Storytelling with Cassandra

I'll be reading from my erotic paranormal ebook, Cup of Fate,

Tonight from 6pm-7pm SLT (Pacific time).

This event is in voice (I hope), so make sure you have speakers or headphones.

For your free carpet ride to the event, click on the link below.*

http://slurl.com/secondlife/0%200%20Meleda/129/160/23

Manatee Ouchies

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

I would so kiss his poor muzzle better. I'se loves da manatees. :)

Blog Awards - Paying It Forward

My partner in crime has nominated me for a blog award!

Thanks so much to Cora Zane for the honor. :)

These are the rules for accepting this award:

* Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award. (√)
* Share 7 things about yourself. (√)
* Award up to 10 great bloggers and contact these bloggers and tell them about the award. (√)

Seven things about me:

1. I love pretzels with hot mustard. This is only surpassed when combined with Kentucky Burgoo. Yum.

2. I collect anything and everything manatee. When I was a kid and people would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up, I'd tell them I wanted to be a manatee. lol. Fortunately, I changed my mind at eight or nine and decided being an artist of some kind was more doable. :D

3. I'm your basic, stereotypical Aquarius. Eccentric, into humanitarian causes, and the 4 i's: independent, intellectualize, inventive, and incorrigible. lol.

4. I love comedies. Some of my favorite movies are Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, A Fish Called Wanda, Green Card, The Full Monty, Galaxy Quest, and Groundhog Day. Old TV sitcoms? Don't get me started. :p

5. My favorite writers of all time are Edgar Allan Poe, Ken Kesey, Robert Heinlein, Stephen King, Anne McCaffrey, and Douglas Adams.

6. I love classic rock, alt rock, R&B, funk, and classical. A touch of country, a pinch of opera. Hold the rap.

7. My family's motto is "As We Learn We Grow." So never stop learning! :)

These are the 10 awesome bloggers I'd like to award:

Gwen Hayes
Inez Kelley
J.K.Coi
L.K. Campbell
Larissa Ione
Linda Wisdom
Maggie Berkley
Rhonda Stapleton
Shelley Munro
Vampire Wire

Canceled, Rescheduled, and Free Falling

Last night's event had to be canceled because SL had an issue with their voice/talk feature and no one could listen or hear in voice chat. Since the whole point was to 'listen' to my story, we figured better to cancel and reschedule. The new date/time is Monday, January 31, 2011 from 6-7 pm SLT, same location.

Since I had some extra time on my hands, SL friend Rae *Larkham* (author Rae Lori) invited us to visit the Battlestar Gallactica Sim in SL. Cora is a huge fan of BSG and I used to love the old show as well as the last version, so we went to check it out.

The place is very cool and we were doing fine until Cora, as pilot, retracted the docking arm and didn't tell me. She disappeared out the door and from my angle I couldn't tell where she went, but I figured it out pretty fast as I stepped off the shuttle and fell through the wide open of outer freckin' space! OMG!

Anybody watching us would have thought we were total noobs. lol. After almost killing off my second life and going for a third, I needed a drink, so we went back to Cora's writing spot and I poured a vodka tonic and sat back to chill. I love to talk shop with other writers, especially my crit partner, so we dished about life in general and we chatted about story craft and other authors we like to read.

Cora *Waverider* Zane in her writing cabin above the clouds.

The one thing that stood out in my mind is the fact that there is a difference in the way southern female writers approach writing. We tackle obstacles in our writing just as we tackle the obstacles in our lives. And we sure as hell don't simper. That's something we got tagged with a long time ago that is flat out false. Steel Magnolias you say? Try Titanium. It's more fitting. We don't back down, and we sure as fire don't give up...unless it's in our advantage. ;)

Until next time...
~ Cass

Storytelling with Cass

Encore performance!

I'll be reading from my erotic paranormal ebook, Cup of Fate, 

this Wednesday, January 26, from 6pm-7pm SLT (Pacific time).

This event is in voice, so make sure you have speakers or headphones.

For your free carpet ride to the event, click on the link below.*

http://slurl.com/secondlife/0%200%20Meleda/129/160/23

*To attend events in Second Life, you must be a member. Membership is free! Simply go to:  http://secondlife.com/ and follow the instructions in order to join and get your free membership. Once you're a member, log in and you can *teleport* directly to the event using the event link above. Both the SL viewer window and your browser window must be active for the link to work.

I hope to see you there!

Tarot Decks of Interest

I'm always on the hunt for interesting tarot decks and spied a few I thought to share with readers. Sometimes it's the artwork that pulls me and other times it's the subject/theme or the way the tarot meanings vary from the traditional Rider-Waite.

