Susan Hanniford Crowley's Blog: From Nights of Passion Blog, page 253

Is it Friday Again?

What are you reading this week? I’m reading Storm Front by Richard Castle.

 

Isn’t it amazing how fast the days of the week fly by. I can’t believe I’m sitting here in front of my computer racking my brain for something to write. It was just Sunday and I was internally complaining because I had so many chores of the non-writing kind to get done. That I actually didn’t write at all last weekend.  Time consuming projects that I had volunteered for gobbled up my time. It’s given me pause–I’m behind where I should be this year on writing for many reasons.

Emotional times in one’s life doesn’t always feed the creative machine. It fact, it becomes a brick wall that stifles the imagination. Sickness, death, jobs, even moving can cause those  blank stares –you know what I’m talking about. You turn on your computer. The screen comes to life, you crack your knuckles, place you fingers on the keys and then… Then you get up. Get an extra cup of coffee, a glass of water or a snack. Or better yet, all three. Once you’ve collected all of those items you sit back down, poise your fingers over the keyboard again…and stare at the blank page.

Is there anyway around it. Yes there is. Just start typing. Type your random thoughts. Your feelings, anything that comes to mind. By the time you reach the bottom of the first page I’ll bet your mind is back in your book. Instead of jotting down nonsense, you’re opening up the file with your latest story. Before you know it, you’ve put one thousand words or more down on the paper. Now doesn’t that feel good.

Yes there are times the well is empty, but that is a good time to do the  research for your next book. I find research steeps you in facts. It makes you think, ask questions of where this story is going and why. Not bad, right? You’re back in a story, thinking, creating and moving forward.

Good luck! Happy Writing.

Filed under: romance

Father’s Day by Gerri Brousseau

This coming Sunday we celebrate Father’s Day. My father passed away in March of 1980, followed five months later by my mother. They were inseparable. When my dad passed, my mother simply lost the will to live without him. It’s hard to believe that they have been gone for 34 years. Still, I think of them daily. They died young, and when I think back at every event in my life that my parents missed, it makes me sad.

My parents were like my best friends. I had a great relationship with them and they influenced me greatly in my life. My mother grew up during the depression, and my father served in the Navy in WWII. They both worked, my mother was a seamstress who worked in a sewing factory (known as a “sweat shop”), and my father was a toolmaker working in a local factory. Looking back now, I realize we were a middle class family struggling to get by, but growing up, I never realized it. I imagine they had their share of disagreements, but they never argued or spoke an ill word in front of me and I grew up thinking the world was a great and wonderful place. My parents gave me the best gift they could, a stable home full of love, and a positive outlook on life.

They never lived to see their grandson or experience the joy of being grandparents. Every time I visit with my grand-daughter I can’t help but think of my parents and what they missed out on. I miss my parents everyday, but especially on certain days of the year such as their birthdays (Mom’s would have been tomorrow), Thanksgiving, Christmas (especially Christmas), Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Sunday while celebrating Father’s Day with my son and his family, I will be thinking about my Dad, who was a wonderful story teller (maybe some of that rubbed off on me) and I will probably have a far away look in my eye and a soft grin upon my lips.

Since I was young when my parents left this world, I often wonder how they feel about me being a multi-published author. I wonder if they are looking lovingly down from heaven at their grand-son and great grand-daughter. I miss them. I vow to take every possible opportunity to tell my son and his family how much I love them and how proud I am of them, and I’m grateful to be around to see my little grand-daughter grow up. I love it when she hugs me and says, “Memé, I love you.” She’s the light of my life and it breaks my heart knowing that my parents missed out.

This Sunday, as you gather together with your loved ones to celebrate the fathers in our midst, take a moment to remember those who no longer sit at our tables, but hold a place for us at our Father’s table in heaven.

I know I speak for everyone of the crew at Nights of Passion when I say Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there, and happy writing this week.

Filed under: romance

Work Smarter, Not Harder

This past week I was speaking with one of my co-workers about a big test he is studying for. It’s something he has been studying for, for over a year at this point and something he has failed, which only increases the importance he personally places on passing it this second time around. As part of our discussion, we talked about what he feels he needs to do for the second test. He admitted to definitely needing to mentally and spiritually prepare himself as he no longer feels invincible this time (a byproduct of his first score). But beyond that, he also talked about working smarter not harder. Of course, I couldn’t help but apply his sound revelation to writing.

