Dreams about writing

Eleven years ago...

2011-11-04T13:25:00.001-06:00

I got married in this beautiful place with a marvellous man!

I leave you here a video of the place I'm talking about because believe it could inspire lots of stories. It has a mix of many styles.
Still it is one of my favorites places and of course the man is still my favorite and unique husband!

I hope you like them and inspire you!!

Amazing talent!

2011-10-20T21:06:00.003-05:00

Kseniya Ms. Simonova is the winner of the Ukrainian edition of you have talent . In the end,she draws live an animation of the German invasion of Ukraine during the Second World War, using her fingers and a surface with sand. Brought tears to the eyes of the judges. There are 8 wonderful minutes. The "paint" changes with each movement of her hands ... !

You have to watch it!

Mexico's national holiday!

2011-09-15T09:53:00.002-05:00

Yes, tomorrow we are going to have the biggest holiday in Mexico. Our national day! it's the Independence day.

Since I have been sharing with a little of history and celebrations from here, I should for sure share this one.

Tomorrow Mexicans all around the world will celebrate this day, so lets start with a little history.

In the early hours of September 16th, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest in the small town of Dolores, Guanajuato, rang the church bell to gather the townspeople. He called for the people of Mexico to rise up against the Spanish Crown (although recent investigations have shown that in reality the spanish born in Mexico were against the goverment of the French, so in reality they started the independence of the French because they wanted to be from Spain, but it ended being a complete independence) . The country did not achieve independence until 1821, but it is this event, known as the Grito de Dolores which is commemorated every year in town squares across Mexico.

The largest Independence Day celebration takes place in Mexico City's Zocalo, which is decorated from the beginning of September with red, white and green lights and Mexican flags. On the 15th, at 11 pm the President of the Republic goes out onto the central balcony of the National Palace (Palacio Nacional), rings the bell (the same bell Hidalgo rang in 1810, brought to Mexico City in 1886) and cries to the people gathered in the square below, who enthusiastically respond "¡Viva!"At the end of the third ¡Viva Mexico! the crowd goes wild waving flags, ringing noisemakers and spraying foam. Then fireworks light up the sky as the crowd cheers. Later the Mexican national anthem is sung.

The celebrations continue on the 16th with civic ceremonies and parades.

Like most festivities, certain foods are considered representative of Independence Day. A favorite is pozole, a soup made of hominy and pork. Other foods have the colors of the Mexican flag - red white and green, like chiles en nogada. And of course, it just wouldn't be a party without plenty of mezcal and tequila!

Also all around the cities since the beginning of September you can find this carts were you can buy everything to decorate your home, car, and dress!
So kids are having today their celbrations in school and tomorrow we will start this long weekend. I hope I can get to eat some pozole or chiles en nogada, but we are not going to the zocalo bcause it will be very crowded for the kids.

Happy Mexican Independence day!

Happy new year!

2011-08-24T10:36:00.002-05:00

I know it's not a new year but for me it feels like it. Every time a school year begins it feel more like a new year than the first of January. Maybe it's because life gets back to normal, I can make plans and have an schedule.

So I'm back here after the beautiful but crazy summer. Kids are now in school and I go back to my schedule of writing YAY!!

In a quick recap of the summer finally I drive!! and that believe me is huge for me! I was terrible afraid but now I do it. Also we searched for another doctor for treating Carlos ADHD and finally found one that really understood what he felt and need. Also that made my husband realize finally that he also has it, so he went to a doctor that made a diagnostic and told him that he really has a mayor ADHD and that's why he has so much problems concentrating and remembering things, among other things. So I feel in peace now, I know it will be a long journey for both of them to find stability but they are in the journey and that is enough to make me breathe.

Alex just started preschool and is very happy with it. I see him so small but he is so independent and ready to learn that I am happy from taking him.

Now I can finally go back to my revising and writing class! and also read a little! I'm very excited to get back to all this and to all of you my dear friends!

I haven't spent much time in LJ so please if you have news tell me!

Have a great day!!

Winner of the sumer giveaway hop!

2011-08-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

And the winner is:

Krysta Banco

Congratulations!!!

I already sent you an email, remember that if you don't answer before 48 hrs I will have to choose another winner.

The one's who haven't won don't worry I will have a new giveaway soon!

Summer giveaway hop!

2011-07-31T22:30:00.002-05:00

WE HAVE A NEW GIVEAWAY!!!

This giveaway is hosted by: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & BookHounds.

Over 300 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. This hop runs from Monday, August 1st to Sunday, August 7th.I saw that a lot of you like the idea of gift card, so i'm giving :

$10 US gift certificate to buy books on Amazon.com.

Or if you live Internationally and can't use a US gift certificate or would prefer to choose a book then you can choose a book of your choice from the Book Depository up to $10 US.

To enter the giveaway you have to complete the rafflecopter form below. Each one is a chance to win.The winner willl be chosen directly by rafflecopter. You don't have to leave any comment to enter since only the ones filling the rafflecopter form will enter. If you have any question please post it at the comments.

Last Day to Enter is 8/7/11

It all ends...

2011-07-18T23:12:00.000-05:00

So it came the time when everything ends:

And although it’s been a while since I knew the ending, suffered and loved it; I’m sad. Harry potter was an icon of an era were kids started to read again, JK Rowling made middle grade and YA attractive again to everyone. But must of all I will miss the characters: Harry with all his troubles and bravery, Hermione with her great intelligence and loyalty, and Ron with his great sense of humor and also loyalty. Who couldn’t love those characters and whant to see them in every new thing they will start after ending this journey?

All this is still too recent for me; I just saw the last movie on Sunday. Although I have to say I give it an awesome goodbye. My husband took me to a VIP cinema

Where I could see it with ice-cream and a Cosmopolitan so we can celebrate. Although by the end of the evening I wasn’t in the mood of celebrating.

I don’t know if it happened to you but I cried in every situation although I already knew the things that were going to happen. I enjoyed it as much as the book, maybe because it is the best adaptation of a book I have seen. For sure they changed things, but they give that special moment that we all were anxious to see. For me it was Snape’s moment, just perfect.

How you are all feeling after the last movie of Harry Potter? What were your thoughts when you saw it? Did you miss anything?

Freedom hop giveaway winner!

2011-07-08T12:35:00.000-05:00

And the winner is:

angel jacklyn

Congratulations!!!

An email was sent to you and if you don't answer within 48 hrs I will choose another one.

If you haven't won don't worry I'm going to have another giveaway on August 1st.

Have a great day!

Freedom Giveaway Hop!

2011-06-30T20:30:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Freedom Giveaway Hop!

Also it is my first giveaway!! So I’m very excited.

This hop was organized by I am a reader not a writer and Simple Stacie.

Over 190 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another.

This hop runs from Friday, July 1st to Thursday, July 7th.

I thought a lot of what to give in this my first giveaway. What came to my mind is that the better price I can give you is to have the chance to buy the book you want so I’m giving:

$15 US gift certificate to buy books on Amazon.com.

Or if you live Internationally and can't use a US gift certificate or would prefer to choose a book then you can choose a book of your choice from the Book Depository up to $15 US.

To enter the giveaway you have to be a follower of this blog and leave a comment to this post with your email and your GFC username. I will choose the winner with random.org
Last Day to Enter is 7/7/11

Optional Extra Entries:
+1 Like my Facebook page. You have the option on the sidebar.
+1 Follow on twitter (@anabelgonzaher)
+1 tweet or post on Facebook about this contest. (You have to give me the link)Giveaway Details:

For this extra entries to count you will have to put them also in your comment.

You could see the others blog participating in the list below. Go visit them all for a better chance to win something.

Temperaments and writing

2011-06-28T11:34:00.002-05:00

A few days ago I went to my appointment with my psychiatrist. I have to say that deciding to go to one was the best decision for me. I’m a depressive person and I need help, I’m not embarrassed to tell it.

Anyway he said to me that many writers had melancholic temperaments, and that for people with this character usually was easier to write.

So I searched for melancholic personality and this is what I found:

Personality Strengths of the Melancholy

Deep and thoughtful
Analytical
Serious and purposeful
Genius prone
Talented and creative
Artistic or musical
Appreciative of beauty
Sensitive to others
Self-sacrificing
Conscientious
Idealistic
As a parent, sets high standards and wants everything done right.
As a homemaker, keeps everything in order.
As an employee, schedule oriented and hard working.
A list maker and keeper.

Personality Weaknesses of the Melancholy

Easily offended
Can get too caught up in details
Doesn't do well with change.
Struggles with insecurity
Tends towards depression

After reading this I thought that you can have this but also have some characteristic of other temperaments so I searched for the four basic temperaments in Wikipedia and are these:

Sanguine

The Sanguine temperament personality is fairly extroverted. People of a sanguine temperament tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be quite loud. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean very sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when pursuing a new hobby, interest is lost quickly when it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. Sanguine can be sometimes emotional.

Choleric

A person who is choleric is a do-er. They have a lot of ambition, energy, and passion, and try to instill it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were choleric. They like to be leaders and in charge of everything.

Melancholic

A person who is a thoughtful ponderer has a melancholic disposition. Often very considerate and get rather worried when they could not be on time for events, melancholics can be highly creative in activities such as poetry and art - and can become occupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world. A melancholic is also often a perfectionist. They are often self-reliant and independent; one negative part of being a melancholic is sometimes they can get so involved in what they are doing they forget to think of others.

Phlegmatic

Phlegmatics tend to be self-content and kind. They can be very accepting and affectionate. They may be very receptive and shy and often prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are very consistent, relaxed, calm, rational, curious, and observant, making them good administrators. They can also be very passive-aggressive.

LaHaye believes there are twelve mixtures of the four temperaments, representing people who have the traits of two temperaments, called Mel-Chlor, Chlor-San, San-Phleg, Phleg-Mel, Mel-San, Chlor-Phleg; and the reverse of these: Chlor-Mel, San-Chlor, Phleg-San, Mel-Phleg, San-Mel, and Phleg-Chlor. The order of temperaments in these pairs was based on which temperament was the "dominant" one (this is usually expressed by percentages). A person can also be a blend of three temperaments. Other four-type models, such as Social Styles, also have similar blends ^q.v., and in the five temperament theory, the blends are defined along the three areas of "Inclusion", "Control", and "Affection". The blends expand the number of types to sixteen (twelve blends of two types, plus the four pure types) or more (for blends of three).

Ok I’m not a psychologist or a psychiatrist but I see that maybe us that are writers have in our personality some traits from melancholy. At last I have a lot of them.

Also he said to me that people who had a painful childhood or painful moments in life were better writers according to many studies and that even when writers deny it in many of our stories you could find many things about us. Well, I can understand this; maybe you can create better a tortured character when you had lived hard situations yourself. If you had lived a perfect life it will be hard to relate, but not impossible.

I was shocked about all this information and I’m for sure checking my story to see if there’s something about me.

I think I’m a melancholic-phlegmatic with a little of choleric.

What do you think? You think writers have melancholic traits? Do you think that people who had lived painful moments or difficult moments become better writers?

I'm back again

2011-06-22T11:32:00.001-05:00

I know it’s been a lot of time since I posted. Things over here were crazy. Anyway I’m making myself the promise to post at least two times a week so I hope I can keep it.

Now a few things of what’s going on in my life:

- I’m moving forward with my translation and improved a lot my voice (at least I think). Also I made a huge advance, I wrote the prologue directly in English and I like it. I’m so proud of myself right now!!

- Carlos is now in his final exams in preschool and next year he will enter elementary school. I don’t know where time went. Anyway he still has problems with his TDA and impulsiveness but I hope that with time we can help him control it. At least he I having great grades if you don’t count discipline.

- On the other side Alex seems to like making things, to learn and cooperate. I hope things could be different for him.

- I had spent a lot of my time reading, studying and memorizing vocabulary. My head is starting to spin with so many things.

- Right now I’m listening to Stephen King : On writing and it’s great. First of all it seems that I haven’t lost my English ear and also the book is great!

- The last book I read was Passion of Lauren Kate:

"Every single lifetime, I'll choose you. Just as you have chosen me. Forever."

Luce would die for Daniel. And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.

My opinion:

The best of the series so far. I didn't like so much Fallen because of the writing I found myself skipping a lot of paragraphs. But this one is very, very good.

Lauren Kate shows in a unique way the different times were Luce lived with Daniel. I found myself in Egypt, Jerusalem and even in my very dear Chichen Itza!

I like this book so much because it tells us how the curse began. Why Daniel is the way he is now and to see the magnitude of his love. To really see they are soul mates.

It is a prequel but also moves forward the story leaving us at the edge of the seat with the ending. I can't wait to the next one!

I now really love Daniel and like this new mature Luce, the way she grew up in this book.

I hope you’re having an amazing day!

Friday five

2011-06-03T12:29:00.000-05:00

1. I love the hunger games books! They have a great world building and I'm learning a lot of good writing!

2. Sott, my instructor in my writing class, said to me that my current problem is my narrative voice that maybe is getting lost between all this two languages so I have to find my narrative voice in English. Something that the first days seemed impossible to me, there are a lot of things I don't know, many rules of grammar, a lot of words I don't know to manipulate them and create my own voice. But I know I have one and have to find it in English! My husband told me why I was on a hurry, to take one step at a time, to continue studying, to keep reading a lot, to see more movies and programs in English and to find someone to talk with in English. And that if that takes me a lot, I should take that time and do it because is my dream and I choose a hard dream.(Wait time something hard for me) So I'm back on track. Any suggestions for finding my narrative voice are welcome as well as ways to improve my vocabulary. Oh and if you want to talk with someone that haven't talked in English for a long time, here I am!

3. I’m almost recovered from my cold but now I have Carlos sick! Oh my, we have a lot of viruses around here.

4. My little boy is starting to sleep all night it seems that finally we found a way to control his reflux, well at least for a few days!

5. Yesterday my husband surprised me with the new CD of Roxette. Maybe you don't know but I'm a huge fan. In Madrid he once but ticket for a small and intimate concert and it was perfect. Hearing again Marie's voice brought back to my mind this song:
Roxette, Almost Unreal

I know that the Mario Bros film was terrible but the song is great. Here I put you the lyrics:

Babe, come in from the cold and put that coat to rest.
Step inside, take a deep breath, and do what you do best.
Yes, kick off them shoes and leave those city streets.
I do believe love came our way, and fate did arrange for us to meet.

I love when you do that hocus pocus to me.
The way that you touch, you've got the power to heal.
You give me that look, it's almost unreal. It's almost unreal.

Hey, we can't stop the rain, let's find a place by the fire.
Sometimes I feel, strange as it seems,
you've been in my dreams all my life.

I love when you do that hocus pocus to me.
The way that you touch, you've got the power to heal.
You give me that look, it's almost unreal. It's almost unreal.

It's a crazy world out there. It's a crazy...
Let's hope our prayers are in good hands tonight.

Oh, I love when you do that hocus pocus to me.
The way that you touch, you've got the power to heal.
You give me that look, it's almost unreal.
It's almost unreal, so unreal.

Yea come on and do the hocus pocus to me.
The way that you touch, you've got the power to heal.
You give me that look, it's almost unreal. It's almost unreal, yea.

It's almost unreal. Do the hocus pocus to me. Do the hocus pocus...

Happy Weekend!

Friday Five!

2011-05-27T12:40:00.001-05:00

1. I still look like Rudolph but I'm starting to feel better!

2. My husband and I are starting to see the first season of Lie to me, it's very interesting.

3. Finally today I will start reading The Hunger Games!! I didn't liked the blurb but after all I have read about them I must red them.

4. I'm working again in my revisions of the first half of GS and I'm very encouraged that finaly I'm applying all that I'm learnign in my writing class.

5. I hope you all have an amazing weeken and for those of you who are in the US happy long weekend!

Update and books I love!

