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[Books] [Coming Soon] [Contests] [Free Stuff] [Links] [Meet Mary] [Newsletter] [New Releases] [Podcasts] [Home] |
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AppearancesCheck out my chat loop and publisher loops! Nothing "officially" scheduled. Other InfoBooks available from Changeling Press Books available from Ellora's Cave Books available from Samhain Publishing To subscribe to my monthly newsletter please send an email or visit my newsletter page for alternative methods of joining. To subscribe to my chat loop please send an email or visit the group site.
Reviews"The storyline was pure reading heaven..." - Talia Ricci, Joyfully Reviewed, for Riding Partner "This
novella is an erotic romance and delivers on both counts - it is quite romantic
and is full of some hot bed play." Marina, Cupid's Library Reviews for Revealing
Photos " UNDER HER SKIN is so much more than a wonderful romance, it’s
a lesson in love and acceptance. It is an experience not to be missed."
Recent Posts
Writing Wednesday: Scruff your inner editor Sexy Feet - Some Thoughts on Cover Art Writing Without Distractions Writing Wednesday: Is it really work? Marketing Monday: Code Everything You Send Finding Your Bliss...Bears? Writing Wednesday: Writer's Organizations Make A Difference Monday: Get out of the Box My March 2008 newsletter is out! New Release - Mission: Carnal (Live Action Hero 1)
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw A friend showed me this You Tube clip of a freestyle dressage ride. For those of you unfamiliar with freestyle dressage, let me try to explain. Dressage is a system of training and horsemanship that progresses from the most basic of levels up through the higher levels to what you see here. The training is designed to make a supple, responsive horse. I know this is a really basic definition, and I'm sorry. Freestyle dressage is when you take the movements and put them to music. It's like dancing with your horse. I love this clip for a couple of reasons. 1) It's beautiful. The partnership between horse and rider is something I hope to ac hive someday, even if just on the ground, with my mare, Fortune. 2) The hero (one of them, it's a m/m project) in one of my works in progress is a dressage rider. This is what I picture when I picture him on horseback. If you read Riding Partner, and I hope you have, even though Derek & Charles ride show jumpers, they still need dressage in order to maintain control and rhythm between the jumps. While they don't use this level of dressage, this would be something they'd practice to help keep them and their horses fit and ready for competition. I hope you enjoy this link, and my rambling about horses. :)  
Today's blog is dedicated to all those pre-published authors out there. Whether you're working on your first manuscript, or have a dozen finished and are afraid to send them out, or whether you're diligently finishing, polishing, and submitting manuscripts only to have the SASEs come back with those dreaded words "Thank you for sending us your manuscript; however, after careful consideration we're going to have to pass." Even published authors get rejections. It's true. Don't think it's so? Oh yeah, it is. Whether it's a request to revise and rework, or whether it's a "not for us" or even a proposal that never got off the ground, just because you have your name on the cover of a book or on the cover of two-dozen, doesn't mean that you're not going to get rejected. It happens. And just like those of you out there, we shrug, grin (sometimes through our tears), and go on with the next project, the next submission. There are classes out there on dealing with rejection. Next month, the League of Midwest Writers (http://www.lomw.org/) will be hosting a class on battling rejection blues. And I strongly encourage EVERY author to take one or a dozen of these classes. Handling rejection can be tough. But, it's part of being a writer. For members of RWA (Romance Writers of America) they have a PRO program. One of the requirements to be a PRO member means that you've submitted a manuscript and received a rejection. You know, I sure wish they had the PRO status back when I started out. It's a great resource, one that you get to only if you have the courage to face rejection. The important thing is to keep going. Keep submitting. Keep writing! All a rejection means is that at that particular moment in time, a particular story didn't resonate (or resonated for the wrong reasons) with a single reader. It's like trying the new Chinese restaurant in town. You love sesame chicken so you order it. But, whether it's the spices or the way it was cooked, or something, it just didn't taste as good as it usually did. You decide not to go back to that restaurant. You decide to try to eat someplace else next time. So, too with the rejections. Your story didn't quite work. Another one might. It's not about you personally. Just some words on the paper, and like the newspaper, not everyone is going to like everything they read. We're all so individual it makes sense really. The romance novel I love may not be the one you love. I might like a bit more sex, someone else might want their novel with a large dose of spiritual faith, someone else may prefer more suspense, and yet another reader wants to be taken away to some far flung period in history. The cool thing is -- there are books out there for all of us. So when you get that dreaded letter back in the mail. Do what you need to do. Then get back to writing. And think, that favorite author of yours, she's been rejected too. Then send off another manuscript. Rinse. Repeat. Persevere.
There used to be a time when I had a closet full of clothes, most of it too small for me to wear, and a dresser full of clothing, once again, too small for me to wear. A couple of weeks ago I made another pass through my closet to gather too-large clothing to sell on ebay (it does quite well, and hey, it's out of my house), and I realized something. I have empty drawers in my dresser and empty hangers in my closet. My wardrobe now consists of t-shirts, mostly 3x & 4X, a few 22/24 long-sleeve shirts, and several pairs of way too large jeans worn to a fray around the cuffs, with worn spots and holes in various other places (thank god for the long t-shirts). I do have one pair of jeans that fits, a birthday present from my mom, but pretty much most of my wardrobe consists of clothes that are ginormous on me. I don't mind. Considering how much weight I've lost, and the fact that I am about the same size now that I was in 1996, well, it's pretty darn amazing. I look at those empty hangers and empty drawers and find that they're badges of courage. A way of cleaning out the old to make way for the new. I can't wait until summer!
