Twisted Fairytale

After spending a week with hubby home from work, I’ve gotta admit, I really missed him today. The house seemed particularly quiet. My little brother didn’t stop by or call either, so it was just me and Peanut, entertaining each other, and watching the awesome show Jericho on Netflix online.

I’m tired but happy after spending the weekend at my grandma’s house. My surprise BBQ party to celebrate mine and hubby’s 5th wedding anniversary went well, though we had more cancellations than I would have wanted. I did make ice cream cake though, and it was delicious. We also got to go out on the lake near my grandma’s house. That was tons of fun. Peanut just looked around in awe. It was so great. The picture shown was one of my favorite shots of the day.

All in all, I haven’t done any writing today. I seem to have hit a bit of a plot wall in my fantasy sequel. I think I have to start doing a bit of outlining to see which direction I’m headed in before I can get back to it. In the meantime, I have my hands full with a teething baby who is obviously uncomfortable and wanting my full attention. Just another Monday morning. How was it for you?

Look at what I have to show you:

If you look carefully at the shelf below mine, you’ll see Gena Showalter’s books and Nalini Singh’s!!! Imagine that! I’m in fantastic company, wouldn’t you say? There is no feeling like seeing your book on a store shelf. It’s totally surreal. *squee*

Also, my awesome hubby bought us tickets to the Paramore/No Doubt concert yesterday. What a show!!! I tend to use a lot of Paramore music on my fantasy series. Their song Conspiracy was practically written for the series, it fits so perfectly. Check it out:

No Doubt was fantastic too. High energy, great performers, and she sounded amazing. I’ll admit I was jealous that she looks so good after having children, but you know what, it just means I gotta work harder to get myself in shape. Period. Bah.

The concert did inspire me to get back to my fantasy sequel which has been on hold while the muse played with the YA fantasy. But that one is now at 6500 words, so that one is on a steady pace as well. I really like where it’s headed and the tone that it has. Very different from any of my other stories.

All in all, I’m thrilled about the happenings in my life. Only cloud: my Peanut has his first cold. Mommy took him to the docs and they told me to just keep an eye on his fever, but he seems to be getting better already. His nose is really runny but with lots of crying and fighting, I give him some saline drops and he feels much better. So stubborn. *shakes head* We got him a new bouncer/exercise machine thing from Baby Einsten and he loves it! He tries to talk to the the little plastic froggy which makes me laugh. Ha ha.

Little Sister graduates from high school today so I gotta go get ready. Congrats, sweetie! So proud of you.

Happy Anniversary Chocolate Bear!

It’s been 5 wonderful years!

And this year, we got the most precious gift of all:

Peanut!

LOVE YOU.

On the writing front- I’m at 5500 words on my new fantasy YA!!! And OMG, I’m in love. There’s nothing like thrill and rush of a new project, when you first fall in love with your characters and plot. It’s so much fun. Here’s one of my favorite lines:

The thing about the forbidden is this- the pull begins, a slow drip that turns into a mighty river, until the desire for that which has been prohibited is so strong, you’re willing to sell your soul for a touch, a glance.

And sell my soul, I did.

Happy Friday all! Hope it’s a great one.

I make no qualms about the fact that I’m a corny fangirl. I’m not ashamed of it. In fact, I get giddy when I find other fangirls like myself who I can gab with about favorite books, or shows, or characters. But one show which I started watching for a reason other than great storyline, great characters, or a trustworthy rec is Gossip Girl. My friends had talked about it a bit (around the time the Twilight movie was being cast and Chase Crawford’s name was floating around the Twilight boards as the perfect Edward) but I had no real interest in watching it. Just wasn’t my cup of tea. Like with reading, I hardly have an interest in contemporary fiction. I don’t even really watch contemporary dramas on tv. I can do comedies… but that’s a whole different ballgame.

