The Otherworld Diner

What kind of writing conferences will you be attending this year?

2012-01-29T22:14:00.000-08:00

There are so many good writing conferences out there throughout the year. January is when I start making my list of the ones I want to go to and the ones I HAVE to go to - there is a difference.

This year, I've been invited to seven conferences around the country. I don't think I'll be able to go to all of them, but several are near and dear to my heart and others will help me with the business of writing and selling what I write. Attending conferences is a great way to network, meet production companies, agents and editors and get in on pitch sessions, where you can pitch your story to your dream editor/agent or production company. Some of my conferences this year will be for novels, and some for scripts.

Where do you want to go? Questions welcome :)

Here's some links to get you started:
Novel Writing Information/Conferences
http://writersconf.org/
http://writing.shawguides.com/
http://www.right-writing.com/conference.html
http://www.yudkin.com/confs.htm
http://www.pw.org/content/writers_conferences_colonies_and_workshops?cmnt_all=1
http://www.agentquery.com/resource_cs.aspx
http://foliolit.com/resources/writers-conference-etiquette/

Screenwriting Conferences/Pitchfests
http://writing.shawguides.com/
http://screenwritingexpo.com/
http://mselveymsc.hubpages.com/hub/The-List-of-Ten-Things-6-Screenwriting-Conferences
http://www.pitchfest.com/index.shtml
http://www.inktippitchsummit.com/

Good luck and get writing!

PR Mason, Cashier

2012-01-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

P.R. Mason likes her coffee black and her pie sweet. She's the Otherworld Diner's Cashier because she must be kept as far from the kitchen as possible—to put it frankly, she's a disaster if she gets near a stove. When she's not taking checks and making change at the diner, she's an author who writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She lives in the weird and wonderful city of Savannah, Georgia, where she's regularly subjected to the mind control experiments of her two black cat overlords. You can find out more about her at the following sites:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5259792.P_R_Mason
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/P.R.-Mason/e/B005RCKCQS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/prmason
Website: http://www.prmason.net
Blog: http://www.agirwithacomputer.blogspot.com

If you'd rather learn more about her cat overloards, you'll find the leader on Twitter @ConfuciusCat and on his blog at http://www.confuciuscat.blogspot.com

January

2012-01-24T04:14:00.000-08:00

What a wild ride so far, eh? I don't know about where you live, but we've had uncharacteristic warm temperatures here, even by Tennessee standards. We've also had a few days of severe thunderstorms and tornado warnings. Tornadoes aren't all that unusual in January in the South, but this is ridiculous.

Global warming? Sun spots? Who the heck knows? I only know that while living in Ohio January meant the coldest temperatures of the year, snow-covered lawns and streets, howling winter winds, and bare trees. It was so cold one year there were deer tracks leading all the way up to the small trees and bushes planted next to our house. Poor things were that hungry - they came into a subdivision and risked human contact just to find something to eat.

As I was thinking of the contrasts between the Januaries of my childhood and the spring-like conditions I'm now forced to endure in what should be a cold, quiet month, I began to wonder (as I so frequently do) where the name January came from.

January is named after Janus (Ianuarius), the god of the doorway. The name has its beginnings in Roman mythology, coming from the Latin word for door (ianua) – January is the door to the year. Traditionally, the original Roman calendar consisted of 10 months, totalling 304 days, winter being considered a monthless period. Around 713 BC, the semi-mythical successor of Romulus, King Numa Pompilius, is supposed to have added the months of January and February, allowing the calendar to equal a standard lunar year (365 days).

Although March was originally the first month in the old Roman Calendar, January became the first month of the calendar year under either Numa or the Decemvirs about 450 BC (Roman writers differ). In contrast, specific years pertaining to dates were identified by naming two consuls, who entered office on May 1 and March 15 until 153 BC, when they began to enter office on January 1.

Historical names for January include its original Roman designation, Ianuarius, the Saxon term Wulf-monath (meaning wolf month) and Charlemagne's designation Wintarmanoth (winter / cold month).

In Finnish, the month is called tammikuu, meaning month of the oak, but the original meaning was the month of the heart of winter, as tammi has initially meant axis or core. In Belarusian January is called "студзень" which means "a frosty one". In Czech this month is called leden, meaning ice month. In Ukrainian it is січень meaning cutting or slicing perhaps referring to the wind. Similarly, in Croatian January is called siječanj, also meaning cutting or slicing. In Sámi it is known as ođđajagimánnu, meaning simply "new year's month". The Turkish word for the month is called Ocak that means stove, fireplace.

According to Theodor Mommsen (The History of Rome, volume 4, The Revolution), the first of January became the first day of the year in 600 AUC of the Roman Calendar (153 BC), due to disasters in the Lusitanian War. A Lusitanian chief called Punicus, invaded the Roman territory, defeated two Roman governors and slew their troops. The Romans resolved to send a consul to Spain and, in order to accelerate the dispatch of aid, "they even made the new consuls enter on office two months and a half before the legal time" (15th of March).

Had enough? :) I don't know about you, but I find this stuff fascinating. I love to research names and their origins, because so often they end up nothing like the original idea or reason behind the name.

Ask An Editor

2012-01-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

Ever wish you could get inside an editor’s head? To have that esteemed person respond directly to you?

For many authors seeking publication, getting an editor’s attention is a dream come true.

In traditional publishing, editors are the gatekeepers. They decide if your piece is publishable or rejection fodder. This ultimate authority and the way they handle it makes them enigmas. For most us, editors remain mysteries because they are busy people, have varying backgrounds and interests, and sometimes make, what to us, are questionable decisions.

Today, we have a special opportunity at the diner.

Loose ID Senior Editor Ann Curtis has graciously offered to answer questions collected in our post today.

FYI: Loose Id is a California-based company that publishes steamy romances. Since 2004, they’ve published between 16 and 24 titles per month, penned by more than 200 talented authors. You can find them at http://www.loose-id.com/default.aspx.

Ann has been with Loose Id since 2006. In addition, she’s had her own editing business since 2005. Ann has a wealth of knowledge, which she’s waiting to share.

Today, we’ll collect your questions and I’m sure we’ll have lots of great ones. Ann will answer 13 of them and I’ll post her responses Feb. 23rd.

So, what would you like to know? This is an opportunity you don't want to miss. ...
Please post your questions in the Comments.

Thanks.

1. Mary asks--What is the first thing you look for in a manuscript?
2. Mary would also like to know--what do editors like to see?
3. Mia wonders--In terms of submissions, what would you like to see more of?
4.Jeannie asks--Where do you see publishing going in the next five years - will digital overrun print?
5.Alice Audrey has these questions--Do you edit self-pub books? If so, which have you done? What does your editing encompass?
6.Anonymous asks--When you receive a manuscript, what's a cardinal sin? In other words, a deal-breaker? What should we authors do better to impress an editor?
7.Country Dew wonders--Do you require a completely finished manuscript from a new writer, or do you prefer to accept a query and then work with the writer to create a finished work of fiction?
8.The Gal Herself poses these questions--How important is an agent? Is it true that editors prefer to receive manuscripts through an agent, rather than directly from the author?
9.Regina Castillo asks--I would like to know what agents see that makes them want to see your full manuscript. What can we do to make them want more?
10.Shelley Munro’s first question is - what genres would you like to see more of?
11.Oh, and her second - which are the most popular genres at Loose-Id?
12.Barbara Britton wonders--If the writing is A plus, but there's one grammar error, does it make you pass on the manuscript?
13.She also asks--What does it mean when editors/agents say it's not right for their list? What formulates a list?
14.Carolyn Rosewood’s question is--What percentage of manuscripts that you acquire would you say come from new authors?

Indie Author Spotlight: Chosen

2012-01-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

by Denise Grover Swank

Book Blurb

Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.

Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma’s freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake’s proclamation that Will is The Chosen One. Who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn’t know she has.thing Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.

The Romantic Suspense

This book grabbed me from the first line and didn’t let go until the end. Fast-paced and action-packed, it had me flipping my virtual Kindles pages at mach speed. The author hardly ever lets the reader catch their breath. The suspense plot is tight and keeps us guessing. We, just like Emma, Will and Jake, have no idea who the bad men are and why they’re after them until the end.

The Characters

Will is a tortured hero hiding behind a cocky persona. I love how the author didn’t make him so self-assured that he can’t hide that he’s freaked out and a little scared of a 5 year old. Emma is believable as a mother doing everything in her power to keep her son safe. However, my mommy-meter went off every time Emma cusses like a sailor in front of her young child. During moments of life-threatening danger, I can understand letting one or two fly, but she didn’t seem to have a mommy filter on when things weren’t so tense. Jake is a child who is wise beyond his years. He’s confused as he comes into his new powers but deals with them like an adult, stoically accepting the fate life is about to deal him.

The Heat Factor

The sexual tension builds slowly with these two. After all, they have more pressing things to do (like staying alive) than ogle each other every five minutes. But once the burner gets turned up, the sexual chemistry is definitely sizzling between these two. The author does a good job building up to the moment with some steamy foreplay and then fades to black, leaving the nitty-gritty details to the reader’s imagination. If you want graphic sex scenes, this book is not for you.

A Few Stumbles

Besides having problems with mom’s potty mouth around her young son, this book would have benefited from a good, final proof-read. There were occasional times where words were omitted or left in (such as ‘his head his head’ or using ‘of’ instead of ‘off’’-- things that spell check doesn’t catch). With the fast-paced action, running into one of these caused this reader a bit of a stumble before continuing on.

Not Quite a HEA

The author doesn’t tie the ending of this book up in a nice, neat bow. There are many questions left unanswered and Will and Emma are still on the run. But hey, that’s what sequels are for. *G*

What Makes This Book Standout

This book is a page turner. Once I started it, I kept my Kindle by my side at all times and even got a few thumb cramps from hitting the NEXT PAGE key so fast. If you like good romantic suspense with a little paranormal thrown in, don’t miss this gem of a book.

Learn more about Denise Grover Swank at http://www.denisegroverswank.com/

Where Do You Find Your Muse?

2012-01-10T03:28:00.000-08:00

First of all, a HUGE apology to my fellow bloggers for missing my last post date. I'm very sorry.

For today, I'm going to pose a question. Where do you find your muse? I don't mean when she's lost. I mean from where do you find your inspiration? When I see this question in interviews or blogs, the answers are always stock - music, "everywhere," art, a snatch of conversation, or from people watching. And while I agree with each of those and have gleaned story or character ideas from all of the above - sometimes more than one at a time - I'd like to explore this further.

We recently took a trip to New York City for my daughter's 21st birthday. It was exhausting but fun! We took her to the Met (both the Opera and the Art Museum!), to the Gerswhin to see Wicked and to the Majestic to see Phantom. We visited Times Square and ate at both chain and local restaurants. We stayed in Midtown on the East Side so we were within walking distance of everything we planned to see and do.

My muse was on overload, even though I was so tired I didn't get any writing done. From the cab rides to the myriad of languages and accents all around me, the constant construction, horns honking and sirens wailing, all the way to more black boots than I've ever seen in one place and fake Burberry scarves on every corner.

There was the woman with the walking boot who told me she didn't bring her crutches to Wicked because "Can you imagine what the people sitting next to me would say?" I found this odd because in Nashville at TPAC the person sitting next to her would have said something along the lines of "Bless your heart, you poor thing!" and would have held her crutches for her during the performance.

I had a pleasant conversation with one of our housekeepers in the hotel elevator as we rode up to our floor with her, bags of dirty laundry, and her housekeeping cart. Her names was Rosa, she's always lived in NYC, and told me "no one here sleeps." I have to agree with Rosa. No one in NYC sleeps. We didn't either. :)

Friday night as we walked back to the hotel from the Gershwin we passed the NBC building at Rockefeller Center to see people lined up already, intending to spend the night, in the hopes of scoring stand-by tickets to SNL the following night. While on the NBC Studios Tour that very morning, we were told it's nearly impossible to score tickets and people literally wait years for them by mail, but every Saturday morning a crowd forms hoping for rare stand-by tickets.

A carriage ride would have cost us $100 for 20 minutes. And that was only around Times Square! We never even saw Central Park, except to pass it in a cab on our way home from the art museum.

The hot dog vendors don't only sell hot dogs. They sell hot pretzels, beverages, kielbasa, and every imaginable topping for your dog or sausage sandwich. The smells coming from the carts were enough to make me hungry even if we passed one on the way back from a restaurant.

People in NYC theaters take pictures during the show and inside the theaters despite the warnings not to. People text during performances. Not much different from home. :)

No one makes eye contact for long, and strangers don't smile at you on the street. In fact, if someone is making contact or smiling, they're trying to sell you something or are homeless and begging for money. I don't know if it was because we weren't in the right neighborhoods, but we saw fewer homeless people than when we were in Chicago.

St Patrick's Cathedral is breathtaking. I can't even describe it. The one thing I did find both amusing and slightly disturbing was the roped-off "media" platform. Oh, and there are two gift shops. :)

There are two ways to get to LaGuardia. One is slower and will cost you about $10 more, but you do have a lovely view from several bridges as you cross the East River. The other will get you there in about 15 minutes on a Sunday morning, and you get the experience of driving in a two lane tunnel with small orange cones separating the lanes, at roughly 60 mph, under the East River. I liked them both. :)

Speaking of cabbies, most of them were really nice, surprisingly safe drivers, and had no trouble taking us where we needed to go. Only one had no clue where our hotel was and it was a good thing we'd been there a couple of days already so I could tell him it was between Lexington and 3rd.

The black boots, you ask? All the women wear black boots and other assorted black clothing, with a fake Burberry scarf, of course. And they're all thin. I know why. There are stairs everywhere, and they walk everywhere. Plus the food is ridiculously expensive so I suspect most of them don't eat much. :)

I think I'll need at least a month to write down everything I saw, smelled, tasted, heard and experienced. I do know my muse was working overtime, and I'm grateful for the trip.

How about you? Any overload experiences you'd like to tell me about?

Want to Improve Your Writing? Thirteen Tips To Help You Write What You Know

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

You've heard the old adage "write what you know". But what if you're a housewife with no work experience and your most recent hobby is folding laundry? You know more than you think. Do a little work to get to know your personality, learn how to verbalize your specialized knowledge and find what topics of human nature resonate with you. When you learn to write what you know, you can leverage your knowledge and put power into your books. What you know is intimately connected to what you believe. It is these beliefs about people and situations, life, the universe and everything that will come through in your stories.

Here are 13 tips to writing what you know:

1.Generalize your likes. For example, describe in detail the reasons you liked a certain story you read without naming any characters or their specific situation in the book. Use these generalizations when creating your own stories.
2.Find a book you read that made you feel so giddy with excitement you just had to share the story with someone or burst. Now find a second book that was good, but didn't make you as excited. Figure out what was in the first book that was missing from the second book and use it.
3.Leverage your dislikes. Has your personal tolerance level ever been tested to the limits? If so, describe how. If not, describe how you manage to avoid being tested to the limits. Use your descriptions to give your characters a deep emotional touch.
4.Are you reserved and people think you're shy, or are you confident, and people think you're opinionated? Why do you think people sometimes misread your personality? What vibes do you give off that might make people think that? Create a scenario of what could happen when people misjudge.
5.Name one joy in your life. Describe that joy in such a way that others can feel it along with you.
6.Name one tragedy in life that you've personally sorrowed over and want to help others overcome. Describe the process of how you overcame it.
7.Name a champion in your life. Create a scenario that will glorify that champion.
8.Name a villain you know of in your life. Create a scenario that will serve justice to this villain or expose the oppression he or she represents.
9.Describe the difference between justice and mercy and give an example of each from your personal experience. Create a scenario in which a character must choose between the two.
10.Use the question, "What makes you think that?" to understand why friends and relations think the way they do. Compare their answers to your own thinking and use any differences to set up powerful story conflicts.
11.Name one small thing that bothers you. Describe why it bothers you. Find story ideas or themes that connect with the reasons it bothers you.
12.Make a list of any specialized knowledge you have from work and non-work experience. Use small details from your experiences to make your story worlds feel real.
13.Use ordinary experiences to advantage. It's not the ordinariness of the experience that matters, but your unique perspective on it. Look for ways that your ordinary experiences differ from those of other people. Capture and highlight those differences in your stories.

If you have trouble with these tips, don't get how they would relate to writing what you know or just need help getting the most out of your own knowledge, consider taking Kat's class Using Ordinary Know-how in Every Genre at Savvy Authors. Registration is open now!

Thank you, Kat for visiting The Otherworld Diner and giving us some great tips. As a former student, I’m awed by your ability to explain concepts so that they can be easily understood. I would take another one of your classes in a heartbeat.

Indie Publishing: In Through the Back Door

2012-01-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

A few posts back, I blogged about how readers are the new Gatekeepers in the publishing industry. Seems like I created a bit of a stir and there were tweets going back and forth, along with several other bloggers who took that thought and ran with it, some agreeing (thanks Kendall) while others respectfully disagreed and said that we still needed the professional Gatekeepers (i.e. editors and agents). That argument aside, guess who’s using the Reader Gatekeepers now? Editors and agents. Go figure.

I have several indie published friends who’ve sold so well doing it themselves that they are being approached by agents and editors to come back to the mothership. And just how are the editors and agents finding them? I’ll let you in on a little secret. There was a post on the Kindle boards that asked this very question and received a very interesting answer, one that many of us have suspected for some time. Agents and editors are being alerted to any best selling indie published books and it looks like 10,000 is the magic number folks. Yep, sell 10K on one or more indie books and you too may find you have an editor or agent knocking at your door.

When this call comes, many authors are leaving the indie world behind and taking these offers. The reason why might be obvious to some. After all, isn’t it every author’s dream to be traditionally published? Perhaps. But you might be surprised at the main reason some authors are giving for joining Team NY. Self-publishing poster child Amanda Hocking is probably the best example. She accepted a huge deal from St. Martins after taking the indie world by storm. Her reason? She was tired of doing all the work herself. For an indie author, writing the book is only part of the job. You also have to format the book, design the cover, get the reviews, do all the promo…the list goes on. It’s a lot of time consuming hard work. And some authors are willing to give up a piece of the profits in order to let someone else do most of that for them. Another reason? By going traditional, your books will be available in the brick and mortar stores, although with the popularity of e-books on the rise and rapidly taking over a big chunk of the market share, this dangling carrot is not as appealing as it used to be.

But other authors who are getting these calls are struggling with what to do. Now that they’ve had a taste of what having total control over their creative product is like, do they really want to give up the ability to write what they want, how they want? The flexibility to change the price as the market fluxuates? The power to bring their vision of what the cover art should be to life? The money, because to be traditionally published, many will be selling more books, but making less as far as royalties go. Those are a few of the reasons why some are saying, No thanks.

Regardless of which way an indie author chooses to go, it’s interesting how the business is turning on its head. Those we used to kiss up to, praying they would buy our books, are now courting the very ones that got away.

Christmas Greetings

2011-12-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

Hi. Thank you for stopping by our diner. We appreciate your company and want to wish you the Season’s best. Happy Hanukkah. Happy Kwanzaa …
and Merry Christmas!

Or in thirteen other languages--

Arabic: Milad Majid

Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun

Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok

Danish: Glædelig Jul

French: Joyeux Noel

Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!

German: Fröhliche Weihnachten

Greek: Kala Christouyenna!

Icelandic: Gledileg Jol

Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Tao

Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas

However you say it, we hope your holiday is wonderful! And again, thanks.

Sources
http://www.santas.net/howmerrychristmasissaid.htm
http://xmasfun.com/fun/Languages.asp
http://www.worldofchristmas.net/merry-christmas.html

Indie Author Spotlight: The Jaguar Legacy

2011-12-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

by Maureen Fisher

Book Blurb:

Ancient danger stalks the jungle on velvet paws...

Take one lost city in Mexico where occult energy abounds;
Add one sassy reporter on a quest for an exposé;
Combine with a generous helping of brilliant archaeologist who hates the press;
Throw in a dollop of vengeful ex-wife and a pinch of mysterious shaman who has mastered the mystic arts of the Ancients;
Stir until well combined before placing in pressure cooker;
Stand well back from the fireworks.

The Journey:
This book has a good mixture of many things: archeology, ancient civilizations, centuries old curses, reincarnation, shape shifting. I know it sounds like a lot but Fisher skillfully weaves them together for a fast-paced, entertaining romp through the jungle.

The Characters:
I loved the character Fisher created in the hero, Alistair Kincaid – a sexy Scottish archeologist with a penchant for tacky Hawaiian shirts. I could so picture Gerard Butler in this role. Yum! Charlie is interesting too. She has secrets, some she isn't even aware of. It's an intriguing journey as readers discover her forgotten past along with her.

Jungle Love:
The sexual tension between Charlie and Kincaid is well-played. I always enjoy a good verbal sparing between characters, and these two know how to push each other's buttons. I often have a hard time when characters fall in love too quickly. While the entire book spans only one week, there is a lot packed into it and by the end, I totally believed these two characters cared deeply for each other and had a chance for their happily ever after.

Those Pesky Mosquitos:
There were a few instances that pulled me out of the story. I had a hard time believing anyone would pack silk blouses and lingerie to take on an archeological dig in the jungle. I also had to wonder how none of the characters noticed the hidden ceremonial chamber had recently seen human activity (fires near the altar, incense burning, footprints in the centuries old dust, etc.) when they thought it had been sealed up for 2000 years. There was also a ring Charlie wore that seemed to have special significance but it was never explained how she got it. But these were small bumps in an otherwise interesting journey.

And Now For Something A Bit Different:
Like many authors these days, Ms. Fisher’s novel was previously published by a small press and when she got her rights back to THE JAGUAR LEGACY, she decided to self-publish it. I asked her to tell us how the experience has differed from being traditionally published versus indie publishing the same book. Here’s the author in her own words:

I would like to extend my thanks to Lori for reviewing my re-release of The Jaguar Legacy, a paranormal romantic suspense previously published by a small-press publisher.

Now that I have self-published two books, I can say with some certainty that independent publishing is both incredibly rewarding and also not for the faint of heart.

The major downside of self-publishing is that, in addition to writing high-quality books, the indie author must do all the tasks normally handled by a publisher. These include:

Editing: I highly recommend making an investment in yourself by hiring a professional editor. For me, this is a mandatory step to ensure a quality product. If a reader hates my book because of grammar errors, spelling mistakes, or, worse, unsympathetic protagonists or plot flaws that slipped by my beta readers, she will never return to buy another book.

Cover: The cover is a reader’s first impression of your book. An amateurish cover screams, “Novice writer,” and is the kiss of death. Unless you have the skills to design and prepare your own cover, I recommend hiring a professional cover designer.

E-book preparation and conversion: This time-consuming work requires patience, the reading of much fine print, attention to detail, and technical savvy. For the technically challenged (like me), it also means a steep learning curve. I was lucky because my husband was willing to act as my technical guru. Or you can hire someone to do this for you.

Handling all the administrative details involving taxes and dealing with distributers and/or printing houses.

Handling all promotional activities including blogging, networking, soliciting reviews, posting to promotional sites, placing ads, organizing book signings, and more. This isn’t as bad as it sounds because most publishers now expect authors to do much of their own book promotion.

On the plus side, I love, love, LOVE the control indie publishing provides. I can change the pricing, the product description, even the book content, all at will, and if book sales don’t improve, I can change everything back again.

Moreover, I don’t need to second-guess whether or not an agent or editor will reject a manuscript because it doesn’t fit into a traditional genre box and is therefore unmarketable. That means I can write any kind of book I want with no restrictions on the content. The downside of all this freedom is that I might write something no one wants to buy, thus proving that the genre boxes are there for a reason.

The good news is that my first three months of sales as an indie author have already exceeded four years of small press figures. While I still haven’t matched total revenues due to lower indie pricing, I anticipate that my revenues will soon cover my initial costs, and then gallop ahead of the earnings from my small press publisher. I have all the time in the world. Self-publishing isn’t a sprint, but a marathon.

Control, autonomy, and money! Short of a bestseller gone viral, what more could an author ask?

Learn more about Maureen at http://booksbymaureen.com/

All Things Yule

2011-12-13T03:15:00.000-08:00

I can't be the only one who gets a kick out of knowing the origins of our traditions. As writers it often becomes imperative to know such things. With the holidays upon us I thought it might be fun to explore the origins behind all things yule-related.

Yule or Yuletide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic people as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January on a date determined by the lunar Germanic calendar. The festival was placed on December 25 when the Christian calendar (Julian calendar) was adopted. Scholars have connected the celebration to the Wild Hunt.

Terms with an etymological equivalent to Yule are used in the Nordic countries for the Christian Christmas (with its religious rites), but also for other holidays of the season. Yule is also used to a lesser extent in English-speaking countries to refer to Christmas. Customs such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others stem from Yule. The fact that Yule is not etymologically tied to Christianity means Yule in the Nordic countries is also celebrated by many non-Christians and even by the non-religious. The non-religious treat Yule as an entirely secular tradition.

Yule is the modern English representative of Old English words, thought to be derived from Common Germanic. Specific dating is problematic. In the 13th century, the Old Norse month name ýlir refers to the period of time between 14 November and 13 December. The time of Yule falls within around the time of a month that corresponds with the end of the modern calendar year. Scholar Andy Orchard says that it is difficult to specify the yule-tide period more accurately than at some point between about mid-November and the beginning of January. Simek says that the Old Norse timing offers no point of reference for the sacrificial feast and that the identification with the mid-winter time of sacrifice is most likely.

In Germanic Neopagan sects, Yule is celebrated with gatherings that often involve a meal and gift giving. Further attempts at reconstruction of surviving accounts of historical celebrations are often made, a hallmark being variations of the traditional. Groups such as the Asatru Folk Assembly in the US recognize the celebration as lasting 12 days, beginning on the date of the winter solstice.

In most forms of Wicca, this holiday is celebrated at the winter solstice as the rebirth of the Great horned hunter god, who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun. The method of gathering for this sabbat varies by practitioner. Some have private ceremonies at home, while others do so with their covens.

Whatever you celebrate this time of year, may it be filled with blessings, peace and joy.

