Scottish Hunks and Ear Candy

Okay, I'll admit it's a cheap ploy to get some traffic since I haven't met him, but just listen to that beautiful voice... (Michael's probably blushing if he reads this, not one to tout his own horn. )

I first heard about Michael Malone's blog, May Contain Nuts, from Thea on our Scottish loop. Not only is Michael a Scot, asset number one (don't you love being cheapened, Michael?), but a crime writer and poet. He's produced two poetry books, In The Raw and Running Threads along with CD of his and some fellow poets.

Here is a YouTube Michael posted yesterday of one of his poems. If you like clever repartee, funny stories and candid opinions, you need to follow May Contain Nuts.

And now without further ado...




American women have had a love affair with Scottish accents for a long time but especially since Jamie said to Claire,

"I prayed all the way up that hill, yesterday. Not for you to stay; I didna think that would be right. I prayed I'd be strong enough to send ye away. I said, Lord, if I never had that kind of courage before let me have it now. Let me me brave enough not to fall on my knees and beg her to stay."

and

"I want to hold you hard to me and kiss you and never let you go. I want to take you to my bed and use you like a whore til I forget that I exist. And I want to put my head in your lap and weep like a child."

Oh. My. God. Now all we need is for Michael to read the quotes off this fantastic Jamieisms YouTube. Michael have you ever read Outlander? You must. When I visited Scotland in 1998 I was on the third book of Gabaldon's now seven book series. I was struck by the accurate way she portrayed the history of the area. Or at least that's the impression I got from the people I met.

Here is the Jamieisms YouTube.

May Contain Nuts turns one

Happy Birthday, May Contain Nuts!


Don't you just hate it when you miss somebody's birthday? I feel so so bad. I'm so sorry, Michael. What can I do to make it up to you?

When you discover you've missed a birthday, there's always a temptation to regift the person with something on hand. Something quick. "Here, I got this for you, but lost track of time…"

So, I think, what do I have on hand that I could give MCN for it's birthday. I know, I'll send you my old lottery numbers. No, they weren't winners, but they're probably still useful, eh? I mean the numbers are perfectly good, they just didn't happen to make it on the right lotto ticket.

And what about that lovely clock I got two years ago. It's still new. I never could figure out who to give it to. The Hartford Insurance logo on it makes it unsuitable for some but you could always paint over the logo. It's a rather spiffy little clock.

Ah, but even better there are the glow in the dark planet and stars stickers you apply to your ceiling to give your office that little extra pizzazz. Inspiration for those uninspirational writing moments. I took them down two years ago and each one still has the sticky clay stuff on the back. Handy.

What the hek! I'll send them all. You deserve it for creating such an original and entertaining blog.

Many Happy Returns…

The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

I might have known. Michael Malone can definitely pick a good read. A few months ago, he told me about a fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. The first book, Name of the Wind, was a non-stop listen, a four parter from Audible. The release of the second book has been postponed yet again. So I asked Michael if he'd read anything else that good lately.

The good news. He'd just read The Final Empire the first in the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson.
He read it in one day so it promised to be another winner. (You may recognize Sanderson as the author who will finish the Robert Jordan series.) The bad news depending upon your schedule is that he read the last two in the trilogy the following weekend so I knew I was in trouble.

I looked it up on Audible, thrilled to find my favorite male narrator, Michael Kramer, reading the series. He read all the Mark Beamon books by Kyle Mills, his voice lending a decidedly self-deprecating humor to them. I can still hear Kelsior's voice from the first book, oops, no spoilers.

Once you've read it you may want a copy of this poster. The signed copies apparently all sold out but there is one available for $9.99. I have the perfect place for it in my office. http://www.brandonsanderson.com/store/item/39/



I waited before starting the second book, Well of Ascension, because I couldn't afford to get sidetracked last week. But with classes over and the mail route to run, I cranked up the ole Ipod and dived back into the series. I'm two thirds finished. I know I won't be able to put off reading the last book, Hero of the Ages. I'll have to squeeze in some time this week to finish Tempest Rising so I may have to put a slot on the planner for listening to the series. (Forget that, once I started it I was dead. Now, I've got to download the third book and just eat all the chocolate in one sitting.)

