Ah, Saturday...

"I've been thinking Hobbes --"
"On a weekend?"
"Well, it wasn't on purpose..."
~Calvin and Hobbes

What I'm doing today: Meeting some girlfriends from my writers' group at Borders to chat and swap pages. Hooray!

What I'm reading today: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - Anyone else know this one? It's YA vampire romance, and the teenage girls in my class have been RAVING about this series (there are 3 books out, the 4th due this summer). I finally decided I should see what all the hype is about.

What I'm writing today: Probably figuring out what to use as an excerpt for One Night in Memphis. I know that's going to be the next thing my editor asks me for, so...

What about you??

Odds and Ends and Questions from Readers

"If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance." ~Bern Williams

So a few odds and ends to round out the week:

1. Amy asked when we start school here in NY ~ the day after Labor Day, always.

2. Dru asked how I decide where to set my One Night... stories. Well, One Night in Memphis was the first one I wrote, and it was based in part on a real-life single night in Memphis, on Beale Street, that a girlfriend and I spent after college. One Night in Boston - well, I just love the city. I do feel like I should write about cities I've actually been to. But I deliberately set One Night in Napa on the West Coast for marketing reasons, thinking I shouldn't isolate readers out there. (I've been to SF and Napa Valley, though). I have plans for Cleveland and Philadelphia, too.

3. I found out that my short story "Blue Circle Books" is about 95% guaranteed to make the cut for publication in Adams Media's My Mom is My Hero anthology, coming out next Mothers' Day.

4. I received my copy of Romance Sells in the mail yesterday. This is a catalog of new and upcoming releases in romance, that's sent to about 8000 librarians around the country. It's hefty $$$ to place an ad in it, but I figured I'd give it a try for my first 2 books and see what happens.

5. And speaking of selling, I got my May royalties from Samhain, and unbelievably, I'm still selling ebooks of One Night in Boston. Cool!

It's the Personal Touch that Counts

"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure not this thing nor that but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing." ~William Butler Yeats

Here's my latest discovery, and it's certainly not rocket science: a personal touch will get you further in promoting your book than a big fancy book signing at a big fancy chain store in an overcrowded mall off a major highway.

If you read my blog every day, you already know I contacted my local library/resource center and they were delighted to host a book launch party for me later this month. And you already know that I'm planning on attending a book discussion group this summer headed by my fifth grade teacher, who discovered that One Night in Boston was dedicated to her.

More evidence? I sent a handwritten letter and some bookmarks to the library in my childhood hometown and said I'd love to join their writers' group one evening and talk about my experiences. The librarian emailed me tonight asking what date this summer worked for me.

And finally, all those handwritten notes I sent to independent bookstores in NY/CT/MA/RI/NH? I mailed them Monday. Today at noon I got a phone call from a store manager up in Portsmouth, NH, saying they'd like to carry Lost in Paradise, since it's set in New Hampshire. How cool is that?

I'll keep you posted on what kind of response I get from the other 79 letters I mailed.

***
Went to see the "Sex and the City" movie the other day. I was never a big fan when it was on TV, but some girlfriends wanted to go. It was cute. Long, but cute. But wow, definitely a lot of sex. I guess that's sort of their whole theme, though, right?

***
Devon asked me the other day if I was done with school yet. {{Insert huge sigh and shaking of head here.}} I think New York goes longer than any other state in the country. My last day of school is actually JUNE 27 can you believe it??!! I am so ready for it to be here...

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Janet Lane Walters

Welcome to another Writers' Wednesday! Today I have the great pleasure of featuring prolific romance author (she's published books in just about every sub-genre!) Janet Lane Walters. I'm a little partial because, well, Janet is also in my critique group, so I'm one lucky author to be able to benefit from her experiences in the business!

Hi, Janet, and welcome to my online home! Can you tell readers a little about your background?

I have a BA in English and a BS in Nursing. Married for a long time to a psychiatrist who refuses to treat my obsession for writing. I have four children, the youngest is a biracial adopted daughter. I have five grandchildren, four black and one Chinese. We're awaiting the second Chinese granddaughter. I have been around for a very long time.

