Yesterday, I spent the evening with my writer’s group at LibraryCon, a small town fair. OMG… it was sooo hot. Just let me tell you, my Multiple Sclerosis was not happy. I ended up eating sugar-free icee, running my little squirt bottle fan, and sweating like an out of shape marathon runner. In the end, I lasted for most of the event, but left a few minutes before the rest of the crowd.
Mary Shortridge and Cathy Shaffer made it out to this small fair. The rest of our group were sick, working, or out of town. These gals are awesome, and great with words. Cathy is on the left and Mary on the right.
Sadly, I didn’t make any book sales. I did sale a bunch of jewelry… In fact, as soon as up get caught up with my book edits, I will need to make more earrings. The crystal pendants and the rocks with melted metal pendants were a big hit. I just hope I don’t drip heated metal on my skin when I make replacements..
Mary, thankfully, helped me separate all the necklaces that had become tangled with each other. I had found some nifty see-through colored bags to hole them in.
Our author table sat across from the peeps with all the paintings (they had a set up to do balloon animals), close to the peeps with the pool noodles, and beside the JCP table (with their hair products, they were putting spray hair color on people). We were also close to the book mobile and the icee van. yummmm…. this year there was sugar-free (good for me) pina coloda icee
The fair had a few fun ideas and decorations, like a costume contest and Dr who/star wars cut outs. also… I saw some gals from the local paranormal society. there were a few other tables out, but I didnt have time to see what was going on. oh…. and the table for PAWS, which is all about animals 😛
All in all, it was a fun evening, even if it was bloody hot.
if you want to see some of my jewelry, I have some pics up on my arts and crafts site… just click the link at the top of the page… Happy wordage everyone
Writing you novel, and looking for the best way to keep your readers interested??? Here are a few aspects that I always try to include… fighting, funny, and fu- … uh, I mean loving.. 😛 loving from friendships to love of your life. Bring you story to life with emotions.
Finding the words to make you Novel memorable!!
The easiest way to write about something is to know it inside and out. If you want to understand the inner workings of the restaurant business??? Want to be able to describe the feeling of flying through the air??? How about explaining the reality of living on a horse ranch???
Watch, Ask, and Do!!! Stalk local restaurants, pull out your pad and pen as you interview anyone that will stand still long enough, and see if you can help out in the kitchen (get hired on a month/summer basis). Take a flying lesson and do all you can to learn the ropes. Lasso yourself a cowboy and … Sorry, got distracted by the thought of cowboys and lassos, but I think you get the picture. Do anything and everything you can think of to learn the feel, the taste, the sounds, the smells, and the sights of the world you want to create.
Sex
But what happens when you want to add a little sexual tension to your novel? How about those full blown sex scenes?? And not just the act of sex… the emotions behind either the attraction to another, or the feelings before, during, and after. How does your character’s mindset change because of the thought or the act of intimacy.
Some of the things we add to our novels are either impractical or impossible for us to learn about first hand. Remember that song Can’t Buy Me Love?? Well, you can’t force a love connection just to learn what it feels like. You might not want to try out some of the bedroom gymnastics portrayed by the lustier of novels either. What in the world do you do now?
Well, you could always make it up, use your imagination. But where to start? And how are you going to get your reader to pay attention when your words feel rushed or halting? LOL I suggest you look it up. For me, and my only mildly blush worthy novels, I read it all… the worst of the worst literary porn (I love my smut, I just cant write it), the sweet Happily Ever Afters, and the racy novels. And especially the free short stories on amazon. Those shorts are great for getting the mechanics down. Not always, but usually. Sometimes I’m reading the getting-busy part and I think – no way, he couldn’t even reach her while she does that… lol…
I love romance, from the behind-the-bedroom-door actions to the break-the-bed-and-hope-the-neighbors-don’t-call-the-police sex-capaids. By the time I finished writing Shocking Finds and my other rough drafts, my book shelf looked like a How to Become a Porn Addict guide. lol … My mother borrowed my kindle and just about had a heart attack. I had to show her that I had actually taken notes on different positions so that she didn’t think I had a problem.
But we learn to become writers by reading, so learn about being a romance writer by reading … romance, light hearted or pornish. Read each book and find the scenes that speak to your emotions, and your fantasies. How do they describe the feel of a man’s hand along your thigh, caressing your back, or jerking you into his arms. Learn how to put the feel of each action into the scene, don’t just tell the reader it happened. Get your own romance collection. But make it your own. Plagiarism is a capital offence in the writer community.
Humor
Humor can be even harder to portray than passion. We live in a diverse world, with varying senses of humor. Have you ever been at a party and stood with your friends as they doubled over in laughter, all while you looked on in confusion? If liquor wasn’t involved, chances are that you either missed the joke or just didn’t find it funny. Or worse … Have you told a story that brought tears of laughter to your eyes, but looked around to see that your friends were scratching their heads, going over your words, and looking for the humor?? Reading is only the first step to attacking this issue.
Okay. Reading something that you find funny might not help you to impress your friends, but reading something that millions of other readers considered humorous may improve your writing. Humor is just as important as passion, when it comes to adding emotions to your novel. You want your reader to get lost in the worlds you create. If they can feel each scene, then you are on the right track. This is something that I hope to get better and more polished at as I continue to write.
