Harry Potter Best Buddy Blogfest

Michael Di Gesu is hosting a sweeeeeeet blogfest today!

Simple, fun, my kind of blogfest! Go get in on the action!

All you have to do is sign up and tell the world which two characters would you want for your BFF, AND what kind of  trio would you be? Isn't this GREAT!? We need something fun for this HUMP day.

So, I thought and thought...then thought some more.  And came up with a problem. You see, I thought of my friends in school and I had different kinds in different "groups". I like all kinds of people, hang out with all kinds, and always have. SO, I couldn't pick JUST two. BUT I could pick 2 sets that best fit the kinds of people I grew up friends with(and still am friends with most today!)


First up we have the girl group. These lovely ladies were my giggles and shoulders. They had my back, were(are) brave, strong, and tough. Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet would be my girls. 


Second group, the boys. I loved having boy's as close friends. They were funny and never seemed to need to treat me as "the girl" in the group. I ran with their pack, played their delinquent hoodlum guy games, cursed like the best of them and could throw a punch. 

So my second choice was easy. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin would be my boys. Smart, funny, rugged, loyal, sympathetic, but could also be brutal. (no one said the students had to be in HP's time!)


Hop around and find out who everyone's BFF's would be! Or just tell me here! 


Happy Wednesday lovies!

You Shall Be Named . . . What?

Forgoing my regular Monday post full of catchup stuffs and nothing in particular, I'd like to move Writery Wednesday to today since Wednesday will be for Michael's HP Blogfest. You're welcome.

(Feeling much better this week! Thanks everyone for the well wishes! Got some pampering from the sweet hubs, lots of rest, and bunches of movies this weekend! ((Crazies, Red Riding Hood, Sucker Punch, Eat Pray Love, and the TV series Eureka!)) so feeling better.)

My damn-near finished novel has always had a name. It's what I have called it since I changed the main character's filler name(anna) to her permanent one. (My characters always have a filler name in the beginning until I settle. It's weirdly, usually always Anna. Except the newest idea's character is Annalee, for some reason. Weird, right? I don't even realize I do it when I'm furiously putting down a new idea before it's lost!)

ANYWAY, naming characters has never been a problem. I love the name hunt, actually.

But...book titles? Not so much...

I'm to the point that the title is becoming a problem. I know authors don't have the final say in titles, usually, but it's still important to have something good, appealing, attention getting, curiosity evoking, and memorable in the first place when you approach and agent. Can't just call the damn thing...My Damn Thing.(can I?)

So how do you do it? What is your method? Where do your titles come from? Do they just show up or do you have to brainstorm?

I'm not worried about finding my title. I know I will, I have some plans and some very creative and smart people with my back. I was just curious about how you guys do it!

 Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend and have a great week!

F.F. Sicky

Ugh! Okay, I really want to apologize to everyone. I started off this week with the best intentions to read all my blogs, be a good follower, answer all the comments I got in emails and then...I got knocked on my ass. It's Wed night as I type this apology and all I want to do after a long day toughing it out at work is crawl in bed and die.

I don't say any of this to make anyone feel sorry for me, it's I that truly feel badly about not getting back to everyone like I planned! So, I'm sorry you guys!

Anyway, on to FF!

As I have spent half a day in bed watching TV/Movies and will continue on the quest for perfect body indentation until illness has left this house, here are some (inappropriate) commercials to enjoy!












Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

Writing Accusation

Has this ever happened to you? Do you worry that it might, one day?


PLAGIARISM!

Does it haunt you? The thought that maybe, one day, you could accomplish your dream, get published and then...DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN...someone calls you a thief?(Didn't till now? Whoops...my fault...)

Me neither.

Okay, so, unless you consciously are a thieving liar, then I doubt you'll ever have to worry. But what about when you're busy writing a book, editing you book, or submitting it and someone comes along and publishes that idea, close enough that you just *facepalm*?

Do you keep going? Do you quit? Try something else? Break stuff and insult the authors mother?

Me (it happened a little over a year ago) I finished off the novel and put it in a drawer. I quit it...and used some bad language against someone who is probably a very fine person and not at all what I said nor did the things I suggested they do. (tempers.)

