Jax-Bits

Sex or Dinner

2006-07-12T15:26:00.000-05:00

I just discovered a fabulous new blog from a group of wonderful romance authors. I've linked to one of the blogs there by Lori Wilde.

She invited us all to play so I thought I'd bring the game back here and have a go at it.

The game goes like this. Someone brings up a celebrity name and you choose whether you want sex or dinner with them. I'll take a shot at her list. The disclaimer - I wouldn't have sex with any of them, cause I'm married and I adore my husband. But for the sake of the game, if I were available....

1) Tom Cruise - ick. Neither
2) Craig Ferguson - Love to hear the guy talk and he's so funny - Dinner
3) George Clooney - Neither - George isn't my cup o'tea
4) Gerald Butler - Both
5) Brad Pitt - too pretty and knows it - neither
6) John Cusack - Nah.
7) Johnny Depp - Dinner - Fascinating man, the way he stays out of the limelight, I've seen him on a couple shows and he seems to adore his family. Yes, he's HOT, HOT, HOT, but even more attractive because of the person that he is.
8) Russell Crowe - Once I would have said sex, but he's too. . . neither
9) Dennis Quaid - I found it interesting that Dennis is on Lori's list. He's okay, but, if anything, dinner.
10) Matt Damon - Mattie. What a cutie. Dinner.

Lori goes on to name a few others. I'll pick and choose.
Dr. McDreamy - Oh, my. Both.

And I'll add a few favorites:
Richard Dean Anderson. Whew. If I had either with him, I'd want to keep him.
Joe Flannagan. Too cute.
Dean Cain. Yum.

I could go on, but it's abundantly clear that I'm just too settled in where I am. I'm no fun.

Care to play?
C'mon....

jax

Stuff and such like`

2006-05-24T15:13:00.000-05:00

Hey,

It's just after three in the afternoon and I feel like it's eleven at night. My eyes are sand-paper-y and I need sleep.

Murtaugh's famous line in the Lethal Weapon movies "I'm too old for this shit," comes to mind. This day after day of getting up at 4-dark-o'clock is for the birds....literally. My friend Michael just told me that he thinks SBux should open earlier.

Are you nuts, Michael?

So, I just finished watching last nights Idol finale. I'm voting for Taylor. Love Katherine, but Taylor, what a doll. Though, I did shed a tear watching Katherine's daddy shed his own. Ahh.... daddies and daughters.....

So, I got busy a day or two ago and jotted down all the scenes in the current book, all the ones that are "written" (that's rough draft written, not written written) and which ones have yet to be created. I was pleasantly surprised that there aren't that many yet to be etched out. So, Friday I have a day off and am hoping to get some writing done.

Yawn. Am I boring you? I'm boring me so I'm sure I'm doing the same to you.

Sorry,

Carry on with what you were doing.....

jax

Idol conversation...

2006-05-16T20:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I broke down and watched Idol with three remaining contestants. I haven't watched since there were maybe 10.

This is the first year I watched and I started because I was working at Java Joz with a bunch of Idol fanatics and I wanted to be in on the talk. I watched three or four weeks. But now we're down to three, Taylor, Elliott and Katherine. I was a little sad to see Chris go, but c'est le guerre.

But tonight, who the heck do you vote for. Katherine's "Rainbow" made me cry. Love that song. Love it. Elliott has the best voice. But Taylor makes me just smile. I really don't know.

I doubt I'd spend money on Katherine (except for maybe THAT particular song) but the other two. Maybe so.

So, tomorrow we'll see what happens. I won't watch, but I'll check google before going to bed.

jax

Without proper tools

2006-05-16T04:33:00.000-05:00

What do you do when you're given a job without being given the proper tools with which to do it? (I digress, but did you see how I maneuvered that sentence so that it would not end a preposition with? Cool, huh?) Anyway....

I guess you do the best you can with what you've got and try, valiantly to keep a sense of humor about it all.

That is what I shall do today at work. I will smile at the piqued customers and shrug and say "how do you like me now?"

This situation is giving me ample opportunity to practice what I say I believe.

I'll let you know how that works.

In the meantime, how about a double tall caramel machiato and a butter croissant?

jax (the writer, damn-it)

Telling stories

2006-05-07T08:44:00.000-05:00

I love stories, always have.

I was an only child until my mother remarried a man with children when I was 16. That left me at the mercy, so to speak, of the neighborhood kids. They all had siblings so if they weren't with me, they weren't alone. I, on the other hand, did not have that luxury. So, I became something of a loner. But I digress.

I remember sitting long hours on the steps to my patio, usually with Carolyn and Julie Wentz from across the street.

"What shall we play?" someone would ask.

And for the next hour, or even more (which is a long time for a kid), we'd create the elaborate "what if" scenarios that we would eventually "play." The creating was, inevitably, more fun than the actual playing.

I always went to sleep playing "what if" in my head, using characters from my favorite television shows, plugging myself into the stories.

Television was my sibling, I guess.

My grandfather worked very hard trying to instill in my a love of reading. I guess my short attention span worked in favor of the stories I saw in the screen rather than those on the pages.

Until I read "To Kill a Mockingbird." At least there I discovered how magnificent a book could be. It didn't last long, though, and I continued to ignore reading in favor of tv.

I married young - an Army man who was stationed in Germany. Again I was along for long periods of time. And that is when I discovered reading. It all started with "The Green Darkness" by Anya Seton and moved through Jean Plaidy and on to my love of romance novels. Kathleen Woodiwiss, Rosemary Rogers. . . on through the years. . . Diana Gabaldon, Suzanne Brockmann. The list is unending and the To-Be-Read pile is a TBR Room. So many stories, so little time. . .

