In the next six months, hubby and I plan to sell our house of 23 years and move closer to the grandkids and our moms. Presently, we’re around an hour away and the traffic between the families are getting worse each year.
So we’re moving into the country on the other side of the city, and we’re a little excited about it. And if you’re wondering, NO, WE ARE NOT DOWNSIZING. Why do people keep asking that? If we lived in a huge house, I could understand it, but we don’t. I had to tell people, if we move into a smaller home, I will have to strangle my hubby.
We have already started looking at homes in the areas we’re interested in. I have to say some people have poor taste when it comes to decorating their homes, while others are borderline hoarders. With that being said, hubby and I plan to donate the majority of our attic to the Good Will. We are presently forcing our daughters to take their childhood stuff that was stored in said attic into their homes. Now they are donating all of their precious memories they asked us to keep. HA! I knew it.
Anyway, we’ve already learned a lot about what we can expect for our money. And wow, there is a lot for the realtors to learn about taking pictures of those homes. So here’s my letter to the ladies and gentlemen selling homes (same goes to the “for sale by owner” sellers).
Realtors, when taking pictures of the houses you have for sale, remember the following.
1. Invest in a good digital camera. Heck, even some (expensive) phones have pretty good cameras in them now. Please have your children, niece, nephew, grandchildren show you how to use it correctly. Then the picture won’t be blurred or too dark.
2. I don’t care what the shower curtain looks like, or the beautiful foyer table. Close ups of those will not sale the house. Those items will be going with the original owners, unless the house comes furnished. Then I will throw away the curtain (yuck, germs), and sell most or all of the furnishings.
3. Similar to number two, but reference house fixtures staying there. Don’t take up-close pictures of the commode (double yuck), sink, dishwasher, or light fixtures. It’s amazing how I can tell what they are by looking at a picture of the whole room.
4. Speaking of dark, take the pictures during the day and not a cloudy day or late evening. Open the curtains. Dark rooms are depressing and I don’t want a depressing house. Or invest in a photographer’s light. Check Ebay or Craig’s list. Photographers are selling them all the time to upgrade or get out of the business.
5. Why are you showing pictures of trees and bushes? Be sure the outside of the house is in the picture if you do. One picture will do for that area. Not ten of the same spot from different angles.
6. Diplomatically, ask the owner to take down family pictures. We must imagine living there with our family pictures. This includes their favorite team’s memorabilia to make it look less obsessed. Of course, the same goes for their turtle collection.
7. Two pictures of the same room from different angles are fine, if you must. But please, I don’t need individual pictures of the window, closet, built-in shelves, and overhead light (see #3 above). I’ll come and visit the house if I’m interested and check them out.
What would you add?
What’s In a Title?
The other day at a meeting with other writers, one NYT bestseller author said she couldn’t start her book until she thought up a title. Most likely the publisher would change the title before releasing it, but it helped guide the author in the feel of the story line.
I totally understood what she meant. Ninety percent of the time, I have a title for the book I’m writing even before the first word is written. My editor at Loveswept understands that. She even helped me decide which one to use, and when the first title had to change, we worked together for the new one along with the other Brothers of Mayhem titles.
Hidden Heat was originally Burnout, but another author had one coming out with the same name. To think of it, I don’t remember seeing the book afterwards, but my goodness, everyone and his brother has that title. So I’m happy with Hidden Heat. LOVED the double entendre, don’t you? If you don’t know what I mean, then you need to read the book.
If you’re wondering, how can a title affect a story? If you read the title, How to Flirt With A Vampire, would you think it’s a romantic suspense? No. More like a romantic comedy paranormal. What about As Far As The Eye Could See? That could easily be a contemporary romance or literary fiction. Any title with dark, deep, blood, shade, kill, and die, can be romantic suspense or paranormal.
Most titles can be interchangeable and easily forgettable, but a writer or publisher should never let it be misleading, like placing the title Purple People of Mars, and it be about a gunslinger in the late 1800’s American west. (Made me remember the movie, Cowboys and Aliens. Good, fun movie if you don’t let logic play a part.)
