Clair Brett's Blog, page 5
February 10, 2019
A Rainy Day is a Perfect Day.
You’ve all been there. There are only so many weekends during the summer and you have a list a mile long, but guess what? While Monday was the most beautiful day of the week, while you were at work, Saturday is going to be a washout with rain all day. Sigh. Yeah, I get it. Rain often stops us in our tracks and messes with our plans, but I still love a good rainy day. And to continue my theme for February, here is why a rainy day inspires me and should inspire you.PLUVIOPHILE:Yup, there is a name for people like me. No, not that one... The name for
people who love and find calm by the rain is Pluviophile. While it isn’t sexy or mysterious, I am heartened to know there are enough of us strange individuals that we have been given a moniker.I did a quick search to see if there was any hard science to back up the mood enhancement I feel when I wake up to a drizzly, rainy morning. Most of what I read claims there is little to no connection to emotional state and weather. I, however, was a middle school teacher for 15 years, and no scientist will ever convince me the full moon has no effect on lunchroom behavior.RAIN GIVES US A CHANCE TO STOP AND REST:We live in a very goal and task orientated society. In many cases, we either make ourselves feel guilty or made to feel guilty by others if we take a day to chill inside accomplishing nothing more than breathing. A rainy day forces us to some respect to stop and watch the world pass by for a change. In fact, the constant patter of the rain on the window of my office draws my attention to what is going on outside. It may blur the scene, but that adds to the slowing of our world. It cocoons us inside our safe dry home or office.IT AMPLIFIES THINGS WE DON’T NOTICE:If you are outside on a rainy day or sitting on a covered porch you should notice that everything smells more. Fresh cut grass is stronger, rose blossoms burst with scent every time a drop plops on them, and the air smells different. In the summer when all the plants are blooming and in need of water the colors burst and plump before our eyes. Grass that may have been looking on the dry side all of a sudden glisten bright green. The flowers are reflected in the puddles, and the sun rays when they finally appear seem to be coming from every direction at once as they reflect their light off the fresh rain.I am upset every time it rains, and I am not able to have my office window open to take in the patter of the drops and all the smells.RAIN THE GREAT EQUALIZER:Not to be all rainbows and unicorns, we have all been caught in the rain and ended up looking less than perfect after it has had its way with us. Most of us attempt to look our best when we walk out the door, but after standing in line for coffee without an umbrella, because who needs to see the weather forecast it is sunny out, and you all get dumped on. No one’s makeup is perfect anymore, and let’s face it even a good blowout won’t help the hairstyle for the rest of the day. A good unexpected rain is a very good reminder that we often take ourselves too seriously. It gives us a chance to look around and see that we all have bad hair days and we should embrace those days as much as all the others.BUT MOST OF ALL…
I love rainy days because they give me an excuse to make a cup of tea and some cookies. Grab a comfy seat, in my favorite sweats and curl up with a book for the day. Saturday to do list be damned. I can sit and read and watch the world go by without worrying about it. I can also demand that the tv. And anything else with a speaker be muted, so I can hear the raindrops.When my girls were little a rainy day meant hours inside reading stories, playing games, baking cookies, watching cartoons, and just plain being together and creating memories. There is no better memory than curling up on the couch with your two little baby girls to sit and giggle over Scooby Doo or some other cartoon. And that is what made me stop and begin to appreciate a good rainy day and I never looked back.Are you a Pluviophile too? I’d love to hear from you.Want to find out other strange things about a romance writer and also get exclusive first news about my books?Join my newsletter.
