Sheralyn Pratt's Home Page

Dreams, Pipe Cleaner People, and Duller Action Items

2012-02-27T17:04:00.002-07:00

So, last night I had a dream. I'm sure I dream every night, but I rarely remember dreams. Once a month, maybe. Usually less. So I'm always curious if there's any meaning to the dreams I do remember... and on some occasions I actually worry that there might be meaning to them.

Healthy, happy, brains intact.

For instance: Last night I dreamed that I removed my dog's brain. Then, when she started acting lethargic (you know, because her brain was no longer connected to the rest of her), I put the brain back in. When she didn't get back to normal right away, I got a cat for her to chase--which she did.

Welcome to my land of dreams... a world I don't pretend to understand. But that's why other people who think they understand them write books, right? So people like me can put my faith in them when I dream about bizarre-o stuff.

So, alarmed at what this dream might mean, I turned to the dream dictionary a former roommate gave me many moons ago and opened it to "brain." On the subject of brains it reads: "Pleasant and/or profitable news from an unexpected quarter is forecast in a brain featuring animal brains..."

Really? I don't even want to know how anyone EVER figured that out! But still, I liked it. It's better than what I was thinking. It's the kind of prediction I can get behind so today I've been focusing on things that I feel have the potential to pay off--as opposed to things I do because they're fun and maybe-might pay off. There's a difference. We all know that, and yet it doesn't make it easier to re-focus.

The "Buffalo Wing"

So today I've been making lame illustrations for one of my pet projects. And when I say lame, I mean L-A-M-E (see image). But hey, we all have our Tim Gunn "make it work" moments. I don't think Tim Gunn would be at all impressed with this solution, but it's better than nothing... maybe.

Other than pipe cleaner yoga poses, the other thing on today's menu is an edit of what I'm calling "The Avenues." This is the novella that covers the time between books 1 and 2 from Ty's perspective. The story has always been there in my head, but I was about half way through writing book 5 when one of you readers once again pointed out how smart you all are. (That's one of the things I like most about readers who are loyal to Rhea: as a rule, you are all very, very smart.) I had already been debating whether or not certain information needed to be made public or if it was fine staying in the background when I was led to a blog where someone was asking every question "The Avenues" answers. It was at that moment that I said, "You know, even if it's just for this person, it's worth it to put it out there. I'll just write it fast, not obsess over it, and make it an ebook that people can read if they choose to. No loss if they don't, but extra insight if they do."

So, that's "The Avenues." And while it did take a week or so away from "Unpleasant Grove," book 5 is still on schedule and I'm sooooo excited to get it into your hands. I hope you love the ride into book 6, which is pretty much the most fun LDS fiction can be, if you ask me.

But as for today, I'm focusing on Pipe Cleaner people and edits of a novella as I await pleasant and/or profitable news from an unexpected quarter. It's like waiting for Christmas when you don't know what day it lands on. Looking forward to it whenever... *checks watch* Seriously, any time now. :)

No. Way.

2012-02-19T02:00:00.002-07:00

If there is one thing to be said for the human body, it is that we have no idea what it is capable of. I'm in the middle of writing Rhea right now and I have to confess that she pushes herself to be quite capable but in every realm I see examples of people around us who would smoke her in a duel.

One of them is this guy. If you feel like having your mind blown, check out the video below.

Fun for Friday

2012-02-17T15:55:00.003-07:00

This stolen from FunnyorDie, author Joe Burton. Gotta share the things that make us smile :)

WHY MEN ARE SELDOM DEPRESSED

Men Are Just Happier People --
What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you,
He or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives On December 24 in 25 minutes.

NICKNAMES
· If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
· If Mike, Dave and Chuck go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.

EATING OUT
· When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and Chuck will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50.
None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
· When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
· A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
· A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
· A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
· The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337.
A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
· A woman has the last word in any argument.
· Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
· A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
· A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE
· A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
· A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
· A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash,
answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
· A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
· Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed..
· Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
· Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and
romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
· A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

Ninja Marketing Myths

2012-02-10T01:50:00.000-07:00

Hey there!

For those of you who missed the Ninja Novel Writing Convention online this past Saturday, I thought I would just post my little piece of it here for anyone who is interested. Feel free to shout out any of the many myths I missed :)

Marketing Myths Writing Ninjas Must Defy

By: Sheralyn Pratt

Ninjas, attheir cores, are rebels. They’re not up in everyone’s face about it, though.Ninjas know that in their day-to-day lives they must appear normal, even ordinary.But when certain things need to be done? They don the persona of an icon and takecare of business.

Such isnecessary for authors looking to market their books.

You’re readingthis article right now because you’re looking for a marketing plan. Maybe thisis your first time out of the gate and you’re revved up and ready to go, ormaybe you’ve been around the block a couple of times and looking for somethingnew. Either way, you’ve no doubt heard a LOT of advice and been given a lot ofto-do items.

But you’re aninja now. And ninjas don’t uphold the status quo. They take it out with a puffdart and disappear into shadow, leaving others to wonder what in the world justhappened.

Ninjasintroduce change.

Moreimportantly, ninjas don’t do things half way or give up because the task is harder than they originally planned. Once aninja accepts an assignment, success is the only acceptable outcome. That said,are you ready to become a ninja? Because it means doing things a littledifferently and never giving up. It means scrapping all the rules “specialists”give you if they don’t get you where you want to be. The fact is, to beremembered and get where you want to be, you need to introduce change. Thismeans that there are some rules you MUST break if you want to be a ninja marketer.

Here are 5of them.

MYTH #1: THINK BIG

Nearly everyfirst-time author falls into this trap because, to them, the publishing businessis still just a fantasy and it’s easy to imagine themselves as a rising star.But guess what? Ninjas don’t live and operate as if hypothetical, idealizedfutures are fated to become a reality. They operate in the here and now,focused on a goal. If it’s not relevant to the moment, a ninja probably isn’tthinking about it and neither should you!

Think ofyour task—what’s sitting right in front of you. Not a fantasy situation whereyou are carried on the shoulders of an adoring crowd. (Unless, of course, thatIS what you’re dealing with in the moment. Then by all means, ride that pony!)

But DON’Tthink big. Think NOW.

Granted, thinkingbig is good if you have big money and tons of manpower, but chances are youdon’t. I don’t know how many authors I’ve worked with that say something like,“Well, if I could just get an ad in (insert your favorite large paper’s namehere), my sales would jump!” They dream up a fantasy situation that hands themsuccess with little-to-no effort on their part and sigh with longing.

Suchfantasies are a feel-good lie. If it were that easy, everyone would be doingit.

You are anauthor. You create content that people will either value or they won’t, whichmeans your best endorsements will ALWAYS come by word of mouth. Always. (Althoughyour cover and synopsis definitely help, too.) Your goals are to:

Get people to read your book
Get them to talk about it favorably

There are asmany ways to do this as there are people on this planet, but as a ninja, youneed to take stock of your current environment and work with what you’ve got—notwhat could be. What is. The fact is that you’re small and your greatest battleswill be one on small battlegrounds in the beginning of your career. Youroverall plan for literary domination can be as big as you want it to be. Infact, your overall vision should be epic. But do NOT let your marketingapproach and investments get caught up in the emotion of your vision.

Always THINKNOW, until the day comes where thinking big ispart of your now. Then, and only then, will you know the best move to make goingforward.

MYTH #2: DO WHAT YOU LOVE, THE MONEY WILLFOLLOW

This mantrahas its place, but it’s not in marketing. Unless you’re a full-bloodednarcissist, self-promotion is one of the most uncomfortable things you will do.It just is.

So hint: ifyou’re not uncomfortable when you’re marketing, you’re not doing everything youcan.

If your bookis like having the family you always wanted and living in the house you alwaysimagined, then marketing is the job you go to everyday to make sure you canmake the mortgage payments.

In short,marketing is work. So unless you’ve mastered the Zen art of turning work intojoyous play, then chances are you’re going to have your moments of wanting tostop paddling mid-stream while marketing. Normal people do give up when thegoing gets uncomfortable.

Ninjasdon’t.

MYTH #3: AIM FOR YOUR GOALS

If you’vetaken any form of martial art, you know that when striking a nose, you don’taim for the nose. You aim six inches behind it. If you want to break a board,you don’t aim for the board. You aim behind it. Breaking the board isincidental to getting where you’re going.

There aremany ways this rule applies to ninja marketing.

Yes, youwant to “break your board” but achieving your goal is incidental to aiming somewhereelse.

The first examplethat comes to mind relates to signings. Few authors like doing unpublicizedsignings where you feel like you’re guilting passersby into buying yourbook. Still, these authors may go totheir signing and say to themselves, “I want to sell twenty books.”

Well, here’sanother hint: authors who go into a signing with the sole goal of selling Xnumber of books probably aren’t going to sell that many unless they have asolid elevator speech down and a very universal book. You know what mostauthors do who have the art of signing down? They don’t go in wanting to sell Xnumber of books. They go in trying to create X number of impressions.

· I will sign 50 people up for my newsletter.

· I will talk to 100 people.

· I’m taking 200 bookmarks and not leaving withany.

· I will learn every employee’s name on duty andleave a store copy of my book for them to read.

Things likethat—things that actually connect you with people and create an open adialogue. Things that people will remember about you and be able to talk aboutto others.

“Oh, I met that author at Costco. She wasway nice and her book sounded interesting.”

Thatstatement goes a lot further in advancing your cause than:

“Oh, I met that author at Costco one day. SOpushy! It took me like five minutes to get away from him.”

Remember, peoplerarely buy anything the first time they see it unless they are highlyincentivized by an experience or an endorsement that they trust implicitly. Onaverage, people need 7-20 exposures before they will give something a try.Remember that, and make it your goal to create as many impressions as possibleto the same target demographic. Thenthe sales will come.

MYTH #4: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

The mostdamaging lies are the ones that sound good—the ones that seem like they shouldbe true. Practice makes perfect. Sounds good, right? All your effort turninginto something perfect over time? But any ninja can tell you that practice doesnot make perfect.

Practicemakes habit.

If youpractice something wrong over and over and over, you will do it wrong verywell. And you will likely become so entrenched and invested in doing it wrongthat you will not be open to helpful directions from someone who sees yourerror. After all, you’ve put so much effort in mastering how to do it poorly.

Just becauseyou’ve always done something a certain way, doesn’t necessarily mean thatyou’re getting the best benefit out of what you’re doing. The #1 thing you cando is keep an open ear when people around you mention things they see that areproblematic. And when I say this, I’m talking mainly about outsiders who haveno emotional involvement in your book or its marketing. People who are justgoing about their day, see what you’re doing and say, “Um, based on myexperience, this might work for you.”

These arepeople to listen to.

For example,for several years I coached students who competed in the Sport Karate circuit.My specialty was forms. Yes, I did choreography but the real reason people cameto me was to get rid of the flaws in their technique that would lead to aseries of minor deductions that could potentially take them off the podium. Asa coach, I didn’t care how advanced their routine was or how many flips theydid. I cared if their kick was a kick, their punch was a punch, and whetherthey knew how to land in a stance.

Most didn’t.

They were socaught up in being flashy, that they literally couldn’t even stand correctly.If I were to hold something up in front of their punch while they were doingtheir form, they’d likely break a wrist. Many of these students were sointerested in looking cool that the basics had suffered. As a result, they werecoming to me baffled that they werelosing in competitions when they could land a 720 or do a back flip out of aball kick.

Thediagnosis was simple: they had practiced imperfectly, and now were only capableof doing very flawed forms with a whole lot of attitude and confidence.

It takes alot of humility to go back to the basics once you think they no longer apply toyou. Some of my students didn’t. They were convinced that it didn’t matter whattheir feet looked like when they landed or how solid their punch was beforethey moved into a barrel role. They saw me as a killjoy for stopping them afterthe first kick of their form, correcting them, and making them drill somethingas simple as a sidekick. I mean, c’mon! They were black belts and that waswhite belt stuff.

Needless tosay, those students didn’t have many sessions with me and went on to findcoaches that said things they wanted to hear, all the while continuing to bebaffled—claiming tournaments were rigged when they continued not to place.

I’ll bet youcan tell me what happened with the students who went back to the basics,practiced them perfectly, and created new habits, though.

Be open tocasual critiques—especially if the person making them has nothing to gain orlose by you following their advice.

MYTH #5: BE YOURSELF

Another dangerouslie, so seductive because it seems so inherently true. But tell me, are ninjas“themselves”? Do they show up to “work” in what they wear around the house?

No. Theydon’t. We all know a ninja when we see them, because we know what they wear.And when people see you, they need to know they’re seeing an author.

Embrace it:you’re an author. People WANT you to have some level of prestige and mystique.They want to remember you. They want to look at you and see something thatcompels them to read what you have written. As a rule, you are selling themfantasy—an escape. So don’t show up looking like someone who lives down thestreet. They know that story.

Embody your workin how you present yourself. Let readers see what they’re buying the momentthey see you and your set up. Let the people stop who are on your wave lengthand let those who hurry past hurry past. You don’t want to waste your time withsomeone who will politely hear you out and then run away as soon as there’s anopening because you write romance and he’s a fifty-year-old divorced man whoonly reads presidential biographies.

Let him go…with a bookmark if that’s one of your goals, but let that fish swim!

Representingyour protagonists and NOT being yourself is one of the best things you can doat a signing. After all, very few readers actually care about you, personally.No offense, but they don’t. You are a ninja to them—mysterious. The messenger. Mostpeople imagine authors are some elusive creature that sees the world in a waythey just can’t.

Embrace thelegacy authors before you have established. Build on it! Because here’s anotherhint: If you shatter or are unable to maintain that illusion, people will justassume you’re not a good author, which only makes them feel better about notgetting your book.

IN CONCLUSION:

Remember, tobe a ninja you must defy the status quo. You must live in the now and resistthe pull to live and act as if your imaginings of the future hold sway in thepresent. You must leave your comfort zone and do things that lie outside yourfantasy plan but will be highly effective in reality. You need to aim beyondthe mark of simply creating book sales to creating positive impressions, whilerealizing that doing what you’ve always done may not be the best option. Youmay need to have objective third parties take a look at your trajectory andthen listen to changes they think you should consider. And you also need torealize that being perceived as an author is more important to readers thanbeing perceived as you. Like a ninja, you need to personify what you’re aboutwhen you go to task. Leave the ordinary you at home, and go out and kick somebutt.

That’s howninjas get the job done.

Meet Up With Me Online or In Person This Weekend

2012-02-02T23:39:00.000-07:00

In case we aren't Facebook friends and you haven't heard yet, this weekend is going to be a fun one. If you have time between 1-4 pm this Saturday, meet me and dozens of other authors at the South Towne Barnes & Noble Authorpalooza (just north of the South Towne Mall, next to Target).

And just in case you're on the fence whether to come, anyone who stops by and leaves their email address will get a free Rhea Jensen tie-in novella from me in the next few weeks. And no, I won't put your email address on a spam list or anything. You'll just get the book the second it comes out :)

But say you don't live in the Salt Lake area. That's okay, because I will also be participating in the Ninja Novel Conference. If you're a writer, check it out! You will meet great people and learn a TON!

So that's what I'm doing this weekend... followed by a little UFC.

Hope to see you online or in person, and have a great weekend!

A Note on Health and Hypothyroidism

2012-01-29T18:57:00.004-07:00

**I claim no understanding of what I describe below. I have no expertise in the area of health or medicine, but I share this in case it somehow helps you.

This post has nothing to do with writing. It's a shout out to any of you out there dancing with thyroid issues. Hypothyroidism seems to run in my family. For years I’ve had the symptoms, and the past six months have felt like a slow descent into the grave--a constant exhaustion that no amount of sleep can put a dent in, the lack of desire to do anything in general, and whole bunch of other joyous symptoms.

For years I’ve asked around for solutions and treatments for hypothyroidism. People always had things they were trying, but still always said that they were dealing with symptoms. And since what people were telling me to try didn't seem to be working for them, I ultimately did nothing. Nor did I go to the doctor. I didn’t want to get on a medication to mask the symptom of whatever problem I had, and I didn’t want to go the route of cutting the thyroid out, either. I wanted to find out what was wrong and fix it. The way I see it, unless I fix it, I just pass the problem on to another generation that will either become dependent on medication to function themselves, cut it out like I hypothetically did, or be left to fix the problem that I didn’t fix.

Somewhere, deep down, I just felt like this was something I needed to fix, not treat, and that somehow I would trip over the answer.

Then, four weeks ago, my brother sent me this unsolicited email:

I know I told you most of this, but I thought I would put it in writing.

Thyroid stuff: bacteria balance in your gut, the milk intolerance is a big hint combined with a greater tolerance for yogurt. Broken down lactose is the difference between those two things, of course with other things.

http://www.wellnessresources.com/

Check the leptin and/or thyroid packs, or whatever gets your attention.

Harmons sells roasted garlic, I just learned this today and bought some. I had got their olives before. Olives contribute to a healthy gut. Garlic does too, and is a good source of selenium, which among other things takes the inactive form of Thyroid hormone and allows it to become active at a cellular level.

