Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Margay Leah Justice

Welcome to a wintry Writers' Wednesday! (well, here in NY, anyway). Today I'm welcoming author Margay Leah Justice...enjoy!

Hi, Margay! Can you tell us a little about your background?

I am a single mother of two, balancing life with Multiple Sclerosis and caring for a child with Bipolar Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome along with the everyday life of being a mother and a writer.

I can't begin to imagine how busy your days must be! When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I think I first began to write the day I learned how to hold up a pencil. I can't remember a time when I didn't write; it has always been an integral part of my life.

Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

Here's a blurb for Nora's Soul:

When angels of light and dark collide on earth…Once he held a favored position in the heavens. But one moment of weakness casts Dante out and now he is cursed to walk the earth, collecting the souls of vulnerable women to buy his way into hell.All hell breaks loose…But standing in his way is Peter, an angel of light. Peter is everything Dante is not. Pure, above reproach. And determined to prevent Dante from achieving his goals. Peter will stop at nothing to protect the souls in his charge, even if it means achieving the impossible – leading Dante back onto the right path.And no one is safe from the fall-out.

Nora Kendall believed in angels. Once. But then she lost her brother to cancer despite all of her prayers – and she lost her faith in all things angelic. Now, she is a lost soul who wanders through life like a sleepwalker, playing it safe and leaving the risk-taking to others.Kyle Cameron is one of those risks. Burned by a bad marriage, his only concern now is providing a stable life for his children, who are left motherless by the unexpected death of his wife. This means working overtime to grow his architectural firm into a viable business – and leaving the care of his children to the care of someone he trusts. Despite his past connection with Nora, Kyle isn't certain that she's the right person for the job. He also doesn't want to reconnect with her and repeat history.But fate – and the machinations of two angels – has other ideas.

Sounds terrific! Now, how do you go about developing your characters?

I usually do some sort of a character profile/questionnaire to get them firmly fixed in my mind. I also usually have the face of an actor in mind when I write, too. That really helps to get their images down on paper.

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

Learn your craft, hone your craft and never stop learning. The day you stop learning is the day your creativity dies. Always work on perfecting your craft, but do it for yourself first. If you don't enjoy writing for yourself, you shouldn't try doing it for others. You really have to love doing it or else you will be easily discouraged when the fame and fortune doesn't come to you overnight. It's a rare thing for that to happen, so expect to put in some time with it before you achieve publishing success.

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

I love Regencies and Julia Quinn is one of my favorites in that genre. But I tend to read whatever moves me, not just one genre. In fact, I just started reading in the YA genre which is a fabulous arena for truly wonderful stories that have helped me to connect with my daughters on a new level. My favorite author in that genre is Stephenie Meyer, but I also like Mari Mancusi and Melissa Marr.

A Twilight fan, hmm? Well, I won't hold that against you! What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

For me, it's balancing the details such as setting and background info with the dialogue. Either I put in too much detail or not enough, so I'm always working to make sure the balance is just right. Dialogue, on the other hand, comes easier and I have a lot of fun doing it, especially when it's between the hero and heroine - I love the snappy dialogue from movies of the 30s and 40s and, more recently, Gilmore Girls, so when I can achieve something that comes close, I find that especially rewarding.

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

I try to do everything writing related when my daughters are at school or otherwise occupied. I tend to fit my writing around all other responsibilities, carving out whatever time I can in my schedule without neglecting my other responsibilities. Somehow, it works.

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

I love to knit, crochet, and do crafts. So I'm always creating things! I also love to read and watch movies with my daughters, and spend time with my mother, who passed down all of these creative genes on me.

Anything else you'd like to mention?

For more information on Nora's Soul - and perhaps an advance peek at what I'm working on next - you can check out my website at http://margayleahjustice.com/. You can also find me on Twitter, Myspace and Facebook.

Thanks for being here today, Margay!

A Word About Piracy

"The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child." ~Joe Houldsworth

For all authors: unfortunately, piracy sites abound, and they'll offer up free downloads of your book for anyone who stumbles across their site. Here's one you should check out: Esnips. Some of the books being "shared" here have been downloaded (illegally) hundreds of times. I also found one of my books on another site, so Google your book titles every so often to make sure they're not hanging out where they shouldn't be! If you find your book, click to download it and then "Report Abuse." You as an author must be vigilant at reporting copyright violation.

For all readers: please remember that accessing these kinds of free book downloads is illegal and hurts authors. When one book is copied and passed around to 10 or 100 friends and neighbors, we still only get royalties on that one initial book. Sharing is fine, and we understand that, but limit it to one or two friends, OK? Then, tell the rest of your friends and neighbors about how great our books are, so that they buy them too!

A Very Important Day

"God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." ~James Matthew Barrie

It's true, today is a very important day.

First, it marks the end of my NaNo efforts - which, you can see, got about 50% of the way to my goal of 50K words in a month. That's OK. I think NaNo is great for writers who have never attempted or completed a whole novel. It shows you that it's possible. But I already know that :) I'll keep going with Entwined, though, and I'll keep posting my progress and fave sentences, because it keeps me on track if I have to be accountable.

Second, it's my birthday. Nope, I'm not telling how old I am (and my mom, who pops in occasionally, is NOT allowed to tell either). The celebration for today includes lunch with hubby and my in-laws, decorating the tree tonight, and quite possibly, large amounts of chocolate :)

I thought it would be interesting to check out what some of those astrology sites have to say, so here you go:

Cafe Astrology has quite a detailed description of what the next year holds for me, concluding that "...You are certainly more enterprising this year, and taking a balanced approach to life, in terms of realistic expectations, is the best approach for maximizing success. This could be challenging at times, since you are likely feeling quite restless. Rebelliousness is a possible downfall. You are more passionate, excitable, and magnetic than ever, and the year is bound to be a very exciting one!"

Hmm...

Birthscopes (quite a sparkly site) tells me that "The December 15th person spends most of their life broadening their horizons. They do this with very little objection from the people around them. This is because Venus, the ruling planet for this day along with Sagittarius's ruling planet Jupiter makes this person very likable. They tend be dreamers and for this reason should guard against being taken advantage of especially in the financial sense. As a mate the December 15th person is loving and values partnerships..."

And FamousBirthdays reminds me that no one terribly notable shares my birthday (this I knew), although Jane Austen's mother was probably in labor, since that grand-dame of the romance genre celebrates her birthday tomorrow!



*****

Also wanted to mention that The Romance Studio is running a terrific "12 Days of Christmas" contest - every day you have the chance to win one of 12 prizes given away by authors. I'll be on there soon, so visit their site to find out all about it!


Current Word Count for Entwined: 23,182

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: If there is anything – if there ever was anything – please call.

Updates

So, an update or two on the status of my writing:

~Finished the revision of Summer's Song and sent the full ms. to the editor who requested it at Avon.

~Heard from the agent who requested the full ms. of One Night in Napa who said she would "read it as quickly" as she could.

~Received my royalty statement from Samhain which includes print royalties from Jan-June 2008. I'm having a hard time reading and understanding it (as are several of the authors, so apparently the publisher's going to clarify in the next day or two). I guess One Night in Boston sold decently (though who's to say...if you want to talk numbers, email me), but it will be interesting to get the next statement, which will be July - Dec 2008 and cover an entire 6-month period of the book actually being out.

Current Word Count for Entwined: 22,360

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: Natasha studies the papers in front of her, but the words swim like Rorschach ink pictures, and all she can see is the stick with the double blue line through it.

A Destination Christmas

"Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends." ~Margaret Thatcher

In recent years, my side of the family has met at a Bed & Breakfast to celebrate an early Christmas. We reserve a block of rooms and meet in one for all the festivities. So that's what I'm doing this weekend! No other news, as I'm off to open stockings this morning...

