Tag Archives: Beginning Writers

Fantasy Man

Posted on January 4, 2011 | 2 comments

Santa is finished with his gift giving for another year.

Hopefully he filled your stockings with Christmas Joy

Now that he is ready to settle down to a long winter’s nap in Florida

maybe I can get back to writing. (LOL)

I received a handy email from WordPress this past week giving me my year in review as a blogger on WordPress. I thought it kinda interesting.

I will admit to wondering if I was the only person who ever read my blogs. However, WordPress gave me a WOW on their blogometer. You have to be impressed by an electronic wow.

After a lot of number crunching WordPress had this to say about my blogtastic year.

“A Boeing 747 – 400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers.”

Have you ever been on a Boeing 747 400 passenger jet with 416 passengers? I shudder and can think of no vision of hell worse than that on any given “this is a shit day.” But I digress.

WordPress continues. “This blog was viewed about 2,200 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747’s.”

Okay I’m responsible for at least 2,197 of those viewings but still.

“You wrote 46 posts.” When I should have been writing on my 2010 novel of course.

“You uploaded 159 pictures” So much for debunking the myth that we read the magazines for the funny stories and articles. Yes we do like looking at the provocative pictures.

“Your busiest day of the year was December 7th with 40 views. The most popular post that day was Fantasy Man Monday.”

“Some visitors came searching mostly for sexy man, fantasy man, erotic men, male art and beautiful men.”

Well, aren’t we all. Keep searching Virginia.

So there you have it the year in review. Keep reading or looking at the pictures as the case may be.

This year, in addition to Fantasy Man Monday. I will debut “My Heroine Wednesday” and “Freakish Friday” for the wierd and unusual in all of us.

I plan on 2011 being a titillating year of fun and provocative intellectual challenge. Yes I will keep showing the almost naked man pictures….

Happy NEW YEAR!

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The Beacon Unpublished CHALLENGE IS ON

Posted on October 5, 2010 | 10 comments

I’ve had a lot of contemplation lately on just exactly what I am doing. At first I called myself an aspiring writer. I’ve gone through the phase of…. I’ll be a writer someday. Okay well I’m writing so obviously I am a writer. At one point I somehow thought it sounded more ego boosting to say I’m a pre-published writer. Then I realized that might mean that I actually had a “contract” waiting for it to work through the system to BE published. So that didn’t work. Here I am. I write therefore I am a writer.

If you have decided you are a writer too take this as the challenge. ENTER the BEACON UNPUBLISHED writing contest. I have to tell you three years ago….no one on the planet had ever read a word I had written. I had just almost completed a full length fiction manuscript and NO ONE HAD READ a word I’d written. I say it twice for emphasis folks. I took the first 30 pages and entered the Beacon unpublished. Call me crazy, I know. However, as BAD as that manuscript was. And honey, it was BAAADDDDD. The judges comments were kind and given objectively and they made me feel good about what I was doing while pointing out some obvious ways I could improve the work. It was the most educational experience of my writing career. So the challenge is on. Enter the Beacon. Yes, maybe you would want SOMEONE to read your entry before you submit it. I don’t recommend the cold turkey approach I used. But, at the time…that was me.

Last year I entered the Beacon Unpublished and made the final round. So from scores in the 70’s to the 90’s in one year. Hummm maybe this year I could actually win? We’ll see. But you won’t know unless you enter! The best part is for a relatively new writer you have wonderful critique comments on your work. If you are a more experienced writer then check out who the final round of judges are. You could get your work in front of some pretty impressive people. There is something for everyone. Below are the deets.

DEADLINE APPROACHING – The First Coast Romance Writers 2010 Unpublished Beacon Contest closes for entries at MIDNIGHT, OCTOBER 8.

Please TWEET or Share a link

All electronic contest open to ALL WRITERS who have not been contracted for novel-length publication in the last 3 years, RWA membership is NOT required.

Judges first 30 pages (with optional synopsis) of an unpublished manuscript.

Cost: $25 – $35, Deadline for entry is October 8, 2010.

Each entry will be judged by a published author and a trained judge, with detailed comments on the ms and a simplified score sheet. Our final round judges include an editor AND an agent for each category.

Finalists will have the opportunity to revise before entries are submitted to final round judges.

