“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” —Helen Keller

Rockin’ Out to: WILD ONES, Flo Rida featuring Sia

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Lately my writing has been pretty sporadic, however, the one thing that’s been a constant this year is my muse. It seems she’s pushing me hard to get words down on paper by sprinkling an overabundance of ideas. I really can’t keep up with her and I know she’s pissed off that I’m going at a snail’s pace. Frankly, I’ll blame it on a thing called life.

I’ve already written a few proposals that were sent out this year and now I’m trying to finish two more before tackling 2 novellas set for release and, yet another proposal that is a genre I didn’t think I’d ever dare attempt. Seriously though, I’m excited about the challenge!

Well, I’d have to say I adore everything I’ve written so far and I hope the editors will too. Unfortunately, once my agent submits the proposals, it’s out of my hands. With publishers becoming more selective these days, it’s even more competitive between authors. This translates to longer wait times. I may not get a response from an editor for 2-6 months (if I’m lucky) while they review the materials and make a decision. This year I’ve probably already gotten a stack of rejections, either because they purchased stories similar to mine just weeks prior (which sucks), or they didn’t like my voice. I suppose my writing isn’t exactly mainstream enough and it’s really not literary enough…so where does it fall? I’m not quite sure, but I do know that when it lands in the right editor’s hands who will just “get” my voice…then I’ll be a happy camper. You see, this writer’s road is paved with rejections but it doesn’t discourage me enough to make me want to quit. In fact, it’s lit a fire under me. At least I know when the day comes that contracts are stacking up on my desk and I’m the one who can pick and choose, I will still appreciate the price of being an author. I’ll embrace the deadlines, the stress, the pressures, the high expectations because that’s what I signed up for…

The reality of all this is that I LOVE writing! I love weaving stories that will make a reader laugh, cry, and fall in love with my characters….that’s why when I get a fan email out of the blue, it is perfect timing, and it’s the most precious thing in the world!!!! The reader is telling me how much they enjoy my stories and I can’t tell you what kind of high that is! Their words inspire me even more and it gives me that extra push to continue penning stories, even when the going gets tough and the rejections keep flowing…

Right now, I’m cranking up the music and will be rockin’ out with my muse. It’s all about the writing tonight…

I’ve been thinking a lot about art lately…okay, you got me…I’ve been obsessing over it! I can say my two favorite things could be painting and photography so I’ve been dying to get a live/work space that I can do both. In between writing, I like surfing the web for home art studio ideas. I have a vision of what I want and I’m totally excited about the prospect of finding the perfect place. My hands are ready to create!

It feels like forever since I showed my work and I’ve been dying to paint a series of pieces for an intimate showing. Right now, I’m still transient so I can’t start a project I won’t be able to finish from my current location so I’ll just have to wait a tad bit longer.

The hiatus has been good but I miss so many things about painting. I miss the smell, the texture, the experimenting of styles…but what I really miss is the way my hands get dirty with the paints.  I miss how it gets under my nails and on my skin. It’s a little erotic, non? Mostly, it’s so freeing. I can’t explain the exhilaration or the way I lose track of time when I focus. There were days when I would forget about eating when I was on a roll. It’s like I’m lost in this world and the inspiration feeds my soul. I can express myself through the colors and images. I especially love doing life size pieces. In fact, the bigger the better but I will happily start off on a smaller scale. My style is more abstract and a little bit chaotic. I can blame it on my love for Jackson Pollack and Picasso as well as those incredible Impressionist masters like Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Cassatt, Renoir, Pissaro, Cézanne, etc….I’m totally stoked about experimenting more with mix media when I start back up again. I have a fascination with wood,  paper, glass and anything that would make the art just pop.

Painting is a rush.

Just thinking about art makes me deliriously happy inside. Writing may be my love but art has been my salvation. It’s difficult to explain but both have saved my life. I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t express myself with these artistic outlets…

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When writing a novel, one of the most important things for me is the music soundtrack. I like to make a playlist of songs that help guide me through the scenes. Most authors may find music distracting, but for me, I go stir crazy without it. It’s almost like a soothing drug and it keeps me focused. The rise and fall of the beats, the way the tempo changes seem to draw out more of my emotions so I can pour onto the pages…it makes the characters more vulnerable and honest…well, at least that’s what I believe.

I don’t know when I fell in love with music and sound but I honestly feel the world is a darker place without it. One of my favorite experiences is having the fortune of working with talented music producers who taught me how to write lyrics. I can proudly say I penned a few songs that the artist(s) recorded for demos. Somewhere in my sacred memory boxes—that is now safely locked in storage—holds some of those masterpieces. So learning the beauty of writing lyrics, working side-by-side with the artists and producers in the recording studio, and watching the technicians lay down the tracks was an amazing opportunity. Let me tell you, it’s hard work and once you get to hear the song played for the first time…it’s a high you can’t ever forget. Maybe it’s because the words I’ve written finally has a voice and like writing, the characters are speaking a musical language that I hope will capture my audience. Whatever the genre may be, the hero and heroine is revealing their life’s soundtrack on every page.

