I keep telling myself that I need to get over this whole Twilight thing—-you know, the books and the movies and fandom in general. I’m not the target audience . . . there’s no way I can stay excited through 4+ movies . . . this *has* to get old at some point. . . .
And then they release this:
And I just want to *SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE* until June 30th.
Seriously. An army of newborn vampires emerging from the depths of a lake?
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Love,
~Leigh~
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Stacey Jay is Back!
Okay Ya’ll,
The incredible Stacey Jay is BACK on the blog for the third time since 2009, because Miss Thang is celebrating the release of yet ANOTHER novel: MY SO-CALLED DEATH.
Stacey totally wins the award for the most frequently discussed person on my blog, because I think she may have surpassed Johnny Depp by now. It might be a tie for Tim Gunn, though.
Welcome back, Stacey!
(throws lots of glittery confetti)
ABOUT MY SO-CALLED DEATH
Just because you don't have a pulse doesn't mean you can't be perky.
One second, freshman Karen Vera's on top of the most fabulous cheer pyramid ever. The next, she's lying on the pavement with seriously unflattering cranial damage. Freakishly alive without a pulse, Karen learns that she's a genetically undead zombie.
Suddenly, Karen's non-life is an epic disaster. She's forced to attend a boarding school for the "death-challenged," her roommate is a hateful wannabe-Goth weirdo, and she's chowing down on animal brains every day to prevent rot (um, ew?). Even worse, someone is attacking students and harvesting their brains for a forbidden dark ritual. And it might be the hottest guy at DEAD High, the one who makes Karen's non-beating heart flutter!
Armed with a perky smile and killer fashion sense, it's up to Karen to track down the brain snatcher and save her fellow students from certain zombie death.
ABOUT STACEY JAY
Stacey Jay is a workaholic with three pen names, and a sick sense of humor. She loves creepies, crawlies, and of course, romance. What would a zombie novel--or any novel--be without kisses that make your toes tingle?
Stacey has been a full time writer since 2005 and can't think of anything she'd rather be doing. Her former careers include theatre performer, professional dancer, poorly paid C-movie actress, bartender, and waiter.
On to the Interview!
Me: What was the inspiration/where did you get the idea for this latest story, and when did you realize it could become a novel?
Stacey: I was writing the sequel to YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME and I started wondering what life was like for a zombie who wouldn't go back to his grave. Was there zombie school? What did they do there? MY SO CALLED DEATH grew from there.
Me: Now that you’re a seasoned author, if there is one thing you could go back and tell your “debut author” self, what would it be?
Stacey: Get it right during copy edits because people are going to get angry if you start mucking around with your words too much during the First Pass Pages--the final read through before the book gets ready for print.
Me: Good advice! I’m always looking for new ways to tackle revisions. What is your tried and true revision strategy and why does it work?
Stacey: I like to print out my revision letter and then mark things off as I address them. I go through point by point and then go back and do a full read-through to see if any of the things I've added, shifted, or deleted need to be altered to correct the "flow" of the book. It usually works...except when it doesn't. Lol. Revisions still tear me up every time. It can be hard to re-imagine a story that's already set in your head.
Me: That sounds like a good plan, because sometimes it works . . . and then it doesn’t.
Readers . . . You can visit Stacey at her home on the web: http://www.staceyjay.com
And . . . MY SO-CALLED DEATH is officially on sale. (I’ve already spotted it at my Barnes and Noble!)
You can buy it here:
Amazon: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/My-So-Called-Death-Stacey-Jay/dp/0738715433/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3
Thank you so much for stopping by, Stacey!
The incredible Stacey Jay is BACK on the blog for the third time since 2009, because Miss Thang is celebrating the release of yet ANOTHER novel: MY SO-CALLED DEATH.
Stacey totally wins the award for the most frequently discussed person on my blog, because I think she may have surpassed Johnny Depp by now. It might be a tie for Tim Gunn, though.
Welcome back, Stacey!
(throws lots of glittery confetti)
ABOUT MY SO-CALLED DEATH
Just because you don't have a pulse doesn't mean you can't be perky.
One second, freshman Karen Vera's on top of the most fabulous cheer pyramid ever. The next, she's lying on the pavement with seriously unflattering cranial damage. Freakishly alive without a pulse, Karen learns that she's a genetically undead zombie.
Suddenly, Karen's non-life is an epic disaster. She's forced to attend a boarding school for the "death-challenged," her roommate is a hateful wannabe-Goth weirdo, and she's chowing down on animal brains every day to prevent rot (um, ew?). Even worse, someone is attacking students and harvesting their brains for a forbidden dark ritual. And it might be the hottest guy at DEAD High, the one who makes Karen's non-beating heart flutter!
