authorstreet

I have set up a new web site www.diannastreet.com come over and check it out. Let me know what you think.

I'm slowly learning the toys of this century. Not too long ago I got a new laptop. It's the first one I've had that can do more then Word. Vista came installed on it and I'm blown away. Last night I downloaded some digital pictures (I got the camera for Christmas) and now I'm going to attempt to post a picture here.






This is Thor. The most relaxed Kitty in the world. The only thing better than stretching out on the couch is stretching out across me :)


I did it!! I did it!!

Current Mood: bouncy

I learned how to use the weed eater yesterday :) I know it sounds like a simple matter, but ours is electric and held together with duck tape. I'm more than a little scared of death by electrocution. I also found out that my neighbors dog has an irrational hatred of the little weed whacker. He is a Jack Russell terrier and really good at making strafing runs. I'd be going about my business and poof the spotted menace was trying to bite the spinning string and just as quick he was gone. He would come out of no where. I had to keep one eye on the weeds and another roving the yard for terrier terrorist.

Which brings up another point. My dog passed away two years ago, and I haven't gotten another one yet. My question is how come there is more dog poo in my yard now then when I had a dog living there?? I'll concede that it may not all be from dogs. My husband feeds every stray that comes within sight of our house. I've been woken up by Raccoons, Opossums, Foxes, etc. But still YUCK!!

Today I get to burn yard trash (sticks, leaves, grass clippings, etc.) What fun.

Current Mood: good

I wrote a scene today that was full of emotional anguish for my main character. She has hit rock bottom in the story. In this one moment she has to choose to fight or die. On her hands and knees she cries out for God to save her and, as God can sometimes be, he was silent. She then begs for anyone to save her. For the first time in her life she is alone and abandoned and in every sense of the word she is lost. Which is the title of my novel;) As much as I enjoy writing, especially these scenes, I can't help but feel her pain.

This is why I write. I can put myself in ANYone's shoes and feel everything they do then step back into the safe world of reality. I think this is why most people read too. But for me reading doesn't have the same impact. I guess because I am more intimate with the characters I create, after all I've been with them from conception to birth and in every moment of their lives until their deaths.

I'm a little sad now, but I do know how the story ends and it will be worth it.

Current Mood: sad

I've noticed something about myself that is disturbing. If I don't torture, murder, or at least cause major mayhem every couple of days I get very cranky. Relax, I only do this on paper. When I'm writing and all is going well with the characters I feel less than satisfied. However throw in some drama, and carnage, and I'm as happy as a clam :) What does that say about my mental state??? I'm usually a laid back, non-confrontational person until I get behind a computer screen.

Evil characters are so much fun to write. I think it is because there are no rules. A protagonist can say and do anything with out fear of consequences, because they simply don't care. Its very liberating.

An antagonist on the other hand has to follow rules of good conduct. After all you wouldn't want your "knight in shining armor" bathing in the blood of an innocent. How would you feel if your favorite vampire slayer (Anita Blake) jumped into bed with a vampire (Jean-Claude) and sucked on his neck for a while? Or if Dudley DoRight all of the sudden started lopping off the heads of cute little puppies? I'd be horrified and probably throw the book against the wall in disgust.

In short I love to write mean, nasty, evil characters as much as I love to read them. Real life is a whole other matter.

Current Mood: cheerful

I didn't get to write yesterday because I was obsessed with research. I have a new story idea for when I finish my current WIP. It is amazing the things I didn't know I didn't know! And thanks to the internet I get to learn stuff from the top people in their field, everybody is on the net these days. I even found some research teams that let you apply to work with them. Of course you have to pay to work on their team and have some kind of skill they can use. But WOW!!!

Speaking of story ideas. Do they ever come at you faster then you can write. I find these juicy little nuggets everywhere. While I'm working on another piece something will spark or reading the newspaper or a simple street sign. I keep a file folder full of notes for future projects, hopefully when I go back to these notes I'll understand what I thinking.

I love the "What If?" I passed a street sign on the interstate naming a road and pointing the direction. And I got to thinking "What If" that sign was all that was left in this area? With no one around to explain what a street sign was would the knowledge be lost if there was a devastating disaster? I worked on that one for the hour drive to my Grandpa's house. I had fun.

(Thank God for spell check)

Current Mood: surprised

Day 2 :) I was at the library a few years ago, looking for and audio book, and I stumbled across Kelly Armstrong's Bitten. I fell in love with the story. This book and the second is about werewolves. She has done a wonderful job of creating a believable world and making her characters three dimensional. Her second book Stolen introduced other supernatural beings. I have since read everything she has written and I can't get enough. At her website kellyarmstrong.com there is some on-line fiction (short stories & novellas) that are just wonderful. You don't have to be familiar with the books to enjoy these, but if you are it makes the experience richer.

Okay, Okay, I said I was going to update this more often and I've failed. But, as they say, today is a new day. I was reviewing my old post and I can't believe that I haven't talked about my favorite authors. I did talk about LKH's Anita Blake series and yes I do love it. But there are soooo many other good, no great, authors out there.

Kim Harrison comes to mind. Her first book Dead Witch Walking was a little hard to get through, but by the end I was glad I read it. Her other book have gotten a lot better. They've moved to my "Drop everything and read now" list. I love her kick butt action and Jenks is a hoot. Fist Full Of Charms is by far my favorite and a lot of that was thanks to Jenks. She did an amazing job on his character. Her new book is For A Few Demons More, (I think she has a thing for Clint Eastwood westerns:) is out and wonderful as usual. There is a very steamy (DON'T worry NO spoiler) scene that got me and my dear husband thinking ;) And ANY book that can make me cry has got to be a good one. Pick up a copy, you'll be glad you did.

