Friday Fun Facts: Favorite Lines!

Well, despite school starting up again, I did manage to squeeze a little writing in this week. Here are some favorite sections:

"He grinned, and that was even worse, the last piece to the puzzle that lit up his face and made his green eyes dance with flirtation. I wonder if I felt this way back then? If I just walked into a room or saw him on the beach and melted? Probably. Ten years didn’t change that much. It wasn’t a century, just a slim ol’ decade tucked into her back pocket. Barely any time at all."

"At nineteen, he thought he’d been caught in something silly and young. Thought it might last, thought it might grow, and if by chance it didn’t, thought he’d say goodbye without regrets. Took him ten years to realize that something like that, and someone like Waverly, came along once in a lifetime. Now, older and grayer, he had no intention of screwing things up again, of letting someone else tell him what he could and couldn’t do or have or want."

*****

And here are some things I realized I need to adjust/change/delete when I go back through the story:

1. I need to make the heroine's inner fear more apparent in the small ways she acts from the start.

2. I need to hide the antagonist from the hero earlier in the story.

3. I need to give the antoagonist a few likable qualities instead of being purely bad.

4. I need to make the hero more flawed (even as my inner self wants him to be perfect! from the start!)

And so the writing journey continues...

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Writers' Wednesday: The Persevering Heart

Hi folks! Because I am busy preparing lesson plans (and soon, grading first papers) AND trying to do a little writing on the side, today's post will consist of a fantastic picture/saying I found on Facebook the other day. I love it because I think it's true in so many elements of life: personal, professional, in terms of relationships and writing and moving on and new adventures and dealing with loss etc...

"No matter what happened yesterday, life’s relevance does not diminish. The persevering heart always gives it a new beginning." — Dodinsky

Monday Mentionables: A New Year Begins!

"There's no word in the language I revere more than 'teacher.' My heart sings when a kid refers to me as his teacher, and it always has. I've honored myself and the entire family of man by becoming a teacher." (Pat Conroy)

Ayayayay....where did the summer go? yes, I know: I was remiss last week in blogging, but I'm back now only to say it's the first day of school for me which means my whole lazy summer schedule has vanished for yet another year :(

Don't get me wrong; I love teaching. I also love that there's an ending to every year and a chance for rejuvenation before a whole new group of students arrives. And yes, I know many people out there will tell me to stop grumbling, because teachers have it so easy with summers off. To them I say, then you should be a teacher! Kidding aside, while it's certainly nice to have time off, I don't get paid during the summer, which means hubby and I either need to work side jobs  to pay the bills or save and budget very carefully from September to June so that we have enough in our bank account to cover them. We don't, as some people think, get paid for sitting home and doing nothing.

Not like we're doing "nothing," by the way. More likely, if teachers aren't working a second (or third) job during the summer, we're spending our own time and money learning something we can use in school, taking classes, reading, visiting potential field trip sites, buying supplies for our classroom (out of our own money), or meeting with others to plan for a new year.

I'd also remind non-teachers that unlike many other professions, it is not a 9-5 job that we leave behind once we shut the classroom door for the day. After 7 or 8 hours of teaching, we either stay late to plan lessons, grade work, or prepare for the next day, or we load up our bags with work to do at home (sometimes both). This doesn't include the emotional ways we bring our work home with us either, contacting students with questions or concerns, emailing support staff for ways to reach troubled students, lying awake at night trying to think of a way to deal with the student who acts out because he's desperate for attention or failing every subject or thinking of commiting suicide or so panicked about getting into college he has anxiety attacks every week or...

Sigh.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to school starting up again, heartache and hard work and all. However, this also means I have less time to write, a definite downside, but it also means I will take full advantage of those slivers of time I do have.

By the way, we had a great time in Boston. One place we visited was the Sam Adams Brewery, and our tour guide, a fantastically energetic young guy who knew every detail of the place and all the beers, was none other than........a high school history teacher working a summer job!

Monday Mentionables: I Need Some Boston Recommendations

"In Boston, they ask, how much does he know? In New York, how much is he worth? In Philadelphia, who were his parents?" (Mark Twain)

A couple of notes for writers this morning: All Romance Ebooks is seeking submissions from any "Passionate Cooks" out there for a cookbook they plan to release this fall. If you've got a great recipe(and at least one book listed for sale on their website), here's a way to get your name out there in front of readers AND cooks! More information here.

