Category Archives: Alethea Kontis

Three Books That Warped Heather Brewer

Alethea and Heather at the Less Than Three Conference 2014My dear friend, bestselling YA author Heather Brewer, has a new book out this week. In honor of the release of THE CEMETERY BOYS, I asked Heather if she would share with us a few of the books that made her into the fabulously awesome and darkly misfit Auntie we know and love today.

Three cheers for Auntie Heather and all her Minions!

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THREE BOOKS THAT WARPED ME INTO WHO I AM TODAY
By Heather Brewer

It’s not difficult to admit that I was always an…unusual…child. Whereas most of the kids my age were reading The Babysitters Club books and Little House on the Prairie, my tastes leaned toward the dark and macabre. Horror was like candy to me. I watched it on television, in movies, read books. If it featured blood or monsters, I was instantly drawn to it. But there are three books that really stand out in my childhood. Three books that happily warped my twisted little mind into the even more twisted thing it is today.

1. SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK, written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. This was an incredible collection of short horror stories that came out in 1981. The stories themselves were twisted and delightfully weird, but the best parts were the illustrations. I can’t imagine publishers okaying such frightening imagery in a children’s book today, but as a child in that day that hungered for scary, they were perfect for me.

2. THE AQUEDUCT by Ray Bradbury. Granted this one is a short story, but its length was good enough to satisfy a hungry young reader, and the big twist of what the aqueduct was for was MESSED UP. I loved it. It came out in 1979, and to this day, gives me a delightful shiver whenever I reread it.

3. IT by Stephen King. Published in 1986, this book is the sole reason I am afraid of clowns. More than that, it’s the most brilliant example of flashback scenes that I can think of. Perfectly evil!
There were many other books and stories that I can blame my weird side on, but these three are right up there. They made me love horror. They made me want to write it. Because what’s better than scaring children?

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Thank you, Heather, for dropping by! Everyone, please be sure to check out THE CEMETERY BOYS, now available online, or in a store near you.

So…what are three–just three–stories that made YOU are who you are today?

Mermaids & Friends: K. Tempest Bradford

Hello, the Lagoon!

Alethea & Tempest, Blowing up the InternetsAlethea Mermaid here, swimming today with my first ever Writer-in-Residence at my Florida Oasis: K. Tempest Bradford! In addition to writing fiction, Tempest also writes reviews, articles, and opinion pieces for various magazines, both online and in print. One of her recent pieces for xojane challenged readers to broaden their reading horizons. A worthwhile challenge, n’est-ce pas? Except for one teeny tiny little detail

Tempest’s article, with its clickbait title and similar photo, pretty much blew up the internet. Seriously. Be careful if you go read that original post. There are over 2500 comments–most posted within the first 72 hours–and the majority of them are not kind. Beyond that, Tempest was called names and threatened for even daring to suggest this challenge. A #lovetweetsfortempest movement was started to counteract some of the hate. The vileness spilled over into her other social media. The post went viral on Tumblr and was picked up by Time magazine. Over a month later, she’s still feeling the backlash from this.

And I witnessed all of it.

We were having a write-in day with Leanna Renee Hieber and Tempest’s editor Marianne. We were all sitting on the porch when Tempest finished the article and pitched her title to Marianne.

“Make it first person,” said Marianne. “I want YOU to challenge people to do this.”

So it was done. Tempest made $50 for the article, the same thing she makes for all the articles she writes, and went on to work on developing her next piece…while the internet went to Crazytown. Who knows how many thousands of advertiser dollars she raked in for the various affiliates who picked up her news and republished it. I think of the personal trauma she went through…and to some small extent is still going through…all for a measly $50.

Leanna and I watched Tempest closely over the next few days. She got quiet and retreated into the computer. (On an average day, Tempest plays music, dances, and sings at the top of her lungs.) We poked her every so often to make sure she was okay–and she promised she was–but we didn’t believe her. We knew some of the things that were being said about her. We went out to dinner and took her phone away, so that we could all have a break from the poison. Because our dear Tempest is a fighter…and standing up against all that bile can be addictive. We are taught to fight the good fight–but at what cost?

We’ve all read the articles on cyberbullying. It’s happened to many of us. But to be present from start to finish while you watch it happening to someone else…someone that you love…wow. You realize the horrible lengths to which people will go to wish ill (and even harm) to someone they don’t even know.

