Chunking Up The Page

To Nanowrimo or not to Nanowrimo...

2011-10-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

Now THAT truly is the question.

For the uninitiated, NANOWRIMO is the acronym for National Novel Writing Month, an annual event that takes place every year in November. During NANOWRIMO, writers sit down and write for 30 days, allowing themselves to write badly so long as they hit their word count. At the end of the 30 days, if you've worked religiously, you will have completed a 50,000 word novel.

I've done this several years, but this year, I'm asking myself whether or not I want to join the movement. Here's the pros and cons:

CON:To reach the 50K goal, I'd need to write about 1660 words a day
I'd need to start from scratch with a new idea and I already have 13 novels waiting to be finished
I can't edit as I write (this is tough for me)
I'd need to write every day, and so far, that hasn't happened for me.

PRO:
Participating in NANOWRIMO might help me to make it a habit to write daily.
There's a lot of support from other writers participating in NANOWRIMO.
I'd have to learn to give myself permission to write badly, knowing I'd edit it when done, not stop the novel momentum now.
If I manage to turn off my internal editor, I could be more productive

At the end of the month, I'd have a complete novel.

Decisions, decisions. Clock is ticking. I have just 6 days to decide!

~ Stephanie

I’ve Always Wanted To Write A Book!

2011-10-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

If you’re just starting to write or always wanted to try it or even if you're already working on your first (or fifth) novel, I encourage you to attend the Grand Rapids Regional Writers' Group conference this coming weekend at the Riverfront Radisson.

The conference is being sponsored by a great group of writers form all backgrounds and genres, and will give you a chance to meet many published authors, local writers, and even the opportunity to talk to and pitch your book ideas to an agent and several editors. The keynote speaker for the event is multi-published author, Jacqueline Carey (author of the Kushiel series and the new Santa Olivia series and many other titles), who will speak at lunch.

Here’s a look at what is being offered:

“I’ve Always Wanted To Write A Book!” Conference Schedule

Saturday, October 22, 2011 at the Riverfront Radisson, 270 Ann Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI

9:30 – 10:15
Room 1 – Using Relaxation Techniques to Boost Productivity – Dr. Sandra Portko
Room 2 – Writing Effective Queries – editor Michele Paulin, author Tanya Eby and author Sidney Ayers
Room 3 – Writing Mysteries – author Maris Soule

10:30 – 11:15
Room 1 – Writing Erotica and Erotic Romance – authors: Abigail Barnette, Temple Hogan, Mia Watts, Suzanne Graham and Bronwyn Green
Room 2 – Making the Most of Your Writing Time – author: Margaret Yang
Room 3 – Author Branding – author: Tanya Eby

11:30 – 1:00
Lunch and Keynote Speaker, author Jacqueline Carey

1:15 – 2:00
Room 1 – Writing Romance – Lisa Childs
Room 2 – Why the Genre You Write Matters as Much as What You Write – R.A. Evans
Room 3 – Everything You Need to Know about E-books- Margaret Yang, Temple Hogan, Abigail Barnette and Suzanne Graham

2:15 – 3:00
Room 1 – Trends in Young Adult Fiction – Tess Grant and Aaron Thomas
Room 2 – What a Character! – Harry Campion
Room 3 – Authors Behaving Badly – Jennifer Armintrout and Bronwyn Green

3:15 – 4:00
Room 1 & 2 – Q & A with Literary Agent Michelle Grajkowski and Editor Michele Paulin

4:30 – 6:00
Rooms 1, 2 and 3 Author Book Signing - open to the general public

It promises to be a great day and I hope we see you there!

Keep writing,
~Stephanie

Coming Soon to A Kindle Near You

2011-09-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Cover Design: Chel Hickerty

Dr. Peggy Oster is a Professor of Psychology at a small university in Kansas. She likes the life she's built for herself there and is looking forward to a summer with nothing more pressing to do than indulge in her secret passion: watching old movies and classic sitcoms.

However, all that changes when Robert Reynolds, a colleague who bears a striking resemblance to Michael J. Fox, challenges her to add some paranormal psych classes to the school's fall catalogue.

