I am a Collector of…Things

If there is one thing I’ve learned from moving over the years it’s that I’m a pack-rat. I honestly can’t help myself. I just seem to collect things without really trying. My infamous (to those who know me personally) clown collection is by far the largest. I own porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal and feather masks and figurines in all shapes and sizes. Basically anything clown, harlequin, circus, etc themed is in my collection. However, I also own a shitload of shot glasses. I honestly didn’t realize how many until it was time to pack. They were the first thing I boxed up, after washing off about three years’ worth of dust.
My only other overwhelming collection (purses and bags don’t count because I’m female) would be my books. At last count I owned over 1,000 but I haven’t updated the list in about a year. I’ve added and subtracted from the shelves in that time. Once I move and get my shelves put back together, I plan to redo the list I keep in my Collectorz.com database.
For now all my precious books are being packed into cardboard boxes. The clowns are lovingly wrapped in tissue and sitting in plastic totes. And the shot glasses are also wrapped and awaiting the move…well, all but the biggest ones.

Reading in 2011

2011 was a good reading year for me. According to Goodreads, I read 113 books. In actuality it may have been closer to 120. I’m pretty sure there were a few that fell through the cracks of my laziness in adding them online. In fact, any of you who take a peek at my Shelfari page would be ashamed of me. They think I read 56 books since discovering their site in 2010. However, I am very proud of my reading accomplishments for 2011. I could have done better. I completed the 100 book challenge, but failed miserably at the Stephen King reading challenge. This kind of shocked me not only because I own almost all of his published work, but because I LOVE reading his books. In fact, if I had to choose one book read in 2011 as the one that stuck with me, that I liked the most and that really left an impression, it would be Blaze. You can read my full review here.

I also read a lot of series books last year. There were a few I’ve been reading for a couple of years but also some that I completed. Those were mostly trilogies or four-book series. If I had to choose one as the very best it would be The Rarest Blooms series by Madeline Hunter. If you like regency romance even a little bit, I can’t say enough about this series. It has one of my now all-time favorite characters, Tristan, the Duke of Castleford, in it. The only bad thing was I had to wait until book four (the final book) to get his story. However, each installment was a sensual journey through a fascinating time in history. Even if you aren’t a big fan of the period, I’d recommend this series to any romance lover.

In the new-to-me category, my favorite of 2011 has to go to Joe Hill. I discovered he was Stephen King’s son some time ago but hadn’t picked up any of his books yet. I happened upon Heart-Shaped box and was immediately taken in by the blurb. He is definitely a great voice in the genre and stands on his own as an author regardless of who his father is. If you enjoy horror or any type of thrill-ride while reading, this is a must-read.

Another new to me author that must be mentioned is Dakota Cassidy. Now, I’ve followed Dakota in online social networks for a while, but I’m sorry to day I didn’t pick up any of her books throughout the year. It wasn’t until I attended Readers n’ritas and sat at her table (where she gave us all a free book) that I picked up my copy of You Dropped a Blonde on Me. To say it rocked my socks off is a slight understatement. It totally blew me away. I honestly didn’t know what to expect but from her online personality I knew it would be funny. It was funny, heartbreaking, entertaining and memorable. All around a great read for anyone interested in chick-lit, romance and a good heartfelt story where the underdog comes out fighting.

Most anticipated release that lived up to its name goes to River Marked by Patricia Briggs. For those of you who haven’t yet started the Mercy Thompson series all I can say is, why in the hell not?! This is one that can appeal to almost any reader. It’s urban fantasy with just enough romance to satisfy the most die-hard romantic. There’s action, suspense and paranormal elements. However, its not graphic in any sense of the word. Patricia Briggs has one of the best storytelling voices I’ve ever read and I honestly can’t say enough about her work.

In the much anticipated, over-hyped and pleasantly surprised category, Laurell K. Hamilton wins the trophy. I had pretty much broken-up with Anita Blake after Flirt. That was a waste of my hard-earned money and some damn good trees. However, Anita has this great buddy named Edward that I can’t get enough of and LKH was smart enough to put him in Hit List from page one. You can read my full review here.

So, that was my reading in 2011 in a nutshell. I have high hopes for 2012 as I finish two started last year that I had anticipated reading for quite some time. I’m currently reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Full Dark, No Stars. These are both great so far and the only reason I’m not done yet is because I’m limiting my reading time to get some writing done. After those two I’ll be catching up on Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau vampire series, finishing Lilith Saintcrow’s Jill Kismet series and reading the next installment in Christine Feehan’s Sisters of the Heart series. What will you be reading?

2011: the Good, the Bad and the Unexpected

My Year in a Nutshell
2011 was bittersweet for me in many ways. I had some ups and downs, each leveling out the other, to where I really can’t say if it was a good year or bad. Some months were fabulous while others I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
She Has What?!