Avoid white flour for sure, probably go low or no gluten, low to no sugar, pay attention to your reaction to fruits if you can.

Iosol, which you have already but I got from the above link.

Most of all, happy new year.

At the time my brother sent this, I literally didn’t have the attention span to read the whole email (yes, that’s how bad things had gotten). Pressing on the link just seemed to be too much effort and some of the sentences just seemed too long to finish. But one thing caught my attention as I read through the email: don’t eat white flour, and for some reason I decided right then and right there that white flour was out and decided to cut it from my diet.

And if you want to know my reasoning for this, I can't give you any. It was an impulsive, "girl" decision that jived with other things I'd heard people say about flour being an aggravator.

The next day I realized that my impulsive decision basically meant all flour was out, based on how food is made in American, but still, I pressed on… and an amazing thing happened:

I had energy!!

The next day was even better, and after a measly 72 hours, I was starting to have glimpses of the me I used to be. Simply by not eating grain!

On day four I made some rice and absolutely crashed. After eating it I could barely make it through the rest of the night, so I woke up the next morning and cut rice as well.

It has now been four weeks since I started this experiment and I’ve only had flour once in that time. Some friends begged me to try some amazing rolls, so I did. I knew it wouldn’t be worth it, and it wasn’t, but that’s okay. I don’t think it set me back too much.

So this post is for any of you who may be where I was a month ago and dealing with similar health issues. The following are the changes I have experienced from dropping grains from my diet:

A dramatic increase in energy—as in up at least 40% and climbing. It’s a happy, happy thing.
A shifting palate. Things that used to taste good don’t anymore. I don’t pretend to understand this, nor have I heard anyone else talk about it, but it is weird to make something you’ve always thought you liked only to find it disgusting. For example, eggs taste like sulfur to me now. Don’t know what that’s about…
Increased sensitivity to rich foods. Before I just ate rich food, no problem. Now a simple Skor bar will give me a stomach ache. (Is it weird that I find that exciting?)
I feel caffeine now. This is an area where not many can relate to me, but my whole life caffeine and sugar have put me to sleep—immediately. No sugar or caffeine highs, just a crash. Give me a Mountain Dew and I’ll be on the couch asleep within five minutes. I’ve never understood this, and had many-a-health-nut test me on this reaction to caffeine. But for the first time, about five days ago, I felt what it feels like to be wired on caffeine. I drank something with a mild amount of caffeine in it before bed, only to spend the next couple of hours staring at the wall and fighting the urge to go for a run. Just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I tried some caffeine at work the next day, and voila! I was wired, my legs almost cramping from sitting all day.
In the first two weeks, I dropped 7 pounds. Definitely a step in the right direction.

Those are the five major changes within the four weeks of cutting white flour in particular, and grains in general out of my diet.

I realize this post isn’t for everyone, but if you’re like I was, walking around exhausted beyond words, are constantly gaining weight, no matter what you eat, get cold easy, get sore easy, have dry, pale skin and weakening fingernails, in addition to other symptoms of hypothyroidism, this post is for you.

Of course you need to do whatever you think is best for you when it comes to your health. I’m not here to tell you what to do if you’re happily on a medication that is working for you or you prefer to take counsel from someone with a PhD, but I can tell you this: my life has turned around and taken a change for the better in a HUGE way be doing the following:

Dropping all grains
Supplementing with iodine (I do use the Iosol my brother recommends)
Eating iron-rich foods
Supplement with trace minerals

I still don’t have a menu down for what to eat in a world where grains are off the menu (suggestions welcome). Right now my diet is pretty vegetable heavy, which is working well. If you have any ideas for me, feel free to leave them in the comment field, along with any other comments. I know that many of you prefer to email me rather than leave comments, but in this case, please leave your comment for everyone. That way your input can help someone else as well.

Here's looking forward to an energetic year! :)

Flagrant Nepotism

2012-01-10T12:26:00.003-07:00

You may have noticed that I don't like to do a lot of reviews on here. Reviews are for other sites. I read a lot, but for a couple of years I've been in this sad place where I don't read for enjoyment. I read to learn.

That being the case, it just doesn't seem fair to review books.

But music? I'm a little more comfortable there. And I'll warn you that nepotism is involved in this post. I've been going to my cousin Jon Schmidt's concerts ever since I was in double digits. Probably even younger. For as long as I can remember, he's been taking a chance on himself and his music, performing and composing almost constantly. An artist's life is not easy--especially when you have a family to support. But Jon has done so with grace, humor, and as much style as a guy in dad-jeans can.

Last year he and some friends started up a youtube channel called The Piano Guys, and that is what I'm shamelessly promoting today. Below are a couple of their videos--just a few examples of what ANY of us can achieve if we are anxiously engaged in a good cause... when we develop a skill, apply it, and share it.

Hope the vids inspire you too! They're a youtube channel totally worth subscribing to, because there's definitely more where this came from :)

My Un-Christmas Thought

2011-12-20T19:42:00.002-07:00

First off, Merry Christmas! Even though I didn’t send cards out this year showcasing how cute my dog is, know that I send you the warmest of holiday wishes nonetheless.

Yet, while many are making their lists and checking them twice, my thoughts are in a much more futile place. Rather than hunting down last minute Christmas presents, my mind is dwelling on this thought: How long is too long to wait to put two main characters together?

In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess I have an opinion on this matter: I believe in organic unions, with only rare cases where people create insurmountable ninja gauntlets to protect them from potential relationships with people they are madly in love with.

And yet, there is example after example of storytellers who fear bringing their protagonists together because they think their plot cannot survive the loss of sexual tension. Here again, I disagree. In my mind, a consummated relationship is an even stickier web than when the couple was just dancing around each other. Now they have to dance in each other’s space, not around the perimeter, and that’s a whole new game.

But clearly I am an outlier in this way of thinking, which is why I ask you my non-Christmas question: Do you think bringing couples together in TV or fiction destroys a series? There are definitely examples where it has. No doubt. But was it REALLY because the characters got together, or did the show’s producers put the characters together because they knew they were nearing the end of their ride?

What do you think, my fellow readers and writers?

How long do you like to wait before seeing two characters get together? And how long is too long? Literary, TV, and film examples of relationships done right and wrong are welcome!

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Lunar Eclipse Coming This Weekend

2011-12-05T20:28:00.004-07:00

For those of you interested in such things, this Saturday morning there will be a lunar eclipse as the moon sets in the west. It should begin about 5:45 a.m. and continue through 7:00 a.m.

If the skies are clear, this means the moon will turn totally red or gray as it passes through the earth's shadow. According to my astronomer uncle (who is the reason I know such things as this), it should be beautiful. The weather projections for Saturday right now are vague, but they say mostly sunny with some overcast.

So... if you feel like seeing the moon go red, this Saturday morning is your morning. Get your cameras ready and enjoy :)

Who's With Me?

2011-11-15T21:22:00.002-07:00

We've all seen the trailer. Some of us *clears throat* have been panting for it. I won't lie or try to be cool about it. I think the first book in The Hunger Games trilogy is one of the most perfect books ever written. I love, love, LOVE it.

And the movie looks FANTASTIC!

So it's time to start planning. I have a friend who always has Harry Potter parties for all the movies (and Harry's birthday), so I'm thinking I may need a party to celebrate what I hope will be an EPIC movie that I repeatedly watch in theaters. (Honest opinion, is overindulgent to watch it several times the first day? Just wondering.)

Five months. It hurts my heart to think of how long the wait is, but the date will come. Soon it will be 12:01 on March 23, 2012 and I will be sitting in a theater waiting for the room to go dark.

Who's with me?

Playlist: Done. Now Time for the Book

2011-11-09T21:26:00.003-07:00

The environment each writer needs to create is very personal. There's not write or wrong way to write. There's just the way that works for you. Me? I'm too ADD to write in silence. My mind and body will seek distraction.

And seeking distraction = No writing getting done.

So I need music--and not just any music. My music needs are actually very particular if I want to focus in and actually write. The music needs to set the tone for the book. It has to be very particular and match the vibe, energy, and message I'm putting onto the page. Each song has to be a triple threat in speaking for one of the characters in the book, whether that character is large or small. In that regard, having access to my playlist is about as close as you can get to having spoilers.

That said, I present you with the youtube playlist for UnPleasant Grove. If you HATE spoilers and even the smallest sneak peeks, by all means, don't click. But if you like to get a whiff of what's coming a little in advance, feel free to listen in on the music I currently have on loop, pretty much 24/7.

Thanks for reading (as always)!

"Like" Rhea on Facebook!

2011-10-23T23:44:00.004-06:00

I've finally done it: Rhea has a "Like" page on Facebook.

This is a good thing, since I'm a MUCH better Facebook-er than I am blogger. So for questions, comments, giveaways, and updates, you now have one, consolidated place you can look.

Go "Like" the Rhea Jensen Series on Facebook now and I'll see you online :)

At Last! The Playlist Starts to Reveal Itself!

2011-10-05T13:16:00.006-06:00

Yay! I'm so glad that I have at last tripped over one of the soundtrack songs for Unpleasant Grove. It beckoned me while I was scanning through channels yesterday, and it's perfect. I tested it last night and *cha-ching* we have a winner.

So if you like to listen along, here you go, Song #1 on the Unpleasant Grove Soundtrack:

And 24 hours later, I tripped over song #2 on the soundtrack--another song I had never heard before, but again, love at first "sight." Song #2 goes to Florence and the Machine:

I need more, obviously--at least four. But I can start with this. Suggestions are still welcome.

For those of you keeping up on New Solomon, this is the current playlist:

Happy listening. And my thanks to the composers and performers. Love it!

The Dish on Pottermore

2011-10-03T22:46:00.007-06:00

Okay, so some of you may have heard of Pottermore-J.K. Rowling's new website that takes you into the books. For the past few months, people from all over the world have been let onto the site in increments to act as beta testers. Happily, I am one of these people, and for those of you who have questions, here's the basic rundown:

The site is created to move you through the books--yes, ALL of them--as if you were a student at Hogwarts. Within the site are visual scenes from the book that you explore. You move through each phase just like Harry does. You get your acceptance letter, you go shopping, you get your wand, and you're sorted. After you are sorted into your house, you earn house points by participating in the site by doing things like brewing potions or winning spell duels.

For example: My wand is a Hawthorne wand with a unicorn core, 12 1/4", slightly springy, and I was sorted into Slytherin. Once you are sorted, that's it. Just like in the books, that's your house. I need to get on earning more points for my house, but I am proud (as Slytherins frequently are) that while Slytherin has the least students in its house, it is currently in the lead for house points.

As a beta tester it seems new things are added to the site regularly, so I don't know what to promise as far as interactivity. I can say that I hope it gets a little more challenging to move through the chapters. But the graphics are awesome and there are a lot of factual tidbits in there that are way fun--things that didn't make it into the books. And soon I believe there will actually be ebooks and the like. For now, though, you can learn about all the kinds of wood wands are made of. the qualities they give the wand, and also about why you got the core you did. There's more information on side characters and back stories for secondary characters.

You brew, you cast spells, and you explore the books with a click of your mouse. It's good times!

As beta testers, we're all still stuck on book 1. I have a feeling we'll be there until everyone gets on because THIS IS A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING! Seriously. It took her 17 years to write the books, but now to turn it all into a massive, interactive graphic novel where every plays a part?

Holy cow.

Anyway, this is just for those of you who may have questions. Here are answers to the main questions I had before I got on:

How soon can I get on?

I don't know that the date has been announced, but one thing you should be prepared for: you will NOT get on Pottermore the day you register for it. You will register and then wait for an owl to deliver a letter letting you known that you can log in. In my case, this literally took 6 painful weeks.

How do we pick our names?

You don't. Not really. When you register, you will be provided with about 5 options for what your name may be. This is a protection against inappropriate names that are not child friendly. You will be able to pick one of these names, and this will be your online name on the site.

Do we pick the wand, or does the wand really pick us?

The wand picks you. It does this by having you answer some questions. Your answers will decide your wand.

How will I be sorted?

Basically using a brief personality test. It asks you questions until your answers predominantly fall in one house. Some questions you can see through, others not so much. They are not typical personality questions, so some may confuse you as to how they actually sort you. You can either try to answer the questions the way you think will get you sorted how you want to be sorted, or you can follow your gut and just see where it leads. Your call. (another note about being Slytherin: one perk? Merchandise for your house is never out of stock :) I just went to the London market for a Slytherin banner. It was literally the only house banner in stock, there were a dozen of them, and they were 50% off. Lol. Gotta love it!)

Let's see, what other questions did I have?... I can't think of more, but I hope this post answers some of your burning questions! And if you plan on joining, I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts!

For more information, check out this article from the Leaky Cauldron:

The Best Moment of the Emmys Goes to...

2011-09-19T12:07:00.003-06:00

I don't know how many of you happened to catch the Emmys, but if you only see one part of it, my vote would be that this was the winning moment of the evening.

I would like to take this moment to thank these women for proving over the past couple of years that women can be funny. I love how they took this moment into their own hands :)

Enjoy!

Seeking Playlist Submissions

2011-09-03T11:49:00.004-06:00

I'm one of those authors who has to write to a playlist. There is no right and wrong way to enter your personal writing zone. Some people need complete silence or to go rent a hotel room and write in a foreign atmosphere.

I need music.

Even if it's only one song on loop, I need a playlist for sustained writing. I hear the songs the first couple times they play, but after about ten minutes, the playlist swirls into white noise and creates the ambiance and mood of what I'm writing.

I'm currently working on two books. One is the fifth Rhea book and the other is an urban fantasy novel. Both need soundtracks. The urban fantasy has one song, but Rhea has NONE (which is also why her book isn't coming along as fast as the urban fantasy novel).

The fact that I'm not finding any music for Rhea indicates to me that the music might be found outside of my usual music resources. I know that it's upbeat/acton music. There is a ton of action in book 5 in addition to other tension, so I'm looking for music that doesn't quite let you relax.

For the urban fantasy, I'm thinking video games might have the music I'm looking for. I'm looking for a contemporary-classical sound without being cheesy. Epic. Only one song has made it for sure on the list, and I think I've listened to it on loop for at least twenty hours. It's time to add a new dynamic to the mix.

So... Any suggestions for either book? :)

Current urban fantasy playlist of one:

FB Status Updates That Made Me Smile Today

2011-08-24T11:53:00.006-06:00

I hope you can read this one. True comedy is always found in poor translations.

For real?

From a friend on the East Coast (earthquake). Can we make this into a postcard? PLEASE???

How Did I Not Know About This Before?

2011-08-22T22:11:00.001-06:00

Rhea would so be into this. Not any time in the next two books, mind you, but fast forward a few years, and totally!

Ready to Believe Your Eyes?

2011-08-20T13:16:00.002-06:00

While counting down to Wendy Paul's launch party tonight, I tripped over this:

Isn't it amazing how we process things in relationship with what surrounds them, thus creating perception?

Are You Ready for Decadence?

2011-08-14T11:45:00.004-06:00

Some of you may have noticed that I'm not one of those authors who reviews other people's books. I always think it's great when other authors do it, but there's just something in me that resists when asked. It's been a long time since I read a book for enjoyment--or seen a movie, for that matter--and it just seems unfair to review books that I'm reading for technical reasons.

But there are exceptions. And one of them just happens to be cookbooks.

If you haven't yet made a Wendy Paul recipe in your home, then you've probably never made a key lime pie or rootbeer float cupcake in ten minutes. It's possible you've never laid out two dozen cupcakes in front of women who were on diets, only to watch them disappear in an hour. It's possible you've never made cookies that you sampled until you were in a sugar coma.

And if you don't pick up Wendy's new book, you may never know how absolutely amazing a cake bite can be.

I was lucky. I got to try Wendy's cake bites as far back as last December--delectable little mini-cakes that are about as big around as the circle you make when you connect your pointer finger and your thumb into a circle.

Amazing. Rich. The life of a party.

I've done more than one book signing with Wendy Paul, and I'm not sure whose books I've sold more of. As a person who doesn't like to spend time in the kitchen, Wendy won my heart with 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes. As a person with friends with various dietary needs, she gave me awesome cookie recipes for cookies for all types of diets in 101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone. And with 101 Gourmet Cake Bites for All Occasions, I know for a fact that those recipes are worth the extra time in the kitchen. I've shared Wendy's cake bites with some of the most elitist bakers I know, and without fail their eyebrows shoot up and something along the lines of "Wow!" shoots out of their mouths.

And that's why I'm giving a copy away. I know you'll love it that much. Winning is easy:

#1- Follow this blog (so I can contact you if you win)

#2-On Facebook and/or Twitter (one entry each) tweet/post "The cake bite cookbook I want the most: http://bit.ly/pEHbTc " and tag me so that I see the post.

It's that easy!

You'll notice that the link is for the book launch of 101 Gourmet Cake Bites for All Occasions, and yes, you ARE cordially invited! I'll be there. So will Wendy, and it will be a great time with great people. So feel free to get some friends together August 20th and join me at an amazing cake bite party that will get you excited to bake!

A Woman's View with Amanda Dickson

2011-08-04T16:47:00.003-06:00

I love Amanda Dickson. For those of you who live in Utah, you can listen to her on KSL talk radio every morning from 5-9.