If all else fails, try a comedy club or two. Get in a frame of mind that helps your words to come out in a flowing manner, instead of just dropping a joke into you story now and them. You have to build up to the laugh, like a mini-story within your story. Personally, I don’t even consider what kind of emotion or humor I can add to my story when I’m writing that rough draft. As I bring my story to life I try to see where they are going, how I can build up to that moment when the emotions (no matter if it is passions, anger, failure, gut wrenching sadness, or humor) on the page reach full tilt.
Fighting
Oooo… Fighting, bloodbaths, all out war… or maybe just a cat-fight. Okay, this one is easy. First you make sure that your annoying neighbor, with the yappy dog, and lack of parking etiquette is home. You do some stretches, get your muscles loose and ready, and then walk over and punch him in the face… see, easy…
What? You think that could lead to jail time, or just finding yourself lying on his doorstep as you watch little cartoon birdies fly around your head. Hmm. Well the other method is much harder. It also involves a great deal of reading, or you could take a martial arts class to learn the feel of some of the moves and defenses. I was lucky enough to take karate classes as a child. That was long ago but some of the motions are hard to forget.
But fighting and violence isn’t just accomplished in a fist fight. You can stripe the hide off of someone’s sense of worth with words a lot easier than you can with a sidekick. I didn’t grow up in a household that contained harsh words, but some of you might be able to call on those memories. Pull them up and use them to leave your reader sobbing and looking for the ice cream, clinching their fists on behalf of your character, or maybe feeling anxiety as you add more turmoil to your character’s life.
This is the hardest emotion for me to bring to my novels. So of course, I practice. The best results come when you hang out with a friend or two and then… Okay, just kidding. This is something that needs to be done in your head, or out loud as you drive down the highway. Alone.
I usually look like an insane person when I’m driving. Sometimes bringing myself to tears with harsh words. Your friends can only help if you sit down and they are willing to have a heart to heart walk down memory lane with you. Otherwise … prepare to look a little loony as you fight with yourself, as you cruise down the highway.
No matter what you decide to write, what you want to bring to your story, how you want to portray your character’s lives and their world… remember to have fun with it. Enjoy what you write, and hopefully others will love it as well. And keep researching… life is about change and growth. Personally, I hope that each year I become better and better at building my worlds.
Happy wordage, Tracey Clark
hope you enjoyed the Pinterest pics… there are all kinds of helpful how-tos on Pinterest…
Howdy y’all… 😛 I hope everyone is keeping cool and relaxed, ready to win some great prizes… over here in Ashland, Ky it is sweat-palooza… but I am more than ready to party… woo who… so let’s have some fun with Rave Reviews Book Club’s BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY, this is my stop here at Finder’s Keepers – Author Tracey Clark…
My Give-aways!!!
One lucky winner will be chosen to receive either
jewelry *(bracelet or earrings – made by me)
or one of the keychains I’ve been working on… (incase you’re not looking for jewelry)
as well as a personally made bookmark…
all you have to do is leave a commentat the bottom of this post… and you are entered to win… see… super easy… here is a peek at some of the pieces you will have to choose from…
number of winners:Â 2
while there is only one winner for the Block Party, I will also be choosing a winner from those of you interested in signing up for my Newsletter
and don’t forget to stop by the other blogs just waiting to give out freebies… check out the other blog scheduled for today…
and now for a little bit of fun… how about a character interview… let’s see if Makayla LaPine (from my latest novel – Southern Discoveries) will tell us what she really think about our Princess Marin, how she feels about the man in her life (if Quaidin even stands a chance), and how she plans to work together with Marin without either of them killing each other… lol… (Books and Blurbs can be found at the bottom of the page…as well as an exciting summer sale!!!)
B2 Finder’s Keepers
Character Interview – Makayla LaPine
Interviewer (Jazz):(rubbing his hands together, a wolfish grin growing on his face, he speaks into the hidden camera, practically bouncing in his seat…)
Hey y’all… Jazz here with SBI – Affairs (we are the supernatural version of the human Internal Affairs, but with sass… our work is shared with the Supe Community during these daily news reports)…
Today I will be sitting down with Makayla LaPine… sadly, no one knows if Ms. LaPine is a Norm or not (meaning without magical genetics), which means we will be proceeding with caution… it also gives us an excuse to delve into the personal… muhahahaha…
(straightens up in his chair)Â oh, here she comes…
Makayla: (oozing sex, she saunters into the room, perching the seat next to Jazz as if ready for a photo shoot)
I was told ya needed ta speak with me??? What can I do for ya, darlin’?
Jazz: (the purring of her voice momentarily wipes all his carefully prepared questions from his mind… the woman practically screamed wanton perfection…)
ummm…. I need you… I mean I need to ask you a few questions… your boss needs me to ask you a few questions.
(clearing his throat, he starts over)
Anton has asked me to double check a few things when it comes to his highest ranking Finders.  Nothing difficult… just background, interaction with others, and a few general job related questions.
Makayla: As ya like.
(she waves her hand airily through the air and waits for him to continue…)
Jazz: (he is dying to ask what she knows about the supernatural community, but Queen’s Law forbids the discussion of anything magical unless you are 100% sure that the person you’re with is one the varying Supes that make up the different magical races. Shaking his head, it is hard to believe that the level of sexual attraction exuding from her pores is anything but magic.)
Let’s start off with a simple question. How do you like working for Finder’s Keepers? Working with other Finders to locate lost or stolen people and material objects?
