Making a Scene

Photo of extra/production assistant Aaron Curtis

Here are the first photos from my recent film shoot! The commercial is still in post production editing, but I'll be doing a "making of" page on my web site to show just how much work goes into a thirty-second live action shot...as well as to thank all the talented folk who have pitched in to help make my latest Wildest Dream come true. This is my favorite shot of the day...a lucky praying mantis was sitting on the "clapper" during this take! A positive omen for a charmed breeze of a film shoot.


And for good measure, here's Yours Truly clowing around off set by blending two costumed looks in one photo.

More to come...stay tuned!

World Record Wardrobe!!

With a mere four days to go before principal photography on my upcoming commercial, it occurred to me that we're about to set a record--maybe two!

For one thing, I believe this may be the first live action commercial to promote ebook reading in existence. Even more astonishing, however, is the sheer amount of WARDROBE required for one thirty-second spot.

Part of a thousand pre-production preparations for this promo has been selecting, fitting, and test shooting said wardrobe, by which time I was reeling in both shock and exhaustion. There is a rack full of clothing now assembled and waiting for this commercial--FOR ME ALONE.

Why? I will be undergoing an astonishing SIX costume changes--each requiring different makeup, jewelry, hairstyle--and oh yeah, location set. If that weren't enough, my hunky male lead will have three wardrobe overhauls of his own. That's NINE costume changes and six different sets for a thirty-second spot...all of which is being shot in a single day. And here I'm lucky if I can remember to bring a scrub top along when I walk to work in a sports tank.

Surely this is enough to secure a spot in every world record book they can toss at me...or reserved seating in the nut house.

Goes to show that sometimes, turning ones' dreams into reality can be a dodgy prospect. After all, dreams involve instantaneous venue and costume shifts, and never feature the ghastly amounts of time involved to whip my hair and face into a state fit for public consumption, let alone the camera.

My Big Fat Green Commercial

image courtesy of Stock Exchange

Lights...Camera...ACTION!

That's right, I'm doing a commercial to promote my books...and the eco-friendly fun of ebook reading as well. How did this come about? Well, it's not often that commercial advertisements play in My Wildest Dreams, but one morning I woke up with one playing in surround sound...and I knew I had to do it real-life.

This web commercial (hopefully also going to offline venues) features Yours Truly in some exciting fantasy moments, while reading a variety of ebooks. I'm hoping this will serve a threefold purpose: Promote "green" writing, promote "ebooks" in general, and promoting ME would be great, too! heh heh.

Scripting, storyboarding, and location shots are complete; cast and crew are being finalized for shooting hopefully sometime later this month. So Yes, Mr. Demille, I'm Ready For My Closeup!

Stay tuned...

My Character's "Tail" Wags this Dog

**Warning: Today's Blurb Contains Adult Themes**

Okay, it took a sound smack to the head--or rather, my rearmost--by one of my characters in order for this message to truly leave an...impression, but that it has.

In deference to the genius of my character, Mak, I am required to issue the following statement:

::ahem::

My Characters are Wise. My Characters are Always Right. My Characters Are KING.

Last week I posted about Makoto Chinen, the secretive Asian patron of lust who refused to bare his soul (though he readily bares other wonders) so I could add his POV to my current book, Kata Sutra. After what amounted to turning me over his knee in the dojo where he dominates, I had to rethink my strategy. Granted, my post asking how other writers got their clammed-up characters to spill DID garner some interesting and provocative suggestions--everthing from threatening to withhold sex scenes to getting out the whip myself. Yes, many tips were thrust into my writer's hands by sympathetic blog readers. But something was missing.

I knew that somehow, the lesson I was meant to learn from my "schooling" in the dojo was not that I needed to take a firmer hold of Mak's...reins, but rather not to be afraid--or frustrated--when a particularly strong character wishes to take hold of ME and ride the story harder. Mak is powerful and cocksure and ready to take on a challenge--and his latest was convincing this author that Daddy Knows Best. And so he has.

Mak wasn't trying to pose a battle of wills and prove me under-equipped; he was trying to tell me the story itself. I wasn't meant to sit offsides, scratching my head and wondering what his motivations are and where he goes when he's finished getting all hot and sweaty in the dojo--and oh yeah, training martial arts, too. His love interest is meant to do so--on stage.

With a nod and sly wink of agreement, Mak backed off and let me tell the tale his way--with his secret life woven in as essential to his plot line. Let his reporter-slash-bombshell lover drive herself insane with curiosity over what her guy's deal is when they aren't bound up in a tangle of limbs. Better her than me...for everyone concerned.

Thanks, Mak. Feel free to take me in hand anytime. :)

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Today's Favorite Line Written: His tongue probed hers as he pushed her against the hallway wall, hands running over damp, cooling flesh until she melted against him with a moan and he felt her skin reignite.
Then he pulled away, and after dressing at triple speed bid the duo a nod of farewell and slipped into the night...alone.

Spanked Hard...by My Character!

photo courtesy of Stock Exchange

Well, HERE'S a fine mess I've gotten myself into! My odyssey into the mysteries of POV spurred dozens of comments, here on the blog and various loops I post to. I was most grateful for the insight, and the message was rapid and profound: Multiple POV is where it's at.

That settled, I waggled my fingers and set out to add the third POV "leg" to Kata Sutra's menage/triangle, Asian karate virtuoso Makoto Chinen. Mak is rocked and charming, a bit of a bad boy with discipline in martial arts and a ninth degree black belt in erotic ones...and a complete, utter mystery outside the dojo where he trains and indulges after-hours sexual sparring.

I stared at the story for days, willing this Japanese god to open up to the writer. No go. I pulled all my tricks out of the writer's hat and a few from others. All good, but none effective. Took a break for several days, then returned. Nothing. In the dojo he's all out, right in the fray, open to scene after scene of powerful fighting and dangerous loving. But once he saunters out of the studio in snakeskin boots and tight-fitting jeans, he rides off on his motorcycle and leaves me in the dust. Granted, my characters don't reveal their deep darks right at the off...but I can't even glimpse his house, job, nothing. Whatever his secrets are, they weigh heavily...and just outside the Dakota Dragon dojo where he rules as top student.

This morning I tried an all-out visualization...a direct meeting of the minds. We sat Lotus-style, face to face in the dojo where he readily appears, and there I made my appeal.

I learned two valuable lessons.

1.Add Ya Laters really aren't keen on being such.
2.Venturing alone into a dojo where the quarry is an almost black belt and you never passed orange leaves one at something of a disadvantage.

By the time we parted, a sly grin on his sultry lips, I'd been laid bare and spanked soundly for my crimes--in various interpretations I'll leave to your imagination. Bottom line...he has my number, but I still don't have his.

Now that I've been left red, er, faced and empty-handed, I ponder my next move. I've always believed characters tell the story, not me, but Mak is taking the "Who's Your Master?" approach to a whole new level. I could walk away again, let things cool. But I admit he's got me right where he wants me...hopelessly entranced and dying to know more. He's got me, well, acting like an enthralled reader who is stuck at a crucial moment...with her hands cuffed behind her so she can't turn the page. Touche, Mak. Now let's dance!

Have YOU ever faced off with a character who simply wouldn't reveal themselves? Challenged you at every turn? Punished you for crimes real and imagined? Hell, answered, "No Comment" to simple matters like "Smoking or non?" "Paper or plastic?" "Dress right or left?" What did you do to lure him or her out of hiding?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recent Favorite Line Written...Evan half knelt over Mak, cocking back a fist in a show of setting up a finishing blow. “And maybe a young man like you has a few things to learn before earning his black belt...here or in Desiree's bed.”

I'm Totally P.O.(v)'d

Photo courtesy of Stock Exchange

**Warning: Today's Favorite Line contains adult content**




That's right, I said it out loud...I'm PO'd about POV. (That's Point of View for the uninitiated, or the viewpoint from which a story is told.)

When I was new to fiction, there was plenty said about POV do's and dont's. The rules were simple: stick to one or two unless you're Stephen King, which you ain't (nyah nyah). Don't get POV's mixed up, don't change them like underwear, and don't use second person...because it's apparently just too freakin' weird.

Simple, however, is not always easy. Once I abandoned my single-POV short fiction for romance, I automatically sought the his & hers approach...then found myself plagued with guilt whenever I left the other character alone too long, as though they'd feel slighted and misbehave when it finally came around to their turn. Admittedly, I was also quite curious to know what the other one was up to, so I simply HAD to check in and see what I'd "missed." Tennis-match style head-hopping followed, probably enough to get me sued for whiplash. Fortunately, time, patience, and a good lashing from one of my editors allowed me to retire my tennis racket and delay POV changes, fermenting anticipation like fine wine.

Since then I've written over half a dozen romantic tales, and by now one would assume I'm quite secure in handling perspective. So I was...until Kata Sutra, my new WIP this week. In this latest red-hot, I envisioned a triangle or menage scenario and was wondering how to handle the POV. The main M/F had stories to tell that required two POVs, but I hardly wanted to toss in a whole other tamale just for the sex. To fix this awkward third wheel issue I went to the Big Authority, Google, to scare up some other erotic writers and their thoughts on the subject.

