With a Rebel Yell!

Oh, do I feel good! I wanted to participate in the Nanowrimo in two days, but didn't want to start an entirely new project, I wanted to use the process to get me focused on what we'll call Zelera's Revenge (for now). But, I didn't want to cheat, as I already have around 10,000 words down. But, lo and behold, I discovered this lovely category of Rebels, and found myself feeling right at home...how appropriate, that I should find myself a rebel ; )

So, here's the deal, I'm going to participate and add to my already 10,000 words and hit that damn goal of 50,000 new words to give me over 60,000 words, and I'll call myself a winner! No stigma, for I will revel in my rebel status! Yahoo!

I will try to update with some short little blurbs, letting you all know how its going. I'm so excited. If any of you are participating and would like to be my nanofriend...my username is Milster : )

The Next Big Thing!

Hot Damn! I was nominated for the Next Big Thing, and it makes my little heart skippy flippy with joy! The awesome Shell Flower of the fantastic TangentShell was kind enough to give me a little nod! So, I've copied the questions from her blog and here are my answers to the burning questions you all have about my WIP!


What is the title of your Work in Progress?
Oh, I'm not sure yet...Zelera's revenge? I dunno. She's a bad bad girl and she's back to make trouble. I'm about 99% positive that name won't stick, it doesn't have enough...!

Where did the idea come from for the book?
Zelera, the villain from Return of the Crown, of course is making a comeback, and if you thought she was nasty before... A lot of the old crew is coming back for round two and I will introduce a whole new host of characters to spice things up. Let the adventure begin!

What genre does your book fall under?
It's fantasy, sort of in the classical sense. Adventure, magic, fantastic creatures! The heroine's age places it in the YA group, but I'm hoping to write it in such a way that it'll be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Return of the Crown has a fan base as young as 9 on up to Grandma's and Grandpa's, who gladly thank you to not speculate as to their chronological years.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Oh, Jennifer Lawrence(Katniss Everdeen) would make an excellent Ravyn. Hayden Christensen(the youthful Anakin Skywalker) for Blade. Jim Carey would make such a killer Connor, due to Connor's love of disguises and great sense of humor. Katie McGrath(BBC's Merlin's Morgana) would delight as Zelera, beautiful lady who does wicked oh so well.

What is a one-sentence synopsis of the book?
Classic-style fantasy adventure brimming with magic, mayhem and new and engaging mythical creatures.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Return of the Crown was self-published, and I have not chased down any agents yet. It could go either way, and I'd still be a happy camper. It's all about sharing the story, however it gets out there!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I am a little over 11,000 words in. I write in the little cracks of time I can sneak into my day. I am hoping to finish the first draft by Christmas. I might just join the Nanowrimo folks this November. Now that I've written that down, it's going to help me meet my goal? Right?! What a great Christmas gift that'd be!

What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
I believe this is similar to the Rogue Wizard series by Christopher Stasheff. Quests, mythological creatures, humor mixed in with the action. I have a strong female protagonist rather than a male.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My fans! Those wonderful folks who read Return of the Crown, started clamoring for more. I left the first book open at the end, hoping readers would want more, and by golly they do! Zelera's really outdone herself this go around. I can't promise you everyone will make it out alive this time...

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Dragons? Who doesn't like dragons? Will Blade and Ravyn finally tie the knot? Which character is going to Return to the Light?

Okay, so here're the five fine folks whose WIP I'm interested in seeing more of. Please take a moment to check them out! Tag--you're it!
Richard Long
Wodke Hawkinson
Fel Wetzig
Jessa Russo
Jossie Marie Solheim

Lovely Blogger Award for Me? Aw shucks...

Thank you to http://helenamallett.wordpress.com for the honor! You are a wordsmith talent, and I'm humbled by your nomination.

Seven random things about me...

1. I'm the baby out a family of eleven children
2. I love rock climbing, though I don't get out enough
3. I'm an extremely proud momma and wife
4. Words give me a warm fuzzy tingle inside...what can I say, I love 'em
5. I love The Nightmare Before Christmas (Halloween and Christmas!!!)
6. I just got a new love in my life, his name is Dex. He's a Doberman puppy!
7. I tried Stand-Up Paddle boarding and loved it! Wish the boards weren't so expensive.

And the nominees are (drumroll please)

http://sharonbayliss.blogspot.com/
http://krystal-wade.com/
http://wizardofotin.blogspot.com/
http://tangentshell.blogspot.com/
http://www.colleenchen.com/
http://www.sylviavanbruggen.com/
http://glosdrumbeat.blogspot.com/
http://jessarussowrites.blogspot.com/
http://dreamersloversandstarvoyagers.blogspot.com/
http://www.waynewsmith.com/2012/10/wordless-wednesday-guest-photographer.html
http://lindabloodworth.wordpress.com/
http://www.create-with-joy.com/
http://odetomyabode.com/
http://www.scotzig.com/
http://emmyneal.wordpress.com/

Okay, so for some reason, my ability to use the linking tool is sadly lacking. Instead of figuring out how to do it properly, I'm just listing the links. You all know how to cut and paste. I admit, it seems lazy, and you're right, it is. But, that new puppy I mentioned above is needing a walk...like now! If I don't do it this way, it won't get done at all! Sigh.

