And In the Beginning…

We have nothing more than a blank word processing page with a little blinking cursor taunting us to type something, anything onto the page so it can move from the place where it’s stuck onward to somewhere new. Sometimes, it’s harder to make the cursor move than at others, but eventually we do make it move.

Every author has a different way to go about the writing process. I know that many would find the way I work to be odd, but it works for me, so why change it? Often times, I do begin just as I stated above—with a blank page and a blinking cursor. More often than not, I come up with the best ideas by opening up a fresh new word processing page and typing the first thing that comes to mind. I often have no idea what I’m going to type before my fingers hit the keys. Sometimes, I sit there for several minutes before I begin while at others, I start typing as soon as the page has loaded.

I also write in segments, writing the scenes out as they come to me which isn’t necessarily in chronological order. When I’m done, I arrange them as they should be and work my magic at blending the scenes together. Sometimes, I can do this without tweaking the scenes too much and other times I have to do a bit of rewriting, but it works out either way.

One story at a time? Or two? Sometimes (my word for the day it seems), I work on only one or two things at a time, flip flopping between them. I have been known to work on as many as six different things at once, depending upon how many ideas I have bouncing around in my head at the time. Currently, I have three stories vying for dominance. The only way to placate them is to work on each one for a bit before moving on to the next and cycling through them throughout the day. Some days I can focus on one and push the others to the background, but that rarely lasts long when they are so determined to be heard. The only time it gets confusing working this way is if the characters have similar names or are in a similar story line/genre. Meaning two scifis at once can get confusing in a hurry or two paranormals. Fortunately, the two scifis I have going on at the moment are not that much alike, so it’s not that difficult and the third is a paranormal.

I rarely ever write up a synopsis before I begin writing because I rarely know where the story is going before I begin. As I stated earlier, there are times when I don’t even know what I’m going to write before I start, so in cases like that a synopsis wouldn’t do me any good at all. If I must write a synopsis, I generally wait until I’m done because that’s the only time I can be sure they’ll at least be close to one another. I also wait for the synopsis because I get this sense of “I already wrote this,” when I go to work on the actual story if I write a synopsis first. I don’t do outlines and in fact, I’m not even sure I know how to do an outline anymore. I do, however, take lots of notes. Notecards (index cards to some) are my best friends. I buy them in bulk because they are my multi-use note taking/bookmarks. I use them for just about everything; love the things.

What does my work space look like? At the moment, I’m sitting in the middle of my bed with my laptop on its tray and papers and pens and notebooks and folders are strewn all around me. My husband complains that I leave no room for him when I’m like this. At other times, I’m sitting at my antique desk, again with papers and pens everywhere, and my notes are pinned to the purple living room walls. Yes, my desk is in the main room because when my husband is home, I prefer to be near him. I can (most of the time) tune out the TV, so that’s not really an issue unless it’s something really interesting, then it becomes a problem.

What about when I go out? Well, that’s when I use my handy pink messenger bag that I bought at a yard sale for fifty cents. I call it my portable office. I keep plenty of pens and paper in it along with my ever present notecards as well as notebooks/folders containing whatever I’m currently working on, and my laptop slides perfectly down into it. It’s not one of the larger messenger bags, a bit on the small side but it’s perfect as my portable office. It carries just enough supplies without giving me room to pack too much (Yes, I tend to carry too much more often than not before I got this bag) and end up with a super heavy bag that the husband has to tote around, which he hates since, as I said, it’s pink. My portable office tickles my family, but I don’t care. I feel lost without it if we go out and I don’t at least have it in the car. In fact, I’ve already warned the husband that come time for our trip in November, the bag IS going with me. He didn’t dare argue.

And so, now you know a bit about my quirkiness when it comes to how and where I work. I sometimes (see, there’s that word again) type when writing and at other times I go the long-hand route because there’s just something about ink or a pencil gliding over paper that helps me focus more intently on what I’m doing. So long as something is being written, I’m moving in the right direction.

Is there a point to all of this? Sure. Regardless of your work habits and/or quirks, you’re working toward a goal and that’s always a good thing. Keep up the good work and eventually we’ll get to the end of yet another new book.

Heather

Another Day in La La Land

Or so it feels. I have numerous story ideas swirling around in my head in a foggy, fragmented sort of way. I’ve been writing them down here and there over the last few days in hopes that once the fog clears, I’ll discover they are good enough to use. I’ll just have to piece them together like a literary jigsaw puzzle, which is old hat for me since I tend to do that on a regular basis anyhow.

I’m excited. Why? Because reservations have been made for a late honeymoon/anniversary/birthday trip WITHOUT kids. It’s only one night, but it’s two full days and I couldn’t be happier. When my husband and I go married (nearly six years ago), we never got to do anything special to mark the occasion. Better late than never, right? We’re going shopping, sight seeing, and gambling and not necessarily in that order. I get a new slinky dress to wear out that night, and plans are in the making. When is this trip? Thanksgiving holiday because it was the only (and cheapest) dates available. We’re not quite where I wanted to be (it was booked solid for the month of November) but we are just across the street, which works. Where are we going? Gambling is legal. ‘Tis the only hint you’re getting from me. <big grin>

Suck Up hasn’t yet left the house, though his presence isn’t as strong today. I’ve pulled out all my notebooks, pens, and handwritten fragments in hopes of getting a little work done. I’m just not sure how well it’ll work. The good news is that the kiddo resumes his group sessions come Monday, so if I don’t get anything done this week, I should be able to get things tied up and put right next week. The end is in sight with the edits/rewrites. I have like a half chapter to go (the big grande finale of fight scenes) unless I decide to add another chapter in, and rewrite a few sex scenes, then I’m DONE. I cannot wait to be finished with this baby—that is until the next round comes in, which should be much, much easier to get through.

The new scifi is slow going because I’ve had so many set backs the last couple of weeks. With a little luck, I can get the rewrites done and then zip through the new one before the next round of edits comes in.

