Tuesday, December 18, 2012

MY WRITER'S DESK



No writing today. I don't know about you but, I find that I can't write, study or really get anything done if my desk is a mess. And since my desk is in my bedroom, I have to clean and organize my desk and my room if I'm going to accomplish anything.

It's been a busy couple of days but, butt can now get in chair and write. I've always been like this, unable to get down and work on writing, sketching or customs if my environment isn't to my liking. Now that it is, I have no excuses.

Later,
Melissa


Friday, December 14, 2012

BLOOD CRIME BY KIM HARRISON


I stopped by my local book store a couple of days ago and picked up Kim Harrison's latest graphic novel Blood Crime. This is the second graphic from Kim that gives us a peek into Rachel and Ivy's life before the Hollows novels.

These are told from Ivy's POV, which is great! Confession time! Ivy's my favorite character in the Hollows. Don't get me wrong, I love Rachel, Jenks and the rest of the gang but, Ivy's definitely my favorite character.

When I get writer's block, I like to read some of Kim's work. Not that I write like her but, it reminds me of why I started writing. My love of writing came with my love of reading.

I'm planning on falling asleep reading tonight. I love crawling in bed with a good book.

I'm in the process of revamping my blog. I figured, a new year, calls for a new blog look.

Later,
Melissa

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN



 
 
I finished reading Shadows Before The Sun by Kelly Gay and it was awesome! I'm hoping we haven't seen the last of this series but, so far Kelly hasn't announced any more books from staring Charlie and Rex.

I did see that Mrs Gay has another adult series that she'll be producing herself that is coming out soon. I'm excited about this new series but, I am still hoping we get another two book contract for Charlie.

Later,
Melissa

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN



I just finished reading THE HOUR OF DUST AND ASHES by Kelly Gay. It was awesome! It took me a while to read it due to personal drama but, drama over and I'm back to reading the books I love by my favorite authors.

I stayed up late last night because after finishing THE HOUR OF DUST AND ASHES, I had to jump right into SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN.

I checked Kelly's FB page and I'm relieved to know that her books are contracted 2 at a time and she doesn't have plans to stop writing about Charlie and her adventures just yet. Yay! (High pitched fan girl squeal!)

What's so cool about this book is, we get to get inside Hank's head and peek around a bit. Most of the story is told from Charlie's POV but, we get into Hank's head and we learn more about Hank's mysterious past.

And I have to say, after learning more about the man, I have to say, I liked Hank a lot but, now I think I love him.


After I finish devouring SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN I'll be reading A BEAUTIFUL EVIL next. I'm having a really hard time getting my daughter not to give away any spoilers. She's already read this one. And she loved it! I picked up quite a few cool Mom points for introducing her to Kelly Keaton's writing.

As soon as she finished reading it, she said, is there another one? I said, "Not yet." How long do I have to wait? I said, "It usually takes an author about a year to put another one out. And Kelly is writing two series right now."

So, Kelly if you happen to read this, my daughter would like me to ask you if you could speed it up a bit. LOL

Later,
Melissa

 

Saturday, August 25, 2012


For fan girls of Kim Harrison like me, INTO THE WOODS is just what we needed to hold us off until the release of the next Hollows book.

INTO THE WOODS is a collection of previously written novellas by Kim and a bonus new novella written in Trent's POV.

It also contains a sneak peak of what Kim may be giving us in the future after the Hollows. As we all know, Kim has been preparing us for the end of the hollows for a couple of years now. I think she said she is bringing it to an end at book 13. We are currently awaiting book 11 so, not too many more adventures left with Ivy, Rachel and Jenks.

IN TO THE WOODS will be released Oct. 9th.

Later,
Melissa

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

PUPPY'S WALK


Well, we are moved for real now. Puppy has walked the entire neighborhood with Mommy! This is a picture of puppy after our walk. He has been waking me up at 6:30 in the morning to let me know that the other Mommy's were out walking their puppy's.




I had to wait to walk my Baby until I found a harness. He's a Houdini when it comes to slipping his collar and being in a new neighborhood with new people could mean trouble for a puppy who thinks he's my body guard.

With the harness, we walked the entire neighborhood without incident. He was so proud of his new walking accessory, I had trouble getting it off him. LOL

Later,
Melissa


EVER AFTER BOOK 11 HOLLOWS SERIES



Kim Harrison has revealed the cover of book 11 in her Hollows series! It's 100% awesome! Love it! I'm really looking forward to this one. Rachel is on the cover looking like she is ready to Kick Ass!

With all that power emanating from her, I guess she is now longer wearing that bracelet that mutes her powers. The release date is 1/22/13 for this one!

Later,
Melissa

Saturday, August 18, 2012

WHAT'S GOING ON?



Life with the Michaels! LOL My oldest Baby is starting college this week! Wow, how time flies... And my youngest is changing schools with the new move. Needless to say, I'm one busy woman. My parents are coming this week to get a peek at the new house. So, I don't think things will be settling down anytime soon.