Makayla: For da most part, I’d say rewardin’… Ya never know what kinda delicious secrets ya’ll discover in this job. Oh, and helpin’ others, of course.
Workin’ side by side with a bunch-a gorgeous alpha males helps to make each day excitin’. Them yummy rascals really know what they’re doin’. Even our number one research gal, Marin, seems ta-have come inta her own. All n’all a wonderful team.
Jazz: (Thrown off track, he rechecks his background research… this woman was supposed to be a grade A biotch… shaking his head, he continues carefully…)
Most consider you to be a man-eater. Your treatment of others brass, confrontational, and a bit on the rude side.
Makayla: (flipping her hair over her shoulder, she straightens in her chair)
I do what I’se have ta… if them no account lay-abouts have sumptin ta say-
I’se git da job done, in half’ta time, an’ all without da help of dim polecats… unlike some… sleepin’ der way ta da top, an’ lord-a-mercy… the complainin’ I’se deal with…
Jus cuz I’se have a healthy appreciation fur male companionship? Dis makes me a Man-eater? Jealousy tis what it tis.
Jazz: (barely able to understand a word of her angry southern-twang rant, he slouches down in his seat, nodding)
Ummm… I totally agree?
(clearing his throat, he continues)
So how would you describe your relationship with Marin??
Makayla: (for some reason the question makes her narrow her eyes before she answers)
I’ve never given da girl much thought really… other than da fact dat she obviously has a ‘special’ relationship with our boss, Antonius Slade… I mean… up until dis last week or so, she didn’t seem ta have much worth… other than her phenomenal research capabilities…
I’se have ta admit, her background and research for my Finds always leaves me with very little ta do… but something has changed… lately everyone has been running ta Marin for help… normally she would be the last person I would dream of goin’ to for help-
Jazz: (sits forward and interrupts)
Really… What type of Find are we talking about??
Makayla: (waves hand dismissively through the air)
I recon I’se better see how Marin fairs before sharing my secrets with anybody else! Needless ta say, something was taken from me more dan twenty years ago. I decided dat if my boss and my co-workers were looking ta Marin for help, I needed ta get on board. Heck… I believe that she may truly be my last hope.
Jazz: (ducks his head to cover a smirk)
Well… if you don’t feel like talking about your co-workers and the Finds you guys are involved in, let’s move on.
What do you think of the newcomers to Finder’s Keepers? They may be just borrowing office space, but it has been pointed out by quite a few people that Quaidin Lari can’t keep his eyes off of you.
Makayla:Â (twists her fingers)
Oh… yeah… well, he’s…
Besides… I need ta focus on helpin’ Marin with da Find… Â I don’t have time for his attention, no matter how pretty da package.
Jazz: (doesn’t know how to respond… especially when he notices the light reddening of her cheeks… )
Right. So…
(Can’t think of anything non-magical to ask… but before he can continue, Makayla oozes to her feet)
Makayla: (hands on her hips)
Why don’t ya tell da big boss-man ta reschedule dis little interview for when ya have yur questions in better order, and you’re able ta keep yur tongue in yur mouth long enough ta ask’em.
(Huffs out of the room)
Jazz: (loosens his tie, he slumps down in his seat)
Well that was definitely an experience… the power coming off that woman is almost as frightening as her sharp attitude… if she isn’t one of the Fae, then she is definitely something powerful… I for one wouldn’t want to face her in a fight…
anywho… that’s all for now… tune in Aug 29th to hear from our long lost princess… Marin will be in the hot seat as we stop in at Finder’s Keepers Series site, and hopefully she will feel like sharing a secret or two with us… 😛
Blurb for Southern Discoveries…
Makayla can’t believe that her life has been reduced to this… asking the flighty office girl for help. Could Marin really be capable of working the decades old Find that has plagued Makayla for most of her life? With her goal within reach, she will take a chance on Marin, avoiding all distractions. Especially the overwhelmingly delicious stranger begging for her attention.
Quaidin Lari wants to get in, finish his mission, and get out. Anything to get back to Out-realm and as far from Earth-side Kentucky as possible. His band of mercenaries – the Fianna – have one goal… to locate Marin, the highly sought after Fae Princess, and see to her protection. As the Incubus on the squad, he needs to focus on persuasion and manipulation.
The mission was a walk in the park… until her. Quaidin never saw Makayla coming. A woman with enough sexual allure to bring him to his knees…
 And…. on the shelf for Summer Sale we have my first novel… Shocking Finds
woo who… 99 cent Summer Sale…
here is the blurb and buy links…
Blurb:
An act of rebellion, Marin doesn’t think that running into the new store in town will hurt anything. Her aunt will never know… right? One car wreck later, her aunt is hospitalized, Marin is forced to spend her twenty-first birthday fighting for her life, and magic – the very thing her aunt has always sworn to be for fools – is real. And so is the irresistible Fae dedicated to Marin’s protection.
