| Monday, July 30, 2007 |
| The Finish Line Is In Sight |
Well, I think it's safe to say that I'll make the 55k goal on That Kind Of Magic. Current count is 54828 and I'm on my last scene. Yeah! I just wish I could add another 10k to it... I'd submit it to Harlequin Blaze. I still have edits to do. Maybe I can lengthen it somewhere.
Its been a busy week and I think this week will be busy too. I hope I'll find time today to get tis book finished. I wanted it all done and edited by the end of July, but I guess I'll have to settle for just having the first draft done. Then I can plunge head first into the whole crit/edit thing which I love so much.
I'm just really looking forward to getting involved in a new writing project. I have the sequel to Sweet Forever to work on and also I've been considering completely revamping my 2006 Nano project, gutting it completely and begin all over again. Maybe its just because I love the title and the location for the story. I've been thinking of the characters I can add to it. I may go "sweet" on this one. I need to write something my mom will want to read.
Ugh... its that time of day. Six a.m. I have to get ready for work. My one day weekend is officially over and I have the rest of the week to look forward to. Except for Wednesday. I'm taking Wednesday off and my mom, the kidlets and I are heading out for the day, as long as my dad's health will permit. He's been going through a very rough patch right now and I hate the idea of him being alone. But I'm sure he'll be fine. |
posted by Ceri Hebert @ 2:36 AM  |
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| Wednesday, July 25, 2007 |
| This And That |
Thanks to The Long And The Short Of It for its review of Where One Road Leads . I really couldn't be happier with this story which has been my favorite from the get-go.
Here's a snippet of the review (please go to the review site for the entire review and see what else they're reviewing):
This moving story is driven by powerful events and even more powerful characters. This is small town life under a microscope, revealing the impact of memory and the driving power of blame, guilt, and revenge. Starting over for Krista Faye is not going to be simple...or easy. This is an unpredicatable but heartwarming intrigue that allows love to shine. Where one Road Leads, by Ceri Hebert is a compelling read.
Now if only I'd get some reviews of Finally Home.
Its been a hectic last week or so at work and I don't see it calming down any time soon. I think its fried some circuits in my brain because I've been dealing with headaches and neck aches and it's been killing my creativity. I'm SO close to finishing That Kind of Magic. I'm over 52K now and I'm pretty sure I can put it over 55K if I could just get more than a few paragraphs down at a time. I need to put work behind me when I get home.
Speaking of work, its time to get ready. |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 3:06 AM |
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| Thursday, July 19, 2007 |
| 5000 Doesn't Seem Like A Lot |
But it really is, when it comes to words in a manuscript, especially when that manuscript is winding down to its ending. But if I can manage to squeeze it out then I'd have a full length out of a story that I originally intended only to be 8000 words. Not to scuzzy.
I've spent the last few days looking for my short stories to send off to The Wild Rose Press, but I think I lost two of them. Not such a big deal, they were only about 1500 words long. I think I can manage to recreate them. Its just annoying though. I KNOW I saved them, but where, I don't know. I decided not to query the ones I do have "done". I originally submitted them to Woman's World and they were declined (much nicer word than "rejected"). In order to get them to WW acceptable length I had to shave a lot off them. I need to put the extra stuff back in. I'd rather wait until I have a story I feel comfortable submitting.
In the process of looking for those two wips I found a writing prompt I did eons ago and I really like it and I think I'll use it for a short. And I have a perfect character in mind to add to it. A rebellious teenage girl who decided to "trim" her hair and maybe I'll throw in a piercing or two. My teenage daughter decided to give herself a hair cut. Without the benefit of a mirror. *sigh* Now I have to get her to a stylist to do the clean up.
Now its time to get ready for a fun filled day at work. Yes, I'm being sarcastic. It might be pretty bad. |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 3:05 AM |
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| Tuesday, July 17, 2007 |
| Yeah! New Review |
Very cool, I found another review for Sweet Forever today at My Book Cravings. Just to clarify though, Hayden isn't there to meet her grandfather, she's meeting her grandmother, and she doesn't see her father again, she's actually never seen him before.
Otherwise its an awesome review.