Now that's a woman who loves her job! I think she shows up at 3:30 am, or something. I asked her once and she answered, but the answer was such a shock to my system that I have since blocked it. But it's either 3:30 am or something equally ridiculous.

Hat's off to you, Amanda.

Anyway, going on Amanda's show is always a good mental check in--and a good reminder for me that I should practice my "on air" manners more often. There's always one question--one conversation, where I wish I could rewind time and reframe how I say something.

This week I totally wish I could press rewind on several of the conversations, but they were good conversations to have. And maybe the things I said that come out wrong will actually inspire conversation... that's one way to add a silver lining, right?

One of the topics Amanda brought up an Iranian woman who pardoned the man who threw acid on her face, blinding and disfiguring her. The conversation was centered on the impact a person can have through forgiveness, both on others and themselves. During the conversation I'm kind of mean on the subject of personal injury lawyers, and the entitlement Americans feel when they experience pain that can be blamed on another. Except I don't say it that well. I'm pretty ineloquent. I kind of label personal injury lawyers as "Do you hate your neighbor? We can help!" proponents. That's what happens when I try to make points quickly... but point being this: This news story points out that she was coached to forgive the man his sentence to show the world that Iranians are good people, which kind of makes it seem political, but let's take that out of the equation.

What do you think about this form of justice? Do you agree with the decision this woman made to let her attacker walk free without punishment? Do you think the man should be punished in another way that is not so "eye for an eye"? Or do you think the original punishment was appropriate?

I ask this question with other cases in mind. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing, but there is a point where it seems appropriate to make sure criminals aren't allowed to repeat their behaviors.

I hope the comment feature on blogger is working again, because I would really love all your thoughts on this. As anyone who listens to A Woman's View this Sunday will discern, I'm still feeling this subject out, because I just don't know.

On my side, I like to forgive, but I can imagine that stance changes dramatically once you have child to protect and provide for. What I could forgive someone for doing to me, I may prosecute to the fullest extent of the law should I have a child. For example, I've had dogs bite and injure me and left the owners with only with feedback as to how to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.

But is it the right choice? To leave the instance unreported? What if that dog does bite again? A kid maybe, or another dog, or a person, and there is no record of previous violent behavior by the dog.

Did I play a role in the second attack by choosing to "forgive" and sending the message that being a non-vigilant dog owner does not have repercussions?

I've looked back on many instances in my life where I chose "forgiveness" while watching the other person's relief to avoid accountability. But did they learn anything? Did this Iranian man learn anything? Does he feel the impact of being saved the same fate he inflicted on another, or just the relief of not being punished? Will he victimize again, overtly or covertly?

At what point is punishment merited?

I don't know. That's why I'm asking.

What have you experienced when it comes to the balance of mercy and justice? When is mercy appropriate, and when do we throw the book and someone and then bury them with it? At what point are crimes protected by religious beliefs or "harmless" appetites, and at what point to values become universal?

I hope the comment feature is back up, but be sure to copy your text before you press enter so you won't lose it if blogger is being lame.

I look forward to your thoughts :)

Totally on Team Sasha

2011-07-27T23:24:00.004-06:00

From Season 1 of So You Think You Can Dance, I've been in love with the show. In my little opinion, that's what reality TV should be. It's not so much a competition as a celebration of a common love. The dancers are a tight-knit group who cheer for each other, and nearly everyone walks away with a career in the industry, based not only on the exposure they received, but on the merit of thousands upon thousands of dedicated dancing they've put in over the years.

In nearly every case, each dancer on this show has every reason to have a career in dance.

It's awesome.

Even better? Each year the dancers seem to be a step up from the year before. It's kind of freaky, really.

I've had made favorite this year, as she's made it thus far in the competition. She may not be the most technically superior dancer, but she moves as if she can't help but dance and I LOVE watching her. She just can't help but dance, and it makes some part of me very, very happy to watch.

So here's me sending my vote into the universe for Sasha. And if you don't watch So You Think You Can Dance, I totally, totally recommend it.

Feel free to check out some of Sasha's performances below as a sampler, and watch other performances on Fox.com or youtube. SO worth it!

Harry Potter 7, Part 2. Quick Review

2011-07-15T11:37:00.004-06:00

To a true Harry Potter fan, no review really means much. We will see the movies anyway, give them every benefit of the doubt, and count down the days to J.K. Rowling's new web site.

But since I'm being asked/texted, I'll put some quick thoughts here on the final movie.

I give it 3 stars out of 4... 3 1/2 if you infuse the movie with all you know from the books.

The reason for the loss of star (I totally give part 1 4 stars)? There's a return to stilted, non-acting. Everything feels rushed, but not in a get-your-heart-beating way. In an include-it-all way. The emotions and characters are very flat. Harry portrays intensity by mouth breathing, he and Ginny seem more distant than ever, the only way you know Ron and Hermione are in love is from the books. (You need a little more than obligatory hand holding and one abrupt kiss. There should be chemistry! You know, like there was in Part 1?)

The adult cast delivers, but no one really gets much screen time. I actually wonder if people who haven't read the books leave the theater confused on several levels. Several details are included without being explained. I would think they would leave people without the back story saying, "Huh?"--which, by the way, I'm totally fine with (because everyone seeing these movies should read these books). I'm glad the details are included, but it all seems quite obligatory.

Passionless. The movie really is that on most levels. The chemistry between characters is passionless, and even 99% of the death eaters seem somewhat blase about taking over the world.

But really what hurts this film (for me) is that the director is over his head in the action scenes. He doesn't know what to film and what not to film. Knock Michael Bay all you like, but when you compare the HP magical fighting to Michael Bay's muggles fighting in the recent Transformers movie, the gaping chasm of quality is a bit sad. I'd explain, but that seems spoilery. Needless to say, you're never really worried that Hogwarts will fall before Harry gets what he needs, and the loss of key characters is not something we're part of or are made to feel. We have to lean on the books for that.

So yeah. Those are my quick thoughts. And I probably would have forgiven it all if Rupert Grint and Emma Watson could have pulled some chemistry, or even some eye contact, out of their hats and made me believe they wanted to live through it all to be together. And I would give it 4+ stars if Daniel Radcliffe would stop mouth breathing to try to raise the intensity of a scene and learn how to do a reaction shot that actually moves through a thought process, not just the sustained single expression someone told him to do.

"Stand here. Look there. Try to smile like you're happy."

"Stand here. Look there. Look serious."

"Stand here. Look there. Be awkward."

Etc.

Fix those two things and I'd forgive the emotionless action scenes as a bonus and decree this movie epic.

The books are epic. One of the movies was on par. This one fell a bit behind.

There you have it. My brief thoughts on HP Part 2.

See it. It's worth it. And let me know what you thought! I'm going to a total nerd party on Saturday where I'm sure we'll talk about it for hours. I'm sure I will meet many who would have me burn for these thoughts, but they are what they are. I wanted more from the movie. More heart. But hopefully by telling you all this and lowering expectations, you'll go in and absolutely LOVE it.

Because chances are, you will LOVE IT!

Hope you enjoy!

What Conspiracy Theorists Taught Me: Patriotic Edition

2011-07-03T22:42:00.013-06:00

One of the joys or being a writer is the research. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. I love it! "Facts" are so often presented through a single lens, but when you start focusing in on a subject or question, that little extra ounce of focus starts opening the doors to non-traditional perspectives.

So since it's the 4th of July, I thought I would write about the very thing we pledge our allegiance to: the flag.

Huh. As I write that, it sounds weird... We pledge allegiance to cloth, not our country, leaders, or even the Constitution. But that's not what I'm writing about... or maybe it is... you tell me.

So today's post focuses on conspiracy theories surrounding our flag. But to understand the conspiracy, you need to be made aware that there is more than one flag. One is a peace-time, civil flag, and the other a martial flag used during times of war, occupation, and martial law.

The martial flag looks like this:

Pretty familiar, right? The second flag, or non-martial/civil flag looks like this:

Descriptions of this flag being displayed can be found in older literature, like the Scarlet Letter and the design is currently implemented in both the designs for US customs and the Coast Guard in designs like this:

Once you know what to look for, doing the research is easy enough. Once can start by simply googling "American flag" and "American civil flag." The civil flag, designed in 1799 by Oliver Wolcott Jr., was supposed to serve as a signal--largely on ships-- to differentiate between military and civilian vessels, in order to protect civilian vessels from being fired upon. This flag was allegedly used regularly up until the Civil War. Once war was declared, martial flags were raised. And since that day, no one has ever taken the military flags down and raised peace-time/civilian flags in their place.

So to bring this to modern times, if this civil/martial flag thing were still in effect, commercial airlines, cruise ships, civilian yachts, and anything transporting civilians would prominently display the civil flag to communicate that they come in peace, while jet fighters, battleships, and anything transporting military would bear the "we've got guns" flag so that citizens of any country and other military operations would be clear on what they were dealing with.

The conspiracy theory? Well, I probably don't have to spell out how conspiracy theorists interpret the permanent retirement of a "We come in peace" flag and replacing it with our war-time, military flag. Nor does it probably need explanation of what they think about a pledge of allegiance being written for every civilian to learn, memorize, and repeat whenever the military flag is raised. ESPECIALLY when images like this are available from the time the pledge was instituted by Congress (source: wikipedia, which is also a great place to research the Bellamy salute--especially if you find this image incendiary):

Last, it also probably doesn't need description as to what they might think about the military flag being stamped onto every commercial ship and craft that leaves our nation's boundaries.

And all this is just the beginning of the rabbit hole surrounding this underground controversy. Because if there's one thing governments and militaries don't take lightly, it's the emblems that identify them. And the fact is that they still are using the civil flag in areas of government where it's appropriate. I saw the civil flag when I drove through customs at the Canadian border a few years back and was totally confused by the flag. I thought it odd that on the border of my own country they had the wrong flag on the uniforms. But like most Americans, I just shrugged and got on with my drive.

Now, years later, it turns out those customs agents wore a different emblem for a reason. The government hasn't forgotten the flag, or its meaning. It just doesn't raise them, manufacture them, or advertise their history anymore.

Isn't research fun?

Right there--right in that very premise--is a book. I probably won't write it, but still, this is why I love research. You never know when little nuggets like this will come in handy :)

The Things You Stumble Across While Researching....

2011-06-16T21:51:00.004-06:00

Is it just me, or does the U.S.S. Enterprise look remarkably similar to the astrological symbol of the planet Uranus?

What do you think? Happy accident, or totally planned?

And the Tony Goes to:

2011-06-14T22:16:00.003-06:00

One thing is certain: The words "The Book of Mormon" have never been spoken so frequently in New York and with such enthusiasm. The musical by that name was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and took home 9 of them, including Best Musical. Tickets range from $157-$477 if you want to see it live.

Think about it: That's basically $1,000 for a night on Broadway so you be one of the "in" people who has seen the Book of Mormon.

How many of us saw that coming? And I can't help but wonder if they give you a complimentary Book of Mormon with your program. After the show, I'm sure most people would take a look through it.

But joking aside, I know there are strong feelings regarding this musical. LDS people I know range from highly offended to eager to see it. As far as I know, I don't know anyone who has seen it, although I know some who have tried, so I have no first-hand reviews. Just the interviews I've seen online and this Tony performance. For those of you who missed it (and are remotely curious), here it is.

What are your thoughts are the current #1 show on Broadway?

Oh, yeah. They're lying...

2011-06-09T00:28:00.006-06:00

Ever watch "Lie to Me"? The show is basically built on screen shots like this:

It's stunning to me how our unconscious, nonverbal communication is so consistent. Certain emotions evoke certain expressions--almost universally. I wish they taught college courses on it. I know I'd sign up.

Body language. I love it. Pictures like this make me want to pay more attention to it... starting tomorrow :D

When it comes to body language, what have you noticed is a universal "tell" into what a person is really thinking/feeling?

Penalties for Pennies?

2011-06-07T13:45:00.003-06:00

It's always interesting to see what local news becomes national, and this story totally caught my eye in the Yahoo! news feed:

Penny offense: Man fined for paying fee in pennies

By Claudine Zap

No lucky pennies here: Police have charged Jason West, an aggrieved medical patient in Vernal, Utah, withdisorderly conduct. His alleged crime? Attempting to pay a disputed medical bill of $25 entirely in pennies.

The story, reported in the Salt Lake City Deseret News, describes the "penny offense" this way: West, 38, did not believe he owed the medical clinic $25 but came in to pay the fee in person. He first asked the clinic staff if the facility accepted cash payments, and then dumped 2,500 pennies onto the counter and demanded that they be counted.

But West apparently hadn't counted on the clinic calling the police; the arresting officer contended that West's protest served "no legitimate purpose." The charge carries a fine that can go as high as $140--and there's no word as yet on what currency West will use to pay it.

West isn't alone in the ranks of penny protesters. A wise guy in Frederick, Maryland, showed up at the county clerk's office last summer with bags of cash to pay off his tax bill with $966.86 in change.

And a New Jersey school district a few years back punished 29 students who paid for their $2 school lunches in pennies--possibly as a prank--with two-day detentions. After parents protested, the students were pardoned. The school explained that the use of the small change slowed down the lunch line.

Thoughts? Raise your hand if you would call the police if a customer paid in pennies.

Different Approaches

2011-05-25T14:06:00.005-06:00

They say that every story has been told and all we can do is find new ways to tell old favorites. They same the same about music. Every chord progression and every rhythm combination has been done and we just keep repackaging them as something new.

What do you think? True?

Either way, I do enjoy different deliveries of the same material. It stimulates a part of my brain that spends most of its time in lethargic slumber. My recent favorite of different deliveries of the same song is the reason for this blog.

Do you have a favorite? I think it goes unsaid which of these is my favorite, and why.

Brilliant. Simply brilliant :)

Sneak Peek!

2011-05-21T16:16:00.007-06:00

I imagine many of you have seen these pictures, but EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! I had to post them anyway.

I SO want this movie to rock. I want it to be beyond ridiculously amazing. I want to cry. I want to be inspired. In other words, I want it to be the anti-Twilight ;P

Who out there is with me? Because I know I can't be alone in counting down the days. I may even need to have a Hunger Games party the night it comes out before going to the midnight showing.

Who's in? :)

Traveling Summer

2011-05-12T12:39:00.000-06:00

This winter has been a KILLER. Cold and dragging on FOREVER. I mean, it's driven me to write in all caps, if that's any indication of how intolerable it's been.

The good thing about such weather? It has gifted me with the desire to travel--all summer long. I want to head up to the Pacific northwest as well as east, so I can see areas I've previously only viewed from an airplane window.

Can't wait!

And in order to help me schedule this, I'm going to put up polls listing independent book stores in the area that I could visit and do signings at. If you'd love for me to come to your area, just pick the book store nearest you. If none of them are near you, feel free to offer me suggestions as well. These are just independents I know for certain carry/can order in my book.

So vote away, and I hope our paths cross soon!

FREE Publishing Law/Book Contract Seminar

2011-05-06T21:37:00.002-06:00

Someone just sent this to me and I thought I would pass the word along to all you who may be interested:

FREE!

Utah Lawyers for the Arts, in cooperation with the Salt Lake Art Center, presents:

PUBLISHING LAW AND BOOK CONTRACTS

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1 - 4 p.m.

SALT LAKE ART CENTER

20 So. West Temple

Learn about book contracts, how they protect you, and how they donʼt. What rights do you need to write about someone and to use othersʼ writings, photographs and other images? When do you have to worry about getting sued?

Books and the future of the publishing industry
What you can expect in a book contract and what you can negotiate
Copyright, permissions, fair use, trademark
Ghostwriting and works for hire
Defamation
Street law: law for life

Speakers:

William J. Evans, shareholder, Parsons Behle & Latimer

Susan Vogel, former shareholder, Jones Waldo, Holbrook & McDonough, owner, Pince-Nez Press

Bill Evans practices in the areas of general litigation, copyrights and entertainment law. Mr. Evansʼ copyright and entertainment law practice evolved from his interest and professional experience in music composition and production. He is a past assistant conductor of the University of Utah Orchestra and Snowbird Arts Festival Orchestra, and has composed and recorded music for records, films and a number of award winning television and radio commercials. In his legal practice, Mr. Evans has represented authors, publishers, composers, recording artists, photographers, visual artists, screenwriters and filmmakers in a variety of transactional settings and in litigation before the United States Copyright Office and in the state and federal courts.

Susan Vogel is the owner of a small independent press founded in San Francisco in 1995.

This event is free and generously hosted by the Salt Lake Art Center. Take TRAX to the Temple Square Station, or park (fee) at the Marriott across the street.

Utah Lawyers for the Arts • P.O. Box 58562 SLC, UT 84158 • 801.461.3314 • www.utahlawyersforthearts.org

Love This Quote!

2011-05-03T22:56:00.003-06:00

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."

-Calvin Coolidge

30th President of the United States

WTF Friday Rant

2011-04-29T18:07:00.006-06:00

Before I begin my Freaky Friday rant, I invite you to look at the postcard below (with the piece of licorice strategically masking my address) and guess what is on the other side of the paper. Just guess. Go hog wild.

