New Stickers at NYCC! See...

Wanted to have a logo with a different primary shape (square vs round) and this is our second Tamsin L. Silver logo! What do you think? You'll note, its the same girl as my usual logo, just in a different pose.

Much love to Anastasia Catris, the artist, for doing this for me! I may even make a shirt or two with it on there...just need to find a place that will print with more than one color. If you know of one...let me know!

xo

Tamsin :)

I. AM. IN. AWE...of Cyrus Spencer...

Okay, I have to blog. I know I should be editing (I've got deadlines, people!) but I have to talk about Cyrus Spencer from "So You Think You Can Dance" (aka SYTYCD).

From the day of his audition I thought he was one of the nicest people I'd seen in reality/competition TV. He is an Animation, Popping, and Robotics dancer. But he's like nothing you've ever seen before. It's a whole new level of muscle control that in all my years in performance I've never seen...and I've done everything from ballet to jazz to modern and broadway style dance. And let me tell you, its hard. I'm not naturally gifted, but I wanted to do theater so I HAD to learn to dance and let me tell you, it is work. So, when I see a young man who has NO dance training doing it this well...I take notice.

If you don't watch (and why aren't you?!) you probably have NO idea who the heck I'm talking about...so let me give you the rundown. Cyrus and two of the guys he lives with at Dragon House (that's what they named it) came in to audition in Atlanta, GA, for SYTYCD. All three of them then blew us away with the type of dancing they do. Such control and innovation. All three made it to Vegas for the next round of auditions.

      (Eliana and Cyrus backstage. They are an amazing team and I hope they both win this thing!!!)

Now, as a former dancer (yes, I performed in large shows for hundred of people on stages both small and large from the age of 11 until I was in my early 30's) and theatre performer I've taken all types of dance (I suck at hip hop, btw...just gonna toss that out there...lol) and I knew to get through Vegas, these guys were going to need to get through choreography and dance styles that were nothing like what they did. And I feared none of them would get past Vegas. But one did. Cyrus. This young man (he's 22) worked so damn hard...he wanted it so bad...he just had to do it. Had. To. And by God, he did! He made it into the top 20. I was so happy for this kid...thinking, well, he'll probably not get to the top ten. HA! He proved me wrong! In fact, he keeps proving everyone wrong!

Now, its been mentioned on the show that they took 20 instead of the usual 18 at the top of the show this year because they wanted to include dancers who had a different style this year...like him (and I'm guessing also like Cole...who also is doing amazing in the competition, might I mention...) and I don't think they are regretting that decision. In fact, if you watched last night, did you notice they saved him for last? I don't think I'm the only one watching primarily to see how HE does, do you? I think the network understands EXACTLY who to put at the end to keep everyone tuned in for the two-hour show.

Anyhoo...let's back up and talk about the first ever episode...and group number (pictured above).

The show starts and I'm dying of curiosity of how this kid will do. I notice they have put him front and center (as a once paid choreographer, I understand that is where you put your best so...I'm very interested now in what is going on) I watch and he is spot on with his choreography. And you think...ok...ok...well, how will his first duet be? Everyone is paired up with someone and his partner was a ballerina named Eliana. I thought...oh man, a hip hop guy and a ballerina? Tons of training vs. none? This won't work. AGain, I was wrong. They perform their first duet...and he's dancing Broadway style...and he's....AMAZING! And you think..."WTF?" Maybe it's just cause it was good choreography and fun...but you have this sneaking suspicion that its more than that.

Week two arrives and he kicks ass again...week three? Same thing. And so on and so forth we go. EACH WEEK his performance is astounding. And not necessarily because his toes are pointed perfect or because he can do twenty fouette turns in a row. But because damn it, he is sensational to watch. His energy and charisma are something you cannot look away from. And don't get me talking about his lifts!!!! I will reference something Mary Murphy (one of the judges) said last week after his jaw dropping, emotional, and gripping performance of a contemporary routine (choreographed by Travis Wall) about the two last survivors on Earth (pictured  below). She said that she knows dancers that take weeks to learn lifts. And he is learning multiple (and difficult) lifts in one week...with NO FORMAL DANCE TRAINING...EVER...and doing them one to the next seamlessly. 

