Playtime with Melany

Happy Saturday

2008-07-19T11:16:00.000-04:00

Just an update on me...

1. I've added 6 K and hope to add another 1 K today to Dark Raiders. I'm about 20-25 K from the end. I can now count out scenes! So I hope the end goes quickly. Especially as I need to write the next Settler's Mine like...oh, yesterday. LOL. Editing DR will be after SM is started and will take lots of time. I already know of a few problems but feel it's better to push ahead right now than go back and fix.

2. Crit partners got DR. *bites nails* One thing I like that I'm doing may not be liked by everyone... And lord help them, it's a mess and I know it. Shy and Melissa big *muahs* to you.

3. Girls Scouts is still taking over the house. And my life eeeeek. My youngest is joining a troop made up of girls from an existing troop so we are trying to earn the badges that they earned last year so she won't feel left out. It takes time.

4. I know where DR is going. Big relief. I hope it works out like that in my mind.

5. Proofing edits are back to the editor for Bitter Love which releases...next week (hopefully)!

6. Line edits are back to the editor on Law's Deliverance!

7. Oldest was at drama camp this week. She loved every minute of it. Did a peformance on Friday.

8. At said drama camp they did raffles. One was Camp Rock, one was Shrek, one was Hannah Montana. The proceeds to benefit a good cause. WE WON THE HANNAH MONTANA RAFFLE! I'm still in shock. We don't usually win things. It had a big stuffed white cat, HM notebooks, pens, folders, and a backpack. LOL The kids are ecstatic.

9. Been reading a book on animal rescue, post-Katrina. Amazing stories. I really hope one thing we learned from Katrina is that asking people to evacuate without their pets isn't productive. People died because they had no way out, shelters wouldn't take the pets, and they wouldn't leave them behind. *looks at diva kitty and neurotic dog*

May the muses have raffles
Lany

Chat tonight

2008-07-16T08:13:00.001-04:00

With pals, Melissa Lopez and Marissa Alwin at 9 PM EST at MSpot. Myself and my other author ego, Mechele Armstrong have releases over the next few weeks, so I'm sure there will be lots to talk about. Come on by.

Lany

I meant to post

2008-07-11T11:19:00.001-04:00

that life was just really busy for Mel and I and forgot to post that the beginning of the week.

My week:

1. 10 K has been added to Dark Raiders! I haven't had a 10 K week in a long time so I'm thrilled.

2. It looks like Girl Scouts ransacked our house. Both girls just joined troops so their stuff is all over. I was a Girl Scout for 11 years, more years ago than I care to remember. LOL. I'm happy with this turn of events.

3. Diva Kitty is still deathly afraid of storms. We've had many.

4. The Library episode of Dr. Who rocked! I finally watched the second part.

5. Deadliest Catch's Phil Harris is going through some heartbreaking stuff. But it cracks me up when he sneaks out to smoke, because that was my dad.

6. I'm not sure I know where Dark Raiders is going. I have written a synopsis but something doesn't feel right. It will be interesting to work out.

7. I watched several episodes of Walking with Dinosaurs by the BBC. I rented the DVD from the library. I love dinosaurs *G*. My favorite so far is the one on the Diplodocus.

8. I'm a major geek. We have a 10 gallon tank that right now houses one old fish. The others have gone onto better places. The tank isn't in the best place to be a fish tank because it's in direct light and algae builds up. So I'm debating what to do with it next. I had thought about a turtle because I love turtles. So I researched. Yes, geeky me got a book from the library. And the tank isn't big enough. So I thought about frogs. But most of those you have to feed live food to. I'm not sure I can do that. There is one that is aquatic that doesn't take live food. But it's aquatic, which would make the tank have the same problem as the fish tank. I've debated a salt water tank as well. Have a book on hold at the library on that. I've also thought about hermit crabs. LOL we shall see.

next week, the oldest has drama camp and I have the youngest without her playmate for all five days. So posting maybe sparse again. But here's hoping to another great week of writing.

May the muses have life to live
Lany

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

Thursday Thirteen

2008-07-03T11:00:00.000-04:00

13 reasons to celebrate by Lany

1.Law’s Deliverance comes out the end of the month!

2. Mel is going to be on an RT panel.

3. I’m going to be on an RT panel.

4. Blood Lines: Bitter Love is going to be released the end of the month *squeeee*

5. We have a beautiful cover for Law’s Deliverance!

6. Mel had a release of Dark Chance last month. Yummy read.

7. Our good friends here are adopting a dog. Their other dog is older and my neurotic dog annoyed her. I’m hopeful that this one will like to play and we can have puppy playdates.

