Naughty Paris

Have you ever been to Paris? Have you ever dreamed about it? Well, Heather Stimmler-Hall presents the colorful side of the city, specifically with the ladies in mind, in her book Naughty Paris: A Lady's Guide to the Sexy City.

Naughty Paris is an interesting collection of information: quotes, advice, travel guides, and gorgeous photographs taken by Canadian photographer Kirsten Loop. I knew little about the city when I started reading, but Stimmler-Hall gives a nice, if frank, overview of what to expect from Paris' shops, spas, hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs. She goes as far to include reviews, addresses, and telephone numbers too, so readers could theoretically plan much of their vacation using Naughty Paris as a guide. Be warned, though: this is a book about indulging one's hedonistic side, as you might guess from some of the chapter headings, and her focus is the woman who's looking for a fling with the city (and its men). Family travelers should steer clear:

Sexy You (French Beauty, Spas, Cosmetics, Hair & Nails, Body Art)

Get in the Mood (Sexy Culture, Naughty Shopping, Sensual Education)

After Dark Rendezvous (Wine & Dine, Dancing Diva, Sexy Shows, Naughty Adventures)

and so on...

Stimmler-Hall's writing is clear and appealing, and whether you're a single gal looking to treat yourself to a no-holds-barred foreign fantasy or a reader who's simply interested in the complex sexual culture of Paris, you'll likely come away from the book with some interesting tidbits. I do wonder how wide a market she'll find; it's not a book for everyone, obviously.

That reminds me: Stimmler-Hall is kicking off her East Coast tour next week, with more info about dates and places here.

Even better: she'll be the featured Writers' Wednesday interviewee right here on November 19 as she wraps up her tour, so make sure to check back to hear directly from the author herself!

A Day of Rest (from Blogging, Anyway)

"Do not let Sunday be taken from you If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan." ~Albert Schweitzer

Just a quick pop in today to say that I'm taking a break from blogging 'til tomorrow.

Too many papers to grade.
Too many EPPIE entries to judge.
Too many chapters of One Night in Napa to revise.

But tomorrow I'll have a book review here for you - of Naughty Paris: A Lady's Guide to the Sexy City. In the meantime, check out the author's website. It's interesting.

Update to Yesterday

Yesterday I mentioned that my Samhain editor left, rather suddenly, leaving me feeling a bit stranded. Well, I came home to find an email from another editor there asking me to resubmit Summer's Song...so I will, this weekend, and continue to cross my finger that it finds a home.

***

In other, rather cool news, I was Googling myself yesterday (c'mon, you do it too, don't you?) and I found a comment referencing One Night in Boston in a blog post over at Dear Author. Actually, the post itself is interesting; check it out:

"One thing I heard out of RWA 2008 was the difficulty in selling the big straight contemporary.

What I hear from alot of authors is that it is hard to sell a contemporary without a hook, like suspense or paranormal. What I heard from readers is that they can’t find enough good straight contemps (without hooks like suspense and paranormal). I have loved the contemporaries that I have read recently such as Susan Mallery and Kristan Higgins. Lisa Kleypas’ contemporaries for St. Martin’s Press seem to be successful (both made the New York Times). Deirdre Martin who writes the hockey books for Berkley and Rachel Gibson who writes for Avon also have had good success, if not the NYT List, they both have made the USA Today list.

Jennifer Crusie is an iconic name in romance fiction as well, hitting the New York Times with Bet Me. One of the most popular romance authors of modern time is Susan Elizabeth Philips. There appears to be a disconnect between what the readers want and what authors are telling me is not selling.

The above mentioned successful contemporary authors have a wide range of themes/feels to them. For example, SEP and Lisa Kleypas are more angst driven. Jennifer Crusie, Kristan Higgins, and Susan Mallery are more family-centric, but not very morose with nice levels of emotion and humor. Deirdre Martin writes the most women-y fiction of the two and Rachel Gibson perhaps relies more on humor than any of the other authors.

There are also the popular such as Susan Wiggs, Jodi Thomas, Debbie Macomber, and Sherryl Woods who write a different sort of contemporary women’s fiction. One editor described them as light women’s fiction or gentle fiction...

...From chatting with a couple of editors, they are definitely open to publishing more contemporaries but they are having trouble finding manuscripts that appeal to them. On the retail end, it seems that readers aren’t buying enough contemporaries to encourage editors to take more chances. There is an abundance of paranormals and a decent number of romantic suspense books but there are few straight contemporaries.

Is it because contemporaries have a greater sense of realism even if the hero is a billionaire that it is too hard to be swept away? Is the thirst for contemporaries adequately filled by Harlequin and Silhouette categories? Is it because the books feature primarily working woman as heroines and they are less appealing? Are older readers more likely to buy contemporaries than younger readers?

If you read contemporaries, what are you looking for? What would make you pick up a contemporary? Is there a certain look on a cover that signals “contemporary”? If you don’t read contemporaries, why not? What would make you read one? If you are a writer of contemporaries, what insights do you have? (feel free to comment anonymously if you like).

And if you scroll down through the first few comments, you'll see someone named "Fiordiligi" who wrote "Two of the best contemporaries I’ve come upon this year were published with Samhain. #1 was One Night in Boston from Allie Boniface (she recently published another contemporary with them), and Larissa Ione’s Snowbound..."

How cool is that??!

Lost at Sea

"Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another." ~Fyodor Dostoevski

Bummer. I just found out my editor (the one who worked on both One Night in Boston and One Night in Memphis with me - the one who "discovered" me, really) - left Samhain. What's worse is that I'd sent her my manuscript for Summer's Song almost 3 months ago...and now I find that it's somewhere in Samhain-Limbo Land.

While she did send an email to her authors, letting us know, it definitely took me by surprise. And I feel like now I have to start from scratch there. I do know this happens an awful lot - from small presses all the way up to NY houses. But I still feel a little lost.

Killing my Babies

"He that can have Patience, can have what he will." ~Benjamin Franklin

Sigh.

Yesterday I cut 6000 words from the manuscript I'm currently revising, One Night in Napa. In part, this was a response to my Tuesday night critique group, who told me I was taking way too long to get into the central conflict of the story and have the hero and heroine meet. And in part it was my own decision that there are places that can be tightened, especially in the middle where the action needs to be picking up pace faster than it is.

But it's always a hard thing, cutting chunks of your work. I've saved them, of course, in a separate file. And I wonder, even as I'm doing it, how much I am giving in to what conventional wisdom says should happen in the opening chapters of a book. I know full well that I don't write traditional romance novels, that mine are both bound by the 24-hour fetters I put on them and by the fact that I'm more concerned with exploring emotion and human growth than getting my characters into bed. I also know this will probably ensure that I never become a best-selling author in this genre.

That's OK. And I can even appreciate what my critique partners are telling me, that there's too much introductory narrative, too much character introspection, and not enough forward movement. So I changed that.

But I didn't change everything. I refuse to alter my storyline so significantly that the hero and heroine meet in the opening chapter. I know this is what some readers will expect, so I'm sorry. At the same time, the H/H didn't meet until halfway through my first novel, One Night in Boston, and while some readers had a problem with that, others have told me they appreciated the character growth that occurred before they did finally face each other.

