Sara Jayne Townsend's Blog, page 26
August 19, 2013
Monday’s Friend: Rie Warren
Today I’m interviewing romance writer Rie Warren. Welcome, Rie!
SJT: When did you realise you were destined to be a writer?
RW: I started dabbling with erotic poetry in college—which came as quite a surprise to my college professor, lol! I became more serious about writing in the mid-nineties when I was living in England and on a visa restriction that didn’t allow me to work for six months. After buying my first computer—a ridiculously huge Apple Mac—I spent the next four months writing my first novel. It’s around here somewhere…
SJT: You have a degree in Fine Art, but now you write instead of paint. What do you think are the differences and similarities in these two forms of artistic expression?
RW: I believe the similarities stretch to all of the arts and include the ability to visualize a scene and to create that vision so others may view it no matter what medium you use. The difference for me is in the medium. I stopped painting and took up writing because I was no longer able to create the picture I wanted with brushstrokes and paint. The end product stopped matching what I had in my head. Words became easier to manipulate, and even when they took on a life of their own, they inspired awesome new events or plot twists.
SJT: Are you a meticulous plotter or a seat-of-the-pantser?
RW: I’m a meticulous combination of both *wink*. I loosely plot all the chapters first, and I usually already have quite a few snippets of dialogue, scene placement, important events scribbled down that I slot into specific chapters. Now, once I start writing, I do stick basically to my script but as I mentioned above, there’s always a shocking surprise or two that happens during writing! I love those moments. I’d say there’s always a structure to my stories and amid that, there’s an organic flow of creative juices.
SJT: Who would you cite as your influences?
RW: This is a tough one. I don’t aspire to be the next ‘such-and-such’ author, but I do pay very close attention when I read a book, studying plot and pacing, world building, hero vs. heroine characterization, and I’m a sucker for kick-ass verbs! I read across a lot of genres…as a writer I think that brings a layer of richness to my own work.
SJT:
Tell us about your new release, IN HIS COMMAND. What’s the story behind this story?
RW: IN HIS COMMAND is the ultimate forbidden love story! In the dystopian future where homosexuality and deviant sexual behaviors are outlawed, two men are thrown together when a revolution rips through their city. They are forced on a month-long trek to a secure outpost, fighting sabotage, secrecy, and intense attraction for one another along the way.
The story behind the story is pretty simple (you know, once I pare it down, shave it back, and pretend I didn’t angst for months and months over it *grins*). I’ve always been in love with the dystopian genre…and m/m stories. After my year-long phase reading The Hunger Games, etc., I decided to write my futuristic series, but make it for adults. The oppressive regime I created was a direct offshoot of this being a m/m novel, and once I had that in the bag, the characters, the worlds, the intense scenes and high stakes love story all started speaking to me. In fact, they wouldn’t shut up!
The second book—ON HER WATCH–is already complete, with my editor at Forever Yours, and will be released in April, 2014.
SJT: As an American girl with a British husband, it seems you’ve got a bit of an international household. What cultural differences have stood out for you in your travels?
RW: Easy things to point out are: Americans like it bigger 
. We like our huge appliances, cars, and meals. True story. One difference I really loved about living abroad was the ease of travel without having to own a car. I walked everywhere (part of that was sheer terror at the idea of driving on the wrong side of the vehicle on the wrong side of the road, not gonna lie). And when I wanted to travel, I just hopped a bus or train!
I read a recent update from a friend traveling in Europe, saying, ‘Why don’t they have ice? Why do they drink everything lukewarm?’ Ha, ha, ha, I thought that was really funny. But, of course, if you live anywhere long enough, these little quirks become entirely normal. Except for the weather. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t handle the rain after several non-stop years of it. I need the sun to function.
SJT: We don’t like it much either – there is a reason why it is a British tradition to complain about the weather! What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
RW: Sleep! Sleep, sleep, and more zzzzzz…… I love to read, and I really love getting hooked into a fantastic series. Newest guilty pleasure: I can’t stop watching Hell on Wheels on amc. Just do yourself a favor and go Google Anson Mount/Cullen Bohannon, then come talk to me about him.
Thanks so much for having me today, Sara-Jayne! I had a blast and I’ll be around to reply to any comments.