If you want to read more about Sanderson's books and listen to a great podcast go here.

Today's Mistborn blog referenced an excellent podcast he did on revisions.
http://www.writingexcuses.com/wp-content/uploads/Writing_Excuses_Episode3-11-Trimming.mp3

Thanks, Michael

Another Good Blog for Writers

I found this link from Michael Malone's blog, May Contain Nuts. Chock full of reviews and some free reading. I was curious enough to look at the image below and got right into the story. Read the Equivoque Principle for free.



Lots of reviews and interviews to be found there. Check out Me and My Big Mouth

A Christmas Story

If you want to read a hilarious and heartwarming, well, hilarious anyway, story about two twins and a wee lad in search of a new Christmas tree, see Michael Malone's post at May Contain Nuts.

You might even want to read it at a Christmas party or reader's club. The Queen of Chaos rocks!

He Said, She Said Chronicles 3

If it weren't for the pitchfork...

For this week's He Said, She Said Chronicles I borrow a quote from the blog, May Contain Nuts. What a fascinating, insightful and funny blog on Advice We'd Give Our Younger Selves.

He said: (and I quote)"Women say one thing and mean another. Then once you get used to that approach they go back to meaning exactly what they say. Then they switch back again in the time it takes you to say, ‘What the...?’ It will confuse you. Don’t fight it. That’s. Just. The. Way. It. Is."

She said: I don't understand why you seem confused; I always say exactly what I mean. Even when I change my mind. That's just being flexible. ;D

Happy Anniversary, Michael

Okay, so our bud, Michael Malone, who has an outlandishly clever blog across the pond called May Contain Nuts, hit a milestone Monday. 100 Blogs!

Let's hear it for Mick.

I figure now that he's over the hill - blogwise - he should do something for the ladies. Like a hunk at the head of the post.

Something like this guy...


Ironically, I was looking for a tattooed man’s picture – not what I had in mind for sure – to use for inspiration – I’m still laughing mind you – for my story poster for RCPn when I came across Geoff Ostling, an Australian who has put forth a massive canvas for the sake of..er..art.



You should be glad I didn't link to picture number 1. All I could think was OUCH! Ouch! Ouchie! But you really should see it.

I'm still looking for my hunky tattoo man...

Getting on the Stick

That expression came from using the gearshift to GET THE CAR GOING -in other words - stop stalling and get on with it.

Fear of the unknown has been inhibiting my progress. I've been consolidating my notes and research, characters, paranormal rules, etc. into Scrivener. Sure that stuff needed to be done, but it doesn't need to take forever.

Yesterday, I made some real headway on the file, moving characters into my AS NEEDED file, deleting some old scenes, and making a list of the PNE questions I'd thought I needed to answer before moving on. Turns out almost all of them can be answered as I write. And they will be better answers in the context of what I'm discovering during the process.

Today, I'm going to concentrate on going through my synopses and old scenes to see what needs to be deleted at least temporarily. By the end of the week, I should be able to get my scene files cleaned up and I'll have almost made my goal of October 1st. I'll definitely make the BIAW deadline for October.

Thanks to fellow writers, Leah, Cadence, Michael and Cheryl, for the kick in the pants!

Change your Mind, Change your Life

Whew! Just got off the treadmill. The other day I blogged about creativity starters and Michael Malone of May Contain Nuts said going to the gym worked for him. Well, that reminded me (yes, I needed a reminder to exercise since I haven't redeveloped the habit) that it was time to get back on the ole walkabout.

So Sunday, I hopped on with my Ipod and treadmill playlists. Problem is, I hate to ease into it. Though my playlists are graduated for an increase in speed, I want to skip to the faster, rockier ones and before I know it, I'm practically dancing/jogging. That's how I pulled a muscle in June. So I'm exercising twice a day for shorter periods for a couple weeks. Close to the end I flip over to something like Mellancamp's Pink Houses which is always good for another 5mins.

