Susan Hanniford Crowley's Blog: From Nights of Passion Blog, page 208
September 3, 2015
New Release by Anna James by Stacy Hoff
Happy Labor Day Weekend, Passionate people!
Today I have a guest author, Anna James, here to talk about her new release. I enjoy her stories—and her friendship, too. Get to know Anna James, and see if you like her as much as I do!
Best,
Stacy
Hi Folks,
I want to thank everyone here at Nights of Passion for having me here today. My name is Anna James and I write contemporary romance with strong heroines and hero who conquer life’s trials and find their happy ever afters.
People often ask me why I write romance novels. It’s an easy question to answer. I’m all about the HEA! They get me every time, and I love reading romances as much as I love writing them.
I’m here today to share an excerpt from my upcoming release THE BUSINESS OF LOVE – Book 1 Forevermore Series which releases on September 8, 2015.
Like workplace romances? Like reunion romances? Like a little mystery and suspense thrown into the mix? Then you’re in for a treat because THE BUSINESS OF LOVE has them all.
Blurb:
Sophia Hamilton can’t believe her late stepfather split the family firm three ways. With her hard-earned master’s degree, she and her stepbrother, Allen, are perfectly capable of running the firm. Instead, she’s forced to share the reins with Dante Leone. The man who split her heart in two.
Six years ago Sophia fell hard for Dante, but when he discovered she was a starry-eyed nineteen to his twenty-eight, he shut her out. Worse, Allen’s defection from the firm has left Dante with controlling interest.
Dante is having a tough time seeing Sophia as anything other than the woman who lied to him. Yet her resignation isn’t the moral victory he intended. He feels her absence deep in his heart—and the company plunges deeper into turmoil.
Sophia returns on one condition: equal partnership all the way. But their redoubled efforts aren’t working. And soon it becomes clear someone is bent on destroying not only her stepfather’s legacy, but any chance of a future with Dante.
Excerpt:
“Is everything all right? I heard—”
Sophia froze. That voice. Dear Lord, no. It couldn’t be.
“—the security alarm go off,” the newcomer finished tersely.
Her heart started to pound. Please don’t be him, please don’t be him. Slowly, stiffly, she turned around and faced the man who’d just entered and yes, Dante Leone stood in her kitchen, large as life. Her knees threatened to buckle. No! She wouldn’t fall apart just because he was here. She straightened her shoulders and lifted up to her full height.
So, he hadn’t been a figment of her imagination after all. She’d caught a glimpse of him at the church, but then he disappeared. When he didn’t show up at the cemetery or here, after the burial, with the other guests, she’d convinced herself he hadn’t really been there at all. Boy, had she been wrong.
Even from across the room, he was an imposing figure. At well over six feet he towered over her dressed in black trousers that fit his lean, narrow hips to perfection. His broad, muscled chest filled out a crisp white dress shirt and black suit jacket. His hair was shorter now than it had been when they’d last met. It suited him. The new style accentuated his high cheekbones and sharply chiseled jaw.
Lord, he was even more handsome than she remembered and, Jeez Louise, how pathetic could she be?
The man used and humiliated you, her brain screamed.
Yet here she stood, lamenting over his good looks and, my goodness, let’s not forget those gorgeous sapphire blue eyes and…
There you go again, her brain condemned scathingly.
What was he doing here? Okay, that was a silly question. Dante was second in command of Baker, her father’s financial investment company. It made sense he’d attend his funeral. But goodness, she wasn’t prepared to see him again. It had been six years since he’d burst into her life and then stormed out just as quickly, leaving her to cope with the damage and destruction left in his wake.
“Dante?” Was the croaking sound really her voice?
Trey gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and she was grateful for his presence. He’d been there to witness the devastation that had followed their breakup. His friendship, like always, had been a lifeline.
“We’ve got everything under control,” Trey said curtly.
“I can see that,” Dante retorted. “Sophia, when you have a moment I’d like to speak with you.”
“This is not the time or the place,” Trey said, in a disgusted tone.