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

I've always tried to write, but it wasn't until we lived in a small Oklahoma town with a small limited library. After reading three volumes of the encyclopedia, I decided to write and so I did.

Three volumes - wow! So tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

My latest published is a YA to adult fantasy, The Henge Betrayed -- Flight. This is a story about two sets of male/female twins who must leave home and their parents to seek teachers. On the way, they meet up with the son of the prince who is partly responsible for their tragedy. They also encounter an evil dom who wishes to use them. The story tells of their learning to use their affinities for Water, Earth, Air and Fire. I have two books coming soon, as well. One is a spicy romance -- A Silken Seduction and the other is a third of a fantasy trilogy -- The Secret of the Jewels.

How do you go about developing your characters?

I often use Astrology to develop my characters. Using the Sun, Moon, and Rising Sign to give them their motivations, actions and reactions to various situations. Then I flavor them with bits and pieces of myself and those people I know.

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

The advice that was given to me. Finish the book and then revise.

Good one, absolutely! OK, what kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I'm an eclectic reader just as I am a writer. I don't like horror and the artsy kind of book are the only ones I don't read. Favorite authors are too many to be counted since I read a book about every two days.

Every 2 days?! I'm impressed. Now, what do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

Writing the rough draft is the hardest for me. I love rewriting and revision though sometimes I have trouble letting a story go.

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

At this point in my life, there's little to get in the way of writing. Years ago when I had children living at home, finding writing time was harder. I also worked part-time as a nurse and for a few years full-time. I didn't write much during those years.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block?

I don't think I suffer from writer's block but from writer's procrastination. That means diddling around and finding other things to do instead of write.

Describe your writing space for us...

I have a study off the living room of the house that was once a sun porch. There are shelves on one wall for my reference books and another bookshelf. A recliner, and two tables for works in progress as well as the computer desk. On a shelf above my computer is my dragon collection. At this count 16.

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

My first choice is visiting in person or on the phone with my grandchildren. Then comes reading. Cooking is third. Cleaning the house is my hobby, the thing I do when I have nothing else to do.

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

I'm a planner, so little surprises me while I'm writing. Perhaps making the characters come alive sometimes surprises me. They can be so stubborn at times.

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

I handwrite everything and them type into the computer, making notes and revisions as I type. I then write the next draft by hand. Around the third or fourth draft, I make notes and corrections on the printed pages and only re-write segments.

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

Now here's a funny thing. I seldom go to movies. Even when I write, I don't see pictures, I see words on the printed page.

Janet, thanks so much for being here today! Readers, take a peek at Janet's blog if you want to know the latest!

Another Promo Opportunity

"I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works." ~Oscar Wilde

A picture from the book signing last Friday - don't we look good??





And a new review for Lost in Paradise, from Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction. It says, in part, "This was a very sweet love story I'm glad I had the chance to read. I wouldn't hesitate to read anything by Allie Boniface."

Finally, I'm excited because last night I met with a lovely group of women at our local resource center/library (very small but cute and cozy), and they've agreed to host a book launch party for me later this month! We agreed it will be good publicity for both of us, since they're trying to raise funds and I'm, well, you know, trying to sell my book :)

P.S. Don't forget you can enter my contest every day this week, over at Long and Short Reviews!

Contest Time!

Just a quick Monday post today, to let you know that this week I have author features on two websites, to celebrate my releases of One Night in Boston and Lost in Paradise, and on both you can enter to win either a book or a gift certificate! Plus, I have to say, the women at both sites did a lovely job with presenting all the information:


I'm the Featured Author over at Road to Romance, and


I'm in the Author Spotlight over at Long and Short Reviews.


Stop by and enter to win - it's easy!

More on Promotion

"Upon the creatures we have made, we are, ourselves, at last, dependent." ~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe(1749-1832) German poet, novelist and dramatist.

Yesterday, the June issue of Romance Writers' Report arrived, with an article titled "Self-Promotion for the Introvert." Perfect timing! Though I'm not really an introvert, I'm always interested in what other authors/publishers have to say about marketing and promotion.