Other than that, what’s on my writing plate? A paranormal consisting of demons/angels/and humans and I have an idea brewing for something involving zombies. Hints. Teasers. I’m awful, I know, but until I have the ideas more solidly formed and at least partially written, I prefer to keep the details to myself. But anyone who knows me, knows that I will eventually spill all. I have a real problem keeping secrets.

And with that, I think I’d better wrap this up and try to get some work done while the kiddo is being good. Knock on wood that he stays that way for a while and leaves me alone to work.

Heather

Ah, Suck Up

I hear thy name being whispered in my ear. I hear the sound of your alluring name flowing through the house like wine today.

Why is “Suck Up” visiting me today? Because yesterday afternoon, my seven-year-old son decided to take a pair of safety scissors and shear huge gaps into his gorgeous hair. I went from shock, to pure horror, to outrage in under a minute. Furious did not begin to cover it. My mind was jumping to all sorts of conclusions as to HOW he managed to butcher his hair the way he did, and none of them were pretty. It didn’t help that every time I pointed at his head and asked, “What did you do?” I got either “Nothing” or “I don’t know” as a response, which only fueled my anger even more. He finally put his little fingers together and said, “Orange. I used the orange… <insert incoherent mumbling>.” That’s when it clicked that he used his safety scissors that came home with him the last day of school.

I know, it’s just hair and it’ll grow back. I can only say that I am VERY thankful that this happened now, during the summer, rather than mid-school year. Fortunately, a couple of weekends ago, we bought him a Spider-Man baseball cap for a quarter at a yard sale (looks brand new), so every time we leave the house until his hair grows back that cap will be on his head.

He’s already gotten up this morning, ran his hand over his hair (which is buzzed nearly to the scalp and you can STILL see the lines from his hack job in it), and said, “See, my hair is growing. You go to sleep and your hair grows.” <face meet palm> He later comes up and tells me that he needs to wash his hair a whole bunch of times because “shampoo makes your hair grow.”

Now, he’s in full suck up mode. He’s hauling dirty dishes to the kitchen (without being asked), continuously asking if I need my shoulders rubbed. *sigh*

Ah, the perils of being a mother.

Heather

After the Break

Another tiring weekend gone by. I’m about fireworked out, though we still have some to set off. The city fireworks display was awesome and we were up close for a change, which was quite nice. The kiddo really enjoyed it as well and was yelling, “Yeah, baby” before it was over with.

Friday night, the kiddo wanted a “camp fire” and marshmallows. He had begged for two days to get this done. Goofy me just HAD to go out and help get the fires ready—one big one and one smaller one for the kiddo. Well, with the way my luck runs, a limb just HAD to snap and stab me right in the palm of my right hand. Hurts like hell.  And once everything was lit, he was no longer interested. Grrrr Then, I came in and seriously injured my left wrist, and the worst part was I didn’t actually DO anything to it. Oh and my right knee was still acting up, so I was quite the sight. I had a brace on my wrist, a brace on my knee, and a bandage on my other hand. Lovely.

We also went yesterday and watched Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen for the second time. It was just as awesome as the first time through it, though two seats away was an older (teenish) girl who was VERY loud and bouncing to the point the entire row of seats was shaking. She kept yelling things at the screen. And her mother was nearly as bad. Thank goodness we had already seen the film of I’d have been thoroughly pissed. The girl was certainly old enough to know better than to act the way she did as was her mother. My 7y/o is severe ADHD and Asperger’s and HE was still and quiet the whole time. Yep, still peeved over it today. I mean, I like to make comments to the hubby during a movie, too, but at least I lean close to him and whisper in his ear rather than yelling it out loud enough for everyone in the theater to clearly hear it. *sigh*

I did tinker with the writing a little bit, though not much because there was just too much going on over the holiday break. I sat on the hood of the car Saturday night, in the dark, waiting for the fireworks display to begin and typed up a page’s worth of a story. I guess something is better than nothing.

Kiddo is home from summer group sessions this week, so writing time may be limited. He keeps me busy and interrupts entirely too much for me get anything done. Maybe I can manage to get a few words in come evening when his dad is home. And speaking of the kiddo, he is currently sitting beside me looking through a deck of Wall-E cards. He just can’t help himself. I could run him off, but he’ll be back in five minutes, so what’s the point?

Yes, I know this is a really exciting blog post, but it is Monday, so we really shouldn’t expect much. Oh, and is anyone else as tired of hearing about Michael Jackson’s death as I am? I admit, I did enjoy his music and I’m sad he died, but come on. I know there has to be something else going on somewhere in the world that’s worth talking about.

With luck, tomorrow will be a better day. I can hope anyhow.

Heather

The Who or What of the Matter

I’ve been thinking about the Hunters series a lot lately, probably more than I should, but when you’ve worked on a project for more than two years, it sort of becomes your every thought and breath—all consuming at times. I know that some authors have had trouble writing successfully for this series. Granted, rejections happen and are a part of an author’s life. Rejections come about for a wide variety of reasons—some simple and others far more complex.

So, what does any of this have to do with anything? I may have come up with a new way to explain things, at least I hope I have. My husband understood what I was saying, so that has to be a sign. Right?

Anyhow, here is what I think (and this is just a thought, an opinion that I have no data to back up—we’ll blame the overactive imagination for this if it’s just a bunch of BS) the problem could be.

It takes more than calling a character a hunter and plopping them onto a planet from the planet/system list located in the series bible to qualify as a Hunters for Hire book. You can’t write a story and then plug in the minimum amount of information from the bible and expect it to magically click into place when it comes to a series this large and complex. There’s a big difference between standing outside looking in and charging right into the center of things and getting down to business.

So, how do you write something for this series or any other pre-existing series for that matter? In the case of the Hunters for Hire series, you can’t just say the hero/heroine is a hunter; you have to make them be a hunter. Put them into the role, make them play the part, work the job. Show what all being a hunter entails. It’s not about what they are, but who they are and they are hunters.

These hunters come from a variety of backgrounds, but regardless of where they came from, they all have one thing in common. They live and breath their jobs. His/her sole purpose in life is getting through the mission without personal injury and to fulfill that mission as best he/she can because the next paycheck depends on it. They also work hard to maintain the reputation that Ulric Vonner and the BHI have attained over the last fifteen years in operation. Each man and woman working for BHI, respects Ulric Vonner and would lay down their lives for him. When he assigns a mission, they go and do the best damned job they can because they know that he is depending upon them to do their jobs.