Savvy Authors has a whole bunch of pitch opportunities coming up in the next couple of weeks - here's the webpage for more details about who's looking for what.

And in a separate note, hubby and I will be spending a few days in Boston...any recommendations for "must-do" things while we're there? So far the only definites are the Sam Adams Brewery (for him) and the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat on the way there (for me)/ We've been to the city before, and are seeing friends so really only have one day downtown, but if you've been there (or live there!) and have some good recommendations, give a holler!

Friday Fun Facts: Studying the Craft

"Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret." (Matthew Arnold)

So I'm currently taking an online course titled "What Does Nora Roberts Know That You Don't?" offered through Lowcountry RWA. Like attending conferences, classes, workshops, and the like are great ways to jump start your writing. This one's only 3 weeks long, but our instructor has packed a lot in already. As a published author, I've already heard and used some of the techniques she's talking about. But there's ALWAYS something new to learn and apply. With a background in Hollywood and movie production, she's got a lot to say about story structure, archetypal characters every story needs, and scenes every story arc must have.

I can see where it's easy to get bogged down, though, especially if you do a lot of reading or studying. Different 'great' teachers have different techniques they swear by, and a lot of the newer/unpublished writers on the class loop with me are getting confused. I think the best thing is to read over as much writing instruction as you can and filter out what works for you. Continue to learn, of course, but don't spend so much time weaving this strategy with that one that you confuse yourself only to end up writing and rewriting the first few chapters over and over again.

Turn off your inner editor and let yourself go. Come back later and edit that page, using the strategies you've learned in moderation, and one at a time. Speaking of getting words down on the page, I've been tinkering with a sequal project to Beacon of Love, which is coming out next year. This one is tentatively titled Inferno of Love and gives one of my favorite minor characters from the first book his own story. This is also the first time I've written a sequel to any of my books, and I'm finding it a lot of fun! It's neat to go back to a town and characters I already know and see what they've been up to in the three years since the other book finished...

Writers' Wednesday: New Cover Art!

“Just give me a thousand words and you may make your own pictures.” (Erica Goros)

Ooh, look! I just got my cover from Audio Lark for Summer's Song, which releases in audio book format September 12th!

What I love about this cover is that it suggests a few important things about the story: that it's set in a small rural town, that it's about coming home (walking the road back home) and that it's set in the middle of a hot & steamy summer. Love the bare legs :) Also, I think the idea that it's a sweet romance comes across as well. It's interesting to take a look at the ebook/print book cover that Samhain did (over there on the right sidebar) - so different, right?? I love different artists' interpretations of a story!

Friday Fun facts: A Book Signing!

"A book is like a garden carried in the pocket."  (Chinese Proverb)
Just one Friday Fun Fact to share today: fellow romance author Liz Matis and I will be selling & signing books and chatting with anyone who stops by at the Kingston Farmer's Market in Kingston, NY tomorrow, from 12-2! Now, where else can you pick up organic produce AND an autographed copy of a great beach read??

If you're in the area, we'd love to see you there!

Writers' Wednesday: Writing What You Know, Loving What You Know

“‎The simple truth is that you can understand a town. You can know and love and hate it. You can blame it, resent it, and nothing changes. In the end, you're just another part of it.” (Brenna Yovanoff)

One of the oldest pieces of writing advice is "Write what you know." It makes sense, to a certain degree: you can certainly write with passion as well as expertise on subjects you know well. But writing also requires imagination, creativity, and in some cases good research, which is why many authors can write compelling stories about places they've never been or worlds that have never actually existed.

I, however, have always preferred writing what I know. That's why I write contemporary romance novels like The Promise of Paradise or Summer's Song. I like using settings and characters based on people and places I can at least realistically imagine. Over the weekend, I went back to my childhood hometown to visit my mom but also to hear Amy Dickinson speak about her best-selling memoir, The Mighty Queens of Freeville. She's the writer of the column "Ask Amy", and she grew up in a very small town about 20 miles from mine. Her book in large part is about the comforts of home, and the details about her memories growing up in a small town reminded me why I love my own.