Final Round Judges:

Chick Lit / Women’s Fiction / Mainstream – (E) Mercedes Fernandez, Kensington; (A) Weronika Janczuk, D4OE Literary Agency

Young Adult – (E) Debra Dixon, Belle Books; (A) Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger Agency

Historical / Regency Romance– (E) Sally Williamson, Harlequin Mills & Boon; (A) Amy Boggs, Donald Maass Literary Agency

Single Title Contemporary Romance – (E) Georgia Woods, Samhain; (A) Elaine English, Elaine P. English Literary

Contemporary Series Romance– (E) Rhonda Penders, The Wild Rose Press; (A) Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary Agency

Romantic Suspense – (E) Tessa Woodward, Harper Collins Publishers; (A) Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Agency

Fantasy, Futuristic, Paranormal Romance – (E) Leis Pederson, Penguin / Berkley; (A) TBA

Erotic Romance – (E) Raelene Gorlinski, Ellora’s Cave; (A) Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency

Inspirational Romance – (E) Elizabeth Mazer, Steeple Hill; (A) Pam Strickler, Pam Strickler Author Management

For more information, visit http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/contest_un.htm or email fcrw_beacon2010@yahoo.com .

Thank you to

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Fantasy Man Monday

Posted on October 4, 2010 | 3 comments

Our Beautiful men of Monday

Handsome youth forever young.

Rest in Peace Tony Curtis

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My Girl Wednesday

Posted on September 29, 2010 | 10 comments

Hump Day is almost past and I have to say exploring the heroine these past few weeks has given me a moment to pause and consider what we all look for in the female stars of our stories.

Is she the tough spunky type ready to fight battles with the hero sometimes becoming part of the problem rather than a solution?

Or is she so capable and kick ass that she hardly needs the hero to conquer her own demons but somehow he completes something missing in her personality so they are a natural fit?

What does your heroine bring to the table for skills, character arch and vunerability?

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Fantasy Man Monday

Posted on September 27, 2010 | 1 comment

It is pouring rain today. It almost inspires me to have pictures of wet fantasy men. Yet that might bet too risque’. The antithesis of wet t-shirt. Wet running shorts. Ahhh no, I don’t think this is the time to go there.

Melisa wrote and told me that she can’t believe I have not previewed Shemar Moore’s hotness on Fantasy Man Monday. In checking I quite agree. He can not be overlooked a moment longer. This blog would be irresponsible to surging female hormones everywhere to deny them this eye candy moment.

So there you have it ladies. A few candidates for your next fantasy man dreams.

Happy fantasies

You will recognize him from Criminal Minds.

He has a beautiful smile, and there are some buff beach pics out there that will make us blush. ahemmm. anyway

A number of my readers contacted me to say a good smile was a most significant feature to capture their interest in a man. I have to admit a good smile usually comes with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

I have also not given sufficient air time to Scott Stapp. I have been reprimanded for this grievous oversight. I am hanging my head in shame for not noticing this sexy boy earlier.

Okay maybe not so much a boy. hummm.

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Fantasy Man Monday

Posted on September 20, 2010 | 3 comments

What makes a man attractive? This blog has blatantly indulged in skin deep qualities of handsome men. And girls…. the months of Fantasy Man Monday blasting into the cyber universe have revealed, we all have different tastes in the men we desire. However, all that aside does attractiveness radiate from the soul, through the eyes, as bards of old would have us believe?

Women by my age usually have pretty clear tastes in men. You gals have reiterated that fact over and over again in your requests for Fantasy Man Monday. By the way, those recommendations are appreciated and interesting to explore.

But consider for a moment…if you had the opportunity to remove physical qualities from the equation…, hair color, skin tone, eye color, height… throw in voice sounds, scent, heck even gender. Would you fall in love with the person you visualize as attractive….. or even, as appropriate.

This is a theme that is considered over and over again in writing. The age old beauty and the beast story, that I love, replays with a multitude of characters. The Hunchback of Notre’ Dame, Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera (p.s. I’m still rooting for the phantom to get his h.e.a.). Issues of who to love, how to love have pressed boundaries of race, culture, social status and gender over and over again. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, “Aladdin” and “Xena Warrior Princess”…. to randomly pick a few.

Does attraction start in the mind and soul? How do you know it when you see it? Is it something you feel? Is it something you don’t feel? Can you describe it?

Does it fit and complete you in some way? Is it truly only chemical based in pheromones like the insects? Questions like these make me go hummm late night. I have been accused of thinking too much . (lol accepted.)

How about you? Those of you who are writers…..have you discovered yourselves writing the same story theme over and over again just changing the character details and story lines?

