A Rose By Any Other Name...Not.

     The Old Bard wrote in 'Romeo & Juliet,' '...a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...' Um, no - not so in my 'real' job of writing, producing news, and dealing with some television news anchors.
     Prolific musician, Don Henley, after his full-time gig with the Eagles wrote a song blasting the news business. While I'm not doing that (although I could, my employment puts beans & rice on the dinner table, and there is full reason to be critical for so many reasons!), there is a line in the song about the 'bubble-headed bleach blonde.' For the most part, I've loved those pale-headed anchors I've dealt with, but on the flip side, they've inadvertently given me some really great lines!
     To preface, I've been 'doing news,' either radio, TV or print, since I was 17--waaay back when AM radio still existed as a passable medium. My first job at my hometown station, when 'disc jockeys' or announcers (not 'air personalities') still smoked like fiends in the studio! I cut my teeth on running Milwaukee Brewer baseball feeds and worked my way up to doing news.
     My latest story, Known and Wanted, was born and takes place in my office--a television newsroom. It stemmed from a very short phone conversation very early one morning. The moment the story was conceived - when the 'cute' Sheriff on the other end of the phone said, "I'm just stepping out of the shower, Wendy." Cue brain exploding with (steamy) ideas!
     So. working in a newsroom, around 'pretty' people, yeah, I can see how Don Henley would use that phrase and mean it. Hey, sometimes we all make a faux pas when speaking, but usually it's not in front of how many thousands of people tuned into your broadcast, right?
     Some of these, ahem, gems, you'll find in Known and Wanted, others are still languishing in a document file some six pages long (10 point font, single space) just waiting to be used at another time. 
     So, here goes: 
     Anchor talking about Valentine's Day, "It's so touche' to get engaged on Valentine's Day." (Despite correcting her in her ear, she said the same wrong phrase three times!)
     Anchor discussing mountain climbers, "Isn't the tallest mountain in the world in Himalaysia?"
     A new sandwich shop in town has "...great Chewbacca bread."
     On getting a traffic ticket, "...the cop was hiding in the Courvoisier." (cul-de-sac)
     And, it's not just on the air folks, it's some of those who actually write the stories the anchors read...the producers. Some of the younger ones (well, younger than me--I'm the oldest in the newsroom and could be their grandmothers...please don't go there!), have no 'depth' when it comes to knowledge and words. For instance, in Known and Wanted, main character, Zoe, relays a story to her date about one of her coworkers reading a news release in which a man died during an act of 'auto eroticism.' The producer in the

The 'endangered' wonton

story and the one sitting next to me a my real job asks, "What was he doing with his car?" Only to be outdone by the same producer, after perusing court documents about a man charged with 'wanton endangerment of children' asking "Why are wontons endangered?"
     Um, did I mention, all these folks have some sort of degree in journalism? (Draw your own conclusions!)
     Don't get me wrong, I really like my job, but some days, writing romance full time and retirement can't come soon enough!
     So, dear friends, be looking for Known and Wanted from me and Decadent Publishing in the next month or so. And, a companion piece by my writing partner in crime, Deanna Wadsworth, Braving the Deep End. 
     Who knows what 'real life' experience will spawn the next book in my head. But, um, that might include running head long (physically) into singer Jon Secada--gotta find a way to make that happen!

     

     
  When not playing with the people in her head, Wendy has a full time job behind the scenes in television.  She lives with her cute chef husband and two fuzzy felines in the Great Lakes region of the Mid-West. 

WHOO!

Wow, that took awhile, but that's okay. I'm back in the writing saddle, and for me, that's a good thing. For some time, I thought the 'people in my head' had left me--you know, like I kid who comes home from school one afternoon only to find a house void of people and  furniture!

Thankfully, they hadn't. Like a family spat lasting some two years, hugs and kisses were delivered when 'family' reunited putting pettiness behind them. Now, they're really talking  - to the point, I have to get on my 'writing horse' and ride!

'Known & Wanted,' which has been brewing for two years, is finished--WHOO--and off to the fine folks at Decadent Publishing, along with a companion, yet stand alone, piece from my writing-partner-in-crime, Deanna Wadsworth's, 'Braving the Deep End.' You see, the sheriff in 'Known & Wanted' is the father of the main character in DW's 'Braving the Deep End.' This 'cross' or 'overlapping' thing has been going on for some time and won't end anytime soon. Right now, between the two of us, there are another six or eight stories where my characters show up in her stories, and hers in mine--along with 'cameos' from other 1Night Stand series folks.

