Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Today is the beginning of Memorial Day in many regions of the country (acually, several schools around here had yesterday off as well), so it's a good time to remember and be thankful for all the men and women who have served and given their lives to protect this country. A moment of silence in honor of them.......

Writers' Wednesday: Business or Pleasure?

I've been following an interesting discussion on one of my author loops over the last couple of weeks. It started as a discussion of how to measure sales based on a novel's Amazon sales rank and morphed into a general discussion of marketing, sales, and reasons for writing.

And this is what I found most interesting: many more people than I realized write for money. That is to say, many of the people who chimed in on this discussion are very successful authors (in terms of sales and hitting various best-seller lists). Over and over again, the common thread was that these authors spend as much time marketing themselves and studying which promo efforts translate into the most sales as they do writing their actual books. The feeling among most of them was that this is a job, I'm making a living, and thus I have to study the business side of it just as much as (if not more) the creating side of it.

I found that soooo interesting, mostly because I and the writer friends I know personally do NOT make a living from their books. They write on the sidem at nignt, on weekends, whenever they can, because they love it. If they make money, great. If not, they're still creating something they love.

This is not to say that the authors mentioned above don't love to write, but they don't seem to get lost in the creative efforts and experiences because they can't afford to. At least two of the authors in this discussion confessed that they wrote in the genres they did because those were the genres that sell best, not the ones they love best. They have deadlines, so they don't agonize over finding the perfect word or creating the perfect scene. They write the book for the audience that's awaiting it. They know what sells, and that's what they write.

This whole discussion was somewhat eye-opening for me just because I've heard so often, "Write what you love" but let's face it: there are many successful authors out there who write what sells - and they know how to sell it. I envy those authors to a certain extent, and I start to wonder if I'm going about this all wrong. Certainly, I don't need to pay the bills with my books, but maybe I should be thinking more about the end result of sales than I am right now.

What do you think? Are you an author who spends a significant amount of time studying marketing and sales? Do you tailor your writing and your promo efforts to make the most $$? Have you shifted what you write to take advantage of market trends, even if you're not in love with the genre? I'd love to know...

Monday Mentionables: Reviews Come From the Strangest Places

Happy Monday!

Today, a couple of reviews worth mentioning. Not traditional reviews, though - one is written by a student of mine who chose to read Summer's Song for her "book of the month" reading assigned (I suppose you could say she was hoping for a good grade, though she's diplomatic in certain places, and I know her well enough now, that I think she's being honest). The other is a fan email from a woman in Russia. The first time she wrote to me, I thought it was a fluke (sorry Katerina, if you are reading this), so I emailed her back with a couple of specific questions. She answered them :)

So it's true: you never really know who will read your book, who will love it, who will hate it, and who will review it. Once your words are out there, they're fair game for the reading public, which can be both a blessing and a curse :) Today, I'm focusing on the blessings:

From a student's review: "I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone; I was hooked after the first page! The book's amazing plot never fails to keep the reader on edge as it includes the surprise of suspense novel, the heart-warming sentiment of a romance novel, and life philosophies all in one...Additionally, the story inspires one to forget the "ghosts" of the past and look toward a happier and brighter future. The novel provides you with the perfect happy ending, and a description of the ever enduring, life-changing, can't-live-without-it kind of love that women crave."

From a fan email: "I am very happy write the letter to you!! You help me survive when I was in trouble. You know the best romantic book I read by you was called "One Night in Napa". The heroes are for ever in my heart. When I feel bad I think about them and I feel good myself. It was very very exiting!!! But that would be beautiful to read in in your native language. Thank you very-very-very much for my the happiest houres with your book!!! I am a big fan of romantic book since I met your book!!! And now I study English for to read your book in English!!!  Your creativity made my life better. Thank you!!"

Friday Fun Facts!

Happy Friday! Some fun facts for today:

~I'll be sending out my bi-monthly newsletter at the end of this month, so if you haven't signed up to receive it, you can do so right now, over on the sidebar -->

~Do you belong to Goodreads? I'll be holding a book giveaway over there in June - keep an eye out for it!

~Project Gutenberg offers a collection of Free books for your Kindle - click here for more details!

~Check out the website ACX, where authors can connect with narrators and/or audio book companies interested in producing the work in audio. Big congrats to my writing friend Liz Matis for scoring a partnership there!

