THE WINDFIRE SERIES

Thursday, December 25, 2014

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!



To add to the fun, go HERE, to have Tom Hiddleston sing to you!

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLRGLCxc8_s

The video was posted by a member from Rodney Crowell‘s team, who wrote, “Rodney Crowell and Tom Hiddleston, working on the soundtrack for I Saw the Light take a short break to spread some holiday cheer at Rodney’s studio with his wonder dog, Mono.”

I hope you all have a GREAT holiday!

Best,

Tamsin :)





Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Vacation is soooo close...I can taste it!



Mmmm....my stay-cation is almost here...and if I get to stare out my window at something like this while I drink the amazing tea my friend Taylor got me in Paris, while I hug the dog, empty out my DVR, and do writing...I'll be a happy camper!

For honestly, that's ALL that's on my "to do list" for my stay-cation. I will write, submit my manuscript to the publisher before end of year, clear out at least 50% of my DVR, play with the dog (as he'll be cone free by the 31st!), and enjoy sleeping in snuggled up with my new, fuzzy comforter.

I know, it's a really long and difficult list, right? LOL!

Today is my last day at the office until I return on January 5th! Woooooooooooooooo! Soon I'll whisk on home (in the glorious rain of Christmas in NYC) and make some tea (cause I got TONS of great tea for Xmas already...some from Paris and some from Teavana!), put on PJ's, and snuggle up to relax....you know, that thing I never usually do on a vacation.

You see, 98% of all my vacations that I've taken since becoming a writer include going to conventions. So...I take 5 days off...2 of them are for travel/loading in my stuff/building booth/etc, and the others are spent hocking my wares on my feet for MANY hours at a time and sleeping very little. Do I enjoy it? I do, most of the time, but it's not a real vacation...even though I take vacation days for it. My boss has been urging me to take a stay-cation here and there (like, take off Friday and Monday and just get some rest) and now I am.

Many might say, "Isn't that what your weekend is for?"

Ummm...have you met me? Better yet, have you met many New Yorkers? We spend weekends running around town like idiots. We go work out at the gym, we do our laundry, we clean the apartment, we do the grocery shopping, we stop by a friend's Bday party or maaaaybe we go out to dinner with friends, but usually....it's just the necessary shit. Why? Because we don't wanna do it during the week because we work long hours and once we get home, we don't head back out again. Not to mention, we likely go to the gym 2-3 times after work. So our weekends consist of getting a bunch of stuff done. I make sure to sleep in on Sundays, as it's my ONLY day to do that and I make it happen unless I need to be filming or at an event of some kind that cannot happen at another time, and take the dog to the dog run (when he's not in a cone of shame). Hence...why I'm so excited about this stay-cation!

Plus, hey! It's Kadin's first Christmas...AND...for the first time since I met my best friend, I get to spend New Years Eve with her. YAY!

So...I hope you all have a lovely 11 days w/o me (ok, maybe I'll find time to post on here...maybe) and I'll catch you all on the flip side! 2015...bring it on! I say this is the year I get an agent and a book deal! SO.....let's make that happen, shall we, universe?  :)

Have a great holiday, folks!

xoxo

Tamsin :)

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

SANTA'S COMING!




OH NO! It's two days until Christmas...did you get all your shopping done?

I can say that I am almost done! Woot! In NYC we have two locations in Manhattan that have what I call, ETSY ON ACID. It's little shops in tents lined up to make a maze like a village of cool things to buy people for the holidays. One village is in Columbus Circle and the other is in Union Square. I think the one there at the Southwest entrance to Central Park (Columbus Circle) is bigger than the other, but both are fun...if you don't mind crowds and pushing through to see things from time to time. There's food and jewelry, and toys, and food, and hot chocolate, and cider, and scarves, and art, and foooooooood.....well, you get the picture. It's a day of wandering, eating/snacking, drinking hot beverages, and buying special things for those you love.

I actually make a point of buying a few gifts there each year. I found 4 of them there this time around. I got 1/2 of mom's stuff there, Lauren's bigger gift is from there, and I was SUPER excited to find a gift for one of my best friend's and his wife while I was there. I shouldn't have spent the money. I am sincerely poor at the moment...but it's Christmas and I like giving things to people I care about...so thus I'll be creating food from things in my pantry until next payday (and likely using cereal or a protein shake as a meal more than once). But it'll be worth it to see their faces at the cool things I found that really fit them.

HUGE thank you's to my mom, btw, for passing down that gene. The, "I know exactly what to get you for Christmas" gene. She's GREAT at buying gifts that fit people. Thankfully she passed that down to me. For a laugh, I'll tell you that when I left the Patient Accounts Department at MSKCC for the Pharmacy Department...more than one person made note that I'd not be around anymore to be someone's Secret Santa and THAT was the real tragedy. LMAO!

ANYHOO...

All I have left is to get things for those who have helped me with Kadin this year. If they have a dog, I'll get them something doggy related and sign the gift from Kadin. However, there's a couple who has been a life saver for me and him and they don't have a dog, so I plan to get them a gift for them. Probably going to have to buy all these things on the next payday...but it's the thought, not the timing that counts, right? So what if they get it on January 1st! (*hangs head in shame*). I hate being poor.

Well, I best get back to work (cause yes, I'm in the office today).You have the rest of today and tomorrow to shop...so get out there and get it done, people! So be careful, keep your patience with the sales staff whose feet hurt so bad by now that the pain has taken over their whole body and they are exhausted (Plus, at this point they hate you...not you you...just shopper you...#BuffyLogic).

Good luck out there, folks!

Best,

Tamsin :)



Monday, December 22, 2014

SONY + North Korea = What a bloody mess!

