"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I'm so excited, because today I have an author appearance at this HUGE craft fair in the town where I grew up - the event is almost 30 years old, and usually very well-attended (I'm crossing my fingers that the rain will hold off). Lots of crafts, and jewelry, and stuff to eat...but only one other person selling books besides me :)
I'm not only looking forward to having my books out in the public eye, but seeing some familiar faces from the past. It's a small town, and quite a few people I graduated with (that I never ever see) will probably be there.
I'll do my best to get some pics - now I'm off to set up my tent and do the sun-only dance!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
But How Do You...?
"I even shower with my pen, in case any ideas drip out of the waterhead." ~Graycie Harmon
Devon asked yesterday how I found the writers' group I spoke to. Here's a little secret: check the newspaper. This writers' group was featured in my hometown paper, and my mom sent me the clipping. (So thanks mom!) But I also always check the "Local Events" calendar in my local paper as well, to see not only what authors are appearing where ('cause that might be an opening for me too), but also if there's a community group that might be interested in hearing an author speak.
To be honest, I had focused more on contacting book clubs and bookstores before, but it makes sense to target writers' groups as well. After all, they're REALLY interested in writing and getting published, so you would think they'd like to hear from someone who has.
There's an online site called www.meetup.com, and I've heard authors recommend contacting groups listed there, too. They have groups organized by geographical location as well as interest, so I'll probably be checking them out for possible guest speaker opportunities too.
But today I have to spend a little time revising One Night in Napa. One of my writer friends said she recently read a piece of advice that said you must "live in your book" as you're working on it, which makes sense. If I spend too much time away, I forget what's going on, character names, the whole feel of the chapter I'm in.
So I'm off to write...wish me luck...I want to have this revised by the end of the summer!
Devon asked yesterday how I found the writers' group I spoke to. Here's a little secret: check the newspaper. This writers' group was featured in my hometown paper, and my mom sent me the clipping. (So thanks mom!) But I also always check the "Local Events" calendar in my local paper as well, to see not only what authors are appearing where ('cause that might be an opening for me too), but also if there's a community group that might be interested in hearing an author speak.
To be honest, I had focused more on contacting book clubs and bookstores before, but it makes sense to target writers' groups as well. After all, they're REALLY interested in writing and getting published, so you would think they'd like to hear from someone who has.
There's an online site called www.meetup.com, and I've heard authors recommend contacting groups listed there, too. They have groups organized by geographical location as well as interest, so I'll probably be checking them out for possible guest speaker opportunities too.
But today I have to spend a little time revising One Night in Napa. One of my writer friends said she recently read a piece of advice that said you must "live in your book" as you're working on it, which makes sense. If I spend too much time away, I forget what's going on, character names, the whole feel of the chapter I'm in.
So I'm off to write...wish me luck...I want to have this revised by the end of the summer!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Put 15 Writers Into One Room, and...
"Every author in some way portrays himself in his works, even if it be against his will." ~Goethe
Last night I spoke at a writers' group - in the library of the hometown where I grew up. Quite fun, I have to say, and a better turnout than I expected: 15 people, all writers, and all quite interested in what I had to say.
I spoke about my general background, my books, and then answered questions about the writing and publishing process in general. Since everyone there was a writer (except for one woman, who loved to read but thought writing seemed "much too hard"), it was a really cool, relevant discussion. They asked questions about writing, and finding an agent, and making $$, and self-publishing, and then at the end one woman asked me how old I was, and when I told her, she said, "No way! I thought you were in your 20s." So that was probably the best part of the night :)
If you're an author, I highly recommend connecting with writers' groups. It's a great way to spread the word about your own work, while having meaningful conversations with "other people who love words," as one woman put it.
Last night I spoke at a writers' group - in the library of the hometown where I grew up. Quite fun, I have to say, and a better turnout than I expected: 15 people, all writers, and all quite interested in what I had to say.
I spoke about my general background, my books, and then answered questions about the writing and publishing process in general. Since everyone there was a writer (except for one woman, who loved to read but thought writing seemed "much too hard"), it was a really cool, relevant discussion. They asked questions about writing, and finding an agent, and making $$, and self-publishing, and then at the end one woman asked me how old I was, and when I told her, she said, "No way! I thought you were in your 20s." So that was probably the best part of the night :)
If you're an author, I highly recommend connecting with writers' groups. It's a great way to spread the word about your own work, while having meaningful conversations with "other people who love words," as one woman put it.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Marie Treanor
Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm featuring a fellow Samhain author, Marie Treanor. Enjoy!
Hi Marie, and thanks for joining me today. Can you tell us a little about your background?
I was born in Scotland where I live now with my husband and three kids. I'm a history graduate and a librarian by profession, although I haven't worked in libraries for about eight years! I stopped work when we moved out of the city and travelling became too difficult (good excuse, eh?), and then my youngest child was born so I've never felt inspired to go back. I love having the opportunity to write.
When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?
I began about as soon as I could hold a pencil! But I suppose the trigger to actually trying to get published, was my last job, which I hated. In my innocence I thought I could earn an alternative living from writing :)
Ah, I remember those innocent thoughts too! OK, tell us about your latest writing project or published title.
My latest book is Gothic Dragon, a sort of historical fantasy/not-quite-time travel romance, featuring a dark sorcerer hero. Basically my heroine stumbles into his world through a gothic novel, and falls in love with him. Well, so would I - have you seen the book's cover? :)
I was born in Scotland where I live now with my husband and three kids. I'm a history graduate and a librarian by profession, although I haven't worked in libraries for about eight years! I stopped work when we moved out of the city and travelling became too difficult (good excuse, eh?), and then my youngest child was born so I've never felt inspired to go back. I love having the opportunity to write.
When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?
I began about as soon as I could hold a pencil! But I suppose the trigger to actually trying to get published, was my last job, which I hated. In my innocence I thought I could earn an alternative living from writing :)
Ah, I remember those innocent thoughts too! OK, tell us about your latest writing project or published title.
My latest book is Gothic Dragon, a sort of historical fantasy/not-quite-time travel romance, featuring a dark sorcerer hero. Basically my heroine stumbles into his world through a gothic novel, and falls in love with him. Well, so would I - have you seen the book's cover? :)
Wow, you're right - I love it! So how do you go about developing your characters?
Actually, they sort of develop themselves :) Usually they're the beginning of the story, and as I think about them, they become clearer. But I think they're only fully developed when I've actually finished the story!
What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?
Hmm - I think I find the promotion most difficult, because basically I want to be writing. And yet there's less point to writing if you don't tell people the books are out there :) The most exciting is when the characters change the story for you, and the most rewarding when readers tell me they've enjoyed reading my books.
Great answers - I tend to agree on all three counts! But how do you balance writing with the rest of your life?
With difficulty! I don't work as many other writers manage to do, but I have a four year old daughter and two older kids who keep me busy! I like to spend time with my family and friends when I'm not writing, so basically it's my housework that suffers :)
When you write, do you use the computer or compose by hand, oral dictation, or some other method?
When I began, I wrote by hand and then typed it up - it was quite a useful self-editing process, but now I find it quicker to both write and edit on the computer. For one thing, I don't have to decipher my own hand-writing :)
Marie, thanks so much for giving us a peek into your writer's life today. Readers, Marie's novel Gothic Dragon releases on July 22 - make a note on your calendar...and in the meantime, visit her website to read an excerpt or find out more!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Today, an Interactive Post
"Fiction was invented the day Jonas arrived home and told his wife that he was three days late because he had been swallowed by a whale." ~Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Two things for you to do today!
For all you animal lovers, click here to sign a petition asking Barack Obama to consider adopting a shelter dog (apparently he promised his daughters a dog if he wins the White House in November). Here's the skinny:
If Sen. Barack Obama becomes president, he'll instantly be faced with decisions that will affect millions of Americans. Obama will also soon be making a decision that could affect millions of American dogs. It has been reported that once the election is over, the Obamas will be looking for a new four-legged family member (much to his daughters' delight).
The American Kennel Club (AKC) has suggested five types of purebred dogs that would fit the Obamas' lifestyle. While we don't disagree that it's important to choose a dog that matches well with the family, mixed breeds should certainly be considered along with pure breeds. Also, whether purebred or mutt, we believe the Obamas should make a winning choice and adopt a family dog, not buy one.
Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, left-wing, right-wing or any other wing, please sign our petition urging the Obama Family to adopt, and encourage all your friends and family to sign it, too.
*****
And on a totally unrelated topic, here's an interesting quiz for you to take, borrowed from Chandler Craig (I have to say interesting here, because I'm not sure how the 6 questions led to "my" book, and, um, it's a little off base. But whatever. Take it anyway and see which book you are!)
Two things for you to do today!
For all you animal lovers, click here to sign a petition asking Barack Obama to consider adopting a shelter dog (apparently he promised his daughters a dog if he wins the White House in November). Here's the skinny:
If Sen. Barack Obama becomes president, he'll instantly be faced with decisions that will affect millions of Americans. Obama will also soon be making a decision that could affect millions of American dogs. It has been reported that once the election is over, the Obamas will be looking for a new four-legged family member (much to his daughters' delight).
The American Kennel Club (AKC) has suggested five types of purebred dogs that would fit the Obamas' lifestyle. While we don't disagree that it's important to choose a dog that matches well with the family, mixed breeds should certainly be considered along with pure breeds. Also, whether purebred or mutt, we believe the Obamas should make a winning choice and adopt a family dog, not buy one.
Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, left-wing, right-wing or any other wing, please sign our petition urging the Obama Family to adopt, and encourage all your friends and family to sign it, too.
*****
And on a totally unrelated topic, here's an interesting quiz for you to take, borrowed from Chandler Craig (I have to say interesting here, because I'm not sure how the 6 questions led to "my" book, and, um, it's a little off base. But whatever. Take it anyway and see which book you are!)
You're Love in the Time of Cholera!
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Like Odysseus in a work of Homer, you demonstrate undying loyalty by
sleeping with as many people as you possibly can. But in your heart you never give
consent! This creates a strange quandary of what love really means to you. On the
one hand, you've loved the same person your whole life, but on the other, your actions
barely speak to this fact. Whatever you do, stick to bottled water. The other stuff
could get you killed.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Tips for Book Signings
"At a Boston signing, someone from the audience asked why I was so obsessed with furniture in my books. The question rattled around in my head. I had no idea that I was obsessed with furniture." ~Jonathan Carroll
So I'm always doing research on promotions and marketing, and I came across this really helpful article the other day: 40+ Ways to Make Your Next Book Signing an EVENT!
The author has some great tips, some of which I've already implemented. I wrote a press release for each of the places I'm going in the next few weeks, and I actually found one online for the Nichols Memorial Library in New Hampshire, which I thought was cool. Check it out here.
One of the article tips I really like is to bring a thank-you gift for the person who arranged your signing. Now, in most cases for me, it will be a woman, which is somehow easier to buy for: bouquet of flowers? box of candy? But the Director of the Nichols Library is a guy, and I know he's already advertised my appearance in a few places, including the library's blog. I definitely want to bring him some small token of appreciation...but what?
Anyone have any ideas on an appropriate thank-you gift for a man?
So I'm always doing research on promotions and marketing, and I came across this really helpful article the other day: 40+ Ways to Make Your Next Book Signing an EVENT!
The author has some great tips, some of which I've already implemented. I wrote a press release for each of the places I'm going in the next few weeks, and I actually found one online for the Nichols Memorial Library in New Hampshire, which I thought was cool. Check it out here.
One of the article tips I really like is to bring a thank-you gift for the person who arranged your signing. Now, in most cases for me, it will be a woman, which is somehow easier to buy for: bouquet of flowers? box of candy? But the Director of the Nichols Library is a guy, and I know he's already advertised my appearance in a few places, including the library's blog. I definitely want to bring him some small token of appreciation...but what?
Anyone have any ideas on an appropriate thank-you gift for a man?
Sunday, July 13, 2008
What I Learned...
"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma." ~Eartha Kitt
OK, so the best thing you can do from any experience, I think, is learn. I've been to a half-dozen author appearances/signings in the last 8 months, and including yesterday's at the Hobart Book Expo, this is what I think:
1. I've figured out how to put together a decent display. Take a look:
This includes a sign with my info (made by a friend in the sign business), blow-ups of my book covers (mounted and laminated at Staples for $18 each), my books (display copy sitting in a $3 picture frame/plate holder from AC Moore), bookmarks and business cards (both made at Vista Print), book prices, and a clipboard with a sign-up sheet for my electronic newsletter.
By the way, yesterday I only sold 4 books... it was quite a low turn out (some of the authors there didn't sell any) and I probably wouldn't do this event again.
2. Stand by your table rather than sit (even though I'm sitting in the picture) - it's easier to talk to potential customers if you're standing.