And while you consider that, did you know that it is literally against the law for you to request that your own body be tested for something as simple as an allergy without a doctor's permission? To request that your body be tested for say, oh, a peanut allergy without a doctor signature is considered an attempt to practice medicine without a license.

Really?

I found all this out today because I've been wondering lately if I have some allergies I'm not aware of. As far as I know, the only thing I'm allergic to is pumpkin pie (bizarre, I know--but very true). So I called a place today to ask about testing. No one answered, so I dropped in on the way home from work and asked one simple question: "Do you allow self pays to do allergy testing?"

The answer was a condescending lecture on how I was unqualified and incompetent to test my own body for anything. Even (and, heck, maybe most especially) an allergy panel.

Now some of you are saying, "Well, duh, Sheralyn. If you want to be tested for something you go to a doctor and they order the labs. That's just how it is." And sure, when it comes to insurance issues, that makes sense. Thou shalt see all the middle men possible as far as they're concerned. But as a self pay, if I want to see if I'm allergic to grass or wheat, why should I have to pay $100-$200 to walk into a doctor's office, tell them I want the test, and have them check a box on a piece of paper so I can then go to the exact same place to get the same test and the same results? In this situation, the doctor won't do a thing except perhaps suggest more tests (ones that will cover his butt for anything serious that might be wrong so I can't come back and sue him later), and possibly suggest that what my body really needs is Prozac.

If anything insurance companies should smile on self paying people receiving diagnoses while uninsured. This makes the test results a "preexisting condition," and means they don't have to insure it. But I'm sure they see it differently.

I expect the majority of people disagree with me on health care issues, but this just seems so silly to me. Your body cannot be tested for anything at your own request, yet employers can demand it be tested for drugs and they don't need a doctor's signature. Why not? The same labs that claim only a doctor can authorize tests are the same ones who hire their services out to companies for drug testing.

Just sayin'. And before this turns into a rant, I'll quickly return to the original subject.

My postcard. Did you guess what is on the other side? Here it is again, in case you need a second look:

I'm sure you guessed it this time, which means you know that I am now the proud recipient of a freakin' Salt Lake County business license. Their watermark: Diverse Salt Lake County. Because, yes, Salt Lake County is renowned for its diversity.

But a postcard? COME ON! How am I supposed to take them seriously? It's like this should be a temporary thing to make me legit until I can get the real deal.

But no. Business licenses come on postcards now, ya'll. I guess that says something about the proliferation of small businesses. And a year from now I get to pay them another $200 dollars and they'll send me another postcard to frame and call my very own.

All I can say is that today has been a weird day all around... I'm kind of okay with falling asleep tonight and letting tomorrow be a brand new day.

Poor Backcountry.com

2011-04-28T23:13:00.005-06:00

As a PR person, emails like the one below have a special place in my heart, so I thought I would share it. I'd give it an introduction, but it really speaks for itself. May it make you happy that you didn't wake up to the hate mail that probably preceded this mass apology letter:

Dear Sheralyn,

We messed up. Yesterday, as the people of Alabama dealt with the devastating aftermath of an intensely damaging and life-taking tornado, we neglected to put a stop to the distribution of an email with the header: "Mother Nature hates you. Deal with it." This was extremely insensitive and offensive, and we are so sorry.

Please accept our sincerest apologies for this mistake. What was intended to be witty marketing copy may have been when we wrote these words two weeks ago, but in light of current events and the suffering of people affected by Mother Nature's wrath, it is not only not witty, it is completely unacceptable.

We at Backcountry.com send our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to everyone now faced with rebuilding their homes and their communities. And again, we extend our sincerest apologies for our lack of foresight and our complete insensitivity in sending yesterday's email.

Sincerely,
Jill Layfield
CEO
Backcountry.com

Harry Potter 7, Part 2. Who's Amped?

2011-04-27T22:16:00.003-06:00

Warner Brothers released a new HP trailer today. It just warms my heart, and I had to share it.

Enjoy!

What are You Reading?

2011-04-22T17:35:00.003-06:00

I've been in a reading slump for a while. I think it came from a year of working with books while writing books at night. Pure over saturation.

But I still like books. I do. I promise. And as books become more and more appealing, I know that I must be careful about what I choose, and at first only pick books I will enjoy. That is why my next YA book will be "Guardians of the Hidden Scepter," by Frank Cole. I saw it in Costco the other day next to the Beyonders. And while I know I want to read Beyonders as well, I just like Frank Cole.

For those of you who have never heard of him, Cole is the author of the Hashbrown Winters juvenile series, and the thing I like about his style is that he's unapologetic in exaggerating. He remembers what it's like to be a kid, when everything was bigger than life and little things were HUGE deals. I remember reading a review before I picked up his first book that compared Hashbrown to Bill Cosby's stylings with the Fat Albert stories and other monologues. The reviewer hit that right on.

I'm not sure Guardians of the Hidden Scepter reads like Hashbrown since it's for a teen audience, but as I come out of my reading funk, I have high hopes that Frank Cole won't send me back into that dark place where I don't want to read anymore.

What about you? What are you reading right now that you really, REALLY like?

Nook or Kindle?

2011-04-18T20:33:00.003-06:00

Okay all you e-reading people out there, I *think* I'll be heading into e-reader land in the near future. There will still be some books that I will physically buy, but I'm thinking of taking the dive.

This begs the question: which brand is better? Amazon or Nook?

On principle I like Nook better. They pay the publishers and authors more, which is almost enough to get me to decide right there, but I'm curious about book availability, user friendliness, durability and all that fun stuff of both brands. And since I'm not interested in the Nook Color, that puts Nook and Kindle on a somewhat even playing field.

Since I've worked for B&N I clearly know more about the Nook. Some of the perks I like is that you can loan books to other Nook owners, check books out of the library, and go to a store if you have any issues with the device that you need help with. Does Kindle allow for sharing and checking out books? And how is the customer service?

Those are just some basic questions, but all input is very welcome.

Thanks!

Why I Love My Neighborhood

2011-04-15T16:34:00.003-06:00

I move a lot. No one writes down my address in pen, and that's how it's always been. Some people find consistency and routine comforting. To me, they feel like a paralyzing trap--even when I've found the coolest neighborhood to live in. EVER.

It'll be kind of a bummer to move. And to those of you who are saying, "Well, then don't move!" all I can say is that based on the tightness in my chest and the progressively intense grinding of my teeth at night, the time has come.

The good news is that on some levels ANY neighborhood could be my neighborhood--especially when it comes to emergency preparedness. In that department my neighborhood lands in the "Rock Star" category...which I just made up, so don't try googling the term.

And let me immediately make it clear that I do not live around survivalists who are waiting for doomsday while clinging to shotguns. They're just families and grandparents who like to have BBQs and be neighborly while realizing that they live in an earthquake zone that is more than a century overdue for some serious shaking. And should disaster strike?

There is one leader for every 7 houses in my neighborhood, and that leader has 2 sub-captains. Every house knows who their leader is and that should report to them in case of emergency. The leaders have shortwave radios to communicate with and are CERT certified. They make sure their 7 houses have the emergency flags and are instructed on when/how to use them. They also encourage all families have secondary meeting locations in case they are separated in the event of an emergency.

If this isn't enough, one man in the neighborhood has a backhoe, just in case, and certain teens who are highly athletic are designated as "runners" should car travel not be possible. 72-hour kits are standard for each household member, and in addition to the leaders, nearly 50 of the adults living along the 8 streets in our area are CERT certified. Parents of children have certified so that they will be able to get their children in the case that they are separated at the time of an earthquake. Most parents don't know that if an area's roped off, emergency workers aren't going to let them in just because their child is on the other side. Only trained personnel can pass, which includes CERT.

(Overt hint to ALL parents: Get CERT certified. There's absolutely no down side and many of city areas in Utah provide the training for free.)

Be surrounded by this level of preparation will be one of the things I lose when I move. I know, because I've lived in a LOT of areas, and none of them touch the quiet, unassuming neighborhood I reside in now.

*sigh*

It's been nice, though. And hopefully I'll take some of the good along with me to the next place. We all should. Waiting for FEMA in the event of an emergency should be non one's game plan. If it is, see above for some excellent ways to revise it :)

LDS StoryMakers: What do you want to learn?

2011-04-13T17:14:00.004-06:00

Last year I attended LDS StoryMakers thinking it would be a cute, local convention. A fun "ra-ra" and gathering of local talent.

I came away highly impressed. The classes were first rate and the information on par with what was presented at BEA a few weeks later.

This year I get to be a presenter. My topic is: Your Marketing Web, and I'm currently putting together the PowerPoint for what will be a very fun class. The class won't be that long, but I wanted to open the floor to requests on subjects that are on your mind right now that I can potentially answer for you regarding marketing plans.

And in case you want to be in my class, I'm teaching on Saturday, although I'm not sure what time. It'll be fun, though, and I'll make sure you walk away empowered and focused :)

March Madness Winners!!!

2011-04-05T20:12:00.004-06:00

Thank you all for participating in my March Madness... and for patiently waiting until April 5th to learn who the winners are. Five days. I mean, come on! What took me so long?

So, without further ado, let's announce the souls whose reading habits will be supported by yours truly.

The winners are:

Most reviews posted: Chris (YAY! Congrats and thanks!)

And after a truly fierce game of eenie-meenie-miney-moe--no, kidding. I printed out all your names into hundreds of pieces of confetti and then forced someone else to pick a name, so I could ensure there was absolutely NO favoritism in the choosing of the winner.

And the random winner, chosen by a random person from a fully random dish someone bought for me at DI, is: Mindy.

Double YAY!

Congratulations to you both. Email me and let me know if you want you gift cards to be for Barnes & Noble or Amazon, and if you want a real gift card or an e-card.

So many choices, I know. Life's hard :)

What Acting Taught Me About Writing

2011-03-31T21:43:00.002-06:00

Some say that writers see the world differently, which I think is a little misleading. It implies that a writer was born with some insight, some secret view to the world that readers of the world don’t share.

Then again, I agree with the saying because I think that the more you seek to write well, the more changed you become. And as you seek to grow in writing, you are forced to look at things differently.

A writing lesson I’m glad to continuously relearn is one I first learned when I had dreams of Broadway. Yes, once upon a time I liked to act. And like most people, initially I sucked at acting. My instructors always casted me way against my type, and my performances were always more than a little stilted until I learned one huge lesson:

You can’t portray someone if you’re judging them.

If you don’t accept your character’s motives and project them, no one will believe your acting from fifty rows back. To get on stage or in front of a camera and really make people believe you are someone, you have remove your judgments on who you think they should be, and just let them be. You are the canvas. They are the paint. And for that time you are portraying that character, everyone should sense their motivations and goals through you with absolutely no apology for them.

That’s acting.

The same goes for writing a character: If you judge the character, you can’t write him/her well.

Then again, if you don’t judge the character and proactively filter out some of their less redeeming qualities to make them more palatable, people may judge you. To understand that possibility and write their story anyway? That takes guts.

After all, most readers assume that books and characters are autobiographical. If your character does something, readers will assume you have, too. And how many writers have readers come up and tell them, “I pictured you as the main character the whole time”?

People judge you based on what you write. It’s an undeniable fact. So it only makes sense for an author to pre-judge characters to make sure they pass the snuff of representing them on paper before digging into the commitment of writing on the character’s behalf.

Back to the point of those who say writers see the world differently, it does take a rare person to tell the story of someone they disagree with—to look into a soul and see why it is the way it is to such a level that everyone who reads what is told from that character’s perspective assumes the author is similarly minded.

Just like an actor has to go on stage and represent their character like the true hero of the script—even if they’re the "bad guy"—a story rises in its potential when the author lets a character walk and talk and think authentically, with no judgment from the teller of their story.

Moving into a judgment-free zone is not a task for all writers (or actors, really). Some have no aspirations to do this at all. They are content to portray people like them as the good guys and people they cannot relate to as two-dimensional bad guys. This requires little imagination and no growth for either the reader or the writer.

But to those out there looking to see the world a little differently, I have this challenge: If you wish to grow in the craft, write about someone you don’t understand. Tell their story—even if you never choose show it to a soul. Don’t apologize for the character’s behavior, but seek the why of it. Make every character a hero in their own eyes, define how their goals influence their actions. Are the bad guy’s goals really any different than your hero’s? In the end, do they really want the same thing? Opposite things? If opposite, why?

It’s an amazing and fascinating process. And after a person does this a few times—any person—I really do believe they begin to see the world differently.

Neck-and-Neck

2011-03-28T18:05:00.001-06:00

Just a head's up: Chris and Debbie, there's a one-point spread between you. Not going to say who's in the lead, but thought I would throw that out there while there's still a few days left...

The rest of you, keep rocking it! It's still anyone's game :)

March $$$ Madness

2011-03-16T20:50:00.008-06:00

As I sit here using my psychic abilities to fill out the NCAA bracket, I just can't help but notice that I'm not exactly going mad over this whole tournament. I never have, and it seems very un-festive to me.

My March has no "madness" in it... and I kind of want there to be a little. So I thought and I thought about how I could be wild and crazy this March. And this is what I came up with:

Starting TODAY and ending the last day of this month, I'm going to hold a contest. In this contest there will be two, yes TWO, winners. Each winner will receive a $25 gift card to either B&N or Amazon to support your reading habit :)

How do you win, you ask?

Well, since you asked so politely, I shall answer. You see, my invisible buddy who tells me stories (i.e. Rhea) needs some reviews out there in internet land. We're talking on Amazon, B&N, Borders, Goodreads, blogs, Shelfari... wherever.

You see, just the other day I was in the book store trying to choose between three books on the same subject, and guess what I did? I pulled up their profiles on Amazon and read several reviews on each book. Those reviews guided me to the books I finally purchased.

Reviews matter.

For this reason, our dear Rhea needs reviews out there so people can get a feel of whether or not it's the book they're looking for, based on your honest reviews.

So here are the rules:

* Every review gives you one entry

* Each book counts separately (e.g., if you review all 4 books on goodreads, you get one entry for each separate review link)

* You can re-post the same reviews on multiple sites to rack up the points

* Previously published reviews posted prior to the this announcement are eligible (blog reviews or site)

* You must include a link to each review to get a point

* There are no deductions for not giving it every star possible

* If you know me personally, you are still eligible--same goes if you don't know me

* Easy points include being a follower of this blog (+1), follow on Twitter (+1), tweeting about this (+1), and/or pimping this with a link on an FB status update (+1). That's potentially four easy entries right there on TOP of your review entries :)

As mentioned before there will be TWO winners:

Winner #1 will be the ambitious soul who posts the most reviews, over and above everyone else

Winner #2 will be drawn by random from my souvenir "panning for gold" pan

Basically, anyone can win.

So, you ready to have some MARCH MADNESS bibliophile style?

Let's go to town and give Rhea some review love!!!

Who's with me???

To enter, fill out the form below:

Tsunamis and Body Surfing

2011-03-14T22:20:00.013-06:00

If you haven't watched from the ground footage of the tsunami in Japan, I highly recommend it. Watching the footage without commentary is good for the soul, I think.

Some of you know I lived in Maui for six months. Loved it. I made a promise when I went there that I would get in the water every single day, and I did. For the first few months the waves tossed me around like an uncoordinated rag doll. Then one day I "got" it. The rhythm of the ocean and how it pulses.

I remember one day driving down to Big Beach. We were still a mile away and could hear the percussion of the waves on the sand. When we reached the beach, the tourists all stood, coolers and towels in hand, gaping at the twelve-foot waves that had taken over their vacation spot, breaking and crashing right before the water line.

What I did that day wasn't smart. It wasn't a good example, but it was a personal test I wanted to take. I looked at those waves, pounding the sand so hard I felt it in my bones, and saw the path past them into the bobbing roller coaster behind the break. And I wanted to go on that ride.

So I did, even though the massive audience of tourists made me a bit nervous... After all, I was about to be a very bad example... and possibly publicly humiliated.

Laying my towel on the beach, I walked to the waves more than twice my height. There was no fear in me, just the absolute awareness that timing was everything if I didn't want to be beach slapped--and I knew that if I made a misstep I would indeed take a serious hit.

When my opening came, I didn't run for it. There was no fevered action. More important than what towered above of me was the push/pull of what was going on at my feet. That was my guide of whether to slow down, hurry up, or move backward. Despite what my eyes saw, the dance at my feet was the key to success.

Melodramatic story short: never moving faster than a stroll, I waded out until the tide pulled and beckoned, then I pushed off and swam into its pull. Easy as that, I was behind the breaks and bobbing safely out of the crash zone. It was like having a balcony view of the beach, so I saw it when two guys toss down their towels and stormed the beach. Like everyone else there, they'd watched what I'd done (most of them in parental horror), and these guys hadn't come to Hawaii for nothing!

They were going to swim, by golly! And massive waves weren't going to stop them!

If my bad example enticed these two guys to brave waters they didn't understand, then watching these two guys get pounded back to the beach kept the rest of the tourists from following my bad example. In fact, as I watched the athletic guys get beat down and sand scratched, my own confidence wavered at my ability to get out of the situation I'd put myself in.

Had I overestimated my abilities?