2011-05-24T14:09:00.003-05:00

We are sick again! Yes I can't believe it either but I can cry or move on so I'm choosing moving on. We have a big cold mixed with Alex's reflux so we aren't sleeping.

The bad thing is I haven't worked in my book as much as I wanted but the good news are that I read two great books!

I can't believe that I found two perfect but different books in the same week.

Ok I will tell you which books are so special for me:

From Goodreads.com:

Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

My opinion: It's a great story, using elements I haven't read lately in fantasy. It has a sweet romance and a great adventure. For me this is the perfect mix! Tessa is a great and strong character although sometimes stubborn you can relate to her. I will definitely read it again.

From goodreads.com:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

My opinion: A great dystopian , I usually don't like them but this one was great. Making me live everything of this world, fiding myself what would I do in Tris situation. I loved Tris her way of thinking, loving, living! And in this book I found a new favorite male character "Four". They have a intense and for me beautiful romance with a lot of connection. I am dying to read the next book.

Ok now I will go back to the couch to rest while the kids let me with a box of tissues behind me.

I just wanted to say I miss you all and I hope life can let me be more here soon.

Have a great day!

Characters genetics and places of origin.

2011-05-16T05:50:00.000-05:00

I lately have been thinking about characters and places of origin. You see, my husband for example says I have special ways of thinking and responses that every Galician(from Galicia, Spain) has, for example when you give me something or ask for something I usually say why, I always say No before thinking. That comes to me not because I was born in Galicia but because every single drop of my blood comes from there.

I also believe that you think and make some things because we learn them in the place we grow up. The way of thinking, the way of doing things, the way of speaking and eating.

All of this made me thought about characters and if in books we show all these things that influence the way a character is, usually characters in books are some way because of actions of the family, because a futuristic world, because of their actions, etc

Do characters will be more real or are more real when we consider not only the psychological aspects , but also genetics and places where they grew up?

Have you read a character that showed all these things?

I think that exploring characters that way will be interesting.

Have a great Monday!!

Stylish blogger award!

2011-05-11T07:06:00.000-05:00

Thank you and tracy_d74 for giving me this award. YAY!!!

Along with the award come a few responsibilities.

1. Thank and link to the person(s) who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to five blogging buddies.
4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them

Okay so here are my seven random facts.

1. I’m terrified to drive since I hit a bus. Now I have to do it for taking my kids to school and I can’t make myself to do it.

2. I love the movie bed of roses. I know is a silly romantic movie but it makes my heart happy every time I see it.

3. In relation with the above fact thanks to that movie my favorite flower are roses but not any rose the perfect rose the one lilac without spines. My husband sent me 36 in our 3 anniversary for 36 perfect months. He’s as romantic as me.

4. I’m obsessive compulsive and perfectionist. Once I start something I have to end it quick and perfect.

5. Since I was six I always said to everyone that I wanted to go to college because I wanted to be someone in life! That I wanted to work in Procter & Gamble or Coca- Cola! So that shows you how strange I am.

6. I hate exercise with all my might. I only do it to keep healthy.

7. I love romantic stories of any type even if they are silly!

I would love to pass the award along to these five amazing friends:

Demetra

I’m going to paste this that Paty shared, I found it very useful:

To post your award on your blog, just right click on the picture here and "save picture as." If you're on blogger, from your dashboard go into 'design' and 'add a gadget' and download the picture.

I'm Back!!

2011-05-02T06:09:00.000-05:00

These last weeks I've been away of LJ and well away of everything unless the kids and my translation.

The kids had the two last weeks of vacation and we have been sick of one thing or another the last two months! It has been horrible!

Anyway I'm back and Just wanted to say hello.

How you're all doing?

Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers Contest!

2011-03-22T05:40:00.000-06:00

Ok so if you loved Like I really did Personal Demons by Lisa desrochers, I have good news for you!!!
She si having a huge give away in his website including galleys of the nxt book Original Sin.
So go there and participate.

I leave you here the cover of Personal Demons and what's about. Also below the same for Original Sin.

PERSONAL DEMONS (Tor Teen, September 14, 2010)
Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest friends—and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions—for Hell—and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he’s as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn’t get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay…for all of them.

ORIGINAL SIN (Tor Teen, July 5, 2011)
PERSONAL DEMONS series, book 2
Luc Cain was born and raised in Hell, but he isn't feeling as demonic as usual lately--thanks to Frannie Cavanaugh and the unique power she never knew she had. But you can't desert Hell without consequences, and suddenly Franie and Luc find themselves targeted by the same demons who used to be Luc's allies.

Left with few options, Frannie and Luc accept the protection of Heaven and one of its most powerful angels, Gabe. Unfortunately, Luc isn't the only one affected by Frannie, and it isn't long before Gabe realizes that being around her is too...tempting. Rather than risk his wings, he leaves Frannie and Luc under the protection of her recently aquired guardian angel.

Which would be fine, but Gabe is barely out the door before an assortment of demons appears--and they're not leaving without dragging Luc back to Hell with them. Hell won’t give up and Heaven won’t give in. Frannie's guardian exercises all the power he has to keep them away, but the demons are willing to hurt anyone close to Frannie in order to get what they want. It will take everything she has and then some to stay out of Hell's grasp.

And not everyone will get out of it alive.

Mafalda again....

2011-03-16T06:55:00.000-06:00

These days...

2011-03-14T06:50:00.000-06:00

These last days, I didn't post anything and only comment on your posts because I have been a little down. We have been sick for almost 3 weeks, of cold, of stomach and now again we have a cold. Grrr I hate to be sick.

But I managed to do my assingnments and finally I'm up to date in my writing class. Although I'm still fighting with the query letter! I outlined the first changes I'm going to do to Glowing Shadow and finally I can continue translating.

This weekend was my son Carlos birthday. I don't know when the time passed away but now he is six and I wonder were is my first little baby! Anyway we spend a great day , we brought Mc Donald's ( his favorite food) the grandpas and his godmother came to have lunch and we all played with him kinect and wii! He was very happy!

Here is a photo of me with my two babies, as you can se we had chocolate cake Yommi! Please don't see the black circles under my eyes (I used corrector if not believe I'm a raccoon)

I love Mafalda I know it is in Spanish but I found this one with translation and thought that it was perfect for what we are living all around the world.

#???, Mafalda 10 (1974)

Man: "Changing the world! Ha! Kids' stuff!"
Man: "I, too, had such ideas when I was young, and now you see..."
Mafalda: "We're doomed, guys! It turns out, if we don't hurry up and change the world, the world changes us!"

As Mafalda says we can only hope to change the world before it change us.

Have a wonderful day!

Vampire Academy: Last Sacrifice

2011-03-07T12:00:00.000-06:00

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a great book. A great ending for a very good series.

I really likd the way the mistery of the murder evolved, the way Rose and Dimitri were together again. But most of all how they now are equals and she actually taught him something. She actually matured a lot in this book.

I highly recommend it, good writing and great world building.

View all my reviews

The Vespertine Contest

2011-02-21T05:32:00.000-06:00

You can win some prizes just clik here to see the rules.

GS update in five!

2011-02-18T05:30:00.000-06:00

1. I have been working hard this week. I'm still working in my query letter for my class. Right now we are doing different types of them.

2. Also I realized that I will have to change some big things on the plot of GS. I'm working again in the outline so I can see where to apply the changes. I'm making it in english and spanish.

3.Also I'm working in the three dimensions of my characters to have a better perspective of them.

4.I finally have done some translation as you can see in the bar on the left, although I haven't revised that part. I will do it next.

5.Well those are all the updates from my writing. How are you doing?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Valentines day/ Feliz día del amor y la amistad

2011-02-14T05:06:00.000-06:00

I wish you have a beautiful day and that you can celebrate with your loved ones.

Over here we celebrate also friendship so : Thank you for being my friends!

I already celebrated because the city becomes a chaos today, but everyday is good to celebrate love!

HUGS!!

Friday five

2011-02-11T04:51:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted in many time so I thought it was a good idea to post my friday five.

1. I have been very busy with homework of my writing class but I love it!! The class is great and I know I will learn a lot.

2. I also started again with the revision translation of GS and I think I am going to change some thing of the outline, right now I'm working on that.

3. Tomorrow Is my father's and husband's birthday! Yes, their birthday is on the same date with 20 years of difference. It is a great coincidence. I remember when I was a little girl I always said that I will marry a man who's birthday was on the same date as my father and I married one! LOL. Another coincidence is that between my mother and I are 20 years of difference and 30 with my father so now with my husband we are 29 (me), 39 ( my husband), 49 (my mother) and 59 ( my father). We are a strange family!

4. I have a new orchid!! My husband brought it yesterday. I will take a picture and post it on monday.

5. Carlos and Alex had a cold all the week. Now Carlos is ok but Alex now is sick of the stomach. I hate virus!!

Have an amazing weekend!!

Query Letter corrected

2011-02-01T04:49:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much for your help!
Now the query letter looks like this:

Dear Agent/Editor:

[An opening line about why you want to work with this particular agent or editor / why they'd be perfect for this project.] ( I will leave this to complete it when I have the name of the agents)

Glowing Shadow is my debut young adult novel, a paranormal romance complete at 85,000 words.

Muriel Blythe moved to Madrid to study psychology. She needed to get away from everything and everyone to learn how to control her gift: the supernatural gift of feeling what everyone felt around her--and making them feel whatever she felt.

But in Madrid, mysterious shadows begin to attack her, while strange lights protect her. Muriel struggles to discover what this eerie battle is all about, and why she has been drawn into the center of it. She learns she has the power to make astral trips into the present, and this helps her in her quest.

At the same time, Muriel develops strong feelings for her defender: one of the lights who, in reality, is a man. A man who makes her feel love, something she has never felt before. Muriel began to love him even when she wasn't sure who or what he really was, but she was certain that he wasn’t totally a light--that he was something between light and shadow.

After founding why she had her supernatural gifts and that her love was forbidden, she also discovered that nothing was as she thought, that in life you must be brave and never give up what you love most.

Another ending:

Ultimately, Muriel discovers that nothing is as it once seemed--and that sometimes, you must be brave to keep from losing what you most love.

I love both endings the first one because it explains a little of what she discovers and the second one because it leaves the story in suspense. Now I have to make a decision.
--------------------------------------------------------

QUERY ACTUALIZED:

Dear Agent/Editor:

[An opening line about why you want to work with this particular agent or editor / why they'd be perfect for this project.] ( I will leave this to complete it when I have the name of the agents)

Glowing Shadow is my debut young adult novel, a paranormal romance complete at 85,000 words.

Muriel Blythe moved to Madrid to study psychology. She needed to get away from everything and everyone to learn how to control her gift: the supernatural gift of feeling what everyone felt around her--and making them feel whatever she felt.

But in Madrid, mysterious shadows begin to attack her, while strange lights protect her in a strange battle at full speed; at the end of the battle the only thing she sees is a pair of gray eyes that give her peace. Muriel struggles to discover what this eerie battle is all about, and why she has been drawn into the center of it. She learns she has the power to make astral trips, and this helps her in her quest.

At the same time, Muriel develops strong feelings for her defender: one of the lights who, in reality, is a man with gray eyes. A man who makes her feel love, something she has never felt before. Muriel begins to love him even when she isn’t sure who or what he really is, but she is certain that he isn’t totally a light--that he is something between light and shadow.

After finding why she had her supernatural gifts and that her love was forbidden, she also discovered that nothing was as she thought, that in life you must be brave and never give up what you love most.

Another ending:

Ultimately, Muriel discovers that nothing is as it once seemed--and that sometimes, you must be brave to keep from losing what you most love.

Help, query letter

2011-01-31T07:29:00.000-06:00

I need help with a query letter. I am doing it right know because for working in my book in my writing class first I have to send them a query letter.

As you know writing in English is sometimes difficult for me but this query letter is giving me a headache. I can't get it right.

I will paste you here a example, so you can see it:

Muriel Blythe moved to Madrid to study psychology. She needed to get away from everything and everyone to learn how to control her gift. The gift of seeing and conveying emotions.

What she didn’t knew was that being there shadows will start to attack her for a reason unknown for her.

Some strange lights will start to help her, particularly a light between bright and dark. A light that inevitably attracted her.

Now she had to discover who where her attackers, who her defenders and why. Something not easy when nobody wanted to reveal anything. The discovery of a new gift will help her in her quest.

Amid of all this mystery Muriel discovers she has strong feelings for her defender of which she knows nothing. Hence she is torn between her mind and her feelings.

After a shocking revelation she discovers that nothing was as she thought, that in life you must be brave and never give up what you love most.

Glowing shadow is my debut new adult novel, a paranormal romance complete at 85,000 words.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

I will appreciate every tip, comment or suggestion you can make. Thank you!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now with some changes you suggested. Thank you!

Dear Agent/Editor:

[An opening line about why you want to work with this particular agent or editor / why they'd be perfect for this project.] ( I will leave this to complete it when I have the name of the agents)

Glowing Shadow is my debut new-adult novel, a paranormal romance complete at 85,000 words.

Muriel Blythe moved to Madrid to study psychology. She needed to get away from everything and everyone to learn how to control her gift: the supernatural gift of feeling what everyone felt around her and make them feel whatever she felt.

But in Madrid, mysterious shadows began to attack her, while strange lights helped her. Muriel struggled to discover what this eerie battle was all about, and why she had been drawn into the center of it. The discovery of being able to make astral trips helped her in her quest.

At the same time, Muriel developed strong feelings for her defender. One of the lights that in reality was a man. A man that make her feel love; something she never felt before. She loved him even when she didn’t knew who or what he really was but she was certain that he wasn’t totally a light, he was between light and shadow.

After founding why she had her supernatural gifts and that her love was forbidden, she also discovered that nothing was as she thought, that in life you must be brave and never give up what you love most.

Thankful thursday!

2011-01-27T04:23:00.000-06:00

Today I want to give thanks for having a wonderful husband that knows me so weel and gave me this beautiful orchid to make my days brighter.

Also I want to thank life for my new writing class, it's great!! I think I'm going to learn a lot. Thank you so much patesden for your post of online classes. There I found writing in depth class and I am very happy!

Alex slept one night;that's certainly something to be thankful for. I hope he continues like that.

Oh and I found this wonderful video. I hope many parents can see it before giving medication to their kids.

If you can see it here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv49RFo1ckQ&feature=player_embedded

Have a wonderful Thursday!

About these days...

2011-01-24T15:23:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't posted these days and I wanted to share with all of you what happened to me.

Well first Alex still doesn't sleep so I'm very, very tired. I called the doctor and told him that we tried everything and that he doesn't gets well. So he sent him new analysis for his reflux and we found out that his reflux was worse when we thought it was getting better. He stopped to through up so we thought he was better and gave him normal formula. But the burn continued inside, he even has his esofagus sore. We went back to the soy milk and medicines. I felt so bad , my poor baby having so much pain and I thought he was teething or he wasn't able to sleep alone.

I was tired mentally and physically , I wasn't able to write, translate or revise. I needed a rest so I did. I spent my free time reading and relaxing.

I think also depression wanted to hit me, thank god I take anti depressive pills if not my family would be miserable. I inherited it.

Anyway that made me not want to share my problems I usually don't speak when I'm depressed . Now I feel better or at least I think so.

We have to give Alex a month with this treatment to see how it works and I rested a little this weekend.

I am joining an online writing class and I am excited. I wanted to do this since I started writing and now that Alex will be in day care a few hours till summer I have to take advantage of the time.

I am rying to get back to my routine of revising-translating. It is hard , is like when you stop doing exercise for a few days and you can't start over agian the only thing you want is sit on the couch. Well I am in that stage but I am trying to start again, to do a few pages a day.

I think I rambled a lot in this post, I hope I didn't bored you!
Happy day!

