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Our Fantasy Files blog returns with a new look! It's Tuesday, and that means Hollie posted a new review on our Book Review blog!
Be sure to check them out!
Sorry I'm late with my post this week - I new it wouldn't take long for me to get back to my night owl ways, lol!
Besides my night owl ways, it was a very exciting day/night last night as I got to watch my Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears to become the National Football Conference (NFC) Champions! We're going to Super Bowl XLV (45)!
The Packers haven't been there since 1998. Yeah, it's been that long! I admit, I've been a Brett Favre fan even after he left Green Bay. While I always wished him well and wanted him to have a good game, I wasn't as invested with his team winning. However, when he became a Viking - one of our major rivals - I wanted his team to lose and I wanted him to sacked! I just couldn't help it.
Aaron Rodgers took over the team for Brett Favre. I can honestly say that I reserved judgment for Rodgers. I didn't immediately jump on his bandwagon because I wanted to be sure that he was going to "stick". Players get injured all the time and we basically got spoiled with Brett Favre. He played in every game he started with the Packers, even if he was injured. So, I didn't want to put all of my expectations onto a new guy because...well...that just wouldn't be fair.
Not only that, I wanted to make sure he could get out of Brett's shadow. He seems to have done that this year. Yes, I want us to win the Super Bowl, but if they lose I'll still be proud because they made it this far against some very big odds. Besides the injuries that have plagued us this season - including Rodgers suffering 2 concussions - they barely slid in to the play-off wild card spot as the 6th seed with a record of 10 wins and 6 losses. After having lost to the Falcons in Atlanta at the end of November (Week 12), getting past the second round seemed like it would be a miracle. However, they managed to beat the 1st seeded Falcons in Atlanta in a 48-21 rout.
Next was the Bears. To say that I was nervous about this game was an understatement. The Pack lost to the Bears in Soldier Field at the end of September (Week 3), and we were going to have to go into Soldier Field to play the 2nd seeded and NFC North Division Champs, Chicago Bears. Yeah, that's right, the we're in the same division as the Bears.
However, I do need to point out that their win-loss record was just 11-5 while ours was 10-6. If we had not lost to the Lions in Detroit on Week 14, we would have been tied with the Bears...sort of.
Anyway, the game started off seeming like we might run away with it with a quick TD in the 1st quarter and another in the second to make it 14-0 by the end of the half, which stayed that way until the 4th quarter when the Bears sat their 1st and 2nd string QBs for their 3rd string QB Caleb Hanie. He played less time than Cutler, had better stats, and got the Bears a quick TD.
14-7 and I was biting my nails. But then, BJ Raji stepped up and not only intercepted a pass, but ran it in for a TD to make the score 21-7.
The Bears managed to score again and looked like they were going to tie the game and possibly send the game into OT when Tremon Williams came up with a game-saving interception with 37 seconds left in the game.
That's right, it wasn't until there were 37 seconds left in the game that I could finally breathe easy, knowing we won the game.
It felt sort of anti-climactic though because, for the first time in our relationship, he was not in front of the TV to watch the game. He was playing in a disc golf tournament. Even though he listened to the game while playing, he came home and we sat and watched the game a second time. Yep, I watched the game twice!
It's like a surreal party up here because there were so many points in the season we weren't sure the Pack would make the playoffs, let alone go to the Super Bowl! Sure, we all wanted them to get here, but the odds seemed so stacked against us.
So, in honor of this joyous event, here's a few songs that I felt appropriate for the day:
Decadent Publishing announces the release of a Paranormal-romance fiction anthology rooted in rock ‘n roll and ripped straight off the Sunset Strip.
Run Devil Run, an L.A.-based rock band well known locally for their dynamic live performances, diverse musical talent, and humorous video antics has lent their faces, titles and lyrics as inspiration for a five-book series with the publisher. The stories are penned by popular and award-nominated authors Rachel Carrington, Mari Freeman, Susan DiPlacido, Valerie Mann and Becca Dale, and will be released first in ebook format, then later in print.
“I’ve seen RDR play live several times and they are impressive. When this idea came to me, they were a natural fit. Paranormal romance lends itself easily to the Rock vibe,” says Heather Bennett, Co-owner of Decadent Publishing. “Customers who buy the series off our site will be treated to a free download of the coordinating song so they get the whole multi-media experience.”
Mari Freeman writes,” Music has always influenced my writing, but creating a story, characters and an entire world based on the lyrics of a song has been one of the most unique experiences. The collaboration between Decadent Publishing and Run Devil Run has found a creative way to take that musical influence and share it with readers. Read the book, get the song that inspired it. That rocks!”
Remarks Jackie Joyride of Run Devil Run, ”The fact that our music could inspire authors of this caliber to bring characters to life, I mean, it’s a thrill for us. It’s been great working with Decadent Publishing and to see these stories come together around our music…it’s an ego boost for sure!”
To visit Decadent Publishing click HERE to go to their website.
By most writerly-type accounts, I have a dream job. Or - more specifically - I don't have a job at all. Cue the tickertape parade, ya'll, because I'm a full time author. A full time author with a bill-paying spouse and absolutely zero income requirements.
Does it get any better than that?
Snort.
Now, before you go thinking I've got it made – or, even more laughable – that I've "made it," I'd like to invite you to be me for a day. Brace yourself for the glamour, my friends - this is one reality show yet to make prime time.
5:00 a.m. – Alarm goes off a full hour before necessary. It's the "writing alarm" – the one you set so you can get up and amass wordage before the kids invade the day. You are excited. TODAY is the day you'll get your characters off the floor where you left them and out of the first chapter. You can feel it! Today will be different!
5:01 a.m. – You're still listening to the alarm. The bed is warm, you're comfy, and you know the H will get annoyed and cut off the alarm so you have zero motivation to move. Your characters will be perfectly fine on the floor for another hour.
6:30 a.m. – The H is late for work - his fault for doing the whole alarm-cutty-offy thing. He's not amused when you mumble this from beneath a thick, fluffy pile of blankets while he pulls on layers after layer of long underwear to face a 20 degree morning.
8:00 a.m. – You awake to the distinct odor of a three-year-old wearing a wet pullup sitting on the bed somewhere in the vicinity of your head. If you're lucky, you only smell pee. He repeats "Good morning, Mommy" – louder each time - until he wakes up the baby.
8:10 a.m. – You're up, the baby is up, the offender has been banned from your bed for life. You need coffee or, rather, Sam's Club brand vanilla cappuccino. It's instant, so you put a cup of water in the microwave.
8:11 a.m. – There's not a whole lot you can get done in the two minutes it takes to heat water in the microwave, so you unload the dishwasher.
8:12 a.m. – Then you load it.
