Mariposa's Musings

Tell me about yourself. How long have you been writing? I have been composing stories in my head ever since I was young and read a story I wanted to go another way. LOL I remember writing them down even as a kid all the way through college. My goal at the time was to become an English teacher and write in my off time. Life however changes things. I got married, had kids, and I became a stay-at-home mom who didn’t write again for over a decade. In 2007, with my kids older, in school all day, I knew I had to start writing again. I missed it so much. So, it was at that time I started writing my first stories which got sent out for possible publication. How do you find ideas for your books? I think they find me somehow. Usually, I am reading, researching I guess you could call it. I read a lot of non-fiction books, mostly pagan or Wiccan in nature. Somewhere along the line something triggers my imagination, and a paranormal story is born. Although there are the odd instances where ...

I'm having technical difficulties with Blogger this morning, the text from Kiki's interview just refuses to publish. I'll take another crack at it later. My apologies to Kiki and all who stopped by. I hope to get the interview up soon!

Today, I'm chatting about the music that inspired Howl at Naughty in the Backseat . Come visit me and find out why sometimes love bites.

I'm pleased to announce Brandy B as the winner of a free copy of Howl. There's still a chance to win a copy of Howl through the LASR Scavenger Hunt.

Please join with me in welcoming Beth Caudill. Tell me about yourself. How long have you been writing? I’m a stay-at-home mom of two boys living in central North Carolina with my husband. I’ve been writing fantasy and paranormal short stories since 2005 when I discovered Kelley Armstrong’s Online Writing Group Forum . Writers could get chapter critiques and there were challenges to get the creative juices flowing. I no longer have time to keep up with the group but I really enjoyed my time there. I serve on the Board of my local RWA chapter Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. I currently have three short stories available at The Wild Rose Press and a novella from Whispers Publishing. You can read excerpts and reviews of my stories at my website . You've been really busy. How did the inspiration for Healer’s Fate come to you? Most of my stories start from a single scene I’ve imagined or dreamed. For Healer’s Fate, I started thinking about how werewolves would throw a...

“…his hideous howl a dirge of death.” Tagline from The Wolf Man (1941) Even with its debut following the attack on Pearl Harbor, The Wolf Man became Universal Picutres’ largest grossing movies of the season. The script had the working title of Destiny. While fate was key to the plot, audiences were captivated by romantic tension between the nobleman, Larry Talbot and Gwen Conliffe, an antique dealer’s daughter The Wolf Man established much of the werewolf lore that would appear in later novels and movies such as: · Transformation triggered by the full moon · A werewolf bite dooms the victim to become a werewolf · Werewolves can only be killed by silver · Werewolves revert to human form upon death Due to the popularity of the Wolf Man, Universal had Lon Chaney Jr. portray Larry Talbot in four more films, including Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1943) Fun Facts The “wolf” Larry Talbot fights was Lon Cha...

I'm chatting about Howl this week with the Chicks of Characterization . Come by and see me!

In 1906 Creighton Chaney arrived in the world nearly stillborn after a difficult delivery. His father, Lon Chaney, revived him by plunging him into the frigid waters of Belle Isle Lake. Young Chaney later made his debut at the age of six months as a prop in his father’s stage act. Chaney worked as a stunt man and extra under his given name. When he realized studios were more receptive to him as the son of Lon Chaney, he used the name Lon Chaney Jr. professionally. As the Wolf Man, Chaney Jr.’s transformation was an arduous four-hour process while the gradual changes in his make-up were made and filmed. The removal of the layers of yak hair and make-up took a painful 45 minutes. Though Chaney Jr.’s character perishes at the end of The Wolf Man, the popularity of the character caused Universal to resurrect the werewolf to live again in four more movies. With a career that spanned nearly four decades and included more than 150 film credits, Chaney J...

I'm in the spotlight at Pam Thibodeaux's blog today http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com/ I met Pam at The Wild Rose Press Writers Conference in Bandera, TX. She is a gracious author on-line and in person. Stop by and visit!

“Listen to them, children of the night. What music they make.” Bela Lugosi as Dracula (1931) Long before Robert Pattinson appeared in Twilight, audiences were captivated by Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of Dracula. Known for his versatility as an actor, Lugosi toured with the National Theater of Budapest until political unrest forced him to flee the country in 1919. Learning his lines phonetically, the Hungarian actor honed his characterization of the legendary count during 500 performances in the 1927 Broadway production of Dracula. Due to the death of Lon Chaney, Lugosi was selected for the role of Dracula. Lugosi did his own make-up for the 1931 film. Audiences were entranced by Lugosi’s European accent and aristocratic presence. At one point, he reportedly received as much fan mail from the ladies as Clark Gable. Lugosi would appear in more than 100 films primarily in the roles of vampires, werewolves, ghouls and mad scientists. He was one of the cha...

