Day 1 Continued and Day 2

When we arrived in Sedona, the first thing we thought about doing was... eating lunch! Of course. LOL We stopped at Tlaquepaque (ta-lah'-key-pah'-key), a shopping center built as a Mexican town square. It's adorable--take a look.

This is one of the main courtyards:

And one of the "alleys" leading to more shops:

Isn't it adorable? I love this place! We ate at the Oak Creek Brewery & Grill, and shopped a bit, then went and checked into the hotel (a lovely--can you see my tongue in my cheek?--Days Inn... hey! It ended up being $52 per person for one night. Not that I slept much--the bed was like a brick. But it was only a $52 brick versus one more expensive.) Then... we shopped some more. Rather, my family shopped and I walked around and looked, then found spots outside to sit and get some sun. I'm not much of a shopper. I'm really more of a hunter... see what I want, bag it and take it home. LOL

This is one of the views from the shopping area in downtown Sedona:
On our second day, we went to Slide Rock, which allows you to go right down into Oak Creek (there were people coming up to swim, even though the water was c-o-l-d). There's an old homestead on the property. The picture below is what these folks saw everyday when they walked out of their house:


Then we drove over to Jerome, an old mining town that sits right on the side of the mountain. You get up and down the town by driving switchbacks. Most of Jerome now is supported by tourism. We only went in a few of the shops, bought fudge (yum!) and, of course, took pictures. I'm not sure what this building used to be; it's one of only a handful that hasn't been restored:

And my favorite:


Unfortunately, Belgian Jennie's was closed while we were there, so I have no idea if the food--or the atmosphere--was any good.

Later this week I'll share some pics closer to home--the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, Sabino Canyon, and Mt. Lemmon. Then it's on to Tombstone...

After putting almost 900 miles on my car, I'm still tuckered out. LOL

Day 1 Of The Road Trips

My sister came to visit almost two weeks ago now. The day after she arrived, we drove up to Sedona for a couple of days. I thought I'd share some of the photos we took over the 10 days she was here.

On the way up to Sedona, we stopped by Montezuma's Castle in Camp Verde. This site was home of a band of Sinagua Indians (and had nothing to do with Montezuma). It was a five story, 22-room structure built into a recess in a limestone cliff. The Sinagua reached their homes by a series of ladders from the floor of the canyon--take a look at the picture below. Can you imagine? I'm thinking about the women who had children. How did she get them up and down, especially if she had more than one that was, say, under five years old? I guess they learned to climb ladders as soon as they learned to walk!

There's also a not-so-well preserved cliff dwelling beside Montezuma's Castle:

And in their "front yard", they had Beaver Creek:

Then, finally, we made it into Sedona. This is one of my favorite places--one I could easily go to as often as possible!


Stay tuned this week for more pictures from the beautiful state of Arizona!

Memorial Day

What is Memorial Day? Memorial Day was begun for us to remember and honor "our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice."

We observe by visiting and placing flowers on the gravesites of our fallen heroes, by visiting memorials, and by flying the US flag at half-mast until noon. There's also a "National Moment of Remembrance" at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.

Day is done
Gone the sun
From the Lakes
From the hills
From the sky.
All is well,
Safely rest.
God is nigh.
Fading light
Dims the sight
And a star
Gems the sky,
Gleaming bright
From afar,
Drawing nigh,
Falls the night.
Thanks and praise,
For our days,
Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.

(I'm sorry to say I didn't know Taps had words.) For all of you who have lost loved ones in our fight for freedom both here and abroad, though I know it was given with tears, thank you for your sacrifice. We remember our fallen heroes today, and every day.


"We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them." ~Francis A. Walker

Countdown

My first book with Amber Quill is due out on June 4th--just 7 more days! The Claiming is the story of Kassinda Marjoni, an Interstellar Marshal, who has her hands full with her prisoner, Rhys Valorian, an exiled prince from the planet Nosfer. Rhys, her former lover--the man she must turn over to the authorities in order to secure her brother's freedom.


Here's an excerpt (warning: adult content and language):

When she finally stilled, he put one arm around her waist and drew her closer until her curvy body was flush with his. The one-piece flight suit she wore hugged her breasts and hips. Even with her anger, her nipples were hard points against his chest, the scent of her arousal heavy in his nostrils.

She might be angry that the tables had turned, but she was aroused, too. He’d stayed alive as long as he had by taking advantage of every opportunity when it came his way. He wasn’t above to using their situation to remind her of their mutual attraction.

Attraction. What a miniscule word to describe what he felt, the way his cock was instantly hard at first sight or smell of her, the way his canines elongated until all he could think about was impaling her with cock and fangs.