Let's be honest, this whole thing is horrible. Kim Jong Un is a dick-tator, a horrible human being who gets off on control and creating fear...much like Hitler. I believe he should be stopped...the way he treats his people puts fear in my heart for them. In fact, I have this secret hope (from seeing too many movies, obviously) that we have undercover forces in place in North Korea to dismantle his TON of nuclear weapons so we can swoop in and get his ass off the "throne"...(can someone please draw me Kim on the toilet...cause that's the only throne he should ever sit on).

Anyway...I digress...

I've been involved in the performance field most of my life, so you can imagine 80% of my friends are as well, and the chatter on this whole thing is HUGE. The fact that terrorists from NK came in and basically won against USA, and got their way, is disturbing. Of course, what was SONY supposed to do when all the theaters refused to show the movie for fear of being bombed and being responsible for the deaths of American citizens on their property. I say they should've mailed that puppy out anyway. If the theaters don't show it, they don't show it, but then SONY isn't kowtowing to terrorists. Then again...for all we know, the President of the USA might have contacted them and said, "Pull it, we have a plan!"...and God, I really hope that's the deal. If there's any president I would trust to get KJU out of NK, it's the man that caught Osama Bin Laden.

Alas...here are some of my thoughts on what this whole thing could mean moving forward:

1. Actors and Producers are going to have to work it into their contract with a studio that if they pull the movie that they get a payout.
2. Who is going to want to do a movie with SONY at this point? And I don't mean just because they pulled the movie from being released, I also mean because of the things said in emails about actors and such that got out. How many actors/producers are going to want to stay with SONY or pitch a movie to them at all? Will SONY fire the top people and start over so as to keep things moving or will actors, producers, and all the others nasty things were said about, just let it slide?
3. If something like this can stop a movie, what else are they going to try and stop? They succeeded with a movie, what will they try to do next?
4. If North Korea continues to do this...will the USA retaliate? And if so, will it be via the internet or will we try to go into that country again. It didn't work out so great for us last time...so...yeah.

Anyway, I'm not NEARLY as "in the know" as one should be to talk about it...but here are two articles with people who are. So, if you're interested in hearing about how this is affecting things...here you go:

George Clooney talks about things HERE, as he speaks to Deadline.

OR...go HERE to read what Harold Furchtgott-Roth from FORBES.

If you want more info, go to Google and just type in Kim Jong Un's name...and trust me, you get A LOT of stuff.

Well, since this blog isn't really for political things, I'm going to keep it short, and leave you with a laugh...

HERE is Dr. Evil on Saturday Night Live (12/20/14 episode) with a funnier take on things...

Take care and remember to thank God you don't live in North Korea. This whole situation might be scary in many ways...but we still live in a free country where no one turns off our power or water at 8pm each night. So keep that in mind. And here's to hoping things do not get worse as we move into 2015.

Best,

Tamsin

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

It's gross out...let's listen to Benedict Cumberbatch...


Sing with me now...

Oh...the weather outside if frightful...and my office is not delightful...it's as cold in as it is outside...as it snows and it rains and it snows...

GROSS.

I hate this time of year.

No, not Christmas, the weather in NYC this time of year. It can't decide to rain or snow or sleet or hail or just...shit on us New Yorkers as we try to shove through the wind and rain with our wet, down jackets (cause that's nice) and try not to hit each other with our umbrellas. Which reminds me...

Dear New Yorker with the oversized umbrellas,
F*ck you. -Love, Tamsin (Happy Christmas!)

 Add to it that two of my roommates have flown off to Phoenix, AZ, and though that leaves me with a quieter/cleaner apartment...it also leaves my poor doggy alone more while I'm at work. :(  Poor boo. So I'm texting people to see who wants the joy of walking my dog in the "wintery mix"...aka "NYC Winter Crap"...thankfully, my neighbors LOVE Kadin, so they didn't tell me to bugger off.

Anyway...saw Foxcatcher over the weekend...and DAMN! Really, see this flick before the ending leaks out to you. Cause...man...it's heavy. The acting is phenomenal...however, I'm rather miffed at the SAG Awards People right now because both Steve and Mark are up for awards, but not Channing. *sigh* Tatum did amazing work...and I'll be honest, I think he's done more on this than Ruffalo (Sorry, Mark). And I don't mean just learning to wrestle. The work on his walk, facial movement, speaking, and so on and so forth is great! Here's the thing, Channing is SO charismatic in real life, and in many of his movies, that to see him play someone who is the opposite was so interesting and powerful.

SO...go see it! I don't want to say anything more...it needs to be watched, not explained.

That said...I have to get back to work, I leave you with something fun to do at your desk, since we are reaching the 3pm slump mark of the day...

This is a GREAT interview with Benedict on The Nerdist. He's so very genuine...like he totally forgets the microphone is even there most of the time.  He talks about life, acting, his tendency to do drama, being "famous", and a bit on Frankenstein, which I just saw (and will review soon), as well...but not really about The Imitation Game until the very end, which I bet he loved, since that's ALL he's been having to talk about for AGES.

At one point they make reference to his imitation of people on this MTV interview...it's HERE if you want to see it.

Oh, and enjoy a lot of uses of the word "fuck," Ben seems to love that word as much and I do! ;)

Here's the link if the embedded one I put there doesn't work:
https://soundcloud.com/the-nerdist/benedict-Cumberbatch

Catch you on the flip side!

Tamsin :)





Monday, December 8, 2014

92Y and The Imitation Game

Hello, horrid Monday...I'm going to try and make you better with pictures of Benedict Cumberbatch and a funny story...

So...My friend, we'll call her Lisa, has a thing for Benedict Cumberbatch...even more so than me...but not quite as badly as those people you see on line who obviously have no other life. That said, she found out about a special preview screening of The Imitation Game at 92Y with a Q/A afterwards with the man himself. Tickets were about $60 for members and only members could buy tickets at first.

