Samhain Publishing Ltd. Weblog

Iko, The Teflon Puppy

I’m selling my dog to the circus. Or a wrecking crew. I haven’t quite decided.

Iko was a sweet little throwaway who was covered in fleas and infested with every worm you could imagine. And he was barely moving, no doubt from the parasites sucking the life out of him. We honestly believe he didn’t have long for this world.

We’d been looking for another dog, but not a male as we already had one, since renamed Saint Tank. (See this post for more on Tank.) But this puppy called out to us. Instead of squirming like a normal puppy, he rested his little head on my shoulder and shivered.

Being a rottie mix we knew he wouldn’t be a first choice for most people, aside from the fact he looked so poorly. The adoption people said he’d just been dumped and they hadn’t had time to evaluate him.

We took him home. We had to.

Flash forward four and half months.

I Write Normal

“What do you write?” could be heard around every table at a writing conference I attended a couple weekends back. A great question, but it always left me with a grin. We’d go around the table — historical with paranormal elements, sci-fi romance, vampires, erotic paranormal, werewolves, dragons, paranormal thriller…and then they’d all be looking at me. “I write normal.” It gets a laugh, which I tend to go for in my books too, but it’s the truth!

I love to read paranormal stories, but my brain doesn’t work that way. I’ll leave it to those who understand the history of vampires…and dragons (who knew there was so much to know about dragons? The conference had a whole class on them.) Me, I’m sending people to yoga and out for doughnuts.

People often ask where a writer gets their ideas. We don’t know, so it’s hard to answer. Everywhere, I think is the common response. But really, a writers stories are just there, twisted in their mind until they unwind themselves onto the page. My stories are classic romance themes with a modern twist (I’m quite excited that my Pride & Prejudice meets Beauty & the Beast story, Pride & Passion, was just contracted!)

I love the indulgence of traditional romance, spiced up but not taken seriously. Hence why I write about Cinderella and unrequited lust. This time of year I am always tempted to write some kind of ghost story, but I resist the urge. Someday I might dip my toe in the paranormal pond, but for now, I write normal.

I'm Not Going to Do It Anymore!

Dye my hair, that is. I’ve been coloring my hair to cover those pesky grays for over twenty years and I’m tired of it. Tired of the time it takes. Tired of the mess and the cost. Tired of planning my hair appointments around special occasions so the roots won’t show. Can anyone else relate to that?

Welcome to Autumn

Welcome to Autumn
By
N. J. Walters

The Voice

One of my favorite poems starts off –

There is a voice inside of you
That whispers all day long,
“I feel this is right for me,
I know that this is wrong.”

Shel Silverstein made it sound so simple. But what do you do when the voice inside you starts speaking in tongues?

Guilty pleasures

Guilty pleasures … those things in life that we love, that we can’t do without, and yet feel guilty about enjoying. It can be because they aren’t intellectual enough or aren’t good for us in some way. It may simply be our egos caving in to peer pressure … that need to fit in.

Whatever our guilty pleasure may be, we indulge — often in secret — because it makes us happy.

Conquering Fear, One Hiss at a Time

Okay, I’m just going to admit it: I don’t hate snakes. I know, sounds weird coming from a girlie-girl, but I actually find them intriguing, sometimes even beautiful. I will hold a non-venomous snake provided some know-what-he’s-doing male has a nice strong grip on the snake’s business-end. But do I love snakes? Um, no. Do I have a healthy fear of them? Darn tootin’.

Here’s the thing, I married the kind of man who rescues all creatures from harm’s way. It’s one of the many things I love about him. But it does keep me guessing—is he going to bring home an injured falcon? Or a tarantula that was crossing the road? Between the man and our two sons I had to expect that there would one day be a reptile aquarium in my house. Do I like it? Not really, but again, I’m okay with the snakes as long as I don’t have to reach my hand inside their cage. Especially since one of the gopher snakes is cranky, hissy and strikes at anything that goes near the glass.

A few weeks ago, while I was in the Samhain Café celebrating the release of my second book, my eldest yelled, “Come quick! One of the snakes laid eggs!”

Hardcore Inspiration

I asked myself today, what to write a blog on? I was watching Bones, and episode where Cindi Lauper is a psychic. So I figured, there’s my inspiration. I’ve read cards for well over 20 years, and use them for inspiration, so why not pick a topic that way. I went to www.facade.com, selected a deck, the three card spread, and go with it. So, eight of pentacles, King of Swords, and The Sun, for me translated into working physically and mentally to effect a change and manifest a skill or talent at a higher level. The King, the pivot point, asks us, what are we willing to lay in to get where we want to go, because the King of Swords is a disciplined character who will go to the boards and give up whatever is necessary to achieve an end. So this is really a message of more than simple growth – this is the universe saying give it your all and all if it will come back your way, ten thousand fold.

Blogged Down

When I realized last night that I had a blog due here at Samhain, my immediate reaction was a sinking sensation. Not again, I thought, and I can’t help wondering if readers don’t feel something similar.

Don’t get me wrong. I love interacting with my readers; it’s one of the perks of the job. But I just finished the rough draft of one novella, I’ve got another due on Wednesday of next week, a third novella due on the 30th, edits to my print book for Somebody Killed His Editor due on the 21st, and edits for another mainstream project due on the 30th. I would be lying if I didn’t admit to feeling overwhelmed. And as I calculate how to best use my limited resources, I’m wondering where blogging fits into this.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

As with everyone, my childhood shaped me into the person I am today… a solitary individual who enjoys my own company more than being with others. Large crowds and gatherings make me uncomfortable. I get claustrophobic so it’s difficult for me to attend writing conferences.