There was something different about her, something so untainted and refreshing it grabbed him deep in the gut and wouldn’t let go. Even with her plan to turn him over to the ruler of Tima Prime for a trial based on charges she knew were trumped up, he couldn’t let her go. He wouldn’t let her go.

Not this time.

“Release me.” Her voice was as determined as the resolve he saw in her dark eyes.

“Uh-uh, ahya. I like my current state of health too much to do something as stupid as that.” He bent his head toward her lips and she jerked back. With a growl, he walked forward until he could pin her against the wall of the cockpit. Then he slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her with all the loneliness and lust he’d felt since she’d broken things off five years earlier.

He nipped and probed at her mouth until he felt her relax. Sliding her looped wrists over his head, he kept one hand behind her back, holding her soft body close to his. The other hand skated lightly over her jaw, down her neck to one full breast. When he cupped the warm, heavy weight of it in his palm, she moaned.

He shifted his stance so he could press his hard cock into the V of her thighs. Quick as a striking snake, she brought the hard manacles down on top of his head. When he stepped back, his hold on her loosening more in surprise than from any real injury, she brought her knee up. Hard.

Rhys grunted and bent over, one hand curled protectively over his throbbing balls. She turned to run and he caught her by one booted ankle. She fell to the floor with a soft cry, rolling to her back as he came over her.

He pulled her arms up and anchored her wrists above her head with one hand. His other hand fished through her jacket pocket until he found the restraint control. He pulled it out and pressed the button to activate the magnetic field of the cuffs. There was a slight buzzing sound, then the manacles thumped onto the metal plating of the deck.

“Rhys! Let me go.” She wiggled beneath him, muttering under her breath, dark brown eyes glaring at him. He caught his breath as his cock lengthened and hardened even more.

Her eyes widened and she went still like a small animal sensing a much larger predator.

She wouldn’t be far off in that assessment. His people were a very sensual race, but their roots were barbaric and some of the old ways remained.

He drew in a deep breath through his nostrils, dragging her scent deep into his lungs. When her pink tongue darted out and wet her lips, his eyes tracked the movement. Her tongue disappeared into her mouth and he set his lips to hers, slipping between her soft lips to trace a lazy pattern around her tongue.

The heavy perfume of her arousal permeated the air. He knew if he were to dip his fingers between her soft folds he’d find her sweet cunt covered with slick, thick cream. Rhys moved his hand to the opening of her suit and he started to slowly slide down the tab.

A sudden banging on the outer hull jerked him to a stop. “I think we’ve got company,” he muttered, demagnetizing the cuffs and getting to his feet. He hauled her up at the same time. “We’ll have to get back to this later.”

She gasped and yanked away from him. “Ohhh,” she fumed. “There is no later. Let me go, Rhys. This isn’t funny.” Her cocoa-colored eyes snapped fire at him, a mixture of anger and frustrated passion.

“It’s not meant to be funny. It’s meant to keep you from turning me over to a death squad, ahya.” With one hand wrapped around her upper arm, he pulled her along behind him as he walked toward the hatch.

“Stop calling me ‘purple spiny one’,” she snarled, jerking against his hold. “Besides, I’m taking you back for trial, not execution.”

“Semantics, Kass. You know as well as I do that the Timan High Council is collaborating with the madman who laid claim to my father’s throne.” Rhys stopped at the outer door and looked down at her. “We can talk about that later. For right now, remember where we are.”

Copyright ©2006 Sherrill Quinn. All Rights Reserved.

* * *

Look for The Claiming at Amber Quill on June 4th!

Happy Saturday!

Yay! It's the weekend. I'm over at the NCP blog today, talking about what readers want--come on over and give me your opinion, all right?

My sister and her friend leave for home today--I'll be taking them to the airport in another couple of hours. While I love my sister, I'll be glad to have my space back to myself. You know what I mean?!?

Have a terrific weekend! And, just so your trip here wasn't wasted, I'll leave you with this...

We're Off To Tombstone Today

We're off to Tombstone today, the town too tough to die. It's only about an hour and a half trip from where I live, so it's a must-see for first-time visitors to southeast Arizona.

I first went to Tombstone on vacation at least 10 years ago. I wanted to get a flavor for what an Old West town in the 1880s would look like. Of course, at that time they allowed cars to park on the main street, which kind of detracted from that Old West feel... Now, however, they don't allow vehicles on the main street, although the main street is paved. But the sidewalks are mostly "board walks" as in the olden days, and there's usually a horse or two hitched to a post along the way, so it's pretty neat.

But, honestly, after you've been in five or six shops, they all start to look the same. One trip was enough for me. But Tombstone is definitely a place you take visitors to, because everyone should see it at least once. The last time I went was September of last year, and that was the first time we paid admission to go back into Boot Hill (the cemetary) and the Bird Cage Theater (the saloon, where cowboys, drifters and gamblers could wet their whistle and have their whistle wetted, if you know what I mean). We didn't pay admission to go by the OK Corral where the legendary gunfight took place.