Celebrating National Novel Writing Month

2011-12-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

I Win! Well, Sort Of ...

Each year, in November, writers and wanna-be novelists from all over the world accept the challenge of generating a story of 50, 000 words during the 30 days, producing 1,700 words daily. Roughly, that's seven pages of 250
words each, with double spaced sentences. Day after day after day. Fortunately, National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo, does its best to inspire us to get those scintillating tales out of our heads and on to paper. For a number of years I’ve joined buddies at coffeehouse write-ins as well as meeting them online in chat rooms and we’ve poured out our stories.

Some years we cross the 50K mark and others we don’t, but we always succeed in having a good time adding to the wads of words we hope one day will wind up as a published novel. This year, despite the dramas of normal life, I won! Yes! I crossed the 50,000-word finish line. No publishers are beating a path to my door. Not yet,anyway. But I'm hopeful.

To commemorate that milestone as well as acknowledging all my writing buddies whose fingers raced over keyboards with me, I’d like to share 13 statistics about National Novel Writing Month.

256,618 people participated in this year's NaNoWriMo challenge.

Together, participants wrote a total of 3,074,068,446 words. That's
billions, not millions. Wow!

The average word-count per person: 11,979 words.

A total of 36,774 writers crossed the 50k finish line.

That means 14% of participants were winners.

In the Young Writers Program, 81,041 participated.

Young Writers are those under 12 years of age. Most take part
in activities in the classroom. They wrote a total of 368,143,078 words.

The Young Writers' average: 7,199 words per person.

The National Novel Writing Site recorded 5,384,040 visits in
November. Want to visit, too? Go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Where did all these visitors come from? Well, the largest number -- 77,947 -- came from New York.

Google recorded 62,286 "guests" from London.

The city closest to me, Madison, Wisconsin, had 12,650 visitors to the National Novel Writing’s site.

All together, 3,605,003 people in the United States took a gander at and/or participated in NaNoWriMo.

Did you participate? What did you like best about the experience? The least? Please share your experience with me. Thanks.

Source
http://blog.lettersandlight.org/post/13851021182

Indie Publishing: It's All About Control

2011-12-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

Ask any author why they chose to go Indie and you'll get a variety of answers.

For some, it's because what they write doesn't fit in the NY box (I'm one of those). They're good writers, but their stories aren't considered marketable by industry standards.

For others, they are traditionally published authors who've gotten their rights back and are re-issuing their back-lists (often with the edits they wish they could've made the first time around), giving old favorites a 2nd life with a new audience.

Then there are those who are all about the money. They're tired of being paid slave wages for their hard work. They'd rather be making 70% on their e-books instead of the industry standard 15-17% traditional publishers offer.

But for many, myself included, it's all about control. Authors are sick and tired of NY telling them what to write. They're frustrated when they want to write a WWII romantic suspense and their editor pats them on the head and says, "No. Go write another Regency historical like a good little author. After all, NY knows best." Or they're angry when they've invested years developing a series with compelling characters and a detailed world only to have NY say they're not interested in publishing the last book. Authors feel helpless because they have no control over their cover design. "Who cares if the model is blonde and your heroine is a brunette? Marketing says blondes sell more books so we're going to use it." Heads up, NY. Readers notice this stuff and often blame the author for it.

So for myself and many other writers out there, going Indie is about taking back control. Writing is a creative process. It shouldn't be restricted by anything but the author's imagination.

Why I Finally Bought A Whiteboard and Large Sticky Notes

2011-11-29T03:55:00.000-08:00

The lovely Kaye Dacus spoke about story boarding at our Music City Romance Writers meeting a few months ago. Among the cool props she used were large (6X4 inches, approximately) sticky notes and a white board. I was intrigued.

I'm not really a pantser, but I'm also not much of a planner. Let me explain. Once I have a story idea, the next thing I do is choose my hero and heroine. I make a big deal of out naming them, giving them a back story - everything from their favorite color to their most poignant childhood memory. Most of this will never make it into the story, but I feel as if I have to "know" them before I can write them.

Next comes GMC - Goal, Motivation and Conflict. The fabulous Deb Dixon taught me that, and her book is always near me when I write. But beyond that I just write. I guess you could call me a plantster. :)

Because of this, I've written myself into more corners than I care to count. Yes, it's cool when your characters reveal something you didn't know before, or that perfect plot twist comes to you in a flash as you're typing dialogue, but those moments are more rare for me than the corners and moments of now what the heck do I do?

But a white board... and those pretty-colored HUGE Post-It Notes... imagine what I could do with those?

Absolutely essential when one is planning a six book menage series that spans an entire century. Yep. You read that right. I'm so freaking excited about this project it isn't funny, but I also realized there is no flipping way I can "plants" something like this without getting thoroughly lost, changing character names halfway and not realizing I've done so, or screwing up key elements and time lines. I must have a PLAN.

What is it about stores like Office Max or Staples? I get this rush when I walk into one. All those folders, and markers, and labels and printer cartridges, lined up like candy bowls in an old-fashioned drug store. Even the smell makes me hot. I could walk in there with one thing in mind to buy, and I still have to look at everything. I have to touch the giant Post-It Notes and the bubble wrap. Hey, you never know when you'll find the perfect dividers for all those folders you never use anymore since you now store your records on your hard drive.

So... I bought a white board. Right now it has only a few key points on it. Soon it will contain color-coordinated large, LINED Post-It Notes, one color for each specific element in the series that needs to stay consistent. I also have white board markers and a dry eraser. SQUEEE!!!

Tell me how you like to organize your projects, and don't throw that Scrivener thingy at me. :)

Still Time for Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write

2011-11-27T21:46:00.000-08:00

This is a repost from Cindi Myers Market News:

All this week Harlequin is holding online workshops in conjuction with its second So You Think You Can Write competition. From November 11 to December 15 you can submit your completed manuscript to the contest. First prize is publication with Harlequin. The winner will be announced March 1, 2012. Even if you don’t plan to enter the contest, the online workshops and bulletin boards have lots of great advice about writing for Harlequin from editors and authors with the line. Check it all out at So You Think You Can Write.

And news from Carina Press:
The Editors at Carina Press recently revealed what they’d especially like to see in their submission in-box:

Rhonda Helms: Steampunk, urban fantasy, gladiators, historicals featuring real historical people

Gina Bernal: military heroes and heroines, romantic adventure — especially pirates, shapeshifters

Melissa Johnson: “deep and difficult conflict” and big stories with series potential

Alison Janssen: space opera, steampunk, redemption stories

Denise Nielsen: gothic suspense, dark characters with secrets

Lynne Anderson: cross-genre, multi-cultural, LGBT

Deb Nemeth: high-stakes thrillers, steampunk, Arthurian fantasy

Elizabeth Bass: historical mysteries, westerns, 20th century historicals

Mallory Braus: a zombie hunter romance, psychics, historical mysteries

Check out all the details here.

Indie Author Spotlight: Time’s Enemy

2011-11-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

by Jennette Marie Powell

Book Blurb:

One unwanted gift. One great wrong. One chance to make things right…

Tony Solomon never wanted to be a time traveler. But when a freak accident gifts him with the ability to travel in time, he becomes an unwilling initiate in the Saturn Society, a secret society of time travelers. Determined to prevent his daughter’s murder three years earlier, he violates the Society’s highest law and becomes a fugitive. But the Society refuses to tell Tony how to time-travel within his own life, so he seeks help from Charlotte, the woman whose life he saved during a prior trip to the past.

When Tony arrives in 1933 looking for answers, Charlotte is both thrilled and terrified to see her childhood hero. Loyal to the Society, she is honor-bound to bring to justice those who manipulate time for their own gain. In giving him sanctuary, she faces a terrible choice-condemn the man she loves and to whom she owes her life, or deny her deepest convictions by helping him escape and risk sharing his sentence.

Time travel romance usually goes like this: a man or woman, through some mechanism, magic or device, travels back in time or into the future. Once they get there, they usually stay there for the duration of the book, learning to deal with their new circumstances and falling in love with someone from that time period along the way.

TIME’S ENEMY is not your typical time travel romance. It takes this general premise and gives it a science fiction edge, taking the reader on a page turning journey. Put it this way, if you take THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, mix in THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE and sprinkle it with SOMEWHERE IN TIME, you’ll get this amazing book.

Time Travel Paradox

Powell uses this principle with deft skill and it’s the thing that makes this story shine. Any change in history, no matter how minor, can have dire consequences in the present/future. Every time Tony goes back in time, he does something (often unintentional) to alter history and when he returns, his present is altered because of it. It’s when he goes back in time to deliberately change the past that the Saturn Society steps in. He broke the rules and he must be stopped. Now he finds himself on the run, in the present and the past.

Not Your Typical Romance

Most romances have the hero and heroine meet within the first couple of chapters of the book. Not so here. The romance between Tony and Charlotte doesn’t even get started until the middle of the book. That’s a long time to wait in romance-land, but experiencing Tony’s journey getting there was well worth it. I love how the author portrays his confusion and desperation when he starts time traveling. He doesn’t understand what’s happening, he’s scared and disoriented, and has no control over where and when he goes (at least in the beginning).

Not Perfect, but Close

As I said before, I thought this was a page turner of a book. But it’s not without its flaws. There are a few points in the middle where the pacing drags in comparison to the fast paced beginning and ending; one chapter makes use of short, choppy scene breaks which bothered me; and the author has an affinity for using parentheses throughout the narrative, which was a bit jarring. I use them a lot myself (as you can tell), just not in my fiction writing. But these flaws were minor, and didn’t diminish the enjoyment of the book.

What Makes This A Perfect Indie Book

I’m pretty sure I know why this book didn’t sell to the NY Big 6. It’s a mix of romance, sci-fi, and paranormal fiction. I’m guessing editors and agents loved it, but just didn’t know how to market it. Like many indie books, this one didn’t fit in the tidy NY box, but it’s definitely one you don’t want to miss.

Learn more about Jennette Marie Powell at http://www.jenpowell.com/

Finding Ideas in the Everyday

2011-11-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

I read a lot. Books, magazines, product descriptions - since I'm also an editor, I can't seem to NOT read. But filling your brain with news and information gives you lots of stuff from which to build a story idea.

For example, I recently read about how lakes in Texas have been shrinking because of the drought conditions they've had. But the interesting part was what could be found UNDER some of the lakes. In one case, Lake Buchanan covered a graveyard connected to a small town, when it was filled in the 1930s. Here's a link to the article, which shows the gravestone of a young boy who died before he turned a year old: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45378438/ns/us_news-life/#.TsnjiLK-dkE

The drought is a pretty ordinary story, but the minute those stones showed up, my mind started plotting up all kinds of ideas. What if the town was slated for flooding because the boy was murdered and the killer wanted to make sure his bones would never see the light of day again? What if his ghost haunted the shoreline near the lake's edge? What if the child died as a result of plans to make the town disappear under the lake, if his parents protested against losing their town and cemetery, if ... I could go on and on.

There are stories every day about mundane things that suddenly take a turn for the weird - or paranormal, as we like to call it. You can find many ideas in just reading a newspaper or taking a tour of the internet to see what's been happening around the country or around the world. It all depends on how you look at things and, as a writer, you should have a unique perspective on all things strange and unusual to be found underneath the simple stories we hear or see every day.

What is it that makes you think 'STORY'? Did the recent re-opening of the investigation into the death of Natalie Wood give you any ideas? Would it help to know she was filming a 'scary' movie with Christopher Walken when she died? Do you know what the movie was about?

Anything that makes you ask questions is good. If you can make your reader ask questions, GREAT! That's where you find your story - something you find interesting and then expand into something even MORE interesting - something that will grab your readers and not let them go until they've finished your story. That's what all writers hope for.

So you know there are millions of ideas out there - go find them and get writing!

Writing Discoveries, Featuring Author Karen McQuestion

2011-11-16T16:51:00.001-08:00

Once you’ve been at a job for a while or filled a specific role, you discover tricks of the trade -- things that make your days smoother and easier. It’s the same with writing. After months, a few years or even a couple of novels, you accumulate wisdom and possibly a few short-cuts, too.
I asked a popular author, Karen McQuestion, if she would share some pearls she has learned in her journey to writing success.

For those unfamiliar with Karen, she gives this description of her extraordinary career:
“In 2009, after nearly a decade of trying to get my fiction published, I uploaded my books so they would be available on Amazon’s Kindle. What happened next was astounding! From the start, sales were good and supportive readers gave the books positive recommendations and reviews. As a result, one of my novels, A Scattered Life, was optioned for film in November 2009. And then, just when I thought things couldn't get any better, I got (and accepted!) an offer from Amazon's new publishing division, AmazonEncore, to publish the book in paperback. It came out in August 2010."
Today Karen has five books under the AmazonEncore imprint, two of which will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The bottom line: Thanks to a vivid imagination, she has achieved her lifelong dream of being a well-read author and "couldn’t be happier.”

Here are several insights she’s grateful she discovered along the way.

Not everyone will love my books. In fact, there will ALWAYS be a certain percentage of readers who don’t. Negative reviews used to devastate me ... until I noticed that all of my favorite books had at least a few one and two-star reviews. Once I realized some people out there hated To Kill a Mockingbird, it got easier. My take on it is that I always do my best, which is the only part of writing a novel I can control. Ultimately, people will have their opinions. So be it.

The importance of writer friends. I love all my friends, but writer friends come in handy when I want to talk shop or celebrate something writing-related. When I first started hanging out with other writers, I had this immediate strong feeling that these were My People. Turns out I’m not as weird as I thought, or at least I’m weird in a way that makes sense.

There’s no competition. I can envy another writer for his or her rich use of language, or New York Times bestseller status, but when the day is done, writers are not in competition with each other. Like literary fingerprints, each author writes the book only he or she can write. Besides, there are an unlimited number of slots to be filled and new readers are born every day.

To trust the process. Partway through writing a novel I always reach a point where I feel like I’ve painted myself into a corner and I become convinced there’s no way to get the book to work. It's a scary place to be, considering the time and emotional energy I’ve already sunk into the story. At some point, I realized this is part of my writing process and there’s no need to panic. I still do panic (a little bit), but it’s reassuring to know I’ve worked through this problem before, and I probably can do so again.

That nothing matters except the work. Not the reviews, not the rankings, not the sales. Many deserving books never get their due. There’s a lot of heartbreak out there for writers. If you really love writing, that will carry you through.

Thanks, Karen. ... After reading her "thankful" discoveries, I'll add some of my own. So here goes: Other writers and their writings can inspire you.

Everyone makes mistakes. One editor told me that it takes an average of 16 pairs of eyes to make a manuscript perfect. I totally bought that idea. Now when I miss a comma, I don’t get all that upset.

Although talent’s important, good writing can be learned. James Scott Bell says in his book Plot and Structure, “I wanted new writers to know that they were doomed to stay where they were. [But] they could learn craft… craft can be taught and … you -- with diligence, practice and patience -- can improve your writing.” I believe James Scott Bell, and that gives me hope.

There are lots of good books on writing craft. Jack Bickham’s Scene and Sequence, James Frey’s How to Write a Damn Good Novel, Dwight Swain’s Techniques of a Selling Writer, Debra Dixon’s Goal, Motivation and Conflict, Jordan Rosenfeld's Make a Scene and Donald Maass's The Fire in Fiction to name some. Most can be borrowed from public libraries.

Look for others on the same writing path you’re on. It’s fun to write with others and be part of a bigger community, such as the Romance Writing chapters or the National Novel Writing groups. The camaraderie of friends makes even rejections more tolerable.

Good critique partners can improve stories. Writing is communication and one of the best ways to check its effectiveness is asking someone else for an opinion. Look for a critique partner who believes in the stuff you create, but who's also able to give constructive criticism.

What goes around really does come around. Helping others pays off. If you get a chance to volunteer or to do a favor for someone, do it. Soon you may need a blog spot to plug your new release, a person to proofread your manuscript or a friend to take you out for coffee when you receive a thanks-but-not-for-us rejection.

Blogging is fun. Especially when others respond to what you write. I love to hear from you all.
********************************
No doubt you’ve learned much along your way. I'm hoping you’d like to share a gem or two. Karen and I look forward to your comments.
By the way, Karen has a new release this month -- Secrets of the Magic Ring -- that

I’m betting you’ll enjoy. Here’s a brief blurb:
"Nine-year-old Paul thinks getting a new swimming pool in his backyard is going to be the big excitement of the summer. But when he discovers a peculiar box in the construction hole, his life becomes crazier and more incredible than he ever imagined. It turns out the box contains a magical ring which grants wishes. At first this seems ideal, until he finds out the magic can backfire if the wishes aren’t just right. Before long, Paul is dealing with a mysterious boy who’d like to steal the ring, an annoying talking dog, and an aunt obsessed with swimming. As the wishes spiral out of control, Paul must figure out a way to set it all straight before it’s too late. ..."
Wouldn't you like to read more???

Finding Inspiration in Chicago

2011-11-15T05:57:00.000-08:00

Did you ever visit a city and fall so in love with it you felt like you must have lived there in a past life? Or were simply drawn to some indescribable piece of it? The culture, the smells, a certain park or shopping mall?

I've had a life-long fascination with the city of Chicago, starting when I was very young and we traveled there to visit my maternal grandfather's family. Last month, my husband I took a trip to Chicago for our wedding anniversary. It was the first time we've been anywhere alone together overnight that didn't involve our daughter or a band function, since before she was born. We had a fantastic time!

We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites on West Illinois Avenue, right next to a fire station, but that didn't bother us. Being city people at heart, we loved being back in the middle of the hustle and bustle. We took a river cruise, walked about a million miles, shopped, ate too much, and I even had my palm read. By the way, according to the woman who read it, I'm due for that best seller next September. :)

I've set one unfinished contemporary romance manuscript in Chicago, and after visiting the neighborhood where my heroine lives, I have a renewed interest in tackling that project one day. Teresa, the heroine from my latest release, Playing for Keeps, is originally from Chicago, but since Teresa is a demon who's been dead over one hundred and fifty years, the Chicago she remembers is not the current one.

It was interesting to visit the Water Tower because it's one of the few structures that survived the fire of 1871, meaning you won't find many structures in the city older than that, even though Chicago was settled in 1832. Of the structures that survived the fire, most have been torn down and re-built.

What really struck me about the city were its citizens. As we stood on street corners, maps in hand, trying to figure out where Lake Michigan was because we knew then we'd be facing east, total strangers came up to us and asked if they could help. By the end of our few days there I was able to point out a street to a stranger, and it was a neat kind of "pay it forward" feeling to do so.

I love visiting cities, new and old, and it's wonderful to find inspiration in the smallest things. That's what we do as writers, after all.

What cities have you visited where you've found inspiration?

Congratulations, You're Zombnant!

2011-11-10T21:24:00.000-08:00

Art imitates life and sometimes, maybe even often times, life imitates art. I’m an enthusiast of zombie art and media, be it film, TV, literature, jewelry, or even zombie hippo throw pillows (it's probably better not to ask). While I enjoy zombies and stories about them, I’ve never actually had aspirations of zombification. I’m more the “survive or die trying” type. Ironic, then, that I’ve finally become what I’ve studied and enjoyed for so long; a zombie.

There are many ways to become a zombie, including nuclear radiation, voodoo ritual, nanobots, rage virus, receiving a bite from a zombie, consuming expired taco meat, and, my personal favorite, spoiled milk.

I took a different path to zombification. I got pregnant.

What? There's nothing wrong with thoroughness. Or denial.

I live in a world of women and popular culture. I've seen Hollywood's depiction of pregnancy. I know women who have been pregnant. I know women who are pregnant. I thought I was prepared (I had both a zombie plan and a baby plan. I was working on a zombie plan for babies). Now I know the truth. There is no such thing as prepared. Within 3 weeks my body turned against me, going from something that functioned more or less as I requested to…something else.

Not quite.

There we go.

I don’t recall anyone ever mentioning how bone numbingly exhausting the mere act of gestation can be. If the Olympics had a competitive napping category, I would bring the gold home to the good ole U.S. of A, no contest. I now have a profound respect for momma elephants and their 22 month gestational period. 22. Months. Let that sink in for a moment.

So, with the 3 active brain cells I have remaining, here’s the surprising link between pregnancy and zombification in a handy-dandy chart. Spot the differences between the true walking dead and those whose hormones levels are simply making them feel that way. I’m already infected, but perhaps this information can help others create their own (doomed) preparedness plan, or at least spot the signs they or a loved one may be zombnant.

Zombie Characteristics:
     - Unquenchable thirst for brains
     - Eyes dull and vacant
   - Skin discolored and decaying
     - Stumbling and sluggish
     - Moaning incoherently
     - High brain functions lost
     - Limited muscle control
   - Known for gathering in shopping malls
     - Uncontrolled rage in the presence of living
        human flesh

Ways to Incapacitate:
     - Double tap
     - Aim for the head

Pregnant Characteristics:
     - Unquenchable thirst for tacos
     - Eyes dull and vacant
   - Skin more blemished than a teenage chocolate
        addict's 2 weeks before prom
     - Stumbling and sluggish
     - Moaning obscenities
     - High brain functions are lost (God help me, I
        came close to chucking at a Two and a Half
        Men commercial)
     - Limited emotional control
     - Known for gathering in restrooms
     - Uncontrolled rage in the presence of strangers
        trying to pat my stomach

Ways to Incapacitate:
     - Double fudge ice cream. With potato chips.
        What?
     - Aim for ankles. Seriously, if I go down I'm not
        getting back up.

Have you suffered from zombancy? Did you experience symptoms similar to the standard zombie characteristics described above, or symptoms not yet touched upon?

Like Vampires? Check out SAINT SANGUINUS

2011-11-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

Did vampires exist before Dracula? What were they like? Did they venture into the sun? Did they suck blood?

Julia Smith has written a fascinating book SAINT SANGUINUS that answers these questions and more. Her vampires exist around the year 577.

Julie is a multitalented person. Among other things, she has a film degree from Ryerson University in Toronto. She writes and directs book trailers, documentaries and a radio series. She’s also edited a promotional video, stage managed 'The Children's Hour' at The Pond Playhouse in Halifax, and been an assistant director for 'Dracula' at Seaweed Theatre in Halifax.

I know Julia from her first rate blog which lately has featured vampires.

Thanks for hosting me today at The Otherworld Diner. I’ve been a visitor for several years, now, and always enjoy the cherry pie.

To celebrate tomorrow’s release of my ebook SAINT SANGUINUS through Amazon Kindle, here are thirteen things about the time period in which my Dark Age vampire superhero origin story is set:
1 – SAINT SANGUINUS takes place 160 years following the retreat of Rome from British territories.
With no occupying military force in place, the simmering power plays between tribes had risen to shape daily life in 577, the year in which my story takes place.
This time period has attracted me since childhood. I found myself mesmerized by the exact same fluctuations following the collapse of the Soviet Union in eastern Europe. When there is no iron fist holding down the locals, the power vacuum must be filled—and it takes no time for the jockeying to start.
2 – Tribal power structure was based upon mini kingdoms. The main kingdom established by Cunedda or Cunedag in the area in which the novel takes place was subdivided among his sons, resulting in nine mini kingdoms. The weakening of centralized power by subdividing these lands made the west coastal region of Gwenydd ripe for plunder by the advancing Anglo Saxons.
3 – The tribes that made up Wales in the 6th century were part of a larger cultural group known as Britons.
In Peredur’s western coastal region, the Ordovices and Gangani tribes inhabited the area where the story takes place. Both peoples were known as fighters.
One of the brethren is a Brigante, the broader group of tribes claiming what is now known as northern England.
Another is referred to in the story as a Pict, although that is for modern convention, as no one ever referred to himself as a Pict during the 6th century. ‘Pechts’, however, was the Old Scottish term for the unconquered people living far beyond Hadrian’s Wall.
4 – Irish raiders plundered Welsh coastal settlements for slaves in the 6th century. In a few more centuries, Viking raiders made regular stops in Dublin which had become a centralized hub of slave trading, moving captured villagers from Britain to Scandinavia.
These are the raiders which Peredur and his war band go off to fight at the beginning of the book.
5 – Tribal fighting was a way of life. They loved to make war upon an enemy and much of their culture was devoted to fighting. They decorated their weapons lovingly, and collected trophy heads as an expression of ritualized violence and prestige.
Unfortunately, this lust for war prevented any sort of cohesive desire for presenting a unified front to a larger enemy like the Saxon invaders.
6 – Although modern assumptions of this time period tends to imagine an extremely primitive existence, because of the prior Roman occupation, there were many holdover traditions borrowed from the absent conquerors. This included the appetite for traded goods from far-off places.
Archeological finds during the 1980s revealed red roof tiles on buildings that had been concealed by later renovations upon various British market sites. The current British road system is often simply overlaid upon the original routes laid out by Roman engineers.
Besides the carry-over of Iron Age subsistence farming, hunting and fishing, Peredur’s world would have included markets that featured imported goods from Europe, a coin system as well as barter, and artisan production in metal, leather and jewelry.
7 – Celtic tribes owned their clan lands as a communal enterprise. A leader’s wealth was measured not by land ownership but by the size of his cattle or sheep herd. Tanwen’s father is the recognized chief both by demonstrated fighting skills and his sheep herd.
8 – Clothing worn at this time was simple long robes for women, and tunics and leggings for men, along with cloaks against the cold and damp.
Woven wool and linen, dyed in simple neutrals, browns, reds, greens and blues would be combined with leather and ornamental metals. Fur for warmth and decoration was also highly prized, as were feathers.
9 – The most common foods which Peredur and Tanwen would have eaten were grain porridge, bread, salted meat, bean, milk, some raised vegetables such as cabbage, and stew. Fresh roasted meat was generally only eaten during celebrations or feasts.
10 – Peredur’s people worshipped Cernunnos the stag-horned god representing male energy, and Epona, the female horse goddess. They also venerated various healing deities located in holy springs or wells, rivers, lakes and the sea.
The Arthurian figure known as the Lady of the Lake who is the keeper of Excalibur is a well-known example of this sort of minor goddess.
11 – The early Welsh believed that rowan trees held mystical properties offering protection against dark forces.
Known as the traveler’s tree because it acted as such a distinct landmark, the rowan makes a significant though unheralded appearance in SAINT SANGUINUS as Peredur is tied to one of these trees in order to better navigate a trial that takes him to uncharted internal landscapes.
12 – The Celtic harvest festival of Sanhaim, where they marked the passing of the world into its darker half, also celebrated a festival of the dead. While honoring their deceased ancestors, the Celts also protected themselves from evil influences by trying to trick these darker spirits through masks and costumes.
They also reinforced their clan ties by lighting a bonfire, extinguishing all family fires and then relighting their hearth fires from the communal bonfire.
13 – Peredur’s fellow villager Cavan is the son of the wise woman, the healer of the clan. She would have performed all of the duties we now associate with the medical health profession, using the herbal remedies available to her, as well as cultural belief rituals.
However, these wise women were most often shunned as supernatural beings, and later hunted, tortured and put to death as witches. The very faith which the local population held in her healing powers also made them fear her enough to insist that she live on the margins of their society.