Don’t just place your character in the world provided; make them a part of that world. Weave the characters’ lives into the world, make them fit into it, be a part of it rather than just having them exist. The character can’t be a lone figure standing at center stage while the background appears to be little more than dimly lit, cheap props. It doesn’t make for a realistic setting and the vast contrast between the character and the scenery will throw the whole story off. Blend the two together seamlessly. Look at them as though they are pieces of a bigger puzzle. If they don’t fit into place properly, it messes up the whole picture.

I know that to some this will sound quite complex but really it’s not. The idea is there, the seed’s been planted. Mingle your ideas into the ground work that’s been laid out for you. Your WIP isn’t just a piece of this; it’s a part of it. Work your craft, your magic with words and weave the two pieces together to create something new and exciting.

This feels unfinished to me, but quite frankly, I’m drawing a blank as to what else to include. I’m trying my best to look at this from the angle of being on the outside looking in at the overwhelming amount of information available for this project, but since I’m so deeply rooted to it, so much a part of everything here, I’m finding it quite difficult. I know it’s not easy to play in someone else’s world, and I’ll be honest that it’s not easy opening up a world and inviting others in. If I can do it then so can you. I offer up these tips, tricks and advice in hopes it will help make one’s entry into this series less fear inducing and painful. Am I successful at it? I have no idea. I guess so long as it helps one person, then it was worth the time put into it.

No matter what you decide to do, have fun with it. This series was meant to be fun for those involved. It was meant to be an introduction to a new genre for those authors who never tried or were intimidated by the scifi genre. It was meant as a project to bring many authors together for a common purpose. We put nearly a year into the making of the series bible to create as complete a world as we could. Yes, it has its holes and its flaws, but we are human. Things get overlooked or just weren’t thought of at the time. We had no clue what we were doing and were learning as we went. Hell, I continue to learn something from this project each and every day. Don’t let the amount of information here or in the series bible intimidate you, don’t let it scare you off trying to join in on the fun.

And as usual, if you have any questions, I’m only an email away.

Happy writing,
Heather
Heather Holland

Back to Normal

Or rather I’m as back to normal as possible. Then again, I suppose this IS normal for me at least.

I’m having to wear one of my knee braces today because my knee is acting up, but other than that, I can move again without excruciating pain. That’s definitely a plus. Perhaps I can finally get back to writing now that the pain levels are back down. It’s extremely difficult for me to write anything coherent when I hurt like hell, especially when it comes to sex scenes.

This is also a holiday weekend and hubby will be home extra days, so now that I think about it, this weekend may not be a good one to try and get caught up on. I’ll just have to wait and see. I’ve learned over the course of the last few years not to make plans, because I never know what’s going to happen or how I’m going to feel from one day to the next.

Anyhow, I wish I had something more meaningful or thoughtful to post today, but alas, a personal update is the best my befuddled mind can come up with this early in the morning. I’m still very tired, though not as exhausted as I have been this week. Any improvement is better than none, IMO.

Heather

Hunters for Hire – Tips

I’m going to take a few minutes here and list a few helpful tips when it comes to the Hunters for Hire series.

01) Read everything you’re sent in regards to this series. I know the introductory email is long, but I didn’t write it just to waste time or to make your eyes pop out of your head. Honest. It contains important and useful information and will save on a bunch of questions and time later on.

02) When emailing one of the creators to ask about a specific planet, please list the system it is located in. In helps us to find the answer you’re looking for much, much quicker. We’re generally very busy and listing the system as well as the planet name will help save a great deal of time.

03) As you write your story, keep a record of where the information you use from the series bible is located. (example: write down the page numbers), this will not only help you when it comes time to double check your facts, but it will help the editors and/or the creators when questions arise.

04) Double check EVERYTHING before submitting. When dealing with this much information, it’s very easy to mess things up.

05) If it’s not in the series bible, odds are you probably shouldn’t include it in your book. I’m primarily referring to planets, systems, and alien races. I have stated numerous times but feel it necessary to point it out again, that there are no new planets, systems or alien races being added to the series at this point in time. However, if this should ever change, I will post notices.

06) What you are allowed to add to the world provided: plants, animals, gizmos and gadgets, ships, drugs, foods, and drinks as well as clothing. We provided some of each of those things into the bible, but there’s only so much you can think of when you’re not actively writing a book at the time.

07) The bounty hunters that the series revolve around are paid quite well, however, listing an exact number isn’t necessary. We intentionally avoided naming a specific price because what’s high in one instance, may be a low number in another. It will vary greatly depending upon who and what the hunters are dealing with.

08) Gate travel. It stands to reason that one cannot openly gate from Amalgamation space into Cintealios space and vice versa. They are mortal enemies and gate travel is highly restricted between the two, although the gates in each territory are connect to the other. If a story requires travel between the two territories, it requires the hunter to sneak across the border.

09) Cintealios women are kept in seclusion from the time of birth. This was implemented by the Cintealios leader in an attempt to preserve the purity of the races’ blood, meaning they didn’t want a non-pure blood male to mate with one of “their” females. Even female children resulting from a mating between a Cintealios male and a non-Cintealios female are often placed into seclusion.

10) Ulric Vonner knows EVERYTHING that goes on in the Web, though he will not admit to how he knows. There are no secrets from the man.

11) Constance O’Rourke – The Web’s supply handler. He can acquire anything a hunter might need to complete his/her mission, however, he will not act as a drug supplier to anyone with an addiction. Hunters are clean, unless a mission requires that they “appear” otherwise. Ulric won’t have an addict working for him as it would put the operation, the hunter, and everyone connected to the operation in jeopardy.

12) It’s not necessary to list every character that is named in the series bible into you book. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but it never hurts to repeat something. They are merely listed there in case you DO need to use them. Use only what you need from the series bible so long as the rest of your story fits into the world provided.