I've found a little time here and there to at least start thinking about the direction of my writing and in particular my WIP. But, something always seems to come up.

Yesterday I called the water company to make sure they had changed and were now under my name. They were not. So, I had to drive downtown and take care of that. Drove my daughter to her first day of class and picked her up.

Speaking of downtown, they are doing an excellent job of revitalizing it. The new city hall houses the water company. It's a 3 story all white dome like building with golden angelic statues doting the outside landscape. I'll try to get a pic up soon. The cute little be speckled older woman at the reception desk was nice enough to give me a handout of the progress so far and a picture of what the final project will look like. Looks lovely! I could see Raven or another character making a short stop here.

Anyway, I have to get ready for work.

Later,
Melissa

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Now it's starting to feel like home. I have all my babies, four legged babies included. I've got my cable and internet up and running and today, my sercurity company is here installing their hardware. Can't be too careful.

I'm almost finished re-reading Kim Harrison's DEAD WITCH WALKING. I had to break in my new home in with one of my favorites. Having Rachel, Ivy and Jenks hanging out really makes it home.

Now if I could just get all this unpacking done.

Later,
Melissa



Friday, August 10, 2012

Hey! All moved in! Just got the internet hook-up in my new house and loving it so far. I'll be dog tired tomorrow at work because this guy was determined to get me up and running tonight. So, I now have internet and my 200 plus channels.  Nothing happening in the writing front. Moving takes a lot out of you. Working this week so, writing is on the back burning until Monday or Tues.

Later,
Melissa

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

NEW HOUSE!

Well, I got all my stuff moved to the new house. That's the big changes I've been talking about. Just finished putting together my new mesh manager's chair for my desk. I love it! As soon as I get settled, no excuses. It's been a long hard couple of years but, things are finally starting to turn around.

Later,
Melissa

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Friday, August 3, 2012

MOVING DAY!

That's right! I've moved to a nice quiet little neighborhood closer to work. Gas prices be darned. It's so beautiful with trees and dogs walking their owners. There's a pool and a tennis court and what's even better is my BFF lives on the same street! How cool is that?!

Hopefully, I will get my internet up Monday. Too excited for anymore words.

Later,
Melissa

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Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Busy day ahead. Lots of stuff to do but, hopefully this insanity will be simmering down to a slow boil after today. I'm looking forward to settling down and everything going back to normal:) Probably won't be back on to update the blog for a week or so. I'll fill you in later.

Later,
Melissa

Sunday, July 29, 2012


I'm looking forward to the release of Kim Harrison's INTO THE WOODS, a collection of short stories by Kim along with a novella that might be an introduction to her new series after the end of the Hollows series.

Yes, I said the end of the Hollows series. Kim has decided to bring her popular series to an end around book 13 or so. I'm a major fan of the series so, it's going to be hard not having another adventure to look forward to with Rachel, Ivy and Jenks but, Kim's an awesome writer so, I'm looking forward to what she has in store for us next.


Even though I am saddened by the end of the series, the Hollows lives on in the Graphic novels that are being released. Last year, I was super excited by the prospect of a Hollows movie or series being produced but, that fell through. The CW decided not to produce the Hollows at this time. I'm disappointed but, not. I really would like to see this series on screen but, I don't want it to get screwed up.

Rachel, Ivy and Jenks deserve proper treatment.  And if they weren't going to be committed them I'm glad they didn't try to make some shell of the characters and ruin it.

Kim is my favorite author so, I'll trust her with her decisions and her characters.

Later,
Melissa

Sunday, July 22, 2012

LOTS OF CHANGES


Well, it's certainly been awhile since my last post but things have been crazy! Good crazy though. I have finally been able to put some old demons to rest. Hopefully things will be settled down come the first of the month. All I'm saying is I'm excited and looking forward to spending lots of time with Raven and her new Master/Mistress. More news to come soon.
Later,
Melissa
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Monday, April 23, 2012

Doing the writer thing. Sitting at Books A Million having coffee with my BFF. I started this morning with working on my query letter. Tonight, I'll work on my WIP.

Later,
Melissa

Saturday, April 21, 2012


Well, I broke down and finally spent the money for a new laptop. My old one started giving me lots of trouble. I love my new computer but, now I've got to down load all my documents, WIP and a new processing program on it before I can continue working on my writing.

I'm surprised that this computer has just as much memory, rewritable DVD and web cam for less money than I paid for my old computer. Technology is wonderful. This one has everything I need for my writing as well as my blogs.

Later,
Melissa

Tuesday, April 10, 2012



Road Trip! Road trips are amazing for getting the creative juices going. I'm using this trip for a long deserved vacation, inspiration and fact finding trip. One of my favorite writers is Kat Richardson. I absolutely love her intimate detail that she infuses in her Greywalker series. You can definitely tell that she has walked the streets of her character Harper.