We hope you've enjoyed learning about life in 577. To find out more please visit Julia at www.juliaphillipssmith.com or leave your question in the comments. As always, we look forward to hearing from you.

Indie Publishing: Let's Talk Money

2011-11-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

If you’re involved in indie publishing, you’ve probably heard the names Amanda Hocking and John Locke bandied about. They’re the super stars in the biz, making a million or more on their self-published books. Every indie author wants that kind of success, but unfortunately only a few will even come close. On the other end of the spectrum, for those of us who belong to RWA, we all know the magic price tag to get into PAN (the Published Authors Network) is $1,000 in advance and/or royalties on a single “eligible” novel or novella. That’s a pitifully low amount but the sad truth is many authors published with “eligible” electronic or small presses don’t even make that. So, let’s talk money. Just how much are indie authors making these days? Below, you’ll find a few authors who’ve graciously posted their sales and earnings on their web sites or blogs.

To the best of my knowledge, none of these numbers include any free downloads.

Norah Wilson
http://norahwilsonwrites.com/
August 2010 – March 2011 (4 books) $1048
April – July 2011 (9 books) $2522
Total for 1 year = $3570

Cate Rowan
http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/goin-indie-my-sales-during-year-one-of-self-publishing/
Aug 2010-April 2011 (2 books) $8300

D.D. Scott
http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/
16,653 sales (8 books) at $0.99 x 35% = $5829*
(*This amount is just a guess on my part since she didn’t post dollar amounts, just sales numbers. Right now, most of Ms. Scott’s books are priced at $0.99. However, one is currently free while 2 are priced at $2.99 so this figure might be a bit off.)

Debra Holland
http://drdebraholland.blogspot.com/
May (2 books) $377
June (2 books) $2133
July (2 books) $5234
August (4 books) $6272
September (4 books) $5021
Total for 5 months = $19,037

Theresa Ragan is probably the most successful of them all (that I know of). I bow down at this woman’s feet.
http://www.theresaragan.com/
Books sold between March and October 2011: 122,611
95,155 books sold at $2.99 x 70% = $198,874
27,456 books sold at $0.99 x 35% = $9,610

If I did the math right, Ms. Ragan has made $208,484 in 8 months with 5 books. Amazing. She has never been traditionally published. She didn’t have a fan base or backlist to help boost her sales, but she’s making more money than most e-pubbed authors I know and I’ll warrant more than many midlist NY pubbed authors. Even though she’s qualified for PAN 300 times over, she isn’t eligible because she self-published. She can’t enter the RITA either. Something’s wrong with that right there. But for me, is being in PAN or eligible to enter the RITA that important? It used to be, but not anymore. Outside of RWA, not many people know or care if an author is in PAN or has won a RITA. Readers just want to read a good book and quite frankly, I’d rather take the money than a shiny gold statue any day.

So, do all indie authors make this kind of money? No. I’m sure Ms. Ragan promoted her booty off to get those sales. And just like many traditionally published authors, most indie authors aren’t going to be able to quit their day jobs. I’ve heard it said more than once: indie publishing is a marathon, not a race. The trick is to not get discouraged when you’re not raking in the big bucks right off the bat. Sales build more sales. Readers follow authors who consistently write good books. Polish your book until it shines, have it professionally edited, design a kick-ass cover, put it up for sale, and then do it all again.

* UPDATE * I found 2 other authors (Trish McCallan and Jolyn Palliata) who are posting details on their indie sales. I won't post the actual numbers here, but you can see them on their blog, Total Transparency Self-Publishing.

* UPDATE #2* I did do the math wrong for both D.D. Scott and Theresa Ragan. I forgot to take into account the Amazon 35% royalty rate for $0.99 books and 70% for $2.99 books and over. The earnings have now been adjusted accordingly.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is having a fun, spook-filled Halloween. Not so much for me here. Oh, I'm not one of those unfortunate folks up north with 2 feet of snow and no power on their hands. Those poor kids have got to be so bumbed to be snowbound on Halloween. No, in my neck of the woods it's just cold and rainy. Makes for not so many trick or treaters tonight to gobble down all the candy I bought. Maybe if I bring the leftovers into the diner, we can bake it into pies. Anybody got a good recipe for Milk Dud pie or Reese Cup cake?

Wishing you all a Happy Halloween from the gals at the Otherworld Diner.

Spine-Tingling Lines--Guess what movie they're from. I dare you.

2011-10-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

Do you like to be scared?
I do. At least when it comes to Horror Flicks. I watch them all: zombies, aliens, vampires, spirits, slashers—even crazed dolls.

On the theory that you might too and that you like to play games, I’ve listed 13 of my favorite spooky lines. Can you guess what movie they’ve come from? (Feel free to check out my sources for hints.)

1. A boy’s best friend is his mother.
2. I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly.
3. Be afraid….Be very afraid.
4. They’re Heee-re.
5. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.
6. Oh, yes, there will be blood!
7. Ray, when someone asks you if you’re a god, you say, “Yes”!
8. We have to convince the little housewife out there that the tomato that ate the family pet is not dangerous!
9. He-e-e-e-e-re’s Johnnie!
10. Good, bad, I’m the one with the gun. Come git some!
11. I see dead people.
12. Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.
13. In those moments where you're not quite sure if the undead are really dead, dead, don't get all stingy with your bullets. I mean, one more clean shot to the head, and this lady could have avoided becoming a human Happy Meal. Woulda... coulda... shoulda.

Leave your guesses in the comments. I’ll check back and let you know if you’re correct. Then at the end of the day, I’ll post the answers. Thanks for playing.

Sources

http://www.thecabinet.com/quotes/index.php?sub_id=movie_quotes
http://www.shopoflittlehorrors.com/horror_movie_quotes.htm
http://www.thecdr.org/famous-horror-movie-quotes/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156398/quotes

Indie Author Spotlight: Kismet’s Kiss

2011-10-17T10:58:00.001-07:00

by Cate Rowan

I’ve been doing the ‘IT’ Factor posts for over 18 months now. In the process, I’ve discovered some real gems from traditional publishers and some, well, they ended up being little more than cheap paste IMO. Now that I’m venturing down the Indie road, I feel it’s only right to take a slight detour and start reviewing some of the Indie gems out there. You know, the ones that NY in all their brilliant wisdom *cough cough* let get away. If you’re a reader of Indie books, you know by now that some are great finds while others were obviously slapped up by writers who still have quite a bit more growing to do. Even though most Indie books are much cheaper than their traditionally published cousins, it still bites to spend money on a crappy book. So from now on, I’m going to dedicate this monthly column to helping you find the diamonds in the pile of cubic zirconia.

Book Blurb:

In the desert realm of Kad, a deadly epidemic strikes the palace of Sultan Kuramos. Only a magical healer from an enemy land has the skill to save his royal household, but Kuramos never imagined the healer would be a woman.

Healer Varene finds her own surprises in Kad. She expects the sultan’s arrogance, but not his courage or his selfless care of the ill—or the possibility that the epidemic is the curse of a vengeful goddess.

Kuramos’s culture condemns Varene’s mystical talents. Her presence triggers an insurrection, yet as he and the healer toil for a cure, he loses his heart to her. She falls for him as well, but how can she relinquish her homeland and her principles—especially when he already has a harem and his family may be cursed?

KISMET’S KISS is the sequel to THE SOURCE OF MAGIC (which is a good book too). Ms. Rowan published KISS first, so I read it first. While both books take place in the same magical realm and involve some of the same characters, they each stand on their own.

Sexual Chemistry:
The first time they meet, Varene and Kuramos are instantly attracted to each other, whether they want to be or not. However, there are major hurdles in their way. In the beginning, Kuramos is appalled that he must rely on a infidel woman and her magic to save his family. He is chauvinistic and, along with just about everyone else in his kingdom, he treats her with arrogance and distain. Varene is used to being treated as an equal, as an intelligent woman and a gifted healer. They are constantly butting heads until she shows him the error of his ways. However there’s still another teensy, weensy problem…

Conflict:
Kuramos has 6 wives already. Count ‘em, 6! That’s unheard of in traditional romance publishing. The golden rule handed down from NY is the hero must be single (either a bachelor, widower, or divorced) and – heaven forbid -- he cannot even think of sleeping with someone else once he’s laid eyes on the heroine. I couldn’t wait to see how Rowan was going to write her way out of that one. (She does! And no, she doesn't kill off all the wives.)

Secrets:
Both Kuramos and Varene have them and Rowan does an excellent job of sprinkling clues throughout the story. There’s also court intrigue afoot and the cause of the strange illness afflicting Kuramos’s royal house. Is it a curse or something else? Usually I can figure these things out early on but the author kept me guessing until the end.

Humor:
Gunjan, the talking bird, is a riot!

What makes this book standout:
This book was a 2007 and 2009 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Finalist. It is also the first Indie book I ever read. When I saw the quality of the writing and the originality of the storyline, I had to wonder how on earth this book never sold. Actually, I do know. Ms. Rowan is a rule breaker. She writes stories that don’t fit into the NY box and they’re all the better for it.

Learn more about Cate Rowan at http://caterowan.com/

Today's Special

2011-10-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

The pie of the day is cherry, and the coffee and tea are ready. I hope you're all out there doing what needs to be done - as I have been in the past month. Again, I apologize for being gone so much - it's been a tough year.

It's October, which means Halloween is just around the corner and tales of ghosts and goblins, witches and wizards, hellcats and hexes roam the internet looking for a home. Where would be a better place to hear about such things than here at the Otherworld Diner.

I'm hoping you'll share with us your recent writings, readings or findings in the field of the paranormal, supernatural or just plain weird, or tell us a ghost story of your own.

When I was young, my sister swore the boogeyman lived in our attic, and I was always afraid to go up the stairs into the shadows where a single lightbulb swung on its chain, waiting to go out with the slightest breath. I knew there was something lurking up there, something dark and evil, waiting... always waiting. I stayed in that house alone a few times as a teen, and the scary noises from the attic always kept me next to the phone, fingers trembling and a flashlight nearby, just in case. Call me paranoid, but I'd seen and heard too many things not to have a vivid imagination.

So tell me ... what scares you?

October musings

2011-10-11T03:58:00.000-07:00

While trying to think of something to write for today's post I realized we're nearly halfway done with my favorite month, so why not tell you all why it's my favorite month?

Okay... my birthday is this month, so that's reason number one. No, I'm not one of those women who hates birthdays. Hey, I've earned every not-quite-my-natural-hair-color hair on my head, okay? I don't have wrinkles so we won't discuss them. :)

It's also the month in which I was married. David and I were married on October 15, 23 years ago. We lived in Ohio then and had this unofficial holiday called Sweetest Day. It just happened to fall on our wedding anniversary that year. I was surprised to find out they didn't celebrate it everywhere, even if it is a Valentine's Day knock-off and a chance for greeting card companies to make more money. :) That October up north was a cold, blustery one, but on our wedding day we had sunshine.

And then of course there's Halloween, my second-favorite holiday. How can you not love a day when you get to dress up and people just give you candy?? When we lived in Ohio we'd decorate our house and yard, complete with dummies, scary music, and strobe lights. The last year we were there we went a bit overboard and people were actually afraid to come inside. But they did come - from outside the subdivision, even. Our house was sort of a legend in that small town.

My daughter's freshman year in high school was the last year we were there, and she was in marching band. We let her have a band Halloween party, and of course we made sure it was overdone. We decorated the basement with spooky things, filled the laundry room sink with ice and soft drinks, had movies like The Shining and Halloween playing upstairs, and kept the kids supplied with pizza. That's really all it was, and yet we had kids coming from other parties to the band party because they'd heard about Nicole's! She keeps in touch with a few friends from that town and they still talk about that party.

Halloween isn't quite the same here in Tennessee. We tried a couple of times to decorate the yard, but it didn't go over as well. Still, I love October. Although we don't have those crisp fall nights or wicked cold winds toward the end of the month here, the trees are starting to turn golden and red - well, the maples turn red, at least. The days are steadily growing cooler, and there's a really neat Halloween store in town. I'm looking forward to having the A/C off soon, and hubby and I are going to out of town for a few days for our anniversary. We haven't been anywhere by ourselves in a long time.

Tell me what you like - or don't like about October ...

A Look Inside: Entangled Publishing

2011-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what it’s like to be published—to see your stories in print?

Rachel Firasek, whose recently published novel Piper’s Fury has made her an EPPIE finalist, has agreed to answer my questions about publishing and she may drop by to answer yours.

1. How did you get started as a writer?
I’ve almost always been a writer. In junior high I helped with the school newspaper and had my first publication with poetry. In high school, I did some extra reports on the sly, lol. But, three years ago, my husband took a position as a contract laborer in Kuwait. I had a lot of time on my hands. A lot of lonely, cold time. Writing filled that time and writing romance made me feel a little closer to him.

2. Why did you decide to send your novella The Last Rising to Entangled Publishing?
Heather Howland was the editor for Piper’s Fury and I adored her. When I found out she was leaving and heading on to Entangled, I knew that I wanted to work with her again and I really liked the platform for Entangled Publishing. Also, Liz Pelletier managed to turn Savvy Authors into an amazing tool during her first year. Anytime you can build a community for authors that quickly, you’re doing something right. I want to work with and be surrounded by those kind of people. I’m a forward thinking woman and in this unsteady world of publishing, I wanted to hook up with the press that had a bigger vision.

3. Getting the call is the moment many unpublished authors fantasize about, that moment authors here that a publisher wants her work. Can you describe your experience?
Hmmm… each one has been different. Piper’s Fury was my debut and will always be a little more special. You never quite capture that first one twice. But, that’s not to say that if I ever land an agent and make a break into NY that I won’t hop up and down. When Entangled requested my Curse of the Pheonix series, I was so honored that they wanted me. Have you seen some of the authors over there? They are absolutely amazing and that is when you get the new set of nerves--the “how am I going to keep up” nerves. Lol.

4. How long was it from the initial publisher’s request to seeing your manuscript in published form?
Well, that differs with each press. The Last Rising was contracted in late April and Published in September. Piper’s Fury was contracted in October 2010 and published March 2011. Most of them have been in the six month range, but as more authors submit and publishers take on more works, I think we’ll see the production pushed out. JMO.

5. What steps were involved to take your manuscript from a submission to a published novel?
Holy cow. Well, with Entangled Publishing it has been like this: sign contract and send it in. About a week will pass and you’ll get all kind of logins, more papers to fill out and some other basic upkeep. You’ll go through at least three passes of revisions and then on to copyedits and maybe a few other touch up passes. If your deadline is out far enough, you may have some time in between. It’s all pretty hectic. And then you go straight into marketing.

6. What surprised you most about being published?
I think it’s been the response. I’m a little nobody from Waco, TX. Seriously, why would people want to talk to me, interview me, or even read my books. But, I love it even if I don’t understand it. Please keep contacting me and reading. I love you guys!

7. What advise would you give other unpublished authors who hope to interest your publishing house in their manuscript?
Be original and come with your “A” game. Have betas and cps read for you. Find a mentor and have them help you improve to the next level. Entangled Publishing is not your average publishing house and they are looking for a way to break molds but still apply to the mass public. It’s kind of my fave thing about them.

8. What reasons would you give an unpublished author for sending his or her manuscript to Entangled Publishing? What do you particularly like about your publishers?
I think I answered most of this above, but the biggest thing I love about them is the communication. This is my third publishing house to work with and by far it has been the most informative. I’ve learned so much from this press. And when we have a question, if the publisher, marketing director or our editor doesn’t know the answer, they find it for us. It’s truly amazing.

9. How has your life changed since being published?
I don’t sleep. Nocturnal took on a whole new meaning in my house. Lol.

10. Typically, how long does it take you to write a book? What’s your writing schedule?
I can push out 30K in a month when I’m hot on a story. Sometimes even more. It just really depends on how much a story means to me.

11. How do you get ideas for your stories?
Well, Piper’s Fury started out as a Graphic Novel. Lol. Straight X-Men-ish and latex jumpsuits. But, it wasn’t working. So four re-writes later and we had Piper. I wrote a short erotica for Whiskey Creek Press after witnessing an accident on the interstate. Men in blue looked really hot at 70 miles an hour. The Last Rising was inspired from the thunderstorm that hit Orlando, FL after the RWA National Conference in 2010. Read the book, and you’ll know why.

12. What excites you about your current work in progress?
I’m working on a YA. I’ve never written in this genre and the fresh voice is a comfort and a great break from the world of PR. Oh, and it has shifters which I hear are not that hot in YA anymore, but I’m going to make it work. I have faith. ;)

13. Could you share an excerpt from your book/s?
“Why is it I can’t get you out of my mind? You say we haven’t met, but my dreams remember you.”

Oh yeah, he’d dreamt of a woman for months now. She resembled his dream woman in so many ways, but he’d never seen his fantasy lover’s face.
She struggled against his clutch. “Mr. Alcott, I assure you we haven’t met. And for your other question, I don’t know why, but you need to release me.”
Why did that quivering bottom lip make him suspect she was lying? Turner rested his forehead against the top of hers and sucked in her scent. “Please, tell me I’m not losing my mind. Tell me you don’t visit me every night and I’ll promise to leave you alone. I just need to know.”
He sounded like a crazy man but she had to tell him. She was the only one who could put a stop to his mind’s constant fantasizing, and this feeling of déjà vu every time he saw her.
Ice wriggled in his arms, her thighs chafing against his slacks. “Mr. Alcott, you need to let me go.” She glanced around his shoulder. “Brodie is probably staring out that glass window and I would hate for him to get the wrong impression.”
She was right. He needed to get ahold of himself, but he didn’t have the strength to walk away. His hands traveled up and over her shoulders, stalling on her neck. Brushing his thumbs against her jaw, he pressed her head back and stared into hard eyes—no emotion. Couldn’t she see the battle he fought?
He teased the corner of her mouth with his thumb and her breathy gasp pleased him. So, she wasn’t completely immune to him. He dropped his head until his mouth hovered over hers.
“Mr. Alcott—”
“Shhh. I just need a taste of the sunshine.”

14. Where can readers find you on the web? (Twitter, blog, facebook, website)?

All of my links can be found at http://www.rachelfirasek.com/ I’m on twitter by @RachelFirasek

Thank you for having me on the blog today. I look forward to answer any questions your guests have.

We hope you’ve found Rachel’s interview interesting. We appreciate your questions or comments.

Indie-Publishing: Who Are the New Gatekeepers?

2011-10-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been around the romance business long enough, you’ve heard the term ‘Gatekeepers’ associated with agents and the Big 6, those mega corporations with publishing houses such as Avon, Berkley, St. Martins and Harlequin to name a few. These are the people standing between the unpublished writer and the reader.

The Agent Gatekeeper

The first obstacle in a writer’s path is the Agent Gatekeeper. Most of the NY Big 6 editors won’t even look at a manuscript from an author unless it’s handed to them dipped in Godiva chocolate and wrapped in gold by a literary agent. There are about 200 agents out there who handle romance, but most of them are overloaded and only taking on new clients if the author is previously published (with a stellar track record and an existing fan base) or they have something that’s uber hot for the moment and an easy sell. As the old saying goes, all the good ones are taken. But if you can snag one of them, you're still not in because there’s yet another gate to unlock . . .

The Editor Gatekeeper

I mentioned the Big 6 earlier. Under those 6 mega corporations, there are 13 major imprints that publish romance. Harlequin has imprints within imprints for all their series books, but the trick here is each line is so specific in how its books have to be written, that if that book doesn’t sell to that line, it’s next to impossible to sell it somewhere else. So let’s talk about those other 12 romance publishers. Each has a romance department with acquiring editors. I went to the RWA website to see just how many there are.

Avon – 8 editors
Ballantine/Bantam Dell – 5 editors
Berkley – 4 editors
HQN – 1 editor
Luna – 1 editor
Mira – 7 editors
Kensington – 7 editors
NAL – 6 editors
Sourcebooks – 2 editors
St. Martins – 3 editors
Pocket – 4 editors
TOR – 1 editor

Not counting Harlequin, which averages 3 editors per series line, you’ll see that there are 49 editors who acquire single title romance. Forty-nine people sitting in an office in NY determining which books out of the hundreds if not thousands written and submitted each year will make it onto the shelves for the entire romance reading public to buy. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think those are very good odds. If your manuscript doesn’t land on the right editor’s desk, the one who will fall in love with your voice and buy you, then too bad, so sad. Each person has their own personal tastes, their likes and dislikes. I know I have some authors who are Auto-buys and Keepers, while others are so-so or wall-bangers. But you know what? Those books that are so-so or wall-banging material for me might be someone else’s Keeper. And if I were an editor in NY, I might be the very gatekeeper preventing you from finding that book just because it doesn’t float my boat. Scary thought, isn’t it?

The New Gatekeepers

The good news is that with the surge of Indie Publishing, a new Gatekeeper has come on the scene and their voices are being heard. It’s the reader. Now there’s more choice than ever for the ravenous romance reader to choose from. Sure, there’s plenty of books that are getting slapped up on Amazon with crappy covers and shoddy editing, but as the saying goes, the cream rises to the top. There are some stellar books out there that got passed over because some agent had a full client list or an editor wasn’t in the mood for a light paranormal set in WWII Pompeii. But the new Gatekeepers are finding them. They’re letting it be known what stories they want, which authors they love, and who’s putting out the good books. I say it’s about time the power was given back to the people we write our stories for. Hurray for the New Gatekeepers!

Drive-by Oneings

2011-09-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

A site which shall go unnamed, and which has zero moderation, allows registered users to leave rankings on books, whether they've actually read them or not, and without leaving a review or anything even closely resembling constructive criticism. The most heinous crime that results in such unrestrained freedom is one that makes authors shudder at the very name. Drive-by Oneings. That's right folks. It's happening right here in our safe little world.

In case you've been living under a rock and have no idea what this horrible epidemic is all about, I'll clue you in. But beware...this is not for the faint of heart. In fact, I hereby state that I will not responsible for the consequences of you reading the rest of this post. Here's how it's done. Bear in mind I braved torture to obtain this information...

You register on the site, usually under a name no one recognizes. The site even allows you to make your profile private so no one can obtain clues to your true identity. Then you stalk your victims. No one knows for sure how or why victims are chosen. Some believe it's excessive use of certain words in their books, or the color of the clothing worn by the models on the cover art. But one thing is certain...once an author has been the victim of a Drive-by Oneing, they're never safe again.

The perpetrator selects all the books of their intended victim and ranks them with ONE STAR. One lonely little star that sends the author's overall ranking plummeting to the basement, and is on the site forever and ever, for the entire world to see. And, as if this weren't bad enough, the perp doesn't leave a comment. Not even one. The victim has no idea what she did to deserve the Oneing, if the perp actually read her books and just hated them, or if she was chosen for another reason. This is a random, senseless crime which often leaves its victims bewildered and depressed for years, unable to finish another manuscript, and questioning everything they write from that point forward.

Each year dozens of writers are affected by this crime, yet often it goes unrecognized. If the authors speaks out publicly, she's told to "suck it up" or "that's just how it goes." We're in desperate need of a national support group for this silent yet deadly crime. At the very least I think we should try to raise awareness by way of infomercials, or perhaps a spot on a national talk show. How about Jerry or Maury? Surely they would understand this depravity and welcome the chance to bring it to the homes of millions of viewers.

Have you been the recent victim of a Drive-by Oneing? I urge you to seek professional help. At the very least you should let a trusted friend know you've been a victim. Write your Congressperson. Or better yet, contact Rosie O'Donnell. I hear Oprah's given her a show again on the new Oprah network.

I don't know what to do

2011-09-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I posted an apology for my absence lately. It seems the world was not done kicking my butt, because my husband of 49 passed away very unexpectedly and suddenly this past Monday. The funeral was yesterday and I am so lost and numb and angry (a long story about his ex-wife) I don't know what to do anymore. I came here because at least I knew I had an appointment, as such, to pass on information or encouragement or laughter to those of you who read here. I'm sorry to say I will fail miserably tonight.

Please know I will pick myself up and do better in the future, although I don't know how long this will take, but know in my heart I am still a writer, as I trust you are. I just may not be a practicing writer for a bit because there are too many pieces to pick up.

I'm so sorry to bring you down, but wanted to share this news with people I've come to know and love.

Jeannie

Apple Facts that Might Surprise You

2011-09-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

Summer’s over and one thing I’ve been waiting for has happened. Newly picked apples are appearing in roadside stands and in the produce section of the grocery store. I had my choice of tart granny smiths, handsome golden delicious and crisp galas last time I shopped.

In celebration of the apple, which Henry David Thoreau called the noblest of fruits, I’d like to share these thirteen facts.

