Humps and a sorta weird but kinda cool CONTEST

Today is Hump day. I'm in somewhat of a slump.
I should be writing, but I've been spending time shooting and editing.

I figure, why not shoot some more. Maybe if I shoot till I'm sick of holding a camera, I'll want to write instead of shoot.

Thus: the not-so-normal writer's blog contest. 

I'm not giving away a book, a critique, or an agent pitch. (For that you need to hang with me at any given writer's conference. It's worked for all my other friends. Did you check out Julianne Donaldson's post on Peggy's blog? Yep, I practically kicked that puke-head girl out of Jaime's truck when I was the gal sitting between her and her future agent. Alright. So maybe it wasn't all my good luck mojo. Judo's practically a ninja when it comes to writing leave-me-on-the-edge-of-my-seat-in-tears romance. But I still like to think that hanging with me = Agent and book deals!)

Sorry for the digression, back to my CONTEST.

I'm giving away a headshot!

Most of the time I shoot pics like this: 

But now and then I shoot pics like this: 

Contest details:

Enter to win a chance at a free photo shoot with me for a spectacular headshot that will make you look unbelievably cool and author-esque. After the photo shoot you'll receive a DVD with your high resolution images, and a release to print and enlarge.

Disclaimer: If you don't live in Utah (where I'm offering the photo shoot), you can hold your winnings for up to a year. Then, if I'm out near you, or you come this way  you can then have your shoot. Or if you're really nice, you can gift your winnings to another person that lives in Utah!

How to enter: 

You can have multiple entries by: 

1. Follow this blog AND leave a comment. 

2. Post about this weird, but sorta cool contest on your blog. 

3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about it. 

4. Buy me a Coke Zero . . . ha ha...ok, this one isn't for real. But you can Facebook about my contest. 

Leave a link to each of the things you've done in the comment portion of my blog so I can go creepily stalk er, check it out. 

The contest will be open from NOW until March 24. 

Happy Entering!

Secret 24 of 100

I'm a geek. 

I know, surprising right? Here's the thing. I feel like I just hit puberty--in the geekiest way possible.

Evidence? Here it is: 

1. I've noticed a strange smell. As in body odor smell coming from my pits! Shocking, I know. I've never worn deodorant. Even after a sweat-drenching workout, my pits don't stink. That is, up till a few months ago they didn't. But things are changing. And by "things" I mean my hormones, because every now and then my underarms smell. 

2. Zits. In high school I had three. I remember them well because they were traumatic. But as of late, it seems like three zits have become my forehead's standard. Ewwww! It's so gross. Can you recommend a good face wash? Apparently my bar soap and water just aren't cutting it. 

3. I'm a brace-face. At first I was stoked about the idea of straightening my teeth and fixing my bite. I'm still stoked, but I'm not loving how un-awesome I look. Every time I look in the mirror I repeat, "This too shall pass."

4. My confidence is shaken. Usually I feel pretty good about who I am. But last night I spent an hour on the phone with crit-partner Jessie listening to her positive affirmations. Next to Stuart Smalley, Jessie is the best. 

Should we ever meet, make sure you keep my geekiness a secret . . . at least when we're talking face to face. Then I'll really feel like I've returned to high school

Inspired to Write - Change

Today I'm going to change. And not just in some abstract metaphorical, spiritual way. But in the tomorrow-mean-girls-will-call-me-metal-mouth way.

Confused? Here's the deal: 
When I'm not writing, I'm shooting people--mostly brides and grooms. You can check all that out HERE. Alright, enough self-promotion, back to the story. When a particular fabulous bride and groom said, "hey let's workout an awesome brace trade." I said, "Fo' sure!" (Conversation may have been dramatized for artistic purposes.)

Basically, I'm getting braces. 

Up until this morning I was stoked about the whole ordeal. Today, not so much. My insides are fluttery and panicked and disorganized. I'm a scrambled mess that's soon to be a brace face!

To the point: 

I was thinking about my characters and how they deal with change. Sure there's conflict in my book, but sometimes I overlook the physical manifestations that change (particularly stress) can cause in a person. Though I react to stress one way, I found that stress in other people doesn't always look the same. The helpguide.org is a great site for researching nearly anything. Stress reactions can be viewed in three ways:   

• Foot on the gas – An angry or agitated stress response. You’re heated, keyed up, overly emotional, and unable to sit still.
• Foot on the brake – A withdrawn or depressed stress response. You shut down, space out, and show very little energy or emotion.
• Foot on both – A tense and frozen stress response. You “freeze” under pressure and can’t do anything. You look paralyzed, but under the surface you’re extremely agitated.

I'm usually one of the first two responses. But my characters aren't. I'll have to keep these ideas in mind when I'm writing.

What about you? 

How do you're characters deal with stress?

Credits: (http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm) 

Lucky 13!

First off, I want to say THANK YOU to all you guys that are new followers. I feel so happy, and weird, and weirdly happy about all your cyber-friendliness. I'm pumped to read blogs tomorrow and see what's going on in the blogger world. Today though, no reading for me.

Why?

Today is my lucky 13.
Mark, my hunky hubby, and I were married on this day thirteen years ago.

So if you'll excuse me, I have someone to go hang with. And when I say "hang" I really mean "make out" . . . and when I say "make out" I really mean we're going to the movies. Because that's what you do when you've been married for thirteen years.

Check you later.

Secret 23 of 100 . . .

And the secret is: 

I'm getting busy HERE

If you didn't catch that clever pun, I'm so excited to to be a guest blogger on Emily R. King's "Get Busy Writing" blog. Come on over and say hi. And while you're there, I'll share another secret.

Friday Five...leaving on a jet plane

I'm leaving on a jet plane, 

On Monday I'll be back again, 

The place I'm going is not a vacay top five, 

For plot settings, though, it might just jive!

 TOP Five Locations for Setting in a Book:

Hawaii's mythological history in a picturesque place,
Makes the perfect backdrop for a story well-paced.

The Sahara is a desert that's more dead than alive,
Already I spot conflict into which characters will dive.

Beth Revis wrote a book about great outer space,
Since then I've wanted to try my hand at an alien race.

But if Earth is my target, then I can't forget Africa,
A story about the wild where there is no traffic-a (I know...you're killing me smalls)

Last no matter the season, Alaska is a unique sight.
freakishly cold, but full of beauty like northern lights.

What are your favorite pics for story location?

writing inspiration - editing

A year and a half ago I wrote a book.

Three months ago, I re-wrote the same book.

A month ago, I revised the re-written book.

Now, I'm editing the revision of the re-written book.

And I'm starting to feel like my life is made up of Coke Zero and this:

Tips to stay sane and accomplish quality editing while you're in the throws of editing:

1. Take breaks. The longer you stare at the screen and re-read the same paragraph will only make you crazy. Sometimes a fresh look on a later day will help you see how to clearly clean up your sentences.

2. Don't delete. If you're not using track changes, then make sure you save each edit, so your earlier versions aren't destroyed. Sometimes you'll go back and find you liked your original better.

3. Share it. When you get stumped, pass it onto a friend or a beta-reader to flush out the issues.

4. Read. When you're boggled, pick up a good book. Sometimes reading someone's edited work helps you see where you're work lacks the finesse it needs.

Do you have any editing tips to share?