Current Word Count for Entwined: 22,022

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: She does not believe in ghosts – at least, she tells herself she does not – but what else can explain the feeling of dread, the nausea, the icebox room above her head?

Christmas Questions

At Christmas, all roads lead home." ~ Marjorie Holmes, American writer

This one comes from Diane - thanks! I haven't done one of these in a while. Anyone else want to borrow and play?

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both, actually. Whichever's easier for the gift itself.

2. Real tree or Artificial? We've done both. This year it will be a real one. Yay ~ I love the pine smell!

3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever we get around it. I'm hoping for this weekend.

4. When do you take the tree down? Ditto above, though usually before we go back to school after the new year.

5. Do you like eggnog? No - yuck!

6. Favorite gift received as a child: A stuffed Paddington Bear. I still have him, well-loved.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My inlaws. They never give us any ideas.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Either hubbby or my sister.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail ~ I love sending and receiving both.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of one.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? “It's a Wonderful Life,” of course!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Yikes, whenever I can find the time. Right now I'm about half-done.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas Gift? Probably, though I can't recall right now.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate and Christmas cookies!

16. Lights on the tree? Of course - both colored and white.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Too hard to choose...

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I like to stay home, but we usually end up traveling. This year we're home, though!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One present on Christmas Eve, the rest on Christmas Day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? How crowded the malls and parking lots are.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Don't really have one.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Spending time with family. And a three-book contract for a six-figure advance. But I'll take the first :)

Yesterday in Borders

So here's a very cool thing: I was on a Christmas shopping spree yesterday afternoon, and I stopped by my local Borders. I walked directly past the ENORMOUS display of all things Twilight, past J.K. Rowlings' newest release, and found the "B" shelf of the Romance section.

And there sat my books.

Now, this in itself is oh-so-cool, but what's even cooler is that as of my signing there a few weeks back, the store had roughly 10 copies of both One Night in Boston and Lost in Paradise. Yesterday, I saw 5 copies of the latter and only 1 of the former. Neat, huh?

Of course, when I came home and told my husband, he said, "Are you sure they just didn't have them in the back?"

Sheesh. What a killjoy.

Current Word Count for Entwined: 21,853

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: She thinks of gray-green eyes and lets a hand drift to her belly, to the unborn child that rests inside her, growing.

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Anne Hope

Welcome to another Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm chatting with Anne Hope, a fellow Samhain author who has some wonderful insights on breaking into the writing world and creating dynamic stories and characters.

Enjoy!

Hi, Anne! First off, can you tell readers a little about your background?

My background is in marketing. I have a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in business administration. I worked as an account executive in a marketing agency and as a product manager for Neutrogena. As much as I enjoy marketing, my first love will always be writing, and I’m thrilled to now have the opportunity to make a career out of it.

Hmm...Neutrogena, huh? Any way I can score some free samples? (just kidding) When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I officially started writing when I was eight years old, but I was spinning tales long before that. I was an only child for ten years and was pretty introverted. I entertained myself by creating characters and stories in my head. Now, I’ve become far more social, but I’m still making up stories. I guess some things never change!

Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

My debut novel and Golden Heart finalist, Where Dreams are Made, is now available from Samhain Publishing. It’s a deeply emotional Beauty and the Beast story with loads of sexual tension.

Daniel is a reclusive toymaker trying to atone for his sins. Jenny is a hunted woman, secretly hired to mend his heart. One magical Christmas, these two lonely people learn that love can heal the deepest scars, but it comes at a price. Even as Jenny struggles to hold on to the tenuous sanctuary she’s found, the world she’s desperate to escape refuses to release her. Someone from her past is watching. Someone who will do absolutely anything to own her. Even commit murder.

Congrats on publishing your first novel! How do you go about developing your characters?

The first thing I do is write the first chapter or two, which I subsequently end up completely rewriting. But it’s my way of getting the characters talking. Once I start hearing them, then I have a better idea who they are.

The next step is to fill out a GMC (goals, motivation and conflict) grid for the hero, the heroine, and the villain. This gives me a better understanding of where the book is heading and what plot devices I need to incorporate to challenge these characters and help them grow. It also points out my villain’s weaknesses, which the hero and heroine can use to defeat him or her throughout the course of the book.

Finally, I write a short blurb on backstory for each character. Backstory is a wonderful tool when used wisely. Unfortunately, I often feel compelled to tell the reader everything about the hero and heroine in the first chapter (that’s why I usually chuck the first twenty pages or so and start over). Writing out the backstory in a separate document helps me overcome this compulsion. It also allows me to integrate specific information in dialogue or introspection that increases the depth of the characters, motivates their actions, and enriches the story.

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

First and foremost, learn your craft. Like with any career, there’s a learning curve. You never stop growing or improving, and there are always techniques you can glean from more experienced authors that will allow your work to shine.

Second, don’t give up! Believe in yourself and in your vision. This business is very subjective. Just because someone rejects your manuscript, it doesn’t mean the next person won’t love it. I firmly believe it’s all about perseverance. You only fail if you quit.

Third, don’t underestimate the importance of a strong high concept. Many editors and agents will request your manuscript based on a query letter. You need to be able to hook them with one or two paragraphs, and that’s very difficult to do without a compelling high concept. In many romance novels, the hook is the emotional growth of the characters and the development of the love story. Unfortunately, this is very difficult to convey in a couple of sentences. That’s where high concept comes in. If the premise is interesting and the conflict is powerful, you’re more likely to get a request.

Finally, always challenge yourself. Look at the market, at what’s selling, and ask yourself: how can I capitalize on that and still do something different? Trends are important. They tell us what the market wants. But by the time a trend is set, hundreds of books have been written in that particular style or genre. You want to aim for something different, while still giving readers what they’re looking for. That’s what will set you apart.

That's wonderful advice. But what do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

The most difficult part of writing is facing the blank page. Every time I sit down at my computer I wonder if I’ll be able to write, and not only write, but write in a witty, creative way that will keep readers turning the pages. It can be quite daunting at times, especially on days when I’m not feeling particularly witty or creative.

The greatest reward is when I type in the last word, then read the book with a fresh eye and think: “Hey, this isn’t half bad. Did I really write this?” Another incredible reward, which I have recently discovered, is getting an e-mail from a reader telling me how much they enjoyed my book.

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

Not very well, I’m afraid. I have two young children and finding time to write can be a challenge sometimes. Now that they’re both in school full time, it’s gotten a little easier. Still, writing isn’t a nine to five job. You write when the inspiration comes. You will often see me running to my computer to type in a couple of lines, then get back to whatever it is I was doing before my muse interrupted me.

Generally, I try to write when the kids are at school or after I’ve put them to bed. Of course, the laundry often sits in baskets for a few days and meals aren’t nearly as interesting as they used to be.

What is your favorite movie? Did it inspire your writing in any way?

Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth. I absolutely love that movie! Is there anyone Mr. Darcy couldn’t inspire? I think he may be behind every smoldering look I’ve ever written. That movie is a great example of chemistry and subtext. As much as the hero and heroine pretend to hate each other, the viewer can see the attraction sizzling between them. That’s what I strive to achieve in my books—a balance between conflict and blood-pounding chemistry...

Ah, yes, the allure of Mr. Darcy. I wonder how many romance novels he's inspired?? Readers, hop on over to Anne's website today to find out more about her latest book. And have a wonderful day!

Tentative Good News

"Problems are the price of progress. Don't bring me anything but trouble. Good news weakens me." ~Charles Kettering

I like today's quote -- even though I do admit to liking good news -- because it's a variation on the "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" theme. It's true: I've learned much more from my struggles than from my easy successes.

Speaking of good news, though, I've been sitting on this for a few days, but I thought I'd share it...even though it's not entirely set in stone.

My (new) editor at Samhain read One Night in Napa, sent me revisions she'd like to see, and then offered me a contract pending those revisions. So...it looks as though it might find a home sometime in 2009!

