C. Margery Kempe's Blog: Lady Smut, page 168

A Writer’s List of Common Sense Mistakes

Okay, so I’m somewhat back in the grove of things, writing and reading that is. And in the midst of all my reading and writing (I seem to read/write several works at a time) I’ve decided to compile a list of common sense mistakes that writers make. I admit it, I’ve been guilty of some of these mistakes and I’ll tell you how. You get into the grove of writing and if you write enough, sometimes plot strings blend, characters jump books, basically you stare at the pages of your manuscripts so long that it all becomes a big ‘ol jumbled mess in your head. So here is a list to check off when you do that final read through (and yes it does help if you do that read through a week or two after you end all your tinkering with your manuscript):

1)      Consistency in characters – ever read a book where a character has brown eyes in the beginning and hazel eyes halfway through (I’m not talking colored contacts)? I have and it can be very distracting for my imagination as I always try to imagine the characters I’m reading about. The most important thing is to keep them consistent unless something happens to actually change them and that is your purpose. Same goes for setting, job, friends, etc. Drives me nuts when a character is in one place and then ends up in another without any explanation.

2)      Tie plot strings together – this is much harder than readers think and it is something I completely struggle with as I continue to dig my plots deeper and deeper. Still, without some kind of closure or tying together of plot strings, you can leave your reader feeling lost or as if something is missing from your work.

3)       Historical accuracy – I know a lot of what I read and write is fiction, but nothing throws you off more than an author who weaves a bit of historical fact into their story…incorrectly. Saying Columbus discovered the New World in the eighteenth century or that World War II started in 1961 are ridiculous errors not easily forgiven by readers, even if they’re only typos.

4)      Misspelling and grammatical errors – a couple errors here and there aren’t a big deal but any book riddled with them will no doubt turn a reader off. With the dawn of self-publishing and the digital age, this is something we writers need to pay close attention to. Editors seem to be squeezed out of many equations and even when you get an editor, having a great one is truly a blessing.

5)      Scenes that make sense – ugh, this is another one I try very hard not to be guilty of. It can be very easy to write a scene, have it be wonderful and then realize it has no purpose in your story or really doesn’t make sense. The make sense part is huge in sex scenes. Some of the sex scenes I’ve read have the most unusual positions and descriptions. I sit there trying to figure out how they are doing what this author has described and next thing I am completely pulled out of the storyline.

I’m sure I can think of more but this list of five should give you a good start. Make sure to look for these after you’ve given your manuscript a rest for a few days. Makes it awfully hard to spot errors when your eyes and brain are in their jumbled up phase. Happy writing this week!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Serendipity by Gerri Brousseau

Hi Y’all. Gerri here. I know you were expecting Leia Shaw, but it’s her wedding anniversary so we thought it would be nice to give her the day off. Congratulations to Leia and her hubby.

Today I thought I would talk about serendipity. This is the accidental discovery of something pleasant, valuable or useful when you least expected it. Over the course of the winter and into spring I had a bird feeder hanging out on my deck. I feel sorry for these poor little creatures trying to eke out a survival over the harsh winter. I enjoy watching all the colorful birds that come to visit the feeder, which is the first serendipitous effect of having the feeder up. The birds unknowingly provide entertainment for my cats, which is the second serendipitous discovery of feeding the birds. The cats watch through the glass door, their tails wagging back and forth as the birds eat their sunflower seeds. How funny the cats are. They know they can never get those birds through the door, yet, they sit there each day honing their stalking skills on prey they can never reach.

Out on the deck I happen to also have a huge flower pot. It’s full of soil, but nothing was planted in it this year. Last year, it hosted a tomato plant, but since I didn’t put a deck garden in this year, it remains empty. The feeder just happens to hang over the large planter. Now it just so happens that the birds are messy when they are eating seeds. They toss seeds to the ground as they search for the particular type of seed they favor.

Last month I noticed I had two plants growing in my forgotten flower pot. I never watered them and just left them to the elements. Much to my surprise, I have a little garden out there. One of the plants turned out to be a beautiful sunflower and the other … corn. Yes, I have a corn stalk growing in my planter. It’s probably 5 feet tall! How exciting! I’m happy to have growth out there that was provided by the messy birds dropping seeds. How serendipitous is that?