Most of it was the typical advice: develop on online presence, send out press releases, have bookmarks made and carry them everywhere you go.

But two pieces of information did stand out for me, both in the section on Book Signings. First, the author of article recommends having 2 but no more than 3 authors at a book signing. More than 1 is good so you're not sitting there alone, but more than 3 becomes intimidating for readers walking by. I've already blogged about how I agree with this. Second, choose other authors whose books are similar in genre to your own. This, I think, is part of the struggle I have with the group of authors in this area that I've been doing appearances with. They're all lovely, interesting women, but 4 of the 5 of them write erotic romance. (The 5th writes historical romance and I, of course, write contemporary mainstream that's sweet/bordering on sensual). It's tough to promote your book about a love story set in present day that has no explicit sex in it, when your title is sandwiched between covers with naked men and multiple arms and legs twined together and stories about demons and vampires and futuristic societies where everyone is having lots and lots of graphic sex, often with multiple partners.

Don't get me wrong, I know that the market is hot for paranormal and erotic romance right now. And I'm learning a lot in spending time with authors who've been published longer than I have. It's just that it's difficult to sell such completely different kinds of books to a single reader standing there looking at the covers.

So how does this affect me? Well, in the future I may not go to every signing and appearance that the group sets up, though I'll still attend some, especially in my local area. But as I said a couple of days ago, I need to think carefully about where I spend my promotional time and money, and this article shed some light for me.

Along those lines, I'm looking into setting up an author launch party at my local library (which is not really a library, but a "resource center" - long story for another time), which would be just me and my books. We'll see...I have to do some more research and talk to some people this week.

And that ends today's chapter on Allie's Promotional Efforts - I hope those of you out there who are pre-published or newly published are taking notes! (just kidding...sort of...)

Book Promotions

"Without promotion something terrible happens...Nothing!" ~P.T. Barnum

Report on last night's Borders book signing:

OK, book signings are fun, if only because you get to see other authors (provided you're doing a multi-author one), hang out in a bookstore, enjoy complimentary beverages, and talk to readers. But I'll affirm what other people have said: I'm not so sure they're the best use of time and money. After 2 hours, 2 of the 5 of us had sold 1 book each. Now, I only drove an hour to get there, and enjoyed dinner with hubby and my mom as well. But gas prices being what they are, I would not be the person who drove 2+ hours one way to sit there for 2 hours and sell nothing. I think other forms of promo are better. But of course, I'm still learning~

Also, we discovered that, as romance authors, we did NOT pick the best Friday night for our signing, since the "Sex and the City" movie opened last night. Guess where all the 18-40 year old women were? Not in the romance section of Borders, but standing in line waiting to buy tickets for a movie that began about 15 minutes before our signing. Oh, well.

Today, a crack at a different kind of promo: I'm mailing 80 envelopes to various independent bookstores in NY/CT/MA/RI/NH with a general tip sheet about my book(s), a handwritten note introducing myself and asking if they'd like more info or bookmarks or a visit from Yours Truly, and a self-addressed, stamped postcard that they can return if so. The cost of this honestly isn't that high; it's more the labor of researching the stores and putting the mailing together, but it will be interesting to see what kind of return I get. That, of course, will let me know if I should do it again.

So I'm off to stuff and seal envelopes!

It's Pouring

"The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are, the more leisure we have." ~Dag Hammarskjold

OK, it's official: the whole never-rains-but-always-pours cliche applies to my writing life. Honestly, it's a funny, funny thing: I can be in limbo for months, working on a WIP but that's it, and then suddenly BAM! Everything that must be done before a certain deadline rushes into my email inbox hanging over me.

Honestly, May has been the craziest month:

1. I got my edits for One Night in Memphis, which have a one-week turn-around.

2. Both One Night in Boston and Lost in Paradise released in print.

3. I ran around like an insane person trying to set up promo for late May and June, which has worked out well except that I have 3 author spotlights in 3 different places which means making sure I'm sending the right info and the right links by the right time, to each one. You should see the lists and the scratch-outs on my calendar!