~OK, this one isn't a fact but a question: does anyone out there use TweetAdder? I bought the software a few weeks ago and have been having huge trouble with all of the automated features :( I have some tweets that are set to post every day, randomly, but for some reason sometimes they post and sometimes they don't. Any ideas?


Have a great weekend!

Monday Mentionables: A Link or Two for You

Just a couple of quick links to share today, since I'm buried under papers from the college English classes I teach. Ugh! One more day, and 230 papers will be in the books. Until then...

Mandy Roth shares a collection of posts on marketing right here

Savvy Authors Blogs About What to Keep in Mind When You're Editing

Don't forget to stop by the Brenda Novak Online Auction to check out the many, many items up for bid, including my very own Summer Fun Tote!

OK, that's it for now. Have a great day everyone! See you back here Wednesday :)

Writers' Wednesday: Soldiering Through the Negativity

The other day, a co-worker  at school asked me how I dealt with the negativity of others. I thought she was talking about either fellow teachers or students, but she said she actually meant friends who were questioning her desire to write a screenplay. She said, "I mean, I thought they were friends, but now I'm not so sure anymore."

Isn't it too bad that some people in your life can't encourage you when you have a dream, or even the inkling of doing something different? I'm not sure why others discourage pipe dreams...maybe it's jealousy? Maybe they think they're being "realists?" Anyway, my advice to her was the same advice I give to any new/aspiring writers. If you want to write (or ____ fill in the blank with any dream you have) then do it - just develop persistence and a thick skin. Know that the journey might be tough, but if it's something you love, it's always worth it.

At the end of our conversation, she said, "I figured I'd ask you because you always seem like such a positive person" and considering I don't always FEEL particularly positive, either at work or at points in my writing career, I thought that was pretty cool.

Oh, and if you're a new/aspiring writer looking for some support, try the forums over at AbsoluteWrite. Theyr'e terrific, full of info and frequented by people in all publishing genres and at all different stages of the writing journey.

Soldier on, fellow writers and dreamers!

Monday Mentionables: Mud Runs & Spartan Races

OK, has anyone heard of (or done) one of these "Mud Runs" or "Spartan Races" or whatever they're called? This seems to be the latest trend in fitness: a running race that's combined with crazy obstacles like mud, water, barbed wire, fire, hay, huge walls to climb, huge slides to descend...yes, and I'm sure the list goes on. My brother-in-law has done one (I'm pretty sure he ended up bleeding at the end of it), and I have a couple of friends who are planning them for this summer, and I'm just curious as to whether anyone out there has experienced and would recommend one. I don't know that it's my 'thing' - I mean, I do road races and I like working out and everything....I just don't know about subjecting myself to possible (probable) minor injury along the way.

Or maybe I'm just a baby.

I'm also thinking there must be a story in there somewhere (isn't there always?). Two contestants who meet at a Mud Run, maybe fierce competitors, who end up together at the end despite missing a limb or an eye or something...

It's fascinating to me where stories lie, because all you have to do is look around you, or read the news, for inspiration. Life is crazy! Actually, one recent news article has stuck with me, and I'm thinking I need to use it in an upcoming story. Apparently there is a dating website that weeds out its participants based on looks. That is, if you aren't attractive enough, you can't join. I guess "beautiful" people only want to date similarly-described " beautiful" people. This site also apparently ran some kind of "check" on its current members and decided some no longer made the cut, so they were booted from the site even though they'd originally belonged. Wow - seriously?!

Oh, yes, there has to be a story in there...

What about you? What crazy stories have you read in the news and thought, yup, there's a book just waiting to be written?

Writers' Wednesday: A Contest, A Front Page, and Knee-Deep in Revisions...

Hello writers!

Don't forget that my local romance writers' chapter, Hudson Valley RWA, is offering a 25-page critique of your manuscript, along with a free entry into our annual Hook, Line, & Sinker contest, at the Brenda Nocak Auction.The price is currently at a very reasonable $12.00, but the auction runs through May 30, so make sure to bookmark it if you're interested! (We have some awesome published authors who will be doing the critique...check out our page for more info).

Check out the front page over at Night Owl Reviews, which is featuring the covers from selected books from The Wild Rose Press , among which is my very own Lost in Paradise. I still love that cover (although the story I always tell is that when I showed it to my husband, he said, "Hey! Nice car!" and he was serious about that. Take a look and tell me what YOU see first!

