The one where I do another author interview...

That's right...I'm like the Barbara Walters of the Indie Author world. Or I will be. Some day. Only without so much nasal voice. So hurry up, grab a seat and a beverage (BYO of course). Today's interview is with Anthony Izzo whom I met through the Indie Horror site. If you are a writer of horror, a reader of horror or offer services to authors you should definitely check this site out. Oh and they're going to put up my review there as well. Which is probably only exciting to me but I thought I'd let you know anyway. So without further ado...

Anthony Izzo writes, draws, and plays guitar with his wife and two sons at his home in the creepy snow covered hills of Western New York. When he is not horrifying his neighbors, he can usually be found in a local library, museum, or billiard room. And I found out his favorite color is blue...you know...because I'm all investigative like that...

You may also find Anthony online at www.anthonyizzo.com, or on facebook at Anthony Izzo.

I took the time to ask Anthony some questions about his writing life....

1.)How long have you been writing novels?
I've been writing novels for about fifteen years.

2.)What do you do for your day job?
For my day job, I work in the wild-and-crazy world of health insurance.

3.)Is this your fist published novel?
No Escape is not my first published novel. My first, Cruel Winter, was published by Kensington/Pinnacle books in 2005.

4.)What made you decide to go the Indie route?
I went Indie because the market for my print books seemed to dry up. I also love the creative freedom of being an independent author.

5.)In No Escape there is a huge military presence and the main character is ex-military. Do you have a military background yourself?
I don't have a military background, but military technology and military history have always been interests of mine.

6.)What scares you personally? Do you have any silly phobias?
I have a horrible fear of heights. Tall ladders are my sworn enemy.

7.)What is your writing routine?
I typically write 3-4 pages a day. Usually in a couple of writing sessions.

8.)Have you always been a fan of horror?
I've loved horror since I watched the first Halloween movie back in the early eighties.

9.)What other authors inspire you?
I'm inspired by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Cormac McCarthy, and most recently, Joe Konrath.

10.)What advice would you give to newbie writers out there?
Read a lot and write a lot. Above all, don't quit!

Thank you very much Anthony, it was a pleasure both reading your book and doing the interview. Don't miss my review of Anthony's book, No Escape over at See Spot Read! You can find No Escape for sale at Smashwords and other ebook retailers. His other works include: Cruel Winter, Evil Harvest, and The Dark Ones.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by. Those of you who are new...sit a spell, look around check out the archives. To all my regulars...I promise more nonsense from my family next post.

Happy Monday,
♥Spot

The one where the conference ends and we remember the brave...

The conference is over. I'm so sad. It's like that feeling you get when summer camp ends. Or, for those of you who've done theatre, the feeling when the run of the show is over. It's such a letdown. But it was so worth it. I would seriously encourage any of you who are writing fiction to consider attending a conference, regardless of your genre. This one was a speculative fiction conference but included topics that would be helpful to any writer. Things like manuscript submission, query & synopsis structure, writing and submitting short works. There was even a poetry session. Apart from all the invaluable advice, it was awesome to meet and have a chance to chat with so many published authors. There were even pitch sessions with editors, to give you a chance to sell your work, or at least get it looked at.

I know I came out of the month with some serious growth. I learned a lot of things that have improved my writing, cleaned up my submission techniques and truly encouraged me. I was amazed that some published horror writers like Gary Braunbeck and his wife Lucy Snyder, and Scott Nicholson were so friendly and down to earth. I've met a few authors on facebook that are not. And I loved that Scott reminded us all to be humble. No matter how many books you have published, it can all fall apart. So the goal is to be a better person not a famous person. There were many other very talented writers at the conference. I mention these three because they all write horror.

The other benefit I found to the conference was being able to read other author's blogs and daily progress reports. It gave me a feeling of such "belonging". We truly are all in the same boat. So many of the same hopes, fears, idiosyncrasies and doubts. I've read Joe Hill's tweets and know that he's a procrastinator. I've read Joely Sue Burkhart's blog and know that she is a majorly organized plot planner. It's been an amazing month. And I've come away from it renewed in purpose, much more confident in my writing and determined to achieve my goals. And really, I'm so close to needing an "author" photo for my author page. Which means I totally need to focus on that "lose 25lbs" goal!!

