Tag: acatherinenoon

  • A Writer In Her Library – Taming the Chaos

    A Writer In Her Library – Taming the Chaos

    I have been a reader for a long, long time.  I started collecting books in my early teens and, despite two deep – and I do mean, deep – purges, I still have a prodigious collection.  The hieroglyphics above is a screenshot of the index I use to keep track of all this bounty.  (You can click on it to enlarge the picture if you\’re that masochistic.)

    A couple thoughts about personal library organization:

    If you\’re serious about being published, making an index of all the books you either own or have checked out – and liked – from the library would be prudent.  But don\’t just keep the author and title.  Dig a little deeper for clues into the business:

    Who is the publisher?

    Where are they located?  Are they an international conglomerate (tip-off here is if they have multiple, international, cities on their title page, like New York, London, and Tokyo).

    What year is the book published?

    What genres are listed on the Library of Congress listing?  This will give you an idea of other topics in which you might be interested, as well as give you thoughts about topics about which you might be prompted to write – even for blog posts.

    Who is the agent?  You might have to do some digging.  It may not say in the front material, but some internet sleuthing might reveal it to you.  If you adore five authors, for example, and four of them are from Publisher A, and three of them are represented by Agency B, then poof! You know to whom you might want to submit something in a similar vein.  (This is the natural extension of the old adage, \”Write What You Know.\”)

    You might also be interested in where you bought it or who gave it to you.

    Even more, you might want to say a few words about whether you liked it, or when you talked about it on a blog, or other information that is of use to you.

    I keep my book index in Excel because I\’m good with Excel and it\’s immensely customizable.  Others I know have done it in online communities such as GoodReads or LibraryThing.  I don\’t like those options because I can\’t control them, can\’t customize them, and at the end of the day, don\’t own them.  I like to have complete control over my list.

    Over time, your library can reveal to you the shape of your own mind.  Maybe in 2010 you collected nothing but books on such-and-such subject, but this year, you\’re deeply interested in this other subject over here.  You can write essays on your books and share them with other bibliophiles online.  Or, like I\’m doing here, you can even write a blog post about your organization system.

    Fun times, nu?

    Now, back to reorganizing.  We moved last year and it threw my library into disarray.  Next up:  textile arts books.  I can\’t wait!

    What about you?
    About which subjects do you enjoy reading (whether or not you have them in your library at home)?
  • New Years At the Hop!

    New Years At the Hop!

    Can you believe it\’s already time for the New Year\’s celebration? It feels like it should still be April. As I sit here, mulling over what I might share with you, Dear Reader, my mind is drawn to the idea of \”new\” and the next step, which many people connect with the New Year, which is \”resolution.\”

    I don\’t do \”resolutions\” anymore. I found they were too often \”should do\’s,\” rather than \”want to\’s.\” I have found, over the years, that \”want to\’s\” have a better chance of happening.

    I\’ve been doing more journal work this year and rediscovered a love of calligraphy. I’ve been doing what I call mandalas in my journal, either with a quote or with concepts from a particular project.

    Image ©2014 A. Catherine Noon, All Rights Reserved

    For example, I’m working on a Walking In This World workshop right now. I decided to do a two-page spread in my journal on the chapter, using calligraphy and imagery to connect with the material in a new way. It’s enriched my experience of the workshop immensely and helped me make new connections.

    Image ©2014 A. Catherine Noon.  All Rights Reserved

    In terms of my writing, I’ve been using calligraphy when I work on my character sheets. It’s been interesting to add color to a character, trying to figure out what color they would be and why. Then I do the mandala for them in that color.

    What about you, Dear Reader?
    What are your New Year’s Want To’s?

    And, just for you, here’s a sneak peek at Sapphire Dream, which will be coming later this year. It’s set in the Persis Chronicles with Emerald Fire and Emerald Keep, which is out April 8th from Torquere Press.

    Excerpt
    Chapter 1: Kotek City

    Cheula settled himself in the sedan chair, his back stiff.