And finally, an update on my own writing: I'm working on another revision of  my novella Sex on the Beach, working through and applying some of the strategies I picked up at the Michael Hague Workshop. Hoping to finish by this weekend, then send it off to beta readers.

Happy Writing!

Monday Mentionables: Tweeting About the Brenda Novak Auction!

OK, it's official: I'm on Twitter. Sigh. Yes, I'm trying it out for a few months to see (1) if I can get the hang of it; (2) if I actually enjoy it as another social media; and (3) if I can grow a following that will ultimately help promote my books. So....if you'd like to follow me there, my User Name is AllieBoniface1 (and I need to figure out how to add a button here on my blog that makes it one-click easy to find me).

ALSO, the Brenda Novak Online Auction starts tomorrow and runs all month long, and among many other goodies you can bid on are 3 I will shamelessly promote in the weeks to come:

~Hudson Valley RWA Vera Bradley Tote Filled with Books and Other Goodies
~Hudson Valley RWA 25-page Critique by 3 Published Members AND Entry to the Annual Hook, Line, & Sinker Contest
~Summer Fun Tote from Yours Truly Filled with Summer Goodies & a Signed Copy of Summer's Song

Head on over, register, and start browsing! All the proceeds go to help fund juvenile diabetes research. Win something and do good all at the same time :)

Writers' Wednesday: To Tweet or Not to Tweet?

OK, fellow writers (and readers!) out there: a question for you: do you Tweet? That is, if you're an author, do you use Twitter as a method of social media communication/sales and promotion ~ and if you're a reader, do you follow favorite authors?

I'm taking a month-long course over at Savvy Authors on Social Media for Writers, mostly to figure out how to use what I do have in place more effectively - but also to find out if I should be using Twitter and if so, how the heck to go about doing it.

So I'm interested...if you are an active Twitter member, what do you like about it? What do you most use it for? How often do you Tweet, and is there anything that really turns you off about how other people use it?

I'd love to know!

Monday Mentionables: A Rundown of Michael Hague's Presentation

"You can be safe and unfulfilled, or you can live your destiny but be scared shitless."

Had a great time at the Michael Hague Special Event this past Saturday! First off, a big thanks to the New Jersey RWA for sponsoring him. And now, the highlights:

1. One of the most valuable pieces of information for me was his Six Stage Plot Structure. Basically he outlined the Six Major Stages that every (successful) plot goes through, and the point in the story where each must occur (what percentage of the total pages). I'm not a huge fan of formulas, but I think this will help me to check and see if the major conflicts/meetings/breakups/etc in my story are happening in the "right"places.

2. Another crucial piece of info I found helpful: your protagonist must have a goal that's VISIBLE - which means every audience member or reader will envision the same idea. For example, a goal of seeking revenge after being fired from a company is not visible (what does "revenge" look like?). But a goal of killing the top 5 executives of a company after being fired is a visible goal - everyone will know, basically, what that involves.

3. He did a nice job defining Inner Journey for creating characters and talked about moving your characters from living their Identity (the emotional armor a character wears, based on past wounds and fears) to their Essence (a person's "truth" once you strip away the armor). The quote at the top of today's post basically refers to that idea :)

4. He used a lot of movie/TV clips for illustration, and since he's a screenwriter and has worked with many major actors/actresses/directors, he had a wealth of knowledge upon which to draw. That was a great addition to the day.

5. He's funny! During one of our exercises, he said, "Now, I wouldn't recommend you apply this to a project that's 5 drafts in and due to your editor in 2 weeks. I really don't want to f**k you up that way. Apply it to something you're still just in the early stages of."


The only thing I wasn't crazy about was his tendency to answer specific people's questions very specifically - which sounds like a good thing at first, and is if you're that person. But for the other 99 people in the room, to sit there for 20 minutes while he dissects one person's character arc was a little frustrating at times.

Other than that, it was a great day, and I definitely gained valuable information which I plan on using as I go back through Sex on the Beach for revisions...beginning this week!

Friday Fun Facts!

