Rachel Rossano's Blog, page 32
June 24, 2011
Book Trailer
In preparation for the pending re-release of The Mercenary's Marriage (basically it is getting a bit of reformatting and a new cover), I reworked its book trailer, but didn't change much. So, here it is:
The book will be available soon. I cannot promise when, but I am waiting for my first copy off the press. It should be here any day now. Once I finalize all the changes, I will set the re-release date. Hopefully this is just the first of the many books to come. :) Exciting times are on the horizon.
- Rachel Rossano
The book will be available soon. I cannot promise when, but I am waiting for my first copy off the press. It should be here any day now. Once I finalize all the changes, I will set the re-release date. Hopefully this is just the first of the many books to come. :) Exciting times are on the horizon.
- Rachel Rossano
June 20, 2011
Working, working, working
Sorry for the lack of words here. I have been very busy behind the scenes.
The first draft of Wren Romany's story is finished. I barely typed the last words than a new tale pressed upon me. So, what was I to do but write. So, I wrote.
The White Bear is now eight, almost nine chapters old. The characters try me in new ways and I am struggling with the different genre (contemporary) and some personality issues with my heroine. Sigh, such is the writing life. ;)
Also, I have been working on the little side projects: a cover for The Mercenary's Marriage and a trailer for Exchange, my science fiction short story due out late summer/early fall. I will get it up as soon as I work out the last of the quirks and run it by my publisher.
I haven't really spent much time on The Crown of Anavrea since finishing up the last of the editing. I still need to read through it once more before contacting beta readers and sending it to them. I am really nervous about this one. This has been an extensive edit, yet I tried to keep so much the same. I fear losing the specialness of the story, the additions not fitting into the original, or losing the beauty of the characters. Yeah, this is just as nerve wracking as the first time I sent it out to friends. So, if you are interested in being a beta reader, please let me know. I could use the feedback. :)
So, that is the update of my writing efforts. Now to get back to work so that I will have some real results to show you soon.
Thanks,
Rachel :)
The first draft of Wren Romany's story is finished. I barely typed the last words than a new tale pressed upon me. So, what was I to do but write. So, I wrote.
The White Bear is now eight, almost nine chapters old. The characters try me in new ways and I am struggling with the different genre (contemporary) and some personality issues with my heroine. Sigh, such is the writing life. ;)
Also, I have been working on the little side projects: a cover for The Mercenary's Marriage and a trailer for Exchange, my science fiction short story due out late summer/early fall. I will get it up as soon as I work out the last of the quirks and run it by my publisher.
I haven't really spent much time on The Crown of Anavrea since finishing up the last of the editing. I still need to read through it once more before contacting beta readers and sending it to them. I am really nervous about this one. This has been an extensive edit, yet I tried to keep so much the same. I fear losing the specialness of the story, the additions not fitting into the original, or losing the beauty of the characters. Yeah, this is just as nerve wracking as the first time I sent it out to friends. So, if you are interested in being a beta reader, please let me know. I could use the feedback. :)
So, that is the update of my writing efforts. Now to get back to work so that I will have some real results to show you soon.
Thanks,
Rachel :)
May 24, 2011
Wren's Beginning
I see the end of a manuscript as the beginning of the character's life. To some extent my characters live in my head. Their stories are mini biographies, records of periods in their lives. Like our lives, they are not confined to the page. So, when I write the close of a book, I am not saying farewell to the character forever. It is only farewell for a time. I will revisit the record of our time together (the manuscript) for editing, tweaking, or simply my own enjoyment. I do write for my own entertainment, you know. ;) But while I am reworking my presentation of our shared past, my characters are preoccupied with their future: squabbling, making up, having kids, raising kids, balancing family and work, all the things real people do on a daily basis. Someday I will catch up with them, scribble down the bits of memory they want to share, sometimes even a book worthy story. We will have time to visit then like old friends, richer for the time apart.
