My Mom is my Hero: Now Available for Pre-Order!

I've been so caught up in One Night... and other things that I nearly forgot about the anthology coming out for Mother's Day this spring, My Mom is my Hero: Tributes to the Women Who Gave Us Life, Love, and Clean Laundry. I have a short story in there titled "Blue Circle Books."

Here's the cover:

And it's now available for pre-order -- just click on the cover, above. What a great gift for the mothers in your life :)

Another Reason I Love Samhain Publishing

"Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light." ~Joseph Pulitzer

A few days ago, I got my galley for One Night in Memphis via email. This is the copy of the book that needs to be painstakingly proofread, for any mistakes/wrong words/formatting errors/etc. before it goes to print. Oh, and by the way, the official print release date is May 26, 2009!

Anyway, I don't really like reading through galleys, even though I know it's important, because it's monotonous and boring and requires A LOT of active attention.

So I started reading yesterday, and I discovered that whoever formatted the book (I guess I didn't see this in the ebook) used tiny little clock faces as section/POV breaks, rather than the simple decorative swirl they used in One Night in Boston. As if that wasn't enough, not only do the clock faces appear between the section breaks within the chapters, the hands actually change time as you read through the book. So the section breaks in the 4:00 chapter read as 4:00 on the clock, and the section breaks in the 10:00 chapter read as 10:00 on the clock, and so on.

OK, maybe it's a little thing. But I thought it was so cool of them to do, matching up with my story's theme, that's it just one more reason I think Samhain is not only professional, but attentive to its authors as well.

And that's my plug for today!

A Very Nice Surprise

"Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us." ~Boris Pasternak

A very nice surprise showed up in my email inbox the other day: a note from my former 5th grade teacher (regular blog readers will remember that I dedicated my first book, One Night in Boston, to her -- and was a featured author at her summer book club last August). She had seen an article in the local paper about One Night in Memphis being an EPPIE finalist and releasing in May -- and did I want to come back and speak to their book club again this summer?

Of course I said yes!

Side note here: I sent out press releases to a few local papers (including my hometown one) after the EPPIE finalists were announced. Never heard a thing back. But apparently at least one was published. So...definitely write and send them out as part of your marketing strategy. I've heard of many other authors who were never contacted by a newspaper but ended up having their press release/information printed anyway. You never know!

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Mary Ricksen

Welcome to the first Writers' Wednesday interview of 2009! Very exciting...and our first featured author of the year is time travel romance writer Mary Ricksen. Take a peek into her world:

Mary, welcome to my blog! Can you tell us a little about your background?

I was born in Vermont, and though I have lived in several places in the U.S. and once in Canada, I still find it home. I feel like crying every time I get to go, when the plane flies over the airport surrounded by the beautiful Green Mountains, just before landing. I have lived in Florida for several years now, but I would eventually like to end up in a small town in North Carolina, where we own a small piece of land. In the Great Smoky Mountains, I feel very at home there too. I have no children, unless you want to count animals. Right now I have a black German Shepherd named Junior. He's in my book. I also have a canary. He sings so sweetly that he cheers my soul. The winters here in Florida are wondeful and I spend them in my own secret garden, overflowing with all kinds of subtropical plants. My husband and I have been together since we met at the age of 20, and married for thirty two years this last February. He's my anchor.

Right about now, in snowy New York, Florida sounds like a lovely place to be! What advice would you give to new authors just starting out?

Every one has inside of them an ability to shine at something. Some people never find that shine. I wish I'd found it years ago, but it wasn't for lack of trying all kinds of things. When you sit in front of that computer and a little thrill goes through you, that's the beginning. For me I just let it come. That of course leads to a lot of editing. But it also lets my muse loose. And that is one of the things I find that gave me the knack to write my book. To me that is the easy part. The hard parts are editing and promoting. So be persistant in your promoting, take chances, be bold, let yourself jump into it and network. Of course that itself is a learning experienc. And lastly learn the basics well, that makes for less editing.

What kind of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

For me reading is a cyclic thing. For years I read Sci Fi, then mysteries, biographys etc., I think I've tried all genres. Romance has become my favorite. Once it was Westerns, then Contemporay, I was stuck on vampires for quite awhile. And then I read Linda Lael Miller's 'Here and Then' and 'There and Now' That's all it took. I think I have read most every time travel paperback in print. And now that I started writing I have found the ebook. Cheaper to buy and faster to get. Not to mention more new Time Travel books to read! My favorite author is Diana Gabaldon.