After reading an old leather-bound book on the subject, Peggy embarks on an adventure in a strange world that's populated with celebrity lookalikes, mythological creatures, and a royal court that mistakenly assumes Peggy is a doctor of medicine.

There's even more Trouble in Paradys when the handsome-but-inept magician, Xandro, returns to the castle just in time to hear the king give Peggy his job as Court Wizard. It all makes for one summer vacation Peggy is unlikely to ever forget.

Trouble in Paradys by Stephanie Michels is a paranormal romance from HEA Publications available soon for Amazon Kindle.

The First Day of the Best of My Life

2011-09-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, I never thought it would happen, but I finally did it. After 32-1/2 years working at the same company, I gave my notice, handed in my security badge and took my early retirement. Wow!

I've been working full time since just before graduation from high school. I took a few weeks off with each of my kids, and then it was right back to it. When I moved here in 1979, I started working for my last employer and never left.

Looking back on it, I realize I've spent more than 1/2 my live working there. That's a shock! I don't really regret the years -- I made a lot of friends there and got to try a lot of new things and learn new skills...but wow! Half my life??? I think it's long past time for me to follow my dreams.

Life is too short not to choose to be happy, and my bucket list is waiting. Retiring might not have been the soundest financial decision I've ever made, but I am the master of my Fate and this is MY decision. So I will take off my shoes and walk in the sand, stay up late writing or sleep in if I choose, and I'll look for fun in everything I do.

Wishing you sunshine and the realization of your dreams,
Stephanie

Deadlines

2011-03-12T05:44:00.000-08:00

There's a tongue-in-cheek saying being bandied about work lately that has to do with all the projects that are thrown at us each week-slash-day.

Deadlines: I love the sound they make as they go rushing past my head.

Oddly enough, I actually love deadlines. I know it's weird but I do. It's kind of like the old TV game show, "Beat the Clock" (yeah, I know, I'm really showing my age on that one) where contestants rush around trying to finish a challenge in an allotted time span. Knowing the clock is ticking away makes them work faster and maybe more creatively.

I view deadlines as mini-challenges. And I plain out and out LOVE challenges. I always have. Whether it is a term paper in school, a financial project at work, the one-minute pressure of my favorite computer game or cleaning the house before company arrives, knowing the clock is ticking away gives me a specific goal to work toward. It makes me work faster, smarter, and more focused.

It's one of the things I love about my writers' group. Each month, you set a goal or goal that you intend to finish by the next month's meeting. It's a self-imposed deadline the members of our group set for themselves. Some are big goals (finishing a certain number of words or sending a book off to a publisher); others are small goals. But each goal, large or small is writing-related and gets us closer to where we want to be. At the next meeting, we announce whether or not we've hit these goals, and it is inspiring to hear the high percentage of goals that are accomplished.

The winter writing challenge I mentioned last month is another challenge. It was a HUGE deadline looming ahead of me. Thirty-two thousand words in 28 days?! Yikes! That's like scaling Mt. Everest after the puny amount of words I've been turning out each month. But it was a goal and a challenge to this deadline-loving gal. So was the fact that I'd have to pay a buck for each thousand words that I fell short. So, last month, I started writing with gusto, got side-lined temporarily then picked up the pace again.

I wrote like crazy all week, coming home from work and spending the evening in front of the computer. I wrote more that half the total needed in since Saturday. Last night, when I headed to bed, I'd finished 32,433 words! Sure, they aren't beautiful, polished prose -- that will come later in revisions -- but they have built the framework and action of my story. The euphoria almost kept me from sleeping!

So I love deadline. I work well on pressure. I love the adrenalin-charged pace as a deadline looms closer. It fuels me with energy and strengthens me to ignore distractions and focus on that single task. At least that's what I tell myself.

Maybe I'm just a procrastinator. What do you think?

~ Stephanie

Permission Granted

2011-02-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

A few years back, Chris Baty started a wonderful, kick-in-the-butt writing movement to challenge folks to write a book in 30days. The movement, called NANOWRIMO (NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing.

Participants traditionally begin writing on November 1 and the goal is to write 50,000 words (approximately a 175-page novel) by midnight on November 30. It’s a wild month of literary (and I use that word loosely) abandon that every writer should experience at least one.

