Life...Short Version

Well, I'm still in Toronto. Yes, it's the vacation that never ends. Unfortunately, some family matters have prevented my kids and I from leaving, but we're making the most of it. And in the end, as long as everything turns out good, I'm not one to complain.

Just thought I'd write a quick post to celebrate finishing my second short story. I polished it off and sent it in Sunday, along with a blurb and a synopsis. My editor, Chris, who is the best editor ever, read it that night. Luckily for me she loved it, so there's just a bit of waiting to see if it will be included in their Halloween series. Here's keeping everything crossed. On the positive side, she'd like to contract it either way, but I'd love to be part of the series. I'll try not to be too disappointed, though, if it turns into a stand alone novella.

Also, I'm blogging over on Hitting the Hot Spot. After writing this story, I decided to do a piece on the difference between log and short books and what your preference is. So drop on over and let me know. (here's praying there are still some long book lovers out there, 'cause three of my books under contract are long ones :) Oh, I'm also waiting on my second round of edits for Checkmate. I'm hoping these will be fairly painless.

Okay, going to make this one short, no pun intended. But will post as soon as I hear about the story. Have a great few last days of July and see you in August.

cheers,

Kris

Romancing life...one adventure at a time.

Inalienable Rights...

As I sit here in Toronto, I realize this statement not only applies to folks fighting for their independence, but also to kids and their right to be just that...kids.

I think I take for granted that my children will behave in a civilized manner. That they'll listen when I ask them the first time and display all the appropriate pleasantries when addressing others. What I've come to realize is, that when push comes to shove, kids are just kids.

So here are a few truths I've learnt over the course of our imprisonment with the grandparents. Sorry, that should be visit with the grandparents.

1. Kids can last about two weeks without their friends and toys before cabin fever sets in and they change into loud, indistinguishable creatures who will argue over who gets to argue.

2. Kids never tire of riding the same roller coaster or watching the same movie. This is why you always rent the movie for seven days and why amusement parks have season passes. They only hand out adult ones so the kids have someone to buy them lunch at fifty bucks a pop.

3. Piggy-backing on my last comment...whenever a place has you locked inside their gates with no reasonable means of escape, they'll charge you ten dollars for a slice of pizza and you'll gladly pay for it if only to stop the whining.

4. Kids can swim for hours a day and still have enough energy to bounce off the walls until midnight because they're not bouncing off your walls, but your parent's. And apparently they make more noise than yours do.

and

5. No matter how much you shout, how many threats you make or how much you bribe them, kids will always revert back to being kids.

Here's smiling at the inevitable and hoping they can refrain from killing each other as I finish the last 2000 words of my book.

Have a great day and I'll post again as soon as this monkey's off my back,

Kris,

Romancing life...one adventure at a time.

Trapped Under Heavy Furniture...

Well, that sounds better than saying I'm bogged down by my own deadlines. I'm trying to finish a short story by Wednesday, and it seems the world is conspiring against me. At least my family. My kids seem to need something of life threatening proportions the minute I plant my butt down and trying to write while visiting my parents is next to impossible. As great as they are—and I'm sure not many adults could spend four weeks with their parents and still be able to mumble more than single syllable words—I'm just not used to having to conform to someone else's schedule. At our house dinner is when you're hungry, not at five because, well, it's five and that's when dinner is. I do the laundry when my kids complain they've got only one pair of underwear left, not because it's Thursday. And I certainly don't schedule my day around when the game shows grace the screen.

But I guess in the end, I'm just using them all as excuses. I'm getting close... over half way, and I'm on a roll so the word count is increasing nicely. I think it's just the fact I've got a real, hard deadline, and I'm not used to that. And wouldn't you know it, I seem to write quicker when I've got all the time in the world.

So forgive me for not posting more often. Between trips to Wonderland, and yeah, I forgot my camera 'cause I'm smart like that so the pics will have to wait until the end of this week, mowing yards, shopping, watching the kids swim and writing my other blogs, I don't have much time. And then there's the whole finishing the story thing.

Hope everyone's summer is going along nicely. I'll be heading back home in another ten days, so hopefully things will get back to some semblance of normal. Though I have a disturbing thought that "normal" won't return to my house until the kids return to school. Did I actually say I wanted them home?

Here's to loving every moment of summer break:)

Kris

Romancing life...one adventure at a time.

I Need a Vacation From My Vacation...

Truer words have not been spoken. Every year I take the kids to Toronto to visit with the grandparents, and this year has been no exception. We usually stay around four weeks, to make the long trek and outrageous amount of money to fly here well worth it. The kids love it here... pool in the backyard and season passes to Canada's Wonderland... makes for some fun times. Not to mention being spoiled by doting grandparents, lol.

Now for those of you not familiar to Canada's Wonderland, it's Canada's premier amusement park, boasting the biggest roller coaster in Canada... the dreaded Behemoth. Yes, just the name of it instills fear into the hearts of mere mortals. Of course my oldest son doesn't yet know he's mortal, so I'm obligated to ride the darn thing with him. Two hundred and fifty feet up... who needs a coaster that high? I swear I spent more time out of my seat than in.