Lisa waited and continued to check the website until she say the "purchase tickets here" become live. As soon as she did, she went online and bought two tickets. And for some reason, it assigned her to Row AA. Well, we looked that up on the seating chart and it was front row.

FRONT FUCKING ROW!

Forgive my f-bomb, but come on! And here's the thing, the ticket cost $10, each. She thought it was a fluke...thought there was no way. But then, the charge showed up on her credit card and she received a confirmation email, and then, days later, an email concerning arrival and so on. So we both didn't actually think we were going to get to see this.



Lisa arrives early to pick up the tickets and when the ladies behind the plexiglass see how much she paid for the ticket, as it's printed right on there, she is informed of the real price for that seat. She tells them, "I just went online and bought it." Which was the truth! And they handed them to her and told her to enjoy the show, stating it must've been a computer glitch.

Let's just say that front row tickets were easily over $100. Ok?

Anyway, Lisa and I sat in our seats and waited, stating that until the lights went down, and the movie started, it wasn't really going to happen.



But it did. And we got to see The Imitation Game weeks before others and Benedict was easily only ten feet from us during the Q&A. I snuck a few pics (which is what I've peppered throughout this post) but let me tell you I honestly was too close for good pics with those bright lights that made him appear orange. LOL!

He was quite stunning, and literally was directly in front of Lisa. I was so proud of her for not passing out. ;) JK! (sorta)  Benedict is as handsome in person as he is in the best pictures you've seen of him. He's very tall, with big feet and long, elegant fingers that like to touch his mouth a lot when he's thinking or talking. His eyes...damn...they are amazing. They light up when he's excited about something and they become so on fire when he's passionate about a topic, it takes your breath away. As you know, he's well spoken, and smart...but he's also silly and was a lot of fun to listen to speak. Even if at certain points I got distracted by his fingers, or when he ran them through his waves of hair...


The movie....I'll do a review next, but for now I'll tell you it's just as you'd imagine: well acted, well written, heart breaking, exciting, and beautifully shot. I sincerely hope his work for this gets him an Oscar nod, even if he loses to Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything...who I feel is his only real competition (no office to the other actors doing great work this year, and there are a lot of them!).

So that's my fun story of how I got to be so close to Benedict Cumberbatch in 2014. LOL! It was the luck of the draw, so to speak, and Lisa and I had a great time! OH...and just a fun tidbit, when we stood up for him at the end and he stood and stepped down, I waved at him and he took a step toward coming to shake our hands in the front row, but he caught a motion somewhere in the corner of his eye telling him no, and had to zip off stage.

I sincerely wanted him to come and shake Lisa's hand...it's the reason I caught his eye, smiled, and waved at him. And it almost worked...almost. Oh well, I get an A for effort, right? HA!

Take care...and I'll have a review of the movie up soon!

xoxo

Tamsin :)

Friday, December 5, 2014

IT'S FRIDAY, PEOPLE!



So, what are your plans this weekend? Are you going to do anything fun?

What? Who, me? I have a puppy...this is him:


That means I don't do much of anything fun anymore that doesn't include the words, Dog Run. LOL! However, this weekend is a bit different. I'm seeing a friend tonight for dinner/movie (Foxcatcher) because Kadin has a sitter. Then, tomorrow, I have the TGIO party for National Novel Writers Month. TGIO Party...aka Thank God It's Over Party...is a chance for all those who participated in NaNoWriMo to gather, drink, be merry, and enjoy chatting about writing. Whether they discuss the writing they just did or writing coming up...or whatever...it's fun to stand around and drink and talk about what I love most...writing.  (For more on NaNoWriMo...go to my post on 11/1/14).

Sunday...well...I'll be, you guessed it, AT THE DOG RUN! (As long as it doesn't rain). PLEASE LET IT STOP RAINING!!!! Yee gads! It's been raining and gross since friggin' Monday! My puppy desperately needs to go run his butt off w/o getting so filthy that I have to bathe him....AGAIN. Mind you, on Thanksgiving my roommate bathed him (Thank you, Emily!!!!) because if I had, I'd have had to do my make-up and hair all over again and we did want to get to my best friend's apartment for food and stuff before 8pm.

It's funny...I feel like this blog is a NEW thing now that I can write on it....so I apologize to my Facebook friends...you're gonna get a blog post links more often. I won't always talk about writing or film or my books or SKYE...but it's likely to come up often. So be "warned".

OK...time to get my bum back to work.

For those who do not know, I have a thing for British everything, specifically men...two of them would be Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston. And since Monday's post is a bunch of Benedict (due to my chance to see him, live, ten feet from my face)...we'll end today's post as we started it...with my "boyfriend," Tom...

So...I leave you with this...



And this....



And of course...this...



Have a GREAT weekend! :)

Hollywood Roundtable with Oscar winner possibilities for 2014

















OK...I hadn't planned on this post...but I'm SO jazzed about watching this interview by The Hollywood Reporter, that I am at that point where I cannot NOT write about it...you know what I mean?

First off, it's 49 minutes long so you do need the time to watch it (you can totally watch half now half later and be fine, that's how I had to do it) but if you are an actor/writer/director/etc...you should watch this. You can find it HERE. Or, cut/paste this link:
 
That said...I want to talk about the beauty of this, but I'm afraid all my brain is doing right now is screaming, "That was so effing cool! Oh the things said and the feeeeeels!" I'm afraid I'll not do this justice...but dag nabbit, I'm gonna try.
 
The interview is of Oscar worthy performances by men this year. So you have Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Michael Keaton (Birdman), Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), and Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything).
 
Ok...easiest way is to state the moments that stick out for me...
 