BUY LINKS FOR ‘IN HIS COMMAND:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AG0VN32
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-his-command-rie-warren/1113852021?ean=9781455574148
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/in-his-command/id582157368?mt=11
Find Rie on SOCIAL MEDIA:
https://www.facebook.com/RieWarrenRomance
August 18, 2013
Domestic Chores and Days Off
I’m a writer with a day job married to a musician with a day job. Free time for either of us is pretty rare.
However, because the organisation I work for has a flexi time system, it does mean that if I build up enough hours I can occasionally take a day off work without having to use annual leave. Such days are useful for doctor and dentist appointments, and such, but they are also useful for dealing with domestic chores that require being at home on a weekday. So I generally try and schedule as many such tasks as possible for these days off.
Friday this week was such a day, and although it was a completely unproductive writing day, on the domestic chores front we got quite a lot accomplished. First of all, we got the plumber round to replace the cracked plastic pipes on the side of the house that drain the water from the bath and the sink in the upstairs bathroom. Well, we thought the pipes were cracked. What we did not realise until the old pipes had been removed and the plumber showed them to us is that both of them had completely disintegrated on one side. Every time we’ve been running the water in the bathroom it must have been cascading down the side of the house. Just as well we got that fixed, then.
While we had the plumber we also had him plumb the American fridge freezer we bought when we moved into the house in September into the water supply. So our fridge now dispenses ice cubes and cold water. I’ve got disproportionately excited about this. All weekend I’ve been drinking lots of glasses of water, just to have an excuse to fill up a glass with ice and water from the fridge.
I also took the kittens to the vet to get neutered, since they have now reached five months and we cannot start letting our female felines outside until we can be assured they can’t get pregnant.
Alia in post-operative recovery
I didn’t think this would be too much of an ordeal. Our last pair of cats were both female, and we had to get them done. However, these new kittens have very different personalities than our old cats. For starters, they are a lot more intelligent. With our former cats (who admittedly inherited pedigree genes) all we had to do to get them to vet was get the cat box and leave it on the floor with the door open. The cats would think “ooh! Box!” and would promptly go in because they loved boxes. Then I’d shut the door on them, as they belatedly realised they’d been foiled again.
Not so with these cats. They have already learned to associate the box with unpleasantness and as soon as they saw it they were running to hide. I managed to grab one and shove her in the box, chased the second one for a while, but after catching her I opened the door to shove her in and the first one promptly escaped. Now I know the origin of that phrase “herding kittens”, used to describe the difficulty of getting a group of people in the same place at the same time.
Eventually I did manage to get both cats in the box but not without injury. They came home after their spaying op safe and well. Unfortunately we have to go through the same fiasco on Monday, as I have to take them back to the vet for a post-op check. And I don’t have the luxury of a day off on Monday – it’s back to work for me. Which means after leaving work early to dash home in time, I’m probably going to be chasing the kittens around the house in my work clothes. And I will have a limited amount of time to get them into the box.
I’m already dreading this task. At the very least, I think I shall dig out the gardening gloves before attempting it. Any suggestions from cat owners to get reluctant felines into the cat carrier are welcome…
August 14, 2013
Geekfest 2013 – The Lowdown
(Cross-posted on the WriteClub blog)
This past weekend saw the first ever Nineworld Geekfest Con, held in London.
The Con was billed as a celebration of all things geeky, and an excuse to have a really big party, and it was held in two hotels at London Heathrow airport – the Renaissance and the Radisson. I was impressed by the fact that a Con without a track record was able to secure not one but two major airport hotels.
Though I was looking forward to the Con, with it being new I was expecting a few hiccups. I have to say I was impressed with the level of organisation. And the amount of choice. There were so many tracks running, we were all spoilt for choice. There was a creative writing track, a Tolkien track, a Dr Who track, a Geek Feminism track, a video games track, an LRP track, a board games track – to name just a few. it was impossible to do everything.