Do you suffer from writers block? If so, what do you do about it?

I think life throws curves at us that sometimes overwhelm us. My parents are elderly and sick, and it's a lot to deal with. So my muse has gone into hibernation. I know that the short vacation we are taking will give me a lift. As I sit outside looking at the mountains, from purple in the distance to emerald in the forefront, the colors alone still my angst. The smell of the air, the Mountain Laurel, the little critters all infuse me. So when I get there I will write. Just like I always do. The country setting is inspiring in itself, it's so peaceful.

Describe your writing place for us.

Here at home I have a laptop. So wherever I feel most comfortable at the time is where I write. Lots of the time I sit at the kitchen table. We have a small house so I can't have a special place for myself. But as I sit here I can look out at the pool, with banana trees, avacado trees, palms of all kinds, pentas for color and little fanciful creatures I purchased. My canary is belting out love songs, my dog lies on my feet and my husband is in the background swearing at his computer. Life, ain't it grand?

Mary, thanks so much for visiting here today! Readers, if you'd like to find out more about Mary and her work, visit her website.

Proof that the Publishing World is Slightly Insane

"I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more of a fool not afraid of rejection." ~Billy Joel

If you're a regular blog reader here, you'll remember that a couple of months ago I got a rejection from my (now current) editor at Samhain, for Summer's Song. Here is what she said, in part:

The scene when Summer remembers what happened the night of the accident should be more dramatic and better integrated with the other plot strands. Instead of her memory coming back fully while she's in the shower, I suggest you revise so that the trauma of Dinah's abduction serves as the catalyst for her regaining her memory. Rearranging the order of these events would also prolong the tension surrounding Dinah's fate, too—if you structure it so that Summer confronts Gabe about the past events before she figures out where Dinah is hiding, the tension will really mount when Dinah isn't found as quickly...

Consider having Summer feel more guilt, more deeply, over the realization that her father lost her, his last living family member, in his effort to spare her, as well as guilt over Gabe's selflessness...However you choose to execute it, the novel will have more impact if you can better interweave the strands of Dinah, Damien, Gabe, and her father as you bring the story to a climax.

I took a lot of what she said under consideration and reworked some of the story, for what I thought was a stronger plotline overall. Sent a query letter to Avon, which resulted in a request for the full ms. Yesterday that editor emailed me another rejection on the story, saying this:

While your initial premise is strong— a young woman returning to her hometown to face a past tragedy and discover more of herself—I think some of the additional conflicts detract from the emotion (and romance) of the story. For example, because the two very weighty conflicts advance and come to a head all at once, I didn't feel the impact of Summer's eventual realization as much as I think the story calls for. Because Summer and Damian are so caught up in their own traumatic situations, they just didn't seem to have a chance to develop their chemistry.

So...while editor says/wants/likes one thing, another may feel quite differently. Same with readers, of course, and reviewers. Interesting, right??

Poor Summer's Song. It needs a home. Of course, since I revised it with the Samhain editor in mind, I should probably just send it to her. But watch her reject it again, LOL.

*****
The good news is that I also got my cover art form for One Night in Napa yesterday -- so apparently it's true: rejection and acceptance in the writing world do go hand in hand!

*****
Two contests for you to enter:

Manic Readers "Men in Uniform" unpublished novel contest

New England RWA Reader's Choice published authors contest (ebooks welcome too!)

The Best Movie You Haven't Seen

"It is written." ~ from Slumdog Millionaire

If you haven't yet seen the movie "Slumdog Millionaire," you are missing out.

Oh. My. God.

Saw it yesterday, and it was just terrific. Great writing, great filming, and a beautiful, poignant, original story -- with a great romance and a happy ending, to boot.

What's it about? Well, Jamal Malik is an 18 year old orphan living in India who's basically had the roughest life a kid could have, from an early age. His brother Salim is the only one who looks out for him (and later, the beautiful Latika, also an orphan, that they meet while outrunning terrorists). Together the brothers figure out how to survive some pretty hellish circumstances (and yes, there are parts of the movie that are disturbing in their reality).

Anyway, Jamal ends up a contestant on the Indian version of the TV show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" -- and he's one question away from winning the whole thing when the movie opens. Of course, the producers of the show can't believe a "slumdog" could possibly know the answers to all the questions, and that serves as the premise of the movie. In flashbacks to his childhood and adolescence, we find out what kind of life experience has in fact taught Jamal the answers.