3. Realize you can gain something by talking to fellow authors as well. I exchanged business cards with everyone there, and had a long conversation about small presses...with a man who turned out to be the owner of a small press in Ohio. You never know who you're talking to!
4. Charge prices in $5.00 increments if possible - OK, I read this somewhere, but it makes sense. You can make change more easily, and people might be more likely to purchase a book in the first place, if it costs $15.00 rather than $19.95 + tax. And by the way, I noticed that about half the writers there yesterday were self-published, and their books were quite expensive!
5. Keep writing books. Again, the self-published authors I spoke to were there with THE ONE BOOK they had written. And I think that's fine - if you have a book that's burning to be published, and that's your one baby, fine. But if you want to be successful, become a name that people will remember and seek out and want to follow, then you have to keep writing. Not one of the self-published authors (and some of the ones published with small presses fell into this category as well) had written a second book. Gotta do it. It's one of the biggest parts of your marketing strategy, in my opinion.
And that's all today, folks, on the subject of What I Learned From This Public Appearance...
OK, so the best thing you can do from any experience, I think, is learn. I've been to a half-dozen author appearances/signings in the last 8 months, and including yesterday's at the Hobart Book Expo, this is what I think:
1. I've figured out how to put together a decent display. Take a look:
This includes a sign with my info (made by a friend in the sign business), blow-ups of my book covers (mounted and laminated at Staples for $18 each), my books (display copy sitting in a $3 picture frame/plate holder from AC Moore), bookmarks and business cards (both made at Vista Print), book prices, and a clipboard with a sign-up sheet for my electronic newsletter.By the way, yesterday I only sold 4 books... it was quite a low turn out (some of the authors there didn't sell any) and I probably wouldn't do this event again.
2. Stand by your table rather than sit (even though I'm sitting in the picture) - it's easier to talk to potential customers if you're standing.
3. Realize you can gain something by talking to fellow authors as well. I exchanged business cards with everyone there, and had a long conversation about small presses...with a man who turned out to be the owner of a small press in Ohio. You never know who you're talking to!
4. Charge prices in $5.00 increments if possible - OK, I read this somewhere, but it makes sense. You can make change more easily, and people might be more likely to purchase a book in the first place, if it costs $15.00 rather than $19.95 + tax. And by the way, I noticed that about half the writers there yesterday were self-published, and their books were quite expensive!
5. Keep writing books. Again, the self-published authors I spoke to were there with THE ONE BOOK they had written. And I think that's fine - if you have a book that's burning to be published, and that's your one baby, fine. But if you want to be successful, become a name that people will remember and seek out and want to follow, then you have to keep writing. Not one of the self-published authors (and some of the ones published with small presses fell into this category as well) had written a second book. Gotta do it. It's one of the biggest parts of your marketing strategy, in my opinion.
And that's all today, folks, on the subject of What I Learned From This Public Appearance...
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Hobart Book Expo!
"Wear the old coat and buy the new book." ~Austin Phelps
I'm off to a book expo today, at the Hobart Book Village. This will be my first solo public author appearance, other than my launch party (which was mostly family and friends, so not scary). Should be a nice day, I hope, with some interesting other authors to check out too...
I'll be back here tomorrow and let you know how it goes! (With pictures, if all goes well ~ I'm remembering to bring my camera this time!)
I'm off to a book expo today, at the Hobart Book Village. This will be my first solo public author appearance, other than my launch party (which was mostly family and friends, so not scary). Should be a nice day, I hope, with some interesting other authors to check out too...
I'll be back here tomorrow and let you know how it goes! (With pictures, if all goes well ~ I'm remembering to bring my camera this time!)
Friday, July 11, 2008
TGIF!
“What We Think, We Become…” ~ Buddha
OK, I'm out of clever posts and pretty much all brain activity after my release blog tour this week, so here's the Friday Feast...
Appetizer
When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?
About 4 weeks ago - with short hair I can't go too long or I start looking shaggy...
Soup
Name one thing you miss about being a child.
Um...not having to pay any bills?
Salad
Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.
Butter.
Main Course
If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?
Italian, so I could visit the country and actually speak their language, and also because an upcoming novel I have planned is going to have journal entries and love letters written in Italian...and that way I could write them myself!
Dessert
Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…
On the New York Times best-seller list. Hey, a girl can dream, right? Intention is everything...
OK, I'm out of clever posts and pretty much all brain activity after my release blog tour this week, so here's the Friday Feast...
Appetizer
When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?
About 4 weeks ago - with short hair I can't go too long or I start looking shaggy...
Soup
Name one thing you miss about being a child.
Um...not having to pay any bills?
Salad
Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.
Butter.
Main Course
If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?
Italian, so I could visit the country and actually speak their language, and also because an upcoming novel I have planned is going to have journal entries and love letters written in Italian...and that way I could write them myself!
Dessert
Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…
On the New York Times best-seller list. Hey, a girl can dream, right? Intention is everything...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Last Blog Tour Stop...
"Writing is a struggle against silence." ~Carlos Fuentes
My last stop on the mini-blog tour this week is over at Sizzling Pens today. I'm talking about a little trivia behind the book...you might be interested.
Bonus: I'm running one last contest there today only, and drawing one name randomly from all commenters to win a free download of One Night in Memphis. So if you didn't win yesterday and still want to try, hop on over and leave a comment (so I don't feel too lonely there, either).
***
In other writing, revisions on One Night in Napa are coming along pretty well, which is terrific. I read chapter one for my critique group Tuesday night and got some good feedback.
***
And I received this amazing email yesterday from a woman who works with my father-in-law, who just finished both One Night in Boston and Lost in Paradise, and said in part, "I read your books One Night in Boston first, absolutely loved it. I thought it was so well written, the intensity level was phenomenal and it really made it hard to put it down. Then I read Lost in Paradise which was absolutely amazing that one too was well written and very intense kept your interests peaked. There were mornings that I came in looking like I had been out partying all night because I stayed up too late reading!!! :0) Anyway, I was just telling [father-in-law] after reading your two books back to back that the Mary Higgins Clark book that I just read although enjoyable lacked the excitement that your two had... "
See, that's why writing and readers are so great. For every lousy review you get, there's someone who loves what you've done. Subjectivity is a nice thing, in some cases :)
My last stop on the mini-blog tour this week is over at Sizzling Pens today. I'm talking about a little trivia behind the book...you might be interested.
Bonus: I'm running one last contest there today only, and drawing one name randomly from all commenters to win a free download of One Night in Memphis. So if you didn't win yesterday and still want to try, hop on over and leave a comment (so I don't feel too lonely there, either).
***
In other writing, revisions on One Night in Napa are coming along pretty well, which is terrific. I read chapter one for my critique group Tuesday night and got some good feedback.
***
And I received this amazing email yesterday from a woman who works with my father-in-law, who just finished both One Night in Boston and Lost in Paradise, and said in part, "I read your books One Night in Boston first, absolutely loved it. I thought it was so well written, the intensity level was phenomenal and it really made it hard to put it down. Then I read Lost in Paradise which was absolutely amazing that one too was well written and very intense kept your interests peaked. There were mornings that I came in looking like I had been out partying all night because I stayed up too late reading!!! :0) Anyway, I was just telling [father-in-law] after reading your two books back to back that the Mary Higgins Clark book that I just read although enjoyable lacked the excitement that your two had... "
See, that's why writing and readers are so great. For every lousy review you get, there's someone who loves what you've done. Subjectivity is a nice thing, in some cases :)
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Today's Contest Winner!
We interrupt today's regularly scheduled Writers' Wednesday post to announce the winner of my release contest...
(((((((((drum roll)))))))))
Diane!
Congrats to Diane, who will receive a free download of One Night in Memphis and her choice of an autographed copy of One Night in Boston, Lost in Paradise, or any other book from my shelf here. Diane, email me at allieb@allieboniface.com and we'll work out all the details!
Writers' Wednesday will return next week - until then, below is the official purchase link for One Night in Memphis...thanks to everyone who's been stopping by to visit and help me celebrate ~ I'll see you back here tomorrow!
(((((((((drum roll)))))))))
Diane!
Congrats to Diane, who will receive a free download of One Night in Memphis and her choice of an autographed copy of One Night in Boston, Lost in Paradise, or any other book from my shelf here. Diane, email me at allieb@allieboniface.com and we'll work out all the details!
Writers' Wednesday will return next week - until then, below is the official purchase link for One Night in Memphis...thanks to everyone who's been stopping by to visit and help me celebrate ~ I'll see you back here tomorrow!
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
It's Release Day!
Here it is, folks, the official release day for One Night in Memphis! (The purchase link won't be up 'til a little bit later today, but here's the main Samhain page, so keep checking, OK?) Since I actually wrote this story before One Night in Boston, I'm so happy for it to finally meet the reading world. Here's a peek at the trailer I just finished yesterday:
Now, I'll be drawing a name from everyone who's left a comment in the last week on my blog (or host blogs, including today's) to win a free download of the book, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to find out the winner!
I'll see you back here tomorrow!
Monday, July 07, 2008
It's Time for a Blog Book Tour!
" book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy." ~Edward P. Morgan
Welcome to my release week! As it turns out, I'm doing a mini-blog tour this week, so please visit the blogs who've offered to host me each day. Added incentive: every comment you leave on those blogs today and tomorrow counts toward the contest I'm running (the prize: a free download of One Night in Memphis PLUS an autographed copy of one of my other novels, your choice, OR any book from my home bookshelf...I'll provide the list, you choose!). Plus, the blog hosting me on Thursday is running another separate contest, with another chance to win a download of One Night in Memphis, so enjoy the week, and please keep me company out there in cyber-world!
Today's stop is Fumbling with Fiction; a big thanks to hostess Chandler Craig! Hope to see you there :)
Welcome to my release week! As it turns out, I'm doing a mini-blog tour this week, so please visit the blogs who've offered to host me each day. Added incentive: every comment you leave on those blogs today and tomorrow counts toward the contest I'm running (the prize: a free download of One Night in Memphis PLUS an autographed copy of one of my other novels, your choice, OR any book from my home bookshelf...I'll provide the list, you choose!). Plus, the blog hosting me on Thursday is running another separate contest, with another chance to win a download of One Night in Memphis, so enjoy the week, and please keep me company out there in cyber-world!
Today's stop is Fumbling with Fiction; a big thanks to hostess Chandler Craig! Hope to see you there :)
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Excerpts Just For You!
"He’ll be the one who steps in front of a train for you. The one who climbs buildings to move them out of your way. The one who faces down dragons and brings you breakfast in bed the morning after..." ~from One Night in Memphis
I forgot to mention that my excerpt for One Night in Memphis is up on my Samhain author page, so you can check it out if you want to.
But I thought today, since Release Day is only 2 days away, I'd whet your appetites with a couple of extra excerpts, just for my blog readers :)
Here's the first, the initial telephone conversation between Dakota (our heroine) and her best friend, Sarah:
“Dakota? Got your message. What’s up?”
She took another look at her watch. Five minutes to boarding. Terrific. Where the heck was Gate A14? She stopped at a map of the terminal and tried to make sense of the multi-colored arrows. “Um…are you busy this weekend?”
“Don’t think so. Why?”
Dakota dug her boarding pass out of her pocket. “I’m sort of on my way to Memphis.”
“What?” Sarah whooped, and for a minute Dakota couldn’t hear anything but muffled conversation on the other end of the line.
“Sarah?”
Her friend came back on. “‘Sort of’? Or you really are?”
“I really am. I’m getting on a plane in about thirty seconds. That okay?”
“Are you kidding? Of course.” Sarah paused. “Wait a minute. Nigel just let you off work? In the middle of June?”
“I had vacation time.”
Another pause. “You broke up with Sean, didn’t you?”
Dakota handed her boarding pass to the flight attendant at the counter.
“Is that what happened, D?”
“Um…it’s a long story.”
“Are you okay?”
“I guess. I just—” Dakota’s voice broke. “I just needed to get away for a couple days.”
Sarah’s voice poured over her, warm and comforting. “Then you’re coming to the right place. Really. You’ll love it down here. And forget about that jerk. He’s not worth even ten minutes of tears.” She said something else that Dakota couldn’t make out. “I never liked him, anyway.”
“You never met him.”
“Whatever. I could tell. ‘No, he’s busy tonight.’ ‘No, he doesn’t stay over because he has to get up early and work out.’ ‘No, he’s still sorting out the details of his divorce.’”
“You don’t have to be cruel about it.”
Sarah’s voice softened. “Oh honey, I didn’t mean it. I just—listen, when you get here, we’ll party our brains out. You won’t even remember that guy in a few hours.”
That sounded perfect. “Good. I’ll call you when I land.”
“Where are you?”
“Philadelphia.”
“Already? You’ll be here…when? Couple hours?”
