A Year in Review

I wanted to take a moment to highlight my stories/novels that came out this year. First of all, check out my newest, just came out today.



This is available here and on Amazon as a Kindle edition. If you order it from the MuseItUp Publisher's store, you can take an extra 15% off with this code: 2011ONUS.



I have a story in this anthology. You can get it here or on Amazon.

The other anthology I have story in is the "So Long,and Thanks for All the Brains."



This book is a monster! It's over 400 pages, and I'm sure the stories are fabulous! I haven't had a chance to read them yet, but I hope to remedy that soon. It can be found here and on Amazon.

I also had a novella come out this year, "The Weeping Bride."



It's only available at the eTreasures site right now, and you can get my individual story or the whole anthology with two other stories. I edited the other two, and they're good. It's worth it to get all three.

And last, but by far from least, Life After the Undead came out this year.



This book is available here and on Amazon.

I'm pretty proud of this book, and if you haven't already, please check it out. I would love to hear from any one who's read it, feel free to post a comment or drop me an email.

It's been a very accomplished 2011. I'm very happy with what I've done, and next year is going to be just as productive. My nonfiction book comes out, I have two children's books coming out, and my novella, "Finding Eden," will be published. I've turned other stories in to the publishers, and I'm hoping to get more written. As usual, you will be filled in on all my progress.

Hope you have a wonderful and safe New Year!

Forging Ahead

Well, it looks as if my writing break is officially over. I know, I know, some of you are rolling your eyes and saying I never really took a break. That's not true. I did take quite a bit of time off. I can't stop completely or someone might get hurt.

I received edits from the nonfiction editor last Friday. Merry Christmas to me! I put off looking at them or cogitating on them because of the holidays and I was finishing a content edit. Now, though, I can't ignore them any longer.

I was overwhelmed at first. It was one of those moments that made me think, "What's the point? It's never going to be good enough." (I have a love/hate relationship with this book. This was a hate moment.) Then, I slapped myself a couple times and told myself it would only make the book better. I sat down and looked at his suggestions. In reality, they aren't that bad. They are totally manageable.

So, everything will once again be put on hold so I can mold this book into a masterpiece. I think I have to have it done by the end of January, so that's my goal. As usual, you will know how it goes!

Almost Done

Well, I survived the major holiday. Thank goodness! There was a lot of traveling involved, some overeating, and much visiting with friends and family. To end it all, we took off snowmobiling for a couple days. The first day, we had a huge group. Seven sleds with the two kids riding double. It was a blast! The next day, it was just me and my boys.

We had a relaxing morning in the room, got up and ate breakfast, then headed out. We didn't get to stay out as long as we wanted because the spouse was low on gas, but it was still a nice day. I couldn't believe how many snowmobilers were up there. Seriously, it was like Sturgis in the snow. We still had a great time, though!

I'm not looking forward to New Years. Three-fourths of the time, I don't celebrate it. I've had some really bad New Years in my day, so I just avoid it all together. It's safer that way!

There's a ton of stuff coming up in the next year for me. My nonfiction book will be coming out, hopefully the sequel will be out, and I've got some kids' books scheduled for publication. I'm sure in between all of those I'll be working on some new stuff, too.

How about the rest of you? How did your holidays go? Are you glad they're over? Are you excited for New Years?

This Week in Writing

Don't forget, eTreasures is still giving away free ebooks on their blog. Check it out!

I finished Chapter 2 of my dragon story and started on Chapter 3. Again, I haven't had much time to work on it since I've been busy editing. But that should change in the next week or so, then I'll have all the time in the world! Well, not really, but you know what I mean!

Also, I got my cover for my novella "Finding Eden" this week. It is AWESOME! I was flabbergasted when I opened the jpg. Let me know what you think!



More than likely, I will not be posting on Monday or Tuesday. Please try not to miss me too much.


Last week, I picked the boys up from Grandma's house, and we were going to Wendy's for dinner. I asked them what they wanted, and they told me nuggets. The 4 year old then goes into a discussion about how nuggets aren't real food (I don't remember exactly what he said).

I asked him, "Who told you nuggets aren't real food?"

"No one," he responds. "I just know. I'm magic."

