Time Off

Okay, so maybe the title to this post is slightly misleading. I think the word "neglectful" would be more relevant to describe how I have been treating this blog. I do sincerely apologize, even if my apology is going on deaf ears. I haven't had time to do much writing, whether it be here or as far as my novels are concerned. I will have you know that I have been working on a new piece of work along with Blue Ribbons. I don't have a title for it yet, but I can confirm that it is a novel based in a dystopian society. I am very excited about it. It touches extensively on governmental corruption and the concept that not all societies are perfect, no matter how far under control they are. Hopefully, I can post a brief synopsis soon, and perhaps a small excerpt.

Stay tuned.

Update

Salutations!

It has been a good bit since my last entry because I have observed that no one looks at or comments on my blog. However, I will not allow that to discourage me or deter my desire to write. I would like to update those who have been keeping up with this, nonetheless.

My vampire novels are still on the back burner. I am still working on Blue Ribbons, though I haven't gotten that far. I haven't had a lot of time to write with how busy I am currently at work. I promise to write more and let you sample a little snippet soon. I hope all is well within your world and that - if any of you are writers - aren't dwelling within writer's block land.

J.S.R. Clark

Blue Ribbons

Everyone,

I don't have time for all the disgruntled whining. I completely understand that I have not updated my blog in a few months. If it satisfies you, I have been without internet for a while. However, I do have some wonderful news. I am working on a new novel. I have decided to lay aside my vampire works and am venturing (at a great risk) toward a more subtle genre. The vampire craze has been driving me crazy and I figured that I would finish Robert's story at a later time. It would be pointless to senselessly continue his story as of right now, though I am half-way through with book two!

Anyway, the title to my next work is called Blue Ribbons. It is a young adult novel about a teenager girl named Vision Rhodes who is murdered and comes back as what is called a Perceiver. I don't want to give too much away, for fear of getting my ideas stolen, but it is pretty much about Vision coping with the loss of her old family, living with her new family and trying to find her killer. In a few weeks, I will post an excerpt. I love every last one of you!

Query...ugh, that deadly word

Yup, I'm at the stage where I have started to send out query letters (feels like a whip is being struck across my back every time I say the "Q" word). It is truly a painful task, especially when experiencing is lacking under the belt. In all honestly, I feel as if I am walking around with my pants around my ankles with how much experience I am lacking. I've never been published. Not once. That even includes a crappy short story I published in high school called "Pandemic". I was so disgusted by the thing that I vomit every time I think of the time and paper that was wasted to print it.

It is not fun, and I am a rather impatient person. I've spent...let's see...four months pumping out a book. That is long enough. Then I have to sit down and actually attempt to squeeze my 135,000 page novel into one short page? Impossible. I hate the process of waiting for someone to finally say, "Aha! You do have talent. Let me represent your work for you!" It is a sad thing to sit and wait by your mailbox (or inbox if you send via email) and wait for a rejection or acceptance letter. It can be devastating if you are rejected. Trust me. I know. My last novel merited nearly 15 rejection letters. I canned that novel and wrote "Immortal Blood". WHICH IS FINISH BY THE WAY! Well, of course it is finished. It had better be if I am sending out query letters. (My advice to those of you trying to submit your manuscript: FINISH YOUR MANUSCRIPT BEFORE QUERYING ANYONE!!! GAH!)

All I am asking is that someone out there keeps me in their prayers!!!

Nearly There

Immortal Blood, the first book in my series is nearly complete! I am uber-excited about Robert and his story. Keep coming back-you may see a sneak peek!

busy as busy gets

My adoring fans,

The title explains it all! It has been crazy around here in my little world and that doesn't just include my writing world either! The demands of motherhood and wifehood have been calling me, pulling me on all sides. It is refreshing and yet stressful all at the same time. I am just now getting over a nasty cold which entitled sleep to be my priority. Now my husband and son are both sick, so I am strapping on my womanly guard and taking on the task of keeping them healthy. :)

As far as my book (Immortal Blood) goes, it is going wonderfully! I am super excited about this and pray to heaven that this book gets published. :) I need your help though. If any of you know anything about Canadian laws, especially that of Temagami, Ontario that would be amazing. Part of my book takes place there and I need as much information about it as necessary. I will keep you up to date. I love and cherish all of you!

Opening the Cluttered Closet

I have been neglecting my blog. This is why I tend to never keep one. I have other priorities in life, which include focusing on my works. My newest creation is a book entitled "Immortal Blood". I am by far more in love with this new novel than I am with the "Entwined" saga. I am very confident and excited about this piece. :) I will keep you posted.

Will post tomorrow.