What's funny, though, is that the same day I heard from her, an agent responded wanting to see the whole thing as well. I sent it off, since it's not under contract yet, but in one sense I'd almost like to have it at Samhain since that's where my other 2 One Night books are. The editor even emailed me yesterday (she's putting together my contract) to ask if I wanted to consider this a collection/series and add "A One Night Novel," to the cover, since it'll be my third. What do you think?

Current Word Count for Entwined: 20,771

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: He wants her to be the last, the only, the always.

Another Holiday Shopping Idea

"I never had any doubts about my abilities. I knew I could write. I just had to figure out how to eat while doing this." ~Cormac McCarthy

I just found out about this online auction, being held to raise money for an author whose husband died earlier in the year. Lots of great items up for bid, including author, editor and agent critiques, signed books, gift baskets, and more. Plus the proceeds go to a good cause. If you're stumped for a unique holiday gift, this might be the perfect place to find one!

Current Word Count for Entwined: 20,442

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: It was the secret they shared, the one that bound them and the one, they both thought, that had drawn them together in the first place.

The First Snow of the Season

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air." ~W.T. Ellis


Yesterday, in anticipation of the first real snowfall of the season, I put out the holiday decorations (I also figured it was past due for the pumpkins to be put away). I listened to some carols. I planned a cookie exchange for school. And I waited for the snow that was supposed to come - 'cause, I enjoy it, the first few times it snows. Just not anything after, say, January 1st.

Anyway, we got a teeny little dusting on the lawn. That's it. It's not even worth taking a picture of, though I had my camera ready to go this morning.

Still, I'm in the holiday spirit, so here's the link to Santa and his Singing Reindeer, which I post every year because it's just so fun to watch.

Current Word Count for Entwined: 19,583

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: "Go talk to one of the sorority bunnies over at Kismet Hall, why don’t you?”

Weekend Interview with H. Terrell Griffin

Happy Saturday! Today I'm pleased to announce a special author interview wiht H. Terrell Griffin, who is celebrating the release of his book Blood Island. Pay close attention, because at the end of this interview you'll find information about how you can win a signed copy of this book today!

Terry, welcome to Allie's Musings! Can you tell us a little about your background?

I grew up in Central Florida, served three years in the U.S. Army, earned degrees in history and law and practiced law in Orlando for 38 years. I was board certified by the Florida Bar as a Civil Trial Lawyer. I have a home on Longboat Key, Florida, where much of my book takes place, and spend as much time as possible on my boat. I’ve been married to the most delightful woman since I was in college and we have three sons and two grandchildren.

Ah, sounds like a lovely place to write! When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I have been a voracious reader since I was a child. I discovered the joys of mystery novels while in college and have always aspired to write one. I was just simply too busy with my career and my family to take the time to try writing. As I was nearing retirement from the practice of law I decided that I had to take my shot if I was ever going to scratch the writing itch. I sat down and wrote my first book in 2005 and have been writing ever since. I think the triggering moment was when I realized that I wasn’t getting any younger and if I wanted to write a novel, I’d better get busy.

Tell us about your latest writing project.

My latest book, Blood Island, was released by Oceanview Publishing on December 1, 2008. The book takes place in Longboat Key, which is off the west coast of Florida just south of Tampa Bay, Key West and Orlando. The protagonist, Matt Royal, a beach bum former lawyer living on Longboat Key, is asked by his ex- wife to help find her 18 year old stepdaughter who disappeared while on Spring Break from college. The search takes him to the Florida Keys and to Blood Island where a very dangerous group of zealots have set up housekeeping and plan to cause great harm to the world. Matt, with the help of his friends Jock Algren and Logan Hamilton, set out to rescue the girl and stop the coming conflagration.

Sounds like an exciting read! Now, what do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

I think the most difficult thing is to make myself sit down and write. I tend to go in spurts, spending days at a time at the computer and then slacking off for days at a time. The most exciting part of the process is finding out what the characters are going to do next, how they go about solving the mystery, what their next day is going to be like. I don’t write from outlines, but just let the characters take on their own lives and let the words flow. When I’m on a roll, when the writing is going just right and the characters are having fun, I am rewarded.

Describe your writing space...

I actually have two writing spaces, one in my study at home in Maitland, an Orlando suburb, and the other on the sun porch of my condo overlooking Sarasota Bay on Longboat Key.

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

I spend a great deal of time on Longboat Key, doing much of what my main character, Matt Royal, does; boating, fishing, and hanging out on the beach and visiting the local bars on our lovely island. I hold a U.S. Coast Guard 100 Ton Masters License and love being on a boat on the water. I’ve found that this life gives me a great deal of material for my novels.

I can definitely imagine that! What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

I think the thing that surprised me the most was that I could actually write something that people would enjoy. People tell me that they enjoyed reading my books, and I am always a little surprised and a lot pleased. I have gotten so much pleasure from reading that I am overjoyed that I can actually create a book that gives others that same pleasure.

Now the good giveaway details:

H. Terrell Griffin is giving away a signed copy of his book, Blood Island, to one lucky tour visitor today. Go to Terry’s book tour page, http://h-terrell-griffin.omnimystery.com/, and enter your name, e-mail address, and this PIN, 5811, for your chance to win. Entries from Allie's Musings will be accepted until 12:00 Noon (PT) tomorrow. No purchase is required to enter or to win. The winner (first name only) will be announced on Terry’s book tour page next week.

Thanks for stopping by today, and have a wonderful weekend!

What I'm Doing...

OK, an update:

What I'm reading right now: Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. I haven't read anything by her in a while (had to take a break). I like it so far, not only because of the decent plot but also because it gives me a chance to study her technique: she does a lot of switching POV and also past vs. present tense. That's what I'm attempting to do in Entwined, so it's good inspiration and motivation.

What I'm writing right now: working through revisions of Summer's Song (still!) and a first draft of Entwined, a literary-romance-paranormal story that jumps all over the place and is incredibly fun to play with.



What I'm watching right now: Fringe is my newest favorite show (good writing and acting), along with Life, which I discovered last season. I've also recently become a convert to House, along with my old faves Prison Break, Survivor (yes, I'll admit it) and Cold Case.



What I'm listening to right now: Where I Stood by Missy Higgins. Oh, and of course holiday carols. 'Tis the season, after all!



What about you?

Current Word Count for Entwined: 18,867

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: He still can’t get over the fact that the bones belong to a child, a baby, and have lain inside that wall for over twenty years.

Some Blogs for You to Visit Today

Look: the official graphic! And if you click on it, you can see the official list of all the EPPIE finalists. Very exciting.

I'm giving props to a couple of blogs today:

Liz is blogging every day about her progress working through the book Discovering the Writer Within. It’s a 40 day program to exercise one's creativity and imagination.. Go on over and see what she's up to today!

And a cousin on my husband's side has set up a brand new blog featuring her photography business (plus she has cool Christmas music playing there). I'm thinking I should probably commission her to do a new (and professional) head shot for my website. What do you think?

Current Word Count for Entwined: 18,288

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: She feels the nausea build in her stomach again, and she knows that if she is not in front of a toilet in a minute or two, she will lose her breakfast to the carpet of Silverstone Hall.

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Karen Wiesner

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today I have the pleasure of hosting prolific, award-winning author Karen Wiesner. Sit back, warm up that cup of coffee, and enjoy!

Karen, I'm so pleased to have you here on my blog today. Can you tell us a little about your background?

I’m an accomplished author with 55 books published in the past 10 years, which have been nominated for and/or won 74 awards, and 21 more titles under contract. My books cover such genres as women’s fiction, romance, mystery/police procedural/cozy, suspense, paranormal, futuristic, gothic, inspirational, thriller, horror and action/adventure. I also write children’s books, poetry, and writing reference titles such as First Draft in 30 Days and From First Draft to Finished Novel {A Writer’s Guide to Cohesive Story Building} available from Writer’s Digest Books.

