Just so y'all know I'm still working!

So here is to rectifying my tardiness in posting blogs.  I mean, I might as well seeing as my muse is on hiatus.  She knows we got deadlines! *chuckle* She must want me to chill a bit.  I can be such a nut sometimes when it comes to these stories.

There is a list of thirty blog topics floating endlessly around the internet.  I swear if I see it one more time I will probably scream.  Okay.  Maybe not scream.  Perhaps a low shrill screech.  I have dismissed it no less than five times yet it keeps showing up in my inbox, Facebook news feed, and Twitter feeds.  Maybe someone is trying to tell me something. *chuckle*

I've it dismissed because the title is 30 Day Challenge.  *blink blink* If I wrote thirty blogs in thirty days, I wouldn't have time to get back to Elyria or Callandaria.  I wouldn't have time to finalize my Halloween and Valentine’s Day offerings.  Nor would I be able to get my Christmas offering even started.  Yes, I’m rather busy.  Or insane.  We’ll see how I feel January 1^st.  Then I have a couple ideas floating around in my head one new and another old story idea. *smh rolling my eyes at myself*

I’ll see if I can do at least a topic a month.

So the first blog subject is my relationship status.

*ugly pregnant pause*

You know I’m single! *chuckle* I live in Baltimore city and without downing and clowning the brothers of Baltimore too much, it ain't easy out here for a professional black woman looking for love.  I’m not unhappy or bitter about it because quite frankly I've got plenty to keep me beyond busy between family, friends, work, and now writing out my stories.  I can make time for a man should the need ever arise.  So far the contenders have been uninspiring.

I remember one day a male friend and I were sitting outside having lunch at our spot.  I don’t know what I was looking at but it was in the opposite direction of him.  All of a sudden he exclaimed, “Well damn!  Do you feel the need to wipe?”  

I swung my head back to him just as this tall slim black guy walked passed me just a bit too close.  I moved back some more and looked at my friend.  “I’m sorry, what?”  He replied, “He looked at you so hard for so long I know he stripped you naked and screwed (not the word he used) TWICE!  He ignored me like I was not a factor at all!”

I chuckled.  “Welcome to what your daughter will have to put up with in a few years.  Some of these black men have no loyalty to the brotherhood at all.”  He was truly pissed off at the lack of respect the other man showed him.  He felt it was okay for him to have looked at me but he shouldn't have to stared so hard.  I shook my head and launched into some of the things I have been through.

For a while, I drove a hooptee.  Mass transit in Maryland is just as ugly as I say in my books.  So one day I went to an auction and bought a car outright.  However, I didn't trust it on road trips.  So whenever I went out of town, I’d rent something.

I’ll preface this about Baltimore city, one moment you can be in a great neighborhood but take that wrong turn and you will end up in the hood.  

I picked up my rental from a place in downtown Baltimore and made that wrong left turn. *chuckle* No biggie, right?  I know Baltimore so I know how to make it right.

Wrong.

As I’m sitting at the light waiting to make my turn to get back to where I belong I felt someone staring at me.  I look over to the passenger side and there is a young thuglum sitting in his car in the other lane.  Yes, I just made this word up and I’m keeping it.

He’s trying to holler and the light turns green.  There is a line of cars behind him and me.  “I’m like well let me go since the light has changed.”  I blame my mother for teaching me good manners.  His response, “F%$# them!”

Okay, cars are honking; I go ahead and make my turn anyway.  Do you know this thuglum turned too, cutting people off and pinned my car against the curb!  It was everything I could do to close my mouth.  When did it get to be this serious y’all?

He gets out of his car and comes back to my driver’s side to talk to me.  With your car pinned by another car to the curb you are pretty much a captive audience.  We exchanged numbers.  Yes, I gave him my number.  He has already cut folks off in traffic and pinned my car to the curb.  How am I NOT going to give him my number?  Besides, I pay Verizon $30 a month for a landline that I do not answer.  I need it for my security system.  It also is the number I give out to Dudes Who Are Not To Be Dated that I meet. *raises eyes Heavenward*

Now, my overnight bag was already in the trunk of the rental.  After he let me go, I got on the expressway and headed on out of town.  I met up with my friends and totally put him out of mind for the weekend.

When I get home Sunday night something said check your caller ID.  Do you know the thuglum called me over 50 times?

That’s just one story I can tell!