So, a pile of thanks to butt-kicker extraordinaire, Deanna! More thanks to the Wood County, Ohio Sheriff's Office, particularly Capt. Rebecca McMonigal, who spend an entire Monday afternoon showing DW and me around, explaining the ins and outs of lock ups and other law enforcement 'inside baseball.'  And big thanks goes to another upper management person in that office for uttering the line that gave me this whole story to begin with! (M.W. - you don't know your influence on us female media types!) A tip of the cap to my coworkers in TV who gave me more fodder than I could use.  

Also, thanks to Bruce Willis, who's an excellent 'sheriff' model. And, last but not least (as of late really not least) Jon Secada, who keeps me company in my earbuds for nearly eight hours in a loud, busy TV newsroom, then another two-or-so at the gym. Spending all that time with 'him' has of course spawned another story--character models?  Jon and a young Grace Kelly.

Now with a rare Friday off, before I start a long, written conversation with the couple above (Jess & Holly), I have to do adult things, like take Wolfie the cat to the vet, go grocery shopping, get vaccinated against Shingles--after which, I'll hit the gym and see what 'Jess' has to say while I'm pedaling away two hours on the bike.

Really, I'm not crazy - just a writer!

When not playing with the people in her head, Wendy has a full time job behind the scenes in television.  She lives with her cute chef husband and two fuzzy felines in the Great Lakes region of the Mid-West. 

A Week's Worth of Travel, But Only in My Head

But, I have to go back to work!

   My week off from my 'regular' job has come to an end. Do I want to got back to work, yes and no. During this time off, I never left the county in which I live, but I did travel a whole lot with the people in my head.

Hocking Hills State Park - Logan, OH

   I went to Hocking Hills State Park in southern, Ohio, where some interaction of great emotional magnitude takes place between Eli and Zoe - the main characters in my now-finished 1Night Stand "Known & Wanted."

'Spiegel 1 & 2' - Toledo Museum of Art

    I drive past the sculpture below at the Toledo Museum of Art every morning on my way to work. It's called 'Spiegel 1 & 2' - 'mirror' in German. And in the dark, it's all lit up, just two bright figures. They're made of letters, with so much to say, yet, they have no faces, no way of communicating. The way Zoe feels much of the time.
    I visited the imaginary 'Birch County Justice Center,' the real Toledo Hospital (only in my head), The Heights at the Renaissance in downtown Toledo - for an 'in head' quick dinner.

My ass-kicker, Deanna Wadsworth

     Not only did the time off allow me to dig up and plant my garden - which has been fallow for two years due to on going roof work on my home - but it allowed me to spend more time than ever before with this lovely lady. My partner-in-writing crime and ass kicker, Deanna Wadsworth. Now when say 'more time than ever before,' seeing her for more than an hour on three separate occasions over fourteen days-- a major big deal.

   We spent a late Monday afternoon with Captain Rebecca McMonigal of the Wood County, Ohio Justice Center - read that, 'the jail.' There aren't enough words to thank Capt. McMonigal for the time, information, conversation, explanation and 'experience,' Deanna and I both took away from the visit.
    We spent another afternoon plotting more stories, clarifying plots, drinking and post-drinking shopping. Then, a few days later, she colored my hair.
     When I wasn't gardening, house cleaning, errand running and dodging the recent Monsoons, I spent some 90 minutes daily on my elliptical visiting far off lands with my pals Mitch Rapp and Scot Harvath.
     So, what did I get out of this vacation? Hopefully, piles of fresh garden veggies, another published book, ideas for at least four more, and a recharged mind to tackle the work that actually puts beans and rice on the table.
     Is it October yet?
 

When not playing with the people in her head, Wendy has a full time job behind the scenes in television, a part time job in radio and an even 'parter' time job trying to keep her house clean. She lives with her cute chef husband and two fuzzy felines in the Great Lakes region of the Mid-West. 