people who love and find calm by the rain is Pluviophile. While it isn’t sexy or mysterious, I am heartened to know there are enough of us strange individuals that we have been given a moniker.I did a quick search to see if there was any hard science to back up the mood enhancement I feel when I wake up to a drizzly, rainy morning. Most of what I read claims there is little to no connection to emotional state and weather. I, however, was a middle school teacher for 15 years, and no scientist will ever convince me the full moon has no effect on lunchroom behavior.RAIN GIVES US A CHANCE TO STOP AND REST:We live in a very goal and task orientated society. In many cases, we either make ourselves feel guilty or made to feel guilty by others if we take a day to chill inside accomplishing nothing more than breathing. A rainy day forces us to some respect to stop and watch the world pass by for a change. In fact, the constant patter of the rain on the window of my office draws my attention to what is going on outside. It may blur the scene, but that adds to the slowing of our world. It cocoons us inside our safe dry home or office.IT AMPLIFIES THINGS WE DON’T NOTICE:If you are outside on a rainy day or sitting on a covered porch you should notice that everything smells more. Fresh cut grass is stronger, rose blossoms burst with scent every time a drop plops on them, and the air smells different. In the summer when all the plants are blooming and in need of water the colors burst and plump before our eyes. Grass that may have been looking on the dry side all of a sudden glisten bright green. The flowers are reflected in the puddles, and the sun rays when they finally appear seem to be coming from every direction at once as they reflect their light off the fresh rain.I am upset every time it rains, and I am not able to have my office window open to take in the patter of the drops and all the smells.RAIN THE GREAT EQUALIZER:Not to be all rainbows and unicorns, we have all been caught in the rain and ended up looking less than perfect after it has had its way with us. Most of us attempt to look our best when we walk out the door, but after standing in line for coffee without an umbrella, because who needs to see the weather forecast it is sunny out, and you all get dumped on. No one’s makeup is perfect anymore, and let’s face it even a good blowout won’t help the hairstyle for the rest of the day. A good unexpected rain is a very good reminder that we often take ourselves too seriously. It gives us a chance to look around and see that we all have bad hair days and we should embrace those days as much as all the others.BUT MOST OF ALL…I love rainy days because they give me an excuse to make a cup of tea and some cookies. Grab a comfy seat, in my favorite sweats and curl up with a book for the day. Saturday to do list be damned. I can sit and read and watch the world go by without worrying about it. I can also demand that the tv. And anything else with a speaker be muted, so I can hear the raindrops.When my girls were little a rainy day meant hours inside reading stories, playing games, baking cookies, watching cartoons, and just plain being together and creating memories. There is no better memory than curling up on the couch with your two little baby girls to sit and giggle over Scooby Doo or some other cartoon. And that is what made me stop and begin to appreciate a good rainy day and I never looked back.Are you a Pluviophile too? I’d love to hear from you.Want to find out other strange things about a romance writer and also get exclusive first news about my books?Join my newsletter.
February 3, 2019
The Beach Brings Peace!
**A note from Clair: It is February people, we made it through January. No great feat considering the polar vortex. With Valentine's day on the horizon, and me being a romance writer I pondered what my theme would be this month. Instead of talking about those things I love, which let's be honest are not always good for me, I decided instead to share those things that inspire me the most in my life. 2019 is another year of change for me, and with change comes reflection. I only want those things in my life that inspire me in some way. I am fortunate to be at a stage in life where I have some freedom to make that happen. I hope this series inspires you to search out those things that fill your well and give you joy.
I have always loved water. I grew up in Northern NH with only lakes, rivers, and streams near me, and a mother who almost drowned as a child, so I didn’t get to an actual ocean beach until I was an adult, but it was love at first sight. I love everything about the beach. (not the obnoxious guy smoking his cig, and listening to rude gangsta rap, while his mean little poodle stares me down, but that is another post.) I love the briny smell you get at low tide that smells like earth, and salt, and sea life. I love the wide patches of uninterrupted sun all day long. I love the sound of the waves lapping or crashing against the shore. Well, you get the idea.Turns out there is science behind my need to have beach time. Scientists have proven that people living with a view of the beach have a happier outlook on life and fewer signs of dementia. There are even scientists that have tested the negative ions in the air, similar to the idea of using a salt lamp in your
home. The water has minerals that help boost mood, the sun increases your vitamin D, and so on and so on. Brenda Kelley Kim over at Lab roots has a very insightful article with all the sciencey stuff if you want to know more. https://www.labroots.com/trending/neuroscience/6833/beach-it-s-brain
When I go to the beach, I know I am there for an extended length of time, so I give myself up to that time. I can’t do dishes, clean the house, or any other chores I would be thinking about doing. I always bring a book, but at times the sun glare is too much for my eyes, so I lay back and soak in the calm. When you close your eyes at the beach, you hear everything. The birds trying to steal French fries, the kids playing frisbee, and women talking about how much they will have to do when they get home, but beyond that. In the background of the chaos that is human life, you can hear the constants that kind of make the rest of it a buzz. The waves go out and come in, never ceasing. The breeze whistles by. The sound the sand makes as someone walks by you. It grounds me. Reminds me that life is chaos, but if we stop and listen to the whirr of our daily to-dos it is only noise. We have rhythms like the ocean that ground us, but I often have to go to the beach to be reminded.When I hit the sand and open myself up to the landscape around me and let go of those things that would propel me through my day, my brain is allowed to wander and be creative. I often leave after a day at the beach with at least one new story idea that came from seemingly nowhere.