I don’t give out fake numbers because of the following story from when I still lived at home.  We had no caller ID or voicemail.  Yes, phone packages still come like that.  That’s the $30/month package. *chuckle*

I was off that week day and as such, sleeping late. *chuckle*  I love sleep so much sometimes I swear me and the Sandman knew each other in another life. *chuckle* Not that I oversleep.  Seven hours are good for me but I just love settling down in my queen-sized bed to sleep.

Anyhoodles, the phone rings right in my ear.  I pick it up and a guy asks for a girl.  I say, “Sorry, wrong number.” and hang up.  He calls right back and asks for her again.  I repeat wrong number and he repeats the number back to me.  “Yes, right number but no one lives here by that name.  Sorry.”  Hangs up phone.

Phone rings again.  I’m getting irritated now because me and the Sandman had at least a couple more minutes on my sleep cycle.  “Yes!”

Guy: “I don’t mean to bother you but you really have a pretty voice.”

Me: “Thanks. Bye.”  Hangs up phone.  These dang good manners my mother taught me cause problems sometimes but they come in handy in too many other lucrative situations for me to discard them.

Phone rings again.

Me: *sighs and picks up phone* “Yes!”

Guy: “I was wondering can I talk to you.”

Me: “I’m not looking for a man or any new friends.  But thanks.  Bye.” Hangs up phone again.

Now I’m wide awake!  So when the phone rings again, I pick it up, disconnect his call, put the phone under my other pillow (I've got 5 of them) and then I leave the phone off the hook.  Then I went back to the sleep bank. *smile*

So later that day my mother goes to make a call but I've forgotten about the phone off the hook and under my pillow at this point.  So when she asks, I tell her all about the guy who keeps calling.  She said she’d handle it.  Not long after the phone goes back on the hook someone calls.  She answers and the person hangs up!  The family did the answering of the phone for a couple weeks.  That is how long they kept getting the hang ups. *smh*

So I don’t give out fake numbers.  It ain't fair to the person who will have to answer that number.

There are lots of stories that have just been forgotten because there is always a more outlandish story to top the last one.  

There was one guy who I had a feeling that regardless of my feelings on giving out fake numbers I should have given him a fake.  After I give him my number he asks am I married or in a relationship.  Yes, that is secondary to some black men in Baltimore city.  To which I reply no and ask him the same question.  He got the landline anyway so you know I didn't really care.

Him: I’m separated.

Me: How long have you been separated?

Him: Three years?

Me: What is taking your divorce so long?

His response is imprinted on my memory.

“I keep trying to go back to my wife but she said I’m good where I’m at.”

So yeah.  I’m single. *sips water*

Elyrian Brides V: Sancecrea's Heart is LIVE!

Gooooooooooooooood morning!

Sorry I haven't been around for FOUR MONTHS?! Yikes!  I must do better! But I've been busy writing, writing, writing.  I hope to make up for how long I've been remiss.

To that end, my first offering of the year is now live on Amazon.com.  Elyrian Brides V: Sancecrea's Heart went live this morning and I am so tickled! The cover as well as the story are just *kicks feet happily* I really love that they came together so perfectly.  The cover art was done by an artist I met on DeviantArt.com who goes by the handle KiraTheArtist and she is so incredibly talented!  I feel truly honored that she let me use this piece.  It wasn't even a commission, I was going through her online portfolio and BAM! there was Crea looking at me as if to say: Took you long enough to get here.



Isn't she beautiful?

I want to thank everyone for their support and kind words. It has really meant a lot to me to find people who enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy telling them.

NEXT RELEASE ALERT:
I will be releasing book two of The Thief of Callandaria on August 28, 2013.  Just one more month and you get to see what Seven's been up to.  Whew! That little thief took me on a ride! I enjoyed it and I hope you all will too.

Until then, thank you all and happy reading!

Television Show Idea

So I got this idea for a television show.  Yes, I know I'm supposed to be working on Seven's story and more Elyrian Brides.  I am.  I am.  But sometimes other ideas pop up while I'm working.  Really a lot of times but I digress.

So anyway, I figure maybe I can sell a story idea to a network and use that money to support myself while I write for awhile.  I've got so many stories stuck in my head and not nearly enough time to dedicate to writing.

But back to the television show idea.  I head on over to BounceTV because it is a new network and I figure they could use some story ideas.  This is the time to be new and innovative when no one is checking for you.  At least that is the way I figure it.  I read that they aren't soliciting for story ideas at this time.  They do, however, have a release that you need to read and sign before they will even consider hearing/reading your pitch.