Tombstone was a very rough town, with shootings (and deaths) occuring all the time. The founder, Ed Schieffelin, was a prospector who, when he talked about going out into the surrounding hills to look for silver, was told by soldiers, "The only thing you're gonna find out there is your tombstone." By the 1880s, Tombstone was the largest town between Texas and San Fransisco, CA, and was actually larger than San Fransisco at one point.

Today, with it's population of roughly 1,500, it's totally dependent upon tourism. And I'm going to do my part--again--to support it. :)


"See" y'all when I get back.

Early Reader Reviews For PRAETORIANS

This is the coolest part about being an author: when readers read your stories and fall in love with your characters. Our readers group just grew by another person after she read The Praetorians: Discovery, and "loved it!" The day before the book came out, I blogged about it. On the day of its release, a reader commented on my blog that she'd bought it, read it, and loved it.

Today, a reader on the NCP readers group wrote, "Just finished Discovery. What a fantastic book! I can't wait for the next book in the series!!!!!!" (All the exclamation points are hers.) *G*

Yeah. That's what I'm talkin' about.

Happy Hump Day!

Well, we ended up going to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum yesterday, instead of Sabino Canyon and Mt. Lemmon (those are on track for today). I figured since yesterday was the last of our 90+ degree weather for awhile (meaning for the next few days we're in triple digits), it'd be best to get out to see the animals while it was still relatively, um, cool. The only ones who really remained illusive were the mountain lions and the black bear. But the wolves were out and playing, and the other cats were in the shade but visible. Coyotes were snoozing in the shade, as were the javalinas, but we could still see them. All in all, it was fun.

Hope you have a great hump day--enjoy the pics!

Writers Don't Write All The Time...

... or do they?

For this writer, I've found I don't do much of anything when I'm sick. I focus on being able to breathe, on getting better. I do know that I obsess about not being able to write, especially when I'm sick. Too much soppy, heavy fatigue to battle through, too much blowing of the nose, coughing so hard my ribs hurt. And I don't write.

But I think about not writing.

Does that count?

I did play on Fal's blog yesterday (or was it Sunday? Boy, time so does not fly when you're sick, but everything manages to meld together anyway), inserting a line into a free form poem he started. But I don't really count that as true writing. I also started the June newsletter for my local chapter but, again, not the kind of writing I'd like to be doing.

Of course, with my sister here, I wouldn't have done that much. We'd have been out and about seeing things, doing things. Not all sitting inside watching TV. (Of course, if other members of my family who live here and shall remain nameless didn't feel so inconvenienced to have to drive a whole 40 minutes to get to my place from their house, my sister and her friend could have done something today. But that's all I'm gonna say on the subject.)

Today, no matter how I feel, we're going out. We're going to take a tram ride up Sabino Canyon in the morning, then drive up Mt. Lemmon in the afternoon. Probably grab a bite to eat at the Iron Door restaurant at Ski Valley. (Not sure why it's called a valley when it's at the top of the mountain... I guess because the slopes come down into a valley? Not being a skier, I have no idea.)

One of the environmental features I like the most is the change of scenery as you change elevations. At the desert floor and up to about 2,000 feet, you'll see lots and lots of saguaro (most often pronounced "sa-hwaur-oh", but it's acceptable to pronounce the 'g', as in "sa-gwaur-oh"). The only place in the world these cacti grow is here in the Sonoran Desert.


Then the saguaro drops away and it gets a little scruffier, then soon you're into evergreens and it looks like any other mountain you'd see in the world. Except its just over 9,000 feet above sea level, and it rises from a desert.

Needless to say, we'll be taking plenty of pictures, which I hope to start sharing by mid-week. (It's my sister's camera. I don't have a digital camera. Yet. I know, I know. I'm technologically deficient. I don't have an iPod, I don't have a plasma TV, I don't have a lot of stuff. But I have my laptop with wireless Internet, so I'm happy.) *G*

But, back to the subject. For you writers out there, do you think about writing all the time? Or think about not writing? Or do you actually have "off" moments when you're not obsessing?

Fire Season Is Here

We've got a wildfire burning on the northwest side of town. People can look outside and see the fire running up the ridge. Last night it was at about 50 acres, but with winds expected gusting up to 25 mph, they're anticipating the fire will easily be over 100 acres by mid-morning. Thankfully the wind is blowing from the south/southwest, so it's actually blowing the fire up the ridge instead of down toward town. They've got two hot shot crews there now, and another on the way. Air tankers are supposed to come in this morning. They suspect the cause of the fire is from a lightening strike.

There's also a wildfire burning near Safford, further south. As of last night, only about 50 acres had burned.