The downside of the conference? Life still happens. I missed several sessions I wanted to attend because of a mad dash to the hospital, CJ's prom, Bobby's graduation or because I felt guilty for neglecting my family. Luckily, they put up transcripts. It isn't quite the same but it helps. My family was pretty great about my locking myself in the family room during panels. They tried hard not to bug me. And for the most part it went well. They are all a little happy that it's over though. Which brings me to my funny story for today~

This weekend was "pride weekend" at camp. Everyone comes up and works on projects to help get camp ready for summer. There's a lot of mowing, ect that goes on. Some of the guys came up Friday night. Hubby and some volunteers poured three pads of concrete that night. He didn't get in til oh, 11 or so. About ten o'clock as I'm settling in for a panel in the conference, Sean comes into the family room~

Sean: Hey Homie G

Me: What's up?

Sean: MB is here. I'm going to take off with him for awhile.

Me: Okay. You coming home or sleeping in camp?

Sean: Probably home.

Me: Okay. Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

Sean: Well that leaves it wide open.

Me: Yeah, try to be careful.

It occurred to me about 5 minutes after he left that most 16 year old boys do not call their mothers "Homie G". It also occurred to me that most Mothers are not going to be cool with their 16 year old boys leaving at 10 at night with a "I'll probably be home". I guess our relationship is out of the ordinary. Go figure. But in truth, he was just leaving to go play in his 740 acre front yard. And it's Sean, whom I trust. Know why? Because the kid does not lie. EVER. He never has. He's honest to a fault, sometimes brutally honest. And he's pretty strait-laced. He doesn't want anything to potentially ruin his military career. And he doesn't like not being in control. So if he goes to a party, he's usually the guy taking care of everyone, making sure things don't get out of hand. It doesn't mean he's never pushed the boundaries or broken the rules. It's just that he fesses up, sometimes before I even ask. Lu was definitely my problem child in this regard. I'm often surprised that she made it to 18 and young adulthood without my killing her.

So as a last thing, please remember today to thank a soldier, either active duty, retired, reserve, whatever. Be thankful for the men who put their lives on the line for us. All those who now serve and those who've gone before. Say a prayer for those who are in the midst of combat now and those who never made it home. And for those who are still missing. Never forget.

Thank you Dad.

♥Spot

The one where I'm not on the verge of fortune and fame and I have Rickets

Guess what day it is? That's right, Saturday!! My favorite day of the week. Well, right now. During the summer that will change as Saturday becomes the day of the week that everyone is home. Right now it's the day of the week where I'm the only one home. So it's my writing day. That glorious day where nobody bothers me and I can stick to my own schedule. Which, of course, is actually no schedule at all. I write, I research, I read, and every few hours I get up to potty and grab a new drink or some food. It's like heaven. Well, heaven for writers anyway.

And while we're on the subject of writers, let me clear up some confusion. I do have a publisher wanting to take a look at my novel when it's finished. This is in NO WAY a guarantee of publication. I mean, she could decide it's the worst novel in the history of novels. (No wait, I'm pretty sure I read that one posted on the Internet somewhere) Anyway, it could conceivably suck. Or it could be good, but not fit her tastes. I mean, there are a million little "ifs" in there. And should the Universe favor me on that day and she does accept it? I'm still not going to be rich or famous. It's a small publishing company that does a lot of E-publishing. Which means that you would be able to purchase the book as a download or for E-readers. I think they do some print publishing based on popularity so there is a chance that it would make it to paperback. But it won't be a hardcover bestseller is my point. Not that first one anyway. Don't worry, I still plan to take the world by storm, I'm just sneaking in the back way. I'm totally cool with this, because personally I think that E-books are the wave of the future. You are immediately accessible to a global market. They are convenient, cheaper (both for the publisher and the reader), and more manageable. And it's not about the money (of course I wouldn't turn down the money), it's about making people leave the light on when they get done reading my book.

