Friday Fun Facts: I'm Famous! (Well, Sort Of...)

So here's some exciting news, faithful blog readers: a couple of months ago, the publicist for Samhain contacted me with a somewhat strange request: a Brazilian TV station wanted to do an interview with me. Why? Well, this was during the 2-week period when my debut novel One Night in Boston was being offered as a Kindle Freebie, and the producer was doing a piece on the new iPad and wanted to include an ebook author. It didn't hurt that I live outside of NYC, either, which is where their affiliate station is located.

Soo.....a reporter and cameraman came to my house and filmed me! Very cool, and they were both very nice (and spoke English quite well). It was a little bit of a surreal experience, but I guess it turned out OK, because they included about a minute of the interview in their eventual piece on the iPad. Long story short: I finally got the online link for it, and I'm sharing it with you!

Now, it's in Portuguese, so you'll mostly have to just follow the visual (unless you happen to speak the language). And if you want to skip forward to my part, it's around the 3:45 minute mark (but why would you? the whole thing is about 5 minutes long, and it's a kind of cool intro to the iPad craze). Yes, I did get to use one, and it was very cool. If it wasn't so much $$, I might actually consider buying one (since I still don't have an ebook reader). The quality was AMAZING.

As it is, though, for now I'm content to enjoy my little 15 minutes of foreign language fame (although I hate, hate, the way I look in the video...I'm so vain hahaha) Hope you enjoy it too!

Writers' Wednesday: And the Winner Is...

I almost forgot! Thanks to everyone who posted comments over at Eclectic Writer over the weekend, in response to my author interview. I'm giving away a signed copy of my latest release, One Night in Napa, to... Charity!

Charity, email me your mailing address to tboniface@frontiernet.net and I'll get that in the mail to you!

******

And just because they're cute, here are some new kitten pictures, about 5 weeks old. All developing their own personalities now!

Monday Mentionables: Win a SONY E-Reader!

Last week I participated in not one but TWO book signing/speaking events. Wednesday I was in my hometown talking the Ladies' Literary Society (which is celebrating its 130th year!!). Though I did speak for a bit about my background and my books, it was fairly low-key. Most of the women were 60+, with two 90-year old members! It was their end-of-season luncheon, which meant we just ate and chatted. I did sell 14 books, though, so that was nice.

And then over the weekend I was at a Barnes and Noble with 5 other romance authors, mostly from the Southern Tier RWA chapter. Lovely, lovely women! I sold 6 books, which was OK since it was pretty slow overall (nice weather + a local music and food festival drew most people away, I think). It's always nice to chat with fellow authors and also make connections with bookstore managers. I highly recommend it!

Finally, I need to mention fellow Samhain author Tilly Greene's AWESOME June giveaway contest. She's giving away both a SONY e-reader and a box chock-full of goodies from the recent RT Conference, to two lucky people who leave comments on her blog this month. She's featuring one author each day (I'm June 20th - I'll remind you again before then!), and every time you comment, you're entered into the contest.

Click on the button below for more info...and happy Monday!

Friday Fun Facts: Win a Print Copy of One Night in Napa!

OK folks, just for kicks (and to reward my faithful blog readers), I'm giving away a signed print copy of my latest release, One Night in Napa. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on yesterday's guest blog post over at Eclectic Writer. Janet Lane Walters is a fellow member of my local RWA chapter, and she was kind enough to host me, so I'm showing the love by encouraging you all to hop on over and check her (and me) out!

I'll let this contest run through Sunday at midnight, so comment away! The winner will be announced back here on Monday! (US only please, since shipping outside the US gets pricey...sorry...)

Writers' Wednesday: An Invitation to the Ladies' Literary Society

“What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote.” ~E. M. Forster

Today I'm in for an interesting experience: I'm a guest at the Ladies Literary Society in the town where I grew up. Sounds like I should be wearing gloves and a hat, right? Actually, it's a book club that's been around for 100+ years, so that notion isn't far off. I didn't know much about it until one of the members asked me to attend as her guest. Their theme this year is "Author Author" and each member chooses an author to read and discuss each month. While I think their tastes usually run to the classic literature end of the spectrum, I'm looking forward to sharing some info about the romance genre and what makes it so appealing, so commercially successful, etc. Yes, I brought books and bookmarks and business cards and a lot of stats on recent market sales, famous romance authors they may or may not know, and more :)

So...I'm off to prepare. I'll be back with a full report on Friday - and always remember, fellow authors, what I say about taking the opportunity to get your name out there!

God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood

Writers' Wednesday: The Pros and Cons of Writers' Groups

So I've been thinking a lot about writers' groups the last few months. When I first decided to take the plunge and consider writing for publication, about 9 years ago, I looked around online and found a wonderful website where you could both take writing courses and join an online group. I took just one course (the intro one, I think), but I ended up joining 2 groups, and I will be forever grateful for the people I met there who helped shape my writing and my awareness of the writing world. There, I learned to take and give criticism, to do research about publishers, and to share beyond just the writing with a core group of fellow scribblers, some of which I am still in touch with today.

Then, about 3 years ago, I contacted my local RWA writers' group and found another support network, this time filled with local women who were writing in a similar genre - some published, some not. I continued to learn, to share, to socially interact with new faces - these in person instead of in cyber world, which was refreshing.

Now, however, I'm in the position of trying to decide whether I should continue my membership in the local group (my origial online groups disbanded a while back, sadly). While I am still a member of RWA, I attend the local meetings very infrequently (both because of my busy schedule and because I didn't feel I was getting out of them what I needed/wanted to). The membership fee for the local isn't much, so it's not the money. But I rarely attend meetings anymore, so I suppose I should consider why that is, and whether I'd be better served seeking feedback and support elsewhere.

I think part of it is that at the last few meetings I went to, attendance was super-low, and most of the discussion was either (1) gossip in small groups around the table or (2) critique that was decidedly biting. The former I can deal with; the latter, not so much. I am a huge fan of providing and gaining feedback - and indeed, for a while I attended critique group every other week (though it was an hour drive one way). I liked the camraderie, the laughter, and the learning. A couple of our members besides myself are published, and it's wonderful to hear their insight. But somehow over the last few months, it stopped being both fun and beneficial. This is probably more because of where I am in my writing pursuits - thinking about switching genres, published with a well-established small press whereas many of the other members are not published - than anything else. Still, I'm starting to think my needs might be better met somewhere else.

Absolute Write is a wonderful resource, and a place where I've been spending quite a bit of online time. I think what I most appreciate about it is that there is a wide variety of writers hanging out there, from the well established/multi published to those still learning the craft from the bottom up. I find that my questions are better answered, my writing better critiqued.

So what about you? What do you look for in a writers' group? Online support, or in person? Or both? Does it matter what genres people write, or the level of their experience? Or do you prefer to go it alone?? I'm interested - please share!

Monday's Mentionables: More Cute Kitty Pics!

