People who know me, know that I am the superhero girl and that I have been counting down the days until The Avengers premiered. Well that time has finally arrived. Do you want to know what I thought of the movie? I can boil it down to two words.

Wicked! Awesome!

Yes, I will use lots of exclamation points because this movie rocked!!

The story begins when Norse demi-god Loki (Tom Hiddleston) launches a successful attack on a S.H.E.I.L.D. compound and absconds with the energy producing Tesseract we were introduced to in Captain America along with Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Professor Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgaard). Director Nick Fury re-instates the secret Avenger initiative and brings together the super powers of Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America and Black Widow to save the world from interterestrial attack. Do not fret, Thor does show up to deal with his brother in the Asgardian way.

What I loved most about the movie wasn’t the massive battle scenes, althought there were plenty and pretty spectacular, but the tiny attention to detail and the characterizations that carried over from the previous movies. Tony Stark was still arrogant, Dr. Banner wore purple, Thor was boisterous and confident and Steve Rogers…(sigh). He remained the 1940′s American soldier that he is. He wasn’t modernized at all in his leather bomber jacket and slacks. It was like they cut him out of an old movie and dropped him on the flight deck of Top Gun. There was lots of good tension between Rogers and Stark, so if they ever wanted to bring the Civil War storyline to the big screen, the tone has been well set.

During the final battle scene there was a long pan shot where the focus moved from Captain America fighting alongside Black Widow to Iron Man blasting aliens out of the sky, then we moved on to Hawkeye easily taking out bad guys with his arrow, then on to Hulk and Thor working together, and the entire time I was thinking, “I can’t believe this is all in one movie!”

Even Loki in all his baddness was amazing, which is kind of horrible because he was really bad, but he had to be in order to be a worthy villain. That smile of his…shivers.

I loved this movie and I want more. Two-and-a-half hours wasn’t enough for me. As long as they are as well thought out as this movie, I will be there for the next bagillion sequels. And if you haven’t seen The Avengers yet, go. See it on the big screen where you can get sucked into the epicness.

And for pete’s sake, stay until the credits are over. You should know better than to leave before the very last second.

Today I’m at RomCon taking opinions on who is the best Hollywood portrayl of a super hero. Click on the link to add yours

RomConinc.com

I’m also at Passionate Reads talking about the reactions (actually, it’s always the same reaction) I receive when people find out I write erotic romance.

PassionateReads.com

I’m over at The Book Boost Blogspot talking about what superpower I would want to have and the implications of bubbles. Leave a comment and be entered to win a copy of Hero Revealed.

The Book Boost Blogspot

It’s officially release day. My first novel is out from Ellora’s Cave and available to the massess. It’s hard to believe that a year ago Kristos and Brett weren’t even an idea and now their are the first ones to have that lovely copyright symbol attached.

Thanks to Crista McHugh and Danielle Monsch for spending an afternoon plotting with me and to all the members of GSRWA and Evergreen RWA for their knowledge and support.

Now, back to Lucian’s story.

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9988-hero-revealed.aspx

From the look of my blog it might appear as if I haven’t been doing much this last year. Nothing could be further from the truth! I finished Genesis and the sequel, Instinct. I also wrote a novella that, as you can plainly see, was picked up by Ellora’s Cave and will be released April 4th.

Also during this time I have been working as a committee member for the Emerald City Writers Conference and am the Membership Chair for the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America. Oh yes, and I hold down a day-job and am raising my two chicklets.

So now with the book release,  the challenge really begins. Can I handle being a published author or will I crash and burn and be a one hit wonder? Have I totally just jinxed myself or is the ride only beginning? There are so many possibilities, even I’m curious as to how I can remain sane.

Hang on all. Let’s see where this rocket takes us.

I went for these.

Didn’t we just have Halloween? Where has this year gone? I can’t believe it’s been six months since I last posted. It has been so long, I forgot the password to log in to the site.  What have I been doing with my time? Well, since the last time I posted a blog, I started a new job and with it came a load of  responsibilities and long hours. The people are great and it pays the bills, but I’m not meant to be an accountant. It’s not my passion. I am a writer. I’m a writer. I’M A WRITER!

