The Cast of Natural Selection...

I totally ganked this idea from Rachel Vincent's blog, but I really like the idea so I decided to run with it. It seems like fun.

What movie can you cast your book from? Hmmm..... Well, I will focus on Natural Selection since it is complete and I'm only a quarter of the way into second Nature. I'm gonna have to go with Bottle Shock for this one. HAven't seen it? Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Eliza Dusku... Why are you still sitting there? Go rent it!

Anywho, I cast my characters witht eh acrtresses/actors of this film and with a couple exceptions, I'm happy with it..

Eliza Dushku as Amelia. Imagine her with copper hair and I can totally see it!

I'm not even kidding this is almost exactly how I picture Sariah in the first scene of Second Nature. I know I said I was sticking with Natural Selection, but I had to use this photo for the above reason.

Chris Pine as Xander. I swear I wasn't using Chris Pine when I first imagined Xander, but I might be from now on.

Mark Famigletti as NAte. I've never heard of him before, but I think I need to better aquaint myself. ;)

Marian Filali, another name I don't recognize, is perfect as Nancy, if she had red hair, of course. But I guess since my Amelia has brown hair, so can her mom...

Anjuli Sannerman as Evelyn. Ironically my brunette character is cast by the girl with reddest hair, but she screams Evelyn to me...

Anita Argent as Monica MAtthews

Alan Rickman as Frank Hoffman. What he lacks in similarity to my vision he makes up with awesomeness! I LOVE Alan Rickman. 

Bill Pullman as Peter MAtthews. I haven't found a muse photo for Peter yet, but I think I just did!

So these are all my major characters. Obviously these are not dead ringers, but I could deal with this. If they ever make a movie out of my books I hope to get to choose from a wider range of actors. ;)

So how about you? Can you cast your characters using a single movie? Feel free to use IMDB. I did....

Hey!

You should go read this cause it rocks. I <3 this book, and you can read Chapter One today over on Liz Schulte's Blog. It will be available to buy June 10!

About the writer's hop...

Life has officially gotten in the way of me organizing the writer's hop and frankly, interest seems to be waning. I'm out of ideas except this one. Who's up for a roaming host? Each week, the reins get passed from one writer to the next. I will choose someone to do Firday's post, they will choose the next who will choose the next, repeatedly passing it down the line. In your post, you let everyone know who you plan to pass it to the next week.Think up your own question and let everyone answer it as before. This shares the follower love. I don't know if anyone likes this idea, but either that or I will pass the host reins off to someone else, or the hop stops here. Volunteers? Ideas? Suggestions? Please share...

On Bad Reviews...

Ok folks, I've had something stewing inside me and it's time I let it out. I am getting so fed up with authors crying over every bad review. Don't get me wrong, it's ok to hurt and it's ok to cry. IN PRIVATE. But to bash a reviewer for forming an opinion that they are entitled to is just plain retarded! Any publicist will tell you, good or bad, press coverage is a good thing. How many of you have heard something bad about something and rushed to check it out - a movie, or a website, or yes, even a book. I personally don't like a book with only good reviews because no matter how wonderful or famous a book is, not everyone likes it. Look at Stephanie Meyers. How many Twihards are in the house? How many haters? Love her or hate her, you have an opinion. I bet Stephanie doesn't lose sleep over every opinion out there. Not everyone is going to love you. And that's ok. I know that each book is our baby, but the only way to honestly keep it unscathed forever is to lock it away from the world which is a tragedy. If you let every single blow bring you down, maybe the writing world isn't for you. It's ok to hate the review that is just mean, or strategizing, but don't hate a reviewer just because they don't agree with you. And don't forget, just because the person you're whining to is a fellow author, doesn't mean they're not a reviewer, or friends with one. And the toes you step on today could belong to the crucial dance partner of tomorrow. So zip your lips, buy some good rum and mourn in private, then come back tomorrow with some Tylenol and a shiny new attitude, determined to prove them wrong...