Just my luck to discover that apparently, his/her POV ain't where it's at. According to several sources, big pubbers like Harlequin (and supposedly, readers) are most interested in single female POV.

Doth mine eyes deceive me? No heroes unless they are within their intended's eye line? Sacrilege! Of course, I never write hero POV just to "see what he thinks about the romance." They have subplot demons of their own that must be sorted out by the end. But should they? My research this week was enough to give me pause, especially about my more erotic work. Should I go feminist and dump male POV? This would solve my immediate dilemma with Kata Sutra, but then huky martial arts instructor Evan Dakota won't have his issues aired in public. Drat the luck.

So now I turn to YOU, dear Readers-o-the-Blog, for insight on the mysteries of red-hot POV. What do you prefer in your spicy reads? Solid immersion within the feminine POV throughout, leaving all of the inner workings of the hero shrouded in mystery until she peels back the layers? Or a tale where the man has his own dragons to slay after the heroine has retired to her bedchamber to dream of true love? Do tell! I confess that while I enjoy both, I prefer the latter...no doubt why I write it. In real life romance I've only got my viewpoint, so for fantasy I appreciate a peek at the other side.


Today's Favorite Line Written (tragically bound for the Delete key should I have to dump male POV): A short, almost feral growl sought escape at the very thought of the seemingly innocent, blond goddess who had blindsided Evan the week before. Hair like an angel, curves like a demoness, she was enough to bring any man to full attention...as attested to now by the perceptible twitch against the mat beneath him as the memory of round, full lips and firm breasts sent a fair percent of his circulation shooting south.

May: Novella in a Month Challenge! Week 4

The end is in sight! CataUniversity's May novella challenge continues as I post my final updates. Off we go!

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Day 25

Some days, it's all I can do to open a manuscript file and get a single word typed. Others, it's all I can do to manage anything else. The Big Bang was today, folks; the day when the entire story exploded, fell together, and landed at the inevitable feet of two simple words...The End.

It Is Finished! In a final push to find out what happens to Steve and Jessamine, I pounded out 4,240 words to beat the challenge and find myself with a finished draft. 27,139 words in 25 days...not bad for a plotless writer. Salud. :)

But stick around...I'm not finished with challenge updates! Stay tuned for more notes, a surprise, and an interview with Deidre Durance, whose prize winning suggestion formed the basis for the hero of Island Seduction.

Today's Favorite Line Written...gives away too much of the ending. Here's a runner-up: "You could have talked about your little...adventure, but you didn't.”
“Maybe I've been busy.”
“And maybe you know the same thing I know.” Mr. Rose moved to stand behind Jessamine's seat. “The general populace is in no way prepared to know their common myths are all...real.

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Day 24

I've noticed an interesting fact about my writing. The more trouble my characters get themselves into, the harder and faster I type. And where they've wound up today, I'm typing about three hundred words per minute. My Big Bang Theory is coming...

Word count: 988; Total to date: 22,899

Today's Favorite Line Written: “A fun little bonus, blissful ignorance. Consider it a free gift with purchase."

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Day 23

What I lacked in yesterday's anemic word count I made up for with today's whopper...having to leave to go to my "other job" was a tough prospect when all I wanted to do was let my hero have his hair-blowing, triumphant moment. For now, his hair is still experiencing the effects of island humidity, and he's surrounded by trouble.

Word count: 1924; Total to date: 21,911

Today's Favorite Line Written: "Look, it's obvious I'm interested in her. But that interest is purely sexual, not professional."

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Day 22--The end is seriously nigh!

...with both the challenge and my story. My characters are about to hit their most dire of straits, and my fingers are pounding furiously to get them out.

Word count: 422; Total to date: 20,409

Today's Favorite Line Written: “So, that's what you think? We can just go our separate ways, you'll make your client happy, and then never mention the...unusual things you saw to another living soul?”
“Excellent idea. Must be why you've got the big office.”

May: Novella in a Month Challenge! Week 3

CataUniversity's May novella challenge continues, and while I'll be posting updates daily, they are grouped by week rather than in thirty separate posts. Off we go!

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Day 21--Week 3 ends with a bang

All Is Lost with my story.

Sounds dire, doesn't it? A dread moment when a writer throws up their hands and scratches the whole piece, maybe even considers giving up writing altogether. Not so! In fact, it's one of my favorite points in a story.

I reached that moment today where my characters lose everything, with no hope of regaining it. Will they succumb to a turn in the tides...or rally to beat the odds? Stay tuned!

Word count: 735; Total to date: 19,987

Today's Favorite Line Written: The only man she'd ever met who could make tropical resort wear look good--no, downright corporate--strolled to the wide window overlooking his villa and private strip of beach.

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Day 20

Caught in the act! Well, not entirely *that* act, but there was a bit of a surprise for my characters today. While writing this scene I realized I am known to throw a bucket of cold water or two on the more...heated moments in stories. A phone will ring, an argument will ensue, a startling moment of clarity will dawn...something to interruptus the in flagrante.

Such distractions draw out the inevitable, building even more sweet tension and torture than a simple parade of private interludes can. Plus, they're fun to write!

Word count: 1,034; Total to date: 19,252

Today's Favorite Line Written: What the hell was going on here? Who was Steve...really?
A mocking whisper answered. "If he's a man you picked, you can bet you're not being summoned to the office for that long-overdue Employee of the Month badge."

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Day 19

Conflict. We try to avoid it like the plague in life, but live for it in our fiction. Go figure! I love to write conflict--not just dire, life-threatening climax, but the minor niggles, the subtle tension between characters that leaves you with that feel of an itch lingering just out of reach, one that desperately needs to be scratched. Conflict keeps our fingers flipping the pages of a good book, keeps us looking for the stick so we can reach that itchy spot and satisfy it.

Here's to itchy writing!


Word count: 1,083; Total to date: 18,218

Today's Favorite Line Written: "You came, you saw, you conquered...not necessarily in that order. Now go away.”

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Day 18

Magical Moments Week continues with something I like to call Rules Can Be Fun. No, I wasn't one of those kids who lived to be named Hall Monitor...I'm talking about establishing rules for characters and worlds in fantasy/paranormal settings.

Thus far this week I've begun sculpting the physical realm of the resort's ninth floor portal, the fact that guests on the upper floors (and occasionally below) are not always human, and that some of those otherworldly entities include angels, vampires, and even gods.

When creating a story using fantasy characters, a writer has to establish rules for them to function under. Do angels really fly? Are they as cherubic and pure as lore portrays? Do they interact romantically--or outright erotically--with mortals? Do vampires in this world fit the usual lore, or are they variants? How do they coexist among other races--and humans--in a resort setting? On and on the questions go...and it's a real kid-in-a-chocolate-shop ride to get to establish these rules and the minutiae that branches off each one.

Few things in writing are cooler than this, but one of them is the fact that if there's anything MORE fun and intriguing than Rule Making, it's getting to stretch and play around in that universe once the game plan is set! So as great as Magical Moments has been thus far, there's nowhere to go from here but up!
(Did I mention how much I LOVE being a fiction writer?)

Word count: 1,008; Total to date: 17,135

Today's Favorite Line Written: Sometimes life paid you back in pennies; other, gold doubloons...and tonight he was Steve, Pirate Captain of the High Seas.

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Day 17

Boy, what a fun day. My hero--and I--got our first look at the mysterious ninth floor of the Amante del Mar resort...a floor that defies the very fabric of physics, reality, and paranormal romance!

Have you ever seen a film that opens onto a jaw-dropping, panoramic sight? The first glimpse of the monstrous spaceship in the opening of Star Wars, the first look at Hogwart's castle in Harry Potter...or the magical all-candy room inside Willy Wonka's chocolate factory? Characters stare in jaw-dropping wonder, dramatic music swells to a crescendo...there are moments in writing that feel just like that.

Today was one.

Word count: 984; Total to date: 16,127

Today's Favorite Line Written:The first thing Steve did when stepping out onto the ninth floor was to do a quick mental calculation of just how many alcoholic beverages he'd consumed that night. Once certain he wasn't raging drunk, he glanced at Chuck and decided to rename him Toto.

Not only were they not in Kansas anymore, this wasn't even Oz.

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Day 16
**warning: today's blurb contains adult content**

My education in the ways of Lust continued today as I finished writing the sizzling confrontation between the demigod servant of Eros and heroine Jessamine. He seems to have proven a naughty influence on me, since my guest blog over on Eternal Press Authors today talks about What Makes Erotica Erotic.

Today's word count and favorite line is brought to you by...Dr. Pepper.
Day 16 count: 888 words. Total to date: 15143

Day 16 Favorite Line: "You've reached the moment of overstaying your welcome...unless you desire a lesson in how a fiery tongue might be of better use to your gods.”
Jessamine drew back, distancing her flesh from supernaturally fortified chemistry until the tingle of hardening nipples ceased. “They're not my gods.”
Lust's eyes missed nothing. “Indeed?”
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Day 15
**warning: today's blurb contains adult content**

Also known as Day 3 of "My muse is a caffeine freak," which I blogged about over on Bragging Rites!

