It’s been a busy weekend. My local RWA chapter held their second conference. I didn’t attend because I was at home doing my second rounds of edits. I’m about a third of the way through. Once I’m done this stage I’ll be on to the copy edits and then it’ll be finished.

I did pop in to meet up with friends at the conference on Saturday night for dinner. We had a great time over a good meal and tons of laughter. This is something I miss, the laughter and good times when I have to work.

I have high sales goals for my book. Some might say too high, but I don’t. Why aim low and be satisfied with mediocrity when you can get more. I am aiming high and plan on attaining my goal, every single one of them.

Here are my goals

• Before my release date of December 8 2008 I want to sell 100 print copies of DEADLY SECRETS
• I want to have sold by Jan 2009 250 copies of my books in electronic and print format
• Within 12 months of its release I want to sell 1,000 copies
• Within 18-24 monthsof its release I want to sell 2,500 copies

I have asked my webmistress to install a thermometer on this blog so I can show you how close I am to meeting my goal. Please help me achieve it by asking your local library to order a copy of DEADLY SECRETS.

I’m still on such a high from a great weekend. My best friend from high school and I headed out to Montreal last Saturday. Why? Well we had tickets to go and see New Kids On The Block (or The Block as they seem to prefer). I didn’t have high expectations since this would be their 3 show with the new tour, a first in 15 years.

That said the arena Bell Centre filled out with late twenty to mid-thirty girls for the most part. There were a few men among us. We were among 15,000 fans who’d waited for their return. We had great seats in the third section right in front of the stage. We couldn’t make out their facial expression but we had great tickets none the less. I had decided that I would sit this concert out and simply enjoy the music.

The lights went out and the screams started. It only took two songs to get me out of my seat. Yep I got up and danced to my hearts content. I didn’t care that I was the only one dancing to The Right Stuff.

I have to say I haven’t had that much fun in so long. I know I wasn’t the only one who thought that either. As we left the arena a few hours later the buzz around us was unanimous about the show being spectacular.

There is only thing left to say: Welcome Back New Kids On The Block!

Inspiration can be found in many places in different ways. Often simple pick me up conversations with a fellow author will do it. For me what gets me motivated to write and be better is hearing what my fellow RWA chapter writers have done and their accomplishment. There is nothing like hearing someone who had a block get through it or sell a book, get a good review or good contest results to get me going. The only problem is that my chapter is slowly phasing that out because our membership is increasing. I can understand it takes more time but I’d hate to see it go.

This week I saw a video that touched me and motivated me all in one. It was originally posted on Smart Bitches Trashy Books (Fabulous website by the way). What is it? Well it’s a documentary produced by Marianne Mancusi. It details Sherrilyn Kenyon’s road to success. For an author this is great inspiration. We all think that the big authors were born that way or were accepted with their first submission. That’s not the case. These kind of documentaries keeps author spirits going, just like mine.

Thanks Ms Mancusi for producing a great inspiring documentary and thank you Ms Kenyon for sharing your own private yet inspiring story of following your dream. This author intends to do just that.

 

Here is the link to the video on Youtube. For some unknown reason I can’t upload it through Wordpress like other blog sites.

Witch Blood is Isabelle Novak and Thomas Monahan. She’s a rebellious quick tempered water witch and thrives on chaos while he’s a fire witch who’s the head of the coven and thrives in a calm/controlled environment. They come together to put an end to the killing of witches by a demon. She wants revenge because they demon killed her sister and he wants the murders to end and kill the monster. What neither expects to find is true love.

 

This is the second book in the element series by Anya Bast. I picked up the first book Witch Fire and loved it. My expectations for this book were quite high. Ms Bast didn’t disappoint. I loved the interaction and dialogue between Isabelle and Thomas. We got to see and understand more of the coven life and the different witches who will be getting their own stories in the near future, hopefully. I’d have to say Witch Blood is a great second book in what’s sure to be a great series.

I can’t wait until 8 tonight. Why? Biggest Looser is back on. I truly enjoy watching the show. Why? Personally I find it inspiring to watch people not only shed excess weight but also discover who they truly are and what they are capable to being. There is nothing like a little competition and pushing ones physical and emotional boundaries to become a better person.