One of the decks is actually an Oracle deck. I'd love to know what the difference is between an oracle deck and a tarot deck? Are they the same thing, only the name was changed?

In any case, I'd be interested to know if any of my readers have one of these decks and how you like it.

Wisdom of the Hidden Realms Oracle Cards: A 44-Card Deck and Guidebook

by Colette Baron-Reid

Mystics have passed down stories of magical realms hidden from mortal sight, bridging the world of Nature and Spirit. Even before the written word, the ancients established a Divine partnership between humans and these Hidden Realms. Both agreed to form an eternal Sacred Alliance to establish harmony and balance between the material and the spiritual. The Alliance ensured that when we asked for guidance in manifesting our reality, they would help us find our way to the highest good for all. But in time, humanity turned itself away from the natural world as a source for the Divine and forgot about the realms in the Unseen realities. Religious superstition, dominance, and the power of intellect, reason, and technology became our focus; and our partnership was forgotten, so the realms faded away. As our global concerns have increasingly been more plaintive, they have returned to help us find our way home to our true purpose, prosperity, hope, and happiness.

These cards represent some of those realms and their Queens and Kings, Princes, and other magical helpers. Let the Swan Queen point the way to transformation, the Arrow Master help you reach your goals, the Sun Dancers herald your victories, and the Sacred Union speak to the depth of your longing for love. Ask and ye shall receive, for the Highest Good is their motto. If you call upon them, they will answer.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot and

Gateway To The Divine Tarot

by Ciro Marchetti

Step into a lost world from long ago . . .

A world veiled in darkness after a cataclysmic collision that stilled the earth. Millennia have passed and only humankind has survived—through the divine gift of dreams.
Exquisitely rich and magical, this new Rider-Waite-Smith-based tarot deck by digital artist Ciro Marchetti takes you into the heart of fantasy. You can use this legacy from ages past to discover what you need for your own life as it guides you toward hope, wisdom, and inspiration.

The companion guidebook, Gateway to the Divine Tarot, presents the author's interpretation of each card's significance, along with additional perspectives from experts in the tarot community, including Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, James Ricklef, and Leisa ReFalo.

Includes a 78-card deck, a 312-page book, and a black organdy bag.

The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot

by Louis Martiniéand Sallie Ann Glassman

The first tarot to celebrate an African-American culture, this book and 79-card deck capture both the spirit and the imagery of Voodoo's African, West Indian, and Catholic influences. Ancient and earth-honoring, Voodoo's practices take on different forms specific to time and place, but its essence remains focused on the loa--the potent spiritual forces of Voodoo that are manifested directly through human beings and their actions.

The authors draw strong parallels between the Waite and Thoth Tarots, the Kabalistic Tree of Life, and the Voodoo tradition as it is practiced in New Orleans. Just as the major and minor arcana of the Tarot represent the archetypes of the human psyche and the natural forces of our world, so do the loa of Voodoo embody the primal energies of the universe. With a variety of spreads and readings, the authors show how the Tarot can be an idea channel through which the loa exercise their powers to teach, advise, and initiate the serious student into their mysteries.

Midnight Moon Cafe: Featurette: Claiming the Evil Dead by Mary Abshire...

Midnight Moon Cafe: Featurette: Claiming the Evil Dead by Mary Abshire...: "She's a hot-blooded half-demon. He's a cold-blooded vampire. Sending evil souls..."

Snafu City Monday

Situation Normal All Fucked Up.

Monday has become my day to clear and resolve snafu it seems. Whether it's my own or a family members. The latest revolves around my late mum's early Yule and Christmas gifts to the family. I honestly did the best I could, but my sister still hasn't gotten her last gift from my mum. The item mum picked out for her apparently was out of stock and put on back order. This was back in October/November a couple of weeks before she passed away. I asked her what I should do?

She told me that sis and her hubby wouldn't be coming to visit until Thanksgiving at the end of Nov. and surely the item would be in by then. Of course, given the situation and the turn of events, they came in earlier than planned, mum passed away, and then chaos ensued trying to work out all the logistics for all that followed. The last thing I cared about or thought of was my sister's last present from our mother. But after sis flew back home and Thanksgiving passed, then Yule and Christmas, I was like "Where the hell is my sister's present from mum?"

I called and was told it was still on back order but the estimated shipping time would be January 7. Now I get a mailer card from the company saying that the new shipping date is January 27. At this rate, if they keep adding time to the shipping date, she won't get the item until Mother's Day! Argh!

I called the company to complain, and they asked if I'd like to cancel the order. I had to sit here and explained about the circumstances and how important it is that my sister get the item. That it was hand-picked for my sister by our now deceased mother.

