Gemini's Wisdom

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NEW SITE!!!
2007-06-04 08:04:00
SEE BELOW FOR REGULAR POSTSFYI: My author site is being re-vamped, which means my blog is, too. For those of you that have me on your blogroll as Gemini Wisdom (http://geminiwisdom.blogspot.com), you will need to change it to Celise Downs (www.celisedowns.com/blog). The new site will be unveiled this week and in honor of the new site--not to mention my birthday--I will be giving away plenty of goodies.Stay tuned for updates.
More About: Life in General , Site , New Site

Movie Queue: Spiderman-3
2007-05-28 18:54:00
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Topher Grace, Thomas Hayden Church I've been remiss in posting my movie reviews. Case in point, this very review for Spider man 3. The hubby and I saw this opening weekend and I'm just now putting it up. My bad. I'm sure you all that wanted to see it have seen it by now, but I'm still going to have my say. It's the third and final installment about your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman, and Peter Parker (Maguire) has seemingly found a balance between superhero life, his personal life with Mary Jane Watson (Dunst), and the continued animosity with Harry Osborn (Franco).Until two events happen: 1) the man who really killed his uncle, Flint Marco (Church) escapes from prison and 2) an alien goo lands on Earth and manages to somehow attach itself to Peter. The host symbiote feeds on negative feelings and we soon see a change in Peter. His Spidey suit turns black and he's gaining more confidence. But the more he wears the suit, ...
More About: Movie , Queue , Erma

What's your 4400 ability?
2007-05-28 10:20:00
The first time I played, I was a healer (Shawn).The second time, a mind control master (Isabelle).If you liked Heroes, you're going to like The 4400: Over a period of decades, 4400 people disappeared from various locations around the world. In 2004, they were all brought back to Washington State in a ball of light. After they got back, they discovered that they had been taken by people from the future as a way to avert a global catastrophe. People who gave them special abilities.The new season starts June 17 on the USA Network. Check it out.Characters welcome.
More About: Boob Tube , Bili

Change is a-comin'...
2007-05-28 08:05:00
And hopefully it'll be this week. As you can see from the above post, my author website is being re-vamped. It's been a long time coming, too. Two months to be exact. I was hoping to debut it sooner, but the company I went thru had to do some restructuring--and some catching up--and my designer had to step back from my project because nothing was turning out the way it should.I know all about that stepping back thing.But today she sent me a link of what she's done so far and it's FREAKIN' AWESOME. I'm dying to see the rest of the pages (the Book pages in particular). I had a vision of how I wanted this site to look. I had specific details for each page and specific images that I wanted to appear on each page.My designer took these instructions, ran down the court, jumped off the trampoline...and slam-dunked it!I can't wait to see the finished product and show it to all of you.Hope you like it.Note: I blogged about this a couple of months ago. If you'd like to read the explan...
More About: Change , Life in General , Chang , Chan

What I've Done...
2007-05-26 02:51:00
...is bought Linkin Park's new CD "Minutes to Midnight."LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE. IT.These guys are my #1 favorite group for one reason and one reason alone:consistency.I have all of their original CD's--and by original I mean original, not the remixes--and there is not one song I would skip over. More often than not, there are certain songs that I play over and over. And this time is no different. #7 Hands Held High is my all-time favorite on the new CD and the first time out, I played it 5 times in a row. I get chills and a tear in my eye every time I hear it. Powerful, powerful song. Besides #7, these are my other choice picks:#1 Wake - It's instrumental and I always like these type of interludes.#2 Given Up - this song is a total rush-head-bangin'-mosh pit-"break-your-neck" song. I put this one on repeat at least 3 times.#4 Bleed it Out - I call this the "Yee-Haw" song. It's a knee-slapper. I can see them singing this at their concert. This was a 3-peat as well.#6 What I've ...
More About: Life in General , Done