"No matter how much cats fight, there always seems to be plenty of kittens." - Abraham Lincoln


Woooo - weee! What a week it's been! I've graded 240 student papers in the last 7 days, and my eyes are about ready to fall out of my head! But today was the last day of the semester (for my college students; the high school ones are with me for another month), so no more heavy-duty papers until September!



Obviously, I haven't done any writing of my own lately. But my YA book is simmering, oh yes it is, and I hope to get back to it soon enough. Also this week, though, I want to talk about writers' groups - what they can do for you, and when it's time to think about cutting loose and finding a new one (or going it solo). I'd love to hear your input on that!



Until then, enjoy some new pictures of the kittens living under our porch - they're 3 weeks old and discovering their legs...too cute!

Meet Author Jeffrey Leever!

[Readers, pay attention to the information at the end of this post, for a chance to win an autographed copy of Jeffrey Leever's new book!]

Dark Chocolate & Dark Mystery by Jeffrey Leever

When I see Allie’s heading above with the website’s name and the hearts, for whatever reason the first thing I think of is dark chocolate – and the fact that studies have shown it’s good for the heart. One of the things I like to do at my book signing events is to have some dark chocolate available at my table. Besides the enjoyment I get from occasionally eating the inventory, there is a bit of a tie-in with the title of my first book, Dark Friday. People seem to like it enough that I’ve continued the practice at events for my latest mystery novel, The University.

My palate, of course, has been telling me for many years that dark chocolate is “good.” Researchers at The Journal of the American Medical Association and elsewhere seem to agree. Apparently, small portions of the dark stuff lowers high blood pressure. The antioxidants present in dark chocolate (but not white or milk chocolate, sadly) tend to devour the kinds of destructive molecules that cause high blood pressure like a sumo wrestler at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Only sweeter.

Whenever I give people a square of Ghirardelli’s Dark or a Dark Hershey’s KISS, I always tell them, “A dark mystery novel is good for your heart, too.” I get some surprised looks on occasion. Then I talk about something that I can’t prove with a medical study but nevertheless believe: Dark mysteries that also manage to have a heart are good for the soul. They’re also a great choice (whether authored by yours truly or someone else) to give to a person who thinks they aren’t a reader, or someone who usually struggles to make it through a book.

I believe in fast-moving, heart-pumping, easy-to-get-through stories. I also believe in writing novels that include all the requisite stresses, twists, chills, and thrills of the mystery genre, but that have some real-world meaning beyond just the plots themselves. Books that can move people, occasionally leave them crying (and I don’t mean in fear), or make them want to talk through certain topics with others afterward. My favorite reviews and reader comments are when people notice this aspect and/or are surprised when I “take them there” amid all of the chaos.

My most-recent book, The University, deals with a college student who is trying to figure out why his best friend disappeared. He ends up battling a cult group. And falling in love. Meanwhile, an investigative journalist cracks an unsolved murder case from two years ago and helps a former police officer find redemption in the process.

It’s a story that’s both dark and has a good heart. Give it a try sometime if you have the chance.

* * *
JEFFREY LEEVER (www.jeffreyleever.com) is on virtual tour this week with the Omnimystery family of websites (http://jeffrey-leever.omnimystery.com) and is giving away a free copy of The University. He lives in Blue Springs, Missouri, with his wife and daughter. Like Allie, he loves pets. He owns a turtle (Frodo), a newt (Gingrich), a rabbit (Neo), and a cat who showed up in 2008 and has never left (Sebastian).


About The University

Ah, college life at Tremont University. A place for learning. Partying and dating. And murder.

When investigative journalist Kevin Gibson lets his cousin, a former cop, talk him into looking into a student's disappearance at Tremont University, he gets more than he bargained for. A former student — injured in a brutal attack two years ago and in a coma — may hold a critical piece of information that can solve the mystery. Meanwhile, an attractive coed continues to hide a very dark secret.

Tremont junior Brett Duncan is determined to find out what happened to his best friend, who's gone missing. Along with his girlfriend Ciera Kindle, Brett is drawn into a cunning world few know exist -- a conspiracy involving faculty, students, and some well-connected people in high places.

Beneath the campus’ Hallmark-card exterior lie many secrets, and a pulse-racing mystery with plenty of chills along the way.

*****

Want to win a copy of The University? Just visit Jeffrey Leever's tour page and enter this pin # (unique to Allie's Musings): 4637. Good luck, and thanks for visiting with us here today!

Writer's Wednesday Becomes Thinker's Thursday This Week

Well, I was just trying to be cute and clever with today's blog post title... :)

But really, I'm hosting author Jeffrey Leever right here TOMORROW on his blog tour, so please join me back here for a chance to find out all about his new book, The University, and have a chance to win it!

Monday's Mentionables: A YA Excerpt

I actually had a chance to do a little work on my YA novel over the weekend (amid TONS of papers to be graded, but that's another story). So I thought I'd share an excerpt. This one happens about 1/3 of the way in, when the main character, Annie (who is psychic and can hear dead people inside her head) decides to suggest a way for the girls at her new school to rein in their hard-partying boyfriends. Of course, she's just met Mr. Dreamy, which complicates things more than a little. (If you recall, this story is loosely based on the Greek play Lysistrata, and this is one of the first times it's referenced.)

Hope you enjoy it!

*****

The whole rest of the night, I’m floating. Nothing can bother me. Not the tight knot of tension around the dinner table, not the English paper that’s due tomorrow, nothing. I think of Manuel kissing me, winding his fingers through mine, and my heart squeezes until it feels like it might burst. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. I even offer to do the dishes and haul the garbage to the curb for tomorrow’s early-morning pickup. Outside, the sun is settling into the hills, and it’s turned a little cool. I don’t care. I wrap my arms around myself and breathe in the scent of freshness. Of possibility. The leaves are beginning to turn all these burnt orange and red colors, and they’re so gorgeous they take my breath away. I stand at the end of our driveway for a while and just take it all in.

My good mood lasts until almost eleven, when Heather pops up on You’nverse. “Hey you there?” she types.

“Yeah.” I click the Print button on my computer and wait as three pages of my paper slide out. There. A pink paper clip in the upper left corner, and I’m done. Now I can curl up under the covers and dream about –

“I wanna kill myself.”

The paper falls from my hand. “What?” My fingers slip on the keys.

“Not really.”

“Oh. What’s up?” I know she’s still upset about Bradley-and-the-prank, but it sounds like the guys are getting off pretty easy, with just a week’s suspension. The administration at school might bring in the drug dogs, or try to crack down for a while, but I’m betting everything will go back to normal after too long.

“The college recruiters called Bradley today.”

“And?”

“All of them are pulling their offers.”

I stare at the computer screen. That does suck.

“How is he?” I type after a minute.

“Won’t even talk to me.”

“How’s Tom?”

“Still in the ICU.”

I sink onto my bed and pull the laptop onto my crossed legs. Kenny was right when he said What a total mess. Maybe this is more serious than I thought. I mean, the five guys who got caught during the prank don’t fall into just one social group, as far as I can tell. Bradley and Derrick are starters on the football team, but Les is a brain in the drama club, Philly’s the cool, dangerous guy with the pimped-out car, and Tom’s the stoner who makes everyone laugh. I’m beginning to find out that in a school as small as Parker’s Point, there’s a lot of crossing over.