And speaking of leaving the light on...Lu and I tried Tina's nightmare inducing suggestion of cheese before bed last night. Nope. Another fail. Apparently I am nightmare resistant. Lu and I talked it over and neither of us has ever woken up screaming. I have woken up momentarily terrified. But never full on screaming. And I've read scary books my entire life. I've watched scary movies my entire life. I've had trouble going to sleep, had to turn a light on when I got up to go to the bathroom (hubby really gets cranky about this), jumped on to the bed from three feet away (you know, so nothing under the bed can grab me), and hidden my eyes as I drive past scarecrows. But I don't believe I've ever had a full on nightmare. I feel so gypped.

In other news, I have Rickets. Okay, maybe not Rickets per se, but a serious vitamin D deficiency. It's all the buzz on the health boards right now. That vitamin D deficiency is cropping up and causing all sorts of problems. Crunchy joints, anyone? So when I went to see the orthopedic doctor for my follow up knee appointment, I mentioned it to her.

Me: So I was told that I should get my vitamin D level checked.

DR: I was just reading an article on that last night! And my daughter, who's your age (gee, thanks for throwing my age in) had hers checked and she was significantly low. If it's low you have to take 50,000 mg a week for eight weeks and then 1000 mg a week after that, plus 1000mg of calcium.

Me: For real? Dude, that sounds like a lot. Can't I just drink milk or something?

DR: No, because the problem is that your body probably isn't absorbing it the way it should either.

Me: So I have Rickets?

DR: They did use Rickets as the example in the article, in the slide illustration.

Me: My mom used to tell me when I was little that I had to go play outside in the sun or I'd get Rickets.

DR: She was right.

Me: Um. No. I think she just wanted to get rid of me and my creepy imaginary friend for awhile.

DR:*crickets chirping*

Me: And now I have Rickets anyway so fat lot of good that did. At least the imaginary friend is gone right? I hope he didn't get Rickets.

DR: Okay, so I think we're done here.


Earlier this week the nurse from the Doctor's office called to report that I was indeed vitamin D deficient. They gave me samples of the Vitamin D and I have to take 10,000 mg a day Monday through Friday to make 50,000 mg per week for 8 weeks. Then it lowers to 1000 a day. Of course, I looked the whole thing up online, because enquiring minds want to know. This is the best article I found on the subject. I guess what floored me the most was learning that the sunscreen I use is totally blocking my Vitamin D absorption. So even though I spent hours outside by the ocean or lake or mowing the lawn, I'm getting zero benefit in the vitamin D department. The hell?! Now I can't even yell at my mom for not putting sunscreen on me when I was four and letting me get that horrible sunburn on my shoulders. Turns out she was doing me a favor.

It also amazes me that Vitamin D deficiency is directly linked to Fibromyalgia, a disease that I've been diagnosed with. So I'm pretty excited about what kind of effect increasing my Vitamin D may have on my physical well-being. I'm not convinced it's a miracle cure or anything, but even feeling a bit better helps. So I would urge all of you to think about asking for this test at your next check-up. I know I will be urging my family to get it done.

And that's it from me. I have scaring to do and the last weekend of a conference to attend. Hope y'all have a great weekend!
♥Spot

The one where my week pretty much blows...

So I'm pretty sure the Universe is laughing at me. Because the theme song of my week seems to be a frustrated "AAaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhh". Things are not going according to plan. Who am I kidding? Things are screwed up this week. Sunday was the last good day. Bobby graduated, we all went to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, and Mike, Sean & I watched a movie and I went to bed early. Monday, Sean and I went to town to check out enrolling him in the local community college. I'm still waiting on them to call and tell me what all hoops we have to jump through to get him enrolled due to the homeschooling and the fact that he finished up a year early. Tuesday I had a whopper migraine. I don't get them very often anymore but this one was a doozy. I stayed medicated all day, much to Sean's amusement. About 5 o'clock, I'm lying on the couch in the family room watching a movie on Lifetime Movie Network (no wisecracks, it was a scary movie) and Sean come in and asks~

Sean: what's for dinner?

Me: I don't know. I texted your sister to see if she'd pick something up, but I haven't heard back.

Sean: well hopefully you'll catch her before she gets home.

Me: No it might be better if she comes home first.

Sean: and then has to drive all the way back? Really?

Me: I have no idea what I just said.

Sean: well you said she should come back here first, but maybe you meant she should stop there first?