Review Firelight by Sophie Jordan

2011-01-19T04:43:00.000-06:00

I really liked this book. Is the kind of writing I love.Maybe because the MC of my book talks like Jacinda and was great way to find how I wanted my book to be.
I conected with Jacinda, I felt everything she felt.
I will look forward to the next book.
The story:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

Alone...

2011-01-18T04:23:00.000-06:00

And I don't like it! For the last two years I had this little baby by my side everywhere I went. Now I am alone and I miss him terribly

Let me explain to you. Alex today started day care. He is going there 3 hours a day. I didn't want to but my husband talk to me about he was going to start the official preschool next autumn and that he was going to be there almost six hours, that he needed to have a little time away from me, be with other children ( beside his brother) and be independent. I know he is right and I could certainly use the time to write. But I don't work and I could take care of him (that's what my guilty mind says).

Uff I hope with the days he likes the day care and I feel a little less guilty, although I know we both will be more happy having time apart. He doesn't sleep very well so we were together 24 hours a day.

Talking about other things i had to change the name of my book, between light and shadow existed already for many books, so I choose glowing shadow. I thought the meaning of glowing was perfect for this story and no one has used it.

Well, since I am very nervous looking to the clock for the time I have to go to pick him up I know I wont be able to revise or translate so I am going to order my office. Right now the papers, bills, etc are everywhere and I feel like even my ideas can't flow with such a mess.

Have a beautiful day!

Can I do it?

2011-01-11T16:14:00.000-06:00

I was considering whether to upload this post or not. But then I thought you would understand me better than anyone. You are also writers.

I'm in the process of translating my book while I'm revising. I know what are the things I have to change, the things I should avoid, but I am not able to do it.

It's so hard to accept that you know what you have to do but can’t do it! Sometimes I can’t find a stronger verb to replace an adverb. It sometimes seems impossible to me to know if I am showing or telling, I know the things that identify it but it is difficult to know when it’s appropriate to use each one of them. I know all writers battle with this.

There is also the dialogue, I know I should not explain much in dialogue but what if the narrator is a person who thinks and analyzes everything? I don’t want to bore the reader but my narrator is a person who feels what other people feel, so she constantly perceives things in the midst of situations and conversations, and she gets conclusions in the middle of them about what is happening. I avoid her to think or talk to herself through the dialogues?

Surely at some point I'll find the solution and is only a process but now I feel useless as a writer. I know that most likely this is also a problem of English not being my native language and it’s harder for me to find new words. That I must continue trying and that eventually it will be easier but right now I’m in a hole.

Really it has been a very difficult day with my writing, so much so that my SIL called from Spain and as soon as she heard me she knew I was depressed. She argued with me for half an hour for not having the Messenger of AOL which is what connects to the internal messengers of many companies and that way I could have talked to her about it when it was happening. Yes, i am a stubborn I have MSN, yahoo and Skype so I could have AIM. So I’m installing it also, another messenger to the pile ( is what you need when everybody is far away) I would love to talk more with my SIL and my phone service only gives free calls to Mexico, United States and Canada, so this is the solution.

Well finally talking about what matters I'm depressed and I do not know what to do with it but deep down I know I'll go out of this hole, that this is something I must do if I want to write in English. Probably tomorrow I will get up with a better attitude.

For now I feel relieved to have taken it out of me, to express what I really feel. I told my SIL, but she doesn’t understand because she isn’t a writer, so sometimes I can imagine her face of: are you really depressed about that?

I hope you understand me and not get bored with this post; I assure you that tomorrow I will return again to be me...

Monday with no new words but with Anabel love story...

2011-01-09T17:34:00.000-06:00

Before starting with this post I want to share with you that I already read Matched. If you want to read my review go here: www.goodreads.com/review/show/137244579

With all these holidays, I didn't work on the translation, but I did work on the revision, so I don't need to ask for your help with new words.

In exchange I am going to tell you something more about me. You have been so friendly and so good with me that I thought that the better way to thank you was with a little bit of me.

I am going to talk about my love story. Today my husband and I remembered all we lived through, and I thought that was a good thing for sharing.

It all starts in March of the year 2000. I was 18 years old, lived in Mexico City and was in my last year of high school but I already had the acceptance for the university I wanted.

One day, a friend from high school and I were working together on homework using Yahoo messenger, when suddenly mine stopped working. My friend called me and told me to enter a chat she knew from Spain where no one will know us and that we could chat via private chat.

So, I did it. I entered the chat and suddenly a message from pin28 appeared on my screen. We started to chat, he told me he was from Madrid and was 28 years old. We chatted while I did my homework for almost 2 hours. When I was closing the chat my best friend arrived to my house, in that moment an email from pin28 arrived. He wrote me about how much he enjoyed talking with me and that he would like to do it again.

I turned to look at my friend, who was obviously reading over my shoulder, and saw that she was pale.
"What's wrong" I say to her.
"I don't like this"
"Why you don't like this? It's not like I am going to meet the guy. He is in Madrid!"
"That's what I don't like!"
"I don't want to fall in love and you know it. relax!"

But my friend knew what she was talking about, day after day we chatted or spoke on the phone for hours. He spoke to me in the late night of Madrid that was my afternoon because of the time difference.(7 hours)

One day he started sending me emails every hour and we spoke all day. I knew everything he liked and didn't like. I knew he didn't want to fall in love because of a bad relationship, just like me. I knew were he was, I knew his friends. (They were on the phone many times when I talked to him.)

On March 10th, an email arrived. An email from him. In it, he told me that he was in love with me, that he can't understand why since we had never met, but that he wanted to have an exclusive relationship. (He denies this but I have the email ha!) I was in love with him even if it sounds strange. I felt that I knew every one of his thoughts or feelings. I felt more connected to this man on the other side of the Atlantic than to anyone else nearby.

The months kept going with our love growing, by that time even my parents knew about him and that I was having a relationship with him.

One day my father came to speak to me. He was worried that I was falling in love with someone I had never seen before. He reminded me that every summer we went to Galicia, Spain, to see my grandparents, and he suggested that I go a week early with my mother to Madrid. There, I could meet him and also see the city. Of course he told me that my mother would have to be present when I met him for the first time.
I was so happy!! My father was giving me the best opportunity to see if this was for real or a game. (Although I never thought it was a game.)

I called Carlos (my husband's name) and told him the news. He was so so happy! We cried together on the phone.

The next day an email arrived. In it, he asked me to listen to song number 8 of the "Musica Es" CD, by Eros Ramazotti, our favorite singer. I went into the living room and put on the song. When it started and I heard the first words, big tears fell down my cheeks. My father was pale and my mother was excited. The song started: "For you I will marry". Now you know why my father was pale! The whole song said all of the things he liked about me and that he will marry me. I got the phone and called him, asking what he was trying to tell me with that song.

"You really don't know what I am trying to say to you?", he says.
"I think I do but I am not sure."
"I am asking you to marry me, I love you. If when we see each other we see that this is real, that we are really in love, I want you to marry me. I don't want to wait a year to see you again. I don't want to risk what we have."
"Yes, I want to marry you, but only if both of us feel the same in Madrid."

So the days went by. I was excited. My friend cried all day telling me that I wasn't going to come back and I deep in my heart knew she was right.

June 14th came and I was in Madrid, waiting for him to come meet me and my mother. The moment I saw him I knew it was him, the love of my life. I felt the butterflies in my stomach and I knew that he was real. We spent the whole day together and my mother, by the end of the day, let us go to a restaurant alone. There he asked me again if I wanted to marry him and I said yes.

That very June 14th, after 3 months in a relationship, I knew I wanted to marry him. I don't have to tell you that our first dance was to that song. (Every body cried while he sang to me.) We married the 4th of November of that same year and I moved to Madrid. Yes I moved at 19 years old, leaving behind the university I chose and my whole life. I wasn't afraid, I knew this was what I needed to do. We lived there for 5 years and now we are in Mexico City. We have been married for 10 years now.

I know we had luck, that many stories of internet love don't end like that. Destiny put us together in that chat. Destiny found the way to make us meet even if we where miles away.

I hope I didn't bore you with my love story but it is very important to me and wanted to share it with you all.

Have a great Monday!

Ps: Sorry if there are any mistakes on this post. I wanted to share this story like a novel but I ended with my baby next to me and I don't think I can get back to the computer until tomorrow. So I shared it like it came to my mind without showing only telling....

Big thanks to :whitehousemom for helping me correct this post and teaching me! I have amazing friends in LJ!!

Friday Five!

2011-01-06T16:46:00.000-06:00

1. Dia de reyes went really well, the kids liked the presents and we really had a good time in my parents house. My mom actually didn't say anything hurtfull to me...

2. I have to start my diet again tomorrow. I ate a lot of rosca, chocolate and roasted chestnuts. So if I want to continue losing weight I have to go back to my balanced way of eating. 10 pounds more to go.( that Tiramisu of Tracy has to wait *snif*)

3. This is the last weekend of the winter vacations of Carlitos so we are going to take him to a place he chooses, he haven't decided but I think is going to be fun.

4. I have to take out the Christmas decorations on Saturday and I hate it. When you put it on you don't mind the work because you want to see the three and want your house full of Christmas spirit. Besides everyone wants to cooperate but anyone wants to take them out!

5. I didn't move forward on the translation but I did in the revisions. I hope I can go back to my schedule of writing on Monday.

Have a great weekend! I am dying for some sleep!

El día de los reyes magos or Epiphany ( January 6)

2011-01-05T17:04:00.000-06:00

A holiday we celebrate in Latin America and Spain.

In this holiday we commemorate the arriving of the Three Kings – Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar-- to see Little Jesus with presents for him (gold, frankincense and myrrh).

Days before children leave letters on the Christmas tree asking for the presents they want. In January 5 they leave a shoe for the three kings to leave their presents. Also children leave cookies and milk for them to eat.

In that day in Spain in all of the towns the Three Kings participate in a parade were they show the presents they are going to give. These parades are beautiful traditions full of color and music that children love. They throw candies at everyone. Candies can hit you in the head so be warned!

I watched once the Three Kings parade in Madrid and it was beautiful with immense displays going through the down town streets. Anyway I put here some videos so you can see it.

In that day we eat Rosca de Reyes that is a round sweet bread with candied fruit on top, recently, different flavored whipped creams are used as filling.

In Spain inside the Rosca is a doll, the one that gets the doll in his piece has to pay the Rosca.

In México the one or ones that get the doll have to make a party on February 2 ( Dia de la Candelaria) the day of the presentation of Jesus in the temple. The party must have tamales and atole (a hot sweet drink thickened with corn flour).

Right now I am going to help the three kings with the presents and see if they want to share a little milk and chocolate. ;)

Maybe I can persuade them of giving me presents instead of coal…

Whether you celebrate or not this Holiday, I hope you have a beautiful Thursday!

Firework, Katy Perry

2011-01-05T09:22:00.000-06:00

Lately I am never impressed with music videos, maybe because they are always about the same thing.

But the video of Katy Perry for the song Fireworks impressed me. The mix of the lyrics with the images made me cry. ( I am very sensitive)

It is beautiful! I leave you here the video and the lyrics. Hope you like it!

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep?
Six feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you?

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through

'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, oh
As you shoot across the sky

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, oh
You're gonna leave 'em falling down

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Holidays Update 2...

2011-01-03T17:03:00.000-06:00

Yes, over here we are still in holidays. We still have to celebrate the Dia de Reyes on January 6. So the kids will go back to school next monday and will have extra present this thursday!

I plan to post something of the tradition of los reyes magos this week.

We started again the diet from january 2 to january 5 so we can lose a little weight before the rosca and hot chocolate of the dia de reyes. We are eating at my mother's home so I am not cooking. Finally!!

This vacation time I took a break or semi break of my translation. With carlos on vacations Alex doesn't want to take a nap and all my schedule goes through the window so I flow with them and what they want to do. We play a lot these days with the xbox and the kinect , certainly Carlos and I are making exercise. I feel pain in some muscles I didn't knew I had.

Actually I thought the xbox was going to be a game for carlitos to stay sit, but actually he burns a lot of energy with the sports game. And mommy loses a little weight :p

I hope I can recover my schedule on Monday so I can move forward with my translation- revision.

How are you going with your manuscripts,revisions,queries,synopsis,etc?

Have a great Tuesday!!

Recipe: Tarta de santiago ( almond cake)

2011-01-03T09:34:00.000-06:00

Thsi cake is traditional of Galicia, Spain. It is made in honor of Santiago de compostela, an apostle.
As i promised I am sharing the recipe!

Ingredients:

175 gr of flour

3 eggs

125 gr of milk

A split of water

125 gr of butter without salt

250gr of pealed almonds

250 gr of sugar

The skin of half a lemon

25 gr of pulverized sugar.

Triturate the almonds with the lemon skin. Until the almonds are in very small pieces.

Whip the eggs with the sugar for 5 minutes at medium- High speed.

Add the milk, the split of water, the butter at room temperature, and the flour. You whip it 2 minutes at the same speed.

Add the almonds and the lemon. Mixing it 1 minute at medium- high speed.

Put the mix in a previously buttered demountable round baking pan. Cook it in a preheated oven 200°C for 25 minutes. Let it cool completely before removing it from the baking pan. It is very fragile.

Last sprinkle the pulverized sugar over the top.

I know that many of you don’t use this measures but I don’t know how to translate them.

The original recipe is for a cooking machine called Thermomix ( my best friend in the kitchen)

It is a little wet because of the oil of the almonds but believe me is delicious.

Here is a photo:

Happy 2011!

2010-12-30T17:17:00.000-06:00

I know that many of you will be busy tomorrow so I just wanted to say:

This was a good year for me. I am thankful for many things:

1. My family is healthy
2. I found a school that can realy help Carlos with his TDA and now he is learning!
3. A happy marriage year ( Not all the years are perfect in it)
4. A year were I found and accept that I do many things as my mother and grand mother even when I hate it. I know i have to change it and I moving forward to be a better me.
5. I wrote my first book in 1 month , 6 months later I ended revising it. And thanks to all your good advices I am revising it again adn translating it by myself!!
6. I found great friends like you all, that support me and give me advice in live and writing.

I hope in the year 2011 I can become a better me( better person, mother, wife, friend and writer).

As I said in my Christmas Card I hope in this 2011 all your dreams become true!

Happy new Year!!

Ps: I didn't made the image above i found it in the internet.

Rites and superstitions for the New year.

2010-12-29T17:04:00.000-06:00

México is a country full of superstitions and rites for whatever you like so over here we have a lot of rites that people make at the moment of the arriving of the new year.

I will list the ones I know. But many of them I never tried. I warn you in case you try them and didn't work!

1. Wear red underware if you want love and passion in your life. I remember a friend of my mother always giving us in christmas red underware for new year...

2. Wear yellow underware if you want money. Ok I want both but I think it will not be easy to find unde-rware with the two colors. I have to go shopping...

3. Sweep the entrance of your home to take out the bad energy. You have to this in the very moment of the entrance of the new year.

4. If you want to travel in the next year you have to take a suitcase in each hand and walk around your block. This also has to be at the very moment the year is entering.Now I am thinking how can you sweep the entrance while you walk around the block with two suitcases if you want both?

5. You have to put a gold ring in yor champagne cup, if you have a platinum ring or a diamond ring the more money you will get. If I have a diamond ring why would I want more money? I guess we never have enough money. Take care not to swallow it!!

6. Last but not least the 12 grapes. You have to take one with each chime of the clock indicating 12 o'clock. With each grape you have to think a wish you want to become true in the new year. This is the most traditional and the one we make every year. I don't really know if it works or it's luck but we are also spanish and in Spain is very traditional to eat the grapes with the chimes of the clock of La Puerta del Sol of Madrid. I you are going to try this buy small grapes, believe me you will end the chimes with your cheeks full of grapes while you kiss and hug your family.