BUT, my version blew in comparison. It was a smidgen too generic and the other guy wrote it better. I'm the kind of person that knows when to let go and not regret it. (JNCO's, let 'em go. Wearing 12 necklaces at once, Let it go((oh...high school...)) Diets, let 'em go)

So, if faced with that situation, you just have to use your best judgment. If your judgment sucks, ask a friend. But either way, it's up to you if you give it up or keep it alive.

Here are some questions can ask yourself: Is my idea better? Is my idea stronger? Is my idea different enough? Am I good enough to make this work? Do I love it enough?

If you answer "yes" to any of them, see where you can take it! And don't lose heart.

Also: Did you get your copy of Wither yesterday? This gal did. Hazzah!  

Happy Wednesday!

SPAM man! And my own WINNER!

Talei @ Musings of an Aspiring Scribe gifted me with the Stylish blogger award! Thanks sooo much Talei!!
(duties have been performed for this award previously)

Not often do I get a forward that makes me giggle quite so hard. So this Monday I just want to pass on the giggles.

I DID NOT WRITE THIS. I DO NOT KNOW WHO DID OR I WOULD SO CREDIT YOU! (please don't sue me ;)

"Best friends graduated from medical school at the same time and decided that, in spite of two different specialties, they would open a practice together to share office space and personnel.

Dr. Smith was the psychiatrist
and Dr. Jones was the proctologist.

They put up a sign reading:
"Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones: Hysterias and Posteriors".

The town council was livid and insisted they change it.

So, the docs changed it to read:
"Schizoids and Hemorrhoids"

This was also not acceptable, so they again changed the sign.
"Catatonics and High Colonics"

...No go.

Next, they tried "Manic Depressives and Anal Retentives"

...thumbs down again.

Then came "Minds and Behinds"

...still no good.

Another attempt resulted in "Lost Souls and Butt Holes"

...unacceptable yet again.

So they tried "Analysis and Anal Cysts"

...not a chance.

"Nuts and Butts"

...no way.

"Freaks and Cheeks"

...still no good.

"Loons and Moons"

...forget it.

Almost at their wit's end,
the docs finally came up with:
"Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones - Odds and Ends"

I hope you had an awesome weekend!! Oh, wait, you all probably want to know who won Alexia and my SPD Blogfest from last week! Well, it was REALLY hard to choose just one! You guys were bringing the awesome writing for sure! 

But Alexia and I got together Sunday and narrowed them all down to our two picks, though we wish it could have been more like 40 something winners. 

Without farther diddling around...I had to go with TRACY! @ Forever Endeavor. She wrote a hilarious bit that totally caught me off guard. Go check it out and see for yourself! 

And Tracy, if you would please email me your book choice and address I'll have your prize out asap! ce dot murphy at yahoo dot com.  


(For Alexia's winner go to her page.)

Happy Monday!

ROLL CALL! Speak Now or Be a Loser!

(Hey, I gave you the choice...)

Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in Alexia and my very first blogfest on St. Patrick's Day! And to everyone who hopped around, even if they didn't have the ability to enter (we understand. Life gets in the way of extra stuff a lot. No worries!)

It was a blast!! You guys ROCK!

BUT:

Dudes, I just want to verify I have seen and have everyone's name down on my list of who's entered into the contest. If you have written a post for the SPD Blogfest hosted by the lovely and talented Alexia Chamberlynn and myself, and I have confirmed via comment that I have seen you, then you're entered!

IF NOT, let me know now that we have not been by to see y

Also:

Are you ready?

I am...

Happy weekend!

SPD Fest Baby! Blarny! Arse! Bollocks! Sexy Accents and Such!

Happy Thursday! Did you all wear your green today?

I donno about you, girls, but I am a SUCKER for the Irish accent. Dudes, take note! 1.Get the accent and 2.you will get the babes. Proven fact. Don't believe me? FINE! Be alone then! 

Okay, I broke the rules but as one of two of the creators of this fest, I can, so nanner-nanner-boo-boo. It's longer than 200. But again. My game. I get to.

We had an amazing turn out for this fest! Thanks everyone for being so incredibly awesome!! Alexia and I will pick our 2 winners by the end of the week! Keep an eye out for the announcement on MONDAY!!(Alexia will post her's on her site, me on mine.)  

