Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Talkin' Tuesday
I've been lucky enough to score an interview over at fabulous Rebecca Rose's blog for Talkin' Tuesday.
I'll be giving away a copy of Christmas Holly to get you started thinking about your Christmas list, and chatting about my next release, Christmas Knight.
And if you're the curious type, you might find out a thing or two you didn't know about me. So stop on by!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Is This What Guys Do?
Have any of you race fans seen the new Denny Hamlin commercial? The search for a link proved fruitless, maybe because it’s still being aired. For those of you who may not know, Denny drives the number 11, NASCAR Sprint Cup, FedEx Toyota Camry, for Joe Gibbs Racing.
The short version is this:
Denny Hamlin in a driveway with his driver’s suit down to his waist. There he stands bare chested, washing his car. He looks up, blows a kiss and says, “It’s Denny time.” Then proceeds to drive a woman around on her errands, fix her a cup of tea while she relaxes, etc. It’s maybe a little corny, but very cute.
The point is, his abs and the rest of his upper body muscle would rival those from the set of the movie 300. I love it. Of course as soon as I mentioned how appealing I thought it was the following conversation took place.
Me: “Oh, wow. Wait. Back up. I want to see that commercial.”
The Man in the House: “With Denny Hamlin? You liked that?”
Me: “Yeah.”
TMH: “Those abs aren’t real.”
Me: “Who cares?”
TMH: “They’re cgi.”
Me: “So? I’m not bringing him home. It’s eye candy.”
TMH: “They’re fake.”
Me, getting irritated: “I don’t care. I like the premise.”
TMH: “But it’s not real.”
Me: “Well, breast implants aren’t real either. Are they?”
Silence.
Perhaps it’s just the thought of a half-naked hottie waiting on me hand and foot. Or, uh, something. *insert wicked smile here* All of you romance writers/readers out there totally get it, I’m sure.
Younger guys aren’t usually attractive to me, but I admit, watching this commercial leaves me feeling a bit cougarish.
Now that I think about it, I’m not even sure what he’s selling. I’d buy it. But maybe I should watch it again to find out. And that’s what led me to wonder, is this what guys do?
The short version is this:
Denny Hamlin in a driveway with his driver’s suit down to his waist. There he stands bare chested, washing his car. He looks up, blows a kiss and says, “It’s Denny time.” Then proceeds to drive a woman around on her errands, fix her a cup of tea while she relaxes, etc. It’s maybe a little corny, but very cute.
The point is, his abs and the rest of his upper body muscle would rival those from the set of the movie 300. I love it. Of course as soon as I mentioned how appealing I thought it was the following conversation took place.
Me: “Oh, wow. Wait. Back up. I want to see that commercial.”
The Man in the House: “With Denny Hamlin? You liked that?”
Me: “Yeah.”
TMH: “Those abs aren’t real.”
Me: “Who cares?”
TMH: “They’re cgi.”
Me: “So? I’m not bringing him home. It’s eye candy.”
TMH: “They’re fake.”
Me, getting irritated: “I don’t care. I like the premise.”
TMH: “But it’s not real.”
Me: “Well, breast implants aren’t real either. Are they?”
Silence.
Perhaps it’s just the thought of a half-naked hottie waiting on me hand and foot. Or, uh, something. *insert wicked smile here* All of you romance writers/readers out there totally get it, I’m sure.
Younger guys aren’t usually attractive to me, but I admit, watching this commercial leaves me feeling a bit cougarish.
Now that I think about it, I’m not even sure what he’s selling. I’d buy it. But maybe I should watch it again to find out. And that’s what led me to wonder, is this what guys do?
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Winners Never Quit
By now, you’ve all heard that Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500. Big deal. Don’t know him, don’t care. You’re probably thinking that only idiots drive around in circles anyway, and that’s fine. But it’s not the point.
