Cindy A. Christiansen's Blog, page 30

Why Fiction?

Asmany of you know, I have two children on the autism spectrum. In recognizingAutism Awareness Month, I wanted to share how their disabilities led me towrite fiction.Anumber of years ago, I was dealing with a very difficult situation with myoldest son and his school environment. Several of his teachers suggested Iwrite a non-fiction book about my experiences. Since I enjoy writing andhelping others, I decided that would be a terrific idea.Igathered up my notes, doctors' reports, letters to principals and counselorsand sat down to pen my story and share it with the world. First, my head ached.Then my stomach churned and reflux burned its way up my throat. Tears poureddown my cheeks as I relived the tumultuous past. Needless to say, the autismroad has been rocky and even treacherous at times.I stillswore I'd write our autism journey, but first…Yes,but first I decided to write a fiction book. One without autism. One withoutchildren. One without any kind of health issues. One that would take me awayfrom the stress of holding my breath every minute of every day, certain thatthe phone will ring because one of my children is struggling again.Ifound writing about romance and mysteries I couldsolve just the ticket. Thinking about the characters and dogs in my booksturned out to be the most cathartic thing I've ever done. Temporarily, I canescape the worry about what kind of lives my children will have. If they willever be able to drive, hold down a job, or manage their own finances. If theywill be able to take care of or protect themselves out on their own. If theywill understand social cues well enough to have a positive relationship intheir lives. If they will manage to stay out of jail because they can't handlebeing confronted or restrained. If there will be anyone to take care of themafter I'm gone.Incase you don't know very much about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), I'll giveyou a few brief ideas. It is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders,characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, andrestricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. It occurs in allethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group. Escapismis not the answer to solving this daunting problem we face with ASD. But, attimes we must all step back and take a break from the trials we face. As Icontinue to write, I've been able to face mental disabilities more easily in mywriting. One day, I hope to write that non-fiction memoir of our lives with ASDwith the voice of hope and an ending with a cure. 

Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…andDogs!Fly into a good book todayat:  www.dragonflyromance.com
(1)  http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm(2)   http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/facts-about-autism

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Four Tips to a Better Book Trailer

I'm feeling under the weather this week, so I'm keeping my blogshort. I thought I'd share a few important points about book trailers I've learnedfrom fellow author, Jeannie Linn:
The most common mistake intrailers is too much text. It forces the viewer to do a lot of reading. Thatslows down the video and doesn't utilize the medium to its maximumeffectiveness. You're making a video in order to show a visual display, notrecreate your book blurb.Trailers often spend a lotof time trying to match pictures to words to narrate. Once again, this istrying to tell the plot through images instead of transmitting a look and feelthat will increase interest in the book. The blurb already contains themarketing spiel. A movie trailer shouldn't tell the plot – it should revealtantalizing hints of the premise and use visual imagery to hook the viewer. Make sure you showcase yourname, title, and web info.  At the veryleast, the trailer is another imprint of your author name, brand and cover art.Decide what marketingmessage you want to send with your trailer, i.e. exciting, humorous, sensual.Some books and genres lend themselves very well to trailers. Historicals,paranormals, futuristics -- anywhere you can show setting and costume to enhancethe reader's experience.
All in all, the main purpose of a trailer is to giveadded exposure for your book. Please help me out and add other important tips you've learned. Thanks and have a wonderful healthy week.
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book today at:  www.dragonflyromance.com

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

What’s There To Be Depressed About?

It’s Spring! Should we be depressed?Unfortunately an estimated 30 million people are depressed and taking antidepressants—that’s one in 10. That’s sad in a country so full of opportunities and freedoms.Further narrowing down the facts, Utah has a higher rate of depression than any other US state and women suffer twice as much with depression than men. Also, depression is so high among LDS women that they even have a name for it: the Mother of Zion Syndrome. The only way they could get closer to a description of me is if they said everyone with the name Cindy A. Christiansen is depressed. (lol)Well, I’m not depressed. And despite the fact that my doctors continually tell me I should be, I’m not. Do I get feeling down, discouraged, sad or overwhelmed?  Yes. That’s not depression. If you’ve ever had a chronic illness, you might know the difference.Depression is when you don’t care about anything. You don’t want to do anything. Life is meaningless and you want to continually sleep to escape.For a person with chronic health problems, you are, instead, frustrated that you don’t feel well enough to do all of the things you enjoy in life. Which type are you?From a report on CBS Sunday Morning, Dr. DeRubeis, who co-authored a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, said antidepressants don’t benefit those with mild to moderate depression any more than a placebo. Are you wasting your money on antidepressants?I don’t want to get all religious on you, but here’s what I believe:On the other side of the veil, we were in the presence of God in the most glorious of places. We were ripped away and put down here on earth to face hardships and with violent shows like CSI, Law and Order and Criminal Minds to entertain us. Who wouldn’t be depressed? (lol)Surround yourself with people and things that make you happy and do things that make you feel good about your life while you’re here. Also, remember that one day soon you’ll be back in His presence and all will be well again.As they say, “Enjoy the ride.” I'll keep writing, loving my family, and having fun with my dogs. What will you do?


Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com
Reference: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57399521/examining-the-broad-reach-of-depression/?tag=contentBody;cbsCarousel
Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

What's There To Be Depressed About?

It's Spring! Should we bedepressed?Unfortunately an estimated30 million people are depressed and taking antidepressants—that's one in 10. That'ssad in a country so full of opportunities and freedoms.Further narrowing down thefacts, Utah has a higher rate of depression than any other US state and womensuffer twice as much with depression than men. Also, depression is so highamong LDS women that they even have a name for it: the Mother of Zion Syndrome.The only way they could get closer to a description of me is if they saideveryone with the name Cindy A. Christiansen is depressed. (lol)Well, I'm not depressed. Anddespite the fact that my doctors continually tell me I should be, I'm not. Do Iget feeling down, discouraged, sad or overwhelmed?  Yes. That's not depression. If you've everhad a chronic illness, you might know the difference.Depression is when you don'tcare about anything. You don't want to do anything. Life is meaningless and youwant to continually sleep to escape.For a person with chronichealth problems, you are, instead, frustrated that you don't feel well enoughto do all of the things you enjoy in life. Which type are you?From a report on CBS Sunday Morning,Dr. DeRubeis, who co-authored a study in the Journal of the American MedicalAssociation, said antidepressants don't benefit those with mild to moderatedepression any more than a placebo. Are you wasting your money onantidepressants?I don't want to get allreligious on you, but here's what I believe:On the other side of theveil, we were in the presence of God in the most glorious of places. We wereripped away and put down here on earth to face hardships and with violent showslike CSI, Law and Order and Criminal Minds to entertain us. Who wouldn't bedepressed? (lol)Surround yourself withpeople and things that make you happy and do things that make you feel good about your life while you're here. Also, remember that one day soon you'llbe back in His presence and all will be well again.As they say, "Enjoy theride." I'll keep writing, loving myfamily, and having fun with my dogs. What will you do?


Cindy A.ChristiansenSweetRomance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into agood book at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com
Reference: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57399521/examining-the-broad-reach-of-depression/?tag=contentBody;cbsCarousel
Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

