Inara Scott's Blog, page 4

Where do you get your ideas?

This is the question I get asked the most, and my favorite to answer. Because the truth is, ideas are everywhere–and in the grand scheme of things, relatively unimportant.

What?? What did you say? Ideas are everything, aren’t they?

Nope. I’ll tell you what IS important if you go here, the Entangled Publishing blog for Indulgence authors (Indulgence is the imprint that Rules of Negotiation and The Boss’s Fake Fiancee were written for) —->>> http://www.indulgencebooks.com/2012/11/09/where-do-you-get-your-ideas/

I’ll be blogging on the Indulgence every month or so from here on. But don’t worry, I’ll ping you here when I am!

xoxo,

Inara

Reading in the Big Red Chair

Just a quick note to let any of you in the Portland area know that I’ll be doing a live reading from my books in the Big Red Wordstock chair at 12 noon, on the corner of Park and Yamhill, downtown Portland. I will do a reading from my latest adult romance, which will be released in October from Entangled Publishing, and from my young adult Delcroix Academy series. I will bring SWAG and BOOKS to giveaway. Come see me!

WORDSTOCK!

One of the best things about being an author is meeting readers. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I don’t just write for me. I write for you, the reader, and consider it my responsibility to create a story that leaves just enough room for you to feel connected but not limited. I want characters that are real, but flexible. Stories that have heart and meaning, but are not so explicit that you can’t make the meaning evolve to the space that you are in.

All that gobblygook aside, I want to meet reader expectations. That’s a big part of being a romance novelist: knowing what readers want and fulfilling their desires in a way that touches both writer and reader. And how do I know what readers want? First and foremost, I am reader myself. I’ve been reading romance since I was a little girl (probably well before I should have been). Short category, epic historical, contemporary, Regency, erotica. You name it, I’ve read it and loved it. But next to that, I need to talk to and hear from readers.

I get feedback and contact with readers a number of ways. Some of you write me, and I adore you and (barring some technological fail) try to write back promptly. Some of you post reviews on Amazon and B&N (bless your heart!), or review your books on your blogs. Reviews are essential to those of us playing the publishing game, and I appreciate those reviews more than I can say. But the very BEST, most WONDERFUL way I have to contact with readers is to meet them.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE meeting readers. I love answering questions, talking books, talking writing, squealing, hugging, and even debating about the future of publishing (because I’m a lawyer, yanno, so I sometimes have a hard time keeping my mouth shut).

Which brings me to WORDSTOCK. Wordstock is a huge literary festival in Portland, featuring all sorts of fantastic authors. If you live anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, and enjoy hearing talking books, this is a “do not miss” sort of event. This year, I’m appearing a number of times, both to talk YA and adult romance. My schedule is:

October 13

3:30 YA Stage, I’ll be talking about my young adult fiction.

5:00 Work for Art Stage, I’ll be talking about my adult romance.

October 14

3:00 National Endowment for the Arts Stage, I’ll be part of a panel on Electronic Voyeurism

5:00 YA Stage, I’ll be moderating a panel on trends in YA paranormal books.

Tons more details on Wordstock are on the festival website. You can find me here.

I would love to see some friendly faces in the crowd, and wow, it would be fantastic if some of you introduced yourselves, or came to me for an autograph. I will have swag to give away, including a SNEAK PEEK–CAN’T FIND IT ON THE INTERNET ANYWHERE I GUARANTEE–look at the cover for my October release, THE BOSS’S FAKE FIANCEE. A few people will walk away with free books. Doesn’t that sound fun?

Over the next few days, I’ll be blogging again about my panel topics. I’m particularly interested in hearing from you about the electronic voyeurism topic (what do you like to see when you peek into a bedroom via your Kindle, Nook, or iPad?) and in getting ideas for the YA paranormal panel. Stay tuned for more to come!

xoxo,

Inara

The Author-Reader Relationship

Writing for publication is both an intensely personal and shockingly public act. Writers who put their work into the public realm know people will read it and respond to it. This is, of course, why we put it out there. If writers truly didn’t care about readers, we would put our stories under our pillows and forget about them.

