Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 5

Red Ghost Sighting as Seen From Our Characters in The Hero Least Likely

If you read Tagalong Bride (Love Under Desert Skies Series: Book 1), you’ll recall that at the end of the book our characters headed off to capture two very dangerous outlaws.

They are following the only lead they have: a map to Quartzsite, Arizona where treasure is believed to be hidden. This is what takes us to Book 2 in the Love Under Desert Skies Series, The Hero Least Likely.

During the late 1800s, there were actual Red Ghost sightings in Arizona, and this made its way into the folklore of that time. As it turns out, our lovable main characters faced this Red Ghost head-on, and they are stopping by this blog today to tell you what happened in their own words.

We will start with one of the characters who had direct contact with this thing.

Deputy Zeke Ritter: expert on Red Ghost sightings and now first-hand witness

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I’ve been studying up on the Red Ghost ever since I first saw an article about it in the Mohave County Miner newspaper. I made it a point to research every incident that occurred in Arizona ever since. I knew there was always a chance that I’d see it since I travel around the state, but even when you know there’s a chance of seeing something, you’re still shocked when you do.

This thing was like a monstrous creature coming straight out of the lower pits of Hell. It was massive in size. It was red, hairy, and incredibly dangerous. This thing was faster than anything I’ve ever seen. I barely caught up to it as it dragged poor Bernadette off into the night while she was trapped in her bedroll. We didn’t escape the beast until it dragged us all the way to Granite Wash Pass. And even then, it was still running in a murderous rampage. Men were shooting at it, but it just kept on going. It even had a demonic creature in the form of a human skeleton on its back. It had to be a demonic creature because it never fell off the monster’s back, no matter how much it was bouncing around on it. Nothing human–not even something that used to be human–could stand up to a force like that.

*shivers* Even thinking about it makes me thank my lucky stars that Bernadette and I are still alive.

I was asked to bring my best estimation of how this thing looked, and this is what I remember seeing:

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In enters Blaze Levi: our resident skeptic

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Now, hold it right there. I saw the thing, too. It’s not some monstrous beast from the lower pits of Hell. It was a camel. A regular old camel that the US government brought over from another country to navigate our desert terrain. The skeleton was the remains of a poor man who died while riding its back.

Zeke is just making it more than it was because he’s obsessed with the stupid thing.

In enters Bernadette Reid (Lucas’ sister):

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It really was that scary, Blaze. I ought to know better than anyone what this thing was like. When I woke up, it was peering down at me as if I was going to be its next meal. It had a large snout and glowing eyes. I was in my bedroll when it hauled me off in an attempt to take me to its lair where it was going to eat me, so I didn’t see much more than that.

Blaze: Who said this thing was going to eat you?

Bernadette: What else was it going to do? This thing is notorious for killing people. Thankfully, it didn’t succeed this time. Zeke and I are lucky that we survived its attack.

Zeke: We are lucky. This thing doesn’t care if you’re a man, woman, or a child. Its thirst for blood is ravenous.

Blaze: This thing is just an animal. It’s probably scared. It’s been dragged to the southwestern US from everything that was familiar to it. People go around shooting and yelling at it all the time. It hasn’t had a chance to get used to the people around here. If Bernadette hadn’t screamed when it was in our camp, I might have been able to secure it. Then I could have worked on taming it.

Zeke: You can’t tame something like this.

Blaze: Sure, I could. I’ve worked with many animals in my life. Some were wild.

Bernadette: I don’t see how this can be tamed. The men in Granite Wash Pass were shooting it, but it didn’t even slow down. It just kept running.

Blaze: Lucas and Gail, what do you think? Was it a monster, or was it a camel?

*Neither Lucas nor Gail answer*

Blaze: Where are they?

Bernadette: Probably out of earshot so they can have a moment alone. All they ever do is talk about how much they love each other. The rest of us might as well be invisible.

Zeke: You can’t fault them for that. They’re newlyweds. I think it’s sweet that they’re so much in love.

Blaze: Sweet can wait. Right now, we have business to contend with. We don’t want to waste the readers’ time by making them wait for Lucas and Gail to make an appearance. After we’re done with this post, we need to keep going so we can find Lee and Wilson, the two dangerous outlaws that brought us to this book to begin with. *leaves to search for Lucas and Gail*

Zeke: We don’t really need to involve Lucas and Gail in this post. They were asleep when the Red Ghost came through our camp. I don’t even think they woke up in time to see what was going on. I have been trained since I was a kid to wake up at the slightest sound. A deputy isn’t worth his badge if he doesn’t wake up when there’s trouble. I’m telling you, this thing was a monster. Bernadette and I both saw this thing up close. Blaze wasn’t near it like we were. He probably just saw its silhouette in the moonlight.

Bernadette: I agree. This wasn’t a regular animal.

Blaze: I found them. They aren’t even wearing the clothes they’ve been assigned to wear in this book. You would think if they took their roles seriously, they would dress the part when they are representing themselves on this blog. Now people are going to think this is a contemporary romance instead of a historical western romance.

Gail: I’m sure people can separate out a blog post from the genre a book is in. It is hot out here. We are out in the middle of the desert during the summer. I’m tired of sweating all the time. I need a reprieve.

ID 183165918 © Alexey Emelyanov Eanstudio | Dreamstime.com

Lucas: Besides, we don’t need to be in this post. We didn’t see anything. By the time we woke up, the thing was hauling Bernadette and Zeke off. We only saw a big shadow of what seemed like a big hairy creature running toward Granite Wash Pass.

Gail: Yeah, that could be anything.

Zeke: Exactly, Blaze. This could be what Bernadette and I say it is. It doesn’t have to be a camel just because you say so.

Blaze: Set them straight, Ruth. Tell everyone what that creature was.

Ruth: Well, the way I figure it, it’s all about perspective. Zeke and Bernadette saw a monster. You saw a camel. Lucas and Gail are so enamored with each other that they are lost in their own world. I think I’ll leave whether this thing is a monster or a camel–or something else–up to the reader.

Blaze: Well, that’s no fun.

Ruth: Sure it is. The story is always better when the reader gets involved in it.

Rapid Release Will Lead to Burnout

How burnout starts:

I recently took a course on how to be successful on You Tube with audiobooks, and halfway into it, I thought, “This is how burnout is born.” Essentially, you need to upload an entire book at least once a week. An entire book. Every single week. Let that sink in.

