Jennifer Lyon

Archive for the 'Caged Magic' Category

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Friday, November 28th, 2014
Happy Friday!

We had a great T-Day at Wizard’s brother’s house! Except that we missed BLB (youngest son) as he had other obligations. But otherwise it was awesome and relaxing. Both my brother and sister-in-law did a great job cooking and hosting a great day. Plus everyone was teasing Wizard about getting me a dog :-)

This weekend, Wizard has plans both days which frees me up to work. I’m getting deep into this revisions on EXPOSING THE HEIRESS. I’m extremely torn between wanting to get this right for the more suspense/sexy line and needing to get back to CAGED MAGIC. Time is getting away from me (I blame Wizard! His retirement is making me too lazy!).

So how was your T-Day (for the U.S. folks) and what are your weekend plans?

Monday, November 24th, 2014
Weekend Roundup

First, we didn’t have Bailey which is a bummer, but we’ll go visit him soon :-)

Okay so this weekend got kind of crazy.

1) I had to have my lawyer review a contract, that turned out to be very simple. I wish it was always this easy! I’ll tell you more on that later, but it’s NOT a new book. More of a part two of a previous contract. (Yeah, I know that sounds confusing).

2) I’m making progress on Linc and Risa’s book CAGED MAGIC. It’s hard work but I’m loving the challenge. I’m “all in” which means the book is taking up of my brain power and I’m fighting for the best way to tell this story, as well as the Ram and Ginny, and Eli’s story lines that are weaving through there.

3) Then I got an email from my editor on EXPOSING THE HEIRESS (book 3 in Once A Marine). They’ve decided to move the series to the Ignite line with has more suspense and more sex. Okay, so I’ve already ramped up the sex, but now a different editor would like to see even more suspense.  Which isn’t a surprise to me, I more or less saw this coming and yet I’m still panicking and hyperventilating.  I’ve committed to getting CAGED MAGIC to my freelance editor Feb 1st and I need to get this book revised while doing that, plus the holidays.

4) Wizard sees this panic and last night, he piled me into the car and we went to…The Kitchen Store. Nothing like buying a new sifter, two different sizes of muffin pans and cookie/muffin scoops to take my mind off work stress :-)

baking addiction

Wizard knows I stress-bake and he benefits from this addiction. (I try to stress exercise too, but that’s happening less these days) Anyway,  I had mentioned to him that I wanted to try pumpkin cheesecake muffins so he decided to “help” by making sure I had the tools. LOLOL!! But it really did help to get out and have a little fun.

5) Thanksgiving. As much as I enjoy doing the Thanksgiving holiday, this year I’m grateful it’s not at my house. We’re going to my sister in law’s and all I have to bring is deviled eggs. So easy! It’ll be fun.

How was your weekend? And what are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014
Brownies & Wednesday Worthy

It’s all B.E.’s fault! She posted her brownie recipe in Monday’s comments. If you missed it, you can see if here   I did my absolute best to resist while writing some pages. And by the way, Linc (from CAGED MAGIC, coming around March 2015) has a dirty mind and I give up fighting him on this. I’m writing it the way he tells me and I can fix it later. Linc tells me it’s MY fault for leaving him hanging (his words) for sooooo long.

Vintage stylized monochrome sepia classic portrait of young male

 

Yeah. sure, blame the writer, dude. Whatever gets you through the day.

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the brownies. So I was thinking hard about B.E.’s recipe wondering what would happen if I swapped out the regular unsweetened cocoa for special dark unsweetened cocoa, use Kahlua in place of vanilla (I double or tripled the amount) and then dump in the left over mini chocolate chips I have on hand?

Well of course, this became a matter of SCIENTIFIC CURIOSITY. I had no choice but to run this Very Important Experiment. And here is the result:

dark chocolate brownies

This picture is off center, because Wizard was standing over me saying “I have a scientific curiously too…” And he told me in detail  making me laugh. It had to do with pictures of me…and yeah…never mind. IT’S NOT HAPPENING WIZARD!

So The Brownie Verdict? I was unsure, suspecting the B.E’s original version is better. Wizard, however, said these brownies rock. I dunno…maybe I have to make the original version for a side-by-side comparison :-)

Now for our Wednesday Worthy Candidate. This one is  a couple picture, you can mentally delete the woman if you wish :-)

Smiling couple

Do you think he’s worthy? Or maybe the guy in the first pic? Or are neither one of them doing it for you today?

 

Monday, November 17th, 2014
Weekend Roundup

I had a good weekend. Saturday was shopping and lunch with a friend. I loved helping her begin her search for a dress for her daughter’s wedding next summer. She did the same for me for CPA Boy and Special K’s wedding. Then we had a great lunch (no dessert, big surprise, I didn’t want dessert, LOL) and talked like girlfriends do. Also she’s NOT a writer–I love my writer friends but it’s nice to get totally away once in awhile.

Sunday I cleaned then spent the afternoon thinking about my book and here’s the thing: It’s time to make the hard decision, one I’ve been subconsciously avoiding. A scene I love isn’t working. I knew this instinctively weeks ago and refused to listen to my gut. I kept trying to MAKE it work. That really annoys me. But being annoyed or mad at myself is a serious waste of emotional energy and time.  What I can do is learn from this. NEXT TIME, DON’T FIGHT MY GUT. Like all writers, I’ve developed an instinct from many years of experience and I need to respect that next time my instinct (gut) is trying to tell me a hard truth. So this week, I’m fixing it and moving forward. Finally.

And in fun news; we might get a special visitor this weekend. I’ll give you three hints. He’s super cute, cleans my kitchen floor and loves lizard hunting:

It’s Bailey Dog!