Which means that this fiasco didn’t just cut the legs out from under one clique. It pretty much cut the legs out of the school.

I still don’t know what to say to Heather, who’s filled the chat box with “????????????”

Then my eyes fall on the stack of books on my desk. At the very top is the copy of “Lysistrata,” the play about the women who stop the war between Athens and Sparta. I read it over the weekend, when I was avoiding Manuel and Mom and pretending to escape to ancient Greece.

Now I’m wondering if those women were onto something.

“Here’s a crazy thought,” I type.

“What?”

“Maybe we can change things.”

“Change what things?”

All the partying, I want to say. And the ridiculous pranks. But I don’t want to come across like a total prude.

“It’ll be like a social experiment.” There. Dad would be proud of that.

Dad… The happiness in my chest from Manuel is replaced by the sting of loss.

“What r u talking about?”

“There’s this story,” I begin to explain. “Well a play actually. About a bunch of women who got their men to stop acting like idiots.”

“How?”

“They refused to sleep with them until they cleaned up their acts.”

The screen stays blank for almost a minute. I wonder if Heather thinks I’m totally insane.

“Forget it,” I finally type. “Stupid idea.”

“No not really. But who’s gonna do it? I mean, every girl in the school?”

She raises a good point. There’s no way two hundred girls are just going to drop their boyfriends – especially if their boyfriends aren’t the ones acting like idiots in the first place. What did Lysistrata do? I pull out the play and begin flipping pages. She just kept talking to the other women until she convinced them to listen to her. I shake my head. I don’t think I have that much power here.

Then my gaze falls on the blue sheet of paper still lying on my desk. Winter Formal. Two months away.

“How about no girl goes to Winter Formal unless the guys stop partying at the Cove?”

“R u kidding? Winter Formal’s amazing.”

“U said most guys spend the night drinking and puking in the bathroom. What’s so amazing about that?”

There’s another long pause. I can almost see Heather thinking it over, her face frowning and her blue eyes filling as she thinks of her super-star boyfriend reduced to a common felon.

“OK I’ll talk to some of the girls.”

“I’ll talk to Charise.” She has connections with the smart crowd, seniors included, ‘cause she’s taking a lot of advanced courses and electives. I cross my fingers. If we’re lucky, some of them might get a kick out of reenacting a centuries-old play. Brainiacs are like that.

“C u tomorrow? Talk more then?”

“Yeah.” I shut down the computer and return to my fantasy of kissing Manuel. This time, though, we’re in my bedroom instead of on the back porch, and his hands go to places they never went this afternoon. I pull a pillow into my arms and pretend it’s him I’m holding. Then I sit straight up. What the hell am I thinking? This brilliant idea to cut off all the guys in school includes him. No more kissing. No more walks home. Definitely no invitation to Winter Formal.

I feel like the biggest fool in town.

Friday Fun Facts: A Litter of Kittens!

"Cats are dangerous companions for writers because cat watching is a near-perfect method of writing avoidance." ~Dan Greenburg

And now for something completely unrelated to anything writing: last Friday, hubby and I discovered a litter of brand new baby kitties underneath our front porch. And yes, we were completely surprised! I had seen a cat hanging around about a month ago, but I thought she just belonged to a neighbor and was wandering. Nope.

Turns out she is a very affectionate, very young mama (that I'm guessing was dumped, because she loves people, so she was probably someone's pet) with a litter of six. She managed to wedge herself through a gap in the boards of our porch, and now she's raising her babies in a warm, dry, safe place.

But what to do with them? I actually mentioned them to my students, a couple of whom might be interested in adopting. I do volunteer at a no-kill shelter, so that might be a possibility. As it is right now, I'm guessing the kittens are around 2 weeks old, so we'll keep them here, feed mama so she doesn't have to spend her time hunting, and take it from there, I guess.

Want to see some pictures? They're so tiny - last week all 6 could've fit in the palms of both my hands!

Writers' Wednesday: Blog Hopping

We're heading into the last couple of days of my blog tour for One Night in Memphis (the audio book) and One Night in Napa (print release celebration)...so please check out the links below and join me! Lots of goodies to be won... ;)

Spotlight Author at The Long and the Short of It

Blogging with Nicole Zoltack

Blogging at The Perils of Pauline

Happy Hump Day!

Monday's Mentionables: Spotlight Author at LASR...All Week Long!

Beginning today, I'm the spotlight author over at The Long and the Short of It - all week long! This is my celebration of One Night in Napa's print release. That means each day you'll find a new post by Yours Truly, as well as a chance to win...well, don't you want to know? Head on over to LASR and find out!

Also, I'm still blog hopping and talking about my One Night in Memphis audio release - today I'm over at Marta's Meanderings. Remember, every time you leave a comment, you're entered to win your choice of my audio books!

And finally, Brenda Novak's online auction is going strong...and my One Night Gift Package is currently at $22.00 - a steal for 3 signed books and a funky beaded bracelet! Don't you want to enter a bid - on this or on one of the many other terrific items there?!

Writers' Wednesday: Still Blog-Hopping to Talk about One Night in Memphis!

Blogging today over at You Gotta Read Reviews - won't you join me?

Oh, and by the way, not sure I mentioned it or not, but one commenter from all the posts/comments left (drawn randomly) during my One Night in Memphis tour will receive a free copy of the audio book!

Hope you're having a wonderful week...

Print Release Day for One Night in Napa!

IT'S HERE!!!

Print release day for One Night in Napa, my third "24-hour romance" novel with Samhain. I love this story (well, I love all my stories), because of the setting - romantic Napa Valley wine country - the heroine - she's a tough-as-nails broad with super-short spiky hair and facial piercings - and the story-within-a-story that provides a little bit of a twist ending.

Today I'm blogging at Liana's Place - hope you'll drop by and leave me a comment!

Monday's Mentionables: A New Print Release!

"Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." ~James Bryant Conant

It's almost here: release day for One Night in Napa!! Tomorrow, May 4th, is the magic day. In fact, I'll drop by here again and give you all the updated purchase link, as well as let you know where I'm guest blogging (today: The Life [and Lies] of an Inanimate Flying Object).

And just because it's so darn cute, look what we found yesterday afternoon in our back yard, the size of a quarter:

Friday Fun Facts: Follow my Blog Tour!

Follow me as my blog tour gets underway for One Night in Memphis! Yesterday I was over at Sherry Gloag's little corner of the web; today I'm at Word Wranglers. Next Monday & Tuesday I'll be at The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object and Liana's Place, and I'd love to see you!

Have a great weekend - it's supposed to hit 80 degrees here tomorrow! (And yet it snowed in upstate NY and New England just this week...Mother Nature must be drinking again hahahaha....)

Writers' Wednesday: Get Ready for Brenda Novak's Online Auction!

Click HERE to donate!

