I've got nothing

I opened this page thinking I would come up with something brilliant to talk about since it is Monday and all things should be brilliant on Monday and it is blog day. But honestly, I have nothing. I feel weird having nothing and think I should post something interesting, but it's just not coming to me. But I don't want to not post (love those double negatives) because then I might get out of this lovely habit I am trying to instill in myself. Hmmm.

In other news, I am toying with some new book ideas. I have one book (the one I wrote for NaNo) that is being put aside right now because it essentially has to be rewritten from scratch and I'm too close to it right now to do it justice and still keep all my hair on my head. So in the meantime I am kicking around an idea that's part paranormal, part cozy, part romance kind of. It's something to do during the chaos of the holidays that will perhaps take my mind off of the other book.

It's my hope that in doing something completely different I will rejuice myself for later. We shall see!

Misty

Gearing up for Holiday stuff

Holy cow is my calendar full! And not always with the good fun stuff like parties where the food is great :) My daughter is in dance and has 2 performances on Sat so we have a very very busy week on the lead up to that. But I have to share really quick that I got to sit in on her tap class last night and GOD! do I love the sound of tapping!!! I don't know why but it resonates inside me somehow and now she is doing real tapping instead of the beginner stuff and it is awesome. I always get chills when the shows have tapping and all that stomping noise just runs through me. (So yes there is another weird fact about me. I should run over and put that on my website)

On the publishing front, I'm having a really strange series of ah-ha moments that have to do with going back to the basics. And it is wonderful though it is tinged with a certain "Don't I already know this? And why do I always forget it?"

Misty

Happy Holidays!

So here we are, Thanksgiving is over (how did that happen?!?!) and all the rest of those special days are coming up. I can't believe it is whipping by so damn fast. I'm done Christmas shopping. I can't believe it myself, but it's true. And we are fully decorated as of today. How much do I love having a kid who is old enough to really help now? SOOOOOOOO Much! And I finished a book for the first time this year. Woo-hoo!!! I succeeded at NaNo, so I have that to be thankful for and friends and family that rock!

I hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving if you celebrate and that you enjoy to the fullest of your heart the upcoming holidays, be they Hanukkah, the Solstice, Kwanzaa, Christmas or others I am not aware of.

Misty

Music Galore

So I was talking to two friends Megan Hart and Victoria Smith (and yes I am name dropping!) about the music thing from the last post. Now Megan has some songs that are can show up on nearly every book she writes and frequently has the play lists available to individual books on her own blog. She has songs that she listens to depending on the mood and tone of the book or even the scene she is putting together. And Vicki pretty much said the same thing. She did mention also that she has a new song she loves by Dave Matthews and Kenny Chesney called "I'm Alive" that she has begun playing before she gets to work on projects because it is uplifting and can get her started.

Back with Megan, she said the music changes with the different books depending on the tone and even the time setting (don't quote me on that one as I wasn't taking notes). Vicki has certain songs that appear in each of her works. I believe they each use iPods but maybe you want to go to their blogs and ask them :)

I personally end up playing one CD at a time because I have a boom box in my office that only holds one CD. I've been too lazy to bring my iPod in here and I like being able to control what I'm listening to. But I do feel that certain songs can bring down the writing or the mood while writing. I currently have been listening to Jason Manns who is pretty upbeat. And then I put in Perfect Circle. Totally different keys and words and thoughts and I found myself not as bouncy while writing.

What do you listen to and how does it affect what you're doing?

Misty

PS. Can I please just say that no music station should be playing 24 hour Christmas music yet?!?!?! It's not even Thanksgiving people!

Working to music

Now I know a lot of people do this and I find it interesting that these two forms of art go so well together. A while ago I had to have absolute quiet to write. If there was music on I started singing to it or more than once I would type the words I was hearing without thinking about it. Made for some interesting manuscripts with words just in there with no purpose. I scratched my head more than once in the revision process.

So all was quiet on the writing front. I would work without any sound. At some point though, I began writing with a movie on. I'd have Lord of the Rings going in the back or maybe King Arthur with Clive Owen (Holy hell can you say YUMMY!). And the movie would have absolutely nothing to do with my writing. Since I normally write funny stories of the fluffy variety, I wasn't looking for inspiration or battle tactics. But I liked dark movies and would purposely put one on that I had seen a million times so that I wouldn't get distracted.

Which then moved me to write with TV on in the background. Because I had seen LoR a trillion times at that point and even if it didn't distract me, it was starting to annoy me something fierce. With the TV I'd pop on the History Channel which I love and watch snippets between typing furiously. It worked for a while.

But then I went to my annual retreat. There are no TVs there and I'd have to watch a movie on my laptop which makes it pretty impossible to type. I guess I could have brought the mini-DVD player. But then my husband gave me his iPod.

I thought it was useless to upload all my songs because, my word!, did it take forever! And I have hundreds of CDs. I always loved music, grew up with it on ALL THE TIME, so I have pretty eclectic taste and a desire to have everything with me. Because really, what if I decide in the middle of a scene that I must hear The Legendary Pink Dots and I didn't put it on the iPod? But here came the husband again, pushing me out of the way and telling me he would upload everything.

