What the? Wednesday --> Google Fun!

I love this commercial... Queen... Muppets... Animal... It's the best.



Have fun with me!

Wednesday Flicks ~ The Goodbye Girl

When I'm feeling cruddy, I love to watch this movie. It's older than I am, but really, who cares? Richard Dreyfuss is hilarious. Plus they have some of the best quotes in this movie:

Paula McFadden: I thought you said you were decent.
Elliot Garfield: I am decent. I also happen to be naked.

~

Elliot Garfield: Out of where? Out of my rented apartment that you are staying in out of the goodness of my heart? I will bring home anyone or anthing that I choose, including a one-eyed Episcopalian kangaroo if that happens to be my kinky inclination. As for what is going on in there we're rehearsing Act 1, Scene 4 from Richard the Third. I happen to have a cretin from Mars directing this play and I need all the help I can get. However, if I choose to attempt to have carnal knowledge of that gorgeous bod that'll be her option, my problem and none of your business! And just for the record what do you think little Lucy's impression of what was going on in Mama's bedroom with Tony "Love 'em & leave 'em" DeForrest, huh? Hey Mac! Why don't you turn out some of these lights? We're running up a heck of a bill.

~

Lucy McFadden: Congratulations
Elliot Garfield: For What?
Lucy McFadden: I didn't know what else to say.

~

Paula McFadden: Be tactful.
Lucy McFadden: What's that?
Paula McFadden: Lie!

~

Enjoy!

What the? Wednesday...Tasty Tuesday Man Candy!

Since I had the fantastic Roz Lee here yesterday, I didn't get to post some yummy man candy. I'll do that today. :-) And yes, I have a new peculiar interest in American Horror Story. So here's Dylan and yes that is some might nice man bottom in the show. Yum!

What the? Wednesday...Friday Flirts?

Ok, so I have a fantastic author interview coming up on Friday, so I'm doing my Friday Flirts post today.

Basically, I'm in progress on a bunch of stuff. Gypsy's story...some shorts for TEB...the rest of the Halloween story. I'm just busy and feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. I know, so not a real thrilling post and it's short to boot, but hey, gotta have those here and there.

Heading back into my cave now.

What the? Wednesday ... A Review, A Review!!!

Ok, so the title of the post really has nothing to do with the post. No, that's wrong, too. I did get a review and I am happy about it. It's for Ever Fallen in Love and it's from Sensual Reads:



"A great story about second chances, there are plenty of obstacles along the way but Tucker’s persistence makes it all work out."

I'm pretty stoked!

Tucker lost the love of his life once, but this time, he’s not taking no for an answer.

Once a driver, always a driver...

Racing consumes Tucker Poston’s life. Until he sees her again. Megan Rodney. She’s the one person to come between him and his ride. She’s the only woman to understand him. The only woman he’s ever loved. Circumstances tore their love apart. Now he’s determined to show her the contents of his soul, even if it means losing his heart.

Being a driver doesn’t warm his lonely nights. Too bad she’s not interested.

Megan’s not about to fall for his smooth lines and slick image. She’s got a good life as a team owner for a stock car team. Still, memories of their love affair burn bright in her mind. What’s a girl to do when the man of her dreams, the man who pushed her away, wants a second chance at forever?

Contains a little spanking, anal play, and domination shared between former lovers, but no one’s complaining. For good measure, there’s the sizzling use of a Camaro hood for outdoor pleasure.

What the Wednesday? Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Ok, I've kept my WtW? posts a little quiet. I don't know if they do any good or if I'm talking to myself. Oh well.

This week I wanted to touch on something that's near to me and a pet peeve.

I totally get that you want to write a review. Why? You want to share your feelings about what you read. That's great. You might not like it, you might love it, but you want to share.

Kudos.

What I have a problem with is this: if you can't say something nice, even if you hated it, then don't say something at all.

I'm not saying you CAN'T write a review. Heavens no. I'm saying BE CONSTRUCTIVE.

Seriously.

There are many times when you won't like a book, microwave, television show, CD...etc. Things won't always be up to your version of par. They may be too low or may exceed. Who knows.