So, although I am posting the final chapter of this Wren Romany story, she is off on new adventures and enduring new trials. I only hope that someday our paths will meet up again. :)
Come and read Wren Romany's final chapter. I would love to hear what you think of this entry in the record of her quest for family. Don't worry I am not putting her on the shelf yet. I still have to write her for-the-published-copy-only epilogue before I set her aside for a bit. The words need to settle and the ideas age before I go back and start editing. :)
- Rachel Rossano
So, although I am posting the final chapter of this Wren Romany story, she is off on new adventures and enduring new trials. I only hope that someday our paths will meet up again. :)
Come and read Wren Romany's final chapter. I would love to hear what you think of this entry in the record of her quest for family. Don't worry I am not putting her on the shelf yet. I still have to write her for-the-published-copy-only epilogue before I set her aside for a bit. The words need to settle and the ideas age before I go back and start editing. :)
- Rachel Rossano
May 20, 2011
I Should've Known Better
In all the years I have been writing, pretty much nothing I have written has gone as planned. It is a result of my writing style, mostly by the seat of my pants. Based on this fact, I should have known better than to declare to the world that I was posting the penultimate chapter of Wren on Wednesday. Here I am a few days later having to apologize to the world for lying (albeit unintentionally) to you all. Here it is:
I am sorry. I was temped by the allure of using such a cool word as "penultimate" and was led to lead you all astray. I am sorry.
Whew! Now I feel better.
So, the real (possibly, maybe, if everything goes according to plan and the characters cooperate) penultimate chapter is up. Thank you to everyone who voted on Wren's poll on Facebook. It did help me to decide how Hawthorne would get his comeuppance. I hope you all find my solution satisfying.
I am very curious about what you all think of Wren and Tourth's relationship and how it is blossoming all over, sort of. Hmm... That is the next and hopefully final hurdle to jump before the end. Maybe Wren will need to post another poll to help me decide. ;)
To sum up, if you aren't a Wren Romany follower yet, please stop over and give her story a try. If you are, one thing I can promise is the end will be coming soon, as bittersweet as that will be.
If you are a writer, do you books usually go as you plan?If you are a reader, how much you think a couple needs to fall in love?
I am sorry. I was temped by the allure of using such a cool word as "penultimate" and was led to lead you all astray. I am sorry.
Whew! Now I feel better.
So, the real (possibly, maybe, if everything goes according to plan and the characters cooperate) penultimate chapter is up. Thank you to everyone who voted on Wren's poll on Facebook. It did help me to decide how Hawthorne would get his comeuppance. I hope you all find my solution satisfying.
I am very curious about what you all think of Wren and Tourth's relationship and how it is blossoming all over, sort of. Hmm... That is the next and hopefully final hurdle to jump before the end. Maybe Wren will need to post another poll to help me decide. ;)
To sum up, if you aren't a Wren Romany follower yet, please stop over and give her story a try. If you are, one thing I can promise is the end will be coming soon, as bittersweet as that will be.
If you are a writer, do you books usually go as you plan?If you are a reader, how much you think a couple needs to fall in love?
May 18, 2011
Whew! The penultimate chapter of Wren is up!
Writing the climax of a book is a draining and nerve wracking experience. I am never satisfied with the first draft. I will most likely rewrite Wren's climax a few times before I am remotely content with it, but I don't have the time right now. As a result, you all get to read it that much sooner. However, that also means any feedback I get is all the more vital to the final product.
So, please stop by Wren's blog, read the penultimate chapter, and tell me what you think. There are some feedback questions at the end to get you started. Thank you so much in advance.
- Rachel Rossano
Question:
1) If you are a writer, are climaxes more difficult to write than any other part of the book?
2) If you are a reader, have you ever read a climax and then walked away irritated? Why?
So, please stop by Wren's blog, read the penultimate chapter, and tell me what you think. There are some feedback questions at the end to get you started. Thank you so much in advance.
- Rachel Rossano
Question:
1) If you are a writer, are climaxes more difficult to write than any other part of the book?