Dante’s lips tightened into a thin white line as he glared down at Trey. “I wasn’t suggesting we discuss business today.” He turned his attention to Sophia. “We can meet next week or the week after.”
Next week or the week after? Wouldn’t he be back in New York by then?
Trey opened his mouth to speak, but Dante held up a hand to silence whatever he’d been about to say. “I’ll be around, so whatever time is convenient for you. And Allen, of course.”
He’d be around? “How long are you planning to stay?”
“I’m relocating to LA.”
Her jaw dropped open and she couldn’t stop the gasp that came out of her mouth. “What?”
His eyes narrowed. “Temporarily. Until we sort out the business.”
Good god, no! Avoiding him when he lived in New York had been difficult enough. If he were here, in LA, she’d have to see him. Every day. A lick of heat raced through her and she had to clamp down hard to stop the excitement dead in its tracks.
She wasn’t interested in Dante Leone.
Not anymore.
Preorder Amazon Buy link
About Anna James
Anna James writes contemporary romance novels with strong, confident heroes and heroines who conquer life’s trials and find their HEA. Her debut story released in 2010. Since then, Anna has penned eleven novels/novellas.
Anna is married to a wonderful husband who spends countless hours picking up the slack around the house so she can pursue her dream of writing, is the proud mother of five fabulous children, and a big, loveable rescue dog the entire family adores.
You can learn more about Anna James at:
http://www.authorannajames.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annajames.au...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorannajames or at her email: authorannajames@yahoo.com
Interested in winning a signed copy of the book?
Sign up for my newsletter here: http://annajamesromance.com/?page_id=1437 between now and September 30, 2015. I’ll do a random drawing on October 1, 2015 and choose 3 winners and post them on blog (US entrants only – sorry.) Good Luck!
Find Stacy Hoff on Social Media:
http://www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff Twitter: twitter.com/authorStacyHoff Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com https://www.pinterest.com/authorstacyhoff/
Filed under: Anna James, New Release, romance, romance novels, Stacy Hoff
September 2, 2015
WT: Why We Need Consent in Romance with Educator Tori Lynne by Heather Novak
It’s time for wine! But grab a big glass, because we’re going to talk serious. We’re going to talk about consent. Whether you’re writing Chick Lit, Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Erotica, Paranormal, Multi-cultural, LGBT, (and so on), your relationships all come down to one thing: Consent.
Why do we need to talk consent? Straight up fact: In 130 scenes in 34 popular movies, only 19% of the female characters verbalized any desire for the sexual activity that took place.
Tori is here to teach us to do a better job at writing consent and even teaching us a little something about ourselves…
Let me introduce my special guest, Tori Lynne! I’ve known Tori for over a decade. We’ve worked on everything from films, to shows, weddings, and even a kitchen remodel together. Tori is not only one of my closest friends, but also an invaluable tool in my strive to create diverse, consensual romance.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got interested in being a Sex Educator!
Hello everyone! My name is Tori Lynne and I like defying social scripts and finding a path that feels most authentic to me. I’m a Sex Educator and Little Black Box Intimacy Consultant in Southeast Michigan. I am also an emissary for the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti hub of Sex Geekdom. I teach about intimacy, pleasure, empathy, and communication all from a from a Sex-Positive viewpoint.
Sex-Positive means that any sex (that is consensual), genders, and sexual orientations are awesome, healthy, and deserving of respect; for a more detailed description of Sex-Positive check out this great article from Dr. Carol Queen.
In addition to all of the above, I have a background in video production and I’m currently studying Human Resources and working as a teaching and research assistant for a Human Resources Professor. I have big plans to take all these skills and squish them together–I hope to one day do HR consulting and help companies create inclusive work environments where people can be their authentic selves.
Last November, I was admiring the life Kate McCombs, and I asked her if she would be my mentor. She lit up, smiled and said, “ABSOLUTELY,” that’s when I knew I was going to get serious about this. Kate has been super supportive and she is an awesome resource to have on call, she’s the founder of Sex Geekdom and a sex educator based in New York City, her work is all about feelings, communication, providing accurate information.