Done and done
2007-05-25 02:47:00
It's that time again, folks. Show finales. All my shows went out with cliffhangers that'll keep me anxious to see the new season. When The Hubby and I started dating, I pulled him in to watching "Buffy", "Angel", "Smallville" and "Alias." It was a way for us to spend time together. We started watching "Supernatural" and "Bones" together. He doesn't watch "Heroes", but he watches "24". No, that wasn't me. It was his best friend, J. I don't know what season it was, but he soon started talkin' smack about "Smallville" and their "Freak of the Week" episodes. I have to agree, there were a lot of those random-villains-with-special-abilities-du e-to-the-meteor-shower storylines. The writers must've felt their ears burning on that one and the episodes got better, but The Hubby still talks smack. Out of all of these shows, "Supernatural" is my favorite. Why, you ask? Well, let me give you ten:10) It comes on after "Smallville", so I don't even have to change the channel.9) There's a ...
More About: Boob Tube , Done

Hometown Girl Does Good
2007-05-25 02:42:00
Draven will be happy to know that I've been watching A.I. for the past couple of weeks. Admittedly, I was hoping Melinda would win, but I think it's great that our very own Jordin Sparks won. The youngest at 17. Very cool. And she's so pretty, too.During the last two shows done at the Kodak Theater, the camera kept flashing into the crowd and I managed to catch a few famous faces:The Hoff (aka David Hasselhoff)Jennifer HudsonMarlee MatlinJeff FoxworthyDavid Allen GrierJerry SpringerRick SchroederWho did you see?
More About: Life in General , Girl , Boob Tube , Good

The Year 2007 Overview: Gemini
2007-05-22 04:29:00
Today marks the first day for the sign of Gemini . My birthday is next month (the 5th) and according to Astrology.com, this is my yearly overview:Gemini thrives on change, variety and mental stimulation. You will attract these in all areas of your life, making for a very exciting year. Use your talent of looking at your emotions objectively to come to terms with them when you don't understand logically what's going on in your life. Emotions are like events to you, and you have the ability to categorize them well. Your ability to feel connected with people will help keep strong relationships going this year. Treat life's challenges as projects and you will inevitably figure out what's going on. You will make long strides in your career this year -- as long as you keep faith in yourself. The energy you put into your work will allow you to experience many material blessings in your home environment. Pay close attention to your own creative ideas. Many new inspirational ideas are com...
More About: Life in General , Year , Overview

GOING TRADITIONAL STATUS REPORT: Rejection #40
2007-05-22 02:57:00
Via snail mail today from Dunow, Carlson & lerner Literary Agency:Dear Celise:Thanks for the chance to consider Draven Atreides, Teenage FBI. This is a great idea, and I love the title. I'm sorry to say, though, that I didn't fall in love with the narrative. It feels a little overwritten to me--to my ear the scenes tend to overexplain what's happening, and also at times I think the narrator's sensibility comes across as older than her age.I won't be surprised to heart that you find others to disagree, and I do wish you all the best with this.Sincerely,Jennifer Carlson
More About: Report , Status , Repo , Stat , Rejection

Driving in Phoenix
2007-05-19 07:41:00
My friend, Davi, sent this to me the other day. For us native Phoenicians, this is completely true. For all visitors, snowbirds and random vacationers alike, read and learn:1.You must first learn to pronounce the city name. It is: "FEE-NICKS."2. The morning rush hour is from 5:00 a.m. to noon. The evening rush hour is from noon to 7:00 p.m. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.3. The minimum acceptable speed on most freeways is 85 mph. On Loop 101 your speed is expected to match the highway number. Anything less is considered "Wussy."4. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Phoenix has its own version of traffic rules. For example, cars/trucks with the loudest muffler go first at a four-way stop; the trucks with the biggest tires go second. However, East Valley SUV-driving, cell-phone-talking moms ALWAYS have the right of way.5. If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear-ended, cussed out, and possibly shot.6. Never honk at anyone. Ever. Seriously. ...
More About: Driving , Life in General , Ving

