Archive for March, 2010

What’s on my iPod : Crash and Burn by Lifehouse

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just a writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

It’s hard to believe it, but I began participating in EM a year ago. I’ve only missed once – last month. So here is this month’s post. It’s something I’ve been toying with, so it is in rough draft. But this is the opening sequence to FLIRTING WITH HEAVEN. It’s more of an adult paranormal romance. Enjoy.

          Lightning flashed, followed by the distant rumble of thunder. Two male voices erupted, embroiled in battle.

          “You should have stayed hidden, Ezekiel,” a male voice hissed.

          Lightning sparked a second time, glinting off the cruel edge of the blade held in mid-air.

          “I’ll protect Sam with my dying breath, Uriel. I’m not afraid of meeting my creator. Not sure you can say the same, daemon.”

          Thunder shook the ground, and the first male voice laughed. “If you kill me, Zeke, you’ll never find Samantha.”

          “What have you done with…damn it, the boom mic is in my shot!”

          Instantly, floodlights flickered on the sound stage. Keely Jamison rubbed her eyes as they readjusted from the darkness. The shoot had been going so well. Of course, it was only a matter of time before a tantrum erupted. She checked her watch – four hours this stretch. There wasn’t much she could do as head script writer for the pilot production of Flirting with Heaven. But she kept trying to appease everyone because this was her baby, a television program based on her best-selling novel.

          Beside her, Jess McCain, director extraordinaire, scanned back through the footage to double check the shot. Sure enough, the boom mic surreptitiously lowered into the top right corner of the screen. Keely cursed under her breath. The scene had been perfect this time – the fourteenth take. But now it was ruined. She almost sympathized with the “terrible tyrant” Trayson.

          After he dropped the sword and nearly impaled guest actor, Michael Jenners, Trayson spun into a spoiled actor’s tirade and verbally attacked he fifty year old veteran sound man responsible for the slip. She hardly blamed either one of them; they’d been on set shooting since six am.

          Jess got up and pushed his way into the circle forming around Trayson. The thirty-something director maintained a cool, levelheaded approach to his actors and the crew. And they respected him for it. But Trayson’s temper-tantrums had managed to see five seasoned film crew members walk off set already. With a sigh, she rose out of the canvas backed chair to stretch her legs. Keely slipped toward the catering table to get a cup of coffee for Jess and bottled water for the hot head.

           “Mocha latte?”

          Keely jumped at the sound of Zach’s voice and almost spilled Jess’s coffee all over the table and herself. She glared up at the dark haired assistant director. It wasn’t the first time he’d snuck up on her out of the blue. But his sweet smile melted her brewing distemper.

           “It looks like another long night,” he added, tilting head toward the crowd tightening around Trayson, Jess and the techie.

           She nodded and turned her attention back to the coffee and the water bottle.

          “Maybe, I should just f**king break my contract and quit this damn production,” Trayson’s gravelly voice boomed, “if you people can’t give me any respect to perform my craft and keep god-damn boom mics out of my face…”

          Trayson pushed through the men like parting the Dead Sea.

          “Not very angel-like,” Zach said.

          “I whole-heartedly agree with you.” Michael stepped over to the table and grabbed a water bottle.

          Keely sighed and gave them both a weak smile. “Damage control,” she said and walked for the stage door.

          She slipped through the partial opening in the rolling bay door and flitted past half a dozen actors on the back lot. It was close to seven now, and everyone was exhausted, especially Keely. But it was only the fifth day of shooting the pilot episode, and they were green-lighted to shoot six more episodes. That is if they could get this fast approaching train wreck back on schedule.

          The silver Star-line trailer rocked on its foundation wheels, and she heard a few loud curses. She hesitated before knocking, steeling her nerves and her pounding heart. Keely wasn’t afraid of the tantrum throwing actor. It was the exact opposite, she was crushing on him. Unfortunately, he was aware of it.

          “Trayson, can I come in?”

~~~

Don’t forget to come back on the first Monday of April for New Release Monday. See what’s coming out and enter to win a free basket of New Releases.

So, to kick it off, your hosts:

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)
and
Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)

Joining us this week:

Leslie Dicken, Historical (PG 13)
Victoria Dixon, Fantasy (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Contemporary romantic elements (PG 13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Debbie Mumford, SFF (PG 13)

KB Alan, Erotic Paranormal Romance (R)
Stephanie Draven, Fantasy with romantic elements (R)
Cate Hart, Paranormal YA (R)
Jeanne St. James, Interracial Menage (R)
Ali Katz, Historical (R)
Danielle Yockman, Steampunk (R)

Sara Brookes, Contemporary Romance (NC 17)
Christa Paige, ContemporaryRomance (NC 17)
Mary Quast, Contemporary Romance (NC 17)

Well my side bar is getting full. I’m moving old mini-posts here.

1-11-10 : I bought two more ebooks! Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and a PC Cast vampire book. Details later. But I am liking Hush, Hush.

1-2-10 : Almost finished with The Lightning Thief, and then tearing into The Sea Monsters. I bought Fallen by Lauren Kate, and while it’s intriguing, I find it much darker than I like my YA. I plan to finish it after my Olympian romp!

12-20-09 : I got a Sony eReader!!! I love it!! Right now I have two things on there. I have Inez Kelley’s Jinxed ebook, and Steve Berry’s latest about Napoleon’s treasure. I plan to keep adding titles!

Today, I bought Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I got it as Christmas present for my 9 year old nephew, but I’m having book envy. I want to read it before the movie comes out.
I became addicted to the CW’s new show Vampire Diaries. So, I had to pick up LJ Smith’s series. I’m in the middle of the third book now. But I also have the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer to read.

What’s on my iPod : Red Morning Light by The Kings of Leon

Well, I thought this might a good time to blog about my own personal journey to publication. The basics are the same : write a manuscript from start to finish, edit, revise, and repeat. Then write a hook and query/pitch and begin to query agents. Along the way thicken your skin, either with some tough (But great) critique partners, and getready for hte rejections. You’re going get them. Don’t take it personal, becuase it’s not. It’s business. An agent may not like your story, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. What it means is its just not in their particular taste.

So where I’m at right now. I’m in the querying process and the revising and tightening process. It means I’m querying, and not everyone all at once, but a few agents at a time. As I query I’m tightening my manuscript. This is also the time when I read everything I can get my hands on, and not just in my genre (YA paranormal) but everything, including craft books.

This really is a slow process, so I’m also working on my next manuscript, not as diligently as I did my first. And I’m networking - connecting with fellow writers and agents and editors. The internet has really brought the publishing community out of an elite status and into a more homegrown, grassroots movement. Well at least I like to think so.