Armed with a perky smile and killer fashion sense, it's up to Karen to track down the brain snatcher and save her fellow students from certain zombie death.
ABOUT STACEY JAY
Stacey Jay is a workaholic with three pen names, and a sick sense of humor. She loves creepies, crawlies, and of course, romance. What would a zombie novel--or any novel--be without kisses that make your toes tingle?
Stacey has been a full time writer since 2005 and can't think of anything she'd rather be doing. Her former careers include theatre performer, professional dancer, poorly paid C-movie actress, bartender, and waiter.
On to the Interview!
Me: What was the inspiration/where did you get the idea for this latest story, and when did you realize it could become a novel?
Stacey: I was writing the sequel to YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME and I started wondering what life was like for a zombie who wouldn't go back to his grave. Was there zombie school? What did they do there? MY SO CALLED DEATH grew from there.
Me: Now that you’re a seasoned author, if there is one thing you could go back and tell your “debut author” self, what would it be?
Stacey: Get it right during copy edits because people are going to get angry if you start mucking around with your words too much during the First Pass Pages--the final read through before the book gets ready for print.
Me: Good advice! I’m always looking for new ways to tackle revisions. What is your tried and true revision strategy and why does it work?
Stacey: I like to print out my revision letter and then mark things off as I address them. I go through point by point and then go back and do a full read-through to see if any of the things I've added, shifted, or deleted need to be altered to correct the "flow" of the book. It usually works...except when it doesn't. Lol. Revisions still tear me up every time. It can be hard to re-imagine a story that's already set in your head.
Me: That sounds like a good plan, because sometimes it works . . . and then it doesn’t.
Readers . . . You can visit Stacey at her home on the web: http://www.staceyjay.com
And . . . MY SO-CALLED DEATH is officially on sale. (I’ve already spotted it at my Barnes and Noble!)
You can buy it here:
Amazon: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/My-So-Called-Death-Stacey-Jay/dp/0738715433/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3
Thank you so much for stopping by, Stacey!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Random Thoughts . . . On Spring
It’s finally spring! YaY!!!
(throws confetti)
1. We had this long, surreal, cold winter. Freezing temps (for North Carolina) and three, yes, THREE separate snowfalls. (This is especially surreal, because we’ve gone some years without a single flurry). It was too cold for me, so this 70 and 80 degree weather is just what I ordered.
2. I played golf for the first time this year on Thursday. It’s been a while . . . I don’t think I played at all last year because of my work schedule. I decided to take a day off, though, and head out with the DH to play a round. It was a great afternoon, and while I’m kind of pathetic at golf, I’m glad it’s something we both enjoy and can do together. It was pretty warm outside, though, which leads me to . . .
3. I am *so* sunburned. It started on Thursday. I wanted to even out my farmer’s tan, though (and get rid of the glove line on my left hand), so I went out for about an hour yesterday (Saturday) to read on my back deck. One hour was all it took. I’m so SPF 8 for the remainder of the season, and I’m glad vampire pale is in. It sure beats this magenta hue I have going on right now.
4. There is pollen EVERYWHERE! When you look outside, there’s this yellow haze in the air. It’s on the trees and the roads and the cars. I’m thankful I don’t have allergies. I’m sorry for those of you who do, because it’s bad, I know. We could use a good rain shower; at least everything would return to its normal color.
5. One of my favorite flowers is wisteria. I *love* them. I actually used them in my wedding because they remind me of grapes, and I was marrying an Italian-American, and, well, they’re just so darn pretty. They come with the pollen, so I’m enjoying our drives through the country right now, because the vines are everywhere.
6. We spent time with the family today coloring Easter eggs. Cheers to my brother, who just turned 24 and wins the award for the deepest, darkest eggs, because he was the only one patient enough to wait thirty minutes for the dye to take. Cheers to my grandma, who stops by every year to help us hide/find eggs. Undoubtedly, we always spend more time looking for missing eggs than anything. Today, we got to 11, and there were five missing. I don’t know how many times we circled that yard, trying to remember where they were hidden. We always get to the point where we decide that we’ll smell the egg in a few days, anyway, so it really doesn’t matter . . . but then, miraculously, all the eggs appear.
Good Times. :)
(throws confetti)
1. We had this long, surreal, cold winter. Freezing temps (for North Carolina) and three, yes, THREE separate snowfalls. (This is especially surreal, because we’ve gone some years without a single flurry). It was too cold for me, so this 70 and 80 degree weather is just what I ordered.
