e A Novel

I just finished up a book called e A Novel by Matt Beaumont. I got it after reading some recs for his books on a couple romance blogs.

This is not a romance, but a very funny book "...told in a succession of emails that zip around the corporate network with escalating intensity." (That's from the back of the book.) I've always enjoyed books written this style. Meg Cabot had a couple books like this as well, although her books were romances, and this book is more like a trainwreck you can't help but stare at.

The book is about an ad agency set in London who is trying to win the all important Coke account. As you read the book, you watch as the agency slowly go down the drain, and the various characters that help take it there.

I think my favorite was the boss who couldn't stop copying the Helsinki office on every email he sent. He of course thought there was something wrong with email, when it was really operator error the whole time. The best was when he copied the entire corporation. Something most of us are afraid we might do at one point or another. :oP

I have to admit it took me awhile to get the characters straight. In fact, I think I'm going to go back and read it again, now that I know who is who. Yet even that didn't stop me from enjoying it.

I stayed up to 12:30 last night reading it and then woke up early so I could finish it. It's definitely a book I recommend to everyone who has ever worked in a office or just enjoys British humor.

Here's the Amazon listing for the book: e A Novel

I see he has other books listed. I'm going to have to look for those as well. For someone in a reading slump, this was a breath of fresh air!

The Island of Misfit Scenes.

In my current WIP we'll call, The One with a Ghost, or TOWAG, I had a scene all mapped out in my mind. It was going to be a very tender scene that would make everyone cry. Or roll their eyes. Whatever.

But when I finally sat down to write it, I forgot where I was going with it. First I tried it as a flashback from my hero's POV, which didn't work. I got halfway through the flashback and stopped. Then I tried having him reflect upon the memory, but stopped that scene as well, clueless where to go.

I really try to avoid flashbacks if I can, but sometimes I really can't resist them. Plus, the way my hero grows up explains a lot about the man now. But I seriously had no idea where I was going with this one.

That's when I created the Discarded Scenes file. Or, as the title of this blog indicates, The Island of Misfit Scenes. This file is going to be for those scenes that I didn't finish or that didn't quite belong where I was trying to fit them. Maybe I'll need them later. Maybe I won't. And maybe I'll even find a different way to express this memory from his past and it'll be still there for me to grab.

Now I just need to figure out a new scene...

Life's a beach.

One of the reason's that Racing for the Shore is based at the beach is because the beach is such a romantic location. The roaring waves, the beautiful sunsets and then there's that feeling of being the only two people in this universe.

The other reason is because I just love it. When my parents would take us to the beach, I would just stand on the shore watching the waves roll past me and make up stories in my mind. It was the best place to let my imagination run free.

Last night, me and my son were talking about something that led to me thinking about the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. Growing up, that was the vacation spot in the summer. Oh man, I LOVED the Boardwalk with its many wonders-the smell of Boardwalk fries, the sounds of video games, the Haunted House ride, the ferris wheel at the end. Oh and I can't forget the smell of t-shirts being pressed.

Anyway, our conversation got me so nostalgic, that I ended up Googling Ocean City and found a Boardwalk cam. Awesome! Now I could see the Boardwalk whenever I wanted!

Of course its winter, so you don't see that much, but today I've noticed that there are a lot of people walking the Boardwalk, all bundled up against the cold. Some are walking dogs, some are walking hand and hand. Now I'm envious. I want to be at the beach! I want to smell the salt air and hear the sea gulls calling!

That's why I wrote Racing for the Shore. I wrote it so that I could be there, even if it was just in my imagination, for a little while...

A New Look!

My website has a new look and I love it! Nonnie really outdid herself this time. :o) Be sure to check out the video that Shiela Stewart made as well. I'm very lucky to have friends who help me out.

In writing news, I've written a whole paragraph! Okay, that's not much, but after I kind of dropped out of the "sweating" challenge, it's a lot. I guess I should've known better to even try a challenge like that when I know how I am. I'm not a structured writer like that. If I'm not in the mood, I'm just not in the mood.

I don't think its writer's block. I think its a little touch of writing ADHD. If I force myself to write, just so that I can say I'm writing, the finished product is going to be crap.

Although I still think I need to set up some kind of writing area. That's what the office was for, but... My son has taken over that with this new computer. I think the plan is to get him a desk for his room so I can have it back. Then I can set up my laptop in there and have my own space.

That's the plan anyway. We'll see how it all works out. ;o)

Anyway, be sure to look around my website and see all the new litte gadgets I have! And we're still not done yet, so keep checking back!

Racing for the Shore in print!

You can get it from Linden Bay Romance (shipping paid) from this link:

Linden Bay Romance

Or you can find it at Amazon:

Amazon

Oh, and I have my first review!

Gotta Write Network Review

My friend and critique partner is working on a video for Racing for the Shore, so stay tuned for that! I can't wait to see what she comes up with! :D

P.S.... I'm reading!

I'm reading a book! That shouldn't be big news, but it is for someone who has been trying to read Creation in Death for about a month now and still hasn't finished.

The book is called P.S. I Love You. And yes, it's also a movie now, something I didn't realize at the time I bought it, despite the fact it has one of those awful movie covers on it. I hate when they redo the covers of books once the movie is made. It seems so cheesy. But since I didn't know that at the time, I bought it anyway.

So far its a really good book. It's set in Ireland, which makes me very happy. I love books set in Ireland. They just love to eat and drink...a lot. It's great. It's also had some LOL moments and some moments that made me cry. Always a sign of a great book. But....

Yes, there is a "but". I accidently looked ahead. I hate when I do that. I never used to do it, but ever since I've started going through this stage where I don't read a lot, I seem to be doing it more and more. I even read ahead in Creation in Death. Usually I read so fast I don't think about doing it, but not anymore. I've grown impatient.

It sucks.

But at least I'm not looking at it like some kind of educational material. When I'm in the middle of writing a book or editing one, I'll find myself dissecting everything I read. Looking at the way they phrase a sentence. How they change a scene. Just trying to figure out what I can learn from it. It makes it really hard to just get lost in a book.

Well, let's hope I finish this one. I'd hate to add it to the graveyard of unfinished books I've started in the last couple years.

Welcome!

For those of you that are just finding this blog from my website. I'm hoping to make this my permanent blog!

I know what you're saying... "But Melanie, haven't you said this before?" And: "What was I on the internet to do? Wasn't I trying to go on Amazon?"

Yes, I know. I have said this before. But I mean it this time! And you were going to buy that Guitar Hero 3 for your son...nephew...daughter... ;)

But seriously, this is my blog. Forever and ever.

Really.