8:30 a.m. – Feeling accomplished with the dishwashing thing, you open the handy dandy netbook to add more brilliant words to your WIP. A mere two seconds after you vow not to go online until you've written at least a full page, you are so distracted by what you might be missing in your inbox that you decide it's more prudent to take a quick look than it is to lose writing time to incessant curiosity.
9:30 a.m. – Still online. 'Nuff said.
9:35 a.m. – Kids want pancakes or French toast. You feel guilty knowing you're going to try to make up that lost writing time later in the day, so as a pre-emptive strike on your conscious you agree to make pancakes or French toast. (Well, there's that and there's the idea of a steamy, buttery stack of stuff covered in syrup.)
11:00 a.m. – You're still flipping breakfast over a hot stove. You vow to use the griddle next time, because getting it out can't possibly be more trouble than making 30 whatevers one at a time for a herd of five ravenous children (plus a baby with only two teeth).
11:30 – You find the forgotten cappuccino water in the microwave. Reheat.
12:00 – Two of your six children are still asleep. You've yet to find time to eat your cold breakfast, and now the other kids want lunch "because it's noon." The pan is still hot from breakfast. You threaten them from the kitchen with it.
1:00 p.m. – The kids are working on their home school assignments, no one has questions, and there's peace on your two acres of Earth. Time to tackle your manuscript.
1:05 p.m. – A squabble erupts over a pencil (you don't know why because they each have a set of 24 personalized pencils that promised to put an end to this). You referee. The sound of the world ending wakes up the baby.
2:00 p.m. – After almost an hour of howling interrupted-nap-woes, the baby has returned to peaceful slumber. The other kids are (literally) in their corners, Pencil Gate resolved, accomplishing things. You experience a twinge of envy.
2:02 p.m. – The computer is open. You can't remember the file name of your manuscript. (Yes, I'm serious.)
2:10 p.m. – The mailman is at the door. It is at this point you realize you are still wearing pajama pants and have yet to corral the girls with a bra.
2:11 p.m. – Everyone went careening from their work stations to see what package came today, so you go ahead and do the group lessons. Ancient Assyria, here we come.
3:00 p.m. – Writing time. And this time you mean it. Right after you check your email.
3:45 p.m. – You've just finished telling every friend, message board, and social network you know about the stellar review or awesome reader e-mail you just found in the inbox you were not supposed to be anywhere near.
4:30 p.m. – … and now you've squealed in turn over their great news, fab reviews, and left comments at their blogs. You know you haven't made adequate rounds, but it's past time to start the bread dough for dinner.
7:00 p.m. – The meal rivaled anything Paula Deen might put on the table to acquiesce the guilt you're about to feel about shutting the bedroom door so you can work on your manuscript. After piles of homemade mashed potatoes, fresh baked bread, home-grown veggies, and a roast worthy of Sunday dinner, you realize you didn't exercise today.
7:10 p.m. – Your readers and peeps have left emails and messages in response to your emails and messages. You reply.
8:00 p.m. – You remember you have a blog / guest blog / interview to finish. Yesterday.
9:00 p.m. – One of your delightful offspring is asking for the 10th time in two hours if you'd like anything to drink. You give up on "no thanks" and ask for cappuccino, at which point you remember the cup of water in the microwave. You hope the kid is smart enough to reheat the water.
9:05 p.m. – Cappuccino comes, and with it word spreads that the barrier of the closed door has been successfully breached with no fatalities. Bringer-of-cappuccino demands a quarter for his services. You decide you like his business acumen and glare until he goes away, quarterless.
9:06 p.m. – Having seen a sibling return from your territory unharmed, ten-year-old boy comes in to discuss the garden. (The one that's a good three months from going into the ground.) You close the computer and give him your full attention because (a) your kid is beyond excited about gardening and doesn't care a lick about video games and (b) not only is he still speaking to you in these tween years, but he clearly values your opinion. This is way better than fiction.
9:34 p.m. – You really don't care this much about the garden.
11:00 p.m. – The other writing stuff is done. Rather than opening your manuscript at this late hour, you set the alarm for 5:00 a.m. and vow you'll get up early to write. You don't have to go to work, so you'll have all day to get those characters off the floor and out of chapter one. And you're almost too excited to sleep.
Tomorrow will be different.
Sarah stays at home with her six precious children, each of whom are adorable when they're asleep. Contrary to what you might expect after spending a day in her life, she only contemplates murder within the pages of a book. The cast of her first romantic suspense, RUN TO YOU, is getting killer reviews ( click here ) while the characters from her new novel are getting cramped up after a few weeks in the same position on the floor. But no worries. She'll work on that … tomorrow.
It seemed rather appropriate to me, given last week's post and more snow this week - and still yet more to come this weekend, grrr - that I do a follow-up post on what I do when I'm snowed in. Besides writing, that is. So here it is, what I do - knit hats! Kind of appropriate, don't you think? Since I love to knit and it's cold out there, I was inspired to knit myself a new hat. And not just any hat. No, I trolled the web until I found one that inspired me, called The Day's Eye Hat. I bet you want to see it, don't you? You will - but first, here are some pictures of the process:
The lovely yarn:
Just starting out, it looks kind of like this:
And further on, it's like this:
And when it's done, it will look something like this:
I bet you're wondering how. Stay tuned! Will post pictures when it's done.
(Note: For anyone who's interested, they can see the pattern and more pictures of the hat here. Another note: I decided to use dpns for the beginning round because I tried it with the circular and didn't like the way it came out - yes, I knit pretty far into the pattern before I ripped it out and started over - and feel I have more control with the dpns.)
I'm late with it because I wasn't sure what to write about last night, and I had an appointment to have my sinuses scanned today. Not to mention the fact that I woke up with a headache at 6am and it's been snowing all day. That meant leaving the house much earlier than planned to arrive early...
To make matters worse, it feels like a Tuesday to me because the Packers played on Saturday night. Sorry, but when you get a pattern going, sometimes one tiny change can throw off the whole thing. Seriously, I woke up early Sunday morning thinking that it was Monday, but it didn't feel right, so I had to turn on the computer to verify that it was indeed Sunday.
Well, I felt off all day yesterday, and I still feel off, lol! :)
On a better note, I'm happy that the Packers won. At first, it seemed as though we were going to fall apart, again, but the team pulled their act together and beat the Atlanta Falcons.
Currently, as I write this, the Milwaukee Bucks are struggling with the Houston Rockets. So yeah, I've been very distracted by sports.
On a different note, I finally watched Akeelah and the Bee. I really liked that movie and thought it was well done, even if the end was a bit Hollywood. The kids did a great job playing their parts, all of them. I hope to see more of them soon.
...
