Anna Alexander

Posted By Anna on September 2, 2009

Last September I was fortunate enough to get the chance to explore the belt of Scotland. As you might have gleaned from previous postings, I love Scotland. The music, the food, the architecture; it is my warm fuzzy blanket.

While I was there, I notated random observations in my travel journal. This is a special journal that is small enough to tuck into my purse, and large enough to doodle sketches of the scenery as I wait in line for various activities. It is special because it is only used on adventures. I have several journals for various purposes, hence why it is called the ‘travel journal’.

So, on the eve of the first anniversary of my trip, I thought I would share some of these observations. Keep them in mind the next to you travel to anywhere. They may come in handy.

1. Brush up on the cuisine of the area you are visiting. I was having lunch at Deacon Brodie’s and a group of American women sat next to me. The menu was fried, with a fried potato product on the side. Not too difficult, yet these women seemed to have difficulty understanding what “pub food” meant. How did I know they were American? They were so loud that everyone knew that they were on Atkins.
2. Speaking of fried…every restaurant I went to had the best french fries. Don’t know if it’s the potatoes or the oil, but they are excellent.
3. Parts Edinburgh are thousands of years old. The Royal Mile and Old Town itself span 600 to 700 years old. Much of that is unchanged. Including paved roads. Why oh why would you go tottering around in four-inch stilettos? I saw a woman on a ghost tour catch her heel in the cobblestones. The resulting fall lead to a broken ankle, torn jeans, and a very red face. You don’t look so cute when you’re sprawled out on the pavement.
4. Why do secret service men wear suites? I know, this digresses a bit, but lets think about it. A hotel was bombed in Rwanda and the footage showed secret service men running around in suits, their neck ties flapping in their faces. I would think that a tie would be distracting, or used against them in hand to hand combat. I would understand if they wore something more fitting to defensive maneuvers.
5. A Scotsman doing a Sean Connery impersonation. Funny.
6. If asked if you would like your meat pie or sausage roll warmed up, just say no. The inside is molten lava hot every time.
7. Several times I saw women wearing a halter top with a bra. Visible bra straps? Who lied to you and told you that you looked good?
8. What exactly is brown sauce?
9. Remember the your camera has a video function prior to the middle of your vacation.
10. Upper Crust still has the best baguette sandwiches ever.
11. Most importantly, enjoy yourself! Don’t be afraid to try new things. If I had been to timid to travel around the world by myself, I would have missed out on this amazing scenery, and that would have just been sad.

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Posted By Anna on August 22, 2009

I had entered my Scottish ghost story in the Heart of the West contest sponsored by the Utah/Salt Lake RWA. I did not final, however the responses were not that bad.

This is the first response I have received about my writing and I was apprehensive about what would be said. I have heard many horror stories about contest critques that were contradictory, non-imformative, and down-right insulting.

Across the board it seems that my characters were likable, and I have great visualization. Negatives were my use of commas, which I have been working on, but I do not think I will ever understand, and that Vanessa seemed to need more meat to her. This was not that surprising, because I recently did a character work up for Vanessa and Aiden, and I noticed the same thing about her. So at least now I know I am on the right path when I go to edit some more.

There was one judge  that was not very helpful. The entire critque was twenty words long. The “what needs work” section was boiled down to three words: Hook is weak.

Great. What does that mean exactly? This is from a published romance author. You would think that they would be a little more forth coming. Maybe it is a conspiracy, and my work was so good that they are trying to be unhelpful so that I don’t sell. Yeah. That’s it. (please know that I am joking here. mostly)

My favorite response (naturally) was from the judge that said ” I get the same feeling reading reading your manuscript, as I do when I read a Maeve Binchy novel- it feels like sitting in a garden with a good friend and a cup of tea.”

I almost fell out of my chair when I read this. You go along and hope that your work resonates with someone. This one comment made all of the late nights, and worrying if I am wasting my time, worth while. It’s so gratifing that someone, not blood related to me, understands and enjoys my work.

Now I just have to remember that when I get the critques back that say I should never write again. Let’s hope that never happens.

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Posted By Anna on August 17, 2009

It took me up into my lunch break at work, but the rough draft of my cowboy story is done. Finishing a manuscript is about as difficult as it is to start one. In the beginning you work hard to make your characters interesting enough to want to get to know them, and now I am saying goodbye and sending them away to their HEA. It is a big responsibility to get it right. To make a reader feel like it was worth their time. I think that is why it took me so long.

 I kept trying to make Trey and Greta do things that they didn’t want to do (like have a long conversation). It didn’t feel right or natural. These are people with a long history together. They resolved their differences and just want to be happy. A long speech wasn’t going to add anymore to that. All they wanted to do was cuddle, and that also isn’t too exciting. Finding the balance was what took me so long to figure out.