4. One Night in Memphis releases in less than 2 months, which means I should really start thinking about the promo for that (I haven't).

5. Oh, and that darn day job always comes to a non-stop climax in this month as well, between final grades coming due and final projects needing to be graded and awards ceremonies and frantic seniors trying to get everything in order so they can actually graduate.

Tonight I am going to my first official (since my books have been released in print, anyway) book sigining, at a Borders in Paramus, New Jersey. Very cool, since the store was even able to order my books, and I don't have to carry them in myself. I feel like a real author! (I know, I know, I did before too, but this is a cool affirmation as well).

And now I'm going to stop complaining, because as busy as I am, it still is better than achieving the dream of writing and publishing books at all!

Two Good Things on the Writing Front

"It is perfectly okay to write garbage--as long as you edit brilliantly." ~C.J. Cherryh

Writing is good here. Why?

1. I'm working through my edits for One Night in Memphis and have been hugely relieved to see that my editor is right, it was a pretty clean manuscript and she's only asking for a few small changes. Besides cutting out my over-use of commas, she wants me to address a couple of scenes set in POV other than the hero and heroine (I knew that was coming, and it's the toughest), add a couple more hints of the bad guy's evil character early on, and change some of the H/H's introspection to active dialogue. That last one's a little tough too, when the characters are alone, but I'm working on it.

2. And reading through that story again inspired me to FINALLY finish the first draft of One Night in Napa! (it was a good way to take a break from my edits) It's 55K words, which means I'll need to add about 10-12K when I revise, but it's complete from start to finish, with an actual plotline I can work with. I'm thrilled!

OK, I'm off - busy day ahead (which ones aren't??)

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Skylar Sinclair

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday, and today's featured interview with erotic romance author Skylar Sinclair!

Hi, Skylar ~ thanks for being here today! Can you tell us a little about your background?

I am an award-winning and bestselling author of paranormal, fantasy, futuristic, and contemporary erotic romance. I started writing in my early forties and have been writing ever since. I am also a cover artist and graphic designer.

Wow, you wear a few different hats in the publishing business! Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

I seem to be fixated on futuristic stories for the moment. I have two books I am writing (by the time this interview comes to pass, they might already be done!) They will both center around far out worlds and men we all dream about, with women who know just how to handle them, but maybe not at first *grin*. I hope to see these stories out by the end of 2008.

You've obviously learned a lot in your success as a writer. What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Write what you know and love what you write. Never give up if writing is all you think about, dream about. Take online classes, read books and, first and foremost, believe that you can do it.

Terrific advice! Now, what kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I really love all types of romance books. I read a lot of historical and paranormal books of late. Just a few authors I favor are: Robin Schone, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Elizabeth Amber, Laura Baumbach and Christine Feehan (and many, many more).

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

I have no problem with the beginning and ending of my books, it is the darn middle that always gives me fits. What I find the greatest part of writing would be the readers who buy my books and email me how much they enjoyed them. That makes all the difficult times so very well worth it.

Ah yes, that dreaded middle! So what was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book(s)?

Heck that’s easy: That I can even string a few sentences together and slowly I create a story. That process still amazes me to this day!

Thanks for sharing your writing world with us today, Skylar. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

To find out my latest releases and what new things I having going, you can visit my site: http://www.skylarsinclair.com/ or join my newsletter group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skylar_sinclair_newsletter/


Thank you Allie for this wonderful interview!

Print Release Day!

"How amazing, Jack thought, to peel back the layers and realize you still loved someone beyond all comprehension. How amazing to admit you still ached down deep..." (from One Night in Boston by Allie Boniface)

Today is the print release of One Night in Boston!! My very first book ever contracted ~ what a thrill to know it's out there in the world! (That also means it should ship from Amazon today, for everyone who pre-ordered). It should be up on Samhain's main page later today, too.

Here's the trailer...


And the winner of the giveaway contest to celebrate is...WindyCindy! Cindy, email me your address at allieb@allieboniface.com and I'll get those goodies in the mail to you!