If you say something like, this was too short and I don't know why I paid so much for it, my first thought to you is, didn't you do some research first? Most sites, stores, etc. will tell you about the product, be it a short story, a low grade microwave or a new innovation in fridges. Go to the site, check out the vital stats.
But don't hate on something because it's short or because it was junk.

Tell the manufacturer or the author or the company WHY you didn't like it.

"The cord on the fridge is short. You might want to measure the length of the fridge placement to the outlet first." OR "The ice machine is loud. Only a little insulation around it. A little more and this would be a great machine."

What about: "This is a short story, no doubt. At 34 pages, I knew I wasn't going to get something in-depth, but if you want a taste of the author's work, this is something to get." OR "This book has lots and I mean lots of sex. If you're looking for something to spice up the night, this would be perfect. If you're looking for something more inspirational, you might want to skip it."

Gets the point across and makes YOU the reviewer look like less of a fool.

Here's a great example. I went shopping for a new laptop. I looked at lots of laptops, lots of sites pertaining to laptops, and LOTS of reviews. Now, the funny part is this: if you go hunting for a laptop, there are quite a few to choose from. If you go to say Best Buy and look at them, you can see which have a matte finish, shiny finish, removable top, extra number pad, etc. For the laptop I ended up getting, there were reviews like this (and I am not kidding)

"Shows fingerprints really well. Not aesthetic. 1 star of 4"

Um...ok, so I know there will be fingerprints. Fine. But...does it work well? Enough memory? Does it get hot fast and need a cooling pad? Battery life sufficient?

That wasn't touched on. Nope. All I saw was that there was lots of fingerprints, the person had sour grapes and they wrote a review reflecting that.

I probably sound like a broken record, but I look at it like this: no one wants to hear bad things, but we all have to here and there. No one wants to have their work rejected, shunned or labeled as insufficient. But that doesn't really give you the right in this day and age of immediate feedback to be mean or hurtful. You're not going to attract flies with vinegary words and you won't endear yourself to anyone with meanness. You won't.

I could've been really nasty in this post and still gotten my point across. I didn't. Why? I'm trying to show that if you're positive in your need to be negative, the author, company, manufacturer, etc. can learn and GROW from it.

Just think about it.

What the? Wednesday....Allergies

I wanted to get some writing done and to get ahead with the EDJ. Unfortunately, mother nature conspires against me. Gads my allergies are acting up. Every time I turn around, I need to blow my nose or grab a tylenol. Ugh. It's not even an every day thing...today they just went out of control. I'll come up with a better, not so drive-by quick post tomorrow. Going to lay down for a bit.

What the? Wednesday...Who Prices Those Things Anyway...

Ok, so I've talked about reviews, writing reviews, what should go in one, what shouldn't...and when you've gone beyond reviewing the book to reviewing the author.

I thought today I'd hit my last point and talk about price.

Granted, there are a lot of ebooks that are expensive. I believe Stephen King had a hissy about one of his books being the same price in e-form as in hardback. I can't say I blame him. But the thing to consider here--he didn't set the price--the publisher did. So if you get a book from a distributor and you feel it was too much, try going to the publisher site. Shop around. Trust me, you will find a better price.

We authors want you to review, read, and enjoy our work. That's why we write--we want to make others happy, fill our drive to be creative, and in some cases just to get the characters to hush.

So, shop around, really read the blurb, and consider what you want. It's your money and the authors really do want you to be happy.

Thoughts? Ideas? Things you want to throw? Let me know. I'm open to talking.

What the Wednesday? If You Can't Say Something Nice....

Ok, I want to preface this post with this notice: just because I'm talking about reviews, doesn't mean I'm crabbing about getting a bad one. Actually, I haven't read any of my reviews lately because, well, I've been too busy to. Sad, but true.

That said, this post is about the old adage, if you can't say something nice, don't say it at all.

When you're writing a review, there's something to consider. Are you bashing the book, because there are books you just won't like, or are you bashing the author?

It sounds sort of...silly in some ways to ask that question. Sure there will be books you won't like. We all have them. Some books you get to the end and want to cream the character because she demonstrated some serious too stupid to live attributes. Some, you want to pummel the hero because he was almost too hard nosed. Then there are the ones that don't have HEAs or HFNs. Those drive me berserk. I don't expect everyone to get married and tie things in a neat little bow, but doggone it, I want them to at least be together at the end.

