Demons & Angels &...PEGACORNS?!

Geek Wednesday - Number 1

2011-08-17T06:00:00.002-06:00

I was talking to a new friend the other day and we stumbled upon my inability to do general math in my head because in the first grade, I assigned personalities to numbers. Now, I assigned the personalities based on their numeric relationships, but as I was telling him about my number personalities, he pointed out that I could use this for character development and people watching.

So, we're going to start with the number 1.

I defined the number 1 as the party animal. As I got older, Number 1 because the Party Slut because she was cheap and easy. LOL! As I became more mature (yes, it was a long, hard process) I lost the Party Slut slogan for Number 1, and redifined it a bit.

People who are a Number 1 are easy to get along with on the outside. They're the party minglers. They have a great smile, are generally pretty people - not always physically pretty,but they're pretty on the inside enough that it shines through - and people tend to be drawn to them.

However, Number 1's don't have a lot of long-term friends. Because they have friends in such quantities, they sometimes lack friends in great quality. The friendships are generally shallow and barely scratch the surface.

I've noticed that the people who are started as 1's mature into other numbers, like a 12, which is a 1 and a 2. We'll get into the 2 definition later, but it's when they reach this maturity that they have friends who last longer and put with more stuff...like, oh, I don't know, LIFE.

So, I hope you enjoyed. This isn't new. There's all kinds of studies on this, but this is Frankie's Numerology.

This blog is moving!

2011-08-15T16:59:00.002-06:00

I'm moving! Please update your links!

http://www.smblooding.com/

Re-Defining A Character - Rune

2011-08-15T11:56:00.000-06:00

Sometimes when you're working on a book, you're revisions will make a character look different. It's all about perception, so if you're changing the outlook of a scene, you could inadvertently change the how a character is perceived.

I had that issue with Rune in my YA series, Tempest. I introduced Kes earlier into the story, which really helped push the plotline and I'm really hoping that by the time we get to the last book, that at least some of the characters will survive this time. However, when he was introduced, the perception of Rune changed and he looked weaker and, well, just less.

This is concerning to me because I know Rune. I may give him a hard time for having his eyes set on Ri and I have a tendency to be a little too overprotective of her, but at the same time, he's a good kid.

The other issue I have is that I'm telling the story from Ri's first person POV. So it's not like I can do him justice and just give him his own scene. I could. Several authors have done this. Stephanie Meyers did it in the Twilight Saga, but when she did it, it drove me nuts. I've also seen Eisley Jacobs do it in Born to Be A Dragon, and I really liked it when she did it. So, if I did it well, it could work.

The only thing is, he's a secondary character and doesn't really need that much attention on him. However, I need to change Ri's perception of him.

So how do I do that?

Currently, he's easy to push off into the background for Ri. She's just ignoring him, which means that the reader is ignoring him.
He also appears to be too moody because Ri doesn't care enough to ask him what's going on?
And compared to Kes, he appears weak. Well, Kes is the "most powerful creature" in his dimension and he's 1,1013 years old, but still. Rune is a phoenix. He's pretty bad ass.

Well, those are the problems I have. How am I getting those perceptions?

I have to bring Rune into the front a little more. He's a bull-headed boy, but he tends to keep to himself.

He's very comfortable with non-verbals, not so much with the actual talking. Which means I might have been ignoring him. Non-verbal dialogue or dialogue participation is just as important as the verbal. But it's easy to ignore or just miss.
Kes has gotten most of the focus because he tends to have the plot information. But Rune's not stupid and he has information, just not as direct as Kes'. I may need to tweak my plot line focus just a smidge so that Rune is a little more proactive.

People appear moody because we don't get the get the opportunity to comprehend their mood flow. Moody people often appear emotionally immature, and usually they are. As a teenage boy, Rune is going to appear more emotionally immature than a 1,013 year old pegacorn. It's just going to happen. However, it might help if Ri got to obtain a deeper level of emotional understanding into Rune's character because he's a lot more mature than he currently appears.

The first time through, I had Rune take Ri to his mom and she got to see him with all of his family. This time through, his family kinda takes over Ri's house for the Holiday. It's not the same scene and there's so much other stuff going on that we completely miss this.
Rune's character arc is actually a turning plot point, but unfortunately, this has been pushed back. So I might need to bring in a scene that brings back the elements that were lost.

In the previous version, Rune and I didn't really play up the power of the phoenix just because he's kinda shy about it. Think Clark Kent. He uses his abilities only when he needs to, but always hides it.

It might be time to really play out the strengths of his abilities. He's a powerful phoenix.
Seriously, in comparison, Kes is just a really old horse. LOL!

*nodding and smiling* Yes. I think this could work out very well.

All right, well thanks for sitting through this with me. I hope that maybe my ramblings helped you out. I'm pretty sure it helped me!

What do you do when you get stuck with your characters?

Interview: Denise Grover Swank

2011-08-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

Earlier this week, I posted a review of Ms. Swank's book, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes.

Denise is a single mom who lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri raising five of her six kids. (The oldest has gone off to live on his own.) She loves to embarrass her children whether it be spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen or making her teens’ friends think she’s funny/cool. *gasp* (Even if its in her own mind.) On rare occasions, she is known to post stories about her crazy life on her family blog There’s Always Room for One More.
She keeps her sanity by creating worlds to escape to and characters to hang out with.

Okay, I just finished Twenty-Eight and A Half Wishes and the only bad thing I can find is the title of the book. LOL! When I went onto Amazon to find you, I typed in 28 1/2 Wishes and it couldn't find you. I became a bit panicked!

I'm seeing that a lot of people asked you how you came up with the idea for this book. You can find those interviews here and here. Seriously?! LMAO! Wow! Like, literally, I think you and I might speak the same language. It's awesome. So that's what sparked the plot. I want to know how you found these characters.
They really just came off the page as being so REAL! Momma, especially, hit really close to home for me. Rose with her new-found love of life hit pretty close too. I kinda wish I'd done what she did. I think a lot of people could learn to grow like Rose did--just pull yourself up from your bootstraps and write a list of wants. *nods* Heck! I might even do that now! Why not?

How did you come up with your characters? Were there some real-life experience in there? I know you were pulling on mine. LOL!

