I really should be writing...

I'm moving!

2007-09-20T20:34:00.000+01:00

I've squished both my blogs together into one big fat blog.

The link is here

www.darknessandromance.wordpress.com

if you're not taken straight there in the next few seconds.

See you on the other side!!

Thank God for You Tube

2007-09-06T09:46:00.000+01:00

I usually loathe mimes. Really. A lot. But this man could change my mind.

TIme to brag about my alter ego's new cover...

2007-08-26T10:39:00.000+01:00

Isn't it nice? *grin*

Meme of 4

2007-08-24T16:16:00.000+01:00

Lesley Speller tagged me with a Meme of 4

Four jobs I’ve had or currently have in my life:
1. Author (weee - it says that on my tax return)
2. Flogged repossessed houses
3. Worked in Tax
4. Worked in the Tate Gallery bookshop

Four countries I’ve been to:
1. China
2. Egypt
3. Hungary
4. USA

Four places I’d rather be right now:
1. Accepting a lottery cheque for squillions of pounds
2. *Still thinking about the above...*
3. *Yep, it's not gone yet...*
4. Okay, buying the third series Box set of Doctor Who... What, it's not November yet? Bugger

Four foods I like to eat:
1. That Pasta/salmon thingy I had in Rome
2. A bucket of shrimp
3. Prawn foo yung
4. Fishcake and chip butties - with mayonaise *grin*

Four personal heroes, past or present:
1. Avon (Blake's 7)
2. The Master (John Simm, of course)
3. James Mason
4. John Milton

Four books you’ve read or are currently reading:
1. Agatha Christie's 1930s Anthology
2. Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon
3. Cooking in Ancient Civilisations by Cathy Kaufman
4. The Bodyguard by Michelle Hasker

Four words or phrases you would like to see used more often:
1. Frelling
2. Quirk
3. Antidisestablishmentarianism
4. Vote for Saxon

Four reasons for ending a friendship:
1. They're an alien and I'm the next host
2. They're an alien and they won't let me play in their spacecraft
3. They're both.
4. They're a figment of my imagination ( see above)

Four smells that make you feel good about the world:
1. Vanilla
2. Cinnamon
3. Nutmeg
4. Freshly cut grass

My Question: Four Things You'd Like to Do Before you Die but Never Have
1. Found the fountain of youth
2. Bottle the above and drink from it daily
3. Find out what's in the empty space beneath the Sphinx's paws
4. Be shockingly and sickenly wealthy LOL

I'm going to tag... Impworks, DarkDwarf, Jessica D Russell, and Elena Croft. :-D Play if you want. Ignore me if you don't. hehe

My alter ego has a book out. Horror Romance, anyone?

2007-08-21T13:21:00.000+01:00

Want to summon a demon? Look no further!

Step 1. Ensure that you've built your city on an island they once ruled.

Step 2. Use the Crystal that bound them to the Underworld. (It's behind the Nine Thrones. You can't miss it.)

Step 3. Have a traitorous second-in-command who has summoned onebefore. Oh and *please* ignore your need for this person. It's wrong. You know it. I know it.

Follow the above steps to have an 18 foot, rancid-breathed demon at your command.

One thing I should mention, before you go to draw out the summoning pattern…

DO NOT let the demon take the Crystal from you. Really. I mean it. That'll get you into a whole world of trouble. Almost as bad as getting together with your former second-in-command. Which you are not
going to do... Are you?

Right, as long as that's understood… and oh…

Happy Summoning!

TO SUMMON A DEMON releases 21 August 2007!

Buy it here:

Off to the land of the Red Dragon...

2007-08-10T15:09:00.000+01:00

...see you in about a week.

This is real. I want to go and see it. Now!

2007-08-07T16:18:00.001+01:00

Ahh the joys of a website

2007-08-02T12:05:00.000+01:00

My website decided to have a freak yesterday. Paragraphs were a thing of the past as were some of the links. I have a WYSIWYG web tool called Goldfish. It's very good for somethings, but generally hates text in clumps of more than a 100 words. Which is a bugger when I have excerpts *sigh*

I spent 12 hours on it. Then had to walk away before I through something at the screen. I sorted out a long term bug over one picture which came to me literally at the 11th hour. So very pleased about that.

I also have some news over at my other blog:

http://kimknox.blogspot.com

which is rather nice *grin*

Vesuvius-on-crack...

2007-07-18T13:51:00.000+01:00

...is mild compared to today.

This Master moment is soothing me:

Odd thing today...

2007-07-17T01:32:00.000+01:00

Today I was angry. Really angry. Vesuvius-on-crack angry.

The situation that made me go up like a hypernova was completely unexpected. But the odd thing was, that I knew something seriously negative was going to happen about twelve hours before.

I went to sleep Sunday night with a serious feeling of forboding. All the morning, I kept having flashes of unease. Then two o'clock... bam... Eta Carinae takes out a corner of the known universe and the day got progressively worse from there. So it seems that negative emotions travel back in time, for me at least. Wonder if positive emotions work the same way. Maybe I'll be grinning like a loon Thursday night, since the Euromillion lottery is drawn on Friday. That event would certainly solve my really, really shitty day.

To leave the post bizarrely, because it's far too late and I can't sleep (see above), here's something else from my You Tube obsession of the moment:

Oooh, wonder what I've been watching...

2007-06-23T21:14:00.000+01:00

http://www.haroldsaxon.co.uk/index.shtml

I know I've been a naughty monkey

2007-06-14T09:20:00.000+01:00

Yes, I haven't blogged for a while. More than a while. Eep. But it was a good distraction, edits and wips. I have the edits for TO SUMMON A DEMON, which have to be handed in for Monday coming.

I've also progessed on two wips, ANGHARAD and DARK HOST aka MAU. The latter is becoming more bizarre by the day. YAY

Oh, and I also found out this morning that PAST LIES is going to print in Feb 2008. Which is very nice *grin*

Samwise got the second series of Dr Who with his birthday money. This was Monday. I've sat through most of them at least twice. So trying to keep David Tennant out of my wips... which sounds vaguely rude, LOL

And sorry about the capitals, but I seem to have lost the ability to do italics and links and stuff. Google does not like my MacBook. *sigh*

The past few days

2007-05-24T21:58:00.000+01:00

I meant to do Wordless Wednesday. And I meant to TT yesterday and then today.

All the above didn't happen as I bought a new putie and I've been playing with that.

And I've gone over to the darkside... I'm now the proud owner of a MacBook *grin*

Nimue's Price... out today!

2007-05-22T08:36:00.001+01:00

My alter-ego has a book out today... ;-)

Nimue's Price by Kim Knox

Dark Fantasy ~ with a dash of sex...

Buy it here:

www.samhainpublishing.com

Blurb

Smelling like an overcooked pig was only the start of a bad day…

Excerpt

Damn it, no. He was leaving. "Merlin! Wait."
Nimue stretched out her hand, caught his, gripped it. Something slick wet her skin. She turned over his hand and found blood and crescent-shaped cuts dug deep into his palm. "You're bleeding."

Merlin tugged his hand free and eyes as dark as her own narrowed. "It's nothing." He stepped back. "You need to rest, Nimue. We're strong. It's how we have the Sight…but we still need to eat and sleep after an…encounter."

Strong? True. Already, the shakes, the dull throbs of pain through every muscle, were fading. A smile pulled at her mouth and Merlin's eyes deadened in response. Silent curses ran through her head. He'd wanted her. Every sense had screamed it. Now, that had changed.

All right. She would start again. Morgan had given her time.

Her gaze dropped, fixing on the strong column of his throat. She focused on the strip of black leather slipping beneath his tunic. Nimue had seen the crested ring that hung from it. He had held it up to a flickering candle, the black, carved stone blazing, and told her of his father. The ring was his only connection to that long-dead man. She calmed her nerves. "Will…will you be my teacher?"

"Nimue."

Her name was almost a growl. She ignored the delicious shiver running over her skin. Morgan had warned her about this. He will weave his magic around you, Nimue. Wrap darkness around your heart. Resist that. And you can destroy him. She let out a slow breath. "Who else can show me, Merlin? It's taken you years." Her eyes lifted and she ran slow fingers over the sharp edge of his jaw. He flinched. "I'm…I'm scared."

Something flickered in the dark depths of his eyes. Then was gone. Merlin backed away. "It's the king's decision."