But like I always say... if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.

We'll be heading back again in a few days. But for now, I'm glued to my computer finishing the last of my first round of edits for Checkmate, my first novel with Resplendence Publishing. Who knew it was such a long book, lol. Though I have to say, my editor is awesome. She's got great insight, good ideas and is more than willing to discuss any of her opinions with me. I'm not sure how I've gotten so lucky, twice, but I'm not complaining. Of course this means my lotto tickets are probably duds, but hey, I've already won my fortune.

Other news, that has me dancing. I've officially renamed my last contracted novel to Total-e-Bound to Deadly Obsession (it was Fictional Desire) and have made it and my first novel, Deadly Vision, part of a series entitled 'Til Death. Now I have two series on the go, and I couldn't be happier. It was my editor's idea to make them a series revolving around stalkers and I just loved the idea. Of course this means I need to write another in the series, but hey, writing stalkers is my absolute favourite. I just love being able to get inside the head of a creepy villain. You can get so creative with them. And of course a creepy villain means the hero is going to get all pumped up in an effort to keep his lady safe... another thing I love writing about.

Oh, and before I forget. My other editor from Resplendence asked if I'd write a sequel to Checkmate. I could've died because I already had one started, but didn't think that would be something they would be interested in. I sent her my idea and she loved it... so be on the lookout. Part two will be coming this way in the future :D

I've also revamped my website just a bit. I went a bit crazy with some new programs I got and have added a bunch of images. It's a bit slow loading the first time, but worth it in my opinion. I just love playing around with all the fonts and pictures. Let me know what you think?

All right. I have to get back to my edits. And don't forget, I'm up on the Resplendence Blog on the 17th. I'm considering writing about editors and edits, the unslung heros of publishing. So drop on by and check it out. I'll try to post some pictures of Wonderland later this week.

Please have a great week and I'll try to blog more often.

Another Step

Today I'm celebrating a few things. First, it's Canada Day! If I'm correct, the country is 142 years old today, and with any luck, I'll be taking the kids off to fireworks tonight. One of the few drawbacks of living in a small town. You don't always get the big festivals associated with certain holidays. Cut backs...who knew.

My second reason, and one a bit closer to my heart, is celebrating my new book contract with Total-e-Bound. Yes, I have an awesome editor... Chris you truly do rock and I'm so lucky my first manuscript landed on your desk... I am a true believer in fate now. This marks my fourth novel with TEB and my fifth overall. This book is a long one (currently a bit over 100K) and is currently entitled Fictional Desire. I haven't been asked to change it yet, but as one of my previous posts chatted about, it wouldn't be the first time. About the only difference is I've changed the name of this one at least three or four times myself... so who knows.

It's another Erotic Thriller novel... and if I can say, the hero "Gage" is probably my favourite. There's just something about him that I absolutely love and I'm very excited to see it travel along the publishing road. And extremely happy Chris will be sharing it with me. Honestly folks, she's the absolute best :D

Fictional Desire is scheduled for release next April, just in time to promote it at the Romantic Times Convention in Columbus, Ohio. I plan on attending (and will get to meet Chris in person, yeah!!!!) along with a number of other authors from TEB and other houses. It should be a grand time.

I'll be putting up a blurb and an excerpt on my website for the new novel, so feel free to visit and check it out. I've got one other novel out on prospect and will hopefully be hearing back about it over the next couple of weeks... here's keeping fingers and toes crossed. Funny how you never lose that gut-wrenching feeling when you see an email regarding a proposal or submission. I've had some good ones now, but I still feel my heart clamour up to my throat as I click on the post. Guess that's all part of the business.

Hope everyone is having a great holiday week. I realize it's Friday for folks down in the states, so Happy 4th of July for those of you south of the border. And another Happy Birthday to Canada for those of us to the north.

Cheers,

Kris

Romancing life... one adventure at a time.

My first Blog on Hitting the Hot Spot

Today marked my first post with Total-e-Bound's, Hitting the Hot Spot blog. And while I promise I won't copy every post I write on their blog (or Resplendence Gems) over to mine, the first one is always a bit nostalgic. I have to admit, it's a bit nerve racking to think of the number of people who could read my thoughts. But I suppose that's half the fun of venturing down an unknown path.

I hope you enjoy my venture into the realm of Happily Ever After. And feel free to leave any comments on your ideas on the subject, especially if you've managed to find your own.

The Ever Elusive Happily Ever After...

I'll start of by stating, this wasn't going to be my original post. You see, I'm new to TEB. In fact, I'm new to publishing in general. My debut novel isn't due out till November, so excuse the smudges of green on the page. But like any crazed newbie, I wanted to jump right in and get my hands dirty. I just wasn't sure what to talk about. I mean, you can only promo so much, and no one wants to hear about a book that isn't out for five more months. Then a friend suggested I spend some of the time telling you about myself... kind of a courting of sorts. And my intentions were to do so, until an incident last night prompted me to shift gears slightly.