Second Nature

So while I wait for my critiques to come back to do the final edit, I started book two, which is going really well. I'm having a really good time hanging out with my characters again. I think I'm in love with Xander, I'd leave my husband for him if he, you know, really existed. ;)

I am burning the candle at both ends and it's only a matter of time before something has to give. I'm not sure how long until 4Corners starts to actually pay, but I hope soon so I can dedicate myself to it more fully... Meantime, I am divided and conflicted. I seriously dread the end of each day because I know the next one I have to go back. I really don't know what I'm going to do. I think once i get enough set aside to pay for everything I have planned then I might quit...

Had a couple inquiries at 4Corners ala carte menu, but no takers yet. Once made it as far as the mock up and sent it to her she backed out. So I think I'm going to mock up a title and add some fake covers of books to show my skillz... lol

Yay!! Blog hop's back!

Since Blogger's not hating on the blog hop this week, here we go again! ;)






There are so many great authors who have inspired me over the years. I often wonder what it would be like to spend a day with them. If I could spend a day with only one, it would be so hard to choose. But in the end, I would have to go with JRR Tolkien. The man was seriously a genius and I imagine his brain would be kind of like mine, seeing something mundane and ordinary in a way no one else could even imagine. I can tell he is a very visual person, like me, by the vivid descriptions in his books. And I would also love to hear his opinion of Peter Jackson's interpretation of his vision.

So if you could spend a day with any author, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Please join me in welcoming MG Ainsworth of Writing After Nine with this weeks answer!

I consider myself fortunate that I've had an entire week to think about this because it's a difficult decision. There are many wonderful authors I admire and would like to meet. I considered Jane Austen, Dr. Seuss, Edgar Allan Poe and J.R.R. Tolkien as deceased authors and living authors included J.K. Rowling, Charlaine Harris, Nora Roberts and Chelsea Handler who would provide a most entertaining day, I'm sure.

After much deliberation Nora Roberts is the winner. Not only are her books in the Three Sisters Island, Key, Born In, In the Garden and Circle trilogies amongst my favorites, I also admire her work ethic and dedication to writing as a profession. While I don't read all of her books since I am more interested in those with an urban fantasy or paranormal vibe I admire her ability to write books across multiple genres and for different audiences.

She embodies being an Author as a profession. She once stated "you don't find time to write. You make time. It's my job." She spends her weekdays in an office writing and releases several novels a year with great reviews. I dream of being at the point where I am not finding time to write but making time, and I find I am make much more progress when I take this approach carving out hours dedicated to writing.

She has also uttered the words that have inspired me most as a writer both to start writing and to continue despite obstacles from self doubt to exhaustion:

"You can fix anything but a blank page"

I would like to spend a day with her not only because I admire her works but because she has some real insight into the writing process and inspires me as an Author to keep writing.

So how do you get in on the fun? That’s a really good question. The rules are simple.

Follow me, Elizabeth Sharp, the host of this hop

Follow the featured author of the week MG Ainsworth

Copy the image code beow and paste it in your blog.

Add your name to the link at the bottom of this post.

Copy and paste the rules (the ones below, not these) in your blog, as well as this week’s question.

Answer the question

Follow, follow, follow.

This is about networking, people, making connections with people in your community. So talk to us. We don't bite!If someone stops by, says hi and follows you, the polite thing to do is to say hi back.

Comment here and introduce yourself and you just might find a new follower or two.

Breaking it down, you copy V this code V in this box V and paste into your blog in HTML mode
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m54/minako97/pen.jpg

Next, copy these rules. You don’t want the ones above because they are tailor made for my page. These ones are for everyone else…

Follow this blog.

Follow Elizabeth Sharp, the originator of this hop

Follow the featured author of the week, MG Ainsworth

Go to Sharp words and copy the image code found there and paste it in your blog. Add your name to the link at the bottom of the post while you are there.

Copy and paste the rules in your blog, as well as this week’s question.

Answer the question

Follow, follow, follow. This is about networking, people, making connections with people in your community. So talk to us. We don't bite!If someone stops by, says hi and follows you, the polite thing to do is to say hi back.

Comment here and introduce yourself and you just might find a new follower or two

And lastly, add youself to the linky  

This last bit is optional, but if you want the linky, grab the code here:

get the InLinkz code

Blog hop

For those of you looking for it, there is no blog hop this week. As of midnight last night I still couldn't get onto Blogger and don't have time today for more than this quick note to let you know it will be back next week...

