The Things You Learn On Twitter...

It's National Punctuation Day! lol

I didn't know there was a day dedicated to punctuation, but I guess it makes sense. Here's the website if anyone is interested in seeing it. http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/ One of the things they have in celebration of the day is a Punctuation Haiku Contest. I tend to stick with writing novels instead of poems, but I figured I'd try one out here.

Commas dashes quotes.
What would I do without you?
I don't want to know.

In other news, I'm nicely settled into my new home. Yay! I've started back to work on my writing. I'm currently in the midst of edits for my paranormal romance short story (or novella, depending on submission guidelines), Jungle Heat. Soon it shall be ready to find a home. It's being reviewed by my awesome critique partner, Marissa, at the moment. I'm also in the process of finishing up the remainder of tweaks on my urban fantasy novel. Can't wait to work on plotting my upcoming National Novel Writing Month project, a historical urban fantasy about werewolves! I'm so excited! It'll be the first thing I've written that really focuses on werewolves, and also, the first historically based thing that I've written.

Anyways, back to work!

Wow!

Okay, I have to share this! I saw Resident Evil: Afterlife in 3D IMAX today! It was so awesome. Wentworth Miller as Chris Redfield was great eye candy, and the action... wow! I haven't seen too many 3D movies (My Bloody Valentine 3D was the last one), but this is definitely one to catch on the big screen and in 3D.

I also really enjoyed that aspects of the Resident Evil 5 game were included in the movie. My husband and I grinned at each other a few times during the movie. I think once we get settled into our new place, we'll definitely be playing it again. In addition to that, we'll be watching what we missed of Prison Break since our TV watching faded half-way through the show, which we both enjoyed, especially now that we have Netflix.

My only other news is that I finished reading The Ultimate Dracula Anthology by Byron Preiss. Someone had bought it for me a long time ago, but only picked it up now because my husband started reading it. For a book called The Ultimate Dracula, it sure didn't have many stories focusing on Dracula. Some were just plain and simple vampire stories. Not many of them were any good.

Speculative Fiction 2010 Reading Challenge

Here is the list of books I've read for the Speculative Fiction reading challenge as well as the tentative list of what I've planned to carry me through the rest. I'll update it as I complete new novels.

To Be Read:

Completed (in order of read):

1. Between Light and Dark by Elissa Wilds
2. Sweet Revenge by Anne Mather*
3. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
4. Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf
5. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
6. A Hunger Like Fire by Greg Stolze
7. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
8. Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
9. Must Love Hellhounds Anthology (read Ilona Andrews' novella)
10. Embrace the Night by Karen Chance
11. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
12. Shadow Force by Linda Conrad
13. The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein
14. Pride by Rachel Vincent
15. Touch of Evil by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp
16. The Ultimate Dracula Anthology by Byron Preiss
17. Minion by L.A. Banks
18. Servant: The Awakening by L.L. Foster
19. Night Falls Darkly by Kim Lenox
20. Servant: The Acceptance by L.L. Foster
21. The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide by J.R. Ward
22. Prey by Rachel Vincent
23. Curran by Ilona Andrews
24. Mischief in the Garage by Liza James*
25. Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance
26. Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

*Non-speculative fiction reads this year.*

Blogging today at Castles & Guns!

Hello everyone! Hopping in to say that blogging today at Castles & Guns about research. Make sure to check out my post and leave me a comment. The link is http://www.castlesandguns.com/2010/09/research-its-not-just-for-historicals_09.html.

A Weekly Update...

So, for now with the pressure of moving, helping with the awesome new fantasy-focused blog Castles & Guns (You should check it out. You know you want to.), and finishing up the remaining chapters of my urban fantasy novel (Yes, still...it's beginning to drive me crazy.), I'll be making weekly posts here so that I don't go absolutely crazy with trying to update it on more than that.

Anyways, I just finished reading Touch of Evil by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp. Really good urban fantasy book. At first, I struggled to staying in the novel, but after a few pages, I was hooked. It makes the 14th speculative fiction book I've read this year, and 15th book total. Only 10 more spec fiction books until I reach my goal of 24 for the challenge hosted by Book Chick City.

If anyone is interested, here is the list of books I've read as well as the tentative list of what I've planned to carry me through the rest of the challenge. I'll update it as I complete new novels. [Edit: I'll update http://blog.sarahmakela.com/2010/09/speculative-fiction-2010-reading.html as I finish reading new books.]

To Be Read:

1. Dancing with Werewolves by Carole Nelson Douglas
2. On the Prowl Anthology
3. Night Falls Darkly by Kim Lenox
4. Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance
5. Tempt Me with Darkness by Shayla Black
6. Heart Duel by Robin D. Owens
7. Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey
8. Minion by L.A. Banks
9. Servant: The Awakening by L.L. Foster
10. Watchers in the Night by Jenna Black

Completed (in order of read):

1. Between Light and Dark by Elissa Wilds
2. Sweet Revenge by Anne Mather*
3. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
4. Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf
5. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
6. A Hunger Like Fire by Greg Stolze
7. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
8. Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
9. Must Love Hellhounds Anthology (read Ilona Andrews' novella)
10. Embrace the Night by Karen Chance
11. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
12. Shadow Force by Linda Conrad
13. The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein
14. Pride by Rachel Vincent
15. Touch of Evil by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp

*Sweet Revenge by Anne Mather was my non-speculative fiction read this year.*