Unless you write shorts, you’ll eventually run out of content unless you figure out something else that you can consistently do over there that will keep audiobook listeners happy. (Just because people enjoy listening to your audiobooks, it doesn’t mean they want to see videos of you talking, even if the videos are related to your books.)

Consistency is how you stay up in the algorithm at You Tube. Staying up in the algorithm is how you get more subscribers. The more subscribers you have, the more views you get. The more views you get, the more ad revenue you will bring in. Now I understand why content creators on You Tube post videos all the time. If they don’t, they lose money. Just like an author will lose money if they don’t keep publishing books. People forget you if you don’t keep up with things. They don’t mean to forget you. It’s just that new stuff keeps people engaged, and if you don’t have something new, you’ll slip off the radar.

As if one book a week isn’t hectic enough, You Tube’s terms require PG content in order to maximize ad revenue. So if you put up a book with sexual content, you won’t make as much money. In fact, You Tube reserves the right to demonetize your channel, which means even if they do run ads on it, you don’t get anything. (I have a channel on You Tube, and even though some ads are on it, I don’t get anything.) This means an author who has steamy content has to go into each book and remove any content that will get the book flagged. It takes time to do that. Then you have to put the chapters together into one video and create a graphic to go with it. Uploading the audiobook is the easy part.

Thinking through the implications of rapid release

I think all of this work would be doable if you are going to do one book a month, but to make this something an author can benefit from monetarily, this has to be done once a week. Yes, I realize that you can do these well in advance and schedule the audiobooks to go out later, but what happens when you run out of books since you are rushing through your entire catalog like this? What will you do? Quickly write more books to put into audio format? Can you realistically do all of that while publishing in ebook and paperback format, keeping up with emails, doing your record keeping for tax purposes, sending out newsletters, updating your blog/website/social media content, and other things that authors find themselves doing?

I guess you could if hire ghostwriters or use an AI program to write the books for you, but how good will those books be? How can you guarantee quality? And while not popular to talk about, what is the ethical implications of using AI to write for you? Also, when a reader wants a book from you, how would they feel knowing you are not writing them? When a reader falls in love with your work, they are investing in you (the person who is writing the books). That is why your name matters when it’s on the cover of the book. Maybe some people don’t care how a book is written if they enjoyed it, but to consistently buy from the same author year after year, I think the author has to matter because that author is bringing the reader something that the reader values. I just don’t see how ghostwriters or AI can stand up to an author who writes their own stories.

This whole mindset of “get books out as fast as you can to make more money” reminds me of the rapid release thing with Amazon that was popular years ago. Like You Tube, Amazon works on an algorithm that favors new content.

This is how burnout happens. You push yourself to do a lot in a short period of time, and since you need to keep up the pace to stay relevant, you just keep doing it. You can manage to keep up with all of this for some time. It’s not going to hurt you right away, and that’s one of the things that is so dangerous about this method of writing and publishing as fast as you can. You believe you can keep it up because for a while, you do. You just tell yourself, “This is a job. Butt in chair. Write even if you don’t feel like it.” I told myself this for years while struggling to find a way to keep money flowing into my bank account. Over time, this is going to affect you. The human brain was not made to keep up with a hectic pace all the time. We need time to decompress. We need time away from work to build up our reserves. Creativity needs a break.

There are a couple of problems when you chase after money. 1. It’s never enough. No matter how much you make, you always want more. So even if you reach a goal, suddenly you need a new one. You can’t just be happy with where you’re at. 2. You can’t keep writing and producing at a fast pace forever. Something is going to catch up with you. It could be your health. It could be an unexpected repair that requires your attention. It could be an additional member of the family like a baby. It could be the death of a loved one. It could be the need to move to another location. It could be a marriage. It could be a divorce. My point is that anything can happen at any time. When it does, you will not be able to keep up with the rapid pace.

If I want to get right back into burnout, I would pursue this thing with trying to make money with my books on You Tube. I don’t know if I want to do anything with You Tube at this point.

Books are more than widgets

All I know is that I want to write my own books, and I want those books to be something I will enjoy. These books are not just widgets on an assembly line. They are a part of me. They should be a part of me. And sometimes a part of my readers slip in there. If I find out someone who reads my books like a certain character or would like a certain “character type”, I try to figure out a way to make that work into the current story I’m working on or in a future one. This is why working with a series (or even series within the same world) is so much fun. You can bring beloved characters back if a reader wants to see them again. When I write that story, it’s even more enjoyable because I’m bringing that reader along with me. I think of that reader when I write the story and when I reread it. It gives me someone on the other side of the page to think about that deepens my enjoyment for writing. Books are not just “things”. Books are personal.

How to avoid burnout

To avoid burnout, I do have some tips. Burnout happens when you write stuff you don’t enjoy, and it happens when you don’t allow yourself sufficient time to rest. You need to take care of your health. You need to get enough sleep. You need to spend time with people you love because time is one thing you can’t get back with them. So really, it’s all about balance. Yes, you need time to write. But you need time to do the other stuff, too. The best way to avoid burnout is by having the balanced life. Rapid release doesn’t allow for that. My advice, for what it’s worth, is to forget the rapid release mindset if you want to preserve your creative edge.

A possible alternative to chasing after money

If money is tight, maybe pursue investments where money will grow while you sleep. To me, this is the less stressful way of building up money. At my age (50), I don’t expect to build a million+ dollars with my investments because I started last year, but I do expect to build more money than I would by pursuing the rapid release mindset. In rapid release, you’re probably going to rely on assistants. You will be paying those assistants. You have to calculate that when factoring in actual profits. You will also pay self-employment taxes, which means you have to take that out of actual profits. So it’s a continual hamster wheel of work. You might make more, but you will have to pay more in order to keep going up in income. I realize that investment is not a guarantee. (But if the market completely tanks, that means the economy has tanked, and even the most successful author will be worrying about how to find food at the grocery store.)