There was a departure involved I didn’t see coming until I put it on the page. That is what is fascinating about writing. Here was a character doing something I didn’t want him to do, but he wouldn’t listen. He’s my creation, right? How come I cannot control him?  I guess that is when you know you are on the right track. When you characters create their own reality and just show it to you. You are telling their story, not your version of it.

So now I am at the exciting part. Rough drafts are painful for me. I am much better at tweaking. I will read my story about eight or nine times in the next two to three weeks, and each time it will be different. New surprises will pop up, one of the ranch hands is going to get pushy and want more page time (it’s already starting), or I’ll learn something new about them that starts a whole different story. Polishing my work is when I laugh at myself hysterically. This is where I can’t believe I created a world and these people sprung from my head. Now, whether it is any good, or people will like it, or, more importantly buy it, is a whole other matter. But it’s my world. And for this brief moment in time, it’s all mine.

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Posted By Anna on August 16, 2009

Here it is, 2pm in the afternoon and I have spent almost all of my day answering emails and checking up with friends on Facebook. What should I be doing instead? I am this close (imagine thumb and first finger an inch apart) from finishing the rough draft of my cowboy story. I am at the climax, so near the end, and I can’t get my mind to focus.

So I am issuing a challenge to myself,  see I am doing it publically to add that sense of urgency. I will lock myself away and not come out until it is finished. Since I have to work tomorrow, this means it will have to be done today. Completing two rough drafts was my summer goal, and with only a few weeks until the next writer’s meeting, I want to say “Yes, I did it!”

I’ll keep you posted on the outcome.

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Posted By Anna on August 8, 2009

So, was I correct in being afraid to crack open this one? Kind of.

Isn’t life great? It’s never yes or no, or black or white. It’s all varying shades of ughhhh.

It began on page six, which was actually the second page of the story, when the head hopping first appeared. As a new writer I am hyper aware of the whole point of view controversy. Especially when I never really noticed it in her other works. On some pages it’s not just between the hero and heroine either. At times it seemed like every person in the scene had a sentence or two from their POV. In the acknowledgements, Sherrilyn thanks her editor for allowing her some liberties. I am guessing that head hopping is one of them.

If this is the first of the Dark/Were- hunter books you have picked up, put it back and go get something else.

This book also assumes a lot. It is assumed that you have read Night Embrace, Night Play, Seize the Night, Unleash the Night, Dream Chaser, One Silent Night and Acheron, not once but several times. (Luckily I had)

Bad Moon Rising is the story of Fang Kattalakis, a katagaria wolf, and what he went through while all of the other books were taking place. Characters, names and places pop up all the time that reference these other stories. I can only imagine what a newbie to this world would be thinking if this was their first introduction. Add to that a whole slew of new characters, species and dimensions are brought in to add to the confusion.

While it was interesting to see what Fang and Aimee (the bearswan he is in love with) had endured all that time, it was tedious. This story spans several years and the most current events begin on page 280 of a 340 page book. So the previous pages were mostly a more detailed back story.

Bad Moon Rising, I feel, is a novel for DH fans. It was satisfying to see Aimee and Fang finally together after all of these years, but as far as furthering the DH storyline, it didn’t do a whole lot. It was like more of an introduction of what could possibly happen in future books, as oppose to actually taking it down that road.

So, if you are a DH fan, read it. If not or if this is your first foray into the Dark-hunter world, put it down and go get Night Pleasures. Start there.

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Tags: paranormal, romance novels

Posted By Anna on August 4, 2009

Bad Moon Rising is out and I have it in my hot little hands. But oddly enough, I am terrified to open it. The Dark-Hunter books are a “must buy” for me and I’ve loved the series ever since I read Winterborne and Dante Pontis slapped me with his sexy snarl from off the page.

I think my fear might have something to do with the -best-selling-author-bazillionth-in-the-series- cannot-maintain trend I have been seeing lately. There is a saying, “If you want to see examples of what not to write, read a best selling authors current release.” This is the eighteenth book in the series. It can’t possibly be as good as the other’s can it?

I will get over this silly fear and thoroughly enjoy Fang’s book. His story has been along time in coming.

For the record, I love the were’s and Vane is my favorite. Night Play might be considered the “fluffiest” in the series, but that man makes me howl at the moon.

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Tags: paranormal, romance novels

Posted By Anna on July 30, 2009

My original plan for last night was to come home, fold laundry, and write. Instead I found myself in the cool interior of the 5th Avenue theatre watching the second ever performance of Catch Me If You Can.

The new musical from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray) is based on the movie that starred Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks. The book of the musical is by Terence Mann and is about the true story of Frank Abangnale Jr. Before the age of 20, Abangale had forged over $2 million dollars in phony checks, and posed as a PanAm pilot, pediatrician and lawyer.

