From Steph’s blog:

Guys - I’m in tears. I just spoke with Larissa again. It looks like they lost everything. Her area in Mississippi (Gulfport) took a direct hit. She’s just devastated and overwhelmed, hearing reports that her house is totally submerged.

Alison, Emma (Gads) and I (Stephanie Tyler) have been batting around a few ideas as to what we can do to help Larissa and her family, and we’d like to get things started right away.

For the next two - four weeks she and her family will be in flux, split between states so her son can start school with his grandparents while she salvages what she can once she can get back in, and her husband will be doing search and rescue (he’s Coast Guard, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Larissa and her family). She’s not going to be in any one particular physical place to store things, and won’t be for a while. We’re thinking that what she needs right now is immediate help in the way of necessities until any emergency money or insurance kicks in. Visa/Amex cash cards would be the best, along with gas or WalMart/Target cards. Those would cover groceries and clothes and school supplies and pet food. Thinking ahead, Home Depot cards would also work as well.

Since she’s going to have spotty internet service, if any at all, physical gift cards, rather than emailed ones would work best.

Anything you can do to help would be appreciated. You can use the address below, and we’ll forward anything that comes in to her as a next-day / priority kind of thing, so we make sure nothing gets lost in transit as she moves around and regroups.

Access Romance
Larissa Ione
1795 N. Fry Rd. #263
Katy, TX 77449-3347

Any questions, please feel free to contact me (Steph) or Alison or Emma.

Off to Norfok (again). The BIL leaves for deployment on Thursday, so the in-laws are picking us up this afternoon and then it’s a few days of family fun in Norfolk.

Unfortunatly, I think we’ll be getting remnants of Katrina so it’ll be inside fun. I’ve got a couple of books packed just in case. Plus I’m taking the new laptop (and my new ipod) so with a little bit of luck I’ll get some writing done (but I wouldn’t count on it).

I’ve been trying to spend some time thinking about where I want to go with my career. What I want to write next, and for whom (not that I don’t have several projects which need to be finished before I start anything new).

I don’t want to be a one hit wonder with Venus press, but at the same time, I don’t have anything to send them, so I have to write something new, but my WIP lineup is already pretty full, so I’ve got to do some shifting around. I need to look into getting one of those WIP status bars. Maybe seeing it every day will help me get my tush in gear.

I still have a WIP and a half of my Paranormal erotica series, but that’s kind of on hold right now while the first one is at SPICE. If they don’t want it, then I’ll be able to up the romance quotient in the other two to sub other places, which is why they’re on hold.

I have a half finsihed WIP which is the sequel to the Nov WCP Torrid Release that needs to be finished. This should probably be my number one priority, but well, it isn’t.

And I now have 3 series(s) in the back of my head (consisting of about 17 books - a 3 book series, a 9 book series and an at least 5 book series) that are anxious to get out. And I’m not sure where I should target any of them so I’m making them stay in the back of my brain. But they’re organizing and they want their stories told!

There’s four months left in the year. What do you have planned?

I have a new (unwanted) pet. His name is Boris.

I live on the 3rd (top) floor of an apartment building and the kitchen and the bedroom are at 90 degree angles from one another. So, a very large spider has spun his web (outside) between the kitchen window and the bedroom window.

When I say he is freaking HUGE, I’m not joking. And, he’s striped. He’s kind of beige and orange striped. I’d take a picture, but well, he scares the crap out of me, even being outside.

I figured by naming his Boris, 1, he already has his own song and 2. he’ll be less scary.

Yeah, that’s not so true. He scares the hell out of me still.

I’d like to know what kind of spider Boris is (if I ever in a million years thought spiders were pretty, I might think Boris was) but to do that I’d have to look at pictures of spiders and that won’t be happening.

Boris disappears every day, presumably to do his spider day job, but he returns to his web every evening where it’s apparently doing it’s job because have I mentioned HE’S FREAKING HUGE!!!

We had humming birds flying by for awhile (we have plants inside the kitchen window and birds apparently don’t understand glass) but we haven’t seen them for awhile. I think Boris ate them.

