Death by Post-it

I'm likely to be found buried under a pile of sticky notes. That's right, that's how I'll go: Death by Post-it.

For those who have followed my tweets and posts (at this blog or at The Book Stops Here) in the past few months, you've probably come to the right conclusion. Yes, I'm suffering my worst bout of writers block ever. I've written about visits from my old pal Writers Block before, but this time it's different, something has evolved. Like a virus, Writers Block, whom I've always found a way to get rid of before, has mutated into a new kind of super Block, one I cannot beat for the life of me.

While I still try to write with the mutated Writers Block, every writer will tell you that forced writing, is merely an imitation of writing. That said, while the words are not in my favor, some things in my mind are still working. Much like how they claim Hope to be the last things to leave the human body, it seems Inspiration is the last thing to leave this writer. While I can't seem to put a story together on the laptop, not even at a second grade level, I can still come up with ideas, concepts, and scenes.
So, what happens to writer when they have been infected by a mutated Writers Block virus, but is still able to get inspiration? While being hit with an extreme feed of images on a daily basis, and without the ability to get the images out in a piece of work, the writer may A) go bananas. B) end up creatively dead. Or C, be forced to find a different outlet.

I, refusing to creatively die or go bananas, opted for C. And the answer, my dear Watson, was elementary. Post-its. That's right. The only thing keeping me mentally afloat right now is the multicolored sticky notes, possibly invented by Romy and Michele. Post-its: the prefect size to hold my discombobulated thoughts.

And while they are saving me from dying in a literal sense, I've come to realize they may be the
actual death of me as the probability of me drowning in them grows by the day. There are Post-its everywhere. My car. My purse. My bedroom. My desk. I even found one on my butt yesterday. No idea how long I'd walked around with a pink sticky note reading: "And...a partridge and a pear tree?" (Aston - Chapter 7.) I just hope it ended up there after I went to Walgreens and not before.

I think there comes a time in everyone's life where they approach the cross roads of keep fighting (Right) and moving on (Left). While pondering whether to go right or not, one should simply ask oneself the age-old question: is this really worth me drowning in a pile of Post-its?

My answer: yes, of course it is. Anything worthwhile in life is worth drowning in a pile of Post-its over.

Xoxo,
Mia

The Book Stops Here

For those who don't know, I occasionally also write for a blog formerly known as the Prose & Cons, made up of a community of writers, editors, agents, and weirdos (the latter would be me.)

Recently, the group formerly known as the Prose & Cons, changed their name, and relaunched their site. Nearly each and every member contributed a writing piece to reintroduce themselves.

Without farther ado:

The new and improved The Book Stops Here

GO VISIT!

Xoxo,
Mia

"Writing"

Between the "rewrites" of project X, and the "writing" of the Sapphire #4 MS, I decided to squeeze in a birthday yesterday.

I had a spectacularly amazing, but low-key day which included: breakfast in bed, Dim Sum, and two orangutans. I could explain, but I'd much rather leave you all wondering how the orangutans came into the picture. I'm not sure how I got to be one year away from the big three-oh. I honestly always planned on just turning twenty-five until I died, but with neither science or biology on my side I guess I have to give up on that dream. Mia-0. Time-1.

Today, it was back to the muddy water of reality. Got up at 6.30 and drank my coffee while starting to "write." ("Writing" = staring at screen while baffled by one's past choices.) As I sat there, "writing", I wondered when my beloved muse would be back, and where she went in the first place. Perhaps she took out her well-earned PTO and went to the Bahamas, or Boca Raton if she's 55+. I then decided to take a break from "writing" to google muses and call my insurance company. (Note that it was not to ask where they thought my muse had gone on vacation. It was a separate matter.)

After lunch, a work out, and this post, I now have four hours left of "writing" time and muse-pondering, before I may call it a day. Wish me luck.

Xoxo,
Mia

Interviews, Guest Spots & More!

Between writing, life, and other time-consuming things, promo-time is usually not something I have the chance to enjoy. Promo-time, i.e those few months leading up to the new book release, usually involves, but is not limited to, interviews, blog tours, book clubs, count down posts, and guest spots.

Because I'm usually already under emotional stress at that time, I don't remembering much from those months as they whoosh by in a flurry of emails, tweets, and Q & As. Lucky for me, and my stress-induced goldfish memory, I can take a day like today, months after the promo is over to look at what I did while in the "black out" period.

Here or some of the interviews and guests spots from last year. A few of the topics I discuss are: Sentencing Sapphire, growing up in Sweden, and book 4 and 5 of the Sapphire Dubois Series.     

Interviewed by Garrett Calcaterra

Interviewed by Peter Hogenkamp

Book Blitz Excerpt & Interview 

Interviewed by Lily Gardner

Guest Spot at Readful Things

Interviewed by Ash Krafton

Xoxo,
Mia

The Holidays

Must say I thoroughly enjoyed the holidays this year. Diversion Books out Stalking Sapphire for free through December, and it was a great Christmas present to watch it climb Amazon's bestseller lists in the US, UK, and Canada.

Between ham cooking, Turkish delight eating, and A Christmas Story watching, I spent the rest of the holidays finishing the final chapters of Sapphire's #4's rough draft, and yelling "Mush! Mush!" at my #1 Beta Reader until he finished reading the latest draft of Project X.

Now, unfortunately, I have rough, and I do mean rough, draft in one hand, and a long list of major notes, that I have no idea how to implement into a fifth draft, in the other. This of course means months and months of rewriting a head of me, which in turn means a lot of fun, laughter, and joy in front of the old lap top...said no writer ever.

Despite the work load and the slight panicky feel it brings, I'm looking forward to 2016's payoffs. Sapphire #4 will be out and about later this year. And, hopefully, I'll get to introduce a new, and dear character to my readers.


I hope everyone will have a prosperous 2016; you all deserve it!

Xoxo,
Mia