But that isn’t what publishing is about. Publishing is an act of connection. It is an intimate, emotional tie between writer and reader. I create the characters but they don’t truly live until you read them. Your experience of them is its own act of creation. You connect emotionally, bringing your own experiences, hopes, dreams, and fears to the table, and the characters that emerge are changed BY YOU. You are the only one who knows what you have experienced, and how the characters took shape in your mind.

If I have done my job as a writer, I have created a hardy, but ultimately incomplete framework–an emotional canvas that is 90% filled in. I can’t fill in 100%; partly because I work in language not cloning, and partly because I don’t want to. I want you to create the last 10%. I want my characters to spring to life, new and fresh, each time they are experienced by a reader.

For that 90%, my goal is to draw a sustainable, reliable picture that is internally consistent, honest, believable, and real. If I don’t give readers enough, they can’t finish the picture. Actions become unpredictable and therefore unsatisfying. Emotional journeys become opaque. The connection cannot be made. On the other hand, if I give readers too much, the work is boring. Your emotional connection stems from the piece of my characters that you inhabit. If I fill them up all the way, there’s no room for you. But I have to give you the springboard so you can jump, effortlessly, into their skin.

When I get a review of one of my books, my first thought is, OF COURSE, “did they like it?” I want to be liked. I really do. I’ll admit that. But then I wonder, “Did they get it? Did I do my job as a writer? Did the characters work?”

It is this second level that, ultimately, sustains me as a writer. Because I’ll never be liked by everyone. The emotional journey of each character is different, and the emotional journey of my readers–which, as I mentioned before, is informed by their own life experiences–will vary. Liking me is ice cream sundae stuff. I love it, but it isn’t enough to fuel the body forever.

This brings me to the review I received today, from an incredibly thoughtful, insightful woman at The Romance Reviews. Here’s a snippet of the review. You can read the rest here.

“I love Inara Scott’s writing, and her well-crafted, passionate characters. And it’s because this story is so well written that I had a hard time with Tori. Her insecurities run deep, and her mother’s wealth of painful lessons have left her believing that she will neither find nor deserve love. Maybe it was because I felt so deeply for her and genuinely liked her so much that her insecurities really bothered me. I was hurt by how much she herself was hurting—and while this is unequivocally the sign of a well-written story, I don’t think I was quite prepared to feel this way about her as a heroine.”

In explaining her rating (three out of five starts) the reviewer goes on to say,

“Coming up with a rating for this story was a little challenging. The tension and chemistry between Tori and Brit really is explosive and passion and tender, and I really wanted to follow their story to the end. However, I wasn’t prepared for just how emotional the story was going to be, or how I personally would respond to Tori’s psychology.”

And that’s where my heart, as a writer, leaps. This is a well-written, honest review that considers both the author’s contribution AND the contribution of the reader. Both combine to make the experience of reading. And while for this reader, the journey was perhaps not the one she was prepared to go down at that moment, I still feel like I scored a 10.

We have a winner! (or two!)

Happy Saturday, friends! 

 

Thanks so much for helping spread the word about romance. It was such fun to see my PSA repeated on the internetz; maybe now those doubters will start listening!  

 

(Okay, probably not, but we can hope, right?)

 

So, somewhere in the midst of my contest I added enough Twitter followers to hit 2200, which is such a fabulous, round number that I decided to give away prizes to TWO WINNERS!

 

1) MELODY MAY! Please contact me to claim your prize!

 

3) STACIE BARTH! Please contact me to claim your prize! 

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Important PSA: Reading Romance Makes You Smarter and Happier

No, I don’t have any statistics. I’m not going to link to any studies or articles in the psychiatric literature. I’m just going to say: DUH. How happy are all those people reading literary fiction about people dying, being trapped in closets, suffering abuse, and getting addicted to drugs? NOT VERY HAPPY.

How happy are romance readers?

Yeah…that’s what I thought.

One of the things I love about the national Romance Writers of America conference is that it brings together thousands of like-minded people. Smart people. Great writers. Enthusiastic readers. We don’t all like the same kind of romance–there’s people who like inspirational romance, people who read contemporary, and those who wonder what all the fuss is about 50 Shades because they’ve been reading and writing erotica for years. But we all agree that reading and writing happily ever after is good for the soul.

