C. Margery Kempe's Blog: Lady Smut, page 211

Deep in Wonder

It's me.  A tad late.  Between hanging out with the vampires and dancing in the rain, I've been deep in wonder.

When was the last time you stopped to look at the morning light as it sparkled on a meadow and decided to stay all day to write about it?

The 'day job' of a writer pays the bills, but the moments like the meadow feeds the heart.

I received an email the other day and through a distant relative discovered I had an ancestor in Edinburgh.   I've been to Scotland twice in my life, Edinburgh once.  Now I will have to go again.  I want to lay flowers on that grave.  I want to dance in the highlands.  Last time I was in the highlands, I stopped to watch the peaks pierce the morning clouds.  The peaks above.  The clouds below.  I could walk on clouds.  I wrote then too and that experience from years ago engraved itself on my heart.

I am deep in wonder.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: romance, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Writer's Life

Rooster Time

What do a rooster and novels have in common? After this last trip to Nicaragua, I'd say timing.  Sounds silly, right? Hear me out.

For the last few weeks, I've spent some time traveling in the Dominican Republic and then over to Nicaragua. The trip was great of course and I'll share details soon enough, but currently on my mind is the rooster that woke me up over the last week of my trip. At first, I wanted to strangle him, especially as I watched the hours tick by—3 am, 4 am, and 5 am. Finally, I gave up and woke up at 7 am. He was like an alarm clock with no snooze button.

Either way it got me thinking about how he knew when to crow and how useful it could possibly be. And then because I'm a writer, I tried to relate it to writing and somehow it made sense. This was of course after talking it over with my critique partner. So here goes…

Have you ever thought about the pacing of your works? If you've had a bit of experience as a writer, I'm sure you have. Prior to my last work, I honestly didn't think about pace, which is probably why it gave me a bit of trouble. But with time, I began to recognize that my works needed some kind of rhythm. Just like my friend the rooster! My critique partner a.c. Mason helped me find this with the following explanation:

A work should fall into 3 Acts: ACT I, ACT II and ACT III.  Beyond that, you should have some sort of pace within each act working up to some kind of climactic event. For instance, my latest work, Irish Dreams, has a pace of scene, sequel, scene, sequel,

etc.  The Scenes are the portions where something happens. Not just anything but something big that would have a ripple

effect.  The sequels are the ripple effect/reaction to the scenes. We'll use Pride and Prejudice as an example.  Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley arriving at the ball in Meryton is the scene—Mr. Darcy makes his pompous attitude known and expresses his sentiments about Elizabeth Bennett being somewhat mediocre.  This scene sets the tone for the sequel in which the women reflect on the ball and express their thoughts. That is the ripple effect.

Now depending on the pace and the type of book you are writing, the rhythm can change. Books with more excitement or action tend to have more scenes (scene, scene, sequel, etc.) whereas slower paced books may have more sequels (sequel, sequel, scene, sequel, sequel, etc).  The trick is finding the right balance. You don't want your novel to be too slow but you also want the readers to feel in touch with your characters and the world you create.

Make sense?  And to think, this all started with a rooster. Guess he served a purpose for me after all. Happy Writing!

 

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

Author Interview: Cara North

I would like to introduce you all to me, Cara North. This is the first of a series of ionterviews I will do at Nights of Passion. If you are an author and would like to be interviewed, please contact me.

Cara, What do you write?

CN: Lately I have been writing papers for college, but when I get a chance I really prefer to write romantic fiction.

Do you have a favorite genre or catagory you write?

CN: I would like to say no, but that would be a lie. I love to write contemporary romance. I just do. I have fun writing fantasy and paranormal, too. Contemporary is just where I started and what I can always rely on when I need to motivate myelf to write.

Who inspires you?

CN: On this planet? Everyone, everything. I mean I get ideas from all around me. In my heart though, God is my greatest inspiration. Writing is a blessing and I hope that in some small ways I am able to entertain people with my work.

How long have you been writing for publication?

CN: Well over six years now.

WHat do you think about the industry changes taking place right now?

CN: I think the publishing industry is evolving and as an author I need to do my best to move with it. Change is constant and unavoidable. Some things we have to accept and embrace. The recent push for digital books does leave an author a little more open to theft, but hopefully the majority of my readers will still think I am worst the cost of the book. I also hope that publishers consider the costs and do their best to be fair to readers in pricing electronic books.