I’m not telling anyone to go into investing. You will need to do what is best for you. But I have decided to put the excess money I get into investments. With the Roth IRAs, I won’t have to worry about paying taxes when I take the money out, so that is a win-win. I will pay taxes on the 401K and general investment account I have, but at least I get a break on the Roth IRA. But I expect that, overall, the money will grow. All I have to do is let it sit there. I see this as the more sustainable way to go. I don’t have to write and publish at a fast-necked pace. I can sit back and enjoy writing, which is what I really want to do. Definitely study up on investing and learn the way this works if you’re going to dive into this. I know I still have a lot more to learn. But the hardest part of anything is getting started.

On the Topic of Money

I am in no way a financial expert, and though I have managed to get out of debt and stay out of debt, I ended up getting back into a corner where I had to make some difficult decisions this year. Long story short, we are now renters. I am a lot happier. A couple of people gave me so much grief when we decided to sell our house because “renting is throwing money away”, but it was the best decision I made this year. I truly believe that all of that financial stress only added to my burnout with writing. It’s hard to be creative when you feel like you can’t breathe.

So anyway, before we sold the house, I did look around at some jobs in the area. While I was writing my resume and going to interviews, I quickly realized that, despite how burned out I was, I most wanted to keep writing books. And not only did I want to keep writing books, but I wanted to keep writing books that I am passionate about writing.

All of that rambling above led me to the core of this post.

If you are an author who writes for passion and wants to keep writing for passion, then the best chances to do that is to look at finances from the perceptive of growing your money. I have come to the conclusion that it’s not enough to write more books and to promote those books. I mean, at any time you can have a drop in sales. That reason will vary depending on your circumstance. Perhaps you end up being a caretaker. Perhaps you have a health issue. Perhaps you have to move. Perhaps you have a baby. Perhaps you end up in burnout. There are many reasons why you are unable to keep up the momentum for writing, publishing, and marketing that once came easily to you.

After spending half the year researching how to best manage money, I have come to the conclusion that an author who wants to have the best chances of writing for passion without worrying so much about sales is to invest their money to make it grow. If you can take the money you have and make it grow, then you’ll help buffer yourself from a drop in income that might come in the future. Obviously, you also cover the basics: live on less than you make, cut back your spending, eat at home (instead of eating out), etc, etc. But there are two main ways to grow your money that have been brought up more than anything else in my research: find a way to earn more money (by doing stuff like learning a new skill, getting a raise, or getting a new job) and invest in appreciating assets (could be stuff like the real estate or the stock market).

That sums up a good six months of my life in research.

In my case, I have decided to learn a new skill and invest in the stock market. If you’re going to look into a skill, then it might as well coincide with something you have an interest in. I decided to take a six-month course on learning how to be a personal assistant to authors. That way, I can get paid to help other authors with stuff they need. As an author myself, I already have some familiarity with what to do, but the course added things I didn’t know about, and I felt that if I wanted to be good at this, I should have a firm foundation. There’s nothing worse than hiring an assistant only to find out you have to train that person. I just finished this course through Grounded Chaos.I highly recommend these two ladies because they were supportive and answered every question I had. If you want me to, I can tell you where to find them. Anyway, in the next couple of months, I will be an author assistant, and I am hoping to earn some extra money that I can invest.

As a disclaimer, I am now 50. My husband is going to be 52 next month. We did not start investing back in our 20s or early 30s like all the smart investors do. I can’t tell you how many times I have been hit over the head with, “You should start investing in your early 20s and 30s” in my research. I am aware I lost the magic of “compound interest” because I don’t have the amount of time that a 20 or 30-year-old does. Believe me, I wish I had been smarter, but I wasn’t. But it doesn’t help to focus on things you can’t change. I can’t go back in time. If you’re in a similar situation I am, you can’t go back into the past and change things, either. So my advice is to focus on what you can do now. Doing something now is better than giving up.

What I have learned is that keeping money in a savings account in the bank will not keep up with the rate of inflation. That means you will end up losing money in the long run. Now, while saving money will not build up wealth, it’s still a good idea to have an emergency fund. Some recommend a full year, but I didn’t have much money after the sale of the house, so I opted for three months. The general rule of thumb is three to six months. I guess it depends on your risk tolerance and whether or not you have someone to help you financially. Since my husband is the primary breadwinner, I can afford to do three months.

I am willing to take on some risk but not a whole lot. I’ve never been a high-risk person. I think when it comes to money, you do have to do what is comfortable enough for you. A little unease is probably okay, but you don’t want to be lying awake at night worrying about it. If you are worried about stuff, you will have a hard time writing.

So now let’s talk investing…

After all of my research, I learned that if a job offers a 401K, you’re better off taking it. If the job will add a percentage to the money you put in, it’s even better. As authors, we don’t have 401Ks, but for those that have spouses who do have a job that comes with a 401K, this is something to consider. Because you and your spouse pretty much share the pot of money. So their 401K is yours, too. So this year, my husband and I finally got the 401K transferred from his last job to this new one, so we can start the price matching. We only have $7400 in it. That is very little for what it should be, and it’s a little embarrassing to tell others that since we are in our early 50s, but I share it because if this is like you, you know that you’re not alone. And $7400 is better than $0. It’s all about how you’re going to look at things. I choose to look at this in a positive light. At least we’re making progress. Progress is better than not doing anything.

The second thing to invest in is the Roth IRA. Now, I did set this up for me and my husband this year. That’s right. We just opened our IRAs. Again, it’s progress. It’s better than waiting until next year to open it. The nice thing about the Roth IRA is that you don’t pay taxes on it as long as you wait until you’re 59 1/2 to start pulling money out of it. There are a couple of other things about the Roth IRA where you can avoid paying taxes if you pull money out sooner than when you reach 59 1/2, but for the sake of this post, I’m just sticking to the age factor. (Before you start taking money out of your Roth IRA, look up the rules.)

Since there is something that kept popping up in the Roth IRA videos I came across, I will mention it here. When you open a Roth IRA, you need to put the cash into some kind of investment. Otherwise, you don’t earn anything. The money just sits there. There are a lot of things you can invest in out there. I chose the S&P 500 because it has a history of earning a return rate of 10% overall. Decades ago, my poor dad spent an hour trying to explain to me what the S&P 500 was. (I remember him saying it was a solid investment.) Anyway, since my mind does not easily grasp this stuff the way his mind did, it all went over my head. But then a woman in a five-minute You Tube video said, “The S&P 500 is composed of the top performing 500 companies in the US.” The lightbulb finally came on. I ramble about all of this to say that if this information doesn’t click right away, maybe listen to someone else. The way someone presents the information can make all the difference. I’m still learning the difference between index funds, ETFs, and other language commonly used words in the finance world. I take it a little at a time. My brain is not wired to think this way. My brain is wired to come up with fictional stories where the creativity knows no bounds. I can see storylines in the strangest places, but this stuff where things are concrete are not as easy for me to grasp. So if you’re overwhelmed and want to learn about this stuff, I recommend taking it in small doses.