Have you ever had a serendipitous experience? What pleasant event happened that you didn’t expect? Please do share. Inquiring minds want to know …

Filed under: romance

Weekly Paranormal-Scope

While I’m not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets, I am intimately linked with the paranormal in the world.  In many ways, so are you.

The week ahead for:

Aries

Mermaids have recorded a cd.  Listen to music more and enjoy life.

Taurus

Shifter bunnies know where are the fun places are.  Get out more and visit new places.

Gemini

Gremlins know everything about cars, taking them apart that is.  Get better advice before making a purchase.

Cancer

One vampire in particular thinks you’re sweet.  Eat more pickles, unless you want a mysterious admirer.

Leo

Shapeshifters are great interior designers.  Do a room makeover.

Virgo

Werewolves like to howl about their troubles.  Don’t listen.  Don’t let naysayers bring your down.

Libra

A vampire thinks you’re great.  A fun nightlife could be yours.

Scorpio

Home and hearth need your attention.  Think like a hobbit and enjoy family and friends.

Sagittarius

Gnomes know the best places to shop.  New friends will bring added excitement to your life.

Capricorn

Elves offer a deversion, but keep on your course.  It will be worth it.

Aquarius

Dragons love exotic foods.  Think about buying a new cookbook and try new things.

Pieces

Goblins know how to save money.  Do likewise and you will benefit later.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Filed under: Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope

Interview with Kemberlee Shortland

by C. Margery Kempe 

I’m pleased to welcome writer/publisher Kemberlee Shortland to Nights of Passion. In addition to being a busy writer, she’s also the head of Tirgearr Publishing. Kem’s going to be giving away a copy of A Piece of My Heart and the short story sequel, Constant Craving, so be sure to comment to enter the contest.

What inspired Rhythm of My Heart?

Rhythm of My Heart started out as an erotica, the story of which got in the way. The more I learned about Kieran and Eilis, the more I wanted to know. A story developed just begging to be told. Don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a sweet romance. Once Kieran and Eilis work out their difficulties, their coming together rivals any erotica out there!

What started you writing romance?

I read early as a child and was reading romance in junior high school. Not Harlequins either but the big, thick, 100K+ word tomes. I used to think they were adventure stories and soaked them up like a dry sponge. I blew past the sex since I didn’t understand it, and paged through to the next action scene. Wasn’t long though before those intimate scenes started making sense! I’ve always enjoyed writing since I was young and started writing  my own stories as early as 5th grade. My first novel was a high school romance, most of which took place in the backs of cars {ahem!}. Wasn’t until my early 20s that I thought I’d give romance a serious try. That book became Sarah’s Secret. To this day, I believe it’s an awesome story. One day I’ll rewrite it and see if anyone is interested in reading it.

How did you develop your craft?

My craft is always developing. I believe the foundation, though, is based in reading. A lot. Also, listening to advice. And never giving up, even when the rejections poured in. Two steps forward and one step back is still one step forward!

What makes a great heroine?

A woman who is strong and independent, yet appreciates the love of a good man and accepts his support when she needs it. A woman who knows what she wants and goes after it.

What’s sexy?

A man who is trustworthy, dependable, honest, passionate, sensitive to others needs before his own, capable in many situations, protective of those he loves and those in need . . . and a deep voice, knows how to kiss my socks off and isn’t afraid to ask for

directions in any situation! Oh, and Liam Neeson!

What makes you laugh?

Our dogs. Really bad jokes. Miriam Margolyes!

Do you ever incorporate real people/events into your stories?

I don’t write about people I know but I have written about events. A Piece of My Heart is a good example. One of the strong secondary characters is a Border Collie called Molly which I based on our own Border Collie, Daisie. Daisie’s original name was Molly and we came by her in a similar situation as what happened in the book. I can’t say without giving away part of the story, but it wasn’t pretty. But she’s a gorgeous dog now and we’re so happy to have her. And Poppy, who also had a similar beginning in life. Both dogs are rescues.

