Need Some New Writing Music?

How about the melodic tunes of Adam Merrin? His solo albums "Have One" (2007) and "Have Another One" (2009) get constant play on my iTunes and iPod while I'm writing... The songs "Closer To You," "Don't Cry" and "Slips Into The Air" are just a few of my favorites from "Have Another One." For me, the soft, evocative tones of several of Merrin's songs often help me envision scenes more clearly (a few of the songs are more "pop" and I do enjoy them as well, but I don't usually write while listening to them). Of course, before I've even typed a word, I always see a scene play out in my mind first... so having a "soundtrack" for the story I'm working on always keeps me inspired.

Also, if you watch TV, then most likely you've already heard at least one of Merrin's songs, such as "Closer to You," "Still Alright," and "Everything Has Changed," as several have been featured in these shows: GREY'S ANATOMY, KYLE XY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, GREEK, BONES, REAPER, and NEWPORT HARBOR.

This past Wednesday, CD Baby.com featured Merrin as the Editor's Pick on the Home Page and it's well deserved.

So, that's my music suggestion for the week! Check out his songs on iTunes, his MySpace page, and the awesome review at CDBaby.com (bottom of page)! :)

What are you guys listening to? Any suggestions for me? Do you have playlists for your stories, too? I've got a couple of stories on the fire, so a couple of very different playlists for each those stories, ranging from dark/heavy rock to ethereal to epic movie soundtracks.

Take Care,

Michele

Contest Over At "For Love of Words"

Here's your chance to win a bookmark and a copy of Shauna Roberts' upcoming historical novel, Like Mayflies in a Stream (Hadley Rille Books in October). So, you'll need to head over to Shauna's blog and read her June 10th post, "I Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans, Part I: At Least Leonardo Could Read It," then answer one of the contest questions at the bottom of the post. :)

Good Luck!

Michele

Check Out Stephen Parrish's Interview with Author Erica Orloff

If you haven't already, I highly recommend you head over to Stephen Parrish's blog and read "Going Deep With Erica Orloff" (June 8). They're discussing Erica's newest release, FREUDIAN SLIP (HQN), and it not only makes me wish Amazon would hurry up and deliver the book already (!), but the interview has given me a little more insight into the very cool and different storyline which I know will only enhance my experience as a reader!

So hop on over there! Go ahead. :)

Take Care,

Michele

National Marrow Donor Program - Be The Match Marrow Registry

"Life. It's in You." It's so easy to register: Just a few swipes on the inside of your cheeks with some cotton swabs...and if you're a match, you can be a hero to someone and their family. :)

An anonymous, international, male donor saved my 23-year-old brother-in-law's life and our family will never be able to thank this man enough. Never. A 10/10 match. This man donated a bag of stem cells, much like giving platelets at a donor center, and then stem cells were flown to our country and infused into my brother-in-law by an IV drip.

That day... December 13, 2008 ...became my brother-in-law's new Birthday. A new chance to live his life.

National Marrow Donor Program - Be The Match Marrow Registry

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Not Giving In.

Last September, my family and I participated in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's "Light The Night Walk" in honor of my youngest brother-in-law, Matt, who was fighting an extremely rare auto-immune disorder (EBV-HLH), as well as NK T-cell lymphoma. Since then, we've been through hell and have shouted, cheered, and cried from the ropes, feeling helpless, as he fought round after round. Until finally, he did come out victorious in the ring, and just in time to let his body gather the physical strength needed for his bone marrow transplant (BMT).

The BMT in December gave us all such hope! Then he just needed to make it to Day 100 without complications and we could all breathe easier again. But around Day 60 (mid-Feb.), he fell out of remission... the incredibly aggressive NK T-Cell lymphoma and EBV-HLH had returned.

Were we devastated? Depressed? Absolutely. But also determined.

"You gotta swim." That's what we tell one another, what we tell Matt, and have from the very beginning of this godawful ride. (The words come from Jack's Mannequin's song "Swim" on The Glass Passenger album.) In the months before the BMT, my husband had printed out the inspirational lyrics so they were large enough for Matt to read from his hospital bed, but they also reminded all of us who visited him to just keep our heads above and "swim for brighter days." If you care to, you can hear the song on the Jack's Mannequin MySpace page (it's the first song that plays when the page loads).

But the fantastic news? Within a month, he was back in remission. His new immune system kicked some lymphoma and HLH booty. :) Thank you to the anonymous stem cell donor, too! You saved a life back in December!

Yes, there have been up days and down days since, sure. But we're holding out Hope for more ups than downs now.

Which brings me to this...

Some of you may remember when I'd posted "Here With You" last September. Well, we're walking and fundraising with Team Jack's Mannequin in Anaheim again this year, but in August this time! Click here to go to my 2009 "Light The Night" page. (Or see the sidebar.)