“My flight lands at two-thirty. But I can take a cab. Just give me your address, and I’ll—”
“You will not. I’ll pick you up at the airport.”
“I didn’t think you had a car.”
“Gunnar does.”
“Gunnar?”
“My hot downstairs neighbor. The one I told you about, like, two months ago. Do you ever listen to anything I tell you?”
And here's the moment Dakota and Ethan (our hero) first meet:
Someone whistled behind her, long and loud. Dakota turned. Ten feet away, ball propped on one hip, stood a stocky, redheaded guy. Thick freckles covered both arms like a tattoo. He winked and gave her a once-over. “Hey, good-lookin’.”
Dakota fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Hey yourself.”
Sarah tugged at her wrist. “Ignore him. He’s an ass. He’s here every weekend, hits on anything that walks by with boobs and a pulse.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Got room for two more in the game,” the guy called after them. “Or we’ll be over at Doc’s later. You should come by.”
Dakota cocked her head as she tried to think of a clever comeback. The guy jerked his chin in her direction and looked as though he was about to say something else when one of his friends jabbed a hand at the ball from behind. It spurted from his grasp and rolled away.
Dakota giggled.
“Hey!” The guy spun around, hands fisting.
She was about to follow Sarah when a basketball bounced near her feet. His? She wasn’t sure. It slowed as it hit the grass, but she kept on walking just in case.
“Can you get that?”
Dakota stopped at the voice. Still masculine, though different. Not the obnoxious rasp of the redhead. Soft-spoken, almost. Polite. Kind.
She squinted into the sun to see who it belonged to, and in that moment, the world tilted under her feet. A guy she hadn’t noticed before stood at the edge of the pavement: medium height, dark reddish-brown hair, flushed cheeks. His chest heaved as he panted with the effort of the game. He smiled, sort of a crooked grin that didn‘t make it to his eyes. Still, it worked its way under her skin, until she felt her cheeks burn. For God’s sake, stop staring at him. He’s just a guy. Ordinary. Not even that tall, or good-looking, or built. She reached down and picked up the ball, rough and rubbery under her fingers.
“Thanks.”
Dakota took a few steps in his direction. Now she could see the color of his eyes, a greenish shade that reminded her of the lake back home in early evening when the sun was right. They would make a girl stop and stare, she thought, a second before she saw the sadness coloring the pupils. Sadness and distance and—what else was that? She tried to read the other emotion there and failed. Maybe he wasn’t completely ordinary after all.
“No problem.” She bounced the ball over to him and he caught it on the second hop. Strong fingers, she thought, even as she told herself not to look.
He smiled again, wider this time, and something inside her lit up. “You visiting?”
“You can tell?”
“It’s your voice.”
“Oh.” She felt herself redden. “No accent?”
“A northern accent.”
“Yeah, well, I flew in today. Just staying with a friend for the weekend.” She put one hand on a hip, liking the sound of his voice. Wanting it to continue. Wanting him to come closer.
“That’s too bad.”
“That I’m staying with a friend?”
“That you’re only in town for the weekend. Memphis deserves a week or two, at least.” He studied her for a moment longer. Then one of his buddies yelled something and he glanced back at the court. “Well, have a good time while you’re here.”
“I’ll try.” Dakota dug her toes into the grass and watched the way his back flexed as he jogged away. She wondered if he would turn around. She waited. She willed him to.
He didn’t.
Now, go on over and read the Samhain excerpt (if you didn't already) and you'll see what's in store for these two a little bit later on.
Want to know more? The ebook is out on Tuesday!!
I forgot to mention that my excerpt for One Night in Memphis is up on my Samhain author page, so you can check it out if you want to.
But I thought today, since Release Day is only 2 days away, I'd whet your appetites with a couple of extra excerpts, just for my blog readers :)
Here's the first, the initial telephone conversation between Dakota (our heroine) and her best friend, Sarah:
“Dakota? Got your message. What’s up?”
She took another look at her watch. Five minutes to boarding. Terrific. Where the heck was Gate A14? She stopped at a map of the terminal and tried to make sense of the multi-colored arrows. “Um…are you busy this weekend?”
“Don’t think so. Why?”
Dakota dug her boarding pass out of her pocket. “I’m sort of on my way to Memphis.”
“What?” Sarah whooped, and for a minute Dakota couldn’t hear anything but muffled conversation on the other end of the line.
“Sarah?”
Her friend came back on. “‘Sort of’? Or you really are?”
“I really am. I’m getting on a plane in about thirty seconds. That okay?”
“Are you kidding? Of course.” Sarah paused. “Wait a minute. Nigel just let you off work? In the middle of June?”
“I had vacation time.”
Another pause. “You broke up with Sean, didn’t you?”
Dakota handed her boarding pass to the flight attendant at the counter.
“Is that what happened, D?”
“Um…it’s a long story.”
“Are you okay?”
“I guess. I just—” Dakota’s voice broke. “I just needed to get away for a couple days.”
Sarah’s voice poured over her, warm and comforting. “Then you’re coming to the right place. Really. You’ll love it down here. And forget about that jerk. He’s not worth even ten minutes of tears.” She said something else that Dakota couldn’t make out. “I never liked him, anyway.”
“You never met him.”
“Whatever. I could tell. ‘No, he’s busy tonight.’ ‘No, he doesn’t stay over because he has to get up early and work out.’ ‘No, he’s still sorting out the details of his divorce.’”
“You don’t have to be cruel about it.”
Sarah’s voice softened. “Oh honey, I didn’t mean it. I just—listen, when you get here, we’ll party our brains out. You won’t even remember that guy in a few hours.”
That sounded perfect. “Good. I’ll call you when I land.”
“Where are you?”
“Philadelphia.”
“Already? You’ll be here…when? Couple hours?”
“My flight lands at two-thirty. But I can take a cab. Just give me your address, and I’ll—”
“You will not. I’ll pick you up at the airport.”
“I didn’t think you had a car.”
“Gunnar does.”
“Gunnar?”
“My hot downstairs neighbor. The one I told you about, like, two months ago. Do you ever listen to anything I tell you?”
And here's the moment Dakota and Ethan (our hero) first meet:
Someone whistled behind her, long and loud. Dakota turned. Ten feet away, ball propped on one hip, stood a stocky, redheaded guy. Thick freckles covered both arms like a tattoo. He winked and gave her a once-over. “Hey, good-lookin’.”
Dakota fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Hey yourself.”
Sarah tugged at her wrist. “Ignore him. He’s an ass. He’s here every weekend, hits on anything that walks by with boobs and a pulse.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Got room for two more in the game,” the guy called after them. “Or we’ll be over at Doc’s later. You should come by.”
Dakota cocked her head as she tried to think of a clever comeback. The guy jerked his chin in her direction and looked as though he was about to say something else when one of his friends jabbed a hand at the ball from behind. It spurted from his grasp and rolled away.
Dakota giggled.
“Hey!” The guy spun around, hands fisting.
She was about to follow Sarah when a basketball bounced near her feet. His? She wasn’t sure. It slowed as it hit the grass, but she kept on walking just in case.
“Can you get that?”
Dakota stopped at the voice. Still masculine, though different. Not the obnoxious rasp of the redhead. Soft-spoken, almost. Polite. Kind.
She squinted into the sun to see who it belonged to, and in that moment, the world tilted under her feet. A guy she hadn’t noticed before stood at the edge of the pavement: medium height, dark reddish-brown hair, flushed cheeks. His chest heaved as he panted with the effort of the game. He smiled, sort of a crooked grin that didn‘t make it to his eyes. Still, it worked its way under her skin, until she felt her cheeks burn. For God’s sake, stop staring at him. He’s just a guy. Ordinary. Not even that tall, or good-looking, or built. She reached down and picked up the ball, rough and rubbery under her fingers.
“Thanks.”
Dakota took a few steps in his direction. Now she could see the color of his eyes, a greenish shade that reminded her of the lake back home in early evening when the sun was right. They would make a girl stop and stare, she thought, a second before she saw the sadness coloring the pupils. Sadness and distance and—what else was that? She tried to read the other emotion there and failed. Maybe he wasn’t completely ordinary after all.
“No problem.” She bounced the ball over to him and he caught it on the second hop. Strong fingers, she thought, even as she told herself not to look.
He smiled again, wider this time, and something inside her lit up. “You visiting?”
“You can tell?”
“It’s your voice.”
“Oh.” She felt herself redden. “No accent?”
“A northern accent.”
“Yeah, well, I flew in today. Just staying with a friend for the weekend.” She put one hand on a hip, liking the sound of his voice. Wanting it to continue. Wanting him to come closer.
“That’s too bad.”
“That I’m staying with a friend?”
“That you’re only in town for the weekend. Memphis deserves a week or two, at least.” He studied her for a moment longer. Then one of his buddies yelled something and he glanced back at the court. “Well, have a good time while you’re here.”
“I’ll try.” Dakota dug her toes into the grass and watched the way his back flexed as he jogged away. She wondered if he would turn around. She waited. She willed him to.
He didn’t.
Now, go on over and read the Samhain excerpt (if you didn't already) and you'll see what's in store for these two a little bit later on.
Want to know more? The ebook is out on Tuesday!!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Falling in Love Again
"Love doesn't just sit there like a stone; it has to be made - like bread, remade all the time, made new." ~Ursula LeGuin
Here's what happens on the good days: I look at a manuscript after putting it away for a while and fall in love with the story and the characters all over again. I finished the first draft of One Night in Napa about 6 weeks ago and haven't looked at it since. Two days ago, I opened the file and started revising from Chapter One.
And I still really like it. I like my main characters. I like the minor ones, too. I like the storyline. About the only thing I don't like right now is the fact that I need to add about 14,000 words to get it to a marketable length (I'm aiming for 70K, for a mainstream publisher, though Samhain will take 60K and I'll send it to my editor there if no one else bites).
But despite that little (or not so little) glitch, I actually find myself looking forward to revising the novel each day. That doesn't always happen, believe me - sometimes it's much more of a struggle!
My goal is to have the story fully revised by the end of August. We'll see...
***
Oh, and the latest trailer I made:
Here's what happens on the good days: I look at a manuscript after putting it away for a while and fall in love with the story and the characters all over again. I finished the first draft of One Night in Napa about 6 weeks ago and haven't looked at it since. Two days ago, I opened the file and started revising from Chapter One.
And I still really like it. I like my main characters. I like the minor ones, too. I like the storyline. About the only thing I don't like right now is the fact that I need to add about 14,000 words to get it to a marketable length (I'm aiming for 70K, for a mainstream publisher, though Samhain will take 60K and I'll send it to my editor there if no one else bites).
But despite that little (or not so little) glitch, I actually find myself looking forward to revising the novel each day. That doesn't always happen, believe me - sometimes it's much more of a struggle!
My goal is to have the story fully revised by the end of August. We'll see...
***
Oh, and the latest trailer I made:
Friday, July 04, 2008
Happy Friday!
"As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality." ~George Washington
First off, a big shout-out today to my writing friend (in real life ~ not in cyber-world!) Liz, who just won an honorable mention in the LASR Short Story contest. It will be posted on their site in August, so I'll make sure to have the link so you can read it then. Until then, give her a big congrats here, OK? She's a regular blog reader :)
And second, Happy Fourth of July!
First off, a big shout-out today to my writing friend (in real life ~ not in cyber-world!) Liz, who just won an honorable mention in the LASR Short Story contest. It will be posted on their site in August, so I'll make sure to have the link so you can read it then. Until then, give her a big congrats here, OK? She's a regular blog reader :)
And second, Happy Fourth of July!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
My 10K Challenge
"If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk." ~Raymond Inmon
A non-writing-related post today:
This summer vacation, I decided to challenge myself to walking/running/covering 10,000 steps each day. This is inspired partly by Dru, who posts her steps each day, and partly by the fact that I'd like to conserve my driving and gasoline comsumption over the next couple of months. I live 2 miles from the closest small town, so yesterday I walked into town to mail some things and run a couple of errands. I'll do that a couple of times a week. And I plan on getting myself a helmet and actually riding my bike more than I ever have before.
I'll tell you, though, while 10,000 steps isn't really insurmountable, it definitely takes intention to get them all in! Yesterday I was running around all morning (putting up our pool...a story for another time), then did a bunch of errands, then went to an aerobics class at the gym, and I was still only at 8500 when I came home. So a few rounds around our property watering the flowerbeds and weeding took care of that.
10,000 steps a day...I'd challenge anyone out there to try it, even for a few days. Pedometers cost less than $10 - clip one on your belt and give it a whirl. You might be interested how many steps you do - or don't - take in the course of a day. There are a ton of articles out there about working up toward it - here's one. There are even sites where you can keep track of your daily steps. I don't keep track of my steps once I pass 10,000, though (I take off the pedometer and toss it on my bathroom counter 'til the next day :)
If any of you already keep track of your steps, how many do you average each day? And how do you manage to get them all in?
