Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 79

Updates on What I’ve Been Doing (This Time With Writing)

Coming Very Soon – The Stagecoach Bride

I sent The Stagecoach Bride back to Stephannie Beman, and now she’s going through the final read through.  She will be publishing it.

Also Coming Very Soon – Bride by Arrangement

The Anthology Janet Syas Nitsick and I Are Working On

I’m in the final editing stages of my novella, and Janet is working on the final edits of her novella.  We will send the publisher the book on December 2.  From there, it looks like it’ll be a month and then it’ll be available.

The Earl’s Scandalous Wife – Almost Done With the First Draft

I probably get more questions about Perry than any other hero.  Dave Larson might have something to worry about because I don’t recall getting as much interest in Dave as I am with Perry.

I’ve really enjoyed writing this book.  It was rough at first to get going, but once I figured out the main plot, the whole thing has been pretty much writing itself.  I think the first draft will be done early next month which puts the estimated publishing time around early January.

After categorizing my series, this book will finish up the Marriage by Scandal Series in the Regency Collection.

The books officially in the Marriage by Scandal Series are as follows: The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife, A Most Unsuitable Earl, His Reluctant Lady, and The Earl’s Scandalous Wife.

As a side note: I have moved Her Counterfeit Husband to a “Standalone Novel” part of the Regency Collection.  The characters featured in this novel don’t have anything to do with the other books.

Boaz’s Wager

This one has stalled a bit.  I’m at a transition period for the hero and heroine.  It’s that step between a marriage of convenience and the moment where they realize they love each other.  I don’t know how long it’ll take to break through this, but I’m not going to push it.  This is why I work on more than one book at a time.  If I get stumped on one, I have others to write.

The Earl’s Secret Bargain marks the first book in the  Marriage by Arrangement Series

I’ve already got plans for book 2 in this series.  I haven’t come up with a title or cover yet, but I do have the beginning of a plot in mind.

As for this book, I’m still in the initial stages of writing it.  Due to everything else going on, I haven’t done too much in it.  But even if I’m not writing, I am thinking over what to do in the book.

*Like this book, I am not writing in Wagon Trail Bride and His Convenient Wife at the moment either.

Marriage Can Kill – My First Romantic Suspense

In 2009, I started this book.  Back then I stopped at 29,000 words because I didn’t know how the book ended, and unless I knew where I was going, I couldn’t continue.  Parts of the middle had to connect to the ending.

It finally clicked into place when I was at the writer’s conference.  Since I am about halfway through the novel, I’m going to pick it back up and do some rewrites that will help flesh out where I’m going.

I spent all evening working on the cover.  Stephannie Beman had done the original cover for me.  I was going to publish it under a pen name, but then I thought, “I don’t have time to worry about a pen name.” I’m doing good to work on the stuff I am without trying to keep two different identities straight.  I’ll put “Romantic Suspense” next to the title when I publish it and have put “Romantic Suspense” on the cover.  So if Romantic Suspense isn’t your cup of tea, you can skip it.

Also, another note about the original cover that Stephannie worked on…  It was a really good cover, but then I realized I couldn’t have a cover that was too sensuous.  It doesn’t fit my other books.  Even if I’m working under different sub-genres in the romance genre, I like to have a certain consistency between the covers.  So I found a few pictures that better define my type of books.

This is what I came up with:

I’ll be adding this book to the right side of this blog soon.  When I come up with a description, I’ll put the it on this blog and my website.

Process I Used to Set Up a Corporation (For Anyone Who Might Find The Information Useful)

As a quick note, Rose Gordon, Stephannie Beman, and Melanie Nilles for answering my initial questions that helped me to get started.  I also read through some useful information in a couple of books (which are mentioned in this blog post).

Another quick note: Whether or not to set up a corporation depends on your needs.  It’s not something I think every author needs to do.  :-)

Another quick note: I have no idea what international tax and business laws are.  This is what I did in the United States.  I am not an expert.  I am still learning as I go.  For advice in your situation, I recommend finding an attorney who knows business and tax laws or Certified Public Accountant who is familiar with small businesses.  (When in doubt, find someone who is qualified to answer your questions.)

So anyway, here are the steps I took.  I’m not done yet, but at least I got the ball rolling.

1.  I talked to an attorney who specializes in business and tax laws.

The initial meeting basically had to do with why I wanted to form a corporation, what I did, and what my needs were.  Based on her recommendation, I went to the Certified Public Accountant who specializes in small businesses.

I found this attorney with prayer and an internet search.  After that, it was based on a gut feeling when I talked to the receptionist.  (Yes, I realize gut feelings aren’t objective, but I’ve learned long ago to trust my gut.)

2.  I talked to the accountant the attorney recommended. 

This was basically the same kind of meeting.  I told him what I did and my income.  Based off the conversation, he suggested I form an LLC with an S-Corporation election.  Basically what it means is that I’m taxed as an S-Corporation and will become the employee and owner of the company.  This gets a little tricky, and it took a week for me to wrap my mind around it.  As the owner, I have to pay myself as an employee a set salary.  This salary is subject to self-employment tax, plus all the other taxes that employees pay.  The rest of the money (after the salary is paid) goes into the corporation.  That is the part that isn’t subject to self-employment tax, but yes, I do pay taxes off of that too.  Then after the corporation pays me (as the employee) and pays its expenses and taxes, what is left over is a “dividend” (which is another way of saying “profit”).  I can then use that profit for personal expenses.

However, the IRS is pretty strict about the S-Corporation election so I had to give myself a “reasonable wage” based on what I do as a writer.  I decided on my salary based off the advice of my accountant and some research I did on the median income a writer can expect to make.  The income of a writer widely varies, so the input from the accountant played a key role in making this decision.

The accountant then recommended a payroll company called Paychex to handle the necessary stuff I need in order to pay myself as an employee.

But before I went to them, I went back to the attorney.

3.  I went back to the attorney who filed the necessary paperwork for me to create an LLC with an S-Corporation election.