There were some comments about the cost. I think possibly this is relative – I’m used to London prices, where everything is more expensive anyway. Although the Con itself wasn’t that expensive – depending on when you booked, £75 could get you a weekend ticket to just about everything, which I thought was reasonable. The hotel cost no more than I paid for my hotel room at the Brighton Cons I have attended the last few years. The room was decent, the air conditioning worked, the bed was comfortable. Yes we had to pay for parking, but £10 for 24 hours didn’t seem overly expensive considering we pay £6 or more to park the car in Croydon for an afternoon of shopping. Yes, the hotel bar was expensive. But £5 for a glass of wine is not uncommon in a London hotel bar. Sometimes bars are subsidised at Con hotels. Genre Con-goers seem to have the ability to imbibe a lot more alcohol and yet still remain well behaved and less aggressive than your average non-geek after a few pints. If the hotel manages to figure this out, maybe a deal will be struck for next year.
The T Party Writers’ Group had arranged to do a critiquing workshop on manuscripts that had been submitted in advance, and this was scheduled for 1:30 on Saturday afternoon. Since we drove up to the Con on Saturday and hit traffic, we didn’t have much time to do anything else before this was on. So hubby went off to the “In Conversation with Chris Barrie” programme item and I sought out the workshop.
We’d had seven submitted manuscripts split into two crit groups – one group dealing with historical and other-world fantasy and the other group (my group) critting the stories with more contemporary settings. The crit session went quite well and no one ran off screaming after their crit, which is always a relief.
We finished earlier than expected and I was hoping to catch the second half of the panel on women in the Whedon universe. But sadly this panel was so full they were letting no one else in, so I went off to take a look around the dealer room instead. I caught up with Hubby here, who spent a happy half an hour spending money on the stall with all the old D&D modules. I was distracted by many geeky t-shirts and jewellery, in the end deciding to spend my money on a pretty dragon pendant from the Pagan jewellery dealer I see at pretty much every Con I go to these days.
We left around noon on Sunday, and I left wishing I could have caught a few more panels. But with so much going on, I think everyone came away wishing they could have seen more.
Buffy singalong. Picture credit: Nineworlds Geekfest
The highlight of my Con experience was the Buffy sing-along in the Saturday night, where we all gathered round a chap playing piano and went through every song featured in “Once More With Feeling”. And because we finished faster than expected, when he got to the end of the music book, he started again from the beginning. You can see me singing away in this picture – I’m there near the front in the pink t-shirt. The t-shirt actually says ‘horror writer’ on it and has an image of a cartoon grim reaper on it, but sadly you can’t see it in the photo. I let down my Buffy fangirl credentials by having to refer to the lyrics at some point for most of the songs. There were some die-hard fans that knew every word.
There was a lot of Cosplay at this Con, and even if you don’t participate in this yourself, it’s fascinating to see the array of costumes, and see if you can correctly guess the geek reference. Some of them were obvious to me – Dr Who characters; Marvel characters; the Alien. Others I suspected were Manga characters, and these I am not as familiar with.
GeekFest made a point of making this Con accessible to everyone – regardless of gender, creed, orientation, physical ability, or anything else. Children were welcome – there were many families at the Con. Any item that was deemed to be for adults only was clearly labelled as such in the programme. It was a Con where you could be who you wanted to be, not necessarily who you were born as. The name labels were blank so you could fill in whatever name you wanted to be that particular weekend. Many people stayed in costume – and in character – all weekend. There was an LGBT track running all weekend. There were even gender neutral toilets. I have a lot of respect for the organisers for this. This was a Con where everyone was welcome. You could wear whatever you wanted, be whoever you chose to be, and be accepted and welcomed, without the labels of ‘geek’, ‘freak’, ‘weirdo’ that so many of us have to deal with for being in some way different from what society perceives as ‘normal’.
In summary, this is a Con I thoroughly recommend for anyone who has any remotely geeky tendencies. Next year’s Con has already been confirmed at the same venue, 8-10 August 2014. Tickets are available, so book up now before the price goes up.
Fellow geeks, I shall see you there…
August 12, 2013
Monday’s Friend: Chandra Ryan (3)
Today I am pleased to welcome Chandra Ryan, on her third visit to my blog this year. And with yet another new release – got to admire this author’s productivity! Welcome back, Chandra.
Moments of Definition
By Chandra Ryan
Every once in awhile I have a moment of clarity to actually look at my life and take stock in where it is. And it’s an amazing thing. How did I get here? What decisions have I made that delivered me to this place? And did I know what a profound affect those decisions were going to make when I was making them?