8. We went to the library yesterday and carted away a truckload of books for both girls. I’m so glad they love to read.

9. I checked out a book for me! Life Support by Tess Gerristen! I can’t wait to start it.

10.Both girls have lucked into Girl Scout troops. I’m thrilled as I was a Girl Scout way back when. For like 12 years. We’d tried to find one before but it hadn’t worked out. Now it has! Wheee.

11. I’m working on writing. While it’s not going as well as I would like, it is going. So thankful for that.

12. The cat’s litterbox is clean and washed. Not my favorite chore so glad to say it’s done for this month!

13. Law’s Deliverance comes out the end of the month!

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Check it out

2008-06-23T17:03:00.002-04:00

Thursday Thirteen

2008-06-05T08:32:00.002-04:00

13 reasons to celebrate by Lany

1.We contracted Law’s Deliverance to Loose Id!
2. The end of school is fast approaching. Will be nice to spend time with kidlets.
3. I’m feeling a little better from my cold today
4. Both kidlets are doing well in school and healthy.
5. We contracted Law’s Deliverance to Loose Id!
6. The dog acts like a normal dog for the most part instead of the neurotic mess she can be.
7. Writing is going well.
8. Both kidlets like to read so that means going to the library is fun.
9. Diva kitty. She always makes me happy.
10.My trip to Tennessee went off with few complications and was fun.
11. I’m looking forward to reading all the material I have to critique for Melissa *G*
12. We have a pool to go to during the really hot weather. Like today. Uggh.
13. We contracted Law’s Deliverance to Loose Id!

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

13 historical people I’m fascinated by Lany

1. Mary Magdalene
2. Henry the 8th
3. Elizabeth the first
4. Eizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess
5. Humphrey Bogart
6. Mary the first
7. Virginia Dare
8. Harriet Tubman
9. Margaret Mitchell
10.Robert E. Lee
11. Stephen King
12. Lafayette
13. Langston Hughes

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-14T23:42:00.001-04:00

13 animals I’ve research for writing, ownerships or school by Lany

1. lions
2. tigers
3. wolves
4. dogs (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever (if I ever were to “buy” a dog, this would be it), beagles, golden retrievers, hounds
5. dragons
6. koala
7. cat
8. tetras (a type of fish)
9. manatees
10.blue whale
11. wolf hybrids
12. turtles
13. gerbils

2008-05-11T08:38:00.000-04:00

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-08T09:08:00.000-04:00

13 books I’ve read more than once by Lany

1. The Lady’s Tutor by Robin Schone
2. Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
3. This is all I ask by Lynn Kurland
4. The Stand by Stephen King
5. Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
6. The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
7. Ariel by Stephen R. Boyett
8. Partners in Passion by SL Carpenter and Sahara Kelly (the print version with both that and No Limits)
9. My For Better or Worse Collection
10.My Peanuts Collection
11. The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen Woodiwiss
12. Three Dog Knight by Tori Phillips
13. Night Shift by Stephen King

Bonus: anything by Flesa Black, Melissa Lopez, Debbie, Cindy B, Marissa Alwin, and Jenna Leigh

Thursday Thirteen

2008-05-01T08:45:00.002-04:00

13 blogs on RT by Lany

1. My other author ego,Mechele Armstrong part 1
2. My other author ego, part 2
3. My other author ego, part 3
4. My other author ego, being back from RT
5. Mel's Thirteen things about RT
6. Mel, Friday at RT
7. Mel, Thursday at RT
8. Mel, Wednesday at RT
9. Mel, pre-RT
10. Lauren Dane does a video blog
11. The Rebels of Romance have several blogs and videos
12. Megan Hart (she has a few blogs on RT, this is just one)
13. Barbara Vey from Publisher's weekly has a few blogs and videos

Torc's Salvation is a Recommended Read!

2008-04-27T08:09:00.002-04:00

At Fallen Angels Reviews!

Donna said, "This is a story that as a reader I felt the highs and lows of this couple—the frustration of Torc trying to teach Ailyea to be self sufficient and of her trying to get him to understand she wanted him as much as he wanted her. I was there watching the shape shifters trying to stop the slavers and wanting to help them. The reader will be pulled into Ms. Logen’s story and not want to leave when that last page is turned. I hope she’ll give us more of this future worlds as the secondary characters deserve their own stories and the readers will want them. Torc’s Slavation is a book that any reader that loves a good futuristic story that will keep them turning the page will want on their keeper shelf. I highly recommend it to one and all."