I arrived at the retreat thinking I would listen a little then get to work. But lo and behold, I started typing and bopping out at the same time. I let the tracks run for the most part on auto shuffle (excpet that the hubby left some Burl Ives and Disney's Snow White music on there which were quickly skipped). I worked faster and harder with the music on.

All this to say that just because something doesn't work right now doesn't mean it won't later. Or that what works now might need to be revisited at a later time. It's all about trying stuff out and not closing your mind to the possibilities.

Misty

PS I had a much longer post on this but I'm going to wait til next Monday to explore what some people call soundtracks to their books. Tune in next week!

It's Monday, baby!

So I said a long time ago that I was going to blog on Monday night, even wrote it in a friend's notebook to please kick me if I didn't and yet here I am never blogging on Monday. I'd say weird, but it obviously isn't :)

So it's Monday and I'm blogging. Blogging, blogging, blogging. Oh, you wanted me to actually say something witty or insightful? Something with meaning? Hmmm. What a concept :)

I'll try.

I'm just trying to get myself back in the game now in a lot of ways. I have not been writing as I used to now that I have a day job. I haven't been submitting the way I used to because I haven't been writing because I have a day job. I haven't been getting requests and sending additional material out because I haven't been submitting because...well, you get the idea.

To put an end to this THE HOUSE JACK BUILT scenario, I joined NaNoWriMo and have been consistently writing every night but Wednesday since I started. About 2K a day. Not too shabby. And maybe it will give me a book I can send out because I submitted because I wrote despite having to have a day job :)

Misty

I Heart Jason Manns

Woo-hoo 3 months! Can you say slacker? Because I can.

But enough with the guilt. I come to you today with very exciting news! I got to see Jason Manns LIVE! For the second time! In Philly!

Why, you ask, is this worthy of so many !!! Well, go check him out and then tell me that you didn't squee. He is one of the most generous, giving, kind people I have ever met. He has a beautiful voice that is rich and pure. And though he said he never formally took guitar lessons, he can certainly accompany himself to the point where you wouldn't even guess. He sings of life and love and journeys and want and so many other true and heartfelt things. His lyrics have a poignant-ness to them that draws you right in. I got a chance to speak with him after the show and he was such a nice guy. Not to mention very tolerant of some of the nonsense that went on during the show.

And to top it all off I got to see him with Natalie, Megan and Vicki. We had a blast of a road trip, ate a wonderful dinner (that I of course was picky while ordering) and some much deserved play time. Can't beat that with a stick!

As part of the evening (because I can never have an outing without some form of ridiculousness) I got approached by two men seconds after getting out of the car. They wanted change. I can't resist. Gave them $0.57. Then 30 seconds after that got another request, filled that one too.

And to cherry the whole night was the guy standing outside talking on his cell about how he didn't read a contract and now he found out he wasn't old enough to do something and he had even bought a bright pink button-down shirt to match his drink. This of course intrigued me. So every time I got a chance to go outside (whenever I wouldn't be missing Jason playing), I went back out in hopes pink shirt would be there. And he was! From what I could piece together, it seems he had entered some kind of drink mixing contest. He had won the chance to mix at the bar, but then found out in the contract (that he had let his friend read who hadn't caught this fact) that he was not old enough to actually do this. He was f*ing pissed as he said into his phone a number of times while pacing the sidewalk out front and smoking a cigarette. He was especially pissed because he had bought a shirt that matched his drink. Jaysus! He even wanted to go so far as to tell another man inside the bar (who was old enough) that he should roll up his sleeves to mix his drink because it would make him more marketable! WTF? LOL! Anyway, drink boy didn't get to compete though he definitely felt he was the most marketable of the bunch, though I don't understand what makes you marketable while mixing some new fangled Cosmo or whatever. What exactly are you marketing and for what purpose?

Anyway, so I go away for three months and come pour all this out. Just had to share though. Talk to you soon. And go buy something by Jason Manns. You will not be disappointed. I promise.

And since I suck at linking and doing other savvy stuff, go to Nat, Megan or Vicki's page through the side bar and check out the video. Awesemo!

Misty

FOR LOVE AND CHEESECAKE!!!

Is here!! Or is here on the virtual bookshelf and my copies will arive probably tomrorrow or Wednesday. OMG I am so excited I could run and dance and laugh and scream. Actually I've done that already :) Will do again as soon as the books arrive!

You can go to Draumr's purchase page for the book buy clicking the cover to the right. It is also available at retail stores like B&N or online at Amazon.

Here's the blurb:

On the menu tonight: Fricasseed Waiter

It’s a recipe for disaster... Take one incurable womanizer Mix in one pregnant mistress and one delusional fiancee Add a dash of a chef gone haywire Stir in one newly assertive shop assistant Toss with an amateur sleuth who doesn't want to get involved and the love of her life who is in up to the tips of his spiky hair And garnish with a couple of detectives who are not amused

Serves one crazy, homicidal maniac

So Ivy is back and she's stellar, except for trying to kick both a nagging cold and the bad habit of always being in the middle of every Martha's Point murder. Unfortunately, they're both kicking her as she is harangued by her favorite chef to find out who torched his restaurant and one of his waiters along with it.