It's Been Nearly a Year, So I Guess I Need to Blog

   Okay, so it hasn't been quite a year, so I guess I'm ahead of the game when it comes to actually posting a blog. 
      Where've I been, what've I been doing--working, banging my head against an empty page, working, fighting with the people in my head, working, yelling at the people in my head, working, and finally ousting one male lead model for another, which smashed the years-long drought and anti-writing mode I've been in.
      I have Bruce Willis to thank for that.
     I know, sounds strange, but once I cut loose Jake Gyllenhaal as the model for 'Sheriff Eli Martin' and replaced him with Bruce Willis - all was again right with the world. And, all it took was one little Google search with Jake showing up in a political t-shirt that didn't quite sit well with me. Which prompted the question, is it wrong to dump your character model based on his/her political leanings. In my case, a resounding 'yes'!
     I also found the 'soundtrack' to my story (well at least in my head -- SO MUCH takes place just in my head) was all wrong. While Don Henley's 'Last Worthless Evening' and 'Heart of the Matter' seemed perfect, alas -- they weren't. Which is now why Jon Secada is pretty much all I listen to. Henley, despite his wanted optimism in songs of that nature, just seem too somber. 'Never Too Far Away,' and 'Heaven', plus Secada's looks have been extremely inspiring - to the point at my 'real' job, when I need to drown out the newsroom noise and really crank out the work, I plug in my earbuds and turn up the Spanish versions of his tunes. Only problem...with only two years of high school Spanish, I'm kind of lost (sorry, Miss DellaValle!) No matter, I still understand the songs' sentiments.

     So, after ousting Jake and replacing Don, Bruce and Jon moved in and 15,000+ words the outcome.
     Of course, NONE of this would be happening without the steadfast support (read that lovable ass-kicking) I get from my writing-partner-in-crime, Deanna Wadsworth. The day she IMed me to say 'YOU'RE BACK' after beta-reading some the the 15K I'd cranked out...well...definitely I highlight of my writing 'career.'
     So, what's to come? Finishing up the story 'starring' Bruce, ('Known & Wanted') which was inspired by an actual phone conversation with a local sheriff. Not so much the conversation, more like one little comment in that conversation! Oh, if he only knew. After that a May/December thing which stemmed from a side character in the aforementioned story.
     When? Soon, I hope.
     Oh, people in my head, I've missed you, and I'm so happy we're 'talking' again - or should I say 'you're' talking to me.
   

Between Apathy and Frustration

Sounds like a great book title, doesn't it? That's where I am right now and have been since my last book was published two years ago. 

As my friends know, there are dozens upon dozens of 'people in my head' and laptop waiting to be unleashed into the world -- but although I stand outside their cage with key in hand, looking at them daily, for some reason I just turn my back and walk away. (I can even see their arms thrust through the bars, reaching, voices straining, yelling at me "Come back!" But I just keep walking.)

It's not fair to them, it's not fair to me, because I love them and want to set them free - but at the end of the day, it just doesn't happen.

It's not writer's block - I KNOW where the stories are going, I know what these people want to say. If I could 'mind meld' with my laptop, I'd have at least a half dozen stories off to the publisher, at which point I'd be waiting for them to be returned, torn apart by an editor, 'Only to make them better,' I'm told. It IS true...but when someone beats up on your baby -- you know how that is! 

The "Sheriff"

The "Cowboy"

So, where does this leave me? Right now in my head/laptop, there are at least dozen folks waiting to 'finish the act' - two retirees, a sheriff, a television producer (not ME, the character), a police detective, a DEA agent, (geez, there's a pattern here!), a country singer, a photographer from Chicago, a NASCAR driver & pit crew person, a model/nurse, a baseball player, a cowboy and more. That's TEN books waiting to be completed, and every day another one pops into my head. Yes...I must be crazy.

Maybe just writing this blog is a catharsis of some sort - writing for the act of writing -- and not the writing I do while I'm working. I hope this is some sort of kick start, (read that kick in the ass!)  All I can say is, 'we'll see.'

When not playing with the people in her head, Wendy has a full time job behind the scenes in television, a part time job in radio and an even 'parter' time job trying to keep her house clean. She lives with her cute chef husband and two fuzzy felines in the Great Lakes region of the Mid-West.Find her books at Decadent Publishing, Amazon and other reputable e-book retailers.

Friends are a Writer's Best Friend!

Oh, the conversations which take place when writers get together! Usually, our poor spouses are left out in the cold, looking at us like we need some sort of psychiatric help. It's always nice when you have friends who understand the 'people in your head' just need to express themselves.

Such is the case with my pal, writer and former co-worker, Cyn Mackley. It's so much fun to see each other's eyes light up with ideas and plot twists. So, we decided to sit down and chat awhile--and if you like interestingly twisted stories, my pal, Cynde has them for you!