I am so glad Tempest was here when all this went down. I’m glad she wasn’t alone. Yes, sometimes the world needs to be shaken up a little bit. Sometimes we are the ones to do the shaking. But knowing you’re not alone and physically being alone are two very separate things.

I asked Tempest to join me here at the lagoon for a very special interview, in which she challenges romance readers (who often have no trouble not reading books by men) to broaden our own horizons.

Thank you, Tempest!

So…what reading ruts do you find yourself getting into?

What books can you recommend that might broaden our literary horizons? I’d love to hear them!

(also, if you’re on Tumblr, you’ll want to reblog this bit Tempest just posted as a teaser for her video series, because it’s hilarious and brilliant.)

The Writing Oasis

Alethea & Leanna at the Oasis

Alethea & Leanna at the Oasis

“I’m sorry,” Leanna texted me. “My life is just so crazy right now.”

“Everything is wonderful and there is no drama at my Writing Oasis,” I replied. “Just hurry up and get here.”

My dear bosom companion and book release-date sister Leanna Renee Hieber joined me here in Florida for two weeks in February for our Florida Fabulosity Book Tour, but she was not my first Writer in Residence. That honor belongs to K. Tempest Bradford.

I saw Tempest when I was in NY for BEA last June. She was contemplating giving up her very expensive (and falling to pieces) apartment in NYC and couch surfing with all of her great friends who lived all over the country. I knew where she was coming from — I contemplated  this very thing when I left Virginia. But, having previously been a homeowner, I have STUFF, so I require a home base. In fact, I had just put an offer in on a house in Florida. It needed a LOT of work.

“When are you thinking of doing this?” I asked Tempest.

“Oh, sometime after New Year’s.”

“Come stay with me in February,” I told her. “Leanna and I will be gone a lot of the time on book tour anyway. You’ll have the place to yourself. It will be perfect.” Seven months away. Surely whatever renovations we needed to do would be completed by February.

Ha.

As you’ve probably guessed, the house needed a lot more work than anyone expected. It was not finished by February. In fact, the day before Tempest flew in, Dad was frantically installing a broken countertop and sink that we duct taped together so that the house would *have* a kitchen sink. I don’t have a stove either — there’s a toaster oven, and Mom & Dad’s camping cooktop are out on my back porch. Along with my microwave. And the gas grill. And the washer and dryer maybe don’t fit perfectly in place, but they’re hooked up. And the master bathroom still needs a complete overhaul…but who’s going to see the master bathroom but me anyway?

I worked so hard the week before Tempest arrived that I spent the first three days she was here asleep from exhaustion. The house is maybe 75% done…but an acceptable 75%.

And then all renovation stopped. From that moment forward, my home became The Writing Oasis.

That part WAS perfect.

I have lived on my own since I was nineteen, but I’ve always been in the shadow of a bad relationship…be it a horrible guy or a horrible job. It’s a little surreal to be in this place–MY place–and be doing in this place things I want to do…namely writing…with people I want to do it with.

I go for a walk in the mornings. Sometimes Tempest comes with me, sometimes not. Sometimes I pick Mom up on the last loop, sometimes not. We share the grocery buying, and the cooking (we have had some of the most fabulous meals–who needs an oven?). Sometimes we have writing sprints. Sometimes we wake up at 3am and get more work done. All of this is okay.

When Leanna arrived, she fit right into the routine. We lit tons of candles and wrote on the porch until 1am, listening to movie soundtracks and the eerie sound of the geckos serenading us from the creek in the backyard. We played music and had impromptu dance parties. We took care of each other. We went to the beach on a cloudy day. We made s’mores over the fire pit. I had guest stars on my Fairy Tale Rant videos. We invited my parents and Tempest’s friend Marianne for a cookout one afternoon and had a ball. I got to be a HOSTESS, for the first time in maybe ten years. I forgot how much I missed it.

And I loved every minute of it.

Leanna & Tempest guest star on "Tristan and Isolde"

Leanna & Tempest guest star on “Tristan and Isolde”

I had been joking to Leanna about the Oasis…but that’s how we began referring to this place, and it’s stuck. Milton the Flamingo watches the front yard. The gnomes hang out back. The hawk comes to play sometimes, and there are butterflies aplenty.

Tempest and I worked so well together (and we’ve been getting so much work done) that she extended her stay until the end of March. I began to worry about what my life would be like when she left. So I booked another Writer.

The day after Tempest leaves, Denny S. Bryce arrives.

