Revisiting Black Wolf Gorge

Today I’m back in the Pennsylvania Wilds. I’ve spent so much time on SILENT KNIGHTS and setting up BOOKS & BLUBS that I’ve neglected my wolves. Not that I haven’t enjoyed doing the other stuff. But I really need to get back to the as yet untitled book 3 of the series.


Maybe being away from the manuscript was a good thing. I came back to it with fresh eyes and a new perspective on some of the characters. I see some personality quirks I missed before. Not on the old familiar characters. I know them inside out. But some of the new guys are starting to show their true colors. I see another villain in the making. And I see this as the end of a trilogy, but the beginning of a new arc in another location. Now if only I could come up with a title…


So this is what I’m concentrating on today. Tomorrow I’ll be posting another fabulous book on BOOKS & BLURBS. Stop by and check it out. My friends write some hot romance!

Books & Blurbs featuring Berengaria Brown's Intensity

Okay Books & Blubs is now officially up and running. Check out Intensity by Berengaria Brown.
While you're there please make a note of the new url.

http://booksblurbs.blogspot.com/

I don't know how to redirect (I know I'm a dunce) so if you followed Notes From Camp Swampy please change your shortcut.

Last night I made a new logo to go with the website. You can see it above. I probably should be spending this time writing but working with Paint Shop Pro is fun and I needed a break.

Books and Blurbs

I've had my book review blog, Notes from Camp Swampy, since May 2008. I love to read but I just can't keep up anymore. And I really want to keep the content fresh.

The solution is to revamp, make things easier on myself and provide readers with fresh content. I changed the look and I decided to put up covers, blurbs, excerpts... The idea is to let readers know what’s out there, the newest of the new, maybe even before the books are released.

Take a look; let me know what you think. I’m open to suggestions. If you have
a book cover you’d like me to post, just send me an email.

The new url is:

http://booksblurbs.blogspot.com/

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Hello! I know it’s been less than a week but it feels like so much longer. So let me tell what you what I’ve been up to.

I was this close to finishing my novella and I refused to leave the house until I did. I pretty much locked myself in my office, only coming out to use the bathroom and get more coffee so I could use the bathroom again.

I finished editing my draft Tuesday night, breathed a big sigh of relief and went to bed. When I woke up Wednesday morning, I knew I wanted to change a few things. Of course that meant going through all ten chapters to make sure it all worked together.

I ended up with 20,518 words and I named my baby – Silent Knights. I’m almost ready to send it out into the world. I hope somebody adopts it because I love my characters and I want them to have a good home.

Wish me luck!

#7links Challenge

I’m a big fan of Darren Rowse and Problogger. I subscribe to Blog Tips and today’s newsletter posed a challenge that I couldn’t resist. Publish a post with a list of 7 links to posts that you and others have written. Here it is - my responses to the list Problogger supplied.

My first post:
http://write-juncture.blogspot.com/2008/05/beyond-farchadat.html
In my first post on Notes from Camp Swampy I talked about how confused, distracted and dysfunctional I felt. Camp Swampy, named for the building where I worked the hated day job, was where I vented. Later it became the place I posted my book reviews.

The post I enjoyed writing the most:
http://galestanley.blogspot.com/2010/01/call-of-wilds-to-be-published-in-june.html
In a very euphoric mood I announced that Siren-Bookstrand would be releasing my paranormal erotic romance - CALL OF THE WILDS in June 2010.

A post which had a great discussion:
http://galestanley.blogspot.com/2010/01/feeling-squeezed.html
I guess a lot of people can relate to Feeling Squeezed.

A post on someone else’s blog that I wsh I'd written:
There are about a million of them but here’s one from 11-28-2009.
Top Ten Reasons the editor doesn't love what your critique group loves
http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/2009/11/top-ten-reasons-editor-doesnt-love-what.html

My most helpful post:
http://write-juncture.blogspot.com/2009/08/make-your-writing-readable.html
I blogged about active verbs.

A post with a title that I’m proud of:
http://write-juncture.blogspot.com/2008/08/submission-is-dirty-word.html
SUBMISSION IS A DIRTY WORD. I just like it.

A post that I wish more people had read:
http://galestanley.blogspot.com/2010/03/fight-ms-with-j-walkers.html
I blogged about a cause near and dear to my heart.

Who said this was easy?

http://galestanley.net/

I almost feel like yesterday was a bust. Most of the day was spent working on a new website yet again. I saw some really cool Wordpress designs and decided to try them. They were great – for a blog. But they just didn’t look like websites. And I already have a blog that I don’t want to give up – two in fact. I still keep up Notes from Camp Swampy.


They say it’s easy to make Wordpress themes look like websites. Maybe, but there’s a learning curve involved and I already spent too much time on this. Time I should spend writing. So after hours of fooling with Yahoo and Wordpress I gave up and went back to a traditional website – screen shot above. I’d love to hear what you think of it. Today I plan to finish the Novella or stay up all night until I do.

My Good Reads

Goodreads.com is a great networking site. If you love books it’s a great place to share what you’re reading and write reviews. I’ve had a user account for a long time but yesterday a friend reminded me that it’s also a great place for authors and readers to get together on a more personal level. So I decided to convert my goodreads user account to an author account. It seemed like a simple process…


Think my life is easy? Not. I set up the author account but it wouldn’t let me in to edit my profile. For some reason it didn’t recognize me as the owner of the account. After awhile I figured it was time to ask the experts for help. I sent an email to goodreads and immediately got a response. Somehow I ended up with two accounts and goodreads and I were both confused. After going back and forth a few times the problem was resolved and one account was deleted. Thank you Patrick for being so helpful – and patient.