What are you working on right now?

CN: Edits for Careless Whiper, it is the second in the I "heart" My Marine Series: Officer Edition. I have 6-9 books in mind for that series. 3 officer, 3 enlisted, and 3 veterans. SO far Passion In Print, my publisher for the series is finding them worht while. As long as they keep accepting them, I think I can keep writing those short military stories for a while.

If you could only suggest one book of yours to a new reader what would you suggest and why?

CN: That is a tough question. If I could only suggest one it would be The Art of Ethan. Mainly becasue it was the starting point for my entire career. Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off was published first, but Ethan was written and contracted well before Tequila.

If you could offer advice to new authors what would it be?

CN: Shop around, find a publisher that will fit with you. Once you get a book or two with them, start shopping again. You do not want to be a one publisher author. You must always be on the lookout for the best place to put your work. At the end of the day, you have to be the one looking out for your titles, the publisher just publishes the book and moves on to the next one in the que. If a house folds and you have everything located there, it can be devestating to an author. I can be loyal to a company, but still put work in other places. I can then be loyal to several companies. Wich is in Cara North's best interest.  My brand is my own personal business. I must take care of my brand before worrying about someone elses (a publisher's brand).

What is your favorite part of being an author?

CN: When people tell me they liked my book, could relate to a character, or any postive feedback.

What is your least favorite part about being an author? 

CN: Online promotion. I can't keep up. I tried loops and groups and I just can't keep up with what days and what can and can't be posted. I  just rely on my social networking on Twitter and Facebook now. If that isn't going to work, I am just going to have stinky sales becasue I can't find more time to get everything I have to get done in a day plus attend (x) number of groups.

Well, it has been great chatting with you!  For more information about Cara North you can view her website at www.authorcaranorth.com or you can follower her on Twitter and friend her on Facebook!

 

 

Filed under: romance

Weekly Paranormal-Scope

I have inherited the Paranormal-Scope from Mason. I'm not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets. But I am linked into the paranormal in the world.

The week ahead for:

Aries

Stormy skies lie ahead.  Be prepared.  Keep friends close.  Dance in the rain.

Taurus

Zombies know that variety is the spice of life.  Take a lesson.

Gemini

Now is the time to gather with friends and have a howling good time.

Cancer

The voices in your head can be good company.  Pay attention to the positive and ignore the negative.

Leo

New doors are opening to new opportunities.  Not every door leads to Narnia but that's okay.

Virgo

The supernatural world favors you.  You bask in their glow.

Libra

Vampires have taken notice of you. Your power and strength of character shines through like the sun.

Scorpio

Laugh and enjoy the dance of the fae.  This lightness of heart is for your benefit.

Sagittarius

Werewolves know that change and adaptability are benefits.  Pay attention and be flexible.

Capricorn

Go out and take a bite out of life.  It's your time.

Aquarius

Your actions define you.  You have choices ahead.  Use the magic of your personality to shine.

Pisces

Rise like a phoenix.  You have it in you to survive and grow from any setback.  Use it.

Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope

Wakeful London Dawn

I have found some interesting things in my research at the British Library, among them the lost notebook of Lady Caroline Whitcombe. She had been on the fringes of the Bloomsbury group, but never an accepted member of the coterie (it was rumoured that Leonard Woolf in particular found her calls for unbridled sexual freedom distasteful). None of her many plays and plems survives today thanks to the efforts of her scandalised family who burned all of her papers upon her death at the age of 37 in rail accident caused by an unexplained signal failure. However, a single notebook of her writing survived in the hands of a former lover who dutifully delivered it to the British Library upon her death. The final summer of her life seemed a somewhat melancholy one, plagued by doubts and minor but irritating illnesses.  The title of this piece, "Wakeful London Dawn" has been added editorially. Its date remains uncertain due to Whitcombe's reluctance to accurately label entries.

Wakeful London Dawn

I seek silence: a respite from the multitudes in my head who chatter and mow constantly, demanding to be heard and yet cacophonous, they remain incomprehensible the better part of the time. The hard labour of meditation pays off most when they can be persuaded to join me in the silence, to give in to wordless peace but the truth remains: it is far simpler to abandon them in the bottom of the bottle (because few of them can swim) or in the haze of the Chinese pipe (where they become insubstantial, too) or in laughter, where my braying joy out-Herods their ceaseless din. The surprise of course is that the other sure harbour lies in your arms because your embrace blocks out all competing suitors who clamour for my thoughts and I am lost in the smell, the taste, the feel of you, the smiles, the sighs, the moans of you, and silence.

Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, dream writing, dreams, erotic romance, historical romance, inspiration, Kit Marlowe, Recommended Books, What inspires you?, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

Interview with Eloisa James by Gerri Brousseau

Eloisa,

Firstly, let me say it was a pleasure to meet you at Connecticut Romance Writers of America's Fiction Fest on May 14, 2011.  Thank you for agreeing to answer a few questions I have put together, which I hope will help new writers like me, as well as those who are already established.

Coming from a family of poets and writers, can you tell us what inspires you?

Inspiration comes (in my case) from two places:  first, from my own life, because the strong emotions in novels need to spring from the author's own emotions, and second, from other people's novels. I read all the time, and I think it's the most valuable use of an author's time.

Being a wife, mother, college professor and New York Times best-selling author, can you tell us how you balance it all?

I am a great list-maker.  I get a lot of sleep.  I don't fuss about whether things are perfect all that much. My laundry never gets done…

Do you ever get writer's block? And if so, how do you handle it?

No.  I just don't have time for that.  If you accept that you will write really bad

fiction at times, then you just keep going.  You can edit words on a page; you can't edit a blank page.  I once had to throw out 175 pages and start over.  It's painful—but at least I understood the right direction when I discarded those pages, whereas if I let myself have writer's block, I wouldn't even know what not to do.

Of all the characters you have created, who is your favorite?

It's generally whichever character I wrote most recently. I am extremely fond of Linnet and Piers, from When Beauty Tamed the Beast.

With the innovations of today, such as I-Pad, Kindle and The Nook, in which direction do you see the publishing industry moving?

Toward electronic books, with no question.  But I think regular books will survive, at least for my lifetime.

With the trends in publishing changing, what advice could you give new authors?

I still think an agent is a very good thing.  Self-publishing is great—but what on earth will direct a reader to find your book, when there are 5,000 historical romances out there, selling for .99?  I think it's going to be very difficult to

clear the noise enough to find readers.

What is your favorite novel?

I don't have just one.  Favorite novels are littered throughout my life: my favorite novel at 15 (To Kill a Mockingbird) is still beloved. Right now, it's probably the collection of short stories I'm reading by David Foster Wallace.  Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels was one year's favorite, as was Susan Elizabeth Phillip's It Had To Be You.

Thank you so much, Eloisa, for taking the time to meet with me and for sharing your insights.  If the readers would like more information about Ms. James and her best selling novels, please visit her website at http://www.eloisajames.com/.

Now for some more fun …. A contest!   Eloisa has agreed to provide a personally autographed copy of her latest novel, When Beauty Tamed The Beast to our contest winner.  How do you win?  In order to win you must comment in the

"comment" box below and tell us why you want to win this book.  Good luck!

–Gerri Brousseau

Filed under: Author Interviews, Characters, contest, Eloisa James, Gerri Brousseau, historical romance, inspiration, New Release, romance, RWA, Writer's Life, Writers Conferences

Vampires on a Rampage

Lily A. Snow checking in.  I hate to be away from Nights of Passion for so long, especially with New York Times Best Selling Romance Author Eloisa James being here on Saturday. 

But it's been hell in Manhattan with the vampires.  Remember when I was asked to come to the Arnhem Society hall to greet the British vampire delegation.  That was weeks ago.  They're having such a great time in New York that they won't leave.  They've seen all the plays and musicals on Broadway and some off Broadway.  They've been to some of the best clubs and restaurants in the city, and it's made the Arnhem Knights crazy.  They have to keep stopping them from putting the bite on New Yorkers.  I guess anything goes back in London. 

Max (beloved Vampire King of New York) keeps going around yelling bloody this or bloody that, and I don't think he means it the way the British use bloody.  Now I adore Max.  He's deliciously good looking, tall, blond, and was a Viking.  He's the type you'd want to carry you away.  What's not generally known about Max is that he can be so sweet and kind.  But not right now.  He's on a rampage throughout the society, having everyone in the library with me searching the books trying to find a polite way to uninvite our British guests.  They haven't shown any inclination toward leaving and going home.   The trick is how to get them to leave without offending them and causing a war.