I joke that the first time I visited Sanibel Island, I found my spirit animal in that piece of land. There is nothing like driving over the bridge to get on the island. I can feel everything in my body take a sigh of relief and slow down. EVERY. TIME. It never gets old.My goal is to someday live close enough to the beach that I can spend part of every day there. That is how important the beach is to me—the NH girl with the mother who almost drowned as a child.Do you like the beach? Where is your happy place, that you find calm and peace?Want to hear more about what inspires me, or maybe more about the chaos, lol? Join my newsletter and be part of the community. Click here to join my Newsletter.
I have always loved water. I grew up in Northern NH with only lakes, rivers, and streams near me, and a mother who almost drowned as a child, so I didn’t get to an actual ocean beach until I was an adult, but it was love at first sight. I love everything about the beach. (not the obnoxious guy smoking his cig, and listening to rude gangsta rap, while his mean little poodle stares me down, but that is another post.) I love the briny smell you get at low tide that smells like earth, and salt, and sea life. I love the wide patches of uninterrupted sun all day long. I love the sound of the waves lapping or crashing against the shore. Well, you get the idea.Turns out there is science behind my need to have beach time. Scientists have proven that people living with a view of the beach have a happier outlook on life and fewer signs of dementia. There are even scientists that have tested the negative ions in the air, similar to the idea of using a salt lamp in yourhome. The water has minerals that help boost mood, the sun increases your vitamin D, and so on and so on. Brenda Kelley Kim over at Lab roots has a very insightful article with all the sciencey stuff if you want to know more. https://www.labroots.com/trending/neuroscience/6833/beach-it-s-brainWhen I go to the beach, I know I am there for an extended length of time, so I give myself up to that time. I can’t do dishes, clean the house, or any other chores I would be thinking about doing. I always bring a book, but at times the sun glare is too much for my eyes, so I lay back and soak in the calm. When you close your eyes at the beach, you hear everything. The birds trying to steal French fries, the kids playing frisbee, and women talking about how much they will have to do when they get home, but beyond that. In the background of the chaos that is human life, you can hear the constants that kind of make the rest of it a buzz. The waves go out and come in, never ceasing. The breeze whistles by. The sound the sand makes as someone walks by you. It grounds me. Reminds me that life is chaos, but if we stop and listen to the whirr of our daily to-dos it is only noise. We have rhythms like the ocean that ground us, but I often have to go to the beach to be reminded.When I hit the sand and open myself up to the landscape around me and let go of those things that would propel me through my day, my brain is allowed to wander and be creative. I often leave after a day at the beach with at least one new story idea that came from seemingly nowhere.I joke that the first time I visited Sanibel Island, I found my spirit animal in that piece of land. There is nothing like driving over the bridge to get on the island. I can feel everything in my body take a sigh of relief and slow down. EVERY. TIME. It never gets old.My goal is to someday live close enough to the beach that I can spend part of every day there. That is how important the beach is to me—the NH girl with the mother who almost drowned as a child.Do you like the beach? Where is your happy place, that you find calm and peace?Want to hear more about what inspires me, or maybe more about the chaos, lol? Join my newsletter and be part of the community. Click here to join my Newsletter.