Hey folks, Brenda Novak's annual online auction to raise money for juvenile diabetes research begins MAY 1ST!! I can't even begin to list all the amazing things that are up for auction this year, for readers, writers, and a general audience as well. You can browse now, and get those bids ready for May 1st! And if you click on the banner above, you'll go straight to my auction page, featuring a "One Night" gift package.

Hope you'll bid and help raise money for this great cause!

Monday's Mentionables: One Night in Memphis Audio Book Release Day!

One Night in Memphis releases as an audio book today! And to celebrate, I'm launching a 2-week blog tour beginning this Thursday, thanks to the ladies at Goddess Fish Promotions. I'll try to stop by here each day and give you the link where I'll be chatting, so please visit me as I travel! I'll be giving away the winner's choice of the audio book of Lost in Paradise or One Night in Memphis to one lucky commenter, plus you'll find out all kinds of tidbits about me you might not have known :0

Here's the purchase link for One Night in Memphis (and a listen, if you'd like) - it should be active by the end of the day Monday!

Friday Fun Facts: Helpful Websites for Writers

"Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless." ~Bill Watterson


TGIF!

Got my latest Writer's Digest yesterday. Among the articles (how relevant!): Romance: Why It's Hot and How to Break In (read and read some more, learn the subgenres and the heat levels your audience expects); Young Adult: Top Editors and Agents on What it Takes to Make It (be original, don't follow a trend, don't talk down to teens); and Top 101 Websites for Writers.

Of those top 101, I check a few pretty regularly and recommend them:

Absolute Write - the forums are terrific ~ you'll find an answer to any writing-related question you might have

Agent Query - up to date profiles on agents, what they're seeking, and how to query them

Preditors and Editors - lets you know who you can trust and who you can't, in the publishing biz

Nathan Bransford's Blog - this YA agent is personable and honest about what's going on the world of young adult publishing

WOW! Women on Writing - publishes monthly e-zines filled with information for writers of all levels and all genres

******

It's been a crazy week for me, so I'm hoping to do a little relaxing, yard work, and writing this weekend. What about you?

Writers' Wednesday: I Need More Hours in my Day!

Busy! Busy!! No time today to write anything long, and here's why:

1. I'm trying to proof the audio files for One Night in Memphis, which is behind schedule for release.

2. I'm trying to write blog posts for my upcoming One Night in Memphis release tour, which begins (yikes!) next week.

3. I'm trying to put together promo for One Night in Napa's print release, which is May 4th (ooh, just got my author copies in the mail yesterday - beautiful!).

4. I'm trying to help hubby finish the master bathroom renovations and keep the house relatively free of dust in the meantime.

5. Oh, and I also have that full-time teaching job with ALL the papers to grade.

Whew ~ I'm off! Have a great day and I'll see you back here Friday!

Monday's Mentionables: YA Conference in Review

This past Saturday I attended WPU's Spring Writers' Conference, with a focus on "Writing Childhood." What did I think?

Breaskfast: Not enough variety. A few small pastries and that was it (hey, I can be picky if I want to be...)

Keynote Speaker, David Means: Really enjoyed the two short stories he read, "The Knocking" and "The Botch." High literary writing, which means a focus on language and character rather than plot. He was engaging and funny, though not a terrific lecturer - had a hard time answering questions.

Morning Workshop, Panel of YA Authors: I loved this workshop. 3 featured authors all talked about their books and their approach to writing/YA. My favorite by far, though, was Neesha Meminger, whose debut YA novel Shine, Coconut Moon has received lots of accolades AND was on sale there, so I managed to snag a copy and have it signed. I loved her the minute she started talking about her background and confessed that she writes erotic romance under a pen name! We talked afterwards about the fact that I'm also a romance author looking to write YA, and why that's such a natural bridge - I think because in both genres, you're exploring how love (and life) can be all-consuming. So interesting!

Lunch: Yummy! A great variety, lots of fresh fruit, and to-die-for brownies. Made up for the skimpy breakfast!

Afternoon Workshop, Coming of Age Fiction: This one was run by one of the authors in the morning panel I saw, Marina Budhos. A lovely, lovely woman, speaker and teacher - I confess I wouldn't mind taking a class from her someday. She had us do some hands-on activites and writing prompts related to coming-of-age experiences. I liked it but it wasn't long enough to really dig deeply into the things she was presenting.

And that was it! It was small, probably only about 100 attendees, but that really allowed for a nice connection with the presenters. I'm inspired and ready to write~

Friday Fun Facts: Off to a Saturday Conference!

"The good writing of any age has always been the product of someone's neurosis, and we'd have a mighty dull literature if all the writers that came along were a bunch of happy chuckleheads." ~William Styron

Tomorrow I'm heading to a Spring Writer's Conference at William Paterson University. Really looking forward to it, since the focus is "Writing Childhood" ~ perfect for me who's attempting her first YA novel!

Even better, I'm going with 3 of my close writing friends, and it's a wonderful conference (I've been before): breakfast, lunch, keynote speaker, and 2 workshops...all for $50! It's one of the best bargains around. I'm taking the "Panel: Publishing Adolescent Writing" and "Coming of Age Fiction" workshops.

Will be back here Monday morning with a full report!

Writers' Wednesday: Learning to Deal with the Hard Stuff

“I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat.” ~Sylvester Stallone

For my blog tour next month, I'm going to be writing a post about 10 things I wish I'd known about being an author...or something like that. Anyway, I was thinking about it, and one thing I've learned over the last 2 weeks - and wish I'd known - is how to deal with harsh words and bad reviews.

Here's the thing: you learn to deal with rejection pretty quickly before you become a published author. Unless you're incredibly unique, you're going to get rejection letters (or emails) from agents and editors before you get that first contract. Then, once you're published, you're probably going to get reviews you won't like.

Case in point, One Night in Boston, which for the last 2 weeks has been featured as a Kindle Freebie over at Amazon. Wonderful experience, as it's been in the top 4 the entire 2 weeks - mostly in the #2 spot. And I've seen the rankings of my other books, all of them, ebook and print, improve as well. Terrific.

I've also seen the number of reviews on my book increase from 2 to 24. Great, I thought at first, reader feedback. But interestingly enough, those reviews range from the 4-and 5-star raves to the 1-star pans. Really. I stopped reading the 1-star reviews after I saw comments like "There's a reason this is free - don't waste your time" and "Not smart, not funny, not well-written." Ouch. I'm gonna be honest - it hurts. And now I know why some movie and music stars don't read their reviews. Not to say I'm anything close to a star, but I still get it. Poor reviews can really make you start second-guessing yourself.

So that's one thing I wish I knew: that people will probably dislike your work, even after you're published, after an editor has worked through it with you, after review sites have praised it and friends and unknown readers have sent you fan mail about it. I will read future reviews with more than one grain of salt, and I won't read any more scathing reviews. I know people have different tastes, and I know some people simply won't enjoy my book or my writing. But I don't have to dwell on the negative things they have to say, either, or let them bring down my self-esteem.

Soldier on, fellow writers!

Monday Mentionables: A YA Contest and a Bathroom Reno

"The whole difference between a construction and a creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists." (G. K. Chesterton)

First to mention for today: any YA author might be interested in this contest: a FREE edit of your completed manuscript by Dear Editor. More details here - the deadline is this Wednesday, April 14th!

