Thirteen Things I have to do while Writing 1.)I buy airheads (ya know, those taffy-like things?) and suck on them. 2.)I cannot write while music is playing, if it has lyrics. Cause I'm the idiot who has to sing along, and before you know it, the lyrics have somehow ended up on my page. 3.)I have a tendency to stop the flow and try to analyze. I forget that I can always come back and fix it, that to have the skeleton of the story will allow me to go back and perform literary surgery. 4.)Faith in myself....this is a hard one, took me a while to get there. 5.)I have to have my slipper shoes on. 6.)Then I have to take them off, leaving them lay below the chair. 7.)I have to sit indian-style in the chair. I'm very short, although my legs touch the ground, it's still very uncomfortable for the backs of my legs. 8.)I have to have Hershey's for when my airhead supply runs out. 9.)Something to drink, used to be Pepsi, but lately I've been getting sick whenever I drink it, so now it's Sprite or Kool-aid or those Capri-Sun's that I buy (supposedly) for my son...hehehehehe 10.)Everyone is going to hate this one, but I have to take a smoke break....hey, let's not discriminate here, ok?? LOL, I only smoke a few a day and it's always when I'm writing. (excuses, excuses, is what you're thinking, huh??) I take a pen and notebook outside with me when I've hit a dead end and I fuel back up. 11.)I have to have comfy pants on, I just simply can't write in jeans. Tried it, hated it. 12.)Inspiration in my head. A particular image or picture there of what I'm trying to write about. 13.)Lastly, I have to pinch myself. There's no way I have the chance to actually pursue writing...is there?? I know I'm dreaming. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. YOLANDA SFETSOS 2.) LARISSA IONE 3.) MIDNIGHT MOON CAFE 4.) LD FERRIS

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Terrified of The Zoo

Zoos depress me. The cages, the small enclosures, all of it. I realize that if it weren't for the zoos these creatures probably wouldn't have anywhere to go or not be here at all, but still. Seeing a tiger pace back and forth gets to me. Broken spirits is what it is.

On the good side of things, I went to Lone Elk Park this weekend with my family. Lone Elk is over 500 acres of free roaming land for elk, bison and other animals. The best thing, is just before you get to the park opening, there is a spread of buildings, surrounded by waterfalls, picnic areas that don't encroach on the nature around them and BIRDS, birds of prey, specifically. My favorite are the owls. This place is the THE WORLD BIRD SANCTUARY.

It was a great day. Filled with wonderful sightings and the inevitable tick findings on our persons, lol. To me, this signaled Spring, the birth of great things, the beginning of a cycle that never ends. The thing I like about this place is that they only put the birds in cages when they have to and none of them look unhappy. They all look content as can be. Not trying to fly off, running into the mesh of the cages. The pic above is of an eagle, a shame he was in a cage, but he was the only one, the others were on super-long tethers in fenced in areas. They were able to lift off and fly, it was beautiful.

Some pics...

Hell-Hounds

These are the hell hounds I share my daily life with. Kane is the big white one, the medium sized fluffy thing sleeping on the legos table is Gus and the itty bitty one is Trixie - a.k.a Trix the Mix. Kane saved me once, but I'll save that story for later, gotta get back to my Innocent Evil MS.

What I'm listening to today.....

Evanesence is all I'm listening to today. I'm getting a new book ready for subs and this song especially fits the mood. Not to mention the I just love this group, lol...go ahead, jam a little!!

Launch of Twilight Muse!

I'm excited to announce the launch of my new blog, Twilight Muse. At Twilight muse I will be featuring authors and their excerpts, new release, contest information, interviews and more! It's just another little way to get all the great author's a little more publicity!

Since I began my own writing journey, I have been floored by how much talent is out there. It's really given me the drive to pursue my writing. It's inspired me. So I wanted a place where I could honor that, this inexplicable bond between writers, especially romance writers, lol.

So, if you've got a minute, head on over and check it out. I have video trailer and excerpts up that are just too awesome!

And, quick note...if you want your info posted on Twilight Muse, please feel free to contact me!

Too Cute!

Courtesy of MsTags.com

Innocent Evil Excerpt

This is an excerpt from one of my works in progress. Feel free to post your comments and critique!

Prologue

There are a lot of ways a soul can be stained. Abuse, neglect, and mistreatment are a few. Any one of these can turn good into evil, twisting and bending it into an unrecognizable feature. After all, everything is good in the beginning. Nobody and nothing starts out that way, climbing out of the womb with malice on their minds. Out of all things dangerous, nothing is more so when the righteous are driven down the path to insanity, barely clinging to the side of them that once spoke to angels. Screaming at the injustice, they flee, with a tail of fleet-footed retribution wagging steadily behind them. Indeed, there is a thin line between good and evil. For only when two wrongs make a right, can a tormented soul live with themselves.

Being innocent can only take someone so far. Once that point of no return has been reached, they must step freely over it, giving their pure and golden hearts to the dank and putrid darkness. Yes, good can overcome evil, it most often does. But, what happens when the good that is triumphing is also, concerning some elements, evil itself?

Chapter 1

Alessa McFee stepped from the void, licking her lips as she did so. The darkness that fell from her body revealed a slender, petite frame adorned with a soldier’s muscles. Curls that mirrored the ebony she had slipped from fell to rest against the small of her back. Flexing her right fist, she brought it to her mouth, uncurling her fingers. She would test the wind to find her prey. Slowly, she licked the tip of her slim index finger, displaying it in front of her pale features to gauge the breeze. East. Turning towards the current, she sniffed the air with her head tilted to one side. The scent of moss, from the lake nearby and freshly bailed hay filled her nostrils. Picking the scents apart, she honed in on her target. The stench of evil, the fragrance she had been tracking for three hours now through the woods.

Aggravated that a mere human could avoid her reckoning for so long, she clenched her teeth, causing her lips to curl and reveal two sharp teeth. Following, she cursed the human. Thinking of the others she had taken out, she quickly followed, her boots crunching on the worn path that led to the farm she had found him on. It was so familiar, this scene. It made her eyes sting and her throat constrict.

The panic she had kept at bay by hunting evil for so long was threatening to consume her. Images dashed in and out of her mind, making her shake her head to clear them. Arrogant demons clothed in a human’s body, feeding on the pain inflicted on an innocent. Every scream they tore from the throats of women and children echoing their pleas, forever there, forever embedded in Alessa’s own rage.

This disease, this human capability, pitiless and quick to condemn, was becoming an epidemic. She would be the cure. She would be there when the last one fell, writhing in agony as every nasty thing they had ever done came back upon them tenfold.

My Meez

I found "Meez" while browsing an author's MySpace page....I had so much fun with it! I have a witch heralding a big sword under a full moon on my MySpace page now =)

Some Family Pics