DENNY MERMAID IN THE OASIS! I CANNOT TELL YOU how excited this makes me!!! But now I’m torn between booking more Writers in Residence and working with Dad to finish this darn house. <groan>

So…what would you have in YOUR perfect Writing Oasis?

Candlelight writing time at the Oasis

Candlelight writing time at the Oasis

Mermaid Takeover – Kerri Bumps Alethea

Here at the Mermaid Lagoon, we each get at least one day a month to blog. Today is Alethea’s day. Or was… [Insert ominous laugh]

That’s right, I’m stealing Alethea’s day! But before you get your fins in a bunch, don’t worry. It’s all to talk about our lovely, amazing, sparkly, Princess, massively talented, beautiful Mermaid Alethea. And bonus, she has a new book out today called Dearest, the 3rd book in the Woodcutter series, and it’s amazeballs! I’m not just saying that because she was my crazy-fun roommate in San Antonio who encouraged me to put whipped cream in my coffee every morning or make waffles in the shape of Texas.

So read on to learn more about our very own Alethea, what she’d make me for dinner, how she’s taking my dog to Hawaii, and which noise she really, really hates. (It’s a good one!) Go Alethea! Dearest

 

When I think of fairy tales, I generally think of the Disney version of said fairy tale, which may or may not be an accurate depiction of the original story. What Disney adaptation of a fairy tale is your favorite?

Everyone always expects me to say Beauty & the Beast because I look like Belle…and act like Belle…but my answer to this question has to be The Little Mermaid. I loved this Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale so much as a child. I would read it…and cry…and then read it again. When I found out Disney was adapting “The Little Mermaid,” my eyes were like saucers. I mean…SHE DIES. Can they do that?!? But Disney gave that mermaid what we’d all been wishing for her for 150 years: a happy ending.

It’s a random Sunday night and I show up at your house. What are you making me for dinner?

If you caught me at the last minute, I’d make you Greek Chicken & Potatoes. It’s a staple of the Kontis house–a favorite, and easy to make. If I had all the ingredients and all the time, I’d make you my mother’s moussaka. Because it’s possibly my favorite dish ever. And if you don’t care for eggplant, I’ll do the Thea Ana variation that’s made with only potatoes.

You travel. A lot! What one place surprised you the most? And in what way?

There was this one place, at my horrid ex-fiance’s mother’s house in Newcastle, England. The ex was horrid but his mother was lovely, as was her husband (the ex’s stepfather) who, in his retirement, did things like climb mountains and grow things. There was a stone wall beside their house, and through the archway I found the most amazing garden. I walked among the flowers and plants, barefoot in the thick grass. Standing there on the top of that hill, with the wind in my hair, I had a moment of complete serenity. It occurred to me that this was the most beautiful place I had ever been to on the planet.

And then the ex called me inside and ordered me to wipe my feet off so I didn’t get grass stains on his mother’s white carpet.

Speaking of traveling… I’m very busy reading Dearest and my dog Harry needs to go for a walk so you’re going to have to help me out. He loves beaches. Where in the world are you taking him?

Let’s go to Hawaii. I’ve always wanted to go, and I have some friends there I’d love to visit!

Give me one Easter Egg from Dearest.

All the Kates in Dearest are named after my dear friend (and award-winning voice actress) Kate Baker, because I was writing that scene on her birthday.

As always, I have to go here. I love the ten questions that James Lipton asks at the end of every episode of Inside the Actor’s Studio. Your turn.

  1. What is your favorite word? — syzygy
  2. What is your least favorite word? — failure
  3. What turns you on? — intelligence
  4. What turns you off? — people who don’t read
  5. What sound or noise do you love? — dried leaves skittering down the street in the Fall
  6. What sound or noise do you hate? — When people say “blech” at food without tasting it
  7. What is your favorite curse word? — Joy. As in, “Oh, JOY.”
  8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? — Marine Chemist. It’s what I studied in college. I miss being a genius.
  9. What profession would you not like to do? — anything involving a cubicle. *shudder*
  10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? “Alethea! Lovely to see you. Here’s the photo album you requested.”

I have always said that when I die, I wish to see a photo album of all the pictures where I appear somewhere in the background. Families on vacation, strangers at conventions, random folks on the street. I’ve always been curious to know just how many people I might have known…how many lives I might have touched but for some twist of fate.

Alethea & Kerri, Selfies at RWA 2014

Alethea teaching Keri how to take a selfie at RWA 2014.