2. I played golf for the first time this year on Thursday. It’s been a while . . . I don’t think I played at all last year because of my work schedule. I decided to take a day off, though, and head out with the DH to play a round. It was a great afternoon, and while I’m kind of pathetic at golf, I’m glad it’s something we both enjoy and can do together. It was pretty warm outside, though, which leads me to . . .
3. I am *so* sunburned. It started on Thursday. I wanted to even out my farmer’s tan, though (and get rid of the glove line on my left hand), so I went out for about an hour yesterday (Saturday) to read on my back deck. One hour was all it took. I’m so SPF 8 for the remainder of the season, and I’m glad vampire pale is in. It sure beats this magenta hue I have going on right now.
4. There is pollen EVERYWHERE! When you look outside, there’s this yellow haze in the air. It’s on the trees and the roads and the cars. I’m thankful I don’t have allergies. I’m sorry for those of you who do, because it’s bad, I know. We could use a good rain shower; at least everything would return to its normal color.
5. One of my favorite flowers is wisteria. I *love* them. I actually used them in my wedding because they remind me of grapes, and I was marrying an Italian-American, and, well, they’re just so darn pretty. They come with the pollen, so I’m enjoying our drives through the country right now, because the vines are everywhere.
6. We spent time with the family today coloring Easter eggs. Cheers to my brother, who just turned 24 and wins the award for the deepest, darkest eggs, because he was the only one patient enough to wait thirty minutes for the dye to take. Cheers to my grandma, who stops by every year to help us hide/find eggs. Undoubtedly, we always spend more time looking for missing eggs than anything. Today, we got to 11, and there were five missing. I don’t know how many times we circled that yard, trying to remember where they were hidden. We always get to the point where we decide that we’ll smell the egg in a few days, anyway, so it really doesn’t matter . . . but then, miraculously, all the eggs appear.
Good Times. :)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Kimberly Derting is Here!
Hi Everyone!
Today I’m welcoming Kimberly Derting to the blog! Kim is a Deb/Tenner who is celebrating the release of her debut novel: THE BODY FINDER!
Sounds cool, right? Without further ado. . . .
About The Body Finder
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.
About Kimberly Derting
Kimberly lives in the Pacific Northwest, which is the ideal place to be writing anything dark or creepy...a gloomy day can set the perfect mood. She lives with her husband and their three beautiful (and often mouthy) children, who serve as an endless source of inspiration for her writing.
On to the Interview!
Me: Without giving away too many spoilers, what is your favorite part of the novel/what was the part you had the most fun writing?
Kimberly: For me, I loved writing the parts from the killer’s point of view. It was fun to get inside his head…at least for a little while.
Me: What kind of writing projects are you currently working on? Or, if you aren't working on anything new, is there a different demographic/genre you wouldn't mind tackling in the future?
Kimberly: I recently sent a new super-secret manuscript to my agent. My agent says she loves it so…*fingers crossed*. I also have notes for two more books in the The Body Finder series because I would love to spend some more time with Violet and Jay!
Me: OOOH! I love super-secret manuscripts! Finally: who is your writing hero and why?
Kimberly: Definitely Stephen King! I’ve mentioned him so much lately that I wouldn’t be surprised if I receive some sort of internet stalking restraining order from his people at some point in the near future. Seriously though, he has always had a way of pulling readers into his stories and never letting go, which is what made me want to be a writer.
I know what you mean. I’m forever talking about Sarah Dessen, and I’m afraid I’ll be told to stop. Great pick!
Readers . . . You can visit Kimberly at her home on the web: http://www.kimberlyderting.com
And . . . THE BODY FINDER is officially on sale. You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Body-Finder-Kimberly-Derting/dp/0061779814/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236005824&sr=8-1
Thank you so much for stopping by, Kimberly! Happy Debut!
Today I’m welcoming Kimberly Derting to the blog! Kim is a Deb/Tenner who is celebrating the release of her debut novel: THE BODY FINDER!
Sounds cool, right? Without further ado. . . .
About The Body Finder
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.
About Kimberly Derting
Kimberly lives in the Pacific Northwest, which is the ideal place to be writing anything dark or creepy...a gloomy day can set the perfect mood. She lives with her husband and their three beautiful (and often mouthy) children, who serve as an endless source of inspiration for her writing.
On to the Interview!
Me: Without giving away too many spoilers, what is your favorite part of the novel/what was the part you had the most fun writing?
Kimberly: For me, I loved writing the parts from the killer’s point of view. It was fun to get inside his head…at least for a little while.
Me: What kind of writing projects are you currently working on? Or, if you aren't working on anything new, is there a different demographic/genre you wouldn't mind tackling in the future?