I love my hometown because after Amy's talk, I walked out of the Methodist Church where the talk had been held onto the village green, which sits in the center of town, surrounded on one side by three churches and the elementary school, and the other side by Main Street and the library and the firehouse. I love my hometown because I walked to my mom's house from there, about a mile straight down Main Street. I passed the bench where I kissed my first boyfriend. I passed the house where I broke up with my second one. I passed the bank where I opened my first checking account, the clothing store where you can buy anything from gloves to overalls to a bathing suit, the minister's house, the Town Hall where I used to go with my mom when she voted. I traced the route I used to run as a member of the junior high track team, and the super-wide street where I practiced 3-point turns with my dad before my driver's test. I passed the elementary school playground where I played tag at 8 during recess and years later drank winecoolers at 21 after midnight.

It is the kind of town Norman Rockwell would have painted, where the houses built in the late 1800s are considered "not that old," where hitching posts still stand along the street, where the volunteer fire dept. floods the green for ice skating in the winter, where every summer Wednesday people bring their lawn chairs to listen to the free concerts played in the village bandstand.

I feel most like myself in this town, like I can peel away all the layers of life that have happened since I graduated from high school and went on to college and work and marriage and life in other places. I love coming home, and it's no wonder I write so many stories about the power of small towns. I DO write what I know, and I love what I know.

Friday Fun Facts: I'm a Quote Junkie

"If music be the food of love, play on."

I'll admit it: I'm a nerd when it comes to literature. I love it. I loved reading from the time I was about 4, and that never changed through high school, college, or graduate school. In fact, the only part I didn't really love about majoring in English Lit were the papers I had to write analyzing authors. I enjoyed reading them; I loved drinking in the language and somewhere I still have a little book where I would write down favorite quotes I came across. I didn't really enjoyed tearing them apart.

That was a driving force in my becoming a writer, I think: I dreamed of crafting language that would make other people pause the way I did so many times. (That's always been a sticking point for me, actually: I'm much more interested in playing with language and phrases than hammering out a page-turning plot. It's something I'm continually working on improving).

In researching the YA novel I'm working on right now, I read through Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (and enjoyed it - told you I was a nerd). Here are some of my favorite quotes from that play, and I'm trying to figure out how to work them into my story. I'll keep you posted!

"Oh Time, thou must untangle this, not I. It is too hard a knot for me t' untie!"

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."

"Love sought is good, but giv'n unsought is better."

Writers' Wednesday: It's Time for First Chapters!

So today I'm the lucky featured author over at D. Renee Bagby's "First Chapters" blog (great promo opp for you fellow writers out there!). You'll have a chance to read the first chapters of my 5 contemporary romance novels, and if you haven't read them before, maybe today will be a nice little whetting of your appetite :)

In addition, though, all you have to do is post a comment on any of the chapters, and you'll be entered for a chance to win a $10.00 Amazon gift certificate! Hope to see you over there :)

Friday Fun Facts: Let the Fun Begin!

Official Opening Day for the Olympics! So excited....I can't wait to watch and cheer and follow all those human interest stories that the media loves to sell along with the competition :)

And hey, I'm guest blogging over at Brenda Williamson's blog today, about a different kind of workout ;)

Drop on over and join me!

Writers' Wednesday: What the Heck is Speculative Fiction??

So I'm working on a new YA (young adult) project, and in my browsing of the Web yesterday found this helpful website: YA Highway. Especially valuable is the "Field Trip Friday" feature, which seems to highlight the best YA stuff that's been out/talked about in each week.

I find YA lit interesting, I really do - the whole idea of your protagonist figuring him/herself out and taking on the world in the process. That's probably also an influence of my teaching teenagers. Despite all the attitude and all the hormones, that's exactly what they're trying to do too, and it's fascinating to watch and shape.