    “Lotta sittin’ about,” Driver Sami drawled in the thick brogue some of the Drivers were plagued with.

    After four days on the sands with the man, though, Cheula started to get the hang of it. “That’s true. How do you stand it?”

    Sami glanced at him, his lidded eyes metallic blue that flashed in Sol’s glow. It reminded Cheula, unfortunately, of a large sand beetle. The Driver leaned sideways and revealed a strange set of beads in a mesh weave on his driving web. “Ah cheat, my handsome Keeper.”

    He said Keeper as ‘Kayprr,’ and it took Cheula several tries before he understood it. Now it just sounded normal. “Are those beads?”

    “Aye.” The Driver sat back. “They stimulate the muscles.”

    “Does it help?”

    The Driver shrugged. “Nope.”

    Cheula laughed.

    “A Keeper would help, you know,” Sami said in a thoughtful tone.

    “Are you… teasing me?”

    “Would I do that?”

    “I think you probably would!” Cheula chuckled. It felt good to laugh. It had been too long since he’d had an uncomplicated conversation with someone.

    “We’ll break soon,” Sami told him. “The Winds are comin’.”

    Cheula eyed the horizon warily.

    “Don’t worry, Keeper. We’ll be fine.”

    The first time they’d stayed in the inflated bubble that enclosed the sandsail, Cheula panicked. The more he tried to keep his composure in front of the laconic Driver, the worse it got. Sami seemed to sense it though, and started to tell him stories that kept him enthralled and made him laugh. By the time the Winds passed, his fear blew away with them.

    They stopped and Sami hopped down, setting the chucks under the skis. The enclosure inflated around them with a hiss of metallic fabric, and the glow of the sun eased. Sami flipped his sunshades back, and the cyberplants receded into his skin like magic to reveal his hazel eyes.

    He caught Cheula watching him and laughed. “Not used to sunshades, I take it?”

    Cheula shook his head.

    “Lotta Drivers use ’em. Hunters too. You’ll see, at Kotek City.”

    Cheula hopped down to the sand, then under the sandsail to the little living area that nestled in its belly. Sami lit the daylamps and the fragrant oil filled the small space with its aroma.

    The bench along the side served as a good spot to sit out of the way while the Driver settled things. He watched as Sami rummaged in his galley, got down a ceramic jug and poured two cups. He handed over a cup. Cheula took one sip and started coughing.

    “Ouiska does that,” Sami murmured calmly.

    “Sami!”

    The Driver kneeled in front of Cheula, his eyes large in the shadowy interior. “Come, drink. Relax. It’s just us.”

    Cheula smiled and leaned forward, watching Sami’s pupils dilate. “Oh?”

    But when Sami caressed his cheek, he flinched. He couldn’t help it.

    “What is it?” Sami asked softly, cocking his head. His thumb stroked Cheula’s face. “I’d not hurt you for all the goldstone in Kotek City, Keeper.”

    Cheula swallowed around a dry mouth. “I…”

    Then Sami stroked his hand down Cheula’s chest, intending no doubt to soothe him, and brushed the worst of the bruises. Cheula cried out and pulled back, heat flaming into his face. “I’m sorry!” he blurted.

    Sami’s eyes widened. He slipped his hand inside Cheula’s robes and before the Keeper could react, flipped the fabric back. The purples had darkened into livid reds, browns, even a mustard yellow near where the ribs had cracked.

    “Landin’!” Sami swore. “Who did that to you?”

    “I…” He trailed off, the lie dying on his lips. This close to the other man, with such gentle caring in his eyes, so uncomplicated by anything other than mutual attraction, Cheula couldn’t say the habitual ‘I fell,’ or lately, ‘I was in an accident on a camu.’ He dropped his head forward to rest it on Sami’s shoulder. “My Contract, Digger Bekto.”

    Sami sucked in air, a loud hiss. “Oh, poppet. Where is he?”

    Cheula pulled back. “What?”

    “He should have his knees brokin’ for ’im!” Sami growled, his cheeks red and his eyes fierce.