    Green lights flickered in the distance. I managed to find a secluded patch of grass to pass out on. The hill overlooked all the downtown action but I was tired of the noise and needed to get away. Cool night air folded blades of grass onto my cheek. It tickled but my Guinness-heavy arms couldn't brush it away. Just as that all too familiar black, solid sleep hit I thought I saw a flash of green velvet and gold buckles.

    “Poke her,” a too high pitched voice to be human said near my head.

    “You can't poke the princess!”

    Princess? Did I pass out in the 1800's? 

    My eyes opened but the haze didn't lift for some of the longest seconds I have ever known. Little men with fuzzy faces, green velvet suits with gold accents, and curly shoes were crowded around me. 

    “Give her some air,” one snapped at the small – and I meant that literally – crowd. 

    Head pounding, I sat up on my elbows, eyes darting around me. I felt weird. Hung over, yes, but my skin was being assaulted by a strange sensation. When I looked down, I found the culprit. A gown of silk and silver draped over me. Ringlets bounced on my shoulders as, startled, my accusing gaze glared at each little man in turn. 

    Someone had changed me, seen me naked! 

    “Amber,” a booming voice called to me. Not small or pitched right to belong to one of the tiny men and nothing but my name was spoken.

    I found him, standing tall and commanding behind the crowd. It parted as he drew near. His hand motioned for me to take it. When I did, his strong arm lifted me from the ground. He was ugly as sin. Though his smile was obviously meant to be comforting, the sneer, full of gangly, yellow teeth, did nothing to ease my fear. His eyes were what made me believe he was trying to be kind. They were soft and bright green, sparkling like glitter. 

    He filled me with magic, from my perfectly dyed blond hair, to my pedicured toes. It tingled within me, almost painfully. And the little men bowed low, their noses touching the grass. 

    The ugly stranger, a King it would turn out, gave me magic. The little men -leprechauns-gave me adoration.  

    And that is how I became the Leprechaun Queen – drunk and passed out on a hillside in Ireland on Saint Patrick's Day. 

                                                                                                                                      ~Colene Murphy


Hop around! Enjoy the festivities and Happy St. Patrick's Day my friends!

Ides of March

BROPHYO WON!! Two dudes making yogurt seems to be the favorite word verification definition! So go forth into the world, my lovely bloggy friends, and brophyo till you can't brophyo no mo! 

Hart Johnson is hosting an awesome blogfest I'm looking forward to hopping around to read today. Clicky her name to get the post about the fest and other participants!

I thought about writing a more in depth plot to murder, but I really don't feel comfortable letting you all know exactly how things would play out if I chose to be evil. And, believe me, the thought has crossed my mind...once or twice... It would really be too incriminating to give you all the dets, don't you think?

But, either way, my plans for murder aren't complicated or drawn out. Torture isn't my way. Molotov cocktails are.

Sure, the cops would know it wasn't an accident, but maybe I want people to know not to mess with me. No fingerprints, no evidence of explosive making equipment to be found in my house, on my credit cards, or receipts. It wouldn't be traced back to me. The cops could do nothing to me! And people would just know not to screw with this chick.

I'll burn your house down.

***No one needs to call the cops. I seriously don't know how to make Molotov cocktails IRL. It's just...a dream...***

I hope everyone will have fun checking out the fest and other entries!


Thursday is Alexia and my St. Patties Day blogfest,(Sign up button on your left there) so you have from now until then to sign up and participate! Everyone have their new release picked out in case they win yet? 

Happy...oh! Tuesday! This is weeeeeird!!(As it's Tuesday I am "diligently" working on finishing INTO. It's already middle of March and my plans for querying this month have officially DIED with the fact that I have 10 sections left to finish! *sob* It's like I'm trapped in a clown suit pulling on never ending handkerchief of crit notes! I digress...all that to say, I will be replying to comments via email on my breaks and checking fest entries as it is polite, but unless I finish my notes early, fingers crossed, please don't be offended if I don't make it to you!)

Just A Sec.