Like I said, titles are important to me when I write. Since I started using Scrivener to organize my work-in-progress, I’ve started giving each scene a title. I usually have two 
scenes per chapter (can be as many as four, but not as often), with one POV per scene. It helps me remember where I’m going with each scene. And if for any reason, I need to go back to a certain scene, it’s easier to find. Plus I love having fun with them. You should’ve seen Hidden Heat’s. I have to say they were hilarious and dirty.
Here’s an example from Naked Heat on the left.
For those who have taken my workshop, Save The Story, you will see I’ve used my beats for each chapter. Then the scenes are titled below it. You can almost tell what I’m about to write about. “Once more with a smile” should be easy to figure out considering I write HOT romantic suspense. HA!
So, for many authors, the book’s title is important. Although most readers never remember them, no matter how good the book. For that matter, the story is more important. Well, that and the author’s name. 🙂
What’s Cool About Assassins?
Today, I was thinking about assassins. Don’t know what my train of thought was that got me there. One of my problems with ADD. I start looking up one word like Muscular and before you know it, I’m looking at pictures of butterflies. You thought I was going to say naked men, didn’t you? Well, I’m sure I did that somewhere along the way to butterflies.
Going on, I Googled assassins — oh, I remember now — I was looking for the assassin movie that I watched a couple years ago and wanted to use as a reference in my current book. Anyway, I found this great article about the Top 10 Movie Assassins. I don’t necessarily agree with all his choices (Tom’s Collateral should be number 1) but I enjoyed his insight. The article is from 2010, so he doesn’t include Looper.
I love Bruce Willis in anything including that movie. And of course, as you know I have a thing for Joseph Gordon-Levitt. No. Not a sexual thing. I like my men older, like Bruce. But then again I’m happily married. Whatever. Back to the subject.
Then I found this other list of assassin movies under Box Office Mojo called simply “Hitman/Assassin.” It lists all the movies for the last thirty years. Wonderful! I do love them.
That’s partly why I wrote my first published book, CIRCLE OF DESIRE. It’s about a female assassin. The opening scene is her waiting for a target. In fact, I’ll place an excerpt for you.
Olivia St. Vincent typed the ammunition data into the keypad on the sniper rifle and then nestled her cheek against the stock’s custom-fit pad. She waited for the information to be processed and her target to come into view.
Keeping her attention on the boardwalk outside the open window, she caressed the silencer attachment and sighed. Powerful and lightweight compared to others, the rifle was her favorite and the only one of its kind. She wasn’t sure how The Circle got their hands on the prototype, and she knew better than to ask. She’d used it twice in the last eleven months and had no complaints.
She inhaled the fresh salt air coming in and watched the few early joggers trotting along the boardwalk next to Elliot Bay. Almost the whole length was visible from the empty fourth story apartment. A strong wind picked up and splattered water off the windowsill onto her hands and the rifle even though she sat a good three feet from the opening. She grabbed a soft cotton cloth and stroked off the liquid. It had rained for ten days straight since she’d arrived in Seattle, and only twenty minutes ago had it stopped. To the north, a break in the clouds showed deep blue sky. A miracle. Good grief, she couldn’t wait to get back home to Atlanta.
One moment, she was running her fingers across black metal, enjoying the bumpy finish. In the next, she was aiming at her target, taking a deep breath and then releasing it, relaxing, holding her trigger finger steady. He’d crossed the street and started down the boardwalk. Five foot eleven with a well-proportioned torso, he always wore the same dingy sneakers with orange Day-Glo stripes.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds and inhaled. Time to concentrate on the job. The Circle had given her orders to eliminate him, and she was programmed to follow. Later she’d hear he was a child molester or a killer like herself. Why she should care one way or the other, she wasn’t sure. Maybe knowing helped her sleep at night. Not that it would matter otherwise; she was a killer and good at what she did. She never really had a choice.
She waited as he’d jogged a little past the half-mile mark. His feet pounded in a steady rhythm as the early morning light glistened on shifting muscles. Like clockwork every day, he hit the pavement at sunrise, jogging down the same area. Only thing about predictability, it could be deadly.
The area around him was clear, no one nearby. He turned down a short pier. Only a few feet more and he would be at the mark. She cleared her mind and inhaled, holding her breath for the fraction of a second. She squeezed the trigger. The jogger’s body continued straight ahead, propelled by the bullet’s trajectory, and then he toppled off the edge of the pier and splashed into the water as his god-awful shoes tumbled across the boardwalk. Perfect shot. That was why they sent her.