My previous writers’ reference titles focused on non-subsidy, royalty-paying electronic publishing, author promotion, and setting up a promotional group like my own, the award-winning Jewels of the Quill, which I founded in 2003. The group does two anthologies together, edited by myself and others, per year. I’m also a member of EPIC, Sisters in Crime Internet Chapter, BooksWeLove.net, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and World Romance Writers.

Wow! I think I'm exhausted just reading that list of accomplishments! Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

I actually have several new releases:

Woodcutter’s Grim Series—Classic Tales of Horror Retold is the one-volume novella collection of my previously published books in the romantic horror series: "Papa" (Book 1) and "Blood of Amethyst" (Book 2) plus 2 bonus stories in the series never before published: “Dancing to the Grave” (Book 3) and "The Amethyst Tower" (The Final Chapter). Whiskey Creek Press released the collection in September. I adored this series and I’m not ready to let it go, so there will definitely more coming in the future. Find out more about the rest of the books, and register to be notified of releases, in the Woodcutter’s Series here: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/fiction6.html

From First Draft to Finished Novel {A Writer’s Guide to Cohesive Story Building} is my follow-up to First Draft in 30 Days. It became available in September. Find out more about my writing reference titles here: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/nonfiction3.html

"Perfect Cadence" is the first in my contemporary romance Kaleidoscope Series, was published in Christmas Wishes, A Jewels of the Quill Christmas Anthology in September 2008. Find out more about the rest of the books in the series here: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/fiction8.html

I love all things series, so it’s a very rare thing for me to write a single book that has no connection to others I’ve done. That was the case with my Incognito Series, the first seven books of which have won and finaled for several awards and received multiple 5 star reviews.

The series premise is based on the world’s most covert organization, the Network (fictional, of course!), with underground headquarters in Chicago beneath a front technology company called ETI. Having unchallenged authority and skill to disable and destroy criminals, the Network takes over where regular law enforcement leaves off in the mission for absolute justice. The price for that justice is high, requiring the life of every man and woman who serves—no turning back. Once you belong to the Network, there’s no escape. There is no life and no love, only duty. These operatives truly live in the shadows.

Undercover Angel, Book 7 of the series, was released October 1, 2008 and received The Long and Short Of It’s Best Book rating (their highest), a 5 angel review and the FAR Recommended Read Award, 5 stars and featured review status from Manic Readers, and 4 ½ stars from Romantic Times.

Second in Network command, Captain Shannon McKee leads the organization with an unfeeling, iron fist, just as her father did before her. Yet, when the opportunity comes to take down the most notorious drug dealer in history, she goes after her heart’s desire—to utterly destroy the man who killed her younger brother. But Mareno Ortega isn’t at all what Shannon expects him to be. He’s intelligent, attractive, charming, shy...and, unbelievably, a doting father to his two children. Shannon has more reason to hate this criminal than anyone else, yet she finds herself confused by his contradictions. Is he a man with no options, playing a game he desperately wants out of? Or is he an enigma, trying to seduce her in a cat and mouse chase she can’t win? The only man alive who can stop this undercover angel from her suicide mission is the Navy SEAL she served with and nearly lost her heart to, Captain Ron Blair, currently Network Master Strategist. But can Ron save her...from herself? Find out more about the Incognito Series here: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/fiction7.html.

The Fifteenth Letter and Romantic Notions, Books 3 and 4 of the Falcon’s Bend Series, written with Chris Spindler, will be published December 2008. Look for the reissues of Books 1 and 2 and Falcon’s Bend Case Files, Volume I (The Early Cases) February 2009. Falcon’s Bend Cases Files, Volume II, a new novella collection, will be out Summer 2009. Find out more here:

http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/mystery.html

How do you go about developing your characters?

I was recently talking about something similar with a critique partner, who asked me what the different is between a book that practically writes itself and one that comes hard. I think the answer to that comes down to characters. Even if I don’t have a book sitting in my head, brewing on a backburner for a long time, if I connect with the characters, I can write them as if I’m just following a movie those same characters are showing in my head. The writing of the book is simplicity itself then.

But when characters are hiding and won’t show me their internal workings, it’s harder to write a story. When characters hide, I do a lot of character sketches. I also believe that there’s a vital need for cohesive characters, settings and plots, and that’s part of what makes a book work and what makes one complicated to unknot.

When the characters come to life like that—so I can see them, hear them, know exactly what they’d say, do and think in every single situation—is different for every project, and I wish I could pinpoint why some characters wait so long to come out and reveal themselves. It would make each project so much easier.

What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

Summers are the most difficult part of writing. I’m a person who wants to work, but when my son is out of school for the summer, it’s very difficult to find time to do that. I need to be alone when I write. Generally, I try to work on outlines and revision exclusively in the summer, mostly trying to relax and get my brain fertile again.

Finishing a book and having readers love it as much as I do is the most exciting and rewarding part of being a writer.

Describe your writing space for us!

I have a gorgeous cherry wood armoire that’s so cluttered, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to close it. It has a file cabinet (piled with works in progress) on the left and a credenza (piled with works in progress) on the right. My published books are displayed beautifully in a special alcove near the door of my office. Above my stereo is a plague that says, “Home is where your story begins.” My hundreds of CDs (gotta have music!) bracket the door up to the attic, where I finally have the home library I’ve always wanted.

I can't imagine you have time to fit in much leisure time, but what do you like to do when you're not writing?

I need to be able to write or work a full eight hours on weekdays to be truly happy, but I do enjoy designing websites, graphics, and cover art. My favorite things to do non-writing related are extremely simplistic and probably boring to most. Take walks with my family. Read all day. Relax with my family and watch movies. Watch the snow fall. Shop. I’m a simple girl who gets all the vicarious thrills she needs through her writing, so I need little else to be content.

Karen, thanks so much for sharing your experiences with blog readers here today. Anything else you’d like to mention?

Readers can visit me at:
http://www.karenwiesner.com/

http://www.firstdraftin30days.com/

http://www.falconsbend.com/

http://www.jewelsofthequill.com/

http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/karen-wiesner

If you would like to receive my free e-mail newsletter, Karen’s Quill, and become eligible to win my monthly book giveaways, send a blank e-mail to
KarensQuill-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Two Holiday Contests!

"Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind." ~Mary Ellen Chase

I promised to tell you about the giveaways Samhain is holding this month, so here's the first: click here to see exactly how you can win a variety of ebooks by hunting for Christmas ornaments on participating authors' websites. And here's the second: Samhain is also GIVING AWAY 60 print books this month! Click here to find out the details about that contest too.

Hey, by the way, I'm organzing a cookie exchange at work, but I need some new EASY holiday cookie recipes. If you have any foolproof ones, could you email them to me at allieb@allieboniface.com? Thanks!

Current Word Count for Entwined: 17,338

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: Sometimes she retches in the middle of the day, for no reason but that she misses him so much she must either vomit or die.

Good News!!!

"The test of any man's character is how he takes praise." ~Anonymous

You'll notice my word count for Entwined isn't much changed from yesterday's number, since I spent most of the weekend working on Summer's Song. Still, any progress is progress, right?

The exciting news for the day, though, is that One Night in Memphis is an EPPIE finalist! For those not in the know, EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection) is a network/support group for ebook authors, and each year they sponsor the EPPIE awards, in a variety of categories. Contemporary Romance had 60+ entries this year, so for my book to be one of five finalists is a huge accomplishment. I'm thrilled!

I'm even more thrilled because the story has - get this - two kisses in it. No sex, no even-close-to-bedroom scenes, because there's a whole lot of action and it only takes place over one night, after all. But in this time when erotic romance has been cornering the market, it's reassuring to know that romance novels without sex do in fact still please readers.