I was listening to Mellancamp's 'Your Life is Now' - "You change your mind, you change your life". It always reminds me of favorite Navy Guy/'son' who has accomplished so much by challenging himself, dreaming big and never believing it can't be done. Dream no small dreams!. It's not easy for an unpublished writer to stay optimistic in the face of the economy, the changes in the industry, the bad news always coming out of the media and writers' conferences.

I pull out these great quotes from my first website occasionally to remind myself to keep believing. 'Act as if'. Change my mind. Start with the little things. I have a friend who had a birthday Friday who fairly radiates vitality and youth. A beautiful person who has a great attitude of building other people up. And a sweet cousin who sent me an email this morning that said, "TODAY IS SPECIAL. 09/9/09. THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN IN A CENTURY. MAKE MEMORIES!!!" Even the US Open players are talking about Belief in themselves against the bigger odds. There are writers out there beating the odds every day. Why not me? Why not you?



It's not January 1st, but it's as good a time as any to start over, to carry through with some of those plans and pursue dreams lay dormant. What about you? Push forward today on one dream, one project, one attitude. Be happy, pursue publication, quit smoking, exercise, spend more time with your kids, work less hours. Go for it!

Do you like one of these quotes or have a favorite?

EDIT: I put the blog up and saw on my blog page that Michael was blogging about Persistence. You'll want to read it.

Joie de Vive2

Michael, over on May Contain Nuts, blogged about the latest contestant on The X Factor. I guess we don't get it here but you can watch Danyl Johnson's performance here. Talk about Joie de Vive. This 27 year old teacher has it and everyone in the crowd caught it from him! Enjoy.

It made me want to get my stuff together and perform just for the pure joy of it. That excitement will still be with me this week as get my amp and mike and stuff rigged up for First Friday Sept 4th. If the weather is nice I'll be singing outside, if it's too hot or raining, I'll be inside at the Book store, Cover to Cover, in Natchez on Main Street. Come on by.

And...

Trust me - check out this wonderfully poignant blog post on Fathers and Sons

Cool, an Award!

My Award..
Thank you, thank you. I appreciate it, Michael. Though I'm not supposed to -I notice there's been some variation in following the rules - I must plug your blog again. I'm looking forward to checking out the blogs on your site and Bill's.

May Contain Nuts the place for witty, touching, scathing, and often enlightening posts, news-worthy pictures, and insights on fatherhood. 'kay, that one doesn't count as a nominee.

The fine print that came with the award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting – or that they don't know.
5. Nominate 7 Kreative Bloggers. (Two of them new to you.)
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

7 things about me...

1. I can shoot the head off a snake.
2. I once sang to actor/singer Kris Kristofferson and boxer, Muhammed Ali at a casual picnic near here when they were filming Freedom Road. Boyfriend whose hero was Ali thought it was a setup so he didn't go. They sent him an autographed note, "Thanks, CFM, we sure enjoyed your girlfriend's singing." LOLOLOL
3. I wanted to be the first woman astronaut or at least an F-14 tomcat pilot.
4. I love sports, especially Football!!
5. My favorite trip was to Scotland. It felt like home.
6. I believe everyone should be treated with respect until they demonstrate they don't deserve it. Then...
7. I lived in a penthouse overlooking the skyline of Atlanta for three months. AWESOME!

My choices for the Kreativ Award.

Watch how it's done in living color at Chickens in the Road. Even if you could care less about farms or cooking, check out writer Suzanne McMinn's Farmhouse Table beautifully photographed 'how-to cook it' on each recipe as well as Suzanne's awesome photographs and videos of her life on the West Virginian farm and her intimate relationships (with chickens, goats, cats, kids) This particular link has pictures of a castle and her scone recipe. She's obviously part farm animal.