The third thing I did was open a regular investment account. It’s not impressive yet. I contribute $25 a week to it. The people I researched recommended setting up automatic transfers from the bank to the investment account. That way you don’t have to think about it.

Really quick, in case someone doesn’t know (because I didn’t), I’m going to insert this piece of information into this post. In order to invest, you have to go through a brokerage. Think of a brokerage like Draft2Digital (D2D). You put your book into D2D and then pick a retailer to put the book on. Common brokerages are Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and Vanguard. There are other brokerages, but I just mentioned a couple for the sake of simplicity. In those brokerages, you take the cash and pick something to invest the money in. That is where I go to select the S&P 500. I am dabbling a little bit into a smaller stock and a mutual fund (can’t remember it off the top of my head but investors who are more conservative side recommend it), but the majority of my money is in the S&P 500.

Now, I will address something about how the stock market is not seen as a secure way to grow money. Home ownership is seen as the better choice, which is why I was strongly warned from a couple of people to keep the house (even though it was sucking the financial life out of me). One of the benefits of home ownership is that it can work as a forced savings. I see the 401K, the Roth IRA, and the regular investment account as a similar thing. There is no guarantee the stock market will go up. Yes, it can go down. Historically, however, in the lifetime of the stock market, it has been going up overall. There is a fallacy in believing that homes always go up in value. I have owned two houses over the years that went down in value after I purchased them. I have lived in one where the price went up, and I lived in another where it was pretty much the same. Home ownership is not a guaranteed return on investment, especially after you factor in all the following: 1. the money spent in the interest off the mortgage that goes to the bank, 2. the insurance that can go up each year, 3. the property taxes that can also go up each year, and 4. the repairs that will inevitably come up. Maybe the house itself will go up, but that doesn’t mean you actually “made” money after you factor in your expenses.

Suffice it to say that when it comes to money, there are no guarantees in life, but I have decided that if the stock market completely tanks, then I’m probably going to be more worried about finding food at the grocery store than my investment portfolio.

I could go on about all of this. Surprisingly, this is a topic I’m enjoying more than I thought I would. But I want to get back to the whole writing thing.

If you can build up money with investments, that money can help buffer you from anything that happens with your writing income. That offers some peace of mind. If you’re willing to sacrifice some small luxuries today in order to invest more, then that peace of mind is even better. For example, I am no longer eating out. (And I loved eating out, so this was a big deal for me.) That has enabled us to not go into credit card debt to buy groceries. Also, I now shop at Trader Joe’s. If anyone is disgusted with the price of groceries and would like an option that gives you good quality food for about half the price overall, I recommend Trader Joe’s. I can get away with two carts’ worth of stuff for my family for what amounts to only one cart at the regular grocery stores in the area. Also, I recommend Sam’s Club or Costco for gas and your non-food items. Buying in bulk is worth it. If you’re willing to make sacrifices, then you can add more to these investments. I am hoping to fully fund the two Roth IRAs next year by making these sacrifices.

I don’t know what would best help you in your situation. My hope is that maybe something in this post will help you if you’re struggling like I am. If you have any thoughts that can also help authors build a strong financial foundation that can help them achieve their dream of being financially free enough to keep writing stuff they love.

Vindication at Last! (A Post by Lord Toplyn)

Image purchased at Period Images: https://www.periodimages.com/-/galleries/regency/kieran

I have found my favorite Ruth Ann Nordin book, and I’m not just saying that because I happen to be in it. I’m saying it because this is the book that offers proof that even Malcom Jasper can’t deny: Lord Waxman would have been a horrible husband for Melissa Jasper. I kept telling everyone Melissa was better off with me during Ruined by the Earl, but many doubted me. Well, they won’t doubt me after they read The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride.

Here is a direct quote from Chapter Nine when Lord Dayton, the hero of that book, is at a ball dancing with a lady.

         [Adam said,] “… did you happen to hear about the music at Lord Waxman’s ball a month ago? It sounded like a cat got tangled up in the strings from how poorly those violinists played.”

         [The Duchess of Greaves’] eyes grew wide. “I didn’t attend that ball. Did you?”

         He nodded. “If you heard any rumors about it, they’re true. Lord Waxman tried to offer more wine to make up for the catastrophe, but no one can drink enough wine to forget that sound.”

         “That poor gentleman.”

         “I wouldn’t feel too sorry for him. He made it a point to marry a wealthy lady, but he was wasteful with her dowry.” Adam shrugged. “I feel sorry for his wife. It’s bad enough he wasted her money. Word is that he sired another lady’s child. What are you going to do about a situation like that?” 

         She let out a sigh. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. He’s responsible for his own problems.”

For everyone who ever wondered if Melissa would have been better off with Lord Waxman, here is definitive proof that she would have ended up miserable. All of that flowery language he used in Ruined by the Earl about how delicate Melissa was and how much he loved her was all a bunch of crap. He was only interested in her money.

Before you say anything, yes, I was interested in her money, too. It is why I picked her that evening when I kissed her. But at least I was upfront about it. People knew my motive. The thing is, Lord Waxman pretended to be in love with her. He led everyone to believe he was truly devastated when I came along and broke up their engagement. Malcolm even took me outside of London in hopes he could kill me because of how heartbroken Melissa was.

After this news about Lord Waxman makes its way through London, Malcolm should thank me for rescuing her. I have never once cheated on her during our marriage, and I did not waste her dowry. She lives very comfortably with me and our four sons, Mathias, Jerry, Charles, and Joshua. So you see, she had a happy ending with me. And it wasn’t just a “happy for now” ending. This is a forever happy ending. The only thing that gets in the way of true bliss is Malcolm. He still refuses to admit I’m a good husband for her.

