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Want to read an excerpt from my upcoming release, DEADLY CONTACT? Look no further!  Click here, and enjoy!

Off to Oz Giveaway Hop!

This month, I'm happy to participate in the Off to Oz Giveaway Hop, sponsored by Angela's Anxious Life and I Am A Reader Not A Writer.

The theme for this hop is Classics and Time Travel Stories.  I love a good time travel story, so my offering for this giveaway is a copy of The Exile, the graphic novel adaptation of part of the Outlander story by Diana Gabaldon.  Here's the back cover blurb:

Diana Gabaldon’s brilliant storytelling has captivated millions of readers in her bestselling and award-winning Outlander saga. Now, in her first-ever graphic novel, Gabaldon gives readers a fresh look at the events of the original Outlander: Jamie Fraser’s side of the story, gorgeously rendered by artist Hoang Nguyen.

After too long an absence, Jamie Fraser is coming home to Scotland—but not without great trepidation. Though his beloved godfather, Murtagh, promised Jamie’s late parents he’d watch over their brash son, making good on that vow will be no easy task. There’s already a fat bounty on the young exile’s head, courtesy of Captain Black Jack Randall, the sadistic British officer who’s crossed paths—and swords—with Jamie in the past. And in the court of the mighty MacKenzie clan, Jamie is a pawn in the power struggle between his uncles: aging chieftain Colum, who demands his nephew’s loyalty—or his life—and Dougal, war chieftain of Clan MacKenzie, who’d sooner see Jamie put to the sword than anointed Colum’s heir.

And then there is Claire Randall—mysterious, beautiful, and strong-willed, who appears in Jamie’s life to stir his  compassion . . . and arouse his desire.

But even as Jamie’s heart draws him to Claire, Murtagh is certain she’s been sent by the Old Ones, and Captain Randall accuses her of being a spy. Claire clearly has something to hide, though Jamie can’t believe she could pose him any danger. Still, he knows she is torn between two choices—a life with him, and whatever it is that draws her thoughts so often elsewhere.
 
Step into the captivating, passionate, and suspenseful world of The Exile, and experience the storytelling magic of Diana Gabaldon as never before.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel--the artwork is just amazing, and the story really shines.  I hope you will enjoy it, too!

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  The giveaway will run until September 17.  On Wednesday, September 18 I will post the name of the winner.  US entrants only, please.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Motivation - Something for everyone

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Celebrate the Small Things - Musical edition

Friday!  It's here!  I know it's been a short week, since Monday was a holiday, but I'm still quite happy that we've reached another weekend.  If you haven't already, be sure to stop by VikLit's blog so you can sign up to join us on this hop!

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This week, I'm celebrating music.  I generally like to have music on while I'm working at my day job, and fortunately, I'm able to stream it through my computer.  It really helps to make the day go by, and I find that my mood is much improved when I can listen to music.  Not that I'm a grumpy troll when my office is quiet (at least, I don't think I am), but having music definitely makes me more cheerful.

I've been listening to a lot of country, rock, and indie music lately, but I find that when I steal a few minutes to write, I have to switch to classical or silence in order to feel my characters.  Not sure why that is, but there you go.

What about you?  Do you like to have music on while you write/work?  If so, what kind?  And what are you celebrating this week?

Photo Friday - Sitting pretty

Just a spot of beauty to start your weekend off on the right foot!

Happy Anniversary, IWSG!

It's the first Wednesday of September, which means it's time for another IWSG post.  First of all, many congratulations to Alex J. Cavanaugh, creator of this amazing blog hop.  IWSG has been going strong for two years, and hopefully has many more years to go!  If you haven't joined this community, stop by Alex's blog to sign up and post with us!

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My insecurity for this month (yes, I'm only picking one, thank you very much) is related to impostor syndrome.  You've probably heard of this--it's the feeling that you are incompetent, and your successes are due to the fact that you've fooled everyone into thinking you know what you're talking about.

For those of you who don't know, I started my professional life as a scientist, which means I spent a little over five years in graduate school. Looking back on the experience, I think grad school is designed to foster impostor syndrome--imagine year after year of failure punctuated by the occasional success, so that you begin to think those rare successes are due more to luck than any skill on your part.  Anyway, I digress.

My well-developed sense of impostor syndrome often rears its ugly head in other areas of my life as well. And why not?  If you really put your back into it, you too can experience feelings of doubt and insecurity in any aspect of your life!

Lately, I've been worrying about my writing, and feeling like maybe my successes to date are due to a combination of luck and fooling people. Making them think I can actually write, when really, I'm nothing more than a hack with a computer.  What if no one buys my book?  What if I'm the biggest flop in the history of publishing, and I never get to write in this town again, and...  Or, perhaps worse, what if people buy my book and they hate it?  What if I disappoint all the people who have invested in my writing career?  They'll figure out that they caught me on a rare good day, and that really, most of my work is bad and they wasted their time on me.

One of the problems with impostor syndrome is that it's terribly insulting to those around you.  You really think you're good enough to have fooled everyone?  Please.  That implies a near mythical level of skill, something you don't have in the first place, right?  So how could you possibly sneak past all the 'gatekeepers' of your field?  My rational brain knows and accepts this, but still...  Fear is a powerful thing, and it doesn't play by rational rules.

So I guess I'm going to do the only thing I can: try my best to ignore the voices of doubt and worry, and keep plugging away, day after day (like the failed poet I am <g>).

How do you deal with doubt?  Are you a fellow sufferer of impostor syndrome, too?

Monday Motivation - This pretty much sums it up...

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