Do I have a weight problem? No I have never had one. I love to jog and go to the gym, but that doesn’t mean I’m perfect. Like most women I have body issues. I have what is called a “boy figure”, no big curves on my body. Do I love my body? Nope, but I’m working on that.

What else do I watch Biggest looser for? Other than getting a high when contestants’ loose weight and I mean some weeks, especially at the beginning, they loose some major numbers. I’ll confess I can’t afford to get trainers like Jill and Bob so while I’m watching the show I steal ideas from the workouts they put the contestants through.

So tonight I’ll be routing for the new batch of wonderful contestants from my livingroom.

Guns Will Keep Us Together is Dakota Bombay’s story. He is a gun for hire, from a long line of family assassins. It seems that’s what the

Bombay’s do for a living. However Dak is about to meet his match in Louis, his 6 year old son he knew nothing about and Claire his love interest. However before they can all be a happy family Dak has a To Do assignment list to finish.

 I have to say I’m not a huge fan of first person POV. I did get a bit turned off at first when I discovered the hero to be an assassin. I seriously though of putting it back in my to be read pile after reading the back blurb. But I wanted to read something different and this book promised to be just that. I just didn’t know how different it would be. How’s that? Well it’s in the first person POV of Dak. Yep this is a romance in the POV of the hero from start to end. It took a bit to get used to it, but once I did I found it refreshing and captivating. Ms Langtry truly knows her readers and how to capture their attention and keep it. I hope to one day be able to do just that. I’m looking forward to picking up Ms Langtry’s previous books and her more recent release Stand By Your Hitman (Missi’s story)

 

Over the years I have read a lot of different romances in different genres in third and first person, but I finally read a book that was truly outside the romance box.  What do I mean by outside the romance box? Well not only was the book I read in the first person, not usually one of my favourites, but it was in the hero’s perspective from start to end.

It took me a while to get used to the first person and then it took more time for me to get the hang of the fact that it was in the hero’s POV. It was well written, but completely different from what I’ve ever read before. Some times different isn’t necessarily good, but this time it was. I truly loved the way he saw things and his sarcasm was quite refreshing. 

My question to you dear bloggers, have you ever read a romance in the hero’s perspective from beginning to end. Did you like it? How did you fell about the book?

Speak up I want to know.

Finally fall has arrived with the changing of colors, beautiful sunsets and cooler nights. The cooler nights couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I don’t have air conditioning in my home and need to have lots of covers to sleep well. So you can see that I don’t sleep well during the summer. However there is no better way to end a day but watch a beautiful sunset.

 

Another great thing that comes with fall are the fall TV shows. Hopefully we’ll have a full season this year, no repeat of last year. I’m looking forward to my good old favorites like MEDIUM, GHOSWHISPERE, UGLY BETTY and SAMANTHA WHO. What shows are you hoping to see?

 

As for new shows this year I haven’t heard a lot about them. I have seen the hints at FRINGE and it reminds me a lot of the X-FILES. Do I plan on watching it? Maybe I haven’t quite decided. What about you? What new show are you looking forward to?

I had been so looking forward to reading this last book in Ms Gibson’s great series, but I have to say this book fell a little short. NOT ANOTHER BAD DATE is about science fiction author Adele Harris and retired pro-football now high school football coach Zach Zemaitis. They were once college lovers who separated when Adele’s nemesis and Zach’s ex-girlfriend finds herself pregnant. They come back together fourteen years later when Adele comes back to town to help her sister and niece and Zach is a widow and single father to a teenager.

The dialogue sparkled and the sex scenes were hot hot hot. However there were a few things I had a problem with such as Zach having been unfaithful during his first marriage. Yes Devon, his first wife was a total bitch, but still his affairs tarnished his image as a hero to me. Also the inclusion of Devon as a secondary, but very important character after her death a little off putting. It’s completely different from what she’d done in the other books of the series. Also I found that Devon never grew even after her death she didn’t let go of her resentment to Adele. That alone left me wanting a better end. That said I’m glad I read the book. It was quite entertaining. I am looking forward to her next book.