 

Who is your favorite Mermaid sister? [Evil grin]

WHY, KERRI MERMAID OF COURSE!!!
(You may deliver the truck of glitter to my new house in Florida. But only if you come too!)

 

 

 

Okay, I will alter that question because I’m not completely evil. [Shut up, peanut gallery!] Hollywood comes a-calling. Cast your Mermaid sisters in Enchanted, Hero, and Dearest.

Ooh…tough one!

Carlene — Sunday Woodcutter (without a doubt)

Denny — Aunt Joy (omg she is SO Aunt Joy!)

Kerri — Friday Woodcutter (big heart, big adventure)

Susan — Henry Humbug (silly but knows EVERYTHING)

Masha — Monday Woodcutter (beautiful, serene, dark, & powerful)

Dana — Thursday Woodcutter (only because Dana is too short to be Saturday Woodcutter)

Pintip — Yarlitza Mitella (exotic and fashionable, with a colorful history involving the Duke of Cauchemar)

Loni — Aunt Rose Red, The Abbess of Rose Abbey

Kimberly — Mama Woodcutter (because Kim has like 18 kids…)

 

BEST INTERVIEW EVER! I should totally steal Alethea’s day more often. While I ponder doing that, make sure you check out Dearest, out today in hardcover and digital versions. Seriously, check it out. Do it! Or I’m sending you one of those exploding glitter boxes!

For more about Alethea, check out her website here. And to really stalk her, click the icons below.

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Mermaids’ Favorite Fairy Tales

Hello, everyone! Alethea Mermaid here.

Hero in Paperback With Hero out in paperback this week and Dearest out next week, I’ve got a serious case of Fairy Tales on the brain (and Buzzfeed just told the world that fans of Once Upon a Time should read Enchanted…how cool is that?!?).

With all those Happily Ever Afters in my noggin, I took the opportunity to ask my fellow mermaids which tales were THEIR favorites.

(Mine? “The Goose Girl” by the Brothers Grimm. Followed closely by “Snow White & Rose Red” and “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” and “The Wild Swans” and “The Fairies”…)

Kerri Mermaid — My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast (the Disney film version). Not only do I love the idea of kindness and really getting to know who a person is on the inside, but Belle likes to read. And I dig that! Reading rocks my socks!

Carlene Mermaid — My favorite fairytale has always been “Thumbelina.” As a kid who grew up traveling between divorced parents, grandparents and family and friends to be taken care of, I always appreciated how Thumbelina, or “Tiny”, was also passed from one to another. I think kids identify with “feeling small” when we’re growing up and don’t quite have the ability to control our destiny yet. I also adored the swallow she cared for. He probably began my lifelong love for romance heroes who sacrifice their happiness for the ones they love.

Dearest Masha Mermaid“The Ice Queen.”  A reminder there is good and bad in all of us, and not to let the bad cloud your vision.

Susan Mermaid — When I was learning to ready, my parents had brought a volume back from Japan, after their stationing there was over (and I was born). It was called “Japanese Fairy Tales,” and I used to go through it and look at the illustrations. I especially liked “The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child,” and “How An Old Man Lost His Wen.”

I liked the bamboo cutter story because it was so nice that he was rewarded with such a beautiful daughter, when he’d given up hope. And the old man who lost his wen (goiter) was so clever. Beautiful, kind, clever… What’s not to love about those type of stories?

Pintip Mermaid“Puss in Boots”! I love heist movies like Ocean’s Eleven, where characters employ fun and ingenious tricks to rob a bank, casino, etc. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, “Puss in Boots” was my favorite fairy tale as a kid. I wasn’t focused on the moral back then; I just loved how clever the cat was!

 Kimberly Mermaid — My favorite fairy tale is “Beauty and the Beast” for so many reasons.  I loved the idea of superficial and arrogant people being called on it and brought down a few pegs.  And I like the idea of people falling in love without getting caught up with appearances.  I think the prince would have always been a shallow shell of a man without having lived many years as a beast.  It’s probably why I liked Shrek, too!

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So…what’s YOUR favorite fairy tale?

 

Mermaids from Coast to Coast

Alethea & Carlene

Carlene & Alethea — Mermaids Forever!

Alethea: I honestly believe that Carlene and I were destined to meet. Even on the day we officially met–around that table at the WRW luncheon that we relabeled “Misfits”–we realized we’d already met once before. “You might not remember this,” Carlene said, “but I saw you at a Sherrilyn Kenyon signing. You helped me take a photo.” “I am SO glad you said that,” I told her. “Because you look so familiar, it’s been bugging me.”