And why did we chose Team Jack's Mannequin? Well, because the front man/lead singer of JM, Andrew McMahon, is an Acute Lymphatic Leukemia survivor, as well as a hero to many, as he gives to cancer research and helps others deal with cancer through LLS and his Dear Jack Foundation.

So, if you're able to help me raise some money to wipe out blood cancer... then WONDERFUL!!! Any amount is greatly appreciated. And believe me, I realize the economy totally sucks right now...I do. So maybe if you can't give, you wouldn't mind helping me spread the word? Or maybe donating and helping spread the word?! Wow, that would be awesome, too! :)

Of course, words of support and encouragement are always welcome! I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who has reached out to us this past year... your support means more than the world to our family.

Also, if you're in the area and would like to join our team, click the "view team" button on my page and join in! We'd love to have you!! Oh, and there are Jack's Mannequin Teams all over the nation, so you can find one close to you and join that one if it's more convenient! Last year, the Jack's Mannequin "Light The Night" team (nationwide) raised $100,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! How cool is that?! (Btw, when our family read that press release last November, it floored us. Absolutely stunned and humbled us. And the tears flowed.)

Thank you so much and I hope you're all doing well.

Take Care,

Michele

P.S. Remember... Hope. Courage. Determination. Strength. Cure.

Exploring. A Santa Monica Photoblog.

Over this past Memorial Day weekend, the weather was gorgeous here in the L.A. area, so my husband and I took advantage of it and explored a few of the local sights. I know, I know...I can just hear my friends now, "You? The palest girl in Southern California? Out in the sun, Michele? We don't believe it." But it's true I tell you; I left my cave. Anyway, on Friday, we chose to head up to Santa Monica, home of Pacific Park and Third Street Promenade...both of which are often used as settings in movies and TV shows.

Also, during this past year, I've gotten into habit of carrying my camera with me everywhere I go, so today I'm posting a photoblog of Friday's excursion. As you'll see, I took advantage of the color isolation feature on my camera... I have so much fun with that! :) But I am finding that by taking photos, I'm seeing everyday things--shapes and angles of buildings, trees, shadows, clouds, expressions--in a completely different way now and that it's helping me pull out those details while I'm writing.

Hope you enjoy! And yeah, I did get a little too much sun that day... just not used to it.

Oh, and tell me: Do you take your camera with you everywhere you go? Do you find taking pictures helps you with your writing? How about another art form?

Take Care,

Michele

(copyright 2009: All photos were taken by me on my Canon PowerShot SD 750 Digital Elph.)

Third Street Promenade in Downtown Santa Monica
(lots of shops, restaurants, movie theaters, and musicians)
Actually, I'm not sure where everyone disappeared to in this shot!


Also on Third Street Promenade


On the Santa Monica Pier... Pacific Park.


Still at Pacific Park...




Yep...still there. ;)



Trapeze School on the pier..."learn to fly."


The entrance. We came down a huge hill to get to the pier.
Which meant we had to climb up that huge hill. Ugh.





Route 66 ends here.

Sparking the "Ah-ha!" in Writing...For FREE!

A BIG thank you to friend and fellow blogger SpyScribbler for sharing this link! Literary Agent Donald Maass is offering his new book, The Career Novelist: A Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success , for FREE as a .pdf download. How cool is that?

Several years ago, I'd taken Maass's one-day "Writing the Breakout Novel" workshop and learned so much in those few hours! Seriously, it surprised me how many novel writing tips he'd given us that, frankly, as he'd listed them... I'd had one (or a few) of those "wow, that makes total sense" moments. Elements I probably should've thought of before, but hadn't. Sometimes it's only a spark that will lead to those "ah-has" in writing and perhaps Maass's new book will be that for you...for free.

Hope you're all doing well!

Take Care,

Michele

The 88. A Celebration on May 21st at the Key Club.

Hey All,

For those of you in the L.A. area, check out this amazing show at the Key Club on Thursday night, May 21st. And if you attend, you'll be the first to receive The 88's brand NEW ALBUM -- FREE!! They haven't even released it yet, so it's super cool of them to do this!

They'll be playing a 2 set show on Thursday. The first set will be Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" and the second set will be a lot of favorite 88 songs and some of their new ones! Not only that, but the group is celebrating their new freedom... they're no longer with Island Records and they're ecstatic to be on their own again! Seriously, they're stoked.

So tell your friends and help them celebrate on Thursday! It's an all ages show, so bring your families! And get a FREE CD of their new unreleased album. :)

Tickets are available through this link.

