Sunday Reflection: Who TF Can Create Right Now?

 

It's almost 4 pm on Sunday afternoon, January 10th, and I've only added a handful of words to my current Work in Progress all weekend. Like many people all over the world, I've been scrolling through social media looking repeatedly at images and articles from Wednesday's attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol. I can't help myself. I can't stop. I keep seeing different takes of the same events of that horrendous day and I read every one.

The information hasn't changed, nor has my opinion of the President and his part in this embarrassing and infuriating moment in US history. I've never been a Trump supporter. I've never been a Republican. From the moment Trump decided to run for the 2016 election I've said he's an idiot and an embarrassment to our country. He brought up penis size during one of the first debates, yet people still followed him. He mocked a disabled reporter on live television, and still people voted for him. I'm beyond disgusted. As if that's not bad enough, I live in Texas, firmly in Cruz's district. I absolutely can't stand him. He's just as responsible for the events that have led us to this moment. 

I'm so distracted with no end in sight. When will this BS end? I, like many Americans, am looking forward to the inauguration. But will that be the end of it? What are Republicans even now planning to do? They no longer control Congress. Is that enough to right the wrongs they've done over the past four years to the middle and lower class? To marginalized communities? To the environment? To the LGBTQ+ community? To the families of those dead or dying from Covid-19? To anyone who doesn't have the cash or stocks and bonds to garner their respect and attention? God I hope so.

For now, I'm writing this post so I can feel like I've written some words this weekend. It's the best I can do for now. I'm listening to some heavy, angry music to get that energy out. Once I'm done, I plan to switch to classical and try to write an actual story. If the words won't come, I'm going to snuggle with my cat and watch the rain.

Sunday Reflection: I've Been Remiss

 

Alas, I've been remiss in posting anything to my blog in the month of November. Oops! To be honest, I didn't stop to think about what participating in NaNoWriMo would do to my blog, any other writing I have going on right now (Which is a ridiculous amount). I knew I absolutely had to finish Born of the Forbidden: Gargoyle Masters Book III, because I had promised myself I would get it out into the world by the end of 2020. After all, I need something positive to show for the hell this year has been.

So far, NaNo is going fairly well. It was a little slow going at the beginning because I was finishing BOTF also, but I completed that within the first week of November and it's the in the capable hands of my editor now. There's a sense of freedom that comes over me once I've sent a book off to my editor. I refuse to open that file again until edits are sent back to me, because I know I'll want to alter or add something. So, because I can't look at it anymore, I'm free to move on to something else. I really like that feeling. Right now I'm writing an erotic romance for NaNo. I've been saying it's the sequel to Lunchtime Sex, however, it may actually be book 3 in my Sophisticated Women series instead of book 2. I'd tentatively started book 2 a while back, and I think this current story will fit better in the timeline as the finale. We'll see.

Sophisticated Women book 2 is currently titled Breakfast in Bed, and book 3 is Dinner for Two. Both of them will follow the theme of an older woman with a younger man. Breakfast in Bed involves a hot pool boy, and in Dinner for Two the heroine falls for a college student after she poses nude for his art class. I'm having a blast writing this one, and I hope y'all will enjoy it once it comes out. Before it's release, however, Born of the Forbidden will be available. As soon as I have a release date I will let the world know. The first people to be told will be my newsletter subscribers. They're going to get the first peek at the cover as well as an excerpt from the book. Not a subscriber? Sign up here. I promise you won't be inundated with emails from me. I only send them out to announce new releases and personal appearances. So, most likely you'll get about four a year.

All righty, break time's over. Back to my NaNoWriMo WIP!

 

Sunday Reflection: Writing Again for NaNoWriMo

It's November! Feliz Día de los Muertos! Happy Diabetes Awareness month! And if you're participating, Happy NaNoWriMo! As you've probably guessed by the picture to the left, I am participating this year. It's been a while since I did so, but the words are finally flowing again so I decided why the hell not. I'm hoping to end 2020 with a completed book or two to add to my published page next year.

This year's NaNo offering will be a sequel to Lunchtime Sex, tentatively titled Dinner for Two. I actually already started another book in this series that I thought would be the sequel but I guess it's going to be book three now. We'll see which one gets finished, edited, and covered first. That one will most likely be titled Breakfast in Bed (see the theme there?) All three are part of my Sophisticated Women series, which is an older woman/younger man series of forty-something women getting their groove back and the twenty-something men who help them with that groove. They are erotic romances, and definitely have HEA endings.