Of course, some of them go without saying. When my husband asked me to marry him and I said yes, I knew things were changing. But what about the little everyday kind of decisions? Two years ago an author I knew on-line only said she was going to be in my neck of the woods over Christmas. I asked her if she’d like to meet for coffee. She has since moved near me and we’ve become fabulous friends. Did I know that chance coffee meeting was going to open the door to a new friend? There was no way I could’ve. But I’m glad I threw out the invitation on impulse.
My heroine in Ink in the Blood, Izzy, is living in a series of defining moments. She’s a recovering addict looking for retribution. She wants to bring down the men who introduced her to drugs all those years ago. It’s complicated by the fact that the very men she’s after are her father and half brother. And complicated even further when she starts to have feelings for the DEA agent assigned to her case. He’s a human and has no idea she’s not. She’s one of the Community, a group of beings living with humans who possess magical abilities. Can she fight against the attraction? Should she? She’s at a crossroads and she’s gong to have to make a decision one way or the other.
Blurb:
Prequel to Bond Betrayed
Izzy has lived between two worlds her entire life—one filled with magic and darkness, the other populated by mundane humans. She was born into the magical world of the Community. But sexy, forbidden DEA agent Jacob belongs to the other. He has no idea her world even exists.
But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t noticed her. They’ve worked together for the past six months, attempting to bring down her drug-dealing half brother while driving each other crazy with pent-up desire. But now that it’s time to say goodbye, they both find it impossible to let go.
After one passionate night together Izzy realizes her mistake. She can’t bring him into her world. She has to end things before she gets too attached. When he refuses to leave, she must find a way to guide him through the darkness.
Inside Scoop: In this scorching urban fantasy, ink is thicker than blood.
A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published elsewhere and has been revised for Ellora’s Cave.
Buy Links:
Ellora’s Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/ink-in-the-blood.html
Bio:
Being from a rather nomadic family, Chandra Ryan loves to travel and meet people. But she’s found that sometimes, like when you’re stuck inside because of a good old-fashioned Southwestern heat wave, you have to make do. Fortunately for her and her loving family, who don’t like seeing her suffer from cabin fever, she’s found creating new people and places equally as fascinating. Also, you’re a lot less likely to spill your ice tea.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.chandraryan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chandra.ryan
Twitter: @ChandraRyan
August 5, 2013
Monday’s Friend: MQ Barber
Today I am pleased to welcome erotic romance MQ Barber to the blog, who has some advice on how to get to the end of a novel. Welcome, MQ!
Skipping your way toward a novel
By M.Q. Barber
The first time you give up control is scary.
It’s also thrilling.
Where are we going? I don’t know.
Who’s leading me there? I don’t know.
Are we going to have fun finding out the answers? Hell yes.
Some writers work best with an outline. They have a plot. They start at page one, and they write from Point A to Point B in a straight line with no deviations. That works for them.
It works. Remember that. Utility is the key.
Problems you can fix with more practice and dedicated study of craft are things like poor grammar, or clumsy transitions, or clunky dialog, or sentence structure variation, or … well. It’s a long list. You get the idea.
Approaching your writing like a child skipping stones on a lake — a scene here, a bounce there, a flash of insight way out over the water before it disappears — this is not a problem. This is a process. And if it works for you, then give yourself permission to write this way.
Forget what writing instructors or well-meaning peers have drilled into your head. You don’t have to start at the beginning. You don’t have to finish at the end. You don’t have to write an outline or fill out a character sheet or know the name of that kid who laughed at your heroine when she tripped on her way to the blackboard in third grade. (It’s Chris. You’re welcome.)
You don’t have to know or do any of that to sit down and write. What you need to do is listen.
That’s it. Just listen. Whatever voice calls to you, whatever you see that sparks an idea, whatever puts a thought in your head that won’t go away: Write it down.
Don’t lose your excitement. Cultivate it. Write down the thought that excited you, as far as the voices will take you, and read it over.
Then ask yourself one question:
Who are these people, and why does this moment matter to them?
Now listen. Skip to wherever the answer takes you. Repeat. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Eventually, you’ll have skipped so many stones that you’ll have created a bridge across the water in every place they touched. The characters will have shown you their goals, their conflicts, their motivations.
Readers will call it a novel.
I call it accepting my own insanity.
Whatever works, right?