June Bug
2007-05-14 05:31:00
Remember that car trouble I had mentioned not too long ago? Well, I got rid of today.That's me me in my new-used, black 2005 Volkswagen Beetle! I've been wanting one ever since they came out. After eating breakfast with my parents and long-time family friends (a Mother's Day tradition for over 10 yrs, I think), the hubby and I went to the Volkswagen dealership to test drive one. I've never driven one before, but Draven has one. She seems to have so much fun tooling around in her purple one, it made me want to get one even more.The intent had been to just test drive it. They don't call them salesmen for nothin'. The next thing I know, we're makin' deals and trying to get monthly payments below $300 (which we did. Thank God for the hubby). For the record, black wasn't my first choice. In fact, it wasn't on my list of choices at all. I was looking for a 2000-2003 certified, automatic with a lighter color paint job. I never wanted to own a black car in the desert, but....it...
More About: June

Abs. Flatter-than-roadkill abs
2007-05-11 07:14:00
I love entering contests where books are the prize. Especially books I like to read: adult romance series books. Jill Shalvis was giving away copies of her new book, coming out next month, on her blog and all you had to do was post a comment.So I did.AND LOOK WHAT I WON?! A half naked guy.To read about.And drool over (see inarticulate blog title).I was going to buy this book towards the end of the month (I go to eHarlequin.com to get my fix of the monthly series books), but free is even better.Especially when you get to drool over the cover.And eventually read it, of course, once you get past that cover of abs. Flat ter-than-roadkill-ripped-to-shreds abs....
More About: Road , Latte , Kill

Writing Movement Update
2007-05-11 04:40:00
It's been good, y'all. It must be all the faboo writing vibes you've all been sending me. As of today, here's where I'm at:56/66 pages to be completed by 5/31I forgot what reward I chose when I completed this deadline, but I think it was a picnic in the park with my hubby.
More About: Writing , Update , Move

GOING TRADITIONAL STATUS REPORT: Request #13
2007-05-11 04:35:00
YAY! Via email today from the Prospect Agency:Dear Celise:Thank you for your recent submission, Draven Atreides, Teenage FBI: A RoyalePain, to Prospect Agency. I'd be pleased to consider your completemanuscript. Please send it via mail and I will get back to you as soon asI can. I will respond to your submission by email or phone so there is noneed to send an SASE. I also ask that you inform me should there be anychange in the status of your submission.All best,Emily Sylvan KimAgentTruthfully, I'm almost afraid to send it now. Yes, now, that I know that it needs some...adjustments. Sigh.
More About: Report , Request , Status , Quest , Repo

A little update
2007-05-09 03:30:00
I forgot to post on here--and MySpace--about my booksigning event I had on Saturday. Sorry. My bad. It was hosted by the Arts Council for Youth and it was fun. Except for when my tent almost blew over. That was not so fun (damned sandbags). Anyhow, we had an excellent spot near the Main Dance Stage. Besides the books, there was music, art, food, a raffle, and plenty of dancing. You can see photos from the Arts Jam Festival HERE.------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------- ------------------I started another AuthorMBA online workshop this week: Feng Shui for Writers: Move Your Stuff, Make a Sale. Sounds cool, doesn't it? I couldn't pass up the price. Why are you taking this, you may ask? Besides the fact that it's geared towards writers and us writers need all the creativity flow we can get? I'll give you one good reason: have you seen my office? I don't write in here, I type in here. It's obvious I'm in dire need of help and Bella Andre is goin...
More About: Update , Little , Litt

S to the A to the R to the K
2007-05-08 07:06:00
I have been uplifted. I have been bathed in the warm and loving light that is SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) and have been refreshed. This woman is one of my favorite authors and I gave up watching Heroes tonight so that I could see her at Changing Hands Bookstore. She's on tour promoting her new book Fabulous Friendship Festival: Loving wildly, learning deeply, living fully with our friends.I had brought my camera with every intention of getting my picture taken with her, but my batteries had gone dead (GARRRGH!). Probably from being overworked at my booksigning event on Saturday. So you'll just have to take my word for it that this woman is phenomenal by checking out these photos from her Succulent Pajama Party last year. For those you of that don't know---and have probably guessed by now--I HEART SARK. I discovered her through my best friend, who loaned me SARK's book, Succulent Wild Woman, and I've been a devoted follower ever since. If there was a cult in which SARK wa...
More About: Life in General , The A

