Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 137
March 23, 2014
25 Bone Chilling Abandoned Places
Interesting, but if you're squeamish, the voice over describes some pretty horrific things that happened in these places.
March 20, 2014
Writers and the Biggest Problem
On the ride home from work the other day, someone on the van pool asked me about writing and I talked about the contest judging I did after I sold my first book. It was a way to pay it forward since I'd entered many contests and even sold Ravyn's Flight because of a writing contest. One of the guys asked, "What's the biggest problem you saw in the entries?"
It's been years now since I've judged a contest, but I knew the answer immediately. A great big info dump at the beginning of the story.
So many times the whole entry would be backstory on either the hero, the heroine, or both of them. While this is information that it's good for an author to have about their characters, it needs to be treated like an ice berg--the reader only needs to see about 10% of what the author knows.
Along with the info dump writers, there were a number of writers who must have heard don't spew backstory at the beginning of a book and start with action.
The problem that cropped up here was that a few took this too literally and gave no build up, no chance to get to know and care about the characters before they were in danger and things were happening. Without a connection to the hero or heroine, it was really hard to care what was going on.
It was interesting to think about this after so many years, but openings do seem to give a lot of authors a hard time. I'll include myself in that category since about 50% of the time I've had to redo my first scene, too. Figuring out how and where to start a story sometimes seems to take me forever and sometimes I start more than once, but when it's right, I can feel it.
It's been years now since I've judged a contest, but I knew the answer immediately. A great big info dump at the beginning of the story.
So many times the whole entry would be backstory on either the hero, the heroine, or both of them. While this is information that it's good for an author to have about their characters, it needs to be treated like an ice berg--the reader only needs to see about 10% of what the author knows.
Along with the info dump writers, there were a number of writers who must have heard don't spew backstory at the beginning of a book and start with action.
The problem that cropped up here was that a few took this too literally and gave no build up, no chance to get to know and care about the characters before they were in danger and things were happening. Without a connection to the hero or heroine, it was really hard to care what was going on.
It was interesting to think about this after so many years, but openings do seem to give a lot of authors a hard time. I'll include myself in that category since about 50% of the time I've had to redo my first scene, too. Figuring out how and where to start a story sometimes seems to take me forever and sometimes I start more than once, but when it's right, I can feel it.
March 18, 2014
Pre Book
Before I actually write, I have this time I call Pre-Book. It's where I learn about my characters and parts of their story. This case, though, is actually a little different. I worked on a proposal with these characters about three years ago. My agent wanted some revisions (she was totally right), but before I got very far, I had another deadline and then I had an 18 month move to Georgia. (Long story.)
This time, though, I have to relearn my hero and heroine and get back in their heads. It's also become a four book series, so I need to learn enough about the other heroes and heroines to do a very brief overview. At first this was frustrating because I had nothing, then a chat with a writer buddy about 9 days ago shook stuff loose. It's suddenly become exciting and fun to think about this project!
It's weird. I've had my h/h from book one for a long while, but no one else was stepping up. Surprisingly, it was the couple from book 4 (the last book in the arc) that showed up next. I normally get things more sequentially than that, but I'll take whatever I can get. I have a general story for them, too.
Now, the h/h from book 3 are beginning to peek in. No names or much story yet, but once I have them down, surely the couple from book 2 will come next. I hope.
I love this time of a project. It's exciting and fun and the possibilities are endless.
This time, though, I have to relearn my hero and heroine and get back in their heads. It's also become a four book series, so I need to learn enough about the other heroes and heroines to do a very brief overview. At first this was frustrating because I had nothing, then a chat with a writer buddy about 9 days ago shook stuff loose. It's suddenly become exciting and fun to think about this project!
It's weird. I've had my h/h from book one for a long while, but no one else was stepping up. Surprisingly, it was the couple from book 4 (the last book in the arc) that showed up next. I normally get things more sequentially than that, but I'll take whatever I can get. I have a general story for them, too.
Now, the h/h from book 3 are beginning to peek in. No names or much story yet, but once I have them down, surely the couple from book 2 will come next. I hope.
I love this time of a project. It's exciting and fun and the possibilities are endless.
March 16, 2014
Strangers Kiss
This is an interesting video. Strangers are asked to kiss on camera for a project. Their embarrassment at the start is very easy to relate to, but something happens during the kiss. There's still some discomfort afterward, but there's an indefinable something there as well. An article I read about this video called it an intimacy and maybe they're right.