Me: I don't think so. I think I meant for her to come here first, but I don't know why?

Sean: you're so stoned. You should probably just stop trying to talk.

We did indeed get food and I went to bed early, after not talking much. Also on Tuesday, I emailed a client and told him that I thought our work together was at an end, because I wasn't happy with what I was doing for him. I expected him to be angry. Nope, he agreed and came back with an offer for a bigger project. It was surreal. I could use the money, but it really detracts from the fiction writing time. My husband is urging me to go for the fiction, considering it's what I really really want to do. But it's hard to pass on an interesting project and the money it would bring in. (OH MY HELL!! Did I really just say something that sounded all grown up and responsible??!)

Wednesday, I was headache free. I talked to Kathryn on the phone, finished emails, read some blogs and then the kids convinced me to play hooky and go to the lake with them. It was gorgeous. I didn't feel like swimming, just laying lazily on the dock. (It had a lot to do with the fact that due to the heavy rains, the lake is kind of muddy and gross and reminded me of Shrek's pond). We discussed how scary jumping into the lake is the first time every summer when no one has been it for awhile. There are some ginormous grass carp in that lake, every bit of 6 feet in length. There are multitudes of other fish and snakes and other critters. Lu said she really was a little scared when she'd gone swimming with Luke the day before. (On a side note, it probably doesn't help that when we first moved out here I told them the story of Stephen Kings story "The Raft". And I told it while sitting on the dock out in the lake. I then jumped in and left them there for a few minutes. Mom of the Year award, right??!)

But they jumped in and swam out to the dock anyway. Lu asked if she was drowning would I get in and save her. I told her no. But of course, I would. Then they jumped off the dock a couple of times. Then Lu was laying on the dock, Sean was swimming, and I was laying on the dock by the beach. Suddenly Sean says~

Sean- Oh holy crap! I just realized that this is a setting for a horror movie. Lu on one dock, you on the other and me swimming in between. The next thing that happens is I get eaten by something! *he climbs swiftly up the ladder to join Lu*

Lu~ Yeah, and mom would run to the truck and leave me.

Me~ duh. I'm not getting eaten, and you still have the long swim to shore.

This week has somehow sapped my mojo. I haven't really gotten much written, including blog posts and comments. I find I'm filled with self doubt every time I sit down to write. I look over things and think "crap. this sucks. a middle schooler could have written this." And it just makes the task seem that much more daunting. I was having a moment of doubt yesterday and asked my husband~

Me: What if I CANT finish the novel??

Hubby: Then I'll beat you.

He said it with a serious look on his face. I convulsed in giggles. No indulgent "of course you can, honey" from him. You have to know him to realize how out of character what he said was, but seriously I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. It was exactly what I needed.

Today he called while driving to another city to pick up some stuff for camp.

Hubby: How are you feeling today?

Me: Like crap. I have a tummy ache and I think I might hurl.

Hubby: That's no good.

Me: No. I think I got it from Luke. He's been complaining of a tummy ache for a couple of days. He's like freakin typhoid Mary. I swear every time he comes down with something I end up getting it too even though I rarely come within 3 feet of the boy.

Hubby: Maybe you're just not used to his cooties.

Me: or maybe he gives them to Lu and she doesn't get sick but passes them on to me, like "haha. this will screw with mom"

Hubby: yes, I'm quite sure that's exactly what she thinks.

Me: I know right?! It's a plot. How's your day?

Hubby: Stressful. It's going to be a miracle if I pull off everything I need to pull off this weekend.

Me: I have faith. You can do it.

Hubby: well that's one of us I guess.

Me: besides, if you don't, I'll beat you.

Hubby: Wow, it sounds even funnier when you say it! *Laughing*

Me: Whatever. Don't even play like you're not scared. I'm fierce.

Hubby: You're so cute when you're fired up.

Me: I'm cute all the time!


So from now on, I'm going to focus on fiction writing. I have a publisher who is waiting to look at the novel as soon as it is done. I set a tentative date for the end of August, because I work best with deadlines. Tina from
The Clean White Page and I both sent story submissions to a magazine this week. And we're both working on storys for a contest next month. I have loved Coyote Con. I'm sorry to see it end this weekend. But I have plans to attend
CONtext the end of August in Ohio. Some of the really fabulous people I met through Coyote Con will be there, and the writing workshops look awesome.