 So they were calling it the worst winter storm in several years. We had ice, then snow, then freezing rain, and the demarkation line between rain/freezing rain/sleet/snow played jump rope with central Iowa for a while, and finally settled onto snow. It took me an hour and a half to shovel (and I'm in a trailer court people so it's not like there's much real estate here). I did however, get the joy of watching one of my neighbors in his big truck get stuck trying to get into his driveway (realatively flat with a smidge of a slope). And I got a hell of a workout. Anyway, I think I'm going to blame it all on my editor (wink!), since I'm working on some edits for another polar bear novel this weekend. Certainly provides the inspiration... Hope everyone stayed safe and warm if you were affected by the storm. And if not, enjoy the wintery view from my doorstep!  (Picture info: Top - The tree (with a frozen rabbit on a swing hanging off of it, and a bird feeder) right next to my deck. Right - the lilac bush almost outside my den. It makes an interesting noise as the frozen, ice-laden branches are rubbing against the ice-covered siding)
 My kitties don't act their ages... (okay so the cat in the picture isn't "mine" its one of my partner's "girls") Every morning I stand at the counter and open a can of cat food. It doesn't matter where in the house Cougar (my twenty year old "furry brother" is), he comes running, no galloping, down the hallway to stand there and look at me with his golden eyes as if he's been starving. Tigger, the diabetic cat, gets the canned food as a bribe for his insulin shot, and even he comes running, meowing and protesting that the food isn't arriving fast enough. Yesterday, I happened to catch the adorable picture above. My aunt had purchased a neck warmer pillow (there's a pillow thing inside the cat you microwave and it warms up). Well, the neck warmer was cold (I'd used it the night before on my back), but I set it on the pillows as I was doing wash. There was Dru, curled up on it, like he was her best friend. Dru is twelve. Nerms, the ten year-old still plays fetch. Only the regal ladies of the household, Daphne and Lucretia, act anywhere near close to their age. And that's just because they're too haughty to mix with the rest of the cats. Just thought I'd bring some mid-week cuteness and kitty stories your way today... Enjoy!
I don't know about anyone else, but I read for an escape. That's why I write too. Living with the characters in my head, falling in love with the hero, creating their story, it gives me an escape from daily life. I do a lot of my writing at "work" and so when I'm dealing with a sticky tech support problem, I can fade away to the imaginary world in my head for a sentence or three. It keeps me sane. The fact was kind of brought home this morning. I woke up (from dreaming about pink and yellow cockatiels, but that's another blog post about writer's strange dreams) to find we had no power. Now, I live in a trailer court (excuse me, manufactured housing park), and it seems with all the new development up the road that the transformers like to blow at least twice a year. So that was my first thought. My second when I heard that there were large scale power outages in my area because I'm a worry wort who watches way too much television news was that something horrible like they talked about on the news happened. Then, I realized nah, it was probably a transformer, but wide scale outages across the entire county? Yeah, when I called an hour later to find out whether I'd be able to work from home or if I would have to come into the office, it was indeed just a mechanical failure. But that moment of "what if something happened? I have no television!" made me think ... this is why I write. Whether you're escaping what's on the news or just too much laundry and too little time, readers read for the escape. And that's why we reread books too. We want to revisit Narnia or Middle Earth or reexperience what it's like to fall in love with a member of The Black Dagger Brotherhood or have a Carpathian sweep us off our feet. I know I do. And I guarantee you, that's why every writer writes. Sure, it's a compulsion for most of us. We have these stories in our heads that won't let go! But in the end, we all want our stories to be read and enjoyed, and maybe, just maybe, make you forget about the mortgage and the groceries and the laundry, and simply escape!
You know what I'm hungry for? A nice baked potato with real butter and sour cream. Or maybe a taco with real sour cream smeared all over the inside. Yeah, that sounds good. I used to think there were foods I wouldn't compromise on when it came to weight loss. Mayonnaise (Kraft, only please), Sour Cream, and Cottage Cheese (4% A&E Homestyle). Alas, my fridge now contains light mayo, 1% Low-Fat Cottage Cheese, and horror of all horrors fat free sour cream. At least Brummel & Brown's yogurt spread tastes a lot like real butter. Sigh! I can have the real stuff. I just have to budget it into my Weight Watchers points allowance. Which I did quite nicely this week, because I've lost most of what I gained last week. But, there are time when we need the "real" food. I've always said that I envision a future where instead of looking for low-fat and fat-free products, you'll have to look for the fully-leaded versions. Where soda is always diet and the fat and evil things have been sucked out of our food in a reactive cry to national health. I hope not. As individuals on a journey, it's up to us to determine where, and where not, to compromise with our food. Maybe we eat the low-fat, no-fat versions of things, and then in a restaurant we have the real deal. Or maybe it's a teeny bite once or twice a month. Or maybe we simply decide that we can do without them. It's up to us, and the important thing is free will and personal choice. You have to make the decisions that work best for you. Obviously listen to experts, such as nutritionists and your doctor, but if you absolutely cannot stand fat free sour cream, for example, then don't force yourself to eat it. Find another way to cut back and be healthy. As Red Green says, "We're all rooting for you. We're in this together." Hope everyone has a good week.