***

Dru asked the other day "What's container gardening?" Well, it's the lazy woman's approach to full-fledged gardening, and basically it means that you grow flowers/vegetables in pots, or containers, rather than in the ground.

Actually, it isn't just for lazy people; it's also good if you don't have a lot of ground in which to plant things, or to keep things contained from the critters that like to nibble on them (as long as you can put your pots somewhere protected). We're attempting to grow a few veggies this summer in containers, sort of as an experiment. Here's what our side deck of containers looks like now:



That includes cucumbers, beans, peas, lettuce, broccoli, and basil. We're also going to plant some tomatoes, in those upside-down hanging thingys that supposedly work well. I'll give you a report as the summer goes on...

***

And finally, I need some help! Yesterday I opened another email from my Samhain editor who needs the blurb for One Night in Memphis tweaked. Specifically now, the publisher is asking for authors to write down a couple of novels that are similar to their own. I guess this is so readers and booksellers can make comparisons and know what they're picking up, which makes sense, but honestly? I have no idea what to put down.

Um...anyone who's read my novels have any suggestions? I mean, the writing style and nature of the romance are pretty much the same in everything I write. So if you have any ideas, don't be shy!

Happy Memorial Day

Personal politics aside (or as aside as they can be), today is certainly a day for remembering those men and women who gave their lives to protect freedoms we take for granted in this country. Let's hope soon we can bring home most of the soldiers who still serve abroad.

Planting Time!

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity." Charles Mingus

It's shaping up to be a glorious weekend...the goal for today is to finish planting some annuals around the house and then tackle the vegetables - we're trying container gardening this year for the first time. Should be an interesting experiment!

***

Diane posted the link to a great article on deep POV (point of view), which I'm going to link to here as well, for any writers out there.

[Loved this line: "The heroes I take to bed with me, usually after they have fallen off a horse or been shot. That’s when they introspect on their past the best..."]

Hmm. Maybe I need to insert a horse or two in my novels.

I've never really had a problem with POV; I'm usually pretty clear on whose head I'm in, and I don't hop around often. But the recent comment from my editor, about the couple of scenes in minor characters' POV in One Night in Memphis, has me worried. I mean, she's right: I do have a couple. Three, if I remember right. Do they add to the plot? Well, they move the action along. And they happen in places where the hero and heroine aren't present. Again, I haven't opened the file my editor sent me yet (I'm putting it off until after the weekend), but I hope she doesn't want me to cut them altogether.

Sigh.

I'm off to play in the dirt!

Happy Weekend!

"One should never criticize his own work except in a fresh and hopeful mood. The self-criticism of a tired mind is suicide." ~Charles Horton Cooley

So I finally got my first-round edits for One Night in Memphis back, from my Samhain editor. This is some of what she had to say:

This is really a pretty clean manuscript, so hopefully these won't make you want to tear your hair out or anything like that.

Still like the story, still love your writing, so yay!

A couple of things.

One: There's a *lot* of introspection going on in the manuscript. [Ah, yes. How I love my "deep POV." Gotta work on that. ] Particularly with Ethan and Dakota doing a lot of thinking. Take a look at the italicized stuff and see how much, if any of that, could possibly be turned into active dialogue, if you would.

Two: I'm not sure how well the scenes written from Gunnar and Mike's POVs work in this manuscript. [But - but - how else am I going to show the reader what's going on while Ethan and Dakota are, you know, otherwise occupied?] I understand that you want to use them to connect pieces of the puzzle or let the reader know what's going on outside the main story, but given that they're not primary characters, I found myself wondering what the true reason for being in their heads was...

So it looks like those are the two big issues. I have one week to work out the kinks (I haven't even opened the file yet...am probably going to put that off for a day or two, since we have out-of-town company this weekened). We'll see. I have this dreadful fear that she's going to want me to axe entire scenes, and, well...there may be some tears over the keyboard in that case...

***

On a different note, I've blogged today over at The Wild Rose Press, about the print release of Lost in Paradise and include "5 Fun Facts" about the story you might not know. If you have a chance, pop on over and leave a comment, so I'm not too lonely there!