Fun Fact #1: I finished the first draft of my novella Sex on the Beach. Yay! It's 30K words, and the last chapter is pretty much a trainwreck, but at least's it's DONE. And I'm hoping that Fun Fact #2 will help me with revising it:

Fun Fact #2: I'm headed to the NJRWA's Special Event this weekend, a day-long conference with Hollywood script and story consultant Michael Hauge. Among the topics he'll be discussing:

The primary goal of all stories
The power of desire, need, longing and destiny
The essential conflict all characters must face
How to turn plot structure from a complicated concept into a simple, powerful tool you can easily apply to every story
The single key to creating character arc and theme
How to create unique, believable and fulfilling love stories
How to adapt a novel into film
The single biggest mistake writers make in pitching their work
The eight steps to a powerful pitch

Can't wait! I'll share the recap next week :)

Writers' Wednesday: A Note On Edits

I've been working on what Lyrical Press calls "pre-edits" the last week or so. These are a collection of things the editors there want authors to go through before getting to the content or the copy edits. They have a pretty comprehensive checklist of things for us to look through, and while some I don't (thanks goodness) do, many of them did apply to me. The biggies:

Repeated filler words - my big ones turned out to be just, very, pretty, already, okay, and again. If you do a "Find" function in your word processing program, it will pull up each time the specified word is used. You might be amazed at how many times you do use those kinds of words - and everyone has their favorites. For the most part, they can be deleted or replaced. Keeping only a few will add to their particular impact, when they do show up.

Repeated actions - interestingly enough, I found this one when I didn't limit the Find function to "again" - which meant that "against" also showed up. And guess how many times I had my characters "leaning against" something?? It's one of those things that's tough to see objectively as the author of a work. So needless to say, I found other actions for my characters to do.

Overuse of italics (for internal thought) and em dashes - I do use both of these A LOT. And while I cut out quite a few instances of them, I kept some too. I'll be interested to see what my editor says regarding these. I mean, my characters think to themselves! They're introspective!

The nice thing about going through this process on a contracted work is that when I switch gears and work on my other projects, I'm more tuned into NOT committing these offenses as often. I hope.


One Other Note On Edits:
It's fascinating to me that one of my narrators for my audio books coming out this summer had to be replaced because she came down with a bad cold and it put the production of the book behind schedule. You never think about that kind of illness affecting book production!

One of my narrators (a healthy one) also emailed to clarify the pronunciation of a name in one of my books - which tickles me as well, because as authors we naturally know how those names are pronounced. But out loud? By someone else? I love hearing my books read aloud, by the way - such a cool experience.

Can't wait 'til they release this summer!!!

P.S. - Congrats to Mae Clair, the winner of my Facebook Fan Page April Showers contest!!! Thanks to all who participated :)

Monday Mentionables: Fun in Salt Lake City

OK, today's post has nothing to do with writing, but it's a fun recap of our spring break travels last week. We traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah (home of Brigham Young & the Church of the Latter Day Saints) - so my husband could take place in a one-day race car driving school. We also did a little sight-seeing and met up with my sister for a girls' spa day, so everyone had a good time! Some pictures from the trip:

The view from above Salt Lake City - it really is a beautiful place!
Inside the museum at Miller Motorsports Park, which hosted the school - about $50 million worth of Ford racecars inside!!
Todd driving a BOSS 302 Mustang that is almost identical to the one he owns (same color, but not the same rollcage or 4-point seatbelt harness inside lol)

View of the racetrack - set in the middle of the snow-covered mountains. So beautiful!

Preparing for the day in his racing suit...
The fountain and gardens inside Temple Square, where the Church is located. It was gorgeous - we also had perfect weather for the 4 days we were there!

At the Great Salt Lake - it's massive and yes, smells an awful lot like the ocean :)

Friday Fun Facts!

I know, I know - I've been gone all week. But with good reason! It was Spring Break, and hubby and I went on vacation to Salt Lake City, Utah. He did a Mustang racing school at a road course out there, and then I spent a spa day with my sister. So we both had a great time :) Pictures and more details to come on Monday...

In the meantime, here are 3 Fun Facts for you today:

Fun Fact #1: The Romance Studio's "Stay Home" Party starts today! Three days' worth of authors posting excerpts, chatting, and vest of all, giving away prizes! And yes, Yours Truly is participating. Drop by this link to see what you can win - and all you have to do is either comment on a post, or fill out a form with your choice of prize. Have fun!

Fun Fact#2: My April Showers Facebook Contest is going on right now, with new "shower scenes" being posted daily through Sunday. Stop by, spend some time reading, and email me your favorite next week to be in the running to win a travel umbrella + your choice of any of my ebooks!