I’ve Got a Bone to Pick: Handling a Bad (Sort of Bad) Review

Bad Reviews. We’ve all had them. Well, maybe you haven’t, but work with me here.I received a bad review over the weekend, but I’m not sure what to make of it. The reviewer starts with this statement:
Okay, so I'm suffering through a major bronchial infection, doped up on five different meds including a narcotic cough suppressant. My world is a pretty hazy place right now.
STOP. So what are you thinking right now? Yeah. I agree. Maybe she should have taken a week off work. Reviewers and critics can ruin people’s careers and businesses, but what do I know. The review continued:
Could this be the reason that I found Caskets and Corruption inoffensive, and maybe even somewhat appealing?
What? So what’s your assessment of that last line? Inoffensive means not objectionable. Somewhat appealing means she might not have loved it but may have liked it.Then this line:
What a strange book.
Well, not looking too good. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and this is not my first negative critique. I write sweet romance with comedy, suspense…and dogs! That’s what makes my books different, unusual…strange?  Every contest I’ve entered under the category of romantic suspense has rejected my books as inappropriate. Romantic suspense is supposed to be serious—special ops, CSI, police, murder, crime. Yeah, you need to have some of that in order to have intrigue, but that’s not what I like to focus on.  I like to focus on character and relationship development. The reviewer continued with a plot summation and then this:
There are a lot of amusing moments like these throughout the book, and I appreciated the author's zany sense of humor.There were unfortunately a number of things I didn't like about the book. Number one on the list of things that made me crazy was - why didn't Phillip just call the MPs and tell them to come get the body and the drugs? They could have even gone to the civilian police. Instead Phillip planned to take Lizzie with him to a convention of funeral directors in another city, to get help there. Why? Why? Why? Maybe I was too high to get it.
Well, I did explain that in the book. The bad guy had a gun, he wouldn’t let Phillip out of his site, Lizzie wanted to preserve the evidence before the bad guy took it away, and so they ran. Phillip didn’t plan on taking Lizzie with him to the convention. They needed away to get the evidence to Dover Air Force Base and that was near where the convention was held. Phillip didn’t want Lizzie in danger and left her in Denver. They had a major drug cartel after them and they couldn’t use credit cards, cell phones or anything else traceable. They also had the civilian police after them because they’d stolen a vehicle and attacked an officer. I’d hoped that I’d explained all of that well, but sometimes it just doesn’t get through.
I guess her other objection to the book bothered me the most. Here it is: 
Another item on the negative list is Phillip's choice of attire. He wears turtlenecks all the time, due to scarring. Understandable - unless it's hot and he wears a  short sleeve knit turtleneck . Visions of dickies running through my head didn't make Phillip a very attractive hero.
I thought this was the most touching thing in the book. Phillip was injured in a fire trying to save his father and his dog. This is the scene where Lizzie finds out why Phillip has closed himself off from love. She is pretending to be a massage therapist to avoid capture by the drug cartel:
Lizzie worked her way up to his neck. Her hand touched his scar and gently brushed over it. Without thinking, he rolled to his side and fearfully grasped her wrist to stop her. Her gaze roved over his scarred, burned torso and shoulder. He looked away. He couldn’t stand to see the disgust or pity which would surface at any moment.He reached for the blanket, but she pushed him to his back and tenderly began to massage his chest and shoulders.“This?” she asked.“This what?”A soft chuckle escaped her. “This is what turned you as cold as a corpse against life and being happy? Made you alienate yourself from those who care about you?”A laugh? Sheer shock stunned him. He’d never suspected a chuckle from the first woman, or any woman, who saw his hideous flesh. He’d guarded himself so carefully so as not to be hurt. He’d always thought the burns would repulse any woman he met. How could this be? He’d pictured this moment in his mind a million times. He’d been guarding himself against the pain and rejection for two years.He turned and found tenderness softening her expression.“Phillip, did this happen the day your father died?”He couldn’t respond. Her words and touch rendered him speechless.“You tried to save him, didn’t you? Don’t you see? This is a badge of honor, like a medal pinned on your chest. You should be proud. You shouldn’t hide yourself away and stop people from getting close to you. It’s so admirable, what you did.” She leaned down and kissed the burn across his chest.
What are you thinking?  Was this scene touching to you?  At the end of the book, Phillip isn’t wearing the turtlenecks anymore. I thought it was rather revealing of his character.Anyway, the reviewer ends with this statement:
I find I can't recommend the book…
Well, chew on that for a while and then tell me what you thought of this review. Was it good? Was it bad? Should it destroy my career? Should I send her another one of my books to review? Should I take up golf? Let me hear from you. I'm still here in the meantime. 
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and dogs!Fly into a good book today at:  www.dragonflyromance.com


Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

I've Got a Bone to Pick: Handling a Bad (Sort of Bad) Review

Bad Reviews. We've all hadthem. Well, maybe you haven't, but work with me here.I received a bad review overthe weekend, but I'm not sure what to make of it. The reviewer starts with thisstatement:
Okay, so I'm sufferingthrough a major bronchial infection, doped up on five different meds includinga narcotic cough suppressant. My world is a pretty hazy place right now.
STOP. Sowhat are you thinking right now? Yeah. I agree. Maybe sheshould have taken a week off work. Reviewers and critics can ruin people'scareers and businesses, but what do I know. The review continued:
Could this be thereason that I found Caskets and Corruption inoffensive, and maybeeven somewhat appealing?
What? So what's yourassessment of that last line? Inoffensive means not objectionable. Somewhatappealing means she might not have loved it but may have liked it.Then this line:
What a strange book.
Well, not looking too good. Everybodyis entitled to their opinion and this is not my first negative critique. Iwrite sweet romance with comedy, suspense…and dogs! That's what makes my booksdifferent, unusual…strange?  Everycontest I've entered under the category of romantic suspense has rejected mybooks as inappropriate. Romantic suspense is supposed to be serious—special ops,CSI, police, murder, crime. Yeah, you need to have some of that in order tohave intrigue, but that's not what I like to focus on.  I like to focus on character and relationshipdevelopment. The reviewer continued with a plot summation and then this:
There are a lot ofamusing moments like these throughout the book, and I appreciated the author'szany sense of humor.There wereunfortunately a number of things I didn't like about the book. Number one onthe list of things that made me crazy was - why didn't Phillip just call theMPs and tell them to come get the body and the drugs? They could have even goneto the civilian police. Instead Phillip planned to take Lizzie with him to aconvention of funeral directors in another city, to get help there. Why? Why?Why? Maybe I was too high to get it.
Well, I did explain that inthe book. The bad guy had a gun, he wouldn't let Phillip out of his site,Lizzie wanted to preserve the evidence before the bad guy took it away, and sothey ran. Phillip didn't plan on taking Lizzie with him to the convention. Theyneeded away to get the evidence to Dover Air Force Base and that was near wherethe convention was held. Phillip didn't want Lizzie in danger and left her inDenver. They had a major drug cartel after them and they couldn't use creditcards, cell phones or anything else traceable. They also had the civilianpolice after them because they'd stolen a vehicle and attacked an officer. I'dhoped that I'd explained all of that well, but sometimes it just doesn't getthrough.
I guess her other objectionto the book bothered me the most. Here it is: 
Another item on thenegative list is Phillip's choice of attire. He wears turtlenecks all the time,due to scarring. Understandable - unless it's hot and he wears a  shortsleeve knit turtleneck . Visions of dickies running through my head didn'tmake Phillip a very attractive hero.
I thought this was the mosttouching thing in the book. Phillip was injured in a fire trying to save hisfather and his dog. This is the scene where Lizzie finds out why Phillip hasclosed himself off from love. She is pretending to be a massage therapist toavoid capture by the drug cartel:
Lizzieworked her way up to his neck. Her hand touched his scar and gently brushedover it. Without thinking, he rolled to his side and fearfully grasped her wristto stop her. Her gaze roved over his scarred, burned torso and shoulder. Helooked away. He couldn't stand to see the disgust or pity which would surface atany moment.Hereached for the blanket, but she pushed him to his back and tenderly began tomassage his chest and shoulders."This?"she asked."Thiswhat?"Asoft chuckle escaped her. "This is what turned you as cold as a corpse againstlife and being happy? Made you alienate yourself from those who care aboutyou?"Alaugh? Sheer shock stunned him. He'd never suspected a chuckle from the firstwoman, or any woman, who saw his hideous flesh. He'd guarded himself socarefully so as not to be hurt. He'd always thought the burns would repulse anywoman he met. How could this be? He'd pictured this moment in his mind amillion times. He'd been guarding himself against the pain and rejection fortwo years.Heturned and found tenderness softening her expression."Phillip,did this happen the day your father died?"Hecouldn't respond. Her words and touch rendered him speechless."Youtried to save him, didn't you? Don't you see? This is a badge of honor, like amedal pinned on your chest. You should be proud. You shouldn't hide yourselfaway and stop people from getting close to you. It's so admirable, what youdid." She leaned down and kissed the burn across his chest.
What are you thinking?  Was this scene touching to you?  At the end of the book, Phillip isn't wearingthe turtlenecks anymore. I thought it was rather revealing of his character.Anyway, the reviewer endswith this statement:
I find I can'trecommend the book…
Well, chew on that for a while and then tell me what you thought ofthis review. Was it good? Was it bad? Should it destroy my career? Should Isend her another one of my books to review? Should I take up golf? Let me hear from you. I'm still here in the meantime. 
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy,Suspense...and dogs!Fly into a good book todayat:  www.dragonflyromance.com


Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Why I Hate Animal Abuse

OnMarch 7th, my fourth sweet romance, Hazardous Hideaway , goeson sale through Amazon, B&N and other sites. Although an important but minorscene in the book, it does deal with animal abuse. Many of you may know that I'mdonating a portion of sales to help abused and abandoned dogs. I thought I'dshare a story from my past to express why dogs are such an important cause tome. Thanks for talking the time to read this.



Oneof my favorite dogs in my youth growing up on our farm was a Blue Heeler named Duke.Despite the name, Duke was a female. She was a protective dog and worked thesheep and cattle like a pro.Onesummer day, we heard Duke whimpering. We found her sprawled on the back porch steps,a bullet in her head. My dad miraculously managed to save her life, but she wasnever the same after that. Abouttwo years later, my dad and I hauled a load of garbage to the dump. Duke rodein the truck by my feet. When my dad got out to unload, I reached down to pether head. She lunged at me, knocked the glasses from my face, and bit my cheekand eyelid. The blood poured profusely from the wound. Shock ensued.Icouldn't believe my once loyal friend would attack me. But…I also understood. Iloved Duke, and I didn't want her to get in trouble. I searched my pockets andthe truck for something to soak up the blood but to no avail. I ended up wipingblood all over my jeans and the Naugahyde roof of our old 1964 Ford pick-uptruck.Ihid my face as my dad stepped up into the truck. It only took a few seconds for him to notice the bloodstains. He turned my face toward him and stared at me indisbelief."Pleasedon't be mad at Duke," I whispered to him, holding back a sob.Wereturned home in silence. And, I was never to see Duke again. When I asked mydad where she'd gone, he told me she must've wandered off. But in my heart andby the pain in his eyes, I knew what had truly happened.

