Owner: The Two Rs - Reading & Writing... URL:http://ellefredrix.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:51:53 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Contemporary romance writer, Elle Fredrix, blogs about her journey to publication and beyond. Come listen in as she rambles on about writing, reading, and lots of fun stuff guaranteed to make you laugh. Site statistics:Click here
Thursday Thirteen #16 2007-06-28 07:23:00 Thirteen Things I've Forgotten to do This WeekWell, we’ve had a very hot week here in South Central Ontario, and Toronto is covered in smog. Either the heat waves or the pollution has seriously impacted my brain waves. I have a very good memory, but here’s a list of things I’ve forgotten, or nearly forgotten, to do this week. 1) I forgot about TT. I usually do this on Wednesday night. 2) I forgot to buy light bulbs for the lamp in my office. 3) I forgot to close the garage door one night.4) I forgot to turn off the lights out back one night.5) I forgot I had the sprinkler on in the backyard. My neighbour finally turned the water off at the side of the house. 6) I nearly forgot that I have to pick up my mom and take her to senior’s day at the drug store today. (This is the scariest, because I’d never hear the end of it.) 7) I forgot to unplug the pressure washer I left sitting out on the back deck. Somehow it mysteriously started up again (while I wasn’t at h Read more:Thursday
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Pet Peeve #4...Maybe. And a Poll. 2007-06-27 10:27:00 Okay, this is well on the way to becoming a pet peeve, but maybe it shouldn’t be. I’ve just read another book where there is a scene in which someone hears a message being left on an answering machine. An answering machine? Does anyone still use an answering machine? I don’t know a single person that uses one, and I haven’t in years. Everyone here uses Call Answer. In my mind, saying someone is using an answering machine is like suggesting they’re still using an old black rotary phone. Utterly ridiculous. Of course, this is assuming they live in an urban area and aren’t a technophobe. But you know, even those I know in rural areas don’t use an answering machine. Which leads me to the poll. Maybe
the issue is that I live in the 5th largest city in North America. (Toronto) Being in the GTA, I have the latest technology at my fingertips. Or, maybe it’s a money issue, because ultimately, using a machine would be cheaper than using a service like Call Answer, which
I've Been Tagged! 2007-06-26 11:18:00 Okay, I generally don’t have time to do memes, but since I have a few minutes, and it’s far too hot to do anything else, I’ll do this.I’ve been tagged by Adelle and Paige to list 8 things about myself. If going back and cutting pasting from similar memes is cheating, too bad! We keep doing these things and none of us will have any secrets. How boring would that be??Here are the rules:A. Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.1) I hate the heat. (this one is easy. It’s about a million degrees here today)2) I have very strong, very white, fast growing nails. I cut them square, and everyone thinks I always have a French manicure. Nope, they’re real thing. They rarely bre Read more:Tagged
From The Funny File... 2007-06-21 06:00:00 Psych! Sorry, gang. No time for TT today, so I'm sharing something from the funny file instead.A Man Who Knows His Math Writes:I was riding to work yesterday when I observed a female driver who cut right in front of a pickup truck, causing the driver to drive onto the shoulder to avoid hitting her.This evidently angered the driver enough that he hung his arm out is window and gave the woman the finger."Man, that guy is stupid," I thought to myself. I ALWAYS smile nicely and wave in a sheepish manner whenever a female does anything to me in traffic, and here's why:I drive 48 miles each way every day to work.That's 96 miles each day.Of these, 16 miles each way is bumper-to-bumper.Most of the bumper-to-bumper is on an 8 lane highway.There are 7 cars every 40 feet for 32 miles.That works out to 982 cars every mile, or 31,424 cars.Even though the rest of the 32 miles is not bumper-to-bumper, I figure Ipass at least another 4000 cars.That brings the number to something like 36,000 cars th Read more:Funny
News Flash! 2007-06-19 07:59:00 Check out this new release!A Hint of Summerby MG Braden and Cindy K. GreenInheritance by MG Braden When Chase Taylor's grandmother passes away she inherits the exclusive home their family calls 'the beach house.' Only there's a catch. She has to live in it for six months with Reece Weston, a man she'd never met until the reading of the will.Is he a scam artist? Or will love turn out to be the best inheritance of all?Summer's Return by Cindy K. GreenAfter a seven year absence, Parker Radcliffe returns to the alluring Outer Banks to sell his family’s beach house only to discover his realtor is spirited Arianna Morgan, the girl he could never have. While Arianna is determined to remind him of the life he left behind, Parker must decide whether he will follow his heart or family expectations. BUY IT HERE! Read more:Flash