Kyland has searched Earth-side and all the other realms, looking for a missing Fae child. A child his Queen prophesied would be able to one day save the Fae people from the Danshue, as the evil Fae threat tries to overwhelm the entire Supernatural Community. A child that would know nothing of her blocked gifts, or her Fae heritage waiting to be claimed. A child that has grown into a curvy, delicious morsel he would love to taste
Together Marin and Kyland will fight Fae assassins, overcome betrayals, and if they’re lucky … they will find the Danshue responsible for their plight. That’s if Marin doesn’t shock him to death with her erratic new gift, and her out of control emotions.
for information about my short stories to be found in the following anthologies, go to Finder’s Keepers Series … or click on the link at the top of the page for Book Site… woo who…
and finally, here is some information on my short story Goodbye Roanoke… only 99 cents…
Blurb:
What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke? Jodina knows that she should be embarrassed, but really… they had it coming. As a Vampire/Dragon hybred, Jodina has lived for more than 200 years avoiding humans and supernatural creatures alike. But one accidental fire – hey, her Dragon side can be a bit testy – and she finds herself locked up with a handsome Vampire and a few innocent children. Their crimes? Well, the mob outside their cell has decided that they are unclean abominations… Jealousy and fear, with a heaping dose of hate, can turn human beings into deadly creatures.
August is all about winning… 😛 and everyone loves winning freebies… I know I do… all month long RRBC ( RRBC Link) will be providing opportunities to win books and other great prizes from authors and bloggers set up to participate … I will be waving hello to y’all on the 5th (on this site – traceylclark.com ) and on the 29th (over on my book site – Finder’s Keepers Series) … woo who…. parrrrrrty!!!
I will have one winner from each site included in this Blog Block Party… woo who… decided to offer either a bracelet or a pair of earrings (made personally by me), along with a book mark… however… should the winner decide that they don’t have any use for jewelry, they can opt for one of the keychains I’ve started making… hear are some pics of the jewelry… sorry… no keychain pics yet…
bracelets i made
bracelets i made
I will also try to keep everyone updated (with posts from here) on the sites they need to visit in order to win daily prizes… but just head to the RRBC page ( RRBC Blog Stops) if I fall behind… otherwise I will share posts on twitter… my go-to social site.. lol…
DAILY GIVEAWAY: (1) Gift basket which will include a Kindle Fire, $10 Amazon Gift Card, autographed copies of my latest books, and more!
entering to win prizes is super easy… all you have to do is visit the site of the day (or sites) and leave a comment… see… Easy… alright… that is all I have at the moment…
I still need to set up my posts… I am thinking of doing some *character interviews*… a little peek at the Makayla and Marin tension from my latest novel Southern Discoveries… and some of the juicy details about the men in their lives… let’s get the dirt on these two gals…
alrighty then… this is a repost of sorts, though not from my own blog sites… I had someone else publish this about a year ago, and thought that it had been long enough and wanted to share it here for fifth Friday… I really enjoyed writing it, and would love to here everyone else’s dos and don’ts when it comes to writing…
Add a Little Sex, Humor, and Fighting
Writing you novel, and looking for the best way to keep your readers interested??? Here are a few aspects that I always try to include…
Finding the words to make you Novel memorable!!
The easiest way to write about something is to know it inside and out. If you want to understand the inner workings of the restaurant business??? Want to be able to describe the feeling of flying through the air??? How about explaining the reality of living on a horse ranch???
Watch, Ask, and Do!!! Stalk local restaurants, pull out your pad and pen as you interview anyone that will stand still long enough, and see if you can help out in the kitchen (get hired on a month/summer basis). Take a flying lesson and do all you can to learn the ropes. Lasso yourself a cowboy and … Sorry, got distracted by the thought of cowboys and lassos, but I think you get the picture. Do anything and everything you can think of to learn the feel, the taste, and the sights of the world you want to create.
Sex
But what happens when you want to add a little sexual tension to your novel? How about those full blown sex scenes?? Some of the things we add to our novels are either impractical or impossible for us to learn about first hand. Remember that song Can’t Buy Me Love?? Well, you can’t force a love connection just to learn what it feels like. You might not want to try out some of the bedroom gymnastics portrayed by the lustiest of novels. What in the world do you do now?
Well, you could always make it up, use your imagination. But where to start? And how are you going to get your reader to pay attentions when your words feel rushed or halting? LOL I suggest you look it up.
I love romance, from the behind-the-bedroom-door actions to the break-the-bed-and-hope-the-neighbors-don’t-call-the-police sex-capaids. By the time I finished writing Shocking Finds and my other rough drafts, my book shelf looks like a How to Become a Porn Addict guide. My mother borrowed my kindle and just about had a heart attack. But we learned to become writers by reading, so learn about being a romance writer by reading … romance, light hearted or pornish. Read each book and find the scenes that speak to your emotions, and your fantasies. How do they describe the feel of a man’s hand along your thigh, caressing your back, or jerking you into his arms. Learn how to put the feel of each action into the scene, don’t just tell the reader it happened. Get your own romance collection.
Humor
Humor can be even harder to portray than passion. We live in a diverse world, with varying senses of humor. Have you ever been at a party and stood with your friends as they doubled over in laughter, all while you looked on in confusion? If liquor wasn’t involved, chances are that you either missed the joke or just didn’t find it funny. Or worse … Have you told a story that brought tears laughter to your eyes, but looked around to see that your friends were scratching their heads, going over your words, and looking for the humor?? Reading is only the first step to attacking this issue.
Okay. Reading something that you find funny might not help you to impress your friends, but reading something that millions of other readers considered humorous may improve your writing. Humor is just as important and passion when it comes to adding emotions to your novel. You want your reader to get lost in the worlds you create. If they can feel each scene, then you are on the right track. This is something that I hope to get better and more polished at as I continue to write.