Last night was no exception. He was paired with the winner from last year (Melanie Moore) for a jazz number with a good ol' touch of Fosse in there. I was nervous. I fast forwarded it through the whole thing to the end to see the judges reaction first. But first I saw everyone cheering their asses off. Then the judges were extremely thrilled with the performance. So I go back to watch it...and I too am cheering. Jazz is a bitch. It's got a specific style that unless you can really let go and enjoy its exactness, you will fail at it. And you know what? I've not seen him have that much fun on stage before. He was animated facially, playing the audience, nailing moves and lifts, and he held his own with Season 8's winner. That right there should tell you something. Yes?

Then...as if the night wasn't amazing enough...he wasn't in the bottom two...AGAIN. That boy has NEVER been in the bottom two or three. Nigel said that America must love him...and I think that's true. I've never seen a more humble, gracious, person in my life. If I was 22, THIS would be the kind of young man I'd want to bring home to my mom. Talented, polite, driven, emotional, loving (watch how he rushes to hug whoever gets cut at the end of each show...and that hug has so much heart it hurts to watch) and a positive energy that is not only infectious...but something I think this world needs right now.

We are all spending so much time on slander with the elections coming up...that watching this show, and people like Cyrus, lifts your spirits...even if that performance moves you to tears. I want him to win this thing. I do. I want to be able to say..."See! THIS is what can happen if you want something bad enough!" I used to teach theater at a high school down south. I would tell my class that all I asked was for them to try. They didn't have to be the best actor...they had to be a great person. They had to shove the chance of embarrassment aside and give it everything they had. Go big or go home! And every week...that's what we watch. We watch Cyrus go big and he has yet to go home.

So...the guy with no formal training has made the top SIX!!!  (pictured below) Tune in on Wednesday nights on FOX from 8-10pm and then vote your buns off for this kid! He deserves it. And maybe, just maybe...if he makes it to the finale...we might get to see him do a routine with Twitch. Wouldn't that be f'n awesome?

So Cyrus, if by chance you see this post...know that your energy, enthusiasm, hard work, drive, positive attitude, and talent are more than just a title on a show. They are a statement to every kid out there that they can do what they put their mind to. You are an inspiration and I cannot wait to see what you do next...or where your career in dance will take you. This show will open big doors for you, sir. Walk through them proudly...cause you've earned it.

**HUGS**

Tamsin

P.S.  You can see more pics of Cyrus from the show...HERE! And...you can follow him on Twitter where his info says, "Animator(season 9) Love dubstep. Watching movies. opening every door for women (they shouldn't have to touch them). Determined to progress!!" and he tweets heartfelt things like, "Hey everyone thanks so much for the support im tearing up just thinking about how far I've made thanks to you all :) I love you #teamcyrus." His handle on Twitter is @Dance9Cyrus.

Waterfall rainbow changed my morning

Is this not amazing?  I found this posted on the Huffington Post through Twitter today and felt the need to share it and what it did for me. This picture was taken by photographer, Justin Lee, (a student at the University of British Columbia) when he was hiking in the Yosemite National Park, CA.

Seeing this gave my ranting brain pause.

Ranting? Yes. Why? Well....

My morning was shit. No, really...utter shit.

I awoke 3 hrs early to go to the DMV to get a NY Drivers License because my SC one is about to expire. Yes, I've had a SC DL in NYC for almost 10 years...and your point is????

No need to answer that, I KNOW why I've kept it. A) It was only $3 online to renew. B) The picture is good (hey now, that's a valid point!). C) The NYC DMV is a royal pain in the ass.

Case in point...I was like, 15th in line and happy about it (cause there was around 40 behind me by the time the place opened), and when I went to get my number...I was told I couldn't use that DMV for my license exchange.

Really?!

Ugh.