Looking at my bulk of vast work (tongue firmly in cheek here) I see myself writing the beauty and the beast story with the bad boy / lost soul centering on themes of redemption, acceptance, unconditional love, love conquers all, right always wins eventually, there is a happily ever after ending for everyone who fights for it, self acceptance. Would I be a better writer if I explored other topics? Or is it creatively impossible….are those other stories just not in my soul… are they someone else’s story to tell? What do you think?

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My Girl Wednesday

Posted on September 15, 2010 | 2 comments

What is it about the heroine in our romance stories that we enjoy so much? Is it our ability to identify with the character?

I have friends who only want to read the bad girl kick ass heroines. I’m told that the “waif” doesn’t sell well because she comes across as either TSTL (Too Stupid to Live) or whiney. I also have friends that cheer when they realize the heroine is a real life size 14 plus kinda girl.

What kind of heroine do you like? Face it as much as we love the hero and want to be his true love we all vicariously do that by “becoming” the heroine in the story. What kind of heroines can you relate to? What is a personal ewww for you?

I happen to like the ingenue. That innocence that needs protected. Ah, but then thru her own unique story arch you find that she is tougher than anyone thought. Is it because I want to be more like that? I don’t know. I’ve always been the tougher tom boy type hiding lace under the facade.

I personal don’t feel a need to fantasize about a size 14 heroine. I’ve busted my ass to get down to the size 12 – 14 heroine and I really don’t want to read about how she feels plump and unsexy because she has a little curve over her hip. Plueeezeee.

Yes, I like to try to identify with that strong yet innocent ingenue. Perhaps to me she represents eternal youth? A goddess like beauty that evades her humble personality. She has to be oblivious to her radiant beauty because no one likes a diva who knows she’s all that.

That’s the heroine I would imagine myself to be.

What kind of personality do you like your heroine to have? What qualities are you wanting in your heroine?

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Fantasy Man Monday

Posted on September 13, 2010 | 1 comment

In considering the concept of Men in general I searched for an interesting knock your socks off candidate for Fantasy Man Monday.

Naturally a consideration of socks made me think of underware so I looked there for our winner.

Ahem…yes well.

So after dismissing that thought as terribly naughty and not productive…although….somewhat interesting for contemplation on another fantasy day. *fans self*

I thought NO I need a pursuit of REAL men this week. Not some fickle fantasy that doesn’t exist!

I found these fine gents.

No *giggles* not quite what I am looking for yet.

ummm lets see. I am looking for the man that will stand the test of time. Grow old with me and be my love for the best is yet to be. I’m sure I read that some where.

Ahh….yes… for some but perhaps not for all. That kind of love gives you a soft mushy feeling but isn’t really the purpose of today’s Fantasy Man Blog….it doesn’t sizzle your shorts…. Which led me back to the under wear page.

No — NO—- Oh God No and just plain ewwww. Dirty thoughts invade as I search

I’m always caught up by the bad boys.

What happened to the boy next door?

Ah yes…he won American Idol.

On serious contemplation I realized my “boys” were always broke – bad boys

I can’t find my Fantasy Man for this week. He must be hiding. Maybe I should go home and look under the bed. Nahh I wouldn’t find him there. I expect he is feet propped up making a mess in some dark corner of my imagination.

Perhaps I should explore the concept of Fantasy Girl on Wednesday.

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Fantasy Man Monday

Posted on August 23, 2010 | 1 comment

I had a request to preview a Fantasy Man that has a more European flavor. The search was on. The first candidate was suggested by friend Beth. Goran Visnjic and let me tell you the camera loves this boy. He looks different in almost every picture I have seen of him.

I love a man with a genuine smile. Humor is so sexy.

Yet, the man has a look that is so introspective and thoughtful.

The dramatic lines of his classic features led me to explore more about men of Europe. I found several worthy of Fantasy Man Monday

Tihomir Dukic a croatian gentleman living in the United States and working for a launch of his acting career.

or how about the drama of this Fantasy Man.

Denis Nikolic.

What do you think? What is your favorite Fantasy Man….European or otherwise?

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Fantasy Man Monday

Posted on August 16, 2010 | 13 comments

Good Morning, Happy Monday, Rah Rah. Start the Week with a Whoop Whoop…Here he is

This handsome fellow has made it into Fantasy Man Monday in another incantation but since a reader sent him to me with the special request that he receive some more air time….how could I resist. So, I am letting Theo out of my bed for one more tour of Fantasy Man Monday.

Besides It took me three days to get him to stop laughing at my newest self improvement — a change of hair color. No Darling, I’ve decided it is NOT prune purple…it is ummm brazen raisin.

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