Me: So, Cyn, do the people in your head talk to you all day long, too?

Cyn: Oh yes. The inside of my head is like a Robin Williams routine.

Me: Much less hairy, I would imagine!

Cyn: Oh, there are some hairy ones in there too!

Me: What's the earliest recollection of you actually writing?

Cyn:. I distinctly remember drawing a little book about two broth who lived in a windmill. I had confused a windmill with a lighthouse because they had boats.

Me: What author do you admire most?

Cyn: The first author I ever truly loved was Laura Ingalls Wilder. I wrote Michael Landon angry letters over the TV show Little House On The Prairie versus the book. Like a 7-page letter. Robert B. Parker is a huge influence on me as well. The way he writes dialogue, how prolific he was. How he keeled over while writing at this desk. 

Me: I know your stories are a bit 'twisted,' in a wonderful way. Where do your story ideas come from?

Cyn: I collect little bits of every single day to use in stories. We've both worked in newsrooms and that's a great place for plots in general.Every single crime in any of my books has been inspired by a similar real-life crimes. Even the awful things that go down in What The Chat Dragged In.

Me: Where did the storyline for Killer Clowns from Out of State come from?

Cyn: A visit to the Cirque de Soliel. I was sitting in the audience and was impressed that the clown band was playing their own instruments and singing, and I started thinking, wow these are super-talented people. I wondered what their lives were like when not performing. What do accordion playing clowns do in their off time? By the end of the performance, I had most of the book.

Me: With 'What the Chat Dragged In,' and 'American Goth' you have mystery down pat. Any other genre you'd like to try?

Cyn: I'd really like to be able to write a good piece of sci-fi or fantasy. I love that genre, but I don't feel that I write it well. I have a half finished book called Araknj's Quantum that's a steampunk mystery about time-traveling murderous robot chefs. I let my friends pick my National Novel Writing Month project by naming random things and that's what happened.

Me: With two novels published and many more on the way--which is your favorite?

Cyn: Probably What The Chat Dragged In. Because it was so hard to write, but I think I pulled it off.

Me: I know after 'Chat,' 'Killer Clowns' is next. What's it about? 

Cyn: It's about a small town female police chief that runs over a circus performer who may or may not be connected to a murder. He's a fill-in clown, actually an assistant stage manager who knows how to play the accordion. I'm proud of how it all comes together and makes sense. I'm also finishing my edits on the sequel to American Goth, 'A Maze & Grace.'

I had to include the covers of Cyn's published and soon-to-be published books, because they're some of the most awesome covers I've ever seen!

Visit with Cynde today:

Cyn on Facebook

Cyn's  Blog 

Cyn on Amazon 

Help, Pirates!

And there's little that can be done about them it seems...

Less than a week after my latest release, Safe At Home, came out -- where do I find it, on some 'pirate' site for FREE!
    Okay--so I'm not gonna get rich on a book that retails for $2.99. but really, someone had to go steal it? Why?  So your little site can spread around a bunch of malware?  Those of you who download it and don't pay for it, you get all the headaches you deserve for ripping off not only me, but Decadent Publishing, Amazon (or other reputable ebook dealer,) the artist who designed the beautiful cover and other folks.
     To top it off, you're so cowardly, you don't even have a working email address so I can send you a DCMA notice! What you/this site has done, is no different than lifting a case of printed books from a bookstore and giving them away.
    It's stealing--period!
    What can you as a reader do? Always buy from a reputable ebook seller; Amazon, Smashwords, All Romance e-books. Unless it's being given away by a blog host or the author, if it's free, it's possibly pirated. For bound books, never hand over money or order books with front covers or title pages missing.
 Books are a consumable, just like curtains, or pants, or a jar of spaghetti sauce. Someone put some hard work into writing it, a publishing house may have worked on it to get it to market, or an author may have self-pubbed the story on his or her own--they made something to go to market -- not be stolen like suits and microwaves handed out in the back of a meat warehouse like in Goodfellqs.
     And, if you really need a copy and can't afford the $2.99---just ask. Maybe I'll send you one.

When not playing with the people in her head, Wendy has a full time job behind the scenes in television, a part time job in radio and an even 'parter' time job trying to keep her house clean. She lives with her cute chef husband and two fuzzy felines in the Great Lakes region of the Mid-West.