Tess Quinn

This blog entry is all about NCIS. Both NCIS:LA and the original NCIS. Why? Because this week, the two versions of NCIS totally blew me away. Yeay for original story lines, plot arcs that extend more than one episode, and romantic twists! P.S. There might be spoilers!!



Let’s start with the regular NCIS. Three words: Ziva and Tony. OMG. Finally! I had come to the conclusion that they were never going to get together. Their overt hatred for each other was enough to out rule any possible involvement. When they had their mini dialog exchange at the end of the episode, i was totally stunned. YEAY NCIS WRITERS!!! You’ve succeeded in surprising me! The rest of the episode was great as usual, but the ending was awesome. Not to mention, Gibbs little self pity moment where he realized his own age and limitations. That was great, too. I feel like he may recognize his limitations now. And the fact that Tony is really growing into Gibb’s shoes. I wish they did something with McGee. he hasnt’ been really tested in a while. Not since his sister’s run in with the law and i don’t even remember what season that’s from. Anywho. Yeay for aweomse nCIS!!



NCIS: Los Angeles has included some really bad acting, mostly from LL Cool J. Some of the characters are pretty cookie cutter stereotypes. I’ve watched the show now just to see what Hettie and Callen will do as those are the only two cool characters on the show. This week on NCIS, on the members of the team was abducted. Now that was AWESOME. It sucks for the guy who was abducted, but the ending was totally unpredictable, which is saying something for the show’s precedence so far. Every show has a turning point and i hope this is the turning point for NCIS: LA!



Anywho. That’s what I’ve been watching this week! Stay tuned for next week’s overview!

I haven’t read any new books in such a long time because I’ve been so busy with school starting up again, getting back into the flow of things at work, and finishing up with revisions. I’ve decided to take a bit of a break last night and started reading some new books I’ve bought that were just collecting dust on my to-be-read pile. Once I got started, I couldn’t stop! Here are mini reviews on the four books I finished (the last this morning.)

Hot Rocks: Nora Roberts
I love Nora usually, which is why I picked up this re-print of a novella that was originally published in the ‘Remember When’ anthology. However, the book left little more to be desired. The plot was unoriginal, and the love story trite. Nora usually doesn’t disappoint, although she does have her moments. This was one of them. The characters were interesting. That is one plus point I had to give her. I wish there was more urgency, more umph in this story rather than expertly placed coincidental moments and forced plot devices.



Fired Up:Jayne Ann Krentz
I had high expectations for this story because i have the utmost respect for Jayne. Her work is amazing and I love the world building she does in her Arcane Society series. ‘Fired Up’ is the first in the dream lighter series and I wanted it to be just as compelling as everything else i’ve read that she’s put out. I have to admit, I was disappointed with the first fifty to a hundred pages. The were slow, and the way the background unfolded left more to be desired. However, once the characters got into their first fix, the story picked up rapidly. I was soon engrossed in this high speed chase with clever, sarcastic dialog and hot, sexual tension. By the time I was finished with the story, I knew there was nothing that could stop me from picking up the second in the series. I hope the heroes aren’t all carbon, copies though! That would really put a damper on things. (that was an inside joke that those who’ve read this book may get…unless it’s so subtle that i’m the only one chuckling. sigh.) Anywho. suggested read, but get past the first few chapters before you can really enjoy!



Ice: Linda Howard
Linda Howard once broke my heart. I’m not joking. I was such a loyal, dedicated fan. I owned almost two copies of everything she had written from Sarah’s Child, and McKenzie’s Mountain to Perfect Man and Now You See Her. However, on the fateful day she wrote ‘Kiss Me While I Sleep,’ our relationship was severed. For those of you who haven’t read that book, Dont. The ones published after it, I give the same warning. Why? BECAUSE THERE IS NO HEA! I have no problem in spoiling it for all of you. The pain I have is something I want to spare you. No happy ending equals no happy Tess. I cried, and fumed and freaked for weeks after finishing Linda’s book. I returned it to the bookstore, something I had never done with her book before. I didn’t even bother reading the second and third one that followed. I simply flipped to the back, read the last few pages while standing right in front of the book shelf, and i knew they also didn’t have an HEA. ugh.



When Ice came out, I read the summary of the story and it didn’t appear as if there could be anything but a happy ending. I debated, and i worried, and i decided to forgo reading the ending. instead, I bought the book for my e-reader. And I am satisfied to say….LINDA’S BACCKKKKKK!!!!!!!!! Yes it was a thriller and yes it was crazy intense and suspenseful which was awesome, but Linda’s amazing ability to create a fabulous relationship that beats all odds has finally re-emerged in this fabulous story. I wish she would write more of these instead of the other ones that aren’t romances!!



