Tuesday...

Lot’s of stuff going on, decisions to make, thoughts to think…hope you are the same…back tomorrow.

Watch this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related – judge a book by its cover? I think not – well done Susan. You have inspired me to take a leap of faith.

www.amarindajones.com
www.amarindajones.blogspot.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

Paraphrasing….

….While You Were Sleeping… “Who are you Jack? The happiness guru?”

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www.amarindajones.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

Sex...

…I think you really have to be in the mood to write it – and I don’t mean candlelight, soft music and a glass of red wine. It’s more about being focused, determined and sitting on your arse and making two characters come together in a believable way. It’s about putting four hands in the right places without suddenly realizing a fifth hand has appeared. Recently a gentleman argued the point with me that you cannot write sex just sitting at a computer – that was it too clinical, too logical, too safe. You had to do it. Well hell honey, you can’t write it flat on your back under a man either for where do you put the lap top…unless you are on top, with it resting on his chest, but I venture many a man would not take kindly to you stopping every minute to see where his hands were, measuring the length of his cock – possibly shaking your head because you visualized the hero longer and thicker - asking him how he felt, what you felt like against his skin or getting him to alternate between fast and slow so you could describe the feeling. Now that would be clinical.

Actually, this same gentleman pointed out to me something that had never occurred to me before…well why would it…I don’t have a penis…anyway, he said going ‘commando’ was not really a ideal preference for a man. How did we get into this discussion? It’s a very long story but basically it eventually came down to the fact that a lot of romance heroes drop their strides (trousers) and their penis is all ready to – er - go. This gentleman pointed out that going commando makes sitting an issue and not many men prefer it. Huh…right – I never thought of that before. Don’t you have the most interesting conversations sometimes when you least expect it?

But I digress – sex – it’s hard – it should be if it’s done right. So what is the point? Well there is always one with sex, but in this case – it’s about making yourself knuckle down and write regardless how you feel…and now I have to re-think the whole commando deal…it’s hard being a writer some times.

Other news…

I picked up another contract…proof that I do not completely suck – and I had a wild Scorpionic moment – I love it when they happen as they are my true self – and decided to ditch sending the NY proposal thing in and write as I have always done and let the cards fell where they may…life is way more exciting that way.

www.amarindajones.com
www.amarindajones.blogspot.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

The things people do…

So I spent Good Friday writing until my fingers were pulp trying to finish what I call the NY thing – a proposal type do-hickey to an NY agent who had asked me – “what have you got in your bag of writing tricks Amarinda?” Well, I had stuff all but I came up with something. It should be done and sent in the next couple of days. If it gets shot down in flames – so be it. I’ve been shot down before. I know how to fall. Tuck and roll, baby, tuck and roll…

On to other things…like, say…plagiarism…

I was reading this blurb the other day of an another writer’s upcoming release and I thought – holy crap – the story sounded exactly like that of a well known writer whose book, part of a well known series, sounded precisely like this blurb. Hello? Am I the only one who can see that? It screamed obvious to me. Bloody hell…this author either has huge balls, doesn’t care or hasn’t worked out the direct correlation between her story and that of another’s…good luck with that if the body of the story is as direct a rip off as the blurb.

Writing romance books is difficult in the fact that the premise is falling in love – and no, that cannot be plagiarized because love is all to do with life. I suppose some cosmic being could stamp their feet and have a hissy fit but no one owns human life – as far as I know. I could be wrong. So making a book distinctive and different especially in a climate where women are falling in love with demons, vampires, shifters, zombies, robots…okay – I don’t know about robots…maybe someone can correct me on that too – but being unique is hard to do in romance land and cheating happens.

I will admit I do shamelessly plagiarize events from my own life and some personal emails. “Is that me on page 7 Amarinda?” Maybe…Yes, shocking of me but I reckon you get your best ideas when you base them on real life. It’s not rocket science is it? But, in saying that, I don’t mean real life as in sitting and reading someone else’s book one night when you can’t sleep and then thinking – well, crap I could write a story exactly like that. That’s just asking for trouble. Or what happens when you ‘inadvertently’ nick someone’s else’s story and you realize it? Do you fiddle with it so it seems different or do you think “stuff ‘em I spend X numbers of hours writing this so too bad for them.” What happens when you don’t realize it and someone points it out to you? Do you do the right thing and scrap it or cross your fingers and hope that no one will know like the blatant one I saw? Yes, yes – we all assimilate stuff we hear or see but if something belongs to someone else how far would you push it to get ahead in a competitive industry?

When I was at University – they would kick your arse from here to billy-o – billy-o being a very long way, away…no, I’m not sure how far, it’s an Aussie measurement but it’s probably equivalent to ‘as far as the crow flies’ which is pretty far…if you plagiarized. They do the same if they catch you in the publishing world. Why would you even take the risk? Who do I think is going to get their arse kicked for blatant nicking when their book is released? Hmmmm…

www.amarindajones.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

See how she runs....

Why are there so many floor to ceiling mirrors in gyms? I was running on a treadmill and I looked at myself and thought – 'holy crap – that is not poetry in motion.’ Why would you want to see yourself bouncing along like that? It’s just feral. I asked Hugh, my trainer, who I believe is secretly trying to kill me, what was the go on the mirror deal and he said “it makes you feel good and motivates you – now chase me as I run around the room and try and hit me with the boxing gloves.” Running is just pukeable – no it really is. You feel so much more of your body than you really want to - and he can run fast. If I was ever going to have a heart attack it would have been then…sadistic sod. He dodges and laughs his arse off as I try and take a swing at him. I’ll get him one day.