So I struggle on. I'm still aiming for 70-75K words with this novel, but now that I'm back to around 60K, I have to take a serious look at what I want or need to add to the storyline. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty satisfied with the edits I made. I just also have to remind myself (and those of you other authors out there) to remain true to the story I want to tell. I can't force myself to follow convention when it doesn't feel right for the story.

And if my readers have to wait a little longer for the hero and heroine to meet and feel the world shift under their feet, well, is that so wrong?

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Cat Johnson

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today's a particularly enjoyable interview for me to share, since it's an author I've done several signings with: Cat Johnson. Before I get to the good stuff about her, let me just say that in person, she's charming, funny, and wears five-inch camouflage heels incredibly well :)

Now...you get to meet her too!

Thanks for joining me in virtual world today, Cat! Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

A Prince Among Men is my latest release from Linden Bay Romance. It is the newest novel in the Task Force Zeta series. It’s a contemporary erotic military romance.

If I had to put a name to it, I would say that A Prince Among Men was a result of serendipity. I was finishing up edits on the previous Zeta novel, Model Soldier, and as usual I had leaned heavily on a steady stream of reports coming in from my military consultant in Afghanistan, but great details and stories were still coming in and Model Soldier was done.

My soldier was giving me gold daily. Tidbits like about the Taliban harvesting the local poppy crop to make into drugs, the British air support that saved the US forces as well as the Afghan Army and our Romanian allies from attacks, about the PVC pipes sunk in the ground that they all had to pee into on base…vivid colorful details. I realized I still had a lot to say and decided there needed to be a sequel.

I knew I would continue the story from Model Soldier, using one of the squad as the hero for the continuing book, but I wasn’t sure what the main story would be. Then, fate stepped in. As usual, I was in bed in my PJs with my laptop and coffee, checking email while watching one of the morning news shows when the story of Prince Harry’s secret deployment with a unit to Afghanistan broke and I thought, Oh my god! There’s my new book. I don’t want to give the story away, but that is how A Prince Among Men was born. I absolutely LOVE this book.

Military romance sounds like a really interesting genre, especially with all that's going on in the world today. What are you working on now?

Though I will continue with my military romance, I am expanding into another niche genre. I just finished my very first foray into the world of ménage romance. It’s set in the rodeo world. That was interesting, let me tell you, since I knew nothing about the rodeo at the time! I have plenty of military consultants for my fact checking, but since (in a moment of insanity) I decided to make the two heroes in my threesome book rodeo cowboys, I was in desperate need of an expert in that arena. Thank god I found a bull rider on MySpace who didn’t run when a strange romance novelist contacted him out of the blue begging for help. We’ll see, depending on how the public responds, this book may be the first in a series of rodeo stories. And, possibly, another threesome book may also follow.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book(s)?

I’ve learned a lot about myself through my writing, mostly that I’m more multi-faceted and…elastic I guess is the word, than I previously thought. If you had asked me three years ago about the war, I wouldn’t have been able to tell much at all. Today, I correspond with active troops in the war zone who have become my close friends. I read DoD newsletters over coffee in the morning. I can speak the military lingo to a certain extent. I know when there is a “96”, and what a PCS, TOC, FOB and a MOS is. I know the difference between a commissary, an Exchange and a PX and what digital camo looks like. I am just a font of pretty random military trivia. This is NOT impressive for those in military life, but we have to remember, I was a complete and total military virgin (aka civilian, I guess) just a few years ago, so it is impressive for me!

Why the change? It seems the more I learned, the more I wanted to know. I guess it’s because the war now has a face for me. It’s personal, not just a news story.

In the same vein, six months ago, if a rodeo had come on television, I wouldn’t have been able to change the channel fast enough. Now, I can’t wait for televised coverage and I go to websites for updates on competitions I missed. I guess what I am saying is that my interests are a lot more diverse than I ever imagined, I just needed a personal tie to open up these new worlds for me.

Sounds fascinating! So what kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I read everything from Young Adult (like the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, and Harry Potter by J.K. Rowlings) to the darker urban fantasy and paranormal (like the In Death series by J.D. Robb and the Anita Blake series by Laurel K. Hamilton) to lighter romantic comedy (Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich or the time-traveling Navy SEALs by Sandra Hill). And of course, I read the competition, like the military romance series by Suzanne Brockmann and Alison Kent. (I’m rolling my eyes at myself because I am SO not competition for those two… not yet, anyway!)

I LOVE reading and I have to say the one downside to being a writer (which means I am also a one woman promotional staff, web mistress, proofreader, etc.) is that it leaves much less time for me to read.

Cat, I'm so glad you shared a peek at yourself today. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

I’d love to let your readers know that I have a blog on my MySpace at www.myspace.com/authorcatjohnson. There you may find me ranting one day and making jokes the next, depending on my mood.

I also am currently the voice of All Romance eBooks’ weekly “What’s Hot in Romance” Blog Talk Radio Show where I interview romance authors each week live on air. The schedule for future shows and the archives for past show recordings can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Whats-Hot-In-Romance.

And, of course, you can find out more about Cat's books at her website as well.

Thanks so much, Allie! It’s been a lot of fun!

Why We Love Blogs

"Blogs are whatever we make them. Defining 'blog' is a fool's errand." ~ Michael Conniff

Blogging...it seems as if these days, everyone does it. And if you don't do it, you read blogs by people who do. But I got to wondering, why, exactly, do we read the blogs we do? Oh, there have been lots of articles (and blog posts) written about the advantages of blogging. It draws people of common interests together. It provides information. It allows distant friends and family to keep in touch. It gives people a chance to vent, to grieve, to deal with emotion. It gets authors noticed (!).

My question today isn't why you blog, but why you visit the blogs you do. If you're like me, you probably have a set few you check in on regularly. So...why those blogs? Are they informative? Humorous? Educational, or enlightening? Are they virtual friends whose lives you're interested in? And how did you find them, anyway?

Another Small Press Possibility

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'" ~C.S. Lewis

Just a couple of tidbits today:

For any aspiring (or published) authors looking for publishing houses, I thought I'd mention Black Lyon Publishing. They're a small press that opened in 2007, and while I don't know a whole lot about them, I've read 3 of their books and been impressed by their quality. Also, they have a sub-genre called "Literary Love Stories" that seems to target those romances that don't really fall neatly into HEA contemporary:

Black Lyon general fiction includes literary love stories that don't technically fall into the romance genre. Novels in this line are emotion-packed and though the love relationship between the hero and heroine is strongly at the core, the plot may contain complicated or intense issues. Sexual content should be appropriate to the storyline, not gratuitous. The ending may or may not be a happy one. Secondary characters should not pull the focus away from the two main characters, but should instead add depth to the story. Contemporary stories set in America are preferred, but if you have a different timeline or setting you think may work anyway - query! We have the luxury of flexibility within reason.
65,000 - 85,000 words.

Might be worth a look, for anyone who has something of that nature. If anyone knows anything more specific about them, give a shout and let me know.

***

Also, WOW-Women on Writing sent me this nifty little graphic, which will find a home over on my sidebar after today:

They've asked me to host a couple of authors on virtual blog tours, so look for those extra interviews in the next few weeks. I'm always up for helping other authors get noticed!

A Great Book for Dog Lovers

"Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ~Mark Twain

Here's a quick book recommendation, before I head to my umpteen things on the To-Do list today:

Unleashed: The Collected Dog Columns (by Beth Quinn)

It's a collection of short pieces written by my local news columnist, columns she wrote over the years about her dogs and their antics. First off, she's just a great writer. Second, they're wonderfully touching even if you aren't a dog person (but if you are, I imagine you'll appreciate them that much more). If you're looking for a great gift, either to give or receive (the holidays are coming, you know!), give it a look.