1. Channing Tatum. Just him in general, because he's the odd duck at this table, yes? Thing is, he knows it and you can see it in how he sits and speaks...yet he says some of the best things when he talks because its from the heart. If you start at the 9 min and 55sec mark, he will talk about how wrestling and acting are alike...his explanation of fear...just beautiful. I specifically noted the 14 min mark for him, so...definitely watch through to there.
 
2. Ethan Hawke. I know almost nothing about this guy...but man, did I love listening to him! More so in the 2nd half than the 1st. He doesn't say what you think he will, and yet, he's got this...honesty about him, and yet I feel that word isn't clear enough for what I mean. Like he's not afraid to just say what he believes. I especially got moved when they were asked who was someone you looked up to when you were starting out, and the person he looked up to is AT the table and he starts to choke up while talking about it. You can barely hear it, but it's there.
Other than that, I specifically I enjoy his answer to what role he'd like to play. He says there's no one specific role, but to do something original where he and the writer just click...in that moment, in that time, in that role/film...they click and it's magical. As a writer...damn, I know I want that too. I secretly think that if SKYE gets picked up, Lauren and I will get to have that at some point.
**Side note: Did you know this man has 50 films under his belt in 30 years of working? How can it be 30 years since I first saw him in Dead Poet's Society???!!! (Dear God, I'm old)**
 
3. I adore Michael Keaton's and Benedict Cumberbatch's reaction to Channing talking about a failure of his and how they tell him it's not...then to watch as Channing can't look at them or us (head down as he bobs it in acknowledgement) very likely because it's too heavy to take in or say anything to b/c these two brilliant men tell him his biggest failure (in his eyes) wasn't a failure at all. THAT had to have been a moment for him. It would be for me. I'm excited to see Foxcatcher tonight...meaning, I'll let you all know my thoughts on Channing's performance next week. I'm not sure if I root for him b/c he's the underdog, or because he's such a genuine individual.
 
4. Michael Keaton...what a gem this man is. He's been there, done that, and is honest on why he stopped for a bit. I'm really interested in seeing Birdman (most likely on demand at home vs. the theater, but still, very interested to see his work on it). Then,near the end...he addresses Ethan Hawke on something (I don't want to give it away) that he didn't respond too really before...and it's a moment...it's brief, but it's there. You'll see.
 
5. The 3 Brits talk about how when you live in England and you want to be an actor...there isn't a real choice on what to do...film or theatre...it's just theatre. You train for the stage. Books/Reading are emphasized there where as visual things are emphasized here. So it is with stage there and film here...pilot season was the example on that. How they don't have that. I found that interesting. PLUS, how we tend to celebrate the young, sexy actors, while they tend to celebrate they tried and true actors...who've been around the block. Example: Sir Ian McKellen.
 
6. Eddie Redmayne. If this man wasn't engaged...I would scoop him up and take him home! Especially after he talks about meeting Steven Hawking for the first time and how he rambled on for 45 minutes...because silence bothers him, right down to, "Hey, we're the same sign!" So funny! He, like Cumberbatch, has a unique voice and look to him. I love that! I really am dying to see The Theory of Everything! I'm hoping to go next week or over the holidays with my stay-cation. I have the 25th off (for obvious reasons) but then don't come back to work until Jan. 5th. Eleven glorious days off!
 
7. Btw...can you guess who drops the first notable F-bomb? It's SOOOOOOOO not who you think! And after he does, everyone frees up a bit with their way of speaking and we get some more raunchy talk...not horribly, but enough that it feels like you're a fly on a wall at the home of one of them, watching them sit around and chat. (Note: Channing Tatum's reaction to Tim Shall saying "balls" is priceless. He holds it in only so long...)
 
8. Timothy Shall has one of the funniest stories about when he was in Midsummer at the National Theater in London. Which, btw, was the first show that Eddie saw that sparked his love of the magic in theater (it was one of mine, too...so that made me smile). Tim was playing Bottom and it was a stage covered in mud. I can't even imagine... Hell, I did that show in the rain and was unthrilled...imagine if it was all in the mud? No way. I'd pass. LOL!  Now, other than that, Tim (who you've seen in a lot, but may not know his name...especially those who saw the Harry Potter movies...he was Wormtail) spoke well about his movie, Mr. Turner...a famous British painter. I LOVED how he spoke of the human condition and how it relates to both acting and life. I believe one moment is at 39 min mark. (Note: The funny story he tells about Midsummer is at 32 min mark)
 
9. Benedict...he doesn't really say anything I've not heard him talk of before...or I'd likely have a page dedicated to him because I'm in love with his work like a damn sonnet! However, because I've seen EVERY bloody interview out there for The Imitation Game (including one in person, stay tuned for THAT tidbit on Monday's blog), I'm not SUPER blown away as usual, even though the things he speaks of about Turing and character are great.
Even with hearing all he can say on this movie/character, I still noted one thing what stands out about what he says is what he says about Alan Turing choosing chemical castration over 2 years in jail...and then the things about Alan he connected to since he's not a math genius. Plus, the short discussion this ignites amongst the men about which they would choose.
Also, his choice for an actor he looks up to is someone who played Hamlet (not surprising)...but it's his answer on who he'd like to play that will make you laugh...though he's joking, it's a prime example of him speaking before he thinks (which he does a lot) and his awkwardness that so many people react to. Benedict isn't this shiny star on the red carpet...he's not all polished and proper all the time. He's this weird chap who can look and be proper, but he just sometimes is a dork. That's why he's so popular, outside of his talent (Aaaaaand I still wrote a ton on him anyway...*sigh*).
 
10. Lastly I suppose I'll say I jotted some times down that hit me that I didn't already note. They were: 14 min, 38 sec; 15 min, 52 sec; 29 min; 33 min, 45sec; and at the 40 min mark Tim talks about the Brits and wanting to do Hollywood stuff that'll make you laugh.
 
