Tipsy Tuesday

I hosted a "Table Talk" at my local RWA chapter this past Saturday. We discussed how to have the sort of discipline it takes to be a writer yet still have a life. The best tip I have?

Pay yourself first.

Yes, that's a holdover from my day job as a human resources person--specifically talking about savings accounts and 401k plans. The idea is to have money taken automatically from your paycheck and deposited to a savings account and/or your 401k account. You won't miss money you don't "see", and if you wait to save until after all the bills are paid, groceries are bought, etc., you won't. So you need to pay yourself first.

The same applies to your writing. If you say "I'll write when all my other stuff gets done", you won't, because the other stuff is never done. There's always more vacuuming, more dishes to be washed, more laundry, etc. Pick a time when either you're at your most productive or when the house is quiet (i.e., before everyone else gets up or after they've all gone to bed)--whether it's 15 minutes or an hour, set the time aside and keep that appointment with yourself.

And then write.

Man Meat Monday

Oh, yeah. It's hot outside...

Friday Funny

One for the girls:

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my shape to keep.
Please no wrinkles, Please no bags
Please lift my butt before it sags.
Please no age spots, Please no gray
As for my belly, Please take it away.
Keep me healthy, Keep me young,
And thank you Lord, For all you've done.



Foot Note:

One saggy boob said to the other saggy boob: "If we don't get some support soon, people will think we're nuts."

New Review for DARING THE MOON

From Rachael at Fresh Fiction and Enchanted by Books:


Daring the Moon is a paranormal romance that sizzles with danger, romance and sexy scenes that are extra steamy. This is the first book that I’ve read by Sherrill Quinn and I loved every page of it... I am definitely a huge fan of Sherrill Quinn now and look forward to her next book Seducing the Moon and her story in the anthology Belong to the Night. Overall, Daring the Moon is a fantastic book and I can’t wait to read more by this very talented author!


You can read an excerpt or buy (at 30% off!) here.

Tipsy Tuesday

Times are tough. No one can disagree with that. What does it mean for writers? It means that, in many cases, we wait longer for answers, contracts and money. It may mean that some publishers who have an "inventory" of manuscripts through 2010 are hesitant to purchase "midlist" manuscripts for the next few months, opting instead to only go with their top sellers. It definitely means it's harder to sell to a publisher. So you need to take the time and effort to polish your manuscript--don't have the attitude that the editor will clean up your grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes. They will, of course, but when they're looking at two manuscripts to purchase and--everything else being equal (i.e., they're both compelling stories)--one has lots of errors and one has few, these overworked people are going to go with the author who has given them a manuscript that will take less work.

Don't let these tough times dissuade you from writing. Write a story that gives the reader a fresh new look at a tried but true concept, and you're a step ahead of the pack.

Man Meat Monday

Oh-oh-OH!!

Friday Funny

While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their trip.

When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table and she didn't miss them until they had been driving about twenty minutes. By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around in order to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses.

All the way back, the husband became the classic grouchy old man. He fussed and complained and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive. The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn't let up.

To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of the car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her, "While you're in there, you might as well get my hat and the credit card!"





Happy Friday!!!

Catalog Overflow

The first few weeks here at my new place were nice--especially with my mail. All those shopping catalogs I'd been getting were no longer popping up in my box. Yay! Then, somehow, they got a hold of my new address, and now they're starting to trickle back in. But I think I may have discovered something to help me.

Catalogchoice.org. Not all marketers are participants in this service, but those that are are SUPPOSED to stop sending you catalogs if you send a message to them. I'm going one step farther--sending a letter to those who don't participate, telling them to take me off their mailing list. I don't need paper catalogs to entice me to shop. All it does is irritate me at the waste.

Here's hoping that the notifications and letters do the job.

Tipsy Tuesday

Whenever I start a new project, I pull out my calendar and make a schedule--one that includes a weekly word count goal. I set aside specific blocks of time each day to write. I don't always stick to it, but I do my best to. Sometimes life interferes, sometimes I'm just lazy and don't want to do the work. But most of the time I keep my eye on the prize, which is the ability to support myself with my writing one day.

So this is my tip to you. If you, like me, want to have a full-time career as a writer, you need to establish a schedule now and keep with it. As best you can.

Man Meat Monday

Look at those abs! Grrrrrrowf!

Friday Funny

DEAD-BOLT YOUR DOORS! THIS IS VERY SERIOUS!