Which is what makes this portion of Chapter Nine equally enjoyable:

         Lord Powell shook his head but joked, “My wife is too busy [at this ball] trying to impress the Cadwaladers for the sake of her lady’s group. She doesn’t even know I’m here this evening.”

         “Then it’s good we’re here to keep you entertained,” Lord Toplyn teased. “Otherwise, who knows what mischief you’d get into?”

         “Well, she won’t catch me throwing darts at my brother-in-law’s portrait,” Lord Powell replied.

         Emma’s eyes grew wide. Did Lord Toplyn really do that to his brother-in-law’s portrait?

         “Mr. Jasper isn’t the easiest person to get along with, but he does know how to make money,” Lord Draconhawthshire spoke up.

         “No amount of money can make up for all that uptightness,” Lord Toplyn said. “You’d think his wife would have taught him that it’s acceptable to crack a smile once in a while, and yet, every time I see him, he has that scowl on his face. To this day, he believes I ruined his sister’s life.” He put his hand on his chest. “I might have my flaws, but I’d never take another lady to my bed like Lord Waxman did.”

         “Yes, that’s quite the scandal,” Lord Powell agreed. “I doubt we’ll see his face any time soon in London.” 

While that specific part of Chapter Nine doesn’t vindicate me, it is a hilarious moment that I hope Ruth will keep in the book when she does her edits. You see, everyone, even to this day, Malcolm scowls at me. I give him four nephews, and he acts like I’m the worst thing that ever happened to his sister.

Malcolm enters the blog post:

ID 35927562 | Man © dotshock | Dreamstime.com

Malcolm: The stuff you and your friends are saying about me in Chapter Nine is a smear campaign! You are trying to turn readers against me.

Lord Toplyn (Logan): Is it a smear campaign when it’s the truth?

Malcolm: While I will consent that Lord Waxman isn’t the heroic figure we all assumed he was, my sister still could have done better than you. *takes a second look at Logan* What are you wearing?

Logan: I’m in the middle of a scene in Chapter Nine. I have to be dressed for it. I’m going to frame this chapter right next to those stupid portraits you keep giving me.

Malcolm: You mean the portraits that you use for target practice with my nephews?

Logan: If you wouldn’t keep sending me those portraits, I would pick something else to throw darts at.

Malcolm: I’m not the only one in those portraits. My wife, Regan, and our three children, Leonard, Harry, and Rhoda, are in those, too.

Logan: If it makes you feel better, we never throw darts at them. We only do that at you.

Malcolm: That does not make me feel better.

Logan: Of course not. You don’t have a sense of humor.

Malcolm: I am busy doing important things, Logan. Unlike you, I don’t whittle away my hours at a ball engaging in useless gossip. I am currently working on my stock portfolio. This is something that will build me and my family a firm financial foundation for decades to come.

Logan: I’ll have you know that gossip is not useless. Gossip is how you find out which people are bad apples, and Lord Waxman is a bad apple. I told you that years ago. I even caught him looking at the backside of a certain lady’s mother. When I told you about it, you refused to believe me. You accused me of being a liar. It wasn’t enough you could read the incident for yourself in Ruined by the Earl since Ruth put it out there for all to see. No. you just turned a blind eye to all of his faults.

Malcolm: Because your faults were so much greater than his.

Logan: *gasps* I can’t believe what’s I’m hearing. I was adorable in Ruined by the Earl.

Malcolm: It was because of you that Melissa spent half the book crying. Reviews are still pouring in about how obnoxious that was.

Logan: I can’t help it that she cried so much. I did tell her to throw a book at me. If she had done that, she would have gotten over her crying a lot sooner. But that’s neither here nor there. The important thing is she learned to love me.

Malcolm: I doubt she loves you as much as you love yourself. I hope you’re not going to be in this book too much.

Logan: Oh, I happen to have a couple of people who love it when I make an appearance, so Ruth will show more of me. If you didn’t take everything so seriously, you might get more appearances, too.

Malcolm: *sighs* I can see that I’m wasting my time by being here. Since my portraits continue to torment you so much, I’ll make sure to send you another one for Christmas.

Malcolm leaves.

Logan: You see what I have to deal with? He’s nonstop. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have been vindicated, and when this book is published, everyone will know it. I can’t wait for this thing to be done! I would love it if Ruth added a scene where the Tittletattle puts everything about Lord Waxman on the front page and even the Cadwaladers are talking about it. If you can get the Cadwaladers to speak up against someone, their reputation is ruined for good. Well, that is everyone except Lord Edon. But he’s invincible due to “hero armor”, a writing technique where main characters in romances are immune to sad endings no matter what they do. But Lord Waxman was never–and will never be–the main character in any of Ruth’s books. So we’re all assured that my happy ending will continue to get better as the years pass. Let me speak to Ruth about the Tittletattle and Cadwaladers. If you’d like to join me in urging her to add more about Lord Waxman (and how horrible he is) in The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride, please do! I’m enjoying this vindication so much.

List of the Tropes and Virginal Status of Characters in my Books

Hi, everyone! My name is Christopher Robinson, and it’s my pleasure to write this post today.

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Where have you seen me before?

You might recognize me from classics such as A Most Unsuitable Earl, Make Believe Bride, The Rake’s Vow, and The Cursed Earl. The best book she’s written, of course, is His Reluctant Lady, and I’m not just saying it’s the best because I happen to be the hero in it. It really is the best book ever written in the history of mankind. I have petitioned Ruth for another book that features me and my dear Agatha, but so far, all I can get are the side gigs, like when I show up in books such as Make Believe Bride. Ruth is determined to eventually write a story where my sweet, innocent daughter will end up with that dastardly Lord Roderick’s son, but I am determined that will never happen. If you’d like to help me in this effort by contacting her, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Why I’m here today:

Since I am not currently being written in a book, I am on vacation from my duties as a character. Ruth asked me if I would be willing to take a moment to introduce the PDF file she created. This PDF file will make it easier for you to find the book that best fits what you’re interested in reading. She broke the list down by Regencies, Historical Westerns, and Contemporaries. Then she broke those three categories down according to tropes (or romance types). Examples are “Enemies to Lovers,” “Forced Proximity,” and “Age Gap”. Then she added which books feature virgin heroes and/or heroines.

