Frances Pauli's Blog, page 28

In Praise of Editors

I tend to bitch a lot. I'm sure you all haven't noticed, right?
Okay, fine. Still, today I'm not going to complain at all. Promise.

In fact, I want to praise praise praise, the one individual in the traditional, publishing process that I believe is not only absolutely essential, but worth at least twice their weight in gold.
Even if you take the road to self-publishing, let me recommend wholeheartedly that you acquaint yourself with at least one good editor. Maybe two.

Here's why. Your manuscript is ugly. Even if you're the reincarnation of Hemingway, it is.
Don't shake your head at me, I'm not kidding. Even if you've edited it twenty times at least, used fifteen beta readers that don't know you and who are grammar Nazis and very very picky. It's homely as hell. It's not professional yet. I guarantee it.

So, you send it out and it becomes, a gangly stray puppy. You know the one, it has fleas....and ticks. Worms and mange and it shivers. One of its front teeth sticks out and the thing snorts and piddles when you look at it.
Is that a strong enough visual? Okay.
So you send this puppy to the pound. (Okay, first off, shame on you, but this it metaphor, so we're okay) By the pound, I mean slush. It's tossed into a slurry of other puppies, all equally hideous and all just as desperate for a home.

Now, you might think. "I'm screwed!"
Go ahead, think it.
I never said this business was easy. You're screwed, but you're determined. You keep sending that dog out, even when it comes dragging its behind home again and again and again.

Don't worry about him. I write romance--which pretty much guarantees him a happily ever after ending. :)

Eventually some soft-hearted soul plucks your puppy from the rubbage heap. This angel sees the big, shiny puppy eyes, the wagging tail, and interprets them as potential. I know, I know, but it's my metaphor here.
They give it a bath, flea dip, maybe a shave or groom, and they take it to the dentist for major oral surgery (which isn't cheap or easy--see... nice huh?)
Anyway, the end result is a different puppy. A fluffy, shiny, non piddling puppy that people can't help but pick up and cuddle.

Ha ha! See. Happy ending.
I love editors. Even when they make me cry.
Which isn't very often, I promise.

Don't ever think you can get away with skipping out on that particular step. It matters.
Your puppy deserves a flea dip.

And today one of my fabulous editors, whom I owe more to than I can ever tell you in a blog, (It would require chocolate, coffee, and probably tissue) had posted my guest spot on her blog. If you'd like to Check it Out.

She's also giving away a copy of Moth on Goodreads.com

Now, go hug your dog!
~Frances

Trading Covers

A long long time ago, a brilliant friend of mine had this idea.
She said, you know, with ebooks all you're really missing is the pretty cover to hold, sign, etc.
Why not make little collectible cards of all your books?

Now, I mentioned she was brilliant, but she's also generous and didn't mind for a second that I stole the idea and ran with it. (I did ask permission first) So, I've had the trading cards printed, and I've taken them to a convention and they seemed to go over pretty well.
It was a great idea.

And like all great ideas, eventually, someone else has the same great idea.
Today, I saw this link: http://romancetradingcards.com
and I had to text and break the bad news to her.

Still, in celebration of HER great idea. :-) I still have my cards. You can find them at any convention I appear at, or go here: http://francespauli.com/tradingcards.htm
and read how to get yours for free.

And a round of applause for clever friends everywhere.

~ Frances

Goodreads Give-Away

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Goodreads Book Giveaway












A Moth
in Darkness




by Frances Pauli

Giveaway ends April 05, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

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Participating authors
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L.J. McDonald Lucinda Brant Eden Baylee Hayley B. James

Jason W. Chan Pat Amsden Linda Morris DH Starr

Kaylea Cross Lee Benoit Kayelle Allen Beth Trissel Viviane Brentanos Morgan Rice Ashley Ladd Jennifer Labelle

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Sarah J. Bradley Joanne Troppello Rhonda L. Print Pamela Jackson

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T.C. Archer Jocelyn Modo Sloan Parker Kerri Williams Elaine Hopper Stacey Espino Linda Mooney Victoria Howard

Heather Matthews Marcia James Cherie De Sues Savannah Chase

Simone Eden Lauren Fraser Annie Nicholas JoAnne Kenrick

E.D. Walker Rachel Haimowitz HP Mallory Suzanne Rock

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Shermaine Williams Berengaria Brown Tina Donahue Taryn Kincaid

Red Haircrow Virginia Cavanaugh Hailey Edwards Elle Druskin

Rachel Brimble Frances Pauli Nancy J Cohen Tarah Scott

Em Petrova Heather Wardell Cara Marsi CJ Archer

Mary Eason Skhye Moncrief Jana Richards Jill James

Alison Chambers LoRee Peery Gail Pallotta Alison Henderson

Nicki Greenwood Alianne Donnelly Tiffany Ashley Michael Davis

Gem Sivad Stacy Juba Tory Richards Darcia Helle

LaVerne Clark Sibel Hodge

A Cold Dark Place

Please give a warm welcome to guest author: HD Hatcher :-)