To me, writing has been all about hard work. It is something you constantly work at and often times, you receive so much negative feedback that many writers ask themselves whether it truly is all worth it. If you love writing, I believe it is, although I’ll also say that writing is not for the faint-hearted and that you better be prepared to thicken up your skin if you haven’t already.

So what is this about working smarter? Is there actually a way we can work smarter when it comes to writing? I have to admit that I don’t know but I’m sure going to try. What I have learned is that there are a few things you can start early on:

Decide your brand and your target audience. This is of course determined by what you want to write. Still, it does allow you to set some sort of expectations with yourself. If you’re not sure what I mean, draw from the current market. What books are the big sellers and why? If you don’t want to follow trends, don’t, but you also need to realize it may take a bit more effort to make it big if that is what you are aiming for.
Start a blog and keep up with it. This is really hard if you are strapped for time, especially as you will want to devote a lot of time to writing. It may not see like you are working smarter here but I’m telling you that in the long run, this will pay off. Your audience if they love your books and characters will want to interact with you and they will look for more. This helps immensely from a promotion standpoint.


Allocate time to writing and stick to it. Writing comes with many temptations beyond daydreaming. Sitting in front of a computer or tablet can easily lead you to internet surfing (even research which is not bad all the time), spending time on social sites such as facebook, twitter, etc. and perhaps even critiquing/reviewing other writer’s works. All of these are very important but it’s easy to get pulled into one or the other. Since writing is the end goal, I say allocate time to it and then the rest comes later. If it helps though, you could always plan your day with more structure by allocating to all of the above.

 

The truth is there are probably tons more ways to work smarter but these three tips will give you a good start and they are definitely ways I would have done it if I could begin again. Thanks for visiting today and if you want to leave your own comment and recommendation, please feel free (I’m always looking for ways I can improve)!

Happy Writing this week!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life

A Grand Announcement by Leia Shaw

So remember me talking a while back about changes and going forward and taking my career to the next level and blah blah blah?

Well, now I can announce what the hell I was talking about.

I have officially signed to be represented by Nicole Resciniti from the Seymour Agency. I feel I’ve plateaued with self-publishing and it’s time for something new. As I said in previous posts, I don’t regret my decision to self-publish. I don’t think one way is better than the other. I’m a huge advocate for indie publishing and everything it’s done for the industry.

But I’m adventurous and I like dipping my toes into a bit of everything.

So through an agent, I have new opportunities I wouldn’t have with self-publishing. I’m excited for this next stage in my career and can’t wait to see what it brings.

Also…

In celebration of my birthday this week, I’m running a sale on ALL my books!  

You can see the great big list of them here on Amazon,  B&N and ARe.

 

Filed under: romance

Renaissance Fair Paranormal-Scope

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.  By the way, that’s me at a Renaissance Fair holding a small dragon.

The week for:

Aries:

Knights are ruling the roost.  Make a lot of Turkey legs and everyone will be happy.

Taurus:

Dragons love ice cream.  Hot times ahead.  Keep a cool head.

Gemini:

A day walking vampire passes you at the fair.  You will receive a special gift this week.

Cancer:

You would love wonderful with pointed ears.  Consider upgrading their wardrobe for business purposes.

Leo:

Consider playing games to loosen up.  Archery is fun, unless you play with dragons.  They burn the targets.

Virgo:

A dark angel passed near to you.  What a relief!  Everything will be good now that the shadow is gone.

Libra:

Mermaids float on clouds and are not seabound.  Expand your viewpoint.  Travel.

Scorpio:

Knights have a duty to serve and protect.  Take all promises seriously.

Sagittarius:

Fair maidens work hard and love a day on the beach to recoup and make flower garlands.

Capricorn

A vampire stands at the door and says, “I’m ready.  Are you?”

Aquarius:

Kings of olden times amassed treasure.  Saving right now will serve you later.

Pieces:

A white horse prances in sight bringing with it good fortune.

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

New release: Vampire King of New York now in print at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Also in ebooks.