The point is, he is only twenty years old. This was only his second NASCAR cup race. And to me, one of the highlights is that he was driving for a one car team, owned by the Wood brothers. He took advantage of the opportunity that was offered to him, and found himself in the right place, at the right time on the last lap of the race. And no one can ever take that accomplishment away from him, or the team.
His car isn’t owned by someone with the last name of Hendrick, Roush, or Childress with hundreds of employees and multiple teams to pull information from at his disposal. And his last name isn’t Earnhardt, Johnson, or Gordon, so he didn’t have multiple championship experience to draw upon. And yet, he still won what is considered one of the most important races of all time.
If he’d have spent a good portion of his time worrying about the competition, most likely, he would have quit a long time ago. Because the competition is much better funded, and simply has more of everything it takes to win available to them. But he didn’t. Did he quit because forty-three other guys going two hundred miles an hour wanted the spot he was in? Not just no, hell no. Because he had the passion, the drive to win, and most of all, he believed he could.
How much different is that from where we are as writers? Well, besides the going around in circles part.
Because of all the changes happening in the publishing industry, I’ve been seeing an inordinate amount of ‘woes me, the market is too tough, maybe I’ll quit writing’ posts. If you’ve got your sights set on the big six, you’re right. The market is tight. But not impenetrable. We’re still reading about new contracts every day.
However, it’s my personal opinion FWIW, that the market for writers hasn’t been this good since Nora published Irish Thoroughbred in 1981. And most of you know that history already.
I believe it’s the changes in the publishing industry that have made this possible. If your goal is to get your stories in front of readers, there are now more options than ever. Besides the big six, there are a plethora of Indie publishers, small ePresses, and let’s not forget that it’s never been easier to self-publish. Like it or not, ereaders are changing things.
It’s true most people don’t recognize opportunity because it usually does arrive disguised as hard work. And honestly, sometimes it is grueling. But if it were easy, you wouldn’t be reading this. You’d already be successful right? The window of opportunity won’t last forever. The market will become saturated and it will be much harder to get into any of these currently wide open venues.
If your writing career isn’t where you want it to be, maybe it’s time to take a moment and reassess your goals. Maybe they need to change, maybe not. Only you can answer that question.
Here are two things that Dale Earnhardt senior knew to be true. If you want to quit, quit. Nobody will kiss your ass and beg you to stay. There are a hundred or more people waiting to take your place, and they will step on you if they have to, to get where they are going. And the most important is this –
Winners Never Quit.
Ever. We can’t. It’s the only thing that separates us from the losers.
If you have the passion to write, the drive to be published, the belief in your work, you’ve got what it takes. Don’t let anyone tell you different. Now get out there, and win.
The point is, he is only twenty years old. This was only his second NASCAR cup race. And to me, one of the highlights is that he was driving for a one car team, owned by the Wood brothers. He took advantage of the opportunity that was offered to him, and found himself in the right place, at the right time on the last lap of the race. And no one can ever take that accomplishment away from him, or the team.
His car isn’t owned by someone with the last name of Hendrick, Roush, or Childress with hundreds of employees and multiple teams to pull information from at his disposal. And his last name isn’t Earnhardt, Johnson, or Gordon, so he didn’t have multiple championship experience to draw upon. And yet, he still won what is considered one of the most important races of all time.
If he’d have spent a good portion of his time worrying about the competition, most likely, he would have quit a long time ago. Because the competition is much better funded, and simply has more of everything it takes to win available to them. But he didn’t. Did he quit because forty-three other guys going two hundred miles an hour wanted the spot he was in? Not just no, hell no. Because he had the passion, the drive to win, and most of all, he believed he could.
How much different is that from where we are as writers? Well, besides the going around in circles part.
Because of all the changes happening in the publishing industry, I’ve been seeing an inordinate amount of ‘woes me, the market is too tough, maybe I’ll quit writing’ posts. If you’ve got your sights set on the big six, you’re right. The market is tight. But not impenetrable. We’re still reading about new contracts every day.
However, it’s my personal opinion FWIW, that the market for writers hasn’t been this good since Nora published Irish Thoroughbred in 1981. And most of you know that history already.