So...now I have to decide if I'm going to the conference/awards ceremony in March - it's in Las Vegas. Hey, it's a tax write-off, right?

Current Word Count for Entwined: 16,221

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: She has nothing but the heart she gave him, and that, of course, is gone now too.

The Tao of Publishing

"50 percent of the factors affecting your career could be totally out of your control." ~Axelrod and Long


There's a very interesting article in the December issue of Romance Writers Report titled "The Tao of Publishing" and written by Steven Axelrod and Julie Ann Long.


In a (very small) nutshell, the article talks about how creative success is impossible to predict. Actors, musicians, writers - they all strive to produce not only the best work they can, but the work that will take the world by storm and outshine all others that came before it. Interestingly enough, however, studies show that the quality of a work does not necessarily predict its popularity, because consumers make decisions socially rather than independently. In fact, one online experiment set up different music-sharing websites where users could download music and then rank how much they liked certain songs. Without exception, users were influenced by what other users thought, because on the control sites, where they couldn't see other users' ranks but only their own, completely different songs ended up being the most popular.

The users also ranked the songs in order of quality. Take a look at these results: "Overall, a song in the Top 5 in terms of quality had only a 50 percent chance of finishing in the Top 5 of success."


It's the ol' Twilight/Harry Potter effect: readers hear about how much other readers like the books, so they go out and buy them. And whether or not the books are well written, it doesn't matter. Once the buzz gets going, people buy what other people are reading. Period. Axelrod and Long's conclusion is that authors cannot possibly predict what is going to sell or which promotional efforts really pay off, so we should just relax and "go along for the ride." We should write the best story we can, promote as we see fit and can afford, but not get caught up in sales trends and Amazon rankings and such.


I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I can do that. Maybe I'm too much of a Type A personality, but it's frustrating to know that talent and hard work aren't really what pay off in the end. It's simply luck and timing. I suppose that's the way the world works, but still. When mediocre books become best sellers and wonderful gems never even get published, it seems as though there's something wrong.


What do you think? Would you be able to let go and just write, regardless if you never got a publishing contract or sold another book or made a best-seller list? Is it worth dwelling on promotional efforts, or should I just forget about it and see where Fate takes my writing career?


Current Word Count for Entwined: 15,664

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: If he stops breathing, if he stuffs the screams back down his throat, perhaps the people in the rooms around him will not hear his world fall apart, bit by bit, until insanity takes over.

Relaxing for the Weekend...Finally...

"Words are the most powerful drug used by mankind." ~Rudyard Kipling

Since I'm out of town this weekend, and Internet access is limited (and I went to bed WAYYY too late last night), just a quick update on my writing.

Tune in tomorrow for an actual blog post...oh, and if you haven't yet signed up for my monthly newsletter, go ahead and do so (it's right over there, on the sidebar). December's is coming out in a couple of days, with lots of of holiday tidbits and good news!


Current Word Count for Entwined: 15,034


Yesterday's Fave Sentence: He used to watch all those crime shows, back when he still had an apartment and cable TV, but he knows that in real life, answers take months and aren’t nearly as pat.

Happy Black Friday!

"Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping." ~Bo Derek

By the time you read this, I will probably be sleeping, having gotten up WAYYYY too early to hit the Day-After-Thanksgiving sales. Of course, after doing this last year, I swore I never would again...and yet there is something to the thrill of planning out the sales and getting to the stores when it is still dark outside.

I know, I'm crazy.

Making slow but steady progress on both Entwined and Summer's Song, though to be honest, I don't think I'm going to hit the 50,000 word mark by December 14, as was my original goal. When you're revising a whole other manuscript at the same time you're composing a brand new one, well, your head tends to spin a little. Anyway, I'm slogging on, so here's today's WC and sentence:

Current Word Count for Entwined: 13, 502

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: When the bones fall onto his lap, complete with a skull the size of his palm, it is all he can do not to scream aloud.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for so much today, beginning with all of you who stop by and visit me in blogger-world. Here's wishing you a wonderful day!

Query Letter that got a "Yes"

Writers' Wednesday is on hiatus this week, but make sure to stop back next Wednesday, when I'll be featuring another author interview!

In the meantime, thought I'd share a bit of bright news: my regular blog readers know I've been mercilessly revising my novel Summer's Song, since Black Lyon Publishing asked to see it. Yesterday I also got an email from an editor at Avon, in response to a query I sent a few weeks ago, asking to see the manuscript as well. Avon normally takes only agented material, but you can still send an email query to their general submissions pool, which I did.

For kicks/informative purposes, here's the query I sent. I deliberately mentioned what I knew about their current wants and the shift in romance sub-genre that the Borders bookseller talked about at the NJRWA conference.

Dear Avon Editors:

In speaking with one of my writing colleagues at the recent NJRWA Conference, I discovered that you are currently looking for small-town, “soft” romance stories a la Debbie Macomber. I believe that my novel Summer’s Song would fit nicely into that sub-genre.

Pine Point is one of those small towns we all know and love. With its collection of quirky residents, local shops, and folksy gossip, it has a cozy feel of familiarity and nostalgia that readers of “soft” contemporary romance currently crave.

But Pine Point has its secrets too, and the death of Summer Thompson’s brother is one of them. Summer hasn’t lived in Pine Point for ten long years, since her brother died and her father sent her away for good. Now she’s on hiatus from a successful career as a museum curator to look over a half-renovated house her father willed her. Little does she know that as the weeks unfold, she’ll come face to face with not only her ex-boyfriend, but the truth about her own role in her brother’s death, along with a newcomer in town who might just change the way she looks at Pine Point forever.

Damian Knight recently moved to town with his mother and half-sister, to escape a brutal stalker. While he finds solace in construction work, it’s only a matter of time before his path crosses Summer’s, and the two fall for each other amid troublesome rumors that are brewing. Soon, Damian finds himself faced with split loyalties: protect his mother and sister at all costs, or let down his guard and fall in love with a woman at the center of a Pine Point scandal.

Summer’s Song explores the journey of going home again, of facing the past, of coming to terms with loss and moving on with both old friends and new lovers beside you. While the romance market has moved away from contemporary romance in recent years, “soft romance” is making a comeback according to many publishers and booksellers, and I believe this novel would fit well into that niche. Pine Point is a town full of personalities and small town conflicts, which also sets it up perfectly for a series of novels that could continue beyond this single title.

I am a multi-published author of contemporary romance novels (with The Wild Rose Press and Samhain Publishing). I have also published several articles on the craft of writing and belong to both the local and national chapters of RWA. Summer’s Song is complete at 75,000 words; if you would like to see a synopsis or sample chapters, I would be happy to send them along.

Thank you.

The chance of having a manuscript accepted there is very slim, but I'm amping up my revising and crossing my fingers anyway...

Current Word Count for Entwined: 12,073

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: Melted snow seeps onto the carpet, and for a moment all she can think is how it would feel against her skin, ice that raises gooseflesh before his mouth warms it.

A Novel Idea for Those Deleted Scenes

I spent most of my free time yesterday revising Summer's Song. It's amazing the different direction it is taking - I hope with good results, ultimately. I've cut SO much, though. I have an entire separate file with all the scenes no longer in the actual story. When I was at the NJRWA conference, one of the speakers recommended telling yourself you'll post those tidbits later on your website, under your "free reads" or "deleted scenes" section. Whether or not you ever do (she didn't) at least it eases the pain of ripping them from the story.

My word count for Entwined is still behind, but that's OK. I have a few days off for Thankgiving break, so let's hope I can catch up then. Right now, I'm wrapping up the first part of the main plot and hope to start working on one of the three subplots soon.

Oh, by the way, Samhain is hosting a Holiday Hunt, with a number of authors participating - you can win free downloads of their books! It starts December 1st, so stay tuned for more details~

Current Word Count for Entwined: 11,266

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: His heart aches with the distance between them, and yet he could more easily stop its beating than stop coming to Natasha Silverstone’s bed every night.