The movie is beautiful, just beautiful. Underneath the sadness of Jamal's youth is a lot of humor, along with a precious romance between Jamal and Latika, all set against the violence and poverty of modern-day India. It's been nominated for 4 Golden Globes, and I can understand why. Put it on your viewing list. Today.

Linear Writing, or Any Which Way You Can?

"Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand." ~George Orwell

I'm a plotter when it comes to writing, 100%. I create outlines, I know where the major conflicts are going to be, I know (pretty much) how the ending will wrap up.

But with Entwined, this very messy literary romance I've been tackling the last 6 weeks, I haven't done much of that. I didn't do character sketches. I had a vague idea of the major conflicts, but I didn't think about where/when they would happen or how the story would end. I wrote a series of scenes I thought would be important to include, and away I went. And that's been fine for about the first 35K words...trouble is now I'm spinning in circles and not sure where the storyline needs to go from here.

Hmm. Brief pause as Allie steps back from the keyboard and frowns.

Where to go from here? Outline? Keep writing scene by scene and see what falls into place? Let it sit for a while and come back with fresh eyes?

Which Would You Rather Read?

"New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." ~Mark Twain

One of my goals this year was to write articles for ezines and newsletters...and I have one deadline coming up in the next couple of days, if I want in on the January Samhellion newsletter. The theme is Goal Setting/Resolutions (of course), and I can write pretty much anything I want to: a "how to", a general article on the writer's life, a recipe, a short story...

I just don't know which one. I don't feel particularly inspired in any direction, but I'd also like the promo and publicity that comes with having an article published, so I want to do something. Hmm.

Which kind of piece would you most likely pick up and read? Are you looking for inspiration in setting and meeting new goals? A glimpse into my personal life? Or maybe just a light, humorous read? A new recipe? A story to warm the heart?

Help me out, please!!

On Writing

"But before I go, I want to thank you for coming. Would I still do what I did if you didn't? Yes, indeed I would. Because it makes me happy when the words fall together and the picture comes and the make-believe people do things that delight me. But it's better with you, Constant Reader. Always better with you." ~Stephen King

That quote is from the Introduction to Just After Sunset, Stephen King's newly released collection of short stories. I got it for Christmas and started reading last night. And was immediately reminded why I always liked his writing: he is a phenomenal story-teller. In his short stories, he relies more on suspense and perfect characterization than horror, in case you're not a fan of his longer works. By the way, if you're a writer and haven't yet read his book On Writing, go pick it up today. Really.

*****

Also if you're a writer, a lengthy article in the most recent Romance Writers Report covered eHarlequin.com's multiple opportunities for authors. Most of them I had no idea about. Check these out:

**Writers and readers can create a profile area where they can blog, store pictures, and share bio information.

**Authors and readers can chat and interact.

**Spice Briefs, Silhouette Nocturne Bites, and Harlequin Historical Undone are short stories/novellas that readers can purchase OR places where aspiring authors can submit short pieces to get their foot in the Harlequin door.

**Readers who are members can get free online reads.

**Aspiring authors can also get podcasts by Harlequin editors talking about what they're currently seeking.

**And editors hold pitch sessions every quarter, during which aspiring authors can actually pitch to an editor in real time, through online message boards. Pretty cool, huh? The article claims that 50 aspiring authors have so far sold their first book to Harlqeuin that way -- 21 in 2008 alone. So what are you waiting for??

My Writing Goals for 2009

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential." ~Ellen Goodman

Happy New Year! Can't believe it's really 2009...

Marianne asked me in the comments yesterday if I had something else I'll be working on this month instead of Entwined. And that got me thinking about my writing goals for this year. I haven't made any formal resolutions for the rest of my life, but it's not a bad idea to have some benchmarks for my writing. So here we go:

Writing Goals for 2009 (remind me to revisit this blog post on December 31, 2009)

1. Finish Entwined (see -- I will!) & figure out where to submit it
2. Write another One Night novel (polished draft) and submit to Samhain
3. Sign a publishing contract for Summer's Song
4. Write another Pine Point novel (rough draft)
5. Write at least three articles for various ezines/newsletters

What about you? Any goals for the new year, writing or otherwise??

Farewell to 2008...

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. " ~Benjamin Franklin

Ah, I'm waxing nostalgic today...can't believe another year has come and gone! Sometimes I write resolutions for the new year, but I haven't gotten around to it yet, so that may not happen for 2009. Instead, here's a reflective meme that I swiped (and shortened):

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? Held my own book signing!!