    “He’s being punished,” Cheula assured him. “I promise. I’m from Sapphire Keep. Once they found out… Violence to a Keeper carries the death sentence.”

    Sami stroked Cheula’s cheek. “But you… You’re shy now, is that it?”

    Cheula nodded, miserable. “I want to. But…”

    Sami came up on his knees and kissed Cheula’s forehead. “Don’t rush it, Cheula,” he whispered. It was the first time he said Cheula’s name, and it felt several times more intimate than it would have otherwise. “My brother’s partner had sommat similar happen to ‘im, and it just takes time.”

    “I just…”

    The Driver stood, holding out his hand. “Come.”

    “What?”

    Sami shook his hand impatiently. “Come.”

    Cheula slipped his hand into the Driver’s calloused palm and let himself be pulled to his feet. Sami led him over to the wide hammock that swung at the back of the quarters. He lay down on it and settled the pillows for Cheula. He arranged the Keeper alongside his body and set the hammock to swinging gently. Then he ran his fingers through Cheula’s hair, just the part along the scalp before the braid, and Cheula got an idea.

    He sat up and scooted sideways, so he could see Sami. With trembling fingers, he unbraided his plait, dropping the beads one by one into Sami’s palm.

    “Are those…”

    “Those three are sapphires,” Cheula said, pointing them out. “The rest are crystal beads. As I earn, I’ll replace them.”

    “Three sapphires,” Sami breathed, touching them with a finger.

    His hair gave off the aroma of the Baku seed oil he used and he watched Sami inhale with pleasure. He lifted the Driver’s hand and set it his scalp, where the braid had begun, and let him stroke his fingers through it. Sami’s eyes widened and he continued, setting the beads on a small shelf over his shoulder. Cheula turned and lay half on top of him and rested his head on the Driver’s muscular chest, tingles traveling up and down his body as the man stroked him.

    They stayed like that for the rest of the Winds, Cheula listening to Sami’s breathing and Sami enthralled by his hair. Finally, it became so still outside that delaying further would be silly. Cheula started to sit up and Sami caught him. He kissed Cheula gently but thoroughly.

    “Thank you.”

    Cheula smiled at him. “It was my pleasure.”

    They rose and rearranged their clothing, and Sami went to reopen the sandsail. Cheula went upstairs and took up his sedan chair, replaiting his hair.

    But he left one of the sapphires sitting in the dish on the shelf downstairs, carefully covered with the travel shield so it wouldn’t jostle loose.

  • Make Something Monday: Craftsy Is My New Favorite Thing

    Make Something Monday: Craftsy Is My New Favorite Thing

    I have discovered the joys of Craftsy, an online school for crafting. They have fiber arts, paper arts, photography, even woodshop. I\’m having a ball!

    The other day, I discovered one of their Halloween kits on sale for 80% off. Wowsers. It was the Halloween Decor Kit.  Not only did it come with supplies, it came with a class on how to make stuff with the supplies.  I decided to give it a shot!

    My completed banner.  Is it Halloween yet?

    We learned layering and creating interest with disconnected patterns of paper.  We used paper tape with a pattern so that everything would be tied together, and I even took a risk and let stuff come together asymmetrically!

    Detail of Banner: The \”S\” and \”P\” panels

    In this one, you can see the polka dotted paper tape that ties the panels together – and, incidentally, reinforces the paper at the holes we punch in to thread the cording through.  I used orange mercerized cotton from a recent weaving project.

    Detail of Banner:  The \”P\” and first \”O\” panels – is that a design off the side?

    I took a creative risk when I made these and actually had parts of the collage jut off the side of the panel.  Dare we take creative risks?

    Detail of Banner:  The second \”O\” panel as well as \”K\” and \”Y\”.

    I became more daring as I progressed through the pieces.  I used a Permanent Glue Stick from Avery for gluing the pieces; it was a very low-stress, clean way to glue things together.

    The completed banner with the mini pieces that will help add interest to the banner.

    I love how all the colors go together and have a common theme!