So, I signed up for one blogfest and helped make another for this week. Turns out both are on days I don't usually blog! Meh, whoops. So instead of M-W-F, this week will be just a T-Th.

I'll still be bebopping around, but don't feel obligated to comment here today! Tomorrow will do.

Thanks all!

ALSO! Alexia wrote a perfect poem to get you all motivated for the SPD blogfest!

Happy Monday!

FF is...Not So Funny

Michael Di Gesu, (everyone knows that dude right? Super awesome? Writes some of the best posts? YEA! That guy!) gave me a great honor this past Thursday with this beauty:

Which really means a lot to me! Thanks so much Michael!! Pop on over to see him if, by some weird fluke, you don't know him!

Gotta pass it along to Abby Minard, Jennie Bailey, and Melissa Wideen first of all, because I know how hard they are all working on novels too.

Also, in no particular order, just fab people who never fail to bust out some writerage:
Erica & Christy
Mary Vaughn
Donea Lee
Alexia Chamberlynn
Candace Granger
Matthew McNish
Jen Daiker


I'm stock piling my funnies this week for a reason you shall not know. BUT I do bring you some awesome 2011 YA can't wait's!! I hope to PUMP you all up for St Patties day!

You see, if you hadn't heard, Alexia and I have teamed up to bring you goodies! We will each be picking our favorite entry for our SPD blogfest (button is the little dude riding that damn pig over there to your LEFT) And the winner gets to pick their choice of a 2011 new release as a prize! Hazzah!

So here are a few of the MILLIONS of goodies to come this year! Some you can click on to find out more, some have the caption below that will take you there. I was having issues....SHUT UP! ;)

Info Here

Info Here

   

Info Here

Info Here

Info Here

Info Here

Info Here

Info Here

Info Here

Info Here

Info Here

Happy Weekend!! Go sign up! You're running out of time!!!

Word Verification Wednesday Wants Your Favorite

Short and sweet for today. I wanted to revisit some of your top choices for WVW.  These words won the first voting round and I want you to pick your favorite! It's really that easy and not at all because I am WAY behind this week and haven't had a moment to write a real post.


Seriously, though, I'm sorry dudes. I have been butt deep in the slimy waters of revisions and actual pay-the-bills-and-provide-the-noms work work this week. It's been CRAZY! But because of the list of priorities, (1.Writing ze novel, 2. working ze job, 3. eating ze foods, and 4. being ze semi-decent wifey) blogging has had to take the #5 spot this week.

Please know that this does pain me. I miss you guys something fierce. I hate missing out on all the wonderful things you all say that I have grown accustomed to reading on a regular basis. Egads! Dare I say it? I pine for you...

Okay, serious did take a weird turn there, didn't it?

All that just to say that while I am sorry, and I do miss you guys, what would be the point of a blog about a writer's journey to getting published if that particular writer never actually polished up the novel and got it out there? It's like a boat with no sea. A cloud with no air. A bitchin' shade of nail polish with no nails.

Anyway! Vote away, my fine fizzy friends! And I will be back Friday with the LOLs for you all! Hopefully...

ALSO!  Don't forget to sign up for Alexia and my blogfest! You have a little over a week to participate, write something fun, and try to win a new release of your choice!!

It's A Mystery! Solve it?

This weekend was spent like most. Netflix, something new to love watching thanks to an awesome recommendation, amazing meeting with the crit girls on Skype, and an afternoon hanging with my mom.

Starting with the mom: We went and saw the area's sort of new Philharmonic Orchestra playing classical music that has appeared in a classic cartoon. Then  played clips of the specific cartoon. It was pretty darn cool! They also gave facts about the pieces, cartoons, etc. I had no idea Fantasia was so old! And the sorcerer in it was modeled lightly after Walt Disney himself! Anyway, it was a sweet time.

The new Netflix watch this weekend was Veronica Mars. Oh. My. I love this show!! So much so I tuned out the hub's protest about watching shows about teenagers for 12 year olds. Made him give it a chance, and he soon after stopped fighting it. I'm inclined to say he actually began to get interested by Sunday, but I doubt he would ever admit it ;) And Kristen Bell is just too adorbs.