Thankfully, neither of these fires is threatening where I live. :)

Almost three years ago a wildfire (the Aspen fire) raged through Mt. Lemmon, burning 80,000 acres (including pretty much the entire town of Summerhaven--cabins and businesses) before it was put out. It also crept over the western side of the mountains. At the time, I live on the northwest side and watched the fire from my driveway. Scary stuff. The mountain is starting to come back alive, but I remember driving up about 6 months after the fire. The landscape looked like something out of a science fiction movie--completely desolate.

I'm still feeling crappy--thinkin' I've got the beginnings of bronchitis. I"ll be calling my doctor this morning--hopefully she'll call me in a scrip for antibiotics and not make me go into the office. We'll see.

Have a good day, y'all!

And The Universe Conspires Against Me...

If you've been reading my blog lately, you'll know that my sister and a friend have come to town for a 10-day visit. We went to Sedona and Jerome on Thursday and Friday, respectively and, I promise, I'll have pictures some time this week on my blog. What I haven't told you is... my sister is sick. Coughing up her lungs. She's on antibiotics and swears she's not contagious, but...

Guess who's getting sick? Yeah, it would be the person who's working on her blog at 1:oo in the morning because she can't sleep because she's either a) coughing or b) irritated because her clogged-up nose is whistling when she breathes. And yeah, that would be me.

The last time I got sick, my mom and my sister plus my aunt and cousin came out (last September). My aunt was sick, and I merrily picked up whatever germs she was passing out. It took me two and a half weeks to kick that. I'm really hoping I can get rid of whatever bug my sister handed out in less time than that.

What's the most irritating is I figured I wouldn't get much writing done while they were here, but I could at least do some editing on my wip, based on feedback from my critique partners. Ain't happenin'. I can't concentrate enought to do even that.

Phfft.

And I just realized. Sitting upright, I haven't coughed once. Of course, I can't sleep sitting upright. I've gotta be on my left side. Double phfft.

Oh, and did I mention the top of my right foot started hurting about a week ago? Just out of the blue, for no reason. It hurts when I walk, it hurts when I'm not walking--just the odd pang, but they're hard, deep pangs. Nobody told me when I hit my 40s they'd hit back. Hard.

Life sucks, and then you die.

Phfft.

Woman As Explained By A Mathematician & An Engineer

We made it back safe and sound from Sedona. We spent one afternoon and the next morning there, then drove over to Jerome, then back home again. All in all, about 600 miles on the car in 2 days. I am t-i-r-e-d.

I have my RWA meeting today. Sis and her friend are going to crash while I'm gone, then we'll decide what to do once I get home. Maybe more crashing. LOL

Here's a couple of "funnies" for you. I'll share pics from my trip a bit later on.







So, tell me, guys, is this right?

The Praetorians: Discovery

Due out May 19th at New Concepts Publishing.


This is the first in what I hope is a four-part series, starting with Max Didion and Catriona Devane.

It's the year 2070. A secretive scientific/political/military group, operating in a hidden facility under the Sonoran Desert, has created hybrid human/animal warriors to protect their Chosen Ones--humans with telepathic and telekinetic abilities who are being placed in positions of power around the world.

Max is the captain of the elite security team that protects the facility. Cat, an undercover reporter with a talent for getting in trouble, becomes his newest priority. Here's a short excerpt (ADULT content):

“Let me go, Max.” She made her voice as firm as she could, which was difficult considering that, with him staring at her with lust slowly filling his gaze, all she wanted was for him to leave her tied up and force pleasure on her more than willing body.

He pushed away from the door and came over to her. Sitting beside her, his hip pressing against hers, he leaned over. His big hands planted on either side of her, he bent to her mouth and took it in a hard kiss.

She arched against him. When he jumped up as if he’d been shocked, she blinked in surprise.

“You’re not going to distract me, little cat.” He pulled up a straight-backed chair from a nearby table and settled into it next to the bed. Bending over, he untied and removed his boots. He took off his socks and dropped them on the floor. Stretching his long legs out in front of him, he laced his fingers together on his flat stomach. “You still have some explaining to do.”

She dragged her gaze from his big feet, up his long legs, snagging on the bulge at his groin. His cock rode long and thick along one thigh, growing thicker even as she watched.

He rubbed one hand along his stomach, then popped open the button on the waistband of his fatigues. “Talk to me, Cat.” His voice, deeply dark, brought her attention to his face. When she remained stubbornly silent, he said, “Maybe this will help. I know you’re a reporter. I know you have more knowledge than you should have about The Foundation, its purpose, and those who live here. I know, when you first came here, you already knew Harris was missing.”

Still, she said nothing. He was right, after all.

“Who are you? Is Catriona really your name?”

