2nd Chances

And where is the post?

Ah...check out my new blog at www.maureenobetita.com/blogslinks to find out what I'm up to right now!

There's a CONTEST!

Second Step

 I’ve thought long and hard about this and it’s time to close this blog off, for the most part and start up the big author blog on my website.( If I can figure out how to do it.) I have a wordpress website and it seems to me it shouldn’t be a big deal to just add a page…right?

I’m shooting to do this in the next week. And to make a big deal out of it. I’ll still be writing about chances and how they play into what I write and what I do with my life. And hope to spur some discussions on how we make chances by not only being open to them, but looking for them and actively seeking them out.

My new blog will be themed toward the genre I’m taking a chance on. I mean, starting a genre is a big deal. I don’t expect to set the world on fire, but having a nice sized bit of flame going would satisfy me.

Yes, I mean PiratePunk. Not enough steam to slide into the steampunk slot… Not enough historical pirate to be historical. (I’m way too rebellious to let the limitations of actual historical accuracy slow me down.) It’s fantasy, but no dragons or fairies. It’s got elements of modern life, but urban fantasy doesn’t really work either. It is steamy. (Not in the hydraulics fashion.)

I’ve thought about how to define PiratePunk in a quick phrase. The elevator pitch, as it may. I’ve come up with this…

Fiction with piratittude.

I could tag this with Magical fiction with piratittude. Or romantic fiction with piratittude.

Pirattitude really is the keyword here. Penned by Captain Slappy and Old Chumbucket in the book “Pirattitude!: So You Wanna Be a Pirate?” in 2005. These are the same lads who invented the International Talk Like A Pirate Day. It isn’t all about the ARRRRR. Or the rum drinking, or the accessories of pirates. Though all of that is really neat.

I see piratittude as a way of viewing the world and the making the most of everything the comes my way. With a belief that I must make the most of where the wind blows me. There is adventure no matter where I land or how old I am.

And that is what I write. There won’t always be actual pirates in my books. But there will always be pirattitude. Whether I set my characters on an alien planet, a couple looking for some zing for their life, or set a group of scrappy mercenaries fighting to survive on a world changed by a swift speeding up of time…there will be pirattitude. Adventure is an attitude.

Pirattitude is more than a simple bit of wearing a tricorn or teaching a parrot to recite Edgar Allen Poe, I like to think my new genre embraces the idea that pirattitude is the technique to not only survive adversity, but to thrive amidst it. And rise above the villains of life.

I’ll start this new blog off with a month long contest, via Facebook and the blogs I am a regular part of. I’m going to give away a Sony Pocket reader, a kraken parasol and assorted other goodies. As well as books, buttons, etc. I’m looking to boost my blog followers and my Facebook followers. There will be a bit of an adventure and a lot of fun… As I ask people to ponder…

Where did the kraken go?

You’ll understand when you visit the new site! ;-)

I’ll post links to it next week…if I get it going! With luck it will be part of my website, listed under simply Maureen O. Betita.

 

Seizing It All

 

So, I spent a week in Los Angeles, pushing like some energizer pirate…never really getting out of character, though I do feel my pirate/writer/just me personas are blending nicely to an authenticity I can easily maintain. Because they are me.

I came home exhausted, exhilarated and a few days after I got home I was heading to Mom’s to tell her all about it and visit with her as she continues to fight her medical woes.

Life is like that. You go from running madly every direction there is, to sitting still and chatting with Mom.

 

Oddly enough, much of what I blathered about in LA was very similar to chatting with Mom. I shared my excitement and the silly things that happened, showing her pictures of me sitting at that table, surrounded by writers, books stacked in front of me. And photos of friends in costume… (Yes, I grabbed pics from Facebook pages to share with her. Sorry, I couldn’t be everywhere! Or take pictures of myself.)

I was barely feeling as if I could breathe after RT, when I headed north three hours to check up on Mom. I was there two nights and saw her several times, took her a few meals I knew she’d enjoy. I wrote about the convention on the Revenge last Friday and realized…I couldn’t actually say where I was or what I was doing on a day by day basis.