There were a lot of, "I love that" sections, where I just basked it in and lived in the moment, and just let the need to jot down the time wash over me so as to enjoy it fully. So know there is a lot more in this interview that you will love...so go, watch it, and enjoy!
 
xoxo

Tamsin :)
 
 

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Mark of the Necromancer; A Sabrina Grayson Novel

So...I posted this on Facebook back in October, but I didn't put it up on here...
 
If you can't read that on your device or computer, have no fear, here it is:
 
Sabrina Grayson is dead and it's the best thing that ever happened to her.
As a child, Bree saw ghosts, but with age and parental influence, she forgot all about them. That is, until fate stepped in to bring her back where she belonged: with the dead.
Now she's a Necromancer; the only one known to exist who can travel the Death Highway and walk the Earth. New to the supernatural world, Bree discovers the truth about her past and now must learn who she really is. To do this, she will have to team up with Alex Pryce, the one man she can't stand. Only together can they figure out who murdered her and why they are killing Bree’s friends off one by one.
Determined to save them and the city she loves from the evil they find, Bree will have to put her soul on the line...even if it means going to Hell and fighting Lucifer himself.
I'm really proud of this book for multiple reasons:
 
1. I wrote 95% of it on my iPhone while in transit or sitting in line or a doctor's office.
2. This is the first book I've ever written that is single perspective and first person. I usually write third person, multiple perspectives (btwn 2 and 7 people, depending).
3. It's a totally new world. The two new books I'll put out this year, from the Moon Over Manhattan Saga, are the same world as Windfire, just years later and focuses on two werewolves in NYC. Even the Clandestine Conflict (short story series) takes place in that same world...just HUNDREDS of years later. The Sabrina Grayson Novels are a totally different world! I cannot wait for you all to see it!
 
I plan to pitch this book at an event in February...and see if anyone is interested. If not, I'll put it out on my own this summer (as it says on the picture).
 
Anyhoo...feel free to tell me what you think of the story concept in the comments or just love or hate it from afar, I'm good with either.
 
Have a great day, and remember, tomorrow is FRIDAY! Woooo!
 
xo
 
Tamsin :)
 

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

What link is that?

SO...you might have noticed that when I sign off now on posts, my name is a link to something...

SO CLICK IT AND FIND OUT!



xoxoxoxoxo

Tamsin :)

A Post Lady Jane's Salon Reading BONUS!

Hey there! So...like I said yesterday, I am going to give you all a taste of a section from Identity, book five in the Windfire Saga, that came out in May.

WARNING: NEXT PARAGRAPH HOLDS A SPOILER ON THE END OF BOOK FOUR, AS DOES THE VERY END OF THE READING SEGMENT, SO FYI...YOUR CHOICE. :)


 I love this scene because it not only has most of our main characters, but it shows exactly how messed up Atlanta (aka Windfire) is after losing her soul at the end of book four (Cydonia). As you may remember, Vampire Sickness causes the individual to really focus on the idea of survival. Shelter, food, water, clothes, companionship, and the ability to fend for yourself be it fighting or any of the previously mentioned items. So to her, it's kill or be killed...black or white...there is no gray...

That said, let me set up this scene.

Roman surprises Gray by taking him to the club to see Jensine and Windfire. However, near the end of the night, Windfire eliminates the competition in a way that does not settle well with everyone, and could possibly put other lives in jeopardy.

SELECTION FROM CHAPTER 11; IDENTITY

“I don’t understand what the big deal is,” Windfire muttered.

Rachel got into her face, pointing, “No, you wouldn’t, you broken piece of―”

“Rachel!” Jensine cut her off.

“Fine…fine…I’ll get us all some coffee…” Rachel said, stepping back.

“Thank you,” Jensine responded.

Rachel’s hands went up in defeat before she headed into the kitchen, leaving everyone except Hunter, who’d taken the kids to their dorms, to deal with the situation.

Windfire personally didn’t understand why everyone was so upset. Roman wouldn’t even look at her for more than a few seconds before anger got the better of him. He would begin to turn red, pace about the room, and mutter to himself.

Raising his voice this time, Roman said, “If Javin dies because of you…because we weren’t able to question what’s-her-name…”

“Candi,” Jensine said. “Her name was, Candi-with-an-‘I’. Of all people, I can’t believe you don’t remember her…she spent half the night up your―”

The phone rang. Roman ran into the kitchen and snatched up the receiver. Rachel was heard making a comment about how she could’ve gotten it, stating that Roman was being an uptight, controlling tosser. Hearing this, Jensine stood to head into the kitchen to diffuse the tension, when Roman stepped into the archway between the kitchen and living room, still on the phone, the long cord stretching out behind him.

“Is it Javin?” Jensine whispered to him.

He nodded and everyone in the room seemed to exhale at once.

“Did he get Gabriel?” Jensine whispered, again.

This time Roman held up a finger to ask her to hold on. Jensine grumbled something under her breath about giving him a finger, and plopped onto the couch. Josh sat and put his arm around her, urging her head onto his shoulder. She let it drop there and he ruffled her hair as Hunter came into the room.

“Kids are all in bed. What’d I miss?”

“A lot of yelling,” Josh said.

“Damn…ya know how I love a lot of yellin’!” he said with a twinkle in his eye and a wink at Jensine who couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Roman’s on the phone with Javin getting the update now,” Gray told Hunter, from his curled up, fetal position on the end of the L-shaped sofa. It was the first words he’d spoken since they left the club.

Windfire’s eyes rested on Gray for a moment, his body language telling her everything. He was freaked out over what she’d done, but there was more to it. What had Jensine whispered to Rachel as they arrived? His heart was broken? But why? Frustrated at what she didn’t understand, Windfire turned her attention back to the room.

