Monday, September 27, 2010

Reader Question: How do you do a hook kick?

In City of Angels, Rhea takes down a guy in an alley with a well-placed hook kick. One reader asked how a hook kick is done, and here is my reply. Hope you enjoy!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Got Questions?

First off, thank you to all of you who have voted in the Kay'sVille poll on the right (and if you haven't, feel free to do so now). I'm SO excited for that book because it lets readers into more of the world that I see which Rhea keeps hidden. Kay is the one who has to open the door and let us in. And she does.

And for all the people who have furrowed their eyebrows as to why I love Kay so much when she is a character who would HATE me in real life, you'll find out :) And that's all I'm going to say about that.

What this post is REALLY about, though, is a call for questions! I've gotten a few of them regarding the series and/or Rhea's tactics and I'm going to start posting answers on this blog so you can get all the inside scoop on Rhea.

So if you have a question, email me and let me know! I'll either make a video or find the answer for you :)

Happy Weekend!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Paying Homage

I'm one of those writers who uses music to channel my stories, and this time I really have to thank a few songs and artists who helped me pump out Kay'sVille in record time.

Below are the songs that helped me focus on the story that Kay wanted to tell. If you like the songs, you may just like the book. I figure that's a safe way to judge, right?

Either way, thank you Kelly C., P!nk, Nelly, Beyonce, and Kelly R. Feel free to check out their music here...










Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Book 3 is in the Warehouse!


A heads up: Book 3 is here. The first store that will likely get it is the Fort Union Deseret Book, since I will be signing there 10/2 for Ladies Night.

Can't wait to see it!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

I WON-I WON-I WON-I WON-I WON!


This post is devoted solely to celebration. In truth, writers probably don't celebrate enough--always focusing on the next hurdle.

Well, SCREW THAT! I'm stoked. The current incarnation of a book I have been working on for YEARS (which has undergone such massive overhauls so as to be completely unrecognizable from its predecessors) just won 1st Place at the League of Utah Writers' Annual Roundup. And since I entered the contest with the hope and desire to win 1st place, how can I do anything but celebrate?

Rock. On. In the world of Sheralyn Pratt, September 18, 2010 was a day of good fortune. I spent the day signing at B&N with other phenomenal authors, ran to the award ceremony, and WON!

Yes, I understand that no one is as excited as I am. That follows logic, but I just want to make it very clear that I haven't been this pumped for a while.

So, thank you, League of Utah Writers. Your award couldn't have fallen into more giddy hands :)

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Someone ACTUALLY Read a Book I Recommended!


I rarely recommend books. And even on the rare occasion that I do, the looks of doubt people flash my direction usually keep me from repeating the behavior. But seriously, I don't have sucky taste in books. I promise. In fact, I might say that I'm a bit more discriminating than the average person--except when it comes to classics. I have no appreciation for Little Women and other books of historical brilliance. I like my fiction to stay in the here and now and my nonfiction as ancient as possible.

All that said, I recommended a book to a friend a little over a week ago. It's a screenwriting book called, Save the Cat that completely changed my approach to writing. I've actually recommended the book to many people--so many who never looked twice at it--that I nearly didn't grab it off the shelf and hand it to my fellow writer. I knew she'd love it. She just didn't know it yet.

She hesitated at the $20 price tag, so I didn't push. I understand the desire not to pay $20 for a paperback. Then, yesterday, she came up to me and informed me that she bought the ebook and had been RAVING about it to every writer she's seen since.

YAY! Proof that I am not delusional or a bad friend. :)

It really is a great book for writers, even if you're not looking to write screenplays. After all, we authors are supposed to show, not tell. Screenwriters and directors have to do the same thing--replace dialogue with action to create momentum.

All that said, I recommend Save the Cat to all of you. Hope you love it as much as I do!!!!


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Proof That I Cooked This Year

So, I have a bit of a reputation for being the girl who doesn't cook. Whenever there's a party, I'm the one who's asked to bring drinks. I don't mind. When you're single cooking a whole mean just doesn't seem worth it. There are other things I'd rather do. But today I needed an excuse not to write. So what did I do?

I cooked lecso.

Lecso (leh-cho) is a Hungarian dish made largely up of onions, peppers, and tomatoes. There's more to it than that (mostly oil, garlic, paprika, salt & pepper), but without those main ingredients you're pretty much screwed. You'll see how it's done below. I'd give you the recipe but I'm kind of free form when it comes to cooking. Not because I'm so talented that I just "know" how to balance the nuances of every flavor. More like I don't have the patience for measuring and pretty much just stick with portions I know are safe.

That said, here it is: PROOF I COOKED IN 2010:


I started with a ton of produce (notice the Hungarian/"gypsy" peppers. They're pivotal)

So is washing them.


I sliced the onions and combined them with olive oil (since that's what was handy).

Chop up the peppers

But half way through chopping up the peppers have a moment of panic where I wonder if my intentions are larger than my pot.

Sautee the onions and add the paprika

Choose not to panic that the result looks like earthworms.

Add the tomatoes.

And voila! It all fits :) Stir and simmer for 20 mins. (To see contents of pot properly, please tilt head to the left 90 degrees.)


Add sausage (Debreceni pictured) and eggs. This dish TOTALLY needs these ingredients even if you're not a fan. Buck up an use them.



And it's DONE!!!!! Yay.

Okay, maybe it's not the sexiest dish to look at, but it's good and way healthy. I like it best with European bread. That stuff that's totally soft on the inside and hard on the outside. Mmmmm.

And there it is. Proof that I cooked this year. And if lecso looks good to you, go ahead and try it. I have to confess that this turned out mighty tasty. And if I can make it, I maintain that anyone with hands and reasonable motor skills can do the same.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

A Little More Le Parkour

I spent the past few hours looking through videos trying to find something worthy of a Rhea trailer. The thing is, I have pretty high standards when it comes to action sequences or any kind of portrayal of Rhea because I know exactly what I'm looking for. It's the curse of teaching sport karate for 10 years: I know what's out there, and I know what's good.

This, for example, is great!



This is AMAZING!!! (Although I recommend turning the song down. Meh.)




No ropes or wires. No tricks or cheese. Just refined athletes doing the impossible. Now why can't I just find female vids like this for Rhea? ;)