13) It takes more for a book to qualify for the series than calling your hero/heroine a hunter (or hunters) and naming off a planet from the series bible as their home world and/or location. I have jokingly called the series a plug and play type project, but in reality, it is much more complicated than that.  It is extremely difficult to take a pre-existing story and trying to make it fit into the world provided with this series without major rewrites.

14) If a planet’s description states that a particular race is the only inhabitant of the planet, you can’t put a “secret” society there. That would contradict the world’s set up and mess with the continuity and consistency of the series.

15) There are no traditional werewolves, vampires, witches, or other paranormal creatures in this series. An alien race that can shift its form does not count as a paranormal creature.

I’m sure there are other things I could list here, but this is all that’s coming to me at the moment. I’ll add to the list as things come up.

Coming Up Empty

Well, I have now sat here for two hours trying to think of something to blog about, only nothing’s coming to me. This so isn’t my week. Productivity has gone out the window. I’m in the post-overdid it funk zone. I’m beyond exhausted and I hurt from head to toe still. I can’t think. I have a neck pillow on because I can barely hold my head up. It’ll pass. I just have to hold on until it does, and unfortunately, it takes a few days to get over it. I keep hoping that “Tomorrow will be better,” but thus far, that ain’t working out so well for me.

So, this week probably won’t be a good blog or work week. Instead of worrying over not being able to be productive, I think I’m going to go zone out with a game, anything to take my mind off my troubles. I shall return to blogland and Twitter just as soon as I’m able to form a coherent thought.

Heather

You Should Try Writing…

Over the course of the last six years, I cannot tell you how many times I have heard “You should try writing…” or a variation of it. My aunt wanted me to write historicals like her favorite author. When she passed away, my mother said I needed to write something historical and dedicate it to my aunt. The one thing neither of them ever listened to was my answer, “I don’t want to write historicals and have no interest in it.” Historicals just aren’t my genre. I have nothing against reading them, but I tend to lean to the other extreme in my writing—futuristics. Spending months acquiring information and research just to write one book really isn’t for me. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

Recently, I sent my mother a copy of the only contemporary, straight-laced cowboy book I ever wrote. It was my very first completed novel and is no longer available anywhere and most likely never will be available again. I know she read The Drigon’s Fall, however, it wasn’t a genre she enjoys so it was kind of bleh for her. When she read Cortland’s story, I think she finally had that “Ah ha” moment when it comes to my writing, because she then said I needed to write for Harlequin. *face palm* Again, not really my type of writing anymore. In order to write something for that particular publisher, I’d have to well, not write like I do now, and I’m not so sure about that. It would definitely be a challenge, that much is for certain. But who knows? Maybe one day I’ll decide to give it another go. I can’t make any promises, though.

I guess my point is, I write what I write because I enjoy it. Scifi and paranormal stories are what speak to me. My writing has evolved over the last six years and most likely will continue to do so for how many ever more years I’ve got in me. It’s easy for someone to say, “You should try writing…” whatever it is they have in their heads, but they tend to forget that it’s not always easy for the author to do what’s suggested. I don’t think I could write historicals if my life depended on it. I just don’t have one in me. Historicals possess a whole different kind of lingo, one I am not familiar with, and truthfully, I don’t feel like taking the time to get to know it intimately. I’m happy with the way things are, so why change it?

Are there any genres I’d like to write in that I don’t already? Absolutely. Will I ever do it? Whole other story. If the idea hits, then sure, I’ll run with it, but until then, I’ll just continue on as I always have and write the story that screams the loudest. But I can’t write to please everyone because 1) I’d make myself miserable and 2) writing to please others is impossible because there will always be someone out there that’s unhappy with the result. So, I’ll just work at putting together the best story I can and hope it strikes a cord with someone out there.

Heather

Confessions

I’ve updated the links here on the blog, and I figure now is as good a time as any to come clean, or rather to come out in the open since I’ve linked to it. As anyone who follows me knows, my health stinks. It pretty much always has, though it’s gotten worse as I age. I talk about my health here quite often, though I don’t think I’ve ever came right out and said what all is wrong with me. I’ve decided to go ahead and tell a little bit, though some I will continue to keep to myself.

For those of you who don’t know, in March 2006, I went into anaphylactic shock. It was a horrible day and one I want to avoid repeating at all costs. I was beyond confused, terrified, and my system was in total chaos. Every muscle in my body locked up until my hands were so twisted and contorted they looked like something out of a horror film. My nail beds turned blue and I had extreme difficulty breathing. It took an IV with loads of fluids, mega doses of benedryl, muscle relaxers and epi to bring me back down from this. A truly terrifying and horrible experience, and one I’m likely to never forget. Now as I’ve said, my health has always been less than good, but after this, it started to go downhill fast.

By mid-2007, things were really getting bad and I was up to my eyeballs in the Hunters for Hire series. I am truly amazed that anything I contributed during that time was coherent and usable. I had numerous bouts of what I can only describe as brain fog, meaning I could not think or even speak clearly. I slurred my words, lost what I was talking about mid-sentence, and had trouble saying my own name. I get tongue tied in a major way during these episodes and so weak I can’t even keep my head up. My “loose joints” seemed to be getting worse as well. I’m prone to “sports injuries” though I am the least sports oriented person in the world. I hate most sports, can’t stand them, and yet, I have many ER trips on my record where I’ve been treated for sports injuries thanks to my loose joints, which as I said were severely aggravated for some unknown reason. At this point, I couldn’t write and I had just sold another book that needed some rewrites.

I was in a very bad, very dark place there for a long time. Depression set in, I was in constant pain, continuously dealing with the brain fog and confusion. I was a complete mess. I gave up driving because of the unpredictability of these episodes, I gave up writing because nothing was hitting the pages. I had no idea what was going on, and no one seemed to be able to help.