I hope when you read my stories you’ll be able to hear the music, feel it, and let my words stir those emotions within you…which tells me I’ve done my job…that I’ve transported you into the story and helped you erase the world around you at least for a few minutes, hours…

This year, I hope to bring more interesting and exciting stories. Stay tuned.

It’s the mid-way point in November and many of my friends and peers are participating in NaNoWriMo alongside moi. I can happily say that it’s been productive and although I’m busting butt, I still have to make sure I don’t get totally burnt out trying to perform. After all, I want to write a good story so regardless if I meet the 50,000 word count to win, I’m focusing on the quality. I’m not one to do a rough and dirty draft. I try to be a clean writer so it’s less editing work. The real truth is that I hate editing so, hence, the fanatical editing job before I reach the end. I’ve always worked that way so it will be difficult to break the habit. Right now, I’m at the half-way point in my manuscript so this post is appropriate in timing…

Okay, enough about writing…on to more important things…the holidays are coming! SQUEAL! Can you believe Thanksgiving is sneaking up on us and soon it’ll be Christmas. I’ll be honest, the holidays isn’t about the gifts for me but something more meaningful. It’s about being surrounded by family and enjoying each other’s company. It’s about that happy feeling that accompanies the winter season, when the Christmas trees and lights come up and decorations line the streets. Yes, this kid at heart will always see the magic of the holidays.

I hope this Thanksgiving you’ll make more happy memories and pass the tradition on for seasons to come!

Until next time!

We are about two and a half months closer to the end of the year and I’m trying to meet my goal of learning something new. I’ve spent a little bit of time working in the music industry and one of the things I loved most was writing lyrics. Of course, some of the songs I’ve written will never be released due to the talent quitting the music industry, but at least I have the tracks archived. It’s a great reminder that I was lucky to have worked with talented producers in New York, had my music listened to by music execs, and I was so close to having a career as a lyricist. But we all know that the road traveled always has intersections leading elsewhere…

Although I’ve had some music training, I never pursued it further. I’ve always wanted to learn the guitar but never seemed to find the time to take lessons. This year I decided I’d learn the basics so that I could play a few notes. I’m sure I’ll get better in time but what I dream of doing is writing music to accompany my lyrics…so this was a great opportunity to put it on my “to do” list this year. Unfortunately, I have very small hands, so my short fingers has made it difficult to play on a regular sized guitar. Thus the delay has led to me in search of a smaller guitar that will fit me just right. While I’m searching for the perfect fit, I’m learning the basics in between all my work load and writing.

I supposed I’m a bit obsessed when it comes to learning. I’m not afraid to tackle things once I set my mind to it and I will do whatever it takes to accomplish the goal. It’s the part of my brain that is persistent so I feel confident I will be satisfied with the end result. Strumming the guitar has this sort of relaxing effect so it really helps me get into the mindset of the character I’m writing about. A rock star who is tired of playing the kind of music his record label wants him to play, when all he would love to do is play the songs he really wants to. This part of my research is always fun–and I get to pick up something new in the process. How I see it, it’s a win-win.

How about you? Have you made a goal this year and accomplishing it?

Until next time, I’ll be cheering you on…

“What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.”
—Margaret Thatcher

This is my favorite month for many reasons. First, it’s because number 9 is my favorite number…and it’s the month of September (09)—and it’s also a month in which yours truly was born. BUT, that’s not why this month is so sweet.

The sweetest thing about this particular month is that I get to draw the winner of the great big ‘ole giveaway on THIS page—AND I get to announce that SHIBUYA MOMENT is now AVAILABLE IN PRINT through Amazon, which offers free supersaver shipping! WOOHOO! Also, you can purchase a copy right from my website—which if you get it from here—I will be able to autograph and include the gorgeous RTCs (Romance Trading Cards) with each purchase. All author proceeds will go to charity. I’m excited to find more ways to contribute. Japan still needs our help!

Summer is now over and winter is be fast approaching. Is it me, or did this year just fly by? I know! I’m really looking forward to many amazing things to come and I hope you’ll stick around to see what’s in store. Thanks for your support and thanks for allowing me to continue to create stories that I hope you’ll love! I wouldn’t have gotten this far without my readers, my friends!

Wishing you a magical month! You should all celebrate along with me because there is so much life to embrace!!!!

Stay SEXY!

…And I’m not talking about the movie either–Wow, July passed all too quickly and with it fond memories of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference in New York City. It was an amazing event which allowed me to mix and mingle with old and new friends. Yes–guilty as charged–I spent the bulk of my trip sightseeing with my buddy CJ Barry / Samantha Graves, which allowed me to capture over a 1,000 images of the Big Apple. I’ve selected a handful of my favorite photos which I displayed on my Facebook gallery.

<— As you can tell in the photos, I couldn’t help posing with the awesome cops that kept the area around Times Square safe…but mostly, I couldn’t resist petting the gorgeous horses that paraded around the city. I couldn’t resist posting these goofy shots since the first photo I managed to walk away before my friend had a chance to take the snapshot. On the second try, I attempted to pose but was met with a less than enthusiastic subject.