Tori at our 50 Shades of Grey author night!
Let’s get down to the question everyone is wondering about: Why is writing consent so important in romance and does this relate to the real world? Does it really matter?
Our culture has a lot of misguided ideas about how women “should” act. There’s this strange expectation for women and girls to be meek and nice. We are taught speaking up is not lady-like and saying “no” isn’t nice. This becomes extremely problematic when it comes to consent.
Our culture dictates that nice girls don’t speak about sex in any way. In a 2012 article by Sarah H. Smith, titled Scripting Sexual Desire:
Smith analyzed 130 scenes in 34 popular movies and found that only 19% of the female characters verbalized any desire for the sexual activity that took place.
Further, of these scenes where there was spoken desire the characters expressing the desire were portrayed as “bad girls”– they showed poor judgement, a lack of morals, or psycho-emotional instability. This is unsettling.
To me this very clearly sends the message that women and girls in our society shouldn’t speak of sex. If they can’t talk about it, how can they be consenting to it?
In books and movies the scene always plays out as everyone “just knows.” In reality, we can’t know what our partner wants unless we have a conversation about it. Then we compound the problem by having the expectation that nice girls don’t say “no.” If it is expected that females don’t say “no” and they don’t talk about sex or sexual desire, how can anyone be sure if the activity is wanted or consensual?
If more authors start writing scenes where there is explicit consent we can start to shift the cultural expectations.
Much of our cultural norms come directly from the media we consume, and then are reinforced by media. Society is impressionable. Authors, of all genres, are in a position to influence things in a positive way; that’s great deal of power, whether the consent is for just a kiss, or something more intimate.
It won’t happen overnight, but we can start to shift the perception of what romance can look like.
Dominate male characters are very popular. Do you have suggestions on how to bring verbal consent into these books while keeping the dominating edge?
Consent is sexy.
We have some extremely strange views of consent as a society in regards to sex. We need to start showing how sexy consent is. Yeah, we are accustomed to seeing the aggressive, possessive, predatory male character just taking what he wants while the lady is just enthralled with him and everything he does, but in real life that guy is creepy and sometimes downright frightening.
Why can’t he tell her what he wants to do to her with a sexy growly whisper into her ear and ask her what she wants? Wouldn’t that be sexy too? Why can’t our leading lady express how she wants to be dominated and how she wants to submit control to him in the bedroom?
There’s also plenty of creative freedom in writing the inner dialog of a character. The male can express in his thoughts how he wants to just take her, and how he doesn’t want to ask. He can think about the scene in graphic detail then reason with himself and express how much he cares about her and how he must exercise restraint because he doesn’t want to scare or hurt his love interest.
Then when we cut back to real life, if the dude we are on a date with asks, we have a way out if the feeling isn’t mutual because life doesn’t always go as fiction and sometimes feeling aren’t shared, we have more liberty to say, “no thank you.” If he doesn’t ask, we can now find power in the expectation that he should have. We need reference of what the scene should look like, incorporating those reference points into our entertainment is a seamless way to provide them.
You’ve mentioned Sex Geekdom several times. How is this a positive resources for romance authors?
Sex Geekdom is an international community of people that like to have nuanced conversations about sex. It is a NON-hookup space, sex-positive, inclusive, and respectful of boundaries. Everyone tends to be open-minded; this open-mindedness leads to practicing empathy and being Beacons of Permission (read about Being a Beacon of Permission HERE).
I have seen a fair number of works of fiction that are obviously about a topic that the author is unfamiliar with; while fantasy can take many paths, if you are writing about an existing community of people it is advisable to research it and write about those folks in an accurate way — romance related or not.
Sex Geekdom could be excellent resource in helping authors learn about things they haven’t experienced or for finding the appropriate resources. There is a growing call for more diverse books, whether it’s regarding culture, race, sexual orientation, etc. For authors who want to write diverse stories but don’t know where to start, Sex Geekdom could be invaluable.