Having said that, I'm at a bit of a crossroads in trying to decide which genre my YA falls into, exactly. Very loosely, it's Shakespeare's Twelfth Night set in an alternate, post-9/11 universe, a la the television show "Fringe." It's not a dystopian society, which is what everyone seems to be writing and buying these days. It's just another, similar-except-for-a-few-key-differences, world. it's a world inhabited by people who used to live on Earth, so they've brought most of their previous life with them except for some changes they've had to make to actually live in a different world with a different atmosphere and different physical makeup. I don't think it's science fiction. I think it may be speculative fiction, but when I tried to find a definition of that I found about 20 of them:

'Speculative fiction is a world that writers create, where anything can happen. It is a place beyond reality, a place that could have been, or might have been, if only the rules of the universe were altered just a bit.'

'Speculative fiction stories, however fanciful, can have a big emotional and inspirational impact, teaching us much about ethics, bravery, kindness, good, and evil.'

'Some experts define speculative fiction as 'genre' fiction. A lot of readers think speculative fiction consists of science fiction and fantasy only. Other readers include horror, mystery and romance.

To me, it is writing that pushes the boundaries of the imagination. A good speculative fiction story would make you think, provide a new insight into human nature or even give you a new outlook on life.'

And so on...

Is anyone familiar with the speculative fiction genre? Do you read or write it? How would you define it?

Monday's Mentionables: Writing up a Storm

First off, congrats to JackieW and Charlene, winners in last week's Great Print Book Giveaway! 2 more winners to be randomly chosen this week, so stay tuned :)

I'm on a whirlwind of writing right now; I started a new book last week that's been bouncing around in my head for a while. It's different than anything I've written before - basically, a Young Adult set in a post-9/11 alternate (not dystopian) universe. I just.......needed to do something different. I was feeling frustrated and a little stale with my other projects, so I thought maybe I'd jump-start my creativity a little by switching gears for a while.

I have to say, it's been very freeing. I've done a decent job of turning off my inner editor to just write - and since I have to create a whole other world, there's been a lot to write. Also since I'm not teaching during the summer, I have lots of extra time, and I'm trying to take full advantage by not booking a lot of other things to do. My goal was 3K words a day, and so far I'm doing well. After 1 week, I have 22K words.

Yay! Of course a good half of that (or more) might turn out to be edited or deleted when I go back through, but at least I have words on the page.

So I'm off the try and continue the good vibes and get my 3K words done today...Happy Monday!

Reviewing Fifty Shades of Grey

OK folks, I did it. I read the runaway best seller Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. So far t's sold roughly 20 million copies, been optioned for a movie, and made its debut author oodles of royalty money.It's also been both lavishly praised and lambasted by readers and reviewers. Since I'm a writer, and honestly since everywhere I went people asked if I'd read it, I thought I needed to. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.

Here's my unofficial, gut reaction: it's horrifying.

Here's my more carefully formed opinion: it is a poorly written novel with roots in Twilight fan fiction that creates a disturbing so-called romance from a BDSM relationship between an older man and an college-aged virgin.

These are the problems I had with this book:

1. It's poorly written. The writing is choppy, repetitive, verbose, repetitive, and features unrealistic dialogue and characters. Also, it's repetitive. Honestly, I wanted to put it down after the first chapter. I can't even count (well, I probably could, but I didn't) the number of times Christian's "long index finger" is mentioned, Ana bites her bottom lip, she says "Holy Cow" or refers to her "inner goddess," or we hear about the "gray linen pants" that hang off his hips.

2. It's wholly unbelievable. Why on earth would a 27-year old mega-millionaire have any interest in a bumbling, insecure 21-year old virgin? Why IS she a virgin in 2011 (religion aside, because that's never touted as a reason)? Moreover, she's also never masturbated or been kissed, but the moment she meets Christian, she has multiple orgasms and gives perfect oral sex? Really?

3. It started as Twilight fan fiction, which means the characters of Christian and Ana are Edward and Bella, grown up and having sex. First of all, I'm more likely to support an author who creates her own original characters, instead of drawing upon a fan base established by someone else. Beyond that, I didn't like the characters in Twilight because Bella's a weak heroine who gives up everything in her life for a controlling, creepy man, and lo and behold! The same thing happens in Fifty Shades, only Edward/Christian is about 100 times creepier and more controlling. From a high school teacher's POV, I tell my female students not to want to be Bella or want a guy like Edward, which brings me to my next point...