I still love television, probably spend way too many hours enthralled with the stories there. I love movies - where I can have a story experience in a couple hours rather than the longer time it takes to read a book.

I still have stories playing in my head non-stop. Some of them have made it into my own books and have entertained you. Some are coming in future books. Some just play in my head and will never entertain anyone but me.

Most stories come, entertain, and then flow on into oblivion. Others stay with you longer. Some change your life. Some hang with you like family. I'd love to hear the stories that have grabbed your heart and never let go. Feel free to post. . .

jax

Florida: The Key Lime Pie State

2006-05-04T08:05:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness my state legislators are on top of things.

Here's proof.

I'm ecstatic!

I love key lime pie. And what a wonderful excuse to have a piece!

Whew.

Not a big fan of apple, so glad it wasn't even in the running. Sweet potato pie was right up there, though. Sweet potato pie? YUK. In order to qualify as pie, shouldn't it be extra wonderful with equal parts real whipped cream? Sweet potato pie and whipped cream. Not so much, I'm thinkin.

Need I say more?

My favorite blog. . .

2006-05-04T06:30:00.000-05:00

I don't have time for this blogging stuff - niether the writing of it nor the reading of it.

When I say stuff like that around my best friends, they tip their heads back and forth and say stuff like "Ooh, look at me. I'm a famous writer and I'm very busy and I don't have time for anything." At which point, I generally feel like a worm and go about trying to defend myself. I really don't have time. But, I have a hunch part of my problem is a time management one.... nah....

Anyway, I do have a few blogs that I read when I'm in my "okay, I'm going to actually keep up on the blogging thing" mode.

My very favorite one belongs to Scottish crime writer Stuart MacBride. It can be found here:

Stuart MacBride

I wish I had half the wit that Stuart has... or even a quarter. Added to that is the humor to be found in his Scottishness. What a treat.

So, I'll stop writing today and just send you there. You won't be sorry. Course you might not come back either. Maybe this was a bad idea. . . click.

Why romance?

2006-05-02T06:39:00.000-05:00

"Oh, you're a writer?"
"Yes," I say, smiling.

Here's where the conversation goes in one of several directions. Either they as if I'm published and, when I say yes, they can't believe it (what, exactly do they think a published author looks like?) OR they as what I write.

"I write romance."

Obviously this takes us to another fork in the road. Romance readers will give themselves away (God bless them) by asking what kind of romance. At this point, I answer "military romance at the moment." Other's will look at me as if I've just told them that I eat bugs and as WHY?

Why do I write romance? The obvious answer is that it's my favorite genre to read. Though, in the last few years, I've found that I like other things as well.

I guess I just like the promise of a happy ending.

One of the gals in my dance troupe recently bought A Soft Place to Fall. She came to in to class one day and started grilling me. She was about two-thirds of the way through it.

"Will Nic and Julie end up together?"
"What about Cruz?
"And the Sheriff, what about him?"

She was off to the races. I told her to just hang in there. I promised her that she'd be satisfied in the end.

It's the promise of the genre. It's what irritates me when someone confuses Nicholas Sparks as a romance writer. No disrespect to the man and my disclaimer is that I haven't read anything since Message in a Bottle. But those of us who read romance know that MiaB is not a romance novel. The promise is broken.

So sue me. I love happy endings. I want Rhett and Scarlett to end up together. Heck, I'm still holding out for Luke and Laura.

Enough of my rambling on, though. The best explanation I ever read belongs to Diana Duncan. It can be found here:

Link

Happy Hump Day.

jax

A perfect sentence

2006-05-01T12:52:00.000-05:00

Because I love words (hello, I'm a writer), I love reading James Kilpatrick's column in the local Sunday paper. This week's was particularly good. It can be found here:

Link

We writers are always striving to create the perfect turn of phrase. In this column, J.K. gives us an example of a perfect sentence. It brought tears to my eyes:

Good reporters learn in their cradles that every word must count in a good lead. Nancie L. Katz provided an admirable example in the New York Daily News some months ago: "A two-bit burglar wound up a three-time loser yesterday when he drew a sentence of 18 years to life for a bungled break-in that left him a broken man."

Cool, huh?

The UNIT

2006-05-01T12:36:00.000-05:00

Have you been watching THE UNIT on ABC? Especially for those of us that love our military romance heroes, it is a fabulous show. It stars Dennis Haysbert, who was the beloved presedent David Palmer on 24. He was wonderful as president and he's wonderful as the Unit's first sergeant.

Anyway, the point here, besides the admonition that, if you love military romance, you might want to watch THE UNIT, is that the latest episode really bothered me. It made me uncomfortable as I watched it, and it left me with questions that keep me uncomfortable.

The episode log line: The Unit enters the SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance Escape) training course and they are lead to believe that they will be guards. The group is soon shocked to discover that they are actually the POWs for an undetermined amount of time.

While we all know that our military personnel must be prepared to withstand being prisoners of war for the sake of national security, the question raised by this eposide was how far do the good guys go to prepare other good guys to fall into the hands of the bad guys.

While it was nearly painful to watch our heroes undergo some extraordinary torture in SERE training, and the viewer was supposed to hate the DOD witch that kept upping the ferocity of the attacks on them, I was left wondering if she wasn't right.

All through the episode, I railed against this woman who was seemingly over the line. That's what the writers wanted. When Kim asked the Colonel "What did you do to him?" the Colonel answered, "Too much." The writers believed that. The viewer believed it, too. And yet. . .