"Oh."

"You know why I don't ever poop my pants at daycare?" he asks me.

"No. Why?"

"Because I have magic in my butt."

I lost it. That kid comes up with some of the funniest things!


This morning, the 2 year old got up and stood in the living room and started singing, "Let's have have a party!"

For those of you who don't know, that's a line from Toby Keith's song "Red Solo Cup."

Every time I hear that song, it gets stuck in my head. So, we'll be singing it all day!

I hope this holiday weekend you get to party, and maybe get a little magic in your butt (you can make that as dirty or clean as you deem fit!). Have a Merry Christmas!

My Multitude of Hats

I love to write. It's one of the only things that keeps me sane. As I mentioned before, it's more of a compulsion. I feel guilty when I don't do it, and I get grumpy if I can't maim someone on paper.

Aside from writing, my other passion is editing. I'm a tech editor for my day job, and I really enjoy the mechanics of language. At one point, I thought I'd never write, just be an editor. Thankfully, I've figured out how to do both.

Like I said, I'm an editor for my day job, and that involves scientific information. Nonfiction stuff, if you will. As you can imagine, my real dream was to be a fiction editor. Well, I was able to fulfill that dream a few months ago.

My publisher ran into some issues with staff. She lost some people, and fell behind getting books out. I offered my services, and I've been a content/line editor ever since. I also recently got a job at Musa Publishing working for their Urania division. It's speculative fiction, so you know it's right up my alley.

There's nothing more wonderful than being one of the first to read a new story, and then being able to help the author make that story better. I always appreciate the editors in my life, and I like being able to give back to the writing community. I'm very lucky to be able to give my time as both a writer and an editor. Now, I just need to figure out how to make it my career!

Taming the Demons

I had a bad day yesterday. I didn't sleep very well, I woke up with a headache, and when I got to work I felt like I was being crushed. I questioned my writing ability and the voices told me I wouldn't amount to anything. The feeling built and snowballed until it culminated and I got angry about the most mundane thing in the the world.

My spouse asked if I could please mail a package of products he sold on eBay. It was supposed to be simple. All I needed to do was log in to his account and print the label. It wasn't that easy. First of all, I didn't know where to find the label. I texted him, but he was at lunch with a friend (which irritated me further. If he had time to go to lunch, why didn't he have time to mail the freaking package?).

He finally got back to me and told me where the find the link. I found it, clicked on it, and was ready to hit print when it told me I had to log into his PayPal account and purchase the stupid thing. I don't have his PayPal login, so I had to text him for that. I was actually busy at work, so I didn't really have time to mess with it.

I blew up. It was the most ridiculous thing to get upset about, but I needed to vent. My poor spouse, he took the brunt of it. He didn't deserve to get yelled at, but he has broad shoulders and took it well. That's why I love him!

After I left work, I was fine. I hung out with my kids, then went to dessert with my spouse and a friend so we could talk about "Death to the Undead" (they were my beta readers). While there, I got an email with the cover for "Finding Eden." It's AWESOME! I think I can post it, but I'm going to wait for the OK from the publisher.

By the time I went to bed, I felt better. I'm doing all right today, and trying to focus on the positives. Every so often those stinking stress/depression demons rear their heads, and I have to fight them back down. We all go through it. I'm just lucky I have supportive and patient people around me who don't hold grudges!

Tough Question Tuesday

What is your favorite holiday treat?

I really like sugar cookies. Really like them. They rank up there as one of my favorites. I'm also a big fan of my grandma's fudge. Mmmm. It melts in your mouth. My grandma-in-law makes the best peanut butter balls, too. I'll pretty much eat anything sweet as long as it doesn't have nuts in it. Yeah for this time of year!

Also, keep checking out the eTreasures blog. They are giving away a lot of fun stuff! My story is already gone, but there are a ton of great writers there!

Movie Review Monday

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011)

Not all comic books can be translated onto film. That should be the lesson here. The film wasn't terrible, but it wasn't very good either. It fell into that gray area that makes you scratch your head after you watch it, wondering what you just saw, but still feeling like you were slightly entertained. There were a few chuckles in the movie, and the idea was good, but the presentation was lacking.