So I leave, contemplating going to the other one on 34th. But I know better. So I head to work.

After going through the turnstile to get on the N/R/Q I lost the rubber ear thingy on my headphones. So I did what I usually do and I looked for it, finally having to kneel to look. Seeing it, I lunged forward, snagged it, got up, and began to walk out of everyone's way...when an amazing man handed me my wallet.

OMG!

I almost made my life a living hell for an earbud.

Thank you Lord for that man!

Heading down I get on the train, get to my stop, begin the walk to work when my leg is annoyed. I notice then, that my pants ripped (they're old so, it was only a matter of time) when I lunged for previously mentioned ear bud.

*sigh*

Really, God? Really?

I was a block from work when I remembered our elevator was not working in the building. It was going to be SIX flights up in the humid ick.

Thankfully God spared me that. I guess I'd had enough kicking for they day.

SO....fast forward to when I opened up Twitter and this picture.....

It made me stop the rant. It calmed me down. It caused me to suddenly let it go. Why? Cause this reminded me of beautiful, wonderful, and amazing things in the world...how it was so much bigger than me and my shitty morning. How God had used the first rainbow as a promise to Noah. So I took it as a sign and a promise...

I will try this whole DMV thing tomorrow and I will not fail...and if I do...well, we just try again on Thursday. Sure, its a pain in the ass, but its so small and minor when you think about it.

Have a great week...and if you think of it...have a drink on Thursday for me. It's my birthday on the 26th after all.

xoxo

Tamsin :)

Review of the Comic, Anathema, #1

Hey there all! Happy Friday! Today I'm doing a review of something new...a COMIC!

But this isn't your happy, bright colors, Captain Steve Rogers saves the day kind of comic. This is old fashioned horror comic...and it's dark and cool and kick ass!

First, about the author...

Rachel Deering is an American writer, editor, and letterer for comic books from Columbus, OH, where she lives with her wife (artist Jessica Deering), and their dog, Hazel. She is best known for Anethema and Womanthology.

Fun facts: She started making comics at the age of eight, is a rabid fan of werewolves, and is a gamer, a baker, and a huge horror nerd! (Ya love her already, right? I don't know about you, but she'd fit right into my writers gang here in NYC!)

For a great interview with her, go HERE.

Before I speak of the comic, here's the blurb...

Part I: Wolf and Raven -

Long gone are the days of the infamous Witchfinder General, and his radical persecution of coutnless innocent people. The puritanical reign of torture and terror is now but a grim and unfortunate reminder of the past evils of man. Yet there are those who would cling to the old ways. Those who would not suffer a suspected witch or heretic to live among them. In the hearts of those few, the fires of hatred still burn, and not a soul is spared their unyielding wrath. Not even their own flesh and blood...

Now, as many of you know, I'm not a huge reader of comics (unless its Lestat, Buffy, Angel & Faith, etc...or coming soon, Spike!) but I do read a good amount of vampire/witch/werewolf/fantasy comics. Thing is, the story needs to grab me. It needs to take chances and give me something extra. Simply put, it needs to take me on a ride. Some have great art...some have a great story...call me needy, but I want both (Deering delivers both, btw). Hell, I will even take a dip down in the artwork for a great story (be it edgy or just plain new/fresh). Problem is, I often feel some comics are amazing artwork with little substance or it is just telling the same old story we've all read a million times before.

Now now  now...don't go jumping on your high horse...I'm SURE I'm quite wrong and I KNOW I've not seen ALL the comics out there.

But you see, I want more of the story...to be itching to go to the comic store and buy the next installment...and with Rachel Deering's Anathema, I want to do exactly that!

The basis of the story (which takes place in New England during the times of the Puritans) is that Anathema's lover, Sarah, is dragged away by her own father to be burned at the stake, purging her wicked lust with the flames of righteousness. But something bad happens, that's worse than death...her soul is taken, and Anathema must figure out how this happened, who did it, and why. Then, once she knows, Anathema is offered a way to fight the evil that did this but there's a catch. So she goes up into the mountains to make that decision...