1. Pomology is the study of apples.
2. Apples are originally from an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea in Asia. The crabapple is the only apple that is actually native to North America.
3. About 2,500 different varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
4. All fifty states in the U. S. grow apples, but the states that grow the most apples are: Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California and Virginia.
5. It takes four or five years before an apple tree produces fruit.
6. According to the University of Illinois Extension’s Apple Facts, “It takes the energy of 50 leaves to produce one apple.”
7. What apple variety is grown the most in the United States? Red Delicious. In 2005 farmers harvested 62 million bushels.
8. An average apple is about 80 calories.
9. The U. S. Apple Association reports that, “In 2008, the average U.S. consumer ate an estimated 16.4 pounds of fresh-market apples and 33.3 pounds of processed apples, for a total of 49.8 pounds of fresh apples and processed apple products.”
10. An average apple has five grams of fiber pectin.
11. Fiber pectin can help lower LDL or bad cholesterol.
12. Apples really are good for you and they might even help you lose weight. Researchers at the University of Rio de Janeiro found that women who eat three apples or pears a day lost more weight than women who didn’t.
13. In addition to helping you lower your cholesterol and weight, scientists at Cornell University theorize that apples may inhibit the growth of colon, breast and liver cancer cells.
An apple a day really might keep the doctor away and all this blogging about apples has fired up my craving for the fruit. I’m going to grab one of the galas. I like them the best. Do like apples? What’s your favorite variety?

Sources
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/apples/facts.cfm
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/25-quotes-about-apples.html
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-apples.html
http://www.usapple.org/

The ‘IT’ Factor – Debut Author Jean Murray

2011-09-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Soul Reborn
Crescent Moon Press
April 2011

Book Blurb:
THE HUMAN REALM, HIS BATTLEFIELD.
Asar, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, has been tortured and left soulless by a malevolent goddess, relegating him to consume the very thing he was commissioned to protect. Human souls. Now an empty shell of hatred, Asar vows to kill the goddess and anyone involved in her release, but fate crosses his path with a beautiful blonde huntress who has a soul too sweet to ignore.

DEADLY SECRETS BETTER LEFT UNEARTHED.
Lilly, fearless commander of the Nehebkau huntresses, is the only thing standing in the way of the goddess' undead army unleashing hell on earth. But Lilly has a secret—one she is willing to sell her soul to keep. If the Underworld god discovers her role in the dig that released the goddess, she will lose everything, including his heart.

For this week’s blog, I downloaded samples of four debut books. SOUL REBORN was the first one I read and it grabbed me from the get go. But to be fair, I read the other three too before making my selection. The second one was pretty good but after a little sleuthing I discovered it was written by an established author’s third alter ego. I really hate when they label a book as debut when an author assumes a new pen name. Anyway, the other two didn’t hold my interest so I went back to the first one.

The Opening Chapters:
The author starts off with the hunt (or chase, if you prefer) of the hero after the heroine before he knows who or what she is. It was dark, action-packed and laced with sexual tension. It was a real page-turner and I couldn't wait to read more.

The Mythos:
I loved how the author combined zombies, warrior demi-goddesses and Egyptian mythology for her playground in this series. I’m not familiar with all the mythology behind it and it was interesting to see the power plays going on between them. I’m sure the powers that be at the big NY publishing houses all turned this down because it treaded into ‘unmarketable’ territory. Their loss. That’s one of the things that made this book a refreshing change from the same old, same old.

The Romance:
Here’s where the author lost me. This is a pet peeve of mine, but I can’t stand it when the characters profess their undying love for one another after they’ve only known each other for a few days. Hot and horny and ready to jump each other’s bones, yes. Commitment for all eternity together (and eternity with an immortal god is a verrrry long time), um no. I love the chase. The pursuit. The hunt. And after reading the opening chapters, I was hoping to have a lot more of this. But Lilly, for all the kickass heroine that she is, turned into a submissive marshmallow during their first encounter. She toughens up again later, but it was too late and ruined her character for me.

Grammar and Editing:
I don’t claim to be a grammar queen in any way, shape or form. That’s why I’ve hired an independent editor to go over my manuscripts before I indie publish them. No book is ever perfect, however I felt this one needed another run-through by the editing department. Every few pages there were either missing words and/or misplaced commas, which unfortunately jerked me out of the story every time I ran across one. If this is something that bothers you, consider yourself warned.

The ‘IT’ Factor:
The first quarter of this book is fast paced, action-packed, and filled with sexual tension. This is what probably grabbed the editor’s attention. Throw in the interesting mix of Egyptian gods and zombies, and the author had something unique on her hands. If the romance hadn’t been rushed and the editing had been a bit better, this could have been a stellar book for me. Hopefully Murray will hone her skills on the next books in the series.

Ghost Hunting

2011-09-13T02:58:00.000-07:00

One need only flip through the TV channels to find dozens of shows featuring paranormal investigators, or shows that claim to have actual footage from witnessed paranormal activity. Ghost hunting is nothing new among humans. Even the Bible mentions ghosts. But are they real? Can people really come back from the dead to move our furniture around, speak to us, or even - as a few believe - possess us from beyond the grave? Do we actually leave this plane at all when we die?

The fact we have two thousand years of stories claiming everything from hauntings to possessions should be evidence enough of a life beyond our mere physical beings. So why then do we not all believe in ghosts?

The loss of a loved one produces terrible grief. It's only natural to want to speak to that person after they die, and there are plenty of psychics and mediums out there who will take your money in exchange for promises of sessions where we can communicate with our dearly departed. But is it real, or are these people merely preying on the raw emotions of a grieving spouse, parent or daughter?

And what about shows like Ghost Hunters, the product of TAPS - The Atlantic Paranormal Society - whose investigators use the most scientific methods available, and who actually try to debunk the claims of shadows, strange lights, and sounds that go bump in the night? Certainly, reading their website one finds they err on the side of caution first. Unlike other shows, where every floating piece of dust caught in the beam of an infrared camera is labeled a "ghost," and where the narration sounds more like a melodrama than a serious investigative show, GH does lend an air of authority and scientific methodology to their investigations. And unless one completely dismisses their EVPs and video evidence as "fake," they have caught some truly bizarre things over the seasons.

So what's going on? It is all a trick? Are Satan and his imps having a bit of sport with us mere mortals? Can dead people really communicate with us? And why some but not all? How do they do it? Can they see and hear us, or are the sights and sounds caught with equipment merely residual energy?

There are as many theories as there are depictions of ghosts or spirits in our books and other media. We even have friendly ghosts - Casper - for example. My personal favorites are the ghosts in Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

One theory suggests ghosts are merely the earthbound spirits of the departed dead. Some people are more sensitive to their presence than others, and animals and small children are especially sensitive. Another suggests they are merely trapped energy, and so play out a scene from their lives over and over, like a rewound tape. A third theory is that spirits are created out of magnetic or electrical energy.

One interesting theory holds that ghosts aren't dead, but rather actual live beings living in a parallel dimension. Still another holds that ghosts are nothing more than products of our fertile imaginations.

What do you think? What's your theory, or are you a non-believer? Do you have any stories you'd like to share?

Life as I know it

2011-09-11T21:57:00.001-07:00

I've been MIA lately from my Sunday posts, and I wanted to share with you why. Recently, a girl who has been like my own daughter was swept into the Missouri River and disappeared. It took them ten days to find her body, and the funeral was yesterday.

This past few weeks has been very hard for me and I have not been able to write or do just about anything else. The funeral, however, gave me closure of a sort, although the sadness still lingers. It is not right for a parent to outlive their children, and this wrongness has dampened my spirit for quite some time.

I share this because I know all of us who write do so to share with others what we have in our minds and hearts. I have watched and read the sharing going on here and in other blogs and am so proud to be a part of it. I hope to be able to write again soon.

So please, don't give up - on yourself or others. Just write - because that's what we are... writers.

Want Write Like the Wind? Catch the Rush's Tips--Lynn Rush, that is!

2011-09-07T18:19:00.000-07:00

Want to write fast? My guest Lynn Rush is here to tell you how. A former speed skater, a current mountain biker and runner, she’s used to moving fast and she’s willing to share her tips to help you get your fingers flying across the keyboard.

When Brenda asked me to write about how I wrote 20 plus novels in just over three years, I nearly panicked. I'd never really even thought about it. I did it. Just did. But as I sat down to write this post, a few things came to mind.

1. I wrote daily:No matter what! I think that’s the biggest thing for me to getting novels written quickly. Write through the slow parts, write through the blocks, just keep going. If you don’t know the name of something or not sure if something will work, leave it in, put it in bold, you can come back to it.

2. I wrote on lunch breaks: When I had a full time job, this was really important. Every free minute counts. On my breaks I’d type in an email scenes of my story and email it to myself.
3. I slept less: Okay, not the healthiest one, I know, but it’s true. I stayed up later and got up earlier as I plowed through my stories. Now, you can’t keep that up for long, but in short bursts, it helped me. To be honest, if I hadn’t stayed up a bit later to write, I would have tossed and turned in bed anyway, thinking about the scene I needed to write.
4. I consumed tons of caffeine: Much like the less sleep tip, this isn’t the healthiest thing to do, but I’m already a Dt. Pepsi junky. I just tend to burn through a little bit more during my writing sprees.
5. I exercised often: I always make time for this. Even the weekend four-hour bike rides. You might be thinking, “But I could write during that time.” You’re right, actually, but exercise helps me wade through the ideas/scenes/plot issues rioting through my mind while I’m mid-book. I’ve been known to be on the Elliptical typing on my iPhone notes when something needs to get down right away.
6. I cooked extra meals: If I could get a few extra meals cooked ahead of time, it freed up extra hours during the week. Plus, I was messing around in the kitchen, near my hubby, while preparing them, so we got to chat and hang out (He likes cooking, too, so that helps.)
7. I set timers: Sometimes I get a little behind on my chores around the house when I’m in the middle of writing a book. So, I had to set timers. I’d do a couple of hours of writing, then thirty minutes of chores, then back to writing. I’m more relaxed and happy when my house is clean and my husband has wrinkle-free clothes to wear to work. LOL
8. I got away for write-fests: I scheduled times away from my house, my work space, my hubby and just write. I’m lucky enough to have family up north, and they often leave for extended trips. So, I’ll camp out up in Sedona, AZ and write for three days straight, pounding out nearly 40,000 words.
9. I shut off Twitter, Facebook, and email for periods of time: I’m weird about email. If there’s a little red light on my email icon on the bottom of my MacBook screen, I HAVE TO CHECK IT! Yeah, no control there. So, I have to shut my email program down. I get so much more done when I’m not checking email every time the little light goes on.
10. I sprinted with other writers: I got online with FF&P or Savvy.com and did writing sprints. Another thing that helped was meeting up with my crit partner, Kendall Grey, on a private chat line for sprints. We’d go for sixty-minutes then chime in for about two or three minutes to report how far we got, but then it was right back to writing.
11. I carried something to write with at all times: You just never know when you’re going to have fifteen minutes free time. Use it! Every second counts. So, I always carried something with me. Now, it’s mostly my iPhone and I type on the notes section or send myself an email. But before that, it was little notebooks.
12. I cleaned: I seem to write more efficiently when I have a clean work space. Weird, I know, but it’s true. So, if started struggling with my focus, characters weren’t cooperating, or the words trickled out, I’d get up and whip out the Endust and start cleaning. Ten minutes later I had a nice, lemon-smelling work area and I settled in for the duration.
13. I shut doors: I’d warn my hubby that it was going to be an all-nighter, kiss him goodnight and shut the door to my work area. It kept me focused, especially when paired up with suggestion # 9 and I’ve shut off all social medias.

Thanks for having me here, Brenda, and challenging me with the 13 things…this was fun. I have a signed copy of Wasteland to give away!!
Just leave a comment today and you’re entered! It can be about anything. Ask me a question, mention what works for you to stay focused on a task at hand, or whatever.
I’ll draw a winner tomorrow and contact you via email if you won, so be sure to leave your email addy in your comment so I can reach you if your name is drawn, okay?
Thanks!

Excerpt: http://www.crescentmoonpress.com/books/Wasteland.html
The people surrounding us blurred into oblivion, and the music faded into a storm of muffled pitches and tones.
I concentrated on her shining lips and took in the warmth of her body so close to mine. I wanted only the sense of touch to be awake while I reveled in the silky texture of her skin. For so long I'd touched nothing. If I was going to break my rules, I would enjoy it.
Her hands glided from my wrists down my forearms and up my biceps, sending a ripple of desire through my soul. I could resist no longer. I brushed my lips against hers and tasted melon. She heaved a sharp breath and clamped her fingers around my shoulders, holding me in place.
Scents of lilac permeated me. My heart hammered, and my demon pounded, wanting out.
Wanting her.
I turned my head, severing our connection. Too intense. Must stay in control. She let out a whimper. I pressed my mouth to her cheek and tilted her head.
I almost wished I hadn't.
She bore the mark of a Guardian, immortal protectors of the humans.
I drank Beka in for three long breaths, knowing it may be my last chance to hold her close. Because if Beka truly was guarding Jessica Hanks I would more than likely have to kill her to get my Mark.

To find out more about Lynn’s recent release, you can check out the following sites.
Catch the Rush: http://www.lynnrush.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LynnRushWrites
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LynnRush
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/k6NAZa
Amazon: http://amzn.to/pavzwE
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/pbigOg
All Romance Ebooks: http://bit.ly/nujjjp
You Tube Trailer: http://youtu.be/k-KRE1yMiNk

Earthquakes and Hurricanes and Bears, oh my!

2011-09-05T17:04:00.001-07:00

Updatd 9/6

Sorry I’m not going to get my ‘IT’ Factor review up today. I’m only half way through the book I intended to review and I honestly don't think I'm going to be able to finish it. After reading the amazing DEMON HUNTING IN DIXIE and two friend’s self-published books -- let me tell ya, there’s some good stuff being put out there by indie authors -- this one pales horribly in comparison. I know. I've been brutally honest in my reviews so far. Some books I've liked and others I've had major issues with. However, Karma is a bitch and since I'm about to embark on the self-publishing journey I figure some of my more critical reviews may come back to bite me in the ass. And so from now on, if I can't recommend a debut book highly, I'm going to skip it and move on to another one. Plus, life is just too short to waste it on a bad book.

Instead today I’ll regale you with my adventures in the wilderness. Actually, it sounds like we missed most of the excitement while we were out there. As any of you know who’ve ever camped in Yellowstone, there is no cable (therefore no TV), spotty cell phone service, and we were so busy seeing the beautiful sights, amazing geysers, and getting up close and personal with the wildlife that we never bought a paper at the camp store. Evidently while we were communing with nature out west, Mother Nature was having a major hissy fit in the east.

Earthquakes
Thanks to the fact that my husband packed every Virginia Tech t-shirt he owns, he happened to be wearing one when we passed some campers on a trail. They naturally asked if we were from Virginia. Why yes, we are, we replied. They asked if we’d heard about the earthquake. Earthquake? In Virginia? Evidently we’d had a dozy by East coast standards (5.8). Friends texted us that they’d gone by and checked out our house. Since a mine shaft hadn’t opened up and swallowed our house (don’t laugh – that kind of thing can happen in our neighborhood) we breathed a small sigh of relief. Small, because at the time we happened to be surrounded by exploding geysers and bubbling hot pools of scalding steam and water reminding us that we were standing in the caldera of the biggest super volcano on earth that could blow any time now.

Hurricanes
The day before we’re supposed to fly home, my husband gets a voice mail (once we stumbled upon a pocket of cell service) and the airline says they’ve canceled our flight from Dulles to Richmond and rescheduled it for the next night. He calls them up and asks why. The lady says, Um because of the hurricane, you idiot. OK, she didn’t say ‘you idiot’ but I’m sure she was thinking it. When we explained our lack of technology in the wilds of Yellowstone, she enlightened us on the impending natural disaster racing up the east coast. Happy joy. First an earthquake and now a hurricane. What’s next, a plague of locusts? We get to Denver fully expecting our flight to Dulles to be cancelled. Surprise, surprise. Dulles is still open and our pilot says she’s going for it. I’m not so sure if this is a good thing. My husband likes to listen on the headphones to the pilots talk to the control towers as we fly, so he relays what they’re saying as we zoom across the country. Chicago asks where we’re headed and our pilot says Dulles. They say, Dallas? And she goes, no Dulles. They laugh and wish us good luck. Evidently we were the only flight heading east while everyone else is going west AWAY FROM THE HURRICANE! Actually, the flight was very smooth until the last 3000 feet or so before landing. Then things got a little scary and I figured we’d be little more than small pieces of metal strewn across Washington DC and a headline in the morning paper. But crazy though she was, the pilot landed us safe and sound.

Bears
It wasn’t until we were back home that we heard about the bear attack while we were out in Yellowstone. Scary to think we were there when it happened. Scarier still is that we learned that the momma grizzly and cubs we saw feeding on a dead bison in the river (from a safe overlook 400 yards away) was the same one who killed the hiker in July. Definitely puts us a notch or two lower on the food chain.

So that was what we missed while we were at Yellowstone. But honestly, it was the experience of a lifetime for me and the kids and I wouldn't have missed it for the world, even for an earthquake and a hurricane.

P.S. I also came back with a great idea for a new series, and no they have nothing to do with the wild west or natural parks or bears.

On Technology and Convenience...

2011-08-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

I had a weird weekend. Not as bizarre as those in the path of Irene, but strange enough that it gave me pause to think how dependant we are on technology and the convenience it brings.

The plan Saturday was to drive up to Clarksville to see our daughter, Nicole. She’s one of three drum majors this year in the Austin Peay State University Governor’s Own Marching Band. No small feat considering she’s the only one of the three who didn’t have this position in high school marching band. The band does a premier show each year at the conclusion of band camp. My husband I planned to stay overnight in Clarksville so we could spend some time with Nicole after the show, and wouldn’t have to make the ninety-mile drive back home at night.

Late Saturday morning, about an hour before we were due to leave for Clarksville, we noticed the upstairs AC was frozen. Again. Turn off AC, put fan on to keep running (and hopefully thaw the ice), and call AC dude for an appointment Sunday morning. We've been through this before with the upstairs AC unit.

My car was packed with our overnight bags and a few things Nicole wanted, including her bicycle. We get in, hubby turns the key, and CLICK! CLICK! Car won’t start. Yes, it’s in "park." CLICK! CLICK! Battery? Alternator? Something else? Who knows? He gets out the jumper cables, tries to jump it with his car, nothing. Not even a spark of life.

We decide to make the trip anyway. We haven’t seen Nicole since she left for pre-band camp nearly two weeks earlier, she’s having a rough time with the whole drum major thing, she hates her new dorm, and we both know she needs to see us as much as we need to see her.

Hubby’s car is a twelve-year-old Saturn that all three of us have now driven. It’s running on borrowed time, but it’s come through for us in a pinch before. We make the trip, get checked in at the hotel after asking for another, non-connecting room, and make it over to the stadium in plenty of time to see the show.

The band sounds great, Nicole looks exhausted but happy to see us. After the show we take her Zaxby’s (her choice), and deliver her bike in the new dorm room. It’s a quad – two girls to a bedroom, one bath, one kitchen, and one living room/dining room combo. Not terrible, but Nicole already misses having her own room. Three of them (all in band) have been there for two weeks. The fourth roommate isn’t in band so she’s just moved in, and seems very nice. The other three don't know her, so there was some trepidation.

After a million hugs from Nicole we return to the hotel room. On the second floor, above the bar, where they’re having a class reunion. Undaunted that I’ve already asked once to switch rooms, we ask again for a higher floor, or at least one away from the THUMP! THUMP of disco music. Disco music??? Really??? No empty rooms - not one. And, they inform us in a cheery voice that makes me want to punch something, they’re booked for fun events like this every Saturday for the rest of the year except Christmas Eve! Oh joy!

So we leave. Screw it. It’s only a ninety-mile drive and we’re both so damn exhausted and frustrated by then we don’t even care. They were kind enough not to charge us for the room and apologized all over the place. Whatever.

It’s close to midnight when we get home, still hot and sticky from the near-100 degree day. The upstairs is, of course, an oven, but luckily our bedroom is on the first floor. Neither one of us sleeps well because we still have the whole car-won’t-start and AC things on our minds, not to mention Nicole just looked miserable when we left her, so we’re up at six thirty in the morning.

Internet, phone and cable are out. NO!!! I call Comcast and am informed via automated message that they’re having technical difficulties and our service should be restored by 9:54 AM. 9:54 AM? How can they be so precise?

Hubby takes the battery out of my car, runs it up to Auto Zone, buys a new one for a lot of money, drives home, puts it in, drives to Auto Zone to see if it’s drawing a charge. It is. Hooray! Not the alternator or some other pain-in-the-ass electrical issue!

AC dude comes and recharges the upstairs AC. Good news! Uh-oh... the bad news? It has a coil leak and will cost more money than I care to spend in order to fix it. *SIGH*

Three hours after the Internet, phone and cable return to life, they go out AGAIN. Call Comcast. As usual, they know nothing. Oh and it seems I was the first one to report the outage. Right... An hour later I call again, and this time the automated message says my service will be restored by 2:23 PM. At 2:35 PM I call, again, and now there is no specific time at which my service will be restored, but they do apologize for any inconvenience. Approximately two hours after that Comcast tells me my service will be restored by 8:23 PM. At 4:00 PM they CALL me on my land line (their line) to tell me the service is restored. I laughed. The Internet was slow but it was on. By that time I don't even care anymore, so hubby and I sat down to watch The Weather Channel coverage of Irene for the first time all weekend.

WOW. That's all I can say is WOW. What a storm. Over thirty people dead, per TWC. Flooding in several states. Millions without power. And here I am bitching about an AC unit that's probably had a leak for close to two years, and the freaking Internet being out one day out of 365. Oh, and let's not forget a dead six year old car battery (which is pretty good for a battery) and a noisy hotel room that we didn't really need in the first place. Would I care for a little cheese with my whine???

The trouble with having everything at your fingertips is that you come to expect everything at your fingertips 24/7. I mean let's get real... even with the cable, phone and Internet out, I was still able to post to Facebook and tweet on my iPhone. I was able to check and respond to emails. I was still able to write. Hubby and I watched movies. We have a perfectly fine downstairs AC unit. Minor inconveniences, at most. Granted they all came during the same weekend, but they were MINOR compared to say... a hurricane, flooding and power outages that might last up to a week. Oh and let's not forget a tree coming down on your house or car and killing you or a loved one. Last night I slept in a cool room, in a house with electricity. Millions did not.

Humbled and ashamed, I sit here to tell you I'm amazed at how much I take for granted in my life. I'm old enough to remember our house without AC. Okay, I lived in Cleveland Ohio where 90 degree days were quite rare, but a home still gets plenty hot inside when it's 70 or 80 degrees outside. Yet we survived. Without Internet, without cable even, and without cell phones. Car trouble? Call a neighbor or family member - on that rotary dial phone - and they come to assist. Cars were easier to fix back then. No computers running everything in them.

So the next time Comcast is... well... Comcast, or one of the AC units decides to act like a machine and break, or my car acts like a car and something goes haywire on it, I'll try to remember this weekend and those images on The Weather Channel, and I'll be thankful for all I have.

How to Keep Your Writing Dream Alive and Active

2011-08-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

Want to cling to your writing dream? To keep on writing, no matter what? Debut author Patricia C. Lee, who could be dubbed The Queen of Persistence, offers advice that’ll help you keep plugging.

Pat, who lives in Ontario, Canada, has polished her prose for 20 years -- even though rejections were a harsh reality in her life. Again and again. She received more than 120 rejections on DESTINY’S PAST alone, but she pressed on and her hard work, at long last, has been rewarded. DESTINY’S PAST was published in June by Crescent Moon Press.

(That's not a typo -- 120 "no thanks" responses, not just a mere 12.)
When I asked Pat about her arduous journey as a writer, here's what she shared.

"The hardest part about being a writer is the Self-Doubt. The constant bite of this emotion can wear away even the staunchest of hearts. The reason I kept at it was because I enjoyed it so much but I also knew, deep down, that I could write. It is a gift, just like being adept with numbers, singing, acting, having a knack with children. I also believe each of us has a gift. It may not be anything flashy, but the key is to define it and then hone it. That’s why I kept writing for so long, to hone what I was given. And I will continue to do so – always."

That’s quite a statement of faith. If you’re not as sure of yourself and your writing as Pat, here are 13 tips to help along:

Header by Samulli

Persevere. This also can be another word for stubbornness. We all know what perseverance means but you have to practice it, too. I think the publishing business is harder to get into than the acting business. You have to be "The Little Engine That Could.’ Never, ever give up. There is nothing worse than looking back later and saying “I wonder if. ...”

Communicate. Yes, writing is a solitary craft but that doesn’t mean you have to hole up. Join a writer’s group, or create your own. Or, if you’re not into groups, find another person who writes and see if you can make a friend. You don’t have to stay local – go virtual. Thank goodness for the Internet. There are so many writing groups online that you don’t have to worry about getting to a meeting or even getting dressed up. Stay in your PJs and chat online. Most importantly is to ‘get out there and talk.’ I met a fellow writer a few years back and besides becoming friends, we also give each other a ‘shot-in-the-arm’ when needed. She’s been a Godsend.

Mutate. No, I don’t mean get blasted with radiation and morph into another X-Men character. You need to grow a thick skin. Rejections hurt, no doubt about it -- whether in writing or personal life. In writing you cannot take it personally. It will cripple you. Doesn’t matter if it’s from judges in a contest, an agent, or a publisher, the rejection is just ONE PERSON’S OPINION. Once I began looking at it that way it helped me a lot. These people don’t know you from Adam. To them it’s strictly business.

Gamble. Now, don’t be spending your last dollar on the slots. Enter writing contests. As many as you can. Some are free, but a lot you have to pay a small entrance fee. It doesn’t matter if the first prize is money or not (though, that sure helps). It’s the recognition that counts, and it looks good on your writing resume. When you query agents or publishers, it grabs their attention. When entering contests, remember the ‘front-line’ judges are volunteers from local writing chapters. They may not necessarily read the specific genre you write and their comments may not be the most encouraging. Keep it in perspective – it’s just one person’s opinion.

Read. All agents and publishers say the same thing. Read, read, read, and then write. Meaning, if you’re writing horror but truthfully you’re a closet romance junkie, then that’s what you should write. Anything else will come across as false. Publishers can spot it right away. And you never know – you might have a knack for writing inspirational, intrigue or western.