Being Hispanic, Día de los Muertos is a holiday I've always been aware of but don't technically celebrate in the traditional way. My mother used to create an altar every year but I never have. My son expressed an interest this year but it was too late to make one. However, this is definitely on the list of to-dos for next year. To anyone who is celebrating with an altar, post pictures! I love to see the creativity that goes into celebrating our loved ones. Mine will probably be mostly about my maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather. I also have two cousins I'd like to honor. Do people include their pets? This year I lost my beloved cat Cheetoh and years ago I lost my dog Baby who was seven years old. I think they both deserve a place on my altar.

November is also Diabetes Awareness month which is important to my family, too. My seventeen-year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age seven, and my husband and I have been diagnosed with type 2 in the years since. As a family we strive to do the things necessary to stay healthy and support the efforts of organizations like JDRF. We usually participate in their walk every November. It's going to be virtual this year and I'll admit we did not sign up for the first time since my son's diagnosis. With everything going on in 2020 I just didn't have the mental bandwidth to handle the fundraising efforts required for that endeavor. Though it makes me sad we won't have a sign with his smiling face this year, I knew it was too much to ask of my family, friends, and myself. Here's hoping 2021 will return to normal.

Sunday Reflection: Social Media After the U.S. Election

 I can't wait for November 4th. Actually, I should probably say January 21st. Whatever date when my social media feed isn't bombarded, rightly so, by the mess that is the political atmosphere in this country. I'm not naïve enough to think everything is going to get better immediately after the election, or even on Jan. 1, 2021. However, once the results are in there isn't a damn thing we can do about it one way or another. So whether my guy wins or not, I expect to be sharing and posting a LOT fewer political posts once it's done. I'm not saying we should ignore injustice and turn a blind eye to the racial disparity in the U.S., and world. I'm not saying I plan to stick my head in the sand. I just hope there will be fewer lies spewed as absolute truths soon.

So, what are we going to rage about once the election is over? Again, there will still be racial injustice to fight. There will still be a HUGE gap between our wealthiest and poorest. There will still be rampant homelessness in a country covered in empty housing. But can we take a break for a bit? Like, maybe just the first week of December can we all agree to just talk online about books, movies, TV shows, whatever entertains us? Let's talk about anime and manga, graphic novels and comic books, video games and puzzles. Let's talk about gardens and walks in the park, or whatever outings you're able to do in your part of the country. Let's celebrate the lives of those we've lost to Covid-19 by remembering the good times instead of railing at the gods that we've lost them. Just for a few days, or a few hours, or a few minutes.

Starting December 1st I'm going to make a conscious effort to put more positivity out in my social media world. If I see something negative that I feel others need to know about I will still share it, but I'm hoping things will quiet down a bit by then. December does mark the end of hurricane season after all. Hopefully it will also mark the end, or close to it, of political chaos season. Even if it doesn't, I'm really going to try to post more non-political positives rather than almost all political mostly negatives. Hopefully, I'll also have a new release by then. We shall see. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

Sunday Reflection: Suburbs and Subdivisions

Growing up, until my Freshman year of high school, we lived within Houston city limits. It wasn't like living "downtown" exactly, but it wasn't the suburbs either. If you're not familiar with Houston, a glance at the map to the left shows it's HUGE. Over the past thirty years, since I lived within city limits, the suburban areas outside of Houston have exploded and expanded. Recently on Twitter I came across a post about suburbs being started as a segregation tactic. There were other posts, all negatively referring to suburbs as basically things of evil. I find this funny because back when I was in high school, I would've agreed.

At the time of our move out of city limits I was a lonely teenager with zero friends or acquaintances in the school district I was moved into as a Freshman. We moved into a "subdivision", which honestly freaked me out a little bit. The only things I knew about subdivisions at the time were from Rush lyrics, and none of it was flattering. That put a definite damper on my expectations of my new school and classmates. It actually turned out really well for me. I graduated with good friends, many I'm still in touch with, and tons of great memories. Did I conform? Yeah probably. At the time I didn't think much of it, but I realize now how much of my Mexican culture I sacrificed during my teen years. However, all teens go through the transition of identity phase and that was mine.

Years later, after many more moves, I talked my husband into moving back into the general area of my high school years because of those fond memories. We wound up, and still live, in a subdivision in the suburbs. But let me tell you about the suburbs where we live. It's quite diverse. I'm not surrounded by white housewives when I go to the grocery store. I don't see a plethora of Trump for President signs as I drive down the street. There's a feeling of community here, even though most of us stay to ourselves and only smile and wave to each other in passing. Once when walking into the local grocery store, a lady was struggling to push her cart and pull a carpet cleaning machine behind her. I immediately headed her way, but before I could help her two other people got to her and aided her to her car.  

