One Step at a Time…

Have you ever had one of those days, where every inch of your body and soul wants to be creative, but the world around you is just fighting you every step of the way?! Yeah, well that’s where I am today…

I have been sitting in front of my computer; with a story line, a plot, and a goal, for the last hour. Yet every two minutes one of my kids bursts into the room yanking me out of my concentration and forcing me to listen to their whining and complaining.

I thought that taking them for a mile and a half hike through the cold caverns would wear them down and make them lethargic enough to sit on the couch and rest for a while, but no such luck! Apparently exercise only invigorates my children’s sense of adventure and energizes them to make it through the rest of their day.

Thus, meeting my goal of making it through chapter eleven of my book seemed to quickly be slipping away. That was until I discovered the power of Pepperidge Farm cookies. That’s right, Pepperidge Farm cookies happen to be a lot like crack to children. They love them, and will do just about anything for them, to include sitting quietly while watching a movie so that mommy could get some quiet time. Ah, the power the cookie.

I hammered my way through chapter eleven, and quickly moved on to chapter twelve. Who knows if any of it is any good… I certainly don’t, but I’m enjoying the process, and to me that is the goal! At least for now. When I’m done the goal will be to publish, but for now I’m taking it one step at a time…

WRITE… Write… write…

Okay… let me start by saying, I miss my husband! He recently started classes toward his masters program, and he attends classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening. I know what you’re thinking, “Tuesday and Thursday? Is that all?” and you’re right. It’s only two days a week, not bad at all. Yet, still… I miss him when he isn’t home with me and the kids. Although above even that I am incredibly proud of him! Going back for his masters isn’t going to be an easy road, by any stretch of the imagination, and the fact that he is doing it with a full-time job, two kids, and a sometimes needy wife, I commend him!

Now, as I sit here and sulk… I can do one of two things. I can literally eat the pan of brownies in the kitchen and watch television until he gets home – not a bad idea, or I can pull out my computer and get to work! I am choosing the second option. I am always struggling to find time to write, and now with him going back to school I have been given two evenings a week, after the kids are in bed of course, to do just that. So, take advantage of it I will.

My goal is to see significant progress by the end of this coming weekend… which is to say that I will finally get through chapter eleven!

I think that my creativity has maybe taken a brief vacation, and left me in somewhat of a stump or creative block. I shall hammer through it this week though, and come out victorious! lol… That actually sounded confident. This just may work. If not, I might just cry… I figure if I don’t get to work soon, then when I receive my editor’s notes next weekend I really will cry. I am expecting them to be detailed and extensive, because that is what everyone had told me editors like to do. I have mentally prepared, but who knows how much that will really help. Although, I do look forward to the suggestions. I am excited to get book one in the Blood Angel series ready for the publisher, and an editor is just one of the many steps so… BRING IT ON!!!

Finding the time…

It seems as time goes by my days get shorter and shorter, and I am having less and less time to write. It makes me sad to think I have spent less than an hour writing over the last two weeks! How am I supposed to get through this project if an hour or two a month is all I have to devote to it?!

It’s no ones fault but my own! No pointing fingers here, it just is what it is. I have a family and at the end of a long work day it’s hard to want to do anything but spend time with them. How do you tell your kids, “No sweetie mommy still has to work, I can’t cuddle or draw right now.” I can’t do it. They give me those puppy dog eyes and I just melt!

So, now I have fallen behind, WAY BEHIND on my self-set goal of having book three in the Blood Angel series complete by the end of August. I’m only on Chapter Eleven… with so much story left to tell.

Please send me out good creative thoughts to help me get through the rest by my newly set goal of November 26th MY BIRTHDAY!!! Because what better birthday gift could I give myself than finishing the book?!

Stay tuned for more updates in this on going adventure…

Behind Locked Doors – Never Looking Back

He sat alone in his small one room apartment the windows open and the moonlight shining through. As he warmed up his guitar he could hear his neighbors yelling to shut up and turn it down. He didn’t care so he played on. Song after song the yelling got louder… Until finally…

Sick of their torments he focused his thoughts. Into their minds he traveled showing them pictures of those he had killed… Blood he had shed… Lives he had ruined. Slowly he drained them of their energy, their sanity, until the images were too much. They crumpled in the corners of their own homes, crying in fear and sadness. In a matter of moments he found his way into their rooms and feed on their weak trembling bodies. Full and energized he went back to his music never looking back.

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011

Behind Locked Doors – On the Edge

Standing on the edge of a cliff both literally and figuratively. He peered out across the horizon. Above him nothing but the clear blue sky, below him the vast ocean, and behind him the thick forest trees. If he turns back into the trees he is met with life face to face. As he watches the ocean he feels only the calming silence of the crashing waves. He hears the distant calls from those fighting to get his attention… His heart… His soul…

Without question without care he turns to face the ocean and with arms spread he stepped off the edge. He fell as if floating and then suddenly broke through the blanket of water and submerged himself in the cool wet bed of water. As he held his breath and looked around there was beautiful life all around him. He swam staying fully submerged for as long as he could. But being only human he couldn’t stay in this world forever.

just as he was beginning to swim to the surface he felt a pull on his leg. When he looked down he was face to face with an exotic beauty… long black flowing hair… deep chocolate-brown eyes… rosy red lips… And the softest milky skin he had ever seen. But where her legs should have been… A fin… Mermaid? It couldn’t be… Was he dreaming? Had he drowned?