The guy in customer service said he understood, but their hands are tied by the distributor and the manufacturer. I said I did understand (barely).

I mean I could have raised two freakin' sheep, had them 'get it on' and had a litter of lambies, shorn them, spun the fleece into wool, and knitted the f'ing thing by now! I mean, geeze.

So now we sit and wait and see if they actually send the damn cardigan or if they send another reply card telling me the shipping date has changed yet again.

Patience is a virtue I may lack. At least in this instance. Guess I better stop blogging and start watching for sheep. Ooh, spotted one! Here little lambiekins. You look like the same shade as that sweater...

Until next time~
Cass

Redecorating with Ms. Cora

We did some redecorating at the MMC in SL again, but I think you'll agree it was well worth the effort. The place is really eye-catching from a distance and draws readers in SL to our little 3-D Cafe.

I really love the new releases book rack Cora made, especially the neon. It adds a real fun touch to the Café. If you ever want to drop by the MMC in Awen, here's your ticket to ride: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Awen/196/225/22

Wish You'd Been There: Pics From Last Night's Event

Friends Robin, Randel, Leann Sidhe, and others chatting before the event.

Cassandra reading from her ebook, Cup of Fate.

 

 

 

 

Cora chatting with folks after the event and taking snapshots.

Typing One Handed

I used to be so good at multitasking. Not sure when it changed. All I do know is yesterday morning I decided to make a large pot of homemade vegetable soup. I also needed to get my vintage computer warmed up for timed writings I had planned in SL with Cora. In addition, I needed to finish laundry and a few other minor incidentals. No problema. I can handle a few measly chores while I wait for ye olde computer to calculate it's ones and zeroes.

But when you try to rush some things and multiply others, the universe usually sends you a little note saying, "Slow down nimrod. Or you'll hurt yourself." I didn't get the message, probably because I also had on my 'feel good' morning wake-up tunes blaring from my writing room. So yeah, I did some slice and dice and never with a knife. If you're gonna goof, why go for second measures? lol. I did my slicing with the ragged edge of a tin can that didn't want to cooperate with my can opener. Can you say, yowl? 'Cause I sure did! :P

I guess I'm simply trying to say (in my own round about nutty way) that while I'm still trying to complete my various stories, it's not as smooth or as fast when using one hand, your nose, and your right elbow. lol

If you get the chance and you're free tonight, stop by my book discussion and storytelling hour in SL. It should be fun since I'm on freakin' horse painkillers and saying all manner of funny shit. :P

Storytelling Event Tonight!
6-7pm SLT (Pacific); Excerpts from the book, Cup of Fate by Cassandra Curtis will be read, followed by a brief discussion with readers and fans.
Location: Elementals, http://slurl.com/secondlife/0%200%20Meleda/129/160/23

Upcoming Reading Events

I have several reading events scheduled this month and in February, so if you would like to give SL a try, come by and say hi and attend.

Someone asked why all my reading events are in SL. The simple answer is that it costs less to promote myself and my books in SL, than to drive to a bookstore and read from my book. Plus there is the added benefit that I don't have to leave the comfort of my house to do it, and of course, I can still wear my fuzzy slippers! :D It's a win-win all around.

From l to r: Cassandra *Sharktooth* Curtis and Cora *Waverider* Zane (white hair is her fav. wig color. lol!)

Cora and I did a little scouting the other day in SL, and I snapped this pic of us trying out the blankets on the beach. The beach is part of the SIM (Elementals) where a few of my upcoming reading events will be held. The actual event area is still being built, but will be ready by the day my first reading event rolls around. I hope. :)

To attend any of the events listed below, you must either join Second Life, or already be a member, and then click on the links below in your web browser. You will be asked to launch your SL viewer if you don't already have the viewer open. 

Cassandra's Virtual Book Tour and Reading Events:

Wednesday, January 12, 2011; 6-7pm SLT (Pacific); Excerpts from the book, Cup of Fate by Cassandra Curtis will be read, followed by a brief discussion with readers and fans.
Location: Elementals, http://slurl.com/secondlife/0%200%20Meleda/129/160/23

Wednesday, January 26, 2011; 6-7pm SLT (Pacific); Excerpts from the book, Cup of Fate by Cassandra Curtis will be read, followed by a brief discussion with readers and fans.
Location: Elementals, http://slurl.com/secondlife/0%200%20Meleda/129/160/23

Wednesday, February 9, 2011; 6-7pm SLT (Pacific); Excerpts from the paperback, Shifting Tides by Cassandra Curtis will be read, followed by a brief discussion with readers and fans.
Location: Elementals, http://slurl.com/secondlife/0%200%20Meleda/114/146/1


Wednesday, February 23, 2011; 6-7pm SLT (Pacific); Excerpts from the paperback, Shifting Tides by Cassandra Curtis will be read, followed by a brief discussion with readers and fans.
Location: Elementals, http://slurl.com/secondlife/0%200%20Meleda/114/146/1


Other events may be added at a later date. Events subject to change. For up to date information, please check back on this blog or my website blog at http://cassandracurtis.com/blog

Brainstorming Ideas

Cora at her skybox dishing news and brainstorming with moi.