Now, that point made, something reviewers can fall into is trashing the author in a review. Let's say, you don't like a book because there's a sexual situation you don't like. The responsible reviewer would say something along the lines of 'the book contains elements which I had a hard time dealing with, but I realize some people do enjoy this act and for those who do, this book is for them' or something like that.

A reviewer who doesn't care for the author might put something like 'this book stunk because the author wrote about unsafe sex. I don't know about you, but just because people do it, doesn't mean the author should include it. I think she should know better than to have characters in this day and age having unprotected sex. Doesn't she know there are diseases out there?'

While the point is made, it's not so much that the reviewer doesn't like the book, but more the choice the author made. Just because the character didn't use a rubber one time, does that truly kill the book? Think about it. The person isn't saying something constructive about the story. They are expressing a personal view and in turn, bashing the author. And really, just because you don't like it, doesn't mean someone else won't eat it up. Some don't mind if the characters go bare, play with food, or use monstrous toys. Yanno?

So my line of reasoning goes... are you writing more about the author and her/his choices or the actual book? My advice? You're in a public domain. Your opinions are yours and protected by the First Amendment. But, look at it this way, just because you are in that public domain, doesn't really give you the right to rip another person apart. Would you want it done to you? Probably not.

As an author, we don't really want bad reviews. We're all of the opinion--yes, it's true--that our work is fantastic and we want you to think that, too. We'd love glowing reviews, but if that's not possible, we'd like intelligently written reviews that say this is what I liked, this is what didn't work for me in the book. Not bashing the author for a character going bare during sex, not because it was in the wrong format, not because you thought the book was overpriced. We realize there will be critics and expect them, but we don't want publicly run through the wringer because the reviewer has a bone to pick. Save that for email or better yet, if you can't say something nice, pass and go to a book you can say something nice about.

Does that make sense? I'm not trying to whine, complain or act pissy. But from having spent a lot of time reading, lots of time writing reviews and lots of time writing...I've been knocked down, kicked, and learned from my scars and souvenirs. If I can share a little of that with you. By all means, I will.

Next week I thought I'd mention pricing. Yup, pricing. Who really sets those prices? Tune in next well. Well, actually you should tune in everyday, but that's up to you.

C-ya!

What the? Wednesday... Don't Blame Me!

I've got lots of friends, writers and non, and I was given a gigantic piece of advice. Don't whine on the blog. I'd like to think I don't. I'd like to think when I get frustrated and soap box that I'm...just voicing an opinion. Yanno?

Now I just talked to a friend who read my yesterday post. She loved the cover, didn't comment. She actually emailed me instead. Ok, so here's her issue, and I find lots of authors with this problem or this set of problems.

Authors take a lot of heat. A Lot. Her issue was a review. I haven't had any new reviews that I know of, so I can honestly say this isn't me talking about me in hypothetical. Her problem wasn't that the reviewer didn't like the book. Nope. Wasn't a spelling issue, editing issue, or even a gross cover. The person rated her a one star of five because the book wasn't on the format the person wanted.

I'm sorry?

Actually, I'm not. You see, writers have some control over what happens with their work. Some houses want the author to change the name of the work if it's too close to another published title in their arsenal, some even request the author change her name. Most are pretty okay with your name being your name. Authors get input on covers, but they don't always get the last say. Sometimes, you're stuck with what you've got. We usually don't get to say when the book will be released. It's the nature of the beast.

Sure we get say on the editing. A good editor will take the work and shape into something fantastic without changing the author's voice. There's also push/pull, give and take in editing.

What we cannot control is what format the book is on. Most publishers are great about making sure a book is on Nook, Kindle, the Sony version, pdf, HTML, etc. They want to make everyone happy and sell as many books as possible. I could be wrong, but I know with Kindle (I'm not sure about Nook) there is a conversion program that can be done, and most everyone can read pdf.

But to rate the book poorly for the simple reason that you couldn't get it on the format you wanted (this was a NY book, so really, it should've been in whatever format the bookstore sold but whatever), seems a little petty.

I've done reviews in my time. I still do. I like to tell the author what I liked/disliked/wanted more of in their work. I've written fan letters. But what seems to be lost here is what the point of a review is for.