How do you balance writing with the rest of your life?

I’m lucky enough to be able to ‘work from home’ so I write during the day when himself is at work. If I’m under a deadline, I’ll work late into the night, or early hours of the morning depending on one’s perspective. I haven’t had much time for fresh writing since

we launched Tirgearr Publishing, but I’ve been editing, both our authors and my own work. We have a wonderful editor called Christine whose most recent job has been to help me get the rest of my Irish Pride Series polished and ready for publication. If not

for her, Rhythm of My Heart would be languishing at the bottom of a slush pile. And I’m always in research mode. Even when driving in the car. It may seem like I’m day dreaming out the window or sleeping, but really, I’m formulating stories in my mind.

Ignore the snoring please!

What’s the most common mistake people make about you?

That people think I’m a grown up. Ask anyone who really knows me and they’ll tell you I’m the biggest kid they know.

What ambitions do you have ahead of you?

I’m very ambitious. Maybe the question should be what don’t I want to do? Five year plan? I’d like to see Tirgearr Publishing doing very well. Preferably well enough that himself doesn’t have to work outside the home. That means we can live anywhere, which

is ideal since we’re planning to move Stateside within the next 18 months. I have this wild imagining of buying a cushy RV and seeing America. With an internet business and being a writer, I can work from anywhere. Unfortunately, an RV makes me sound like I’m ready to migrate to Florida for the rest of my days. That ain’t happening! But we both would love to see America, and all our friends along the way. Might as well do it while we’re young, right?

What’s the best advice you ever received?

You can do anything you set your mind to.

If money were no object, what would be your ideal vacation?

Retirement!

What’s next for you?

Next up is Shape of My Heart. I don’t have a release date yet, but it will be available in early November. This is the story of Kieran’s sister, Gráinne, who meets her match with John ‘JD’ Desmond. She’s decided to get her life back together, to grow up as it were,

but ends up on the sticky end of things. There’s an excerpt of this story on my website — http://www.kemberlee.com/mybooks/somh....

Excerpt: This scene is from Rhythm of My Heart when Kieran and Eilis first meet. Eilis is an artist representative and Kieran is a blues guitarist. Eilis had heard Kieran play in The Little Man Pub the previous night and sent him a note, asking him to meet her at the bar.

She knows the moment she hears him play that he’s the Garth Brooks of the blues, and with her management, he’ll be just as big as Garth. But Kieran failed to meet her, so she goes to the pub the next day and enquires with the publican where she can find the

musician, Kieran Vaughan. It doesn’t go as smoothly as she’d hoped. After dealing with the nasty little publican, Eilis is about ready to leave when Kieran finally shows up. 

Her gaze never wavered as she stared the little man in the eye.

“Sir,” she smiled sweetly, honey dripping from her words. She leaned over the bar just enough to give him a glimpse of the swell of her breast through the opening of her blouse. “I doubt you have anything I would be interested in. Besides, you don’t really want me to find out why this place is called The Little Man, do you?”

This earned the publican long oohs and sniggers from the patrons, who were now on the edges of their seats waiting to hear the disagreeable little man’s response.

Obviously taken aback by such a brazen retort, the man stood gaping red-faced at her for a moment before he got his wits about him. He winked at the men around the bar. “Oy does like me birds feisty!” That only encouraged more laughter.

Eilis could have enjoyed the banter if only the man wasn’t so repulsive. All she wanted to do was meet Kieran Vaughan and get out of Finglas as quickly as possible.

When the laughing stopped, Eilis’s gaze never wavered as she said, “Well?”

“Well what, loov?” he asked, wiping the tears from his eyes with a dirty bar towel.

“Are you going to tell me where to find Kieran Vaughan?” He was trying her patience, but she did her best to keep the frustration out of her voice.

Then she sensed someone step up behind her and straightened instantly. Somehow she knew it was Kieran.

The feral scent of him permeated her senses instantly and quickened her pulse. Butterflies replaced the strange ache in her stomach that had been there just moments before.

She turned slowly and looked up at the most handsome man she’d ever seen in her life. She found herself instantly speechless.