Seriously, by the end of the film, I turned to my spouse and said, "Wow. With those graphics, that could have been a Sy Fy channel film." They were pretty bad. Even with Brandon Routh, who is pretty yummy, there wasn't much to save the film.

I put up a link to imdb.com so you can read what the film was about. I would like to try and summarize it for you, but I'm not sure how to go about it. It follows Dylan Dog, who was a detective for the undead. He retired due to some tragic death of his fiance, who may or may not have been a werewolf. Then, he comes back to work after some antique smuggler is killed by another werewolf.

There was a pretty cool huge mutated zombie, and the creature they resurrected could have been cool, but you could tell it was a guy in a suit. And not a good one. Even the werewolf "change" was lacking. Trust me, you'll just have to see it to know what I mean.

I didn't feel like I wasted my Friday night by watching this, though I doubt I'll ever see it again. I have a feeling it might be one of those films that becomes a cult classic.

Has anyone else seen it?

This Week in Writing

Want a chance to win some of my ebooks? Then check out my blog post at eTreasures and leave a comment. They'll put you in a drawing to win! Check it out. You know you wanna!

I turned in "Death to the Undead" to the publisher. It'll still be a few months, but I'm that much closer to getting the sequel out!

I finished the first chapter of my dragon story. I was hoping to start on the second, but editing has kept me away. I'll be done with the editing tonight, so I'm hoping to get some more writing done this weekend.

Other than that, I'm being lazy!


The other night, I was sitting in the kitchen. I don't remember if I was working or eating, but the 4 year old comes in and stands in front of me.

"I need to borrow your phone," he says.

"What for?" I ask.

"I need to call Santa and let him know that my brother is being naughty."

I stifled the laugh. "Oh, honey. I'm sorry. Santa doesn't take calls from kids. Only moms and dads can call to let him know you're being naughty. Besides, being a tattle tale isn't really nice, you know."

He nodded. "Well, he can still see him, right?"

"Yes."

"Then he knows he's being naughty and he won't get any presents." He walked off to continue playing.

Have a great weekend! But don't be naughty because Santa AND his little helpers will see it!

Having a Brain Spasm

I have no idea what I want to talk about today. I had a great blog planned out in my head last night, but darn it all if I can remember what it was this morning! It's been one of those weeks. Thank goodness it's almost over!

As I mentioned yesterday, eTreasures is running a special, but it's also doing giveaways. My book, "Life After the Undead," is one of them, along with many other great stories, so keep checking out their blog to find out how to win!

A Day of Links

The first place I would like to send you is to eTreasures site. They're running a special in honor of Christmas, so you get 12% off. Check out Life After the Undead, and my other book.

My story, The Weeping Bride, has now been combined with the other two stories, so you can get them all as an ebook for $2.99. I edited the other two stories, and they're good, so the whole collection rocks!



The anthology, So Long, and Thanks for All the Brains, is now out. My story, "Live, and Let Them Be Undead," is in there. There's also a whole bunch of other really great writers in there. I can't wait to get my copy, it's going to be AWESOME!



If any of you pick these stories up, I'd love to hear from you. You can either post a review on Amazon, or send me an email at pembrokesinclair at hotmail dot com. They'll make great gifts, too!

Tough Question Tuesday

There are officially 12 days until Christmas. Are you ready?

I'm getting there. Just have a few things still to pick up, presents for the nieces and nephew, probably some last minute things I forgot. I still have to mail packages too. Better get on that this week!

Movie Review Monday

The Company Men (2010)

I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to this movie, I was attempting to write, but the parts I did watch were really good.

The movie is about people who work in a giant corporation during the economic crisis. They get fired because the company is "downsizing," and it's the story of how they cope with that loss.

It was better than I expected it to be. The hardships and emotion were really gripping. I couldn't imagine being in some of those peoples shoes. Luckily, I never lost my job, though I was affected by the economy (who wasn't?).

The film wasn't overly long, so if you have an hour and forty-five minutes, check it out.

Friends With Benefits (2011)

Meh. It was pretty much what I expected it to be. I was hoping for a bit more humor, but it wasn't there.

The film wasn't a complete waste of time. Justin Timberlake is adorable, and I like Mila Kunis. It was the perfect mindless movie to round out the weekend. It wasn't overly long, either.