Hunter plopped down on the sofa between Jensine and Gray, “It’s going to be fine, y’all. Gray, you saved the day by hearing that conversation. If you hadn’t, Phoenix wouldn’t know there are more people in Boston out to kidnap Gabe. That was a smart move, following the blonde chick—”

“Her name was Candi and she was a person and she’s dead now—” Gray started to say.

“She was going to kill you!” Windfire blurted out before she could stop herself.

Sitting up, Gray yelled back, “You could’ve thrown her, shoved her, anything…but no, you break her neck and set her on fire! Who does that?”

Windfire walked over to him, “It’s all that came to mind. She was going to kill you…” she reached to put a hand on his arm.

“Don’t you touch me!” Gray screamed out, pulling away from her.

“I’m not going to hurt you!” she yelled back.

“Can we all please be quiet so I can talk on the phone?” Roman pleaded, his frustrated voice carrying over the group.

Everyone muttered a ‘sorry’ of some kind and Windfire walked back over to the big chair and sat down. They all stayed silent until Roman finished his conversation and returned to the living room.

He sat on the arm of the sofa, next to Josh. “Our call to Phoenix before we left the club paid off. They were able to take extra safety measures and get Gabriel to the mansion before daylight without being followed. Plus, Sean was able to alert them to a tracking device in the luggage. They removed Gabe’s and slipped it into another person’s bag.

“Since two members of the Clandestine Protection Agency were busy escorting Gabriel to the mansion, Javin sent the other three to follow the person who has the tracking device, to see if we can find this Talan guy Candi was talking to. Last he heard from Joe, they had two men in their sights and were tailing them pretty close. We hope to have them in custody soon.”

“Well, good riddance to them! They threatened my mother and Jensine!”

“What, you rather we burn them alive, too?” Gray offered up, venomously.

“Gray,” Jensine said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “You need to calm down. We won’t get anywhere if―”

“No, we need to talk about the fact that little Miss Lost-my-brain over there killed a woman and seems to not care one way or the other about it.”

“Why should I care? She was going to hurt people, Gray! It’s either kill or be killed.”

“There are other options,” he said through his teeth.

“What? Capture? Torture? Cause that’s more humane,” Windfire said, aiming for heavy sarcasm.

“Who are you?” Gray said. “Cause I sure as hell don’t know you.”

Something inside her abruptly hurt and she didn’t understand why. Shoving the feeling down into her gut, she stood. “I saved your putrid life, you dog…maybe I should’ve let her eat you…would you have preferred that?”

Standing, Gray said, “I can handle myself just fine!”

“Oh, sure you can. Totally looked like it as you stood there, motionless, mesmerized by her vampire stare…” Windfire stole a glance at Roman and continued with, “like some others in the room.” Pausing, she added, “She was part witch and she was working some sort of spell on you both. She spoke about hurting my mother and she was about to kill you…so I’m sorry if I saved your life. I promise, I won’t do that again!”

Windfire turned and ran out of the front door and into the mesa. With no idea where she was going, she ran away from the people who didn’t understand the rules. You either kill or you die, there is nothing else. How could they not see that?

She ran until she reached the front door. Opening it, she ran out into the morning air, the rising sun lighting the sky. She looked around and decided to head into the woods. She’d go find her mother and tell her what was going on…she’d understand.

* * * *

Hunter stood up and took two steps toward the front door.

“Let her go,” Roman said.

“She could go tell Mommy Dearest everything and then its wire hangers for us all,” Hunter pointed out.

“She won’t. She just needs time to organize her thoughts. Remember, Vampire Sickness makes it hard to think clearly on almost anything,” Roman explained.

“Then what’s your excuse?” Jensine asked.

Roman stood. “I think she did a spell on me.”

“Who? Candi?” Josh asked.

“No, Windfire. I’m not even sure she knows she did…but I honestly couldn’t tell you what Candi looked like, let alone what she said to me. All I know is what you all told me.”

“If she’s doing magic without knowing it, I really should go after her,” Hunter said, taking another few steps toward the door.

“No,” Jensine said. “Give her half an hour.”

“Fine. But if she’s not back by then I’ll go find her.”

Roman disagreed. “Actually, it should be Jensine that goes…or me. But yes, if she’s not back soon, we’ll go get her. Our bigger issue right now is that there’s a third player in town. Someone who is on our side but who thinks we support Valencia. With good reason, but still.”

“Agreed,” Gray commented.

Hunter sat next to Jensine, again. “What do we do about it?”

“Well, we got a small break. It seems that one of the two who were sent to the Boston airport for Gabe, is a cat lover. Lance could smell the hairs on the guy when the wind blew.”

“And that helps us how?” Josh asked.

“Well, if you’re a cat lover and you find a lost cat in your car that looks like a baby tiger…” Roman began to explain.

Gray was the first one to get it. “No way! Lance, in kitty cat form, is in their car…are you serious?”

“As serious as napalm,” Roman said. “Each member of the CPA has a chip embedded in their body as a tracking device. So, Joe and Jay can follow the car yet be far enough back that the two guys have no idea, plus, Lance is in the front seat of the car on the lap of the passenger and listening to every word.”

“So do we consider them allies or enemies?” Jensine asked.

“A little of both. They obviously are against Valencia, like we all are—but they don’t know we exist. Hell, if they’re based in Canada they may not even be part of The Great Order…they could just be a group of Hybrids who also know what Valencia is up to and want to stop her.”

“But by trying to kill Gabe and Thea? That doesn’t make any sense,” Josh stated.

“Question is,” Hunter said, “what will they do when they find out they failed?”

-----  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----  ----- 

Anyway...hope you enjoyed that! If you are interested in buying Identity, you can get it in paperback by going HERE or in E-reader copy by going HERE.

Thanks for stopping by the blog...and stay tuned for more fun stuff now that it's easy for me to post things again!