Then came early 2008, and I finally—FINALLY—found a doctor who not only listened but believed me. She was determined to figure out this mystery, solve the puzzle that was now my life. After many, many, many tests one came back as positive for lupus. Shocked isn’t a good enough word for what I felt. We go to a specialist and found out it was a false positive, BUT I did walk out of that office with a diagnosis. FINALLY, two years of complete misery were figured out. The answer? Fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, there are still a good number of people who do not know what this illness is nor do they understand it. I cannot tell you how many times I get the “But you don’t look sick” line or a variation of it. I may not look it, but I definitely feel it. Mine is also a severe case, which is quite difficult to deal with at times.

I was taking pain medication numerous times a day to combat the constant pain. I had to use a cane to walk (still do on occasion), I still don’t drive anymore, and the most mundane of daily activities became too much for me. Shoot, there are days when I can’t even lift my arms to wash my hair—thankfully, I have wonderful and extremely supportive husband. He washes my hair for me.

Earlier this year, I began a new medication that just hit the market for fibro. I could tell a difference within days of starting this new medicine. I feel almost normal now, though I do still have a good number of bad days. I’m still limited in what I can do, because it’s very easy for me to overdo, in which case it takes days to recover. I’m taking less pain medication now, my head is quite a bit clearer, and the muse is talking again. The depression has lifted and I don’t feel quite so hopeless anymore. Though don’t get me wrong, I do still have the brain fog which tends to hit out of the blue without warning. I still use a cane on occasion along with knee or wrist braces depending on what joint/muscle is affected. It’s a life altering illness and not just for me, but for my whole family. But at least I finally know what’s going on and how to better cope with it.

And now you know why I haven’t been writing. Why I didn’t update my website. Why a book I contracted a while back still doesn’t have a release date. The last three years have been extremely difficult for me. A large portion of them are little more than a blur, but I survived, which at times I wasn’t so sure I would manage. It’s been a difficult journey and I know it’s not even close to being over, but at least the path is easier for me to travel now. I’m back to doing what I love most—writing. You have no idea how good it felt when the voices started back up, the images began to play in my head again. I had thought it lost to me forever.

I cannot thank my wonderful doctor enough for the difference she’s made in my life. I cannot express how much those who stood by me through my darkest hours mean to me. I couldn’t have made it through this alone. This has made me appreciate my husband all the more. He’s been my rock, my support through this and I love him all the more for it. I’m a survivor. I think I’ve proved that many times over.

Happy reading and/or writing,
Heather

PS: For more information on Fibromyalgia, you can visit the National Fibromyalgia Association website.

Is It Over Yet?

That’s how I feel today. I’m so ready for this day to be over with so I can crawl back into bed without feeling guilty for having done so. I am completely exhausted and I hurt so, so bad. Movie theater seats and me do not mix well, plus I forgot to take my meds before we left or take them with me, so yeah, paying for that today in spades.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen TOTALLY KICKED ASS. Absolutely loved this film. Lots of action, numerous robots, just excellent. My 7y/o who has severe ADHD actually sat still for the entire film. Even if I hadn’t personally enjoyed the film, it would have been a winner in my book because he kept him so thoroughly engrossed for 2 1/2 hours. We’re already making plans to go see it again before it’s out of the theater (and yes, I will remember to take my meds before I go next time).

So today, I’m taking it easy and focusing on recovering from last night’s fun. I’m mostly playing on Twitter and working on finishing up a baby blanket that I’m crocheting. In truth, I’m just doing whatever it takes to keep my foggy brain from giving up and succumbing to the darkness that it so desperately wants to embrace. I cannot go to sleep until tonight, or my sleep schedule will get all screwed up and I’ll go back to sleeping all day and being up all night. I don’t want that.

Working on the final chapter on my edits/rewrites. Made some good progress yesterday, despite having one super excited, pet of a 7y/o in residence. Maybe later today I can sit down and work on it some more, if I can ever manage to wake up that is. After the final chapter is done, I go back and plug in a few sex scenes, do a final read through for typos and what not and then I can turn that baby in and be done with it until the next round of edits. It will feel so good to get this project finished and no longer have to struggle with it. Then I can focus solely on Toshie Jane and her troubles.

And with that, I’d better get back to work on this blanket. I have to have it finished by Saturday.

Take care and happy reading/writing,
Heather
Heather Holland

Excitement

The household is in a state of excitement today. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is in theaters today and we’ve got tickets!!! Can’t wait to see this film. Hubby had trouble getting out the door for work this morning because he was so excited. He’s just too funny. And the kiddo has promised to be extra good.

Now, I have a decision to make. Bumblebee T-shirt or brand new halter top that I have yet to wear. I have a feeling I know which one hubby will pick, though in the end, does it really matter? I always freeze during movies so I’ll have my Legend of Zelda dark green hoodie on over whatever I decide to wear. So, maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing. It wouldn’t be the first time.

I made great progress on my WIPs yesterday, even though I didn’t feel like working on anything. I’m on the “final” chapter now, though I’m beginning to think that with all the new stuff I’ve added in, it might not be the “final” chapter any more. I really won’t know until I finish this one up. Then all I have to do is go back and plug in the sex scenes that I skipped and do a final proofing for typos before I turn that baby back in. I am so excited that this thing is almost done.

On the new WIP, Toshie’s Calling, I didn’t get much done. I did add a few paragraphs, which is better than nothing, and then  I sent a bit to my buddy TJ just to tease her. I’m a tease, what can I say? People love me for it, though. lol

I’m also feeding my WarCraft addiction. It’s Midsummer Festival time and I like 2 achievements finishing up the whole set. Yep, I am 100% addicted to my gaming. However, since I started playing WarCraft (just over 2 years ago), I’ve pretty much abandoned console games—though there are a few faves that can still sway me back into the light (Legend of Zelda, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil [though not happy with the new first person aspects of RE] among a few others.) The other thing adding to my list of procrastination support devices/projects is a baby blanket that I’m trying to get finished up. The baby shower is this weekend. See how severe my procrastination syndrome is? I’m trying to do better, really I am, and I think the new meds are helping. At least most of the time I feel like doing stuff, whereas before I hurt too damned bad to even think about doing anything.

And there we have today’s ramble. I’ll ramble on about the new Transformers movie tomorrow.