Carlene: Yes! Destiny it is. That was the weekend I joined WRW just so that I could meet Sherrilyn at that retreat. What I came away with was the blessing that is Uh-lee-thee-uh!

Alethea: Carlene and I were instant friends. Our shared love of music led us to a few concerts together, and mutual fangirl squeeing over bands.

Carlene: I still owe you a Kings of Leon concert!

Alethea: Carlene and her son even came over to my apartment and helped me pack during my escape from Washington DC to Titusville, Florida. Carlene moved this past summer as well…only she went all the way to San Diego, California.

Carlene: That was a fun packing day and you were a wonderful hostess. That sauce you gave me …Tiki Marsala or something … yum! I also believe there was a delicious smoothie involved. And lots of books. Lots. Of. Books.

Alethea: I’m glad I had those years with Carlene, (Me too) however brief. Thanks to the magic of the interwebs, we get to stay in touch almost as much as we used to! Even better, Carlene and I get to bring some coast-to-coast culture here to the Mermaid lagoon.

Today–as a special Mermaid treat for December–Carlene and I are taking you on a sunny, seaside tour of our favorite new writing spots, from sunrise to sunset.

“Writing at the beach” often conjures the mental image of a woman in a bikini relaxing on the sand with a laptop. A romantic notion, but NO NO NO. Sand is HORRIBLE for electronics. And have you ever tried to see the screen on your phone in bright sunlight? Exactly. The same goes for your laptop. As for the bikini…well…we’ll just leave that part to your imagination.

Carlene: Yeah, ditto everything Alethea just said. I originally set out to disprove her “you can’t write on a laptop at the beach” theory but alas, she’s one smart cookie.

Without further ado, Alethea and Carlene now bring you the Bi-Coastal Mermaid Writing Tour!

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Alethea: As the Mermaid of the East, I’ll start with sunrise. And not just any sunrise…this particular sunrise was the morning of the infamous Orion test launch. This is the part about living on the Space Coast that fills my geeky little princess heart with glee. (That square block you see on the far left is the NASA Space Shuttle Assembly Building.) Carlene: This was so cool! Orion landed about 630 miles from San Diego and word is that it’s being trucked back to Cape Canaveral just in time for Christmas! Talk about a cross country road trip! #SpaceshipRoadtrip. Also, it’s like we all just woke up together, on the same side of the country!

Sunrise on the Indian River, Titusville FL

That photo was taken from the middle of the Max A. Brewer bridge, an award-winning walking bridge, and one of the best places to watch launches from either Canaveral or Patrick AFB. My first writing spot is near there, at the pavilion in Sand Point Park.

Sand Point Park Pavilion

The pavilion is huge and NO ONE IS EVER THERE…except maybe a bunch of hungry squirrels and a great blue heron we’ve dubbed Hobo Heron. There’s a great view of the water here–the Indian River, part of the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s full of dolphins and manatees and some great birdlife. The pavilion also has a tin roof! Such a calming sound when it rains…like it does here in Florida, every day in the summer. Every. Single. Day.

Sunshine Bread Company, Titusville FL

If it’s raining and also HOT (as it also tends to be in the summer…every single day…), I like to park my tail at the Sunrise Bread Company. (The only Starbucks in this town is in the Target, and plastic cafeteria chairs are not for me.) Sunrise Bread Company has fresh bread, great ambiance, and one of the best frozen coffee drinks I’ve ever tasted: the dark chocolate Granita. Just writing about makes me crave one. It’s also the only one of my spots with free wi-fi.

Inside the Sunshine Bread Company

My third writing spot is possibly also my favorite. There’s a marina down US-1 that boasts a “Manatee Viewing Deck and Visitor’s Center”…which is essentially a fancy front door you walk through, then immediately exit through another door to get to the marina. There is a bridge overlooking a little protected channel by a runoff drain, which is where all the manatees LOVE to hang out. Beside this mini-lagoon is a small covered area with a table and chairs. Sunshine, water, boats, fresh air, and MANATEES. What’s not to love?

Hideaway at the Manatee Marina

I also plan to make friends with someone who owns a boat here so they can teach me how to sail. Because I am a SCHEMING SIREN.