A non-writing-related post today:
This summer vacation, I decided to challenge myself to walking/running/covering 10,000 steps each day. This is inspired partly by Dru, who posts her steps each day, and partly by the fact that I'd like to conserve my driving and gasoline comsumption over the next couple of months. I live 2 miles from the closest small town, so yesterday I walked into town to mail some things and run a couple of errands. I'll do that a couple of times a week. And I plan on getting myself a helmet and actually riding my bike more than I ever have before.
I'll tell you, though, while 10,000 steps isn't really insurmountable, it definitely takes intention to get them all in! Yesterday I was running around all morning (putting up our pool...a story for another time), then did a bunch of errands, then went to an aerobics class at the gym, and I was still only at 8500 when I came home. So a few rounds around our property watering the flowerbeds and weeding took care of that.
10,000 steps a day...I'd challenge anyone out there to try it, even for a few days. Pedometers cost less than $10 - clip one on your belt and give it a whirl. You might be interested how many steps you do - or don't - take in the course of a day. There are a ton of articles out there about working up toward it - here's one. There are even sites where you can keep track of your daily steps. I don't keep track of my steps once I pass 10,000, though (I take off the pedometer and toss it on my bathroom counter 'til the next day :)
If any of you already keep track of your steps, how many do you average each day? And how do you manage to get them all in?
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Dana Marie Bell
Welcome to another edition of Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm chatting with paranormal romance author Dana Marie Bell. Enjoy - and remember, each comment you leave today counts toward my drawing this week...so let's hear from you!
Hi Dana, and welcome! Can you tell us a little about your background?
When I lived in Philadelphia I went to CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts High School). But my parents moved and decided I'd do better in a Catholic high school. (Can't you just hear the Psycho shower scene music?) I kept telling them that torture was against the law, but they just shook their heads and pointed to the bus stop.
I met my husband during my brief stay in college. I met him in February, and in April I told my dad that I'd found the man I was going to marry. We started dating in August, and we'd moved in together by October. I'd call it a whirlwind romance, except it took us seven years to finally get married. Now I'm a thirty-nine year old mother of two boys who keep me on my toes. I've been with my husband for seventeen years, and everyone who knows us thinks we're still disgustingly cute together. I write paranormal romances, though I've been known to pen contemporary romances or the occasional fantasy story. I love weres, vampires, mages and things that go bump in the night.
What a great story of true love! So when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?
My grandparents had a small beach house in Wildwood, NJ. I remember coming home from the beach with this story running around in my head and asked them for pen and paper to write it down. On a bed in the guest room I wrote my first short story. I've been writing ever since.
Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.
The Wallflower is a novella that's part of Samhain Publishing's Cat Shifter Anthologies. It's also my first published work, and I'm really proud of it. It's about a woman named Emma who's dreamed of Max, her high school crush, for years. When Max comes home, it turns out he's been hiding a secret: he's a werepuma. And he's not just any werepuma, but the Alpha of the pride. He realizes Emma is his mate and marks her as his, but his ex is anything but happy over it. Emma has to prove to the pride that she has the strength to be the Alpha's mate as well as deal with a jealous ex who is hell bent on taking her position not only as Curana but as Max's lover.
To me it's a great story. I got my husband to read it, and I consider it a triumph that I actually got him to laugh out loud in at least two places.
Sounds intriguing! How do you go about developing your characters?
Develop? You're assuming I have control over them! In The Wallflower the main characters decided to have a fight in the middle of a scene where no fight had been plotted. They poked at me and hit me over the head with blunt objects until I agreed to let them hash it out. Turns out it worked, and they've been taunting me in a "we were right and you were wrong" sort of way ever since.
To me it's like I'm watching a movie, and my job is to put down on paper what I'm seeing in my mind. It doesn't always work out the way I planned, and the characters aren't always quite what I had in mind, but I'm usually pleased with the end result.
OK, what kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?
Wait. I have to pick one? Only one? What about one for each genre and/or sub-genre? Can I get away with that?
I love sci/fi, fantasy, romance, paranormal, horror, mystery; I even read true crime stories. My husband and I own over two thousand books. We bought a house with enough rooms in it that we could have our own personal library just to house all of them. (My husband put the romances on a wall by themselves so the other books won't "catch their cooties".) My favorites? Sheri L. King, Lora Leigh, Mary Janice Davidson, Patricia Briggs, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Lois McMaster Bujold, Ann Bishop, Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, Steve Miller and Sharon Lee, Terry Pratchett, Lauren Dane… the list goes on and on. A friend of mine has a t-shirt that reads, "First I buy books. When I'm done buying books, I buy food and clothing." We're not quite that bad, but we're close.
Ah, I love that quote! And speaking of which, how do you balance writing with the rest of your life?
Each day is different. Some days, I can't stay on that tightrope. My toddler needs me, or my older boy is home sick from school and needs me, or I'm sick and need me, lol! Other days I can walk that tightrope on my hands while juggling six different things with my feet. A positive attitude helps, along with boatloads of caffeine and a Wiggles marathon.
I'm sure many of my readers will agree with you on that one! Can you describe your writing space for us?
There is a small black cat on top of my computer. His name is Gremlin, and he is evil, in a cute cat way. He likes to bat at my cursor in the middle of love scenes. (I kid you not. I made up an icanhascheezburger-type picture with the caption "Editor kitteh shows u wat u doin wrong" and posted it on my blog.) I have books piled up, music disks, files, and other assorted stuff that's likely to fall on my head if anyone sneezes too hard. Oh, and a desk lamp to light my way under the rubble, maybe alert the rescue team as to where I'm buried.
Dana, thanks so much for being here today. Readers are welcome to stop by her website and see what's up with her latest writing adventures!
Hi Dana, and welcome! Can you tell us a little about your background?
When I lived in Philadelphia I went to CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts High School). But my parents moved and decided I'd do better in a Catholic high school. (Can't you just hear the Psycho shower scene music?) I kept telling them that torture was against the law, but they just shook their heads and pointed to the bus stop.
I met my husband during my brief stay in college. I met him in February, and in April I told my dad that I'd found the man I was going to marry. We started dating in August, and we'd moved in together by October. I'd call it a whirlwind romance, except it took us seven years to finally get married. Now I'm a thirty-nine year old mother of two boys who keep me on my toes. I've been with my husband for seventeen years, and everyone who knows us thinks we're still disgustingly cute together. I write paranormal romances, though I've been known to pen contemporary romances or the occasional fantasy story. I love weres, vampires, mages and things that go bump in the night.
What a great story of true love! So when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?
My grandparents had a small beach house in Wildwood, NJ. I remember coming home from the beach with this story running around in my head and asked them for pen and paper to write it down. On a bed in the guest room I wrote my first short story. I've been writing ever since.
Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.
The Wallflower is a novella that's part of Samhain Publishing's Cat Shifter Anthologies. It's also my first published work, and I'm really proud of it. It's about a woman named Emma who's dreamed of Max, her high school crush, for years. When Max comes home, it turns out he's been hiding a secret: he's a werepuma. And he's not just any werepuma, but the Alpha of the pride. He realizes Emma is his mate and marks her as his, but his ex is anything but happy over it. Emma has to prove to the pride that she has the strength to be the Alpha's mate as well as deal with a jealous ex who is hell bent on taking her position not only as Curana but as Max's lover.
To me it's a great story. I got my husband to read it, and I consider it a triumph that I actually got him to laugh out loud in at least two places.
Sounds intriguing! How do you go about developing your characters?
Develop? You're assuming I have control over them! In The Wallflower the main characters decided to have a fight in the middle of a scene where no fight had been plotted. They poked at me and hit me over the head with blunt objects until I agreed to let them hash it out. Turns out it worked, and they've been taunting me in a "we were right and you were wrong" sort of way ever since.
To me it's like I'm watching a movie, and my job is to put down on paper what I'm seeing in my mind. It doesn't always work out the way I planned, and the characters aren't always quite what I had in mind, but I'm usually pleased with the end result.
OK, what kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?
Wait. I have to pick one? Only one? What about one for each genre and/or sub-genre? Can I get away with that?
I love sci/fi, fantasy, romance, paranormal, horror, mystery; I even read true crime stories. My husband and I own over two thousand books. We bought a house with enough rooms in it that we could have our own personal library just to house all of them. (My husband put the romances on a wall by themselves so the other books won't "catch their cooties".) My favorites? Sheri L. King, Lora Leigh, Mary Janice Davidson, Patricia Briggs, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Lois McMaster Bujold, Ann Bishop, Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, Steve Miller and Sharon Lee, Terry Pratchett, Lauren Dane… the list goes on and on. A friend of mine has a t-shirt that reads, "First I buy books. When I'm done buying books, I buy food and clothing." We're not quite that bad, but we're close.
Ah, I love that quote! And speaking of which, how do you balance writing with the rest of your life?
Each day is different. Some days, I can't stay on that tightrope. My toddler needs me, or my older boy is home sick from school and needs me, or I'm sick and need me, lol! Other days I can walk that tightrope on my hands while juggling six different things with my feet. A positive attitude helps, along with boatloads of caffeine and a Wiggles marathon.
I'm sure many of my readers will agree with you on that one! Can you describe your writing space for us?
There is a small black cat on top of my computer. His name is Gremlin, and he is evil, in a cute cat way. He likes to bat at my cursor in the middle of love scenes. (I kid you not. I made up an icanhascheezburger-type picture with the caption "Editor kitteh shows u wat u doin wrong" and posted it on my blog.) I have books piled up, music disks, files, and other assorted stuff that's likely to fall on my head if anyone sneezes too hard. Oh, and a desk lamp to light my way under the rubble, maybe alert the rescue team as to where I'm buried.
Dana, thanks so much for being here today. Readers are welcome to stop by her website and see what's up with her latest writing adventures!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Contest - One Week Only!!
Happy July, everyone!
To celebrate the one-week countdown to the release of my novel One Night in Memphis, I'm holding a really easy, really straightforward contest. Every time you leave a comment on my blog between now and next Tuesday - July 8 - your name will be entered into a drawing to win a free download of One Night in Memphis! To sweeten the deal, I'll throw in an autographed copy of either one of my print novels, Lost in Paradise or One Night in Boston, OR your choice of a novel from my read-and-to-be-given-away bookshelf. Oh, and chocolate, of course. No contest is complete without the sweet stuff, in my opinion.
So comment away for the next 7 days, and up your chances of winning!
And here's a video I had to mention, 'cause it's just so funny. (I can't figure out how to embed it here, so just visit this fellow author's blog and take a peek. It's hilarious...)
To celebrate the one-week countdown to the release of my novel One Night in Memphis, I'm holding a really easy, really straightforward contest. Every time you leave a comment on my blog between now and next Tuesday - July 8 - your name will be entered into a drawing to win a free download of One Night in Memphis! To sweeten the deal, I'll throw in an autographed copy of either one of my print novels, Lost in Paradise or One Night in Boston, OR your choice of a novel from my read-and-to-be-given-away bookshelf. Oh, and chocolate, of course. No contest is complete without the sweet stuff, in my opinion.
So comment away for the next 7 days, and up your chances of winning!
And here's a video I had to mention, 'cause it's just so funny. (I can't figure out how to embed it here, so just visit this fellow author's blog and take a peek. It's hilarious...)
Monday, June 30, 2008
Summer Plans
"Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing "Embraceable You" in spats." ~Woody Allen
Ah, the first Monday morning I'm not up before dawn and rushing out the door to school...kind of a nice thing :)
Goals for today? First and most important, go through FLEs for One Night in Memphis and return them to my editor. FLE stands for Final Line Edits, and it's one of the last steps before your book gets sent to the printer (or the electronic-file world, in the case of ebooks, I suppose). It's basically the proofreading step - an editor other than your regular one goes through the manuscript with a fine-toothed comb to find any errors the two of you might have missed. My editor said there were only a couple (I haven't opened the file yet...), so I hope it will be a quick read-through. And she's so sweet: she added, "The FLE LOVED your story, by the way!"
After next Tuesday, it's out in the world...wonder how the reviews will be? (Note to self: remember to apply skin-toughening cream over the next few days...)
After that, I suppose I could tackle the list of summer chores and projects that's now hanging in the kitchen. Dru asked the other day if I had summer plans beyond book promotions - well, we're taking a week's vacation to the Outer Banks with a group of friends in August, and we're going to a couple of concerts at Bethel Woods, but other than that, no big plans. Price of gas is keeping us pretty close to home!
What about you?