Hunting Julian: Jacquelyn Frank
I picked up Jacquelyn’s book a few months ago, The Nightwalker series, I think. it was really well written, the passion, the love story, was amazingly developed, and she had this crazy ability to built a fabulous world. Her world building comes on a little strong for me sometimes. The Nightwalker series was great, but I had to sort of accept the intensity of the the craziness, the details, which are great for writers, but too much can be overwhelming. Anywho. This story, Hunting Julian, is the beginning of a new series, The Gatherers, and it’s a bit intense too. The new world is built on the premise that alien races exist. The heroine is this strong willed bounty hunter and the hero is the chivalrous, giving, sexy testosterone-driven king. A lot of the story revolves around circular arguments that don’t get solved towards the end, and explaining this new existence that’s so detailed it’s hard to picture accurately. The good news is, the romance and the appealing characters carried me through the story. I enjoyed it at the end, like I enjoy all of Frank’s books. I just wish she wouldn’t go sooooo crazy with the world building that it takes away from the story.



Anywho. that’s what I’ve been reading lately! I’m going to start chiseling away more books next weekend, so I’ll try to do a review then, too. In the mean time, keep reading!

Today, we have author Crystal-Rain Love joining us to talk about her writing life. Thank you for stopping by, Crystal-Rain! Let’s get started…



What is your brainstorming process for a new book?



Generally, I’ll see a scene in my head and the whole story just grows from there. The hero & heroine usually come to me fully fleshed out, although sometimes I’ll struggle to find the “perfect” name for one or both of them. I’m definitely a pantser. I’ll pretty much know the beginning and the end, but everything in between is a mystery until it’s typed up.



Can you explain your typical work week day?



Unfortunately I have not yet reached the point where I can support myself by writing full time so I have a day job. I work 10-hour days four days a week. On workdays, I get up early and get the kids off to school, try to answer email, blog, etc. and put in about twenty minutes or so writing time before I’m off to work. I get home late and tend to write until about one or two in the morning before trying to catch somewhere between 4-6 hours of sleep. On days off, I get the kids to school, come back home and SLEEP!!! LOL! I get so little sleep. I just write like a maniac whenever I can squash in the time.



Tell us about when you made the decision to write.



As with most authors, I’ve always loved to write. As a kid, my only real talent was writing. I devoured books and was a daydreamer from day one so writing came easy. I wrote poems, journals, songs, stories, you name it. I always knew I’d be a writer professionally, but I didn’t really sit down and write a full book until I was pregnant with my youngest child. It was just the right time for me. I’d experienced enough “life” to write about it and having my third child motivated me to take it seriously. I wanted something more than a day job that took me away from my kids.



What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?



Read a lot, write even more. Get a tough skin because you are going to get some criticism. Don’t ignore that criticism. Learning from criticism is what will make you a stronger writer. Every time you get a rejection, remember that even the biggest authors got them too.



Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.



Right now I’m working on the fourth installment of my Blood Revelation series, a paranormal series coming out from Imajinn Books. The first in the series is scheduled to release on December 31st of this year.



I also recently signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press for Guardian Cowboy, a story I wrote for the Wayback, Texas series. I haven’t received word of a release date yet, but I’m very excited to be a part of the Wayback series.



More information about my books can be found on my website, www.crystalrainlove.com, or my blog: www.crystalrainlove.blogspot.com.



Congrats on your new contract and we can’t wait to hear more about your addition to the Wayback series! Thank you again for joining us and for those readers who want to know more about Crystal-Rain’s books, check out the links above to her blog and website. Stay tuned for our next rendition of Writers on Writing!

I love the holiday season because I get vacation days and I get to spend time with my family, but I HATE that TV shows decide to take a break! That really irritates me. It’s bad enough that I’m only down to three TV shows since Glee isn’t back on until APRIL. How sad is that?



Anywho. This post is about ‘Bones.’ For those of you who don’t know already, totally love the show. Now that it’s back from its winter break, I love it even more. For those of you who haven’t seen the last two episodes, this post might contain spoilers! Okay, here we go.



Since the new year started, there have been two episodes. One about finding an alien and the second about the possible bone analysis of John F. Kennedy. As awesome as those two episodes were, I think I’m looking forward to the 100th episode the most. Apparently, ZACK comes back! I’m so excited about that. He was one of my favorite characters back in the first two seasons and I was so sad when he asked if he could leave the show for Broadway and bright lights. Unfortunately, Zack is back to do an episode that takes place back in time instead of present day. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they decide to keep him around for another episode or two in the future.