All last week there was a cricket that kept me up ALL night. I haven’t heard him lately. I think Boris ate him.

As you can tell, I’m doing my best to try to convince myself that Boris is a good thing. I’ll let you know if I ever actually succeed.

I’m coping from a lot of people, Shannon, Diana, uh, other people…

It’s the AFI’s list of top 100 films. The ones I’ve seen are bolded!

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941) - It’s killing me not to blurt out what Rosebud is!
2. CASABLANCA (1942) - Damn chick should’ve never gotten on the plane!
3. THE GODFATHER (1972) - Does paying attention count in this game? I’m assuming it doesn’t.
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) - I don’t really understand how people haven’t seen The Wizard of Oz. It’s on every single Thanksgiving!
7. THE GRADUATE (1967) - It’s really not that good.
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
9. SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993) - If you every want to give yourself a horrible headace from crying, I suggest this one.
10. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952) - LOVE this move!! I had the biggest crush on Gene Kelly when I was a kid.
11. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) - Although somebody ought to smack that annoying girl at the end!
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) - Is anything funnier than men in drag? Yes.
15. STAR WARS (1977)
16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)
18. PSYCHO (1960) - Does watching with your hands over you eyes count?
19. CHINATOWN (1974)
20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975) - I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the whole thing, but this is my Dad’s favorite movie.
21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
24. RAGING BULL (1980)
25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) - Yeah, don’t really like it though. And to take away the policeman’s guns in the new version was just stupid!
26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) - Have I ever mentioned my hatred of The Heart of Darkness? Yeah, it’s probably best not to get me started.
29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
31. ANNIE HALL (1977)
32. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
33. HIGH NOON (1952)
34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962) - I actually like the movie better than the book, I think.
35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) - Along with Gene Kelly, I had a MAJOR crush on Cary Grant!
41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961) - When you’re a jet, you’re a jet all the way….Uh, oh, now it’s got me singing…I fell pretty, oh so prett….
42. REAR WINDOW (1954)
43. KING KONG (1933)
44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
45. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951) - STELLLLLLAAAAA!!!
46. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)
48. JAWS (1975)
49. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
50. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) - Yep, I was a weird kid. Also had crushes on Robert Redford and Paul Newman.
51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
53. AMADEUS (1984) - I took German in high school and we used to insist on watching this movie every year just because we liked it!
54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
55. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965) - Uh oh, I’m going to start sining again…
56. M*A*S*H (1970)
57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)
58. FANTASIA (1940)
59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) - But The Last Crusade was so much better, I mean Sean Connery kicks ass!
61. VERTIGO (1958)
62. TOOTSIE (1982) - Not really that funny.
63. STAGECOACH (1939)
64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) - Makes me hungry for mashed potatoes.
65. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) - Makes me hungry for fava beans and a nice chaianti?
66. NETWORK (1976)
67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951) - Yet another Gene Kelly movie!
69. SHANE (1953)
70. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
71. FORREST GUMP (1994) - While it’s great the first few times, not it’s just annoying.
72. BEN-HUR (1959)
73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)
74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990) - I’d rather poke my eyes out with a spoon than watch this (or any other Kevin Costner move) again.
76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
78. ROCKY (1976) - ADRIAAAAN!!! Do you think he was channeling Stanley Kowalksi?
79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
81. MODERN TIMES (1936)
82. GIANT (1956)
83. PLATOON (1986)
84. FARGO (1996) - Freaking hilarious.
85. DUCK SOUP (1933)
86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)
87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
88. EASY RIDER (1969)
89. PATTON (1970)
90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)
91. MY FAIR LADY (1964) - I wanted to be Audrey Hepburn when I grew up.
92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)
93. THE APARTMENT (1960)
94. GOODFELLAS (1990)
95. PULP FICTION (1994) - This movie just makes me laugh.
96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)
97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
99. GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967) - And I must say, the new version doesn’t suck nearly as hard as I would have thought.
100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942) - Going out with a bang, with MORE SINGING!!!

Actually, for someone who doesn’t really like movies, I’ve seen a whole lot of these.