"Then we go now."

A muscle in his jaw jumped. His mouth opened. Then shut. "Yes."

He stared over her long, creased dress. She followed his gaze and saw the stains of blood and urine "I have to change. I'm sure the king wouldn't approve." A smile twisted her mouth. "And the Queen would be horrified."

Merlin's mouth flattened. "If the king decides I am to be your mentor, your irreverence stops, Nimue."

She couldn't help herself. "So I have till then?"

"You know that's not--" Merlin bit back more words and turned to the solid wooden door. "Let's go."

He shot back four heavy bolts and tugged at the wrought-iron ring. The door groaned. Nimue stared back at the raised circle that had burned her with agonising light. She hadn't told him a lie. She was scared. Voices had whispered in that searing light, whispered of the distant future, the forgotten past. One Voice told her power could be hers. It would be hers. All of it.

Nimue crushed her eyes shut. She had to deny the memories, and shook her head against them.

She drew air into her lungs and she focused on Merlin's straight back.

The Voice had promised her his power.

Her bare feet padded over cold stone. Think about the cold. Concentrate on the chill numbing her soles. She couldn't let her thoughts dwell. But she failed. Arthur's sister had sent her to the court to worm her way into Merlin's affections. And she had done that. The ease of doing so still surprised her. However, there was the other side.

She needed to see the brooding lines lift from his sharp, handsome face. To have Merlin smile at her and let that smile light eyes too used to looking inwards and seeing horror.

No.

That was his magic.

Morgan had said.

She tugged at his arm. "Will I have to endure the light again?"

Merlin pulled free and didn't stop his fast pace through the curving, torch-lit tunnel. "No."

"What happens if the king says no?"

He stopped. He didn't look at her, instead his face turned down the smooth-stoned tunnel. His voice was cold, hard. "The Iselin Dal will use you as they wish. As They used me. Until I learned."

Panic skittered through Nimue. She knew the stories of the screaming, insane wild-man Merlin had once been. Sometimes she saw the memory of it flicker across his face. "I--"

Narrowed eyes fixed on her. The power in them prickled over her skin. "It's something you must be prepared for, Nimue."

She forgot her role. "And you would be relieved!"

Merlin's jaw tightened. "Yes."

The shock and pain of that answer shot through her nerves. Nimue grabbed at the carved stone for support, felt the sharp edge dig into her palm. "How could you…?"

"You were a dalliance, Nimue. Nothing more. Now you're a threat to me. And we both know it." She swung her hand without thinking. Merlin's strong fingers caught her wrist, pinned her arm to the wall, blocked her with his body. "Don't we?"

Nimue couldn't breathe.

The mixing odours of stone, leather and Merlin's clean, male scent shot through her. The hard strength of him pressed against her had her heart thumping. She stared up into dark eyes, catching the flicker of fire in their depths.

Want pulsed.

Her hips shifted. Slow. Sure.

Merlin groaned, his gaze dragging to her mouth.

"Just one taste, Merlin." Was that her voice? Soft, breathless? "Where's the harm?"

His lips parted, his breathing harsh, and the liquid fire low in her belly flared. The urge to sink her teeth into his lip consumed her. For her to finally taste him, let his tongue, her tongue--

"Enough!" Merlin stumbled back. "I'm stronger than that," he muttered. Cold eyes fixed on her. "They must have you for my own sanity."

"And that's what you'll tell the king?"

Merlin's jaw lifted, his spine straightened. "Yes."

"You condemn me, Merlin."

He turned. "You shouldn't have come to the court."

Nimue watched him stride down the tunnel. "I had no choice."

(c) 2007 Kim Knox

Thank you for reading!

Here's a snippet of Nimue's Price 5 star review:

Nimue's Price is one of the best fantasies this reviewer has encountered, and I truly hope author Kim Knox will expand on the exciting denouement and deliver further stories of Nimue and Merlin! I intend to find everything this very special author writes, and add them to my Keeper Shelf. The characters, the plot, the fantasy and paranormal elements, and a rapid pace that never turns the reader loose, all make Nimue's Price an excellent story and a welcome addition to the reader's library of keepers.

Reviewer: Annie

http://sensual.ecataromance.com/11-reviews?type=&id=809

Kim

Thursday Thirteen #10 ~ Wips and tags

2007-05-16T10:26:00.000+01:00

Today was the day that I decided to really sort out my wips (works in progress). As the list got longer and longer I realised I had my TT for the day, LOL

I have an order that I plan to work to... but if anyone wants to have a say, feel free *grin*

Thirteen Things about Kim Rees/Knox's wips

1… Finding Angharad ~ 20k
Haunted by her past, is Rebecca right to fear the betrayal of another man?

2… Mau ~ 30k
How many times can I screw up? Let me count the ways…

3… Roarke’s Drift ~ 50k
What else are her scars hiding?

4… The Bone Magician’s Daughter ~ 100k
The metal is hungry.

5… The Seduction ~ 50k
To protect her brother, save her father and save herself Emily must seduce her boss.

6… Alchemy ~ 100k
No… I had to go and find the king doing… that...

7… Fatal Vision ~ 100k + sequels *gulp*
Would you trust a man called Rat?

8… Chosen ~ 30-50k
“Do you want to live?”

9… Guardian Angel ~ 30-50k
Payment is enough to do whatever is necessary.

10… The Aramaean Queen ~ 75k
Here she is, a Queen, waiting for him…

11… The Winter Prophecy ~ 75k
Magic is returning. And nothing’s prepared them.

12… Half Memory ~ 75k
Witches, vampires and demons, oh my!

13… The Stronghold ~ 20k
...where a name can kill.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Wordless Wednesday #5

2007-05-15T21:42:00.000+01:00

And if you haven't seen it already, the back is here...

Time Rat has a new name.

2007-05-14T17:54:00.000+01:00

So, I've written some of my synopsis, written some more of Alchemy and now I'm looking at Time Rat. I must admit I'm daunted by the prospect of planning a murder and laying clues. Usually my characters die a gruesome death and the murderer is never in doubt, LOL

Oh and now the story has a new name, and of course a new icon, hehe. (How to kill ten minutes of planning time...)

And the hour I spent on the cat shifter story included this:

And now I have a working title... So essential, hehe

Okay, I'm torn

2007-05-13T09:48:00.000+01:00

I have four WIPs ( well six if you count two contemporaries, which I'm not at the minute ;-) ) and I'm finding it hard to decide which one to go with. These are all Kim Knox stories.

Alchemy ~ I have a synopsis pending on this one. I hate syns. Hate them, hate them, LOL It's hard to make somthing so vital interesting, but I am struggling on with it *grin*

Chosen ~ I'm just waiting on feedback on this one, then I need to add a new subplot, about 10k and sub it. And doesn't that sound easy! LOL I think once I get into that story again, and with a few pointers *grin*, it will go okay *fingers crossed*

Time Rat ~ This is supposed to be my Daughters of Circe May Madness entry. I'm reading around the subject of murder/mystery since it's something I've never really considered before. However, the characters of Eva and Rat (yes, there's a reason he's called that, though not the original one, hehe) won't leave me alone. First, I'm playing with titles. I like to hang a story off the title and it's usually connected to the theme in some form.

Cat Shifter ~ This is part of the Samhain antho call. They will keep putting out these ideas that I want to write!

So... decisions, decisions...

I think I'll have to look at my day and see if I can fit snatches of everything in!

And the ancient cooking book is...

2007-05-10T09:06:00.000+01:00

As a couple of you from Thursday Thirteen have asked about it, here's a picture and the link. I'm addicted to anything Greenwood Press brings out, LOL There's a Medieval Science and Technology that has my name on it too... as well as the book about the Vikings, and the Age of Sail and... well you get the picture. *grin*

Thursday Thirteen #9 - Ancient Cooking

2007-05-09T18:50:00.001+01:00

I write fantasy. The problem of food often comes up so I finally bought a book on ancient cooking last week. So, without further ado here are...

Thirteen Things about Ancient Cooking

1… Food was thought as a way to preserve health and a treatment for sickness.

2… Milk was a seasonal food. (A complete d'oh moment for me. Of course it would be, LOL)

3… Wild-picked food was looked down upon. Only the poor foraged.

4... Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves were so expensive they were used for medicine and perfume, not cooking. (The reason I started investigating ancient cooking was a WIP called Alchemy - and I was using cinnamon for medicine. Happy to see I was right, LOL)

5… Sugar was unknown in the west before fourth century BCE - and then again for medicine.

6… Only the Romans had lunch. *grin*

7… Grain-based food was considered a sign of civilisation.

8… In the Greco-Roman period, sitting up to eat was a sign of social inferiority.

9… Carrots ranged in colour from purple to red, yellow to white.

10… The Greeks didn't have chicken in their diet until the sixth century BCE

11… And another fun chicken fact. The Romans invented chicken soup for nursing the unwell.

12… And some yucky facts. Sow's womb was a Roman gormet treat. Yum

13… Fermenting fish brine was the key ingredient in ancient cooking, made from salting fish for weeks or months and allowing the flesh to rot down...

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Wordless Wednesday #6

2007-05-08T17:24:00.000+01:00

I was hunting through my photo albums of China... and I couldn't resist.

These were taken in and around the Jade Garden in Shanghai

Why did no one tell me...

2007-05-07T20:29:00.000+01:00

... that Agatha Christie was so funny?

I'm reading her work, mainly because of a programme I saw on her when I was in Wales and partly because I have this insane idea that I want to write a fantasy murder/mystery.

I've read 'The Secret Adversary' and could even the Famous Five compare with Tommy and Tuppence's obsessive gluttony? Today, I'm in the middle of 'The Man in the Brown Suit'. There's an irreverence in her characters that reminds me of Bertie Wooster. I'm waiting for them to break out into a stirring rendition of '47 Ginger Haired Sailors (my all-time favourite Wooster song). Which reminds me. Must buy more Bertie Wooster *grin*

Trapped and ranty

2007-05-03T22:27:00.000+01:00

My edits for Nimue's Price popped into the inbox this morning, so I've been sorting those. They and the TT were a needed distraction.

Frodo had an assessment in March. Saturday gone finally we got the report from the paediatrcian.
To say that we were extremely angry with what he has written is an understatement. Both the educationical psychologist and the speech therapist stressed how he should word the report to get the proper help for Frodo. He apparently chose to ignore this. I can't even write about what he put, it gets me so riled, LOL

So this week we've trying to address this mess. *sigh*

Thursday Thirteen #8 - Paintings

2007-05-02T10:15:00.000+01:00

13 Painting by John W Waterhouse.

Yes, bit of an odd one this week, but I do love his work.

Thirteen Things about Kim Rees1….

The Sorceress ~ 1913. I'm co-founder of a group of writers called the Daughters of Circe. This image forms a part of our logo. And I really would love to have hair that colour!

2... The Magic Circle ~ 1886. I just want to write a story around this one. The beautiful dressed sorcerer with her wild hair, chickens and crows *grin*

3... Dolce Far Niente ~ 1880. It means 'It's sweet doing nothing', which is perfect for this blog, LOL. It's also posted on the Daughters of Circe blog as a part of May Madness

4...

Ulysses and the Sirens ~ 1891. Have to admit, I've always been obsessed about Greek myths since I was very small and constantly read Enid Blyton's take on it, LOL

5...

The Siren ~ 1900. She looks so graceful sitting on that outcrop of very jagged rock... LOL I could still stare at it for a good long while though, just for her skin and the silver glint of her tail. *grin*

6...

The Crystal Ball (with Skull) ~ 1902. The feel of the fabric, the way he's painted the tiles... *sigh* Even the skull is cool, LOL

7...

A Tale from the Decameron ~1916. I like the girl on the far left. Yadda, Yadda, heard it all before *smirk*

8...

Consulting the Oracle ~ 1882 I originally started looking at Waterhouse again this week because of this painting. I was hunting for images of Delpi and this popped up.

9...

La Belle Dame Sans Merci ~1893. I studied Keats at college. Much prefer looking at this painting though... though just reading the poem again, it actually gave me chills, LOL

10...

Boreas ~ 1902. I could happily stare at this one all day. I love the colours and the incredible folds of that slate blue material.

11...

Hylas and the Nymphs ~1896. This has what I've always loved about Waterhouse since I first saw his painting: the incredible luminscience of his subjects' skin.

12...

The Danaides ~ 1903. Second most favourite painting. Not a very pleasant myth... but if you have to pour water endlessly, then pouring it with those jars wouldn't be so bad ;-)

13...

Miranda - The Tempest ~ 1916. Absolutely most favourite painting. I love his redheads, LOL

Wordless Wednesday #7

2007-05-01T21:15:00.000+01:00

Thursday Thirteen #7

2007-04-25T12:27:00.000+01:00

Thirteen jobs to do in our Garden

1… Put in French windows. The previous owner of forty years ~ a Chief Inspector who loved his car far too much ~ took them out so he could attach a garage to the house. Argh!

2…Clear the garden of all rubble. That's The Ent's job, as he put it there in the first place *smirk*

3… Patch the garden walls. Ripping down the horrid old garage left huge crumbling holes in the inner wall.

4... Paint the garden doors. We have four of them. Bit excessive, you'll agree, LOL

5… Dig out the concrete base of the garage and landscape it. Samwise has told us that if it's a garden it has to have grass. So grass it is.

6… Partition off the bins (refuse, green waste, recycling and compost - yes, as many bins as we have doors *grin*) with a wall. What this wall will be made of is still up for debate. Living willow would be cool... and probably wrecked in the first afternoon, LOL

7… Cobble the paths and put stairs in beneath the French windows. No doubt, the hobbits will complain about the stairs, as they'll be leaping from the open windows to the muddy grass below... Why am I doing this again???

8… Paint the garden walls and possible decorate with willow, hazel type things. Yes, we're getting vague now LOL

9… Buy the slide/tower contraption and set it as far from the house as we can. This is not far, btw. We have a 'town garden' i.e. tiny.

10… Put out the table which is currently skulking in the outside store, wrapped in polythene and half forgotten.

11… Buy planters, position them again the house and try to hide the drains. We have four... that number just keeps coming up, doesn't it?

12… Fun part. Buy plants. Yay. Lots and lots and lots of them and stuff them in the planters.

13… Stand back, admire, watch the hobbits destroy it... and remember that there's a garden off to the side that needs sorting too. Bugger

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Wordless Wednesday #5

2007-04-24T19:51:00.000+01:00

Happy St George's Day

2007-04-23T10:06:00.000+01:00

...the original story which dates from the 4th century CE, told of St George offering hospitality to a refugee, defending the marginalised, and challenging the persecution policy of the Emperor. This image has been distorted, and replaced by one of a dragon slayer who backed the crusades.

I still want this as a day off, hehe

Stuff yourself at a Sci-Fi Feast

2007-04-20T11:51:00.000+01:00

Languishing at home when everyone is gearing up for RT?

Love Stargate?

Have a thing for Firefly?

Can’t get enough of big honking space guns and the men that handle them...?

Then the Daughters of Circe invite you to immerse yourself in all things sci-fi on 21 April at our Yahoo Group.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/daughters_of_circe/

Join us as we explore our love of books, TV and film, boldly going where no… oops… that’s someone else’s tagline isn’t it? *grin*

Oh, and by the way, watch out for Mother…

Daughters of Circe

Thursday Thirteen #6

2007-04-18T10:33:00.000+01:00

Thirteen Things I did since the last TT.

1… Bought a new kettle... and have it poison me. Don't ask.
2… Celebrated a birthday. This little tiger boy was 3 on Monday:

3… Had too much cake than was good for me. (See above.)

4... Spent too much time on a certain website, watching my book climb the charts. (I'll just have a quiet *squee* moment to myself about that, LOL)

5… Actually got some writing done. Alchemy is almost 8000 words and rising and it's much better than the initial draft. Which is always a nice bonus ;-)

6… Made the children stay up late and watch the new series of Dr Who. Then re-enact the episode with them for the next few days... What? Doesn't everyone?

7… Hid from the sun. How ridiculously hot is it in the UK right now?

8… Not tidied up for the relatives who are coming at the weekend to see the birthday boy.

9… Made binoculars from toilet rolls for both Hobbits... which turn out to be the best toys they have ever played with.