Apparently, there really IS justice in this world
2007-05-05 01:58:00
And it starts on my birthday, no less. In Yahoo Headlines today: Paris Hilton going to jail for 45 days"Hilton... must go to jail on June 5 and she will not be allowed any work release, furloughs, use of an alternative jail or any electronic monitoring in lieu of jail, Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer ruled after a hearing." YES! (Snoopy dance inserted here)"As a city prosecutor said during closing arguments that Hilton deserved jail time, Hilton's mother, Kathy, laughed. When the judge ruled, Kathy Hilton then blurted out: "May I have your autograph?" Way to go, Mom. Whether that was meant to be sarcastic or not."Paris Hilton was among a series of witnesses who took the stand during the hearing. She maintained she was unaware her license was suspended and thought she was allowed to drive for work purposes." Work purposes? Since when is club hopping, shopping, and attending fashion shows considered to be work, you twit?"She said that when an officer who stopped her in January...
More About: World , Justice , In the News , Life in General , Real

Not gonna happen
2007-05-04 00:01:00
In Yahoo Headlines today, Prosecutors want Paris Hilton in jail.As much as we'd all love to see this, it's not going to happen. Which truly pisses me off and I'll tell you why.Going to the closet and pulling out my soapbox.~ "Hilton, 26, pleaded no contest in January to reckless driving stemming from a Sept. 7 arrest in Hollywood. She was sentenced to 36 months probation, alcohol education and $1,500 in fines." She's a Hilton, for crissakes. They couldn't come up with a more expensive fine than $1500. That's chump change.~ "She was pulled over by California Highway Patrol on Jan. 15. Officers informed Hilton she was driving on a suspended license and she signed a document acknowledging she was not to drive, according to court papers."..."Hilton's spokesman, Elliot Mintz, said at the time she wasn't aware her license was suspended". So what the hell did she think she was signing? Her autograph for the cops kids?~ "Prosecutors say by signing the document after the first incide...
More About: In the News , Life in General , Gonna

Draven's On The Case
2007-05-03 08:09:00
Draven Atreides, the main character from my YA series, now has her own little slice of heaven in cyberspace. Go visit her HERE and show her some love. We can play nice, people. I know this. Our parents didn't raise us to be Neanderthals.I said OUR PARENTS DIDN'T RAISE US TO BE NEANDERTHALS. GET YOUR BUTTS ON OVER THERE. DON'T MAKE ME HAVE TO TELL YOU TWICE!
More About: Case , Raven

A Whole Latte Trouble
2007-05-03 06:21:00
As you all know, I'm working on the first draft of Book Two in the DA series. A Whole Latte Trouble is about drugs. Guns. And rock'n'roll. Just kidding. Actually, it's the first two, money laundering...and one of Draven's favorite places. Shhh! Don't tell her. At least, not yet. She's going to be highly ticked when she finds out.As a writer, one of the many things I love to do is research. Even though I write fiction, there's always a bit of truth in my stories. Well, in all stories for that matter. Dan Poynter has a great e-newsletter called Publishers Marketplace where you can place an ad if you're looking for info. That's where I found the owner of a gun shop...who also knew a little sumpin'-sumpin' about drugs. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but among other things, he gave me a couple of links to check out. One of which was the DEA website.But I digress.The one subject I didn't know a whole lot about was money laundering. I was under the mistaken impr...
More About: Life in General , Hole