I once did the rite of the red underware ( i didn't had boyfriend that year) and every year we take the 12 grapes at 12 o'clock.

But if you want to make the six of them is going to be hard. You got to wear an red and yellow underware. Sweep the entrance of your home, walk around your block with two suitcases, put a gold ring in your cup and eat the 12 grapes at the same time. If someone can achieve this I really admire him!!

What rites and traditions you have for the entrance of the new year?

PS: I don't know if the word for the sound the clock does when indicating an hour is ring. Over here we use the word "campanada" because it were Church bells the ones that indicated with their sound the hour.

**Update: Thank to know I know the word is chime. I already edited the post. Thank you Robin!
*** Update two: thank to now I know underware is spelled without - in the middle. Thank you!!
With friends like you all I am going to improve a lot!

Holidays update...

2010-12-28T16:39:00.000-06:00

I wasn't sure if I would post anything before new year. Right now I'm mad with life but most of all with my mother. But what can I do she is my mother and I love her even when she says things that hurt without even noticing it. I will never be the perfect daughter in her eyes no matter how much effort I put. But as I said I will always love her so I must calm down and go on. I will not pay attention to her words anymore (or so I hope)

I haven't translated anything but I do revised. I didn't have time because I am the cook for the holidays so with the kitchen and the kids on vacation I don't have free time.

I hope your holidays aren't as painful as mine!

By the way the tarta de santiago (cake) was perfect I will post the recipe in January.

I hope I can come back with a happy post to wish you a wonderful new year.

PS: Sorry for talking about the things that got me angry but I had to write of it to take it out of my yistem.

Have a great day!!

Christmas Card

2010-12-22T07:43:00.000-06:00

I know that many of you will not be over here these days, some because of cooking, buying, etc and others because of traveling. So I wanted to post my Christmas card for you all today.

Thank you all for your friendship!

I'm not very good with photoshop but this is a card made by me:

Tips for revisions....

2010-12-20T16:30:00.000-06:00

This weekend I was making a summary of all the tips Tracy gave me and all the ones I have read on internet for revisions. I thought I should share it here so anyone can print as I will do and have it near.

Also please if you know or think of another thing important when revising please comment and I will go adding to this post.

Things to look for or change when revising:

1. Show, don’t tell:

“Show, Don't Tell invites understanding; I cannot find a better way to say this”

“If you are as captivated by what you read the tenth time you read it as you were the first time, then the author has succeeded in Show, Don't Tell”.

“When "showing" would prove to be more information than anyone wants or needs, then telling is perfectly acceptable. A good rule to keep in mind is that if it isn't important to the story, it's okay to keep it to the realm of telling”.

"In the case of "acceptable tell" always keep in mind that IF you can change it without it becoming more than you want it to be, do so. This leaves room for those necessary tells. Too much tell, even if it seems acceptable, drags a story down."

“In resume if you want to build a character, shape a mood, you must show. But I you want to move the story maybe tell is correct. I guess it is the balance of them what makes the prefect story.”

- The words: I heard, I saw, I felt, I was, usually are signs of telling.

2. Try as must as you can to substitute adverbs for strong verbs.

3. Avoid using as much as possible “which” “who” and “ that”.

4. Describe, you want the reader to experience the story.

5. Always check grammar.

6. Very and so are filler words. Find other words.

7. If there’s no dialogue in a while we must evaluate our technique.

8. Characters have to be in movement, living, making things.

9. Little or no ambiance and presence. If we gloss over important events, giving the rundown on who said what, when, where and how, and then slip out of the event without so much as a drink, it may be time to ponder. Why did we feel the need to include this important event in the first place?

10. Give the reader a reason to care for the character

11. Use dialogue effectively. Let the character speak, make the reader eavesdrop the conversation, not only hear it from you.

12. Use gestures and movements. . Act out the scene, if necessary to capture details.

13. Make every word count. Make every word mean something, be important for the history.

**One of the Links were I found this, I don’t remember the other ones ( I had the tips in post its all around my desk) And of course. I added the great advice of also

FINDER!!!!!!!

2010-12-20T07:35:00.000-06:00

OH MY GOD!!!!!

I finally readed Finder by Terri-Lynne Defino( ) this weekend.

It's great!! I devourded every word. I saw every place, smell every spice, live everything!

Now I now why tracy_d74 wanted to make Ethen real! I am going to also make real Nyael. I liked him a lot.

This is a great story, full of interesting subplots. I was intrigued from line one to the very end.

Terri you are great!!!!! You are mi idol!!

In case you haven't read it , here is the link to amazon. (click there and buy it, you are going to love it)

Now for the sparkles author I have to give sparks:

Monday of new words...

2010-12-19T18:03:00.000-06:00

It’s becoming a tradition to post my new words on Monday.

Today I have only four. I haven’t worked in the translation- revision this weekend. My brain was like in formalin. I wasn’t able to concentrate with this flu. I hope tomorrow I feel better.

Here are the words and how I used them, to see if they are used correctly and are still used:

Disquiet: cause worry, make uneasy, disturb. I used it in: “I walked back home, disquieted not only by the noise, but also by a series of emotions that wrapped me.”

Intuit: sense intuitively, perceive through intuition. I used it here: “Perhaps my mother intuited what had happened to me these days”

Divert: distract; entertain; turn in a different direction, deflect. I used it here: “This caused him to laugh diverted, not upset at all by the sarcasm.

Sweep over: overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli [syn: overwhelm, overpower, whelm, overcome, overtake] I used it in: “The people’s emotions were so strong – in particular depression- that sweep over me completely.”

Have an excellent Monday!!

Friday five!

2010-12-17T08:40:00.000-06:00

1. Yesterday my best friend and auntie by heart of my sons went to Carlos school to pick him up, because we can't. She does that many times but yesterday Carlos started to shout and cry in the middle of the school that he will not go with her. He shouted so much that the director nun came to see what happened and calmed him down. When they arrived home my best friend was crying, I felt so bad. She truly loves my sons, shes been there since minute one. I know how much it hurts when carlos does that because he makes it a lot with me, he always wants his dad. Anyway we had to punish him and make him talked with her. Now they are ok.

2. I got a flu. I hate flu! My nose is red as rudolph , I can't speak ( well my husband will be happy for that) and I feel like crap. The worst is that the kids also have it.

3. I finished the translation of the first chapter of BTLAS and I hope to end this revision ( i know there will be many others) today or tomorrow. So I'm moving forward.

4. I hope this weekend I can sleep a lot!!

5. I am trying a new recipe for " tarta de santiago" is a very popular cake that is done in Galicia , Spain. And its made with almonds , sugar , etc. My father loves it so I'm trying recipes for this christmas dinner make it for him. When I get a good one I will post it here.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Crazy day...

2010-12-15T16:19:00.000-06:00

Today was a crazy day! But I already told you that in the title of this post.

Carlos had his christmas festival and as always I was afraid he will not want to appear in public. But he did and did it well. His group sang the posada song that is very traditional here. I don't have to say that my face was covered with tears...

Also today I was able to see Carlos interact with his teachers. He has two, half of the classes with the english teacher and the other half with the spanish teacher. I saw him with the english teacher and she was very close to him. Always touching his shoulder or his head, making him feel comfortable about perfoming. The spanish teacher is older but makes all she can to make him learn and he is one of the best students she has.

So as you can see I walked out of the school as if I were walking on clouds, so happy, so proud and so calm. My son is going to be fine, even with his TDA. It seems that finally we are finding a way to be better parents, and now he has caring and hard working teachers. This is so important for him and his selfsteam!!

Then I arrived home and sat to write, always when I write I have my msn open although as occupied. Why? well because while I write I often talk with my best friend. Actually it can't be named a talk, we sporadiccaly say to one another " how do you say this in english?" " Which word you will use on this email?" " are you ok?" I know it is strange but we don't see ach other very much and that keep us connected. It also keeps me connected with the rest of the world when I'm not writing. Know going to the problem, I sat to write and realized by a bunch of emails my msn account was hacked. Why in the world could someone want to hack my account? I don't know but apparently it occurs often. After a bunch of emails my account is back and I am happy again.

In my translation- revision I think I can finally finish translating the first chapter this friday. Revising it and making it perfect I guess will take me longer but I think I did the best I could for now. You don't know how thankful I am with tracy for coaching me and seeing what I don't!! Even if I make the most silly mistakes and the words I choose in english sometimes are strange and bad, she corrects me and teaches me. So again thank you tracy_d74 you are a great coach and I want to shout to the world how grate you are for doing this for a person you know for a few time!! You are a dear friend!

Also I want to thank you all for your support and help in this translation procces!

As you can see I am emotional today. But I have learned that I must always say what I feel and always say thank you.

Now I am going to bed, maybe I will sleep something this night!!

Have a perfect day!

Words 2...

2010-12-12T16:58:00.000-06:00

Here I’m again with my words post.

As I told you in the other post some of these words are new for me and other I don’t know if I used them correctly or are still used.

Toyed: meaning in the dictionary: was toying with the idea of writing a book: THINK ABOUT, consider, flirt with, entertain the possibility of; informal kick around.

I used it like this: “I toyed with my dream for a long time, trying to make sense of it”

Creep in: enter surreptitiously; "he sneaked in under cover of darkness"; "in this essay, the author's personal feelings creep in" [syn: sneak in]
I used it here: “The sun began to creep in the room indicating that a new day had begun”

Endure: suffer without complaint, tolerate; continue on in spite of difficulty .

I used it here: “The noise in my head began again. It was terribly annoying, but I could endure it.”

Cease: stop, halt.

I used it here: “The noise in my head ceased”

Unknown : someone or something which is not known; someone or something that is unfamiliar; mathematical factor which is not known .

I used it like this: “I had so many unknowns to answer”

Flit: fly; flutter; dart; move quickly; change location; escape in secret

I used it like this: “A smile of satisfaction flitted across my face”

Have a great Monday!!

PS: Carlos did his Tae kwon do exam and did it perfect. I’m very proud of him for being able to do it in front of people.

Friday five!

2010-12-09T16:32:00.000-06:00

As you can see I'm posting this still on Thursday. I don't know if I am going to be able to be in the computer tomorrow morning so I'm posting it right now.

1. Tomorrow we have the first Tae Kwan Do exam of Carlos. I hope he want to do it, because he hates to do things in public and all the parents are going to be there.

2. I finally found what to give to Carlos's teachers for christmas gift. Is a chocolate nativity scene!! I love it ( maybe because I love chocolate)

3. Yesterday my two kids spent a hole day without fighting , they even danced with me. When I had them like that --dancing, smiling, hugging-- I only thought " please Anabel don't forget this".

4. Finally I feel better, I really feel depression is behind me. Also I accept better all my crazy inheritance and try to control it. Its been hard but I'm almost on the other side. Someday I will explain you about it, believe me my family is crazy.

5. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Guilty of writing!

2010-12-08T15:41:00.000-06:00

As you all know I am working in the revision and translation of my novel, something that needs a lot of work, so I need a lot of hours. And you may say yes, I know. What's the problem? The problem is to find the time to do this without feeling guilty.

I am a mom of a 5 year old and a 2 year old that need all my time. The 5 year old goes to preschool but the two year old stays in home all day and he will never let me concentrate. I write when he is taking a nap in the morning. But that isn't enough if I want to finish my revision - translation before the summer. So sometimes I take an hour at night when the kids go to sleep to write and I feel guilty because that's the time when my husband and I can be together and talk.

I think this time is important and I don't want a divorce. I love my husband, he supports me in my crazy life of writer but everything has a limit and I have to spend time with him.

The other problem is Holiday vacations begin next week and I am going to have Carlos also in the house so my time for writing will be null.

Well I guess I can write at two in the morning when everybody is asleep and don't need anything from me. But I can't, the doctor told me to sleep every time I could because I started to faint with all the months I expent sleeping poorly with Alex ,my body needs sleep. So no, I can't.

What am I going to do?

I feel guilty for thinking of ways of expending less time with my family and more with my revision - translation.

Have you felt guilty for expending time writing?

December 8, 2010

2010-12-08T07:31:00.000-06:00

I am tired!!! I haven't slept in four days. Alex is feeling bad of his reflux so he is crying all night. The raccoon is back! I am avoiding seeing my face in the mirror!

My translation is going slower also because of my lack of sleep, I can't concentrate but I keep trying. I hope I can finish the first chapter this week.

This are the news from here. How are you?

Happy Wednesday!

Words...

2010-12-05T17:01:00.000-06:00

Finally I'm posting the new words I found in my translation. As you can see many of them may be common for you but I never heard of them.

What I need to know is if this words are still used and if they are correctly used.

Here are the words:

Grudging – as in: “Grudging I got out of bed.”

React- as respond, we use this word a lot but I don’t know if it is used in English. Like in “Making my mind react”

Faculty – We say that faculty is an area of a college specialized in something or were you learn something. Like the faculty of psychology or the economics faculty. Is faculty a word used in English?

Outskirts – as in: “The outskirts of the city” I’m using it as suburb.

Drifted – as in: “I drifted back to my memories of the other night.”

Keen – can you use this as an adjective for eyes?

Issuer – this is the meaning in the dictionary: person or thing that sends out.

Companion – “Compañero” in Spanish, it is used a lot in my language but I don’t know if you use it this way. I used it like this: “Tranquility was my companion on my way back”

Heinous- can I use this for fear? I am saying that I have heinous fear .As an atrocious fear.

Twist to understand – well as you can see this is not a word but I don’t know if in English someone can twist to understand something. In Spanish would be used as “ retorcerse” but I don’t know if it is correctly used like that.

Disrupting – as disturb. “He was disrupting me”.

Stubble – the meaning in the dictionary is: short rough growth of beard. Is it still used?

Stirred – can someone stir his hair?

Inspected – “Those eyes I couldn’t forget inspected me with such intensity that I felt as if they were touching me, making my skin burn.” Is correctly used there?

Cutting tone – can someone’s tone be cutting in English? Is like someone answering shortly and hard.

Interrogation- the dictionary says: act of questioning, investigation, inquiry, examination through questions. Is it still used like that?

Toured – As in: “I toured the legs with my eyes”

Lank – I’m using this for straight hair.

Ruffled – Can someone ruffle his hair?

“See you brother” – to use the term brother would be correct in Spanish between friends. Is it correct to use it in English or I should use another term?

Maybe some of this will not get to the final draft because I have to finally learn to SHOW and don't tell but I will really appreciate your help.

Now I will go to continue struggling with the show and tell...

Have a wonderful day!

Friday five

2010-12-03T08:03:00.000-06:00

I saw in your post the friday five so I decided is a great idea and I will do it also.

1. I already bought all the santa's presents for the kids. I feel relieved. Now I only have to buy the presents for Carlitos's teachers.

2.I love Christmas but I hate the chaos that comes with it. The streets are full of cars, the stores full of people. I hate multitudes!!!

3. Yesterday I advanced 2 and half pages more in an hour!!! I am very happy with the process, every day I learn more and go more quickly.

4. I want chocolate!!! I am a chocolate addict and I have been on a diet for a year now and I miss it a lot. Even more when Alex is leaving his pacifier and he doesn't like it because he is teething so I need chocolate to have all the tolerance he needs of me.

5. On Monday I m planning to post the new words I found and how I used them to see if they are still used. I hope you don't mind.

Have a great weekend!!

December 2, 2010

2010-12-02T07:11:00.000-06:00

I'm having a great day!! Yesterday I talked with Carlos teacher and she told me that he was behaving better and his attention also was better. He already reads and writes in spanish and english ( he is 5 years old). I am so proud o f him ,even with his TDA he has the best grades!