When the time came to get out (i.e. I noticed some well-meaning parents thought I was stuck), I swam over to the danger zone, lifting, dropping, and mostly doing my best to ignore all the fear channeled my direction. This was between me and the wave.

I bobbed until my opening came. I knew because the water swirling around me told me the very instant I had to make my move. No hesitating. No forcing the moment. Just being in the moment and being aware of the laws that governed me.

I can't site many moments of true grace in my life. I've certainly never been confused for a ballerina, but if I ever had a moment of grace in my life, this was it. It was as if I'd been lowered by gentle hands to stroll to safety while framed in angry white water. In THAT moment, and for those few breaths of my life, I had been EXACTLY in tune with the laws of nature--laws that would just as soon smash me to the beach and turn me into fish food as guide me to safety like an overindulgent guardian angel.

It was this experience, combined with many others that altered my understanding of God and justice.

Water is not malicious. It doesn't go out of its way to hurt you. It simply follows the laws that govern it, without exception. Different people walk up to the same wave, with dramatically different results. Some can't get their footing while others play with ease. Some put their towels too close and have them pulled out to sea. Others put them too far away and burn their feet on the sand trying to get to them. Same beach, different experiences.

The possibilities of what may happen are limitless when people do not understand the laws of the water. But once one learns, the possibilities of what can be done in the ocean vary from predictable to breathtaking. Surfing, sailing, swimming...whatever. They all require understanding of immutable laws that govern us whether we are aware of them or not.

All of nature is the same way. It will kill you just as soon as feed you. We're all part of the cycle, after all. Nature won't assassinate a squirrel while wrapping a protective cocoon around you. There is no bias or favoritism. Fire, earth, air, water... they're all obedient to the laws that govern them. And when we fight or ignore those laws, we are in their war path.

And that's why I think it's important to watch the tsunami footage. Not because I'm an alarmist that wants you to sign up for a food storage MLM which illicits sales by promoting fear, but because I think it is very, very important not to forget exactly how helpless we are when nature takes it up a notch. It is absolute silliness and worse than naivete to think that our ignorance will protect us.

My first day on the beach in Maui was an embarrassment. My thirtieth was arguably more dignified. After two months I was "getting" it and realizing how stupid I'd been before. In days following, I got a little less stupid.

Then I moved, and now it's been nearly three years. Trust me, I'm stupid again. Fully. I watched the power of the waters easily pulling cars and houses out to sea and thought, "I forgot." I forgot that I'd seen yachts tossed around like toys by heavy storms on the island, quickly creating multi-million-dollar scrap heaps. I forgot that the ocean didn't care if someone was on their honeymoon before it smashed them into a reef. I forgot that beach lines were approximate markers, not a die-hard property lines between what man claimed and what nature was allowed. I'd forgotten that nature is always in flux and doesn't care much for "should," and only deals with what "is."

We shouldn't forget, though. I implore us all not to ignore this moment of learning and contemplate the Bachelor instead. But don't get all mopey, doom-and-gloom either. Because if I can walk out of torrential waves like an effing Venus then there's hope for us all.

We just need to learn, be prepared, and practice. If we understand, we'll have a view outside of the danger zone when we encounter the tsunamis of our own lives.

First 1:30 is of water. After that it is footage of water moving to land. Both are worth seeing.

New Title Unveiled

2011-03-01T22:29:00.005-07:00

So I first wanted to give a big thanks to all of you who voted on which book should be my first "romance." It was a landslide victory, and the book was then titled, "The Cannon Curse."

But since that title doesn't exactly scream "romance," I thought I should rename it before submitting it to a publisher. And while it's not exactly ready to be sent off, I have come up with book's new name. And I really hope you like it. After all, this book has been a bit of a collaboration so if you hate, you might be able to talk me into changing the title.

Probably not, though. I really do like it.

So without further ado, I give you the new face of "The Cannon Curse." From now, and this day forward, it shall be forever known as:

The Love Misconnection

What d'ya think (besides the quite obvious observation that I have no future in the graphic design industry)?

Hope you like it, because I think it's going to be fun, fun, fun. And if you don't laugh out loud at least once... well, I've got nothing for you.

Thanks for reading

Girl Power!

2011-02-22T12:43:00.001-07:00

Really, there's not much to say. 256 points in 60 seconds?

That just warms my heart.

Writing Update

2011-02-15T23:42:00.004-07:00

I just realized that I don't really ever talk about writing here, which is something most writers do on their blogs.

Well, I'm doing it now :)

I have two books on my radar right now, and I wrote segments in each of them today. They are:

Cannon Curse (we should start voting on new titles. What do you think of "Perfectly Flawed"? That's the only suggestion I've had so far. Any other suggestions?)
New Solomon

Cannon Curse is a romantic comedy that is totally close to done... which means that I abruptly have zero desire to finish it, all the characters are having identity crises, and I've suddenly decided the climax is lame and want to go back to the drawing board.

You know. The usual.

Then there's "New Solomon" (I actually like that title, so until a publisher overturns it, that one is sticking), which is an urban fantasy book that I'm kind of in love with--and by "in love" I mean: the research alone to do a decent job of it could take me years but impulsive little me wants it done in 6 months. So there's kind of an internal battle there.

But just a little one. ;-P

And that's basically where I'm at. Today was one of those days where I literally abandoned my keyboard, laid down on the floor and stared at the ceiling thinking, "Really? Is writing really what I should be doing with my time? There's gotta be a thousand better things to do on a Tuesday night..."

Yep. One of those days. *sigh*

And that's my update. Once I figure out the new climax, Cannon Curse will have a completed first draft.

I'm SO looking forward to that day... Those are the fun days to be a writer.

Grammys

2011-02-14T18:40:00.008-07:00

I'd like to take a moment to thank the Grammy committee for actually putting on a good show last night. Compared to last year, this year's ceremony was a supernova of success. Last year, the only performances that looked remotely professional were Pink's and Beyonce's. Everyone else looked like they wandered over from a community talent show.

Not this. E-V-E-R-Y performance proved that each performing artist was worth a paid admission ticket and the energy of the night was unstoppable--even by musicians who were virtually unknown by the public before their nomination.

For those of you who missed it, I recommend looking up performances--although the biggest downer about the Grammy's is that they're on CBS, which is the ultimate killjoy station for watching programming online. For some reason they vigilantly block all posting of performances until the videos become irrelevant and no one's really looking for them anymore.

Then they let people watch them.

Note to CBS: you're weird.

But here's a few I was able to track down:

Eminem, Rihanna, Dr. Dre, and Skylar Grey (who was not only PERFECT in the medley and held her own with Eminem, but is wearing my boots!):

Sign me up as a Skylar Grey "shipper." One piece of trivia: she wrote the chorus that Rhianna sings in Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie." Here's her own acoustic version of the song that she released as a part 2, and a quick article.

And here's the man who "out-gaga-ed" Gaga. Cee Lo with some muppets and Gwenyth Paltrow. This song also wins "Most Censored."

Those are two performances, although I can recommend watching ANY you happen to find on line (before they're taken down). CNN has a 2-minute montage here.

The woman who beat out Just Bieber as "Best New Artist" is also worth noting. Here's a non-Grammy performance from Esperanza Spalding:

And, as a shout out to the two artists who decided to give actual professional performances at last year's Grammys, here's Pink, Glitter in the Air, and Beyonce's medley (odd in spots... I mean, I love Alanis too, but really? But she definitely commits to the performance and puts on a show so I gotta give her props for that).

Last of all, this girl didn't perform last night, but you can't help but wonder if she might in upcoming years. Fast forward to :45 to hear what this 9 year old has in her arsenal. Yes, she's a bit overstyled, but what 9 year old isn't?

You ask me? This girl has a future! I'd be her publicist :)

Will Readers Turn the Page?

2011-02-11T23:53:00.005-07:00

So my brother texts me from an airplane, telling me to check out a website.

Technology is scary cool sometimes.

The site he wanted to tell me about is The Page 99 Test and I thought it might be a fun site to share for all my writer friends. Essentially, how it works is that published or unpublished writers post page 99 of their books. People then drop by, read page 99, and say whether or not they want to read page 100.

Anonymous feedback from strangers who have nothing to gain from lying?

How sweet is THAT?

This site is one of many if you're a writer looking for feedback. Some of them charge. Some of them don't. Some of them are by writers, for writers. Some seek writers to cater to readers. Others are built for genre/series fans, allowing anyone to post stories to an already captive audience. I personally can give that way of writing a little plug, since it's the only kind I've done and nothing motivates you to write like a virtual audience stalking you and drooling for your next installment.

It's very validating.

I did my stint on the discussion boards at fox.com. I don't even know if they have those pages anymore... *goes to check*

THEY DO!

Under the community section of every show, there is the ability to write fan fiction. If you have a show you like and wish you could write an episode for, this is the place for you. And trust me, there are people waiting to read an alternate storyline. Promise. I did mine at least 5 years ago, including several daily installments (maybe an embarrassing number since I ended up posting over 55K in alternate storyline). But I couldn't help myself! Writers can be inspired to do crazy, crazy things when comments start surpassing the 10,000 mark on a thread. It's like writer crack to have that much interest, and you are compelled to feed the beast.

Point being, sites like these can be great for writers looking for honest feedback, new friends, and maybe some cheerleaders (who might even nickname themselves to declare their fan-dom for you... Mine called themselves "sheep" and "baaaaa"-ed when they liked something because they got sick of finding new ways to praise. It was actually quite hilarious... and I kind of miss it... If any of you found me here--which would take a miracle, since I never shared my name--I MISS YOU!).

As you move forward on your writing path, one of these options might be just what you're looking for. Or not. Either way, just thought I would throw it out there.

Happy writing!

A Break in the Moratorium

2011-02-09T17:05:00.007-07:00

I know self-selected news reporters have decreed a Sarah Palin moratorium during the month of February (the shortest month of the year... just sayin'). I don't know if any of those reporters are going to live up to their pledge not to say her name this month, but I'm going to mention her for the first time today.

Why?

Because I LOVE it when people follow through on random conversations. The particular conversation being highlighted today was one had last summer while playing tourist at a Twi-Hard convention of some sort. I don't remember. I just remember who I was with and that somehow we tripped into the idea of starting the comic book:

Sarah Palin: Werewolf Hunter (or as I like to say it, Sawah Pawin: Wew-woof Huntew)

My friend whipped out a pen and started storyboarding the concept while I laughed and mentally moved on to something else in about 90 seconds, as I'm prone to do.

Then today, months and months later, I get this in my inbox:

Needless to say, I laughed my head off. This friend used Amazon's "Create Space" to self-publish the book, and grabbed some play dough to make the spell-binding trailer below. (Man, I WISH I had claymation skills!)

Enjoy... and remember, the only one stopping you from achieving your dreams is you. Anything is possible. Clearly :)

Fun Vids... For Fun's Sake

2011-02-04T20:22:00.003-07:00

It's Friday. The weekend's here and there's going to be a smoking signing tomorrow. Hope to see you there, but for those of you who can't make it, let's just chill with some videos that are oldies but goodies. If you've already seen them, feel free to watch them again for the first time. For those that you really haven't seen any of these yet, hope you enjoy :)

Happy mini-movie Friday... maybe we should make a tradition out of it...

Okay, SLIGHT change of plan...

2011-02-03T16:06:00.003-07:00

So slight bummer: the stickers aren't going to make it here in time for Saturday's Authorpalooza.

Boo!

But on the "yay" side, the universe compensated by getting me something else ahead of schedule: Rhea's business cards. This business card is like the one Rhea gives Kay in book 2 that has Kay rolling her eyes.

So it's not as cool as the sticker, but I really pulled out all the stops I could. Local places don't make stickers the way I want them, and out-of-state places only ship so fast. I guess good things will just have to come to those who wait (which includes me... and I hate waiting).

Still can't wait to see you all on Saturday! And those of you who stop by will be the first to snag one of Rhea's business cards. They might just make you smile...

See you from 1-4 pm at the South Towne Barnes & Noble :)

Authorpalooza!!!

2011-01-31T20:11:00.003-07:00

All right, for all of you who haven't heard, this weekend it's Authorpalooza time at the South Towne Barnes & Noble.

"What is Authorpalooza?" you ask. Well, just imagine dozens and dozens of authors (of which I am not even nearly the coolest) all in one spot. If I'm lucky I'll get to sit next to James Dashner and draft off of his momentum. Or if I'm REALLY lucky, then I I'll be seated next to Wendy Paul and get cake bites, cupcakes, or cookies.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

The Barnes & Noble website isn't doing me any favors by listing the authors, so if you're an author visiting this blog and you're going to be signing with me on Saturday, feel free to name drop yourself here in the comment area :)

Hope to see you all there!!!

Date: Sat, Feb 5th 2011

Time: 1-4 pm

Address: 10180 S. State Street, Sandy, UT 84070, 801-233-0203

And the Winner Is:

2011-01-27T21:49:00.003-07:00

Okay, you all voted (or at least some of you did), and your favorite quote won by one vote. And since no one demanded a recount, I set to work to do what I promised to do: design the first giveaway that I'll be giving out this year.

If you recall, the winner was: "Been there. Done that. Got reincarnated for it."

For those of you who haven't read the original version of "City of Angels," this is the night shirt/tank Kay wears as a pajama top when she and Rhea are in college (just a random mention by Rhea, not an actual scene). And now, you can own it as well. I hope you like it, because while some people can't be trusted with a credit card and a mall in the same place, I can't be trusted near a designer or a printer with any amount of money. Designing shirts, cards, stickers, and other things that magically appear when you press print is my secret joy.

So welcome to my happy place, and thanks for playing with me there. But I warn you, if you encourage me in this area, the avalanche of items that may appear could be overwhelming.

Just sayin'.

So with no further ado, I now present your winner (which will initially be made into fun stickers and likely a journal if I can find any place in America who will make them the way I want them...):

For those of you who live in the Salt Lake area, the first time you can pick this up for free will be next Saturday, February 5th, at the B&N Authorpalooza at the South Towne location, from 1-4 pm. Totally hope to see you there :)

I'd like to thank Harper Collins

2011-01-25T19:20:00.006-07:00

I'm one of those people with an impaired sense of delayed gratification. I like spoilers. I like sneaking around to figure things out before I'm told. It's harder for me to wait for Christmas if I actually know what I'm getting.

I know, I know. There are armies of souls out there that think sneaking a peek at a present ruins Christmas and learning the end of a story before you even know the beginning is a total kill joy. I understand I'm weird. I like spoilers. Then I like watching to see how the spoilers happen. It's the journey, after all, and knowing the destination only gives my brain a million paths to think about until someone shows me the "right" one.

Then I get to decide if I like my way better.

All this is a big preface to say: I like ARCs. Okay, I love ARCs--as in lurrrrrv them. Being one of the first to discover a story only adds to the fun of reading it in my world, which is why I would like to thank Harper Collins for sending me an ARC of PALE DEMON (Rachel Morgan series #9, by Kim Harrison).

Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

I stayed up all night reading it... on a work night. Naughty me. But once I start, I can't stop. And I have zero impulse control, which means I started reading it the same day I got it.

Totally worth it. And a review coming soon, for any of you who are friends with me on GoodReads :)

By ONE Vote

2011-01-18T18:05:00.004-07:00

Who says your vote doesn't count?

The votes separating first, second, third and fourth places were all one vote. So by the hair of its chinny-chin chin, the winner is:

"Been there. Done that. Got reincarnated for it."

So watch out. The new notebook will be designed around that... and I think you'll like it. :)

And for those of you who voted for the three close runners up... I might just be inspired to have some fun with those too.

Until then, it's time to consult with my designer, Chris Brewer. So. Awesome. If you need an art job, he's the guy for you :):)

Can't wait to unveil what we come up with!

Golden Globes

2011-01-17T20:28:00.006-07:00

I didn't watch the Golden Globes. I thought about it... but then other things sounded better, so I skipped the TV.

Leave it to me to miss a scandal.

At work today, a friend came up and informed me that Ricky Gervais took no prisoners in an offensive onslaught of mean-spirited comedy.

So, naturally, I looked it up on youtube.

Considering how offensive I thought the jokes would be, I was somewhat underwhelmed. They didn't seem that bad, really, which made me wonder why hackles were up. All the comments online say that stupid Americans just don't know how to laugh at themselves (probably written by stupid Americans themselves, who consider themselves more enlightened or "euro" than the common American), and I found myself disagreeing.

Americans know how to laugh at themselves.

We do it all the time. I think most people just aren't used to dressing up in fine apparel, investing in the best money can buy, and putting their best foot forward only to have someone throw a chili dog on them and dump a drink in their hair.

My thoughts for the raised hackles are these: An award ceremony, celebrating the best in an industry is not a "roast." Or if it is, the dress code and the logo probably imply it.

And also, insults don't sit as well when they're issued from one of the least accomplished (that is a snipe as his 2D portfolio... about as diverse as "The Tourist" and Sylvester Stallone's bio) and least manicured people in the room (although Annette Benning beat you there, Gervais. Nice try, though). Respect comes from doing something and doing it well. Only then can you really look at a room of people who are better than you and say, "You're amazing!" Or look at that same room of people and make them laugh. Ricky's jokes were so basal that they were more appropriate for a routine comedy club with a $5 cover. Tragically, based on that monologue, he wouldn't even make it to the Top 10 of Last Comic Standing.