The enemy is far past ruthless as we've seen as they behead innocent civilians on public television. And, of course, we don't want to kill our own men in SERE training.

And how about the guys who run SERE? What effect does it have on a man to torture his fellow soldiers in the name of making them strong?

Starbucks

2006-04-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

Since moving to Florida (just about a year ago now) I've been working part time. Things are more expensive here so I kinda work for the extras - dinner at Chili's, DVD's, books (they aren't EXTRAS, they're NECESSITY) and most recently, our scooters.

The point is that I'm now working at Starbucks. I started my barista career at a small drive-thru coffee place here in FWB. But from the moment I heard they were opening Coffee Heaven here, I have known that I would be working there. In fact, I was the first one hired.

We've all been working in the Destin store - many thanks to the Destin staff for weathering the invasion with mostly good humor. But tomorrow, we begin in our brand new store. Tomorrow, we unload the truck and get everything set up. We open on Saturday. I will be opening the store at 5:30 a.m. for the first time to paying customers. Yehaw.

Of course, my number one "career" is my writing. It isn't number one financially (YET) but it is number on in my heart. Starbucks is great though. Fun. Good Company. Fun co-workers. Fun customers.

If you're in the area, stop by and say hello. Have a latte (or better, a breve)

jax

Grey's Anatomy

2006-03-03T16:02:00.000-06:00

So, how much do you love Grey's Anatomy?

Seriously?

Love it. Great writing. Not since Angel and Buffy have I been so impressed with the quality of the writing.

So anyway, I thought you might be interested in reading the blog by the writers of GA. Here's the link: http://www.greyswriters.com/

Enjoy.

jax

Spotty at best???

2006-02-25T11:46:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted to my blog since I moved. That was almost a year ago. Wow, time flies.

My last post found me packing for the move and telling my readers (if there are such things) that it might be a few weeks before I blogged again. Yeah, right.

Well, I've been mildly itching of late to write in this thing again. The problem was that I felt obligated to explain the long absense. Okay, but if I pound out a long diatribe about why and what and who and all that stuff, I'll lose the itch.

So, here's the recap.

We moved to Florida in May
We survived hurricane season
We loved not shoveling snow and the fact that there were flowers blooming even when it was in the 30's.
And now it's looking like Spring.

I had a new book come out in January - the third in the PJ series
I have my first paranormal due out in August
I'm working on the fourth in the series
I'm working part time as a barista in a drive-thru espresso bar
I love the sunshine.

Okay. Done.

Caught up.

On with other things.

jax

Bound for the Sunshine State

2005-05-03T14:33:00.000-05:00

The trip went well and Dan accepted a job in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. We were very fortunate and found a place to rent (because of Ivan that's still a real challenge.)

We left in a raging blizzard on Monday and came home to snow on Friday. If there were questions about moving, that cleared it up.

So, I'm packing.

And packing.
And packing. .
And packing. . .

We haven't moved in 8 years. But I'm being brutal.

I guess I'm posting this to say that my blogging may be spotty for a few weeks.

Back to the cardboard. . .

jax

I'm so outta here :) for a while

2005-04-22T16:31:00.000-05:00

Hi all,
I'm a little distracted, I'll admit. Hubby and I are headed to Florida for a few days. I've finished up the modules for next months online class and have printed them for him to proof and make suggestions on the plane.
I'm taking Alphie and my first Nora Roberts book.
I know, can you believe it? I've never read a Nora Roberts book. Shame on me. Well I will now.
I gotta say, there's a certain trepidation to leave behind all the books and the computer that I rely on for my daily life. Silly.
It's been a really LONG and very COLD winter here and I can't wait to sit in the sun, even if it's only for a day. Can't wait to see the white sand and the surf. And palm trees.

I'll be back on Friday, and will get back to blogging the next week. I may even have more exciting news.....

Slainte,
jax

Not that I really care

2005-04-20T16:07:00.000-05:00

Ben and Jen are engaged. Did you hear?

I'm not much into all that Hollywood relationship stuff. I mean, the reality is that most of these "marriages" don't last anyway - so why keep track.

Jen's a sweetie, as far as I can tell, and I do wish her well. But Ben, I'm just not really into Ben. And of course there are those who are waiting to see what Matt says about this Jen.

If it were up to me, Jen would still be with Michael Vartan. It's odd that last season on Alias, Jen and Michael were an item OFF the show but not ON the show (we hated Lauren and were glad when she DIED). And this year, when Jen and Michael are together ON the show, they're kaput OFF the show. Murphy's Law I suppose.

All in all, I wish them well. But I don't hold out much hope. I'm afraid they'll go the way of Jen and Brad and we'll all be able to say "I told you so."

Cheers, jax

10 Years ago. . .

2005-04-19T16:03:00.000-05:00

The Oklahoma City Bombing. . .

One of my best friends was headed down to the credit union to cash a check. She had her kids with her. As was her habit at the time, she'd dropped hubby off at work still in her jammies. It occurred to her that she might actually have to get out of the car, so she returned home and got dressed. Then she headed back out. . .

And on the way, she got the call that the Murrah Building had been bombed.

That's where she was headed.

She found out later that she'd have been at the wrong credit union. I'll say.

I'm so glad that she's still with me.

Oh, and congrats, Kathi, on all your wonderful success. I love you,

jax

Everything I learned about great writing. . .