Another time, my husband and I were walking into the same store on a rainy day and a lady slipped and fell in front of us. The manager rushed out and a few other people stopped with us to help her. The store manager, who I knew well, talked her into letting me drive her home while my husband followed. No one thought anything of it because we're all neighbors. We're all a community. Sure, we have our problems like anywhere. I see Ring and Nextdoor alerts of stolen packages and car break-ins, but luckily it's not a daily occurrence. As mentioned, there are Trump supporters just like there are Biden supporters, but I've yet to see any public arguments. Everyone walking into the local grocery store wears a mask. When lost pet notices are posted people respond to help. I like living in my subdivision in the suburbs.

That being said, I DO NOT find Mike Pence in any way sexy or attractive. In fact, I laughed out loud when I saw that making the rounds on Twitter. I think a big part of the problem with the negative view of suburbs right now is the misconception that only one type of person lives in them. Well, that's certainly not true where I live and I have a feeling it's not true for a lot of suburbs around the U.S.

Sunday Reflection: Getting Older

 

It's October, which for me means something a little more than Halloween. Time is chugging on. On October 1st my mom turned seventy, on October 3rd my third child turned twenty. Where has the time gone?! If they're getting older then I am too. I'm no longer the toddler covered in chocolate with way too much curly hair as pictured to the left. I'm a mom, a wife, a daughter, an aunt, a sister, an author, a professional, and a woman who can look back on my life (even during this horrifically crazy year) and be satisfied that I've accomplished much and had many moments of true happiness.

When I was in high school I was an aunt to four rambunctious boys and one rambunctious girl. I loved all of them dearly but swore I wouldn't be having any of my own anytime soon. My plan was to become a photographer for either Sports Illustrated or National Geographic, hopefully both, and travel the world indulging in my passion of photography. I graduated. Started college, then life happened. By the time my second child made herself known I realized my plans had been forever altered. I don't remember ever mourning the life I thought I'd live. I remember nothing but happiness when I first became a mom, even if it hadn't been in my plans. Plans change and people change, and I think it all worked out.

So, now I'm forty-five and indulging in writing, something that wasn't even on my radar back in high school. I've always loved to read and write. As a child I'd make up stories all the time but not write them down. I was the kid sitting on the playground reading a book instead of running around with everyone else. Though I'd never expected to become an author, when I think back to various times in my life I realize I probably should have considered it. The spark was always there, I just hadn't noticed it.

I know a lot of people hate getting older. They hate having their birthdays acknowledged and fussed over. I'm the complete opposite, not only about my own birthday but about those of my loved ones, too. Since we couldn't throw the big bash I wanted to give my mom for her milestone birthday, we hired mariachis to play at her house. My sister made signs for her yard and her sister baked a cake, covered in seventy individual candles (she's the youngest and had to rub it in mama's face). For my daughter, we drove up to Denton for the day to have a small celebration at her apartment. It wasn't all I'd hoped to do, but it was enough. 

Getting older isn't a bad thing if you can look at what you've accomplished in the years you've lived. If you're happy with the person you are today, then all of the hardships have been worth it. 

Sunday Reflection: A Decision About My Writing

 I signed my first publishing contract in the summer of 2008. Before that acceptance email that completely changed the way I viewed myself when it came to writing, I basically just wrote as stories came to me. I wrote because I wanted to know the rest of the story that was playing through my mind. I wrote for myself. The first time someone told me they liked what I had written I was shocked. These crazy stories I make up in my mind weren't supposed to actually go anywhere or do anything for anyone. Not even me.

Now it's been over ten years since my first book landed on the shelves of Barnes and Noble and I'm completely indie-published. I don't have a company to help me edit, publish, cover, and promote my stories. I'll be completely honest, there are days where it doesn't feel as if all the work is worth it. Does anyone care if I ever publish another book? Is anyone actually waiting for my 3rd Gargoyle book, 4th Archangel book, 2nd Shapeshifter book, or any of the erotic stories I have yet to republish? Maybe, maybe not. I've had to really think about this over the past few months because independent publishing is not cheap. I promised my husband at the very beginning of this journey that I would only spend money I make on my books on book-related things. I lied. Luckily, he's a wonderful man with a great job, and I work fulltime as well. However, I've had to take things very slowly with anything new that requires not only a book cover (of which I am barely capable), but also a real editor rather than a free Beta reader. This, my dear readers, is only one of the reasons I don't have more books available for purchase right now.