Oh, some things, yes. I knew my schedule, but so much I missed out on. I made it to only one panel! Dang it. Yet, I was busy! And I don’t feel like any of my time was wasted. I took a chance and I seized every opportunity I could to promote myself, to talk about my books, to hand out pins.

I still have hundreds of pins left, but I have several more conventions to attend before the end of the year. I’ll find a home for them!

I gave one as I checked into the hotel to a woman behind me in line, preparing to check out. I gave them to people I shared the elevator with, to merchants in Club RT, to other authors… I took the advice of one of the other Decadent authors and gave out my buttons.

Instead of my business cards. Why? I had the wrong area code on them. ;-)

I’m all about making it work when mistakes are made!

Next month, I’ll be holding a contest and giving away a Sony pocket edition e-reader. Yup, making lemonade out of a lemon. A big lemon. I’ll tell you all about it in the next few weeks.

Just remember, things happen that you don’t plan. Don’t worry! Make them yours and seize them!

RT!

Oh, the chances I took! Showing a complete and total willingness to play pirate, I strode about the hotel wearing black pirate hat with many, many feathers, purple pirate hat...much spangly jewelry... Here, check me out!

 

That was a great party!

Yup, I'm back. I conqured RT. Signed books, threw a fabulous "He's A Pirate!" panel with Katharine Ashe and Cherry Adair...gave away two wonderful gift baskets, signed lots of things... Met with my agent, the wondrous Saritza Hernandez, met my fabulous editors Kate and Val, and the officers of Decadent Publishing.

 

I tell you...I'm exhausted. Next week, a full report!

Meanwhile, remember that it is always worth putting yourself out and taking the chance! All of them!

RT!

Yes, I'm here. Mom is doing okay, under doctor's care.

And I had my first review of The Kraken's Mirror at Paperback Dolls and it's wonderful!

I'll try to post more later this week as the convention takes off and I meet my public - I hope! - for the first time!

One Week Countdown

Not much to say this week. What are the chances of my making RT? Well, so much depends on Mom and her current stay in the hospital. Not pneumonia this time, but an infection that is stubbornly making her life miserable.

I know Mom, and I know she would not want me to miss RT. Miss the chance to be there with my book. She is so proud of me and wants to see pictures of me signing.

Sigh.

Seven days to see what is going on and figure it all out.

I'm ready. I'm packed, all but clothing... Right now, it's up the air until we know.

Sigh.

Chance to Promote

(First off, sorry I'm late. Been on the road! But here it is, better late then never!)

It’s coming really fast. RT. And I have so much that I’ve done to get ready. I have postcards with my book covers… I have bookmarks of all three of my titles. I have buttons to promote the first. I have a treasure chest of goodies people will be able to win in Club RT. In fact, I have two items slated for Club RT. One to promote The Kraken’s Mirror. One to promote the two erotic shorts, The Ship’s Mistress and The Sister’s Story/Sari’s Search.

 

I’m on a panel with Katharine Ashe and Cherry Adair, called “He’s A Pirate” and for that panel I have purchased to give away…small plastic pirate coins and wrist bands with pirate sayings on them.  I also made a special little pirate perch hat to present as a sort of grand prize or in a drawing. Katharine is organizing the event so I don’t have a clue exactly what we’re doing! If you’re there, come by! Wednesday, 2:15 to 3:15!

 

Aren’t they cute? One is a gift for a friend, two are for my fellow panelist and one is a prize! I’ll dress them up with some feathers and appropriate glitter…the purple will be given away at the panel.

 

I made little specialized autograph books to give away at the signings and some will go on the promo spot I signed up for in promo alley.

 

I’m a working minion for Judi McCoy and her Beginning Writer’s Class, will be there early to help out the newbies. And will make myself available to them all through the week. A friendly face you know is so important at RT!

 

I’m signing at the E-Expo on Friday and at the big Saturday Book Faire. I have to write a blog for Decadent, to be posted at some time that week. I’m so dizzy at this point, I’m not sure when!