March 13, 2014
Games of Desire
I received my edits for Games of Desire, my June 2014 release for Nocturne Cravings, and turned them in on Tuesday night. I'd been waiting for them and it was cool to visit with Chloe and Marax again.
I've been trying to think of how to blurb this story since I finished it in November and I haven't come up with anything polished, but I'm going to shoot from the hip and hope it works. I'm waiting on the official cover copy as of now and the cover. I'll share both when I have them.
Games of Desire follows Phoenix Burning in the Blood Feud World.
Wizard Chloe Donovan has spent her life rescuing her younger sister from her impulsive actions and it's no different when she learns Olivia spiked the drinks belonging to some young demons with a potion that turned their skin green. Chloe arrives at the nightclub, but her sister has left her to deal with the mess alone.
Marax is amused by his nephew's green skin and content to let it be a lesson, but duty compels him to find an antidote. He doesn't find the wizard responsible, but he does spot Chloe and he decides to stick close. He tells himself it's because of his hunt, but the truth is that he wants Chloe more than his next breath.
Chloe has always followed the rules, but Marax makes her want to take a walk on the wild side. Neither one of them is ready for a one-night stand that rocks their worlds.
You can preorder Games of Desire at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
I've been trying to think of how to blurb this story since I finished it in November and I haven't come up with anything polished, but I'm going to shoot from the hip and hope it works. I'm waiting on the official cover copy as of now and the cover. I'll share both when I have them.
Games of Desire follows Phoenix Burning in the Blood Feud World.
Wizard Chloe Donovan has spent her life rescuing her younger sister from her impulsive actions and it's no different when she learns Olivia spiked the drinks belonging to some young demons with a potion that turned their skin green. Chloe arrives at the nightclub, but her sister has left her to deal with the mess alone.
Marax is amused by his nephew's green skin and content to let it be a lesson, but duty compels him to find an antidote. He doesn't find the wizard responsible, but he does spot Chloe and he decides to stick close. He tells himself it's because of his hunt, but the truth is that he wants Chloe more than his next breath.
Chloe has always followed the rules, but Marax makes her want to take a walk on the wild side. Neither one of them is ready for a one-night stand that rocks their worlds.
You can preorder Games of Desire at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
March 11, 2014
Throwing My Hat In the Ring
I've decided to run for congress. I have only one plank in my platform and only one goal: Repeal the time change legislation.
Yes, my friends, I'm talking about Daylight Savings Time. While a time-honored tradition, it's past it's useful shelf life. With mechanized farming and electricity, DST is a relic. The argument that it saves energy because people don't have to turn their lights on as early is easily offset by the increase use of air conditioning.
That's right. Instead of saving energy, DST is costing more use of electricity during the warm summer months.
Just think. No more zombie days until your body adjusts to the time change. No more stumbling around bleary-eyed. Improved health. Yes, indeed, medical research has shown that more people have heart attacks after the time change and that there are more car accidents in the week after DST goes into effect. Repealing DST saves lives!
That my friends, is my platform. Repeal DST: Save Lives, Save Energy. Please help me make my dream come true.
PS I apologize for any typos, misused words. I had difficulty writing this post thanks to Daylight Zombie Time.
Yes, my friends, I'm talking about Daylight Savings Time. While a time-honored tradition, it's past it's useful shelf life. With mechanized farming and electricity, DST is a relic. The argument that it saves energy because people don't have to turn their lights on as early is easily offset by the increase use of air conditioning.
That's right. Instead of saving energy, DST is costing more use of electricity during the warm summer months.
Just think. No more zombie days until your body adjusts to the time change. No more stumbling around bleary-eyed. Improved health. Yes, indeed, medical research has shown that more people have heart attacks after the time change and that there are more car accidents in the week after DST goes into effect. Repealing DST saves lives!
That my friends, is my platform. Repeal DST: Save Lives, Save Energy. Please help me make my dream come true.
PS I apologize for any typos, misused words. I had difficulty writing this post thanks to Daylight Zombie Time.
March 9, 2014
25 Scary Bridges
I think I crossed one of these. The Chesapeake Bridge. As I have this thing about falling from heights, some of these bridges were scary enough on video. I'd never cross them.
March 6, 2014
A Tale of Two Companies
Or a journey through customer service.
I do some Subscribe and Save items on Amazon and I had a shipment due recently. It was supposed to be here last Friday, but there was a shipping delay. Still, no big deal, it would arrive on Monday. Only on Monday instead of two boxes outside my door, there was only one.
I checked around the front of the house, went online and read what Amazon had to say about it. They suggested 1. waiting an extra day because sometimes a shipper will say delivered a bit prematurely and 2. contact the shipper.