January 28, 2019
The Importance of Reviews
I woke up this morning to a new review on Goodreads for my latest book Visions of Pleasure. It makes my coffee a little sweeter when I hear that a person, I don’t know enjoyed something I put so much time and energy into. It means something to authors when readers take the time to leave supportive, educated, and constructive reviews.Writing is, for the most part, a very solitary endeavor. It is the author, their notes and ideas, and the characters. Also, with the advent of Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, etc. a reader thousands of miles away can pick up that book and the author would never know if not for a review.I have been very fortunate to have only constructive reviews, meaning they were not always 5-star reviews, but they gave educated, thoughtful reasons for a less than perfect experience. I just recently read a post from a reader who had gone on to choose a book and found a 1-star review, that actually said in the review that the author should crawl somewhere and die. That is anything but constructive, and borders on threatening. There is no place for such hate in reviews. These are just books people, ultimately twenty years from now it will not have mattered that a person read a book they didn’t enjoy.The review I got this morning made me smile and gave me a boost. It made sitting down at my desk more rewarding because I knew someone out there was reading my work and appreciating it. But reviews are much more than an ego boost for your local starving writer.Book reviews are also a way to get more coverage on big sites like Amazon. The more positive reviews the higher up the feeding chain you go. It also may allow authors to be eligible for certain advertising that may require a minimum of reviews. It also adds credibility to the work. When there are 10 reviews people are skeptical that they are the author's friends, but 103 reviews show that more than just the author’s inner circle has read and enjoyed the piece.
I know we are all busy. I admit to the big sigh when I get to the end of a kindle book, and it is asking me to take a moment and review the book. The 30 seconds it takes me to review a book, however, gives an author who is drinking her morning coffee a smile at the thought of one more reader "getting them". Please leave a review when you read a book.--Clair
January 21, 2019
How My Books Stand Out
If you have gone onto Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Kobo, or even ITunes lately looking for a new read you know the sea of books to choose is overwhelming. With the boon of self-publishing, comes unlimited options in genre, character, setting, or story. As an author I am both overjoyed by the options out there for readers and mired in how to attract readers to my very small-yet well appointed-section of the book world.While I do believe it is important for authors to look at trends and see where the readers are going in their book buying interest, I feel that by staying the course with my writing choices, by creating the best product I can at the time, and striving to improve with every new release I will find my voice, and my loyal readers.Authors are often asked what makes their books stand out, and it is not an easy question, because most of us suffer from some form of impostor syndrome, where we don’t feel we measure up, or belong at all. I don’t feel that any one book is better than another, it depends on what the readers are looking for at that point in time. As Eloisa James said in a workshop I attended once. “I depend on all the other authors who put books out. It gives a reader something to do while they wait for my next release.” Not go get all hokey, but A rising tide lifts all boats. If author A, gets a reader interested in Historical Romance, that reader will move to other authors in the genre.
So, how do my books stand out? I would have to say my heroines are the facet of my books that make my books stand out. My heroines are not the typical Regency Miss. People no matter their time in history behave with self-preservation in mind. I put my characters in a position where they must challenge what society of that time was. They must change their world. I have a heroine who must portray herself as a highway man. I have a woman who fakes her death to be free of her husband and live as an independent woman. Because my stories are first and foremost love stories, I create a strong emotional connection between my hero and my heroine. Their love is what drives the story.As a lover of adventure and action movies, I write stories that always contain a sub-plot that includes some danger and action. I write a story I would want to read.Lastly, I have been asking around about what makes people choose a book to purchase with so many out there. By far the cover image, and the back-cover copy were the big winners. I will not admit to having the back-cover copy won yet, but I do think that my covers are eye catching, giving the reader a glimpse at the story within.What do you look for in a book? I’d love to know. Interested in seeing what I have to offer? Click over to my booklist page, join myNewsletter list, or join the antics on Facebook. We’d have a blast!Clair.