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And second to mention is non-writing related: we've been renovating our master bathroom over the last 2 weeks, and I think the end is almost in sight! Hubby did some of the work, and friends in the construction biz helped out, and we hired people to do the tiling... and here are a couple of preliminary pictures. We're hoping to get the rest of the furniture (new vanity, medicine cabinet, fixtures, etc) this week, but so far I love it!

The original jacuzzi tub/shower combo

Bare bones, tub gone, new shower (with seat!) being planned...

Walk-in shower newly tiled!

Friday Fun Facts: Respect Yourself Around the 'Net

"My religion is simple. My religion is kindness." ~Dalai Lama

One Night in Boston is still #2 over at the Kindle Store, thanks to the Amazon Freebie program! I've gotten 5 more reviews over the last week, too - not all terrific, but reviews all the same. And promo is promo, spreading the word about your name and what you write. I'm so thankful to Samhain for supporting this Freebie program and selecting one of my books to be featured.

I'll mention here something I believe whole-heartedly: people pay attention to the way you act, in the world of publishing and certainly around the Internet. Treat people with respect. Be kind and honest as much as possible. Don't spread rumors. Don't attack others. It's amazing to me how quickly word can spread about those who are and are not professional. Remember that! And so, I do believe publishers know and value their authors who are mature, responsible, respectful, and who work their a** off to promote themselves. Be one of them!

Writers' Wednesday: Upcoming Blog Tour for One Night in Memphis!

Heads up: My next audio book release, One Night in Memphis, will be featured in a 2-week blog tour beginning on April 26th. If you're interested in hosting, you can find out more information from Goddess Fish Promotions, or click the graphic above. Should be lots of fun - plus there will be chances to win free downloads of both this audio book and the current one, Lost in Paradise.

Join me!

Monday Mentionables: A Great Review and a Great Spot on the Best-Seller List!

"The successful always has a number of projects planned, to which he looks forward. Anyone of them could change the course of his life overnight.” –Mark Caine

I know, I know, I'm a little late getting this blog post up BUT it's the last day of my spring break, it's goregous weather outside, and I'm trying to squeeze every little last bit out of the day that I can!

Two quick mentions for today:

One Night in Boston is still #2 on the Amazon Kindle Store Best-Seller List, and it's still a FREEBIE if you want to pick it up for your Kindle and haven't. It's been a great promo opp so far I think (fingers crossed), and it's gotten a couple more reviews on the Amazon site, so that's always encouraging :)

Lost in Paradise (audio book version) received a lovely review from Seriously Reviewed over the weekend. In part, the reviewer said, "Well, done, Ms Boniface and Audio Lark for crafting and putting together a story and presentation that kept me coming back until I heard every last word." (Click here to read the whole thing). And AudioLark already has the review snippet posted on their site. I really like working with them so far!

Friday Fun Facts: Kindle Freebie!

“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.” ~Leo Burnett

Just one major announcement for today: my novel One Night in Boston is being featured from April 1 - April 13 as a Kindle Freebie over at Amazon! That's right, you can download it absolutely FREE for your Kindle ~ so pass along the word to anyone you might know who has one!

This is a pretty exciting bit of marketing for me. Samhain chooses books/authors to feature each month, so I was thrilled to be selected. The idea, of course, is that people will take the free read, like it, and then want to purchase your other books.

Right now, thanks to this promotion, One Night in Boston is #2 on the Amazon Kindle Store best-selling list, #1 in Romance, and #1 in General Ficition. Very exciting!!! Even better, one reader already left a 4-star review saying "Finally a Kindle Freebie worth the download" and went on to tag my other two One Night books for her To Be Read list.

Here's the link to buy (well, to download for free) ~ happy Friday!

Writers' Wednesday: Book Recommendation: The Absolutely True Diary...

"If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing." ~Sherman Alexie

OK, I have a book recommendation for you. Yes, it's Young Adult, since I've been reading a lot of that lately, and yes, adults as well as upper-level teens will like it.

I had seen this book recommended on a number of “Must Read” lists of Young Adult fiction – but I’ll be honest, the rather awkward title put me off. Don't make this same mistake! The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a brilliant, heart-breaking, funny, powerful story that will remain with you long after you finish the final page.

I loved it.

Absolutely loved it.

Arnold “Junior” Spirit is a teen living on a Spokane Indian Reservation. He’s the awkward, cross-eyed, friendless son to drunken but well-meaning parents, and he’s also too smart to stay on the “rez." After sitting in class one day realizing that life on the rez means a dead-end life, Junior decides he wants to attend the all-white school twenty-two miles away.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian tells the story of Junior’s freshman year as the only Indian at Reardan High School (well, besides the mascot). He’s picked on, ignored, beat up – and then, miracle of miracles, accepted, not only by fellow nerd Gordy, but by the beautiful. blonde Penelope and even the jocks. Amid this adjustment, though, Junior has to deal with the fact that his best friend on the rez, Rowdy, is furious (and heart-broken) at being deserted. The rest of the Indians aren’t any more forgiving, either.

The brilliance of this book is Junior’s voice. It is poignantly honest, funny, offensive at times, smart and smart-assed, and it doesn’t shy away from telling the horrible truths about what life is like on an Indian reservation – and what happens when you’re the single minority in a brand new school full of white faces.

One warning, however: there are a lot of sexual references and vulgarity, so even though it’s tagged as appropriate for grades 7-10, I’d recommend this book for older readers rather than middle schoolers.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a brilliant piece of YA fiction that deserves every accolade it’s received. I loved it!! Anyone else out there read it?

Monday Mentionables: Release Day!!

Happy Monday everyone!! It's release day for Lost in Paradise - the audio book. I'm so excited! Click on the fantastic cover below to go to Audio Lark's website and hear a clip (and I love my narrator, by the way). And just in case you're visiting for the first time, here's the original trailer for the book, too. I have had so many people write and tell me how much they fell in love with Eddie......

Friday Fun Facts: I'm Like a Kid in a Candy Store...

"We should read to give our souls a chance to luxuriate." ~Henry Miller

I've just scheduled another book signing, for Saturday June 5, 2-4 pm at the Barnes and Noble in downtown Ithaca, NY. If you're in the area, please mark your calendars and stop by to say hello!

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Yesterday was my "kid in a candy store" day, since this week is Educator Appreciation Week at Borders, which means 30% everything if you have your school ID. Now, Borders usually has pretty good deals/sales anyway, but still, this is a treat for me :) I actually asked my students today which books they'd like to see on our "borrowing bookshelf" in the classroom (most of those I get from used book sales, paperbackswap.com, donations, or the few I buy I myself). These are the ones they suggested that I was actually able to find in the store (and thanks to gift cards left over from Christmas, I didn't spend a cent!):

Jellicoe Road
Thirteen Reasons Why
Shutter Island
An Abundance of Katherines
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Have you read any of them? I'll give a report as I do!