Lany

Thursday Thirteen

2008-04-09T23:54:00.001-04:00

13 things I’m not looking forward to about RT by Lany

1. The drive. Six hours. I will have Sapphire Phelan with me to pass the time. As I get lost *cough*.
2. Parking. I’m not brilliant in parking decks.
3. Someone once said a writer’s conference consisted of a bunch of introverts pretending to be extroverts. Yes, after being around so many people and having to play like I’m not quiet and shy…
4. Pitching. Yes, I get nervous. Uggh.
5. Wearing nice shoes. I’m used to sneakers. LOL sometimes the feet don’t like to wear flats.
6. Being away from email. I may take my laptop but know I won’t get to check that often. I’ll be having withdrawal.
7. The edits I think are going to come while I’m at RT.
8. Being away from the hubby. I miss him when I’m gone. I'll miss the girls, too. And the critters.
9. Coming home to…*whispers* a nasty house. After only being gone a weekend, I’ve come home and had to clean before I could sit down.
10. Coming home to everyone wanting my attention. The hubby, both kids, and both pets are going to want a piece of me Sunday.
11. How tired I’m going to be on Sunday. I’ll have several late late nights.
12. The drive home. Coming home from New Jersey on a Sunday was busy as could be once I hit Washington. I anticipate the same this time *sigh*
13. Getting caught up on everything I need to on Monday. Writing, mail, email, Google reader (eek I’m already behind and have over 150 unread feeds). Did I mention writing?

Nothing but Red

2008-04-09T23:18:00.001-04:00

Sometime in April of 2007 (some say the 7th), a mob pulled Du'a Khalil Aswad into their midst. Supposedly she had been fraternizing with a man not of her faith. They brutally stoned and beat her to death in an honor killing. She was 17 years old. Some recorded Aswad on their cell phones and the horrific images were later posted to the internet.

Joss Whedon of Buffy and Serenity fame penned a blog entry about the incident and about misogyny in all cultures. A few authors got together and decided to create an anthology to raise awareness about the issues Joss Whedon spoke of in his essay and also about Aswad's murder. The anthology contains artwork, essays, poetry, and stories by a multitude of authors.

Nothing but Red is now available. All profits will go to Equality Now. To read more about Nothing but Red, including a list of contributors, go here.

Lany

Thursday Thirteen

2008-04-03T07:46:00.002-04:00

13 websites I visit almost every day by Lany

1. Google—I am a Google babe. I have Google reader now and LOVE it. I subscribe to RSS feeds and read at my leisure.
2. My email accounts
3. Yahoo—Groups mainly but I check out news. *cough* I also play Zuma there.
4. International Move Database—ever be watching a movie and say, “He/She looks so familiar. Where do I know them from?” IMDB is a great resource.
5. Wikipedia—Lots of accuracy problems but a great jumping off point for research.
6. Blogger—I blog therefore I am.
7. Livejournal—see previous. But I also visit to check out what my friends are posting.
8. Loose Id—Hey the books get lonely *blinks*
9. Vistaprint--they have good deals on promotional stuff
10. My local TV Station. I check out news and weather. And if my producer friend is reading…update it on the weekends!! LOL
11. Youtube--*sigh* we listen to music there. Amazing what you can find.
12. EREC—I subscribe to their feed but sometimes pop over for news. I look at the Forums occasionally.
13. It’s more weekly but the Richmond SPCA. I like looking at the kitties and pooches. I have serious puppy envy.

Blogging over at Loose ends today

2008-03-27T08:07:00.001-04:00

Due to Spring Break and the fact I want to spend some time today with the kidlets, there will be no Thursday Thirteen.

However, I did blog over at Loose Ends on First Lines.

Lany

Thursday Thirteen

2008-03-19T22:58:00.001-04:00

13 places I want to go to or go back to by Lany

1. The Outer Banks—love vacationing there and exploring
2. The Florida Keys
3. Germany—my dad loved being stationed there in the army. I also have German ancestors on my mom’s side.
4. Ireland—land of my ancestors on my dad’s side
5. Scotland—land of my ancestors on my mom’s side
6. Niagara Falls—been there once. Want to go back.
7. New Jersey/New York City—yes to see Mari *G*!
8. Indianapolis—to see Mel!!
9. the Bahamas
10. Hershey Pennsylvania—I really want to go here more than Disney
11. Maine—I dunno why. Maybe because it’s the land of King
12. The Grand Canyon
13. Alaska

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! And Happy Birthday Mari!

2008-03-17T07:48:00.002-04:00

May you find the pot of gold at the end of every rainbow.

Mari, We hope you have a wonderful day! And we know when your Irish eyes are smiling....they are up to something *Grins*. Big Hugs!