    All stacked up and ready to be put away, awaiting Halloween next year.  ~sad~

    Okay, now I\’m ready for Halloween to come right now!

    If you haven\’t checked out Craftsy before, you should totally toddle on over there.  They have some really neat classes, even some for free so you can decide if you like the platform.  They have regular sales, too, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.  And best of all?  You can post pictures of your projects to share with other crafters!

  • Stash Sunday: Introducing Aubergine

    Stash Sunday: Introducing Aubergine

    She has a name now!

    I\’m so excited – I settled on a name, and I\’m nearly done with the scarf!  This picture is a little too heavily slanted toward blue, but you get the idea.  I\’ve decided the name is Aubergine.  I should be done in another day or two.

    This is a fun project because the stitch is much simpler than it looks.  It\’s just a four row repeat, and two of those rows is to Purl across.  What could be easier?  This would be suitable for a beginner, as long as they know how to cast on and bind off, knit, purl, and do yarn overs.

    Pro-tip – keep your yarn untangled by moving the working skein around the waiting yarn on each color change.  Otherwise you\’ll have a wadded up mess before you go five or ten repeats.  No fun.

  • A Writer In Her Library – Journaling with Deena Metzger

    A Writer In Her Library – Journaling with Deena Metzger

    I’ve re-discovered one of the books in my personal library, Writing For Your Life: A Guide and Companion to the Inner Worlds, by Deena Metzger. I’ve been doing a lot more journaling in the last year and it re-ignited my interest in books about journaling and ways that have worked for other diarists.

    This particular book has an emphasis on specificity and poetry. She has us examine our observations as though we were a traveler in a foreign country, visiting a new place. By doing so, we turn our attention to things and see them as though for the first time. She invites us to get more specific in what we see. In this way, we can bridge into poetry and metaphor, see the importance of what we’re seeing in a new, and deeper, way.

    I like books that have exercises in them because, at the end of the day, I’m a writer and not just a reader. I prefer books that invite me to be an active participant. I think that’s why I enjoy mysteries – because I get to solve the story along with the characters. Metzger has us experiment with many different methods, trying each of them on to see what works for us and for our writing.

    It is through facts that we can get to the heart of emotion. Rather than tell the reader, “I felt sad,” we show the reader what sadness felt like and its uniqueness in that time and place. Each sadness is different: different causes, different participants, different consequences. The more we can report the facts of the feelings, the more we can get to the center core of Truth in our experience. I think this is at the heart of the old writer’s adage, “show, don’t tell.” When I say to the reader, “I felt angry,” I’m telling the reader what I felt. When I say, instead, what that anger did to me physically, what I said and how others responded to me, and what was left unsaid, I show the reader a moment in time – so much more than just the emotion of angry, but an entire scene and its aftermath.

    I’m only in the first part of the book right now but am thoroughly enjoying myself. Highly recommend this to those of you that enjoy journaling, or that think you might want to give it a try.

    What how-to books do you recommend?
  • Work-In-Progress Wednesday

    Work-In-Progress Wednesday

    The Beginning

    I received my first commission as Knoontime Knitting!  I am making a scarf for a friend in two colors of purple, Royal Purple and Lavender.  Here is the beginning as it sits on my design pad after the starting swatch.

    The Middle

     Here it is after a bit of knitting.  It knits up quickly.  I am using 30 sts cast on for width.

    Still the Middle

    This is how far I got before I called it a night.

    I\’m looking forward to seeing how this shapes up.

  • Make Something Monday

    Make Something Monday

    What\’s In YOUR Wallet? or Bag?

    Happy Monday, Dear Reader!  I\’ve gotten some of my design mojo back and have been playing with some different knitting designs.  This morning, as I waited for the bus, I checked the Bus Tracker tool.  It said the next bus wouldn\’t be there for 27 minutes.  Aside from making me late for work, that meant I had time to get some knitting done.

    Then, mid-row, what do I see but a bus? Holy crap.  Try stuffing size 10 needles in an already over-stuffed knitting bag and grabbing everything to get onto the bus.

    MONDAY!