Leave a comment for a chance to win the free ebook of A Cold Dark Place.
thanks~ Frances





HD Hatcher- A Cold Dark Place

A Cold Dark place was a labor of love for me. I wanted to create a story that would appeal to both gay and straight readers. I am fully aware of the stigma that surrounds gay themed literary works. I am sure that a lot of people assume that between the cover lies nothing more than a rehashed drug habit, a promiscuous adventure with countless faceless strangers, and a two hundred page circuit party that never seems to end.

I have read gay themed stories such as these, and the one thing I wanted to do, was create something completely different. I am not a fan of most gay works for this very reason. I am not saying that all gay writing is this way. But, the vast majority of it is. I am not naïve enough to think that readers will rush out and buy a copy just to see what the difference is. I am however, hopeful that if someone that has never been exposed to a gay literary piece in the past, will be able to read A Cold Dark Place, and find themselves forgetting that this is a love story between two men.

I tried to make A Cold Dark Place as realistic as possible. I wanted people to understand that gay love can (and often is) just as complicated as the love between a man and a woman.

I will warn you. I am a literary writer and not a technical writer. If you are a stickler for "proper" grammar and find yourself wanting to insert a comma here or there, you will not like A Cold Dark Place.

I chose to write A Cold Dark Place in literary form for a reason. I wanted readers to feel as though they were reading the diary of a close friend. I also wanted readers to get caught up in the emotion of the story as opposed to the technical aspect of it.

Before I go, I would like to offer aspiring writers a word of advice. Never give up your dream. You may find your work rejected by publisher after publisher. Do not give up. Hang in there and keep writing from the heart. Rejection is the name of the game. A Cold Dark Place was rejected multiple times. But, it eventually found a home with an absolutely amazing publisher. Eventually, your work will find a home as well.
About HD:
Author HD Hatcher is no newcomer on the literary scene.He is author of In the Heart of the Closet, apiece nominated for both the 2006 Stonewall BookAward and the 2005 Lambda Literary Award. He isan avid supporter of gay and lesbian causes, suicideprevention programs, as well as Animal Rights.Hatcher currently resides in the Grand Strand areaof South Carolina, near his hometown of Conway,with his Life Partner of ten years, Jerry.

About A Cold Dark Place:
On a chance meeting, (at a mutual friend's house) Luke finds the love of his life. Andy is what Luke has been longing for all of his adult years: the perfect man. But, this perfect man is not only straight-he is married to a woman who is more devilish than Satan himself.In a bittersweet journey that will change his life forever, Luke must reach deep inside and find the strength he never knew existed. A Cold Dark Place is the story of a man who must pick up the pieces of his broken heart after a lifetime of heartbreak and betrayal.





A Cold Dark Place
One Too Many (a short)

Off to see the Zombie Wizard....

This week is convention prep. Yep, its that time again. I'm heading off to a new one, however, and I'm as nervous as a thanksgiving turkey on Nov. 20.

I'll report in afterwards as usual, but in the meantime I have a guest post up at The Steam Room, where a few other Romance authors and myself have weighed in on Love and Romance.

We'll be hosting a guest author here on Nov. 22, and I think you'll find its something outside of the usual box here.

Other than that, I'm going to try to get off a new episode of Slug Opera before I go on Friday, but no guarantees. There are things to pack, etc etc. I'll do my best.

thanks and I'll see you on the other side of the con!
~Frances

Fairy Frenzy

"Three times backwards in the ring, Three times round and fairies bring..."
A Moth in Darkness is out in electronic and print formats at: Mundania Press
The fairies have escaped and are wreaking havoc pretty much everywhere.
But then, that's what fairies do best.



If you must go to the revel....Whatever you do,Don't drink the wine....Don't eat the offering....and if they ask you to Dance,
"run. run now."

Revel, Revel...


The boundaries between the worlds have fallen. Forced to integrate the creatures of fantasy into real life, humanity struggles against its disillusionment, prejudice and an inevitable feeling of inadequacy.
Once an agent for the embassy that mediates between the worlds, Elizabeth Larson has abandoned her past and slipped into a world of nostalgic addiction to fairy revels, dancing, and the dark lure of her own memories. But when Lockland Sheen, her former partner and lover, goes missing, she is pulled reluctantly back into service. She must venture once more across the borders, into the land that haunts her, facing a string of gruesome murders, the imposing Sidhe rulers and her own addiction in the process.
While the Embassy's agents attempt to soothe tensions between the races, Liz and her new partner search the fairy realm for Lockland. Fighting the constant temptation of the revels, they piece together the trail of an unknown enemy. But the longer they follow it, the more it appears that the man they came to rescue is more villain than victim. And the more they rely on Elizabeth's ties to the fairies, the closer she inches toward the madness that lurks behind her fantasies. A Moth In Darkness

Contests and Free Books

The Romance Reviews is holding a contest at the moment (one more day to enter) that gives away a free PDF copy of New Canterbury Affair. If you'd like a copy, here's a chance to win one.