Yes, I could have done this myself, but I felt better about hiring the attorney to do this for me.   Yes, it cost more to pay her to do it, but for me, it was the best choice.  I went there twice.  Once was to sign papers and give my payment to get the ball rolling so I could form the corporation.

The second time was to sign off on the corporation “Operating Agreement” (which I did read but will have to refer to from time to time to refresh myself on it), the “Certificate of Organization”, IRS form 2553 (to be taxed as an S-Corporation).  She then filed and sent out the forms to where they needed to go.  On this day, I also got my Employer Identification Number.

4.  My next stop was to set up a business checking account with my local bank.

After I did this, I transferred my information at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords, so I could be paid directly to the corporation.  For Smashwords, I get paid through PayPal, so I updated my new bank information over there, too.

5.  I met with the sales consultant at Paychex.

Paychex specializes in payroll for small businesses.  They will automatically take out my taxes as an employee every month and send that to the IRS.  The only thing I will need to do is consult the accountant every quarter to figure out how much I need to pay in taxes from my corporate account (as the owner).  Basically, the taxes I need to pay as an employee will be automatically taken out for me every month from Paychex.  So I don’t have to figure any of that out.

What I have left over after I pay myself as an employee will need to go to the accountant to figure out the taxes I’ll pay four times a year to the IRS.

Paychex and the accountant work together so he can see everything that is going on to help protect me and make sure I am in full compliance with the laws.

A neat feature as an S-Corporation election is that I can actually hire an employee and have Paychex pay that person for me (so I never have to worry about figuring out that person’s taxes which will be automatically taken out and how much in taxes I need to match to it).  It is mandated that I pay workers’ compensation, and I can do that through Paychex, too.

There are other things I can do with Paychex that include retirement plans and various insurance services.

I’m really excited about Paychex and the possibilities that are there because of their service.  I’ve already set up an account with them.

6.  I met with an insurance company that specializes in small businesses.

In addition to everything else, the attorney suggested I get small business insurance and recommended someone so I went to him.  This is stuff that will protect my corporation from any lawsuits.  I can also get workers’ compensation.  Since he works with small businesses, he is able to tailor the insurance package to my specific needs.

7.  I went back to the accountant to get a head start on 2013′s taxes.

For the past two years, I made the mistake of waiting until March to find out what I owed the IRS, and both times, it was a nightmare.   In March of this year, I had to sell my new truck to make up for the money I didn’t have.  This upcoming year, I refuse to be in the same situation.  I want to be prepared well in advance so I can cover myself without having to resort to selling something.  I saw him yesterday and have the dollar amount in my hand so now I can start January 1 with a fresh start.  And I’ll work with him on the quarterly vouchers in 2014.  All I know is that I never want to feel like I’m scrambling around in the dark ever again.

****

I’m not done yet.  I still have to get comfortable with all of this, but at least I got started and am on my way.  I don’t know if any of this will help someone, but just in case, I’m passing what I did along in this post.

There are some things I wish I had done a lot sooner.  These were things the authors I mentioned in the first paragraph of this post recommended but I didn’t do because it sounded scary.  I can’t say that I’m completely “in the know” about the ins and outs of everything, but I at least know who I can go to if any questions pop up.

If anyone is in the Omaha, Nebraska area and is thinking of forming a corporation for your small business (doesn’t have to be writing), I can recommend some good people to go to.

Sunday Story Sample: Kent Ashton’s Backstory

Today I’m combining a couple of scenes together.  Next week, I’ll get to the scene where Kent comes for Ann a second (and final) time.  :-)

A month passed and Kent didn’t see Rebecca.  As his father said, she refused to leave her house.  And as expected, people blamed him for it.  When he wasn’t working, he made it a habit to go by her house.  One time he knocked on the door and was told Rebecca wasn’t receiving visitors.  He couldn’t be surprised, not with the whispers going on around town.

Frustrated, he walked down the porch steps.  How was he supposed to apologize to her when he couldn’t talk to her?  He made it to the bottom of the steps in time for someone to wave from the carriage house.  He glanced at the front door then the windows in the house to make sure no one was watching him before he headed for the carriage house.

Samuel opened the door wider and waved Kent inside.  As he shut the door behind Kent, he turned to face him.  “Mr. Johnson won’t let Rebecca see anyone.  Did you hear the rumors?”

“Who hasn’t?” Kent asked.  “I’m sorry.  I never meant for this to happen.”

“I know you didn’t.  Rebecca knows it too.”

“Have you been able to see her?”

“Twice but not for long.”

“When you see her again, will you tell her I’m sorry?”

Samuel nodded.  “Of course.  And she knows you aren’t to blame.”

“I’m afraid I am.  I went to North Dakota.  I should have waited until the investments matured before going there.” He sighed and slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat.  “Will you still be able to take Rebecca to Canada as you planned?”

“By the time April comes, we’ll be long gone.”

“Good.” At least he hadn’t destroyed that part of the plan.  He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.  “Is she alright?”

“I think she’s relieved.”

“Really?”

Samuel shrugged.  “It’s not in anything she said but in the way she looks, as if a weight’s been lifted off her shoulders.”

He couldn’t blame her for that.  All she had to do was bide her time until she could leave with Samuel.  Then her new life would begin.  Even though she wasn’t going to be surrounded by wealth, he suspected she was going to be much happier.

If Ann could have been content with an income similar to Samuel’s, Todd never would have gotten in the way.  When she ran off with him, didn’t it even occur to her that Todd wouldn’t be able to give her the life she wanted?  No, it hadn’t.  She was so overcome with grief because he ended their courtship that she just wanted to get out of Virginia.  She hadn’t considered what life would be like as a farmer’s wife.

But Rebecca had thought about it and had chosen love over wealth.  She’d been willing to give up love to protect the man she loved.  He had no doubt that she and Samuel would be happy together.  “You and Rebecca will do well together.”

Samuel smiled.  “Thanks to you.  How did things go when you saw Ann?”

“Not as well I hoped.  I should have done a better job of preparing her for my arrival.  Next time will be better.” Next time, Ann would know he was coming to rescue her.  “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.”