Take care and happy reading/writing,
Heather
Heather Holland

A Blah Kind of Day

I’m in a funk today. I just can’t seem to get the ‘get up and go’ to get up. I know, one too many gets in that last sentence. I’m tired. I’m achy. My brain is mush. This is so not what I need today. I NEED to get busy writing. I have edits to complete and a new WIP that needs to be done soon—very, very soon. So much to do, so little time and no mojo. I’m in a sad, sad state today.

Now, whining aside, it’s a beautiful—yet extremely hot—day. The kiddo is being extra good (Transformers 2 opens tomorrow night and he WANTS to go), and it’s a perfect day to write. And I just realized that typing up this post is helping to spark the mojo back to life. YAY. I was beginning to worry. Maybe I should start blogging every morning to get the juices flowing… Sadly, we all know it won’t happen. I tend to forget to post more often than not. It’s not intentional, just one of those things.

I’m still debating what programs I want to buy as soon as I have the funds. I want a new laptop, too, one with a larger screen. Hubby wants a Mac, but I told him to wait until I upgrade and he can have mine. Two birds, one stone. I’m also eyeballing the new iPhone. Me wants BAD. My Sony eReader is feeling neglected, but between being sick with some nasty bug (that finally left me) and working on writing, I’ve just not had time to pick it up and read anything. I promise I will sit down and read something as soon as I get these two projects done. They come first.

I guess I’m about to blast off into space. Gemini, Draco and Ceyx as stuck mid-scene and Toshie is calling my name since she’s stuck in quite a predicament of her own. Suppose it’s time I go help them out.

Take care and happy reading/writing,

Heather
Heather Holland

Website Updates

I’ve updated my website, or rather, I’ve redone the whole thing. Rather than dealing with a less than flattering template and the headache of redoing all those pages, I’ve set the websites (yes, both of them) to redirect to here, my WordPress blog, because it’s so much easier for me to change and maintain. Less stress means more work gets done, and that’s never a bad thing.

I’ll be adding new information to the blog as the mood strikes, it becomes available, or I find myself in need of a break from the current WIP for a bit.

Heather
Heather Holland

Another Day Gone By

Actually, more like a few days gone by. Had a fairly good weekend, spent some quality time with the hubby. We played WarCraft all weekend long. Great for the goals I have set in the game, not so good for the writing goals. Oh well, can’t work all the time, right? And I haven’t seen hubby much over the last week considering I’ve been zonking out around 6pm every night, which is way unusual for me.

I plan to work on my edits/rewrites today—getting ever closer to being done with that. And I need to work on my new scifi as well. I have a goal to get that baby complete by the first of Aug. I think I still have plenty of time to get a novella length cranked out on top of the edits/rewrites. I just have to buckle down and work on them.

I’m also still trying to figure out what updates and/or new programs I’m going to purchase as soon as I get the money. I want the new iPages because of it’s “Full Screen” mode. Anything that gives me fewer distractions while working is a GOOD THING. I also need MS Office for Mac, because iPages won’t do my edits that I get from my editor. All marks and comments disappear when the file is opened in iPages, which is a major pain in the ass. I have MS Office 2007 for Windows, but I detest the thought of moving to a PC to do edits since continuous crashes and lost pages was the reason I switched to Mac in the first place. I think the fear alone would be enough to keep me from getting anything done. I also refuse to set up my Mac to run Windows, because IMO, that would defeat the purpose of going Mac. So, a copy of MS Office for Mac is my only viable option. I’ve had other programs suggested to me, and as neat as they were, I’m thinking I just wouldn’t use it. I’m really like iPages now that I’m used to it. Decisions, decisions. I suck at making them.

I also have a new (at least couple gig) jump drive, SD cards, and ProDuo cards on my to get list. Why two kinds of memory cards? Sony eReader takes both and my PSP takes ProDuo, and with more and more movies coming with digital versions for portable players, I want a bigger ProDuo so I can utilize that digital content and use my PSP more. Yep, I’m a techno-geek. I love my gizmos and gadgets.

And with that, I’ve got to hit the WIPs and try to get some work done while the kiddo is gone.

Heather
Heather Holland

Who/What’s in Your Play List?

New Divide – Linkin park

Just Dance – Lady GaGa

Leave Out All the Rest – Linkin Park (My absolute Fave song right now)

Run Runaway – Slade

Savin’ Me – Nickelback

Summertime – NKOTB (tease me all you want, it’s a good song)

Stand – REM

What I’ve Done – Linkin Park

Far Away – Nickelback

Goodbye – Night Ranger

In the Air Tonight – Nonpoint

Here It Goes Again – Ok Go

Time After Time – Quietdrive

If You Seek Amy – Britney Spears

Across the Universe Soundtrack

Pink – Aerosmith

Smooth – Santana & Rob Thomas

Land of Confusion – Disturbed

Slept So Long – Jay Gordon

Alive – Pearl Jam

Disease – Matchbox 20

And many, many more. I also usually have some Def Leppard, Styx, Hoobastank, Incubus, and KISS mixed in there somewhere. My faves generally come from the 80’s–we listen to 80’s on 8 and Hair Nation on Sirius in the car. *grin*

Friday’s This & Thats

Today’s goals are quite simple. Work on a new scifi for a special project (a scifi that is NOT a Hunters for Hire book, I might add), and work on rewrites/edits some more. I made quite a bit of progress on the edit/rewrite project yesterday and even managed to save some of the original work. Why rewrite it when it’ll still work? All I have to do is blend the parts together, which I actually find quite fun to do even as it frustrates me at times. After that I have the final chapter to put together and then a few sex scenes (around 4, I think) to go back and fill in. A final read through for typos and parts that just don’t “fit” into the rewrites, then I’m ready to turn that baby in, which should make my editor happy. I am so far behind on this project it’s not even funny, but at least I had a good excuse–it couldn’t be helped due to my health issues, which are thankfully somewhat under control at the moment. It sure did take long enough. I guess I just had to wait for medical science to catch up with me.

I played with the name generator yesterday and came up with a lovely list of names to use for any future scifi projects. Now, the name gen gives full names (first and last), but I mix and match as I see fit. They’re combinations don’t always work well together. I also played around with Twitter yesterday, probably a bit more than I should have, but it’s addictive–until the new wears off that is, then it’ll probably fall to the wayside just like everything else I do. I just can’t help it.