Next week they'll run another contest for a copy of The Dimensional Shift as well, so keep an eye on their CONTEST link.

http://www.theromancereviews.com/contest.php

I'll be participating in their upcoming Grand Opening event as well with give-aways and prizes.

On Feb. 13th, I'll be at Long and Short Romance Reviews with a valentines special post and on Feb. 4th, I have a guest post coming for Moth's release.

I'll post links as we go!
Thanks,

Frances

Keeping the Mystery Alive

As a science fiction writer I often think about science. That's something of a no-brainer. I've always felt that science has suffered from bad PR. I've mentioned it here before. If the sciences had the popularity of the arts, they might be able to pull off some of the amazing things we science fiction writers watch the headlines anxiously looking for—like hover cars.

I'm still a bit sore about the lack of hover cars.

I mean there was a time when scientists were rock stars. At least, that's what I hear. Einstein had quite the following. Of course, there was a time a bit earlier than that when scientists were considered complete fringe weirdoes too. When the sum of scientific knowledge was treated something like a gypsy's understanding of the tarot--looked on with suspicion at best. (It's ROUND? What are you smoking?) But then, once we sorted out that they were on to something, they got some respect. Science got some respect. Things were good. Inventions and discoveries were rampant. And the world was on pins and needles. What will they come up with next?

I'm not sure if we just got jaded, or if they got a little too cocky, but sometime after that science suffered from a sudden and devastating lack of interest. We felt like we'd pretty much figured everything out. We could explain everything. We knew everything. I suspect science encouraged this attitude a bit, but I could be wrong.
The sciences and the world suffered from an attitude that said, there really isn't anything amazing left to discover. They killed the mystery. They drained away all the suspense, and what happened? Everyone turned the channel. They picked up a different book, one with a surprise ending.

But something cool is happening again isn't it? It started with a little thing called Quantum Physics.

People know about Quantum Physics. They talk about it--people who aren't scientists or science fiction writers. String theory, (while maybe a little flash back to the gypsy fringe) is becoming a subject of conversation and debate outside of the university or laboratory. Michio Kaku, is cool. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Not even close.

I think it's because Quantum Physics stood up and said, uh, we don't know anything about the way things work. Anything is possible, and who the heck knows what we'll work out next. They brought back the mystery, the suspense. String Theory is the Steven King of science. How many dimensions are possible today?

I hope it keeps going. I hope the next generation is so fired up about the possibilities that they dive into science and we take a huge innovative leap forward. I hope we get interested en masse, but I think to do it, we need to keep that adventurous, anything can happen attitude. I think, to keep the viewer's attention, we need mystery more than mastery. To keep them reading, to keep them watching, there has to be at least the potential for a surprise ending.

If I told you all the secrets on page one, would you keep turning pages?


...and in honor of Moth's release tomorrow, here's a random fairy. Don't let it get you!

~ Frances

Fit for Print

The news, that is... Though, stay tuned, print is on its way.

Rather than pull something intelligent out of my exhausted, er, pocket this week. :-) I figured I'd do updates and work on a cognitive thought for next week.
It seemed like a good plan at the time.


So, both Lords of Oak and Holly and New Canterburry Affair have hit Kindle of late. You can see all my Kindle friendly books on my author central page here:
http://www.amazon.com/Frances-Pauli/e/B003DIIW38/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

The Dreamspell Fangs! vol. 1 anthology came out this week with my story, Forbidden. Pay no attention to the cover...avert your gaze, because this little antho is full of awesome tales. Really. My good friend Jaleta Clegg has a fantastic vampire fiasco inside and all four of the stories are fun and worth a seriously un-serious read.
















http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-dreamspellfangsvolume1-507430-139.html


I'm looking forward to next week's releas of Undiscovered on the 27th from Hall Bros Entertainment. This is going to be my print debut with a reprint of my story Alien Embrace. The anthology will be available from the site and on Amazon, I believe and has a great mix of genre stories with the theme of discovery.










And on that theme, print that is... A Moth in Darkness is coming on Feb. 1st. Have you seen this cover?
Okay, the story is an Urban Fantasy and kicks off the Changeling Race trilogy, which I just finished for NaNo if you keep track. I love this book. I'm so excited. Just look at it. . .



Thanks to everyone for support, beta-reads and all the work that made it possible!
~Frances