Another Great Review for Spinning Wildly! 2007-06-18 06:15:00 Coffee Time RomanceRating: 5 cups(Ultra Rare Extraordinary Read. Not many books will be rated a 5. This is a book you would like to tell everybody about because you just can’t say enough about it.)"Spinning Wildly is a story that defines Murphy’s Law! Ms. Fredrix has a rare gift for taking the reader along with her so that you can hear the amusement rides, and smell the hot dogs, and feel exactly what the characters are feeling. Megan’s reaction to Mitchell, who has obviously assumed it is safe to let his interest be known now, is laugh out loud funny. I also enjoyed reading about Cody and his typical twelve-year-old reactions, especially when he points out the mustard on his mom’s t-shirt. The characters are well defined, as is the setting, making this story one to be savored. I highly recommend Spinning Wildly, and I look forward to reading more from this author."ReginaReviewer for Coffee Time RomanceReviewer for Karen Find Out About New BooksCan I tell you there was some maj Read more:Great
Thursday Thirteen #15 2007-06-14 05:16:00 Thirteen Visiting CountriesHere are 13 countries, and one bonus country, that have visited my little ol' Canadian blog in the last 2 weeks.1) Egypt2) Singapore3) France4) United States5) New Zealand6) Mexico7) Spain8) United Kingdom9) Slovenia10) Australia11) Germany12) Columbia13) Puerto RicoBonus Country) SwedenThanks for dropping by! I love having visitors. Read more:Thursday
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Contest! Win a $20 Fictionwise Gift Certificate 2007-06-12 06:21:00 Purchase a copy of Spinning Wildly (only $1.50!) at either Fictionwise or The Wild Rose Press, and you could end up with a $20 gift certificate!Find the following answers…The name of the amusement park:The name of one of the rides:The slogan on Mark’s T-Shirt:…and then email them to me under the subject "Contest
."I'll choose and notify the winner Friday, June 22nd.Already bought it? You can still enter! Just send me the answers. Read more:Certificate
News Flash! 2007-06-08 06:08:00 My CP has a new release out this week, so get yourselves over to The Wild Rose Press and buy a copy.Here’s a blurb…Alexandra Reynolds usually looks forward to the reunion with her two best friends. They laughingly call their trio the 3-D club—deceived, discarded, divorced—and have enjoyed helping each other overcome fears and insecurities. But this year it’s her turn to perform, and Riana and Suzette have signed her up to do a burlesque routine at a gentleman’s club. They should know she doesn’t do sexy well. Years as the fat kid in school left her with a physical complex she just can’t shake. Her cheating ex husband certainly didn’t help. Nor did bartender Matt McCoy, whom she’d carried a torch for in college. He’d never responded to her feeble attempts to flirt, and she’d concluded he didn’t find her sexy enough, but she can’t seem to shake memories of him either. She stumbles down the stage twirling a feather boa and swirling with nerves, only to fall ri Read more:Flash
Thursday Thirteen #14 2007-06-07 05:40:00 Thirteen GamesI didn’t think I was going to play this week, because my brain couldn’t come up with 13 of anything.Anyway, I made myself a hot drink with honey, lemon and rum before I went to bed, ‘cause my throat is feeling tickly. I sat down in my office to drink it and started to play a computer game.AHA! I have lots of games on my PC and PDA, so I easily came up with 13 games I often play.Here’s the list with a link, just in case you’re interested. (Because we all need more ways to waste time when we should be writing!)Let the games begin! 1) Bookworm Deluxe2) TextTwist3) Link Letters4) What Word5) Hang Tough Hangman6) Bejeweled 27) Mahjongg8) Spite & Malice (This is my favourite)9) Algerian Patience (Solitaire) 10) Busy Aces (Solitaire) 11) Buffalo Bill (Solitaire) 12) Scorpian (Solitaire) 13) Retinue of Kings (Solitaire)Links to other Thursday
Thirteens! Read more:Thirteen