Here are a couple of teasers for you...

"I really ought to get rid of that dog," I say to myself as I examine a freshly gnawed window sill. And then I hear my 10-year old boy Brendan laughing that deep, hearty laughter that can only come from the soul. The dog and the boy are in the bedroom, and the dog is dragging the boy out from under the covers by his underwear. This is Cassidy's boy, and it's time for him to wake up and play. The world's a marvelous place this morning, and he needs his boy to share it with him.

***

The trouble with Lassie was, she set an awfully high standard for dogs in the IQ department. All our dogs seem fairly inept by comparison.

Remember how smart Lassie was?

At least once an episode she'd approach a family member, usually Gramps, and have a conversation.

"Woof!" Lassie would say.

"What's that, girl?" Gramps would say.

And Lassie would say, "Woof!"

"Oh!" Gramps would say. "You mean Timmy's foot is caught under a splintered floor board in the hayloft at the Owens farm, Girl? And there's an electric cable about to break and set the barn on fire?"

"Woof!" Lassie would say, and they'd both go off, and Lassie would save Timmy because she was a brave dog as well as a smart one.

The reason I bring this up here is because it might be our own fault that our dogs don't seem quite as bright as Lassie. It might be that we're not quite as bright as Gramps.

What Did I Get Myself Into?

"My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter." ~Thomas Helm

Yes, I'm trying to finish up my revisions of One Night in Napa so I can pitch it at the NJRW Conference in 2 weeks.

Yes, I'm trying to gear up for the book I want to tackle during National Novel Writing Month (in my head and on scrap pieces of paper here and there).

And yes, I signed up to judge the EPPIES this year and was just flooded with manuscripts in my email inbox this morning.

I entered One Night in Memphis in the EPPIES this year, which is the main reason I decided I should help out and judge other categories. And I do enjoy reading and reviewing for LASR. It's educational and enlightening to see what other authors are doing. But yikes, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now! The good thing is that the scores have to be in by November 10, which means a lot of reading in the next 3-4 weeks and then I'm done.

In the meantime, that really nice weather they promised for today is also calling me to do some outside work...and of course there are 2 stacks of papers sitting on my dining room table, waiting to be graded as well.

Good thing I'm a really fast reader~

Of Epilogues and Editors

"I want to write books that unlock the traffic jam in everybody's head." ~John Updike

Yesterday I stopped by my local animal shelter, where I volunteer on a pretty regular basis. I had given a copy of Lost in Paradise to the woman who runs the "cat house." (Yeah, that's really what it's called. I actually own a t-shirt that reads "The Best Cat House in Town." Go ahead, laugh). Anyway, yesterday she told me that she'd finished it, "because, you know, it's the kind of book you can't put down once you've started it." She was so glad that I'd added the Epilogue. It isn't that long, a page or two, but it does jump a year into the future and peek at the hero and heroine. And that's funny, because it was my editor who asked for one. Even though I thought I'd given the story its happy ending, my editor suggested I provide a little more. Turns out she was right; it needed an Epilogue.

Just another reminder that sometimes, what we think is so clear inside our our minds doesn't necessarily translate to the page, or to our readers. Thank goodness for editors!

It's supposed to be a gorgeous weekend here...what are your plans?

Music or Silence?

"Without music life would be a mistake." ~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

I'm a musical person. I started playing the piano when I was 8, I've sung in various choirs since about that age as well, and I sing along to the radio (which HAS to be playing) anytime I'm in the car.

But when I'm writing? I can't listen to it.

I know many people who like that background sound. I know authors who create whole soundtracks to listen to while they're writing. But when I'm working on a novel, I prefer silence. On a rare occasion, I have listened to super-sappy love songs when I'm writing a particularly intimate love scene. In those cases, sometimes the music and the lyrics help my own words to flow. Not usually, though. And I find this interesting, considering music is SUCH a big part of my life otherwise.

What about you?? Any authors out there who feel strongly one way or the other?

In the meantime, this is my new favorite song, just because it's so happy and mood-lifting:

Writers' Wednesday: The Top 10

"Money is the root of all evil, and yet it is such a useful root that we cannot get on without it any more than we can without potatoes." ~Louisa May Alcott

No author interview today - I'm taking a week off. Instead, here's an interesting article for you to peruse: The Top 10 Richest Authors last year.

Can't imagine why I'm not there!!

Why I'm a Facebook Convert

"And yet, all the same - life and human nature being what they are - with a new generation always coming up, the most satisfying thing really is to reach the end of the race with the same companions who were with you at the starting post." ~Cicero

I blogged not too long ago about my grudging acceptance of Facebook as a social network phenomenon. I know teens and 20-somethings use it to keep in touch on a daily basis. Those of us over 30? I wasn't sure how useful or compelling it would be. But now that I've belonged for a few weeks, I have to say...I'm a convert.

Why?

Well, first off, some people from my past have discovered that I'm a writer, and being either curious or happy for me, they've gone out to buy my books. So it turns out that conventional wisdom on my author loops is right: Facebook is yet another avenue for author promotion...and you know I'm all about exploring as many of those avenues as I can!

But beyond that, I've had the very cool experience of reconnecting with friends I never thought I'd see or hear from again. It's amazing how quickly technology can join people, across time and distance. Case in point: last Tuesday, a dear friend from high school ~ one of those people you have a complex relationship with that you can't really make sense of when you're only 16 ~ sent me a "friend" message on Facebook. After I picked myself up off the floor from shock, I messaged him back. Five days later, we were having dinner together, after nearly 20 years of losing touch.

Surreal, right? But also very cool, and very worth joining Facebook in the first place. Plus, he's led...shall we say...a colorful life in those last 20 years, so I may just have found myself inspiration for a really interesting character in an up-coming novel.

I do need to do more to push the promotional aspect of Facebook, I know, especially since I never gave in to the MySpace craze. But for now, it's just sort of neat to see who pops up on my "Friends" page, who comes back into my life to remind me of the person I used to be, and who leads me to write yet another story that explores the ways in which our pasts influence our presents and our futures.

Today, Just Pics, No Talk

A photo montage today...

Our driveway (the top, anyway, in front of hubby's dream garage) 2 weeks ago:

Our driveway after a team of 6 repaved it (finally! I love it!!):

And a mum that I bought last year and stuck in the ground after fall was over...now grown to 3x its original size:

Dayana's having a cool contest and chat at her blog today - go visit!

New Verbs in an Internet Generation

"The Internet is not just one thing, it's a collection of things - of numerous communications networks that all speak the same digital language." ~Jim Clark

All right, so "Google" was transformed into a verb a while ago. If you need information online, you don't search for it, you google it. No-brainer. But the other day, one of my students said, "A friend facebooked me last night and asked..."

And I thought, wait a minute. Really? Facebook is now a verb too? Well, I googled the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and sure enough, it is. Among other things, to facebook means to use the site, to send messages to friends via the site, even to upload pictures to the site.

Who knew?