Anyone else up for playing?

So, I’ve been meeting a lot of people lately who have never heard of ebooks.

It’s hard for me to understand because even before I started writing, ebooks made up a significant percentage of the books I buy. (I can get books that day without leaving the house? Rock on!)

They don’t really understand why I’d want to be epublished instead of book pubbed (I tell them it’s not an either or). I do want to be print published. But until then, what’s the problem with being epubbed, too?

And maybe if I sold a paper book, people would ask too, but EVERYONE asks how I get paid. Ebook contracts are prevalent on the internet. I don’t think I’m giving away any secrets when I say it’s a percentage of the download price (usually between 30 and 45 percent). To me, that’s so much more straight forward than explaining a print book contract.

Plus, they don’t get the whole “how it works” thing at all.

I have a hard time being nice when I say, well, you download it and then you read it.

Am I wrong? Is epublishing hard to understand? How do you explain it?

In other news, I’m going to see March of the Penguins! Yay! Penguins!

I want to show off my new cover, so I hope this works!

Yay! It worked!! Although wordpress does keep trying to put a slash at the end of all my links. Weird.

So, this is my cover. I had initially wanted somthing just black, and red and maybe white, maybe abstract, something super plain, but I just LOVE this!

It makes me smile every time I look at it.

Here’s a blurb to whet your appetitite:

When Little Red Riding Hood headed into the forest on the way to her Grandmother’s house, she met the big bad wolf and almost met a very untimely end.

When Scarlet Hood gets lost on the way to her Grandmother’s house, she gets way more than she ever expected in the form of her sexy savior, Tyler Carver.

Tyler may be the big bad wolf, but Scarlet discovers that when it comes to pleasure, he’s actually very, very good.

Can anyone tell me what a Hollaback Girl is? Is it something I should aspire to? I tried watching the teen choice awards last week and had to turn it off rather quickly when I had no idea what in the hell anyone was talking about.

When did I get so darn old? Blech.

As for the good news that I was teasing about…I sold a short story to Venus Press. I don’t have any more information than that since the contract is sitting on my desk waiting to be mailed.

And my cover for Little Red is absolutely gorgeous. The artist is still making a few minor tweaks, but hopefully I’ll be able to post it for you tomorrow.

I think I have good news, but I’m not ready to share it quite yet.

I heard from my cover artist for Little Red. I’ve heard great things about her (and her covers are beautiful), so I’m really excited. Naturally I’ll share as soon as I have something.

I’m up to 15 pages for my BIAW which is a far cry from the 80 I’m supposed to have by Saturday.

Thanks to everyone who shared my author day with me! I had fun and can’t wait to do it again.

And last, I’ve picked names from a hat and the following people are winners!
For the Blog contest (read the excerpt & answer the question) - Karen
For the “Post Something at my Author Day” contest - Jenny
And for my super secret contest (where I put all the remaining names in a hat and drew again) - Megan
.
I’ve got yummy smelling girly stuff for all of you, so please send me your address (emma@emmasinclair.com).

In honor of my author day (during which I’m the only one there as off yet) I figured I’d have a combo group/blog contest.

You’re going to have to work a little bit this time.

Check out the excerpt of A Walk On The Wild Side on my books page (the link is on the right) and then answer the following question.

To what song is the stripper dancing?

See, that’s it. Easy as pie! Leave the answer in a comment. By leaving a comment, you will be added to my mailing list (for my newsletter) but since I’ve yet to invent said newsletter, it’s not likely that you’ll be getting a lot of mail (I’m aiming for once a month starting in October/November).

Prize will be some yummy smelling girly stuff from Bath & Body Works.

I’m doing my very first Author Day at the WCP Torrid Author group tomorrow (Tuesday the 23).

I’ll be giving away prizes, posting excerpts, asking and answering questions and whatever fun stuff comes to mind. Please join me!

You can sign up at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WCPtorridreaders/join (must be 18 or older).

In other news, I need to spend the day at my new ‘puter as I’ve pledged 80 pages to a BIAW this week. Have a great week everybody!!!