I believe it’s the changes in the publishing industry that have made this possible. If your goal is to get your stories in front of readers, there are now more options than ever. Besides the big six, there are a plethora of Indie publishers, small ePresses, and let’s not forget that it’s never been easier to self-publish. Like it or not, ereaders are changing things.
It’s true most people don’t recognize opportunity because it usually does arrive disguised as hard work. And honestly, sometimes it is grueling. But if it were easy, you wouldn’t be reading this. You’d already be successful right? The window of opportunity won’t last forever. The market will become saturated and it will be much harder to get into any of these currently wide open venues.
If your writing career isn’t where you want it to be, maybe it’s time to take a moment and reassess your goals. Maybe they need to change, maybe not. Only you can answer that question.
Here are two things that Dale Earnhardt senior knew to be true. If you want to quit, quit. Nobody will kiss your ass and beg you to stay. There are a hundred or more people waiting to take your place, and they will step on you if they have to, to get where they are going. And the most important is this –
Winners Never Quit.
Ever. We can’t. It’s the only thing that separates us from the losers.
If you have the passion to write, the drive to be published, the belief in your work, you’ve got what it takes. Don’t let anyone tell you different. Now get out there, and win.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Through The Fence – Brownstown Speedway
Located in Brownstown, Indiana at the county fairgrounds, Brownstown Speedway has been “Racing Since 1952”. Longer than I’ve been alive. Whew, it’s nice to know I’m not older than everything.
This track is a fairly flat, three-eighths mile dirt oval. Banking in the corners appeared to be about twelve degrees or so. No measurements here; it’s a best guest scenario. I admit to being surprised upon my arrival, during the first modified heat race, to find the track dry and quite slippery in turns one and two, thus prompting several spin outs that slowed down the show.
Being on top of things, after the heat races, they announced they would be reworking the track during intermission. Okay, I’ll admit to having a wtf? moment here. I’ve been to tracks where the reworking has taken two hours. It sucks. For a fan, it’s not fun. Kudos to the track workers. They did it in forty minutes and the track ended up gorgeous.
What fascinated me most here was that since the straight-aways were so wide and flat, drivers racing out of turn four would hang their right rear tire off the edge of the track which would propel them forward and back onto the track. Without loss of position. This made for some fantastic racing action. Lots of three and four wide battles.
Another high point was watching a few drivers who started back in the field take the absolute highest line at the edge of the track and just pedal their hearts out. Passing the competition like they were standing still!
All in all, it was a great night of racing. The track and grounds are well cared for, they do have a portion of covered grandstands (which I love in case of rain), and concessions offered a good variety of food and drink at very reasonable prices. If you’re ever in the area, I’d recommend this track for a fun family outing!
This track is a fairly flat, three-eighths mile dirt oval. Banking in the corners appeared to be about twelve degrees or so. No measurements here; it’s a best guest scenario. I admit to being surprised upon my arrival, during the first modified heat race, to find the track dry and quite slippery in turns one and two, thus prompting several spin outs that slowed down the show.
Being on top of things, after the heat races, they announced they would be reworking the track during intermission. Okay, I’ll admit to having a wtf? moment here. I’ve been to tracks where the reworking has taken two hours. It sucks. For a fan, it’s not fun. Kudos to the track workers. They did it in forty minutes and the track ended up gorgeous.
What fascinated me most here was that since the straight-aways were so wide and flat, drivers racing out of turn four would hang their right rear tire off the edge of the track which would propel them forward and back onto the track. Without loss of position. This made for some fantastic racing action. Lots of three and four wide battles.
Another high point was watching a few drivers who started back in the field take the absolute highest line at the edge of the track and just pedal their hearts out. Passing the competition like they were standing still!
All in all, it was a great night of racing. The track and grounds are well cared for, they do have a portion of covered grandstands (which I love in case of rain), and concessions offered a good variety of food and drink at very reasonable prices. If you’re ever in the area, I’d recommend this track for a fun family outing!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Through The Fence
Hi all. Hope you had a good weekend.