Ivy knows what she should do, but when has that ever stopped her from wading in? Only this time she could very well sacrifice everything FOR LOVE AND CHEESECAKE.

**********

Go, buy, enjoy :) I hope that everyone has enjoyed this series and a hugely sincere thank you for those who have been with me from the beginning. I feel like my baby is moving out of the house.

Misty

Who Inspires You?

All right so first I have to say that anyone who can pull themselves away from the edge and thrive inspires me. Anyone who can pick themselves up out of a crappy life and make a new, fulfilling one for themselves also inspires me.

But since this is primarily a writing blog, I want to know who inspires you to write? I am inspired by people like Debbie Macomber who fought hard and long through rejections and dyslexia and using her grocery money for stamps for submissions to get where she is now. I'm inspired by women who do NOT give up. I'm inspired by Stephen King who eventually had to use a railroad spike to pin all his rejections to the wall because there were so many.

But another kind of inspiration is the kind that gets you reading. Or gets you writing in the first place. For me it was DAVID EDDINGS, who passed away last week. The world has lost a fine fine fantasy writer. He was 77 when he died on June 2 and he will be greatly missed. I had never heard of him and ended up picking up the first in his Belgariad Series at a used book store in high school. At the time I had NO MONEY so I got the rest from the library. But as soon as I did have money :) I went and bought them all. All the series, all the books. I read the one series every single year without fail. And every year I marvel at the way he brought everything together from book one to book thirteen (a codex of world building). He had humor and love and peril in every book. He had characters you wanted to hate but couldn't and those you should hate but you felt sorry for them and the choices they made. Unlovable characters you rooted for and perfect characters that you wanted to squash with your heel. He and his wife Leigh, who passed in 2007, got this girl to read when it had gone by the wayside in high school. And I devoured those books, still do. I would recommend them for nearly any age. Some of the jokes or scenarios might be over some kids' heads, but the enjoyment is still there.

David Eddings and his wife Leigh will always truly be my favorite authors. Their characters had depth and their sense of humor inspired me to use my own. Rest in peace David where you are probaby hanging out on Riva with Eriond.

Misty

The week is starting off right!

Just found out that my files for my new Ivy, For Love and Cheesecake, went to the printer today! Woo-hoo! It's all moving along so fantastically.

There is an interview up on Megan Hart's Wordpress blog with us talking about writing and various other fun things :) Check it out if you have a little time. Of course I totally said the wrong title for the book in the interview. Jeez! That is typical of me, so those who know me won't be surprised :)

Have a great week!

Misty

First Misty Monday

And that title is so blah as to be yech! LOL! Won't be using that again :)

Anyway, here it is Monday and here I am. First I want to take a second to thank all the men and women who have fought, continue to fight, and will fight for this country and for our freedom. I'm not going to get all preachy but I will say that there are very brave men and women out there who put their lives on the line and in the line of fire for us every day. We shouldn't have to have a day to remember and thank them (since every day that can be done) but since we do, please take a moment. My grandfather was in the service for many years and was in three wars. I will always honor his memory and those of other soldiers who have died in the ultimate sacrifice or were prepared to do that and were spared. Thank you.

I had a fun time this weekend, laughing and hanging with friends outside all day yesterday. Today went to see Night at the Museum Battle for the Smithsonian which was funny for the most part :) And now it is the part of the night where I am relaxing. I got through all the pages I had written at the retreat last weekend and now I am doing new writing. My goal for this month was to write 35K words. I have 11K to go before June 6th to hit it. Wish me luck.

Misty

Website back up and running

It has been a long and arduous road, but finally my website is back up and running! Yeehaw! Check it out at www.mistysimon.com or you can click the link on the right hand side of this page.

In other news, the last Ivy is done, galleries in, art finished and gorgeous, other little details that Rida so lovingly puts into every book done! And now it's just a waiting game for the release date which I'm told should be in June.

I'm thrilled! I have also found several new and recent reviews for Ivy books. Thanks to any and all readers!!!

The plan is to post on Misty Mondays from here on out. Can I stick with it? Does horse poop stink?

That might not be the best question since it might depend on your preferences.

Anyway, that's the plan and soon I will have blurb info and cover art to share for the Ivy book. Lots to blog about, I hope :)

Misty

Ten Inch Hero

Something worth blogging about!!! I love love LOVED this movie. Watched it with some friends last night and WOW! I laughed, I cried, I fell even more in love with Jensen Ackles. The man is hot in a kilt.

This is the exact kind of story I wish I could tell and sell. It had everything and so much more, twists, turns, happy endings and laughs. YAY! Huge thanks to Natalie for recommending it!!!

In writing news, I turned in Ivy, had to do edits, turned it in again and am now waiting for the final verdict :) I'm also almost halfway through writing my anthology story that will hopefully come out this year. Also toying with the idea of changing some of my manuscripts and starting again with those that went unsold.

That's all from here for right now. I'm not going to jinx myself by saying I will post on certain days or at certain times because that never works. But if you think of me, pop on over :) I'll also be working on my website so it no longer says coming soon but has arrived.

Misty