*Happy Dance*

Natural Selection is finished. I lowered the word goal, but I'm OK with it. I'm happy with the story and though the goal was 65,000 words, my true goal was to be over 60,000 at the end of editing. So I will just have to be mindful of the fact that I only have 300 words worth of wiggle room to keep it in the target range. I can't get two people to agree on what length something officially becomes a novel, but I believe the general rule of thumb is >50,000 words, and I think I'm gonna go with that. The book is by no means done, I still need to do a final grammar edit, then it goes to my editor. Then I will edit it again. It is my goal to get the next edit done by the end of the month. As an incentive, I don't get to read the newest Sookie Stackhouse book until I finish this next edit. 

Before I get started on this newest edit though, I'm going to start blocking out and preparing to write Book Two of the Forces of Nature series, Second Nature. I hope to have it done by the time Natural Selection is ready to be published. It took about a month for Natural Selection so I'm hoping to do something similar with Second Nature. I have the cover about half done, so it will be added in with all the other pending covers i need to work on. I need to spend more time working on those, but the writing group is a siren's call I cannot seem to resist.

As the incentive reward for getting this done, I now get to read HP Mallory's A Tale of Two Goblins. If you haven't read her books and are interested, they're on sale for the next 4 days for $0.99! You should probably check that out because they're awesome. I’m off to go read now. 

Creativity

Creativity is as unique as each person. There are many ways to define it and many ways to express it. Merriam-Webster defines creativity as the ability to create. But what does that mean precisely? For some, creativity is making something from nothing. Others think it is turning nothing into something. There are so many ways to express yourself creatively.

Whether your thing is fashion, art, home decorating or writing, there is a way that you express your creativity. What makes it flow? Where does it come from? The answers to these are unique as well. What works for me may not work for you. So let me tell you about my creativity.

Creativity is in my bones, my blood, my very being. Sometimes I feel like if I don't find a way to express myself creatively I will burst. I have many outlets for these impulses: writing, art, beading, hair styling, sewing, plastic canvas and cross stitching.I'm sure there are other's but those are the ones I can think of off the top off my head.

Why am I writing about Creativity? Because I feel like mine is stifled right now. Between my day job, 4 Corners, my life and editing, I feel like my creativity is so divided I don't have any left. This isn't a complaint about any of it, because i love it all and I"m so very glad to have all of it going for me. But I'm tired. I want to start plotting on Second Nature. I want to finish editing Natural Selection. I want to work on a book cover for both Michelle and Bookish Snob. But I sit at the computer and I have no energy or creativity left. I hope I'm just tired and the next few days off will help.

In an effort to work on this Tuesday I will be attempting to unplug. One full day without internet or leaving my house. My plan is to just edit. i want to finish fluffing Natural Selection and I haven't found anything to add in the last two chapters. But they are the smallest chapters in the book so there has to be something I can add. I need to rally my critiquers for ideas I think. But for tonight I'm gonna do some work on my Scribblings book and plot some stuff for Second Nature.

Let's go to the hop!

It's Friday again and time to hop! Our numbers have been dwindling so  decided to use our initial linky to try and get more people hopping by... And quick poll, how many of you have noticed I messed up the type on our logo and never pointed it out? Or have you all, like me, stared right past it? I left it on my own page to see if you can find the problem, but it is fixed on all of the coding.

There has been a lot of talk among some of my writer friends about the things that make us feel like a writer. For me the moment of validation was the first time someone read my work and told me, "This is really good." I was ten and the story was "The Mystery of the Dark and Twisted Lane", a mystery that any adult had figured out in about two pages. Of course the fact that there were only three characters, and one was a corpse and the other the cop investigating might have given something away. But despite the lack of mystery, I had characters people could relate to, settings people could see, and a plot that while predictable kept you reading anyway. Sadly I no longer have this travesty of a story, not by any determined destruction, but by the careless attitude inherent with my age. From that moment on I knew I was a writer. It's just taken the rest of the world a little bit of time to catch. With this in mind, I have selected this weeks question.
What moment has validated you and made you feel like a writer? If it hasn't happened yet, what do you think it will be?
Please join me in welcoming VK Tremain with this weeks answer.