It's Monday Again?

"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." ~Steven Wright

It's Monday again? Yikes -- Thankgiving is a scant three days away. Thank goodness we're heading to my parents', which means we only have to bring something for the table, not prepare food to cover it. Who else is cooking/hosting for the big day?

Thanks to everyone for the concern and well-wishes for hubby's student. At this point we don't know more than he is still in critical condition, but there is no head trauma and he's now survived almost 5 days, so that's a plus.

On the not-so-good side, we had yet another car accident here last Friday night: two cars full of teenagers collided head-on. At least one death. It just breaks my heart. And I'm writing this blog post before I go to school, which I'm dreading because they haven't released the identities of the kids yet, but I'll guarantee we know at least some of them.

Now on the bright side: some good writing over the weekend, with positive revision and reconstruction of Summer's Song (I've cut 6000 words so far) and some good, fun progress on Entwined. I'm still behind, but I'm not stressing. I'll get there!

Current Word Count for Entwined: 10,619

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: She laughs, but she lays her hand on his knee, and he knows it is only a matter of time before he peels that scarf from her neck and tastes for himself the soft, dark spot at the base of her throat.

Manic Writing

"Writing is not a genteel profession. It's quite nasty and tough and kind of dirty." ~Rosemary Mahoney

I'm writing like a maniac today, since along with getting words down for Entwined, I'm also tackling a revision of Summer's Song for Black Lyon Publishing's Literary Love Story line. I couldn't even sleep that well last night because I was running over story possibilities in my head. How's that for living inside your novels?

So, here you go (and wish me luck on Summer's Song - I'm brutally slashing scenes and killing babies):

Current Word Count for Entwined: 9,878

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: By now, he knows the routines of everyone who works here, from the junior profs to the admissions staff to Dean Braber himself, who bangs blonde coeds once or twice a semester but never on Fridays, and certainly never after ten.

What Keeps Me Writing

"Those who write clearly have readers. Those who write obscurely have commentators." ~Albert Camus

OK, I'll admit it: posting my word count and my favorite sentences here every day has definitely kept me writing. When you're accountable to someone, even the "someones" in cyberworld, it's amazing how you'll find the time to write.

I am behind, though - I should be at 12,500 words by the end of today. We'll see how close I get; it's the weekend, which does mean that I should have more time. Theoretically. In the meantime, I also have to write a blog post for the Samhain Publishing Blog, which will be up around 3:00 EST today. Stop by and comment if you'd like!

Current Word Count for Entwined: 8,302

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: It complicates things more than a little, this child who holds Chase’s heartstrings.

I Hate These Phone Calls...

"Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly. " ~Author Unknown

Wow, I am SOOOO glad it is Friday! Been a crazy week here, partly because we got a telephone call Wednesday night that one of hubby's students was in a serious car accident, along with two of his friends..


I think teenagers shouldn't be allowed to drive until they're no longer teenagers. And they should only be allowed to drive the speed limit or under and without any kind of music and with no one else in the car. Well, maybe not really. But can you please remind the teens you know that even God's patience wears thin when they drive too fast and get distracted by their friends and TEXT MESSAGE WHILE THEY ARE DOING BOTH THOSE THINGS???


The word is still touch and go on the student. Sigh.


Current Word Count for Entwined: 7715

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: The coffee shop door opens, and Natasha Silverstone walks into his life for the third time in less than a day, a bolt of lightning that has singled him out from the heavens and struck him square through the soul.

Lots of Links to Share Today

"The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about." ~Oscar Wilde

It's been a busy week for me in cyberworld! You can read author interviews here:

Brenna Lyons' Blog
Janet Walters' Blog

Or you can also take a peek at the interview I did for WOW-Women on Writing about co-writers Stella and Audra Price.

While I'm mentioning links, there is some exciting news over at Samhain. Here's a preview: they've just signed an agreement with BooksonBoard, an ebook retailer that's going to make all their novels available on iPhones. Next generation, here we come!

Also, the new erotic e-publisher Ravenous Romance recently signed some NY Times bestsellers. Here's an excerpt from their latest press release:

[Boston, MA, November 19, 2008] –Ravenous Romance™, slated to launch December 1, 2008, has signed several best-selling and award-winning authors to their roster, many of whom have crossed genres and will appear on the company’s launch list in early December. New York Times best-selling author John Skipp has penned a novel called Opposite Sex for the company under the pseudonym Gina McQueen, and recently quipped: “Sometimes you just get tired of killing people, you know? I just wanted to write something sweet and funny and sexy and wild, where nobody gets hurt, and the worst thing that happens is your characters are probably going to have to stop kissing eventually!”

John Updike’s protégée Catherine Hiller’s novel Cybill in Between will publish in early December. Updike has provided a quote for the book cover that calls Hiller’s writing “brave and joyful.” Mimi Leahy, an Emmy-nominated writer for “All My Children” and “As the World Turns”, will write several books and short stories for the imprint...

Finally, my cyber colleague Devon Gray is celebrating the release of Playing with Keeps, so take a hop on over to her blog and tell her I sent you to say congrats!

Current Word Count for Entwined: 6,698

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: He cannot stop listening to her talk, cannot understand the way it squeezes his heart every time she pauses.

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Heather Stimmler-Hall

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! I mentioned today's author a few weeks back, when I first read her book Naughty Paris. Now Heather Stimmler-Hall is here today to give us the skinny on this fascinating "travel" book:

Welcome to Allie's Musings, Heather! Can you tell us a little about your background?

I've been a writer as long as I can remember: plays, poetry, stories...when I was in high school I started taking journalism classes and we produced a weekly newspaper. From this I got an after school job as the Teen Correspondent for the big daily, Phoenix Gazette (absorbed by the Arizona Republic). It seemed like a more practical way to make a living as a writer, so that's the career path I chose. When I came to Paris in college, it seemed like travel writing was an obvious choice, and now I've been writing about France for American magazines and guidebooks since 1999. I also have a blog I write for fun called Secrets of Paris (http://www.secretsofparis.com/).

Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

After years of writing for other publishers, I created my own independent publishing company in Paris, Fleur-de-Lire, and in September I published "Naughty Paris: A Lady's Guide to the Sexy City". It's a guidebook for the "Sex & the City" generation of women, very elegant, with over 200 photos and lots of fun advice and tips on everything from where to find the perfect corset to decoding French pickup lines and how to capture that elusive "femme fatale" allure of Parisian women.

As my regular readers know, I had the pleasure of checking out this book on its release...what an interesting work! So, what advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Travel guide writing is very different from fiction writing. You really, really have to remember your audience, to keep your information informative, essential, and above all, evocative of the place you're writing about. Read a LOT. The biggest mistake all beginners make in all kinds of writing is using clichés and other hackneyed phrases. They really distinguish a professional writer from a hobby writer.

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

I'm not sure that I do! I have two small miniature pinschers, Pedro & Lena, who force me to get away from my desk at least three times a day for walkies and dinner, but it's a constant struggle to remain balanced, especially when you're a freelancer. I tend to have a better grasp of how long any given assignment will take me now, but I still end up procrastinating (I'm a Facebook addict) and then not sleeping for three days when a deadline approaches.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Some might think that travel writers don't get writer's block, but it happens. It's always hard to think of new and interesting ways to say the same things over and over. Or sometimes I'm just not in the mood to write, especially if life situations get in the way. To break through this, I just write the crappiest first draft I can, on purpose, full of clichés and bad puns. Then I can relax a little since I have something to work with besides a blank screen, and get to editing, rewriting, etc.6. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creatingyour book(s)?Naughty Paris is completely different from the other traditional travel guides I've done. And since I didn't have an editor telling me how to write it, I often agonized over the tone, the angle, the length, what to include or leave out...I must have changed it twenty times in the course of completing the manuscript. But I learned if I went with my gut and with what I knew *I* would be happy with in the end, then it would all come out okay. People can tell when you're writing with conviction from your heart.

