So, I saw this over at HelenKay Dimon’s blog, which she found a couple other places. It’s called Top Ten Signs a Book is Written by Me. I thought it would be fun to do my own list. So, here goes:

1. The words shrinking violet will never be used to describe my heroines. I write strong, kick-ass women, and I always will. Who wants to read about a heroine who has as much gumption as a wet noodle? 😎

2. At least one of my characters will wear outrageous, costume-like outfits — whether they want to or not. What can I say? Sequins and eye-burning neon colors are cool. I like describing them, and I like putting my characters in them, mainly because I don’t have the body or courage to pull of electric-blue spandex in real life. Who does?

3. There will be lots of explosions, death, or danger – the more the better. I’m pretty good at writing action scenes. In fact, I probably do that better than I write emotional or sex scenes. Plus, I love writing scenes where my heroine gets the best of the bad guys — and they get exactly what they deserve.

4. I’m not going to hit you over the head with morals or life lessons or deep thoughts. Fun, sexy fantasy. That’s what I write, and I’m proud of it. 

5. There will be no obsessive, crazy, stalker-like men as heroes in my books. Guys can be hot and sexy and loving without going bananas if another man so much as looks at their woman. Ugh.

6. There will be witty banter, heavily tinged with sarcasm and sprinkled with irony. At least, I hope other people think that it’s witty.

7. Stereotypes and genres will be summarily dealt with. There’s nothing I love more than taking a stereotype or genre (like comic books and James Bond movies) and giving it my own twist. Sometimes as a spoof (the Bigtime books), sometimes as a send-up (Live & Let Spy), sometimes just my own take on an old character/construct (my elemental Assassin book).

8. Cleverness is key. More often than not, my heroines succeed by outsmarting and outlasting the bad guys — not necessarily by overpowering them.

9. Little things matter. I like adding in little details to make my worlds richer, like all my superhero and villain names and random encounters in the Bigtime books. Halitosis Hal, anyone?

10. It’s written in first person. I know lots of people hate first person, but it’s the voice that really sings to me and lets me get inside my character’s head. I don’t know that I’ll ever write a third-person book.

What about you? What describes the books you write or the ones you love to read? What do you think makes a Jennifer Estep book a Jennifer Estep book? 😎

Magical Musings had a post a few days ago about Feng Shui and New Year’s. The post basically talks about getting rid of all the crap you don’t need anymore and making sure everything in your house is in good working order. Feeling all inspired and needing to do it anyway, I decided to systematically go through my house and get rid of everything I hadn’t used in the last six months.

The crap. Oh, the crap.

I never really considered myself to be a pack rat, but since I started cleaning, I bet I’ve thrown out at least a dozen trash bags of old report cards, school papers, newspapers, magazines, and general debris. Not to mention all the clothes I’ve taken to Goodwill and the old VHS movies I donated to my local library. And I’m not done yet.

Among the more interesting items I’ve rediscovered during my cleaning frenzy are rejection letters I’ve gotten over the years. I had a big blue binder full of them. It was kind of funny and depressing to go through the letters and see all the ways a writer can be rejected — and realize just how many times I had been. (I lost count after about 200.)

Form letters, form notecards, handwritten scrawls that read Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve gotten them all. One rejection letter from an editor said she/he was passing on my book because the heroine was a journalist. That’s it. That was the only reason she/he gave. Perhaps if my heroine been a chef or something else, she/he would have bought it. Maybe the most succinct and depressing rejection was this one: I just didn’t like it enough.

Okey-dokey.

Some authors keep all their rejection letters. Not me. They went in the garbage, with everything else. I’m Feng Shui-ing my house and life, and I figure it’s good to get rid of as much negativity as possible, including rejection letters. 😉

I did keep a few of the letters, mainly for motivational purposes and to remind myself how hard I’ve worked to be published. Among the keepers? The three rejection letters I got from the agency that now represents me.

What about you? Are you cleaning house in the New Year? What will you keep? What will you throw away?