But I digress. My point is, I think Ricky Gervais was (allegedly) "pulled" from the second half of the show because he ignored/didn't understand one essential point: The Golden Globes are not about mocking those who contributed to the "best" films of the year for the purpose of propelling your own notoriety. They are about applauding those who shape and exemplify an impossibly competitive business and make it thrive. Yes, people want to laugh. That's why they hire comedians. But they don't want to run into each other after the show and grimace at each other over a snipe they'd both rather not talk about.

Laughing= Yes

Awkward/Painful/Cringing= No

And to create such an ambiance, the consistently mean-spirited and disrespectful need not apply.

That's why I think some people are walking around with hackles raised today... are you one of them?

And now that it's a given that Ricky Gervaise will not host next year, who do you think should?

A BIG Thank You!

2011-01-12T23:40:00.004-07:00

I'd like to take a moment to thank the fantastic ladies who just spent the past 90 minutes with me, getting my head into a new book--my next book. For the past several weeks my head has been stuck in my urban fantasy book and the 5th and 6th Rhea novels. Whenever I think of writing, I see Kay and Dahl... Rhea and Ty... and other characters I haven't introduced to you yet.

Mike, Rori, Luke and Kris have been VERY neglected.

So a HUGE shout out to the beautiful women who hung out with me on Twitter and kicked me in the pants.

Want to know who these charitable, inspiring souls are? Check out their blogs and/or books here:

Rachael Renee Anderson

Nichole Giles

Debbie Cranberry Fries

Cheri Chesley

LDSWBR

Thank you again, ladies, for giving me challenges that put me back on the right writing track :)

*BIG HUG*

New Year's Games

2011-01-10T19:11:00.004-07:00

This post is like a week-and-a-half late, which means everyone else has moved on to bigger and better subjects than the usual new year boilerplate.

Well, not me. I'm actually excited for the year, because I don't have resolutions this year. I have GAMES.

Seriously, doesn't that sound WAY more fun? My friend introduced me to the concept, and I'm hooked. Now I have 4 new year's games to play throughout the year. I kind of want to make a scoreboard, too, to see which game I play the best.

Oh, and NONE of the games involve fitness or weight as a goal. *Phew* Some of the games might indirectly affect one of those areas, just like playing any game or sport might, but it's not the point.

SO love that about my games, too.

Anyway, I just thought I'd throw that out there, in case any of you want to play along. So far, I have to say, it's fun way to start a new year :)

Narrowing Down the Candidates

2011-01-02T00:16:00.005-07:00

Okay, before I launch into your nominations, I must say I was pleased to find this review in the Mormon Times of City Limits (#3).

Yaaaaaay!

And now that the cheering has subsided, it's time--as promised--to reveal your nominations for best quotes from the Rhea Jensen. You will see the somewhat lengthy list of candidates by looking to your right sidebar. One thing to note is that I've allowed you to vote for multiple quotes, just to make it easy.

So vote away, and invite others to do the same if there's one quote you really want to win. Anyone can vote. We're a democracy here.

A big thanks to all those who nominated quotes. There are a lot of them there I never would have thought of. (Although Rachael, I think you win for "Most Unexpected Nominee." Too freakin' funny.)

I now look forward to seeing which quote wins, so get your vote on :)

Quotable Contest

2010-12-26T22:31:00.009-07:00

So I've been thinking about what I should make that's a good tie-in for the Rhea series. I've considered water bottles, unique keychains, posters and more. Some ideas are fun in theory, but who really wants a poster?

I thought and I thought, wondering, "What would people like to win?"

Then it hit me.

If you're anything like me, you're a sucker for notebooks and journals. Who can't use an extra one of those? I have sooooo many, but I will compulsively buy more if I like the look. So I'm going to make some Rhea Jensen journals :)

This brings me to my current contest, and this is how it rolls:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

2010-12-23T23:53:00.004-07:00

I hope everyone has a fabulous holiday, no matter where/how/if you celebrate! May it be filled with peace and joy and good spirits.

For my present to myself, I'm going to do something REALLY fun... okay, maybe it's something only authors do for fun, but if you want to help me, check back next week...

I think you'll be glad you did.

Until then, may Santa treat you well :D

XOXO

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS ARC?

2010-12-20T21:27:00.005-07:00

If you happen to have this ARC in your possession, I would LOVE to negotiate the temporary surrender of its custody into my hands with you:

Some of you may have read books from this series. This book is #9. In truth, the Rachel Morgan series was the one that introduced me to urban fantasy as a genre, so I kind of have a soft spot for Kim Harrison. Pale Demon comes out in 8 weeks, so it's not a huge wait, but I'm an impulsive sort and reviews keep popping up, so I know the ARCs are out there. I thought B&N bookstores would get ARCs like previous books in this series, but noooooooo. Apparently Eos knows that they don't need buzz anymore. People will just go and buy.

BOO!

But even so, I want one one of the ARCs that is out and about. A lot. I read fast. You'll barely miss it. I'll have it about 24 hours and send it right back. Promise. I'll pay shipping both ways, and more!

To make my dream come true, just click on the contact tab and drop me a line. :)

Please? Pretty please?

What's Your Sign?

2010-12-20T10:00:00.002-07:00

You may believe in astrology. You may not. Either way, you should watch this video. A friend of mine showed it to me over the weekend, and I laughed SO hard. Completely accurate in many instances?

What do you think? Is it accurate for you?

I think many would agree that it describes me perfectly. lol

I'm Officially Banned

2010-12-17T12:04:00.005-07:00

You know, I'm really glad I read the reviews I posted on the previous post before I got this news, because it's nice to know someone likes your book before you discover retailers are banning it from their shelves.

Kay'sVille is officially banned/Special Order Only at Deseret Book and Seagull.

No specific reasons were cited, only that there was objectionable content. And yes, considering the story is told from the perspective of a non-Mormon living among Mormons, that seems unavoidable. Kay's values are not LDS values. Her thoughts are not LDS thoughts. She doesn't even like Mormons, even though she's gradually warming up to a select few of them.

If there's any character that is not a cardboard cut out, it's Kay. I love her story. I love her, but if you're interesting in reading about her, it's important to know that she will not be stocked Deseret Book or Seagull :( If you want to buy the book there and you're waiting for it to show up on their shelves, you'll be waiting a loooooooooong time.

As in forever.

In truth, I knew it was iffy to write a technically LDS fiction title from the perspective of someone who doesn't believe in it, nor does she want to, even though many of the people in her life are members. My muse and I have gone back and forth over whether she should tell her story or not. She never failed in her answer.

Yes. I was supposed to tell it--at least key parts of it.

And now she's banned. She (yes, I refer to my muses as actual people) knew it would happen, and I had an inkling based on the vibe she sent me. The vibe essentially said, "You hang with me, and people might look at you like they look at me."

As anyone writes can tell you, some muses are more adamant than others. Some muses might as well pay rent because they spent so much time squatting at your place. Kay and her story have tapped on my shoulder for five years, and I'm glad to be the one who got to tell her story--banned or not.

I hope you love Kay'sVille. Obviously. Or at least like it a lot. I wouldn't have written it without the hope of that. That said, I HIGHLY encourage you to review it wherever possible, and you are welcome to voice your opinion on its banned status for those considering the book. You may agree, you may disagree. Trust me, Kay is a muse/character who knows she gets a polarized reaction from people. Anyone who's read books 1-3 can vouch for that.

Either way, your thoughts and input will inform other readers who are looking at the series, and Book 4 in particular.

So please, please, PLEASE review Kay'sVille if you happen to read it. When a book is banned, reviews can be the only thing going for it.

Oh, and still feel free to nominate it for a Whitney Award if you like it. I would love their thoughts on the book as well, should it be nominated.

As always, thanks for all your support and thanks for reading!!
Sheralyn

Kay'sVille Reviews

2010-12-17T09:19:00.003-07:00

Authors are cautioned not to read reviews of their books (especially while they are trying to write a new book), but I just had to sneak onto goodreads and look. There are 3 reviews so far, and happily they are reviews that make me sigh a breath of relief.

So here they are, for your convenience. If you agree or disagree, please feel free to post reviews of your own on sites like these!

Also note: Kay'sVille is the first book in the Rhea Jensen series that is previously unpublished and eligible for a Whitney Award, so feel free to nominate it if you would like. I don't know how many nominations it needs, but the deadline is the last day of 2010.

Reviews:

From Tracy:

Oh, sleep deprivation, thy name is Sheralyn Pratt! I foolishly picked up this book in the evening planning to just read a little bit, but there is no such thing with her books. Though being in Kay's head instead of Rhea's was a little odd at first, I quickly realized how much more I was learning about them both from the different perspective. Each chapter begins with a flashback to their college days, filling in important details that I never realized were missing. Now my only torment (besides the need for sleep) is that this may be the last of the series. I am so not ready to say goodbye.

From Heather:

First of all thanks so much to Sheralyn for sending me a sneak peek of book #4 in her Rhea Jensen series. This one felt like a companion novel to me as it takes a completely different point of view than the rest of the Rhea Jensen series. It is told by Rhea's best friend Kay and fills in the details of how they met and why they are who they are. Readers may be scratching their heads after book three wondering why Kay ditched her high powered reporting job in L.A. to follow Rhea to Utah. Kay'sville fills in those gaps. Kay is a strong willed, in your face type of girl with fashion sense and an attitude... but she hasn't always bee that way. In Book 4 we learn what her roots are, and I think you'll be surprised as I was. Her flashbacks of pre-college life were some of my favorite parts of the book. Dahl is her sidekick cop who helps her in reporting a story and solving a mystery. He is my other favorite part of Kay'sville. My favorite scene: I loved and laughed at like Kay's description of dating in Utah.

On the flipside Kay's ville was really hard for me to read from Chapter 11 on only because of a serious crime which as committed and the details used to describe it. Readers will want to be aware that it Kay'sville has some very raw spots and delves into adult issues. Sheralyn has reached out to readers on her blog to let them know that starting at book 4 the Rhea Jensen series is taking on heavy issues which move it more into mainstream fiction. Read what she had to say about the book in our interview.

From Rachael:

Review on her blog.

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!

I'm Just in the Mood

2010-12-15T19:31:00.001-07:00

For some reason, I'm just in the mood to give something away. Maybe it's the season. Who knows?

Either way, I think I'll give away one of the books I recommend on this site. And while I love "Save the Cat," "On Writing" happens to be handier, so that's what's on the table here.

A FREE copy of "On Writing," by Stephen King (Mass market, as pictured above). An awesome memoir from a successful and prolific author. All followers are eligible, and to make this super simple, I'm just going to pick a number... Okay, that's harder than it sounds, so I'm just going to add up all the digits on the Kay'sVille barcode.

*adds numbers*

And the magical number is 106. Kind of high, but there you are. The US resident who posts the 106th comment on this thread (who is also a follower) WINS!

No real rules. You can post every comment if you would like, or just one. Doesn't matter. But in the end, the one in with the 106th position will win :)

Ready? Set? Go!

THANK YOU!

2010-12-15T11:06:00.002-07:00

Shhhh. I'm at work, so I need to write this quickly before it's found out that I'm SLACKING, but I just wanted to give a huge, HUGE thank you to each of you who took the time to show up last night and launch Kay'sVille.

Elizabeth's southern bites were mouthwatering, Wendy Paul's cake bites were so good you could eat yourself into a cake-bite coma, and Heather's store was cuter than cute!

But really, a party is not a party unless people show up and have a good time. So a HUGE thanks to each and every one of you who came and laughed and made December 14th a fun, FUN night.

I only wish I took more pictures. I'm so bad at that. Boo.

And yes, I'm still at work. More later. But above all, THANK YOU :):):)

My Kind of Romance

2010-12-09T21:19:00.002-07:00

There are different kinds of romance. And since I'm writing one right now, I try to keep my eye open for it wherever it may be. You wouldn't think that Legend of the Seeker would be the place to go, but I have to admit that this scene is a little bit perfect for the characters involved.

The best kind of romance, in my book, involves laughter. :)

Focus, Focus, Focus, Focus

2010-12-08T19:16:00.004-07:00

ADD has its perks. It brings with it limitless ideas while simultaneously making it impossible to make all the options possible. But possible or not, the ideas pop like popcorn, one after another, while tickling the senses.

And so it is, when I'm about half way to finishing a book that another book comes along, all shiny new, and starts tap dancing in front of my computer screen. How can I not look at it? It's so... charismatic.

I think that's why a lot of people start books and never finish them. An idea comes, does its dance, and by the time it's done you've got a few scenes, but not a whole book. Actually sticking with a story all the way until it's completed can be a lot like dating a person who always wants to talk about the same thing and just assumes you care.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my muses. Anyone who's met me knows that, but some of them mumble... or just take off on vacations without telling me. -OR- even worse, they get bored of their own stories and just walk away. SERIOUSLY! They just up and leave, and I'm left with the hodgepodge of snippets they begged me to record. Once they know they've told the fun stories, they sigh in satisfaction, pat themselves on the back and go on their merry way, still believing they've handed over solid gold.

Grrrr.

Anyway, I say all this because I have this muse enticing me to drag my feet on "The Cannon Curse" (which seriously needs a new name) so I can invest some time in her. And I'll confess: she kicks ***. I'm totally writing her story next. I don't think she'll let me sleep if I don't. All I can do is beg her for a little patience. Her story is rich and full of things I don't know, so it will take a lot of research on my side anyway.

So (begin note to Muse) patience, dear Muse. I hear you. I'm thinking of you. I'm getting to know you, even if I'm not spending hours typing what you have to show. Even if I'm telling someone else's story while you're trying to talk to me.

I hear you.

But before we can hang full time, Mike, Luke and Rori need to find their happy endings... even if they take a somewhat bizarre path to said happy ending.

(end note to Muse)

As promised, there will be sass. There will be fun and there will be (a form of) romance.

So feel free to crack the whip on me, because I can't wait to finish the Cannon Curse and give you some romance, Pratt-style :)

If only I can focus, focus, focus, focus and FINISH!

Heads Up!

2010-12-06T11:31:00.004-07:00

A party is on the horizon. I'll list the official invite once I have the official address, but I would LOVE to see you all Tuesday, December 14th at 7:00 pm in Draper for a fun launch for Kay'sVille.

This party is actually the idea of Elizabeth's, a fan who loves Kay's surprising roots. Hence there will be Southern finger food (provided by Elizabeth, who is a Southern belle herself). Also in attendance and signing her 2 cookbooks will be Wendy Paul, with yummy-nummy cake bites from her cookbook releasing in 2011, and Heather Gardner with awesome items from her Etsy shop.

So come on by and get some last-minute shopping done at GREAT prices. Jewelry, photos and books galore.

Not to mention the food. Totally can't forget Southern finger food and cake bites. YUM!

Official address just in!

12542 South 900 East
Draper, Utah 84020

This is the home of the benevolent Jackson twins (THANK YOU!), located accross the street from the Draper Memorial Park. Look for a colonial-style home with a white picket fence.

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

2010-12-03T15:07:00.003-07:00

No, I didn't win an Oscar, in case that title has you confused. ;P I did, however, make it onto an awesome list for Best Books of 2010.

If you do't follow the Fire & Ice blog, it's a great place for book reviews (especially of YA titles) and author interviews. And not only does the site owner, Heather, read and review books, she creates jewelry and book tie-in products that she sells in her own Etsy store along with her photography.

Check out her site, and if you like my books, then you may just like the other books Heather put on her "Best of 2010" list and find a new, great author.

And the Winner Is:

2010-11-29T14:35:00.003-07:00

I figured I would video myself pulling the name so you would all know there was no funny business about who won.

Congrats! Send me your mailing address and I'll get that necklace on its way :)

Have You Seen These Boots?

2010-11-24T22:32:00.003-07:00

Attention shoppers! Before I take out an ad on a milk carton, I thought I would ask your help first. All my life I've loved boots. Hats, coats and boots--those are my things that I'm picky about when it comes to clothes... even if you wouldn't know it by looking at me. I'm always on the hunt, though, and I've finally found some boots I want:

I want these boots. It's that simple. Wherever they are, whatever they cost, I want to slip them on my feet and at least take them on a test drive to see if they're what I imagine them to be.

So, if you've seen these boots PLEASE leave a comment with a link or contact info and I'll take it from there.

THANK YOU!

Harry Potter 7, Part 1. Yes, You Should See It!

2010-11-23T18:03:00.008-07:00

I've put off blogging about HP7 because I knew that any post regarding part 1 of the movie would take up a solid chunk of time.

Why?

Because, for once, a Harry Potter movie actually merits discussion.

In the end, I think the success of the movie (which I'm seriously hoping knocks Avatar's record right out of the water in short order) is leveraged on one fact: it was a movie made for fans of the book--not a movie based on a book but caught up in its own separate vision, and intended to entertain anyone--whether they've read the book or not.

It was a movie for the die-hards who care about the actual story.