Writers' Wednesday: Hunt for Eggs and Prizes!

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness! ~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

Very exciting news! The Long and the Short of It review site is sponsoring a FANTASTIC Easter Egg Hunt, beginning next week. But you can find out all about it right now (and there are tons of prizes) by clicking on the graphic above. Don't you want to play??

Monday's Mentionables: A Hodge-Podge of Things

"She said she usually cried at least once each day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful & life was so short." ~Brian Andreas

Hmm, what's worth mentioning today? Let's see, I think a hodge-podge of things:

First and most exciting, I'll be reading from Summer's Song at Lady Jane's Salon on November 1, 2010. Yes, I know that's a while from now BUT mark your calendars! Very very exciting for me...reading from one of my books in a swanky Manhattan nightclub to friendly romance readers and fellow authors. And the book releases in print the very next day, so I'm hoping it will be a great promo opportunity!

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I play the NCAA March Madness brackets at my workplace every year. Some years I do pretty well - others not as much. This year even though the weekend saw some top seeds knocked out (Nothern Iowa over Kansas? I still can't believe it) I have somehow managed to be in 3rd place out of 9o+ sheets. (This, of course, won't last, but it's still kind of fun bragging rights now).

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It was GORGEOUS here over the weekend - flirting with the high 60s both Saturday and Sunday, which inspired me to do some spring cleaning outdoors. Ugh. First off, our lawn is huge, second, it's covered with leaves and sticks, and third, my body's crying out after 2 straight afternoons of raking and lifting and hauling and...

I suppose since it's only March, I have some time, but still. The weeks fly by!

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I officially put my most recent romance novel, Entwined, to the side (well, actually it's with 2 beta readers) - so I'm not going to look at it again for a while. Instead, think I'll go back to my YA novel and do some work on that. Interestingly enough, my massage therapist knows a 16 year old psychic and gave me her phone number - which is perfect since that's exactly what the heroine of my book is going to be. Soooo...I'm glad I have someone "authentic" to tap for research, but I'll be honest - I'm a little nervous about what I might find out after talking to her!

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OK, that's all for this Monday. I'm off to tackle the first of 5 days 'til Spring Break - can't wait!!!

Writers' Wednesday: Online Auction to Benefit New Bookstore

Announcement: Firepetal Books, a newly-opened young adult/children's bookstore in is opening near Salt Lake City, is running an online auction to raise money for children's programming, now through March 20. Among the items up for bid: both children's books and a variety of agent/editor critiques for those writers out there.

Check it out!

Monday's Mentionables

I've said it before, and I'll say it again (and probably again, if you hang around long enough): networking is crucial, and attending author events can give you contacts you'll never get if you sit at home in front of your keyboard. Case in point:

I had a book signing at my local Borders over the weekend. I didn't have any new releases, so I wasn't planning on big sales. I sold 3 books total, but better than that, I had a chance to chat with my local author friends, whom I rarely see, confirm that I'll be sitting on a couple of panels at at the Authors After Dark conference in September, and meet a new author, Leanna Renee Hieber.

Leanna is lovely, gracious - and the author of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, published by Dorchester. She was accompained by a self-confessed "groupie" named Biz, who turns out to be a professional photographer from NYC who offers huge discounts for authors. If I ever get important enough to need a new/professional head shot, guess I know where to go!

Even better, though, Leanna is the founder of Lady Jane's Salon - a romance readers' group that meets monthly at a swanky bar in Manhattan where romance authors read from their works and mingle with a friendly crowd. She invited all of us to contact her for spots in the upcoming year and I'll admit, I'm thrilled. How much fun would that be???

Bottom line: you never know who you're going to meet at a signing, conference or other kind of author event. Keep your mind and your options open - every person you talk to about your book is one more potential reader. And who knows how many readers that person has the power of reaching?

I'll let you know when I'm "appearing" at Lady Jane's Salon. Ooh, I get goosebumps just thinking about it!

Friday Fun Facts: Weekend Book Signing!

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” ~Tennessee Williams

Tomorrow (Saturday), I have a book siging at Borders in the Galleria Mall in Middletown, New York, from 2-4 pm. I'll be there with Stella Price, Cat Johnson, and Tilly Greene. If you're in the area, stop by and say hello!

Writers' Wednesday: I'm Blogging over at Samhain Today!

"What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters. You can't reread a phone call." ~Liz Carpenter

Yes, that's right: today I'm blogging over at Samhain Publishing. Want some insight about one of the people in the dedication of my latest release? Check out what I have to say about long-distance friends and old-fashioned letter writing (and leave a comment if you'd like)!

Monday's Mentionables: Guest Blogging Today!

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you.” ~from Winnie the Pooh

Hey, I'm blogging over at Ann Lory's Blog Bites today ~ please stop by and visit!

Friday Fun Facts: Getting Recognized by the Local Borders Manager is Wayyyyyyy Cool

“Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character.” ~Horace Greeley

My squeeee for the week:

Yesterday I stopped into my local Borders to pick up a book (Looking for Alaska, by the way, since I need at least 2 copies in my room because so many of my students want to borrow it this year). The manager recognized me on sight, asked if I had anything new coming out soon, and when I said yes in May, he asked for the title so he could recommend it to customers.

How cool is that?!

I do have a couple of appearances coming up in the next few months, and I'll probably be adding some as the weather gets nicer, so check out Allie's Appearances over there in my sidebar every so often. I'd love to see you!

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Bianca D'Arc

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! I'm so happy to welcome my book signing buddy and fellow Samhain author, Bianca D'Arc, to celebrate the release of her brand new book (and first with Kensington Brava), ONCE BITTEN TWICE DEAD.

OK, Bianca, tell us a little about your background...

I was a professional student for a while. I have degrees in biochemistry, library science and law. I also spent a lot of time pursuing a career I ultimately gave up in favor of writing. Smartest move I ever made. In my youth, I studied and taught martial arts and like to bring some of that knowledge into my stories as well.

When did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I've been writing since I was a kid. I guess I was inspired by the knowledge that my Mom's uncle had been a famous writer in Europe. He died before I was born but he was such a large influence on my Mom's life - and through her, on mine - that writing was something I always wanted to try to do. While I don't kid myself that I'm anywhere near his caliber, I try to become a better writer each day and with each book. I doubt I'll ever write "literature" but the small success I've had is really gratifying.

So interesting! Now, tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

ONCE BITTEN, TWICE DEAD is my first novel published by a big, New York publisher. It's the beginning of a trilogy of military paranormal novels featuring zombies as the bad guys. It's a little darker than my other work, but I wouldn't call it horror. I'm not really a horror kind of girl. ;-)

The heroine is a county cop who encounters zombies on patrol and the hero is a Green Beret who's been sent to clean up the zombie problem. They work together on the case and, of course, fall in love. There are some scary moments with the zombies and a mad scientist who is trying to perfect the contagion that created the zombies, but together our hero and heroine win the day and save humanity from the zombie menace... for now.

Congrats on publishing with Kensington Brava! Inquiring minds want to know: how do you go about developing your characters?