Recently, I’ve read several books where characters had backgrounds with sexual abuse/assault. Do you have suggestions on how to make sure the character’s trauma is truly represented?
Research! Research some more. Then do a bit more research. After you are done researching, look for some more resources and do some more research!
Find some experts, reach out to people that are doing community work in related fields, they will be more likely to have an interest in talking to you because they are already active in a community and they would welcome an opportunity to have a positive influence on an audience that they may not normally reach. When researching a topic involving trauma talking to a psychologist or therapist that specializes in treating people with those experiences can be helpful; they can offer insight into the lasting effects of the experience.
Talk to people from multiple backgrounds. Be sensitive to triggers and boundaries when talking to victims. Offer them your questions prior to meeting with them, or give them an overview of topics so they aren’t traumatized by your questions. One interview is not enough to gain understanding of all experiences. You need multiple sources to get an accurate picture.
Try to avoid making broad generalizations about groups of people and their experiences. When writing about a specific reaction, behavior, or tendency personalize it to your character. Write about how your character reacted and felt rather than writing how most people with an experience do this thing or reacts this way.
Finally there are a couple of dangers in writing content that falsely represents a community of people. First you run the risk of perpetuating stereotypes about people; this can lead to marginalized communities being further discriminated against. Secondly it can give those that are curious about something false information. People tend to have difficulty separating the smaller details of story into fact and fiction–they know the characters and the storyline are fictional, but unless the story is set in the future or an alternate universe they may not link that the practices and communities are fictional. While it is not an author’s responsibility remind the reader of that, it is best to for them to at least be cognizant of it.
And of course, my usual questions: Beer or wine? Hockey or soccer?
Wine. Specifically, sweet wines. I may not always be sweet, but I like my wine to be. I’ve never been a beer drinker, I honestly don’t understand the appeal.
Hockey! Hands down, Hockey! I’m a Michigan girl. The Red Wings are a way of life around here. Honestly, hockey is the only sport I have ever put any effort into following. Most other sports can’t seem to hold my attention. Hockey is fast-paced, takes a level of skill and coordination I could never dream of obtaining, and has the added bonus of fights to watch!
Can authors contact you with questions? And/or Any suggestions for other sex positive people that authors can connect to?
Yes! Reach out to me via my website ToriLynne.com, or via twitter @ToriLynneTweets. For products check out Tori.ShopLBB.com. You can also find me on Facebook www.facebook.com/LittleBlackBoxTori and instagram @ToriLynneGram
There is also a list of Sex-Positive Resources on my website, I am always gathering resources to publish there and it can be searched by tags listed with each resource.
Here are a few additional resources:
“Come As You Are” by Emily Nagoski. It is “an essential exploration of why and how women’s sexuality works—based on groundbreaking research and brain science.”
“Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown is also a must read for anyone looking to understand communication, vulnerability, and shame.
Podcasts: “Consent is Sexy (Among Other Things)” – Carnalcopia.
“Consent is Emotional Lube.” – Life on the Swingset
Thank you so much for your knowledge! I know I will be practicing using even more consent in my next story. If you have any questions for Tori, make sure to leave them below or use any of the above links!
Fun Fact! September 3, 2015 is known for:National Peanut Day
National Pet Memorial Day
Wishing You Laughter & Good Books,
Heather Novak
Bold. Bewitching. Breathtaking.
Find me at:
Twitter: authorheathern
Facebook: authorheathernovak
Website: Heathernovak.net
Author of Hunting Witch Hazel featured in Falling Hard (A New Adult Anthology).
Available Now!
Amazon U.S.
http://amzn.to/1G0aCoQ
iBooks
http://apple.co/1Fb1Nrp
Amazon UK
http://amzn.to/1bKvOmc
Kobo
Filed under: romance
September 1, 2015
An Unavoidable Destiny
I’m honestly not sure if I’ve ever written about this but when I was a little girl I had a babysitter who used to read tarot cards. I remember her vaguely and I remember she was nice but my memories of this time are a bit spotty. Anyhow, my dad often tells me that this babysitter told him that I was destined to make my fortune (no specificity as to what this really was) writing books. Being as stubborn as I am, this only pushed me to deny my love for writing.