I went to the race track as usual. Which brings me to the reason for this post. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting a new regular feature. Sharing my track experiences with you, whether it’s actual racing or just going as a fan. You’ll get details on track’s I visit, and how things went. Good or bad.
You’ll read about what I see, through the fence.
Until tomorrow!
I went to the race track as usual. Which brings me to the reason for this post. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting a new regular feature. Sharing my track experiences with you, whether it’s actual racing or just going as a fan. You’ll get details on track’s I visit, and how things went. Good or bad.
You’ll read about what I see, through the fence.
Until tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
New Review for Center Ring
I just received a sparkling new review from Long and Short Reviews.
"Fox's Center Ring, set in the world of a car racing league, kicks off dramatically and will immediately hook any reader’s interest."
Here's the link if you'd like to read the full review.
http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/03/center-ring-by-sutton-fox.html
"Fox's Center Ring, set in the world of a car racing league, kicks off dramatically and will immediately hook any reader’s interest."
Here's the link if you'd like to read the full review.
http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/03/center-ring-by-sutton-fox.html
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Welcome!
Thank you for stopping by. If you're here today, you are reading my very first official blog post. I confess, when I first thought of doing a blog, my mind ran the other direction in a hurry. You know, that little kid who wants to hide behind mom? Yeah, well, nowdays I am Mom. And Grandma. Sheesh! Turned my head and the time flew by.
Tyler Dalton makes a living exposing secrets. He's been forced into producing the new racing reality show, and his bosses expect another hit. The lone female contestant kicks things off with a bang, capturing the hearts of viewers in record time. All they need now is a little controversy to push ratings over the top.
He looks to Morgan for something he can use, only to find a woman committed to her family and every bit as driven as he is. The more he learns about her, the more he likes her, and that spells disaster for the show.
For these two souls, love is a collision course and there's no turning back.
At any rate, I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. What you would want to hear, or what would possibly interest anyone. So, I spent some time thinking about it. And boy, the things I came up with. Some of you might be surprised. Or embarassed. Or laugh. And that's okay with me. As time goes by, we'll get to each one in turn. But first I want you to know about the most important thing that's happened to me lately.
My first novel, Lion Tamers, Traveling Circus Series - Book One, is now available in ebook and print. P-R-I-N-T. From Lyrical Press. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. Why is this a big deal, you ask? Well, I suppose it's only a big deal, if you're a writer, reader, dreamer, schemer or a person who wishes upon stars. I'm not much of a schemer, however, I'm definitely all the rest. So for me, it ranks right up there with having a baby. And I can say that with authority. Without further ado, here's the blurb:
Both of them are driven. Only one can win.
Sprint car driver Morgan Blade will do whatever it takes to save her critically ill father. If it means joining the cast of a reality show, so be it. She'll do anything...except reveal the haunting secret surrounding her daughter's death.
Sprint car driver Morgan Blade will do whatever it takes to save her critically ill father. If it means joining the cast of a reality show, so be it. She'll do anything...except reveal the haunting secret surrounding her daughter's death.
Tyler Dalton makes a living exposing secrets. He's been forced into producing the new racing reality show, and his bosses expect another hit. The lone female contestant kicks things off with a bang, capturing the hearts of viewers in record time. All they need now is a little controversy to push ratings over the top.
He looks to Morgan for something he can use, only to find a woman committed to her family and every bit as driven as he is. The more he learns about her, the more he likes her, and that spells disaster for the show.
For these two souls, love is a collision course and there's no turning back.
This is a story from my heart. It sounds cliche, but it's the only way I can describe it. When I first told those 'in the know' in the writing world, that I wanted to write a novel, this is what they told me. Write what you know, and write what you love. So I did. And Lion Tamers is the result.
The rest is up to you. I hope you enjoy the story. And thanks for sharing in my joy. I'm happy to have you here.
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