Feeling much better about Rebecca, Kent left the carriage house.

 

***

 

Two days later, Kent was in the middle of writing a letter to Ann when a hand slammed over it.  Startled, he turned from the desk in his bedchamber in time to see his father pick up the letter and rip it to shreds.

“Inappropriate,” his father muttered.  “You will not have anything else to do with that Statesman girl, do I make myself clear?”

Gritting his teeth, he rose to his feet and glared at him.  “I don’t believe you have the right to tell me what to do, especially since you’re the reason she ran off with Todd.”

“If she truly loved you, she would have stayed here.”

“She does love me.  It’s because she loves me that she couldn’t stand to watch me and Rebecca parade ourselves all over town like you wanted us to.”

“You fool.  Have you lied to yourself so much that you can no longer tell fact from fiction?  She married another man.  If she loved you, she wouldn’t be Todd’s wife.”

“She was hurt and Todd took advantage of that.”

“It doesn’t matter what the circumstances were.  She’s his now and her parents just came back from seeing them.  According to them, she’s very happy with him.”

Kent shook his head.  No.  He wouldn’t—he couldn’t—believe it.  She couldn’t be happy with Todd.  “Todd’s frightened her, and her parents wanted her to marry him.  They never did like me.  So why would she tell them the truth?”

His father stared at him for a long moment then laughed.

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” Kent replied, his eyes narrowing at him.

“Either way, it doesn’t matter now, does it?  You don’t have her.  You never will.  She belongs to Todd, for better or worse.  And I have been subjected to a rather unpleasant visit with her parents, one in which Mr. Statesman made it very clear that you can’t go near her again.  You will go over there and apologize.  You will assure them that you will never go to North Dakota.  Do I make myself clear?”

“And if I don’t?”

His father grasped his shoulder, his fingers digging into him.  “You will do it.  I leave you with no choice.”

“I’m afraid you no longer have any power over me,” Kent argued and shoved his hand off of him.

“That’s where you’re wrong.  I know you and Rebecca have formed an agreement.  I might not know the nature of the agreement, but I can certainly spend time finding out.”

He gritted his teeth.  He hated his father.  As soon as his investments matured, he was going to cash them out and be gone.  Then he’d never have to see him again.  April.  At that time, Rebecca and Samuel would be safe in Canada and his father would have no other way to control him.

Without a word, he brushed past his father and stormed out of the room.  Fine.  He’d do it.  He’d apologize to her parents and promise he wouldn’t go back for her, hoping that she’d understand he had to do it, that his father had given him no choice.  He accepted his coat from his butler and headed out of the house.

 

***

 

Ten minutes later he stood in the Statesmans’ parlor and waited for someone to enter the room.  He couldn’t help but recall all the times her father had refused to let him court her or marry her.  For all he knew, they were plotting with Todd the entire time to get her out of Virginia.

When he heard footsteps approach, he faced the doorway.  It took all of his willpower to not scowl as her father entered the room.

“Mr. Ashton,” her father greeted, his tone cool.

Not surprising, her father didn’t offer him a seat or something to drink.  Kent hadn’t expected anything of the sort.  Her father had never approved of him and never would.

Swallowing the bitter lump in his throat, Kent forced out, “I’m here to apologize for going to North Dakota.  I assure you that I will not do so again.”

After a long moment of silence passed, he offered a stiff nod.  “See that you don’t.”

Kent waited to see if her father would say anything else, but he didn’t.  Instead, he stared at him, his expression unreadable, his eyes penetrating him.

“If it’s alright with you, I’ll take my leave now,” Kent finally said.

Her father didn’t reply, so he took that as permission to do so and strode to the parlor door.  As he reached it, her father called out, “If you do go to North Dakota, you better not step foot in Virginia again.”

He paused, a snide remark on the tip of his tongue.  Her father cared nothing about her happiness.  How her father could wish for her to be with someone she didn’t love—wouldn’t ever love—was beyond him.  Unclenching his hands, he left the house.

Some Things I Want to Answer Ahead of Time

During the course of this week, I made some changes, and it occurred to me that some people might have questions regarding what I’ve done.

1. Temporary Removal of Some of My Books at Barnes and Noble

First of all, since I created a corporation, I had to take all of the books I uploaded directly to Barnes and Noble off of the site.  The books that were already uploaded through Smashwords are still up there.  But the ones I put up myself using Nook Press had to be unpublished because I had to create a new account with my new business information in it.  I have already uploaded the books again in the new account, but I am waiting for Nook Press to verify my information before I can publish them.

The books currently in transition are A Most Unsuitable Earl, Her Counterfeit Husband, His Reluctant Lady, Runaway Bride, and His Abducted Bride.

I have transferred a few other books for Smashwords to upload to Barnes and Noble for me.  Those books are Bound by Honor Bound by Love, Mitch’s Win, To Have and To Hold, Her Heart’s Desire, Kent Ashton’s Backstory, and Catching Kent.

The rest of my books won’t be affected by this change.  I have no idea how long it’ll take for the affected books to get back up on Barnes and Noble.

2. I’m still going to write Sep’s story.

September (aka. Sep) was April’s younger brother in Shotgun Groom.  I get quite a few questions from time to time about his story.  Yes, I do plan to write it, but I’m not going to include it in the Nebraska series.

I’m not sure whether Sep’s story will be a standalone or part of a series.  I don’t even have a plot for his book yet, so it’s too hard to make a call on the direction it’ll go in.

3. The Nebraska Series finally has a numerical order to it, but I can’t put it in place until I publish Wagon Trail Bride.

I’ve gotten a lot of emails from people who want numbers placed beside these books, and I can finally give it.  The total number in the series will be 10.

Wagon Trail Bride starts the series, so I can’t officially number them until I publish this book.  I plan on doing that some time next year.