However, in my writers’ group, once is NEVER enough, so we issue a second challenge in the spring of the year. Our members bring their laptops – or sharpened pencils and note pads – to our February meeting, and we kick off a 30-day challenge ending in March. We call it our Winter NaNoWriMo.

So, how the heck do you write an entire novel – or even 175 pages – in a month? Well the trick to NanoWriMo is to put a premium on your enthusiasm and creativity. To do this, you need to break a lot of traditional writing rules.

Plan to write garbage – This writing challenge is all about spewing out words not literary masterpieces. In the 30-day November challenge, you need to output 1666 words a day. In a shorter 28 day challenge, the number is around 1786 words. This is not about polished prose – that can come later, or not. This month is about writing. So give yourself permission to write garbage.

Send your inner editor on a month-long vacation - If you’re like me, you have a writing assistant-slash- demon residing in your head. It’s the infamous Inner Editor. Ms. (or Mr.) Inner Editor can be your friend when getting a book ready for submission. However, during NaNoWriMo, she is an albatross around your neck. Send her on vacation (or throw her overboard) and “just say no” to her screaming demands to be allowed back into your head.

Write, write, write - Because of the limited writing-time window, the only thing that should matter to you now is output. It's about quantity, not quality. If you get stuck for the right word or a research fact just put a note in brackets for yourself (EXAMPLE [insert FBI fact on uniforms here]). Don't worry about paragraph structure or perfect grammar or word repetitions. Just write on the fly. This kamikaze approach to output allows you to barrel forward.

DO NOT – REPEAT, DO NOT EDIT – Just let the words fly. Now is not the time for subtlety or the best possible phrasing. It’s about word count and moving forward. If you move fast to the moment when you can write “The End, “ you’ll have corralled that story you’ve always wanted to write.

Finishing a book is a heady rush. You’ll feel empowered to leap tall buildings in a single bound or go out and conquer the world. Relish the feeling, wallow in it, cherish it. It’s who you are – a writer.

Why not write along as we start tomorrow? Experience the thrill yourself.

Happy writing,
Stephanie

PS - Remeber, don’t worry about the quality of what you write. When it’s done, you can go back and flesh it out, add subtle nuances, character descriptions, and dialogue polish. By then, Ms. Inner Editor will be back from her vacation and more than ready to tell you what to do.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2011-01-03T21:14:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011!

Wow, wasn't it just yesterday that we were all worried about the Y2K bug? All that worry and all that nonsense for what amounted to be a lot of nothing. The world didn't collapse, civilization didn't end. I remember being at a New Year's Eve dance and, when midnight came, the lights never even flickered.

All that fuss and media flurry over nothing.

Isn't that often the case? We get our tinsel in a tangle over the silliest things. So often, the things that keep us up at night worrying, never happen. And what do we get for all the worry? A case of sleep deprivation. Worry never changed anything.

Scarlett O'Hara had the right idea. Instead of fretting, she simply said "I'll think on it tomorrow." So, if something bothers me and I find I can't sleep, I'm going to get up and make a list of pros and cons about the situation. Then, when I've committed it all to paper, I'll leave it (and the worry) on my desk and go get a good night sleep.

Scarlett and I will deal with whatever it is tomorrow!

Sleep tight, my friends,
~ Stephanie

You're Never to Old to Learn

2010-09-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a great beginner. Opening lines of stories come easily to me. Sometimes, entire chapters will suddenly spring to life in my head (often in the midst of a business meeting, church services or other inconvenient time).

The end of stories come pretty easily, too. In fact, I once started a story knowing little more than an ending scene. That was a rarity since usually I see the beginning and the end together.

Unfortunately, the middle of the story is my nemesis. Like my own anatomy, the middle of my stories tends to be saggy and shapeless when what I'd really like them to be is trim and defined. So what am I to do?

Well, last month, a writer friend suggested an online class on PACING by author Mary Buckham. The idea appealed to me, so I signed up before I could get cold feet. The class started this week and I already had an aha moment. Mary suggested that my love of thrillers might be hurting the pace of the cozies I also like to write. She asked me to look at them and see if I was speeding up the pace in them faster than I intended as I was subconsciously choosing the faster pace of the thrillers I read.

