Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Romance Author
Sorry I’ve been MIA, but I’ve been swamped at work and with the revisions. Good news is the revisions are almost done and I’m loving the book – THE LOST – which is the next one in the SINS series.
If you’ve got some time, drop by Tawny Weber’s fabulous blog and spend some time with me today! You can click here or cut and paste this link: http://blog.tawnyweber.com/2010/10/15/quick-six-with-caridad-pineiro/
I had a chance to go to the wonderful Authors After Dark conference and had a blast. I’m sharing these fun photos and videos with you today to get the weekend started right.
I’m also giving you another something special today! Visit with me at the Fang-tastic Books blog to find out what makes me write paranormals and also, leave a comment at Fangtastic for a chance to win some goodies. (And yes, that’s me as a little chica!)
If you can’t see the slideshow below, you can click here for the photo album or cut and paste this link into your browser:
Check out this video of some of my friends having fun Night at the Roxbury-Style! If you can’t see the video below, you can click here for the video or cut and paste this link into your browser:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1589756220377
Writer’s Block. Two of the most dreaded words for writers besides synopsis and revisions. Writer’s Block happens to all of us. Sometimes it lasts a day or so. Other times it lasts for weeks. What can you do to help break past the walls that are blocking your creativity? Well, here are 13 suggestions for getting those creative juices flowing!
1. Take a long shower or bath. Try to think of nothing except the warmth of the water or slickness of the soap and just how relaxing it is.
2. Savor a favorite drink. Whether it’s hot chocolate, wine or coffee, sit down and focus on just the drink and nothing else. Let yourself enjoy the nuances of it, from heat to nuttiness to floral overtones.
3. Take a long walk. Preferably near somewhere scenic. Again, think about nothing except what is around you. The wind, the smells, the sights and the sounds should take priority.
4. Ground yourself. I have to say I have not done this myself, but my trainer at the Y says it works. Take off your shoes and go outside and tickle your toesies in the grass/dirt for at least thirty to forty-five minutes. Imagine yourself becoming one with the Earth once again.
5. Exercise. Whether it’s yoga, strength training, a jog, etc. get the blood flowing throughout your body and brain.
6. Read a good book. I like to read books outside my genre to see how the author puts the story together.
7. Watch a movie. Much like reading a book, let your mind process the scenes and how they flow (or don’t) and think about what made the movie work.
8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. No matter what, watching one of the old shows helps me see how wonderful characters are created and sharp dialogue can deliver a jab as potent as any punch.
9. Go to Writer’s group or workshop. I belong to the Liberty States Fiction Writers and I find that going to meetings and listening to the workshops always inspires me to write.
10. Shut off your network card. Oftentimes I find that my “block” is actually just distraction caused by the Internet and the time suck it creates.
11. Visit a new place. Go somewhere interesting and explore the sights. It doesn’t have to be far. I took a short trip to Sandy Hook which inspired tons of scenes for my SIN HUNTER series.
12. Visit a favorite place. Remember what it was about that place that made it special. Explore once again the sights, sounds and feel that made it favorite.
13. Talk to a friend. Sometimes you just need to vent. If they’re a writer friend, they’ll understand and may be able to offer up an idea to deal with whatever plot/character/setting problem has stopped you in your tracks.
Hope you enjoyed today’s Thursday Thirteen. I welcome you to add any of your suggestions for breaking writer’s block in the comments section.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!
My husband has gotten me hooked on BURN NOTICE. It’s hard not to get involved with not only the interesting tidbits provided by ex-CIA Agent Michael Weston during the narration which appeal to the suspense writer in me, but also the wonderful cast of characters.
I love explosion-happy Fiona in particular, but there’s also no denying that the dapper and unflappable Michael Weston (played by Jeffrey Donovan) is a big draw.
If you haven’t watched the show, try to catch it in re-runs or online. The mix of suspense, comedy and romance (although could we get a little more of this BURN NOTICE writers!) is great.
Today is a different adventure on Travel Tuesday, this time pictures from my recent visit to the 2010 RWA National Conference!
I had a great time meeting with fans, fellow authors, editors and agents. The book signings went well and at the public book signing, RWA raised $55,000 to contribute to its literacy campaign. Awesome news.
The days were long and filled with appointments, even on Thursday when a few of us went over to do a run through all four Disney parks. Yes, four of them in one day!
It was wonderful to share the time with my friends and fellow authors, especially my buddy Shelley who was visiting Disney for the first time. Big hoorah to Rayna for organizing a whirlwind tour of the parks for us. Not only did we see so many interesting things and enjoy a mess of rides, while waiting in line we worked on book plots and titles and discussed market trends. We even met an interested reader on the little tram on the way back to our car!
So don’t be surprised if I end up doing a story titled ONE DAY PARK HOPPER. LOL!
An apology to all those on Team Edward, but as much as all of you know that I love vampires, I’ve got to get on the side of Team Jacob this morning! How can I not with the likes of Taylor Lautner playing the werewolf in the Bella-Edward-Jacob triangle?
You can grab this brooding Jacob wallpaper from over at the official NEW MOON Movie site (but be prepared to wait for the never-ending flash gadgets!)
And if that’s not enough eye-candy for you this Guilty Pleasures Monday, well then you can click here for more shots displaying Taylor’s rather sculpted physique!
If you’re in the mood to talk about vampires this morning, don’t forget to drop by and visit my Dark Side Demon Monday over at Danger Women Writing.
As a romance writer, even a paranormal romance writer, there is one thing that I cannot fail to do — deliver a Happily Ever After!
In books it’s easy to do if you set up the conflict correctly, know what issues need to be resolved and last, end the book while the couple are in the throes of that blissful true love moment.
In life, and in books, the Happily Ever After once that blissful moment is over is sometimes not so easy to maintain. It’s why I loved being able to revisit Diana and Ryder from DARKNESS CALLS in their second book – DEATH CALLS. It’s probably why I’ll write yet another story featuring them since readers understand that achieving that Happily Ever After can be difficult, but oh so joyous when it finally happens.
With the benefit of age and hopefully some wisdom, I look back at my marriage and realize that it hasn’t been easy staying married. There have been ups and down, most times caused by external pressures such as jobs, illnesses and deaths, but somehow through it all, we’ve not only persevered, we’ve stayed happy together.
Some might wonder how that’s possible. How do you slog through the rough times in life and still manage to keep alive the Happily Ever After?
I realized the other day that the answer was: Humor. Respect. Understanding.
Oh wait, that’s three answers, isn’t it! LOL!
But there it was, one way to Happily Ever After and not just in the books that I write, but in real life.
Find someone who can make you laugh and pick you up during the hard times. Someone who respects your opinions and your contributions to the relationship. Someone who understands your needs, both physical and mental. In reality, combine all those attributes and you will usually find Love and with Love comes the Happily Ever After.
How about you? For those of you who have been in long term relationships, what do you find keeps you going through good times and bad?