Pet Peeve #3 2007-06-04 21:50:00 Huh, my blog is a year old now and this is only my 3rd pet peeve?? You have no idea how unbelievable that is! I guess the virtual me is nicer than the real me.Anyhoo, this is a yay for the author, boo for the reader, peeve.I don’t know about the rest of you, but I hate it when someone scams me. How many of you have bought a book, believing it to be a new release, only to find out it’s an ancient backlist title? I HATE THAT!!I’m usually careful with this, because I’ve been burned so many times before. Years ago, I started checking the copyright date before I bought anything. I pay for everything I read. If I make a conscious decision to buy something that I read years ago, and want to read it again, fine, I’ll fork over the cash. If I find a new author and decide to check out her backlist, fine, I’ll carefully select what I want to buy and gladly pay for it.Now that I buy all my books online, it’s not so easy to check copyright dates. And Nora Roberts is the only author th
Spinning Wildly's 1st Review! 2007-06-01 19:47:00 Fallen Angel Reviews...5 Angels!Spinning Wildly is a quick read but it is not brief on plot or character development. The mother/son dynamic is well written and realistic. I laughed and was horrified for them both when the mustard splashed. I could hear every nuance in their exchanges. I felt like I was right there, along for the day’s adventure, with them. The chemistry between Mitchell and Megan is instant—and hot. I cared whether or not the two, and the two boys who they were with, began more than just a parent teacher relationship. Elle Fredrix has crafted a little jewel with Spinning Wildly. I loved every heart-gripping minute of it!Reviewed by: Carly
Thursday Thirteen #13 2007-05-31 05:44:00 Thirteen Funny Signs1) On a Septic Tank Truck: Yesterday's Meals on Wheels2) Sign over a Gynaecologist's Office: "Dr. Jones, at your cervix."3) At a Proctologist's door: "To expedite your visit, please back in."4) On a Plumber's truck: "We repair what your husband fixed."5) On a Plumber's truck: "Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber."6) On a Plastic Surgeon's Office door: "Hello. Can we pick your nose?"7) On an Electrician's truck: "Let us remove your shorts."8) At a Car Dealership: "The best way to get back on your feet -- miss a car payment."9) In a Non-smoking Area: "If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action."10) At the Electric Company: "We would be delighted if you send in your payment. However, if you don't, you will be."11) In the front yard of a Funeral Home: "Drive carefully. We'll wait."12) In a Veterinarian's waiting room: "Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"13) On a Maternity Room door: "Push. Push. Push"Links to other Thursd Read more:Thursday
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Thank You! 2007-05-28 06:47:00 Hey gang, I just wanted to thank you all for your support.After all of last weeks highs, my dear old dad had heart surgery on Friday morning. Things were touch and go for a bit, but all is well now.Anyway, I haven’t been around the express my appreciation for your support of my first release, and I wanted to do so now.Thank
you! You guys rock!
Thursday Thirteen #12 2007-05-24 05:04:00 Thirteen Things that are making me happy this week!1) My short story, Spinning Wildly,, released yesterday!2) My CP, Lainey Bancroft, got a great review (4 cups from CoffeeTime) for The Music of Marcus.3) Lainey blogged about my new release.4) I won a Fictionwise gift certificate from MG Braden!5) MG Braden blogged about my new release.6) I made it onto the Sweetheart Rose bestseller list in one morning! (;o) don’t laugh!)7) Everyone that visits here today, because they’re all curious as to how I, Elle Fredrix, could possibly write something called sweet, will rush over and spend a buck fifty on Spinning Wildly. Seriously, the more you get to know me, the harder it’ll be to wrap your head around. And you’ll all find out that I may not write steaming hot, but nor do I write sweet! Well, this is probably sweeter (God, I hate that word) than anything I’ve written, but it’s just an itty bitty story.8) Because all of you bought Spinning Wildly to satisfy your curiosity (or to cr Read more:Thursday
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Spinning Wildly is Now Available! 2007-05-23 07:09:00 Well, I can't even begin to tell you how this feels. I'm a published author! Wow.Here's the blurb. Again...Although Megan Dempsey hates amusement parks, she hates disappointing her 12-year old son even more. So when his plans with a friend fall through, he ropes her into going along. Things go downhill from there. First, an incident with a mustard-oozing hotdog paints her breast golden. Then running into-literally-Mitchell Carter, a man who has stirred her emotions for more than year, mortifies her even more. When their paths repeatedly cross, she recognizes interest in Mitch's gaze. Megan's day is about to get a whole lot better!If you'd like to buy your own copy and critique it, just click the pic in the sidebar!