The beginning of the year marked a major change for my family when my then seven-year old was diagnosed with Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes. It was a shock to realize all those little symptoms I kept passing off as other things actually meant she has a major auto-immune disease. It was hard, but not impossible to deal with and we have made great progress.

On the writing front, I began the year with a new release and new blog group of authors offering free short stories. It was great while it lasted, but health issues and other commitments kept us from making it through the second round of free stories. The idea isn’t dead yet and I may be able to rejoin at a later time but for now will be putting my energy elsewhere.

Hitting the Small Screen

February meant something entirely new for me when fellow author Delphine Dryden created my first ever book trailer for They Call Me Death. I was thrilled to see my story on screen in this new and intriguing way. There will be more to come as I finalize plans for a Day Shift book trailer as well.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

In March I had a great idea for a monthly blog post. Since there are already so many review blogs for books, I thought why not review characters instead? I took a book I’d read, chose a memorable character and gave my opinion on him/her. Then I gave the book away. The response was lackluster and honestly not worth my time. It only went on for six posts.
June rolled around and with it my Birthday Blog Tour. This was something I had in 2010 as well. However, this year’s response wasn’t nearly as big. I still had a great time celebrating my birthday month with my readers and hopping onto other blogs. I most likely will do it again in 2012.

Personally I received more disappointing news that wasn’t exactly a shock. Being in a family of diabetics I know the signs. When I was diagnosed with Type 2, I wasn’t too upset. My daughter was absolutely thrilled.

When it Rains, it Pours

My second EC release of the year happened on my birthday. That was a nice surprise and it did very well sales wise. However, the death of my grandfather in May still had a pall over my outlook on things. At that point it seemed I couldn’t receive good news without getting bad in turn. I was almost afraid to answer the phone or read my emails.
The end of the summer brought major scheduling changes for my family and two books in the works.

In September I left my job of four years to be home for my daughters. This is something I’m still adjusting to though it has been wonderful. My fourth EC book came out in September with another great Jimmy Thomas cover. This novella was previously released through a different publisher. I was very happy with the changes and my readers appear to be too. Sales have been good.

And last but definitely not least came my vampire world. Reviews have been good for the most part with a couple of exceptions, but I’m happy with them overall. I love these characters and am already writing the sequel. This was a world I had considered for quite a while before finally giving into the voices demanding I make it real…on paper. Now I can sleep again.
So that was my year in a nutshell. A few ups, a few downs, a lot of in between. The holiday season has been wonderful and I have great expectations for 2012.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Week!!

Merry Christmas Week! I don’t know about you, but this is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s true that it’s often hectic and a bit stressful, but once all the shopping, baking and cleaning is done the end result is well worth it. I sincerely hope every one of you have a fabulous week and joyous weekend. May you find yourself surrounded by good company and lots of joy.
This week I’ll be guest blogging on Buffy Christopher’s website. If you leave a comment you may walk away with a one-of-a-kind Missy Jane coffee mug. Not a coffee drinker? That’s okay. It’s great for tea and hot cocoa too.

After that I plan to laze around the house and hop online as the mood strikes me. I’m currently trying to coax a few characters into giving up their stories so I can submit something the first week of 2012. As it stands, Sean and Megan, Greg and Zaria as well as Zerach and Isadora are all rumbling around in my head. We’ll see who wins the race to have their story finished first.
If you catch me on Twitter, Facebook, in the Coffee Time Romance and More forums, or anywhere else, be sure to say hi. You never know when I might have some extra Christmas gits to hand out!

Book Fair, New York & Christmas Shopping

This past week was one of the longest of the year. I volunteered at my daughters’ elementary school to help with the book fair. I’ve never done it before (and may not ever again) and had no clue how much work goes into those things. By Friday I was exhausted and ready to just lie down and die. Luckily it’s now over and I can go back to my regularly scheduled craziness. I didn’t buy a single thing for myself, though there were a few good adult titles and the newest Shel Silverstein and Christopher Paolini. However, my daughters spent a good portion of this months’ royalties on these titles: Dragonworld: Secrets of the Dragon Domain, Darth Paper Strikes Back, Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats and The Chronicles of Harris Burdick. If I could have picked any one book for myself, I think I would’ve chosen A Bad Kitty Christmas. I was wonderfully surprised by this charming and memorable book, and will be buying it at the soonest opportunity to read aloud on Christmas Eve.

As those of you following my Twitter feed or watching my Facebook wall may know, my second oldest daughter went to New York City last week…without me! She is a student at one of the greatest schools in the world. Not because of their curriculum, teaching staff or location. This school takes their kids on “field experiences” having to do with their chosen field of study, and my daughter is a drama student.Not only did she get to see Wicked on Broadway, she also met one of the choreographers who instructed her class on a dance routine. How cool is that? She brought back tons of photos and key chains for everyone. She also only spent half of the money I sent her with. I couldn’t ask for a better daughter, but I’m never letting her go that far away from me again!