I got distracted looking up the kids on IMDB. The one that hasn't done anything else was the kid that played Dylan Chiu. Which is kind of sad really, because I really liked his character and thought he played it very well. Both Sean Michael Afable (Dylan) and Tzi Ma (his father) did very well at playing these rolls. Very talented and worked well together.
Oh, and I love Lee Thompson Young! The entire movie, I couldn't figure out where I knew him from and it drove me crazy. Finally looked it up - he's in the TNT TV Rizzoli & Isles. He plays Rizzoli's new partner, Detective Barry Frost. Besides being a couple years later, Young has hair on his head and a mustache, so it was hard to make the connection, lol!
Are edits a hair tearing frustration for you? Or a joyful ride down memory lane relearning all the delightful quirks of your characters?
For me, it is a smidgen of both. I'm exhausted from a week of edits, so I really have nothing to say. I sent in the edits yesterday and I feel brain dead, like I need to reboot my brain so I can actually focus on something else.
These edits weren't minor (at least not to me). They were overhauling edits that altered the storyline. Altered so much, I'll have to fine-tooth my way through book 2 to make the necessary changes. In the beginning I was frustrated by the request to alter the storyline somehow. After being forced to rethink my story, I started to see what the editor was saying. So, I cranked up my creative dial and demanded Muse spew forth something awesome. (Muse was not happy with me. *evil giggle* It's always fun to get him back for the torture he inflicts on me.) Not sure if I came up with something awesome, but I'm very proud of and excited about what my Muse did create!! That's progress, right?
But...what will my editor think? Yikes! I feel like a fresh-faced teenager whose bestfriend has just told the hot boy in third period I like him. My belly is twisting with excitement and dread. Because what if the boy doesn't like me back? Ahem...I mean what if my editor doesn't like the changes as much as I do? You see my dilemma? I respect my editor's opinion (even if she thinks I don't) and I really, really want her to love this new storyline! *bites nails as I endure the wait*
Share your editing misery with us! Or editing joy if you're brave enough to rub it in our faces. ;-) I'd love to hear from our editors too!! Come tell us how awful us authors are, how irrational and whiny. LOL I know we are and so do you!
I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
~huggles~
Gracen
(All photos were snagged from Photobucket. I do not own these photos and no copyright infringement was intended.)
I don't know about anywhere else, but here in Massachusetts, they big topic is snow. We are in the middle of a nice Nor'easter here in the Bay State and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. So I thought I'd post some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
This is the view from my back balcony/deck, looking out over what is usually the drive, which we call "the circle," around my apartment complex:
And here is a picture of the woods behind my building, my view from my back door:
NOTE: Pictures taken by my older daughter, Leah. Not bad for a nursing student, huh?
So what's it like where you live? Please share where you live and what the weather is like. Curious minds want to know.
Please welcome A. Faris into the Moonlight. A. Faris is the author of Out of Joint and The Golden Harp, which will be released by Decadent Publishing.
Now, it's time to create a little mayhem and get to the good stuff by revealing all of A. Faris' deepest darkest secrets in the moonlight. LOL Yeah, you wish! ;-D Grab your favorite wicked drink, sink your teeth into something decadent, sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know A. Faris.
MLM: Do you have any holiday memories from 2010 that you would like to share with us? (Memories can be nice and sweet, naughty, or just plain goofy!)
A. Faris: My sister loves to travel and when she came to visit me last December, she insisted on going around in the dead of winter. I refused to take any part in such foolery but sisterly affection has a way of working on one. Which was why I had found myself at the top Broadway Tower (in the Cotswold) in the middle of the coldest winter England has seen. My three-year old hugged me tight, too cold to whine, just burrowing into my neck, trying to escape the wind.
My sister took one look around at the fantastic view, then said, “Let's go back.” This, the woman who helped build a school in Cambodia despite a gastric flu bug, travelled in deep snow to get to Avebury, and climbed the Jungfrau with no winter coat (having forgotten it, bless her).
Finally, something has defeated the tourist who knows no illness, weather or inconvenience. English weather. Gotta love it.
MLM: With the beginning of each New Year, many people make resolutions to change something about their lives. Do you make resolutions each year? Why or why not? In other words, what’s your philosophy behind your decision to make or not to make resolutions?
A. Faris: No. There's no philosophy, just plain laziness. I have a vague life plan and that is enough for me.
MLM: The buzz all over Tweetland and Facebook is how stressful many of us tend to find the holiday season (Thanksgiving through the New Year). This year they’ve seemed to be even more so with everything that’s been going on in the US and abroad. Stress isn’t usually conducive to writing, so we need to shed that stress, clear our minds so the words will follow. How do you plan on recharging your soul? Any relaxation tips you’d like to share?
A. Faris: The television is very good for numbing the brain, I must say. But sometimes, even that can get to be too much for me. What I like to do is spray on a comfort scent (Ambre Narguille by Hermes is my favourite at the moment but anything that makes you happy works), put on some music (KYO, a french rock band, Andrea Bocelli and Maria Callas are some favourites), and lie in the dark.
MLM: One of the greatest things about the Internet is that we can connect with writers of all kinds from all over the globe so we want to know:
a.) What area of the country/world are you from?
A. Faris: I live in Oxford, England.
b.) What are the average temperatures of your area?
A. Faris: 2-3 C
c.) What type of clothing would most residents be wearing today?
A. Faris: Thermal underwear, sweaters, winter coats, hats. But there have been a few nutters in short-sleeves and short skirts (when I say short, I mean really short). Really, someone should explain to me how these people keep warm.
d.) What tips do you have for people to “survive” the weather where you are?
A. Faris: Good boots. I had bought a cheapie which fell apart on me in one month and my feet weren't exactly happy with me in that month either!
MLM: Say you’re at a cabin in the mountains, and it’s not exactly warm out and you had the option of where you wanted your hot tub to be. Would you have the hot tub inside or outside the cabin? Why?
A. Faris: Outside the cabin. It sounds insane, but I can vouch for this option, having actually gone for a dip in a hot tub in winter while in Rotorua, New Zealand. The cold against your face while the rest of you is wonderfully warm, and the litter of stars above you. Fantastic.
MLM: If you could go anywhere in the world for the holidays, where would you choose to go? Why that destination over others?
A. Faris: Mexico. Why? Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza. That's pretty self-explanatory, isn't it?
MLM: We’ve had our fun, now it’s time to switch the focus to your writing. Why time travel and fantasy? What was the draw for you?
A. Faris: I am just starting out, so I am actually experimenting with many sub-genres of romance. I can't say that I will always write fantasy romances, or time travel romances, although I have had a great time with both. The former was an off-shoot of an idea I had while telling my son the fairytale 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. The former...I think I might have been watching too much Dr. Who at the time!