Have a great hump-day, folks!

xoxo

Tamsin :)

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Lady Jane's Salon Reading at Madame X


So...first off, a HUGE thank you to those who came to see me do my first reading of my work in NYC last night! It was gross out and you still made it, so thank you so very very much! Here are a few of them (missing from the pic are Emily, Erin, and Stacey). From L to R: Alexis, Lauren, Taylor, Larissa, and Sam.


For those of you who missed it, I ended up reading last and I can say, with much joy in my heart....that I didn't trip on the stairs of the stage either going up or coming down...so to me, that's a huge win! ;)

But seriously, the reading went well, and I got a lot of positive feedback not just on my past theatrical training (which comes in wickedly handy when doing something like this) but on the characters and the premise of the book. I only got to read from my Contemporary Romance, Duality of Surrender, which isn't available to purchase (so don't go thinking, "wait, when did that come out?"). It is, however been requested by a publisher and I will send them the full manuscript in the next two weeks.

Now, before I paste that piece here for you folks who missed the event, I think you should see what Madame X's looks like...


Yes...this brothel looking place, full of red lights, red furniture, red lamps and well...red everything, is just the upstairs loft at Madame X's and that stage in the far back is where we stood, with REALLY white lights on us, and a backdrop that said Lady Jane's Salon. Now, with how dark skinned I am (yes...that is sarcasm), you can imagine how I look in these bright lights.  You can't...oh, by all means...here you go:


Well, maybe I don't seem too pale here, but that's only because my friend, Leanna Rene Hieber, is more pale than I... LOL! :)  In this pic, I'm telling the audience a bit about what I write and what they're about to hear while she lowers the mic for me...cause it was at my forehead. HA!

Anyway, I told them how I usually write YA Urban Fantasy (motioning to my five books on the coffee table in the audience) and then explained to them what I told you at the top of this blog about the romance novel.

Once at the mic...I put on my reading glasses to make sure I didn't have any issues...

...and told them that I was reading a scene where Topher Matthews (the most talked about British actor out ATM) and Courtney Behrent (an up and coming American author) are stuck in an elevator together, and just survived the elevator falling 10 floors and are stuck, waiting for to hear back from security on if they can find someone to get them out.

I chose to flip this story about. Many romance novels, the woman falls for the man and has to grow to love her. In DoS, Topher knows he is infatuated with her. It is Courtney who is hesitant of him. In the scene I read she's...well, she's rather pissed off at him, with good reason. So...here you go...the section I read to them, minus the great voice I gave Mac (obviously), the elevator repair guy (...just know it was a bit Brooklyn...):

SELECTION FROM DUALITY OF SURRENDER:

“Oiy! Pick up!” A voice on the phone yelled out, interrupting them.

Topher lifted the dangling receiver and held it in a way where both he and Courtney could hear. “Hello?”

“Is this Topher Matthews?”

“It is. Who is this?”

“Hey! My name’s Mac. I work on the elevators for a lot of the buildings around here. Lucky for you, I was having lunch next door. So, the good news is the elevator is sturdy as a rock. You'll not be fallin’.”

“That is good news,” Topher replied.

“The bad news is that she's sturdy and stuck like a rock. We're going to need a bit more time since you’re between floors. Once we ease ya up or down we can pry the doors open for you and your lady.”

“I'm not his―” Courtney attempted to say, but Topher cut her off.

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Fifteen minutes, give or take. Thirty, tops. So just hang in up there and we'll be in touch. Oh, and I'm supposed to tell you to leave the phone off the hook. So, you know, they can hear if you need help or something.”

“Fine. Not a problem,” Topher said.

“Good. Next time you hear my voice, it should be through the door. See ya soon.”

“God willing.”

“I'm good at what I do, Mr. Matthews. Just you and your lady hang tight.”

“I'm not his lady!” Courtney yelled out.

“He's gone,” Topher told her, letting the receiver hang down again.

“Ugh. Well, at least we can move around.” Courtney stepped away from him into the center of the car. “So, since we have fifteen minutes at least, why don't you answer my question?”

He leaned against the elevator wall. “Which was?”

“Did you stage the run in last night?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Because I wanted  to―”

Courtney didn’t care about his why. “Including the reporter and camera?”

“Yes, but let me explain―”

“You son of a bitch. How dare you play with my life like it's a damn theatrical production!? You had no right! Last night or on that damn morning show, where you not only embarrassed me, but my family as well!” She turned to face him. “Not to mention, some fan of yours made it a point of making a scene in a public place to tell me how ugly I was. Oh, and that you must have just felt sorry for me. Ha!”

Topher stepped toward her, “Courtney…”

“Don't,” she ordered him, backing away.

Topher didn’t comply, and soon was close enough that her hands pressed against his chest. She noted that they shook as much as her insides, primarily because she couldn't hold the rolling emotions back anymore. Tears from last night and a month ago sprung into her eyes. Courtney looked at the ceiling in an attempt to blink them away, but a few escaped, upsetting her further.

“You have no right to talk badly about me! My poor father was in the ICU and you were trashing me! Why!?” She shoved him and he let her. “What does it do for you? I don't understand! Make me understand!”

Topher stepped quickly, cupping her face with his hand, and moving into her space before she could stop him. With only a quick, ardent look, his mouth crushed down on hers. Lips that were hot and hungry, desperate and captivating, possessed her in a way she'd never felt before.

The kiss deepened and Topher's long fingers slid into her hair at the nape of her neck, grabbing on while his other hand slid down the curve of her to nestle into the small of her back. Pulling her into him, he moved them until her back hit he wall.

Courtney’s hand slid from his chest, to wrap around the back of his neck. He tasted of oranges and black tea with a hint of cinnamon and smelled like cologne from the gods, causing her to heart to speed up and a purr to vibrate deep in her throat. Hearing this, Topher paused long enough to intake air before ravaging her mouth again, molding his body to hers, and exuding a moan of pleasure. She could feel every muscle of his tighten and release as he devoured her, lips moving to travel along her jaw to her neck before coming back to tug at her bottom lip with his teeth.

