Hi everyone.
I've now been in St. Pete for a month and here's what I've observed so far. This city is old. I don't mean the city itself, but the inhabitants. I'm 64 and feel like a spring chicken. Seriously. And they aren't just snowbirds like at home. A lot of retirees are claiming this as their permanent address.
Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against senior citizens. I'M a senior citizen--depending on which discount I'm trying to obtain. My problem is that they drive--as in automobiles--on the streets--as in 10 mph under the speed limit. I know how people in SoFla would react to this, but I am slowly learning patience because tomorrow it could be me.
I'm also learning to adjust my schedule. In Ft. Lauderdale, I'd go to the grocery at 10 in the morning with no problem. Here, I found it's smart to go either before 9:30 or after 11:00. Between those times is when all the buses from the assisted living residences show up. The store is crowded and since I'm still learning my way around the aisles, it takes forever to shop. I don't really mind that. What scares the hell out of me are those retirees using motorized shopping carts or their own electric wheelchairs. A ninety-year-old man in a HoverRound almost ran me over the other day. His companion had to practically run to keep up.
But before you think I really hate it over here--which I don't--let me explain about the good side. The pace is slower, the people more laid back. I haven't seen the rush, rush, rush to get places like on the South Florida east coast. And I haven't heard a car horn since moving here. No kidding! At home, if a driver doesn't move within .02 seconds of the light turning green someone leans on their horn.
Another plus is the people. They're polite. They say "please" and "thank you" and even apologize for blocking the aisle in the store. Several years ago, I had a couple push me out of the way so they could get the last table with a view at a local restaurant. We've been out to eat a few times here, and everyone waits their turn in line. Amazing. I'd almost forgotten people could be nice!
As the saying goes, so far, so good. Learning my way around is a challenge. Every other place I've lived have the "avenues" running north-south and the "streets" running east-west. Here it's just the opposite. And then there's the whole mindset of east being near the water and west inland. In St. Pete it's reversed, which means I'm sure at some point in time, I'll head for downtown St. Pete and end up on the Gulf beaches. And that's not a bad thing.
Hope everyone has a wonderful day and I'll be back later with more directionally challenged adventures. LOL.
Until then.
Suzanne
Hi everyone.
I know it's been a looooong time since I've blogged and I do apologize to all my readers. But sometimes life has a way of, well, getting in the way.
Shortly after the SWFRW Super Saturday, my husband was contacted about a temporary job opportunity in the Tampa area. Since it involved the same type of work he'd been doing in Gainesville for the past two years and since he wasn't ready to deal with retirement just yet, he said yes.
Then the fun began. We decided the two year separation with visits of once every three weeks just was going to work this time around. So, we closed up the SoFLa house and found a rental in South St. Petersburg. I never minded moving in the past. It was an opportunity for new places and new faces. I adapt pretty well and since it's only for a year or two, figured I'd do so again.
What I didn't count on was the sheer drudgery of packing and moving. I've been happily ensconced in South Florida for fifteen years attending my meetings, having lunch with my friends, and of course, shopping at my favorite stores and malls. I've been here two weeks now and can tell you all in a firm voice that I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS!!!
I had no DISH or Internet service for the first two days. The TV I didn't mind so much. But not being able to access my e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages almost drove me nuts. It did, however, force me to unpack and do a dozen other things I would have put off until forever. A few weeks ago I posted on my Pinterest page an adage that said, A Clean House is the Sign of No Internet Service. Boy, is that ever true. I've never been so organized. Everything was put away, the laundry was done, folded, and stored, and I even forged ahead on a couple of my works in progress.
As of now, I am slowly settling into the new digs and getting down to a routine. Even my faithful companions, Liza and Lucky like their new and improved back yard for exploration and sniffing expeditions. Lots of trees complete with squirrels immediately grabbed Liza's attention. Fortunately, the little buggers are fast and can run well on top of the fence. She hasn't caught any yet. Yet. Not sure what I'll do if she does.
I hope everyone is doing well and having a good time. I'll try to be more diligent about keeping you informed of my adventures.
So, until later, have a great day!
Suzanne
Hi everyone.
I was offline this past weekend while attending the Southwest Florida Romance Writers Super Saturday event. Yesterday, I caught up on all my Facebook and Twitter comments, and then turned to a couple of blogs I read on a regular basis. One of them is Dear Author. I love this blog. They even reviewed my first book, Along Came Quinn, and gave it a nice write-up.