Here’s the list in chronological order:

Wagon Trail Bride
Her Heart’s Desire
A Bride for Tom
A Husband for Margaret
Eye of the Beholder
The Wrong Husband
Shotgun Groom
To Have and To Hold
His Redeeming Bride
Isaac’s Decision

*Because of this, I have decided not to do another Dave and Mary book.  If I do anything with them, I’ll just do one of those serials that plays out like a TV show similar to Little House on the Prairie in that it will have a complete beginning, middle, and end to each novelette/novella.

4. What about other books featuring characters from the Nebraska world?

I am still going to write books with other characters in the Nebraska world, but I will divide them up into different series that will fall under the “Nebraska Historical Romance Collection.”

I have created a series called Second Chance Series which will include Kent Ashton’s Backstory (really as a 0.5 book but since I can’t designate a 0.5 setting on Smashwords, I had to go with 1).  Catching Kent is book 2.  His Convenient Wife is going to be book 3.   I’m not sure if more will go in with that series or not.

5. I have divided up the Regency Collection, too.

I originally thought I was going to include Anna or Jason from Her Counterfeit Husband in with other Regency books, but they just haven’t fit anywhere.  So I have made that a standalone book.

This actually turned out to be a very freeing move.  Now I can better separate The Earl’s Secret Bargain from the other books I currently have in the collection because I see a series emerging from this particular book that isn’t going to heavily involve plot points or the other characters.  I’ll still have familiar characters pop up from time to time but they will be background characters, not the main ones.

6. I have created two series in the Regency Collection.

Marriage by Scandal Series has these books:

The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife
A Most Unsuitable Earl
His Reluctant Lady
The Earl’s Scandalous Wife.

*Out of the Regencies I’ve done so far, these four books have main characters and histories that go the best together.  I expect Perry’s book to be the last one in this particular series.

Marriage by Arrangement Series begins with this book:

1. The Earl’s Secret Bargain

*I already have a story in mind for the best friend of the hero in The Earl’s Secret Bargain, and this best friend doesn’t really hang out with Nate, Perry, Christopher, or Ethan.  I expect this series will have 3-4 books total in it.

7. Having More Books Demands Greater Flexibility Between Series

I guess the lesson I’ve learned is that I can’t keep bringing back the same main characters as characters that have prominent roles in every single book I write.  Sometimes I just have to let them go and move on to others.  But this doesn’t mean, a character can’t pop up from time to time in other books.  That’s one of the things I love about having more books out.  I get to “see” how past characters are doing when they show up.

8. Where I Want To Go In Writing

My goal is to write 100 romances (these include novellas and novels, not short stories).  I know I have books in other genres, but my primary focus is in romance, and even in the romance genre, I’ve done multiple sub-genres.  I want to expand to Romantic Suspense next year and who knows where that will lead?

Up to now, I have 35 romances (I do count Kent Ashton’s Backstory as one only because it’s a complete story in itself and leads to Catching Kent).  With my co-authored book with Stephannie Beman (The Stagecoach Bride) and my anthology with Janet Syas Nitsick (Bride by Arrangement) due out next month and in January, that will make 37.  It’s very exciting.  I might not hit 100, but I’m going to have a lot of fun trying.  Next year, I hope to get to 43 to 45 for my total.  Then sometime in 2015, I hope to get halfway to my goal.  :-)

I expect many new series to emerge in the future.

Okay.  Enough rambling.

Going to Better Define My Series

I’ve been debating this on and off during the year, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not a good idea to put more than a few books in any one series.  After you get beyond book 5, things start getting complicated.

What I’ll do is label books in the same “world” a “Collection” (as I have been doing on some) but I’ll divide the books that specifically link up to each other into “series” to help people find books that directly link to each other.

For example, Eye of the Beholder, His Redeeming Bride, and Isaac’s Decision really are a series within the series.  Another example is Catching Kent.  That will connect with His Convenient Wife and Jacob Larson and Adam Larson’s future romances to make for four books where we see the same characters intertwining in the books.

So I’ll be categorizing the books that span more than three or four books in a series and making them their own series.

The series that will stay in order are those that only have 3-4  books in a series already, like the South Dakota Romance Series and the Native American Romance Series.

New Ideas for Blog Posts and Branching Out to Romantic Suspense

From Thursday to Saturday, I was at the Heart of America Christian Writer’s Network annual fall conference, and it was just what I needed to refresh my enthusiasm.  This year I didn’t speak, but I did help write the workshop “Writing God’s Way” that Janet Syas Nitsick presented.  We went to the conference together and had a great time (anytime I’m with Jan, I have an awesome time), and since this was my third year going there, I saw some familiar faces and felt like I was “home” in a way.  So I got to catch up with some other writers and find out how their year had gone.

And I actually participated in some of the dissuasion in the workshops.  If you had known me when I went to college, you would know this was a huge deal for me.  I used to be the person who sat at the very back of the room and never raised my hand to say anything….and lived in dread of the time the teacher would call on me.   After last year, I decided I wouldn’t do any public speaking for a long time.  Long story short, I got so nervous, I literally got sick for almost a week.  It was rough.  But at least I can participate in a crowded setting now as a member of the audience so progress is still happening.

Anyway, I’m still a little overwhelmed by everything I need to do to get the business part of my writing in order, but taking the time to step back and go to the conference has helped a lot.  And I came away with some exciting ideas I want to try.  Here they are…

1.  Write a couple blog posts from one of my character’s point of view.

I would like to have some of my characters write some blog posts and say what they like or don’t like about their book as I’m writing it.  I can see a lot of fun in this one.  I kind of touch on this in the character interviews, but I think if I let a character take over without me or another character interrupting them, it might be a fun new angle to these posts.

Are there any characters in any of my current works in progress that you’d love to see a blog post from?  Currently, I am working on the following books:

The Earl’s Scandalous Wife: the hero is Perry (Lord Clement), the heroine is Paula, main secondary characters are Christopher (who was Perry’s ward), Nate (Perry’s friend), and Stewart (Paula’s brother).