Kimberly: I recently sent a new super-secret manuscript to my agent. My agent says she loves it so…*fingers crossed*. I also have notes for two more books in the The Body Finder series because I would love to spend some more time with Violet and Jay!
Me: OOOH! I love super-secret manuscripts! Finally: who is your writing hero and why?
Kimberly: Definitely Stephen King! I’ve mentioned him so much lately that I wouldn’t be surprised if I receive some sort of internet stalking restraining order from his people at some point in the near future. Seriously though, he has always had a way of pulling readers into his stories and never letting go, which is what made me want to be a writer.
I know what you mean. I’m forever talking about Sarah Dessen, and I’m afraid I’ll be told to stop. Great pick!
Readers . . . You can visit Kimberly at her home on the web: http://www.kimberlyderting.com
And . . . THE BODY FINDER is officially on sale. You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Body-Finder-Kimberly-Derting/dp/0061779814/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236005824&sr=8-1
Thank you so much for stopping by, Kimberly! Happy Debut!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Barbie -n- Me
I’ve had Barbies on my mind lately. Mainly because I can’t walk into a room without stepping on one . . . usually one that’s naked. If my mom hated Barbies because she was always sucking up their shoes in the vacuum cleaner . . . I hate them because they’re exhibitionists. Like I’m hosting some kind of nudist colony in my living room.
Besides that, I don’t particularly care for them anyway. I’m not sure why. Just the whole perfect body perfect guy perfect life thing.
I couldn’t even make a conscious decision to keep them out of my house, thanks to a well-intentioned family member who bought Baby Girl her first Barbie when she was two years old. Yes, I said two. Since then it’s been totally downhill, and the play room is covered with naked dolls and their clothes and their necklaces and shoes and their accessories: bicycles, cribs, and yes, even toilets.
Even though Barbie and I have a love/hate relationship (I love to hate her even if it doesn’t stop me from buying her), Barbies were a HUGE part of my life growing up. I had a Barbie Dream House (Baby Girl has a castle . . . but that’s at Grandma’s, thank God). I had a pink Barbie Corvette (Baby Girl has a remote control purple VW Bug). My Barbies had lots of clothes (Baby Girl’s . . . well, you know).
So the other day in the car, my four almost five year old baby and I were having a discussion about Barbies. Somehow we got on the subject of my favorite Barbie outfit. I didn’t have to think twice. I told her about this beautiful dress my Barbie had: it had a white shimmery top with a sweetheart neckline, and the bottom was made of this sheer/gauzy peach fabric. It was a beautiful ball gown, and I wanted one of my own.
I don’t know where this dress came from (if someone had given it to me/passed it along, whatever), but I *loved* it. “Barbie” never wore it much. I always gave it to Winnie. I don’t know if that was her real name, but she was the Barbie with LONG brown hair that almost touched the floor. I think I may have named her that because of Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years. I taught myself how to French Braid hair because of that doll.
So you can imagine my sheer and total SHOCK when I was passing through the Barbie aisle at Wal-Mart on Friday and saw this:
That Barbie, with my Favorite Dress, has been reissued. Of course, I picked it up, squealing, and said:
“Guy who I’m sorta married to but not allowed to talk about online: Do you KNOW what this is?”
Guy: “No.”
Me: “Remember the other day when I was telling Baby Girl about that Barbie dress I loved?”
Guy: “No.”
Me: “I hate you. You never listen to me. But this is IT!!! This is the dress I was talking about!”
It was a complete and total flashback: to Barbies getting ready for dates with Ken and their scarily proportioned bodies with too-large chests and non-existent waists . . . arms at uncomfortable right angles . . . standing on their tip-toes.
And Ken: with his follicle-free, muscular body and painted-on underwear. The Ideal Guy. Because really, ladies, who doesn’t want a hairless guy with painted-on panties?
And the time Ken must’ve lost a leg or a neck (you can *never* get his head back on right once it comes off) and I cut one Barbie’s hair really really short to make her a man. Because if you cut your hair off and put on a suit . . . you can be a guy, No Problem.
(sigh)
This blog has no purpose whatsoever. There is no moral of the story. I just saw something from my past that brought back a whole bunch of memories. The Barbies who have currently taken up residence in my home? They’re okay, I guess. Though I’d like them a whole lot more if they’d consider getting dressed in the morning.
That Flashback Barbie is from 1985. I was three years old. Her name? Peaches and Cream. Yeah. I know. Actually, the more I think about it, the more perfect she is for our house. It’s impossible that a girl with a name like Peaches could stay dressed for very long.
How about you? Share your Barbie tale/memories here!
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