Not sure this is what they meant by employee empowerment...

Now, I doubt anyone except my boss reads this, but just in case...

My boss at my day job has been my best friend since we were eight. She's been my bestie for literally 2/3 of my lifespan and to this day, (fck if I know why,) puts up with and helps me fight through all my sht. She's like a sister I actually like, and I don't know what I'd do without her behind me. I now I work for her. Fck me, right? (Kidding. It's actually great. Even though she pelts me with stale bagels if I don't refill the dairy dispenser.)

We're this tight. And just as Irish, kehd.

I'm obviously Renner, Shan.

Coke and XBox.
Or... Tacos and Steam.

Anyway, during downtime between crazed coffee craving hordes, I mentioned to her how much I've been reading; about 2-3 books a week. And she asked me, "Why don't you like, write? Three books a week?" While I quickly rebuffed that question with the inevitability of any effort to do so literally killing me, girl made a valid point.

I've been seriously neglecting my writing for far too long. Things in my life have been turbulent, but it's coming around to a sense of reluctant acceptance and apathetic balance. And that's where I need to be to write. I know, I know, the best material and inspiration comes from times of emotional vulnerability, but I think it becomes too personal when I write in that frame of mind. I find it works better for me, and my imaginary friends, if I revisit those feelings for inspiration, rather than immediately refine them into literary babbling.

I want to go on the Martha's Vineyard writer's retreat next year. It's a week on the Vineyard, where I've never been, (I'm a bad Masshole!) with room, board, and a week of workshops and seminars and an option to have a manuscript read and reviewed by published authors. While I probably won't know who any of them are, and more than probably won't have read anything they've written, it certainly wouldn't hurt to get a professional and established eye to look over my garbage.

Nothing more inspiring than wood sculptures of sea murder!
I'm Rhody at heart. And we know all about this sht.

Until then, I need like a day or two off, (see that, boss?! LOL No, J/K, I need money.) to just apply ass to chair and get sht done. I've coached a Facebook friend on his writing and find that I should take my own damn advice. I told him that all first drafts are shit, and the best thing you can do is lay out the staging for the figurative mansion. And each rework of that draft staging is adding more wings, more secret passages, sprucing the garden, bathing and feeding the servants properly... wait, you mean rich people don't have indentured servants anymore? ... Oh.

I figure I'd oblige the internet by using a meme to illustrate a common comment;

(Translation; Original Poster is a fag.)

I think I'm going to finish reading what I just started today, the series I have the first book of, then read something I bought with intent to inspire further work on my NaNoWriMo project, and get to it. So... two weeks?

Reading, will read, inspiration.

         <--- Wicked stoked for this one.               

- RaRa out.

It begins.

                I got my package from Harper Voyager publishing last night. And I waited until this morning to open it. 

                Now, as the people reading this should know, as they’re more than likely my friends, I have a cat. And he likes to get into trouble and chew and do other cat like things. So when I woke up out of my Sirlesque, karaoke, and League of Legends 'til 3:30 AM stupor to the sound of ripping and cat chirruping, I found this:

Photographic evidence of possible theft attempt.

                           

                

   Mugshot of perpetrator after apprehension.

Despite my delinquent feline contaminating my loot, I was still hyped about the box and laid out my haul.

Sort of pictured, a black tote bag with assorted book titles screened on it. To carry my books around. Because I’m twelve and like people to know that I’m so cool I need a bag specifically to carry books.

I’m going to power through the rest of Peter V. Brett’s The Daylight War, because I can’t read two books at once. My brain can barely take writing four of my own plus reading another.

Onto my plan of attack!

DISCLAIMER: I was given promotional copies of these books by Harper Voyager US, for the purpose of review. This disclaimer will be on every post that relates to these books or anything else from the publishing company. We both have to cover our asses from the prying eyes of The Law.

1) DEAD SET; Richard Kadrey

             They sent me a signed(!) copy, which I’ll keep, and I’ll probably give away/loan out the print edition I bought on release day. Because sorry, (not sorry,) I’ll read anything that man releases until forever. Despite some of his earlier work being less than fantastic, Sandman Slim has me so hooked I can’t even words. (Told you you’d figure out my favorite author if you stuck around.  He’ll get his own blog entry of epic and borderline embarrassing fangirl proportions later on.)

I guess I can review Dead Set, though I’m three months removed from reading it. I can re-read it in four hours, though. See if I can beat my time from the first go ‘round.

2) DREAMS AND SHADOWS; C. Robert Cargill

This one was pretty high up on my million book To Read list. I was meaning to pick it up, so yay, definite score getting a free copy. I’m a huge fan of twists on classic fairy tales ever since I picked up The Child Thief by Brom, and went from thinking Peter Pan was lame to being a super creepy older woman in love with him. I’ve got a thing for arrogant little goth boys that bite off more than they can chew with authority figures. I can’t want to crack into this and see what Cargill came up with.

3) THE WASTELAND SAGA; Nick Cole
                Since all three books are conveniently packaged together, I have no excuse to not read the whole series. I’ll probably do a post for each part, to keep things easy. Also to not kill my brain trying to remember everything for a full three book review.

4) THE TAKEN; Vicki Patterson

                The Taken, by Vicki Patterson. Which, let’s be honest, I’m the least excited about. Obvious “LOOK, I’M A STRONG BUT STILL SEXY/VULNERABLE WOMAN BEING STALKED BY A MYSTERIOUS DOUCHEY STRANGER-TOOL” vibe, and therefore, zero fcks are given. I’ll try a couple chapters to see how I feel, but I doubt I’ll be super into it. Doesn’t look like it’d be my kind of book. But, it was sent, and I will read it. Or try. I’m going in fairly neutral, taking it as I used to take required reading for school; doesn't mean I refuse to enjoy it, but we shall see.

5) RIDES A DEAD LEGION; Raymond E. Feist

               Usually this one would be much higher on the list, but being part of a saga, I’m putting it at the end in hopes that I can get my hands on the rest of it because I’m slightly OCD about starting a series. I prefer to read them in succession; it helps to keep me in the world. And everyone’s hating on the demons, lately! It’s not their fault people are tasty…

So that’s it! And I’ll finish off The Daylight War, maybe write a blog for that, and Dead Set, then get started on Dreams and Shadows.

This is real. It’s official. Let's Voyage! :D

                                                                                                                                                                             
- RaRa out.