Well that is all for today. I will update this more often (cross my heart and hope to die)

For Christmas my Mother-in-law bought a TiVo for us. My husband, who is electronically challenged, handed me the box and said, "Do it." Well I did it!!! I don't want him to know but I couldn't tell a coaxial cable from one of those three prongie thingies. When I say "coaxial cable" it sounds impressive, but I read it on the directions. Last night I got the TiVo hooked up and programed, yeah me!! This morning I couldn't get the DVD or VCR to work after an hour of plugging it in and out of the same holes I realized that I didn't have either of them turned on, Okay I'm blond it's just something I've learned to live with. My sweet husband is impressed that I'm a techno whiz, I'll let him think whatever makes him happy.

Next project- In the bedroom, hook up the old VCR (cheap Wal-Mart special from the early '90's) and a new DVD player to a TV left over from the early '80's. I'm not sure it can be done. I needed an excuse to get a new TV anyway:)

Current Mood: satisfied

Yeah I'm going to update this two days in a row. I'm so excited!!

Now what??? How about I start off by asking for opinions of erotica? Yeah that will work. Do you like to read it? If so, what do you like? If you don't, why?

I've started a new project, an erotica, featuring demons. The antagonist is a female demon that gives new meaning to cold hearted bitch and the protagonist is a dammed human who is one of her soldiers. I wanted to play around with morality in this story, even tho a demon has no morals, the theme is going to be "can the power of love redeem a lost soul." I want it to be steamy and over the top but I want the "happily ever after" ending to be positive and inspiring. Is this something you would want to read or am I the only lunatic??

Current Mood: contemplative

Hello Again. I have failed to up date this site again, again, and again:( But the good news is that the only place I can go is up:) So it is my New Year's resolution to do better.

I think I'll start by updating you on my activities since my last log on. No, that will take too long and bore you to tears. The long and short of it is I've been working my butt off at my day job, run by tyrannical lunitics, writing very little, of which I'm ashamed, and I've been sick. The flu:)- Today is the first day I haven't prayed for a silver bullet to put me out of my misery;)

I have gotten some reading done, which is always good. I've read three of the Fifth Millennium series (S.M. Sterling & Shirley Meier). I love the world they have created, but I didn't fall in love with the characters. The books are very well written with all of the wonderful color that each book needs but I don't think I was entertained. My husband, however, loves the series and proceeds to drool whenever it is mentioned. I guess it just goes to show there really is different strokes for different folks.

The new series I'm reading, which brings up a question, why do authors love to write series? It seems as if everyone has a series. Are we being lazy by living in just one world? Or does that world really turn us on? I would love to hear your comments. Don't worry Mama it's easy to leave a comment and you just might have fun doing it too. Sorry guys I got off on a tangent, I told Mama about my Live Journal today and she said she would stop by, everyone wave "HI"

Back to the point. I started reading Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake books. The first two books were finished in about a week, I had to work sometime. I love her voice and sense of humor. These books are very fun. I also love kick butt female characters that aren't afraid to be feminine. Right now LKH is my favorite author, no offense Kelley Armstrong & Kim Harrison I love you ladies too and you'll always have a soft spot in my heart :)

Well I'll go for now. I hope I can get the spell check to work

Okay, I've not been good about keeping my LJ updated. I promise I'll do better in the future. I was reading on my favorite forms, RomanceDivas.com,about blogs and one of the posters said if you couldn't post at least three days a week it was better not to have one. What do you think about this?

I'm not sure what I think. I don't want to waste your time with small talk and I would rather post things that are interesting. But I have a typical life, thank God, not a soap opera. So I'll tell you the most interesting thing I've done this week.

I cleaned the bathroom!! Anyone that knows me will gasp in astonishment because I'm the worst housekeeper in the world. Okay, maybe not the world but at least in my circle of friends. I prefer to spend my time watching tv, reading a book, cooking, and most of all spending time with my dear husband :)

The bathroom was yucky too!! Every Thursday night Hubby has his friends come over and I am constantly amazed how many grown men are not potty trained. Mothers please read this twice. GROWN MEN ARE NOT POTTY TRAINED. I think the cats do a better job of hitting the litter box then his friends do hitting the toilet. Maybe I should invent a litter box for men to stand in and if they hit there feet then its okay.

I hope this doesn't sound like a rant because I've accepted the fact that my house is destroyed once a week and Hubby does help, a LOT:) , but you wanted to hear the interesting parts of my life. I hope I've satisfied your curiosity:)

I was looking over one of my discussion forums. BTW I suggest you check out RomanceDivas.com and get signed up ASAP they are great. Anyway, I found where EXtasybooks.com is accepting new submissions and my heart broke all over again.

Its a long and overly dramatic story, but in a nutshell: I signed a contract with them for my first novel, they did not fulfill the terms of the contract and now I have the rights back.

This first novel represented years of blood, sweat, and tears. I had to rewrite it every time I learned something new. The first draft is an unintelligible mess. I shifted from first person present to third person past in the same sentence. Thank God no one knows where I've hidden this draft. ;)

I'm getting off topic. EXtasy's acceptance of my MS was total validation for me as a writer. I started to think that maybe I wasn't the two bit hack I thought I was and one day I would be able to quit my day job and write full time. Talk about a dream job :)

Well all of that came crashing down around me when I got EXtasy's e-mail relinquishing their rights. I thought I had dealt with all of this until today.

Please, dear reader, forgive me this spewing of toxins. I'm a very positive person and I promise that to have more positive things to say next time:)

Hello, This is my first time to use a blog. I'm not sure what I plan to do with this site, but the possibilities are endless:)