Melissa Maygrove

I've been tagged in a meme by J. E. Oneil over at Still Writing . The Questions What are you working on right now? A historical romance set in 1850's America, titled Come Back . How does it differ from other works in its genre? Hm. Well, both of the leads are virgins, not just the heroine.  Also, they don't meet in chapter one. The delay was necessary for the story. How does your writing process work?

I feel like ranting about commas, so I'm doing that for Grammar Police today. Commas give lots of writers fits. I know this. The rules governing some commas make their use optional. I also know this . The problem is, I've seen a trend in fiction of eliminating commas as a way to streamline the prose — to the point it breaks rules and stumbles readers. Not a good idea. I agree that writers should avoid using unnecessary commas, especially in fast-paced scenes; but , for Pete's sake, don't take an indiscriminate hatchet to them! The English language needs commas. Let me repeat: The English language needs commas . Why?

I have a favor to ask. One of my kids is in theater arts. At a parent meeting this week, the teacher informed us one of the ways we could help was to donate books--used or otherwise. Apparently, they have the kids turn stories into plays for an assignment. For what it's worth, I don't think they act these out on stage. They just do the writing part to study how to make scripts.

Some patients just stick with you. As I sit, holding one of my four-pound charges, I can't help but wonder about her future. She just finished eating. Her head is resting in the crook of my arm and her eyes are closed. A milk-drunk smile curves her rosy lips. One of her hands pushes free of the blanket and her slender fingers splay open, then clasp reflexively around my thumb. "You're destined for greatness," I whisper.  She must be.

  To celebrate the release of her second book, Courage , Carrie Butler is visiting my blog today with a guest post on interpreting CP comments. * thinks back over critiques I've sent to Carrie *  0_0   Gulp .  I'm not sure I want to do this.  Um. Carrie? I know you've been working day and night on guest posts for your tour and all, but can we change the topic to something else...? * Carrie glares at me with bloodshot eyes and snarls * Never mind.   Here's Carrie...

Today, I'm posting a cover reveal for E.J. Wesley's new book. Isn't it cool! Available Monday, October 22nd!

As I mentioned yesterday, Carrie Butler's book Courage , book 2 in the Mark of Nexus series, releases today! Congratulations, Carrie!!! :D You can find out more about Courage and add it to Goodreads here . And you can buy Courage here: Amazon Barnes & Noble   Smashwords   Carrie is currently touring with Grapevine Book Tours. She will be visiting my blog on Friday with a fun guest post on the subject of interpreting CP feedback. Gah! None of my comments are safe!  0_0 **In celebration of Courage 's release,  Strength (book one of the Mark of Nexus series) is FREE October 15th-18th !**

Before I get started, I have to comment on the drawing.  My daughter is currently taking German. She had to complete a project listing all her family members, including a few details about them (in German, of course). She drew pictures of us, too. You guessed it. This is me...complete with glasses.  As my husband said about his drawing, "I wish I was that skinny." :P So what do you think? Should this become my new Grammar Police avatar?

To Celebrate the release of her book, Secrets of the Ash Tree , Siv Maria Ottem is taking the Norse Gods with her on a blog tour from October 7th - 14th. Make sure to stop by her blog and see what kind of Birthday Giveaways she is raffling off! Today, Norse goddess Freya is visiting. This is quite meaningful, actually, because the day Friday is named after her. She is the goddess of love, fertility, and sexual desire. ( We'll do our best to keep this PG-13. *grin* )   Mouth slightly open in awe, I half walk, half stumble into the most opulent bedchamber I’ve ever seen. Thick velvet draperies frame stained-glass windows, and rich fabrics sweep down from a stately canopy bed and cover its lofty mattress. “What happened to my blog?”

I've been writing fiction for three years, and I've noticed something. I talk funny. Not funny-ha-ha, funny-different. In those early days, I wrote the way I always had, then edited later. ( Not that it improved my writing much, but humor me here. :P ) As I learned more about fiction writing and honed my craft, I began to self-edit as I write. Now, that lingual self-awareness comes so naturally, it has altered the way I speak. Has this happened to you? ### Thanks for visiting. :)  I'll be hosting Siv Ottem with a special post on Friday.  Hope you can make it.  Does writing fiction make you talk funny? ( click to tweet )

Or something like that. If you're here for   Insecure Writers Support Group , sorry I missed you. I'm taking a break from IWSG this month.  See you in November. :)   IWSG is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. It's a monthly bloghop that offers a safe haven for writers to express their feelings and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. It's also a venue for offering support, both in the form of comments and positive posts. Writers of all kinds are welcome.  We 'meet' the first Wednesday of every month. If you're interested in learning more, click on the link above. And don't be intimidated by the size of the group. We're not expected to visit everyone on the list. 

Real quick — Nick Wilford has a big announcement. For more information, check his blog . Now here's Julie's cover reveal. :)