This month is an equally busy time for me while I wait to see if my paranormal with find a home at one of the NY publishing houses. While I’m waiting for news, I’m working on a contemporary romance that I hope to turn in by the end of the year. It’s been so much fun to write and really pushes me to go more mainstream than my usual lyrical voice. This story is set in the fast-paced entertainment world and is about a sexy Korean rock star and a sassy assistant. I can tell you it’s going to hot, hot, HOT!

Now for those of you who haven’t entered my SHIBUYA GIVEAWAY, you should! Next month I’ll be announcing the winner so you need to spread the word to help me donate to a worthy cause!

I’ll try to provide more exciting updates and news when they come. In the meantime, I need to head back into the writing cave so that I’ll have new releases for you to pick up!

Until next time…enjoy the sunshine!

I’m sure most of you have heard of Collector Cards or Trading Cards…but recently my friend Jeannie Lin came up with the brilliant idea to create Romance Trading Cards for some of the conferences as a way to promote authors. In the past, I’ve seen NY authors include them at book signing events–however, Jeannie was able to drum up major buzz by pushing this to the mainstream public…er, at least to readers and lovers of romance. She and a few of her friends also formed the Romance Trading Cards website so that collectors can see and order the RTCs from participating authors.

I have wanted to make RTCs for a few years now, but never got around to doing them.  I finally decided this was the right project to practice on. When my shipment arrives, I’ll have a handful of these cards available at the Romance Writer’s of America Conference in NYC this year–looks like a few lucky attendees will get them for free in the goody room. For those unable to attend, I want to focus on adding to the fundraising effort by making them available on my website. Half of the proceeds from the sale of this 3-piece set will go to charity and the rest will help offset the cost for additional promotions.

If you want to collect my trading cards, feel free to order them below. I’ve included US & International prices. There’s also an option to let me know whether you want these cards autographed.

Oh, if you notice, the book cover is the front of the RTCs for each of the 3 cards. You’ll get 1 with the general blurb, 1 character card for the heroine Seren, and 1 character card for the hero Max.

Don’t forget, I’m hosting a giveaway that includes a Japanese goody bag valued over $500.00 and packed full of items that will bring Tokyo to you. I’ll put up a photo soon!! Can you tell how much I want to help raise money for charity?

To see a complete list of the prizes, including a KINDLE 3G Wifi & Amazon Gift Card, go HERE.

PURCHASE YOUR COPY NOW!

All Romance EBooks
Amazon Kindle
BN Nook
Smashwords

Read an exclusive EXCERPT NOW!

SHIBUYA MOMENT…

Freelance photographer Seren Takahashi wants to heal her wounded soul after a devastating loss. While embarking on a personal adventure into Tokyo’s Shibuya district, she discovers a city rich in culture and vibrant in its exoticness. What she hadn’t expected was finding closure and rediscovering the true person hidden inside. When she gives into destiny’s pull, her journey awakens a need to live in the moment, embrace her fears, and open her heart to love.

Author’s note: All author proceeds from the sale of this story will be donated to the Red Cross and ShelterBox for the relief effort in Japan.

As a way to thank my readers, I’m hosting a giveaway that includes a Japanese goody bag valued over $500.00 and packed full of items that will bring Tokyo to you. I’ll put up a photo soon!! Can you tell how much I want to help raise money for charity?

To see a complete list of the prizes, including a KINDLE 3G Wifi & Amazon Gift Card, go HERE.

PURCHASE YOUR COPY NOW!

All Romance EBooks
Amazon Kindle
BN Nook
Smashwords

Read an exclusive EXCERPT NOW!

SHIBUYA MOMENT…

Freelance photographer Seren Takahashi wants to heal her wounded soul after a devastating loss. While embarking on a personal adventure into Tokyo’s Shibuya district, she discovers a city rich in culture and vibrant in its exoticness. What she hadn’t expected was finding closure and rediscovering the true person hidden inside. When she gives into destiny’s pull, her journey awakens a need to live in the moment, embrace her fears, and open her heart to love.

Author’s note: All author proceeds from the sale of this story will be donated to the Red Cross and ShelterBox for the relief effort in Japan.

Freelance photographer Seren Takahashi wants to heal her wounded soul after a devastating loss. While embarking on a personal adventure into Tokyo’s Shibuya district, she discovers a city rich in culture and vibrant in its exoticness. What she hadn’t expected was finding closure and rediscovering the true person hidden inside. When she gives into destiny’s pull, her journey awakens a need to live in the moment, embrace her fears, and open her heart to love.

Author’s note: All author proceeds from the sale of this story will be donated to the Red Cross and ShelterBox for the relief effort in Japan.

Available in May 2011…stay tuned for more release news.

♦ March 29, 2011: Talking about being Visually Inspired at Author Kelly L Stone’s BLOG.

♦ March 30, 2011: Interview with Tami Snow of Lyrical Lip Service. LISTEN to my interview on her radio show at FateRadio.com