Supportorganizations that help abused and abandoned dogs; spay and neuter your pets;and help support legislation which would increase the penalty for animal abuse.
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy,Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good bookat:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com

       Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Surprising Results of Last Week’s Survey on What Readers Want

Okay, the results are in on what readers want, and it's very fascinating!  There was a large response, and I've summed up the results.  Take a look:

Do you know the difference between sweet romance and clean?  The majority said yes, but 40% said they didn’t know.  I didn’t know for many years.  Sweet romance means there’s no bedroom scenes or offensive language.  A clean romance means no bedroom scenes but there is some level of language.Do you only read one genre of romance?  80% percent said no.  The most read genre tended to be romantic suspense.Do you prefer a romance book with a down-to-earth hero or a hero with money, confidence and no character flaws?  Our down-to-earth heroes won by an impressive 98%.  The comments were that these heroes were more believable, like someone you’d really meet.Does a contemporary book with incorrect facts stop you from finishing the book?  35% of the readers said it did.  Add that to the 46% that said sometimes, and authors better start working harder on their research.Do punctuation or grammatical errors stop you from finishing a book?  47% of the readers said that sometimes it did, but only 23% said it would definitely stop them. That’s a little better than the incorrect facts, folks.Are you wary of self-published books?  The answer to this was pretty much a tie with yes slightly ahead. The general comment was that you read a lot of bad but often find a gem.Do you read to escape and like happily-ever-after endings?  A resounding 64% said they did read to escape and preferred HEA because there is so much bad going on in the world. Which do you prefer: ebooks or print books? Both was clearly the winner and from the comments, both obviously have their merits.  But between ebooks and print books, readers preferred print 39% to only 9% ebooks.  Very interesting!What makes you choose a book?  I have to admit, I was surprised by the results of this one. Jacket blurb took the lead at 73%.  Word-or-mouth was second at 55%. I expected cover art to be the clear winner.

There you have it!  I hope this little survey shed some light on the subject of what readers want.  It sure has for me. 
Let me know if you won the $100 Amazon Gift Card and have a great week!
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book today at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Surprising Results of Last Week's Survey on What Readers Want

Okay,the results are in on what readers want, and it's very fascinating!  There was alarge response, and I've summed up the results. Take a look:

Do you know the difference betweensweet romance and clean?  The majoritysaid yes, but 40% said they didn't know. I didn't know for many years. Sweet romance means there's no bedroom scenes or offensivelanguage.  A clean romance means nobedroom scenes but there is some level of language.Do you only read one genre of romance? 80% percent said no.  The most read genre tended to be romanticsuspense.Do you prefer a romance book with a down-to-earthhero or a hero with money, confidence and no character flaws? Our down-to-earth heroes won byan impressive 98%.  The comments werethat these heroes were more believable, like someone you'd really meet.Does a contemporary book withincorrect facts stop you from finishing the book?  35% ofthe readers said it did.  Add that tothe 46% that said sometimes, and authors better start working harder on theirresearch.Do punctuation or grammatical errorsstop you from finishing a book?  47% ofthe readers said that sometimes it did, but only 23% said it woulddefinitely stop them. That's a little better than the incorrect facts, folks.Are you wary of self-published books? The answer to this was pretty much a tie with yes slightly ahead. The general comment was that you reada lot of bad but often find a gem.Do you read to escape and like happily-ever-afterendings?  A resounding 64% said they did read to escape and preferred HEA because there isso much bad going on in the world. Which do you prefer: ebooks or print books? Both was clearly the winner and from the comments, both obviously have their merits.  But between ebooks and printbooks, readers preferred print 39% toonly 9% ebooks.  Very interesting!What makes you choose a book? I have to admit, I was surprised by the results of this one. Jacket blurb took the lead at 73%.  Word-or-mouth was second at 55%. I expectedcover art to be the clear winner.

Thereyou have it!  I hope this little surveyshed some light on the subject of what readers want.  It sure has for me. 
Letme know if you won the $100 Amazon Gift Card and have a great week!
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy,Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book todayat:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Quick Survey: A Short Bark and then a Treat!

Whether you'rea romance reader or a writer who loves to read, I want to hear you bark!
Come on overto Survey Monkey and answer 10 quick, easy reader questions. I'm just lookingfor a little information about your romance reading choices.
What's in itfor you?  How about a chance to win a$100 Amazon gift card?  Seriously! Ends February 28, 2012.


Click here to take survey

Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!
Fly into a good book today at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com



Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author