Enjoy your weekend ~ it's supposed to be gorgeous here. Hooray!

It's Finally Here!

"It's funny, I think, how far we'll go to flee our ghosts and how much we'll do to protect our secrets..." (from Lost in Paradise by Allie Boniface)

I'm thrilled today, because it's the day for my very first ever book to be released in print:

When high-society, Harvard grad Ashton Kirk moves to the sleepy town of Paradise to escape a family scandal, Eddie West, the town’s most eligible bachelor, takes notice. In one steamy summer, two people from different worlds discover that, sometimes, you can find your soul mate in the place you least expect.

Readers say:

Lost in Paradise is one of the best reads I've had for ages. With well-drawn characters and an interesting storyline I found it hard to put down. Allie kept the momentum going right until the end. (Rosalie)

What a great love story. All Ashton ever wanted to do was live her life like she wants. All Eddie wanted to do was forget the past. The future is theirs to have, if they let it happen. (Dru)

So if you haven't already ordered your copy from Amazon, hurry over to The Wild Rose Press today and treat yourself!** (And maybe get it onto the best-selling lists again, over there) I'll even send you an autographed bookplate for inside...just email me and ask :)
**Note: Since I post pretty early in the morning, as of right now the cover is linked to the ebook page...keep checking back for the print version - it should be there soon!!

I'm posting the trailer for this book here again, 'cause I do love it, the music especially, and it's been a while since I've looked at it.


Finally, I'm happy to announce the winner of today's Lost in Paradise giveaway: Amy Addison! She'll receive a signed copy of the book, along with some other goodies. Amy, just email me at allieb@allieboniface.com with your address, and your prize will be on its way. And thanks for commenting!

Now I'm off to celebrate!!

Colds and Quilts and Edits and Things

"I think the hardest part of writing is revising. And by that I mean the following: A novelist has to create the piece of marble and then chip away to find the figure in it." ~Chaim Potok

Well, thanks to lots of tea, chicken soup, and zinc, I think my cold is on its way out (thanks everyone for your well wishes and home remedies). I hope so...I have no time to be sick.

Hey, if you haven't popped over there already, go and visit Dru's blog, and check out her latest quilt project! Actually, it's a wall hanging ~ an experiment with using actual book covers on the quilt itself (and there's more cool stuff to come besides the covers. Just wait). She's one talented lady, right??

Finally, Marianne mentioned her Samhain editor's process the other day, and I thought I'd share my experiences here, with my own (whom I love, by the way). With One Night in Boston, my editor sent me the first round of edits 2 months before my scheduled release date and asked for a week's turn-around. Those edits focused mostly on content/plot tweaking/sentence restructuring. The next round came about 1 month before my release date and focused mainly on any sentence/wording problems we'd missed the first time through. Then it went to a FLE (Final Line Editor) who proofed just for grammar and mechanical errors we both missed.

My scheduled release date for One Night in Memphis (according to my "Coming Soon" page over at Samhain) is July 8. I've yet to receive my first round of edits, though, which makes me a little nervous, since that's only 6 weeks away or so. Maybe the manuscript is SO brilliant that my editor figures it needs little revising. Right? ;) Or maybe she's swamped and knows we've worked together before and the quick turn-around won't be a problem. Either way, I'm hoping I'll see it in my email inbox before too long!

Writers Wednesday: An Interview with Beth Wylde

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm featuring erotica/erotic romance author Beth Wylde (yes, that means she writes the steamy stuff, so some of her links are R-rated...be forewarned). Enjoy!

Hi, Beth, and thanks for being here today! Can you tell us about your latest writing project or published title?

I've got several things going on. My first release from Torquere Press, Switching Sides, came out in April. It's f/f erotica. In May I just had another release, from Phaze, that was supposed to be for an anthology, but they asked me to lengthen it so it could be published as a stand alone title. It's called The Big Four-0h! and it is m/f/f/m erotic romance. I also just signed a contract with Phaze for an adult fairytale rewrite titled A Little Taste of Red. It's based on the Little Red Riding Hood story but it is definitely not for the kiddies or the faint at heart. Very steamy!