One thing is for certain, though, I LOVE writing romance. You won't find me apologizing for it, years down the road, I hope. LOL. I find the character development love can bring (in real life and in books) fascinating and the draw of romance, for me, is that change love can bring, despite the circumstances.
MLM: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please look beyond words hot, steamy, mysterious, paranormal etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.
A. Faris: Believable.
No matter what story I am writing, at no point do I want the reader to think “Jeez, that is just stupid. No one would ever...*insert character's behavior*” Even if it is a fantasy, time travel, space age, apocalyptic (and other variations thereof) romance, I wish for the readers to be able to identify with the heroine, want to meet the hero, and pretend to inhabit the world I have created.
MLM: Earlier we discussed stress and the holidays. While stress may not always be conducive to writing, do you find that the holidays disrupt your writing schedule? If so, how? How tough is it to get yourself back in writing mode? What does it take to get you back on track?
A. Faris: Holidays are a paradox. While I find it disturbs my schedule, the forced break from writing always produces many ideas for exploration later. It is actually quite good for the creative process, but not for the actual writing itself. But I don't really find it hard to get back into writing mode. I get back on track as soon as I get over jet lag!
MLM: Who decides what the characters/creatures you write about do, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one pouring the soap in the Jacuzzi?
A. Faris: I like to think my muse and I are in a partnership. She gives me ideas and I make sure they are presented in the best way possible.
MLM: Of all the stories you’ve written, which character did you have the most fun creating and why?
A. Faris: Jack in The Golden Harp. I have a tendency to favour beta-males with strict codes of honour in my stories and Jack is unlike my other heroes. It was fun to write an alpha-male with an uncertain moral compass. He could act in ways that is less than ideal, yet I found him appealing. Maybe I am developing a taste for bad boys? :)
MLM: Thanks so much for joining us, A. Faris! It's been a treat getting to know you better!
Rebecca Guthrie is a governess in the Wentworth house. In love with Bennett Wentworth, brother to her young charge, she does not realize the family harbours a secret, well beyond the scope of her imaginings. Ashamed of the family curse, the werewolf hero has vowed never to marry, denying the very real attraction he feels for her. It takes a tangle in time to uncover their secret passions, and bring the two together. The only problem is the same glitch in time threatens to tear them asunder.
“The Golden Harp” Serving a bond of debt, Callie Harper chafes under the rule of the ogre, Alfred. When a new girl escapes Alfred's clutches, Callie is sent to retrieve her from the protection of Jack Spriggins, the upstart looking to undermine Alfred's rule of the criminal world.
All Callie has to do to gain her freedom is to overcome her conscience, and her blossoming love for Jack.
Definition of adventure (taken from dictionary.com):
1. an exciting or very unusual experience.
2. participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit of adventure.
3. a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertain outcome.
4. a commercial or financial speculation of any kind; venture.
Considering this, indicates most romance novels I've read contained adventure as a major ingredient. No, not all of them have been futuristic, sci-fi, fantasy or paranormal. Many of them have been historical romances.
Yep, many historical romances tell tales where the characters go through adventures. From Mary Jo Putney to Nora Roberts to Amanda Quick - adventure seems to be a favorite story additive, especially when you consider the huge popularity of certain movies:
Twilight quad
Star Wars (IV, V, VI)
Indiana Jones
The Mummy
Pirates of the Caribbean
Harry Potter Saga
These are some of the biggest films out there, and they've been enjoyed by viewers of all ages.
What do they have to do with anything? Despite the fact that they're paranormal, fantasy and/or sci-fi, the adventure is what makes them popular. Yes, they add to the escapism, transport you to another place or another time, but that's not all they do. These movies take the reader on a fantastic adventure with danger and excitement around every corner.
What these movies do is no different from what Mary Jo Putney did in her story, Silk and Secrets. I don't have the book in front of my because I read it quite a bit ago, but I remember that I liked it, I remember that the main character, Ross, went on an adventure, why this time, I can't remember. I just know that this adventure takes place in foreign, dangerous lands and there are some very well-done action scenes with desert tribes.
Ice Blue, a contemporary novel by Anne Stuart, takes place in the US (California, I think, but I can't remember exactly where) and overseas, sort of. Basically, the two main characters are enmeshed in a dangerous web and need to survive. Sure, you could say it's "survival," but isn't that just a fancy name for adventure?
No matter the setting, adventure is adventure, and that seems to be what I seek. However, I've come to expect certain things from regular adventure stories. Story staples I guess you could call them. The best adventure stories I read usually have the following with them:
1. Map of the area the story takes place in, to help the reader orient themselves and get a feel for the terrain.
2. Glossary of terms and/or people - not required, but when there are a lot of different terms whose definitions are integral to understanding the story or a lot people to keep straight, a list can be essential and prevents the need for repeating certain information, unless it's absolutely necessary.
For example, this latest book I'm reading, Servant of a Dark God by John D. Brown, both references are handy because there are a lot of different types of races to keep straight, and the relationships from one race to the next can be complex. Plus, the territory isn't something you're automatically familiar with, so the map helps to orient the reader within the setting.
Not all adventure stories have these two things, but they do a superb job of creating the setting with narrative and dialogue as well as developing the characters through dialogue and actions.
That being said, every time I read an adventure story - historical, contemporary, futuristic, etc. - if there isn't a map and the characters travel to multiple locations during the story, I always wish there was a map so you could get an idea of where these different locations are relative to each other. I don't know, I guess I just like to look at maps, know where the characters are going because, generally speaking, I'm going along for the ride and I always like to know where I am! :)
Besides a map and list of terms/people, something else extremely important to an adventure story is character development. Sure, yeah, I know that most of you say this is a must for any good story, but I say a requirement for an adventure story.
Why is character development more important for an adventure story over others?
Well, as with stories in other genres, as lame as the adventure itself might be, the characters will be carrying the story, but that's not the only reason. Given any adventure, there are lulls in action - down times - for the characters while they wait for the next part of the adventure to begin.
Well-defined characters will always present interesting situations during those "down" times. For example, in a romance novel, the down time is usually when the first (or expected) sexual/sensual connection will occur. But that's not usually the case with non-romance adventure stories. Down time does not have that kind of fallback to move the story along. Sometimes, the chapter ends when the character goes to sleep and picks back up when they're awake or a scene break occurs and the reader gets a glimpse into something happening in another area of world.
However, resting points for the characters are great way to inject chaos and mayhem. One of the characters may run into an old friend who happens to be able to supply information that seems unnecessary at the time. Or, bump into someone, making them angry. Of course there's also one of my favorite ploys - a bounty hunter or someone the character is trying to avoid shows up, forcing some funny or dangerous situations.