January 14, 2019
What I Read When I'm Not Writing
I have a huge TBR pile. Who are we fooling? This isn’t some cute pile next to my bed, we are talking bookshelves in multiple rooms worth of books I haven’t read. When I walk by them I am conflicted. It is strangely comforting to have so many unread books in my house If the power goes out, I will be set for weeks. At the same time I am sad that I have yet again, not taken the time out of my schedule to give these books the love they deserve. As a new writer, I was very concerned about having my own voice, and not mimicking another author. I felt that not reading someone else’s work would help with that, at least while I was writing. However, to be a successful writer, I am always writing. So instead, I only read books outside of my own genre while I am doing the first draft of a piece. That seems to keep my voice my own.So, what does a historical romance author read if they don’t read historical romance? I love a book with a good sub-plot. My go-to genres are romantic suspense, psychological thrillers, paranormal romance, and even some fantasy YA. Lisa Jackson is my go to romantic suspense author, and I also love JR Ward for paranormal, or Kathy Hills. I have just started reading Sarra Cannon’s YA series as well.I always have some kind of self-help or business related book que’d up in my audible app, along with a writing or story telling craft book on my coffee table. Unfortunately, I can go for long stretches without finishing even one book. I am hoping to make that a priority for myself this year.I would also like to expand my book genre go tos by adding in some contemporary romance and women’s fiction to my list. I know I have both of those on my many selves, and they need some love too!
How many books do you have in your TBR pile? Do you have a plan for busting through it this year?If you would like to continue this and see where I am in my quest to tame my TBR pile, join mynewsletter list or follow me on Facebook @AuthorClairBrett
January 7, 2019
Why I Love Writing
I love the New Year. It allows us a chance to slow down for one day or so and reflect back on what has been, but at the same time, we are not allowed too long to live in the past and must quickly move forward. This year I have been thinking about this crazy ride called writing.
Most days, it is just something I do. I love words and stories, and don’t even get me started on the smell of old books! I always loved books, but I had a love hate relationship with reading, because I was not a fast reader, and in school it is all about quantity in your reading not quality. I just could never keep up with the teacher requirements for pages read. I was a slow reader. I have learned that I savor the words on the page. Once I found books, I loved on summer vacation I loved reading again, until school started back up.As an adult with a career, college, children, and oh, dishes I never had time until out of the need to be in an adult world for even just five minutes I grabbed a friend’s historical romance novel, and that was it. I have never been without a book since then. And, as most things escalate, I read a book from a romance author I loved, but I wasn’t happy with the ending and decided to see if I could do that better.
In the spirit of honesty one of the things I love the most about writing novels is the control I have over the world I create. In a world where some days, we are lucky if we can control even one aspect of what is going on around us, I can sit down at my desk, turn on some music, open my work in progress and lead my characters to their happily ever after. Like my favorite authors; Julia Quinn, Hannah Howell, Karen Hawkins, to name a very few the other thing I love about writing is to bring joy to other people through my stories. To show them that Love is possible, and that we all have trouble, but there is a win at the end.I would love to hear about what you are passionate about. How does it make you feel when you are able to just get immersed in it?I’d love to have you on my team and get to know you more.for more glimpses into my life as an author, my upcoming books, reviews of books I love, and much more! JOIN MY NEWSLETTER!See you in the pages!
Most days, it is just something I do. I love words and stories, and don’t even get me started on the smell of old books! I always loved books, but I had a love hate relationship with reading, because I was not a fast reader, and in school it is all about quantity in your reading not quality. I just could never keep up with the teacher requirements for pages read. I was a slow reader. I have learned that I savor the words on the page. Once I found books, I loved on summer vacation I loved reading again, until school started back up.As an adult with a career, college, children, and oh, dishes I never had time until out of the need to be in an adult world for even just five minutes I grabbed a friend’s historical romance novel, and that was it. I have never been without a book since then. And, as most things escalate, I read a book from a romance author I loved, but I wasn’t happy with the ending and decided to see if I could do that better.In the spirit of honesty one of the things I love the most about writing novels is the control I have over the world I create. In a world where some days, we are lucky if we can control even one aspect of what is going on around us, I can sit down at my desk, turn on some music, open my work in progress and lead my characters to their happily ever after. Like my favorite authors; Julia Quinn, Hannah Howell, Karen Hawkins, to name a very few the other thing I love about writing is to bring joy to other people through my stories. To show them that Love is possible, and that we all have trouble, but there is a win at the end.I would love to hear about what you are passionate about. How does it make you feel when you are able to just get immersed in it?I’d love to have you on my team and get to know you more.for more glimpses into my life as an author, my upcoming books, reviews of books I love, and much more! JOIN MY NEWSLETTER!See you in the pages!