4 Roses
Sweet Forever by Ceri Hebert
Contemporary Romance
ISBN #- 1-59998-462-8
Samhain Publishing
When Hayden Merrick decided to go and meet the grandfather she had never met she never thought what she might be giving up. She is torn, when she went to go to meet the grandfather she never thought she would see the father that had abandoned her again. Or that she would meet the man of her dreams while on this trip. Heat explodes between Hayden and Ben like nothing else. Can Hayden still believe that life is better back home when back home doesn't have the man she is becoming to love, Ben? Does back home mean more to her then the man she loves? Will she give him up? Or stay and live her life with the man that has given her more joy in a short amount of time?
Ben Winslow had not time for relationships in his life up till now. When he sees Hayden Merrick at his neighbors house all bets were off. Ben knows she is the woman he has only dreamed and hoped for. Ben had a fight on his hands proving to Hayden that life where they were was just as good as life back home. He only has so much time to prove to her to stay with him, before she goes back home. Can he change her mind in time?
This story by Ceri Hebert was a beautiful love story with some heat that will knock your socks off! Hayden had a lot to come to terms in meeting the grandfather she had never met then seeing the man her father that had abandoned her to the man that would become the love of her life. I thought the storyline was written beautifully strong and warmed my heartstrings. This story shows you that changing your life, moving somewhere other then home sometimes can be the best thing you ever did.
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| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 12:23 PM |
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| Monday, July 16, 2007 |
| Something New(ish) To Do & Another Review |
I was going through all my files last night and I found some short stories that I've decided have sat around long enough. I have about 6 of them that I intend to polish up a bit and submit to The Wild Rose Press and see if I have any luck with them. I won't make a huge amount of money, but there's certainly nothing wrong with getting my name out there some more and it'll help pave the way, maybe, for That Kind of Magic when I FINALLY have it done! I'm actually closing in on the end. I have at least 2 more scenes to write and tie it in with the ending that I mostly have done, finish that, and get it to my crit group.
I belong to a really big crit group. I have gotten really good advice from them, but sometimes I want something smaller. How does one go about finding a small crit group, one that has members I can trust. I do belong to several writers groups but beyond giving each other adviced here and there we haven't delved into the deep waters of a serious crit group. Maybe its time.
I'm dreading this week at work. My schedule has been somewhat modified (I found out that I don't put in enough hours in a day to take a lunch break-which I've been taking for the last 3 years) and we're shuffling duties around. We also got a mondo huge (biggest I've ever held) check for over 10,000 magazine subscriptions in and I'm the only one who knows how to enter these things. I'm going to be positively fried this week. On top of that we should have our new call center manager soon. Its going to be a man. That troubles me. We're an office of mainly women and we've always had a woman in the manager position. I feel that a woman can understand the needs of other women better, especially the needs of a mom. I get calls during the school year from the school that I have a sick kid and I have to go pick her up. I've never had a problem going to the manager and telling them I have to run for half an hour or so. But will a 25 year old guy (apparently one of the candidates up there) understand this? I just get the idea that its going to be really difficult to go to a man with problems. I guess we'll find out.
Okay, onto my new review. I stumbled on it over at Coffee Time Romance.
WHERE ONE ROAD LEADS
CERI HEBERT
Romance/Contemporary/SuspenseRating: 4 cups
Krista Faye is still getting over an accident that occurred 15 years ago. She was a nomad until she found her dog Gus in New Orleans. Now she tries to keep some kind of order in her life so she can be with him. Her bosses’ proposal to build a youth center in her old town is not an idea she is too excited about.
Matt Burgess, struggling to get over the death of his brother, is shocked to learn that Krista is coming back to town. He realizes he may not have heard the whole story but then he is a police officer. He decides he should at least give Krista a chance. He is not interesting in dating anyone and plans to keep it that way.
When Krista returns to the town of Quail Ridge, she knows she will be getting verbal threats as well as in-your-face disdain. But she has no clue what is in store for her as she tries to put the youth center together. Then when she starts receiving threatening phone calls and a brick through her window, she knows more serious things are bound to come. Matt does his best to keep an eye out, but his prime suspect will not be easy to catch. Will it be possible for him to get things settled down before someone gets hurt?
Small town people often hold grudges for a long time. Krista tries to make them understand that she is only there to help. Ms. Hebert writes a captivating story. Mat must remain focused on getting the bad guy. The love interest in this book is a surprise to all involved. That is what made it so enjoyable. Once feelings became known, passion follows.