10… Spent too much time hunting for the smell of indigo. Specifically, middle eastern/asian indigo dye. So-o-o-o wish I would have bought some when we were in Egypt. It would have stopped #11

11… Inhaled the odour of frozen peas... because someone said indigo smelt like that. See the lengths I go to for verisimilitude in my stories? LOL

12… Came up with a very odd tagline for my next book. I blame #1 for it.

13… And all together now... I really have been writing. YAY

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Wordless Wednesday #3

2007-04-17T09:51:00.000+01:00

Past Lies is a Best Seller!

2007-04-14T10:12:00.000+01:00

So I'm sitting on the couch, generally being annoyed by Hobbits and trying to complete the final draft of Alchemy, (6k in and a huge improvement on the draft, LOL) when I look at MyBookstoreandMore.

And find that I'm on it, at #10

Major *squeeee* follows. Run to tell The Ent in the kitchen. Hug the annoying Hobbits. Then check again to make sure I'm not imagining it... and it's gone LOL

So I go into refresh mode... until it's back *grin*

And today? Well, today Past Lies is #9

Let the *squeeee-ing* commence...

Thursday Thirteen #5

2007-04-11T21:00:00.000+01:00

So I definitely blog about Wales, here's...

Thirteen Things to do in Wales.
And beware, there are more castles here than is safe for human consumption.

1… Stay in a 17th Century cottage, in Ysbyty Ifan in Snowdonia National Park

2… Go to the perfect castle on the first day. I love Beaumaris. I want to go back - luckily we're headed by to the same cottage in August *grin* 3… Take too many pictures of said perfect castle.

4... Let your small boys run riot around the castle grounds. Only one small boy was caught on camera, the other is camera-shy, LOL

5… On the second day, find yourself another castle in Edward I's Ring of Iron - or is it Stone *grin* This one is Criccieth.

6… Take as in #3 pictures of the castle as possible

7… Head for a beach in the afternoon. We managed a different one every day. 8… Head for the walled town of Caernafon 9… Copy #3 and #5 of course, LOL.
10… Take the picture of the holiday. I love this photo - and it hasn't been altered in any way.

11… Take the hobbits to yet another beach. This is Llandudno's West beach

12… Try to squeeze in those extra castles, just to keep up the quota. This is Harlech and Conwy.

13… And on the last day, head for Harlech beach, *the* best beach, and watch while the men tackle the difficult job of flying a kite.
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
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Wordless Wednesday

2007-04-11T08:15:00.000+01:00

Past Lies releases today!

2007-04-10T10:16:00.000+01:00

Blogger has been a nightmare this morning... maybe I haven't been paying it enough attention? Anyway, after a lot of screaming and severe keyboard pressing, I can finally post this...

Past Lies by Kim Rees
Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 1-59998-453-9
Length: Category
Price: 4.50
Publication Date: April 10, 2007

Samhain Publishing

Buy Here
Blurb
Anna Shrewsbury is trapped.

The whims of her sister control her life. She wants to be free…and she thought her brother-in-law had helped her find freedom with his last act. But instead, she seems to be the butt of one of his infamous jokes.

She now has a half share in a company she doesn't want, while her childhood home and her promised sanctuary is bequeathed to a man who hates her. And then there's the deal. She has to live a week with him. A whole week with Zachary Quinn.

For six years, a shield of lies has protected Anna. But in beginning a new life, she must break away from those lies. Be prepared to face Zach's fury. And his passion...

Excerpt
She closed the door on his laughter. Damn the man. She'd dug a deep hole for herself with her numerous lies. Her reputation…well, she didn't want to dwell on how others saw her. But it had been made very obvious to her that day.

Anna stared down into the atrium. She calmed her breathing. There was little use in getting so angry. Zach would continue to believe she jumped anything with a big enough wallet. She doubted Eric Dalton's lies could blacken her name any further.

Though she did hope Zach could think she would have more taste.

Anna snorted and ran a hand through her hair.

She leant back against a pillar, glancing around the desks and cubes. Until she found that corner. Her lips burned again at the memory and she tried to think of something, anything else.

But the past was too strong.

He tasted of brandy and another, indefinable taste that almost made her groan. The gentle pressure of his lips, savouring her. His hands slipped from her face, shaped her shoulders, arms until he found the glass clutched tight in her hand. It found a new home on a convenient desk.

She was insane. This was Zach. Zach whose hands trailed fire down her body in slow exploration.
"I wanted to do this from the moment I saw you tonight."

His voice was a heated whisper against her skin and it pulsed a need through Anna that she'd never experienced. Her spine pressed up against the cool plaster of a pillar, Zach's body deliciously pinning her. "Why?" The word was almost a gasp.

His mouth found hers, pulling slow, soft kisses that had her head spinning.

"How could I not?"

It wasn't an answer, but at that moment she didn't care. His tongue flickered against her lips, her teeth and with her heart slamming, she opened her mouth to him.

The deliberate sweep of Zach's tongue over hers, hot, intense. This was unreal. Completely…

He deepened the kiss and all thought scattered.

Anna threaded her fingers through his hair, pressing his mouth hard against hers. Zach groaned. His hands shaped her waist and slid lower, curving over her hip and gripping her behind.

The rub of his erection against her body sparked little pulses of pleasure. Her hips shifted and heat flared. She groaned and her hands moved down, holding him to her.

"Do you know what you're doing to me, Anna?" Zach's heated breath stirred her skin and she shivered. His leg nudged hers, eased them apart. "What do you want?"

"You."

The word gasped out on too little air. The hard pressure of his leg ground against her pubic bone and liquid heat melted through her body. She found his mouth again.

More. She had to have more of him. Now.

(c) 2007 Kim Rees

Thank you for reading!

Nimue's Price - due for release 22 May

2007-03-30T09:26:00.000+01:00

Nimue entered Camelot with her order plain. Seduce Merlin.

And here's a snippet in honour of the cover *grin*

Excerpt

All right. She would start again. Morgan had given her time.

Her gaze dropped, fixing on the strong column of his throat. She focused on the strip of black leather slipping beneath his tunic. Nimue had seen the crested ring that hung from it. He had held it up to a flickering candle, the black, carved stone blazing, and told her of his father. The ring was his only connection to that long-dead man. She calmed her nerves. “Will…will you be my teacher?”

“Nimue.”

Her name was almost a growl. She ignored the delicious shiver running over her skin. Morgan had warned her about this. He will weave his magic around you, Nimue. Wrap darkness around your heart. Resist that. And you can destroy him. She let out a slow breath. “Who else can show me, Merlin? It’s taken you years.” Her eyes lifted and she ran slow fingers over the sharp plane of his jaw. He flinched. “I’m…I’m scared.”

Something flickered in the dark depths of his eyes. And was gone. Merlin backed away. “It’s the King’s decision.”

“Then we go now.”

A muscle in his jaw jumped. His mouth opened. Then shut. “Yes.”

He stared over her long, creased dress. She followed his gaze and saw the stains of blood and fluid. “I have to change. I’m sure the King wouldn’t approve.” A smile twisted her mouth. “And the Queen would be horrified.”

Merlin’s mouth flattened. “If the King decides I am to be your mentor, then your irreverence stops, Nimue.”

She couldn’t help herself. “So I have till then?”

“You know that’s not—” Merlin bit back more words and turned to the solid wooden door. “Let’s go.”

He shot back four heavy bolts and tugged at the wrought-iron ring. The door groaned. Nimue stared back to the raised circle that had burned her with agonising light. She hadn’t told him a lie. She was scared. Voices had whispered in that searing light, whispered of the distant future, the forgotten past. One voice told her power could be hers. It would be hers.

All of it.

Thursday Thirteen #4

2007-03-28T15:06:00.001+01:00

Since I am never getting around to blogging about Rome (this week's excuse is small child germwarfare ie what bugs can we infect you with now, Mummy) I'll TT about it. So...

Thirteen Things to do in Rome.

1… Stay in a beautiful hotel

2…Arrive at the magnificent Trevi Fountain... only to find no water and two men having fun scrubbing it out

3… Mistake the column of Marcus Aurelius for that of Trajan

4... Get your first photo of the Forum

5… Get your 79th photo of the Forum... ;-)

6… Take as many pictures of the colleseum as humanly possible

7… Realise that St Peter's Square is fairly big... though not as big as Tianamen... ;-)

8… Have fun with light in St Peter's Basilica

9… Stand by this; it's an altar. I had to wait a good ten minutes to take a clear photo as so many people were posing under the skeleton. Nice...