    WIP

    This is what I\’m making with my size 10 needles.  One of my books has an afghan on the cover that\’s made out of triangles.  I decided to take a twist on that idea and using a base of 35 stitches, make a sampler with leftover yarns and different textures.

    This is a Turkish Stitch done in Lion Brand Homespun.  It\’s a boucle-type of yarn and difficult to see stitch definition; however, I like the less dense look of the fabric.  I find the juxtaposition of the bias pull of the stitch with the decreased edge for the triangle to be an interesting opposition.

    What are you working on?

  • Friday Funnies

    Friday Funnies

    Remodeling our house.

    \’Nuff said.

  • The Eyes Have It

    The Eyes Have It

    The Sun

    Every year, I struggle with Christmas and the holidays and what they mean to me.  Much like my forays into 3-D, my forays into what the holidays \”should\” be like are colored by the past and by expectations.  I remember when my parents separated when I was ten, and I believed my mother \”ruined\” Christmas.  The magic was gone.  I couldn\’t understand why my father couldn\’t be there and we couldn\’t just celebrate like we had in years past.

    Tolstoy said that every happy family is happy in the same way, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.  Melanie Beatty said that in alcoholic families, everyone\’s angry: Mom\’s angry, Dad\’s angry, even the dog is angry.  That last one stuck with me – even the dog?  She\’s right; my dog knew something was \”up.\”

    Why do I bring that up now?  As I learn how to make the holidays mine after all these years, I\’m finding that the past is much with me.  Which brings me to the Ojos de Dios, or \”Eyes of God.\”

    The Huichol people believe that these amulets bring blessings and luck upon the person for whom they\’re made.  When a person is born, an ojo is made for them in the central temple.  Ojos are also made at the inception of new business projects, marriages, and other beginnings.  It\’s a way to attract the benevolent attention of the deities onto one\’s own life.

    Enlightenment

    A friend of mine suggested some years ago to make the ojos using cinnamon sticks and embroidery floss.  The idea caught fire in my mind and I love the shiny effect of the weaving.  By varying the weaves, you can create more complex structures; but just by using a simple overdyed yarn you can achieve beautiful effects with relatively little effort.

    Water

    I made these ojos for my office.  I wanted to bring blessings on our work, and to remember that it\’s the holidays.  I\’m trying to capture some of that sense of magic they had when I was little.  I\’m not sure what made it magical, which is part of the challenge; I don\’t know what I\’m searching for.

    Fire

    One year, my cat Marina kept batting down all the ornaments I\’d put on our tree.  She broke several of them and made a mess.  By end of the holiday, all the ornaments were grouped in the top 18 inches of the tree, leaving the rest to the lights.  The next year, I made ojos for the whole tree – a whole canister of them.  It made me incredibly happy to do.

    That\’s part of the magic, then – making things.  I think that we humans are crafty creatures and that making things with our hands is part of what satisfies us.  So our holiday this year has centered around handmade things – from food to decorations.

    What about you?  
    What makes the holidays magical for you?

  • Home for the Holidaze

    Home for the Holidaze

    \"BurningBright300\"I\’m with Neal Harrison today, the star of BURNING BRIGHT by me, A. Catherine Noon, and my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder.  We figured, since it\’s the holidays, we\’d find out a little more about what our favorite Dom does when the mistletoe is overhead and eggnog perfumes the air.

    ACN:  Welcome to NGWN, Neal!

    NH:  Glad to be here!

    ACN:  So, I read that you have a mixed-religion household.  How does that affect your celebration of the holidays?

    NH:  We celebrate Christmas as an American holiday, since it\’s become so consumerized and is in all the stores and stuff.  My family wasn\’t super religious growing up, so it didn\’t loom very large for us.  Doc is Wiccan, so he celebrates the Winter Soltice, or Yule.  Steve is Christian and likes to meditate and retreat from the world.

    Steve pokes his head into the room:  I heard that!

    NH:  I know you did, big guy, that\’s why I said it!

    ACN:  Gentlemen, gentlemen, one at a time, please.