Introducing Lust, demigod servant of Eros whose supernaturally gorgeous looks are capable of bringing women to their knees...and whose obsession to prove that his powers exceed demigod Love's prompts some red hot and devious interference in the lives of visitors to the Amante del Mar resort.

Now that I've finally put him onstage, Lust is even hotter and more driven by his own lascivious powers than I envisioned! I can't wait to see what he'll conjure up next...and to write a planned episode featuring Lust in a romantic subplot of his own.

Today's count: 1231; total to date: 14255

Day 15 Favorite Line: Brows arched over Lust's feral gaze. “You presume to know the mind of a god? Rather daring to come alone with such an accusation." He shifted in his seat, forcing Jessamine to avert her gaze from the dangerous bulge rising in his trousers. “I'm not sure whether to be aroused in anger...or desire.”

May: Novella in a Month Challenge! Week 2

CataUniversity's May novella challenge continues, and while I'll be posting updates daily, they are grouped by week rather than in thirty separate posts. Off we go!

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Day 14
**warning: today's blurb contains adult themes**

Well! Today I woke up inspired enough to dash off another scene first thing, can of Coke in hand (no coffee filters). So, my theory proves right...my muse is a caffeine-a-holic. Perhaps an intervention is in order.

Meanwhile, I'm excited that today's scene writes me right up to a much-deliberated and awaited cliffhanger moment in my series: the introduction of Love and Lust. Characters in all senses of the word, the ongoing rivalry between these demigod servants of Athena and Eros over whose powers are greater leads to some rather inspired spying--and fierce meddling--in the affairs of my main characters. I can't wait to see what they have to say for themselves when my heroine confronts them...tomorrow. If I can wait that long.

Today's count: 830; total to date: 13024

Day 14 Favorite Line: Since when had Jessamine Sinclair lost her wit over rippling muscles, no matter how artfully arranged? Yet she'd let a man love her senseless inside a closet, for God's sake—and while on duty to boot. Maybe she was delirious, gripped in the fever of some rare, tropical disease.

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Day 13

My funktacular mood continued in force...mind is exhausted, body not far behind. Finally started reviving at, of all places, WORK, and several hours into my shift I took a break and cranked out a whopping 1,469 on my word count.

In a moment of sheer genius, I think I figured out the big mystery.
More caffeine=more word count. Zero caffeine=funktacularness.

Total to date: 12,194

Day 13 Favorite Line: No doubt some high-end money was draining out to afford penthouse floor accommodations; money spent sticking it to some trashy broad instead of treasuring his wife. Steve stifled the urge to introduce Chuck to a little beauty he liked to call his Right Hell-Hook.

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Day 12

Well, my Mother's Day reprieve was apparently a temporary one; today I did absolutely no writing. In fact, I pretty much embargoed the computer altogether and recharged by snuggling on the couch watching movies with my daughter. I've been so busy between the recent release of A Grand Seduction, my Green Writing Challenge campaigning, and my job/life that I imagine my brain is somewhat rejecting the idea of adding One More Thing. Today's day off left me in something of a funk--I do miss it when I'm not writing and think I should be--but was definitely needed.

Word Count: Still stands at 10,725

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Day 11
**warning: today's blurb contains adult situations**

This ostrich is trying to pull her head out of the sand of procrastination, so I buckled down to some serious business and wrote my characters out of the closet today. They'd been giving the silent treatment in protest over my leaving them hanging for a couple days, but for Mother's Day they apparently decided to give me a break.

I hope your Mother's Day was as festive and productive as mine! Gotta love making your quota, fresh vegetable cheese omelettes, luscious ripe fruit, and bunches of flowers...followed by a family stroll to the ice cream shop to honor our household's other official holiday: Ice Cream Sunday!

Word count: 928 words today, total 10,725

Day 11 Favorite Line: “I didn't let you drag me here for wild sex.” Her sultry whisper turned his stomach sideways until a fresh wave of desire twitched. “But that doesn't mean I'm not properly thankful for it.”

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Day 10
**warning: today's blurb contains some language**

Well, after some head scratching, glaring at the screen, abandoning the laptop for a trip to the local fresh fruit stand, and other productive writer's tricks, I managed to get 1000 words today. Still not feeling back "in the flow" with this story, but I'm headed in the right direction.

Total word count: 9797

Day 10 Favorite Line: "Don't worry," he said, squeezing her hand as he lowered it back down to her side. "I'm the Good Guy in this story. But I am a guy. And you're so damned beautiful."
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Day 9

Okay, I'm really off my game! Yesterday's hiatus to take care of business turned into the better part of two. For the very prinicple of the thing, however, I squeaked out a pathetic 354 words by burning some 2 a.m. oil. Hmmm, and tomorrow I'm planning a shoppapalooza with my preschooler, Sunday's Mother's Day...I'll definitely have my quota makeup work cut out for me!

Total word count: 8248

Day 2 Favorite Line: The night he'd made his play for a table—and possibly, her—she would never have pegged him for an Upper Levels guest. He came off strictly second floor—maybe third.

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Day 8: Week 2 Begins with a...fizzle

WELL, after a strong showing in Week 1, the brakes screeched to a halt today. A publisher contacted me wanting to see one of my manuscripts, so I spent my "free time" today getting it formatted and Ready For Prime Time. I'm a bit afraid to open that dark supply closet where I left my half-naked characters! They're going to be really ticked that I left 'em hanging!

Today's count= a big squat! Total to date: 7894

May: Novella in a Month Challenge! Week 1

I'm taking part in CataUniversity's May novella challenge! I'll be posting updates here on my blog throughout the month, but rather than post thirty short separate posts on the topic I'll group them weekly. Off we go!

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Day 7!! 1 week down!

Today I wound up leaving my characters in the dark...literally! It can drive me nuts to walk away from writing a scene right in the middle of a particularly juicy, scary, or suspenseful moment, but sometimes I have no choice. Getting back into "that" precise flow after I've given it distance can be tough, too, which slows down the writing overall. Other times, that bit of space allows me to come back with a fresh angle that makes the piece even stronger.

Which will be the case when I go back tomorrow and find my half-naked characters in a supply closet? Day 1 of Week 2 will tell the tale!

Day 7 Favorite Line: Draining off the foam in the dim cacophony, his eyes took in fifty scandalous sights at once—including one or two that would be permanently burned into his retinas. But no sign of the Chuckster.

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Day 6
**warning: today's favorite line contains adult themes**

Finally did what I've been wanting and got straight to writing first thing (well, after breakfast). This paid off! Hit 1462 words and could easily have kept going...baby, I was on a roll. Alas, the dreaded Other Things in Life didn't care about my roll, nor that I was leaving my character in the midst of a rather shocking discovery. Ah well. Total to date: 6951.

Day 6 Favorite Line: Though of course, were he the Highlander from his sleazy novel he could have climbed a sheer, craggy cliff to a castle turret, fought fifty bad guys off at the top with a sword heavier than his last girlfriend, then boffed the rescued maiden for hours on end afterward before maybe breaking a sweat.

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Day 5
**warning: today's favorite line contains a little language**

Do days ever run away from you so fast you're sure you'll never catch up? Today I had two editing projects, promotion for A Grand Seduction, a new Squidoo lens to promote, the usual assortment of Email, and oh yeah, a house to clean, daughter's hair to braid, dolls to help her dress,alphabet letters to drill, meals to make, and a job to go to. I just knew TODAY was the day I'd fail to write a single word on Island Seduction, let along hit the challenge goal. So what happened?

969 words today; total 5489. I did it!! How?

As soon as I took care of the MUSTS (dolls, hair, meal, some editing--work is later today), I dropped everything and started pounding keys. I could just have easily reversed that process--not allowed myself the fun of writing until I'd gotten my necessaries finished--but in my life, the necessaries are on endless parade. If I don't make writing one of my very TOP priorities, I'll never get around to it. So my characters were alive and kickin' today!

Day 5 Favorite Line: During one of his baste-and-turn sessions on the deck above the beach (less irritating sand to contend with—his ass was not an oyster and he had no desire to have to pluck pearls out of it) he'd spotted an interesting anomaly about the hotel's structure—it stood several stories higher than the number of floors available from the main elevators.

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Day 4
**warning: today's favorite line contains adult themes**

Broke a major rule today! I did advance the plot, but decided the opening lacked the heat of the first book. Went back and lit a can of Sterno under the characters to make 'em simmer more...and simmer they did! Still haven't hit my stride of writing on awakening, but got an early enough start to hit 200 over goal by 11:30. 1032 words today, for a total of 4520.

On a humorous side note titled, "I love to torment characters," not only is Steve sandophobic on an island, he's stuck reading ROMANCE NOVELS to while away long hours of surveillance. HA!

Day 4 Favorite Line: How did women read this stuff? Nymphs with flowing hair, nipples that hardened into giant pencil erasers with a mere glance at a man, spreading their legs in pornographic delight by the second chapter...whoever wrote this junk never met any of the women HE'D ever dated, that was for damn sure. And he hadn't exactly grown up in a monastery.

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Day 3

Introducing Steve Detroit, my hunky alpha P.I. He's turning into quite the character--humorous, smooth, sexy, and determined to let nothing get between him and the truth about his cheating brother-in-law...though the seductive Jessamine may undermine this plan.