She’d seen him on stage the night before and knew he was handsome. But this close up . . . Never before had she seen such blue eyes. And as she gazed into them, they changed from the light steel blue to the color of storm clouds heavily ringed with gunmetal. That he had dark brows and thick lashes only made his gaze seem more intense.

“Ye’ve found him, loov,” said the little man, taunting her. “Now what are ye goin’ ta do with him?”

The hammering of her heart and the pulsing blood in her temples blocked out the noise in the room as she looked into Kieran Vaughan’s eyes. To her dismay, her knees actually quivered.

Something in the pit of her belly ached. No, something else. It was like warm melting honey running through her marrow. In that moment she longed to touch him, to brush the unruly wave of his dark hair away from his face, to feel his lips against the pads of her fingers, to . . .

When he spoke she almost didn’t hear him.

“Like the man said, now that you’ve found me, what are you going to do with me?” His eyes sparkled with unabashed mischief.

“Anything you want me to,” she heard herself whisper….

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Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, contemporary romance, Interview, Kit Marlowe

Real Life vs. Romantic Life

Being a romance author, I’m really into the Happily Ever After.   Though now I understand, it can also mean Happy For Now.  I love books, and I come from a science fiction and fantasy background.  Even then I was still into the Happily Ever After.  If an astronaut landed on a distant planet, I wanted him to win… either make some sort of life happen there or come home.  There are tons of books out there that are depressing.  The hero or heroine settle for less or horrible stuff happens to them and they are the perpetual victim.  I guess I can’t buy that.

Two years back I was in a restaurant in Philadelphia.  I was between panels at a conference and needed to eat.  A woman sat directly opposite me also eating alone.  We struck up a conversation.  She was in Philly visiting a friend who was dying.  We talked about hospitals.  I know too much about two particular ones with various family members as patients, and then she asked why I was there.  I told her I was there for a romance conference.  She immediately said, “I only read non-fiction.  I can’t read anything unreal.”   I had nothing to say except that “sometimes romance is a reflection of reality.  The names are changed to protect the guilty.”  She thought was that was funny for a second, and then went on to tell me about all the books she’d read on news events.  She only liked things that were real, and didn’t consider romance real.  I listened and realized that her heart was very busy with the grim reality of her friend dying.  We parted with kind words.

You can’t change some people’s minds.  Sometimes hearts are too busy.  You have to have a heart open to the idea of romance.  I would like to rename romance fiction as romance possibilites.  That’s what romance authors really write–possibilities.  Okay, so some of us (myself included) write clearly about the other edge of possibility.  (From time to time, a reader will write and tell me that they saw my hero vampire David Hilliard from The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais was in Times Square. All I can say to that is, “David, stop showing off. Bad vampire!”)

Back to reality… giggles.  A friend of mine proved to me that the dream of romance can come true.

Many many years ago, he fell in love in college in Hawaii.  He proposed to the girl of his dreams.  She went home to Japan to tell her parents and they were against it as they had already arranged a marriage for her.  When he arrived in Japan to find out why she didn’t call him, he was turned away by her father.  She had gotten married.

My friend never fell in love again.

Is everyone bummed out now?  Read on.

A few years ago, Japan changed their law where only a husband could seek a divorce.  The girl of his dreams now a more mature woman got a divorce from her husband.  She contacted friends from college who knew him and where he might be now.

My friend opened his door to find her on his doorstep.  Kisses.  Embraces.  Joyous exclamations!  (Okay, I wasn’t there and he didn’t share those details only the joy they had in seeing each other.  LOL)  The next day they got married.  She now lives with the guy of her dreams in sunny California.

I’ve seen so many people under the worst circumstances find the light and sometimes even romance.   My real life is romantic.  I know other people too who have romantic lives.  Are we real?  Real doesn’t have to be sad with one tragedy after another.  I’m not saying bad stuff doesn’t happen.  But when it does and your heart has been busy taking care of all those grim and tragic things, remember when you can to open your heart.  Life is a romance.  Why can’t it be real?