Carlene (Mermaid of the West): I don’t know about scheming, but you are definitely one of the most creative and resourceful people I’ve ever met! Um folks, I owe Alethea Mermaid a gigantic cyber hug because she really had the tougher job of the two of us with this post. Me: “Hey Alethea, wanna write a really awesome post together?” Her: “Sure!” (Alethea is up for most things which is why she rarely sleeps in her own bed!–Which came out sounding all wrong just now! She travels a lot! Saying yes to things that keep her away from home, in case your mind went somewhere else. Ayayayay!) Me: “You live in Florida now. I live in California. Let’s post sunrise and sunset pictures!” Her: “That means I have to get up super early. Yes! Hooray!” See, she’s a really great sport and I am truly the lucky one in this lagoon.

As we drift from charming Titusville, pass over many great states, then TEXAS …

Texas

and then a few more states, we finally land in beautiful San Diego, California. This is where I live now. This is where I write. (This is also where I consume too much delicious Mexican food but whatevs. A mermaid’s got to eat!)

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My first “story-making spot” is the San Diego Zoo. It’s a “no worries” type of place I can go, free to think up whatever the heart desires. There are lots of view-friendly and surprisingly comfortable benches, hot beverage kiosks, cute military couples to watch and my favorite–year-round Siberian reindeer. I don’t know what it is, but their presence makes the place magical, especially this time of year when I start missing the wintery weather of DC. Spiral notebook and pen approved, although you could probably get away with a laptop here since there is plenty of shade and daily perfect weather.

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The Fabulous Mr. Flores is a high school football coach which means if I want to see him from July to December, I spend an abnormal amount of time hanging out at the bleachers. I secretly love this. The Friday night lights are complimentary and great to write under. Just toss your laptop in your back pack, bring some spare change for concession stand hot cocoa, and make like a kid again! This is a pic I took in October from San Diego High School’s football stadium with a gorgeous view of downtown.

El Cortez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The very first story I ever wrote is set in Julian, CA which is San Diego County’s sleepy little mountain town. I’ve gone to Julian every year since I was about five and know it inside and out. There are any number of hideaways to cop a squat and write, like Buffalo Bill’s cafe. For those of us who need music and aroma for writing inspiration, how about a potpourri shop where you can browse, sniff AND be serenaded by local cowboy singer, Graham Nancarrow?

Graham and Carlene in Julian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, by that setting sun below, it looks like I better wrap up. When I’m working on a story, I’m not always physically writing. Sometimes, we need a place to just “think” about things. It’s at those times when the ocean calls. Up to the writer what to bring whether it’s a blanket, towel, folding chair or just your two feet and buns. Err, fins. 😉 I took this picture at La Jolla Cove last month on a “book thinking” mission.

sunset

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for taking this intergalactic writing adventure with Alethea and me! What? There was a spaceship involved! ORION! 

Fishy friends, where do you love to write and read and think and drink warm beverages?kisses

Fishy Kisses!

Alethea Mermaid and Carlene Mermaid

The Portable Career

As most of you know, I moved to Florida this summer.  In reality, I’ve been on the road since Christmas of 2013. (In between I’ve been temporarily parked at my parents’ house–my new place is *still* mid-renovation.)

Cities I Visited in the Last 12 Months (in chronological order):

The Traveling MermaidCharleston SC
Baltimore MD
Williamsburg VA
Leesburg VA
Abingdon VA
Tampa FL
Charlottesville VA
Arlington VA
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Charlotte NC
Titusville FL (the big move)
Rochester NY
New York NY
San Antonio TX
Atlanta GA
Burlington VT
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Ft. Lauderdale FL
…and then Charleston SC again this December, to come full circle.

For those counting, that’s nine states and two provinces. (It’s also very possible I skipped something in there.) Yes, I am definitely one very well-traveled Mermaid (and I’m not the only one…I know Denny Mermaid in particular tends to jet set at least as much as I do, if not more!).

We always say the great thing about writing for a living is the ability to work anywhere. Where our brains go, our stories go. It’s a blessing, right?

Right. And also a curse.

It’s so nice to have a writing nook and a schedule, to sit down on your favorite chair with a hot cup of tea and just write until…well, until. But when you’re just coming home and/or just about to leave again, it’s tough to find that zen. Writers on the road end up in coffee shops and restaurants and kitchen tables and basements and hotel lobbies and airports and hospitals and  chairs on sandy beaches. They write on laptops and notebooks and legal pads and post-its and postcards and Starbucks receipts.