2005-04-19T15:23:00.000-05:00

Well, that might be an exaggeration. But as I sit here at my desk, working on a module for my online website class, my eyes are drawn to a quote that I have hanging on my wall. Here it is:

"You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love 'til it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other 'til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood. blood screaming inside you to wirk its will."

Anyone recognize the quote? I'll bet not. But it's not the only one on my wall that comes from the same source. Ready?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (This is Spike - gotta love Spike - talking to Buffy and Angel)

You heard me right. Buffy. I've heard Suz Brockmann say that the writing in Buffy is fabulous. If Suz says it's good, it must be good. I thought about that for years before I actually got hooked. And when I got hooked, it was with Angel, not Buffy. But who's counting.

Here's another one, this time from the mouth of Angel himself. . .

"Passion.
It lies in all of us.
Sleeping. . .
. . . waiting. . . And though unwanted. . .
. . . unbidden. . . it will stir. . .
. . . open its jaws, and howl.

Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love. . . the clarity of hatred. . . the ecstasy of grief.

It hurts sometimes more than we can bear.

If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow.

Empty rooms, shuttered and dank. . .

Without passion, we'd be truly dead."

Thanks for indulging me today, gang. Slainte, jax

Grey's Anatomy

2005-04-18T13:25:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it, I like medical shows, even when they're disguised as soap operas as ER has become. I LOVE House. Hugh Laurie is fabulous in that part. My dh and I always make fun, though, of the keep trying another treatment until it kills the patient or cures him mentality of that show. But Hugh Laurie is fabulous in that part. I know, I'm repeating myself. The sarcastic lines and witty comebacks are so well written.

Let me digress, just for a moment. You guys do know that I'm an EMT, right?

One line in that show was amazing: "It just means that his brain is no longer able to tell his body to die." WOW

Since we do like the medical shows, we've been watching Grey's Anatomy. It think this one will last, kids. But I'm often wrong.

I love the way these med students talk about what they do, how they react - "It's like Candy with blood - which makes it even better." (Might not be exact.) Last night they had a guy who'd shot himself five - or seven - times with a nail gun in the head. The fascination with the injury was so real. DH (who's also an EMT) and I sat up and oohed and ahhed over the X-ray. That's real life in the business. Trust me. "You gotta see this" is the mantra in the ER.

As a romance writer, though, I love watching the interplay between Meredith and Dr. Shepherd. Now THAT's chemistry.

Slainte, jax

Mastery of detail

2005-04-14T18:29:00.000-05:00

Every time I wait till the last minute, I swear to myself that I won’t do it again. Yeah, right. Every 14th of the month, I end up scrounging and panicking and putting together my writing column for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Today was no exception.

I’ve been writing this same column - Screenwriting Tips for Novelists - for over a year. This year, I’m concentrating on writing scenes. So this particular column was on the use of significant detail - particularly visual detail. It is, after all, coming from a movie perspective.

I have a ton of screenwriting books. I think I get the most from Paul Lucey’s Story Sense. It’s a great book. One of the movies he uses for examples is Witness. That’s one of my favorite movies. In the chapter I was focusing on for this column, he talks (starting on page 260) about writing stage directions and choreographing your scene. Then he uses this example from Witness. As I read this, I can just see this scene. It was fabulous (though not quite as fabulous as the dancing in the barn scene - but that’s the romance writer in me). Here you go:

INT. DETECTIVES ROOM, NARCOTICS DIVISION - DAY

Through glass partitions we can see Book on the telephone in a cubicle of an office.

Samuel has drifted out of the office and is idling amid the bustle of the squad room. He crosses to a glass case which holds a collection of plaques and framed newspaper accounts which denote instances of outstanding duty and achievement.

ANGLE THROUGH GLASS CASE

As Samuel moves alon, only half interested in what his eyes are taking in, not really old enough to comprehend anyway. Until suddenly he freezes.

SAMUEL’S POV - NEWSPAPER ACCOUNT

Enlarged, prominently displayed. The headline reads: Division Chief McFee Honored For Youth Project. Accompanying the item is a mug-shot of McFee, clearly the black man who murdered the young cop in the train station men’s room.

BACK TO SAMUEL

He stares transfixed.
A long beat, then Book, lowering himself to one knee next to Samuel, ENTERS THE FRAME.

He’s watching Samuel, knowing from the boy’s expression that they’ve found their man. Samuel slowly raises his hand to point at the photograph. Book gently takes the boy’s small hand in his, concealing the accusation from watchful eyes. He smiles gently at the boy.
Witness, written by William Kelley and Pamela and Earl W. Wallace, 1984

That’s great writing.

jax

Inspiration - Wow

2005-04-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

I just got finished reading PBW's blog for the morning. I don't think she has comments enabled but, if she did, this is what I'd write:

PBW, what a wonderful moment - Congratulations.

Some days we need stories like this one, don't we.

Go forth and check it out.

Slainte,
jax

After the snow....

2005-04-13T14:51:00.000-05:00

As I write this, I’m sitting outside on my front porch. There’s still a good foot of snow is some places from our weekend dumping but, across the way, the birds are singing as if their careers depended on it.

God, the sun feels good on my skin. Well, on my face. Then on my skin through the jeans and long sleeves. Way too early to get out the short sleeves at this altitude.

It must be seventy degrees. The sun is shining and, more important, the wind isn’t blowing.

The peaks off to my right are covered in white and will be until at least the end of May. Once can hope we won’t have any more snow but it would be just that - hope. Get a good Albuquerque low in here and lookout. It was two years ago, just about this time, that we had five feet in two days. But that’s another story for another time.

