*

What's the Word?

Sunday, June 29, 2008
Ugh. I had to bite the bullet and buy Word today. I've survived for several years without it, opting instead for the fully-featured (and FREE!) Open Office software. But now we're in the editing process with "Love & Brimstone" and the editor assigned to my manuscript uses the track changes feature. So I have to have it.

For grins and giggles, I looked at an .rtf file of the manuscript and ACK! When I looked at it in OO it looked fine. Looking at it in Word, it looks like *&^%. Totally mis-formatted. Crap. A .doc version looked okay though. Whew!

So now that I have Word, I'll use it for my formatting conversions and editing, but not for my rough drafts. I still prefer OO. I've got Word 2007 (I never activated the "trial" version of 2003 Office on my laptop when I bought it, and when I went to buy the activation tonight, it was the same price to get the 2007.) and the interface is TOTALLY whacked. Ugh. I hate it! I much prefer the "old style" with the clearly labeled menus and none of the extra garbage that's up there. I'll need to do some digging and see if there's a way to make it look like the older versions of Word. (Ahh, the good ole' days of Word 6. Remember those? And Windows 3.x? *LOL*)

Writing Software

Saturday, June 28, 2008
I had a great time yesterday with the interview! Jordana and Stephanie were fantastic, and invited me back after their summer hiatus.

One of the things we talked about was how I write, and I mentioned a software I use. NAYY - I am simply a happy customer.

I use SuperNotecard by Mindola. The way I write is I write whatever comes first - that might be just a title, or it might be a snippet of dialog (in "Love & Brimstone," the whole story spawned from one very brief dialog exchange between Taz and Matthias) or a scene. I write what I "see" when I see it. I don't outline my fiction - I might jot notes if something comes to me, but I don't use outlines.

Before SuperNotecard, I would have to bounce back and forth in a manuscript file (I use OpenOffice, not Word) and try to figure out where I was. With SuperNotecard I can simply create a card for a scene and drop it in wherever I need it in the story. I can write a whole scene or just a snippet or even just title a blank card as a holding place and stick it in. I save countless hours with this software. "Love & Brimstone" was the first manuscript I completely wrote using it, and the rough draft was complete in a little over two weeks, where it would have taken me a month my old way.

Needless to say, I now write all my manuscripts with this software. When I finish, I export the rough draft to OpenOffice and format it as a manuscript and then do my final editing.

They also make a version for script writers.

Interview Anxiety!

Friday, June 27, 2008
I'm so excited! My interview with Jordana Ryan is today at 2pm eastern!

Here's the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Jordana-Ryan

And a reporter from our local paper interviewed me this week, the story should be out next week. Eeep!

Tune in and hear me hopefully not make an idiot out of myself! *LOL*

Shoes

Sunday, June 22, 2008
Now, my dh will be the first to tell you that I am NOT a shoe-hound. I'm likely to buy a comfy pair of normal sandals, on sale if I can, in three different colors and wear them until they disintegrate and I'm forced to buy new ones. (No, I have never watched "Sex in the City." Sorry. And I couldn't tell a Manolo from a Made in China.)

I don't have too many instances to wear "dress" shoes. I have few pairs of dress shoes. But in Tar-zhay yesterday I spotted a pair of red patent leather peep-toe pumps. On sale for less than twenty bucks.

Into the cart they went. I can wear them with jeans, and I figure if I'm going to be a romance writer, I need to start treating myself a little better in terms of how I dress. I'll admit I'm jeans (or shorts) and a collared golf shirt kind of girl. I look decent (so dh tells me) when I dress up, but frankly, working at home, my dogs could care less what I look like.

When I caught up with dh in electronics, he raised an eyebrow, asked me where I'd wear them, and I told him anywhere I dang well please.

I think he was pleased. *LOL* Frankly, they could be construed as "fm" shoes (if you get my drift). Hmmm.

I think I'm going to have to invest in a pair of stilettos. (And a pair of hiking poles to help me walk in them.)

But my goal is to go to the big Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Orlando next April, because I live a few hours away. If I'm going to go (and by then more of my books should be published) I can't go slouching in there like a schlump. (Is that a word? It is now.)

Ugh.

Thursday, June 19, 2008
So I did something totally not like me today - left the house over an hour EARLY (thank you very much) to take my husband's car to the Honda dealer for a warranty recall check. It was getting ready to storm and I thought I'd miss the worst of it.

Not so much.

I drove through a fricking MONSOON on the way to the dealer. Pouring down rain when I got there. Fortunately I had my MP3 player with me and headphones because the freakishly friendly staff kept asking everyone in the waiting room every ten seconds if they needed coffee or a banana or a bagel or hot tea...

No. I just want my FREAKING CAR DONE.

I'm pounding away on my laptop with the screen turned down as low as I can and folded at an odd angle to prevent anyone looking over my shoulder, because the WIP (work in progress) I was ...progressively working on...has some racy stuff in it. Plus it's rude to read over someone's shoulder.

Difficult to try to put together a love scene with a room full of people around. (Hard enough to do it with the dogs staring at me here at home!)

I admit, I'm a 'tetch' anti-social when I work. A-hem. Okay. So I'm A LOT anti-social when I'm working. I told my dh that if we ever build a house, I want a sound-proofed, land-mined office to lock myself in.

"Love & Brimstone" cover

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Whoo hoo! I'm so chuffed! I received the cover art for "Love & Brimstone" and I'm tickled to death with it! I love how it came out!

Ironically the cover artist's name is Anastasia, and my heroine's name is Anastazia...coinkydink? I think NOT! *LOL*

Seriously, I love it, and think she did a wonderful job. Feel free to visit her website and take a look at her other work.

Book Promo: "Letting Luce" by Jenny Gilliam


Fellow writer Jenny Gilliam is releasing her book, "Letting Luce" on Friday, June 20. You can buy it from Amira Press.

Here's a blurb:

When Lucy Hollister tried to drop-kick her personal computer out her second-story window, she had no idea it would eventually lead to the seduction of her very hot, very yummy best friend, Rory Carlisle.

After all, she’s the queen of passivity, and he’s the reining king of the non-committed relationship. When a sexy online flirtation leads the couple into some steamy situations, Rory realizes that his cute best friend is letting loose—in the best possible way.

Can this couple get past old hurts and guarded hearts to embrace the passionate love that awaits?

I'm Being Interviewed!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008
I'm going to be interviewed on BlogTalkRadio by Jordana Ryan on Friday, 6/27/08, 2pm Eastern time. Whoo hoo!

Here's the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Jordana-Ryan

Hear about my upcoming book, "Love & Brimstone," coming soon from Amira Press.

Welcome to Tales from the Snark Side

Monday, June 16, 2008
Hi, my name is Lesli, and I'm a blogaholic...

This blog will be focused (mostly) on my writing and writing-related issues, like plugging other writers, book reviews/recommendations, etc.

You can link to a couple of my other blogs in the sidebar, but my writing-related issues will land here in this new home.

I'll also be adding links to other writers as I build this blog. You can click the link join the e-mail list. No, I'm not narcissistic, but it seemed easier to just name it after me, since that's my name. Hey, if MaryJanice Davidson can do it...so can I. (It's called branding. And to think your local government pays consultants bazillions of tax dollars to work out their branding for them.)

Oops, slipped into a snark there.

So have fun, enjoy, and look forward to hearing from you. Snark on!