Now that the week is over, that doesn’t mean I get to rest. I’ve already been to three different stores this morning to pick up Christmas presents ordered online last week. I’ll be grocery shopping at some point in time and sneaking out to find a present for my husband. This may be the happiest time of the year but it’s also the busiest. However, I LOVE it! The hardest part for me is not telling my girls what exactly is hiding beneath all that wrapping paper. We’ll see if I can make it until the 25th.

So, that was my week in a nutshell. What have ya’ll been up to?

‘Cause I’m a Luuzerrrrr…

So another NaNoWriMo has come and gone and once again I DID NOT hit the 50,000 word goal. Le sigh. I’m disappointed in myself but realistic. Whenever I don’t feel like writing, I simply can’t make myself put words down. I tend to read as I write and edit along the way. I know that’s not the point of NaNo, but it’s how I write. I have to be in the zone, find my groove, feel my mojo working. Something. In November I had a gazillion things going on that had little to do with writing, plus a major release I did a piss-poor job of promoting. Somehow it still stayed on the publisher’s top ten list for two weeks. (My readers rock!) But, to be completely honest, I was a terrible writer in November. At least, I had no discipline whatsoever in November. I’m going to try to be better this month, which won’t take much, but with the holidays I don’t have high hopes. My goal is to finish my NaNo project this month so I can submit it shortly after the first of the year. But honestly, it probably won’t happen. I’ve also decided to be more realistic in my goals. I’m leaving that one because it’s doable if I buckle down. Others are going to go by the wayside.

My hope for the rest of 2011 is to finish at least one MS. Hopefully it will be the sequel to Day Shift, but I have three I’m concentrating on. Other than that I’ll be spending much needed quality time with my four girls and hardworking husband. If you don’t see a lot of activity on this blog that will be why. However, if you keep seeing me on Twitter and Facebook, bitch at me to get back to writing. I’ll need the ass-kicking at some point. 😉

Let Your Voice be Heard!

Are you an avid e-book reader? Have you just discovered they exist and are trying to navigate the complex world of e-readers? Whichever category you fall into, as a romance reader your opinion is highly prized by All Romance e-books. Help them out by clicking on the photo to the left and taking a quick survey.

2011 100 Book Reading Challenge

Back in January I thought it would be fun to enroll in a couple of reading challenges. I’d never done one before and thought “What the hell?” 100 books in a year sounded like a lot to me back in January. Then I sat and considered my usual reading habits. Depending on the week, I can easily read a one standard paperback per day. In truth, a 200 book a year challenge may have been more feasible. But then I considered editing deadlines, holidays, vacations and NaNoWriMo, and knew 100 might be pushing it.

Well my blogger friends I am proud to say that this past week I did it! I reached and surpassed my goal of reading 100 books in 2011. In fact, I’m currently reading book number 102. I also have at least three more books lined up and one Stephen King book I’ve started but not finished.

So, you may be thinking “That’s great, Missy. Maybe now you should stop reading and start writing.” Umm, well you would be right. I’ll admit my NaNoWriMo word count is a bit pitiful at the moment. However, there is one other thing I have to accomplish in 2011. You see, I also signed up for a Stephen King reading challenge and I’m sorely behind on that one…

Day Shift now Available!

It’s here!!!!!
This may be the new release I’ve been the most excited about ever. It took a few years for me to decide to write vampires. Mostly because they’re very overdone, but also because I was leery of writing a type of character with so many preconceived characteristics. One of the first things I decided was that mine would be different. I didn’t want them to be dead or evil, allergic to garlic or the sun. I also think it’s silly to pretend a vampire’s bite won’t hurt. And orgasmic? Yeah right.

So, here it is finally. My vampire world is now available as the novella Day Shift. I hope you like it 😉

Readers n’Ritas!

This weekend, for the first time ever, I will be attending the Readers n’Ritas event in Allen, Texas. I’m SO excited! Not only will I be in the presence of greatness (Gena Showalter, Ann Aguirre, etc.) I’ll get to meet some of my readers 😀

I’m really looking forward to it but there is one thing I’m really nervous about. Some of the readers paid to attend a meal with the authors where there will be one author per table with seven readers. I don’t know if it’s readers choice, first come first served, or some other system. My fear is that I will be dining alone. I know that’s not likely but tell the butterflies in my stomach that!

The authors were asked to provide either one prize to give away to someone at our table, or seven smaller prizes to give to each. I don’t want anyone walking away from my table empty-handed. So, I created seven little coffins to celebrate the upcoming release of my vampire novella, Day Shift.