Today it’s beautiful, and I am going to sit out here as long as I can.

Slainte, jax

A "well" thought out observation

2005-04-09T19:50:00.000-05:00

I think I've told you about Survivor Writers. I'll review - SW is a group that you join and you are required to write a specific number of pages PER WEEK or be AXED. Most folks post once a week to this list.

Well, the creator of SW has a new group called Write that Book. The difference with this group is that you MUST post three new pages DAILY Monday through Saturday or be AXED.

I joined the new group and have found it interesting. I'm used to pushing myself to write ten or more pages per day. This week, with the new group, I've stopped when I get to three pages.

What I've found is that it's much easier the next day to get going. It's like I haven't run the well dry the day before. I've been able, each day, to jump right into the scene I was working on.

Is writing less better? Not necessarily. But it might be the answer when you're feeling a little blocked.

Cheers, jax

Excerpt: Good Place to Land

2005-03-26T14:25:00.000-06:00

Hi guys,

Just wanted everyone to know that I've put up an excerpt of A Good Place to Land on my website. Go to the main page, then to the news section and there's the link.

Enjoy. Let me know your thoughts.

jax
A Good Place to Land - Wings e-Press, 9/2005
A Soft Place to Fall - Wings e-Press, 4/2005
Thin Ice - Zumaya Publications
Black Ice - Zumaya Publications
www.jaxinedaniels.com

Your first romance novel

2005-03-25T15:40:00.000-06:00

Hi guys,

Anyone remember the first romance novel they ever read? Was it the one that led to your love of romance? If not, which book was.

I'd love to hear your stories. Take a moment and reply to this blog.

My first romance was Green Darkness by Anya Seton. Though not a typical romance, it started me on my way. I still love that book. Then I was off to read The Wolf and the Dove and The Flame and the Flower and Sweet Savage Love and Dark Fires. I still remember the hours filled by those books. I was a newlywed, never been away from home, married to an Army sergeant and stationed in Germany. I couldn't even call home.

Ginny and Steve and Wulfgar and Aislinn really did become my friends (like Diana said in the blog I pointed you to yesterday.) I read romance for years. Then I kinda got off on a non-fiction era for more years. Then a friend handed me Outlander. What can you say about Outlander?

Now I still read romance with some suspense thrown in for good measure.

And now, I write romance. Because, down deep, I think I need to believe in happily ever after.

Di Dishes

2005-03-24T16:35:00.000-06:00

Di Dishes

You have to read this blog - Why I write Romance. It's amazing. If you love books, you'll nod and maybe even have trouble seeing the screen. I did.

jax

Top 10 Unique things I’ve done in my life

2005-03-24T08:54:00.000-06:00

Top 10 Unique things I’ve done in my life

1. CPR

2. Flown in a Black Hawk helicopter

3. Finished a novel - 6 times

4. Lived without electricity and running water for 7 years

5. Sold everything I owned and moved into an RV

6. Fell through the ice of a frozen pond

7. Been kicked out of a church - actually an entire denomination - that’s a LONG story

8. Loaded people into body bags

9. Watched a dear friend’s house burn down

10. Watched a stroke victim “come back” after given clot busters

REVIEW: A Soft Place to Fall

2005-03-23T08:02:00.000-06:00

For those readers who are looking for a book that will reach out and grip them from the first page, and keep them hanging on by their fingertips until they have read the last page, A Soft Place To Fall is the choice for them.

Ms. Daniels tells the story of parajumper Nic D’Onofrio who, after escorting the body of his teammate, Joey, back from the war in Iraq, travels to Lake Tahoe to relax and do some serious skiing. As he returns to his hotel room, he passes a car stopped on the side of the road occupied by a disoriented woman. When Nic returns to see if he can help her, he is greeted by a woman with total amnesia who remembers nothing but her name. Nic calls on his teammate, Eric Cruz, to help him find out who Julie is and how she ended up stranded on a snowy Tahoe road.

Julie Galloway remembers little about who she is and how she ended up in Lake Tahoe. As she relaxes under Nic’s care, she begins to remember bits and pieces of her life and realizes that her entire family had been murdered and she saw the killer.

As Julie and Nic find more and more clues as to who the killer is, the killer, in turn, comes closer and closer to finding Julie. After experiencing a pararescue firsthand, Julie decides that she cannot handle life with Nic and returns home to confront her own demons. Unfortunately, the killer is right behind her.

Ms. Daniels creates realistic characters, not only with Nic and Julie. Nic’s friends and teammates come to life on the pages. Even though the reader never meets Nic’s deceased friend Joey in the book, he or she will come away from the story with a sense they have met him. This reviewer wanted to see more of Nic’s close friend Eric Cruz, and hopes there will be a sequel with Eric as the lead character.

Ms. Daniels does a marvelous job of taking the reader into the world of paramedics and parajumpers as they engage in a daring rescue of a downed plane. She brings the camaraderie experienced by the rescue professions to life on the pages in an absorbing story. The characters come to life so well one can almost believe they have met the people portrayed in the story.

The author’s descriptions of Lake Tahoe and Yosemite are realistic, and so too are her descriptions of the small towns and cities of northern California. The reader need only close his or her eyes and each city, town and locale will come to life.

This reviewer had a hard time putting this book down until the last page was read. For those readers looking for an action-packed, fast-moving, totally fabulous read, A Soft Place to Fall should top their list.

Reviewed by Gina
March 2005

Happy endings

2005-03-22T12:56:00.000-06:00

I like happy endings. That's probably why I write romance.

