BACK N' BLACK

I realize how hard it is to re-start a conversation with readers and other writers when you've been gone as long as I have - November 2008! However, I've streamlined this blog and hope to reconnect with those of you who graciously followed me by email while I was recovering from my shoulder accident.

This summer I've missed THRILLERFEST and am now missing RWA's Nationals in Washington, DC. Prior to this year, attending these conferences seemed to be so far away I had them listed under my "Five Year Goals"! Well, no more! They're under "One Year Goals" now and I'm hard at work on two new manuscripts.

The links to the right all work and all have much to offer those of us who shovel ourselves deep in to a pit when the Muse isn't cooperating. Just reading a few posts from some of these agents and authors can brighten your day.

My name is opposite, but I'll be writing under a pen name - Milena Edwards. My writing will always be "writing on the edge" because that just seems to be the kind of writing I do - edgy, sometimes dark, full of second chances, sacrifice and redemption. I'm excited about my new projects, and I'm excited to be back and sharing with you.

If you've dropped by, please leave a comment and tell me how you're doing with your own writing, career, or just life in general. And look for me on Facebook under my real name - Laurie Wood. I'd love to "friend" you!

REMEMBRANCE DAY

In memory of every soldier who's died in the past five years in Afghanistan and Iraq. May you rest in peace.

A QUICK NOTE....

Sorry I've been AWOL the past two weeks, but I'm suffering from a bad back spasm that's ruining my life at the moment. If I sit down, I can't get up; if I lie down, I can't get up; I've been reduced to sleeping in our Lazyboy to get some relief!

As November 4th approaches, I hope and pray that all my American friends and family take a last, hard, look at their candidates and make a strong decision for their country. By this time next week, it'll all be over - and a new direction for America beginning. So, get out and vote! Exercise your right to freedom and democracy, and vote - tell your students, co-workers, adult kids, grandparents and parents, to do the right thing and vote for the future of your country - however you see it.

And thank you to those of you who read my review for Loreth Ann White and responded to it! I'm now working in a large bookstore (and in heaven!), and enjoying hand-selling books to customers, and being able to tell them I've actually reviewed a book they have in their hands. (If you follow this blog, you'll know I've done a few reviews in my time :) )

I'm going to try participating in NaNoWriMo this year, which may involve writing on my laptop on the kitchen counter, as I just can't seem to sit without seizing up. I hope to get alot done on either of two projects I have on the go.

If anyone has a cure/relief suggestion for a stubborn lower-back problem, please let me know! In the meantime, please keep up with the fabulous agent and author blogs I've linked to, while I'm recuperating. And get out and vote! :)

REVIEWING "MANHUNTER"

I was honoured to get an author's copy of MANHUNTER from Loreth Anne White. MANHUNTER will be part of November's Silhouette Romantic Suspense line-up but the difference with this book is: a) not only is it a Canadian story set north of the 60th parallel, it's the start of her new series, "Wild Country". Here's the back blurb....

"Sergeant Gabriel Caruso arrived in the remote Yukon wilderness with one goal: to erase all memories of the serial killer who had ruined his life. But he soon discovered that the madman was hot on his heels - and after anything that touched Gabe's heart. Including local tracker Silver Karvonen.

As Silver plotted with Gabe to stop their predator, she matched more than wits with the Mountie. Even the icy tundra couldn't muffle the heat simmering between them. But for Silver and Gabe, love could very well be a matter of life and death."

I've been in a remote, northern, Indian (okay, Aboriginal) town in Ontario. That's not the Yukon but it's pretty close what with the long dark winter, the trackers, the police, and doctors who're stranded with no roads out of there. You could only get in by bush plane from Timmins Ontario, and I can attest to the fact that a six-seater bush plane can give you a gigantic migraine.

Loreth's research has captured everything wonderful about the North and its inhabitants. The wild landscape, unforgiving of human mistakes in judgement; the people who rely on each other for survival, the police who're the only law enforcement in an area of 5000 miles. She developed the romance between Gabe and Silver at just the right pace...unsure, untrusting, while they relied on each other in the wilderness to capture a killer who's far from the average serial killer in romantic suspense. She's managed to take your common ritual killer a step further into one with an incredible background and the motivation to match.