Bailey thinks work is stupid

It’s not for sure yet, Middle Son is still making some plans. But it’ll be fun if it works out–it’ll be the first time we have Bailey since Wizard retired.

So how was your weekend?

Friday, November 14th, 2014
Happy Friday & Writer’s Block

So last night at dinner, Wizard and I were talking about Writer’s Block.

But before I get to that conversation,  while I was cooking dinner Wizard got super suspicious. “What are you doing?”

“Cooking.” I was actually cutting up fresh broccoli to steam. We were having chicken, rice and broccoli.

But Wizard had a problem with that. However he knows better than to say, I don’t want vegetables because that conversation never goes well for him. Instead, he’s employed this new tactic of acting like I’m trying to get him fat. With vegetables. Seriously. So he says in a completely annoyed voice, “You’re making THREE things for dinner? Isn’t that too much? We agreed to cut back.”

I’m so on to him. “Oh don’t worry.”

Now he’s worried. “Why not?”

I held up the plate of fresh broccoli all prepped to steam. “I’m cooking this broccoli juussstttt to piss you off.”

He burst into laughter. That was the last I heard about the broccoli. He even ate some of it.

Okay so while eating dinner, Wizard says, “So what’s the deal with your book. I thought you were happy writing this.”

“I am.”

“Uh huh. You’re burping puppies and rainbows, Sunshine.”

“What???” I mean seriously, what?

“I didn’t want to say farting puppies and rainbows at the dinner table.”

<<Insert loud choking. Do not try to drink water and NOT laugh at the same time. I was NOT laughing. >>

Anyhow…once I recovered, he said, “So do you have writer’s block or something?”

“Ugh, not writer’s block. Me and Batman pretty much agree on writer’s block.”

Holy Writer's Block Batman

Now that Wizard had that visual in his head, he said, “So what is it?”

“Middle of the book craziness. Here’s the thing, Linc lost control of his bloodlust and tried to attack Risa (He didn’t touch her, she’s fine). He’s been working to build her trust and then this…so I have to figure out how to come back from that. I’ve written probably six different scenes, and now I’m taking apart three of them and putting those together into the scene I think will work. That will show that she was betrayed and upset, while understanding that this is his reality and WHY he needs her to break the curse that causes the bloodlust. This scene needs to have emotional impact and ultimately bring them closer together and build on their connection so the reader can feel it and believe in them.

But I won’t know if I’ve succeeded until I try to  write the NEXT scene. If I’ve hit the right emotions in my characters, then the next scene will practically write itself. But if I’m stuck and hating it, or feel like the scene is sinking in quick sand, then I did something wrong and have to go back for the millionth time.”

I blurted all this out in agonizing detail, then I looked at him “Does that make sense?” I don’t know. At this point I’m always feeling lost and unsure. Wondering if I’m in over my head and doubting even my ability to breathe without a cheat sheet.

I was expecting him to say, “You’re making this too hard or too complicated.” He’s told me that before.

But no. Instead he leans over and says, “Yep. You have to get this right or the rest won’t work.”

I swear, it was like a massive stone was lifted off my chest. Now let’s hope Wizard is right. Because you know, this is the same man who thinks vegetables are going to make him fat :-)

So this weekend, I’m going shopping with a friend. Her daughter is getting married next year and we’re looking for the perfect mother of the bride dress. Plus we’ll have lunch. It’ll be fun!

What are you doing this weekend?

Wednesday, November 12th, 2014
Wednesday Worthy

I’m feeling better! I wasn’t really sick, just sinuses torturing me.  I had this plan to write out a “What I’ve learned blog” on Sunday, but that just didn’t happen. So I don’t know when I’ll get stated on those.  Especially since the Wing Slayers have begun taking over my mind.

So as a little aside the Family (all three boys and their girls, myself and Wizard–who ignores a lot of email relying on me to read it all) were discussing on email a possible trip together in a few months. Middle Son said on this email loop, “I have to figure out what to do with Bailey.”

Special K, who already has the hotel picked out, told Middle Son that the place was dog friendly, and said, “Bailey can come with us for only $20.00 a night.”

Middle Son instantly replies, “Bailey doesn’t have a job, how can he afford $20 a night? I’ll ask him anyway…”

Special K replies  “Oh don’t worry, Bailey will work to pay that off.  He works as a cuddle professional and easily makes $20/hr.”

Middle Son’s Girlfriend jumps in with, “This is the only work he knows. He sleeps all day everyday!” And adds this pic:

Bailey a professional sleeper

I’m cracking up watching these emails fly through my inbox. The trip will be a quick couple day event, but with this group, I’m sure it’ll be entertaining. Of course Wizard is like, “We’re doing what???”

I simply said, “It involves wine tasting, that’s all you need to know.”

I thought I heard him mutter,  “And the location of the closest emergency room.” But I chose NOT to hear that. One time, ONE TIME I tear my Achilles dancing after having a little wine and he acts like I’m a danger to myself. Okay, there was also the time I broke my little toe walking by him. Literally, I walked by, caught my toe on his shoe and broke it. Two other people SAW IT HAPPEN and couldn’t believe it.

My doctor, however, now believes me. I swear he waits for me to come in with these stories.

But I digress, there will be no emergency room visits…everyone knows I refuse to go and hide injuries until someone accidentally notices I can’t walk and my foot, leg or whatever is swollen to twice it’s normal size :-)

But enough of that. Let’s move onto our Wednesday Worthy Candidate:

Portrait Of A Handsome Muscular Man In Camouflage Trousers

So what do you think, is he worthy?

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