I'd never thought of that. Interesting food for thought. I'm looking forward to the class to really dig into the pacing differences.

I'll keep you posted!
~ Stephanie

Welcome Home, Muse!

2010-08-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

The last two years have been stressful to say the least. It's never easy dealing with illness. When it's a parent and a final illness, it's doubly hard. At least for me.

I've been using that as my excuse about why I'm not writing: "I've already got so much stress in my life, why would I want to spend what little free time I have writing suspense?"

Sounds pretty good as an excuse, but Muses don't like excuses. More importantly, they also don't like to be ignored. My particular Muse tends to be a lot like Tinkerbelle: make her your bosom companion and she sparkles; ignore her and she'll pout and head for someone who'll pay her more attention or maybe take off on a long safari to the heart of Africa.

Luckily, my Muse likes Starbucks, chocolate, city lights, and running water nearly as much as I do. I mean what in the Serengetti can compare to a nice Venti Mocha Frappe with Double Whip? Okay, so you get my point.

Any way, my dear muse has recently been sending me messages. Unfortunately, they usually arrive in the middle of some meeting at work or during my pastor's Sunday homily. But, hey, that's why I always carry a pen and pad in my purse or pocket.

So this week, I'm reconnecting with her. I took a week's vacation, and I'm determined to make her feel welcome. If that involves drinking a lot of Mocha Frappes to do so-- well, I'm willing to make the sacrifice.

It's a tough gig, but someone has to do it. I'll let you know how it goes!
~ Stephanie

Where Have All the Postings Gone....

2010-03-22T22:25:00.001-07:00

Some days, it just seems like life is rushing past you, yet you don't have a damned thing in your head to write about.

Other days, you're so rushed with all the trivial things in your life that you don't have time to write even if you wanted to do so.

Then, there's times like today where you polish off two chapters in a day and are so wired that you can't sleeps. So you sign on to your Blog at 1:30 in the morning to write an entry.

Looking back at my previous Blog posting, it's obvious that I have had far too few of the latter days.

Sigh! It's enough to make a writer want to fire her muse...or drink! Got milk?

Hugs,
~ Stephanie

Over the River and Through the Woods.....

2009-11-24T19:31:00.001-08:00

For most of my adult life, I've worked in retail. Thanksgiving to many of my colleagues means Black Friday and the start of the Christmas rush. But for me, Thanksgiving is something far more special.

The very word Thanksgiving evokes an image of my Mom in the kitchen with a frilly apron covering her dress, basting and stirring, preparing a feast.

Unlike the song, we didn't go "over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house" for Thanksgiving. Instead, our house was the gathering place for most holidays. My parents' doors were always open to friends, neighbors, and my grandparents when the weather allowed them to make the long drive from Ohio.

The preparations were marvelous. The good china and crystal had to be carefully washed and dried then my sisters and I would set a festive table with linen tablecloths and fancy napkins. Every year, we'd make a special centerpiece of colorful leaves and flowers and would design homemade place cards for each of our guests. I shudder to think what some of those "masterpieces" must have looked like, but Dad and Mom always praised them as the cleverest and most beautiful they'd ever seen.

Delicious aromas wafted through the house -- sage dressing, roasting turkey, pumpkin pies and fresh rolls baking. Dad would open the record player and put on a favorite Christmas album. That was the first time we'd hear the carols since we'd packed the records away the previous January. While we worked, we sang along with more enthusiasm than harmony, but somehow it all seemed perfect.

In a short while, our guests would arrive. Favorite dishes were added to the already groaning table. Dad would pour glasses of sugary-sweet Mogan David Concorde Wine so everyone could join in a toast. Even the little ones got to have a small taste of wine, and we thought we were so very grown up. It wasn't until I was an adult that I discovered there were far tastier varieties of wine, but I still smile whenever I see that familiar bottle on the shelf in the store.

At Dad's signal, everyone would take their places around the table. It wasn't uncommon for us to host 20 or 30 guests. Mom and Dad weren't wealthy. They were just average, middle class Americans, but there was always room at their table for others. Before eating, Dad led us in Grace then asked everyone to share their reasons to be thankful as we passed dish after dish of holiday specialties.