Sacrifice. What are you willing to let go to get published? Time with friends? Family? Because that’s what it takes. You have to write every day (well, maybe take a day off once in a while.) It needs to become part of your daily routine. Schedule it. Even if it’s only a half-hour, slip it in somewhere. For me, I gave up sleeping an extra hour and a half. I get up at 5 a.m. and head into work an hour early so I can write without interruptions.

Perspective. How do you look at the concept of writing? Is it a hobby, something you enjoy to pass the time? Or is it the end-all to be-all? There's absolutely nothing wrong with writing as a hobby, but if you want to get a book published it may not be enough. It has to be almost an OBSESSION – the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing you think about before you fall asleep.

Support. There's nothing better than having the support of friends and especially family. Are they willing to step up to the plate to help you realize your dream? There's no way I could have gotten published without the love, encouragement and faith from my husband. It’s why Destiny’s Past is dedicated to him. But if you can’t find the support close to you, then join a writer’s group, either locally or online.

Learn. Go to workshops. If there isn’t one nearby, make one. I lived in one place where the closest city was a two-hour drive away, and it didn’t have workshops every year. So, with the help of another writing friend (see the tip about communicate), we created our own workshop. We were fortunate that an award-winning author was willing to come and all we had to pay was her gas and accommodations. Was it a lot of work? Definitely, yes. Did it pay off – you bet. I learned a lot from her. And I made more writing contacts to boot.

Proliferate. It may have taken you years to write your first book, but you can’t rest on that laurel. Once your first book is the best it can be and you’re sending out query letters, start the next one. And make sure you mention in any subsequent query letters how many novels you have completed. It shows the publisher or agent you’re not a one-hit-wonder -- that you're in it for the long haul. I’ll never know for sure, but I like to think one of the reasons Crescent Moon Press selected Destiny’s Past was because I told Crescent Moon it was part one of a trilogy and I had almost finished the first draft of part two.

Abstain. It’s not what you’re thinking. Once you’ve finished your book and have done at least the first and/or second edit, step away. For at least a few weeks. Take a breather. Go out with friends. Then, go back to the book. You’d be amazed that the book you thought was perfect has a big gaping hole in the story you didn’t see before. It’s like reading it with fresh eyes.

Luck. There is no getting around this one and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Getting published has a lot to do with luck. Don’t get me wrong -- you have to have a good story and be able to put sentences together, but it can boil down to how the person reading your submission feels that day. Your hero’s name could be the jerk who just dumped her. Or your heroine could remind the reader of a best friend or sister. Yes, the front-line readers are told to be objective but you can’t deny feelings – they're human nature.

Dream. I’m not sure if this is the most important or not, but it’s the one thing that kept me going. Getting published was a lifelong dream, one that I wasn’t willing to let go. Having a dream gives us a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It gives us hope because you never know what tomorrow may bring.
************************************
Pat and I hope these words encourage you. If you’d like to know more about Pat, you can find her several ways:
Website: http://www.patriciaclee.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorpatriciaclee
Blog: http://www.authorpatriciaclee.wordpress.com/
--
Footnote: Pat is willing to offer a free e-book copy of Destiny’s Past if people leave a comment and an e-mail address. We’re both betting you’ll enjoy her book.
Destiny’s Past blurb:

No-nonsense medical examiner, Kelly Richards, relies on the familiar comforts of science and scalpels to get her through the day. So when a not-so-dead guy who claims he's from the past lands on her autopsy table, she considers calling the men in white coats to escort him to a padded room. But Jarek's old-world ways and hot gaze trick her heart into falling for him—a mistake she swore she'd never make again.
When Jarek, Prince of Leisos, discovers someone he trusts has been slowly poisoning him, he travels to the future in search of a cure. Driven by vengeance, he enlists the help of an impudent scientist to return him to his time. Caught between his growing desire for Kelly and the need to expose his would-be assassin before he strikes again, Jarek must either forfeit his ticket home or lose the only woman he's ever loved

New Horizons

2011-08-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

I know ya’ll have come to expect my usual ‘IT’ Factor book reviews on my blog days. Instead, today I’m either running from a hungry grizzly or trying my best not to be trampled by an angry bison. You heard right. The hubster, kids and myself are at this very moment traipsing somewhere through Yellowstone National Forest by RV. Actually in two RVs, since my folks are with us in another one. I love my parents and I can vacation with them no problem, but 6 people in one little RV wasn’t going to happen. This trip was my daughter’s idea. She wanted to see Yellowstone before the super volcano blows in 2012. She’s sure that’s when it’s going to happen because of that darn Mayan calendar. Wonder where she gets her vivid imagination? Anyway, I don’t know if I’ll come back with any brilliant ideas for new books but I’m sure it will be the experience of a lifetime.

This blog post is also two-fold. I’ve decided to change things up a bit. Instead of posting every other week on a new debut author’s book, I’m going to be doing the ‘IT’ Factor posts once a month and on my other day I’m going to blog about the exciting new journey I’m embarking on. You see, I have decided to try my hand at indie-publishing. Yep, I’ve finally given up on the idea of ever fitting into the NY mold so I’m going to try it on my own.

I’ll be honest. A year ago I never would have contemplated it. But thanks to some visionary women at IndieRomanceInk, they’ve shown me that self-publishing is not the red-headed stepchild it once was and can be downright profitable. One romance author is making $4000-$6000 a month in her first year of sales with 5 e-books out. That ain’t nothing to sneeze at. Will I be as successful as she is? Probably not. Most indie-published authors aren't, at least not in the beginning. But I'll never know if don’t try. Afterall, these quirky paranormals of mine aren’t doing me any good sitting under the bed keeping the dust bunnies company. And so, if you don't mind, I’m going to take you all on the journey with me. Here’s what’s happened so far…

August 3
Decision day! After e-mailing an indie author back and forth about the pros and cons, plus reading traditionally published author Courtney Milan’s very interesting blog posts on her reasons for venturing into self-publishing, I decided it was time for me to take the plunge.

August 4-15
Being the art geek that I am, I jumped right into looking for stock photography for my cover. I was having so much fun with this that I forgot I needed to get someone else besides my critique partners and friends to read over my manuscript.

August 16
I hired a professional editor to fine tune my manuscript. She’s very busy, so she won’t be getting to mine until December unless one of her other clients drops out before my turn. Evidently everyone is trying to get books out around the holidays in the hopes that there will be another e-reader boom in the market when people find all those shiny new Nooks and Kindles under the Christmas tree. That was my hope too, but I’m alright with waiting. February 14th sounds like a very symbolic date for the release of my first paranormal romance, don’t you think? At least that's what I'm planning on now. If things fall into place faster than I think, I may put it up sooner.

That’s it for now. I won’t be doing a thing while I’m in Yellowstone (other than avoiding being eaten or trampled) but once I get back, I’ve got a lot of learning to do. There's formating for the Kindle, Nook and Smashwords, cover design (yipee!), advance reviews, figuring out Twitter, and the list goes on. Wish me luck and I hope you enjoy traveling on this exciting new journey with me.

Invite A Squirrel for Dinner

2011-08-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

We here at the diner serve some strange folks from time to time, but I just learned about Bad Manors Squirrel Diner out in Santa Monica, California. I do think they might just have upped even our strangeness level. Watch this video and see what you think.

They end of this video gives a link to see Bad Manors Squirrel Diner live. When I went here, the bad manors live video wasn't live, but the site gives plenty of options for entertainment. For instance, pets and animals. On this page you can choose from live feeds of animals. If critters aren't your deal, you can pic something else from the menu bar.

Stranger, Otherworld Diner or Bad Manors Squirrel Diner? Do you like squirrels? Do you like to play with little plastic toys? Do you think I'll ever get any writing done or spend my day watching live feeds?

Have a great weekend!
Cheryel

Granny Panties And Tighty-Whities?

2011-08-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Recently in our Evernight Authors Facebook group we were discussing underwear in romance novels, and wondering why no one writes their heroine wearing plain cotton undies. No loose elastic waistbands or dingy briefs for heroines allowed! It matters not if she's on the run from bad guys or vampires, as long as she's wearing sexy underwear.

Hey... it's fiction. We want to suspend our disbelief and escape with that story. Real women don't walk around in hot pink thongs, black lace, or go commando every day. I'm as guilty of dressing my heroines in red lace bras and panties in my stories as anyone, but now that's it's been pointed out to me I do find it interesting that most romance writers never dress their heroines in everyday undies.

What would happen if we came across a heroine proudly dropping her jeans to show the hero some comfy cotton briefs or at least panties in a lovely pastel color? Would the world end if she told him her bra was from Target? Is everyone's underwear black or red? What if she's wearing a white t-shirt? Surely she doesn't want that bra to show underneath. Didn't her mother ever tell her not to dress that way? Would it pull you out of the story to read about a heroine who's caught with her panties full of holes, or one who keeps adjusting a loose bra strap?

And how about the men? What's wrong with tighty-whities? The heroes I've read lately go commando, every single day. Do you know how uncomfortable that is? Not to mention the chaffing...

What say you, romance readers? Would you be turned off by a heroine who wore underwear from Walmart, or a hero who sported plaid boxers that looked like something he snatched from Grandpa's underwear drawer? If the hero described his lady love's undies as granny panties would you assume he wasn't as turned on as if she were wearing black lace?

Talk to me about the underwear your heroines and heroes wear...

Words of Wisdom to Keep You Writing

2011-08-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what it takes to be a successful writer? Wish someone would share that knowledge with you?

I did. Then Mary Jo Scheibl, whose self-professed goal is to be a wise woman, spoke to the Milwaukee Chapter of Wisconsin Romance Writers. Her words inspired me and I think they’ll encourage you too. She’s my guest today.

I’ll admit it. I’m one of those writers “who’s been writing forever.”

If I look at the fact that I’m now published, I must admit it’s taken me 50 some years. :-) But who wants to admit to that? Once I put serious effort into marketing what I was writing along with writing, I’ll admit I’m an “almost instant” success with getting a contract after 6 years. During those years, I had many times when I was “almost there.” Then something would change the outcome. Always that outcome was beyond my control. Sound familiar?

As my hubby would often tell me in those years, one way to be a sure-fire failure was to quit writing. I didn’t give up and I kept writing my stories always looking to improve my craft and skills with each finished manuscript. Along the way, I’ve learned a few things that I know helped me finally get that contract, hold the book in my hand, experience the book win awards.

Since Brenda asked so nicely to share any wisdom I’ve picked up in my journey, and because Brenda loves the number 13, here are some wise bits of mine.

Header by Samulli

Feel free to ask questions or make comments since I’ll keep the explanations brief as Brenda asked.

1. Use your time wisely.
· Know your priorities and what you value.
· Set up a schedule and follow it.
· Keep track of each day and what you accomplish.

2. Know your strengths and weaknesses.
· If you can’t sit more than an hour, plan writing time accordingly.
· If you’re more alert in the morning, get up even earlier to write.
· Know you’re limits so you don’t overcommit.

3. Realize talent is NOT the only one skill you need.
· Perseverance keeps you going when your talent isn’t recognized.
· Organization keeps your story, your life, you environment on track.
· Prioritizing tasks keeps you focused when too many must-do’s arrive.

4. Write what you love.
· Do I need to explain?
· Writing is hard work and easier when you’re in love with it.
· Don’t be afraid to try something new—if it intrigues you, compels you.

5. Expect/plan to learn something new with each ms.
· A technique, a problem you have, new software, new knowledge.
· Example: I decide my next book will be done in1st person POV.

6. Train yourself to write in certain places.
· When you’re there, body/mind quickly settle in to work.
· Also can be related to time: body expects to be writing during certain times.

7. Never let your creative side be idle too long—always do something.
· Between projects, blog, write a short story, work on a scrapbook, garden.
· Think about new project. Read authors to see how they do what you like.
· Understand what is a break that’s useful vs one that wastes your time.

8. Understand writers’ block. (Really no such thing-just not enough data or desire)
· Think more about your characters/plot/setting/scene.
· Do more research.
· Write a different scene.
· Walk away. Do something else.
· Sleep on the problem.

9. Introductions can be ignored—just get started.
· Hard to introduce “something” when you don’t know it well.
· Write it later, maybe in the second draft.
· Discover the best introduction is the second chapter or 2nd scene of first intro.

10. Revision is important but set limits.
· Recognize a piece of writing can always be improved.
· Establish guidelines for yourself if not imposed by external deadlines.
· Revise to look for different items: Structure, plot holes, character contradictions, etc.

11. What to do when something isn’t working.
· Walk away from it for a bit.
· Do something else creative, for me that’s photography.
· Do a mindless task. Laundry, anyone?
· Sleep on it. Let your unconscious/dream time help you solve your writing issues, plot problems, character points.

12. Trust your instincts. Listen to your gut.
· Not every “sure-fire” writing technique works for everyone.
· Listen to your characters, especially if you see the sense of what they say.
· If you hate what you’re writing, sometimes it’s best to walk away—until a later time.

13. Critique groups or partners & beta readers.
· Don’t always work for every writer. Must fit well and be constructive.
· Can be used in different ways or not at all by different writers.
· Weigh the pros/cons based on your needs, strengths, weaknesses.

If you find useful one of these points, I will have gotten my message across. I write because of the stories in my heart and the ideas in my head. I also hope to reach out to readers and help them on their paths in life, whether it be in my stories, in my blog posts, in speaking programs, as a guest blogger. Thank you, Brenda, for inviting me.

Mary Jo is the author of Black Ribbon Affair. Here is Black Ribbon Affair’s Blurb

Caitlin Donnelly's life is exactly how she wants it—except for the threatening notes. Deciphering who's after her, and why, isn't easy when the suspects include all her co-workers, along with a man from her past. Caitlin isn't sure who she can trust and danger escalates at a pace equaling her attraction to Mike.

Mike Rafferty's life is in a mess. When his personal life disintegrates, he grasps an opportunity: a challenging new job and relocation to a different state. Finally, he has something to look forward to. He discovers an unexpected benefit in his new co-worker, a woman who turned him down years ago. Mike welcomes this unexpected chance to pick up a relationship worth waiting for.

When Caitlin is kidnapped, Mike struggles to save the woman he loves while she learns to trust in his love to keep her alive.

Black Ribbon Affair is available in print and e-book formats at the following:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/pCRWKE

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/r5j0cg

The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/qgg2hM

Black Ribbon Affair finaled in several contests. However, Mary Jo is most proud of its winning The Write Touch Readers’ Award for Best Romantic Suspense because readers determined it was the best. After all, most writers want readers to love what they write.

She’s also extremely proud that Black Ribbon Affair won the HOLT Medallion for Literary Achievement as Best First Book. This contest is very well-respected and many different genres of books get entered. So this award also has very special meaning for her, especially since she will never be eligible for it again.

The ‘IT’ Factor – Debut Author Lexi George

2011-08-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

Demon Hunting in Dixie
Kensington Brava
May 2011

Book Blurb:

A warrior, a demon, and the girl next door…

Looking For Trouble

Addy Corwin is a florist with an attitude. A bad attitude, or so her mama says, ‘cause she’s not looking for a man. Mama’s wrong. Addy has looked. There’s just not much to choose from in Hannah, her small Alabama hometown. Until Brand Dalvahni shows up, a supernaturally sexy, breathtakingly well-built hunk of a warrior from—well, not from around here, that’s for sure. Mama thinks he might be European or maybe even a Yankee. Brand says he’s from another dimension.

Addy couldn’t care less where he’s from. He’s gorgeous. Serious muscles. Disturbing green eyes. Brand really gets her going. Too bad he’s a whack job. Says he’s come to rescue her from a demon. Puh-lease. But right after Brand shows up, strange things start to happen. Dogs talk and reanimated corpses stalk the quite streets of Hannah. Her mortal enemy Meredith, otherwise known as the Death Starr, breaks out in a severe and inexplicable case of butt boils. Addy might not know what’s going on, but she definitely wants a certain sexy demon hunter by her side when it all goes down…

The Humor:
This book is, in four words, He Larr E Us! I laughed the whole way through. I’m a southern gal born and raised, and some of the characters in this book could be long lost relatives of mine. George has a voice for humor and it shines through on every page. There may have been a few instances where it appeared she was trying too hard but they were few and far between. Prepare yourselves for the knock down, drag out fight between Shirley and Bessie Mae at Shirley’s husband’s funeral. It’s a laugh out loud riot. And Dooley the talking dog is a hoot.

The Romantic Relationship:
The attraction between Addy and Brand is intense and immediate. The physical comes first and the emotions follow, surprising them both. It’s very natural and well paced. The sex scenes are steamy without being overly graphic. There are several secondary romances going on and seeing Addy’s best friend Evie blossom when the studly Ansgar (Brand’s fellow warrior) turns his attentions on her is both sweet and a perfect set up for the next book.

The Demons:
If I can find fault anywhere with this book, it’s that the demons show up in the beginning to terrorize Addy and the townsfolk and then pretty much disappear only to reappear at the end. I wish there had been a little more conflict/interaction between the demon hunters and the demons. Instead, Addy and Brand are mostly bidding their time (the fun way), waiting until the demons show themselves again. But this was a very minor complaint compared to the rest of this awesome book.

The ‘IT’ Factor:
No doubt about it, the humor sold this book. I bet George had a blast writing it. DEMON HUNTING is light and fun. If you’re looking for a LOL read with some steam mixed in, this book is it!

Moon Magick

2011-08-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

When you look to the skies at night and see diamond points of sparkling light and an iridescent disk of moonshine, you might feel the magick riding the night wind. The phases of the moon are in tune with the natural world and vice versa, and each phase has its own magickal power.

Many of the things around us have special attachments to the moon. The flowers/plants listed below are specific examples:

Acanthus: The acanthus plant is said to have grown around a pot placed on the grave of a young girl in the ancient Greek city of Corinth, and was so beautiful an architect who saw it was inspired to create the Corinthian column.

Daisy: Represents innocence and is the plant of St. Mary Magdalene. Spring is said to have arrived when you can step on twelve daisies with one foot.

Honeysuckle: Represents devotion, generosity, sweetness, fidelity.

Hyssop: Represents cleanliness and used for fending off evil spirits and energies.

Iris: Represents wisdom, valour, inspiration, ardour, faith and hope. Named after the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris, who was a messenger on Mount Olympus.

Moonwort: A fern thought to be useful in raising the dead, opening locks and unshoe-ing horses that tread on it. If gathered by the light of the Moon, magical properties will abound.

Myrtle: Represents love and marriage. It's said that if a myrtle bush is planted either side of the door, love and peace will forever be in the household.

Poppy: Represents consolation, moderation.

Speedwell: The name is derived from the story concerning young St. Veronica, who wiped Jesus Christ’s face with Speedwell flowers on his journey to Calvary. This act is said to have given healing properties to the plant.

Wallflower: Represents constancy, sweetness, delicacy.

Water Lily: Represents purity of heart, charm.

White Lily: Represents innocence and modesty and is the Chinese symbol of abundance.

Willow: An aid to dreams, enchantment, wisdom and healing. Particularly associated with Moon Magic, especially willow wands.

The moon is a powerful symbol for otherworlders - witches, vampires, wereanimals and other magickal beings. Keep the power of the moon in your writing.

Ilona Fridl'sThirteen Hints on Researching a Historical Novel

2011-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

It’s my pleasure to welcome multi-published author, Ilona Fridl to the Otherworld Diner. Her historical romances pass along tidbits from the past as they captive readers. Want to add flair to your period pieces or construct a scene so vividly readers imagine they’re caught in history? Ilona’s advice will help.

Header by Samulli
1.Don't rely on Wikpedia for your facts. They're very good at writing fiction themselves.
2.Make sure when you include a famous structure in your novel, make sure it existed in that time. If your 1500's warriors are trying to escape London by going over the Tower Bridge, they're going to get wet. It wasn't built until the 1800's.
3.If in the 1910's, your hero hears a phone ring, make sure they had service there. Many places didn't have phone service yet.
4.Look at a map from the time you're writing about. Know where the streets are. Anyone from that area could tell if you goof on an intersection.
5.Check your facts from at least two sources.
6.See what different pieces of clothing was called in the period you're working in. Were pants called trousers, bloomers, pantaloons, slacks, etc.?
7.Women's makeup has gone through many different fazes. Some eras there was hardly any and others were elaborate. Did you know that in the 1700's women used beeswax for a beautiful complexion? They couldn't sit near a fire, unless they wanted to “lose face.”
8.Research etiquette books from the era you're writing about. Manners have changed drastically through the years. As late as the 1900's, when a women went out to dinner with a man, she couldn't talk directly to the waiter. The man had to order for her.
9.See what foods were available in that time frame. For example, bananas were introduced to America in 1876. No banana pies for the Civil War.
10.On the other hand, some foods have been around for quite a while. You could make S'mors in 1900 with graham crackers, Hersey bars, and Sta-Puff marshmallows. Or you could dunk your Oreo in milk in 1912.
11.If you mention a famous person, make sure you don't stray from the facts of his life. You could say Attila the Hun conquered Australia, but unless you're writing a fantasy, You'll look like you threw that in without checking.
12.With transportation, make sure the people you write about had access to what you think they need. Do you realize that in the Americas before the Europeans came over, no one ever invented a wheel?
13.Watch for slang words in your dialog. Also, before the middle of the 1800's using contractions was considered “lazy speech.”

Here's an example from my new book, Bronze Skies, of some of the historical research:

Pam pounded on the table in frustration. “I can’t believe Japan would hesitate to surrender after two of those horrible bombs were dropped on their cities. You’d think they’d give up just to save their people.”

Shaking her head, Jenny said, “There have been so many false reports, it’s hard to know what’s true and what isn’t.”

“Everyone got so excited at that news story two days ago saying Japan had surrendered, and then a few minutes later it was, ‘Nope, they didn’t.’”

Glancing at her watch, Jenny remarked, “It’s ten to three. May as well finish setting up for the movie crowd.” She got up and disappeared into the kitchen, while Pam headed to the bar, where she set up the clean glasses and turned on the radio. Music would take her mind off things while she swayed her hips to “Take the A Train” and the glasses thunked down in a straight row.

Suddenly, the microphone crackled to life and the announcer came on. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have news coming in from Washington, D.C.”

Pam quickly called everyone in, and they stared, breathless, at the radio. “Ladies and gentlemen, President Harry Truman has stated to the press that he received a message of surrender from the Japanese government...” The rest of the statement was lost in the roar of excitement in the room. Pam, caught up in the rolling sea of hugs and kisses all around, could easily have flown to the moon with her arms outstretched. The waitresses were in a massive hug and jumping up and down, while Addy and Zeke did an impromptu tango around the dance floor. Josh whirled Muriel off her feet as Ivan and Kata shouted out their joy. Jenny found Pam and Amelia, and the three cried on each other’s shoulders while laughing out loud.
I want to thank Brenda for inviting me to guest today. Come see my web site at http://www.ilonafridl.com I'm also on Facebook and Goodreads. You can purchase my books at http://www.thewildrosepress.com

What Is It About Cemeteries?

2011-07-26T02:29:00.000-07:00

Cemeteries are the final resting place for dead and cremated bodies. That definition alone should mark them as places we visit once and then forget about, right? And yet there's a fascination with them that defies explanation.

I've always found them to be peaceful places, not frightening. The lore of ghosts or zombies combing them at night, looking for unsuspecting victims, wasn't part of my childhood fears because ghosts and zombies are just cool. :)

Burying the dead is a practice that archaeology tells us dates back to prehistoric times. Giving mortal remains a resting place and a marker is a way to honor that person's life and preserve their memory. It gives the living a spot where they can still feel connected to that person. Whether the deceased can hear and see us sitting by their graveside is a matter of belief, and beyond the scope of this blog post. :)

When I was very young we used to visit the grave of my maternal grandfather every Memorial Day. He died in World War II. This holiday used to be called Decoration Day, and even though that name is well over one hundred years old, our family still observed it. My mom would go to the same florist each year and buy the same styrofoam wreath, always white, with an American flag and some red and blue plastic flowers stuck on it. Good heavens that thing was ugly, and not nearly as adorned as the image above.

The trip took almost an hour because there was no freeway connecting both sides of the city like there is now. There were railroad tracks along one edge of the cemetery, and all the cousins who'd been dragged along that day would play by them while the grownups did whatever it is they did at the graveside. When we got bored by the train tracks we'd try to jump over the flat headstones. It was considered bad luck to step on one, and doing so would assure you a ghostly visit that night... or so my cousins said. Since it never happened to me I think they might have been fibbing.

True story: There's a cemetery in Brecksville Ohio called Barr Road Cemetery, and like all cemeteries worth their acreage it's said to be haunted. One night in high school a group of us were driving past and decided to test the folklore that if you walked among the graves at night you'd die. Yeah, okay. We were in high school, all right? There was no chain across the entrance like there is now, but the same split rail fence you'll find today was the only barrier, so we drove inside. It borders the park system and back then there weren't homes across the street like there are now, and there were no street lights.

We didn't do anything except get out of the car and walk around, but it truly was pitch dark, and next to the thick woods you couldn't see a thing, so we didn't wander far. Besides, the entire cemetery is only about four acres. It's actually a private cemetery for the Barr family that used to own most of Brecksville. When we got back in the car it wouldn't start. The driver honestly wasn't kidding around. One of the guys finally walked up the road to the nearest home and called his parents. It was pretty cool, actually, even if his dad was pissed off at us when he got there.

When I was doing research for HUNTED, Book 2 of my Seduced By A Demon series from Evernight Publishing, I wanted Jahi and Vassago's final showdown to be in a cemetery. I chose Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood CA for two reasons. The story, like Book 1, THE LAST SOUL, is set in Los Angeles, and Inglewood boasts a huge cemetery with lots of buildings and trees where fallen angels can hide.

What are some of your favorite cemeteries? Do you have any stories to share?