What I’m really looking forward to in the future is the way Angela and Hodgins’ relationship is going to change now. There was this whole pregnancy thing, which totally ticked me off because I really wanted Brennan to get pregnant first! How cute would it be if Angela and Brennan where pregnant together? It would be awesomeness as their friendship has been strained lately. They were better friends in season one and I feel like they need that connection back.



Other than that, Bones continues to entertain me. That’s more than I can say about NCIS: Los Angeles which I can’t stop watching despite LL Cool J’s terrible acting skills. It’s like a train wreck thats so awespiring I can’t tear my eyes away!



Anyway. Stay tuned for my review of the ‘Bones’ 100th Episode when it airs, as well as further updates of NCIS (which still rocks) and NCIS: LA (the train wreck that is unraveling quickly). Toodles!

Today, we have author Pamela Thibodeaux joining us to talk about her writing life. Thanks for joining us, Pamela! Let’s get started…



What is your brainstorming process for a new book?



I normally don’t do a lot of brainstorming. Usually the characters will step up and start talking. Occasionally I’ll get a scene or some thought will cause a flurry of questions and I’ll just sit down and write until the answers come. For instance, in my novel The Inheritance (© 2007 Publisher: The Wild Rose Press ISBN# 1-60154-055-8), I had this thought….. They say life begins at forty but for Rebecca Sinclair that’s far from the truth. There I had the heroine and the conflict – sketchy of course but as I asked Rebecca why that was far from the truth for her – the story unfolded. Another example is my book, Tempered Dreams (© 2005 Publisher: ComStar Media ISBN# 0-9769960-3-0) – One day I wrote a scene of an automobile accident. The drunk driver and how the woman reacted. I simply put that scene aside for future use. Then along comes Dr. Scott Hensley in Tempered Hearts (© 2005 Publisher: ComStar Media ISBN# 0-9769960-2-2) and I somehow just knew he would be involved in that accident – I pulled out the scene and let the story come to life.



Can you explain your typical work week day?



Up until this year a typical work week day consisted of writing in my “spare” time. I’d always maintained a full-time job and had a husband and family to take care of. My children are all grown and my husband passed away in August (2009). Now I’m home full-time pursuing all the aspects of my writing (editing, promoting, signings, sales, speaking engagements, etc) and hoping to bring it to the next level.



Tell us about when you made the decision to write.



Nearly 30 yrs ago and pregnant with my second child, I read one-too-many disappointing books and decided I could do better. A mite arrogant as it turns out that writing and writing well are on totally opposite ends of the spectrum LOL!



What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?



Don’t quit, never give up. Keep honing your craft. Keep learning, stretching, and growing. Writing is a talent and a gift from God – don’t bury your talent or hide your gift.



Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.



Right now I have several works in progress – editing/revising a gift book to resubmit, three stories in various stages of completion, two novels looking for a home and numerous ideas waiting to be developed. I’m also embarking on a couple of non-fiction books and will continue to search for opportunities to express my faith through writing.



That sounds great, Pamela! We look forward to reading more books from you in the future. For those of you who want to read more about Pamela, check out her website here. Thanks for joining us and stay tuned for next week’s Writers on Writing!

Today, we have author Susan Shay sharing some of her writing tips and history with us. Let’s see what she has to say about her process. Welcome Susan! Let’s get started…



What is your brainstorming process for a new book?



Usually I start with, “I wonder what would happen if . . . ” As I think about the scenario, the characters begin to form in my mind. After that, I write a working synopsis.



Can you explain your typical work week day?



On a “good” day, I get up about 4 a.m. and write until my husband gets up—about 6:45. I fix breakfast, we eat together and then he goes off to work. If it’s a work day for me (I’m part of a family business) I see about emails, blogs if it’s my day, and then get ready for work. If it’s a day I’m off, I write some more.



Tell us about when you made the decision to write.



I’ve always made up stories to entertain myself. I’m also a big reader, and I was about 10 years old I read Little Women for the first time. I decided right then and there that I needed to write. I wanted to be Jo!



What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?



Write! Read a lot, find a critique group and submit regularly and often, and join RWA. Oh, and write!



Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.



I’m working on a book with a little paranormal and a little suspense, set in the Four Corners area of Colorado. My heroine is a college professor and my hero is an undercover cop. I can’t wait for the sparks to fly!



I have a couple of other manuscripts (three actually) finished. I’m much better at writing than I am at getting my work to editors.



Aren’t most writers better at the writing part then getting work to editors? Thank you for joining us, Susan! We wish you the best of luck with your writing. For those of you who want to know more about Susan and her books, you can check her out at her website here. Thanks again for joining us and stay tuned for next week’s writers on writing!