If you would like to see her write a certain trope or character type, please let her know. She’s open to suggestions. At the moment, she is working on characters that are in their late 30s to mid-40s. Book 3 in the Love Under Desert Skies Series will feature a 39-year-old heroine and a 29-year-old hero. (She thought she would do an older woman, younger man scenario for a change. I will point out that my darling wife Agatha is older than me. However, it’s not that much of an age difference, so my book didn’t qualify for this trope.) Book 3 in her Oregon Series will feature a hero who is 50 and a heroine who is 42, or something. She hasn’t decided on the exact age yet.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the pdf file:

Ruth Ann Nordin Master Book List of TropesDownload

(If there’s something missing, please let her know. She tried to be thorough, but she might have missed something.)

If you’re new to Ruth’s books…

Now, if you are just starting out with Ruth’s books, I highly recommend you start with A Most Unsuitable Earl. There’s no reason to bother with The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife, even though it is Book 1 in the Marriage by Scandal Series. Suffice it to say, the poor heroine of that book deluded herself into thinking she loved someone not worthy of her. Save yourself the grief of that train wreck and just go straight to Lord Edon’s book.

In enters Agatha (Christopher’s wife):

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Agatha: Christopher, you can’t tell people not to read Lord Roderick’s story. That is the first Regency book in her timeline. Everyone, the reason why he doesn’t want you to read that story is that he ended up cleaning Lord Roderick’s stables and chamber pots. To this day, it’s a sore spot with him. Don’t let him discourage you from reading The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife.

Christopher: That’s not fair, Agatha. Why would anyone want to watch me muck out stables and be enlisted to clean chamber pots? And who cares to read a story primarily about Lord Roderick anyway?

In enters Lord Roderick:

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Lord Roderick: You’re just sore because I figured out what you were doing in The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife and made you take responsibility for it. If your guardian had done that to begin with, those scenes wouldn’t have been necessary.

Christopher: What are you doing here? I’m the only character Ruth sent an email to asking for assistance today. She didn’t invite you to come here.

Lord Roderick: All of her characters are watching what you’re doing here, Christopher. It’s not fair that you’re telling people not to read certain books on her list. That decision needs to be left to the reader. *pauses* While I’m here, I’ll point out that you failed to mention a book you happened to have a prominent role in. That was Breaking the Rules. Agatha, have you read that one?

Agatha: I’m too busy writing my own books to read Ruth’s. Between being a wife, mother, and writer, I barely have time to show up in Ruth’s books when called to do so.

Christopher: Which makes your appearances so special, sweetheart. There’s no need to waste any more time here. Go on and work on your next book. Now that you found a publisher, you don’t want to waste your time here.

Lord Roderick: Hold on. Not so fast. Agatha, don’t go yet. If you haven’t read Breaking the Rules, you should. Christopher proposed to Miss Lilly Lowell in that book.

Agatha: Proposed? As in marriage?

Lord Roderick: Yes. There was another love in his life that he never told you about. In fact, I brought along a copy of Breaking the Rules so I can tell you exactly what happened. *clears throat and pulls out the book* This is from Chapter Five.

         Mr. Robinson got down on one knee, put his hand over his heart, and asked, “Will you be my wife?”

         Shocked, her jaw nearly hit the floor. “What?”

         “You, Miss Lowell, have won my affection by your scandalous deeds. I would be yours, and only yours, forever and ever if you’d do me the honor of being my wife.”

   So Agatha, as it turns out, you were not the only love of his life.

Christopher: That was before I met Agatha. It doesn’t count.

Agatha: Why am I just now finding out about this? I know Lilly. She’s Claire’s sister. Claire and I are good friends. Sometimes we all get together at dinner parties. For all I know, you could be wondering how things would have been if you ended up with her instead of me.

Christopher: No, I don’t wonder that. Things are better with you. You’re more entertaining. More scandalous. More fun.

Lord Roderick: That’s not how you made it sound in Breaking the Rules, and Breaking the Rules was written AFTER His Reluctant Lady.

Agatha: Well, now I have to read this book. *hurries off to grab a copy and leaves*

Christopher: *glares at Nate* One of these days, I’m going to pay you back for everything you’ve done to ruin things for me.

Lord Roderick: *smirks and puts the book away* I’d like to see you try.

What I’m Working On

I’m happy to say that The Wilderness Bride is with my editing team

The downside is that I didn’t get a chance to work on The Hero Least Likely or The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride for the past four weeks. I’ve been focused on getting The Wilderness Bride done because I really want this out in January.

Today I start the task of reminding myself where I am in The Hero Least Likely and The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride. I feel like I have to wipe cobwebs off in my mind because I now feel disconnected from those stories. This typically happens when I take breaks from a book like this. But usually within a couple of days, I get back into the stories and am able to pick up on writing them again. So this stage doesn’t last long. I am looking forward to diving back into these stories, and I get to start up The Preacher’s Wife, which is the book that follows The Wilderness Bride.

My son is narrating my books to go up on You Tube and Rumble

I don’t know if Bitchute got any better, but I had so many issues uploading stuff when I was working on Meant To Be that I gave up over there. For the time being, I am going to focus on You Tube and Rumble.

I don’t have time to write books and narrate, so I am handing the narration to my son, Craig. Now these books will be the clean versions of my stories. You Tube has a policy about this. I’m not sure about Rumble, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. At the moment, Craig is working on Nobody’s Fool. He is currently at Chapter 6. I am letting him handle all of the aspects of this, including uploading the files for me. I will, however, pop into my You Tube and Rumble channels from time to time to read over comments and respond to them.

My You Tube channel is at this link.

My Rumble channel is at this link.

I will let you know when this is available.

When he is done with Nobody’s Fool, is there a book that you’d like him to narrate? Here is a list of my books to reference.

BookFunnel Requests

Does anyone from BookFunnel have a book they would like to see me promote in an upcoming promotion? Again, here is a list of all of my books.

Storytelling Device: You do NOT need all five senses in every single scene

Over ten years ago in a critique group I attended, the big thing was: “You need ALL five senses in every scene. That’s the only way you can possibly immerse the reader into the story.”

Now that I have 15 years of self-publishing experience under my belt (if you don’t count vanity presses from back in the day), I have learned that trying to cram all five senses into every scene will pull a reader out of the story.