I love when my characters take some free reign in how they develop. It’s an exciting part of the writing process. So much so that today I did 1486 words, for a total to date of 3488. Too bad I have to go to work, or else I’d probably try to hit the frozen yogurt shop again. (I do try not to let my calorie count exceed word counts!)

Day 3 Favorite Line: He should probably be grateful he hadn't been sent to a nudist colony. Not that he was prude—not by a long shot. But the one such beach he'd seen didn't exactly attract supermodels and fitness buffs...and he wasn't keen on all the exotic places sand liked to wedge into afterward.

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Day 2
Work was so nutty yesterday that I was too blown to give even a wisp of thought to my male lead or the story. Then I had a fun guest blog stint scheduled for this morning, a spouse who needed errands run, and a 4-year-old who had apparently made some major Mommy 'n Me plans. I didn't even start on the challenge until this afternoon, with constant interruptions.

Nevertheless, I somehow made 50 words over goal! Not quite as far ahead as yesterday, but I'll take it. Of course I had to celebrate by immediately abandoning the laptop to take my daughter for frozen yogurt!

Day 2 Favorite Line: Jessmine turned to find her boss in his usual stance, hands behind his back and a pasted-on smile that had the unsettling ability to say, "Here to serve" to customers and, "Watch your ass" to employees at the same time.

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Day 1
I bit my nails all the way through last night, as I had no plot or even a male lead! Not how I begin a writing project, to say the least. To kick my muse in the butt I held an 11th hour contest on NovelSisterhood, and got a great suggestion from winner Deidre Durance for a P.I. alpha male that I'm going to "hunk up."

Despite the worry I managed exceed the daily goal of 830 words and did 1122! I opened with the female lead, who I know more about, ending with the intro of Mr. Hunk. The rest of today I'll hand him over to my muse to think on in prep for Day 2.

Day 1 Favorite Line:
Angel wings and Bermuda shorts definitely did not mix—for a number of reasons, she grumbled—and the manager had to be called in to reaffirm the resort policy on certain types of...mingling before human diners caught a feathery glimpse.
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"Tax Stimulus"...Stimulate CHANGE!

They're here! News has it that the IRS has begun depositing tax stimulus rebate checks even sooner than expected, as part of President Bush's plan to hopefully inject funds into a sagging consumer economy. People I've talked to have mentally spent the money several times over, and I'll admit I was one there for a bit. Granted, even the maximum amount doesn't exactly add up to a winfall, but who couldn't think of a few things they could buy with it? Assuming it isn't gobbled by gasoline and food prices that conveniently rose just prior to this bonus.

But wait! "Money talks," the saying goes, and these dollars in particular are some bits o' green the government is most interested in hearing from. So I thought to myself, since we have the White House's rapt attention on the matter, just what would we have our dollars say?

WWND?

What Would Nature Do? With so many average Joe taxpayers about to be on the one-time dole, why not send a loud message that what Americans truly want most--what they're willing to invest these dollars in to see happen--is NOT a glut of here today, trash tomorrow consumer goods,but rather a sustainable future?

What better use of the money our government could be spending on the environmental crisis than to do so ourselves? Shout loud and clear that we are willing to take action with the funds they place in our hands...as they should do themselves.

Some ideas for things we can acquire to send this message AND help our cause at the same time:

Low flush toilets
Water saver shower heads
Solar rechargers
CFL lightbulbs for every fixture in the house
Locally grown produce
Trees
Vegetable/fruit seeds and plants
Native plants/vegetation to replace that "All American Lawn"
Permaculture supplies
Reusable totes for groceries
Composting kits
Water filters (to replace bottled water)
Join an organic food co-op (like organic.meetup.com)
Donate to environmental causes
"Vintage" clothing and goods
Energy Star model refrigerator/dishwasher to replace older models
Bicycles
Eco-friendly household detergent and cleaners
Solar lighting for outdoors
...and so on. And instead of seeking the Cheapo Deal from the Big Boxes, why not make as many of these purchases from local Mom and Pops?

Ever watch the news when disaster is impending or has just hit? People flock in a panic to stock up on supplies of water,canned goods, batteries, flashlights...anything they need to prepare for the siege ahead. Well, the environment is in a state of disaster, and we are under siege.

What might our government do if they see its citizens using these leisure funds to "panic buy" conservation and sustainability, rather than a glut of here-today, trash-tomorrow impulse goods?

Such action could speak louder than dozens of global warming films or tens of thousands of activists.

So why not use this IRS green to GO green? Let the Almighty Dollar shout from the solar-paneled rooftops that WE WANT CHANGE...and we "consumers" must have it NOW. Supply and demand.

I Dream of Green

It's been nine months since I first dreamed up the Green Writing Challenge, and with Earth Day coming April 22 I've been reflecting on changes I've made to reduce the impact of my love of reading and writing--and what needs improvement.

My Green commitment for the first year was as follows:

1. Submit only electronic queries/manuscripts.

2. Keep lights off at night.

3. Publish eBook only for 1 year.

4. Read more eBooks.

5. Do a walking book tour to promote green living in the book community.

6. Limit the amount of snail mail promotions and correspondence.

Thus far I have kept these commitments,except the walking book tour. Since I also committed to publish eBook only, I did not know how best to do a live tour without print books in hand. I could tout my 2007 print release, VISIONS, but that would involve ordering a run of books up front and the fuel to ship them to my house...with the likelihood of either wasteful over-ordering (not that my publisher would find that a waste!) or running out before the tour is finished and then what? I'm very proud that VISIONS uses POD technology, a more eco-friendly method than mass market. But my goal for the walking tour is to be even lower impact. So, I'm still conceptualizing the best way to adapt a traditional signing tour for this.

As for keeping lights off at night...I admit that's been a bit tougher than I'd hoped as well. I do a good deal of writing work late at night, and it strains my eyes to squint at a bright computer screen with the rest of the room shrouded in darkness. I experimented with candles and a battery-operated camping lantern, but wound up switching over to the new spiral energy-saving bulbs and simply keeping nighttime lights to a minimum. Progress, one step at a time!

In addition to minimizing the paper, energy, and fuel use of snail mailing, I'm also seeking ways to reduce energy consumption on electronic communication devices. I'm purchasing a solar recharger to power my cell phone, PDA, and music player; eventually I'd like to upgrade to a unit capable of powering laptop and desktop as well. We use solar lighting on our patio, which makes for a nice spot to sit with the laptop while working on a book or promoting.

Naturally, my dream of green extends far beyond the pages of the books I love, and my household is gradually switching to sustainable forms of living like recycling, reducing vehicle use, growing food, buying more local goods, etc. Many good resources are out there for home conservation, but I found none when looking for eco-friendly reading and writing. So I started the Green Writing Challenge to show that everything we do likely has a greener alternative.

Whether you are a reader, writer, or publisher, consider celebrating Earth Day this year by signing up for the Green Writing Challenge to show your support for green living...in all aspects of life.

Love a Tree, Read an eBook

As part of the Green Writing Challenge, I made a commitment to pursue only non traditional publishing methods for one year. So off to eBook publishers I went. But was ePub really the way to go? Was this truly a good option to offer my readers?

I have five e-titles out now, and I can answer this with a resounding YES. I hear quite a few comments about why print books are preferable, but I'm here to shed light on the page. Here are some reasons to consider making your next reading purchase an eBook:

1. eBooks kill far fewer trees. I can't say NO trees, since the companies and authors producing them do likely use paper for marketing and correspondence. Still, eBooks are much more environmentally friendly than traditional, mass print run methods. POD (print on demand) improves on this approach quite a bit, but eBooks take that a big step further.

2. eBook production/consumption requires minimal fossil fuel use. Consider how many trucks, planes, vans, and automobiles are put into service shipping the hundreds of thousands of book titles (that's TITLES, not total books) put into production each year. eBook manufacture requires a miniscule fraction of all this energy consumption.

3. eBooks are less expensive than paper books. Typical prices for new eBooks run between two and six dollars, as opposed to between six and twenty-five dollars for a new print title.

4. eBooks take up much less room. Find yourself hanging onto favorite titles for years? Then you have to have room to store them, dust them, and lug them around when you move. eBooks can be kept forever with very little space (or dusting) required.

5. Paper books degrade/damage easily. Pages wear and tear, yellow, and eventually crumble. Hang onto your favorite stories far longer by backing them up on sturdier media.

6. Have trouble reading small print? With a regular book, you're only in control of the glasses you can put on your face to magnify print. With eBooks, you can tweak the font size itself so it's easier to read.

Despite the many advantages of eBooks, many people still cling to the idea that paper books are superior. A couple common reasons I hear are that paper books are more portable and easier to lend out. I disagree! Even the most avid reader would be hard pressed to tote around more than two or three books at a time (and that with a bit of shoulder strain). Yet one lightweight handheld reader, palm pilot, or smartphone allows you to "carry" many books with you at all times--with instant access to thousands more wherever you go (with online access). Books can be "beamed" to other readers, or CD copies easily lent--and are less likely to be returned damaged, torn, or with coffee stains on the cover!