4. I understand that BDSM is a lifestyle that some people choose. However, the way in which inexperienced Ana is brought into the lifestyle horrified me in both a physical and emotional sense. Arousal through physical dominance/punishment borders wayyy too closely on abuse for me. Ana is taught that sexual pleasure comes from giving up everything to her man, and if she doesn't "behave" then he is allowed to control and punish her as he sees fit. Yes, I know they negotiate a contract, and she has safe words and is allowed to say no at any point. I don't care. To deliver the message to someone who has zero sexual experience that THIS is how you achieve that pleasure is disturbing. It is tantamount to telling young girls that they should obey and submit, that men should be allowed to control them this way because it's in everyone's best interests. What kind of message does that send to women? To men? How can we be sure they aren't taking those kinds of ideas from the bedroom into their professional and public lives? I read a commentary that suggested that the reason so many women enjoyed this book was because secretly, they were tired of being "in charge" in the rest of their lives and wanted to give up control and let someone else lead in the bedroom. Perhaps. To me, there is still a difference between letting someone else lead during sex and allowing your partner to order you to kneel in the corner without looking at him or allowing him to spank you if you "misbehave."

5. Finally, it's not a romance. The book does not end happily, nor does it really even have closure of any kind - I'm guessing that's because there are 2 more books in the trilogy, and the author knew that when she was finishing the first one. However, a romance is expected to have at least a "Happy For Now" ending and this one doesn't. Of course, in my opinion this isn't a romance in the first place, so if we file it under Women's Fiction I suppose it could get away without the ending neartly tied up. I'd still like to see some progress made in Ana's character, though, and I don.'t

I finished the book. I will not read the other 2 in the trilogy. I'm glad, I guess, that I read it so I know what everyone's talking about, but this is my take. I will say this: if Fifty Shades brought the romance genre more into the mainstream, and increased sales of other romance titles, then I'm glad, That's about the only redeeming quality I can see from this book.

And now....I'm done. Thoughts, anyone??

Writers' Wednesday: Guest Blogging at Romance Junkies Today!

Hey, all, I'm guest blogging over at Romance Junkies today with a little insight about long it sometimes takes for a story to find a publishing home. In the words of one of my favorite heroines, Summer Thompson, I give the lowdown on the bumps and detours in the road to publishing Summer's Song. (Hint: it took almost 10 years from first idea to release date).

Now, most books don't usually take that long, honestly. But I also want to dispel the myth that writing is "easy" or that authors can conceive of a story and find it a home in a few weeks or months. Sometimes, maybe, yes. Usually it takes longer, and that's where an author's patience comes in.

You must be patient to become a published author, and you must develop a thick skin, because so many people will tell you "No" along the way.

OK, enough blabbing on here. Come over and visit my blog at Romance Junkies, won't you?

(And back here on Friday, I'll be sharing my thoughts on Fifty Shades of Grey, which I just finished reading last night. See you then!)

Congrats to this Week's Winners!

First off, welcome back to the Great Print Book Giveaway! This week's winners are Virginia Campbell and Carol McLain. Congrats and thanks for following my blog and FB page! Virgina & Carol, let me know which book you'd like from the list right here, and I'll get it in the mail to you!

On a side note, tomorrow will be the first of 3 blog posts I've written for Savvy Authors on Audio Books: basically the process involved and whether or not it's something that you, as a writer, should be investigating as another way of getting your books into the public eye. I'll put up the specific link on Monday, but tomorrow you can check the Savvy Authors front page, and it should be there.

Happy (almost) weekend!

Writers' Wednesday: Does Length Really Matter?

So I'm spending this week finishing up a major revision to my novella Tequila Sunrise - only to have this nagging feeling that I haven't really "finished" it. Here's the thing: I'm not sure a novella-length is really my strong point. While in theory I like the shorter length (it isn't so intimidating to write lol), and I like reading some romance novellas, for me my story and characters end up under-developed. This is what I've been told by some of my beta readers, anyway, and maybe they're right.

My plan is to finish this one - it'll be "finished" at about 33K words and put it aside for a week or two. Then I'll try going back with fresh eyes and see if and where it needs to be developed.