Yesterday, while the kiddo was at his group therapy session, I took the opportunity to watch a couple movies I’ve been wanting to see. My Bloody Valentine and the new Friday the 13th (which is actually a remake of the second movie, not the first). Why did I want to see them so badly? Why, the eye candy of course. Both star one of my Supernatural hotties. Hmm, Jared and Jensen. Need I say more? Anyhow, MBV was most definitely bloody, and even bloodier, and even bloodier still straight out the gate. Friday the 13th was, well, Friday the 13th, which I think sums that up nicely. They’re both your basic slash thrillers. I don’t really think there’s anything else I can say on them without giving things away. is it any wonder blood and gore seeps into my writing with the types of things I watch? I love a good monster. I just can’t help myself.

I swear after these two scifis I’m working on, I’m going to work on a paranormal. I know, scifi is my primary genre (I mean, what’s not to love about space?), but every now and then a good paranormal is just begging to get out. No idea what I’ll run with when the time comes, but there are definitely several floating around inside my head. I hadn’t intended to write another scifi so soon after the one in rewrites/edits, but something (that I’m not going to mention at this time) sparked the scifi bug anew, so I have to run with it. At least it’s only a novella. The one in rewrites/edits is looking like it’ll be moving from the original 50K up to almost 70K by the time I finish plugging in all the holes. I’m slowly learning to write longer.

Speaking of writing, it was recently suggested to me that I try the program Scrivener for my Mac. I will admit, it has some really awesome features, and I am contemplating buying it, however, I am quite fond of iPages (I know, I hated it at first). I love the iPages feature where I can show invisibles and then modify their appearance by changing the size and color of the marks. Yes, I write with the invisibles shown. Why? I can catch double spaces, stray spaces, as I go, which cuts down on some of the work after it’s done. Plus, I’ve done it that way for so long, it looks funny without the marks. The other reason I’m reluctant to use the new program is that I’m one of those people who likes my notes close at hand and strewn all over the place for easy reference. When I’m writing, I don’t like having to change windows. If I was still running dual monitors (can’t right now without a special adaptor for the Mac), it wouldn’t be so bad–but if I get off the MSS page, odds are I’ll get distracted and it’ll be a while before I get back to it.

I had considered upgrading to iPages 09 for the full screen mode, but it’s hard to justify the cost for a program that the only difference I could find was the full screen mode. We won’t go into their so called “improved compatibility” with Word. iPages still wouldn’t read the editing marks from a Word file, so that I’m not too pleased with. I do have access to the hubby’s PC laptop, so I can do edits on that if I have to. Though I’m considering getting MS Office for Mac just so I don’t have to switch machines. I love my Mac too much to turn to a PC for help. And I did switch to Mac because I lost one too many MSS pages to Windows crashing. I know, big decisions to make, and when the time comes I’ll make them. Can’t afford anything right now, so it’s sort of a moot point.

And I just realized that I’m in ramble mood and have nearly blown 1K in writing on this blog post alone. I guess that’s a sure sign that it’s time to get back to it.

Take care and happy reading/writing,
Heather
Heather Holland

PS: I figure this deems repeating. Please excuse any mistakes found within this post or others. I rarely ever reread the things I type on the blog. I know, bad me, but the blog is my outlet for my random, off the top of my head, stray thoughts— You’re getting the raw, straight from the brain to the fingertips version. I swear, I’m much more careful with my MSS pages.

Dueling Sci-Fis

Yep, that’s what I’m contending with today. I’m flip flopping between edits on one and writing a new one. And nope, I’m not telling what it is because I don’t want to jinx myself.

Anyhow, back to it. Gotta go with the flow while it’s moving.

Heather
Heather Holland

The Unexpected

I gave up on sleeping like a “normal” person years ago. I guess that’s why falling asleep before 9pm and sleeping all night long came as such a shocker to me. I rarely EVER do that. I guess I was more tired than I thought, or writing what little I did wore me out. Who knows?

I’m actually quite accustomed to the unexpected happening to me. It happens all the time when I write. How could that be? Well, you see, I’m one of those authors that rarely ever plots before I start writing. Very often, I sit down at the computer, open up a brand spanking new document page, and just start typing the first thing that comes to mind with no inspiration or inkling of what I’m going to write prior to sitting down. I’ve actually came up with quite a few good ideas just off the top of my head like that.

I’ve found, over the course of the last six years, that if I do actually make the effort to sit down and plot, it makes the book harder to write in the long run. I guess that’s because I know where it’s going and what’s going to happen so it takes some of the fun out of it. Which is another reason I rarely take the time to plot prior to writing. I’ll admit that I post to the blog in the same way–off the top of my head. Plotting just isn’t my friend, most of the time. There are those rare exceptions like the “Writing can be such a pain” incident. Seven straight hours of plotting one book. Over thirty hand written pages on it. Needless to say, I haven’t looked at it since I wrote it, but then again, I’ve not really had time. Between being sick with some nasty virus and working on the project that I’m actually supposed to be working on, there just hasn’t been a chance to go back over it. There’s also the “I’ve got way more ideas than time” aspect to consider. I can’t tell you how many partials I have tucked away on my hard drive collecting virtual dust. They just can’t all be written. It’s impossible.

And speaking of writing, I’d better get to it and stop rambling here so much before I blow my daily allotment of words.

Take care and happy reading/writing,
Heather
Heather Holland

Misunderstandings and Misconceptions

It has come to my attention that I’m in serious need of clarifying a few points when it comes to the Hunters for Hire series. However, I think I need to first cover a few basics like how this came to be.

In January 2007, it struck me that several authors that were in a group I was a part of had an interest in writing sci-fi. Some had toyed in the genre before, but others were a bit intimidated by it. So, I figured it would be fun if we all got together and worked on a project as a group. I had no idea if anyone else would be interested when I first suggested it, but I threw the idea out there for them to chew on anyhow. When we took it to management at Ellora’s Cave to see if they would be interested, there were seven of us involved. The publisher was interested and made a few suggestions on where to take it as well as suggesting that we open it up to other authors. We agreed and the Hunters for Hire continuity series was born. Now we needed a backbone for the series and the hard work began.