13 Interesting Facts About U.S. Gardens and Gardeners

2011-07-21T03:45:00.000-07:00

The Badger State is toasting in a 90-plus degree heat wave and what feels suspiciously like 100% humidity. Even in T-shirt and shorts I’m hot, but, undaunted, I’m at work in my garden, sweating, watering, yanking weeds and imagining the salsa ingredients I hope I’m nurturing.
My mind wanders. Are others out weeding today, too? What are they growing?
What do people plant?
If you’re like me, you’re curious. So, as an excuse to cool off, I go to the Internet and conduct some research.

1.In 2008, 36 million people tended a garden.
2.The next year, in 2009, 43 million decided to try their hand at growing things.
3.About 79% of home gardeners have attended or graduated from college.
4.A total of 68% of those plant tenders are over 44 years old.
5.How many of those involved in food growing are female? Some 54%.
6.How much time does a typical gardener spend tending her plants? Five hours a week.
7.The average amount of money spent on one garden: $70 per summer.
8.And what is a typical yield of a vegetable or flower garden? About $530. (So all that weeding and watering does pay off -- and, chance are, I'll get that salsa I’m hoping for.)
9.Which brings me to another topic. I’m raising tomatoes, which, I expect, is typical of the average grower. Yes, I'm right: The most popular vegetable grown is the tomato.

10.One Website says the second most planted vegetable is the pepper while another states that the cucumber ranks second.
11.The third spot goes to either cucumbers or pepper -- depending on the site you choose.
12.The next favorite that people plant is either beans or onions, depending on the Website you trust.
13.And what are other popular vegetables to plant? Carrots, radishes, lettuce, peas, sweet corn, and summer squash.
***************************
Do you have a garden? How are your plants doing? What are you hoping to harvest?
I’m an enthusiastic learner as far as horticulture goes. My preferred Website for this kind of information is http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/ag-06.html

Sources

http://mindcheese.com/wordpress/?p=1578
http://www.mnn.com/
http://thegardenersrake.com/the-ten-most-popular-homegrown-vegetables

The ‘IT’ Factor – Debut Author Katherine Irons

2011-07-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Seaborne
Kensington Brava
April 2011

Book Blurb:

Shrouded in mist, the hidden shoreline near her family's Maine estate is a place of refuge for Claire Bishop. There, she can forget the physical limitations imposed by a tragic accident and escape judgmental eyes. Yet someone is watching from the depths of the sea, a being who senses her inner despair and is drawn to help her. Prince Morgan, risen from the waves and as perfect a man Claire has ever laid eyes on. She is sure she has dreamed him into existence - Morgan's masculine beauty and sensual tenderness cannot be real. Then the dream overtakes reality...

With Morgan at her side, Claire is suddenly freed, swimming with him to a lost paradise, a fantastic underwater world with a sunken stone city at its heart. Soon the lovers find that their union has aroused the wrath of his warring clan - but Claire would rather die than return to her crippling life on earth, and Morgan will not live without the woman he adores...

I was a bit bipolar on this book. There were parts that I liked, but there were also problems that interfered with my enjoyment of the story. I love to be pulled into a story to the point where the real world falls away. Instead, I was constantly wearing my editor’s hat, rewriting sections in my head thinking I would have done this differently or I would have described a scene this way (for instance, there was a lot of unnecessary info dumping and backstory that should have been cut IMO.)

Romantic Relationship:

I understood Claire’s side of the relationship. She’s depressed because of her disability and frustrated because everyone around her treats her like she’s an invalid. When she’s with Morgan, she can swim and breathe underwater. He challenges her and admires her intelligence. Half the time she believes she’s either dreaming or hallucinating on pain meds, so she just goes with the flow, falling in love with her dream man. Morgan, on the other hand, falls for Claire quicker than seemed believable. We come into the story after he’s already been watching her for a while from the sea. They have one brief conversation on the beach and then the next night he takes her into the sea intending to make love to her to get her out of his system (relations between Atlantians and humans is forbidden). In the middle of the act, he suddenly has these strong feelings for her that I never saw develop. They’re just there with no connection or chemistry to back them up.

Also, Atlantians are blue. I kept picturing the Pandorans from Avatar, only not as tall and with gills, webbed feet and hands. Morgan uses an illusion spell so that Claire sees him as human. However, twice he’s unconscious or near death around her and yet the spell still holds. I would have liked to see Claire’s reaction when her dream man changes from Brad Pitt to a member of the Blue Man group.

The Villain:

Irons does a good job of giving us a creepy villain. Claire’s psychologist ex-husband is outwardly perfect, if a bit overbearing in public. In private, he has more issues (sexual perversions) than many of his clients. I kept wondering how he planned to get Claire’s money and in the end, Irons ties up the loose ends nicely.

Court Intrigue:

All is not paradise in Atlantis. Morgan has to answer for his transgressions with a human woman and there’s backstabbing and scheming afoot among members of the royal family. This part of the book interested me the most.

World Building:

With a couple of 5 star reviews on Amazon and a 4 star review in RT, I figured this would be the area where this book stood out. Irons does a decent job most of the time (loved the scene where they’re swimming with the manta rays). However, just when I would be floating along in her mystical undersea world, there would be a reference to something that should not be under water -- people shed tears, sweat, smell, walk when they should be swimming. There’s also underwater freshwater lakes, waterfalls, trees, flowers, herds of land dwelling animals, and American Indians (don’t know where that one came from). Sometimes I thought they were on land and then a dolphin or octopus would swim by, reminding me that they were under water. Every time it happened, it jerked me out of the story. I was constantly confused. I couldn’t tell if some of the places were like in the “Land that Time Forgot” with air pockets in vast undersea caverns. In one brief instance, Claire observes that the air was like a different kind of water – it was there and she could feel it around her, but she couldn’t see it. I needed this explained more. I think Irons missed an opportunity here of taking this book to the next level by making the undersea world too much like being on land. I admit I had very high expectations in this area for this book. I wanted to be immersed in a totally different sensory atmosphere, along with all the limitations and advantages of being under the sea, and too often I couldn’t tell if I was under water or not.

The Big Twist *SPOILER ALERT AHEAD*:

I saw this one coming from the very beginning. As soon as Claire mentions that she was adopted and there were secrets about who her birth mother was, I knew how this book would end. Of course, I had to wonder how a person with Atlantian DNA in them could live near the ocean and resist the water as much as she did. She grows up spending summers at her grandma’s beach house and yet has never swam in the ocean because her father supposedly feared the water and forbade her to go in. I don’t know many people who could keep a child out of the surf for 30 years. Plus, the accident that paralyzed her occurred on a jet ski. Who rides a jet ski and yet doesn’t go in the water?

The ‘IT’ Factor:

I think the thing that sold this book was the concept. I loved the idea of a paralyzed woman discovering freedom in the sea and finding love with an Atlantian warrior prince. It’s a great elevator pitch, however problems with the world building prevented this from being a keeper for me. But that’s just me. Obviously given the ratings by other reviewers, they thought differently and you might too.

Pie Etiquette

2011-07-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Here at the Otherworld Diner, we pride ourselves on professionalism. Recently I found a video showing the proper use of a pie. I thought I would put it on our blog today as a way to educate both our staff and our customers. Please take notes.

Starry, Starry Night

2011-07-12T03:13:00.000-07:00

Right across from my desk in my writing room hangs a poster of Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night. Yeah, I thought it was called Starry Starry Night too, because of that Don McLean song in the 70's, although I prefer American Pie. :)

Van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter, and like most painters he didn't receive true recognition until after his death. He was only 37 when he took his own life. I'm head-over-heels in love with this work. I even have a pillow with the image on it that lights up the "stars" when you squeeze a button hidden inside the fabric.

When I need to get in the mood to write those dark, sexy stories this painting does it for me. There's something almost sinister about the tree in the foreground, twisting and dark, rising above the town behind it. It's a sleepy-looking town, with lights in the windows, as if people inside are curled up with a book or having quiet conversation, unaware of the chaos above them.

The largest circle of yellow in the upper right corner I always imagine represents the Sun, our own star, and Van Gogh chose to give it light in this painting even though it's clearly nighttime. Or, he might have meant for it to represent the moon. That dead orb about which countless poems and songs have been written, and to which ancient lore attributes great power and magic.

The swirls of color remind me of the Milky Way. It's hard to see this in our nighttime sky unless you live somewhere without interference from other lights, but once you see it you never forget it. I imagine Van Gogh did a fair amount of star gazing to come up with the inspiration for this beauty.

Lastly, I love the rolling hills behind the village, again depicting a peaceful countryside and quiet homes.

Talk to me. Tell me what you see when you gaze at this work.

Vampires and Witches and Panthers, oh my

2011-07-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

I'm watching the new season of True Blood, and I'm wondering how much weirder it can get. We've seen the vampires from day 1, of course, and the werebeasts have been around for a while, too. Now, there are glamouring fae and covens who want to raise dead birds and it's all a little ... strange.

Urban fantasy or vampire fiction, adding in these different creatures/monsters/occult figures is usually a good mix, and I think it's working for True Blood. Can you have too many of these in one story line? I don't know. I thought I'd ask you guys what you think about some of the books/movies/stories that mix many supernatural or fantasy features - and which ones are your favorites.

Some choices - of course, True Blood, based on Charlaine Harris's series of books.
We've got the Twilight series - tell me if it's worth seeing/reading.
What about Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series? Any thoughts on her choice of characters?

Tell me what you think - is it too much, not enough, or are there others out there we should be watching/reading that are like those mentioned above!?

An Anniversary ... Almost

2011-07-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

Hi. I hope you’ll help me celebrate a blog anniversary. During the summer of 2007, a bunch of aspiring paranormal romance writers banded together. We planned, schemed and dreamed. Then, in July, we opened "The Otherworld Diner."
I published my first blog on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2007 -- just to try out the idea. I didn’t know how successful it would be or how much fun I’d have.
Since then, four years have passed and I’ve racked up some 115 offerings. And has it been fun? Well, that 115 number is the answer. ...
I’d like to share the links of 13 of my favorites.

The ‘IT’ Factor – Debut Author Tamara Hogan

2011-07-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

Taste Me
Sourcebooks
March 2011

Book Blurb:

He wants her so badly he can taste it…

Ever since their tempestuous fling years ago, incubus Lukas Sebastiani has known that siren Scarlett Fontaine was meant to be his. But when you’re a sex demon with an insatiable desire, relationships are…complicated.

Her siren song brings men to their knees…

Rock star Scarlett Fontaine desperately needs a break after a grueling tour. But with murder and mayhem surrounding her band, and Lukas guarding her body, life is going to be anything but peaceful.

Every encounter between them creates more turmoil—and heat—until Scarlett pushes Lukas to the boiling point, and unleashes forces that go way beyond anything she can hope to control…

Rule Breaking:

For as long as I’ve been writing, there have been a few taboos preached to us to not even attempt to write because editors will not buy them: adultery by the hero or heroine, bestiality, incest, pedophilia and -- horrors upon horrors -- musicians/artists as the main characters. Hogan breaks this last rule and it’s a pleasant breath of fresh air. Her knowledge of the music business is evident on every page (or she did a heck of a lot of research) and pulls us right into the concert scene. I loved Scarlett’s ‘F’ You song list aimed at Lukas. She’s tired of his avoidance crap and gets in his face the only way a siren can – with her sex laden voice.

Sensory Detail:

This is where Hogan shines. Great description. I could feel the pulsing of the music in the club in the opening scene. This is followed by plenty of action and emotion for Lukas. His scenes give us lots of sensory detail -- people’s emotions have a taste and smell to him and death tastes like ashes. He can tell someone’s been murdered every time he tastes them, but doesn’t know who, where or how. This knowledge weighs heavy on his conscience. He wants to catch the killer before he strikes again.

The Villain:

The book opens with the villain’s POV. We know who he is right away. Some readers may be put off by this. I found it intriguing as Hogan showed us his conflicting emotions and internal battle. I almost came to care for him, understanding that he had little control over the beast within. I have to wonder if Hogan intends for him to have a book of his own. It’ll be hard to pull off. While he fascinated me, I’m not sure if he’s redeemable. After all, he did kill several people in his sexual rampages.

Conflict:

This is where the book falters. The conflict between the hero and heroine feels weak and contrived. Scarlett and Lukas had a one night stand back when they were barely out of their teens. Lukas walks out the next morning because he thought he lost control and hurt Scarlett (evidently she bruises easily), leaving Scarlett wondering if her inexperience turned him off. That’s understandable. They were both young. However, to allow this to keep them apart when they both so obviously want to jump each other’s bones again is silly. A simple conversation would have cleared everything up. But no, they go years denying their feelings for each other.

Lukas and Scarlett’s forced cohabitation also feels contrived. It’s another case of hiding the heroine away where she doesn’t do much but sit around and contemplate the hero. A big part of the problem is I didn’t understand the need to bring her to his apartment in the first place when he and his partner were already camping out at hers. He claims it’s to keep her safe but Scarlett herself points out the killer could be after anyone (their friends, family, and/or the Underworld Council). Plus, he leaves his sister behind (she’s Scarlett’s roommate) and his father (the head of the Underworld Council who lives in the apartment next door). Seems like he’d be better able to protect them all if he stayed at Scarlett’s place like he was. By separating them from the others, this is supposed to up the sexual tension. It does, but it gets tedious. As soon as they get to Lukas’ place, they acknowledge that they both want to have sex again and yet they spend another 2 weeks with him playing the avoidance/denial game. Ugh. Have sex already. Lukas playing the martyr for no reason got really old.

OK, so our hero and heroine are finally together but once the killer is caught after attacking Scarlett, Hogan tries to throw in a final conflict by having Lukas break it off with Scarlett because he feels he failed to protect her. The killer is in custody. Lukas knows he can make love to her without hurting her. They can begin their lives now. Silly reason for last minute conflict. Even Scarlett thinks so.

The Action:

The first half of the book has a lot of action -- from the attacks by the villian, to the crime scene investigation, to the rock concert and all the behind the scenes activities -- very well done. Made it a page turner. However in the last half I found myself putting the book down more often with the slower pacing, drawn-out sexual tension, and unnecessary scenes (Did we really need to experience dinner with the family? What was the purpose of that?) In the beginning, I found it fascinating to watch Lukas work with the police to help find the killers he senses. However, once he and Scarlett shack up, this all gets pushed to the background. We’re told he’s still working with the police to try to find the killer but we don’t get to see him in action. It was a lot of waiting around to see if the killer would strike again while he and Scarlett fought their feelings for each other. I would have loved to see the investigative part of the plot developed and shown more.

The ‘IT’ Factor:

If you can overlook the weak excuse for conflict between the hero and heroine, this is an enjoyable book. The use of rock musicians as the main and secondary characters was a refreshing change from all the other paranormals out there. If nothing else, I encourage beginning writers to read it to learn from Hogan’s skill of wringing a multitude of sensory details off the page. She’s a master at this. I was smelling mandarin oranges and tasting ash in my mouth by the end of the book myself.

What To Do If You're Not Going to RWA Nationals

2011-06-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened on the way to this week. I decided not to go to New York City. Are you back? Hope that fall off your chair didn't hurt too much.

Here's a list of things I'll be doing this week while I'm not in New York City, braving crowds, a big huge hotel with iffy Internet access, and interesting people on Times Square. Will you join me?

1) Final edits. On two books. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. The woman who ran around Orlando last year with boundless energy, sporting a bright orange First Timer ribbon on that RWA badge (and who would have been sporting her bright pink First Sale ribbon this year), has gone from secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) whining "When is it my turn to be published????" to "Holy Semi-Colons, Batman! Two proof copies due the same weekend!!!"

I'm pleased to tell you I can actually cross this one off the list. Final edits are finished on both Haunted Heart, due out this Friday from Etopia Press and Hunted, due next month from Evernight Publishing. I went through over 100,000 words in 24 hours. NOT recommended, even when you aren't trying to buy shoes and pack for an upcoming trip to NYC.

2) Prepare for a blog hop extravaganza. Not only did we start an Evernight Reader's Group on Facebook recently (like yesterday, or was it the day before? See? I have no idea where I am or what I'm doing! How did I expect to get on a plane this morning???) but we also are in the throes of organizing a blog hop to promote the publisher and our own websites. Fun stuff, but for this technophobe it also gives me hives just thinking about it.

3) Revamp my website. It's too messy and cluttered. I don't like messy and cluttered. But again we have that whole technophobe issue to deal with so something like this takes me more time than the average bear. Or even the average writer.

4) Read and review books. Yeah. Right. My TBR pile is getting so tall I've heard from Rutherford County they're thinking of renaming it the tallest structure in the county. Ha-ha. Those County dudes and dudettes are a laugh a minute. But seriously, I'm woefully behind. Hey, can I help it if I have ultra-talented friends who release books at warp speed?

5) Six Sentence Sunday. Yes, I know it's Tuesday, but I still haven't gone through last week's blog list!!

6) Finish Redemption. This will be the third book in my current series with Evernight Publishing. Did I mention it's only at 12K right now?

7) Pimp Haunted Heart. Yeah, baby. Major pimpage coming up. You might as well get ready for it.

8) Family time. Oh yeah. There are other people living in this house. I have a daughter who's home from college and a hubby who is really, really patient. Would be nice to see them more than once a day when I emerge from my writing room to eat.

9) RITA party! Friday night! With other MCRW chapter mates who aren't going to NYC! Our dear friend and chapter mate Annie Solomon is up for a RITA for Two Lethal Lies!!

10) Sleep. Yeah. Okay. That one's meant to be a joke. :)

The Mystical Calendar

2011-06-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

The mystical calendar of festivals throughout the year celebrate the never-ending cycle of life in our world, and has done so since ancient times.

The eight festivals are:
Yule - Winter solstice (around December 21st) marking the shortest day of the year, which marks the crowning of the Holly King. Evergreen decorations are magically protective, alive in the deadest part of the year.

Imbolc - February 1st heralds the potential of spring, so it centers on light and purification as the life cycle begins again. Candles mark the return of the sun and healing.

Ostara - Vernal equinox (around March 21st) marks the turn from the dark half of the year to the light half. It celebrates the triumph of light over dark and portends rebirth and regeneration in the world.

Beltane - May 1st calls the beginning of summer, the brightest part of the year, a joyful celebration of growth. In ancient times, nine sacred woods were used to light a fire both people and animals leapt through for purification.

Litha - Summer solstice (around June 21st), the opposite of Yule, marks the longest day of the year, a midsummer magic brought to life by the crowning of the Oak King.

Lughnasadh - August 1st marks the ending of the summer cycle and the surrender to the darker side of the year. Harvesting is celebrated, along with winnowing seed to plant in the spring when the sun comes back into its own.

Mabon - Autumnal equinox (around September 21st) is the midpoint of autumn, when days and nights are of equal length, a balance to make the final harvest and prepare for winter.

Samhain - November 1st marks the start of winter, beginning on October 31st when the souls of the dead walk the night. This night also calls the Wild Hunt from Faerie to gather the souls of those who wander in the darkness without protection.

Maybe one of these seasons and the stories associated with it - and I don't mean just Halloween - will give you some exciting story ideas.

A Look Inside: Ellen Connor--The Writing Partnership of Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty

2011-06-23T04:26:00.000-07:00

The first book NIGHTFALL in the “DARK AGE DAWNING” trilogy has just been released. It’s written by Ellen Connor, the pseudonym belonging to the dynamic writing team of Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty. We’re lucky enough to have them as guests this week.

goofy girl designs

Ann, please tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in the Midwest and I studied English Literature in college. I moved to Mexico with my family six years ago. Life as an ex-pat is often interesting and complicated, but I wouldn’t change a minute of it. Life outside the US has definitely broadened my worldview. I write all kinds of things, and I’ve been writing stories since I was eight years old. It took a bit longer for me to go pro.

Your turn, Carrie. Would you share a short biography?
I was born in California and raised in the Midwest, but I had to travel to England to find the love of my life. Since then I’ve studied history and literature, so maybe writing historical romance was the natural choice. As for paranormal romance...that took a little bit more time!

How did you two meet?
We met online through a romance website and eventually attended Nationals together in 2007. Because there’s a lot of mileage between Wisconsin and Mexico, annually is about best we can manage in person. But IM(Instant Messager) is our friend!

How did your partnership start?
Ann had a kick-ass dream about a girl who transforms into a Doberman, and she gave it to me--just for fun. I decided to write the hero’s chapter just for kicks. I’d never done anything like that before! Then we were off and running. We draft very fast, so the whole thing felt like a rollercoaster.

What is your system for writing together?
We take turns with chapters, with one point of view in each--for the most part. But the point is that once we start with a character, we stick with it. I wrote the hero in Nightfall, for example. And then it’s like playing ping-pong. Or tag! You’re it!

How long did the creation of NIGHTFALL take? Is it quicker or more time-consuming to generate a story as a team?
We write quickly on our own. Together...well, together we’re pretty darn fast. IM takes care of plotting issues, but then we get momentum going that propels us to the finish.

How is writing as a team different from penning a book alone?
Communication is critical, of course, and so is compromise. The key thing to remember is that you’re writing a book that must please two people. We both need to feel proud and satisfied when the work is done. It’s double the creative input, however, but it’s awesome. When you’re working alone, you answer to nobody else. You’re in complete control. Writing with someone else gives them equal say in the end product.

What are some of the benefits of your partnership? What’s your favorite part of working with each other?

Carrie: I love the shared creativity. Most of the time writing is such a solo effort. With a partner, we get near-instant feedback on new material. That intangible spark is really unique to co-writing. We just have a blast!

Ann: Yes, the instant feedback is amazing. When you write a chapter you just love on your own, there’s nobody to say, Wow, way to go! But if you’re working with a partner, he or she gets to see the writing straightaway and can really juice your enthusiasm. It certainly makes it easier to go on when you’re weary or flagging -- having someone else’s constant support and investment.

Were there any unexpected or amusing problems that occurred in your work on NIGHTFALL because you wrote together?
Not so much other than worldbuilding details. That required timelines and lots of IM conversations.

Would you share an excerpt from NIGHTFALL?

Ten minutes later, with Jenna trailing like a sleepwalker, they stood in a small clearing just north of the cabin. Mason didn’t trust her compliance. She was still thinking, doubting his word, and that would get them both killed.
God, he didn’t want to get rough with her, but she wasn’t getting away from him. She couldn’t. Her life depended on him—his will, his cool, his knowledge. But his survival depended on her too.
“C’mere,” he said quietly.
She didn’t move.
So he went to her instead. Something good and calm opened in his chest when she didn’t shy away.
“Listen, Jenna.”
“What now? More stories?”
“No, listen. Listen to the forest.”
The stillness enveloped them, a dark and unnatural stillness that gnawed at bones and wore away at the mind like a drip, drip, drip of water. No moon shone through the quiet leaves. No animals moved among the foliage. Although they stood in the trees, among those countless living plants, breathing each other’s poison air, there wasn’t a single noise to indicate life.
Jenna stood at his side. He could barely see her in the thick black soup of night, but he heard her frantic breathing.
“Where is everything?” she whispered.
“Mitch took you camping, right? When you were younger?”
“It creeps me out, you knowing stuff like that.”
“Did he or didn’t he?”
“Yeah, when I was a kid. And you were right. He never hit the bottle out here. For him, being in the woods was normal.” She inhaled deeply, unsteadily. “But this…this isn’t normal.”
He took her hand, the only solid, real, warm thing in the forest.
“Everything I’ve said is God’s honest truth.”
She tightened her fingers as a shiver worked down her arm. “There’s no God here.”

(Note: My formatting difficulties prevent indenting for the paragraphs. Sorry.)

Are the same characters featured in all three novels?
Yup! The heroes of Midnight and Daybreak are both introduced in Nightfall. We hope readers will want to stay with us to make sure those deserving men find their happy endings.

When will the next book in the DARK AGE DAWNING trilogy be released?
Midnight comes out in September and Daybreak in December.

Where can readers find out more about your books?
Our website is http://ellenconnor.com. Stop by for the covers and blurbs for the rest of the trilogy, or just to say hello!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this interview. If you have any questions about writing partnerships or the DARK AGE DAWNING trilogy, please feel free to ask. We’re giving away one free copy to a commenter in the continental US. Good luck!

The ‘IT’ Factor – Debut Author Rebecca Zanetti

2011-06-20T10:38:00.001-07:00

Fated
Kensington Brava
March 2011

Book Blurb:

MARRY ME

Cara Paulsen does not give up easily. A scientist and a single mother, she’s used to doing whatever it takes to protect her daughter. But “Whatever it takes” has never before included a shotgun wedding to a dangerous stranger with an attitude problem…

OR ELSE

Sure, the mysterious Talen says that he’s there to protect Cara and her daughter. He also says that he’s a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Of course, the way he touches her, Cara might actually believe he’s had that long to practice…

First, I’m going to take you on an interesting side trip. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to read this book. I had it on my Amazon Wish List for a while but kept cringing at the thought of paying nearly $9.00 for an e-book. Something about spending more for an electronic book than a standard paperback just seems wrong to me. Anywho, when it came time to pick a book for this week’s blog, I couldn’t decide so I downloaded sample chapters from several, including FATED. I got no further than the first page before I said, “I know this book. I’ve read this before.” Sure enough, as I continued on, the storyline was very familiar to me. I knew without a doubt I had judged the opening of this book in one of many contests throughout the years. That sealed it. I had to read this one. After I was done reading it, I searched my files and found it (it was an electronic entry so it was still on my computer). I’ll admit as a contest judge, I tend to be a bit heavy-handed with the comments and I made a lot on this entry. I noted that the author did a great job with the action and sexual tension but her craft needed work. She used way too many sentence fragments, making the entry very choppy. She would often have a character finally react to something that occurred several paragraphs earlier. She also had a problem with the sequence of events flowing in a natural manner. I made lots of suggestions, even going so far as to rearrange many of her problem sentences for her. Imagine my surprise to discover that she used probably 90% of my suggestions word for word in the published book. Do I think I helped her get it published? Heck no. After all, I only critiqued the first 20 pages. But it warms my heart to know that she trusted my comments enough to use them. It makes the time I put into judging these contests seem worth it. Now, on to my review…

The Beginning:

The opening hits the ground running. Craft problems aside, I liked it a lot when I read it as a contest entry, enough that it stuck in my memory. I liked it just as much or maybe more reading it in published form. There’s plenty of action and sexual tension right from the start, which I love. I couldn’t put the book down until I got to chapter 12.