Happy May Two-Four! 2007-05-21 06:44:00 It’s a holiday here in Canada. We celebrate Victoria Day on the Monday before the 24th, but the actual day is—you got it—the 24th.This weekend is our unofficial start of summer, but unfortunately, here in Toronto, it’s not too summer like. It’s only 5 degrees (41F) right now, with an expected high of only 15 (59)! Oh, well at least the sun is shining.Oh, and we call this weekend the May two-four weekend. At least most Canadians do. Partly because the two and the four make 24—duh—and partly because we call a case of beer a two-four. This is a huge long weekend for us. Everyone opens the cottage for the summer, goes camping, gardens, whatever. It’s all about the great outdoors and there’s usually beer involved. Well, not for me. If you’ve been hanging out here long enough you know I find the stuff repulsive. Nope, for me, bring along some Mikes Hard or Smirnoff Ice!So Canada, wherever you are, or whatever you’re doing, have a cold one! Have fun, but make it safe.And Read more:Happy
Thursday Thirteen #11 2007-05-16 23:05:00 Thirteen Things - Rejections13 Stories of RejectionThis list could be very depressing, but I prefer to look at it as a testament to these authors, and their willingness to keep at it. Seriously, gang, when I look at some of these numbers, I wonder if I could hold out that long. I thoroughly expect to get shot down again and again by NYC, but I plan to keep at it. Will I have this kind of endurance? I don’t know.1 British writer John Creasy received 774 rejections before selling his first story.2 Mary Higgins Clark was rejected 40 times before selling her first story.3 Alex Haley had received 200 rejections before he wrote Roots.4 Louis L'Amour received 200 rejections before he sold his first novel.5 Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull received 20 rejections before it sold.6 Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth was rejected 14 times, before it sold—and won a Pulitzer Prize.7 John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, was rejected by 15 publishers and 30 agents. He ended up se Read more:Thursday
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I Have a Release Date! 2007-05-14 07:29:00 Spinning Wildly releases Wednesday May, 23rd!Here's the blurb...Although Megan Dempsey hates amusement parks, she hates disappointing her 12-year old son even more. So when his plans with a friend fall through, he ropes her into going along. Things go downhill from there. First, an incident with a mustard-oozing hotdog paints her breast golden. Then running into—literally—Mitchell Carter, a man who has stirred her emotions for more than year, mortifies her even more. When their paths repeatedly cross, she recognizes interest in Mitch’s gaze. Megan’s day is about to get a whole lot better!I've sent out a bunch of review requests. If any of them are positive I'll post them here. Hey, it's my blog, I can brag if I want!According to my editor "You've packed a satisfying read into 2400 words while sustaining your voice and humor."So, yeah. I'm excited. Even the pink--I hate pink--cover isn't getting me down.I'm also nauseous, but I'm hoping that will pass. Well, it will li Read more:Release
Thursday Thirteen #10 2007-05-10 05:40:00 Thirteen Things13 Writing related things I plan to do, or at least do better. 1. Find the time to respond to more blog comments.2. Be religious about my writing habits/routines.3. Make sure that every thing I write is better than the last thing I wrote.4. Improve my networking skills.5. Stop coming up with ideas for the next book/s and finish the one I’m writing! For some reason this one is taking me far too long.6. Decide whether I should go ahead and revise MS number 2 and sub it, or finish number 3 and sub that one first. I got an amazing crit from eHar on the 2nd, but IMHO the one I’m working on now is far better. Of course, I have to finish it.7. As soon as I get a release date, send Spinning Wildly off to any sites who review short stories. (I know of about 5. If you know any please leave their names in comments!)8. Somewhere, somehow, I’ve lost my self-discipline. I really need to find it again.9. Commit to buying more books from new authors. Hey, I’m Read more:Thursday