So I read their release.  You can check it out on their site BounceTV submission agreements.  So I'm reading the agreement for show ideas. *pause* My parents raised me to be a lot of things.  A fool wasn't one of them. *smh* In my very humble opinion they are tying their hands before they even begin.  Just look at their lineup.  They need some good shows STAT! *shrug* But they seem to be trying to do it the same old way.  Which will net them the same old show formats.  The long standing networks aren't doing too well with the old show formats.  I'd think that they'd recognize this and go for innovation.

Take Married With Children for example.  I love that show!  I recently snagged all eleven seasons off Amazon for $35!  Can't beat that deal.  Anyway the dvds come with cast interviews.  In one interview Ed O'Neill said that in the beginning he didn't think the show was going to make it because of some of the stuff they said.  But the fact that Fox was a new network and no one was paying attention worked for them in that regard because by the time the censors were paying attention they were a hit show and Fox had solidified itself as a viable network.

It got me to wondering, is being innovative really that hard?  You just do what the other guys aren't doing.  To me it is just that simple.

I mean take Scandal for example.  Now if you are a stand, good for you.  Enjoy.  But personally I’d rather watch my nail polish dry as I find the deepening coloring as it dries far more interesting.  I tried watching 4 episodes.  I found my mind wandering.  The last one I watched was their last chance to catch my attention and make me a fan.  It was the episode where the FLOTUS told Olivia that she was taking her husband back because Olivia wasn't even a decent sidepiece.

I sat poised and READY for Olivia to handle the FLOTUS.  But all she did was stand there sniveling while the FLOTUS flounced by her.

*blink blink*

I turned off the television and the digital box after that let down!

Look, let me qualify what I’m about to say by explaining a little bit about my upbringing.  I was a late life birth for my mother.  She was in her forties by the time I was born.  So I was raised by an old school mom with old school values that her friends and acquaintances shared.

One of those values being that the wife had the right to handle the sidepiece any way she saw fit if the sidepiece was stupid enough to step out of her place.

That said, though I understand why a sidepiece that didn't know her place would have gotten her butt served to her by the FLOTUS, I don’t understand why Olivia got her butt chewed up.  And I definitely don’t understand why she let the FLOTUS have the last word. The POTUS is a grown ass Caucasian male who can do whatever he pleases any day that ends in Y. He came sniffing for Olivia's panties not the other way around.

From what I've seen of the show, Olivia knows her place in the POTUS’ life.  So there was no need for her to be summoned to the FLOTUS.  And even then Olivia should have handled the FLOTUS not the other way around.

Let me tell you how the scene should have unfolded:

FLOTUS: I’m taking my husband back blah blah blah dee blah.*ATTEMPTS to flounce out*

Olivia: *blocks the FLOTUS’ path* Wait. Please. I just want to say I agree. You are right.  You should have him back.  Evidently he isn't strong enough at the present time to handle me and being president. He needs something *pause with dismissive head to toe eye sweep* someone like you.  He’s all yours.  *smirk, slow sexy turn on her heel and leaves the FLOTUS gape mouthed*

The rest of the series is him trying to get back into her life and her punishing him for not having the FLOTUS in check.  She should be handling her business and him.  Showing HIM how to handle a strong partner and a demanding career all while looking fabulous. She should be dating and flaunting it in his face.  The men should be fine and come in all colors and ethnic backgrounds and be rich and powerful in their own rights.  This show would run for 8 seasons.  The series finale should have the POTUS now out of office, DIVORCED, not divorcing but the papers have been signed and filed that the marriage is dissolved, and down on one knee asking for her hand in marriage.  And due to the drama and scandal that we have watched for 8 seasons we would all be sitting on the edge of our freaking seats, phones turned off, computers off, everything on PAUSE, with breaths held waiting to hear her answer.

Because for Olivia to be as bad as they are ATTEMPTING to make her out to be, she can handle it all.

To see what I mean check out the scene in the movie version of Madea’s Family Reunion where the oldest daughter is telling her mother off because she helped her stepfather rape her.  The mother is portrayed by Lady Diahann Carroll. Yes, Diahann is spelled correctly! *chuckle*

Daughter: You go to Hell!
Mother: I vacation there!

Only Lady Diahann Carroll and a select few other women like Meryl Streep could have delivered that line so perfectly. Just like that the mother’s character stole the damn scene.  I couldn't breathe after that line.  Olivia’s character should have stolen that scene and 95% of all the scenes on the show.  It is HER show!  Regardless of whether she is wrong or right it is her show and they treat Olivia's character like...well....a house slave. *shrug* She cleans up after the master of the house and his cronies and the mistress of the house is allowed to do and say anything she wants to Olivia.  Go watch the movie Mandingo and tell me if you don't see Scandal a little bit differently afterward.

