Tangos, Teasers and Tweets

One of my critique partners has decided to read my novel and tweet her comments while reading it through this weekend. Oh gawd, am I in for it! 

I thought a heads-up post was in order. I have no idea what her reactions will be, but I’m sure I am in for some unexpected zingers because she does not hold back. A bit of background? She is one saucy gal and her wit and gut reactions will be on the menu.

So, a little background on the writing of Dance the Dream Awake, the journey of Tessa Harper:

Throw into a pot a bit of Joseph Campbell, fairy tales, Tarot, Meso-American history, especially Mayan history, and add some mystique and what do you get? A present day woman who gets The Call and Responds to the Call from her soul. She takes that hero’s journey into the unknown, her dark side—a hidden, repressed and festering past needing to be healed.

She goes to Mexico out of desperation to rid herself of the nightmares that have been driving her crazy. She must step beyond her safe place of familiarity—what the ‘normal world’ says to do. The norm being the place most people never leave—what the outside world defines for our lives; parents, schools, churches, employers, society all around. Her journey takes her to the center of herself—to the unknown, the dark side that most never face. Sometimes she moves forward willingly, sometimes tentatively and sometimes kicking and screaming. At the heart of it she is determined to find out what the nightmares mean and how to stop them.

Of course, no one’s journey is all dark and she has to have some fun, too. So there are men she meets along the way . . . but I leave you there, ---@corajramos waiting for comments on Twitter by @mills_michele,  @KristaWriter, and @ElsaBayly.

and

Just for fun, I share this video of a sexy Argentine Tango--oh yes, there's tango in the book, too. First (and only) video on the board at http://www.pinterest.com/coraramos/dance-the-dream-awake-novel/

This should be a fun weekend! If you want to jump in on Twitter, please do. The more the merrier.

The Tragic End of a Romance

Today is #WANAFriday prompt time: Write from the perspective of an inanimate object. 

Since NaNoWriMo has taken most of my time this month, writing for that 50,000 words by Nov. 30, this short, short tongue-in-cheek story explains my thoughts (from the Point of View of my Pilot G2 gel pen). Obviously, romance is on the menu.

Pilot Pining

I’m feeling like a split personality. First, she held me tight while giving me one story, but soon switched to another. She began throwing out these crazy ideas like she was talking to someone. And then I heard her whisper, “Muse.”  

Who is Muse? There’s no one else here but me and her. 

I think I am the latest of many she has used and thrown away. I know I will not be the last. When I can no longer give her what she wants, I’m toast.

It all started when she began making up that story about ancient Japan. I figured it was her way of whispering sweet nothings in my ear. So I played along and wrote down her musings. I was hooked, allowing her to guide my hand. We were almost finished, ready to finalize the deal when NaNo came along.

Now I’m trying to figure out who this NaNo is she keeps talking about. Is he taking my place? 

Suddenly we were writing a new story. Was it their story? It was very hot, not like the slow burn that I had become accustomed to. Now it was wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am. I felt tarnished, used, empty.

It will not be long now before all my ink will be gone and I'll be replaced with a new gel-tip pen—the tragic end of a beautiful relationship.

*

As you might have noticed, I am feeling a bit schizophrenic with writing two stories, insuring that I will not succeed at 50,000 words for NaNo, but since my stories are linked, I am making great progress on my writing goals.

A note on my present novel published this year: you can read a review on Dance the Dream Awake at KingsRiverLife Magazine. (it will be up on Saturday, Nov. 22)


Are you writing for NaNo? 
Do you use a writing implement or directly to computer? 
How sentimental are you about your writing implement?

Now you can visit Ellen Gregory who has a puzzle for you to solve on her blog.
Visit Liv Rancourt and read about her Inanimate Intellections.

Sizzling Slowly

#Wanafriday prompt this week: How did the last book you read change you, or not?

I’ve been ‘researching’ hot romantic stories of late, in preparation for my new novel, which I’m slamming down while taking the NaNoWriMo challenge (that’s National Novel Writing Month when writers put themselves through the rigors of slamming down 50,000 words during the month of November.) Only last week the slamming part stalled until I read this novel.

For weeks now, I’ve been up to my ears in testosterone fueled novels. Best research ever! Anyway, one of the best ones I’ve come across lately is the novel, Jake Undone by Penelope Ward. Jake is my new best book boyfriend (and there have been many in the past month 

(thank you Pamela Clare for Javier in First Strike and Striking Distance).

So why this book? The author keeps the tension ramped up high throughout the novel. The characters are well drawn and we want them to work it out, badly, because we crave Jake and want to see him in action. I’ll leave that to your imagination.

So how did this book change me? Jake is drawn so well by author Ward that it turned on the switch for me as to how to construct my own protagonist that I’ve been struggling to fill out. I know my Jack well from my first novel, Dance the Dream Awake. I go into his past life as a samurai in my second novel (which I am still in the process of finishing up), but I’ve been having trouble with the updated man we haven't fully gotten to know yet in present day. All of a sudden, since Jake Undone, I see my Jack in full light and the spigot is turned on and flowing. Whether I get 50,000 words done for NaNoWriMo is neither here nor there—I found the impetus to move forward on my new novel.

Now go take a peek at what these WANA* authors are coming up with in answer to this week's prompt:

*WANA=We are not alone, put together by Kristen Lamb. 

Ellen Gregory  -Book Review: Slow River

Liv Rancourt - How a Dish of Eyeballs Changed My Life.

Tami Clayton - Eleanor & Park

Janice Heck - A View From the Window

(More WANAs will be added as they post today.)

So what book have your read lately that affected you strongly?

(More Wanas will be added as they post today. Check back later)