Ok, this is my opinion so take it or leave it, get angry and tell me or not.

If you're going to review a work, don't give a huge synopsis--that's what reading the blurb is for.

Don't give spoilers, but if you must, MENTION that. Don't just plunk them in. Authors get snippy when a plot point that's supposed to be a surprise gets let out of the bag.

Tell what you LOVED about the book. Everyone loves praise. Authors just eat it up. Conversely, tell what you thought could've been improved--if there was anything--but do it in a positive fashion. I mean, if you said, the book was trash, well, how can an author improve on that? Toss the book in the garbage? Really? Probably not. But if you said, I liked the book because the hero has real stamina and he looks like Brad Pitt, but what pulled me from the scene was when he called the heroine by the wrong name. I realize editing mistakes happen because we're human, but a second or third look would've helped. See? That gets the point across without sounding mean and gives the author food for thought.

You can by all means say this book wasn't in the right format for me. But rate the book based on the work not the format. Chances are, the publisher goofed and is in the midst of fixing it.

What it all boils down to is this, if you're going to write a review, by all means do so. Make it intelligible. Get the point across. But give the author credit for things that are beyond their control. We grow from constructive criticism and wither from snark.

Just a thought. And since I know I'm going to make someone mad, feel free to comment. I'm open to changing my mind. Let me know.

What The? Wednesday .... Never Enough...

Hours in the day. I'm not kidding. Seems like when I was a kid, the day went on forever. I'd go to bed and think, man, I can still see vivid green leaves, not the black like when it's night time.

I was so young.

There are nights now when I look at the clock and think, it's five...already? Where did the day go? I was going to write and promo and twitter hop...and I've done...what?

Grocery shopped.
Shoe shopped for everyone but me.
Changed a litter box.
Refilled cat/dog food bins (we have those water jug looking things that self feed).
Cleaned up the kitchen from a recent food disaster.
Helped fill/unload the RV.
Vacuumed.

Gee, my life is so exciting. I actually talked to a friend from school about that. She thought I had such a fantastic life, being a writer. Um. If you look at that list...then no. I mean, yeah, I've had some great experiences. But day to day? I'm just an average, ordinary, everyday girl. With not enough hours in the day.

So I'm off to get some stuff done before the day actually starts so I can do the things I don't really want to do. But then doing those things now, means I can write later.

C-ya!

What the? Wednesday - What Inspires Your Book?

I'd submitted a book the other night and was busy being totally distracted by television when I started thinking...what inspires a book? I mean, what really gets the creative juices flowing?

I know it's different for everyone.

So I thought, gee, what is it that really nabs my attention. Well, here's a couple of my examples.

Television. As much as it's a deterrent, it can be an inspiration to me. I've had plenty of actors that made me think, 'he'd make a great.....' and usually, it works out great. I've had lots of good ideas come from an action the actor did. Not the guy, but how he looks or a way he moved. Never the character on the screen.

I've also found inspiration from things in my life. I spent time as a teacher. Went to college. I sat through boring lectures in gigantic halls. Teeny tiny art classes in loft-type rooms. I met lots of people there and most are unforgettable. Might not be an actual person but something they did. Or even, a situation I was in with them.

So there's some from the vault, so to speak. Some of my little gems about my work and it's origins.

What about you? Where do you get your ideas? What sparks you?

What the? Wednesday...You've Met Your Favorite Author...What Do You Say?

I just went to an author get together earlier this month and I saw a lot of readers wandering gobsmacked. I mean, yeah, their favorite authors are all there and in living color.

Now, imagine this...you've walked up to your favorite author, book in hand, ready to get the holy grail, an autograph. But there's one big problem.

Stage fright!!!

OMG, what the heck do I say to this person who is right up there on the coolest of the cool level? Yes, I've been there and I've been tongue-tied. So what do you say?

How about hi? Some authors can be really stand-offish...just like some people can be. But on the whole, authors are normal people. They like to have people compliment their work. Who doesn't? And if you just say, hi, how are you, loved _______...they'll probably be thrilled. Actually, I can just about guarantee it.

You see, when authors put books out, we know the editors like them enough to have contracted the book. Still, it's nice to have validation from a reader that the book was liked, interesting, and read more than once.