Having a Portable Career is a bit of a Trial By Fire, and ultimately a talent I’m glad I’ve been able to cultivate. But I do still long for My Own Spot in My Own Space. One day…hopefully soon…

So — my question for the lagoon today is: Where is the strangest place YOU have ever gotten work done?

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And be sure to check back here on Friday for Alethea & Carlene’s Extra Special Bi-Coastal Mermaid post…with pictures!

A Metric Ton of the Mondays

Yeah. It's that kind of day. I don’t like being in a bad mood.

Yes, bad things happen and we deal with them. I don’t want to get it off my chest, or talk about it ad nauseum…I just want to move on.

When several bad things in a row happen, I want to quietly hide from the rest of the world until tomorrow.

Last night went south pretty quickly. I didn’t have the materials I needed for something, I got another email from Spark telling me that the picture book art file I took a day to fix was wrong AGAIN (it took me an entire day to upload it the first time), and YouTube called me a bad name and took away my rights to make advertising money on my fairy tale rant videos. Forever. Without telling me why. Or paying me what they owe me. Because apparently, they don’t have to.

As this drama unfolded, a friend online told me I was having a Monday.

I have not had a “Monday” in the traditional sense of the word in a very long time. One month from today my father will retire (congrats, Dad!) and I’ve warned him about the perception of time once one doesn’t punch a clock for a day job. Monday-Sunday blurs together and they become instead “The Day to Take the Garbage Out” or “The Day I Have to Answer the Phone When it Rings” (like Christmas, or your birthday. PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DENNY MERMAID!).

I ate my dinner in silence and shuffled off to bed (did I mention the bad ankle?) without preamble just to get the day over with. I even had anxiety nightmares…like icing on the cake. The Whatever-Day-Yesterday-Was Cake.

I’m curious — what do you guys do when you have a particularly bad day? Do you wish, like me, that the world would swallow you whole for a bit? Or do you celebrate?

I’m celebrating a new day this morning, that’s for sure.

This new day that would be…Tuesday?

Once Upon a Time

NaNo 2014Hello, the lagoon. Welcome to November! And you know what that means…NaNoWriMo!

Since I am 1.) not in the middle of editing or revising a novel at the moment and 2.) new to the East-Central Florida area, I have not only thrown myself straight into the fires NaNo this year, but I have committed to attend several of the Brevard County kickoff parties and write-ins in order to make a few friends and meet some like-minded folks. You know…people who just LOVE writing so much that they can’t seem to think about anything else.

What I’ve forgotten about fledgling writers, though, is that sometimes they would rather just talk about writing instead of actually writing. *sigh* Like teenagers who are in love with the idea of being in love.

And after the jaded “Get Off My Lawn” exasperation in me subsides, I remember what it was like. The dream of writing. The romance. The what-if. Knowing that if I just found that key to the walled garden, the secrets of the publishing world would reveal themselves to me.

Yes, the writing was romantic…back when I snuck it into work breaks and scribbled ideas on the backs of receipts at stoplights. The words were stolen moments in a hidden season, and in them I was transported to the worlds of my wildest dreams.

These days, I mostly feel like a masochistic junkie. I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to.

But it was so lovely to be there in that study room at the Titusville Library on November 1st, surrounded by people of all ages and hearing the joy in their voices as they talked about their ideas. And talked. And talked. And talked. Like lovesick schoolchildren. It was sweet. And I did my best to keep my temper when all I wanted to do was shout “DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE SECRET IS? JUST SHUT UP AND WRITE!” but I didn’t. Because I was in a library. And because writers sound horrible when we say things like that. I remember being a nobody at a major book wholesaler and sitting in on a plethora of author talks, those annoying writers who made writing a novel sound so easy just because they’d done it.

I won’t lie to you: That first one is the hardest. My first finished manuscript was a product of a NaNoWriMo, but I fell short of the word count because the story ended after 36,000 words. It was still the most words I had ever written in a month until then, and it was the first time I had actually FINISHED anything that long. The year was 2004.

The next manuscript I wrote was Enchanted.

Last month–ten years and three novels later–I  completed the umpteenth revision of that first manuscript. It’s now 77,000 words long and my agent LOVES it. (Keep your fingers crossed.)

That idea I had back in 2004? It was a great idea, I just didn’t have the best tools. But I had inspiration and gumption and the desire to finish something, and I did. I was able to use what I learned in the last decade and go back and make that first story the best it could be. That sort of thing happens in this biz…even Jennifer Crusie didn’t sell Bet Me until a decade after its completion, and that’s my favorite one.