Imagine a scene where the dying father in a hospital is ready to reveal the family legacy to the son who is being pursued by the mafia when–to add more senses to the scene–the son hears a bird or the son notices the smell of the hospital food or the son feels the rough fabric of his pants. It’s stuff like this that will pull a reader out of the story.

The alternative would be to introduce everything immediately in a scene, right? No. The best thing you can do at the beginning of a scene is to hook the reader into it what is happening to the character emotionally. The stuff the character touches, tastes, hears, sees, or smells is secondary… unless the sense in question leads to the character’s emotional response.

For example, The rose scented perfume brought him back to a time in childhood when his mother would rock him to sleep after a nightmare. We know from this that the smell is comforting to him. The comfort is an emotion. Considering he is about to see his father who is on his deathbed, choosing this particular sense and the emotional response at this specific moment adds to the story nicely. It ties into a time when he is losing his father.

But if you start the scene with something like the following example, then the reader is probably going to think, “So what?” Here is the example: He sneakers squeaked on the hard tile of the bright hospital corridor. His nose wrinkled. Even the flowers from the gift shop couldn’t mask the sharp aroma from the cleaning supplies used to keep the place sterile. All are okay, but do they really address the emotional state this character is in? And how would the hospital environment matter to the story, which is a mafia thriller? The character is going to spend the majority of this novel running for his life because the mafia is going to be tracking him down since he knows the secret.

Also, there’s little point in info dumping the senses while the son is in the middle of the scene where he is learning the secret.

For example…

He leaned forward to hear what his father had to say over the man’s raspy breathing. His father had urged him to come down here at once, saying that this was a matter of life and death. He braced himself for what was to come. The untouched vegetable soup nearby was barely noticeable over the cleaner that permeated the room.

“There is a man you need to watch out for,” his father forced out. “His name is Leo Vitale.”

Leo Vitale? He couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like that name had a familiar ring to it. But when had he heard it? And why? The sunlight pouring through the open blinds caught on his watch. He had to pull back his hand to the cool texture of his jeans to stop the glare.

“I’m the only one who knows what Leo did two months ago,” his father continued. “I couldn’t go to the police. With his political ties, they’ll never arrest him. He’s capable of many things. Many are afraid of him. You need to go to the FBI and tell them what happened that night.” His father coughed and struggled for his next breath.

He hurried to give him something to drink. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear this. Undoubtedly, this was going to put him in jeopardy–just as it had his father. A nurse passing by hummed the familiar commercial jingle of the coffee he had just had that morning, a coffee with a taste that still lingered on his tongue.

His father took a shaky breath then proceeded to say, “This is what I saw that night.”

I crammed in the senses into a tight spot in this example, but I wanted to keep it brief so that it wouldn’t take up too much of this post.

I hope you get my point. I don’t see why four of those five senses I just used in that example matter. The father having trouble breathing and hearing how raspy matters because we’re emphasizing that he’s near death. Using senses is good, but you want to pick and choose the ones that add to the scene. You don’t put anything in that will detract from it. The bright sunlight, the cool jeans, the nurse humming, the smell of soup, and the small room do not matter. When the reader thinks back on the scene, you want the reader to remember the main character’s dread, the father’s death, and the secret the father reveals to him. Keeping the scene focused helps to maximize the emotional power of the scene.

Not all scenes are going to be this emotional. Some are transition scenes. Even in those, you don’t want to bog the reader down with useless details. You want to keep the pace flowing smoothly.

Let’s say the main character leaves the hospital. This would be a transition scene:

His stomach lurched as he hurried to his red Toyota. He was supposed to be an ordinary man, just living his ordinary life. The safe and familiar world he was used to suddenly seemed unstable. He fumbled for the key in his pocket. The cool metal brushed against his fingers as he pulled it out. He glanced around. Was he being watched? Did Leo have his men stalking him right at this moment? Nearby, a bird sang a sweet melody from a cherry giving off a vanilla fragrance that wafted on the breeze. His hands shaking, he struggled to insert the key into the lock. After a moment, he managed to unlock the door and slip into the car. Only once he was inside the car did he feel somewhat safe.

I managed to insert all five senses in there, but did it matter that his car is red or that it’s a Toyota at this point in the story? (Maybe it’ll matter later if he needs to find it amid a bunch of cars when he’s in pursuit, but it doesn’t matter right now.) What matters is that he’s scared. Does it matter what his key feels like? (It might later if he’s in the dark and needs to retrieve it amid contents in a box, but that would only need to be disclosed later in the story. It doesn’t matter right now.) Does it matter that a bird is nearby? Does it matter what kind of smell is coming from a nearby tree? (The bird and tree have no impact at all on this story since we’ll never deal with these two things again. All these two things do is add useless filler to the story.)

Basically, you only need to add a sense in the scene when it means something to the story. When the character needs to be aware of it, it’s a good time to bring it into play. Otherwise, it detracts from the story.

I’m not saying I always did things this way. I made a lot of mistakes in my writing over the years, and adding too many senses was one of them. As I write more books, I have been developing an appreciation for the subtleties that is inherent in storytelling.

My rule of thumb is to be the character. Look at everything in the scene from that character’s standpoint. What matters most to the character? What would this specific character notice? How would this character react to something? Why does this character care or not care? It’s not our job as the author to tell a reader what to think or feel by inserting things that don’t belong there. Our job as the author is to get into the character’s point of view so we let the reader know what the character is thinking, what the character is noticing, and what the character is feeling.

And quite frankly, being this deep into the characters is what makes writing the story a lot of fun. We get to leave ourselves behind and live other lives. Then, what makes it even better, is that the reader will come along and be inside these characters. So really, storytelling is a shared venture between the writer and the reader. To maximize the effectiveness of this venture, it’s important to focus in on the aspects that truly matter to the characters you’re writing.

What I Write and Why

I write Christian romances where the husband and wife have sex.

Most of the time my characters start out as Christian. If the characters don’t start out as Christian, they become one by the end of the story. I don’t come out and state this because I am not a fan of “preachy” stories, but that is what happens. So if a character prays or says “God”, they mean God reverently, not as slang. Some storylines require more emphasis on Christian content than others. For example, if a character is in need of redemption but feels it’s out of his reach, I will introduce God into the story because that’s what is needed for the character. If a character is a preacher, then that will tilt things in a more spiritual direction during the course of the story.