So just be yourself, tell the author you're happy to meet them, that you liked the book, can't wait to read more of their work, or something like that.

As a word of caution: Running up to them, screaming, and saying something along the lines of, "OMG it's _____" might scare them into running the other way.

On a side note: I've started the prequel to Tangled Up, since you asked for it. I'm also working on Gypsy's story. I know, been saying that one for a while. I got a little behind. It happens...a lot...sadly.

Ttyl!!!

What the? Wednesday....Basket Winner!!

i wanted to thank the person who won my basket at the Lori Foster Event. So who won?

My good friend SANDY SULLIVAN!!!!

I was so excited to find out she'd won the basket.




What was in it? A notebook, embellished with beading and ribbon. Wine from the Sandusky region of Ohio - blush wine, my favorite. Wine glasses with hand made wine glass charms, courtesy of my dear friend Chris Meanea. Chocolates, fountain pen, a book thong, created by me. Some of my promo materials, all in a sweet little basket great for taking out for a nice day of writing in the sunshine.

Thanks Sandy!!!

Red Hot Reads for the Summer!!

This isn't a super long list, but these are some of the books I've read lately and think you might like them, too. I mean, I am a reader as well as a writer. :)

Take the Shot by Missy Welsh
Loose ID
Contemporary
Short Story (111 pgs)
Other: Voyeurism, masturbation, M/M, anal sex/play, BDSM, spanking, ménage, M/M/F, M/F, toys

Good gravy this is one hot book. Imagine the two hottest guys on the planet getting together. Touching, licking, and pleasuring. Now add a girl. Sound exciting? In Missy Welsh’s book, Take the Shot, it sure is.

Not Knowing Jack by K.A. Mitchell
Samhain Publishing
Contemporary
Full Length (198 pgs)
M/M, anal sex

Tattoos, a sous-chef, and a couple kids shouldn’t work in a relationship, but written at the hand of K.A. Mitchell, it works and so much more.

American Love Songs by Ashlyn Kane
Dreamspinner Press
Contemporary
Full Length (252 pgs)
M/M, anal sex

“My heart went boom when you crossed the room.”

That line sums up the spark between Parker and Jake and yeah, I was so glad I got to go along for the ride. Ashlyn Kane, you have a reader for life.


Make the Yuletide Gay by Lena Austin
Sugarplum #8
Changeling Press
Contemporary, Holiday
Short Story (22 pgs)
M/M, anal sex

Ever wanted to go back and get a do-over? Ever wanted to find out what might have been with the one person you couldn’t get out of your mind? Then you need to read Make the Yuletide Gay by Lena Austin.

Cover Art by Caroline Stephens
Dreamspinner Press
Contemporary
Short Story (38 pgs)
M/M, anal sex

Sometimes the best pairings are the ones no one expects to work at all. Guys with hang-ups, guys with issues are realistic. Readers can relate. Caroline Stephens hits the nail on the head with her short story Cover Art.

What the? Wednesdays...You Know You've Read Too Much MM When...

You know you've read to much MM when... this is a sad but true story. And it was worse once I realized, wow, yeah, I probably do read too much MM.

I was at a particular eatery with the youngling. We stood in line awaiting our turn when I happened to notice the people in front of me. Normally, I don't really care who happens to be standing around me--I'll strike up a conversation with anyone. But this particular time, there were three men (college aged man-children) and one young woman. They were joined by another male of the college-age range.

First thought, Hon, you've got the sweet and innocent look going on. Work it! I mean, she looked like All-American, apple pie, yanno? Then I thought, lucky girl...five guys. Isn't this a Siren Love Xtreme storyline?

Second thought, the one gent in front of me had a hickey the size of an apple on the side of his neck. Here's where the MM comes in. I actually stood and looked at the hickey wondering which was the angle of origin (yes, too many CSI marathon, too) and which one gave it to him.

Then my mind wandered. Which one HAD left the hickey? Of course now, Megan has arrived and is egging me on. She's such a bad influence.

We came to the conclusion, he was sammiched in the middle, her on one side, the brawnier guy on the other and EVERYONE has hickies, they just don't happen to be so visible.

I won't go into our deduction as to HOW the hickies precisely got there, but suffice it to say, Megan's creative thoughts flowed like wine.