Krista
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
4 cups. Not bad at all!! |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 2:56 AM |
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| Thursday, July 12, 2007 |
| Booking It Through Thursday |
Booking It Through Thursday
1. In your opinion, what is the best translation of a book to a movie?
The Stand. I had really low expectations for the movie after reading the book, which is one of my all time favorites, but I wasn't disappointed at all. I don't know how many times I've watched it.
2. The worst?
Definitely, without a doubt Dean Koontz's The Watchers. It's my favorite book by him but the movie was a complete and total disaster. I can't understand why the most fundamental thing about a book has to be changed. In the book the hero was an adult male, the heroine a woman he meets and falls in love with (Yah, have to have the romance). In the movie they turn the hero into a teenaged boy and the heroine is his mom (no, no romance in the movie). They turn good guys in the book to bad guys in the movie and vice versa. If I had seen the movie first I never would've read the book.
3. Had you read the book before seeing the movie, and did that make a difference? (Personally, all other things being equal, I usually prefer whichever I was introduced to first.)
I read the book first and was thrilled when I saw that it had been made into a movie. That thrill was stomped into a bloody pulp about 5 minutes into the movie. Boo hiss!!!! |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 3:44 AM |
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| Tuesday, July 10, 2007 |
| Boooooring |
Okay, maybe I should change that title. Sad truth is that I'm getting bored with my current story. I'm nearly 46K into it and I'm bored to tears with it. Well, maybe not tears, but bored enough. I want it to end. I guess I have the power to do that, don't I? So I guess I'll just have to hurry things along. Oh, that sounds bad. I want a good story, but I'm chomping at the bit to move onto something else.
I think I've been reading too many reviews. I wonder if its a good thing or not. I'm getting an idea of what seems to be selling (erotic shapeshifting vampire cats) and what isn't. I'm still on a high from my Mrs Giggles review, but its really made me wonder..... do I write around the information I'm getting from review sites, or just write what I want to write and hope people like it. That's what I've been doing, but I want to write what people want. Well, except for erotic shapeshifting vampire cats. I don't think I can do that. |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 2:45 PM |
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| Monday, July 9, 2007 |
| I'm All Tingly!! |
I've been surfing the review sites hoping that someone will review my new stories. Generally its a futile exercise, but today I struck paydirt. On Mrs. Giggles review site. I've been reading her site with interest since becoming published. She's a tough cookie who doesn't hold anything back. I cringe for some of the authors who's books she reviews and am envious of those who she praises.
She rates everything on a 1-100 scale.
I got an 88 for Where One Road Leads.
Here is the review....
Ceri Hebert's Where One Road Leads has a familiar storyline. I'm sure you have read a book with such a storyline: Krista Faye, a successful photojournalist, is finally coming home to Quail Ridge, New Hampshire, after staying away for fifteen years to settle some loose ends that arise after the death of her mother. She's bringing along her dog, Gus. She didn't attend her mother's funeral so the folks, who didn't take to her much previously, don't need much prodding to think the worst of her. And waiting at home is the man from her past, Matt Burgess. You can tell where this story is heading towards, I'm sure. A subplot about someone trying to kill Krista while she's in town spices things up. Conveniently enough, Matt is a cop.
However, there is more than meets the eye here. Krista left Quail Ridge because she had to spend time in prison. When she was released, she never came back. What happened was that she was driving under the influence fifteen years ago when she picked her boyfriend and his buddy from a party, and the resulting accident caused Krista to miscarry the child she was carrying at that moment as well as resulted with the deaths of a few people, including her best friend Liz and her boyfriend Eddie, who happened to be Matt's younger brother. And Matt was the first cop to reach the scene of the accident. "Oh boy" doesn't cover the situation, I tell you. There was more behind the accident that it seemed, but because Krista had been drinking and she happened to be behind the wheel that night, she was deemed guilty by everyone in Quail Ridge, including Matt, even before she was tried and found guilty.
I like Krista. She's a fascinating character. Her career has a photojournalist took over all the world where she captured scenes of people in all kinds of misery, therefore she often feels that she is some kind of bystander watching the world around her. This time around, she is determined to stay in Quail Ridge and face her past because she's tired of running away from it. Meanwhile, Matt is the complete opposite. Unlike Krista who has been fleeing from the past, he lives in it 24/7. His fiancée left him because the accident turned him into a very sober person who takes things too seriously and is therefore a difficult person to be in a relationship with.