Think only a few small potatoes authors are going eBook? Think again! Pocket readers are adding the likes of Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dean Koontz, and Michael Crichton to their libraries. What's more, eBook lending libraries are beginning to pop up on the Internet. "Borrow" titles by downloading to your reader. These expire at the end of the lending period. No more worries about lost books, late fees, or fines for accidental damage!

eBooks aren't a perfect medium, and I don't expect they'll replace our beloved paper books any time soon. But in a time where we are looking in every corner for ways to reduce impact on an overstressed planet, consider checking your book nook, too. Start small--just commit to one or two eBooks to try it out--and keep an open mind. If you don't want to rush out an invest in a reader and lack a smartphone, your desktop or laptop computer will do. Of course, if you want to test this out with one of my eBooks (see lisalogan.net for details) I'd be thrilled! But any will do...and thank you for indulging your love of a good story AND Mother Earth!

Paralyzing Dreams

This week's interpretation is a bit different than others I've posted...

Candie writes:

i was wondering .. what does it mean when u have a dream .. ur mind is awake but ur body is asleep already .. and u feel paralyzed and u have to force urself to shake urself so that u can wake up and breathe again?

Feeling like your body is asleep when you are awake tends to happen when you're just dropping off to sleep and "panic" awake, or if you'd dropped off into a light REM without realizing it and waken suddenly. There are some varied schools of thought on this phenomenon, both mundane "scientific" explanation and some cultural/mystical ones.

First, the scientific. Sleep paralysis is felt to be a protective mechanism by which your subconscious is preventing you from taking physical action on things you may experience in a dream sequence (such as, you dream you're fighting someone...you don't really want to wake up pummeling whoever happens to be around!). Or you're running or flying...you get the picture. In otherwards, this mild paralysis is to keep you where you belong, in your bed and (more or less) motionless.

Some more intriguing, metaphysical explanations exist as well. Some cultures say that this inability to move (some report it as a heavy feeling on the chest, often accompanied by a sense of doom or threat) is the result of an invisible force holding you to the bed while it feeds on you...like the half-man, half-beast description of the Incubus. Something similar is called the Old Hag in other cultures, and is mentioned in Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet). People plagued by such things may report feeling like something is biting or choking them as well.

In either case, it's noted that sleep paralysis is more common in people who sleep on their backs. Maybe you can try curling up on your side, to discourage those nighttime beasties (or disruption of REM sleep by your nervous system) so that you can have a better night's sleep.

I hope you've found this helpful. Anyone else dream of beasties or things that bump in the night? Have a dream that you wonder about? Write to me and I'll post an interpretion here. Until then...may all your dreams be pleasant...

Dreams, Trains, and Elevators

Yes, folks, it's elevators again! I received a request to interpret the following dream. Michelle writes:

"I have had 2 dreams here within the past few nights that were similar.The first, I was in an elevator, very common, nothing out of the ordinary. I was on the elevator with a female whom I don't know. We were plummeting down and we were just yelling for the elevator to stop. We began to realize the elevator wasn't going to stop. I just remember the elevator going so fast. Me and the female figure were hugging on tightly to each other. I remember thinking about how all my bones were going to crush as soon as we hit the ground and that I was about to die. Thankfully, I woke up at that moment.

"The second I just had last night was that I was on a train moving very quickly and it seemed like I was going to school on this train. I remember myself and afew other people, were anxious to get off because we were afraid of trains crossing paths and crashing into each other. I remember just being overly anxious about it and wanting to get off so badly because we weregoing to fast. Do these dreams have a connection?"

Indeed they do, Michelle.

As we've seen in a couple of my other blogs, elevators in dreams reflect our progress toward a specific goal. The direction of the elevator is important. In your case, it is headed down--fast. This indicates a feeling of being out of control in some aspect of your life. Perhaps you feel in over your head regarding a career or relationship challenge. Or maybe your emotions are getting the best of you. A descening elevator can also indicate a downard trend or setback in meeting goals, or a tendency to let setbacks and misfortunes get the best of or crush you.

Like elevators, trains represent our journey in life and a need to follow a specific path to achieve important goals in our lives--like career or romantic goals. Dreaming of being on a train can sometimes mean you tend to worry a lot about things that usually work out in the end. Fearing the train was speeding and might crash, for instance, seems to indicate this further. You perhaps worry that a relationship is moving too quickly, or that you're on a course with career or schooling (since that's where you were going) that will derail if you aren't careful.

By looking at every step of our path as a move forward, even when we experience setbacks, and keeping a positive frame of mind with the mantra "I am where I need to be" on endless repeat as needed, we can often diffuse feelings of not meeting goals quickly enough or spinning out of control from where we think we need to be.

I hope this interpretation has been of use, Michelle. Feel free to contact me again if you have further questions.

Anyone else have out of control vehicles or equipment in their dream life? A wild or recurring dream making you wonder why? Email or message me and I'll interpret common dream symbols, free. Until then, may all your wildest dreams come true.

Earthquakes & Elevators: NOT a Fun Combo

Sorry for the long hiatus; I got busy finishing the draft to IMMORAL MAGIC, then the holidays snuck up on me! Meanwhile, I had another elevator dream around the time my busy season began . . .

In this latest edition, I was riding up alone in an elevator when I suddenly felt disoriented, like the elevator was tilting sideways. Within a few seconds I realized there was a major earthquake, and I was trapped. Being a Californian, I don't generally panic in the face of ground shift, but here I was gripped by an overwhelming sense of helplessness and fear because of my precarious position. I was certain the elevator would give way, plunging me to the bottom. (It did not, and when the quake was over I managed to escape somehow and into a dream shift that is another interpretation unto itself.)

What's with all the ups, downs, and shaking in my dream world? Elevators represent our position in life and career, and ascending means we are climbing the ladder of success. Yay me. Except the elevator tips sideways, gets shaken up, and threatened to not take me where I needed to be. Earthquakes represent a "shaking up" of our life and emotions, a threat to our stability, dire ends, and feelings of helplessness, the latter echoing the overriding feeling experienced in the dream.

This most closely mirrored some feelings about my writing career over the past months, as I sought to promote my first novel while seeing a second published. At the time, I'd heard my next full-length novel was pushed to the back burner and other full lengths were still in progress or under consideration. In the back of my mind, I struggled with the issue of wondering whether that first novel was just a fluke. I wanted to prove to myself that getting published wasn't just a lucky one-time dream. To boot, the reading public (and well meaning friends) aren't about to let a writer rest on their laurels! When I talk about the first novel people respond with, "That's great. When's your next book coming out?" Though in waking times I can tell myself logically that I'm right where I need to be, it's obvious that some subconscious pressure needs a release valve in my dreams. Isn't it great that we can have that?

Fortunately, not long after this dream I got word that another of my books, A Grand Seduction, was accepted for a 2008 release. So we'll see if that puts the brakes on nights like this for the time being!

What are YOUR natural disaster dreams? Post here and I'll interpret your wildest dreams...FREE. Until then, may your best dreams come true...

Reverse TiVo Your Dreams

November is National Novel Writing Month, and as I swung into gear to work on this year's project I realized I didn't have any dreams to post here this week. Why? Because I've reprogrammed my brain to handle writing tasks while I sleep, to help me beat the "50,000 words in 30 days" challenge. It dawned on me that this might be an interesting topic to share this time around--how to ask dreams to work for you.

Programming yourself to dream solve isn't restricted to writers, of course. You can ask your subconscious to mull over all sorts of issues--financial debacles, relationship niggles, or career move struggles. For me, I often set my mind to working on a character motivation or plot point, and sometimes find a whole chapter or two sitting in my head the next day.

How do you program your subconscious? As you lie down to sleep, tell yourself that you want to work on "X" issue, then focus on it as you unwind. This can be a bit sticky if the problem at hand is stressful, as you may find it tough to slip into a relaxed enough state to sleep. If this happens, steer your mind away from the anxiety associated with your issue, and toward objective, systematic solutions. Picture yourself after having solved the problem, happy and moving on to better things. Then let your subconscious take over as you drift away.

When you wake up, a pen and paper at bedside is useful to record impressions you have. Did you actually dream? Write it down. Answers may lie there. Even if you do not dream or your dream seems in no way connected, your mind may still have come up with suggested answers! Ever have those moments when an answer "suddenly" pops into your head? As you rise to face the day, ideas may occur to you. Jot them down. If you're truly fortunate, you'll have figure it all out overnight. Other times, several sessions may be necessary. And yes, this all takes a bit of practice for most, so don't expect miracles the first tme you try. Still, after you've done dream programming you'll find it helpful in all sorts of ways, from learning and retaining new information to writing your way out of an inescapable plot corner!

Next time you find yourself in a pickle, try setting your mind to the task while you sleep. You may be surprised what it can do while you're "out of the office."

Until next time, may your best dreams all come true. . .
Lisa

Are Death Dreams Predictions?

This week's dream comes from Donna M., whose disturbing nightmare poses a very interesting and common question.