In truth, I really didn't appreciate the writing chops of J.K. Rowling until I walked out of the 4th movie thinking, "The books are more visual than the movies. How is that possible?"

Rowling is amazing. Her books are progressively more captivating. I don't know how it feels to be her and see the movies turn out the way they have. I think I might have killed

someone in their sleep after the 6th movie... Okay, maybe I wouldn't have outright murdered, but there would have certainly been a serious powwow where emotions may have barely been contained below the surface. And maybe there was some sort of "what-the-***-were-you-thinking" chat, given the brilliance of movie 7. I mean seriously, how could there not have been a big sit

down in the wake of that eye sore? The week after Harry Potter 6 came out, it was beat out at the box office by G-Force.

Harry Potter spanked out of the #1 spot a week after it came out by guinea pigs saving the world?

Calamity. Such things should not be. And yet, the movie deserved its rodent smack down. At the time, I was so incensed at the 6th movie, that I gave a sniff of approval and gave those animated guinea pigs a mental high five. I don't know HOW the director wasn't fired. But he wasn't. They gave him another chance (which I would not have done, so it's a good thing I'm not in charge of the world), and THANK GOODNESS they did!

I would have to get really, really nitpicky to point out any failings of the 7th movie. And I'm just not in the mood to be critical (unless you get me started on Ginny, but there isn't much to be done there). For once a movie took a book and accurately depicted it without distracting short cuts.

Praises be!

So if you haven't seen HP 7 yet, know that I highly, highly recommend it.

Highly.

Psst!

2010-11-22T21:52:00.003-07:00

Okay, just a little stoked here. Kay'sVille is IN THE WAREHOUSE!

Yay! :)

That said, I know some of you out there are reviewers. If you want a copy to review for your site or blog, please contact me with your shipping address. My publisher requires that you have at least 100+ followers on your blog or an advertisement-driven site to send you a copy of the book.

So drop me a line (and feel free to include links to any other reviews you've done for my titles) and I'll get a book out your way!!!

Happy Reading :)

Giveaways Galore!!!

2010-11-16T22:02:00.008-07:00

In this season of Thanksgiving, one blogger out there decided it would be good to get a bunch of blogs together and do a massive slam of giveaways. Guess how many of them signed up?

175+

Uh, yeah. Wow!

So while you're out there buying presents for everyone you know, why not win something for yourself? One of the 175 blogs (list below) giving stuff away HAS to have something you would love to get your paws on.

As for me, I'm giving away a twin necklace to the one I wear to all my signings, inspired by the cover of Book 1 in the Rhea series. It's a great conversation starter and total fun. I get more compliments on it than any other piece of jewelry I own :)

Entering to win is easy, and your name can be entered into the drawing pot up to 5 times:

#1- Follow this blog and leave a comment on this post letting me know you want the necklace.

#2- For a double entry, do #1 and also include a link to your review of any of the Rhea books on goodreads.

#3- Follow me on Twitter and tweet my post about the giveaways, tagging @SheralynPratt.

#4- Share a link to a review of one of the Rhea books on Facebook or Twitter, and be sure to tag @SheralynPratt so I see it!

BONUS ENTRY: review any of the Rhea books on Amazon, Borders or BN.com and get yourself a bonus entry. Post the link in the comment section of this post.

Winner will be chosen November 28th, and the contest is open to US residents.

It's that easy!

To find even more freebies to win, check out all the other participating blogs.

Best of luck, and I hope you ALL win somewhere :)

Are You Ready?

2010-11-15T18:04:00.003-07:00

We're less than 3 weeks away from the release of the 4th installment of the Rhea Jensen series. And for those of you who aren't familiar with my impulsiveness, I'll be the first to confess that I love spoilers, ARCs and getting things before I'm supposed to. That's also why I like posting bits before they're technically out.

So for any of you who are even a little like me, you can click here and start reading Kay'sVille now. It's just the few first chapters, so you still have to wait 3 weeks for the whole thing, but I really, really really hope you like what you can read now. ;P

Also, when it comes out, please do not forget to nominate it for a Whitney Award. Because being nominated is always an honor. And, well, winning? *grin* Yeah, you don't have to twist my arm for that either :)

Thank you!

Muse Music

2010-11-15T02:45:00.003-07:00

Many of you know that I'm one of those writers with music playing as she writes. Music gives me my vibe and informs a lot about the characters. That said, here are 3 of the muse songs for "The Cannon Curse." I'm looking for more, but this is what I have so far.

And yes, E, the first song is at your request ;)

Hope you enjoy, and please let me know if, like E, there's a song you recommend.

U2- All I Want is You

Dave Carroll- Now

Rihanna- Only Girl in the World

CEDAR CITY/ST GEORGE, Here I Come!

2010-11-12T23:46:00.002-07:00

All right Southern Utah peeps. I'm driving down to see you on this beautiful Fall Saturday.

On November 13th, find me at the Cedar City Deseret Book from 12-2 pm. If you want to seduce me into staying that evening, do your worst. Otherwise, I plan to pop down to St. George and visit the stores there. I'll mention this on Twitter (@SheralynPratt), which updates in the sidebar on the right of this page. I'm thinking I'll be at DB and Seagull in St. George between 4-7 that night before driving myself back up to Salt Lake.

Needless to say, I would LOVE to see you, so drop on by :)

Oooooh! A Review from a Man!

2010-11-11T17:33:00.005-07:00

I must confess that I always wonder what men think about the Rhea books. guys approach me at signings and ask me if they would like the books and I'm always a bit hesitant and say something like, "If you like girls that kick butt, yes."

So of course I'm immediately interested when a man reviews my books--and especially a man who does not consider himself LDS. This review is from such a man. So thank you, Jeffrey Needle. Granted, he didn't read books 1 and 2 before diving into 3, but he made it through the book anyway, and here's his review.

Thought I would share for those of you who haven't read the book yet :)

Who is Rhea Jensen? She’s a recent convert to the Church who has relocated to Salt Lake City and taken work as a private investigator.

Her closest friend, Kathryn McCoy, has likewise moved to Salt Lake.

Although not LDS, McCoy wants to be near her friend. She has landed a juicy post as an on-air news person. Meanwhile, Rhea is dating a fine young fellow who still has some time before he and Rhea can be married in the Temple.

The story begins when a man steps out onto a ledge, threatening to jump.

The news media find their way to the scene very quickly. Kathryn (“Kate” to her friends) is there with her photographer. But she is quick to involve her friend Rhea when certain parts of the story just don’t add up. Who is this guy? And who is the handsome cop who seems to show up at the scene but who ducks when anyone wants to give him some publicity? And what does all this have to do with Rhea’s former boss?

Why is the jumper such a mysterious quantity? And why do pictures of him not seem to jibe?

When the missionary who converted Rhea shows up on her doorstep, does he have something other than proselyting on his mind, or is he really just interested in following up? Rhea’s boyfriend isn’t so sure. They’re keeping an eye on him. He’s a bit clutzy, not sure what he wants to do (except start school at BYU as soon as possible).

As the story unfolds, we meet incompetent mobsters, a diabolical millionaire, a pair of rather inefficient enforcers, and a shy look into secret societies and their sometimes-underhanded ways of dealing with defectors. Not to mention exploding houses and other assorted nicities.

Improbably, the reader is left with an impression that all of these people are, indeed, real people. Real people? Indeed. Pratt has an unfailing sense of voice and tempo. The characters talk like real people. They laugh and cry like real people. Bravo! But, more important, they *act* like real people, and *interact* like the folks next door. As you read, you get crisp, clear visualizations of each of the players. They emerge as distinct personalities, each with his or her own strengths and weaknesses, habits and quirks.

Pratt’s characters are universally flawed. And this is the real revelation here. Can you write about a returning missionary who fumbles and stutters his way through re-entry into regular life? Can you have a convert who isn’t entirely “made new” — she describes herself as having “flexible morals with a comfort zone that expanded outside the norm.”

(p. 126-7) No heroics here, no astoundingly clever Mormons with all kinds of tricks up their sleeves. No angels appearing out of nowhere, no contrived story lines. (There is a bit of sermonizing at the end of the book. I thought it would have been a better book had this been toned down a bit.) Nope, this is a story about people who are trying to make it through the day and not flub things too badly. You know, folks like us.

By far the most interesting character, in my opinion, is Kate. Pratt’s writing is sufficiently vivid to make this slightly-wacky, but very canny, woman an infinitely appealing player. As with the others, she has her flaws. And she carries some baggage with her that is alluded to in the story, but is never made quite clear. Kate is the kind of person you may not want to deal with every day, but you surely want her on your side. Rhea is no slouch, either. But her assertiveness is usually understated. There’s a lot of healthy nuance in this story, and I loved every part of it.

Coming into this series in volume 3 made comprehending the whole thing a little difficult. I found myself having to catch up with the characters and their histories. Pratt spoon-feeds us these background items with some regularity, but a reader can find himself a bit off the reservation when trying to put the whole thing together. I would have liked to have had a summary introduction, bringing readers up to date with the story and the fascinating backgrounds of its characters. I found that I have Book 1 in my collection. I’m going to obtain Books 2 and 4 very soon.

Perhaps reading the previous volumes will help clear up some of the uncertainties.

“City Limits” is a breathless tale of detection and camaraderie, of faith tried in the fire and of loyalties tested. There are no heroes beyond the realm of ordinary heroism. There are villains aplenty, mysteries around every corner, and a cast of characters that will stay with you for a long time. Thanks, Pratt, for giving us a bit of mental floss for the LDS fiction reader. Highly recommended!

Jeffrey Needle

Association for Mormon Letters

A Few of My Favorite Things?

2010-11-09T20:50:00.005-07:00

Of all the many things that are odd about me, this is one: I don't know what I like.

For those of you who are thinking you read that last statement incorrectly, let me restate: as a rule, I don't know what I like. I usually just notice what is and make due. Those of you who know me know how hard it is to pick a place to go out to eat, unless I'm having a specific craving. I'll always go wherever you want to go and make due. There's bound to be something there I like, and most places are pretty similar anyway.

But after years of pop quizzes about what I like and funny looks when I don't have answers--or better yet, people telling me what I like and having it be news to me (even though I agree)--I've decided to put a list together of likes, so that when people ask me what I want, I have ready-made answers.

I've only had to do this once before, while I was on my mission. I learned with each companion that apparently all girls picked out baby names for their future children, because every companion brought it up while tracting. By the time I made it to companion number three, I had some names picked out and it saved me the whole, "You haven't picked out even one name? Haven't you thought about it? I have, like, twelve but you have to promise not to use them if I tell you."

I promise, sisters, I will not be stealing any of your names for the naming of actual children. I cannot promise, however, that those names will not make it into a book ;)

Anyway, now that I've disclosed how completely unparticular I am in matters of personal preference, please join me as I list a few things I like (before I forget them):

Favorite Drink:

This drink is new on my radar, but I love ginger. Love it. As a rule I hate sugar in drinks--even ones with natural sugars--and usually opt for water, but I do love ginger beer. And no worries, kids. Just like butter beer in Harry Potter, ginger beer is non-alcoholic. And this brand in particular has a great balance between too sharp and too bland.

Favorite Food:

Ummmm, I'm still working on this one. But basically I like things for how they feel once they hit my body, not so much how they taste. Finding one that both tastes good and feels good? That's a holy grail!

Favorite Music:

Can a friend help me out here? I kind of feel all over the map when it comes to music.

Favorite Restaurant:

TOTALLY drawing a blank here...

Favorite Books:

You don't know about them yet, but I'll write them as soon as I can so we can talk about them ;-P

Favorite Way to Chill-ax:

This one I know, even though I live in the wrong place to do it: bonfire on a beach. No contest.

Favorite Candy:

Depends entirely on the mood, but chocolate is good. I'm also a sucker for rice krispy treats, banana Laffy Taffy, and Peppermint Almond Roca (yes, I know that sounds wrong on the onset, but try it. SOOOO good).

Favorite Color:

*sigh* How can this question not be subjective? Don't we all like different colors depending on where we see the color? Our favorite color on a wall may not be our favorite color of shirt or flower. But I'll usually pick a summer or winter color when answering this question :)

There you have it: my favorite things... so far.

Anything else I should add to the list that I left off?

Review: Wendy Paul's Rhea Recipe :)

2010-11-08T11:01:00.004-07:00

Some of you may not have heard of Wendy Paul, the author of 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes, and 101 Gourmet Cookies for Everyone. I LOVE her cookbooks. Her cupcake book is the sole reason I own a cupcake pan and am constantly stocked with cups. That cookbook is exactly what it says it is: a rocking cookbook that lets you create memorable, mouthwatering cupcakes in 10 minutes.

If you don't have it, get it. But either way, you're welcome to check out her review of the Rhea Jensen series and her Rhea-inspired recipe (which I am going to make and devour).

Cedar City?

2010-11-04T13:17:00.002-06:00

Looks like I may be hitting the road a week from Saturday to good ol' Cedar City.

Tragically, I can count on one hand how many times I've been there, even though it's only 4 hours away.

Soooooo, if you happen to live in the Southern Utah area, come see me at the Cedar City Deseret Book, from 12-2 pm on November 13th :)

And the Winner Is:

2010-11-02T10:39:00.005-06:00

As if you didn't already know, but THE CANNON'S CURSE won.

Yay! I'm officially starting the book, which is already different then I thought it would be, but what do you do?

Promises:

It will NOT be cliche
It will be sassy and fun
The obstacle will not be some man trying to kill the girl, thereby throwing the lead man into hyperprotective mode, and throwing the fated couple into each other's arms. Just sayin'

And given that this is only day 2 of writing, I think that's about all I can promise.

On a different note, however, we should probably look at renaming the book. Something lighter and more playful. Something without the word "curse." People might think it's suspense or mystery...

Any thoughts? You know the premise. Also, I have names for the characters:

Mike Cannon: One of the cursed Cannons who will fall in love with his best friend's fiance.

Rori Townsend: the mysterious artist and international volunteer Luke meets and proposes to in Africa.

Luke Foster: Mike's free-spirited and impulsive best friend.

Kris Cannon: Mike's sister, who feels she has a vote in approving who Luke does and does not marry.

All title suggestions welcome :)

Thanks again for voting!!!

NaNoWriMo

2010-10-29T14:49:00.004-06:00

Okay, for all of you who voted, we still need 6 more votes to declare an actual winner, but it looks like "The Cannon Curse" will to cruise to victory.

For those of you who know what the NaNoWriMo is, this book will be completed as part of the 2010 National Novel Writing Month--which means I hereby PLEDGE that this book will be done as of November 30th.

So I got one last weekend (end technically 6 more votes to garner), then it's OFF to the races on Monday!

Thanks for voting and making this fun :)

Speaking Up...

2010-10-27T23:42:00.003-06:00

So, I just got some surreal news. Well, not really. It's the kind of news you never expect to get, but in a way, I expected it. And that makes it worse.

A couple of years ago I met a young guy starting up his own business teaching. We were introduced because I have a skill set that would have worked well with him. After meeting him, though, I sensed that there was some growth that needed to occur before working with him would be profitable for anyone, so I took a step back.

After that, I ran into him once or twice until a common friend told me that this guy had taken the plunge and expanded his business. Did I want to check it out?

Totally!

So we went to his new space, which was very ambitious considering his student base. The guy was so enthusiastic, though, that I figured he had his numbers in a good place. He had just gotten married and he and his wife were the only staff. After the last class was over, he took me on a tour of the place, which was 70% unutilized, but with plans for every square inch. I nodded my head and moved through the tour mostly biting my tongue (since many of you can imagine that I had input and questions he may have not liked hearing), until he brought me to the last room. It looked like a messy kid's bedroom. Mattresses lay on the floor with scattered blankets. Toys covered the ground and there was a large screen TV for video games. Given that the rest of the school was meticulous, I raised an eyebrow and asked, "What room is this?"

Again, with enthusiasm, the guy explained that he'd made the room for his nieces to stay in. Given that he and his wife ran the business full time, this allowed them to babysit as needed.

At least a dozen responses went through my head, and I nearly opened my mouth to say, "Be careful. With a room like this, people will think you're Uncle Molester when you're babysitting," but I didn't know the guy well enough to make a "joke" like that. Besides, he had to know what the room looked like to an outside eye, right? And I made the mental leap to assume that his wife babysat with him... and maybe they were investing so much money into the business that the place they lived was too small to accommodate guests.

My mind created story after story justifying the room, so I asked instead, "And their parents are cool with this arrangement?"

"Oh yeah!" he said happily. "We get some extra dough and they get on-call babysitters. They love it."

I took one last look at the Wii and stacks of toys and settled on saying, "Well, you must be the most popular uncle in your family with a set up like this."

He blushed with pleasure, we finished the tour, and I never went back. Yeah, I thought the room was weird, but mostly I sensed that the business wasn't viable, so even when I was asked to teach there on future dates, I declined. All in all, it just seemed like a place I didn't want to associate my reputation with.

Then, last night, I get the news from our common friend: this guy is in jail with a $500,000 bail for 15 felony accounts, including aggravated sexual abuse, rape of a child, and dealing harmful materials. The kicker: all counts of abuse occurred at the school.