Boaz’s Wager: the hero is Boaz (Mitch’s brother in Mitch’s Win), the heroine is Eva Conneally (from Isaac’s Decision-she was the one who wanted Isaac but he chose Emily instead), Rachel Larson (Dave and Mary Larson’s daughter and Eva’s friend), Herb (Boaz’s friend), Mitch and Heather (hero and heroine in Mitch’s Win)

The Earl’s Secret Bargain: (this one introduces a lot of new characters who were involved in the wager Agatha revealed in the Tittletattle in His Reluctant Lady): Toby (hero), Regina (heroine), Orlando (Toby’s friend), Lord Pennella (he was the one who hounded Christopher and Agatha in His Reluctant Lady).  I’m too soon into this to see who else emerges.

His Convenient Wife: Stan Craftsman (hero), Harriett Larson (heroine), Rose (Harriett’s sister), Dave and Mary Larson (the parents).  I’m not sure who else will make a prominent secondary character.

Wagon Trail Bride: Richard Larson (hero who hasn’t had a significant part in any of the Larson books up to now–LOL), Amanda (heroine), Ingrid (Richard’s love interest early on), Shirley (Amanda’s sister), Pa or Ma Larson (I don’t remember if I ever named Richard’s parents in another book but they are going to play a good role in this one), and any of Richard’s siblings (Sally, Tom, Dave, Jenny, and Joel).

2.  Take a scene out of one of my books and write it from another character’s point of view.

This is actually partly inspired by someone who sent me a Facebook message a while back. She said it’d be fun to read the same story from a different character’s point of view.  I agree it would, but I can’t fit something like that into my schedule.  What I can do, though, is take a scene and write it from another character’s point of view.

So….are there any scenes you love from any of my past books that you’d like me to write from another character’s point of view?  I’ll try to think of some good ones.  If you have any ideas, please let me know.

3.  I think I’ll write a romantic suspense novel next year.

I’ve been thinking along the lines of a thriller or horror novel for a long time, but nothing ever clicked.  Then it occurred to me.  Why don’t I make it a romantic suspense?  I have a book I started back in 2009 that will be perfect for it.  I finally have the ending in place.  Part of what held me back for so long was not knowing how to work out the serial killer aspect.  The basic plot is that a detective begins to wonder if his new wife is the killer.  Don’t worry.  There’s a happy ending.  But I am drawing a lot from my Psychology background to work in with the plot.  Finally, there is a use for my degree.

Now to come up with a good title.  One option is Marriage Can Kill, but I’m considering other titles.  I’m afraid Marriage Can Kill doesn’t say romantic suspense.  It might lean too much in the suspense category.

One of the things brought up in the conference was that it’s good for authors to branch out and write a variety of genres.  It keeps the creativity going, writing stronger, and makes a writer more well-rounded.  I have noticed that when I write a Regency, I get refreshed and can better write a historical western.  Same is true with a contemporary.  But I like to have romance as a big part in all of my stories.  The exception has been Return of the Aliens which had a minor sub-plot, but some day I might write something like that again.  But for now, I still feel a strong pull for romance.

Story Sample Sunday: Kent Ashton’s Backstory

This next scene takes place after Kent returns to Virginia.  :D

Kent returned to Virginia as soon as he could.  He’d taken the first train out of Jamestown, had thought of many things he could have done—should have done—differently.  But he couldn’t go back and change anything.  He had to get back home before his father suspected something.  Next time he went for Ann, he’d make sure he had enough money to rescue her.

Before he could make his escape, he had to contend with his father and help Rebecca and Samuel get to Canada.  Patience.  He just needed to be patient.  All good things came to those who waited.  He repeated this to himself as he got off the train in Virginia and carried his luggage home.  He could have summoned a driver, but he preferred to walk because it put off facing his father a little bit longer.  As soon as the investments matured, he’d no longer be under his father’s thumb.  His life would be his own.

“Patience,” he whispered as he strolled down the street.  “It’s only a few more months.”

It didn’t occur to him that people were glancing his way and shaking their heads in disapproval until he reached the front of his house.  Surprised, he studied the couple who quickly averted their gazes once he made eye contact with them.  What was going on?

“Excuse me,” he told the man who jerked, an indication he hadn’t expected Kent to talk to him.  Not letting this fact dissuade him, Kent waited for the man and woman to stop before he asked him, “Am I wearing something inappropriate?”

The man’s eyebrows furrowed.  “You’re concerned about what you’re wearing?”

Letting out an uneasy chuckle, he glanced around and saw a woman across the street whisper something to her friend.  As soon as she realized he saw her, she took her friend by the arm and the two hurried down the street.

“I can’t help but notice everyone’s looking at me as if I’m improperly attired, but,” he motioned to his clothes, “I can’t think of anything that’s out of place.”

The man sighed and asked the woman to wait for him then led Kent a few steps away from her.  In a low voice, he said, “It has nothing to do with your clothes and you know it.”

“No, I don’t know that.”

“Mr. Ashton, far be it from me to tell you what to do, but if I were you, I wouldn’t be so casual about it.”

“Casual about what?”

“Miss Johnson.  What you did to her is all over town.”

“What I did to her?” Kent asked, barely aware that his voice was rising in frustration and fear.

“Ending your engagement, especially after you learned of her miscarriage.  If you were a decent human being, you’d do right by her and marry her instead of leaving her in disgrace.”

Miscarriage?  Ending the engagement?  Whatever was he talking about?  Before Kent could ask, the man shook his head in disgust and returned to the woman.

Despite his apprehension, Kent proceeded to his home and gave the butler his luggage.  Before he could make it past the parlor, his father stepped into the hallway, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

“In the parlor,” his father said in a voice that indicated there was no room for argument.

Knowing it was pointless to protest, Kent released his breath and followed him into the room.

After his father shut the door, he turned to face him.  “So, you thought you could fool me.”

“Fool you?”

“Watch what you say, Kent.  I’m a lot smarter than you give me credit for.  Did you really think I wouldn’t figure out you never went to New York?”

He hid his apprehension.  He’d been so careful, making sure he covered all his steps.