P.S. Come to Pi-Con, June 27-29 in Enfield, CT at the Holiday Inn   http://pi-con.org/

Filed under: Max Vander Meer, paranormal romance, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Vampire David Hilliard, Vampire King of New York, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, vampires, Weekly Paranormal-Scope

Dual-ing Pen Names

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Many authors write under a pen name, including me. But how many write under multiple pen names? I think the number might be larger than many of us suspect and because of the push to brand yourself, it seems to be growing.

Most authors have been told you need to brand yourself with a specific platform or genre/sub-genre of romance in order to gain and maintain more readership. This move, in addition to other reasons (such as jobs, disparity of genres, or too much name recognition) has led to many authors maintaining two or more writing identities. And recently I’ve been among the numbers considering it.

A big reason on the pro side of having more than one pen name is a separation of the author’s identity by genre/subgenre. Jenna Jaxon is mostly considered a writer of historical romance. This is the way I’ve decided to brand myself and have been writing historicals exclusively since 2012.

Before that, however, I did publish three contemporary erotic novellas which are still in circulation and still have my name on them. (I had one person last week remark, “I didn’t know you wrote contemporaries!”) I like the stories a lot and have sequels to all of them in mind, however, they are not my primary interest at the moment and in the past few months, as two of them have contracts ready to expire, I’ve been toying with the idea of getting my rights back, changing the covers and self-publishing them under a different pen name. I’d put “Writing as Jenna Jaxon” in smaller letters, so hopefully those who have bought them won’t buy them again. But then any sequels or additional contemporaries would have the new pen name listed.

I’ve contemplated this change before and the biggest stumbling block to the change is the work it would entail to maintain two separate identities—especially in promotion and maintaining of blogs. I’m thinking more seriously about the move, however, as the contemporary pen name would be sort of my “side line,” with less promotion until I decided to write additional titles in that sub-genre.

Do any of you have more than one pen name? Do you have advice for me on this rather momentous career decision? Thanks for sharing!

Filed under: Craft, Jenna Jaxon

Nothing is Impossible! Follow Your Bliss!

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!

- Audrey Hepburn

I was visiting my dad today and on the elevator wall, his assisted living have a bulletin board of all the events for the day.  They also had the above as the quote of the day.  You can also find it at    http://www.brainyquote.com/  Another way to look at that sentence is “No thing is impossible.”

So what does that mean for you and me?  We have a giant range of amazing things we can do.  We have so many choices that at times, it’s baffling or overwhelming.  There are many influences on us like friends and family.  There are stronger influences called dreams, and it is dreams that lead people to do remarkable things.

When I was young, I wanted to be an actress and write books.  People laughed.  Adults should not laugh at the dreams of children.  It’s bad form.  Sometimes I think when an adult laughs at a child’s dreams, they are laughing at themselves because they regret not following their own.

“Joseph John Campbell was an American mythologist, writer and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work is vast, covering many aspects of the human experience” (quoted from http://herojourneys.com/follow-your-bliss-a-collection-of-joseph-campbell-quotes/ . His famous quote is “Follow your Bliss!”  A few years back, I was watching a series of interviews with Joseph Campbell on National Public Television out of Boston when they broke for some fundraising.  They announced that one of their staff after seeing Dr. Campbell explain  “Follow your bliss”  announced that they were leaving  to follow their own bliss and she did, right there in that moment.  The good doctor who wrote THE HERO’S JOURNEY as well as other books also said, “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

From the time I was a child to now, I was an actress in community theater for a while.  I even went to Los Angeles to check it out.  It wasn’t for me.  As for writing books, that is already part of my history.  Being an author is my bliss.  Writing a book that is fun for the reader is my bliss.  Many times people do not follow their bliss, because they are afraid to fail.

What would you do?  I’m seriously asking here.  What would you do if you knew you absolutely could not fail?   What impossible thing would you do?  Smiles!

-Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley
http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Vampire King of New York now out in print at Amazon and Barnes and Noble Online.

P.S.  Pi-Com, the friendliest little convention in New England, a convention of science fiction, fantasy and horror.  Rumor has it, I will be there.  http://pi-con.org/


Filed under: Emotions, Max Vander Meer, Nothing is Impossible!, romance, romance novels, Susan Hanniford Crowley, the romance of life, 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, What inspires you?, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

C is for Conflict

What are you reading this week? I’m reading Laura Moore’s Once Tasted. Yummy!