So I got to thinking, what about other new verbs that the Internet has introduced to our language? Well, there's blogging, of course, and IM'ing. Apparently there's also flickring which means using the website Flickr.com to upload or view pictures. I find it rather interesting the way this shift in our communication methods has also translated to our language. Too, it represents yet another kind of generation gap. Tell someone over the age of 60 that you facebooked a friend last night after flickring and they might look at you like you're speaking a different language.

I suppose it's a normal evolution of a society. Are there other new Internet verbs you can think of? And what do you think about this new language, anyway?

New Review for One Night in Boston

I opened my email yesterday to find the nicest surprise: a 5 Blue Ribbon Review from Romance Junkies, for One Night in Boston! It apparently isn't up on their website yet, but here are some clips:

"...ONE NIGHT IN BOSTON is a story where dreams, hopes, regret and forgiveness all meet on one rainy night in Boston.

A thrilling read with characters and a plot that is so real, it feels spooky. The story revolves around two central characters Maggie and Jack, and the loss they have experienced and the chance they missed. While the experience has played a part in making them the people they are today, it also made them bitter and reluctant to try love again. The supporting cast is integral in the build up to that one night where everything seems surreal. Ms Boniface has etched out the best and worst of life before the infamous night in Boston, with you hoping with all your heart for the best outcome for all involved.

People and feelings will be and are hurt, but with gentle let downs and quiet determination, one night in Boston just might be the one night they have prepared their whole life for..."

Always a nice way to start the day!

Contest Winners!

"Did you ever hear anyone say, 'That work had better be banned because I might read it and it might be very damaging to me?'" ~Joseph Henry Jackson

Thanks to everyone who stopped by this week and shared their favorite banned books. It's amazing some of the titles that show up on those lists, amazing what some people will consider reason enough to want a title removed from the shelves so NO ONE ELSE can read or consider it.

Here's a peek at some of those reasons, featured in my local paper yesterday:

**The "Tarzan" books by Edgar Rice Burroughs: "Tarzan was living in sin with Jane." (Actually, Tarzan and Jane were married by Jane's father, an ordained minister.)
**"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll: "Animals should not use human language," and "It is disastrous to put animals and human beings on the same level."
**"The Diary of Anne Frank": "A real downer."
**"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl: "The book espouses a poor philosophy of life."
**"A Light in the Attic" by Shel Silverstein: "The book encourages children to break dishes so they won't have to dry them."
**"The Rabbits' Wedding" by Garth Williams: "One bunny is white and the other is black and this brainwashes readers into accepting miscegenation."
**"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain: Excluded from the children's room of the Brooklyn Public Library on the grounds that "Huck not only itched but scratched, and that he said sweat when he should have said perspiration."
**"My Friend Flicka" by Mary O'Hara: "A female dog is called a bitch."

Interesting, right?

***

Finally, congrats to Mamasand2 and Mom (hey, it's my blog, and besides, I used random.org to choose the winners), who will receive a download of One Night in Memphis, their choice of any book from my library, and a lovely hand-beaded key ring. Mamasand2 and Mom, email me at allieb@allieboniface.com and we'll sort out all the details.

Everyone else, enjoy your Friday!

Two Contests Today!

Last day to post for the Banned Books Week contest - tomorrow I'll announce 2 winners!

Before I talk about today's featured book, though, let me just mention the Raven Halloween Hunt that's going on for the ENTIRE month of October. Authors are giving away some fabulous prizes, so click on the graphic below for all the details!

Today's Banned Book: Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene

This was one of my favorite books when I was on the young side of adolescence, probably due to my early (though then unidentified) love of all things romantic. If you're not familiar, it's the story of Patty, a fourteen-year-old Jewish tomboy, and Anton, a German soldier in hiding who stays with her family for a summer during WWII. Beautiful and poignant story. So why was it banned? Accordinfg to the ALA, it has racism and offensive language and is sexually explicit. Hmm. I just remember the impossible love story set against the drama of the war.

What's your banned book choice of the day?

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Brenna Lyons

Hi folks - welcome to another edition of Writers' Wednesday! Before we get started with today's featured author, let me just mention that my Banned Books Week contest is still going strong, and will return tomorrow with my latest featured book. In the meantime, every comment you leave on today's post counts as an entry as well...

A big hello to author Brenna Lyons, who joins me today. Brenna, can you tell us a little about your background?

I grew up in Hazelwood/Glenwood in Pittsburgh, PA...one of a few DMZs of the city, at the time. That was back when the mills were still open, and the area was a slum, if you weren't living in project housing. I was lucky enough to attend private schools from halfway through first grade on (St. Stephen's in Glenwood then the former Bishop Boyle High School in Homestead), which made life a little easier. Saying that my family was dysfunctional would be like calling one of my Night Warriors' sacred weapons a butter knife. Reading and writing was my escape from life, and I was good at escaping, even if it meant scribbling down poems and stories in a darkened room and trying to decipher them the next morning. It wasn't hard to learn that neglect was imminently preferable to abuse, and anything that kept me out of sight and mind was good. Cue writing and reading again. My younger brother was allowed to go live with my father in Texas when we were preteens, but the trade-off was that I would stay with my biological mother in Pittsburgh...I was legally allowed to 'run away from home' at 18, a month after my birthday, to be precise...After spending a short period of time living with my father and his second wife (and two of my seven younger sibs (whole, half, and step), I moved out and started supporting myself at 18, while I attended college, holding down two or three jobs at a time. My husband and I married at 19, and 20 years and three children later, we'll still married...twice, but that's another story.

Certainly a powerful beginning to your life! So when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I've always been a writer. I was writing short fantastical stories, from the time I could form words with a pencil in hand...probably age 5 or 6. I learned that you could rhyme words into poems at 7 and set off on that. I started writing articles at about 10 or 11 and had my first in a local newspaper at 13.

And, I started competing at 11, when I won a place in Taproot for poetry (the youngest winner ever, at that time). At 15, I won a place in the Young Poets Externship at the University of Pittsburgh. At 17, I won a $7500 college scholarship by taking first place in a timed essay competition. I moved from type of writing to type, expanding my boundaries, but try as I might, I could never get past the first few chapters of a novel in college. So, it was something of a surprise when I woke with the dream of what I thought was a short story (April Fools Day 2001) and found (4 months later), that I'd completed my first serial novel (PROPHECY). I launched from PROPHECY into FAIRY DREAMS and then into four books at once (the first three NIGHT WARRIORS books and TYGERS). Now, I have 75 completed novels and stories, more than 60 of them published and more signed. I also have more than 80 WIP, and I write in 17 established worlds.

75 completed novels and 80 WIP (works-in-progress)?! Wow! Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

The latest title I have out is a re-release of RITES OF MATING (one of my two EPPIE finalists from 2006) from my Kegin series. The latest new work I have out is FATES MAGIC, the first installment in the Fates War series. Both of those released from Phaze.

But, my release schedule is teeming. In October, I anticipate two releases: MATCHMAKER'S MISERY from Phaze (Kegin series) and CATCH ME, IF YOU CAN (Urban Grimms) from Under The Moon/Mojocastle. November is an even bigger month for me this year with three releases: DOUBLE IMAGE (Kegin) from Phaze, TYGERS (Renegades) from Under The Moon, and THE LADY'S LOWBORN LOVER (Kielan) from LL Productions. From December through March, I anticipate at least a release a month, but I still have three releases that are undated in that period, which means I can't assign them to a particular month. Those releases will be coming from Mundania Press, LLC., Phaze, Dark Hart Press, and Under The Moon/Mojocastle Press. My first writing priority for the next six months are finishing, cleaning, and editing those 12 or so releases.