I give Krista credit for being a brave woman to return to Quail Ridge because I don't think I will ever have the guts to face her past like she does here. I have to Ms Hebert plenty of credit too because the attraction between Krista and Matt manage to come off as very convincing despite the odds of that ever happening. These two characters are mature and sensible, if damaged, characters, and the way they connect, gradually but surely, makes a most heartwarming read. Ms Hebert allows her characters to behave like intelligent and reasonable adults who learn to live again with each other and as a result, the romance feels satisfyingly real and solid.
The biggest problem with this story is the mystery subplot which ends up being a convenient plot device to get Krista accepted by the people of the town while turning the villain into a cartoon character. While Ms Hebert on one hand presents the situation between Krista and the people of Quail Ridge as, appropriately enough, one with no easy solutions, the author nonetheless gives Krista an easy solution by letting the villain be such a cardboard bad guy that he becomes the convenient fall guy for everything that is wrong with Krista's life. This feels like a cop-out on Ms Hebert's part to me.
Nonetheless, Where One Road Leads is a most enjoyable heartwarming story that hits all the right spots with me. I appreciate that, for the most part, Ms Hebert doesn't make it easy on herself and her characters. This story is sometimes a bitter pill to swallow because it can be heartbreaking while at other moments it makes me sigh and go, "Awwww!" After all that is said and done, I can only say that this one leads me to a very nice place indeed.
Rating: 88
She calls me out on a few spots and I have to clarify that Krista wasn't driving under the influence... except she was under the influence of being really pissed off. Her passengers were under the influence though. But thats okay. I'm just thrilled that I did so well. She likes me, she really likes me! |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 12:17 PM |
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| Saturday, July 7, 2007 |
| Busy Busy Busy |
Its one of those weeks that you just wish would end and never come back.
No, it wasn't a horrible week. Just a busy one and it seemed to drag on and on. Now its Saturday and I'm at work trying to push through all this data entry because one of my "boys" left YET AGAIN. I swear I can't go through one Saturday shift without someone bailing on me.
I've been trying to get some writing done, did a lot in the car while waiting out the rain on the 4th. That was it. But there's been so much going on at home. My stepdaughter has decided that she wants to stay with us to go to school instead of moving down to South Carolina with her mom. So we have to get thing organized to get her into the school here, get everyone situated, which won't be too difficult. She spends a lot of time with us.
And thats that.
I want to go and check out review sites, but I REALLY need to work. I hate when my job interrupts my fun.Labels: . |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 9:32 AM |
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| Tuesday, July 3, 2007 |
| HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!!!!!! |
It's a hugely big day! My third book, Where One Road Leads has been released by Samhain Publishing
BLURB: Krista knew that coming home would be the hardest thing she’d ever done, but she never imagined she’d find forgiveness, love and someone who’s out to kill her.
Krista Faye has decided it’s time to put her dark past behind her and face her personal demons in her hometown. Matt Burgess isn’t ready to have her back, especially when he finds out that they’re going to have more to do with each other than he cares for.
There’s someone, though, who wants Krista gone even more than Matt, and the two are forced to work together to find out who so Krista can make her dream come true. Along the way, Matt discovers a woman with passion, confidence and unyielding determination. Krista finds a man who is able to put aside everything he’s believed for fifteen years and look beyond the scars the past left behind into a heart that is at last ready for love.
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I really like this story. It's a bit different than my others but thats okay. I hope it does well.
So, spread the word!! Thanks!!! Labels: New Releases, reading |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 2:33 AM |
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| Sunday, July 1, 2007 |
| NaNoWriMo To Be |
Well, I think I've come up with an idea for my November NaNoWriMo. I guess its good to think something up this far in advance, gives me enough time to work things out, plot, create characters and get all the little details together. I still have plenty of time to finish my novella and get to work on my sequel.
What a pleasant day it was today. Temps didn't get much higher than 70, and it was sunny most of the day. We got out for a short walk and I found the place I want to build a house. There's a piece of property right by a lake. There are no houses nearby, its completely undeveloped. I can so see myself sitting outside on a deck overlooking that lake, laptop in front of me. Of course it will never happen. I'm sure the land is really expensive and I can't imagine what it might cost to build a house. Ca-ching.
I can dream, right? Or I can write about it. |
| posted by Ceri Hebert @ 4:53 PM |
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