Unfortunately, I have not felt like a writer for the past few months. My rough draft isn’t finished and I haven’t been submitting my superheroes to anyone. How can I sell a book if I don’t send it out? I know this, I just haven’t found the time or the energy to make it happen. 

So now it’s the end of March. Spring. A time for new beginnings. A time to get my ass in gear. Oh, so much easier said than done. All this week I have felt off. Nothing seemed to sparkle, I couldn’t muster any real joy for anything. Housework seems never ending and creativity is down the toilet. The world was dark and gloomy. Of course with it being Seattle, everything is dark and gloomy. But   had errands to run, errands I actually looked forward to doing, yet it still took too much effort to climb out of bed and look presentable. I sloshed out to my car and began to take care of the to-do list, including a stop at the shoe store to replace my broken brown pumps.

Now you should know that I love shoes. Loooove shoes. Maybe because they fit no matter what size you are and there is a shoe for every mood imaginable. You want to know how someone feels? Look at their shoes. The last time I really splurged on shoes was three years ago. My divorce was final, I just moved into my own place, and I decided to truly pursue my writing dreams. I bought eight pairs of shoes in one week because there wasn’t anyone to tell me no. It was an exciting time. I was shedding the shell of the person I never wanted to become and there was this new world ahead of me where anything was possible, and it all began by purchasing a pair of shoes just for the hell of it.

A lot has happened since I bought those shoes, some of which I don’t have anymore. They fell apart or just weren’t practical anymore. My life has had some crazy ups and downs and have taken turns I never expected. I’ve purchased other shoes since then, but there had to be a purpose, a specific need or else I did without. (My family may disagree about that, but it’s true.)

And that was the plan for today: get a practical pair of shoes that would pair well with slacks or a skirt. I found what I needed right away. Brown suede with a two-and-a-half inch heel. They were comfortable and half-off. Perfect. But oh, on the next shelf were a pair of open toe chocolate satin pumps- sleek and sexy. I hadn’t bought sexy shoes in, well, three years. It’s hard to feel sexy when you’re covered from neck to toes in wool, flannel and/or denim all winter long. In the next aisle over there were these cute little ballet flats with the tennis shoe soles in a floral print, and next to those  a pair of amazing red suede heels. Ooo, and the maroon patent leather loafer with the gold buckle. What would it hurt to try them on?

It seared like a sunburn to take them off. I didn’t want to move.

With each pair I slipped on it was a reawakening, a jolt to my tired soul. The ‘me’ I lost under endless debts and credits and program conversions broke through the mud to blossom. Could I splurge on another pair? The accountant side of me busted out the calculator to tabulate 40% off $49.99 plus 9.5% sales tax. I could live off oatmeal for a week. If only that one had a blue sticker. I couldn’t. I shouldn’t. Which do I leave behind?

An hour later I walked to the register with four boxes stacked to my chin. Hysterical laughter bubbled in my throat and I called myself crazy with every step, but it didn’t matter. What did I care that I didn’t have a specific reason to wear them. Perhaps now I will think of a place to wear them, a place where I would do something, or meet someone, and  my life would change forever. Oh, the possibilities.

Possibility. That’s a very powerful word.

The effects of my purchase were immediate. When I left the store the clouds glowed a little brighter and the rain didn’t feel so wet. On the drive home I thought of a new opening paragraph to my query letter that is so fantastic I could kick my own ass for not thinking of it sooner. I want to write.

Some would say ” but it’s just a shoe,” a piece of apparel meant to protect your feet from the elements, and they would be right. But shoes have the power to be so much more. Don’t just stop to consider the comfort or the price. Think of where that shoe can take you, what you could see, or do, or become.

Think of the possibilities.

 

And came home with these too.

One short day in the Emerald City…

Well, its more like three, long, arduous days actually. It is that time of year. The Emerald City Writers Conference is here again, and as I look back at the past year, I can’t believe how much I have grown as a writer. A published writer, not so much. But as far as craft is considered, I have gone from simple to sophisticated and complex. At least, I think so.

My goals are pretty much the same as they were last year, only this time I can sense that the stakes are higher. I’m pitching my superheroes. This is the book that I can feel down to my marrow could be big. I just need to find someone who is as passionate about it as I am. No easy feat. My query is set and I am determined to project as much positivity as possible, even when the nerves pull at my insides.