What I do like about the gym is the women’s only exercise room – no men are allowed in to exercise. Actually all the men in the gym are very nice and respectful so there is no really need to go in there but for the fact it overlooks where the men are lifting weights – we can see them – they can’t see us – I think you know why women ‘need’ to exercise in there.

That’s it. I’m knackered. I have four days off due to Easter – public holidays - yay! Correct. I am an atheist but to get a day off work I’ll be whatever you want.

If you are travelling this Easter - be safe. If you are relaxing – you deserve it. If you are eating Easter chocolate – calories don’t count because it’s a gift.

www.amarindajones.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

I gotta’ tell ya…

…I’ve been dealing with some very trying men of late. As much as men fascinate me with their egos, their charm and their intelligence, they can also be bloody stupid, arrogant and dumb.

Why do men think they know it all? Yeah, I know…it’s the riddle of the sands and the sands are always shifting so you have no bloody idea how to work out what’s going on at any given time so why bother? I don’t know -but every so often I do wonder and then I realize why I haven’t in so long. Men are strange.

I got a letter from ‘A’ in Nicaragua. She is 6. I sponsor her schooling. ‘A’ wants to be a Doctor. I hope to whichever cosmic deity is winning the pissing contest amongst the others that she will. I hope ‘M’ in Bangladesh will get to be the school teacher she dreams of being. These girls – like millions of others in 3rd world countries, have been born into a world where gender marks equality. If you saw Sunday’s blog I was wild at the Afghan President for turning the clock backwards on women’s rights. I still am. But ‘A’s’ letter and the week I have had brought home to me that while I am incredibly lucky to be born in Australia, with all the benefits that go with it, women are never going to be truly equal.

I live in a fantastic country. It’s the best one on Earth but men rule the world and always will and I don’t care what rad fems say. You go into any workplace in any free country and I guarantee you, I have worked in 27 jobs, that while there may be a female in charge somewhere in the organization, the power of the penis still rules. Five women at work have pointed this out to me this week. And I have seen it myself. Men talk without thinking. I don’t know whether men are aware of what they’re saying or whether it comes out of their mouths before they think but jeez Louise, I’ve had to fight a few battles this week because of men assuming they are the chosen ones due to the extra appendage. Well, they’re not and I have pointed that out and the fact that I’m just as good as them. But for every one woman who says something another stays quiet or complains to another woman.

So, my point is – and I do have one –as much as I would love to see a female Afghan President or the barriers to gender smashed down, I believe they will always be there regardless of what reforms are pushed through to make sure so many women hold a percentage of jobs or power or whatever feel good thing creates publicity. So if we cannot get it right in our ‘lucky’ worlds how the hell will we get it right in developing worlds?

No, I’ll never give up on equal rights but weeks like this make me wonder how a kid in Nicaragua with everything against her can rise if western women are still fighting inequality on a daily basis. I don’t hate men. I just wish they would think for five seconds before they speak.

www.amarindajones.com
www.amarindajones.blogspot.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

‘Been paying someone….

…to yell at me…huh? Yep, I have joined a gym. Still can’t believe that phrase is coming out of my mouth. Sure, I walk for exercise and to keep by crap metabolism moving – but last week I said – “Amarinda get thee to a gym.” Yes, I am losing the weight I put on when I was sick last year but I had this weird urge to do more. And yes, I would normally resist weird, unnatural urges like this but for some reason I couldn’t…maybe because there was no chocolate in the house. Maybe I was out to prove a point. Spite is a great motivator.

So I wandered into the gym and negotiated a deal – because it’s what I do – beating down the price and hey – whizz bang presto – I’m a gym member. Now, people who really know me were not the slightest bit surprised at this latest move. I go off on wild tangents all the time. Oh? You’re writing sex Amarinda? That’s nice. You’re going to a gym? Okay. You’re plotting world domination? Will that leave you open for lunch on Sunday? You’re going to buy a pet duck? Can I borrow your ladder?

I organized a personal trainer person for at least a month as I have no idea what the machines all do and I have a very bad habit of tinkering with things when I think they could work better my way. The trainer is very perky. I said – “Listen up” – let’s call him Hugh, ‘cause he reminds me of Mr Jackman - "I cannot do perky at any time of the day let alone 6am in the morning. Let’s cut to the chase. I’m not here to piss around. I need someone to yell at me to do stuff with machines – I can’t guarantee I won’t yell back - and you – like it or not - are the man to do it.” He was a tad taken aback but he got with the program – always better to go with me than against me. So I am lifting and running, pumping and sweating, climbing and possibly swearing a bit and thinking of terrible things to do to bossy Hugh.

What do I get out of it? Not sure at the moment. I am never going to be thin. I’m not genetically inclined that way. I just want to lose some weight and tone up what’s left. Will Hugh be glad to see the back end of me when the month is over and I can sweat competently on my own? Nah – I see him giggling when I’m hanging upside, turning red and swearing… I’m entertainment for him.

www.amarindajones.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?