You see, I am a royal pain as a person and I choose to make my own destiny so having someone prescribe or predict it really didn’t bode well with me. This was probably one of my bigger mistakes as this same stubbornness is what kept me from writing to some degree in my very young years. I used to write stories as a kid and then in college I would scribble stories at the back of my notebooks, but nothing ever came of them nor did I plan to “work” at my craft because I wasn’t going to do what someone else said. Stupid, huh?
It is now a couple decades later and I write. Sparingly, these days, but I write when I can and I enjoy it. I really don’t know how different anything would be if I had started and continued earlier, but I would say that I writing is part of my destiny that is unavoidable. I don’t necessarily go in expecting to make a fortune (especially as it is more of a side hobby these days), but I do go in expecting to love it. Writing keeps me sane.
Moral of the story? Follow your destiny, even if you take a roundabout road to get there.
Happy writing
Filed under: A writer's life, Toni Kelly
August Reading Roundup by Mandy Rosko
Soooooooo…….
I think I read one book and a ton of manga and that was about it for my August reading. I meant to read more, especially since I really want to hit that Goodreads goal, but, yeah, I’ve been sick. Still on the tail end of that cold and it feels like it’s never going away.
With all the mangas I’ve read this month I probably hit my Goodreads goal, but I decided not to post them to my Goodreads page since it feels like cheating at this point, plus, I also bought a bunch more mangas that looked pretty interesting as well.
I’m a giant woman-child, I know, but I can’t help myself :P Doesn’t help that the video game I’ve been looking forward to for OVER A YEAR is finally coming out next week :D I’ve got to set aside from proper time for that one :3
Until then, I can keep myself plenty occupied with the Taming the Monster Alpha Box set that I promised to keep pimping out ;) Here’s an awesome banner in case you forgot what it looked like from last week:
I love this set so much. Mine’s the werewolf story ;) I’ve been honestly thinking about getting a charm bracelet, or necklace, made up on Etsy of all the box sets I’ve been in so far. I figured that would look pretty cool, and I could always add extra charms to it later on :D I would have three so far since I’m pretty sure that the M/M box set I’m in doesn’t have a cover original to the set itself.
Still trying to figure out how to make a proper Facebook add since I can’t even tell if the one I’ve got going is doing anything. It looks like it’s getting a decent number of clicks, but I’m never sure of these things…
Ah well, next week I think I’ll put up my first Billionaire Bad Boy book The Arrangement, onto Draft 2 Digital since they just opened up assetless preorders. My book is finished and just needs to be edited, but that would really help things out I think :)
Thanks for reading my ramble! Check out Taming the Monster if you haven’t already!
Cheers!
~Mandy Rosko
Filed under: romance
August 30, 2015
A Dark and Stormy Paranormal-Scope
On this day in 2005, Hurricane Katrina dissipated after leaving devastation in her wake. We remember those lost. Most of all we prepare for the next storm. Don’t let winds, rain and floods catch you unprepared. Such are the storms of life.
While I am not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets, I am intimately linked to the paranormal in the world in many ways. So are you.
The paranormal-scope is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to guide your life by.
The week for:
Aries:
Mermaids swim deep for protection from stormy seas. A flood of opportunities are coming your way. Choose wisely.
Taurus:
Werewolves pack when they see trouble coming. Keep your dear ones close. Focus on work during the day.
Gemini:
Shapeshifters love cooking. Prepare some meals in advance for convenience sake. This is a busy time of year.
Cancer:
A vampire is usually alone, but that doesn’t mean they like it. Prepare to make a new friend.
Leo:
Hobbits seldom go on adventures, but you’re different. Plan a trip to a new place.
Virgo:
Elves go inland when waters rise. Take the high ground in all matters.