If all else fails, try a comedy club or two. Get in a frame of mind that helps your words to come out in flowing manner, instead of just dropping a joke into you story now and them. Personally, I don’t even consider what kind of emotion or humor I can add to my story when I’m writing that rough draft. As I bring my story to life I try to see where they are going, how I can build up to that moment when the emotions (no matter if it is passions, anger, failure, gut wrenching sadness, or humor) will reach the page full tilt.
Fighting
Oooo… Fighting, bloodbaths, all out war… Okay, this one is easy. First you make sure that your annoying neighbor, with the yappy dog, and lack of parking etiquette is home. You do some stretches, get your muscles loose and ready, and then walk over and punch him in the face… see, easy…
What? You think that could lead to jail time, or just finding yourself lying on his doorstep as you watch little cartoon birdies fly around your head. Hmm. Well the other method is much harder. It also involves a great deal of reading, or you could take a martial arts class to learn the feel of some of the moves and defenses. I was lucky enough to take a karate class as a child. That was long ago but some of the motions are hard to forget.
But fighting and violence isn’t just accomplished in a fist fight. You can stripe the hide off of someone’s sense of worth with words a lot easier than you can with a sidekick. I didn’t grow up in a household that contained harsh words, but some of you might be able to call on those memories. Pull them up and use them to make will have your reader sobbing and looking for the ice cream, clinching their fists on behalf of your character, or maybe feeling anxiety as you add more turmoil to your character’s life.
This is the hardest emotion for me to bring to my novels. So of course, I practice. The best results come when you hang out with a friend or two and then… Okay, just kidding. This is something that needs to be done in your head, or out loud as you drive down the highway. Alone. I usually look like an insane person when I’m driving. Sometimes bringing myself to tears with harsh words. Your friends can only help if you sit down and they are willing to have a heart to heart walk down memory lane with you. Otherwise … prepare to look a little loony as you fight with yourself as you cruise down the highway.
No matter what you decide to write, what you want to bring to your story, how you want to portray your characters lives and their world… remember to have fun with it. Enjoy what you write, and hopefully others will love it as well.
alright… big news here… Shocking Finds is just 99 cents for a summer sale … everyone advises that you should play around with pricing so that you can reach more readers… so here we go… 😛
to be sure you never miss sales/book/etc news… head to the top of the page and click on the newsletter button… and sign up…
Between my plum tree, my pregnant cousin, and two celebrations, my first week in July has been exhaustingly fun… man, oh man… I could use a few days of sleep (if my mind would just shut down long enough) to recharge…
for the last three years, I’ve been excited to get a dozen (if that) plums from my tree… but this year, omg peeps… we have dozens upon dozens of plums… there are soo many that I have been pawning them off on family, friends, and the occasional stranger… lol… the two plum tree (total accident, I didn’t mean to buy all plum) in the back yard are too young to produce any fruit, but once they grow up a bit we are gonna be overwhelmed by the tasty little treats…
as for my prego cuz… she had her baby shower, and made out like a bandit… lots of goodies for the next generation… if only she would let us know what the sex is… sigh… but mom really wants it to be a girl… I mean, really-really wants a girl… lol… so most of the gifts from us were feminine… which opened the door for sexually confused baby-boy jokes… yep… I am soooo not above a few ‘overly metro-sexual jibes’… I also announced to the room that the card we gave to her husband was just for him, for a job well done… lol… really it was the thousand dollars that mom foolishly promised the first person to give her a grandbaby… (me or one of my two cousins)…
since the baby’s sex was unknown, the party was decorated in team spirit colors… not that any of us *cuz included* attend/attended Louisville… but cuz and her hubby are die hard fans… you just know she is brain washing her young while they are still in the womb… lol
and finally, I spend the first week celebrating my grans birthday with some yummy KFC… and laughing with friends and family at my book party… the book celebration had a nice turn out, but sadly, I threw the bash while a handful of peeps were off sunning at the beach… still… both parties were an excellent way to start off the month…
all right… that’s it for now… happy wordage peeps…
B2 Finder’s Keepers
oh yeah…and don’t forget to sign up for my Book Newsletter … just head up to the Newsletterlink at the top of the page to be sure to get all Book updates… so far there are books one and two (Shocking Finds & Southern Discoveries) in the Finder’s Keepers Series… and soon … book one in the Skymann Series… woo who… later, Tracey…
This heat is killing me… add to that the sporadic downpours, which stirs up the humidity… My entire body feels heavy … I keep thinking that life would be perfect if only I had a large body of cool water near by that I could spend my day floating in… imagination people… because my permanently rooted home is only close to water that I would push my enemies into… I won’t be dipping my own toe in it, that’s for sure.
oh yeah… just put a little hut cut into the rock behind the waterfall and life would be perfect… wake up, eat breakfast and swim in the cool morning sun… ahhhh…. evil heat wouldn’t be able to get me then… hey, if I’m wrong and it’s still too hot, I could always find a way to grow gills… I could live underwater if worse came to worst…
for now, I guess I’ll just have to hide inside with the air-conditioned… also need to work on my next book… not something that my life in the water will be helpful with… lol… anyone know where I can get a waterproof laptop??? the best of both worlds… ahhhh… all it needs is a horse or two… and the perfect man??? maybe… this chick isn’t that great with allure… maybe just the laptop and horse… life in the water… yep…
anywho… the book I am working on now is a contemporary romance… a little different than my first two books, which were more urban fantasy with some romance thrown in for good measure…
okay… off to get my dogs and then work on my Skymann series… hot alpha males with a soft side… and strong family support…
After two nights in a row, staying up to the wee hours of the morning, and growling at my computer as I fought to figure out how to format Southern Discoveries into an ebook, the pain, sweet, and swearing finally paid off…. muhahaahahahahaha…. I did it… take that MS….
Okay, so thanks to Pronoun.com it was pretty easy… the difficult part had more to do with my uncooperative brain than my formatting task…
Sooooooo….. about three in the morning last night, I looked at my screen and realized I was ready to hit the publish button… the ebook version was ready to go… now I only had to wait for the woman that created my book covers to finish with the spine and back cover so that I could set up the paperback format on createspace.com … and this left me with an opportunity that I hadn’t thought of before…
For the next week, I am offering FREE ecopies to anyone willing to leave a review… (Reviews really are the devil to get, but oh so important) … just drop me a line and I will make sure that you get your copy … even if it means I have to swear at my computer some more… 😛 … I already have the Mobi & Epub versions, and will have the PDF version later today…
And truthfully, it would be an enormous help if y’all could stop in at amazon, goodreads, or one of the other retailers, blogs, etc and drop a line or two one what you thought of Southern Discoveries… as the pre-order links go up, I will post them so that you know where to find the book in order to give a review, or you can wait until after it is out, and easy to find…
Most books are set up for pre-order months before the release date, but Southern Discoveries grew a mind of its own and took longer than I expected to finish… (and I might be a bit impatient) But its all good… because you guys get it now, and not months from now…. wooo whooo…
and lastly, I decided to set up a newsletter… you can get Finder’s Keepers & Skymann (coming soon) series info delivered to your email… this email list will hopefully allow me to offer more pre-releases, monthly updates, and other book related goodies… just head HERE and leave your info…
I didn’t think I would need an email list, not when I could just use Facebook, Twitter, this blog, etc. to send out updates… but I’ve found that there are certain sites that ask you to use something along the lines of MailChimp …. sooo take a moment and sign up to get your Newsletter…
I have another site, Clark Arts and Crafts, and this month I am posting about all the swag and art projects (and anything I see that I think is beautiful)…
but as most of the people that visit one site don’t necessarily see the other site, I wanted to share a few of the pieces with you guys… this is just some of the bracelets… I don’t have the other projects photographed yet… and as you can see, there are a lot of bracelets… I find it soothing to make them… other projects require you to bend over a table while you work…
bracelets i made
bracelet art/I made
bracelets i made
I also have some friendship bracelets … made from both hemp and embroidery thread… but I really like the beaded necklaces that I put together…
okay…. I doubt any of these guys are my culprit, but some-bird-body in my neighborhood has lost their birdy brain. I have a Vet-friend in my writers group that tells me it is not normal for a bird to choose to make a next inside someone’s home. But—
yep… that is a bird nest inside my home by the air-conditioned. Sadly, this isn’t the first time. Over the years, I have found two nests inside. Both in the same area, back in the laundry room (the room with the window air-conditioner).
Both mom and I are disabled, making removing the air-conditioner from the window difficult. And, yes, we make sure to block the gaps to keep out the cold air in the weather. But the birds around my home have turned into B&E experts. I expect it is a smallish bird. Mom saw the first bird, but I missed both culprits.
Mom sacred off the first bird (there was a lot of scared screaming… lol). But a few months later, the sadness came. I was looking through some crap (yes, I called our stuff crap) in the storage area of the laundry room. What I found was a nest with dead baby birds inside.
This second time, I the nest was closer to the window (right on in actually) with only a broken bird egg inside. Looks like Mommy and babes went to play outside, after getting months of free room and board. And left the mess for us to keep.
And they appear to have left a hole in our defences. Sigh.
Well, this may not be normal bird behavior for the rest of the world. For me… I know what to do.
Always check the room for nests if a bird is found in the house. Oh… and pay someone to take the air-conditioner out of the window. lol.
I want to thank everyone for helping with the costume ideas… and if you entered to win and missed my comment, everyone of you are winners… just scroll down and click my FB link… Private Message me you email and your choice of e-copy… I have Shocking Finds in ePub, Mobi, & PDF… woo who… wordage
okay guys… it was really hard for me to pick a winner … i loved all the suggestions… so a random draw win is…… hangell531 …. but I am so grateful to all you guys that I want to make everyone a winner… wooo whoo… just head over to my Facebook page and sent me a Private message with your email… that way it wont be sent out to the entire world … muahahahaha… also… if you put up a review of either amazon or goodreads, i will make sure that you get a copy of Southern Discoveries (book two: Finder’s Keepers) … okay… gotta run… here is my Facebook https://www.facebook.com/trace.clar
well just a quick note to let everyone know that I will be doing writing prompts for Camp Nano … I had planned to skip this one, but the dang things are addictive… lol
so I will be writing up prompts and editing… also hope to work on a new contemporary romance… a second in the Skymann series… if off to Mary at Gone Writing Publishing …
and that’s all I have to share right now… see you guys later…. happy wordage, tracey
Hey guys… I need help… and not mental… though that is definitely in question… I mean… what have I gotten myself into… Oh, not this hop… this is easy and fun… no I am talking about one of the book signings I will be at this year… one that I will be needed a costume for, for the costume ball… But I am getting ahead of myself… let me introduce the Hop and then Please, for the love of mud, help a girl out… 😛
Little Things Blog Hop
Hi everyone Tracey Clark here and I am one of over 100 authors/bloggers/ on
the Little Things Blog Hop! This hop has over 200 chances to win prizes, the rafflecopter for the overall event has a ton of prizes just waiting to be won… and each of the 100+ blog stops will have their own give away…
My Giveaway
Make sure you visit each stop and enter the posted giveaway… for this stop, I am giving away an eBook copy of Shocking Finds (epub, pdf, or mobi)… to be entered to win, simply answer the follow:
—If you had to pick a book/movie character to dress up as, who would it be (description of outfit would be great)?