These ploys are not unlike some of the situations in Amanda Quick novels. In one of them (sorry, can't remember the name), the main characters (man and woman) find themselves trapped in a brothel they were searching by the villain(s) of the story, so the pair hides in a prostitute's room, but realize that bad guy(s) isn't leaving, so they need to change the plan a bit - they pay the prostitute for some of the clothes she has, dressing the high society lady as a brothel wench, effectively disguising her enough to get her out of harm's way for the moment.
Injecting chaos and mayhem is important to most stories because it adds some humor, but it also complicates matters and makes the end goal that much harder to reach. Adventure stories need obstacles and side missions to stretch out and interfere with the task at hand to add complexity and depth to the story line.
However, these scenes don't work if the character isn't well-defined. The last thing an adventure reader wants to do is question why a character does what he or she does. By this I mean that the character's actions must match their personality. Do they apologize to the guy they bump into...stare them down into silence...ignore them?
Of course, what the character does here will reflect the personality painted from the beginning.
If a character is quick to believe something about someone or believe information from them, readers want to really be able to understand why. If a character doesn't confront another character about something, they want to know why, and that reason must make total sense to the reader and jive with what the reader knows of the character or the reader may not continue reading.
Today, she's here promoting her newest Fantasy Trilogy,
The Teadai Prophecies
Before we get to the books, let's take a look at our interview with Dana:
MLM: Do you have any holiday memories from 2010 that you would like to share with us? (Memories can be nice and sweet, naughty, or just plain goofy!)
DANA: Funny you should ask. Three days into our holiday staycation, hubby and I were biking. He decided to turn left and I went right. I rear-ended him and found myself flat out on the street. Turns out I cracked a rib. So instead of all the hiking and biking we’d planned, we spent our two weeks off playing Scrabble and watching videos. Hubby made some yummy treats and I think my butt got bigger. Yep. It did. I’m still healing and hope to be back on my bike in another couple of weeks or so.
MLM: With the beginning of each New Year, many people make resolutions to change something about their lives. Do you make resolutions each year? Why or why not? In other words, what’s your philosophy behind your decision to make or not to make resolutions?
DANA: Resolution, what’s that? But seriously, I love my life and I don’t do a specific New Year’s resolution because I tend to make little ones all year long. Like, get more writing done. Or take more breaks from writing to work out. Or do more little things for hubby to let him know I love him. Stuff like that. I’ve found that if I make them a little at a time, I tend to actually get them done.
MLM: The buzz all over Tweetland and Facebook is how stressful many of us tend to find the holiday season (Thanksgiving through the New Year). This year they’ve seemed to be even more so with everything that’s been going on in the US and abroad. Stress isn’t usually conducive to writing, so we need to shed that stress, clear our minds so the words will follow. How do you plan on recharging your soul? Any relaxation tips you’d like to share?
DANA: I used to stress out over every little thing and still have tendencies in that direction. But I’ve gotten a lot better dealing with it. For me it’s exercise, meditation, and reading. Some people have genuine things to worry about so you really have to put things in perspective and decide what’s really worth stressing over and what isn’t. Your holiday dinner not coming out perfect won’t cause the universe to implode. And I know this from experience because I’m still here. After having been through multiple job losses and family deaths, dealing with an inner ear disease, and having our house on the market, the holidays are a breeze for us!
MLM: One of the greatest things about the Internet is that we can connect with writers of all kinds from all over the globe so we want to know:
a.) What area of the country/world are you from?
DANA: My home is Los Angeles, California but hubby and I have been living in the Phoenix, Arizona area for the past twelve years.
b.) What are the average temperatures of your area?
DANA: Phoenix is a desert so summers are scorching, above 110F degrees most days. Winter days are usually in the 60s with 40s at night. We joke about fall and spring being a great week out of the year.
c.) What type of clothing would most residents be wearing today?
DANA: Desert rats are wimps when it gets cold. And this goes for those of us from LA, too. Our highs are in the low 60s this entire week so jackets are in order here.
d.) What tips do you have for people to “survive” the weather where you are?
DANA: In summers you need to stay inside from around 10am – 3pm. That’s the hottest part of the day. When you do go out, make sure to have plenty of water with you, wear a hat and lots of sunblock. And wear sunglasses year-round. The sun is so strong here that it can cause eye problems if you don’t protect those lovely orbs.
MLM: Say you’re at a cabin in the mountains, and it’s not exactly warm out and you had the option of where you wanted your hot tub to be. Would you have the hot tub inside or outside the cabin? Why?
DANA: I love being outside in a hot tub, but being a wimp about the cold and all, I would only go in when the sun is out. Or else buy one of those patio heaters to put next to it. Okay, those of you from colder climates can stop laughing now.
MLM: If you could go anywhere in the world for the holidays, where would you choose to go? Why that destination over others?
DANA: Well, hubby and I love to travel and have been to many places around the world, so our holidays are spent at home and we really like it that way. We’re hoping to move back home to LA this year if possible. Arizona is nice but there’s nothing like being in California for the holidays. We really miss the beach and walking on the strand in winter or hanging out at the pier eating seafood.
MLM: We’ve had our fun, now it’s time to switch the focus to your writing. Why fantasy? What was the draw for you?
DANA: I’ve always loved fantasy, even as a kid. I’m an escapist, I guess. When the real world is ticking me off or just plain stressful, I can get lost someplace else very far from this reality. I used to get in trouble for daydreaming in school. And I grew up in the entertainment field. I worked in Hollywood and for Disney. Can’t get much more fantastical than that.
MLM: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please look beyond words hot, steamy, mysterious, paranormal etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.
DANA: Escape and enjoyment about sums it up.
MLM: Earlier we discussed stress and the holidays. While stress may not always be conducive to writing, do you find that the holidays disrupt your writing schedule? If so, how? How tough is it to get yourself back in writing mode? What does it take to get you back on track?
DANA: The only time my writing is disrupted is when we have company or hubby is off and we want to play. This past holiday I actually got more writing done than I thought I would since I’m injured. I can’t do too much physical stuff just now but typing doesn’t hurt. It’s very easy for me to get back to my writing after a break because my head would explode if I didn’t get all those stories out of it. I tend to get cranky when I don’t write.
MLM: Earlier we asked you about where you’d put the hot tub. Does this show through in your writing? If so, give some examples how, please!
DANA: One of my characters has a hot tub in the Desert Magick series. Does that count? I tend to have my characters outside quite a bit, especially in my fantasy books. Even though I don’t enjoy camping, I love going on nature walks and just being outside. I think that comes through in a lot of my work. In the Teadai Prophecies trilogy, nature is important so the characters do a lot of outdoor living. They also do a lot of traveling.