I added a bio and a blog feed. My shelves were empty so I’m in the process of restacking them. If you have an account, look me up and be my friend.


http://www.goodreads.com/GaleStanley

It’s easy to join. Just visit http://www.goodreads.com/, click on register and fill out your name, email and password.

I'm in The Steam Room

I hope you’ll stop by The Steam Room today and join in the conversation. Michele Zurlo really turns on the heat.

Read a steamy excerpt from my book CALL OF THE WILDS on her home page.

And Michele put me on the hot seat with an interview on her blog.

MATING CALL, coming out in November, will be book 2 in my Black Wolf Gorge series. I’m having trouble coming up with a sizzling title for book 3. If you can think of a sexy title with the word CALL in it please leave me a comment. I need help. Remember it’s all about the wolves.

Call of the Wilds featured at Book Cover Lovers

Book Cover Lovers

http://bookcoverlovers.blogspot.com/2010/07/gale-stanley.html

I’m excited. CALL OF THE WILDS is featured on Shiela Stewart’s Book Cover Lovers.

Drop by and check out my cover. And while you’re there stay awhile. It’s a great site with lots of resources for writers as well as free reads and info for readers.

While we're on the subject of covers, I have more news. I just sent back my contract for MATING CALL. Now I'm working on blurbs and thinking about cover design. Jinger Heaston is fabulous so I know whatever the finished cover looks like it will be great! And of course you will be first to see it.

Is This Global Warming?

The east coast suffered a real heat wave this week with temperatures over 100 degrees. I think it was cooler in Florida. Of course the AC decided to conk out right in the middle of it. We have two units and the downstairs was still livable so I moved my office to the kitchen table and we slept downstairs. The cats remained upstairs in the heat. Go figure.


Needless to say I didn’t get much work done. Lucky for us the repairman came the second day and got us running again. The unit was overcharged. I really don’t understand what that means but at least it’s working again. And so am I.

Amazing Grace – Just the Black Notes

The other day a friend sent me the link to a video on YouTube and I listened to Wintley Phibbs sing Amazing Grace. He gave me the chills and brought tears to my eyes. See for yourself.



Wintley Augustus Phipps was born January 7, 1955 in Trinidad and Tobago. He’s an ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister and world-renowned vocal artist who has sung for many US presidents.

Is It Ever Too Late?

When I was a kid I wanted piano lessons. I begged and pleaded but my parents didn’t want to spend big bucks buying or renting a piano. Instead they got me an accordion. They were big fans of Lawrence Welk.

It wasn’t an acceptable replacement but it was all I had so I was willing to give it a try. After one lesson I was banished to the basement to practice. I did my best every day for a week but my parents returned the accordion and that was the end of my music lessons. Evidently they enjoyed Mr. Welk’s performances more than mine. So much for playing an instrument.

Years later my son acquired a big old converted player piano from a friend and I fooled around with it and taught myself to play Jingle Bells and Row, Row, Row Your Boat. I’m a lifelong learner and it was a beginning.

Eventually my son bought a bigger house for his family and the piano went with them. I missed it but I had other things to keep me busy. Recently my sister-in-law decided to sell her piano. I jumped at the chance to give it a try. So here I am, an adult beginner teaching myself how to play - again.

I don’t think age is really a handicap when it comes to learning. In fact I think it gives me an edge. Nobody is forcing me to take lessons or practice. I want to do it. I’m realistic about my goals. I’ll never be a concert pianist. I just want to play for my own enjoyment - if my cats will let me near their new cat perch.

Is there something you always wanted to do but it wasn’t possible at the time? Did you finally make it happen? I’d love to hear a success story.

The Versatile Blogger Award!

My great friend, Stacey Espino, nominated me for THE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD!

These are the rules:


1. Thank those who loved me enough to bestow this gift.
2. Share seven things about myself.
3. Bestow this honor onto 15 newly discovered or followed bloggers–in no particular order–who are fantastic in some way.
4. Drop by and let my fifteen new friends know I love them.


Okay...here we go!


1.) Thank you Stacey! You know I LOVE YOU!!!


2.) Seven things about me?


I have 5 adorable grandkids.
I watch all the reality shows.
I have 2 Tonkinese cats.
I write paranormal erotic romance.
I spend a lot of time at the beach.
I have too many books to count.
I drink poosies.


3.) And here is my list of wonderful and supportive friends/authors, including the friend who nominated me.


Stacey Espino
Harris Channing
Delilah Devlin
Michele Zurlo
Clark Stone
Denise Golinowski
Maeve Greyson
Jan Bowles
Calisa Lewis
Rachel Lynne
Jeannene Walker
Erika Gilbert
Mahalia Levey
Nicole Morgan
Riley Quinn

Happy Fourth of July!

“May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!”

~ Daniel Webster

From every mountain side,

 Let Freedom ring.

~ Samuel F. Smith, "America"

Interview with the Vampire

It’s true. I was interviewed by Vampiress. Check it out here.

http://www.vampirebooks.ca/authorinterviews/galestanley.html

She has a great site with lots of good stuff for readers and writers. Besides interviews there are reviews on everything paranormal - not just vampires.

Yesterday was a busy one. I checked my email and a fellow writer had sent a message asking for a vote in a contest. I went to vote and discovered my own book was also in the running. Yes I missed the email informing me that I was in the contest. Can't believe I did that. I just have too many email addresses.

http://hea-reviews.blogspot.com/p/best-book-contest_30.html

Happily Ever After Reviews is running a contest for June’s best book of the month. It runs until July 8th. CALL OF THE WILDS is the first one listed. I’d really appreciate your vote. Thanks so much!