No one wanted the day to end. Since there was no school the next day, the fun continued well into the evening. The littlest ones would be put to bed in one of the bedrooms while the older kids and adults played games or watched a Christmas program on TV. The party would finally break up around 9:30 or 10:00. Each departing family would get a parcel of leftovers home to take home with them, too.

Dad has been gone now for almost 35 years, and Mom recently had a stroke that put her in a nursing home. However, the hospitality and love they extended to others is a legacy they passed on to their children and grandchildren.

So, this year, we'll gather with my family at my oldest son's home on Thanksgiving. Everyone will bring dishes to contribute to the celebration. We'll laugh and hug, eat and visit, and hopefully make happy memories for the next generation.

But there won't be any Mogan David...at least I don't think so.

My Thanksgiving Wish for you...
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
And your pies take the prize
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving!
- Stephanie

There's Just Something about an Accent

2009-11-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Montreal, Canada. Although, it was primarily a business trip, I got to visit a lot of the city and fell in love with its culture and antiquity.

Montreal is actually an island named for the triple-peaked hill, Mount Royal (or Mont Réal as it was spelled in Middle French,) that lies in its center. The area is estimated to have been occupied for at least 2000 years before the arrival of Europeans. The French explorer Jacques Cartier found a village of over a thousand St. Lawrence Iroquoians residing on the island when he arrived in the area in 1535. It has been continuously occupied since and is now the second largest city in Canada.

Although modern skyscrapers, hotels, and casinos can be seen across the the island, Montreal has managed to maintain its air of antiquity in the older quarter of town. There, many of the older, European buildings are historic sites and the government has forbidden any changes to their facades. Developers are able renovate the insides of these edifices -- sadly many have been gutted completely to build new offices and condos-- but their outsides preserve the look and feel of this very old French city.

Thankfully, I didn't need to rely on my four years of high school French to navigate the town as many of the residents speak English. In fact, even though French is the official language of Montreal, in some quarters of the island it is treated as a second language with English taking the primary spot. Still, I had a ball trying to translate signs and newspapers while I was there (I'd forgotten how much I loved the language). If I couldn't decipher something, there always seemed to be someone handy to to translate for me.

Why is it that even directions to the taxi stand sound romantic in that wonderful French-Canadian accent? Especially when the man giving the directions looks like Gerard Butler. Yummy.

I definitely need to go there again!

~ Stephanie

On Pirates and Piracy

2009-11-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

I like pirates.

Movie characters like Jack Sparrow and Rhett Butler are sexy as hell. There are some pretty memorable pirate/heroes in romance novels, too. I can also get on board with pirates as literary villains. Who can forget the infamous Long John Silver from "Treasure Island"?

However, I have nothing but loathing for the latest incarnation of pirates, the Internet Pirates. These pirates upload eBooks or music to their sites then offer free downloads to anyone with Internet access.

Beware, mateys! Those tempting downloads are illegal!

In the last couple of years, the FBI has begun to crack down on these sites, covering them under the blanket of Internet theft. A person found guilty of downloading a pirated eBook or song can be given "up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000." That's per occurrence -- which should make those "free" downloads look a little less appealing.

Unfortunately, the threat of fines and prison doesn't stop the flow. The owners of these sites claim they aren't responsible, they didn't upload the eBooks or tunes themselves. Users did. Some of the sites may even post vague warnings about copyright infringements. But none of the sites monitor what's uploaded or remove it unless directly confronted by the owner of the copyright.

So the piracy continues, because a large majority of the downloads are done by teens and others, who don't read the fine print. Or they think, if it's offered on the Internet, it must be okay since there was no warning posting on the website about downloading being illegal. It just said that uploading copyrighted items without permission is a crime. Besides, what's the harm in one little download?

Well, it could earn you a five year vacation in a Federal penitentiary and a quarter million dollar fine. Harsh you say?

Consider this, in a single day those free sites (I won't give them credence by naming them) give away hundreds of copies of a single eBook title that some author has spent long hours sweating over to bring to life. These downloads can easily surpass in a single day what the authors will be paid for a month's worth of downloads from their publishers' legitimate sites. Would you like it if you worked a whole month but only got paid for a day's worth?