In my revision- translating process I have done in this week 5 pages, yesterday I did 3 of them. I can't believe it! 3 pages in 3 hours is a lot for me. I also learned a few new words, I hope they are still used.

My best friend right now is babylon. A program were you can add dictionaries of any language. It is very handy I recommend it.

Finally I have to put this quote because it's great. I am very inspired by quotes.

"My task...is, by the power of the written word to make you hear, to make you feel - it is, before all, to make you see. That - and no more - and it is everything"

- Joseph Conrad

He is totally right if you can make the reader see then you did everything you can do with your writing.

So as you can see I'm very positive today. How are you? How are you going with your writing, family, work?

Have a nice day!

You do it!

2010-12-01T06:34:00.000-06:00

"You sit down and you do it, and you do it, and you do it, until you have learned to do it."
Ursula K. LeGuin
...on writing

That's what I am doing sitting down and revising , revising again and then translating, correcting and searching words. Sometimes I think I will go crazy others I think I will reach the goal soon.

ufff it's hard but not as hard as i thought it would be.

So how are you?

I will now go, sit down and do it, and do it, until I learn to do it as Ursula says.

HAVE A GREAT WEDNESDAY!

November 30, 2010

2010-11-29T16:55:00.000-06:00

"Write quickly and you will never write well. Write well, and you will soon write quickly."
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, 65 A.D

When I read this quote it reminded me of the process I am in. I write slowly in English but I am learning to do it well , so I hope soon I could write quickly.

I revised and translated 3 more pages today. I am very happy!!

Although today a woman made me angry at my kid's school. I went there today to help him get out of the pool , bath, etc. While his father waited outside with Alex. Well when we were going out of the pool there was another mother and told me " Is your brother?". I am 29 I really think a 5 year old can be my son. But that was good, as it seems I look younger.

I answered " no , he is my son" and she replies " Oh so the baby outside that also has blue eyes is yours?". " yes" . " And the father is the one outside?". At his moment I was thinking where were we going with all this questions. Finally I replied :" yes he is". And the woman told me "None of you two have blue eyes so or you made them with much love or..." And she leave it like that. I wanted to slap here on the face. What was she trying to say!!

I am tired of people looking bad at me when they see the kids and my husband eyes. I know it's totally strange to have two kids with blue eyes when the parents don´t but that's the way it happened. Great grandparents had a lot to say in the genetic of kids.Grrrr. So I took a deep breath, gave her an annoyed look and walked away. I was not going to say anything in front of my son.

I guess its time of getting used to it. But you never get used to prejudice.

Well now that I shared my angry moment and this great quote I will go back to my revision-translation process.

How are you doing with your drafts,revisions,etc?

Have a great day!

November 29,2010

2010-11-28T17:00:00.000-06:00

We had a perfect day yesterday!! We celebrated the second brithday of my baby Alejandro.It was a simple party, we had lunch in home with my parents and my best friend, but we had a great time. I don´t know when he went from this:

To this:

Years pass quickly and I am trying to get everything I can from my children, every kiss, every smile, every hug. Because they are borrowed and some day they will fly away.

It also was a great day because I got the first picture of my father smiling, he doesn´t smiles much, only with his grandchildren. But I got a photo to remember his smile!

I am going well with the translation or so I think. I go slow but I feel good. Although sometimes I think I'll go crazy if I check another dictionary!!

So how are you?

Happy day!!!

A question about a word...

2010-11-23T06:43:00.000-06:00

First I am moving forward at least in the corrections in Spanish and I hope to work today in the corrections in English. I´m happy and really motivated!!
I think I must put my msn and yahoo messenger state on busy today. I f not I will start to chat and not work!

Now the question I have to ask you, in BLAS I talk about negotiating a price, over here we call it regatear so i seacrh for translations for that word and found:

First dribble but I think that is more for sports
and second haggle the translator program says:bargain, wrangle, negotiate, argue over a price or condition

haggle

[ˈhægl] intransitive verb
to haggle (with somebody over or about something) regatear (algo con alguien)

I think this word fits to what I want but Is this word still used?

For all of you that live in the US Happy Thanksgiving! For the rest have a great day!

November 22,2010

2010-11-22T07:58:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we went to see HP7 and it was awesome!!! For me it was the movie that was closest to the book. And all the images were as I imagined them on the book!

I am not going to tell here what I don´t like because I will spoil it to the ones who haven´t see it but tracy_d74 know we can comment!! YEY!

After the movie we went to my parents house to pick up the kids. There I found my mother in the floor playing with the baby taking him in her back, it was funny . She has a lot of energy she became grandmother with 42 years so he wants and likes to do that things with them. Then I went to the kitchen and found Carlitos constructing a house with his great- grand mother. They were laughing and arguing as if both of them were 5 year old and not a woman of 82. I was so thankful that carlitos got to live this, that he will remember playing with his great- grand mother that i almost cry. I'm very emotional!

I am trying to find a good writers on line program. Do you know of one that you can recommend?

Well I'm going to go back to revision in spanish and translating to english. Thanks to the great tracy_d74 that is giving me the best suggestions and critique know I now a lot of things I have to improve in both languages so to work I go!!!

Have a great day!!

November 19,2010

2010-11-18T18:14:00.000-06:00

I just spent a great night. I went to the movies with my best friend to see Due Date. At first we were only going because we love Robert Downing Junior. So it was only for seeing him ( don´t put that face he is very sexy, not beautiful but hot!!) but the movie turned out to be very funny with a great quote that every time I remember I laugh alone. So I recommend it to you if you are in this mood that everything makes you laugh and well there is robert....

Today I advanced a lot of my translation!! I think that if everything goes well tomorrow I will have 5 more pages!! I am excited, maybe it is not the best written english but I am doing it, I never thought I could!

This weekend we hope we can put finally the christmas tree on saturday and go to see Harry Potter on sunday my husband and I without the kids. Carlitos doesn´t like HP he is only 5 and Alex can´t go to the movies so my mother offered to take care of them so we can have alone time in the afternoon!! We really need it!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

November 18,2010

2010-11-17T16:01:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a day full of things to do in home and also full of drama. Carlitos is getting aggressive again, it happens every once in a while. The therapist says it is a circle so this is going to happen again and again until he understands that he can´t react that way and can control the impulsiveness of his TDA. After this aggressive moment he was crying and crying because he knew he can´t do that but he can´t control it. I felt my heart ache with every tear because I know this is something he has to learn in other to control his TDA without medicine but is painful for him. The good news is he is learning!! His grades are better every month so that gives me hope that someday we will leave this behind.

Right now my therapy is translating. I focus on it the few hours or minutes that I have chance and I don´t think in anything else.

I´m going better than I expected, right now I have 5 pages with the best translation-adaptation I can get. I´m hearing in the back of my mind that annoying voice that is telling me that although I think they are the best I can do maybe when I go back again when I finish all the novel I will find places to improve. But I´m not paying attention to the voice, now I have to focus in the whole translation!!

How are going your revisions,synopses,manuscripts?And the most important question: How are you of body and soul? I hope you all are feeling good.

Have a great day!!

The city I love most

2010-11-16T17:11:00.000-06:00

And this city is Madrid. Maybe this is because my husband is from there, maybe because i lived there my first married years and maybe is just because it is BEAUTIFUL.

I love so much its history,its old buildings,its people, its live that if I continue writing I will never end.

That's the reason why my novel is situated there even though the main character is from the United States. I needed to share this city!!

I am posting here some images of the places I love most and that I use for my novel.

Hope You enjoy them as much as I do!

this is the plaza mayor, it is a square that used to be the market of the city on other times now is full of bars and restaurants.

This is the Palacio de Oriente the most beutiful place I ever seen. Believe me inside every room is beautiful and unique. This is only one side of it but it has others with beautiful gardens.

And this is what you see in the other side of the picture that I showed before. The Catedral de la Almudena was the church of the kings it is were the prince married a few years ago and is beautiful in the other sides too.

this is the Monasterio del Escorial. It is in a town of Madrid. I was constructed by PHILIP II for recovering of his diseases. I could get better there too!!
And last but not least my favorite above all:

This is the Palacio de Correos in the Cibeles Plaza.This building and this plaza are deep in my heart, the first time I saw them it was at night and I fell in love. Also is a place with a lot of energy because is were the Real Madrid soccer team celebrates his championships and also every achievement of sports of Spain is celebrated there.
Every building I showed you before is illuminated by night as this one.

Uff I wanted to share many photos more but it was a lot if you want to se more you only have to search Madrid, believe me there are many more beautiful buildings!

I am sorry if I bored you by sharing this beautiful city but since it is in my novel I can left this post behind.

Have a great day!

November 16,2010

2010-11-15T18:28:00.000-06:00

I'm tired!

I thought this was going to be a great weekend in which I could have more time to translate , put the christmas tree and sleep a little. But life thought otherwise.

The four of us got sick. Carlitos threw up one night 8 times, Alex as always could not sleep with his reflux and my husband and I had stomach pain.

So we didn´t put the christmas tree and Carlitos was very disappointed. We spoke with him and told him that the next saturday we will do it but he was very upset and couldn´t understand any reason.

I didn´t slept so right now a raccoon has less circles under his eyes than I do. I always sleep 2 or 3 hours with the baby on weekdays and on the weekends I sleep in the morning because my husband doesn´t works. But this weekend they needed him to work so bye bye sleep.

The good thing is that I advanced in my translation. I have 20 pages translated but i have to go back and revise, I think a few times more. I have a new way of working, every 20 pages I will go back and correct and revise until I think I can´t do it better. Like that I will feel that I am not that bad with this and that I have something done.
Also I know that once translated many problems of writing could appear know that I see it with other eyes.And I know that I will have to correct and revise again. But I am staying positive, that will make better my book!

Today I don´t have a great post to share as you see but this is what I'm living right now.

I hope you have a great day and a very productive writing!

November 11,2010

2010-11-11T16:59:00.000-06:00

Today I spent the day dealing with school , homework, doctors and a little translation.I am tired.
I was sure that I could have 3 hours for my book but live got in the way!

Right now I will go to continue translating but I wanted to say thank you to you all for your advices, your offers of help and for being there. We met only a few weeks ago and you all are treating and accepting me as a friend of months.
You all became important to me by being friends who think as I do, who like what I like and must of all that understand all the things we live by being a writer. You are very dear to me!

Uff I feel better, I wanted to say that to you and I never found the time or the words so I am letting them flow of my mouth to the keyboard!

It is going to be a long weekend here in Mexico because we are celebrating 100 year of the revolution. I will have to take Carlos to his competition of tae kwan do, put the christmas tree ( yes I put it a month ahead because we love christmas!) and then I hope to have plenty of time to translate because I go slowly. Hopefuly the more I do it the faster I will go!

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND!

November 10,2010

2010-11-10T16:04:00.000-06:00

As you know I don´t have a lot of vocabulary in english so I decided that I must take note of words I like or use a lot in writing in spanish and also of words I read in books and don´t even know what they mean, so I will take note and search the meaning and put them in my new vocabulary notebook. I hope with it I can have more vocabulary when writing and translating!

Now my desk is full of notebooks and notes again! Well what can I do I need them, so it´s going to stay that way!

Today we celebrated my best friend-beta reader-editor birthday. I am very honored that she decided to have lunch with us in these day. The kids love her a lot. She is their aunt, I don´t have blood sisters but she is my soul sister. So we spent a nice time and I am happy I choose the correct present for once!!! I took a lot of pictures and ate more cake than I should, but is what you do in birthdays have a good time and eat cake!

Right now I am going to continue the translation and take some pills for the headache it is giving me.

Have a nice night and a happy day!

Confused, HELP!!

2010-11-09T17:02:00.000-06:00

I am at this time very confused.

A person that read what I published of my translation here and said me the following:” I really liked the concept, the idea that the main character could feel the emotions behind places. That has me hooked from the start. But, regarding the flow of the piece, it felt kind of choppy. I think this might partially be an issue of translation. Some of the words didn't make sense in the context of the sentence. For example, in the first paragraph it says "enjoying these moments of solitude where no alien feeling could alter my calmness, except for those that still remain in the old facades." I've highlighted the words that make it difficult to understand. This does happen in other places, too. Again, this seems like an issue of translation. I don't think that your ideas are being conveyed as they should be in English.”

Well this got me thinking if it's such a good idea to have someone else translating my novel, no one knows the voice of my character better than me, well just my best friend and critique partner who is helping me with corrections in English and Spanish. Maybe it's time to think about doing it myself even if I make it slowly.

Translating it by myself will help me in the entire publishing process and I could make revisions without assistance and only depend on me. It could also help me improve and can start writing in English directly.

But I have to admit that it scares me, I'm not American and my grammar is bad, I know I can improve with study and practice.But it scares me because I don´t have critique partners that can say if I am going well or I need to improve. Many writers are afraid to criticize a novel that is a translation. I don´t know why, I want them to see it as if it were one written in English but these are the reasons they gave me.

On the other hand, a translator would translate it faster and my project would be available in English before, but may lose its essence...

I need your help since English is your native language. Do you think the girl that made these comments was right?

What would you do?

I know that every person is different and makes its decisions based on that but sometimes it is easier to decide on something important by hearing the views of others. Because if I venture in this it is going to be a tough job....

Discipline or voices....

2010-11-08T16:20:00.000-06:00

Before discussing the issue at an update of my life:

I could not write anything this weekend or research for my sequel, nor for how to make my query letter, nothing. My house was flooded and all my forces were intended to clean and fix the mess. Today I hope to return to routine.

Anyway, today my older child wanted to finally spend time with me and I'm happy! Since I became pregnant with his younger brother he was far away from me and no matter how hard I tried he did not want me for anything even for the basics if his dad was there he always preferred him. But today after many baby steps he wanted to spend his time with me and filled me with kisses and hugs. Can I be happier?

Now we discuss the issue at hand: For days I have been developing the theme of my sequel, researching and outlining the story. The problem? I do that while I have the voices of the characters in a new book resonating strongly in my head. I have yet to clear the thematic basis of the book, much of it but their voices are there and do not leave me alone.

That's why I constantly wonder if I should be disciplined and finish this series first before embarking on a new project or directly following these voices.

If I am disciplined with what I'm doing I have the advantage that I'm totally stuck in the personality of my character which is important because it is a novel written in first person, I have also very clear the rest of base characters and scenarios . This will make the sequel much easier to write and I feel that if I leave it now it will be more difficult to recover all this later.

On the other hand is to follow these loud voices what is tempting because it means they have very much to tell.

In your experience what do you think is better, the discipline or to follow the voices?

--------------------------------------

Antes de hablar del tema en cuestión una actualización de mi vida

No he podido escribir nada este fin de semana, ni investigar para mi secuela, ni tampoco para cómo hacer mi query letter, nada. Mi casa se inundó y todas mis fuerzas fueron destinadas a limpiar y arreglar el desastre. Espero hoy poder volver a la rutina.

Además hoy mi niño mayor por fin quiso pasar tiempo conmigo y estoy feliz! Desde que me embaracé de su hermano pequeño se alejó mucho de mí y no importaba cuanto lo intentara él no me quería para nada ni siquiera para lo básico siempre si su papa estaba lo prefería a el. Pero hoy después de muchos pequeños pasitos he conseguido que quiera pasar su tiempo conmigo y me ha llenado de besos y abrazos. Se puede ser más feliz?

Ahora hablemos del tema en cuestión. Desde hace unos días estoy desarrollando el tema de mi secuela, investigando y esbozando la historia. El problema? Que mientras lo hago tengo las voces de los personajes de un nuevo libro resonando fuertemente en mi cabeza. Todavía no tengo claro la temática base del libro ni mucho de él pero sus voces están ahí y no me dejan en paz.

Por eso me pregunto constantemente si debo ser disciplinada y acabar primero esta saga antes de embarcarme en un nuevo proyecto o directamente seguir estas voces.