Libra:
Goblins are neat freaks. Time to tidy up the home and get more supplies.
Scorpio:
Unicorns can purify tainted water. Don’t trust everyone. Get a second opinion before making an important decision.
Sagittarius:
Zombies can be a problem. They don’t know enough to get out of the rain. But you do. Your natural smarts will shine in front of others this week.
Capricorn:
Gnomes enjoy the harvest. Make great meals to share with friends.
Aquarius:
Pixies are hilarious. Laughter is the best medicine after all. Look after your health. Watch whatever makes you laugh. Hang out with friends that do the same.
Pisces:
Goblins are gifted at guarding treasure. Time to go over your accounts and make plans for future expenditures. Plan something fun for yourself.
-Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance
www.susanhannifordcrowley.com
Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!
Vampire King of New York available at Amazon Kindle and print, Barnes and Noble Nook and print and in Kobo
A Vampire for Christmas in Kindle
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
August 29, 2015
When Characters Take the Reins
The Argument
I’m a plotter. I have been since day one as an author. All the books I’ve written have been plotted, sometimes for years, so when I sat down to write it was all right there and flowed like wine downhill.
All except for one book.
One book in particular has been the bane of my existence ever since I began to write it over three years ago. The book is my Regency, To Woo a Wicked Widow, and it has led me a merry chase just to get it written down. Because every time I stared to write it, the characters would go absolutely crazy. Insisting they do this, not wanting to do that. Three of the main characters simply dug their heels in and said, “No. I don’t want to do that. And you can’t make me.”
And unfortunately, they were right.
Every time I tried to steer the plot or the character’s actions in a certain way, it came out stilted, or weird sounding, or didn’t make sense for them to be doing it. The hero insisted on a love scene in the library when it was not supposed to be there according to the outline. The heroine became too headstrong and made one beta reader dislike her intensely. And the bad guy kept finding ways to be likeable despite my instructions to the contrary.
As I said earlier, I am a plotter. But in this book, I came as close as I ever hope to be to being a pantser. It was extremely frightening to me to have the reins of the book jerked out of my hands and someone else calling the shots. Perhaps that is why I am still not satisfied with the end product of it. I’ve flipped the whole premise of the book around, I’ve managed to make the hero more heroic and the villain as dastardly as I possibly can. And I think readers will now sympathize with the heroine’s plight.
It still, however, doesn’t seem to be quite complete or jelled into the story I envisioned from the beginning. I suppose fighting with my characters, like fighting with a cast in a theatrical production, is bad for morale. I think the little voice in my head will prevail, but it is very difficult to make characters do your bidding if they don’t want to.
The only thing I’ve found that works is compromise. Take some of the good things they insist on doing and blend them with things that will accomplish the goals of the work as you see them. This is where I’m heading with my latest revision and (cross your fingers) it seems to be working!
Wish me luck!
Filed under: Jenna Jaxon, Writing Advice
August 28, 2015
The Weirdness of Editing A Book by Susan Hanniford Crowley
What is weird about editing? It’s the funny things authors do that they hope their editors catch and readers never see. Before my editor sees my novel, I go over it with a fine tooth comb. Here’s are some of the tougher things I’m looking for:
Love scenes. I have to make sure there are the right number of arms and legs. I know that seems odd, but in the past, my scenes have been so exuberant that I lost track of what went where, resulting in multiple limbs.
Disappearing clothes. When my vampires make their clothes vanish, I have to make sure they’re dressed again before going out in public. I know this is a quirk particular to my books. Every book has something unique to it.
Words. Every word must count to show the character in fear, passion, doubt, and strength. The words a character uses are a kind of self-portrait.
Though there is more to editing, I will be looking throughout my book at these three things first to bring out the heart and soul of the story my characters live.
There will be more to come.
-Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance
www.susanhannifordcrowley.com
Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!