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Filed under: A Lesson in Love, romance, Susan Hanniford Crowley, What inspires you?, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Is it a Passion or a Joy to write? By Marian Lanouette

With me it’s both. From an early age, reading took me away to places I knew I’d never see and people I’d never get to meet.

As one of ten children raised in a five room apartment, reading provided an escape that to this day still whisks me away to faraway place; and introduces me to puzzles that need to be solved.   During my Clara Barton days I wanted to be a nurse. I fell in love with the Hardy Boys. Nancy Drew made me want to be a detective and on and on it went. If only for a few hours or a few days a week, I could be anyone I wanted to be, thanks to the magic of books.

My passion for reading grew as I grew, not only was I reading mysteries, I started reading autobiographies, human interest stories and the daily newspaper before I was seven. My thirst for knowledge expanded with my most precious gift—my library card. My imagination also grew and I started to express myself in poems and short stories. I never kept a diary but I did keep a journal of stories and poems.

As a child I went out of my way to keep the peace, so I held my thoughts and opinions to myself. Writing became very cathartic for me. Here on the pages in front of me I could vent, I could create and I could dream. Yes, I owned the worlds I created. And what worlds they were. I traveled the globe and saved the world or I met the handsome prince (I did years later and married him) and live-happily-ever after. If my imagination could create it—I could live it.

So I ask today, how did you get interested in reading and writing? And when did you put your first words on the paper?

That very day you became a writer.

Filed under: romance

Passion of Olympic Proportion by Gerri Brousseau

I’m sitting here so mesmerized by the Olympic Games that I find it difficult to concentrate on writing. I am amazed to watch these young men and women strive to achieve their dream. No one is born with the idea of becoming a doctor, a firefighter, a writer or an Olympic Champion, but somewhere along their life’s journey, the seed is planted and grows. I am watching these young men and women and I’m thinking about how much they have in common with writing. At some point in their lives they discover they have a talent, whether it is in swimming, volley ball, or diving, it is discovered. And it is refined. They spent hours practicing. They probably gave up going to school functions, such as dances. They probably have not read the most current best-selling novel; and probably have not seen the hottest movie of the summer for many, many summers. They probably have friends who have told them they are crazy if they think they have what it takes to get to the Olympics. And I would suspect that they probably do not have time for dating. They spend their time honing their craft. They are passionate about being the best at what they do. They spend countless hours alone, be it in the pool doing laps, jumping off diving boards, running a track against a time clock and despite everything, they continue on. There is no sick day, there is no vacation, there is no such thing as not feeling like practicing today. There is a driving need to be the best. They will not listen to those who say they are crazy. In fact, perhaps the negative comments are a fuel to propel them onward. They never give in and never give up. This is the mark of a champion.

What does this have to do with writing? Whether it’s writing, striving to pass a bar exam or getting a GED, it’s all about never giving in and never giving up. It’s about that seed of greatness which is in each of us. A seed which each individual needs to discover and nurture and grow into the greatness which I believe was destined for each of us. Be brave. Have passion and NEVER give up.

I have recently had the joy of having a friend share a recent success with me. She is a fellow writer who some time ago felt defeated. We had a brief conversation and I asked her this … if you had a thousand rocks in your yard and I told you that under one of those rocks was a check for a million dollars with your name on it, how fast would you flip those rocks? Would you stop after you flipped 20 and did not find the check? No. After 200? No. The answer was she would flip them all until she found the check. I was so thrilled to share in her recent success, especially when she told me that what kept her going was my analogy.

Can we all become champions in our own lives? Certainly. This blog is Nights of Passion, but I say live Lives of Passion and realize your dreams. What are you passionate about? What is your dream?

Filed under: romance

The End of the Website Trilogy

All right, so now onto the third and final part of these website posts. Today we are talking websites and their looks. Overall, I’d say websites have come a long way in regards to their design. These days, a huge range of websites are attractive from the classic nice use of whitespace to the busy, appealing graphic design. Authors and most especially romance authors can probably get away with sites that are a bit more wistful, colorful or fantastic than others.