Now go write.
–
Blurb for Playing the Game (Neighborly Affection #1):
She expects dinner with neighbors, but gets sex with a side of safewords.
Mechanical engineer Alice still drools over her sexy neighbors a year after she’s moved in. She can’t decide whether they’re roommates or partners, but either way, they spark a wanton desire in her that has her imagination–and vibrator–working overtime.
Henry, director of everything around him, studies human nature and applies philosophies to his paintings as well as his relationships. Quirky, polite to a fault, and formal, he follows his own code of honor even when it means denying himself.
Flirtatious and playful, Jay needs stability, guidance, and to please others. His antics counterbalance Henry’s stuffy ways while he brings a level of vulnerability and fun to everything the trio does.
BDSM play with the enigmatic artist and flirtatious joker across the hall allows Alice to put aside the linear thought processes which have kept her unsatisfied and distant with other lovers. She must dismiss her preconception of love, sacrificing her independence, if she’s to find a permanent place in their beds and hearts.
–
Where to buy Playing the Game:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Playing-the-Game-ebook/dp/B00DJYXDJY/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/playing-the-game-mq-barber/1115799657
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/playing-the-game/id642806529?mt=11
–
Author bio
M.Q. Barber likes to get lost in thought. She writes things down so she can find herself again.
Often found staring off into space or frantically scratching words on post-it notes, M.Q. lives with one very tolerant, easily amused husband and one very tolerant, easily amused puppy.
She has a soft spot for romances that explore the inner workings of the heart and mind alongside all that steamy physical exertion. She loves memorable characters, witty banter, and heartfelt emotion in any genre.
–
Where to find M.Q.
Website/blog: www.mqbarber.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mqbarber
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mqbarber
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/mqbarber
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/mqbarber
July 31, 2013
If I Were Famous…
(Cross-posted on the WriteClub blog)
Occasionally I fantasise about what I’d do if I became a rich and famous writer. And I’m not talking rich enough to give up the day job and pay off the mortgage. I’m talking about rich beyond the realms of reasonable possibility. JK-Rowling-sort-of rich and famous.
The first thing I’d do is buy a house with an indoor swimming pool, so I could do daily laps without having the general public get in my way. And the pool must be heated to 35c all the time. I’m a wimp – I hate getting into cold water. Of course I would also need to hire a Pool Boy – heated swimming pools require a lot of maintenance.
In this fantasy house there would be at least two gaming rooms, each with a couple of types of consoles and a 50″ flat screen TV. This is so at least two multi-player games could be going on at the same time. There would also be a retro games room, full of old arcade machines, including the original Space Invaders. There will also be a juke box in there, belting out 80s hits. In fact, I’ll just recreate Flynn’s arcade from TRON, and I’ll be set.
There will be a bar, of course. Stocked with plenty of bottles of Cloudy Bay. And a bartender to make cocktails.
While we’re on the subject of staff, I’ll need to have a housekeeper who will do all the chores, including the ironing, making the bed and changing the sheets weekly. And there’ll be a chef. I like to eat nice food, but I’m rubbish at cooking.
Sigh. Guess it’s time to stop daydreaming.
What things do you fantasise about buying, if money were no object?
July 28, 2013
New Feline Friends
This is a post all about our new kittens. Just to forewarn you. Just in case you don’t like cats, or something.
When I blogged about putting my old cat Misha to sleep a few weeks ago, I’d already decided to get new cats. The house just felt too empty without them.
We took our other cats from kittenhood to old age, and we decided we’d like to do the same to some more cats. There really needed to be two, to keep each other company, since we are generally out at work all day.
We went through the Cats Protection League in the end. As it happened, they had plenty of kittens looking for homes – as it was June, it was possibly the right time of year. They dutifully sent someone round to check our home was suitable for cats. No problems there, since we have plenty of space and a good size garden. And thus we were sent to a CPL ‘foster mum’ who had kittens needing homes. The lady we saw was lovely, but was one of these people who seem to be better with cats than with people. The place was absolutely full of cats. About a dozen of them were hers – I gathered that she would adopt any cat who came through her care who did not find a new home. There were also lots of kittens, in cages. The two that immediately charmed us were a pair of black and white sisters, who were 12 weeks old. They seemed very laid back when we picked them up and stroked them, and seemed very friendly. We were told that they were the last two of a litter that had been abandoned at the police station.