So yeah, I've read WAYY TOOO MUCH MM.

How about you?

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Right Where I Need to Be

I thought I'd continue my Ten Things posts and hit my first novel, Right Where I Need to Be. This one is from The Wild Rose Press.

10. This isn't the first novel I'd ever written. It's actually the fifth.

9. The original title was going to be The Boys of Crawford County: Logan.


8. Ray had a bigger role in the original book. But I thought it would make more sense (and so did Kiss Carson) to give him his own story.

7. There's a secondary character named Speedle. I watched way too much CSI: Miami at the time.



6. The book went only to The Wild Rose Press.

5. I wrote this book on my husband's PC at night after the family went to bed because it was the only quiet time I had at the time.

4. I listened to a ton of Gary Allan at the time, but the title has a little more symbolism than that. Dh is a pilot and if you watch the video for Right Where I Need to Be by Gary Allan, there is a plane in it.

3. I saw Gary Allan in concert at the House of Blues the week I subbed the story.

2. Writing Dex Rose's character actually made me angry and his actions made me cry while writing. He pushed the line and I hoped his anger and issues translated into the book well.

1. I polished it over Christmas and nearly didn't submit it because I thought it wasn't ready. Guess I was wrong.


Here's the blurb:

Logan Malone needs an acting job and fast. With his string of broken hearts, his professional life lies in shambles. To resurrect his career, he must audition for a television role which could be the job of a lifetime.
Cass Jensen needs an actor for her made for TV movie. The previous actor dropped out, leaving her stranded. Her savior shows up looking sinfully sexy and totally right for the part, but what part is she auditioning him for - her movie or her bed?

What the? Wednesday...Ten Things You Didn't Know About Learning How to Bend

I saw this on someone else's blog (JA Saare) and I thought, hey, ten things about a book the readers might not know... hmm... I can do that. So, here we go.

Ten Things You Might Not Know About:

Learning How to Bend

10. This wasn't the first book I'd ever written. It's actually out of a dare to write something uber hot.

9. Seth and Abby weren't originally from that book either. I'd written a short story earlier with characters named Seth and Abbey, but I liked the names so much, I put them into the new story. And Seth insisted his story couldn't be told without Abby. Oh, and Abby originally had an e in her name, like Abbey Road.


8. Besta Pizza Around is a play on the name of a pizza joint one of my dear friends owns. Her's is called Besta Fasta Pizza. Wonder if she'd change it for me?

7. I listened to more than my share of Gary Allan during the writing of this story. Oh and a lot of harder music...primarily Godsmack.

6. I had a friend in school who was named Abby. I have no idea what happened to her because after elementary school, she moved, but I never forgot the name.

5. Learning How to Bend wasn't the original title either. I'd originally titled it Untitled Soldier Story and Coming Home.

4. Crestline, Ohio is a real place. Yup. I grew up not too far away from it.

3. I had to do a lot of research on clitoral piercings for the story. I had no idea if it was possible before then (I had a pretty good idea it was), but I had to check.

2. It was my second contract, but my first release. Strange but true. Odd how things work out that way.

1. I didn't plan a follow-up to the story when I wrote it. It was a one-off erotic romance. But the characters wouldn't let me be. They *had* to have their stories, too. And I'm not sure if I'm finished with the Besta Pizza Around bunch.

What the? Wednesday...The Scariness of Submission

Submission. I know where your mind went. In some ways, you're right. There's a little of that in this post. And there's a little of a different kind of submission.

I'm working my heart out on a couple stories right now. One has to do with a menage. Yup. That one. Still not done with it. Not always a good thing. It's due by the end of the month. So if I want to sub it, then I need to get my buns in gear. That one has some fun submission and some yummy manlove. Yes. Megan convinced me to write some more m/m/f. And I liked it.

And then there's this other story. I've got a story I subbed last summer. Pitched it in person and everything. Needless to say, it was given a R&R. Revise and Resubmit. That would've been fine, had I not oh, I don't know...let it sit for more than a month. I worked my tail feathers off on it and then passed it on to a CP. Problem is, she kinda forgot about it...between forgetting about it and then finding out it was really not in shape...I haven't bothered to resubmit it. It's not that I don't want to. Far from that. I'd LOVE to resub it. I just didn't realize how bad off it was when I'd subbed it in the first place.

