I’m over at the Alinar Publishing Blog today talking about my Night Breed Series. There’s a small glimpse at how this series was created as well. Go give it a read!
http://alinarpublishing.blogspot.com
Lily
My grandfather used to say…If March comes in like a Lion, it will go out like a lamb. Well, yesterday, the last day of February, went out like a lion. Do you think that counts?
We were under a Tornado watch for much of the evening. I was on yahoo IM with writer friend Candy Nicks when the wind started howling and a glance out the window showed a black sky, trees leaning til their branches reached the ground and the sound whistling past the house caused my heart to skip a beat! I ran. LOL Ran like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. There was no ‘Auntie Em’ for me to scream for but I did yell for my son.
When I made it downstairs and looked out the French doors, I watched the rug on my back deck take flight. Well, not completely. My swing held one end of it in place. The grandkids had left their kite outside and I saw that little nylon kite rise up off the ground and go flying. Too bad the kids couldn’t see it. We never were able to get it to fly.
When the wind burst had ended and the rain finally started, the backyard was a mess, the deck furniture was shifted from their original positions and…my privacy fence was on the ground.
I dislike severe weather. I’m sure I’m not alone. For this to happen in February makes me wonder what this summer will have in store for us. There were 2 confirmed tornados in the area. No where near me, thankfully, and no deaths. Personal property damage, although a pain, can be easily fixed. A life can’t be replaced.
Today was beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky and it was fairly warm. As much as I long for spring, I’ll wait for warmer weather if major storms are in my future. I’m a chicken. I’ll admit it. As much as I love the Wizard of Oz, I certainly don’t want to go there.
I watched the final episode of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena the other night. The house was quiet…it was 2 in the morning, after all, and I had to restrain myself from squee-ing like some little girl having her first Justin Bieber sighting. This show is amazing! I’ve always been a fan of epic battles. The more hardcore the action, the more excited I am. And this is hardcore to me. Blood and guts, beheading’s, treachery, sex, scheming …*sigh* What more could a girl want?
I first caught this mid-way through the first season. One episode and I was hooked (that may have been due to the very appealing Andy Whitfield who plays Spartacus but I’ll never admit it!). I was devastated when I learned he wasn’t returning to Season 2 due to illness. I know nothing of this man other than what’s available on the Internet but my heart went out to him and his family. I also wondered what would become of my new favorite show.
Enter, Gannicus.
Season 2 started as a Prequel to Season 1 (very clever, I might add) and we get a chance to see the cast of the original season and how they became the men we knew. It was an interesting ride! Especially when we were offered a deeper look into Gannicus’ character. I won’t offer any spoilers for those who haven’t seen the show, but I will say, its hard not to be sympathetic to a guy who longs for something that can never be.
On the surface, these men, these Gladiators, are hard, tough, kick-butt and take names kind of men but deep down, they’re the stuff romance hero’s are born of. Tormented, alone, looking for a small piece of happiness that may never find them. I kept looking for the heroine to come sweeping into a scene and stealing their hearts but, this isn’t a romance. Not really. I guess the writer in me will forever search for that Happily Ever After, even while blood is spilled in the name of sport.
I don’t watch much TV or movies anymore. I can certainly find better thing to do with my time. I would rather immerse myself into an imaginary world (and characters) than sit like a lump on the sofa. When I ‘do’ hunt a movie to watch, I have to have my romance, even in those epic battles I love so much. If there’s no romance, what’s the point? If you can’t cheer on the hero and wait impatiently along with the heroine for his return, then there isn’t much point in watching. Well, there isn’t for me. The classic love story will never grow old and I’ll continue to watch them until I’m no longer able. It’s what draws me into a story and holds me spellbound. I still have hope for those Gladiators I route for and one day, I hope they find their heroine. When they do, I’ll be there waiting, watching, and cheering them on.
For the last year, I’ve been participating in a living history group, complete with 1800’s clothing. I even bought a new sewing machine and tried to make my own ‘southern bell’ dresses. Surprisingly, I managed to do that, quite successfully. I even made my daughter an 1800’s wedding dress.
I’ve had my picture in our local newspaper during a weeklong festival we have here. Me, in all my get-up, trying to stay cool in August, close to 100 degrees outside, and me, in my fancy ‘hooped’ dress with a minimum of 9 layers underneath. Staying cool was a challenge but the biggest obstacle I had? Keeping my corset up and in place! I kept um…falling out…of it. LOL I wasn’t cinched up tight enough!