Will she take the potion? Will she avenge Sarah's death? Will she save her lover's soul?

We'll all have to read more of Anathema to find out! And I highly recommend you do! This dark and twisty tale looks to be filled with scary creatures, blood, gore, classic horror, fights to the death, ancient legends, and magic. Oh, and werewolves...let's not forget that! See...

I'm not as big a comic book gal as most are...but I am definitely into this one! I think that if you are a hard core fantasy reader you'll enjoy this. I'll admit, she's a lot darker than my books and seeing as there is amazing artwork, you REALLY get to experience it!

The promise for a series like this is endless! It has the right ingredients: It pushes the envelope...it's got a powerful woman in the leading role...it's inventing new folklore...its got great artwork and story...and Anathema will be fightin all kinds of creepy evil! Always a plus!

I'd say more but I don't want to give it all away...I'm sure I've told too much already, but go out there and pick it up and see it for yourself. I think we all are going to be in for one fantastic ride with Anathema.

Happy Reading! And if you're a twitter whore like me, you can find her at @racheldeering

Tamsin :)

P.S. This is the pic/ad on the back of the comic...be sure to read the bottom. I love it! It's the Supernatural Registration Authority! Their website is HERE! Check it out!

A new 5 star LDG Amazon review! Woo!

 A GREAT new review for The Betrayal on Amazon! Thanks Lisa! So happy you liked it! -Tamsin :)

"This was a fantastic book!!! I cannot wait until the next one comes out! The characters are wonderful and you really get to know them. It was really hard to put down, you get caught up in everything that is going on. If you love to read about witches, vampires, werewolves and/or shape shifters this is your book!! Very easy to read and follow."  -Lisa

You too can get this "hard to put down" book with wonderful characters for e-readers and print! Go HERE!

Keziah

I love this boy. He is my heart.

This past Saturday morning he had spasms and was unable to walk. I had to take him to the vet.

His arthritis is getting worse and we've now added pain killers to his daily cocktail and he's doing a bit better. But my heart is breaking. I know he very well may not see Christmas this year...and if he does, he probably won't make it through the winter.

He's been my rock for 14 years. I dread navigating living in NYC without him.

30th Annual Heroes Convention

HEROES CON
Charlotte, NC

June 22-24, 2012

< ---- Pic of my badge! :)

My first convention and boy, what a learning experience! HUGE thank you to John Hartness for the invite to the con and for taking time to talk me though some of the ins and outs. I learned so much from him. Not just talking to him about the profession of indie writing, but also by watching him. That man has an awesome elevator pitch for both his vampire series AND his short story series. I was jealous and I'm still trying to figure out one for mine. This is WICKED hard, in case you were curious. :)

Anyhoo...

My previous convention experience was attending/working New York Comic Con. Well, Heroes Con is a wee bit smaller and it's all in one room. Here's a pic:

This was on load in day and you can't see the other aisles to the right and left. But I'm sure you get the picture (pun intended).

The three problems for me at this con were...

A) It was a con for graphic novels/artwork/etc and I write novels w/o the graphic (for now).

B) My books have no "southern appeal."
C) I don't have a full "series."

Part of the draw for John and Stuart's books were that they took place in the south (and this was a southern convention) AND they both had a full three-part series...and people like to get a full series.

I think I can fix these three problems. How so? Well...

First off, I'll very likely have all three NYC short stories of the Clandestine Conflict done by NYCC and can sell them seperately or together. The next four take place in Boston, and the next four in Charlotte, NC. So...if we can have THOSE four done by NEXT June...we'll have a deal! In the end, I plan to take the four books for each location put into a novella and printed. So we'll have "The Clandestine Conflict - NYC" (which'll hold the story Heroes Square & the next three in New York), "The Clandestine Conflict - Boston," and so on and so forth. Each will hold four stories...so that's be 60K word count each, which works well for a single book.