You've heard about people who have been abducted and had their kidneys removed by black-market organ thieves.

Well, my thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. I went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs! It was just that quick. The replacements had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine? I spent the entire summer looking for my thighs. Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans.

Then, the thieves struck again. My butt was next... I knew it was the same gang, because they took pains to match my new rear-end to the thighs they had stuck me with earlier. But my new butt was attached at least three inches lower than my original one! I realized I'd have to give up my jeans in favor of long skirts.

Two years ago I realized my arms had been switched. One morning I was fixing my hair and was horrified to see the flesh of my upper arm swing to and fro with the motion of the hairbrush. This was really getting scary--my body was being replaced one section at a time!!

What could they do to me next? When my poor neck suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a turkey neck, I decided to tell my story. Women of the world, wake up and smell the coffee! Those 'plastic' surgeons are using REAL replacement body parts--stolen from you and me! The next time someone you know has something 'lifted', look again--was it lifted from you?

THIS IS NOT A HOAX. This is happening to women everywhere--every night. WARN YOUR FRIENDS!!

Last year I thought someone had stolen my boobs. I was lying in bed and they were gone! But when I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had just been hiding in my armpits as I slept. (Now I keep them hidden in my waistband).

PS--BEWARE! Just last week, these same thieves came into my closet and shrunk my clothes!



Ain't it the scary truth?!? LOLLOL

Review for ANGEL & THE DUKE OF SEX

4 Blue Ribbons!

From Romance Junkies: "Angel and the Duke of Sex is a deliciously sexy trip back to the days of Victorian England. With a passionate storyline and a psychotic villain waiting in the wings to cause trouble, author Sherrill Quinn manages to thrill readers and give a dark and erotic twist to the legend of the infamous Jack the Ripper. Angel and the Duke of Sex is an intriguing and steamy read that will satisfy lovers of historical and suspenseful romances."

You can read the full review here.

To read an excerpt or buy, click here.


Thanks, Cheryl! :)

Tipsy Tuesday

To make your writing more vibrant, one thing you can do is use active voice (rather than passive). For example:

Active - The girl kicked the ball.

Passive - The ball was kicked by the girl.

The verb family of to be (is, am, was, were) is not usually your friend. If you use strong, active verbs you'll use active voice more often. Active voice is stronger and moves the action along. Passive voice sounds like someone is trying to hide something or to avoid responsibility. That's not to say you can't use it or avoid it altogether. But whenever possible, make your writing strong by getting rid of the Toobee family.

Man Meat Monday

Look at the swirly hair around his belly button... *sigh*

Friday Funny

Some of the pop artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers.

They include:

Bobby Darin ---
Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash

Herman'sHermits ---
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker

Ringo Starr ---
I Get By With a Little Help From Depends

The Bee Gees -- -
How Can You Mend a Broken Hip

Roberta Flack---
The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face

Johnny Nash ---
I Can't See Clearly Now

Paul Simon---
Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver

The Commodores ---
Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom

Marvin Gaye ---
Heard It Through the Grape Nuts

Procol Harem---
A Whiter Shade of Hair

Leo Sayer ---
You Make Me Feel Like Napping

The Temptations ---
Papa's Got a Kidney Stone

Abba---
Denture Queen

Tony Orlando ---
Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall

Helen Reddy ---
I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore

Leslie Gore---
It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To

And Last but NOT least

Willie Nelson ---
On the Commode Again



LOL!

New Review for ANGEL & THE DUKE OF SEX

5 Angels!

"Set in the time of Jack the Ripper, Sherrill Quinn writes a hot and sizzling story of love and trust... This is a well written, erotic suspense romance. Both Harry and Angel are easy to like and are made for each other. Each of the secondary characters brings an added element to the story, they have their roles and play them well. A great erotic read."

You can read the full review here.

To read an excerpt or buy, click here.

Tipsy Tuesday

Generally when I talk to unpublished authors, part of the advice I give is "Write, write, write. Read, read, read. Then write some more." Because in the last few years that's just how driven I've been to establish my writing career. But there's another bit of advice I have, too.

Take time for yourself.

Whether that's a day or a week, in between projects or smack dab in the middle of one, you have to give your brain some time off from writing, or you'll burn out. So make sure you spend some time away from the computer. (*gasp* I know, sacrilege, right? LOL) But you'll be glad you did.

Man Meat Monday

So many lines to trace...so little time...