“Yes. Catriona Devane.”

His eyes sharpened. A flicker of recognition went through them, but all he said was, “Ahh. Not Waggoner, then.”

She pressed her lips together. There was no reason not to tell him. If he was going to harm her, he could have done it days ago. Besides, she had to trust someone. From her dealings with Max, she knew him to be stubborn as hell but with a sense of honor that went bone-deep. “Waggoner is my mom’s maiden name.”

He gave a nod, studying her with dark, hot eyes. “Who’s your contact?”

“I don’t know.” When he shifted in his chair and leaned toward her, she stuck her chin up. “I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know.”

“Male or female?”

“Male. I think.” At his raised eyebrow, she added, “He always disguised his voice.”

Max looked skeptical. “And you’ve had no contact with him since you’ve been here?”

She shook her head. “Only via typed notes.”

He drew in a breath and blew it out through his nose, a loud expulsion of air that spoke volumes about the level of his aggravation. “Why did he contact you?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet.”

Pursing his lips, he leaned his elbows on his knees.

She wiggled a little on the bed and his eyes grew hotter. “He either wants me to expose The Foundation,” she said breathlessly, “or he wants to expose me. I can’t figure out why someone would want to do the latter, so I’m pretty sure he expects me to blow the lid on this place.”

He dragged one finger across the v-neck of her t-shirt, then dipped it between her breasts. “I can think of a few reasons why someone would want to expose you, honey.”

Copyright ©2006 Sherrill Quinn. All Rights Reserved.

So put this on your to-be-bought list and, on Friday, go get it!

My sister and a friend are in town for the next week and a half. I'm so excited she's here! We're leaving this morning for Sedona for 2 days--I'll be back on the blog-tour on Saturday.

Would You Look At This!

My uncle sent this picture to me. It's a white peacock (not an albino--his eyes aren't red)--doesn't he look like a big, beautiful snowflake? I've seen live peacocks (one of my grandmother's cousins had two when I was a kid) and they're beautiful. Loud, but beautiful. But this guy...! He's gorgeous.

My sister's due into town tonight. We're going out to dinner with my sister-in-law (bro's off to Iowa on a business trip... or was it Idaho? Can't remember.), then back home to probably crash. Flying is tiring business, even when your arms aren't flapping. Then it's off to Sedona for 2 days.

So you can compare the two birds, here's a pic of a "normal" peacock:

Lazy Tuesday

I don't have much today. Yesterday was really windy in the Old Pueblo and, even though I was inside most of the day, my place isn't exactly air tight, ya know? So pollen gets in and I ended up spending the day wanting to sleep. Now that I'm up and at 'em today, I still feel the same way. Which is really irritating, because my sister comes into town tomorrow for 10 days and I know I won't get much writing done. So I really needed to get it done yesterday (which I didn't) and today.

But enough about me and my allergy-induced fog.

Have a great day. To help things along, I'm leaving you with some delicious eye candy--cowboys and Indians in a whole new light!

I'm SExing Today!

Come on over to Silver Expressions and chat with me. I'm blogging about coffee and men.


One of them I love, one not so much.


If you've spent any time at all on my blog, you'll know which is which.


But, just in case you're a little fuzzy about it, I'll leave you a picture of one of my favorite "things" in the world:

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Now, just what "thing" did you think I was talking about?!?!? I like men for more than just their... appendages.

And I hate coffee!

Mothers

Mothers are the place where love
Emerges from the earth,
And happiness rings out like bells
In honor of our birth.

Mothers are the sun that lights
For life our inner sky,
So we may know that we are loved
And need not question why.

Mothers are the moon that shines
Upon our black despair,
So even when we weep, we know
That someone's always there.

Whatever fear, or stress, or pain
Might them to anger move,
We know that underneath the storm
We have, always, their love.

I love you, Mom. I miss you. Happy Mother's Day.

Another Bash At The Raven!

I'm over at Michelle Pillow and Mandy Roth's place today--The Raven--hanging out with their readers and other authors, posting excerpts and just generally having fun. If you're not a member of their group and you want to read some really hot excerpts, plus have a chance to win some nifty prizes, go on over and join in the fun! I'll be posting excerpts from all of my books, including sneak peeks at my upcoming May 19th release from New Concepts--The Praetorians: Discovery.

I know many of the readers in my group I first found over at The Raven, so I don't mind reciprocating and sending folks their way. :)

I'm percolating an idea for submission to the 2007 Cavemen at Ellora's Cave. (Or it might go to Samhain. I haven't decided yet.) What do you think about this guy for my hero?