 

Promotion is a mad-mad-mad thing. And part of me is absolutely convinced I should be doing more. Or what I am doing isn’t enough. Or it’s wrong. Or it’s a waste of time and money and there are other things I should be doing.

 

And part of me believes I’m doing the right thing with all of it. It’s all such a chance, a crap shoot, a letting a balloon free into the sky sort of hopeful game. A bottle thrown into the sea…

 

Eventually, I hope to discover what worked and what didn’t so I can target better next year, next book, next everything that comes next!

 

At least all I’m doing I’m doing with great sincerity…which I hope Linus is right about and counts! ;-)

 

New Chances on the Horizon

 

I got some very good news last week. Well, I got a few pieces of very good news. I heard from one of the book reviewers at Paperback Dolls that The Kraken’s Mirror would soon be receiving its review and she loved the book! Whoop!

I got notice from a Google alert and was pointed toward a very sweet review written about the book by a reader on the Barnes and Nobles site. There’s another very nice one on the Amazon site. And several friends have finished the books and enjoyed it.

Yes, they’re friends. But if they didn’t enjoy it I’d except to simply hear nothing. To go out of their way to write me a note or post on Facebook, I think, means they really do like it!

I also started a correspondence with the wife of a man I went to high school with, who read the book and posted a photo of herself holding it on Facebook and we’ve gone on to make lunch plans this week. Looking forward to meeting you in person, Betty!

 
And! And! Decadent is going to release my short erotic scifi romance, The Ship’s Mistress on Friday! And the follow up with the second story in this universe, The Sister’s Story/Sari’s Search next Friday. I love my covers on both of these books. They tell the two stories of sisters. The eldest and her adventures after she gives herself to an alien race in order to save her little sister from a life in a dangerous brothel. The second story is this sister, now grown, and the search for her past.

I received my Kraken’s Mirror buttons in the mail last Friday and they are bee-oo-tiful! The bookmarks, the cover flats, the everything is ready for the trip to LA and my first signing. And I’m so bloody nervous, it’s hard to explain!

Sometimes, it really blows my mind to realize how far I've come in the last four years. In a little over a month, I'll celebrate four years since I nearly died. And so much has changed! I'm still working on recovering control of my house, clutter-wise, but I could never have imagined I'd be published. Wow!

So, this week will be a busy week. I’m at Castles&Guns on Tuesday. Blathering on the Daily Dose of Decadence on Thursday (about being Irish and all).

Friday will find me pontificating on the Revenge, likely about my new release. I’ll also be playing at Realmantic Moments and Kathleen’s Place to Reflect.

Next Sunday, now this is exciting… I’ll be live on Ashly Monroe’s Must Love Books BlogTalk Radio Show! I’m on the road for this show, from my Mom’s, so this blog may be late in posting.

This week, take a chance on something new. Take a breath and put yourself out there. Look what can happen!

Chance of Writing? Slim.

No, I'm not really suffering writer's block. At least that isn't what I call it. Maybe it's more informational overload? Or post-publication malaise? I'm just suffering from a real lack of energy and focus when it comes to sitting butt in chair and working on the two projects currently on my laptop.

Yes, I have been dealing with a shoulder injury, but doesn't stop me from surfing the web, blogging and blathering. So, it isn't that.

Yes, I'm working the clutter directions from Casey. Or I should say the declutter directions! (That is slow going until the husband gets the room to the state where I can help!) But I don't think it's that.

Yes, RT (the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention) is on the horizon and I'm suddenly feeling like I'll never be ready for it. And all the plans I put together for the last year aren't all in place. (Geez, I had a year! Where the hell was my head!) But I have a great deal done at this point. Let's face it, mainly because that's all I've been able to focus on this last month! I have my bookmarks, for all three books, postcards for the books, postcards to promote the Romance Writers Revenge...buttons for the new writers taking Judi McCoy's Aspiring Author pre-convention program done... And my big promo item, The Kraken's Mirror buttons are on order.

What do you think?

I have items for the "He's A Pirate!" reader's panel I'm part of along with Katharine Ashe and Cherry Adair. (Did you know Katharine is a professor? Feeling very inadequate about now...) And lets face it, Cherry is a force of nature akin to a tornado. And then there is me.