What I don’t want to do is treat my stories like a Sunday sermon. I would rather have the characters act and talk in ways that demonstrate their faith. There will be times when they fall. (There would be no plot if they were perfect.) But they will strive to live the Christian life by the time the story ends. I like to think that mercy and grace are part of the happy ending.

I realize I don’t write for everyone. This puts me in a niche, and that’s fine. There are a ton of secular romances that are steamy and a ton of secular romances that are sweet (no sex). There are also a ton of Christian romances that are sweet (again, no sex). Those groups are covered very well in the romance genre. I started writing and publishing books because, as a married Christian woman, I wanted to read romances where the husband and wife are having a fun and enjoyable sex life.

I still have not come across a Christian romance author except for Carolyn Davidson and Rose Gordon who write the kind of romances I do. (And unfortunately, I don’t think those two authors are writing anymore.) I have read authors who’ve done some books where sex was within marriage, but then characters are having sex outside of marriage in their other books. I want an author who keeps it consistent. If such an author exists, I would be thrilled to read their work, so please let me know if you found one.

I want sex only within marriage between the hero and heroine. I don’t mind if characters are tempted because being tempted is something a lot of people deal with. Sometimes we fall to temptation in this world. I would like the process of forgiveness and repentance to be addressed in this scenario, followed by doing things the right way. I want sex to mean something to these characters. I don’t like how casual sex has become in the culture.

I understand this is a sensitive topic for a lot of people, but I also have learned that there are other people like me out there, and I am thankful for those of you who have contacted me so I know I’m not alone. If this isn’t your cup of tea, you know to avoid me. If, however, this is what you’re looking for, I will keep on writing romances where the hero and heroine wait for marriage to have sex.

A Change to the Series Format for The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride (The Phase of Burnout Needs an End so I Can Move Forward)

This morning as I was on my way back home after dropping my kid (who wasn’t able to get his driver’s license) off at work, I made a decision about the Marriage by Obligation Series. I am going to end it at Anyone But the Marquess. I will adjust the blog/my website, update the back matter of Anyone But the Marquess, and modify The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride’s book cover next week to reflect this change.

I am knee-deep in editing The Wilderness Bride this week, so I can’t do it now. I need to have The Wilderness Bride ready for my editing team by December 1, and I just finished the first draft. This week is dedicated to going through initial edits, so I can hand over the second draft to my team.

So basically, this decision boiled down to my burnout phase. Except for Anyone But the Marquess, I wrote the Marriage by Obligation Series during my burnout phase. Now that I have my enthusiasm for writing back, I want a fresh start. Anyone But the Marquess was my 100th romance.

Looking back, I wish I had taken a longer break as soon as I needed it. The problem was in knowing when the burnout started, but when I realized it was there, I should have pushed back my publishing deadlines. If I had done that, I might not look at a few of the books I wrote and think, “I could have done better.” I hate admitting that in public, but maybe it’s good to get this out of the way.

I need a fresh start, and this is a good time to do it. I just finished writing The Wilderness Bride, and since it is my 101st romance, I’m going to think of it like it’s my 1st book.

And The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride is going to start a new Regency series that I am going to name Marriage by Chemistry since it is going to feature that love potion a couple of gentlemen are working on. I want a clean break from the Marriage by Obligation Series. Secret Admirer and Worth the Risk are not my strongest books. I hate to say it, but it’s true. I was at my lowest points in burnout while writing them, and it shows. Ironically, I am very happy with Midnight Wedding and The Earl’s Jilted Bride which also came out during my burnout phase.

That’s not to say every book I wrote before my burnout phase was the best work I ever produced. Out of 100 books, there are going to be ones that are better than others. That’s just the way things go. Writers aren’t going to get it perfect. There will be mountains and valleys in this journey. It’s just the way life is. But there is no point in getting stuck in the past. You can’t change what has already happened.

The best thing is to move forward. Embrace the stuff that is coming.

So that is why I’m making The Earl’s Bluestocking Bride the first book in the Marriage by Chemistry Series.

A Book Intended to be Read Twice

I am almost done writing The Wilderness Bride. This book is due out in January. I don’t have a release date yet. I don’t think I’ll have one until the middle of next month when I’m further along in the edits.

I have about four or five scenes left to go. This comes as a huge relief since I have a deadline of December 1st to get this book out to my editing team, which means I have to go through the first rounds of edits before I can send it to them. Next week, I’ll be knee-deep in edits. It’s a good thing I enjoy this book.

So anyway, I really do love this book. This is my 101st romance, and this is easily my Top 10 favorite stories I’ve written of all time. With a story like this, you don’t want things to end. It’s similar to Eye of the Beholder and His Redeeming Bride in tone and feel.

Up front, we know the backstory for our heroine. I looked for the optimal place to put the hero’s backstory in, and it came pretty much at the end. Now, I knew going into the story what his history was, so I was able to insert things into the dialogue that had are interpreted one way the first time you read it and will take on a different meaning if you read it again.

I really enjoy things like this. I don’t get to play with this kind of literary technique often, but it’s fun when I do. The story that comes to mind that I managed this strategy was in The Wedding Pact (a Regency), but that only occurred in one scene when the hero and killer were talking in a carriage. In this book, I was able to do it through a good portion of the story.

This technique makes me think of a couple of movies I’ve seen that I have watched differently a second time than I did the first time watching it. A movie had to be written. Someone had to add something toward the end that changed the way I perceived the movie upon a second time watching it.

Now, I don’t think it has to be the “twist” that does this. It could be. In the movie, The Sixth Sense, the twist was the factor that made you view the movie a completely different way when watching it a second time. For anyone who didn’t see it, it’s knowing Bruce Willis’ character is dead when you thought he was alive. (After finding that out, you can’t view the movie the same way when you watch it again.) I enjoy examining the differences from what “appears to be” to “what actually is” going on, and it’s why I will watch it again in the future. Stuff like that inspires my own writing. The Wilderness Bride, it’s not a twist. It’s just an added layer of information.

But that is what has made this story a lot of fun for me to write, and it’s why it’s one of the Top 10 favorites.