo hoo!

Today is day 9! The cravings are still there, but I'm fighting them as hard as I can. Wow, who would have thought it would be so hard! Nicotine is a drug, so it is an addiction, not a habit as so many people think. We're addicts, we smokers (not me anymore;-) and we need support and help, not criticism and looks of disgust. I was always embarrassed to have that cigarette in public, but at the same time needed to fix that craving.

It's going to be about 80* again today. Loving this spring, except that everything in my kitchen is covered in yellow pollen. Ugh! What a mess! The pool had a ring of yellow around the edge as well. Not good for house showings, but so far we don't have any for this weekend (house showings). I'm hoping we sell soon. I can't wait!

Okay, that's enough of that. Thanks for listening and for reading my post. Don't forget, if you have't tried IN YOUR EYES you can get the ebook at Amazon for just 2.99! Less than a pack of cigarettes or a gallon of gas! LOL. Okay, not funny. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Eyes-Angela-Scannell/dp/1456473018

Day 5 Not Smoking

Well, I've made it this far. After 3 days all of the nicotine is out of your system, so I'm clean! Feels pretty good, and I've made some funny friends on the chats at Quitnet. Those folks are great. Start out all down and out, and they cheer me right up!

I've decided to ditch my whole 3rd book and start over. It's all about process anyway, right? And learning. And practice. So I've learned and practiced on my 3rd book, and now I'm going to start again and get it better this time (I won't say I'll get it right, that's just too much pressure).

So I'd love to hear some comments from folks who have read IN YOUR EYES. Where are you? I know you're out there! Love y'all!

Quitting smoking sucks

So I've been trying to quit smoking for over a year now, and it isn't getting any easier. I tried to go with the patch but it didn't really help, and now I'm smoking a couple of cigs a day just to make it through. This is just wrong. It shouldn't be this hard, but it is! I'm trying so hard, and I'm going to give a few online help sites a chance to help me with this because apparently it's close to impossible to quit alone. I need some buddies.

My writing has come to a standstill as I consider rewriting my whole third novel. It isn't finished and it's getting boring, which is not what readers want, so here I go cutting it apart and starting over. What a task! My first two books went pretty smoothly, but this third one is really tough. I can't quit, or I won't be a writer anymore. I've been hearing from lots of people that the one mistake writers make is that they give up when they need to keep writing. So I need to get back on that horse.

My house is for sale and has been for quite a while. The whole buyers market thing. We have a beautiful house with an in ground freshwater pool. Who could resist that? But we've had lots of lookers but no buyers. Any day now though, I'm sure. Because it is a wonderful house and I hate to leave it, but we have to move! Send positive vibes my way if you can spare them!

Hey y'all! I've quit smoking, 8 days into the quit, and it's killing me!!! I'm having a very hard time writing because I used to use those quiet smoking times as time to think through the next scene of my book. Now I'm at a loss. But I smell much better ;-) And my lungs are happier, I'm sure.

So I'm working on the third book in the series, and it's from another person's point of view. It is a new story but takes place in Cass and Renna's world. The main character is very different from Cass or Renna, and she's a lot of fun to write. I just need a cig now and then, lol. I hope you've enjoyed IN YOUR EYES.  If you haven't read it yet...
Don't forget there's still a contest running for a free signed copy of IN YOUR EYES! Just go to Author Interview and leave a comment. Random comment will win the free copy!

Okay, back to the story. I hope to have the sequel to IN YOUR EYES out in the next month or so, though it depends on the editing process. Sometimes it takes a lot longer than you expect it to, but I'm hopeful!  Thank you readers!!

In Your Eyes Contest

Funny how my book is selling but I can't seem to give it away! There's still a contest running for a free signed copy of IN YOUR EYES! Just go to Author Interview and leave a comment. Random comment will win the free copy!

The sequel to IN YOUR EYES is on it's way, too! Just in the last bits of editing and I'll get it published! Woohoo!

Speaking of woohoo, did you catch that Duke/UNC game last night? Wow, what an eye-popper! I turned it off because it was too stressful to watch. Didn't want to see Duke lose badly to their rival, but all came out well. Amazing Austin Rivers! Apparently there was bench burning at Duke. I used to work there and used to be part of the "A-Team" which was administrators hanging around the fire making sure everyone stayed safe. Guess they weren't ready for this one!

Anyway, I'm off to do some valentine shopping today for my love of 20 years! We've been through so much together, I need to find something more special to give her -- do you think some new Levi's 501's is too unromantic? LOL. That's what she needs/wants. I got a gorgeous ring for our anniversary so I won't be expecting anything from her, except maybe a little chocolate ;-)

Back to editing. Hope everyone is happy and healthy, and not too bummed out about Duke beating UNC. It was a great game!