Heather, thanks so much for being here today! Readers, you can find out more at http://www.naughtyparisguide.com/.

Happy Wednesday!

A Few Odds and Ends for Your Tuesday Viewing Pleasure

Some random thoughts this morning:

1. I saw the movie "300" over the weekend. It got rave reviews, but I didn't really like it. Lots of yelling and warriors fighting and blood and gore. Cool special effects, though.

2. I made Liz's Taco Pie for dinner last night and it was a hit with hubby (with me, too). Thanks for the recipe!

3. Last night was the first time all year I didn't bring home work from school. I had two whole hours in the evening in which to write - I didn't even know what to do with myself!!

4. Only 5 weeks until Christmas. 5 weeks! I haven't even started my shopping...

Current Word Count for Entwined: 3800

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: He bends over the playpen, enraptured by the way her tiny eyelashes fall against her cheeks, the way her tiny lips part with breath, the way nothing about this life has touched her yet, and he thinks he could spend a lifetime standing over her, watching her sleep.

Role Models

Hubby and I went to see the movie "Role Models" yesterday morning (10:30 am show for only $5.00!). It was more entertaining than I thought it would be, though it does have more than its fair share of raunchy jokes and language. But the acting is pretty good, along with the overall message. I did find it funny in a lot of places :)

Writing-wise, I'm doing OK. Of course, it's still the first week, so the bloom is on the rose. I still don't know where I'm going with this story, but the journey's fun so far...maybe because I have no expectations.

Current Word Count for Entwined: 2790

Yesterday's Fave Sentence: They slept together a few times last winter, until he realized she had neither the brilliance of her mother nor the charm of her father.

The First Day of a New Book

"There are so many different kinds of writing and so many ways to work that the only rule is this: do what works. Almost everything has been tried and found to succeed for somebody. The methods, even the ideas of successful writers contradict each other in a most heartening way, and the only element I find common to all successful writers is persistence-an overwhelming determination to succeed." ~Sophy Burnham

Ah, the first day of tackling a brand new writing project. You might recall that, though I wanted to do NaNoWriMo, November 1st was a TERRIBLE time for me to start a new book, so I put it off until yesterday, figuring I'd do my own Book-in-a-Month from November 15 - December 14.

And so it began. However, this project is an experimental trainwreck, I fear. It's unlike anything I've ever attempted before, a sort of conglomeration of romance and literary and first-person and third-person and present tense and past tense all at once. I'm breaking every writing "rule" that probably exists, and I have a sneaking suspicion at the end of this month that I will have a big pile of words with no clear framework to hold them up.

But that's OK. I figure one month of experimental writing can't be a bad thing. At the very least, I might free up my brain from the same kind of writing I've been doing for the past 6+ years. Maybe I'll end up with something worth editing someday. Maybe not. But it will only be 30 days of writing.

Anyway, I decided I'd post my word count here each day, along with my favorite sentence from the previous day's work. I'm doing my best not to look back, just bulldoze forward and get words on the page. In fact, that's what I'm off to do right now, 'cause I just realized that 1600+ words each day is an awful lot to produce!

Current Word Count for Entwined: 1451

Fave Sentence: "Now Natasha stands in the center of a room that was her mother’s, her father’s, a room that should be hers but feels wrong, too big, too awkward, a shoe that will never curve around her heel and toes the way it should."

I Hate Making my Students Cry

"I made a difference for that one." ~Loren Eisley

I hate making my students cry.

Really.

And I'm not talking about the crying that takes place when they get a bad grade, or feel overwhelmed and can't get their work done, or don't get into their first-choice college, though there are always tears in those cases too.

But I hate this one day of the year when I talk about bullying with my education students/future teachers, because I know it's going to upset them and I know it's something we have to talk about anyway.

See, the talking itself wouldn't be bad. But I have this episode of "Without a Trace" that I show, and it centers on bullying and in fact leads one middle school boy to attempt suicide. It's a pretty intense episode, and I always warn my students ahead of time and tell them they can leave if they want to.

But they always think they're going to be fine -- then the end scene hits. The episode does have a relatively happy ending, in case you're wondering, but the bullying/suicide portrayal itself is pretty disturbing, and it always affects a couple of my students pretty hard.

Yesterday a full half of them ending up in the bathroom, crying. And yeah, I felt pretty lousy about it. I mean, it's not that I'm trying to torture them. I think very carefully every year about whether I should show it, and I always end up deciding "yes," because I think the ways it makes them think is important.

We can't always talk about the good things, can we? We have to address the problems and look at the heartbreak in order to fix it. And I think on some level they know that. They're seniors, after all, a scant few months from graduation and the real world. We -- or, rather, they - have to be the difference in the way the future will unfold. They have to know that they can do something, even one thing, as individuals, to stop hurtful behavior, and it will make a difference.

Do you know the starfish story? It's a classic among educators:

The Starfish Story

Original Story by: Loren Eisley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”I made a difference for that one.”

Gin the Dancing Dog

It's the end of the week, I have a stack of papers to grade, I'm gearing up to start my own Book-in-a-Month project (tomorrow!), and so I leave you with this smile for today:

What Do You Do When...

"Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it." ~Truman Capote

I'm in a funny place right now: between projects. (Well, between writing projects, that is. I have more than enough projects from all other aspects of my life going on. But writing?) I finished the revision of One Night in Napa a few days ago and haven't looked at it since. I'm still mulling over what to do with Summer's Song. I have no articles due for ezines at the moment. I'm done judging the EPPIES, and I haven't taken on any other books to review right now. I'm gearing up for my NaNo project, but I haven't done much in the way of thinking or planning for it.

So...I haven't done any kind of writing in close to 4 days. And I gotta say, it's a little bit of a weird feeling. I have some ideas of future stories rattling around in my head, but I haven't even given them much time to speak of.

It's a little like working out or running, to be honest. Some days it's a joy to do; other days it's more like torture; but when you don't do it for a while, you feel as though something's missing.

So for all my fellow writers out there: what do you do when you're not writing? Or are you always, somehow, someway, writing?

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Jeff Rivera

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! I'm especially excited about today's featured author, since his story is one of those "literary lotteries" that happen once in a blue moon. Jeff Rivera is the author of Forever my Lady. Here's the scoop on its remarkable journey to publication:

"Originally independently published, Jeff Rivera's debut novel, Forever My Lady went on to be acquired by Warner Books/Grand Central. It tells the award-winning passionate story of a juvenile delinquent named Dio who is sentenced to prison boot camp. Everyone who he has ever trusted has given up on him except one special girl that promises to stay by his side no matter what, the love of his life, Jennifer. He promises he will to turn his life around for her and she promises will never leave him. In fact, they plan to marry one day. But when Dio is released from boot camp he discovers Jennifer is about to marry someone else.

"Forever My Lady was featured in national magazines, on national television and radio including: The Boston Globe, Miami Herald, Rotarian Magazine, Urban Latino Magazine, VOY, Right On! Magazine, NPR, American Latino TV, SITV and was awarded Best New Author Award and the Best Urban Fiction Award and by the Mahogany Media Review. His first novel, Forever My Lady (published by Warner Books/Grand Central Publishing) became a critical media darling having received over 45 reviews on Amazon, over 30 reviews on BarnesandNoble.com and was given 5 stars by Amazon.com's #1 Book Reviewer Ms. Harriet Klausner. Rivera is fast at work on his next novel as well as the sequel to Forever My Lady and anticipates its independent release in 2008. "

Jeff stopped by today to answer a few questions about his work. Let's find out a little bit more..

You have a lot of controversial topics in your book, prostitution, gang warfare, child abuse yet you somehow were able to turn it into a heart-wrenching love story. Why did you find it necessary to include such topics?