To complete the GMC– Conflict is the basis for all commercial fiction.  It’s the lure that draws a reader to care for and cheer for the hero/heroine. It makes them want to continue to read on. Conflict is that important. Challenges and conflicts also control your pacing.

 

Sagging middle–conflict to the rescue.

 

Conflict is the tug and/pull in a romance between the hero and heroine. It’s the personal relationship distracting the cop from solving the mystery. Or it’s the politics that hinders his investigation. It’s the not getting along with his superiors which puts his career on the line.

 

There are all kinds of conflicts new and old. What makes them unique is the author’s voice as well as their spin on a story. Throughout your novel a character needs to grow. The conflict or challenge is the vehicle which allows them to grow.  Hero starts out as a self-centered jerk, but ends up the protector putting the heroine and everyone else before himself. Guess what? That guy was always there, only buried under years a mental anguish. Just remember the conflict and the hero have to be believable. The conflict and resolution have to be within the hero’s skill set. Even if you push the envelope, you can’t have him performing open heart surgery on a person to save their life, if  he’s a mechanic. He can be the guy who would never stop to help someone until he came upon a woman and child on a less traveled road.

 

Remember: It’s imperative your main characters are different people at the end of the story than at the beginning. Conflict is not only the moral compass to guide your  hero/heroine it’s what draws in your readers and keeps them reading.

Enjoy your weekend. I’ll be writing and judging contest entries all weekend. What will you be doing?

Marian

http://www.marianl.com

https://www.facebook.com/marian.lanouette

 

 

Filed under: romance

Stay in Touch by Gerri Brousseau

For the past few months I have been busy with packing to move, moving, dealing with having to put my beloved pug, Milo, to sleep, being robbed, and attending RT. Needless to say, I have been busy, and in so doing have managed to fall out of touch. I also managed to fall away from the habit of writing. Yes, I said “habit.”

I consider writing my career, and so it is something I do daily. It’s something I did daily throughout my entire life, but that’s not what I want to talk about today. Today I wanted to talk about staying tuned in. Life can get hectic and without even realizing it you can manage to be wrapped up in things that take you away from your circle of friends. According to Webster’s Dictionary, a friend is a person whom one knows, likes, and trusts; an acquaintance; a person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a supporter, sympathizer, or patron of a group, cause or movement.

This week I had the chance to have dinner with my best friend. Because of all that had been going on in my life, I hadn’t seen her in about 6 weeks. We sat out on her deck and had dinner together, catching up on what had happened in our respective lives over the past few weeks. Most of my friends these days are authors, as my best friend is. That evening we sat together on her deck and discussed our plans, what we were working on and future career thoughts. It wasn’t until then that I realized that I had lost touch and in so doing lost my edge.

Staying in touch with like minded people you trust and who are your allies, keeps you motivated. e sat together and laid out a plan for something we are going to be doing together. I went home that night and wrote 9 pages.

No matter how busy you are, no matter what life throws at you, make time to stay tuned in. Stay in touch with like minded, positive people who will uplift you, motivate you and keep you sharp.

How do you stay motivated? What keeps you sharp and tuned in?

Filed under: romance

Positivity and its Ripple Effect

This week I attended a leadership symposium focused on inspirational leadership and projecting a positive attitude. It really was fascinating and if you’ve never heard of Shawn Achor, I highly recommend you check out his TED talk videos and his book The Happiness Advantage. A lot of what he speaks about is stuff we intuitively feel. For instance, if you either work with someone or interact with someone in a bad mood, it can at times rub off on you. Many of us have been there but Achor explains the basic science behind it.

Of course these basic thoughts and discussions about positivity really got me thinking about writing and its solitary nature. Despite authors tendency to write most books themselves (there are of course collaborative efforts or works), we have a tendency to surround ourselves with others in similar positions. It helps to know that someone can empathize with your ups and downs, and writing certainly has lots of both. Where I really believe this positivity and inspiration yields great results is in these larger group settings such as critique group chats, chapter meetings and writers’ conferences. This is where we tend to feed off each other the most, but if we were to carry this same positivity with us on a daily basis, science says we’ll yield greater and more productive results. For someone like me who never has enough time, this sounds great, but I’ll leave it to you all to try yourselves.

happy writing this week and don’t forget to think positive thoughts!

Filed under: romance, Toni Kelly