They were extremely nervous when we brought them home, and spent two days hiding behind Hubby’s guitar cases before they would come out. But eventually they got a bit braver, and started to explore their new home.
Cassie (L) and Alia (R)
They are both black, with white back paws and white patches on their chest. We have named them Alia and Cassie. Alia has a bigger white patch on her chest, and is a bigger kitten, though I imagine this situation will not remain as they get older, as Cassie is greedier and is now almost as big as her sister.
We’ve had them about a month now, and they are four months old. They are very familiar with the house, and with us, and they are into everything. They chase each other around the house, climb up anything that’s static and chase anything that moves. They are particularly fond of chasing shoe laces – normally when you are trying to do them up. My last cats were old when they died, and spent most of their time sleeping. I had forgotten how active kittens can be. You have to be careful where you step, as they have this habit of following directly behind you, and you have to be careful what you leave lying around, as they’ll either play with it or try to eat it.
They were rather timid when we first got them, but they have now got to be very friendly. They run and greet me when I come in from work, wanting strokes and cuddles. When other people visit the house they remark on how friendly the kittens are – they now seem very comfortable with visitors, and have worked out that if they come over looking all adorable, they’ll get some attention.
The Cats Protection League are quite insistent that all kittens get neutered at the appropriate age, and that cats are not let out until they have been neuteured, to prevent unwanted kittens. I have no issue with this policy, and I have every intention of getting them neutered. But that can’t happen until they are five months old, and they are already trying very hard to get out. We have to be careful not to leave either the back or the front door open, as if they notice it they will make a run for it. The UK has been sweltering in a heatwave over the last three weeks. Not being able to open the back door to let some breeze in has been a tad inconvenient.
We have instead been opening the windows, but now we have to be careful of that too, as Cassie has already got out through one of the upstairs ones. The window is right above the front porch. It seems she made her escape from the window to the porch, and then the porch to the ground. I spent ages hunting high and low before ascertaining she wasn’t in the house. I found her eventually under the car, looking rather terrified. It seems this kitten wanted to explore the world, and when she got there she decided that the world was big and scary. I had trouble persuading her to come out from under the car. In the end I had to entice her out with a plate of tuna, so I could grab her and bring her back inside (they are both very fond of all kinds of fish, we’ve worked out). She seemed no worse for wear for her little adventure, but I’m not sure she’s learned not to jump out of windows. Just in case, I’m now endeavouring to make sure they are open just a tiny crack, and not leave a space big enough for a kitten to squeeze through.
There will come a point when they will get too big to both squeeze onto this windowsill – currently a favourite spot.
If anyone’s wondering about the names, we have a tradition of naming our cats after characters in current D&D games. These two kittens happen to both be named after magic users, but since they are mostly black, like witch’s cats, that seems appropriate. Alia is my character in one of the games we play. The more discerning geek might have remembered that Alia is the name of Paul Atreides’ mad sister in Frank Herbert’s DUNE. This is, of course, where I originally got the name from.
They do keep insisting on doing cute things. So I have no doubt you will be hearing lots more about their adventures in future…
July 22, 2013
Monday’s Friend: Chandra Ryan (2)
Today I am pleased to welcome Chandra Ryan once more to my blog, to talk about the hero of her forthcoming sci fi erotic romance. Welcome, Chandra!
Would you be friends with any of your heroes?
By Chandra Ryan
My husband asked me this about a year ago and it really threw me for a loop. At the time, Isaac from Bond Betrayed was my most recent hero. The truth was I wasn’t sure if I’d be his friend. Isaac is intense. And he completely buys into the belief that the end justifies the means. Truth be told, he kind of scared me a little. As does his family. Which is why I wrote Nikki for him. Let me tell you, that girl can hold her own. And yeah, she kind of scares me too.
I mean, sure I’d have coffee with them. Talk about how the kids are doing (I’m sure they’ll have little ones to talk about in the near future). But my definition of a friend, a true friend, is someone you can call at midnight and know they’ll answer the phone. If Isaac needed me at midnight, I’d be terrified there was a body involved.