And then I started catching the photographs, or episode stills to be more precise. And my geeky fashion loving little heart started to pound. I wanted- nay- needed to watch this show if only to satisfy my love for all things preppy and couture. And it has never disappointed. There’s something for everyone. A little boho chic for the Serena lovers. Updated Jackie-O prep for us Blair lovers. And of course edgy rock in the form of Jenny Humphrey. How could you go wrong? I eventually came to love the characters (Blair + Chuck= onscreen magic!) but I still say that given the money I would be all over some of those fashion styles.

I was given the chance to test that theory. Ha ha. A dangerous situation, if you ask me. You see, my little sister had her prom tonight. And she generously asked me to help her choose her look for the evening. My sister is a really modern gal. She has a great body and is very bold. She can wear anything and tends to lean toward urban chic. I took her in the exact opposite direction. I made her my own little upper east sider with some Brooklyn flair, ala Little J. This was the final result:

Ignore the messy house, ok? I have a baby who makes me nutty and won’t let me put him down or he’ll cry. Ha ha. Anyway, doesn’t she look FAB!?? I was very proud of my finished product. She looked GORGEOUS. Elegant, edgy, and youthful. The theme of the party is masquerade. She didn’t actually wear the mask, but dude, I couldn’t help reenacting the GG eppy “Handmaiden’s Tale”, hence the mask. ha ha. So yea, that was my stint as fashion editor. It was fun.

In more everyday news, I’m proud to announce that I actually finished the first chapter of my high fantasy YA novel! I’m amazingly psyched about this novel, it’s a weird mix of fairytales with a Romeo and Juliet undertone. I think it’s going to be one of my favorites that I’ve ever written. I also wrote about half a scene for my fantasy sequel Zerah… I really can’t wait for the first book to be released. I love these characters more than I could say. This was that book of the heart people talked about for me. I’ve had it in mind since my first year of college. And it went through many, many incarnations before it took on a life of its own and found its voice. So although my progress is slow… at least its progress. I may even post a little snippet or a fave line soon, in order to get myself pumped. Look out for that!

Here’s a song I’ve been using in my writing quite a bit lately. Enjoy it. And Happy Friday!

I haven’t blogged much because I haven’t had much to say. My days pass in a blur of diaper changes, feedings, and nap times with house cleaning and brainstorming thrown in the middle there somewhere. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, just don’t want to bore you all with the everyday happenings.Most of it is pretty mundane.

Granted, some exciting stuff has happened wtih my Peanut. He’s cooing, or chatting it up as I like to say. He speaks to me in long babbling sentences with the most adorable crooked grin on his face. I resume the conversation wherever he interrupted and he seems delighted to be talking to his mommy. It makes my day every time. He’s also figured out how to grab things so he takes everything and leads it toward his mouth. His burp cloth, his feet, my fingers. Ew. I’m definitely not looking forward to when he starts crawling. I’m going to be on my hands and knees daily scrubbing the floors to avoid ickiness.

The hubby has also been awesome and subscribed us to Netflix, one of the best rental programs in the whole wide world. Not only can we rent up to three movies at a time and keep them as long as it takes us to watch them, but I also have a slew of movies and tv on dvd available for streaming online- FOR FREE! *major squee* So I’ve been repleneshing the poor, starving muse with some delicious scifi in the form of Doctor Who. Any fans? I only just got turned on to it by some good friends (Lisa, Cam, I owe you both big!) and MAN what a show. I basically gobbled up the first two seasons in a week and a half. Then wanted to immediately see the season four finale, (whilst skipping all of 3 and Martha Jones, pft). My mind is adrift with fantasy dreams of time travelers and romance. Maybe it was the spark I needed to get back to the writing board. Because a sentence a day just isn’t cutting it anymore. I need something a bit more. A bit of consistency to get my groove back. Maybe I’ll take a half hour each night before bed and focus on writing a scene. JUST ONE. And see where it takes me. I might get more done than I expect.