Si soy disciplinada y sigo con lo que estoy haciendo tengo la ventaja de que estoy totalmente metida en la personalidad de mi personaje principal lo cual es importante porque es un novela escrita en primera persona, tengo además muy claro al resto de personajes y escenarios base que me harán mucho más fácil la escritura y siento que si lo dejo ahora me será más difícil recuperarlo luego.

Por otro lado seguir estas fuertes voces es tentador porque hablan alto y eso quiere decir que tienen mucho que contar.

Ustedes que creen que es mejor la disciplina a la hora de escoger un trabajo siguiente o seguir las voces de tu cabeza?

Between light and shadow

2010-11-04T12:45:00.000-06:00

Today the person who is helping me with the translation of my novel sent me this few paragraphs for me to look at. Tomorrow we will see the conditions of the translation and negotiat emoney uffff. Well, meanwhile I paste you here the first paragraphs of between light and shadow to know what you think.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was two in the morning and I was walking along downtown Madrid. The cold was freezing my bones and blushing my fair cheeks, but I couldn’t care less. I was deeply enjoying these moments of solitude where no alien feeling could alter my calmness, except for those that still remain in the old facades.

My destiny this time was the Plaza Mayor, an emblematic place of this city whose origin dates back to the fifteenth century. Plaza Mayor was sometime a market which is nowadays a touristic plaza covered by pubs and restaurants. One may only enter there through the different entrances at the low part of the buildings conforming it.

I was thinking of my family while I was walking, of my parents who adopted me when I was five and embraced me with love, my brothers and my only two friends. All of them live in the United States, so far away from me, but at the same time so vivid in my mind. I cannot recall a single moment of unhappiness by their side.

My steps get me closer and closer to my destiny, I could sense it. The emotions of the plaza began flooding me. I walked across one of the arches and walked until I found myself in the center of the plaza next to the statue of Felipe II gazing at the house of the bakery.

I admired that mural which I liked so much; meanwhile all those emotions the plaza kept in its walls began to overwhelm me with its multiple feelings: joy, sadness, desperation and pain. I believed pain was coming from the time it was burnt, but they began to overwhelm me in such a way I began becoming disoriented. I knew I should leave right away, since historical places would affect me so much at the end, I liked them so much notwithstanding.

A bit dazed and with my eyes half-closed, I walked towards Cuchilleros Arch, one of the arches of Plaza Mayor which lead to some of the most visited pubs by tourists. Over there, its firm walls should bear enough joy to recover sanity and look for my way back home.

Still with my heart unbridled and completely covered by tears, I managed to reach the first steps of my destiny. I stopped for a moment and took a deep breath trying to assimilate what was surrounding me.

I opened my eyes slowly to find out if was able to see the way better, and I suddenly saw some shadows rushing by my side. I thought I was not totally recovered and close my lids once more. I took a deep breath a couple of times and opened my eyes again. They were drenched in tears, I could not see clearly and the pain caused by the emotion traces of the plaza blocked my thoughts; even so, I concentrated as much as I could until I got focused on them. Those shadows were there for a second time. I felt them just behind my back.

Some emotions filled me, all of them were bellicose and irate, and I knew something was wrong. Never in my life had I felt anything similar, and fear filled me. Even in my condition I tried to run and get out of there as soon as possible, but just when I had climbed down a couple of steps, these shadows started to surround me revolving endlessly.

Because of the emotion, I knew they weren’t shadows even though that was what I saw. They were persons, but who could ever move that fast?

Suddenly, I felt I was dashed against one of the arch’s wall. The fairly sudden and painful impact prevented me from seeing who had caused it. Each muscle in my body was bruised, my head rumbled, and I couldn’t move. The air around me could be cut with a knife and despite it was cold, I didn’t feel anything. But the desire of knowing what those shadows were, who had beaten me, prevailed over the pain getting to a point where I barely felt it.

I opened my eyes then and I saw a tall and corpulent person, with an uptight body in a striking position. Its face was covered with a black balaclava showing only some brown intense eyes full of rage, determination and hatred, although I could also feel that in the emotions it irradiated. Some murderous and cruel emotions, so intense that I knew they were going to make me faint at any time. What did they want from me? What were these persons who could move so fast?

With a hoarse and threatening laughter, which made me know it was a man, he came closer with great determination and put his hand on my chest. The feeling his hand caused in me was terrible. It was like a vacuum that wanted to soak up something essential from me and which my body refused with all its strength to surrender, it was painful, exhausting and distressing.

The man’s laughter stopped and started to streamed frustration. I didn’t know what the man wanted, but it seemed he wasn’t getting it.

I closed my eyes trying to stay conscious. What he was doing to me was enough already without having to share his emotions.

A second later the suction ended. I opened my eyes in surprise and I saw how a man, whom I couldn’t distinguish, beat my attacker while a swarm of white lights chased the swarm of shadows which was stalking me before. The fight between the two men next to me was wild; the thundering blows had broken some steps which left me astonished.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As you can see he left it in the middle of the action sorry!!

perfect love or turbulent love in writing....

2010-11-04T01:38:00.000-06:00

Today is my tenth wedding anniversary and it made me think about love, because that is what has kept me with my husband ten years.

Now the love in the books… Some writers idealize it drawing the perfect love where the two halves of the couple are perfect, like the same things, not argue about anything. Others describe it much more turbulent, a couple with differences, but wanting to be together, despite the arguments or difficulties.

For me, the truer love is the turbulent. Love is not always to be happy is also to cry, fight (I am not saying to harm each other but to have a discussion), reconcile, to be different to have of what to talk, etc... By this I don´t mean the difference of being a human and a vampire. I am talking about the taste, defects and virtues.

Sometimes I think that YA novels until recently idealized love too much making young people that then reached an adult relationship think that if it was not perfect, without tears and discussions, it wasn´t love or wasn´t worthwhile.

So I ask, when reading a novel that includes a love story do you like the perfect love story or the turbulent? Do you believe that the way a novel speaks of love can influence the way young people see love?

All this reminds me the speech Barbara Streisand gives to her class in The Mirror Has Two Faces…

Now I go to celebrate and try to write a little.
Have a great day! (I am very happy)

------------------------------------------------------

Hoy es mi décimo aniversario de bodas y eso me hizo pensar en el amor , si porque eso me ha mantenido junto a mi esposo diez años.

Ahora el amor en los libros. Unos escritores lo idealizan dibujándolo como el amor perfecto donde las dos mitades de la pareja son perfectas , les gustan las mismas cosas, no discuten por nada. Otros lo describen mucho más tormentoso, una pareja con diferencias pero queriendo estar juntos, a pesar de las discusiones o las dificultades.

Para mí el más real es el tormentoso. El amor no siempre es estar feliz, también es llorar, pelear, reconciliarse, ser diferente para tener de que hablar, etc. Con esto no me refiero a la diferencia de ser un humano y un vampiro. Si no a los gustos, defecto y virtudes.

A veces pienso que en las novelas de YA hasta hace muy poco se idealizó demasiado al amor haciendo así que los jóvenes que luego llegaran a una relación adulta pensaran que o era perfecto, sin lágrimas y sin ninguna discusión o entonces o no era amor o no valía la pena.

Por lo que les pregunto cuando leen una novela que incluye una historia de amor, les gusta la historia de amor perfecta o la tormentosa? Creen que la forma en que las novelas relatan el amor puede influenciar en la forma en que se ha visto el amor hasta ahora?

Todo esto me recuerda la charla que da Barbara Streisand a su clase en el amor tiene dos caras…

Ahora si me voy a celebrar y a intentar escribir un poco

Que tengan un fabuloso día! ( yo estoy muy feliz)

November 3, 2010

2010-11-03T07:27:00.000-06:00

Today I start my post with this quote:

If you have other things in your life - family, friends, good productive day work - these can interact with your writing and the sum will be all the richer.
David Brin

I'm sure he is right if the writer has a "real" life he could write better, with more detail. He can write characters and situations that make the reader feel connected.

For now my life has all been doing everything but writing, housecleaning, ironing, cleaning my desk (I still have a lot of work to do...), go to the supermarket, play with the baby. And finally I have a cold!It was what I was missing with the lack of sleep, but then yesterday I managed to sleep about 6 hours so I am well served.

Now I will try to write even a paragraph before my little baby wakes up and we start with all again.

Have a nice day!

------------------------------------------------

Hoy quiero empezar mi post con esta frase:

Si tiene otras cosas en su vida - familia, amigos, buen trabajo, un día productivo - éstos pueden interactuar con su escritura y la suma será tanto más rica.

David Brin

Estoy segura que tiene razón si el escritor tiene una vida “real” puede escribir mejor, con mayor detalle. Puede escribir personajes y situaciones que hagan al lector sentirse relacionado.

Por hoy en mi vida todo ha sido hacer de todo menos escribir, limpiar la casa, planchar, ordenar mi escritorio (aún me falta mucho…), hacer el supermercado, jugar con el bebé. Y por último tengo un resfriado!!!

Era lo que me faltaba con la falta de sueño, pero bueno ayer conseguí dormir casi 6 horas así que me doy por bien servida.

Ahora intentare escribir aunque sea un párrafo antes de que mi pequeño bebe despierte y volvamos a empezar.

Que tengan un lindo día!

The category new adults!! Finally I found my category!!

2010-11-01T16:46:00.000-06:00

Yes, I finally found my novel ELYS is a new adult novel! Uf it was hard to find this category!

I found this new category by accident. It turns out that these days I'm doing research on query letters to start mine and I signed up for the blog query shark. It is really excellent! she critiques query letters and says what is wrong or right so it helps a lot with the examples.

Well, a girl sent a query as Young adult with a protagonist who goes to college and she said there is a new legitimate category know as new adult whose age range was 18 to 22.

Then I gave myself the task of investigating what was this category of new adult and found that indeed is that age range and speaks of everything that happens to a young character of that age, college, first job, first house, marriage, etc. . Also can cover all the other subcategories that have the YA, paranormal, fantasy, romance, etc.

Apparently we should thank St. Martin's Press that last year I believe created this new category and launched a contest for manuscripts that should adhere to these criteria.

Here is the link of a girl who talks about what´s new adult?

I personally believe that this opens a new window for the writers to create characters that are a little more mature than teenagers, but to which similar things can happen too. It also gives the opportunity to write about characters that affront different things than a YA. So you have two possibilities in a market that was just created. Although in my personal view there already were books of this type but lost in the classification of adult fiction.

So ELYS is a new adult paranormal romance!!

I feel relieved!

---------------------------------------------------------

Si, por fin lo encontré mi novela ELYS es una novela para nuevos adultos! Uf lo que me ha costado encontrar está categoría.

Está nueva categoría la encontré de casualidad. Resulta que estos días estoy investigando sobre las query letters para empezar la mía y para eso me inscribí al blog de query shark. De verdad es excelente hace una crítica de query letters y dice porque están mal o bien así que ayuda mucho con los ejemplos.

Pues bien una chica mando una query como Young adult con una protagonista que va a la universidad y ella le dijo que había una legitima nueva categoría que se llamaba nuevo adulto que iba del rango de edad de 18 a 22.

Entonces me di a la tarea de investigar que era esta categoría de nuevo adulto y encontré que efectivamente es ese rango de edad y habla de todo lo que le sucede a un joven de esa edad, universidad, primer trabajo, primera casa, matrimonio, etc. Además que puede cubrir todo el resto de subcategorías que tiene el YA o sea paranormal, fantasía, romance, etc.

Al parecer hay que agradecerle a la editorial St. Martin’s Press que el año pasado creo que está nueva categoría y lanzó un concurso para manuscritos que se atuvieran a estos criterios.

Aquí les dejo el link de una chica que habla sobre que es new adult?

Yo personalmente creo que esto abre una nueva ventana a los escritores de crear personajes que sean un poco más maduros que los adolescentes pero a los cuales les pueden suceder cosas parecidas. También da la oportunidad de escribir sobre personajes que le suceden cosas distintas que a un YA y que actúa con mayor madurez. O sea que tienes las dos posibilidades en un mercado que se acaba de crear. Aunque a mi modo de ver personal ya habían libros de este tipo pero perdidos en la clasificación de ficción de adultos.

Así que si ELYS es nuevo adulto romance paranormal!!!!

Me siento aliviada!

Live, writing, NaNo

2010-11-01T07:59:00.000-06:00

Today I have a day low mood, if I'm a little depressed. Maybe because I have 7 months sleeping 3 hours a day and today I had a little faint. But there's nothing I can do so I must go on, my children need me and is going to take longer for my little baby to get over this stage of reflux pain at night but there are days that is better controlled.

This year I subscribe to NaNo for the first time but my purpose is not to write the 50k, it would be good them but my aim is that despite the fatigue, work, home, children, all find a time to write even if some lines. I hope so.

For now we have a long weekend of the festive day of the dead so I am enjoying the day with children who have no school!

I hope my mood goes up, just in case I will take a lot of tea and many kisses from my kids and husband!

I leave with this quote I thought it was great!

No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.
Robert Frost

Have a nice day!

---------------------------------------

Hoy tengo un día bajo de ánimo, si ando un poco deprimida. Quizás porque llevo 7 meses durmiendo 3 horas diarias y hoy tuve un pequeño desmayo. Pero no hay nada que le pueda hacer hay que seguir adelante mis hijos me necesitan y aún falta para que mi pequeño bebe supere esta etapa de dolor por reflujo en las noches aunque hay días que se controla mejor.

Este año me suscribir al NaNo por primera vez aunque mi propósito no sea escribir las 50k, bueno si las escribo estaría muy bien pero mi propósito es que a pesar del cansancio, del trabajo , de la casa, de los hijos, de todo encontrar un tiempo para escribir aunque sean unas líneas. Espero conseguirlo.

Por ahora seguimos de fin de semana largo con el festivo del día de muertos así que a disfrutar con los niños que no tienen escuela!!

Espero que mi ánimo suba por si acaso tomare mucho té y muchos besos de mis hijos y esposo!

Que tenga un lindo día!

Writers,depression and writers buddies

2010-10-28T08:18:00.000-05:00

The other day my husband told me that he firmly believed that any artist had periods of depression a writer, painter, sculptor, etc. That this made them more sensitive to the emotions conveyed in his works.

What I think in change is that perhaps that we are more sensitive to emotions and the facts that the rest, that’s why we can transmit them in a novel or a painting, it also makes us more prone to depression because we may feel deeper.

What is certain is that writing is a career filled with depression by the rejection, by frustration, for criticism and perhaps by being more sensitive that strikes us most.

And this brings me to writing buddies, these great friends who support you, help you out of depression and make you write again. They never criticize you with the intention to hurt you but with the hope to make you do it better and they know how to say things because they know how it feels.

The writing buddies are therefore for my taste invaluable and absolutely necessary for a writer because who will understand better depression or how you see the world as another person who sees it and lives it like? Or who could know how to cheer you up or talk to you as another being as sensible as you?

I know that sometimes we read that the writers are very sensitive and say is not true I'm very hard, but when one looks inside you realize you are not as hard as you thought, that things that touch you do not reach others, there is a difference.

Now I finish telling my writing buddy I miss her a lot! A year is a long time! We met online and started writing together and that was four years ago! On matters of life she went a bit away from this world. I miss you!

So never let go your writing buddies, they are a treasure and you never have enough so if you want a new writing partner I am here.

------------------------------------------------------

El otro día mi marido me decía que él creía firmemente que cualquier tipo de artista tenia periodos de depresión ya fuera escritor, pintor, escultor ,etc. Que eso los hacía más sensibles a las emociones que transmitían en sus obras.

Lo que yo pienso en cambio es que quizás los que creamos somos más sensibles a las emociones y a los hechos que el resto, de ahí que podamos transmitirlos en una novela o en una pintura, eso también nos hace más propensos a las depresiones quizás porque sentimos más profundo.