I think as an artist, it's important to realize the responsibility you have in affecting the world around you. Those are all topics that realy happen in the world along with love issues as well. So, I knew that if I was given the gift of this story and I had an opportunity to really move people with this story what a great opportunity to ground this almost fantastical love story with real life issues.

You were born in Utah, raised in Oregon but have lived everywhere in the United States from Las Vegas to New York. How has the affected your writing style?

That's a good question. I think one thing it really did, Allie, was it helped me see people's perspectives on life easier. Had I been raised only in Oregon and still lived there, I never would have seen or experienced the shifts in personalities that each city has. Each city as a whole has a very distinct personality almost as if they're one gigantic entity. At the same time one thing it really helped me realize is that truly wherever you are from the same common issues that we all face are with each person. This is why I chose to write about love. We all know what it's like to experience the desire for someone so much so that we cannot breathe and the feeling of heartache as if we had our heart ripped out and stomped on by the one person we hoped to be forever with.

The love interest in the book's name is Jennifer. Why did you choose to make one of the only Latina characters a prostitute?

I was so worried about that. But I chose that as her "profession" because both Dio, the main character and Jennifer are victims of child abuse and you really get to see how it affects both of them in different ways. I hope that it is a warning in some way for anyone who is thinking about abusing their children how it can affect them. Also, I hope that it will connect with others who are lost in that world that somehow they can find their own self-worth just like Jennifer eventually does.

You seem to have a passion for writing about love. Would you say you're a romantic at heart?

Very much so. I'm a total sap when it comes to love. Some friends might say I fall to hard too easily. But it's such a great feeling and I really do believe in souls destined for each other and all that sort of thing. I really do, however, I have learned that there's more than just one choice. There could be several soul mates or twin flames out there for you.

Jeff, thanks so much for being here today, and good luck with the sales of your book! Readers, you can find out more by visiting his website here.

Romance and Chocolate for Valentine's Day!

"If you come to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are." ~Oprah Winfrey

I know it's still a few months away, but I wanted to mention the AWESOME book signing event I'll be participating in on February 7th, 2009: Romance and Chocolate at the Farmington, CT Borders. Check it out (just posted on Stella Price's blog):

Romance and Chocolate Event: Feb 7th 2009 at the Farmington CT Borders

13 authors will be on hand for a fun and romantic event called the Romance and Chocolate Event. Authors of different kinds of romance will be on hand selling and signing books, and attendees will be treated to refreshments, snacks, goodies and lots of free stuff and will also have the opportunity to win one of 6 romance inspired gift baskets. What authors?

Stella Price
Tilly Greene
Jessica Andersen
Cat Johnson
Allie Boniface
Isabelle Santiago
Toni Andrews
Marie Force
Kristan Higgins
Denise Egan
Emily Bryan
Kathryn Smith
Annette Blair

Hope to see you there!

I'm particularly excited because some of those authors are fairly well-established, NY authors (I've linked to a couple of their websites, just for kicks).

So if you're anywhere in the area, mark February 7th, 2009 on your calendars and come on out and join us!

I Love Your Blog

Diane gave me this "award" last week, and then Brenna did...and then Marianne did. So wow - thanks, guys! That makes me feel really loved in blogger world. The rules are that I'm supposed to pass it on to 7 other blogs I enjoy reading, but I have a terrible confession to make: I don't think I have 7 other blogs I read regularly enough to make that call! I visit Marianne and Liz almost every day; I drop by Diane and Dru and Chandler during the week if I can, and I pop into Pub Rants or BookEnds when I remember to.

But otherwise, I don't have enough time in my day to blog hop. Sigh. Sometimes I wish I did - it would be easier than this dratted writing thing. The good news is that I finished my second revision of One Night in Napa, which is a huge relief and accomplishment. I've sent it out to a handful of agents, just to see if I get any bites. If not, I'll submit it to Samhain with fingers crossed.

And yes, I have every intention of starting my NaNo project this-coming Saturday: a literary/romance/paranormal effort tentatively titled Entwined.

Happy Monday!

Good News for a Sunday

"I never read a book before reviewing it - it prejudices a man so." ~Sydney Smith

My Sunday Good News:

One Night in Memphis received a 5-Heart review from The Romance Studio! In part, the reviewer (the same one who gave One Night in Boston 5 Hearts last year) wrote,

"I highly recommend this book. It is well written, highly suspenseful and one great read. And just wait for the sensual parts. There’s just nothing I don’t like about this book and that includes the unexpected ending..."

You can read the whole review here.

Happy Sunday!

Another Contest for All You Authors Out There!

"I'll take any trophy. I don't care what it says on it." ~Mary Louise Parker

First, I'd like to throw out a big THANKS to Diane, who awarded me the "I Love Your Blog" award this past week. I haven't felt too inspiring or interesting lately, so I'm not feeling really worthy of such a kind award, but perhaps that will change soon.

Perhaps.

Second, here's an interesting sort of contest for all you writers out there: Miss Snark's Secret Agent Contest. How does it work? Well, when she puts out the call (next one is Monday Nov. 10th), submit the first 250 words of your completed ms. She'll post the first 75 on her blog, where critiquers can fire away with likes and dislikes. The catch? One of the critiquers is actually a literary agent - whose identity is revealed later on.

Want to know more? Click here for all the details.

And now I'm off to give a presentation on promotion and marketing to my local RWA chapter. Have a great Saturday!

A Friday Joke

I'm still feeling rather lousy, so instead of any brilliant blog post today, I'll just share with you this (PG13-rated) joke that an author friend forwarded to me. I'm supposed to forward it to 5 other people, but you know what? I'm pretty sure at least 5 will stop by and visit my blog today, so here you go...

Miss Beatrice

The church organist,

Was in her eighties

And had never been married.

She was admired for her sweetness

And kindness to all.

One afternoon the pastor

Came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room.

She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.

As he sat facing her old Hammond organ,

The young minister

Noticed a
cute glass bowl

Sitting on top of it.
The bowl was filled

With water,

And in the water

Floated, of all things, a condom!

When she returned

With tea and scones,

They began to chat. The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity

About the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.

'Miss Beatrice', he said, 'I wonder if you would tell me about this?'

He pointed to the bowl.

'Oh, yes,' she replied, 'Isn't it wonderful? I was walking through

The park a few months ago

And I found this little package

On the ground.

The directions said

To place it on the organ,

Keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease.

Do you know I haven't had the flu

All winter.'

A New Romance Writing Site

Just a quick news flash today, as I'm feeling rather under the weather:

A new erotic romance e-publisher is launching on December 1 at www.RavenousRomance.com. You can find out more information at their Press Release too.

Here's some info on their pre-launch contest:

The TwittErotica Contest is online now and we’re looking for as many submissions as possible. Here are the guidelines:

Ravenous Romance™ TwittErotica Contest

Are u the Twitter Master? Can u get ur message out in 140 characters or less? If so, then prove it. We challenge u to put ur fingers to ur twit & send us ur hot, erotic short, but remember, short is the key... it has 2 fit in2 140 chrctrs...or less! Check back on Dec 1 to read all entries + the winning Tweet!

Winner receives a $15 gift certificate to Ravenous Romance = 3 novels or 15 shorts!
Submissions: Twitterotica@RavenousRomance.com

Ready, set...tweet!

If that's your thing, give it a try. Remember, contest wins boost name recognition, so especially if you're an unpubbed writer, it might be fun to see how you do.

Finally, it looks as though they're giving away an iPod too. Contest rules are here. Good luck!

And now I'm off to consume lots of tea, zinc, and Vitamin C, in the efforts to stave off this cold that is quickly wearing me down.

Oh, and I'm celebrating the historic election, too: no matter which candidate you voted for, I hope everyone can appreciate the momentous cultural milestone that November 4, 2008 now represents. Pretty amazing.