12th Annual Dixie First Chapter Contest

And the results are in.. Bluebeard finals in 1st place!
Thanks to the Magnolia State Romance Writers (MSRW) and all the hard work of their judges.
Updates on Bluebeard are here: Bluebeard blog posts and here: Ella's fiction page.
The manuscript revisions have been completed, the title has changed to The Forbidden Chamber, and it's out in the wide world looking for a home. Fingers crossed!

12th Annual Dixie First Chapter Contest:

		Contemporary
1	*	Proof And Consequences	DONNA MEIER
2	*	Texas Hold'er	JUNE LOVE
3		Kiss Me Cowboy	CHELLE SANDELL
		Historical
1	*	Fatal Fortune	JOANNE BARNABA
2		Maiden Widow	VICTORIA WHITAKER
3		The Masquerading Duke	STEPHIE SMITH
		Inspirational
1	*	Dead Letter	C J EERNISSE CHASE
2		Undercover Marriage	KELLY ANN RILEY
3		Knowing Grace	DEBRA E MARVIN
		Paranormal/Futuristic/Time Travel
1		Bluebeard's Hunger	ELLA DRAKE
2		Fallen Angels In Paradise	CATHY LEMING
3		Dark Guardian	ROBIN L PERINI
		Romantic Suspense
1		Truth And Consequences	ROBIN L PERINI
2		Pleasant Lake P.D.	KELLY FITZPATRICK
3		In Cold Storage	KATHY-DIANE LEVEILLE
		Super Sexy
1	*	Heart for Hire	MARY RHYAN
2		Rock Hard	DEE CYMBER
3		Waking The Witch	LISA WHITEFERN

Thanks again, and SQUEE!

Unobtanium

Word of the day: Unobtainium, that elusive metallic alloy that is just the right answer to fixing the intergalactic space catastrophe. Or, the impossible last ingredient to complete the world-saving vaccine to avoid the apocalypse.

This is the term used when scientists jokingly refer to a certain component/material they need but it's impossible to obtain for reasons such as cost or insurmountable conditions. In Science Fiction, this might be a material that has impossible strength/properties/physics. Think Kryptonite or Adamantium. Adamantium is "adamant" as in unbreakable. Unobtanium is unobtainable. An impossible alloy/material/mineral.

Despite the low viewer and critical ratings of the movie The Core, I thoroughly enjoyed it in part because it's darn fun. Forget any problems you may find in the science of the film. How can you not like a movie that creates a ship to go to the core of the Earth? To top it off, they use unobtainium as the metal for the hull of the ship. "Unobtainium" is the nod, saying: "Yes, this is clearly impossible, but suspend your disbelief and go with it."
From Powerpuff Girls with their Chemical X to Star Trek's dilithium, futuristic fiction is loaded with the stuff. What powers that FTL engine in that space opera?

All that to say, I've created a graphite material to use in my Science Fiction Romance. Is it unobtainable, or futuristic? What's the new unobtainium? Carbontonium? Graphitilium? Newvium?

Writing Fiction as a Career

Recently, a few blog postings have come to my attention that are well written and, from my nonpubbed perspective, seem to be right on. Writing in the hope of publishing can take such a very long time. And quitting the day job may take even longer. Check these out, each are well worth the read:
Agent Nathan Bransford's How Long Does It Take to Sell A Novel?
Author Jeaniene Frost's Money
Author Jennifer Jackson's advances - what they are really made of

Lean over a little more...

Over the dinner table, his dark hair contrasted sharply with his eyes that glinted in the dim light. He smiled with a devilish quirk to his mouth.

"Do you want to give it a try?" he asked.

He lifted his fork and beckoned for her to taste. The morsel too far way, she leaned over the table. His eyes traveled from her parted lips, down, down. He pulled the fork back and grinned, eyes glued to her low cut dress.

"Lean over a little more," he purred.

She knew what he wanted. The table in her way, she leaned so far over he was sure to see her belly button.

While he was distracted, salivating over her cleavage, she licked his hand. His fingers tensed on the utensil, and she smelled his excitement.

Between her moist parted lips, as red as the wine she drank, her tongue caressed her lengthening incisors. She smiled at his panic before she sank her teeth into his wrist. Such a tasty morsel. She hated to let go for a second, but she wanted more. She reluctantly removed her mouth from the arm she held like a shackle against his struggles. Quick as a the predator she was, she pulled him arm first across the table. He lay there, like the meal he was, his neck exposed. His jugular beat an erratic pulse.

"Lean over a little more," she whispered in his ear.

She pulled him closer and sank her teeth into his sweet neck.

dedicated to my dinner friends, you know who you are! (snicker)