Strangely enough, Rose started as a "laundry list" so to speak. I'd just finished writing an edgy paranormal thriller and the female protagonist was hard and cynical. I loved writing her but I decided that Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes would be a lighter book and more humorous. That meant that Rose had to be less intense that Emma (my previous character.) So I knew right away she worked at the DMV, which was actually the very first piece of the story to fall into place. And I wanted her to have visions because Emma's son in my paranormal thriller, CHOSEN, had visions that turned their lives upside down. I thought it would be fun to take the vision s and make them mundane and annoying. Until Rose sees herself dead anyway. I wanted Rose to be innocent and inexperienced in life, a sharp contrast to Emma, and one way I saw to explain how a twenty-four year old could be innocent and virginal was to have her live her life trying to please her overbearing mother. Once those final pieces clicked into place, Rose sprang to life in my head.

I wrote Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes in thirty days and I could barely keep up with her. The story is written in first person and Rose was eager to share her story.

Violet was easy. I knew Rose had a sister who was older and I thought about my younger brothers and how I would have reacted if my mother had been abusive to them. But Rose depended on Violet so much when they were little that Violet let her mothering carry over into adulthood. Violet loves Rose to death but has trouble letting go.

I wanted Rose and Violet's relationship to be real and not cookie cutter perfect. They both have flaws and people make mistakes under the best of intentions. I'm a firm believer in there's two sides to every story.

Joe, Rose's next door neighbor was harder. He was just as much a mystery to me as he was to Rose until a little over halfway through the first draft. I knew his position when the book ended, but honestly , I discovered his personality as Rose did. It was exciting for both of us. And a little bit frightening for me. LOL

Momma would have been so easy to make two dimensional but I'm also a firm believer that there's usually an underlying reason why people act the way they do. It doesn't make their behavior acceptable, but its easier when you understand why. I don't think Momma's behavior is justifiable but I hope she becomes more sympathetic as the reader learns more about her.

Wooooow! *chuckle* Seriously?! Sweetie, you hit SO close to home and you pulled it all out of your head because you wanted characters who weren't like some of your previous ones? Wow! That's amazing!

I have to ask. Are you very social? You seem to have a very good feel of people, like you look them in the eye, and you're able to glean their life history. I, personally, people watch - though I haven't had time to do that lately! And I like to strike up conversations with complete strangers. But I tend not to allow too many people to get too close.

Yes, I'm pretty social. Stick me in a party and I can usually work the room. ;) I've spent time studying people. How they behave gleaning out WHY they do what they do. Everyone has a reason for everything thing they do. Especially the bad things. It doesn't make what they do right, but it helps to understand why. At least for me.

I also tend to not let people very close. I have no long term, life-long friends. I worry about myself because of this. I'm trying harder at it.

I’m finally letting people in, but it’s a slow process. Luckily, I have a few fantastically great people to do that with. I feel very lucky. But I think that's the reason I choose most of my characters from people I know fairly well. I'm not entirely for sure how I'd draw someone from a hat. Did you have to "story board" your characters? Were there any character maps? Or did you just, literally, sit down and write them?

I can't create characters from people I know but I suspect my characters have lots of pieces of people I know in them. I don't story board or character map or anything. I just sit down and write them. I usually let them brew around in my head for a bit though. Rose was weird in that regard, she just sprang to life. But my YA, TORN about an alternate universe, she lived in my head for a month and every time I tried to get into her head she blocked me out. I felt incredible pain and self-loathing. It wasn't until I just started writing that I found out who she really was. I spend LOTS of time on my first chapters getting to know the characters and the story itself.

I have Group Therapies. *smiles and nods*

You have an animal house. LOL! What kind of structure/stamina/discipline do you need to bring to the table in order to write a book in 30 days? I would say after listening to your tweets and Eisley, that you're pretty good about rules for the kidlings, but you also HAVE to have a pretty tight discipline in order to write anywhere in any kind of noise in order to write when you CAN rather then when you have the INCLING. I'd imagine you could write in a hurricane. LOL!

Summer time is tough and I wrote Twenty-Eight last July. Lots of late nights. I try to write during the day but with the kids around and now with my book out, I usually spend the days on Twitter and Facebook, dealing with emails, trying to keep up with interviews, guest blog posts., etc Although I suck at that, obviously! LOL But I do try to get a couple of hours in the afternoon where I try to make my kids leave me alone. OR if I'm close to the end of a first draft, I usually feel so driven that I live with my laptop and my headphones.

I can't write without my headphones. Even at night after the kids have gone to bed, I usually have my headphones in. LOL If i have my headphones in, I can pretty much write through anything and have. ;)

Thanks so much for these questions and caring so much about my book.

Well, thank you for stopping by and allowing me to pester you with questions. This was a real treat and the interview was fabulous!

If you’d like to learn more about Ms. Swank, you find her at:

@DeniseMSwank
http://www.deniseswank.com/
Facebook:DeniseGroverSwank

Review: Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank

2011-08-09T21:38:00.000-06:00

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes
by Denise Grover Swank

Genre: Adult Thriller/Chic Lit
*****
For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.
Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.

This book is fantastic! She had me at the first sentence. I thought it was going to be a little slow. I mean, how interesting can working at the DMV be? Right? *nods* Right. I love the fact that Ms. Swank took the exciting (Rose's visions) and made them mundane ("You're dog's going to get out of the fence."). It gave Rose a more grounded, and well-rounded character that easily leaped off the page. She's naive and her reactions are real, not great and sometimes a little embarrassing, but real. Rose is not the type of character I generally sync with, but Ms. Swank did a superb job of creating a truly 3-dimensional character.

The other characters surrounding Rose were equally well-built without wasting a lot of white-space. It didn't feel as though we paused to meet or chat with anyone, the pace moved so quickly. However, at the same time, I felt as though I had the opportunity to meet and get to know almost all of the characters in this book.

The town is truly a character in and of itself. Fabulous!

Joe was a bit of a mystery. I was a little suspicious of hi at first, and rightly so! He comes off the page as being a little too keen and a little too interested. I was beginning to doubt Ms. Swank, but then he did something and I just knew she wouldn't let me down. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but just have faith. Ms. Swank knows what she's doing and did it very well.

The biggest thing for me, though, was that the story struck a little close to home. I came from a background similar to that and I wish I'd done what Rose did; create a list of 28 1/2 wishes and see if I could make them come true. Granted, I did...and one by one, they are coming true. But, boy, wouldn't it be neat if we all did that? Wrote a list of 28 1/2 things we've never done...and then just did them. I think the world would be filled with more than just a few happier people.

Enjoy the read! It's one that once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down.

Review: Born To Be Dragon by Eisley Jacobs

2011-08-01T21:28:00.001-06:00

Middle Grade

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup...

This is what Lord Edric wants you to believe. He will do anything in his power to see that humans never come in contact with dragons again.

However, he doesn't plan for Meia, the foster child who dreams of dragons, believing they are real.