“Topher...” she whispered against his mouth before he could begin again.

“Shhh...don’t...” he rested his forehead on hers, as they both attempted to catch their breath, his thumb lightly dragging along her jaw line. After a moment, his lips gently brushed hers before saying, “I'm sorry.”

“Sorry?” she asked, needing clarification.

“I'm sorry I'm such a pratt.”

“Um...okay?”

He pulled back to look at her, his eyes more green now than blue. “I'm sorry I hurt you. I never intended for that to happen. That's what I was coming to your room to say. I wasn't able to sleep last night. In fact, I've not slept well since I found out about your father. You've been on my mind since the night we met and I am sorry for ruining your life. I sometimes forget to think of how things I say will be received, and dear god, stop me from blathering on, please?”

To do so, she put her lips on his, the kiss soft and brief, only lingering on departure when she replaced her lips with a finger to keep him from speaking. “Thank you for the apology.”

“Why do I hear a 'but' coming?” he mumbled behind her finger.

She took her hand away. “But…kissing me and saying you're sorry doesn't fix this.”

“I know. I didn't think it would. I just happen to find you fascinating and you are downright beautiful when you’re angry. Not that you're not beautiful when you're not upset, it’s just―”

“Wow, for a man who deals with people for a living, you do ramble on.”

He huffed out a laugh. “Brad says that all the time. I trip over myself mostly when I'm nervous.”

“Why would I, of all people, make you nervous?”

His gaze traveled over her hair and face like the hands of an attentive lover before his eyes held hers. “I don't know, but you do, and I want to find out why. Don't I make you nervous?”

“You make me angry.”

Now he laughed outright. “Well, that's something.”

“You are a strange man, Mr. Matthews, a very strange man indeed.”

“Hello in there!” Came a loud voice from somewhere outside the elevator doors. "Mr. Matthews, are you and your lady still breathing in there?”

“Yes, sir, we are.”

Courtney hit his arm. “Not. Your. Lady.”

“We'll see about that,” he said, a lopsided grin lighting up his face. “Are you going to get us out of here, Mac?”

“I am. In about two minutes, you'll feel the elevator move inch by inch. Don't fret that out. Just sit down and hang tight.”

“Yes, sir!” Topher yelled out, finally leaning away from her. “Come on, let's sit.”

Courtney slid down the wall until her butt rested on the floor, which was probably best, since her legs felt like jello. Topher sat next to her, his shoulder pressed against hers.

Unsure what to say, she opted for his injury. “Let me see your eyebrow.”

He turned to her. “Has it stopped bleeding?”

“Not totally. I think you’ll need stitch tape.”

“Well, that’s better than actual stitches.”

A sound like a gong went off and Courtney sheepishly grinned. “That’d be my phone.” Pulling it out, she entered in her passcode and saw a text from Nicole asking if she was all right and how social media was blowing up with news of how she and Topher Matthews were trapped in an elevator at Dragon*Con.

Another text came through right behind it, and Courtney said, “Nicole says Gwen wants to know if they should cancel the brunch and come over here.” She texted back, telling Nicole not to cancel and that they’d be out shortly. Hitting send, she said, “How did social media get this all ready?”

“Probably a hotel worker. You just can’t trust underpaid workers these days,” he joked.

She rolled her eyes at him as the next text came in. However, this one she didn’t plan to read aloud.

“Tell her I’d be delighted to come with you to brunch,” he said, obviously reading over her shoulder.

Pulling her phone away from his gaze, Courtney texted back a made up excuse why he couldn’t, just as the elevator inched upward. Quickly she added that they were now moving and she’d see them all soon. Hitting send, she placed the cell in her pocket just as the elevator took a fast dip down.

Unsure who reached for who first, she grasped Topher's hand, weaving her fingers between his, their palms pressed firmly together.

“We get out of here alive, I'm coming to brunch,” he said.

“Over my dead body.” She thought about that comment. “I should rephrase.”

“And you call yourself a writer.”

Courtney laughed. “Shut up.”
-----  -----  -----  -----  ----- ----- -----  -----

Hope you enjoyed that! If so, cross fingers, pray, chant, or whatever you do for good luck, in hopes that the publisher who is interested in me and it, buys it!

I very much enjoyed reading from the story...so another huge thank you to Hope Tarr and Leanna for having me! Stay tuned for tomorrow's post...where I'll put up he piece I didn't get to read; a section from Chapter 11 of Identity, Book 5 of the WINDFIRE saga!

Have a good night! Stay warm and dry, New Yorkers! It's gross outside!

xoxo

Tamsin :)

Please note, I wore the blue ribbon for Paul Butterfield last night, since this book is dedicated to him. This great pin was made by Bob Hanna for each of us when we were in town for our reunion, shortly after Paul passed away. Thanks, Bob! I like having this to wear from time to time in Paul's honor! *hugs*





YAY! No more HTML posting!



Today is a glorious day! Know why? Because they finally upgraded my computer at work! For about a year or more, I've not been able to type up posts on this site without doing them in HTML. I don't know about you, but I think that is a royal pain in the ass!

That, my friends, is the reason why you've not had as many posts from me in a looooong while on here. I don't have time at home to do posts, so at the office is my ONLY time...and with an internet browser that didn't support this site (or most any site anymore, trust me), I wasn't able to post w/o spending an hour for something small...and don't even get me started on what it was like trying to add pictures....... *headdesk*

Anyhoo...that's all for now, I just thought you'd all like to know that you'll be getting MORE blog posts from me from here on out! So have a great day and get ready for the update on the event last night! It's comin' up next! xoxo Tamsin :)