Since you obviously have a lot of experience in the publishing world, what advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

I could give a ton of advice, but here is some that I think will be most useful.

1) Get the butt in the seat and write. Don't try to write in order. Don't waste time looking for the perfect title or the perfect opening line. The perfect opening line will almost invariably present itself later. The perfect title may not be so perfect, in the end, and the publisher may order you to change it anyway. In short, you can't edit a blank page, so get something down. And, don't edit obsessively while you go. If you want to jot something in so you don't forget it, do it, but other than that, write first...then edit, or you might get stuck editing endlessly without getting new work down.

2) Join a critique group (online or not) that includes both published authors in your subgenre and unpublished. At the very least, join writers' workshops like MikesWritingWorkshop and EPIC-eWorkshop loops on Yahoogroups. Learn to take constructive criticism and weed out the nits of the crit partners, but more important...

3) Learn not only to hone your craft and self-edit but also about the industry. Learn how to vett publishers, about contract law (but always have an agent or lawyer for literary contract law on hand to handle NY contracts...any complex contract for you), the industry terms, etc. Hone your professional bearing. This is a career, so you want to know what the terms mean and apply them correctly. You also want to send well-edited communications to all industry professionals. Edit your communications even more strenuously than you edit your book...and the book should be thoroughly edited, to begin with.

4) Learn the ins and outs of dealing with an editor. You need to know that the editor's job is to help you make your book stronger and to protect you and the publisher from lawsuit. But, you also need to know what to do when you and the editor disagree and what to do when the editor is wrong. There is a fine line the author has to walk.

5) Learn the ins and outs of marketing, especially online marketing. No matter whether you are in NY or indie press, you have to do a certain amount of promotion for yourself. Some publishers demand a marketing plan from the author at submission time. Know what your options are and start early. Have a web site and/or a MySpace page for yourself as a writer BEFORE submitting. It shows you're proactive. Know what you intend to do, before someone asks.

That's terrific advice. Switching topics a little bit here, what kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I'm a fairly eclectic reader. I gravitate toward fantasy/paranormal/science fiction/horror, whether straight genre or cross-genre books. I will also read the occasional contemporary or historical (anything but Regency, which I've never really embraced, for some strange reason), true crime, poetry, classics, mystery... I read everything from sweet romance and YA through erotica. I don't have a single favorite author. My list of auto-buy authors is about 12 long, and my list of 'favorite' authors would consist of about 50 of them. That's not a joke. When I take a few days (or a week) off from writing and editing, I tend to rip through books, right and left. Some of my auto-buys? Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark/Were/Dream Hunters, Christine Feehan's Carpathians, Robin Owens' Celta series, Angela Knight's Time Hunters/Warlords, Rowena Cherry's Tiger Princes, Tee Morris's fantasy works, Jeff Strand's comedy horror (okay, he's too prolific to be an auto-buy, but nearly so), Harry Potter (while it lasted), Elaine Corvidae (nearly so), Jane Graves' DeMarco series, David and Leigh Eddings' Belgariad/Mellorian and prequels, Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series (including the new one...Nox's book), Margaret Carter's vampires, Gloria Oliver...


Describe your writing space for us.


I write in two main spaces. My current office is an 8X12 alcove off the kitchen; the former one was a 10X10 space in the dining room/kids' playroom area. It has shelves for books and WIP along one full long wall; shelves for supplies and promo gear and my filing cabinet along the other, and my desk takes up the full short end of the room. There are a ton of mementos and pictures/paintings around, including: The Accolade, my 'muse' drawing by Robert Quill, a photo of my husband and myself when we were dating, the hand-woven rug my husband brought me home from Bahrain, the Celtic Cross shawl (brought home from Scotland for me), an Irish Blessing plaque, and a painting of a leopard's eyes that is directly above my work space (that my husband bought me right off the wall of a hotel we stayed in for our 20th anniversary, for no better reason than I liked it). I also have fairy decals on the walls and framed awards, reviews and ratings...and one framed letter from a reader from back in 2004! The other place I write is the corner of our couch, on a lap desk.





Love the pics! OK, when you write, do you use the computer or compose by hand, oral dictation, or some other method?

When I write fiction or poetry, I tend to write longhand, two lines to a college-ruled line, with gel ink. I prefer blue ink, but I'm also fond of dark purple and dark green. I use black and other colors, when I have nothing else available, which is often, since I go through pens pretty quickly. I use red mainly for edits on paper ARCs/galleys.

Second draft consists of me taking the scenes I've written... I don't write linear. I don't know what's coming on the next page, let alone the last, unless I've already written the last, which is never a sure thing, because I may add more content to what I think is the end. I'm a pantser/organic writer, which means I don't plot or plan. I don't do outlines until the book is finished, if they are required. Pitching on spec means a couple of paragraphs (no more than a page) of rough story ideas and characterization. Since I always start with the character and follow the character, I have a firmer hold on character and motivations/complications than I have on particulars of the storyline, at the beginning.

Back to the subject of second draft... I take the scenes I've written and put them in order in a binder, fill holes and use the margins to add more detail.

Third draft is typing the book or story into the computer. At this point, I add as much as 33% to the book or story, just fleshing out detail. I've also been known to write a new scene directly into the computer, while I'm typing it in.

After that, edits start. I do a visual edit then an auditory edit...then a cleaning edit. At that point, the work is ready to submit. Somewhere around third draft, I've written blurbs for the book/story. If I require a query letter, synopsis or other work-ups, I do them at this point.
When I write articles and classes, I tend to write directly into the computer. These go through the same editing steps that my fiction does.

Brenna, thanks so much for sharing your writing life and experiences with my readers today. If you'd like to know more about this prolific writer, visit her website.

And have a great day!

BBW Contest - Day Two

"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too." ~Voltaire

OK, it's Day Two of my Banned Books Week contest, in which I blog about a banned book I've read from this list and you either (a) comment or (b) add a banned book you've read or (c) both. What can you win? The rest of the details are here.

Today's Banned Book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I understand why this one was banned, in a vague sense: racism is central to the plot, and there's quite a bit of profanity as well. There's also the issue of rape.

But it is also one of the most honest, beautifully written books that tackles tough issues while also creating some rich, wonderful t characters. Do we really think that by keeping it from young readers, we're preventing them from exposure to the kinds of words and thoughts they hear every day? Shouldn't they be able to read about characters in tough situations and gain something from understanding how those characters deal? Are we going to pretend that racism never existed, that it never affected human relationships - and the justice system - in this country?

Whenever I mention this book's censorship history to my students (who have already read it), they inevitably say, "Are you kidding? That was the best book ever!"

So? What about you?

A Contest for Banned Books Week!

Did you know that the last week in September is always named "Banned Books Week" by the American Library Association? Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year:

"Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2008, marks BBW's 27th anniversary (September 27 through October 4).

"BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

"BBW is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, and is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress."

Want to know more about BBW? Click here.

In honor of Banned Books Week, I'm holding a contest this week to celebrate! Because, honestly, as an author myself, I cannot imagine someone else passing judgement on my works to the extent that they decide someone else should not be able to read them.

Want to enter my contest? It's easy. Every day this week, I'm going to be blogging about a book I've read that's listed as one of the Top 100 Banned Books 1990-2000. Every comment you leave on my blog this week will earn you a contest entry. Even better: add the title of a book you've read, also from this list, and your thoughts on it, and I'll give you a second contest entry.