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? About half. And no, I probably won't make resolutions for 2009. I have some idea of what I'd like to accomplish, and that's enough for now.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Not this year.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, thank goodness.

5. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? More free time. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening!

6. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I'm gonna have to go with November 4, 2008 - the election of Barack Obama as U.S. President. Historic.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Probably developing my writing career and realizing I can write more than one book!

8. What was your biggest failure? Hmm. Not traveling as much as I wanted to.

9. What was the best thing you bought? My laptop and a wireless connection for the house!

10. Whose behaviour merited celebration? The American voting public, absolutely.

11. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? Where to start? How about with the guy who dressed up as Santa and shot 9 people on Christmas?

12. Where did most of your money go? Savings, actually. I'm very diligent about that.

13. What did you get really, really excited about? My various book signings!

14. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Probably about the same. Maybe a little sadder just because of some personal/family things going on right now.
ii. thinner or fatter? Also about the same. I try really hard!
iii. richer or poorer? Richer, in both money and life experience.

15. What do you wish you'd done more of? Traveled abroad.

16. What do you wish you'd done less of? Given in to my sweet tooth!

17. Did you fall in love in 2008? With a person? No. With new experiences? Yup.

18. Did your heart break in 2008? Yes, but not due to unrequited love.

19. What was your favourite TV program? Hmm. I'll go with favourite NEW TV program: Fringe.

20. What kept you sane? My writing. My family. My friends. The pets at the shelter where I volunteer -- nothing like furry love to make the bad feelings go away!

21. What political issue stirred you the most? The US Presidential campaign and election.

22. Who was the best new person you met? I met some cool people during my writing and book travels. And also my new students this year :)

23. Favorite book you read? I can't say I read one that really blew me away, unfortunately.

24. Favorite movie? Probably "21." Based on a true story, it's got a good script and good acting. I'd see it again.

25. What are your plans for 2009? Continue to write -- sign at least one more book contract -- and travel outside of the US.

What about you??

*****

And here is the final installment of "progress on Entwined." I reached 33, 000 words - not great but not awful. I do have something decent with which to work, though, when I have time to pick it up again in 2009.

Current Word Count for Entwined: 33,137

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: Maybe identity is everything; maybe it explains the pieces of him that never felt complete until he came to Blakely, the reason he fell for Natasha, the struggles she faces whenever she looks at a blank sheet of paper, the way words fall like waterfalls for him, when the mood is right.

Another Made-up Memoir

"Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened." ~Winston Churchill

Did you see this article about the "Holocaust survivor" couple who lied in their memoir? Berkley Books has canceled the release of "Angel at the Fence" after discovering that the author made up this "true life" love story about young children who meet on opposite sides of a concentration camp fence and then reconnect years later and marry. The author claimed he only wanted to spread love and hope to readers. In fact, he and his wife met on a blind date in NYC and have been married for over 50 years.


I feel like it's A Million Little Pieces all over again. Why is it that people feel they have to lie to sell a story?


Current Word Count for Entwined: 32,356


Yesterday's Fave Sentence(s): I think I’m in love with you, he wants to say. He moves his mouth against the skin of her shoulder, practicing.

A Decision

Yes, a decision ~ I'll be signing and mailing my contract for One Night in Napa to Samhain Publishing today! Funny: the other two contracts I signed with them were dated January 2007 and January 2008. Must be a winter thing, hmm? Actually, I've made the decision to try and write/submit more than one book a year, so that I have something coming out on a slightly more frequent basis. Of course, I say that now, but actually doing the writing is a whole different story! That also means that I will likely put aside Entwined pretty soon. It's a fun project, and I've loved working on it, but it needs so much more time and attention and development that it may get put on the back burner for a while, after January 1st.

Anyway, the agent who had been reading Napa sent a rejection yesterday, which made it a whole lot easier to sign that Samhain contract without guilt or "what if" wondering. I know it will be released in 2009, I know it will go to print, and I really like my new editor. So I'm happy, overall.

Summer's Song is still with the Avon editor (I won't be expecting any feedback on that for a couple of months, at least). If Avon doesn't want it, I will probably also submit that one to Samhain. I do like working with them; they have an aggressive owner who is making bigger strides in the industry all the time; and I like building up a readership by keeping my name in one place, at least for now.

So it's a nice way to round out 2008. What about you? Goals or resolutions for the new year?

