it's the end of 2011 and it's been a doozy but all in all I have a bunch to be thankful for. so here's a short list
1. my family- I have awesome unwavering support from them and I love them
2. my awesome secret boyfriend who I love. he is the absolute best and he rocks my world and brings me joy.
3. the contract for two of my books with the option for the third. thanks Charles River Press and Jon Womack for giving Eamon and the gang a great new home. can't wait for you all to read the story.
4. the opportunity to continue to learn patience and understanding via the problems I have with my arm. I know that sounds crazy but I believe everything happens for a reason, including my arm so I am thankful to be able to learn something from it.
5. my friends who stop by here and everywhere else I spout off. I enjoy interacting with all of you even if it is only through the internet. I love hearing from you and about you and hope to keep it up in 2012!
this is an awesome challenge to read at least 24 horror or urban fantasy books in a year. you can read more, like 48 books if you want. there are two different challenges. it's a great incentive and you can read all about it on Book Chick City's site. www.bookchickcity.com
lol. yes I look lie this on my bike frequently. although now it hurts A LOT more when I fall now than when I was a kid. anyway, whenever you haven't done something in a while and you are getting back to it, someone always says "it's just like riding a bike". these people don't know about my biking skills. yes I never forget how but I usually get hurt at least one time. or at least "saddle sore"
this episode of "bike riding" is writing. gasp!
I don't know if I've just been so consumed with other things that I haven't been able to do it or what but even when I sit down to write, the words don't come. my characters still talk to me (thank goodness) but I just can't get seem to write what they are telling me. I only made it to 35k words in NaNo this year. last year I blasted out the words that became Blood of New Beginnings. ahh, the words just flowed. part of that might have been that I was unemployed and not in school but who knows. I used to be able to multi task my ass off but it would seem that I've lost my mojo. I need some mojo refilling. I don't think drinking will do it this time. I'm hoping when I start working with my editor for Blood Betrayal and talk to the art department I might get jazzed again. I'm almost positive that will do it but trying to work through it until then is tough. any and all suggestions welcome on how to stoke up the mojo.
love is a funny thing. not funny ha ha funny but mysterious funny. although it can be ha ha funny. sometimes that's the best. anyway, the emotions of love are tough to write about. or at least writing about it and making it believable. sometimes the feelings of love are just hard to put into words. in the beginning you have all of those almost anesthesia like feelings where your love can do no wrong. everything is right in the world and so on. then life settles back down. you see your love as a mere human but you still love them and doing all the everyday things are still awesome. readers I don't think want to read about that. they want the beginning, fantasy parts. the ones that are hard to write about because I am at a total loss for the words to describe them. even as they are happening to me. although I'm more at the everyday stage with daily spike of awesomeness. (yes secret boyfriend is so made of awesome and I am living for the day when I don't have to keep him secret) when writing I try and stretch my imagination and search for words that describe the new love feelings and actions. sometimes I get frustrated and write "gooey gooey gooey goo feelings of love and epicness" and hope I can fill it in but it doesn't work. hmm. how do you write new love feelings? or describe how a character is feeling in her or his courtship? even if it doesn't last, I'd be curious to get your input.
so I thought I would list my favorite Christmas songs in keeping with my list of Christmas faves. now I love most every song except for that damn Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. when I hear that song, I want to shove nails in my ears to prevent me from ever having to hear it again. anyway, enjoy!
Santa Baby as performed by Madonna. yes, I love this song. I love it's kitschy charm. really I love anything by Madonna so when she came out with this back in the day, I was hooked.
Silent Night as performed by Stevie Nicks. I love her voice. And hearing her sing all the verses of this lovely song is awesome. Actually if she sang it in its original German it would be epic.
Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC. AWW YEAH! who doesn't love this catchy song?! best part about this was it came out back when MTV still played music videos. remember that? no? well they did and this video was awesome.
Jingle Bells by the Barking Dogs. or maybe it's Dr Demento. either way... I freakin love this song.I could listen to this every hour the entire Christmas season and NEVER get tired of it. to me it's brilliant. I don't know why but it's like Shakespeare to me.
Christmas Wrapping as performed by The Waitresses. not really about Christmas but it has special meaning to me and my friends from where I used to work. I'll never start an IV at Christmastime without thinking of this song and my friends.
Do They Know it's Christmas as performed by Band Aid. GASP!!! once upon a time, when MTV played music videos and there was new wave music and I desperately wished I was British, this song came out. and I loved it. I had the poster kind of like this pic in my room and I would just stare in teen love at Sting and Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet. then when the video would come on I would freak out!! now each Christmas, I listen to this beautiful song and think about what it was for and remember how lucky I am. I think Sir Bob Geldof did such a magnificent thing producing this song and making it part of Christmas. I also watch the vid on You Tube and try and name all of the awesome singers, like I could do back then. sigh.
so that's my list. kind of modern I know but here you go. And as a bonus...
okay, so someone I love suggested I put up a list of my favorite Christmas specials/shows so here it is. I chose these by weighing whether I would call in sick or be late to work to watch them. yeah, I know. I'm like that.
the Grinch. it's on enough so I wouldn't have to call in but I do love it. THIS version. NOT the live action version. I like the Boris Karloff narration. and the Tony the Tiger guy singing the Grinch song.
oh yes, Rudolph! I love this. I could watch it forever. so sweet. and it teaches a valuable lesson. I freakin love those Rankin Bass shows!!
It's a Wonderful Life. yes. I love it. I watch it every year and still smile.
the Flinstones Christmas. it isn't a special. it was a regular show during the season.I love it. Fred gets a job at Gimrocks as a gift wrapper to earn extra money for Christmas but ends up working as Santa and then being Santa. this is rare so yes indeed I'd miss work for this.
How the Ghosts Stole Christmas episode of the X Files. it has Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin in it. I love it. man I miss that show.
A Charlie Brown Christmas. it's a little older than I am and I remember it from my childhood. this is my all time fave. I have it on DVD and sometimes watch it when it isn't Christmas. it's sweet, naive, funny and perfect. I love it. it truly is my fave.
so that's my list. feel free to comment and let me know yours. next week I might do songs.
well it's December and I thought I'd share my rankings of different Scrooges from my favorite Christmas story A Christmas Carol. now these are all my opinions and you might not agree but hey... feel free to comment. I'll go from least favorite to favorite.
Alistair Sim. I just didn't feel the menace and hard heartedness of his Scrooge. he was kind of a weenie and a bungler.
George C. Scott. he was too scroogey. even after he changed, I felt like he could still slip back to his old ways. he reminded me of Dick Cheney if he was Scrooge.(but isn't he?)
Mr. Magoo. now not that I don't like him. I do and I love this portrayal. just not as much as the rest of them.
Edmund Blackadder. again, I love this version. Blackadder's Christmas Carol. he's snarky and greedy and awesome. and I think Charles Dickens would have loved it. even if Mr. Scrooge didn't see the error of his ways.
Patrick Stewart. YES! LIKE A BOSS. to me this is the best Scrooge. he's bitter and cold but at the end his change is quite believable. I really felt sorry for him. besides the costars were awesome!
anyway, this is my line up. I'll probably watch A Christmas Carol about 19 times and once again try and make Smoking Bishop for our Christmas dinner. it's a mulled wine that is warmed. google it. you might want to try it.