Got my computer back from the shop, *yay*, and went into SL to meet Cora last night. Just a little brainstorming of ideas and fleshing out characters.  Really trying to get back into the swing of writing.  My goal this year is to finish four of my novellas and two of my novels. Keep your fingers crossed, 'cause this year's roller-coaster ride might get bumpy.

The one thing we both recognized and agreed upon is the fact that all of our social networking/promotions/and the Midnight Moon Cafe assorted stuff is taking up too much of our time for the return we get on investment. Hours seemingly pass and no actual writing gets done. Not a good thing for two people who are supposedly focused on writing as a potential career. :)

So we are going to start scaling back at the Cafe. Fewer posts, fewer contests, fewer everything. So that when we do have something to announce or say it will be more meaningful...or so we hope. When we started the MMC, the thought behind it was more impromptu, more casual and less structured and scheduled. Also, it was supposed to be about us, our mutual love of each others books and of the paranormal genre.

But more importantly about our latest releases. And occasionally we'd feature something about books we read and enjoyed and the author who wrote it. We somehow lost that playfulness and the spirit behind it. We want to get back to that. Less structure, more fun. :)

Over the next few months we will begin to gradually implement those changes. We hope readers of the MMC blog and website will approve the new feel and stick around. We've already booked most of this year with features, guest bloggers, and of course, Midnight Brews, but in between those scheduled events, we hope to come in and post about our writing and our progress on our latest projects, or anything else that catches our fancy.

I personally intend to redevelop my newsletter and reinvent myself here and there, since I have been playing with the idea of reinvention for some time now. Some of you may know that once upon a time I flirted with being a mystery and romantic suspense author, but got sidetracked by erotic paranormal and jumped on a rather overburdened ship. Paranormal romances will always have an audience, even when the trend has died (I give it another 6 mo., lol) but some of us would like to explore and branch out beyond the genre a little in advance of the boat sinking. lol

Don't be surprised if you start seeing posts at the MMC blog about our futuristic romances, or straight up R/S or mysteries, or romantic contemporary comedies. :P  The heart of the MMC will still beat strong for anything woo-woo, since it is what we love. But Cora and I are more than the sum of our parts, and the time has come for us to share that aspect of ourselves and our writing.

We hope you like the changes.

Until next time...
~Cass

Top Ten Movies in 2010 According To Cass

I sat down and checked my naughty and nice list twice, so here are my top ten flick picks for 2010.*

10. The King's Speech

9. The Book of Eli

8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

7. The Inside Job

6. Easy A

5. Tron: Legacy

4. Kick Ass

3. Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of The Dawn Treader

2. Shutter Island

1. Inception

*I didn't get a chance to see True Grit yet, and I had no desire to see The Social Network, so keep that in mind when viewing my picks.

What movies are on your top ten picks for 2010?

Book Discussion and Tarot Chat in the MMC's Chat Pit!

Join myself and friend Cora Zane in the MMC Chat Pit (January 3, from 8pm-8:30pm CST, and chat about everything woo-woo as we explore the supernatural in our books. Could Werekind really exist? Where are the most likely places to find mermaids and selkies? Louisiana vampires making sexy advances on you? *wink*
 
Then from 8:30pm-9:30pm CST, join us for all your tarot related questions. The first five MMC reader/fans will receive a free New Years tarot reading. Everyone who stops by the chat will be entered into a door prize that will include bookmarks and more, and a new tarot deck by Lo Scarabeo, entitled: The Witchy Tarot. This mini-deck (also sometimes known as the Teen Witch Tarot), includes 78 elegant cards showcasing some beautiful artwork.

So mark your calendars for Monday, January 3 and stop by our Chat Pit for a drink...and a bite!

Cassandra Curtis
http://cassandracurtis.com
Author of the Shifting Tides trilogy and bestseller The Midnight Effect
Amber Heat — An imprint of Amber Quill Press 

Happy New Year 2011!

Happy New Year to all my friends and readers! 

Here's hoping this year is better than last year, or I swear to god 
I may wring it's scrawny neck! lol

Have a fun day, no matter where you are and what you do. Sláinte!