I hated Message in a Bottle. It had a wonderful romance going and then WHAM - the jerk of an author killed off the hero. That breaks ALL the rules, doesn't it?

The last few days, you can't turn on the tv without hearing all the uproar about the Terri Schiavo case. I won't share my feelings on this issue with you here, but I got to thinking about all the media attention.

I think Americans want happy endings. The thing that makes them so upset over this case is that there can't be one. American's think they can always make things end well, or at least that they should try. That's not a bad thing at all. It's what makes heros, isn't it? But I really think that the impossibility of a happy ending in this case is what has Americans so upset.

I could be wrong.

At any rate, as an EMT, I urge you to make your wishes known. Head over to the Five Wishes site and pick up a copy of their living will.

Okay, I'm going back to work now.

Smooch of the day

2005-03-22T10:24:00.000-06:00

Hi guys,
Tomorrow - March 23rd - Nic and Julie's smooch will be featured at www.ecataromance.com.

You'll be able to vote for their kiss until April 15th. Please check it out and please vote.

ALSO MORE BIG NEWS.

You already knew the A Soft Place to Fall (Nic and Julie's story) - First in the new PJ series - will be out in a matter of days - April 1st.

What you may not know is the A Good Place to Land (Rick and Lily's story) will follow closely in September. It's original release date was January '06 but it's been moved up and the January slot will be filled by the third book in the series. I'll have an excerpt up for Good Place very soon, I promise - ideally this week.

So, check out the kissing and vote if you love it.

jax

Win an ARC

2005-02-22T12:36:00.000-06:00

Hi guys,
It's Tuesday after a holiday weekend. Hubby works for local government so he got a three-day weekend. It's hard to get back to work today, isn't it?

I'm wondering if anyone is reading this thing. Guess the best way to find out is to give something away.

Send me an email, letting me know that you're reading and what you'd like to see here. Send it before the end of February and I'll pick one winner to get an ARC of A Soft Place to Fall in pdf format.

Send mail to: jaxinedaniels@gmail.com

Mind mapping program...

2005-02-17T18:49:00.000-06:00

It's Thursday already and I've been swamped. Hence nothing from me here. I apologize.

Had my article due for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

Been working on Nate and Gillian's cutting and pasting - it's actually going pretty well. I've got all the pieces into the WriteWay program and now am reading through each chapter, making plot changes. I do have some scenes that are blank at this point.

Then I began working on my website building outline for my online class in May (Killer Instincts). Hence, the title to this piece.

For outlining and brainstorming, I found a really cool freeware program called Free Mind. It's awesome! Check it out at: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Well, my veggies are about done - gotta run - nothing worse than overcooked veggies.

Will try to get by here tomorrow.

jax

Snipping scenes....

2005-02-11T15:50:00.000-06:00

When you're 268 pages into a book and you "discover" that the plot has HUGE holes in it - well, it can get down right ugly.

Remember - I have the new outline. So the job this week has been to look over the pages I have and see what I can keep. I found myself cutting and pasting pages into a new document and became quite confused and despondent......

Alas, I've been using WriteWay Pro for some time now for outlining. I've never used it for actual writing though. By Wednesday, though, I realized that the system I was using wasn't really working.

So, here's what I've done. I printed the pages I had (single spaced), put on my Phantom of the Opera CD, and sat down on the floor with scissors and the stapler. Then I took to cutting up the manuscript. The first cut was difficult but, as I went, it got easier. Actually, it was rather fun.

When I was done, I had a stack of scenes that I could shuffle to my heart's content.

Today, I made piles, using my outline as a guide. Then, I began cutting each scene and sticking it into WriteWay in the appropriate outline spot.

One thing I found, though, was that there were scenes that had no real plot purpose. They were good scenes, but they were contrived - usually so that hero or heroine could get one line of dialogue in or the like. So, in addition to the usable pile, I have another pile of scenes that will likely not make it into the final book. That's probably a good thing for the book.

I don't love rewriting. I really would rather have a good, solid plot going it. But so it goes.

By mid-week next week, I should have everything that is already written in it's spot. There will be sections that will need new stuff. Ideally, by the end of the week, I can reprint the whole thing and see what needs doing next. Let's all cross our fingers that it isn't just a horrible mess.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Cheers, jax

Springs Cleaning?

2005-02-07T14:09:00.000-06:00

If you clean your house - you know, really clean your house - in February, will you see your shadow? Will there be six more weeks of winter?

February is really way too soon to get Spring fever. But I digress.

I'm cleaning the house today.

Hi, I'm Jax and I'm a slob! Maybe not a slob, but the queen of clutter. My goal for today is just to skim the surface. I think it will take considerably longer to actually lighten the load enough to make a difference.

Also on my todo list today is to get my query ready for Brava on a book I finished a while back. It's sitting at Ellora's Cave for six months, even though they promised to have an answer back to me in 8-12 weeks. Nothing - not even a reply to the two polite inquiries I sent to them. So, I'm sending it to Brava, once I have another look at the synopsis and first three chapters. At the moment, it's my only unsold manuscript. It's my first paranormal and the first time I wrote in first person. I loved writing it.

I guess, if I really am to make progress today, I should get back to it.

Thrilling....

jax

Getting Axed

2005-02-05T18:03:00.000-06:00

So, for the first week in ages, I'm getting axed.

Meaning?

Well, I spent the week working on the replot of Nate and Gillian's story, then got started on the rewrite. That's a good thing but it leaves me at the end of the week without the required number of new pages to not get axed.

Huh?