10… Run down this staircase out of the Vatican museum. There's usually one pic that I love from every holiday... and this is the Roman one.

11… Visit the Baths of Caracalla, because no one else does *grin*. Vast place that we went to on Valentines Day. The Ent The Ent proposed... and then we managed to talk ourselves out if again, hehe

12… When in Rome, one must really see the pyramid... so we did. *grin*

13… And on the final morning, you must get soaked to the skin and have to get on the plane home uncomfortably damp.

14…Added extra... Remember to take your Alphasmart, for writing and making blog posts... and only turn the damn thing on for ten minutes on the plane back! LOL

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
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Wordless Wednesday

2007-03-28T14:23:00.000+01:00

How disturbing is this?

2007-03-24T23:39:00.000Z

Just caught the trailer for next week's Boston Legal. They had a short end bit with James Spader in last week's episode. Now there's more. And is it just me, or is he unsettlingly attractive, LOL?

Thursday Thirteen #3

2007-03-21T16:40:00.000Z

Thirteen Things Kim Rees should have done this week.

1… Blogged about Rome. I know I went about 6 weeks ago now and haven't updated with the promised tales and pics.
2… Repliedto the comments on my blog. I'm bad. I know. Thank you for commenting. How much to you want me to grovel?
3… Wrote more of my Welshman's story. Having his only presence in the story so far with the words: "What the hell's the matter with you?" isn't doing him justice, LOL
4… Put my washing away. The only thing that's holding it in the utility room is a chair and a whip.
5… Read a book properly. I've been dipping into Persuasion, Mirror Mirror and Viva Anna's first Nocturne, who's name escaped me.
6… Tidied the front room. It's a bomb site.
7… Read through my rejected 20k novella. I've been asked to make it longer and resend it. So far I've gotten to page 8 and realised it is probably a novel *gulp*
8… Been more prepared for my son's assessment tomorrow. But since the 'experts' don't know what's wrong with him we can't really prep for it. Just point out that hello, we're not parents in denial...which sounds a bit Transformer-ish to me LOL
9… Gone to bed earlier. I'm really feeling it now.
10… Won the lottery. What? Well, I should... ;-)
11… Watered the plants. Big windows on a south facing room and you get surrounded by brown and crinkley vegetation. It's not inspiring. Doesn't smell too nice either...
12… Stop calling my postman Mungo. But I can't help it.
13… And... all together now... I really should be writing... hehe

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
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Sorry I've been so slack

2007-03-20T13:09:00.000Z

A sick Ent, a sick Samwise and Mother's Day have kept me away from my blog. I'll be back later. Now I have to go through the final reading of Nimue's Price and generally admire the cover that came through this morning. I can't share it yet though...

Thursday Thirteen #1

2007-03-14T16:44:00.001Z

Thirteen Things about Kim Rees

1… For a romance writer, I have far too many books on how to kill people... *grin*
2… I've been inside 3 pyramids, despite being claustrophobic. They told me to stay on the bus... were they kidding?? LOL
3… I have no tattoos what-so-ever. A terror of needles has seen to that.
4… I have all 8 seasons of Stargate... What there are ten? Really? ;-)
5… I have a degree in Fine Art. Don't ask me how.
6… I'm counting the days until the DVD of Hot Fuzz comes out. Go and see that film. Really. For The Wicker Man scene alone.
7… The book that got me hooked on romance is Persuasion by Jane Austen. I read it twice a year. Can't get enough of Captain Wentworth *grin*
8… I live exactly half way between Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. Honest.
9… My DVD player is broken. ARGH!
10…I really want to learn another lauguage. So far I've tried Spanish, French, German, Arabic and Ancient Greek, but nothing's sticking.
11…I often get mistaken for Kate Winslett... What...?
12…This is my first Thursday Thirteen, and I hope I did it right... *gulp*
13…And of course, I really should be writing,LOL

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
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Past Lies has a cover

2007-03-12T21:38:00.000Z

I rather like it *huge grin*

Building a story: Theme

2007-03-07T15:21:00.000Z

I blogged here yesterday about my trials of starting a new project.

And today, I learned something else about successful story building... well for me any way.

Find your theme.

I'm usually a one word theme-ster. Chosen was Choice, for example LOL But there were variations on the word. Having no choice. Making the right and the wrong choice. I realised when I started writing Chosen, that having even a single word theme helped me with a stuck plot. When everything died, I went back to my theme and *bing* out popped the next part of the plot. Cool. I might have actually hit on something useful for me. For a change *grin*

I remember stressing over Past Lies and having no idea what the theme was. Then I had to think of a new title. Out popped the above. And guess what the theme of that book is?

I wish I had a direct line to my subconscious. It would make life so much easer...

I am here...

2007-02-28T12:22:00.000Z

... and I will update my Roma adventure.
But first I have to get Chosen out the door, help with the Past Lies cover, which is coming along very nicely thank you, and rugby tackle edits for Past Lies too.

I thought I rubbed the copy clean when I sent it in, but there are 'D'uh!' mistakes that I simply didn't/couldn't see on the final sweep. I am sooo bad at seeing my own writing clearly, LOL

Go and see this film...

2007-02-24T00:03:00.000Z

...NOW

And I'm sure The Ent or Impworks will have a more detailed and erudite explanation of why you should.

I say just go.

NOW

*grin*

Placing in the Preditors and Editors Poll!

2007-02-22T09:10:00.000Z

I just checked the results in the Preditors and Editors Poll... and Buying Mackenzie's Baby placed #28!! Woo hoo.

I was stunned when someone nominated me for this (really, it wasn't me, LOL) and then enough people voted to get it into the top 30 books for 2006.

Beyond happy *grin*

Oh, and more on Rome soon. A certain Dragon story is playing havoc with my time at the minute *sigh*

Coming soon...

2007-02-20T21:26:00.000Z

Pesky plane germs are stopping me doing much of anything right now.

The saga that is Rome should resume tomorrow...

Wot I did on my holidays... grin

2007-02-18T15:35:00.000Z

I really should have typed this up at the time, but the marathon walking sessions every daymade anything other than collapsing on the bed and sleeping almost impossible, LOL So here's what I can remember. And given that it was a week ago now and I have the memory of a thing with a very bad memory, it might not be that long. There may also be visual aids.

We escaped Runcorn with much cursing and a whopping delay of 15 minutes and headed south. We'd both only had about 3 hours sleep as we'd left everything to the last minute and then Samwise had decided that it would be a fantastic idea to throw up during the night, LOL Grandma Gandalf hadn't had much experience of the full Exorcist drama that could unfold. In the end, because this time he wasn't full of milk at bedtime, it was only a minor excursion into the land of vomit. Thankfully, there are no pictures of this.

We arrived at Heathrow at 9ish and sat about till 12.30.

Now I must admit that I am the worst flyer in the world. The absolute worst. I loathe it and haven't flown since 2000. So The Ent for most of the flight had a crushed hand and bruises on his arms where I clung to him as we hit turbuence. Also, for those insane people who fly more regularly than me, have you noticed how many aeroplanes there are in the sky? It's like flying in formation.

I survive the flight, and The Ent has regained feeling in his left arm. We trundle off to find the Leonardo Express to Termini Station. All of our information has been gleamed mid flight from our Rough Guide to Rome. See, not prepared at all, LOL

Our hotel, The Piranesi was just off the Piazza del Popolo. This I do have a picture of:

Well, that post was longer than expected... but it did get me to Rome. I have to stop now as a very wet Samwise has just trudged in from the garden. He, Frodo and The Ent have been washing the windows...

Rome not Runcorn!!

2007-02-16T19:28:00.000Z

Last Sunday morning, long before dawn, we headed off to Heathrow... and got trapped in the maze of dead ends and one ways that is Runcorn.

It was not an indication of how the rest of the holiday was to go.

We had a blast. Here's a couple of piccies to be going on with and I'll write more tomorrow when I can actually keep my eyes open...

Daughters of Circe - Grand Opening!

2007-02-10T14:12:00.000Z

Am I ready...?

2007-02-08T20:50:00.000Z

...to go on holiday? No, I am not.

Well, I ready to go, as in, I need the time away to stare at ancient things and go 'oooh'. But have I sorted the house, the clothes... anything? That would be a big fat no.