Little Snippet

To all of my adoring fans (seems rather quiet in here, but I am sure that there is someone out there) I have decided to share a little piece of my work from the second installment to the "Entwined" series. This book is called "Unraveled". This portion of "Unraveled" is from Emma Gathers' point of view. She is an eight year old vampire. I hope you enjoy it. Oh, and please don't steal my work :)

At first, when I smelled it, I became overwhelmed with joy because of who I thought it was. I hadn't seen him in what would seem like years. I frantically started to look around in hopes of finding him. But, as I searched, I came back to reality and thought better of it. He wouldn't be here. It was impossible. Of all things possible, this was not. He wouldn't be here at this town, in this State. He was supposed to be elsewhere, with someone else. When I realized that it wasn't whom I hoped, I became filled with utter fear. If it wasn't who I wanted it to be then it was someone dangerous. It was the same someone that had been watching us secretively for days, but apparently couldn't watch us anymore. That was how thick his presence was in the air. We were in danger. All of us. Sean, because he was a human intermingling with vampires, holding our hands. This was evidence enough that he knew far too much about the immortals than he should. Benjamin and me because we were vampires. Enough said. The fact that we were immortal children made the bounty for our heads even higher. Even if we weren't children, we'd still be dead. There was no escaping that.

I immediately looked for him. I didn't have to look far though. He was not thirty feet in front of me, standing behind a rack of clothes, eyeing me maliciously. He would know what I was. Of course he would. He wouldn't have to think twice about it, unlike the humans who would never guess. His eyes told me that he knew. It didn't matter how much I pretended to be human, he would still know what I was. He had studied our kind for years; of this I was certain. His eyes frightened me.

I looked away, my heart racing. No. Of course my heart wasn't racing. If I were human it would be though. I could not lie about that. I then realized that I had to look at him. I had to. Showing him fear was a sign of me showing my defeat and I guess you could say my desperation for death.

I closed my eyes for only a second, remembering that I was a vampire and that I could handle this. I was stronger than this. With my eyes closed, I crouched down in an animalistic stance, slowly opened my mouth, exposed my fangs and hissed quietly. When I opened my eyes again, my entire being was focused on the cold, bloodthirsty eyes of the Wild One.....

J. S. R. Clark

Remembering the Life and Legacy of the King of Pop

Regardless of my young age, I grew up on Michael Jackson. I remember living in California as a kid and my mom blaring Prince, Janet or Michael as she cleaned the house and I sat in our large townhouse doing my homework or playing with our dog Ebony. I remember our sound system sitting on top of the elegant fireplace and how I would get on tip-toe and reach to turn the volume up to my favorite Michael Jackson songs. I used to dress up like Janet and had perfected the dance patterns to her song "Rhythm Nation" by the age of six. Even at the "golden" age of twenty-two, I still admire the work that Michael has done and have greatly mourned his loss. This is all to say that not everyone my age sees Michael as a pedophile and the freaky guy that had a skeleton nose.

In all honesty, I think that Michael was more misunderstood than anything. There are the speculations that he molested children, and that he paid off the defendants in a settlement. But, to be honest with you, if my child was ever sexually abused or molested by anyone money could never keep me quiet. There is no price for my child's mental stability and safety. I would fight until the perpetrator was in prison where he belonged, no matter how rich or famous he was. I really don't think that Michael was guilty and it has nothing to do with the fact that I loved him so. Michael was a very private man, loved and adored his children to the point where he did not want to taint them or expose them to the world of music and paparazzi and he was very caring. I don't really care what everyone else says about Michael, and I honestly think that people can be cold, malicious, rude, disgusting and vile. Michael was a great man; everyone has their problems and if someone tries to claim themselves as perfect, then I'd like to see them try to kick Jesus off His throne and take His place. All I can do for Michael Jackson now is continue to listen to his legendary music and pray that he is resting in the arms of the Heavenly Father.

Pipin's Song

Home is behind
The world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow
To the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight
Mist and shadow
Cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall fade

I've always loved this song that was sung in the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie. The lyrics are very enticing, not to mention the young gentleman that played Pipin has a spectacular angelic voice. This song reminds me of writing...not surprisingly. In my eyes, the world is my ink pad and all I have to do is dip my quill in it and spread the ink across crisp white paper. Writing automatically assigns us different paths that we have to cross, whether it be to make us a better writer or whether it be to make us realize how horrible of writers we are. Writing can be very disappointing at times, especially if you feel so passionately about something and no one else has that same fire. If it were possible for us to have the supernatural ability to force people to feel what we feel, I am sure that there would be thousands more authors out there, who just needed the opportunity to prove themselves.

I cannot express to you how heart-retching it is to try and get your work out there and yet no one seems to care about you or the blood, sweat and tears that you've put into your masterpiece. My mind continues to spill miraculous ideas on to paper, and it seems as if those ideas are empty promises. I never knew as a writer that one could have so much power to influence people by the ideas that come out of one's head. It is highly fascinating. I wish to share my dreams, ideas, memories, spontaneous moments and mystical lands filled with creatures to the entire world. I think everyone should have that chance. Even someone as mediocre and dimwitted as me. I am certainly no Stephen King, but I am presumptuous enough to say that I have a talent that shouldn't just sit in the dark attic of my brain to grow cobwebs and stink like mothballs. Self-satisfaction and self-achievement is not enough for someone like me. I am the type of person who will not only recognize a God-given gift when it is right in front of your face, but I will also use any resources available to let everyone else out there know that I have that gift.

Nothing will ever stop me from giving up, not even constant failure.