MLM: Who decides what the characters/creatures you write about do, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one pouring the soap in the Jacuzzi?
DANA: My muse is a busy and bossy lady so I get bossed around by my characters all the time. In one of my books, I had originally planned to kill off a certain character. When it came time to write the scene, she wouldn’t let me. I tried and tried to get it to work but it just wouldn’t. In another novel, I ended up killing a character that I hadn’t planned to because it didn’t work any other way. That, and he told me to do it. Really.
MLM: Of all the stories you’ve written, which creature/character did you have the most fun creating and why?
DANA: I have fun with each book I write or else I wouldn’t be interested in telling the story. Same goes for characters. I enjoy creating strong female leads so readers will find them in all of my novels. When you get two or more headstrong women together, things tend to get interesting, especially when they’re stuck together in a situation they don’t particularly enjoy. And of course villains are always fun to write. I get to do things I would never do in real life and get away with it.
MLM: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?
DANA: I’ve been asked this question many times by many different people and my answer is always the same. I would be afraid to meet any of my characters in real life. They’d beat the living daylights out of me for what I do to them in my novels.
MLM: Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?
DANA: Hmm, let’s see. That would be any character with magical powers. Any who know how to use a weapon or could beat me up. And any character I’ve done bad things to. So, that pretty much covers all of them. Okay, those who scare me the most in the Teadai Prophecies series are also the most beautiful. The Vedi are husband and wife leaders of the Gypsies. As a go-between for the Goddess and their people, their magic surpasses all the others, and they could do really nasty things to me if they wanted to. Even in my dreams.
Intrigued yet? How about some videos...
Now for some excerpts...
Book 1 - Deadly Fate
BLURB:
What do a mysterious woman, a tavern wench who counts to calm her fears, and several annoying adolescents have in common? They are destined for a magical and uncertain future together. Whether they want it or not.
EXCERPT:
Saldia glanced up. The moon was two days from full harvest glory. Her heart leapt into her throat and her legs began to quiver. She realized she’d stopped when the other woman tugged on her arm.
“Come along, Saldia Trich.” Haranda sounded as though she spoke to a wayward child. A cold breeze rustled the leaves around them but her candle barely flickered. She looked tired, exhausted even.
Saldia flogged back her fear and walked alongside the woman. “I’m Gypsy folk?”
“Yes.”
“But I don’t have powers.”
“You will.”
The two were silent and Saldia counted the trees closest to the road to try and still her dread as she thought about her future. Powers? What kind of Gypsy workings would a tavern wench possess?
Want to win a free copy of Book 1?
Stay tuned until after City of Gods' excerpt!!!
Book 2 - Sage Truth
EXCERPT:
The ledge dropped sharply into the canyon below as the full moon rose above the cliffs and created shadows against the landscape. Adelsik wedged her otherself between a boulder and a massive tree to keep from falling, her back pressed against wet dirt. Rancid smells from nearby putrid root plants caused her to gag, so she envisioned a scarf, and when it appeared, carefully tied it around her nose and mouth. If that didn’t keep her stomach under control, she would secure yet another across her face. It worked and the smell no longer made her gut heave. Distant howls filled the stagnant night air and she shivered. More illusions to frighten her, make her submit.
This isn’t real. It’s just the Netherworld. I’m slumbering.
The ground gave a sudden shake and she lost her footing. One hand managed to grip a large branch that cut into her otherself’s skin, and she struggled to keep from plunging into the canyon below. She still harnessed the Energy from previous attempts at changing this nightmare the stranger had created and put all her fear and strength into altering the landscape once again. The
quake stopped and the canyon began to turn into the sandy beach she was so familiar with here in the Netherworld. But the image didn’t last. Sweat slicked the skin of her otherself from failed attempts to change the landscape, and she clung desperately to the jutting branch as her feet dangled off the edge of the cliff.
Book 3 - City of Gods
EXCERPT:
Pim laughed and Cass couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped. Eletha wasn’t one to go into water without at least her tunic and underbreeches, said it felt too much like bathing. Perhaps the recent tree deaths had knocked all sense from her. Cass caught movement in her corner vision.
Brak, a large man even if he wasn’t Bankari, stopped short of the bank and scratched at a facial scar. “You mad, woman? Get yourself out of there before you catch a death.” He never said much to the others but always had an opinion where Eletha was concerned.
The little, fiery-haired woman, who seemed to enjoy taunting him, laughed and splashed the shore in a flurry of arm and leg movements. “You big dolt! Gypsies don’t get ill!” A huge grin revealed a number of teeth.
With that, Brak grunted and walked off, mumbling to himself.
Eletha splashed around until he disappeared behind one of the supply wagons before she climbed out, shivering. She didn’t seem concerned with covering her nakedness.
Pim eyed her up and down. “That a way to get attention. Not a man alive can keep eyes from a naked woman.”
Be sure to leave a comment to win an ecopy of Book 1!!!
Dana's choosing the lucky winner so be sure to leave your email addy!!!
If I were to resolve to do one thing differently than I did last year, it would be to adopt a more positive outlook on things. Last year was really tough for me with all of the medical crises in my family and the loss of my aunt, so I found it real hard to maintain a positive attitude about anything. And although this year started with the disturbing news that my older sister - who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer - has just learned that she has lupus, too, I am going to try my best not to let that deter me from adopting a more positive mindset.
One of the things that made last year so difficult to bear was the ease with which negativity can take over your life. It is an insidious thing, creeping in from all angles and overrunning anything that can possibly make you happy. I was not happy last year. I was miserable. I don't want to spend another year like that. I want to be more upbeat and optimistic. I want to look more on the good side of things and not the bad. I want to feel like life is wondrous again.
So I am making a goal now to do this for myself. I am going to try to look on the bright side more often and to stop thinking the world is out to get me. I want to stop feeling like a victim and feel more like a victor. I want to be Pollyanna in a Charlie Brown world - well, okay, maybe that's carrying it a bit far, but I think you get what I mean.
Toward that end, I am on the search for inspiration - and perhaps a little motivation. Let's start with a quote from Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." Smart guy, that Henry.
What are some of your favorite inspirational quotes?
Welcome Back Kat Martin!!!
Yes, we've brought Kat Martin back into the moonlight
to spotlight the start of her newest series, The Raines of Wind Canyon,
Against the Wind
Before we get to Against the Wind, let's check out her interview:
MLM: Do you have any holiday memories from 2010 that you would like to share with us? (Memories can be nice and sweet, naughty, or just plain goofy!)
KAT: We had a wonderful snowy Christmas in Montana. In fact, it snowed and snowed and snowed. By the end of February I am starting to HATE snow, but in December it is sooo romantic and wonderful.