Unsupported assertion: reading and thinking about happily ever after makes you happy. Reading and thinking about how two people work through conflicts and–despite life not being perfect–carve out a life that is meaningful and joyful makes you smarter.

Reading about people finding physical fulfillment raises your pulse. And we KNOW that’s healthy.

So in honor of the RWA National Convention in Anaheim, which I will be at for a couple of days next week (Friday July 27-Sunday July 29), I am sponsoring this important Public Service Announcement/giveaway. To be entered, you must:

1) Tweet “Reading romance makes you smarter and happier” (add @inarascott so I know you did it) OR

2) Update Facebook status to: “Reading romance makes you smarter and happier” OR

3) Go tell someone (that wouldn’t know this about you) that you read and love romance. Comment here and tell me you did it.

Do any of the three and then fill out the form below. If you don’t fill out the form I won’t know how to contact you about your prize!

THE PRIZES

1) 1:1 Pitch coaching at RWA–I’ll only be around Friday evening (July 27), but I will buy you a drink, hear your agent/editor pitch, and give you feedback.

2) Autographed copy of one of my YA books (The Talents or The Marked) sent to your home or delivered to you in person at RWA.

3) Electronic copy of Radiant Desire or Rules of Negotiation. I will email to you and also send a signed postcard with autograph.

Contest runs for 2 days–winner announced Friday July 20.

Keep reading!!

xoxo,

Inara

Loading…

A New Book is Coming!

Hi friends,

Some happy news to share this Mother’s Day–I just received my contract for a follow up to my February adult contemporary romance, RULES OF NEGOTIATION! This book is tentatively titled (are you ready for this?):

THE BILLIONAIRE’S FAKE FIANCEE!

No, seriously, that’s what it’s called. I’m not even joking.

Here’s the blurb:

She’s his worst nightmare…

Reclusive billionaire Garth Solen learned a long time ago that weakness and emotion only lead to pain. The last thing the “human computer” wants is a relationship, especially with a woman like Melissa Bencher, who thinks with her heart and not her head. When Melissa’s impulsive act lands the two of them on the cover of a tabloid, Garth is furious. To protect his ailing grandmother, he’s forced to play the adoring fiancee. But what happens when the lies become the truth?

…or a dream come true.

Melissa Bencher never meant for things to go this far. She only wanted to make her cheating ex-boyfriend jealous–and what better way than to suggest she was dating her gorgeous boss? Now she’s trying on rings and spending private weekends with a dangerously sexy fake fiance. The game is clear: for two weeks, they’re an adoring couple, and then they part ways. No emotions. No entanglements. Unfortunately, when it comes to matters of the heart, Melissa’s never been good at following the rules…

I’m thrilled to share Melissa and Garth’s story with you. If you read RULES, you will remember that Garth is a genius entrepreneur and scientist who guards his privacy like the crown jewels. Getting a job with Garth helped pull Melissa out of a dark depression; falling for him was the last thing she wanted to do. But in matters of the heart, there are no guarantees, right?

(Okay, there is one guarantee: there will be an HEA at the end of this book. Sorry if that ruins the surprise for anyone. )

BFF (as I’ve been calling it when I chat with my editor, the amazing Libby Murphy) is very tentatively slated for release in November 2012. It’s part of the Entangled Publishing Indulgence line. I am having a blast writing for the talented people at Entangled and am thrilled to be able to work with them all on this new project.

For all my YA readers, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten about you. You’re next.

xoxo,

Inara

My kind of Man Candy

A lot of romance writers supply their blog readers with “man candy”: that is, pictures of beautiful, scantily-clad men. Despite the fact that I write about gorgeous men, I don’t really enjoy gawking over male models. Just not my thing. BUT–lest you think you’re missing something by visiting my blog, here’s MY version of Man Candy:

These two sexy guys are Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich. They host a radio show called RadioLab. I don’t remember when I started listening, but at this point, I’ve downloaded every podcast and listened to them all (some more than once). It’s kind of like This American Life, only funnier, and with science.