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I've Been Tagged! 2007-05-09 12:25:00 I’m not quite sure how, but I ended up on a few people’s hit lists in the last few days.First, Jenna tags with 8 things you don’t know about me, then Jennifer tags me with 8 random facts/habits, then Red tags me with 8 wonderful things about me.I was already working on Jenna’s when I got Jennifer’s, and was finished by the time I got Red’s. Guess what? I’m not doing 3 different memes!!So, here are 8 random habits/facts that you may or may not know about me, but I’m fairly sure the only wonderful thing is that I work from home. Deal with it! (and y’all better watch out, because just when you least expect it, I’ll get you back!)1. I never go to bed until after 11:30 pm.2. I don’t use an alarm clock (unless I need to get up super early for something)3. I work from a home office (so if I do happen to sleep past 7:30 for some weird reason, it’s not that big of a deal)4. I have a giant L shaped desk. At one end sits a PC, the other a Mac. And before you ask, I definit Read more:Tagged
From The Funny File... 2007-05-08 13:43:00 Mother Superior called all the nuns together and said to them, "I must tell you all something. We have a case of gonorrhea in the convent.""Thank God," said an elderly nun at the back. "I'm so tired of chardonnay." Read more:Funny
A Great Read 2007-07-02 20:37:00 I rarely do the whole fan girl thing, but if you haven’t read Suzanne Brockmann’s latest, Into the Storm, do yourself a favour and buy it! I’ve had my copy for nearly a year, but I just read it. It’s the hardcover, but I think the paperback should be out soon.I haven’t read her earlier Harlequin/Silhouette stuff, but I have read everything since, and Into the Storm is absolutely one of my faves. The dialogue and characterization are nothing short of brilliant. I particularly liked one of the secondary characters named Izzy. I hope he gets his own story one day! Read more:Great
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss R.I.P. 2007-07-08 11:40:00 Kathleen passed away July 6, 2007. Her son posted the following…"Hello. I am very sorry to inform you all of the death of my mother Kathleen. She took the death of my brother a bit harder than we thought and the cancer came back with a vengence. She passed away Friday morning at 0630 in Princeton, MN. I just want to thank you all for all of your support and being such great fans. My Mom was amazed at all of the people that supported her. Her final book is done, but not finished. We will be trying to polish it up for her. Her editor at Harper Collins has been a great source of stress for my Mom and the rest of us as well, so I am not sure how that will work out, but we are trying to get the book published as fast as possible. We all want this to be her greatest book ever. Thank you again for all of your support. Heath."It’s my guess that KW was an inspiration to countless romance writers. She blazed a trail and thousands have tried to follow in her footsteps. I read Shanna in my l Read more:Kathleen
Debunking a Stereotype 2007-07-06 07:10:00 Study: Men Talk Just as Much as WomenYou know how they've always said that women talk three times as much as men?Hah!..."An article in this week's issue of Science blasts the popular myth that women are more talkative than men.Researchers outfitted 210 college students — 179 Americans and 31 Mexicans — with devices that automatically recorded them every 12 1/2 minutes, which amounts to 4 percent of a person's daily utterances.The researchers found that women speak a little more than 16,000 words a day. Men speak a little less than 16,000 words. The difference is not statistically significant.Psychologist Matthias Mehl of the University of Arizona says the three top talkers in the study — uttering up to 47,000 words a day — were all men. So was the most taciturn subject, who spoke only 700 words a day, on average.Mehl says he and his colleagues were surprised at the outcome. They had tentatively bought into the popular stereotype that women are the more talkative sex.But they Read more:Debunking
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