When I set about writing my newest release, ULTERIOR MOTIVES, I did so with this conversation in mind. Heroes can be strong and confident without being scary. Right? And I should have at least one hero who I would answer my phone for. And so Jasper Lee was born. Jasper is the consummate diplomat who believes a person can enact change from within a system. He went into law to do just that. And when he noticed an inordinate amount of land seizures coming across his desk, he sets off to find out what’s going on.
Poor Jasper. He has no idea his desire to help people is going to make him question the beliefs he holds most dear and shape his destiny. And, yes, he does have to make a couple of scary decisions along the way. But, after writing his story, I can honestly say I’d answer my phone for him at midnight. Of course it helps that he’s resourceful and takes care of his own bodies.
Blurb:
Universal Defiance, Book One
On a rural settler planet, Kat must resort to putting out an ad to find a husband. She doesn’t expect to find love—that’s a dream in these parts—just a partner to help work her ranch. Then the devastatingly handsome Jasper answers her ad and turns her on in ways she never dreamed possible. Too bad he’s not who he says he is.
Jasper doesn’t know what he’s getting into when he ventures undercover to investigate a legal claim against Kat’s ranch. But after a toe-curling night under her roof and in her bed, he’s willing to do anything to stay there. He can’t say no to the tough-as-nails businesswoman who makes his body come alive.
When people start getting hurt, though, both Kat and Jasper have to decide how valuable one piece of land is. And the ranch that brought them together might be the very thing standing between them.
A Romantica® sci fi erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Buy links:
Ellora’s Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/ulterior-motives.html
Bio:
Being from a rather nomadic family, Chandra Ryan loves to travel and meet people. But she’s found that sometimes, like when you’re stuck inside because of a good old-fashioned Southwestern heat wave, you have to make do. Fortunately for her and her loving family, who don’t like seeing her suffer from cabin fever, she’s found creating new people and places equally as fascinating. Also, you’re a lot less likely to spill your ice tea.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.chandraryan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chandra.ryan
Twitter: @ChandraRyan
July 15, 2013
Monday’s Friend: Lynn Cahoon (2)
Today I’m pleased to welcome Lynn Cahoon on her second visit to my blog. Lynn has some sage advice for those of us juggling day jobs with the writing.
Playing with my imaginary friends
By Lynn Cahoon
For most of us, writing is a part time endeavor, full time love. And as a writer with a day job, I’m the rule, rather than the exception.
So what does that mean?
Basically if something is going to happen, I’ve got to make it happen.
Think about it. Writers make up stories out of thin air and blank pages. A lot of our ‘work’ time is thinking up lies. And answering the question – then what happens? But if a writer is going to be successful and try to build a career out of what could be a most excellent hobby, there has to be rules.
Ugh. The rule word. Okay, maybe the word is processes. Goals are just a dream written down. Or maybe not.
As a reader, you’ve probably imagined your favorite author’s life. Sitting at a wooden desk, in a well lit room, maybe a fireplace nearby, a couch for the faithful dog to sleep in when the author is working on the latest work. The computer screen filled with words crafting a new world. And sometimes, that could be reality.
My desk sits in a corner of an upstairs bedroom that I share with my husband. His desk sits by the very large television/computer screen. There’s room for a book shelf, my printer, and instead of a couch, Homer, my faithful Pomeranian, lays under the desk, getting caught up in the snarls of cords and plug ins for the multiple devices.
I get to use the desk from 5 am to 6 when I have to get ready for the day job. Then again from 6 pm to 9 when I tend to crash. Four hours a day. If I get up at 5 and if we don’t have anything going on in the evening.
I’m not complaining. I’m stating a fact. If you want to write, you are the only person in the world who will care if you hit your daily word count or not. No one will be following up to see if you’ve finished a manuscript or a story, unless you’ve signed a contract. Even then, your editor isn’t going to be hovering to make sure you’re progressing on your story. You either submit by the deadline or not and deal with the consequences.
So when I sold the first in this series, I knew I wanted to write this book – RETURN OF THE FAE. Even without a contract, I knew it would sell. And it did. Now, it’s on to the development of book 3, which may be called, SALEM SHOWDOWN. At least that’s its working title. All I need is another day or two in the week. Or to reevaluate all that time I sleep. 
So what dream do you have that you need to turn into a reachable goal?