MLM: With the beginning of each New Year, many people make resolutions to change something about their lives. Do you make resolutions each year? Why or why not? In other words, what’s your philosophy behind your decision to make or not to make resolutions?
For those who do make resolutions:
MLM: We’re inquiring minds and we want to know:
a.) Do you take your resolutions seriously, or do you find you’re just going through the motions?
b.) What kind of resolutions do you make?
c.) How successful are you at achieving your resolutions? Do you ever find yourself making the same one, year after year?
d.) What resolutions, if any, you’ve made turned out to be extremely difficult or utterly impossible? What made those resolutions so challenging?
KAT:
a.) I’ve made the same resolution over and over for years. I decided not to make one this year because I always break it!
b.) I resolve that I will stop swearing when I get mad or frustrated, a bad habit I learned in college and would give anything to break.
c.) Yup and no, not very successful, in fact an utter failure.
d.) It’s a challenge because it’s been sooo many years since I started and its such a hard habit to break.
MLM: The buzz all over Tweetland and Facebook is how stressful many of us tend to find the holiday season (Thanksgiving through the New Year). This year they’ve seemed to be even more so with everything that’s been going on in the US and abroad. Stress isn’t usually conducive to writing, so we need to shed that stress, clear our minds so the words will follow. How do you plan on recharging your soul? Any relaxation tips you’d like to share?
KAT: Well, currently we have traveled from Montana to California. We’re out of the snow and spending time at the beach. That is somewhat restful. Though to tell you the truth, having three books out in a row is a major stress, plus I have more coming in the next few months, some re-issues, some new books. So I am trying to stay cool--and pretty much failing.
MLM: One of the greatest things about the Internet is that we can connect with writers of all kinds from all over the globe so we want to know:
a.) What area of the country/world are you from?
b.) What are the average temperatures of your area?
c.) What type of clothing would most residents be wearing today?
d.) What tips do you have for people to “survive” the weather where you are?
KAT:
a.) I was born in California, now live most of the year in Montana.
b.) In Ca where I was born, it was a hot, hot. In Montana, it’s very, very cold.
c.) In Ca, rain gear. In Montana, snow overalls!
d.) They can bask in the sun here in sunny CA. In MT you have to be more hearty.
MLM: Say you’re at a cabin in the mountains, and it’s not exactly warm out and you had the option of where you wanted your hot tub to be. Would you have the hot tub inside or outside the cabin? Why?
KAT: Oh, outside for sure. Hot, hot water, and snow on the ground. There is nothing better.
MLM: If you could go anywhere in the world for the holidays, where would you choose to go? Why that destination over others?
KAT: The south of France. Nice and Monte Carlo. I’ve been there and it is just the very best! The food is incredible and so is the scenery. And who doesn’t like the way it sounds when people speak French?
MLM: We’ve had our fun, now it’s time to switch the focus to your writing. Why Romantic Suspense? What was the draw for you?
KAT: After forty plus historical romances I was just simply ready for a change. I wanted to be able to expand my writing, use more variations of language, time, place, characters. It just opens up a whole new world.
MLM: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please look beyond words hot, steamy, mysterious, paranormal etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.
KAT: “I couldn’t put it down.” That’s what I’d like people to say about my book. I try to keep a reader so engrossed in the story they can’t stop reading.
MLM: Earlier we discussed stress and the holidays. While stress may not always be conducive to writing, do you find that the holidays disrupt your writing schedule? If so, how? How tough is it to get yourself back in writing mode? What does it take to get you back on track?
KAT: The thing is, living in Montana, I am way out in the country. It’s a 70 mile round trip to the show. So there aren’t a lot of distractions. I bring the stress on myself, just from wanting my books to do well. Also, it’s easier not to get distracted when the holiday events are in the evening. I can write all day, feel as if I’m getting my work done and still have fun at night.
MLM: Earlier we asked you about where you’d put the hot tub. Does this show through in your writing? If so, give some examples how, please!
KAT: I love the outdoors. Against the Wind is set in Wyoming. The scenery is gorgeous. You would definitely want to be outside in your hot tub!
MLM: Who decides what the characters/creatures you write about do, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over your story, or is the muse always the one pouring the soap in the Jacuzzi?
KAT: I used to do a lot of plotting ahead of time, letting my left brain do the work, but over the years, my muse has pushed harder, done more of the work. I’m learning to trust myself in that regard.
MLM: Of all the stories you’ve written, which creature/character did you have the most fun creating and why?
KAT: I like writing heroes better than heroines, though I enjoy the ladies, too. But Jackson Raines of Against the Wind was one of my favorites. What a hunk. And his brother Devlin totally won my heart. I think they are just so strong, so dependable, and so very male.
MLM: If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters in real life, who would it be and why?
KAT: That is a scary thought! It’s one thing to meet them on paper, another to meet one of them in real life! Jackson would be easy, let a woman off the hook, you know? Not make her nervous. Gabe is strong and dependable, fairly easy to talk to. Dev is so good looking he would make me tongue- tied.
MLM: Which of your characters would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?
KAT: Any of my villains. They are usually fairly ruthless. Particularly wouldn’t like to meet the arsonist in Against the Fire.
Interested yet?
Let's turn to the book now. Against the Wind. After the murder of her estranged husband, Andrew, Sarah Holister is forced to leave behind her life in Santa Monica, California and return to a place she thought she left long behind her - Wind Canyon, Wyoming. While his death freed her from a man she'd been afraid of, it didn't cut the ties with his business "partners". His business partners are somewhat shady, and leave her quaking in her "boots". [Sorry for the pun, couldn't resist, lol!]
She thought heading back to Wind Canyon - back home - would keep her safe, but she couldn't have been more wrong! Of all the luck, the owner of the property she rented happened to be none other than Jackson Raines!
Oh, what happened between them wasn't earth shattering, but it was bad enough. Desperate to be part of the in-crowd, Sarah humiliated him in front of a good portion of the high school when he asked her out to prom. A scene he'd likely never forget! He probably still hated her.
Not only does she have enemies from her dead husband's life to deal with, she now has demons from her past to fight too. Out of the frying pan and into the fire...
But what kind of fire? Sarah Hollister couldn't prepare herself for the fire waiting behind the eyes, and in the heart of Jackson Raines!
I wasn’t sure what to blog about, but tweaking this month’s interview questions got me to thinking about Resolutions. Many of us make them, and most of us struggle to keep them or fail miserably.
It’s pretty much the same with diets or other life changes. We try and inevitably we fail.
Why?
Well, from what the experts and my own experience tells me, we try too much too fast – our bodies and our mind just can’t adapt fast enough.