Lo que si es cierto es que ser escritor es una carrera llena de depresiones por los rechazos, por las frustraciones, por las críticas y quizás por ser más sensibles eso nos pega más.

Y todo esto me lleva los compañeros de escritura, si esos grandes amigos que te apoyan, te ayudan a salir de la depresión y te hacen volver a escribir. Que también te critican pero sabes que jamás lo hacen con el ánimo de lastimarte sino con el ánimo de que seas mejor y saben hacerlo con el tacto suficiente de saber lo que se siente.

Los compañeros de escritura son por lo tanto invaluables y para mi gusto completamente necesarios para un escritor por que quien va a entender mejor que tú la depresión o la forma en que ves el mundo que otra persona que lo ve y lo vive igual? O quien va a saber animarte o hablarte que otro ser tan sensible como tú?

Yo sé que a veces leemos que los escritores son muy sensibles y decimos no es cierto yo soy muy dura, pero cuando una se analiza por dentro se da cuenta que no es tan dura como pensaba que hay cosas que te tocan que no le llegan a los demás, ahí está la diferencia.

Ahora termino diciéndole a mi compañera de escritura que la extraño un montón! Un año es mucho tiempo! Nos conocimos en internet y empezamos a escribir juntas de eso hace ya cuatro años! Por cuestiones de la vida anda un poco alejada de este mundo. Te extraño!!

Por eso nunca dejen ir a sus compañeros de escritura, son un tesoro y uno nunca tiene suficientes así que si quieren una nueva compañera de escritura aquí me tienen.

Contact in messenger.

2010-10-27T08:58:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I made one of my best friends meeting her in a web page and then talking on messenger so I thought to put to my livejournal friends my msn and yahoo messenger address for if you want to add me and talk.

msn:ANACASAMADRID@HOTMAIL.COM
YAHOO:ANACASAMADRID@YAHOO.ES

I will be glad to meet you there too.

A machine to make your favorite characters real

2010-10-26T02:54:00.000-05:00

Can you imagine it? Many times talking with my beta reader and dear friend Annette we talked about a machine that made our favorite characters real and today I thought about posting this.

But if you have the machine you have to choose which characters you would make real…

Well I will put here my answers, some of them are not logical but what can I do? I love them!!

The first William Albert Andrew or Albert from the manga of Candy Candy. Yes!! I grew up with this manga and anime, I loved it and I love this character. So mystical, so handsome. And he was the only one that knew Candy as she was; the only one that always appeared when she needed most. And his prince!! Oh yes I am crazy but he was so sweet and perfect that I would make him real!

Other one would be Chris from Flowers in the Attic, always positive, always seeing the best in people, pure and mature. Ahhhh!!

Hermoine Granger of course from Harry Potter, she is the best friend you can get although a little annoying sometimes. I like her very much.

Patch of Hush Hush, well he is HOT. Do you blame me? and I were talking about this.

Which character would you like to put into this machine and make real? Why?

Well I am going to my day routine and see if I can take a nap because with my little monster I slept 3 hours.

Happy Tuesday!

------------------------------------

¡Una máquina que haga a los personajes reales!

¿Lo pueden imaginar? Muchas veces halando con mi gran editora y amiga Annette hemos hablado de esta máquina que pudiera hacer nuestros personajes favoritos reales así que pensé en postear esto.

Pero si tienes una maquina tienes que elegir qué personajes hacer reales….

Bueno aquí pondré mis respuestas ¡no todas son lógicas, pero que puedo hacer me gustan!

El primero William Albert Andrew del manga Candy Candy ¡¡¡Si!! Crecí con este manga y anime, lo amaba y sobre todo amaba a este personaje. Tan místico, tan guapo. Además él era el único que conocía a Candy como era, el único que siempre aparecía cuando ella más lo necesitaba ¡Y era su príncipe! ¡Sí estoy loca pero era tan tierno y perfecto que lo haría real!

Otro sería Chris de flores en el ático. Siempre viendo lo mejor de la gente, siempre positivo, puro y maduro¡¡ Ahhh!!

Hermoine Granger de Harry Potter desde luego, La mejor amiga que puedes tener aunque a veces sea un poco cansina. Me gusta mucho.

Patch de Hush Hush, Bueno él es sexy ¿Me culpan?

¿Qué personaje les gustaría meter en está maquinita y hacerlo real? ¿Por qué?

Bueno me voy a mi rutina diaria y ver si puedo dormir una siesta que con mi pequeño monstruillo sólo dormí 3 horas.

¡¡Feliz Martes!!

Monday!!! / Researching for writing...

2010-10-25T08:24:00.000-05:00

I spent a great weekend, I didn´t wrote a thing because I am still in my researching period, but I enjoyed every second of it with my kids and husband!

Sometime to have a great time is the best inspiration and to be in love also…

I read Crescendo of Becca Fitzpatrick this weekend but I am not putting what I thought till you read it because I have a lot to share and maybe it can spoil the book and I hate when someone does that to me.

And now I go to research more for my book, I have spent days in these researching but I think the book needs it. I don´t want to talk about something I don´t know. Even if I am creating a new mythology I want to research others that are alike, what people believe, etc.

I think by researching you can make a plot that makes sense and even if it’s a world completely new they are going to believe while reading it can be possible!

What do you think? Is good researching for making a strong plot or you prefer to flow with your imagination?

Well now I go to continue researching and then do homework with my kids.

¡¡Have a great Monday!!
------------------------------------------------

Pase un fin de semana fantástico no escribí nada porque aún estoy investigando para mi segundo libro, pero disfrute cada segundo con mi esposo e hijos.

A veces pasar un momento increíble es la mejor fuente de inspiración y también estar enamorado…

Este fin de semana leí Crescendo de Becca Fitzpatrick pero no voy a poner lo que pienso hasta que la mayoría de ustedes lo hayan leído porque tengo mucho que decir y a lo mejor algo de lo que diga les adelanta cosas del libro y odio cuando me hacen eso.

Ahora iré a investigar más, he pasado días en esto pero creo que el libro lo necesita. No quiero hablar de algo que no conozco aun si estoy creando una nueva mitología ,quiero saber sobre algunas similares o lo que la gente cree.

Yo creo que investigando puedes crear una historia que tenga sentido aun si es un mundo completamente nuevo, así ellos van a creer cuando lo lean que puede ser posible.

¿Ustedes que piensan?¿ Es bueno investigar para crear una historia fuerte o prefieren fluir con su imaginación?

Bueno a seguir investigando y hacer tarea con mis hijos.

¡¡QUE PASEN UN LINDO LUNES!!

Books that cause controversy!

2010-10-22T09:08:00.000-05:00

As I've said a thousand times my favorite book is Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews and the subsequent books in this series.

The first time I read it I was 13 and really thrilled me. I lived and felt everything that they lived through Cathy´s eyes. Sometimes even when she was not my favorite character. I understood every action that took these children and every feeling. Because in this saga who wrote the true vc Andrews before he died we can see the genius of an author who gets you into a terrible tragedy, a situation that you would not understand in other context and there you see it real, you believe it and accept it.

From what I read is a book that caused much controversy and was also banned in many countries for content. Some of the theme a mother leaving her child in an attic, others because they talk about sexuality and the vast majority of incest.

The famous incest by which all the world prevent their children to read to my mom does not seem to mind and allowed me to write and love the books, but did not make as I have no brothers I were to fall in love with my cousin!

Sometimes I think we're exaggerating about what a child can or can not read. Teenagers know what is fiction and what is not. They see daily on TV. They think incest is right? Of course not even reading the book. I love the relationship of Cathy and Chris, I understood that love but also I'm convinced that it is not right in any other situation. To them life and the circumstances lead to it all.

I think we believe that teenagers are stupid and are not able to discern if what they read is correct or not but they can see sex 24 hours a day on TV, murder, rape etc. But that’s not a problem! Sorry for my anger download here…

Well leaving aside my anger back to my original subject, books that cause controversy. It will have been really good for VC Andrews to write a book so controversial? Maybe, if she sold thousands of copies and even made a movie (but not very faithful to the content to my way of thinking).
Is worthy for a writer not to keep quiet and write about whatever? Clearly with their restrictions depending on the age, is not necessary to be graphic, but yes to talk about what happens in the world despite the controversy or the banning?

If you ask me, my answer would be yes, especially if by doing so you get a story that crosses the reader like this. I have not met anyone that has read it that has not cried or hated with such children. And to my shame I have read the series 20 times and I always cry one hour after the 4 book. So if you get it for me it was worth it.

Dan Brown with his Da Vinci Code was banned, criticized, etc but the book came to all people and in turn gave publicity and sold 70 million copies. Which is not bad for a banned book isn't it?

I will finish asking, what do you think? Is worth writing a controversial book?
Have you read flowers in the attic? What do you think about the incest in this story?

Now I am going fill in a lot of tea for my lack of sleep and finally get to read Becca Fitzpatrick, Crescendo!

PS: Some information says that the history of flowers in the attic is real. That the author once went to a hospital and there she had a crush on a young doctor. He and his siblings had been locked away in the attic for over 6 years to preserve the family wealth. Obviously she cut the time back [in her novel] to be more believable. So I think that she met Chris....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Libros que causan controversia!

Como he dicho miles de veces ya mi libro favorito es flores en el ático de V.C Andrews y los consecuentes libros de esta saga.

La primera vez que lo leí tenía 13 años y me hizo vibrar realmente. Viví y sentí cada cosa que vivieron ellos atra vez de los ojos de Cathy. Aun cuando Cathy a veces no fuera mi personaje favorito. Entendí cada acción que tuvieron esos niños y cada sentimiento porque en esta saga que la escribió la verdadera v.c Andrews antes de morir se ve la genialidad de un autor que te mete en un drama terrible, una situación que fuera de ese contexto no entendería y ahí lo veas real, lo crees y lo aceptas.

Por lo que he leído es un libro que causo mucha controversia y que además fue vetado en muchos países por el contenido. Algunos por el tema de que una madre deja a unos hijos en un ático, otros porque se habla de sexualidad y la gran mayoría por el incesto.

El famoso incesto por el cual todo el mundo evitaba que sus hijos leyeran ese libro a mi mama no pareció importarle y permitió que yo escribiera y amara los libros, pero no hizo que como no tengo hermanos fuera a enamorarme de mi primo hermano. A veces creo que exageramos sobre lo que un hijo puede o no leer. Los adolescentes saben lo que es ficción y lo que no lo es. Lo ven a diario en la tele. Piensan que es correcto el incesto? Por supuesto que no aún leyendo el libro. Yo que ame la relación de Cathy y Chris , que entendí que se amaran de esa manera estoy convencida que no está bien en ninguna otra situación. A ellos la vida y las circunstancias los llevaron a ello nada más.

A veces pienso que creemos que los adolescentes son tontos y que no son capaces de discernir en lo que leen si es correcto o no pero si pueden ver sexo 24 horas al día en la tele, asesinatos, violaciones etc. Pero por eso no hay problema! Perdón por descargar aquí mi rabia…

Bueno dejando mi rabia a un lado vuelvo a mi tema original, libros que causan controversia. De verdad habrá sido bueno para VC Andrews haber escrito un libro tan controversial? Quizás si, vendió miles de copias e incluso se hizo una película aunque no muy fiel al contenido a mi modo de ver.

Vale la pena como escritor no quedarse callado y escribir sobre lo que sea? claro con sus restricciones dependiendo la edad, o sea no hay que ser grafico pero si hablar de lo que sucede en el mundo a pesar de la controversia o el veto?

Si me lo preguntan a mí, mi respuesta sería si, sobre todo si al hacerlo consigues una historia que llega tanto al lector como esta. No he conocido a nadie que la haya leído que no haya llorado u odiado con esos niños. Y para mi vergüenza he leído la saga 20 veces y siempre lloro una hora después del 4 libro. Así que si consigues eso para mí valió la pena.

Dan Brown con su Código da Vinci fue excomulgado , criticado, etc pero el libro llego a toda la gente y a su vez le dio publicidad y 70 millones de copias vendidas lo cual no está mal para un libro prohibido no creen?

Bueno termino preguntándoles, que opinan? Vale la pena escribir un libro así?

Han leído flores en el ático? Que opinan del incesto?

Ahora si las dejo que me voy a llenar de teína por mi falta de sueño y a prepararme para leer por fin Crescendo de Becca Fitzpatrick!!

Pd: hay rumores que dicen que la historia de flores en el ático es real, que una vez la autora fue internad en un hospital y se enamoró de un doctor que de niño fue encerrado en un ático con sus hermanos por 6 años. La autora no puso tanto tiempo sino la mitad porque no creyó que fuera creíble. Pero asumo que conoció a Chris…

Fanfiction writing whether or not it is a good tool for the writer?

2010-10-19T08:22:00.000-05:00

As I am on research of my second book, I'm not writing. I am dedicated to reading, researching, etc.

But when I opened my electronic mailbox and found several emails about fanfiction I wrote in 2005 an idea came to my mind: It's good for a writer to write fanfiction?
I've heard people for and against for many various reasons, contrary perhaps because it is not you who creates the character so it is so much easier. Others think the opposite, if it is a really good fanfiction is hard to stay true to the characters, to their way of life and provide a continuation of the story, therefore is a great exercise.

Like these are thousands of opinions for and against. What I do know is that many writers have started writing fanficton and realized that there were natural writers or at least they liked it.
Now write fanfiction is a great plus for a writer, quickly you receive the views of each reader, or at least of some of them , in general these readers are very generous and say good and bad things of each chapter.

Perhaps for these periods of depression when you've been rejected several times a tool to be reborn as a writer is fanfiction, get this opinion from person to person letting you know that at least you are being read and is worth to continue writing.

I wrote two fanficiton, one in 2005 and another in 2007. To this day every day I receive emails from people who read on, not all of them are perfect there is also criticism. But that shows me that there are people out there who think it's worth reading me and encourages me to continue writing.

What do you think?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Escribir fanfiction sí o no, es una buena herramienta para el escritor?

Como me encuentro en periodo de investigación de mi segundo libro, no estoy escribiendo. Me dedico a leer, a investigar, etc.

Pero cuando abrí mi bandeja de correo electrónico y encontré varios mails acerca de fanfiction que escribí en 2005 una idea vino a mi mente: ¿Es bueno para un escritor escribir fanfiction?

He escuchado gente a favor y en contra por muchas varias razones, en contra quizás porque no eres tú el que crea el personaje por lo tanto s demasiado fácil. Otros pensaran lo contrario si el fanfiction realmente es bueno es difícil mantenerse fiel a los personajes a su forma de ser y darle una continuación a la historia por lo tanto es un gran ejercicio.

Como estas hay miles de opiniones a favor y en contra lo que si se es que muchos escritores han empezado escribiendo fanficton y que ahí se dieron cuenta que tenían madera de escritor o por lo menos que les gustaba.

Ahora escribir fanfiction tiene un gran punto a favor para un escritor tu recibes las opiniones rápidamente de cada lector, o por lo menos de los que te lo quieren hacer saber pero en general estos lectores son muy generosos y te dicen lo bueno y lo malo a cada capítulo.

Quizás para esos periodos de depresión cuando has sido rechazado varias veces una herramienta para renacer como escritor sea el fanfiction , recibir esa opinión persona a persona haciéndote saber que por lo menos te leen y que vale la pena seguir escribiendo.

Yo escribí dos fanficiton uno en 2005 y otro en 2007 a día de hoy recibo correos todos los días de gente que los sigue leyendo, no todos son perfectos, también hay críticas. Pero eso me demuestra que hay gente por ahí que cree que vale la pena leerme y me anima a seguir escribiendo.

