24
Dec
Well, it’s Christmas Eve and I’m gearing up for much wrapping of the presents and baking of the cookies in preparation for the festivities this evening. We’ll probably watch a couple of holiday movies with the kiddos after dinner and then scoot them off to bed so I can finish up with the “Santa” presents.
My big dilemma is choosing what I’ll be watching tonight to keep myself awake until the wee hours of the morning when I finally put on the last bow and curl the last ribbon. Last year there was a Ghost Hunters marathon running on Christmas Eve (sweeeeet!), but this year there are no such happy circumstances. So, I’m thinking we might have to resume our catch-up sessions of past seasons of Supernatural. Either that or a never-ending loop of The Christmas Story, which is my fallback choice each year. Tough call. I might just have to see what kind of mood I’m in by the time the kids settle down long enough to actually go to sleep. 
Whatever holiday you’re celebrating this time of year, I hope it’s filled with the love of family and friends and your own special traditions. Here’s wishing everyone a very happy holiday season and peace, happiness, and publishing success in the new year!
3
Dec
While several of my friends were participating in the NaNoWriMo challenge last month, I didn’t do jack.
Okay, well, that’s not completely true. I spent the first couple of weeks working on some more edits to Red (check back in January for more on that) and then started editing a previous project that needs to have about 100 pages hacked out of it. I managed to get about three chapters into that project–which I decided to take an entirely new direction–and completely stalled out.
I ran out of steam.
After having written four complete novels over the last couple of years, I simply needed to recharge a bit. So I took a break.
I spent some time getting my house ready for the holidays by cleaning out clothes and toys to take to various charities around town, I moved furniture, caught up on some of my favorite TV shows that were bogging down our DVR, read a Lara Adrian novel I’d been saving until I could sit down and savor every word, and generally vegged out for a couple of weeks.
It felt great!
Of course, even though I wasn’t actively writing (or rewriting) anything, my mind was still churning with ideas and dialogue and plot twists. I did my best to jot things down as they came to me, sure, but I wasn’t sitting in front my laptop pounding out a 1,000 words per day, and so guilt is starting to set in.
I feel like such a slacker!
Unfortunately, with the holidays just around the corner, I’ll probably spend most of December doing much of the same–simply because to try to stick to a daily goal in December is just setting myself up for frustration. But come January, I fully intend to immerse myself in my projects once again and maybe even start on my next novel.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a few episodes of Ghost Hunters and Supernatural that are calling my name…
20
Nov
As we approach Thanksgiving here in the U.S., I find myself reflecting on my blessings this year. With all the craziness of working full-time, being a wife and mom, and trying to get my writing career off the ground, it’s easy to forget why I’m doing all of this in the first place. So, I’m putting my daily chaos on pause to take a moment and count just a few of my blessings:
1) A handsome hubby who can fix both computers and cars (a skill set that has come in handy just within the last week or two, as luck would have it), and yet is still adorably geeky enough to enjoy watching sci-fi, horror, and/or fantasy movies with me.
2) Two fabulous sons who are my biggest fans. They are my little rays of sunshine even on the darkest days. With Professor, my biggest concern is keeping him challenged in school and satisfying his insatiable quest for knowledge. With Moose, it’s encouraging his never ending enthusiasm for experiencing absolutely everything with unabashed zeal while helping him to contain that ebullience just a little bit while others are talking.
3) Laughter. Simple as that. I love to laugh, and I do so often–loudly and without reserve. It’s the best feeling ever.
4) Friends and family who love me and keep me going. It’s great to have my own cheering section. Thanks, gang!
5) Pumpkin pie. (Hey, it’s almost Thanksgiving. How could I not be thinking of my mother-in-law’s amazing pies?)
6) My house. It’s not my dream home by any stretch of the imagination. But it’s mine. When so many have lost their homes in recent years, I’m grateful that we are still safe and warm every night.
7) Good health. Enough said.
8 ) Other writers–both published and unpublished. It’s wonderful to have friends–old and new–who are going through the same trials and tribulations as I am. And I am so appreciative of those who are willing to share their wisdom and offer their time to help others break into the ‘biz.