His eyes closed and he drifted away. When he opened them again he was on his back on the hard rocks at the bottom of the cliff. As he gazed into the sky above the distant clouds were passing slowly as if crawling through the sky. He allowed himself a few more stolen moments to dream of a distant land where his life was his own before turning to the cliff and beginning his long climb back to reality.

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011

Behind Locked Doors – Eternity…

At the youthful age of 15 she was already a lady in the eyes of society. When her grandparents made the decision to move her to the new world she was frightened yet excited by this new adventure. The Titanic was a grand ship more beautiful than anything she had ever seen both inside and out. The moment she stepped aboard her life was changed forever.

Her heart skipped a beat as his cold hand gently brushed across hers and his piercing eyes seemed to reach into her soul stealing her love forever. He appeared to be her age, but something in his eyes gave away a wisdom far beyond her years. They were inseparable from the start. To her it felt like he was the piece of her heart she had always been missing.

As fear struck the hearts of everyone around them and the ship began to sink Eric offered her life after death. With just one kiss they would be together for all eternity. In her gutt she knew it was more than that, and still she didn’t care. Like a dagger his teeth slid into her throat, and she was out. She woke up laying in his arms, surrounded by nothing but sand and ocean.

Eternity was going to be a very long time…

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011

Behind Locked Doors – A World Of His Own!

He was alone in the room surrounded by the world… Paintings of his travels over the last one hundred and ninety-three years covered the walls. Some were massive in size others so small they could fit in the palm of your hand. He sat there silent… focused… determined.

Windows all around the room were black with the night sky. A distant moon pours light into the window as below on the street a loud crash and breaking glass is heard. He doesn’t move. The window to his back explodes in as four men in black burst through. He sits eyes closed without a hint of concern.

In moments they are upon him. Then it happens… without warning… his eyes open… burning red. With the strength of twenty, he flings the first attacker off with just a twist of his wrist. The second he throws back out the window and onto the street below.

The third faces him eye to eye before… without warning… he pulls him in and drains him with a quick bite of his neck. The fourth turns and runs before his friend even hits the floor. He sits back down in the middle of the destruction. Not winded… Not tired… Not a care in the world. He sits alone in the room surrounded by his world…

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011

Behind Locked Doors – Lying in wait!

They found her there, lying in the large dark oak bed, black silk sheets flowing around her, her golden curls wet with passionate sweat, not a piece of clothing covering an inch of her milky smooth skin. She looked to be dead, no pulse, cold flesh, and not a breath to escape her open lips.

There was talk of bite marks, drained blood, tenth girl this week… The conversation went on. Little did they know this beauty was like no other. For she was merely lying in wait, under a spell, in a seductive trance, waiting for the right moment to…

For she gains her powers from those she feeds on, and giving them her blood gives her more pleasure than pain you see. Once she has been bitten she’s ready to fight, and at the right moment she leaps from the bed and in seconds is upon them. Four men down with just a turn of their necks on the last one she’ll feed for his bloods is clearly the most intoxicating. She could smell it the second he stepped into the room.

Warm and fresh she takes it all in, drops his lifeless body to the ground and turns to leave. As she walks out the door she grabs her long silk robe, and wrapping it around her body… it clings to her curves as she disappears into the night.

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011

Two weeks and counting…

I have a two-week deadline looming overhead. By Saturday August 6th, I am to have book 2 to my editor, and although it is already written I have not yet gone back through it to do a final edit on my own, and the people I have reading it have not yet gotten back to me! AHHHHHH

I’m not dragging me feet, really I’m not. It’s just that with two kids, a husband, a full-time job, a part-time job, and a house to clean there really isn’t a whole lot of time on my plate to write. I try to squeeze in time whenever I can… kids weekend nap time (right now!!!), after the kids go to bed at night (when nothing good is on tv…), etc. But, still not a lot of time to devote just to my writing.

I am making myself a promise, here and now! I will pick up book two this weekend, and get through chapters one through ten! Okay, maybe that is a little ambitious considering when I do final edits I tend to rewrite large portions, insert completely new chapters, and/or delete large portions… Okay, I’m still going to aim for chapters one through ten, but I am not going to be too hard on myself if its more like one through five. LOL

Okay, today is almost over, with the babysitter soon to arrive, so… I better be off to work. Wish me luck and think of me often.

Behind Locked Doors – The Dancing Nymph

As a full moon shone bright, high in the midnight black sky painted with stars, she dances underneath the branches of an old oat tree. The wind blowing her fire-red hair wildly through the air, and her skin glistening as the stars shine down. Softly, sweetly raindrops began to fall, and gently land around her. Though never a drop on her skin as she breezes through the field in between drop after drop.

Suddenly, there in the distance, she sees him. Their eyes connect and moments later they’re standing side by side, hand in hand, lips to lips, and heart to heart! A connection like nothing she had ever known. More powerful than the call of the earth, more passionate than the song of the angels above, more violent than the rushing rapids. Her heart pounded in her chest, and he could smell the sweet honey of life flowing through her veins.

Those few seconds between life and death before she so willing gave in to his desires were more than she could have ever hoped for, ever dreamed of. Even as she lay on the forest floor, drained of all life and blood, a soft smile still remained on her once radiant face.

(c) Copyright Soden, Nina 2011