Those illegal downloads rob the authors (or artists in the case of music downloads) of the legitimate commissions they are due for their hard work and talent. If that amount exceeds $500, it's called a felony! Those commissions are their paychecks, folks, and anyone who downloads a pirated eBook or tune is stealing. Why else would they be called "pirate sites"?

So, while others may be shocked over the courts recently fining a Minnesota woman $222,000 for pirated music she made available to others for downloads, I stand up and cheer. I say keep up the good work, FBI. Go after more of these pirates and the users, too, because the sites wouldn't exist if there were no users.

This might sound harsh, but the subject is one on which I take a firm stand. It's personal to me since I have so many friends who are authors of eBooks and are being robbed each and every day by pirate sites. These are everyday folks not millionaires living in big mansions and driving luxury cards. And even if they were, it would still be a crime!

There's another more invidious side of Internet piracy that worries me, too. It's hurting our kids! In our techno world, kids are online all the time. Piracy is blurring the line between right and wrong for them. It's delivering a message that it's okay for people to help themselves to whatever they want, and that they aren't culpable, because they didn't actually steal the song or book from a store, all they did was download it!

Is that the message we want to give the next generation?

Parents need to discuss piracy with their kids. Drive it home to them that these downloads are a crime. Monitor the stuff their kids download on their computers. If they find pirated music or videos, make the kids delete it. Block the pirate sites. Another way to make kids realize the seriousness of the crime is put in terms they understand. Talk to them about adult wages then have your child figure out how many years it would take at the various wages to repay a quarter of a million dollar fine. If they get an allowance, tell them you will fine them the full retail price of any download they make.

Do whatever it takes. If your child gets mad at you, too bad. Parenting isn't a popularity contest.

Schools can help, too, by stressing in computer classes that piracy is a crime, and those songs the kids may be sharing with their friends could result in jail terms and fines.

It's not a message that can be delivered once then forgotten. Not when the temptation is always lurking out there.

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.

Talk to you soon,
~ Stephanie

Better to Have Loved and Lost...?

2009-10-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

There's an old saying about it being "better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all."

As a divorced woman, I'm not sure I completely agree. I'm such a romantic. I cry at weddings and get all melty at the idea of undying love. However, I do know I wouldn't trade my wonderful kids for anything. They've brought so much joy into my life and now, their kids add another whole level to my happiness. So I'm very grateful to their dad, because without him I wouldn't have had them in my life.

However to get back to the saying, it's a favorite because it always reminds me of one of my youngest son's kidisms (you know those gems that pop out of kids' mouths).

Since I had split up with his father when this child was only 18 months old (and since his dad lived in another country at the time), my son never really had experienced having a dad around the house. One day, when my son was about three years old, my sister was babysitting for him while I worked (the other two kids were in school at the time). Sis had a talk show on TV about parents. Out of the clear blue, my son looked up from playing with his cars and said, "We used to have a dad, but I think Mom lost him or something."

Then he went back to playing with his cars again.

Oh, the way the gears and wheels turn in the heads of our little ones.

God bless them all!
~ Stephanie

Advice to Take to Heart

2009-09-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited - it's been a very productive couple of days for me.

First, I had the pleasure of meeting with my critique partner on Saturday for the first time. We spent about an hour and half reading and talking about each others' manuscripts. She's very dedicated to a writing schedule-slash- goal she set for herself, and I know she'll inspire me to stay on track. Hooray. This may be just the boot in the rear I need to get my story done. Thanks, Patty.

The second thing that's excited me is The Writer's Evolution blog I've been part of for the last few weeks. In last week's post, I bemoaned the problem I have with this infernal editor who lives in my head and keeps yammering at me to polish my prose. One of the writers who reads the blog, Molly Daniels, posted a very succinct comment that really nailed it for me. She said "Don't get it right, get it written!" Believe me, I jotted that quote down and posted it on my desk and in my writer's notebook. When I feel like polishing yet again, I see the note and read it out loud. And it keeps me writing.

All in all, I'd say it's been a good few days.

~ Stephanie

It's a Good Thing My Friends Understand...

2009-09-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at my writing desk tonight, looking at my bookshelf, and wondered what an ordinary person might think if they wandered into my home office and saw the titles crammed into my bookcase there.