This week I'm thrilled to be chatting about Howl at Naughty Novelist s http://www.cheriedesues2.com/naughty-novelists.html I love the title of her site, don't you? Leave a comment for the chance to win a copy of Howl. Hope to see you there!

The silent film start began his career in 1913 as an extra at Universal Studios earning $3.00 per day. Chaney faithfully brought his leather make-up kit each day so he could play any character the studio needed. Chaney played over 150 different roles from 1913 to 1930. He later wrote the article on move make-up featured in the 1929 Encyclopedia Britannica. Chaney said of his diverse roles, "The parts I play point out a moral. They show individuals might have been different if they had been given a different chance." Chaney often took incredible measures to create his characters. For his sole vampire role in London After Midnight (1927) he inserted fish hooks in his cheeks and used wire around his eyes to achieve a corpse-like leer. Chaney pulled back his eyes and nose with spirit gum and used cotton and collodian to broaden his cheeks in order to create the Phantom's skeletal appearance for Phantom of the Opera (1925). Chaney wore a 50 pound hump to portra...

I 'm pleased to have a fellow Nevada author, C.R. Moss, visiting today. Tell me about yourself. My current bio is: C.R. Moss, resident of the hot, high desert in the southwest, knew she wanted to write at a young age, as early as she learned to read, cooking up stories to entertain herself in the rural, non-kid-laden area she had lived in. But she took a round about way to settle down as a fiction writer, having worked in the corporate and real estate realms writing newspaper articles, press releases, corporate newsletters, etc. Now that she’s settled into the health care industry, she has returned to her first love: creative writing. I’ve been working toward a career in writing for as long as I can remember. I had been creating stories since I started to read, but the thought of writing for a living solidified when I was in middle school and received an A in English. I looked at the grade and that’s when my life was defined. I realized I could do it. How did...

Congratulations to Stacey for being the winning commenter ! Stacey, contact Sky at skypurington@live.com to claim your copy of Darkest Memory. Thanks to Sky for an intriguing interview and thanks to all of you for stopping by.

Please join me in welcoming Sky Purington. Here’s a taste of her vampire tale, Darkest Memory . Could she remember, did she? Gabriel ran his hands the length of Calah, cupped her buttocks, and pulled her lower half against him, let her feel his arousal, his need. This was Heaven. His one light in eternal darkness. Teeth, lips, blood mixed, her blood, like molten silver and sugared wine. Like a slap in the face. He pulled back, shook his head and searched for air. Lust reddened his vision. She breathed rapidly and pushed her hands against his chest while simultaneously clenching the material of his shirt, her voice a strained whisper. “I shouldn’t have done that Gabriel, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have. I don’t know what came over me. I just met you! ” He closed his eyes and tried to tune out her rapid heartbeat. She thought she’d been the one to instigate? He gazed into her face, swollen lips and glazed eyes. So beautiful. Her long, straight platinum hair blew in the wind. Her wide, ...

To quote the reviewer: "I love a good werewolf/vampire/shape-shifter story and this one doesn’t disappoint. Ms. Cruz spins a story that kept me right in my seat throughout. The characters are rich with detail and I felt like I was part of the tale, right alongside them. " You can read more at http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/howl-by-mariposa-cruz.html

I'm chatting about Howl's hero and heroine at Sky Purington's blog http://www.skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com this week as part of her Spring has Sprung series. Stop by and comment for a chance to win a free e-copy of Howl.

Today I chat about balancing writing and my day job at Lynne Devenny's blog, Practical Paralegalism, http://www.practicalparalegalism.com/ . Lynne does a fantastic job of reporting all aspects of the paralegal community and I'm thrilled to be her guest!

Today Cate Masters talks about her May 7th release, Fever Dreams . Welcome Cate! Tell us about yourself. How long have you been writing? Poetry was an early passion, from about age ten, because I had a somewhat solitary upbringing. We lived in the country, and though I had three brothers and three sisters (I was lucky number seven), they were all older and considered me a pest. :) Although I didn’t realize at the time how lucky I was, I grew up in a very artsy community, and my friends were all artists and poets. From grade school on, we nurtured each other and are still close friends. In my twenties, I mostly set writing aside while my kids were young but once they needed me less, went back to it. Who are your writing role models? Wow. So many. For their incredible imagination and excellent writing, T.C. Boyle, Margaret Atwood and Michael Chabon are definitely my top three. Neil Gaiman and Alice Hoffman follow close on their heels. For jaw-dropping writing, Charles D’Ambro...