Oh, and hey, remember when I blogged about kindhearted people in the music industry back in February? That was The 88! These are the guys who were given a budget for a music video by their record company, and with that money, they chose to buy gas for strangers (when prices were soaring) and ice cream for kids on the soccer fields in the L.A. area. They have the biggest hearts, they're the real deal, and they love music.

So, if you can... please check them out on iTunes, as they have 3 albums on there presently.

And just to give you guys a little background on The 88, here's an EPK I happened to come across recently. This was put together a few years ago, before they were signed with Island, I believe, and now they do have a new bass guitarist and a new guitar player. The song played throughout the clip is "Not Enough" from their album, "Over and Over," and it's definitely one of their more rockin' songs. It just goes off... so awesome.





Also from "Over and Over" is this classic song, "Nobody Cares." Enjoy!


Take Care!

Michele

Writing Contest: The Maggie for Unpublished Writers

Since this is one of the contests where my historical novel was one of the winners a few years back, The Maggie Contest for Unpublished Writers will always remain close to my heart. :) So yes, I had a fantastic experience and the first round judges certainly helped me in strengthening my writing and story-telling technique... At least, I seem to think so! LOL

The deadline for this contest is June 1st, so you'll need to get your submissions in quickly.

Good Luck!! Hope you're all doing well!

Michele


****PERMISSION TO FORWARD****

The Maggie deadline is fast approaching!

Now is the time to make your final edits, get your pages together, fill out that entry form, and mail your manuscript(s) to the appropriate 2009 Maggie Awards coordinator! Use this opportunity to get critiques from two published authors and for the chance to get your story in front of an acquiring editor. And don't forget the cool jewelry. The deadline is June 1, so procrastination is not allowed!

http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/Maggies/MaggiesHome.php

Be sure to include adequate return postage per the May 11 postage increase.

24th Annual Unpublished Maggie Awards
Sponsor: Georgia Romance Writers
Fee: $25 GRW members, $30 others
Receipt Deadline: June 1, 2009
Entry: synopsis, first chapter(s) of ms (35 pages total max)
Categories: contemporary series romance, historical (includes Regencies), contemporary single title, fantasy/paranormal, inspirational

First round judges: published authors
Final round judges:
Contemporary Series Romance: Susan Litman, Silhouette
Historical: Chelsea Gilmore, Avalon Books
Paranormal: Chris Keeslar, Dorchester Publishing
Inspirational: Emily Rodmell, Assistant Editor, Steeple Hill

Multiple entries encouraged, including up to three separate entries per category.
Awardees will be announced October 3, 2009, at Moonlight & Magnolias and will receive the prestigious Maggie medallion.
FMI, entry form, and rules, visit www.georgiaromancewriters.org.
Email Pam Mantovani at pam_mantovani@bellsouth.net or call 678-957-6775

http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/Maggies/MaggiesHome.php

****PERMISSION TO FORWARD****

Writing Contest: 2009 Heart of the Rockies Contest

Hi All,

I've never entered the Heart of the Rockies Contest, but I thought some of you may be interested, as the organization is accepting electronic submissions only... that's quite a money saver! :)

Good luck! And I hope you're doing well and your writing is going smoothly.

Take Care,

Michele

****permission to forward granted****

Colorado Romance Writers is pleased to announce the launch of the 2009 Heart of the Rockies Contest for unpublished writers! Check out our nine categories and don't miss out on getting your novel in front of acquiring editors and agents!

2009 Heart of the Rockies Contest
Sponsor: Colorado Romance Writers
Fee: $25 (CRW members) $30 (Non-members)
Deadline: June 15, 2009

What to Enter: The first two chapters and a 1-5 page synopsis, 35 pages total max. Save money on printing and postage! We are accepting electronic submissions only!

Categories: Short contemporary, long contemporary, romantic suspense, single title contemporary, historical, paranormal/time travel/futuristic/fantasy, inspirational, mainstream with romantic elements & Spicy.

Final Judges:

• Long Contemporary – Kathryn Lye, Editor/Harlequin
• Short Contemporary - Diana Ventimiglia, Associate Editor/Silhouette
• Single Title Contemporary – Elaine Spencer, Agent/The Knight Agency
• Romantic Suspense - Danielle Poiesz, Pocket Books
• Historical – Alexandra Machinist, Agent/Linda Chester Literary Agency
• Paranormal – Chris Keeslar, Senior Editor/Dorchester
• Inspirational - TBA
• Mainstream with Romantic Elements – Valerie Gray, Editor/MIRA
• Spicy – Lindsey McGurk, Editor/Samhain Publishing

FMI, entry form and rules, go to coloradoromancewriters.org/hor.html or email Maya Milhous at HORCoordinator1 [at] coloradoromancewriters.org. [Remove spaces]

[PERMISSION TO FORWARD IS GRANTED]