Or Deglan, the ten-year-old dragon who bears the ancient mark that threatens everything Lord Edric has worked for. Join these two unlikely friends as they discover the truth behind a legend so extraordinary it will alter each of their lives... forever.

I have so sooooo much praise for this book! First of all, I want you all to know that I wanted to call the book You Taste Good With Ketchup . Oh, yes. It was. Of course, that's because the very first line of the book is by far my favorite!

Ms. Jacobs was able to surprise me with her plot and wow me with her characters. I fell in love with them. By the time our two characters met, I was 100% vested in both of them. They're charming and courageous and exactly the kind of people I'd want as friends.

However, that's where the book goes from feel-good-with-the-pals to just-plain-wild - in a good way! After the two main characters meet, it was all I could do to hold onto my seat, flip the pages and hope to Hades I didn't have to take a potty break because I wasn't putting that book down for anything!

The visuals! OMG! The visuals were simply stunning. I literally stopped, paused, re-read and just breathed the scene in. She captured it all. Sight, smell, taste, feel, hearing. It was all there in effortlessly written scenes waiting for the casual reader to inhale. I felt like I had stepped out of my world and into a whole other realm. One where dragons are real. @_@ And if you're careful, you just might meet one.

Just remember two things:

1. You taste good with ketchup. Be ware.

2. The dragon marks are contagious! Seriously! I'm getting one! On my arm! And I wasn't the first one, either!

Just warning you. Pick it up, and give yourself a few hours because you are NOT going to want to put this book down!

The Royal Gorge

2011-07-29T06:00:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, me and my ghost hunting buddies decided to take the weekend and head down to Canon City to search for ghosts at the Prison Museum. There will be a ghost update later when I have pictures. Matt took pics of all of us. I didn't. I'll tell you why later.

But while we were down there, we decided to do some sight seeing.

The sight seeing actually started on the drive down. Ben and I carpooled, thankfully because I doubt seriously my car would get us there, and we were gibber-jabbering, we...kinda missed our exit. Of course, since I was the co-pilot, that made me the navigator, so since were lost, I was to blame. *snorting laugh* So I told him to turn around and we'd catch the exit. We were only a few miles past it, like, I don't know, 12? That sounds reasonable, right?

He decided no.

Nooooooooooo. Seriously?

We were headed down to Pueblo and he said we'd just hook up with Highway 50 down there.

Now, I've lived there before. I know what's down there. It's barren as all get out, so I was not excited about this new development. I looked at the map and began frantically searching for a short cut that would take us somewhere OTHER than Pueblo. And I found it! It was fantastic. We got to see a lot of landscape rocks, tractor dealers, dirt, cacti, and...*licking lips and glancing at ceiling* patches of green grass. Folks, if you've never been to Pueblo, Colorado, this is what it looks like.

Oh, yeah. Not what you picture when you hear the word "Colorado", is it? No. This state is very diverse and there are other places that are far more beautiful. Flat, barren, and the patches of green were around, like, one house in an entire housing development. It was fabulous.

Our real sight seeing was the Royal Gorge, though and the dinosaur museum. Oh, yes, Canon City (the prison city) has a dinosaur museum. LOL! Here's what the beautiful Royal Gorge is like.

Now, you might think that I would take pictures of myself and the wonderful people with me. No. THIS is what I took pictures of...

Can you see a theme here? Yeah. Ben and Matt were making fun of me. Other people were taking pictures of the majesty of the canyon. I was taking pictures of ridiculously old telephone poles. *nods*

But we had a fanTAStically great time!

Geeking Out - With Arabic!

2011-07-27T06:00:00.006-06:00

As some of you might know, I'm a geek and I'm okay with that. I love learning new things all the time. Most of the time, I geek out to science and math because that is just fabulous fun. However, after meeting SistaPITA's bf who speaks multiple languages, one of which is Arabic, I decided it would be fun to geek out in history and language.

After learning more of the Arabic history, I decided to write a story with a main character (Synn in The Hands of Tarot) who was from one of the Arabic nations. However, I immediately ran into a stumbling block.

I don't know how he speaks.

I needed to learn his language. Learning his nation's history was just not enough. I needed to know how he structured his sentences, needed to hear which letter-sounds he didn't say, and which ones he over-enunciated. I knew that the Arabic language was different, but I didn't realize just HOW different - and wickedly COOL - it was.

They don't have vowels.

*startled chuckle* Yeah. When I picked up my book Arabic for Dummies (If there'd been an Arabic for Idiots, I would've chosen that one), and read that, I nearly stopped right there. I didn't realize I was picking up Russian. LOL!

However, when they say they don't have vowels, they're just saying they don't LETTERS that represent vowels. They have dots and lines that represent vowels. Wow! It's a GORGEOUS written language, absolutely beautiful, and the only thing I've learned how to say - *closes eyes and shakes head in shame* - really, really horribly is this:

ahlan wa sahlan (ahel-an wah sahel-len) which is short for Hi! LOL!!!

EEEEEEKKKKK!!! Awesome!

More later!

Review: Slave to Sensation - Nalini Singh

2011-07-26T06:00:00.024-06:00

Slave to Sensation
Nalini Singh

4-1/2 Stars
Recommended: For Mature Audiences

Sascha Duncan has always hidden her inner core as she knows she is a broken Psy and would be sent for rehabilitation if this were discovered. Treated as a cardinal due to her mother's high position on the Council, Sascha is placed in charge of a joint business venture between the Psy and the DarkRiver leopards- the first joint venture between the Psy and changelings.

Lucas Hunter is DarkRiver's Alpha and he has a secret agenda. A Psy serial killer is stalking changeling women and one of his pack lost his sister to this vicious killer. Lucas' plan is to infiltrate the PsyNet through Sascha to obtain the killer's identity but he never expects to find a Psy who feels emotions. War is about to break out between changeling and Psy as the changelings believe the Psy are protecting a killer. Sascha and Lucas will have to learn to work together quickly as one of the SnowDancer's women has been kidnapped by the psychopathic Psy and her time is running out.

Okay. I have to say that for awhile, I've been judging this book by the cover. I thought to myself, "I'm really not in the mood for another schmutt book." However, I decided to go ahead and download it to my Kindle (LOOOOOOVE my Kindle!) and try it out.

WOW!!!!! Wow! Wow! Wow!

Okay, so yes. There is schmutt and it's great schmutt! So, if you're one of my younger viewers, please understand that I am not recommending this book to you. I love you, but no.

However, if you're one of my older, more mature viewers - READ THIS BOOK!

LOL!!