Vampire King of New York available at Amazon Kindle and print, Barnes and Noble Nook and print and in Kobo
A Vampire for Christmas in Kindle
Filed under: Characters, Emotions, Love/Sex Scenes, 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, Writing Craft, Writing Topics, Yule
August 27, 2015
The End of Summer by Stacy Hoff
In just a few days my kids will be back to school. My brief time off with them over, as I go back to work. I hate the end of summer.
At least I can look back on July and August fondly. I had some fun. And I got a whole lot of writing work done, too. Don’t believe me? Check-out my “done” list:
attended RWA’s national conference in New York City
finished a manuscript
finished yet another manuscript
traveled to New York state to research some scenes in one of these two manuscripts
met new author friends
kept on top of my blog posts and social media
brainstormed some new ideas for upcoming novels
I even spent some quality time with the kids. Check out the photo of the idyllic spot in New England where we went hiking.
Wow. That’s a lot! Maybe I need a vacation from my “vacation.” I’ll try to fight the urge to fire up my laptop while I drink my last glasses of lemonade.
What did you do this summer?
Find Stacy on Social Media: http://www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff Twitter: twitter.com/authorStacyHoff Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com https://www.pinterest.com/authorstacyhoff/
AMAZON LINK FOR LAWFULLY YOURS: http://www.amazon.com/Lawfully-Yours-Stacy-Hoff-ebook/dp/B00U7U2WCC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1425508177&sr=8-2&keywords=book+-+lawfully+yours
AMAZON LINK FOR DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES: http://www.amazon.com/Desire-Everglades-Stacy-Hoff-ebook/dp/B00NFSMCYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410289138&sr=8-1&keywords=desire+in+the+everglades.
AMAZON LINK FOR SEASON OF LOVE: http://www.amazon.com/Season-Love-Box-Merry-Holly-ebook/dp/B00X3ZAR3E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431122019&sr=8-1&keywords=Season+of+love+-+stacy+hoff
Photo copyright Stacy Hoff 2015. All rights reserved.
Filed under: RWA, Stacy Hoff, Writer's Life, writing research
August 26, 2015
Social Media Mixer by Heather Novak
According to the highly educational and never incorrect* website known as Wikipedia, a “cocktail party mixer” is defined as:
A cocktail party organized for purposes of social or business networking is called a mixer.
*dramatization
That sounds a lot like what social media is…one, giant, malignant, cocktail mixer. What does that mean for you, especially if you’re using your page as an author/for a business? It means you should treat your social media page like a cocktail party. Same etiquette rules apply.
Heather, what are these rules you speak about?
According to Etiquette International, my favorite cocktail party rules are as follows:
Keep conversation clean, avoiding any sexual innuendos. Excessive flirting is not appropriate, especially at a business-related affair. Also, steer clear of taboo topics like dieting, health (yours or theirs), the cost of anything, malicious gossip (yes, you do know when it’s malicious), religion and politics.
Don’t fill your plate to overflowing. People seldom notice you going back for seconds at large cocktail functions; they will notice the mountainous heap on your plate. And, claiming it’s for the table sounds like an excuse, not the truth. A pertinent example comes to mind: while on a three-day promotional cruise several years ago, a businessman reached for a cookie on a large silver tray heaped with a generous assortment when a woman yelled to him not to touch; the cookies were all hers. The businessman remembered her months later when she tried to solicit his firm’s business.
Let’s pull both of these examples apart and discuss how they apply to your social media presence. Because right now, I can tell you’re pulling away thinking I’m a crazy person. My therapist says I’m not “crazy,” I’m “creative.” We’ll go with that.
Social media is like the damp towel in the corner that is super soft and fluffy but starts to smell and acquire bugs after a few days. How do you keep that towel soft and fluffy? By keeping it clean and taking care of it.
As an author, I have a brand to uphold. While I want to comment on everything I feel strongly about — politics, violent current events, race issues, women issues, how dumb Kanye is (no, really, I can’t help myself), I can’t post about everything. Nor should I. So what do I post about?
1) Things that make me relatable – fun with friends, generalized family stories, hilarious stories, one-liners.