"I had a disturbing dream [...]a few weeks prior to our family celebration of my parents 50th anniversary... My sister-in-law, Donna, called me in the middle of the night to say that he's gone...terrible car accident. My chest pounded. Who I said. Your brother, Tommy.
What the! I yelled. Please call your parents...I can't bare to tell them. Try calling the realtor too to get our security deposit money back...I need it to bury him. I screamed and woke up in a pool of sweat. My husband woke up and asked me what happened. I wouldn't tell him in fear that it would make it true. Couldn't shake the sinking feeling for days. Even called him during the day...which I never do...just to make sure all was okay. ..What's up with this?"

Dreams about a loved one dying can be quite frightening and disturbing, to say the least. Many fear these are some sort of prediction. Good news: death dreams often having nothing to do with physical death.

When we dream of a sibling or other relative dying, this can reflect a couple of different things. Perhaps we perceive a change in the relationship, or that something there has been lost. Or, we perceive that the person possesses qualities we lament not having ourselves. That this dream came before a big family event is not surprising; perhaps anticipation of seeing someone you were close to as a kid in the same setting brought up some feelings of how time changes things.

Do YOU have wild, confusing, or odd recurring dreams? Post a comment or Email me at writerlisalogan@verizon.net, and I'll be happy to interpret common symbols for you free!
Until next time, may your best dreams all come true...
Lisa

Shirtless Spouse: Life of the Party??

This week's very interesting dream comes from Trish over on MySpace...thanks Trish!

"My husband and I were at a party. Some unknown couple was celebrating[...] (unknown in as I'd never met them, nor do I know what they were celebrating --you know how dreams are).

Dear hubby was flitting around after the wife like a rutting hound dog on a scent, posturing and posing like a true idiot. When caught, shirtless and "stretching" to show off his physique, he shot me two birds and kept right on primping.

Now, obviously I'd be sure this was telling me Hubby was being less than true, but honestly I'd have no conscious reason to believe that is true --though I did warn him to tell his sleeping self the next time I caught him in any such act he'd be fed to the worms. Any ideas?"

*Trish*,

Don't call the lawyer just yet! The key to the whole dream in this case is not your spouse's seedy behavior, but rather the setting.

Parties represent our social setting and groups of friends. When parties are awkward or go badly, it indicates either an uncertainty about social skills or status, OR a need on your part to get out more and enjoy social surroundings (you're "missing out" on the fun).

Your husband's unforgettable cameo can mean different things. From the aspect of the social setting, it could be that someone with status in your circle has skills that get them a leg up in social settings, but you don't approve the methods--OR don't believe you could follow suit and achieve the same results. A feeling of not measuring up, if you will. Alternately, there could be subconscious fears of being abandoned (by friends or by the spouse), or that you feel a lack of attentiveness in your relationship.

I hope that some of these click for you, combining to give you a picture of what this dream was trying to say. Rest assured it is NOT a harbinger warning you not to take your husband to the next soiree! :)

Do YOU have wild party dreams or others that make you go "what the...?" Post a comment or Email me and I'll interpret common symbols FREE...and you might just wind up in my next blog on our Wildest Dreams! Until next time, may your greatest dreams come true...

Haunted Bathrooms and Other Wonders

Ever dream you "gotta go" or are trying to find a bathroom and can't? Bathroom dreams are very common, and not (always) because our subconscious is tryng to tell us that we "gotta" in real life. Someone shared a intriguing twist on the bathroom theme with me a couple of days ago, and I thought it would make an interesting topic for the blog.

Usually, we dream of toilets that are perhaps dirty, overflowing, or publicly exposed. This person, on the other hand, had a rather unique problem in the Little Dreamer's Room--the toilet was haunted. It moved around the bathroom of its own accord like a fiendish apparition--and half of it disappeared. Intrigued, I hit research mode to piece this puzzle together.

Bathroom dreams tends to relate to the need to express feelings, to literally "relieve" ones' self in the emotional sense. Hauntings, on the other hand, indicate early trauma, repressed feelings/memories, or guilt/fear about things we have done. Disappearance, like seeing half the toilet vanish, can indicate a desire to be rid of something.

In talking to the dreamer, a relative's near fatal illness had prompted a trip to their hometown a week prior, where being around family brought to the surface a great many memories of past anxieties and regrets. Thus, this dream seems to indicate that while this person wished to relieve these powerful feelings, they were unable to do so in that setting.

What are YOUR wildest dreams? Post them here for a free interpretation, or contact me privately. Until next time, may all your best dreams come true!

The Dream Police?

(What are YOUR wildest dreams? Post them here, or contact me privately. I'll be happy to interpret common symbols for you. )

While some late hours have cut into my own dream time, someone came to me recently with a dream that I found quite intriguing.

The dream began with the dreamer being asleep in his bed (in the dream, not just in real life), and sirens just outside waking him up. Still in the dream, he walked to the bedroom window and looked out to find police cars outside, and even more unsettling, an officer just outside his window. Bizarre, considering the dreamer lived on the second floor! In midair, the policeman turned, saw the dreamer, and crashed through the window, attacking and choking him. Several times the dreamer believed he "woke up" in real life, only to find the dream starting over again. When he really DID wake up later on, he wasn't sure whether it was real or still the dream!

There were a few key elements I wanted to explore, the first being a commonly experienced dream: dreaming that you're asleep. Ever have those? This can denote something you've unconsciously allowed in your life, or situations going on around you that you weren't fully aware of.

Police in dreams does not necessarily mean you've done something illegal, but they can indicate personal guilt over an issue. Also, they can represent social issues and your sense of right and wrong in social settings. If the police are hostile or abusive--as in this case--this can mean the power of social ties or society as a whole to abuse you.

Flying dreams are very common, but normally it is the dreamer flying. That the policeman flew can demonstrate that social issues are rising above the dreamer, gaining control over him. The attack itself shows the dreamer feels attacked emotionally in real life; that he was choked, specifically, represents an inability to accept something (can't "swallow" it).

In talking to the dreamer, the meaning was obvious. He'd recently had some problems within his social group over his own behavior, which he hadn't realized was an issue. He'd also been left out of some social activities and in general felt on the short end of his relationships. Feelings of being attacked and abused over an issue he was guilty of, but hadn't been aware of until after the fact, shows clearly in this dream.

Until next time...here's wishing that your best dreams come true...
--Lisa

I Dream of FIRE

That's right, I'm back--after summer break I'm here to tell you about my--and YOUR--wildest dreams! And let me tell you, this summer offered me a doozy!

Last week's dream was an odd twist on an old standby. I have occasional, recurring dreams of fires--not simple house fires, but epic, sweeping monstrosities that threaten to take down entire towns. They always come up over a mountain-lined horizon, with me in a dramatic struggle to pack up and evacuate. In real life, I live near mountains that are plagued by fires, including one that made nationwide news the week my youngest was born. Yet, I'm too far "downstream" to be in true danger from mountain fires. Besides, these dreams started well before the vast fire mentioned.

Here's the weird twist: as the fire prepares to crest the mountain and come down my side, an assortment of people I know (cast as neighbors sitting on the border of the fire in this dream) are grabbing lawn chairs and blankets. Not to evacuate, mind you--they are happy, excited. They want to WATCH the spectacle. One friend, with whom I lost contact in real life this year when she moved away, is particularly jazzed. "It's coming!" she tells me. "Come on!" She plops down a pair of beach chairs... "here's a good spot to watch." What the...? Shouldn't she be packing her pets into the back of a car in terror, or at least hosing down the roof?

Fire in dreams can represent many things, depending on the context. As one might guess, fire CAN represent destruction or anger, a sense of being out of control. However, you might be surprised to know that it commonly symbolizes emotion, passion, urgency,and sexual or personal energy. Such things may be coming, transforming, or being damaged--depending on how and where the fire occurs.

Recently I was in a situation where my desirability was challenged (in short, the green-eyed monster came out to play, BIGTIME) and was so upset that I rallied to give myself a life and body makeover. Diet, exercise, new hair style and color, etc etc. Not surprising, then, to see fire in my dream. Here, fire simultaneously represented my anger in having my sense of physical appeal damaged AND the passion and urgency with which I "transformed" myself to regain it.

Where do the freaky spectators come in? People in dreams tend to represent social aspects of our dream issues, as well as qualities we wish to possess. My real life transformation was dramatic and sudden, and did NOT go unnoticed--people have been quite abuzz about it. They talk about it when I'm not around, I'm told; a few folks didn't even recognize me. Thus, their excitement about my "firestorm" turned up in the dream. The friend from my past is a vivacious, popular, and grounded woman who is very aware of her sensuality and not afraid to use it--and others are attracted to her dynamic qualities. These of course being aspects I was trying to gain for myself, she became center stage for my dream performance despite her distance in real life.

Do you ever dream of fires or other natural disasters? Do you have vivid dreams after your eyes have turned a deep, fiery shade of GREEN? Let me hear about it! Post your dreams here, or send me a private message. I'll interpret common symbols for you, free.

Until my next wildest dream...

The "Green" Writing Challenge

As part of a personal to make my lifestyle a bit "greener," I took a look at my writing and how much it potentially affects the environment. Realizing there were a lot of things I could do to minimize this, I developed the Green Writing Challenge, and have made a commitment to green up my writing career this year.