There were a few things that combined made me feel like a writer; however, it all started when I sat down at the computer and wrote the first words of GIFT OF BLOOD. The act in itself was so fulfilling and addictive that I began to identify as a writer. As my story continued to develop, my character's world followed suit, and their voices in my head urged me to write on.My addiction grew with each word I typed. The nail in the coffin was when I started my VK Tremain Facebook page, blog, and Twitter account. By that point I already acknowledged myself as a writer, but through social media I put myself out there. The public would see me as a writer, and I risked rejection and disinterest. To my delight, the opposite happened. I was encouraged! For that, I have to thank the members in the HP Writers Group, who are awesome and wonderfully supportive, as well as the incredible feedback through blog comments and my Twitter and Facebook friends. After so many years of searching, I had finally found my path in my life.I am content even if I never reach celebrity status or get offered a publishing deal. I am a writer because, quite simply, I write. Some of my earliest memories consist of me curled up, lost in a paperback. My dream is that one-day I will have the honor to pay it forward and give that feeling to other readers. Whether I ever get paid or not doesn’t matter. I write for the love of my characters and for the world that I have created. I write for self-expression, and I write to entertain. Hopefully, one day, I will get that big paycheck that everyone thinks writers receive. I will live in luxury, sipping martinis in my beachfront property as I tap away on my laptop. Hey a girl can dream, right? But in the mean time all I want is to share my love, passion and creativity.I can't imagine not writing now; it’s a part of who I am.

And now for how you can join:

The rules

1. Follow me, Elizabeth Sharp, the originator of this hop
2. Follow the featured author of the week, VK Tremain.
3. Copy the image code found below and paste it in your blog. Add your name to the link at the bottom of this post while you are here.
4. Copy and paste the rules in your blog, as well as this week’s question.
5. Answer the question
6. Follow, follow, follow. This is about networking, people, making connections with people in your community. So talk to us. We don't bite!
7. If someone stops by, says hi and follows you, the polite thing to do is follow back.
8. Comment here and introduce yourself and you just might find a new follower or two. 

Breaking it down, copy the code in the box below and paste in on your blog under the "edit HTML" tab.

<center><a href=" http://somesharpwords.blogspot.com/search/label/FF" target="_blank" ><img border="0" src=" http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m54/minako97/pen.jpg " /></a> </center>
I have customized the rules for you blog, so grab them here and add them to your own page!

The rules

1. Follow this blog.
2. Follow Elizabeth Sharp, the originator of this hop
3. Follow the featured author of the week, VK Tremain.
4. Go to Sharp words and copy the image code found there and paste it in your blog. Add your name to the link at the bottom of the post while you are there.
5. Copy and paste the rules in your blog, as well as this week’s question.
6. Answer the question
7. Follow, follow, follow. This is about networking, people, making connections with people in your community. So talk to us. We don't bite!
8. If someone stops by, says hi and follows you, the polite thing to do is follow back.
9. Comment here and introduce yourself and you just might find a new follower or two.

And finally add yourself to the Linky list below. I have decided to go back to the original list, so we have an ongoing list of hoppers... 

This last part is optional. Some people like to have the list on their own pages, if you do, here's a link to get the code....

Follow Friday Linky code

That's all their is to it. Happy hopping everyone!

And here you thought I'd dropped of the planet...

I try to update regularly, but I have been letting things slide lately. I have SO many irons in the fire right now, I don't know if i"m going or coming. I'm going to experiment this coming Tuesday and say absolutely no phone or internet between eight and five except a lunch break. We'll see how effective i can be without the distraction, or if I'm even capable.

I pushed until the last second of my deadline to get my short for the upcoming anthology published. For those of you not aware of my work with 4 Corners press, we are working on a dream anthology with works by our six members and the two winners of our dream contest. I just finished my short and I love it. It has been sent to my editor. I want to take a second to thank VK Tremain for their AWESOME assistance, especially given the time crunch I was under.

My goal going forward is going to be make more time for writing so I don't feel guilty for neglecting friends and family because I spend every waking second glued to a computer. I need to take a step back from the internet and use it less often... Anyway, this was my attempt to let you know, yes, I"m still here. Yes, I"m still working on stuff. No, I don't have specific dates for any release. And as always to say thank you all for your continues support....