¿Ustedes que opinan?

critical groups

2010-10-18T09:10:00.000-05:00

I have long been looking for a critical group in either Spanish or English but is very difficult. I could not find a group open to new people.
I searched in English as well since I read English very well and I think I can make constructive criticism and my book is being translated so in the moment I have it I could share it too.
I think a critical group is very important for writers to improve their manuscript, so far I have only a couple of wonderful friends who have read it in Spanish and gave me excellent reviews to improve my book.
You have groups of critics? Did you struggled to find one?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hace tiempo que estoy buscando un grupo de críticos ya sea en español o inglés pero es algo muy difícil. No he podido encontrar un grupo abierto a gente nueva.

He buscado en Ingles también puesto que leo bien el inglés y creo que puedo hacer críticas constructivas y mi libro está siendo traducido así que en el momento que lo tenga lo podría aportar también.

Creo que un grupo de críticas es muy importante para un escritor para poder mejorar su manuscrito, por ahora solo tengo un par de amigas maravillosas que lo han leído en español y han hecho excelentes críticas para mejorar mi libro.

Ustedes tienen grupos de críticos? Les ha costado encontrar uno?

Torment by Lauren kate

2010-10-18T08:33:00.000-05:00

I read this book in one day! The first book attracted me as much but in the end that I was very unsatisfied. Perhaps because of the great number of unanswered questions.
But after having this book on my Kindle for days finally I read the second half.
If you have not read the book I will paste the official review here because I hate it when people reveal much of the book:

Torment by Lauren Kate- second part of Fallen

Lucinda is sure that she and Daniel are meant to be together forever. Now they are forced apart in a desperate bid to save Luce from the Outcasts–immortals who want her dead. As she discovers more about her past lives, Luce starts to suspect that Daniel is hiding something. What if he has lied to her about their shared past? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

Now my opinion is that the book is well written, It caught me much more than the last time, I could identify with Luce even when she is 17 and I am 29 years old, and I could feel the other characters even though I did not understand them completely.
It is a great book but did not answer half the questions I had from the first, although I imagine that's the point…
The end is perfect ...
So if you like YA romantic fantasy books I highly recommend it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leí este libro en un día!! El primer libro me atrajo mucho pero al final como que no me quede muy satisfecha. Quizás por el número tan grande de preguntas sin respuesta.

Pero después de tener este libro en mi kindle por días por fin me di a la tarea de leer la segunda parte.

Si no han leído el libro les pego la reseña oficial aquí porque me choca que la gente me revele mucho del libro:

Lucinda está segura que Daniel y ella fueron hechos para estar juntos. Pero ahora ellos están obligados a separarse en un intento desesperado por salvar a Luce de los Outcast- inmortales que la quieren muerta. Mientras descubre mas cosas de sus vidas pasado ella empieza a sospechar que Daniel está escondiendo algo. Y si él le ha mentido sobre su pasado compartido? Y si ella en realidad debiera estar con alguien mas?

Ahora mi opinión es que el libro está muy bien escrito, me enganchó mucho más que la vez anterior, me pude identificar con luce aun cuando ella tiene 17 y yo 29 años, e incluso pude sentir a los otros personajes aun cuando no los entendiera del todo.

Es un gran libro aunque no responde ni la mitad de las preguntas que tenía desde el primero, aunque imagino que ese es el punto.

El final es perfecto…

Así que si te gustan los libros YA románticos de fantasía lo recomiendo bastante.

Ages of the characters in a YA novel

2010-10-15T08:47:00.000-05:00

A couple of months ago I finished my novel. When I started writing I did not thought if it was a YA or an adult novel. I just wanted to develop a theme and characters gave me the age range for that item.

But now I've been looking for what defines a book as Ya? Because I have to put my book in a classification before sending it to agents. The basis of the book: a romantic, fantasy novel with a slight touch of suspense. But it is YA?
In my search I found a wonderful article of: Dunlevy-Scheerer Henley onwhat are the defining characteristics of a Young adult literature.

In a very good research she defines what she thought the YA books include now.

I realized that in a Ya book you can have almost anything as a plot but you have to make the reader of that age to identify with it.
The age range of the characters can go from 13 to 21! Which surprised me a lot!
And that this kind of book should be written in first person, because for most readers is much easier to identify with the character that way

.
Well my book is written in first person, it seems the plot is not so important for the classification so I think it goes well. But here's the problem, the main character is a girl of 19 years and the leading man is 24 years old.

Perhaps her age can enter into the range but I don´t know how can it fit in a YA book a relationship between a young adult and an adult.

I never particularly liked the kids my age, in fact I married a man 10 years older than me, but I imagine one in your mind has set standards that adolescent relationships should be between similar age because if not one assumes they have nothing in common.

So now I am in a dilemma. Is my book a Ya book or an adult?

What Do you believe that defines a YA book now?

Now I'm going to cook and to take a lot of tea!
Have a great weekend!
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Edades de los personajes en una novela Ya

Hace un par de meses que acabe mi novela cuando la empecé a escribir no pensé en que fuera una ya o novela para adultos, solo quería desarrollar un tema y los personajes me dieron las edades adecuadas para dicho tema.

Pero ahora he estado buscando ¿qué define un libro como ya? Ya que tengo que clasificar mi libro. La base del libro una novela, romántica fantástica con un ligero toco de suspenso ¿Pero es ya?

En mi búsqueda encontré un maravilloso artículo de: Henley Dunlevy-Scheerer acerca de What are the definig characteristics of a Young adult litearature.

En el ella define con mucha investigación lo que ella cree que incluye los libros ya. Me di cuenta que un libro ya puede tratar prácticamente de todo pero tiene que hacer que el lector de ese rango de edad se identifique con él.

Que el rango de edad de los personajes puede ir desde los 13 a los 21! Lo cual me sorprendió bastante.

Y que debe ser escrito en primera persona, ya que para la mayoría de los lectores es mucho más fácil identificarse con el personaje de esa manera.

Pues bien mi libro está escrito en primera persona por mi protagonista, por lo visto el tema no es tan importante para la clasificación así que creo que entra también. Pero aquí viene el problema, el personaje principal es una chica de 19 años y el protagonista hombre tiene 24 años.

Quizás la edad de ella entre en el rango pero no sé que tanto pueda entrar en un libro ya el que hay una relación entre un adulto y un adulto joven.

Particularmente a mí nunca me gustaron los chicos de mi edad, de hecho me casé con un hombre 10 años mayor que yo, pero imagino que uno en su mente tiene las normas establecidas de que las relaciones entre adolescentes deben ser entre similares de edad porque si no uno asume que no tienen nada en común.

¿Así que ahora me encuentro en una disyuntiva es mi libro un libro ya o uno adulto?

¿Ustedes que creen que define un libro ya?

¡¡Ahora me iré a cocinar y a tomar mucho te!!

¡Que tengan un excelente fin de semana!

To make the readers feel...

2010-10-12T17:58:00.000-05:00

Watching the news of Chile I finally saw the time it left the first mining.
The timing of the rescue capsule and the camera went to the son of mine will be forever in my memory.
This child's face, his tears of happiness. His face said it all. It made me feel his emotion and cry with him.
At that moment I thought that if I ever write a scene that express a feeling so well and make the reader feel me, with the character, then I will have achieved something great. Because it is very difficult to reflect an emotion in others and even worse when you read it.
Have you seen what just happened in Chile?
Ever read something that made you feel the same the characters lived and got to cry, laugh, etc?

-----------------------------------------------------
Viendo las noticias de chile por fin vi el momento en que salió el primer minero.
El momento en que la capsula de rescate salió y la camara enfoco al hijo del minero quedará por siempre en mi memoria.
La cara the este niño , su llanto de felicidad. Su carita lo expresaba todo. Me hizo sentir su emocion y llore con el.
En ese momento pensé que si alguna vez con una escena escrita por mi consigo expresar un sentimiento tan bien y hacer que el lector lo sienta conmigo, con el personaje, en ese momento habré conseguido algo muy grande. Porque es muy dificil reflejar una emoción en otros y peor aun hacerlo cuando te leen.
Vieron lo de Chile?
Alguna vez leyeron algo que les hizo sentir lo mismo que los personajes y consiguió que llorara, rieran,etc?

Nervously waiting for opinions

2010-10-12T07:55:00.000-05:00

Today I am tired and nervous! Several days ago I sent my completed novel to some friends to see what they thought without telling them that was mine.

Now I'm nervously waiting for the answer, thinking that possibly I could have done something better and that maybe I should not try to publish it.

I suppose they are common insecurities as a writer but now I see everything black and with my little baby sick and with no sleep everything looks worse.

Have you been through this when sharing your book for opinions?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoy estoy cansada y nerviosa! Hace varios días que mandé a varios conocidos my novela terminada a ver que opinaban sin decirles que era mia claro está.

Ahora estoy nerviosa esperando la respuesta, pensando que posiblemente pude haber hecho algo muchísimo mejor y que quizas no debería intentar publicarla.

Supongo que son inseguridades comunes de escritor pero ahora todo lo veo negro y con mi pequeño bebé enfermo y sin dormir todo se ve mas negro.

Les ha pasado que cuando pasan su libro para ver opiniones se ponen mas inseguras sobre su libro?

Voices of characters speaking in your head / Voces de personajes hablando en tu cabeza

2010-10-11T08:44:00.000-05:00

Hello!

We will see if I can explain this well without seeming mad though it could be after so many days of sleeping so little...

I don´t know if it ever happened to you that also write that when you are on a streak of inspiration the characters talk to each other in your head at any time and any place. Lol

My problem is that sometimes I have the voices of my current novel, with some new characters that can serve to a new one also speaking, literally I go crazy!

Usually when they speak I pay attention to them, I normally cannot sit down and write more than at a certain time of the day so between all I hear I choose some ideas and I evolve them in my head while I do things through the day, seeing where they can lead to the history. Then when I can sit down to write if it is something I can write at that moment in of my draft I add it directly but if don´t I add the idea in my notebook and where I want to take the history form there on. This sometimes is not very desirable because when I write the idea sometimes I lost a lot of detail, but I cannot help it. I don’t write in disorder. I have to be very clear in my mind with the story line so I can write fluidly and then when writing I can add or remove things or even change my initial sketch.

You also hear these voices? Maybe I'm the only crazy! If you hear them, how you make use of what they say? You write the idea somewhere or you do directly the scene?

I will continue with my work day and I'll keep taking thousands of teas for remaining awake! Now on my desk I have two. This picture is very similar to it, Lol.

Have nice day!

--------------------------------------------------

Hola !!
Bueno a ver si puedo explicar esto bien sin parecer loca aunque pudiera estarlo despues de tantos dias de dormir tan poco...

No se si a ustedes que escriben les ha pasado alguna vez que cuando estan en una racha de inspiración los pesonajes hablan entre si en su cabeza en cualquier momento y lugar. Lol mi único problema es que a veces tengo las voces de mi actual novela con algunos nuevos personajes que pueden servir par aotras hablando también y literalmente me vuelvo loca.

Usualmente cuando hablan les presto atención, normalmente no puedo sentarme a escribir mas que a determinada hora del día asi que de todo lo que escucho escojo algunas ideas y las evoluciono en mi cabeza mientras hago las cosas del día, viendo a donde pueden llevar a la historia. Despues cuando me puedo sentar a escribir si es algo que puedo escribir en ese momento de la historia lo agrego directamente a mi borrador pero si no apunto la idea en mi cuaderno de notas y a donde quiero que lleve. Lo cual a veces no es muy aconsejable porque cuando voy a escribir la idea a veces perdi un poco los detalles pero no puedo evitarlo no se escribir en desorden. Tengo que tener en mi mente muy clara la linea de la historia para asi dejarme llevar y a lo mejor agregar o quitar cosas o incluso cambiarlas de mi boceto inicial.

Ustedes escuchan también estas voces? a lo mejor soy yo la unica loca!! Si las oyen, como hacen uso de lo que quieren decir? lo anotan en algun lugar o directamente hacen la escena?

Bueno seguiré con mis tareas de día y me seguire tomando miles de té,s ahora en mi mesa tengo dos. Esta foto me los recordo mucho jajaja

Que tengan lindo día!

A crazy day/ un día loco

2010-10-08T08:19:00.000-05:00

Today was a terrible day, crazy, fast and stressful. Not to mention that I slept only two hours thanks to my beloved young son. Luckily my husband stayed two extra hours at home today so I slept.
Which although I deeply appreciate, I still have these circles under my eyes , so I look like a raccoon because of 4 hours of sleep! Also after that I had to be running all morning, the supermarket, clothing, baby nap, preparing food for my eldest son and etc etc.
Uff I could just sit which causes that in the duration of the nap of the small and large comes from school I will not have enough time to investigate for the second part of my novel. Buaaaa
I hope to have more time at night!
Have a great day!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoy ha sido un día terrblemente loco, rápido y estresante. Eso sin contar que dorm´r sólo dos horas gracias a mi adorado hijo pequeño. Por suerte mi marido se quedó dos horas extras hoy en cas apara que yo durmiera.
Lo cual agradezco infinitamente aunque sigo pareciendo mapache con estas ojeras de 4 horas de sueño! Además después de eso tuve que estar corriendo toda la mañana, el super, la ropa, la siesta del peque, preparar la comida de mi hijo mayor y etc etc .
Uff apenas he podido sentarme lo cual ocasiona que ne el tiempo que dura la siesta del peque y llega el grande de la escuela no voy a tener el suficiente tiempo para investigar para la segunda parte de mi novela. Buaaaa
Espero en la noche tener mas tiempo!!
Que tengan un excelente día!

Un mejor día/ a better day

2010-10-06T09:19:00.000-05:00

Hoy estoy mucho mas animosa que ayer, yo creo que a veces decir lo que sines a quien te esta haciendo daño desahoga mucho así que me siento mejor.

Mientras mis dos pequeños me dejan estoy barajando ideas para la segunda parte de mi novela romantica fantastica. Además de investigar sobre diversos temas para este libro. No me gusta cuando un libro hbla sobre cierta mitologia o tema pero te deja con dudas o no tiene sentido asi que quiero dejarlo bien planeado.

Mientras tanto seguire tomando teina para mantenerme despierta mientras invoco a mi musa jajaja.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today I am much more cheerful than yesterday, I think sometimes to say what you feel to someone is hurting you vent a lot so I feel better.

When my two little kids let me, I'm mulling ideas for the second part of my fantastic romance novel. In addition to research on various subjects for this book. I hate when a book talks about some mythology or subject but leaves you with questions or does not make sense, so I want mine well planned.

In the meantime I will continue taking Te to stay awake while I invoke my muse hahaha.

Día dificil

2010-10-05T08:21:00.000-05:00

Hoy es un día dificil para mi en muchos aspectos personales. Lo que me hace preguntarme quizas debería inspirarme en personas de mi familia para crear una historia jajaja sería un super drama pero quizas funcionara y asu vez me desahogara mucho.
Jajaja no lo se divagaciones de mi mente....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today is hard for me in many personal appearances. What makes me wonder maybe I should be inspired by my family to create a story,it would be a super drama lol but maybe it could work and I assume it would relieve me a lot.
Haha I do not know, my mind's ramblings ....

Buscando inspiración/ Searching for inspiration

2010-10-04T08:34:00.000-05:00

Como muchos de ustedes saben quiero dedicarme a escribir pero estoy pasando un periodo de falta de inspiración que me está pegando muy fuerte ya que para mi escribir es mi terapia.
Así que seguiré buscando la ispiración a ver si la cazo por algún lugar.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As many of you know I want to dedicate myself to write, but I'm going through a period of lack of inspiration is hitting me very hard because for me writing is my therapy.
So I'll keep looking for inspiration to see if I can chase her somewhere.
I hope my translation to English is not that bad jajaja.