I also want to focus on the blog, because I love this blog. I love the friends I've made and their support. I also love having this record for the kids. And writing the funny day to day stuff is different than writing things to scare you. So hopefully the blogging will return to a more regular schedule. Oh, and I sure hope Heather notices how I took her advice and put my awards on a separate page!! =]

Also, I've enjoyed reading all of Suzicate's poems. She is a fabulously talented poet, and if you haven't read them, you should. It has made me miss writing poetry as well. I used to write a lot of it. So I think I may be either adding a page or a blog for poetry. Just for fun.

And...(my gosh Spot, aren't you done YET??) I put up a new movie review at What Spot Saw.

Happy Thursday y'all,
♥Spot

And the culprit was...

So yesterday? Not my best day. Couldn't figure out the funk. Couldn't figure out why I kept bursting into tears over nothing. Couldn't blame hormones, wrong week. My family? Not really behaving any worse than usual. The weather? Yucky, but hell, I like rain. So I did what I said I was going to do. I shut off the computer. Made my bed, took a shower, got a sandwich and a soda and settled on my couch. I texted Hildi because I knew she'd cheer me up or at least agree with me that life just doesn't live up to your expectations some days. Then I watched some twilight zone. And then I feel asleep. When I woke up, I figured it out. Fever and a sore throat and a headache. Me coming down with something = blue funk. Me with a fever = tears.

As I've said before, I have a wacked out weird body and fibromyalgia. Both my sister and I have normally low body temperatures. So by the time I have what the doctors consider a fever (100+), I've feeling the effects of a higher fever. And for some reason, they always make me cry. Hildi and Lu are the same way. So I took some ibuprofen and curled back up on the couch and watched a totally ridiculous movie on Lifetime about this little girl who was reincarnated from a murder victim. The idea was actually good, the acting, plot, dialogue, not so much. Then Sean came in and said he had a really bad headache and his arm rash itched. I blamed my illness on him. He felt so bad for me that he made his own lunch. (I know! Shocking, right?!)

Hubby stuck his head in the door and checked on me. Then he actually brought clothes up from the dryer (of course, he didn't fold or put away, but I can't ask for miracles), put the ones from the washer in the dryer, and started a load with the muddy clothes he'd just taken off. Will wonders never cease???! Maybe I should cry more often?! After the movie, I got up and made supper. Sean had actually asked for fish sticks, box mac-n-cheese & peas. I know. I'm still scratching my head over that one too. But both my children told me last grocery list that they missed the foods from their younger years (fish sticks, pigs-n-blankets, chicken nuggets). I stared at them. I cook from scratch nearly every night and these are the things they want?? So every so often I've been working a "young & poor" meal into the menu. Weirdos.

After watching a movie on TV with the fam, I headed off to my room. Got on my pj's and settled onto my bed with the files of my fiction work from my file cabinet. I wanted to see how many completed stories I had, how many needed editing, how many were ready for submission. I ended up reading my old rejection letters. (Yes, I kept them. Apparently I'm a masochist. Who knew??) But as I read through them, and out loud to Sean, who'd come into my room to talk, I realized they weren't totally rejection slips. Many of them had said I had talent and even though they couldn't use that story to keep submitting. One editor even took the time to edit the first half of a story and show me my mistakes. And tell me to resubmit after corrections. Unfortunately, the editor had a death in the family and the anthology never got published. But I was this close. And it renewed my ambition.

Then Sean left and I started watching a really bad movie on the Chiller channel. But Lu's hippie had arrived, along with a friend of his (and ours) and they plus Lu piled into the room. (Are we beginning to see how Spot has no privacy? I mean these kids are in my bedroom.) We all talked for about an hour until hubby came in and announced he was going to sleep and kicked them out.

Today, I still have a stupid sore throat. And a headache. But I'm keeping the fever at bay so no tears. And I feel better, indeed. Mentally anyway. Which is the most important part. I'm psyched again about my writing. And life is good...

Have a fantastic Saturday,
♥Spot

Veteran's Day and How I Scare Myself...