At the beginning of the year I had great hopes of having the third Gargoyle book out by the summer. Then Covid-19 happened and I've found it very hard to concentrate on writing. The plethora of blog posts over this past months are my way of getting back into the swing of things. I'm hoping oiling my writing muscles in this way will bring my mojo back. I think it's working. I certainly am not having any trouble writing the blog posts. But even once I get the book done I still have to pay for an editor. A couple of months ago I invested in another beautiful cover from the very talented Kanaxa. I can't wait to share it with y'all, but that's not happening until I have a release date. I have to finish the book first.

So, what was my great epiphany about my writing? What is the decision I've come to as mentioned in the blog title? I've decided to stop worrying about trying to keep up with the expectations other authors have for themselves and to be more realistic in the expectations I set for myself. I've decided to start writing for ME again. I still want to keep my readers happy. I love y'all and am completely humbled every time I sell a book. However, I can't live under that pressure right now. I'm going to once again look at each book as a story I want to tell rather than a possible source of income. Luckily, I have the ability to do that because as mentioned above my husband and I both work. I'm going to stop looking at my author brand as a business (at least for the moment) and consider it an expression of myself I want to share with the world. I hope you will join me on my journey.

Sunday Reflection: Nonredeemable Heroes/Heroines

 There was a recent blowup online about a romance book that supposedly had a Nazi soldier as the hero. Once the dust cleared the publisher apologized for the confusing cover, which is full of swastika flags, and said the hero is actually a British soldier. I don't know whose bright idea it was to cover that book in swastikas, but in today's climate of hate from white supremacists, especially in the US, it was a terrible idea. But let's dig a little deeper into why there was such a swift, harsh reaction from #Romancelandia. If you're on Twitter at all you will notice there a few topics that get a large collection of romance readers, authors, and bloggers up in arms. The one this hit upon is a terrible choice in "hero". If you're reading a romance book, there is going to be a heroine and/or hero. So, let's look at the ones that shouldn't ever, ever, ever make the cut.

Racists: it's always been a struggle for minorities in the US to get a fair shake at literally anything at all. Some things have gotten easier, some things have gotten harder, and some things have stayed the same. So, let's look at why using a Nazi soldier, or any flavor of white supremacist is not ever okay. Racism is a learned trait that usually takes some time. The average romance book only has so many pages, and usually sticks to a tight timeframe. If a person learned their racist traits from their parents then that's at least eighteen years of indoctrination the love interest would have to muddle through. I'm not saying it can't be done, but should it? The hero/heroine can start off on the wrong foot (see enemies to lovers trope) but it can't be so bad that we absolutely hate them from page one. The reader has to believe they are savable, that there are redeeming qualities to the character to make it worth our time to want them to become a better person. Sorry, but racists just don't fall into that category for me.

Murderers: I've had to have this talk with my teenage son who has a ton of great story ideas pouring out of him. If it's going to be a romance book the hero/heroine CAN NOT kill anyone in cold blood. Self-defense? Sure. But it has to be the absolute last resort. Odd accident? Maybe. It would really depend on the circumstances and the character must be left emotionally devastated to know they've taken a life. Adding a murder to a romance book can be tricky, because it has to have a Happily Ever After Ending to be romance. If it's the hero/heroine holding the smoking gun, then they better have a very good reason.

Adulterers: This is my personal hot button topic. It's very hard for me to read a book where any cheating is going on, so I tend not to write them. There may be some past history mentioned, but nothing in the readers face, especially form the hero or heroine. My opinion is that cheaters will always cheat, no matter who they're with at the moment. So, there is no way a story with a cheater will end in a HEA if that cheater is a main character. In the book shown above the heroine starts off with the cheating boyfriend of the heroine from the previous book. I really struggled with whether or not to give Heather her own book, but quickly realized the story told in book one wasn't her whole story. It was the cheater's story. I was able to give Heather her redemption because she had been tricked by the cheater too, and then kicked him to the curb.

Sociopaths: The essence of a romance story is that two people come to care for each other deeply and fall in love. A sociopath by definition doesn't care about others. No matter what sub-genre of romance book you have the couple (or polyamorous group) will care deeply for each other by the end and show it in various ways. Though any one of them could show a lack of empathy at times, they can't be completely without it to the end.

I'm sure I've missed a slew of characters that you would never want to read as the hero/heroine of a love story. Feel free to comment below with others, or if you disagree with any of the ones above, tell me why.