Well, one of the tools I use to keep writing is Survivor Writers. It's a yahoo group which requires at least 15 new pages a week to stay in the group. For me, it's the push I need to keep new pages coming. Some weeks I barely squeek by and others I go way beyond the 15. I think I got into 80-something pages one week.

Anyway, it feels odd not having posted my pages for the week but sometimes what's best for the story isn't in the writing. It's in the thinking and the discussing and the re-writing.

I don't know when I'll be back to new pages. Not next week. Maybe the week after.

I have book three of the PJ series scheduled to be started on March 1st. Nate and Gillian may have to simmer a while longer if I don't get their story done by then. That's okay. I wasn't "scheduled" to finish their book, just to get a good start.

And I have accomplished that.

Here's to accomplishment.

jax

Out of intensive care . . .

2005-02-02T18:19:00.000-06:00

The patient will survive. Actually, the patient will be better than before.

I worked feverishly developing backstories and putting flesh and bones on tertiary characters and finished Monday with a new outline.

Another road trip yesterday and Dan and I went through the entire outline. He had some great input that made things even better - and even without knowing it - tying up some of the loose ends.

So, today I started through the manuscript changing details as I went.

Act I won't change much so it's fairly quick going through it. (I'm not editing or rewriting except when it applies to the overall plot outline - I have highlighted some icky passages for further review later.)

It's Act II that will change. Some of it can stay, just be rearranged. Some must go. And there needs to be new stuff added.

But now I know where I'm going. That's a good feeling.

So, now it's time to fix something for dinner. So, adios for now - this book takes place in South America so I'm brushing up on my Espanol. :)

Hasta luego....
jax

Road Trip Undoing

2005-01-31T08:59:00.000-06:00

How many romance books - or suspense or mystery books for that matter - would never have been written had there not been the “road trip?”

Or - in my case, how many books have suffered a fatal arrhythmia because of the road trip?

My current WIP - which is in it’s last act - is now laying on the ER table, severely injured.

“We can make it better - we have the technology.”

It all started on our way home from a job/test/interview thing that my hubby had to go to today. We drove a very long hour up there (I’ve never seen such a long 60 mile stretch in my life.) On the way home, we started talking about the book. Dan hadn’t heard too much about it so I started tell him the story.

Big mistake - huge. . .

He kept asking “why?” The nerve of the guy. Sad thing - I couldn’t come up with answers that even satisfied myself, much less him. Very soon, he was saying very bad things about the hero - very bad things - like he was a wuss and stupid and such.

It was very traumatic, you know.

Okay, there’s a lot that can be salvaged, probably most of it. Might need to shuffle the cards a bit, but . . .

It’s better to have this plot crisis at this stage, I suppose.

Next time I get ready to start a book, I’m taking Dan on a road trip. We’re going to face this crisis AHEAD of the curve next time.

Really we are.

Have a great week. I'll be over here in my corner replotting Nate and Gillian's story. If you hear cursing and ranting.... just bring me a breve and pat me on the head.

jax

Enough CSI to be dangerous

2005-01-29T10:15:00.000-06:00

Hi guys - and a lovely Saturday morning to everyone. We're under a winter storm watch but it's not snowing at this point - only gray and yuk. I long to do a little sun worshipping.... but I digress.

As an EMT, I've been on a few scenes that raised significant questions in my mind. I've seen enough CSI to be dangerous. As a novelist, I often look for there to be more to the scene than is evident on first glance. On several occassions, the questions were never answered. Maybe sometime I'll share what I can of those events. Of course, they were tied up with neat bows and thrown in a dark closet. In Paradise, bad things don't happen. . .

I said all that to say this: yesterday, on one of my writer lists, one of the members shared the information below. I thought I'd pass it on. This guy's blog looks very interesting and, at this point, we're all getting in on it's beginnings - not too much to read through to be caught up. Without further ado, here's her message:

*****

My brother-in-law just opened his blog website where he will share
his work experiences from the coroner's office. He is not
technically a coroner himself (in his state you must be an MD), but
he has been involved in thousands of death scene investigations over
the past 5 years.

The main purpose is to educate, inform, and debunk Hollywood
concerning death scene investigations.

The content will never be sensational, but it won't compromise the
reality.

For those of you on the BCC list that are authors:
The mystery/crime writers in my local crit group have already
benefited. I would think that anyone writing a police procedural or
even fantasy authors with dead bodies would find value here.

Please enjoy and visit and pass along to anyone else you might think
would find this informational site interesting.

http://www.coronerstories.com

Dang vampires....

2005-01-28T08:32:00.000-06:00

I gave blood yesterday.

Our little town has a blood drive every eight weeks. Hubby and I always go.

He always wins. It's those big veins.

I'm slow. And clotty.

So yesterday, they didn't hit the vein the first time - ouch. Just before the bag was full, I clotted off and the tech couldn't get the three tubes they draw once the bag is full. So the whole thing was for naught. That sucks.

I'm usually fine afterwards, but I was pretty lightheaded last night and this morning, I feel rather ick.

Maybe I'll take my Alphasmart to the LazyBoy for writing today. No snoozing....

Cheers,

I know, I know....

2005-01-28T08:23:00.000-06:00

False starts. . .

Better than no starts at all? Maybe. Maybe not.

The fact is that I let the blog go and haven't posted for quite a while. But, I'm giving it another try. So here we go.

I'm redesigning my website. I recently changed my brand from "Forever isn't long enough..." to "Tales of Loneliness, Longing and Lasting Love." Why? Well, my readers consisitently comment about the angst in my stories. I guess I want to focus on that aspect of my stories.