Ah, the first Monday morning I'm not up before dawn and rushing out the door to school...kind of a nice thing :)
Goals for today? First and most important, go through FLEs for One Night in Memphis and return them to my editor. FLE stands for Final Line Edits, and it's one of the last steps before your book gets sent to the printer (or the electronic-file world, in the case of ebooks, I suppose). It's basically the proofreading step - an editor other than your regular one goes through the manuscript with a fine-toothed comb to find any errors the two of you might have missed. My editor said there were only a couple (I haven't opened the file yet...), so I hope it will be a quick read-through. And she's so sweet: she added, "The FLE LOVED your story, by the way!"
After next Tuesday, it's out in the world...wonder how the reviews will be? (Note to self: remember to apply skin-toughening cream over the next few days...)
After that, I suppose I could tackle the list of summer chores and projects that's now hanging in the kitchen. Dru asked the other day if I had summer plans beyond book promotions - well, we're taking a week's vacation to the Outer Banks with a group of friends in August, and we're going to a couple of concerts at Bethel Woods, but other than that, no big plans. Price of gas is keeping us pretty close to home!
What about you?
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Why I'm Not Crazy About "Twilight"
"Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands. 'Be very still,' he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen. Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of my throat." ~from Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
OK, it's a huge best-seller. Teenage girls have read the entire trilogy multiple times. The fourth book, to be released this August, has bookstores across the country holding midnight parties a la Harry Potter.
My students fell in love with Twilight by Stephenie Meyer this year, so I eagerly picked it up a few weeks ago to find out why.
300 pages into it, I'm still wondering.
I know some of my blog readers have read and enjoyed this book, and I know most of you aren't teenage girls, so I'm curious to know what the big draw is.
Storyline: awkward teen Bella moves to a small town and finds herself inexplicably drawn to Edward, a perfect/ godlike/ beautiful/ dangerous "bad boy" sort of hero in school. The problem? Edward's a vampire.
My problem with this book? The first half is incredibly slow, a day-by-day account of what Bella wears to school, who she sits with in lunch, how she finds Edward so amazingly gorgeous she can hardly breathe when he's around...By the middle there is marginally more action, but I'm somewhere around page 350 and there's still not a whole lot going on.
My bigger concern, though, is the way the two main characters are developed. Bella is 15, plain and clumsy according to her own accounts...yet within the first month of school 4 boys ask her out. There's a whole lot of "poor me" whining on her part that drives me up a wall. Not only that, but her insecurity makes my teeth ache. She mentions how beautiful/gorgeous/breath-taking/perfect Edward is on at least every other page. OK, I get the teenage fascination with a good-looking bad boy who's out of one's league. But I get angry when an author reinforces the idea that a plain girl who's shy and not terribly graceful is not possibly worthy of someone with good looks. Bella is absolutely submissive to the mere idea of Edward, and her world revolves around the moments he looks at her.
And Edward, by the way, is not really a nice guy for the first half of the book. Here's the thing: if you're going to give me a hero, you better make sure I like something about him early on, despite his flaws. But Edward is rude, smirks (I'd like to count how many times the author uses that verb to describe his actions), and makes fun of Bella and other kids in the school. So when my students say, with great heaving sighs, "I want a guy like Edward," it pisses me off. Why are we still raising a generation of girls who think that it's OK for a physically gorgeous, unattainable guy to be emotionally manipulative? For a girl to throw away plans with friends and lie to her father for the mere chance of spending time with a good-looking guy who at one moment is kind and the next moment is incredibly distant and rude?
My students say, "Yes, but Edward's only keeping her at a distance to protect her...so he won't eat her. And he saves her life!" Yes, he does, more than once. He rescues her from being crushed by a careening truck and then later from being assaulted by a group of unsavory older men. For those reasons alone, I am finishing the book and reserving judgement, to see if Edward turns out to be a hero worth admiring. But I won't be running out to pick up the next book in the series.
I'd love to hear from anyone who's read Twilight and honestly enjoyed it from start to finish. Please tell me if I'm way off base here...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Great Agent Search
"Forbidden pleasures alone are loved immoderately; when lawful, they do not excite desire." ~Marcus Fabius Quintilian
Check out my lovely author page at The Long and the Short of It ~ don't they do a nice job?
***
I have begun the agent search for Summer's Song...we'll see how it goes. I read an interview with Gena Showalter the other day & she queried agents every time she finished a novel, for the first 7 she wrote. On the 7th she finally got representation!
So I'm sending out letters to test the waters...I've queried 19 agents and so far received 3 requests for sample chapters and one "no thanks." The nice thing is that I'm happy with Samhain, so if I don't get any bites on this novel, I'll keep writing and submitting to them. I like Summer's Song, don't get me wrong, but my fear is that it isn't "different" enough. Every agent's looking for the next totally original break-out novel, and I don't know in my gut that mine is it.
I do, however, have a story idea that I've been playing around with for the last few weeks. It involves different kinds of forbidden love, a ghost, and a mysterious death - and it was inspired by this piece of real-life news. If I tackle it, it will be different than anything else I've written. I just have to get up the energy!
Check out my lovely author page at The Long and the Short of It ~ don't they do a nice job?
***
I have begun the agent search for Summer's Song...we'll see how it goes. I read an interview with Gena Showalter the other day & she queried agents every time she finished a novel, for the first 7 she wrote. On the 7th she finally got representation!
So I'm sending out letters to test the waters...I've queried 19 agents and so far received 3 requests for sample chapters and one "no thanks." The nice thing is that I'm happy with Samhain, so if I don't get any bites on this novel, I'll keep writing and submitting to them. I like Summer's Song, don't get me wrong, but my fear is that it isn't "different" enough. Every agent's looking for the next totally original break-out novel, and I don't know in my gut that mine is it.
I do, however, have a story idea that I've been playing around with for the last few weeks. It involves different kinds of forbidden love, a ghost, and a mysterious death - and it was inspired by this piece of real-life news. If I tackle it, it will be different than anything else I've written. I just have to get up the energy!
Friday, June 27, 2008
TGIF: For Extra-Special Reasons, Today!
"I learned just enough in school to figure out that everything is not all there is to know." ~Anonymous
Yesterday one of my colleagues (who came to my launch party and bought Lost in Paradise) said, "I'm so glad that when I'm reading your book, I'm not thinking about you." Pause. "That's supposed to be a compliment." I laughed and said I got it - the heroine is not me and doesn't in any way remind her of me. And yeah, I took it as a compliment :)
***
Appetizer
What is the weather like today where you live?
Hot and humid - I feel sorry for all the schools that are holding their HS graduations today.
Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?
Around a 9, I'd say ~ yesterday's post pretty much explains why.
Salad
What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?
Blinds in most rooms, that sorely need replacement (it's one of the things we haven't touched yet, after moving into this house 3 years ago).
Main Course
Name something that instantly cheers you up.
Either of my cats climbing into my lap and loving me :)
Dessert
How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?
Once - more than that and I'm running late...
***
Last day of school before summer vacation! Woo Hoo!!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Pomp and Circumstance
"I hope your dreams take you... to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known." ~Anonymous
Last night our school held its annual graduation ceremony...always an overwhelming event. First of all, we graduate about 700 students each year. Miracle of miracles, it only lasts about 90 minutes (yes, really!) and every student gets to walk across the stage and have his/her name read. No speeches, and only 4 big awards given out.
So it doesn't last long.
But it's always a little emotional for me. Once you get past the arriving-two-hours-early-only-to-stand-outside-in-the-sweltering-heat element, and the packed-into-tiny-rows-of-chairs-like-sardines element, it's quite a nice evening.
Really, it is.
I'm caught between being so thrilled to see them graduate and being sad to see them go. Last night's class also managed to add to the mix by giving me a gorgeous and completely thoughtful gift. It's a good thing I was wearing sunglasses when they gave it to me so they couldn't see me tear up (was not going to cry! had spent a good 10 minutes doing my makeup).
And so the end of June always finds me in a melancholy sort of mood. We teachers spend so much time during the year trying to shape our classes, trying to help students learn the curriculum and manage behavior and keep up with grading and in the midst of it all try to form relationships that will help support them as they find their way into the world after they leave us...
It's exhausting.
And then often they tell us, that of all the things we hope they'll remember, they recall something different altogether. They watch us so closely - they see how we live our lives. They catch us in both our strong and our weak moments, and I think they learn more from watching how we carry ourselves, how we interact with others, how we make decisions and deal with adversity, than many of us realize.
My classroom is empty today, and my heart is sad.
Last night our school held its annual graduation ceremony...always an overwhelming event. First of all, we graduate about 700 students each year. Miracle of miracles, it only lasts about 90 minutes (yes, really!) and every student gets to walk across the stage and have his/her name read. No speeches, and only 4 big awards given out.
So it doesn't last long.
But it's always a little emotional for me. Once you get past the arriving-two-hours-early-only-to-stand-outside-in-the-sweltering-heat element, and the packed-into-tiny-rows-of-chairs-like-sardines element, it's quite a nice evening.
Really, it is.
I'm caught between being so thrilled to see them graduate and being sad to see them go. Last night's class also managed to add to the mix by giving me a gorgeous and completely thoughtful gift. It's a good thing I was wearing sunglasses when they gave it to me so they couldn't see me tear up (was not going to cry! had spent a good 10 minutes doing my makeup).
And so the end of June always finds me in a melancholy sort of mood. We teachers spend so much time during the year trying to shape our classes, trying to help students learn the curriculum and manage behavior and keep up with grading and in the midst of it all try to form relationships that will help support them as they find their way into the world after they leave us...
It's exhausting.
And then often they tell us, that of all the things we hope they'll remember, they recall something different altogether. They watch us so closely - they see how we live our lives. They catch us in both our strong and our weak moments, and I think they learn more from watching how we carry ourselves, how we interact with others, how we make decisions and deal with adversity, than many of us realize.
My classroom is empty today, and my heart is sad.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Tricia Jones
Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm talking with fellow Samhain author Tricia Jones. Sit back and enjoy!
Tricia, thanks for being here today. When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?
Although I’ve always made up stories in my head, for years the day job in adult education took up most of my energy. Then in 2000 I had one of those milestone birthdays and asked myself “if not now, when?” That’s when I started to write seriously for publication. I finaled in a couple of contests and that spurred me on to start submitting.
That's terrific - tell us about your latest writing project or published title.
Satin Lies, my latest contemporary romance, was released by Samhain Publishing on 3 June. The setting for Satin Lies is romantic Tuscany, one of my favorite places. It's a story about a woman who tries to protect the man she loves and ends up alienating him. Pregnant, she enters into a marriage of convenience with his brother. But when, years later, an accident claims her husband and leaves her with temporary amnesia, she is forced to confront the past and suffer the consequences of her deception as her former lover takes his revenge.
My first Samhain title, His Convenient Affair, was released in print just yesterday, so it’s been a pretty exciting month.
Wonderful news ~ congratulations! So how do you go about developing your characters?
First I get the germ of an idea for a story and the characters come from that. The characters develop as I write the first draft, by the end of which I know them pretty well. The second draft is when I really flesh them out. At a seminar, years ago, the speaker said that the creation of the characters should always come first and the plot should centre around them. That never seemed to work for me. I just couldn’t figure out how to “get” the characters first and then develop a plot for them. It just didn’t flow right. It took me a long while to trust my own process, thinking I was doing something fundamentally wrong. Now I go with what works for me.
What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?
Believe in yourself – first, last and always. Listen to the more experienced writers and take advice, but learn to trust your own instincts and do what works for you.
Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?
Not sure I’d call it writer’s block but I do stall from time to time. Those days when things just won’t happen no matter how hard you try. What works for me is taking time to do other things—physical stuff like gardening or even, heaven forbid, that pile of ironing that’s been waiting forever. It’s amazing how many times I’ve gotten unstuck while negotiating a particularly difficult drain that needs unblocking, or a stubborn weed that refuses to be pulled.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book(s)?
That sometimes you just have to trust the process. While I always have the theme, the black moment and the ending in mind when I start a book, I’m basically a seat of the pants writer and don’t always know where I’m going when I sit down to write. That can be scary, especially when the ideas don’t flow, but if you just keep writing magical things often happen. A book my editor is considering right now started out from a very specific idea, but somehow in the middle it morphed into something completely different and, I hope, better. I don’t begin to know how this works, but someone once said that life’s “magical” processes should never be questioned, just accepted. As long as the words keep flowing, I’m more than happy to go along with that...
Anything else you’d like to mention?
Just to say thank you for having me here today, Allie.
You're welcome! Readers, help Tricia celebrate her awesome release month by visiting her website and her blog, and make to check out her books, too!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A Contest! And What Happens When You Google Yourself
"The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom." ~Jon Stewart
I almost forgot to mention that The Wild Rose Press is hosting a contest, all summer long...and the grand prize is a SONY E-Reader! The fun part is that it involves reading some of their authors' works - so here's the link, if you'd like to enter. Great prize!