Okay, so just to let you know how utterly captivating this book was, I inhaled it in a day. And then I went to the Kindle store and purchased the next two books and THEN, after reading book 2 -which will be reviewed later - I hopped onto Amazon and bought the rest of the series. One of the reasons I fell off the radar was because Nalini Singh ABDUCTED me through her books!

She did a fanTASTic job of capturing her characters. I honestly was a little turned off by the whole idea of Psy. I was like, "How am I going to connect to someone who has no emotions?" BUT! Ms. Singh took that, owned it, and then stomped allllll over it!

And, can I just say for the record, that I NEED a Lucas. *heavenly sigh that I'm seriously hoping Ri isn't watching* Lucas is fantastic. Okay, yes, he's hot. Hellloooooooo, he's in my head now! I can make him look like whatEVER I want, and just let me tell you, I made incredible! However, Ms. Singh gave him such wonderful depth of character that I could actually sync with him. He had great--you know, I want to say "motive", but that's not the right word. He acted on the right reasons. His actions weren't always the right ones to take, but that's what it made his character so wonderful for me. He wasn't perfect. He didn't always know what to do. He came off the page as real.

It took me a bit to sync with Sascha, but only because her Psy-ness was a little alien to me. Once I figured her out, I loved her. LOVED her. Was she my favorite heroine in the series? No, but that's because Ms. Singh has a few really great characters to choose from.

So! It's a great series. It's not your average romance. There are some steamy scenes, so this is NOT recommended for my younger audience. However, this is a great book about characters who come across as being real.

GREAT job, Ms. Singh. Well done!

Talking Boys!

2011-07-23T11:50:00.000-06:00

This conversation has been going on in the background of my head for...oh, I don't know, awhile. Ri and I put it on cyber-paper officially at Ra-Ra's blog last week and we're still working it through. Basically, Ri is 15 years old and ready to date seriously and I - as a mother of a soon-to-be 14-year-old am NOT prepared to think about that.

Now, I KNOW I'm going to have to get over it. I do. Seriously. However, in my head, Ri still needs protecting. I mean, her mother is a character in my brain pan (or a nut as I accidentally said on camera that you can see here). Some people have told me to remember what it was like when I was that age.

@_@

I do. My nose was stuck in a book all the time. Now, granted, there's the time I stole SistaPITA's boyfriend, but I dumped him as soon as he kissed me with CHEW in his mouth. That was gross! Tho, SistaPITA still won't let me forget that I stole him. *snorting laugh* Honestly, she was the one who was boy crazy. I didn't know what to do with them!

Ri: Great. Well, neither do I.

Frankie: Don't ask me for any help! It's not coming.

Ri: You are soooo like my mother!

Frankie: Go figure! I drafted her character off of me!

Ri: *growl* That explains a lot.

As you can see, Ri and I are not getting along very well right now. Seriously! It's a constant battle inside my head!

Frankie: Sweetie, please don't do that.

Ri: *sigh* I'm just so frustrated. I don't know what to do and you keep stopping me from doing what I really want to do!

Frankie: I just--*smashes lips together* I don't want to see you go too far. You can easily talk yourself into going to a point that's too far.

Ri: Are you having The Talk with me?

Frankie: No. Your mother did that and it was awkward to watch. No. Um, no. I just--I know that it's easy to...oh, I don't know, uh, feel things out and then the mood just carries you away and before you know it, there's that line that you shouldn't step over and you've not only stepped over it, you've plowed through it. There's touching and feeling and kissing and--

Ri: Ewing? Maybe some mild throwing up? Yeah. I'm seeing that.

Frankie: You say that now, but trust me when I say that you'll get past the "mild throwing up" part and you'll be into the dangerous "holy wow! Did I just become a woman?????" part. It's a slippery slope.

Ri: *pushes hair out of eyes* Would you just trust me? I'm not going to do anything dangerous, or socially unacceptable.

Frankie: You know I don't give two rips about social acceptance. What I care about is you...not making a decision that you can't go back from.

Ri: *clawed hands of rage* I wish you'd just trust me. *storms off*

@_@ You see? I'm REMEMBERing what it was like when I discovered boys. *nods emphatically* And she's discovering them sooner than I did! Someone! Help me!!!!!!

Or help Ri!

Or-or-or--I don't know! Help the BOOK! GAH!

A Day in the Life of Ri

2011-07-20T13:38:00.002-06:00

Hey, guys! Guess what? You get to hang out with me for about fifteen minutes because Frankie completely forgot that hobbling on crutches takes forEVER and heating up lunch is now a major accomplishment. *eye roll* Whatever. So, anyway, we're now a little late and we have...GAH! 13 MINUTES! to show you what a day in my life is like.

High. School. Hell.

And today it IS!

Do you see that girl over there? I finally figured out her name. She's Morabeth and she hates me. Do you see the gap in her teeth? Yeah, she lost it to a fist last year. I soooooo wish I could have seen that, but I totally missed it. Anyway, apparently she's decided that I dissed her or something in class this morning? I have no clue. Anyway, she's now stalking me with her missing tooth, gummy-cheeked glare. She's big, people, like seriously big.

*points finger at audience* And don't think I'm a sissy, either. I'm not. Really. I'd take her on, but there are...consequences... *nods emphatically* ...to my actions. What would happen if I really did decide to take her out. *ninja pose, snake strike* Hi-yah! Take that! And then she'd be on the floor and there'd be drool and possibly blood and then there'd be suspension.

And then Mom would be pissed! She might seriously suck on the super hero front - like totally! - but she's freaky when she's upset.

*peers into the very crowded hallway and all the passing kids* Okay, let's go. I think we're clear.

*rolls eyes as enter the throng of kids heading everywhere* Rune and I kinda had another fight. I don't know what's going on with him. He just seems so dang sensitive about everything all of a sudden. His family was attacked two weeks ago and since then he's just been on edge. I've tried to be there for him and everything, but...

When is it alright to just step away and give a person some space? You know? I mean, he obviously doesn't want me to be around him right now. Otherwise, he wouldn't be trying to BITE MY HEAD OFF every time I come around. I tried doing a "special lunch hour" thing, picnic out on the football field and he just totally blew me off.

*stops and stares into audience* Am I a bad person for not wanting to be around him right now? He's great. He's sweet. He's a fantastic guy. He's just....

...being such a *looks around and whispers emphatically* ASS!

*sighs and walks into class* I have to go be bored to death in History. Catch ya'll later.

Unveiling Demon's Cover

2011-07-08T12:20:00.004-06:00

Wow! What an interesting journey! But Demons has a cover!