Some would say the biology of women makes us predisposed to gain weight. And to some extent it's true. When it's "that time of the month" we gain weight. We retain water. We bloat. Our bodies are hardwired to put on the pounds when needed, such as during pregnancy. And sometimes, we gain weight from too much pizza. That's what happened to me. I pretty much gained everything back that I'd lost last week. But, I know why. I had a "what the hell!" approach to eating which left me having Chinese, Pizza, and way too many Weight Watchers ice cream bars. It happens. And I know why I gained weight, so I can do things, like going out and walking with my horse, to correct it this week and in the future. It's okay that we gain weight. Obviously too much weight gain can be unhealthy, as evidenced by my current desire to lose weight. Diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure, I could list the diseases members of my family have all due to their weight. I won't. I know what they are. And I'm sure, you have members of your family with the same diseases. But to beat yourself up for a minor slip-up is stupid and fruitless. I'm sure, just like me, there were several times during the week that you did make the right choice. Those are the times to celebrate. So I made lots of wrong choices, but you know what? I didn't stop at Culvers on the way home from Iowa City for a burger, fries, and marshmallow malt. I thought of those size 22 jeans I'd just purchased, and went, nope, I prefer the smaller jeans to the momentarily gratification of food. I did go out on Sunday and walk with my horse. I did choose pineapple for desert last night. Gaining weight or having a setback of any kind is not the end of the world... unless you let it be. So go back out there. Make your next choice a good one! Those good choices will add up.
What a great way to start off your weekend? With some adorable kitties!!! So we have six cats. And the relationships, well, it's like hockey - smooth sailing until someone gets mad. Then someone goes into the penalty box. (or gets clawed, oops!) But yesterday, I walked out to the living room to this:  That's about as peaceful as it gets. And, some cuteness. 
Answer a couple of questions about my Changeling release - Elemental Elves 1: Horse Play and win a five pack of glittery lip glosses and a 6oz bar of Shea Butter Passion Soap. With grapefruit, lavender and vanilla, this soap smells good and the shea butter is oh so soothing for dry winter skin. Pamper yourself with this gift package that will be given to one lucky reader who answers the following questions: 1) What is the name of Clarice's farm? 2) What does she do at her farm? 3) What famous Elf does Flynn look like? Answers can be found here: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=527 and here: http://www.marywinter.com/book_horse_play.htm Email your answers to: marywinter.lists @gmail.com (no spaces) by 7:00 pm Sunday, February 11. And good luck!
Writing Without Boundaries WHEN: February 12-23 WHERE: a forum on the message boards at the League of Midwest WritersCOST: $15 LOMW members/$20 non-members For more information: http://www.lomw.org/ INFO: When it comes to writing quoting the sage advice of “write what you know” seems like the smart thing to do. After all, an author relying on her own personal experience provides an authentic tale to the reader. But, writing only what you know creates a box in which the writer can become trapped. Writing without Boundaries teaches the writer to not only discover the limitations of her muse, but also to free them. This two week course aimed at intermediate to advanced writers will walk the author through determining her personal boundaries, learning about the opportunities to move beyond them, as well as boundaries which should not be crossed, and then making a plan of attack. With this information, the writer can return to the keyboard ready to discover a whole new world within herself and her muse. About the instructor: Mary commutes between her dream home near the Mark Twain national forest in Missouri, and her current residence in Iowa. She lives with a menagerie of animals including an opinionated horse and a cat who was a dog in past life. When not writing spicy tales of erotic romance, she enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy, spending time with her horse, and enjoying the outdoors. Lucky for her, her partner (hero) shares these same passions, and usually both of them can be found in their respective dens writing.
Those of you who have read the blog the last few weeks know I've been stumbling. I've fallen off the wagon, chased after it, hopped back on, threatened to duct tape my ass to said wagon.... well, finally, I had my head in the right place (see earlier ones about needing structure, I'm back to pounding out copious amounts of words on various works in progress), and the points went well. The exercise was dimmed this week due to the cold weather, but the scale posted a big loss, and I finally crossed and shattered that 75lb goal marker! Weight watchers gave me a blue star on my profile page. Hooray! *tosses confetti into the air* The moral of this story is STICK WITH IT! For any new habit regardless of whether it's weight loss or writing a book, quitters never win and winners never quit. Stick with it! Even if it looks horrible and like the worst possible thing in the world, those seeds of persistence that you plant will bloom. They will flower. And if you want to see what they emerge into, then you better stick with it! Last week we talked about celebrating the small victories. Celebrate the big ones too! Enjoy and whatever you do, DON'T GIVE UP!
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