***
Have you ever Googled yourself? I read somewhere that 30% of us (or so) have. I was surprised...I thought that number was low. (But maybe I'm just overly curious or narcissistic). Anyway, I Google my pen name every few months to see what turns up. Usually, it's just what I expect, the various places my books are listed or sites where I've blogged or commented. But the other day, I was surprised by two of the search results I found. Apparently, One Night in Boston is for sale on Ebay. I'm not sure that's a good thing, but maybe any exposure is good exposure?
The other link I found was cool: a university library in Iowa offers a continuing ed. course in popular fiction/romance, and my article on the changing genre is one of the links in their course! I thought that was pretty neat...
***
Go on, do it. You know you want to Google yourself now...
I almost forgot to mention that The Wild Rose Press is hosting a contest, all summer long...and the grand prize is a SONY E-Reader! The fun part is that it involves reading some of their authors' works - so here's the link, if you'd like to enter. Great prize!
***
Have you ever Googled yourself? I read somewhere that 30% of us (or so) have. I was surprised...I thought that number was low. (But maybe I'm just overly curious or narcissistic). Anyway, I Google my pen name every few months to see what turns up. Usually, it's just what I expect, the various places my books are listed or sites where I've blogged or commented. But the other day, I was surprised by two of the search results I found. Apparently, One Night in Boston is for sale on Ebay. I'm not sure that's a good thing, but maybe any exposure is good exposure?
The other link I found was cool: a university library in Iowa offers a continuing ed. course in popular fiction/romance, and my article on the changing genre is one of the links in their course! I thought that was pretty neat...
***
Go on, do it. You know you want to Google yourself now...
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sales Numbers
"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." ~Pablo Picasso
I finally joined the world of 2008 and bought a laptop yesterday, complete with a wireless router so I can actually sit anywhere in my house and connect to the Internet. While I thought this would be a plus (so hubby and I don't have to negotiate time on our desktop), I can see how it can also EASILY become a huge distraction...I can't force myself to just write when with one little click I can be online. Hmm. Must find way to control the urge to surf while I should be turning out pages instead.
Now, to clarify yesterday's blog post, yes, I know that 49 book sales in one afternoon is a lot, and I know I'm a lucky girl to have so many friends and family turn out to support my habit (ahem...writing habit, that is...). I certainly don't anticipate those kind of sales anywhere else I'm going this summer. Hey, I've sat in enough Borders the last few months to know even one sale is good! If you're an author preparing for any kind of appearance, I would just advise to keep an open mind - you really can never tell who will show up or who will want to buy a book. Expect no one to buy anything at all, and you'll be pleasantly surprised if they do.
Finally, help me welcome a new author to blogger land: Dayana Knight, who writes paranormal romance and has a series coming out shortly. Stop by her blog and tell her hello!
I finally joined the world of 2008 and bought a laptop yesterday, complete with a wireless router so I can actually sit anywhere in my house and connect to the Internet. While I thought this would be a plus (so hubby and I don't have to negotiate time on our desktop), I can see how it can also EASILY become a huge distraction...I can't force myself to just write when with one little click I can be online. Hmm. Must find way to control the urge to surf while I should be turning out pages instead.
Now, to clarify yesterday's blog post, yes, I know that 49 book sales in one afternoon is a lot, and I know I'm a lucky girl to have so many friends and family turn out to support my habit (ahem...writing habit, that is...). I certainly don't anticipate those kind of sales anywhere else I'm going this summer. Hey, I've sat in enough Borders the last few months to know even one sale is good! If you're an author preparing for any kind of appearance, I would just advise to keep an open mind - you really can never tell who will show up or who will want to buy a book. Expect no one to buy anything at all, and you'll be pleasantly surprised if they do.
Finally, help me welcome a new author to blogger land: Dayana Knight, who writes paranormal romance and has a series coming out shortly. Stop by her blog and tell her hello!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
A Beautiful Day for a Book Launch
"What is the disease which manifests itself in an inability to leave a party—any party at all—until it is all over and the lights are being put out?... I suppose that part of this mania for staying is due to a fear that, if I go, something good will happen and I’ll miss it. Somebody might do card tricks, or shoot somebody else." - Robert Benchley
OK, I lied. I do not have any pictures to share from yesterday's book launch party.
This is primarily because I forgot make sure I had my camera in my purse before I left - add that to the list of things I would change for next time.
Overall, though, it was a rousing success! Beautiful weather, first of all - 80 degrees and sunny all day long. This was nice because the library/resource center where it was held is oh so tiny, so the little front lawn with the extra picnic table was a nice place for people to hang out and chat.
I had lots of munchies and beverages - too much, probably, 'cause now I have lots of leftovers. However, I did discover a scrumptious punch recipe online that got rave reviews (a few people wrote down the recipe before they left the party!). It's down at the bottom of this post, if you're interested.
Most of my guests were family and friends, with a couple locals from the community who dropped in to visit. All in all, I sold 49 books - not too shabby!
What would I do differently next time?
1. Arrive earlier to set up. I didn't leave myself enough time.
2. Remember to eat. In a very weird way, it felt a little like my wedding reception: I was so busy chatting with people that I didn't have a thing to eat or drink all day. Translation: massive headache when it was all over.
3. Have a sign with the book prices. This wasn't crucial, but it would have prevented me from repeating myself 49 times.
Otherwise, for the time and money I spent on 3 hours of one afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. And I like that every time I do an event, I learn more about my own marketing strategies and things that work/don't work.
On to the next one!
***
"Angel Punch"
One 12-oz container frozen pink lemonade
20-oz bag frozen strawberries
2 cups water
1 quart vanilla ice cream
2 cups lemon-lime soda
Combine half of all ingredients EXCEPT the soda. Blend in blender until smooth. Transfer to serving dish and repeat with the other half of ingredients. Chill until time to serve, then pour soda over the top.
Really, it was DELICIOUS - everyone loved it~
OK, I lied. I do not have any pictures to share from yesterday's book launch party.
This is primarily because I forgot make sure I had my camera in my purse before I left - add that to the list of things I would change for next time.
Overall, though, it was a rousing success! Beautiful weather, first of all - 80 degrees and sunny all day long. This was nice because the library/resource center where it was held is oh so tiny, so the little front lawn with the extra picnic table was a nice place for people to hang out and chat.
I had lots of munchies and beverages - too much, probably, 'cause now I have lots of leftovers. However, I did discover a scrumptious punch recipe online that got rave reviews (a few people wrote down the recipe before they left the party!). It's down at the bottom of this post, if you're interested.
Most of my guests were family and friends, with a couple locals from the community who dropped in to visit. All in all, I sold 49 books - not too shabby!
What would I do differently next time?
1. Arrive earlier to set up. I didn't leave myself enough time.
2. Remember to eat. In a very weird way, it felt a little like my wedding reception: I was so busy chatting with people that I didn't have a thing to eat or drink all day. Translation: massive headache when it was all over.
3. Have a sign with the book prices. This wasn't crucial, but it would have prevented me from repeating myself 49 times.
Otherwise, for the time and money I spent on 3 hours of one afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. And I like that every time I do an event, I learn more about my own marketing strategies and things that work/don't work.
On to the next one!
***
"Angel Punch"
One 12-oz container frozen pink lemonade
20-oz bag frozen strawberries
2 cups water
1 quart vanilla ice cream
2 cups lemon-lime soda
Combine half of all ingredients EXCEPT the soda. Blend in blender until smooth. Transfer to serving dish and repeat with the other half of ingredients. Chill until time to serve, then pour soda over the top.
Really, it was DELICIOUS - everyone loved it~
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Lake House
"Even though this is clearly impossible, it's amazing." ~from "The Lake House"
This is a terrifically romantic movie, if you haven't seen it (I watched it last night...for the 3rd time...). Go rent it!
I'm off to my launch party ~ pics here tomorrow!
This is a terrifically romantic movie, if you haven't seen it (I watched it last night...for the 3rd time...). Go rent it!
I'm off to my launch party ~ pics here tomorrow!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Who Cares What the Reviewers Say?
"A writer should be joyous, an optimist... Anything that implies rejection of life is wrong for a writer." ~George Gribbin
These are the *real* reviews I like:
"You have amazing characters, gripping plots, a fantastic vocabulary, and fresh comparisons. I just had to drop you a note to let you know. I'm looking forward to your third book." ~ my good friend Jenny, a high school English dept. chair out in Ohio that I worked with years ago in a community college writing center. (Those words coming from a fellow English teacher mean A LOT.)
"I just finished One Night in Boston and found it engrossing and enjoyable." ~ my 81-year old aunt, God bless her.
And guess what? Sneak preview at some exciting news coming this summer...
Marianne and Ceri and I might be doing a Samhain author signing at a library or two in New Hampshire! Actually, I don't care about the signing or selling so much as having the chance to get together with 2 cyber-friends and fellow authors, in the real world. I imagine it will be a gab-fest more than a "meet and greet the fans" event - but that's OK. It's not set in stone yet but will hopefully work out. We'll keep you posted!
These are the *real* reviews I like:
"You have amazing characters, gripping plots, a fantastic vocabulary, and fresh comparisons. I just had to drop you a note to let you know. I'm looking forward to your third book." ~ my good friend Jenny, a high school English dept. chair out in Ohio that I worked with years ago in a community college writing center. (Those words coming from a fellow English teacher mean A LOT.)
"I just finished One Night in Boston and found it engrossing and enjoyable." ~ my 81-year old aunt, God bless her.
And guess what? Sneak preview at some exciting news coming this summer...
Marianne and Ceri and I might be doing a Samhain author signing at a library or two in New Hampshire! Actually, I don't care about the signing or selling so much as having the chance to get together with 2 cyber-friends and fellow authors, in the real world. I imagine it will be a gab-fest more than a "meet and greet the fans" event - but that's OK. It's not set in stone yet but will hopefully work out. We'll keep you posted!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
For Your Viewing Pleasure...
"Wine is bottled poetry." ~Robert Louis Stevenson
I have no words of importance today, so it'll be a visual blog post. You like that anyway, right?
The hostas around our pool deck (and yes, there is no pool there - we're getting a new one - hopefully soon!):
I have no words of importance today, so it'll be a visual blog post. You like that anyway, right?
The hostas around our pool deck (and yes, there is no pool there - we're getting a new one - hopefully soon!):
And the hostas around the side of our garage ( the middle ones look a little smushed 'cause I took this pic right after a terrific rainstorm yesterday. Those ones, incidentally, the deer will strip to nothing, if they discover them. The variegated ones on either side, the deer will leave alone. Stupid picky creatures...
Our container vegetable garden about a month ago, newly planted:
And as of yesterday, blooming pretty well (you can see the two upside-down tomato growers, hanging off the side - no salmonella for us!):
And finally, how I spent one day after work, earlier this week: touring a winery with my teacher friends (the oldest continually operating winery in the country, by the way, thanks to a need for sacrament wine during Prohibition). Hey, what other job gets you out and drinking wine at 4:00 in the afternoon?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Lanaia Lee
Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm happy to be hosting author Lanaia Lee. Settle in and enjoy the interview!
Hi, Lanaia, and thanks for joining me today. Can you tell us a little about your background?
Not much to give for my background in writing. I have only been writing for five years. Divine intervention, I would say. My poetry has won numerous awards and I'm hoping so will my numerous books I will end up writing. I had a stroke at 35, confining me to a wheelchair, so me being a Taurus, my husband calls me Sitting Bull.
Ha - love the nickname! So when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?
Five years ago my husband dared me to write a poem. After writing it being curious, I posted it in several on line poetry forums, and the feed back was so positive, I continued to write. Poetry at first, then short stories and finally novals.
Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.
Right now I am working on a five volume fantasy series called Of Atlantis, book one realeased on May 17th, right now it can be purchased at http://www.rovalpublishing.net/, book two called Skulls of Salvation, to be released by the end of summer by A' G' Press, http://www.agpress.8m.net/, the press will publish my last 4 books. I also have a book of poetry available through A. G. Press, called Within Lanaia's Garden of Darkness, now available every where. Soon Of Atlantis book one will also be available everywhere.
That's great news! Now, how do you go about developing your characters?
My characters from Of Atlantis have been in my imagination since childhood. I was an only child, so some of my characters, I played with as a child. An only child seems to develop quite the imagination. My series is based on a lot of my own personal beliefs, so no problem in developing my characters.
OK, what advice would you give to new writers just starting out?
Any new author, make sure [to be careful] in dealing with anyone, especially from the Internet. There are people out there that will seduce you, by telling you, just what you want to hear, just to take advantage of you. So my advice is to be very careful and be absolutely sure of who you are dealing with.
What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?
I love mysteries and historical romances. My absolute favorite author of all time is Edgar Allan Poe, this man was a literary genius. Having died when he was only forty, I wish he had lived longer, so there would have been more of his work.
Ah, I'm a Poe fan too! What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?