lol… sounds silly, but I am in serious need her peeps… I will be going to a costume ball at the Imaginarium Convention… I am already nervous about being on one of the panels (not sure what they want me to do) and being in front of a lot of people for any reason always throws my system into whack… I can see it now… sweating, red in the face, about to throw up, when I just kill over and pass out…. yep… that would so be my luck… to help me out… use the comment section below and give me some ideas… and be entered to win …
And not to worry… if you already have a copy of Shocking Finds, I will be sure to send you an Arc of Southern Discoveries (Book Two – Finder’s Keepers) when all the bugs are worked out…
And be sure to enter the amazing rafflecopter too which has a ton of prizes to be won!
For those of you don’t already know me, I am the author of Shocking Finds (A Finder’s Keepers Novel), I plan to be attending three book signings this year (Wild in West Virginia – June in Charleston, WV; Imaginarium Convention – Oct in Louisville, ky; & Rebels and Readers RARAE – Nov in Huntington, WV) And I am working to get two more novels ready for the signings… and as stated above, I will be attending the Imaginarium Costume Ball (EKK) I hope to see you all there…
okay… lets try this one more time… I just saw that my repost efforts had all the wrong pics… where the heck did all the Shemar pics go… *NOOOOOO…. but no worries… I think I have it fixed now… lol… *evil computer
this is a post I have up on my Multiple Sclerosis site… but I wanted to share it with my regular peeps… *especially the Shemar Moore pics* – Derek from Criminal Minds is sooooo yummy, and an MS supporter… can you say ‘great guy’… I did make a few MS shirts for myself, but I also bought a Baby Girl shirt from his site… anywho… here is some info on MS Walk, support/donations, and fun Shemar pics to finish off with… later guys…
Okay… I wanted to share a few sites with you guys (like the My Walk Gear site, and Shemar Moore’s Baby Girl site)… if you can’t walk for Walk MS, but still want to show support, check out the My Walk Gear site… just click on the link at the top of this post…Â
right now you can get 24% off
and the My Walk Gear site can help you support more than just Multiple Sclerosis… Breast Cancer, Autism, AlS Lupus, etc…
You can get team shirts to wear as you walk or socialize, or get some gifts for yourself and others, or maybe pick up one of the non-clothing items… there are ways to design your own shirts, MS ribbon magnets, and jewelry…
I have one of those ribbon magnets on my car, but to show my support (for MS cause and to myself) Imade my own t-shirts, all you do is pick up some blank t-shirts, and grab a t-shirt iron-on kit (you just need a printer and a computer)Â from a hobby store or Wal-Mart…
 If you want to see more about my homemade shirts, and read about the ladies that pulled on their tees and went out to eat with me at an Irish Pub CLICK HERE … hey, there’s even a picture of us with a guy in a kilt… 😛 and what ever you do to support this cause, have fun with it…
but this post is getting a little long… I’ll save my chatter about Shemar and his awesome Baby Girl site for another day… thanks for dropping in, and happy wordage…. and just to leave everyone on a high note… here is some yummy Shemar to drool over… I know that’s why I continued watching Criminal Minds during the year the studio started firing beloved actors left and right…
if you want to show your support, but the My Walk Gear site isn’t for you and you don’t wanna make your own Click HEREto check out the Baby Girl clothing and non-clothing items, as part of the proceeds got to the fight for MS… but I will have more on that in my Baby Girl post… later peeps
*this is a repeat of a post from my MS site… I am posting daily up until the day of the Walk in my area… if you want to read about my life with Multiple Sclerosis then Click Here… and happy wordage everyone
I love this GIF, and felt like posting it a second time… but this post is about an upcoming MS event… Walk MS… you can find both Walk MS and Bike MS events in your area by following the links at the bottom of the post… We have five weeks and two days until the day of the Walk for my area… I will be upping my MS posts until in the meantime… sharing my own MS insanity…
Starting Monday, March 7th, Fundraising week begins… From Bike MS to Walk MS, there are dozens of ways to show your support… there is even something called Challenge Walk MS… Last year I participated in Walk MS, I even attempted to join in the mile walk around the park… Hmmmmm… that didn’t go so well for me… last year, my walking abilities weren’t as on par as they are this year and I ended up running out of steam less than half way through… it wasn’t pretty… I had to cut through the park, there were tears and embarrassment, but once I calmed down and had a chat with my momma, I enjoyed cheering everyone else on as sat in the shade sweating as if I had just finished a triathlon…
for mom
made for MS walk
This year the Walk in my area will be across the bridge in neighboring WV… I managed to attempt participating last year because it was downtown at the park… I doubt I will make it this year, but I wanted to give a shout out to everyone giving and participating in this cause…Â I also want to participate as a virtual walker…
I have said that MS helped me to find my passion in life, but without the drugs, doctors, and therapies for this disease, MS would have taken my life long ago… it is the support and volunteers that make continued research and development possible… I am grateful to everyone giving their time, donations, or just their kind words… it is because of you that I will get to continue writing and living a life I never envisioned, but that I find small joys in every day… when it comes down to it, it isn’t the big events in life that matter… it is the small moments that mean the most…
