Name the Cute Guy Contest--and more!

My new website at: cynselwyn.com is up and running! To celebrate, I'm having a contest. Two, actually.

Contest One: (Especially for writers.)

Name the cute guy on my website and I'll feature you in an interview on March 1st and display your books in my sidebar for the month of March.

C'mon romance writers--send me your names!

Contest Two: (Especially for readers.)

If you can answer the following questions, I'll send you an e-copy of my book, Kissing Trick and I copy of my e-novella, (an erotica) Naughty Can Be Nice.

1) What are the titles of my other books to be released by Breathless Press?

2) What is the name of my critique group? (hint: it's an icon)

3) What did I compare my home state to?

4) What are the names of the characters in the book I'm working on that's a follow-up to Kissing Trick?

Please send your responses to me at cyn@cynselwyn.com.

Contest ends on Monday, February 7th. :) Good luck!

Am I am what I'm spammed?

I have a lot of email accounts. It's hard to be a writer under two names and an editor under two others, plus myself. (My real self, the self I'm being when I'm not one of those other people.) Sadly, my real name email box has become my catchall addy. So when they ask my email address at the store so they "can send you coupons!" (or crap) or I'm at a site and they ask for your my address (that they won't sell because they "value your privacy"), I give them that one.

So I look at my "real name" account this morning and I realized my spam has assigned me some characteristics. Whether or not they're true...well....

First: I'm a happy retiree! I've got an invitation to join AARP. At 45...should I?

If I'm a trapped-at-home-mom and I retire, does that mean I don't have to do laundry anymore? Then SIGN ME UP!

Second: Apparently, I've had hip replacement surgery and missed it. Which is too bad, because I relish any opportunity to lie around, watch television, have my meals served to me (even if it's usually broth and jello--mm-m good!) and take painkillers. You know, we trapped-at-home moms don't usually get the chance to do any of these things (especially the painkiller part). But I DO know a certain segment of the population who does (if beer could be substituted for the drugs). Cough. You know who you are...

Third: I'm a cougar and I'm on the prowl! It's true that my husband is younger than I am. So...maybe I am a cougar, but...I've already got kids, thanks. I don't need anyone else's. I don't care if he's hot, sexy, interested AND legal. The only thing I'd use him for is to take out the trash.

Fourth: I'm about to die. Probably from all the drugs and cougar sex. Because if I act now (as opposed to later, when I'm dead) I can get life insurance. Hey, the only extra life insurance I need right now is the kind that tells me I'm going to live. Oh, wait...that's assurance.


Whatever. I just hope I'm not what my spam thinks I am.

What color is YOUR bathroom?

As you know (or should), I spend most of my time in the company of my four-year-old son, who is obsessed with Batman. So a lot of our conversations revolved around the Caped Crusader and all the "billians" he fights. Although, in Brady's world, they don't fight so much as they have adventures and "do missi'ns".

So on Monday morning, before we left for my doctor's appointment, all the Imaginext Batmans and Billians went into a backpack to come with us. As we drove, "the guys" sitting on Brady's lap, we discussed what each guy's bathroom was like.

Yep.

So, for example, Penguin's bathroom had lots of--go figure--penguins. Penguin shower curtain, penguin toothbrush holder, penguin wallpaper...

Joker's bathroom had violent green bathmat and toilet cover; the walls were painted magenta and the shower curtain was green and purple...

Riddler's bathroom had a stack of puzzle books and a few pencils with the erasers worn down, in a basket next to the toilet...

Two-Face had two bathrooms: one's very nice, the other--not so nice...

Clayface's bathroom has mud all over it. On the floor, red mud footprints, in the tub, red muddy puddles...

As we discussed each villain's bathroom decor, I realized--what an interesting way to figure out your characters. What are their bathrooms like?

Are there magazines in there? Are there towels--and are they rolled and placed in a basket or folded and put in the closet? What kind of knobs are there on the sink? What sort of shower curtain do they have? What kind of soap do they like--bar or bodywash? What scents do they prefer? How about shampoo? Premium stuff or the cheap stuff? Do they throw away their bottles or do they keep the empties lined up on the edges of the tub? Do they prefer baths or showers? And--do they clean their own toilet, or do they have hired help?

We decided that Batman has a normal bathroom with a rocket toilet. Alfred keeps it clean and there's a rubber duck in the tub for Robin. Go figure. So I leave you with something different to think about, just another--different--angle of characterization: What color is your characters bathroom?

Breathless Press wants you!

Well, actually, they want your submissions.

First of all, they're looking for stories for Halloween; specifically stories about  shapeshifters.



And, just as an FYI, Breathless is also looking for submissions for their new lines: Cyber: (Satisfying all your future desires) and Mocha, which will be start up in June and features (as you can tell, I'm sure) interracial stories.


Another FYI--Breathless has raised their royalty rates to forty percent (40%). Not a bad rate, IMHO.


Breathless has recently been experiencing record breaking sales. In fact, one of BP's titles hit Amazon's Bestseller list (#1 in 2 categories) with Her Five Favorite Words. December provided a record quarter for sales.

It's a growing company with a great staff of editors and cover artists. Really, there's no reason not to give them what they want: YOU.  For more information, please go to: Breathless Submissions

I feel like a slacker.

Computer woes.

My netbook is dead. I'm hoping to resuscitate it, however, by buying a new power cord.

If that doesn't work, not only is my netbook's life over, mine is too.

Funny how we start relying on these technical things. My husband and I bought our first computer in 1996. Before that...we didn't even know how to use them. Now, we have two desktops, a (broken) laptop and my little netbook. The laptop's LCD was broken when (I think) the dog jumped down from the bed onto it. (My son had it in a laptop bag on the floor.) And now...my netbook is konked out.

What am I going to do? How will I escape to write or edit? My netbook is like another appendage; it goes everywhere with me. Even (cough) into the bathroom (the only room with a door that locks). If I can't get it fixed...what will I do? I'll have to use one of the desktops! I'll be stuck in the same place! I won't be able to escape!

Hard to believe that only fifteen years ago, we were completely satisfied and comfortable with only one computer...

How many computers do you have? Which one can't you live without?

Reading the fine print...

I wish I could read the fine print. But I can't.

This is a wholly new and annoying phenomenon in my life. All of a sudden, I'm squinting at things, and--gasp!--moving into a lighted area to figure out what the heck that teeny, tiny print on the bottom of a toy/back of a gift card is trying to tell me.

It's telling me--I think I need glasses.

This getting old thing is getting old.

Speaking of old...here's something new. Illinois Woman Gives Birth to One Twin in 2010, One in 2011