It's also available for pre-order at TLT's Bookstore!

Holy COW! I'm so excited! Have a super, AWESOME day, guys!

My 4th of July!

2011-07-04T16:07:00.000-06:00

Usually, on the 4th of July weekend, I go somewhere out of the place where there aren't a lot of people and I watch/listen to the fireworks from a distance.

This year, @QueenCalisto talked me into joining her in Edgewater for a In-Your-Face fireworks display.

It. Was. Awesome.

But it was more than just the fireworks. It was the fact that it felt like I was a part of something, which I think is something that we've lost a lot of in the Age of Technology.

Yes, there was traffic and, yes, there were tons of people and, yes, the lines to the porta-johns were forEVER long.

But I was also a part of a large group of people singing at the top of our lungs to We Will Rock You. LOL! And was also one of many screaming my freakin' lungs out at the fabulousness of the fireworks display. And was one among thousands gathered together to celebrate our freedom.

*grin* It was absolutely fantastic! AND it's going to make it into a book. It was just too awesome not to.

When You're Not...Writing Exactly

2011-06-22T13:08:00.000-06:00

I always disappear for a few weeks to a few months every year. I try to tell myself not to, but it always seems to happen anyway. I'm one of those people that burn hot and fast and then periodically, I just burn out.

But that's not say *crying big aligator tears* that I'll never write again. Ooooohhhh no! NOR does it mean that I'm feeling sorry for msyelf. Um. No. I have absolutely no reason for that. I've just pushed really hard for a long time and need my break.

o_O....soooooooooooooo, what am I going to do to get myself refreshed?

*rubs hands together with evil laugh*

THIS is the time I use to do the FUN stuff that's not...really writing. If you've been around authors enough, they usually go through this. So! I'm going to do the following things:

Get my computer fixed *smart nod* cause that's a gooooood idea!
Crochet some more Barbie dresses (I tried to say NO this year, but you should have seen the sad faces!)
Research monsters!
Work on the guitar and the piano/keyboard
Research the Latin language....
Work on my Tarot reading skills
Research mythological creatures. *happy growling*
Do some more paranormal investigations! (I'm on a TEAM!!!!!!! *giggle* Oh, yeah! It's AWESOME!)
RESEARCH...STUFF! *leaping fist bump*
Read! (which reminds me, when I get my computer back, I have a BUNCH of reviews to post)
...reasearch...more stuff...like history stuff *grin*
Spend some time in the sun. Oohhhh, yeah!
o_O ... Research some technology stuff and some more theorums cause, while that's fun, it's a little dry and can tend to just shrivel the brain cells. Have to take that one in chunks. Hugely AWESOME stuff though.
Garden. *wild giggle*
Re...search...some mystical...stuff
Finishing a couple of storyboards

*nods* Yeah. That's what I'm going to be doing. It's going to be fun! I'm excited!

And I completely see that I'm boring...as all get out. LOL! I keep myself entertained. That's all that matters, right?

Tempest Excerpt: Favorite Scene

2011-06-07T21:27:00.002-06:00

Please go to our Wicked Writers Blog to read my favorite scene from Tempest. Somehow, the format's working better over there.

o_O Dang, Blogger. I vow to conquer you!

@_@

Demons Update

2011-06-01T07:24:00.000-06:00

It's been a little while, so I thought it might be a good idea to give everyone an update!

We will soon have a COVER!!! I'm very excited! It's a great looking cover (totally creepy LOL!) They're working on getting the title on there. *excited giggle* It's Just AWESOME! George did a really great job with it. I can't wait to show you!

I've sent in the first set of edits and we're working on final edits before it goes into copy edits. There might still be some minor re-tweaking, but for the most part, this book is pretty much ready!

I'm gathering everything to re-work my website. I'm really happy that @EisleyJacobs is going to be help me on that part. I'd be hooped otherwise. She's awesome! I can't wait to see what she can do with it.

And...other than that, I've been working on Tempest. I would like to get this book ready by September for RMFW, and I'm going to sit down and do a HARD READ of Angels because TLT wants to see that one this summer for the 2012 release! EEEKKKK!!! I'm so very excited! This is awesome!

Review: The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki

2011-05-29T06:00:00.004-06:00

What if the monsters from your favorite horror books were real?

Eddie Fennicks has always been a loner, content to lose himself in a mystery novel by his favorite author, Nathaniel Olmstead. That's why moving to the small town of Gatesweed becomes a dream come true when Eddie discovers that Olmstead lived there before mysteriously disappearing thirteen years ago. Even better, Eddie finds a handwritten, never-before-seen Nathaniel Olmstead book printed in code and befriends Harris, who's as much an Olmsteady as he is. But then the frightening creatures of Olmstead's books begin to show up in real life, and Eddie's dream turns into a nightmare.

Eddie, Harris, and their new friend, Maggie, must break Olmstead's code, banish all gremlins and monster lake-dogs from the town of Gatesweed, and solve the mystery of the missing author, all before Eddie's mom finishes writing her own tale of terror and brings to life the scariest creature of all.

When Miss Sunshine told me about this book, she was so, so, SO excited! She loves books, but doesn't necessarily love to READ. When she said she'd not only read this book once, but TWICE, I knew I had to try it.

I will say that it took me awhile to get into the story. A lot of that was me. It was a very crazy time - still is for that matter - and I just couldn't get my brain to TURN OFF. However, the more I read, the more I got into the book. And then, it was as though I was QUITE LITERALLY sucked into it. LOL!

After finally deciding to shut off my brain, turn off the Voice of Bossman, and just READ, I was swept away! The plot was very well paced. The character arc was well done, and the creepy factor was excellent.

I can see why she loved the book. Mr. Poblocki did a superb job of writing *wide blue eyes* "creepy horror that's super creepy, Mom!"

And, in the words of Miss Sunshine, "You totally HAVE to read NightMarys" because it LOOKS even creepier (in an extraordinarily cool way) and Miss Sunshine, who's read the book, whole-heartedly agrees!

Review: Reaper by Rachel Vincent

2011-05-28T09:31:00.001-06:00

Tod Hudson was a typical teenager. He liked girls, sports, food and tolerated his younger brother, Nash. In fact, he had his whole life in front of him--and due to his bean sidhe heritage, it was going to be a very long life indeed. And then the car accident occurred.
Suddenly Tod's future wasn't so sure, and he had to make a choice. Life... Death... or something Between....
An ebook exclusive Soul Screamers series novella.