Being the second performance ever, the show does need some work. Currently it runs almost three hours, but I’m sure that will get trimmed down significantly as the weeks pass. The set is fantastic!. My sister almost stood to applaud just for the the little tiny cartoon airplane that flew across a LCD screen that is the full width of the stage.  Bob Mackie designed the costumes that showcased the best of ’60’s fashion.

There are a few huh? moments in the show. The sing-along during “Bury Me Beside the One I Love” and the bump and grind the nurses perform in “Doctor’s Orders.” My brother-in-law, who is a nurse, was a little affronted by this number. And they try to squish a lot of information in the last ten minutes of the show. If they have a three minute song about a check book, then they can do a little bit of a better job about explaining what happened to Abagnale after he was caught.

The cast are all seasoned Broadway performers; Norbert Leo Buts (Wicked, Dirty Rotten Scoundrel), Aaron Tveit (Next to Normal), Tom Wopat (Bo Duke anyone? Chicago), Kerry Butler (Hairspray) just to name a few. All of the performances were excellent, especially when you knew that they had all learned and relearned the material in only the last few weeks. Felicia Finley had the best song with “Fly, Fly Away,” which comes near the end of the show. That is the only disappointing thing about “Fly, Fly Away.”. It’s a fantastic song, only it’s near the end and doesn’t quite flow with the rest of the show. But it’s a really great song.

I love the fact that Seattle is earning a reputation for theatre appreciation. Now we are seeing more and more shows preimiering here first, before making the trek to Broadway. The Wedding Singer, Memphis, Hairspray, Shrek, and even Next to Normal all had their beginnings in the Emerald City.

Long live the theatre!

Catch Me If You Can is running from now until August 16.

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Posted By Anna on July 28, 2009

The call of the pipes and drums truly calls to my soul. To some, it’s just noise. To me, it’s the sound of Scotland.

The Caber Toss

What is this fascination I have with a country over thousands of  miles away? This land of magic and mystery. This land of possibilities. A land that has seen too much blood shed for a people who only wanted a land to call their own to raise their families on.

It’s everything. I can listen to the music and be swept away onto a grassy moor, among the swaying green grass, watching the waves beat against the rocky shore. I can walk into a house and be touched by a ghost.  I can enjoy the best french fries in the world in practically every pub. Scotland is my warm blanket, my chicken soup, my smile on a rainy day.

Of course, I’m not completely naive. Scotland has it’s troubles just like every country. Joblessness, mortgage problems, health care reform. But under all of that, there is a spirit that calls to everyone. This spirit makes one whip out their tartan and proudly claim their clan name at the highland games.

Last weekend was the Pacific Northwest Highland Games and Clan Gathering. It is my Christmas. The one time of year that I don’t hesitate to plunk down $20 in lemonade and purchase clothing that I will only wear at the next year’s games, or a renaissance festival. It’s a time and place where everyone is Scottish and goodwill flows like a beer from a tap.

Last year I had the chance to travel to Scotland and explore

Need Fire

 the belt. The games are my chance to regain some of that feeling of excitement and wonder that I felt when I was there. It is not even remotely the same, however, it is the closest I will get in my little corner of the world. I take my pleasure where I can find it, and until I can get back to the real thing, the games will do.

So until next year, I will grab a pint of Magner’s, plug in my Wicked Tinker’s CD and count the days until I can travel again.

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Posted By Anna on July 21, 2009

Emma Holly returns to the upyr world in Kissing Midnight. Edmund Fitz Clare, older brother to Aimery (Catching Midnight), has adopted three children in 1930’s England in an effort to atone for his sins in the past. His daughter’s friend, Estelle, has been the object of his affection since he saved her at the age of fifteen. Now she has grown and their mutual desire can no longer be leashed.

Having enjoyed the other upyr novels, I was looking forward to this story, especially since it was set in a time period usually ignored in romantic literature. Emma Holly does an excellent job of bringing us into pre-WWII London. From the clothes, to the detail in Estelle’s apartment, it was very easy to picture the Fitz Clare’s environment. This is what Emma Holly does best; world building and sex scenes, which there are plenty of. If you have read any of her previous works, this should not come as a surprise. Each scene is very detailed, from start to finish, and not for the prim and proper. This is not a novel you would have casually out on your coffee table. I enjoyed Kissing Midnight, to a point. I feel as if I can’t express a true opinion of it, and I will explain why.

 Spoiler Alert- Spoiler Alert- Spoiler Alert- Spoiler Alert- Spoiler Alert- Spoiler Alert!