I’ll admit that at first things were rather chaotic. I had no idea what I was doing and I’m not exactly anyone’s idea of leadership material. It was a real struggle for me to come to grips with which way I was going and how to manage such a large and rapidly growing project, but learn I did even though I made several mistakes along the way. I am only human, after all. In order to make things easier on me and get the series’ basic information down for all who were interested, a World Building Committee was formed. Five authors worked together (with some input from a few outside forces) and created a two-hundred plus page information packet (series bible). There are more than twenty planetary systems with over two-hundred planets amongst them. There is a list of numerous gear that the hunters use, a list of ship types and classes and names of several recurring characters for the series.

Now, I understand that to someone just coming into this series that amount of information can be intimidating. Don’t be intimidated by it, because really there’s no need to feel overwhelmed by this. And here’s why, IT IS NOT REQUIRED TO USE ALL THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THE SERIES BIBLE IN YOUR BOOK. It would be damned near impossible to put that much information into the normal confines of a romance novel, be it erotic or not. No one expects to see a manuscript turned in for this series that has every character, every piece of equipment, or every system/planet used in it. Hell, I don’t even think I could pull that off and I had a hand in creating the stuff. The only requirements for this series are as follows: The book HAS to have strong connections to Bounty Hunters, Inc., the primary organization the series is based on; the recurring characters listed CANNOT be used as your hero or heroine nor can they be killed/maimed/altered in anyway because there are books planned for them by the World Builders; and third, books written using the information contained within the series bible CANNOT BE TAKEN ELSEWHERE–this series is exclusively for Ellora’s Cave and her sister site, Cerridwen Press. If your book is rejected, you MUST remove all information garnered from the series bible before you can take it to a different publisher. Outside of those things, just about anything goes.

So, if it’s not required to use it all, why write it all down and pass it around? Because it will aid in the series’ consistency and continuity. We tried to build as thorough a world as possible for authors to play in, while leaving room for individuality. For those who are new to sci-fi, we wanted to have the core information laid out so that no actual world building (an often times overwhelming part of writing in this genre) would be required in order to play. Yet, we left plenty of room to play for those authors who aren’t intimidated by world building. In other words, we tried to provide a little bit of everything for everyone. However, please do keep in mind that no new alien races and/or worlds (planets/systems) can be added to the series at this time. If you think the information provided now is a lot to swallow, imagine what it would be like if every author requesting the information (hundreds of them by this point) was allowed to add more planets or alien races. BUT new technology or strange words for items can be added at the author’s discretion. If you do add new tech or alien words, please be sure the context of the sentence/paragraph makes the item/word easy to figure out for the reader. If it’s too out there and the meaning isn’t clear, it’ll yank the reader right out of the story, which is something none of us wants. Also, if you do add new tech or words and your book is accepted, please send me a note telling me what they are and describing them. Why are some things contained in the bible not fully developed? Because there are some things you just can’t come up with until it’s written into a story, which is/are currently in the works. One must keep in mind that this series grew from the initial seven involved to literally hundreds interested in a very, very short time. In fact, my head still spins over two years later just thinking about it.

In other words, if you are interested in writing for this series, please do not let the vast amount of information provided for it put you off. Don’t look at the bible as a whole. Look at it in pieces, focusing only on what sparks your imagination and calls to you to write a story. This was meant to be fun for all involved, not something that scares the letters off your keyboard. If you have questions about the world provided, please don’t hesitate to email me and ask. I’m more than happy to help, so long as the questions refer to anything contained within the bible. As I’ve stated numerous times before, any questions pertaining to the business/publishing side of things I can’t answer as I am not qualified nor am I authorized to answer such inquiries. Which leads me to another common misconception tied into this series. Me. My name is Heather and I write as Heather Holland. I am ONLY an author and do not work for the publisher in any capacity whatsoever outside of writing. I have no idea how the business side of this series works as I am not privy to that information, and I’m quite happy with that. I do not envy the editors their jobs, and I must say that since this series began, I have developed a whole new respect for them. So in case it wasn’t clear, let me repeat: I AM NOT AN EDITOR FOR ELLORA’S CAVE NOR DO I WORK FOR THEM IN ANY CAPACITY.  Then why am I the one you contact for the series information? Because this series was created by authors and not the publisher. We were the ones to decide how the world came together. We were the ones to decide to let others come and join in. We were the ones who put together the series bible, and we were the ones who decided which publishing house to present it to.

With all that said, I need to clarify a few more things right fast. I get lots (and I do mean LOTS) of requests to read over story ideas or synopsis for authors interested in this series. Frankly, I don’t have time to read over other people’s work, and it really won’t do the author much good. Yes, I can say if an idea will or will not fit into the Hunters world, however, that in itself is NO GUARANTEE that said author’s book will be accepted upon submission. Acceptance and rejection are at the sole transgression of the editorial staff. I get no input on any of this. Also, submissions do not come to me–ever. And yes, that has happened. All I can do in a case like this is send you an email and tell you to send it to Submissions@ellorascave.com with SUBMISSION: HUNTERS FOR HIRE: (your book title) in the subject line. I am not authorized to forward any emails on to the publisher for anyone. It is also not required for you to send me a proposal or pitch as it’s wasted effort. Again, I have no say in anything nor can I forward it on to the appropriate person. The only thing I am qualified and authorized to do here is send out the information packet upon request and answer world detail questions. I know I keep repeating this last paragraph here, but it’s out of a strong dose of self preservation. Because no matter how many times I say it, I still get questions I can’t answer and pitches and requests to “read” something.

And with that, I think I’m done. At least, I’m finished until something else is brought to my attention because I’m quite certain that I forgot to cover something in this extremely long blog post. If you made it this far in your reading, kudos to you and thanks for taking the time to read over my ramblings.

Take care and happy reading/writing,
Heather
Heather Holland
http://heather-holland.com