I suppose they might consider four different versions of English dictionaries, two thesauruses (is that a word?), and the Encyclopeadia Brittanica showed a somewhat exaggerated enthusiasm for reference books. But what about the other titles?

Would Stephen Cohle's Skeletons in the Closet and Louis Catalide's Coroner's Journal cause the cable repairman to look at me askance? Would titles like Deadly Doses or The Encyclopedia of Poisonous Plants or a slim little volume called Making Crime Pay send a snoopy neighbor running to report me to the police? What about Creating Murder and Mayhem or maybe the one called Planning the Perfect Crime? Might those put a damper on a visit from a co-worker? Then there's those magazine jackets holding copies of Handgun Digest and all the catalogs from various International knife and weapons dealers. Last, let's not forget my scrapbook with the carefully preserved articles from the local newspaper about various crimes committed here over the the last couple of decades. Would those items make you look for the nearest exit, too?

Okay, I admit it, reading over the list just now has even creeped me out just a little, and it's my office for goodness sake. However, before any of you reach for the phone to call your local FBI office to report me, I invite you to look a little closer.

Interspersed with all those ominous titles are other books like: The Gregg Reference Manual; MLA Style Book; How to Write a Damn Good Mystery; A Writer's Guide to Private Eyes; and dozens of others writing books. There's also a book of baby names (good for coming up with character names); biographies of a couple favorite writers and authors; and even a dog-eared copied of Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul.

Yes, I am a writer, a mystery writer. On weekends, vacations, evenings, and the occasional stolen lunch hour, I cook up ways to "make crime pay." My writer's library is heavy on reference books about every aspects of genre, aiding me in my search for the perfect crime. My friends know it. They keep their eyes open for unusual books I may not yet own. I'm grateful for that and for them.

Afterall, you never know when you might need a good character witness! LOL!

Talk to you soon,
~ Stephanie

The Three Sweetest Words A Mother Can Hear

2009-09-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

As I wrote in my blog the other day, this has really been the Summer That Never Was here in Michigan. June was cold. July was the second coldest on record. August was cold and rainy. It just wasn't our typical summer filled with long days of fun in the sun.

We never got the sweltering heat of July or August's Dog Days this year. Instead, kids were cooped up inside much of the time due to rain or cold temperatures. Moms (or sitters) had to find things to counter their perpetual complaints that "there's nothing to do." A summer like this makes for irritable kids and frazzled adults.

But recently, the moms in my neighborhood have been looking much happier. They actually laugh as they talk across the fence or as they stand in line at the grocery store. They share amusing stories of little Suzi using perfume to wash the dog or junior breaking the lamp when he and his buddy decided to play football in the family room.

So, what's caused this strange metamorphosis from scolding and frazzled to relaxed and happy? It's those three magical words that quickly make mom forgive and forget. What are the words that set her heart aflutter, restored her good temper, and put that smile on her lips?

Back to School!

And it's coming soon to a school district near you! LOL!

Have a great Labor Day weekend.
~ Stephanie

Isn't It Great?

2009-08-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who visited this blog previously, welcome back. If you were expecting the old blog -- think pastel beach scenes and Cape Cod lighthouses -- this new design might come as a bit of a surprise. I wasn't really satisfied with the previous design; it was much too pastel and beach book looking, which really isn't my style of writing. So why did I use it? Simple, it was what was available on the Blogger site when I started.

However, as of today, thanks to the effort of my multi-talented daughter, I have this much more suitable blog design. She researched and tried out several very nice options this afternoon before hitting on this one. I'm very happy with it and think it suits a working writer much better. Thanks, Brynn.

I hope you agree. I also hope you'll return and visit me often.

Oh, just an FYI, I debut on the Writer's Evolution blog tomorrow as their new Slushpile Surfer (I sure hope I have as good of luck as the last two did with getting books published). Keep your fingers crossed for me. Tomorrow's article is a brief peek at how I design my heroines.

Got to run now and get some real writing done now.

Y'all come back now, ya hear,
Stephanie

The Summer That Never Was

2009-08-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

Doesn't that sound like a great title for kids' book? Maybe with some wonderful Tim Robbins illustrations. Wouldn't you like to read it to your kids or grandkids?

So would I....I just prefer not to experience it.