H2O on the rocks, please...
2007-05-02 23:53:00
Yahoo Featured Headline today: Water Facts and Fiction: Do you really need eight glasses of water a day? Is bottled water better than tap? I love water. Water is my favorite drink. Now. When I was young, I drank nothing but grape juice. And it had to be the Welch's Grape Juice from the big can (y'know, like what Hawaiian Punch used to come in?). None of that frozen crap. But that's when I was young.Now, it's what I drink the majority of the time. Plain, not flavored. Preferably ice cold or on the rocks. Not shaken. Not stirred. No lemon slice. I wake up thirsty and it's what I crave. I've even dreamed about it once or twice. Arizona is to water what famine is to Africa: it's the first thing we fret about. Screw rising gas prices, WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO DO WITHOUT WATER? You need a 24oz Thirstbuster filled to the brim with Mountain Dew to get you going in the morning? I need to chug some water. I drink water with sweets (cake, pie, candy, etc), not milk. Because milk ma...
More About: In the News , Life in General , Please , On the rocks , Lease

GOING TRADITIONAL STATUS REPORT: Rejection #39
2007-05-01 01:10:00
Via snail mail today from The Park Literary Group:Dear Author,Please forgive this impersonal note regarding your query, which we have considered but must decline. As we receive a tremendous number of queries, we are unable to respond to each submission individually, but we thank you for the opportunity to review your work.We encourage you to keep writing and to try other agents.Sincerely,The Park Literary Group, LLCAs I sit here and type the words from another one of those litte postcard-type, well, cards, I'm reminded of something I read not too long ago. One of the blogs that I read on a regular basis had a guest agent one day. Agent X said that they wouldn't represent an author who badmouthed an agent in a blog (makes sense) or if they put that they've been rejected 20 times. "I guess it's a good thing I didn't submit to this person, then," I thought. While Agent X is entitled to their opinion, to me it seems kind of close-minded. I mean, so the author got rejected 20 times....
More About: Report , Status , Repo , Stat , Rejection

GOING TRADITIONAL STATUS REPORT: Rejection #38
2007-04-30 21:28:00
Via email today from the Heacock Literary Agency:Dear Author, Thank you for seeking us out. We appreciate each author who takes the time to learn about our agency and send a query letter. Each letter is read when it first arrives. We keep those that warrant further consideration, and we send immediate responses to those that don?t seem like they will be a good match with what we are currently seeking. Editors inform us of the publishers? needs and thus we continuously fine tune what we invite. Sometimes we hope that if we hold onto a letter that the timing will work out better later on. We apologize for the delayed response especially since we don?t have better news. At present, we are regretfully going to pass by the opportunity to consider your work for representation. The query letter has to strike a chord which leads us to believe that we will not only resonate deeply with the material but also will be successful in selling it in the current market c...
More About: Report , Status , Repo , Stat , Rejection

Commitment-phobe of the deadline variety
2007-04-29 20:10:00
Since around Jan of this year, I've been taking workshops through AuthorMBA. This month is no different. Sort of. I took a two-week workshop called Snap Planning: 6 Steps to a High Impact Career Plan. Here's the blurb:Beginning writers and bestselling authors alike can benefit from having a simple, inspiring career plan to guide them. Whether you?re working toward that first sale or aiming for the NY Times bestseller list, knowing where you want to go and how you plan to get there can make all the difference in achieving your goal. The Snap Plan is a short and sweet, high impact career plan? a snapshot of your purpose, vision, brand, goals, and much more. It?s everything you need to help you stay focused and motivated, all on one sheet of paper. What more could a busy writer ask for?You?ll leave this hands-on workshop with a complete, personalized career plan to help you stay on track and pursue your goals with confidence. If you?d like to take your writing career to the next leve...
More About: Deadline , Dead , Commitment , Variety , Line

GOING TRADITIONAL STATUS REPORT: Rejection #37
2007-04-29 03:13:00
Via snail mail from Dystel and Goderich Literary Management. This was after she had requested a partial and then the full MS.Dear Celise:Thanks so much for letting me review your material for Draven Atreides, Teenage FBI: A Royale Pain, which I've now had the chance to read. Though there was certainly a lot to like here, we have decided, after careful consideration, that we are not the appropriate agents to represent this book.I really enjoyed Draven as a character, and her friends are hysterical-modeled on My So-Called Life, no? (yes) The novel also presents a good twist on a popular genre. The tone is a lot of fun, and I do think you're a great writer.That said, the pacing was a big problem for me--in many sections, the level of description went too far to keep the novel moving along at the right speed, and, consequently, I didn't find myself completely sucked into the plot.In order to take on a client, I have to be absolutely head over heels about the project--and you deserve ...
More About: Report , Tatu , Status , Repo , Stat