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this. A lot of times, a novella will leave you wanting more, but in a bad way. I like full-length books because I can really sink my teeth in the story line, the plot and watch the character arc. So I'm a little leery about novellas and shorts simply because there isn't a lot SPACE to invest in a true plot or well developed character arc.

Reaper by Rachel Vincent is a prequel to her Soul Screamers Series. Now, I've been eyeing this series for awhile, but never picked it up. There was always something I wanted to pick up more and unfortunately, I don't make enough to be able to buy everything I want.

BOY! I wish I'd picked this up SOONER! Wow!

There wasn't a lot of room in here for a long plot line, but that's not what this novella was about. It was about a boy and his decision to become a Grim Reaper. The character arc was beautifully done and it was a fantastic read! I was hooked from the first page (is anyone seeing a familiar thread in my reviews here?) and I just couldn't put the book down. I love Tod. He's a great character.

And I'm intrigued to see what Ms. Vincent does for the rest of the series. She's taken one of favorite mythological creatures, the bean sidhe (banshee), and gave it a fantastic spin which left me going, "Dang! Why didn't I think of that?!" LOL! *excited grin*

Immediately after finishing Reaper, I had to buy the first book in the Soul Screamers Series, My Soul To Take. I couldn't wait. I had to see how this story continues.

I have to say that Ms. Vincent is a FABulous author. I highly recommend her writing. I'm very excited I found her.

True Story: I Have NO Concept of Time

2011-05-27T12:55:00.000-06:00

I was posting in a forum and remembered this story I thought I'd share with everyone here.

I have absolutely no concept of time. I don't. When people schedule things with me, they think I'm just like everybody else and I UNDERSTAND what Next Monday means.

*open handed shrug @_@*

MissSunshine (my youngest) came up to me a few years ago and said, "Today's July 29th."

I nodded. "Yup. Sure is, sweetie, and will be allllll day!"

INSTANT sad face. She walks away completely dejected and I'm sitting there going, what's going on? There's a little tickler in my brainpan, but I'm thinking, "Hey, kiddo, you've got TWO more days to go until FRIDAY."

Later, Mom comes up to me and says, "Are you planning anything for MissSunshine's b-day?"

I get instantly excited and start telling her about all the things I'm planning to do for her. It's going to be a GREAT day.

Mom goes, "It's July 29th."

To which I smartly reply, "I know, Mom. You forget, but I was THERE."

She gives me this completely dead pan expression @_@ and says again, "It's July 29th."

I stop for a second, blink five-ba-jillion times and it FINALLY sinks in that TODAY IS FRIDAY, JULY 29th, MissSunshine's B-day...AND IT WILL BE ALL DARNED DAY LONG!!!!

This is probably one of the many reasons my mother thinks I'm...*clears throat* mildly inept, wholey incapable, and totally improper. LMAO!

Chatting With The Cast

2011-05-26T08:55:00.002-06:00

Ri: So what are we supposed to do here?

Frankie: Introduce yourself.

Ri: I thought we already did. Go here.

Frankie: As always, m'dear, you're a peach.

Ri: *glares*

Frankie: What has you in such a bad mood?

Ri: Nothing.

Kat: Her and Rune are fighting.

Ri: We are not.

Kat: Are too.

Ri: Are not.

Kat: Are--

Frankie: Kids! Do you want to talk about it?

Ri: No.

Dexx: I do.

Frankie: Dexx, knock it off. Don't pick on her.

Dexx: No, I think that if there's stuff that needs talked about, we should.

Paige: *rolls eyes* That was most definately aimed at me.

Kat: Oh, yes! I sooooooo want to hear! What's up this time?

Paige: Sweetie, it has nothing to do with you.

Kat: Obviously, but we're sharing Frankie's head, so it does.

*everyone stares at each other for a moment...well, except for Ri who's still in a really bad mood*

Frankie: There is some logic to that, I think.

Kat: *sticks out her tongue and smiles*

Dexx: *sticks his tongue out and grins back*

Paige: *throws hands in the air* It's like I'm dealing with kids all the time here.

Frankie: Well...

Paige: Dexx is a full grown man! So don't.

Frankie: *hands up and backing away* Sorry. Sorry. *turns to audience* Well, obviously, everyone's in a bit of a snit. I think next time we're up, we're going to discuss character dynamics because, well, we've got a LOT of that going on right now.

Kat: *bounces up to join Frankie* I'm in a good mood.

Frankie: Kitters, you're in a good mood because you're sister's in a bad one.

Kat: *impish grin*

Frankie: Anyway, we'll get to the introductions, keeping them short and sweet. You can't see this, but there are a bunch of other people hiding in the wings, but we'll only drag out the main characters for now. Syn is over the Atlantic right now, and all radio and visual communications are gone. We'll see if we can't get him back when he gets closer to the Americas. So, starting things off! *does a rather fast and informal iney-meaney-miney-mo* Dexx, you're up.

Dexx:

Okay, well, again I'm from the Demon Talker series. I'm 34, a Scorpio and I like a good whiskey. I'm a demon hunter and you can bet I've seen my share of ugly things. I'm helping Paige who's a loose cannon. When the world does end, it will be her fault. Just so you know.

Paige:

Thanks for that vote of confidence, hi-speed. I'm Detective Paige Ansley and the demon talker. I will not bring about the end of the world. I almost did, but I also managed to stop it. Let's be clear about this.

Right now, I'm having a lot of fun raising my daughter and son, Leah and Bobby. I really can't wait for you to meet them. *cringe-filled sigh* And my niece and nephews, and my sister and brother-in-law, and Grandma Alma. I have a feeling, I have another niece on the way. Oh, gods, just wait until you meet my family. They're wonderful and awful in the same breath. But I love them.

I will NOT bring about the end of the world

Ri:

Hey, I'm in the Chronicles of Ri - and judging by the title of the series, it's about me. *shakes head* It's really not. I'm just there for most of it. It's really about everyone in my family; my sister, my mom, my dad, all of our friends and family. I think Frankie named it after me to make fun of my love-non-love life. *eye roll*

I love the color purple, I wear glasses and am a complete and total dork. I know some of the greatest people in two WORLDS and I'm lucky enough to have them as friends.

What else is there to say?

And I am NOT in a wickedly bad mood. I just don't want to be laughed at AGAIN.

Kat:

I don't care if she wants to be laughed at or not. I'm laughing!

Today, my favorite color is GREEEEEEEEN! BRIGHT GREEEEEEEN! And I'm Haaaaaappppyyyyy! Whoot! I don't know why. I just woke up that way and I'm good with it.

I'm Ri's younger sister. Nope. I'm Ri's ONLY sister and she's my best friend. I have other friends, but she's the best one ever.