Hence my scared-y-cat-ness. I get all excited when a story is close to being ready but the queasiness that accompanies actually submitting...strikes every time.

Ugh.

I've got a sub in right now. It's a favorite of mine. So if it gets shot down, I'll be honest, it'll be a bit painful. Why? It's the polished and rewritten version of my very first MS. I call it the 6YOMS (6 year old manuscript). We'll see. And have fingers crossed.

You ever experienced the "I really need to ralph because I sent in a sub" feeling? Share your story. I'm all ears. Or eyes. Whatever. Let me know.

And Don't Forget to Check out These Awesome Authors: Megan Slayer, Kealie Shay, Menagerie Authors, Jessica Jarman, Devon Rhodes, Ashley Ladd, Linda McMaken, Cheryl Dragon, Marianne Arkins, Anne Rainey, KA Mitchell, Mychael Black, and Jenika Snow!

What the? Wednesday ~ Rules...Who Do They REALLY Apply To?

Sorry, but I have a rant today. Yup. You're shocked, I know. But it's a matter of being fed up and a little...unimpressed.

I'm not saying I am a saint. Far from it. But, let me tell you two stories.

Story One
I'm at a large store minding my own business. Youngling needed sweatpants, because he lives in them, and I was on the lookout for said britches. Ok, so don't hunt for sweatpants in March. They aren't out. Anyway, I'm standing in line at the checkout. Nothing much is going on, but the line is long. Fine. I didn't really have anywhere to be (at that time, but that's another story). I'm browsing the magazine rack and listening to the muzak when the register right beside me opens. She even motions me over to get into her line. Ok. You might be thinking, what's the issue?

The woman who decided she HAD to go in front of me. Now had she ASKED and said something like, I'm late, I'm in a hurry, I'm something other than being rude...I'd have happily let her go. Live and let live. But no. She just butted in front of me. I was RIGHT THERE!! I said, excuse me. She smiled. "I was here first."

Yanno, fine. If whatever you had to do was that important, fine.

Story Two
I went to the school to pick the youngling up. We don't live in his district, but open enroll him. Fine. There's a pick up line. Same procedure every day. You get in line, show your number, when it's time, they release the totlets. Fine.

Except when parents feel they and their children are more important than yours.

I start driving towards the turnaround and this person decides come hell or high water, she needs to be in front of me. Normally, I wouldn't care. I wasn't first in line. I wasn't in a hurry. No, what irked me, was that we are at a SCHOOL. We are supposed to be teaching our kids to FOLLOW the RULES. How is it following the rules when you hurry up and speed in a 10 mph school zone, to get right in front of ONE CAR. ONE FLIPPIN' CAR!! It's not. First, the person broke the speed limit. Second, kids come running out of the school without LOOKING WHERE THEY ARE GOING. Speed racer could've easily taken out a running kid. Third, person cut in line. We teach kids, be polite, don't cut, do unto others as you'd have done to you. And then we turn right around and show them, if you aren't first, you aren't wanting it enough.

My Point?

We have these things called rules for a reason. So people don't get hurt. Whether it's copyright infringement, bodily harm, vehicular harm, or emotional harm, there are rules. Without rules, we'd have anarchy. No stop lights, we'd have mayhem in thr streets. No seating charts, we'd all be squished at concerts like the Who concert in Cincinatti. So, rules reallly have a place in society.

Except when someone gets the idea that they are more important than everyone else. Just because you drive a Mercedes and have fashionable specs, doesn't make you more important than me. Just because you don't want to wait the extra fifteen minutes to pick your kid up because you don't want to 'cut it close to practice' doesn't make you better than me. It makes you more affluent, maybe. Might make you a bit of a scheduling control freak, but it doesn't mean you or your kid is anymore important to me or my kid.

Am I ranting? Yes. Why? Because it's irritating to stand in a line, mind your own business and have someone butt in because they've deemed they needed to go first. It's aggrivating to watch a parent scream at a kid that they haven't followed the rules when Mommy and Daddy just sped through a school lot to make sure little Jonnie and Suzie didn't have to wait to go home.

Stepping down from soapbox. I feel a little better now. Thank you for listening.


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