Anyone who loves a fast paced read, with a fix of love and danger, and has an interest in Canada and its vast region of somewhat uncharted territory, will love this story. I'm so glad to see Silhouette taking the chance on publishing a major story set in Canada - and not just one story, a series by itself. It's been a long time coming!

And for those of you who've always wondered about our Horsemen in Red up here, you'll love Gabe Caruso. Loreth did a tremendous amount of research with an RCMP officer and she's got every detail down.

Grab it while you can, and with the cold winter fast approaching all of us, curl up with a fabulous love story - a heroine unlike any typical kick-butt woman, and a man who'll make your toes curl in delight. I promise!

A SAD DAY....

Another Snowbird pilot has died while flying in our out-dated, worn-out Tutor airplanes used by our nine-man exhibition team. We knew Capt. Mitchell personally, so this is a very sad day for us.

My family and I send our sincere condolences to Capt. Mitchell's family and loved ones.

As Capt. Mitchell is the second Snowbird pilot in two years to die in a crash, it's about time our Department of Defense took action with our government and either get new planes asap, or scrap the exhibition program until there are safe planes to use.

Capt. Mitchell, rest in peace. You will be lovingly remembered by your family, your friends, and your congregation at Moose Jaw Alliance Church.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO MY FELLOW CANADIANS!

Wishing all my fellow Canadians, friends and readers, a wonderful, safe and happy Thanksgiving this weekend!

DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR...

I've been "away" judging contests, reading books to review, and getting in touch with my MUSE for my current WIP. When hopping about the blogosphere, I found an agent by the name of Nathan Bransford who's with Curtis Brown. Yesterday he posted the question "What's the worst writing advice you've ever been given?"

Well, I hope Mr. Bransford doesn't mind if I paraphrase a few of the most common answers from the 125 comments he got on this topic...yes, I read every one of them! It was illuminating to say the least.

Here's the TOP FIVE that seemed to be repeated over and over:

1) Send your submission in right away because your friend/mother/crit group, think it's "GREAT!".

2) Send a full Manuscript in to an editor/agent when you haven't bothered to query first - sure, they'll take it!

3) My personal favourite: have a published author teaching a class tell you your query letter is "perfect" - submit it only to have it come crashing back in your inbox within two hours, with a "thanks but no thanks & oh, btw, don't bother submitting anything else". Show your query to another published author and she can't believe *anyone* would tell you to send it to *anyone* in the condition it's in.

4) Take out all the COMMAS, DIALOGUE TAGS, NARRATIVE, OR DIALOGUE QUOTATION MARKS.

5) Your professor/creative writing teacher/correspondence writing teacher tells you you have no talent. When you get published, send them a copy of your book cover!

You can find Nathan Bransford at his cool blog here: NATHAN BRANSFORD

I love finding people in the industry who're willing to share their expertise and actually help writers. So, Mr. Bransford, you're being linked to the right, and thank you for taking the time to educate writers about the "biz".

THE NEW TV SEASON IS HERE

I posted on my Facebook page that I need to stop watching all these premieres and get some sleep! It's true - my husband and I love to watch the premieres of our favourite shows, and never miss the finales either.

On the right I've posted some of my all-time-never-miss-an-episode TV shows, which you can access via those links to receive full shows downloaded from Amazon.com. I think it's a great idea whose time has come.

Is there anybody else out there who loves these shows? Especially the new kid on the block - FRINGE? I was trying to describe it today to a friend. It tops the X-FILES, in my opinion, and the FBI heroine is a refreshing change from all the "kick-ass" heroines we've been subjected to in TV and books for the past five years or so. It's nice to see a woman use her brains for a change, instead of her bone-crushing martial arts skills. But that's just me - a woman who wants to be known for her brains, because her days of martial arts are over!

Check out this new service from Amazon. I'd love to hear your feedback on whether it's valuable or a time-saver for you. I think this is the wave of the future, begun with iTunes.