And yet another light at the end of the Rejection Tunnel...
2007-04-28 19:59:00
I gave my niece a copy of DA Book One to read and this is the email we exchanged:Me: So, how are you liking the book so far? I'm thinking about creating the blog for her and wanted to know how soon before you'd be able to start contributing to it. Let me know. Thx.TK: well im sort of in the middle but i had to stop because my american lit teacher said that we have to choose an american author and read their book for the class so i chose you (since i think you might be american but i dont know for sure!! lol!) we have to tell her who we choose in a week and a half. i would be done with it by then so im waiting so i can finish it in class or it wont count. its hard because its getting really interesting and i hate to stop when its good so... yeah but i want to put your name as the author so i had to stop. I wonder if this is how other YA authors feel when family members (teens in particular) want to use their books for a class. I am highly flattered.And quite ecstatic (although I'm...
More About: Light , Another , Tunnel , Rejection

GOING TRADITIONAL STATUS REPORT: Rejection #36
2007-04-26 01:14:00
Via snail today from Folio Literary Management:Dear Author:Thanks so much for sending your query, and for offering me the chance to consider your material. Unfortunately, your project does not seem right for me. Since it's crucial that you find an agent who will represent you to the best of his or her ability, I'm going to have to step aside from asking to represent your material.You should know that my decision reflects my present work-load, and the type and amount of material which I'm presently representing. It does not reflect on your material, and I certainly encourage you to continue to seek representation, especially since this is such a subjective business--what works for one agent or publisher may not work as well for another (I'm afraid, though, that I cannot recommend someone for it).Best of luck!Regards,Erin Cartwright Niumata
More About: Report , Tatu , Status , Repo , Stat

In the Doghouse
2007-04-25 05:58:00
My Mom sent this to me and I laffed for a good minute...especially when I saw the picture attached. I had to post it here because this could totally be my cat. And with her attitude, I could see her doing this... Dear Dog...I am soooo sorry about you being sent to the dog pound for the broken lampwhich you did not break; the fish you did not spill; and the carpet thatyou did not wet; or the wall that you did not dirty with red paint....But things here at the house really are calmer now, and just to show youthat there are no hard feelings between us, I am sending you a picture, soyou will always remember me.Best regards, The Cat
More About: Life in General , Ouse , The D

This makes up for Rejection #35
2007-04-20 08:30:00
Another satisfied customer...Hello,My daughter's friend bought "Secrets and Kisses" for her as a surprise gift and now I have to carve out some time, especially since she raved and Ooo'd.Stopping by your site (can never be too careful these days), I was happily surprised to see your site was "teen friendly" and absolutely wonderful!! I adore the graphics on both your websites...as do my niece, daughter, and their friends (brats who peek over my shoulder when I am on the PC just to be nosy)...LOL Who did them? You? And , if so, how? What program did you use? If not, is it someone who would do them for someone else for a reasonable fee? LOL They are all sooo cute.The mother of a new fan,K
More About: Life in General , This , Make , Rejection

GOING TRADITIONAL STATUS REPORT: Rejection #35
2007-04-19 23:47:00
Via snail mail today from the Laura Dail Literary Agency. It's been a while. I was starting to wonder...Dear Celise,Thank you for the opportunity to read DRAVEN ATREIDES, TEENAGE FBI: A Royale Pain. You have a good idea and I enjoyed Draven's irreverent tone and her overall personality. However, I felt that the dialogue often felt forced which took away from the flow of the story and the sometimes overdrawn descriptions detracted from the pacing of the plot.I am sure that my loss will be another agent's gain and I wish you the best of luck in finding the right home for your work.All best,Tamar Ellman
More About: Report , Tatu , Status , Repo , Stat