Meanwhile, I'm attending the Nova Albion Steampunk Convention on March 25, 26, and 27th, planning a trip to see Mom the weekend before...and meeting my new cardiologist, seeing my eye doctor and my thyroid doctor...

And...

And...

No wonder I'm finding the chances of writing slim!

I need a vacation!

This week finds me visiting with Lila Munro at Wicked Muses blogspot on Friday and Leslie Soul's BraveNet Blog on the Saturday. I will return to the Friday spot on The Romance Writers Revenge on Friday also! Yippee! Maybe that is part of my problem, no pirate fix for a few weeks due to guests...

Clearance!

Well, the book is out. The blogging has petered off, I'm in full speed preparation toward the Romantic Times Booksellers Convention and...I'm tackling my clutter situation with the help of a specialist.

First step? Accept you have a problem you can't handle on your own. Yup, I'm there. Been there for a whole lot of months...likely nearly a year.

Second step? Be ready to do what it takes, surrender to it. And call for help.

It was strange, having Casey come into the house. First time we'd had any company in the house in a long, long time. Sure, we had some new kitchen stuff done and we had new windows put in. That was years ago and the clutter was pretty much confined to two very bad rooms and some closets that were so full nothing else fit.

Sigh.

So, I figured Casey would check the whole house out. Make notes, maybe take pictures... Instead, she asked what room was first and we started with that one. She didn't even look at the rest of the house.

Husband's clutter room first. The front room, the room the front door opens to. Used to be a gargage at some point point before we bought the house. Which now has no garage and no shed... Which means the front room has all the tools from the garage and shed we once had. Plus the big desk and all the paperwork, the washer/dryer, my bike and a ton of assorted stuff.

Our first assignment, from Casey? An hour a day and big projects on weekends. It's only been four days but we've already made a lot of progress. Bags of stuff to Goodwill, bunch of stuff to trash, another load of electronics to be recyclyed. Since the majority of the room is huband's territory, I've been given permission to spend time at the other end of the house. My clutter room. Full of craft projects, books, sewing stuff, work out stuff, convention stuff, knick knacks, collectibles, costume this and that, music books, college papers... Sigh.

She says we'll have that room back by the end of March.

I'll be ready for it!

On the promotion tour this week? It's a light week. I'm at Castles&Guns on Tuesday. The Daily Dose of Decadence on Wednesday and Thursday. And I'm holding court at my local RWA meeting on Saturday here at home.

The Romance Writers Revenge is guesting Margaret Rowe on Friday, do stop by! She's always a charming visitor.

Brave New Chance

I have a nice mellow week ahead of me! It's pretty nice because I'm a bit fixated on the one thing that has me a bit freaked out.

On Wednesday...gulp...I have a woman coming to my house to help me with...with the clutter that has taken over every room in my house.

And I'm scared.

And I'm embarrassed.

How did this happen? I was never a total neat freak, but I never imagined letting things get so bad.

Sigh.

Okay, I had some bad years and somewhere in the midst of those years, it all let go and took over. It started when we moved from a 1700 square foot house, with a two car garage and a garden shed to an 1100 square foot house, no garage (not even a carport) and no sheds. And really bad storage. Little by little, over the space of a year, boxes were emptied as I tried to take it slow, tried to make certain everything went where it was supposed to go.

Didn't do too bad. Until...well, the two years before my sudden cardiac death weren't good years. I suffer from chronic depression and it was winning. Four years after my sudden cardiac death I accept that this is beyond me. And Wednesday, Casey is coming.

Part of me wants to spend the next three days cleaning everything I possible can. But wouldn't that defeat the purpose of doing it right? So it won't happen again?

Wish me luck.

I do have one fun thing happening this week. The ladies of  the Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem blog are spending February letting Cupid interview couples from assorted books. On Thursday, Emily and Captain Silvestri are on the hotseat! Do come by! It should be a lot of fun!

And I'll likely need fun after Wednesday's scary visit. (shudder)