Also different is that this year I am on the conference committee. I know, thou shall not committee, but having this position has given me the opportunity to network that I didn’t have before. At this stage in my career, I find that it has been more than worth it. Just like many writers, I am incredibly shy. I  can hear the gasps, Anna? Shy? No, that can’t be, but seriously, I am. However, since I will be one of the first faces conference attendees will see when they check-in, I will be the most gracious hostess.  Hiding in the background will not be an option. If you see me hiding, poke me with a pencil. This business is all about the connections and I can not pass the opportunity by.

So, okay y’all, my bags are ready, my pages for the Margie Lawson workshop are printed, and I am packing breath mints. Will I sell a book this weekend? No, that’s not the point. What I will do is take another, all important step to publication.

See you there.

Once a week I have an hour to kill between picking up my children. As I searched for something to do during that hour, I stumbled upon the latest version of Let’s Make a Deal with Wayne Brady on the television.  The last time I saw this show I was wearing neon and glued to my Walkman. X-plus years later, the concept remains the same. For those of you not familiar, Let’s Make a Deal is a game show were people dress up in goofy outfits in order to be selected to play one of several games. During the game, the player will be offered prizes that are hidden behind curtains number one, two, or three, or be tempted to exchange unknown prize for something else. Prizes can include appliances, cars, cash, or the dread  zonk, which is the booby prize.

When I was a kid, the person in the crazy get-up always went for the deal. Behind the curtain could be riches beyond their wildest dreams: trips, cars, or the luxury living room they always wished for. But that was not the case anymore. More often than not, when the contestant was offered the choice between a cash or the mystery prize, the person went for the cold hard cash.

As one of the newly downsized, I identified all to much with taking what you have and running, and cheered loudly “Keep the money!” Who cares if the key to a new Toyota was potentially waiting under the silver box? If Wayne Brady gave me $700 cash in hand, I would take it too. The risks are too scary, the potential for failure too great. Only one man gave up his cash for what was behind curtain number three and do you know what happened? He was zonked!!

Now it is possible that these lack of gamblers were contained to one episode, but I really can’t spend all my time watching continuously for research purposes. I already spend too much time with the History Channel, TruTV, Discovery, and Dr. Oz. Seriously, if I follow everything he says, I should live to be 100.

Taking the leap was once the American way, but no more. It’s really sad actually. The world is in such a flux, how can anything feel like a sure thing anymore. DO you really expect me to take the chance of being told “thanks for playing,” while being handed an inflatable palm tree? Zonks are everywhere, just waiting to blow a raspberry all over your enthusiasm.

Aack, I’m depressing myself now.

No more. I can’t be afraid to see what is behind the curtain. Throw it open and show me my prize. I’ll throw on my stripped stockings and fairy wings and take the chance. How will I start? I will submit a query to two agents tonight. It’s a small step, but it’s a start, because I’m ready to make a deal.

Last Saturday I typed “The End” for the last time (hopefully) on my superhero story. Now the real work begins. It’s time to start collating my list of agents to target, write the synopsis, and work on the all important query letter. The Emerald City Writers Conference is in a few short weeks, and that will be the launching point of my expedition to publication.

OnRomantically Speaking with Danielle Monsch we talk about the trials and tribulations all unpublished authors go through and what my strategies are to overcome those.  

 Now back to work.

The Joust

The chicklets and I headed to the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire this past weekend in Buckley. It was the second year at this new location and the organizers really did a fantastic job of correcting a few of the issues from last year, mainly the trough of mud you used to have to muddle through along the food court. Now if they could just clarify the whole corn maze information, then it would be perfect. All though my girls thought being stopped by security was incredible exciting.

The jugglers were funny, the jewelry plentiful, and the joust lively and dangerous. A heart stopping moment occurred during the spear competition when a horse caught his foreleg on a hale bale, falling to the ground and tumbling the Lady Maria off the saddle and under its hooves. She was shaken, but okay, and jumped right back into the saddle to finish the show. 

The chicklets and I left with plastic swords, bottles of root beer and lots of stories that they will recreate for the amusement of anyone who is willing to watch. Besides the Highland Games, the Ren Faire is one of the favorite things I look forward to each summer and I can’t wait for next year.

What I like to see, a man in a fantastic hat reading

The Lady Maria of Portugal