2) If you are a reader, have you ever read a climax and then walked away irritated? Why?
May 16, 2011
Playing with Character Names
One afternoon during my few minutes of down time from motherhood, I spent some time naming the cast of characters for my next project. Yes, I should have been writing Wren's next chapter or editing the final third of The Crown of Anavrea. However, I was stalled on both projects and inspired on this one.
Besides, character names are important. Wren wouldn't be Wren if she were called Janice or Annabella. Wren fits her character and who she is: resilient, optimistic, direct, plain, but beautiful in an understated way.
I admit that I don't always put much thought into character names, especially secondary or tertiary characters. Those I tend to pull off the top of my brain, picking a letter I like and a few sounds that strike my fancy at the moment. Keilvey is product (victim?) of that technique.
Since this new project is loosely based on a fairy tale, I had even more fun than usual with the character names, adding layers and foreshadowing. I am curious what you think of my cast to date.
Ursa Keir
Orson Kent
Bethanna Speranza
Palmer Osborn
Dunizi Vanna
Willow Aure
Ivo Aure
Jesimae Aure Wendall
Savannah Aure
Philana Aure
Can you spot the hero and heroine in this list? Can you guess the fairy tale based on these names?
Besides, character names are important. Wren wouldn't be Wren if she were called Janice or Annabella. Wren fits her character and who she is: resilient, optimistic, direct, plain, but beautiful in an understated way.
I admit that I don't always put much thought into character names, especially secondary or tertiary characters. Those I tend to pull off the top of my brain, picking a letter I like and a few sounds that strike my fancy at the moment. Keilvey is product (victim?) of that technique.
Since this new project is loosely based on a fairy tale, I had even more fun than usual with the character names, adding layers and foreshadowing. I am curious what you think of my cast to date.
Ursa Keir
Orson Kent
Bethanna Speranza
Palmer Osborn
Dunizi Vanna
Willow Aure
Ivo Aure
Jesimae Aure Wendall
Savannah Aure
Philana Aure
Can you spot the hero and heroine in this list? Can you guess the fairy tale based on these names?
May 11, 2011
Wonderous Words Wednesday
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy of Bermudaonion where we share new (to us) words that we've encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the button, write a post and add your link to Mr. Linky on Kathy's blog!
My words for this entry appear in The Improper Governess by Carola Dunn, a bit of light reading in my spare time. Definitions are from dictionary.reference.com.
1. & 2. minatory and cicisbeo - "'Oh yes, that will do very well. I shall not keep you long, I am sure,' she added, giving her cicisbeo her hand and her brother a minatory look."
Cicisbeo refers to the escort or lover of a married woman, esp in 18th-century Italy. Minatory means menacing or threatening.
Cicisbeo doesn't truly fit the context of the prose considering the lady is widowed, therefore no longer married. The second word, minatory, portrays beautifully the woman's intent. ________________________________________________________ 3. mendaciously - "'I brought Miss Findlay away before her breakfast,' Lord Ashe condescended to explain, mendaciously, 'and mine was much interrupted, you may recall.'"
Mendaciously is a fancy adverb to indicate his lying. Tsk, tsk.
________________________________________________________
4. elucidate - "Before he could elucidate, the second footman came in with a tea-tray. "
To elucidate is to make something clear or explain.
So, what new words have you encountered in your reading?
May 10, 2011
Introducing Wren Romany
I just finished a new chapter in Wren Romany's saga. For those of you who have not met her, she is worth an introduction.
Sixth born of the Romany clan of nine children, she is the third daughter. While many of her siblings struggle with their faith in the Almighty God and Creator who they refer to as Deus (Latin for God), she is relatively secure in her faith. She works through the usual struggles of a daily walk with the Lord, but she isn't shaken in her belief that God is holy, omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (everywhere present) and just. Her personal story isn't one of a struggling faith, but of a quest for family.