Once she pressed a couple buttons on the gun’s microcomputer, she scooted away from the tripod and stretched with arms up, bending her back, getting the kinks out. Her back popped. After an hour in one position, it was no wonder her body protested, no matter how much she worked out. She shook her head when the image of the body landing in the water tried to resurface. Think of the good she carried out. Her job eliminated those who preyed on the weak. She performed as a tool for the greater good.
Yes. That was it. She was a tool.
Thinking of tools, she smirked at the gun. The usual brutal recoil dampened by the hydraulic system always surprised her. The rifle worked like it should with little firing signature, a thump of air and only a small amount of flash at the end of the barrel. The suppressor did its job. Unless someone stared directly at her open window and caught the small flare, nothing gave away her location.
Damn! If she’d been a man, she would have a hard-on now. She loved her gun. Objects she could control. People were a different factor.
Yeah, yeah, violence and sex. Sex and violence. That’s what you’re thinking, and congratulations, you’re right. It is an erotic romantic suspense and not about her going around killing people. She will and does, but it’s more about the relationship she develops with her kidnapper/opposing competition.
Okay. Now I’m going back to that list and figure out what movie I haven’t seen. Surely, there are a couple.
[This was originally posted May 10, 2014. I just wanted to share again.]
AMAZON BARNES AND NOBLE KOBO BOOKS A MILLION
Excerpt from Naked Heat
Naked Heat should be coming out in February. It’s Wolf’s story. Now you get to meet his heroine, Sofia Cruz, beloved cousin of Toro. Toro is the leader of the Thirty-Second gang and mortal enemy of the Mayhem Brothers. Think Westside Story with a happy ending. All my books have happy endings.
Sofia and Wolf are at the Brothers of Mayhem clubhouse.
~~~
They weeded their way through the crowd. A couple brothers slapped Wolf on the back and a few more nodded his way, but none paid her any attention. Were they used to him being handcuffed to a woman? They finally stopped at a bar that sat in one corner.
“What do you want to drink?” he asked.
“I’m not drinking a beer this early in the morning.”
“No alcohol is served an hour before church. So how about a soda or water?”
By the grin on his face, she felt silly for what she’d said. “Water would be nice.”
“Water for the lady, prospect.”
The man tossed a bottle his way. Wolf easily caught it one handed. His grin widened. His arms circled her as he twisted the cap and then handed the bottle to her.
“Thank you.” She took a large swallow.
“That’s one of the things I liked about you. Always so polite.” He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
Sofia wanted to melt into his touch, and his sweet talking always caused her to blush. The way he looked at her with such tenderness had her heart pounding. She wanted to run her tongue up the side of his cheek. The man was dangerous to her self respect. He had been the one to dump her. Then again, any chance of them being a couple — what with the Mayhem versus Thirty-Second situation — was doomed.
“Who do you have here?”
The man with the deep voice had a crooked nose and deep scar across one high cheekbone, warning anyone who saw him that he knew all about pain. He leaned over the bar and grabbed a soda, his long braid swinging over a shoulder. With his black hair, tanned skin, and dark brown almost black eyes, he looked to be a Native American.
“Sofia, this is Cutter. Our VP.”
Without thinking, she reached out to shake his hand and came up short. The handcuffs stopping her. Heat seeped into her cheeks.
“What the f**k, man? Do you have to shackle your women now?” Cutter’s eyebrows lifted as he laughed.
Even if she could think of something to say, she doubted he or any Mayhem Brother would consider helping her if she asked.
“Long story. I’ll tell you after church.” Wolf nodded to where an older blond man walked down the stairs, stopping every couple feet to make a comment or point and laugh. “The asshole does love being president,” Wolf muttered.
“Yeah.” Cutter glanced her way before shaking his head at Wolf. “Later.”
The crowd started moving toward a door at the other side of the huge room.
Finally, he would have to un-cuff her. She lifted her arm.
“I’ll see you inside. The boss will be happy to see you made it.” Cutter slapped Wolf on the back and walked away.
“In a sec.” Wolf turned to her. The apologetic look alerted her that she wouldn’t like what he planned next. “Come over here.” She wasn’t sure why he thought it necessary to tell her that. It wasn’t like she had a choice.
