Marcia King-Gamble's Blog, page 55

Word Hoarder Extraordinaire!

My name is Pippa Jay, and I am a hoarder, of both physical and digital things. My stories are no exception. I never throw anything away! I have files full of the early drafts of my first published novel - all the paper versions I wrote, and every version I sent out to agents as I sought the traditional path (I rewrote it every time I sent it out). I kept all the digital versions too, though the

Look What I Found? It Was in the Package… by Delsora Lowe

Aswriters, we write a ton of stories that are now “stored” under our beds. Eachfiguratively wrapped lovingly in tissue paper and placed gently in a beautifulwooden box under our beds. A present to ourselves, when we dare look back.Okay- in reality, they are languishing in 3-ringed binders, if they were printed.If not, they are buried on long-lost flash drives, in computer files on

Saving Old Stories by Bonnie Hobbs

          Arough draft of a “new” novel is finished. It must sit a while before therewriting begins. So, maybe now is a good time to clean off that ‘behind thedoor’ bookshelf’s dark and mysterious place. The place way at the bottom behindthe table covered with a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle that will lie unfinished for,well, who knows?          Folders are pulled out, dust wipedaway and…what’s

How long is long enough to submit your MS?

by Diana McCollum Should you give up on submitting a MS that has 5, 10 or 20 rejections?If you believe in your work and have had it edited to within an inch of its life, I say no, don’t give up. There are many writers who don’t want to self-publish and take on all the jobs the publishing house normally does. They just want to write books that people can buy and enjoy. These writers work hard on

Romance Awareness Month by Lynn Lovegreen

 August is Romance Awareness Month. Eileen Buchheim created the event to encourage people to improve their relationships through romance. That’s a great idea. But as a romance writer, I take the liberty to use this occasion to encourage people to learn more about the romance genre. According to RWA (the Romance Writers of America), there are two main elements of a romance story: a romance is

Why I Prefer The Traditional Publishing Route

I have listened to several authors wondering about traditional vs self-publication. I have done both, and for me, there is no question. I prefer traditional. Not just because of the advance, which is admittedly a nice deal. If you self publish, the writing in only step one. Either you perform every additional detail yourself, or you project manage people you hire, and pay, yourself to do those

Hidden Gems, by Eleri Grace

Our prompt this month asks us to consider the value in our older and/or unpublished writing. Are there hidden gems lurking in your hard drive (or even perhaps housed on diskettes!) or scribbles on old notepads? With published writing under your belt, could you rework what you earlier discarded or filed away as worthless? For me, the answer probably is no, but mostly because my earlier writing

Once Upon A Time

 By: Marcia King-Gamblewww.lovemarcia.com So, August is romance awareness month, and I thought a tripdown memory lane might be warranted. It seems just yesterday that my firstromance was published, when in fact it’s been almost thirty years. Where didthe time go? Even now still remember the excitement of receiving my firstmulti-book contract from Kensington Publishing.Here is a pic of my

Images of Romance Awareness Month by Lynn Lovegreen

 It’s Romance Awareness Month! Romance is in the eye of the beholder, whether we’re experiencing it or reading about it.  Maybe you want your romantic partner to give you flowersOr a walk on the beachOr a night in the cityOr simply a shoulder to lean on.It’s all part of romance! What does romance mean to you, or what do you love to read about in a romance novel?

Romance Awareness Month and Old Stories

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soulnourishing romantic women’s fiction with light paranormal elements. My storiesshow you what life could be like if you had a place like The Circle where youare unconditionally accepted, supported and loved. And where, with thissupport, you make choices to overcome the darkest nights and choose love andlight.This month