Wordless Wednesday

Thought I'd finally participate in Wordless Wednesday. This little guy was not at all shy. Pic taken about a year ago on Central Coast of California while out abalone diving. Have a fantastic Wednesday!

Let sleeping dogs lie...on top of me?

So, our dog Topo is getting old. He's going to be 14 next month. We couldn't ask for a better guard dog, and he did his duty proudly for many years. He's a cute old man, and we love him dearly, so we're letting him retire and getting him a friend, one younger and ready to take on the guard dog responsibilities.

So, yesterday we headed off to just "look" at a 5 month old Doberman. Both hubby and I thought for sure we wouldn't really want him, because he's not black and rust. But oh boy were we wrong. He has a very sweet temperment and is beautiful to boot. He melted my heart! We tossed some names around and stuck on Dexter, which almost everyone agreed on.

This dog is already completely, thoroughly rotten spoiled. Dexter came home with us last night, and as we were going to bed, we weren't sure how we were going to get him to lay still. Topo sleeps in the crate and he's not much of a sharer. I thought I'd gotten Dex to sleep alongside our bed, but as I climbed under the blankets a wet nose was snuffling my cheek. Hubby says,"just let him up." I'll be darned, I wasn't expecting that! Dexter snuggled down right between us and nodded right off. But, just like any other kid, he sure is wiggly. And at one point in the night I woke up with 40 or 50 pounds of Doberman draped across me. Let sleeping dogs lie? Not if they're keeping me awake!

I'm guessing there'll be more posts about Dexter in the near future. Luckily he's pretty much potty trained, and he did very well today on a lead for the first time. Just going to be working hard on all those basic commands and then some. Good thing Dobie's are so smart!

What Kind of Mom Says this...

The other day, my daughter's teacher noticed I wasn't wearing the sticker from the office and I was on campus after the bell rang. Oops. I kind of laughed and shrugged my shoulders. She proceeded to say, "Your daughter told me on the second day of school that 'rules are meant to be broken.'" I noticed her raised eyebrow...

Hmmm. She got me there. I did actually say that to my dear sweet nine year old. What kind of mom does that? Sometimes, believe it or not, a really good mom. Lucky for me, her teacher and I go way back, and she really just wanted to know what prompted me to tell my daughter such a thing. She was laughing at me. So, I told her.

My daughter is a see's things in black and white kind of girl. In fact, out of my three girls, two of them are very straight laced by the books kinds of kids. And while on the whole this is a wonderful thing, there are times, when rules are meant to be broken. Or at the very least bent a little.

Okay, here's what started this whole thing. This sounds silly, but last year, my daughter had an autobiographical book report due. She read about Walt Disney, and wrote her report in the first person. She was supposed to dress up as the character she researched for extra credit while delivering the report. She has this very cool red velvet robe I'd made for big sister a long time ago (Harry Potter Quidditch Robes for a Midnight Sale). I thought it'd be great, if she wore the red robes and her Sorcerer Mickey Mouse Ears Headband to deliver her report. How fun is that? Walts best buddy delivering the speech about him...so clever. But, my rule following kid wouldn't hear a word of it. "Teacher said we have to dress like the person our book's about." I tried reasoning, explaining this was Walt Disney out of the box thinking, that it'd be cool and her teacher would love it! When that didn't work, I told her that rules were sometimes meant to be broken. She showed up at school in a blazer, slacks, shirt tie and shoes we'd picked up at Goodwill. So put in context, IMHO, it wasn't a horrible thing I'd told her.

This year, we were presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. The shuttle Endeavor took it's last flight over the State of California. We could take a morning off school, play a lil' hooky, and bop on down to the Capitol to see something truly amazing and once in a lifetime. Endeavor piggy backing a big old plane, flying low to the ground, the air thick with jet engines roaring overhead! I begged, I pleaded. I promised the school wouldn't get its panties in a twist. But, nope, my rule follower would not take me up on a little hooky and she went to school like a good girl.

Later, she confessed that a boy in class had done just what I wanted her to do. Went downtown with his parents to witness a little slice of history. She sounded kind of bummed that she hadn't taken me up on the adventure. Sigh. Maybe next time, she'll be ready to venture into gray, maybe just a little.

Now, don't get me wrong. Most rules are there for a reason, and I don't want her running around willy nilly breaking them just for the heck of it. I want her to use her brain, and know when it's okay, when the rules are actually begging to be broken. Because sometimes, rules are meant to be broken.