Sometimes, the time just isn’t right. You’ll know it. You’ll feel it. But you have to finish that first manuscript AT SOME POINT. Why not now?

My NaNo project this year is one of the first novels I wanted to write. Now that I (mostly) know what I’m doing, I feel I have what it takes to tackle the project.

The title? Aletta: The Ugly Princess.

When did I come up with the idea? 1990. I was fourteen years old.

I wrote “Aletta” as a short story: handwritten, on 35 pages. I edited it down to four typed pages (with no margins) for a peer grading assignment in 10th grade English and the class loved it. When I was twenty I tried to expand the idea into a novel, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t have *it* just yet. Granted, I didn’t realize then that I could achieve *it* if I just kept on writing…but Aletta was too close to my heart. I couldn’t allow myself the freedom to fail.

Now, I will never forgive myself if I never try.

I’d love to know…who else had crazy story ideas when they were a kid, once upon a time? Would you ever be tempted to go back and write about them? Or have you already?

And what are YOU working on for NaNoWriMo?

Dream big.

Dream big…and just keep writing.

Five Secrets of FLIRTING

Alethea & Kerri, Selfies at RWA 2014

Alethea & Kerri @ RWA 2014

My dear fellow Mermaid and Sparkle Twin Kerri Carpenter’s VERY FIRST BOOK releases this week — a novella called FLIRTING WITH THE COMPETITION.

My favorite parts of a story are the hidden gems. You know, those inside jokes that family members or close friends will get, those nods to literary, film, or musical influences that superfans will pat themselves on the back when reading. Like the way Tori Amos referenced Neil Gaiman in one song on almost every one of her albums. (That’s right, folks. I was not born a Gaiman Girl, I sprang into his world a fully-formed Toriphile.)

As a writer-geek who enjoys stuffing her books chock full of as many referenced oddities as possible, I am here to assure readers everywhere that we have as much fun including these hidden gems as you do when finding them.

Overall, I think it adds more to the reading experience–especially on multiple readings–when a reader knows more “Behind the Story” — we can connect with the author in a way that brings their writing to a whole new, richer, level.

In the DVD world, we call these hidden gems of bonus material “Easter Eggs.”

In celebration of the release of FLIRTING WITH THE COMPETITION, I’ve asked Kerri to share with us five Easter Eggs that readers can keep an eye out for!

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EASTER EGGS IN FLIRTING WITH THE COMPETITION

1. I’ll start small. This story takes place in an elevator in the middle of Washington, DC. I tend to set almost all of my stories in either DC, Pennsylvania, or Virginia. Because I went to college in DC, live in VA now, and I grew up in PA, I don’t have to do as much research! #lazykerri

2. My heroine, Whitney, went to Georgetown Law. This is a nod to my alma mater, Georgetown (undergrad, not law school). Hoya Saxa!

3. My hero, Jordan, offers Whitney wild cherry Lifesavers while they’re stuck in the elevator together. I specifically chose wild cherry because I love cherry anything – Popsicles, cough drops, alcoholic beverages, you name it!

4. Almost the entire story happens the day before Fourth of July. I had to go with this holiday because July 4th is my favorite. I love sparkles and to me, fireworks are just extra large sparkles in the sky. *glitter toss*

5. I *may* have a bit of road rage. (Most people who live in the DC-area do as well.) While Whitney and Jordan are stuck in an elevator together, they actually met before that. She cut him off on the road and then he almost runs her over in the parking garage. They have a huge driving-related fight where I got to let out tons of my road rage-aggression, including this line, “I bet you’re the type of driver who pulls out at the speed of light, cuts off brand-new cars all the time, and then proceeds to go slow as Moses?” I have a lot of driving no-nos, but cars that pull out in front of you and then go super slow are THE WORST!

Bonus Egg!
My most favorite TV show of all time is Saved by the Bell. When I first wrote this story I decided to have the two main characters watch a couple episodes of SBTB on their phones and even sing the theme song. “When you wake up in the morning….” Sadly, it didn’t make it into the final cut. But don’t worry – I’ll find ways of slipping Zack, Kelly, Bayside, and The Max into other stories.

WRW Retreat 2013

WRW Retreat 2013

Thanks for talking Easter Eggs and Flirting with the Competition with me today! Although, now all I can think of are those delicious marshmallow peeps. Mmmmm, peeps….

 

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Order your copy of FLIRTING WITH THE COMPETITION, available now!