As it stands, I see Scandal limping its way to 5 seasons if they are lucky.  Besides the pitiful few people I see discussing it on my FB page, they are in interracial relationships themselves, I don’t see or hear it discussed in real life.  My bff watches it.  That’s all the people I know who watch this show.

The show I just described would have made me a stand and been a hit.  It is good to have people discuss your show on the social sites.  It is even better if people are talking about it in real life.  I don’t hear this show mentioned in real life. 

Look, I get the underlying message of the show that this is what happens when a woman is left without her own mate to have her back. That is whether emotionally, spiritually, physically, sexually, etc. ABC's parent company is good at finding writers who can write a story with underlying meanings to their story lines. That's why so many black men are mad with ABC's parent company Disney. *chuckle* Hit dogs will holler. If they hadn't been so busy hollering they would have caught the underlying messages to black women in Disney's stories. I call Disney's storytelling over the past couple of decades innovative. *smirk*

Innovation.  It really ain’t that hard.  Just thinking about this blog piece I came up with another idea for a television show.  Oh well.  Someone is going to benefit from my ideas.  I can feel that in every fiber of my being.  Whether it will be BounceTV or not is yet to be seen.

*goes back to writing hard*

Gratitude

*teary eyed*

I just wanted to take a pause and thank everyone who commented that they loved my stories. Each bride is different and each one has her fans. But *hand to heart* it really means a lot to me that there are people out there that enjoy reading these stories. I really appreciate knowing what people liked and didn't like about the stories.

I'm just really touched and all in my feelings that people took the time to tell me how they felt. Even those who didn't like it. I don't take it personal as I know not every story is for everyone. I've read books I didn't particularly like either. So it goes that there would be some who didn't like my stories.

Just to those who did and took the time to say so, thank you so very much. I am really humbled and touched. *waves hand in front of dampening eyelashes*

Okay, now I will get back to work before some folks come shoo me off the internet. If I spend too much time online they always find me (Jill, Monica, Barbara, and Wanda) and send me back to story land. I've got sequels to write!

Thank you and my best to you all,


Sunshine

Elyrian Brides II: Sancecrea is FREE today on Amazon!

And it's live! You can pick up your free copy of Izan's and Crea's revised story on Amazon here: Elyrian Brides II: Sancecrea

It is free today only!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sancecrea Revision!

Sooooooooooooo...since I did a revision of Sancecrea I decided to offer her free to all and sundry tomorrow. The ending hasn't changed, I've just added some details.

My muse is on somewhat of a hiatus. She's sending me ideas but we haven't hatched anything yet. I figured I'd take the holidays to relax and reconnect with the family. That's what I decided. *lqtm* But the ideas they still get me.

I truly have to reconnect with family and friends. I have the tendency to shut everyone and everything out. I have to salute the writers and storytellers who can do it with children under the roof. You can't tell the little one mommy or daddy will play with them after the release date. You'd miss so much if you did. I don't know how they do it and again I salute them.

I'm getting my house back in order over the holiday. *chuckle* It looks like a cyclone hit a paper factory and then my house. Ideas all over the place. I need to get them back where they belong. I have a feeling after our holiday break my muse will have me typing away again.

I know I didn't give a release date for my next and I'm working on that. I'll announce it here on my blog. I like having a deadline. It keeps me to my writing schedule.

Welp, other than that, all is cool with my world and I hope everyone is enjoying their particular holiday(s). There are pics up on my page of my birthday dinner at Medieval Times this year. *chuckle* Got to love my family.

Happy New Year!

Sooo busy!

Ok, here I go again! *chuckle* The holiday season is upon me and I'm working like mad on my day time JOB and my stories.

I'm trying to put out TWO stories just before the holidays! *smiling* I love it!  I'm revising Sancecrea while I'm at it, too. Me and someone who loves Izan had a chat. They felt I left out some stuff. So, I added some stuff. *smirks* I'll be offering it at a discounted price some time this month.

Then there's Seven! Me and my muse came to a conclusion. There are a lot more adventures to Seven. *points at Muse* Don't blame me! So I finished this portion of Seven's story and published it this morning! At 3:00 am! I bounced right back up at 8:30 am to get back to work. I took today off from the full-time JOB to enjoy my birthday and I am!

Seven's complete first story can be purchased TTOC HERE for $0.99 today only.

Now, I must get back to work. I've got people side-eyeing me for more stories. I must type faster!