“I’m more influential in this town than you give me credit for,” his father continued, his hands behind his back as he glared at him.  “Do you honestly think you can buy a ticket for Jamestown and the conductor wouldn’t tell me about it?”

Kent gritted his teeth but didn’t reply.  So that was his mistake.  How was he to know the conductor would care where he was going?

“The conductor has connections to Mr. Johnson.  When Mr. Johnson came over here, I had to say something to explain why you’d run off to find Ann Brothers.”

Managing to hide his wince at the mention of Ann’s last name, he focused on what his father was telling him.  “Then the miscarriage and engagement ending…  That was you who spread those rumors?”

“I had to do something.”

“What exactly did you say?”

“I did what any sensible father would do in my position.  I told Mr. Johnson that you and Rebecca were engaging in inappropriate conduct and that when she had a miscarriage, you took that as your chance to quietly slip out of here to go after Ann.  Congratulations, Kent.  You didn’t want to be trapped into a marriage with Rebecca and you succeeded.  Mr. Johnson won’t let you anywhere near her.  He could have insisted I drag you back and make you do right by her, but Rebecca pleaded with him to let her live with the disgrace of being tossed aside so thoughtlessly.  The poor girl isn’t the same.  She won’t see anyone.  Mr. Johnson said he’s never seen her so miserable.  And why wouldn’t she be?  What decent man is going to marry her now?  I hope you’re satisfied.  You have destroyed everything we’ve worked so hard for.”

“No,” Kent snapped, his shock over his father’s lies about a miscarriage and inappropriate behavior quickly fading in light of his mounting anger.  “You’re the one who manipulated everything.  It’s because of you Rebecca felt as if she had no choice but to go along with you and make me think she and I had been together intimately.  You’re the reason Ann ran off with Todd.  You got in the way of Rebecca and Samuel’s plans to marry.  Don’t you dare point the finger at me,” he hissed and pointed at him.  “This is your doing.  And you’re still ruining people’s lives.  I’m going to tell Mr. Johnson everything and set it all straight.  I never laid a hand on Rebecca.  She’s been honorable through the whole thing.”

As he turned to leave, his father softly chuckled.  “And who do you think Mr. Johnson will believe?  You or me?  I’m not the one who ran off to North Dakota.”

Kent paused and thought over what his father said.  He should have disguised himself.  In his hurry to find Ann, he had never stopped to consider what might happen if the conductor or some other busybody didn’t have the common sense to mind their own business.

“No one will believe you,” his father added, sounding smug.  “They won’t believe Rebecca either if she supports you.”

He tried to think of some way—any way—his father could be wrong, but with Mr. Johnson knowing he went to North Dakota, he knew how bad things looked.  He stared at his father.  Up to now he hadn’t hated him.  Sure, he’d been annoyed by him, frustrated by him, even angered by him.  But he had never hated him.  Until now.

“You won’t get away with it forever,” Kent finally replied, an unexpected determination in his voice.  “All you do is manipulate people into doing what you want, and so far it’s worked.  You have things just as you want them.  But mark my word.  The day is coming when I will no longer be under your control.”

“If that’s supposed to make me worry, you’ve already lost your case.  I have no use for you anymore.  My financial standing is secure without you.”

Kent clenched his hands as his father left the room.  It wasn’t fair that his father could use people for his own advancement and get away with it.  And what was even worse was how little his father cared if he had to ruin lives in order to do it.  But it couldn’t always be to his advantage.  Sooner or later, he’d have to reap what he’d sown.  No man, no matter how powerful or clever, could get away with it forever.  There was always a day of reckoning.  There had to be.  But even as Kent kept repeating this to himself, he wasn’t comforted.

Following the Rabbit Trail (One Thing Leads to Another) – What I’ve Been Up to in my Private Life Lately

I don’t often do posts that are about my private life, but every time I come over to this blog to post something I’d like to post, I end up drawing a blank.  The Sunday posts are easy because they’re from a book I already wrote.  But it’s harder when I have to create something new and original.  I’d love to do some more creative posts, but after struggling to do so for a month, I figure it’s time to just state what’s really on my mind and see if that helps break the dam that’s been holding me back.

So here we go…

Getting Organized with My Writing Goals

The first thing that’s been going on is that I’ve been looking for ways to be more productive with the use of my time.  I heard about Rich Habits by Tom Corley on the Dave Ramsey radio show while I was driving.  Intrigued, I bought the book and really enjoyed it.  Basically, it helps you figure out what your big goals are and breaks down daily and monthly steps you can take to get there.

It’s not easy to keep to the list.  There are times when I want to say, “What can staying up one more hour hurt?” (One of my goals is to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.  Ideally, I’ll get 8.5 to 9.)  Another is, “Only 1 hour of TV a day.” (And yes, I’ve fudged a little on this one but not too bad since I prefer writing to watching TV.)  So while Rich Habits seems to be a financial book when you first look at it, I’m finding it more of a way to get more in shape in all areas of my life (sleep, exercise, diet, working smarter instead of harder, etc).

Going further down the self-improvement trail 

After reading and applying Rich Habits, I then decided to get Rich Dad, Poor Dad by  Robert Kiyosaki.  Why? Because I do need to get a better handle on managing money.  It’s not how much I’m making that’s a problem. It’s what I’m doing with it that’s the issue.  As they say, the first step to change is to admit you have a problem.  I wish I could say I have been managing money really well, but the truth is, I haven’t.  And quite frankly, I’m sick of ending up in the same position at the end of every year wondering why I’m in the same hole I was in the year before.

But I was about halfway through the book when I read something along the lines of, “If you have a business and aren’t covered under an LLC, S-Corporation or C-Corporation, then you’re a sitting duck waiting for disaster.” Those are not the exact words, but it was the gist of it.

This part of the rabbit trail led me to my next book recommendation which was the book, Start Your Own Corporation by Garrett Sutton.  So I started reading up on the stuff Garrett Sutton has been saying.

Which led me to register a business entity today

After being a self-published author since 2002 (I didn’t start writing romances until late 2007), I finally decided it was time to take the advice of two very wise and smart authors (Rose Gordon and Stephannie Beman) and form an actual business entity that is separate from my personal life.