I’ve read many historical novels and never thought much about the garments those heroines wore but now that I have my own, historically correct, I might add, I have a new appreciation for those ladies from days gone by. The corset, something everyone has heard of, was more torture device than anything, in my honest opinion. Not only is it uncomfortable, you can’t ‘bend’ at the waist. Those ‘bones’ won’t allow you to do so. They’re so tight you also have no choice but to stand, shoulders back, head held high and holding that posture for longer than an hour, strains in ways you feel for hours later. If you want to sit, it’s on the edge of a chair, back straight, otherwise you can’t get back up without help!
I complain while dressing but once I have all those layers on, you’re ‘made’ into a new person. I visited Boone Hall Plantation last November and got a chance to walk the grounds with others in our big dresses and it was an experience I’ll never forget. I imagined what it would have been like 100 years ago, strolling along the Avenue of Oaks, the tails of those dresses swishing alone the road. There was a ‘Ball’ that night and the dances were those performed back in the 1800’s. It’s a learning experience as well as an opportunity to teach a bit of history. I love it and hope to do it for many years to come…corset or not. Here I am in another of the dresses I made. Ignore my slip hanging out! That’s not very lady-like at all. 
I find myself reading historical novels with a ‘new eye’ now. I know what’s correct and what isn’t and the situations I see those heroines in, knowing what they have on under their dresses sometimes make me lift a confused eyebrow wondering, ‘Did they just fall out of their corset?” It’s not possible most times to do the things they do while in that get-up but I love a great adventure so I ignore more often than not. Is there anything in a book you’ve read that made you think, “That’s not possible!”
I’ve survived 4 days of complete time-suck activities and have finally made it back to my computer! I should be happy with the small break but my ‘To Do’ list is so long now, I’ll be playing catch up for a week. Of course, if I had enjoyed all of those 4 days it wouldn’t be so bad.
I’ve helped ‘move’ someone from one house to another (wasted my entire Saturday doing that), watched my grandbabies Sunday so my kids could move the last of the things we didn’t get on Saturday, Hubby has been home and for some reason, when he’s off work, I get nothing done (he’s off work today as well but I’m ignoring him at the moment. It won’t last long.) and I’ve been given another task to perform before the day is out. I feel like a trained monkey…just doing whatever task those around me tell me to do. I’m a month away from deadline and at this rate, I’ll be up in the wee hours of the morning to finish this book. Editing takes time and my time is getting sucked up before my day even starts. Nothing to do for it other than ‘Grin and Bear It’ but its getting harder to do that. And, now I’m whining – something I loathe doing but – this is my blog and I figure I’m due a good whine once a year, right? Right.
So, moving on now.
I’m going back to editing The Gathering. I can at least get a few chapters finished before my ‘task’ today. For those of you interested in the story, I have a 2 chapter ‘sneak peek’ posted over at my website. I’ll be posting a new chapter every Saturday up until the release date. So, go read the chapters and have a better day than I am!
I’m holding a contest over on Facebook! All you have to do to enter is ‘Like’ my Fan Page. I’ll pick 2 winners on Valentines Day for their choice of books from my back list. You have 4 days to enter!
http://www.facebook.com/authorLilyGraison
For those of you who ‘have’ read THE CALLING, in the coming weeks, I’ll be
excerpting chapters of the new book, THE GATHERING, before its release in April. The book is in ‘edits’ now and as soon as I have ‘ready’ chapters to post, those will also go up on the Group as well. In the meantime, grab your copy of THE CALLING and revisit Garrett, Rayna and all the preternatural creatures who take up residence in Wolf’s Creek!
If you would like to find out more about what I’m working on, or chat with me, you can find me on Twitter and Facebook procrastinating on a daily basis!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lily.graison
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LilyGraison
Lily Graison Yahoo!Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lily_graison/
(you can find the 10 chapter excerpt in the FILES section of the Lily Graison Yahoo!Group menu. Look under STORY EXCERPTS when you get there.)
I have several contests I’m running for the month of December, the first of which has been posted over on the Contest page. There will be (4) winners for our first contest, so head on over, check out the prizes, and enter. I’ll draw a winner on Sunday, Dec. 12th and post a NEW contest directly after. Good Luck!