Driven from her home and family by circumstances beyond her control, she throws herself into her work (hunting animals and criminals) and forges a life on the road. For a time, she is content with her horse (Brone), her falcons (all seven of them), and the wilds of a Medieval-like setting to explore. However, she eventually realizes the loneliness of her existence and seeks out a home for the winter, which is when her story begins.
She attracted me from the first because of her confidence. Wren is not a woman who shies away from a challenge. She faces life without frills or doubts (almost). Confident in her God and her abilities, she willingly admits her short comings.
She has her flaws. She can be too cold, too blunt, too harsh, and occasionally impulsive. She struggles to temper that with kindness, not always successfully. She is not an inherently feminine woman. The skills a woman would usually cultivate, she does not have use for. She can cook (a necessity of traveling by oneself) and sew a simple seam, but that is about it. More comfortable around men, weapons (preferable throwing knives), and animals, she tends to feel uncomfortable with the trappings of womanhood, especially fancy dresses.
Not an outwardly beautiful woman, she has a strength of character that is unusual and hopefully attractive. I hoped to explore the inner depths of her strength and her influence on those around her. A strange premise for a book, but there it is.
Questions:
1) If you have been reading Wren Romany's story, how would you describe her?
2) If you haven't read her story, would you be interested based on this description?
Sixth born of the Romany clan of nine children, she is the third daughter. While many of her siblings struggle with their faith in the Almighty God and Creator who they refer to as Deus (Latin for God), she is relatively secure in her faith. She works through the usual struggles of a daily walk with the Lord, but she isn't shaken in her belief that God is holy, omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (everywhere present) and just. Her personal story isn't one of a struggling faith, but of a quest for family.
Driven from her home and family by circumstances beyond her control, she throws herself into her work (hunting animals and criminals) and forges a life on the road. For a time, she is content with her horse (Brone), her falcons (all seven of them), and the wilds of a Medieval-like setting to explore. However, she eventually realizes the loneliness of her existence and seeks out a home for the winter, which is when her story begins.
She attracted me from the first because of her confidence. Wren is not a woman who shies away from a challenge. She faces life without frills or doubts (almost). Confident in her God and her abilities, she willingly admits her short comings.
She has her flaws. She can be too cold, too blunt, too harsh, and occasionally impulsive. She struggles to temper that with kindness, not always successfully. She is not an inherently feminine woman. The skills a woman would usually cultivate, she does not have use for. She can cook (a necessity of traveling by oneself) and sew a simple seam, but that is about it. More comfortable around men, weapons (preferable throwing knives), and animals, she tends to feel uncomfortable with the trappings of womanhood, especially fancy dresses.
Not an outwardly beautiful woman, she has a strength of character that is unusual and hopefully attractive. I hoped to explore the inner depths of her strength and her influence on those around her. A strange premise for a book, but there it is.
Questions:
1) If you have been reading Wren Romany's story, how would you describe her?
2) If you haven't read her story, would you be interested based on this description?
April 28, 2011
Uncooperative Characters
Wren Romany's 21st chapter is up...finally. This chapter has been fraught with surprises, at least for me. Who said that a writer's life is boring? ;)
First, Wren decided to be minimalistic (not totally out of character). She summarized slipping out of Orac's camp, a night of travel, and getting into Hawthorne's fortress in five paragraphs. I was a tad stunned, not necessarily displeased. I had hoped to do something along those lines, but I anticipated a bit more resistance from her.
To make up for her compliance, Tourth turned stubborn. Instead of going directly and efficiently in the direction of the coming battle, he pulled everything possible to stall: swapping war stories, discussing the ridiculousness of Hawthorne's defenses, and deliberating picking an arguement with Portan. Lord Portan wasn't supposed to be in the scene anyway. He burst in and refused to leave before he said his piece which wasn't that crucial anyway. *rolls eyes*
Finally, to really throw me off, King Orac suddenly decides (for very logical reasons) that he will not enter Hawthorne's castle. The confrontation will instead take place in a meadow outside. This is perfect for him and the surprise coming, but it is totally not what I expected. Ah, well, I shall have to adapt because I think he is right, the confrontation should happen out in the open. Now I have the problem of getting Wren there after all her effort getting inside the walls.