    NH:  But you wrote us multiple men at a time, we figured that\’s –

    ACN: MOVING RIGHT ALONG NOW.  So tell me, what did you get as gifts for Doc and Steve?

    NH:  I haven\’t yet.

    ACN:  Really?  But you seem so organized and buttoned-up in the book!

    NH:  Appearances can be deceiving.  It\’s only the 11th.  There\’s plenty of time.

    Steve hollers from the hallway:  I\’ve already got presents for everyone!

    NH:  Yeah, and they\’re probably already wrapped and hidden.  Wait til I tell Doc where your hiding place is!

    ACN:  Now, now, that\’s not fair.  You\’ll ruin the surprise.

    NH:  Yeah, but then I can get some ideas.  ~He grins~

    ACN:  Do you have any special menu plans for the holidays?

    NH:  Yes.  We called the special menu \”Holidaze.\”  We\’ll be serving Hot Buttered Rum from the 20th through New Year\’s Eve.  It\’s an old secret family recipe.

    ACN:  Wow, that sounds really yummy!

    NH:  Thank you.  If your readers would like to find out more about me and my restaurant, they can check out BURNING BRIGHT, available now from wherever fine books are sold.

    ACN:  Happy holidays to you and yours!

    To win a copy of BURNING BRIGHT of your very own, just in time for the holidays, tell me in the comments:
    What is your favorite holiday beverage (alcoholic or not)?

    Here\’s the details on the rest of the hop, including the grand prize.  Visit at least five of the participating blogs and leave a comment to be entered to win.

    Happy reading!

    Tina Christopher Grand Prize of a $50 All Romance eBooks Gift Card and the choice of 3 of my books

    Dani Wade $10 Amazon Gift Card

    Nona Raines A digital copy of Nicely Naughty 2–Erotic Christmas Anthology & $10 Gift Card

    Harlowe Wild A Surprise Prize

    Leela Lou Dahlin A copy of Rumor Has It or A Haught Date and a $10 Amazon gift card

    Angel Payne A $15 Amazon Gift Card

    Taige Crenshaw A $10 All Romance Ebooks eGift Card

    Jianne Carlo One copy of Prymal Lust and one copy of That Pearly Drop

    A. Catherine Noon eCopy of Burning Bright (or other backlist title)

    Lara Archer A $10 Amazon Gift Card

    Leela Lou Dahlin A copy of Rumor Has It and a $10 Amazon Gift Card

    Cynthia Sax The choice of any eBook from my backlist

    Ella Sheridan An e-copy of any backlist book

  • Two for Tuesday

    Two for Tuesday

    I was looking for a lolcat to adorn my post today, so I asked Google, \”lolcats all of thems.\”  This is one of the ones that came up and since I guffawed out loud – sorry, \”lol\’d,\” I figured I\’d better use it.

    Why?

    Because lolcats.

    ANYway.  I have not one but TWO posts for you today!

    The first is at the Chicago Region of National Novel Writing Month.  Just because you didn\’t \”win\” NaNo doesn\’t mean you lost.

    The second is at Torquere Press\’s blog, Romance for the Rest of Us.  I got to musing about my daily round and shared pictures.

    Hope you\’ll stop by and show me some love in the comments! Happy reading!

  • Two for Thursday!

    Two for Thursday!

    Happy Thursday!  I know, I know my post title doesn\’t rhyme.  Par for my week.  The heat went out at our building last night, so my brain hasn\’t thawed yet.  I\’m applying liberal servings of coffee.

    I have two posts for you today!  One is by me, ~waves~, because I\’m over at Beyond the Veil today talking about – what else – NaNoWriMo!

    The second thing I have for you is a chance to win prizes! Woot! My buddy Dani Wade is up at the Nice Girls Writing Naughty blog today with some tips on staying the course – if you\’re feeling discouraged, this post is a great pick-me-up. Plus, she\’s giving away a prize to one lucky commenter – AND you will be entered to win our grand prize of $25 USD to All Romance eBooks.

    Happy reading!