Oh! Kitty! Gotta go. *giggles madly and scampers off after kitten*

Review: How to Date a Werewolf

2011-05-17T06:52:00.001-06:00

Romance can be a hairy business—especially when you’re a werewolf.

As the owner of Got a Mate Dating Service, Rylie is more than happy to step in and lend a hand to lonely lycanthropic hearts all over town. No matter how hopeless Rylie might be in finding her own soul mate, she has a knack for helping others find theirs.

Convinced that she is stuck with a family curse, Rylie is positive she will never find her true love. But when drool-worthy Jack Chandler shows up at her door, Rylie wonders if maybe the curse is finally broken.

But Rylie’s life is about to become complicated courtesy of the after-dark crowd. When she begins receiving strange notes and harassment from a jilted client, events careen out of control.

Jack knows she’s more hassle than he can handle. What he doesn’t know is whether she’s seriously in trouble . . . or simply delusional.

When I picked up this book, I was ready for something light and fun with a good sense of humor. What I got was a little Stephanie Plum, with a lot of hair, some awkward accidental flashing, and werewolves. LMAO! O.M.G. It was a seriously good laugh!

Ms. Presse's voices leaped off the page from the first page. Rylie has a very solid, fun, slightly neurotic-but-in-a-good-way personality and you're almost instantly rooting for her.

The only thing that I kinda nit picked as I read (@_@ why, why, why do I do that?) is that the whole thing with Jack seemed to go a little too fast too soon. Okay, so she's a were. She reacts differently, right? Right? And do people really fixate over how hot a guy is? Or how great he smells?

@_@ My girl friends tell me yes. That must mean I'm just...different. LMAO! Or it's been awhile.

Anyway, this was a fantastic read! I highly recommend it! It's a definite good, fast read!

Coming soon by Rose Pressey:

How to Date a Vampire (Rylie Cruz Series, Book 2)
How to Date a Demon (Rylie Cruz Series, Book 3)

Building Worlds

2011-05-11T08:35:00.001-06:00

This is honestly one of the things I never struggled to do. As a kid, I loved, loved, LOVED astronomy and physics. My dad was awesome because he was just as much of a geek as me, and he always pushed me to research more, learn more, expand my mind.

When I was a Sophomore in high school, I wanted to be an astrobiophysicist. And then I found out I couldn't afford to go to college, so I ended up joining the Army instead. And now I turn the lights on in new buildings.

But that drive to want to discover life on new planets, to find planets that could sustain life as we know it? *shakes head* That never left.

I look up the stars and think, who else is out there? Are they like us? Is there someone out there looking up at the stars and asking the same question on some distant planet somewhere out there? Do they have dinosaurs? Could there have been a portal that transferred all the dragons off of our world? How could we have myths about them and no proof they ever existed? Were our ancestors smoking dope? Did they have dope in those days? And how good was it? Was it good enough to imagine a flying horse with a horn? Or a half man/half horse?

That leads to other thoughts - *shakes head* - and I think of the all the potential. I read physics books, review math theorems, and realize that there are so many endless possibilities. I mean, time doesn't even exist. Our reality is only a 3-dimensional plane of existance. There are so many things that we're glimpsing through numbers and theories.

So when I say that I'm not really original in my world building, I mean it. I'm using someone else's theorems, someone else's math, and just adding someone else's myth to support my crazy adaptation.

For Demons, I have to say that I didn't really think outside the box. The reason this series is so good is not because I'm the most original person on the planet, but because I'm a good storyteller. I know this. Stephanie Meyers wasn't the most original author in the world either. She took the vampire and made him sparkly. Original? Sure? Unique? Um, kinda, but look at it. He's just a sparkly vampire. *eyes wide* Whoa.

The stories that are more fantasy have more world building efforts and are a lot more fun for me. For Tempest, I took this:

This is a brief basis for the dimension theorem for vector spaces. I won't get into the nuts and bolts of it, but this theorem has fascinated me for a very long time. I'm not the only one. Look at Dr. Who. *nods* Yeah.

So I thought to myself, I have these great characters that I want to write about. I want to build a world that's interesting, if not entirely unique.

The fascinating point of the dimension theorem for me is that there are so many prospects out there - on our planet. If we could find a singular vector, how many dimensions could we cross? What if I had this world, and that world on the other side of a mirror? That'd be cool, right?

Being the total geek that I am, I dug into the theorem even more and defined the limitations of my alternate dimensions. I'm not going total Dr. Who here. I've limited to a 2-sided door.

And then I went through all of my favorite fantasy, all my favorite myths, and applied the "What if" factor to them. What if mermaids were warriors and didn't give two sacks about "men"? What if elves were so a part of the natural world around them that they started to become the living thing they were named after - IE: willow. What if a pegacorn (or a unisus LOL) wasn't a girlie thing? What if a DUCK were frightening? (That was totally and 100% MissThink and MissSunshine)

And that's how I world build. The maps and the creatures and the societies, they're all the easy part for me, and I can get into more detail on that later. But it all depends - *embarassed giggle* - on their solar system and their planetary alignment and - YES! I know I'm a geek. LOL!

Anyway. *smiling eye roll* This is how I world build. I hope you enjoy.

Pictures of Inspiration...I love it!

2011-05-05T08:02:00.001-06:00

It's really easy for a writer to lose the inspiration to write. Most times, it has absolutely nothing to do with the book or the story or the characters, and has everything to do with LIFE! It can be difficult to find the energy to BE inspired.

One thing that some writers do - it happens more often than not, so this is probably not a surprise to anyone except maybe readers who don't write - is find pictures that provide us with the energy to WANT to find the inspiration to write.

I love it!

Artists are amazing to me! They can tell an entire story in a single picture. It's FASCINATING!!! So in this post, I'll be sharing some of my favorite pics from the last few days. They're mostly for inspiration for Tempest and The Hands of Tarot, which are the two books I'm working on while I wait for my editor's notes.

If you click on the image, you will be taken to the website of the artist who posted the work. However, if the website is riddled with viruses or advertisements to porn - *flat lipped look* - you guessed it, there's no link. Artists, we love you, we do, but please don't fry my computer.

If you want to find their sites anyway, I use Google to find my images and most of these were found using key words "Fantasy Worlds". The plural form of worlds is kinda key there. Otherwise, you get a lot of screen savers that lock up your computer and really weird links to odd sites.

...Just sayin'.

This soooooo a Kat picture! I could just picture her in Walae (the fantasy dimension) bringing a book! That'd be so very, very Kat of her. LMAO!

