Taster

Who doesn't like free samples? (Nobody, apparently. Go to the Costco on a day that they're serving free food and watch the fun.)

Apart from being a little taster of The Muse, this is my life on a regular basis. Yes. Really.
***

Alice. Alice. Alice.

 

Alice sighed. Layne had perked up dramatically over the last few days. She felt guilty as hell admitting it, but she’d almost liked him better when he was sick-and quiet.

“What.”

You need to get a white cat.

“Huh.”

When it sits on your lap you can rub your hands together like you’re some kind of evil genius.

Really?

Although…that did sound kind of fun.

“Maybe.”

Awesome. Hey, go turn your laptop on.

Aw, man! She’d rather been enjoying her little break.

“Do I have to?”

Young lady, if you don’t march your ass over to that computer right now, I’ll start without you!

Pfft. Like he would really do it. He was still woozy.

“Whatever, Layne.” she snickered. “I’m gonna get a bowl of ice cream.”

She was just scraping the ice cream-hard as a rock, what the hell, man?-when he piped up again.

I was thinking we should kill John now. Maybe with some well-placed apple seeds-you’re by the laptop, right?-in his drink.

“Shit! I’m going, I’m going!”

She heard him cackle and envisioned him grinning like a homicidal maniac. Jeeze Louise, what had she done to deserve this? Did other writers go through this? If they did, she needed to write a self-help book or something.

Whatever. That would imply she had a handle on him. She envisioned Layne with a beaded purse handle sticking out of his spine and cringed. That was just not right.

“Okay, the laptop’s on now.” There was no answer. “Layne?”

Changed my mind. Go back to your ice cream.

Sadist.

Musings on the muse

Some books give me trouble. Color Blind fought me tooth and nail about being finished. I had more writer's block on that one than anything else to date. (Knock on wood...) But The Muse...if anything, that one came too easily, and at bad times.

I got the idea, initially, while I was trying to edit Color Blind. I tried to ignore it, just until I was through, but Layne-and it would have to be him!-wouldn't shut up until I jotted down a few things.

I suspect, sometimes, that Layne is not 'my character' as much as he is some otherworldly being that likes to bug me. Admittedly, these suspicions usually come very early in the morning or very late at night, when I also think that doing a cartwheel isn't that hard. (It is. I can't do a cartwheel. I hurt myself.) All the same, though, I have to wonder. I hadn't been considering doing a story about a writer, or reading a lot of Greek mythology, or anything that might trigger a small landslide of ideas. It just happened. One minute I was going, 'am I really sure this scene goes here?' and the next minute someone else was going, 'hi! I know this is a bad time, but you need to write my story down RIGHT NOW or you'll never get any editing done.' No other idea has ever hit quite so hard, and quite so fleshed out. It was like some kind of inspirational lightning bolt.

As time went on, I got ideas for the story at the worst possible times. In the middle of a math test? There was Layne, prattling on about this horrible dog that nearly took his head off. At a family gathering? There he was again, bugging me to get rid of this crazy guy with an ax. I really do have to feel sorry for Alice. She's stuck with him 24/7. (Although some days it felt like I was stuck with him 24/7.)

I don't know. All I know is that this funny little man with the pink hair took over my life for...has it really been three years? And I really have enjoyed every minute of it, even though I really couldn't afford to be brainstorming during a math test.

-Lalla

Post-Novel Depression

Yeah.

It's a thing. Every time I finish a book, I feel this crushing sense of loss.

(In case it wasn't obvious, I finished The Muse. You have to wait until August anyway, but it's done.)

I don't know why. Usually when I finish a book it's after three years or so of getting the idea, writing the first draft, editing, pleading with the characters to let me sleep (it's FOUR AM! I'm TIRED!)...so you'd think I'd do a little dance at the end. Maybe go, 'Novel has given Writer a sock! Writer is FREE!'

But no. I think I must like pain, because I sit at my desk, staring at the now novel-less screen, and feel a bucketload of angst settle down around my shoulders.

I don't know. Maybe I should do something with chocolate.

-Lalla

Link

As promised, The Maze is free from now until Friday. Whoo-hoo!

http://www.amazon.com/Maze-Ravens-Curse-Lalla-Squeglia-ebook/dp/B00EPG45M4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403533637&sr=8-1&keywords=lalla+squeglia

Free!

Yes! It's happening!

What's happening, you ask? Why, only the most awesome thing in the world!

Well, maybe not that awesome. Nothing compares to bacon. Mm...bacon.

Beginning Monday, June 23rd (THIS MONDAY!), The Maze will be free on Amazon.com. The free period ends on Friday, June 27th, so act quickly. Well, sort of quickly. You've got all week, almost.

Get ready. It's coming.

-Lalla

Nothing to Say

I haven't chattered about The Muse as much as I do about some of the others. I don't know why, really. There aren't words to describe it, maybe? Don't look at me, I don't know.

While the plot isn't particularly personal, the characters are. Layne and Alice are probably the two most personal characters I've ever come up with. I don't know why, and I didn't plan them that way, but when did things ever go the way we planned?

They can-canned (yes, really!) into my life when I was trying to finish up with Color Blind and refused to leave me alone. They have a knack for popping up at the most inopportune times. Math finals were a big one. It was an absolute nightmare.

I don't know. Maybe when it's out, I'll find something to go on about. But I don't think that's going to happen.

Anyways...

AUGUST. HOLY MOLY, BATMAN.

-Lalla

Heat

So some poor guy has been found in the Phoenix area, dead from heatstroke.

I'm sorry.

Look, guys. Anyone that doesn't live in Arizona and is planning to come visit, listen good. We have four or five deaths every year-tourists, usually, that didn't realize how hot it can get here. Let me tell you something right now, it gets Damn Hot. You know what it was in Tucson today? 107 degrees.

Ouch.

Phoenix is usually a bit hotter.

So please, take my advice. Please. If you come down here, drink plenty of water. Don't hang out in the sun for too long. You can die very quickly from the heat. I see you rolling your eyes-they always do. Just listen to me, guys. I live here. I know. (Anyone else who lives here can back me up.)

Take precautions. Be careful. Shorts and a t-shirt and one little water bottle are not enough.

That was...depressing. The next update will be back to normal, I promise.

-Lalla