Anyway, here's my question: if you're a reader, what's your favorite length story to read? Does it matter? And if you're a writer, what your preferred length story to write? Does that matter?

And just for kicks, here's my favorite few lines I wrote yesterday. Enjoy:

“Do you love her?”

Love. Hell of a terrifying four-letter word. He’d asked himself that question more times than he could count over the past few weeks, and the bottom line was, he didn’t know. He didn’t know what it was supposed to feel like. Like a punch in the gut? Like the comforting silence of a summer night? Hope crossed with fear, with a healthy dose of hormones tossed in? Depending on the day, he felt all that and then some, which seemed as though it could be love or maybe just insanity.

Maybe they weren’t that far apart.

Monday Mentionables: Back to Reality...

Happy July, everyone! I've returned from a long vacation (well, long for me - 2 weeks!) away from everything to do with work, writing, and social media. Hubby and I took a 10-day cruise in the Mediterranean, and it was beautiful! Had such a wonderful time just relaxing and taking in the sights. I'll be posting lots of pictures on my Facebook Fan Page later today, so if you're interested, stop by there and take a peek!

Also, the Great Print Book Giveaway is back in full swing, which means this Friday, July 13, I'll be announcing another 2 winners to choose any print book from my listed library for free!

Finally, I'm the "Sexy Host" (their words, not mine!) over at Coffee Time Romance's I'm Diggin forum for the month of July, and there are more books to win there if you post a comment in response to my weekly question. Plus, I'll feel less lonely if people are actually talking to me instead of just lurking there lol ;)

Have a wonderful Monday!

Friday Fun Facts: Winners and an Upcoming Trip!

Congratulations to this week's Great Print Book Giveaway winners: Melissa Keith and Skip Doodle! Pick your choice of books from my list here and they'll be in the mail ASAP!

Heads up, everyone: the Giveaway will be suspended for a couple of weeks while I'm out of town on vacation. Hubby and I are taking a trip to Italy (so excited!! pictures to follow when we return!), and I'll be away from most technology during that time.

BUT...Summer's Song will be listed for another Goodreads Giveaway beginning on July 1, so if you'd like to snag a signed copy, toss your name in the ring!

Happy summer...see you when we return!

Writers' Wednesday: Call for Submissions

Hey writers! Do you have a holiday-themed story that's looking for a publisher? Here's a call from Avon for upcoming novellas:

Avon Impulse is Avon Romance’s digital-first publishing program. The editors at Impulse are currently seeking 15,000 to 20,000 word novellas for the following themed collections:

Home for the Holidays — these sweet, romantic stories should center around the theme of being home for the Thanksgiving holidays. Stories must include at least one Thanksgiving-appropriate recipe. Quirky secondary characters, small town settings and a feeling of warmth, community and romance are welcome. Deadline for submissions is July 1, 2012.

Five Golden Rings — these historical Christmas novellas will center around a ring. This can be a family heirloom, a fairy ring — any kind of ring. Any historical time period. These should be moderately sensual to sexy. Submit by August 1, 2012

New Year’s Eve and Other Disasters — submit your romantic story centered around surprising things happening on New Year’s Eve. These can be historical or contemporary and may be moderately to super-sexy. Submit your story by September 15.

Submit using Avon’s online form: (http://www.avonromance.com/impulse/).

*******************************************************
And here's a quick peek at some of what I wrote yesterday, a (very thorough) revision of Tequila Sunrise:

“Oh my God I need a drink.” She collapsed onto the couch.


“You were fantastic.” He offered her coffee, but she shook her head.

“Something stronger than that.” She stared at the television, where Brigitte sat alone on stage now, talking to her audience about some new line of cookware. “How did I look? Really?” She mashed her hands against her cheeks. “Fat?”

He joined her on the couch and took both hands in his. “Gorgeous.”

She stuck out her tongue. “Liar.”

“You gonna use that? Don’t tease me with it unless you are.”

At that, she smiled and relaxed into his embrace. “You’re awful.”

“Not what you said the other day.”

“Mmm.” She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. “I like you,” she said in a quiet voice. “Have I told you that?”

He ran one hand over her hair, surprised at the swell of happiness in his gut. “I like you too. A lot.”