Mystery author, Bill Kirton, who's blog I recently discovered. Living, Writing and Other Stuff See that one doesn't count either cause he's already been Kreativvvved.

A couple new ones, both from the UK and very entertaining. Guys, check out this one - Gary Davidson's blog. Then answer this question: Do guys really like that 'look' er, uh, build? (I think I know the answer.)

And The Witty Ways of a Wayward Wife, Funny stuff.


Danielle Baer is a writer who lives in Texas. She has a busy job but still manages to post a couple times a week, better than I've done lately.

Cadence Denton, my friend and CP, has an entertaining blog. As soon as she finishes her manuscript (next week I'm sure) you'll have to give hers a spin.

DaydreamLily This is one of the most artistic blogs I've seen - by a young woman in Melbourne.

Leah Braemel, blogs about living in a houseful of men and has guest writers once a week..

Now to go contact these KRE ATE iv bloggers.

Our Internal Critic

I know why I've always liked this old poster of Garfield and why I've kept it safely rolled up and tucked away. It reminds me of how my father raised me.

My sister died of Juvenile Diabetes at one and as I understand it, Daddy didn't want to go through that again but gave in to my mother's pleas to have another child and voila - me. As much as Daddy loved sports and the outdoors, I know he secretly prayed for a boy. But it didn't stop him from taking me to the Redskins games, to see the Senators and and the Terps of the University of Maryland. Nor did it sway him from teaching me to golf, bowl, play softball and basketball, drive a standard shift at 12 years old, fish (you don't hunt living 8 miles from D.C.) and anything else he could think of. (No matter their talent the men in my life couldn't teach me to throw a softball; it goes straight up or straight into the ground, but I can drive the hell out of a car. Even won a racing competition once in Houston.)

But it wasn't so much what he taught me to do as how he taught me to think. Being a girl shouldn't limit me from believing I could do anything my heart desires. And it didn't. I never gave my wide array of jobs any second glance. If there was a job opening, I went for it.

I started out as a waitress at the Big Boys and Marriott restaurants around the D.C. area, went into kitchen and dining room supervision, ended up in Mississippi where I worked for an oral surgeon and an insurance company. Then to Natchez, where I ran a restaurant with DH until we divorced. Then out of sheer relief, I picked up my guitar and started singing and ended up singing professionally by night for about ten years while I did VARIOUS jobs during the day. (I even got to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during a very special rehearsal after the Columbia disaster.)

I worked for an architect, sold mobile homes, long distance service, cars, trucks, cosmetics, sold burglar bars, pools, fences, placed students from a business school, taught computer at the trade school, owned a tailor shop where I did manual monogramming, made mens shirts, and sold workwear. I've managed a manufacturing plant and worked for a disaster assistance organization and sold insurance. And now, I deliver mail. I can't remember anything else.

The point is - yes, I know you were thinking, get to the point, Marley - that nothing ever had me doubting I could do something until I started writing. The author's internal critic is a monster. If we were to listen to everything he says (I contend that our internal critic has to be our opposite gender, doesn't it make sense?) and then everything we read about rules and the preferences of our critique partners and contest judges, we'd never get a paragraph of our bio written, much less a fiction piece.

The romance genre has got to be one of the most difficult with all the unofficial and offical rules in place. When I read about another author who has broken one of them, well, why don't we call it awakening the publisher to the possibilities, I cheer and take another look at my latest wip. I ask myself once again, am I stuck in a box? How can I make sure my writing is a unique, creative reflection of my voice?

I'll bet my poet friend, Michael Malone, struggles less with it. It takes great originality to create poetry like his which is romantic and "Raw". And poets seem to already have this sense of rebellion. At least that's how it seems to me.

I wonder if that the struggle ever ends once you start writing.

Weekly Funny

I'll admit I stole this from Writer, Poet, Michael Malone who blogged about this on his blog, May Contain Nuts. Get ready to laugh...



You think they need to take donations for a better uniform?