I recommend both movies if you have some extra time on your hands. And if you have something else to do while they're playing, you probably won't miss much!

Has anyone else seen either of these films? What did you think?

This Week in Writing

One of my readers finished their analysis/edits for "Death to the Undead," so I incorporated those. I'm still waiting on the second reader, who has been given a deadline of Sunday. After that, I'll incorporate those suggestions.

I edited a short story that I've been working on for a while. One more read through, then I'm submitting it. I'll let you know how that goes.

I started a new novel, my dragon story, but I haven't been working overly hard on it. Believe it or not, I'm taking a little break right now. Since it's the end of the year and I've accomplished my goal, I'm being lazy. Have no fear, it won't last long!


Yesterday, the 4 year old was having a rough day. OK, he wasn't so much having a rough day as making my day rough. Both boys slept in, so we were running a little behind. I asked the 4 year old if he'd please get dressed, help me out, and he tells me, "I want you to get me dressed!" Then proceeded to play.

If I had been thinking, I would have taken him to daycare in his pajamas, but I didn't have time for that. Plus, he picked out his clothes, he just didn't put them on. He met me half way. Sorta.

When I picked them up from daycare, he still had an attitude. I was helping his brother get his coat on, and the 4 year old ran to his room to grab his. He comes back a few moments later and tells me, "I dropped my pictures on the floor."

"Okay," I say. "Then you need to pick them up."

We head to his classroom to put on his coat.

"No. YOU pick them up," he tells me.

Well, it had been a long day, and I wasn't in the mood to be barked at. So, as calmly as I could (and, really, it was pretty calm, we were in public), I told him, "I didn't drop them on the floor. You did. If you don't want to pick them up, I guess they'll get thrown away."

He threw a fit! If I could've walked out and left him there, I would have. (I tried, but he followed after me.) It was ever so pleasant.

Later, as we're driving home, his little voice comes from the back seat. "You still love me, right?"

"Of course I do, honey. But I'm very unhappy with you right now. I'm still mad at you."

He didn't respond. I guess as long as I still loved him, all was well.

Remember, even if you're a butt head and p*ss people off, there's still someone out there who loves you. You just might need to remind them that they do from time to time! Hope you have a great weekend!

The Holidays Are Upon Us

Like it was a secret. Like stores haven't been playing Christmas music and setting up trees since Halloween. Dang commercialism!

I'm not a big fan of Christmas. I'm not going to go into details why, it's convoluted and sorted (not really, but that makes you wonder!). However, since I've had children, I've discovered there are things to like about the holiday.

1) Children are on their best behavior for fear that Santa might not bring them anything.

My 4 year old tells me all the time that Santa is watching and that he doesn't like naughty kids. I tell him that's true, but I also try to explain to him that he has to be good year-round, not just in December. I usually get a blank stare. Either way, if it helps for a little while, I'm not going to complain.

2) Everything and anything having to do with Christmas is exciting and new to kids.

The tree is beautiful, the ornaments are dazzling. The 4 year old even recognizes it's Jesus's birthday, so we need to celebrate that too. He sings carols. His excitement and wonderment are intoxicating.

3) December means it's going to snow, which means more opportunities to go snowmobiling.

It's nice to get out. We all know how much stress can happen this time of year, so I always enjoy getting away from things for a few hours.

What do you enjoy about this time of year?

Images of Public Appearances

The library program manager of the teen group was kind enough to send me images of the event. I will post them for your viewing pleasure! Enjoy!







I would totally do it again. And I hope I get the chance to!

Tough Question Tuesday

Is it wise to put all of your stories in one publisher's basket, or should you spread the love around to others?

I really like my publisher, and I'm pretty sure they like me. But sometimes I feel like I'm inundating them with my work, maybe pulling them away from other authors because I send so many stories. But that's what I do, I write.

I have a story coming out from a different publisher, and I'm contemplating sending them another. I have a submission of some short stories, but I'm not sure where to send them. Do you think my publisher wants them? Or do you think another person deserves a shot?