Fun Fact #3: My fellow Hudson Valley RWA member Jennifer Probst debuted at #11 on the New York Times Bestseller List with her new contemporary romance The Marriage Bargain! I started reading it on during one of my flights this week, and I'm thoroughly loving it so far :) If you're looking for a new, compelling sensual romance, I highly recommend it!

Special Saturday Blog Announcement: Facebook Contest Starting Today!

Allie’s April Showers Contest!

It’s time for another fun Facebook contest – are you ready? We all know April showers bring May flowers, but sometimes those rainstorms can bring a little (or a lot!) of romance too. For the next week, I’ll be posting an excerpt each day on my Facebook Fan Page from my published novels (and a couple of WIPs too) that features a “shower” scene. Vote for your favorite by email, and the winner will be chosen randomly from all emails to receive a super-cute travel umbrella (for those REAL spring showers) and your choice of any ebook from my backlist.

Are you ready to get wet? Come over and join me!

Friday Fun Facts!

Fun Fact#1: I finished my taxes this morning. Yippee!! (not celebrating so much that now we have to pay the govt, but at least they're done...)

Fun Fact#2: My April Showers Contest is starting up on my Facebook Fan Page TOMORROW! Come on over for a week of sexy wet scenes and have a chance to win a super-cute travel umbrella and your choice of any of my ebooks!

Fun Fact#3: My new publisher, Lyrical Press, has a Goodreads group that's growing every day with chatty authors and industry news. Stop by and give a peek if you'd like.

Fun Fact#4: For spring break, hubby and I are traveling to Salt Lake City, Utah, so he can take part in a race-car driving experience. I will be looking on from the stands and taking lots of pictures!

Fun Fact #5: It's Easter Sunday this weekend, which means it's also time to take a few deep breaths, look around us, and rejoice in the new and wonderful things that make our lives so precious. Have a wonderful weekend!

Writers' Wednesday: Two Good Websites

Hey, writers! Two sites worth visiting today:

WOW! Women on Writing has posted their latest edition, and this one's all about The Art of Storytelling. Looks like a great collection of info on captivating readers and the media as well.

Savvy Authors has a number of pitch opportunities coming up this summer (July will be here before you know it!). I landed my contract with Lyrical Press through a pitch on this very website, so polish those book descriptions if you're interested in any of these agents:

Tamar Rydzinski (Laura Dail Literary Agency)

Jill Marsal (Marsal Lyon Agency)

Laurie McLean (Larsen Pomada Agency)

Peter Knapp (Park Literary Group)

Good luck, and happy writing!

Monday Mentionables: Reflecting on a Reading

Last week I was one of 6 authors featured at a local library "Author Showcase." I was with a self-published suspense author (who asked me if I could hear his knees knocking under the table), a British poetess, an 83-year old Italian-American woman who wrote a novella about her own love story/marriage, a local historian, and a woman who wrote a fictionalized account of a 1920s local murder.

My thoughts?

~It's always nice to be with other writers and hear about other authors' stories and struggles.
~It's also nice to be comfortable and confident in a setting like that ~ I've spoken in front of lots and lots of groups (New Authors: get yourself out in the public eye whenever you can!)
~Come prepared with enough bookmarks/business cards/promo materials - you don't want to run out!
~Bring singles so you can make change when people buy your books.
~Bring a good pen (and a back-up) for signing those books!
~Take time to chat with the people who've attended a reading. I've noticed that people of all walks of life get a kick of talking to a "real author."
~If you're reading an excerpt, choose and practice it ahead of time.
~Have fun and try not to be nervous!! I mean, you already wrote the book and got it into the world. This part should just be pure enjoyment :)

Writers' Wednesday: Two Guest Blogs & One In-Person Appearance

Hey everyone! I'm guest blogging today over at Marketing with Mandy....would love for you to pop in!

And tomorrow I'm blogging at Samhain Publishing's Blog, all about the romance of a warm spring rain. C'mon...you know April showers are right around the corner!

Also, tomorrow I'm sitting on a local authors' panel at the Pine Bush (NY) Library. I'm the only romance writer (6 different authors & 6 different genres), and I just found out today that I'll start the discussion off! I'm looking forward to chatting with other authors and readers. This afternoon I spoke with the woman who's coordinating the panel, and she asked me if I'd seen the local paper because my picture was featured in the article about the panel (I hadn't but asked if she could bring me a copy) So that's kind of cool...

Hope to see you in cyber-world (or maybe the real world, for anyone local??) on one of my stops :)