Mountains

I love mountains. Tall ones, short ones, rocky ones, grassy ones, and snowy ones. I love them all. I'll be leaving the swamps of Louisiana for the Smokies of Tennessee on Saturday. Renting a cabin. No phone. No internet. Oh, all right, I'm taking my cell phone, just in case, but you get the idea. Just me and hubby with no interruptions. I'm hoping a bit of inspiration comes along and gives me an idea to set a story there. Then I can use the excuse to go back sooner than next year. And I can write it off as a business trip. ;)

So, anyway, I will be away for a week or so. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. With photos.

Review

I just had to post this. Billie Jo from Romance Junkies posted this review of my book, Fugue Macabre: Ghost Dance.

Title: Fugue Macabre Ghost Dance

Author: CJ ParkerDARK & EDGY - 5 out of 5

Blurb: Dr. Tabatha Gray doesn't have a particular fondness for the dead, but the dead have a desperate affinity for her. Tabatha has always considered her ability a curse, but soon discovers it may be the only thing that can save her and her friends' lives.

Detective Derek Bainbridge tries to ignore the connection he feels for this possibly dangerous necromancer, but he instinctively knows she is the one person who can solve a string of brutal child killings.Family secrets, lies and treachery combine to make Tabatha's efforts harder as she fights to save the Voodoo Killer's latest victim.

GHOST DANCE ROCKS!! On that note, if you do NOT like dark, edgy and sometimes scary, this book is NOT for the faint of heart. Since I absolutely love the really dark books, I was entranced with this. I have not been able to find a fabulous book that can shock or scare me in a long time and GHOST DANCE definitely gave me a thrill.

Thank you CJ Parker for writing a thrilling book that kept me glued to my seat and on edge the entire time I read it. You penned a fantastic tale of a forgotten genre that has not excited me in a long time.

Billie Jo

No. Thank YOU, Billie Jo. You made my week!

Down in the Dumps

It was first draft drivel. I should have known better. But I did it anyway.

I went to a workshop over the weekend in Houma, Louisiana. Overall, I had a good time. Really didn't do much but sit back and listen to other writers talk about the business. But it was more entertaining than watching gulf or ladies basketball.

Now, you're asking why I'm down in the dumps, right?

The organizers of the workshop asked for the first page of a WIP. I've just started one and it's really in the "just write until you get the feel for the story" stage. I should have known better than to hand over that page. I was setting myself up for a reality slap. And I got it.

Molly Bolden (co-owner of Bent Pages book store), Cherry Adair (author), and Betsy Mitchell (editor-in-chief of Del Rey: Science Fiction/Fantasy) were the panel. Tina Callais read the entries, so no one knew whose were whose, thank God. As she went along she noticed time was running out so she decided to just read one or two paragraph from the pages at the end. Yes, mine was at the end. Would they have liked it better if they'd heard the whole page? Doubt it.

The point, boys and girls, is this. Don't, DON'T let anyone have a WIP page. It's not representative of your finished work.

Another thing that bothers me. Not all the entries were read because they ran out of time. Those whose work didn't get read had to have been disappointed. Maybe next time put enough time aside to get to them all. I won't enter again unless I have a decent page to offer. But if I do, I'd feel a bit disenchanted if it went unread. Even if it left me Down in the Dumps.

Guest Speaker

As most of you know, I have a workshop each week at http://xat.com/wordbox 8 Eastern, Tuesday nights.
This week's guest will be Lea Schizas. This is a link to her Web site. http://www.leaschizas.com/
A lot of you will remember Lea from the online conference. Those who don't, check her out. It's going to be a great evening filled with fun and we just may learn something.
Also, we have a few openings for guest speakers for the month of May and June if you're interested.

Bored

Is anyone else sick of seeing Obama every time you turn on the TV or open the newspaper? He is becoming a bore. What's wrong Mr. President? Don't you like the White House? Is something wrong with your desk chair that you have to hop on that plane and keep on the move? Or is it that you just get a kick turning on the TV, or opening the newspaper and seeing your face staring out?

We have real problems in our country. Can't you sit still long enough to work on them instead of being a talking head? You don't have to report your every move to us. Just get busy and fix this mess. And by the way, I'm a bit sick of hearing it isn't your mess, but inherited it from Bush. BS, Mr. President. The problems started way before Bush. This is a multi-prsidented mess. Now hush and just do something about it. If you can.

Talking to myself

Self, you need to get your butt in gear. If you don't write, you can't sell. If you can't sell, you can't make it to the NY Times best seller list. Oh, but wait. Newspapers are in trouble. Soon they will be no more.

I have a hard time seeing a world without my hubby sitting on the couch with a newspaper in front of him. Will he actually have to talk to me? Ha! There's always TV. I have no right to complain. If I'm not in front of this computer, I'm in some dream land trying to work out a scene or, like now, trying to figure out a way to rewrite the first two chapters of The Vision Master, all the while knowing I need to write Fire Dance to finish off the Fugue Macabre trilogy.

Tomorrow we're going to the casino. Nope. We don't have money for the machines, but we have coupons for a free buffet and $15 free play. Now, I'm not stupid. I know I'll end up putting at least a $20 in the machine. Wouldn't it be wonderful if I'd win enough to buy that Kindle I want so badly?

To be honest it's just getting out of this house which makes the trip important. And who knows. It may be what my brain needs to get started again.

I've already won a copy of this book and let me tell you, it's a way over the top good read. Spread the word. Tell Jeannine where you posted this promo and you could win a copy.

Jeannine has a way of putting the gritty reality of life in words YA readers appreciate. She doesn't look down on her readers but sets them right in the middle of the hot skillet that is her character's lives.
*****
C. J. Parker


I can't believe how fast this came! SAY THE WORD will be released on Tuesday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) and THREE SIGNED COPIES will be given away in this contest. All you have to do to enter is:1. Announce THIS CONTEST on your blog/facebook/myspace/etc. You can link to this entry or copy and paste. 2. Then send me back the link to YOUR announcement either by email (jjgarsee at aol dot com) or in the comment section here.That's it! This contest will start today and continue until March 28th. Also, if you mention Say the Word in any other posts between now and March 28th, send me the link to those as well and you will be entered again--each time!
Thank you for spreading the word about SAY THE WORD!AMAZON Book Description: "The world expects perfection from seventeen-year-old Shawna Gallagher, and for the most part, that’s what they get. She dates the right boys, gets good grades, and follows her father’s every rule. But when her estranged lesbian mother dies, it’s more than perfect Shawna can take. Suddenly, anger from being abandoned ten years ago is resurfacing along with Shawna’s embarrassment over her mother’s other family. As she confronts family secrets and questions from the past, Shawna realizes there’s a difference between doing the perfect thing and doing the right thing. "Shawna’s honest and relatable voice will draw readers in and hold them until the last page in this coming-of-age story. Jeannine Garsee has delivered a compulsively readable second novel, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Laurie Halse Anderson."
Reviews"Say the Word explores discrimination and resentment from unique points-of-view, giving its characters a chance for redemption. Some take advantage of the chance; others see no reason to change. Either way, the story is riveting." ALAN Online"Garsee manages to give every character depth and dimension without falling into the trap of making the children too perfect and angelic and the adults imperfect... Readers will believe Shawna’s final transition from doormat to independent thinker." Kirkus"A compelling portrait of a young woman growing up..." Publishers WeeklyA Booklist starred review (April 2009)!