Unfortunately, The Summer That Never Was is exactly what this summer has been in Michigan. Usually, about now, we'd be complaining about August heat and humidity, days like steam baths and nights too hot to sleep. This year, those "dog days of summer" are more like polar bear days. Cold, cold, and more cold. Brr!

Today, it reached a whopping 61 degrees. All day long, we've had a drizzle so fine it looks more like snow than rain. I'm typing this wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and fuzzy socks.

Pass me another blanket, Nanook.

Talk to you soon!
~ Stephanie

Insomnia-R-Us

2009-08-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know writers march to a different drummer than some of the rest of our friends. We drink lots of coffee, we work whenever the muse whispers in our ear, and we view the world around us with a more curious eye than some of our -- um -- saner friends.

But what do you do when the muse isn't whispering in your ear, you haven't been drinking coffee, and yet it's two a.m. and you're wide awake?

Well for me, after I groan "I'm going to hate myself in the morning," I usually will go on the Internet and do any number of things to waste time. Sometimes I play a computer game, sometimes I browse the FBI website (yes, I admit it, I'm a cop groupie - see the picture of me at the Civilian Police Academy below?), I can spend lots of time catching up with friends on Facebook, or I can do something constructive and post on my blog.

So here I am, two a.m. and here's my blog entry. Aren't you impressed?

Wishing you and yours, a good night. Sleep safe tonight, the boys in blue are watching over you.

~ Stephanie

P.S. - Yes, Chief Dolan really is that tall and no, I'm not really that short -- I had on 2" heels.

And So the Story Goes...

2009-08-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Where has the summer gone? August is almost over, and it seems like we've had very little summer here in Michigan. Today is one of the few sunny days we've had this month, and I'm feeling pretty happy to have picked it for a vacation day. Yes, starving authors have daytime jobs that keep them from, well, starving. So today, I get to play on the computer and get a bit of writing done, too.

On the writing front, I've been drafted by the creative group at the Writers Evolution to post a weekly blog with them as their new Slushpile Surfer. It seems the previous Surfer recently became published so no longer fills that bill. Hooray for her! I wish her every success with her new book. The blog is a lot of fun. Five writers at different stages of their careers post a weekly view on a specific writing-related topic. I'll be making my debut there on Monday.

Hope you'll stop by to check out the blog and give me a little feedback.

Well, I need to get back to Chas, Molly, and the rest of the crew at Retribution. They've been chattering for my attention ever since I discovered what the problem had been that was causing the slump in Chapter 4. So I need to tune in and get writing.

Check back later and be sure to check out the Writers Evolution. They are a bunch of very interesting ladies!

See ya!

Let Me Introduce Myself

2009-04-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hi to all of you who've signed on to view my blog. Thanks for visiting, I'm glad you decided to take a peak.

I'm Stephanie Michels, a mystery writer living in mid-Michigan. I have three adult children (one who is also a writer) and 11 grandkids. My pen name is a combination of the names of my daughter and two sons -- although they didn't realize it.

I'm a compulsive reader, enjoying everything from catalogues to classics, and I've been writing plays and stories ever since I discovered Nancy Drew books a lot of years ago (I did mention grandkids, didn't I?). I'm currently at work on two very different types of mysteries.

The first story, Retribution, is a THRILLER that takes place in a fictional resort town on the shores of Lake Michigan. It's a tense story of an unsub who's spent much of his life eliminating people through "accidents" and the female FBI agent, Chas Davis, who stumbles on his activities while working on a different case in the area.

The other story, ALL TEED OFF is a much lighter piece that falls in the category known as a COZY. This one also has a female protaganist, Andy Archer, a divorced ex-cop who is trying to make a living as a private eye, despite the interference of her mother (who Andy calls the Midwest Distributor of Guilt), her grandfather (who decides he should move in with her while he cruises for a new wife), a busybody upstairs neighbor (who's bent on making everyone obey "The Rules"), and a sexy ex-boyfriend (who seems bent on breaking them all).

I'll be posting updates on the books and the characters in them -- as well as the characters in my own life -- as the weeks progress.

I hope you'll stop by to visit once in awhile to see what's Chunking up the Pages around here.

Best to all,
Stephanie