9) COFFEE!!! (Oh, sweet nectar of the gods…where would I be without you?)
10) Love. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel the warmth and comfort of knowing that someone loves me. I might not be a millionaire, but when it comes to this treasure, I am truly wealthy.
Here’s wishing all of you many blessings of your own!
M.
31
Oct
One of my favorite things about Halloween is the plethora of horror movies on TV. Unfortunately, this year’s offerings have been a bit of a disappointment, in my opinion (no matter what a certain network’s promos would lead you to believe).
I’m not into the slasher films like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street or the other iconic horror flicks of their ilk, so there’ll be no marathons involving Jason or Freddie at my house. But give me a movie featuring vampires, ghosts, or werewolves, and I’m good to go! And if you can throw in a creepy kid as the villain–even better!
Now, if (like me) you’re looking for something fun to watch after the trick-or-treaters have packed it in for the night but just can’t find anything while flipping through the channels, don’t be afraid to go digging back through the decades for some oldies but goodies. Or even go out on a limb and try a foreign horror film (with subtitles, natch).
If you need some ideas, here are a few of my faves:
1) The Changeling starring George C. Scott
2) Silver Bullet starring Corey Haim
3) Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Gary Oldman
4) House of Wax starring Vincent Price
5) The Bad Seed starring Patty McCormack
6) The Omen (1976 version) starring Gregory Peck
7) Gin gwai (The Eye) starring Angelica Lee
8) House on Haunted Hill (1959 version) starring Vincent Price
9) John Carpenter’s Vampires starring James Woods
10) The Fall of the House of Usher starring Vincent Price
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive. I’m also a fan of some of the more mainstream movies like Underworld (the Director’s Cut), the Blade series, the various zombie movies (even though they seriously freak me out), and all the campy, low-budget movies that show up on cable every weekend. But if you want to watch a quality film that will give you the chills this Halloween, give one from my list a try.
And, most importantly, have a safe and happy Halloween!!
Ah, technology! It’s a wonderful thing…when it works.
As you might have noticed, we experienced a few technical difficulties during the Thanksgiving holiday, courtesy of a hard drive that bit the big one. Thankfully, Handsome Hubby was able to get me back up and running while somehow still making it to all the family gatherings and partaking of the mass quantities of food our respective families insisted on forcing upon us (well, except maybe the pumpkin pie; no strong-arming us there–bring it on!).
In addition to getting the site rebuilt, my HH has made a few updates and “tweaks,” so please be patient as we try to get all the kinks worked out. If you notice something that isn’t working exactly as it should, drop me an email and let me know.
All the technical stuff aside, I just wanted to say thanks to all my friends and family and random readers who have been following my blog and offering their words of encouragement. You guys keep me going!
And, last but not least, muchas gracias to my Webmaster/Handsome Hubby for working on my website even though he was on vacation and the last thing he wanted to do was work on someone else’s server. Thanks, honey!
Maura
30
Nov
What kind of a paranormal romance writer would I be if I didn’t take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Halloween? This is one of my favorite holidays — just ask my day-job colleagues who are baffled by the fact that I leave my pumpkin lights up in my office all year!
I think part of the fun for me is that my youngest sister’s birthday is on October 31st, so it was always a huge party! Another aspect of Halloween that appeals to me is the fact that it’s the last hoorah before the craziness of Thanksgiving and Christmas begins. (Just thinking about the next two months makes me tense.)
But, of course, my favorite part of Halloween is the fabulous smorgasbord of monster/horror movies that inundate the airwaves today! I would do nothing but chill in front of the TV with popcorn and a Diet Coke if I could, but, alas, there’s far too much partying and trick-or-treating to be had! Thank God for DVR, that’s all I’m saying. My scary movie marathon will have to wait until tonight after the rest of the festivities and after the kiddies come crashing down from their sugar highs and eventually fall into bed. Then my big decision will be if I should numb out my brain on vampires or ghosts or werewolves or zombies… Oh, the choices!
So, here’s wishing you and all your little goblins and ghosties a wonderfully ghoulish and delightfully creepy Halloween!
Maura
(Originally posted – you guessed it! – Oct 31)