Sick and Tired, but editing away!

So I've finished the second book in the "Eyes of the Witch" series (IN YOUR EYES was the first book). Now I'm editing away and hoping that you'll like it as much as you did the first story of Renna and Cass. This second book adds more dimension to their relationship as well as lots more adventures and trials.

I've got the flu, or something like it, and its really hitting me hard. Hope the rest of you are healthy and happy and reading away on your Kindle! What a great invention. I love my Kindle Fire. I'm currently reading Death Comes to Pemberly by PD James. It's awesome, a great sequel to Pride & Prejudice, one of my favorites of all time.

If you haven't read IN YOUR EYES, please check it out on http://www.amazon.com/Your-Eyes-Angela-Scannell/dp/1456473018/. If you have read it, please go back and leave me a review. Much appreciated!

Coretta Scott King quote

"Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination.” ~Coretta Scott King

Excerpt from IN YOUR EYES

I could feel the electricity dancing on my tongue. I opened the window wide to let the sweet air blow on my skin and hair. There was a smile on my face for the first time in a long time. Lightning lit the sky in the distance. It would be a big storm, and a good one. ~Renna Amiru, Weather Witch

Questions, anyone?

I'm wondering if there is anyone out there with questions about the writing process, how I write, how I got published, etc? I'm looking for some good stuff to put in my blog and hope that my readers will help. What do you want to know about me? Anything you're wondering about the characters in IN YOUR EYES? Please let me know and I'll be happy to respond!  Thanks, ya'll!

Kindle Fantasies Author Interview!

Yep, I'm getting out there! Hope you'll check out my latest interview about IN YOUR EYES at http://www.kindlefantasyauthors.com/2012/01/interview-with-angela-scannell.html  The guys were great at Kindle Fantasies and fast, too! If you haven't purchased my book, now is the time to buy! I'm going to be giving 10% of all author royalties to charity -- haven't chosen which one yet, I'm doing a query on Facebook to see what my readers want the money to go. So far STOP Teenage Suicide is winning. So check out my FaceBook page, too, and answer the question if you'd like to log in your choice, or just to leave a message! My FaceBook name is Buddhangela. Hope to see you there soon!

Pumping up a dreary day

Well, its rainy and cold outside, so no jogging today, and no Zumba class, so I've got to get the energy flowing myself. I just finished writing an author interview with Kindle Fantasy so that'll get me some free and somewhat painless marketing going! I'll post as soon as the interview has been published so you can read more about me and the book I'm marketing now, IN YOUR EYES. So far I've had lots of free sample downloads, so the sales are surely on their way.

It's hard, this marketing thing. You have to Tweet and Facebook and send out letters to other places that  might be interested. It's not the kind of energy I want to be using when what I really want to do is get my sequel written and ready to publish - but it must be done! So if you haven't yet checked out my book, please do so. I had to jump through some hoops to get the paperback and ebook linked on Amazon.com but it's done now which is awesome. Not sure why they weren't linked in the first place, but anyway...

Pump it up! Time for some jazzy music, probably Pink and my faves from her albums. Did you hear she's got a new single out? I'm psyched about that, since she's been doing baby stuff and I wasn't expecting to have any new music out of her for a while. Thank goodness it isn't lullabies!

Well, off to write on my sequel. Hope all of  you have a great day planned and some wonderful weather to add to it. I'm sitting looking out the window at a gray sky. But it'll get better. Tomorrow it's supposed to warm up. Thank the Source!

IN YOUR EYES description

Renna has been a cast-off all her life because of her forbidden talents as a weather witch. She is found out by a witch who sees her black eyes- the sign that one of the realm is a witch- and is rescued after years of suffering by this passing army. Her life is forever changed. Renna's skills and abilities, instead of being a liability to her family, become an immediate asset to the army. Before she knows it she finds herself with a central role in a major mission conceived by the General - the leader of the Free Counties. To make matters more complicated, Renna is enamored by a Lieutenant who is both beautiful and charming. While studying the ways of magic in the company of new friends and true love, Renna finds that she is much more powerful and worthy than she'd ever thought possible.

Sound like a good story? I got my first review on Amazon.com and it was for 5-stars -- so check it out! You won't regret it. And stay warm - this cold is bitter and it's making me tense. Tense means difficult writing, and I'm working hard to write the sequel to IN YOUR EYES! Please comment and send me your thoughts! Love ya'll!

E-book for more than just the Kindle!

For those of you without a Kindle, my book IN YOUR EYES is available in all ebook venues, from reading it online (HTML) to the Nook! Visit Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/119278 to read more and purchase. And those of you who read my book, PLEASE leave a review. Thanks, ya'll!