It's a natural progression.
Loneliness. . .
Longing. . .
finally, Lasting Love.

I have a temporary "logo" on my website now but the redesign is pretty all encompassing. So, I've had to create new stuff - toss it all - create more new stuff. Fun, yes. Frustrating, yes. But, ideally, within the next week or so, I'll complete all the pieces and have a grand unveiling.

The current WIP? Well, I need to do some writing today just to get to my minimum 15 pages for the week. My mind has been on the website stuff. Also, the WIP is stalled a bit - I'll tell you about that tomorrow.

For now, I need to get back to Front Page and Adobe Photoshop.

Later.....

See. . .

2004-09-30T07:19:00.000-05:00

It's a matter of habit.

I haven't gotten used to the HABIT of writing in the blog every day. Most days, I don't even think about HAVING a blog. My bad. Maybe if I actually put it in my palm pilot.

Research. The things we writers do in the name of research.

I live in a tiny town, remember. So yesterday, I gathered my courage and called a retired doctor that lives here. He and I have met but it wasn't under the best circumstances. The meeting was wrapped in local, ugly politics. I won't go into it here.

So, anyway, I called him because I need to pick his brain. I've broken one of my characters - no hints - not yet - and need to know what surgeries and rehab would look like for him.

Well Dr. W. sounded like I had lost my mind and I babbled. It wasn't pretty. He did reluctantly agree to speak with me, but said that it wasn't a good time then. I agreed to call him back in the evening. I have to wonder if he'll watch his caller ID and not answer when I do call back. :)

On the other hand, I'm reading a VERY interesting book - in the name of research - yeah that's the ticket. It's title: Good Girl Guide to Bad Girl Sex. I picked it up on the B & N bargain table. My, my, my. :)

Well, today we have a trip to the big city so I won't get a lot of writing done - if any. Tomorrow even a bigger city. I've got my 20 pages done for the week - which is the minimum. I really wanted 30 because last week I only hit 15.

So, it's an early weekend - have a good one. If I get the chance - and remember - I'll check in tomorrow. Maybe I'll tell you about my new "art."

jax

Five minutes of Fame

2004-09-26T09:14:00.000-05:00

Hi guys.

First, I apologize about being absent for two days last week. My only excuse is that I'm not used to doing this every day. Simply forgot.

Five minutes of fame: I'm in the Sunday paper. How fun is that?

Here's the link: http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1096203573/7

Have a great Sunday - I'll be back tomorrow.

Cheers, jax

Reading. . .

2004-09-22T17:34:00.000-05:00

Today I took my hubby to the dentist. While I waited, I started a new book.

Let me back up a step or two.

A couple weeks ago I attended the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference in Denver. I volunteered to moderate several workshops, the first of which was for an author I didn't know - Stephanie Kane.

It was providence.

Steph is a remarkable teacher. She's a lawyer who worked in one of Denver's largest firms. Now she writes. I attended two of her workshops and am thrilled to now call her friend.

So this morning, I started Blind Spot, the first in Steph's Jackie Flower series. They are legal thrillers.

I don't like to borrow books because I write in them - well I don't write in other people's books, I just suffer. I underline great turns of phrase, places where the author put words together in a particularly amazing way. I study as I read. I'm sure that people who see me writing in my novels think I've lost my mind, but I do believe a writer can learn a great deal from reading good writing.

Here's just one great line from Chapter 1: "But the brilliant rays masked a nip to the air and the trees couldn't decide whether to trust the calendar." That's springtime in Colorado for you. And great writing. . .

I underlined a bunch in the first two chapters (it was a short appointment and I'm a slow reader.) I think I'm going to enjoy this book. I think I'm going to order the rest. Steph has her third Jackie Flower book coming out on election day. So I have a note on my calendar - VOTE - then order Seeds of Doubt. (I've already read the prologue - WOW)

Some of my fans are dedicated to reading only romance. But if you like other things - keep your eyes open for Stephanie Kane. You'll be glad you did.

Cheers, jax

Fun with the media

2004-09-21T16:20:00.000-05:00

Had an interview with the Pueblo paper (Pueblo is about an hour's drive from here.) It was great fun but mostly that's because the reporter is a fan :)

We went to the coffee shop and sipped java while we chatted. Then, since it was raining outside, we had to stay in to take pictures. It was fun trying to find an angle that didn't have other patrons in the shot. (I hate having my picture taken, BTW)

It was interesting talking about a book that was written so long ago. I'm on to other things. But, I did get to chat about the PJ series so that was great.

Now, I'm back to work on galleys. I have a few Air Force technical things that have to change or I'll get letters. I really should have caught them before the galley stage. Next time I'll do better.

Cheers, jax

Hello and Galley frustration. . .

2004-09-20T16:10:00.000-05:00

Hi all. I know that by virtue of your reading this, you know that I have started a blog. So I guess I won't tell you. :)

I will do my best to post to it daily during my work week. I thought I might blog about the process of writing, about getting published, about the daily joys and more joys of being a writer.

For now, let me just say that the way to frustrate a writer is to send them their galley (which is the final version of your book before it goes to print) and tell her that she can't change anything. This edit is for typos, not for revision. YIKES. There are things I'd change, I assure you.

So, when you read A Soft Place to Fall, and you see that three sentences in on paragraph start with "He", you'll know that I saw that on the last pass and couldn't change it :)

I am anxious to introduce you all to Nic and Cruz and the entire team. I'll be doing some of that here and some in a special section on PJ's in my website.

Okay, now I have to go write. Cheers. . . .