This is for The Hands of Tarot which is my Steampunk novel that I'm brainstorming. I'm having so much fun brainstorming this book! And the visuals for the steampunk are AMAZING! I don't know how you couldn't get excited to write this genre.

This picture just makes me GIDDY! My fingers are ITCHING to write just LOOKING at it! My Steampunk started a little before the age of the this type of aircraft, so I'm seriously considering changing my timeline just a bit. I think I could. *nods emphatically*

Again, The Hands of Tarot. It's just inspiring. And awesome.

I'm sorry, but the multiple moon image NEVER gets old. I LOVE it!

Tempest

This provides inspiration on the Dark Witch, who finally, finally, FINALLY has a name. I think the first time I wrote Tempest it was more of a MG novel, so calling her the Dark Witch all the time was cute and worked out well. However, it's more YA now, like it should be, so she needs a name. However, this pic just makes me want to write about her! I don't know why. She has no fondness for tree.

I have elves. They're a little like the standard elves, but I had to tweak them just a bit. As they get older, they start looking more like trees. It's awesome, but I've yet to find a picture of the my Lady Willow. I might have to TRY and make one myself. This could go badly. *cringe* However, in Tempest, we have a lot of trees. I have a lot of pictures of different forests. *pretty*

This one just makes me want to sing and write.

Write and sing.

Yes, I want to write...somewhere in the singing.

It looks a little like Hobbitsville, but I don't care! It's just so pretty! I could see a whole scene just here. Maybe not a whole book, but at least a scene. Yes, definitely, at least that.

This is just so desolate...and not at the same time.

*eye flare*

Ooooohhhhhhh.

This is romantic and twinkly and -- yes, I AM a girl, so *sticks out tongue* -- it makes me feel like writing a romantic scene.

Just so you know, it's not Kes' scene.

Just sayin'.

Kes and Rune Battling It Out

2011-05-04T08:07:00.001-06:00

Okay, honestly, the strangest thing to affect me on this re-write is the Rune vs Kes thing. Rune was the main squeeze in the first draft of the entire series and I really liked that. It was an easy romance. Ri needed a little TLC and Rune was there to help. The first time around, he was easy going and just super supportive.

However, this time around, he has some serious and stiff competition in Kes.

*shakes head* And there's some issues there, too, because the first time around, Kes was kinda interested in Kat. Granted, it was after Kat had made it to high school and Kes is, like, over a thousand years old, so what's a couple years in the teens? Right? It's kinda like vampires, only fuzzy.

But they were never really an item. *shrug*

My problem, I guess, is the fact that I've written all that once before. Going back in time is kinda weird for me because I remember everything that happened before - and if I forget, I can read back through it anyway because I still have the original draft.

But everything is different this time.

I forgot how soft Ri was at the beginning of the series. As the series progressed, she got a little bitter. That's what Kes saw when he first met her, was this bitter chick who was pissed off because she was forced to lead a war she didn't know how to win. Kat was a lot more open-hearted, more fierce, loyal, more upbeat. She was...well, so very, very KAT!

And now Kes is seeing Ri as she used to be.

ODD!

And Rune, who didn't have any competition before, is seriously having to step up his game. *wide-eyed nod* Oh, yes, he is, and that's not going well so far.

So now I'm seeing a whole new side to Rune...and, frankly, I think I like this a little better. Granted, I really had to push him to get here, but *nods* I think it's going to be good.

I'm having a lot of fun working with this new dynamic. LOL! It's good to know that even the InvisiblePeople can surprise me still.

Ransom Demands Over Frankie's Mind

2011-05-03T16:43:00.001-06:00

Paige: Holy COW! We're finally getting out. I thought this was never going to happen.

Dexx: *surely glare* Shut up. You were just out the other day.

Paige: No, no, no. That was the girls.

Ri: She was revising. Seriously? We'd already gone through what she went over like a million times.

Kat: *very pouty look* I. Am. So. BORED! I seriously wish Frankie would get a different job. Seriously.

Ri: *snort* Seriously? How serious are you? Are you seriously serious?

Kat: Like TOTALLY seriously serious.

Paige: Girls.

Dexx: We have to do an intervention. Somehow we have to get through to Frankie's bosses and tell them--

Paige: Dexx, sweetie, you do remember that we're pretend, right?

Dexx: Only in Frankie's head.

Paige: Precisely.

Dexx: Exactly. So if we could get a letter out to Frankie's bosses--

Ri: As the invisible people--

Kat: *perks up* --in Frankie's head--

Dexx: --then maybe--

Ri: --they'll let her take an evening off, or have a weekend--

Kat: *bouncing in chair* --or a SICK DAY!!!--

Ri: --so she can WRITE!

Frankie: Seriously, you guys?

Dexx: Shut up. *grabs the keyboard* We're on a mission to save you and us. Let's get to work.

*Frankie and Paige share a knowing look*

*Ri and Kat give them both the shut-up look and crowd around Dexx*

*Dexx clears throat and proceeds to type*

Dear Boss and Bossman,

As the Invisible People inside Frankie's Head, we Demand that you give her some time away from work so that she can Write. She's been working 7 days a week for months now, and guess what, she's not getting any further ahead. It's time you give her a break.

Boss, please step up and help out. Quit telling her what needs done and do something.

Bossman, please stop calling and reminding her of all the things she's been unable to get done. Dude, it's an impossible task. Get over it. Either get her some help, or stop talking.

Ri: You're going to tell Bossman to shut up?

Kat: *shakes her head* I doooooon't think that's going to go over very well. *shrug*

Dexx: *hits delete and starts over again*

Dear Boss and Bossman,

Thank you for providing Mr. Assist. He's been a very valuable asset. However, the job is still ramping up and things are progressing to not go well. With that said, Frankie's been pulling double and triple duty in order to attempt to save the job.

Things are not going well.

We need you to stop--

Paige: Oh, for the love of Pete! Move over! *hits delete*

Dear Boss and Bossman,

Greetings. We are the Invisible People. We're taking over Frankie's Mind. If she does not receive a day off within the next four days, we'll take over completely and will not give her back. Ransom demands must be met.

Refusal to meet our demands will meet with the ultimate destruction of Frankie's Mind.

Just to warn you, she's already on the verge of explosion. For your safety as well as hers: Give. Her. A. Day. Off.

Thank you,

The Invisible People

PS. We're not above haunting your ass.

Ri: *blink* Well, that's very....

Kat: *stuttering blink* ...blunt.

Dexx: *quirks lips* I was going to to say "direct".

Paige: Awesome.

*hits send*