Nicki Elson's Not-So-Deep Thoughts

Hey, I'm over at Fabulosity Reads today 'splaining myself and my unexpected use of scripture in my Chick Lit/Romance novel Three Daves .  Wendy posted her review on Monday. :) Congratulations to Wendy on opening the brand new on-line bookstore, Fabulosity Galore !  Lots of great books and honest, insightful reviews.     It's Thursday, so please join along on the Author! Author! Blog Bounce  

I'm about to dive into preparing my meager contributions to tomorrow's Thanksgiving feast (cranberry jello and artichoke dip) but before I do, I'd like to say Thank You to all of you for making this year of blogging a pleasurable endeavor. :) I imagine most of us will be slowing down in Blogville between now and the new year, but if you're looking for a couple of fun and easy prompts for December, allow me to suggest these two supercool blog parties: December 16 Deja Vu Blogfest Resurrect an old post that either didn't get the attention it deserved or simply bears repeating.     December 20 Embrace Change Launch Party    Tell your tale of embracing change and why you're glad you did.    Next week I'm excited to answer the two most frequently asked questions about Three Daves : What up with the Bible verses? (November 30 at Fabulosity Reads ) Which parts of this story are true? (December 2 at Tara Tyler Talks )

Congratulations to Deborah Anastasia on the release of her second novel, Poughkeepsie. The Omnific Publishing library just keeps growing! He counts her smiles every day and night at the train station. And morning and evening, the beautiful commuter acknowledges him—just like she does everyone else on the platform. But Blake Hartt is not like the others . . . he’s homeless. Memories of a broken childhood have robbed him of peace and twisted delusions into his soul. He stays secluded from the sun, sure the world would run from him in the harsh light of day. Each day, Livia McHugh smiles politely and acknowledges her fellow commuters as she waits for the train to the city. She dismisses this kindness as nothing special, just like her. She’s the same as a million other girls—certainly no one to be cherished. But special or not, she smiles every day, never imagining that someone would rely on the simple gesture as if it were air to breathe. When the moment comes that Livi...

A personal note before I begin---thank you all so, so very much for your kind words about Oreo bunny.  My kids have read your comments, and all of us are touched by your caring words.  Thanks. :) Now, who am I calling "Lady"?  Why, the lovely Anne Gallagher , who was fated to bring the world her authentic and entertaining brand of Regency Romance. Her debut novel, The Lady's Fate , is available at Amazon and Smashwords .  Her short story, A Wife for Winsbarren , is also available at Amazon .  Amid all she's got going on, Anne let me bug her with a few questions about her writing, her "Reluctant Grooms" series, and publishing, but before we get to that, here's my review of The Lady's Fate.     Review - The Lady's Fate: I felt like I was reading one of the classics. Gallagher has done her research and The Lady's fate reads just as if it were written back in Austen's day. But she gives us a new set of characters to examine...

I'm not sure this is post-worthy material, but many of you so sweetly commented on the cuteness of my bunny last month, and on the prettiness of my new garden in September, so it seems only right to report that the two have been combined. :( On the 28th of October in the year 2011, dear, sweet bunny succumbed to oldness and died in my husband's arms on the way home from the pet clinic...just as I was explaining that the vet probably didn't know what he was talking about and we'd have many more happy months with our darling Oreo.  I knew it wasn't true, but I thought he'd at least survive long enough for the kids to come home from school and say good bye. The burial was complete with holy water and a St. Francis medal, and on Saturday we went to the statuary to pick out this statue---it reminded us of the way he used to kick out his little back legs when he was at maximum relaxation. He does have a tiny bit to do with writing.  You see, when I first started...

You may already know about Semper Audacia , the exciting debut space opera novelette by M. Pax ---but I'll be you had NO idea her new release could possibly have anything at all to do with Three Daves .  Well, think again...here is M. Pax's unexpected tale, complete w/ retro pics: The U.N.  (M.Pax worked in the black bldg) In the spring of 1986, I moved to New York City with dreams of ‘making it there’, a couple of suitcases and $500 in my pocket. Fresh out of college, I envisioned writing the great American novel. My friend Nikki, who I met at freshman orientation, was kind enough to let me stay with her the first six months. When I saved enough money, I moved to Staten Island to share a house with a bunch of roommates. Taking a boat to work was fun, at first. The novelty wore off pretty quick though. My first job was in Midtown near the UN. I saw mob shootings, Keith Richards, shared a cab with a Chippendales dancer, lived through bomb threats [there were a lot of emb...

Don't you just love it when stars align?  When pondering which of my many insecurities to post about this month, it hit me---my guest yesterday, Susan Kaye Quinn , addressed one of my biggest writing issues: Making the time to do it (I almost said "finding the time" but let's face it, a big ol' bucket full o' mythical extra time is NEVER going to materialize) and then Enforcing that time.   This mostly sounds like a discipline thing, but for me, discipline isn't the problem.  It's insecurity---the insecurity that adhering to my writing schedule isn't a good enough reason to say no to...well, just about anything else that wants my time.  Susan provided a marvelous and validating pep talk for those of us struggling with this issue in her guest post yesterday, so please scroll down for a  little reinforcement.    Goodness, did I almost forget to thank our illustrious host? Thanks Alex !!! Well, well, look at that, it's Thurday already and...

Today is the launch of Susan Kaye Quinn's   Open Minds   (book One of the Mindjack Trilogy)   The book has already garnered fantastic reviews, and Susan is throwing a virtual launch party ( #keepingOpenMinds )!  I'm thrilled to be a part of it.   In her post at my place, Susan lets us in on how exactly she manages to accomplish more than seems humanly possible: Keeping Writing Time Sacred by Susan Kaye Quinn I’m lucky to live near Nicki Elson in real-life, and as fellow Omnific authors (her Three Daves and my Life, Liberty, and Pursuit ), we’ve had a couple of occasions to get together. Most recently, we had tea and a flurry of conversation while ostensibly signing an anthology ( Summer Breeze ) that we had both penned a short fiction for. As we were making arrangements, she suggested meeting during a weekday, when my kids were in school. School time is my writing time, something I’ve been trying to hold very sacred, even as I’m getting ready...