The story doesn’t end. Not one bit of it. And there is still a third in the series, (Saving Midnight.)  There are essentially three storylines in Kissing Midnight: The relationship between Edmund and Estelle. Adopted brother and sister, Ben and Sally are struggling with a mutual attraction. And the eldest Graham was sent on a mission to expose Edmund’s secrets. None of these storylines come to a conclusion, which leads me to one of my biggest literary pet peeves. I do not like to “have to” read a novel. If I choose to read a novel I want it to be because I chose to, not because I have to in order to find out what happens next.

There are two types of series. The ones where every novel is a stand alone story but share common characters or a story arc, and the ones where there is one central character and their story never finishes. In the second one, you have to continue reading book after book to find out what happens next. There are places for both, I just prefer the former. I probably will never read Charlene Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels because I know already that the story doesn’t end, yet. I have heard that it is a wonderful series, and I might enjoy it, but I have a lot going on in my life and trying to keep track of someone else’s trials and tribulations is not what I need to spend my time on. That is why I read in the first place, to get away from some of that.

Which is why I get really annoyed when a continuation happens in a series when I am not expecting it. All of the previous upyr stories had a beginning, middle and end, which was why I was thoroughly disappointed when two-thirds of the book in I realized I was going to “have to” read the next one to find out what happens. The same thing happened with Katie MacAlister ‘Dark Ones”. All of the previous ones ended, but not Zen and the Art of the Vampire. I had to read Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang to find out what happened to Kristoff and Pia. Even then, ZAV had some closure. Not so with Kissing Midnight. And I know the subtitle is The Fitz Clare Chronicles, which suggests a series. But couldn’t some part of the story have been finished? Not one storyline was wrapped up. It wasn’t as if it was extraordinarily long either. I don’t see why it could not have been one big book. I wouldn’t have minded.

So that is why I will reserve judgment until I read Breaking Midnight and Saving Midnight.  The funny thing is I try to read all of Emma Holly’s work and I would have probably read Breaking Midnight anyway. It’s the whole “have to” thing.                  

Kissing Midnight

Nobody likes to be told they have to, especially when it comes to a book.

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Posted By Anna on July 18, 2009

I currently have two works in progress going. One is a ghost story set in Scotland. While that is out being critiqued, I am writing my amnesia-tic cowboy story. They could not be further apart in the world building spectrum. I don’t have trouble keeping them separate because I write like how I watch a movie. It’s just like watching a comedy followed by an action film, no problem. And that is how I write, like I’m watching a movie. As I view the scene in my mind, I adjust the lighting, the camera angles, any possible music in the background. Then I take what I see and write that down. How could that be difficult?

Oh, but it is. I can see the picture so clearly, but when it comes to putting it on the page, sometime I just can’t do it. I can see Trey, so vividly. He has just come home from the hospital and he is standing outside on his ranch. His worn boot is resting on the bottom rail of the fence. He is staring out into the horizon. The rolling landscape is framed by the setting sun, the dry dust of summer has kicked up and makes the glowing ball look hazy, as he contemplates whether or not he can build a future without remembering his past.

Well, you might say that I just did it. I put what I saw visually into written word. But did I do it correctly? Can you see the orange and yellow light reflected in the atmosphere? Can you see the apprehension in his dark blue eyes even as he shoulders are set in determination, because it is not in his nature to back away from adversity? Does it make you want to keep reading? Those are the questions that run through my head when I write. Did I convey what I see, did I take too long, is it not enough? This is when I wish I could just put the keyboard to my head and let it suck the image from my mind. I seem to have a fixation on the whole mind-technology-link possiblity.

This is the same issue I had when I wrote about Aiden, my haunted Scotsman. There was a lot of research in his book and it was a story I had first thought of over seven years ago. You would think it would have been easy to compose a scene I had visualized over a thousand times, but no. I struggled then too. And the whole time Trey was at my shoulder begging me to write his story instead.

“Come on darlin’. You know my story. Write me instead.”

“No. I owe it to Aiden to tell his. He’s been waiting for years.”

I fought with Trey a few times because I felt I owed it to Aiden to finish his story. (yes, I talk to my characters. If they are not real to me, how can I make them real to you?)

Now I am facing a similar situation with Trey. His best friend Mark is at my side asking about his story. He wants a woman of his own.

“Why are you asking me?” Can’t he see I’m stressed enough as it is? “You are a secondary character. I have no intention of writing your story.”

“Why not? Don’t I deserve a happy ending too?”

“Well, I guess so. But what would it be about? Who is she?”

He blew in my ear and there it was. His whole story laid out for me. The heroine, the conflict, the villian. All wrapped in a pretty bow just waiting for me to tell it.

Well crap. Now I have Mark ready, but I have to finish Trey and go back and work on Aiden. Meanwhile, waiting in the wings are Max, and Hank, and Clancy, and the twins Ethan and Evan, and Dex…

Maybe I should write cookbooks. I’ve never heard of a cupcake jumping up and begging  to find their perfect match.

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