Where does the time go in the day?

So... I'd better stop blogging and actually do something.
Oh, no, here's The Ent with hot chocolate because it's an insane -2C outside *brrr*

Another night written off, LOL

Vote for me. You know you want to... ;-)

2007-02-07T16:24:00.000Z

Buying Mackenzie's Baby is up for 'Book of the Month: March' at Sensual Reads! *squeeeeeee*

Isn't that nice of them? *grin*

Here's the voting link:
http://www.sensualreads.net/bom_poll.shtml

Snow, Snow, Snow...

2007-02-06T10:03:00.000Z

...a whole half inch of it. At least it got Samwise wanting to get to Pre-school this morning, LOL All that snow was just too tempting to run through. *grin*

This is the view from my front room window... you can just make out the millemetres of white stuff, LOL

Another bad blog month

2007-02-03T21:46:00.000Z

Where did the month go... and what the hell was I doing? LOL

Mostly, I've been trying to write a dragon story. It's a 'carving it in stone with a wet noodle' sort of effort. Not fun at the minute.

Oh as The Ent reported on his blog, Frodo is learning to read. I can't tell you how very important this is, LOL. He seems to have broken through the 'this is too hard' barrier and is enjoying the very simple books his school supplies to read at home. We've found him on his bed, reading them to himself! *grin*

He has an assessment in March. To go to a language unit, we have to prove that there is a large gap between his abilities and his language development. Learning to read has to prove that gap is huge.

One of those days...

2007-01-08T21:08:00.000Z

...where you just feel shitty and tired and nothing gets done.

Yep, welcome to my Monday, LOL

Also Jennie Andrus has tagged me and because of the above I haven't gotten around to it. So tomorrow, I will be officially TAGGED!

Introducing...

2007-01-06T16:06:00.000Z

...my next wip...

Guess who's been having far too much fun with Paint Pro today, LOL

My little rant-ette

2007-01-04T00:56:00.000Z

I love history.

I love the crazy people, the machinations, the smells, the sounds, the food. I like history to be tangible... but most of all, when writers fall back into history, I like to be right.

So, I'm reading... and I know there has to be a bit of history. The hero is from the 16th century and alive and well in the 21st. You know the author is going to let him take about his past...

It arrives.
And it's all I can do to not wall-thump the damn book.
It was a nicely light brush of history. Nothing in depth, just enough to give a sense of how this man had lived. Yet, even those few sentences were totally, totally wrong. There's a complete confusion about warfare at the time of Elizabeth I and it's teeth-gratingly annoying.

It doesn't take much to get the facts right. Not with so much information available.
Research is a distraction and you can whizz of into useless tangents. This from the woman, who found her house on Google Map instead of the mountains of Scotland, LOL

However, without hunting down the facts, I don't feel I can confidently render my world.

Example: I spent this morning searching for a coffee for one scene.
I needed a sense of the taste, the texture, because it spoke about who my heroine was. And it worked. I found my coffee. It's now made the scene more concrete. I needed to find out the details, because I knew that getting it wrong would do exactly what this book has done to me.
Make me feel as though the author didn't care enough about her story, and about the readers reading it, to get it right.

Btw, my description was nowhere near as thick and tarrish as the coffee itself. *grin*

Anyway, my rant-ette is over and I have to go to bed.

Past Lies is away

2007-01-01T21:56:00.000Z

Hurrah!

I've jiggled about with it, added chunks, deleted chunks and the story is away. So that's a huge weight lifted, LOL

Now, I have to think about taxes and reading and Alchemy...

I got to hold my book squeeeeeeeeeee

2006-12-27T22:13:00.000Z

My book came today.

It's all shiny and lovely. Frodo was able to read his name and 'and' and 'up' in the dedication, LOL

I'll have to take a piccy and post it here. Nice subject for my 300th post, though.

Now I have to get back and try and put Past Lies to bed. Zach and Anna are not co-operating at the minute. *sigh*

CAPA Nominee!! squeeeeeeeeeeee

2006-12-23T09:12:00.000Z

Woke up to a rather nice email showing the new list of Capa Nominees at The Romance Studio!

After making absolutely sure about 5 times, I can safely announce that Buying Mackenzie's Baby is one of them. Wooo Hooo!

Off to sort out Past Lies. I have less than 5k to write (only 43 words less, but at the minute I'm grabbing at anything I can, LOL) and I can see the end in site. Hurrah.

Oh and yesterday, because of a certain Miss Nevada and her naughtiness, I got nearly 600 hits on this blog. Also, to take a break from PL, I redesigned my blog. I have to do the same with my Fantasy blog. But I'm going to attack a bit more of Past Lies before I do that, LOL

All thanks to Katie Rees, LOL

2006-12-22T10:47:00.000Z

I've just noticed the spike in people visiting this blog.

A short hunt reveals something about Miss Nevada and salacious conduct... *grin*

Off to find out more, hehe

Buying Mackenzie's Baby is in PRINT

2006-12-20T11:04:00.000Z

It's official... well as official as it gets, LOL

Amazon hasn't lifted it from 'pre-order' status, but the book is ready to ship from the printers.

Meanwhile, I had a tactful moan *grin* at Amazon.co.uk and it's now up there too. YAY. Not all of the information is up yet though.

So the best place to get Buying Mackenzie's Baby (especially for price and postage, hehe) is here: MBaM.

The morning after a high society party finds Kate Hartley in her ex-husband’s bed. Just a stupid mistake; something to put behind her… Until she discovers that she is pregnant.

Mack had never wanted children; had only married her in a rush of lust. Kate knows this. Nothing would drive her to ask anything of him. Nothing. But she’s homeless and flat broke.

And it isn’t only her welfare now.

However, Mack has his own agenda. Kate had fooled him once; married him for his money. Whored herself… It was why he had divorced her. But now his grandfather has threatened his mother’s home if Mack doesn’t marry and produce an heir.

He had vowed never to marry again. But Kate Hartley is his only choice.

And pay back can be sweet…

I've jumped on the book trailer bandwagon

2006-12-18T16:31:00.001Z

I have the attention span of a gnat.

I just thought I'd get that out of the way now as my trailer is short, really short... well, more of a blip-vert really LOL

The joy of Amazon rankings...

2006-12-17T10:58:00.000Z

I've been slogging my way through Past Lies this week... and not getting very far. I have a new chapter 4 that still needs polishing and I'm reading through to see how I can layer. I also have a few extra scenes to add at the end. Hopefully, these will get Past Lies to the magical 50k mark LOL

On the Buying Mackenzie's Baby front, my Amazon ranking has started. And it's addictive. I started at #61,000 and then gradually dropped over the week to somewhere in the #400,000 LOL. So I checked the this morning, thinking I must have dropped into the millions. Instead, I'm #14, 618. *Huge Grin*

No, I won't mention the subject again (unless I get into a top 100 list, then I'll scream it across the cyber-verse). Oh and thank you to Himself the Elf for posting an image of BMB on the .com site!

Anyway, here's the link:
Buying Mackenzie's Baby on Amazon.com

(and it's still not on .co.uk yet... *grrrrr*)

Booked, booked, booked

2006-12-06T18:29:00.000Z

... no not my book, though that is on pre-order at Amazon.com right now *huge enormous grin*

We just booked the hotel in Rome. YAYAYAY

So, for Valentine's me and The Ent are going to a rather nice hotel. We can do that now, cos we're adults (I know, stick with me) and we don't have to slum around hostels with backpacks anymore. We can have a case. And everything, LOL

I'll blog later about Frodo's big day.

Right now I have to finish my peppermint tea, iron my top and join the second wave of the fighting Uruk-hai.

Translation: Reception year mums' Christmas night out.

I'm so slack... sigh

2006-11-28T12:50:00.000Z

I've been a blog slacker again, haven't I?

I got caught up in the mad dash to christmas, honest. Oh, and needing to sleep.

But all of the presents are bought - except for a few The Ent has to buy for his step dad and for me, obviously. I even spent a mad Tuesday last week wrapping them all. Forty presents wrapped in 2hours 15 minutes. Has to be some sort of record, surely.

Grandma Gandalf gave us all money for Christmas... so much better than going 'OMG, what is *that*?' which we do every year with The Ent's family *snicker*

No. Honest. They're lovely. Whatever they are.