At any rate, as I said, I was catching up on my reading when a Friday posting really nailed my attention to the wall. It seems the treasurer of an RWA specialty chapter was uncovered, and finally admitted, to plagiarism--not just once, not twice, but many, many times! She lifted stories from several authors, changed the character names, re-arranged a few words here and there, and then published them on sites like Smashwords under numerous pen names. Apparently, she also plagiarized blog entries as her own, too.
As authors, we think piracy is a big problem, but plagiarism is rarely punished. And with the proliferation of self-publishing, it's hard to keep track of something like this. Oh, the occasional lawsuit is filed by an outraged author--as it should be--but by and large unless it involves a well-known writer (the Nora Roberts/Janet Daily thing of a few years ago comes to mind) most cases are footnotes. I personally know of two author friends who's material was lifted. An apology and a flimsy excuse was all they received from the perpetrator.
Writers are like sponges. We absorb information. I'm sure a lot of us have heard or read a phrase or a slice of dialogue and retained it, sometimes using it in a book. That's an honest mistake, but to lift paragraphs, scenes, chapters, and even entire plot points from a fellow author's already pubbed work is beyond belief. In this age of the internet when everything is available at a moment's notice, to do what she did took major league balls. Did she think she'd get away with this? That someone wouldn't notice? Sure looks like it.
By the way, the culprit tendered her resignation as treasurer. It was accepted. When unmasked under her real name, she admitted she was a plagiarizer and a thief--her words--and apologized. Frankly, if I was one of the half dozen or so authors victimized by this woman, I'd sue her ass off.
To read the entire Dear Author entry, go to their website, www.dearauthor.com and scroll down to the February 24th date. It's listed under, Stupidity--which says it all.
Hope you all have a wonderful week. Until next time.
Suzanne
Hi everyone.
The Internet never fails to amaze me. It seems like every time I turn around, something new pops up. And while I admit cruising the web for inspiration isn't my strong suit, I do pick up the occasional nugget. The newest innovation is called Pinterest. It's an internet bulletin board in which people can "pin" images to various boards describing their interests.
It's an intriguing concept. It's also fun--and addictive. In fact, Pinterest could be the worst time suck since Facebook and Twitter.
My local RWA chapter loop has been busy in the past couple of weeks touting the promotional possibilities. By now, most of you know I hate promotion. And because I hate it, I don't do it well. I never know what to say or how to say it. But with Pinterest, I don't have to "say" anything. I just stick an image on the board of choice. So far, most of my boards are personal, but I do have a board with all my books on it. That's it for self-promotion.
Selfish reasons aside, I find Pinterest fun. I learn more about people through their "pins" than with just Facebook postings or tweets. You can follow me at pinterest/suzannerossi.com. If you're not on board yet (pun unintended, but appropriate) give it a try.
Speaking of self-promotion--next week is the ultimate in that category. I'm going to the Southwest Florida Romance Writers Super-Saturday over in Naples. I'm taking a few things for the goodie table, and will indulge in the most feared of all promotions--the pitch. I will try to convince an editor why she should buy my book by describing the plot and characters in ten minutes. Ugh! I'm awful at it. Absolutely awful. It's my book. I'd think I'd know it well enough to do this, but nooooo, nothing ever goes right. I forget key points, babble on nonessentials, and shake. Maybe this time will be different. But then, I always tell myself that. I'll let you know how it goes.
Until later.
Suzanne
Hi everyone.
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. To me it's just another Tuesday. I was never a big fan of the idea that romance should have a special day. All days are romantic with the right partner. Besides, flowers wilt, candy makes me fat, and I think grown women receiving Vermont teddy bears is silly. I also suspect the greeting card companies invented the whole thing just to sell cards.
As a kid, Valentine's Day was anxiety ridden. In school, everyone in the class would tape a brown paper lunch bag to the chalk tray on the blackboard and at the designated moment, students would drop cards into them. The anxiety came from the fear I wouldn't get any. Or that the boy I had a crush on wouldn't drop one in my bag. Or that the snooty girl in class (there's always one of those) would walk past ignoring me. Most of the time, my fear was unfounded and I received enough cards to ward off embarrassment.
My mother had a simple rule concerning things like this. If I had thirty classmates in my fifth grade class, then thirty kids got a valentine. End of discussion. The same held true for birthday parties. If I went to one, then that person was automatically invited to mine.