What makes writing un-green? Here are some ways our job impacts the environment:

*Trees used to make thousands of sheets of paper, envelopes, pencils, and stamps we use to write, print, copy, and mail submissions and promotional materials...and produce the books themselves
*Emissions and fossil fuel use from autos, trucks, trains, and airplanes used to ship submissions, promotional items, and books worldwide
*Emissions and fossil fuel use traveling to and from book signings, conventions, speaking engagements, and other writing-related meetings and events
*Emissions and energy used from electronic devices: computers, monitors, laptops, printers, fax machines, palm pilots, copy machines, and cell phones

...and so on. Now, it's not possible to be in this business and have ZERO impact on the environment, but it is highly possible to reduce it. If every author made just one small change in their writing this year, how much energy would be saved? How many barrels of fossil fuels would be spared?

And thus I challenge YOU to participate in The Green Writing Challenge. Commit to just one "green" substitute this year, such as the following:

*Submit your next manuscript electronically
*Reduce the quantity in your next mass mailing
*Swap one mass mailing in favor of an electronic mailing
*Shrink your next mailing from a press kit or full sheet/envelope to a postcard
*Skip one convention and do an online conference instead
*Turn off your computer, printer, and other peripheral devices when not in use
*Do late-night writing by candlelight, or switch to energy-saving bulbs
*Forego one appearance/signing/tour and do a virtual book tour instead

Readers, Publishers, and Merchants...you can help Green Writing, too!
*Commit to buy at least one eBook this year
*Consider ePub or POD alternatives
*Look for energy-saving green technologies to apply to your business
*Support/patronize authors/publishers who commit to green technologies

Want to join The Challenge? Sign up on the official guestbook HERE, or visit my Squidoo lens and sign in HERE! Let me know what one change you will make this year.

Happy Greening!

"Flights of Fancy" Dreams

I've been so busy editing for Eternal Press and finishing up my twisted fairy tale, Sindarella, that my head hasn't seen the pillow until five a.m. this past week. When my sleep gets that erratic, even my dream life is too tired to make an appearance. So this week, I've decided to talk about a dream just about everyone has had at one time or another: flying.

Aren't dreams like this grand? You're doing this thing or that when suddenly you take off, soaring high in the sky like you could conquer the world. It's freedom, it's magic...and it feels so REAL. Children have them, teenagers have them, and adults of all ages.

So what do flying dreams mean? Generally, when having the above soaring-and-feeling-free dream, it means POWER. You're on top of a situation or experiencing a new freedom in a manner that had been restricted. Your perspective is upbeat and positive in a certain area in life. Perhaps a child has gotten some new privileges at home, or a grownup just received a job promotion with greater benefits. Or, it could mean you have overcome a barrier in your life and have "risen above."

Of course, there ARE flying dreams that are a bit less fun. Some feel fear while flying, or are having trouble staying aloft. Fear suggests that you are struggling with a particular barrier or challenge in life that you are afraid to face, or afraid you cannot overcome. Trouble in flight indicates feeling a lack of control or doubts about a certain situation in your life. If the trouble is due to barriers like trees, this means there are people or barriers blocking your way to success over the situation.

I hope all your flying dreams find you soaring high and carefree!

Meanwhile, what dreams have YOU had lately? Post here or send me a letter and I'll be happy to interpret symbols...free!

Sweet dreams...

Post Your Dream...I'll Interpret

Welcome to this week's Wildest Dreams...

In my latest wild dream, evening had just fallen and I went out on my balcony. There, I pointed out a particularly bright star in the sky to a stranger-that-I-knew. I was very intrigued with the star, and for some reason it was important to me to explain to the stranger that it wasn't actually a star at all, but a planet.

Turns out that stars and planets have specific meanings in dreams. (As does just about everything, as we've been discovering on these weekly journeys into the subconcious.)
Dreaming of nighttime has significance, too. Night represents barriers and obstacles to achieving goals. It can also signify new beginnings. In my dream, a bright star lit the darkness. Stars indicate fate, luck, and desires of fame and/or fortune. Even more, THIS star was more than it seemed--a planet--which indicates creative energies and new adventure.

Once again this seems to relate back to my writing career, and some themes I've been discussing recently with friends and associates. There are always obstacles when one desires to write for publication--time, money, market trends, Time, (friendly) competition, mental fatigue, and did I mention, TIME? Still, when one has the desire, one can choose to funnel some of their creative energy from putting words on paper to finding ways to ride their shooting star around any obstacles in their path. This is something I've been "waking" on recently.

As always, feel free to post here or contact me with your wildest dreams, and I'll give you an armchair look at common dream symbols. Meanwhile, may all YOUR shooting star dreams come true!

(Forgetting) My Wildest Dreams

Well I went and did it...had an interesting dream last night and woke up thinking, "that will be PERFECT for this week's dream interpretation blog." Then I promptly went and forgot it.

Which brings me to another aspect of using dreams to unlock your subconscious--you have to remember them first. For those of us whose mind is closer to Swiss cheese than a steel trap, a dream journal comes in handy for this purpose.

A dream journal needn't be fancy--a small spiral-bound notebook will do. Keep it at your bedside along with a pen, and get in the habit of writing down at least a Cliff Notes version of your dreams upon waking. Don't brush your teeth, check Email, or anything else before doing so, as important details (or the entire dream) may slip away.

I'd stopped doing this, as my preschooler had taken to using the free pen and paper as her personal art studio. Instead I'd taken to reviewing dreams mentally on waking, committing details to memory. As I'm no longer a spring chicken, this was a sticky wicket at best. Some days I head straight for my writing desk and type up dream inspirations immediately. Too often, however, I get thwarted by vital distractions like my kid's breakfast or watering the plants. So it's back to the journal for me. Think I'll tuck it under the mattress to spare it from my child's Michaelangelo complex.

Now, for those of you who HAVE managed to remember a recurring or unusual dream, don't be shy! Post it here or contact me at writerlisalogan@verizon.net for a free interpretation of common symbols!

Until next week, Pleasant Dreams....

Book Trailer Contest on MysteryAuthors.com

Got a mystery trailer or been wanting to make one? ENTER MysteryAuthors.com's SIZZLING SUMMER BOOK TRAILER contest!

If you have a promotional trailer for a book in the Mystery genre (or subgenre) you are eligible to enter. To submit, send a link to your trailer to MysteryAuthors@verizon.net during the month of July. Put BOOK TRAILER CONTEST in the subject line. Please include your name, title of your book, and the name of your trailer's creator. Deadline for entries is August 1, 2007. NO entry fee!

All entries will be posted for viewing on the site, and visitors will have a chance to watch and vote on their favorites during the first two weeks of August. Winners will be posted on August 15.

The winner of JUDGE'S CHOICE will win a FREE YEAR of membership on MysteryAuthors.com! Other winners will receive a special award they can add to their trailer and/or display proudly on their website. Winning entries will also be showcased on MysteryAuthors.com through the end of September, and will be acknowledged in Lisa Logan's Do-It-Yourself Trailer Workshop.

CATEGORIES:
VIEWER'S CHOICE
JUDGE'S CHOICE
MOST MYSTERIOUS

Don't have a trailer yet? Visit http://lisalogan.net today and check out the free how-to workshop! It's easier than you think.

Good luck!

Roller Coasters & Monkeys Dropping Bananas

Yes folks, my dream life's been at it again... sending me off an another foray into "What the Heck Was THAT All About?"

I received a good deal of feedback after my last dream blog, with several people writing to ask about dreams they've had. So I've decided to make interpretation blogs a regular offering from My Wildest Dreams!

In last night's dream I'm walking along a tree-lined street. Suddenly, something falls from a tree onto my head. It's a small cluster of bananas. (Never mind I am NOT standing anywhere near a banana tree.) I look up, and see a monkey. He's obviously knocked loose his breakfast, and I step back so he can retrieve them. I look up again, see another banana, and start eating it. Another monkey comes and steals it from me.

Next thing you know, I'm inside about to take the first test ride on a roller coaster I happen to own. It gains speed, headed right for the loop-de-loop...and halfway up the loop, it breaks down and stops.

Enter my dream interpretation sources, which tell me some surprising (and potentially naughty) things. Not surprisingly, bananas in dreams tends to indicate items of a, er, sensual and phallic nature. Now, monkeys snatching my bananas might sound like I need a love life overhaul, to say the least, but I discovered that monkeys hanging from trees also represent being troubled by young ones. Enter my preschooler, who's been a real handful lately AND who has been interfering with my sleep patterns ("stealing" my night hours with wakefulness). The monkey business in my dream makes more sense.

Roller coasters involve, not surprisingly, ups and downs in our lives or erratic emotions and behavior. In truth, I'd been so busy lately that I HAVE been rather, well, MOODY. And thus, the mystery behind another wacktastic dream sequence is solved.

Is YOUR subconscious trying to tell you something? Post a comment here or contact me!

I Have a Dream (Interpretation)

Note: some might find the dream mentioned mildly disturbing. Not for the easily nauseous.

Those who have visited my web site have seen my slogan, "Writing in My Wildest Dreams." My dream life is fairly vivid, sometimes in color, and usually well-remembered. I can even program my dreams to work on stories for me. Then again, my REM state has a life and will of its own, and wackiness DOES ensue.