Sometimes in writing poetry, after writing over a thousand poems, sometime I get a bout of writer's block, but after a while of thinking, I always come up with a poem. After I write, I will read it aloud to my husband, and my most rewarding thing, is seeing the look on my husband's face. This tells me if he truly enjoyed my work. The most exciting thing is when friends read my work and comment. Remember those closest to you are your biggest critics.
Thanks for sharing your journey with us, Lanaia!
Allie, I would really like to thank you for taking the time to interview me and talk with me...and readers, remember to buy Of Atlantis!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Gardening Woes and Wows
"My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. " ~H. Fred Ale
I'm not much of a gardener. This will not come as a surprise to anyone who's read my blog for a while, but really, I do not possess a green thumb and have no great desire to develop one. I would much rather spend any free time I have reading or writing (or possibly drinking a good Merlot, but I digress...)
However, I'm happy to say that the vegetables we've started in containers on our front porch are actually growing. This is a feat in itself, as I'm always somewhat surprised to see seeds in dirt turn into green plants above the ground. Yesterday I was weeding (if you can believe it) and hubby came running across the driveway waving something in his hand. Thrilled, he produced two tiny green beans from one of our plants. Hooray! Actually, the lettuce is doing quite well too, and everything else seems to be growing and flowering. I'll take a picture and post it up here sometime.
The poor flowerbeds around the property aren't doing quite as well, though, mostly because it's been beastly hot and dry here, and also because most of the ground beneath us is slate and sand (a neighboring town is actually named "Slate Hill" - need I say more?). But they're doing OK. Except while I was weeding yesterday I found hoofprints in one bed. Yes, actual hoofprints, from the local deer. Yes, they're cute. Yes, I refuse to let hubby hunt them. Yes, I hate to see them hit along the side of the road. But they demolished my impatiens - demolished those and yet left the petunias completely alone.
Unbelievable.
Oh, well. Some things are still steadily growing, others are struggling, and others are thriving no matter what gets thrown at them (like the hostas...they're enormous...does anyone need any??)
Sort of like people, now that I think about it.
I'm not much of a gardener. This will not come as a surprise to anyone who's read my blog for a while, but really, I do not possess a green thumb and have no great desire to develop one. I would much rather spend any free time I have reading or writing (or possibly drinking a good Merlot, but I digress...)
However, I'm happy to say that the vegetables we've started in containers on our front porch are actually growing. This is a feat in itself, as I'm always somewhat surprised to see seeds in dirt turn into green plants above the ground. Yesterday I was weeding (if you can believe it) and hubby came running across the driveway waving something in his hand. Thrilled, he produced two tiny green beans from one of our plants. Hooray! Actually, the lettuce is doing quite well too, and everything else seems to be growing and flowering. I'll take a picture and post it up here sometime.
The poor flowerbeds around the property aren't doing quite as well, though, mostly because it's been beastly hot and dry here, and also because most of the ground beneath us is slate and sand (a neighboring town is actually named "Slate Hill" - need I say more?). But they're doing OK. Except while I was weeding yesterday I found hoofprints in one bed. Yes, actual hoofprints, from the local deer. Yes, they're cute. Yes, I refuse to let hubby hunt them. Yes, I hate to see them hit along the side of the road. But they demolished my impatiens - demolished those and yet left the petunias completely alone.
Unbelievable.
Oh, well. Some things are still steadily growing, others are struggling, and others are thriving no matter what gets thrown at them (like the hostas...they're enormous...does anyone need any??)
Sort of like people, now that I think about it.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Countdown to End of School, and Party Plans, and Release Dates, and...
"We can make this thing into a Party, instead of a Memory." ~Will Rogers
Two weeks left of school...and I'm not sure who's happier, the students or the teachers!
I'll be spending this week (among other things that, you know, have to do with my day job) getting ready for my book launch party this-coming Saturday! I'm excited, if only because I'm holding it at a place that's really small and maxes out at about 50 people - which means if even 10 people come to my party, it will at least look sort of crowded and well-attended :)
And this is a shout-out to my local blog readers: everyone's invited on Saturday! (really) - Click on this link to find out more details.
I had a chance to visit my parents this past weekend, and my mom said to me, "You know, I got a little worried toward the end of Lost in Paradise. I thought maybe it was going to have a sad ending." Aha! So the black moment in the book works :) And see, that's the nice thing about the love stories I write - you can count on the fact that they have happy endings.
Speaking of love stories with happy endings, only three weeks and counting 'til One Night in Memphis releases!
Two weeks left of school...and I'm not sure who's happier, the students or the teachers!
I'll be spending this week (among other things that, you know, have to do with my day job) getting ready for my book launch party this-coming Saturday! I'm excited, if only because I'm holding it at a place that's really small and maxes out at about 50 people - which means if even 10 people come to my party, it will at least look sort of crowded and well-attended :)
And this is a shout-out to my local blog readers: everyone's invited on Saturday! (really) - Click on this link to find out more details.
I had a chance to visit my parents this past weekend, and my mom said to me, "You know, I got a little worried toward the end of Lost in Paradise. I thought maybe it was going to have a sad ending." Aha! So the black moment in the book works :) And see, that's the nice thing about the love stories I write - you can count on the fact that they have happy endings.
Speaking of love stories with happy endings, only three weeks and counting 'til One Night in Memphis releases!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Father's Day
"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." ~Clarence Budington Kellard
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!
My goal for today is to finish my second round of edits for One Night in Memphis. One thing I like about my Samhain editor, she's very efficient. She always gives me about a week to work on edits, which is nice because, really, it doesn't leave me a lot of time to procrastinate. I got this round last Wednesday, I think, and she wants them back Monday. Of course, being that it's the end of school, life's a little crazy right now, but luckily she only wants a few things fixed.
I can't wait for this story to meet the world - less than a month to go!
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!
My goal for today is to finish my second round of edits for One Night in Memphis. One thing I like about my Samhain editor, she's very efficient. She always gives me about a week to work on edits, which is nice because, really, it doesn't leave me a lot of time to procrastinate. I got this round last Wednesday, I think, and she wants them back Monday. Of course, being that it's the end of school, life's a little crazy right now, but luckily she only wants a few things fixed.
I can't wait for this story to meet the world - less than a month to go!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
A Quick Question
"I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time, and prevents arguments." ~Oscar Wilde
OK, so here's my question: if you were going to attend a presentation at your local library given by 2-3 writers (and of course you would, right? because writers are very cool and you support struggling artists), which would you rather hear?
1. A discussion of what it takes to write something and get it published
2. A discussion of how the romance and women's fiction genres are changing and what kind of plotlines they include these days
3. A brief introduction of what each author writes, maybe a personal anecdote or two, and then an open Q&A session
4. Something else altogether
I have the opportunity to speak at a couple of places this summer and am wondering what might be the best draw?
And I know there are lots of you out there who lurk but don't comment, so if you have an opinion today, I'd love to hear it!
OK, so here's my question: if you were going to attend a presentation at your local library given by 2-3 writers (and of course you would, right? because writers are very cool and you support struggling artists), which would you rather hear?
1. A discussion of what it takes to write something and get it published
2. A discussion of how the romance and women's fiction genres are changing and what kind of plotlines they include these days
3. A brief introduction of what each author writes, maybe a personal anecdote or two, and then an open Q&A session
4. Something else altogether
I have the opportunity to speak at a couple of places this summer and am wondering what might be the best draw?
And I know there are lots of you out there who lurk but don't comment, so if you have an opinion today, I'd love to hear it!
Friday, June 13, 2008
TGIF!!
"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." ~Jimmy Dean
Thanks, everyone, for your kind words yesterday...that's why I love cyberworld!
And because I am at the end of a long week and fresh out of new ideas, here's the Friday Feast. Enjoy!
Appetizer
Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?
I'd say 80% of the time, I'm an optimist. Every once in a while the pessimist side rears its ugly head, though, and I'll spend a few philosophical hours wondering the point of any of my efforts, since in the very grand scheme of things, we live such a short time and have such little (if any) lasting effect on the world.
Soup
What is your favorite color of ink to write with?
Blue.
Salad
How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?
During the summer, I get pedicures at a salon about once/month. In the winter, rarely to never, or I do them myself. (c'mon, it's like shaving - who's going to see your legs and your feet when it's 20 degrees outside??) And I never, never get manicures. I use my hands way too much...between doing dishes and playing the piano, the polish comes off the next day.
Main Course
Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?
I've won books in different writer's contests. For me as an author, that's a pretty cool prize.
Dessert
In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?
Desktop: the office.
Laptop: anywhere I am and need to write...
Thanks, everyone, for your kind words yesterday...that's why I love cyberworld!
And because I am at the end of a long week and fresh out of new ideas, here's the Friday Feast. Enjoy!
Appetizer
Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?
I'd say 80% of the time, I'm an optimist. Every once in a while the pessimist side rears its ugly head, though, and I'll spend a few philosophical hours wondering the point of any of my efforts, since in the very grand scheme of things, we live such a short time and have such little (if any) lasting effect on the world.
Soup
What is your favorite color of ink to write with?
Blue.
Salad
How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?
During the summer, I get pedicures at a salon about once/month. In the winter, rarely to never, or I do them myself. (c'mon, it's like shaving - who's going to see your legs and your feet when it's 20 degrees outside??) And I never, never get manicures. I use my hands way too much...between doing dishes and playing the piano, the polish comes off the next day.
Main Course
Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?
I've won books in different writer's contests. For me as an author, that's a pretty cool prize.
Dessert
In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?
Desktop: the office.
Laptop: anywhere I am and need to write...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
And I Thought Mrs. Giggles Was Tough...
"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." ~Lance Armstrong
Ouch.
Hang on, let me get another bandage.
And find the limb that got torn off and thrown somewhere across the room.
And see if I can stop the bleeding.
I got my worst review to date, yesterday, for One Night in Boston, from Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction.
The reviewer wrote, in part, "The biggest problem with this story is pace. I read the first chapter excited. The second going, okay, bring it on. The third through probably the next five to six were absolutely flat. I regained my excitement only to have more flat chapters appear. They merely read as set up and lent nothing to the actual story line. I ran into all the cliche roadblocks of Woman’s Fiction and a few from Romance...Heroine’s big secret, which the reader figures out by the end of the first chapter, is so horribly hooked I wanted to tear my hair out...The plot gets warped because I am trying to follow so many characters and none of them truly get to make their mark in the tale."
Yeah - ouch.
I suppose I should find some kind of comfort in the fact that the reviewer went on for paragraphs about what s/he didn't like - my writing was powerfully bad enough to draw actual frustration, not just indifference. Woo hoo!
And I suppose I should be glad for the few teeny tiny glimmers of positive light, because s/he did ultimately say, "I would give her another shot if she could do something other than the already overdone...Big Kudos for trying a new formula in romance...Personally, I’d like to see something else from this author that is outside the box. Hey, if she isn’t writing inside the proverbial limits in the first place, she might as well take a deep breath and jump. All in all, I am giving this book a rating of good read, intriguing, mainly on characterization. She’s got style. I can’t wait to see what might come from her in the future."
I spent a couple of self-indulgent hours yesterday feeling really bad. I thought, wow, maybe I shouldn't be promoting a book that is so obviously flawed. Then I thought, well, I'll take what I can from the review and move on. No one likes everything. No, the book isn't a traditional romance. No, the hero and heroine do not meet in the first chapter. They don't even meet until halfway through the book. Yes, I probably sacrifice action and conflict for prose that captures a mood or a moment - though it's something I'm working on. And I got a thumbs-up on style, which made me happy :)
So, live and learn. Bad reviews sell books too, right? (As a matter of fact, it looks as though 2 copies have sold on Amazon since that review went up. Connection?)
Ouch.
Hang on, let me get another bandage.
And find the limb that got torn off and thrown somewhere across the room.
And see if I can stop the bleeding.
I got my worst review to date, yesterday, for One Night in Boston, from Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction.
The reviewer wrote, in part, "The biggest problem with this story is pace. I read the first chapter excited. The second going, okay, bring it on. The third through probably the next five to six were absolutely flat. I regained my excitement only to have more flat chapters appear. They merely read as set up and lent nothing to the actual story line. I ran into all the cliche roadblocks of Woman’s Fiction and a few from Romance...Heroine’s big secret, which the reader figures out by the end of the first chapter, is so horribly hooked I wanted to tear my hair out...The plot gets warped because I am trying to follow so many characters and none of them truly get to make their mark in the tale."
Yeah - ouch.
I suppose I should find some kind of comfort in the fact that the reviewer went on for paragraphs about what s/he didn't like - my writing was powerfully bad enough to draw actual frustration, not just indifference. Woo hoo!