What can you win? A download of my novel One Night in Memphis, plus your choice from my overflowing library of gently loved books, and a really cool hand-beaded key chain (a crafty friend just hooked me up with some lovely ones).

I'll draw names randomly from all contest entries and announce 2 winners - yes, 2! - right here on Saturday, October 4th. This week, let's celebrate the wonderful freedom we enjoy to read whatever books we choose - and encourage others to continue to allow this freedom to exist!

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Today's Banned Book: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

I first read this book in my 7th grade English class. We later watched the movie (starring a young Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell., Emilio Estevez...just thinking about that cast makes me want to go out and rent the movie again). I thought - and still think - it's a terrific portrayal of teenagers trying to figure themselves out and fit in despite society and class differences keeping them down. Best of all, it was written by a 17-year old girl!

Why was it banned? Well, I'm guessing because it focused on kids from broken homes and talked about drugs and alcohol. There's also some violence and profanity. I don't remember any of that from 7th grade, though. I just remember loving the story.

RIP Paul Newman

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'” ~Erma Bombeck

A moment of silence today for the passing of Paul Newman. As I said to my husband last night, Now there was a life well-lived.

Help Me Help the Animals

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." ~Mahatma Ghandi

I'm slowly but surely making progress on my revisions of One Night in Napa...just about halfway through now, and the word count is close to 68K. My goal is between 70 and 75, so I have a bit still to go. I'm trying oh-so-hard to be better at adding dialogue rather than inner thought (one of my constant areas in need of improvement), though I just finished a long section in which the hero is by himself, so that's a challenge sometimes!

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In other news, I'd love for you to help me collect votes for the animal shelter where I volunteer...they're participating in a contest where the grand prize is $10,000 - and all you have to do is click this link and vote for them. Could you vote? And then help spread the word? Thanks!

Book Signings Tips

Those of you who are regular blog readers here know that I've talked pretty extensively about my experiences at book signings over the summer. But Samhain author Maria Zannini is hosting a special event today at her blog: she has a collection of tips from many different authors, and so we hope people are blog-hopping today to peek into new blog corners and perhaps gain some book-signing experience.

So...in no particular order, here are my top tips for throwing yourself a successful book signing ('cause you are going to have to do it yourself, you know, unless you're Stephenie Meyer or Nicholas Sparks...)


1. Choose your venue carefully. It can be exciting to plan your first book signing. But consider the where and when first, and be a little choosy. I’ve attended signings where I’ve sold 20+ books, and I’ve attended others where I didn’t sell any at all. Think about the cost-effectiveness: is it worth it to travel a long distance to a signing, where few people might know you? Or will you do better locally? If you go somewhere far from home, make sure you have a “hook,” or a connection to that location. Are you scheduling your signing for the opening night of a popular movie? (I learned this one the hard way, unknowingly trying to compete with the premiere of “Sex and the City”). Will the store do enough publicity to draw people in? What is their publicity plan?

2. Contact your venues well in advance. Three months is good; they need time to plan and publicize, and so do you!

3. Send promo items to help the bookseller publicize. Bookmarks, a poster, flyers…all are good things they can put on a desk or near the cash register, for customers to pick up. ASk them if they'd like you to send a press release they can use, too. And of course, make sure you’re doing your own share of getting the word out. Post notices on your website and blog, send out an announcement if you have a Yahoo group or newsletter, tell people at work, mail postcards to the people on your holiday card list…you get the idea!

4. Find out whether the bookstore can order your books, or whether you will have to carry them in yourself. Sometimes if you’re published with a small press, stores won’t be able to order them from your distributor. Make sure you know this ahead of time.
Be courteous to your host(ess). Both in the early planning stages, and while you’re there, be kind. Bring a small gift to show appreciation. Write a thank-you note after you leave.

5. Have something to say. If you have the opportunity, consider holding a question and answer session. Or a general discussion of your book. Even better: read from your book, and leave customers hanging. This was one of the most successful things I did to entice readers to buy my book.

6. Things to bring: promo items (bookmarks, magnets, business cards, etc), a good pen for signing your books, water to drink, book stands to prop up your books, and chocolate. No one can pass up chocolate!

Where Would You Go?

"Vacation is what you take when you can't take what you've been taking any longer." ~Anonymous

Well, the inevitable has happened: school has started, and I'm already looking at our calendar to see when the vacations fall and where I might like to go...

My question to you is this: if you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be, and why?

I have my favorite spots, of course, and a list of ones I'd still like to see (plus I keep thinking if this "One Night..." book gig works out, I might be able to write off trips in the name of "research." You know, like One Night in Paris, One Night in Madrid...)

So where would you go? I'd love to know. Back to a place you've already been? Or to someplace new you've been dying to see?

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Anthony Barnett

Welcome to another Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm pleased to host author Anthony Barnett. Enjoy...


Welcome to my blog, Anthony! Can you tell us a little about your background?

Hi, Allie, I’ve been a published writer since 1994. My stuff has been mostly aimed at women’s magazines and summer specials, although I’ve also been lucky enough to have stories published in international competitions, recorded for ‘Talking Newspapers’ and broadcast on primetime radio.

Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

The title of my novel is ‘WITHOUT REPROACH’ – Working class Jenny, from middle England, inherits a share in a finca (hacienda) from Spanish aristocrat, Juan García. However, she’s never heard of him, is not related to him and has never been to his hacienda. The problem is she finds a nude painting of herself in the entrance hall.

I wrote WITHOUT REPROACH as a mystery, but it’s been hi-jacked by the media as a ‘steamy novel’, and Amazon have classed it as a ‘contemporary romance’, so what do I know?


Wow - sounds like a great story. So how do you go about developing your characters?

I make a full dossier on each character before I begin to write. I draw up every facet, not only physical, but mental, to better understand how they’ll react in a given situation. I cut out pictures from magazines to suit my characters and pin them on my wall so I’ll not forget how they look. I also build an inventory of clothes and fashions taken from adverts in magazines.

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Well, I generally advise new writers to not only read as much as they can, but to purchase a textbook on creative writing, so they’ll understand techniques behind writing. My philosophy is, artists, dancers, actors, all spend years studying and perfecting their craft. Why should writers be different?

Describe your writing space for us...

I use a spare room, but also work with my laptop in the lounge or even in a bar if my wife is at the hairdresser. I’m afraid my actual space is always cluttered. I’m not a tidy person, yet I always know where to find things. The worst is when my wife decides to ‘tidy’. I can find nothing after.

Hah...I think many of us could relate to that! Now, when you write, do you use the computer or compose by hand, oral dictation, or some other method?

I always write directly onto computer. I can’t handle writing stuff out twice. Editing becomes a pain if it’s not on computer. I’ve promised myself a recording device, but haven’t got around to it yet.

Great interview, Anthony. Anything else you’d like to mention?

Just that WITHOUT REPROACH magically made the Amazon.ca best selling list for just a few hours of ONE day a while ago. I don’t know how or why. But thank you Canada. It’s sinking rapidly, but at least I made it once.

That's terrific! Readers, if you'd like to know more about Anthony and his work, visit his website or his blog. And have a wonderful Wednesday!