But I'll start off with quick introduction. My name is Kris Norris, and if you go searching through the author profiles, you won't bring up much more than a picture and a bio. I've currently got four novels due out between November and January, with a couple more hopefuls at the mercy of my editors :D In the coming months I'll tell you a bit more about myself, most likely through tales of my life before writing centred my focus. I've had a few interesting jobs. Did you know I spent some time in the military? Something I usually only chat about after that initial rush of alcoholic bliss. Or that I'm a commercial helicopter pilot? That I'm obsessive about running with my dog, I'm addicted to Diet Coke and that I can't stand people who drive 20 km under the posted speed limit? Or that... okay I'm stopping, promise, but all of these things tell you a lot about who I am, and why I write the kind of characters I do. But for today, I'd like to chat about the all encompassing, if not ever elusive, "Happily Ever After."

I've been thinking about why we love reading romances, erotic ones at that. Is it just a way to escape reality? Is it for the hot, hunky men we all wish hid in our beds, waiting for us to pounce whenever the feeling strikes us? Is it just for the sex? I suppose these are some of the reasons we flip pages, whether in our hands or on our computers. But for me, I think the ultimate factor is knowing that, no matter what trials the characters face, there'll be a happy, satisfying ending. Confetti tossing, bird singing, praise the Lord kind of celebration we've all come to love. After all, Happily Ever Afters are one of the prime defining attributes of a romance novel. But why, when we're willing to dispel all other aspects of rational thought, do we still insist, if not desire, this seemingly impossible feat beyond every thing else?

Here's where my personal experience plays in.

The other night a good friend had a rather unpleasant encounter with her soon to be ex. I won't go into details, but I'm sure you can picture it... bitter feelings, heated words, a case of beer, the hollow reflection of the squad car lights... Anyway, it seems her life was as far away from Happily Ever After as one could get. And she's not alone. I'm sure we all have friends and family swimming against the chaos, doing their best to claw their way back to some semblance of happiness. Heck, many of them don't even get their fair share of Happy for Now moments. So I wondered, am I simply sprouting blatant propaganda when I leave my characters in emotional bliss? Is the concept of Happily Ever After actually the last in a long line of urban legends yet to be dismissed on an episode of Myth Busters?

It took some time, and a whole lot of soul searching, to realize, the answer was — NO. Because Happily Ever After isn't a place you go to. It's not a magical land where you wave your wand and all of life's turmoils vanish like the mist with the morning sun. Happily Ever After is a state of mind. One we all have, but sometimes forget. It's the way you sigh at a beautiful sunrise... the gleam in your child's eye when they tell you you're the greatest mom ever, and actually mean it!... it's stopping to hold the door open and seeing appreciation in that person's eyes, or calling your parents just to chat. It's all the little things we do each and every day and rarely notice. But since we seldom delve into these more mundane matters in our books, we make it seem like a grand illusion our characters visit once their story ends and not the day to day moments that make up a life. It's almost as if they're Dorothy in OZ, clicking their heals together chanting, "I will be happy," three times.

Alas, real life isn't quite so simple. And while I love having a book "take me away", I think the best part is the warm fuzzy feeling at the end you carry around with you. The one that makes you smile when the milk lands on the floor or the dog eats your new leather shoes. I've come to realize Happily Ever After is just another way of saying, they're making the most of every moment.

So go ahead. Get lost in a great book. Smile at the first kiss, squirm during the love scenes and sigh when the hero whisks the heroine away in that magical final chapter. Take that feeling with you and remember these words... my favourite from a not so well known movie...

In the end, it's not whether they lived Happily Ever After that matters... but the fact that they lived.

Here's to making your own Happily Ever After.

And know, for me, it's keeping a few simple rules:

It's five o'clock somewhere

Chocolate and tape fix almost every thing, and

Let the crazy out slow.

Cheers to all,

Kris Norris

Romancing life... one adventure at a time.

krisnorris.ca

The Sounds of Summer

It's here. After ten months of up at the crack of dawn, running out the door to catch the bus, throwing together lunches in the blink of an eye. Finally... it's summer!

Yes, folks. Tomorrow marks the last day in another year of school, and the beginning of the almighty Summer Vacation. For kids, it's a benchmark. They bear the smiles of their success, the scars of failure and the wisdom of learning to survive one more round of classes. For parents, it's a time of both celebration and sorrow.

I'm thrilled at not having to worry about bed time. About homework or spelling tests. Not having to mark off field trips and play dates. I love having dinner when we're actually hungry, and having them help with chores around the house. But there's another side to summer. A side all parents cringe over.

No more peace...

Yup, I mean it exactly like that. And while I swear they hardly spend any time actually in school, there's now five hours more I'll be required to be on duty. Five more hours as a chauffeur, maid, cook, referee and nurse. Five more hours of trying to steal more than ten minutes at a time to write. Five more hours of not getting my work done.

So I'm raising a toast to summer. To trips to the lake and BBQ's with friends. To staying up late and sleeping in even later. To forgetting all the math and science they spent ten months mastering. To just being kids... doing what nature intended.

Cheers to all those parents shifting gears and learning, once again, the pure pleasure of having children no longer in school.