Congrats on your writing success - that's a busy spring! So what advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Write, write, write. Then don't be afraid to submit. We all get rejections and that's okay but you'll never get anywhere if you don't try. Also(and I'm speaking from experience here) do your homework and check out the publisher before you submit. I've been caught in one that was closing and one very poor publishing house. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Check with other authors and people who have worked there. See if they are happy. If you get a lot of bad reports then steer clear. A bad publisher is much worse than having no publisher at all.

Very true! OK, what kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

Love paranormal and erotica and if they are combined then that's even better. I'm a big fan of the werewolves and the vampires. I also love the f/f stuff. I just started reading some m/m but what I've read I've enjoyed. I'd love to see more of the big publishers take on the f/f stuff. Not sure I have just one favorite. I love Kim Harrison and J.R Ward for the paranormal. I've also really enjoyed Cassandra Gold's m/m and Jolie du Pre and Megan Rose for the f/f writing. Cass is in my critique group and she rocks.

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

Most difficult is definitely finding the time to actually sit down and type things out. My three kids and part time job keep me busy, not to mention keeping things together when I'm at home. I often write things out longhanded, the kids don't seem to mind me sitting down with a notebook but they hate to see me at the computer. Then at night I try to type things out or use my dictation software to save my wrist a little wear and tear.

The most exciting is finding out what my characters are going to do next. I often get the ideas for a story, the basic intro and stuff but from there on out I kind of wing it and the characters tell me their next moves. A lot of times the story goes somewhere I didn't plan to go but I have to give my characters free range or the story stops dead.

The most rewarding has to be getting a good review, especially when a reader emails me and tells me they loved my book. It makes it all worthwhile.

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

Not sure I ever do balance it but I do the best I can. The writing is something I love to do and something that I have to do too. It keeps me sane. I have all these ideas running around in my head and I have to get them out.

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

I think all writers suffer from block at least once in their lives. My problem usually comes from trying to force the story. If I relax and let it flow where it wants to I'm usually okay but when I try to bend the storyline in a certain direction I almost always get stuck or end up hating what I wrote. I also have an amazing critique group that helps me out. Brainstorming is wonderful when you do it with people that understand you. If all else fails I walk away or switch to a differnet project until inspiration strikes again.

Fun question, now: what is your favorite movie? Did it inspire your writing in any way?

My favorite movie of all time is The Lost Boys. I watched it over and over again and I think that is what got me into the vamps and other paranormal characters so much. One of my favorite genres to read is paranormal romance or erotica.

Thanks so much for sharing your story with us today, Beth. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

I can be found online in a lot of places. For info about my writing, great chat events or sneak peeks at my stories check out my website:
http://beth-wylde.tripod.com/ or my yahoo group where I host monthly events and often offer up free goodies http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bethwylde/

I have yahoo IM at b.wylde and email at b.wylde@yahoo.com

Links to my guestbook and other things such as my Myspace page can be found on my website.

My current publishers are Torquere Press: http://www.torquerepress.com/
and Phaze at: http://www.phaze.com/

Check Out My Banners!

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." ~Walt Disney


Another short post, but today's is a fun one:

Check out the animated banners that the lovely Judy from LASR made for me! {The "is" is cut off in the first one, but that's only because I don't know how to adjust the borders on Blogger :)They're perfect for posting on websites with click-through links to my purchase page, right? Here's hoping, anyway. I have featured author spots booked for 3 different websites, for next month...we'll see how that translates into sales :)

It's Monday Again? Really?

"I'd like mornings better if they started later." ~Author Unknown

OK, you've been warned: it's a crazy time at school, I'm feeling under the weather, both my books are releasing in the next 10 days and so I'm doing a ton of promo...and thus my blog posts may not be any kind of wonderful.

Sorry.

However, I wanted to remind everyone about my giveaway contests, one of which will happen this Friday, May 23, to celebrate the print release of Lost in Paradise, and the other which will happen next Tuesday, May 27 to celebrate the print release of One Night in Boston. Make sure to stop in and see if you're the winner!!