A List of Writers

Here is a list of writers that have inspired me over my nearly 20 years as a writer.  Some of them are on the list because of how they write, or what they write.  Some are on the list because of who they are and what they've done.  (Example: I dont like Stephen King's novels, but On Writing is the best book about writing I've ever read.) I even managed a poet in each list. (Very proud of myself for that.)

As a Kid:
Robin McKinley
Christopher Pike
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Joss Whedon (yes, tv writers count)
Paul Zindel
L. M. Montgomery
Nellie Bly (19th century journalist--I was a historical kid)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
M. E. Kerr
Judy Blume
Margaret Mahy
Patricia McLaughlin
Shel Silverstein
Terry Windling

As an Adult:
Jane Austen
Neil Gaiman
William Shakespeare
Kate Chopin
Charles de Lint
Warren Ellis
Stephen King
J K Rowling
Alan Moore
Stephanie Meyer & E L James (They proved to me that if their shit can make money, mine can too, and inspired me to seek publication.)

Black Friday Sale!

For Black Friday only I'll be selling all Deadly Liaisons titles for 99 cents each (except of course Drain Me Dry, which will remain forever free).  Save $4.00 when you buy the whole series!  If you're new to the series visit HERE for book trailer and blurbs.

Smashwords "Deadly Liaisons" Series Page

Amazon Links:

(prices might not be in effect early in the day--waiting on amazon to process the changes)
Drain Me Dry

Addicted to the Bite

Club Midnight

Bloodlines

Club Midnight and Bloodlines are normally $2.99.

New Release: Fancy and the Mechanical Man

I am notoriously good at missing deadlines. Almost all of the short stories I've self published are the result of finishing a story sometimes months after I've missed it.  This release, "Fancy and the Mechanical Man", is such a story.


I've been toying with a steampunk idea for years. There are so many versions of this universe floating around. I finally nailed down a few key elements of this world with this story. Decisions were made. I'm currently working on a m/m novella length story set in this universe, the city of Karstenhaven.  I'd also like to eventually put out a collection of stories from this universe, but until that happens, here you go.

This is a very short story, only 2,500 words, and I understand that it might be a little too pricey at 99 cents, which is why I've been putting off publishing it for a while. But I figure, its up to you guys to decide if you want to pay that much for it, not me.

Buy from Smashwords
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon.uk

Description:
Karstenhaven. The city of science, of wonder. The engineers of Karstenhaven could work miracles. But there were no miracles in Storyville, where the shine of the city turned to filth and the streets were populated with opium addicts and whores.

Fancy is a prostitute in Storyville.  When she opens her door one day to a young, attractive, rich man, she knows there's been some mistake. Men like that didn't visit women like her. But this man was different. He has a problem with the ladies, but his problem is Fancy's miraculous gain. He has a mechanical hand, and that hand can do amazing things.

Excerpt: 

Fancy sat on a chair in the middle of her flat, legs spread wide, an electric fan blowing warm air up her raised skirts. “If it gets any hotter my make-up is going to drip off,” she complained to the empty room. She had already stripped off her shoes, stockings, and pantaloons. “This heat,” she moaned. “I would do anything to get out of these clothes—”

A knock at the door interrupted her train of thought. “Like a customer,” she said, jumping up and quickly arranging her wine red skirts.

Her face fell a little as she opened the door, but she tried to hide her disappointment. “Are you even old enough to be here?” she asked her visitor.

The young man at her door scowled. “I could take my business elsewhere—”

“No,” she said, pulling him inside. “Wait.” She shut the door and studied the figure in front of her. His light brown linen jacket matched his hair and eyes. He wore a vest, top hat, and white gloves even in this scorching heat. A ton, on her doorstep? It wasn’t unheard of, no, but they normally were not so young, or good looking. The youth was slight, but obviously well-built even beneath the layers of clothes. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-two,” he said. Does he even need to shave?

“Yeah? When is your birthday?”

“August tenth. 1871,” he answered correctly.

“And you want my services? Can’t find a pretty young thing easily impressed by a bit of flash?”

“I am, Madam, at a disadvantage when it comes to wooing young ladies.” He unbuttoned one of his gloves and pulled it off. Fancy saw exactly what he meant. His right hand was smooth polished brass and steel instead of skin, muscle and bone.

“I understand,” she said, her voice softening. She reached out, taking the mechanical hand in both of her own. It was warm and buzzing with the whir of cogs and gears. The city of Karstenhaven was notorious for its mechanical abilities—far beyond the technical innovations of the rest of the world. This young man was not human or machine—he was somewhere in between.

It's Nanowrimo Time!

It's that time of the year again.  I've been doing Nanowrimo since 2003! Usually failing of course, but having fun all the same. The first year I won I was so happy...that book was full of problems and it still sits unfinished (and probably never will be) in my filing cabinet (not even sure if there's a digital copy still in existence).

Now, the smart thing to do would be to start my novel now that I'm 8 minutes into the month, but Procrastination is for winners in this game. :)

So as a veteran Nano participant, here's some tips for making it through the month.

1. Pacing yourself is for wimps. If you feel you can write 5,000 words a day, by all means try. Normally I only write about 2/3 of the days in a Nano month, pounding out thousands in one sitting and then staring at the TV for three days straight.

2. Procrastination is for winners. Sometimes you need a break, and that's okay. Let off some steam by playing mindless video games, or take the time to clean something that hasn't been cleaned in forever.

3. The following sites are your friends: Writeordie and Written?Kitten! Use them every day and you'll get your word count in.

4. Decide what's more important--your word count or writing something worthwhile.  Both are valid goals. A lot of people start churning out crackfic (yes, that's technical term) just to make their word count, but if you're trying to work on a serious piece and you get stuck in a rut, don't give in. Work on another project and keep going, or save your words in a separate document and start ripping it down to bare bones.  I usually count the words of two to five projects during Nano--even my blog. (I'm at 300 words so far! Now 309!)  This summer I did Camp Nano and I wrote a novella, a short story, and worked on two other projects as well.  It was a productive month for me.

5. Make writing friends.  It's a lot more fun to have someone to compare notes with or have word sprints, not to mention someone to race to the finish line.  Find a buddy on the Nano posting boards, twitter, or go to your local IRL write-ins. (I'm notoriously bad at this but I'm going to try this year.)

6. Try not to overeat. Makes you sluggish and sick. One nano I did 18,000 words over thanksgiving weekend eating nothing but turkey and Oreos and I did NOT feel good at the end of it. (That was the first year I won though.)

7. Have fun and do the best you can. Even if you don't hit 50k you'll still have the work you started, and that's better than nothing.