I’ve also got a few exciting things planned for the next few weeks. I have a girls night in party tomorrow night. Chocolates, pedicures, romantic comedies, and mimosas. I need some girly time to feel like a grown up again, not just a mommy. And although Peanut will be the only male crashing the party, I doubt he’ll mind. He tends to like to break hearts already. *shakes head* Here we go. What else? Oh, yes! Museum of Natural History field trip on Monday! SO Psyched. Hubby also said we can hit the Museum of Modern Art a few weeks later if I want. I just about cried with pure glee. I love MOMA. This month also marks hubby and I’s fifth year anniversary. Big stuff. Too bad I’m not working to get him an awesome gift. Maybe next year. Though I may have a trick or two up my sleeves yet.

So yea… that’s what I’ve been up to. How about you?

So it’s Friday and it’s rainy which means my planned trip to the zoo is off. I don’t want to take Peanut out in cold, dreary weather. It wouldn’t be worth it for him to catch cold. We managed to go to the museum the day before yesterday which was really fun. He slept through most of it, but I oohed and aahed and lamented my forgetfulness. My camera was nowhere to be found which is too bad cause I think pictures of us and the giant polar bear and the T-Rex head would have been fun. Maybe next time.

That particular field trip got me itching to go to The Museum of Natural History in NYC. I’ve never been, believe it or not, despite being only an hour or so away. This year is the year. I plan to go and eat it all up. Take a bizillion pictures. Hit up the planetarium. And then top it off with a nice dinner in the city. I like this idea.

I will ruminate on it over Special K cereal and then go back to sleep since Peanut seems to have fallen back asleep. HAPPY FRIDAY ALL!

Wow. Although the little Peanut keeps me busy and generally off the computer, I can usually sneak away and check my email for a second when Daddy gets home. You can imagine my frustration when last Tuesday I noticed the cable modem acting up. It’ll pass, I told myself. Maybe it’s a glitch. Hmm… yea, it didn’t pass. Today is the first day in a week that I’ve had internet access- and it’s about time! I swear, the withdrawal is NOT pretty.

I was watching TV on DVD on Netflix. That was gone. I could speak to friends on IMs. That was gone too. I couldn’t even keep up with my Author pals on Twitter- b/c I never set up my phone to my account. So my internet world was gone. FOR GOOD. and I had NO clue how to deal. How is it possible there was a time without internet? Ha ha. On the plus side, I got a little writing done, but I didn’t email it to myself and then I panicked about losing it and my system crashing and all that stuff (although there was no hint that those things would happen, I’m just paranoid).

So now I’m back, THANK GOODNESS and I have a lot to catch up on. Including BLOGS! So, expect me to make the rounds soon.

So far, four of my favorite television shows have had their season finales, while one has had its series finale. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve been left in awe and I’ve shouted terrible things at my television set. Obviously, I am far too invested in these characters and their lives, but it’s obviously a sign of good writing. Now, I’m forced to imagine a summer without awesome television entertainment to distract me. How will I survive?

I’ll have to take up another hobby. I do have those few books on my list that I’d like to read so maybe I should renew my library card and do some summer reading, old school style. I used to spend my entire summers in high school in the library taking out book after book. I could go through about 4-6 books in a summer. But if I’m honest, I miss my book budget. I’d prefer the smell of brand new book whose spine I can break (yup, I’m a spine breaker, can’t help it), than a book that’s been touched by many hands. I’m just posessive like that.

I’ll admit, it’s been rather scarce lately. Many of the books I’d put on it ages ago have fallen to the wayside. I’ve read a bit and lost interest, I’ve had lots on my mind making it nearly impossible to focus or I’ve altogether forgotten because I didn’t write them down (bad me!)

Tonight, I had a giddy *squee* worthy moment when I read about a new series over at Literary Escapism (goodness, I love that blog- always some great cover reveals and some fantastic reading suggestions).