So I bought books. There's a surprise. Lots and lots of books. I was a woman possessed in Borders. The Ent has a CD player thingy that would be on its why from Essex anytime now. It's a present from all of us, so he can justify the expense, hehe. And Frodo and Samwise have more toys that you can shake a really big stick at.

Other than that I don't think I've been doing anything else. But then my mind is usually a blank if I try to think as far back as yesterday *sigh*

Of to see Casino Royale tomorrow. So I'll probably have a rant about that.

Torchwood: It's not growing on me. Captain Jack becomes more shiny and plastic as the weeks roll on. Maybe he's an auton? That would be a nice ending, as they melt him done and turn him into six pinters.

Stargate 200 episode: All's anyone can say is, had its moments... but didn't RDA look like he was at death's door? Again.

Off to sort out Varo. I'll update NaNo later. I'm all blogged out...

Torchwood... argh!

2006-11-19T22:57:00.000Z

I enjoyed tonight's episode... but for people watching on Wednesday, please can you point me in the direction of the sf element in his story??

And Owen? Puh-lease? Deeply unattactive, much? *grin*

I've been writing...

2006-11-17T21:47:00.000Z

...I know, shocking isn't it.

But it hasn't been that much, if that's any consolation *grin*

My mind is oddly blank about the past few days. I could tell, you in detail, what's been happening to Alesh and Varo, but my real life is vague.

I went to my other, other writing group last night. We all wrote a page of drama. Mine was pants, LOL Next week it's poems. 4 lines and 8 lines. I think I may be giving the Vogons a run for their money. A poet I am not, LOL

Oh, and I meant to rant earlier about this week's episode of Torchwood.

Anyone want to enlighten me as to what the hell the episode was about, besides showing again that they were post-watershed? I was completely and utterly confused. Something about the episode felt... disjointed.

And the end? The uncaring stepdad gets a Faerie fist shoved down his throat, Captain Jack gives away the daughter... and then they all troop back to the souped-up 4x4 and leave the distraught woman in her back garden... WTF?

Next week's one looks better, though. *shrug* Here's hoping.

Anyway. NaNo link is here:

In the post

2006-11-14T16:27:00.000Z

The sub to Tor Paranormal is in the post.

With some rather lovely IRCs. So much nicer than the old ones. I'll have to hunt out a picture. It's Michaelangelo's The Creation of Adam with a splash of gold where the fingers almost touch. Cool

:::Edit:::

Forgot my NaNo update:

Joyous spam

2006-11-14T11:55:00.000Z

I just got spam from Phaedrus Pancake... sorry, that's me completely gone, LOL

The Bone Magician's Daughter...

2006-11-12T23:28:00.000Z

...Berkley said... No.

Got some nice feedback, though.

So printing it out and popping a partial of to Tor Paranormal *grin*

Oh and here's my NaNo update:

7% and Rising...

2006-11-11T22:30:00.000Z

is a YES!

Much *squeeeee-age* in my house when I got the email this afternoon, LOL

This story is one of the special ones. One of the ones I had to plug away at to get it finished.

I'm a very happy camper today. *grin*

Picking covers...

2006-11-10T23:41:00.000Z

Time to decide on a cover for Past Lies...

I'm lucky. I get to have an imput into what goes on the front of my books. However, now it comes to it, my mind goes a complete and utter blank.

Time to trawl the web for inspiration, LOL

Oh and here're are my nano updates for the past few days:

Nothing to see here, move along, please...

2006-11-06T21:59:00.000Z

Do what the nice man says. *grin*

Remember, remember the fifth of November...

2006-11-05T23:53:00.000Z

... and no it's not just a line from V for Vendetta, LOL

Frodo went with The Ent to the local park for his first big fireworks display. Samwise was more than happy to go to bed and cuddle his teddy bears.

A good time was had by all and they returned - well, The Ent walked back from the park with Frodo on his shoulders. Took him about half an hour.

I tried to Nano with limited success. There were major distractions from the television. Torchwood being one. Boromir getting punched full of Uruk-hai arrows, being the other.

Anyway, the update is here:

And I'm exhausted

2006-11-04T21:41:00.000Z

We made it to the Spaceport by mid afternoon and bimbled around the place for a good couple of hours. Frodo loved the Planetarium. It had asteroids, which he adores, LOL

The Doctor Who exhibition was cool. Samwise thought the Dalek was fab and had no fear when its eye-stalk fixed on him and said Exterminate! LOL Frodo was a little more cautious - but was happy to have his picture taken in front of it. The Cyberman went down well too.

It took an age to get back, though. We missed the ferry, the other was late and then it did a river trip... Argh. Took us 3 hours to get home. *sigh*

Anyway my small NaNo update is here:

I really should be cleaning...

2006-11-03T16:23:00.000Z

We have visitors tomorrow and, as usual, or house is a bombsite.

I had a blitz-tidy earlier in the week and most things have a home downstairs now. Well, except when Frodo and Samwise discover all the things I've hidden and drag them out again *sigh*

I NaNo'd again today - three days in a row - has to be record. The update us here:

:::edit:::

I emailed the editor who has 7% and Rising and I should have a decision by this time next week. Eep...

Early morning trip

2006-11-02T12:25:00.000Z

The Ent had to start work extra early today so I have the joy of taking Frodo to school.

It wasn't too bad, as he goes to Breakfast Club, which meant the buses were fairly empty. Samwise walked, which was easier than me lugging the pram on and off the various buses. It had the extra benefit of when he got in, and had stuffed his face and watched a bit of Aladdin, he wanted to go to sleep. Yay

I got my Nano quota up while he did. *grin*

Here's the update:

We did the Hallowe'en thing...

2006-11-01T11:17:00.000Z

Frodo and Samwise were a bit reluctant to get dressed up. It's the first year of doing this, and I think they were a bit non-plussed about why their mother was forcing them to be a spider and a skeleton pirate.

Though going to bed in them seemed a good idea. And this morning, Frodo wanted to go to school in his costume. So a minor success, I think.

Today is also the first day of NaNoWriMO. That's being updated here:

Can I just say...

2006-10-28T19:36:00.000+01:00

... the new series of Robin Hood on the BBC is complete and utter pants!!!

There.

I feel much better.

Please return to your scheduled blogging...

And the Galley is away!

2006-10-27T23:29:00.000+01:00

I checked through the Galley of Buying Mackenzie's Baby. Just 4 teeny tiny niggles, added some rather nice reviews I've had and zapped it into the ether.

So now I have to get back to The Balanced Blade.

Oh, and my Nano updates will be on my other blog. The essential cover is already there. *grin*

What to work on next...

2006-10-26T00:43:00.000+01:00

I have my little list on the wall above the bombsite that is my desk.

I know, I know... my desk is my most valuable real estate... but my whole house lacks storage so my little corner of the Hobbitses playroom will not be an exception.

Anyway I have my Alphasmart. I am so-o-o portable right now *smirk*

So, back to my list.

I can knock two off it: Past Lies and 7% and Rising.

That left... four... or so I thought. I suddenly have a shed load more

I started The Mystic's Son on Saturday to stop me attacking my Nano story. However, I was getting too wrapped up in that, and I'd never get to my Nano, LOL

So I'm up to 2k on The Balanced Blade, which has a maximum length of 8k. A fair chunk of it should be done by next Wednesday. It's still not geling at the minute. But I can rip it apart when it's a first draft *grin*

Then it's Nano.

On the 1st December it's Guardian Angel.

There really aren't enough hours in the day... *sigh*

WCP... they say...

2006-10-24T23:32:00.000+01:00

...Yes!

Just got the email from Whiskey Creek Press.

They said yes to The Third Proposal to be in the Torrid Teaser line.

Woo hoo!

I'm still loving it...

2006-10-22T23:23:00.000+01:00

2500 words...

So-o-o-o not a bad writing day *grin*

And I'm still not outlining

2006-10-21T23:23:00.000+01:00

So my Alphasmart Dana came yesterday. Plugged it to charge and went out to a Write Club meeting.

The Ent who poo-pooed my wanting one of these little gadgets, spent two hours playing with it while I was out.

And does it work?

Well, after a bit of fiddling and realising that Documents to Go wasn't working and finding out where the hell Alphaword was dumping the docs in my laptop, I added a few words to The Mystic Son... 3000 to be exact. *grin*

Words pile up, it's a little scary. Just shows how completely distracted I am by this laptop LOL

Hopefully, it'll really help with NaNo...