P.S. My word count for yesterday was pretty good -- did eleven pages (2,600 words) on Beyond the Beast. Take a look at my counter in the left column--I'm now over halfway done! Woo-hoo!! I also added another 1,000 words to Obsidian's Flame, for a total of 3,600 words today. I'd like to try to have the first draft of Obsidian's Flame finished by the time my sister comes into town on Wednesday, so I can send it off for critiques and only have to worry about finishing BtB. We'll see how that goes.

Relativity

I (sort of) remember a line from a movie (I think it was Deep Blue Sea--Ice Cube's character speaking) regarding Einstein's Theory of Relavity: "You put you hand on hot pan, a minute feels like an hour. You put your hand on a hot woman, an hour feels like a minute."


What has me thinking about this? I received a request from a reviewer at Romance Junkies to review The Praetorians: Discovery. This is the second time a reviewer has contacted me personally asking to review one of my books. (The other one was from Love Romances for Careful Wishes.) And while I got to thinking that maybe that made me special (or maybe they just want to read books for free!), I realized that I've been published for only two and a half months.


My first book, Redemption--part of the Zodiac: Pisces duet at Liquid Silver Books--came out on February 20th. Praetorians, my fifth book, will be out almost 3 months to the day of my first.


It feels like a lot more time has passed than just two and a half months. Hence me thinking about Einstein's Theory of Relativity.


What sorts of things have seemed to slow or speed up time for you?


(Oh, and Wednesday? A fluke. A complete fluke. Yesterday I managed 7 pages (roughly 1,750 words) on Beyond the Beast. I think I burned myself out Wednesday but, man, was it good while it lasted! And I only did another 200 words on Obsidian's Flame, for a total of 1,950 words for the day. That's not too shabby, but nothing close to what I did on Wednesday.)

What A Day Yesterday!

Whew! Yesterday I wrote 22 pages on Beyond the Beast--finished chapter 10, wrote a short chapter 11 in the villain's point of view, then nearly finished chapter 12, which has the first full love scene (although no intercourse yet) between the hero and heroine. The heroine has just seen a face at the window, and the hero and the secondary character are getting ready to go outside and check. Is it the main villain? Or the other villain? LOL (I have a sub-plot going with a bad guy as well.) Need to keep everyone on their toes, and you can never have too many villains. Well, I suppose you can, but in this case... not.

Anyway, 22 pages, doing the math the traditional print publisher way with 250 words per page, nets me 5,500 words. (It's only 4,700 using the computer word count, which is still nothing to sneeze at, but I like the sound of 5,500 better!)

And let's not forget what I did on Obsidian's Flame: 1,300 words (and that's using the computer word count).

That gives me a total of 6,000 actual words yesterday. Yikes! It's been awhile since I've been able to do that, and it feels good.

I'm feeling great. So I'm sharing some candy with y'all. Enjoy!

Oy. Vay. Isn't he just... grrrrrowf!! Look at those arms, those abs, those incredible thighs. Oh, to have my hands where his are...

And I have to leave something for my guys who like gals. Hope you like her! :)

Problematic Words

I don't know about anyone else, but I always have a problem with "hanged" versus "hung". I can never remember which word goes with hanging a picture, and which with hanging a man. I cannot tell you how many times I've had to look it up on the Internet.

I thought that, maybe, if I share it here, it will help me remember.

When hang means "to suspend," then hung is the correct past tense and past participal form of the verb, i.e., "Yesterday, I hung a picture on the wall." and "I have hung many pictures on the wall."

When hang means "to put to death by hanging," however, hanged is the correct past tense and past participal form, i.e., "We hanged the horse-thieving varmint yesterday." and "We've hanged twenty horse thieves so far this year."

Why the fuss? you ask. I mean, since hanging is no longer a means to an end (at least in most civilized countries), so to speak, you might think that this is an unimportant distinction. But, because of a modern colloquial use of hung (and you know what I'm talking about), you can end up embarrassing yourself if you use hung as an adjective to describe a man executed by hanging.

History records that Martin Smith was hanged at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1852; whether Mr. Smith was hung, history does not record.

See what I mean?

How about "further" versus "farther"? This one causes me trouble, too.

According to the sources I looked at, you should use "farther" when referring to distance, and "further" to indicate a continuation or extension in terms of time, degree, or anything else not relating to distance.

So, for example: "Arizona is farther from Ohio than from Texas."
"We could argue this point further, but it would be pointless."

What about you? Any particular word pairings that give you problems?

New Cover!

Here's my cover for The Praetorians: Discovery, due out on May 19th at New Concepts Publishing:


Isn't it gorgeous?!? I absolutely love New Concepts artists! (Well, to be honest, I've yet to get a cover from any of my publishers that I've not liked.) *G* Here's the story:

Catriona Devane is on the assignment that will finally put her on the journalistic map. Deep under the Sonoran Desert, she searches for clues in the disappearance of the lead scientist responsible for creating the Praetorians, warriors who are human/animal hybrids.