And I suppose I should be glad for the few teeny tiny glimmers of positive light, because s/he did ultimately say, "I would give her another shot if she could do something other than the already overdone...Big Kudos for trying a new formula in romance...Personally, I’d like to see something else from this author that is outside the box. Hey, if she isn’t writing inside the proverbial limits in the first place, she might as well take a deep breath and jump. All in all, I am giving this book a rating of good read, intriguing, mainly on characterization. She’s got style. I can’t wait to see what might come from her in the future."
I spent a couple of self-indulgent hours yesterday feeling really bad. I thought, wow, maybe I shouldn't be promoting a book that is so obviously flawed. Then I thought, well, I'll take what I can from the review and move on. No one likes everything. No, the book isn't a traditional romance. No, the hero and heroine do not meet in the first chapter. They don't even meet until halfway through the book. Yes, I probably sacrifice action and conflict for prose that captures a mood or a moment - though it's something I'm working on. And I got a thumbs-up on style, which made me happy :)
So, live and learn. Bad reviews sell books too, right? (As a matter of fact, it looks as though 2 copies have sold on Amazon since that review went up. Connection?)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Mechele Armstrong aka Lany of Melany Logen
Thanks for joining me for another exciting author interview - and today, we have a slightly schizophrenic one (just kidding). She writes alone as Mechele Armstrong and collaboratively as Melany Logen. Intrigued? Read on...
Thanks for being here today! So, when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?
I've written most of my life from the time I was a child. What really got me serious was a moment at the beach when my youngest was tiny. I read four romance novels in a weekend after having not read them for a long time. I thought, "I can do this." Came home and wrote a romance novel, which will need lots of tweaking before it ever sees the light of day. That was a defining moment that got me serious about writing.
What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?
Learn your craft. Don't give up. Give yourself permission to write badly. You can always go back and fix things later. The only thing you can't tweak is a blank page.
I stand by that advice, myself. What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?
I love to read almost anything. My favorites are paranormal and erotic romance, followed by romantic suspense, thrillers, and horror. I have several favorite authors, LOL, too many to list here. Some authors with books on my keeper shelf are Robin Schone, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Karen Marie Moning, and Lynn Kurland.
What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?
The most difficult thing is promotion. I'm a shy person, and it's hard for me to talk about myself. I've had to get over. I've had to get over my shyness and approach people for things. The most exciting and rewarding things for me are when a person loves my book. I've had my books and keeper shelf mentioned. It's a wonderful thing to hear.
How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?
It is a constant juggling act. I juggle hubby, kids, friends, pets, and the house and hope I don't drop anything. The house is probably what suffers the most.
I can't imagine you ever suffer from writer's block, since you're writing under two names...but do you ever get stuck? If so, what do you do about it?
A hot bubble bath usually helps me get back on track. If I'm really stuck, pushing ahead or writing on something else will sometimes jog lose the stuck portion of my brain.
Describe your writing space for us...
Hee. I have a fairly new wooden desk that I sit at to write on my laptop. It sits in an inset of a room, which we just painted a mellow shade of green. A picture of New York City (with the TradeTowers) hangs in front of it. A signed poster of Kinley MacGregor's Sword of Darkness hands to the wall to the right. Across a doorway, on the far left wall hangs a poster my hubby did for me of my covers to date. It's beautiful. I also have one Snoopy statue and one snowglobe of him writing on top of his doghouse sitting on top of boxes that hold address labels, cards, and such to the left. The words, "It was a dark and stormy night." are etched on the doghouse. A lamp rests on the desk to the right with a tray for "stuff" to the left. The cat generally lays on the desk to the right beside the laptop fan as I tickety type. It's very inspiring. I love my desk.
Oh, it sounds lovely! What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book(s)?
That the novel isn't done once you type the end. It takes lots of tweaking from me and rounds of edits before it's truly "finished."
When you write, do you use the computer or compose by hand, oral dictation, or some other method?
I'm a computer writer. My handwriting is horrible especially when my brain pushed on ahead. It's bad when you can't read your own handwriting. Plus, I tweak as I write so would end up scribbling out things and writing in the margins. I'm much happier writing at the keyboard.
Mechele, thanks so much for being here today! Readers, make sure to stop by and visit Mechele's website or Melany's website - and have a great day!
Thanks for being here today! So, when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?
I've written most of my life from the time I was a child. What really got me serious was a moment at the beach when my youngest was tiny. I read four romance novels in a weekend after having not read them for a long time. I thought, "I can do this." Came home and wrote a romance novel, which will need lots of tweaking before it ever sees the light of day. That was a defining moment that got me serious about writing.
What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?
Learn your craft. Don't give up. Give yourself permission to write badly. You can always go back and fix things later. The only thing you can't tweak is a blank page.
I stand by that advice, myself. What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?
I love to read almost anything. My favorites are paranormal and erotic romance, followed by romantic suspense, thrillers, and horror. I have several favorite authors, LOL, too many to list here. Some authors with books on my keeper shelf are Robin Schone, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Karen Marie Moning, and Lynn Kurland.
What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?
The most difficult thing is promotion. I'm a shy person, and it's hard for me to talk about myself. I've had to get over. I've had to get over my shyness and approach people for things. The most exciting and rewarding things for me are when a person loves my book. I've had my books and keeper shelf mentioned. It's a wonderful thing to hear.
How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?
It is a constant juggling act. I juggle hubby, kids, friends, pets, and the house and hope I don't drop anything. The house is probably what suffers the most.
I can't imagine you ever suffer from writer's block, since you're writing under two names...but do you ever get stuck? If so, what do you do about it?
A hot bubble bath usually helps me get back on track. If I'm really stuck, pushing ahead or writing on something else will sometimes jog lose the stuck portion of my brain.
Describe your writing space for us...
Hee. I have a fairly new wooden desk that I sit at to write on my laptop. It sits in an inset of a room, which we just painted a mellow shade of green. A picture of New York City (with the TradeTowers) hangs in front of it. A signed poster of Kinley MacGregor's Sword of Darkness hands to the wall to the right. Across a doorway, on the far left wall hangs a poster my hubby did for me of my covers to date. It's beautiful. I also have one Snoopy statue and one snowglobe of him writing on top of his doghouse sitting on top of boxes that hold address labels, cards, and such to the left. The words, "It was a dark and stormy night." are etched on the doghouse. A lamp rests on the desk to the right with a tray for "stuff" to the left. The cat generally lays on the desk to the right beside the laptop fan as I tickety type. It's very inspiring. I love my desk.
Oh, it sounds lovely! What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book(s)?
That the novel isn't done once you type the end. It takes lots of tweaking from me and rounds of edits before it's truly "finished."
When you write, do you use the computer or compose by hand, oral dictation, or some other method?
I'm a computer writer. My handwriting is horrible especially when my brain pushed on ahead. It's bad when you can't read your own handwriting. Plus, I tweak as I write so would end up scribbling out things and writing in the margins. I'm much happier writing at the keyboard.
Mechele, thanks so much for being here today! Readers, make sure to stop by and visit Mechele's website or Melany's website - and have a great day!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Of Sales, Promotions, and Horse Races
Marianne reminded me yesterday that I should have shown the videos from the 1978 Affirmed-Alydar matchup that resulted in the last Triple Crown winner. So here's the final, the Belmont Stakes, and it's a heck of a race:
Got a nibble yesterday from another bookstore I sent a mailing to, who asked me to send promo items and noted that they'd ordered both One Night in Boston and Lost in Paradise. So that's a good sign - I'll probably offer to stop by this summer (it's about 75 miles north of where I live) and sign copies or do a "meet and greet."
I'll be interested to see how the print sales are for both these books, though it's tough to wait because Samhain, anyway, gives you print royalties only twice a year, 6 months behind the selling period. That means I'll find out about Jan-June sales for this year in December. That's OK - I guess I can wait! Got my royalty statement from The Wild Rose Press yesterday for the first quarter of 2008, and it was pretty disappointing. I know they're focusing more on their ebook/e-short stories than their print books now, so I don't expect print sales for Lost in Paradise to be astronomical.
Live and learn, I suppose.
Got a nibble yesterday from another bookstore I sent a mailing to, who asked me to send promo items and noted that they'd ordered both One Night in Boston and Lost in Paradise. So that's a good sign - I'll probably offer to stop by this summer (it's about 75 miles north of where I live) and sign copies or do a "meet and greet."
I'll be interested to see how the print sales are for both these books, though it's tough to wait because Samhain, anyway, gives you print royalties only twice a year, 6 months behind the selling period. That means I'll find out about Jan-June sales for this year in December. That's OK - I guess I can wait! Got my royalty statement from The Wild Rose Press yesterday for the first quarter of 2008, and it was pretty disappointing. I know they're focusing more on their ebook/e-short stories than their print books now, so I don't expect print sales for Lost in Paradise to be astronomical.
Live and learn, I suppose.
Monday, June 09, 2008
And Now for Something Completely Different
"I think it's better to break a man's leg than his heart." ~from the movie Seabiscuit (2003)
I'm sure a lot of us watched the Belmont Stakes over the weekend, hoping and wondering if Big Brown would become a Triple Crown winner. And without getting into all the conversations about horses on steroids, or the cruelty of the sport (Eight Belles RIP), let me just say that I do love watching them run. They are such magnificent animals.
So I did a little video searching for today's entertainment.
The first is Rags to Riches' victory in last year's Belmont, a tremendous win because she was, of course, a girl. I love the emotion in the announcer's voice:
This one's a 1938 film of Seabiscuit and War Admiral. Watch the people on the infield running back and forth as the race progresses! (By the way, this is a great movie if you haven't seen it):
And finally, if you have the time, here's the classic final race scene from The Black Stallion (also a terrific film - the beach scene early on, which spans 15 minutes without dialogue, is a cinematic masterpiece):
I'm sure a lot of us watched the Belmont Stakes over the weekend, hoping and wondering if Big Brown would become a Triple Crown winner. And without getting into all the conversations about horses on steroids, or the cruelty of the sport (Eight Belles RIP), let me just say that I do love watching them run. They are such magnificent animals.
So I did a little video searching for today's entertainment.
The first is Rags to Riches' victory in last year's Belmont, a tremendous win because she was, of course, a girl. I love the emotion in the announcer's voice:
This one's a 1938 film of Seabiscuit and War Admiral. Watch the people on the infield running back and forth as the race progresses! (By the way, this is a great movie if you haven't seen it):
And finally, if you have the time, here's the classic final race scene from The Black Stallion (also a terrific film - the beach scene early on, which spans 15 minutes without dialogue, is a cinematic masterpiece):
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Summer's Here...
"Do what we can; summer will have its flies." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ugh. Summer has arrived with a vengeance, in her finest array of heat and humidity. We're in the throes of a heat wave here - it was 100 yesterday and is supposed to stay in the upper 90's through Tuesday. And the humidity, of course, just hangs over everything with this awful haze that makes you sweat the minute you step out of the shower...
So I decided to take one more crack at revising Summer's Song yesterday, with all my readers' comments in hand. Maybe it was the heat (I'm hoping) but all I saw were the problems. I had to put it down again after an hour because I was so aggravated with it.
Sigh.
Maybe I'll spend today in the nice cool basement and try again.
Ugh. Summer has arrived with a vengeance, in her finest array of heat and humidity. We're in the throes of a heat wave here - it was 100 yesterday and is supposed to stay in the upper 90's through Tuesday. And the humidity, of course, just hangs over everything with this awful haze that makes you sweat the minute you step out of the shower...
So I decided to take one more crack at revising Summer's Song yesterday, with all my readers' comments in hand. Maybe it was the heat (I'm hoping) but all I saw were the problems. I had to put it down again after an hour because I was so aggravated with it.
Sigh.
Maybe I'll spend today in the nice cool basement and try again.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Ah, Saturday...
"I've been thinking Hobbes --"
"On a weekend?"
"Well, it wasn't on purpose..."
~Calvin and Hobbes
What I'm doing today: Meeting some girlfriends from my writers' group at Borders to chat and swap pages. Hooray!
What I'm reading today: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - Anyone else know this one? It's YA vampire romance, and the teenage girls in my class have been RAVING about this series (there are 3 books out, the 4th due this summer). I finally decided I should see what all the hype is about.
What I'm writing today: Probably figuring out what to use as an excerpt for One Night in Memphis. I know that's going to be the next thing my editor asks me for, so...
What about you??
"On a weekend?"
"Well, it wasn't on purpose..."
~Calvin and Hobbes
What I'm doing today: Meeting some girlfriends from my writers' group at Borders to chat and swap pages. Hooray!
What I'm reading today: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - Anyone else know this one? It's YA vampire romance, and the teenage girls in my class have been RAVING about this series (there are 3 books out, the 4th due this summer). I finally decided I should see what all the hype is about.
What I'm writing today: Probably figuring out what to use as an excerpt for One Night in Memphis. I know that's going to be the next thing my editor asks me for, so...
What about you??
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