Since I've never had a premature delivery notice, I sent a tweet to UPS. The person who responded was friendly and gave me an email address where I needed to send the information. So I did that and waited.
The response came on Tuesday. It was terse. The gist of it was: if there were two boxes, they'd each have their own tracking number. You only have one tracking number, you'll have to contact Amazon. Okay, then. Fine.
I did the Contact Us form on the bottom of my account page. I had a response from Amazon within an hour even though they give themselves 12 hours to respond. The Customer Service specialist had replacement items on the way already, and she was sorry, but one item was out of stock. Would I like a refund?
Wow. How awesome is that? I rarely, as in almost never, have a problem with Amazon, and when I did, they immediately took care of me, their customer. This was a far different feeling than I had at the end of the UPS exchange.
At the end of this, I'm left with a real meh feeling about UPS, but I'm like, Amazon rocks! Might be a lesson for other companies and their customer service employees.
I do some Subscribe and Save items on Amazon and I had a shipment due recently. It was supposed to be here last Friday, but there was a shipping delay. Still, no big deal, it would arrive on Monday. Only on Monday instead of two boxes outside my door, there was only one.
I checked around the front of the house, went online and read what Amazon had to say about it. They suggested 1. waiting an extra day because sometimes a shipper will say delivered a bit prematurely and 2. contact the shipper.
Since I've never had a premature delivery notice, I sent a tweet to UPS. The person who responded was friendly and gave me an email address where I needed to send the information. So I did that and waited.
The response came on Tuesday. It was terse. The gist of it was: if there were two boxes, they'd each have their own tracking number. You only have one tracking number, you'll have to contact Amazon. Okay, then. Fine.
I did the Contact Us form on the bottom of my account page. I had a response from Amazon within an hour even though they give themselves 12 hours to respond. The Customer Service specialist had replacement items on the way already, and she was sorry, but one item was out of stock. Would I like a refund?
Wow. How awesome is that? I rarely, as in almost never, have a problem with Amazon, and when I did, they immediately took care of me, their customer. This was a far different feeling than I had at the end of the UPS exchange.
At the end of this, I'm left with a real meh feeling about UPS, but I'm like, Amazon rocks! Might be a lesson for other companies and their customer service employees.
March 4, 2014
Bookstore Spree
Late Sunday night, while I was watching the Oscars and thinking about heading to bed, someone tweeting a promo code to Kobo. It was unlimited use and 90% off! OMG!
I immediately hightailed it over to their site. I've had a list of books that's I've wanted to buy forever, but they were all pretty pricey, especially for ebooks. My wish list was reduced substantially as I bought up a storm. Writing books, reference books, romance books, books that simply plain interested me. I bought them all.
I thought I was done, but then yesterday during my lunch hour I saw on Twitter that the coupon code was still good and I picked up a couple more books. With 90% off, it would have been foolish not to!
Of course, not all the books I wanted were included in the sale. The big 5 didn't participate as well as some other publishers like the company that does the For Dummies series. Ah, well, I did enough damage without them.
Grand total? I bought 30 books, but since most of them were a little over a dollar, I think I came out ahead big time.
Alas, I think the coupon code died between lunch time on Monday and when I got home that night or I'd share it here and tell you all to buy my books. The code didn't work on anything I tried to buy yesterday in the evening. Yep, I was still looking to add to the To Be Read pile. Can you blame me? Sales like that don't come often.
I immediately hightailed it over to their site. I've had a list of books that's I've wanted to buy forever, but they were all pretty pricey, especially for ebooks. My wish list was reduced substantially as I bought up a storm. Writing books, reference books, romance books, books that simply plain interested me. I bought them all.
I thought I was done, but then yesterday during my lunch hour I saw on Twitter that the coupon code was still good and I picked up a couple more books. With 90% off, it would have been foolish not to!
Of course, not all the books I wanted were included in the sale. The big 5 didn't participate as well as some other publishers like the company that does the For Dummies series. Ah, well, I did enough damage without them.
Grand total? I bought 30 books, but since most of them were a little over a dollar, I think I came out ahead big time.
Alas, I think the coupon code died between lunch time on Monday and when I got home that night or I'd share it here and tell you all to buy my books. The code didn't work on anything I tried to buy yesterday in the evening. Yep, I was still looking to add to the To Be Read pile. Can you blame me? Sales like that don't come often.
March 2, 2014
Just Another Day In Middle Earth
Air New Zealand rocks!