One of my characters Raven, (from my short story Raven's Transformation) wakes up in a strange place that reminds her of The Biltmore Estates in Ashville NC. I had read about The Biltmore and seen pictures but, I had never been there. So, long story short, my kids wanted to go so....Road Trip!

My WIP has taken a turn and Raven, has to make a return trip to the mountains of Ashville NC so, I thought I'd better bone up on the area. So, Many writers have influenced me, not with my style of writing but, with my determination, desire, commitment, research, detail and the actual decision to write. I will continue to write for me, whether my novels are published or not because I enjoy it and it brings me peace and a sense of accomplishment.

Who are the authors that have and still do inspire me? I would have to say, on the top of the list would be my friend Marcia Colette. That girl is tenacious. She can pump out a book in no time. And not just a book but, an awesome book. Deadlier by the Dozen still has me thinking about it! That's saying something.

Kim Harrison was the author that for some crazy reason, her writing made me think I could too. LOL Kim is an awesome writer. I love, love, love her style. And others do too. She is a staple on the New York Times best seller list.

LA Banks, will always be an inspiration to me. Why, because she wrote awesome books, she was a New York Times best seller and like me, she was a black woman. I was devastated when she passed but, I have all of her books to remember her by. Thank you LA for sharing your creative talent with the world.

Kelly Gay because she's just awesome! I love her adult series The Charlie Madigan series. I love the way she mixes Urban Fantasy and Sci-Fi seamlessly together. My daughter and I also read her young adult series  Neither one over powers the other. And it doesn't hurt that she's a North Carolina girl like me.

These aren't the only authors/people that have and still continue to influence me but, they are the ones that come to my mind the most.

Well, time to get back to vacation but, like most of the authors I have named, writers never take a vacation.

Later,
Melissa


Friday, March 2, 2012

UNEXPECTED SURPRISE!

I finished reading LABYRINTH by Kat Richardson yesterday and turned to the tittle page and...found it was a signed copy! Wow! How cool is that. I had ordered LABYRINTH along with a preorder of THE PERFECT BLOOD by Kim Harrison and decided to wait and get it all together. Boy, I'm glad I waited.

I found LABYRINTH while visiting with my parents in Virginia at a reduced priced so, I jumped on my smart phone and canceled my order for it with Amazon. I'm glad I did! Cause not only did I get it at a cheaper price but, I got a signed copy as well. How cool is that? Now I have three signed copies from my favorite authors. I have this one by Kat, I have UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT by my friend Marcia Colette and THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS by Kelly Gay. I know, I'm a Booknerd. It's okay, I've accepted it and am seeking help. LOL

Later,
Melissa

Monday, January 16, 2012


Spider-Man #5 comes out this week.


Catwoman looks pretty bad on her #5 cover that comes out this week too.

Just a couple of comics I'm following.

Later,
Melissa

The New Batwoman 52

Batwoman Cover Art

I love comics! And right now, I'm loving DC The New 52. Inspiration can come from different places and definitely different mediums of literature. Yes, I said literature. I am including comics in literature. And I know quite a few English majors and authors are laughing at me right now.

The new Batwoman comic I have no words. The artwork in this book is unbelievable! I'd buy this comic even if it didn't have a great character and storyline. (Which is does!) The art in this book alone makes it worth picking up. I'm already planning on getting some prints from it framed and mounted.

But, I digress. I have been inspired to draw and write with a renewed ferociousness. I love powerful writing and art. This comic has both. Now, this comic is not for younger people. I was surprised myself to see intimacy depicted on the pages of the comic between Batwoman and her current love interest Detective Saywer. It was very tastefully done so, it didn't throw me off. And just so you won't be caught by surprise, Batwoman is a lesbian and her new love interest of course is a woman.






I know it's nowhere as good as the art in the book but, I draw for fun and it helps me relax.





And the artwork is just as good or better on the inside of the book. I'll be buying a hardcover when it comes out. Batwoman is simply a work of art.

Later,
Melissa

Sunday, January 15, 2012

FIRST 2 CHAPTERS OF PERFECT BLOOD!



The first two chapters of A Perfect Blood are now up for reading! That means, we are getting very close to the release of Kim Harrison's next release. I've already read the first two chapters online and can't wait to read the rest.


I read ARC review and they said that this book is definitely worth reading. I'm in heaven about now. Kim's book is coming out and my favorite vampire is coming out in 3D! Selene is back in Underworld Awakening!


Batwoman #5 was all I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to the next release in this series. If you're a comic reader and you haven't picked this one up, you need too for the artwork alone!
Later,
Melissa


Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!

It's a new year and a time for new beginnings. Everything is fresh and all is possible. We get a new start and zest for life. It's no different for writers.

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year and I wish you all a prosperous 2012! Now, Let's go kick some writing ass!


Cover from The Darkest Edge of Dawn by Kelly Gay. This book and author, kicks ass!

Later,
Melissa