Adventures N Writing

Here is chapter three of Happy Hour. Enjoy! Three and a half years ago... CHAPTER THREE Danielle These things were always so phony. The smiles, the chit-chat, the bullshit. Women in their designer outfits discussing the latest craze in cosmetic surgery and gossiping about which desperate housewife had taken the leap and gone under the miracle worker’s knife. Good God, could it be any more dull than that? Get a life, right? But Danielle Bastillia caved every time someone called and asked her if she would participate in whatever charity event their organization represented. Al thought it was wonderful, explaining how necessary it was to keep good community relations. Sure, that was a part of it. However, for Danielle, it always came down to the charity itself. She was a sucker for kids, animals, anything and anyone stricken. Maybe it was the Catholic upbringing and the inevitable guilt that came with it, but come on? How could she turn down the Leukemia Fund for Children’s Hospital, or...

Happy Friday! I do plan to post a couple more chapters of Happy Hour over the weekend. However, today I wanted to start something new--Fitness Fridays! As a writer, I sit on my butt a lot and I could probably fill my gut with lots of junk throughout the day and never get my exercise in. Fortunately for me, I have my own personal trainer, stretch therapist, and nutritionist living in my house--my husband John. Now, John doesn't train me (he's a great trainer and a sweet man, but I can be a bit obstinate when someone is telling me how to work out). I have my own regime. What he does do is fill me with all sorts of information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So, it got me thinking that a lot of people could benefit from his words of advice. Much of it is common sense and stuff we all know, but he'll be posting on things we may not be aware of on Fitness Fridays. I hope you'll be joining us for Fridays. Without further ado, welcome my husband John. Don’t you think Ameri...

Here is Chapter Two from Happy Hour. Get your copy this week. It's the last week to also get a copy of one of my mysteries (signed) and a chance to win books for your book club! Click the link on the right and order now. Cheers, Michele Three and a half years ago... CHAPTER TWO Alyssa Alyssa Johnson walked out of the funky flat where she taught art classes, a sly smile on her face and a little weak in the knees. This was a great day. She flagged down a cab and left Soho, heading uptown for the big dinner. Alyssa looked at her left hand spreading out her fingers. The four carat emerald cut diamond with a band filled with three rows of smaller diamonds sparkled in the sun. The sparkle from the sunrays bounced off the wet pavement and into the late afternoon air, or maybe it was the diamond itself against her dark skin that made everything glow and shimmer. Alyssa couldn’t believe it. She was really doing it. Getting married! And to the most delicious man in the world. Terrell Henley...

Lori at Lori's REading Corner has been cool enough to post excerpts from the Happy Hour book, and she's running an awesome promo as well (amazon gift cards, anyone????). Anyway, Happy Hour is on schedule to go on sale late next week, but for now you can still get your pre-order in on the link to the right or off my website at http://www.michelescott.com (if you haven't checked out the new site, please do. There's a yummy recipe up, plus some great contest info for book clubs, etc--and you can see photos of my four legged kid Krissy). I thought I would give readers here a little "taste" of Happy Hour for the week. Here's a partial of Chapter One. Hope you enjoy! Cheers, Michele CHAPTER ONE (Three and a half years ago...) Kat Kat McClintock was late. This was not good. This would not be good. Damn. Damn. Damn. “Okay, boys, listen.” Neither one of her pre-pubescent sons looked at her. They were far too absorbed in whatever new Game Station, Game Cube, Play St...

The sixth book in The Wine Lover's Mystery Series is now available for pre-order. For Nikki Sands' fans, here is a little info: The big day is swiftly approaching for Nikki Sands--Manager of the Malveaux Estates in Napa Valley—and her fiancé Derek Malveaux, who owns the winery. But when they start receiving cryptic messages questioning their belief in fate, things quickly turn fatal… As the wedding grows closer, it seems the entire affair is cursed. A chewing gum fiasco forces Nikki to cut her hair and go platinum blonde. Then Derek's old college buddies, along with an assortment of old flames and frustrating family relations, show up to work Nikki's last nerve. But when Nikki's close pal Simon is shot as he walks her down the aisle, Nikki realizes that she has to find a matrimonial murderer before her wedding becomes someone's funeral. INCLUDES RECIPES & WINE PAIRINGS! Praise for the Wine Lover's Mysteries: "The full-bodied characters, sweet roman...