The Middle:

Sagged a bit for me. I’m not sure why Talen and Cara chose to stay with the cougar pride for so long. Sure, the cougar shifters helped them out when they needed it but the good vamps are at war with the bad vamps, so Talen should be eager to get back to his own people to help defend them. Plus, I’m a mom. You’d have to weld my feet to the ground to keep me away from my 4-year-old daughter for 5 weeks. This is where the book fell into the territory of the hero rescuing the heroine, hiding her away at a compound/safe house while he goes out and saves the world. A lot of paranormals with groups of supernatural beings living together do this and I’m not a huge fan of it. I like the heroine to be active in her own destiny, not sitting home doing a lot of nothing, waiting for the hero to return each night for a booty call.

The main thing that kept me going in the middle were the scenes with Cara’s 4-year-old psychic daughter. She charms her big, bad vampire babysitters to no end and she has a very intriguing relationship with a boy in her dreams. I’d love to read more about how they come together when they grow up.

The End:

Picked up the pace nicely. Cara finally becomes an active participant and puts her life on the line for her sister. Is it a wise choice? Maybe not, but she’s desperate and can’t wait for Talen to come to the rescue. I believed her motives and actions at this point.

The Steamy Stuff:

Talen and Cara go at it pretty quick. The first sex scene is borderline forced seduction and some readers might have a problem with this, but I chalked it up to the mate bonding thing with a little vamp glamour/persuasion thrown in. And speaking of mates. Talen calls Cara that a lot. “You will submit, mate.” It got to the point where I was hearing an Australian accent in my head every time he spoke. Then there’s the submitting thing. Talen is very arrogant and forceful, using sex to exert his dominance and sometimes as punishment with Cara. They definitely took on dominant/submissive roles in the bedroom. If that’s your thing, you’ll like this pair. My only problem is Talen never seemed to learn and grow in his relationship with Cara. He was always trying to make her do things his way. He never learned the meaning of the word compromise, at least not until the very end and by then it was a little too late. I would have liked to see him change as the story progressed, from viewing Cara as a sexual mate to seeing her as an equal.

Major Speed Bump:

I never quite understood the whole Treaty thing between the bad vamps and the good vamps where they both agreed to stay away from the human population. In Zanetti’s world, vamps (good and bad) can only mate and produce children with an enhanced (i.e. psychic) human female. What male in his right mind would agree to stay away from humans for 300 years, knowing full well that his destined mate is going to be a human woman? She could be born, grow old and die and he’d never meet her. A truce to not fight and kill each other? I got that. A truce to not interact with human women? I didn’t understand the reasoning there.

The ‘IT’ Factor:

What sold this book is the first 11 chapters or so, where the sexual tension is high and the hero and heroine are on the run. Very action packed. And of course, vampires and shifters are hot sellers right now, and Zanetti has a whole cast of them she can write spin off books for.

Summer Movies

2011-06-19T21:40:00.001-07:00

We have a guest blogger today - author J.P. Edwards, talking about characters and movies.

One of the things I do for 'research' when I'm writing is go to the movies. I like lots of different kinds of movies and every summer, it seems there's many to choose from in many categories. Most recently, I have watched Thor, Super 8, Green Lantern, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Just Go With It, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bridesmaids, and I can't tell you how many others.

These movies have had varying degrees of success, several time periods, and lots of different characters. In movies, I take note of how the characters are developed, why we love or hate them ... or are just 'meh' about them. And when I write, I actually 'see' my story in my head - much like a movie. Which I suppose is a good thing, yes?

Have you thought about 'casting' your book, choosing what actress or actor you would pick for each character? For example, in my current WIP, I have a character who I have chosen Emeril to play. Is this character a cook? No, he's not. But he has the same ebullient personality and larger than life persona Emeril has. He's perfect for what I need him to do in the story.

So who are your favorite celebrities? Could any of them star in your books?

Think about how you might have cast Twilight differently, or what kind of 'alien' or 'monster' you might put in Super 8 or Green Lantern, or Thor, for that matter. Did you agree with the casting choices made in the movie you liked?

My favorite example is Sherlock Holmes. I didn't know if Robert Downey, although he is one of my favorite actors, could play the Holmes I'd read about all my life. And Jude Law was SO not my choice for Watson. I'd always seen Watson as an older man, rotund and fatherly. Definitely not Jude Law. But you know what? Law was great as Watson, and after discussing it with other Holmes fans, we decided the casting had been a brilliant choice! They took someone who could show he'd had an injury in the war, but was still otherwise fit and brave. And he looked good next to Downey, right? They both looked great!

So think about character casting and you might find yourself thinking outside the box. Maybe you've seen a bit part actor you think could carry a story - I personally like the "Mayhem" guy on the insurance commercial. I'd like to put him in a story, because he's perfect for the character in my head.

Have fun casting your characters and see if giving them faces in your mind helps you get to know them better. I'm betting it will.

Any movies you can think of you'd have casted differently?
Tell me about it :)

What Year isThis?

2011-06-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest, it’s been a while since the last time I read the novel 1984. I’m not sure I want to read it again either. Why? Because it’s a little too close to 21st century reality. Think I’m kidding? I’m not, and I’ll tell you my reasons.

First, for those who don’t know, Nineteen Eighty-Four ( or 1984) is a novel set in the title year. It was written in 1948 by George Orwell, and is a dystopian novel—or the opposite of utopia. The world of 1984 is not a good place to be, and in my, not all that humble opinion, our world definitely resembles it. And now, my reasoning:

Ubiquitous televisions. This was a huge deal in the book. Though written in 1948—at the very beginning of television’s popularity—the book accurately predicted TV’s in every home and many public places. Oddly, or maybe not, in 1981, the US Supreme court allowed TV in courtrooms. Been to a doctor’s office lately, or a McDonalds? There was likely a TV screen or two there. I have to admit, my heart took a bit of a bump when I first saw the Times Square TV broadcast in New York City. Think you can escape? Not a chance, TV has invaded the Internet!

Interactive TV. Another thing Orwell wrote about that has come to pass, if not exactly like he described it. For instance, I can push a button and pull up the local weather, news, messages from the cable provider. Another button a list of shows with all the info I’d have had to buy a TVGuide for just a few years ago. I also have a DVR that records my favorite shows on a regular basis, no more forgetting to tape something. Amazing stuff. And TV on the Internet, even more so. Speaking of TV and the Internet, a recently saw a Criminal Minds rerun in which a person’s webcam was turned on by remote means. Not at all impossible, I’d think. And makes me leery to leave the computer and Net hooked up when I’m not using it. OK, I admit it, I’ve considered putting something over the webcam on my laptop. Paranoid? Maybe. Maybe not so much.

Then there is the changing of history. This actually is the issue that triggered this post. In one of my writing groups, there was a big discussion about language. It started out as a discussion on sexist language, then branched out into how politically correct our language has become. I was surprised when someone mentioned editorial pressure to “PC” historical manuscripts. For example, saying Native American instead of Indian in a novel that takes place in the 1800’s. Um, Native American is a recent term. There’s no way that could be historically correct. But what really got to me was that there is now pressure to revise Mark Twain’s novels to take out the “N word” and put “slave” in its place. Mark Twain wasn’t a racist. He used language to make his point. That’s what good writing is all about. Twain’s books are classics, and somebody wants to change them to fit our culture as it stands right now. Isn’t that an attempt to change history? And trying to change history is a big part of what 1984 is all about.

I’m sure there are other similarities between Orwell’s fictional world and now, but I’ve had enough chills for the moment. What do you think?

And if you haven’t read 1984, maybe you should. Or not.

13 Reasons to Enter the Melody of Love 2011

2011-06-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

So many writing contests, so little ... money. Hopefully the following 13 reasons will help you decide to enter the romance novel contest I coordinate every year. You can find out more about the Melody of Love at http://www.mcrw.com/index.php/2010-melody-of-love-contest/

So why enter our contest?

1) We have awesome final round judges! This year:

Historical: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary Agency
Contemporary: Latoya C. Smith, Grand Central Publishing
Paranormal: Angela James, Carina Press
YA: Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks Fire

2) I'm the coordinator, and at least one person thought I did a good job: http://isisrushdan.blogspot.com/2011/06/not-all-are-created-equal-part-2.html

3) We give the winners money. Cashola. Buckage. That you can use to buy chocolate. Or pay your water bill. Or buy gas to drive to a writer's conference.

4) We instated a YA category since it seems like half of you are writing YA now.

5) We offer finalists a chance to polish their manuscripts before they go to the final round judges and a proofread by yours truly. I have some skills in that area.

6) Finalists are also offered a one year membership to our chapter if they're RWA members so the love, support and late night email exchanges can continue.

7) BUT you don't have to be an RWA member to enter the contest (though RWA regulations do prevent us from letting you join the chapter unless you're in RWA National.) You can also enter if you are already published as long as you're not published in the category entered. (For specifics, check out the rules at http://www.mcrw.com/index.php/2010-melody-of-love-contest/)

8) We've been doing this for 13 years, so we're pretty good at it. Also, I sometimes use my contestant email list to forward hilarious jokes and our chapter's latest career news. Ok, not really. I mean, we're good at this contest stuff, but we won't spam you, I promise. Not even late at night.

9) Lots of our first-round judges are published authors. And all of them know what will happen to them if they're hateful on the contest entries. It isn't pretty.

10) So your feedback will probably be varied, and some might be negative, but the judges and the coordinators take pains to make sure it's constructive.

11) We get a discrepancy judge when the first round scores are far apart. Then you'll get three viewpoints to help you decide if you want to do any revisions.

12) You can enter electronically, so no trips to the Post Office or hassles with your printer. [[Can you tell I hate my printer??]] This comes in especially handy for contestants from overseas.

13) This year I'm thinking about putting an actual shiny gold star on...no, wait, entries are electronic. Scratch that.

13 part deux) We don't have any entries yet, so basically, I'm begging here. Load us up!

***

Jody Wallace
2011 Melody of Love Contest Coordinator
www.mcrw.com * www.jodywallace.com * www.meankitty.com

Where Do You Hide Your Heart?

2011-06-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons millions read romance novels is to enjoy the journey of two people falling in love. It's also the reason so many of us write them. Love is that elusive emotion scientists argue over, psychologists try to define, and about which philosophers write. Skeptics say it doesn't exist, and poets claim it conquers all. It can run the gamut from affection toward a stray dog, lost and wandering at the side of the road, all the way to crazed obsession with another human being.

The ways in which we write about the many faces of love in romance novels are as varied as species of flowers on the planet. Sweet, bedroom-door-closed inspirationals to menage a-as-many-as-you-can-fit-on-the-floor-with-the-heroine erotic novels. Ah, but Carolyn, you say, sex isn't love and love isn't sex. True, but in a romance novel, the two are intertwined. Unless you're writing straight erotica, a romance novel has a happily-ever-after or happily-for-now ending. After all, isn't sex the most intimate act you can perform with another human being?

Some of the sexiest scenes are the ones in which the author has written hot kissing and implied sex. Kristan Higgins, I'm talking to you. Her heros are yummy with awesome names like Callahan O'Shea or Ian McFarland, and even though you never see it between the pages, they always leave their lady loves satisfied.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, I finished reading my first menage-a-cinq romance last night. It's the most risque romance I've read to date. Well, okay, it was risque for me. I realize it's pretty mainstream for some. But what struck me in this book was the emotion. It surprised me. I admit I expected all sex, sex, sex. Oh, there's plenty of that, but the affection between the shifter heroine and her four shifter lovers/mates drew me in and kept me there. I have profound respect for authors who can sustain one relationship in a book let alone four.

For me, it's all about the characters and their emotion. Hey, I love reading a steamy sex scene as much as the next girl, but if there's no passion, or at least genuine affection, underneath those sheets, the sex falls flat. You think it's not a challenge to write more than one sex scene in a novel and make each unique, with passion and love in the mix? Try it. You'll see what I mean.

Where do you hide your heart? How do you prefer your romance? Talk to me.

A Look Inside: the 2011 Wisconsin RWA Write Touch Conference

2011-06-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Have you ever attended a writing conference? If you enjoy telling stories or putting pen to paper, I highly recommend you do. Last weekend I was privileged to attend the Write Touch Conference at Brookfield Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Header courtesy of samulli
Please bear with me as I share 13 of my favorite moments and events.

1. I found the workshop of New Year Times best-selling author Susan Wiggs on "How NOT to Get Published," both humorous and inspiring. She graciously made herself available before and after her workshop to answer questions and to allow fans to snap photos.

2. Angela James, Carina Press executive editor, helped us trace the evolution of e-publishing and digital downloads.

3. I attended a gourmet dessert reception with the added bonus of deep-fried cheese. All weekend, hotel staff offered mouth-watering food. What a treat!

4. A panel of experts -- Brenda Novak, New York Times best-selling author; Paula Eykelhof, executive editor with Harlequin and MIRA Books; and Kathleen Ortiz, an agent with Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation -- read queries from audience members and gave us helpful suggestions.

5. Simone Elkeles presented an enlightening workshop entitled “Secrets of a Marketing Queen.” Most of us jotted down lots of good tips.

6. One room was full of raffle baskets and each was filled with enticing or useful prizes.

7. At lunch on Saturday, people won the baskets.

8. I got to pitch my manuscripts to Carina's Angela James and Holly Blanck, an assistant editor at St. Martin’s Press.
9. I connected with romance-writing friends.

10. Lots of deserving writers received honors, awards and certificates.

11. My friends shared their books with me and I picked up a number of good reads.

12. Brenda Novak spoke on how to engage a reader in her workshop on "Emotion: The Heart of the Novel." I took notes like crazy, trying to catch her insights on dialogue, characterization, plot, subtext and metaphors.

13. Carrie Lofty helped us hone our three-line pitches in her class "The Tiny Art of Elevator Pitches."

Wish I could share the entire experience I had at the conference, but then this post would be unwieldy.

If you’d like to see more pictures you can find them at this link.

Please leave a comment or say hi. I always appreciate hearing from you.

By the way, I'd like to thank Betsy and all the people who volunteered their time to make The Write Touch Conference a wonderful experience.

The ‘IT’ Factor – Debut Author Virna DePaul

2011-06-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

Chosen by Blood
Berkley
May 2011

Book Blurb:
United by fate. Bound by desire.

Five years after the Second Civil War ends, humans and otherborn— humanlike creatures with superhuman DNA—still struggle for peace. To ensure the continued rights of both, the FBI forms a Para-Ops team with a unique set of skills.

Leader of an Otherborn clan, half-breed vampire Knox Devereaux would do anything to find a cure for the anti-vamp vaccine slowly starving his people into extinction. When the FBI contacts him about leading a team of hand-selected Others on a mission to reclaim the stolen antidote, Knox accepts. His new assignment places him in direct contact with Special Agent Felicia Locke, the beautiful human he’s craved since their very first meeting.

Technically, Chosen by Blood is not DePaul’s debut book. But it is her debut traditionally published book. Prior to its release, she self-published 2 erotic novellas and co-wrote and self-published a guide to writing romance book. In these changing times when it seems like a lot of unpublished authors are jumping on the self-publishing bandwagon, I was eager to see what brought this self-published author to the attention of not one, but two different publishers (she also has a romantic suspense coming out from Harlequin in September.)

The Plot:
I like the idea that humans have taken a vaccine that makes their blood virtually useless to vampires. While they can’t starve to death, the vamps are getting weaker and losing their powers. This makes them very vulnerable and they are desperate to find a cure.

The Romance:
Like many paranormal romances, this book uses the soul mate plot device. I have nothing against it as long as the author doesn’t use it as an excuse to have the characters fall immediately in love and in bed. DePaul does a good job with this. Knox recognizes Felicia for what she is and pursues her against her wishes. It seems the vampire race has a very medieval outlook on love and marriage. Marriages are made for political alliances and to propagate the vampire species (vamps in DePaul’s world cannot be made without killing the one who does the turning, therefore they need to be born). In vamp society, affairs are accepted. Human Felicia has a big problem with this, especially since Knox is the husband of her best friend. She feels the pull of their attraction but fights him every step of the way. And even after her best friend dies, her loyalty and the realization that she’s human and he’s not keep them apart and the sexual tension high (for a while).

Secondary Characters:
DePaul does a great job of developing the secondary characters of the team. There’s a wraith, were, mage, and a human psychic with healing powers. This is good and bad. Good because they are interesting, well-rounded and we care enough about them that we want to read their stories in future books. Bad in that it can take away from the main characters. I found myself caring more for some of the secondary characters than I did for the hero and heroine. This was especially true with Felicia. She’s the only human on the team with no paranormal ability. At times she seems to only serve as a placeholder -- Knox’s bed buddy and blood supply. While she is supposedly a trained agent, because she was “protected” from some of the danger on the mission, she came across as weak. Compared to the others, she was flat and uninteresting. I was much more intrigued by dynamics between the others.

The Nit Picks:
Pacing -- There’s a lot of attention paid to the team building and skills training of the team. The book is half over before they actually go on the mission. I know this makes it more realistic but most of the time authors skim over this stuff to get to the fast action. I wish DePaul had done a bit more skimming in this area.

Consistency -- I like my paranormal beings to behave like paranormal beings. Knox and Wraith are, for all intents and purposes, dead. Still, they seem to have a need to breathe and sensitivity to cold. That bothered me. They’re dead. If a high velocity impact and an exploding bomb can’t kill them, then lack of oxygen and low temperatures shouldn’t affect them as much as it did.

Believability – *spoiler alert* Knox has drunk from Felicia several times but couldn’t tell that she had pure blood when other vamps can tell from a nose bleed? I didn’t buy it. The excuse that he was caught up in the moment didn’t fly.

The Sexometer:
Hot. Very hot. You can tell this author has an erotica background and she’s not afraid to use it. De Paul doesn’t hold back in the graphic description department when Knox and Felicia finally decide to get down and dirty.

The ‘IT’ Factor:
This book follows the same basic formula of many paranormals before it where you have a group of supernatural beings joining together to fight the bad guys and protect both human and the not-so-human alike. Where this one deviates a bit is that this group acts more like an elite special forces team than a group of immortal guardians who’ve been protecting humanity for centuries. It has a very X-men feel with the different types of paranormal beings coming together and clashing.

Ten Tips for Writing to Sell

2011-05-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

We all want to, right? But it's not easy and I don't know that there's one specific recipe for success. So all you can do is write the story you're passionate about and hope you hit a nerve in your audience.

Ten tips for helping you on your journey:
1. Grab 'em hard and don't let 'em go. It's like going fishing, because they call it your hook. Begin where the story actually starts, without giving me a weather report or some backstory before I get to some action. I want to be dragged in, kicking and screaming if necessary, and not want to be let go.

2. Be clear about who your characters are and their relationships to one another. If a main character's best friend is also a relative, boss, co-worker, whatever, tell us up front, instead of calling them one thing one time, another the next. It's easy to confuse your reader right out of the story.

3. Pursue a clean line of action for your characters, and know where you're going with them. They should each have a clear goal, even if it changes further in to accommodate character arc.

4. Use the element of surprise. If you've come up with an immediate ending to your story, it's probably been thought of by other writers. See if you can 'what if' your way into a more surprising ending or a twist we didn't see coming. Kind of like the movie Sixth Sense.

5. Remember things happen because of something else. It's called scene and sequel, cause and effect, action and reaction. If someone does something, there should be a reaction or response shortly after. From the moment your story starts and something happens, something else will happen because of it. Make sure you use it properly or you'll leave us unhappy.

6. Structure your story for maximum punch. The three-act structure used in screenwriting and fiction works for a reason. People like it, it keeps your story on track and gives you guideposts to keep you going. Act 1 is the set-up, showing us your characters and what's going to happen, Act 2 is the progress of the set-up and what obstacles confront your characters, making it seem like there's no way they can win, and Act 3 is the resolution of the story, how it ends satisfactorily, hopefully.

7. Make your dialogue count. Don't have your characters talking about nothing. Every conversation, every word uttered should be to move the story forward. But don't have talking heads or maid-and-butler dialogue - you know, where someone says "As you know..." and tells the reader something they should know but wasn't made clear somewhere else. Hate it - and most everyone else does too. Makes the reader feel stupid.

8. Leave out the extras. I mean all those extra people who have no business other than to give us one line of information or open the main character's door or whatever. Every character is in the story for a reason. I'm not saying you can't have one or two throw-aways. I think everyone does. But each character should have a specific function to move your story along, so don't overpopulate your writing.

9. Formatting, grammar and spelling. Come on, people. You've got a computer with spell-check and grammar-check, right? Nowadays, there's really no excuse for not having perfect formatting, grammar and spelling. There are online tools to help. Ask a friend or relative or, heck, even an English teacher to check your writing. They don't have to know anything about writing or story mechanics to fix typos and grammar.

10. Don't leave a smoking gun on the mantle. Never heard this one? I hate a movie or book that has the character using or focusing on an object with undue description or detail, which makes me think it's going to be important later. And guess what? The object never appears in the story again. So I'm left wondering why that object was so important and why the writer didn't tell me. I go away dissatisfied with my experience.

Hope these tips help you tighten and tone your story.

Thursday Thirteen - Magical Gemstones

2011-05-26T22:14:00.001-07:00

I don't usually do Thursday Thirteen - so this is a new experience. I hope you enjoy.
Like spells and candles, gemstones are also said to have magical properties or uses in casting and wicca. Here are thirteen gemstones you might like to use.

1. Amethyst is a healing stone and was used by citizens of ancient Rome to keep from becoming intoxicated. It is said to be good for meditation and calming, maintain emotional balance and help heal a grieving heart.

2. Aventurine, a stone in various shades of green, brings luck to its holder, much like a four-leaf clover. It can be used to divine the future in matters of money, protects the heart and lungs, and balances male and female energies to promote relationships.

3. Bloodstone, also known as heliotrope, is green with red spots that look like drops of blood - it was believed in the time after Christ's death his blood had dripped on a green stone, creating bloodstone. It gives its wearer the ability to banish evil, and cleanses the blood.

4. Cat's eye, so called for its deep amber and brown colors, is for luck and insight. Also a protection against evil magic, it brings wealth, clear thinking and luck to its wearer.

5. Hematite, a black steel-looking stone, is another protective stone. It stimulates focus and memory and is worn by people who believe in its healing powers. It also strengthens and fortifies the blood.

6. Jasper comes in many colors and enhances relaxation. Psychically used for astral projection/travel, it also promotes balance of the digestive system, and the liver and gall bladder.

7. Malachite, a dark green banded stone, protects children and travelers from harm and accidents. It also serves as a shield from the evil eye and witches, and is often called the 'mirror of the soul.'

8. Moonstone was exchanged between lovers to ensure ongoing passion and fidelity. It comes in many colors, and brings success in personal endeavors, including love. The most potent time to use moonstone is during the full moon.

9. Opal also has many color choices, the most popular being whitish with rainbow iridescent glimmers deep within. Opal assists in spiritual journeys and dream creating. It awakes your intuition and heightens clairvoyant properties.

10. Ruby and rose quartz are said to be love stones, the color red echoing the human heart and blood. A stone of nobility, its intense energy is used to strengthen the aura, and the physical and emotional heart. Rose quartz encourages self-fulfillment and inner peace.

11. Sapphire is generally deep blue, like the engagement ring of Princess Di and now Duchess Kate, but also appears in other colors. Meant for protection and prophecies, it is closely tied to human destiny. It shields those who go on long journeys and brings hope and joy to its wearer.

12. Tourmaline, another stone of many colors, promotes understanding and corrects certain conditions, like dyslexia and paranoia. It is also said to attract prosperity and inspiration, great for writers.

13. Unakite contains both quartz and feldspar, as well as green epidote, so the color is mixed greens, reds and browns. It is known as the 'stone of vision,' used to open the third eye of your chakra for visions and psychic healing. Some use it to protect gardens and promote health, and it is also believed to clear "electromagnetic smog" from computers, televisions and other devices.

These stones had many uses in history, and even today are revered for their acclaimed properties. And there are lots of great stories and legends surrounding them.

How Do You Name a Demon?

2011-05-24T03:22:00.000-07:00

Marissa Dobson of Sizzing Hot Book Reviews recently sent me a series of questions for my upcoming interview on her site. Since The Last Soul deals with a demon realm I've created, she asked a few intriguing questions about the rules I made up for this world, and how I named my demon characters. Along that vein, I thought it would be fun to explore demon names and their meanings.

I won't repeat what I've already touched on HERE. Suffice it to say I took some liberties with the assigned roles for demons whose names I used in The Last Soul and its sequel, Hunted, coming in July from Evernight Publishing. (Shameless plug over)

The Demon Names page of Angels and Ghosts is where I went first when I was researching demon names for The Last Soul. It's a nice jumping-off place because of the links at the side take you to related sites. In addition, if you go to the "Back to Demons" link at the top, it takes you to the rest of the site where you can find all sorts of information on angels and demons alike.

Weird Encyclopedia is a useful site, although most of the names here are also in the Angels and Ghosts. There's some awesome artwork on this site.

Gods-and-Monsters comes with a warning never to say a demon's name out loud. OOPS. Hope that doesn't apply when one is reading one's WIP out loud as an editing tool, or discussing the work with a friend. (Why doesn't anyone tell me these things??)

Angelfire had some interesting names I didn't find anywhere else. Plus the red text on black background is really fun to read.

And speaking of awesome backgrounds, Mountain State Spirit Seekers Society has my top vote.

Since I'm all about naming the characters, I find this research one of the best parts of starting a new project.

Magical Animals to Write About

2011-05-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Since I've previously noted our group seems to like lists, let's talk about some magical animals you could use to make a good story better.

Afrit: Afrit are the most powerful Arabian Djinn, and they are evil. They can take any form. Afrit translates as "unclean spirits".

Barometz: Half plant, half animal and shaped like a sheep, it screams when picked and blood flows from its stems.