Mel & Lany

Thursday Thirteen

2008-03-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

13 things Mel loves about spring

1. It comes after winter. (Her least favorite season.)
2. Finally warmer weather!
3. Colorful Spring flower gardens.
4. I love dandelions wine!
5. Trees blossoms.
6. House projects. (We're removing the carpet in the little peeps rooms this spring.)
7. Road trips! (I'm so ready to do a weekend get-a-way!)
8. Concerts! (I'm dying to see one!)
9. Baseball spring training! (Yeah, I love baseball!)
10. Spring break! (LOL...okay, the kids all love this one.)
11. A springtime breeze under a clear spring day.
12. Making plans for summer.
13. Shopping (Okay, well, I do hate shopping but we've got to get ready for summer!)

Thursday Thirteen

2008-03-05T22:09:00.000-05:00

13 bands I’ve enjoyed by Lany

1. Huey Lewis and the News
2. Aerosmith
3. Def Leppard
4. Petra
5. Alabama
6. Sugarland
7. Little Big Town
8. Reel Big Fish
9. Everclear
10. Carbon Leaf
11. The Dave Matthews Band
12. Offspring
13. Heart

The new release shimmy!

2008-03-04T07:23:00.003-05:00

We are doing it! Bold Bride released overnight! We're so excited.

After her father abandons her for the gold fields of California, Abby must find a husband to keep her safe from the bully who owns the small Texas town where she lives, and who wants to own her at any cost. But any prospective husband will have to let her go when her brother comes to take her back East, where she might find safety and her dreams of education fulfilled.

She's always been told her boldness will get her into trouble one day and it just might when, in desperation, she turns to Miguel for help. She has long admired him from afar, but worries he will not agree to her proposal. But he is honor-bound to keep her safe, and determined to keep his promises to her, come hell or high water. He will protect her from the man of her nightmares, and from the raging passion her innocent curiosity awakens in both of them.

As Abby and Miguel work together to strengthen their temporary marriage and to battle the forces conspiring to bring them down, Abby finds herself looking forward to leaving less and less. Will the temporary bride be bold enough to make it permanent?

To read an excerpt.

Mel & Lany

Thursday Thirteen

2008-02-28T07:14:00.002-05:00

13 actors Lany really likes

1. John Barrowman—Torchwood. He can make you believe chemistry with anyone, male or female. He’s so intense.
2. David Tennant—Dr. Who
3. Christopher Eccleston—Dr. Who
4 Jonas Armstrong—Robin Hood.
5. Alan Rickman—from Harry Potter and others. His voice, oh his voice
6. Morgan Freeman—various movies, including Deep Impact. Same for him. He could read the phone book. I’d listen.
7. Vin Diesel—various movies, including Pitch Black. Why yes, I have a voice thing.
8. Mike Rowe—not technically an actor I guess but I love him on Dirty Jobs and doing narration for Deadliest Catch. Voice, personality, looks. What’s not to like.
9. James Marsters—From Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Torchwood
10. Michael Shanks—From Stargate SG-1. A sense of humor and an ability to play a very intelligent man.
11. Heath Ledger—various movies including Brokeback Mountain and the TV show, Roar. I’m going to miss him
12. Humphrey Bogart—from Casablanca and African Queen
13. Johnny Depp—from Pirates of the Caribbean, among others.

I realized in doing this, I really have a thing for voices. And am driven a bit by my ears.

A new cover to share!

2008-02-22T14:09:00.000-05:00

And a banner, too!

Mel & Lany

Thursday Thirteen

2008-02-20T23:06:00.001-05:00

Posting early because tomorrow is a busy day...

13 random things Mel’s going to miss about her dad.

Lany’s note: Melissa’s father passed away on February 15th. She posted another tribute to him on her livejournal. ((((((((((((Mel)))))))

1. Dad's voice. Dad wasn't much of a small talker but when he spoke we all listened.
2. Dad's smile. He wasn't one to show his feelings, but his smile was beautiful.
3. Dad asking "what's the hurry?" It didn't matter if you visited for a hour or weekend, he always asked "what's your rush?"
4. Calling and asking how he's doing.
5. Watching NASCAR with Daddy. He was such a huge racing fan.
6. Listening to country music with him. He loved the real old stuff.
7. Watching him open his gifts. He loved Christmas and his birthday. He was like a kid when it came to presents.
8. Having his company at the kids sporting activities. Even when he was his sickest, he never ever missed a game.
9. Watching westerns with him. He was a huge fan of the Duke and Clint Eastwood.
10. Spending Halloween with him. Every Halloween (besides the one we spent in Hawaii) we spent the last hour trick-or-treating around his neighborhood. And dinner with my parents always followed.
11. Hearing him call me by my nickname Peach. Even as an adult he always called me by it.
12. I'll miss not being able to call him when I'm in a bind. He was always there no matter how big or small the problem was.
13. I'll miss his love.