So these guys are my current crushes. They’re smart and funny, and for me, that’s the best kind of Man Candy.

(Okay, my geeking out is done for the day! Back to your regularly scheduled program!)

TeenBookCon 2012!

Sitting in my hotel room, leaving in a couple of hours for Austin for school visits with fellow Disney authors Megan Crewe and Robin Mellom. Had an incredible time at TeenBookCon, and must give a big shout-out to all of those who worked so hard to organize and make it happen, especially co-chairs Lisa Stultz and Aria Tatelman. Thanks Lisa for the adorable picture, too!

I was on a panel with the irrepressible Maggie Stiefvater, the adorable Jessica Spotswood, and Orson Scott Card (hereafter known as OSC). Not sure what single word could describe Orson. Instead, I’ll say that, after writing, teaching, and working in publishing for decades, he has an incredible amount of advice, wisdom, and opinion to share. I thought he gave a brilliant keynote, and while our panel occasionally devolved into lunacy (seriously–ask the people who got a little sex ed at TeenBookCon!), I also learned a lot from the wonderful questions posed by the audience, and my fellow authors’ answers.

Among my fav memories from TeenBookCon 2012:

1) Best moment of the event, which brought tears to my eyes: OSC firmly instructing the audience to never, ever, let anyone make them feel ashamed of what they enjoy reading. As a romance reader, and strong supporter of the most-maligned and disparaged genre in literature, this meant a lot. I love OSC for saying this, and hope everyone who heard that speech takes it into their hearts and believes it.

2) Moment in which I knew I was truly odd: when I admitted I write in silence. Maggie and OSC clearly think I’m nuts: they must have music to write. Maggie builds a playlist for each of her books and listening to it transports her into the world of her novel. I love how different writers are!

3) Coolest author moment: meeting Ruta Sepetys, who wrote the book Between Shades of Grey. This is a book I am terrified to read because it is dark and sad, and chronicles the journey of a girl taken from Lithuania to a Soviet labor camp in 1941. This is a fate my mother, who lived in Latvia until she was 6, could easily have suffered, if she and my grandparents had not managed to escape to the United States in 1948. I am sure many of my other Latvian and Lithuanian relatives (my father is Lithuanian) were not so lucky. Ruta is an absolutely delightful person, and now that I have heard her story, I am determined to read her book.

4) Most outright FUN time: hanging with blogger friends Lindsi, Lena, Sarah, Ginger, Kelsey and others at dinner at Chuy’s in Houston after the conference. These girls are awesome fun and I’m so glad I got to get out of the hotel and see a little of Houston! Cheers ladies!



5) As always, I met so many wonderful people, too numerous to name, who I know from Twitter and blogging (waving to Yara Santos, I’ve been wanting to meet forever!)…not to mention all the fans, readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers (Blue Willow Books is amazing!) who made TeenBookCon a wonderful success. Thanks everyone who came to say hello–xoxox to all!

Keep reading my friends!!

More Winners!

Hey friends,

Remember that post I put up a while back, about saying thanks (with prizes)? Well, it's time to announce the winners:

EVERYONE!

Okay, you knew that, right? I'll be sending something (as in, bookmarks, postcards, stickers, adorable faerie tattos) to everyone who filled out the form and sent me their address. But I did promise some other, bigger prizes, so here they are:

1) ONE COPY OF THE TALENTS

SARAH MILLER!

2) ONE ARC OF THE MARKED

JENNALY NOLAN!

3) ONE E-COPY OF RULES

ADRIANNE RODGERS!

4) ONE E-COPY of RADIANT DESIRE

SHERYL CORDEIRO!

and ONE GRAND PRIZE:

5) A PACK WTIH BOTH THE TALENTS AND THE MARKED!

JAIME HYPES!!

Thanks so much to everyone who has supported me, my books, and my writing. I wish I could give each of you a big ol' hug, but that may be inappropriate, and/or get me arrested. Besides, all that traveling would be really hard on the pocketbook.

xoxo,

Inara