The Princess Novels Series by Jim C. Hines will be bumped to the top of my TBR pile. All because of this very perfect snippet:

There is an old story — you might have heard it — about a young mermaid, the daughter of a king, who saved the life of a human prince and fell in love.

So innocent was her love, so pure her devotion, that she would pay any price for the chance to be with her prince. She gave up her voice, her family, and the sea, and became human. But the prince had fallen in love with another woman.

The tales say the little mermaid sacrificed her own life so that her beloved prince could find happiness with his bride.

The tales lie.

OMG. Can I just say that The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney movie of all time? And to see the Mermaid tale revisited and retold is going to be AWESOME. Not only that- but it’s one of four tales involving retold fairytales (which readers of my blog will know is a weakness of mine!!!). He’s written The Stepsister Scheme and has two more books planned for the series titled Red Hoods Revenge and Secret of the Snow Queen. Ridiculously psyched. I love to see stuff like this being published. It warms my fairytale loving heart and makes me want to hurry up and write my retold fairytale. *itches to double productivity* With time, Isabelle. With time.

Although I don’t get much time to write these days, the muse has definitely been ruminating on two of my WIPs - moving the scenes along in my head, scripting dialogue, preparing me for the sweet moment when my fingers can touch the keys for more than five consecutive minutes to create a complete thought! To prepare for this, I’ve gone back and picked up one of my favorite writing tools: The Romance Writer’s Handbook by Rebecca Vinyard.

This book is fantastic. It tackles all aspects of writing from the birth of an idea to finding an agent! I love that it uses specific examples from movies and other books to bring the points home. You start to clearly see what works and what doesn’t. For instance, my futuristic romance is plot heavy and for a character driven writer like myself, I often feel like I’ve written myself into a corner, having to go back and remind myself of the villain’s motives, the hero’s growth and the heroine’s choices. There are also a lot of side characters because I’ve created a co-dependent star system that serve as a major backdrop to the action. The chapter on plotting was invaluable for keeping my thoughts in order. It broke down each stage of the novel and how it should progress. I was able to look at the actions objectively and see the slow progression toward completion. It all made sense! I was on the right track! *wipes forehead* Thank goodness!

It also has some great chapters on hero and heroine stereotypes. I was suprised to find that I’ve actually written several different types of heroes (although I prefer to read alpha males in other people’s novels). Take Charles Witmore and Chase Branton as examples. They’re the heroes of Cinematic Royalty and Dark Hollywood Nights. Charles is definitely a ‘best friend’ hero, more of a beta man: kind, decent and responsible; while Chase is what’s considered a ’swashbuckler’: the action hero, a man on the go who is physical, daring and mercurial. I’ve also written a ‘lost soul’ character in my fantasy series, tortured and secretive, and a ‘chief’ character in my futuristic, the typical alpha male. I’ve mixed a ‘bad boy’ rebel with a ‘charmer’ to create a suave side kick who’s getting his own storyline. *_* I never realized what a wide variety of males littered the corners of my mind! Ha ha.

My heroines tend to be a bit more similar. Most of them are bookish ‘librarian’ types: conscientious, orderly and bright. But I have a few who’ve broken the mold. I think Paige Jacobs from Surfacing starts as a ‘librarian’ type and becomes a ‘crusader’: tenacious and headstrong, determined to reach her goal at all costs. While Lexi Grant is more of a ’spunky kid’ the girl who’s spirited and loyal with that touch of moxie that makes her fun to read. I’ve recently written my first truly genuine ‘nurturer’ as well, a great listener, serene, and optimistic. She’s a side character in my fantasy series now but when she becomes the heroine of her own novel, she’s going to shine light a bright light.

This was so much fun! It really forced me to evaluate my novels and characters and how they interact. Sure they start as stereotypes, as bases, but when you breathe life into them, they walk and talk with such certainty it can be maddening.

So tell me, who are your heroes and heroines?