And another distraction...

2006-10-20T11:52:00.000+01:00

All right, I worked through my Guardian Angel urge by writing a thousand words and setting up the prologue... me being the Prologue Queen and all. *grin*

So I'm ready. I've grabbed 45 Master Characters, looked at the first part of the heroine's journey outline. And the idea for the sequel to The Bone Magician's Daughter hits me... ARGH!

I used 45 Master Characters to write Bone Magician. I think my naughty subconscious was waiting for me to look at it again before telling me about Rede's story. I can see him lying there, ship wrecked on the beach... *sigh* Now I'm going to have to write that scene before The Mystic's Son - see, my subconscious even supplied a title *grrr* - will leave me alone and I can get on with my NaNo outline.

Will I ever get this outline sorted?? LOL

It's Official...

2006-10-18T09:52:00.000+01:00

...Buying Mackenzie's Baby is going to print!

YAYAYYAYAYAYYAY

I got the galley through this morning.

The date of release is *drum roll*

19 December 2006

I'm going to be able to hold my book, squish my face into the pages and actually smell it. *squeee*

Past Lies has a release date

2006-10-18T00:56:00.000+01:00

10 April 2007

6 months and counting down... *grin*

I really should be outlining...

2006-10-17T20:23:00.000+01:00

I should be sorting my outline for Alchemy so I'm fully prepped to start writing on 1 November and NaNoWriMo. I should be.

So what am I doing?

Daydreaming about the lead character of another story, building more and more of him as I wander around the house, walk to school to pick up Frodo, type away in an ideas document. It's a contemporary with the working title of Guardian Angel. He's still a little two-dimensional as I haven't meshed him with the other characters yet.

So now I'm in a dilemma. Fantasy or contemporary for NaNo *sigh*

And today my first royalty cheque for Buying Mackenzie's Baby plopped onto the door mat. *grin* That Alphasmart will be mine... Mwhahahahaha.

Dracula was here...

2006-10-15T22:35:00.000+01:00

We visited Grandma Saruman at the weekend and fitted in a trip to Whitby.

I was supposed to go on a school trip to Whitby when I was ten. Decades later... not saying how many... :-P... I finally made it.

Frodo and Samwise enjoyed tramping around on the grass in the Abbey carpark and then running along the beach at Sandsend.

It was a bleak, foggy, surprisingly warm day.

No sign of the Count though.

Frodo's review

2006-10-12T21:33:00.000+01:00

We had a good review today.

Not like the last time, where it was all doom and gloom and can he please leave their school and never darken their door again... ;-)

We know this year will be the decider of whether he can stay in this particular mainstream school. Depending on the review next March, he may have to go to a resourced school. But it'll be resourced within another mainstream school. Which is much better for Frodo and his expanding social skills. That was our concern about him attending a special school, with children with much more complex and severe problems than him.

What the experts currently think is that his delay and learning difficulties are caused by his lack of language. This little bit of information gave me hope today. Previously, it had been suggested that he was globally delayed - that language and learning difficulty were equally behind. But with the hope that if his language delay is tackled then he will be able to learn and progress.

Which is cool. *grin*

The things I do to live up to my blog...

2006-10-09T15:32:00.000+01:00

I'm having trouble with the middle of Alchemy. I hate the middle of books. Hate planning them. Really hate writing them, LOL

So instead of working out what happens.

I polished Past Lies. It's looking okay. I'm going to leave it for a bit longer and have another stab at the end.

And I finished the first round of edits on Nimue's Price. That needs another read through too.

Now you can see what desperate lengths the middle of a book has driven me to... ;-)

I'm leaving it to stew...

2006-10-05T12:40:00.001+01:00

Past Lies is going to sit on the hard drive for a few days, then I'll print it out and give it a proper read through.

I'll probably have Saturday morning with Samwise, while The Ent takes Frodo swimming. So we'll be off to a Aztec theme soft play park. Samwise can exhaust himself and I can read, hehe

So today is the first planning day for Alchemy. Eep

Just got to write the immortal words...

2006-10-04T00:13:00.000+01:00

...The End

Cool!

Light bulb moment

2006-10-03T12:37:00.000+01:00

So, I'm on the finally final scene of Past Lies... and then one line pops into my head (want to say frond... way too much Stargate watching in my life, *sigh*).

And then it hits me. How the end can be achieved and how it ties into the rest of the book. It had been sitting there the entire time. Waiting for me to notice. It was a complete d'oh moment, LOL

I love my subconscious. Does tonnes more work than I do *grin*

Chugging to the end

2006-10-02T23:03:00.000+01:00

The end of Past Lies is in sight. YAY

Just about 2.5k to write and then the final-edit-run-through type thing, to make certain that it all ties together and makes sense...

...fingers crossed.*grin*

Still here, still writing

2006-10-01T23:50:00.000+01:00

See above *grin*

The editor at Samhain... she say yes!

2006-09-28T21:35:00.000+01:00

Wait till the end of October?

Nope.

Sasha at Samhain just said a big fat...

YES

to Past Lies. (This was formerly called The Relucant Heiress)

Wooty woo hoo!

I'm not going to get to sleep again tonight, am I??

And the lottery tomorrow... Is there such a thing as the power of four ;-)

Eagerly waiting for three...

2006-09-27T22:23:00.000+01:00

So I'm mooching about the web, closing down for the night...

And *BAM*

Buying Mackenzie's Baby is #1! My heart is racing - I'm trying to do a screen capture, cos it's bouncing - and tell the world before I drop to #2 again.

The I get an IM from Aline. I just got a 5 heart review from The Romance Studio.

So... to the title of the blog...

The Ent has a lottery ticket for Friday.

Here's hoping *grin*

I really should be writing...

I'm moving!

Thank God for You Tube

TIme to brag about my alter ego's new cover...

Meme of 4

My alter ego has a book out. Horror Romance, anyone?

Off to the land of the Red Dragon...

This is real. I want to go and see it. Now!

Ahh the joys of a website

Vesuvius-on-crack...

Odd thing today...

Oooh, wonder what I've been watching...

I know I've been a naughty monkey

The past few days

Nimue's Price... out today!

Thursday Thirteen #10 ~ Wips and tags

Wordless Wednesday #5

Time Rat has a new name.

Okay, I'm torn

And the ancient cooking book is...

Thursday Thirteen #9 - Ancient Cooking

Wordless Wednesday #6

Why did no one tell me...

Trapped and ranty

Thursday Thirteen #8 - Paintings

Wordless Wednesday #7

Thursday Thirteen #7

Wordless Wednesday #5

Happy St George's Day

Stuff yourself at a Sci-Fi Feast

Thursday Thirteen #6

Wordless Wednesday #3

Past Lies is a Best Seller!

Thursday Thirteen #5

Wordless Wednesday

Past Lies releases today!

Nimue's Price - due for release 22 May

Thursday Thirteen #4

Wordless Wednesday

How disturbing is this?

Thursday Thirteen #3

Sorry I've been so slack

Thursday Thirteen #1

Past Lies has a cover

Building a story: Theme

I am here...

Go and see this film...

Placing in the Preditors and Editors Poll!

Coming soon...

Wot I did on my holidays... *grin*

Rome not Runcorn!!

Daughters of Circe - Grand Opening!

Am I ready...?

Vote for me. You know you want to... ;-)

Snow, Snow, Snow...

Another bad blog month

One of those days...

Introducing...

My little rant-ette

Past Lies is away

I got to hold my book *squeeeeeeeeeee*

CAPA Nominee!! *squeeeeeeeeeeee*

All thanks to Katie Rees, LOL

Buying Mackenzie's Baby is in PRINT

I've jumped on the book trailer bandwagon

The joy of Amazon rankings...

Booked, booked, booked

I'm so slack... *sigh*

Torchwood... argh!

I've been writing...

In the post

Joyous spam

The Bone Magician's Daughter...

7% and Rising...

Picking covers...

Nothing to see here, move along, please...

Remember, remember the fifth of November...

And I'm exhausted

I really should be cleaning...

Early morning trip

Wot I did on my holidays... grin

I got to hold my book squeeeeeeeeeee

CAPA Nominee!! squeeeeeeeeeeee

I'm so slack... sigh