He led her to the end of the bar where a thin pipe came out of the wall about eye level to Wolf and disappeared into the floor.
“No! Don’t you leave me chained up like a dog. You let me go.” With a simple click of a key, he attached his end of the handcuff around the pipe.
“I can’t risk you leaving. You’ll be safer here.”
“Are you crazy?” She leaned forward. “It’s like leaving out a bag of blow on a coffee table and not expecting a junkie to touch it,” she whispered.
His smile returned. That beautiful flash of white that always made her heart skip a beat. Damn him for being so sexy. With her emotions going from terrified to anger to desire, no wonder she felt dizzy every time he touched her.
“You’re no old bag, and I’ll break anyone’s hand if they touch you.” He caressed her cheek with the back of one knuckle. The sweet look he gave her brought warmth to her face.
She was in hell, and she had the hots for the devil himself.
~~~
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Here are the links to my other books including the Brothers of Mayhem novels if you want to check them out.
Audio Book Favorites
On and off for many years I’ve listened to audio books from cassettes to iTunes to Amazon’s Audible. Overall, the narrators have gotten better. At one time, authors wanted well-known actors narrating their books. You can even see a few still do. But I have to say they are not always the best choice.
The ones I enjoy the best is 1) a female or male who can change their voice enough to sound like or make you think of the character they are speaking for.
My favorite audio books
I’ve actually listened to these more than once (partly because I enjoyed the story so much and partly for the savings. HA!) You may notice some of the audio books below are repeats of my favorite books to reread. Goes without saying, I loved these stories.
Alex by Sawyer Bennett
Cris Dukehart did a great job on the female narration. The male narrator, Graham Halstead, has the kind of voice I love. Since the character is in his twenties, he has a young, but still mature, sexy voice. He’s the narrator in all of Sawyer’s Carolina Cold Fury books. Smart move on Random House’s part. Hockey!! Love hockey, but not all hockey books are equal. Just as the teams. Go, PREDATORS!
Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath
The narrator, Faye Adele, did a fascinating job. I completely forgot it was a woman talking during the male parts.
The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie by Jennifer Ashley
Ditto above, but the narrator is Angela Dawe. I don’t know how the women narrators do it.
Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren
I love it when they have female and male narrators. It appears they only do when it is first person. Grace Grant did a wonderful job narrating for the female voice. Jonathan R. Cole is the male narrator, and his British accent is perfect to me. Very sexy, and I quickly learned not to listen to the male narration in the dark, before going to sleep. It felt like I was cheating on my hubby. LOL!
Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks
Kristen Potter did a great job of giving us a little of the Scottish accent but not overwhelming.
What am I listening to now
Easy Love by Kristen Proby; narrated by Sebastian York and Rachel Fulginiti.
I enjoyed the female narration most the time, except when she spoke with a “New Orlean’s accent” for the hero and his family. Horrible. She really shouldn’t try. The male narrator did not, thank goodness. As always for Sebastian, he has a sexy voice, but I cannot tell when it’s the hero’s thoughts or if the hero is speaking it. His voice doesn’t distinguish between the two.
The story was cute, hot, and laugh out-loud funny at times. Loved the Taylor Swift drinking game. The only problem I had with the story was the heroine was late often to work and never called in when she wasn’t going to show up at all (I don’t care if she was sleeping with the boss. Her co-workers were not to know.) Working in an office for most of my life, the girl would be fired before the month was out and her co-workers would resent her. They would have to do her “pretend” job. Someone had to. Plus I kept wondering how the heroine was going to find out who was stealing money from the company if she never worked? And how did she expect to keep her affair with the boss a secret if they were running around town?
I kept telling my inner, anal reader to shut up and enjoy the story. I did and I did. Besides, it is fiction and for pure entertainment. Certainly worth listening to one time. I bet if you’ve never worked in an office, you’ll enjoy it a hundred times more.
Side note about listening to Outlander.
Davina Porter is the narrator. I have to say, if not for her, I would’ve never gotten through the whole book. Well, her and Jamie. The author did great on him. But so many stretches were so boring with unnecessary details and don’t get me started on Claire. That review/comment post will be for a later time. It’s written, but I prefer letting it sit for a while. So far it’s been over a year. Anyway, Davina is a wonderful narrator and deserves every dime she receives.
Carla Swafford, Author 