I think the whole Valentine in a bag thing ended when I went to middle school, not because anyone had suddenly become sensitive to others' self-esteem, but more of a "we're too cool now to bother with childish things like that." Seventh grade and the teenage years came about the same time. If special cards were given, it was on an individual basis--usually between boys and girls since awareness of the opposite sex had begun to spike.
My husband and I came to an understanding regarding Valentine's Day years ago. We ignore it. I don't need a special card or gift to know he loves me. Ditto with him. It's always there and has been for over forty years.
However, if you don't have this view of the day and are planning a quiet romantic evening with your spouse, then I hope you have a wonderful time. Smell the roses, eat the candy, but please, give the teddy bear to a deserving child.
Talk to you later.
Suzanne
Hi everyone.
Let me go on record as saying I am totally hooked on Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I love the characters, the plots, the humor, the sex--or almost sex--that trips through the pages, and even have a yen to see Trenton, New Jersey. So, naturally I was looking forward to the movie of her first book, One for the Money, to be released. I don't often spend the over-inflated ticket prices at the box office, but seriously considered doing so for this one.
On Saturday I read the first review. Uh-oh, not good at all. In fact, it was downright bad. Everybody connected with the movie got slammed, and not by just one reviewer. Everybody jumped on the "this movies reeeeally stinks" bandwagon. (When 28 out of 29 reviewers give it a "rotten" rating on RottenTomatoes.com, it has to be a disaster.) I read such words as "flat," "dull," "disappointing," "tasteless," and "not even close to being funny."
Then I read the cast list. Other than Katherine Heigl and Debbie Reynolds, I've never heard of them. Several review sites referred to Jason O'Mara and Sherri Shepherd as TV personalities. Since I don't watch network television, I wouldn't know, but the photo I saw of O'Mara just didn't look the way I envisioned Joe Morelli. I pictured taller with more muscles. And Debbie Reynolds, while a terrific actress, just wasn't in my mind as Grandma Mazur. In fact the first time I read the book, I kept seeing Betty White hauling that .45 out of her purse at the funeral home on viewing nights. Oh well, I am not a casting director. According to several reviewers, there wasn't one for this movie either.
This is a shame, because the Stephanie Plum books are fabulous. I look forward to each new release and am sure I'll shed a tear or two when Janet decides to end the series. But it also reinforces something I've always thought--that good books rarely translate into good movies. I have yet to enjoy the movie version of a good book as much as the original material. Even Gone With the Wind had holes, and yes, I understand that a movie is usually only a 2 hour adaptation of a 400 page book so some things have to be cut, but please, give me the book any day. It also reinforces why I rarely read reviews of either movies or books.
I'll wait for One for the Money to show up on cable or Netflix before seeing it and making up my own mind. But to tell you the truth, I'm sorry I didn't get to fork over a lot of money and indulge in real movie theater popcorn. Luckily, I have a DVD player and a microwave. I'll let you know my opinion soon.
Until next time.
Suzanne
Hi everyone.
I love and prefer to write in first person. My heroines are usually strong, determined women. I love getting into their heads with internalization and dialogue. Unfortunately, that can leave the hero and other characters a little light. So, to learn more about them, I'm forced to use dialogue, facial expressions, and their actions to give them interest.
A character's words say one thing, but his or her actions often say the opposite. For instance, the hero swears he's not afraid of marriage, yet changes the subject every time the word is mentioned. Or maybe he doesn't make eye contact with the heroine and fidgets with inanimate objects. Silverware or a wine glass is always a good choice during a dinner scene.
A secondary character may come off as cold and uncaring in dialogue, but then the heroine sees her helping distribute food to the homeless. Not the actions of a cold, uncaring person, but it gives the reader a new insight without going into that person's POV.
I have a recently finished story done in first person in which the hero states in no uncertain terms he's not the marrying kind. He doesn't want the emotional baggage. His dialogue and actions reinforce his statements. The heroine deludes herself into thinking she can change his mind. Do they get together? Not in this story, but they do in a sequel I'm planning. Actually, this one was fun to write. While never in the hero's POV, we learn through his dialogue and actions that he can read the heroine like a book. His actions are often tender, yet at the same time his facial expressions are amused.
I'm currently writing a story with two first person POVs. Yeah, it's a challenge, but I had to get into a secondary character's head so came up with the idea of a series of diary entries scattered throughout the manuscript. I'll have to see how it all works out in the end. Not quite there yet. ( I have to admit, I don't understand why an author would use third person when they never leave the heroine's POV, yet I know of several who do so.)