2) Subjects that relate to my books
3) Reviews on something I bought/read/listened to/saw
4) The weather
5) Playoff sports (come on, friends! I’m a Red Wings girl.)
For instance, in my story Hunting Witch Hazel, I have a gay couple who help at Billy’s Blues and BBQ. I’m a HUGE support of equal rights for all genders and sexual orientations. Therefore, I will sometimes share posts related to diversity. Because, quite frankly, if you don’t like me posting about equal rights, you won’t like my books. That’s part of my branding.
What I chose, with difficultly, not to post about are my opinions on things like $15 minimum wage and the upcoming election, for the most part (it’s an ongoing struggle). I discuss these topics offline with my trusted friends. Why? Because my social media sites are part of my business personality. If I won’t talk about it at work, I won’t talk about it on Facebook. (But sometimes I can’t help myself…)
That party I went to last weekend where the bachelorette got an extra spicy surprise? Not going on my twitter, sorry folks. Me in a bikini? BAHAHAHA. No one is seeing that. Anything I don’t want my bosses to see, I don’t put social media.
My latest movie review? That IS going on social media. So are fun life events and books I’m currently reading. Book club outings? Hell yeah. These draw readers in and make them feel like they know you.
What about health issues? This, I find, is a fine line to walk. I recently announced on my social media sites that book two in The Lynch Brothers Series, When It Raines, has been pushed to late fall due to health issues.
This was an important announcement to make so my readers know where we stand. I’ve heard so many complaints from readers about how an author they love disappeared! Readers are what keep writers published. Be upfront and honest, but respectful all at the same time.
Things I NEVER talk about:
– Anything personal about my boss/job
– Anything specific/confidential about my job
– Complaints about my day job
– Personal attacks
– Financial information
It’s all about protecting your image while being yourself. One wrong post can ruin your career. Don’t believe me? Read about these unfortunate tweets! And who can forget Justine Sacco?
If you’re not sure if you should put it on social media, don’t. Once it’s on the internet, someone is bound to scoop it up when you least expect it…
Did you know August 27 is known for:
Global Forgiveness Day
Just Because Day
Oh yeah…I totally believe in global forgiveness…
Wishing You Laughter & Good Books,
Heather Novak
Bold. Bewitching. Breathtaking.
Find me at:
Twitter: authorheathern
Facebook: authorheathernovak
Website: Heathernovak.net
Author of Hunting Witch Hazel featured in Falling Hard (A New Adult Anthology).
Available Now!
Amazon U.S.
http://amzn.to/1G0aCoQ
iBooks
http://apple.co/1Fb1Nrp
Amazon UK
http://amzn.to/1bKvOmc
Kobo
Filed under: romance
August 25, 2015
Our Personal Hamster Wheel
We are going through a transformation at my day job. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned that before but in case you’ve missed it, there you have it. The purpose of this transformation is to help us specialize further in helping our clients and on a broader scale, stay competitive with our clients.
Despite all the changes this year (in my day job and outside of it), I have to say that this year has been one of the best when it comes to progress and learning. I have had more “threats” to my little safe bubble of a world (we all live in some bubble to a degree whether we want to admit it or not) and yet for the first time in years I can feel myself growing in knowledge, understanding, maturity… I can keep going. Admittedly, all this learning hasn’t been fun, but I wanted change it.
So what does this all have to do with a hamster wheel? Seeing as I personally have grown this year, I can’t help but look back at the past couple years as years on a hamster’s wheel. I was working harder, not smarter. I was hitting walls but couldn’t necessarily see the right path in front of me. Simply put, I felt lost. And while I don’t claim to know all the answers now (certainly not!), I do feel like I have a few new paths to try, I can see where I’ve made mistakes (and noticed trends on them) and I’m confident I can move forward. Honestly, it feels really great.
What about you all? Ever been stuck in the hamster’s wheel? What did you do to get out of it?
Happy writing this week!
Filed under: A writer's life, Toni Kelly
From Nights of Passion Blog
- Susan Hanniford Crowley's profile
- 86 followers