Cool Things about Life on the Web

"The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom." ~Jon Stewart

It's interesting, the online world. Here are a couple of quirky things I've noticed recently:

1. My trailer for One Night in Boston is in the top 6 "Most Watched Previews Today" on Preview the Book nearly every day I check. Considering that the number of trailers there must top 100, I find that both thrilling and odd. I can't figure out where people might be linking to the trailer, other than the obvious places I've put it, to keep watching it. Of course, when something's on a "Top Whatever" list, I suppose people are more likely to be intrigued and watch it, rather than fish around in the general list of trailers. But even when it falls off the list for a day, it's almost always back up 24 or 48 hours later. Strange.

2. Random people from the writing world have found me through my blog and contacted me. Oh sure, there are the various crazies I don't know who want to friend me on Facebook, and the advertising loonies who want me to spend $2000+ a month for a banner and a link on their site. But I've had a couple of New York print authors' publicists contact me about link exchanges too (mostly if they're trying to come out of the dark age and set up a website for the first time). And yesterday, a publicist for the book Naughty Paris emailed to ask if I'd be interested in reading and reviewing her book on my blog. Heck, why not? A free book? So that's rather cool as well.

3. Speaking of advertising, Smart Bitches-Trashy Books offers a nice deal for a banner on their site (plus the girls there are really, really nice to work with). One month prices are under $100 depending on size, and what I like best is that they send you a report each week about how many impressions it's had (mine's a revolving ad, switching out with other authors), and how many people have clicked through to my website from the banner. It's a great way to have concrete results about whether people look and then act on your ad.

That's all the wisdom for today...see you here tomorrow for Writers' Wednesday!

How to Make Bookmarks

"Today the greatest single source of wealth is between your ears." ~Brian Tracy

I promised a quick "how to" for anyone out there interested in making bookmarks using VistaPrint's oversized postcards. I've ordered from them several times and been really pleased with the results, so while the design process might be a little labor-intensive, for me it's worth it to save $$.

Now, there are many sites that offer bookmarks, so I encourage you to look around a bit and compare prices before you order. I arrange 3 bookmarks per oversized postcard and then cut them on a papercutter myself, which means I'm getting 150 bookmarks for every 50-postcard order. (Staples will also cut them for you, I've been told). If you've ordered from VistaPrint before, you know you get email specials about every other day. 50 free oversized postcards is ALWAYS one of the specials, so you'll only pay shipping. If you choose slow shipping, it will cost you roughly $7.00 - 9.00 for 150 bookmarks. Note: you can order these special deals as many times you want in a single day, to get the best price (in other words, if you order more than 50 at one time, larger quantities aren't free).

One other word of warning: as of yet, I haven't figured out how to rotate the postcards while I'm designing them, which means I have to proofread the darn things sideways. No matter; I've always been happy with the way they turned out.

I choose the blank template, and my design looks like this (I made double One Night in Boston for this order because my book signings at the time focused on that book):




I upload my book cover (ask your editor or cover artist for a 300 dpi version of your cover; they're the sharpest in quality). One nice thing about VistaPrint is that once you've uploaded a graphic, it's in your collection forever, so you only pay to upload once. Beneath that goes a brief blurb about the book. Beneath that go 2 or 3 reviews, whatever I have room for. At the bottom I put my tagline and my website:



On the backside (choose gray scale unless there's a special for free black and white glossy or color) I put my name, tagline, and website address again:

And that's it! The quality is good, heavy duty with good, clear color on the graphics. If you have more questions, or if you've never ordered from VistaPrint before and would like a link to their freebie specials, drop me an email at allieb@allieboniface.com. And if you have other tips for making bookmarks, including other websites you really like, let me know. One of the best parts of the industry is sharing ideas, as far as I'm concerned :)

Sunday News

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Quick promo today: my author friend Dayana Knight is sponsoring a very cool contest on her blog for the month of October, so go on over and check it out! Also, a heads-up: I'm participating in the Raven Halloween Hunt again this year, which will also begin October 1st. Many cool prizes to be given away (and mine is a free download of One Night in Memphis + an Amazon gift certificate. How can you lose??)

(Nope, the link isn't live yet...but isn't that a cool graphic?)

Today: writing (short teacher story to submit to anthology), revising (One Night in Napa), and grading (lots and lots of English papers).

Tomorrow: a brief "how to" blog post on making bookmarks using VistaPrint's oversized postcards. See you back here then!

Ah, Reviews...

"It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it." ~Benjamin Franklin

Busy, busy weekend ahead! I'm writing as much as I can, thanks in part to my very good friend who saved me from yesterday's dilemma and scanned my hard copy to a Word document that I can play with to my heart's content! Thank goodness for technology.

And I should probably order some new bookmarks from VistaPrint, now that I have some good reviews back for One Night in Memphis. Speaking of which, how much do you consider reviews before you buy a book? In the past, I never *really* read them, until I became a published author. Now I see that good reviews seem to be one of the best things to have in your back pocket when it comes to promotions. In fact, I met an author a few months back who went into her local Borders to ask about doing a signing there - she was told to come back when she had some reviews they could use to promote her and her book.

Having said that, I know that many review sites are so backed up with requests that many authors (yours truly included) wait months upon months for them. It's amazing.

Oh! But speaking of which, Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction is a relatively new site and has a pretty good turn-around time. They've reviewed all 3 of my books, each one in under a month. So if you're an author looking for another review, send them an email. I've found them to be quite friendly and professional.

Enjoy your Saturday!

The Story of a Story

"If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee -- that will do them in." ~Bradley's Bromide

One of the projects floating around my periphery, when I'm not revising One Night in Napa, is writing up a teaching story or two to submit for this anthology.

Interestingly, about 10 years ago, I wrote about 30,000 words on this topic, a collection of stories/vignettes from my early teaching days in Cleveland. Last weekend I went looking for it--and actually found a complete hard copy I'd printed out at some point. (Gotta love the forward-thinking moments we have every once in a while.)

Finding any kind of computer file that I could actually revise was a different story, though. I do still have about a dozen floppy disks sitting in an old case on my desk. Of course, my newest computer, and my laptop, both just have USB ports, no place for a disk at all. I have another, older laptop that DOES have a disk drive, so I checked out the files on those old disks. Lots and lots of stuff for school, lesson plans and handouts and such, but no story.

Sigh.

I do have the hard copy, which is good. But now I'll have to retype everything in (or I guess I could scan it...might give that a try first).

Of course, the deadline for this submission is less than 2 weeks away, which means this weekend I need to put in some serious time if I want to send something.

It was fun, though, rereading what I'd written all those years ago. Some good stuff, some horrible stuff, and a lot in-between. I hope I can salvage some and turn out a good story.

In the meantime, back up those files on USB drives...until the next storage device comes out and makes them obsolete as well!

Check out The Samhellion

"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance." ~Confucius

A bit of a cop-out today, since my life seems to be busier than ever:

Go on over and read The Samhellion, Samhain's monthly newsletter. This month's theme is "What I Did Last Summer" - and yes, I have an article in there!

So go forth and enjoy. I'll see you back here tomorrow...

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Toni Sweeney

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm chatting with author Toni Sweeney...enjoy!

Thanks for being here today, Toni! Can you tell us a little about your background?