It looks like I'm pulling another all-nighter trying to find the solution.  Does anyone out there have an idea?   We'd love to hear it.

Lily A. Snow, Historian and Ambassador for the Arnhem Society, signing out.  Sigh!

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Filed under: Adventures of Lily A. Snow, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, Susan Hanniford Crowley, vampire books, vampires

Which Ebook Reader?

I've been looking at ebook readers for some time now.  They appear to be nifty little gadgets, but which one to choose?  I've heard the Kindle is the gentlest on the eyes, so if your eyes get strained looking at a screen, that may be the one.  However, doesn't it only view books in Kindle format?  I've seen a Kobo but I could not figure out if it can buy from anyone other than the Borders Kobo store.  Same with Nook.  I saw a color Nook.  Book covers look dynamite.  I briefly saw a Sony e-reader.  I believe they can read PDF and are not limited to a particular online bookstore. 

Okay, as an author I have 6 ebooks.  One is in Kindle.  Three are in Nook.  All of them are available in PDF.  Being confused and conflicted and not sure which ereader to buy, I decided on this. 

Barnes and Noble has a free Nook application for PC.  So does Amazon for Kindle, and Borders for Kobo.  I have a netbook, one of those mini laptops.  I've downloaded the Nook and Kobo applications and have started downloading books through my applications.  Next, I'll download the Kindle application and  books.   Until I decide on a reader, I have the best of all worlds.  And I can always download PDFs from All Romance Ebooks.  Woo hoo. 

Which ebook reader do you use and why do you love it?

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Filed under: ebook readers, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Writer's Life

Genre, What's That?

So, you've decided to become a writer.

You've got this brilliant idea for a novel and you're so excited to start it officially that any free moment you have, you've been writing snippets of information on anything you can find (receipts in your wallets, restaurant napkins, etc).

Soon you'll meet a fellow writer or perhaps join a writing group and one of the first questions you'll be asked is, "What kind of genre do you write?" You'll smile and politely say, "Oh, I write fiction." Then the fellow writer will do either one of two things. Shake their head and explain what genre means, or they'll give you some polite non-response and turn to talk to somebody else.  Hopefully you've had the first experience.

So what is genre? According to Merriam Webster online, a genre is:

1: a category of

artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style,

form, or content

2: KIND, SORT

3: painting that depicts

scenes or events from everyday life usually realistically

Today, I'd like to focus on some of the sub-genres in romance writing. Romance in itself is a genre and below are a few of its more common sub-genres.

Contemporary: This type of genre is probably the closest to real-life as we see it. Your hero and

heroine live in a present day world which we can relate to and social

understand.

Paranormal: I know most of you have met Susan's vampire David as he makes frequent

appearances on this blog. His world is outside or norm (as is he, which is why

he is so appealing). Other favorites in this genre include shape shifters,

witches, demons, ghost, fae, etc.

Suspense: In addition to romance, the romantic suspense genre will usually have danger and

mystery to them. There is some element of tension leading to one or more dramatic

moments.

Historical: Any romance not set in contemporary time periods. This ranges widely but some of

the favorites are Medieval, Regency and Victorian.

This is a very short list to give you an idea of where you can go just within the romance genre.

Other popular sub-genres include inspirational, mystery, erotic, fantasy, mainstream, interracial and thriller. These days, more and more genres are being blended to create new genres.

A few months back, we had an editor come to a local writer's meeting. She mentioned that genres like Urban Fantasy and Paranormal are beginning to be phased out, but she also stated that she thought they would most likely reappear under a different name. Her basic philosophy—which I happen to agree with—was to write what you want and write a good book. Then it really doesn't matter which genre it's under. As this industry changes and blends, we'll continue search out trends. But at the end of the day, our readers just want to escape somewhere with dynamic characters. Happy writing!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writing Topics

SteamPunk anyone?

I have sent off the first of a series in a Steampunk stories to be reviewed by an agent.

It made me wonder if I have included the key elements to making a Steampunk story.

So I started wondering: How many of you are reading it and who are you reading? What elements are key (aside from the steam that is) in your mind?

Who is not reading it and what has turned you off from it?

 

Filed under: romance