I have to apologize for being out of the loop for the past few days for the three of you who read my blog. LOL. Anyway, it's been one of those weeks that went by in a blur and there was a lot to get done. This post is for the writers out there who have no clue what they want to write, or how to go about it. it's really for anyone who has ever wanted to write but kind of got stuck in the how to. This is actually my lesson plan from yesterday's 8th grade program and it's how I also work with adults when they are just starting out in the process. If this interests you, please start with last week's post on "Writing Like and 8th Grader and Cooking Like a Chef." I will plan on posting "The Writer Lesson Series," on Friday mornings so if you are following the program, then you have some time to do the exercises and build from them. If you are a teacher and want to use these lesson plans to teach creative writing skills, please feel free to do so. I hop...

The Dog Whisperer would come into my home and be totally appalled. Our house is pretty much run by the dogs. The cat seems to have quite a bit of say, too. Throw in a couple of teenagers and an 8 year old and the adults here are screwed. We accept it. It's why I like wine. Not really. A little bit anyway. We just seriously love the damn dogs, and the cat (I actually have mixed feelings about the cat. She is the first cat I have ever had that I can say is a complete lunatic). The teenagers are okay and the 8 year old so far is pretty cool (I'm waiting until age 12 as I am already somewhat prepared having lived through it twice before--I am of the belief there should be a planet for people aged 13-19. They get sucked up to that planet while their frontal lobes become fully developed where they then understand how to be human again and treat their mothers and fathers like they, too, are human. Then at 19 they can come back home. Oh, they do that anyway). Back to the dogs. Java our...

Here is the rest of chapter three to Dead Celebs. Now, remember when I posted Chapter One and I mentioned that there would be a character in this story who loves to drop the "f" bomb--yeah well, she gets on a roll here. That "stated," this is not for my younger readers, and I pray that none of my 8th graders read this. Remember--it's a character, not me--and this is how this character would act. Enjoy! Let me know what you think. I love the feedback. Cass and I offered to lock up that night and although it felt sneaky, we slept in one of the booths inside the bar and I got ready for my first day of work the next morning in the bathroom at Nick’s. I knew that Nick wouldn’t be opening until ten, so I had time to get ready and get out. The one problem was, what was I going to do with Cass? I decided that I didn’t have a choice and I would have to leave her in the van and crack the windows for her. I’d check on her at lunch. So, I started my new job working at the N...

It's a little late in the day for my post. Sorry to be behind. Wednesdays can be a little disorganized because it's my day to go and teach a very excellent group of 8th graders a writing program I've created. We will work for the year together and each student will write their own book. I've done this program for two years now with 8th graders and I think I learn as much as they do. I love working with kids because they get really involved with the project and their imaginations are amazing. They let go when they discover that I don't give them very many rules in the creative writing process. I've also been fortunate enough to work with Kindergarten and a fifth grade classes last year, and it looks as if I'll be adding third grade into the scheme of things. It's my goal to get kids writing and to enjoy the process of writing stories. Each age group is unique and fun. Today was all about where stories come from and how we begin to develop them. The initia...

I'm posting up part of Chapter Three on Dead Celebs today. This is a work in progress, so if you see any typos, mistakes, etc--I apologize in advance. If this is your first time reading from this WIP, please scroll down so you can get the first two chapters in. Also, don't forget that if you pre-order a copy of "Happy Hour" this week, you'll also receive one of my mysteries (free), both books signed and randomly inside some of the Happy Hour books are coupons where you can send it in and redeem free books and a wine and food basket. Sounds like Christmas! In fact, you and I both know how quickly the holidays sneak up on us. Well, there is no better gift in my opinion than giving a book to someone on your list. Happy Hour is the book to give to your friends, your mother, your daughter (grown ones). And for the kids on your list, get a copy of Zamora's Ultimate Challenge. Right now, there are two local fifth grade classes reading this book for their literature f...

I know that I'm a bit "eclectic." I suppose that is a nicer term than weird, but I'm a writer and many of us (I think) are a tad "eclectic." For example, on my bedside table you will find my Mother Mary and Baby Jesus paperweight (my middle child bought me for Mother's Day at the swap meet last year), the little Buddha set in jade (got them at one of those tables on a corner in NYC), there is a little change thing in the shape of a pretty butterfly, and another one of a frog, then on the lower shelf are my kitty Tigger's ashes, and then there is my Gwen Stefani Bratz doll (she does not share Tigger's shelf) Yes--you read that correctly. All of it. Go ahead, go back and re-read and shake your head at me. Remember the other day if you read the blog that I was going to tell you who my favorite celebrity is? Well, I am certain you have all been waiting with baited breath through the weekend to find out and you can now obviously figure out that if I h...