And my first thought? "I knew it."

Of course, I didn't know know it. But when I toured that school so many months ago and saw the room, my very first thought was that it was textbook molester set up. A billion toys, awesome games, and no rules or clean up? Rock on!

But I hadn't say anything. I didn't voice my concern to a soul. I assumed that since the parents of the children were aware of the set up and giving their thumbs up to their young, newlywed brother that it was none of my business to say anything--even to friends in the form of venting. After all, if there is one thing you don't want to accuse an innocent person of, it's this kind of abuse...

I got the news of his arrest 24 hours ago, but I'm still processing it... I, a grown adult, walked into a situation and saw it for what it was. I then proceeded to discount my conclusion, quash my discomfort, and walk away, mentally chastising myself for being such a cynic and always looking for the worst.

*sigh*

There's a lesson in this. I know there is. I'm not one to overreact, and I've never been a gossip--both reasons I never brought this up with anyone in discussions, but this situation has affected me for certain. For the sake of being polite, I played the "It's none of business" card and left a bad situation to fester on. My last thought when I left the school that day was that one of the parents of the students should report the room, just so it was on the radar of authorities and other parents. That way this guy would know to watch his step and keep the school more professional.

Notice how I excluded myself from that equation and justified why someone else should do it. Not me. I didn't have a kid there, but if I did, that room would freak me out. Yet other parents who went there knew of the room and hadn't blinked.

It was me... I was weird--perverted even, to go there mentally. I was anything and everything but responsible for reporting it. Because, seriously, how awkward would that be? And I hate awkward. I avoid conflict like the plague. But one of those parents... a high-maintenance, complaining parent should stomp their feet and cry foul. And I told myself that if anything were really wrong about the set up, one of them would.

Personal responsibility. It's amazing how easy it is to shirk onto someone else. And the reason I'm sharing all this with you is in hopes that you never have a similar moment. Maybe, by reading this, someone will pay more attention to their instincts in the future. Maybe you'll be in the situation like me where something is clearly off, and remembering this will give you the courage to speak up. Because I think the times are coming when, like this guy, perpetrators of crimes will do what they do so openly and nonchalantly that we'll doubt what we know we're seeing.

After all, if this guy was committing felonies in this room, wouldn't it be a secret? Wouldn't he take it off the tour and hide it away? Wouldn't his demeanor change when he walked in? How could someone abusing kids walk you through the site of the crime without the slightest hesitation or moment of pause?

Now, in retrospect, I see how. I remember cues I picked up on from the guy that tickled my suspicions at the time. I remember how I blew them off, choosing to believe that no one could be so nonchalant if they were guilty.

Au contraire.

So, yeah... still processing it all. And the subject really borderlines on being too personal for a blog, but isn't that the point? That this stuff, while occurring daily around us, is not spoken of openly? That no one I know has ever shared a story like this, even though they've known people who have gone to jail for the same thing? That people I know who had been abused never talk about how their perpetrator got away with it for years. It's just too private.

In the end, it's not about blame. I really think it's about sharing knowledge and speaking up--people sharing what they know and how they learned it. The writer in me is all fired up now, wanting to write a book about "How They Get Away With It." I've always been fascinated at how apathy fascilitates crime. This time I was the apathetic one. I pray it's the only the only time. And if posting about it here helps even one person in the future, then this was worth posting in my book.

Just sayin'...

Another Review/Interview

2010-10-27T00:22:00.005-06:00

Two reviews/interviews for Kay'sVille on the same day?

I should be so lucky EVERY day!!!

This one comes from Fire&Ice Photo, and if you don't follow her reviews, you totally should. I don't know how a busy mom of hour reads so much, but Heather gives it to you straight in her reviews.

In this interview, Heather sticks me with some insightful questions and points out some of her concerns with book 4.

Check out Heather's review and interview here, and check out her fantastic book-themed jewelry at her Etsy store online.

First Review of Kay'sVille is Up!

2010-10-26T00:29:00.004-06:00

For those of you who are excited for the 4th installment of the Rhea Jensen series, a few special reviewers have received advanced copies of the PDF for review. One of those copies went to author Rachael Renee Anderson.

Check out her site, review of Kay'sVille and interview with me here.

Here's to hoping November passes just as fast as October has, and that Kay'sVille will hit shelves in record time!

Seriously, this deserves it's own post

2010-10-22T12:22:00.005-06:00

There are times when you just want to burst with pride.

For nearly my entire life, I have watched my cousin, Jon Schmidt, joyfully attack the life of a solo, self-produced musician.

Not an easy path. Like authors, most musicians work really hard to be noticed by someone with money and get signed to a label. Although Jon certainly entertained that option at times, I'm sure, he is a self-made musician. Growing up I watched him create concerts, publicize them, produce CDs, sell them, and basically do all the things it takes to get people to know who you are.

Today he is known internationally, but that is not a mistake on his part. He tours and performs constantly, continues to write new, fun music, and is utilizing YouTube to find new fans and create new interest in his work.

He's been on the ball, and today national media finally gave him a shout out. I wish you could just see the goofy smile on my face right now. Seriously, after 25 years of hard work, it's fun to see him highlighted. But what makes me even prouder is that Jon's vid got over 2.5 million combined hits before the article ever ran.

That makes me very, very happy! Can't wait to see what the count is after this article runs its course :)

The article is from Entertainment Weekly: http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/10/21/taylor-swift-coldplay-viva-la-vida-cover/#more-22698

It speculates as to whether Taylor Swift took Jon's cue with his mash up when choosing to perform Cold Play.

Below are 3 videos. Jon's official mash up vid, a cool fan vid of the same song, and Taylor doing "Viva la Vida" for BBC. What do you think? Did Taylor catch wind of Jon's song and pick up her guitar to sing along? :)

Which Book Will Sheralyn Write Next? YOU Choose!

2010-10-15T14:27:00.005-06:00

Okay, so here they are: the romantic book options based on YOUR suggestions. (A note to Laura: I toyed with adding the UFO one on here, but I just don't think it's the best one to pitch to my publisher straight out of the gate, although I think it would be a blast!)

Below are 3 synopses. On your right is a poll showing each of their titles. You can vote once. There must be a minimum of 100 votes and the winning story must win by at least 10 votes or the voting continues until there is AT LEAST a 10-vote spread.

Once there are over 100 votes with a clear winner, I'll hop right on it and write you all a rollercoaster romance that will have you laughing, sighing, and smiling.

Promise.

So choose the one most likely to make you swoon, and be ready to be swept off your feet.

Option #1: The Cannon Curse

Mike Cannon’s family history reads like a Shakespearean comedy of errors, thanks to what has come to be known as “the Cannon Curse.” The Cannon men are known to fall in love first, fall in love hard, and fall in love once. And the women they love always—always—have the opposite reaction.

Having heard the stories of romatic toil and rejection all his life—including his own brother’s tale of falling love in the 5^th grade only to have wait until his wife was 23 to even like looking at him—Mike has developed a plan of attack: be irresistible to all females, and when the right one comes along she won’t be able to refuse.

Unless, of course, she just happens to be engaged to his best friend.

Option #2: Polyga-Date

As dirt-poor graduate students at the University of Utah, Alex and his roommates have developed the perfect system of dating: the “Polyga-date.” With an uneven amount of guys and girls, no official couples, and everyone paying for themselves, these polyga-dates are the perfect way to a.) not spend money on a girl, while b.) still getting their flirt on, and c.) enjoying welcome breaks from intense school and work schedules.

For years the polyga-date system worked until Denver, the little sister of one of Alex’s oldest friends, starts joining in. Back from completing her Bachelor’s degree back East, Denver isn’t the shy little sister Alex remembers, and Alex can’t believe he’s the only one who objects to her going on multiple dates each week and... well, acting just like one of the guys.

It might be a double standard to disclude her from the polyga-dates, but all Alex knows is that if they don’t, eventually some guy is going to get punched.

Option #3: Quick Steps

Before Lace Campbell ever walked, she had danced. Nothing made her feel more alive and she’d built a business on teaching others to share in her passion. She’d proudly believed she could teach anyone to dance—until she met Mac Deveraux.

For six months Mac has stumbled through her classes three times a week, his movements so awkward that more than once she’d been tempted to close the studio blinds. Forcing herself to have a candid conversation with Mac about how worthwhile the classes are for him, she discovers his true motivation for learning. It’s for a girl. Mac’s in love with a co-worker at his software company. He’s known her for years but has never had the guts to ask her out because she swears up and down she won’t consider any man who can’t dance.

Willing to help the poor guy on his plight, Lace spends an evening spying on Mac’s lady love and devises a new plan of attack. She’ll do better than teach Mac to dance. She’ll teach him all the right moves to win the girl so that in the end everyone will get what they want.

Or will they?

Any of these catch your interest? Vote now!

UPDATE:

A few hours after posting the poll, I went to a reception and caught this AMAZING bouquet. (Seriously, pictures don't do justice and you should TOTALLY smell it. Sabs, thanks for tossing it! Pretty sure I would have kept it if it were mine...)

What d'ya think? Is this a good omen for a rockin' romance?

I choose to believe that it is :)

The Gauntlet is DOWN!

2010-10-12T23:57:00.005-06:00

Tonight, while performing my rather undefined duties as a bride's maid, I had a hilarious conversation with several high school friends--people who have known me half my life, or more.

While laughing through tears and eating Texas sheet cake that tasted like "grass" (i.e. mint--FRESH mint, like a mint bush had been thrown into the dough), I was answering questions about the newlyweds and some details about how not to get pedicures before massive hikes because of the bride's experience while hiking with her fiance--including her toenails falling out.

One of my friends said, "Yeah, when you leave in details like that, it's not as romantic."

The other replied, "This is Sheralyn. She couldn't write romance if it killed her."

*GASP*

EXCUSE ME?

I was appalled, but I was the only one at the table who was. They all gave me matter-of-fact-looks that essentially said they agreed: I couldn't write romance.

My own friends? Doubting me? Collectively?

It cannot be!

And yet, it is...

Now I don't usually consider myself a prideful person, but I guess in some regards I am, because I totally want these four women to EAT their words. And in order to do that, I'M GOING TO WRITE A ROMANCE!

And not just any romance--a romance made to order. That's right. I'm taking orders. What kind of clean romance do you want to read? Beauty and the Geek? Best friends? Boy meets girl? Bodyguard? Love in the work place? Marooned on a desert island? Love with a rodeo clown?

Is he hot? Is he not? Is she a snob or a doormat? Throw it out there.

Because I'm very much in the mood for a challenge, and what I'll do is get a consensus of the most popular themes mentioned and create a poll. Whichever theme wins the poll WILL BE WRITTEN.

Then I shall prove that I can indeed write a romance, and that it did not kill me...

City Limits

2010-10-09T14:46:00.002-06:00

Just did a signing today at the Layton Seagull and they had Book 3 in stock. Woohoo! Go Seagull. And for those of you who haven't been inside a Seagull lately, they seriously have the nicest employees. I don't know where they find them, but the "chipper" factor is fairly consistent from store to store.

Thanks for having me :)

Ad if you don't have City Limits, I know for sure you can go pick it up at Seagull. Rock on!

A Tour for Wendy

2010-10-08T14:18:00.002-06:00

Wendy Paul, author of "101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes" and "101 Cookies for Everyone" wrote to ask about the scene locations in Stalk Lake City. Here's a quick vid--although the quality went to pot once I uploaded it.

Either way, Wendy, I hope it answers your question :)

Work in Progress (WIP): FLUX

2010-10-06T14:08:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I'm asked if I write anything besides Rhea. The answer to that is a resounding YES. I love YA and Juvenile fiction when it comes to both reading and writing. To give a sample of one of the many books hiding in my computer, here's the Prologue of a book I have that is closest to being done. This is also the book that took first place at the League of Utah Writers Annual Competition. Right now it's called FLUX, though that may change... who knows.

Hope you enjoy!

FLUX-Prologue

It’s a longstanding nightly tradition for me to die. I wake up at 12:08—always 12:08—unable to breathe, my throat caught in an invisible death grip and the hand-me-down shirt I sleep in drenched with sweat. Always.

Within a few seconds I’m able to remind myself that I’m not hogtied and being dragged to the bottom of a river by a kettle bell. If I breathe in, water won’t fill my lungs. I’m not drowning. It’s only 12:08, just like it is every night.

Sliding from bed, I “borrow” my roommate Candy’s digital watch with a backlight and fasten it around my wrist. Outside the window a lone raven sits at the top of the tree line leading to the forested area. Ravens are everywhere around the children’s home. They’re not supposed to be nocturnal, but this one is. And every night it watches me run.

Years of practice have made me an expert at slipping out the window of my shared room without a whisper of a sound. The cool earth greets my feet like a welcome mat. I can’t wear shoes. Bare feet can’t be an excuse to slow me down. I change the watch’s mode to timer and press “start.”

Then I run as if my life depends on it.

I’ve measured my trail multiple times to make sure it’s exactly three miles. My dad is a runner. He can run a mile in five-minutes flat. It’s one of the many skills he picked up in the Special Forces. Years ago my uncle called my dad a human Swiss army knife, which offended my dad. He preferred to think of himself as something more formidable and feared than a pocket knife. If he had to be categorized as any type of blade at all, it should at least be something like a seven-inch SEAL knife that he could slide between two ribs and directly into a beating heart for a quick kill.

That’s how my dad kills when he respects his prey. If he doesn’t respect it—or perhaps even hates it—then he takes a whole different approach altogether.

Two miles in my stomach lurches, trying to empty itself but succeeding only in burning acid trails up my throat. Tears sting my eyes, making it even harder to see in the dark even as I push to go faster. The vision I’d had the first day authorities had brought me to the children’s home is still as clear in my mind as it was nine years ago.

One day my dad would find me again and be handed a second chance to kill me. When he did, if I could outrun him to my secret place, somehow I would be safe. If I didn’t, I would be dead. Either I would make it, or I wouldn’t.

Stumbling across my invisible finish line, I look down at the watch. It reads 15:07 and counting. Might as well just serve myself up on a platter if I can’t shave at least another twenty seconds off.

“Congratulations, Hex,” I mutter. “You just died.”

But just in case the night comes when I am faster than my dad, I get to work on the secret place beneath my feet.

Love & War

2010-10-05T18:31:00.004-06:00

They say you only really understand something when you can describe it to a 6 year old in one breath, using simple terms.

That said, there's a LOT I don't understand.

One thing I know: I hate conflict. I have a black belt in conflict avoidance, I'm pretty sure. I don't know if this is emotionally healthy on some occasions, but it keeps a lot of drama out of my life. Not all, but most.

An additional factor has always played a role in my life and it is only today that I'm realizing what, exactly, that aspect is. And now, since I understand it (I think), I shall venture to describe it in one breath and simple terms: Deliberate, avoidable conflict makes me feel weak and sick, regardless of my involvement or opinion in the "discussion."

When people choose to escalate rather than venture to understand, I get sad. Claiming that makes me sound terribly sensitive, which is not really a top 10 word to describe me, yet there it is. Verbal wars make me feel physically ill, just like some people get woozy at the sight of blood or the crack of bone against bone.

Give me a fist fight any day. At least with physical fighting you see the damage. You know what to treat and how the injury impairs you. With verbal fights there's a veritable spray of pain that you cannot track. Some of the bigger "punches" may register as needing attention, but so many sneak through to harden, warp, sting, undermine, and demean in ways even the recipient may not realize.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Yeah, that's a lie. People don't try to commit suicide because someone punched them once. They don't become bigots because of a physical black eye. Words do that to us.

That's my belief, at least. Others may have differing experiences that makes them believe the converse. Between us probably lies the truth. Who knows?

The point is: I don't know... and I wish more people were willing to confess that they don't know either, rather than assuming the worst of another, taking a immovable stance based on limited information, then going to battle.

Then again... just like verbal welfare makes me sick, others need it to feel alive--they don't feel they're doing their part or advancing their cause unless they're sticking it to someone they feel needs to be converted. Those who don't agree with them are somehow automatically un-evolved idiots or unenlightened.

Please.

Berating and condescension are not the answers. Harsh words and demoralizing attacks aren't either. No mob is remembered favorably by history even though they felt righteous at the time when they sought to destroy witches, religions, races, cultures, sects, or anything else under the sun. Conversely, when a minority appeals to the good of a ruling power, change happens fluidly and in a way that doesn't make people cringe. Do men walk around muttering these days about it being silly that women got the right to vote? If so, such men are in a huge un-vocal minority, because most men don't even blink at this right. And was a war fought over it? No. After a few failing approaches, women adjusted their approach, appealed to the high sensibilities of men, and got their way. Today their battle is a paragraph in history books that we really don't pay attention to anymore because it's the status quo. Back in their day, however, the opposition was very real... and they overcame it by being smart, not vicious.

Change of hearts happen every day, and they are expedited with love. They are hampered by venom and thoughtless attacks. Hate polarizes, love unites. That's what I believe. And after a day of seeing what's being posted on Facebook by well-meaning and passionate friends, I just had to get that out there.

Because love, in my mind, includes the ability to look someone in the eye and disagree, but still wish them the best, even if we can't agree on what "best" is.