Dryads: Dryads are tree nymphs, the tree in question most often oak. They are shy creatures, tied to their homes and supernaturally long-lived. The hamadryads were so connected to their trees that if the tree died, its hamadryad associated died too.

Fuaths: Scotland's waters are said to be home to these creatures who are green, have no noses, with the mane and tail of a yellow horse. They are said to drown unsuspecting swimmers.

Hippocampus or hippocampi: Known as horses of Poseiden, these creatures were said to have the front of a horse and the rear-end of a fish/whale, kind of like a mer-horse.

Jotans: In honor of Thor, the new movie, the Jotan are Norse frost giants who live in northern Europe.

Nia: Nia are air spirits from Africa, prayed to before journeys.

Scylla: A scylla was said to be a young girl raised by wolves who was used by a man she thought loved her, and drowned trying to swim to his boat. When she sank into the water, Poseiden changed her into a nymph, only it only worked on her upper half. Her lower half changed into a six-headed wolf.

Ziz came from chaos at the beginning of time as a giant bird.

Hopefully, you've gotten some good ideas - or at least learned something today.

Happy writing.
Jeannie

Surviving May 21 - Armageddon or the Rapture or whatever

2011-05-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

This is your Otherworld Diner service announcement - for emergencies only! :)
So you're maybe wondering if something is going to happen tomorrow, and in honor of May 21st's momentous expectations, here are some tips on surviving Armageddon:

If you're going to be worrying about whether things will be the same after tomorrow, get to the store and lay in a week or two supply of non-perishable food. Ideally, you've already been stocking up a bit, but don't forget water. Water is the most important thing you need, so start filling up those empty water bottles, milk jugs and two liter soda bottles while you can.

Make sure you've got a radio with plenty of batteries (a hand-crank radio is even better), flashlights (battery or hand-crank) and matches/lighters to make heat or light.

Next, you'll probably want to stay put unless you're right in the big middle of it - because if something happens, the roads will probably be overcrowded with others trying to get away too. If it's possible to hunker down where you are, do it and stay safer. You don't want to get stuck on the road.

Have some cash on hand - bills and coins - because the banks may not be accessible and if you have to buy food or gas or anything, you'll need some.

Hopefully, if you're staying in, you have a basement. If you don't, you'll want to secure an inner room and stock it with everything you'll need for a few days. Make sure you have blankets and pillows and a can opener and anything else you may need, including an improvised toilet (a five-gallon bucket works well), just in case. Trash bags will be needed - preferably heavy duty - to package waste until it can be disposed of, so it doesn't draw insects.

A first-aid kit is a necessity, and face masks might be needed. You'll want to have bleach and alcohol to purify water and clean any wounds. Rolls of plastic sheeting may come in handy, and protective clothing. Hand sanitizer and wipes are also good to have on hand.

So be prepared, like a good Boy or Girl Scout. I went to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie today, just in case.

This has been your Otherworld Diner service announcement.

See you on Sunday.

Fight Scene Snafus

2011-05-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

Remember the fight scene between Jackie Chan and Jet Li from Forbidden Kingdom? (This link will refresh your memory. http://youtu.be/gcPJ5qSnrEI )
Or perhaps you’d rather imagine the scene in the Princess Bride when Inigo Montonya introduces himself to the six-fingered villain who killed his father. (at this link http://youtu.be/i3W5GDkgf2w )

Wish you could write a scene that good? I do, but I know I’d need the help of an expert—someone like Rayne Hall who is our guest today.

Rayne Hall writes dark fantasy and horror. She has published more than twenty books under different pen names in different genres, and her stories have earned Honorable Mentions in 'The Years' Best Fantasy and Horror'. She holds a college degree in publishing management and a masters degree in creative writing, and teaches online classes in 'Writing Fight Scenes', 'Writing Scary Scenes' and 'Writing About Magicians'.

To whet our appetite in crafting fight scenes, she gives us this list.

Header courtesy of samulli

Thirteen Mistakes Writers Make With Fight Scenes

1. Nothing at stake.... as if the characters put their lives at risk without purpose

2. Absence of emotion... as if the fighter didn't feel fear, fury or despair

3. Generic setting... as if the fight took place in 'white space'

4. Making it easy for the hero by giving him a superior weapon, superior armour, superior strength and superior skills... as if he couldn't rise to a genuine challenge

5. Fighters holding a leisurely conversation with long, carefully articulated sentences.. as if they had plenty of breath to spare during the swashbuckling

6. Implausible fight skills... as if the situation instantly granted the Regency damsel a black belt in karate

7. Inventing a fancy weapon for the hero... as if a gimmicky-shaped sword stood a chance against a blade of tried-and-tested standard design

8. Long sentences... as if fighting was a leisurely, slow-paced activity

9. Lots of adverbs... as if any sense of speed created by a verb must be squashed instantly

10. Weapons from the wrong period ... as if an ancient Greek would use a medieval greatsword, or a Norman knight a 19th century cavalry sabre

11. Weapons performing tasks they can't do ... as if an epee sword could split skulls or a small pistol stop a running target at a thousand feet

12. The character thinks deep philosophical thoughts... as if fighting off deadly blows were so easy that he could concentrate on something else

13. The fighter observes what his mates are doing at the other side of the battlefield and the sun setting on the horizon... as if the immediate danger didn't require all his attention

If you have questions about these 'mistakes', or about writing fight scenes, feel free to ask. I'll be around for a week to answer questions. And as always we appreciate your comments.

Even if you've never wielded a weapon, you can write an exciting fight scene. Rayne will show you how, in her workshop on 'Writing Fight Scenes', which starts on 1 June 2011:
www.romance-ffp.com/event.cfm?EventID=303

2011-05-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

It’s a fact of everyday American life, waiting. Has been for probably a hundred years. The big difference between then and now, is that we, as a culture, do a lot of that waiting in our cars. Not a new idea, “standing” in line while sitting in your vehicle is at least as old as drive-in restaurants. The whole American love of the automobile back in the 1950’s gave birth to those drive-in restaurants, drive-in movies, and the new hobby of driving aimlessly to show off the car or to just because.

Now Americans drive everywhere. To shop, eat, visit, sit in line, to exercise. Yep. Instead of walking places, we drive. Then we drive to the gym. What’s the most used piece of equipment in the gym? The treadmill, of course. But it’s the waiting in line that’s become the great American pastime, waiting in line while sitting in a car. What’s the problem? What isn’t the problem.

First, there’s the lack of exercise. Why is there an obesity epidemic? Why are blood clots becoming more common (sitting for long periods predispose a person to blood clots)? Second, there’s the needless blasting of exhaust into the air. Killing the environment, just one more reason why fast food isn’t good for you. Third, there’s the irritability factor. Waiting in long lines, smelling exhaust, lack of exercise; all things that tend toward irritability in a person.

Of course, businesses love in-car waiting. Saves room inside the business, there is less need for parking spots, and one person can handle the entire line. Win for them, and I understand that. Drive-up business is also great for parents of young children and for folks who are disabled. But for the rest of us? Not so good.
If we all got out and went in, we could change everything. Less obesity, fewer blood clots, less exhaust in the air. Healthier for us, healthier for the environment. And more jobs because businesses would need more workers to handle the inside lines.

I doubt American culture will change much over the next few years, but each of us make a choice every single time we sit in our car instead of getting out to stand in line. If you’re culture isn’t like this, more power to you. Do what you can to keep it that way. The rest of us, step away from the car!

The ‘IT’ Factor – Debut Author Hannah Jayne

2011-05-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Under Wraps
Kensington
March 2011

Book Blurb:
As a human immune to magic, Sophie Lawson can help everyone from banshee to zombie transition into normal, everyday San Francisco life. With a handsome werewolf as her UDA boss and a fashionista vampire for a roommate, Sophie knows everything there is to know about the undead, the unseen, and the uncanny. . .

Until a rash of gruesome murders has demons and mortals running for cover, and Sophie finds herself playing sidekick to detective Parker Hayes. Dodging raging bloodsuckers, bad-tempered fairies, and love-struck trolls is one thing. But when Sophie discovers Parker isn't what he seems, she's got only one chance to figure out whom to trust. Because an evil hiding in plain sight is closing in. . .and about to make one wisecracking human its means to ultimate power. . .

Don’t let the cover fool you (a lot of readers have been complaining about this over on Amazon). This is not an urban fantasy novel with a kickass heroine. Well, sometimes Sophie imagines herself as Laura Croft or someone from CSI, but then reality smacks her up the side of the head and she’s back to being plain old Sophie Lawson, administrative assistant at UDA (sort of a social security/DMV for paranormal beings).

Thumbs Up:
Humor. Sophie is in no way qualified to run side kick with a cop on a supernatural murder investigation, but because she can transverse both worlds she’s the best candidate for the job which makes for some very funny situations. She also goes off on little fantasy jaunts in her head, either imagining herself on CSI or her and Hayes in steamy romance novel situations. Very snort-worthy. She has a troll for a stalker (imagine a 3 foot moldy lounge lizard complete with gold chains) and her roommate’s vamp nephew is a 16-year-old Dracula wannabe attitude. Lots of fun, snarky dialogue between the characters keep the humor running smoothly throughout the book without getting too silly.

Thumbs Down:
There were a lot of little nitpicky things that bothered me:

There’s a big deal made about no footprints on the carpeted stairs at the first crime scene she goes to and yet at least 3 people had already been upstairs to see the body before she and Hayes got there. There would be footprints and this clue (or red herring) never pans out and is never brought up again.
Her werewolf boss has her chain him up every night in his office so he won’t go all wolfy and hurt anyone and yet he has a swanky home somewhere else? If he works all day and spends the night chained up at the office, why does he need a house because he's never there?
Sophie is attacked and left unconscious but not taken to the hospital to be examined? Plus there’s no assault report filed, she’s just sent home?
Her apartment is broken into and she’s not asked to look around to see if anything is missing or to file a police report (again).
She’s obviously now a target but she’s left alone with a broken lock on the door? Oh, wait. Hayes gives her his gun to keep her safe. No cop would do this. It would get him fired. And no, the excuse that’s she’s now working for the police department didn’t fly with me. She’s helping them with the case. She’s not a cop, she’s an administrative assistant. While the scene of him teaching her to shoot is humorous, the reality behind it tainted the enjoyment for me.

Sexometer:
PG. Very PG. There’s a kiss and some semi-nude snuggling but that’s it. If you like your books hot and steamy, this one is not for you.

The ‘IT’ Factor:
The humorous chick lit voice mixed with an urban fantasy-lite feel is probably what sold this one. It’s not deep. It’s not rocket science. But it’s a fun, breezy read if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

Magical Oils and how to make them

2011-05-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Many herbs are considered magical and are often infused into oils for ease of use. I've been doing some research into this and have come up with how to make infused oils easy and convenient in your home kitchen. So get witchy!

The approximate ratio of herb to oil should be about 3 tbsp herbs to cup of oil. There are two ways to do this. You can use a crock pot on low, or you can use a stainless steel mixing bowl above a double boiler. You don't want the oil to get too hot, so it's important to keep your eye on the infusion, so it doesn't turn rancid.

Mix your herb and your oil - I suggest something very light in taste and smell (in other words, no extra virgin olive oil, unless it's called for). I like safflower, but canola works too. Set mixing bowl over water (or pour into crock pot). Let heat/simmer for about 30 minutes (the crock pot may take a bit longer). Once the mixture is finished, strain through cheesecloth to remove the pieces of herb (again, this keeps the oil from turning rancid too quickly). If you're using the oil for cooking or decoration, it's fine to leave the herb material in and just bottle the oil. Store in airtight glass container (do not leave in direct sunlight as this will continue to reheat the oil, allowing it to spoil sooner).

Here are some websites you may find helpful for your magical plot or story:

http://www.whitemagic.ca/spell/Herbal-Infused-Oil-Quick-Method.html
http://www.spellsofmagic.com/coven_ritual.html?ritual=16&coven=2
http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/July09/breasthealth.htm
http://www.khakani.com/freemagicspells/freemagicherbspells.htm

Happy writing!

Candle Magic

2011-05-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

Last summer I read a wonderful contemporary romance by Joy Nash titled A Little Light Magic. The book was a 2010 RITA nominee for Contemporary Single Title. The heroine of this book, Tori Morgan, casts seven candle spells for seven different situations. I was fascinated with this concept and decided to explore further. I even have my Nephilim hero, Dagon, doing a bit of spell-casting himself in Hunted, the sequel to The Last Soul.

Candle magic is the practice of burning candles as part of rituals designed to accomplish a specific goal. Ideally you want to use candles made from soy or beeswax because they contain natural ingredients, helping to bring you closer to the sprit of the universe. Although there is disagreement among practitioners about which colors are best to use for specific spells, these guidelines were universal among the resources I found.

Red = the element of fire. It is common in spells to maintain health, increase strength, promote passion, or employ defensive magic.

Pink = relaxation, love and friendship. Pink candles are commonly used in rituals to promote self-love. They are also ideal for spells related to weddings and emotional unions.

Orange = energy. This candle is used to attract specific influences or objects when casting a candle magic spell.

Yellow = air. Yellow candles are recommended for spells which are intended to heighten visualization abilities. Yellow is also the color of intelligence, confidence and eloquence.

Green = money and prosperity. This candle color can also be used in spells for fertility, healing, growth or abundance.

Blue = water. This color is used for spells to affect sleep or to awaken the psychic mind.

Purple candles enhance spiritual activities and increase your magical powers. When combined with blue candles, they can be used in healing rituals.

White = protection and purification. Linked with the moon, white candles contain all colors and are used for positive purposes.

Black = outer space. Black candles absorb negativity. Black is the absence of color and is often associated with evil magic, but black candles are used for positive rituals such as those to absorb illness or stop bad habits.

Brown candles are burned in combination with other candles when spells invoke animals.

Do you dabble in candle magic? Share your stories with us.

We like lists

2011-05-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

I usually post on Sunday, but it was Mother's Day, so I gave myself the day off! I hope all of you who are moms had a wonderful and loving Mother's Day.

Lists seem to be a part of everyone's life - the shopping list, guest list, chores list - just about everything lends itself to a list. I'm going to be exploring a few lists for you paranormal writers and readers out there.

Today's list - spells your character might use if she's a witch!

Banishing spells - Banishing spells are meant to remove someone from your life, basically, but can be nuanced in several ways. A general banishing spell would basically prevent that person from being around you. Sounds easy enough, yes? There are always ways things can go wrong, of course. Banishing spells may include a binding, to prevent someone from doing magic against you or others or even themselves (The Craft has a binding spell in the movie). It could also be a cleansing spell to banish something bad from your house, your city or your workplace... or anywhere else such nuisances occur. The banishment may remove a curse or hex against you or someone you know, or keep bad luck away. It might even remove emotions - love, hate, despair or fear. Pretty handy to have around, don't you think?

Truth spells - Truth spells can be fun .. .and dangerous! You could cast a spell to learn the truth, to get someone else to speak the truth (whether they want to or not), to gain trust or find out if your significant other is cheating. But remember, sometimes - you can't handle the truth! - or sometimes you learn things you'd rather not know (like what someone else has been doing in your shower). But again, it's a good thing to know what the truth is about some things, so playing with a truth spell can be fun, but also funny.

Bad luck spells - Another fun one - you could give someone bad luck (just make sure it doesn't bite you back), change your own luck or protect yourself from evil. All part of bad luck and the bad things that can happen because of it. Bad luck spells are often considered curses or hexes, and they say you get back what you send out, times three, so be careful about these, because they can cause all kinds of problems down the road.

Love spells - Everyone's favorite is the love spell, where you can make someone fall in love with you, or fall in love with someone else, or even fall out of love with you or someone else. These are matters of the heart, though, so caution is advised. You can enchant or obsess anyone and cause the most delightful - or hateful - chaos around you. Sometimes it might be fun to watch, but playing with the heart is always a challenge. Make sure you're not the one getting hurt.

Lastly, there are Weather spells, meant to keep Mother Nature at your command. Of course, like the heart, Mama Nature isn't always pleased to be at your command - watch your back of you may find yourself with only your striped socks sticking out from under a house somewhere.

Anyway, today's list is meant to enlighten - and warn - you, all to promote your reading and writing pleasure.

Have fun.

Movie Quotes That Stick like Bubble Gum

2011-05-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Remember when farmer Ray Kinsella strolled through his Iowa cornfield and a voice whispered, “If you build it, they will come”?
Can you picture the baseball field that came into his mind? I’m guessing, if you were among the millions seeing "Field of Dreams," you can.
Some phrases have lasting impact. They stick in our minds, long after they’re uttered.
What makes these lines so memorable? That's difficult to say, but I bet you’ll be able to, not only remember many of the following 13, but where they came from.
Want to give it a shot? I’ll start easy.

Here are 13 phrases from some of my favorite movies:
1."Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
2."Here's looking at you, kid."
3."Show me the money!"
4."You can't handle the truth!"
5."After all, tomorrow is another day!"
6."You're gonna need a bigger boat."
7."Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
8."I see dead people."
9."Say hello to my little friend!"
10."Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make."
11."Go ahead, make my day."
12."Nobody puts 'Baby' in a corner."
13."My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you."

Please post your answers in the comments. Then, if you stop by in a day or so, you can check your answers. Thanks.

Sources
http://www.great-quotes-powerful-minds.com/famous-movie-quotes.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI's_100_Years...100_Movie_Quotes

Donald Maass Agent Amy Boggs on the Menu

2011-05-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

I've asked Agent Amy Boggs to take questions from the diner and she has graciously agreed to do so, so here we go again.

I'll be posting a bio for Amy in the next few days. I did ask her if she represents urban fantasy and paranormal romance and got an enthusiastic "yes!" So if you have questions, start thinking about them now. I'll post when we're ready for questions and you can ask away - and Amy's answers will be posted when she is done!

Hope you enjoy - and I'll be working on getting more guests, so keep those questions coming!

Jeannie

Self-Publishing Your Backlist

2011-05-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

Today, I’m not going to post my usual Debut Author ‘IT’ Factor post. Instead, I’m going to talk about something valuable I learned at the writer’s retreat I attended this weekend. It doesn’t affect me (yet), but it could impact a lot of published authors out there who are looking to jump on the self-publishing bandwagon with their out-of-print books.

While there, I attended a workshop on Digital Publishing led by the very savvy Angela James, Executive editor of Carina Press. A multi-published author in the audience who is in the process of getting the rights back to her out-of-print books asked about self-publishing her backlist. Now, I’m sure we all know authors who are doing this and why not? All of the hard work is done. The manuscript is written and it’s been professionally edited and revised. It’s just sitting there gathering dust and all they have to do is format it for Kindle and Smashwords, upload the file, and voila, it’s available as an e-book to a whole new audience of readers and fans who are ravenous for an author’s backlist. Plus they’re now getting a whopping 70% on each sale. Sounds great, right?

“Not so fast,” said Ms. James (and I’m paraphrasing here). Guess what? Depending on what’s in your publishing contract, chances are you may not own the rights to the finished book. Say what?! You heard me right. It is entirely possible that when the rights to a book revert back to you, you only get the rights back to your “original” work -- that typo-filled, unedited, unrevised, hurry-and-get-it-in-before-the-deadline version. Unless your contract says differently, you may not have the rights to the “edited” work. Any edits and revisions made after you turned in that manuscript belong to the publisher.

There was a collective gasp in the audience. I guarantee to a person none of us had ever thought about this possiblity.

Now I’m sure most authors know that they don’t own the rights to the cover art. That’s why authors’ self-published backlists on Amazon and Smashwords often have a generic cover with stock art. It’s because they aren’t allowed to use the snazzy cover the art department came up with for their printed books – they don’t own the rights to it. Note: If you are an author using your old cover art on your self-published books, you better fix that fast! Another little tidbit mentioned is that you don’t own the pretty formatting your book was printed in. That’s right. You need to change the layout and typeface of the entire book before you upload anything. You also don’t own any of the cover copy. I’m assuming this means the back cover blurb, but don’t hold me to this. Everyone in the audience was still too stunned about the not owning the edited version part to ask to have this clarified.

So what does this mean? Is an author’s publisher going to hunt them down and sue them over this or demand compension for every copy sold? Probably not, especially if the edits were minor. But they could and it’s probably only a matter of time before they do it to somebody. After all, they paid the editor and everyone else who had a hand in taking your novel from original paper manuscript to finished print book and they’re not going to give all that hard work away for free.

So what’s an author to do? First, check the fine print in the reversion of rights clause of your contract. Ask your agent or a literary attorney to look into it if you’re not sure. Because digital publishing was a thing of the future when contracts were written 5, 10 or more years ago, this thought probably never crossed the legal department’s minds and may not be addressed at all. However, chances are contracts signed within the past few years will have clauses regarding this. So what happens if your contract says you don’t have rights to the edited version? It may be possible to buy it from the publisher. Don’t ask me if they’ll agree to do this or how much it will cost. This type of thing is going to vary from publisher to publisher.

Now I'm not an expert on publishing contracts (and I don't play one on TV) and this was the first time I'd ever heard about this issue. It just goes to show that in this age of ever changing publishing technology, each of us needs to be knowledgeable of how this industry is evolving and how it might affect us -- if not now, then later on in our careers.

May means it's time for the Brenda Novak Auction

2011-05-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

May 1st is the beginning of the Brenda Novak auction. It only lasts a month, but you can bid on just about anything. There are trips, crits by agents and editors, jewelry, books and more books. Like I said, just about anything. I donate a read of the first three chapters every year, because this auction is to benefit diabetes, which I have. And I hope someday they'll find a cure.

One of the bigger items is a meet-and-greet and tickets for Celine Dion in Las Vegas. Wow, if you're a fan, that would definitely be a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. There is a listing called Once in a Lifetime items. You could bid on a chance to have tea with Meg Cabot in New York, a style makeover, or a limited edition Kate Middleton dress. Or how about a four-pack of tickets to visit the set of THE BIG BANG THEORY?

There are categories just for jewelry, just for readers and, most importantly, just for writers. You can bid on networking, agent or editor evaluations of a manuscript or partial, contests/conventions/conferences and much more.

I would encourage all of you to go to http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/ and check it out for yourself. You'll enjoy browsing, even if you don't bid.

Good luck, and happy writing.

A Fascination With Fallen Angels

2011-04-26T01:19:00.000-07:00

They're everywhere, from YA to erotic paranormal, and almost everything in between. But what exactly are fallen angels? As with most paranormal creatures, there are many myths and legends.

The stories a lot of us learned came from Sunday school and the Old Testament. Fallen angels helped lead men into acts of depravity, and one of the consequences was the Great Flood.

One of the archangels, Raphael, was told to put the fallen angel Azazel into chains and cast him into a pit of sharp stones in the desert, and cover him with darkness where he'd remain until Judgement Day.

Another archangel, Gabriel, was charged to proceed against the bastards and reprobates, the sons of the angels begotten (isn't that a great word? no one uses that word anymore) with the daughters of men, and plunge them into deadly conflict with one another. Perhaps it's this legend that sparks so many romance novels where fallen angels get it on with humans?

The descendants of Cain seemed especially linked to the wiles of fallen angels. According to legend, Cainite women and men alike were in the habit of walking around naked and giving into every conceivable manner of lewd practices. The women were said to be able to tempt angels from the path of virtue.

Lucifer is said to be a fallen angel. His names means "light giver" or "light bearer," referring to the morning or evening star. In Roman mythology he is the son of Aurora, the Roman personification of dawn. In Greek mythology he is the father Ceyx. Some scholars believe Satan and Lucifer are actually two separate fallen angels. Lucifer's sin was pride, suggesting he was the first angel to sin. His banishment was due to his complete egotism and pure malice.

In Genesis, the fallen are referred to as Nephilim, or sons of God, who came to Earth and reproduced with humans. These events caused God to cast them from Heaven. According to the Book of Enoch, there were some two hundred of the fallen. Of these, nine chief angels led them.

One of the most famous literary works to cover the plight of fallen angels is an epic poem titled Paradise Lost by John Milton, written in 1667. It incorporates the legends and myths of various religions and cultures regarding the fallen ones.

Whether you cull your fallen angel story from a myth or legend, or take liberties with your prose and make up your own, our fascination with these creatures has come down through the centuries. Won't you share your own fallen angel stories with us today?

When Backstory...Isn't

2011-04-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

**Spoiler Alert - this post contains spoilers for the movie HEREAFTER.

This weekend the family and I sat down and watched HEREAFTER starring Matt Damon. As a big Matt Damon fan, I tend to love all his movies. My daughter,though, had seen this one in the theatre and had warned me that I wouldn't care for it.

Impossible! Okay maybe not impossible, but Matt has a great thumbs up record in my book. Anything starring him, I give the benefit of the doubt.

Sadly, my daughter called exactly it right.

As writers, we study craft and by learning craft, we are changed. You never quite look at stories the same. Subconciously, you're waiting for the next step in the hero's journey to unfold. You're gathering clues through great (or not so great) dialogue. You're making mental notes about character and, of course...backstory.

As the closing credits played across the screen, my daughter turned and asked my opinion. I sighed.

She was right. I didn't care for the movie. IMO, it was slow. Too slow. The fact that a third of it was in French with English subtitles turned the pacing to molasses. But the main problem was pretty simple: it was backstory.

Now, honestly I'm not here to bash any artist's vision, but the trailers set up the story as something very different than what the movie delivered. And that is something we, as writers, need to stay conscious about: backstory is NOT the story.

We love our characters like children. We live with them 24/7 until we push them out into the world. We adore them so much that we want to share every little discovery. Remember that crazy enthusiastic first-time mom who shares every breath of her pregnancy with a total stranger on line at the supermarket checkout? Yeah. That's us and too much backstory = TMI.

Your reader only needs to know enough backstory to flesh out the character. And it should always relate to the real story you're telling. It's "why" or the underlying motivation of the action. Underlying being the operative word here.

If it takes center stage...it's just another diaper tale.

;)

Talia

Working on an editor or two

2011-04-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't had too many suggestions, but I am working on getting a couple of editors to come visit us here. If you have someone you'd particularly like to see, please let me know. I'd like to see a bit more response here - there may be a surprise when you do!

Jeannie