My characters almost feel like real people to me. Once I decide what they look like and what their name is, a set of traits sort of adheres to them in my mind. From there, they sort of take on a life of their own and they become easier to write.

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

Just keep writing. The more you write - and the more you listen to feedback from editors and other writers - the better you become. Writing and submitting is only part of the work. Learning how to be a better writer is something that you have to work on every time the opportunity arises. Each round of edits. Each critique. Everything is an opportunity to learn.

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

I love sci fi and fantasy. Right now I'd have to say my favorite author is Elizabeth Moon. I also love Tolkein, of course, and still read books by Mercedes Lackey, Barbara Hambly, Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris among others.

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

The biggest difficulty is the isolation. Writing is awesome, but writers tend to spend a lot of time alone in front of a computer. It can get lonely, which is something I didn't realize until just recently. The exciting part is when readers enjoy what I write. I love talking with other people about the worlds I write about and I love it when they are as enthusiastic as I am about the characters and places I've dreamed up.

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

I'm still working on finding balance. I started writing full time about three or four years ago and up 'til now I've devoted pretty much all my time to making a go of it. On the way I seem to have lost a bit of the balance between writing and a personal life. At some point soon, I'll need to fix that. I just have to figure out how. If you have any ideas, let me know! :)

Hmm...okay (I think that's a challenge for many of us!) Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Not writer's block, per se, but sometimes a book gets sort of "stuck" at a certain point. In fact, that just happened in my current project. I usually work off a sort of vague outline and my most recent project got hung up in the middle of my outline. The way I'm going to overcome that little problem is to skip to an area of the story that works, get the story flowing again, then go back and address how to glue the two pieces together. When I get stuck it's usually because I got a little too bogged down in the outline. Jumping ahead to another part of the action usually gets things moving.

Describe your writing space for us.

I write on a laptop so my space is anywhere I make it. Nowadays I'm writing mostly in the family room, sitting in a recliner my Dad bought for my Mom. She passed away recently and I never thought I'd use her chair but somehow it's comforting.

I'm so sorry to hear of your mother's passing. The idea of sitting in her recliner sounds like a lovely, and comforting, one. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I like chatting with friends on the computer. Other than that, I've become too much of a recluse in recent years. I really need to get out more!

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

That I don't always have to have a plan. Sometimes the most amazing things happen unconsiously while I'm writing. New characters show up from out of nowhere and they tend to be some of the most exciting characters I've written. I've learned to go with the flow and see where the muse leads me.

When you write, do you use the computer or compose by hand, oral dictation, or some other method?

I type fast. I have also toyed with using voice recognition software from time to time but I usually go back to typing.


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

That's a tough one. My all-time favorite movie is Buckaroo Banzai, but I have a lot of other favorites. Batteries Not Included is a great one. I've seen The Fifth Element a few times in the past few weeks - loved it except for the ridiculous clothing. I also love Ladyhawke and I have a fondness for really bad B movies starring Rutger Hauer. ;-)

Bianca, thanks so much for stopping by! Anything else you’d like to mention?

I'd like to thank Allie for having me today. She's a great friend and a lovely person. Many thanks to her for allowing me to drop by and promote my new book, ONCE BITTEN, TWICE DEAD. ;-)

Readers, find out more about this prolific author and her new release at her website, right here.

Monday Mentionables A "Best Book" Award and a Guest Blog!

"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance." ~Japanese Proverb

Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who voted for Summer's Song in the "Book of the Week" poll over the weekend at The Long and the Short of It. It ended up winning! So it will be featured on their website all week long (always good for a little extra promo) and I get this nifty little icon to show off:

Cool, right?

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And in other news, I'm guest blogging today at that very site - about pole dancing. Yes, that's right: a few weeks ago, some of my girlfriends and I took a pole dancing lesson just for fun.

Want to know what I thought of it? Read all about it here!

Vote Vote Vote!

Just a quick weekend announcement:

Summer's Song is up for Book of the Week at The Long and the Short of It review site ~ and I'd love your vote!

The review, 4.5 Books, is a really nice one. In part, the reviewer said, "Assumptions, misconceptions, misguided actions on the part of main and secondary characters alike, ensure the reader will stay glued to the page to the end to unravel all the intertwining threads of mystery. But when the truth is uncovered will Damien and Summer's relationship survive the fallout?

Ms. Boniface's fluid writing and vivid imagery work as strongly on the scene setting as they do on her characters, and make for a clever and intriguing read. For me this book is a keeper."

The winner of the weekend poll just gets bragging rights and a little bit of free publicity, but hey ~ I'll take it!

Hope you have a great weekend...we'll be digging out here!

Friday Fun Facts: 28 Inches of Snow and Counting!

Yes, that's right: we've been hit by the storm that's pounding the Northeast right now. It's been snowing pretty steadily since TUESDAY afternoon, and we haven't had school the last 3 days. Our county is in a state of emergency, and poor hubby has tried to keep up with plowing the driveway with mixed results. There's nowhere left to put all the snow!

I've managed to get out and take a few pictures of it, though, so here you go: a photo montage for this Friday...

Drifts (and crazy icicles!) along the front of our house

Trees along our driveway (this pic is from early yesterday)

Our driveway, early yesterday

Me standing in our backyard this morning = 28" of snow! And we're supposed to get more throughout the day...

At least this gives me lots of time to write!

Writers' Wednesday: Audio Books and Tips from Writer's Digest

"Trouble knocked on the door, but hearing laughter, hurried away." ~Benjamin Franklin

OK, let me just say, it is really really cool to hear your book read aloud by someone. I just got the audio files of Lost in Paradise, which is releasing next month in audio book, and I spent last night listening to some of it (I guess I'm actually supposed to be listening for any errors, sort of like a Final Line Edit in audio form). It's kind of like the first time I saw my writing in print, holding the actual book in my hands. Only this time I'm hearing someone else read my words. So cool!

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And from the March issue of Writer's Digest, some interesting articles, including...

"What's in a Name?" (about how authors name their characters - what do you do? a former teacher of mine, turned playwright, wanders through graveyards for inspiration, choosing a first name from this headstone, and a last name from that one...)

"Write Like Stephen King" (about how to insert suspense into your writing, in effect by dropping hints about conflicts to come down the road)

"The Reluctant Writer's Guide to Handselling Your Book" (best tip from this one: introduce yourself to shoppers by saying, "Hi, I'm today's author" and putting your book in their hands. once it's there, it's a lot harder for them to put down without at least looking at it)

Monday's Mentionables: Revising, Revising...

"You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or even despair, the sense that you can never completely put on the page what's in your mind and heart. You can come to the act with your fists clenched and your eyes narrowed, ready to kick ass and take down names. You can come to it because you want a girl to marry you or because you want to change the world. Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page." ~Stephen King


I'm in the process of trying to revise Entwined, with the goal of submitting it to Samhain by the end of March. Originally, it was 80K words long and I was thinking of targeting a different publisher. In the last few months, though, and especially since looking at it again, I've changed my mind. Soooooo I'm trying to go back through and tighten. It's tough, but I'm making some progress. The biggest thing I've found is that it drags in places. A lot. I haven't looked at it in probably a couple of months, which is valuable time away, because it's allowing me to cut large sections and "kill my babies."