First, Happy Veteran's Day. I'm not a veteran but my daddy is so I'm going to bask in his glory today. I also know lots of people currently in the service. Probably alot more then most people who don't live on a military base. Mostly because of Boy Scouts. It seems to me that an inordinate amount of Boy Scouts end up joining the service. Maybe it's because they already know how to wear uniforms and do what they're told. Maybe it's because there's not a whole lot else to do around here. Strangely enough, and this really weirds me out...my daughter's first ever boyfriend is a Marine now. And he just came back from Iraq in August. So technically, he's a veteran. It's probably just me, but since I've known him since he was like fifteen, that totally seems soooo strange to me. He called her like two days after he'd gotten to Iraq and we just happened to be in the ER because her platelets had dropped really low again and when he found out she was in the ER he's all "don't you die on me" and she's all "NO! Don't you die on me!" and then started crying. And the nurse and I even teared up. It was crazy. And no, they weren't still dating. But they've stayed really close over the years. Anyway, thank you to everyone who is in or has been in the service. Even if you don't support war. Support the troops. They deserve it.

Want to know something else that weirds me out? Me. Seriously, so I'm going about this whole NaNo business of writing my novel. Which you should already have guessed is horror fiction. (Because I'm scary, that's why). And some days I log on to the sight to procrastinate check out the forums and once someone had posted a question that if you are writing horror, do you ever scare yourself? And I was all that's ridiculous, I know it's made up because I made it up! But (there's always a but) the other night I was writing furiously and I didn't realize that it had gotten dark since I'd been sitting there and when I saved my work and got up form my computer, I realized that it was pitch black in my house. I went to flick the family room light on and it burnt out (pop!). So I'm creeping down the hall, a little bit on edge and one of the cats jumps at me from the shadows. Yep, I nearly wet myself. I did give a little scream. You'd think that would have taught me, huh? Well you'd think wrong. Last night, the guys were all away from home and I sit down at the computer and as I'm writing a dream my character is having, I realize I'm totally creeping myself out. I know all I have to do is look behind me to see the light, but I'm too afraid to do it!! Hopefully, this means my writing is good. And not just that I'm the worlds biggest fraidy cat. Because that would suck.

I'm 10,111 words into the novel. I'm way behind on where my word count should be for NaNo. But it's the longest piece I've ever written. I'm so proud of myself. Not as proud as I will be when it's finished. But pretty freakin proud. And I think it's coming along well. Loads of editing to do, but I think I'll at least get the basic storyline down this month. It's careened into much darker territory than I had originally planned, but that's good for a horror story I think.

Thanks to all of you who have encouraged and continue to support my efforts. I'm lucky, my family has really gotten behind me on this one. As have my friends. And my blog friends. Last night on facebook, I posted a status that read "I am the Queen of Procrastination Land". My friend commented "Yes. You are. Now go write!"

♥Spot

One of these days...

I'm going to convince my family that this is my work. Yes, thanks for pointing out that it would be easier if I was actually making money at it. But, I have to devote the time, perfect my craft, and work up a fan base to even start making money. And to do that I have to have more of that precious commodity called "time". Time in which I'm left alone, at my computer with the door closed. This seems to be nearly impossible. If my youngest son is not poking his head in to inform me that he's hungry and ask what I'm making him to eat, my husband is poking his head in "just to check on you", or a cat is scratching at the door (or more often, walking on my keyboard), or a friend is calling. Why is carving out time to devote to something I love so difficult? And if they aren't bugging me, it's usually because I've snapped and fussed at them all. Then I feel massively guilty and keep thinking about the times when I'm missing them. Even now, I've just booted everyone out of the room and I'm writing this but at the back of my mind is the knowledge that the guys just got home from work and I need to get some supper started. How do successful writers do this? How do you balance it all? I would love to disappear in here and write for hours on end, only emerging to use the restroom and eat, but the guilt would swamp me...

Oh well, maybe being a successful writer isn't really in my future. It's not like I haven't done anything worthwhile with my life. I'm pretty proud of my kids and how they turned (continue to turn) out. Maybe successful mother is enough. *sigh* I wish it paid better...

wistfully,
♥Spot