July 7, 2017
Highwaywomen in British History | An Heiress by Midnight research tidbit
With less than a week before An Heiress by Midnight goes on sale, I thought I would share some interesting research, please remember I am a geek at heart. A romantic, but a geek. As an old English teacher, history buff, and all around lover of details I get very nervous every time I sit down to plan a story. I may have a grand idea in my head, but until I research the time period, I don’t know if it is plausible. Yes, yes, I know I write fiction, so I shouldn’t be worried about historical accuracy, right? WRONG! There are very savvy readers out there, that will know when something isn’t correct and I don’t want to let them down.I am a firm believer in human nature and the fact that just about anything is plausible during any time period, but I do like to have some history to back me up.Getting to the point: When I first got the idea for An Heiress by Midnight, I was at a writer’s meeting in a workshop using tarot cards. Everything fell into place as I sat there looking at the spread I was being walked through. Perfect! But, hey wait—were there historical reports of Highwaywomen?In fact, a few women were just as tenacious, determined as they are today, and were naughty enough to make the history books. Also, there were many fictional accounts of highway women as well during the 16th and 17th century.One example that is part truth/part legend is Lady Katherine Ferres. She lived from 1634-1660. It is said that she took to a life of highway robbery when the government refused to give her the income from her estates. She was said to have donned men’s clothes and rode out on horseback. The story ends with her being shot. It is difficult to tell which parts are true and which have been embellished today, but like any good story, there is a grain of truth in there somewhere.
There are many fictionalized accounts as well. In the novel The English Rouge, by Richard Head 1665 there are many mentions and interactions with such female criminals. There is even a ballad written; The Female Frolic that was included as a broadsheet ballad between 1600-1700 England. I was very happy when my research was complete, and I tried to give my heroine, Lady Louissa Adair, those traits that I felt gave these infamous women the tenacity to do what they did in a society where women had few rights and fewer opinions. For many of these fictionalized highwaywomen their fates were not pleasant and often they were not given traits that were so womanly.Lady Louissa Adair (my heroine from An Heiress by Midnight), on the other hand who is forced into her situation is much more fortunate in her story. Had these other highwaywomen in British history and fiction had a hero like Lord Clive Breakerton, perhaps they would all have lived happily ever after as well.
There are many fictionalized accounts as well. In the novel The English Rouge, by Richard Head 1665 there are many mentions and interactions with such female criminals. There is even a ballad written; The Female Frolic that was included as a broadsheet ballad between 1600-1700 England. I was very happy when my research was complete, and I tried to give my heroine, Lady Louissa Adair, those traits that I felt gave these infamous women the tenacity to do what they did in a society where women had few rights and fewer opinions. For many of these fictionalized highwaywomen their fates were not pleasant and often they were not given traits that were so womanly.Lady Louissa Adair (my heroine from An Heiress by Midnight), on the other hand who is forced into her situation is much more fortunate in her story. Had these other highwaywomen in British history and fiction had a hero like Lord Clive Breakerton, perhaps they would all have lived happily ever after as well.