Max Didion is the captain of the ultra elite squad of Praetorians who guard the scientific facility. A human/cougar hybrid, his heightened sense of sight, smell and hearing are invaluable assets to him in his job. But he has become more and more convinced that what he's protecting is immoral. When Cat comes into his life and puts herself in harm's way, it's time to make a decision.

His job or her life?

He doesn't hesitate. And once they're relatively safe, will she love him enough to accept him for what he is? Part man, part cougar. Her mate.

* * *

An excerpt from The Praetorians: Discovery:

Catriona Devane crept along the deserted corridor of the scientific wing of The Foundation, a complex deep under the Sonoran Desert. Most people had no idea what lurked under this stretch of starkly beautiful land west of Tucson. They had no idea it housed an ultra-secretive organization that trained people with the powers of telepathy and telekinesis.

The Chosen Ones.

She held her breath and prayed no one would leave their quarters. At two in the morning, most of the staff was asleep, with a lone security guard on duty. Her contact had assured her the man would be distracted from the screens for thirty minutes. Long enough for her to get in and out without being seen.

Glancing at the duty roster as she passed by, she was reminded that today was Friday the thirteenth. Not that she was suspicious or anything. After all, this was twenty-seventy. Science ruled, and there was no room for ancient suspicions.

She tiptoed on, knowing if it weren’t for her latent ability to mask her thoughts, she would’ve never made it past the front door. As a Sensitive, she could block her mind from anything they sent her way. Most people were psychically sensitive to one degree or another, much more so than even fifty years ago.

She swallowed, even though her mouth was dry with the fear of being caught. Were she to be discovered in an area of the complex for which she didn’t have clearance, well.… She’d be in deep doo-doo.

With a capital D.

She could only hope her contact was true to his--or her--word.

She turned the corner and stopped for a moment, trying to calm her breathing. With the Praetorians’ exceptional sense of sound, they were sure to hear her if she went on like this, wheezing down the hallway like a winded racehorse.

Thoughts of the elite security force that guarded the Chosen Ones made her heart thump harder. The Praetorians, hybrid warriors, appeared to be mere humans, but the men’s DNA was spliced with that of various animals. These were men who were naturally tall and strong, but enhanced to be more. Much more.

Hawkmen. Wolfmen. Lionmen. The list of hybrids was astounding. It was rumored that the experiments had begun as much as a hundred years earlier, in a top-secret military installation in Nevada. But, like the Chosen Ones, the Praetorians were kept a secret.

She needed to know why.

A noise from behind made her stop. With a gulp, she turned and surveyed the still empty corridor. When nothing happened, she wiped her sweaty palms on her black jeans and started walking again. Her rubber-soled sneakers made little noise on the floor, but she was so hyped up, the small squeaks she heard seemed to echo loudly.

Her destination was the room at the end, the lab where the biogenetic researchers worked. All other staff was forbidden admittance. From conversations she’d had with other lab assistants, this was the last place Doctor Lexy Harris had been seen, just over a week ago.

If she could prove to the authorities and the public that nefarious scientific experiments--unsanctioned biogenetic experiments--were taking place here, all initially engineered by Doctor Harris, she’d be on the journalistic map. Cat was determined this story would be the one to make her career.

But there was more to it than that. She had a personal agenda, as well, to discover what had happened to her brother. She hadn’t heard from him in nearly five years, but she sensed he still lived. Her contact at The Foundation had hinted that Sean had gotten mixed up in all of this. She needed to find him. She had to know.

This was her first undercover assignment and she was so close to the truth--all the truth--the fine hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end.

Of course, that could have something to do with Max Didion, the captain of the security team here at The Foundation. Every time he was near, her senses went into overload. All she wanted to do was wrap herself around him and drink him in, his smell, the feel of his skin, the heat from his big body.

One kiss. He’d only kissed her one time and she couldn’t get the taste of him out of her mouth. She wasn’t sure she wanted to. It was like holding milk chocolate in your mouth and taking a sip of coffee. A burst of bitter against the sweet.

She wanted more.

Copyright ©2006 Sherrill Quinn. All Rights Reserved.

Has New York Come Calling?

I don't check my stats very often, but last night I wanted to see what kind of activity my blog and website have been getting.

Should've known better, because now I have butterflies in my stomach. I've had some visits from New York City, one of which was from a Random House ISP.

Oy.

Vay.

But what does it mean, exactly? An editor? Or just someone who was bored and surfing the 'Net?

No, wait. This person came to my blog via my website, and came to my website via my Blogger profile. So, does this mean this person wasn't just surfing, but came to me on purpose? Well, I don't know. To see my profile, s/he would have had to have gone to my blog first, right? And my stats don't tell me how that happened.