I had one of those dreams this week. One minute I'm in an elevator with a group of strangers-that-I-know, the next we're hanging perilously to girders inside the elevator shaft. I shout a warning to one girl who looks ready to fall. Alas, she slides away into blackness, and the rest of us are helpless to do anything but watch.

Then, BOOM! It's me at the bottom of the shaft, back broken and part of one leg gone. Yet I'm quite calm, smiling and positive as paramedics (instantly on the scene) extricate me. Then the dream fast forwards and I'm happily recounting my tale to a friend on the street, me on crutches and encased in a plaster cast. Can we say, ohh-kayyyyy?

I turned to a dream guide guide for insight into this latest wild and woolly, and thought I'd share my findings here. Falling dreams involve a sense of insecurity or situations that are out of the dreamer's control. Elevators mean the same thing, or indicate a rise (or fall) in position or status. Turning into someone else in a dream--as I became the woman at the bottom of the shaft--indicates some aspect of the dreamer is changing. Back and leg injuries have specific meaning as well: dreaming of your back denotes ones' status, or some kind of pressure placed upon you. A crippled/missing leg indicates a lack of balance in life.

In putting these themes together, I was instantly able to recognize a subconscious fear with my writing career. I've got one book published and others under consideration. There's a bit of insecurity in that position, though one might believe a first book contract would surely eliminate lack of confidence. Not so. Enter whispers of, "Was the first just a fluke?" and the reason for my dream becomes clearer.

Once in a publisher's hands, manuscripts representing my (hopeful) rise as an author are out of my control. Meanwhile, self-applied pressure to further writing goals strains the seams of my daily schedule, putting things out of balance as I work to juggle job, home, family, and writing. Despite the pressure, fear of failing, and risk, I'm doing what I love to do. Hence my seemingly misplaced happiness throughout the dream.

What did this tell me? If nothing else, I decided I could use a few days away from my writing desk. So I put away my writer's hat, grabbed a favorite book, and planted my nose firmly therein.

Have you had recurring or particularly odd dreams? Dreams involving falling or other themes described here? Feel free to share. And keep on dreamin'! They might just be trying to tell you something.

Virtual Writing?

See what happens when I don’t have a blog challenge? I get fat, sassy, and downright blog lazy. Not that my lack of blogness represents a lapse in writing. I just finished a red-hot novella, SUITE SEDUCTION, and am back at work on A GRAND SEDUCTION. (Gee, that word keeps cropping up in my titles these days.) Also, in preparation for my summer writing “hiatus”(haw haw) I’m in the process of reviving the video game romance soap that spawned my upcoming IMMORAL MAGIC trilogy, CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’. In fact, that’s the topic for today’s blog: “live action writing.”

Ever hear of The Sims? It’s a video game that allows players to create virtual people, build impressive 3-D homes, and watch/guide them through life: jobs, marriage, kids, aspirations, old age. Zzzzzzz. Sorry, did I bore you? Wait, it gets better...especially if you’re an avid reader or writer. A growing number of players have discovered the handy in-game storytelling feature, by which Sims become actors and their environments sets in sagas representing every genre under the sun.

Now, let’s say you’re a writer or reader whose muse or TBR pile took the day (or month) off, and good plots are about as prolific as June bugs in December. Enter the Sims. Load the game, make a random Sim or five, and stick ‘em in a neighborhood. Become a virtual fly on the wall. Allow Sims to interact and move around on Free Will. They manage to do some pretty weird/wacky/funny/disgusting things. Using the game camera, take loads of random snapshots. Develop your keen sense of reader or writer curiosity, and ask yourself what’s going on. Why did the Sim just tell off the strange woman passing by? Why did the thought bubble over his head indicate a longing for romance/food/a shower? Why on Earth did a gypsy fortuneteller just stumble across the lot, shining up her crystal ball? Before long, any reader or writer worth their printer ink may find their Sims have just sprouted the seeds of a good story.

Or say you're a writer already penning your masterpiece, but find yourself stuck on a plot point or character motivation. Create your story in 3-D, then let your Sim character take over for a bit. By being able to dictate certain personality traits, you’d be surprised how spot-on some of their reactions can be. They could help you write yourself out of the corner. Not only that, but it’s a darn fun way to battle the tedium of writer’s block.

While I certainly don’t use Sims to write all (or even many) of my stories, it did form the basis for the above mentioned trilogy of books. It’s a far more useful tool than most folks passing it by on store shelves may think. So the next time you find yourself without a good book to read or write, go play a game. The kids who love to “waste time” with video games may have been taking the literary high road all along.

Zodiac: Practical(ly) Magic

I can't believe it...the final post in my A-Z blog challenge on all things mystical! And now, the letter Z...

Zodiac: The twelve constellations through which the sun, moon and planets cross. Each constellation is attributed a "sign" containing special significance depicting various aspects of life.

Ask a majority of people, "What's your sign?" and they can tell you easily. Knowing ones' birth sign is widely accepted, though few understand what it means.

The belief is that the position and alignment of stars and planets at the time of ones' birth can describe their personality attributes. This goes along with my month-long underlying theme of universal energies and their impact on all things; in this case, the type and position of energies affect a child's personality at birth.

Of course, one might turn this around and argue that a child already possesses these traits beforehand (in which case, perhaps their energy influences the date of their birth). Either way, it is interesting to note that a large percentage of people find commonalities between their personalities and the characteristics of their "sign."

For instance, as a Cancer I am said to be creative and drawn to occult and psychic phenomenon, as well as very family oriented with a tendency toward having a large family. I am a mother of seven and the author of a novel with psychic themes, currently writing a blog series on mysticism. Cancers are also notoriously moody creatures, as anyone who has my regular acquaintance can attest. We are drawn tightly to the moon and water, both of which describe me.

If you've never looked up your sign's traits, it may well prove an interesting study. But outside of the momentary entertainment value, who cares? It's not like you need someone to tell you what you like, after all. Still, using the zodiac can help you improve self awareness, be mindful when selecting a compatible mate or career, and to watch for potential pitfalls in life as well as your health. (Certain signs tend to lean toward particular types of ailments.)

Because the line up of stars and planets pull energy in varying ways (think of the way the moon's energy and pull affects the tides), the zodiac is used to predict the future. Such horoscopes are popular enough to be featured in just about every daily newspaper on the planet. Though I find discrepancy at times between various horoscopes (much like scientists may disagree on a particular theory, some astrologists may differ in their reading of astrological signs), I've been suitably impressed on numerous occasions. Not enough to consult the zodiac before deciding what color shirt to wear, but enough to respect the fact that there is value inherent in understanding the mysteries of the zodiac.

If you're interested in further information on birth signs, the zodiac, and astrology, check out these sites:
http://www.astrology-online.com
http://www.astrologycom.com/zodiac.html
http://www.evolvingdoor.ca/zodiac/signsindex.htm

Zodiac: Practical(ly) Magic

I can't believe it...the final post in my A-Z blog challenge on all things mystical! And now, the letter Z...

Zodiac: The twelve constellations through which the sun, moon and planets cross. Each constellation is attributed a "sign" containing special significance depicting various aspects of life.

Ask a majority of people, "What's your sign?" and they can tell you easily. Knowing ones' birth sign is widely accepted, though few understand what it means.

The belief is that the position and alignment of stars and planets at the time of ones' birth can describe their personality attributes. This goes along with my month-long underlying theme of universal energies and their impact on all things; in this case, the type and position of energies affect a child's personality at birth.

Of course, one might turn this around and argue that a child already possesses these traits beforehand (in which case, perhaps their energy influences the date of their birth). Either way, it is interesting to note that a large percentage of people find commonalities between their personalities and the characteristics of their "sign."

For instance, as a Cancer I am said to be creative and drawn to occult and psychic phenomenon, as well as very family oriented with a tendency toward having a large family. I am a mother of seven and the author of a novel with psychic themes, currently writing a blog series on mysticism. Cancers are also notoriously moody creatures, as anyone who has my regular acquaintance can attest. We are drawn tightly to the moon and water, both of which describe me.

If you've never looked up your sign's traits, it may well prove an interesting study. But outside of the momentary entertainment value, who cares? It's not like you need someone to tell you what you like, after all. Still, using the zodiac can help you improve self awareness, be mindful when selecting a compatible mate or career, and to watch for potential pitfalls in life as well as your health. (Certain signs tend to lean toward particular types of ailments.)

Because the line up of stars and planets pull energy in varying ways (think of the way the moon's energy and pull affects the tides), the zodiac is used to predict the future. Such horoscopes are popular enough to be featured in just about every daily newspaper on the planet. Though I find discrepancy at times between various horoscopes (much like scientists may disagree on a particular theory, some astrologists may differ in their reading of astrological signs), I've been suitably impressed on numerous occasions. Not enough to consult the zodiac before deciding what color shirt to wear, but enough to respect the fact that there is value inherent in understanding the mysteries of the zodiac.

If you're interested in further information on birth signs, the zodiac, and astrology, check out these sites:
http://www.astrology-online.com
http://www.astrologycom.com/zodiac.html
http://www.evolvingdoor.ca/zodiac/signsindex.htm