Conflict on every page.

I read an article once that talked about this - and conflict doesn't have to be gun-slinging action or tormenting mind games. But it does have to be a nugget of intrigue that makes the reader turn to the next page. This, I've found, is what Entwined lacks the most right now. I think this is partly because I originally thought of it as a "literary romance" which means I could dwell on the lovely language rather than the forward movement of the plot (literary fiction tends to be character-driven a little more than plot-driven, allowing for that). But now I'm realizing that it lacks in compelling plot - and so this is where my focus lies now.

Bottom line: it is so important to put a draft of your book away when you finish it. You'll never get distance from it otherwise, and that distance is crucial in being objective about what it needs, and what's already beautiful :)

Have a great Monday!

Firday Fun Facts: March Madness Coming Soon!

I"m up and out the door early today for a big day at work (a big "visitation"/open house to try and draw students to our program for next year)...so just a couple of quick notes about things coming up in March:

All Romance Ebooks is running a TERRIFIC promotion on all Samhain titles during the entire month of March: a 25% rebate! Now's the time to try that ebook, or that author, if you haven't already.

The Long and the Short of It is running an Easter Egg Hunt, where you'll have to find "eggs" on authors' websites to enter for a prize...and yes, one of those eggs will be hidden somewhere on my website!

And this is happening right now: WOW- Women on Writing's February issue is all about "Falling in Love with Romance" - take a visit and check them out. They always have great articles, interviews, contests...and I notice they're actively taking submissions for upcoming issues, so this is a great chance to get your author name out there!

Happy Friday..........

Writers' Wednesday: The Kulak's Daughter

"I hear laughter, but it's not a happy sound..." ~from The Kulak's Daughter

One of the perks of being a reviewer for The Long and the Short of It is that I get to read fabulous books for free. What did I just finish? A middle grade historical fiction book called The Kulak's Daughter - and it was terrific.

Middle grade fiction targets a slightly younger audience than Young Adult, which means this book is suited for ages 12 and up. Still, I enjoyed it thoroughly from an adult perspective as well. It tells the story (based on the author's mother's life) of Olga, whose entire family is removed from their farm under the 1930 Stalin administration when the father refuses to give his land up to the "collective," communist efforts. The family ends up at Yaya, a Soviet "transition camp" which bears a stark resemblance to the Nazi concentration camps. The Kulak's Daughter tells the story of how Olga survives, against all odds, with the help of both her siblings and others who end up at the camp with her.

This book is well written, with great description that brings to life the Soviet Union under Stalin in the early 1930s. Beyond that, it's utterly realistic and heart-breaking, a glimpse into a foreign era I had no idea about. The characters and the story of how so many Russian families were displaced to Siberian work camps and transition barracks (just deplorable conditions) are truly compelling.

Honestly, this is a book published by a small press, by a debut author, that you'll probably never hear of anywhere else. But you should. Visit Gabriele Goldstone's website to find out more. I highly recommend it!

Monday Mentionables: A Weekend Away

"Where thou art - that - is Home." ~Emily Dickinson

Happy Presidents' Day!

Hubby and I spent the weekend at a Bed and Breakfast in Vermont - very charming, and very in the middle of nowhere! It's ski season here (even though there's much less snow than, say, in DC or Maryland) - and I always find it interesting the way people grow up influenced by their surroundings. We were shopping in one of the small towns nearby, and people were walking literally off the mountain in full ski gear for lunch/a break/to warm up. I used to have long conversations with a friend in grad school about this: how we're so shaped by where in the country we grow up: mountains, ocean, warmth, cold... In fact, I actually worked this notion into One Night in Napa, my upcoming release with Samhain (May 2010):

Kira took a long, satisfying drag on her cigarette and wondered how living near a certain landscape might shape you, growing up. Did children who lived in the shadows of a mountain range spend their earliest days looking up, dreaming, watching the clouds make shapes? If you moved those same children to a seaside home, would they lose that distant vision? Would they start looking out rather than up, or develop a rhythmic gait that matched the waves they slept and woke to? Did growing up inside a city of skyscrapers create tunnel vision from the day you were born? Or did living your earliest years inside gated walls mean you looked at the world in fragments, in sliced-up pieces, so that you could never see the whole of something for what it truly was?

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In other news, have you been watching the Olympics? Talk about being influenced by your surroundings - so many of these atheletes were on skates/skis on their frozen ponds in the back yard almost before they could walk!

Any favorite events?

Writers' Wednesday: A Winter Wednesday for Me!

"I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep & there are no words for that." ~Brian Andreas

Well, we missed the "Snowmageddon" that hit the south last week, but not today's storm. It's been snowing since last night before I went to bed, and it's supposed to continue at least through this evening. That means NO SCHOOL for me today (what a treat!), so I'm hoping to do some serious writing on my YA novel. I'm near the end but running into a few trouble spots. Namely, the climax isn't as intense as a scene that happens about 4 chapters earlier. Hmm. I'm trying to at least incorporate some of the original story of Lysistrata into the book, because that was part of my original idea AND because Chris Richman, an agent for Upstart Crow, just recently said "I’m generally a sucker for works that reinvent or reimagine classic works.I’d love to be able to pitch a project by saying, “It’s King Lear set on a farm in Iowa from the daughters’ perspectives” (Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres) or “It’s Beowulf…WITH MONKEYS!” Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the point."

So that's my goal for today: churn out a couple of chapters and then go back and work on some of the problems. Maybe I should insert a zombie or two, or a Grim Reaper - from what I hear, those are going to be the next big things to replace the vampire craze. Huh. And all I have is a 16-year old who can talk to dead people. I'm doomed.......

Monday's Mentionables: Super Bowl and a Super Storm

"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” ~Bill Shankly

I have been woefully neglecting this blog, with everything else going on in the rest of my life: work, grading papers, trying to write, trying to promote. Ahhh!!!

Anyway, who watched the Super Bowl? I'll admit, I wasn't totally engaged, didn't really care who won, though I suppose it was nice from a symbolic standpoint that New Orleans triumphed. We spent the evening at a friend's house - it's a tradition now in its 5th year - though with a 2-year old running around with pom poms it's a little different than it used to be!

Any favorite commercials? I liked the Budweiser - Clydesdale one near the end, and I also thought the "casual Fridays" one with everyone walking around in their underwear was pretty funny. There were a couple of "man" ones (one for Dove for Men soap, one for a car) that were kinda clever too.

Miracle of miracles, we were NOT hit by "Snowmageddon" last weekend - but boy, the South has been walloped this year! I have friends from high school who moved down to VA/MD and they spent the weekend digging out from under 3+ feet of snow. "Just like the good old days..." I told them on Facebook!

Update on my YA novel: I'm at 48K words and have roughly 2-3 chapters to go. It's getting a little sticky, and I know there are some major plot points that need work, but I'm determined to stick it through to the end. Let's hope that happens sometime this week!