Nicki Elson's Not-So-Deep Thoughts

As proof that I'm just not cut out for this club---I'm still about 85 pages pages away from finishing the book I want to feature. And I JUST got a message from the library prompting me to renew. Again. Urg. Nevertheless, I shall push forth... This month's read is Redcoat , an historical fiction by Bernard Cornwell set during the British occupation of Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War. Historical fiction is how I prefer to get my history, and Cornwell does a great job of working in the minute details of the time and place to make that piece of history come alive for me. Did you know that it was considered a luxury to have dentures that were crafted from teeth yanked from the heads of soldiers who died on the battlefield? Cornwell's detailing gets delightfully nasty like that without going overboard, just enough to make me cringe and put me in the rawness of the period.  He also tosses in sublte touches of humor and romace without getting the least bit g...

DL Hammon is at it again, and this is the last week to submit your 500-word piece to WRiTE Club 2014. Get the full low-down on what the contest is all about by clicking here . Here's the quick 'n dirty: a group of readers will rate all anonymous submissions, and the top 32 will face off in head-to-head bouts. Winners move on to face off against other winners, and so on and so on until there is one winner standing with arms raised at the center of the ring. The final round will be decided by an impressive panel of celebrity judges from the publishing world.  Entries are due by May 31.  You can submit absolutlely any genre of writing---the only rule is that it can't have been previously published anywhere else for public consumption. Not only is WRiTE Club wicked fun, it's a great way to get invaluable feedback on your writing in a totally anonymous way. As another perk, I've found that readying my pieces for submissions in past contests has given me great tools...

The marvelously talented and huge-hearted Suze from Subliminal Coffee  (she's the beauty in the pic to the left) has tagged me to answer the following four writerly questions. Suze is celebrating some majorly fantastic news right now (she just signed with a hot agent!), and you can learn more about it in her answers to these same four questions at her place . And now please allow me to interview myself: What am I working on? It appears I have talked myself into an option on a series with my new publisher , so while I await edits on my upcoming chick lit/office romance , I'm busy noodling on a sequel. The trouble with me is, I like to vacillate between light & happy and something a shade darker & heavier, so this new plot has been wanting to deal with issues too hefty for a naughty chick-litty series. But have no fear, for it doesn't take much to lighten my mood and I've come up with ways to turn events in more giggle-worthy directions. How does my writ...

The greatest films stand the test of time, speaking to us in different ways at various life stages.  Is there a movie that was a part of your life when you were younger that you see differently now? Like fine wine, has it improved with age or did it die in the bottle? Has maturity brought you new insights you missed in your youth? We want to know all about it! Join us for "Then and Now," a bloghop hosted by Armchair Squid , Suze , Nicki Elson & Nancy Mock .  Tell us about a movie you loved when you were younger and have come to see differently over time - for better or for worse.  Please sign up below, then post on Friday, June 13th. ~.~.~.~ And now for a cover reveal. Jay Noel 's Dragonfly Warrior cover was a big hit here a few months ago, so I'm excited to have him back to wow us again with the cover for  Shadow Warrior , the second book in his steampunk series, The Mechanica Wars . The agony of a failed quest haunts Kanze Zenjiro, but th...

Before we get to my post proper, a bit of bonus fun. As the title would imply, there are 3 Daves in my first novel, Three Daves .  but usually it's just one Dave who gets the spotlight in my promos. So it seemed only fair to finally let my bad boy, Dave #2, out to playay in a short character interview over at Dawn's Reading Nook . If you have a few minutes, I'd love it if you'd stop by. And now on to my contribution to this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group , brainchild of the one and clonely Alex J. Cavannaugh . Raise your hand if you've ever queried an agent or publisher. Hmm, quite a lot of you. Okay, raise your hand if you intend to query an agent or publisher at any point in the future. Goodness, that's nearly everyone. All right, last one -- raise your hand if you think querying an agent or a publisher is the least scary thing you've ever done in your life. Anyone? Anyone? I'm sure there's no need for me to list off the m...

Two years ago when I participated in the A to Z challenge, I thought of myself as a failure because although I posted each day of the challenge, I didn't visit many other blogs beyond repaying the visits of those who'd commented on my posts. My schedule just wouldn't allow for more than that. This year ended up being pretty much the same, but you know what? I'm counting it as a success. My choice was to either do what I could do or not participate at all, and although I certainly wasn't a power AtoZer, I had a great time reading the posts I did get to and was still able to form connections with new bloggers. Like Stephanie Faris , for example. She did a highly enjoyable A to Z theme on indulgences, and every time I stopped by, my eyes wandered over to her sidebar to the adorable cover for her novel 30 Days of No Gossip . So when she asked who wanted in on the reveal for her upcoming book, 25 Roses , I was all meeeee ! Thank you A to Z organizers & helper...