I was born in the State of Georgia, some time after the War Between the States but before the Vietnam War, lived in the Midwest for the rest of the Millennium, and decided to start a new century in South Orange County, California. I had wanted to be a professional student but ended up graduating in spite of everything, with a Bachelor's in art, English literature, drama, and music--which has sometimes come in very handy in my writing. I aspired to be a stage actor but didn't have the voice projection-capacity and ended up playing dead bodies or "crowds" or part of the dance ensemble. I studied dance for 13 years and actually did it professionally for a brief time, until an auto accident ended that career choice. Somewhere in all this mishmash, I married, had a son--and that was the happiest day of my life--and divorced. My son has supplied me with a grandson and a granddaughter whom I adore.

Sounds like some great adventures! So when did you first begin writing?

This is a round-about answer. I wrote my first novel when I was 9. My parents bought me a portable Smith-Corona for my birthday. I loved to read, and still have some of the books my parents bought me when I was an infant, cloth books which have been gummed until most of the pictures have dissolved. From ages 8-12, I was totally horse-crazy and wrote horse stories. Since I had no idea how to do it, I folded the paper into the size of a book page and typed on each side--front and back--then made a cover for the book, copying the ones I owned. I also wrote and drew comic books. During high school, being a writer got one laughed at, so I down-played it. After I graduated, I worked in the English Department at the college and the chairman was working on a novel, so I used his manuscript as a model on how to format everything. My cousin liked to read also and I asked her to read whatever I had written. Then, I got married and writing got packed away for a while.

Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I can't pinpoint one actual thing. I just read and thought, I wish I could do that, and decided to try. Usually, I didn't let anyone know what I was doing. I was very shy and my family had a habit of laughing at things I did and I didn't want something I really cared about laughed at. It took a lot of courage for me to finally ask my cousin to read what I'd written. Luckily, she was kind.

There was a time in my life, however, after my auto accident and my divorce, when finances got tight. There was barely enough money for food much less for buying books. During that time, I started writing again, just for myself, so I'd have something to read. I shared my manuscripts with co-workers who also liked to read and one of them me to send one to a publisher. I did. It was rejected, but I was hooked. Several of the books wrote during that time have now been published, 30 years later.

Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

My latest published book is Sinbad's Last Voyage, which came out in late 2007. It's another of the manuscripts I wrote back in the '70s. I would say that Sinbad is my favorite of all my heroes--he's tall, handsome, brave, tragic, and madly in love with the heroine (and loves kids). I've got lots of titles coming out soon: Three Moon Station, to be released by The Wild Rose Press in December. It's written under one of my pseudonyms, Icy Snow Blackstone, and is a futuristic romance. A witness to a murder hides out in a group of women being transported to another planet to work as Domestics. She thinks she's hired by a rancher to be his housekeeper. Then she discovers the paper she signed wasn't an Employment Agreement but a Marriage Contract and the rancher expects full marital benefits!

I also have a sequel to Sinbad's Last Voyage--Sinbad's Wife--which will be out this summer from Double Dragon Publications. That one is a space opera, but it has a lot of romance. With a title like that, it would have to have, wouldn't it? There are two black rosettes--"Love, Vampire Style" (September 24) and "Demon in Blue Jeans" (October 29) which will be coming out soon from The Wild Rose Press, also. I recently signed contracts with Lyrical Press for three novels--Earthman's Bride, one tentatively titled When the Condor Returned, and Jericho Road. These will also be Blackstone novels. I also recently learned that I finalled in the paranormal division of the Maryland Romance Writers "Reveal Your Inner Vixen" contest. Wow--didn't see that coming!

Congrats - what a wonderful, growing career. Now, how do you go about developing your characters?

Good Question--difficult to answer. Sometimes, they emerge full-grown--like Minerva came from Zeus' brain. Sometimes, I have the bare outline and after the character is on paper, it begins to grow. I've gone back and edited stories I wrote when I was younger in which the characters aged and I've put more depth into them because I'm now at the same age they are. When I wrote them, I was too young to understand how someone older would feel about certain things. A few characters started out in one form and after I began writing, changed altogether. Riven kan Ingan in Blood Seek(the Chronicles of Riven the Heretic, Book One) started out as a Boba Fett-type outer space bounty hunter. He ended up as a heretical knight in a sword-and-sorcery series. Aric in Blood Sin (the kan Ingan Archives) was originally a Spock-like character with emotions so tightly controlled, he was like an android. He evolved into a womanizing, hard-drinking, ne'er-do-well who ends up getting exiled for having an affair with his uncle's life--quite a departure from the way I first envisioned him!

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Be patient; be persistent; don't take the rejections personally, unless they specifically say, "You are a terrible writer!" or words like that. Then, show them you aren't! I've only gotten one rejection which was intentionally nasty and I've always wanted to write that editor and inform him that the story he dissed so vilely was later bought by Amazon.com!

What do you find most difficult about writing?

Finding time to write. I have this weird habit of wanting to have a roof over my head--food isn't as important to me--so I have to do what's laughing called a "day job." That takes up a lot of time.

How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?

I started writing seriously about 1976. I'd come home from work, make dinner, set my son at the table and disappear into my "office." From the other room, I'd get this plaintive, "Mom, when are you going to be finished?" until my son fell asleep. That was the way it went until he left for college. Afterward, it was just me and the poodles and they didn't complain, so I just kept on typing. Needless to say, I don't have much social life. Presently, I have cataracts and can't see to drive at night and don't go out much anyway, so it balances out.

Describe your writing space (or include a picture!)

I rent a room in a private home. It has a bed, a TV and a space for my computer desk and computer. I have an e-machine with a 16" LCD screen, a scanner, a digital camera for teleconferences, a wireless printer, and wireless keyboard and mouse. Everything in the world a writer could need--reference books, notes, scribbled pieces of manuscript, pens, pencils, a can of pop, a half-eaten jar of unsalted dry roasted peanuts, several folders with research information, and a headset--are piled onto that computer stand. My reference books and reading books are in 7 bookcases which my landlady lets me keep in her garage so I run out there with a flashlight if I need to check something.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Because of that auto accident so many years ago, I'm a very sedentary person. I like to read and watch TV, do a little gardening. When my granddaughter lived nearby, she and I used to go shopping together and we always cooked dinner together on Saturday nights (she's 6 so you can imagine she was a lot of help!) Before my accident, I was very active--horseback riding, swimming, hiking, laying tennis...and the aforementioned dancing.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book(s)?

That the characters can take over a story if you don't watch it. I learned that when I was writing the Sinbad series. One of the main characters ran away from home as a teenager, lived a dissolute light, contracted a terminal disease. I planned to have him as a dying adult, come home, make his peace with his parents, be told there was a cure for his illness, and live happily ever after, just like the Prodigal. So...I got him home, the parents took him back, told him he needn't have run away, they understood, etc, and then...he died. The minute I wrote that he walked through the door to his parents home, I knew there was no way he was going to survive. I sat down and cried, and yelled out, "But I don't want to kill him off!" Did it anyway. I realized that was the way it'd happen in real life. Shook me up just a little. Sometimes, you have to use a whip and chair on the characters to make them behave.

Anything else you’d like to mention?

When I was hospitalized after my auto accident, I couldn't walk, couldn't even sit up. I was so sedated I couldn't watch television, but I was able to read. If I hadn't loved books so, I don't know how I would've managed being bedridden for nearly a year. If I didn't write, I don't know how I could survive...at all!

Toni, thanks so much for giving us a peek into your writing world today. Readers, check out her website if you'd like to know more!