(putting head between knees to keep from passing out) I'm going to stop looking at my stats, I swear. I can't take this.


Oh, and today is the latest installment of All's Fair at Indulgence. Check it out.

My First Blog At Amber Quill

Today's my first day ever over at the Amber Quill blog. I'm talking about vampires--please come on over and chat with me!

And, once again, so you don't feel like your trip was wasted here, I'm leaving some eye candy for you. {grin}




Hot-hot-HOT!

When You Love Someone

Not too long ago, Kate blogged about unconditional love. It reminded me of the song When You Really Love Someone by Alicia Keys:

I'm a woman, Lord knows it's hard
I need a real man to give me what I need
Sweet attention, love and tenderness
When it's real, it's unconditional, I'm telling y'all

[Chorus:]

Cause a man, just ain't a man,
If he ain't man enough
To love you when you're right,
Love you when you're wrong,
Love you when you're weak,
Love you when you're strong.
Take you higher
When the world got you feelin low.
He's given you his last, cuz he's thinking of you first,
Giving comfort when he's thinking that you're hurt.
That's what's done when you really love someone
I'm telling y'all, I'm telling y'all.

Cause you're a real man and Lord knows it's hard.
Sometimes you just need a woman's touch,
Sweet affection, love and support.
When it's real, it's unconditional, I'm telling y'all.

[Chorus:]

Oh, cuz a woman ain't a woman if she ain't woman enough
To love you when you're right,
Love you when you're wrong,
Love you when you're weak,
Love you when you're strong,
Take you higher when the world's got you feeling low.
She's giving you her best, even when you're at your worst
Giving comfort, when she's thinking that you're hurt
That's what's done, when you really love someone
I'm telling y'all (whooo)

Sometimes you're gonna argue
Sometimes you're gonna fight
Somtimes it's gonna feel like it will never be right
But something so strong keeps you holding on
It doesn't make sense, but it makes a good song

Cause a man just ain't a man,
If he ain't man enough
To love you when you're right,
Love you when you're wrong,
Love you when you're weak,
Love you when you're strong.
Take you higher when the world's got you feeling low.
He's given you his last, cuz he's thinking of you first,
Giving comfort when he's thinking that you're hurt
That's what's done when you really love someone
I'm telling y'all, I'm telling y'all, I'm telling y'all


That a woman ain't a woman if she ain't woman enough
To love you when you're right,
Love you when you're wrong,
Love you when you're weak,
Love you when you're strong.
Take you higher and higher
When the world's got you feeling low.
She's giving you her best, even when you're at your worst.
Giving comfort, when she's thinking that you're hurt.
That's what's done, when you really love someone.

And that's why I write romances.

Viva el 5 de mayo!

It's May 5th, and that means... Cinco de Mayo. Break out the margaritas!

In 1862, French troops under the direction of Napolean III, invaded Mexico. On May 5th, at Pueblo, Mexico, 4,000 Mexican troops beat the snot out of the 8,000-strong French and traitor Mexican army. This essentially kept Napolean III from supplying the Confederate army in the U.S. with supplies, which allowed the Union army to build the greatest army the world had ever seen. 14 months later, after the Union troops defeated the Confederates at Gettysburg, ending the Civil War, Union forces were rushed to the Texas/Mexico border under General Phil Sheridan, who made sure all Mexicans received all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican army to fight the French. The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico City.

What would the U.S. (and Mexico) be like if those brave 4,000 Mexican soldiers hadn't faced down and won against a force twice their size? Hmm. We might all be speaking French today! Instead of English and Spanish.

Viva el 5 de mayo! (Which, interestingly enough, is celebrated more by Mexican-Americans than by Mexicans.)

I'm having my own celebration today. Yesterday, my critique partner and I plotted out the rest of Beyond the Beast, making sure it made sense and the story arc followed character motivations logically. Phew! Such a relief. Now I can forge forward. If I can stop focusing on my physical discomfort. Swollen eyes from allergy problems, bloating and cramping from, um, female problems, and fatigue from lack of sleep I attribute to both.

A margarita's looking better and better. . .

I'm Being Torrid Today

So come on over and visit me at Torrid Temptations. I'm talking about engaging the emotions of the reader. Help me out and come give your $.02.

But, first, enjoy the eye candy:

Review For Careful Wishes

From Dawn at Love Romances:

4 Hearts!

"Wow is all this reviewer can say after reading Careful Wishes. (Ms. Quinn) literally has the reader rooting for Donovan and Addie to be together ... passion explodes across the pages; this reviewer was amazed at the sheer depth and prose Ms. Quinn shows in this wonderfully told tale."

Read the entire review here. And if you haven't gotten your copy of Torrid Teasers Volume 3 yet, get it here.

Woot! Woot!