I'm really torn here, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Movie Review Monday

Day of the Dead (1985)

I remember seeing bits and pieces of this movie a loooong time ago. I never watched the whole thing because I didn't know what it was. That was remedied this weekend.

I really like this movie. The acting leaves a little to be desired, but the story is fantastic! And the special effects are so much better than the other two.

The premise of the film is a group of scientists and military personnel are holed up in an underground base. Some of the scientists are looking for the answers to what caused the zombie uprising and if there is a way to cure it. The head scientist is looking for a way to control the undead. There's implications that the doctor may have lost his sanity. The twitching is a dead give away, but there's also the insatiable desire to hack up the living to feed to his pet. I don't think "normal" people do that!

There is conflict between the civilians and soldiers, and conflict between all the men and the one woman. There's lots of conflict in the movie. The film was a nice look at how people fall apart, or don't, under pressure and in impossible situations. Like I said, the effects were so much better than the other films, and I thoroughly enjoyed the blood and guts.

The part about the film that focused on Bub was so fun. Who wouldn't want a zombie on the end of a leash? I would. Just think of the possibilities! No one would mess with you! The way the creature was portrayed, you couldn't help feel sorry for him. You rooted for him to be "civilized" and learn to be "human" again. Then, you rooted for him to get his vengeance. Of course, it's misplaced sympathy since he'll revert and kill you eventually, perhaps with a gun, which is a very scary notion. Aren't the zombies bad enough without giving them extra weapons?

This might be one I add to my collection. It's such an enjoyable film with so much social commentary. Has anyone else seen it?

The Week in Writing/Public Appearances

I gave "Death to the Undead" to some beta readers. I'm putting them on a tight deadline, so I'm hoping to have comments by next Sunday. My goal is to have a finalized version to send to the publisher at the end of the month. Hey! It's good to have goals.

Yesterday, I mentioned I was doing a reading at the library. I'll admit, I was very nervous. If you recall, my last experience with a reading ended in six people showing up. Since I'm soooo optimistic, I figured it would be about the same this time. Especially since it was kids.

The contact with the library mentioned that they had purchased books to give to the kids that showed up. I figured 3-4, nothing over the top. You can imagine my surprise when I realized they ordered 15 (1-5!). And the best part about the whole thing, they were able to give away every single copy! That's right, FIFTEEN kids showed up to listen to me read my first chapter. The age range for the group was 11-18, but don't ask me to give specific ages because I'm terrible at that kind of thing!

I had the best time reading and talking to that group. They were enthusiastic and asked fantastic questions. They were very excited to have me sign their books. They even complimented me on how exciting the first chapter was and how it drew them into the story immediately. I walked out of there on cloud nine.

The program director mentioned that she would like me to come back, and I told her I would absolutely love that! It truly was an amazing experience, and I would be honored to do it again!

I'm going into this weekend thinking that maybe I do know what I'm doing when it comes to writing. I'm energized and refreshed and optimistic. I hope you feel the same this weekend! Have a great one!

Draggin' Behind

It's been a long week. Thank goodness it's almost over. I think I'm still recovering from Thanksgiving. But it is also that time of year. The days are shorter, so I feel like I should be in bed earlier, and holidays have a tendency to stress me out. I try not to let them, but it's inevitable. I'll survive, though. I have to!

I'm doing a reading today at the local library. I'm even on the schedule. Unfortunately, it's only for teens/tweens between the ages of 11 and 18. It should be exciting. I'm hoping for a good turnout. I'll let you know how it went tomorrow.

I was also on a guest blog this week. I meant to post it earlier, but, like I said, it's been a long week.
Pembroke Sinclair's books on Goodreads
Life After the Undead Life After the Undead
reviews: 55
ratings: 100 (avg rating 3.64)

The Appeal of Evil The Appeal of Evil (The Road to Salvation, #1)
reviews: 38
ratings: 63 (avg rating 3.54)

Wucaii Wucaii
reviews: 32
ratings: 35 (avg rating 4.11)

Death to the Undead Death to the Undead (Sequel to Life After the Undead)
reviews: 20
ratings: 39 (avg rating 4.23)

Dealing with Devils Dealing with Devils (The Road to Salvation, #2)
reviews: 22
ratings: 32 (avg rating 4.00)