Yes, we can by nature, adapt to many different things, but when you add the stress of changing what you’re used to, forget it!
This led me to wonder why, after all of my failed attempts, did I finally manage to quit drinking soda, and caffeine in general?
I realized because it was the only bad habit I focused on, so all of my efforts went into correcting just one bad habit, not two or three. Plus, it helped a lot that I sort of, “got to know my body” without caffeine before I began to consider any other bad habits.
I know, it sounds strange, but my body seems radically different now that I’m not drinking Coca Cola. At this point, I know the caffeine had something to do with it, but I’m feeling the exhaustion and stiffness so much more now than I was before. It’s not pain, but exhaustion and stiffness. I’m tired all the time. I can sleep 12 hours, get up and fall asleep 4 hours later or sooner.
However, there are days where I fall asleep before 10pm, sleep until 1 or 2am and then I’m up all day long. Of course, I’m dragging. So basically, I’m tired all the time and my muscles are always stiff.
Because of the depth of these physical issues, I need to let my body, and my mind get its bearings before I even think of the next bad habit I want to fix. The stiffness and exhaustion are very emotionally stressful, so if I’m not prepared enough to handle that on a day-to-day basis and slog through my day, any change I do make could compromise all the good I’ve done so far. I have yet to have a set back with soda yet, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think, “I could really go for a soda right now,” or, “I wasn’t feeling this tired all the time when I was drinking soda…”
You know what, that may be true, the caffeine in the soda kept me “up” all the time. In fact, the “up” was so bad that I had a terrible time winding down at the end of a day and suffered from regular bouts of insomnia.
It’s been almost 3 months with no soda and about 2 without caffeine altogether – outside of the minute traces in tiny pieces of chocolate here and there – and my sleeping habits are more erratic than they’ve ever been. It was one thing to be able to sleep during the day, wake up at about 3pm to start my day, but my current sleeping pattern is ridiculous. I fall asleep somewhere between 9 and 10pm - usually in a chair – wake up somewhere between 1 to 2am, end up awake for a couple of hours anywhere until about 10am, get exhausted and fall asleep in my bed for a few more hours (3 or 4). But that’s not the worst of it. There are days - like this past Saturday – where I can sleep all day with the exception to get up and pee and drink water.
I admit I used to sleep like this on the weekends when I was younger (couldn’t during the week because I had school and I wasn’t working yet). At least once or twice a month, I would be so tired that I would sleep all night Friday night, get up the next morning, pee and eat, then turn right back around and go to bed and sleep for the rest of the day – maybe waking up at dinner time. I would pee and eat if I was hungry, but I wasn’t always, and then go back to bed. I wouldn’t feel like myself until late Sunday night, sometimes Monday morning.
We never figured out why this occurred because by the time I got into 7th grade, I had a lot more homework, especially over the weekends, and needed the caffeine to stay awake and function, especially since I began exhibiting night owl tendencies then already. It was always easier for me to sleep during the day than at night. Plus, I haven’t met an alarm I couldn’t sleep through. If mom didn’t wake me up every morning, I never would have made it to school…ever! My alarm would be blaring away, and I’m still out like a light. She had to physically shake me awake. It’s always been annoying.
I’ve talked to people about it over the years, and they had assumed that it had something to do with the caffeine. Well, I’m drinking any caffeine and it’s still an issue.
So what now?
Well, I want to tackle some of my other bad eating habits next, but I’m going to give things another month to see if my sleeping patterns are able to correct themselves. It’s quite possible that this goofy schedule is just something my body needs to go through while it fully adjusts to no caffeine and no soda. It doesn’t help that I’m still clogged – though seeing remarked improvement – and my ears are itchy.
As usual, I slipped off topic slightly, but I hope you'll see what I'm getting at, if not, I'll clarify. You need to remember that a bad habit isn't developed over night, but over a period of weeks, months or even years and isn't something you break in a day or two, sometimes, it does take weeks or months to truly break a bad habit.
The trick about bad habits is that you have to realize it's also about retraining your body and mind, including your very thought processes. For example, if you plan on quitting smoking, you'll probably gain weight because we always substitute one addiction for another. So, you have to find something you can retrain your brain to want instead of said bad habit.
I realize it's a bit more complicated than training your brain to want carrots or pretzels instead of cigarettes, but it is essentially just that. Sure, there's that pesky nicotine to deal with, but you have to realize that there are 2 parts an addiction. You have to consider every time you do this bad habit - such as smoking after eating, or on break at work etc. - and start first by replacing one specific instance of smoking a cigarette with something else - chewing gum, eating a couple of pretzels, eating a carrot, whatever. The longer you've been smoking, or performing said bad habit, the more ingrained into your behavior it is, so you need to give your body time to adjust with the one less smoking instance and get used to the new activity.
It takes work to give up any addiction, every day you need to be vigilant about the way you deal with it, or you will find yourself slipping. That's the thing with certain addictions or habits, there's two parts to tackle. It isn't just about dealing with an addiction to nicotine or caffeine, it's about the set habits of when you perform the bad habit that makes it even harder to quit.
Case in point, I find that while I don't necessarily miss the caffeine in my diet, I miss having that bubbly, caramely beverage with a meal, or when I have popcorn. Water is lacking. However, if I were to start drinking carbonated water, that would put on a slippery slope I don't want to be on because it's just one step away from drinking that soda. I have to adjust to being without that bubbly beverage when I eat, plain and simple.
That's the trick with any bad habit, you have to gradually replace instances of the bad habit with instances of the good one - gradually. I'd say about 2 to 3 weeks is a good length of time from one small step to the next. That's about how I did it. I first stopped drinking soda and instead drank tea as highly caffeinated as the soda and gave myself some time to get used to it. Then, because it really wasn't the caffeine I wanted, but the soda, my caffeine in take gradually became replaced with water. Now, I drink virtually 0 caffeine a day.
To put things into full perspective:
I've been trying to lose weight for years, and not succeeding. I've had the excuse of an under-active thyroid being the culprit - so not the case. I had to look at everything. Since my Coca Cola addiction seemed to be the worst of my bad eating habits, I started with that. All of my other bad habits are tied to it.
I find that, now that I don't drink soda, I do not have outright regular cravings for candy bars anymore. I used to consume candy bars and Coca Cola hand-in-hand. So, in a way, I've really dealt with two addictions by eliminating the one.
This is why it's so important to fully understand how all of your bad habits work. Knowing how connected your bad habits are to one another, you'll be able to devise a game plan that will set you up to succeed rather than fail.
With that, I’m zonked, so I’m headed for a nap.
What about you? What bad habits have you resolved to get eliminate from your life this year? What's your plan of attack on being successful with your New Year’s Resolution(s)?
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