If you are looking for a bit more than what your website templates offer, you may want to try a banner/header. These can either be made by yourself or you can have someone else make them for you.  If using blogger, this Songbird blog has some great tips on creating banners. This banner maker site is also nice for beginners (although you will need to upgrade to avoid ads). Banner Snack is also a great website to make your own banners. If you’d rather go the route of having someone create your header/banner for you, here are a couple sites I found or have heard of:

Fated Desires

Earthly Charms

Most likely you’ll find a ton of sites as you do your searching. Take your time and make sure you find something you are truly interested in. You can also ask around on loops or see if there are any reviews that provide you a bit of background on the websites. Finally,  if you are interested in having your website completely designed for you, you’ll want to look for a web/graphic designer willing to do this. Xuni is a designer that I’ve found and I love the designs listed on this website. A bit more than I could afford right now (truth is anything that costs anything is a bit more than I am willing to spend now) but definitely someone to consider in the future.

I hope these links help and I realize this is a short blog but the truth is there is so much out there I could probably write an entire series of novels on it.  Take the time to explore and make sure you are branding yourself the way you want to be branded. Goodluck!

Filed under: romance, Toni Kelly, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

10 Things to Do with Your Kids While You Read by Leia Shaw

Do you have kids? Do you like some of them? Me too! And if you’re like me, you also admit they can be a regular pain in the ass.

Here are 10 ideas to keep your little ones occupied for any occasion. Reading, writing, stalking ex-boyfriends on facebook…whatever your creepy hobby may be.

1. Instigate a fight between siblings. As long as you can ignore the screams of pain and don’t mind blood on the carpet, this is sure to be a long time of fun.

2. Use the garden hose to flood the back yard and tell the kids they can’t come back in the house until they catch a swamp fish.

3. Have them call Nana and tell her every minute detail of the day then tell her to explain the bowel habits of women past age 50.

4. Two words: violent videogames. Also helps with #1.

5. Give them a toy magazine and tell them to pick out all of the toys they want, only you knowing there’s no chance in hell you’re buying any of them.

6. Sneak your laptop into the bathroom, run the water, and tell them you’re taking a shower. No kid wants to see Mom naked. They won’t check.

7. Serve them spaghetti for lunch but make them eat it with a spoon.

8. Have a closet under the stairs? Lock them inside and tell them you’re playing Harry Potter.

9. Give them a bag of rice then tell them if they plant each grain one-by-one, they’ll grow a rice tree.

10. Tell them to ask Daddy where babies come from.

Now that you know what a spectacular parent I am, come back next week for another ridiculous post titled 10 Tips for Vacationing with Your Kids! Sneak peek: don’t bring ‘em!

Now it’s your turn. Help a girl out! Leave a comment with your ideas for keeping your darling little monsters busy while you read/drink/stalk/etc.

Filed under: romance

Weekly Paranormal-Scope

While I’m not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets, I am intimately linked with the paranormal in the world.  In many ways, so are you.

The week ahead for:

Aries

Fairies dance and clear the way for new opportunities.  Listen to the music and enjoy.

Taurus

Minotaurs are messy.  Time to clean house and get rid of things no longer needed.

Gemini

Elves are better at money management than goblins.  Now is the time to save.  Spend only what you need to.

Cancer

A bat doesn’t a vampire make.  Don’t judge books by their covers, or you’ll miss out on something great.

Leo

Even a hell hound needs to be scratched behind the ear.  Make an unexpected friend.

Virgo

Dewdrop pixies will quench your thirst for a new adventure.

Libra

A shapeshifter is expert as health and wellness.  Time to re-evaluate your routine.  Walking?  Running?  Dancing?  Choose.

Scorpio

A fairy is watching over you.  Good times are coming.  Smile more and make new friends.

Sagittarius

A dragon’s cave is meticulous.  They know where everything is.  Time to throw out old things.

Capricorn

Goblins dig deep for gold.  You must do the same. It will be worth your time.

Aquarius

A temple cat stares up at your window.  A star explodes in the heavens, and a new opportunity is yours to go after.

Pieces

Werewolves are party animals. You are invited to have fun.  Make the most of your free time.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Filed under: Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope