Susan Hanniford Crowley's Blog: From Nights of Passion Blog, page 154

What’s In My Head May Not Be In Your Head. By Ripley Proserpina

Book covers. I rarely buy a book based on the book cover. I don’t expect the model on the front to match the characters in the story. My own book covers resemble my characters only broadly; they’re not dead ringers. (See below. Nora, my female main character, is not perfect- in fact- Nora would probably say something like, “I wish I looked like this.”). Recently, though, I’ve been seeing Facebook posts by some of my favorite authors with their vision of their characters.

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Most of the character photos are models, though hardly any are ones I could place, or name. Sometimes, I love this. If it jives with my vision, and someone has found the exact right real life person to match a character I’ve fallen in love with, it can be thrilling. Oh! There you are! 

But other times, I get an acute sense of disappointment. Not long ago, an author of a series I adore posted photos of her female main character. A model, probably in her teens, no make-up, but still: perfect skin, perfect teeth, perfect hair. (No make-up doesn’t mean, no photoshop, but I digress). And I found myself completely bummed out.

Why? Perfection. I’d spent days in this character’s head with her. Her doubts were my doubts; her flaws were my flaws. This author had completely sucked me in, so I was talking, walking, breathing her characters, but now that she was in front of me, in all of her beauty, I didn’t recognize her. I lost my book buddy. It helped to re-read the book, get back in her head, but some of the magic was lost.

I’ve been tempted to post my characters, too. For The Searchers, I’ve found people who have Apollo’s dimples, or Matisse’s frame. But I’ve held off sharing them, not sure if anyone would care, or if they did, if it would ruin the characters for them. Maybe this is why people have a hard time when their favorite books are made into movies…

What do you think? Do you want to see what an author sees? Or as close as they can find? Or do you want to have your own vision? Just curious:) ~ Ripley

Finding Nora, Book 1.5 in The Searchers, releases 2/27/17.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lvRE5K

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1207607080

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/finding-nora

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-nora-ripley-proserpina/1125813670

Filed under: Discussion, Finding Honor, Finding Nora, Finding Valor, movies, New Release, Promotion, publishing, Ripley Proserpina, romance

Not Shy Yet Sexy Saturday Blog Hop & Excerpt from Vampire Princess of New York

In Vampire Princess of New York, King Max’s daughter Noblesse has yet to find true love. For the Sexy Saturday Blog Hop seven paragraph excerpt, I had to find a moment of “shy yet sexy.” The blog hop said if I couldn’t, then opt for sexy. I decided on this scene between Noblesse and Donovan Dupre in the vampire healing room. The “star room” as they sometimes call it has a realistically painted night sky. The floor is dark blue like an ocean at night.  The healing bed is round and pure soil in enclosed in the wood frame at the bottom. The top has a soothing mattress.

Noblesse and Donovan were nearly killed. Other vampires lost their lives to save their princess. They are in this room to emotionally heal but now more is happening. As they lay together, clothed, with Donovan hugging her from behind, a secret is revealed. His words open her eyes, when Noblesse hears Donovan mindtalking with her brother David.

*

She whispered, “Did you just tell my brother that you love me?”

Donovan grimaced. He would have to reinforce his mind blocks later, so she would not hear what he said to David.

She turned smiling up at him. “Well, mon cher?”

“I love you, Noble.” He kissed her tenderly at first and then with wild abandon, he cherished her lips and every part of her face and neck.

Then he stopped. Noblesse gasped. “Why did you stop?”

“No sex in this room, remember?”

“Then let’s get out of this room right now.”

*

To be continued in the book: https://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Princess-York-Arnhem-Knights-ebook/dp/B01LWXYX1G

*

Scroll down past my books to leave a comment and also to click on the link to the blog hop list of participating blogs.  Enjoy!

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!

NEW: Vampire Princess of New York, Arnhem Knights of New York, Book 2 available in Kindle!

Vampire King of New York, Arnhem Knights of New York, Book 1 available in Kindle and Print and  Barnes and Noble Print

Vampire in the Basement, Vampires in Manhattan, Book 4 available in Kindle.

Poseidon’s Catch (mythology romance) available in Kindle.

Mrs. Bright’s Tea Room (steampunk romance) available in Kindle.

A Vampire for Christmas,Vampires in Manhattan, Book 3 available in Kindle.

The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais, Vampires in Manhattan, Book 2 available in Kindle and Print and Barnes and Noble Print

When Love , Vampires in Manhattan Book 1 available in Kindle and Print, Nook, Kobo and Smashwords.

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Filed under: A Vampire for Christmas, Max Vander Meer, Norse, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Susan Hanniford Crowley, The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais, vampire books, Vampire David Hilliard, Vampire King of New York, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, vampires, Viking, Weekly Paranormal-Scope, Yule

Excerpt From My Upcoming Release by Stacy Hoff

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Release day is almost here! Yes, March 22nd awaits! I’ve been blogging up a storm about everything I’ve done to write my upcoming new novel, BETTING LOVE IN VEGAS (book 1 of my new BUILDING LOVE series). Today it dawned on me that maybe some of you would want to read an excerpt, to see for yourself what I’ve been working on.

SO without further ado…

Excerpt from BETTING ON LOVE IN VEGAS

Cat Warner’s plan was strictly business—Ty Orland was getting a piece of her mind. A piece the size of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Meeting him here, at the Better Hoteliers Convention, would let him know her Big Bear, California, property was not on the market. All she had to do was wait for tonight’s meeting with him. Somewhere in this giant, off-Strip, Las Vegas hotel, he was waiting for her.

“Er, Cat? You okay?” asked Vanessa, General Manager for all of Cat’s six inns. Doubt etched deep in her voice.

Cat knew better than to blow off the older woman’s concerns. More than an excellent GM, Vanessa fussed over her to an extent Cat’s own mother hadn’t ever bothered. Vanessa wasn’t about to tone down the attention, either, despite the fact that Cat—at thirty-one years of age—was hardly a baby.

Vanessa easily fit the “motherly” role in all categories except looks. The lean, tall woman appeared ten years younger than she was. Great skin from avoiding the sun like the plague, and no stray grays due to an almost religious pilgrimage to her hairdresser. Cat could only hope to age half as gracefully. Despite her pseudo-mom’s high-maintenance appearance, however, Vanessa was down-to-Earth, one of the many traits Cat loved about her. But Vanessa’s very best feature was having a heart as big as the Pacific Ocean.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Why?” Cat asked cautiously.

“Because,” Vanessa answered, brows furrowed, “you’re gripping the room’s key card so tightly your knuckles have turned white.”

Cat at her hand and immediately released the key card. The rectangular piece of lightweight plastic floated down onto the convention center’s lobby carpeting. She bent to pick it up with a grunt of annoyance. Wondering whether the clerks at the reception desk heard the unladylike sound, heat rose to her face. The tight waistband of her business suit’s skirt jabbed into her stomach until she straightened up and hastily shoved the key card somewhere in the bowels of her extra-large pink purse.

If I had the money, I’d buy suits in a bigger size. Shopping the sales racks, the selection was always limited. But regardless of how the suit felt, at least it looked professional. The crisp white blouse against the navy skirt and jacket made Cat look more like a banker than a business owner. Appropriate, since tonight’s meeting was all about Ty Orland trying to earn even more money. At her expense.

Vanessa touched Cat’s shoulder. “Don’t worry so much. It’s your land. There’s nothing the man can do to make you sell. You know that. He’ll probably wind up being very impressed with you because you’re young, pretty, and professional. No doubt he’ll be gracious.”

“Yeah. Right.” Of course she’d think so. Cat sighed. Men. The day she found one actually willing to acquiesce to what she wanted would be, well . . . a fabulous first, actually. From her father to her ex-fiancé, their first thought was to bully. Not willing to be the victim any longer, Cat had learned to hold her ground. Still, confrontation was never going to be something she looked forward to. Let alone enjoyed. At least Vanessa understood this aspect of her nature.

Orland Premier Properties, Inc., had been particularly relentless. Constantly calling. Sending non-stop letters. Always trying to set up meetings. Tonight she would have her first—and last—meeting with the man. Giving him her final, definitive, unequivocal “no.”

She wasn’t a clueless, malleable kid anymore. She was a self-assured, experienced, mature woman. Accordingly, Ty Orland, multi-million-dollar-hotel magnate, would be in for a serious surprise. Namely, money could not buy everything.

Amazon Buy link for BETTING ON LOVE IN VEGAS (BUILDING LOVE series, Book #1) http://amzn.to/2kAgBvK

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WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS FOR STACY HOFF:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorStacyHoff

Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com

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JOCKEYING FOR YOU print version http://amzn.to/2eanq2o

JOCKEYING FOR YOU Kindle version http://amzn.to/2c8Hi5t

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DESIRE IN THE ARCTIC print version http://amzn.to/2cubwCf

DESIRE IN THE ARCTIC kindle version http://amzn.to/1KjfP9V

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DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES print version http://amzn.to/2dXO1zV

DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES Kindle version http://amzn.to/1YEseie

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LAWFULLY YOURS print version http://amzn.to/2e6Ug8k

LAWFULLY YOURS Kindle version http://amzn.to/1Ky5CZm

 

Filed under: contemporary romance, New Release, Stacy Hoff

How We Do It

This weekend I watched the movie Across the Universe and it left me deep in thought over the simplest of lines. The movie itself was good with great music, but early on when the male protagonist is put on the spot he comes out with a deep yet simple reply. When asked about whether it is what a man does that defines him or who the man is defines what he does, he replies that it is not what he does but instead how he does it.

The phrase caught me because I’ve heard the what and even more important, the why behind many things. Very rarely do we talk about how we go from point A to point B. But the way we approach each task and how we finish anything is extremely telling about the kind of person each of us is.

Do we greet each day with a heavy heart and a reluctance to do anything or are we jumping with excitement for the work of the day. How we approach and plow through anything is going to have a huge impact on our productivity or even the quality of the work we produce. Have you ever tried to write a book you really weren’t into? Like any other task we aren’t eager to complete, it becomes a drag and no doubt, that attitude will show up to n the page.

So what do we do? My thought is to embrace each task with everything you’ve got. You will never again live this moment and have the chance to do it the way you want.

Happy writing this week!

Filed under: A writer's life, romance, Toni Kelly

A Beginner’s Guidebook by Mandy Rosko

I’ve decided over the last couple of weeks that I was going to write a guide book of sorts.

 

I got the idea when I realized that there was still so much information out there that so many people didn’t know, and that I and other authors in my writer’s group were getting asked on a nearly consistent basis.

 

The problem is, how could I write a guide book? I don’t know everything there is to know about publishing, despite the number of times I’ve done it. The fact that I live in Canada also means there are going to be some legal differences between how I do things compared to how someone in the US would do things, or even the UK.

 

At the same time, I think this could be of some help, especially for the very beginners, or people who are just looking for some great places to get good cover art without spending $500+ to get it.

 

I remember once answering a question on Facebook about how to do something that seemed so obvious to me at the time, but I had to remind myself that just because I’ve known these things for a while, that it doesn’t mean others knew them as well.

 

But like I said, this would just be a quick and dirty guide. The absolute, 100% Beginner’s guide to getting started, and I hope it’ll have even a small impact

Finding Nora by Ripley Proserpina

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Finding Nora, a novella in my Searchers series, releases 2/27! Here is the blurb and a teaser. Remember— it’s reverse harem, which means no love triangle! No need to choose!

Can Nora deserve the love she’s found? Lost, angry, and with zero options, she worries she’ll sabotage the best thing to ever happen to her.

When Apollo, Ryan, Matisse, Seok and Cai decide they love her, Nora is poised for happiness. No one has ever supported her dreams or encouraged her to trust herself before.

Embarking on a relationship none of them ever expected, the challenges to their burgeoning love begin right away. In order to pay for college, Nora agrees to take part in an experiment with renowned psychologist, Daniel Murray.

But there is more to this study than what she read in the fine print. After a test goes wrong, Nora’s guys want her to quit, but it isn’t as easy as handing in her resignation. No one has forgotten her involvement in a school shooting at a local high school, and between the experiment and her inability to find work, she’s leaning more heavily on the guys than she imagined. Fearfully, she watches for their growing resentment.

Will she and the guys be able to make their love work? Or is it doomed, like every other bit of happiness Nora ever had?

Nora woke up before Ryan. He was perfectly still. The boy didn’t snore, he didn’t toss and turn, and when he slept, he looked beautiful. One touch of her hand to her head proved her hair was wild. 

Rubbing her face, she winced when her fingers touched a sore spot on her chin. She pressed against it, realizing what it was. No. She could not have a zit when she was faced with perfect/sleeping/angel/prince/model man. 

Getting out of bed as quickly and as silently as she could, she crept out of the room. She opened and closed the door to the bedroom, careful to latch it closed quietly.

“Morning.” 

She yelped, holding her hand over her mouth as she turned. 

“I’ve been up ages, waiting for you.” Apollo smiled at her, moving to kiss her, but drawing back when she left her hand over her mouth. 

“What’s the matter?” 

Slowly, she withdrew her hand from her face. Would he zoom in on what was probably the largest zit ever known?

He didn’t even glance down. Holding her gaze, he pressed his mouth against hers. He made a little sound of happiness, and she giggled. With Apollo, she forgot about everything except being happy.

“I need to run to the bathroom,” she said when he pulled away.

He made a grand sweeping gesture. “I’ll be in the kitchen. Want a smoothie?”

“Without the green stuff, please.” 

“The green stuff is good for you. You won’t even notice it.” Ignoring her narrowed eyes, he smiled. “Trust me.” 

She sighed, not bothering to hide the grin tugging at her lips. “Okay.” 

“Hurry up.” Bouncing on his toes, he made a motion toward the bathroom.

“Okay, okay.” 

As she closed the bathroom door, his footsteps pounded downstairs. She flicked on the light and lifted herself up onto the bathroom counter so she could examine her face. The mass she was sure was her zit was only a tiny red spot near the bottom of her chin. Relieved, she ran her fingers over it. It still hurt, but it wasn’t as humungous she expected. The day could go on now; she didn’t have to hide in the shadows, hissing at anyone who tried to bring her into the sunlight. 

Finding Nora is available at Amazon, b&n, nook, and iBooks!

Filed under: Finding Honor, Finding Nora, New Release, Ripley Proserpina, romance, romance novels

Happy Birthday, Nights of Passion! Contest!

On February 14, 2009, I started Nights of Passion Blog. Since that time we have expanded the Passionate Crew (God Bless them all!) and interviewed new and exciting authors. We’ve had parties and giveaways.  We’ve also seen some careers begin here and take off for the stars.

It’s been amazing. What makes it the most fun is all — you, our Passionate Readers. Some subscribe with the button on the front page and receive it in their email each day. Some stop by. Some share us with others! Thanks so much. [image error]

To thank all of you, I am giving away an Amazon Gift Card for $20 USD to one lucky commenter. Please, comment in our comment box on why you need this gift card.  The contest ends on midnight Eastern time on Feb. 19, 2017, and is void where prohibited by law.  Good luck. Be sure to include your name and email to be eligible for the random drawing.

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Founder of Nights of Passion Blog

Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!

NEW: Vampire Princess of New York, Arnhem Knights of New York, Book 2 available in Kindle!

Vampire King of New York, Arnhem Knights of New York, Book 1 available in Kindle and Print and  Barnes and Noble Print

Vampire in the Basement, Vampires in Manhattan, Book 4 available in Kindle.

Poseidon’s Catch (mythology romance) available in Kindle.

Mrs. Bright’s Tea Room (steampunk romance) available in Kindle.

A Vampire for Christmas,Vampires in Manhattan, Book 3 available in Kindle.

The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais, Vampires in Manhattan, Book 2 available in Kindle and Print and Barnes and Noble Print

When Love , Vampires in Manhattan Book 1 available in Kindle and Print, Nook, Kobo and Smashwords.

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Filed under: A Vampire for Christmas, Max Vander Meer, Norse, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Susan Hanniford Crowley, The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais, vampire books, Vampire David Hilliard, Vampire King of New York, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, vampires, Viking, Weekly Paranormal-Scope, Yule

Drama, Soap Opera Style by Stacy Hoff

I am a romance writer. My business card says so. And yet, I find myself drawn to other genres as well. Sometimes I sprinkle action/adventure into my romance story line (like in my DESIRE series). Other times, it’s women’s fiction (LAWFULLY YOURS). Or even sports (JOCKEYING FOR YOU). For my new series, BUILDING LOVE, however, I decided to add in a heaping of drama, soap opera style. For all the books encompassed in this series, there will be plenty of family lies, secrets, intrigues, double-crossing, and, well… drama.

I was a young child when the famous, family-based, 1978 TV-series Dallas came out. I saw snippets of the show, but was too young to understand the high drama plot lines. I do remember that all the adults around me were enthralled by the dirty-dealing family antics. Perhaps their love for drama stayed with me, somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind. Tempting me, several decades later, to try my own hand at a love-and-drama theme.

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Unlike Dallas, my BUILDING LOVE series stretches across multiple families. But the family shenanigans remain the same. Book 2 is already written, Book 3 is currently on my key-board. I’m keep dreaming up new drama to keep the soap-opera alive!

The BUILDING LOVE books are each about hoteliers & resorts located all over the world, and not an oil baron family from Texas. Still, I hope my books are as enjoyable as the fabled TV series. the book blurb from BUILDING LOVE book 1 is below, to give you a sneak peak.

Book blurb for BETTING ON LOVE IN VEGAS

Catherine “Cat” Warner has problems. The profits from her inns are down. The pressure from her parents is up. Her love life is non-existent. But Cat did manage to get the attention of tough, powerful, gorgeous hotel magnate Ty Orland. Unfortunately, his interest in her is for all the wrong reasons. Instead of wanting Cat, this debonair CEO only wants her land—a parcel he desperately needs for his next big development deal. Too bad, it’s not for sale. A people pleaser by nature, Cat knows to stand strong. If she caves in to the demands of this sexy, alluring man, it will be her own neck on the line.

Ty Orland has a lot of things going for him. Success. Power. Respect. Unfortunately, he’s also got an old chip on his shoulder and a new financial nightmare. His development deal is going down in flames—and fast. His only way out is if Cat sells him her strategically located parcel. But romancing the land from her is not easy when love gets in the way. The woman is as beautiful as she is beguiling. And Ty no longer knows which prize is more valuable.

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WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS FOR STACY HOFF:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorStacyHoff

Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com

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Amazon buy link for BETTING ON LOVE IN VEGAS (BUILDING LOVE series, book #1): http://amzn.to/2kAgBvK

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JOCKEYING FOR YOU print version http://amzn.to/2eanq2o

JOCKEYING FOR YOU Kindle version http://amzn.to/2c8Hi5t

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DESIRE IN THE ARCTIC print version http://amzn.to/2cubwCf

DESIRE IN THE ARCTIC kindle version http://amzn.to/1KjfP9V

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DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES print version http://amzn.to/2dXO1zV

DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES Kindle version http://amzn.to/1YEseie

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LAWFULLY YOURS print version http://amzn.to/2e6Ug8k

LAWFULLY YOURS Kindle version http://amzn.to/1Ky5CZm

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SEASON OF LOVE http://amzn.to/1NsByfu

 

Filed under: contemporary romance, New Release, romance, Stacy Hoff

The False Start

There are many potholes in the road to finishing a book. One of the ones I find myself constantly falling into is what I call the false start…where you’re so sure you’ve found the perfect way to start a book. Then you get about 1/4 of the way into it and realize there’s a problem.

Everything’s wrong! The heroine’s a doormat, the hero’s an Alpha schmuck one growl away from his caveman roots and somewhere along the way the secondary plot (in this case since it’s a romance, that would be the external conflict) has run away with what you’ve written of the book. In summary, the hero and heroine are in the same book, but nowhere near to being to the romantic dance the reader’s want.

So now what?

I’ve crossed this bridge so many times I’m pretty sure it’s named after me. Either that or I get a frequent visitors card and a free Starbuck’s for my pathetic need to trudge this road so many times.

So here’s what I’ve done to get myself on the right path:

Identify the real problem. The start feels wrong. Nothing after that feels right. But why? For me it usually falls into a couple of reasons. First off, I’ve accepted my faults. I love conflict. Because of that, I often start too fast. I jump into the shark-infested central plot without giving the hero and heroine time to have a good, quality meeting. Other times the problem is I started with the wrong point of view character. Who has the most at stake when the story begins? One of the characters will always have more to lose, more dangers lurking around the corner. That’s who the reader will be drawn to. That’s who you should start with.
Scrutinize your characters, plot and outline. If you’re a plotter, ask yourself if what you’ve envisioned is going to work. If you were the reader, would you buy that book? Is it challenging enough to avoid the pitfalls of a cliched romance? Are your characters too predictable? Are there three or four things about your characters readers can empathize with? Are they likable enough for to garner support from the first page?
More importantly, trust your crit partners. It’s easy to second guess yourself. If you’re so far down in the story’s weeds, you aren’t going to be able to see if you’re on the right path. Take a deep breath and ask someone else to read what you’ve started with. Be honest. Tell them you think something’s wrong, but need a fresh set of eyes on it.
Identify what’s salvageable from what you’ve written. – Not everything has to be tossed. There’s almost always a few worthy nuggets in the snarly mess of a start, no matter how messy it is.
Don’t be afraid to scrap what’s needed. There’s no such thing as a wasted word. While the false start might not make it into the book, it’s accomplished its purpose. It’s gotten you thinking about the book and you’ve gotten to know the characters well enough to know what’s not good enough for them.
If all else fails, keep writing. First drafts don’t have to be clean, precise or even close to right. They just have to be. Fix false starts in the second round. Sometimes the only way to fully know how to start is by finishing the journey. Once you’ve established the end and the bumpy, dangerous road to get there, you’ll know and understand more about the characters and where they were when the journey started.

Be fearless my fellow road warriors. The path to THE END is filled with dangerous potholes. Just know you aren’t alone. Someone will always be behind you with a rope, a good tranquilizer (when the muse really needs it) or a big pot of coffee.

Filed under: A writer's life, Cara Carnes, Characters, Craft, Plot, romance, Writing Advice, Writing Craft, writing life, Writing Topics

What Did You Want?

You simply have to open your eyes and ears to see and hear all the differences we each represent– not to mention those other senses like touch and smell and taste. All those senses and our world of endless distractions. It is amazing we understand each other as well as we do.

To expand upon this, I’ll tell you this past week has been a week of misunderstandings– I’ve been misunderstood and I have misunderstood others. But it is no wonder why because each day we are trying to do more with less time and resources. Each day I talk to folks, they are doing the same. And somewhere down the line we all look back and wonder where we lost each other. What did we each want?

The truth is it isn’t going to get any better. Think of any topic you can that you’ve recently seen in the news.  Now try to remember how many articles or news clips you saw about the subject. In most cases, you’ll probably find the number too large to keep track of. It is all quite overwhelming and very hard to keep track of, even for the specialists. I’ve been in the financial services industry for over a decade now and each day I still feel like there is so much I don’t know and still have left to learn.

So what can we do? Well, after my week of misunderstandings I realize it is important to go into situations with a clear expectation and outline of what both parties are looking for. This doesn’t need to be complex but it does require active listening and checking to make sure everyone involved is on the same page–otherwise we may as well throw our hands up and walk around like zombies! Not really, but we may just waste time none of us really has.

Happy writing this week!

Filed under: A writer's life, romance