My first three books, Along Came Quinn, All in the Family, and A Tangled Web are done in third person, but the fourth, Nearly Departed is not. My soon to be released, Hear No Evil is also in first person. In the newly contracted, The Reunion, I'm back to third person.
The Reunion almost got away from me. I loved a secondary character so much she ended up taking over the story. That required a massive re-write. I almost did it in first person, but needed to get into the heads of others, including the killer. In the end, I used first person for the killer's POV and kept the other characters in third.
Keep in mind that dialogue must sound natural. I always loved writing dialogue. I could get away with using sentence fragments, adverbs, cliches, and the occasional grammar goof (sorry Grammar Divas) because that's the way people talk. Listen to a nearby conversation (okay, eavesdrop) sometime. Dangled participles, split infinitives, pauses in narration along with all of those mentioned above abound. But it sounds natural.
Also remember that actions should be kept natural, too. Unless your speaker is an actor, dramatic actions are best left for tension-filled, suspenseful moments. A sigh doesn't have to be heaved. Hair doesn't have to be tugged at when a simple hand running through it will do. A character doesn't have to stomp across a room even though angry. Striding works. Don't forget body language and facial expressions. Lifted chins, squared shoulders, a straight spine, raised eyebrows, or compressed lips can tell a reader exactly what that person is thinking.
I keep looking for the book to be written with no narrative--only dialogue and actions/facial expressions. Hmmm. Something to think about. I wonder if it's even a possibility. But then, I never wrote inside the box.
Have a great day and I'll be back soon.
Suzanne
Hi everyone.
I was so looking forward to this Christmas. Anticipation was high and I could barely contain my excitement at watching grandchildren open gifts. I envisioned a fabulous couple of weeks visiting family. I had it all planned right down to the days we'd spend on the road and how many nights we'd sleep in each place.
What I totally forgot was what I call the "Peek Factor." This is a corollary to "Murphy's Law"--what can go wrong, will.
Christmas morning in Memphis was all I expected. The kidlets were bouncing with joy and having a ball. My Colts fan son sent me a stern look when he opened his newborn son's Dolphin onesie, but I maintained an innocent look. Gift opening turned into an all day affair when my daughter-in-law's family came later in the day.
The next day was a typical Memphis winter day--temp around 40, windy, and raining. Yuck. In spite of the weather Bruce and I went to dinner that night with friends. On Tuesday, things took a turn for the worse. I woke up with a stuffy nose and a slight PND sore throat. I drank lots of fluids and rested. By evening a cough had developed. By the following morning, I knew I had trouble.
We took off for Rockford around 7:00. At our first gas stop, I bought some Spicy Hot V-8 (really pretty good stuff) and a package of Sucrets. Nine hours later I bought a couple of bottles of wine and Ny-Quil.
Thank goodness we opened the gifts in Rockford that night. Once again, the experience was wonderful. And it was a toss up as to who was more surprised by their gifts--my 5 year old grandson with his new bike or my daughter-in-law's squeal of glee at her new Kindle. After that things went downhill fast.
My congestion increased, the coughing got worse, and neither Bruce nor I got much sleep for the next 4 days. Ny-Quil and Sucrets were not getting it done, so I switched to Clariton 24 hour. It help a little, but not enough. By now the wine was gone. I was dry--dry, mind you--for 4 days and didn't care. I coughed so hard and so often, I pulled muscles in my stomach. Not fun. I felt awful for my son and daughter-in-law who had to put up with me.
On Monday we made the decision to bag the rest of the trip. Who wants a guest hacking up a lung every few minutes? We left for home 5 days ahead of schedule. I can't ever remember having done that before.
So on Wednesday night we finally pulled into our driveway, exhausted and happy to be able to sleep in our own bed. Luckily, I was feeling somewhat better.
The congestion is almost gone and the coughing has eased. I ate real food for the first time in days last night. I think I may be on the mend. The temps here in SoFla are predicted to be in the mid-to-upper 70's this weekend, so that should help. Obviously going north in winter is not an option for me unless I can figure out a way to NOT get sick. I'm working on it.
I'm also working on another trip--in the summer this time. See, first we go to Memphis, then take a side trip to...But wait, that's another blog.
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and new year. I did, in spite of all the sickness. Those grandkids are just too important to pass up.
Until next time.
Suzanne
Hi everyone.
Wow, has this past month been busy! Between writing and the holidays, I haven't had ten minutes to call my own. Bet I'm not alone.
My husband has been home now for a month and after 2 years getting used to living together again is an adjustment. We both picked up routines and habits that aren't necessarily compatible. It's like dating forty-plus years after the fact. However, having him home is the most important thing, and if I have to make a few changes, then so be it.
If any of you follow me on Facebook, you must know about the bloated work in progress I've been bitching about. My final word count was over 103K--way too long. I spent close to 2 months self-editing the damned thing before chopping it down to 92K and giving it a new title. I still wasn't satisfied, but sent it off to my editor at The Wild Rose Press on the theory that I'm never satisfied with the final results of anything I write. At least I can say "mission accomplished."
I had also been doing a lot of re-writes on a submission sent in last fall. My persistence paid off. I was offered, and accepted, a contract on The Reunion. It's about a killer knocking off classmates at a high school reunion. Two attendees try to unmask the murderer and the motive. Since it's romantic suspense there's plenty of love to go around. I really liked this story and wanted the contract BAD!! My 50th high school reunion is coming up in a few years. I'm banking on my former classmates buying the book to see if they're in it. Some are, carefully disguised, of course.
Still no word on when Hear No Evil will be released, but I'm sure it'll be soon.
Tomorrow, my husband and I leave for Memphis, Tennessee, and Rockford, Illinois, to spend Christmas with family. I have never seen my grandchildren open gifts and will not be deprived of it again. Hubby is in semi-retirement and our time is our own. We're traveling and that's the end of it. I can hardly wait. I went nuts buying gifts. Hubby is convinced we'll need a semi to transport them all. I think careful packing can fit everything into the Trailblazer. But that's his job, not mine. LOL.
I'll try to share the travel experiences and the family moments over the next few weeks.
Hope this holiday season finds all of you in good health and happy spirits. A Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka, and Joyous Kwanza to all my readers and friends.
Talk to you later.
Suzanne
Hi everyone.
Today's the day--Black Friday. The day millions of crazed, bargain hunting shoppers hit the stores at an obnoxiously early hour to trample each other in an effort to snag that $250, 40 inch plasma TV--of which the store only has 5 in stock.
I used to throw myself into the maelstrom, too. I quit about 6 years ago when my husband and I showed up at 7:00 in the morning at a Best Buy. The parking lot was jammed--not a space to be found, so cars found spots in highly creative places like the sidewalks. Due to fire regulations, store personnel were only allowing a certain number of customers inside at any given time. We were told the wait was over an hour, whereupon my husband said, "The hell with this. We don't need a (whatever the item was) that bad!"
We left only to witness two women get out of their cars and argue--loudly--over a parking slot not even vacated yet. The current resident was still unloading his purchases. Luckily, the two nut cases didn't see us. We had parked on the grass berm just outside the lot.
I can remember that as a kid, my parents would honor the day after Thanksgiving by shopping. We'd trek to the nearest mall whose stores opened at 10:00 in the AM. (This was the late '50s or early '60s when malls were still open air conveniences.) We'd split up with me going with Mom to buy for Dad, while he went on his own to buy for us. After lunch, I switched to Dad and we did it all over again. I know it sounds silly, but it worked.
Somewhere along the line the times kept creeping back--10:00 became 9, then 8, and then 7 until the magical 5:00 doorbuster time was achieved. Now, stores are greeting people at midnight, and for the first time in my memory, some establishments were open for business on Thanksgiving.
I guess maybe I'm getting old, but I still see Thanksgiving as a time for family and giving thanks, not pushing and shoving your way through a mob to get a so-called bargain.
If this keeps up, we will likely see Black Friday begin sometime in July. Even the term Black Friday is fairly recent. I just don't remember it being called that 15 years ago. The words bring to mind something dark and evil when, of course, it really refers to the retailers making tons of money and putting the store's books in the black. I'm not sure that's the case anymore what with the economy and all. The internet has also taken a chunk out of the day. I won't even get into Cyber Monday.
Now I spread my holiday shopping over several months. At the moment I still need a few items, but my husband and I will go on a weekday when the crowds are reasonable and the parking spaces, if not plentiful, at least accessible.
I hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving. With my husband home for good, we over-indulged. So what else is new? Comatose on turkey is as much a tradition as football, family, and--ahem--Black Friday.
Stay safe and I'll be in touch later.
Suzanne
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