Lastly leads to a question for you all. My fabulously talented crit ladies are too smart and kind to me. They are really whipping my novel into shape! (and provided more LOLs than I can remember) But Lady M pointed out my love for cliches sayings. I use them because people can understand them easily... And also when I can't think of another way to say something. I have 3 I'm interested in changing. But I have hit a wall. (See there? Another one. There are other ways to say that that I can think of, but it's sometimes easier and less distracting to just use a cliche. It isn't always wrong, but Lady M is right about not doing it too much.)

So, how do you solve the cliche saying problem?


How was everyone else's weekend?

Happy Monday!!

F. F. Brings You A Series Of Motions

Hurray Hurray! It's the weekend! And I have some awesome dancing folks for you! BUT FIRST:

Elena Solodow had a brilliant post that brought all the drafts together for dinner.

This chick is CRAZY good!! 








And, as it's the weekend, you all can just picture me doing this:


Happy Weekend all!!

Writery Wednesday R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Fool

 Bloggers come into the blog world all shiny and stupid, we were all born into it like an ignorant infant in most cases. Not knowing a whole damn lot.

But under the layer of supportive writers, great writing advice, and just great people worth knowing, there is a dark underbelly of etiquette. It's just like every aspect of life - there are some people who do it, and some that don't and really piss you off.

So, my writer friends, do you follow the rules? 

Don't badmouth other bloggers by name or distinguishing characteristics.  You just don't. Whether you like them, don't like them, not friends, not following them, they crap all over things you like, etc, doesn't matter. You can't point out someone and say bad stuff about them. You never know who's reading or who DOES like them. It's rude. And more importantly it makes you look like a turd. And no one likes to read another bloggers hate. (not people you want to know anyway.)

*Don't badmouth publishers, editors, agents either. BAD BAD...oooh that's just bad. Don't do that.  





Don't comment derogatory things on other people's blogs that put's the blogger or any other blogger down.  This one is pretty simple, though hard for people to understand it seems. But the rule goes back to "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." I'm not sure why that went out of style. If you don't dig on what someone is posting about, just leave. No one is forcing you to read it. No one is making you comment. Just. Leave. (unless they are talking bad about your mother. But, since they negated the very first rule by making fun of your mother, well...they're asking for it.)



If you ask a favor of a blogger be prepared to compensate. We are busy, writers. We work, we have kids,  family,  lives,  books to write, and deadlines to make. You want something, you have to be willing to make it worth our while. Yes, people should do nice things for the pleasure of doing nice things. BUT, if you aren't good friends with a person, that blogger owes you nothing. (take advantage of friends)

So, if you want something, you got to have something up your sleeve to offer. Need someone to read for you? Be prepared to have that favor called on you whenever. Want something posted on someone's blog? Candy will usually do. Want a writer to write something for you? That might take cash...

It doesn't have to be a big something, it doesn't have to be much more than a public thank you, but you have to do something to show your appreciation. (them's the rules)




Give credit where credit is due. Pretty self explanatory. You take something from someone's blog, you give them credit. (Duh.)


White space, White space, White space. It's a favor to your readers to offer this up. If you write posts in one huge paragraph, chances are good that no one is really reading you. Might be hard to hear(read), but from one skimmer  busy writer to a couple hundred others, it happens. (oh come on, we all skim from time to time. I know I have been able to tell, as you probably have from time to time reading your own comments that...make no real sense...oh yea, I said it.) And if reading it isn't easy, your audience gives up and moves on. Attention spans are short. Make life easy with adding some white space.



Answer comments. It's another simple one to read, but not always followed. Readers do you a great honor to stop by and take the time out to say something to you. You do not have opinions made of diamonds. You may have things to write people want to read but there are a bajillion blogs out there to read. No one is beating down your door begging you to post just one more post like you're the freaking crack fairy of south street.

People don't stick around if you never acknowledge them. Be humble, answer comments.


These are just a few, but very important things to remember. If you have more to add, please share away!


DON'T FORGET! You have 13 days to sign up for Alexia and my first blogfest! You could get free stuff, it's easy to enter, and...you could get free stuff! So...DO IT. Thank you!! (see, you must write a short something, but we're giving you a shot at something! Compensation, my friends.)

**Lots of Lolcats!