Museums are Murder

This week I'm the spotlight author at Authorisland. Come and see.

http://authorislandauthornews.blogspot.com/2008/11/this-weeks-author-spotlight-is-on-carol.html

In "Museums are Murder,Tali Cates is now dealing with the fact that Aiden the vampire has returned, a demon is after Tali for her special abilities and, oh yeah, there's the minor issues of murder at the museum and the were wolf. Another day in Love, Texas. Museums is due for release on January 7.

Excerpt:

When Aiden landed and set me down, my knees buckled under me. I took several deep breaths to steady myself.

“Who needs carnival rides when you’re around? Did I forget to tell you how I feel about heights?”

“Oh yeah, I seem to remember some concern when we rode that Ferris wheel together last fall. Sorry.” He grinned, making my heart pound more as his beautiful eyes crinkled at the corners and his irises turned golden.

“Well, you might keep that in mind when you take off without warning like that. What are we going to do here, in the middle of nowhere? And don’t get any ideas of repeating what happened last time we were at the lake.”

His gaze turned to steel. “Are you telling me you didn’t enjoy that as much as I did, even though you had a major guilt trip afterwards?”

I refused to meet his gaze. “I hardly remember it at all, so it couldn’t have been all that much.”

Aiden’s pupils darkened. He reached for me and pulled me to him in spite of my resistance. His unyielding arms allowed for no discussion as he brought his mouth to mine and began exploring my tongue with his. I stopped breathing as jolts of lightning jittered along every nerve in my body, culminating with sensations in the core of my being that would have buckled my knees if he hadn’t been holding me up.

He let go and I sat, hard. “Now that we’ve established you still have feelings for me, let’s get on with it. I know your mother told you about ley lines. The power lines running through this county are important to the paranormal community, as you know.”

Rat's Races

Wasn't it just Halloween and now Thanksgiving and Christmas are here and I haven't begun shopping? Some of the kids will be here for Thanksgiving and we'll exchange gifts then. I STILL HAVEN'T BEGUN SHOPPING. The train is going too fast again, still. Are we rushing too much as usual?

I wanted to enjoy Autumn, do a painting with fall colors. I missed it, almost. I need to hurry, as usual. I plan to sit outside today, if it's not too cold, and enjoy the falling leaves before they're gone. How do you slow down the world, make the rat race stop and savor life as it is at that moment? Remember, as Lily Tomlin said, "Even if you win the rat race, you're still just a rat."

Great Wasteland

I'm talking about the amount of writing I wanted to have done now and the amount actually done on my WIP. Driving me nuts. Holidays are coming. Work crazy, home-not wonderful and writing, trouble fitting it in around all the have-to stuff. Then there is the too tired syndrome by the time I've been gone for 12-13 hours.

What interrupts your writing the most, or if you're a reader and trying to finish reading that really good story and everything around you interferes how do you solve it?

I mean apart from locking the children in the dungeon downstairs or shooting both your husband and the television.

Song or Lyrics

What do you listen to, the song or the lyrics? Do you hum along to the tune and never notice what the lyrics are saying. I think we've all done that. And yet there are some funny, smart, interesting lyrics out there.

Now I'm as guilty as anyone else of listening to the sound more than the meaning. And it can work both ways, I might tune out someones rap because of the over-all sound and then if I take the time to listen, I realize the words really spoke to me. After all, those who write music and lyrics are writers, doing the same thing all writers do, communicating their feelings, telling stories.

Some of the best writers realize that all writing has a rhythm, just like music and poetry. When we write a story, we are writing a song, about our lives, feelings, our view of the world. Even when we write about fantastic happenings and creatures like I do, it's still all about the relationships, how the characters speak to each other, deal with the world, make choices.

What do you want your music to say about you and the rhythm of your life?

Voting and other interesting things.

If you haven't, get out there and vote. Even I can do it, and did.

Went to Houston to see the kids and grand kids, got to stroll by Galveston Bay and watch waves. Some boats are still stranded in strange places. Went to a Wild Life Refuge and most of the hiking trails are still closed due to downed trees, but the weather and being out of doors was wonderful.

Now I have to get back to writing but family stuff has slammed me the past couple of weeks. I am so behind. Good thing I didn't decide to do NANO this year.

Now for the commercial break since selling books is what all this is about. Oh, you mean you didn't know that's what this site is about? You thought I just loved to talk? You're right, I do, but I also want to sell books, so, "Bloody Murder" "Fairy Dust" and "Privy to Murder" are all on sale at www.eternalpress.ca and will be in print on Amazon by January. Yay!!! Go. Buy. Buy. Read. Read. Buy more!

Never too Old

Guess who has a blog? Danielle Steel at http://daniellesteel.net/blog. See, we're never too old to write, blog, myspace or anything else we want, in spite of the reactions of some pundits in publishing, reactions of friends or of anyone else who want's to stop us in our tracks. I can say that because I battle my own reaction to reaching senior status. I catch myself thinking I'm way too old to do the things I want to do.

Then I hit myself up the side of the head, come to my senses and march on to work full time at the day job, write full time. paint when I can, take care of my daughter and generally have a busy life. Now if I'd just meet that partner to share the load and tell me I'm beautiful anyway...
Never mind, don't have the time to train-up a new man. Took me forty years to get the old one right. No man in his right mind would hook up with a self-centered author anyway, wouldn't want to deal with that many words flying at him.

Ballet

I went to see Ballet Oklahoma last night, actually their new name is "Oklahoma City Ballet." It was a gala, with free champagne, all kinds of souvenirs for sale, the philharmonic playing live and guest performers from all over the country. My understanding is that this is the first time in a couple of decades that guests have danced with the company. Bravo to the new guy. They even did some of the classics like parts of Swan Lake, with Blanchine choreography, another one with Petipa choreography, Le Corsair, Sleeping Beauty, Fire Bird, just glorious. Plus new numbers done with grace and humor by the new director, who is quite young to my old eyes, cute young man.

I found it interesting watching his choreography in several of the new numbers, and picking up on some signature moves of his. It's the same way you can spot Fosse moves or Tharp. My only question would be: should I be able to spot signature moves that quickly? Then again, in writing, good writers have a voice and you can recognize their style as soon as you read it. King has it, Koontz, Charlaine Harris in the Sookie Stackhouse books. If the style and voice speak to you, you read more.

Even though, classical ballet speaks louder to me than modern, I will be interested in seeing this young man's work develop. Also, a little girl a taught in Sunday school, is an apprentice for the company and had a solo. Okay, now I'm old.