Secondly, I plan to work with Ana to get our first comic for the graphic novels that will be Moon Over Manhattan ready by next summer. I got GREAT feedback on the concept and artwork I had with me at the con...so that was a highlight for sure!

Now, I think my urban fantasy stuff will do better at NYCC than Heroes Con, but I don't plan to order too many books. Probably 30-40 vs. the 50 I'd considered before. I also will be setting up our booth differently at NYCC than at Heroes Con. Why? Well, here's the other thing I discovered/learned about myself that weekend.

I hate standing behind a table trying to sell my book. People walk by, and they know that if they stop to look at a book, the author is watching them. I know as a previous con attendee, that it makes shoppers a wee bit uncomfortable as the author or artist watches them inspect their stuff. So, as the coin has flipped and I AM the author, what did it feel like? Well,  like I was a bug in a jar who had to prove I was worth their money so they'd let me out.

You know how if you try to shop and a salesperson is loomig over you going, "Can I help you with anything? Oh...you grabbed those pants? Here's a few shirts that go with those, and some jewelry...and here's a belt!" Yeah...you hate it. I did too. I also didn't sell as well. The minute I was out from the table I felt better and sold my book to two artists w/o even trying hard. So...the booth at NYCC will be more shopping friendly. Stay tuned for pics of how it will be. Here's how it WAS:

L to R - Stuart Jaffe, me, John Hartness

To get out from behind this table we had to walk though the back of other's booths. At NYCC they don't set it up that way (they hang short black divider curtains btwn each) so it'll be easier to redo the space.

All that said, I didn't do badly at the con. I sold 12 books of 20 there, 2 more the day after, and 2 more the day I got back. So, 16 books of the 20 purchased for the con. Not too shabby. Plus, I moved all 50 copies of my short story so that's saying something. You can get it now on Smashwords for 99 cents!

What surprised me the most was the love of those darn stickers I decided to do at the last minute! We used my new logo and had words around it with my name, website, twitter handle, etc. They were about an inch wide circular sticker and they were crazy popular! LOL! And that was BEFORE they knew there was a number on the back to win a free thumb drive with books and pics on it. We will have more at NYCC!

Pause post for a pic of me in my new platform boots! They made me as tall as Stuart! #Winning

Now, where was I? Oh yes, what else did I learn that weekend? That the chicken fingers and fries were the best option for food at the concession stand and that con vendors take more pictures of people in costume than those attending the con. LOL! What else are we to do when we don't have anyone at our table...that said, I hope we're so busy, we get NO costume pics while I'm at NYCC. ;)

Now, before I let you go, it's important I introduce you to someone very special to me. He was with me every day of the con...just down the aisle from me...making my day better. Might I introduce to you...Sir Roger Plymouth, in his Friday, Saturday, and Sunday outfits...in a row!

Sir Roger belongs to Hushicho Phoenix (an artist who does some hilarous drawings...such as Wolverine Disco Dancing or Adult drawings...such as one that answers the question of which brother is more well endowed, Thor or Loki?). He's not only a darling man, but a talented one to boot!  And he wasn't the only one I met during the con. I also met Shane Pierce. He and his wife Michelle were there with his amazing paintings, Rachel Deering was there with her wife and their horror comic (Anathema, which is excellent, btw), and Jordan Hawk was there with her husband showing off their web comic character Elaine Corvidae (but she also writes M/M Paranormal Romance. Her book, "Hainted," looks fantastic!)

I'll tell you...time with these artists and meeting the loverly Natalie Foreman with McFarland Publishing made my weekend. It truly was an honor, not only to meet these folks, but to spend the weekend working side by side with them. I think those were the highlights of the con for me. Learning from John and Stuart and meeting these super talented artists! That made it all worth while. I can't wait to see who I'll meet at NYCC!

And on that note, I shall let you go! But have no fear...I will post more about my vacation (for I did more than just go to the convention) in the next week.

Cheers!

Tamsin :)

OH NO! SIR ROGER IS NAKED! WHO STOLE HIS CAPE AND MASK!??