Today, I have officially formed an LLC with an S-Corportion election.  (All this means is that I have formed a business that is separated from me, and I think that sounds a little confusing by the way I stated it but I don’t know how else to explain it.)  I decided to have an attorney familiar with business law do this for me because I want to make sure I get all the stuff taken care of.  I don’t know about anyone else, but the whole thing intimidates me and I like having a team of people who know what they’re doing to help me out along the way.  I still need to read Garrett Sutton’s book on actually running a corporation.

Then due to the wisdom of another author (Melanie Nilles), I am seeing an certified public accountant who is familiar with small businesses.  My income varies widely.  You can never tell from one month to another what the pay is going to be like.  Some of you reading this who are running your own businesses might find the same fluctuation.  With the accountant, I’ll finally be able to specify exactly how much I need to pay in taxes each quarter, which is something I need to help to get better control over the chaos that has been my financial life up to now.

***

If you ever wondered what I do when I’m not writing…this is pretty much it.  LOL   I’m still  a far way from being where I want to be with everything, but at least I’m on the way.  And I don’t know if any of the links I posted will help anyone but they’re there in case they do.

Sunday Story Sample: Kent Ashton’s Backstory

This is the first time Kent goes to see Ann after she went to North Dakota.  :-)

Kent’s heartbeat picked up as he stepped off the train in Jamestown.  The surroundings were much different from what he expected.  It wasn’t anything like the hustle and bustle he was used to in Virginia.  There were open fields surrounding a small, dusty town, which had no more than a few stores and businesses surrounded by homes.  He shook his head.  This was no place for Ann.

She wanted to be in New York where they were supposed to go to balls and the theatre.  She loved everything he’d described to her.  This place out in the middle of nowhere was nothing at all like she wanted.  If he could take her out of here today, he would, but he couldn’t just yet.  What he could do was offer her hope, to let her know that he was going to rescue her from this life.  He only had to wait five months before the investments yielded enough money so he could give her the life she deserved.

He scanned the few people who were lingering about along the main street, talking and laughing.  Perhaps one of them would know where he could find Ann.  He decided to ask one of the women, figuring they’d be more likely to have befriended Ann.  He took a deep breath and approached three women who stood outside the small post office.

When one of them looked in his direction, he offered a greeting then said, “A friend of mine recently came to this town with a man who took over a farm, and I was wondering if you know her.  She goes by the name Ann Statesman.  She has brown hair, is slender, comes from Virginia?”

The woman’s eyebrows furrowed.  “I don’t know anyone by the name Statesman, but Ann Brothers fits your description.”

“Brothers?” His polite smile faltered.  Did she really marry Todd or was that the story he bound her to?  Perhaps she went along with it to avoid harming her reputation?

“Yes.  His sister Agnes came for a visit.” The woman glanced at her friends who nodded.

“Yes, that’s the Ann I’m referring to,” he replied.

The woman’s friend motioned to the grocer.  “I saw her go in there.”

“Is she still there?” he asked, his gaze going to the store across the street.

“She spends a lot of time there, so I assume so.”

“She helps the owners out,” the other woman added.

Kent winced as he thought of Ann degrading herself to helping people who owned a grocer.  Never would she have had to do something so beneath her in Virginia.  Just what kind of life did Todd give her?  How could he be so selfish that he would deny her the comforts she’d grown up with?

Kent swallowed the lump in his throat.  It was his fault Ann was in this predicament.  If he’d only refrained from getting drunk, his father never would have manipulated things so that he believed he’d compromised Rebecca’s virtue.  Then he wouldn’t have ended his courtship with Ann, and Ann wouldn’t have run off with Todd.  Kent had no one but himself to blame for how things turned out.  But he was here to set things right, to let Ann know he was going to take her away from here.

Turning back to the women, he smiled.  “Thank you.”

Straightening his frock coat, he headed for the store, not entirely sure what he’d say once he saw Ann.  The last time he saw her, he ended their courtship, and that was seven months ago.  Would Ann even be happy to see him?  What a silly question.  Of course, she’d be.  She promised that she would always love him, had even assured him that she’d never love anyone but him.  Surely, time wouldn’t change that.

He reached the store and stepped inside.  He scanned the area but didn’t see anyone.  From the room in the back, he heard someone shuffling around.  He thought to call out Ann’s name but then thought he’d look foolish in case she wasn’t there.  He went to the back room, his steps slowing when he saw her.

Her back was to him as she took eggs out of a basket and set them on one of the shelves.  The simple dress and her bun couldn’t hide her beauty.  No matter what time tried to do, it would never diminish her ability to take a man’s breath away.

“My goodness, Ann,” he whispered.  “You’re just as beautiful as I remember.”

She paused then slowly turned around, her eyes wide.

            Kent’s smile widened, knowing she was in shock but hoping she was happy to see him. “I believe I caught you by surprise,” he began uncertainly, not sure how much he should tell her, how much he could tell her.  He promised Rebecca he wouldn’t say anything to hurt her reputation, and it was a promise he had to keep, even from Ann.  After a moment, he ventured, “I admit we parted under dire circumstances.  I made an error in judgment.  I am no longer engaged to Rebecca.  She was a mistake.  I came to apologize and ask if I can court you again.”

“I’m married,” she blurted out.

So she had married Todd.  It wasn’t what he hoped for but he couldn’t blame her.  “I know why you married Todd Brothers.  You were distressed over my brief encounter with Rebecca.  It is understandable that you ran to the first person who offered you comfort.  This is my fault.”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that I am married.  I belong to someone else now.”

An uneasy chuckle rose up in his throat.  “I’m sure we can find a way to get you ‘unmarried’.  Really, we can work through it.”

“I vowed to be with him for the rest of our lives,” she replied, and he sensed a slight uncertainty beneath her words.

“Vows are made to be broken,” he assured her.

“I’m not leaving him.”