June 19, 2017
Lady A to Expound on all things Ton
I'm so excited to announce a new addition to my website, the London Gossip Mill! The Gossip Mill will feature articles submitted by the very respectable, yet mysterious, Lady A, who has agreed to share her knowledge of the Ton with us. I'll let her introduce herself in her own words...Gentle reader,As the frost lifts from gardens of the Ton and our many thoughts turn to preparing for the upcoming season, I have made an alarming observation, which must with all urgency be dealt with. Our upcoming young ladies are looking at a less than enlightening list of choice gentlemen in recent years. And those who should have their minds turned toward finding a respectable wife and settling down, seem loathe to accept their responsibility, instead holding onto their entertainments and other interests.Whatever is a mother, guardian, or sponsor to do when planning for their charges to be introduced to only the best prospects? It may well keep one up in the wee hours scheming.As a concerned, compassionate soul that I am, I cannot allow this travesty to continue. These unruly young men must be brought to tow and I am here to help facilitate this endeavor.I am sure, dear reader, you understand it is of the utmost importance for my own propriety that I remain anonymous in this quest, but I can assure you with the utmost humility, that I am in a position in my station that I have the most exacting contacts, with information that most would not be privy to. Rest assured you will not read any falsehoods between the lines of this editorial.In the coming weeks, months, and perhaps in the years to come, it is my goal to bring you the most timely information on the whereabouts, endeavors, and even misadventures of the Ton’s most eligible bachelors in a hope to make the season as pleasant and entertainment filled as one could possibly hope.Your most ardent champion,-Lady A.
A glimpse into my crazy writing life
Welcome. I am so excited to be able to connect in blog form. I have been working hard for the past year and so many things have changed. My plan is for this to be a place to help my readers get a glimpse behind the pages to my writing process, news, research for historical romance, and other fun tidbits of what the exciting life of a romance author is all about.An Heiress by Midnight, the second book in my Improper Wives for Proper Lords series, is releasing on July 11, 2017. Early critiques are very positive, and I am absolutely in love with my hero, Lord Clive Colcord, Earl of Breakerton, but my love for him only goes so far. I made sure his heroine, Lady Louissa Adair, would put him through his paces and try his gregarious manner. Louissa is a Cinderella who does not believe she needs a prince charming, or another help from a troublesome man.Check back often for some insight on what it was like to research Louissa’s unique occupation in this book. Let’s just put it this way, women were kicking @$$ in real life, not fiction, long before they are given credit sometimes.In the next post, I will be introducing a new editorial section by a dear, if not mysterious contributor, but as I said, I will introduce her in my next post.
Hope to see you soon. If you have questions about my characters or other bits of information in my books, please let me know. Meanwhile, if I lived near the ocean, this might be me, but since I don’t, I’ll be working on my next book.Cheers,Clair
Hope to see you soon. If you have questions about my characters or other bits of information in my books, please let me know. Meanwhile, if I lived near the ocean, this might be me, but since I don’t, I’ll be working on my next book.Cheers,Clair
March 22, 2017
The View from my Office Chair: The Second Book
Ok, I’ve successfully written, revised, edited, and published my first novel so the second one should be a piece of cake right? Lovely thought, but no.
Like most aspiring authors the first book I published had been part of my life for longer than my children. I poked along, abandoned it when the going got tough, reread parts when I came back to the keyboard, and reworked them over and over. By the time I hit the publish button I could see a good decade of my life between the pages.Now, move to book two. I actually have lived with this storyline for at least half the time I have lived with my first, but unlike my first novel, I only had about half the story actually written when I published my first. What that means to a writer who is trying to create a career out of this foolish work, is that I now have to speed my original process up by about five years.Put the abbreviated timeline against the knowledge that people who have read and enjoyed my first book, are expecting the same level of quality with the next one. It doesn’t create an atmosphere of creative freedom. What it creates are bouts of fear complete with sweaty palms, headaches, and self-deprecation so bad I understand why the greats were known for drinking.You hear all the time about fabulous authors who wrote one book, then never published again. I would be willing to bet that many of them got crippled by fear. It is very daunting. With my first book, I had every intention of getting it published, but while I was writing it, I didn’t have any expectations. Now, there is a benchmark.Some days I have to force myself to write because I NEED to get this draft finished. With the last one, I had more freedom to do the creative dance, of writing when the mood struck, not now. I also, can’t get stuck in the middle and stew for days or weeks about how to fix it. Nope, I either highlight it in red, meaning it needs a huge rewrite, or I put a lot of question marks after the passage where I stop and move to the next scene or chapter, knowing that I will have to deal with it in revisions.I remind myself often of a few things: 1) not everyone is going to like my second book, no matter how hard I work 2) this story is not my first story. It has different characters and different conflicts, so I shouldn’t be comparing them, and 3) I am not the same writer I was when I was drafting my first novel. As I write more, I should be able to be more efficient in my writing, creating a cleaner draft than my very first one.