Since I have the beginning of the next chapter started, I am hoping I will be able to get to the crux of the climax soon, but who knows. For the one who is supposed to have all the answers, I am finding myself feeling a clueless these days. The good news is that I am enjoying the anticipation of the unknown right along with the rest of you.
So, please stop by Wren's blog and admire the end result of all my mental gymnastics. Also, look for the questions at the end of the chapter. I would love to hear what your answers and any other comments you would like to make. :)
Thanks for listening to me argue with the characters in my head.
~ Rachel Rossano
Question: If you are a writer, do you talk to your characters? If you aren't a writer, does the fact that writers talk to there characters seem strange to you?
First, Wren decided to be minimalistic (not totally out of character). She summarized slipping out of Orac's camp, a night of travel, and getting into Hawthorne's fortress in five paragraphs. I was a tad stunned, not necessarily displeased. I had hoped to do something along those lines, but I anticipated a bit more resistance from her.
To make up for her compliance, Tourth turned stubborn. Instead of going directly and efficiently in the direction of the coming battle, he pulled everything possible to stall: swapping war stories, discussing the ridiculousness of Hawthorne's defenses, and deliberating picking an arguement with Portan. Lord Portan wasn't supposed to be in the scene anyway. He burst in and refused to leave before he said his piece which wasn't that crucial anyway. *rolls eyes*
Finally, to really throw me off, King Orac suddenly decides (for very logical reasons) that he will not enter Hawthorne's castle. The confrontation will instead take place in a meadow outside. This is perfect for him and the surprise coming, but it is totally not what I expected. Ah, well, I shall have to adapt because I think he is right, the confrontation should happen out in the open. Now I have the problem of getting Wren there after all her effort getting inside the walls.
Since I have the beginning of the next chapter started, I am hoping I will be able to get to the crux of the climax soon, but who knows. For the one who is supposed to have all the answers, I am finding myself feeling a clueless these days. The good news is that I am enjoying the anticipation of the unknown right along with the rest of you.
So, please stop by Wren's blog and admire the end result of all my mental gymnastics. Also, look for the questions at the end of the chapter. I would love to hear what your answers and any other comments you would like to make. :)
Thanks for listening to me argue with the characters in my head.
~ Rachel Rossano
Question: If you are a writer, do you talk to your characters? If you aren't a writer, does the fact that writers talk to there characters seem strange to you?
April 20, 2011
Wonderous Words Wednesday
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy of Bermudaonion where we share new (to us) words that we've encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the button, write a post and add your link to Mr. Linky on Kathy's blog!My words for this week are from Jaimey Grant's novel Redemption.
1. perforce - "Dare, perforce, sat on the bed, swinging his feet up and crossing his ankles."
I had encountered this word before and thought I had a pretty good idea of the meaning, but I wanted to look it up just to be sure. According to dictionay.com, perforce is an adverb meaning "of necessity; necessarily; by force of circumstance."
______________________________________________________________ 2. farce and roiling - "He knew that Adam would never hurt Bri but with all the tension over all the stupid actions being committed left and right in this farce, Dare wasn't sure Adam had a very good hold on his roiling displeasure."
I first encountered farce in the song "Send in the Clowns." From that context I thought I have a pretty good grasp of the meaning. In this case I was correct. A farce is a a ludicrous situation or action, which fits this context exactly.
Roiling has such a great sound. I had to look it up to find out what it meant. The two definitions on dictionary.com fit beautifully (1. to render (water, wine, etc.) turbid by stirring up sediment. 2. to disturb or disquiet; irritate). I particularly like the imagery of the first definition in setting of the quote. :)
So, what new words have you encountered in your reading?