If you want to give or join up at your local Walk/Bike MS (and did I mention that Shemar Moore joined in Bike MS last year… yummy… I mean thanks for calling attention to this cause) just …
CLICK HERE to head over to my donation page for this years walk
Now… if you have a trigger happy gag reflex, turn away… do not read… but if you have a strong constitution and possibly a need to poke fun at my morning, then read on 😛
okay… my morning didn’t contain any boats, no matter how hot it was today… noooo…. I would have killed for a seat on that hellacious boat trip… I have been dealing with the croop for over a week, meaning I sleep like crap and hack and cough my head off…
When I finally managed to get to sleep, I slept long and hard… meaning I woke up dying to pee… but the dogs were barking and they always get to go first… but when I got up to get them, and take them on there morning (okay, afternoon… but hey, they potty right before bed…) potty run, I realized they were whining because both, yes both, of my pugs had had diarrhea … the only positive I could see was that they sleep in a kennel… so the liquid hell was contained…
one by one, I reached in and picked up my nasty pup… carried them out to run in the backyard… gagging the entire way… hacking, coughing, and gagging… just as I bent over to send the last dog into the backyard I gagged sooooo hard that I peed on myself… so, yeah… I think I would rather be tossed around on a boat for a few hours… heck… knock me out if you want, but someone else deal with the next doggy mess… lol… grr…
okay… I am laughing so hard, I’m afraid there may be tears in my eyes… lol… but this GIF (as funny as it is) is not the point of this post… sorry… I just can’t stop watching it…
I am actually posting to give a shout out to Yasmine Phoenix… about a year or so ago, she did a post with a handful of authors in various stages of their wordage lives… the hopeful, the multi-published, and those in between… and every once in a while she sends us some questions, a type of update… to see where we are in our writing journeys…
now, my memory is lacking on the best of days, but I am pretty sure that this is the third post that Yasmine has done on the topic… if you want to check out her post, just follow the link below….
I have done a little more than when I answered Yasmine’s questions, but you can still check out her other questions… both to me, and the others in the group
Okay… so this is some stranger on pinterest, but it reminded me of a memorable vacation trip… mom, me, my aunt and cuz… beach time for all…
playing in the sun and surf sounds fun to most, but it is actually quite dangerous… sand attacking every crevice, sharks and jelly fish always on the hunt, and silly little girls with a love of gymnastics and dance…
sooo… we were all watching my little cuz romp around, when she suddenly threw her hands into the air, in a divers pose… the water was about up to her knees (almost… I stress, almost) when she hiked into the air… and we all screamed ‘NO!!’ as we watched the scene unfold in slow motion (okay, I all went rather fast)
she was coming back down toward the water, the water that rapidly went out to join the rest of the ocean… someone caught it on video camera, not sure where that is, and it is cringe worthy… until she popped back up to her feet, embarrassed, we all thought that she had broken her neck… soooo yeah… double check your stunts… lol… the look cool less than half the time… 😛 but who am I to lecture… dangerous tricks was my middle name as a young’un…
Remember how Snow White had this gift with animals, to the point where she could sing a bird down from the sky to alight on her finger??? Yeah… that sooo didn’t happen here…
I came home from a diet coke run (omg, I am addicted to diet coke out of a soda fountain) and I walked in to find Tweety’s younger cousin had moved in… how??? who the heck knows… but the cat didn’t care, and refused to help, merely lying back to watch as I ran around in circles…
did I mention that my house is in a figure eight design… man… and I thought catching the dogs when they were in trouble was a pain… at least the dogs don’t have wings… and since when is an animal with a head smaller than a quarter intelligent… how is that fair?? lol….I opened all the windows and doors… I blocked off rooms… and I ran in circles… every time Tweety 2.0 got near an escape route (to the colder land of the outdoors) he would make a U-turn…
he flew to the top of the curtains, into the Christmas tree (cause, yes, I am that person that takes things down around the time I need to be putting them back up) and the dang thing even hopped under the bed… at one point, he stopped to rest on mom’s head while she did her best to get in a nap, and ignore all the insanity… lol… I know he was taunting me… I’m not sure why, but eventually, he flew out one of the open doors… Maybe he was full…
Tweety 2.o had managed to get what I thought was a dead (and decayed) stinkbug carcass from somewhere… he then flew under mom’s bed to eat in peace… no big deal… right?? well not until mom groaned, “I smell a stink bug”… evil bird… he was trying to run us out of our own home… sooo yeah… I have no idea why he decided to leave… but clearly it was by choice, and not because of my expert bird skills…
Next time I’m calling this guy… he was in the middle of all the pinterest pics I found about birds, and cages… but clearly, he has a gift…Â I just hope it works on the smaller ones…
4 out of 5 read-ologists recommend this WordPress.com site. ups and downs of writer's insanity and day to day life. I will write whatever makes the voices happy, for a writer that ignores her inner voices is merely a mental breakdown waiting to happen. Keeping the voices happy and creating new worlds for them to play in is my main goal.
Finder's Keepers - Author Tracey Clark 