April 28th to May 1st, the publishers, editors, authors and friends of The Wild Rose Press gathered at the Silver Spur Ranch www.silverspur-ranch.com in Bandera, TX for TWRP's first Writer's Conference. The staff was friendly and attentive (and kept the jar filled with chocolate chip cookies). The retreat provided the right mix of workshops and field trips (including a visit to the Bandera Gun Club and the local rodeo). The keynote speaker, Jo-Ann Power http://www.jo-annpower.com/ shared her expertise on author promotion. The conference brought together writers from British Columbia to New Hampshire and it was a wonderful experience. Kudos to Rhonda Penders & RJ Morris!

TMCC Writers’ Conference Highlights This is third year I’ve attended the Truckee Meadows Community College Writers’ Conference( http://wdce.tmcc.edu . In its 20th year, the TMCC Writers’ Conference once again delivered the right blend of market perspective, writing tools and inspiration. The 1-day conference featured 8 speakers including 3 literary agents and 1 E-publisher and had a turnout of about 150 participants. Smashwords founder, Mark Coker noted 3.6 million people have downloaded Stanza, a free e-book app for the iTouch. He declared “Mobile phones are the unsung heroes of the e-book revolution. http://www.smashwords.com . I was fortunate to chat with TWRP author, Leigh Bale, www.LeighBale.com during one of the breaks. A gracious lady in person and on stage, Leigh delivered an intriguing presentation on the use of an intangible villain such as a character’s inner conflict or external forces such as natural disasters, war or time. Mystery novelist and POD specialist,...

Today I'm talking about the original monster leading men (Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr.) at Rachel Brimble's blog http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com . Stop by and find out how their performances shaped an emerging genre.

Today I'm visiting Rachel Gattuso's blog http://gattusovarietal.blogspot.com/ chatting about writing role models. Check it out.

Today I'm at Rachel Gattuso's blog http://gattusovarietal.blogspot.com/ talking about writing role models and what's on my nightstand. Check it out.

Today I'm visiting Cate Masters' blog chatting about Howl and some of my favorite reads. http://catemasters.blogspot.com . Hope to see you there!

Today I'm chatting with Karen Michelle Nutt on her blog about Howl's shapeshifters. Stop by and say hello. http://kmnbooks.blogspot.com/

"As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back-- For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack" I read Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book , while doing research for Howl . I loved the eloquence of the jungle citizens and decided my wolves would live by Kipling's The Law of the Jungle. Imagine my surprise when I heard the above lines revently recited by the entire audience prior to a UNR Men's basketball game. http://www.nevadawolfpack.com Go Wolf Pack! I'm thrilled to announce Howl is now available from The Wild Rose Press. http://http://www.thewildrosepress.com/howl-p-3921.html

Come visit me at Sandra Sookoo's blog for my first interview for Howl http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/ Hope to see you there!

I'm so excited. Howl is going to be released this Wednesday, March 10th! As if Kate Owens doesn't have enough problems as a struggling single mom and paralegal, a brutal animal attack outside her office plunges her into turmoil. At work, she is attracted to her rescuer, Jack Walker, an attorney wary of commitment. Every morning after the attack she awakes drenched in blood beside the body of a mangled stray. Kate's days become a battle to maintain control while her nights are a disturbing blur of dreams. Will Kate's nightly madness harm her young daughter? Lone wolf attorney, Jack Walker understands the reason for his paralegal's exhaustion and haunted demeanor. Jack has pursued the beast since law school graduation and he knows the creature's relentless thirst for revenge. Can Jack save Kate from her attacker and her own savage nature? http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

If you tell your kids to only interrupt you for emergencies while you’re working, then every problem from lost socks to stubbed toes escalates into a crisis requiring a platoon of Marines and your full attention. Sometimes you’re better off hearing the latest grievance than explaining that you’re busy. However, after the 5th interruption calmly remind them that since they are taking away from your time, you will take time away from them-less time with a favorite video game or an earlier bedtime. Most kid-related problems arise out of boredom. The next time Junior appears eager to tattle on little sister ask if he has cleaned the cat box or picked up after the dog. You can also suggest cleaning the toilet or catching up on homework if you don’t have a pet. This technique also works well if you are plagued with calls from home at your day job. The interruptions should slow down once the kids figure out that interrupting you results in more chores for them.