“Hmm…” He struggled to figure out a reason why she would say such a thing when she had once promised to love him—and only him—for the rest of their lives.  Then the answer came.  There was only one reason why she’d willingly stay with Todd.  A child.  “I suppose you’re expecting then?”

She shook her head.

Relieved, his smile widened.  “Then there’s nothing to fear.  This marriage can easily be dissolved.”

“No.”

He hesitated, not sure what motivated her to still refuse to leave Todd and then realized exactly what it was.  She blamed him for how things turned out.  Because of his father’s coercion, he’d broken his word to her.  And she was right to blame him.  With a sigh, he said, “I hurt you more than I realized.  I promise that I will never hurt you again.  There is no other love in my life.  You will always be the one.”

He took a step toward her, but she blurted out, “I love Todd.”

He stared at her.  Laughing in disbelief, he shook his head.  The time she’d spent out here, away from her friends and family, had deluded her into thinking she wanted to be with Todd.  “That’s sweet.  Todd is a good boy.  I’m sure he’s treated you very well out here, in the middle of nowhere.  But a lady such as yourself deserves better in this life.  You were meant for comfort and riches.” She’d even said she wanted those things when he asked her if she’d marry him if he didn’t have money, and she made it clear that she wanted the finer things in life, things that Todd could never give her.  Hoping to speak reason to her, he gestured to her.  “Look at your clothes, your hair, your hands!  You don’t even own a single piece of jewelry.  You may love Todd but he has you living like a beggar.  You were born for beautiful gowns, servants to wait on you, for your every desire to be fulfilled.” He stepped closer to her.  “Things I can give you.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Enough of playing wife.  Come with me.  I can give you things that he can’t.”

He reached out and touched her cheek, something she used to enjoy, but this time, she shrieked.  Blinking, he drew his hand away.

She ran for the doorway, but he stopped her.

“You can’t be serious,” he insisted, growing upset.  “You would give up what we had for Todd?”

“Yes.  Let me go!”

“Perhaps I need to show you what you’re missing.” Then, in an effort to remind her of her love for him, he brought his mouth to hers, thinking she’d recall the time when he told her he loved her and she had replied in kind.

“What is going on here?”

Startled, Kent released her and turned to see Todd who stood in the doorway, his hands clenched at his sides.

“Todd!” Like a scared child, she ran over to him.

Todd shook his head, his cold eyes piercing into Kent.  “I can’t believe this.  I mean, it was a possibility but…”

“No.  No!  It’s not what it looks like,” she quickly insisted.

“Don’t lie to him, Ann,” Kent softly replied, not liking what he was seeing.  Of course.  It all made sense now.  She knew Todd was going to be in the store.  He probably told her he was going to pick her up and take her home.  Whatever hold he had on her, she was afraid to upset him by admitting she wanted to be with Kent instead.  “It will do you no good to deny it,” Kent added, hoping she’d have the courage to tell Todd that she really didn’t want to be with him.

Todd glowered at him, and for a moment, he thought Todd was going to strike him, but he just turned and stormed out of the room.

“Todd!” she cried and ran after him.

Kent quickly followed her, wanting to tell her she didn’t have to worry, that he knew she only said those things to him because she knew Todd might be in the store listening to them.  It all made sense.  Why else would she protest the way she had?  But when he caught up to her, he saw another woman in the store.

“I’ll come back for you,” Kent said, hoping it’d give her hope.  He wanted to tell her more, to explain he needed his investments to mature first, but with the woman staring at him, he didn’t dare.  Who knew if the woman would tell Todd?  If only he’d had more time to talk to Ann in private!  Maybe next time Ann wouldn’t be so afraid of what Todd would say or do.  “I’m sure you’ll come to your senses in time.”

With another glance at the woman who was still watching him, he inwardly groaned.  Obviously, she wasn’t going to let him finish talking to Ann.  Well, it didn’t matter.  He couldn’t take Ann with him today anyway.  Things might not have gone as he hoped just now, but maybe next time, they would.  Ann thought she’d never see him again.  He’d caught her off guard.  He hadn’t prepared her.

Looking back, he chided himself for thinking she’d run into his arms and thank him for rescuing her.  Maybe next time.  Maybe now that she knew he would be back, she’d be more open to hearing him out.  With nothing else to do, he left the store.

Updates

Book Stephannie Beman and I are working on.

Thanks to my editor and my beta reader, I am in the final stages of polishing up this book. After that, it goes to Stephannie Beman who’ll give it the final read through.  Everything’s on track for publication in December.

The Anthology Janet Syas Nitsick and I Are Working On

I can’t remember if I said I was finished with the first draft, but I am.

Good news on this book.  I was stalled out but then things suddenly picked up.  I’m currently around the halfway point.  I didn’t see a certain plot twist coming my way, which is what makes it a lot more fun.  I like it when the unexpected twist happens.  I’m hoping to have the first draft done at the end of November or early December.  With any luck, I’ll be releasing this around the 1st of January.  :D

This one is about halfway done, too.  I did slow down the pace a little bit because I know where I want to be but am not exactly sure how to get there.  Neither Boaz nor Eva have cooperated with me.  And worse than that, neither one is really giving me much direction on how they want me to go.

I don’t know if I announced I was working on this one, but I decided to start it because I’m afraid I’ll forget the wager that was made in His Reluctant Lady.  With this book, I introduce some new characters.  I’m not sure how much of an overlap there will be with previous characters in this series, but I’m already starting to figure out a new plot for another book to go after this one.  It’ll involve the hero’s best friend.

I figured I’d better start this one while the characters from Catching Kent were fresh in my mind.  Plus, I really liked Rose’s twin sister Harriett and Stan.  It’s a challenge to pair up a couple who had a lousy start in another books, and Harriett and Stan definitely qualify since she did try to win him over in Catching Kent but failed.

It’s time I got to this one out.  I have the entire plot mapped out in my mind, but it’s been difficult getting it down because Amanda has to go through a lot of pain because things can get better, and it’s hard to watch one of my characters when they’re going through a horrible situation.  But it’s the only way Richard is going to marry her to take her with his family to Nebraska.