Will I make mistakes with this second book? Yes. Will this book be the same as the last book? I hope not. The bottom line for me is to remember that this, like life is a process, and like anything the book I write today is not the book I wrote yesterday. It will reflect those things that are happening in my life, and where I am as an artist. I can only set my deadlines, as absurd, as they may feel to me and feel confident that my writing skill has evolved in such a way that I will be able to meet them.I know I will not put out a product I am not happy with, and confident that it is the best product I have at the moment and that will have to be good enough.If you are a writer and working on your second book, thinking it would be so much easier with one book under your belt, but finding it is not, know you are not alone.If you are a reader, please be kind to new authors, because at the writing of a second book, they are still new authors. Know that the process is likely vastly different for them this time around, and it may reflect in the story, but understand that like life writing is a journey not a destination.That is all. Have a fabulous day!Clair.
Like most aspiring authors the first book I published had been part of my life for longer than my children. I poked along, abandoned it when the going got tough, reread parts when I came back to the keyboard, and reworked them over and over. By the time I hit the publish button I could see a good decade of my life between the pages.Now, move to book two. I actually have lived with this storyline for at least half the time I have lived with my first, but unlike my first novel, I only had about half the story actually written when I published my first. What that means to a writer who is trying to create a career out of this foolish work, is that I now have to speed my original process up by about five years.Put the abbreviated timeline against the knowledge that people who have read and enjoyed my first book, are expecting the same level of quality with the next one. It doesn’t create an atmosphere of creative freedom. What it creates are bouts of fear complete with sweaty palms, headaches, and self-deprecation so bad I understand why the greats were known for drinking.You hear all the time about fabulous authors who wrote one book, then never published again. I would be willing to bet that many of them got crippled by fear. It is very daunting. With my first book, I had every intention of getting it published, but while I was writing it, I didn’t have any expectations. Now, there is a benchmark.Some days I have to force myself to write because I NEED to get this draft finished. With the last one, I had more freedom to do the creative dance, of writing when the mood struck, not now. I also, can’t get stuck in the middle and stew for days or weeks about how to fix it. Nope, I either highlight it in red, meaning it needs a huge rewrite, or I put a lot of question marks after the passage where I stop and move to the next scene or chapter, knowing that I will have to deal with it in revisions.I remind myself often of a few things: 1) not everyone is going to like my second book, no matter how hard I work 2) this story is not my first story. It has different characters and different conflicts, so I shouldn’t be comparing them, and 3) I am not the same writer I was when I was drafting my first novel. As I write more, I should be able to be more efficient in my writing, creating a cleaner draft than my very first one.Will I make mistakes with this second book? Yes. Will this book be the same as the last book? I hope not. The bottom line for me is to remember that this, like life is a process, and like anything the book I write today is not the book I wrote yesterday. It will reflect those things that are happening in my life, and where I am as an artist. I can only set my deadlines, as absurd, as they may feel to me and feel confident that my writing skill has evolved in such a way that I will be able to meet them.I know I will not put out a product I am not happy with, and confident that it is the best product I have at the moment and that will have to be good enough.If you are a writer and working on your second book, thinking it would be so much easier with one book under your belt, but finding it is not, know you are not alone.If you are a reader, please be kind to new authors, because at the writing of a second book, they are still new authors. Know that the process is likely vastly different for them this time around, and it may reflect in the story, but understand that like life writing is a journey not a destination.That is all. Have a fabulous day!Clair.
