Monthly Archives: April 2010

5-Cherry Review for “Love on the Side of the NJ Turnpike”

Posted by Lux Zakari on

Eep! My short story, Love on the Side of the NJ Turnpike, received a five-cherry review over at Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews! I even get a fun badge of honor!

Not only that, but this places the story in the running for Best Book honor this weekend. Voting runs from April 24 to April 25. More EE!

Read the review at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/2010/04/love-on-side-of-nj-turnpike-by-lux.html?zx=6cf8a98f1d2c1691!

Read Love on the Side of the NJ Turnpike at http://www.paper-bag-press.com/ebook/love-side-nj-turnpike!

And have a good weekend!

-LZ.

Can Nintendo DS Improve Your Writing? Perhaps

Posted by Lux Zakari on

I love Nintendo DS. However, my gaming inclinations lean toward what many consider boring or geeky. Por ejemplo, I’ve been sadly lacking in time these days, thus I’ve been unable to practice my foreign language abilities with My Spanish Coach and My French Coach. (Puedo hablar un poquito en espanol—menos en francés! Dang, I hope I said that right. See? More practice!)

I also play My Word Coach. Writers, editors, virtually anyone seeking eloquence—this is a must-have game! I promise I’m not getting paid for this endorsement. My Word Coach is all about expanding your vocab via mini games, i.e., scoop the scrambled letters out of the alphabet soup to form the defined word. The safecracker game gives me stress; My favorites are the block letters (mostly for the satisfying noise factor) and some multiple choice tests. You can select your “tutor” (the game’s host—I enjoy the guy with the fro), and you are judged on time and accuracy. Every day your daily word knowledge should hop up a percentage. I won’t tell you what mine is. Not until it’s at 100 percent.

This game is certainly an aid to those looking for something productive to do in the midst of writer’s block. Plus, your next book/story will be that much better, because you’ll know the exact perfect words to use.

-LZ.

Scary New Novel and Hatred for Titles

Posted by Lux Zakari on

I’m in the process of writing a new novel—about 30K in—and it’s intimidating me!

The story line currently feels too immense to tackle; there’s a lot going on, and the way I write is the antithesis of linear: A little of the beginning here, an end of a chapter here, a bit of the middle, revise the beginning, the ending, the chapter before the ending, revise everything I’ve just written because now nothing makes sense with the ending… WRITING ANTICS!

I’m wondering if I should plan an outline, but I think that may only serve as a distraction for me—sometimes I use the act of getting organized to serve in the place of actually being productive.

Ironically, I thought this would be a fairly easy to write, as I’m recycling and reworking bits from stories I’ve written that will never see the light of day otherwise. As it turns out, competently organizing these bits into a coherent narrative is a nightmare.

Perhaps titling the work would be motivating, but I’ve such trouble dreaming up titles. The way it goes is I usually have a title on hand or a story, and never the twain shall meet unless under duress.

-LZ.

Interview: Sara Jayne Townsend

Posted by Lux Zakari on

Today’s interview is with Sara Jayne Townsend, author of Suffer the Children. Read what she has to say about the lessons she’d learned regarding the world of publishing, how writing is like an exorcism and the creepy house that lead to her novel’s publication.

Continue reading →