Current Word Count for Entwined: 31,453


Yesterday's Fave Sentence:(s) Involved. It’s a funny word, he realizes. It can change into pieces like I loved or O devil if you hold it up to the light and twist it.

How Quickly is "Quickly"?

"True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation." ~George Washington

Question: when an agent tells you she will read your book "quickly," because she knows you've been offered a contract by a publisher, how many days/weeks/months do you think that should reasonably translate into? Let's take into consideration the December holidays ~ then give me your best guess.

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The loveliest surprise: when you open your email account and discover a message from someone in your far distant past, one of those friends who once was part of your daily life and then kind of disappeared with time. That's one of the nice things about growing older, I suppose - getting to rediscover people from your past and realizing how rich your life is when you add them to the people in your present.

*****

Current Word Count for Entwined: 30,605

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: There are truths that should stay hidden, truths that belong to no one except the people who create and hide them in the first place.

Zumba: Have You Tried It?

"Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states." ~Carol Welch

I confess: I have a new love.

Zumba.


You may have heard of it - a relatively new addition to the workout scene, it's basically an aerobics class that combines all different kinds of dance to Latin music. I have friends who've tried it and raved about it, and I finally had a chance to go myself, yesterday.


Wow! It really is a lot of fun. I thought maybe I'd trip over my own feet, or look like an idiot, but the thing is, everyone sort of does their own thing, and it's more about having a good time dancing than getting down the specific choreography. Of course, I love dancing, period, so I had a ball. The best word I can use to describe it is joyous - a whole hour of fun. And yes, it makes you sweat and burn calories too! Can't wait to go back and do it again. If you've never tried it, I highly recommend it (if you click on the link up above, you can search for classes in your area).


And by the way, working up a sweat is good for you in so many ways, physically as well as emotionally and psychologically. In fact, I wrote an article about it a while back: How Step Class can Steam up your Sheets.



*****

Just finished Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. She's one of my favorite authors, though I can't read a lot of her books in a row, because the language and even the plotlines are similar after a while. But this one I enjoyed overall. The one thing I've realized about her writing, though, is that she uses too much figurative language. I'm all for appreciating a well-turned simile or metaphor, but when every other sentence has one, it's a little bit of overkill.


*****

Current Word Count for Entwined: 29,580


Yesterday's Fave Sentence: Maybe, she thinks, if she sinks far enough into the sofa, she will simply slide through to China, the way tall tales warn children who are still young enough to believe.

Winter Scenes

"I was just thinking, if it is really religion with these nudist colonies, they sure must turn atheists in the wintertime." ~Will Rogers

Know what I love most about Christmas? I mean, besides relaxing with family and the smell of the tree and opening gifts? Allowing myself to eat whatever I want :) I try so hard to be good the other days of the year. On Christmas I eat chocolate for breakfast, have a second dessert after dinner, and generally graze from the cookie plate whenever I want to.

Sigh. It always ends too soon.

Some winter scenes from the last couple of days:

Icicles hanging outside our sunroom

Deer tracks all over our front lawn

Current Word Count for Entwined: 28, 784

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: She thinks of how her own wrinkles and edges and corners have changed and wonders if others can see them the way she can.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all my friends, family, colleagues, and readers a blessed holiday season!

A Christmas Eve Query Tip

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale

Merry Christmas Eve to everyone!

Here's an early gift to anyone who might be in the process of querying agents: Firebrand Literary Agency is taking First Chapter Queries for the next month, rather than query letters. Great opportunity to showcase your writing and your story, rather than your marketing/sales skills. More info here.

P.S. Writers' Wednesdays will return after the holidays!

Two Days and Counting...

Well, I tackled the last-minute shopping yesterday after school...yikes. Remind me next year to please, please finish shopping earlier than December 22nd!

I'm a crazy maniac today, too - starting (yes, starting) my wrapping after a full-day school party, so no writing news to report.

But here are some fun Christmas cartoons to brighten your day!

Three Days and Counting!

"People can't concentrate properly on blowing other people to pieces if their minds are poisoned by thoughts suitable to the twenty-fifth of December." ~Ogden Nash

Yikes - can't believe it's only 3 days 'til Christmas! Are you ready? I'm not!

Here's the promo poster for the March 21st signing I'll be part of - pretty neat, huh?

Current Word Count for Entwined: 28,101

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: She is not his twin – they did not share a womb, or a mother, or a single heartbeat above them as they grew – though they may as well share one heart between them now.