Return of the Fae –
A witch in training, a hunter on the prowl, and a world in jeopardy.
Learning the rules of being a witch takes years, but Parris McCall needs to master them in only weeks. Ty Wallace is going mad with his desire for Parris, but she’s a distraction in his quest to find Coven X before they take The Council and everyone he knows down.
The couple searches for Ty’s mentor, but he’s disappeared. Their only clue comes from a banished witch. When they return, not only are their own lives threatened, but a new life hangs in the balance.
Available at Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Return-of-the-Fae-ebook/dp/B00DJVH8V6
AUTHOR BIO
Lynn Cahoon is a contemporary romance author with a love of hot, sexy men, real and imagined. Her alpha heroes range from rogue witch hunters, modern cowboys, or hot doctors, sexy in scrubs. And her heroines all have one thing in common, their strong need for independence. Or at least that’s what they think they want. She blogs at her website www.lynncahoon.wordpress.com
Other virtual places I play –
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook
July 10, 2013
Not Enough Words?
(Cross-posted on the WriteClub blog)
I have finished my new horror novel! This is a cause for celebration, and time to start submitting it.
The novel is about a group of LRP-ers who unwittingly unleash an undead magic user onto the world whilst performing a ritual during a game, which proceeds to wreak death and destruction on those involved in the game. The finished draft has come out at 69,000 words. I’m aware that this is a very short novel. In fact, to some it’s only half of a novel. The majority of people in the T Party Writers’ Group are fantasy writers. Most of their first drafts start off with over 150,000 words.
I’ve never really ‘got’ how you can stuff so much into one novel to make it so long. I am the opposite. I end up with 50,000 word first drafts and then I have to pad them. Only that’s what it looks like – padding. I used a fair amount of padding in the version of DEATH SCENE that got submitted to Lyrical Press. My editor promptly stripped out all the padding, saying – quite correctly – it was superfluous to the plot.
I remember that lesson when I write novels now. Is this scene moving the plot forward in some way? Is it revealing something about a character, or a plot point that becomes important later on? If the answer to all of these is ‘no’, the scene has no place in the book. So this is a very short novel. But it doesn’t have much padding, and I think I’m going to keep it that way.
I am a voracious reader, as anyone who follows this blog will know. I read quickly, and I like strong plots, but I read so many books I don’t retain plots of books I’ve read for very long. I like clear beginnings, middles, and ends. I don’t like subtle hints, I don’t like ambiguity (my attitude to this is if the author couldn’t be arsed to work out what was really going on, why should I?), and I like satisfactory endings. If it’s a horror novel, the horror should be resolved. I don’t mind if all the main characters die – that’s acceptable in horror. But if it’s a crime novel the killer must be caught. If he or she gets away with it, that’s an unsatisfactory ending.
I do most of my reading on the train, going in and out of London to the day job. I have about 40 minutes at each stretch. On my journey home I want to be able to pick the story up again from where I left off that morning. I don’t want the plot to be so complex that I have to re-read the last 10 pages to remember what’s going on. I don’t want to be re-introduced to a character who had a brief appearance 100 pages ago and I’m supposed to remember that, because I won’t. And I like chapters to be short. When I get to the end of a chapter at Clapham Junction I will be checking to see how long the next chapter is, and if I have time to read it in the few minutes I’ve got left until the train gets in to Victoria station. If it’s only five pages, I will keep reading. If it’s 20, or worse, I will put the book away at that point and put some music on instead – because I hate finishing a reading session mid-chapter.
I am aware that my writing style reflects my reading preferences. I write plot-driven stories, I focus on a few main characters and the peripheral ones are never really fleshed out, I don’t complicate the story with lots of sub-plots, and I write very short chapters. The vast majority of them are between 1,000 and 2,000 words, and I have been known to chapters less than 1,000 words long.
Consequently I tend to write very short novels. But you know what? Maybe that’s just the way it is. I’m never going to win any literary prizes for fiction, and maybe I’ll never write the kind of doorstopper that hits the best sellers list.
But that’s OK. I write what I write. It’s not going to be to everyone’s taste, and I get that. But I know there’s a few people out there that like what I write, and the way I write it.
And so this new novel is for you. It’s short, but it’s finished, and it’s about to go out into the big wide world to find a publisher.
